#loki's knowhere

[belovedknowyourmaster]

me, chilling, watching loki:

liz carr: *shows up from knowhere as a judge at the tva*

me, with ptsd after good omens season 2: SARAQUAEL? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE???????

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Reality Check

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Word Count: ~3.1k

Warnings: angst, murder by magic, MoC!angst

Summary: The gang comes together to create a plan in order to catch you and remove the Mark. Sam and Dean get to go to space for the first time, and a new stone gets to experience humanity for the first time. It’s everything they need to get you back to who you were before, just like Dean promised.

Past, Present, and Future Masterlist

Square Filled: wanda maximoff (mcuxspn crossover) for @fandombingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

The Mark of Cain originated from God and Lucifer, and the only two people that can provide information about that are Sam and Dean. Dean has had the Mark before, he knows the ins and outs of the curse whether he likes it or not. Dr. Strange and Wanda are the only ones that can do magic, and it’s not like Stephen is going to go to Asgard to convince Loki to help out. No, this is their business only. Asgard has nothing to do with this so it doesn’t make sense to involve them now.

“The only way to get the Mark off is using what we call the Book of the Damned. It’s a spellbook that contains the worst kind of spells, usually paired with cosmic consequences,” Sam explains.

“If you don’t want your God and Amara to be free, then we can’t use the Book of the Damned to remove it. I believe that if we can connect this mark to something from the multiverse, it won’t need to draw power from the Book of the Damned. We’d be able to remove it from her without releasing them. It would still bind them to their prisons but it won’t unlock by that book. Does that make sense?”

“So, how do we pair it to the multiverse?” Dean asks. “I thought God erased all other multiverses.”

“He erased the ones that you two were in. There are others without you in it, and those are the ones we will use.”

“How?” Sam asks.

“That’s why Wanda is here.” All eyes turn to her. “We need something that has equal power to the Book of the Damned. We need the Darkhold.”

“You want me to use it again?” She takes two steps back and shakes her head. “Knowing what happened the last time I used it?”

“What is the Darkhold?” Dean asks.

“Our version of the Book of the Damned,” Stephen explains. “Your spell is bound to the Book of the Damned. If we can create a new spell and trap it with a spell from the Darkhold, there won’t be any ties to your book. Therefore, no one in your world will be able to use it.”

“I think that’s a great idea!”

“I think that’s too good to be true,” Sam glares.

“Stephen, do you know what happened last time? I almost killed you and America.”

“We have a way to protect you, too. Everyone at Kamar Taj is willing to lend their magic so you can fall back onto them when it gets to be too much.”

“I can’t go back there. Not after I nearly destroyed it.”

“They have forgiven.”

Wanda looks away from the men and steps off to the side to think about what Stephen is asking her to do. Maybe she can ask Vision to use the mind stone to help strengthen her mind against the Darkhold if she accepts.

“This is a great plan and all, but how are we going to get to her? I can’t imagine she’ll go willingly.”

“I’m afraid there is only one thing that can help us right now. The Reality Stone.” He pauses to let that information sink in. “If we can manipulate her reality to think she is gaining more power, we can trap her.”

“What about me?” Wanda asks. “Why not let me do that and you use the Darkhold?”

“You’re the only one who can use it well. It was meant for you to use.” She sighs and looks away again in thought. “I need you at Kamar Taj to learn the spell and get used to its power.”

“When you mean the Reality Stone, you mean…?”

“The Reality Stone. I will turn it into its own person. It’s fairly easy but to do that, I need the stone which is on planet Knowhere with the Collector. It’s your job to steal it for me.”

“Come again?” Sam asks.

“Are you capable of doing that?”

“Why can’t you? You’re the one with magic,” Dean says.

“Yes, I’m the one with magic who has to help with the spell to help your little girlfriend. So, are you capable of stealing a magical stone for me?”

“Yes, we are,” Sam answers for his brother.

Stephen doesn’t respond and opens a portal to Kamar Taj. Wanda steps through the portal hesitantly knowing she has to do this to help to atone for her mistakes even if Strange says people have forgiven. The portal closes and Stephen opens the one to Knowhere.

“Before you go, I have to warn you. The collector is Taneleer Tivan, and he is cruel and obsessed with treasure and money. If he even so much as has an inkling of what you’re after, he will kill you.”

“Great,” Dean says sarcastically.

“Can you handle this?”

“Can you?” Dean challenges.

“What are you doing? Come on,” Sam whispers.

Both Sam and Dean feel guilty for your state because it’s their fault you’re like this. If they hadn’t wanted God and Amara locked away, you wouldn’t have come to visit them. If you never did, Sam would have never taken the Mark, therefore, keeping you from taking it. They have to do this for you. Sam and Dean gear up before stepping through the portal into Knowhere.

“I will open a portal in this exact spot in an hour.”

Dr. Strange closes the portal seconds later, and the brothers look around the dead planet in awe.

“Never have I ever thought we’d be in space much less on another planet.”

“Come on, we only have an hour.”

“How are we going to get the stone?”

“I don’t know. I’ll think of something. Just you get the stone, I’ll distract him.”

They walk into the Collector’s shop which is littered with a bunch of items. The place looks like a crowded flea market.

“How the hell am I supposed to look for a stone in here?” Sam whispers.

“Try the EMF reader. It picks up waves, right? I’m assuming an Infinity Stone gives off some sort of waves.”

Sam slips into the shadows while Dean continues straight, looking for the Collector. Some of the items are kind of cool, nothing like Dean has ever seen.

“Can I help you?” Dean looks up to see a tall man with white hair approach him. There is a woman with pink skin right behind him who doesn’t say a word. “Who are you?”

“Dean Winchester. I hear you’re the one to go to if you have something worth something, right?”

“You’ve heard right. Are you here to… donate?”

“You betcha.” Dean slings his duffel bag onto the table and zips it open. “I have a full bottle of holy oil.” He sets the bottle on the table but the Collector doesn’t look that impressed. “Not enough for you? Alright. I also have the First Blade. You know, the one with Cain and Abel.”

The Collector’s eyes light up when he sees the weapon. He holds his hands out to touch it but pulls back as if it will burn him.

“Go ahead. Touch it. You don’t have the Mark. It won’t hurt you.”

“You know what I could do with a blade like this?”

“Well, it doesn’t have juice without the Mark but I’m sure you can find some use for it, right?”

“You have no idea the possibilities this brings. Why are you giving it to me?”

“I’ve had enough pain to last a lifetime, and most of it is caused by this blade. So, you want it?”

“Carina! The finest alcohol for our dear friend,” the Collector smiles.

“Right away, sir,” the pink woman nods and scurries off.

Come on, Sam. Get the damn stone. Carina returns with a tray of alcohol that Dean can’t refuse. He has never tried anything that didn’t come from Earth, so this will be interesting. He accepts the drink only because Sam hasn’t returned from wherever he’s at. Or he might be dead because there is more than just the Collector inside this place.

“So, Earthling, where did you get something like this?”

“A friend gave it to me.” The Collector hums and grabs the blade from the box. Dean packs the holy oil knowing he doesn’t want it and slings the duffel bag over his shoulder. He spots movement from the corner of his eye before seeing his younger brother’s shaggy hair. “Well, this has been fun. Thanks for the drink but I must be going.”

Dean turns away to head to the front door, eager to get the hell out of there. There’s only so much space a person can take before becoming homesick. He’s almost at the front door when he hears a shriek come from the pink woman.

“Taneleer Tivan! They have the stone!”

“Run!” Sam gasps.

Sam and Dean book it out of the Collector’s place and straight to the place where Strange made the portal.

“You will not escape me, Dean Winchester!” Tivan shouts. “Carina! Get me that stone!”

“Where the hell is Strange?”

“I don’t know. It’s been an hour.”

The brothers are stuck with no way off this planet while the pink lady is running at them angrily. When she’s about a yard away from them, a portal opens behind them and both brothers jump through it.

“Close it!” Sam yells. Strange closes the portal before Carina can get to them, and they sigh in relief. “Never going to space again.”

“Did you get it?”

“Yeah, we got it. Next time, get your own damn stone.”

“Tivan doesn’t exactly like me. Anyway, let’s get started.”

Strange brings Sam and Dean deeper into the Sanctum Sanctorum to the place where Strange made you. He removes the stone from its protective carrier before putting it into the device. Strange uses magic and technology to bring the stone to life and in no time, a naked man steps out of the device the stone was placed into. A bright red stone is embedded into the man’s chest where his heart is. Strange grabs some clothes and hands them to the man who quickly changes into them.

“I’ve never seen a person being made like this before. Is he… like us?” Sam asks, cringing at how awkward his question is.

“Yes. Reality, we need help.”

“Reality will suffice for now,” he says in a deep voice.

“Listen, it’s about the time stone.”

“Ah, yes, little sister,” he smirks. Dean explains what’s going on starting from when you first came to them about God and Amara to escaping and going darkside. “So, you need me to give her a taste of her own medicine? I can do that.”

“Do not make me regret transforming you into a person,” Strange glares.

“Don’t worry, Strange. You won’t.”

You’re already halfway through the list you got from Spencer when you freeze. Something like waves is washing over your body. Waves that are coming from something powerful. The Mark burns brightly at the thought of something powerful calling to it. You want to ignore it but the urge is just too strong.

You drop the person whose life you just stole to the ground before leaving the house. You’re not sure where you’re going but the Mark does. It’s taking control now, leading you right to the thing it wants the most. The streets are desolate and every house you pass by is dark as if no one is home. You look around and frown at the lack of people but you keep on walking to wherever this thing is pulling you to.

You walk around the corner and see something shining in the middle of the street. That’s it. That’s the thing you’re attracted to. You’re not sure what it is but it’s pulling you toward it as if you have a rope tied around you. The closer you get, the more you see bone. Bone that’s in the shape of a blade with what looks like teeth on the blade.

You grab it and an immediate surge of power runs through your body. Red tendrils from your Mark up to your heart, and you close your eyes to bask in the power. This is so much better than killing with your power. It’s like you were meant to have this bone. You turn to leave when you spot someone standing on the other end of the street as if they can prevent you from leaving.

Their mistake.

“It’d be wise to leave before you get hurt.”

The man steps closer until the street light illuminates his face. You’ve never seen this man before so you’re not sure who he is but you bet you can take him with one flick of your wrist.

