48 hours earlier
Deep Space
The vastness of space was new to the Asgardian people. IT had been their home for the past two months and soon they would arrive on the Earth. Thor looked forward to seeing his fellow Avengers and introducing his people to their new home. His team would be more than happy to assist any way they could. It had been two years, but Thor didn't think that much could have changed. Loki hesitated his thoughts shifting back and forth on what exactly to think or say and the two of them stood on the observation deck of the ship. "Do you really think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?" He really should have asked this question months ago seeing how they were now only a few days out.
"Course I do. The people of earth love me, I'm very fond of them."
His brother rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed. "Let me rephrase that. Do you think it's a good idea for me to come back to Earth?"
"Probably not, but I wouldn't worry brother. I have feeling that everything's going to be fine."
The younger brother nodded, having a brief feeling of relief, both did. The moment shifted as the shadow of a massive cruiser entered their own ship's path. The two brothers turned to look to one another slowly, not knowing what to say. "That isn't good."
Thor shook his head. "It's a big galaxy. There are plenty of ships."
"Yes, but I know that one." Loki didn't wait to explain to his brother when he began to make his way back up to the bridge. Thor became hot on his heels when the alarms of the ship sounded. Guardsmen readied themselves with their weapons as they headed to the lower hangers where four small cruisers had made their landing decent inside.
"They're firing at us." Thor said when the ship shook rapidly, causing the two of them to briefly lose their balance. "Who are they?" Loki gave no reply. Sigrun had been looking for the brother ever since the alarms sounded
"I leave you two alone for five minutes and then suddenly we're all in danger?" Thor was pleased to see her up and about. So far there had been no resistance that had boarded.
"Where's Banner?"
Val shrugged as she drew her sword. "Dunno, but he better turn green and fast." The warrior tumbled into the arms of her king when the ship shook again. Who could possibly be attacking them? The ship and its crew were out in the middle of nowhere and carried no kind of precious cargo.
"I don't think-" The king's words were caught in this throat when the realism and all feeling turned dark and dreamlike.
Thor's mind became a riot. His breathing became ragged when his vision blurred. Sigrun laid only a few feet from him, she wasn't moving. "Val." The King groaned, crawling over to his love. The Valkyries long hair was scattered around her face as she lay motionless. "Val." Tears filled the king's eyes as he held the warrior in his arms. Distance screams from fellow Asgardians were slightly dulled in the king's ears as he helplessly watches four sentient lifeforms of warrior status carve out his people without mercy. The memories of the dream he had only mere nights ago rushed through his mind. The bodies of his people, the destruction of all that was left of them. He had foolishly disregarded these images, regarding them as only dreams. He could not see any sign of Heimdall or Banner. His ears were still ringing from the explosion, he couched form the smoke that surrounded him. His heart ached at the carnage before him. His breathing remained heavy when his eyes rose to his brother who stood before him ash and blood around his face. "Brother." Banner was nowhere to be seen, Thor prayed that the doctor was unharmed in the attack. Something…something had to have caused the ship to hold this much damage.
"Stay down please." Loki begged, removing the tesseract from a small magic pocket dimension. "It will all be over soon."
Thor's eye widened in disbelief to see the tesseract in his sibling's possession again. "Brother, what have you done?" Sigrun moaned softly, wincing in pain when her body slowly moved. Thor screams filled the room when he was violently dragged away from Sigrun by his skull. Pain flowed through his body still from the after-effects of the blast. "Loki, help her. Please do something." The god's eye slowly crawled to the left, but even that effort was painful. Thor trembled at the sight of the two-big hoof-like feet that stood next to him in the ruble, the figure looked as big as the Hulk. Slowly the clearness of Thor's sight returned to gaze upon the face of his captor who had lifted his limp body up to face him eye to eyes. "Hello, your Majesty." He bellowed coldly. Valkyrie had finally woken from her painful sleep, taking in her surroundings as quickly as she could. Remembering the threat, remembering the danger and soon seeing that her love was in that same immediate danger. Her mission came back to her, remembering how she had sworn her life to the throne and to protect who served and ruled the people.
"I'm disappointed in you, young god." The Titan spoke, his voice once again made Thor shutter. He struggled constantly to get away from his captor, but the pressure was only increased. "I provided you forces to assist you in taking the Earth and now you're making off with my precious space stone."
