The air around Loki felt different. It wasn't just the wind whipping around the skyscraper; it was a static charge, a heaviness that pressed against my skin. It tasted like sour metal and old magic.
He took a step toward me. The gold armor clinked softly—a sound that was terrifyingly distinct against the background roar of the war.
"My father," Loki repeated softly, testing the words. His grip on the Scepter tightened. "You speak of Odin? That blind, senile fool?"
"I wasn't talking about Odin," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Loki froze.
[SYSTEM ALERT] [Target: Loki Laufeyson] [Psychological State: Unstable] [Hidden Weakness Detected: Identity Crisis.]
[DIALOGUE OPTION SELECTED: "The Cold Truth"]
I forced myself to unclench my hands from the alien staff. I dropped it. It clattered to the floor, rolling away. A gesture of surrender? No. A gesture of disrespect.
"I don't need a weapon to talk to you, Loki," I said, leaning back against the glass railing, praying it held my weight because my knees were giving out. "I know why you're here. I know why you brought the Chitauri. You think a throne will fill the hole where your heritage used to be."
Loki's face twisted. It wasn't anger yet. It was confusion. "You are a mortal. A distinctively fragile one. How could you possibly know of Asgardian affairs?"
"I know a lot of things," I said. "I know you let yourself fall from the Bifrost. I know you think Thanos gave you this army because he trusts you."
I pointed at the Scepter.
"But he doesn't, does he? He gave you the Mind Stone because he knows it influences you, too. Look at yourself, Loki. You look terrible. You're sweating. Your eyes are dilated. You're not the General. You're the puppet."
Loki moved.
It was a blur. One second he was ten feet away; the next, he was in my personal space. His hand shot out, grabbing me by the throat. He lifted me off the ground like I was made of styrofoam.
My feet dangled. The world started to go black at the edges.
"You have a very loud mouth," Loki hissed, his face inches from mine. His eyes were a piercing, manic blue. "And I think I shall close it permanently."
[CRITICAL ALERT] [Health: 90% -> 85% (Strangulation)] [Oxygen Deprivation Imminent.] [Activiting Passive: "Plot Armor" - Miracle Intervention.]
Come on, I thought, clawing at his leather-clad arm. Where is he? The script says he should be here.
"Do it," I choked out, staring into his eyes. "Kill me. But you still lose."
Loki sneered. "I have an army. I have the Tesseract. Who is going to stop me? You?"
"No," I wheezed, my vision tunneling. "Him."
CRASH.
The glass windows of the penthouse exploded outward.
Loki turned his head, just for a fraction of a second, but he didn't drop me.
Through the shower of shattering glass came a roar that shook the very foundation of the tower. And then, a massive green fist the size of a Thanksgiving turkey materialized from the dust cloud.
The Hulk.
But here is where the "Real MC" factor kicked in. In the movie, Loki is standing alone. Here, he was holding me.
If Hulk smashed him now, I'd be crushed between a Gamma-monster and an Asgardian God.
[SYSTEM INTERVENTION] [Calculating Trajectory...] [Action: PHASE SHIFT (One-time use)]
Just as the Hulk's fist connected with Loki's ribs, a golden light enveloped me. I didn't move; reality moved around me.
Loki was launched sideways like a ragdoll. He flew across the penthouse, smashing through a marble pillar and embedding himself in the floor. I, however, simply fell straight down, landing on my butt on the balcony, gasping for air.
[Health: 75% (Bruised Throat)] [Effect: "Traumatized" - You just got strangled by a villain.]
I coughed, massaging my neck. "Right on time, Big Guy."
The Hulk stood there, chest heaving. He looked at me, snorted, and then turned his attention to the hole in the floor where Loki was groaning.
I scrambled backward, knowing what came next.
Loki pulled himself up, looking disheveled and absolutely furious. "ENOUGH!" he screamed. "You are all of you beneath me! I am a God, you dull creature, and I will not be bullied by—"
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Smash.
The Hulk grabbed Loki by the leg and introduced him to the floor. Repeatedly. It was brutal, rhythmic, and strangely beautiful. The concrete cracked. Dust flew.
Finally, the Hulk tossed Loki aside like a used tissue. Loki lay there, wheezing, his "God" monologue permanently canceled.
"Puny God," Hulk grunted.
He turned to look at me again.
I raised my hands slowly. "I'm on your side, big guy. Friendly. Very friendly."
Hulk stared at me. His nostrils flared. Then, surprisingly, he pointed a massive green finger at the stairs.
"Red... Hair... Go."
"Right," I nodded frantically. "Red hair. Natasha. The roof. Got it."
Hulk roared and leaped off the balcony to go smash more aliens.
I was left alone again. With an incapacitated Loki.
I stood up, my legs shaking violently. I walked over to the crater in the floor. Loki was lying on his back, staring blankly at the ceiling, making a high-pitched wheezing sound.
The Scepter lay three feet away from his hand.
I looked at the Scepter. Then I looked at Loki.
[CHOICE TIME] [Option A: Leave the Scepter for Black Widow (Canon Flow).] [Option B: Pick up the Scepter (Power Trip).] [Option C: Loot the God.]
I hesitated. The smart thing to do was leave. Natasha would be here in seconds. She needed the Scepter to close the portal.
But...
I knelt down next to Loki.
"I told you," I whispered, my voice raspy from the choking. "I read the script."
I reached out and tapped Loki's chest plate.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: "Sticky Fingers"] [Item Acquired: Asgardian Dagger (hidden)] [Item Acquired: Lock of Loki's Hair (Material? Gross.)]
"You..." Loki wheezed, his eyes struggling to focus on me. "What... are... you?"
"I'm the editor," I said.
I stood up, grabbed the Mind Stone Scepter, and felt a surge of cold, electric power shoot up my arm. The whispers started immediately in the back of my head—a thousand voices screaming for conquest.
[MENTAL RESISTANCE CHECK] [Source: Mind Stone] [Result: PASS (Barely)]
I shook my head, fighting the urge to rule the world, and turned toward the stairs just as the door burst open.
Natasha Romanoff stood there, looking winded. She saw me. She saw the unconscious Loki. She saw the glowing Scepter in my hand.
She blinked.
"Did you..." She gestured to the smashed floor and the god embedded in it. "Did you do that?"
I looked at the carnage. I looked at my civilian hoodie.
"Let's just say we had a disagreement about narrative structure," I said, handing her the Scepter. "Close it, Nat. Close the damn door."