For Better or For Worse (Loki x Reader)

Chapter Fifty-Four

Hey, all! Sorry for the wait; my internal clock got messed up this week, and I screwed it up again today, lol.

I can't believe it but we're getting pretty close to the end of this fanfiction; I've only been working on it since my freshman year of college over two years ago, lol. There will be a handful of chapters after this that will complete our story, but I will then be taking requests for any moments, before or after this story, that you would like to see. Just let me know through a comment, a post on my message board, or DM me! I would love to hear what you would like to see more of.

Please let me know what you think of this chapter by dropping a moment or two! Enjoy!

TW: Brief mention of thoughts of rape. Please proceed with caution.

Loki's POV

The blood rushing in my ears was loud but not loud enough to drown out the obsessive thoughts swarming my brain. My hands shook with trepidation where they hung by my side. My entire body was buzzing with anticipation. When we had come up with our plan of attack back on Asgard, I thought I was finally going to be able to do something active, something that mattered. Now, however, I was reminded that stealth missions were a game of hurry up and wait. And I was beyond tired of waiting.

I forced myself to keep still when a strong hand was placed on my shoulder. I glanced over my right shoulder to my brother who was waiting just as impatiently by my side. We were too close to the palace to risk saying a word, but my brother's now dark brown eyes conveyed an entire silent conversation.

At my father's request, I had disguised the both of us and while it wasn't much effort to minorly alter my own physical guise as I had been doing it for a millennia, I could feel the strain of keeping up Thor's new appearance. I had darkened Thor's complexion and given him short brown hair in a cut similar to Steve's. My own appearance took up brown eyes that matched my brothers with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair. I also changed our facial features slightly so we didn't look like ourselves in wigs. It was enough to keep us safe without overdoing it.

Steve and Tony were standing only a couple of feet away, also hiding in the shadows not far from the wall of the palace. While Tony's job was to be aerial surveillance, he was also our way into the palace. We couldn't just go waltzing through the front doors; that would defeat the purpose of the stealth aspect of the mission. We also expected most entryways and exits to be guarded, and word from Scott proved our assumptions correct. We were now just waiting on Scott for a safe location for Tony to cut a hole in the stone wall of the palace to create an entrance. After he made us a way in, he would be back in the air with Rhodey and Sam.

"Cap, we're ready for the Widow, White Wolf, Spider-Man, and Hawkeye to enter the palace," Scott said clearly through the com system we were all hooked up to. This time I did jump, not used to having voices funneling directly in my ears. We had decided to go with our aliases for this mission just in case anything were to happen. We couldn't have the Dark Elves finding out their true identities even if they have never heard of the Avengers before. This fight stayed here. Thor and I had taken the aliases Arthur and Merlin respectively. No one had been able to say no to Peter's suggestion.

There were quiet confirmations from each of the four members of the first team. Again, we were left to hurry up and wait for the four of them to clear the way, do some recon, and get into position. I started chewing on my nails to keep me from saying something in my impatience. Everyone was doing their job to a tee. So far, everything was going to plan. I just needed to be patient and wait for Bucky, Natasha, Clint, and Peter to do what they did best.