Chapter 10

"Okay, so the "how" works," Steve informed. "Now we gotta figure out the when and the where. Almost all of us have had an encounter with at least one of the six infinity stones."

"Well I'd substitute the word encounter for damn well near been killed by one of the six infinity stones," Tony replied, with his usual snarkiness… starkiness. Loki smiled.

"I haven't," Scott interjected. "I don't even know what the hell you're all talking about."

"They're what Thanos used to wipe out half of the universe," Loki grunted, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"He wasn't around for that," Steve explained.

"We only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each," Bruce cut in. "And these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history."

"Our history," Tony corrected. "So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in."

"Which means we have to pick our targets," Clint added.

"Correct," Tony replied.

"Let's start with the Reality Stone." Steve turned to Loki. "Loki, what do you know?" Lok's eyes widened as everyone's gazes shifted toward him.

"Ah, the 'Reality Stone' as you mortals call it," Loki began, his confidence returning. He stood up, walking toward the screen that displayed each of the Infinity Stones. "This name is completely wrong as the Aether isn't a stone at all. It is an entity whose shape is ever-changing. My brother and his girlfriend actually had an encounter with the Aether, fun story that would… take about two hours to explain..." Loki's smile faded, his mind wandering back to Thor. He shook his head clear. "To sum it up, the Aether possessed her so Thor took her to Asgard."

"When was that?" Tony asked.

"Hm…" Loki paused to think. "Well I was in prison at the time so… about a year after New York?"

"Twenty thirteen," Bruce added.

"Awesome. Eggs? Breakfast?" Tony asked.

"I can get my own, thanks," Loki replied, summoning a plate of hash browns. Scott's eyes lit up. Everyone made their way into the kitchen, preparing their own separate meals.

"Alright, so the reality-" Natasha stopped when she noticed Loki's narrowed eyes. "The Aether," she corrected. "Is easy enough, but what about the Power Stone?"

"Quill said he stole the Power Stone from Morag," Rocket informed. Loki cringed at the thought of his old friend.

"Is that a person? Scott asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Morag's a planet," Rocket replied. "Quill was a person."

"A planet? Like in outer space?" Loki facepalmed.

"Oh, it's like a little puppy, all happy and everything." Rocket rubbed Scott's hair from his spot on the table. "Do you wanna go to space? You wanna go to space, puppy? I'll take you to space," he cooed mockingly. Loki cracked a smile.

"How would we survive in space?" Rhodey asked. "Should we borrow astronaut suits or something?"

"That won't be necessary," Rocket informed, turning to him. "Morag has an atmosphere, so you won't die." Everyone went silent again as they focused on eating.

"The Space and Mind Stones should be easy enough," Loki informed, grabbing a hash brown. "They were both in New York during… well, you know what."

"Oh yeah that's perfect," Tony replied, through a mouthful of food. "Kill two birds with one stone."

"That expression doesn't sound right when referring to actual stones," Loki mused, taking a bite of hash brown.

"Stay on topic guys," Steve insisted. "So that's four Stones." He counted them on his fingers. "Reality, Space, Mind, and Power. What about the Soul and Time Stones?"

"I can tell you where the Soul Stone was," Nebula informed. She sat straight across from Loki, poking at her food with her chopsticks, never actually picking any of it up. "If I can figure out… how to use these…" Loki cracked a smile. Extending his hand, he guided Nebula's fingers into the right position with his magic. With his help, Nebula scooped up some of her food. He released his magic. Nebula imitated the movement, this time picking up some food.

"Wow, you can be nice?" Tony teased.

Loki's cheeks reddened. "What do you mean? I'm nice. After all, I lived with you for five years and never tried to kill you," he joked, nudging Tony's shoulder.

"That is pretty nice," Natasha joked.

"No idea how you managed it," Clint added, scooping a bite of rice. Tony rolled his eyes. Once everyone was done eating, they went back to the planning room to brainstorm some more.

"Thanos found the Soul Stone on Vormir," Nebula informed.

"What is Vormir?" Natasha asked, taking notes on a piece of paper.

"A dominion of death, at the very center of Celestial existence," Nebula explained, her voice low. Natasha looked up from her notes. "It's where... Thanos murdered my sister." Silence descended upon the room, as well as a cloud of everyone's collective discomfort.

"...not it," Scott muttered. Loki glared at him. Nebula marched out of the room, quite unceremoniously and everyone else turned toward each other to converse.

"So the Soul and Power Stones are both in space," Natasha informed, eyes focused on her notes. "We could probably lump them together. Nebula should definitely be on that team so she can point us in the right direction."

