Thor: Practice

Persistence

Thor, Hitsugaya and Matsumoto continue to walk towards the ancient training grounds of years past when the god of thunder stops and looks down at the young captain.

Thor: 'Captain Hitsugaya; Odin's Son is eager for battle. I wilt scout ahead for yon practice grounds.'

Toshiro: 'If you wish; Matsumoto and I will meet you there.'

Thor: 'Tis settled then.'

He nods his head at the two and while holding onto the strap of Mjllonir, he throws the hammer into the air and takes flight. As he carries the Tenshintai, he looks down at his companions and sees them use flash step and they are vanish. He flies onward until he sees a vast stretch of land that looks like it has been fought on countless times. He feels that this is the place and when he starts to alter his course he spots Toshiro and his lieutenant reappear below him. He touches down next to the pair of soul reapers and Rangiku smiles at him.

Toshiro: 'This is where we will be training; Thor, what should we know about Thanos before we start?'

Thor: 'That he be a worthy adversary young captain; the villain can match mine strength and he hath cunning as well. Ne'er give him quarter and be ever vigilant!'

Rangiku: 'He sounds like a tough customer; but with you and my captain, he should be no trouble.'

Toshiro: 'You're fighting too Matsumoto; don't think for one minute that you're going to be able to relax.'

Rangiku: 'But captain!'

She wines and pouts a little before becoming focused again. Thor takes the device from under his arm and sets it upright on the ground in front of him.

Thor: 'Stephen left nigh instructions for this artifact; he said mine memories of the beast would suffice. Doth thou be ready mine friends?'

The two soul reapers nod in unison and Thor focuses his thoughts and memories of Thanos into the device. Within seconds the once blank canvas morphs into Thanos. Thor immediately takes his great hammer and smashes the alien hard in the face! The force of the blow sends the newly formed overmaster through the air and into the ground, causing a large trench to be made in his wake! Thor readies himself to follow up on the assault when he feels Hitsugaya's cold but strong hand on his arm. The blonde god looks down, taken aback by the halt of his attack, and speaks to the boy-captain.

Thor: 'Did thou not heed mine words? He needs not to be given mercy!'

Toshiro: 'We need to access his abilities Thor, and if you defeat him before we can find out what he can do, then what is the point of this exercise?'

Thor calms down slightly and turns to face the white-haired soul reaper.

Thor: 'Trust this captain; e'en one strike by Mjllonir would not be able to defeat Thanos. Lay eyes on his position now; he stirs under the dust.'

The captain and his lieutenant look to where Thor sent the titan and they see him stirring. Through the dust Thanos's eyes glow red with anger. Without yet emerging from the rubble, he speaks to his attacker.

Thanos: 'Ah Thor, how persistently annoying you can be. Where is your ridiculous Asgardian armor, god of thunder? I would feel terrible if I killed you when you were not at full strength.'

Thor: 'I assure thee, monster, Odin's Son tis at full strength.'

He points his hammer at Thanos and a huge bolt of lightning shoots out from the mystical metal! The memory blocks the bolt with his forearms and then cancels the energy with his own cosmic blast!

Toshiro: 'I never knew this kind of power existed outside of the spirit world! Matsumoto, be on guard; this being, even though it is a facsimile, is not to be taken lightly.'

Rangiku: 'I got it captain.'

She draws her zanbakutou and stands ready as her captain mimics her actions and stands ready as well. Before Thanos can take the offensive, Thor rushes him and hits him devastatingly hard in the stomach with Mjllonir! He follows the strike up with a powerful left hook to the titan's jaw. The blows sound like thunder ripping the heavens as the soul reapers look on. Thor tries to continue the offensive onslaught with another strike of his hammer but Thanos grabs the head with his right hand and fires off a blast of cosmic energy point blank into Thor's chest! The god of thunder flies backwards over the heads of his companions and Thanos grins menacingly at the two shocked soul reapers. Rangiku steals a glance at the slow rising god with concern on her face as the captain of squad ten brings her back to the fight.

Toshiro: 'I fought him personally Matsumoto; he'll be fine. Thanos is our opponent and you have to focus.'

Rangiku: 'Right.'

Matsumoto braces her feet as she launches herself at the armored villain! As she closes in on her target she flash steps behind him and narrowly evades a blast of energy that he fires from his eyes! She strikes his armored hide with Haineko and she's amazed that her attack does very little damage!

Rangiku: 'What?'

Thanos: 'Woman; your tiny sword can not pierce my armor. You are wasting your time with this endeavor.'

Before the Eternal can retaliate against her attempted assault, he hears the boy speak.

Toshiro: 'Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!'

Thanos ignores the call and attempts to back hand the female soul reaper away, when suddenly a long cold chain and crescent blade wraps around his arm, halting the assault. Instantly the titan's arm is engulfed in thick ice up to his bicep!

Thanos: 'What is this?'

Instead of taking the child head on, the alien uses the chain which is attached to the hilt of Hitsugaya's sword, and flings the white-haired soul reaper into the air and over his shoulder! The captain uses his spiritual pressure to halt his ascent fifty yards away and raises his sword above his head. As he brings the weapon down in a slash, a large ice dragon forms from the tip and heads straight towards Thanos!

Thanos: 'Insolent whelp.'

