Valhalla || A Loki Fanfic

Chapter 23

Everything in my body hurts. Covered in dirt, hopgrime, and rubble, I sit up, ignoring the ringing that stings through my head.

I'm next to Rogers, who still seems to be unconscious. With Stark approaching him, smirking with his fancy American shield in hand Oi.

"Come on, buddy. Wake up!" He yells, giving Rogers a light kick, forcing him to jolt awake, "That's my man,"

"You lose this again, I'm keeping it," he says, lip twitching upwards as a hand extends towards the soldier on the floor.

Rogers only grunts as an acknowledgment. The 'A' on his helmet is annoyingly arrogant, "What happened?"

"Fail us, Jötun runt. And there will be consequences that you dream of not know of,"

"You mess with time, it tends to mess back,"

"In the end, you will always kneel, argr. You are nothing, worthless,"

"You'll see,"

"You were born to be ruled,"

We trudge through the debris, walking up next to Thor, who's staring ominously at a figure sitting on the other side of the wreckage.

He's crouched over, his giant sword set into the ground as he calmly examines his fingernails. And even though he's slouching on a piece of rubble, I can't get over how much power he radiates.

How much power he radiates as he gives me a pitying look. Ebony Maw holding me in the air, contorting my body, lighting my blood on fire.

Burning. Pain. So much pain.

Do not scream. Do not scream. Do not scream.

"What's he been doing?"

He just sits there on the throne as the chitauri bring in a bloody, half-dead body.

"Absolutely nothing,"

"What have you brought me?" He demands, still just sitting on the throne.

"Where are the stones?"

"A Jötun Prince, who pretends to wear the skin of an Aesir. We believe it may be of use to the Great Plan,"

"Somewhere under all this,"

"Bring it to me," Thanos says, watching as the soldiers drag the limp body up the stairs. Running a rough finger up the Jötun's neck.

"You have heart,"

"All I know is he doesn't have 'em,"

It's days later, the Jötun has been fed and rested when he's summoned before the Mad Titan once more.

"Join me, my child. Join me in taking revenge on all those who cast you out,"

The Jötun lifts it's head up numbly and spits in his face.

Then there is a shattering crack from the Jötun's jaw as it falls to his side, trying to spit blood but his mouth won't move.

"Do not disrespect me, Jötun," Thanos glares, words like fire on his tongue, "Perhaps punishment will help you see that,"

"If I may, father," A gray, squid looking humanoid steps forward, "It is called the Liesmith, Silvertongue. At it's false home they sewed his mouth shut. Perhaps that will suffice?"

The Jötun snaps his head up, eyes gleaming with fear and terror. Lost of all pride and dignity.

A small smirk twitches across the Titan's face, covered up quickly by his fake sympathy.

"Bind it,"

Was that when it started? When my soul began to die?

"So, we keep it that way,"

"Do not pretend you are worthy,"

Or was it before? When I learned I could never escape my brother's shadow? Forever 'in debt' to the Allfather for saving my life.

"You know it's a trap, right?" Thor asks, ripping me out of memories.

Stark sighs, "Yeah, I don't much care,"

"Just as long as we're all in agreement," Thor deadpans. Then in a bright flash of lightning, Stormbreaker and Mjolnir fly into his hands, thunder rumbling around him.

"Let's kill him properly this time,"

•••

My hands won't stop shaking. It's ridiculous, he can't even see me, why can't I stop trembling?

I'm quivering behind Thor when he starts talking.

"You could not live with your own failure," He says, a taunting smirk spread across his face, "Where did that bring you?"

"This is a place for discarded playthings, Jötun. No matter how far you run from the dollhouse, you will be thrown out again. People will see you as I do, a monster. And you will come crawling-"

"Back to me,"

A whimpered cry escapes my throat.

"I thought, by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive,"

The horrifying shrieks as Asgardians are slaughtered one by one.

"But you've shown me, that's impossible,"

Impossible to love the failure of Asgard.

"And as long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be,"

Your savior is here.

"They will resist,"

I am no savior, no rescuer, no redeemer. But a weakness, a vulnerability. A pawn in a game of chess.

"Yep, we're all kinds of stubborn," Stark retorts, a glare on his face but fear in his eyes.

"I'm thankful," Thanos replies, instead of striking him to the ground where he stands, "For years I have searched for the stones. I sent the little Jötun pet to retrieve the space stone and he lost the mind stone. Pathetic,"

Thor's hands curl tighter around his weapons as the thunder crackles a little louder.

"But with the stones that you collected for me, create a new one," he says, placing the golden helmet on his head, "Teeming with life. That knows not what is lost but only what it has been given,"

Then Stark's helmet covers his face and Rogers readjusts his shield. Thor's eyes turn bright white as he raises the axe and hammer.

"A grateful universe,"

Burdened with glorious purpose.

"Born out of blood," Captain warns, his voice a low grovel.

Burdened with glorious purpose.

"They'll never know it... because you won't be alive to tell them," His lip twitches, removing the sword from the dirt.

Thor yells in fury, as the three heroes charge towards the Mad Titan.

Trying to stop an impossible force.