"No!"
Again, against all odds, she manages to block him. The full weight of the mad Titan descends upon her arms but there is strength in her arms that she has never known and will never know again. Someone who is willing to die, can give anything, for any price.
Winded, Tanni tries to stand again but Thanos rams his foot onto her chest, pinning her to the ground. Will the smell of blood never end? It is as familiar as the smell of fresh air. Bodies of Asgardians lie littered around the ship. Now Loki too is dead. And Heimdall. Powerful allies. And brave people. So who is she, to think that she can succeed where they have not?
His smiling face looms above her. Gnarled and sickly, he treats her to a filthy smile. "Your courage is noteworthy. I respect that. But little one . . ." He kneels closer to her and she swears she can feel her bones starting to give way, "why give your life for those who have never given anything to you?"
"I'm . . not, afraid of you . . ."
"Look around. Has Thor risen to protect you? He can barely protect himself. The so called god of mischief has become yet another one of my children. Why make yourself a martyr?"
She doesn't want to die. But then many things have happened, that she did not want. But the signal has been received. If they can get the woman out in time . . .
"Because I am on the side of life!" She splutters. "And you only live to destroy everything that is good in this world!"
"I will loosen her tongue my Lord," Proxima Midnight starts but Thanos holds up a beefy hand, silencing her.
"This is your last chance little one," Thanos remarks. "Tell me where to find Khalide. Or you will join your family in death."
Maybe it is weakness to cry. But she can't help spluttering out the tears. Singrid. And Beor. And her mother and father. They are all dead. But only she was charged with the mission of making sure Earth received the signal. And she has done her mission well. This is an honourable end, it is all she was taught to believe in. Spitting in his face, she utters her final words.
"I look forward to seeing my family."
He reaches her down. Her brittle neck snaps like a twig as her head drops dimly to the side. Until the end she was smiling. And her eyes, a peaceful blue, for the hope she never released.
"Mighty Thanos." Ebony Maw says as he kneels at the feet of the glory of his master. "Your will is our command. There are two more stones on Earth. Do you desire that we obtain them?"
"Three," Thanos corrects him as he removes his golden armour, revealing a rippled muscular torso. "Khalide remains in possession of the most powerful of the seven . . ." He ponders the situation. "I will need my full strength to take it from her. Go my children. Bring me the first two, but leave Khalide to me - I will deal with her myself."
And so it began. The beginning of fear. And of carnage. And of sacrifice. The fire is catching.