Strangefrost Oneshots

part twenty-four ~ midnight in venice (2)

The Statesman

"Hear me and rejoice. You have had the privilege of being saved by the great Titan. You may think this is suffering, but no. This is salvation! The universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile, for even in death, you have become Children of Thanos."

From the shadows, Loki watched as Ebony Maw walked through the carnage on the Statesman. Asgardian bodies lay mangled and wretched. Debris littered space as canons were continuously being fired at them from Thanos' ship. Loki's heart was thumping and pain shot through his temples. He turned his gaze upon the mighty purple Titan.

"I know what it's like to lose," Thanos sympathised. "To feel so desperately that you're right yet to fail, nonetheless. It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly."

Loki's breath hitched in his throat as Thanos picked Thor up by his chestplate and stepped forward. Minutes passed and Loki's terror grew. He couldn't watch his brother tortured and thus, displayed the Tesseract for Thanos. 

However, after beating both Thor and Hulk, Thanos had had enough. Ebony Maw restricted Thor with large pieces of metal covering his body and mouth, and Heimdall sent Hulk to Earth, angering Thanos into putting his own sword through the gatekeeper's chest. 

Thanos finally achieved his goal: placing the Space Stone into his gauntlet. He ordered his minions to go to Earth and acquire the rest of the Infinity Stones. They pledged, once again, their loyalty to his cause, before Loki decided to do something exceptionally stupid. 

"If I might interject," he said loudly, taking bold steps up to the Titan. "If you're going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena." He gave Thanos a confident grin. 

"If you consider failure experience," Thanos mused.

Loki's smile dropped. "I consider experience experience." 

He was breathing heavily. His heart beat like the humming of an insect's wings. "Almighty Thanos," he began. "I, Loki, Prince of Asgard, Odinson." He gave Thor a sad look. "The rightful king of Jotunheim, God of Mischief -" A dagger appeared in his left hand. "- do hereby pledge to you, my undying fidelity."

After a moment with his head bowed, Loki thrust the dagger up towards Thanos' massive neck but the Titan was too quick and used the powers of the Space Stone to fizzle his advances to an anticlimactic halt. 

"Undying? You should choose your words more carefully."

With one fist, Thanos grasped Loki's neck and pulled him up to meet his eyes. Loki thrashed, gasping for air as Thanos' hand strangled him. He struggled frantically.

His voice strained, Loki managed to mutter, "You will never be... a god."

And his neck cracked. His eyes remained open but he couldn't move. Pain throbbed in his neck and upper back as he hung helpless from Thanos' clutches.

A yell of, "No!" from Thor made his heart whine in his chest.

Thanos walked towards Thor as Loki's mind battled his body. He could think, he could see, he could process and he could feel - but he could not move. Thanos threw him roughly to the ground in front of his brother. Still, not a muscle moved of his own accord.

"No resurrections this time," Thanos growled. 

Using the Space Stone to escape, Thanos and his minions left Thor to huddle Loki's body while the Statesman exploded into smithereens and they were blasted apart.

 Loki didn't know how much time had passed since the explosion. He was floating, unable to control his own body, gazing around at the endless void. The pain in his neck had numbed to a dull ache.