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captainsophiestark · 2 years ago

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Undefeated

Jane Foster x Reader

Masterlist - Tag List

Written for my Year of Olympians and part of a bigger challenge being run by @yearofcreation2023 which features a ton of awesome creators and runs all year! Go check it out! And yay, after like two months of now writing I’m caught up just in time for June! 😅

Fandom: Marvel

Prompt: Ares; War

Summary: Darcy and her best friend, Y/N, are taking a night to party in between all the stressors that come with grad school, and doing so by absolutely DOMINATING at Beer Pong. When Darcy needs a substitute, however, it might lead to something more than a temporary team up between Y/N and Jane Foster.

Word Count: 2,520

Category: Fluff, Chaos

A/N: Listen, I don't know if anybody but me cares, but the rules of Pong simply do not work narratively for this fic, so for the sake of the story, there's no such thing as redemption or overtime.

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, fixating on my target and blocking out the noise and chaos around me. I took another deliberate breath in, then on the exhale, I took my shot.

Splash! My ping pong ball sailed through the air and landed smack dab in the middle of my opponent's cup.

"YES!" I screamed, punching my arm in the air jumping a few times to release the energy. My voice was almost gone from screaming all night, but I absolutely didn't care.

"LET'S FUCKING GO!" yelled my partner and best friend, Darcy Lewis, in my ear. My ears had been ringing for about an hour thanks to that combined with the music and talking of the party, but I didn't care about that either.

Darcy and I were in the middle of our last semester of grad school, and in the unique, rare period of the semester where we'd just finished a bunch of exams and papers for our midterms and didn't have to start studying or worrying about our finals quite yet. We had about a week of semi-peace for the whole semester, and like the rest of our classmates, we were using it to celebrate the fact that we were still in college to the extreme.

There was a lot more stress in grad school, so we deserved to overcompensate every once in a while with our parties.

I'd come into the night proudly boasting my undefeated undergraduate and graduate record in beer pong. With Darcy as my partner, I'd extended that streak to include winning against every single team that tried to challenge me tonight.

The competition had gotten seriously heated, with people rotating through either side of the table and people regularly challenging us like they were going to be the ones to finally take us down. We'd picked up a few people to act as refs, mostly for judging elbow distance and having the final decision on specific rules, and another few people had wandered over to start acting as commentators. Despite the fierce competition, it was all in good fun. We'd been laughing and cheering right along with everyone else all night.

And now, we were about to add another pair to our list of defeats. I'd just knocked out their second to last cup, and it was Darcy's turn. If she made it–which I knew she could–it would be game over.

I watched her take a deep breath and raise her arm, lining up her shot and getting in the zone the same way I had a second ago. She drew back, but before she could release the ball, a commotion from behind us distracted her.

"Darcy!"

She started to turn, looking confused as someone in the crowd called her name, and at the same time someone grabbed her wrist. She yelped, dropping the pong ball to the floor and glaring at the brunette who'd just come running up to her in a frenzy.

"Darcy!" cried the woman. "We have to go, right now! You're never going to believe what I just found-"

"Jane, I'm in the middle of something!" she yelled back, gesturing to the table before us. I just watched on, trying to process this new complication in maintaining our pong supremacy. Slowly, the pieces from various stories Darcy had told me came together. This must be Jane Foster, the scientist Darcy had been an assistant for and the reason she'd made a 180 from polisci to astrophysics.

"I'm sorry, Darcy, but I promise this is worth it. Come on-"

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere," I said, stepping in front of the two of them. Darcy grinned at me as I squared up against Jane, like she couldn't wait to see which of the two of us would prevail. I didn't know who she was betting on, but I knew for a fact it was going to be me.

"Who are you?" asked Jane, looking genuinely confused as she surveyed me. I straightened a little, suddenly uncomfortably aware that Jane was very, very pretty. I put it out of my mind, however, with a little help from our pong opponents across the table throwing their hands up at the unexpected interruption.

"Y/N Y/L/N," I said, going back to business as I squared my shoulders and stared down at Jane. "Darcy's best friend, and undefeated beer pong champion. And I need Darcy to take the last shot of the game so we can win and my streak can stay unbroken before you leave."

Jane looked like she was about to respond, but Darcy beat her to it.

"Actually, when Doctor Overenthusiasm here grabbed my arm, she tweaked my wrist," announced my championship-winning partner, not sounding half as distressed as she should've for the news she was giving me. "I don't think I can take the shot."

"What?" I cried. Darcy shrugged, I stared at her in horror, and Jane looked between the two of us, completely baffled.

"Why can't you just take the shot yourself?" Jane asked, at last settling on addressing me. I looked at her like she was crazy.

"I already took my shot!" I explained, gesturing to the table. "I got their second-to-last cup, and now, it's my partner's responsibility to get the last cup and win us the game."

"Hm," mused Jane, a slight frown creeping onto her face as she looked at the situation before us. "Well... can't you just postpone the game? Or call it off?"

