Hey everybody! Ironic that Chapter 20 is THE BIG CHAPTER where everything gets extremely awesome. It's NOT the last chapter, nor the longest, but it's crucial to the ending of the fic. I won't say what happens; I'll let it speak for itself. By the way, I thought I'd let you guys know that I had a breakthrough for a new idea. It's a one-shot, but it's HILARIOUS! It's called Chess Wars, and it is a Thor fanfic. Check it out! I posted it just before this chapter went up.

Cassy27: Yes, big plans, big plans. As I said in the PM, Thanos capturing Loki was the only way to make this chapter work. Trust me. You'll like the outcome.

The Rose Red Alchemist: I already had this chapter written out cuz it's a big one and I was so excited. I'm sure Yoshka and Django will show up soon.

Irish-Brigid: Yeah, I see your point. As far as Loki helping them kick butt…you'll have to read on to see.

AaylaKit: Loki's big moment is coming, I promise. I had to let Thanos take him again for this chapter to work out. Trust me; it's always part of the plan. I will find a way to do The Rose Red Alchemist's idea. I will. I just need time and space from the main plot. XD

Ayy Kaim: In response to all your statements: yes, you're awesome, yes, Boba's awesome, and don't worry, Loki will have his moment right here, right now. This is a great chapter, so don't miss it! :D (love the alliteration)

Maethorelen: Hi! Yeah, I understand what you're going through. This fic was quite a ride of happiness and depression and heartbreak for me too. I think you'll like this chapter. I know it made me happy!

laureas: Wow, I think you totally called something. I won't tell you what, but you called something that'll happen in this chapter. Just so you know. ;)

Raychaell Dionzeros: So glad you love it—you'll love this chap even better!

AaylaKit: Wow, that is a good idea! Hopefully I'll have time. Summer is running out…

"Things just got far more complicated," Tony said, stunned at the image on the television screen.

"You guys are in for it," Boba sneered. "Personally, I'd like to kill Mace myself. But if someone else destroys him, I won't complain."

Mace was growing tired of this boy's constant expression of his wish to kill him. He didn't take it seriously, but he didn't appreciate it, either. It constantly reminded him of the life he took on Geonosis. It was necessary! He kept telling himself that. Now's not the time for this. A mad titan is about to conquer the galaxies.

"We need to tell Thor," Steve said. "I don't know anything about mythology, but I doubt they have televisions there."

"I'm pretty sure Thanos will find his own way to inform all of the Asgardians that the universe is, as he said, 'under new management'," Barton pointed out. "He'll want anyone and everyone to know of his power."

"Since when did you become the expert on power-hungry villains?" Tony asked snidely.

"Considering I worked under the influence of a power-hungry villain once, I think it is safe to say that I caught on to their states of mind."

They looked at the screen again, where Thanos was standing with Loki. Surprisingly, the Asgardian was not shaking anymore. In fact, his expression was calculating, as if he was planning something. Despite the fact that he was in a healing-in-progress condition, he still seemed to be searching for a way to defeat the titan that had taken him.

"I dare the Avengers to oppose me," Thanos roared. "Let everyone who wants to defeat me come forward now. I am not afraid to fight for what belongs to me." He held up the device holding the Tesseract. "I have the source of unlimited power! Nothing can stop me from destroying everything in my path!"

"Is that his plan? Is he going to destroy the universe?" Natasha asked.

As if answering her, Thanos boomed, "I intend to start all over. With this in my hand, I can rebuild a whole new universe that is mine to control. Everyone that exists now is too bent on freedom and rebellion. I haven't the patience to crush you all to your knees. Be prepared for your ultimate end." He smiled. "Not even your precious Avengers can stop me now, nor will Asgard be able to fight a war against me."

Suddenly, Dooku appeared. "What is this?" he demanded. "You promised you would destroy the Republic! Not the entire universe! What about our alliance?"

"Our alliance has just expired," Thanos sneered. "You'd better go back where you came from while I have the mercy in me to let you live. Your world will come to an end alongside the Nine Realms."

Dooku, furious, zapped Force Lighting at Thanos, who retaliated by hitting him with a blast of energy that sent him flying off the screen.

"Ouch," Boba and Tony said in unison.

"Father," Thor said, placing a fist over his heart and dipping his head. "What is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

Odin stood up from his throne and approached his son. "I worry about what Thanos plans to do next," he said, holding Gungnir, which had been given back to him.

"How will we put a stop to him? He already proved too powerful for five Jedi and five of the Avengers."

"Perhaps Loki will have an answer. I need you and Skywalker to see if you can find a way to get him to talk about Thanos's strengths and weaknesses. He would be the one, above the rest of us, to know how to defeat him," Odin said.

"But, Father…I don't think Loki is in his right state of mind. When I went in there, he practically jumped out of his skin. I think that talking about Thanos will upset him even more. You haven't seen him—he's terrified." Thor did not want to go in again. He was afraid of what he would see in his brother's pale, sickly face.

