Heeeeyyyyyy, what's up marvel fandom? Thanks for checking out my fanfic :)
So wow, I completely forgot this story existed. I started writing it a couple years ago and never finished it. And since I'm here, sitting at my desk, missing Target, praying that the apocalypse ends soon, I thought, eh why the heck not?
For real though, I hope everybody's doing okay and staying safe =)
Enjoy!
/If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous, would you be scared? I get the feeling just because, everything I touch isn't dark enough, if this problem lies in me... -Monster- Imagine Dragons/
It was silent.
For once, after years of listening to the sounds of screams, arguments, war, accusations, it was finally silent. He knew it wouldn't last long, so he took this moment to treasure it. Looking out a window, remembering the flames that engulfed his home weeks ago.
Loki played with his fingers absently, an old habit he never managed to get rid of. He exhaled shakily, cursing as his nerves got the better of him.
Thanos would be arriving soon.
According to his calculations, he approximately had an hour, forty minutes, and thirty-five seconds. Before his blood would be spilt.
Heimdall was the only one he'd told. And the Gatekeeper reacted rather calmly to the news to his surprise. They agreed on sending Banner to earth to warn the Avengers, Valkyrie would gather the remaining Aesir and leave in the escape pods. His main goal though was to keep Thor alive.
While counting the stars, he allowed his mind drift off and replay certain events that occurred in the last several years.
The force of the wind hit against his face painfully, his cape was practically ripped to shreds, his eyes watered as he screamed desperately to his father.
"I could've done it father! I could've done it! For you! For all of us..." He continued, with the little hope left in him vanishing quickly.
"No Loki."
No Loki.
No Loki.
No Loki.
No Loki.
No Loki.
No, you're not worthy. No, you're not worthy of your title. No, you're not one of us. No, you're not my son. No, you're not worthy of the loved ones you have betrayed. No Loki...
He let go of Gungnir, trying his best to drown out Thor's screams of agony.
The Mad Titan sat proudly on his throne, waiting for the Other to return with his prized prisoner.
And it wasn't long before he did. The fallen prince was being dragged in by his arms, leaving a trail of crimson blood behind him. The Other dropped him by the Titan's feet, and he fell with a pained gasp.
The Other nodded to Thanos. "He's ready master."
"Excellent, I was worried we'd have to waste more resources for him to break." Thanos said indifferently, bending down to meet Loki's gaze. "Earth is in need of a ruler Asgardian. My servants say you're finally up for the task. Do you believe yourself capable of leading my army and conquering this world?"
"Yes, my lord," Loki rasped harshly.
Thanos grinned with sadistic pleasure. The son of Odin belonged to him now, and he relished in knowing that he was the first in the universe to own a God as a slave.
"You're a monster," Natasha shuddered, hating the way the interrogation turned out.
I know...I always was.
"If it's all the same to you...I'll have that drink now."
"Get up," Thor snarled, pushing his teammates out of the way so he could grab his brother. Loki made no sound, nor fought back, he only shut his eyes when Thor hoisted him up forcefully.
"Take it easy Point-Break, don't wanna damage Shakespeare's all-mighty ego more than it already is," Tony smirked.
"So, what the hell should we do with this maniac? I say burn him at the stake, oh no wait, that's not painful enough. Maybe we should figure out a way to get inside his head and disintegrate his brain. Sound about right?" Clint breathed out enraged. His arrow still aimed directly at Loki's eye.
"Calm down Clint." Natasha whispered, while putting a supporting hand on his shoulder.
It wasn't long before Shield swarmed the entire place. Fury walked in shortly thereafter, holding what looked suspiciously like a muzzle, Steve looked down uncomfortable, not wanting to see the inevitable. Fury locked gazes with Thor, and the God of Thunder nodded in silent approval without hesitation.
"I didn't know mortals had contraptions such as these in their possession regularly." Loki spoke up suddenly with his eyes wide open again.
"We don't, your big brother was the one who happened to provide us with this. You brought it down from Asgard didn't you?" Fury asked coldly.
"Aye, now can you put it on him without further interruptions"? Thor snapped impatiently, swallowing down his guilt. He made the mistake of briefly looking into his brother's eyes. They were empty, yet different. There was something, something that hadn't been there before. A genuine sad spark that seemed so familiar.
"With pleasure." And with that, Fury harshly took hold of Loki's jaw and snapped the muzzle on. The God of Lies couldn't help but flinch when the muzzle made contact with his face, but he didn't fight back.
