Author's note – we're altering the timeline of the MCU a little for this – the notes I've seen have indicated Ragnarok took place around 2017 or 2018 and we're going with 2017 because of how this story needs to dovetail into the present day. Infinity War takes place in 2018. I don't want to give more spoilers than this on how this timeline is going to work, but this story will lead into New Asgard facing the covid-19 pandemic.

Asgard is not a place, it's a people.

Thor tries to cling to this idea as their ship begins the journey toward Earth. He gave the order, and, the business of their destination taken care of, he walks amongst the mix of people on the ship, some from Asgard, some from Sakaar, all of them feeling hopelessly adrift. But watching his home explode, even if it was necessary, has him feeling unsteady.

Someone rests a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Perhaps our new king should take a few moments to rest? Brother?" Loki suggests from behind him.

Thor turns to face him, "Yes. I think I'll take that suggestion."

"Valkyrie and I will take time to listen to what needs we will have to find clever ways to fill on our way to Earth. Then I'll meet you in your quarters."

"Thank you, Loki," Thor replies, excusing himself from the group of people nearest and heading to the quiet of his rooms. He drops onto the bed. This is not how he envisioned becoming the king of Asgard. This is not the way he'd ever thought of Asgard, either. Asgard has always been a place and that place was home. Until just a few hours ago. Now that place is rubble and a spaceship, the Statesman, is home as they fly toward someplace he hopes will become a new one.

There are more than just Aesir on the ship and he has no idea how to be their leader, either, something that has been bothering him since he realized he had to take the mantle of king. He doesn't know what cultures have joined them from Sakaar. He hopes no one needs something for survival that they won't be able to get during their flight. There are, of course, places they can stop for supplies, but with very little to trade with, Thor's mind spins into problem-solving mode as he tries to figure out what they could give.

Then he remembers something – Loki told him that he left Asgard on the battered remains of the Grandmaster's party ship. If he used it to leave Asgard, it probably flies well enough to be worth something – they can sell it. This seems to settle Thor's mind a little and he sighs, letting his eyes close for a nap.

#

When Loki finally returns to Thor's quarters, he can hear his brother snoring as soon as he steps in the door. He considers turning around and leaving, but he also doesn't want to break the fragile trust he's managed to build with Thor in the short time they've been back together. If Thor thinks he didn't follow through...

He steps into the room and closes the door behind him, making sure it has firmly shut before walking to where Thor is sleeping and gently shaking his brother's shoulder, "Come on, Thor – wake up. I'm here. And we have so much work to do."

Thor slowly wakes and sits up, stretching, "Sorry...I guess I was more tired than I thought I was."

Loki nods, "I understand. I'm weary...and the destruction of Asgard has made me feel things I didn't think it would. As has our reunion, and seeing you made king."

Thor pats the bed and invites Loki to sit beside him; he uneasily does, "I imagine there are many memories and complicated thoughts swirling in your mind, Brother."

"You have no idea, Thor..."

"Then do you want to tell me?" Thor offers.

Loki shakes his head, "No. Not yet. Just...know that I both loved Asgard and hated the shining edifice for the lies it hid. And that includes Odin."

"And me," Thor adds, "and my path to the crown."

Loki bows his head, "Not now, Thor. I don't want to go down that road. I'm only just starting to find the hope between the two of us."

"I've never lost hope in you," Thor tells him, "So know that, Loki. Even if you don't understand it. I am always, as you once said, a hopeful fool. And I don't intend on changing that habit."

Loki smiles, "Yes, you are. But that's not something I'd say as bitterly as I once did."

"So...what did you and Valkyrie discover about our citizenry?" Thor asks, guiding the conversation away from Loki's heart and into safer waters.

Loki sighs, "We have so many needs that are going to be unmet if we can't find a place to resupply. Our food stock isn't nearly enough for everyone, we have different species of people with different dietary needs, there are injuries among us that will take time to treat...we can't do this on our wills alone. We need to find a safe port."