"At this point? No way! We'd have to forfeit, which would mean losing my undefeated record."

Jane opened her mouth to reply, but on cue, the guys at the other end of the table beat her to it.

"Hey, what's the hold up? Take your shot and miss, Lewis, so we can finish this game once and for all!"

I looked grimly to Darcy. These guys had come the closest to beating us out of everyone tonight, and we only had one cup left standing on our side, too. If they made it to their turn again, the odds were more than likely that they'd win.

Suddenly, a brainstorm hit me like a bolt of lightning as I caught sight of Jane again. Maybe, just maybe, Darcy and I still had a hope after all.

I whirled back to the table, leaning forward (while being very careful not to upset our lone cup) and called across to our opponents.

"My partner just got injured! I want to use a celeb shot for her turn!"

The guys looked between each other, then back at me. A celeb shot meant bringing in someone else–a ''celeb'–to take a turn for us, even though they weren't technically on the team. Our various opponents had done it a few times throughout the night, but not the team we were playing now, and not in a game-winning scenario.

"Who?" demanded Chris, one of our current enemies, from across the table. I gestured to Jane, whose eyebrows immediately shot up into her hairline, but Chris' teammate Andrew jumped in before she could say anything.

"She's not a ringer, is she?"

I made a face, then looked from Jane back to Andrew.

"Honestly, man, I have no idea. I just met her ten seconds ago."

"Does Darcy know?"

We all turned to look at my best friend, and she just shrugged.

"As far as I know, Jane's never played pong in her life!"

"Hey!" All our attention shifted to Jane, and she suddenly seemed a lot less confident. Her cheeks picked up a cute red tinge. "Okay, I might not have... really played before. But still!"

Chris and Andrew shared a smile, then looked back at me. I frowned.

"It's alright with us!" Andrew called cheerfully. I scowled, then retrieved the ball Darcy had dropped when Jane grabbed her. I held it out to Jane, who very reluctantly took it.

"Do I really have to do this?" she sighed, staring at me with a raised eyebrow as we stood together at our end of the pong table. Darcy stood a few feet away, and I could see her familiar manic grin over Jane's shoulder.

"Yes," I decided.

"Why me?" she asked, sounding completely exasperated. "There are tons of other people here who could do it, and Darcy and I have to go-"

I waved off her suggestions. "I love most of these people dearly. They're friends and classmates who I enjoy going through life with, Chris and Andrew included. But right now, in this moment? I don't trust a single one of these motherfuckers not to miss on purpose and sabotage my perfect record. This is war, Jane."

She shook her head and scoffed, but I could see the undercurrent of nerves that had her holding the pong ball in a death grip as she surveyed the table before us. I hesitated for half a second, then stepped closer to her and wrapped one arm around her shoulders.

"Listen, Jane - you can do this. I know we don't really know each other, but Darcy talks about you all the time. If you can go toe to toe with SHIELD, you can channel a little beginner's luck and sink that ball in that cup."

She turned her head to look at me, giving me the barest hint of a smile.

"Darcy talks about you all the time, too. So far, everything's been very on-brand."

I laughed. "Thanks, I think. Here, let me give you a couple pointers, and then you can knock this out for me and Darcy."

I tried to ignore the way my heart sped up in my chest as I laid my arm over Jane's, holding the back of her hand and walking her through the motions of a good arc shot. I also DID NOT look at Darcy, because I knew she'd see through me in a second and then the teasing would be endless.

"Alright, that looks good," I finally said, stepping away and looking at Jane with a smile that hopefully conveyed my faith in her, and not any of the stress boiling in my stomach. "Just aim, release, don't let your elbow go over the table... and we're golden."

Jane took a deep breath and nodded, then turned her attention to her target. The lone cup on the far end of the table sat waiting, Chris and Andrew both hovering over it as the rest of the party-goers looked on. I held my breath as I watched Jane draw her arm back, then fling forward and throw.

Her elbow was clear, so my eyes snapped to the red plastic solo cup. I swear the whole room went absolutely silent as the ball flew through the air, then finally, landed in the cup with a splash.

"YES!" I screamed, jumping up and punching the air at the same time Chris and Andrew cried "NO!" and stared at the cup in disbelief. I laughed, delirious and disbelieving, and then without taking a second to think I turned to Jane, wrapped my arms around her, lifted her into the air, and kissed her straight on the lips.

A second later, my brain finally caught up, and I jumped away from her. I stared at Jane in wide-eyed shock and panic, all the rest of the noise from the party completely blocked out. She looked as surprised as I felt, her eyes staring at a point just past my shoulder and her hand trailing up to trace her lips.

"Oh my God, I am SO sorry!" I cried, shaking my head as I finally processed what I'd just done. What had I been thinking? "I got so excited about the win, I just- I have no idea what came over me. I'm so, so sorry-"

To my surprise, Jane actually began to smile. Her face and neck were bright red, but she broke out into a beaming grin and actually took a step towards me. I stared back at her, still in shock but for a much happier reason, and she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked at me.