“Can’t do that little sister,” the man smirks. Little sister? Your only sibling is Vision and he is nowhere to be seen. The only reason this man calls you his little sister is because… Oh, Stephen… You didn’t. “You’ve been a bad girl.”

A red light shines where his heart is beneath his clothes.

“Reality,” you say. “You can’t stop me.”

You turn to escape the other way but Stephen Strange stands at the other end of the street. Before you can blink, Stephen sends a whip of magic at you, wrapping you inside his spell. Before you know it, you’re back inside the glass tube, this time, with a spell encasing it so you can’t escape. You look down to see the blade is gone which was just another trick by Reality.

“Let me out!!” you scream. You bang your fist on the glass but flinch back when it sends a painful shock through your body. Stephen, Reality, Vision, Wanda, Sam, and Dean walk into the room. “Please, let me out. I’m better. I can be better. Please let me out.”

Dean walks to the glass with tears in his eyes but he doesn’t let them fall.

“You’re not okay. I’m sorry for my part in this but we’re going to get you all better.”

“Let me out!” you scream at him.

“I’m not going to do that. I told you that in order to want to do the things I want to do with you, you have to get better and that’s what we’re going to do for you.”

He walks back to his brother when Vision steps up to the glass chamber.

“This is what’s best for you, Y/N.”

“Vision, look into my mind. I’m better now.”

The Mind Stone glows and connects with your mind, and your eyes glow the same color. He tries to manipulate your thoughts and feelings to get you to calm down and think rationally, but the Mark is too strong. You growl angrily and slam your body against the glass but the spell Stephen put there knocks you back.

“It’s not working. The Mark is too strong,” Vision says and steps back.

“Wanda, Reality, you’re up.”

Since Wanda destroyed all copies of the Darkhold when she was using it, Reality has to make a new one that only exists in this universe. It will be a less powerful copy so it won’t affect her as much as the original did, but it’ll be powerful enough to capture and contain the Mark. Red power swirls around Reality as he creates a new Darkhold, and Wanda steps up to it and uses her magic to connect with the power.

“Let her out,” Wanda instructs.

Everyone steps back as Strange uses his magic to undo the spell on the glass. Once you know you’re free, you break the glass and step forward angrily. You raise your arm to use your power on them but Wanda beats you to it. She blasts you with her red magic that encompasses your entire body. She chants the spell over and over again while her magic shoots right through the Mark on your wrist.

You scream out in pain and fall to your knees, unable to do anything but take what she is giving you.

“Dean! Please help me!” you beg through the tears.,

Sam holds his brother back from going to you. You’ll say anything to get it to stop and right now, they can’t stop until the Mark is off you. Wanda sucks the Mark off your body and straight to her. Strange conjures a magical box that traps the spell, keeping it in its physical form. You fall completely on the ground and Dean rushes over to you despite his brother’s protests. He pulls you into his arms and you cry into his chest at the aftereffects of bearing the mark.

Reality creates a box to hold the spell and locks it tightly with Strange’s magic. It’s over. It’s finally over and God and Amara are still locked away. You sniffle and use Dean’s help to stand. Vision, Reality, and Wanda step back to give you some privacy as Stephen walks over to you and Dean.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” you cry. “I’m sorry for everything I did. I’ll accept any punishment you give me.”

“I forgive you,” Stephen bites out.

“What?”

“Look, you’re just a child. You have a lot to learn. While this was a really bad fuck up, I didn’t do a good job training you.”

“So, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’ll be more strict on you checking up with me. We will have weekly sessions where I train you, and don’t do shit without me knowing.”

“Yeah, you got it.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to clean up your mess.”

Stephen might have forgiven you right now but you know the real punishment will come with the rigorous training he’ll give you. He joins Reality’s side and takes the spell to keep in Kamar Taj where it will always be protected.

“How are you feeling?” Dean asks.

“Guilty like a lot. Is that normal?”

“Yeah. If you come back to the Bunker with me and Sam, I might have something that will help with that,” he chuckles.

“Like what?”

“Like this.” Dean pulls you close and kisses you. While it doesn’t take your guilt away, it does bring back the butterflies. The kiss is short and sweet but it leaves you wanting more. “You’re going to need people on your side like Sam and me.”

“Thanks for not giving up on me,” you whisper. “I want to go back to the Bunker but I should stay here for a little bit. You know, face up to my actions. I can’t let Stephen clean up my mess without me.”

“I’ll be waiting for you.”

“I promise I won’t let you wait long,” you smile.

x

Want to be tagged? Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[loki-cees-all]

Chapter 3 - Then With the Eyes Shut {TLTGYA - Post-TVA!Loki x OFC Longfic}

Previous Chapter / TLTGYA Masterlist / A03 Link / Next Chapter

Pairing : Post-TVA!Loki x Oliviette (OFC)

Chapter Summary : Loki is trying his best to just ignore his new cellmate, but she’s really not making it easy for him. 

Chapter W/c : 4.7k words

Chapter Tags / Content : Heavy angst, again. Oops! 

Author's Note : Sorry this chapter is so late! It’s a long story, but I got kicked through a Time Door and was temporarily lost to time. Anyway - hope you all enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for reading! 

18+ Only - Minors DNI

⊱ ─ ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ─  ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅  ─ ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ─ ⊰

Loki had never been one to loathe his own nightmares; he needed their reminder, and he craved the pain they caused. But the nightmares had betrayed him - forcing him into revealing his presence to his new cell mate, and so he was absolutely cursing them now. 

He’d forced himself to look away before responding to her query about escaping, and while he hadn’t directly witnessed her disappointment and confusion, he had felt them. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, Loki resented having to admit out loud that he’d rather stay there in that horrible place, that his reluctance to leave was probably going to damn her as well. 

She was an innocent bystander, someone who didn’t deserve the danger and chaos and death that followed Loki wherever he went. But he knew she was doomed the moment she entered his presence, whether they stayed or left. 

The woman had made several more attempts to communicate after he laid back down, and Loki had ignored every one of them. But he didn’t dare fall back asleep; he was bound to have another nightmare, and having another person there to witness its aftermath was just too intimate, and too much for him to deal with, on top of everything else. 

So he just continued laying on his side, his dark cloak pulled tight around him and his forearm curled underneath his head, and his eyes open but not seeing as he listened to the dungeon sounds that he had grown painfully accustomed to. The water droplets and distant screams were almost comforting at this point, but the sound of the woman’s quiet sobs and prayers for assistance were most certainly not. 

Loki couldn’t blame her for them, though - she had every right to be frightened. He could feel her muscles tensing up with every scream in the distance, with every footstep of the guards down the hallway. And for some reason, her anguish was much harder to deal with than the ones of his previous cell mates. 

He told himself it was just because she was the only one who ever knew he was there, and that he just needed to be patient for another two or three days, because eventually the guards would come for her. Eventually, she’d be put out of her misery, and Loki would be able to nightmare in peace once again.

Until then, Loki would continue to suffer while awake. Keeping his heavy eyelids open was an enormous effort, and shifting his position on the floor felt like trying to push cinder blocks against an ocean’s current. He never would have guessed that simply lying down would be so exhausting. 

Not even the rigorous warrior training he was obligated to endure under Odin’s guidance had been this depleting, and while he hadn’t necessarily been conscious during the horrors inflicted upon him on Knowhere, his body had still suffered tremendously. 

Just how long had he been awake anyway? There were no windows in his cell, no sunrise or sunset to witness, and mercifully, no clocks to mark the passage of time. That had been his favorite part about this place, back when there was nothing to look forward to and nothing to dread. 

It was peculiar that they hadn’t come for her yet. No one else, other than him, had ever survived for this long. What exactly were the guards waiting for?

Loki clenched his jaw and sighed in frustration. He didn’t want to ask questions - even to himself - and he certainly didn’t want answers; they just made doing nothing that much harder, and it wasn’t the kind of punishment he had been seeking in the first place. 

All he could do was remind himself that this was all temporary. He didn’t know or care if the universe was trying to offer or taunt him with a chance at redemption, but he wasn’t going to fall for it again. The opportunity - or the illusion - would eventually pass, just like all the other times he had tried and failed, and soon he’d be able to return to his nightmares.

For the most part, he dreamt about running; from himself, from truth and lies and pain and respite. From villains and heroes as they chased him down endless hallways with countless doorways. And whenever he stopped to open them, each one led to the memory of a time he could have made the right decision and didn’t - when he could have just not snuck the Frost Giants into Asgard, when he could have just stayed in the Void with his other variants, or any time he could have just not picked up the Tesseract - 

Loki gasped violently, and his eyes flew open in a panic - he had started to fall asleep again. He immediately froze in place, listening for signs that the woman had heard the disturbance. But she didn’t move or speak, and Loki was grateful for that. 

His lungs heaved for air and his heart thudded painfully in his chest as he desperately tried to calm himself down, and his jaw set in place as he forced his eyes to focus on the cracks of the stone before him. The most prominent one was deep, chiseled and eroded away by years of water and pain. Smaller cracks branched out from the primary fault, some above it and some below, just like the doomed offshoots from the Sacred Timeline. 

He couldn’t help but wonder - were those branches still being pruned? Or were they allowed to continue, drifting and splitting in countless directions with endless opportunities for variants of He Who Remains to come into power? To declare war against the others? To destroy and conquer everything in their sight in pursuit of their own narcissism? 

Before he knew it, his eyes were filled with tears. He hadn’t driven the knife into He Who Remains, but he might as well have. The failure was on him, and the countless lives that would be ruined whether the TVA continued pruning or the dangerous variants were allowed to come into power was his burden to bear. His glorious purpose…

This wasn’t working - sleep only led to nightmares, and staring at the wall only invited rumination. His mind wasn’t in his own control, Loki’s muscles were aching and screaming for a change in position, the damn TVA belt was digging painfully into his belly, and as much as he didn’t want the woman witnessing his nightmares, he definitely didn’t want her to know he was weeping. 

Loki needed a different kind of distraction, and since he had no previous history with the woman, perhaps she could be the right kind. 

It was excruciating, but Loki did it anyway. He placed his palm flat on the stone floor and carefully pushed himself upright, his joints creaking and popping uncomfortably after months of disuse. Moving slowly and cautiously, and stifling multiple groans of pain, he finally managed to bring himself into a sitting position. He was still hiding in the shadows, still unwilling to expose himself, and he leaned back against the stone with a heavy sigh. 

