I'm still shaken from Avengers Infinity War, as I'm sure everyone is. I'm heartbroken by the movie. I didn't like how little screen time Loki got and I didn't want him to be dead, so I wrote this. I wrote this on my phone a while back, so there may be some errors. The original version had three parts, but I decided to break them up into smaller chapters because it's easier to read that way. I appreciate every review. Some scenes aren't word-for-word from the movie and might be a little different. This is also no longer canon-complaint but it's not exactly an AU either. I don't know how to describe it, so call it whatever you like. Please read and review! :)
All rights go to Marvel. Spoilers and possible feels.
Chapter One: Fire
It happened too fast for them to process it. One moment the brothers were enjoying peace and quiet, and the next the ship was being attacked.
Thor was the first one to realize that the ship was taking fire. He pushed his little brother to the side before a blast of fire hit where they were just standing, seconds after they moved.
Loki slid to the ground and came to a stop against the charred wall. Thor was kneeling protectively on top of him. "What the Helheim?!" Loki shouted. Thor's face was inches from his, his breath hot and slightly panicked.
"Warn the others. I'll hold them off," Thor said and made to stand up, but Loki grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him back down.
"Don't you dare," Loki said firmly.
"Loki, we're under attack. I'm protecting the ship," Thor argued.
"And you'll get yourself killed in the process!" Loki exclaimed.
"No, I won't. I've taken down the Hulk. I can handle this."
"No, you can't. I know who they are. We're doomed unless we find a way to escape."
"I'm not running like a coward," Thor spat and tried to stand up again, but Loki's grip on his armour wasn't moving. Thor glared down at his brother. Loki's face was a mixture of fear and determination.
"I'm not going to let you do this. We'll leave together. We'll warn the others and hope that we make it out alive. It'll be better if we stick together. You remember last time?" Loki asked.
Thor remembered clearly. He was escaping on this ship with the citizens of Asgard. He watched as Surtur destroyed his home. Loki had started Ragnarök. Everybody else was fine, except Loki. Apparently, Loki was stuck on Asgard, his own ship crushed by fallen beams. Loki, himself, was pinned beneath a pile of rubble. The fire was so intense for a Frost Giant, that Loki passed out. He told Thor later that his magic saved him from being disintegrated with Asgard, but Loki didn't mention the fact that he had the Tesseract, and his magic triggered it; causing him to be teleported onto Thor's ship.
"I know, but—"
Thor's reply was cut short by another blast of fire. Thor took the brute of it, shielding Loki from the flames.
Loki pulled Thor behind a wall once the flames died down. Thor's hair was singed, along with the back of his armour. "Are you alright?" Loki asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Thor said and ran a hand through his burned hair, shaking out the soot. "You said you knew these people."
Loki gulped. Suddenly it was hard to meet Thor's gaze. "Loki."
Loki took a breath of smoky air and coughed. Another jet of fire blasted through before he could answer. Thor grabbed Loki's wrist and tugged him forward, away from the heat. "Explain on the run. We have to warn the others now!"
Loki ran after Thor, taking only a second to look behind him. Where the viewing window was supposed to be, only stood a few small panes of glass. The floor was covered in shards of glass and pieces of metal from the walls. The whole area was full of burn marks and small patches of fire. The vacuum of space from the hole was hard to run against. Each step felt like he was running in glue with weights attached to his boots.
Loki slipped on a large shard of glass. The vacuum threatened to pull Loki out into space, but Thor grabbed hold of Loki's hand and yanked him back. The air was definitely getting thinner. What wasn't being sucked out into the cosmos was full of smoke and soot. Thor and Loki could breathe in space, but it wasn't enjoyable. They tried to avoid it at all costs since it takes a number on their lungs.
With help from Thor, Loki managed to escape the vacuum's clutches and close a door, stopping it from having more things pulled out of the ship. Bruce, Heimdall, and Brunnhilde weren't that far away, but the run to the makeshift throne room seemed to take forever. Eventually, the two found their way to the throne room. Nobody was in there but Korg and Miek. They were doing some sort of martial arts/dancing routine.
"Hi there!" Korg said happily. It was hard to find Korg when he wasn't in a good mood.
"Korg! Where's Heimdall?" Thor asked.
"The creepy, seer-guy?" Korg asked.
"Yes. Where is he?" Thor was getting worried.
"Off somewhere in the ship," Korg answered. Miek chittered his own response.
"Oh, that's helpful," Loki stated sourly. "It's important. The ship has taken fire. We're under attack. Where is Heimdall?"
Miek stopped his kick aimed at Korg's leg. "Oh!" Korg blinked. "Did they print enough pamphlets? If they don't have pamphlets, then their attack isn't official."
