Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or any of the characters thereof, but I do claim the creative liberties to this story.
He had failed.
No, Loki.
Utterly and completely.
No, Loki. Something sweet as pain.
He shook his head wildly, stubbornly fighting the sudden wave of nausea as he stumbled along the alley. He had only just crawled out of the crater that green beast had put him in, leaving behind a copy of himself and very nearly exhausting what little was left of his magical reserves, but his doppelganger was solid and would hopefully last long enough for Thor to whisk it away back to Asgard.
His legs shook with the effort to remain up right and he had already resorted to leaning heavily against one of the brick walls. He wasn't sure how far he had gotten, but he could still hear the Chitauri's thundering war cry and the beast's outraged howl.
Something sweet as pain.
His vision darkened around the edges making him pause and slump warily against the wall. He was acutely aware of the steady flow of blood still weeping from a gash on the back of his skull and his labored breath had taken on a rasping gurgling noise. But he would suffer all this and more if it meant the Mad Titan was no longer corrupting his mind, something he should thank that beast for.
He swayed on his feet, blinking away the black spots that threatened to drag him down into unconsciousness. But it was yet another losing battle.
No, Loki.
He crumpled to his knees and his hands shot out to brace his fall. His body shuddered violently, overcome with painful, hacking coughs that painted the ground in vibrant red and his breath rattled eerily in his chest.
Something sweet as pain.
He collapsed onto his side, his eyes wide despite his world being awash in black, and latched onto the remaining tendrils of his energy and seiðr, using it change his appearance and even his gender in a last ditch effort to protect himself before finally succumbing to his injuries.
Victorious cheering followed him into nothingness. The Chitauri had fallen.
You mustn't lose hope...