"Kneel before me."

The throng of people, both old and young, all shared the same intense feeling of confusion and fear as their eyes darted around in hopes of finding an escape from the strange yet threatening man that stood in front of them. He was dressed in green and golden armor with one hand wrapped around a scepter, it's top a fierce electric blue as it curved into a wickedly sharp tip. The man had a soft smirk on his face before pounding his scepter on the granite grounds of the square, conjuring three more projections of himself to surround the crowd.

"I said KNEEL!" He shouted in irritation.

The mob's panicked babbling soon came to a stop as they all shuffled awkwardly around and as quick as they could to comply to the strange man. Once the square fell silent, a smile graced his pale face, one of deranged madness, and he spread his arms out.

"Is not this simpler?"

The man strode in front of them slowly and with an air of self-importance.

"Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled."

He stopped.

"In the end, you will always kneel."

An old man who had been listening in solemnity slowly stood up, straightening amongst the crowd with sunken eyes that glowed defiantly.

"Not to men like you," he said, his voice thick with accent and opposition.

"There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you."

He sneered before addressing the others.

"Look to your elder, people," he lifted his scepter and pointed it right at the old man, "let him be an example."

The old man's eyes widened as a huge flash of blue energy was released from the tip and he lifted his arms to defend himself when a loud twang! sounded, the energy beam being re-directed and hitting the man in the chest.

At the sight of his downfall, the crowd took no time to push themselves to their feet and run for their lives, scattering throughout the night streets of Germany. Seeing this, the man scoffed as he stood, casually brushing his shoulder and facing off with the newcomer. He was in a red-white-and-blue suit with a big star on the front of his chest and carrying a shield of the same colors.

"The soldier. A man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time."

"Loki," a large aircraft materialized above their heads, guns trained on the perceived threat as a woman's voice sounded over the system, "drop the weapon and stand down."

As quick as lightning, he shot an energy beam at the aircraft, the pilot maneuvering it out of the way as the soldier threw his shield that completely missed him.

"Such poor aim, Captain," Loki said mockingly.

"Not from where I'm standing."

He grunted in surprise as the shield whacked him from behind the knees and two slim arms forced their way around his neck, helicoptering the scepter out of his hands. It dropped to the square and Loki lunged for it only to be tackled by the soldier, the both of them rolling around and exchanging blows with each other like a pair of wrestling cats. Finally, Loki managed to pin the soldier to the ground and swiftly conjured a thin blade, putting it to his throat.

"You should have kneeled."

A lithe figure suddenly somersaulted over his head and Loki had barely a second to register it before a hard blow hit him right in the chest, causing him to skid across the square before hitting the steps with a soft "oof!"

He sat up, preparing to lunge blindly when a suit of armor landed on the granite, it's blasters pointed right at his head.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games."

Loki scowled and held up his hands, his armor disappearing in a flash of green to show his surrender. The one who had kicked him away from the soldier was a young woman, blonde with blue eyes that pierced him curiously as she held the scepter and the shield.

"Good move."

"Mr. Stark," Steve Rogers said, his tone a little less than pleased as he addressed the person in the Iron Man suit.

"Captain." Tony Stark turned to the soldiers. "And the famous Moonshadow. It's a pleasure, really."

Willow Rogers grinned.

"The pleasure's ours, Mr. Stark."

——————

Willow sighed, slumping onto the bench next to a cuffed Loki.  He gave her a questioning look as she proceeded to tie her hair up in a braid and upon feeling the pressure of his gaze, she paused.

"What, you think I want to stand all day? Don't be a bench hogger," she demanded.

"A bench hogger?"

"So you're a god, huh?" Willow narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't seem like one."

"Pray tell, what exactly what does a god seem like?"

"Well, for one, I'm pretty sure it'd be hard to beat a god. Didn't take much to bring you in," she said as she finished tying up the end of her braid.

"There are many things I am capable of, little human," Loki's voice was low, eyes flashing dangerously, "and rest assured, destroying this planet is one thing that I am very capable of doing."

"I'm shaking in my boots, Stiff," Willow whispered.

"Moonshadow." Loki cocked his head. "It's quite a catchy name, if I've ever heard one. Indulge me."

"In your dreams."

"Hey," Tony called from where he stood behind the pilot seat, "don't talk to the prisoner, Mini Cap, you might get attached."

Steve gestured for her to come and she stood, but not without looking back as Loki made a loud snorting noise.

"What?" She growled.

"He beckons you like an animal and like an animal you obey." The man smirked. "Do humans truly have no mind of their own?"

"How about," Steve and Tony protested as she suddenly drew her gun and pointed it right at his forehead, "I show you that I have a mind of my own?"

"Willow," Steve said warningly.

She ignored her brother, keeping the barrel trained on Loki with a blank look on her face. In that moment, no one truly knew what would have happened if it weren't for the abnormally loud clap of thunder that rocked the Quinjet and jostled them around.

"Where is this coming from?" Natasha Romanoff wondered as she looked up into the clouds from the pilot seat.

Steve noticed the change in Loki's demeanor, his mischievous grin turning into what he could only perceive as nervousness.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?"

He looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," he muttered.

Crackling bolts suddenly began to slice through the sky and dangerously close to the aircraft when a large thump overhead made them all jump to attention.

Willow quickly holstered her gun as both Steve and Tony put on their helmets, the latter pushing a button that opened the rear hatch. The night air swarmed furiously around them as Tony walked towards the opening when a large man landed on the ramp. It was only a few seconds past when the newcomer slammed Tony to the ground before ripping Loki from his confinement and disappearing into the night.

He climbed to his feet with a groan.

"Now there's that guy," he grumbled, clearly unhappy by being whacked in the chest.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha called.

"Think the guy's a friendly?"

"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost."

"Stark," Steve yelled over the wind as Tony marched to the ramp, "we need a plan of attack!"

"I have a plan. Attack."

Steve wrestled with himself for a moment before grabbing a parachute, his sister sighing in defeat.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Natasha called.

"I don't see how I can," he said as he strapped himself up.

"These guys come from legends, they're basically gods."

"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." He paused, looking back at Willow. "Coming?"

"1945 was the first and the last, buddy."

Steve gave her a wry grin before jumping out of the aircraft, Willow watching him disappear before closing the hatch and sitting back down at the bench.

"1945, huh?"

She was staring at the wall of parachutes, almost missing Natasha's remark.

"And nothing has changed."

——————
☀︎ celine's corner ☀︎

and the first chapter is here! for -bluesupernova who is currently doing her homework and hating every second of it! <3

i'm not going to write her in every single scene, but we'll have to get through the pleasantries before coming to the real stuff.
so, please bear with me through the beginning of
"it's all in the game!" which is a great song, btw :)