Eagle (A Loki love story)

Chapter 154

Loki's POV

This had to be some sort of sorcery. It had to be. Mira did not just fade away before my eyes! My wife, my light, mother of my child. No. It couldn't be!

"Loki." There was a hand on my shoulder. Thor. I could hear him saying meaningless words. He was so sorry. To forgive him for messing up so badly. That we were going to get her back. But how? Thanos was gone, with the stones. Even if there was only a fool's hope at getting her back, we had no way to find him. I was numb, and almost unhearing.

Steve stumbled over to the corpse of Vision, which had lost all color when the stone left him, and rolled him over. Upon seeing the gap in his head, and the exposing wires that the stone had been connected to, he collapsed. Natasha sprinted over from somewhere in the underbrush, stopping short beside him. It looked like she was going to be sick.

"What is this?" He sounded more lost than I had ever heard before, "What the hell is happening?" No one had a response. But we all knew.

"Oh, God." That just about summed it up right. My ears were registering the mourning of those who had vanished out on the battlefield. And just like that, something clicked in my head. Thanos had intended to make it so those he murdered had never existed, or only existed in memory.

So did that mean....?

I had to get back to the Compound. Right now. Everything I was protested when I stood.

"Woah, brother." Thor caught me right as I was about to fall again, "What–"

"I have to get back there."

"Back where? We don't know where he went."

"Not Thanos, you dunderhead! The Compound!" Thor seemed to understand, but nobody else did.

"He's right. We need to begin coordinating globally." Rhodey said, "We have to find out how much damage has been done." How could he just stand there and talk about damage?! I only cared about one other!

"Where is Stark?"

"I'll explain on the Quinjet." Bruce replied. He looked like the suit was the only thing supporting him.

"Will you be alright here?" Natasha was speaking to Okoye.

"No. I have just seen my King vanish, and I know not what has become of the princess. But you must go. I will contact you when I know more."

"What about Vision?"

"We will take him to the lab, and perhaps Shuri can find a way to reanimate him. And we will build memorials for the others." Upon hearing the word 'memorial', it truly hit me that Mira wasn't coming back, that she only existed in our memories now. Especially if... My hands closed into fist. No. He cannot have taken that much from me! But it would make so much sense. Thor's hand was on my back, gently guiding me to follow the others.

I grasped the interconnected bands on my left hand. Was this how she had felt when I had pretended to die? The guilt of all I had put her through with that, all the lost time and trust, came back in full force. I could have had years more of memories with her! And it wasn't like that had done any good in the long run–Thanos had still taken everything from me!

My mind seemed to separate from my body as I moved after the others, following them up the ramp of the Quinjet. Somehow, I managed to find a seat and strap in without falling over something. All of those plans, all my failsafes, all my promises to keep her safe. All gone, broken, whisked away in a heartbeat.