[ fuck infinity wars we do what we want ]

[dothelokimotion]

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[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki huffs weakly, his voice a croak. ]

None . . . of those sound like me . . .

[rebuildyourruins]

Yes they do.

[He lifts his head finally, blinking the tears from his eye and looking down at his brother. Alive, despite everything else. Thor's a mess himself, streaked with blood and dirt, brittle with emotion and pain.]

I thought he'd... [It's beyond him to even finish the sentence, knowing how close it had come.]

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki's smile is weak. ]

He was . . . always going to do it.

I just thought . . . it'd be better to do . . . on my own terms.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor would never have thought to see the day Loki walked straight up to an enemy like that. Nor would he have thought it would be such a wrench to witness. He hangs his head a bit, resting his hand against Loki's cheek.]

He didn't succeed. You bested him.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki unconsciously leans into that warmth. ]

I did?

[rebuildyourruins]

You're still alive. And he doesn't know it.

[dothelokimotion]

[ His breath hitches slightly, fear filtering through before he calms down. ]

He'll know. He'll find out.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor shakes his head, mind already working despite the knocks received. He might not know Thanos as well as Loki does, but it didn't take him long to get the measure of the tyrant.]

No. Thanos got what he wanted from you. The Tesseract. He'll go after the other stones next.

[dothelokimotion]

Thor, that is worse. He's a mad man.

[rebuildyourruins]

I know.

[Heavily, the weight of grief and guilt dragging around his neck once again. Their ship destroyed. Half of the surviving Asgardians slaughtered. Heimdall, stabbed through the heart. If Loki had perished as well, Thor feels he would have died of anguish then and there. It's only by a thread of luck he still has his brother at all.

Thor's gaze sharpens, and he moves his hand down to squeeze Loki's shoulder lightly.]

And that's why I'm going to kill him.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki's eyes widen, grabbing at Thor in a panic. ]

No. No, no. You can't.

[rebuildyourruins]

I can and I must. Loki, you were with him after - you fell. Did he say anything about what he intended to do with the stones?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki recoils visibly. ]

I — Don't do this. We don't have to do this.

[rebuildyourruins]

Loki. Valkyrie took the rest of our people - they got away. She knows we were heading for Earth, and that's where two of the stones are!

[Sooner or later, Thanos would arrive on Earth. If the rest of the Asgardians went there too, they would be destroyed as quickly as those who just died on the Statesman. Along with everyone on Earth.

Thor swallows his own fear down in the face of Loki's.]

I won't ask you to come with me. But you have to tell me what you know. Please.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki looks down, shame filtering through his expression as he carefully lets go of Thor to close his hands into white-knuckled fists, bunched up on his lap. In a strangled tone. ]

Fine. He seeks balance of all things.

[rebuildyourruins]

[He hates asking this of his brother so soon after Thanos crushed his windpipe and left him for dead. But time will not wait for them, and they're rarely so lucky as to get any respite. His brow furrows, 'balance' seeming an ugly word for what the Titan just did to them.]

How do the stones help with that?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki straightens his back, attempting to inject any kind of confidence and nonchalance in his attitude. It doesn't quite work. ]

The Stones were the beginning. Chaotic pieces forged when the universe was born. They have the power to manipulate all aspects that build it together. Reality. Time. Space. Soul. Power. Mind.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor sits back on his heels, absently touching his fingertips to his temple. Where the Power Stone had nearly burned a hole straight through his skull. He half-thinks traces of it are still in there, causing his thundering headache... but he knows the other pains and grief are enough to explain that.]

I remember some of the tales. No one being should have that much power over the universe.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki rolls his eyes in tired exasperation. ]

As you can see, telling Thanos "no" rarely ends well.

[rebuildyourruins]

I'll make him listen.

[But how? Thor had brought all of his power to bear on Thanos, slammed the beast with lightning without reserve once his people had been killed. It did nothing. He needs something more to deal with something like this.]

Loki... [For the first time, he looks around at where they've ended up.] Where did you bring us?

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki touches his neck idly before wincing. ]

It must be Midgard. I used Heimdall's last magical signature.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor lets out a breath, with only a slight stutter to it.]

Then he will come to us, whether we like it or not.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki's shoulder hunch like he wants to curl up on himself. ]

I don't want — [ His voice breaks. ] — I don't want to die anymore.

[rebuildyourruins]

[It seems like it should be impossible for his heart to break further today. Yet it does, when his brother says that. Any other day it might be reassuring, to know Loki no longer wants to throw his life aside. Thor can only find himself agreeing wholeheartedly with the sentiment, and wishing they weren't in a position where it needs to be said.

Thor shakes his head sharply, tears stinging his eye once more. Carefully he wraps Loki in a hug, keeping clear of his still damaged neck.]

You won't. I won't let it happen again.

[dothelokimotion]

[ Loki quietly tucks his head under Thor's neck, digging his fingers carefully into Thor's armor as he breathes out. If Thor says it won't happen . . . then that's enough. He takes deeper, steadier breaths as he gets his rattled nerves in order. ]