"A trap?"
Ben stared at Loki, an unspoken demand for an explanation hanging in the air between them. Loki's gaze shot past Ben, through the satellite's viewport to the cosmos beyond, where the dying Leviathan was drifting ever closer.
"Once you activate the Tesseract," Loki panted, "there is no turning back. It will fully awaken. At that point, he will be able to open a portal from the other side and descend upon the Earth himself."
As he said the words, a shadow of deep-seated trauma passed over Loki's face. This had been his original mission, a task given to him by Thanos. If his clash with The Other hadn't fractured the false memories implanted in his mind, he would have carried it out, a willing puppet.
But in his moment of clarity, Loki had done something profoundly foolish. He had gone to confront Thanos. This was the reason for his long absence, for his battered and broken state. Of course, he never reached the Mad Titan himself. He was intercepted by Supergiant.
Even alone, the Black Order telepath, wielding the Mind Stone, was more than Loki could handle. He would have been enslaved once more had his green symbiote not sacrificed itself, using its remaining energy to shock his consciousness back to clarity. The price was steep: the symbiote fell into a deep, comatose state, and Loki was left gravely injured. Though he had regained his true memories, his mind was now a chaotic mess from the psychic assault. And worse, during the interrogation, Supergiant had learned everything she needed to know.
Ben's brow furrowed. He didn't believe Thanos would come in person, not while the Ancient One guarded Earth and Odin watched over the Nine Realms. But even the members of the Black Order were devastatingly powerful foes, far more formidable than their cinematic counterparts. Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive together were a force nearly equal to Thanos himself. And now Supergiant, a threat the Avengers had never even conceived of, was in play. This would be a battle unlike any they had ever faced.
Still, he weighed his options. If he didn't activate the shield, Thanos's entire army would descend upon them. If he did activate it, he could provide the planet with a protective barrier and severely limit the number of enemies who could get through. Without a proper focusing apparatus, the reverse-portal Supergiant could open would be small, perhaps only a meter or two in diameter—too small for even a single Chitauri skiff.
It's the better option, Ben concluded. I can handle them. And if I can't… there's always Alien X. He knew, however, that a negotiation with Enara and Ouyana was never a guaranteed success, even in a crisis.
"That is the problem," Loki said, his voice laced with despair as he slumped against a console. "He knows how powerful you are. The trap is not for Earth. It's for you." He took a shuddering breath, like a condemned man finally confessing his sins. "Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive… they have gone to Jotunheim to capture Looma."
The blood drained from Ben's face. The deadly husband-and-wife duo of the Black Order was more than a match for almost anyone. Looma was strong, but against the two of them, and an army of Frost Giants, she stood no chance.
"What happened?" Ben demanded.
Loki recounted the events of the past few weeks. How Looma had gone to Jotunheim alone. How, after being controlled by Supergiant, he had inadvertently revealed everything about the Plumbers and their missions. Thanos, armed with this knowledge, had crafted his perfect stratagem.
The plan was simple and brutal: use Looma as bait to draw Ben away from Earth. With him gone, the planet's remaining heroes would be crushed by the Chitauri and the Black Order. Even if Ben managed to defeat the assassins and return, it would be too late. Thanos would have the Space Stone, and humanity would be decimated.
"The Sorcerer Supreme?" Ben asked.
"The Ancient One's duty is to defend against extra-dimensional threats," Loki recited, the logic cold and undeniable. "She is unlikely to intervene in a worldly affair. Even if her conscience forced her to act, she would only destroy the Chitauri foot soldiers. They are nothing to Thanos. He controls their queen; he can breed as many as he desires."
As if on cue, Ben's Plumbers Badge began to chime. A holographic image flickered to life, showing Looma locked in a desperate battle against a snowy backdrop.
"There are two incredibly annoying, blue-skinned people displaying their affections all over the battlefield!" she roared, her voice nearly lost in the howling wind. It was clear she was struggling, but her warrior's pride would never allow her to ask for help directly. "Get over here and help me!"
