Thor remembers with absolute clarity how it felt when Thanos had the Power Stone pressed against the side of his head. The pain had been excruciating and though he wanted desperately to live, if only to see the Titan taste his vengeance, there had been one moment where death felt like it might be a blessing.

The very air itself feels like its tightly constricting around him, sucking the air and the life straight out of his body. And in that instant, when he feels his hands on Tony's neck and the other man offers his instruction, he feels exactly as he did in that moment.

"I'm not going to kill you," he says, trying to pull his hands away from Tony. "This isn't you. I know you're in there, Tony. I know you're in there."

Thor needs to believe that this isn't his Tony. That it's a Tony controlled and manipulated by Thanos. A Tony who would never, ever hurt innocents.