"Where is the Tesseract?"
Grunting in pain, Loki began laughing at Thor's question. The dust around him from when he was thrown floated slowly onto the hillside they were on.
"Oh-ho, I missed you too." Loki said as he sat up.
Thor frowned at his brother. "Do I look to be in a gaming mood?"
"Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the All-Father have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth." Loki said but was immediately grabbed by Thor. His legendary hammer falling behind him. Thor's face grimaced as he looked him over.
"I… thought you dead." Thor said, his voice laced with pain.
Lokis eyes watched his brother, a cruel fascination on his face. "Did you mourn?"
"We all did. Our father-"
"Your father! He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" Loki said coldly. Thor had a hurt look on his face and let him go.
Thor spun to Loki as he walked off. "We were raised together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that?"
"I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I who was and should be king." Loki said as he looked up from his spot lower on the cliff they stood on. Thor flinched at the end of his rant.
Thor glared at his brother and walked up to Loki. "So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights? No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki."
Loki threw his head back and laughed. "And you're doing a marvelous job. The humans slaughter each other in droves while you idly fret. I mean to rule them! Why should I not?"
"You think yourself above them." Thor said slowly. He was looking at his brother in a new light. Was this actually Loki?
"Well, yes." Loki said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. The throne would suit you ill." Thor said as he took a step toward Loki. But his words angered Loki, causing him to shove Thor out of his way and march up the hill.
Loki turned to Thor and began yelling. "I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile. 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 interrupted Loki as he followed him up the hill.
"I am a king!" Loki yelled in anger, his spittle flying through the air.
"Not here! You give up the Tesseract; you give up this poisonous dream!" Thor yelled and grabbed Loki's shoulders. "You come home."
Loki stood stunned but ultimately shook his head. "I don't have it."
Growling, Thor backed away angrily from his brother and summoned Mjolnir into his hand. He raised it into the air and glared at Loki.
"You need the Cube to bring me home, but I've sent it off. I know not where." Loki said with an honest expression, but deep inside, he was laughing at his brother's overly trusting nature.
"You listen well, brother-" Thor was interrupted as a flaming chain wrapped around his body and dragged him across the air.
Loki watched his brother crash through several trees with a satisfied smile. "I'm listening?"
BAM
In an explosion of dust and rock. A red armored hand held Loki's head as it lay deep into the cracked floor of the hilltop; he was knocked unconscious. Rising to his full height, Tony looked down at Loki.
"Lights out, Rudolf."
Tony looked out at the trail of destruction. Flashes of orange exploded out from the darkness. Tony took off in the air and flew after Harvey and Thor.
•••
"What is a creature of Muspelheim doing in Midgard?"
Flames danced over Ghost Rider's bare skull as he stared at Thor. Thor glared at the Demon in front of him as small scattered fires danced around the small ruined patch of forest they stood in.
"You're not taking Loki anywhere." Ghost Rider said and pointed at Thor. "He and his companions have a lot to answer for."
Thor looked confused at Ghost Rider for a few seconds but ended up glaring at him. "This is beyond you, talking skull. Loki will face Asgardian judgment."
"No, he has to answer to all those he has killed here on Earth after he tells us where the Tesseract is located alongside everyone he mind-raped into doing his bidding." Ghost Rider said, and he and Thor began circling each other. "Unless you plan to take responsibility for his crimes. Stay out of my way."
"Loki is my brother; he indeed has much to answer for, but I will not allow him to be killed by you all." Thor said threateningly and raised Mjolnir.
A tense silence hung over the two as they stared at one another. Out of sight, a small pine cone snapped off its branch and descended to the ground.
TAK
Thor threw his hammer at Ghost Rider, hoping to take off his head, but he watched as his flaming opponent easily dodged to the side and exploded after him. Thor swung a left punch, but it was deflected easily by the Ghost Rider. Before Thor could pull his punch back, he felt a sharp pant of pain shoot out of his side. Ghost Rider didn't stop at that; he followed up with a sharp right cross and two quick jabs to Thor's face.
