THE RETURNED

Prologue

Loki looked out upon the waves that glistened orange with the rising sun. He lay his hand gently on Mecca's, squeezing it assuringly. Mecca squeezed back.

"Don't go, please," she begged. Loki stood up, his cape floating in the graceful breeze.

"I must, if I want to save you all. Don't worry, Mecca. The sun will shine on us again."

A single tear slipped down Mecca's cheek as she tried to reach out, to catch Loki. All she caught was his cape, and that too was soon tugged from her grasp as the god lifted into the sky, a bright light pulling him away from her.

"Goodbye, Loki. Goodbye!" She cried out, her words falling onto the sand, carried off by the tide.

Amongst the clouds, Loki smiled sadly. It was the only way. This had to be done.

WARNING: CONTAINS HUGE ENDGAME SPOILERS

"I just don't know how you do it," Peter said, sweat dripping down his face. He set the bow on the floor, looking up at Clint. "I'll never be as good as you," he admitted.

Clint nodded, "that's okay. You were bit by a radioactive spider, you don't have to be great at archery. I do see potential in you, though."

Watching as Peter retrieved the arrows strewn across the target, was Stephen, floating a few feet above the ground and reading a book, its pages moving without him touching them.

"Do you know how to shoot a bow?" Peter asked. Stephen looked up, surprised.

"I can do lots of things, very, very well," he replied.

Peter sighed, "of course you can." His shoulders sagged and he walked out of the training room, head down. When he reached the lounge, a comforting hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Bruce," Peter exclaimed. Bruce smiled.

"You holding in there?" He asked. Peter nodded.

"I guess so. I actually can't wait for school, just to get my mind off of things."

Bruce patted his back, "only a few more weeks. If you ever need to talk, we're all here for you."

Peter sniffed, holding back tears. He tore away from Bruce's grip and fumbled up the stairs to his room.

Bucky, having seen the whole scene from his position on the couch, spoke up.

"I called May yesterday. She gives us permission to try and put him in counseling, if we're able to get him to go."

Bruce fell onto the couch beside him.

"Where is she again?"

"Italy, for work."

A pause.

"This is how it's going to be from now on, isn't it?" Bruce said. Bucky nodded.

As the two shared a silent moment, a piercing alarm suddenly exploded throughout the entire base. Bruce and Bucky leapt to their feet, covering their ears with their hands. Clint rushed out of the training room with Stephen close behind.

"What's going on?" Clint asked. The three shook their heads and shrugged.

Reya, the building's AI, spoke. "Intruder alert. Northeast sector. Intruder alert. Northeast sector."

Bucky, Bruce, Clint, and Stephen all began to run through the building, Peter leaving his room and following close behind.

"Guys, what's happening?" Wanda yelled over the alarm, peering her head out of her door.

"Someone's breaking in," Clint replied. "Call Sam, then come help."

Wanda nodded, ducking back into the room and getting a phone, while the rest of the avengers hurried to the scene.

They entered the hanger where Thor already stood, the Stormbreaker in his hand. He was sweating and significantly thinner, proof of his efforts on the treadmill.

A cloud of flashing lights swirled amongst the helicopters, and green tinted Bruce's skin.

"Calm down, Bruce," Bucky said, "just wait."

They all stared breathlessly at the storm causing havoc in the hanger; papers being thrown around, hair being whipped into faces, wind blinding the avengers.

Then suddenly, with one last great flash of green light, it all stopped. As the avengers slowly opened their eyes they gasped at what remained.

"Loki," Stephen whispered.

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