Chapter 2
Thanos remembered a simpler time, when he’d led his mission from the head of a battalion instead of the stone throne he sat upon now.
Back then, there had been no Black Order. No Gamora. No Azura. At least, not as she was now.
Seven hundred years ago, he had only been a young man with conviction sharper than steel. Azura had only been a child with red hair and white wings, standing tall in front of the Mad Titan with only a single dagger to her name.
He remembered that moment clearly. The shake in her hand. The flare of her wings, an instinctive bluff to make herself seem larger. The fire in her eyes, refusing to yield.
And now, she stood before him as his eldest daughter. His most seasoned general. The girl in the ruins had long since become the soldier at his command.
Sometimes, he struggled to reconcile the two.
Where there had once been wild will and raw fire, now there was discipline. Stillness. A fatigue buried too deep for words.
A perfect weapon. Polished, sharpened.
Yet instead of wielding a controlled flame, her fire had faded once her steel had been forged.
What a disappointment that had been.
Thanos leaned back into the throne, the corners of his mouth tugging downward as he looked between his eldest daughter and the chained figure she had dragged before him.
“Azura, what do you present to your Lord Thanos?” The Other asked in his place, voice sharp and ceremonial.
Azura opened her mouth to speak, but the prisoner lifted his head before she could.
“Loki,” he offered with a thin, wry smile. “Formerly of Asgard.”
Azura’s lip curled, her disgust palpable. “Though you may be more interested in his other name. Shape-Changer.”
Interest curdled at the edge of Thanos’ expression as the Other hummed in recognition.
“You are a long way from home, Asgardian. And you’ve made quite the name for yourself— mostly in the form of our dead.”
Loki dipped his head, wrists bound in front of him. “A fact I deeply regret. I’ve come to amend it.”
Azura scoffed, louder than protocol allowed. Thanos didn’t miss it. That edge of emotion. A reminder that the fire hadn’t died, just buried.
“You were captured,” she said. “Don’t twist the truth to suit your narrative.”
“Oh, but who was it that revealed the coordinates for our little rendezvous?” Loki’s smile turned oily. “I orchestrated a meeting with your Lord in the best way I knew how. I’d argue that infiltrating your patrol routes and drawing blood from Thanos’ untouchable general speaks to my… resourcefulness.”
Metal chimed as Azura’s wings snapped out behind her.
“You dare—”
Thanos raised a hand. One motion. Azura fell silent, jaw clenched, wings stiff. Obedience, drilled deep.
It was always fascinating, watching how well his children responded to the simplest command. Even the wildest ones, once properly broken.
“So,” Thanos said, gaze fixed on the kneeling Asgardian. “What does an exile want from me? You’ve done quite well on your own, if the piles of my soldiers are any indication.”
Loki’s smile twitched, cracking just slightly. A sliver of nerves beneath the practiced charm.
“I am no Asgardian,” he said, choosing his words with care. “I hold no loyalty to a regime ruled by fools. I’ve come seeking a different kind of alliance.”
Thanos glanced at Azura, who hadn’t taken her eyes off the prisoner.
“So you would turn against your father and brother,” she supplies, voice like a blade,“ and expect us to believe you’d do otherwise for us?”
“I seek opportunity. Mutual benefit.” Loki gave her a sideways look, his voice smooth as silk. “Nothing so sentimental as loyalty.”
The Other scoffed. “You think Lord Thanos trades in charity? That He has need of anything you can offer?”
Loki began to rise with words already forming on his tongue when the Other struck.
A six-fingered hand clamped to the side of Loki’s face, pure psychic heat rippling from the contact. Loki gasped, dropping back down to his knee.
“You were not given permission to stand,” the Other hissed. “Your place is here. At your Lord’s feet.”
Azura folded her arms behind her back, wings tucked in tight. She said nothing. She didn’t move.
She never moved until she was told. Azura knew better.
Thanos smiled faintly. A breath of amusement escaped him.
“I have no need of your lies or tricks, Shape-Changer. But your past alliances… now those, I find curious. I imagine my daughter has already expressed a similar curiosity.”
Loki’s eyes flickered back to her. Azura didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink as she stared right back at him.
