Guess Who

The Asgardian ship is ripped open and shredded, its cries of distress unheeded this far out into space. The people lying inside are broken, bloodied, and vanquished.

Thanos has won. He’s recovered the space gem and the last lives of Asgard lie at his feet. His lip curls as the dark-hared prince, Loki, makes his vow of fealty as if Thanos would ever believe the words of a liesmith.

His disbelief is validated when Loki lunges for his throat, conjured dagger stopped easily by his gauntlet. Thanos throws the god back without touching him, just enough that he’s off balance and goes for his throat.

His hand goes right through the smaller being’s neck like he’s not even there.

“Oh, terribly sorry,” Loki says, mouth curling up until a smile is stretched across his face. It’s not a pleasant smile. “Were you expecting me to actually be stupid enough to  be here still? I’ve been strangled, not entirely pleasant. Thank you so much for being so gullible as to believe I’d actually allow your ilk to have free reign after recent events.”

“He’s not here,” Thanos says to his children, teeth grinding. He looks to his gauntlet and is not surprised to see the space gem crack and disintegrate. He roars. “Find him!”

“You can certainly try,” Loki tells him. All around them, the bodies are flickering out of view. The golden-eyed Asgardian disappears last, leaving the jagged ruins of the ship behind. “Keep in mind that Asgard is notorious for its cloaking technology and that we have alliances all over this galaxy. Lots of places to go after our population was rather severely depleted.”

“You can not hide from me,” Thanos tells the projection. He looms over it. “I admire the attempt.”

“We’re not hiding,” Loki says, a mean glint in his eye. “Not after what you did to me. Not after what you tried to do today. We’ll be seeing you soon.” Loki’s head cocks. “My brother would like to say hello.”

“Your…?” Thanos turns to the gaping hole in the ship’s side that leads to a broadside view of his own vessel. As he watches, lightning races across the surface, primarily concentrated in the bridge.

The glass and metal of the bridge explode under the blue lightning, fire quickly snuffed out by the vacuum of space. A small, golden figure piloting a small pod jets past, hull still sparking.

“Get fucked!” Thor, Prince of Asgard shouts just loud enough that Thanos can hear it. In another blink, his ship is gone, speeding off into the vast emptiness of space.

“I don’t want to go,” Loki says, brow pinched in faux concern as his legs begin to flake and dissipate. “And yet…ta ta.” He disappears entirely.