A Cosmic Rendition

Commanding so many insects was a tedious task.

It had been quite a while since he had undertaken an operation at such a scale. Centuries of Asgardian battles with intergalactic communities had ended a long time ago, ushering in an era of peace and tranquility until the Jotuns acted up once again. Years of peace and lack of skirmishes had perhaps dulled his senses a bit, or perhaps he did indeed underestimate the resolve of those mere mortals from Midgard.

Loki chuckled to himself at that thought as he reaffirmed his hold on his puppets, the scepter in his hand pulsing an ethereal gold.

He had intended to carry out this little mission on his own, but he could not help himself from not taking advantage of this opportunity he had been so graciously gifted. It was a shame that he could not subvert the Kryptonian to his will. He had no clue how the loser had managed to escape his clutches. In all their previous encounters, he had easily managed to gain the upper hand, fully aware of the species' weakness to the mystics. It seemed the man had grown a bit stronger than before.

Yet, it was not enough to overcome the might of him and the massive army he had at his disposal now.

Who needed the throne of Asgard when he could command an army thousands stronger in number?

It galled him to accept the aid of another, and even more the aid of someone whose ideals did not match his in any manner.

Killing half of the surviving populace on a planet to prolong the existence of a civilization? A foolish goal. Those who dug a hole deserved to fall into it. Forcing them to subvert and thus saving them was a tiresome endeavor. He was powerful enough to rule over the worlds he invaded, but instead of taking what was there for taking, he halved their population and moved on to another, almost like a nomad in search of a vacant land to rest for the week.

Shaking his head, Loki looked down at the peasants working diligently, preparing for their upcoming infiltration. He watched dear Erik working on the device and with a smile, he closed his eyes.

The scepter pulsed, and he was transported into a throne room. His body remained where it had been, but his mind created another for him so that he could be physically present in another realm. He heard approaching footsteps and turned to see the creature known to him as The Other.

"You are taking a long time, Odinson."

"I prefer Loki," the God of Mischief replied with a small smile that lacked any mirth. His eyes were hard, glaring at the creature in front of him who took note and let out a scoff.

"The Chitauri grow restless. I would like to urge you to—"

"Let them fight among themselves. It isn't as if we are lacking in numbers. A glorious battle awaits them in no time."

"Glorious battle?" The Other let out a scoff. "Against the pitiful might of Earth, you mean?"

"I never said it would be a long one," Loki replied swiftly. "As long as the forces are as capable as I have been told."

The Other grew agitated at the flippant remark. In a faint growl, the creature retorted, "You lack faith? In us? In HIM? The one who bestowed upon you the might of that scepter? Who changed what you had been ordained, taking you in when you were cast out? You are losing faith in someone mightier than the man who raised you?"

"I was to be the king!" Loki hissed. "The rightful king of Asgard! Betrayed. You expect me to take everything at face value after what I suffered?"

"The ramblings of a child!" The Other cried out as he charged, and Loki immediately pointed the scepter forward, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"You are ambitionless, Odinson," The Other snarled. "Our sights are far beyond Earth. You can have it. And you can have this war you so desperately crave. But heed this… if by the end of this skirmish, the Tesseract is not ours, not even the seven worlds will have a hole large enough for you to hide from him. There will be no fertile land, no barren moon, and no violent ocean for you to hide when he comes for you."

"Threats?" Loki scoffed. "Your army is mine to command until this ends. Right now you are nothing but mere words."

"Words they might be," The Other smirked. "But no less true or powerful. Remember, Odinson. Fail, and he will come for you. You think you have suffered? When he reaches you, you will know what true suffering truly is."

Loki sneered as the connection was cut off. His specter vanished from the throne room, transporting him back to his body. He stood up violently and looked around, menacing.

XXXXX

The Helicarrier came into view through the clouds as the Quinjet slowly approached the massive battleship. It landed with barely a thud and a few individuals walked out of it. The blistering sun rays hit them square in the face as the fierce wind blew their hair about.

Yelena Belova and Sharon Carter led the small group of SHIELD agents forward and the former was met with the disapproving eyes of none other than her sister.

"Good luck," Sharon whispered, earning a poke to her side as they walked.

"You've screwed up really bad," Natasha said as she gently hugged her sister who rolled her eyes before returning the hug. "Count yourself lucky that something much more serious than your little stunt has come up."

