*Contains events from Avengers: Infinity War

Chapter XIX

"Here come the bad guys"

Tony was gripping Loki's hand tightly. If the man was an Aesir, he could easily crush it with his stronghold. Whenever the mage tried to loosen up the grip, the mortal did the opposite and squeezed it even harder, as strong as he could. It seemed that he won't be letting go of Loki so easily. Loki couldn't blame him. He gave him quite a traumatic experience. Even though Anthony kissed and hugged him, the man still didn't seem to forgive him entirely. Loki needed to coddle him some more. He could do it. Perhaps not now, but later, after they defeat Thanos. Yes. Then, after they succeed, Loki will take care of his mortal lover properly. He will show him how sorry he is for faking his death.

"I still can't grasp this," Colonel Rhodes looked at the two lovers and gesture between them. "Just… how?"

"He came and saved me on Siberia after Steve and his buddy left me to die. Loki took me back home, explained the grand plan on saving the universe and… we're practically inseparable ever since," Tony explained, avoiding looking at his boyfriend. "Somewhere along we have fallen in love with each other and that's it. Oh, and we're bonded by some old cosmic being. She calls herself Freya, or Fate."

"That's…" Rhodey started and Tony quipped.

"Crazy? Tell me something I don't know."

"Ok, so this Thanos guy… who is he?"

"Remember the New York invasion that I led?" Loki turned towards his lover's brother. "It was Thanos who orchestrated it. I was nothing but a tool in his hand. He learned about the Tesseract residing on Midgard and since I was his newest child and a mage, he deemed me the best for the quest of retrieving the cube. He only forgot that the second I would reveal my seidr on Midgard, Heimdall will see me and send Thor after me. When I came to Midgard and found the Tesseract, I used the mind stone on Selvig and Barton. That's how I found out about the Avengers. It's hard to admit, but I needed your help then to free myself from him. I am a powerful mage, but the mind stone was keeping me on a tight leash. Thanks to doctor Banner's beast I was free. Then, of course, by some miracle, I was able to escape Midgard and my punishment with the Tesseract. I ended up on Yggdrasil and met Freya then. She told me of her plan for me and Anthony and I agreed."

"You agreed just like that?" Strange added his question.

"Of course not. She offered me a great deal." The four mortals raised their eyebrow in a question. "She offered me the salvation of my mother from the upcoming death. I saved my mother then and came back to save Anthony."

"Yes, we have such a cute love story," Stark commented and leaned on Loki's side. "Enough with the chit chat, guys. We need a plan." Loki was opening his mouth. "Not a plan that involves your fake death, Reindeer Games. You're still in deep shit for this stunt."

"How many times do I have to apologize, love?"

"Until you mean it, you dick!"

"I truly apologize, elskan minn," Loki took Tony's hands into his and brought them up to his lips. He kissed them softly and looked deeply in to Tony's chocolate eyes. "I needed to keep you safe. I am sorry I hurt you so much."

"You're so lucky I love you, you bastard." Stark crushed his lips onto Loki's in a passionate kiss, not minding their audience. The other mortals started to groan in displeasure at the sight. Anthony pulled away from the mage and placed his palm upon his cool cheek. "Don't ever do this to me again, ok? You can't die on me, Lo. You just can't."

"I promise to try my best, my heart."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, boss," Friday's voice came through the speakers. "I've contacted the Traitor and his group. They should be here in three hours. However, I could not locate Vision and his witch. They are off the radar, boss."

"It's ok, baby girl," Tony replied to the AI. "Check if Steve knows about their whereabouts, ok?"

"Will do, boss."

"Ok, so we need…"

Loki tuned himself out of the conversation and focused on his seidr. He felt it pulsing with a strange feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. It was nerve-wracking and itching his body all over. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly strange lines popped up behind his closed lids. Said lines were forming themselves into an unfamiliar path or strange designs. Loki didn't know what was it until they felt a tremble under their feet. The mage quickly jumped onto his feet and pulled Anthony with him. Loki dared to look at Strange, who was looking equally oddly at him.

"Did you feel it?" he asked the mortal mage.

"Yes."

"Um… guys…" Banner's voice brought up the focus of the four men in the room. The scientist was looking outside the big window that Tony renovated and was pointing at some round thing not so far away from them. "What the hell…"

"It's their second ship," Loki cut in. "I've seen it before. It belongs to Maw."

"They're here," Tony announced.

"Get into the suit, Anthony," Loki advised and called on his battle armor. "Doctor Banner, this may be a good time to release the Hulk."

"Just not in my living room," Tony added, as the suit was forming around his body. Rhodey stepped into his War Machine armor as well. Strange opened a portal for all of them and soon they stepped out before two aliens that Loki knew so well. "I'm sorry, but Earth is closed today. So pack up and get out of here."

"Do you let this chattering animal speak for you, stone keeper?" Ebony turned to Strange before his eyes moved to Loki. "Oh, slave, our master will be pleased to kill you once again. Thinking yourself clever, Asgardian? We're cleverer."

"I think you misheard me, worm," Tony addressed him again. "Get the hell out of my home."

"Your lover is feisty, Loki," Maw ignored Tony's order. "Shall we see how he is in a fight?"

Cull Obsidian marched up at Stark with his ax of doom. However, Tony was well prepared. He released long repulsors out of his back and sent rays of power right onto the dwarf. The alien flew on the wall of some building and created a hole into it.

"Wow…" Banner commented, still trying to turn into the Hulk. "Where did that come from?"

