Loki stood in the desert — three portals opened in front of him, observing the multiple battles taking place on Midgard as Thanos's forces descended like locust on anyone that could oppose him.
In New York, Stark, Banner, Romanoff, and Barton fought against the Chitauri army laying waste to the city, heavily outnumbered and lacking the firepower needed to take down the Leviathans.
On the other side of the planet, the Wakandans alongside Thor and Sif, battled the remainder of Thanos's forces. Also heavily outnumbered, but facing a different problem entirely.
The majority of Thanos's shock troops, little more than wild beasts, ravaged Wakanda, spreading like rats across the city.
Ordinarily they would have been no match for Thor, but their sheer numbers and how far they spread across the city meant that Thor, Sif, and the Wakandan Prince would battle for hours, if not days, before exterminating all of them, and there was no telling how high the death toll would climb in that time.
He knew enough about the mad titan to know this would be his strategy, that even in a fight for the infinity stones he couldn't go against his nature, that a planet teaming with life such as Midgard with billions of souls would be too tempting a target for him to overlook.
With the Soul Stone in Thanos's possession, there was no hiding from him, not that he planned to.
The desert he stood in was almost completely devoid of life for thousands of miles in any direction, a perfect place to battle the Mad Titan without the risk of harming anyone else.
He shielded his eyes against the sun as a ship appeared on the horizon, kicking up sand in every direction as it touched down.
The high-pitched whine of the engines cut out as the ship powered down, then the ramp opened and Thanos stepped out, sword in hand, his so-called children following behind him.
He already knew who they were, thanks to Proxima's memories. Ebony Maw, the strategist, capable of telepathy and telekinesis, and Corvus Glaive, the field commander of the Black Order, possessing enhanced speed, strength, and durability.
Thanos stared at Loki shrewdly, finally able to see him face to face again after their ill-fated bargain.
He thought he'd taken his measure of the Asgardian then, but Loki had surprised him, not an easy task after more than a millennium on his quest.
Loki had been little more than a buzzing gnat at the time, but became surprisingly competent in short order, finding stones he'd spent more than a thousand years searching for himself, and even killed two of his children in the process.
"…You've impressed me," Thanos finally said. "To do so much with so little."
Loki snorted at the backhanded compliment, Thanos's insults rolled off his back.
It would have enraged him a few short months ago, but not anymore. He knew who he was, and no longer had anything to prove to anyone.
"I'll give you one chance," Loki said, staring down the mad titan, his gaze unflinching. "Leave Midgard with your army, never return to the Nine Realms, and I will allow you to live."
This time it was Thanos's turn to laugh, a cold, hollow sound. "Still far too arrogant," he observed. "I destroyed your home, slaughtered your people, and if the rumors are true, you're down to eight realms now, not nine."
"And you are down to two children, not six," Loki retorted.
Thanos smiled coldly. "I'm tired of these games. You broke our agreement. You took what does not belong to you. Give me the stones now, and your end will be painless. Otherwise…" he trailed off, leaving the threat hanging in the air.
Loki's eyes widened, his knees nearly buckling as he struggled to stay on his feet as a sudden weight landed on his shoulders, as if gravity itself had somehow turned against him.
A quick glance at Ebony Maw told him all he needed to know, and with a flare of the Reality Stone, the force dissipated.
He smirked as Maw struggled to reassert his power over him, but his abilities were no match for the Reality Stone.
"What's the matter?" Loki drawled, returning his attention to Thanos. "Are you afraid to face me on your own? Is that why you've brought them?"
Thanos stared at Loki, a confused expression on his face. The Asgardian should be on his knees, restrained by Ebony Maw's abilities, but didn't seem to affect in the slightest.
He stared down at the gauntlet on his hand, the Power and Soul Stones glowing brightly, then at Loki who supposedly held the Space, Mind, and Reality stones, but curiously he didn't see them on him, nor the tool he used to harness them.
"No more games, Loki, the stones," Thanos replied, realizing he must have them hidden somewhere on him, likely using the stones themselves to hide them. "There is still much I can take from you. Your mother, your brother. They still live, and they may continue to do so, so long as you give me what I want."
Loki's eyes hardened at the mention of his mother, but bit back his anger, refusing to allow his emotions to dictate his actions.
"I could say the same to you," he said evenly, opening portals beneath Ebony and Corvus's feet, allowing gravity to pull them in and deposit them in the upper atmosphere.
Thanos's eyes narrowed. "What have you done?" He demanded.
"Just wait," Loki smirked, taking a vindictive pleasure in getting under the mad titan's skin as he looked up. "They're just taking the long way back."
Thanos looked up, following Loki's gaze as two bright streaks lit up the sky, a myriad of emotions crossing his face before he snarled, surging forward with his sword raised, ready to cleave Loki in two.
Loki rolled to the side as Thanos jumped high in the air, the sun glinting off his sword as he brought it down with enough force to shake the ground.
