The King of Shadows (Male OC x MCU)

The Avengers (2012) Act Four: God of Thunder vs Prince of Shadows

The Quinjet roared through the stormy skies, its engines straining against the turbulent winds as Natasha Romanoff kept her eyes fixed on the monitor, her brows furrowed in concentration. The storm had grown more violent by the second. "Where's this coming from?" she asked, her voice laced with tension. Thunder cracked overhead, rattling the jet as Loki's eyes narrowed, his focus on the storm outside. His voice was low, almost distant. "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Suddenly, the storm reached its peak, the sky splitting open with a blinding flash. In an instant, Thor descended from the heavens, his mighty hammer crackling with raw energy. The Quinjet shook violently as the ramp opened, and Thor seized Loki by the throat, pulling him from the jet as he soared into the sky. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers exchanged stunned glances, not expecting such an abrupt turn of events. Tony, ever quick with a remark, raised an eyebrow. "Now there's that guy." Natasha turned toward them, brow furrowed. "Another Asgardian?" Steve, still processing the situation, asked, "Think the guy's a friendly?" Tony shrugged, smirking. "Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost."

Without missing a beat, Tony moved to prepare to jump out of the Quinjet. "I have a plan. Attack." Steve grabbed a parachute, determined to follow. "I don't see how I can sit this one out." Natasha, her voice growing more serious, spoke up. "These guys come from legends. They're basically gods." Steve, his eyes steely with resolve, shook his head. "There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." With that, Steve leapt from the Quinjet, his parachute opening as he fell toward the chaos below.

On the mountainside, Thor hurled Loki into the jagged cliffside, the ground trembling beneath them. The God of Thunder raised Mjölnir, preparing to strike. "Where is the Tesseract?" he demanded, his voice booming. Loki, ever defiant, laughed, mocking his brother's fury. "I missed you too," he taunted. Thor's patience snapped. "Do I look to be in a gaming mood?" he bellowed. Loki's sarcasm was biting. "Oh, you should thank me. With the Bifrost gone, how much dark energy did the Allfather have to muster to conjure you here? Your precious Earth..." Thor dropped Mjölnir, sending shockwaves through the mountain as he stepped closer to his brother. "I thought you died," he said, grief heavy in his voice despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface.

Loki smirked. "Did you mourn?" Thor's voice softened, the pain of lost family evident. "We all did. Our father..." Loki interrupted, bitterness oozing from every word. "Your father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?" Thor frowned, his heart aching. "We were raised together. We played together. We fought together. Do you remember none of that?" Loki turned away from Thor, his voice rising with resentment. "I remember a shadow. Living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss. I was and should be king!"

Thor's expression hardened. "So you take the world I love as recompense for your imagined slights? No. The Earth is under my protection, Loki." Loki laughed darkly. "And you're doing a marvelous job with that. The humans slaughter each other in droves, while you idly threaten. I mean to rule them. And why should I not?" Thor's brow furrowed. "You think yourself above them?" Loki, his smirk widening, responded coolly, "Well, yes." Thor's voice grew more forceful. "Then you miss the truth of ruling, brother. The throne would suit you ill."

Loki shoved his brother aside, frustration boiling over. He moved toward the edge of the mountain, his gaze fierce. "I've seen worlds you've never known about! I have grown, Odinson, in my exile! I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it..." His words dripped with arrogance, each one punctuated by swelling pride. Thor, his frustration mounting, demanded, "Who showed you this power? Who controls the would-be king?" Loki sneered. "I am a king!"

Just then, a new presence loomed on the battlefield. The air thickened with dark energy, a sinister shadow filling the space around them. Elias stepped forward, his form cloaked in writhing darkness. His eyes gleamed with intent as he surveyed the two brothers. Loki smirked, sensing the shift. "Ah, another player." Thor turned, his hammer raised, feeling the tension in the air. "Who dares?"

"I do," Elias replied coolly, his voice cutting through the storm. Without warning, he slammed his hand into the ground, sending tendrils of dark energy sweeping outward. The shadows twisted around Thor's feet, dragging him toward the earth with an overwhelming force. Thor gritted his teeth, struggling against the pull, but the shadows only grew stronger. Elias's power was undeniable, and Thor's grip on Mjölnir faltered under the pressure.

"You're strong," Elias remarked, his eyes narrowing as he observed Thor's futile struggle. "But not strong enough to escape the shadows." Thor, his rage reigniting, roared as he swung Mjölnir, the hammer slamming into the ground with enough force to shake the mountain. Lightning erupted from the hammer, slicing through the shadows, but Elias was ready. With a swift motion, he summoned a vortex of dark energy that absorbed the lightning, redirecting it into the earth below.

"You think your thunder can defeat me?" Elias sneered, his tendrils creeping along Thor's limbs. Thor growled, his voice filled with fury. "I will not yield!" The more Thor fought, the tighter Elias's grip became. Loki watched with mild amusement as the dark power bound Thor. "Fascinating," Loki muttered, intrigued by the display. Elias stepped closer, his dark presence closing in on the God of Thunder. "You're strong, Odinson, but even gods can fall to the shadows," he whispered before sending a final surge of dark energy into Thor. The shadows slammed into him with overwhelming force, sending Mjölnir flying from his hand.

Thor gasped for breath, struggling to rise, but Elias remained close, his eyes cold and unrelenting. "I've given you a chance. Next time, you won't be so lucky." As Elias retreated into the storm, Thor's body shook with exhaustion, his pride wounded as much as his physical form. "You... will regret this," he warned, his voice low but filled with the promise of vengeance. Elias smirked from the edge of the darkness. "Perhaps. But not today, Thunder God."

Steve Rogers, stepping forward with his shield raised, called out with unwavering authority, "Enough!" His voice cut through the chaos, drawing the attention of everyone present. "This ends now." Tony Stark, hovering in his Iron Man suit, assessed the situation before glancing at the others with a smirk. "Looks like I'm not the only one with a family reunion to sort out." Elias turned toward them, a sneer twisting his features. "You think you can stop me?" Steve stood his ground, shield raised, his jaw set in determination. "This is over, Elias. Stand down."

For a moment, Elias said nothing. His dark eyes flickered with a mix of frustration and amusement, as if considering his options. Finally, with a subtle movement, the dark energy around him receded, the shadows that had once wrapped around Thor loosening their grip. Elias looked at the group, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Amusing," Elias muttered, before turning away with a slow, deliberate step back into the shadows. "You've won this round. But the game is far from over."

With Elias retreating, Steve turned to Thor, offering him a hand to help him rise. "You good?" Thor, still recovering from the onslaught, gave a curt nod. "I will be." The Avengers—Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, who escorted Loki—moved toward the Quinjet. Loki, though defeated for now, still wore a smug expression, his eyes gleaming with amusement as they prepared to leave. As the Quinjet ascended, heading toward the Helicarrier for Loki's interrogation, Loki muttered under his breath as he stared at the spot Elias once stood, "Fascinating..." Tony, ever the skeptic, shot him a glance. "Freaky is more like it."