"Jane..." I started to say, butterflies absolutely exploding in my chest. She closed the distance between us a little further, then tilted her head like she was about to kiss me again. Before we could get any further, however, we were interrupted.

"So, the two of you, huh?" asked Darcy, popping up between us with a grin on her face. I loved her dearly, but right now, I wanted to kill her.

"Darcy-" Jane and I started at the same time, our faces matching looks of 'I love her but I'm going to kill her'. We cut off when we realized we were speaking in sync, made shocked eye contact, then looked away in mutual embarrassment.

"Okay, as much as I'm loving this," said Darcy, taking Jane's arm and pulling her a few steps towards the door, "you came in here screaming about urgent science, so we should probably get to that now."

Jane nodded, slowly coming out of her haze, pausing to smile at me again nonetheless as she and Darcy made their way across the room.

"Don't worry!" Darcy called back over her shoulder to me. "I'll send you her number so you can ask her on a date when we're done!"

I laughed out loud in pure joy at the ridiculousness of the moment as I waved at Jane and Darcy and they at last made their way out the door. Jane gave me one last beaming smile before she disappeared, and Darcy shot me a wink. I stared after them for a few moments, then got shaken out of my stupor as Chris and Andrew came over to congratulate me, both for my win and my possible new girlfriend.

I smiled and laughed the night away with them and the rest of my friends, but I couldn't keep my thoughts from regularly drifting back to Jane. It felt like Darcy had planned this, somehow, and if that was the case, I'd need to do something nice for her as a thank you.

I spent the rest of my night celebrating the preservation of my undefeated Pong streak while simultaneously mentally planning the perfect first date with Jane Foster. I'd been to a fair number of parties in my many years of collegiate education, but this had by far been the best.

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Marvel Taglist: @valkyriepirate

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swan-of-sunrise · 2 years ago

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Endgame (Chapter Seven)

Summary: (Y/N), Thor and Rocket travel to 2013 Asgard on a mission for the Reality Stone, but an unexpected setback forces (Y/N) to seek the help of an old friend.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader

Word Count: 5.2k

Warnings/Disclaimers: Disclaimer for a depiction and discussion of grief disorders, PTSD and their symptoms, and a brief scene depicting a panic attack

A/N: This was a very sad chapter to write but also one I’m incredibly proud of! Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Seven May 2013 Asgard (Previous Chapter)

With a blinding flash of light, the trio swiftly grew to their usual heights and landed with wobbly legs onto a stone-covered floor, taking a moment to regain their bearings before deactivating their Quantum suits and looking up at their surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a grand chamber, with towering pillars carved with sophisticated designs and domed ceilings decorated to perfection with intricate paintings detailing the long history of Asgard; the edges of the arched windows were adorned with gold moldings and as she looked out at the sprawling city outside, (Y/N) couldn’t help but smile through the sadness brought on by the beautiful sight. Asgard had once been a stunning realm filled with such rich history and technological achievements rivaled only by Wakanda’s, but it was violently destroyed and those who survived Ragnarok had been decimated twice-over by Thanos. We can’t fix what happened to their home or the attack they suffered on the Statesman, but we can sure as hell bring their Vanished friends and family back to them, (Y/N) silently vowed, brushing off her brand-new black tactical uniform and adjusting the pieces of her old Asgardian armor.

“Now this is more like it,” Rocket muttered as he took an appreciative look at their opulent surroundings. “This fancy palace has a treasure vault, right?”

(Y/N) gave the raccoon a stern look. “That’s not what we’re here for, Rocket.”

“Hey, it was just an idea!” He exclaimed defensively. “You know, (Y/L/N), the Tesseract’s just collecting dust down there in that vault right now; explain why we couldn’t just grab it while we’re already here for the Reality Stone, again?”

A sharp clattering noise echoed off the stone walls and caused them both to draw their blasters as they whirled around, only to see Thor stumbling away from the gilded candelabra he’d knocked over and lumbering out of the chamber. “Because as it is, our hands are plenty full without adding another Infinity Stone to our mission.” (Y/N) slung her blaster’s strap over her shoulders and hurried after the semi-sober Asgardian. “Thor!”

The sound of approaching footsteps at the end of the hallway spurred her on and she managed to shove Thor behind the nearest pillar just in the nick of time, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth to muffle his protests as the footsteps grew louder. Four familiar Asgardians soon strode past their hiding spot, thankfully unaware of their presence as they walked with purpose: a fair-skinned woman with flowing black hair and shining silver armor, a blonde man sporting a carefully groomed mustache and goatee, a larger man with a frizzy head of bright red hair and a bushy beard, and a shorter man with slicked-back dark hair and intelligent eyes beneath a prominent brow. Thor’s own eyes were filled with longing and regret as he watched the foursome disappear from view; when (Y/N) removed her hand from his mouth, he croaked out, “My friends. Those are…those were my friends…”

“Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun, right?” Thor nodded and (Y/N) gave his shoulder a consoling squeeze. “I’ve seen flashes of them in Loki’s memories; they seemed like they were very loyal friends to you.”

