Chapter 29: The battle of minds
Thanos POV
I had found an area of abandoned, underground tunnels. The walls were a darkened red-brick, that built up to form archways that could pass as royal if they were a different colour. After a day of escaping, I had already built up my ranks to a sizeable number of people who were of use. The floor was constantly covered in puddles and the ceiling leaked occasionally but it was of little consequence.
I had managed to gain many humans with knowledge on how to use their weapons and who were also enemies of S.H.I.E.L.D, the organisation against me. Many tunnels wormed their way around underground, giving us easy access to the land above, but they all lead to a heart. It was like many tributaries running together to form a river. We kept the portal-in-progress there for development.
It must have been some form of underground station as it had lights, pillars and enough space to house all those under my power, the portal-in-progress and the other pieces of electrical equipment and stolen science experiments. Many of those controlled were of no consequence and could be easily disposed of at any time.
You really are the cruellest being in the universe, Loki hissed.
Loki was still there and still annoyed I took over his body. I sat in a secluded corner with a good view of all of my workers and my sceptre in hand.
Workers? They're slaves! Loki contradicted.
Is there a difference? I replied. To say Loki and I weren't getting along well was an understatement. We hated each other without reservation. There was no part of our souls, deep down or not, that had a different feeling other than hate and anger. I could not wait to get out of his body and crush Loki.
Charming, he replied dryly, let's just hope you're force is as formidable as you claim.
Do you question me, Asgardian? Do you question my superior? I hissed back.
So what if I do!
You question he who put the sceptre in your hands! I replied furiously, he who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out, defeated!
I was a king! he shouted back, the rightful king of Asgard!
But of course you're family had to get in the way, I replied.
What would you know about family, Loki snarled before sending me crashing into one of his childhood memories.
...I sat in the healing room with several healers flustering and running about in a panicked state. I was about 9. My nose wasn't that sore now but I could only see out of one eye. I scanned the room, looking for someone, at least, vaguely familiar. And then a loud shriek and the patter of a single pair of frantic footsteps came from the side of the room where I was blind.
"Loki! What in Vallhalla happened?" it was my mother. Finally, someone I knew was here. She put something cold on where the swelling on my eye was. I winced at the temperature before acclimatising and taking deep breaths as the healers tried to stop the steady stream of blood that was coming out of my nose.
"I went to go find Thor, to show him my new trick, but he was with his friends, playing battle," my mother could see what was about to unfold, "Volstagg was going to hurt Thor so I made him trip over a root that I conjured - my new trick - but Sif saw me doing it. She started screaming "cheater!" at me. I denied it knowing that I would get hurt but then Fandral joined in and eventually Volstagg. Thor called them off and said that he was going to find a maid to get refreshments. And you can probably guess the rest."
"Oh, Loki," mother pulled me into her embrace. I could hear the steady beating of her heart that immediately calmed me down.
"Why don't they like me, mother?" I asked. My voice was muffled from her cloth but she heard me.
"I don't know, Loki," she said kneeling down and looking up at me. She wiped a single tear that had gently began to trickle out of my only visible eye, "but I like you. In fact, I love you. Your brother does too."
"Really?" I asked, still sniffing, "but Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun don't like me."
"Loki, not everyone has to like you. It's just the one's that are essential in your life and the one's who like you for who you are," mother replied. I dried my tears and gave her another hug. The bleeding out of my nose had stopped and I held the bag of ice back on my eye.
At that moment Thor walked in to see me covered in dried blood and with a black, fully swollen eye.
"Loki!" he squeaked, running towards me, "what happened?"
"Your friends don't like me," I replied bitterly and then switched to innocence, "I was only trying to help, honest!"
"That's nonsense! My friends like you Loki!" Thor argued.
"That's not what they told me," I muttered bitterly.
"Thor, I suggest you talk to your friends. If this happens again, they will have me to talk to," mother ordered gently. I had forgotten she was still there.
"And me, mother," this brought a smile to my face. At least I could count on my family. Thor ran off to tell his friends what had happened and they never did the same thing to me again. Once I was older, they couldn't.
Loki forced me out of the memory with a surge of power. He was getting stronger. The fight to keep this body was getting harder. I didn't care for the body, just it's uses. Sadly, I could not have picked a more stubborn host.
That was your own fault, Loki smirked.
Shut up! I said getting agitated and ignored him for the rest of the day.
Author's Note: Just a little mind warfare between Loki and Thanos. Please review, favourite, follow and keep reading as it's starting to build up to something fairly significant.
DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN THE AVENGERS OR THOR!