Thanos’ lip curled upwards a tick. Let him wonder. Let him think that his daughter was staying silent out of her own volition.
“I think you may hold potential,” Thanos mused, tapping his fingers against the throne.
Loki straightened, watching with a calculated hope. “I only ask the chance to prove it. To make amends for any damage wrought this past year.”
Azura dipped her head, just slightly.
She knew what awaited their prisoner. She knew he had no choice, regardless of what he thought.
“I’m sure you have plenty of goals,” Thanos said, eyeing the bound Asgardian. “We’ll have time to pry those truths from you. Willing or not.”
He waved a hand.
“Take him to quarters suitable… for a royal guest. Then send for Supergiant. Let’s not waste more time than he’s worth.”
Azura stepped forward. “Father, if he has information about Asgard—”
“Your sister already has my permission to oversee the Shape-Changer’s stay,” Thanos interrupted. “You may meet with him. Speak freely, if you wish.”
He stood from the throne and approached her, massive and slow-moving. Azura went rigid.
A hand the size of her head landed on her shoulder.
“I can’t remember the last time I saw fire in your eyes,” he said lowly. “Hold on to that anger, Azura. It will serve you far better than the husk you’ve become.”
Her jaw tightened. Her hands stayed still.
Loki watched the exchange in silence.
“...Yes, Father.”
Not rage. Not revenge. Just survival. That’s what she had left.
Thanos gave her shoulder a final squeeze, then stepped away after noting the drying blood on the side of his daughter's stomach. Presumably a gift from their newest addition. He paid it no mind, Azura had already mastered her control over pain.
“Then see our guest to his cell.”
The Other fell in beside him as Azura turned. Loki followed, chains clinking, his eyes still flicking between them.
“What do you wish for the Shape-Changer’s fate, my Lord?” the Other asked.
Thanos returned to the throne.
“The Mind Stone showed me visions of this one,” he said. “I’ll let my daughters fight over their new toy.”
He smiled, gaze distant. Beyond the room.
“Destiny will decide what’s to become of him. And I have never rushed what destiny will provide.”
—
Loki inspected the ship’s halls as Azura guided him through, tall ceilings, metal that hummed with power, no signs of warmth or welcome. Sanctuary, indeed.
“So,” he began, pacing a few steps ahead so that he could turn and walk backwards to gauge Azura’s expression. “How many of you are there?”
Azura did her best to look straight forward. “I don’t care to know what you mean, Asgardian.”
“Not Asgardian,” he corrected, flashing a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “But I am curious to know how an Angel exists, and what led to such a sharp hatred towards the realm of gods?”
Azura stopped long enough to turn and look at him. Not a glare. Just cold, flat detachment.
“Did you think my people were just some bedtime story meant for Asgardian entertainment?”
“Well, yes,” Loki said, utterly shameless.
“You’re far too skilled a liar to believe your ruler— your father— didn’t have something to hide.”
Azura moved to the side of the next door, forcing Loki to stay ahead of her as they reached the next junction. Always in sight. Always in control.
He faced forward again, but Azura saw the subtle shift in his shoulders. Tension. Recognition.
“I’m no stranger to Odin’s secrets and shames,” he muttered. “Why else would I find myself here?”
A wing jutted out to block his path. Loki turned to her again, brow arched. She was studying him, eyes narrowed.
“Something on your mind?” He asked, tone lightly mocking.
She opened her mouth, maybe to ask something, maybe to accuse, but another voice rang out before she had the chance.
“Well, well!”
Supergiant approached with a lilting hum, her white cloak trailing like smoke behind her, eyes shining with cruel delight.
Azura’s wing snapped inward.
“The Shape-Changer, is it?” Supergiant asked, eyeing Loki like a scientist might inspect a rare specimen.
“Loki, actually,” he replied, ever composed. “Though I never mind a dramatic moniker.”
“Loki what?” she asked, smile thinning. “Odinson or Laufeyson?”
Azura’s head jerked toward her sister. Loki’s smile didn’t falter, but the twitch at his temple betrayed him.
“I don’t appreciate you rummaging around in my head,” he said smoothly, with just enough bite to make it a warning.