“They were…but not to Loki. They hardly ever treated Loki kindly…” The Asgardian’s voice shook with grief. “W-Why didn’t I ever tell them to stop?”

“Thor-”

“Why didn’t I speak up for my brother?”

Rocket poked his head around the column. “The coast is clear, guys, c’mon!” He frowned when he noticed Thor’s emotional state and (Y/N)’s helpless expression. “Everything okay, Thor?”

Taking a trembling breath, Thor nodded once and attempted to smile. “Yes, I-I’m fine. Jane’s chambers are this way.”

The Asgardian reluctantly took the lead and as they made their way down the deserted hallway, (Y/N) and Rocket exchanged a knowing look; Thor was handling their mission far worse than they anticipated and the sooner they got their hands on the Aether, the sooner they could get him home and away from the triggering memories of his past. Once they reached the end of the hall, they found themselves standing in a large corridor lined with columns, elevated tombs and flame-filled basins, the warm sunlight streaming through the windows illuminating the space and the sweet smell of roses filling the pleasantly warm air.

“Someone’s coming!”

Rocket grabbed onto (Y/N)’s belt and pulled her behind the nearest crypt as she latched her hands around Thor’s arm, and the three of them pressed themselves closer to the carved stone as a handmaiden walked past and knocked on the nearest door; (Y/N) peeked around the crypt and watched as the door opened to reveal Doctor Jane Foster, smiling to herself when the scientist balked at the bundle of fabric draped over the handmaiden’s arm. “For you, Lady Jane.”

“…Um, do you have anything with…pants?”

“Pants?”

Jane’s brown eyes widened at the Asgardian’s confusion and quickly replied, “Never mind, these will be fine. Thank you.”

“Yes, milady.”

When the door closed and the handmaiden walked away, they stood and Thor’s eyes remained fixated on the door ahead of them. “That’s Jane…”

“Okay, I think the easiest way to get that stone would be for me to go in there by myself and explain our situation to her.” (Y/N) reached into her pocket and withdrew the small extraction device that Bruce and Tony created for them the night before. “She’s a brilliant scientist with a deep understanding of quantum physics, so this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for her to believe; the fact that we’re both human and both women doesn’t hurt, either.”

“Or, we can get Tubby over there to charm her so that I can poke her with that thing and extract the Reality Stone,” Rocket countered as he scampered up onto the crypt and shrugged. “And then, we’ll get gone lickety-split before we run into any of those creepy-ass Dark Elves.”

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, (Y/N) turned to ask for Thor’s opinion and frowned when she noticed how he was backing away from them. “Thor?”

“I’ll be back, okay? There’s a wine cellar that’s just down there. My father used to have this huge barrel of Aakonian ale that you guys might like, so I’ll see if the scullery has a couple of to-go cups…”

A displeased Rocket crossed his arms over his chest. “Aren’t you drunk enough already?” The sounds of more approaching footsteps forced them to duck down behind the crypt and they watched as a small group of women walked through the corridor; the woman leading the group was beautiful, with long flaxen hair that was styled to perfection and an ornate blue dress adorned with pieces of golden armor, and (Y/N) didn’t need to delve into Loki’s memories or even glance over at Thor to know who she was. When the Queen of Asgard and her handmaidens turned the corner, Rocket stood up on the crypt and turned towards them. “Who’s the fancy broad?”

“It’s my mother…” Thor croaked, his expression crumpling as his eyes filled with more tears. “She dies today.”

“…Oh.”

(Y/N)’s brow furrowed in worry as the Asgardian’s breathing accelerated and his unfocused eyes darted around his surroundings. “Are you okay, Thor?”

Thor shook his head. “I-I can’t do this, I can’t do this. I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t have come. This was a bad idea…”

“Come here,” Rocket demanded, gesturing to the spot in front of him.

“No, no, no, I think I’m having…I-I’m having a panic attack.”

(Y/N) took a cautious step closer to him. “I think you are, too. I need you to take a deep breath for me, Thor, can you do that?”

“I shouldn’t be here, I shouldn’t be here…”

“Come here. Right here.”

“I shouldn’t be here…this is…th-this is a bad-”

Rocket slapped Thor in the face and (Y/N)’s jaw dropped in outrage. “Seriously, Rocket?!”

The raccoon was unperturbed by her outburst as he launched into his stern tirade. “You think you’re the only one who lost people? What do you think we’re doing here? I lost the only family I ever had; Quill, Groot, Drax, the chick with the antenna, all gone.” He pointed at (Y/N). “(Y/L/N) here lost her frikin’ baby! Now, I get you miss your mom, but she’s gone. Really gone. And there are plenty of people who are only kinda gone…but you can help them. So, is it too much to ask that you brush the crumbs outta your beard, make schmoopy talk to Pretty Pants, and when she’s not looking, such out the Infinity Stone and help us get our families back?”

