Leaving the ants to their horrifyingly logical way of life, Loki left the lab, not bothering to step over the supine guards on the floor.
Walking across the warehouse floor, he noticed his sceptre lying nearby. Steve must have dropped it during the fight.
It seemed to beckon Loki closer.
Before he knew it, his fingers had closed around it.
And the realm of Midgard vanished.
Asteroids floated in space above a vast nebula, turning slowly as they cut a path across the stars.
Loki swore as he realised where he was and became aware of another presence standing on the stone platform with him.
The all too familiar wizened creature smiled with a mostly toothless mouth.
'The fallen prince returns', The Other said mockingly, robe rustling over the rocky surface as he moved, 'But not on your knees as expected'.
'Not as unexpected as your continued existence', Loki sneered, 'Or as unwelcome'.
'You think a pithy human thermo-nuclear device can harm Thanos' chosen?'
'I am allowed to hope'.
'You think so? You failed in your mission. Thanos is displeased'.
'Not that much if he sent you to reprimand me'.
'I doubt your conviction. The sceptre is back in your hands and I saw the soldier lying helpless within your reach. Why does he still live?'
Loki felt a burst of anger. He could not identify the source but concluded it was most likely because of The Other's smug air of superiority.
'Maybe because you pulled me away for this little chat?!'
'Careful Trickster', The Other said, all pretence of humour dropped, 'You have a bad habit of over-reaching. It is a long way down should you fall'.
'Not if you have company!' Loki snapped.
As Loki reached for the grizzled advisor's throat, Midgard suddenly returned, the cold atmosphere of space receding as The Other dismissed him.
He and Steve were still alone on the warehouse floor: like on previous occasions, no time seemed to have passed during his talk with The Other.
Steve lay where Loki had left him, lying flat on his face.
Loki looked at the sceptre in his hand.
The blue energy crackled enticingly as the golden casing caught the light. Loki still admired it. Despite it acting as a surveillance tool for Thanos it was a beautiful weapon. Suitable for a king.
He hastily shook his head.
No! It was dangerous! He had picked it up because of the innate magic it held: it wanted to be used so it used telepathic suggestion to get others to pick it up. That was all! Just a cheap mind trick. But an annoyingly effective one Loki had not been able to figure out yet.
Steve moaning drew Loki's attention back to where it should have been.
The soldier was stirring.
Loki walked around the prone body so he could see his face.
Steve looked up at him with eyes that were still struggling to focus but he seemed aware enough of his compromising position.
He was helpless. And Loki was unbound.
Loki's eyes darted back to his sceptre.
There was only one thing to do.
Loki lowered the sceptre and reached down towards Steve.
His hand never made contact.
Before Loki knew what was happening, his hand was enclosed in something massive, strong and green.
As he was raised off the floor, he wondered why he was suddenly covered in brick dust.
He made the connection as he realised he was now dangling by one arm. He looked up and met the green eyes of the monster the humans called 'The Hulk'. Loki snarled and kicked out on reflex. It connected with the creature's chest and jarred Loki's leg. He gasped in pain and The Hulk just growled warningly as he shook a few brick fragments off his shoulders. Loki got the message and dropped the sceptre. Hulk kicked it away.
Loki saw real SHIELD agents begin to flood in through the 'entrance' that The Hulk had just provided. The archer and Iron Man were with them, obsolete weaponry and not-so-obsolete weaponry raised.
The other two so-called 'Avengers' went to Steve who was sitting up slowly, still dazed.
They had a hushed conversation between them. Loki scowled as he saw the archer's eyes narrow suspiciously as he looked at him but Steve shook his head.
'Believe it or not, I am the injured party this time', Loki said coldly.
'The way you talk, you're always the injured party', Iron Man deadpanned, 'Do you have any idea who took you?'
'Or were you too busy gettin' your butt kicked to notice?' Hawkeye asked with a raised eyebrow and a smug little twist to the mouth.
Loki glared at him.
To Hel with it.
Let them figure it out for themselves.
Why should he help them solve gaps in their primitive security systems?
Without their commander, Hydra would not dare make another attempt. Judging from the multitude of Hydra operatives being led out of the warehouse in the background by SHIELD there wouldn't be enough left to do much of anything.
'I have no idea but I am debating which company I prefer', Loki shrugged.
'If you know anything Loki, you should tell us', Steve said, rubbing the back of his neck.
There was a rather nasty bruise starting to colour his forehead.
Loki gave a knowing smirk but said nothing.
'You owe me', Steve said simply.
Loki kept quiet and tried very hard not to laugh.
Appealing to his personal honour?
The poor soldier must have a concussion!