"And how would you get to Vormir without a ship?" Loki asked.

"I was thinking we could use a ship," Natasha suggested. She glanced up from her notes, meeting Rocket's eye.

"Oh hell no," he replied, his eyes narrowed. "You ain't taking my ship anywhere. That ship is the last thing left of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Besides, how would you even take it with you? Shove it in your pocket?"

"Actually we could do that," Scott suggested, pointing at Rocket. "We could shrink it down to take it through time then return it to normal size to fly to Vormir."

"I still don't like it," Rocket grunted, crossing his arms.

"Come on, it's the best chance we've got," Natasha insisted.

"Why can't you just send a separate crew to Vormir?" Rocket asked. "Why's it gotta be a team up?"

"None of us know where it is," Loki explained. "Except Nebula, but she hasn't been there. You can't exactly teleport somewhere if you haven't been there."

"It's not teleporting," Scott replied. "We're traveling through the Quantum Realm, but aside from that he's right."

"Alright fine," Rocket grunted, rolling his eyes. "I'll lend you my ship but it better come back in one piece."

"Awesome." Scott stood up. "I'll go shrink it down now." He dashed out of the room, Rocket trailing after him.

"Okay, so one team to retrieve the Soul and Power Stone," Natasha muttered to herself as she sketched out notes. "Nebula should be there."

"I can go retrieve the Soul Stone," Clint offered, raising his hand.

"Great, I'll go with you," Natasha added, writing that down.

"Rhodey and I can retrieve the Power Stone," Nebula offered, walking back into the room. "Quill stole it back in twenty fourteen. He can lead us there." Rhodey nodded to her.

"So that's one team going to twenty fourteen with Rocket's ship," Natasha muttered, making more notes. "Clint and I will go to Vormir, Nebula, Rhodey, you two can go to Morag for the Power Stone."

"What about New York?" Loki asked.

"Most of us know that year pretty well," Natasha replied. Loki's gaze darted toward the ground.

"I could be of some assistance there," he offered, raising his hand. "It was my army attacking after all."

"But you're the only one who knows how to get around Asgard," Tony protested. "We need you to get the Aether."

"Yeah," Natasha agreed. "You can take Rocket or Scott with you. Tony, Steve, Bruce, you three know New York pretty well."

"Guys, guys," Steve cut in. "We're forgetting one stone: the Time Stone."

"Oh yeah…" Natasha muttered. "That Time Stone guy…"

"Doctor Strange," Bruce informed.

"Wait, he was a doctor?" Loki asked, his eyes widening.

"What kind of doctor?" Natasha added.

"Neuro stuff meets rabbit from a hat," Tony muttered. "Nice place in the village, though."

"Yeah. Sullivan Street. Hmm... Bleecker." Bruce and Tony's muttering began to blend together, making it impossible to decipher who said what.

"Wait he lived in New York?" Natasha asked. Loki's eyes widened. Tony muttered something in response. "Guys, if you pick the right year, there are three Stones in New York." Everyone froze. Bruce sat up from his spot.

"Shut the front door…"

"So we can send one team to collect those three stones," Natasha murmured, writing stuff down.

"Have we decided on the teams?" Steve asked.

"Yeah mostly," Natasha replied, looking up from her notepad. "Me, Clint, Nebula, and Rhodey are going to twenty fourteen to collect the Power and Soul Stones. Bruce, Tony, and Steve, you three go to New York with either Rocket or Scott."

"I'll go to New York." Loki glanced at the doorway, where Scott and Rocket now stood. "Um, you are talking about teams right?"

"Yeah, you'll be going with Bruce, Tony, and Steve to collect the Time, Space, and Mind Stones from New York."

"There were three Stones in New York?!" Scott asked, his eyes widening.

"In twenty twelve, yeah," Tony replied. "Pretty amazing coincidence, huh?"

"So that leaves Loki and Rocket to go to Asgard for the Reality Stone," Natasha informed.

"Aether," Loki muttered, clenching his fists.

"Alright. We have a plan. Six stones, three teams. One shot."

"Five years ago, we lost. All of us." Steve spewed out a dramatic monologue as everyone, suited up in Quantum Suits and time navigation watches, made their way onto the platform. Loki's mind, however, was elsewhere. He was going back to Asgard, back when everything had been slightly normal. Back when they were alive. His parents, his brother… Loki didn't want to think about them but he had no choice. Loki had longed to break free of the past but now he was literally going back there. "Today, we have a chance to take it all back." Well, not all of it, Loki thought bitterly. "You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back." Everyone placed their hands in the middle. "One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win." Tony and Steve exchanged glances. "Whatever it takes. Good luck."