His long legs were outstretched before him, one ankle crossed over the other, and his hands were folded neatly in his lap and underneath the dark cloak. Physical pain was temporarily assuaged, and he waited patiently for his green eyes to adjust to the meager shift in lighting conditions. 

It had been a long time since he had looked at this side of the cell, and not much had changed; the hallways were still sparsely illuminated with poorly-maintained lanterns, the stone walls were still grizzled and filthy, and the bars were still aged and corroded. There was nothing new to see, and nothing new to feel, and inevitably, his gaze migrated over to his new cellmate. 

She was still in the same position as when he had last looked at her, knees pulled to her chest and huddled against the opposite corner of the cell. She even wore the same expression of despair and anguish as before, except she had somehow managed to fall asleep. Her eyes were now closed, and she was breathing in and out slowly, and that was the only reason Loki felt comfortable looking closer. 

The woman’s fiery red hair, woven into one long braid slung over her shoulder, glowed in the lantern light; in any other conditions, her hair would have been stunning, but in here, it was just tragic. A long and thin chain hung around her neck, the links hooked together to support whatever gem or stone her fingers was wrapped around, clinging to it like it was magically going to transport her to safety. 

In that same hand, Loki could see she clutched the small blade of an unused dagger, its blade free of chips and jagged edges, and her other arm was hidden inside her dark cloak. 

Loki found himself wondering who she used to be before she was brought here, and what she had done to deserve it. He had always prided himself on being a quick study, an expert on reading between the lines of who people were, of what they craved - and more importantly - what they lacked.  

He was always able to use that skill to his advantage - but Loki was stumped with this one. Her clothes, black leather and dark green cloth, were relatively clean and well-tailored. The dungeon guards could be after money, but that seemed unlikely while her jewelry and weaponry were left untouched. And as far as he knew, there was no extortion happening in this place - only death, perpetuated by mysterious guards, who for all Loki knew, were simply doing this for fun. 

As if on cue, the sound of clinking keys echoed from down the hallway. Surprisingly, Loki felt no relief at the sound, and he closed his eyes to concentrate on the footsteps of her reapers coming to collect what they were owed; except it wasn’t the usual pair of guards moving down the hallway, it just was one of them. 

His brow furrowed, and his eyes cracked open just as the lone guard came into view and paused before the cell door. The guard held some sort of tray, balanced in one hand while the other pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and began to unlock the cell door. It was only then that the woman startled awake. 

She gasped in fear as she scooted back away from the door, pushing herself with her feet and trying to find a safe distance within the confines of their cell. She still clutched her dagger tightly, instead of using it to fight, and Loki, still hidden in the shadows, remained unmoving as the guard stepped inside and carefully placed a tray of food on the floor. 

Loki couldn’t believe it. After how many weeks and months, how many prisoners and deaths, not once had he ever encountered anyone being fed here. Not once had the guards kept anyone around long enough to even warrant feeding. 

In fact, it was the first time Loki had ever gotten a good look at any of them. The guard moved slowly and with purpose, dressed head to toe in black clothing that lacked any markings or indications as to who he worked for, or what their goal was. The mask he wore was flat and expressionless, tinted with ochre and had two thin cutouts for the eyes and none for the mouth. 

And even with the mask obscuring his features, the guard radiated animosity towards the woman as he lingered in the cell - as if he completely despised her, even as he was feeding her. 

The guard finally backed out of the cell and relocked the door, and the woman eyed the tray suspiciously, conflicted between wanting to trust the food, but not wanting to be poisoned either. She didn’t seem to notice the guard’s covered face turning as he moved down the hallway, still staring at her from underneath the mask as he walked away. 

Loki’s brow furrowed as he turned his attention back to the woman. She carefully placed the dagger on the stone floor and inched her fingers forward to reach for the tray, her green eyes still transitioning between apprehension and hunger in the face of the unappealing food that had been delivered by her captors. 

The tray contained a bowl of grains, soggy and mushy and almost certainly cold, and next to it sat a hunk of bread, the age of which was undeterminable. No one would ever choose this as a meal, but it was probably the only food she’d seen in days - and Loki, months. But her apprehension hung heavy in the air, suffocating him like the unanswered questions he was dying to ask. 

“They wouldn’t have bothered with imprisonment if they were going to poison you. Just eat it.”

The woman practically leapt out of her skin at the sound of Loki’s voice, like she had forgotten he was there. She shrank back against the wall, gasping for breath and scanning the cell wildly. “Oh, now you wish to talk?!” 

Loki’s expression remained impassive as he looked back at her. “Your unease was distracting. Just eat it,” he repeated coolly.

After a moment, she swallowed hard and nodded as she slowly pulled the tray closer to her. “Right, of course. Obviously poisoning me now would really be crossing a line…” 

The woman smiled sarcastically as she spoke, and the corners of Loki’s mouth twitched underneath his stoic expression. Maintaining a sense of humor under these conditions was an impressive feat - another item to add to his growing list of questions - and he decided it might be worth it to give in to the curiosity. It would be a temporary reprieve from the nightmares, and Loki knew they were still waiting for him - but they could hold on just a little bit longer. 

The woman cleared her throat as she carefully picked up the spoon with her right hand and dragged it clumsily through the porridge. Loki noticed that her other arm was still hidden within her cloak, and that her eyes flitted nervously between the dagger on her tray, her only weapon to defend herself, and the spoon, the only tool she had to feed herself. 

So they kidnap her, break her dominant arm…and now they’re feeding her…

None of it made sense. Clearly they intended to keep her alive - albeit broken - for a long time, but for what purpose? Loki hated that he wanted to know, that he couldn’t resist the puzzle pieces sitting before him. He had come here to suffer, not to play games, and yet he couldn’t stop himself. “Who are you?” 

The woman’s expression softened, and she looked towards him in the shadows. “My name is - ”

“No, I’m not asking for your name,” Loki replied, staring intently at her from the shadows and doing his best to ignore the optimism on her face. “Who are you to the guards?” 

“Me? I’m…nobody,” she laughed nervously as she twirled the spoon through the porridge. 

Loki cocked his head as he leaned forward. There had to be some explanation as to why they would go through the effort to capture but not kill her. “Then why are they feeding you?” 

The woman turned her head to look in his direction, her green eyes narrowed as they searched the darkness for his. “I don’t know. Why aren’t they feeding you?” 

Loki chuckled to himself; he wasn’t interested in answering questions, but he couldn’t help but admire the way she was dodging his. It had been quite a long time since he had found something so intriguing, and for a moment he almost forgot about the horrors that usually unraveled whenever he pulled on a thread. 

“I already know why they aren’t feeding me. What I don’t know is why you’re getting special treatment from the masked guards.” 

The woman’s expression shifted from irritation to concern as she set the spoon back down into the bowl. “How long has it been since you’ve eaten anything?” 

Loki wasn’t expecting the change in her tone, or for anyone to bother showing interest in him ever again. He looked down at his hands in his lap as they fidgeted with each other. “Why? What difference does that make?”

“I was just wondering if the reason you’re so moody is because you’re…hungry.”

He swallowed hard, baffled by her conclusion and consideration. Loki was hungry, that much was true, but he wasn’t ever going to admit to that. “That’s…completely irrelevant, I - ”

The woman cleared her throat to interrupt him, and he paused as his eyes slowly traveled upwards. She was holding out the chunk of bread, extending it in his direction with a benevolent smile on her face. “Share?” 

Loki’s eyebrows knitted together as he stared at her expression of sincerity and kindness, struggling to answer a simple question without an uncomplicated answer. Food wasn’t going to solve any of his problems, and yet the offer felt like a lifeline for a lost soul that had spent far too long drowning in sorrow. 

He believed he didn’t deserve that lifeline, but before he could answer with what would almost certainly be a refusal, his muscles were inexorably pushing him upright. They made the decision for him, as if their need for sustenance nullified his desire to stay isolated. 

Loki cautiously took a few steps closer, a massive effort for someone who had spent over a thousand days in the dark, but as he reached for the bread, the woman moved it just out of his grasp. 

“If you’re going to eat with me, you can’t go back to hiding in the shadows. Agreed?” the woman offered, a slow smile creeping across her face as she looked up at him. 

Her green eyes sparkled with the guileless amusement of someone who didn’t know what they were actually asking of him, and Loki was grappling with the urge to resist temptation, to fight the siren’s call of both avoidance and hostility over her simple offer of food and company. 

It was foolish, and it was going to end in disaster, and Loki couldn’t understand why he was considering it at all. The years of previous mistakes had led him to believe that he couldn’t be trusted to make the right call, that the last choice he had made - the one to stay isolated from everyone and everything - was the only good thing he’d ever done. 

But it was just bread, and Loki told himself that the conversation would just be temporary, and so Loki cleared his throat and set his jaw in place. “Agreed.” 

The woman smiled with an innocent sort of triumph as she handed the bread back to him, and Loki felt his heart skip a beat. It was nothing, it was just a simple gesture, one that he didn’t deserve - she just didn’t know any better yet. 

He pushed the feeling away as he settled back down on the stone floor again, adjacent to the shadows but not within them this time. The woman shifted her attention back to her porridge, and Loki, feeling exposed and unsure of what to do or say, focused his attention on the bread. 

He turned it over in his hands, studying its shape and color - round and flat and carelessly formed, with a dark and over-cooked crust. It gave way under the pressure of his hands, snapping in half with a loud crack. Loki glanced over, and the woman was smiling softly at him. 

These two strangers were sharing a meal inside a dungeon meant for horrors and torture and pain, and Loki had to remind himself to not get used to it, because the price for even the simplest of meals was always going to be regret. 

“So, what should I call you?” the woman asked before bringing a spoonful of porridge to her mouth. 

Loki tore off a piece of bread and put it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing to buy himself some time instead of answering. He was sure that no one here had ever heard of him, that saying his name wouldn’t set off any alarm bells - but still he hesitated. What if his reputation had somehow preceded him? What if he actually wasn’t that far outside of the Nine Realms?

A thousand other what-ifs swirled in his mind, and the woman was still waiting for an answer after sharing her kindness and food that he definitely didn’t deserve. Maybe his name would somehow cast a spell for all of his enemies to hear, and they’d finally be able to find him, and they’d make sure he never had anyone to share a meal with ever again. That was what he deserved. 

“My name is…Loki.”

