It was a near thing, but Loki and Brunnhilde did manage to backtrack out of the Palisade without being caught. The next day, as Nebula had predicted, she wasn't in the training hall when Loki arrived. He worked on his own, using the opportunity to add magic into the mix as he did so.

This morning too, Nebula failed to show up. In an effort to turn his mind away from his worry, Loki ventured out to the more popular halls in the rehabilitation complex. He found plenty of sparring partners, but no one well-enough connected to be worth cultivating a deeper relationship with.

When he returned to the hostel, sweaty, sore and eager for conversation that didn't focus on the three most efficient ways to kill a Plodex, he was once again disappointed. Two empty bottles stood on the table, another lay on the floor by the lounge. Clothes seemed to be placed strategically to cover as much surface area as possible. Brunnhilde was nowhere to be seen.

Loki moved deeper into the suite. She had spent the night on a new attempt to get into the Palisade and break into the Sanctuary's computer systems. This attempt hadn't been any more successful than their first; the increased security was problematic. It was a time-consuming and tiring activity nevertheless. He hadn't expected Brunnhilde would be in the mood to do much work today. Sure enough, he found her sprawled across his bed.

Rolling his eyes, Loki threw his blanket over her and retreated to the lounge room. He cleared up the worst of the mess, then took out the notes Brunnhilde had pulled together over the past weeks. There was so much detail Loki was sure something significant could be extrapolated from the sheer mass of data. They could use the information. Thanos, Ebony Maw and Loki had spent long days planning the invasion of Midgard, but Thanos hadn't discussed his broader strategic approach in those meetings. Loki knew little more than Brunnhilde did.

'It might be I'll have to sit through those meetings again,' Loki muttered. 'What joy.'

Thinking back to those long days, he remembered the errors as much as the exhaustion. They had approached Midgard like it was a clump of dirt barely worth an invasion. At the time Thanos had been unaware of the time stone's location, Midgard didn't have any resources of interest and Midgard's technological capabilities were in their nascent stages. If Odin hadn't hidden the Tesseract there, Thanos wouldn't have had any cause back then to turn his eye towards Midgard at all. As it was, Thanos had been reluctant to commit his more formidable units to the endeavour.

Would that day have ended differently if I'd had more competent ground troops?

If the matter had been less serious, Loki would have laughed at his youthful folly. He had sold every piece of knowledge his mind held in exchange for the promise he would be king of the Nine Realms when all was done. But Loki had ruled these same realms and without Thanos' help to secure the throne. He had ruled when the realms were still full of vitality, not the withered husks that remained in Thanos' wake. And, well, the sum of those years solidified the thought he had always carried in the back of his mind, but had been too immature to articulate adequately — he didn't want to be king. He sought something less tangible than a throne.

Loki flipped through what had initially been his notebook and had now become Brunnhilde's. Neat diagrams and meticulous notes in an Asgardian code as old as Odin himself filled the pages. He slammed the book shut, suddenly tired of obsessing about the past and fretting about the future.

What Thanos knew of Midgard, he learned from me. It's my fault I underestimated the defence Midgardians would put up.

There was a knock on the door.

Loki slipped the notebook into a pile of Brunnhilde's belongings and cautiously moved towards the door. There were no translucent panels or a peephole, nor was the hostel expensive enough to have any kind of intercom system. This hadn't bothered Loki back when he'd chosen their accommodation; he had assumed that any adversary would show themselves in. It bothered him now. A lot.

He nudged the button; the door slid open two inches.

Gamora.

Save for the not quite scabbed-over cut over her left eyebrow, she looked exactly as Loki remembered her. Superficially, at least. He had never seen her face twisted in such an expression of distaste. And she wasn't usually flanked by two eight-foot-tall thugs.

'Good afternoon,' Loki said as he opened the door fully. 'If you're looking for old man Jucko's birthday party, that's a floor up.'

'Baugi, is it?' Gamora replied.

'And you are?'

She smiled, revealing a chipped tooth. 'Gamora. Thanos wished to speak to you.'

'Ah. You'd best come in, I think. Pardon the disorder.'

Loki turned away and drew back into the suite, not giving Gamora the opportunity to disagree. She ordered the two thugs to wait outside, for which Loki was grateful. He couldn't pinpoint their exact species, but they looked similar to Outriders, so were likely a cousin species. Neither the Chitauri nor the Outriders were known for their manners; Loki doubted these two would prove better.