"He's pretty good at that," Rocket admitted.

"Right?"

"Hey." Loki glanced at Tony, whose hand was extended to him. "Good luck, Loki." Loki blinked. Then nodded to his friend, accepting the handshake.

"You too," he murmured. Loki and Tony smiled at each other. Tony then turned to Bruce, who was pressing buttons at the control panel.

"Alright. You heard the man," Tony called. "Stroke those keys, jolly green." Loki continued to stare at Tony, eyes full of longing. Please come back alive. Bruce stepped onto the platform, smacking a button on his wrist. Everyone began putting on their helmets. Loki did the same. He closed his eyes as he felt himself shrink. Something was propelling him forward, splitting him up from everyone but Rocket. There was no way to control it. He was going faster than his brain could process it. Once the rush stopped, Loki's forehead was throbbing as if it had been hit repeatedly with a hammer. He forced his eyes open. Before him, stood the golden hallways of Asgard.

"Damn," Rocket murmured. "I didn't know this place was so… fancy."

"This is a prison hallway," Loki replied, rolling his eyes.

"Still fancy," Rocket mused. "Now come on, let's go find the Aether." Loki nodded, summoning a typical Asgardian helmet with a veil attached. It wasn't much. However, it kept him from being recognized immediately. They sneaked down the prison hall, hiding behind pillars whenever any guards marched by. Just up ahead, was a familiar face. Loki glanced at his old self, laying in his bed in a prison cell, his hair like a black rat's nest. Loki crept by, a smile on his face.

"Wow, Tony was right," he mused, running his fingers through his concealed hair. "I really did have no hair care back then."

"Alright, enough reminiscing." Rocket grabbed Loki's leg, stopping him before he could book it for the next pillar. "What's the plan here?" Loki glanced down at him.

"First we have to find Thor's girl…" he began. "I believe her name was Jane?... Yes, Jane. She would be staying in the guestroom…" Loki pointed down the hallway. "That last room." Loki then pointed at the device in Rocket's hand. "You use that device to extract the Aether from her. I'll keep her distracted." There was a slam as a door across the hallway opened. Loki and Rocket quickly hid behind the pillars, Loki concealing his presence from all but Rocket for good measure. Rocket glanced across the hallway.

"Who's the fancy broad?" he asked. When Loki glanced across the hallway, his heart snapped in half. There, walking with some other ladies, was his mother. He stared at her.

"Frigga…" Loki forced himself to look away, biting back tears. "Nevermind her. Just… go get the Aether…"

"You sure you don't wanna take a minute?" Rocket asked, reaching out his paw. "You look like you're about to cry."

"I assure you that I am quite alright," Loki insisted, clenching his jaw. "Frigga is gone… very gone. We're here to save people who are only sort of gone. Let's focus on that."

"Okay…"

"You go on ahead," Loki ordered, pointing at the guest room. "I'll be right behind you with a better disguise." Rocket nodded. He rushed toward the guest room with the device in hand. Once he was out of sight, Loki allowed himself to fall to the ground, holding back his tears. Thor and Odin were no doubt here as well. What if he saw them too? I shouldn't be here, surrounded by all of this: all these reminders of what I lost. In the past, the less Loki thought about his grief, the better he was at not letting it get the best of him but now, sitting in the halls of Asgard, surrounded by what once was, Loki couldn't bring himself to focus on the task at hand. Standing up, Loki bolted through the hallway. There was no thought in his mind other than 'run.' Where to? He had no idea, he just kept running, struggling to hold back tears.

"Hey, you!" a voice called. Loki froze in place. He knew that voice, it was Fandral: one of the Warriors Three. "What are you doing down here?" Taking off again, Loki rounded the nearest hallway, immediately concealing his presence. Fandral bolted after him. However, Loki was already hidden by the time Fandral had caught up to him. The warrior looked around, before turning away with a huff. Once he was out of sight, Loki revealed himself, letting out a sigh of relief. What am I doing?! Loki turned around, only to come face to face with a brown-haired woman: Frigga. They both gasped. Loki staggered back, his helmet falling to the ground with a clank, revealing his face.

"Loki!" she gasped. Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing out of your cell?!"

