Timeless

◈ 12 ◈

I crouched low to the ground on the cliff overlooking Malekith's ship. I had to admit, I was somewhat looking forward to getting revenge for Mother a second time.

I just wished that it wasn't necessary.

I locked eyes with Malekith from high above him and let a little smirk dance across my face. It was unfortunate that I wouldn't be able to see my brother obliterate him, but I had something else that I needed to do.

"When this is all over," I said to him once we were out of earshot of Jane. "Where would you like to meet?"

He shrugged.

"I wouldn't worry about that just yet, brother. I'm sure you'll find me fairly easily."

"Right," I mumbled.

I stood up and patted him on the shoulder, before brandishing a dagger from thin air and driving it into a chink in his armor.

"Now there's one thing that I'll never tire of," I whispered as I ripped the dagger back out and tossed it to the side.

I gave him a light shove and sent him tumbling down the sloping cliff.

"Thor!" Jane shouted as she chased after him.

I followed them to the base of the cliff, where Malekith awaited us.

"Mother please forgive me," I muttered to myself as I kicked Thor in the face.

That should've left a black eye almost identical to the one he'd given me twenty minutes earlier.

I sucked in a breath of air sharply and kept walking.

"You really think I cared about Frigga? About any of you?"

I hid my distaste at the words coming out of my mouth with another kick.

"All I ever wanted was you and Odin....dead at my feet!"

He reached out his hand to call for Mjölnir, and I sliced another dagger through the air, bringing it down on the illusion and cutting it clean off.

Jane was at his side in an instant as he rolled onto his back and clutched his arm in pain.

I bent down and picked her up, using a bit of unnecessary force as I dropped her at Malekith's feet.

I still hadn't come close to forgiving her for letting my mother sacrifice her life for her, only to turn around and drop Thor like a log. He had loved her, but she left him like it didn't even matter.

Perhaps I was just overreacting, but it certainly didn't feel like it.

"Malekith!" I shouted. "I am Loki Odi-, Loki of Jotunheim and I've come to bring you a gift! I ask for only one thing in return."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. I lifted my dagger into the air, leveling it with his face.

"A good seat from which to watch Asgard burn."

Lowering the dagger, I turned my attention to Kurse, who spoke in his native tongue to Malekith. Ever the scholar, I'd studied the seemingly dead language a bit in my youth, but I only picked up on a few words. All I could make out was that the beast recognized me and thought me to be an enemy of Asgard.

Good. Let him think that. It worked out all the better for me.

Malekith strode over to Thor, who was lying in the dirt grunting in pain.

"Look at me." He commanded, kicking my brother over onto his back.

I tensed up, trying to remember to breathe and not outright attack the dark elf. He wouldn't kill Thor. That much I knew. Thor could take it.

He could take it.

Just like he took that infinity stone to the head.

The memory flashed blindingly bright in my head, and I flinched involuntarily. I so desperately wanted to run Malekith through with a spear while his back was turned to me, but I kept my composure and tried not to move.

With one hand, he lifted Jane into the air while never taking his eyes off of Thor. I watched her body float upward with little interest. Whether she lived or died shouldn't be of any concern to me. Not after what she did to Thor.

But unfortunately, I knew that underneath all of that resentment, my brother still cared for the pathetic mortal. So just as before, I would protect her if only to ensure that Thor's heart was not broken again.

Malekith took his eyes off of Thor for a moment so that he could pull the Aether out of Jane. I narrowed my eyes and watched it happen. Thor and I both knew that this plan wouldn't work. I didn't understand why we had to allow him to take possession of the Aether in order to destroy it.

I felt the itch of my magic festering within me and aching to be released. I flexed my fingers and allowed a small bit of it to pool into the palm of my hand, keeping it hidden in the folds of my bulletproof robes.

Malekith extracted the last of the power from Jane and let her fall to the ground. I didn't wait for Thor's signal before I extended my hand towards him and shot out a burst of green light, casting the illusion away.

He called for Mjölnir, and I was surprised to feel it's energy coursing within me as it soared to meet his hand.

I lunged forward to protect Jane, though I wasn't exactly overjoyed to do it, as Thor hit the gaseous form of the Aether with an arc of lightning.

It exploded with a mushroom-cloud of dust, but neither Thor nor I were stupid enough to believe that it was truly destroyed.

Fragments of the infinity stone slowly floated upward into the air, and suddenly I was moving of my own accord. I stepped over Jane and ran at Malekith with my dagger in hand, slowly lengthening into a sword.

"Loki! No!" Thor shouted, but it was too late.

I drove the sword through that disgusting creature's heart.

It was such an impulsive decision that it left me in too much shock to register that the pieces were still floating towards his corpse.

I didn't realize until all too late that they were no longer on a path towards Malekith.

They were headed for me.

"Damn."

I stumbled backward, but I wasn't quick enough to avoid the power that flooded my senses with a howling roar and claimed its next victim.

I was vaguely aware of Thor running toward me as I took one last look at Malekith's body and blacked out.