"Don't think anything will save me from their lectures," Yelena joked as she pulled away. Natasha shook her head and turned to look at Sharon.

"They need you upfront. Agent Hill should be there."

Sharon nodded, and with a curt 'Ma'am' followed by a salute, she walked away.

"That one's always so stiff with me," Natasha muttered as they walked in.

"Sharon says you scare her. Dunno why. You seem like a real softie to me," Yelena joked, earning herself an amused look from her sister. "I couldn't help but hear certain developments over here… regarding a particular individual."

Natasha chuckled at her sister's teasing tone.

"If you're looking for any details, you're not gonna get any."

"Oh c'mon!" Yelena groaned as she rushed to stand in front of her sister. "You finally hook up with your dear Bruce and you expect me to just let it go?"

"So this is your sister, hmm?"

A female voice called out from behind her, amused. Yelena turned around and saw a beautiful dark-haired woman walking toward them with a small smile on her pretty face. She easily recognized her.

"Can't see the resemblance, but the attitude is spot on," Selina said as she held her hand forward. "Selina Kyle. Nice to meetcha."

Yelena shook the woman's hand and turned to look at her sister.

"I want full details," she whispered in her sister's ear before looking back at the woman.

"So you're with…"

Yelena gestured toward her sister, and Selina chuckled.

"Spot on. Can you really blame me?"

Yelena smirked. "Guess not."

"Nat told us about your mission. That was a ballsy thing you did," Selina said, earning a sigh from the blonde.

"If only everyone saw it that way…"

"Yeah, ballsy it might be, but foolish too. There was no reason for you to put yourself in that situation. You know what they've always said," Natasha retorted as they started walking.

"And you know perfectly well how I feel about it," Yelena snarked back.

Natasha was about to reply when they saw a few people come in from the other entrance, and all three women paused to stare at them for a moment.

Nick Fury nodded curtly at the three and walked away, leaving his entourage behind.

"Wow, you two are truly back," Natasha remarked, staring at the young couple in front of her who looked not even a day older than twenty-five. There was no way anyone would believe these two were over ninety years old. "I don't think I've ever seen my mother buzzing around so much when you were recovered."

"So you are Diana and Clark's daughter then?"

Natasha nodded and pulled Yelena beside her.

"I'm Natasha, and she's Yelena."

Steve and Peggy smiled at the pair of young women before looking at the third woman.

"I'm Selina Kyle. Pleasure to meet you," Selina introduced herself.

"It must be daunting, being in this time," Natasha remarked.

"We are slowly getting used to all this," Steve replied, looking around at all the advanced equipment surrounding them.

"You met Phil?" Yelena asked quickly, earning a curious look from the couple.

"Agent Coulson? Yes, why?"

"Oh nothing," Yelena replied with a grin. "Next time you do though, please ask him about the trading cards."

"Trading cards?" Peggy asked curiously, earning a giggle from the blonde.

"You'll know when you see them. They're vintage. Man's very proud of them. Don't forget, alright?"

Steve looked at the woman in bemusement for a moment before his eyes found a certain someone. He watched the man looking around curiously with a few agents surrounding him and a woman who was holding his arm. He recognized the man in an instant, having been informed by Diana about the ordeal.

"Doctor Banner," Steve called out. The man turned to look at them and his eyes gleamed in recognition.

"They told me you were also coming," Banner replied, shaking the man's hand before doing the same with his wife.

Once they were all introduced to each other, Steve looked at the man with seriousness.

"I've heard you can find the cube," he remarked.

"Is that the only thing you've heard about me?" Banner asked with a chuckle, looking around at his entourage. After he had gone berserk in the Mojave Desert, SHIELD had decided to sic a group of agents on him. They were supposed to escort him around the Helicarrier and the only place they left him without supervision was the restroom of the bedroom he and Betty had been given on the Helicarrier. After what had happened back then, it was entirely understandable, even if he didn't like it.

Betty liked it even less, as evident by the frown on her face all the while.

"The only thing that matters right now," Steve replied instantly. Banner looked at the man for a moment before he nodded.

"I'm still surprised they brought me here on this flying contraption. A submarine would've been better than this, considering…"

"I've told you so many times already Bruce," Betty said with a frown. "You were not in control of your actions. It isn't like you to act like this."

Bruce sighed.

Steve looked at the man with a frown.

"I'm not sure how much my words will help you right now, Doctor," he started. "But considering how Loki was able to control two people with such ease, it is a testament to your willpower that you stand here with us free of any influence. You should give yourself more credit than you are."

