Loki's Endgame

Chapter 17

You lie face down, sobbing. For two days you had been weeping, almost non-stop. Your throat is raw and dehydrated and your head is splitting from the grief. You wanted to go home, more than anything... not The Compound... you wanted to go home to your parents... you had never even got to say goodbye to them.

This was all too much, The Avengers, being a hero, having these powers. You had known for years... deep in your heart... that someday something like this would happen. It was never just going to be jovial, easy Hydra missions... one day... something else, something bigger, would come and ruin everything.

And finally it had.

You turn over onto your back, the wooden bunk creaking as you move. Thanos had provided you with a small cabin similar to that of a ship, with basic furniture, a chair, a sink, a bunk. It reminded you of the room provided for Loki when he first arrived at The Compound, basic, prison-like, but not uncomfortable. You stifle another sob, holding your palm against your mouth. You missed him so much, you missed your best friend.

Best friend?

Was he still your best friend? Was he more? You hadn't really had time to discuss labels prior to Thor bursting onto the roof in drunken hysteria. All you knew was that you were falling for him, even more so in his absence.

The cabin door clicks as Ebony Maw steps inside. He smirks menacingly.

"Our great ruler requests your presence."

"I don't care."

"That was not an invitation to be negotiated. You are required on the bridge. Now."

You scoff. Somehow, you actually despised Ebony Maw even more than Thanos. He was sly, manipulative and clearly had more on his agenda than he was letting on.

Suddenly, you feel yourself dragged out of the bunk, hitting the floor with a thud. Your knees take the impact, feeling bruised and bashed. Maw flexes his fingers with satisfaction.

"I suggest you hurry up. Thanos does not care to wait."

You stumble to your feet, rubbing your knees. Defeated, you follow him out of the cabin and onto the bridge of the ship.

*

"Hello Little One, I hope your rest was pleasant?"

You glare at him and say nothing. He chuckles.

"Still so fiesty, so much spirit. I have a task for you."

He holds out his hand to you, but you just stare angrily. Thanos actually rolls his eyes in frustration.

"Look out of the window, Little One, I think you'll find the view mesmerising. You've never been to space before, have you?"

Thanos takes your elbow between his finger and thumb and places you by the window. You look down and cannot help but gasp in awe.

The Dark Aster hovers over a planet, Slightly bigger than Earth. On the surface you see bustling cities of radiant colours and aircrafts of various shapes and designs flying through its atmosphere. You look closer, noticing the majority of the planet is covered in vast turbulent oceans. Thanos suddenly steps to the side of you.

"Startling isn't it? Seeing the stars? We are not far from your home, only in the neighbouring system of Andromeda. Welcome to Xandar. Their culture differs only slightly to your own. The cities you see? Artificial atolls built by the Xandarians. They are one of the few planets which boasts completely sustainable energy... from all the maelstroms you see in the waters. Fascinating really, but forgive me for sounding like a tour guide, that's not why we are here."