He scrambled back, unprepared for Thanos's raw speed and power as he unsheathed his daggers, not sure how they would hold up against the mad titan's attacks, and hoping they would serve him better than their previous owner.
He raised them in a cross pattern as Thanos turned, smashing his blade against his daggers with a lightning-fast strike.
His blades creaked in his grip, the ancient metal flexing under the force of the attack, and driving him to one knee, but not breaking.
He strained his arms, pushing back against Thanos's attack as the mad titan smirked, his strength far surpassing his own.
The next attack came even faster as Thanos hammered a booted foot into his chest, sending him flying across the desert before he even realized what happened.
He skidded and rolled across the barren landscape, coming to a stop nearly a hundred meters away.
Loki struggled to his feet, wincing as he grabbed his side, creating six illusions of himself, hoping they would distract Thanos long enough for him to enact his strategy.
Thanos glared as six Loki's surrounded him, each of them attacking from different angles, but unified in their strategy.
Each time he destroyed one of them, they erupted in a shower of sparks and light, forcing him to shield his eyes, allowing Loki the time to create another illusion to replace the one he'd lost, making it near impossible to discover the real Loki amongst the illusions.
He growled impatiently, impaling another illusion on his sword, only to feel a sharp sting on his cheek in the same moment as another illusion snuck through his guard.
It took him a moment to realize what had happened. He was bleeding. The cut was shallow, a single drop of blood, but it was enough for his impatience to evaporate, appraising the unique threat Loki presented.
He tapped into the Soul Stone, sending a wave of light pulsating outward, destabilizing the illusions to reveal the real Loki — something he hadn't thought he would need against the upstart second son of Odin.
Thanos surged forward, grabbing the surprised Asgardian by the neck and lifted him in the air. "All that for a single drop of blood," he tsked, staring up at his opponent, a twinge of respect in his tone.
Loki's eyes widened, barely registering Thanos had moved befor the mad titan's vice-like fingers gripped his neck.
He clawed at the mad titan's hand, his eyes wide with panic for a brief moment before centering himself and calling upon the Time Stone, rewinding time to the moment before Thanos used the Soul Stone.
He quickly transported himself across the battlefield, creating a wide gap between himself and Thanos, but even then, it only bought him a few precious seconds as Thanos used his enhanced speed to quickly cross the distance.
Thanos charged him, sword drawn, but even as he turned to his side to avoid the attack, he wasn't fast enough to escape the titan's blade skewering him.
Loki grabbed his side, gritting his teeth against the searing pain, understanding how the Infinity Stones could have changed hands so many times over the eons.
Having a stone didn't guarantee victory, even with a way to harness its full power. Much of it still came down to individual strength and skill, two categories Thanos outclassed him in.
He rewound time again, diving to the side a fraction of a second sooner, but all he received for his trouble was a heavy kick to his ribs that sent him flying, shattering half his ribcage in the process.
He coughed up a glob of blood as he staggered to his knees, looking up at Thanos as he brought down his sword on his head.
He rewound time again, just before Thanos split his skull in two — undoing his injuries, but it still left him with no way to defend himself against Thanos's continued attacks.
He changed tactics, switching to the Space Stone to create more distance between himself and the mad titan, opening a portal beneath Thanos's feet, just like he'd done with his children, but the mad titan's reflexes were uncanny, sidestepping his portal as he continued forward.
He tried again, creating more portals, only needing one to be successful, and while he knew Thanos could easily survive the vacuum of space, he hoped that heat and friction from re-entry would at least do some damage.
Thanos narrowed his eyes as he avoided another of Loki's portals, doubting the Asgardian plan was to transport him to some far-flung corner of the universe, or into the heart of a dying star, or for that matter any place that would make it impossible for him to retrieve the stones, but all of it still left him unsettled.
Loki drew first blood, and somehow escaped every one of his attacks unscathed. While nowhere near as powerful as Odin had been, Loki had proven himself to be endlessly clever and resourceful.
Thanos activated the Power Stone, using kinetic energy to move across the battlefield, further enhancing his speed and making it easier to avoid Loki's portals.
Loki's eyes widened as it became infinitely harder to predict Thanos's actions, forcing him to transport himself across the battlefield multiple times just to stay ahead of the mad titan's attacks.
Thanos growled, his frustration mounting as Loki evaded him again, somehow defying all logic.
The Asgardian wasn't faster, nor was he stronger than him, but through a combination of blind luck and skill, he had drawn out the battle far longer than should have been possible.
Losing patience, he tapped into the Power Stone again, this time sending a massive burst of energy all around him. The resulting explosion charring the ground around them, and turning the desert sand to glass.
He looked across the battlefield, smiling in victory as he saw Loki's crumpled form a few hundred meters away, his left arm nothing more than a burned-off stump.
Loki still drew breath, his chest rising and falling shallowly, but the fight was over, and he could finally complete his quest.