"Can get why so many agreed to follow you," Banner replied after a few moments of silence, earning a smile from the man.

XXXXX

Steve understood what Yelena had meant when he met Coulson in the Helicarrier. The man did indeed have several trading cards with his or Peggy's pictures drawn on them in various poses that made him feel nothing short of utter embarrassment, much to the amusement of his wife who eagerly signed them.

"I'm sorry if this is too much," Coulson spoke in an uncharacteristically hesitating voice, and Steve was quick to reassure him.

"Oh no, no. This is fine. Don't worry."

"This is a vintage set. Took me a few years to collect them, but I somehow managed."

Peggy took her eyes off her embarrassed husband's face and looked around the laboratory they were in. Doctor Banner was hard at work with his girlfriend over a set of monitors. He had asked the Director to set up some equipment on all the labs they could contact to pinpoint the location of the Tesseract, but so far, there had been no news. Diana and her husband had not arrived yet, and the last she knew, they had gone to visit some ship the man had found a few days ago. She did not know what kind of ship was more important than locating the Tesseract, but it was not her place to judge her friend's priorities.

Diana had changed. That much had been obvious to her and Steve the moment they saw her. She was the last person they had expected to ever marry, but the unthinkable had happened. She still remembered how she always avoided Bucky's flirtatious behavior, even putting the wrath of the devil himself into the man's soul for trying to charm her. Steve had told her Bucky had the bruise on his arse even weeks after Diana had hit him.

For her to be married and even have kids, albeit adopted, was surprising.

She could not help but wonder just how much she and Steve had missed out on life. The war had ended, and if they had not been frozen, perhaps they would have had a few great-grandchildren already. They could have helped out in the post-war recovery and even contributed toward SHIELD. Alas, fate had other plans. At least Diana was not alone in her endeavors, having had the support of her husband Clark, their old friend Howard, and several others as well.

Her musings were cut off when one of the agents, a short man with a bald head and spectacles on his face turned around.

"We got a hit. Sixty-nine percent match! No, cross matching… it's Seventy-nine percent!"

"Location?" Banner asked immediately from his spot at the monitor, his girlfriend looking on from the chair he was standing over.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse."

The monitor in front of Bruce flared with signal immediately, and his eyes narrowed.

"That's a lot of radiation coming off. Almost as if he is asking for attention," he muttered.

"Well, he's got what he wanted then. Captains?" Fury said as he looked over. "It's time."

Peggy exchanged a look with her husband and they nodded firmly. It was time to get back to duty.

XXXXX

Garbed in a modern suit, a man with shoulder-length dark hair walked forward at a leisurely pace, a cane in his hand and a confident smirk on his face. There was only one thing going through his mind at the moment.

'The serious business is about to start.'

An extravagant gala was taking place inside the large hall. People from different ethnicities had gathered, each taking in the lavishness on display. The building was surrounded by the German guards, either on the ground, inside the buildings surrounding it and looking on through the large windows, or rooftops, keeping a bird-eye view of the entire surroundings.

One of the guards was scoping the area, looking for any irregularities when he spotted one of his fellow guards suddenly go limp. Several guards followed suit, falling dead with arrows sticking out of their necks. The guard quickly pulled out his rifle before a wet squelch reached his ears. Before he could process what happened, he fell over, blood pooling on the ground under him as he went tumbling over the railing, falling on the grass below.

Clint Barton put his bow away and strode forward, a small briefcase in his hand. Ever since his lord had shown him true enlightenment, he felt he could accomplish anything. He had been witness to the marvel that was the Tesseract… something unnatural, more than mere knowledge. It was the truth – the truth of this universe. He paid no heed to the dead guards scattered around the building and walked inside without a care in the world. He knew his lord would soon be acting and he hastened.

Inside the hall of the museum, people were making merry. With glasses of champagne and vintage wines in their hands, the richly dressed men and women smiled as they discussed whatever caught their fancy. Amidst the merriment walked a man with a cane in his hand, looking around.

The gala came to a lull, the orchestra slowly fizzing away when someone cleared their throat on the mic, and as one, people turned to look at the old man who smiled. The man with the cane walks forward without a care in the world, a careless smirk plastered on his face. He descended the stairs, casually twirling his cane around as he neared the stage. One of the guards noticed his advance and pulled his gun out to intercept, only to have his head caved in as the cane pierced through his skull, killing him on the spot.

