Shine Again (An Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame Story)

Chapter 30: Undying Fidelity

    Loki stood, battered from the skirmish, between three of the members of Thanos' ensemble, all of their weapons drawn on him. He knew these four henchmen all too well. More than he ever wanted to. The Black Order, as they were known, were present during all the unspeakable torture Thanos had put him through years prior before the New York invasion. They were his willing servants; it made Loki sick. But that wasn't important right now.

    He took some deep breaths, trying to calm himself enough to think properly. Things were much different now. He wasn't the weak boy he was back then. He wasn't going to let Thanos get the better of him a second time. He needed to think of a way to get at least him and Anja out of this alive. He knew what they wanted. He just didn't want to give it to them. Surrendering the Tesseract was suicide. It meant Thanos would have yet another stone, putting him one step closer to victory.

    Loki did a quick glance around the room. Gamora and Quill were picking themselves up off the ground, both shaken from the impact. Anja was lying on her side some feet away, glaring menacingly at Thanos. He still had no idea where the hell Bruce was. Some help he was in all of this. If they made it out alive, he was going to personally kick Banner's ass, even if it meant dealing with the possibility of the Hulk. He was going to have to think of something, and fast.

    The lone member of the Order who was by Thanos' side during the fight, Ebony Maw, began walking through the rubble, as he began a speech Loki was sure he had said probably dozens of times.

    "Hear me, and rejoice. You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan," he began. Ebony Maw had the kind of slimy voice that made skin crawl, and even Loki hated the sound of it. He paused briefly. "You may think this is suffering... No. It is salvation. Universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile... for even in death, you have become Children of Thanos."

    Thanos stayed where he was while Maw continued to step among the rubble. He was shrouded in darkness, his massive silhouette only visible thanks to the room being mostly on fire. He only stood there for a moment before he started to walk towards them. Honestly, all the theatrics were beyond ridiculous, and Loki was growing annoyed by it, despite how truly terrifying this situation was.

    "I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right... yet to fail, nonetheless," Thanos began. He stopped in front of Anja for a moment before he lifted her by the front of her shirt. She began to struggle, trying to free herself from his grasp. All she was doing was ripping her shirt. Thanos ignored the girl's thrashing, and continued his stereotypical evil villain monologue as he walked towards Loki. Having been the villain before, Loki knew a monologue when he heard one. This one was only okay, at best. "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."

    Thanos held up his hand to reveal the Infinity Gauntlet, both the violet Power Stone and the red Reality Stone nestled into their settings. His moment of triumph was cut short by a blast of ice to the face. Anja had done it so quickly, Loki didn't even see her do it. The attack caused Thanos to drop Anja to the ground, as he brushed the ice from the side of the face. Loki wanted to run to her, wanted to help, but he knew the second he moved, he would be fired upon or stabbed. And that would do none of them any good.

    Guess I was wrong, he thought. She is crazy enough to punch Thanos.

    Anja laid on the ground, breathing deeply. She was too tired from struggling to get away and from her previous fight, her muscles too sore for her to get up. That would be her undoing. If they got out of this alive, Loki was going to have a serious chat with her about energy conservation in times of crisis.