'Get him outta here', Hawkeye snapped, losing what little patience he had.
The Hulk obliged, clamping Loki's arms to his sides and carrying him outside to a van. A fitting chariot to convey Loki back to his fortress cell at SHIELD HQ.
'My head's still pulsing', Steve muttered, massaging his temples.
They were back in the room holding Loki's cell. Loki was amused at how reassuring it was to be back. So it was true: home was a state of mind.
'She hit you with some kind of contraption', Loki said, 'I think it was the same one from before. I wasn't fast enough to stop her'.
'It's okay', Steve said, 'Thanks for helping me out. I thought you would've left me and chased her'.
'I was weighing up my options', Loki lied, 'You at my mercy or a hunt. Both were extremely tempting but I usually prefer the easy option'.
Steve sighed and crossed his arms.
'The others aren't here Loki'.
'My word, really?' Loki said, glancing around, 'The monster isn't hiding behind your chair?'
Steve laughed.
It sounded so genuine that Loki stopped his pantomime searching motions.
Why was the soldier smiling like that?
Like they were friends or something?!
'You don't need to put up the front', Steve said shrugging, 'We both know you weren't gonna fire that thing at me'.
Loki felt strangely embarrassed.
No he hadn't intended to fire it.
That would be too much of a red flag to Thanos. Loki would decide how his enemies died, not a wrinkled old golem like Thanos' advisor.
But then, why hadn't he done something else?
Snapped Steve's neck.
Shot him with a Destroyer gun.
Vaporised him with magic.
As far as methods of murder were concerned Loki would had been spoilt for choice.
But then why hadn't he?!
Loki enjoyed contrariness but the advisor was right. Loki and Steve were enemies.
You killed your enemies. Preferably after showing them what a bad idea it was to be your enemy.
Then again…
Steve had not behaved like an enemy: ensuring Loki was treated fairly, speaking up for him and most insidiously of all, being a genuinely nice person to him.
He had even broken into the warehouse to save his life.
Loki didn't like it. He wasn't sure how much more of Steve's understanding he could take.
Especially since Steve had no idea that he was going to be a (hopefully) useful meat shield when Thanos came looking for Loki.
Loki was not technically Asgardian but the issue of being in Steve's debt sat ill with him. In Asgardian tradition, he would have been expected to swear himself to Steve's service or perform an equal task to keep things fair between them.
Then, perhaps… Loki should give Steve a fighting chance?
After all, giving Steve information would make him a better distraction: he'd last longer.
It was a far better reason to talk to Steve than Loki admitting Steve had killed a portion of Loki's disdain for him with kindness.
Steve was so intrigued with Loki's pensive silence that it surprised him when Loki abruptly spoke.
'I'm going to tell you something', Loki said stiffly.
'No need to say thanks', Steve joked, amused by Loki's begrudging tone, 'All in a day's work for Captain America'.
'Shut up and listen', Loki said sharply, 'Your autobiography says that the group Hydra were the ones who found the Tesseract in its hiding place on this planet'.
'Yes. They thought it was the key to world domination. Same as you'.
'It was never a key', Loki said darkly, 'It was a price to pay. I was to hand it over in exchange for the army I desired'.
'Who wanted-'
'It is fortunate I was paid in advance', Loki interrupted, 'For all of us'.
'Sorry Steve', Loki thought, 'You don't get that titbit'.
'What do you mean?' Steve asked.
'The cube and my sceptre use the same kind of energy and both are dangerous'.
'How dangerous?'
'In the wrong hands they can destroy planets. And if you think my decisions are questionable you don't want to see the 'wrong hands''.
'Well sorry but you'll be keeping the cube company on its way to the right hands in Asgard'.
'I suppose my sceptre will be coming too', Loki asked in a light hearted way, despite the dread boiling in his stomach.
There was no way in Hel that Odin was going to keep the Tesseract on Asgard: that cube would most likely be given to the likes of The Collector for safe keeping.
It was the sceptre he needed to get away from.
'No', Steve replied, 'SHIELD want to run some tests on it first. Think it's best we keep it and you as far away from each other as possible. I still think it's a bad influence'.
'Probably for the best', Loki nodded, fighting down the sudden urge to whoop and cheer.
Yes!
Despite the cell, he was free and clear!
No more nightmares, no more constant dread, no more fear.
He couldn't believe his luck: he had actually won for a change!
'Thor will be here tomorrow to transfer you to Asgard. Not gonna have any problems are we?'
'None from me Steve', Loki promised, not noticing his casual use of the soldier's first name.
He was in far too good of a mood.
