Real-Life Myth

One.

"This is the Asgardian refugee vessel. We are under assault, I repeat, we are under assault - Engines are dead, life support failing. Requesting aid from any vessel within range. . . Our crew is made up of Asgardian families, we have very few soldiers here. This is not a war craft, I repeat, this is not a war craft," the Asgardian PA rings through all of space outside the Asgardian ship. Inside the ship, Ebony Maw walks among the bodies of dead Asgardians. He steps over them as he speaks with no mind, as if they were scattered pieces of dirty clothing on a bedroom floor.

"Hear me, and rejoice. You have had the privilege of being saved by the great Titan. You may think this is suffering. No. It is salvation," Ebony Maw explains to those who are still alive and those who are dead as well, just for the sake of explaining. "Universal scales tipped toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile, for even in death, you have become children of Thanos." Loki is seen with the Black Order. He watches Thanos. Lana walks up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder to tell him he isn't alone. Loki smiles thinly, silently thankful his twin sister is still alive. By now she's all beaten up and bloody from getting attacked and attacking back. She is not letting Thanos kidnap her like he did Thor. It's not in her nature to be submissive. That's what Loki loves most about his twin.

Thanos looks out a large window. "I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless." Thanos grabs Thor. Lana's breath hitches, both out of fear and anger. "It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. I ask you to what end? Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same. And now it's here. . . or should I say I am." Lana gulps, she knows what he's done to Loki; she's felt it too with their twin bond. She doesn't want the same thing to happen to Thor or the rest of her people.

Thor exhaustively spits blood from his mouth. "You talk too much," he quips. Thanos disregards the comment. Instead, he turns to Loki and Lana.

"The Tesseract, or your brother's head," he offers, "I assume you have a preference."

"Oh, I do. Kill him away," Loki orders. Lana hits his shoulder, her eyes wide. He turns slightly to give her a reassuring smile. It doesn't work; her nerves are shot, there's nothing he can to do reassure her. There's nothing anyone can do to reassure her everything will be alright because it won't be. Thanos sets the gauntlet on Thor's temple. The power stone glows brightly. Thor suffers in pain. Loki and Lana cringe and look away from their brother's pain.

"All right, stop!" Lana orders before Loki can make out the words.

"We don't have the Tesseract. It was destroyed on Asgard," Thor informs the mad titan. Loki glances at Thor like he knows something he doesn't. Lana rolls her eyes. Loki lifts his right hand into the air and the Tesseract reveals itself. "You really are the worst, brother." Loki holds out the Tesseract to Thanos.

"I assure you, brother. The sun will shine on us again," Loki tells Thor. Lana exhales, worried. She's been the middle child her whole life (obviously, that isn't something you can really change). If it weren't for her, the family would've fallen apart long before now.

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardians," Thanos tells the two. Lana smirks. The twins share a knowing look.

"Well, for one thing, we're not Asgardian," Lana corrects. Thanos glances to her before looking back to her twin. He's more important than some silly Asgardian princess. She raises an eyebrow.

"And for another, we have a Hulk," Loki continues before he dives out of the way as Hulk emerges and fights Thanos. Punches are exchanged and Thanos is forced into the wall of the ship. Maw stops Black Dwarf from interfering.

"Let him have his fun," he states. Loki and Lana slip out of sight while the fight goes on. She smiles thinly at her younger twin.

"The Tesseract, give it to me," she orders, her Asgardian accent thick and shaky as she speaks. Loki looks to the fight before back to her. "Loki, please, we could actually survive this mess," she pleads.