He won. But at what cost?

Another skyscraper buckled, one of the few left standing. Crashing to the earth with a rumbling shockwave of dust and glass.

Midgard had been utterly destroyed.

Loki slammed his staff into the ground. Caught himself on it. Supported his weight on it. His rich black hair matted to his face with blood and sweat. He lost track of where his helmet had gone. His bright blue eyes canvassed his immediate vicinity.

Silence overwhelmed the area. Save for falling debris. Save for a Leviathan's fading roar as it flew out of sight. The last of the human screams stopped long ago. The rummaging Chitauri chittered occasionally, but even they were drowned out by the lack of noise.

The self-proclaimed Avengers could do nothing to stop him. Their corpses littered the streets. This Realm's magic users couldn't do anything to stop him. The Chitauri's numbers alone proved too much for them. But they didn't go down without a fight.

He cried out in pain and gripped the staff tighter. His bleeding knuckles turned white with the determination of remaining on his feet. He had been ordered to reduce the population of this Realm by half. He went above and beyond. He reduced the population by all. It was the least he could do, given the circumstance.

A Chitauri soldier approached. Its demeanor cautious and unsure. It held up surrendering hands. Placed its weapon on a chunk of cement jutting into the air. Offered a hand in assistance.

"Leave me be." Blood trickled out of his mouth, and he leaned heavily on his own weapon.

It tentatively stepped closer. Gestured again.

His facial expression curdled with newfound rage. How dare this beast not listen to him. His wavering voice echoed. "I said leave me be!"

The Chitauri shrunk back. Its hands went into the air once more. It retrieved the blaster. Glanced at the trembling victor before returning to inspecting the rubble for survivors.

Loki searched the other soldiers who had stopped and stared at his outburst. He inhaled an uneven breath. Straightened as best as his gashed torso allowed. "Finish the job, miscreants. I want no Midgardian left alive."

They communicated amongst themselves. Followed the bidding of their leader.

The silence returned. Devastation hanging thick in the air. The wind berated broken buildings, beat against mangled vehicles. It carried soot with it everywhere. Dragged filth down the cracked roads penetrated with rebar. Pale clouds covered the sun, but it didn't stop some light from filtering through, glinting off sharp edges of glass.

"That's no way to treat your army. Especially after such success."

Loki swallowed at the voice, his saliva caked with ichor. He dared not look at the Titan who approached from behind. Not in his current condition. "Sometimes they need," a spray of blood left him as he violently coughed, "they need motivation."

"Mm." Long, paced steps carried Thanos over to his underling. He secured an assertive stance. Clasped his hands behind his back, the Eye of Agamotto firmly in his grasp. "The Chitauri aren't the brightest, but they get the job done."

"Y-yes." His eyes squeezed shut. A fresh wave of pain drowned out the rest of his senses. He glanced down. Streams of crimson covered his green and gold armor. He faltered. If only he had learned the healing magic of his beloved.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

A rogue tear leaked from his eye, and his jaw slid open with a strained exhale. Eyes fluttering, he shook his head. His punctured chest tightened.

The silence became deafening.

Loki clung to his staff with both hands. "I did." He had found what he was looking for. He expected joy, but instead, he received the worst pain he ever experienced. A suffering worse than the multitude of injuries inflicting him now. But then…how did one heal a shattered heart?

Thanos's head slowly turned as he surveyed the leveled city. "Did celebration cause this planet's destruction?"

"No." More tears fell. Hot tears that rekindled his rage. Drops of blood snaked down the staff, leaving the bladed head and pooling on his hands. That blood not his own. He lost count of the amount of mortals he skewered. "They killed her."

"I see."

Another Leviathan roared in the distance. The Chitauri paused for a moment, looking up. They resumed their duties. Finding only mutilated bodies. The stench of fresh death mingled with the smells of dust, exposed rust, and anything that burned.

The Titan sighed through his nose. "And here you are, clinging desperately to life."

Loki released a cry. Despite his best efforts. He hated showing weakness in front of another powerful being, but he collapsed to his knees. Staring at Thor's motionless corpse before him. His hands slid down his weapon, leaving smeared trails of red. His body couldn't hold his weight any longer.

Odin spent centuries trying to break him. Thanos and his Black Order tried breaking him through various means of torture. None of them succeeded. Not even Ebony Maw. But this…this broke him. Broke him in a way that he didn't even know existed. He rested his forehead against the staff, warm from the day's usage.

Thanos moved to the frost giant's side. He didn't offer any aid. Didn't offer any support. "What will you do? Now that you've had your vengeance."

"I don't—" He coughed out more blood. His vision blurred. Not just with the loss of life force but with a new batch of tears. His beloved meant everything to him. And she was gone. No amount of vengeance could bring her back. No amount of murder could satiate his anger, relieve his crushing guilt.

He should've been there for her. Should've found her sooner. He should've stopped Odin from banishing her in the first place. It had all been his fault. He had been a fool, confessing his love to that tyrant of an Allfather. He should've known she'd be punished for his transgressions.

They killed her—those worthless Midgardians his so-called brother sided with. They feared her magic, and they killed her. To make matters worse, they kept her body. Kept her body for their twisted research and dissection. She would never know a proper burial. He could only hope the Valkyries chose her soul for Valhalla. She was a gentle warrior, but a warrior, nonetheless.

His strength slipped. The staff clattered to the ground. He caught himself on his arms. But it wasn't long before they gave out, too. He crumpled. Lying in a pool of his own ichor. Shattered glass and chunks of rubble grinding into his open wounds. His chest heaved with erratic breaths. "I wish to die."

Thanos allowed a short laugh. "But you won't. Another's stubbornness and will to survive has not matched my own until I found you. You crave death, yes, but not yours. You crave the death of others."

He closed his eyes. The darkness of his eyelids filled with the vision of his beloved's body splayed open as if she were a mere animal. But they had left her face perfectly intact. Left her eyes open so she could witness the horrors they performed on her. He had never seen her eyes so hollow. Had never seen such cold apathy in her expression.

The love of his life was gone. His heart and soul were so cruelly ripped from him. "I have nothing left to live for."

The Titan lifted his head. Bathed in the ash drifting from the sky. "Love means nothing in the grand scheme of the universe. Neither do you. I still own your life; you will do as I command. Control yourself. Stand up. Before I have to haul you up myself."

Loki opened his eyes. He knew Thanos would remain true to his word. He hated that his life belonged to another. Hated that it belonged to someone who could crush him in an instant. But what could he do? Another coughing fit wracked his compromised body. He didn't know how much longer he could make it. And if Thanos didn't want him to die, he would not know the sweet taste of death.

He rolled himself to his knees. Pushed himself to sit on his heels. He tilted his head toward the sky still ripped open by the portal. He grabbed the bottom of the staff. Clenched his jaw until his teeth ground together. Planted one foot underneath him. He sunk the head of the staff into the ground. Rose. Intense pain shot through him, and he stumbled.

Thanos scoffed at the exclamatory cry. "Return to the ship and get yourself patched up." He turned away. His long strides continuously set at a deliberate pace. "Do try to retain some dignity. Don't drag your feet."