Head still spinning after that Infinity Wars trailer tho… Check out my story "oblivion" if you'd like to see how I think that scene is going down. You know the one.
Here's a chapter heavy on the chit-chat. More action coming soon.
Thor scowled under the harsh light of the naked bulb set in the ceiling. He crossed his arms over his chest. This General Ross had no cause to treat Thor like some common criminal. Thor would not let himself undergo an interrogation.
He, Valkyrie, and Bruce – given a set of simple black clothes in exchange for his robe – sat across a metal table from the General and Tony. They'd borrowed the back room of the local police department for the interview. Two uniformed men stood just outside the closed door. Thor was liking this situation less and less with every passing moment.
"We are in grave danger," said Thor, speaking to Tony instead General Ross because he knew his voice would not penetrate the stony expression on the General's face. "An unforeseen threat approaches closer to your planet with every passing moment."
"And you've led it here, I suppose you're going to tell us," said the General.
"Not voluntarily, I assure you," Thor answered uncertainly. "Fleeing to your planet was a last resort. We had been put into a situation of life or death."
"What's coming?" Tony asked, voice soft in an effort to interject a bit of civility back into the conversation.
"His name is Thanos," said Thor. "I know very little of him, only that he is insane. And he seeks unfettered power so he may rule all the universe."
Ross threw up his hands. "What is this bullshit? Spinning some kind of fairytale – I'm warning you, Thor, so-called god or not, if you're feeding us a pile of lies –"
"It is no lie. We have seen his vessel with our own eyes. We were almost destroyed by his might half-way across the galaxy before we escaped to your solar system," said Thor.
Tony cut across General Ross, leaning across the table, eyes gleaming with interest. "How did you escape him? How'd you get from the other side of the galaxy to earth?"
"With –" Thor sensed suddenly that the Tesseract's presence on Midgard was a fact better not revealed, at least not yet to General Ross. "With the hyperjump capabilities of our vessel. I am afraid it was ruined in transit, as were most of the other systems."
Thor met Tony's gaze unabashedly. Bruce and Valkyrie remained mercifully silent at his sides. He had always been a terrible liar, but he could not tell whether or not Ross had swallowed his words. Tony's eyebrows rose. He was familiar with the power of the Tesseract; Thor had no doubt that the Man of Iron suspected Thor of bending the truth, but he too was silent.
"And why is this Thanos chasing you?" said General Ross. "What do you have that he wants?"
"He – seeks to destroy Asgard," Thor answered. "Already he has risen our kingdom to the ground. He hopes to entirely eradicate our race from the cosmos."
More lies now. They tasted bitter on Thor's tongue. He did not understand how Loki did it so effortlessly. At the thought of his brother, a heavy weight dropped into Thor's stomach. He dreaded to consider what torments Loki was at this moment enduring under the hand of Thanos, nor consider how long he could withstand them until he broke. He had survived once, Thor reminded himself. He could only hope his brother was strong enough to survive again.
"So you brought your survivors here?" Ross shook his head. "Without stopping to consider that Thanos might not care whether he eradicates two races for the price of one –"
"Our people are refugees," Valkyrie spat, breaking her silence. "We have been ravished by war. Our homeland has been destroyed. Surely you mortals are not strangers to the concept of mercy?"
"We're not going to willingly invite a group of a thousand people into our country whose presence might result in its ruin," said General Ross.
"They are injured and starving! They are orphaned children!" Valkyrie's eyes flashed dangerously. She gripped the armrests of her chair. She looked ready to launch herself bodily at the General across the table.
"Valkyrie, be still –" Thor cautioned.
"Your people won't be hurt," Tony interjected. "And they will be taken care of. I've got aid packages en route right now. You've got my word on that." General Ross looked at Tony as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Don't pretend like I trust you, Tony Stark," Valkyrie said darkly but fell into an unwilling silence.
"Please, General, I assure you," Thor braced his elbows on the table, "I mean Earth no harm. I swore to protect this realm. I am king of Asgard now – and have sworn fealty to the nine realms under my watch. I have fought to protect Midgard in the past, side-by-side with Tony Stark, Captain Rogers, and the rest –"
"Mr. Rogers," General Ross intercut, "is currently a fugitive of United States justice. He's got a long stint in a penitentiary ahead of him if he ever dares show his face in this country again. And that goes double for the freaks he calls his friends."
Thor sat back, stunned for a moment into silence. He clenched his jaw. "Be cautioned, General," he said at last, "At one time I counted these so-called freaks as my own friends."