The communication winked out.
Loki slid down the wall, his strength completely gone. "It is all my fault…" he whispered, his face buried in his hands. "If I had not betrayed the Plumbers, perhaps…"
The situation was critical, but Ben's mind was already racing, calculating. He activated his badge again, this time connecting to Sakaar. Caiera's face appeared.
"Caiera, can the Plumbers support Looma immediately?"
Her expression was distressed. "My King, to get from Sakaar to Jotunheim would take our fleet several days, even with the engines Her Highness designed."
Brunnhilde, clad in her silver Valkyrie armor, squeezed into the frame. "Tell him our situation, Caiera!" she insisted. "Sakaar is also under attack!"
"Thanos has stretched his forces that thin?" Ben asked, a new wave of concern washing over him.
"Do not worry, my King," Caiera said quickly. "It is less of an invasion and more of a blockade. They mean only to contain us."
Thanos was smart. He knew Sakaar was Ben's base of operations, so he had deployed a fleet not to conquer it, but simply to guard the interstellar gateways, pinning their forces down.
Ben felt a sliver of relief. At least one front could hold its own. His decision was made.
"Loki," he said, his voice firm. "Open a passage to Jotunheim."
Looma was his friend, one of his own. He would not leave her to be slaughtered.
"But if you do that, Earth is lost!" Loki argued, looking up with wide, desperate eyes. "It is what he wants! Even you cannot travel between dimensions instantly. While you are gone, Supergiant will open her own portal and seize the Tesseract!" He scrambled to his feet. "Ben, you must give her up. It is the only way. As long as you are here, we have a chance to win!"
"I will not give up Looma," Ben said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Besides, who says Earth will lose without me?"
Loki waved his arms around in disbelief, pointing at the viewport showing the struggling heroes. "Them? A vanguard of Chitauri has already pushed them to their breaking point! That soldier, if I am not mistaken, can no longer lift Thor's hammer. Or are you relying on Thor himself? He has lost his power and his pride! All he thinks of now is spending his last days with that mortal nurse, Jane Foster! Or Odin? He is old and timid, hiding in Asgard, paralyzed by his fear of Ragnarok!"
"He is suppressing a more terrible danger," Ben corrected him quietly.
But Loki wasn't listening. "Whatever the reason, he is useless! So I ask you, Ben, who is left? Who can possibly stop them?" He had named every powerful being he could think of. None of them could be counted on.
Except for one.
"There's one person you missed," Ben said.
Loki stared at him, bewildered. "Who? Who could possibly turn this tide?"
Ben's finger rose, and he pointed. Not at the screen, not at the heavens, but directly at Loki.
The God of Mischief blinked. He subconsciously glanced behind him, finding nothing but the wall of the satellite. He slowly realized Ben was pointing at him. He pointed a trembling finger at his own chest, a look of absurd disbelief on his face.
"Me? You want me to fight them? Have you gone mad?"
"Of course, it's you," Ben said calmly.
He reached into his backpack and pulled out the Casket of Ancient Winters. Then, he walked to the machine powering the satellite and removed the glowing blue Tesseract. He walked back to the stunned Loki and held both artifacts out to him.
"What… what are you…?" Loki stammered, staring at the objects of immense cosmic power being offered to him as if they were common trinkets.
"Wake the Cube," Ben said, his voice ringing with command. "Open the way to Jotunheim for me. Then, activate the planetary shield. Use the Casket's power. Finish this." He looked Loki directly in the eye. "Loki, do you want to know why I was able to become the King of Sakaar?"
"You wish to discuss this now?" Loki asked, his mind reeling.
Ben ignored him. "To be precise, I did not become their king. I became their hope. Their savior." He placed the cold Casket and the humming Tesseract into Loki's trembling hands.
"I think you can, too."