He braced himself for the eventual fallout, like his shame would manifest itself into the monster he knew he was, but nothing changed. The woman continued eating, perhaps only finding the time it took him to answer strange instead of the actual answer, the water droplets continued falling, and the darkness in the dungeon remained stagnant. 

“And why don’t the guards bring you any food, Loki? Are they punishing you beyond locking you in here?” 

It was a very loaded question, one with a very complicated answer, and Loki wasn’t sure how to handle it. He broke off another piece and put it in his mouth as he weighed his options - on the one hand, he didn’t know this woman at all, or if she was trustworthy; clearly the guards thought her important even if they hated her, but what exactly was she capable of? 

But on the other hand - what did he have left to lose? 

“The guards don’t know I’m here,” Loki answered truthfully. It was so unlike him to unveil himself like this, and he didn’t know whether it was because he had spent too long wallowing in apathy and simply didn’t care anymore, or if he was so desperate for connection that it weakened his sensibilities. 

The woman lowered the spoon back to the bowl as her brow furrowed. “Wait - you’re hiding here? Why?”

Another loaded question, and he was really starting to regret answering them. He had come out of the shadows to be distracted, not to have someone question his actions or judgment. The woman seemed genuinely curious about him, but how could he even begin to explain himself, and what would be the point? It wouldn’t alleviate his burden, and it would only lead to more questions. 

“I deserve to be here. This is where I belong,” The words felt like acid on his tongue, and Loki sighed heavily, looking down at his hands as the woman processed his words with even more confusion. 

What am I - the God of Self-Sabotage?

Those words he had spoken to Mobius so long ago were intended to be sarcasm at the time, but it was still the absolute truth. It wasn’t too late to end this, to lay back down and face away from her again. It might take a bit longer than a few days, but eventually she would be just as dead as all the others, and everything could go back to the way it was supposed to be. 

But he stayed where he was, exposed in small slivers of light as he crushed another chunk of bread between his teeth. 

“I’m…so sorry, Loki. I cannot imagine how whatever you’re hiding from could be worse than this…” the woman replied, shaking her head as she looked around the cell. “Or how you could possibly find respite in a place like this…”

If she knew the truth, she wouldn’t be sympathizing with him right now, and Loki considered telling her about the awful things he’d done that had led him there. Just to get her to stop feeling sorry for him, to make her scared of him, to make her hide from him…because he was too broken to do anything else. 

Loki didn’t respond, busying himself with chewing and swallowing, and he could feel her gaze return to him before she spoke again. “Look, whatever you’ve done - it can’t have been so bad - ”

He wanted to believe her, but she was so very wrong about him, and his heart ached as she continued justifying what she had no way of understanding, the pressure of her reassurances constricting his insides and sending blood rushing through his ears. He could barely hear what she was saying, but her expression was kind and forgiving and it was too much for him to handle. 

“With all due respect - ” Loki finally snapped, interrupting and meeting her sympathetic expression with a fiercer, more intense one of his own. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. You don’t know me, and you don’t know what I’ve done.” 

The woman stared at him for a moment, her eyes widened in surprise, before looking back down at the tray in her lap. “You’re right. I apologize…” 

Loki shook his head as heavy silence descended around them. He hadn’t meant to be so insistent, but she was in direct contradiction to the torment he was deserving of. 

Tearing off another chunk of bread, they both chewed without speaking, unsure of how to continue. The air hung heavy, full of regret and musk and uncertainty, but he could feel the woman’s gaze shifting to and from him, like she wanted to ask him another question. He could only pray that it wasn’t about himself. 

“So, um…do you happen to know who the dungeon guards are? Or what they want from me, or the others?” 

Loki was unable to hide the snark still lingering in his tone. “How am I supposed to know what they want with you?” 

The answer to that question was what had initially drawn him out of the shadows in the first place, and he was vexed that she had somehow managed to turn his interrogation on its head so easily. 

The woman either didn’t notice his growing irritation, or was deliberately ignoring it. “And I take it no one’s coming to rescue you?” 

He sighed and leaned back against the stone wall. It was cold and unyielding, like the cruel fate he deserved, like the harsh loneliness he had felt his entire life. No one would have come to save him, even if they knew where he was. 

Somehow his cellmate seemed to understand that, judging by the forlorn look in her eyes. Loki felt raw and exposed, oddly juxtaposed against his desperate need to be understood - a feeling he thought was dead and buried a long time ago. Why was this happening? How did she do this to him? 

The woman moved her tray to the floor and stared intently at him. “Look, no one’s coming for me either, so we need to break out on our own. It shouldn’t be too difficult if we’re working together.” 

So that’s all she wanted - for him to save her. Loki ran a hand across his face, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. That was a choice she expected him to make, one that put her very life at stake, and more importantly - it would require him leaving in order to save her. His head already ached with the burden of it all, and that familiar dread of his previous captors forcing their own wills on him was washing over him again. 

“Plus, we have the element of surprise if the guards don’t - ” the woman continued, and Loki was now positive that she was definitely ignoring his trepidation entirely. Her expression was hopeful, and he couldn’t stand it. 

“No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not!” Loki seethed through gritted teeth, and his jaw clenched together as anger coursed through his veins. “If you want to leave, you’ll have to do it alone!”

Their eyes met, and she looked absolutely crushed again. He was sorry no one was coming to rescue her either, but that couldn’t be his burden to bear. He hadn’t meant to be lured into any sort of camaraderie, he just didn’t want to fall asleep again. And while Loki knew doing nothing was worse than trying and failing, he couldn’t bring himself to take the chance. 

“Look, I appreciate the meal, but this was a mistake,” he sighed heavily. “You’re better off on your own.” 

Loki shoved the final chunk of bread in his mouth and started to chew. And without waiting for a response, he lowered his back to the stone floor, resuming his position on his side and closing his eyes. 

He told himself he was better off without her too. 

⊱ ─ ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ─  ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅  ─ ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ─ ⊰

Click here to be added to my Loki fic tag list! 💚

Previous Chapter / TLTGYA Masterlist / A03 Link / Next Chapter

[veliseraptor]

for the wip meme, I’ll pull the devil down with me, one way or another, please! I've been obsessed with it since I first saw it on your wip list.

the premise for this one is basically "loki makes the decision to betray asgard and sell out to thanos for the sake of a long game ending in thanos's defeat, and this involves a lot of atrocities that are ultimately undone but 100% still happened as far as loki is concerned, up to and including thor's murder." honestly it's drawing thematically on the fear itself arc of journey into mystery but nastier.

I think my trouble with this one is that I've been lingering too long on the aftermath and it's drawing it out unnecessarily, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to end it otherwise. and, I mean, there's a whole bunch of stuff that needs to get filled in in the middle, but I feel like the stalling point might be figuring out how to end the damn thing (as is often the case, for me).

excerpt!!!

“My lord,” he said, not bothering to mask the tremor in his voice. Thanos would expect fear. “I return.”  “So you do,” Thanos said after a long silence. Loki kept his eyes down, not daring to look up. “You return, Loki of Asgard, a failure. You failed to overcome one puny planet. You failed to bring me the Tesseract, as was promised. In all that I sent you to do, you failed.”  Loki swallowed hard. There was no need to feign his terror; Thanos’s voice alone sent it vibrating deep into his bones. “I know,” he said. “And I am - I am sorry.” “I do not want your apologies, whelp,” Thanos said. “Take him. Do what you like with him. But do not kill him. I would not offer Death such a pathetic gift.”  “Please,” Loki said quickly. “All is - all is not lost, my lord. It is true that - Midgard still stands. But I do not come before you empty handed, and I have not been idle.”  Lie. Lie as well as you have ever lied, Loki Silvertongue, for the fate of the Nine and beyond rests on your ability to trick a mad god.  “I was captured, true, but I gained the trust of the Odinson when the Aether was found again.” Silence, but the emissary did not seize him yet. “I feigned my death-” Choking on blood, jerking back to life in spasms of agony - “and gained the throne of Asgard. And now I come to you bearing not only the price agreed-” He laid the Tesseract down, “-but another artifact of great power, that I will either give to you or use in your service. I know, too, the location of the Aether. It is with the Collector on Knowhere. If you wish, I would fetch it for you-” “I am sure that you would,” Thanos interrupted. Loki fell silent. He could hear his own breathing, loud and strained; at least that would not play against him.

[themculibrary]

Bisexual Peter Quill Masterlist

5 times Adam felt something for Peter + 1 time Peter felt something for Adam… (ao3) - JustSomeFanGirling peter/adam N/R, 3k

Summary: As Adam Warlock adjust to his new life on Knowhere and as a member of the Guardians other new feelings out discovered and for a certain team’s captain.

[AU]

Control (ao3) - Rydaer gamora/peter E, 4k

Summary: Gamora's in a mood and decides to teach Peter a lesson he surely won't forget.

(yeah, that's it. That's the plot. It's just some good old fashioned PWP y'all.)

did my love aid & abet you? (i tell you that i think i'm falling back in love with you) (ao3) - archers_and_spies gamora/peter G, 3k

Summary: Three months after Counter-Earth is blown to kingdom come and the team who used to call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy disbands, Gamora shows up at Peter Quill’s door with regret seared on her face and a letter half a decade old in her hand.

ego season (ao3) - sorryuser peter/adam T, 2k

Summary: an alternate quillock first meeting that leads to a first kiss

He's What You Want (I'm What You Need) (ao3) - TRIPTRIP peter/adam M, 2k

Summary: Adam catches Peter masturbating, turns out Adam is a little bit of a slut. Who knew.

If thats what it takes (ao3) - Gay_Smuts peter/adam E, 2k

Summary: In a quest to take rocket for the High Evolutionary, Adam Warlock runs into Star-lord, where he questions him about human pleasure.

Peter agrees to give Adam a blowjob in exchange for rockets life.

In the Midnight Hour I Can Feel Your Power (ao3) - tinkertoysdamn peter/thor E, 5k

Summary: After finally getting Peter Quill into bed, Thor develops a theory why some of Peter's previous lovers had reacted with violence.

Makin' Love Till Cherry's Gone (ao3) - tinkertoysdamn peter/thor E, 6k

Summary: Peter set down the tablet for a moment. Oh god, he had to get railed to help the universe. His life was a joke.

-------

Peter and Thor have to do the do to help kickstart a new galaxy. Sex and silliness ensue.

