Well, that's a bit scary to think about, isn't it? The Avengers seriously screwed up in letting Thanos take Loki. Nobody's perfect, right? Everybody makes mistakes, though this one might cost the universe its freedom. Good job, guys. I'm so glad that a lot of people are looking forward to updates! It makes me look forward to posting. I try to give a 24-hour time frame to let the chapter sink in before posting the new one, but it's so hard sometimes! XD Anyway, I hope you like this next one! Warning: it's got some heart-breaking moments and a couple of previously-used characters will make an appearance. ;) And the chapter after this is a big one. Won't say any more than that!
Cassy27: Your review, like I said in the PM, totally made the wheels turn in my mind! I sat for a long time, pondering ideas based on your review. Thank you! And YES I want to hug Loki so bad!
Novagon: I just got an idea. And your review initiated it. Thanks! You might not see the effects of it now, but it's coming.
Tiger of the Storm: Yay, you're back! Yeah, you pretty much nailed it. The Avengers get what's coming for them. They betrayed Loki, so they must suffer the consequences.
Guest: It's…um…the power of the Force? I didn't even think of that. Whoops.
CelticRemedy: Thank you so much! That's the kind of review I'm looking for; an evaluation of the plot, characterization, and pace. So glad you like it!
AaylaKit: I know… :( I had to make this more real. Forgive me, Loki! Boba should be back in this chapter or the next one.
Irish-Brigid: Good point…I didn't consider that.
FutureOscarWinner94: Thanks!
Ayy Kaim: I know…D: Things will get worse before they get better, but things will get better.
The Rose Red Alchemist: That sounds pretty cool. You should do a fic on that! I may or not be able to implement it. I'm still trying to find a way to add Yoshka and Django.
Raychaell Dionzeros: I'M SO HAPPY SO HAPPY SO HAPPY THAT YOU LOVE MY FIC THAT I'M TYPING IN ALL CAPS TOO! :D It gets pretty epic after this chapter, I'm not gonna lie.
NARUTO SON OF ARTEMIS: Bahaha I don't care who you are; that's funny. XD Made my day. "This is SPARTAAAAAA!"
"Thor, are you sure you want to do this?" Sif asked as Thor approached Heimdall. "You could be setting yourself up for death. Asgard needs you. After your father is gone, the throne is yours, but if you die fighting Thanos—"
"I understand the risks, Sif," Thor said, "but Loki needs me." He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "Anakin would never let me live this down if I didn't go with him." He had meant it as a joke, but his voice held no humor.
"Thor!" Odin called, moving toward them. Thor and Sif stopped and turned around to face the All-Father, who held his spear, Gungnir, in his hand. "I want you to use this," he said. "Mjolnir is a powerful ally, but it will not be enough to fight this titan. The combined power of Mjolnir and Gungnir will make you a formidable opponent." He whispered something inaudible, then handed the spear to his son. "Use it well."
Thor was baffled. "Father, you can't expect me to—"
"Go now. Skywalker and Tano await you."
Queen Frigga stepped from a room nearby to join them. She hugged her son and murmured in his ear, "Bring Loki home safe."
"I will, Mother," Thor assured her. "I will slay Thanos myself as well."
Her eyes were worried, but she reluctantly let him go. "I love you."
"I love you, too." He turned away, unable to bear any more goodbyes. "Sif," he said, facing his friend, "you must remain on Asgard and defend it with your life if things go wrong. Despite what I said to console my family, you know the reality of the situation. I cannot promise that Loki and I will return."
Sif nodded. "I understand." She understood that Thor had to save the universe. She understood that he had to defeat Thanos and recover the Tesseract. What she didn't understand was the fact that he was so set on saving Loki. Perhaps she was biased because of her opinion on him growing up and the fact that he tried to take over Asgard and Midgard alike. She never did like Loki much, but if Thor wanted to rescue him, then she would not stand in his way. "I hope this isn't goodbye, Thor," she said, placing a fist over her heart.
"I hope it isn't either," he replied. He left Sif behind and went to stand beside Heimdall. "Can you see him?" he asked.
"Yes," Heimdall responded. "He is on a barren moon. Your friends are there as well. They have surrendered and are forced to watch Thanos torture Loki. You must act quickly. He does not expect you to go because he believes you have no means of travelling there."
Thor facepalmed, just realizing that because Loki took the Tesseract, he was trapped on Asgard. "Anakin, any ideas?"
"Way ahead of you." A ship flew up into their view. R2-D2 whistled a cheerful greeting. "Thanks, Artoo." He turned to Thor. "Having the smartest droid in the universe has its perks," he said, smirking.
"Indeed." Thor was impressed. "Let's go."
