Loki oneshots

I Thought I Was Finally Free (GotG & Brodinsons)

Paralyzed by fear, Loki doesn't dare challenge Thanos when he boards the Statesmen. He survives the massacre, and alongside his brother, he's brought aboard the Benatar, where he sees a very familiar face.

She doesn't know how she'd recognized him.

He's changed a lot since she last saw him. His usual pallor is gone, a deep blue hue to his skin, and not only from the cold, oxygen-deprived abyss of space. His dark hair is longer, thicker than it used to be, and the tangled mass serves as a pillow as he lies on the floor.

Everyone else is talking about the first man they found; the one who hit the windshield. He's bigger; he's stronger; he's more attractive. But the moment Gamora laid eyes on this blue body floating through the wreckage, her attention shifted.

She never thought she would see Loki again.

She never thought she'd have to care for him again.

And yet, here they are.

Mantis gently places her hands on the other man's head, feeling his emotions. "He's anxious," she says. "Angry."

"What about him?" Gamora asks, nodding at Loki. The same, no doubt. Angry. He's always been angry. That's why Thanos liked him. You can do a lot with a desperate, angry man.

Mantis crouches down across from her. She slowly reaches out and touches his head–

She screams and falls backward, quickly crawling away from him. She stares at him with wide eyes, chest rising and falling rapidly as she pants.

"What is it?" Gamora asks quickly. "Mantis, what's wrong?"

"He's scared," she whispers, voice shaking with fear of her own. "He is so scared."

Oh.

"Wake up him," Gamora says quickly.

"I–"

"Wake him up!"

Peter frowns. "Gamora, I don't know if–"

"I am not going to ask again!"

Reluctantly, Mantis crawls back over to Loki, and Gamora moves out of the way to give them both space. She hesitates, hands shaking before they finally make contact with his head. She yelps and pulls them away, but not before she wakes him up.

Loki bolts upright and looks around, eyes darting around the ship. His eyes pass right over Gamora – right over everyone – and he pushes himself away until his back hits the wall. He pulls his knees into his chest and wraps his arms around them, trembling. His mouth moves quickly, silently, as he stares straight ahead, his eyes blank and lifeless.

"Woah," Rocket says. "What's his problem?"

Gamora crouches down in front of him, and only then can she make out the words he's saying.

"He's going to kill me," Loki whispers. "He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me."

"Hey." She snaps her fingers in front of his face, and he doesn't even flinch. "Hey, Loki, look at me."

"Wait, hold on," Peter says quickly. "You know him?"

"Yeah, I know him," Gamora says, all she's going to say about that. She puts her hand on Loki's shoulder, shaking him gently. "Loki, hey. Wake up."

He keeps staring straight ahead, almost as though he's looking through her. "He's going to kill me," he whispers. "He's going to kill me."

"Who's going to kill you?" Gamora asks, her voice loud and firm.