maskormenace | video || action available to residents of Nonah #004

video || action available to residents of Nonah #004

[ Gold. Hopefully you like gold, because you will see a lot of it. Heavy golden walls behind a large golden throne. Comfortably seated within? A potentially new face, looking pleased and overall just friendly enough despite being clad in full armor, complete with large, horned helmet and holding a golden spear in his hand.

Can you possibly see through illusions? Then enjoy Loki occupying a regular living room while casually holding a broom. He's just here to deliver a show, really. The armor and helmet are real, however.

After permitting the image to settle for a moment, he finally speaks. Loki's initial words are measured carefully. ]

Mortals of this realm.

[ He raises from his throne and takes a step forward before settling into a meaningful pose. ]

You have earned yourself the protection of a god.

[ You get another moment to take this in. Or just enjoy looking at this god. Then, all of Loki's dignified behavior and display slips away in favor of a wide, open grin and his unoccupied hand gestures lightly. ]

They could have just asked, though. You know? Instead of just pulling me here and--

[ He lets that trail off with a dismissive wave of his hand. Let's not talk about that, okay? ]

I am Loki. Rightful King of Asgard.

[ That same hand that has just been gesturing dismissively is now placed over his own chest as Loki offers a bow to his audience. ]

And I look forward to serving you.

[ For his roommates at Nonah #004: Your living room is currently stuck under an illusion. You will find yourself stepping right into Asgard's throne room. It's painfully golden. Enjoy your new Asgardian pest. ]

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[The sorest spot. If Tony hadn't died already, he may have ended up killing Stark himself.]

Supposed, he saved the universe. Destroyed Thanos.

[He doesn't know all the details, just what people like Nick Fury had told him and general public knowledge about the snap and what happened before and after.]

Thanos?

[ This. Just this. There's an avalanche of thoughts and questions set loose by these few words. A small percentage may be briefly visible in the way the Asgardian falls silent with disbelief, confusion, but also concern. ]

Thanos... is dead?

[ How? And where does he put that information now?

Is it even true? Can it be true? ]

[Loki's connections to Thanos is something Beck doesn't know.]

Yes, he's dead and the people he killed were restored. It was confusing as hell for everybody but in some way Stark was responsible.

[Even if other Avengers such as Hulk were responsible for the restoration, Tony still got the majority of the glory. Even dead he was the biggest hero. Maybe because of that. Either way, Beck was annoyed by it.]

[ And it's not something Loki will tell anyone lightly, if at all. ]

He better remains dead.

[ Thanos, that is. A return of Tony Stark would be the lesser evil.

He pauses. ]

You are not very fond of Tony Stark, I can tell.

I used to work for him. He was an arrogant asshole who belittled his employees and did things only when it suited himself for his own gain. Playing the hero doesn't make him any greater than the people he's hurt.

[Although Beck can't really take the moral high ground here. He's got a lot of negative traits in common with Tony. Not that he can see that or will admit to it.]

How did he hurt you?

[ Somehow he has the feeling that this may be more personal than it seems. ]

[Very personal.]

He funded a project I was working on. My tech. My life's work.

[Obviously very important to him, even in the way he said that.]

He turned it into his own private therapy machine, gave it a stupid, childish name - at a public presentation, no less - then fired me.

Your life's work?

[ This is all something to keep in mind for Loki. ]

What did he call it?

[ A minor detail, but sometimes it's just those details that are the most important to soak up. ]

Yes. My technology. A revolutionary system which he turned into a joke.

[Beck's expression darkened bitterly.]

He called it Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing which gave it the ridiculous acronym of B.A.R.F.

[And Tony used it on stage at MIT in Civil War. Beck had been actually off stage, behind the scenes, and not at all happy about this.]

[ The Asgardian looks thoughtful. Not that he has heard of it. ]

That does not make it sound like a weapon.

[ Really, not at all. ]

What was its purpose?

It's not a weapon. It's a highly advanced system which can be used in endless ways.

Stark used it for therapy since it can tap into your brain and pull out bad memories, to be explored and seen right in front of you. To be altered at will.

But that's only one thing it is capable of. It could potentially be used for training - doctors, soldiers, all experiencing a realistic surgery or battles in relative safety. Or it could be used for entertainment. Vacations without ever leaving your home. Your dreams made into reality - but that you can turn off or change.

There are so many possibilities.

[Including driving people mad with nightmares, by drawing out their worst fears. It's a dangerous tech in the wrong hands, and those hands would also be its creator, Quentin Beck.]

So it creates illusions.

[ Without the use of magic. Curious. ]

I can see how such a device could be of use.

Did you seek revenge for what Stark did?

Simulations. Illusions. Yes. I'm working on making it be able to tap into all the senses, and not just visuals and auditory. It can be much more effective that way.

[And really mess with a person's mind.]

Stark was already dead. I didn't have to do anything to him. But he was reckless with leaving his own tech to careless teenagers. I had to step in.

An ambitious goal.

[ And Loki would be interested to see if he can reach it. ]

And that is why you became... A hero.

I did. I used my tech to enhance the effect.

[He's had to admit that not long after arriving here so it's no secret anymore.]

And I have been hailed as a great hero on Earth, despite objections from certain Avengers.

I am well aware of how short-sighted they can be.

[ Because yeah. That's the true issue, right? The Avengers just don't get it. ]

Not only them. There are people here with such narrow-mindedness they are swift to accuse without just cause. If they know someone from their own world with the same name, they will assume that you are similar enough that you are also at fault for whatever they suffered in their own world. I've come across even more obstacles here.

Maybe you've already run into such problems yourself.

As a matter of fact, I have.

[ He's not too bothered, however.

Or at least tries not to be. In a way he is used to people expecting the worst of him? ]

Alternate versions of myself appear to exist in several realms.

Yes, and if these alternate versions caused mayhem, then the same must be of all. So they think.

It wasn't pleasant to arrive here, heroically, just to be called a supervillain by people who don't even exist in my world.

Not the welcome you expected.

Have they told you about your alternate self?

The day I arrived, yes. A few people told me I was the enemy of Spider-Man, and they mentioned about some version of me owning a carnival. They were also familiar with the shape of my helmet, kept calling it a fishbowl. Not everything that is round is a fishbowl... It's like they've never seen an astronaut.

[ And this would include Loki. He doesn't even know what to expect under the term astronaut.

But something else catches his attention. ]

Spider-Man?

[ And this is the first time he hears that name. You don't really want to know what he imagines that person to look like. ]

Yes. Spider-Man. One of the Avengers, recruited by Tony Stark.

[Despite recent events, he's currently not yet giving Peter's identity away here. He doesn't think he needs to explain he's not literally half spider.]

...sounds as if they were desperate for new members.

[ And this is exactly what Loki is picturing in his mind now. Eww. ]

He does have some decent skills but he is very immature.

I worked with him closely on my version of Earth. For a time, we made a good team.

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