'You have my gratitude for delivering these news personally,' Loki said once Gamora made her survey of the lounge room and clearly found him wanting. 'When does he wish to have this audience? Is there an etiquette when it comes to dress? There are so many species here, I never quite know what's appropriate.'

'Now is when he wants to see you. An hour ago would've been better, but now will have to do. Your dress is irrelevant.'

That didn't surprise Loki, but he thought this tidbit of information would provoke a reaction in the persona he had adopted around Nebula over the past weeks. He raised his eyebrows. 'Why the urgency?'

'My sister, Nebula... You've met her, right? She has more than enough to say about you. Our father's curious to see if reality will match her tales.'

The broken tooth, the cut on the eyebrow, the sour mood. Loki smiled. Nebula must have prevailed for a change.

'You don't seem much impressed by what you've found here,' he said. Before Gamora could respond, he went on, 'Please allow a minute for my guard to get ready. Guard!' He waited several seconds, but there were no signs of life from his bedroom. 'For pity's sake... Brunnhilde!'

Gamora crossed her arms. 'Why would a man like you —'

'Loki, why the hell did you wake me up?' Brunnhilde called out, then half-staggered out of his bedroom. At the sight of Gamora, she straightened up. 'What's going on?'

Effort of the century, Valkyrie. Give up the game thirty seconds in, why don't you?

'Hurry up and make yourself ready. The Great Titan wishes a word with me.'

'Let's save your... bodyguard the trouble,' Gamora offered Brunnhilde a condescending look. 'My father is a generous host. He won't tolerate his guests being mistreated. You can be certain, my two companions and I can assure your safety.'

Loki bit into his lip. It wasn't that he believed Brunnhilde would be able to help him in any way. If anything she would be a handicap to have around for this meeting. But the idea of being in Thanos' presence once more sent cold shivers up his back and he struggled to keep his thoughts straight.

'Your father's generosity is unparalleled, Gamora,' he replied after a long pause. 'We shouldn't keep him waiting.'

----------------------------------------

At the entrance to the Palisade, Gamora turned to Loki. 'Is it just Baugi or do you have other names you go by? I can't say I'm familiar with the customs of your home planet.'

'There are other names, but none I care to be known by,' Loki replied.

Whether the question was part of an administrative procedure required upon entry to the Palisade or Gamora merely fished for information, he couldn't care less. The outer wall of the complex stood behind them and the heavy main gate groaned shut; it took every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep his discomfort from becoming evident. The anticipation and the dark, insuppressible flights of his imagination that tied his innards into knots.

Stolen story; please report.

'If you pardon my curiosity, what happened to you? I can't help noticing the cut above the eyebrow,' he said in a half-hearted effort to turn his mind to a less agitating topic.

'A lucky strike,' she replied. 'Nothing more.'

At the sight of Gamora, the Palisade security personnel waved them through. Loki glanced every which way as they moved through the ground floor, taking stock of their path, the rooms they passed and the side-corridors branching out deeper into the complex. The overall architecture was familiar — the dull grey wall-panels, the whir of the climate control system, the rubbery floor. Loki had walked through these areas before, but they hadn't left a lasting impression on his memory. When he thought back to the entrance to the Palisade, the sole vivid memory was his unceremonious initial arrival through one of the service entrances — prisoners didn't merit anything more.

It had to have been someone's job to clean up the dribbles of blood my passage had left behind.

They took a lift up to the third floor, which caught Loki by surprise. There were large spaces on the first floor that were specially constructed to convey the full might of Thanos' power. The third floor was predominantly dominated by private quarters. To Loki's mild relief, Gamora didn't take him straight to her father's personal chambers, but out to the wide balcony that offered excellent views of the asteroid's many sunrises.

'Father,' Gamora called, 'I fetched him for you.'

There were half a dozen people out on the balcony. Loki recognised Ebony Maw and Proxima Midnight, but the rest were unknown. Judging by their clothing and the datapads in their hands, they were likely Ebony Maw's flunkies. Loki wasn't an idiot enough to dismiss their importance entirely, but there were more critical things presently. Namely, the massive chair suspended half a foot off the floor. Its occupant slowly turned towards Loki and Gamora.

