A GODS WEAKNESS [l.laufeyson]

THIRTY FIVE

     Proxima had dragged Astrid into the hall and threw her to the side like a rag doll. Blood still dripping from her wound leaving a trail on the floor. With what energy Astrid still had, she pulled herself up to lean against a large piece of the broken ship. Loki had watched in horror as his loved one had been pulled in. He thought she had already escaped. He stared at her hoping she would be alright, for he could not do anything while the almighty Thanos was in his presence. If he showed any sort of emotions towards the girl, Thanos would kill her there and then, just to make him suffer.

"You talk to much." Thor exhaustedly spat blood up from his mouth. Loki turned back to his brother whose head was now caught in Thanos' grasp.

"The Tesseract, or your brother's head. I assume you have a preference." Loki had to be strong. If he was to get out alive and save Astrid, he had to sacrifice his brother.

"Oh I do. Kill away!" Astrid's eyes widened at Loki's choice. Thanos sets the gauntlet on Thor's temple and the power stone glows brightly. Thor suffers in pain and Loki can't help but cringe and look away from his brother. Astrid had never felt more useless in her life. Her brother-in-law was being killed in front of them and all she could do is sit there.

"Alright, stop!" Thanos turns to Loki as he pulls the gauntlet away from Thor's head.

"We don't have the tesseract. It was destroyed on Asgard." Thor sounded breathless. Loki glances between Thor and Astrid as if he knows something. He lifts his hand in the air to reveal the tesseract.

"Loki?" Astrid couldn't believe he took the tesseract.

"You really are the worst, brother."

"I assure you, brother, Astrid, the Sun will shine on us again." Loki advances to Thanos holding the tesseract out to him.

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian."

"Well, for one thing. I'm not Asgardian. And for another... We have a Hulk." Loki dives out of the way grabbing Thor as Hulk emerges to fight Thanos. Punches are exchanged and Thanos is forced into the wall of the ship. Meanwhile, as Thanos and his children are distracted, Loki runs to Astrid kneeling beside her.

"What did they do to you?" Loki was doing the best he could to try stop the bleeding. Including ripping his cape to tie it around her wound.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving you. Not again." Tears rolled down her cheeks. Things weren't looking good for any of them.

"Hush my Princess. Everything will be alright." He strokes her cheek to comfort her the best he can. As they both look over to Hulk on the floor, they see Heimdall summon the Bifrost that carries Hulk away. Thanos then starts advancing towards the injured Heimdall with a spear. Loki changes his position to hide Astrid away from the sight. She knew what was happening though. She heard Thor scream and she was trying her best not to do the same. The only thing keeping her calm was Loki's touch.

They hear Thanos command his children to head down to Earth and an idea springs into Loki's head. Before he gets up, he plants another kiss on Astrid's lips. This time it had more meaning. It was one that said I will be going now. As they broke the kiss, Loki rested his forehead against Astrid's.

"Loki." Astrid whispered his name. She knew that he was about to do something stupid. She could see it in his eyes. But she was too weak to do anything about it. "I love you." She cried.

"I love you too, my darling Princess." Loki intertwined his fingers in Astrid's and rested his forehead on hers. They stayed like that for a few seconds before breaking apart. Astrid tried her best to keep hold but felt like she let him slip through her fingers quite literally. She didn't know what he had planned to do but whatever it was, she felt like she wouldn't be seeing him for a little while.

"If I might, interject... If you're going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena." Loki emerges from the corner of the ship walking to Thanos.

"If you consider failure experience..."

"I consider experience, experience." Loki glares at Thanos before continuing. "Almighty Thanos. I, Loki, Prince of Asgard... Odinson..." Astrid felt proud of her husband. He finally found who he truly was. He found who he was. "The rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, do hereby pledge to you, my undying fidelity." Thor squints and notices a dagger in Loki's hand. Loki attempts to stab Thanos, but fails. He was paralysed. Astrid felt her heart racing. She knew he was planning something. But she didn't think that something would be to attempt to take out Thanos on his own. He was too smart for that.

"Undying. You should choose your words more carefully." Thanos tightens his hold around Loki's neck. He makes eye contact with Thor before he increases his force around Loki. Astrid calls out for Thanos to stop. But it was no use, Thanos acted like she wasn't even in the room. Didn't even bother to look at her.

"You... will never be... a god." Suddenly, Thanos snaps Loki's neck, killing him.

"No!" Astrid screams from the top of her lungs while moving away from the side. She tries to stand but just falls back down again.

"No resurrections this time." Thanos teleports away with the Black Order.

"No... Loki..." Thor is released from his binds. With all her strength, Astrid crawls over to Loki's lifeless body. She rocks him hoping for him to wake up. She hoped that he would surprise her and tell her it was all part of the plan. But there was nothing.

"No... don't do this to me... not again. Please, wake up..." But still there was nothing. She held his face and buried her head into his chest, she didn't want to let go. They had been through so much together, she felt like huge part of her had died.

As she cried, Thor joined her by Loki's body to mourn his brother. The ship around them exploding. But both of them said nothing as they both refused to let go of Loki's body.

"You promised me."