Thanos stepped forward confidently, the sound of crushed glass beneath his feet with each step he took. "My victory was inevitable," he called out. "You fought well, better than I expected, but this was always how it was going to end."
Loki coughed, groaning as he rolled over onto his back. Thanos's attack had come so quickly he hadn't been able to protect himself in time.
It hurt to move, to think, and with much of his body heavily burned, he wasn't sure he could even stand, let alone continue fighting.
The Time Stone could fix him, rewind time to the point before the explosion, but it left him with another problem that could be just as costly.
He was sure by now that Thanos at least suspected he had the Time Stone, but after this there would be no hiding it.
Thanos stared down at him, sword raised to deliver the killing blow, leaving him no more time to consider the consequences of his actions and how they would affect the rest of the battle.
He rewound time, placing himself high above the battlefield, just out of the range of Thanos's explosion.
Thanos's jaw dropped open as Loki transported himself away the split second before his attack landed, just out of range of his blast, then floated back down to the ground as if nothing had happened.
The Asgardian couldn't have seen his energy blast coming, let alone react fast enough to save himself, so how?
His eyes narrowed as it finally clicked. How Loki had survived this long. He'd not only found the Time Stone but defeated its keeper before he arrived, which meant he could draw out the battle indefinitely.
He stared at the Asgardian, studying him more carefully this time, wondering just how many times Loki had used the Time Stone without him realizing it, how many times he'd died, only to rewind time and begin the battle anew.
Loki had maintained his illusions for the entire battle, bending reality to hide the stones from his sight, all while fighting for his life, but far more concerning was the lack of strain he showed after using the Infinity Stones as many times as he did, something he even struggled with.
That was the battle Loki fought, one of attrition. Loki didn't have to defeat him to win. He just had to outlast him — wait for the continued strain of using the stones to do win the battle for him.
Loki smirked just then, almost as if reading his thoughts, which likely wasn't far from the truth with the Mind Stone in his possession.
Six of Loki's illusions formed around him, using the same trick he'd used earlier in the battle, but it felt different this time, filling him with a deep sense of unease as the battle took an unexpected turn. His strengths, his battle prowess, everything that brought him this far, this close to his goal, all nullified by the adopted second prince of a destroyed kingdom.
He set his jaw as Loki's illusions descended on him, understanding dawning on him. He couldn't fully trust his senses, not when the rules of reality bent to his opponent's will. He would need to adapt.
It was risky, playing right into Loki's strategy, but there was a way to overcome Loki's apparent mastery of the stones.
He sent out a burst of power from the Soul Stone, easily identifying the real Loki from amongst his illusions, then sent a blast of raw energy with the Power Stone, obliterating them as he surged forward.
Loki watched Thanos carefully. It was brief, a shallow exhale and a slump of his shoulders, but it was there, and it only happened when he used the Soul Stone.
He stepped backward, using a series of portals to keep his distance from the mad titan, creating more illusions to keep his opponent busy, his long-held theory about the stones finally confirmed.
The Space, Reality, Power, and Time Stones exerted their power on the physical world, on the tangible aspects of the universe. The Mind and Soul stones were different, exerting their power on the metaphysical and deeply rooted in the consciousness of living beings.
He'd noticed it with the Mind Stone, how it took far more out of him to use, how he'd never quite managed to use it in the heat of battle, even with the mental connection to his slave, and now he understood why.
Unlike him, Thanos was only just beginning to understand the price the Mind and Soul stones demanded, that overcoming the will of another living being was far more costly.
He created another set of illusions, more than he'd ever made before — a hundred copies of himself to surround his opponent.
"This won't work," Thanos called out, easily slashing and punching the illusions out of existence, now understanding Loki's game. He wouldn't draw on the stones, not until he was sure he could kill Loki instantly.
Loki said nothing, giving the mad titan a wide berth as he used the Reality Stone to augment his illusions, giving them stronger, more durable physical forms.
Thanos grit his teeth as Loki's illusions shifted from flesh and blood to Vibranium.
There were far fewer of them, likely due to the time and effort it took to create them, but they no longer disappeared after a single hit, now taking two, and sometimes three hits, before they dissolved in a shower of light and sparks.
One of the illusions landed a hit — nothing more than a glancing blow. One he barely felt, but it left him with a stark realization.
Loki was learning. His fighting style, his strengths, his weaknesses, and slowly but steadily improving his illusions to compensate.
Loki's plan wasn't to defeat him with a definitive strike, but to wear him down with hundreds, if not thousands of shallow cuts.
He growled as Loki's illusions surrounded him like ants, changing how they approached him, now moving in perfect union as they coordinated their attacks to slip through his guard.
He couldn't allow this to go on, and even though it played into Loki's hand, he tapped into the Soul Stone again, projecting his will in a wave around himself, zeroing in on the real Loki.
He surged forward, ignoring Loki's illusions — tanking their attacks even as they swarmed him. They were nothing but a distraction, and would simply fade out of existence once he killed Loki.