Supergiant pouted. “Aw, like you have a choice.”
Azura stepped forward. “Supergiant, Father said—”
Her sister waved a hand.
And with that motion, Azura’s body betrayed her.
She choked mid-word, staggering as her lungs refused to draw air. Loki’s head snapped toward her. Her fingers clawed at her throat.
“You forget yourself, sister,” Supergiant purred.
“What are you—?” Loki took a step back, but the pressure struck him just the same.
It was like a blade, slicing through his mental defenses, wrapping around his mind and tightening. His knees hit the floor before he realized they were giving out.
“I didn’t give you permission to speak, pet,” Supergiant chuckled.
Azura hit the ground with a thud, gasping silently, wings twitching helplessly. Her eyes locked on Supergiant with murder in them, but her limbs wouldn’t move.
Loki recalibrated fast. He’d heard of Thanos’ telepathic daughter, rumors from the edge of Sanctuary space, but none had done her justice. This wasn’t probing. This was a full override.
“You flatter me, princeling,” Supergiant said, reading the thought like it was printed on parchment. She waved her hand again, releasing Azura just as she began to convulse.
Thanos’ Butcher crumbled, choking in great, furious breaths.
Loki waited, tense, watching the exchange. Whatever had just passed between the sisters— it was buried beneath layers of quiet rage.
Azura rose slowly, hand gripping the dagger at her side.
“Don’t,” Supergiant snapped without turning. “I’ll have you slit your own throat before you manage a step.”
Azura froze. Calculating. Fury fighting caution.
Then, her hand dropped. Her voice low, “Noted. I suppose I can be patient.”
Her metal wings flared, the chime of them echoing sharply in the corridor. She cast a last glare toward Loki. He couldn’t tell if it was a warning or promise.
“I’ll be seeing you,” she said, and turned without another word.
“I’m sure,” Loki murmured, watching the way her shoulders stayed rigid until she vanished around the corner.
Then a sharp tug on the chain at his wrists dragged him forward.
Gone was Supergiant’s false charm. Her face now bore nothing but a chill, clinical stare.
“I’ve never worked on a Jotunn before,” she said, dragging him along.
“I hate to disappoint,” Loki replied coolly, “but you still haven’t found one. They don’t often travel.”
The pressure returned, slow and winding. This time not enough to drop him, but just enough to hurt.
“I won’t tolerate lies,” she said softly. “We can start being honest with each other now… or I can dig the truth out, piece by piece.”
Loki smiled thinly, even as his jaw clenched.
“How can I say no?”
—
Supergiant kept Loki for the rest of the rotation.
There was only so long Azura could sit with her thoughts before they started to suffocate her.
Reports, strategy briefings, inventory logs— all mechanical distractions. Insufficient. She didn’t even hear the snap of the second blaster rifle that day until the pieces hit the floor.
It was a noticeable aggravation as well, judging by the way that the Chitauri in the command bay began giving her a wide berth.
Azura retreated to the private training quarters meant for the Black Order, inputting her override before anyone could stop her.
“Activate sequence 27-RA,” she snapped.
The voiceprint recognized her. The floor pulsed.
Dozens of holographic hostels blinked into existence, with claws, fangs, and speed to back them up.
Azura stood still for half a second and exhaled, releasing tension from her wings and shoulders.
Then she moved.
Her metal wings lashed out like guillotine blades. The first two foes didn’t even land a hit before they pixelated into blue shards. The next wave met her fists and steel-feathered strikes.
Graceful, brutal. Controlled.
But the control was slipping.
With every enemy she dropped, her rhythm grew more desperate, her strikes more savage. She wasn’t training anymore. Azura was unraveling.
What had Supergiant been looking for with Loki? Had it all been some cruel manipulation? Just another method to remind Azura of her place?
A low snarl ripped from her throat as she clotheslined two holograms with the edge of her wing. A third charged— she drove her boot into its face, scattering its form against the wall.
Her sister had no right. It was only a matter of time before she would be reminded of that.
Loki Odinson— no, Supergiant had said Laufeyson. That was the twist of it. Even his identity was something unsteady, something borrowed. And yet… he’d looked her in the eye like he already saw exactly who she was.
