The Poisonous Dream

Natasha and the pilot sat in the front of the jet as it returned to the helicarrier, while Felix, Steve, Tony, and Loki sat in the back. The prince of Asgard was still deep in his beauty sleep, his scepter safely tucked away in a locked container. Felix didn't feel the need to rush now that Loki was in their custody and decided to stay inside the hangar with the rest of the crew.

"So let me get this straight, all men on Viltrum have a mustache?" Stark asked. Unlike Banners who had his curiosity in check, Tony Stark was unruly. He wanted answers no matter who or what he offended.

"Yes," Felix validated.

"Were you born with them?" Stark continued with a snicker. For the billionaire, it was a funny image to have.

"No," Felix responded with a steel expression.

"You're not very fond of talking, are you?" Stark asked again, pestering Felix's patience. The alien didn't answer, and silence took hold between them.

Felix's answers were meant to discourage Tony from asking any more questions, but the man kept going on and on. Then, finally, there was blessed silence.

"I don't like it," Rogers said, breaking out of his quiet thoughts. Felix cursed at his early celebration. The captain stood up from his seat opposite to Felix and gazed at the unconscious Loki.

"What? Not a fan of facial hair?" Stark jokingly said.

Steve ignored the urge to ask whether bad humor ran in the Stark family and explained, "It's too easy."

"Considering that we have Hercules over here," Tony pointed at the sitting Felix, "I'll take the easy win."

"It shouldn't be that easy. Why was he alone?" Rogers added. Fury had mentioned that a few of SHIELD personnel were altered to Loki's side. Steve was perplexed as to where the missing agents were.

"You think he wanted to get caught?" Felix asked.

"I don't know, but it's odd," Rogers responded in kind.

While the three were conversing in the back, Natasha contacted Fury about the successful capture of Loki and his scepter.

"Is he saying anything?" Fury radioed in with Natasha responding, "He's unconscious."

Fury let out a sigh and continued, "just get him here. We're low on time."

Lightning flashed outside the quinjet and brought a fiery thundering roar with it. Loki sprung awake, catching the attention of occupants in the transport. The Asgardian examined in confusion at the people in his surroundings.

Another thunder sounded near the quinjet. "Where is this coming from?" Natasha asked still with her attention towards the sky. There was no rain nor storm in their path, and yet, she saw bolts of lightning flashing through the glass windscreen.

Loki looked down at his chained hands and finally understood his position. However, before he could speak up, more deafening thunders rumbled in the air. The prince flinched from the sounds while his eyes darted upward.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Rogers quipped, noticing the Asgardian's wariness.

Loki responded with "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

A loud bang of something landing on the quinjet caught everyone by surprise. Quickly putting his helmet back on, Stark walked towards the back entrance of the jet. Then, in a mixture of arrogance and curiosity, he opened the hangar doors to which Thor, the god of the storm, landed with his hammer, Mjolnir, in hand.

Stark moved towards the uninvited guest but was quickly thrown away by the might of Thor's hammer. Flung onto Steve, the two men fell to the ground due to the sudden impact. Thor proceeded to rip Loki out of the harness that was restraining him to the seat. Felix's and Thor's eyes met quickly before the gods jumped off the hangar.

Standing up from the flooring, Tony Stark mumbled, "Now there's that guy," and once again moved to the opened entrance.

Natasha flung her head around and asked, "Another Asgardian?" to which Steve continued, "Think it's a friendly?"

"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him. The Tesseract is lost." Tony responded.

"Stark, we need a plan of attack!" Steve yelled out. His experience with the Howling Commandos back in the 1940s had taught him much about the potential of cooperation.

Tony, on the other hand, preferred working alone. "I have a plan." Stark was at the door now, his head tilted back to Rogers, "Attack." He then took off in pursuit of the Asgardians.

Felix stood up from his seat upon Rogers' baffled face and asked the captain, "Do you need a lift?"

….

Dropping Loki down fiercely onto a mountain, somewhere in Europe, Thor peered at the brother he thought to be dead. Loki whimpered and laughed at the painful impact, "Argghh, first the brute, and now you."

Not having any of Loki's demeanors, Thor questioned, "where is the Tesseract?" and full of sarcasm, Loki replied, "I've missed you too."

"Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" Thor was determined to get an answer out of him. He knew such a powerful instrument should not be allowed in the hands of his estrayed brother.

"Oh, you should thank me." Loki continued with mockery in his tone, "With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth."

Dropping his hammer, Thor lifted Loki to his eye level and said, "I thought you were dead." Thor's voice was shaking and fervent. Despite all he had done, Loki was still a brother to Thor. To god or man alike, family was everything.

"Did you mourn?" The God of Mischievous asked with rare genuine curiosity. Yet, deep down, behind the anger, pride and disdain was a boy who longed for his family.