"You'll do well to rethink that, your majesty," said Ross, voice curled in disdain around the words your majesty.
"Uh – listen," said Bruce, ever the voice of reason. He lifted both hands in the air in a sign of submission, "I don't know what's happened here since I've been away. But I know that, whatever it was, it can't have been good. And I also know that Thor, or his people, don't mean to cause any more harm –"
"Yes," said Ross viciously, "but you know as well as any that harm need not be intentional, does it, Banner?"
Bruce's mouth snapped shut. He sat back in his chair, face unreadable.
"Okay," Tony let out a breath. "I don't think this is accomplishing anything. I think – if I may be so bold –"
"Since when do you have to ask, Stark?" the General snapped.
"I think," Tony pressed on, "that the General needs to confer with others in authority about this situation. In the meantime, I've set up reservations for you three in the local motel. That's the singular local motel. It's a small town, and not exactly the Hilton –"
"Thank you, Tony," said Thor, trying to keep his voice civil, but it left his lips stiffly. "But my place is with my people."
"Your place," General Ross said, pushing his chair back and standing so he could look down on Thor, "is right where we tell you it is. You're trespassing on US soil, your highness. That's my jurisdiction, and you'll do well to remember it."
OOO
"A peace offering?" said Tony, looking apologetic in the doorway of the hotel room, hoisting two clanking bottles into the air by their necks.
Thor let him cross the threshold with a roll of his eyes and assenting nod. "But I warn you," he said, "I expect explanations along with your drink."
Tony shut the door firmly behind him, blocking the view of Ross's men mulling outside in the hallway.
Bruce came out of the bathroom doorway, toweling off his hair, having just finished his shower. "I've got a feeling they're for me," he said, nodding through the doorway to the guards outside.
Tony grinned, but it looked like it caused him physical pain, "I'm afraid to say they're for all of you. Ross isn't taking any chances – superhuman beings are…a touchy subject in US bureaucracy right now."
"Because of these Accords?" Bruce said shrewdly. He answered Tony's look of surprise with a shrug, "Free Wi-Fi. Caused quite the media disturbance. Leipzig, Tony, really?"
"You don't know the half of it, Bruce," Tony objected. "I did what I thought was right – what I still think is right. Someone had to try and stop them."
"Them?" Thor demanded. "Those who were once your allies and friends, Tony?"
"Listen," Tony said testily, "I didn't come here to talk about my morality, or lack thereof. I came here to offer you booze and attempt to smooth the feathers Ross ruffled earlier."
"So you're Ross's public relations man now, huh?" said Bruce flatly.
Tony balked, clearly about to retort angrily when Valkyrie pushed open the door from the adjoining room.
"Did someone say booze?" She snatched the bottles out of Tony's hand. "Shit, yes. I was afraid you mortals didn't believe in the stuff." She ripped off the stopper of the bottle and placed the rim directly to her lips, taking a large gulp. She swallowed and pulled the bottle away from her mouth with a grimaced. "What is this – water?"
Tony looked a mixture of horrified and impressed, "That's Napoleon Brandy."
"Well," Valkyrie retorted, "you can tell your chum Napoleon that his alcohol is shit."
"Tony," Thor pulled the conversation back to center. He had no desire to argue, but he needed answers. "Where are they now, the others? Bruce told me they escaped from their island prison – do you know where they have gone?"
Tony looked over his shoulder as though he was afraid they were being watched. Bruce caught on quicker than Thor did. "Are we being monitored?" he asked, forehead wrinkling.
"The room's bugged, but I think I've taken care of all the necessary precautions." He paused to wave a cheerful hello at the nub of a sprinkler poking out of the ceiling. "We should be okay to talk freely."
Bruce's eyes remained narrowed in suspicion but he lowered himself onto one of the two beds in the room. He folded his towel next to him. Tony hooked a chair from the desk with his ankle and fell into it. Thor stayed on his feet, arms over his chest. Valkyrie leaned against the wall, taking another swig from the bottle which she showed no sign of wanting to share.
"Did I mention the hair looks great?" said Tony to Thor, but the ruse was evident. His voice was defeated even if the smile on his face was not. "And – er – not to be rude, but you seem to be missing an eye. Sure there's one hell of a story behind that, eh?"
Thor didn't answer.