'Welcome to the Palisade, Baugi,' Thanos said.

His voice tore all heat from Loki's body. The familiarity of this moment — the gleam of Thanos' golden armour as it caught the light, the hiss of thrusters in the base of the chair, Ebony Maw's lopsided smile. Loki's throat had gone dry. He could only stare.

Thanos slid his chair a few feet forward. 'Is your species incapable of speech?'

Loki cleared his throat, which didn't alleviate the painful dryness, but it offered him one more moment to prepare himself. He smiled self-consciously. 'I beg your pardon. Your reputation is formidable, I was... rather at a loss for words for a moment. If I might add, I am honoured by your interest in me, although I am not quite clear on the reason.'

'I wanted to meet you.' Thanos' gaze trailed past Loki. 'Gamora, now that you've returned, go and get yourself cleaned up. Proxima, we will discuss the remaining details later when Corvus can add his thoughts. The rest of you have no business being here either. Out.'

If Gamora and Proxima felt themselves chastised by their master's diktats, neither showed it as they withdrew. The others, however, scattered like ants under the shadow of a boot. Only Ebony Maw remained, rooted to the spot where he stood. Loki understood the unspoken message Thanos wanted to convey — nothing Loki could do would be a threat to Thanos.

'Is there something you wanted with me, my lord?' Loki asked.

'You're rather impatient. Do you have somewhere to be?' At the shake of Loki's head, Thanos slid his fingers along the armrest of his chair. 'Tell me about yourself. What paths led you to become my guest? I admit, I can't quite pinpoint your planet of origin.'

'I'm a Jotunn. As a species, we are called the Jotnar and Jotunheim is our home planet. There's no reason for you to have heard of it. It's a miserable place populated by a species struggling to survive when the climate of their home-world would drive them to extinction.'

Loki paused there to gauge Thanos' response. He had anticipated this question would be asked. Both on Sakaar and in the Sanctuary his obscure origins inspired curiosity. While among the learned, Odin's name did resonate, the realms he had subjugated were little more than footnotes in the histories of the universe.

'There's no world out there that doesn't have something of merit,' Thanos said, then motioned to the sprawl of Sanctuary City over the balcony banister. 'You see what can be done with as an unpromising a base as an asteroid field.'

Loki ignored the opening for flattery and said, 'Perhaps once, but the golden ages of Jotunheim ended thousands of years ago. I don't believe they can be restored. In part, that's why I left — there seemed to be more promise out in the stars than in the caves where my kin are forced to reside.'

'The hopeful dreams of youth. They afflict us all at one time or another,' Ebony Maw replied, drawing a chuckle from Thanos.

Loki threw up the protections around his mind lest Ebony Maw attempt his magic on him, but felt no sign of intrusion. Careful to remain aware of the Maw's actions, Loki went on. 'Perhaps then you'll also be familiar with the disappointment that follows. The universe is a place for liars, maniacs and murderers. A shank to the back is how most would solve their problems. At least, that was the conclusion I came to before I heard tales about the Great Titan and what he sought to achieve. I, like so many others, came in hope that these tales are true.'

'What am I seeking to achieve exactly?'

'Peace, isn't it?' Loki frowned and sank his gaze to the ground at his feet. 'An end to the wars and the deprivations. I've seen my kin suffering. The solutions they'd take only do more harm. How many worlds are there like that? If there's a way to end it all, I... I think it's the only thing worth dying for.'

One corner of Thanos' lip crept up. 'You are young. I can see why Nebula has developed a fondness for you.'

'If my answers are not to your satisfaction, I beg your pardon.'

'Stop apologising. An apology is nothing more than an attempt to justify your failures. As long as you do as you are tasked to do and get results, there's no reason to ever utter one.'

Loki flinched. He started, but then caught himself before he could mutter another apology.

'I'll keep your sage words in mind, my lord,' he said.

'Be sure that you do,' Thanos replied. He brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles, which brought to Loki's mind the terrified face of an Einherjari soldier whose spine Thanos had snapped with his bare hands. 'I have a squad of men in dire need of quality instruction. You have three months to make something of them. You'll be given private quarters in the inner sector and a stipend for any outstanding material needs. How does that prospect sound?'

'I didn't realise this was a job interview.'

