No Light without Darkness

by Elvenpanda

Unknown to most inhabitants of our universe, a war was brewing. And I had unintentionally created it. It started when I found myself in an alternate galaxy surrounded by handsome elves and a strange Dwarf. Later Tony would argue if I wanted to take a broad view on things it started When the cosmic entities first forged the infinity stones. Ether way I had messed up, big time.

1. Chapter 1

A/N disclaimer- I don't own any of the lord of the rings characters or the avengers characters.
I'm really bad at summaries so I'm sorry if it doesn't sound to good but I hope the story is a lot better. Also this is based after Avengers age of Ultron and all marvel movies before Ant man.
This first chapter is really long sorry, I didn't want to make it into two chapters because I didn't really think it would work. Usually the first chapter for me is either really long or really short. Most chapters will most likely be shorter than this one, maybe about half the size, but that all depends.

Just a word of warning this first chapter has some really big time skips, it will not continue like this. Its like this because I just wanted to skim through the first chapter so you know what's gong on before I get to the main plot. umm yea, enjoy.

1-Halcyon

/ˈhalsɪən,-ʃ(ə)n/
pronounced Hell-see-on
adjective: halcyon
1. denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.

Prologue.

They called us Travellers. Yea I know, the simplest of words, yet not the simplest of species. I guess the name came after the destruction of our planet, long before even I was born. Our planet was the tenth planet in our galaxy, it was known as Renaissance, an ironic name looking back on it as it was destroyed long ago.

I wish I could say that it was destroyed after a great battle to protect it, where the ground shock in the moments before it exploded in a great ball of light, eruptions could be heard from the surrounding planets as tidal waves and earthquakes covered the land. Where we all escaped in giant space ships that sored around the galaxy, going where an unseen force took us.

But like most stories, it was a lie, for the most part anyway. The planet was sick. It was the trees that withered away first, and then the animals stated to slowly die out. But they took no heed to it. After years of surviving on atmospheric gasses and great seas, Renaissance just… crumbled. The ground started to collapse under their feet. No one really knew why it did; we just know that… it did. Maybe it just got old or something, some suggest it was the higher power, that every planet hangs their beliefs upon. It didn't matter anymore anyway, what's done is done.

The truth to the story is that our ancestors did leave upon giant space crafts, but for a long time they just drifted through the galaxy, not even a mouth after they left the fuel had all been used. Not everyone escaped though only a tenth of the already small population left, but not all survived the journey through space and time. In the end only 5% of the population managed to escape.

The ships arrived on various planets, it is said that some unlucky ones landed on Muspelheim - Home of the Fire Demons. It is unlikely they survived. Others landed on Alfheim- Home of the Light Elves, and very few arrived on Asgard - Home of the Asgardians. Even fewer found themselves on Midgard - the Earthly realm. Home of the Humans. These planets, apart from Midgard, are the only realms with knowledge of the travellers existence, as far as we know.

In the end it didn't matter where they landed, they soon left and travelled the realms in search of their kindred. They had been gifted, with a sort of sixth sense, they were able to see hidden portals that connected the realms. They praised the Gods for these new gifts of sight and they used it to travel between the planets, and hence given the name travellers.

In their search some unlucky few ventured to Helheim - Realm of the dead, or to Svartalfheim - Home of the Dark Elves. We learnt to avoid these realms, but too late. So even fewer of the population existed but they still search for their kindred.

Naturally, the sense was then passed down through generations and now I to have it. I never knew my father, My mother told me grandfather had been on a ship with 7 people on it, she was one of the 3 children on the craft, including my father.

When I was 2, they disappeared through various portals in search of survivors on other realms, my mother had stayed with me on Alfeim, where it was safer then traveling through portals, and all where to meet back there within two days. After 2 months my mother realised, they weren't coming back. My mother had told me that he was dead, that he wouldn't abandon us, I wasn't so sure.

When I was 12 my mother died and I was alone to travel through realms in search of my father. I created a book, with maps of different planets and their cities, places I had been. After I mapped the first portal I realised that the location of them changed regularly, popping up in random places.

