"Not A Place." Thor fanfiction. SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR.

Hya guys! So,  I was inspired to write this little fic after the Russos confirmed that Valkyrie is still alive :) (Slaaaay Tessa!!) and that some of the Asgardians got away on escape pods. (YAAAAYYY!) This is a fanficiton featuring an awkward love triangle, tragedy, bisexual Valkyrie, and abbbbbsss. It's based on Ragnarok and the beginning of Infinity War. (It's not as bad as it sounds xD.) Mainly about the friendship/relationship between Valkyrie and Loki. One-sided sorta Lokarie. One-sided Valor. (Thor and Val, WHY ISN'T THIS A SHIP NAME?????) It's also about how Valkyrie survived and how the Thor and Loki scene at the end might have played out (huggggggg) and about Loki's true intentions/feelings and Valkyrie's past love. 

WARNINGS: Spoilers, duh. Mentions of Valkyrie's female lover. Nothing gross or sexy xD. One sorta bad word. Mentions of child abandonment (sorry). Character death (canon.) The ending probably isn't canon but who cares? xD. Anywayy....here's the story. Sorry for any formatting issues. Written in MS word on Windows 10. This is a copy-paste. 

“Not a Place” by Sarah B. Priest

I’d seen it before, seen it, felt it, breathed it. War was just another part of life, like eating, sleeping, living. War was a necessity to defend the realms. To defend Asgard. It was our duty. But she destroyed us. Every last one, except for myself. Even Astrid.

She never deserved to die, and I had done my best to protect her. I still can remember her touch, her warmth, her very being radiating throughout the cosmos. She was a beautiful Valkyrie, my lover, the fairest of her kind, more beautiful than the moon, than Queen Frigga herself. She had done it, Hela. I could never see the daughter of Odin being so…destructive, she got it from him, I suppose, but even he never anticipated her ambition.

Loki. I can remember now; we were on Sacaar, not Asgard, and I had done my best to erase the memories. Thor, he had told me about Asgard, that it was in danger, that I had to help. Me, scrapper 142, help Asgard? Come again. But there was something about Thor, Odin’s first son, that I couldn’t ignore…he had the most charm, beautiful mannerisms, and, oh, those godly abdominal muscles…but I shouldn’t have gotten carried away. I had to remember that I served the Grandmaster now. And no one ever leaves Sacaar. Thor, being thrown into the ring, the contest of champions. He almost escaped too, without me, the bastard, but I tracked him down in time. But not before I encountered Loki.

The youngest, Odinson, maybe not. He was Loki Laufeyson of Jotunheim, really, but I wouldn’t take time to pay it heed. Where his brother was strong and fair, Loki was small and dark, the contrast. The Frost Giants, even with Asgardian magic, would never be an ally. He wanted favor. He wanted love. He thought the Grandmaster was his last chance, as did I. We were both meant for a greater destiny, that is certain, but at the time we were simply two lost souls at the end of the line, out of luck, out of love, and out of hope. Where I turned to the bottle, he turned to his own tricks and magic to forget his sorrows. Little did I know of Loki’s true power.

I came up with the plan, to race him for it, for Thor and the escaped champion. Little did I care if they died, if I returned them to the Grandmaster. But I still couldn’t forget Thor and his body. Maybe I was having second thoughts? I remember the voice now, cutting through, cold, unwavering, mocking me.

“What have you done?”

I knew he would bend at his name being wounded, as I retorted, “I don’t answer to you, Laki.”

His hand clenched around my arm abruptly, his voice frigid. “It’s Loki. And you will answer to the Grandmaster.” Would I? I had for all this time, but now? It was more than Thor really, it was Asgard my home world, I had even lost everything I loved but I could save them. I could do it for Thor. For myself. No. I couldn’t. I wasn’t that brave, even I knew it. I couldn’t help it. I hit him in the face. Hard.

But he brought his best fight. He had skills for sure, which was more than I ever would have liked to admit. I could feel his icy hands slide along my skin uncomfortably, snaking up my sleeve, yanking it up. Out of breath, he gasped, “You’re a Valkyrie? I thought the Valkyries all died gruesome deaths.”

No. I wasn’t a Valkyrie. I was scrapper 142 of Sacaar. No more, no less. I couldn’t help it. The memories came flooding back as I pinned him to the wall in an instant. I would be glad to see him die. Die a gruesome death. Just like the Valkyries. I was prepared. This was no brother to Thor. “Choose your next words wisely,” I spat. His eyes were deceiving, his voice, “I’m terribly sorry,” then all faded to black.

I could see it all play before my eyes again, clearer, more painful than ever before. There she was, Hela with her swords, to kill us all. To kill me. There was Astrid, my love, dying to save me… No. I wanted to move, to scream, but I couldn’t How could Hela still be alive? How had Odin failed us? There was no time. I was going to find Thor. After that I would kill Loki, if he ever escaped this place. Well, not now. I’d let Thor decide his fate. But capturing him turned out to be a brilliant idea.