"Nanotech. Cool, right?"

Obsidian was back on his feet in no time. A portal opened from the right side of Loki and some Asian, bald man stepped out of it. He started to create the same orange rings as Strange and together, along with Loki, they started to attack Maw, while Tony and Rhodey were challenging Obsidian. Ebony Maw was one of the strongest children of Thanos. He possessed magic, but not the same kind as Loki or Strange for that matter. He was good at telekinesis and telepathy. He could also control one's mind. It was how he at first manipulated Loki before they used the stone on him.

Maw was determined to catch Stephen, so Loki did his best to protect the man. As well as he tried his best to keep Tony alive at the same time. As a skilled warrior as he was, Loki could not diverse his attention on both attacks. Too focused on Tony's safety, he missed the moment, where Ebony threw a few cars on Loki. The mage wasn't fast enough to block the attack and he was crushed under the weight of the vehicles. However, it was all that Ebony needed. Once Loki was eliminated for a moment, and Cull took the metal man out of his sight range, he could easily focus on the stone keeper.

"Your protectors cannot help you, stone keeper," Maw regarded Strange, as the metal wires blocked his hands from creating magic. He enchanted them to twirl around his whole body and pressed him to the wall. Ebony levitated to face the Earth's magician. "Give me the gem, mortal."

"Take it yourself." And so Ebony did. When he pressed his hand to the gem, hidden in the locket, his palm was burnt. "Simple spell, but so effective."

"If I can't take it now, I'll just rip it out of your corpse." Maw forced the wires around the mortal's body to tighten even more until the man lost his conscious. "Just like that."

Maw levitated the man in the direction of the ship they came with. Unfortunately, he didn't suspect that even with no range to move, the man will fly out of the wire trap.

"No!"

But Ebony was nothing if not successful in his quests. He quickly charged after the flying man and disposed him of the cursed cape that seemed to work, despite its master being unconscious. Yes, he will please his master with gaining the time stone. He hoped that Proxima and Corvus will also succeed in gaining the mind stone. He gave them precise coordination as to where to find them. They will still have to find the Tesseract, but Ebony knew it was a matter of time. Maybe he should take Loki with him? Persuade the Aesir to give up the stone. Oh… no, not Loki. He should take his mortal lover. Yes. Loki will give it up for his life. Love was making any man a weak creature. Loki was no different. Ebony linked his mind with Cull's and ordered him to bring the mortal with him, but keep him alive.

At that very moment, Maw something fast, and red passed next to him. That thing caught the mortal magician with its white straps and pulled him away from Maw. It couldn't be like that. Ebony called on the force of the ship and directed it at the magician. Soon, it was pulling him up, even though the red worm was trying his best to keep him, while he was holding a lantern for a balance. Well… Ebony cut the lantern and let it fly with the worm inside the ship. He will dispose of the worm quickly with the ship's arsenal or let it rot in the space. Maw placed the unconscious magician in the middle of the main room and directed needles on him. If he won't give up the stone on his own, he will persuade him just fine.

Loki groaned in a pain, as the cars were lifted off him. A metal man was leaning over him with familiar blue light in the middle of his chest.

"Anth...ony…"

"Loki? Can you hear me?" that voice didn't belong to his lover. In fact, Loki had no idea to whom it belonged. He opened his eyes widely and looked at the blue suit in front of him. "Loki?"

"Where's Tony?"

"I'm sorry, Loki, but Tony…" no… no… he couldn't! Tony couldn't be… "He's not dead, but he's not here."

"Where is he?"

"Peter was trying to get Strange out of that alien and unfortunately he was pulled into the ship too," Rhodey explained. "Tony flew there after them. The ship is gone."

Loki pulled out his green necklace and tapped on the tear to connect to his lover, however, the man was not responding. The mage tried to get up from the ground and use his seidr to look for Tony, but he quickly collapsed back. Fighting with Maw and keeping Tony and Strange safe drained him off his seidr greatly. He needed some rest to regain his powers.

It sunk on him then. He couldn't save his beloved. He failed as his protector. He failed them all. He could only hope that Tony will somehow survive.

"I have an incoming call from Tony," Rhodey announced. He took off his helmet and gave it to Loki. The mage put it on and waited.

"Hey babe," Tony's voice ringed into his ears.

"Anthony…"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Lo… but I had to save the kid… I'll try my best to save the wizard as well," Tony explained. "You have to keep Vision safe, ok? If they got Strange, Vision will be next. And keep the Tesseract safe too. You have full access to everything in the tower. Friday will give it to you. I'm sorry that we have to part like this. I love you, ok? I love you so damn much, Loki. Stay safe on Earth, sweetheart."

"You damn fool…" tears were falling down Loki's cheeks. "I will find you, Anthony. I will save you from them."

"No, I want you to stay on Earth and stay safe, Lo. I'll be fine." Something was cracking and soon the sound was broken. "I...ove...yo…"

"Anthony? Anthony?" the connection broke. "I love you too."

Loki took off the helmet and gave it back to Rhodes. He wiped the tears off his cheeks and stood up from the ground. He swayed a bit, but James quickly caught him and leaned on his armor.

"Where is he?" Banner asked.

"On the ship, he went to save some child name Peter and will try to save Strange," Loki replied. "We need to get to Vision as soon as we can. We need to protect him and the Tesseract."

"What about Tony?" Rhodey inquired.

"I'll find a way to get him back here. I give you my word for this. He will not leave me. I forbid it. I will save him," Loki stated firmly. "I will not let him leave me. I will not."