But that was 600 years ago.

In current years, I had found myself living on Midgard and had equated the first friends I had made in centuries. Currently I was hanging on for dear life on the edge of a black-hole with a crazy purple alien dangling on my leg, in the middle of the 'Avengers lounge' with Tony Stark yelling at me.

I should probably go back to the start, while the relevant start.

2 Years before

It started when I noticed a giant patch of land rise towards the sky with great speed. I realised that this was in fact an unnatural occurrence in Midgard and decided my aid may be useful. Now may be a good time to mention that I am skilled in the art of archery and average at the sword. Over the years I picked up useful tips from various realms and my mother before she passed. Anyway on top of the mound I noticed a handful of peculiar warriors, including a green hulking beast, a man in metal? And another fellow archer (who could use some pointers from me, good he may be, but not skilled)

On closer look there was not one metal human form but multiply forms, in a grey rusted armour. After one attempted to attack me, I killed it and joined the side of the Green beast and his comrades in destroying these… things.

After the battle these warriors, I learnt, called themselves the 'Avengers'. They had greeted me with surprising friendliness and I saw one was dressed in Asgardian clothes and in later years I would learn he was a prince. He realised what I was and then went to explain to his companions I was a traveller and what that entailed.

The one I would later learn to be Tony Stark looked at me curiously during Thor's explanation. I can still recall the conversation that followed.

"You barely look 18, kid" He accused
confused I replied, "So?"
"Six-pack here tells me you guys are pretty old, How old are you?" he asked evenly
"just over 600" I replied before realising the mortal man would never grasp the concept of the theory of anyone living over 100.

"I don't believe one word of it" Tony stated matter-of-factly.
To avoid the unwanted argument that would follow, I decide to end the conversation short and simply.
"I don't really care what you believe." I said casually, causing the other archer to smirk.

To my surprise Tony stood there for a while before breaking into a smug grin.
"I like you kid, what's ya name?" He asked
I paused "Halcyon" I replied cautiously
He laughed "Not sure it suits you kid." He said as he place an arm around my shoulders.

When the avengers all departed, Thor offered for me to journey with his to Asgard, which I refused. Though I enjoyed the company of the Asgardians, recent times there have not been to pleasant what with wars with the frost giants and dark elves and all. Everyone went their separate ways and I found myself stuck with Tony Stark, who commanded rather then asked for me to come with him.

In the two years that followed that day I lived in the avenger's tower with Tony, as he tinkered away in his workshops. It was watching Tony work that had helped me realise how technically advanced Midgard really was. He had taken to calling me 'Hayley' which didn't bother me in the slightest. Often I would stand around and watch him working on the many things in his workshop, often asking questions like "What's that" or "Is that wise" and even stating in precarious situations "Careful". In one situation, this statement in the silence sounded like an explosion and caused Tony to jump and burn his hand in first and second degree burns, it was around about then that I learnt the basics in the art of healing.

It had been a while since I last travelled through a portal, not that I minded , and had decided it would be good for me to have a break from looking for everyone and give others a chance to find me first. I was happy here in this oversized mansion, living with the innovative Tony Stark and Vision when he showed up, and with visits from Pepper, who seemed to like me and acted motherly in a strangely bemusing sort of way.

No one knew where Dr Banner was, S.H.I.E.L.D pretended to know but they had as much of an idea as we did. Thor came seldom and Hawk-eye occasionally practiced archer with me, each giving each-other pointers and constructive criticism and Steve Rogers often stayed at the tower. Looking back on it now I wish that I had spent more time with the Black Widow, but for the most part it was good and i was comfortably happy with how life was going.

1 month before

It was at the end of the second year that things started to fall apart. Things had been tight with everyone, Tony had been going through a rough patch with his drinking, S.H.I.E.L.D was trying to pull itself together, again, Dr Banner was apparently on the radar again and everyone was looking for him, Pepper's mother had passed away and Vision and I seemed to be the only one unaffected by all the troubles and tense rooms.