Loki smirked inwardly, switching places with one of his illusions before Thanos could land the killing blow. It was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
A cautious Thanos was all but impossible to defeat — but a frustrated one: careless, off balance, and less aware of his surroundings was another matter entirely.
He gradually altered their environment, amplifying the gravity and making the air denser, while creating a pocket around himself, just a few inches above his skin to protect himself from the changes.
The effect was immediate — Thanos's feet digging deep furrows into the ground with each step he took, slowing him down just enough that his speed no longer dwarfed his own, but Thanos's sword was still a problem, giving him a much longer reach than his daggers.
Loki tapped into the Reality Stone again, lengthening his daggers into twin swords, and making them far denser so they no longer flexed under the strain of Thanos's continued attacks.
He took Thanos's attack directly this time, testing the improvements to his daggers as he caught Thanos's overhead strike on the flat of his blades, but even with the changes Thanos still dropped him to one knee with the force of his attack.
Thanos let out a savage roar, hammering his sword down over and over again, trying to shatter Loki's swords, and break through his defense.
Loki grunted, using all his strength to push back the mad titan, but it still wasn't enough, and worse than that, the alterations he'd made to his daggers created a new problem, one he hadn't anticipated — a spiderweb of cracks rapidly forming along the length of his blades.
He used the Reality Stone to repair the damage, then took it a step further, honing the edge of his blades until they were less than three microns thick.
He let Thanos do the work, flicking his wrist so he took the next hit on the edge of his blade instead of the flat, cleanly cutting through Thanos's sword, while he used the other to slash Thanos's leg, drawing blood a second time as cut through his greave.
Thanos stepped back, his superior speed and reflexes saving him before Loki cut through his leg — turning a sure amputation into another shallow cut.
He backhanded Loki, sending him flying across the desert, not surprised when Loki slowly rose to his feet, the Asgardian's injuries disappearing before his eyes.
'The Reality Stone', Thanos realized. Loki had used it not only to augment his weapons but also to heal his injuries.
He glanced down at his now useless sword before discarding it. He'd lost the first half of his double-bladed sword to the father, and now the second half to the son.
He'd never faced anyone quite like Loki before, someone who didn't stick to conventional patterns of attack, switching between strategies and styles with no warning in between.
Loki had become adept at using the stones in battle, something he too believed he'd mastered until he faced him today, but the difference was night and day when looking at the Asgardian now.
He'd only scratched the surface of what he could do with his stones, the Soul Stone in particular, using it only once to find Loki, and for good reason. The stone demanded more, far more than the Power Stone ever did.
He could rip Loki's soul from his body, end the fight here and now, but the strain was immense. He had tested it, separating a single soul from its body, and it had left him winded, taking several minutes for him to recover — time he couldn't afford to lose in the heat of battle.
He understood now: The snap was no simple matter — why it required all the stones to work and not just the Soul Stone itself. It wasn't about destroying life, but separating life from reality itself, and there was only one thing standing in the way of him achieving his goal.
Loki met Thanos's eyes as the Mad Titan raised his hand, the Soul Stone glowing ominously on his gauntlet before it erupted with light.
His vision darkened as his body slowly crumbled, turning to dust. But his mind remained sharp, latching onto the mental connection he shared with Carol, the link between their minds evolving far more than he originally intended, tethering their very souls to each other.
He felt it: a sharp pull, Carol's soul anchoring him to reality, pulling him back. He fought back against Thanos's attack, using the Mind Stone to fragment his consciousness, each one becoming an echo of his true self.
With his consciousness scattered, the Soul Stone fizzled, unable to find a singular consciousness for it to latch onto.
Thanos fell to one knee, gasping for breath, forced to cut off his attack before the backlash of using the stone overwhelmed him.
As the light from the Soul Stone faded Loki layered his consciousness back together, his vision returning as he reformed his body with the aid of the Reality Stone.
Thanos glared weakly as Loki reappeared, unable to continue in his weakened state, biding his time until his strength returned, but when his gauntlet shattered he knew his time was up.
He lunged forward, wrapping his fingers around the Power Stone, the only stone he could reliably use, watching impotently as the Soul Stone shot into Loki's outstretched hand.
Enraged, he shot to his feet, thrusting the Power Stone forward as he sent a beam of concentrated energy at the Asgardian, ignoring the pain in his hand as his flesh sizzled and burned.
Loki smirked as Thanos fell into his trap, creating a portal in front of himself, then four more to surround the mad titan, redirecting Thanos's own energy blast back at him.
Thanos let out a pain filled roar, cutting off the energy blast immediately, but the damage was already done — what remained of his armor now a charred and ruined mess.
His narrowed his eyes ignoring the pain, forcing himself to adapt to a changed battlefield, a grudging respect forming for the Asgardian.
The Power Stone was no longer a weapon he could rely upon, not without the gauntlet to harness it's power. A liability in his hands, but if used correctly a suitable distraction. He dropped the Stone, making sure Loki him do it, then dove through the portal on his right, appearing in front a surprised Loki in an instant.