The silence pressed Tony's voice into action. "Right. Well. Officially I have no clue where anyone is. Clint is back in safe retirement. Ross has his farm under constant surveillance – with equipment provided, and modified, by Stark Enterprises. For all Ross knows, the place has been abandoned for seven months, but that's just a loop of stock footage. As Clint is fond of reminded me, it was the least I could do." He added, "I think Wanda is with him. She was in…pretty rough shape after what they did to her."
Bruce shook his head. "She was just a kid, Tony."
Tony pretended not to hear Bruce, and kept talking. "Natasha is off somewhere being the frustrating secret spy with no identity we all know and love. Wilson is…I think still in Wakanda, but I don't know, he could be long gone by now." His voice was bitter when he finished, "I have no idea where Rogers is. Or his friend."
"The Winter Soldier?" said Bruce.
"The one and only," Tony's voice was tight. "You going to pass around that bottle, missy?" he snapped at Valkyrie.
"Sorry," she said lightly, and handed him the drained bottle. "Already empty."
"Steve's not crazy, Tony," Bruce insisted. "He wouldn't have done what he did if he wasn't absolutely convinced he was doing the right thing."
"And you don't think the same of me?" Tony asked, eyebrows drawn, expression almost pleading. Thor recognized his voice as that of a man who had asked himself the same question many times.
"Of course I do," Bruce said quietly, eyes dropping to the floor. He was not exactly emboldening.
"Alright, Thor," said Tony, turning away from Bruce, voice growing firm. Perhaps he was hiding hurt from the other man's words. "I've been truthful with you. Now it's your turn. What exactly is all this about?"
"It is as I say, Tony," Thor answered, unsure why he still felt so tentative about displaying the truth to his friend. He found lying difficult to stop once he'd started. "Thanos pursues us. I am afraid I have threatened the earth unduly. I must depart this planet as quickly as possible."
"Hate to break it to you," said Tony, "but earth hasn't quite mastered the art of intergalactic travel quite yet."
"I have…" Thor breathed, "a means. But I must be assured of your help, first, Tony, before I tell you. I must be honest. This situation I find on Midgard is gravely disturbing. The Avengers disbanded, those who once fought side by side now facing each other in battle."
"Please, I've heard enough of Miss American's self-righteous claptrap," Tony snapped. "Let's try to keep focused on the matter at hand, okay? For instance, the fact that your ship didn't take a leap through space without some kind of help, and your pal Thanos isn't chasing you just because you're a race of some super-beings with some half-assed god complex."
Thor chose to ignore Tony's comments. The man was obviously upset. "You are right," he said at last.
"It's the Tesseract, isn't it?" Tony guessed. "Thanos is chasing Infinity Stones, dammit."
"Yes," Thor couldn't help but hide his surprise and Tony rolled his eyes.
"In case it's slipped your mind, I am a smart man," he quipped.
"Then you understand now why it is imperative I depart from Midgard," said Thor urgently. "And the Tesseract must go with me. Its presence here is a great threat. And I have yet unspoken business with Thanos – for he holds hostage my brother. I fear for Loki's life if I do not act with due haste –"
"Loki!" Tony's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Are you insane, Thor? You're worried about frikkin Loki? The same guy who trashed uptown Manhattan?"
"My brother is not the man you once knew, Tony," Thor insisted. It was imperative Tony understand. Loki was Thor's brother, all the family of Thor's that remained now that Odin had dissolved into the cold Norwegian air, and even Hela, unknown sister, perished in the hellfire of Surtur's destruction. "He willingly sacrificed his life for Asgard's survival. And I have reason to believe his assault on Midgard was prodded by Thanos. I cannot leave him now to face alone the untold horrors of Thanos' prison."
"Erm – Thor," said Tony, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "No offense – I mean, I get that he's your brother – but he is a war criminal here on earth. He killed over four hundred people during the stunt he pulled in New York. I mean – it's great that he saved you, and all – but do you really think you can trust him? I mean, this is Loki. The kid who's, what, stabbed you in the back about four thousand times? How are you so certain he didn't plan this all out so Thanos could have easy access to the Infinity Stones?"
"But Loki left the Tesseract with us –" Bruce protested.
"Yeah, and let you flee to one of the few other known locations of another Stone," said Tony flatly.
Bruce turned to look at Thor, clearly expecting him to be angry at Tony's words, but Thor was silent. He was thinking about too much to speak immediately. Tony's words had lit a fuse of doubt inside him, something he feared that, if left alone to burn, would lead to a stack of flammable uncertainty.
Tony was right – how could Thor trust Loki? Oh brother, Thor thought fiercely, why did you have to make it so difficult?
