— Stuttgart, Germany – City Center
The square was packed with a dense, terrified crowd.
Around them, Loki's illusions flickered, trapping them in place.
He had taken these innocent people hostage for one reason—his insatiable thirst for conquest.
Like a child playing with toys, pretending they were his subjects, he reveled in the intoxicating sensation of absolute power.
In truth, Loki's original plan had been a diversion.
His grand, theatrical display was meant to distract from Hawkeye and his team's mission—stealing the iridium necessary for constructing the space portal.
But now, Hawkeye and the others had gone dark.
And though Loki appeared irritated by this development, he made no move to leave.
Perhaps, to him, these human struggles were nothing more than minor detours on his inevitable path to ruling Earth.
Or maybe he had another trick up his sleeve.
"Kneel before me."
Dressed in his Asgardian robes, gripping the scepter of the Mind Stone, Loki stood imposingly—on a staircase, no less—over the frightened civilians.
"KNEEL!!"
He slammed the scepter against the ground.
A dazzling blue light erupted from the stone, sending a shockwave rippling through the crowd.
Instantly, the chaos died down.
A hush fell over them as fear took hold.
Slowly, hesitantly, the people knelt, their eyes filled with terror.
Loki smiled, spreading his arms wide.
"See? Isn't this easier? This is how things should be."
"The illusion of freedom has blinded you." His voice rang through the square, smooth and intoxicating.
"You chase hollow ambitions—wealth, status, indulgence—while your world feeds you nothing but lies. But I… I bring you truth."
He stepped forward, his gaze piercing.
"Kneeling comes so naturally to you, doesn't it? As if it's ingrained in your very being. In mere moments, you cast aside your beliefs, your so-called free will, your ideals."
"Tell me I'm wrong." He smirked. "Humans—your kind was born to be ruled."
A sudden movement broke the silence.
An elderly man, white-haired and frail-looking, stood up against the sea of bowed heads.
His eyes, unwavering, met Loki's with a familiar defiance—the same defiance he had once held for a dictator, seven decades ago.
"We will never bow to the likes of you."
Loki chuckled, tilting his head. "Oh, old man, you misunderstand. There is no one else quite like me."
The old man's voice was steady. "There will always be men like you."
Loki's smile faltered for a brief second.
Then, it returned—sharp and amused.
"Well then," he mused, raising his scepter, "let's show them what happens to those who resist."
The scepter's gem pulsed, charging a blast of energy aimed directly at the defiant old man.
A blinding blue beam shot forward—
'CLANG—!'
The attack was intercepted in an instant.
A sleek, silver blade sliced through the air, deflecting the blast effortlessly.
From thin air, a young woman materialized, her invisibility flickering away.
She held her sword steady, its tip pointed at a visibly surprised Loki.
"Talking behind someone's back is pretty rude, you know." The girl pouted.
"'Trying to stop your conquest,' huh? Couldn't make it sound any worse if you tried."
Loki blinked.
Then, his grin returned, amused.
"Well, well… what a surprise, Miss Flashblade."
Loki's smirk remained in place as he studied the newcomer.
"I was expecting someone a little more… colorful. Perhaps those so-called Avengers."
The girl twirled her blade idly. "Oh, they'll be here soon enough. I just happen to be faster."
Loki chuckled.
"Do you really think reducing my pawns or denying me a few insignificant materials will save your world?" His voice was laced with amusement, as if humoring a naive child.
"No, your fate is already sealed. I am destined to rule. It is written. You cannot change the inevitable, Flashblade."
The girl, Kagura Hitomi, simply smiled.
"You sure talk a lot for someone who still hasn't answered my question."
Loki raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She tilted her head. "Why invade our world in the first place? You do realize humans are an absolute nightmare to govern, right? You're in for a headache."
[TL Note – That is so true lol wwwwwwww]
Loki's smirk widened. "Because you lack a true king. A world without order is a world in chaos."
He took a slow, deliberate step forward, his piercing gaze never leaving hers.
"I will bring civilization to this planet. I will free humanity from its greatest burden."
"And what's that?" Kagura feigned curiosity.
"Freedom." Loki's eyes gleamed.
"Freedom is the greatest lie ever told. You humans cling to it, yet you are bound by your own desires, your own fears. I will liberate you from this illusion."
Kagura scoffed. "Huh. And here I thought you were just another megalomaniac. Turns out you're a full-blown cult leader."
Loki chuckled. "Mock me all you like. In the end, you will kneel like the rest."
Kagura's smirk deepened. "Right. Except there's just one problem."
"And what is that?"
Her expression turned sharp. "You're not even in control of yourself."
Loki's brows furrowed slightly. "…Excuse me?"
She pointed her sword at the scepter in his hand. "That thing's been messing with your head."
Loki blinked, glancing at the glowing gem embedded in his weapon.
"You didn't notice?" Kagura continued.
"The one who gave you that scepter laced it with just a little extra… persuasion."
"That's why you've been feeling things you never used to—why your hatred for your brother suddenly skyrocketed."
"Why you want to burn the world down."
"Why you're so obsessed with ruling a planet you don't even belong to."
Loki's fingers tightened around the scepter.
His expression darkened, but there was something else in his eyes now—doubt.
"You're lying."
"Am I?" Kagura shrugged.
"I mean, sure, you were always kind of a troublemaker, but tell me this—before you got that fancy stick, did you really want to conquer Earth?"
"Or did that thought only start creeping in after you got your hands on it?"
Loki stared at the scepter, his grip flexing and tightening.
A small crack formed in his confident façade.
Because, deep down, the question gnawed at him.
Had this truly been his plan?
Had he really wanted this?
Or had something—or someone—been whispering in his mind, nudging him toward destruction?
Kagura watched him carefully, sensing the hesitation. She took a step closer.
"It's not too late, Loki." Her voice softened slightly.
"Hand over the scepter. Give us the Tesseract. You can still walk away from this."
Loki exhaled slowly. Then, he looked up—and his smirk returned, sharper than ever.
"You know…" he mused, stepping closer to Kagura, "I was beginning to find you quite interesting."
Then, in a flash, he lunged.
Kagura barely had time to react before the tip of the scepter pressed against her chest.
The gem pulsed.
A surge of energy shot straight into her body.
A powerful force, capable of bending the minds of even the strongest warriors, flooded into her consciousness.
For a brief moment, the world blurred.
Then—
Nothing.
Loki frowned. "…What?"
Kagura blinked. She glanced down at the scepter still touching her.
"Uh… was that supposed to do something?"
Loki stared. Then, scowled. He pulled the scepter back and tried again.
'HUMMMM—' The gem glowed, releasing another pulse of energy.
[WARNING: Foreign Mental Influence Detected]
[Threat Level: High]
[Core Energy Charge Confirmed]
[Core Energy Remaining: 99.98%]
Kagura's HUD displayed the alert in her vision, but physically, she felt… nothing.
Loki's eye twitched. "…That's not possible."
He glanced at the scepter, then back at Kagura, then at the scepter again—before jabbing her once more, just to be sure.
'HUMMMM—!!'
Still nothing.
Kagura tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes. "Maybe your scepter's broken?"
Loki slowly lowered the weapon, his expression unreadable.
Then, after a long pause, he muttered under his breath:
"…That shouldn't be possible."
Kagura grinned. "Yeah, I get that a lot."