Lost in Time (Loki)

28| The Goodbye

A series of clips that I had never seen before began to flip through on the screen until it stopped on an image that I recognised but did not understand. Queen Frigga, though she did not look how I remembered her. Lying on the ground, looking eerie and silent.

I glanced over at Loki, who had a downcast expression on his features. "What is this?" I asked curiously, glancing back at the screen.

"My mother," Loki stated simply. "In the future." He took a deep breath that shook slightly in his throat. "She dies because of me."

I leaned back from him slightly, squinting in confusion. "What?" He looked at me as if he had expected me to recoil. ''This is in the future?"

He nodded, turning back to the screen. "Apparently."

The clip sped up again, this time landing on a scene of Odin, sitting in between Thor and Loki. Thor was dressed casually, in jeans, while Loki was wearing a sharp, black suit. The atmosphere felt off though, but I continued watching.

"I love you, my sons," Odin said genuinely, looking between his two children. "Remember this place." Loki sniffed quietly. "Home."

I reached over and grasped Loki's hand firmly in mine, just as Odin—on the screen—began to fade away in an orange shimmer of dust. I scooted my chair closer, as his face began to contort in sadness. I moved beside him and wrapped my arm around his torso, drawing him into a tight, comforting hug. He leaned into me, as we continued to watch.

The next scene was of Thor and Loki, in a glass elevator.

"Loki, I thought the world of you," Thor said. "I thought we were gonna fight side by side forever."

Loki continued to sniff sadly, as the future played out before our eyes. My own eyes began to water with sadness, at what Loki's future would have looked like if he had not stolen the Tesseract. It would have been pointless.

"Well, maybe you're not so bad, after all, brother," Thor said.

"Maybe not."

"Thank you." Thor stared at his brother. "If you were here, I might even give you a hug."

From beside me, Loki chuckled, watching the interaction between him and his brother in the future. Thor suddenly threw something at Loki, but on-screen Loki caught it easily.

"I'm here."

Loki pressed a button on the projector and the scene changed drastically. What looked like ruins were behind Loki on the screen, and the devastation in the background made the breath hitch in my throat.

Suddenly, Loki materialised a blade in his hand and drove it towards a large being in front of him. Loki, beside me, gasped in astonishment and fear, as the blade was stopped in mid-air, never reaching the creature in front of him.

"Undying," the creature said, grabbing Loki's arm and forcing him to drop the blade, letting it clatter to the ground. "You should choose your words more carefully."

I stood up, intrigued by the scene before me. Loki stood up beside me, as the creature grasped future Loki by the neck, lifting his struggling form into the air. I watched in shock and horror, as future Loki struggled in the tight grasp.

Loki, beside me, approached the screen, fear and concern laced in his expression. I stayed where I was, too fixated on the screen to move a muscle.

With one final breath, the Loki on the screen spoke, his voice raspy. "You," he began, mustering all the strength he had. "Will never be a god."

Suddenly, to my great disdain, the intimidating creature glared at Loki, before snapping his neck, easily, with one final squeeze. I let out a loud gasp of horror, as Loki was dropped to the ground, by a defeated-looking Thor.