Loki x Reader: Into the MCU

Chapter 36: [Insert Title I'll Think of Tomorrow When I'm Not Tired]

"Zemo has proven he's not afraid to hurt you, even if he doesn't want to," Steve said, "You don't have to hate him, but please be careful with how much you let your guard down with him?"

"I never said anything about letting my guard down, Cap. It's not like I'll go try to find him again because I like talking to him."

"If he doesn't want to be saved, don't risk yourself trying to do it, kid," Tony spoke kinder than before.

"I also never said anything about trying to save him," you assured him with a chuckle, "I understand Thanos' position too, and sympathize with the burden he thinks he carries. And maybe he's not a lost cause, but I'd save my breath trying to change him because even his own daughter's life wasn't enough to snap him out of it, pun intended. Just because I don't view Zemo as a lost cause who I should hate and want to kill, doesn't mean I'm going to go preaching to him. Believe me, I've made my case quite clear to him. He understands my arguments, he just won't let himself see past his pain. There's not much more I can do about it. But I won't sit here and deny that I don't get where he's coming from and I don't really hate him, even for what he did. Unlike Loki, who I knew was a good guy playing at being bad...yes you were, don't give me that look...Zemo is a good guy turned bad through his emotions. And we're never shown a moment where he wants to change or does change, because he thinks he's completely justified. He may very well be a lost cause in that sense, but I'll hold onto the Zemo underneath...even if he never gives up on his mission."

"Let's hope that mission never involves you again, you're no longer allowed anywhere without me," Tony ordered.

"May I see?" Steve asked, nodding to the letter.

You handed it to him, and he read it quietly, sighing in the end.

"It seems he's anticipating seeing you again. If he's as driven as you've said, he'll keep coming."

"I have no idea how...I mean, he has the book. But tearing you and Tony apart was a key step in his plan, not to mention he capitalizes off of the Sokovia Accords, which will never happen as long as I can help it. He needs you guys to fall apart from the inside. Any secrets here that are so important one of you would fight someone else if it was spilled?" you scoffed, looking around the group.

"You'd know more about that than any of us," Sam noted.

"Fair, but there could be another secret or something the directors would have gone with if not the Bucky thing. I only know of that secret because that's what Zemo was supposed to target."

"Did you tell him about the Accords?" Bruce asked.

"Hell no, I'm not that dumb."

"Good, because if he knew that a major part of his success is due the conflict those accords start within the team, we'd be at risk of some sort of manipulation," he explained.

"You think he could stage an accident, provoke a public scene? With me, I presume," Wanda said discouragingly, looking down at her feet.

"Anyone here would work if he wanted to do that, but, yes, he'd go for you if he knew that's what works in the future," you said, unable to lie to her.

"Well, he doesn't know, does he?" Thor said optimistically, "So I say we don't let these thoughts trouble us, and we stick together. We're the Avengers!" he said, shaking his fists motivationally in front of him, "Who could split us apart?" he smiled, throwing his arm over Nat's shoulder on his right and Loki on his left, the latter promptly shrugging it off. Nat, though not pulling away, gave Thor a look.

"Zemo," she said.

"Who could split us apart twice?" he corrected, "Or...well, early, not twice, because he hasn't done it yet. But, in theory, he--he is the one to pull us apart with his original plan, so, were he to do it this time, though for the first time in--in this world, it would be like the second time, because it would require a second plan, which you could say is, in fact, the second time because it is the second plan ever to succeed," he rambled, using his hands to keep track of what he was saying, "So what plan or person could successfully split us apart twice?" he concluded, nodding confidently.