Anakin entered the coordinates that Heimdall provided. "Hop in." The three boarded the ship and headed off to rescue the universe from imminent doom. No pressure.
Loki found himself on his hands and knees once again. He had hated the non-physical torture he had experienced before his trip to Asgard, but nothing compared to the pain and humiliation that he suffered now. He knew that the Avengers—minus Thor, who was who knows where—were watching him sympathetically. He did not want their sympathy. He wanted them to pay.
"They will get theirs soon," Thanos said, as if he could read Loki's thoughts. "They will die a painful death. You will live a painful life."
"I'll live it to the fullest, then," Loki growled sardonically, still somehow maintaining his wit.
The Avengers remained silent. They wanted to say something, anything, to express their regret for what they did. Fury's face was grim and the Jedi sat still, meditating. It was hardly a good time, but what else could they do?
Hours passed. To Loki, it felt like days. He had to remain strong, though. Something in the back of his mind told him that the longer he fought against Thanos, the longer the titan would focus on him rather than the Tesseract. The moment Loki broke, Thanos would turn his attention to the unlimited power that would ultimately destroy the universe. Are you seriously thinking about the good of the universe? he asked himself. The answer was yes, to a degree. Fighting Thanos would stall him, but it wasn't the primary reason he was resisting. It was mostly a pride thing. He did not want to let the Avengers and Jedi see him break.
Thanos was growing extremely irritated. "Do I have to break every bone in your body to make you scream?" he thundered. "You will submit to me, whether you like it or not!"
"Good luck with that," Loki responded, though it was hard to get the words out.
"What kind of science are you using?" Banner demanded, having been transformed and clothed. "How is he staying awake?"
Thanos smiled. "You have never seen cosmic power before, have you?"
"We can't say we have," Tony said. The suit had been removed.
"You will be feeling it soon enough," Thanos assured them, though they did not feel at all reassured by his words.
More time passed. Thanos used various methods to shatter Loki until he felt madness creep upon him. He would lose everything that was Loki. He would become a skeleton of his former self and yet, somehow, he was still breathing, still conscious, still alive. How could this be? I remember a shadow, living in the shade of your greatness. I remember you tossing me into an abyss, I who should have been king! His anger at Thor kept him going but, at last, under the pressure of pain so great that he could not move, Loki broke.
Thanos reveled in the scream of anguish and fury. "Finally," he whispered, "you have come to terms with my full power. You admit that it is too much for even you." His malicious grin widened. "You will not die, Laufeyson, though I see the desire so apparent in your eyes."
Loki had never hated someone so much in his entire life. He thought he hated Thor, and he did, but this was a different level of hatred entirely.
"Stop!" Natasha begged. "Haven't you hurt him enough? He's screaming! You got what you want—now leave him alone!"
Loki glared at her. You're giving him what he wants! The more you react to my pain, the more he'll hurt me. You're smart enough to realize this!
Loki, as usual, was smart enough to predict what would happen. Thanos grabbed Loki in the same way he had grabbed the Hulk. He then commenced to smashing him. "Remember this?" he sneered. "That's right, Banner. I know this is déjà vu for you!" He grinned at Natasha. "I love to see you beg. Please continue." He grabbed Loki's arm and twisted it behind his back. The Avengers winced at the sickening crack that was made.
Natasha, realizing what game was being played, kept quiet.
Not far away, the Jedi and Thor landed. "If only we had Loki's ability to cloak ourselves," the Asgardian said frustratedly. "It would come in handy right about now."
"If we can get a visual on the Tesseract, though, I could summon it with the Force," Anakin said. "Problem solved."
"I know that the Tesseract is powerful enough to destroy Thanos, but how do we use it?" Thor wondered. "Once we obtain it, we'll be able to stop him easily. But the question is how. I'm pretty sure Loki knows how to use it."
"We'll figure that out once we steal it back," Anakin replied. "Let's go." They made their way over to the location that Heimdall had indicated. Anakin was the first to see signs of life. "Over there." He pointed, where the ray shields held the Avengers and Jedi captive. It was not the hostages that caught the Jedi Knight's attention, though. It was Loki. "Thor, look."
Loki was doubled over on the ground, in a pool of his own blood. He cried out, though it was not for help. His scream was of agony and fury. They could see him very clearly from where they stood. His eyes were squeezed shut and he gritted his teeth in between shrieks. There before them was someone who had lost all hope.
Ahsoka had a hand over her mouth. Thor, who had Mjolnir in one hand and Gungnir in the other, tightened his grips on both. Anakin reached unconsciously for his lightsaber, then realized that it would do them no good.
"We've got to go save him," Thor said.
