((I've threatened to do this, but I needed a bit of distance first.

This is set still in Wakanda after Thanos snapped his fingers and went off to wherever. This isn't like the first part. It's a fix-it and little more. That means it's a lot shorter, almost plotless, and very self-indulgent.

The overall title is from the song Return by Deine Lakaien.

This chapter heading is taken from the song Nicht dein Tag (Not your day) by Element of Crime. It means Eat, drink, sleep, dream.))

1. Iss, trink, schlaf, träum

Thor had expected accusing looks, anger, resentment. He could have dealt with those way better than with the understanding he got. He could have ended it. All he had to do was sink Stormbreaker into Thanos's head. He had failed to do so and now billions were dead, just gone. Thor felt guilty and powerless in a way that was unique and new. The fact that the voice in his head telling him he had messed up sounded suspiciously like his brother wasn't helping.

On top of this, Thor had had no idea if any of his people still lived, let alone how many they were. There had been so few of them when Loki had started doing his census, and now at least half of them would be dead. Even before, they had wondered if they were enough to recover. And without Loki, the only thing that had kept Thor going had been his thirst for vengeance. He'd messed that up. Now he had nothing left. Nothing in all the world.

Thor had seated himself outside with a plate of food. It tasted bland to him, but considering how thrilled others were at the cuisine of Wakanda, that was probably just him. Truth be told, Wakanda as a whole was rather impressive, hidden from sight and a true haven on a planet beleaguered by its own inhabitants. This should be the perfect place to recuperate, to find back to himself after everything he had lost: Loki, for certain. Perhaps all of his people.

'You look terrible, you know that?'

Thor looked up at the woman standing over him. 'Thanks, Nat. That helps.'

She clicked her tongue. 'You want compliments, you look after yourself. None of us is feeling any sort of elation, believe me. You're not the only one.'

A part of Thor wanted to argue that he had lost the soul he loved the most in the world, maybe all of his people, and definitely his home; but in the end, he doubted that sheer quantities of pain could be measured. And she had a point. He knew he looked a mess. He simply couldn't muster up the energy to do something as mundane as shave and he lacked the peace of mind to sleep. Or eat, for that matter. 'You're right,' he said eventually. 'You trying to cheer me up? It's not going to work.'

'No.' She pointed into the distance. 'See that? Moving between the trees?'

Thor squinted. 'Nope.'

'Me neither. But the tech they've got here finally did. Maybe we should try and catch them.'

'Catch whom?'

Natasha's lips twitched into a small smile. 'Got your attention, did I? There's a pair of women out there. Know what? Come with me. We're going to the infirmary. It's not like I haven't asked those questions a million times, but perhaps you can make more of this.'

Thor didn't want to. But it was an excuse to stop eating and every further bite threatened to make him sick. 'Fine,' he said. 'Show me what you've got.'

'It sounds insane,' Natasha said as she walked Thor through the hospital. 'If what we heard is to be believed, some sort of deities intervened in the aftermath of the attack. I believe we both know this isn't what happened.'

'I honestly have no idea what can and can't happen anymore. If a guy can kill half the people in the universe by snapping his fingers, why wouldn't another guy be able to restore life as easily?' It was a dangerous thing to consider. It had the potential to give him hope and that wasn't going to be of any use.

'Trust me. Good miracles don't happen. Also, not a guy.' Natasha pushed the door to the infirmary open and was rushed by a doctor. 'My apologies,' she said. 'We'd like to speak to one of the people who had an … epiphany.'

'Still trying to pin that rescuer on us, are you? Well. Try room 12. One of your people.'

'He means S.H.I.E.L.D.' Natasha entered without knocking. 'Excuse me, sir, do you have a moment?'

A young man looked at them both. He flushed when he saw Thor. 'I can't believe I'm meeting you. Name's Jean Millings.'

'Thor.'

'Yeah, he knew that,' Natasha said casually. 'Can we ask you a few questions?'

'You think I'm crazy, too, don't you?'

'I don't, and Thor hasn't heard any of your reports so far. I found he should get it first-hand rather than watered down by me.'

Jean Millings's eyes were on Thor. 'When I'm done, you can tell them that I'm not crazy and as healthy as I've ever been and can go the hell home. Can't you?' He didn't wait for an answer. 'Well. Those things that Thanos sent against the barrier, some of them were still around after. Some of us were still around, too. 'Cause we couldn't walk away. And then the Shadow came. Finished a bunch of the things.'

'One of the soldiers gave her that name,' Natasha said. 'The Shadow. So far, we don't even know if this is someone from Wakanda or someone of our lot. One of the wilder theories is that it's someone S.H.I.E.L.D. had under their protection and that they went AWOL and got themselves here by whatever means. That's certainly more likely than a pair of ninja goddesses.'

'Well, if so many have seen her, you'll know what she looks like,' Thor said.

'You'd think that,' Millings said, clearly enjoying himself. 'But she isn't showing her face, no. She's clad all in black leather, skin tight. You see every muscle move, it's beautiful. Like, I was bleeding out and thought I was dying, but she managed to give me a boner … Sorry Miss Romanoff. I know I sound like a creep, but I swear she was out of this world.'

'Try to focus,' Natasha said. 'I know it's difficult through all that testosterone, but still. You were trying to tell us why you don't know what she looks like, apart from the fact you want to pork her even though you wouldn't recognise her in a line-up.'

