„The Tesseract, or your brother`s head. I assume you have a preference?" Thanos' voice was cold, without a trace of emotion yet Loki imagined hearing the scorn in his words. It amused the Titan to see Loki for the first time in his long life completely defenceless. The Trickster was standing with his back against the wall, but Loki would be damned if he would give Thanos the satisfaction of letting him see how utterly helpless he felt right now. Loki was scared but he still had enough magic in him not to let the Titan know that.

"Oh, I do", Loki replied, his voice casual, almost bored. He was proud of the sarcastic undertone he managed to put in his words. Out of the corner of his eyes Loki noticed Thor raising his head. He avoided eye contact with his brother. Loki feared what he might see in the other man's face and he could not afford a lapse in concentration, not now. He lifted his chin, avoiding the stare of his brother as he looked directly at Thanos and tried to make his voice sound as cold as possible. "Kill away."

Thor did not get a chance to react. He felt steel hands around his head, crushing it as if his head would be nothing more than a ripe fruit. The Asgardian's mouth twisted into a scream as pain ripped through him so intense it left nothing but blackness. He was blinded, bewildered by the torture as the hands closed tighter around his head in a merciless, deadly grip. „Thanos must not get the Tesseract", was the only clear thought Thor managed. "Loki is a talented liar, he always has been. That is his nature, lies and tricks." Thor had stopped a long time ago to find any sense in his little brother's erratic behaviour. He had accepted that the only constant in Loki's nature was his mischievous character. All Thor could do now in the midst of all the pain was to hope that Loki's tricks and magic would be enough to prevent the Tesseract from falling into the hands of Thanos.

"It is for the best", he thought, even if Loki would pay with the life of his brother.

The King of Asgard felt his strength weaken as the hands around his head slowly and painfully squeezed the life out of him. Thor knew he would not be able to hold on much longer.

"All right, stop!" Loki's cry cut through Thor's screams. He would never know that Loki had not intended to stop Thanos. Loki had lived his life in the shadow of his brother's greatness. Long ago he accepted that his place would always be behind Thor until fate had given him a chance to try and get rid of his brother by bringing the frost giants to Asgard. Thor represented everything Loki hated. He was arrogant, reckless and yet all belonged to him, the heir to the throne of Asgard. Odin only concerned himself with his first born son and left it to Frigga to give Loki the love and education he so craved from his father and brother. So Loki learned to hate them. Odin for feeding him lies his entire life, for keeping his true heritage from him and Thor for getting everything Loki ever wanted. There was a time when he could have killed Thor with his bare hands. It was ironic that now, at the end of all things, it was Thor's pain that cut through Loki's armour of indifference. To watch his brother suffer made Loki drop his poker face despite himself. It was in that moment that the Trickster realised he had made the probably biggest mistake of his long life. For so long he had convinced himself he only felt hatred for his brother. He still remembered Frigga's last words to him. "Always so perceptive. About everyone but yourself." Loki did not believe her. He had not wanted to admit that his mother was right, not even to himself. But now, he could no longer deny that he loved his brother. Even if this meant that they would both die today.

Thor tried to keep himself upright with all the strength he still had left, when Loki's voice cut through the pain. The pressure on his head lessened. In a mixture of relief and surprise, Thor looked up. What he saw made him forget the agony he had felt only a moment ago. Loki was crying. His little brother, who had been taught long ago that crying was a sign of weakness that led to bullying was crying in front of his enemies. Thor's protective instincts started to awaken and almost gave him enough strength to fight back. Almost.

"Give me the Tesseract!" Thanos demanded once more. This time it was Thor who answered. "We don't have the Tesseract", he replied. "It was destroyed on Asgard." He looked at Loki for a sign of confirmation.

"It was destroyed, right?" Thor prayed that he had told Thanos the truth.

Loki shortly locked eyes with his brother. There was desperation in his eyes and a silent plea, as if the Trickster would be asking Thor for his forgiveness. Thor knew what this look meant. All hope he had held faded as the older Asgardian watched Loki slowly raise his hand. He avoided Thor's eyes, too ashamed to look at his brother. "I am sorry", Loki wanted to tell him. "I am so, so sorry." This was his fault. All Loki could do now was to let the Tesseract appear in his hand, blue and cold as Thor looked on, utterly speech- and helpless.

"You really are the worst brother!" Thor uttered through clenched teeth.

Loki did not flinch. He deserved that harsh reply. He would never know that his comment would haunt Thor for the rest of his life and he would never learn how much Thor would regret his words to Loki on that fateful day. The light of the Tesseract lit up Loki's face, highlighting the injuries he had received, the cracked lips, the dirt and the dried blood on his forehead. Thor's heart contracted painfully as the light fell on Loki's eyes. His lashes were glistening with tears and in the depth of his eyes there was guilt mixed with a terror that Thor had never before seen in the face of his brother.

