(Hi! I have posted more than one chapter per day, but the visualization graph indicates that some people are directly accessing the last chapter posted and missing the previous ones. So if you are one of the people who have come this far please check that you have not missed anything. Thank you very much for your attention!)

Despite all his people had been almost completely extinct, Thor was still responsible for it, and there were people under his protection, who he couldn't fail with. He was always doing all he could to avoid that anyone else was impaired for his mistakes and in the last years he was making much effort to restore what was left of the nine kingdoms, even keeping his base permanently in Midgard, he didn't use to spend much time on the planet, he was always there for those needing his help, wherever they were.

The god liked to think that now, finally, things were going right, there was no enemy that he and his friends couldn't face, the problems of the throne of the ancient Asgard were not on his shoulders anymore, the peace was nearer on the places under his guard than on any others, the avengers (or the remaining avengers) do an exemplary job in protecting Earth, the hare and the tree were perfectly fine, Jane was healed, new Valkyries were being trained by the only one who survived among those who belonged to the ancient order, Lady Sif was proud to be by his side whenever needed, Loki was coming to his senses and now has an amazing partner to keep him in good humors. Everything was going perfect, but even so he had the constant sensation that there was something wrong going on and it was exactly his dear brother who raised this doubt.

Well, he lived for a long time with that so-called god of lies, cheating and evil not to notice when someone was hiding something from him and it was exactly this that he knew Shield was trying to do. As the matter "Loki" was something quite delicate to deal with, it wasn't needed to be a genius to know that the secret was somehow involved with him. His brother didn't contribute to lessen the suspects, some in the kingdoms he'd been to mentioned that the prince was seen there not a long time ago, but nothing gave him evidence of what he was doing in these places or what were his intentions, among all, what worried him the most was the fact of the human not to want to involve him in the matter because they knew he would defend his brother.

Thor looked for his own evidence by himself, but was miserably failing in discovering anything. The blond one has never been the smartest among the gods and, though he really tried to improve now, no one becomes brilliant from one moment to another, not even someone like him. That was one more day that he could dedicate himself to his so outdated studies and training, even he knew a lot about many things that most of the humans have never thought about existing, there were many other subjects he was completely ignorant bout, and it was no shame admitting this since he kept trying to improve. In the beginning, it was very hard to stay in the middle of all those books, parchments, documents and unknown technology, but, through the months of much insistence of him, he started even to like it. He could understand now why his brother abdicated a good part of his life to be dived into all those bunched words.

The god of thunder was in his Midgardian home, which maybe for him was the most pleasant refuge, he had learnt how to love each corner of that simple place and even though he felt unbearably lonely in each one of his days, staying there brought him all comfort and tranquility he needed. Despite, of course, enjoying the presence of his new fox friend, it was just a cub yet, but it was showing to be a very smart, independent and loyal pet. After having dominated the mysteries of the cafeteria, nothing would be better than spend the day with good cups of coffee, the company of Akira and a pile of books, though in this specific day he couldn't keep concentered for much long thanks to the problems taking over his mind.

Loki would always have his admiration, care and respect, but there were many moments in which he would like to have Gram (the sword of the truth) to discover everything he hides in that cynical smile. His brother always gives the impression that everything is fine when they're together, however, coming from him, it wasn't something truthful, despite being recomforting. Thor felt lost most of the times he thought about him, he wouldn't bear more fights and familiar conflicts precisely when they were getting along better, even if it were in a weird way. He could see that the trickster god was improving, he didn't even complain anymore about having to live together with humans he hates so much, but nothing removed completely his doubts about whatever he would be doing now.

The blond one started to think about Stark, she had captivated him in the first few hours after they met and even with all her love for Earth and the people living in it, she couldn't help feeling some hatred each time he looked to the sky and saw all the marks of all the cruelty she was a victim of through all her years of life. Lin's a broken woman, but not less amazing because of that. She's brilliant, strong and talented, but also kind of crazy, unpredictable and unstable; as fragile as unbeatable and even though he didn't like even a bit to affirm this, she's an excellent liar. There were many of his brother's abilities in some of her traits and this annoyed him a lot, he didn't know to what point she was truthful, if she was using them for all this time or being used by Loki.