Things had only got worse when Thor arrived, Someone had stolen not only the Tesseract from Asgard but the infinity gantlet as well. He said the warriors three reported another two Gems had been stolen the Collector, and the whereabouts of the rest were unknown to the Agrarians. Thor had later explained the origins of the Gems and their properties.

"Before creation itself, there were six singularities, then the universe exploded into existence and the remnants of this system were forged into concentrated ingots... Infinity Stones. The Infinity Stones are six immensely powerful objects tied to different aspects of the universe, created by the Cosmic Entities. Each of the stones possesses unique capabilities that have been enhanced and altered by various alien civilizations through the millennia." He paused as we digested this information.

"Only beings of immense power can wield the stones, such as when the Celestials used the Orb to pass judgement on entire planets, or certain Immortals can grasp the power. Collections of lesser beings who focus their intent can harness the power but are usually unable to grasp the full power of the stones and are destroyed by them when direct contact is made, such as the illness of Jane Foster when exposed to the Aether or the disappearance of the Red Skull by the Tesseract. Despite being referred to as "stones," the Infinity Stones appear in different shapes and states."

I had heard little about the stones over the years, but knew enough that when someone tampered with tem it never ended well.

"So what do they do?" Tony had asked impatiently.

"The space stone, blue in colour and is known as the Tesseract. It is capable of providing instant access to any location throughout the universe if used correctly.

Then there was the Yellow Mind Stone used by Ultron, and now Vision. This stone has the power to subjugate the minds of others, bending them to the will of the user, we believe now that Loki used this on Hawkeye.

The red reality stone is liquid, unlike the other Infinity Stones. It acts like a symbiotic force capable of being absorbed into the body of a living host, granting that person immense strength, power, and seemingly unlimited capabilities.

The power Stone is Purple and has the capability of being an incredible power source, which, when used at full potential, has enough power to obliterate an entire planet, some argue it is the most dangerous of them all.

However little is known about the blue time Gem and Green Soul gem as they vanished long ago."

Thor had looked uncomfortable suddenly. "My Friends" He had started. "Each of the Infinity Stones have the ability to be used individually, as Loki demonstrated. The power of all six stones can be harnessed collectively, Through the gantlet, but none who have attempted this have survived. The Stones are also indestructible; no weapon can destroy them. They are the greatest power in the universe and unparalleled."

I remember Tony had been the one to give Thor and arsenal of questions. "So not only have you lost an immensely dangerous weapon, but the containment unit that can operate all six of them at once?"

"Yes, but like I said no one has wielded all six and survived."

"Great, this is great. Do you at least know who has them."

"Ai" Thor had responded solemnly. "They call him The Mad Titan, Avatar of Death, His name is Thanos."

"Charming, we should go kill him now." Tony had stated calmly.

"This should not be taken lightly, Stark, He is dangerous, more than Ultron could ever have been. The only stone we are certain he does not have is The Mind stone in Vision, we cannot risk it."

It had surprised me that Tony's arguments had ceased after that. But I for one saw this as an opportunity, we had an infinity stone, that was an advantage and we could destroy Thanos before he could endanger anyone else. I had approached Vision with my theory, at first he had disagreed saying we couldn't risk losing the stone. After my rebuttal about how he had destroyed Ultron and how he was powerful as it was, he had agreed to accompany me in the search for Thanos.

2 days before.

We told no one about what we were planning on doing, looking back on it I wish I had at least left a note should things have gone astray, and astray they had gone.

A portal had been easy enough to find, like all portals it was round and shimmered slightly. The gateway was no larger than two people and no taller than two meters, it glistened slightly showing part of the land formation on the other side, often it was difficult to tell where it would send you. It seemed Vision too was able to see portals, not surprisingly, and soon we were hoping from planet to planet.

1 hours and forty minutes before

We had found Thanos easy enough two days later, on a realm known as Xander. The purple giant had the face of a monster, he looked how a villain would look, like he kicked puppies in his spare time. He was daring even just looking at him, the sight made one want to hide away. Ultron and Loki had been dangerous but they did not hold what Thanos did, for Thanos was pure evil as if looking at him the wrong way could get you killed.