He hammered punches into the shocked Asgardian's face, and chest relentlessly, feeling a cold satisfaction as the Asgardian's bones broke and shattered under his onslaught.
He grabbed Loki's shoulder, holding him up as he continued hammering blow after blow into the Asgardian's ruined face and chest. He couldn't let up, not for a second, not until Loki was dead, or he would simply rewind time to escape yet again.
Finally when he stopped, his fist covered in blood, bones, and brain matter he looked at Loki's remains, the Asgardian's face now completely caved in, feeling a deep respect for the Asgardian for putting up the fight he did, coming closer to defeating him than anyone ever before.
He released Loki's lifeless body, watching as it fell to the ground bonelessly, the only sound in the desert his own labored breathing.
A long moment passed before he heard a slow clapping behind him. His eyes widened as he whirled around, finding Loki standing behind him unharmed.
"How?" he demanded. He had appeared on the other side of the portal instantly, far quicker than Loki should have been able to react, much less create an illusion for him to fight.
"I allowed you to see what you wanted to see," Loki explained calmly. "While you were busy dealing with my illusion, I retrieved the Power Stone."
Thanos looked sharply at the empty spot where he'd dropped the stone, then back at Loki. "You could have done this at any time, so why didn't you? Why wait until now?"
"No," Loki shook his head. "The Soul Stone allowed you to see through my illusions, and without the Power Stone I'm not nearly strong enough to defeat you."
Thanos nodded, replaying the battle in his mind. The injuries Loki dealt had been minor at best, and were already healing. It was his own attacks that did the worst of the damage.
Loki said nothing as he used the Reality Stone to increase the gravity around Thanos, using the Power Stone to augment the attack, driving the titan to his knees.
He considered telling him the truth: that using the Snap would unleash something far worse upon the universe, destroying it rather than saving it, but doubted Thanos would believe him, even as he faced his own death.
He stepped forward, his swords appearing in his hands. Pressing a blade against Thanos's neck.
Thanos looked at Loki, not bothering to struggle, seeing little point in it with the force of a mountain pressing down on him.
"I wasn't the first to see the truth," Thanos revealed. "There were others who understood, who did what I failed to do. All you have done today is delay the inevitable."
Loki nodded, acknowledging the truth of Thanos's words.
It was only a matter of time before Kang, or those who believed in his cause, manipulated events to create another Thanos, and started this mess all over again. The very existence of the Infinity Stones all but guaranteed it, but he could at least prevent this attempt.
He brought down his sword, separating Thanos's head from his shoulders, finally ending the threat that had plagued the universe for more than a thousand years.
***
Carol paced back and forth inside the secure building Loki had arranged for her, glancing up at Proxima as she leaned against the wall, wondering how her bodyguard could be so calm about all this.
She hated that Loki kept her out of the fight, even though she understood how risky it was to introduce her to the already tense and chaotic situation, and what Thanos could do if he learned about her connection to the stones.
Over the last few hours she had felt the pull of each of the Infinity Stones, each time they responded to Loki's commands, feeling a fresh wave of anxiety each time.
Loki had never used the stones this extensively before, sometimes even using multiple stones at once.
She wished she could at least see the battle, know that Loki was alright, but all she had to stare at were the four reinforced cement walls around them, and the elevator they had taken to arrive in the underground bunker.
Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as the Space Stone activate, a portal formed in front of them.
"Let's go, little slave," Proxima said, pushing herself off the wall before clipping a leash to Carol's collar.
Carol looked at her, hoping that Proxima wouldn't make her crawl to wherever the portal took them.
"Not this time," Proxima smirked, giving her leash a tug as they stepped through the portal.
Carol blinked, shielding her eyes from the harsh desert sun as they appeared on the other side of the portal, smiling with relief when her eyes settled on Loki, sitting on the ground.
He looked tired, and she could understand why, with all the destruction around him, along with the decapitated form of Thanos lying at his feet.
When Proxima unclipped her leash, she rushed to him, kneeling down beside him, checking him for injuries.
"I'm fine, little slave," Loki murmured, but made no move to stop her. "It's over…"
"What aren't you telling me master?" Carol asked, sensing the hesitation in Loki's voice.
"Later," Loki dismissed, the Soul and Power stones appearing in his palm.
Carol leaned forward as Loki pressed the last two stones to her collar, gasping as she felt a surge of energy, followed by a feeling of wholeness, as if there had been something missing she hadn't realized had been gone until that moment.
She traced her fingers along the stones, now warm to the touch, realizing those feelings weren't coming from her, but from the stones themselves.
"What now?" She asked softly, leaning against Loki.
Loki stared at his slave for a long moment. His quest to find the stones and defeat Thanos had all but consumed him, a relentless driving force constantly pushing him to become stronger, but now it was gone.