Sometimes he wished not being a god, he wouldn't have so many problems to solve daily if he had been born as a common human. Sighing, Thor accepted he couldn't concentrate today, he drank the last sip of his delicious coffee and put the book he had chosen aside, he decided to go after the Iron Girl, she was the closest thing to his brother that he had now that he was untraceable again, he expected that she would do or say anything that could help him to unravel the secrets hidden from him.

Thor took his powerful Stormbreaker and held the small Akira firmly in his hand, it was possible to hear an upset grumbling from the fox due to the sudden interruption of the cuddle he was giving it, but soon it settled in the coziness of his owner. It could be kind of uncomfortable to cross through Bifrost, so a bigger care was needed, even if it weren't the first time they did that, it wasn't exactly a good idea to risk now, so, flying was the best option.

He walked slowly outside his house and lifted the weapon, being taken from the floor heading to the skies, it wouldn't take long to arrive where he was going to and find his brother's bride and when that happened, the best would be he could get any kind of useful information.

(…)

The basic principle usually taken into account by the heroes was the one of not killing your adversaries, no matter who they are, but that was a very tempting situation to forget this kind of moral. Thanos was among the members of the Infinity Watch, odd as it may seem, he was his next target and the irony didn't stop there, it was the reality stone they were about to get, the same one that the prince knew more than the titan himself, for it has been an important mark in the legends of his people.

Loki could still feel his neck breaking and possibly could never forget it, there was not even one good memory that linked him to the mad titan, it would be a great satisfaction to retribute what he had done as good as one gets, make him feel the same pain and… how did he say? "No resurrection". Stephen was fated to support the idea of killing the stone keeper, however, this would only bring more problems for both if someone noticed that, with the death, the powerful artifact was also taken. They didn't want to catch unnecessary attention, they didn't allow that more people knew about what they were doing, not even those who they had already beaten had the conscience that they failed and lost their stones.

The wrath that the wizard carried inside came from the fact that many of his friends and allies had been killed in the battle that brought them the victory on raisins, but he knew that it could be much worse if his memories were just the same of Doctor Strange's that made the time travel possible and that drove them to the life they were in now, despite of being conscious of all these events, he didn't feel the same fury that had taken over him in his main life path, even though he had not shown it at no moment.

Since he knew about the seventh infinity stone, his memories about the other time seemed to be more distorted and confusing, he knew exactly what happened and knew all the facts about his other life, but started to lose the details and to win certain inclination to what seemed similar or that used to do at that time, not to what he was absolutely sure It was part of him, since these things were no more. There was something wrong in his head and everything that made him to believe that was about some consequence came from his knowledges about something that theoretically had never happened, so as, of course, the constant presence of Eternity near Earth.

Stephen knew that for his partner it was even weirder to get used to it, Loki had total access to his other memories, but the problem was that those were the ones that now predominated on his mind, little he know about the life he had before opening up his eyes in Thor's house and how things really happened in this time line since he invaded Midgard under Thanos control; the god only kept going on, as if there was nothing different for him in daily routine and his abilities with lies and manipulation made this fact unnoticed by anyone, even though nothing was said by him.

They didn't plan to fight this time, even though much unexpected, the mad titan was the easiest target among the other members of the watch, even being him the formidable enemy who once gathered all the infinity stones together. When the roles in the game turned over, he got as vulnerable as a child would be, simply because the most important creature in his life owed a lot to the trickster god and he wouldn't think twice to use it in his favor. Strange had no idea this asset existed until not long ago and would never discover about it if the mind stone hadn't willingly told him.