As he took in his teammate’s impassioned words, Thor started to wipe away his tears. “O-Okay.”

“We both believe in you, Thor,” (Y/N) added, reaching forward and taking one of his large hands in hers, an encouraging smile on her face despite her mounting apprehension. “You can do this.”

“Yes.” The Asgardian nodded to himself. “Yes, I can.”

“Good.” Rocket jumped down from the crypt and gave (Y/N) a sheepish look as they fell into step. “Was the slap too much?”

(Y/N) sighed and nodded. “Undoubtedly, but the speech was just right.” She spared Thor, who was murmuring words of encouragement to himself and anxiously adjusting his stained sweater, a brief glance over her shoulder before grimacing and whispering, “I still think my plan is better. Thor doesn’t seem okay, Rocket, and he shouldn’t be doing this right after having a panic attack.”

“Nah, he’s fine! Isn’t that right, Heartbreaker?” They both turned around to see an empty stretch of corridor and no Thor in sight. “Thor? Thor!”

With a groan of frustration, (Y/N) closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hand. “Dammit, this cannot be happening right now…”

Rocket’s mouth hung open in stunned disbelief as he turned to her and threw his hands up into the air. “Well, what the hell do we do now?!”

“I don’t know, Rocket, just give me a second to think,” She snapped back and fought to keep her own rising panic in check. “Shit, shit, shit. We can’t search the palace for someone who doesn’t want to be found and steal an Infinity Stone at the same time, not when the Dark Elves will be launching their attack soon…” While she thought up various scenarios only to deem them improbable in the same moment, (Y/N) recalled the last piece of advice she’d received from Natasha before embarking on their slowly-unraveling time heist.

“Stay safe out there, hot-shot; don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Natasha would know exactly what to do, (Y/N) thought to herself as she called to mind her friend’s parting words, she’d get in touch with one of her hundreds of contacts around the globe and formulate the perfect plan while only going off her intuition-

“That’s it!” (Y/N) exclaimed, bending down and pressing the extraction device into Rocket’s small hand. “Here, take this and if I’m not back in twenty minutes, then you’ve got my permission to get that stone by any means necessary.” She gave his shoulder a gentle pat before turning and sprinting away down the corridor. “I’ll be back soon!”

“Wait, where the hell are you going?!”

“To ask an old friend for a favor!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Considering how technologically-advanced Asgard was and how physically powerful its people were compared to humans, it was fairly easy for (Y/N) to break into the palace’s underground dungeons; a small scuffle and a couple of stun discs later, she was brushing herself off and stepping into the maze of cells in search of her old friend. Each cell was walled off by glowing gold-tinged force fields, translucent so that visitors could see in and prisoners could look out, and (Y/N) found herself quickly scanning each occupied cell as she jogged down the eerily-silent halls.

When she rounded the first block of cells, (Y/N) skidded to a sudden stop and her breath hitched as her eyes landed on the figure lying in the cell before her. Loki Odinson – the God of Mischief, the youngest Prince of Asgard and her unlikely friend – was reclined on his bed, his ankles crossed and an arm tucked beneath his head while he tossed a silver cup high into the air over and over again. His handsome features were etched with boredom and perhaps a hint of self-pity, and (Y/N) found herself beginning to tear up; Loki had spent so much of his life believing that he didn’t truly belong and that no one would come to understand him, but (Y/N) did. In the short time they knew one another, the pair bonded over their shared loneliness and the dangerous situation that they were forced to navigate together and in that brief period of time, she saw a side of him that very few people had ever had the privilege of seeing. As painful as it was to see him in such a saddened state, she couldn’t help but feel happy to glimpse the man who helped her deliver her daughter and fought side-by-side with her again, so many years after his tragic death.

“Haven’t you heard, mortal? It’s dangerous to speak to the villainous God of Mischief all alone,” Loki suddenly remarked, continuing to toss and catch his silver cup without a single glance in her direction. “Now, run along back to Thor and leave me to my solitary existence; I’m sure that my dear brother is missing his new little pet.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes and didn’t bother stifling her exasperated snort. “A little dramatic, aren’t we? My name is (Y/N); I’m Thor’s friend, not ‘pet,’ and the theatrics are entirely unnecessary because I’m not afraid of you.”

“Then you must either be very brave or very foolish.” The youngest Prince of Asgard set his cup down on his nightstand and closed his eyes, his unoccupied hand fiddling with the hem of his emerald-green Asgardian day-robes. “Regardless, you’ve momentarily piqued my interest. What makes you so confident that I’m different from all the stories you’ve undoubtedly heard from my dear brother?”