"Shut up about the pamphlets, Korg!" Thor shouted. Korg was sweet but his happiness sometimes got really annoying, especially if the whole ship was in danger.
"There's no need for pamphlets." The four turned to see that Heimdall, Bruce, and Brunnhilde showed up.
"I saw this was going to happen," Heimdall said. "But it was foggy and I was unsure about the future. I'm sorry, Thor. I should have warned you earlier."
"It's fine. All we need to do is hold them off," Thor replied. "Korg, Miek, go gather all warriors or anyone willing to fight." Korg and Miek nodded and dashed out of the room.
"Loki, you said you knew who they were. Is there a way to stop them?" Thor asked.
"Not that I know of. They're fierce and really hard to kill," Loki answered.
"Wait. What are we talking about?" Bruce piped up. He had to turn back to humans since the Hulk took up too much space and ate most of their food supplies.
"T-The Black Order. T-Thanos' kids," Loki stuttered.
"The people who tortured you?! They're here?! Why?" Bruce was turning a little green.
"I don't know," Loki lied, but the others bought it. He knew why they were here, but he wasn't going to blow his cover.
"I thought they wanted the Infinity Stones. Will Thanos come himself?" Thor questioned.
"I don't know," Loki answered.
"We don't have any Infinity Stones," Brunnhilde pointed out.
"Maybe they're coming to take Loki," Bruce added.
Thor took a step closer to his brother. "Well, I'm not going to allow that. Nobody's hurting my brother. If they want him, they have to go through me!" Thor exclaimed.
"Thor. If the lives of the citizens depend on my life, do me a favor; don't stop them from taking me," Loki said quietly.
Thor stared at his brother in shock. "I won't let them take you."
"I can handle it. If it's me they want, they should leave everybody else alone."
"You're my brother!"
"Is one life of a criminal worth more than hundreds of innocent people?!"
"You're not a criminal, Loki. What Thanos made you do wasn't your fault. You had no control over your mind, let alone your actions. Stop beating yourself up over the New York Incident!"
"Thor," Loki muttered.
Thor shook his head stubbornly. "No, let me finish. You're a good person. It's not your—"
"Thor!" Loki said a little louder. Thor stopped talking immediately to glare at Loki.
"What?" Thor asked angrily.
"Something's wrong. It's too quiet—"
Suddenly, a large explosion shook the whole ship. The group was thrown off balance by the blast. Bruce hit his head and landed behind the throne, out of sight of the figures who were entering the room with such an air of confidence like they owned the place.
"Rejoice! You are saved by the Children of Thanos!" a figure in black with short, gray hair called out above the roar of flames.
Thor, who was getting back on his feet, scoffed. "I doubt we're saved," Thor whispered to Loki. To the intruders, Thor said: "Who are you and what do you want?"
"We are the Children of Thanos. The Black Order. Behold! Our father!" the same figure announced. The intruders stepped to the side and bowed as a large form appeared and stepped into the light. He was a bit bigger than the Hulk, and an ugly shade of purple. He was wearing dark blue and gold armour. A helmet of gold covered his bald head and a golden glove with a single, glowing, purple stone embedded in it was on his left hand. His face was covered in scars and his chin looked like it got stuck halfway in a paper shredder.
Thor heard Loki gasp. He glanced over and saw that Loki was shaking violently. He rested a reassuring hand on his back, but it didn't help calm Loki's nerves. "It's alright. I won't let him hurt you," Thor whispered gently.
Loki didn't respond. Brunnhilde and Heimdall were already standing, their weapons drawn. Korg and Miek burst into the room followed by at least half the remaining Asgardian population. "This fight has come to an end!" Korg shouted but stopped short once he saw Thanos. Miek squeaked nervously.
Thor helped Loki stand up. Loki's legs were shaking so badly that he had to lean against Thor to stay upright. Bruce was still behind the throne, but neither Thanos nor the Black Order knew he was there.
Thor opened his mouth to let everyone attack when Loki clamped a hand over his mouth. "Don't. They're too powerful. Just give them what they want and maybe they'll leave," Loki whispered in Thor's ear.
"If we don't do anything, they'll take you!" Thor protested.
"It doesn't matter. Thanos always gets what he wants," Loki said.
Thor gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to let his people suffer because of an ugly, purple titan. "Who are the other creatures next to Thanos? Is there a way to beat them?"
"They are the Black Order, Thanos' children. The orangish-brown one is Black Dwarf. The female is Proxima Midnight. She is the wife of Corvus Glaive, the creature with a hood. The first one who spoke is Ebony Maw. We're doomed if Thanos has all of them here, including himself," Loki explained.
