Lady Mischief (Book 3--Final Book in the Lady Mischief series)

Eleven

Beginning of Part Two

"I know how it feels to lose. It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly," the remaining Asgardians on the refugee ship shook in fear as a Mad Titan, Thanos, boarded their ship. The most powerful enemy from Loki's past. And the one who sent Loki to New York City. Currently, Thanos had Thor trapped under a pile of rubble, a piece of metal clasped to his mouth as a makeshift muzzle.

One of Thanos' henchmen, Ebony Maw, walked around. He came across an injured Heimdall and snickered. Freya looked on in fear. "No...no. Please," she whimpered, not wanting to lose her best friend. The Maw put a finger to his dry and crusty lips and then proceeded to drive a sword through Heimdall's heart. Freya let out an almost animalistic scream as she watched her friend die.

She saw Loki step up to the front, where Thanos was. He looked at her with sad eyes. Thanos was demanding the Tesseract...the Space stone. "We don't have the Tesseract...it was destroyed on Asgard. Right, Loki?" Freya knew the answer to that question, but she held onto a bit of false hope.

"I assure you, my kærasta, the sun will shine on us again."

Freya's eyes welled up with tears as she truly realized the gravity of the situation. She watched as Loki summoned the Tesseract. Thanos chuckled. "Maybe I won't have to kill your beloved then..."

"You leave her alone. Do whatever else you want, but you touch a single hair on her head, and you're dead."

"Big talk for a man who couldn't conquer one city."

Loki was about to speak further when Freya hissed, "Don't." He nodded, and as he presented the Tesseract to Thanos, she saw him covertly summon a dagger. She resisted the urge to scream. Loki knew what he was doing...right?

"I am Loki, of Asgard, rightful ruler of Jotunheim...Odinson, and I swear to you my...undying fidelity," he said, handing the Tesseract to Thanos. He crushed it in his hand, and blew away the shards to reveal a small blue gem. The Space stone.

Of course, the moment's relief didn't last long as Loki made the decision to try and stab Thanos with his dagger. Already possessing the Power stone, acquired from Morag, Thanos evily grinned as the magic held Loki back from stabbing him. "Undying?" Thanos chuckled. "You should choose your words more carefully..."

He began to lift Loki in the air by his neck, the dagger clattering on the ship's floor. "No! Loki, no!!" Freya screamed as she struggled to get up. Loki could do nothing in his grip but choke and struggle against the Mad Titan.

Then, Freya heard the most horrifying sound.

The snap of Loki's neck.

Thanos dropped him as if he was nothing, and Freya ran to Loki. The last thing Loki would feel was the tight hug of his beloved.

Why, Loki?