“Because I know you, Loki…or I will, in about five years or so.” She smiled triumphantly when her old friend’s fingers stilled against the stitches and his brows briefly twitched together in puzzlement, and she continued on before he could find a way to interrupt her. “You’ve lived your entire life in your older brother’s shadow, you use the power of fear to push others away when they dare to try and understand you, and you firmly believe that your true heritage is what makes you a monster. But you see, the Loki that I know is so much more than that; he’s kind and caring, fiercely protective over the ones he cares about and even though he can be a little bit of a pain in the ass sometimes, he’s one of the few people I’d trust to have my back in a fight.”

After a long moment of silence, Loki chuckled to himself as he stared up at the cell’s ceiling. “Thor seems to have grown more callous during my year of imprisonment, sending his new mortal friend here to torture me so ruthlessly. Tell me, were you trained in the art of deception by Agent Romanoff? Is this the Avengers’ clever ruse to unbalance my mind because if it is, you’ll be disappointed to learn that my sanity abandoned me years ago-”

“When Thanos and the Black Order tortured you?”

The lighthearted smile on his face vanished and was replaced by a darkened glare as he got up from the bed and slowly stalked towards the cell’s force field; although it might’ve been her mind playing tricks on her, she thought that she spotted a glimmer of something – recognition, perhaps – in his blue-green eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared and before she could ponder its meaning more, the God of Mischief finally spoke with a dangerously steady voice and a distrustful mask on his face. “Who told you of such things?”

“You did. In 2018, you saved mine and my daughter’s lives by helping us escape Thanos and when you did, you used your magic to place certain memories of yours into my mind so that I could warn the Avengers of his impending invasion. It didn’t do much good, though; Thanos still collected all six Infinity Stones in the end.” A line formed between Loki’s brows as he searched her face for signs of deceit and his frown deepened when he found none; she took another step closer to the humming force field and crossed her arms over her chest, anxiously aware of how little time she had left before the Dark Elves’ imminent attack. “I traveled here from 2023 to reverse the destruction that Thanos wrought on the universe, but I need your help to do it.”

Loki plucked at the palm of his hand, a nervous gesture she’d seen him do countless times during their turbulent month on Sakaar, and although he did his best to hide it, she could practically see the wheels in his head turning as he considered her words. “I spent centuries mastering and perfecting my magic, cultivating it until I became one of the most powerful magic-wielders Asgard has ever seen…but in all that time, I’ve only been able to conjure a premonition once; a glimpse of a conversation I would come to share with an unlikely confidant.”

Searching his intense gaze, (Y/N)’s eyes widened as she pieced together what he was inferring; the glimmers of recognition apparent in his blue-green eyes when they first met in Greenwich Village in 2018 and just then when she approached his prison cell, they all swiftly clicked into place and made perfect sense. “You saw me?”

Loki nodded. “So tell me, (Y/N) of Midgard, if you’re truly who you say you are, then what did I once tell you about my magic?”

“That your mother taught you magic to help set you apart from Thor. Although it made people more wary of you, to you it became a comfort,” She recalled without a moment’s pause, even smiling a little as she thought back to the deep conversations they’d once shared while learning to survive together on Sakaar. “You once told me that every time you turned a flower into a frog or cast fireworks into the sky, you’d hear your mother’s voice in your head reminding you that you can do anything.”

It was an unmovable fact that the Loki that (Y/N) knew was dead and gone, having died a heroic death at the hands of Thanos and knowing in his heart how much he was loved by his friends and his brother. The Loki standing before her hadn’t yet experienced the heartaches, betrayals, kindnesses and redemptions that would shape him into the man who helped her give birth on a hostile alien planet and who was there for her when she had no one else to turn to; as she looked at the younger Loki standing behind the glimmering force field, however, she could detect the hints of the man that he would become hidden beneath his air of posturing self-assuredness and the ghost of his trademark grin playing on his thin lips.

“When do we start?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sneaking through an Asgardian palace is much easier to accomplish with magic on your side, (Y/N) thought to herself with a sideways glance at her companion; Loki had cast an illusion over his appearance, disguising himself in the armor of a palace Einherjar and leaving a clone of himself behind in his prison cell, and to the average person’s eye he appeared entirely at ease as he led her down the grand hallways, but she knew better. He was shocked when she explained Thor’s deteriorating mental health in the wake of Thanos’ success and without a second thought, he told her exactly where Thor would go.

“My brother and I are different in almost every conceivable way, but we both hold our mother in the highest regard.”

“Okay, we’ll find Thor first and then we’ll figure out a way to get the Aether. C’mon, we’re running out of time…”

They hurried down the halls to the Queen’s chambers and (Y/N) kept apprehensively checking her watch, fully aware that their window to steal the Aether was shrinking more and more with each passing minute. But they couldn’t finish the mission until they retrieved Thor, so all (Y/N) could do was cross her fingers and hope that they found the Asgardian before the twenty-minute deadline she gave Rocket abruptly ended with Doctor Foster being unceremoniously stabbed with an extraction device wielded by a talking raccoon. When they turned a corner, they were met with an open doorway through which they could see two figures; Thor was seated on a settee at the foot of a massive bed, his elbows on his knees and his hands tightly clasped around a goblet of water, and Frigga stood at the massive window overlooking all of Asgard, patiently listening to her son as he told her of his supposed failures.

