Don't be afraid
I've taken my beating
I've shared what I've made
I'm strong on the surface, Not all the way through
I've never been perfect, but neither have you

Smoke was rising from the rubble and made the remains of central park look more like a barren wasteland fit for Mars. The titan had fallen. The war had been won. The casualties had been many. Scattered in the debris like forgotten rubbish were bodies of humans and aliens alike. From where he sat, neither species looked superior.

He had given it everything he had. He had surprised them all. Just when they knew his betrayal was imminent, he had crumbled the fake artifact just as the titan had reached to claim it. "I don't have it." He had laughed when he said it, recalling the look at Thor's face all those years ago when he had said the same to him. He had left a clue for the man of iron regarding the tesseract's true whereabouts and the genius did not disappoint. The trickster had paid for his schemes dearly this time, but he had served his purpose. He had acted as a thorough distraction.

And in the end, Midgard and her Avengers had prevailed.

Thanos had been defeated.

The Captain and the archer had been lost, as well as the bearer of the mind stone and the superhuman Drax the Destroyer.

Yes, Midgard had prevailed, but now she would mourn.

The infamous god of mischief could not even hear past the ringing in his ears; could barely see past the blackness encroaching his vision. He was vaguely aware of the activity in the vicinity, though none of it transpired close enough to entice him to keep his eyes open. He had only wished to know his brother's fate. It was Barton who had told him Thor yet lived, just before Loki saw the life fade from the man's eyes. He had slid down the wall then and remained in that spot since, his life spilling out of the wound in his gut with each and every beat of his heart. His hands lay over the puncture but had long ago given up on quelling the flow. His magic was expired. He was empty.

Third time's a charm, they say.

"Loki!"

Her voice was distant, unclear as if he were submerged in water. The infernal ringing made it impossible to distinguish who called his name. He opened his eyes and squinted at the too bright world, blurred edges and unfamiliar shapes all he was able to make out. He blinked slowly to focus on the silhouette that appeared to rush at him in slow motion. He was too tired to withdraw. If they meant harm, they would only expedite his death at this point.

Smaller, calloused hands pulled his own away from his stomach, pushing down on the wound so hard that he thought it may actually begin to hurt again. No, he was mostly numb now. Numb and cold.

"Hey, are you with me?" Definitely female. A strong, familiar presence. The Valkyrie.

"Val." He exhaled shakily, not sure if he'd even spoken out loud. He blinked again, even slower this time. She had appeared to turn and gaze over her shoulder, but her hands remained on his stomach.

"Thor! I found Loki!" He could see when she turned back, but was barely able to make out the most general of features. "You're going to be fine, Lackey." She had attempted lightheartedness, but neither of them were fooled.

"Liar." His eyes slipped closed.

"Hey. Hey , eyes open." She lifted one hand to snap her fingers in front of his face. He obeyed, unfocused, dull green orbs peering out from behind tired, bruised lids. "Your brother lives, Loki, and he's looking for you."

"I...I know." He took as deep a breath as he could manage. He felt the air shift and knew she had moved, but didn't bother trying to refocus on her. "Tell...Tell Thor… Tell him that I…"

"You can tell him yourself." She was sitting closer to him now, replacing her bare palm with a torn piece of her cape. She worked her arm underneath him to secure the material tightly around his abdomen. She couldn't actively control the bleeding and focus on keeping him awake at the same time. "He'll be here soon and you aren't dying today."

"Don't...tell me what...what to do…" He coughed weakly, his face scrunching up and then relaxing.

"Someone has to." She smiled softly, hoping he wouldn't notice the tear she quickly wiped away. "You did good out there, prince. Your brother is so proud of you." She unclasped her cape and cast it over his prone figure as he began to tremble. Val licked her lips and looked around frantically, trying hard to suppress the tears that clung to her lashes. She couldn't tell him that she loved him, but she needed him to know that it was just duty that kept her at their sides. He was her Prince, yes, but more importantly, he was her friend. And if they had more time, they could have been more. She would have wanted to be more. "Listen, Loki," she began, "back on the ship, all those months, I really... I just want you to know... I…"

He wasn't looking at her, eyes just staring down at the dirt, unseeing, but he smiled. She could have sworn she heard him laugh breathlessly. "I know, Val." His fingers twitched, his hand blindly coming up from where it had rest at his side. Val took it between her own and brought it to her cheek. "I...always knew." There was a beat of silence before he spoke again, the words that would echo in her mind for centuries to come. "Me too."

The world was suddenly so still. Her breath hitched and stuttered as she gently grazed her hand over his eyes, guiding them closed, and bowed over him in her grief.

Lightning in the distance, but the thunder was too late.

When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed
And don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty, keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest

Notes: Lyrics were from Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park