Harmonic Vengeance

The city of New York came into view. Finally, Rainbow thought, that flight took FOREVER.

She had two objectives: Stall Loki so the Quinjet carrying the rest of her team (markedly slower than the suit) had time to arrive, and get the new suit. If she could, she'd also disrupt the tesseract's processes, but she doubted it would be that simple.

She swept over the skyline, pulling up at the top of Stark Towers. Sure enough, on the roof, a bright blue glow shone. She moved in towards it, noting the absence of either Loki or Selvig. Makes things easier for me. Her arms lifted and fired the repulsor rays. Who named those, anyway?

The shockwave blew her back at least five yards. "It appears to be surrounded by some kind of energy field," Jarvis remarked helpfully.

"Nothing can ever be easy, can it?"

She dove towards it. Maybe it wouldn't allow energy in, but would it allow the suit?

No. It would not.

Flung backwards again, she shook herself, then turned and started descending towards the landing strip. "Fine. Looks like it'll be a longer challenge. We need the new suit."

"Sir, it's not ready for deployment-"

"It'll have to be, we're out of time. We can lose a few of the decorative touches."

The robotic version of a sigh. "Very well. I'll do what I can."

She was Twilight Sparkle, and she knew magic.

She was Bruce Banner, and she knew science.

This mess was a bit of both.

New York city, according to the stranger whose building she'd wrecked, was about an hour and a half away. That meant lots of time to think. She had some pressing questions about the implications of this whole deal on various philosophical fields (If I have Bruce's memories but I'm not him, then identity must be more than just the sum of your memories) but those weren't urgent. What was urgent was the tesseract.

Is there a way to shut it down? According to Aristrotle, it's far easier to combat magic by using the same magical signature. This is why it's so much easier for a unicorn to undo their own spell than for another unicorn to undo it. In this world, what's the closest thing to magical signatures? Maybe the radiation output they were talking about? But what has the same reading as-

It suddenly clicked in her mind, and she nearly skidded to a halt with the impact of the realization. Of course! It was so simple!

She hit the gas harder, moving in between cars. Technically, it was illegal, but this was an emergency. She had to get to the others as fast as possible. They needed to know this.

Rainbow Dash was not a good liar. Tony Stark was an excellent liar. With his memories, she had to be at least halfway decent. The math totally checked out.

Ish.

She was not surprised to find Loki inside the building, but she was definitely annoyed. Worse, she had to get past him to reach the wristband that Tony's newest suit required for identification. She walked towards the bar, trying to mimic Tony's confidence, ease, and casualness. "Can I get you a drink?"

It had been decent, she reflected. Not quite Tony's level of flippantness, but it was passable.

"No, I don't think so, Rainbow Dash."

Halfway inside the bar, she froze. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

She whirled, slamming her hands on the counter. "This was you, wasn't it? You put me here! And I bet you also left the actual Tony, who happens to be a jerk, in my home, so he can drive away all my friends, who just happen to be the most important thing in my whole life!"

He laughed. He laughed. Loki was actually enjoying her fury. "You still don't get it."

"Get what?"

"These 'Avengers' of yours are your friends now, and they're all you're going to get!"

Something clicked in her brain. He enjoys this. Continuing it is the best way to keep him distracted. He can do this for hours--so let's make him. Almost absently, she slipped the bracelet on her wrist. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "There has to be a way to get back!" Doesn't there?

He snorted. "Of course not. Why would I go to the trouble of bringing you here if you could just get back?"

Something inside her crumbled. "But how did you bring me here in the first place? It must be reversible!"

"I had a little help from the other side." He chuckled. "I'm afraid the connection is one-way."

"No!" she shouted, exaggerating a little. "That can't be true!"

"Can't it?"

He was lying, he had to be lying. The connection couldn't only be one way. Right?

"Prove it!" she demanded.

"As I already said, I had help from your side of the equation. The way I see it, either your precious friends defeat him, closing the link for good, or he destroys your home until there's nothing for you to even go back to."

It couldn't be true, it couldn't, it couldn't...

...but saying that wouldn't change anything, if she was wrong, and it looked like she was.