One Choice Book 2

Part 20

Before them was a sight that shook Stephen to his very core.
Loki. Exactly the way he saw him in the vision. Only it felt a hundred times worse.
Seeing him look so hollow. His eyes sunken, and glowing with an eerie red light. His body was thin, and boney.
It was Loki's body, yes. But it didn't take a genius to know it wasn't Loki's mind.

"What- what do we do mr- Dr Strange?" Spider-Man stammered.

"You run, some stay and help with those, everyone else go find the witch and stop her"

"I'm not going to let you stop us." Loki spoke. Well it was his voice, his body. But his voice was as blank as his face. So empty.. 
long, slender, black knives appeared to drop from his sleeves into his hands. His head tilted to one side.

"Go!"

Spider-Man ran. Being followed by Tony, Scott and the guardians. 

"Loki!"
"Brother, please listen." Thor says, stepping forward. "This isn't you."

"No.. this is me brother." Loki sneered. "And I am ready to end this once and for all!" Then he lunged into an attack. Thor had to dodge to the side grabbing Loki by the arm.

"Loki." Thor says his voice turning much more intimidating. Loki only responded by trying to stab Thor with his free hand. Which Thor caught. With a surge of lighting he flung Loki, causing him to drop his knives as he was hurled into the wall. It was the kind of shot you'd have expected Loki, or most people for that matter, to crumple from. 
But to Thor's surprise Loki slowly got up. His skin slowly turned a dark shade of blue as his Jotunn form showed itself.
The temperature in the hall immediately began to drop as Loki showed an evil grin.

Stephen attempted to approach, but Loki didn't give him the chance to speak.
His attacks came swift and fast.
None of them stood a chance.
Stephen had his head bashed against the wall, causing him to crumple to the floor.
Carol was frozen in a mini glacier at one second, the next said glacier was punched into bits which were flung into Bucky, and they ended up on the ground too.
Thor sort of held his own for a moment. Managing to get a hit, punching Loki across the face. It was soon obvious the only reason he got that hit is because Stephen was using a spell, attempting to stop him, or at least slow him down. But the next thing Thor and he knew they were lifted into the air by Loki's magic. Their screams of pain were cut off as they were choked with an invisible force. Both men fell to the ground as Bucky tried to hit Loki, only for his fist to be caught in Loki's hand, which turned blue as ice climbed up Bucky's arm.
He held his ground long enough for Carol to get up and hit Loki with a blast of energy.
Throwing him back but he landed on his feet seemingly unscathed.
Thor charged his brother. Loki simply side stepped as he shoved Thor to the ground. Ice climbed up his skin as Loki held him down with his boot against Thor's chest.

"Loki stop!" Stephen called out.

Loki's head whipped to look at the sorcerer. The red magic flashing for a moment before returning. He sneered and the ice grew coating the floor surrounding them, each of them finding their shoes frozen to the ground. Carol attempted to shoot a blast of energy at him. Only for Loki to create a wall of ice to block it. Bucky struggled to move, Loki made it harder willing the ice to climb up his legs.
His attention then turned to Stephen.

"Loki please." Stephen stammered trying to by himself just a second of time. 
Again the magic flashed, Loki hesitated for just that one second.
The ground erupted with a short burst of flame. Melting the surrounding ice enough for the formally stuck heroes to be able to move.
It was quickly followed by a blast of flame aimed towards the Frost giant.
The target in question yelled in pain. His head rolled back but he stood strong. Green magic swirled around him, forming into sharp icicles.

"Watch out!"

"Loki!"

"Take cover!"

The icicles shot out in every direction. Stephen only barely conjures magical shields in time.
However Thor wasn't as lucky. An icicle hitting him in the chest. But he wouldn't let that stop him.
He charged Loki, grabbing him by the wrists and forcing him against the wall. His eyes glowing with the lighting coursing through his veins.
Again the red magic flashed in Loki's eyes, and again it held strong.
Loki shoving Thor away with yet again a surprising amount of force.

Stephen attempted to capture Loki in a barrier spell. But the spell crumbled with a wave of Loki's hand.

"Okay I have a really stupid plan but it should work. Bucky, keep him busy for a second!"

"I'll do my best." Bucky says not hesitating to engage Loki.

"You two, I need you to blast Loki with all you've got, on my cue." Stephen says. "Whatever happens don't stop till I tell you."

"Are you sure about this?" Thor asks, pulling the icicle out of his chest.

"Just trust me!"

At that moment Bucky was thrown into the wall. "Fuck.." he got up rotating his robotic arm back into place. 

Loki was almost animalistic at this point. Heaving slow and heavy breaths, his hair hanging over his face in a disheveled mess. He wiped the blood off his face from the bloody nose Bucky managed to give him.

Stephen breathed shakily as he focused on the magic forming around his arms. "I'm going to help you Loki." He says.
"Now!!"

On his cue, Stephen with his magic, Carol with hers, and Thor with his lightning all struck Loki at the same time.
Loki screamed, his hands going to his ears. The combination of all three powers swirling around him, mixing with magic of his own.
Stephen had to hold his focus on the spell, the strength causing him to shake. "Please.. please work."

The screaming stopped. Loki standing in the swirl of magic, his red eyes fixated on Stephen.

"What?" Stephen panicked now. "No. How?!"

He didn't have much of any time to think, for next thing Stephen knew, he was standing the in swirl of magic, face to face with Loki, with a knife stabbed into his gut.  He choked from the unexpected pain. All he could do was look up at Loki with pleading eyes as the magical energy surrounded them.

The red magic suddenly was overpowered by green and there was an explosion of light and raw magical power. 
As the light faded the heroes slowly got up with pained groans. Stephen was slower, his hand going to his side with a wince.

Loki stood in the middle of it all looking around seeming absolutely terrified, tears were streaming down his face. The knife fell from his hand, clanging on the ground.

"What have I done..?"