“Thor?” Loki breathed in disbelief beside her, seemingly at a loss for words as he numbly took in his older brother’s broken expression and harrowing appearance. “What…? What happened to him?”

(Y/N) gave him a sympathetic look. “Thanos happened. All of us were affected by what he did, but Thor took it the hardest.”

Her old friend considered her answer for a moment. “Earlier, you mentioned a daughter; she wasn’t spared from the Mad Titan’s wrath, was she?” She shook her head and he pursed his lips, wordlessly turning back towards the open doorway and listening in on the ongoing conversation within.

“His head was over there…his body over there…what was the point? I was too late.” Thor took a small sip of water before setting the goblet down on the table at the end of the settee. “I was just standing there, like some idiot with an axe.”

“You’re no idiot,” Frigga gently chided as she walked across the chamber to where her son sat. “You’re here, aren’t you? Seeking counsel from the wisest person in Asgard.” Before either of them could hide themselves from sight, the Queen of Asgard glanced over at the open doorway and gave them both a welcoming smile. “Well, one of the two wisest people on Asgard, at any rate.”

Loki quietly chuckled and used his magic to reverse his illusion, and (Y/N) swallowed the lump in her throat that formed when a stricken Thor set eyes on his younger brother. “As the clear runner-up for that particular title, I feel I should be offended that I wasn’t sought out for my sage advice as well.” (Y/N) trailed behind as he strode into the chamber and into his mother’s tight embrace; when they pulled away from one another, Frigga held onto Loki’s hand while he finally turned his attention to his brother. “Thor Odinson, an idiot? No. A failure? Absolutely.”

Thor snorted in amusement and wiped his stray tears away. “That’s a little bit harsh, brother…”

“And do you know what that makes you?” Frigga gave Loki’s hand a final squeeze before moving to sit beside her oldest son and brushing his unkempt hair behind his ear. “Just like everyone else.”

“But I’m not supposed to be like everyone else, am I?”

“Everyone fails at who they are supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person – of a hero – is how well they succeed at being who they are.”

(Y/N) smiled to herself as she took in Frigga’s wise words; on paper, she was a historical-fiction novelist whose biggest challenge was keeping film studios from obtaining the rights to her novels and butchering them with terrible adaptations, but that certainly wasn’t who she was. She was a writer, a professor, a wife, a mother, and just a person willing to do the right thing no matter the consequences; she wasn’t quite comfortable calling herself a hero, of course, but she felt as though she was quite successful at being who she was. I knew that I’d like Frigga, she thought with a smile, crossing her arms over her chest and watching the touching scene play out before her, a familiar longing to hold Carina in her arms again taking hold of her.

With a sniffle, Thor looked up from his lap and gave his mother a small smile. “I really missed you, Mom.” They both leaned forward to rest their foreheads together and after a moment, Thor got to his feet and moved to stand before Loki, his mismatched eyes welling with fresh tears. “And I really missed you too, Loki.” The older Asgardian pulled his brother into a fierce hug; Loki stiffened in surprise but after a moment’s hesitation, he slowly wrapped his arms around Thor and buried his face in his shoulder.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, (Y/N).” Frigga stood from the settee and shook her hand. “Thor managed to tell me a little about you; it’s a comfort to know that my sons both have such a kind and understanding friend in the future.”

(Y/N) smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I-”

“Wait.” They both turned to see Thor release Loki and look between his brother and his mother. “Mom, Loki, I-I have to tell you both something-”

“No, son, you don’t,” Frigga softly but firmly interrupted. “You’re here to repair your future, not ours.”

Thor shook his head. “But this is about your futures.”

The Queen of Asgard only continued to smile up at her oldest son, and (Y/N) briefly wondered if Loki wasn’t the only member of his family to receive a premonition through magic. “It’s none of our business.”

“Brother, I care not for what destiny supposedly has in store for me.” Loki held his arms out and gestured to himself with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “I’m a Loki, aren’t I? I forge my own destiny; I always have and I always will.” The brothers shared a look before Loki turned to face (Y/N). “Shall we steal ourselves an Infinity Stone now?”

Before she had a chance to reply, a frazzled Rocket ran into the chambers on all fours and her eyes widened when she spotted the swirling red fluid within the extraction device clutched tight in his hand. “Rocket, I thought I told you to wait twenty minutes before doing anything crazy!”

“You’re lucky I even waited at all! Our window’s nearly closed and you’re both in here wasting time with these fancy-looking weirdos,” Rocket huffed in annoyance but he sobered when he realized that they weren’t alone. “Um, hi, you must be Mom and the little brother…”

“I beg your pardon?”