He had toyed with the idea of building his own kingdom, but never had the time to pursue it, not while constantly looking over his shoulder for Thanos and his minions.
"I don't know," Loki admitted, looking off into the distance. "I hadn't planned this far ahead."
Carol snorted, cracking a smile at the idea of her master, who always seemed to be a step ahead of everyone else, not knowing what to do.
"You could help," she suggested. "Thanos's army is still here. They don't know that he's gone."
"My brother and his friends can handle it," Loki dismissed. "He's the hero not me."
"You did just save the universe," Carol pointed out.
Loki sighed, getting back to his feet. He had learned the hard way that it was often his own poor decisions that created his worsts enemies, and with Thanos's last words still ringing in his head he knew he couldn't allow any of his followers to escape and pick up his mantle.
***
Loki brushed himself off as he floated down to the balcony of the hotel suite he and Carol had used for the last few days.
Defeating the remnants of Thanos's army had been the easy part. None of them stood a chance against him with the six Infinity Stones at his command.
The difficult, and far more time-consuming part had been the rescue operations: sifting through the rubble, finding the survivors, and healing their injuries.
He saw the distrust in their eyes, and after reading their thoughts, he remembered why. The distraction he'd caused on Midgard to draw Thor away from Asgard, and force his father into the Odin sleep so he could raid the treasure vault — a stark reminder that every action he took had a consequence whether he realized it at the time or not.
He privately admitted to himself that his slave had been right. He hadn't seen the value in helping the Midgardians initially, but the deference they showed him now, the respect. Even amongst his own people who had put up with his antics for centuries.
Carol stepped out onto the balcony, taking in the sight of her master. His armor covered in soot and grime — the tired look in his eyes.
She had been glued to the television, watching the news reports, seeing him in various countries around the world, coordinating rescue efforts, opening portals to move the injured to hospitals around the world for treatment, seemingly everywhere all at once.
The addition of the Power Stone to her collar had made all the difference, removing many of the power limitations of the other stones, allowing Loki to use the stones near constantly, making him appear near omnipotent in his abilities to everyone else.
"Master," she said softly, taking his hand as she guided him to the couch, watching as he lay down heavily.
She knelt between his legs, getting a nod of approval from Proxima as she did. She took a quick glance at her bodyguard, frowning slightly, getting the sense Proxima knew something she didn't.
She turned back to face her master as he laced his fingers through hair, a wry smile on her face as she realized what he wanted.
She sighed contentedly, leaning into his touch, missing his presence far more deeply than she had thought possible over the few days he had been gone.
She reached up and unbuckled his belt, freeing his cock. Her eyes darkened with lust the instant she saw his cock standing at attention for her — something else she had also missed dearly in her master's absence.
Leaning forward, she traced the flat of her tongue up and down his length, bathing his cock with her tongue until it glistened.
"Master," she breathed, looking up at him for permission, knowing it aroused him even more when she did.
Loki groaned, nodding his head in approval at his slave just before she wrapped her lips around his cock, thoroughly enjoying the refinements to her technique she'd learned through Natasha's memories.
Carol rose on her knees, her head bowed as she bobbed her head, sucking him deeply, the head of his cock bumping against the tight ring of her throat with each stroke.
She had become hopelessly addicted to his taste over her months-long captivity to her master, and the heights of pleasure he took her to on a nightly basis.
She cupped her breasts, wrapping them around his thick cock as she continued to suck him, inhaling through her nose as the head of his cock pressed insistently against the back of her throat.
The veins on his cock throbbed powerfully against her tongue — her master's need growing sharper as she continued to suck him, but if anything her need was even more pronounced than his.
The heat of his skin against hers — his fingers curled tightly in her hair — the taste of his pre-cum dancing on her tongue as she practically worshiped his cock. It all churned together, impossible to ignore, impossible to separate.
She ached to reach between her legs, to pump her fingers inside her needy cunt as she sucked him, but Proxima was watching, and wouldn't be pleased, even if Loki allowed her to.
She moaned low in her throat as she bowed her head, allowing the head of her master's cock to slip into her throat, rippling her throat around his manhood.
Loki tightened his grip on her hair — she knew what he needed, and took him deeper, sheathing his full length inside her throat.
She rubbed her slick thighs together, eager to feel his cock pumping inside her throbbing cunt.
Loki let out a groan, nearing his release. He could have held back, drawn it out longer, but Proxima deserved her reward after all she'd done for him.
His slave had no idea what was in store for her tonight, and he preferred it that way. The sounds she made, her moans of pleasure, the need in her voice when she begged for release — it was so much more satisfying when he surprised her.
Carol hummed, vibrating her throat as she felt Loki's cock twitch, the veins on his shaft throbbing. He was close.
She sealed her lips firmly around his cock as she sucked him, refusing to lose even a single drop of his seed.
A few moments later, she earned her reward. His cock throbbed, then he erupted in her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out as spurt after powerful spurt of hot cum filled her mouth.