"I think we can find a few. The question is, more importantly, what can we trade with and will it bring us enough to get what we need?" Thor says.

"I don't have an answer to that," Loki says. "I hardly know what we can trade."

"What about your ship?" Thor asks.

Loki shakes his head, "No. We can't."

"We stole it from the Grandmaster – surely there can't be a good reason to keep it?" Thor says.

"There is," Loki answers, "But you won't understand what that is."

Thor furrows his brow, "You won't tell me? What nonsense is it that you would elevate keeping a ship and your own self-interest over the needs of your people?"

"It's not about me!" Loki snaps before taking a few deep breaths, realizing that Thor has no reason to know his reasoning nor to understand why a battered spacecraft has any meaning to him. "I'm sorry...I..." He stands, "You can't tell a soul what I'm about to show you."

Confused, Thor stands, "But...why not?"

"You'll understand when you see it."

They walk through the ship to the upper decks to a hatch in the ceiling. Loki conjures a rope ladder and hooks it to either side of the hatch, anchoring it with a magnetic coupling to the deck of the ship. He climbs it, knocks on the hatch, and they hear something moving on the other side. Once it is quiet, Loki opens it into the other ship and climbs up, gesturing for Thor to follow.

"Hello there...it's alright," Loki says softly, "I know this is cramped, but when we get to Earth, I promise you, we'll find space for you to stretch and run."

When Thor can see into the spacecraft, he hesitates, then breaks into a grin, "Sleipnir! You saved him!"

Loki has nestled against the horse and is gently skritching his ears, "Of course I did, Thor...he's my son."

Thor climbs into the hold and Sleipnir huffs in his direction, "Everything surrounding his birth was so secretive. To the rest of the realm, and to most of our friends, Father simply came back from a trip to Vanaheim with a spectacular newborn foal, a treasure for the All-Father, with a prodigal son in tow."

"Yes, well, telling everyone his youngest paid for his arrogance through transformation and...well, mating with a horse doesn't seem like something that would have exactly been his style," Loki retorts. "He wasn't exactly proud of me." Loki sighs, "One of many times he wasn't..."

Thor crouches beside Loki and raises a hand toward Sleipnir's snout, "He never lost sight of you, Loki. Not even in his anger."

"You will have a very hard time convincing me of that," Loki says, "Given what he told me after you and mother were both gone and I was yet in chains."

Thor nods, "I know. One of the guards told me what was said. He knew it was treason to bring the words of the All-Father out of the throne room, but he didn't think it right that I shouldn't know what was being done to my own brother. And as a father himself, he was horrified that Odin would cast aside his child."

Loki leans against Sleipnir, the rise and fall of his breathing deeply soothing; Loki closes his eyes, "And so you must be able to understand why I couldn't leave behind my own, regardless of how he came to be."

Thor pats Sleipnir's snout and the horse nuzzles his hand, "I can. How did you manage to get to him in time?"

"The Tesseract, magic, a little trickery, and riding a horse remarkably fast through that one hallway we'd always daydreamed of racing down," Loki answers.

Thor laughs softly, "You're not going to tell me any more than that, are you?"

Loki smiles, "No, not yet. But you can do one thing for me."

"Oh?"

"There's a bag of carrots in the hatch under the control panel. He's been stressed and I think he needs a bit of a treat."

Thor retrieves the carrots from a compartment that has also been stuffed with multiple large bags of feed, "Loki? What are you going to do about bedding and cleaning and whatnot? He's not going to use a toilet."

"Thor, I can create pockets in reality – I certainly can transport horse shit out of the ship into space. I've done it a few times already," Loki answers. "He was terrified when we took off."

"You've thought this through, then."

"Of course I have," Loki answers, "And I've talked to him as well. He's not just a mindless beast of burden, Thor. He understands, even if not everything in the same way we do, and I've told him we have to ration our supplies – there will be hungry times when we can't have all that we want in order to make things last. And he knows I will be facing the same."