He raises his hands and fires off a double blast of green energy at the oncoming dragon. Smoke and mist consumes the area between the two combatants as the cosmic force destroys the attack of Hitsugaya! Suddenly Thor's hammer strikes Thanos hard at the base of his neck, sending the Eternal to his knees! After being saved by her captain's Shikai release, Rangiku moves a few yards away from the being's huge reach. The lieutenant then places her hand on her zanbakutou, near the cat's head-shaped cross guard, and pulls down toward the tip.

Rangiku: 'Growl, Haineko! '

Instantly the entire blade glows white and turns to ash, and all that remains is the hilt and cross guard, which she uses to control the mass of miniature blades. As Thanos starts to regain his footing, she spreads the ash out like a fine mist over the area. She then holds out her free hand, pointing it at the recovering titan.

Rangiku: 'I command thee! Mask of meat, all creation flutter, those that bare the name of man! Truth and temperance merely stand a claw against the wall of the faultless dream! Hado number 33: Sohkatsui!'

A blue wave of energy emits from her hand and heads for Thanos! Matsumoto flash steps around him and starts another incantation before the blue energy strikes her target.

Rangiku: 'Ye lord, mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bares the name of man. Inferno and Pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march onto the South! Hado number 31: Shakkaho!'

The blue wave of energy that the lieutenant fired off first connects with Thanos, engulfing him completely! As she finishes her second incantation, a red ball of energy shoots out of her palm and strikes the Eternal from the opposite angle, exploding on contact! She fluidly commands Haineko to surround Thanos in a bubble of ash, maximizing the damage both kidou spells inflict on her adversary! Breathing heavily, the female soul reaper wipes her forehead and smiles at her work. Hitsugaya touches down next to his lieutenant showing a rare grin of approval. Thor joins the two and then points in the direction of the carnage.

Thor: 'Thy skill is admirable, yet our adversary still stirs.'

Rangiku: 'No way! What do we have to do to beat this thing?'

A muffled yell can be heard through Haineko's ash shield and suddenly Thanos destroys the barrier with an outburst of energy!

Thanos: 'You are but fools to think attacks like that will finish me.'

He points his fist at the Rangiku and fires off an enormous beam of concentrated cosmic energy! Thor instinctively steps in front of the seemingly deadly shot and lets Mjllonir absorb the force before it reaches the soul reaper.

Rangiku: 'Thanks handsome!'

Thor: 'Tis nothing. Captain; we can end this if we combine our mite. Art thou with me?'

Toshiro: 'I grow tired of his persistence; what should we do?'

Thor: 'Let loose Hyourinmaru upon him; freeze him to his very core!'

The soul reaper nods in agreement and slashes at the air once more. Again, a giant ice dragon emerges from the slice and connects with the titan's left leg and hip, freezing them instantly! He moves to another angle and repeats his attack, this time the ice freezes Thanos's other leg!

Thanos: 'Little boy, I can not be frozen; this ice does not phase me at all!'

Hitsugaya ignores the alien's words and positions himself at another angle to once again attack with Hyourinmaru. This time, the Eternal's whole left side up to his neck, is completely engulfed in thick ice! He stops his assault and looks up into the air to see Thor swinging his hammer around. The skies have gone black and thunder rumbles through the heavens. Suddenly Thor stops his hammer and a gigantic lightning bolt splits the skies and comes crashing down, hitting Thanos dead center in the chest! The resulting fallout is tremendous as ice and debris fly in every direction! Thor continues the assault however, by bringing his hammer down with earth-shattering force right into the side of Thanos's face! The momentum of the blow buries the titan deep into the ground, causing a tremor through their vicinity. Thor steps out of the crater and sheathes his smoking hammer. The three allies have barely time to catch their breath when they hear rubble shift inside of the hole that Thanos is buried in. They all look at the slowly emerging figure in joint disbelief. Thor frowns deeply, determination playing across his face. Hitsugaya grips Hyourinmaru tightly and frost seems to emanate from the sword. Rangiku stands there shocked as she can't believe what she's seeing. Slowly, a golden gloved hand, albeit smoking and charred, grasps the side of the crater.

Thanos: 'I will never be defeated! I will destroy you all—'

As with the Tenshintai Wolverine and the captains of the eighth and thirteenth squads faced, this one too finally powers down and reverts back to its base form. Toshiro lets out a sigh and powers down his zanbakutou. Haineko returns to Matsumoto's sheath and Thor puts away Mjllonir. They look at each other and smile.

Rangiku: 'Is that really how powerful that guy's gonna be? I don't know captain, I think I'm going to have to take a vacation to the human world and you can come get me when that guy's gone!'

She flips a strand of blonde hair out away from her face as she says this. The god of thunder looks at the beautiful soul reaper.

Thor: 'Thou fared well Rangiku; you hath much to be proud of this day. Those spells thou used, combined with yon Haineko was most impressive indeed, fair maiden.'

Rangiku: 'Oh, stop Thor, you'll make a girl blush!'

Toshiro: 'If you two are finished? We should head back and see what kind of data Kurotsuchi has gathered on this being. If this battle is any indication, I won't hesitate when we meet the real thing.'

Rangiku: 'That's my captain; always thinking ahead.'

Toshiro: 'Let's just go.'

The three once again walk the way they had come; none of them in much hurry to get back as they were to get here. Thor, as he did earlier, carries the smoking and charred Tenshinai under his arm.