A/N: Thank you for all of the favs, follows and reviews!! You are all the reason I'm continuing this story!!!! Before I forget, there is torture. Thanks for reading!!

Disclaimer: Nope! Don't own anything you recognize!

When the day has come

That I've lost my way around

And the seasons stop

And hide beneath the ground

When the sky turns gray

And everything is screaming

I will reach inside

Just to find my heart is beating

-Imagine Dragons

-Bleeding Out

I'll stay to protect Asgard. Just as I've always done. Except staying only put Asgard in more danger. Do not mistake my decision for sentiment. Another lie. Sentiment was the only reason he'd stayed. You will serve your people and you will not abandon them again. He wasn't abandoning them, they were safer without him.

I guess I'll go it alone. Just as I've always done. Yes. You deserve to be alone and you always will be. Everywhere you go, there is war, ruin and death. For all his lies, Odin had been right. Asgard was safer without him. Always so perceptive of everyone but yourself. If only I could talk to you. Then am I not your mother? You're not. Loki had made many mistakes. If he could take back one thing, it would be those words. You're not.

Loki let out a shaky breath. Perhaps it's better we never see each other again. For Thor's safety. For Asgard's safety. The Tesseract was fighting against his magic, weakening the cloaking spells with every passing hour. It would stay in his cache until he called it forth, however, that was another dimension. Space was perfectly happy there and would not fight to escape. Being cloaked from it's brethren, it was that, that was causing Space to fight. Loki could not risk Thanos finding it. Especially not with Thor anywhere near him. You will long for something sweet as pain. No, he needed to get as far away from Thor as possible.

The Commodore, surprisingly, was in good enough shape to make a few jumps. Good. He needed to get out of the Statesmen's view. The colors reminded him all to much of the Bifrost. Another thing lost because of him.

Loki landed the Commodore on Astyxa, casting an illusion so that he would not be recognized. The last thing he needed was to be recognized as a child of Thanos. His shoulders broadened, his new beard and hair turning fiery red. His skin changed to a deep midnight tone and he was much shorter than usual. To top it off, Loki adjusted his vocal chords so that his voice was a high pitched chirp. There. Now he looked like an Astxan.

It wasn't hard to swipe the parts he needed from various vendors, paying those who looked as though they needed it. After shape shifting back into his usual form, he brought the parts to the Commodore, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw who was inside. Thanos and the Black Order, minus Nebula and Gamora. How did they find him so fast? More importantly, why hadn't he noticed them before it was too late? His gaze immediately flicked to Thanos' hand, the gauntlet on it and the Power stone in it.

"I believe you have something that belongs to us. You're coming with us." Nobody owns an Infinity stone.

"I'd much rather not."

"It wasn't a question." Proxima's spear found itself in his shoulder. Loki held back a wince as she extracted it, dripping with blood.

"Move." Briefly, he considered teleporting, but he needed to pour all of his strength into shielding the Tesseract. All except for the Heimdall-cloaking spell. If Thanos had the Power stone, he could not risk Thor coming after him. No, this was his burden. He would bear it alone. Loki turned around, Proxima's spear prodding him as if he was cattle. The Sanctuary came into view all too quickly for his liking. Unwanted memories were flooding his mind, making him shake.

"Where is the Tesseract?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." A knife embedded itself in his thigh.

"I see your manners have not improved." A knife in the other thigh.

"Nor has your splendid hospitality."

"I don't have time for this Trickster. I have never failed my father. I have broken you before, so why fight it? Father is inevitable." Loki laughed.

"I knew you were weak when you resorted to using the Mind stone, but this is just pathetic!" He was still laughing. Even as both arms snapped.

"Watch your tongue, scum!" Ebony was losing his temper. Good. If he kills me, my magic will die, along with everything in it. Including the Tesseract.

"Why would Thanos even adopt a worthless, powerless, pathetic beginner such as you." The words spilled out of his mouth in a rush, not bothering to check what he was releasing. A shattered femur. Ebony went to leave, stopping as Loki called out, still breathless from laughing.

"What, are you such a coward that you have to run to your father and say I'm not cooperating? Are you so utterly weak that you have to run for help?"

"I broke you once. I have broken everyone whom I have been told to break. Soon, you will be screaming."

"Yet here I am. I'd say there's a first time for everything, but seeing as you never truly broke me, it'd be less memorable. Tell me, Ebony Maw, how did your precious father punish you when I went free?"

"You bent to my will! I broke you! You attacked Earth at our command!" Ebony was screeching now, a bone breaking with each word. Clavicle, a couple ribs, phalanges, metacarpals and metatarsals.

"Except it wasn't you that broke me. The thing about breaking people is you cannot break someone who is already shattered. You cannot destroy when there is nothing to destroy." Endless darkness. You'd think he'd feel angry or hurt. There was nothing. All he felt was numb and empty. Two long daggers tore through both palms, pinning his arms to the table. A long sword protruded his gut, blade facing up from his stomach. Ow. Two more blades appeared through his feet, cutting through the tendons.

"You can do better than that."

