"Why are you taking so long?" The Valkyrie asked for tenth time.

"If you're so clever, why don't you do it?" One of the Asgardian builders eyed the figure who was sitting carelessly in the grass while drinking a second bottle of better-not-to-know-what in less than an hour.

"You have brains, I have muscles." The Valkyrie winked.

"You should really get together with Thor. You seem to have a lot in common." The man whispered under his beard, but the warrior heard him.

"Maybe you should get together with him if you're so interested in who he takes in bed." And she took out her legendary sword and putting the bottle aside, she began polishing it.

The builder turned back to his duties.

Heimdall, who was standing nearby, smiled.

The construction of the New Asgard, as they were calling it because of the lack of better ideas for now, was going rather well. The piece of land they were given was beautiful and seemed big enough for the highly reduced population of Asgard. Having heard from Heimdall that this was the last place the Allfather had visited before moving on to Valhalla, the Asgardians decided to make it their new home. A Kronan and a few other alliens decided to join them since they were once again in a desperate need for leadership.

At the moment, Korg was searching for his good friend Miek who seemed to get lost in the forest. Before he set out on the quest to save his friend, Korg instructed the Asgardians that should he get lost as well, they can find him by following the path made from little rocks. In the end, he was perishable and finally he was able to use it to his advantage. His mother's new boyfriend should see him now, he thought. He managed to turn one of his biggest weaknesses to strength. He needs to thank the raven-haired fellow for his adept leadership and good advice on how to deal with a complicated stepfather relationship.

All was well and so Heimdall moved with a smile towards a group of humanitarian workers with cameras who came to document the construction of the new world.

…

"Jarvis. Enough." Tony said, and the TV screen immediately died out.

A silence spread around the living room.

The Avengers were all thinking about the scene they had just seen.

"You will all die. No one can save you. Those of you who were chosen to survive have only our lord Thanos to thank. Be sure to show him your gratefulness."

And then half the crowd fell dead on the ground.

No one screamed.

The survivors all knelt without being told to do so.

"The situation in Stuttgart is beyond critical by now." The news reporter said. "No one knows who the attacker is and what he wants but the speaker of Stuttgart police said that it seems that another intergalactic threat has chosen Stuttgart as the place from which to begin their conquest of Earth. The pictures coming from the German city are not dissimilar to those made when Loki tried to subjugate the Earth only to be stopped in the very heart of Stuttgart by the group of heroes calling themselves the Avengers…"

"We have to get to Stuttgart immediately." Steve urged while already standing up. "We need to help those people."

"We cannot help them. They're already dead." Fury commented.

"Steve's right. We have to get there." Tony gave Steve a scrutinising look.

"What's the point? By the time we get there, Thanos may be on the other side of the planet." Fury commented.

"There is no 'we', Nick. Or have you appointed yourself to be a part of the Avengers?" Tony eyed the Director.

"You'll need SHIELD's help."

"I don't work well with torturers, but thanks for the offer." Tony stood up.

"Tony. What happened at SHIELD was for the greater good…" Clint began.

"Congratulations. You have just qualified yourself to shake hands with the giant idiot." Tony turned his back.

"Stark. You may be forgetting thanks to whom the Avengers exist in the first place."

"Enough." Thor's voice boomed around the room. "This planet is in danger. Your planet. I will not allow it to suffer the same fate as Asgard."

"Well, technically, it was the cooperation of the two of us that destroyed Asgard so…" Loki began but was cut off shortly.

"Shut up, Loki." Thor said and pointed Mjolnir in the direction of his younger brother. Loki raised one eyebrow and barely noticeably opened his palm. Mjolnir began shaking in Thor's grip.

"Loki." Thor said with a bit of threat when he understood what Loki was trying to do.

"Thor." The younger one commented as if now was the time to recite a name of his sibling for no apparent reason.

"Everyone." Steve interrupted. "That guy out there in Stuttgart is probably doing whatever he is doing for something he believes to be the greater good. We must go to Stuttgart to save every person we can before it is too late."

"Yes, but while the Captain is busy saving kittens, the rest of us need to come up with a plan." Fury attacked.

"Enough! My friends, don't you understand? Each second we waste speaking, Thanos is growing stronger and stronger." Thor urged.

"Wrong. I cannot grow stronger. I am the strongest I have ever been." The voice was the same mixture of manipulation and cruelty. Everyone in the room was able to clearly identify it with the voice they heard in Loki's memories.

Now was the time to be brave. Loki knew it. Now was the time to show Thanos that he cannot control him anymore; to show his brother whose side he's fighting on.

He is Loki. The God of Mischief. The Liesmith. The Silver Tongue.

He always has a plan. And if that plan fails, he has a plan B. And if that one fails, then a plan C. And a plan D. And…well…even his oaf of a brother knows how the alphabet goes.

Loki breathed in and out slowly. He calmed himself down. He will not be afraid. Being afraid will not help him now. He will do what it takes.

With effortless grace that only he has mastered, Loki slowly turned around to face his former tormentor.

Thanos was standing inside the living room in all his glory.

Loki knew what had to be done.

With one smooth move, Loki fell down onto his knees and locked his gaze with the floor.

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