Millings grinned. 'That's the thing. Her face is hidden by a leather mask, too, just her eyes aren't covered. And she wasn't getting close enough to us to see those.'

'And where did she go when she's done fighting?' Natasha asked.

'Ran right off again, into cover.'

'But who healed you? I mean, you said you couldn't go anywhere.'

'That's even weirder. When the Shadow's gone, the Guardian comes. Always silent. Touches those that are wounded, heals them, and then ambles away in the same direction the Shadow ran before. Doe eyes and an earnest but kind look on her face.'

'Did any of you try to stop her?' Thor asked. 'I mean, if she doesn't run away …'

'One of us did. Got thrown back by an invisible fist.'

'What did he try to hold her by?' Natasha asked. 'A boob?'

Millings snorted. 'Nah, we wouldn't have dared. He just put a hand on her wrist, didn't even hold her really. It's so strange, she never said a word. Look, could you tell the doctors that I'm not mad? I'm hardly the only one who saw them. You can't think we're all batshit.'

'Thing is, I believe you,' Natasha said. 'I'll talk to them. I'll … hang on.' Her phone was beeping quietly and she answered facing away from Thor. When she looked back at him, she had a determined look on her face. 'Well. It looks like our Shadow is walking towards us. Slowly. Let's go greet her, why don't we?'

As Thor watched the figure draw near, he admitted to himself that yes, she moved very sensually. He exchanged a look with Natasha, who raised an eyebrow. 'He's got a point,' she said quietly.

She was tall, almost as tall as Thor, and very slender. The black leather hugged her frame like a second skin. And her face was hidden, just as he'd said. 'Hi,' Natasha said. 'I'm not going to say welcome to Wakanda since you might be from here.'

'No.' Laughter bubbled from the stranger. She gave an exaggerated bow. 'I am not from Wakanda. I have to say, the climate doesn't agree with me, and I seek rest. Those that were alive and out there alone are safe now.' Large brown eyes settled on Thor, boring into him. 'Do you not know me? You have peered into my soul before.'

Thor blinked. 'If you show your face, I can probably tell you.'

Again, she laughed. 'Oh, certainly.' She ran a dainty hand over her face from the top to the bottom and the mask vanished. 'Wonder if the rest of my clothing is equally easy to dispose of?'

Her words barely registered with Thor. His eyes were fixed on her face. 'You are dead.' He reached for Natasha and pulled her further away from the woman, ignoring her protest. 'I saw you die.'

'You sound certain.'

'Hold.' Natasha had raised her hands. 'Who is this, Thor?'

He didn't turn his gaze from her for a moment. 'She is Gullveig. She is also extremely dangerous and evil.'

'Ah. Thor, she's saved lives. A lot of them. That doesn't seem all that evil.'

Finally, Thor looked at Natasha. 'You're right. Then you're not Gullveig but Heid. But you were never real, you were an illusion. How can you be here?' His eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to her. 'Unless you have everyone you helped ensorcelled, forming an army. We're weakened as is, and that will make it even easier.'

Gullveig tutted. 'Poor Thor. The people here seem fond of me. Some of them, too fond.' A lazy smiled tugged at her lips. 'But perhaps this is not the right way to win you. Perhaps this would do better.'

Her form and her features swam in front of Thor's eyes, shifting and resettling into someone else. The figure smiling at him was no longer the mad witch but his brother Loki, whole and with laughter dancing in his eyes.

Whatever emotion wanted to overwhelm Thor, he pushed it down. He reached out for her, grabbing her by the shoulders, and spun her, slamming her into the door that was now behind her. 'What?' the witch asked in Loki's voice. 'Here I thought you'd be happy to see me.'

'Stop it.' His voice was quiet, almost a growl. 'Stop it, you will not defile him like that.'

More laughter broke from her, Loki's face fearless. The expression looked so much like him in that moment that Thor was tempted to believe. He wanted to believe, so much he almost faltered. 'Thor, you see it, don't you? It is I, this is not a trick. I'll explain …'

'No!' Thor hardened his grip on the lean shoulders. 'Loki wouldn't impersonate you of all creatures.'

'Taking a form that isn't my own is easier if the shape taken is familiar. And I didn't want to be recognised. Gullveig made sense.'

'Prove it. If you are Loki, prove it.'

He got a scoff. 'I will do no such thing, certainly not as long as you're manhandling me.' The figure in his hold started to struggle, but Thor refused to ease his hold. 'Let me go, Thor. Trust me for just one moment and you'll see.'

The resolve returned to Thor. He wouldn't allow the mad witch to mock Loki for a moment longer. His right hand let go of her arm and closed around her neck, pressing her hard into the door.

The figure froze, eyes suddenly wide and frightened and haunted. Slender hands with more strength than one would expect clutched at his arm, grappling uselessly. 'Thor …'

He let go as if he'd been burned. He had no idea how or why he was here, but this was not Gullveig. Loki – and all at once he knew this was him, not an illusion by a crazed Asgardian – had sunk to the ground with a gasp for air. When Thor tried to reach for him he flung out an arm, palm towards his brother as a meagre and shaking barrier. 'Don't touch me.' His voice quivered slightly. 'Ever again.'

'Loki …'

'No.' Loki scrambled to his feet. 'Don't.' He opened the door and slipped inside, leaving Thor stunned in the heat of Wakanda.