Loki backed away, raising his hands. "Mother, please, listen to me for one second-"

"Mother?" she asked, her gaze softening. "The Loki I know wouldn't call me that." Oh god, this is right after I- Loki's eyes watered. Frigga gazed at him, resting a hand on his cheek. Loki leaned into the touch. He was unable to keep his tears at bay, as they flooded from his eyes. "You're not the Loki I know at all… are you?"

Loki let out a sigh. "There's no use lying to you." Loki took his mother's hand, moving it aside so her could meet her gaze. "I'm not the Loki you know. I'm from the future. I'm here to fix something that happened. I know that sounds ridiculous coming from me but I swear to you that for once in my life, I'm telling the truth." Loki stared at his mother, pleading with his eyes for her to believe him.

Frigga simply nodded. "I know," she murmured. Loki gazed at her, eyes wide with shock.

"...I really need to talk to you," Loki sighed.

"We can talk…" Loki flung himself at his mother, wrapping his arms around her as tears poured from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry," he cried, pulling her closer. "I never should have taken you for granted. I'm so sorry I said you weren't my mother… you're the best mother I could've asked for." Frigga wrapped her arms around Loki.

"Oh, my son. I never took that personally," she whispered. "I know you never meant it." Loki backed out of the hug, sniffling as if he were ill. "At least, it seems like you're finally being open with yourself," Frigga added.

Loki nodded. "I hate it so much. I hate being so vulnerable… and getting so attached to people I'm going to outlive by thousands of years. Humans only live for so long and… Tony is a human… I'm going to have to deal with his death sooner or later."

"Tony?" Frigga asked. "Is that your boyfriend?" Loki's cheeks reddened.

"God, I wish…" Loki struggled to push the thought away as he continued. "Oh, that's just another barrel of issues. Point is, he's all I have left... and I'm just going to lose him like I lost everyone else. If not on this mission then eventually. Even if I get my other friends back, they'll just die eventually as well. I never should've let myself become so attached. I'll never be ready to lose them."

"No one would expect you to be." Frigga rested her hands on her son's shoulders. "Death is never easy to deal with. You're going to grieve for them and there's nothing you can do about that."

Loki grunted, "That's reassuring."

"All you can do is cherish the time you have with them," Frigga explained. "If you close your heart in fear of losing them, that time will be wasted."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "So I'll always be weak… no matter what I do?"

"Emotion isn't weakness, it's strength. Loving even when you know you could lose everything, it's risky, but it's necessary. If you keep holding back, you'll never be who you were meant to be." Loki gazed at his mother. There was a reason she was deemed the wisest in Asgard, but Loki hadn't truly appreciated it until now.

"I really miss you, mother," Loki sighed, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Loki! Loki!" a voice called. Loki revealed himself, recognizing Rocket's voice. Frigga did the same. They both glanced down the hallway where Rocket was dashing toward them, his device now filled with the Aether. A battalion of guards rushed after him. "Loki, I got it!" Rocket called.

"Get that rabbit!" the lead guard called.

Loki turned back to his mother. "Mom, I have to tell you something."

"No, Son you don't," she insisted. "You're here to repair your future, not mine."

Loki let out a sigh. However, he knew from experience that there was no arguing with his mother. "...Alright."

"Hey. You must be mom," Rocket greeted, pointing at Frigga. "I got the thing. Come on, we gotta move."

"I wish we had more time," Loki admitted, gazing at the ground.

"No, this was a gift," Frigga replied. "And you're going to be the man you were meant to be." Loki looked back at her, and smiled.

"I love you, mom," he murmured.

"I love you, my son," she replied. Loki leaned down a bit as Frigga pressed her lips against his forehead.

"Alright come on," Rocket called, gesturing to him. "We gotta go." Loki nodded to him, stopping by his side as Rocket messed with his time device. He locked eyes with his mother.

"Three…"

"Goodbye," Loki murmured.

"Two…"

"Goodbye," Frigga replied, nodding to him.

"One." Loki closed his eyes just before he and Rocket were sucked back into the Quantum Realm. He was propelled forward for a few seconds at the same ungodly speed before it all stopped, and he and Rocket were back on the platform. Loki opened his eyes. Everyone else was there as well, and Loki immediately locked eyes with Tony. Oh, thank goodness.

"Did we get them all?" Bruce asked, panting. Loki began scanning everyone else. Bruce, Tony, Rocket, Steve, Scott, Nebula, Rhodey, Clint, and… wait.

"You telling me this'll actually work?" Rhodey asked. Everyone paused. Bruce glanced at Clint.

"Clint, where's Nat?" he asked. Clint didn't respond and as Loki observed his gaze, he noticed the beginnings of a tear.