Chaos erupted in an instant as people started to scramble around in alarm. The head doctor who remained by the mic could only cry out in shock as he was sent tumbling over. Luckily, his descent was obstructed by the large marble table behind him. He could only stare, wide-eyed, as the man placed one hand on his chest and pulled out something cylindrical out of his coat pocket.

"It's nothing personal, just business," the man said with a smirk and the old man could only stare in shock as he plunged the cylindrical device over his eye. He could not even manage a scream as pain coursed through him and he lay there, twitching as the man holding him grinned maliciously.

Clint kept the instrument over the scanner and watched as it lit up. The holographic eye of the head doctor emerged inside the instrument and the scanner immediately picked it up. He watched as the monitor above the door showed the doctor's name and face before the doors to the facility slid open. His movements businesslike, Clint walked forward and stared at the cabinet in front of him.

"As you asked, Selvig, your previous Iridium," he said, his pupilless eyes shining a sinister black.

XXXXX

Outside the museum was chaos as people ran around like headless chickens. Loki let out a chuckle as he walked amidst the crowd, his attire morphing into his Asgardian robes with a large helm on his head. The cane transformed into the scepter as he looked in the direction of blaring sirens. Numerous police cars rushed forward and with no hesitation whatsoever, he thrust the scepter forward, blowing up the first three cars. The cars flipped over and over as they struck the incoming vehicles, making the driving policemen slam their brakes. The cars behind them barreled into the ones in front, the momentum too much to prevent the collision.

Grinning, he looks at the crowd of people staring at the carnage and looking at him in fear.

"Kneel!"

The crowd stared at him for a long moment before he sighed. Numerous clones of Loki appeared, surrounding the crowd, each pointing a scepter at them and grinning.

"I said Kneel!" All the clones instructed, and the crowd was much more compliant this time. People looked around them, seeing what the others were doing. One by one, they began to kneel, heads bowed and shaking.

Loki looked around as his clones vanished and he spread his arms wide, smiling benignly.

"This! This is what I craved to see!" Loki sighed. "Doesn't this look fitting? A sight so utopian that it warms my heart! Humans, bowing in subjugation to a being much superior. The natural state of your kind – a state you crave, always striving toward achieving this status quo. The unspoken truth of humanity – a lack of identity in search of that unattainable freedom, one that slowly absorbs the light of joyous satisfaction out of your lives as you strive for more power, control, and yes, subjugation of others too. It is not natural for you to have power. You are a species that was made for subjugation, to kneel. And kneel you will."

His words traveled far into the silent night, resonating with the kneeling crowd before an old man slowly rose to his feet, glaring at him.

"Not to men like you. Never to men like you."

"There are no men like me," Loki replied with a condescending smile.

"There was one. Things did not work out too well for him," the German man replied.

Loki gave the man another condescending smile before he said, "They say the younglings learn from their elders. I can't think of a better way to set an example. Learn from your elder, people."

He brandished his scepter as the gem glowed a bright golden before a malicious yellow bolt shot forward. The old German man stood his ground, watching the bolt shoot out of that scepter and ready for whatever happened to him when suddenly a large metallic shield blocks it point blank, absorbing the impact.

Before Loki could react, he felt something metallic collide with his chest, sending him sprawling on his ass. He looked up and spat to the side at the sight of a pair of man and woman standing in the middle together in matching blue and red suits, a large golden star adorning their chests. His eyes fell on the large shield in the man's hand before he took in the large longsword in the woman's hand that she held poised for attack.

"The last time I was in Germany and I saw a man standing above everyone else, we had a huge disagreement," Steve said.

"It didn't end too well for him either," Peggy continued, staring Loki down.

Loki gracefully pulls himself back on his feet, smirking.

"A pair of soldiers, out of time."

"We are not the ones out of time," Peggy replied, pointing behind her with her thumb. Loki looked over and saw the Quinjet hovering in the air, its machine gun pointed toward him.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down," Natasha's voice warned, and quick as lightning, Loki shot another bolt toward the Quinjet. His eyes widened when the bolt exploded mid-air and he turned to the side. A man clad in a bat costume walked forward casually with a massive grenade launcher slung over his shoulder.

"Creature," Loki hissed.

"I prefer Batman," Bruce replied in his usual gruff voice as he joined the Captains in front of Loki. He pointed the grenade launcher forward. "Drop the spear, Asgardian."