"Do not worry, I'm just getting warmed up." Ebony ran several metal wires around each blade, connecting the tips to some sort of conductor of electricity. This was going to hurt. It'll feel just like Thor... Hitting you with Mjolnir... Repeatedly... More like the obedience disc. It would be fine. He wasn't even screaming yet. Yet? He wouldn't be screaming at all. Wave of pain after wave of pain hit him, each accompanying a new memory. Find out what he knows about the Infinity stones. Another broken rib. Tell me, does the Princeling see truth? Will he do as I ask? The blades were slowly heating up. The electric whip cracked, landing on his back. They betrayed you, wouldn't it be easier to give up? To attack Earth?

"Where is the Tesseract?"

"Safe."

"Give it to us."

"Has age made you deaf? I said it was safe." Boulders were on top of him, slowly pushing down. Soon, death will finally take me. Despite the pain, Loki laughed. Everything hurt, he was in Thanos' clutches and he laughed. Had he gone insane? No, that would indicate he wasn't already insane. The electricity stopped and the boulders stopped pressing down. The blades were still burning, but the voice behind him gave him chills.

"Enough. Leave him in the boiler, we know his own mind is his worst enemy." Thanos. The blades withdrew as he was shoved to the ground. Loki bit his tongue hard to resist making a sound. Show no weakness. Blood was flooding his mouth. I'm sure there's a lot of blood, focus.

"Get up!" Loki got up, nearly falling over. His limbs were still twitching from the electricity. Why was he shaking? It hadn't been that long, had it?

"Move." Straightening slightly, Loki stumbled down the hall.

"To the right, up the stairs." Right. He hadn't been in the Sanctuary as much as he was on Sanctuary the planet. No, it was a moon... Either way, he knew his way around. The boiler was on the top floor, 53 steps up from the floor he was on.

The steps were steep, winding round and round. Every time he stumbled or tripped, Ebony sliced his back with a rusty piece of scrap metal. Just a little farther. To what? Where we are going is no better than where we are. Is it? His mind was his enemy, yes, however it is not as merciless as Thanos would think.

When Loki fell from the Bifrost, he was broken. No, Loki. He had no purpose, no will, nothing left. Empty. Broken. Nothing. He didn't care what happened to him, if anything, he deserved it. He was a monster. Thanos had showed him what was left. They tortured him, but for nothing. Loki didn't scream, beg, agree or refuse. He just sat in silence as he was whipped, burned, sawed, cut and poisoned. Why fight it? Death was bound to come soon. All he wanted was death. Eventually, in a fit of anger, Thanos ordered Ebony Maw to use the Mind stone on him.

When the Mind stone is used on someone, it opens a pathway between the wielder and the victim. Although the victim cannot control the wielder, this pathway can be used by both parties, allowing Loki to see Ebony's memories. What he saw gave Loki a purpose; stop Thanos. With the fire within relit, the torture became harsher, because now, now they had something to break.

Loki didn't expect a companion in the boiler. Least of all Nebula. Why was Nebula here? Hadn't she escaped? Despite what Thor thought, he had not been lazing around. He had been searching for the Infinity stones along with those who had came in contact with them. Unlike Thor, he had actually found some. Mind and Time were on Earth. Mind with the Avengers, hopefully. Time in the Sanctum. Gamora and a group of delinquents had left the Power stone on Xandar. Space was on Asgard and Reality with the Collector. All that left was Soul, which he had been going to look for when Thor arrived. You just couldn't stay away, could you. You ruined everything. Anyway, he had thought that Nebula had escaped with Gamora.

Ebony shoved him in, using his magic to lift Nebula off the burning floor. The thin layer of water was boiling, underneath and her metal parts were red hot and rusting.

"Unfortunately, this traitor is of higher importance than you. You're going to the scale." With that, the door slammed shut leaving Loki in pitch darkness. The only sounds were the boiling water, his breathing and his racing heart rate.

It only took a few hours for the heat to get to him. He was already significantly drained from Surtur and the electrocution from earlier. His magic was weakening, his cache spilling out it's contents. Daggers, spears, a bow, a quiver full of arrows, books, various food items, water, a snaffle bridle and the Tesseract. No. Get up. He was soaked in sweat, the blue glow of the Space stone casting light on his black and red skin. Get, get up. Why was he panting? Tesseract. Why was that so important?

Loki could feel every spell he had casted release and retreat deep inside him. The water had evaporated long ago, leaving the air stiflingly dry. Cool air wafted in as the door creaked open, revealing a lithe figure on the other side. Why was he on the ground? The dim light was blinding compared to the inky blackness. Why was the world spinning? Loki shook his head to clear it, but that only made it worse.

Another presence surrounded his own, forcing him into a kneeling position. The blue light moved upwards as someone picked it up. Why did it fill him with dread?

"I told you, in the end, you will always kneel." Should he recognize those words? Why was it so hot? The presence left him as he crumpled to the ground. Why was he so tired? Sleep. His body demanded sleep, but a part of his mind said he must stay up. Why?

"You must be strong, my son. It is not your time to join us."

"Mo-mother?" She was right there, close enough to touch. He reached out weakly, but his hand passed through her.

"You must be strong." Then am I not your mother? You're not."I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It was a lie! I didn't-"

"Shh. It's alright my boy. I know. I am sorry I didn't see it sooner. You have to be strong, Loki. Your brother needs you." She was starting to fade.

"No. No, please don't leave me! Come back!"

"You must be stong." Then she was gone. You must be strong. You must be strong. Your brother needs you. He needed to escape. Thor needed him.

A/N: Hopefully the story isn't going downhill. I feel like it is, but that could just be me. Thanks for reading!