She didn’t know whether she hated that more than it just further spurred her need for answers.
A wing punched through the gut of another sim, the projection flickering violently before shattering. The wound from where Loki had managed to stab her was healing quickly, but twinges of pain still rocked through her abdomen to remind her.
She shouldn’t care. She didn’t want to care. But there was something about the way Loki had looked at her after Supergiant’s attack. Not with pity or even fear.
There had been recognition.
Azura let out a breath between clenched teeth and spun into a kick with her wings spread that broke apart three more enemies.
Rage was an instinct she had been conditioned to tamper down. A muscle memory that could only be fully unleashed when it was allowed.
Conditioning.
She had been conditioned not to feel her need for vengeance against Thanos, that it was a fantasy she no longer had the right to remember after everything she had done in his name.
She had been conditioned not to imagine escape, either. But the idea of freedom stayed buried within her all the same. Just another muscle memory.
Azura took the leg of one sim and slammed it into another. The wall glowed faintly from the impact.
Supergiant would drive her mad. That much was certain. Always working from the shadows, always twisting, always smiling like she wasn’t dissecting you with her mind.
And the worst part?
No one would stop her. Not even Thanos. Especially not Thanos.
He encouraged survival through suffering. Strength through silence. Pain as proof of loyalty.
If Azura ever asked for protection, if any of their siblings asked for justice for what Supergiant had put them through, Thanos would only punish them for weakness. Then give them back to Supergiant with an order to do better.
She flexed her back, spreading her wings wide enough that the metallic edges caught the overhead lights.
No one would save her.
And she would never be free unless she took it herself.
—
The door hissed open just in time for a Chitauri soldier to stumble into the path of a flying hologram.
He hit the mat hard as the projection dissolved into blue shards, gasping as he scrambled upright.
“I asked not to be disturbed,” Azura snapped, not remotely apologetic.
The soldier bowed quickly, shifting nervously as he gave an answer in his native tongue. “General, Supergiant has finished with the prisoner. You asked to be informed.”
Azura was already moving before he finished.
“Take me to him.”
The Chitauri hurried ahead, trying to match her pace as she stalked through the halls of the Sanctuary. Her wings were half-flared behind her, still twitching from the leftover adrenaline.
No more time for speculation.
She needed answers.
And if Loki thought he could dance around them, he was in for a very long stay.
—
One hand to the door's keypad, and suddenly Azura found herself back in the company of Asgard's infamous second son.
Loki, in all his smug glory, stood on the other side of the generated force field that sealed off his cell. " I seem to be fairly popular today."
"Is that your goal? Even after your visit with Supergiant?" Azura raised a brow, stalking up to the force field.
She studied him. No visible marks, no cracks in his composure... There was nothing that hinted at Supergiant’s usual forms of torment.
"Should I sit and let you take a portrait? It may last longer."
Loki smirked, his eyes glinting with an intensity that reminded Azura she wasn’t the only predator in the room— the snake just happened to be the one in a cage.
Azura made no move to look away from him. "Laufeyson?"
A muscle in Loki’s jaw twitched before he turned away, pacing his narrow cell. "Loki Laufeyson does roll off of the tongue better than Odinson, don't you agree?"
"I don't particularly care about the pronunciation." Azura drawled. “I want to know if you're truly the heir of Jotunheim—disguised as a prince of Asgard for over a thousand years."
That earned her a pleased smirk as Loki idly tapped a boot against a dent in the metal frame of his cot. " You’ve done your research."
"Spare the observations. I want answers." Azura crossed her arms, waiting.
"Hmm, but what do I receive in return for providing your answers?” Loki set his hands behind his back and strolled leisurely along the force field,“ Or will this be another round of torture in the name of entertainment, as your sister has shown herself to enjoy?”
Azura’s eyes flashed dangerously,“ Do not compare me to that bald-headed witch.”
The trickster lowered his head to the side, the ghost of a grin curling at the corner of his lips.
When he didn’t contribute another comment, Azura continued.
“If we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement, there’s no need for you to suffer more than I’m sure you already have. Or will, until Supergiant grows bored of you.”