Suddenly, tens of Loki clones appeared all around them and an all-out battle ensued. Taking advantage of their confusion, Loki managed a hit on Peggy, making Steve cry out her name before he was sent sprawling on his back. One of Loki's clones stood over him, scepter pointed over the Captain's heart.

"Kneel."

"Not today," Steve grunted and kicked out, only for his leg to phase through the clone.

The clone chuckled before it suddenly vanished as a loud explosion filled the air. Steve looked over to see Bruce walking toward a fallen Loki. His large antler-like helm was blown apart but the man was entirely unscathed.

Loki fired another few bolts of golden energy toward Batman who managed to dodge most of them with agility surprising for a man of his stature and another explosion rocked the night atmosphere as the grenade collided with another bolt.

"You are a pesky creature, aren't you?" Loki said as he stood up. He watched as the two Captains stood at the ready before his eyes fell on Batman who had the grenade launcher poised to fire.

Suddenly, the Quinjet's speakers were overridden as rock music blared out.

"Looks like the party's over already," Tony Stark remarked as he hovered in the air, and in an instant, every offensive weaponry in his suit was ready to be fired at Loki.

"Why don't we continue this, Fallen Princeling?"

With a sigh but inwardly seething at the insult, Loki gently put the scepter on the ground as his Asgardian armor materialized away, rendering him in his usual emerald robes.

Tony let out a soft snort as he descended to the ground.

XXXXX

The sky was overcast. Thunder came from nowhere as the Quinjet flew back toward the Helicarrier. Natasha and Bruce were in the cockpit, staring into the dark sky as the monitor in front of them flared to life.

"Any progress?" Nick Fury asked.

"Still silent," Natasha replied.

"They are on their way for a personal chat. Looks like they couldn't wait for you to show up here," Fury said and Natasha's eyes widened slightly. "No need for a pit stop. They'll catch up with you in no time."

Bruce and Natasha exchanged a look as Fury hung up.

In the hangar, Tony, Steve, and Peggy were standing together, staring at Loki who was handcuffed and tied up.

"I don't like this one bit," Steve whispered.

"What? Medieval Diva giving up so easily?"

"This guy was definitely holding back," Peggy replied. "Things are never so easy. His attacks packed a punch, alright."

"Surely not enough for you oldies to still be so spry? What's the secret, by the way? Yoga?"

"You sure you're Howard's boy?" Peggy asked with slight mirth as she stared at the man who, despite being years her junior, looked a few years older. She brushed the oddity away. "I don't remember your father being such a witty little brat."

"Yeah, not like father, like son, I guess," Tony replied as he looked back at Loki.

"Diana didn't tell us you were coming here. Neither did Fury," Steve remarked casually.

"Yeah, not that surprising, is it? Apparently I didn't initially qualify for this initiative."

"I wonder why," Peggy remarked dryly and Tony looked at her with a grin.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled overhead and the Quinjet shook as lightning nearly hit it. Natasha stared at the radar.

"There was nothing on the forecasts. How'd it get so bad so quickly?" She muttered softly.

Loki stared out the window intently, a slightly concerned expression on his face.

"What, Little Damsel? Scared of a little thunder? Want a hug?" Tony asked mockingly.

"I'm not a very big fan of what usually follows, if I'm being honest."

Suddenly, they heard a thud from the roof of the Quinjet as it jerked. Outside the jet, a blinding light struck it head-on. The ramp opened suddenly and before anyone could react, the glowing figure grabbed Loki by the throat and flew out where it came from. The Captains and Tony stared, dumbstruck.

"What the fuck was that!?" Tony exclaimed as his suit came up around him. Beside him, Bruce walked over, clad in his suit.

"Language," Steve chided reflexively, earning a disbelieving look from the man clad in red and gold.

"He's a friendly?" Peggy asked, brushing her husband's remark away.

"Doesn't matter," Bruce replied. "We can't let him free Loki. We've got to get him back, else the Tesseract is lost."

"See you soon," Tony called out and activated the thrusters. With a whoosh, Iron Man sped toward the glowing dot. Before Steve and Peggy could react, they felt Bruce's arms around them as he too flew forward, speeding behind Iron Man.

"Whoa," Peggy remarked at the speed they were flying at.

"Be sure to thank him for this," Bruce muttered, and Steve quickly spotted the cord that connected Bruce to something far in the distance. He shook his head in wonder.

