Summary: In the first Avengers movie, Loki implied that he could wield the Tesseract. I say we give him the opportunity. AU for Infinity War, following the revised adventures of Loki and Thor. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am in no competition with Marvel or Disney for ownership. It's also fair to say that I wouldn't be surprised if someone else is writing a story with a similar premise and I simply haven't seen it. In that case, I do apologize for the encroachment.

Author's Note: I'm not sure yet where this is going to end up, but I loved the idea so much, I just had to start. Plus, I can't bear to say goodbye to Loki – not like the movie did, anyway. It all happened way too quickly and much too soon.

Premise draws on the brotherly mountain scene in Avengers 1, when Loki tells Thor, "I have seen the true power of the Tesseract, and when I wield it..." But please give me a little grace on this one. I've never read the comics, and I'm sure many readers have a better understanding of the Marvel universe as a whole than I do. However, I will do my very best. Enjoy!

Space and Time

Chapter 1

Loki could not do this.

He was a sorcerer, he was a prince, he was a god. He could do a great many things.

But he could not listen to his brother's screams or watch his suffering any longer. He had already let it go too far.

"All right, stop!"

Thor slumped limply in Thanos' grasp, drained by the agony of an Infinity Stone pressed against his temple; Loki's heart mimicked the motion. Even the God of Thunder couldn't fight his way out of this one, and Loki couldn't be sure his silver tongue would be up for the task, either. Not if both of them were to survive. The only way to ensure that would be to get himself and his brother off this damned ship!

He brought forth the Tesseract as bidden, pretending it didn't hurt when Thor mumbled, "You really are the worst, Brother."

The raw energy of the Cube hummed against Loki's fingertips, a siren's call to his growing need to act. While posing as Odin, he'd had opportunities to study the Tesseract even more closely and learn its workings. Now that he held this vast power in his hand, he could flee at any moment – but he refused to do so without Thor. If only he could get closer…

He came forward, knowing full well that each step brought another Infinity Stone closer to Thanos.

Loki mustered his courage and addressed the broken prince. "I assure you, Brother, the sun will shine on us again."

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian," sneered Thanos in response.

Loki was near enough now that he had to crane his neck backward to look up at the Titan. "Well, for one thing, I'm not Asgardian." How strange it felt to admit that truth so freely! "And for another, we have a Hulk."

Perfectly on cue, Banner's green beast broke through the rubble and tackled Thanos from behind. Loki dove forward in the same instant, ducking under the combatants and shoving Thor out of harm's way; he also kept the Tesseract securely grasped in one hand.

Naturally, his headstrong sibling would try to rejoin the fight if they stayed, so he had to act fast. There was the slightest twinge from his conscience at the prospect of deserting Banner and a wounded Heimdall, but this was necessary. Thor would not understand; he would never willingly sacrifice two friends to save himself, even if both of those friends (or at least Heimdall) would die for Asgard's new king without hesitation. So Loki made the decision for him. He had already seen his brother tortured before his eyes this day; he would not stay to watch him die next.

With one hand still clutching Thor's arm, the Jotun bent his full will toward the Tesseract and felt it respond. Space itself warped and bent around them, distorting matter on all sides, and Loki pulled Thor backward with him into the resulting portal.

Ebony Maw, the nearest of Thanos' "children," lunged forward with a snarl to follow them through, and Loki was forced to rapidly close the portal behind him, even before he and Thor had reached their destination. In his haste and inexperience, the sorcerer accidentally had the portal deposit them in the open air high above the planet's surface. It wouldn't be a fatal fall, not for them, yet the distance was still sufficient to make the landing…unpleasant.

For better or for worse, he had chosen to bring them to a place both he and the Tesseract had seen before – the last time they had both been on Midgard.

The Princes of Asgard collapsed together in a tangled heap in Central Park.

Author's End Note: I know it's super short, but consider this a teaser chapter of sorts. You know, kind of like how, in the movie, Loki is dead even before the opening title rolls. It's just not right. I hope to have another chapter posted before I go out of town next week, but we'll see how it goes. Thanks for reading!