The Light To His Lies (Loki)

T H I R T Y - S E V E N

My back arched and pain shot through me, burning every molecule of my being with agony. A scream threatened to tear through my throat, but only a mangled croak escaped me.

The pressure that I'd barely noticed before that was pressing on my chest now wrapped around me, pressing in from all angles and I'm not sure how I'm not bent into thirty different directions. This invisible force pressed down on my harder from two sides, squeezing my throat and my bones and making me crane my neck. The crushing continued, I began to fear my neck would snap in half at any moment. My body convulsed violently, my lungs burned and insides twisted, my chest shuddering and aching for air. I try desperately to take in air, to draw in a breath fuel my body's needs but barely take in any.

My back further arched in the air, a sudden crack jolting my back to the side and a soundless cry escaped from my lips, my limbs contorting and face scrunching in pain. I try to breath, try to move, to scream, but I can't do anything but silently wait for it, beg for it, to end. I can't take this, it needs to stop now, I can't take much more of this-

"You refuse to help me now, little bird. But when you're sanity is in shreds and you fail to remember your morals, the people you've been with and the people you've lost, or even your own name, will you still deny me?"

I hear Thanos pacing around me, watching me like I'm on display and surveying me carefully as I writhe in agony. I couldn't open my eyes for one second, could barely focus on his voice as the crushing continues. A squeaky rasp escapes my throat and a crack is heard, coming from my torso and a needle like pain stabs my ribs. I cry out as searing pain shoots up my front, stabbing through me from all angles, causing my muscles to spasm again.

"I wonder, will you last longer than your darling Loki did? He cracked quickly whenever I showed him all the ways I could damage that pretty face of yours," his finger dragged over my chin and I whimper, the thought of Loki in Thanos' hands more agonizing than the bone crushing force that was pressing in tighter, wrapping and constricting around me like a snake.

The Titan chuckled deeply, draping his large hand and brushing the back of his palm over my forehead that is plastered with sweat, I try to recoil, to snap at him or even snarl, but the weight on my throat is far too much.

"Father, she cannot take much more.The damage done will be irreversible and we won't be able to save her," I heard the daughter say from somewhere in the room, perched at a panel of light that seems to control my torment. "Turn it up," Thanos demands, the gruffness in his voice making another whimper escape my constricting throat.

"But Father-" "I do not wish to repeat myself," snapped the Mad Titan, and so the pain increased. Another series of snapping noises had my lips curling in anguish, agony piercing through my middle. The pressure worsened, I could feel my ribs snapping and caving inward, one by one and causing unimaginable suffering to tear through my body. I can barely take in any air, and I feel my throat close in tighter and soon I can't breathe at all. "She can only stand thirty seconds more of this," the blue skinned girl concluded, and I don't know whether to sag in relief or cry out.

I don't think I can stand one more second of this, but soon they'll have to stop it. Another bone cracks and not even my closing throat can stop the rupturing, mangled scream from ripping through my mouth. "You think you know pain? You think this is pain?" Thanos drawls, removing his hand from my forehead. My heart burned with anguish and my lungs scream as my chest begins to cave in.

"Fifteen seconds, Father,"

Please please please make it stop! I try to beg, to plead for mercy, not caring about the desperation in my voice, though nothing comes from my mouth but a helpless whimper.