Thor wants to needle Loki on how he knows these things, on how he can be sure this creature understands him, but he also sees how relaxed Loki is nestled among the eight legs of his horse-child. It is as peaceful as he has seen his brother in many years. So he doesn't mention his doubts and simply enjoys the time with the quiet creature happily munching carrots out of his hand.

When it is time to go, Loki sends Thor down first before telling Sleipnir he is loved and asking him to be patient and quiet as they travel. The hatch sealed, ladder stowed, and all evidence of their visit gone, they walk back to their quarters.

Loki turns to Thor before he heads to his own room to rest, "Don't tell anyone about Sleipnir. I don't need to be asked why a horse was so important. I don't want to be chided for wrong priorities or be interrogated as to how we are going to care for him along the journey. I certainly don't want someone to suggest we eat him. I will be responsible for this and it isn't anyone else's business, nor is what happened to me to bring about his birth."

Thor nods, "I trust you with this, Loki, even if I don't know how far my trust for you in other areas can stretch."

"Thank you. I know I'm asking a lot of you, but...this is so very important. Please. And if something happens to me...take care of him yourself."

"I will. Though if that does happen, and I hope it never will, I may need to tell one of our most trusted friends just enough so they might help if I am indisposed with king business," Thor says.

Loki shrugs, "Well if I'm dead, it's not like who knows will matter to me anymore." He steps into his room and closes the door.

Thor sighs and heads back to his own room, hoping his brother won't die again anytime soon.

#

"Now who is this?" Thor asks.

They have been in journeying a few days when a vast spaceship snaps into their view while Thor and Loki talk while looking out over the blackness. The vessel looms over the Statesman as it drifts closer. Loki's face turns ashen, eyes wide, voice frozen in his throat.

Thor turns to him, sees his expression, and knows the answer to his question.

"Run," Loki manages to whisper.

"Maybe we can get around-"

"No," Loki cuts him off, "Abandon ship. Get everyone out. He's looking for me." From the expression on Thor's face, he knows there's no other explanation needed. He runs to the door, "I'll meet you. Get them to the escape pods."

Thor nods and runs after him.

Loki tears through the ship as alarm klaxons blare and everyone aboard runs to the main hold for evacuation orders. When he reaches the upper deck, he quickly puts up his ladder and enters Sleipnir's ship. He unlocks the hatch with the food and places a small pile of carrots on the floor in front of his son.

He rests his forehead against Sleipnir's, "I'm so sorry, but I have to let this ship loose. It may save your life. But I promise, I will find you." He checks a few settings on the ship's life support controls and taps in a heading before quickly leaving, the hatch firmly sealed behind him. He hears a soft thunk as the docking connections release and he prays Thanos doesn't target the small vessel out of spite.

Loki finds Heimdall and begins working with him on the evacuation. The first round of escape pods is free of the ship when Thanos fires on their vessel. Thor sends out the distress call, though none of them believe it will be heard in time.

"We need a plan," Heimdall says as the second set of escape pods launches into the debris field surrounding their ship.

"Valkyrie is leading the pods to...safety. Or at least I hope she is," Loki says, "And we will fight. Anyone left will fight."

Heimdall shakes his head, "These people shouldn't have to die for this."

"You mean they shouldn't have to die for my mistakes."

Heimdall's eyes meet Loki's, "I didn't say that."

"But it's true and I know you know this. So let's get them out of here and we'll fight as we always have – with a half-formed idea of how we'll make this work and well-knowing each others' skills," Loki says.

Another volley hits the ship and they send another round of escape pods out into the wreckage, hoping it will disguise them enough for safe passage.

When Thanos' people punch through the damaged hull, all hope of further evacuation dies. The only relief Loki feels is that there are no children left among those left on board. They were the first to go, with at least one caregiver, and he knows those who stayed behind understood the risk they were taking. Those still travelling through space, he trusts Valkyrie to defend and lead, as she was born to do. Those still on their ship...Loki only hopes their deaths will be quick.