And yet –
The terror in Loki's eyes had been unprecedent. Thor had never, in all his life, seen his brother shake in fear. Thor thought he could at least trust Loki's horror, if not his words. Tony had to comprehend the overwhelming weight of Thanos' threat in comparison to Loki's past transgressions.
"I – understand your misgiving, Tony," Thor spoke slowly. He was unaccustomed to examining his words before he spoke. Already he had learned much of the responsibility that came from being the voice of an entire people. "But I choose to trust my brother. I am tired of suspicion. If it is true that this exhaustion will lead to folly, then so be it – I would willingly suffer the consequences if only for the hope of someday having my brother returned to me."
"You may willingly suffer them," Tony's voice was uncharacteristically hard – what has happened to you, my friend? "But that doesn't mean you have the right to force it on the people of earth. I'm sorry, Thor. I'll do what I can to help your people, but I can't let you leave – not yet. Not until we get a fuller picture of what the hell this is all about. Earth can't afford any gambles, right now. And I won't be responsible for taking them – not again, I won't."
"Than you're a fool," said Valkyrie.
"What?" Tony snapped.
"Valkyrie –"
"No, Thor," said Valkyrie, pealing herself away from the wall that she had stood again, silent until now. Her eyes were lit with a ferocious gleam; in moments like this Thor remembered that she was a warrior. "You will cease stifling my voice. And you – Stark – you are a fool to not realize what must be done. Loki was brave enough to accept his fate. It is time you did as well."
"Listen, princess," Tony was on his feet, baring down on Valkyrie and Thor knew Tony lacked wisdom, but had not realized he how much he lacked if he would approach Valkyrie so brashly. "I don't know who you are – and, frankly, I don't give a damn – but don't you dare come onto my planet and start telling me what to do –"
"Someone must!" Valkyrie did not back down, although Thor was grateful to see she also did not yet draw the knives hidden in the tops of her boots. "This has passed beyond the interest of merely Asgard or Midgard. Thanos threatens the entire universe. You must pull yourself away from the self-preservation of your own planet and consider the survival of others – clearly difficult if you cannot even contain the infighting of your own defenders."
"Would you stop harping on that!" Tony exclaimed, wheeling on Thor. "It's been a shitstorm around here, Thor! And you have no right to blame me for the way things went down."
"I do not aim to cast judgement, my friend," said Thor. "I have learned that a man's actions cannot be weighed until all the cards are revealed. But, be warned, I will hold you accountable for the choices you make in this moment, Tony, placed in the middle, as you are, between the word of a friend and the motives of this General you so willingly follow."
"Alright," said Tony flatly and turned to leave, "That about does it. You three aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so I'm sure I'll bump into you again – but before then, go to hell. I'm not interested in listening to criticism from people who I once thought were my friends. Barring you, princess, because I still have no idea who the fuck you are."
Valkyrie crossed her arms over her chest, face hard. Thor did not make a move to protested as, with a self-aggrieved air, Tony swept from the room.
With a groan, Bruce was on his feet in a instant. "Tony, wait –" He tried to follow Tony into the hall but he was intercepted by one of Ross's guards, who stepped into his way. Bruce turned back and shut the door to their room behind him.
"Uh," he said. "I think we might be under house arrest."
OOO
Darkness fell swiftly across Midgard, the sun already exhausted by early winter's toll. General Ross did not forget about his prisoners, and sent several cartons of food to their room. Valkyrie remarked that they were probably poisoned before she snatched one full of rice and chicken for herself, and – along with the second bottle of alcohol Tony had left behind – retreated into her room, shutting the door behind her.
Bruce sat cross-legged atop one of the double beds, flicking through channels on the television as he ate. Thor observed several expressions wash across Bruce's face, ranging from pleasure, to shock, to revulsion as he tried to catch up on all the news he had missed over the past two years.
"I cannot believe he's our president," Bruce muttered finally, turning off the television and tossing the remote away in frustrated disgust. He leaned back in the bed, stretching his legs out in front of him and glanced to where Thor sat, crunched at the small desk against the wall, shoveling noodles into his mouth.
"You going to deal with that?" he nodded to Valkyrie's closed door. His voice was not exactly sharp, but it was certainly not his customary gentle tone. The circumstances had left all three of them rather irritable.
"What?" Thor said around his mouthful of food. There were so many things he was supposed to deal with; he was not aware that Valkyrie was another.
"I mean," Bruce propped himself up on his elbow, "I don't pretend to be an expert on women, but I think she might be upset."
