Loki oneshots

We Had A Good Run (Whumptober Brodinsons)

Today has been a pretty nice day.

Or, you know, as nice a day can be, having been stuck on a ship for months with the remains of his people after their army was slaughtered by his adoptive half-sister and their homeland was condemned to a fiery destruction from Surtur.

So it's not perfect, but, all things considered, it's been a pretty nice day.

Loki's favorite part of his very boring, somewhat claustrophobic, but otherwise pretty nice day has to be right now. He'd been standing by the windshield, taking some time to himself (a rarity, when the remains of Asgard and a fair number of Sakaar's citizens are all shoved together on one ship) and gazing out into the vast emptiness of space, when Thor came over to join him.

Neither of them have spoken, but then, that's usually for the best. Things don't always go well when they talk to each other. But this? Standing side-by-side and watching the universe go by? This is nice. It's comfortable. It's relaxing.

But there is one thing he probably should bring up...

"Thor..." Loki glances over at him, but his brother's gaze doesn't leave the windshield. "Do you really think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?"

"Yes, of course," Thor says, and he almost seems taken aback by the question. "The people of Earth love me – I'm very popular."

Loki pauses. "Let me rephrase that." Because really, he should have known that his brother wasn't going to think that question through; that he wasn't going to think this situation through, or they wouldn't be in this situation at all. "Do you really think it's a good idea to bring me back to earth?"

This time, Thor does look back at him, and Loki can see in his eye that he really does understand the question now. "Probably not, to be honest," he admits, and, in spite of himself, Loki cracks the smallest of smiles at his nonchalance. "But I wouldn't worry, brother. I feel like everything's gonna work out fine."

Thor looks back out the windshield, a content smile on his lips, and Loki does the same.

He's right, Loki decides. Everything is going to work out fine, because they're going to make it fine. They're going to relocate to earth, they're going to set up a little home for their people, Loki is going to stay far away from New York, and everything is going to be fine.

Besides, it's been, like, five years. That's a long time for a human, right? They're probably over it by now.

Loki takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. This will be nice. It's going to be a new beginning, for all of them. Thor will have his chance to be king, Loki will have his chance to not fuck everything up the way he always does, and everything is going to work out fine.

And then a shadow descends upon them.

He sees that ship coming toward them – that much-too-familiar ship that he'd been so sure he'd never see again.

And he realizes that nothing, nothing, is going to be fine.

He takes a step back, and another, and another, each one shakier than the last, less stable than the last. "No," he whispers. This can't be happening. It can't be. This has to be a dream. There's no way...

"Loki?" Thor says cautiously. "Loki, what's going on?"

For a moment, he's just... frozen.

He doesn't know what to do, doesn't know what to say. He just freezes, staring up at the ship before him, as the realization hits that this really is the end. He'd been dumb enough to think he'd escaped, to think he was safe, but the truth is, he never was. This was always how it was going to end, and now it's here.

... And so is Thor.

Shit.

He grabs his brother's arm, pulling him away from the windshield with all the force his panicked body can muster. "Evacuate the ship."

Thor's brows shoot up. "What?"

"Evacuate the ship," Loki says again, more forcefully this time, more desperately. "Get everybody out – yourself included. You need to get as far away from here as you can, now."

Thor shakes his head, and he grabs his brother's shoulders. "Loki, what's going on?" he asks again. "Who is this? What's happening?"

Loki bites his lip, gaze straying to the ship outside once more. "I can't..." I can't tell you, he wants to say. I can't tell you all that I've done. How could he? How could he tell his brother about the deal they made, years ago? How could he tell his brother the things he's done, the people he's done them for?

He shakes his head helplessly.

He can't.

He just can't.

"He's here for me," Loki says finally. "I have what he wants and I will have no choice but to give it to him, but I can stall for time. You can escape – our people can escape. But you have to go now."

"Loki, what is going on?" He almost yells it this time, desperation filling his voice.

Loki rests a hand on his brother's shoulder, a sad smile on his face. "We had a good run, brother, but this is where my story ends."

"No," Thor says quickly. "No, it's not. Don't say that. We're going to get out of here – together."

"I wish I could believe that," Loki says, "but you don't know Thanos like I do."

Thor's brows draw together, the corners of his lips turning down in a frown. "Thanos?"

Loki pulls his brother back, away from the windshield and toward the door, toward their people, toward safety. "I'm sorry," he says. "This wasn't supposed to happen. You were never supposed to get involved."

"Loki–"

He holds up his hand, and in it, the Tesseract materializes. He can see the look of confusion that passes over Thor's face, almost distrustful before he meets Loki's eyes, and then there's nothing there but fear.

"Go," Loki says once more. "Protect our people, and let me finish what I've started."

Thor hesitates, his gaze flickering between his brother and the ever-approaching ship, until finally, he nods once. "Good luck, brother."

Loki gives him a small smile. "I look forward to seeing you in Valhalla someday."

Thor hesitates, one last time, spares one last look at his brother, one last look at the ship, and then he's gone, off to save as many lives as he can from a mess they never should have been involved in, anyway.

Loki takes a deep breath and wills himself to look out the windshield.

There's nowhere left to run.

So now, he waits.