All Hail The King // Loki - Book 2 ✓

Epilogue

Loki can no longer cry out in pain, because he can no longer speak.

Every inch, every cell in his body is overwhelmed with agony - inside and out - and it burns within him. He cannot move, cannot speak, cannot breathe. All he can do is think, think of Anna, think of how he needs to find her. He needs to save her.

Thanos took him.

After Loki failed to deliver the Tesseract to him, after he failed to take over Earth with an army of Chitauri, he knew that Thanos would come for him. The Other promised him as much, telling him that he would be exposed to unimaginable pain should he fail at his task.

The Other is gone. Dead. Murdered by Ronan the Accuser. Loki heard that the Kree warrior acquired one of the Infinity Stones, and - instead of delivering to Thanos as instructed - opted to claim the power for himself. Instead, the foolish creature failed to do what he set out to do and was promptly overpowered by some band of intergalactic criminals.

Now, Thanos is determined to acquire the Infinity Stones on his own accord. Loki's scepter was lost to S.H.I.E.L.D., the first of his mistakes, and the Tesseract was taken from him and placed in Odin's vault in Asgard. The Aether, too, is yet another of the stones, but - after defeating Malekith - Odin sent it away.

Loki is the key to three of the stones. Thanos, the Mad Titan, knows this.

And now he knows about Anna.

After Loki's nightmares in prison before Anna returned to Asgard, he hoped that he could keep her separate. If he pushed her away, he might be able to protect her from Thanos' revenge. He tried so hard to make her hate him - to do as he must to convince her to leave - but she saw through him. She always did. Ever since he first learned of Thor's capture by Restitution and tried to hide his concern for his brother's wellbeing, she saw the truth in him.

Now he's failed her.

His faked his death and attempted to send her back to Midgard as his last hope. If Thanos believed he was dead, perhaps Anna would be safe. Even if he discovered the truth, Loki hoped that Anna would move on. That he could convince the Mad Titan that the Midgardian woman meant nothing to him.

However, she recognized him in his facade as Odin. She came to him - refusing to leave Midgard - and, in that moment, he could not resist her. He could not push her away, no matter how hard he might try. His mind screamed at him to fight it, to keep her at arm's length, but his body was weak. Those blue eyes stared up at him, an endless ocean of emotion beckoning him to end her suffering, and he could not keep himself from drawing her into him. He could not keep himself from falling deeper in love with her, getting lost in the passion between them, until he had to claim her in every way possible.

He was too selfish. Now, because of his weakness, both of them will suffer.

Thanos' forces captured Loki when he left the chambers after he and Anna made love, preventing him from returning to the throne room. He hoped to reveal Odin's death to the public, allowing him to step forward - alive - and claim Anna as his wife. He wanted the throne, yes, but it was worthless without her by his side.

He bargained with Iðunn, begging for one of her golden apples, and prepared a plate for Anna. His hope was to tell her the truth, everything, and offer her the opportunity to stay with him...forever...but he was taken before he had a chance.

Thanos' took his place, taking Loki's form and returning to Anna while he was forced to watch. He watched as the Mad Titan took her the fruit, watched as he kissed the woman he loved, watched as he accosted her. Every fiber in his being burned with rage until he could stand it no longer, but he could do nothing but watch as Thanos' - as Loki - left, trapping Anna in his chambers with instructions that no one, upon penalty of death, should speak to her.

His one consolation is that Thanos was unaware that he fed Anna one of Iðunn's golden apples, giving her strength and vitality greater than any Midgardian typically possessed.

With that gift, he hopes Anna will be able to survive.

He was forced to watch Thanos toy with her dreams, transporting her to the barren rock in an attempt to manipulate Loki. To break him. He nearly succeeded, and Loki found his heart breaking as he watched Anna narrowly escape death time and time again, but he would not crumble to the Mad Titan's wishes.

Now that she has escaped with the help of the servant, Loki does not attempt to mask his joy.

"Bested again," Loki spits, his face bloodied and bruised beyond recognition as he laughs. "It seems you are no stranger to failure. It's a wonder you don't give up."

More pain shoots through him, but Loki ignores it. At this point, the pain is so great that only death would be a respite, but death will not come. Thanos will not allow it, no matter how much Loki wants it. After all, if he were to die, Anna would no longer be leverage.

Instead, Thanos merely smiles at him, "Ah, but the game has just begun."

Now playing: "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails.