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“Loki.” He spoke in his low, gravelly voice. Her heart dropped, more than dropped, it plummeted to her stomach. Her heart was beating too fast, her palms too damp. She was petrified. But of course, she couldn’t let him see that.
“Release him. I know he’s not who you want.” She allowed herself to step closer to him, as she stared into his molten black eyes. She let herself get inches away from his face, to show him she wasn’t scared. To prove to him, she could handle him.
Her brother watched the scene play out. If he wasn’t gagged he would’ve screamed, now knowing what Thanos had done to his sister. Once he was out of those chains, he would rip Thanos into two with his bare hands, make him watched as he teared down everything he tried so hard to create. His ship, his allies, his children, he would enact every last bit of revenge he could for what the titan had done to his little sister.
“I have missed you. Your magic proved most valuable, when you weren’t using it to kill me.” He cupped her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. He was so gentle, despite the obvious in that even just by applying a little pressure, could crush her jaw with his bare hands.
“Then release him. Don’t let my.. talents go to waste.” She tried not to let her voice pitch in fear. She tried to keep herself from shaking beneath his touch. But how could she not, when the man she’d spent the past five years running away from, come back to claim what was his? He had tortured her, ruined her, driven her insane. How could stay calm, when the destroyer of worlds had come to punish her?
“Hmm, perhaps. Or perhaps,” he lifted her up by her throat, slowly applying pressure until she could no longer breathe.
“I should just kill you in front of him, and let him watch you die a slow,” he gripped harder, watching her gasp and struggle against his grip, “painful death.”
She barely managed to choke out a “no,” before muttering a word in Jotun, causing ice to sear up Thanos’s arm and spike into his veins. He roared out in pain, releasing her from his grasp. His minions went out to grab the release Loki, but he stopped them.
“No. She is useful. And she has what I want.”
“I will give you what you want, but you must spare my brother.”
“Very well. The tessarct Loki, now.” To emphasise his point, Ebony Maw took his long, pointed staff and forced it against Thor’s throat. Loki could see the desperation in his eyes, could see him screaming at her to get out of there, to save herself and the stone and put an end to Thanos’s madness. But she just couldn’t do that.
“I think we both know that isn’t necessary.”
With a deep breath she unveiled the tesseract, the shining cube uncovered in the palm of her hand. A single tear dropped from her eye, she had failed. She had given the monster what he wanted. And now he would take her life. Or worse.
She watched as his eyes gleamed in greed as he popped the stone into his gauntlet, watching him grin in happiness that he was winning, that he was so close to achieving what he wanted. Even with just one infinity stone, his power was unmatched, and Loki knew this. They all knew this, as she watched his children bow down in front of him, singing his praises, practically licking his boots. Thanos looked at her, as if he was expecting her to too.
“I won’t submit to you.” She glared at him, her green eyes narrowed in anger.
“I think you’ll find you will.” He was doing something to Thor, she couldn’t see but he was screaming behind the gag, tears streaming down his face as his face contorted in agony.
“What are you doing to him? Stop!” She forced herself onto one knee, submitting herself to the man she hated most in the pgalaxy, to the man who had done more injustice to her than she’d ever let herself face.
But he didn’t stop after she submitted, and she could see her brother straining to stay awake. The pain, whatever Thanos was doing to him, it was similar to the pain she had endured herself back when he’d held her captive.
“I’ve done what you’ve asked, why are you doing this!”
“You haven’t asked me to stop nicely, have you?” He smirked, enjoying her watch her degrade herself for his amusement.
“Stop.. master.” She swallowed her pride, her dignity for the sake of her brother.
“That’s better, isn’t it?”
Loki only glared back at him, malice glinting in her eyes but she dared not speak against him. It was too risky.
“I want you on my side Loki. Together with my powers, and your wit, we could accomplish something truly great. Join me.”
“I’d rather die.” She hissed, though the hint of fear in her eyes still shone through.
“That’s a shame. I’d hoped you’d come willingly. Well, no matter.” Before she could brace herself for his attack, he grabbed her by the throat and shone the stone into her eyes.
Her face paled, as her eyes changed from misty green to bright blue. Now she was under the control of the stone. Thor watched helplessly as he saw her sister become nothing more than a mindless puppet for Thanos to control. He’d never felt more useless, more defective of a person than then. He had a duty to protect his little sister, and he had failed fundamentally.
Thanos dropped her to the ground, carelessly, like she was nothing but a ragdoll.
“My lord, what do you require me to do?” She asked diligently, her free will gone, her mind wiped clean of thoughts of rebellion. At least this time she could not betray Thanos again, not while she was fully under the control of the mind stone. She could no longer resist its influence.
“Exploded this ship. We’re done here.”
Loki cast a spell, without so much as a glance to Thor, just as Thanos teleported the entourage away. All that was left alive was Thor, and just like that the ship exploded with him in it.