She took her time licking him clean, savoring the salty-sweet taste of his essence, swirling her tongue up and down his shaft, making sure to collect every last drop of cum before finally leaning back and allowing his cock to slip from between her lips.
"On the bed," Loki ordered huskily, nodding with approval when his slave crawled to the bed rather than stand, a testament to Proxima's training.
Carol looked over her shoulder, wiggling her hips seductively as she arched her back, positioning herself so that her master had a clear view of her glistening pussy and plugged asshole.
Loki stood, his armor dissolving as he stepped forward, positioning himself behind his slave as he lined up his cock with her quivering pussy.
Carol lay her head down, her chin resting on the mattress as Loki's hands encircled her hips, her breath hitching as the tip of Loki's cock slid up and down her slick entrance.
She leaned back, or at least tried to, before Loki tightened his grip on her hips, continuing to tease her.
"Please, master," she begged wantonly. "I need it. It's been too long," she breathed, squealing with delight when the head of his cock pressed inside her.
She screwed her eyes tight, gasping with delight. Loki was taking it slow, agonizingly slow — stretching her inner walls as he continued to tease her.
"…So good… so big…" she moaned, wishing Loki would release her hips and allow her to fuck herself on his thick cock.
As if in answer to her unspoken need, his hands left her hips, and before she could react, he slapped her ass sharply. It wasn't painful — the sting just enough to send a jolt of desire straight to her core.
She arched her back, fucking herself on her master's cock wantonly, loving the feel of him inside her, stretching her inner walls as he finally allowed her to take his full length inside her.
Smack! She moaned in delight as he spanked her again, picking up the pace as she rocked back and forth on his hard cock, squeezing and fondling her breasts as she rode her master, loving every second of her spanking.
He gripped her collar tightly in his fist, pushing her head down as he took control, slamming his hips forward as he claimed her pussy with long, hard strokes, his thighs smacking into her upturned ass with wild abandon.
No one fucked her like Loki did, making her scream in ecstasy every time she came. She could no longer imagine a life without him, of not feeling him inside her like she did now, the days without him feeling like torture.
She spread her legs wider for her master as he picked up the pace, letting out a loud, keening moan as he pistoned his cock inside her slick pussy, her inner walls quivering with each stroke as she neared her release.
She pushed her hair out of her face, her breath coming out in short gasps as her master's weight pressed down on her, firm in the belief that this was what she had been missing her entire life.
To belong, to be needed, to be desired, to be held, to be dominated. Mind, body, and soul, they all belonged to her master, and she would have it no other way.
She arched her back, letting out a guttural moan, screaming out her master's name as she came for him.
Inhaling deeply, she breathed in the scent of him, sighing contentedly as she felt his warm breath on the nape of her neck, and his powerful arms wrap around her.
She slumped forward, her body slick with sweat as she slowly came down from her high, her master's cock still sheathed inside her as he waited for her to catch her breath.
Carol pushed the hair out of her face, unable to hide her disappointment when Loki leaned back, his cock sliding out of her slick entrance before he moved to the front of the bed, leaning against the headboard.
She looked at him, drinking in the sight of his godly form, her eyes slowly drifting lower until they settled on his cock, still glistening with her juices as she felt a sharp spike of arousal.
She rose to her hands and knees, her hips swaying as she leaned forward, tracing her tongue along the length of her master's cock, but before she could take him in her mouth again, he grabbed her collar, tilting her head up.
"Get up here," Loki ordered, his tone husky and deep, sending another shiver of desire tingling down her spine.
Without hesitation, she got up on her knees, straddling her master as she locked eyes with him, impaling herself on his engorged cock.
They sat there for a long moment, their faces just inches apart as her need intensify, but she wouldn't move, not without his permission.
She moaned softly, leaning against him as his cock throbbed powerfully inside her aching pussy, pressing snugly against her inner walls.
Just when she couldn't take it anymore, he spanked her, silently commanding her to begin.
She didn't hesitate, rocking her hips as she rode him, letting out a low groan as she fucked herself on his length, rising up until just the head of his cock was inside her before sliding back down.
Despite cumming so recently, her next orgasm was coming fast, and she did nothing to fight it, leaning against her master as she rested her chin on his shoulder.
Carol moaned softly as Loki's fingers trailed down her spine, finding the base of her plug. Her breath hitched in her throat as he gripped it firmly, wiggling and twisting it as he gradually drew it out.
She gasped, feeling cool air on her asshole, and the uncomfortable emptiness that always followed.
"Please, master," she groaned, wiggling her hips as he traced the tip of his thumb along the rim of her ass, teasing her back entrance.
It felt strange to think about now, how adverse she had been to it in the beginning, to have her asshole played with, to have it plugged until her master chose to make use of it.
Looking back on it now, she wondered if she had been subconsciously saving this part of herself for him, that on some level she had always known she was meant for him.