Loki kept his gaze on Thor as he slowly advanced towards Thanos, the Tesseract n his outstretched hand. "I promise you brother", he said, his voice shaking but determined. "The sun will shine us again" Thor would think about these last words for many weeks and months. He was desperate to believe Loki. Only later did he realise that his words were meant to comfort him. Loki's comment was his attempt to keep up Thor's courage and to give him new hope and purpose. Loki, Thor knew, might have betrayed him and lied to him in the past, but he lived his final moments entirely for his older brother. And it broke Thor's heart when he realised that he would never be able to repay this debt.

Thanos watched the two brothers with disdain. "Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian", he scoffed. Loki's stare moved to the Titan. The corners of his mouth twitched and Thor recognised the familiar smirk lighting up the face of his brother, banishing his terror. If this was to be the end of Loki of Asgard, he would not go without letting Thanos feel his scorn one last time. "For one thing, I am not Asgardian. And for another, we have a Hulk." As if on command, Thor saw a green shadow appearing out of the darkness, as the Hulk threw himself at Thanos with an angry roar. A second later, Thor was free from the hands that had kept him until now and Loki was tackling him out of harm's way. The brothers cowered on the ground, Thor breathless from his pain. Loki crouched over him, one hand clutching Thor's shirt as he watched Hulk and Thanos battle. "He is afraid", Thor thought. Almost instinctively he tried to soothe his little brother "Hulk's got this", he tried to reassure him, but Loki just flinched, wincing as the battle raged.

The fight was over almost as soon as it had begun. Hulk was strong but he could not compete with the power of Thanos. The moment of surprise was lost. Thanos blocked Hulk's attacks as easily as if he would have been fighting of a fly, hitting back viciously, while Hulk was slowly losing his strength. It was hopeless. The Hulk flung himself at Thanos one last time and screamed in pain as the Titan picked him up and held him over his head. Thanos threw Hulk to the ground, where he stayed. Bruce Banner, the Hulk, was defeated.

"No!" Loki hissed. He was pressed against the wall. His eyes were wide and terrified. All his tricks had failed him. There was nothing more he could do. This was it, the one fight he could not talk or magic himself out of. They had lost.

But Thor was not one to go down without a fight, especially not when he had to protect his little brother. "Stay!" he ordered Loki. Thor forced himself to his feet and reached for the nearest weapon-like object – a pole.

Loki immediately knew what his brother planned to do. "No!" he whispered and grabbed for Thor. "No, no, no –" But Loki had never been able to keep the Asgardian Prince from a fight. In a last, desperate attempt to save everyone, Thor slipped from his grasp and ran for Thanos. He hit the Titan with all his might, slamming the pole into his hip. It bended in half from the force of the blow. Thanos hardly reacted. As if the steel had barely brushed his skin.

He turned and looked at Thor in disdain.

Oh no.

Before Thor had time to react he was taken by one of Thanos' so called children. He was yanked backwards and forced on his knees. The King of Asgard did not get a chance to defend himself. Pieces of metal twisted around him and held him in place. Thor struggled against his restraints, but the shackles refused to budge even a millimetre. For the first time in his life, Loki felt cold, as if somebody would have poured ice water into his veins. Thor, his strong, indestructible brother, was defeated. What would become of them now? They had no options, no means of escape. This was the end.

All of a sudden a bright and colourful beam of light, like a rainbow, cut through the ship. It took Hulk and carried him away. Thor smiled. He was relieved that at least one of his friends was safe. But his joy was short lived. Thanos turned to Heimdall. He appeared almost disappointed. "You shouldn't have done that", he said, sounding bored. In a single, casual movement, Thor stabbed Heimdall in the heart.

"No!" Thor screamed. Loki stayed pressed against the wall, frozen. "You will pay for that!" Thor rasped. Thanos did not bother to reply. More metal closed around Thor's mouth, gagging him. Trapped and defenceless the brothers could only watch as Ebony Maw picked up the Tesseract and presented it to his master in a disturbing show of submission. Thanos crushed the object with his bare fist and revealed the Infinity Stone within, ready to be added to his collection.

It seemed to be the end of all hope. Loki looked at Thor but his eyes were empty. He was the master of mischief, the person who always had a trick up his sleeves. But now he had run out of ideas.

"Do not be scared", Thor wanted to tell him. "No matter what happens here, our people have not died in vain. Heimdall did not sacrifice himself for nothing. Hulk will warn the Earth. They will stop Thanos. He will not win."

Suddenly Loki was moving. He stepped back into Thanos' view, erect and determined. All sign of fear had vanished from his face, replaced by the familiar cocky expression Loki usually reserved for Thor. "One more trick, brother", he thought. The Trickster flinched inwardly. What would Thor think of him when all this was over? "I thought the world of you", he had once told Loki. Everything Loki wanted now was to prove to his brother that his faith in him had not been in vain. He would make Thor proud, one last time.

Thor watched him, a protest rising in his throat. His heart was pounding in his chest.

"This is bad", he thought. "This is really bad, this is … Loki, do not do anything stupid, do not do anything stupid, do not -"

"If you're going to Earth, you'll need a guide", Loki said softly.

"Do anything stupid! Too late, Loki, you moron!"

"And I do have experience"

"If you consider failure experience", Thanos replied, laughing at the Trickster's failed mission to conquer Earth.