Thor gritted his teeth and launched a front kick that Ghost Rider narrowly avoided by shifting his body to the side. With a loud clang, Ghost Rider was launched through a tree as Mjolnir slammed into his back. Rolling to stop, Ghost Rider looked over his back and saw Thor high in the air with his hammer high above him. Lighting surged out of the hammer, and Thor dived down.
Rolling forward, Ghost Rider heard a loud explosion behind him as the Thor struck the Earth. Powerful tremors rocked the land, and Ghost Rider jumped to his feet. He brought his hand behind his back, and the Blades of Chaos burned to existence. Thor noticed his blades and eyed them with caution.
The two ran into each other in sync, and the two god-tier weapons entered into a clash of fire and lightning. Ghost Rider took a back step to avoid an upward swing from Thor and swung his left blade toward the lightning god's face. He had the range advantage thanks to the chains attached to his blades.
Thor saw the flaming blade speed towards his chest and lowered his hammer to parry the weapon. Pulling himself forward, thanks to his blade being buried in the ground due to Thor, Ghost Rider slashed his opponent across his chest. Thor winced in pain and saw that the blade managed to cut through his armor and wound his chest. Blood leaked slowly from the wound, and Thor looked up at Ghost Rider in shock.
"You're a strong opponent." Thor said, and the two held their weapons in front of them. "Those Blades are impressive. Not many weapons can damage me as they have."
"Give up." Ghost Rider said and began spinning one of his blades repeatedly. A circle of fire spun beside him dangerously. "I don't want to kill you."
Thor raised his hammer high, and a large bolt of lightning shot down to the sky onto it. "You're welcome to try!"
Thor pointed his hammer at Ghost Rider, and a lightning bolt shot out at incredible speeds. At the same time, Ghost Rider swung the blade down in front of him, and a large pillar of thick Hellfire shot out to the sky. Thor's lightning struck the pillar of Hellfire, and an explosion of energy pushed both fighters back.
Thor squinted his eyes to try and see through the giant cloud of dust and raised his hammer. The clattering of chains echoed through the forest, and Thor spun his head to locate where the sounds were coming from.
"What trickery is this?!" Thor yelled and felt a tight grip around his ankle.
Thor looked down and saw a flaming chain above his foot. Before he could react, Thor was yanked violently into the air. A large part of the forest was destroyed as the flaming chains pulled Thor's body, and his body finally came to a stop when he crashed into the side of a mountain.
Ghost Rider jumped down from the branch he was on and looked at the mountain, the Blades of Chaos resting on his back. The crash ended up causing a landslide, and several boulders and small rocks rolled to a stop.
Thor shot out from under the pile of rocks and debris with a yell. The god was panting, and he turned his head to glare at his flaming opponent. Thor was panting slightly as his body was covered in minor scratches and dirt. His long red cape was ripped in several spots, and the front of his armor was crushed slightly. Thor raised his hand and wiped a thin trail of blood at the edge of his lip.
"That hurt." Thor grunted and jumped down to the ground.
BAM
Thor was launched forward as two bright orange beams shot into his side. Thor slid to a stop and saw Tony land beside Ghost Rider with a loud clang. He raised his arms, and his hands began humming with power.
"Checkmate, pointbreak." Tony said, and several other armor compartments opened to reveal more weapons.
Thor looked back and forth between them and frowned. He was struggling with just the talking skull as his opponent. Add on the metal man, and the battle may grow impossible to win.
"That's enough!" Everyone turned their head and saw Steve jog up beside them all. "Now I don't know what you plan on doing here-"
"I've come here to put an end to Loki's schemes!" Thor growled. He was tired and injured. He didn't quite like his odds on a three-to-one fight.
Steve looked at Thor calmly and stepped forward. "Then prove it. Put down the hammer."
Thor growled and raised Mjolnir to his side. He was growing angry at it all. "You want me to put the hammer down?!"
Before Thor could jump up and attack Steve, Ghost Rider raised his hands and clasped them together.
"Hell's Inferno: Web of Chains."