Thanos, who was gaining nothing from the nervous Asgardians, stepped forward. "Give us the Infinity Stone and we'll leave peacefully."
"We don't have an Infinity Stone," Thor said, his hands beginning to spark. Loki shifted uncomfortably next to Thor. Unlike his older brother, he wasn't immune to electricity.
Loki suddenly felt eyes on him. He turned his head and saw Heimdall glaring accusingly at him, his golden eyes seeing straight into Loki's soul.
"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Either way, I will get what I want," Thanos growled.
The Asgardians stepped closer, their weapons raised, waiting for Thor's word. A young man with short, brown hair spoke up impatiently. "Are we putting an end to this intruder or not, my king?"
Thanos interrupted before Thor could reply. "King? KING?! I'm the only king who is worthy enough to rule the universe. Give me the Infinity Stone. I know you have it. Hand it over now or you will suffer."
"If we give it to you, you will destroy half the universe with it. So, no," Thor said stubbornly.
Thanos chuckled, which shocked everyone. It was an ugly sound. "I see that my pet has told you about my plans. Don't worry, he'll get what he deserves. You have angered me with your refusal to give up what is truly mine. Prepare to die, Asgardians!" Thanos raised his left hand and aimed it at the group of Asgardians. A beam of purple light left the glove and landed right in the middle of the group. Screams were heard as Asgardians dropped left and right.
Brunnhilde gasped. Heimdall raised his sword. Lightning was sparking off the walls and floor as Thor charged at Thanos. Loki shouted as Thor aimed a punch at the Titan. Thanos caught Thor mid-flight and threw him back against the wall. The wall cracked where Thor hit it, chunks of metal and plaster falling onto the floor.
Brunnhilde raised her sword and ran directly at Thanos. Proxima Midnight stepped in front to block Brunnhilde's sword. Brunnhilde jumped over her, twisted in the air, and reached around to stab Proxima Midnight through the stomach. Proxima screeched with fury and pulled the sword out of her stomach. She whirled around to smack Brunnhilde upside the head. Brunnhilde crumpled and hit her head even harder on the ground.
Black Dwarf was off fighting Korg and Miek not too far from Brunnhilde. Korg was surprisingly holding his own, taking the brute of Black Dwarf's blows as Miek darted around the creature's legs and stabbed whenever he had an opening.
Heimdall had singled out Corvus Glaive. Heimdall, being able to see far-off things and a little into the future, was preventing Corvus from getting a hit in. Despite this, Heimdall was getting tired. Corvus showed no signs of slowing down. Corvus was swinging his weapon left and right and managed to hit the Gatekeeper in the back of the leg, causing Heimdall to fall. Heimdall retaliated and swept his own sword under Corvus' feet. Corvus tripped and barely moved out of the way as Heimdall thrust his sword towards the creature's chest.
Loki regained his senses just as Ebony Maw threw a door at his head.
"Don't worry. Thanos will reclaim his pet," Ebony Maw said, his voice scratchy but yet intriguing. "You will be saved from the danger of being killed by us."
Loki drew his dagger. "I somehow doubt that I'm saved from the likes of you."
Ebony chuckled. "Feisty as ever. Thanos likes your stubbornness. There is no joy in torturing a completely submissive slave. Where is the fun in that?"
Loki looked over Ebony's shoulder. Thor was barely holding up. It wouldn't be much longer before he would give out. Loki had to think of something, and fast.
"Well, life isn't fun without a little mischief," Loki said, hoping to distract Ebony by talking.
The plan seemed to be working. Loki was slowly inching his way closer to Thor. All Loki needed was Ebony near enough for Thor to consider him a threat and rush in to save his little brother. The two of them could take down Ebony Maw and then help the others once Ebony was out of the fight.
"Talkative too. I guess it will be more fun breaking you again," Ebony Maw snarled. Loki took another step back. Only a few more meters and they would be in Thor's field of vision. It would be much easier if Thor had both of his eyes so that he could see more.
"Stupid Thor. Stupid eye," Loki thought and twirled his dagger nervously in his hand. "Stupid Black Order. Everything's stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
Ebony advanced on Loki. "Where is your silver tongue, trickster? Or are you too scared to speak?"
"I don't feel like wasting words on the likes of you," Loki spat.
Ebony mocked being hurt. "Oh, your words cut like a dagger."
"They'll do more than that. As the saying goes, 'The pen is mightier than the sword." Only a hundred meters left.
"Then maybe I'll cut off your tongue."
"You'll have to get close enough to do that. Or are you too scared?"