***

“You came back?” I could hear Thor’s voice now, softly behind the door. I shouldn’t be spying, not really, but I had to see what was going on after Loki retuned, alive. “I thought you were gone. On Sacaar…”

          “You were the one who left me.” Loki sounded hurt, but I could see the tiniest smile appear on his lips.

          “I’m sorry, brother. I should have trusted you.”

          “No, even I wouldn’t trust me.” Loki’s grin was not a lie, even I could read it. Oh, Astrid. She may have had a war face, but her smile behind closed doors…No. I shudder thinking about how Loki could ever replace her. Thor though. He was beautiful, strong, funny. He could protect even the fiercest fighter. Not that I would need it. But it would be nice to have.

          The hug that followed was brief, awkward, and it looked like Loki was suffocating for every moment of it. But the smile on his face as he came out was undeniable. It faded quickly. I had been spotted.

          I froze.

          “You again? You’re everywhere? What are you? A mortal? Another of Thor’s relics?”

          He was jealous. He thought Thor loved me. That he had no room for his own brother. It’s very different. And he barely even acknowledged me beyond asking for my help.

          “No.” My dark eyes locked onto his piercing green ones as I spoke. “I’m a Valkyrie. Of Asgard.”

          “Asgard—” his voice was barely above a whisper. “Destroyed. I tried to destroy Jotunheim—”

          “Your own realm?” I couldn’t help but ask. And I was starting to like him. He was no better than Hela herself.

          He shook his head, slowly. “I would never destroy any realm, Valkyrie, unless they deserved it.”         

          “And they deserved it? Your own people? All of the women, the children!”

          “Like you, I’m sure they’ll put up a good fight. And yes. The Jotun deserved it. They left a child. To die, Valkyrie. To die. All alone in the cold. Merely an infant. It couldn’t defend itself!”

          “You destroyed Jotunheim to defend infants?”

          “No. I did it to impress my father.”

          “Laufey?”

          “I killed him. Odin. He truly was my father. I’m sorry I never…”

          “Who would abandon a child, Loki?” I ask tentatively. Oh, Astrid. She was taken in by a beautiful Valkyrie but abandoned. “It’s unforgivable.”

          He nods quietly. “Laufey.”

          “And…the child?”

          I can feel the air quivering between us as Loki turns abruptly and storms out, a storm to rival even Thor.

***

I breathe quietly, relived that the survivors are safe. It was the tesseract that led Thanos here, in search of Loki’s possession. It was his, from Jotunheim, and we all know what Thanos’ plan is…. I shiver again. Half. One half of the Asgardians. Dead. First Hela obliterating the army, then Surtur obliterating Asgard. No, Asgard is not a place. It’s a people. But even that very essence was being torn apart. “That’s the last pod. Go! There are many battles ahead!” The small child hesitates as the pod is leaving. “GO!” I scream. I can’t help but think of Loki in the moment, the child, helpless, his parents nowhere to be found.

          Thor. He was still trapped by Thanos. Heimdall is dead. He sent the stragglers to Earth. Everyone else; dead. I freeze, listening to Loki’s cold voice echoing throughout the chamber. “Prince of Asgard, rightful king of Jotunheim…”  His titles. He’s saying his titles. Not the ones he wants. The ones he’s left with. I have to save Thor, to get to him. But there isn’t time. Who knows what will happen? I can feel my voice whisper his name, but it’s drowned by Loki’s declaration of allegiance to Thanos.

          “Undying you say? Choose your next words wisely.” I can hear Thanos. I have to go if I’m going to leave. There is nothing I can do for Thor except pray to the gods that he will be rescued…But he said it. Loki is the prince of Asgard, Asgardian. Not Jotun after all. We’re born one way but we choose our own way. And he’s choosing allegiance…

          I know I have to leave, but something keeps me mesmerized on the spot. The blade of the knife Loki is holding to Thanos’ throat. He isn’t choosing allegiance. He is choosing death. Thanos has it now, he got what he wanted, the tesseract. Two of the six he needs for the gauntlet. Someone has to stop him. Loki has a higher destiny, he always did, but even I know that he is no match for the Titan’s hands….

          “You will never be a god.” That’s what he says, as Thanos breaks his neck, disposing of him freely. I know I can’t protect Thor. No. I must. Another lover, another lost cause...I hear it as Loki hits the ground, lifeless and Thor screams. As I feel the ship splintering apart and myself being thrown into space, I can almost hear Loki now, “What have you done?” I just saved us. Again. But you saved us the first time. I utter a silent “thank you” as the memory fades and I’m plunged into the cold depths of space. “You reminded me. You reminded me why I had to fight. Who I was fighting for.” I’m slipping. Then I feel it, the last remnants of Heimdall’s magic wrapping around me in a tight hug. This magic feels different though. Heimdall’s always had an incandescent rainbow quality to it. This magic is a flash of a single color. Green. With a hint of gold.