"Are not you her friend, as well?" Thor demanded. "I could argue that you have certainly known her longer than I –"
"Yeah, well, considering I can't really remember knowing her…Besides, you two are both Asgardian, right? I mean, I don't want to impose, but – it's been a rough few days. Maybe it would be good for both of you to, well, you know…." Bruce's voice dissolved into a shrug of his shoulders.
Thor sighed and pushed himself out of his chair. "If I am gone for more than an hour, come to my aide," he warned.
"You're on your own," said Bruce behind him as Thor wrapped his knuckles thrice upon Valkyrie's door.
"Er – can I come in?" he mumbled through the door.
"You're the king," she answered from the other side. "You make the rules."
Thor opened the door, conscious of Bruce's eyes on his back, and stepped into Valkyrie's room. It was a mirror image of his and Bruce's – two beds, a dresser with a television, and a desk that nearly blocked the avenue to the door.
Valkyrie did not look up when Thor came in. She was perched on the edge of the bed nearest the window. Tony's bottle of alcohol dangled from her hands between her knees.
"Did you find dinner satisfactory?" Thor asked. He shut the door behind him. If Bruce was too afraid to get involved than he wasn't going to have the privilege of hearing their conversation.
"No less disgusting than what I've rummaged on Sakaar," said Valkyrie.
Thor uneasily recalled the scavengers' talk of eating him back among the trash heaps, but pushed the thought from his mind. He began carefully, "I – er – Bruce was under the impression that you were distressed."
Valkyrie cast Thor a withering look but thankfully did not chuck the bottle at his head. Thor would never willingly admit it, but he was a clumsy fool when it came to women – Jane could certainly attest to that.
Jane.
Thor had not meant to think of Jane, but now that he had, everything about her filled his head. She was probably not even aware that Thor had returned to earth, nor was she likely to become so. Her last words rebounded in his skull: for the best, Thor. Can't keep doing this. More important things on your mind now, and so do I. Let's stop kidding ourselves. It was never going to work.
For the best. Thor maintained that their separation had been mutual, and it had been, although only because Jane had voiced first the same thoughts Thor had only been too reluctant to speak aloud.
Valkyrie huffed and brought Thor stumbling back to the present moment: "You gonna just stand there and gawk?"
She shifted over on the bed, indicating Thor had permission to sit beside her. He did so, being careful to give them each plenty of girth.
The liquid sloshed within the bottle as Valkyrie lifted it to her mouth. Thor intercepted her, snatching the bottle out of her hand. Her mouth opened to protest but her lips clamped shut again when Thor, instead of throwing the bottle away as she evidently suspected, placed the rim to his lips and took a long draught.
He sighed when he was done, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and gave her back the bottle. It was nearly empty.
She chuckled softly in appreciation. Quickly her face darkened again. "Your friend is a real asshole, you know."
"Tony is…not the man I left two years ago," Thor admitted. "I am more disturbed by this turn of events than I can say. I had hoped for a different reception, that our people might be willingly embraced by earth's, that I could see my friends again band together in the face of a common enemy. I did not expect to find them more badly fractured than ever before."
"Yeah, well, we don't always get what we want," Valkyrie interrupted Thor. Her voice was bitter, and it struck Thor like a slap across his face that perhaps this moment need not be all about his own problems.
He clamped shut his mouth, hoping his silence might prod Valkyrie into an elaboration, but she remained stonily silent. Perhaps she was thinking of the crushing disappointment of watching their homeland be consumed by flames, despite their efforts. Perhaps of all the thousands they could not save. Perhaps she was thinking of the fallen sisters of millennias ago, their defeat at the hands of Hela a reflection of defeats past.
There had been no time, before, to assess the pain. Now Thor felt himself almost overwhelmed with it, a deep aching in his heart as he remembered all that had been lost: So many. So much. A civilization wiped out in furious obliteration, the cries of mothers, fathers, and children muffled in a violent death through flame – what else could Thor have done? What could he possibly have done to stop it?
If this was what it truly meant to be king – to be crushed by the responsibility of all their despairing voices, then it was a throne he did not want.
Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg. Their names clunked heavily into his stomach. And Sif. Her body had been counted neither among the dead, nor the living. He did not know where she was, but could hardly dare hope she had survived Hela's rage. And then there had been so many countless others with faces and names Thor did not know.
"I am sorry," said Thor softly to Valkyrie, thought sinking with regret into his chest and drawing him out of his reverie. "I do not think I ever asked you your name."
