A/N: Thank you all so much for all the reviews, favs and follows!! I am so glad that I decided to continue this story. All of your reviews mean so so much!!!
Disclaimer: No.
Thor had never been one to pace. Loki could pace for hours, but Thor didn't pace. That's because you never needed to. When you got upset, stressed or impatient, you simply smashed everything in sight. The voice sounded all too much of his brother. Two days. Two days and Loki hadn't returned. Where are you?! Why hadn't he came back? He couldn't lose Loki, not again. He hadn't eaten, nor slept since his brother left. Val was more prickly than ever from the lack of alcohol and everyone was on edge. He had asked Heimdall to search for Loki, any sign of him at all. Bruce was making repairs... ish and Thor was pacing.
"Would you stop that?!" Loki hardly acknowledged him, merely nodding in his direction.
"Come on Loki, calm down. She's fine. Besides, it's just a horse."
"Just a horse?! Ever since you got that cursed hammer, you've been insensitive, and and I don't even recognize you anymore! When's the last time you even let Jyorra out of his stall?"
"Oh come on, she was going to die in another couple decades anyway. You'll never be ready. Say goodbye now. Spare your sensitive heart the pain. Just stop pacing!"
"Sensitive?!"
What would he give to have that sensitive little boy back? Someone who actually talked and let Thor know what he was feeling. Who knew the roles would reverse.
"Say goodbye."
"Not this day."
"This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing. It's a heart beat. You'll never be ready."
You're right, I'm not. So please, please come back. Send me a sign, something!
Thor was standing in front of the window, staring into space distracted when Heimdall grabbed his shoulder.
"Titan. Loki is on a ship headed to Titan."
"How many jumps is that?"
"Thor, there's something you should know." Formalities were gone.
"Tell me on the way. How many jumps is that?"
"Your brother wouldn't let me see him unless he had no choice."
"All the more reason to go find him."
"Thor, if his magic has indeed died, he isn't that far from joining the king and queen."
"How strong is that ship?"
"Stronger than our own."
"Stronger than the Bifrost?"
"No."
"Are the pods in good enough condition to make jumps?"
"Yes. Though the ship would destroy you."
"I don't care. I'm not abandoning my people again." After all this time and now you visit me. Why? Thor had found out that Loki's words often had double meanings. When he said people, was he talking about Asgard or himself? He had left Loki behind for a year, locked in the dungeons. He had left Loki's body on Svartalfheim. He had left Loki on Sakaar, left him on Asgard to escape Ragnarok by himself. He wouldn't leave Loki again.
"Who is the captain of this ship?"
"Thanos."
"Who is Thanos?"
"I cannot disregard my king's wishes." Whose? Mine? Loki's? Odin's?
"It was not a question. I am your king now and you will treat me as such. Who is Thanos?"
"He is a titan who seeks to wipe out half of all life. He sent Loki to Earth." Who tortured my brother? Who controls the would be king? Thanos. Thor would destroy the titan.
"How long?"
"My king?"
"How long have you known that Loki was coerced?" Heimdall didn't answer.
"Answer me. Truthfully. Now." His voice was a low, demanding growl.
"A few months after the prince let go of the Bifrost, I felt him call out to me. The Mind stone was manipulating him, weakening him until his magic retreated deep inside him to protect itself. With his main defense gone, he broke. I ran to the king, expecting to rescue the prince. The Allfather made mistakes, he acknowledged that in his final years, but he still loved Loki as his son. He told me to tell no one what I had saw. I do not why he had forsaken the prince, I did not question his decision."
"You knew. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I had my orders. I couldn't break my-"
"No. No, you didn't want to. You have assisted in treason or turned a blind eye time and time again. You could have dropped hints that my mother would have picked up or went yourself!" He was shouting now, his voice still cold. Negligence of duty.
"Why did my brother relieve you of your duties?"
"He did not want to be thwarted-"
"You are just as treasonous as Loki, if not more. The truth."
"Negligence of duty."
"Then he was right, because you are supposed to protect Asgard. Especially her Prince! We will settle this later when I return. Bruce is in charge while I am gone. Send me to my brother."
"Thor, is that even allowed? I mean, I'm not even Asgardian."
"I need to leave Asgard with someone I can trust and Loki isn't here." Did he trust Loki?
How many more betrayals and treacheries must he live through?
The pod was harder to start than he had originally thought.
"I thought you said you knew how to fly this thing."
"How hard can it be?"
"Whatever you're doing brother, I suggest you do it faster."
"Shut up Loki." We will be brothers again.
"You must have missed something."
I did, but it's slowly piecing itself together.
"No, don't hit it, just press it gently."
As the pod hit a jump point, Thor yelled in frustration. Why couldn't things ever be simple again? Back when all they worried about was winning an already won fight. Back when Loki read books, played harmless pranks and came to Thor whenever he had a nightmare. Nightmares are for children. Oh, how he wanted to slap his younger self. How many nightmares did he have about Loki falling into the void, Loki attacking Earth, Loki dying on Svartalfheim, Loki not making it out of the palace in time. Always Loki. He's the little brother. I'm supposed to worry. How had Loki escaped Surtur? Ask him later.
What would their lives be like if Loki truly had been Thor's equal? As much as he loathe to admit it, Loki hadn't been. All I ever wanted was to be your equal. When Loki had supposedly died, Thor had been so lost and empty. As if a part of him had fallen off the bridge. He played their fight over and over in his head, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. Except he had to go further back than the fight.
