With the crack of thunder splitting the skies above, Thor stepped past the wreckage obstructing his view. The Man of Iron and the Captain at his sides. Their views clearing, they beheld at last their adversary, past and present. The Mad Titan.
Thanos was located amid the ruins of the now wrecked building. Seated atop a ginormous stone, seeming contemplative at their approach.
"We do it together this time." Said the Captain, hefting his shield in preparation, while Stark's Helmet came crushing down. Thor's eyes though, met those of the titan, the gaze of the storm clashing with that of the fury of the mad. Nay, he had other plans.
The thunderer stretched forth and to the side his bulky arms, as if waiting for something. The sound of thunder from the one side and the rage of a king from the other came rushing in, slamming into his awaiting hands.
Whereas Stormbreaker alone would have been unable to coax the entirety of Thor's slumbering strength, as it did 5 years ago, especially if one considered how much he had let himself go. The addition of Mjolnir in his other hand was enough to do the trick. The raw primal energies of the storm raced and prickled all over his skin and armor, showcasing the return of the Asabrag for all to see.
His companions by his side, while courageous beyond belief and incredibly gifted were still in the end only mortal, so they didn't perceive this change. The Mad Titan wearing a taunting smirk from his perch down below, was too mad to care. His perceived invincibility absolute.
Thor would disabuse him of that notion.
Gripping his weapons firmly he leaped towards the Titan with a yell.
"Thor! Wait!" yelled the startled Man of Iron.
"Oh, no. After him Tony!" said the Captain. As the pair sprinted after the God.
But the Aesir did not intend to wait for his friends, the risk to them would be too great. This was his mistake to fix.
The seated Titan wore a cocky grin as he saw the raging figure rushing towards him, not having enough time to fasten his helmet or to exchange pleasantries with the impatient whelp, he simply lifted himself up and raised his sword in preparation.
With the fury of the maelstrom, Thor fell upon the Titan. Swinging first his trusted hammer and then his axe.
The titan, showing his experience matched him blow for blow, blade hurrying to block slam after after slam, cut after cut.
Slowly, the easy going smirk he wore on his face started to slip and beads of sweat started to appear on the purple man's face.
This wasn't so easy after all.
In contrast, Thor seemed as hale as when their fight begun or mayhaps even better. At least, if the increasing intensity of the lightning racing over his skin was any indication.
As blow after blow was exchanged in a flurry almost too fast for mortal eyes, the already ruined ground around them was destroyed beyond any hope of recovery.
What he once blocked fully, slowly became glancing hits. Causing bruises all over the Titan's body. That blasted hammer..
Finally, and almost as his companions had reached him. The Thunderer, immobilized the warlord's sword with his axe and slipped a full blow with his hammer.
Making the giant wince in pain and let go of his guard for an instant. Yes..Thor had at last shaken the rust off from those last few years..
This in turn, allowing Thor to disengage his axe, and land another, even worse hammer blow. Blasting the Titan up into the air.
Leaping after the gagging monster, the king of the Aesir started spinning his Mjolnir. Arcs of lightning appearing on its edges. And smashed Thanos in the chest with a hateful snarl.
The Titan blasted backwards, his armor shredded, smashing into and through a wall and digging a ditch into the dirt behind it.
With another yell towards the sky, Thor raised both his weapons high. Causing the sky to flash behind him, and flew after the man.
Landing before the still prone Titan, who was clutching his chest, making a wheezing sound.
Thor wasted not a moment, not again. He spun and then swung his hammer. Once, twice.
Turning the purple man's head this and that way, as well as blowing some of his teeth off and giving him a concussion.
Nary a moment later, he loped one of the Titan's arms off with Stormbreaker causing him to scream.
And then the other.
Seeing his hated enemy laid low before him, groaning in anguish Thor spat. Before burying his axe's hatchet to the ground and grasping Thanos head with a muscled forearm, and lifting the defeated man into a kneeling position.
With bleary eyes and sweat dripping down his body from the pain, the madman looked upwards. Meeting the face of his enemy and soon to be executioner.
"This..doesn't ghh. Change anything.." he panted. "Killing me doesn't change the fact that I am right. Or the fact that this monstrous strength of yours is clearly a gift of my own making." Despite the deep pain he was under, Thanos chuckled. "You should be thanking me really. The actions of my future self, clearly made you stronger."
Thor, letting go of Mjolnir, backhanded the man so as to silence him before returning it to his hand.
The growing footsteps, indicated that his friends had almost reached him.
"It is thee who is mistaken knave," spat the thunderer. "I remember the tales of you fleeing from my father. And it was you who made the mistake of challenging the king of Asgard once more. It was by my hand you almost tasted defeat before, and thine which cost you your head." He lifted his axe as the man made to speak.
"Thor wait!" came a shout from behind him, the Captain rushing in to stop him.
He swung. Thanos head flew with a wet thunk.
Ignoring the collapsing body, the Aesir turned towards his friends with a grim smile. "It is done, my friends." He exclaimed, opening his arms as if to hug them.