"For the good of the universe, you must get him to talk. He must understand that whatever information he can give would be helpful in overthrowing the titan. If he wants Thanos to be defeated, he will need to cooperate."

Thor sighed. "I will go to him. Perhaps Mother can get him to speak."

Odin nodded. "I wish you luck, my son. I will be in to see him shortly."

Thor bowed and left. When he reached the medical room, he was shocked to find the guards on the ground, dead. He quickly rushed in, afraid of what he would see. He allowed himself to gasp in surprise at the sight of the empty bed and his mother on the ground. "Mother!" He rushed to her side and flipped her over onto her back and held her head in his hands. "Who did this?" A sense of rage coursed through him. Loki.

"Thor," Odin's voice said. He was standing beside Lady Sif, just inside the room.

"Loki did this," Thor said angrily. "But why? Why?"

Sif looked upset as well. "We'll find him, Thor. I'm sure Heimdall would know where he went."

Odin lifted his wife into his arms. "I will care for her. Thor, go speak with Heimdall and return to me. We must find a way to put a stop to this madness."

Thor nodded and stormed over to the Gatekeeper. "Heimdall! Where is Loki?" he demanded.

Heimdall looked at him with his normal majestic composure. "Loki is on Midgard. He has been captured by Thanos."

Thor immediately regretted his previous anger. "Where on Midgard?" he asked urgently. He knew that his father had told him to return to him, but he had to get to Loki as soon as possible.

"He and Thanos are atop a building in New York City. The titan is using the Tesseract to broadcast his plan to the entire realm."

"And what is his plan?"

Heimdall did not look like he wanted to answer that. He let out a sigh and said, "He intends to destroy the universe and rebuild it in a matter of days."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Anakin's voice interjected. "Let's go find Loki and Thanos!"

"Do you have your transport ready?" Thor asked.

"Artoo is always ready," Anakin replied. "Let's go."

Thanos continued to use the Tesseract to broadcast his every move to the public. All around the world, people watched their screens desperately to see what would become of the Earth.

"So you really plan to go through with this," Loki said.

Thanos nodded. "No one can stop me. We will be the only ones kept alive during the destruction and rebuilding. It will be a glorious time."

"We?" Loki felt his stomach drop in dread.

"Oh, yes. You didn't think I was going to let you perish with the rest of the universe, did you? I'm not finished with you yet."

Loki wondered why Thanos wouldn't just let it go. He seemed so set on destroying Loki from the inside out. Was he blinded by power and rage? Perhaps he was angry that he hadn't been able to destroy and rebuild the universe sooner. The idea hit him like Thor's hammer. He's going to destroy and rebuild the universe. And there's nothing I can do to…or is there?

Loki studied the titan. Thanos was basking in the glory of the moment, so his eyes were not on the trickster at that time. The Tesseract was in one hand and Loki's arm was in the other, though the grips on both were not terribly tight. This was his chance. In one quick movement, Loki wrenched himself away from the titan and grabbed ahold of the device. Knowing that he wouldn't have enough time to wrench it away before Thanos reacted, he used it to transport both of them away.

Everyone had seen Loki transport and everyone had seen the look of surprise on the titan's face. What is he planning? The question went through the minds of mortals around the world.

Loki, Thanos, and the Tesseract appeared at the top of a volcano, right where the Asgardian had planned. The two of them looked down into the boiling lava below, and then Thanos started laughing. "What do you intend to do here?" he asked. "Do you really think you are strong enough to push me in there?"

Loki hesitated. He knew that he would not be able to pull the Tesseract out of Thanos's hand, nor would he be able to push the titan in. There was only one way to do it, and he dreaded the idea. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Thanos.

"Thanos, you are attempting to do the impossible," he began. "No one can control unlimited power. Not you, not me, not S.H.I.E.L.D…not even the All-Father." He took a deep breath. "That is why it must be cast into a place where it can never again be recovered. It must be destroyed!" With that, Loki grabbed one end of the device and jumped into the volcano.

Thanos held on tight, though the full weight of Loki falling unbalanced him. The déjà vu of the situation haunted Loki as he remembered dangling over an abyss. This time, he would not survive the fall. "You fool!" Thanos cackled. "You know that I am strong enough to pull you right back up!"

As he was about to do so, a blue blade suddenly went through his back and out of his stomach. The titan swayed a moment, and then was pushed into the volcano by none other than Anakin Skywalker. Thanos's heavy body fell into the lava below and disappeared forever.

Now that the titan's grip on the Tesseract was gone, Loki began to fall. Just as the thought hit him that this would be the end, someone grabbed the end of the device and held on tight. "Loki!" Thor's voice called. "Pull yourself up and grab my arm!"

"But—the Tesseract!"

"Grab onto my arm," Thor insisted, "and take the cube with your other hand and get this over with!"