Death owed the less trustable person in the whole universe, just because, as far as known, he turned him into what he became. Surprisingly and hilarious somehow, maybe even unbelievable, Loki was born to be the one who would bring peace to all the worlds, a god who would unify the peoples and who would do what no one else would ever have the chance to, just because the Living Tribunal had agreed that they had to give a chance for this to be something possible to achieve. Rumors say that he was the one who interfered and became the creator of the little frost giant who would be treated as a son by the king of Asgard, it was just an experiment, they have never done anything to unify the universe before and allowed that the life of that little boy went on in its natural course in the beginning, anxious for the result and curious about what would come next, knowing already that he would succeed in freeing himself from a great evil and that would take him to his glorious future. Beings as Living Tribunal are beyond the thinkable, they can see the future related to each choice whenever they want or choose just to wait for a little fraction of their immortalities to witness in fact the result of its own idea, but when Death saw what was fated to happen she felt hatred, nothing even close to attainment. In the planned future, the god wouldn't be alone in his glory, by his side a woman would be elected to rule with him and keep his peace. Sigyn was her name and she was indeed the closest of a friend the prince had along his life before knowing certain Midgardian child, the problem was that, from that bond, Hel would be born and this girl would become the goddess of the dead, the one who would bring an end to Death, its perfect substitute. So, to avoid that the creature that would overcome it had the chance to exist, Death acted without permission, interfering in the so careful and well-planned outcome of the universe and took Sigin away before the conflict that would decide everything happened. It was her fault Loki to be under the shadows of Thor and to have ceded to his worst part, becoming what he is today and not that so important being he was meant to be, since his partner was essential to keep the balance. Until today, there were no chance to change this being her not around. The Living Tribunal itself punished it for this and decided to give up on that idea they tried at that moment, that was the reason why the god sometimes survived harmless to unthinkable situations, the entity wasn't interested in getting close to him again, it had lost something too much important when did it the first time. That's why it wouldn't even get offended with what they were about to do, wouldn't hunt them for it, what was great.

Thanos had fallen in love with destruction, ruin and degradation. He loves Death. An uncommon, intense and limitless feeling for someone who little knows about what is to feel, something so blind and absurd that he was capable to decimate half of the universal population with the hidden purpose of offering enough souls for his beloved, believing that doing so would make her a little bit happier and even more interested on him. Sweet delusion. All his speech about the end of the resources of the planets and about the superpopulation wasn't completely false, it was a good, logical and somehow rational excuse, it was the real reason for the destruction of the planet he was born, but has never been what motivated him to range all the way he did. We can't say that he was minimally successful with his objective, since besides everything was undone, Death got angry with him for he became someone stronger than her for a moment and, lastly, even when Thanos tried to reverse its humor destroying the stones, he ended up dead, his only consolation was that there was a little consideration from the entity, after all, it allowed him to be resurrected and to come back without any sequelae, but with one alteration only. The titan without the memories of his fails was firmly ignored by his love since then.

Thankfully, Loki is a specialist in manipulating his puppets and now he could almost be visible the little threads that connect his hands to the body of the big and strong raisin. Strange and the good didn't take long to find their target since both the stones they had were almost throwing open in their minds where their siblings were, but finding Thanos had never been the problem, getting close to him unsuspected about what he's keeping, it is. Differently from what happened to Gamora, there were no applaudable context to apply with the titan that would benefit them in the case of being caught, they couldn't fail and they wouldn't.

There were moments in the routine of that being when he strayed from everyone who serves him, sat on his throne and stared at the stars, completely alone. He had no goals now, was a shallow person who had lost everything and who knew to deserve each moment of pain. He wanted nothing more than a good company and a way to go, that's why when the so-known chill haunted him in hiss refuge, tears came up to his eyes.

Loki didn't need to restrain his will to laugh and this just let the purple-skinned even happier, his laughter seemed to be much more attractive for him in the body he was in. He felt disgust, but no one would notice, he had no face, so no one could see any expression. Subtiliter in the hands of the wizard interfered enough so that Thanos couldn't see any fail in the disguise of the god, so as it made his mind to repeat all the sensations that the presence of the real Death causes on his body. If it were the prince using the stone, the titan would certainly notice, but Stephen did a perfect job from where he was.

- Death… - He greeted who he saw, a few feet away was the personification of Death, a female figure wrapped in a long black cloak, whose skull-like face was mostly covered with a hood.

- Thanos. - There was no sympathy or any comforting emotion in her voice, but, in as much as it was her, this didn't mean anything bad. Only who had conquered her consideration caused this to her, and that was already a big step.

- I thought you were mad at me… - The titan kneed in front of the woman trying to reach her height, he sometimes dared to stare at her straight, but, most of the time, kept the eyes steady to the ground and not venturing anything, keeping an anxious and submissive position.

