Long And Lost (Book II)

Ch.17: Is it too late to come on home?

That night sleeping was near impossible. Everything going on with Loki was a fast forwarded series of events and her head was having trouble coping with it.

Their plan had worked. After letting the Valkyrie beat him, Loki was left in her cubicle and she came back 2 hours later with Thor and a de-hulkified Banner ready to escape Sakaar.
It was a tricky to convince them he wanted to help, but Thor, remembering his conversation with Sigyn, decided to give him a chance.

During their escape through Sakaar, Loki was borrowing every trick he thought could help, particularly her foresight. Sigyn had no other choice than to give up sleep all together and get off the bed. Tea would help, as she watched via Loki everything that was happening.

Thor and Loki were going to steal one of the Grandmaster's ships. The Valkyrie was in charge of freeing the prisoners and start a revolution. (Or so Thor said).
After obliterating several scrappers and sakaarian guards, Thor and Loki boarded de elevator to the launching pad.

"You know?" Thor said. "I thought you'd want to stay here on Sakaar."

Loki gave him a disgusted look. "What?"

"C'mon! This place is great for you! It's savage, chaotic, lawless... You did great here before I arrived." Thor continued. "And I'm sure that if it weren't for Sigyn you wouldn't be even helping me at all."

"I'm not helping you, I am helping myself." Loki deadpanned, if only to hide the slight hurt Thor's words caused. "Do you truly think so little of me?"

"Loki, I thought the world of you. I thought we were gonna fight side by side forever. But, at the end of the day, you're you, I'm me..." Thor said, but something felt off to Loki. Maybe it had to do with being using Sigyn's foresight still. "I don't know, maybe there's still good in you, but let's be honest, our paths diverged a long time ago."

"Well, after you get to save Asgard, we don't have to see eachother again." Loki stood stiffly. If his plan worked, it might actually be true.

"That's what you've always wanted." Thor said, side-eyeing him, and going to pat his back.

Obedience disk!

Loki stepped aside before Thor could touch him. "That's how little you think of me, then." He said, slapping Thor's hand slightly, making him drop the obedience disk.

Thor's laugh was sad and fake. "Can you blame me?"

"I can blame you for being your father's son without questioning it." Loki said viciously. "Worst part is that you'd take it a compliment."

They stood in uncomfortable silence until the elevator reached to top floor. Loki was stubbornly staring at the door in front of him, refusing to see the apologetic look in Thor's face.

"And we are NOT doing get help!"

"I wasn't--" Thor said as the elevator doors opened. He smiled at the guards running to stop them. "Oh, but it would've been so perfect!"

"No. It's humiliating and I hate it." Loki instead summoned and threw a couple of daggers to the guards, distracting them enough so Thor could finish them off.

"Which one?" Thor looked around at the several ships stationed there. Loki pointed at the bright red, black and yellow one.

"The commodore. It will get you there fast enough." He said, busying himself with the control panel.

"Aren't you coming?"

"We need back up, you oaf!" Loki barked. "Your revolution is coming and they're not going to fit there."

"What do you mean they're coming?" Thor looked at Loki, confused.

"The Valkyrie already set the slaves free. They will need something to escape in." Loki explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe. "I just hope you have impressed them enough to get them to come to Asgard with me."

"How do you know--?" Thor shook his head, recalling something Sigyn said. "Foresight. I thought that was Sigyn's trick."

"It is. I just borrow it." Loki shrugged.

"That explains so many things..." Thor said, rolling his eyes and jumping in the ship.

"Just make sure Argard is still there when I arrive!" Loki shouted. He then opened the hangar doors so Thor could fly away.

"Don't worry about him." Sigyn said, appearing next to Loki.

"I always worry about him. Obnoxious jerk!" Loki said.

"The freed competitors are coming. You need to get the ship ready."

"Working on it." Loki worked on the control panel until he managed to start the biggest cruise carrier in the hangar. "That should do."

"Guards." Sigyn's projection shimmered.

"Felt it." Loki said, shaking his head. "That dizziness is irritating."

"It happens when you borrow magic that isn't yours." Sigyn said, and disappeared.

Loki took cover behind the console, at the same time the ex-prisoners bursted into the room. He had to keep the controls safe, or he would lose his chance to get everyone on the ship. The diverse group of gladiators honored their name and wiped the last of the scrappers and guards.

"Thanks for the help, man!" A being made of rocks said. "My name is Korg. We're about to jump on that ginormous spaceship. You wanna come?"

"Well, my kronan friend, you do look like you're in need of leadership." Loki said with a charming smile.

"Why, thank you!"

"You might be familiar with my brother, Thor, Lord of Thunder..."

Convincing the former gladiators to follow Thor (and him) back to Asgard was easier than expected. The promise of a new life, following the one they thought had saved him was enough. The few who didn't want to join them, took other ships and went their own way.
Loki piloted the cruiser out of the hangar, warning his new crew to keep their eyes open and man the few weapons the ship had. Fortunately, most of the sakaaran aerial defenses were down thanks to Thor and co on the other ship. Leaving the city wasn't much of a problem.

"The revolution has succeeded!" Korg exclaimed. "Now we help our friend, Lord of Thunder."

Loki smirked, flying the ship with ease over the scrap wasteland.

Hurry home.

I will, my love.

Loki's heart was struck with hope. Again. Uncomfortable, nagging hope. Annoying... but it made him smile.
Nearing the wormhole, the ship started suffering the effects of the radiation and the gravitational pulls. The walls creaked and the cruise jolted violently. Loki signaled Korg and the others to brace themselves.

The wormhole swallowed the cruise with a deafening sound.