Nice Day for a White Wedding (ao3) - tinkertoysdamn loki/peter, peter/thor M, 5k

Summary: As war rages between Asgard and Spartax, Loki kidnaps Peter Quill to present him with a "proposal" for peace. Peter tries to find a legal loophole and it backfires. Spectacularly.

There's No Substitute (ao3) - TifoBandit gamora/peter/rocket G, 2k

Summary: After a misunderstanding with Peter leaves Rocket spiralling, he gets help from an unexpected source.

this could either break my heart or bring me back to life. (ao3) - Comeandgetyour_angst gamora/peter M, 11k

Summary: Five times Gamora pushed away her feelings for Peter and the one time she didn't.

We Built This City (ao3) - tinkertoysdamn T, 10k

Summary: In the Multi-verse there are many stories, this is one of them.

After the Battle of Earth, Gamori fled, not wanting to deal with a timeline that he didn't belong in, or the people in it.

Years later, he gets sucked back in with news he never expected to hear, he has a daughter and she's been kidnapped. Now he's forced to work the Guardians of the Galaxy and with their Captain Brandy Quill, the woman his other self left behind.

you even taste like the stars (ao3) - TRIPTRIP peter/thor G, 492

Summary: "you even taste like the stars."

"what?"

(Your) Light In The Dark (ao3) - ElisaPhoenix scott/peter T, 35k

Summary: Quill wanted a little extra spice in his life. He just never thought he would literally run into it.

[ausetevi]

Largo Descent P3 (Loki x Nebula)

Loki

She was giving in. Finally. The Mischief God was getting very tired of having this cyborg pointing a gun at him. 

Nebula gritted her teeth before slowly lowering her arm, letting the gun in her hand hang around her thigh. 

“We need to move.” She said quickly, pulling her hood up and stalking for the exit. Loki glanced back at the crumpled Collector and his unconscious slave. 

“What shall we do about those two? Shall we kill them?” 

“No. It would draw too much attention. It's better to leave while we're a few steps ahead.” Loki shrugged a shoulder at this and meandered after her. 

“Suit yourself. But if they come for you later, do not blame me.” Nebula shot him a look over her shoulder. 

“Shut it. And hurry up.” Loki quickened his pace slightly. Nebula creaked the door open, peaking out for a few seconds before opening it wide enough to slip through. She signaled with a tilt of her head that the coast was clear and the two snuck out onto the street, closing the massive door behind them. 

“I have a ship, it's on the far east end.” Nebula gave him an incredulous look. 

“How did you get a ship?” He smirked, eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“How else would I acquire one? I stole it.” Nebula rolled her eyes.

“Fine. Well get to the main plaza and split there.” She muttered. Loki glanced at the box in her tight fist. I'll be stealing that map too. He thought to himself. Wondering how he would get it from her metal death grip. 

Nebula started to hustle into the crowd but Loki quickly grabbed her shoulder. She whipped around to glare at him. 

“What do you think you're doing?” She hissed quietly. He shook his head slightly. 

“If you go storming about like that you're going to draw too much attention. Try to be casual, follow my lead.” He said lowly, Nebula’s glare deepened.

“If you think I am crazy enough to-” Her tone grew louder and Loki pressed a finger to his lips. She scowled. 

“Watch and learn.” He mused. He fell into a casual step, blending seamlessly into the crowd. He turned back to her and raised a brow. She huffed out an irritated breath and slowly trudged after him. He smirked at her, his eyes glinting. 

“Much better.” She continued to scowl at him as they fell into step together before slowly turning her head forward, tugging her hood down further. If looks could kill . . 

The pair journeyed through the streets for a while, sticking close together, their eyes scanning for any dangers. As they ventured on, Loki started to notice how tense Nebula was becoming. He leaned a bit closer to her, speaking in a low voice. 

“Just act normal. We are two travelers in the vastness of Knowhere, not thieves. Do not be so stiff.” Nebula sighed and her shoulders dropped ever so slightly.

 Better than nothing. The crowd thickened the deeper they went, strange smells of food and Odin knows what else permeated the air. As they strode along, a sharp shout was heard across the way. Both their heads snapped in the direction of it. A burly looking alien had stopped a pair of travelers and was yelling questions at them in an unknown language. One was hooded, and the other was a dark haired man. Loki glanced over at Nebula, she stood only a few inches shorter than he did. Her gaze was locked onto the scene.

“Looks like we have company . .” He murmured. They slowly turned away from the spectacle. They hastened their pace ever so slightly, making sure to keep casual but to get away as fast as they could without drawing unwanted attention. After they made it a few paces away, Loki saw his chance. The cyborg was distracted by trying to keep an eye out. He sidled up closer to her, waiting for the exact right opportunity. Another shout rang out. Nebula’s head swiveled to the right and Loki went for the box. He snatched it quickly from her left hand and darted off into the crowd. 

“HEY!” She snarled, her head whipping around as she searched for him. He slipped between people with ease, keeping his head low and his pace quick. The noise and the chaos around him were providing the perfect cover. He thrived in chaos. Still, he could feel her fury even this far from her and swallowed up in the throng of people. Nebula was not one to give up easily, he knew that far too well. He stiffened a bit as he thought about his time in Thanos’s court. He had been desperate, lost, alone. He remembered the torture from Ebony Maw, and when that didnt do it he fell into the hands of the Mad Titan himself. And by then he had broken almost too easy. He shook himself from those thoughts. This whole situation had become a very uncomfortable reminder of what Thanos had done to the galaxy let alone him. 

While he was distracted, he barely had time to notice the large, muscular alien from plowing into him, he quickly side stepped. 

He needed to get out of here. He moved as swiftly as his casual demeanor would allow. He was almost out of the plaza when something shoved him heavily into an alleyway. He grunted both in surprise and pain as his back thudded against a metal wall. Nebula’s furious gaze seethed up at him. 

“Give it back, you little snake!” She snarled, shoving him harder against the wall, her fists balled up into the front of his coat. He was very irritated by her pension for violence. 

“Wouldn't you like to know?” He hissed back. She punched the wall by his head with a metal fist, the force of it vibrating into his bones. 

“Answer me or I swear I will-” 

“Youll what exactly? You know, for someone with so many threats, you hardly follow through with them.” She growled in frustration, eyes boring into his. 

“I am sick of your games. Hand it over. Now.” Loki was about to quip back but a sudden explosion sounded a ways away. Both he and Nebula glanced in the direction of the explosion, it was on a platform higher up. A ship docking platform . . The exact one his own ship had been on. 

He groaned. 

“Oh for the love of Asgard, that was my damn ship!” Nebula smirked at him triumphantly. His own mouth tightened into a frown.

“Guess you're stuck here, trickster.” Before he could say anything else her hands had already buried into his pockets and out from his right one she snatched the box. She back handed him across the face, hard. From a normal humanoid, the smack would have hurt. From an angry woman with a metal arm, it was brutal. He grunted and fell to the ground, clutching the side of his face. 

“Better luck next time.” She smirked, stalking out of the alleyway. He shifted on the cold, metal floor. He cupped his lower jaw where the blow had been most severe, it was already bruising and tender to touch. He grimaced slightly, pressing a finger to his busted lip. He tasted blood.

“Not one for subtly I see . .” He muttered, pulling himself up and off the ground. Only now did he see the dent in the metal wall her fist had made. 

Nebula

She hurried through the crowd, but kept a more level pace this time.

 Guess the Trickster was good for something after all. She relaxed her posture slightly, trying to keep casual. She journeyed back into the thick of the plaza, headed in the opposite direction. She was keen on getting out of here as fast as possible, and that meant cutting straight through the center. Head low, steps even. Suddenly, she heard shouting to her left. She glanced over. Shit.

The Collector's lackeys were back. She nearly groaned in annoyance but kept moving. One of them scanned the crowd. He froze and spotted her, his ugly, insect-like eyes narrowing in suspicion. Nebula gritted her teeth, preparing for a fight. He shoved his way through the crowd, heavy footsteps thumping in her direction. She quickened her pace. He clapped a heavy hand on her shoulder with a firm grip. She tensed. He asked something in a heavy, grumbling language which one of her ear implants quickly translated.

“Where do you think you are going, thief?” She slowly turned her head over her shoulder. 

“Excuse me?” His grip tightened.

“You heard me.” His other hand came up and he yanked her hood back, exposing her face. His huge bug eyes flicked over her for a few seconds. She scowled up at him, her hand tightening into a fist. His hand slid off of her shoulder. 

“Sorry. Thought you were someone else.”

He grumbled and lumbered off into the crowd. Confused, Nebula stared warily after him, brows drawn. She shook her head and quickly pulled her hood up. She started back into the crowd. Weird. She thought, but she wasn't going to question that right now. She was just thankful that the bug eyed freak seemed to be an idiot. She was half way through the plaza when she heard a familiar, slippery voice.

“That was a close call. Lucky for you, I managed to cast a little trick to hide your appearance.” She whipped around to find Loki standing smugly behind her. 

“You're welcome, by the way.” His eyes narrowed slyly to match the infuriating smile on his lips. Her own widened in anger as she glanced down at her hands, which were now a pale white.

“Why you little-” He held a finger up to stop her. 

“While I deeply appreciated your little parting gift,” he gestured at the swollen bruise on the left side of his face. “Things aren't quite settled between us, darling.”

She glared daggers at him. 

“Just give up. Your ship is gone, you have no way off this rock.”

He nodded, grinning. 

“And that's exactly where you come in! You have a ship and the map. But you don't have any way to read.”

Nebula scoffed. 

“And you do?”

“Yes, actually. Let's just say I have a few friends.”

Nebula glowered at him. 

“No.” She turned away, storming off. 

“Suit yourself!” He called. “But I'd be careful if I were you! Don't want anyone associated with the Collector to find out what you stole!” 

She stopped like a train lurching to a halt. Several eyes snapped up at that. She slowly turned to face him again.

I am going to murder him. She thought to herself. She walked stiffly back over. 

“Blackmail? Seriously?” She growled. He only shrugged his shoulders.

“Only if you walk away. A simple choice, truely.”

Her body tightened, hands curling into fists ready to beat the ever loving shit out of him. She mulled it over. She knew she could take on bug eyes by herself with ease, but ten of him, maybe more? She'd be turned to scrap metal. She glowered at him a second longer before huffing out an angry breath. 

“Fine.” 

He grinned. 

