Disclaimer: Marvel owns Thor, not me. Also spoilers for Ragnarok.
This is his chance. Loki knows this is his one true opportunity to disappear-to never be seen of or heard from again by Thor (his brother, his family.) He would fade into memory, become nothing more than a ghost haunting the back of his brother's mind.
Or perhaps not even that.
You never want to change, do you, brother? Thor's voice questions him, and he grits his teeth in anger. His betrayal back at Sakaar was only for survival. He would've killed the Grandmaster, and he and Thor could've ruled together-
But Thor would've never wanted that. He'd of wanted to go back to Asgard, back to the Goddess of Death that is their sister. A death wish, of course, and Loki is not fond of dying.
Then why did you let go? Why not let him catch you, save you?
Loki stops his train of thought right there. To think of the Void is to think of the Titan, a being so far above him in power and cruelty it's practically impossible to comprehend. He will not think of Thanos. He will not think of Thor. He is with the Sakaaran rebels, and they've made him their leader. It would be child's play to declare himself king, find some planet for them to live the rest of their lives. Loki will be free of his crimes, and free of his past. It's all he's ever wanted.
Then why are you hesitating?
His mind drifts back to Hela. It seems like a millennia ago he was in that field in Norway, listening to the All-Father mutter his last words. I love you, my sons, he'd said. Sons. Loki Laufeyson had somehow become Loki Odinson again. It's not as comforting as it should be. To be an Odinson is to be an heir of Odin's lies, and even the Liesmith himself can't support his father's actions. But there's nothing he can do about that, considering the man turned into golden dust before his very eyes.
Hela. They look more like siblings than she and Thor did. Loki saw her dark hair, her green eyes, her pale skin (her cruelty, her selfishness, her ambition.) He jokingly wondered if Thor was the true adopted son all along. It would certainly make his day if that were the case. But Loki does not know what to think of his sister. Can he even call her that? They are not bound by blood or a shared childhood. She is nothing more than a vicious demoness, one who wants to kill him and Thor, and most likely the Nine Realms too. But he won't face her. How could he? He doesn't have the power of Asgard itself flowing through his veins; he is only Odin's son in words alone. If Thor wants to die, Loki will be in no hurry to save him. Besides, he knows he'll win. That's what Thor does. It's better if they parted ways, Thor had even said so himself.
Loki is snapped back to reality with the soft voice of one of the rebels. "Where should we go, now that we are free of the Grandmaster?" he says.
A thousand places come up in his mind. They can go to an abandoned galaxy, and start anew. They could go to Xandar and ask for refuge. Hell, he could even try taking over Midgard again. The possible paths are infinite, and all of them are free of Thor.
But is that what you want?
He is the God of Mischief, the God of Lies, and apparently some mortals dubbed him God of Evil after his failed invasion of their world. Loki is-
Loki is trapped. He is the representation of freedom and chaos, bound by no chains of fate. But he is trapped in the role he is so utterly designed to fill. The jealous second brother, the fallen prince, the conquered king, the traitor, the murderer.
You never want to change.
Loki, in that moment, realizes what he wants.
He remembers his childhood. His mother, his father, and his brother. In his early years, he was happy, and he was loved. But he threw that all away for bitterness and anger. He has burned every bridge, and he knows he cannot build new ones. If he leaves Thor now, he will never forget. He hates it, but it's true. He's never been the type to let go of the past.
He may have burned all his other bridges, but maybe he can rebuild this one.
Loki will not allow himself to be trapped. He will not be the villain everyone expects him to be. He is Chaos, and he is free to forge his own path.
"Turn this ship around," he orders. "We are going to Asgard."
AN: So I loved the movie, in case you couldn't tell. And I love Loki's development in this movie. He's not good, but not pure evil. Odin failed with Hela, succeeded with Thor, but with Loki, we've yet to see what his final choice is going to be. This is my first time writing for the Thor fandom, and I hope Loki was in character. Please leave criticism in the comments. Thank you!