- I can't keep blaming you for something you don't even remember of having done. – Loki shouldered. It seemed he saw no importance in anything that happened in the past years, although these things have been the reason he chose to ignore the lover.

- Thank you, thank you… - There was suffering in the titan's voice, but also relief and priceless care.

- Don't thank me for anything. – The god toned angry and disappointment. – I shouldn't even be looking at your face while you refuse to abandon once and for all your desire of collecting all the infinity stones!

- But I stopped looking for them a long time ago! I never tried to get them together again after the last time we met, I promised you, I did this for you. – The desperation he couldn't hide didn't at all befit the image anyone is used to have of the powerful titan. Love changes people, sometimes extremely.

- So why do you still keep one of them? – The coldness in his voice seemed to cut the other's heart, but the prince didn't mind, on the contrary, he loved it.

- Because I swore to protect it so that no one could reunite it with the others again. – Thanos raised his eyes and head, facing her beloved's eyeballs straightly for that she could find all the truth of his words.

- It might be, but how long would you keep this vow? – He tried to answer, but she spoke again before he had the chance – You have already spent years with singularities like these under your power, you know them better than anyone and know that each one of them will not miss the opportunity to induce you to other choices while they're still here.

- Trust me, I don't keep in touch with Aether. – Titan raised his big hand to touch her and Loki allowed him to hold the skeletal fingers of the entity.

- I do. – Her words caused shivers to the purplish skin – But I don't trust what that stone can do. Things are not like they used to be, each one of them wants to reunite with the others for some reason we still don't know and we decided not to risk this to happen again. That's why I'm here, I came to get it. We will find a person who cannot be corrupted to keep it safe.

- Are you sure? – Thanos didn't seem upset or offended, maybe he truly had already overcome all his ambition for the stones. When Death nodded he got up obediently, revered her and left the place promising to come back in a minute.

The god observed him to go with an uncomfortable sensation in his chest. He didn't doubt that the true entity was close, watching his actions with a sadistic fun and imagined that it hadn't interfered yet just because it knew he would die in a way much more pleasant to contemplate. The titan, on the other hand, inspired almost pity. How is it possible that the almighty Thanos, the one who decimated half of the universal life and who, in a long-time-ago-distorted future, also got rid of the stones could behave like a needy puppy in someone's presence? Feelings make weird things with living creature's minds and that's why Loki still believes they are a terrible weakness. The living proof of it is that he would receive in his hands an extremely powerful weapon just because he made the other to believe he really was the woman he loves and after literally asked him to abdicate of the possibly most valuable item among everything he has, for his ridiculous love, the titan wouldn't deny her a thing.

Stephen feared that the interference of the mind stone looked clear or dissolved because of the distance between him and the target, but answering his question, the stone simply vibrated, as if laughing at the fact of someone doubting about what she could do. When Thanos came back, in his hands was Aether, the reality stone, prisoned in its liquid form, and he straightly walked to his beloved's image to handle it.

Loki, feeling the force of the object in his hands, smiled ironically, though no one could see it, thinking about how unlikely it was that the creature who once broke his neck to get one of the stones was the same who was offering it to him with no resistance. The titan stepped back soon after giving to Death what she came for and standing, looked again to the stars, waiting for her to go. Just to play a little bit with the so-despicable other's feelings, it was the god who got close again, catching Thanos off his guard he materialized the sweet lips of a woman and left a stamp on the purplish face; turned her backs and left soon after (what was summed up in entering the mirrored dimension the wizard created to be there unnoticed).

The titan stayed still where he was, took his hand to where his beloved had kissed and, almost petrified, opened a big and slob smile. For him, nothing that the stone could create would be so recomforting, because in his perception it was real and he didn't need any power to get it.

- Have I ever mention how cruel you are sometimes? – Strange asked humorous, his hands and arms gesticulating to open the portal that would take them out of there.

- Sometimes, though I think you're not complaining. – The prince answered, his appearance had already got back to its usual and his prize shined proudly being held by him.

- I'm not.

Done the portal, they left the gigantic other's spaceship and headed to their next conquest. There's no time to lose and there are still three singularities for them to steal.