"Why did you take the tesseract." Thor breathed as he clutched his leg which had sustained damage from the hanger explosion.
Loki trembled as he held the cube closely to him. "It…it could help us to rebuild our home," Sigrun screamed when Proxima bashed her head against the blood-filled floor when she attempted to fight back. Thor lashed at Thanos again as if he were drowning. "Please," Loki begged, his legs becoming weak when his words did the same. "Leave us in peace and I'll give you what you want."
"Loki!" The young prince was trying to save his brother, why couldn't he see that?
"Quiet." Corvus growled, resting his spear against the god's throat, Thor feared that it would draw blood if he moved even a little. Thor had been trying to track any trace of the infinity stones for two years and had found nothing of value. Never had it occurred to him that the tesseract had been part of that co
Loki walked up to face Thanos and rose the tesseract above him, presenting it to the mad Titan who proudly took it. "Your people did well to keep this from me." He said, examining the cube thoroughly. "Makes me wonder just how much you knew of the power it held." A blinding light engulfed the room when Thanos crushed the tesseract like an egg. All that trouble and all this death was accomplished just so he could destroy the cube? Or so they thought, in reality destroying the cube revealed its small heart. It was as if a heartbeat pounded through the void of space when the stone connected to its rightful place on the gauntlet.
"Now leave us in peace."
Thanos showed no expression as motioned to his generals to surround the young prince. His cold eyes never left the sight of his beautiful infinity stones. "I never negotiate with my enemies. I crush them into dust." Thor cried out in pain, all he could do was watch. The Titan didn't loosen his grip at all, forcing him to watch as the generals attacked Loki without mercy or empathy. The king watched his beloved brother's lifeless form slum to the cold, metal floor. A sharp pain entered Thor's chest as he whimpered in misery. Time had not lessened his love for Loki despite everything he had said and done to him for so long.
Ebony Maw slinked over to the Asgardian, his lips curled with pleasure. "Master, this one knows more. He's concealing the truth in his small mind." Thanos turned with intrigue in his eyes. Corvus and Obsidian restrained the king as Maw's worm-like figure slinked closer. "So alone you are now." His bony fingers curled over one another. "So afraid you are to tell us….tell us…no…tell me. It will be better that way, yes tell me!" He spoke almost giddy. "Yes, tell me. It will be so much fun. Oh, the fun we shall have now." Thor could feel himself growing tired as the heathen spoke. "Do not wither, you do not have my permission yet. You may tell me now what you know."
"I….I don't."
"Shhhh listen first to your emptiness king. You have so much of it still. Play the game, is all you must do for me. I promise it will be fun. We cannot play if you die now. I have only broken you, not enough to kill you yet."
"You…killed my brother."
"No time for this part." Maw spoke as if he were insane, at war within himself. "Time to pay for your lies, your secrets." Thors cries of anguish once again echoed through the ship as Maw pulled and cut into his physic plane, his realm of thought. Maw was a parasite of desire when it came to controlling and longing, he searched for what was always hidden. Images flooded Maw's mind, one by one they each revealed something of great value. A deep, monstrous roar come from who Thor could only guess was Banner who had gotten angry enough to turn back into the Hulk. Obsidian played his part to subdue the monster, pummeling him almost into submission before he could react. "Master." Maw rose from his crouched position to address his father. "The stones brother resides on Earth." Thanos gazed to his generals with deep intent written on his face. The green monster roared again when he cradled an unconscious Sigrun in his enormous arms. The god-king laid on the floor in shock when Thanos snapped his fingers, which opened a portal that swallowed the monster and the Valkyrie up, disappearing them from sight.
"Master?" Proxima knew better than to question their father's actions, but to let a creature like that survive was strange.
"The monster is of Earth." Thanos replied, standing over the wounded king who was crawling to get find an escape. "He will warn its warrior of our arrival. But there is nothing that they can do." Thor cursed himself for being so weak. Everything inside and outside of him ached, his home people, family, and love were lost to him and now nothing would stop this monster from acting against the rest of the galaxy. "Corvus you and Proxima will go to earth to retrieve my prize. Contact us when you are ready."Thor drifted into unconsciousness when his body was thrown into the cold darkness that awaited outside.