Valkyrie blinked. Her face went blank with shock; Thor might as well have said something obscene instead of to merely inquire her name.
Valkyrie recovered herself rapidly. She turned away, as if she was embarrassed, and finally answered, voice a murmur, "It's – erm – Brunnhilde." She took a deep breath and met his eye, gaze fierce. "My name is Brunnhilde."
"Brunnhilde," he fitted the name around his tongue. "Yes, a worthy name for a warrior such as yourself."
She accepted the compliment with a crisp nod. She turned away again, "I am sorry, Thor, about Loki. I truly am. I – the things I said on the ship – I did not mean them."
Thor sighed. "I understand. It was a…hasty moment."
Brunnhilde nearly smiled, cocking an eyebrow at his choice words. She was evidently anxious to move the conversation away from the somber topic and prompted him, "I'm guessing you're not content to sit around and wait until the metal man decides what to do with us?"
"No," said Thor, "you are right. We must act. The situation grows desperate."
"You intend to leave them?" Brunnhilde asked, speaking of the people of Asgard, Thor knew. Her voice did not sound accusing.
"I have to trust that our people will be safe on Midgard," Thor's voice was heavy coming up his throat. "As you said, Brunnhilde, this is beyond the scope of merely one planet."
"And this isn't actually more about saving your brother, is it?" Brunnhilde's gaze, despite the frost of alcohol across her eyes, was unnervingly direct.
Thor shook his head, "Do not ask me to answer that question. For now, all we can do is move forward if we are to retain hope of either the Universe's or Loki's salvation."
"Alright then," Brunnhilde stood abruptly; she tossed the rest of the alcohol from the bottle into the back of her throat. "I won't ask for an answer, then. First things first, what's the plan?"
"I am afraid we must be tactful f we are to ever consider the possibility of the Midgardians future assistance."
"Diplomacy be damned," Brunnhilde said briskly, "Let's get out of this fucking motel."
Thor joined her on his feet, smiling at her eagerness. In this, he thought, perhaps she was right. "I think I know yet of one who might be willing to help us."
It was time again to pay a visit to the strange sorcerer of Bleeker Street.
OOO
Loki was prostrate on his back, arms pinned painfully beneath him. He labored for air, lungs deflated in his chest. His breath stuttered in his throat as his shin unexpectedly snapped back into place, his seidr thrumming erratically through his body, strained and exhausted, desperately attempting to heal the flurry of injuries the Chitauri had left in the wake of Thanos' hiss: you have leave now to pick the little god apart.
But Thanos had once again called off the assault. Loki did not understand why, but he was beyond the point of asking questions. Thoughts chugged sloppily through his mind – Thor, dead, not dead, Loki walking over the bodies of Asgardians, stepping in their blood, Midgard, Thor was at Midgard, waiting for death at Midgard, Thor dead –
"Not to worry, little god," Thanos laughed. "I shall not go personally to enact vengeance upon your precious people. No, that job I entrust to someone else, for I cannot yet be interrupted in my quest. For, you see, I was on another errand when I was intercepted by your vessel. And I think it now high-time to return to it. But, have no fear, you and your people shall be punished for your part in keeping the Stone from me."
Thanos prodded again at the unraveling coils of Loki's mind and a groan piled into the base of Loki's throat, colliding into the gag stuffed in his mouth. And be wary, little god, do not attempt to hide anything more from my gaze. There is nothing I cannot pluck from your fragile mind.
With unprecedented savagery, Thanos buried his talons knuckle-deep into Loki's brain. Loki's back arched beneath him – he was afraid his spine would splinter from the force – and his cry dissolved into the impenetrable muzzle. Why why why his thoughts spun jaggedly through his mind. He had nothing else to give – nothing else to give – nothing nothing – no more answers no more answers – no more –
Thanos tore free. Loki collapsed on the ground. He tasted acid and blood in his mouth. Tears pooled behind his shut eyelids.
"Take it away," rumbled Thanos' voice somewhere above him.
The scaly claws of the Chitauri descended once more upon Loki's body, grasping him under his arms and tugging him onto his knees. He tried to stand, but his body would not respond to the commands of his mind.
"And you may tell my son," Thanos added as the Chitauri dragged Loki like a limp puppet from the throne room, "that he may now have his fun with the prisoner."
Note: I apologize for this egregious shift in tone – but – I started cackling in the middle of the night when I reread "Mr. Rogers is currently a fugitive of United States justice." What did you do in the neighborhood, Fred?