"I know," Anakin whispered. "Where's the Tesseract?" He closed his eyes and focused on locating the cube. "There—sitting on a throne made of rock. Dooku is standing beside it. Guarding it, I suppose. He'll sense our presence, so we've got to be quick. Thor, you grab Dooku and keep him from speaking. I'll use the Force to obtain the Tesseract. Snips—you keep a lookout." He hated to make his padawan stand by and watch the scene below, but he couldn't focus on that just now.
Thor and Anakin walked around so that they would not be spotted. Soon, they were behind the throne. Dooku immediately felt that something was wrong, but Thor was too quick for him. He seized the Sith Lord and covered his mouth, nodding to Anakin to do his thing.
Anakin nodded back and reached out in the Force, focusing on making the Tesseract come to him. It felt strange, connecting to a source as powerful as the cube. He could feel the energy entering his body and it felt…good. Focus, Skywalker. He had to save Loki. That was the mission. At last, the device that held the Tesseract connected with his hand. Dooku's eyes widened and he used Force Lighting to zap Thor away from him.
"Thanos!" he called out. Thor bashed the Sith Lord with his hammer, leaving him sprawled on the ground, but it was too late. The titan had been alerted.
"So, you thought you could take this from me?" He used his telepathic powers to bring the device that held the cube to him, snatching it easily from the Jedi Knight. "You are foolish to defy me!" He blasted at Thor, who dove behind the throne. The rock seat was then destroyed. "Stop running. Wouldn't you prefer this to the long, painful deaths I have in store for everyone else?" He blasted again, but Thor launched himself into the air with Mjolnir. "You are wasting my time! I have a universe to conquer." He looked at the Tesseract a moment, smiling at the possibilities. "You can have your sentimental moment," he sneered. "I will be back for what is mine." He used the device to disappear.
Thor landed and immediately rushed toward Loki. "Loki!" He dropped to his knees beside his brother. "Brother, please…" Loki stared blankly up at Thor. One of his eyes was swollen shut and the other was half-open. He was alive, yet not completely there. Thor brushed wet black hair out of his brother's face and placed the back of his hand on his cheek. "Stay with us, Loki," he whispered. "It'll be okay."
"No," Loki whispered, "it won't be, and you know it." His voice was so faint and hoarse that Thor could hardly hear it.
Anakin's voice was heard nearby. "Ahsoka, free the captives. I've got to help Thor and Loki." He got onto his hands and knees beside them. "Loki, can you hear me? We're going to take care of you. Stay alive, okay?"
Loki's good eye blinked once and then closed. At last, the pain was put on hold as Loki Laufeyson lay unconscious in Thor's arms.
"We've got to get back to Earth," Fury said, interrupting the moment. He turned to Anakin. "Did you use a transport to get here?"
Anakin nodded. "Yes. It's not big enough for all of us, so I'm going to use it to get Loki to Asgard first." He turned to Thor. "I'm guessing that's the best place for him, right? You have people there that can heal him?"
Thor nodded. "Yes. I will accompany you and your padawan. I need to tell my father what has come to pass."
Anakin nodded. "Get in."
Darkness. There was nothing but darkness at first. Then, he saw Thanos's face leaning toward him. He could not move away. The titan laughed maniacally as he cried for help, but none came. He saw Thor standing a short distance away, watching quietly. Thor! Brother, help me! The god of thunder did not move to help him. In fact, he turned his face away, as if he was disowning him. Please! Don't let him hurt me!
"No, no, no!" Loki shouted aloud. His good eye flew open. Thanos was gone. Wherever he was, he certainly wasn't on that moon anymore. His eye flickered around, taking in his surroundings. Where am I? He thought he heard the faint buzzing of voices coming from the other side of the room, but he could not see the source. Maybe if he stayed completely still, no one would approach.
He was wrong. "Loki," a male voice said.
Loki tried to shoot up into a sitting position, but the pain kept him down. When he heard footsteps approach, he felt a sense of panic flood him. "Stay away!" he warned. "Don't come any closer!"
"I won't hurt you," the voice said.
Loki's breathing quickened and his heart pounded. He did not know why he was so terrified. Whoever was in the room with him had tried to reassure him that he would not hurt him, but…was he telling the truth? As the footsteps drew nearer, he flinched away, squeezing his eye shut. He could almost feel the blow that was sure to come.
Surprisingly, no new pain came. "Brother, what's happened to you? Has Thanos driven you mad?" the man whispered.
Loki gasped, seeing images of the titan flood his vision once more. "No!" he cried. "Please, no!"
"How is he?" a female asked.
"It's only been a few hours and he has already awoken," the first said. "He's terrified."
"Your father wants to speak with you. I will stay with Loki."