Stark just sighed, "Well, that was anti climatic. Now what?"
"Now we must find friend Banner, regroup and repel of the rest of the knave's army." Said Thor, his goofy persona long discarded. Revealing the millennia old expert tactician.
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With the battle raging on around them, Thor helped the still recovering Bruce to walk forward. The giant still cradling the gauntlet in his maimed arm.
Seeing a somewhat intact piece of dwelling, he lowered the giant to the ground with care. Causing the green man to exhale with discomfort.
"Say, friend Bruce?"
Panting, Bruce forced an eye open to look at his friend. "Yes, what is it Thor."
"I have an idea, do you trust me?" he asked, his eyes shinning with mischief. Almost reminiscent of the old Thor. He nodded towards the golden gauntlet. "Hand it over, I know what to do."
The Hulk frowned as Iron man choose that moment to make a flyby and destroy some sort of flying creatures.
"Thor..you are in no shape to withstand the power of the stones right now." Tried Bruce in a delicate tone, pushing his mangled arm with a grimace. "I mean look at what it did to me."
The jovial king only roller his eyes, "Oh I know that you lout, trust me. It will be awesome." He hefted his twin weapons. "Plus with those two amping me up, I am almost as good as new!"
Frowning, the Hulk nevertheless removed the gauntlet and handed it off to Thor, who let go of Stormbreaker for an instant, fitting it on his arm, grimacing as the stones started attuning to their host, filling him with their power. And swiftly retook his weapon, the axe's strength soothing the strain.
Lifting a hand up, Thor frowned as he tried to click his hand while gripping the axe, finally managing it by flicking the middle and the pinky.
With a flash of energy the thunderer was rejuvenated, his prime restored and the sloth of those last few years evaporating.
He grinned, the rightful king of Asgard restored. Unbridled lightning, once more coursing through his veins. And with far more ease he snapped again, causing the forces of the deceased Titan all around them, to disappear in an ironic re-enactment of the tragedy that occurred half a decade ago.
With dark soot falling all around them Thor took a deep breath, and let out a small smile. Finally, it was done.
Soon Stark and the rest of his friends had gathered around the Hulk and him both, requesting an explanation. And so, he did just that.
The Captain, who until now seemed like an inviolate bastion of willpower let out a big breath of relief.
"So, it's done then."
Thor smiled, "Not quite my friends." He eyed his hammer in thought for a moment and snapped again, a couple of times in quick succession. Howling in pain at two of them, scars marring his body before the last one restored him to perfect health.
"Thor!" Yelled Banner rushing to support his swaying friend, with two hands. Two hale hands.
"I am alright my friend, just winded." Said Thor, with a still pale, if smiling face, before he removed the gauntlet and handed it off to the Captain. "Now it's done."
"What did you do Thor?" Asked the ever-suspicious Man of Iron.
He just chuckled in response, "Nothing harmful, I assure you friend. I merely healed friend Banner here, restored those off my people the Titan had killed, including my brother, re-made Asgard, re-made the stones Thanos destroyed and.." he winked. "That one is a secret."
Turning again towards the captain he added, "I suppose that now we must put things back where they belong, I trust you can do it friend Rogers." He said handing him the time traveling Mjolnir.
The still distracted man, took it absentmindedly with one hand, the other still holding the gems.
"Hah! I knew it!" Proclaimed a boisterous Thor, pointing towards the man.
Captain America blinked before realizing what he was holding and just sighed.
Iron man looked introspective, "I feel that I should have done the snap for some reason."
The lord of the Aesir simply put his free hand on the man's armored shoulder and squeezed lightly, "Don't jest friend, that would have killed you."
Stark just nodded, in thought. And Dr. Strange was suspiciously silent.
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Stepping back into his home Thor let out a happy smile.
"Ahh Thor hello, yes, I see you are quite fit again. Good for you, my man." Korg welcomed him, sitting on the couch, controller at hand. "As you can see this hammer, ruined our table it did. And we can't seem to move it." Said his friend indicating his once broken comrade now pristine once more, laying immobile on the floor surrounded by the ruins of the table and a cursing Miek on top of it. Trying and failing to move Mjolnir.
Finally letting out another hissing litany of curses the bug gave up and moved back to the couch.
Thor just called his friend to his hand, the hammer eagerly rushing to his palm with its characteristic sound. Yes everything was good.
"Thor, I am sorry to say but..he is back." Said Korg removing his headset with a sigh.
The Aesir's eyes narrowed, "Noobmaster!"
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Yo, just something which came to me yesterday while I was tormented by insomnia. If there is one thing I hate in any art medium, it's the fuckin retcons.
You've established that prime Thor can push Thanos shit in, as in a Thanos with all six stones. And you are telling me that a Thor with Stormbreaker AND Mjolnir combined, rejuvenating him to his old strength and maybe surpassing it. Can't clap a stone less Titan's cheeks? Bitch please.
Do you even rune-king Thor? He ain't nearly there yet, but..anyway.
As for the constant "Captain" and "Man of Iron", well that's just Thor being Thor.