(…)

Thor needed only one look of Tony Stark's daughter to notice there was something wrong. Lin received him in a training room soon after Pepper guided him there. The redhaired was attentive and with a more observer look than usual, she desired the god to have noticed what she had and so maybe he could help her. There was no problem in the fact that the girl was adventuring in the battle simulation made exclusively for Capitan Marvel and for Thor himself, for being more advanced than any other, no, she is too strong and smart, wouldn't get much hurt with her night exercises, much more unlikely it seemed to him weird that she was exposing part of her body with short clothes or that the room was unbearably cold and her body was sweating as if she was sickly hot, no, it wasn't the changed skin, the divine aspect or the brown eye that was clearer than what made him sure there was something wrong. It was the smile. When Ms. Stark and he entered and interrupted the training, Lin immediately got recovered and smiled a big smile to the visitor, almost lovely and overly happy.

- Goldilocks! – she greeted enthusiastic – Were you feeling lonely and came to enjoy my lovely presence? – She asked joking while getting close, taking a bottle and a towel in her way, all of this with all the naturality she usually didn't have.

- I came to see how are you. – The girl attentively looked at him waiting him to go on while drying the sweat on her face with the towel, a little relief before going back to her accommodation and taking a shower. – And I'd like to know too if you have had any news about my brother. – Thor didn't show, but perfectly noticed how the body of the woman beside him tensed when he mentioned Loki, maybe it was for her who should ask for information.

- I don't know if you have already noticed, but the grand trickster god is not used to account for his own life. – Lin raised her lateral lips in a smile and opened the bottle she held, drinking a long sip of the liquid soon after.

- Not even for his bride? – He risked, trying not to seem invasive and didn't understand the fun expression that appeared on her face.

- No, he wouldn't even for his bride, if he had one. – She blinked on of her eyes while passing through both, it was evident she thought it funny the expression she was doing at the time. – I'd love to stay and talk to you, but I have a much important pajamas party with my sister in a few minutes. By the way, thank you for coming up, I would definitively not remember this appointment if I didn't stop smashing things. – Waving, she left the training room leaving no chance for questions, but there were enough seconds for Thor to notice the fact there was no red band stick to her pulse.

He stood still for a while just facing the place where the girl got out through. Nothing was making sense, how was it that out of the sudden the so-pure and beautiful connection between them was gone? How hurt she was to force that happy expression as if it was a perfect day? What the fuck Loki had done to break that bond? The answer came from Pepper.

- Your brother tried to kill her. – It was only a weak whisper. – Linna made him a gift, it was an extraordinary armor and after she handed it to Loki, he attacked her, laughed at her surprise and went away. That happened on Christmas and she's like this since then. Seeming always happy, but I feel she's about to blow.

- Are you sure? He really has a deep consideration for her… - Thor wanted to be able to believe it was a lie.

- You know your brother better than me, you know he is completely capable of having used her all along. Friday recorded everything – Pepper didn't change at all her tone of voice, but the god felt she was angry, to the point she didn't mind being talking to a god, a legend or any man. – Lin deserves a better life and a family that loves her, she faced too much things for that some son-of-a-bitch god has fun out of her! People are dying every day and Loki is pointed to be to most likely guilty, what are you waiting for stopping him?! Each second past, one more of those you swore to protect is in danger because of someone you brought to our lives! If you want to live as one of us, do something! Stop him or prove me wrong.

Thor stared at the redhaired as if he truly saw her for the first time. "A wonderful woman, not like us, but would face our worst enemies to protect who she loves and after would tell us off about how stupid we are to risk our lives this way". Tony used to say that about her when boasting about the partner he had. The god never thought about that or saw Pepper as someone strong, but there she was, charging some attitude while no one else did. She treated the girl as her daughter, she wouldn't accept anyone doing harm to her and this made him to admire her.

- I will confront my brother or the one masquerading him when he is on his way of doing his next victim. Next time I'm in front of Loki, intercepting his hunt or in a more distant future, I will charge him and punish him for what he did to Stark. It's a promise.

- Make it sure he stays back and never hurt her again.

With a wave from the king, he guaranteed that he wouldn't fail and left, ending his quick visit and concretizing his new duty. He would stop the murderer, whoever it might be, and after that nothing would stop him to punish his brother as he deserved, even though he couldn't think of something creative enough to supply the grief he was feeling.

Tomorrow will be a long day.