Loki heard one set of footsteps retreating. His relief that the threat was gone immediately vanished when a new threat sat on his bed. "Please don't hurt me," he whimpered.
"Why would I hurt you? You are my son." A soft hand was placed on his cheek. He shivered at the touch, but was surprised to find it cool and comforting. "Look at me." He opened his good eye to see the beautiful face of his mother gazing down at him. Her eyes were so warm and full of love that he almost forgot that he was afraid. "You are safe now."
"Don't—don't go anywhere," he pled. He reached up and grasped her arm, clinging to it desperately. This was the one person that he could trust with his life. As long as she was around, no harm would come to him.
Her eyes were sad. "You've had the life ripped right out of you," she murmured. "You need to rest. I'll be right here, I promise."
Loki was afraid to rest. He knew that his vision would be flooded with images of Thanos again. "Where is he?" he asked wearily. Though the fear was still there, he could gradually feel himself returning. His mother's presence helped drive the panic and paranoia away.
"He is not here; do not worry about it," she reassured him. She stroked his cheek for a moment, then pushed some wet black hair out of his face. "All you should think about is healing. You are loved, Loki, and you must remember that."
He shook his head. "Odin—he'll imprison me again—I didn't take the Tesseract willingly, Mother, I didn't! The titan controlled me! He was inside my head, and—"
"Shh," she crooned. "He already knows. As we speak, the Avengers have returned to Midgard, where they will do what they can to put an end to this."
"So that is where they went," a voice boomed.
Loki's eye widened in panic and he started shaking violently. Frigga pulled him into a sitting position and hugged him protectively. "You are not welcome here!" she shouted. "Stay away from my son!"
Thanos grinned. "I thought I made myself clear on the moon that I would be returning for what is mine."
"This is no longer Loki!" Frigga responded angrily. "Look at him! You took away everything that makes him Loki. You turned him into a shattered ghost of his former self!"
"He is not completely gone," Thanos said. "I made sure of that." He took a few threatening steps forward, but Frigga did not move from her defensive position. "If you are wise, you will step aside."
She hugged him tighter. "He does not belong to you! He belongs here, on Asgard, with his family! You have what you want—the Tesseract. You have no need of Loki anymore. Leave at once!"
In one swift motion, Thanos grabbed her neck and yanked at her, but she would not let go of Loki. He let go, frustrated, and used his superior strength to pry her off of him.
"Mother, no!" Loki reached forward. Their fingertips touched for a brief moment before the Queen was thrown to the floor.
Thanos grinned and yanked Loki out of the bed. "Come along," he said. "I grow tired of torturing you physically. I have big plans for you, so do not struggle."
Loki took one last, long look at the limp figure of his mother on the floor. She was alive, but the titan's powerful throw had damaged her. "Mother," he whispered. He feared it was the last time he would see her before his death, which had to be coming soon.
The Avengers and Jedi assembled in Stark Tower. Boba was where they had left him—encased in a temporary cage set up in the living area. "Where were you?" he taunted. "Taking a vacation?"
"Clam it, Fett!" Tony snapped. It was uncharacteristic of him to lose his cool, but the pressure of the situation was becoming too much for him to handle. He took a few breaths, then dropped onto the couch. "All right," he said, clapping his hands together. "Loki's on Asgard, Thanos has the Tesseract, and we're probably not too far away from getting our butts kicked. Any ideas?"
"You might want to reconsider your first statement," Boba said, grinning.
"What are you going on about?" Barton asked wearily.
Boba shrugged. "Look at the screen."
The gigantic flat-screen TV had turned itself on. "JARVIS!" Tony objected. "Now's not the time to watch Cops. We're in the middle of a situation here—"
"I'm sorry, sir. This was not my doing."
The TV show immediately disappeared, replaced by an image of Thanos holding Loki by the arm. "Hello, Midgardians," he greeted. "Remember him?"
All over the world, humans watched their screens, shocked at the sight of the titan and the Asgardian overriding their favorite shows. Considering Loki's infamous invasion on their planet, most of them could answer "Yes" to Thanos's question.
The titan continued. "He was correct in saying that you were made to be ruled. However, he was mistaken to say that he was destined to be king of this realm." He paused for emphasis, allowing everyone to take this in. "This world—the universe—is under new management."
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or Star Wars.
AN: Ooh, under new management, eh? Thanos has taken on a pretty big role there. Sorry for torturing Loki so much. I'm with you guys—I want to go in there and hug him just as much as everyone else reading this fic. I have big plans for him, don't worry. He won't be the helpless victim for long. It's not his style. That's all I will reveal. :D Keep reading and reviewing, and I will keep writing and giving out virtual cookies to all that send me their comments. Come to me, Loki's fangirl army!