When I say evil, I'm talking about nature, not just about motive. Evil goes beyond the normal catalysts that drives beings to commit murder and mayhem–those catalysts can include jealousy, anger, rage, fear, even a distorted kind of love.

I'm talking about psycho-killers, that are unable to feel remorse but instead cut a scare into their own twisted motives of Anarchy. Thanos was the definition of pandemonium.

I know now that I should have turned around and left there and then. But pride had been my downfall, more specifically Visions downfall. Even Now I know it was my pride, that had gotten him killed I may not have held the five infinity stones that had ended his life before a fight could even begin, but I may as well have been. I had seen Vision fade into nothingness and I can still see his terrified glazed eyes and hear his breath fighting for air when I close my eyes.

I should have realised the danger I had put us in. It was Vision that had Killed Ultron, and now within the first seconds of a battle with Thanos he had been killed. Watching my friends grow old and die was a concept that I had grasped a long time ago. It sucked, but I knew there was not a thing I could do about it. But there was always that peace of mind, that 100 years from now I would not be alone, That Thor and Vision would still be out there somewhere. They weren't supposed to die, they just, weren't.

The arsenal of words I fired at Thanos only seemed to delight him more. His laughter rang out like a thunderous storm, He stood there taking all the insults with a smirk as I fired arrow after arrow at the laughing prick, in my rage that gave him a humorous time, his guard was down which opened my window and skimmed past his shoulder. The laughing stopped.

I recall his purple eyes changing and growing darker until they were almost black.

"You dare challenge me?" Thanos spoke in explosions.

"You killed my friend." I replied hotly and took an unwilling glace at Visions motionless body.

The smirk had returned to Thanos' face "Well, well, well, The traveller has a friend. Or had" He added with mock sympathy "It won't be long before you should follow the same fate."

Thanos looked at his grazed shoulder and watched a slow trickle of black oozing blood run down his arm. His smile then broke into a wide stimulating grin.

"Midgard." He stated in a voice like he was gargling stones, "You have reminded me of the so called 'Avengers', a lot of trouble they have caused in the past. Once I have killed them and then, as the galaxy crumbles under my power, and you have seen where this mistaken of attack has lead you, and you watch all that you have worked toward vanish, then and only then, I will kill you, slowly."

"You can't win." I stated with more force then I thought I could muster.

He simply barked out a laugh and flexed his wrist, with the infinity gantlet that know held all six Gems.

"I already have."

It was around about then that I had noticed a portal, leading to the realm of the light elves I was sure, below us floating in the middle of space. This was a rare opportunity and I was not about to pass it up. Jumping of the edge before Thanos could picture what I was planning, I soon disappeared through the portal landing where i though I would. I then began searching for various portals that would lead me back to Midgard, before Thanos could catch up with me, that is if he was even following.

30 minutes before

It had taken a record hour and ten minutes to arrive back at the Avengers tower. Racing up the stairs and declining the strange elevator, I arrived flustered and scratched, from carless travelling, in the lounge to see all avengers sitting there to my utmost relief, even Thor was there, all but Dr Banner.

Tony opened his mouth to say something, we didn't have the time for all the 'where were you' and the 'S.H.I.E.L.D won't be happy' 's

So I simply said "Shut up Tony" before he got the chance to form words. This caught the attention of all present in the room.

"He's coming" I stated as I rushed about to windows to see if he had indeed around come. Moving curtains and running about, everyone was looking at me like I was going crazy. I wish that were the case.

"Who's coming, where's Vision?" Steve asked in confused.

I felt like saying ' who the hell do you think is coming?' in my panicked state, but the last question made me lose that train of thought, and I stopped completely. Quietly I replied " Thanos is coming, if he's not already here." Thor stood up then.

"We must be ready." He stated reaching for his hammer, others followed in his lead, all except Tony.

"Where's Vision?" Tony repeated Steve's question

"He's… gone" I replied steadily but it wouldn't be long before my voice dissolved.