“That's more like it. Now tell me, which way is your ship?”

She gritted her teeth and set off. The two hurried along, trying to draw as little attention as humanly possible. Given the current situation, that was harder than before. Spotting two more gruff looking of the Collector’s minions, they steered towards a shop for cover. As they looked over the strange, ugly glassware. A lanky green man spotted them and his eyes lit up. He hurried over and garbled something. 

“Well well well, look who's back?” His beady eyes scanned Loki over. The shopkeep shifted his gaze to Nebula.

“And with a friend!” Nebula snorted.

“He is not-” Loki nudged her shoulder sharply with his own. She gave him a murderous look. He leaned closer to her ear.

“Play along.” He hissed with a forced smile.

The shopkeep studied them, tilting his head. Nebula's mouth twitched into a somewhat smile that was more of a sneer. The shopkeep leaned to the side, glancing over her shoulder. He spotted the two bootlickers behind them. His mouth twisted into a slimy grin as he looked back at them. He garbled something else before Nebula's implant quickly translated it.

“I see you've brought more friends.” Loki glanced between Nebula and the shopkeep.

“What is he saying?” Asked Loki through his fake smile. The shopkeep laughed. A giddy, irritating sound.

“You tell him that if he still likes the vase, I will not call your friends over.” Nebula blinked at the shopkeep for a few seconds as he grabbed a mirrored, expensive looking vase out of the hideous clutter he seemed to call art. 

“Well?” Loki asked again. Nebula glanced anxiously at the guys behind them before turning back to Loki.

“He wants you to buy the vase.” Loki gave her a bewildered look.

“Pardon me?” 

“He wants you to buy the vase or he's going to invite our little friends over.” Nebula sneered. Loki gave the shopkeep a horrified, haughty look. 

“That is ridiculous! I will not be blackmailed into buying anything. Especially that repulsive thing!” The shopkeep's smug smile faltered slightly.

“What did he just say to me?” He drawled. Nebula glared at Loki. 

“Buy the vase.” She gritted. Loki looked at her as if she just killed his pet. 

“Absolutely not! I will no-” 

“Just buy the damn vase!” She snarled. He gave her a surprised look before his eyes narrowed into contempt. He glanced seethingly at the shopkeep.

“Alright.” He muttered, pulling out some strange money from his pocket. 

“Ugliest thing I've ever-” 

“Watch it.” Nebula hissed, glancing at the green man behind the counter. Loki gave him a disdainful smile. 

“Have a good day!” The shop keep said joyfully as he snatched the money and shoved the vase into Loki's arms. Nebula glanced over her shoulder, making sure the two henchmen were gone. To her relief, they were. 

“Move it.” She shoved Loki into motion. The two got to the exit right before they heard an angry shout. Loki's mouth twisted smugly. 

“What did you do?” Nebula gruffed, picking up her pace. 

“Oh nothing, just gave our little green friend over there an illusion.” 

Nebula glared at him.

“You what?”

“Oh, come on! You saw the look on his repulsive little face, he thought he could swindle me!”

Nebula groaned and took off running. 

“This is all your fault!” She snapped.

Loki quickly sprinted after her. 

“I had the map first! You stole it from me so I stole it back! If you hadn't shown up none of this would've happened!” He retorted. They had made it up the ramp leading to the main ship dock when more shouting rang out and blaster bolts started firing. Nebula slid behind a nice looking speeder, tearing out her own gun to return fire. 

She peeked over the hood of the vehicle, her eyes udjusting to lock onto a target. When bug eyes peaked his overly large head out from behind a metal pillar Nebula fired, hitting him dead between the eyes. She quickly ducked back behind the speeder, searching for her own ship. She spotted its dingy, worn out grey hull between two other ships a few hundred feet away. Glanced at the hood of the speeder, now streaked with blaster fire burns. The smell of burnt metal like solder stung the edges of her nostrils. She gripped her gun tighter, sucked in a breath, and sprinted for it. With super human speed she dove over and under parked ships. Sliding under one, over the cockpit of another. She ducked when a blaster bolt seared right past her ear. She turned to see where it had come from. Three large, bulking of the Collector’s henchmen were barreling after her. She whipped around for a second to shoot one right in the chest. He shouted and fell. Nebula crouched behind a small, round ship. She heard the laser bolts scorching against the side of her new hiding place. She paused for only a second to gather her bearings. Where she had lost the Trickster along the way she didn't know, didn't care. She sent a mental command to her ship's computer to open the hatch before charging the last leg of the journey. She turned back one last time to return fire. She took out another of the lackeys when a shot hit the side of her arm. She didn't even glance at it as she rushed into the open hatch of her worn freighter ship and dove for the cockpit. She slammed the button to close the hatch door before quickly lifting off and racing away. She cursed as a few well aimed blaster bolts hit the right rear engine. The patchwork buildings of Knowhere whipped by in a blur of multi-colored neon lights and gray metals. The rim of the skull’s eye socket was visible for only a moment before it too fell away into the expanse of space. She darted for the nearest Jump Point and bolted through the fabric of space and time. She finally sighed in relief, leaning back in the pilot's chair. 

“Where to next?” She leapt out of her seat with a snarl and dove for the intruder. Slamming them against the wall, her arm barred against their throat. 

The Trickster blinked at her wide eyed for a second, wheezing. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY SHIP!?” She shouted. 

“ . . . I snuck in when you weren't looking . .” He rasped. Nebula gritted her teeth and pulled her arm back. Loki bent forward slightly for a second, rubbing his throat. 

“You are very strong . .” He croaked. Nebula glowered at him and sighed. She shook her head. 

“I hate you . .” He straightened, still touching his throat.

“The feeling,” he muttered as he caught his breath. “Is mutual.” She groaned and turned back to the pilot's seat. 

[tinkertoysdamn]

Guardians of the Galaxy Fic Master List

The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return Series

I Read It In the Papers

The first in the The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return series. A character study of Peter Quill's Grandfather and of Peter once he returns to Earth.

Track #4: In the Meantime

The second story in the series aka the one where Mantis accidentally starts a cult.

The King of Wishful Thinking

The third in the series. Peter Quill goes on a heist adventure with Gamora and Thor, romance and hilarity ensue.

It's a Dirty Job (But Someone's Gotta Do It)

The fourth in the series. Peter Quill is the new liaison between the Avengers and S.W.O.R.D. He gets roasted for it.

It's Not Time to Make a Change

The fifth in the series. The elder Quills visit Knowhere.

Systematic Drug (Collectively, Unconsciously Composed)

The sixth in the series. Peter Quill must testify before Ashirem the Judge over the worth of humanity. A crossover with The Eternals.

The Weight of Living

The Seventh in the series. Peter has to deal with the fallout from Arishem's Judgement. Good thing he's not alone.

You Stick Around, I'll Make It Worth Your While

The Eighth in the series. Nick Fury recruits Peter to clean up the aftermath of Dar-Benn's rampage with the help of some new and old friends.

Other GotG Stories

Saturday Night's Alright For Fightin'

The Contest of Champions AU based on The Grandmaster's plan in KOWT. Starring a disapproving Beta Ray Bill. OT3 fic.

Nice Day for a White Wedding

The one rated M fic based on the Disney XD continuity. Loki kidnaps Peter with a "proposal" and Peter tries to squirm out of it with legalese. Badly. He is so terrible at this.

The Tragedy of Uncle Taserface

A character study of a minor villain. (could be read as part of TLSLWR series)

She's a Little Bit Dangerous

A Five Times fic. Five Times Gamora was intrigued by Peter Quill and one time it happened in We Built This City 'verse

Oh Brother, Brother I Can't Get Through

A Mantis and Peter sibling short fic

You Know They're Bragging About Your Sugar

Starmora, set after What If...? S2E4

When The Rain Washes You Clean You'll Know

A Five Times fic...for Ego the Living Planet. A villain POV fic.

Listen to the Wind Blow, Down Comes the Night

Mourning comes in many forms. A Rocket and Peter friendship fic.

But a Beast Is In the Heart

Starmora. Sometimes, Gamora feels like a monster.

Little More Time is All We're Asking For

A Coda to What If? S2E2. Scott Lang breaks into Hank Pym's house and gets more than he bargained for.

And I'm Tired of This Town Again

Starmora. The Villain Parents Aren't Evil Just Embarrassing and For Some Reason Everyone Goes to School in Missouri AU

Where Was Your Watchmen Then?

Mantis becomes ill during a mission.

Waiting For a Star To Fall

Thorquillmora. Fusion with Stardust. Thor and Gamora must race against each other and time to capture a fallen star. Too bad he's really uncooperative. Link may go away if the rating goes up but Peter really is being a bit of a turd this time around so--

We Built This City 'verse:

We Built This City

A Rule 63 'verse story. 2014!Gamori needs to work with the GotG to rescue the daughter he didn't know he had, which means working with the woman his other self left behind.

And I'm Feeling Good

The second We Built This City story. Brandy Quill is doing a honeypot operation and Gamori's stopped talking to her. They are both dumb about this feelings thing.

Texarkana

The third We Built This City story. An alternate Thanos misses his family after his victory in Infinity War. Unfortunately for Brandy Quill, he has his eyes set on hers.

Escape (oh god, not this song)

Thorquill, crossover with the Loki TV series, fits into no continuity. XD Pairs with We Built This City

Loki needs a variant Thor to help him on a mission and immediately regrets the one he finds.

Stereo Hearts

Thorquill, crossover with the Loki TV series. Sequel to Escape and We Built This City.

Ramble On

Thorquill, the course of true love never did run smooth, not even for the Goddess of Thunder.

Tumblr Only:

The Favor - Thorquill short

Silly and short about stealing a kiss or "favor."

Untitled Starmora Short

Inspired by the prompt "too many beds." Short and sad.

How Could You?

Answer to sad short story prompt. A young Mantis sees something she shouldn't.

Edit: Updated as of 10/15/24

Smut will not be directly linked to from this blog but....it does exist

[benevolentgodloki]

Verses - Part 2

V103. Partner: therebetterbepie (Dean Winchester) Loki: Trickster Theme: Supernatural

Details: The 'true' Loki shows up in America to see what all the fuss was about and have a bit of fun.

Thread: Trickster and Hunter

V104. Partner: the-mjolnir-owner (Thor) Loki: God of Stories Theme: God of Stories

Details: Thor finds out what Loki has become

Thread: Little Lies

V105. Partner: ironifiicd (Tony Stark) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: Avengers Tower?