Loki leaned in slightly, eyes sharp. “You wish to make a deal?”
Red light from the force field flickered across his features, casting them in sharper angles.
Loki’s eyes squinted slightly as he watched her.
Azura’s wings twitched open, then folded back in tightly as she held his stare.
“A question for a question.”
Loki chuckled, tapping his chin as he turned away.
“A truth for a truth.” Azura amended, stock still even as her eyes followed his movements,“ Knowledge is power, as they say.”
The not-Asgardian raised an eyebrow towards the angel,“ That is tempting… But surely you know better than to assume that all truths weigh the same.”
Azura’s eyes flickered.
Is this even a game worth playing, if all he plans to do is dance around every question and offer?
“Name your terms.”
Loki stopped his pacing, hands still behind his back. Silence stretched between them.
So dramatic. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“Terms?” Loki spoke over his shoulder. “A truth for a truth. You may ask me one question each day–”
Azura stepped forward to protest.
“—and if I deem your question worthy of an answer, I will answer it honestly.”
Loki captured her gaze as he turned back towards her,” Then I get to ask mine. And I expect the truth in return.”
Azura shifted her stance, one hand on her hip.
As though she had another choice.
She could already puzzle out the game that Loki was playing— drag out their exchange, stay useful.
Stay alive.
Her wings unfurled slowly from behind her, chiming as they moved. “You have a deal.”
“Then as a show of good faith, I’ll answer your previous question.” Loki spread his arms in theatrical fashion, concealing the glint of anger in his eyes. “Yes, I am not Odin’s son. I was lied to for my entire life. And while I owe nothing to the Jotunn—”
Azura caught the flicker of disgust as he spoke of his species.
“—Asgard means even less. Nothing but a reminder of betrayal.”
A raised brow met his statement. Skeptical. His smirk deepened— he knew it.
Just another part of his game.
“Your turn,” she said at last, accepting his answer for now.
Loki sat on the metal slab, leaning back while looking every bit the curious academic.
Azura braced herself for whatever deep question or psychological twist he was about to throw at her. She was aware that there was already plenty of mystery surrounding her past and present for him to push into and peel apart.
Instead, he gave her an amused half-smile.
“How's that stomach wound healing? Didn't hit anything vital, did I?”
Azura blinked slowly. “Excuse me?”
Loki feigned innocence, clearly delighted.
“That's my question for the day.” He tilted his head,” You wouldn't break our deal so soon, would you?”
For all the walls she rose, it felt like Loki already knew which bricks to loosen.
Fine.
Azura's wings ruffled indignantly. The feathers chimed loudly, drawing Loki’s eye.
“… I’ve had worse. I heal quickly. Don’t expect it to happen again.”
“Mm. I’m sure.”
Azura turned toward the door, unsatisfied. He’d seen right through her—and he enjoyed it.
She paused, changing tactics.
Over her shoulder, Azura added,“ If you wanted to know if I was shaken by how close that dagger came to doing serious damage? Then you should have asked that. We’ll see if you improve tomorrow.”
She stepped through the sliding door, and behind her came a single, amused exhale. It chased her like a whisper.
The door shut with a final metallic thud.
“Until tomorrow,” Azura muttered under her breath.
—
On the other side of the door, the green shimmer of Loki’s seidr faded, revealing fresh bruises blooming across his skin. He slumped back against the cold metal wall, wincing at the movement.
Supergiant’s methods had proven far more effective against his godly physiology than he’d expected. For a moment, his breath caught. The sting of powerlessness was worse than the bruises.
But weakness was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Not here.
All he needed was to endure. Prove his worth to Thanos. Play his cards right, and eventually, that power would be his to command.
A slow smirk tugged at Loki’s lips.
Azura might be exactly the ally he needed, but she was also dangerous.
She was clever, cornered, and just desperate enough to be the stepping stone he needed to rise above this pit he’d let himself be chained to. He recognized the fire in her eyes when Thanos’ influence wasn’t burying it, that same refusal to bow.
And he’d either have to tame it… or burn with it.
Let Thor bask in his golden glory. Loki would earn his power, claw it from the cold hands of titans and tyrants alike.