Steve smiled uncertainly: Loki's use of his first name was unusual.
Was he actually grateful for being rescued or for Steve's belief in him?
Perhaps Steve fighting beside him had struck a chord. After all, he hadn't killed him when he was dazed. Steve wasn't naïve enough to believe Loki was a good person but perhaps it was too low even for him to attack someone who was helpless. Someone who had helped him and treated him like a person.
Maybe it was a way to part on amicable terms or merely a slip of the tongue.
Or more likely it was just a way for Loki to mess with his expectations or get him to lower his guard.
As Steve left, he made a mental note to keep his guard up the next day.
He didn't know what Loki had done to the female commander but he knew he hadn't let her go. It had been very convenient that Steve had been incapacitated and not witnessed what Loki had done. He didn't remember the woman hitting him with anything at the warehouse and he had none of the sensations he had experienced previously.
Steve was an optimist but he wasn't stupid.
Loki cried out in pain.
He jammed a hand over the rising bulge in his neck as warm blood leaked between his fingers. Thanos was holding him a telekinetic grip that exerted more pressure on him than the Hulk's had. It felt like he was trying to pull something (Loki did not know what) loose. Loki had simply assumed this was another nightmare until the searing pain had begun.
Suddenly he felt the stomach churning sensation of his skin tearing and saw a metallic object hovered in the air.
Loki fell to his knees as Thanos stopped holding him and coughed as his regenerative abilities struggled to staunch the blood flow and repair the gash in his neck that Thanos had caused.
Thanos watched Loki gasp with distaste before turning his attention to the small object rotating slowly in the air in front of him.
'A primitive tracking device', The Other appraised from his position beside Thanos' throne, 'Like those they use to tag their dogs'.
Thanos coldly watched Loki gurgle and try to staunch the blood from his neck.
'A fitting ornamentation', he said, 'He whines so piteously and bites the hand that tries to feed him. Perhaps you were right all along'.
'I was my Lord', The Other wheedled, 'You have so many other, more robust, servants. What use is this runt to you? Passed between captors like a whore at one of Asgard's banquets!'
'I tried to escape!' Loki cried desperately, 'Using sympathetic agents but-'
Thanos gave a booming laugh. Loki cried out in additional pain as it thundered inside his head.
Thanos knew he was lying. No tricks could work on him.
The only option now was to hope Thanos did not drag out his death.
'I wonder if he could manage a simple task?' Thanos mused in a faux conspiratorial tone, 'For his master?'
Loki, feeling the sticky wound on his neck finally closing over, stood up.
He said nothing.
If he was no use, then why was he still alive?
Was it really because it amused Thanos? To see him scared and helpless?!
Just get it over with!
Thanos could crush him with a thought! How could such a powerful being be so petty?!
The irony of his position made him feel physically sick or perhaps that was the terror at being the full focus of Thanos' attention. It was made worse that Thanos was obviously relishing the irony.
The granite like figure rested his chin on a massive hand and smiled with teeth like tombstones.
'You do not object then? Very well. I command you to amuse me 'Dog-Who-Would-Be-King'. Kill one of those who defeated you'.
Loki swallowed the gasp brewing in his chest, trying desperately to remain impassive.
'Or at least try to. You may choose which one', Thanos said, waving his other hand, 'My advice is, avoid the green one'.
The Other cackled knowingly and Loki shot him a venomous glance.
'All I ask is that you make a genuine effort,' Thanos said, in a perversely paternal tone, 'I will know if you don't. Consider it a test of loyalty'.
At an incongruous finger flick from Thanos, the floating tracking device impacted with Loki's forehead like a speeding bullet.
His head snapped back and he fell onto a soft surface.
He shot up and realised he was back in his cell, the bedsheets stuck to his sweat streaked body. He felt his forehead and found no impact. But in his other clenched fist, he realised he held the tracking device. He ran a hand shakily over his face and flung the device to the other side of the room.
He fought back tears of sheer fatigue and frustration.
How was he to accomplish such a task?! When he had already failed with an army at his back?!
The Avengers would kill him without hesitation! They were on guard even if he looked at them in a manner they deemed disagreeable.
And if he fought one, he would have to fight them all! They might even take turns extracting their personal vengeances!
Unless…
Loki's mind began to race as an idea began to form. Thanos had given him a choice and he would use it. As long as he had leeway to manoeuvre he could win: walk the spaces between the words to find a narrative that suited him.
He would have to do it before he was transferred to Asgard as planned.
That left very little time.
Too little time to muse about the morality of his decision.
Loki made his choice.
The choice that would keep him alive.
Or kill him in the attempt, just like Thanos wanted.
