The other had a good point. Midgardians were in some cases downright stupid, sadly he had the displeasure to witness that first hand, but given the chance, they would do anything to bring back their loved ones. It was noble of them and scary and stupid at the same time – giving your life for the one of your loved one only to never be with them together after all the trouble. What was even the point?
“You think people will be that desperate and do such a stupid move? Perhaps they will if they have nobody to bring back but want to help out a friend in need, but otherwise? They would truly have to be desperate.” He, too, would dare to bargain for one life to be brought back, the one of his mother, Frigga, to be exact, but it was questionable if that was even possible. “Do tell, since you apparently know a thing or two about bringing people back from the dead. Is it possible to do so for people who are dead for a few years?”
“Humanity has always been desperate. Now, more than ever before. They grasp and claw at what they assume to understand. Raking their nails against anything that could attribute to goodness. Then, they destroy it.” Maybe he was being a little…self centered, but his words (from his point of view) were facts.
“In this situation, many have died, and many more are missing. Some could be brought back, but there always is a price to pay.” In short, he could have elaborated on what the price was, but he didn’t feel that it was extremely necessary. “Some are just not willing… compensate me for my efforts.”
He took a step forward. “The longer they are gone, the harder it is; price goes up, effort goes up, and so does time.” It was possible, but sometimes there were… other effects. Not that he’d ever try something like that on his own, but there was always a chance it could work with-out disrupting something major… or drawing too many eyes on him.
“So, in short? Yes. I do believe it’s… possible.”
A small frown formed on Loki’s face as he listened to the other. Could it be that he was who the god of mischief through he was? It all added more confusion to the whole situation, making Loki, if anything, raise his guard even more, but at the same time he remained in his spot, deciding to engage a fight only if needed.
“I have to admit, I imagined Lady Death to look a lot different than you.” He finally spoke. Naturally, he could have been wrong, but in every tale Frigga would tell his brother and him, it was Lady Death who came to the surviving warriors and offer them to bring one of their loved ones back in exchange for their own life. “What makes you think people here are desperate enough to do so while the Avengers still stand and there is hope that all of this can be reversed?”
“Humans are… complicated, but if you wave an offer in their face that is good enough? They will be begging for the chance.” He’d seen it first hand – even in history, when the idea of Absolution was so grand a thing… people took it in droves.
In this case, Ky was making deals – not a lot of them, but just enough so he could head back home with something more than begging to be forgiven for leaving. Something that hopefully would state his family’s anger. “I don’t know about Lady Death, but I know how people will beg for second chances, and will even trade their lives for others.” A deep sigh escaped his lips. “It may be reversed, but for now? Giving people some sort of…hope is better than nothing.”
His senses were on alert, he didn’t want the other catch him off guard. Loki didn’t trust him an inch and there was something very suspicious about him. He was with Thanos, but seemed to be against the mad titan at the same time. In many ways that conflict reminded him of himself back in the day when he served Thanos as well.
“You’re forgetting hope. Hope is a powerful tool if a lot of people have it. It fuels heroes to do good deeds, telling them that their people need them to keep them safe. Perhaps it might sound foolish, but things can very much be turned back.”
“Hope is foolish. It can make a man or break a man.” By man, Ky’lar meant people in general, but he didn’t think that needed clarification at the moment. “Hope is needed at times – it makes people press on, but it also can hinder them.”
“Everyone has their breaking point, everyone has what they will fold for, and everyone has a price.” Even Ky if he was being completely honest with himself. “They are even willing to trade the one thing they care about for family.” A pause. “That is why i’m here.”
The words alone made him boil with anger, and by the Allgods did he try to explode. “Besides the obvious?” And angry expression slowly began to turn into a menacing grin. “Many things. Starting from chaining you up, restricting your every moment before inflicting pain onto you over and over again, breaking your bones, healing all of it and start from the beginning. Because that is what the bastard did to me!”
Loki froze then, realizing he had stepped over the line, gave too much information. But what did it matter. If the man in front of him was tied to Thanos anyway, he probably knew about it already. “Oh they matter.” The trickster spoke once calmed down. “You have come to a bad place to watch what Thanos did. Many here would skin you alive if they knew you are here.”
“truth be told, they would skin me alive for many other reasons.” that much was clear in his mind. if this was one of his bad days – he may have just let them. more so to see what they would do when given the opportunity to do such a thing. though, not many humans would go through with it. not in his experience at least.
“thanos just happens to be one out of a long line.” though, if he was being honest, his little involvement with the titan was one of the worst deals he’d ever gotten pulled into. though, it didn’t exactly top the charts in his mind. “a very long line.”
“even so,” his hands slipped into his pockets, “i can’t change the past – i don’t think anyone truly has that power. not anymore.”
The aftermath of Thanos’ snap was horrible to witness. While Loki never made friends with any of the Avengers, they were in fact far from it, they were still his brothers’ friends, and they had lost many. Half of the universe was gone, only a handful of heroes remaining. The ground was covered in dust of those who had disintegrated and as he walked, Loki felt almost as if he was defiling peoples graves. A shiver went down his spine from just thinking that one of the unlucky ones could have been him or his brother.
As he walked through the forest close to the Wakandan palace, the trickster spotted a figure walking about. The man seemed untouched from battle and completely out of place. Daggers at the ready, he carefully came closer. “If you are one of Thanos’ men, you have come to the wrong place.”
ky knew he could have been placed in such categories. his own family making deals with the titan to keep themselves safe. not that he could complain – he was only here was he had escaped his own personal confinement to have some fun. well, more so murder, but since the events of the snap had happened? well, it didn’t seem liked he’d be able to do that. not really at any-rate.
“— and what would you do if i was?” a simple question, said as his hands slipped into the back pockets of his pants. “you know, besides the quite obvious.” there had been far too much death lately – even for his own liking. “even so, i just don’t see how my… allegiances truly matter.” at least at he moment.
Hellfirebound 