She bit her lip as Loki teased her asshole again, the tip of his fingers pressing inside her, pumping slowly, sinking deeper inside her until his knuckles pressing against the rim of her ass.
Carol let out a soft mew as Loki spanked her again, rocking her hips as she rode her master.
She hadn't fully recovered from her second orgasm yet, but wouldn't deny her master, accepting that he understood her body and desires far better than she ever would, and more than content to follow his lead.
His full length slammed in and out of her pussy, her arousal building higher and higher as everything else faded away — so much so that she didn't feel the bed shift behind her, nor the slim pair of hands on her hips, softer and more delicate than her master's.
Her eyes widened, letting out a gasp as her master's finger left her ass, then something stiff and hard take its place.
"Auggh!" she groaned as it sank inside her, followed by warm breath on the back of her neck.
"Enjoying yourself, little slave?" Proxima teased, a hint of satisfaction in her voice as she filled the slave's ass with her strapon.
"Proxima," Carol breathed, only then remembering that her bodyguard had been in the room with them this whole time.
"Did you forget about my reward, little slave?" Proxima grunted as she pumped her dildo inside Carol's tight ass. "I knew," she breathed, "I knew the moment you accepted your place at your master's feet, and I had to wait — all this time to take what was promised to me."
"You were worth the wait, little slave," she said huskily, pumping the dildo faster in Carol's as.
Carol could only groan, leaning heavily against her master as Proxima took her ass. The pleasure was indescribable, feeling her master and her bodyguard inside her at the same time. The tightness of having both her holes claimed at the same time almost too much for her to handle.
She could hear Loki chuckling, his cock throbbing inside her slick cunt. He had planned this — obviously, delighting in pushing her past any boundary she thought she had until all she could think about was her next orgasm.
"Do you want her to stop?" Loki asked, joining in on the teasing. "That is all it would take — one simple word my slave."
"N-no," Carol groaned, shaking her head. "God… ugh!" she grunted as Proxima bottomed out inside her, then went still.
"What do you want, my slave?" Loki asked.
"Y-you master," Carol breathed, her body going rigid, sandwiched between her master and her bodyguard. "I d-don't know… don't know w-what… else I want," she moaned. "Only y-you."
Carol felt lightheaded, admitting out loud for the first time what she'd felt for a long time. As long as Loki was with her, she didn't care. She trusted him completely. He could decide which women shared their bed, what they did, what they did to her. As her master, it was his choice to make, not hers.
"That's the right answer, my slave," Loki smiled, pressing his cock into her slick folds as Proxima did the same to her ass, quickly falling into rhythm as they fucked her together.
Carol let out a loud, keening moan as she held onto Loki, her pleasure spiking higher.
Each time Loki pulled back, Proxima thrust inside her, one of them fully sheathed inside her at all times, passed back and forth between them as they took their pleasure from her.
Through her gasps and moans of delight, she felt there was something familiar about Proxima's dildo. It took her a moment, but when she realized it, she felt another, much deeper spike of arousal.
It was Loki's cock — an exact replica of it, making it feel as if Loki were taking both her holes at once.
She let out a guttural moan at the realization. A powerful orgasm washed over her, but neither of her lovers stopped, much less slowed down as they fucked her through her orgasm.
She crushed her lips to her master's, kissing him deeply as Proxima's hands moved up the sides of her breasts, kneading and pinching her nipples as she fucked her ass.
She melted into their arms, gasping for breath as she broke the kiss with her master, already riding the edge of another orgasm.
She groaned loudly, as she clung to her master, her moans of delight echoing off the walls. "AWGAWD!!!" she screamed out, another orgasm crashing over her.
Proxima slammed her hips into her ass another half dozen times, grunting louder each time until a jet of hot cum flooded her ass.
Proxima leaned forward, pressing her sweat-soaked body tightly against the alluring slave's back, keeping the dildo buried in Carol's ass as Lord Loki continued to fuck her.
"UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH!" Carol grunted, losing track of how many times she'd come already as her master fucked her with long, hard strokes.
His cock throbbed inside her, her breath coming out in short gasps — sandwiched between her bodyguard and master, her body alive with pleasure.
"MASTER!" she screamed out, erupting with pleasure as they came together.
Slowly she met her master's eyes, his stiff cock still inside her, despite cumming just a moment ago, then glanced down at Proxima's exhausted, yet content form before returning her attention to her master, eager for whatever else he had planned for them.
***
Hi! Thanks for reading. This is the last chapter in the story, but I will have an epilogue out in a couple of weeks to wrap up the story. Sorry this is coming out a little late, I spent some more time editing this last chapter to make sure I got it right.
The plan after that is to make How to Train Your Pet Slave the next main story I update every two weeks. It will be 20 chapters long with an epilogue.
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For more info on my writing, pictures of Loki, Vers(Carol Danvers), 31 exclusive chapter images for this chapter, audio chapters,and early access to the Epilogue please visit: jumpinfiction.com
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Jumpin