The raccoon ignored Loki’s indignant sputtering and held up the device containing the Aether for (Y/N) and Thor to see. “I got the thing. Come on, we’ve gotta move.”

As Thor said his goodbyes to his mother, (Y/N) turned to Loki and gave him a smile. “I’m not really sure how this time travel stuff works, but I do know that we’ll meet again someday soon. In five years, to be exact.”

“I look forward to it, mortal.” Her old friend inclined his head downwards in an informal bow. “Good luck.”

She moved to stand beside Rocket, who was tucking the extraction device into his belt pouch, and when Thor finally joined them, the raccoon began to tap away on his time-space GPS. “Come on, we’ve gotta go. Three, two-”

“No, wait!” Thor suddenly cried out, thrusting his arm out and stretching his palm open wide.

Rocket blinked in confusion. “What am I lookin’ at?”

A knowing smile played on Frigga’s lips. “Oh, sometimes it takes a second.”

Loki mumbled something under his breath about ineffectual weaponry and (Y/N) hid her amused smile behind her hand and not too long after, a whistling sound filled the air and a gust of wind ruffled their hair as Mjolnir flew straight into Thor’s grasp; the older Asgardian laughed in shock and delight, gripping his hammer’s handle tight and beaming up at them. “I’m still worthy.”

“I never once doubted you were,” (Y/N) replied, standing on her tiptoes and pressing a chaste kiss onto his flushed cheek. “But we’re out of time, Thor. Let’s finish this mission and go home, okay?”

There was a glimmer of longing in Thor’s mismatched eyes as he spared another glance at his family, but he gave her a firm nod and bravely squared his shoulders. “All right. Thank you, Writer (Y/L/N), for letting me see them again. I…I needed this, more that you’ll ever know.” He looked over at his mother and brother with a teary smile on his face. “Goodbye.”

Frigga blew him a kiss while Loki gave him a small wave. “Goodbye, Thor.”

The three of them activated the time-space GPS’s affixed around their hands and in an instant, their Quantum suits encased their bodies and they vanished into the Quantum Realm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With another blinding flash of light, they exited the Quantum Realm and grew to their normal heights as they reappeared on the platform in the middle of the hangar in 2023. (Y/N) released a breathless laugh and instantly launched herself into Steve’s arms, clinging to him as he tightened his hold on her and burying her face in the crook of his neck. Hearing the sounds of their teammates celebrating around her, (Y/N) smiled while her heart hammered away in her chest. “Did we do it, Steve? Did we actually do it?”

“I think so, sunshine…” Steve pressed a firm kiss onto her cheek before setting her down, his brow furrowing a little when he took note of her agape mouth. “What’s wrong?”

“What the hell are you wearing?” (Y/N)’s eyes widened as she took in her husband’s changed attire; instead of his older Captain America uniform, the super-soldier was dressed in vintage olive-green Army fatigues with the name ‘Roscoe’ stitched onto the breast pocket and a dark bruise was beginning to blossom across his cheek; her suspicions were confirmed when she glanced over at Tony and saw his similarly vintage clothes, and she loudly exclaimed, “You two went to the 70’s?!”

An impressed Tony nodded and clapped Steve on the shoulder. “Yeah, we got in a pickle and had to drop into a different convenient point in history to nab the Tesseract. How’d you know, Austen?”

“Because you’re wearing bell-bottom slacks, Tony, and those unfortunate abominations have the 70’s written all over them. Isn’t that right, Nat?”

(Y/N) looked away from the pair to give Natasha a grin but instead of the smirking spy, all she was met with was the sight of a sopping-wet Clint slumped onto his knees and staring down at the Quantum Tunnel platform. Grief was written across the archer’s features and (Y/N)’s grin slowly faded away as she realized that there were unshed tears in his reddened eyes; Steve’s hand tightened on her waist and as the sounds of celebration tapered off, Bruce took a small step towards the kneeling man. “Clint, where’s Nat?”

The archer didn’t answer, but no words were needed to understand the reason behind his tears. It was as though the world stopped spinning and as (Y/N)’s mind frantically raced to think of any possible reasons for her friend’s absence on that platform, she knew in her aching heart that Natasha Romanoff was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Yeah, I’m gonna go cry now, so see you next year! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5L6MERx3PIydW3FyNPqYvl?si=ad6c46de8e954c11

Chapter Eight

“Endgame” Masterlist

Tagging: @mrs-obrien @lahoete @awkward117 @cminr @natdrunk @momc95 @savedbystyle @miraculouscloud @awkwardnesshabitat @marinettepotterandplagg @mangosandmimosas @supersouthy @benakenalove @brooke0297 @hufflepeople @becausewelie @outoftheregular @junipermurdock @ladydmalfoy @mads-weasley @username23345 @crist1216 @capswife @lilmschild @avngrsinitiative @crowleysqueenofhell @y-napotat @mary1raven @groovy-lady @ljej95 @innersublimefury @prettysbliss

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