When Loki attacked Earth, Thor had been so lost, hurt, confused, happy and angry. He couldn't show weakness, not as the heir of Asgard. As usual, he let anger be the forefront emotion, pushing Loki further away. Where is the Tesseract?! Where is father? Did you kill him?! When he found Loki, he was not going to respond with anger.
The last jump point deposited him outside of Titan. A four winged ship was in orbit, a black mass that was blotting out the stars.Yes. Though the ship would destroy you. Right.
Hey, let's do Get Help.
What?
Get Help.
No.
Why not? You love it.
I hate it. It's humiliating.
We're doing it.
We are not doing Get Help.
Okay. What were the chances that they'd pick up some stranger floating in space? Probably about zero. That is a horrible plan Thor.The pod chirped as the ship hailed him. Answer it.
"You are an unregistered vehicle. Please send your verification code."
"Right, um, the boss, Thanos sent me to extract the prisoner."
"I'm sorry, please send your verification code."
Cursing the computer silently, Thor answered.
"Look, if you don't give me the prisoner, I'll have to tell the boss that you aren't obeying him." The ship opened fire. Well, great. Thor maneuvered the pod around the bullets, firing back and looking for a weak point in the ship. How strong was the pod? The hatch opened, letting loose several Chituari. Didn't Tony destroy all of those with the nuclear bomb thingy? Oh well. That's your ticket inside.
Banking a hard left, Thor looked around the ship, drawing his tails away from the entrance. The hatch doors were starting to close. No! Thor accelerated speed, barely making it though as a Chituari shot the engine. He didn't take into account that a couple dozen more would be waiting for him. Does the pod still have ammo? Perfect.
Stealing a blaster and sword from a dead Chituari, Thor tore down the halls, searching for Loki. Opening doors at random, he didn't stop until someone called out his name. Some sort of blue mechanical woman was stretched out in midair. He was about to leave her like the rest when he heard his name. How did she know his name?
"Thor?" He stopped, backing up several steps until she came into view.
"Should I know you?"
"No. Are you looking for Loki?" She knew both him and Loki. The Mind stone was manipulating him. His sword was at her neck in an instant.
'Who are you and how do you know my name and Loki?"
"Thor, stop. She's a friend." Loki's voice rasped behind him. Thor turned around, balking slightly at Loki's appearance. His brother was in his old Asgardian armor, red and black burns across his entire face. He was gripping a dagger in each hand as if letting go meant he would fall apart. He swayed a bit, leaning against the doorway.
"So, my two favorite siblings have met. Lovely. We need to go."
"How did you escape?" Nebula voiced her question as Thor asked,
"Favorite siblings?" Plural?
"I'll explain later. As for your question, Nebula, the droids are even more gullible than the Chituari. I always keep Astidgramara in my cache, so when my magic retreated, said cache was emptied. When Ebony left me, I looked dead enough that I simply drank a few drops to temporarily stop my pulse and breathing for about ten minutes. The droids came, attempted to push me out the airlock, I woke up, killed them, you know how it goes." I did not fake my death.
"So you faked your death?"
"Yes. Now please release Nebula, we need to go." His sword hadn't left it's place at her neck.
"How do I do that?"
"Honestly Thor, you're helpless." Loki walked over to what looked like some sort of control panel. He flipped a few levers and pressed a few buttons before Nebula crashed to the ground.
"Sorry."
"I don't need your pity."
"Good to see your manners haven't improved in the slightest." She glared at him.
"They frisked me. I have no weapons."
"Nebula, you really ought to have more faith in me." Loki tossed a couple blasters towards her, as well as three daggers.
"I thought your magic retreated?"
"It did. I'm just skinnier than my clothing, making it incredibly easy to conceal weapons."
"Alright, let's go." Thor followed silently, trying to process what had just happened. The trio took out any droids or Chituari they ran into, slowly making way towards the escape pods. Once Nebula started the pod, she asked,
"What planet should I put coordinates in for?"
"Earth. Terra." Loki amended.
"Terra? why would we go there?"
"Brother, why would you want to go to Earth?"
"It's where we were going on the Statesmen was it not? Besides, they had two Infinity stones. Mind and Time."
"That garbage planet has two Infinity stones?"
"Garbage planet? Nebula have you ever been to Sakaar? Now that's a garbage planet."
"I'm so confused. Can one of you please explain this?" Thor waved his hands vaguely in their direction. They were acting like they were lifelong friends. Like Thor would act with the Warriors Three. Thor was beginning to feel like he wasn't even there. As if he were a shadow. I'm not you brother. I never was! I remember a shadow, growing up in the shade of your greatness. Is this what that felt like? Only, for centuries?
"Apologies. Thor, this is my sister, Nebula. Nebula, you remember Thor from my memories."
"Loki, why do you say sister?"
"Thanos collected us all, molding us into his perfect image. We were all children of him and he considered us siblings. The only ones I actually consider siblings are Loki and our sister Gamora."
"So what does that make you and I?" Thor hadn't meant to voice the question out loud, but based off of her face, he had.
"If you are as hopelessly naive, foolish and oafish as Loki always considered you, I claim no relation to you." He switched his gaze to Loki.
"Hey. I am none of those things."Loki just laughed. Then winced.
"Ow."
"Are you alright?"
"I've survived worse."
"That isn't what I asked."
"I'm fine."
"When we get to Earth, we will probably be preparing for battle. Perhaps you should rest so that-"
"Thor if you continue that sentence, I will show you just how prepared I am for battle."
A/N: Hopefully the next chapter is better. Off to Earth!