Loki, weak as he was, struggled to pull himself up and clasp his left hand around Thor's wrist. The Tesseract was now in his right. He stared at it a moment, thinking about all the power it held, all the lives it could save…But think of all the lives it could destroy. With that in mind, Loki let the Tesseract fall and disappear into the scorching hot lava.

All around the world, television screens turned to static as the cube hit the lava. Everyone sat in stunned silence, considering what Loki had done. Had he really just given up unlimited power for the sake of the universe?

Back at the volcano, Loki gazed up at Thor from where he dangled above death. Thor's hand was wrapped around his brother's wrist in the same way that Loki's was around Thor's. Loki contemplated the next move. It would be so easy to just let go and allow death to take him. It had not taken him the first time, when he had fallen into the abyss, but perhaps this time he could finally alleviate the pain and bitterness that had consumed him since…a long time ago.

"Loki, no…" Thor whispered. He could see the conflict in his brother's eyes. "Don't let go. Not again. Please…"

Loki's eyes watered and he blinked back tears. His grip on Thor's wrist tightened, as if he was telling the god that he would not succumb to the temptation to fall to his death.

Thor, relieved, heaved Loki up. It was not a difficult task, considering he had always been the stronger of the two and the trickster god wasn't exactly at his best. When he finally pulled Loki out, he pulled his brother into a hug, his hands gripping his back. Thor was not a crier by nature, but tears still streamed down his face all the same. "Brother…" he whispered. "You've done it. You saved the whole universe." His whole body shook. "Don't ever let me lose you again," he whispered.

Loki wanted to point out that it was Thor who had brought the loss upon himself, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Why did you do it?" Thor whispered.

"No one can control unlimited power, Thor. I understand that the relic belonged to Asgard, but it is in its true place now—where no one can get it."

"But why would you sacrifice yourself?" Thor pressed. "If I hadn't been there, you would've died."

"If you hadn't been there, then Thanos would have pulled me up and continued with his evil plan in which I get smashed and the universe gets rebuilt."

"Not true," Anakin said. "I sense your intentions, though you do not want to admit them to Thor." His gaze was filled with awe and respect. "You would have used the Tesseract to transport inches above the lava, thus killing yourself and Thanos."

Loki stared at the ground. Thor let him go and held his shoulders at arm's length. "Is this true?" he asked. Loki nodded. "Oh, Loki…how could I have betrayed you?"

"Don't, Thor. Just…don't." Loki was already struggling with different conflicting emotions. Part of him wanted to accept Thor as his brother and allow the actions of the past to remain in the past, but the other part of him held onto the bitterness that had taken over way back when. He couldn't just let go and ignore what had happened.

Then, he remembered what Captain America had said. I learned in the military that you never leave a soldier behind, and I did just that. You may have fought against me once, but you turned around and fought by my side in the same way. I betrayed you, and I know that I cannot bring myself to hurt you now.

Could it be that easy? Could he simply forgive and forget? He knew that that was impossible. He thought of all the times that the Avengers had assembled around him. The first time was when they captured him at the end of the first invasion. The next that came to mind was during the third invasion, in which they had protected him from the Other. The following time, however, was when they gathered on the other side of the room to allow Thanos to take him. The final time was when the gathered to tell him that they were sorry and that they refused to fight him. So they hated me, then they accepted me, then betrayed me, then apologized? Do they not understand why it is so difficult for me to accept their apology?

Thor saw, through Loki's eyes, the conflicting thoughts that raced through his brother's mind. "We should go back to Stark Tower," he suggested uncertainly. "You can rest there. I know how badly you need it. Or we could return to Asgard, where you can fully heal. Either way, we have to get away from the volcano."

Loki nodded numbly. His body informed him that he was about to pass out, though he fought it with every ounce of energy he had left. Does Thor really think that I can just go with him and pretend everything is all right? Evidently, he did. I promised myself I would kill him the next time I saw him. It would be so easy to do this. They were on the top of a volcano. Thor would not see it coming. Mjolnir would be a problem, though. The hammer was not in his hands, however, so it was possible for him to just push Thor in, and…What are you thinking? Is this really you? Again with the conflicting emotions. If you want to kill him, now is the time. Somehow, though, he knew that he wouldn't. Whether he could or not was debatable.

"Come on, Brother," Thor urged. "I know you don't like traveling in vehicles, but I assure you that the trip will be short."

Loki let Thor pull him to his feet. He resented the fact that he was too weary to do so himself. Perhaps after resting up, he could plan what to do next. He couldn't stay on Asgard for obvious reasons. Midgard was no place for him either. Maybe he'd go to Jotunheim, where he could live out the rest of his life in a cold wasteland. The Jotuns might not take kindly to his presence, but he could use his magic to conceal himself. Just stop. Do the thinking later. He forced himself to walk, though each step was agony. Finally, he reached the ship and everything went dark.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, the Avengers, or the quote "Our alliance has just expired." I got that from Bolt, in which they say, "Your deal has just expired."

AN: LOKI! Thanos has been Loki'd!