'Did you think this was a social call?'

Loki raised an eyebrow. 'I expected I would have to demonstrate my skills first.'

'You come with glowing recommendations from a source I trust.'

There was nothing light-hearted about that last remark. Most would've missed it, but Loki was familiar enough with Thanos' thinking to recognise the threat. He accepted in good faith that Loki had the skills to carry out the task he had been chosen for. If this proved not to be the case, painful punishment awaited not only him, but Nebula as well.

'I won't disappoint you,' Loki replied.

He could only hope neither Thanos nor Ebony Maw noticed his forced smile. He had wanted an opening into Thanos' inner circle and now he had found the path in, but this felt like an act of self-flagellation than the road to victory.

Thanos nodded as if the answer Loki had given him was the only possible response, and perhaps in his mind it was, then rose from his chair. Loki fought the instinct to scramble back. Worse yet, Thanos beckoned him over.

'Ebony, would you make the arrangements?' he said. 'Come, Baugi, no need to look so apprehensive. This is a new leaf in the story of your life, you ought to embrace it.'

Loki listened to Ebony Maw's footsteps as the man hurried inside. Even the Great Titan's favourites didn't dally when given an order.

'Is Nebula well?' Loki asked. Thanos had retreated to the balcony parapet and Loki reluctantly moved to stand beside him. 'I haven't seen her in two days.'

'She's well indeed,' came the reply, carrying more fondness than Loki had ever heard from Thanos when Nebula's name crept up in a conversation.

Before either of them could say anything more, Ebony Maw strode back out to the balcony, this time with a massive sceptre in his hands. The Maw was no small man, but it was ludicrously long in his hands. It had been even more unwieldy for Loki, which had led to the decision to create a more fitting design for him.

Loki had spent many hours contemplating how this moment would eventuate and he had expected to be terrified, but now he found only resignation. Thanos possessed the sceptre, Thanos had no cause not to use it. There was no fleeing from inevitability.

'What is this?' he asked as Thanos took the sceptre from Ebony Maw. In his hands, its length and girth seemed perfectly appropriate. 'Is this a test?'

'You could call it that,' Thanos responded. He tilted his head to the side and there was something apologetic in his expression. Nevertheless, he cupped Loki's chin, then pressed his thumb into Loki's temple. 'This won't be comfortable for you.'

Waters roil far beneath the rainbow bridge. Two ravens let the winds carry them up high, then swoop down, croaking to one other. In the distance, Asgard stands silent. Her towers glisten in the rose-tinted washes of the rising sun, inviting Loki to return and enjoy the comfort of home a little longer.

'A wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be ready for it.'

Thor and Loki walk beside their father, excited to have the rare chance to enjoy their father's undivided attention. They pass one treasure after another: a flame that does not extinguish, a hammer no common man can lift, a gauntlet that seems too large even for Loki's father to wear, a casket bursting with cold light.

'Only one of you can ascend to the throne,' Odin proclaims, 'but both of you were born to be kings.'

'Jotunheim needed your mother's skills. A child would have drawn too much of her energy and time, so a sacrifice had to be made. Loki.' Laufey's words take on an odd undertone. 'I am a king, it is the king's duty to put his people before himself.'

A thunderclap parts the dark clouds. Laufey jerks back, but the light of the Bifrost doesn't descend upon Loki or Thor. Heimdall guides it to a narrow valley just past the edge of Utgard.

The ground beneath them begins to shake. With every passing second, the full force of the Bifrost shifts closer to the city. Already, clouds of frothing dirt have swallowed the snowflakes and the wind now carries dark dust. Loki gulps down a breath.

'I'd not trouble yourself overly much about the bodies, your highness. After all, no matter the method we use to be rid of them, it'll never match what their own families would've done.'

'Pardon?'

'I think it was Isinger the Blind who spoke of it.' The guard's cheeks flush. 'But other chronicles too. They feed the dead to their children.'

'Can't say there's much meat on any of you anyway,' Loki mutters under his breath as he inspects the bodies.

'All this because Loki desires a throne.'

Chains clang. Manacles wear down the skin on Loki's wrists. 'It was my birthright.'

'Your birthright was to die!' Odin leans forward, but he keeps his temper in check, which feels like a slight in itself. 'As a child, cast out onto a frozen rock. If I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me.'