Chapter Text
Tony waved his hand, making the ornate sphere on the table quiver and open with a soft whirl, revealing a series of moving golden gears engraved with runes, and, in the center, a blue, round lens that seemed to gyrate on itself before projecting the image of a red planet.
“Breakworld -believe me, the name sounds better in its original tongue- was attacked by an unknown enemy and all traces of life were destroyed.” He made a sliding motion, and the hologram expanded, showing a bird view of what once was a city. “Its civilization is… was based on war. They developed technology that helped them foretell events that concerned them, and the rumor was that they started fearing external influences because they were going to be the reason for their fall, making it so that they became more focused on developing warfare tactics and advances. Obviously, this led to their isolation, and, because of this, their disappearance was only noticed a few months back by a commercial envoy that made an emergency stop in the outer rims of the planet’s solar system.”
“They weren’t wrong, then.” Natasha had her chin supported by her hand, her elbow on top of the table, red hair braided, make up soft and making her green eyes look even bigger. She looked carefree and innocent, and Loki was wondering what she wanted to achieve with that façade. Not seducing the king, if the Captain was to be believed, but what then? “Does this concern us in any way?”
“It does.” Tony’s posture demanded attention, but remained, somehow, open. Friendly, even. “Ord, the man who lead the attack to your city (New York, was it?), came from that planet.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand the connection.” the Captain looked as confused as when Loki tried to explain the compound’s new smart fridge. Sad and hilarious at the same time, it was a combination that Loki enjoyed when in the other man.
This time was not exception, and he rolled his eyes in an exasperated fashion whilst stretching his legs. “Well, it seems obvious that there was a prophecy that connected us and this external menace, and Ord wanted to prevent this outcome.”
“Exactly,” on cue, more images started to pop up, showing the abandoned battle scene. “According to what we could recover from their archives, the prophecy spoke about a group of Terrans who would mean the downfall of Breakworld if allowed to avenge their home world.”
“But how we would be responsible for that?” Banner, always the voice of reason, pointed at a floating rectangle that showed a destroyed building, overcome by dirt and sand. “We didn’t even know of that planet until five minutes ago.”
“Kruun, their last leader, stablished an agreement with a bigger army that wanted to conquer Earth. In exchange for their help, Kruun seems to have offered Ord, his more successful warlord, to lead the attack.”
“But he failed and escaped.” Finished Rhodey, who was hovering behind Loki as a protective shadow. “Are we to assume that the reason of Breakworld’s fall was because Ord failed?”
“Yes.” another hand wave, the images morphing to show a Chitauri Leviathan almost buried in the dirt. Loki felt himself tense up, making Rhodey put his hand on his shoulder and squeeze. “The Chitauri destroyed the planet’s energy core, making its atmosphere useless, and killing all life. The prophecy became true because the Avengers were victorious.”
“So, Ord was just a puppet.” Simplified the Captain.
“Hardly.” Tony raised an eyebrow, puzzled, imitating the expression Loki knew he himself was sporting. “He was no innocent, and his participation in all this was voluntary and very enthusiastic, by Thor’s accounts. Nonetheless, as you can see, there’s a bigger threat than him or the Breakworldian army. Something, or, better yet, someone, who targeted Midgard and was willing and powerful enough to destroy a civilization for it.”
“This someone is called Thanos.” A picture from a purple, giant man materialized in the middle of the room. “He is… obsessed with Death. Has destroyed entire civilizations, his included, in a bid to make Death notice him.”
He took a deep breath, averting his gaze from the inquiring eyes of the humans, and studying the figure that towered over him.
“The only reason he sent Ord was because he thought of Midgard as a backwater planet without the technology or means to defend itself or deserve his attention. You won’t be so lucky next time.”
Loki felt the air in his lungs becoming heavier, and the way cold fear was building up in his chest made his body tremble, the suffocating -yet distant- certainty that he was defenseless because he couldn’t breath and his heart was pounding in his ears, because he was without his armors, his hands had lost sensation, and they were definitely incapable of doing any magic.
‘Useless’, he thought. His fingers were moving, but he couldn’t feel them. ‘Completely, absolutely useless.’
The room was left in silence for a moment, before Bruce’s hand rose up shily in the air. “Death… as in someone called Death?”
“Oh no.” Tony snorted. “Death, as in the concept of Death. A cosmic entity with power far beyond our comprehension who takes the shape of a woman to be able to be perceived by us, lesser beings. And this guy,” He pointed behind him with a thumb towards the giant alien. “Is in love with her, and is wooing her in the worst possible way.”
“By what? Giving her more work?”
“No, by thinking that by being more powerful than her, Death will submit to him.”