"What do you mean he's gone" Tony asked with genuine confusion and slight annoyance.

I opened my mouth but I found I could no longer form words.

"Hayley, Where's Vision" He repeated coming towards me.

"I-" I stumbled but was cut off by Tony

"where the hell is he?" He asked again

"He's dead Stark! We went after Thanos" I had started off loud but it had ended in a whisper.

His silence was worse than his curses, and he just stood there looking at me, then he exploded, a mood unseen in the billionaire.

"You did what?! Do you have any idea what you have done! Did you miss the part when Thor said destructible and unparalleled?! This is a Joke?" he scoffed

"Tony-" I started lightly

"Your carless thinking resulted in earth being punished. You should have told us what you were doing"

"You wouldn't have allowed it." I replied calmly

"Hell yea we wouldn't! Did you stop and think there may have been a reason for that?"

"Tony-" Steve tried to calm Tony's uncharacteristic rage but he too was cut off

"And now Thanos comes here, when S.H.I.E.L.D is in ruins and the world is still recovering after Ultron, they won't be able to survive another attack. Banner is off Gods knows where, Pepper is in Alaska, pray he doesn't go there. And to top it all off it is your Fault Vision is now dead."

Silence filled the room again; I stood there speechless and embarrassed. I knew that he hadn't meant it, but it still stung and held more truth to it then I wished to admit, it was my fault and I knew it as well.

Tony opened his mouth. Had Tony gotten his chance to speak, I would guess that it would have been a Stark type apology, but I would never know, as we were interrupted by a huge boom that echoed around the room and everyone was thrown against the walls.

10 minutes before

Raising my now headache filled head that buzzed loudly with singing whistles, I noticed Thanos standing in the middle of the room, Looking down on everyone there.

"So these are the Avengers" he stated with mock enthusiasm. "Wish I could say I'm impressed."

"Sorry to disappoint." It was Black widow that recovered first.

Thanos eyes tinkled with pandemonium as he grinned wickedly. "It will be as uninteresting to kill you as it was you friend." He stated casually, "What was his name? Vision. The terror in his eyes in the moment he knew-"

Thor however wasn't having this, in an angry roar; he threw his hammer with great vitality towards Thanos.

When his gantlet covered hand, Thanos grabbed the hammer mind air, the force of it dragged him back a few steps, sliding across the floor, but he still held the hammer as if it were no heaver then it looked.

He had sneered at us as he closed his armoured infinity covered gantlet tightly around the hammer. His teeth clenched as his grip tightened around the weapon, and a slight crack rang through the air. In the silence it had sounded like a small scream of a young child, all too clearly heard. A fraction line ran up the side of the handle to the tip of the stone mallet, it was soon joined by another fracture.

It had been in this moment that I realised the true peril of the situation we were in, how miserably, unbelievably, out powered we were. We couldn't win, inside we all knew this, but that didn't stop us from trying.

Before Thor's hammer could be completely destroyed, Tony had stepped in, blasting his laser's at the monster, causing him to drop the weapon. Hawkeye and I fired arrows at him, while Clint chose his preferred fancy ones, mine were just normal but just as deadly. Steve's shield spun towards him and Black widow threw knifes at him from behind, whilst Thor retrieved his weapon.

For Thanos part, he aimed The gantlet at us, a beam of blinding rainbow light would shoot from it, reminding me of the Bifrost on Asgard. Where it hit the wall, it would leave a gaping hole in the side, more powerful than anything Tony had ever engineered.

When the wall had begun to quake with the sickening threat of collapsing, Tony decided it was the time for a plan of attack.

"Attack all him all at once." He shouted.

Thanos stood there daring them to try, as the others formed in front of him.

I was frozen. Tony's grief and rage had gotten the better of him, he wasn't thinking clearly, but instead carelessly. I knew what would happen if they did this, and I was frozen in shocked surprise that Tony was too blinded to see it.