"I don't need to get close. Just a simple spell and you shall speak no longer," Ebony Maw jeered and raised his hand.
Loki was ready, though. He counterattacked Ebony's spell and blasted him in the chest with a ball of energy. Ebony flew back and landed near Brunnhilde and Proxima Midnight. Brunnhilde jabbed her sword into Ebony's stomach and used the leverage to throw him at Proxima.
"Get off and fight," Proxima growled at Ebony. Ebony Maw scrambled off of her and stood up to glare at Loki. Loki cocked his head innocently.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did Brunnhilde hurt your feelings?" Loki asked mockingly.
"Your girlfriend will pay for that." Ebony Maw snapped his fingers. Brunnhilde crumbled, clutching her head. Blood started leaking from her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.
"She's not my girlfriend," Loki said, but nevertheless cast a reverse spell. Brunnhilde straighten and reached for her sword, but Proxima Midnight kicked it away.
"I don't think that's necessary." Proxima grabbed a fist full of Brunnhilde's hair. "Hand over the Tesseract or your girlfriend will get it."
"Like I said. She's not my girlfriend," Loki corrected.
"You do have a girlfriend, do you not?" Ebony questioned. Loki's expression of worry answered Ebony's question. "You do. She'll suffer greatly if you don't give us the Tesseract."
Loki's fingers started twitching, green light spiraling around them. "You'll never get to her. She's somewhere safe where nobody can find."
"Hiding her from the world, huh? What good is a lover if you never see her?"
"I've sent her away to keep her safe from you," Loki said angrily. "I don't want your filthy hands touching her."
Ebony Maw smiled, showing white teeth. Proxima tugged harder on Brunnhilde's hair, winning a small yelp. Brunnhilde tried to reach her sword, despite the tight grip on her hair, but the sword was just out of her reach.
"Your girlfriend is much better off with us. I doubt that after what happened in the Void you even have enough courage to take that wench of yours to your bed," Ebony Maw taunted.
At that, Loki lost it. He shot bolts of energy at the creature. Proxima released her hold on Brunnhilde's hair, allowing Brunnhilde to grab her sword and swing it into Proxima's legs. Ebony Maw dodged Loki's blasts with an air of boredom. That was a fatal mistake for him, though. Loki's rage at his girlfriend being insulted left Ebony Maw in a bad situation. Green magic swirled through the air, making it hard to see. Tendrils of energy shot up and wrapped themselves around Ebony's legs. Loki spun his daggers in his hands and sent a dark spell of pain into the metal weapons. He gripped the daggers tightly, green magic dripping from the tip and onto the floor, burning the floor as the magic hissed with contact. With a sudden move, Loki plunged the daggers into Ebony's chest, causing the alien to howl in pain. The magic seeped into Ebony's veins and spread within the bloodstream. Loki twisted the blades, causing more screams. He bent in closer to whisper into Ebony's ear.
"Here's a lesson for you: Never, never, insult my girlfriend," Loki spat, giving the daggers another hard twist. He jumped slightly as a large hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.
"Now, now, my pet. I don't think that's a good idea, hurting my children," Thanos said almost gently and yanked Loki away. Loki's resolve melted, even though he managed to smile a bit once he saw that his daggers were still firmly lodged in Ebony's chest.
Thanos let Loki slip from his grasp. Loki retaliated but stopped once he saw he was surrounded by the Black Order. Brunnhilde, Korg, and Miek were nowhere in sight, presumably leading the other Asgardians to escape. Heimdall was lying against a pile of rubble, clearly too injured to move. Bruce was still behind the throne, although Loki could see him waiting for the perfect time to Hulk out and destroy the purple Titan.
Thanos stepped over Asgardian bodies and picked up Thor by the head. Thor was barely conscious, his face covered in grime and bruises. He was bleeding from several cuts and wounds. Sweat was plastered to his face as well, probably making the cuts worse with the salty liquid. Thanos twisted Thor so that he was kneeling and facing Loki. He was only staying upright because of Thanos' tight grip on his head.
"The Tesseract or your brother's head," Thanos growled and squeezed Thor's head for emphasis.
Loki bit his bottom lip in worry. How had Thanos found out that he had the Tesseract? He stepped forward, but Proxima Midnight jabbed her weapon closer to him.
"We don't have the Tesseract," Thor said weakly and spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Well, that's too bad. Right, Loki?" Thanos jeered. Loki wisely kept his mouth shut. "Nothing to say, huh? Maybe you don't love your brother enough to give me the Tesseract."
