Broken - (Loki x OC)

[The Betrayer's Game]

Loki's POV:

               As the massive iron door swung open, revealing the vast emptiness of the room beyond, a sense of foreboding washed over me like a tide of icy dread. We stepped cautiously into the room. I surveyed our surroundings, my senses on high alert for any sign of danger. The room stretched out before us, devoid of life or movement, save for one solitary figure standing at the far end. 

               My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the familiar silhouette, clad in her suit and wielding her katana with lethal grace. Elizabeth stood before us, her feet shackled to the ground and her stance poised and ready, every line of her body radiating strength and determination. Yet, behind the facade of strength, there lingered a shadow of something darker, something twisted and unfamiliar.

               "Liz..." Tony's voice broke through the tense silence, relief flooding his features at the sight of his daughter. But before he could take another step, Steve's firm grip on his arm halted him in his tracks, a silent plea for caution.

               Tony must be the only one here who doesn't know something is horribly wrong with this situation. Elizabeth's icy gaze bore into us with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine, her stance rigid and unyielding. And looming behind her, like a sinister puppeteer pulling the strings, stood Aldrich, his presence a chilling reminder of the treachery that lay in wait.

               "Well, well, well," Aldrich's voice cut through the tension, dripping with scornful amusement. "It's about time you showed up. I was beginning to think you weren't going to find this place."

               "Aldrich?" Steve's voice rang out, his disbelief palpable. "You kidnapped Liz?"

               Aldrich's smirk widened, a cruel twist of his lips betraying the depths of his malice. "Finally figured it out, huh?" he taunted, his tone laced with venomous satisfaction.

               "Why you little-" Tony's rage boiled over, his fists clenched at his sides as he struggled against Thor's restraining grip.  "I knew it! I knew I couldn't trust you!" he yells.

               "Why, Aldrich?" Steve's voice cut through the tense silence, like a blade. "Why would you do this?"

               Aldrich's lips curled into a cruel smirk, his eyes glinting with malice, he turns to Tony. "Because I never liked you, Stark," he replied, his voice dripping with venom. "You ruined my life, destroyed everything I ever worked for. When I found out you had a daughter, I saw an opportunity for revenge. I knew I could make you suffer, just as you made me suffer."

               The words hung heavy in the air, each syllable a testament to the depth of Aldrich's hatred and resentment towards Tony. I felt a surge of anger and disgust rise within me, my fists clenching at my sides as I struggled to contain the seething rage that threatened to take over me.

               Tony's gaze flickered with fury, his jaw clenched with barely contained anger. "You're a coward, Aldrich," he spat, his voice seething with venom. "To use my daughter as a pawn in your twisted game...you're despicable. I'll kill you!"

               Aldrich's sinister chuckle echoed through the room, a chilling reminder of the danger that lurked in the shadows. His words hung in the air like a dark cloud, each syllable laden with malice and contempt. "You'll have to go through her first," he taunted, his voice dripping with sadistic amusement.

               Aldrich released Liz from her shackles and stood behind her, and in an instant, her clones materialized around her, each one a mirror image of the other, clad in the same suit and wielding a deadly katana. My heart sank as I beheld the sight before me.

               The air seemed to thicken with tension, suffocating us as we stared in disbelief at the formidable army that stood before us. Natasha, Clint, and Bruce arrived, drawn by the commotion, their expressions mirroring our own shock and apprehension.

               Elizabeth's expression was cold and determined. There was no trace of the gentle soul I had come to know, only a steely resolve and a thirst for vengeance that burned like a wildfire. It dawned on us then, the true extent of Aldrich's twisted scheme – he had turned Liz against us, transformed her into a weapon to be used against her own allies.

               A sense of helplessness washed over me, mingling with the gnawing fear that coiled in the pit of my stomach. How could we possibly fight against Liz and her clones? Were they merely illusions, or did they possess the same vulnerability as their original counterpart? The thought of harming Elizabeth, even in self-defense, filled me with a profound sense of unease, a dilemma that weighed heavily on my conscience. 

               "What do we do?" Tony mutters, his gaze flickering between the clones and the rest of the group. "We're outnumbered, and we don't even know if hurting her clones will affect Liz herself."

               Steve chimes in, his tone resolute. "There's got to be some way we can get through to her without having to harm her."

               All eyes turned to me, a silent plea for guidance echoing in their expressions. I felt the weight of their expectations pressing down on me, the burden of finding a solution resting heavily on my shoulders. Despite my knowledge of magic and the arcane, I found myself at a loss in the face of such a formidable foe. Cloning oneself was a rare and complex form of magic, one that held few precedents in the annals of history.

               "I don't know," I confessed, the admission tasting bitter on my tongue.

               "Is there a way we could neutralize her clones without hurting her?" Natasha's voice held a note of desperation, her eyes searching mine for any glimmer of hope.

               "We could isolate her, draw her away from the others,"  Bruce added, his mind already formulating a plan of attack. "Once we have her separated, we could focus our efforts on neutralizing her clones one by one."

               Thor, his expression grave, spoke up, his eyes flashing with determination. "We must tread carefully," he cautioned, his tone solemn. "Elizabeth is still in there somewhere. She's got to be. We cannot afford to lose sight of that."

               Just as we were about to finalize our plan, Aldrich leaned in to whisper something in Liz's ear. The air crackled with tension as her clones surged forward, their katanas raised menacingly, ready to strike.