When any object reaches a certain critical density, its gravity causes it to collapse to an almost infinitely small pinpoint causing a Black hole. The massed collection of particles that would build together from the war-engineered weapons, some with magical properties, acting against the infinity stones would compose and then burst in a sonic wave of energy.

"NO-" I shouted too late.

The weapons had already been fired; they meet the infinity stones power half way to Thanos. A searing white light exploded from the collision. A sucking sound, like a vacuum clearing the room of air erupted, then a boom like an amplified car exhaust.

Everyone had been thrown back for the second time that day, even I had hit the wall although I had expected this reaction. The air might have been winded out of my lungs, but I took no notice. All I saw was the black hole that now occupied the lounge.

What started as a small dot had grown into a large opening about a meter wide and was still growing. It was exactly what it was called, it was a Black hole, dragging the space-time continuum like honey around a spinning spoon.

It sucked in everything and anything into it. It started off small, with pens and pencils then to table and the walls themselves, as we clung to anything that held firm.

The wall that I was holding onto crumbled away in my hands. I flew towards the hole reaching out to Natasha's outstretched arm but missing entirely. I fell to the flour and drug my nails into the cracks in the lino that peeled slowly away as I advanced the hole.

Thanos had decided that this Black hole was no match to him and stood up, no longer holding anything. How wrong he was. To his surprise, (and what would have been my amusement in any other situation) he was dragged off I feet and he too flew towards the black hole and his death.

My victory was celebrated to early, as he grabbed hold of my leg with his non-armoured hand, as he had flew past. This extra weight caused my now bleeding hands to slide faster along the ground towards my probable death.

Present time

I looked towards the hole when I noticed the gantlet slipping from Thanos' hand. He too had noticed this and compressed his fist, unwilling to let go of the powerful weapon. The metal tried to pull free of its shape. He groaned in pain as the Black hole fought to collect its prized glove.

It was then that the hole collected it first Gem for the glove. A Gem, I was unsure which, dislodged from the gantlet and hurtled through space, this caused the hole to crack like lightning and thunder and seemingly pause for the slightest of seconds.

My eyes widened as realisation dawned on me and I almost barked out a hysterical laugh. It was the Cosmic Entities themselves that had created the stones. Entropy, Infinity, Death and Eternity had created them before life true, but after space. The stones are the most powerful and indestructible object in the universe. That would mean the entities had to take into account every danger, and barrier in the universe, no black hole would be allowed to out-match the stones. Meaning the stones would have to out-match the black hole.

They could close it.

Another stone was extricated from the gantlet. It would be easy enough all I needed to do was kick Thanos into the black hole and the rest of the stones would go with him. But that developed another problem. Although a black hole is said to be empty nothingness, with the stones there could be the chance of Thanos escaping it.

Thanos jerked out in an attempt to catch a stone that had come lose but failed, this caused me to slide suddenly a little further.

"Don't let him, take the stones." Thor yelled out as the black hole erupted in a crazy thunder of cracking. He attempted to find a path toward us.

When the forth stone came lose, Thanos decided to take his chances and let go of my leg. Heeding to Thor's words I too released the ground and turned on the floor grabbing Thanos hand and regaining my position on the floor. I was now on the edge of the hole, only my hand still in what was once a lounge.

Thanos fought against my hold, which was already slipping from my blood soak grip. The ceiling was falling and the ground was shaking. The hole had to be closed.

"Let him go!" I heard Tony yell through my thoughts. Thor's struggle to try and reach me was in vain as he had barely managed to move a step.

"He could still use the stones!" Thor argued.

"Not if he's dead!" Hawkeye countered.

I was barely hanging onto Thanos now. I thought back to Tony's angry words, the friendliness the avengers had treated me with, and I thought of Vision.

"I can fix it!" I shouted to the group as I saw Natasha slip. I locked eyes with Tony as the face of Vision swiped behind my eyes.

Still looking at him I continued "I'll make things right" I said in a low voice.

I let go.

A/N Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed that, like I said the main plot comes in future chapters. Although the main character will be in Middle Earth for the majority of the story, I hope to feature a lot of avengers and their point of view and what they think is happening. thanks :) bye.