Details: Two lonely divas find comfort in one another in a quiet room at an Avengers party.

Thread: Kiss Me

V106. Partner: dashing-fandral (Fandral) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: Sakaar/Infinity War

Details: Fandral and Loki both survive Ragnarok and Thanos, only to be abducted back to Sakaar.

Thread: Scrapped

V107. Partner: ironifiicd (Tony Stark) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: TBC

Details: Tony captures Loki after he's been up to some mischief.

Thread: Picked Up

V108. Partner: what-the-stark (Tony Stark) Loki: God of Stories Theme: God of Stories

Details: Tony survived the War. The God of Stories wants to find a reality to belong. He starts by contacting a favoured Avenger.

Thread: Synchronisation

V109. Partner: what-the-stark (Tony Stark) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: God of Mischief

Details: A frustrated Loki seeks out Tony to let off steam after escaping Asgard and surviving the dark elves.

Thread: Pain

V110. Partner: what-the-stark (Tony Stark) Loki: President Loki Theme: President Loki

Details: President Loki escapes the Void and seeks assistance.

Thread: Games

V111. Partner: what-the-stark (Tony Stark) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: God of Mischief

Details: Similar to V109 in background. An exiled Loki occasionally shows up to bother Stark.

Thread: Avalon

V112. Partner: what-the-stark (Tony Stark) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: Like The Old Days

Details: Befriending Tony before the events of Thor, Loki shows him around Asgard.

Thread: Secrets

V113. Partner: mischieftomake (Loki) Loki: God of Stories Theme: God of Stories

Details: Loki has his memories of being God of Stories hidden and goes to have some intimate fun with another Loki. Now his responsibilities are catching up with him.

Thread: Shenanigans

V114. Partner: normaltothemax (Moon Knight) Loki: God of Stories Theme: God of Stories

Details: After an MCU twist on the Age of Khonshu, Loki is quite taken with the idea of offering his services as Moon Knight's temporary deity.

Thread: Mischief Knight

V115. Partner: notdeadyetpool (Deadpool) Loki: God of Stories Theme: ???

Details: Two fourth-wall breakers meet. Go.

Thread: Exceptions To The Rule

V116. Partner: 1batch2batch (Frank Castle) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: God of Mischief

Details: Having returned from the dead and to Earth, Loki holes up with a gang and crosses paths with the Punisher.

Thread: Walking Wounded

V117. Partner: 1batch2batch (Frank Castle) Loki: God of Stories Theme: God of Stories

Details: A lonely, curious God of Stories puts herself in Frank's way.

Thread: This Is Your Life

V118. Partner: celestialmantdonna (Mantis) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: Pre-GotG 3

Thread: Middle of Knowhere

ARCHIVED VERSES (ones I'm open to bringing back if requested)

V101. Partner: icecoldreactor (Tony Stark) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: God of Mischief

Details: Loki and Tony get stranded alone on an alien spaceship.

Thread: Stuck

V102. Partner: the-mjolnir-owner (Thor) Loki: God of Mischief Theme: God of Mischief

Details: Thor discusses his breakup with Jane with Loki while on the Statesman.

Thread: Breakup

[tricxet]

@spakona / Thor.

He'd felt it there faintly: the thrumming power of concentrated chaos magic that was the Liesmith's soul. But it was different; it felt somehow more faint and yet more alive. A leaking glass filling up with new water.

It scared him, and it excited him all in the same way. He couldn't find it, but knew it was there. And he knew it was up to something. Loki could blame his hangover or his grief, but either way he was holding onto hope that Six had a plan.

But she wasn't the only factor at play here; that became clear upon the call from Knowhere and a clearly upset Benny Gecko.

Asgardians in the Collector's museum; big guys with stupid helmets. They'd turned the place over, lost a few of them to security, and then left. It was only upon the Tops transit bringing them back to rush over to the remains of the Asgardian assault that Loki felt the heat of anger return to him.

It was more comfortable than the cold of grief.

"...It wasn't here," Loki murmured. There was no way of knowing, really, not with the Einherjar dead or gone. The Trickster stared down to the rotting corpse of one remaining, a hole blasted through his chest from the security turrets. "...They came back empty handed."

[plantedpie]

Loki and Sylvie visit Knowhere ( headquarters of the Guardians of the Galaxy) just in time for Christmas. They should just be having fun, but Loki’s got a secret that has him avoiding Nebula like the plague, and Sylvie is absolutely determined to find out what that is.

[mrwolfhare]

So I stumbled on to the fandom wiki page dedicated to upcoming Marvel movies and series, and rumoured Marvel movies and series, and I ended up looking through all the places our sweet raccoon boy might make an appearance. Do note I'm just going for cosmic and maybe cosmic movies.

The Marvels (Doubtful RR will make an appearance, maaaybe a video call for checking up on things on Rocket's side of the galaxy)

Deadpool 3 (Doubtfull RR will make an appearance, but you never know about Deadpool, he actually did have a team up comic with RR once, so Deadpool just mentioning the words "talking raccoon" would be enough for me)

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (doubtful RR will make an appearance, Kang just doesn't seem as galactic menacing as Thanos, might end up just being Loki level threat that just current Avengers would be able to handle.)

Loki Season 2 (I honestly hope they would have just like a 5 second background cameo of him as Loki jumps through portals, but highly doubtful, apparently the writers were given strict instructions on which Marvel characters they may use in the show.)

Marvel Zombies (I want to see the Guardians fight zombies, but the zombie virus might just stay on Earth. )

Nova (The Guardians or just Rocket giving Nova the guided tour of Knowhere would be fun, but think this will stick to just Earth, Nova Corps, Xandar and some space fights away from Guardians.)

Silver Surfer (Highly doubtful RR will make an appearance, but one can always hope the Guardians will be around when Galactus is a threat.)

Rumoured (Take the following with a grain of salt, the following is the most rumoured of them all)

Adam Warlock (RR will definitely appear if this movie ever happens)

Celestials: End Of Time (Sequel to Eternals, highly doubtful RR will appear, might just focus on Earth with some cosmic moments here and there. At least we might see Patton Oswalt as Pip the Troll again.)

Hercules (Doubtful RR will appear, but Hercules might drop in with the Guardians in his vengeance against Thor. Might just be Earth focused.)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.4 (Ha! No way that's ever going to happen without Gunn at the helm. He'll be way too busy wrangling the new DCEU over at WB. One can only hope.)

Thor 5 (Doubtful, unless if Thor checks up on his favourite rabbit and needs help with Love)

World War Hulk (Doubtful the Guardians would make an appearance, most likely is them just giving people a lift off of the war torn planet. Mind you, having Rocket help Hulk would be a fantastic way to wink at the comic)

Gamora & The Ravagers (Definite RR cameo if this ever happens)

Howard the Duck (Definite RR cameo, just to drop Howard off at Earth if this ever happens, which I really really hope for)

Legendary Star-Lord (Rumours of a movie or series with Star-Lord and Shadowcat, doubtful, but would be fun to watch if it ever happens, and definitely must have a Rocket appearance if it)

Mantis (If we get a Mantis movie where she becomes more like her comic counterpart, then a RR cameo would be greatly appreciated)

Untitled Rocket Raccoon & Groot Series (This rumour started way back when Gunn was taken off GotG 3, so insanely doubtful this show would happen. However that being said, I would gladly welcome a Rocket Raccoon & Groot series focused on them pre-GotG, live action or just animated, preferably still within the MCU)

Untitled Sif Series ( If this happens, we just need a Rocket cameo to give her a new arm, that's it.)

[missfandom16]

Name: Meredith A. Quill (the "A" stands for "Alyssa")

Nicknames: "Aly" by friends and family, "Sis" by Saki, "Sweetheart" by Rocket, Dith, Eddie, Mere.

Gender: female (her/she)

Siblings: Saki (adoptive-sister), Love Thorsdottir (second-adoptive-sister)

Parents: Peter quill (father), Thor Odinson (second-father), Gamora (mother)

Other relatives: Nebula (aunt) Mantis (other aunt), Cryptic (cousin), Thanos (grand father deceased), Ego (grand father deceased), Meredith Quill (grand mother deceased), Loki Laufeyson (uncle)

Likes: 80s rock, prefer to be called Aly, video games, dancing, movies, punk fashion.

Dislikes: having the same name of her grandmother.

Species: hybrid (Celestial+ Zen-Whoberis)

Age: 19-20.

birthday: june 16.

Sexuality: pansexual.

Facts: could be risky if she went to earth because she was born somewhere in space.

Abilities: none

Weapons: daggers.

Romantic relationship: Rocket Raccon (dating)

Children: Brandy Raccon-Quill (kid)

Personality: dork, passionate, good sense of humor, geeky.

Occupation: none.

Place of birth: TBD.

place of resistance: knowhere

[unbeatable-tippytoe]

My What If? Scenario Ideas

What if Tony Stark allied with the Ten Rings?

What if the TVA never existed?

What if Nick Fury didn't get dusted?

What if no heroes got dusted?

What if Marvel Television heroes (The Defenders, Inhumans, Runaways, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., etc.) were more important to MCU?

What if Killmonger got taken by Wakanda as a kid?

What if villains helped in the Battle of Earth?

What if Hulk was able to revive Black Widow?

What if the Chitauri portal sent Tony Stark to Sakaar?

What if Nick Fury became President of Earth?

What if Star-Lord killed Thanos on Knowhere?

What if Odin conquered more realms?

What if the Ravagers worked with the Nova Corps?

What if Maria Rambeau flew Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.?

What if Scott Lang never committed the heist?

What if WandaVision ended happier?

What if Loki Series ended happier?

What if the Jotuns beat Odin?

What if the Infinity Stones never existed?

What if Odin adopted Thanos?

What if Hank Pym's suit worked on the nuke mission?

What if Wanda and Quicksilver had joined the Avengers immediately?

What if the Accords never happened?

What if multiple students were bitten by the Radioactive Spider?

What if Luis, Kurt, & Dave became heroes?

What if S.H.I.E.L.D. found all of the Infinity Stones before anyone else?

What if The Other retreated and defied Thanos?

What if Thanos sought the Embers of Genesis?

What If Tony Stark died in Afghanistan?

What If Mordo became Sorcerer Supreme?