"Torture away," Loki shot back. Thanos grinned and pushed the purple Power Stone against Thor's head. Thor screamed as purple light spread through his body. Loki fought to keep his angry tears from falling. He didn't like watching Thor being tortured over a stupid Infinity Stone.
"Alright, stop!" Loki shouted, finally having enough of watching Thor writhe in pain.
Thanos released Thor and motioned for Loki to continue. Loki summoned the Tesseract and held it out for Thanos to grab.
"I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again," Loki said to Thor.
"You really are the worst brother," Thor managed to joke back, but Loki's expression was grim. Thanos grabbed the Tesseract and crushed it, causing it to shatter and reveal the blue Space Stone.
Thanos blew gently, removing a few small pieces of the stone's housing. In a slow, gentle movement, Thanos added the Space Stone to the Gauntlet.
"See, Loki. It wasn't that hard, now was it?" Thanos asked. "I have two Infinity Stones—"
"Yeah huh," Loki interrupted. "But we have a Hulk."
Bruce transformed into the Hulk and rushed to tackle Thanos. Loki dived and somersaulted under Thanos' legs to Thor's side.
Hulk was managing to hold his own, but Thanos was stronger. The Black Order had backed off and let Thanos fight his own battle. Thor and Loki were left standing awkwardly in the corner, watching the Hulk slowly tire. With one quick move, Thanos picked the Hulk up and slammed him on the ground.
"Is that all you have?" Thanos said, his tone jaunty with confidence.
Nobody said or did anything. The Hulk was beaten too quickly for anyone to comprehend. Satisfied with the silence, Thanos raised his gloved fist. Heimdall stirred right before Thanos hit the Hulk. A rainbow of colors swirled around the green giant and teleported him away.
"You'll pay for that, Asgardian," Thanos growled to Heimdall. Heimdall managed a small smirk before Proxima Midnight sank her weapon into him. Thor yelled in shock and rushed to attack Thanos. Thanos blocked Thor's attack. Thor tumbled to the ground, exhausted. Ebony Maw waved his hands, sending large sheets of metal to wrap around Thor, chaining him in place.
"You'll never win," Thor snarled. Ebony Maw put a finger to his lips—a universal symbol for silence—and sent more metal to cover Thor's mouth.
"Let us go, my children. We have more Stones to collect." Thanos motioned for the Black Order to follow him. Loki stepped from his spot in the corner and summoned his dagger behind his back, out of sight of the intruders.
"Wait!" Loki shouted before they could leave.
"Have you finally decided to join us?" Thanos ridiculed.
"Yes," Loki swallowed nervously to keep his voice from wavering. "I, Loki, Prince of Asgard...Odinson.." Loki glanced at Thor. Thor seemed slightly shocked at Loki's bold move. "The rightful king of Jotunheim," Loki continued, "God of Mischief, pledge my allegiance to you, my m-master. Undying loyalty."
With that, Loki stepped to stab Thanos through the throat, but Thanos caught his arm in a bubble of power.
"Undying loyalty, yes." Thanos smiled grimly and grabbed Loki's wrist. Loki grunted as Thanos twisted Loki's wrist, causing his dagger to clatter to the ground. Thanos wrapped a large hand around Loki's neck, cutting off Loki's air circulation. Loki gasped for air, but Thanos' grip was too tight. He tried kicking the Titan, but Thanos pulled him up to eye level without blinking.
"You have betrayed me for the last time, trickster. Who's side are you on?" Thanos asked.
"Obviously not yours," Loki choked out, his face turning red from lack of air. He took a shallow breath. "You'll never be... a god."
Thanos snarled and squeezed even harder. Suddenly, there was an unmistakable sound of Loki's neck shattering. Thor screamed against the gag, lightning sparking off of him in rage. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
"No more resurrections," Thanos said and dropped Loki's limp form unmercifully in front of Thor. Loki lay still, all the color drained from his face as his clouded, green eyes stared unblinking.
Thanos stepped closer to the Black Order and gave Thor a smirk of satisfaction. He raised his left fist, bathing himself and his children in blue light as the Space Stone sent them off Norns-knows-where.
The metal pinning Thor fell to the ground harmlessly, allowing Thor to crawl forward.
"Loki," Thor whispered, tears filling his eyes. "Loki, please. Don't be dead. Norns, no! Please just be another trick. Loki!"
Thor rested his head on Loki's body, allowing the tears to fall.
"I promised never to let anything hurt you. I swear that your life will be avenged," Thor sobbed. "I promise, little brother, Thanos will pay for this!"
Thor built up enough strength to cradle his baby brother in his arms. Thor closed Loki's eyes and sobbed into the raven-colored hair, shaking with rage and despair.
Then the ship exploded.