"Simple always works," he chuckled as they flew away.

XXXXX

Far into the alpine peak of the Alps, a blonde man with a red cape over his back threw Loki into the side of the mountain. He raised his hammer high in the air and made to bring it forward in order to strike the dark-haired man down before he slowly lowered it. The hammer buzzed with static before it fizzed away.

Thor looked down at his brother. A brother he believed to be dead. Now to find him alive, particularly in this fashion… his blood was boiling but he forced himself to calm down.

"Where is the Tesseract?" He opted instead, glaring at his brother who had the gall to laugh.

"I missed you too," Loki called out.

"Do I look like I'm in the mood to play your games?" Thor snarled.

"I could hardly tell," Loki chuckled. "How much dark energy did the Allfather had to summon to send you here? To your precious Earth?"

The Mjolnir dropped from Thor's hand, making the mountain quake as he grabbed Loki by the front of his robes, hoisting him up.

"I thought you were dead."

"Did you cry?" Loki mocked. Thor chose to ignore the tone.

"We all did. Our father—"

"Your father," Loki cut in harshly. "He is your father. Or did he not tell you the truth about me?"

"You think anyone cares about that!?" Thor exclaimed. "You are Loki – the prince of Asgard. The past does not matter. You are my brother. Nothing will change that!"

Loki did not reply.

"Tell me you forgot everything! How we played together, cried together, caused mischief together. Don't you remember?"

"I remember a shadow," Loki replied vehemently. "A shadow so massive I could never get out of it, no matter what I tried. I was and should be king!"

"Is it I who is to blame?" Thor asked. "Am I the cause? Is this why you chose to target the world I love as a recompense for this perceived slight? Earth is under my protection, Loki. My and my friends'."

"What a marvelous company you have chosen to keep indeed, and what a tremendous job you all seem to be doing," Loki scoffed. "A Kryptonian and an Amazonian? Is this what an Asgardian has been reduced to?"

"We are not superior, Loki. Looking down on anyone is not something a ruler does. If you do, you have failed at the very first step, brother."

Loki shoved Thor to the side.

"I have traversed worlds you have never even heard about. I've seen the truth, Odinson. In my exile, I have grown. I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I harness it—"

"Who showed it to you?" Thor asked. "Who controls you, the would-be-king?"

"I am the king!"

Thor looked at his brother and shook his head.

"Any man who has to say 'I am the king' is no true king."

Loki bristled at that.

"Here is what you are going to do," Thor began in a forced-calm voice. "You give up the Tesseract. Forget this poisonous venture. Come home, where everyone is eagerly awaiting your return."

Loki smirked.

"I don't have the Tesseract," he replied. "I've sent it somewhere where it's more needed right now."

Thor glared.

"Listen brother, and listen well—"

Suddenly, Thor was blasted off the mountain by a red and gold blur.

"…I'm listening."

"You say something?" Tony asked Loki, who shrugged and pointed at the figure floating in the air, lightning surrounding him. Despite himself, Tony felt a little apprehensive.

"You have my best regards," Loki said with a smirk. Tony chose to ignore it and hovered in the air.

"Keep out of this, metal man," Thor warned.

"I think not," Tony retorted and from his hand boosters, he fired a blast of energy at the man in front of him. Thor easily dodged it and threw the Mjolnir. The hammer hit Tony right in the chest, flinging him against the mountain. Tony gasped.

"Holy shit, okay," he whispered.

Something metallic suddenly hit Thor right in the side of the head and he looked to the side at three new players who had decided to join the game. Bruce landed on the cliff with Steve and Peggy as the former caught his shield once again.

"This is beyond you. Do not stand in my way."

"We cannot let you take Loki away. I hope you understand," Steve replied.

"Loki will face Asgardian justice for his transgressions, you can be rest assured of that."

"He's all yours once he gives up the Tesseract," Peggy replied. "That's all we care about."

Loki watched the interaction in amusement from his spot atop a rock. He had his legs folded in front of him in a meditative pose, his elbow on his thigh and his palm held his chin up.

"You have no idea what you are talking about," Thor shook his head. "The Tesseract is not something you should be engaging with."

"Oh believe me when I say I know exactly what you mean," Steve chuckled, holding the shield at the ready.

"I guess there is no other choice then," Thor sighed before he thrust Mjolnir forward, and a massive bolt of lightning shot toward them at a breakneck pace. Steve jumped in front, holding the shield steady. He grunted when the massive force collided with his shield before he was flung back from the sheer force.