What If Peter Quill submitted to Ego?

What If Captain Marvel stayed on Earth?

What If Shang-Chi returned to his Father?

What If... Wanda Maximoff hexed Avengers Compound?

What If The Red Room raised Kamala Kahn?

What if Wanda revived Pietro instead of creating the Hex?

What if Bucky became Captain America?

What if Thor was the God of Mischief (basically Thor and Loki swap roles)

What if Thor went for the head?

What if the Avengers remained divided?

What if. T'Chaka never died?

What if Captain Marvel never learned the truth?

What if Pietro lived instead of Wanda?

What if The Winter Soldier killed Captain America?

What if Malekith succeeded?

What if Hawkeye didn't rejoin the Avengers?

What if Venom was in the MCU?

What if...Thanos won again in Endgame?

What if Hela killed Thor and took the throne?

What if Thanos never adopted Gamora or Nebula?

What if Nebula beat Gamora in battle?

What if Yondu never died?

What if Star-Lord didn't kill ego?

What if Nebula did the Snap in Endgame?

[spiderben2011]

"Ha! I hold no allegiance to Starfleet, so they can't get mad at them if we show up. And in any case, we're not going to the Romulan system. We're heading to see my cousin to see if we can get her help," said Arthur as he walks the group out of the bank and towards a more open area, which is directly towards the entrance to Knowhere.

Arthur moves his right hand out and calls on his weapon, Godslayer. A combination of his dad's old weapons and a rare material that will do what it says in its name, kill even a god.

"Now, stay close and try not to move," said Arthur as he activates the Bifröst before they're teleported off Knowhere and back to his universe, where they head towards the world known as Sakaar.

Once ruled by the Grandmaster, now ruled by someone else. Someone who's transformed this world to look less garbage looking and look like an actual civilized world.

"Here we are, Sakaar. The world my cousin, Erika. Daughter of Loki and goddess of chaos," said Arthur who isn't sure if this is a good idea, but has to give it a try.

@mazamba

Closed RP w/mazamba

This planet Jason was on was once thriving world. A planet full of trees, water, animals, and people. All who lived peacefully on the planet, until a war broke out in this sector. This left the planet in ruins, all of its resources plundered, and its people nearly wiped out. Centuries have passed and the planet has been nearly forgotten.

Jason was told the planet was under the control of a group called the Klingons. He didn’t think too much about it and knew he would be out of here before they found out or one of their allies.

He walks over towards his prize. A box containing a valuable item that he knew would come in for a pretty penny…or whatever currency the people of this universe use. He walks over and begins to disable any security systems around, before getting his prize. He wipes away the dirt from it, opens it, and smiles when he saw what’s inside.

“Just like the buyer said,” Jason whispered before putting the box in his bag. 

@mazamba

[ausetevi]

Largo Descent (Loki x Nebula)

Loki

Out of all the places in the galaxy, he never thought his quest would lead him.. Here. How fitting, searching for the heart of a dead celestial being by traversing the mind of another. Poetic. 

He landed the small ship he had stolen in the main hangar of Knowhere which was already crowded with other ships of all shapes and sizes. He pulled himself out of the cockpit, heading down the ramp of the single person ship. He sneered internally as he took in the crowd around him, at his own peasant clothes. All of this was below him, should be below him. But, there was always the fact that he had barely escaped with his life during the war on Earth. After nearly having his neck broken, he had slithered into the shadows, hiding. Occasionally helping from afar. He grimaced as he rubbed his throat absentmindedly, remembering the Mad Titan’s hand wrapped around his neck.

He shook himself from those thoughts, he could worry about that later. He had a job to do. Find the Collector. Locate the map. Steal it, and the Heart was his. Simple, quick. With just enough challenge to keep things interesting. He smirked slightly to himself, slipping into the crowd to secure his destiny. 

The inside of the dead celestial’s skull was something to behold. Patch work metal structures were crammed into every available inch. The sounds of alien tongues and the hum of machines clogged whatever space was left over. 

Loki strolled down the cramped streets playing the part of a curious passer by well. The cheap light of thousands of neon signs highlighted the sharp angles of his face. He glanced around, his eyes flicking over the strange creatures and odd shops around him. Now to find the Collector. 

After a little too long of searching, Loki was growing unnerved. He knew he wouldn't be the only one after the map and the longer he spent wandering around the higher the chance of someone getting to it before him. He glanced around casually, looking for a sign of anyone who stood out of place. That was going to be difficult, given the amount of already strange creatures there were. Then he saw it, a flicker of too quick movement out of the corner of his eye. 

He stopped offhandedly at a stall selling multicolored glassware and other shiny trinkets made of things he couldn't even name. 

He glanced over the glass, before picking up a reflective vase. Pretending to inspect it, he tilted the vase to the side, catching the reflections of the crowd over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed as he saw the figure in the curve of the vase. The figure was cloaked. How original. He thought wryly. 

The figure was walking at an almost breakneck pace, storming through the crowd. A few curious eyes glanced up at the figure but none strayed for too long for fear of causing trouble. Loki watched as the figure stormed past where he stood and he carefully set the vase down. The shop owner hurried over to him, offering the vase and talking in a garbled tongue. Loki held up a hand and shook his head. 

“Just looking.” He said with a sympathetic smile. The shop owner, a green man with beady eyes, shoved the vase forward again, pleading in a foreign language. Loki feigned a sympathetic smile and shook his head, turning to stroll off. The shop keep huffed before turning to haggle another potential buyer, leaving Loki to slip back into the crowd. Scanning over the faces, he spotted the cloaked figure as they strode through the crammed street, shoving past people. He smirked slightly too himself. This would be too easy, too easy indeed. 

He trailed the figure through the crowd keeping a careful distance. They went down several streets, turning into a clearly practiced route. After a while of following, the cloaked figure took a sharp left turn, storming into an alleyway. Loki quickened his pace subtly, not wanting to lose them. 

He carefully peered into the narrow alleyway, searching. He saw the shape of a leather hood in the dim light. His fingers brushed over the knife he had hidden inside his coat, preparing. He hurried after the figure quietly, keeping to the shadows. Just as they were about to turn out he gripped their shoulder and shoved the figure into a wall, pressing the blade into their throat. 

“Where is the collector?” He asked cooly. A girl with pink skin blinked up at him wide eyed in shock. Her mouth opened and closed like a caught fish for a second before she responded. 

“D-down the way, to the left in the big museum . . “ She sputtered. He glanced her over, confused. She was shaking in fear. This girl was not who he had followed into the alley way. He'd lost the cloaked one.

 The girl wore a simple leather jacket and servants dress with her hair curled into pigtails. He had recognized her uniform from when he had done a little digging on the Collector. 

“You work for him, don't you?” He mused. The girl gave a stiff nod. He carefully pulled his knife away and slipped it back into the lining of his coat. He made a sweeping gesture. 

“Show me, if you please.” He gave her a cold smile. The girl gave another stiff nod, moving rigidly off the wall and moving forward. 

“Y-yes! Right this way . .” She said dazed, still processing the situation. Loki moved after her back into the crowd, his mouth twisting into a slight, grim smile. He would finish this before anyone knew what had begun. 

Nebula 

It had been years since she had set foot in Knowhere. The last time she'd been here, she was trying to kill her sister and get the power stone back. She thought, hoped really, that she wouldn't have to come back. But this was not a sentimental journey, not that Nebula was much for sentiments. Somebody here had something, something she and a whole lot of other people wanted. She knew she wasn't the only one going for the map, that much was obvious. But it was a matter of who else and what else was going to go for it. Some guy called the ‘Collector’ had his grimy little hands on it. Nebula had seen the man once before, the last time she was on knowhere. He was a strange little creep, with a shock of white hair, a pompous coat and way too much eye makeup for anybody to reasonably have. Getting the map from him would be almost too easy. 

Nebula stalked through the crowd, keeping her head down and hood pulled low over her face. The sea of people parted at her brisk pace, not wanting to be trampled. 

Her boots thumped rhythmically against the metal grate platform beneath her feet. She followed the virtual path that she had brought up in her mind's eye. Painful as it was, being part machine had its perks. 

After turning down several streets, she had sensed something. Someone was following her. She rolled her eyes. Now was not the time for a common mugger to try to threaten her for some pocket change. Not that she would let them, they'd be dead before they even lifted their weapon. But there was something a little too casual about her new tail, this wasn't a thief. At Least not the usual kind. As she turned another street corner, she risked a small glance at her pursuer. A male, humanoid, with pale skin and dark hair. He would have looked like nothing more than a casual traveler, passing through. But there was something about the watchfulness of his movements that made her assassin instincts flair. On any other day, she would have turned right then and there and confronted him. But she had a job to do, and she wasn't about to risk her plans for a low life like this. 

So she veered left into a small, dark alleyway that smelled of waste and who knows what else. She pressed her back against the wall, slinking lower to the ground. She crouched behind an old dumpster, keeping deathly still. 

She heard the man slip into the alley way, moving stealthily through it. She watched, almost amused as he drew a knife and grabbed a random girl, shoving her against the wall with a metallic bang. He murmured something that she could not quite hear. She caught a few words of their exchange as she adjusted her hearing frequencies. 

“-Work for him, don't you?” Her brows drew. She knew that voice . .

“Show me, if you please.” Then it clicked. 

Loki. She nearly growled in frustration. Of course that little snake was here, he was after the same thing she was. The Heart.

The girl squeaked out something else and the two left. Nebula glowered after them for a second, before standing swiftly and turning back the way she came. She should have known he would be here, half the power hungry people this side of the galaxy would be gunning for that map. 

But he had foiled her plans, the girl in the alley way had been her contact and her quick way into the Collector’s museum. She had promised the girl her freedom in exchange for leading Nebula to the heart. It had been a hefty promise, but one Nebula intended to follow through with. She knew what it was like to be a slave. 

But now that was all to waste, she had to find another way in. But that would be no problem, she'd always been resourceful. If she had to find the back door, so be it.

[tinkertoysdamn]

Fic writing updates: Of the planned four fics in the poll, two are done. Wrote an unplanned Loki/Peter fic based on the XD cartoon, will post tomorrow.

I’ll probably start work on “We Built This City” next, also a random part 6 of The Legendary Star-Lord series idea popped into my head. How does anyone feel about the elder Quills visiting Knowhere? 🤣

Then I guess I can think about that Thanos AU.