Playing the Villain

A few weeks later, Loki returned to Kamar-Taj, and he received a summon from Edward. He was surprised since it was not a time for a check-up, so the trickster wondered the purpose of this summon.

"You called for me?"

"I have a special mission for you," Edward said directly. "Do you remember the Avengers?"

"I do," Loki remembered these guys' importance in his original destiny.

"I need you to help them assemble."

"You want me to pretend to be the villain and force them to become a team?"

"That's correct."

Loki frowned. "I'm assuming this 'invasion' will be fake?"

"Yes."

"But wouldn't that have an adverse effect once they discovered the truth?"

"That's possible," Edward nodded. The Avengers became a team after the New York Invasion, but there is a chance that the team broke apart after knowing it was all false.

"It's a risk worth taking," Edward explained. "Additionally, my purpose is not only to gather them. The invasion will open Earth to cosmic threats, and I use this opportunity to manipulate things in the scene politically to prepare Earth for the upcoming Convergence."

"With how weak humans are, can they be useful without Sorcery?" Loki asked.

"With the right technology, they will make excellent foot soldiers."

"I guess that makes sense," Loki nodded. "How far do you want me to go?"

"Push them to the limit, but don't go too far and make them feel despair. We don't want to destroy their confidence."

"I can do that," Loki smirked. "Do you want me to use illusion for the entire battle?"

"No, I want you to follow the script and get Thanos' Mind Stone and control of the Chitauri. No one can die in this battle, but there is no problem with property destruction." The human race needs an awakening, and the Battle of New York is perfect.

"I think I can do this," Loki smiled. "How many points for this mission?"

"Based on your performance, you're guaranteed a minimum of 3000."

"That's the minimum amount of a B-level Mission," Loki commented. "Very well."

Loki returned to his room to gather a few things before immediately leaving. Meanwhile, Edward's clone was about to disappear when he noticed Ajak in the distance, so he approached her.

"Settling in okay?" he asked.

"Everything is okay," she replied. "Thank you for asking."

"That's good to hear, but you look bored. You can try attending a few lessons to pass the time."

"What is the point? We, Eternals, cannot become stronger. We can improve our skills but cannot learn new things."

"You're wrong," Edward stated. "Despite being synthetic organisms, you have souls, meaning you can grow and evolve." He raised his hand to condense a USB. "This thing contained countless books on the soul and the utilization of Cosmic Energy. Read them, and you may break the shackles binding you."

The clone disappeared, leaving Ajak alone. She hesitated briefly before returning to her room to use the USB. Meanwhile, Loki had already started his plan. He returned home to create a believable background for approaching the Mad Titan. Loki chose the [Exile Prince After Failing a Rebellion] background, and after leaving Asgard, he 'accidentally' contacted Thanos.

It took him a while to earn Thanos' trust, and just as he succeeded and was about to start the invasion, he received an update on his mission from Edward, who was, in fact, Morgana acting on his behalf. His new task was to delay the invasion and use this time to control all of Thanos' forces secretly.

The Trickster God was elated by this news and accepted this new mission; he was especially satisfied with the fact that he would receive more points and that he could request any aid necessary to succeed. The delay was two years; during this period, Loki successfully controlled all of Thanos' military.

He used his charm and strength to turn people on his side while strategically killing anyone who was fiercely loyal. When Thanos starts to suspect something, Loki changes his tactic by replacing the titan's man with perfect copies that he has mind-controlled. Everything was readied for the invasion and the next step afterward.

Edward opened his eyes. He raised his hand, and a black chain of dots flashed on his palm, releasing an intense power of time. "Time Authority," he muttered before checking the others: space, death, soul, curse, element (fire, wind, earth, water, thunder), and destruction.

"Morgana, calculate my current strength?"

"Your energy level increased from 27 universes to 35. However, with your magic domain and the power of law, your strength is on par with 40 universes."

"What about the Arcane Spark?"

"There is good news," Morgana stated. "With the karma of destroying so many universes, you can cast a spell on par with 60 universes or an Upper Demon God."

(AN: Quick reminder. Arcane Spark uses a person's karma for Empowerment, increasing their strength or spells.)

"That is good news," Edward nodded. "However, I feel like the Arcane Spark could be optimized."

"That's not currently possible," Morgana replied. "We have limited research on [Karma], and if we want to make any rapid development, we would need to buy the knowledge from the Akashic Records or travel to a world with sufficient data."

"A cultivation world?"

"Probably the best option," Morgana nodded. Edward took this time to check the price that the Akashic Record was selling but immediately closed the screen. He had never been called poor so intensely.

"There should be planes similar to cultivation back home," Edward commented. "However, our best option is to use the clone that will infiltrate the Purple Daoist's Samsara Hall. Speaking of, any more news?"

"Not since we learned the clone was successfully planted," Morgana replied. "The time difference between our two universes might be quite significant."

Edward nodded. Since the clone already had an established identity, the next update should be that he was invited to join the Samsara Hall. Once that happens, he can try to share memories or take control.

"Alright. Let's do a few tests before sending the signal for Loki to start."

After receiving the signal, Loki swiftly met with Thanos for a discussion. The titan did not need much convincing to make this invasion. He wanted to test Odin's response, and what better way to do so than to send his son as the invader? Additionally, he had suspicions about this Asgardian, and this invasion was the perfect way to observe him. Thus, after granting him his scepter, Loki headed to Earth.

Edward and his government clone calmly observed the situation. This invasion was a significant event in his plans, and he needed to ensure nothing went wrong.