Capítulo 177: Chapter 177: He’s Adopted
Tony ignored Steve and turned his attention to Loki, asking him the questions directly.
But Loki didn't bother responding. Seeing Loki's indifference, Tony clenched his fist, enveloped it in Void energy, and struck Loki square in the gut. The impact sent Loki crashing into the wall of the cabin with a loud "bang!" The blow made Loki's stomach churn, and he spat out bitter bile.
Steve and Natasha watched in stunned silence, unsure of what to say.
"You don't think staying silent will stop me from dealing with you, do you?" Tony asked coldly, grabbing a fistful of Loki's hair. "I don't have the patience for games. If I find out you're a threat to Earth, I'll show you what hell looks like."
Seeing Tony's raw strength, Loki realized he was at a disadvantage. His initial smugness faded, and he decided to talk. "My name is Loki."
"Loki? As in Asgard? Thor's brother?" Tony asked, loosening his grip, thinking back to Thor mentioning the name before.
"No," Loki immediately denied.
"No?" Tony's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he grabbed Loki again, slamming his head against the metal wall, and denting it with a loud thud. "Then I don't need to hold back."
"Yes! Yes! I'm from Asgard!" Loki quickly corrected, realizing lying was only making things worse.
"So, you are Thor's idiot brother?"
"I mean, technically, yes. Though not by blood. But he does call me brother," Loki hastily clarified, hoping to avoid further punishment.
Tony crossed his arms, watching Loki with newfound interest. "So, you're the one who sent the Destroyer to Earth? Thor must be softer than I thought. You tried to kill him, and yet you're still breathing? Does Thor owe you some massive debt or something?"
Tony, who had experienced betrayal firsthand, was baffled by the idea of mercy for someone who'd attempted to kill him. He had assumed that when Thor returned to Asgard to deal with family matters, Loki would have been executed. And yet, here Loki stood, alive and well.
Loki remained silent, unsure how to respond to Tony's blunt assessment.
Just then, the sky darkened, and flashes of lightning filled the air, followed by the rumbling sound of thunder. Loki's expression changed instantly.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid of a little lightning?" Steve asked, noticing the shift in Loki's demeanor.
"I just don't like the person who's coming with it," Loki muttered, knowing full well what the thunder heralded.
As soon as the words left Loki's mouth, a bolt of lightning cracked, and a figure descended from the clouds, hammer in hand, landing with a mighty crash.
"Thor's life signs detected," Jarvis reported to Tony.
Tony opened the ship's door with a gesture, and Thor gracefully stepped inside.
"Is that Thor?" Steve asked, recognizing the blonde man from the footage he'd seen earlier.
"Tony, it seems my foolish brother has caused you some trouble again," Thor said apologetically as he entered.
"Trouble? Not really. Compared to the Destroyer, this guy is nothing more than a weakling," Tony replied with a casual wave. "But seriously, what's the deal? He sent the Destroyer to kill you, and yet you let him live?"
Thor sighed, glancing at Loki. "He may have lost his way, but he's still my brother."
Loki's eyes flickered for a moment, a trace of warmth passing through him at Thor's words.
"Even though he's killed, what, seventy or eighty people in the last two days?" Natasha interjected coldly.
Thor glanced sharply at Loki and then sighed again. "He's adopted."
Thor's quick response made Loki's heart sink. Thor was trying to distance himself from Loki's actions, perhaps because he knew the consequences of sheltering him could be severe. After all, as the future king of Asgard, responsible for protecting the Nine Realms, Thor couldn't be seen as complicit in his brother's treachery.
If Thor tried to defend Loki too vigorously, it could lead to a fight with Tony. While Tony alone might not be too much of a problem, the real danger lay in Harvey—the mysterious figure who might have the power to rival Odin himself. A full-blown conflict could lead to unimaginable devastation, especially if Earth became the battlefield.
Even though Thor's words were rooted in pragmatism, hearing them out loud still stung Loki.
"Your brother tries to kill you, and you still want to protect him?" Tony asked incredulously. "If it were me, I'd have killed him by now—no way I'd let him run around, plotting who-knows-what, trying to harm Earth."
"Loki and I have known each other for over fifteen hundred years," Thor replied, his tone softening as he looked at Loki. "He's always been mischievous, even a bit extreme at times, but he's still my brother. I can't kill him. The most I can do is imprison him."
Thor's voice grew firmer. "That's why I'm here—to take him back to Asgard. He'll be locked away permanently."
Thor's words betrayed a sense of regret. Odin had asked him to look after Loki whenever they crossed paths in the other realms, but now that Loki seemed determined to cause chaos, Thor was unsure how to reconcile his brotherly love with his duty to the Nine Realms.
"Let's hope you mean it," Tony said sternly. "Next time I catch him causing trouble here, don't expect me to be so forgiving, Thor."
Tony understood now why Harvey hadn't gotten involved—fifteen hundred years of brotherly love was hard to ignore. Even Tony, who had no sympathy for betrayal, could see why Thor might hesitate. But at the same time, Tony couldn't afford to let Loki be a constant threat.
He wasn't about to let Loki's schemes tie him to Earth indefinitely.
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