Loki's hands in the air finally broke the stagnant tension over Stuttgart Square.
Beneath his faceplate, Tony Stark's grin was nearly stretching to his ears.
He landed by the open quinjet ramp, arms crossed, looking down at the bewildered God of Mischief and the towering silver-and-black war machine that dwarfed buildings.
"See that, Cap?" Tony's voice crackled over the comms, dripping with smugness. "Sometimes, when muscles and shields fall short, all you need is a little... high-end hardware."
He emphasized the last two words like a punchline.
Steve Rogers didn't respond. His grip tightened on his shield, his blue eyes locked on Loki. Instinct told him this wasn't over. A god who'd danced around SHIELD and toyed with them wouldn't surrender just because of a giant robot.
"Stay sharp, Stark," Steve warned.
"Relax, popsicle," Tony said with a shrug. "He's waving the white flag. Game over. Proof my kid's idea worked better than yours."
The moment the words left his mouth, thunder roared across the clear night sky—
BOOM!
This wasn't natural thunder. It was a celestial bellow shaking the quinjet in its grip.
"Jarvis, weather report?" Tony asked reflexively.
"No precipitation detected, sir. Atmospheric conditions remain stable."
Then—a blinding pillar of rainbow light, thicker than a lightning bolt, crashed onto the quinjet's roof.
CLANG!
The jet lurched violently, metal groaning under the weight of a towering figure in a red cape, hammer in hand.
Blond hair spilled over broad shoulders, his face all hard lines and divine authority. He barely spared Steve or Tony a glance before zeroing in on Loki.
"Hey! Line forms behind us, buddy," Tony stepped forward, blocking him. "Whoever you are, autographs come after SHIELD's done processing Reindeer Games."
The man's icy stare barely flickered.
"He is not yours to take."
Before Tony could blink, the hammer arced—
THUD!
The impact rang like a cathedral bell.
Tony's armor crumpled, the arc reactor flickering. He flew backward, smashing into the bulkhead in a shower of sparks.
"Guh—" His HUD screamed with damage alerts.
Had he just been one-shot by some cosplayer with a hammer?
"Stop!"
Steve was already moving, shield raised—
CLANG!
Hammer met vibranium in a deafening crash.
The force rammed Steve back, boots carving trenches in the floor. His arm shook, fingers numb.
This guy was stronger. Much stronger.
"Loki faces Asgard's justice," Thor barked, hauling his brother toward the open ramp.
"Mayday! Rogue superhuman entity—he's taking Loki!" Natasha shouted from the cockpit, already relaying to Fury. "Cap, stand down! We don't know what he—"
Too late. Thor leaped out, dragging Loki with him.
"Halt!" Steve lunged—
Thor hurled Mjolnir mid-air, forcing him back again.
"Jarvis! Diagnostics!" Tony groaned, staggering up. His chest plate was caved in, sparking dangerously.
"Chest armor integrity at 30%. Power instability detected."
"That son of a—" Tony's voice seethed. "He stole my win."
"Stark, stand by," Natasha snapped over comms.
"Stand by?" Tony's repulsors flared erratically. "My orders are clear."
He turned to Steve, eyes burning behind the mask.
"What's the plan?" Steve asked.
Tony's faceplate sealed shut, voice turning to steel.
"Attack."
WHOOSH!
The suit rocketed out of the jet, chasing Thor's vanishing silhouette.
"Stark!" Steve yelled after him, then gritted his teeth. "Nat, give me a chute."
"Are you insane? That's a god! We need to—"
"That's why I'm going," Steve cut in, already strapping a parachute on. At the ramp's edge, he stared down at the city lights below—and jumped.
"Cap!" Natasha's shout was lost in the wind as the quinjet emptied, leaving only wreckage and dread behind.
———
High above, gales howled.
Thor hauled Loki through storm clouds.
"You've made quite the mess, brother," Thor growled, voice ragged from the wind.
Loki offered no resistance, merely glancing back.
In the distance, a red-gold speck was gaining fast. Below, a tiny figure free-fell toward the earth.
Iron Man. Captain America.
Watching those mortal fools chase after him, Loki's lips curled into a slow, twisted smile.
Everything was going exactly as planned.
No—better.
That transforming car had been a delightful variable.
But chaos was sown now. Soon, the cracks would widen, the fragile alliances would shatter.
And he'd be there, laughing as it all burned.