Dozens of chains shot out from the ground and tightly wrapped around Thor's body. Thor's eyes grew wide in surprise, and another repulsor blast shot out at his wrist, causing him to drop Mjolnir on the ground with a low metal thud. Thor tried to move his body but found himself unable to do so.
Ghost Rider nodded and was pleased to see Thor immobilized. He was careful to have summoned the chains ignited on Hellfire. Thor had tried to take their prisoner, but Harvey had read his file. He was not an enemy to be killed, so there was no reason to injure him severely with his flames of hell.
Tony and Steve looked at the chains in surprise, at one another, and then at him. They were both impressed by Ghost Rider's ability to stop Thor. Steve walked forward and looked at Thor, who was no longer struggling against his bindings.
"Are we done?" Steve asked.
Thor sighed and nodded. Immediately, all the chains holding him slowly crumbled into ash and floated to the ground. Thor turned his head and watched in surprise as Ghost Rider transformed back into Harvey.
"You! The boy from earlier." Thor said in shock. He couldn't believe that he was fighting a boy this entire time!
Harvey nodded and looked up at the quinjet. Loki's soul was within it once again. "We should hurry. I don't believe that Loki's partners abandoned him like he said. Who knows what they could be doing with the Tesseract."
"Who are Loki's companions? I was aware of only his presence on Midgard." Thor said as he summoned Mjolnir back into his hand.
"You didn't know?" Steve asked in surprise.
"This Victoria's Secret model and a lumberjack look familiar to you?" Tony said as a wide holographic picture of Loki, Amora, and Skurge inside the Tesseract lab surged to life in front of his armor.
Thor's eyes widened when he saw just who stood by Loki's sides. "It can't be. Skurge, The Executioner, and Amora, The Enchantress. They're of Asgard. What are they doing working with Loki?"
"What are they capable of?" Steve asked.
Thor walked a bit away and looked lost in thought. "Skurge is one of Asgard's most powerful warriors. He gained the title of the Executioner from defeating legions of Storm Giants. Amora is one of the most skilled magicians any of the nine realms have ever seen. Her power with magic is not one to be trifled with."
"Do you have any ideas on why they could be working with Loki?" Harvey asked and crossed his arms. The quintet had finally landed behind them, and Natasha looked at them in confusion.
"I'm afraid I do not." Thor shook his head.
With nothing more to be learned, the four men boarded the jet and took off to the Helicarrier. They would have to see if they could get Loki to talk once they had him fully secured.
•••
["Well, let me know if' real power' wants a magazine or something."]
Bruce watched the monitor with narrowed eyes. Loki stood inside a large, clear prison cell and looked up at the camera with a smile. It made his blood want to boil as Loki rambled about power with Nick. They brought the madman a little while ago and walked him to the cage meant for him. But as Loki passed him while he was in the lab, Bruce felt like he would have become the Hulk right then and there. How dare he smile at him while he took the one person he loved.
"Betty." Bruce whispered and rubbed his eyes. The headache he felt a while back coming back.
When Natasha lured him out of the city in Calcutta and told him about the Tesseract, Bruce wanted no part. It was clear to him that they wanted the Hulk. Not him. Never him.
"When the Tesseract was stolen. Loki somehow brainwashed several SHIELD agents and scientists. One of which you are very familiar with… Doctor Elizabeth Ross."
Bruce began breathing through his diaphragm at the memory of his talk with Natasha. If it weren't for his intensive training in controlling his anger, then he would have become the Hulk when he heard that Betty was brainwashed and taken away.
What was Betty doing working with SHIELD in the first place? Just because her knowledge of Gamma radiation was second to his own, she was brought in to study the Cube due to its Gamma energy. It didn't make sense as to why she would do that. Could it be for him? Was she still trying to find a cure? Could the Tesseract offer an answer?
"No, it's impossible." Bruce shook his head and walked off to the far wall. "I have to find her. That's all that matters."
Bruce turned back to the monitor and glared at Loki's face. He would find Betty. If he had to squeeze that information from Loki's throat himself, he would. Oh, he would. Bruce was sure he didn't need to turn green to do it.