The Strategy of the Stars.
The next morning, the "Lola Squad" gathered in the heart of the Golden Palace. The atmosphere was thick with the scent of ozone and ancient magic. Loki stood before Hela and Rose, the Uru Gauntlet resting on the table like a sleeping beast.
"The Soul Stone is on Vormir," Loki began, his voice dropping into a low, instructional tone. "My sister knows the coordinates. To obtain it, you must bypass the Guardian. I have prepared a contingent of the Warner family—nobles I've placed under deep mental control. One of them will sacrifice the person they hold most dear to break the seal."
Rose narrowed her eyes. "Cold. Efficient. I like it."
"The Power Stone is on Morag," Loki continued, projecting a shimmering holographic map. "An ancient, drowned civilization. You must first navigate to the Kree Empire to verify the stellar currents, then proceed to the secret vault. It is contained within a silver orb."
He handed the Uru Gauntlet to Hela. "Take this. It holds the Space Stone. It will ensure your travel is instantaneous and your return is guaranteed. I will keep the Time Stone here."
"As for this world's Time Stone..."
Zzzzzzz!
A sparking, fiery circle of orange light erupted in the center of the hall. Loki froze, his eyes widening as a bald woman in yellow robes stepped through.
"How magical," Loki smirked, recovering his composure. "She delivered herself. It seems your mission just got shorter. Welcome, express package."
Before the Ancient One could even form a spell, Loki tapped into the Heart of Asgard. His psychic power flooded the room like ink. The Sorcerer Supreme's eyes glazed over for a moment before she knelt, her head bowed in reverent submission.
"Did the Eye not warn you of the danger?" Loki asked, circling her. "Ah, I see. You overused it trying to find my trail and were played with by the currents of Time. Tsk, tsk."
He turned to the two sisters. "Let this be a warning. Never abuse Time. It is the most volatile of the six. Space and Soul are the cornerstones of existence, but Time... Time is a trap. Reality, Mind, and Power are mere tools. We will equip our final gear with those. Never touch Soul or Time unless you must."
The Raid on the Future.
The team split. Hela and Rose vanished through a spatial rift toward Vormir, while Loki stepped through the Ancient One's portal, dragging her with him into the year 1970.
He landed inside a top-secret military base—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s predecessor.
"Level One Alert!"
"Don't move!"
Dozens of rifles were trained on the "God of Wisdom." Loki raised his hands, his true form shimmering under the fluorescent lights. "Splendid ceremony. Ancient One, stay still."
"Yes, Your Majesty," she whispered.
"Wait," an officer shouted, running forward. "Information says we were to expect a dignitary! Soldiers, lower your weapons!"
Loki didn't wait for the bureaucracy. He blinked, and every rifle in the room slowly rotated to point at the officer's head.
"Please... forgive us!" the man stammered, his face pale.
[Chaos Points +50, +50, +50...]
[INTERFACE REWARD: Psychic Mastery (Rank 5 - Mind Domination).]
Loki spent the afternoon stripping the base of its Adamantium stores and the foundational formulas. He didn't find the Wolverine, but he found something better: the research data. He jumped back to the original timeline's Nidavellir, dropped the metal and the files at the Dwarf King's feet, and ordered him to begin the integration process.
Then, he went back to the future—specifically, the Battle of New York.
While the Chitauri rained fire upon the city, Loki moved through the chaos as an invisible wraith. He found the Mind Stone in the scepter, snatched it with a Death's Grip move, and vanished before the Avengers even realized the staff was empty.
Finally, he traveled to the dark world of Svartalfheim to settle an old score for every "Mother" in the Multiverse.
Red Light, Green Light.
"Good evening, friends," Loki whispered, standing in the barren wastes of the Dark Elf homeworld.
The Mind Stone glowed yellow on his gauntlet, its power amplifying his psychic reach across the entire planet. Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves, froze mid-stride. He didn't even have time to scream as the Aether—the Reality Stone—was drawn from his body and condensed into a red gem on Loki's fist.
"Now," Loki said, manifesting a massive, golden-red battle axe—the Fire God's Axe. "Let's play a game. It's called: One, Two, Three, Red Light, Green Light."
"Kill him!" Malekith roared as the mind control momentarily flickered.
"One, Two, Three... Red Light!"
The Dark Elves froze. Loki swung the axe. A phantom of the World Serpent roared, and the first row of warriors turned into a red mist.
"Green Light!"
The survivors scrambled in terror.
"One, Two, Three... Man!"
Loki delivered a three-hit combo, finishing with a Noxian Guillotine dunk that shattered the ground. "A dead Dark Elf is a good Elf," he mused. "Round two. One, Two, Three... Noxian Guillotine!"
[Chaos Points +100, +100, +100...]
[ULTRA-FUN REWARD: Aesir God Body - 'The Engine' (Movement-based Growth), and 3 Equipment Modification Charges.]
Loki checked the new reward. The Engine meant that the more he moved, the faster his divine body would refine itself. He was becoming a perpetual motion machine of destruction.
"Let's make this interesting," Loki said, leaning against his axe. "A coin toss. Heads, I let you go. Tails... well, we continue the game."
He flipped the coin. It landed in the ash. "Tsk! It's heads! See? I am a man of my word."
The Dark Elves let out a collective wail of relief. "Praise Asgard! We survived!"
Loki smiled maliciously. "The old game is over. A new game begins. I call it: Jörmungandr's Maw."
He didn't wait for a response. The Golden-red World Serpent materialized, a wave of solar fire that engulfed the remaining army in a single, silent sweep. "Free cremation for my friends," Loki whispered.
[INTERFACE REWARD: High-Speed Regeneration (Tier 4).]
Loki stepped through a portal back to Asgard. He had the Adamantium, the formulas, the Mind Stone, and the Reality Stone. He had upgraded his body and secured the means to forge the ultimate weapons.
He returned to the Golden Palace, released the Ancient One from her trance, and offered her a lavish feast as an "apology" for her service as a taxi.
The Ancient One sat at the table, staring at the God of Wisdom with a look of profound, silent exhaustion.
"Eat up," Loki smiled, tapping the four glowing stones on his gauntlet. "We have a lot of work to do."
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