"I consider experience experience", Loki said sharply. He paused for a second, controlling his voice to sound more respectful as he began to slowly and deliberately walk up to Thanos. "I am Loki", he said. The Trickster lowered his gaze, not quite looking at Thor, who was watching him silently. He could not afford to make any mistake now. "Odinson. God of Mischief. Rightful King of Jotunheim. Prince of Asgard."

Thor noticed a glimmer in Loki's hand. He recognised a dagger, cunningly hidden between Loki's hand and body.

"This is madness!" Thor thought, mad with fear for his brother. "What is he thinking? This is suicide, no dagger will stop Thanos!"

But something in Loki's eyes stopped him from protesting.

"Loki would never lead such an obvious attack … Unless … Unless … No!"

Unless Loki did not plan to survive. Thor's heart sank as he began to understand. This was Loki's trick, his final trick. It was the moment when Loki became the hero Thor had always seen in him. He knew now what the younger God's look had meant and he felt his heart break.

"Too late to run away now, brother."

Loki had cheated death so many times. Death should have felt like an old friend to him. Still, Loki found that he could not bear to look at Thor, that it took every bit of strength he still possessed to concentrate on what he was doing.

"I am scared, brother", he wanted to tell Thor. "Help me not to be." But now was not the time to let Loki's one weakness show, the love for his brother that he for so long refused to admit even to himself. Loki kept his head held high, his eyes proud and strong. Even despite the fear he felt, he was still mocking Thanos. Loki had never given much thought to how he would die, so sure, so confident that when the moment came he would always manage to find a way to trick death. He was a survivor. That was how he had always seen himself. Loki heard Thor struggle against his restraints. Knowing his brother was there made him feel better. He was not alone. Loki smiled silently to himself, the sadness and fear in him subsiding for a second. Surely this was a good way to die. In the place of someone else. Someone he loved.

Loki might not be able to save himself, but he would save his brother and give Thor and his friends the chance they needed to defeat Thanos.

Loki knelt stiffly. "I hereby pledge to you my undying fidelity."

Thanos watched, amused and surprised, as if he was unsure of what to make of Loki's behaviour. Loki stayed still for a moment and steely determination sharpened his gaze. Thor started to feel nauseous from his inner tension as Loki took a deep breath. In a single fluid movement he lunged forward. The dagger flew out of his hand, straight for Thanos' exposed throat. One moment, one wild, glorious moment, Thor imagined that Loki's attack had been successful.

It was too late.

Mere inches away from his target, Loki froze in the midst of his attack in a flash of blue light. Loki's eyes widened in fear and Thor struggled against his restraints in a last desperate attempt to get to his brother. His people, Heimdall, even his parents … Their loss meant nothing. They were tragic, heart-breaking, yes, but losses he could survive. It would take centuries, maybe even thousand years, but Thor would survive, eventually. But Loki … No, not Loki, not him, not his baby brother. Loki's death would break Thor.

"Undying", Thanos mused as he twisted Loki's arm away. Even with no cards left to play, the Asgardian Prince did not lose his unwavering determination. "You should choose your words more carefully."

Thanos's fist closed around Loki's throat, lifting him into the air as if he would weigh no more than a feather. Thor screamed, he struggled and he fought to get to his brother, his baby brother who was kicking and thrashing and clawing. Quickly, Loki's face turned red, his eyes turning bloodshot, his breath coming in uneven gasps, each more strained than the last.

But Thor's restraints still would not move. Thanos' fist, powerful enough to stop the Hulk, squeezed his neck, robbing Loki of what strength he had left. His struggles slowly eased. His feet were still reaching for solid ground, his fingers were still twitching, but the tiny movements were utterly futile.

This was the end.

With his last strength, Loki locked eyes with Thanos. With his last breath and as much scorn as he could muster, Loki choked out: "You … will never be … a God!"

Irritation shortly flickered across Thanos' face. Then he smirked and tightened his grip. The sound of splintering bones pierced Thor's heart and he watched in horror as Loki went limp. His eyes were still open, forever wide and terrified even though Loki had been brave until the end.

"No! NOO!" Thor was screaming, screaming the name of his brother, his beloved baby brother whom he could not save.

But there was no one left to hear him, no one left to care.

Blinded by his tears, Thor hardly noticed Thanos turning in his direction. The Titan opened his fist, too late, far too late. Loki dropped and crumpled to the ground with a dull sound that shattered Thor's soul. As if from a great distance he heard Thanos say: "No more resurrections", as the villains left.

It was the opening of his metal restraints that made Thor move. He dragged himself forward, sobs wracking his body, cursing. The ship groaned around him, ready to explode. It did not matter. All that mattered now was Loki. All that mattered now was that Thor was at his side, that he was holding his baby brother one last time.

Loki was the only person that meant something to Thor, his brother, the person he was supposed to protect above all others, to shield him from harm like Loki had shielded him. He should not die alone, not here, not like this.

Thor held Loki in his arms, the brothers united one last time. There was no turning back. All Thor could think as he was cradling the lifeless body of his brother was: "What more could I lose?"