Thor turned and saw Loki subtly positioning himself behind both him and Selvig—clearly preparing to slip away.
Thor's arm tensed, ready to throw Mjolnir—
But Loki immediately raised both hands.
"Hey, easy, Brother. I'm just retrieving my weapons."
As if on cue, the two Lion's Fangs swept in through the shattered window, slicing two passing Chitauri soldiers to pieces before settling neatly back into Loki's hands.
"You'd better be," Thor warned, tossing Mjolnir lightly in his palm. "Or this will hurt."
"Of course."
"And aren't we trying to retrieve the Mind Scepter to close the portal?" Loki added smoothly. "I can help."
He smiled that familiar, dangerous smile.
"Ebony Maw probably doesn't know I've regained my senses."
Thor narrowed his eyes.
Every time Loki smiled like that, someone suffered for it.
The Sky Tears Wider
The Tesseract-forced rift continued expanding.
More Chitauri. More Leviathans.
The Avengers were falling behind.
On the ground below, Tony was at his limit.
Under Leon's telekinetic control, countless steel fragments formed arrowheads and rained down upon him.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
The Mark VI Armor's durability kept him physically unharmed—but mentally, he was burning out.
"What an impressive shell," Leon remarked. "Give up, Tony Stark. You have the potential to join us. The Great Titan admires your intellect."
Tony forced himself upright.
"Join you?"
"Do you know who I am?"
"There's only one direction money flows—and that's toward me. If your so-called Titan kneels right now, I might consider hiring him."
He couldn't win the fight.
But he would win the banter.
Leon's eyes narrowed.
"Arrogance."
"Arrogance requires ability," Tony shot back. "And my little brother happens to have plenty."
Behind the faceplate, Tony exaggerated subtle glances past Leon—trying to imply that Homelander–Leon had arrived.
If Leon hadn't been standing there himself, he might've believed it.
With a sharp surge of telekinesis, Leon twisted at Tony's arm—attempting to snap it.
The Mark VI's joints reached their mechanical limit.
And held.
Leon silently praised the durability of his own Living Adamantium.
He wasn't going all out.
And he never would—not against Tony.
Loki's Betrayal
BOOM.
Loki spun down from above and crashed beside Leon.
Thor followed with a full-powered Thunderstorm, striking Leon mid-restraint and blasting him backward.
Tony staggered free.
"Tony—you alright?" Thor asked, wary.
"I had him," Tony lied automatically.
Leon rose slowly, robes dusted.
"As First Apostle of the Great Titan," he declared coldly, "I sentence you both to death."
Then—
SHNK.
A silver blade pierced through his chest.
Leon froze.
Then reacted instantly—blasting Loki backward with telekinesis.
But Loki had already snatched the Mind Scepter from Leon's grasp.
Hovering midair, he flashed a triumphant grin.
"Fell for it!"
"That was my escape route, you idiot!"
Whether personal vendetta was involved—Leon wasn't sure.
But he'd remember it.
Loki kicked a Chitauri off its chariot mid-flight, commandeered the vehicle, and accelerated toward Stark Tower—Lion's Fang spinning ahead like a drill.
Even Tony and Thor blinked.
Classic Loki.
Power Beyond the Script
"You've made the wrong choice, Loki Odinson."
Leon's voice deepened.
He ripped the blade from his chest.
Then—
His telekinesis surged.
Violent winds roared across the battlefield.
Tony and Thor felt as if submerged in non-Newtonian quicksand—struggling only tightened the invisible pressure.
Loki's stolen chariot froze midair.
With a single grasping motion, Leon dragged him back faster than he'd fled.
Leon seized Loki by the throat.
The Mind Scepter returned to his hand.
Loki's grin vanished.
His face paled.
He mouthed silently:
Brother… you're really going this far?
Leon's expression shifted into that familiar nuclear grin.
CRACK.
He twisted.
Loki's neck snapped cleanly.
Leon tossed the body aside like refuse.
It landed at Tony and Thor's feet.
"Brother… I'm so sorry…"
Loki's final breath drifted toward Thor before his hand fell lifelessly.
Thor Breaks
"No—"
"LOKI!!!!"
Thor's scream tore through Manhattan.
Deep blue lightning erupted from his eyes.
His aura surged—on the brink of divine awakening.
He reached forward—
But could not move.
Leon pressed down harder.
Tony and Thor were forced to their knees.
Metal shards coiled into restraints, binding their limbs and sealing their mouths.
Just like Thor's restraint in Infinity War under Ebony Maw's steel binding.
The Avengers' founding heroes—
Pinned.
Helpless.
The portal raged above.
The invasion continued.
Was this—
The end?
Before the beginning?
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