"We all did. Our father…" Thor answered but was quickly interrupted by Loki, "Your father." Venom in his voice as he was let free from Thor's grip. The words affected Thor heavily, and the strength left his hands while his gut tightened.

"He did tell you of my true parentage, did he not?" Loki added as he walked away, building a figurative and literal distance between them.

Thor called out to his brother, "We were raised together, we played together, we fought together," emphasizing their bond, "Do you remember none of that?"

"I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness." Each word out of his lips filled with scorn. "I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be King!" Loki yelled back, stopping in his steps.

"So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights," Thor responded while moving closer to his brother, "No, the Earth is under my protection, Loki."

Loki laughed at Thor's speech, then spoke, "and you're doing a marvelous job with that."

"The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you idly tread." Loki's eyes beamed with purpose, "I mean to rule them. And why should I not?"

"You think yourself above them?" Thor asked.

Believing it to be natural evident, Loki retorted, "Well, yes."

Thor moved even closer then, trying to correct his brother's twisted thoughts, "Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. Throne would suit you ill."

Loki smashed his hand against Thor's armor in anger, shoving his brother out of his way. Then once again, he stepped away from Thor, "I've seen worlds you've never known about!"

"I have grown, Odinson, in my exile!" Aggression in his declaration, "I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it…."

"Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be-king?" Thor closed the distance between them with haste. Worries filled his mind at Loki's master.

"I am a king!" Loki yelled, offended by the idea that Thor implied.

Thor grabbed on to his brother and yelled, "Not here! You give up the Tesseract. You give up this poisonous dream." All his emotions laid bare in desperation to gain back his brother, "You come home."

Loki was stunned by Thor's show of affection, but his ambition had turned into an obsession. He mocked with shaken head, "I don't have it."

Thor's patience waned against Loki's constant refusal to change. With his hand extended, Mjolnir returned to Thor. The god of thunder motioned to a threatening pose, stealing his heart to beat the information out of him if need be.

"You need the cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off I know not where." Loki urged on, to which Thor replied, "You listen well, brother. I…." Before finishing his sentence, Iron Man descended from the sky and smashed against the god. Both figures soared away from the mountain top.

Tanking the attack, Thor slid onto the dirt ground, glaring at Tony Stark. Then, with Stark landing a few feet away from Thor, the god warned, "Do not touch me again."

Tony responded with "Then don't take my stuff."

Seeing the human's ignorance, Thor cautioned on, "You have no idea what you're dealing with. This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice."

"He gives up the cube, and he's all yours," Stark spoke up, "Until then, stay out of the way."

Tony turned his back to Thor and walked towards Loki up on the mountain. Thor decided he had enough of the human and sent Mjolnir flying onto Tony's back, sending him flying across the woods. Ironman shook off the debris left on his armor and scowled back at the god of thunder. The battle ensued with the two smashing against each other.

Thor called down a bolt of lightning and discharged lightning towards Stark. Receiving the full brunt of the blow, Tony's AI, Jarvis, informed him, "Power at four-hundred percent capacity."

"How about that?" Stark blasted out a powerful beam with the sudden surge of energy, knocking Thor away. The fight entailed with neither side gaining too far of an advantage.

A vibranium shield made impacts with both fighters and returned to Captain America's out-reaching palm. "That's enough!" Rogers loudly ordered, but the clash was long from over.

Felix hovered over Loki away from the mayhem, content with stopping the god if he was to attempt escaping. However, Loki just sat there watching the entire battle to much of Felix's dismay.

With suspicion in him, the Viltrumite asked, "You're not running?" Loki spun and faced Felix. "I knew it is futile to do so," he smiled in response, massaging the wounds he received at Stuttgart Square.

Felix thought it was strange. Maybe the theory Rogers mentioned before was more accurate than they thought. Before long, Loki spoke up, "Barton told me about you, foreigner. You hit harder than what they give you credits for." The dossier had included information on Loki's use of the scepter to turn SHIELD agents to his biddings. Mind control was unfamiliar territory for Felix.

"Why stay idle when you have all the means to conquer this world?" Loki voiced with a polite smile on his face.

"I have no need for the duties and responsibilities of a king," Felix replied with little interest.

"Then join me. While I free this world of their freedom, you'll have whatever you want. A fair exchange, is it not?"Loki despised the person in front of him. Everything is given to him from birth, just like his brother. They had strength and power, but they did nothing with it while he had to scheme, to beg, and to cheat for his dream. However, if Loki can persuade the Viltrumite, he will be of significant assistance.

"No." Felix had fought to dethrone a king; he would not serve another. He saw a flash of anger on the Asgardian's face, but it quickly faded, as Loki continued, "An unfortunate outcome."

Loud chimes of metal hitting metal exploded from the battle below, accompanied by harsh waves of energy and bright lights. The three men dragged themselves up from the ground and examined the devastation they had inflicted on the forest. "Are we done here?" Rogers finally asked.