Bruce fired bullets at the man hovering in front of them, knowing that he could not fire grenades and risk a forest fire. The bullets hit the man without any effect. Thor hovered in the air, his hammer glowing as he shot another bolt forward, this time at him. Bruce quickly took action, pressing a button on his armor and modifying the material.

Thor watched in slight surprise as the bolt of lightning hit the man head-on who just stood there, unfazed.

"Insulation," Tony muttered with a chuckle.

Steve and Peggy had their moves restricted almost entirely in fact of an opponent who was attacking using ranged attacks and all they could do was stand there. Meanwhile, Tony took to the air once again followed by Bruce who hovered right beside him.

"I don't remember agreeing to carry a passenger," Tony remarked.

Together, they attacked Thor. Tony fired energy blasts while Bruce switched up tactics. Dozens of bullets filled with tranquilizers shot out of his large gun, sending them colliding against Thor who remained unfazed. Bruce watched closely and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the static electricity around the man's body repel any incoming projectile.

'Chemicals are useless then,' he thought to himself.

Suddenly, Thor raised his hammer high in the air and brought it down, and two massive bolts of lightning rained down on them. Bruce quickly descended back on the cliff, his insulated armor protecting him from damage, although it was massively chipped now and he could feel slight shocks that told him it could not withstand much damage. After all, it was still a modified armor, not made of entirely insulated materials but only mimicking the effects.

'Only two massive bolts were enough to cause this much damage. This guy's powerful,' he thought.

Meanwhile, Tony was struck by the bolt and he was sent crashing against one of the trees.

Inside the suit, Tony shook his head and looked on with wide eyes at the holographic information that popped up in front of his eyes.

"Power at 400% capacity," JARVIS' voice announced.

"How 'bout that?" He muttered to himself and fired another blast of energy. This time, it struck Thor like a sledgehammer and he crashed against a massive rock, sending it cracking over. A massive portion fell off the cliff as Thor came crashing down on the mountain.

Steve and Peggy quickly engaged him, and Thor proved why he was regarded as one of Asgard's most capable warriors ever. The couple worked in perfect harmony, punching and kicking the God of Thunder who took their attacks and returned fire in equal measure. Despite being outnumbered, Thor was easily gaining the upper hand in every melee, and it took the combined might of all four of them to finally make it even.

Trees crashed on the ground as the combatants were flung against them, smashing through trunks. Lightning and beams of energy were shot in every direction, slamming against them as they exchanged blows, panting heavily. Thor grabbed Steve and Peggy by their necks and slammed them against the cliff, cracking the rock behind them before Bruce and Tony punched him on the back of his neck, making him release his hold on the couple.

The melee resumed once again before Tony suddenly flew backward and fired energy blasts, hitting Thor all over his front. Bruce rained down punches on the God of Thunder's face, albeit all in vain. Not even a drop of blood emerged from Thor's face despite the ferocious assault.

Thor hit Bruce square in the chest with his hammer, sending him smashing through trees before he went crashing against the rocky cliff. It was all his armor could sustain though, as it cracked in places before it broke apart. Bruce could do nothing but remain leaning against the rock. His eyes fell on Loki who sat there, watching on as if it were a movie playing in front of him.

Thor threw Mjolnir at Tony who was rushing him, and the man in the suit had no time to dodge. He was struck right in the chest. A large plate broke off his suit, exposing the wires underneath before Thor summoned the hammer back. Turning back toward Steve and Peggy, he raised his hammer and brought it down, and Steve raised the shield above his head. The magical hammer collided with the Vibranium shield, sending shockwaves through the cliff and blowing up anything within a mile radius. Everyone was flung backward from the force of the impact, none more than Thor who crashed painfully against the rocks.

Minutes passed before they stood up, looking around at the destruction wrought upon the natural landscape by them before they looked up.

"If you're done here, we'd prefer to take it somewhere more appropriate," Clark Kent said firmly as he hovered beside Diana, both staring at the destruction below.

XXXXX

To be continued…

Thanks for reading, everyone, and if you'd like to access chapters early or have a say in what goes, visit patreon.com/Vedros

There are also character artworks for the ladies if you're interested in seeing what they might look like.

I'll be back soon with the next update for this fic. Meanwhile, check out my other fics if you haven't yet. Cheers!