"About time we tame this wild animal," Clint murmured, Steve nudged him pointedly.
"Kay, now that that's settled, how about some shawarma?" Tony reminded his team, trying to ease the tension in the room.
Thor sighed heavily as he helped escort his brother out, deliberately ignoring the strange feeling that something wasn't right.
He wanted (needed) her to leave him. Wanted her to reel back in disgust and disown him like Odin had done. But the crestfallen expression Frigga gave him instead, made him want to fall on his knees in shame and beg for forgiveness.
Repulsive little beast, you should've accepted the assassin's offer and ended it with her blade when you had the chance.
"You're always so perceptive, of everyone but yourself," she whispered with grief, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
Loki shook his head, wishing she could see what he really was; and continue on with her life without him.
You did this. You caused her suffering. Look at the mess you've made once again Laufeyson.
"The Queen is dead."
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
Dead...?
He only nodded silently in response to the guard.
Satisfied, the guard left immediately without another word.
Loki stood up, placing his journal back down on the nightstand. He felt stiff, numb...
Time seemed to slow down incredibly for him. The shock wore off soon enough, and was replaced with horror and anguish.
Dead?
She was gone.
The woman who raised him, fed him, clothed him, taught him how to read and cast spells was gone.
"You might want to take the stairs to the left."
"Am I not your mother?"
"You're not."
Dead.
Loki couldn't care less about destroying his cell. The furniture she had given him were thrown across the prison. His sedir became erratic, clawing against his skin; desperate for escape. Everything that was within his reach, he smashed to the ground.
"Wherever you go there is war, ruin, and death."
"Why couldn't you just let me freeze in that temple? Why did you bring me here, why did you bring me here?!" Loki tore out a handful of hair as tears slipped down his face. He was stepping on glass and found satisfaction in that. He deserved to bleed for eternity for his sins.
Loki thought no amount of torment could compare to being a captive of the Mad Titan for a year. But alas, he was wrong, he didn't know unbearable suffering like this.
"Look at what you've done." Loki murmured to himself before sinking to the floor and breaking down.
His illusion remained in place the entire time.
"But you should know that when we fought each other in the past, I did so with a glimmer of hope that my brother was still in there somewhere. That hope no longer exists to protect you. You betray me, and I will kill you."
"I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all!"
Loki grinned, more than amused at the thought, he didn't care if he looked like a madman for the act.
"Hmm, when do we start?"
The pain struck him instantly. It only intensified when Kurse shoved him away, and he hit the ground with a cry.
His body arched uncomfortably, as his magic fought to repair the damage (but he knew there was no hope for him at this point).
"See you in Hel, monster." Loki said with pure hatred, watching the demon vanish before him.
Thor held him carefully, muttering what a fool he was, to which he agreed wholeheartedly. He tried apologizing to his brother, to make things right between them before it was too late. Thor shushed him gently, reassuring him it was alright. The wound burned, and he could see his hands turning grey. It was excruciating, but he wasn't afraid of death. In fact he welcomed it, it didn't matter if he went to Valhalla or Hel. He'd have more rest there than here.
Thor's voice was becoming more, and more distant. His sedir pulsed through him one more time, before he felt it fading away.
Finally.
"-at the end of the day, you're you and I'm me. Maybe there's still good in you, but let's be honest, our paths diverged a long time ago," Thor said with a resigned smile.
The words stung, he honestly should've expected Thor to say something like that. His brother had every right to move on, as much as he didn't want him to.
"It's probably for the best that we never see each other again."
"That's what you always wanted."
No idiot, that's never what I wanted. Have you ever even known me?
It took all his willpower not to shake Thor by the shoulders and ask him why they couldn't start over. His shoulders slumped with relief (though he did his best not to show it) when Thor suggested they do get help. A tactic they often used in their youth against their opponents. It was ridiculous, but he longed for the normality of it, so he agreed.
"I'm sorry...," the trickster said aloud to no one. All those memories would always be right there with him, to haunt and terrorize him until he finally gave his last breath. There wouldn't be any resurrections this time.
Loki thought of his mother, wondering if she still watched him from Valhalla. If she would be proud or disappointed.
He already missed his brother, it tortured him to think about what could've been. If they could've actually made it to Norway, and rebuild their kingdom and relationship, it was a nice and foolish thought.
Loki walked down the dim hallway to accompany Thor, for what he knew would be the last time.
It was time to do his penance.
If you leave a review, I'll send you that golden egg you've always wanted from the Easter bunny :)
(FYI, the assassin Loki referenced was Gamora)