The Stone was right where Rocket Racoon had said it would be. Loki's magic easily undid the locks and traps, and finally they were in front of the sphere container. Loki was grinning, his eyes shining.
"Are there any traps?" Thor asked.
"Of course not," Loki informed. "All have been dismantled." He kept his hands behind his back, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Why don't you try to pick it up?"
Thor looked at him. "You are not even sure there is no booby trap connected to it and you just want me to take the hurt if there is!" he exclaimed.
"What, me? No, never." Loki turned his head away. "Would you mind fetching it, then giving it to me?" he asked.
Thor sighed, then turned to the pedestal with the container, he stepped up to it then looked down at the thing, even from here he could feel the pulsing. Then slowly he reached forward a hand, and picked up the container.
Loki grinned, his mouth like a cheshire cat's as his eyes glistened. "Now give it here?" he asked.
Thor looked at Loki, he held out a hand with the container, then suddenly… The container vanished.
Loki blinked.
"My pocket dimension is not nearly as big nor impressive as yours," Thor smirked, amused. "Forgive me, I only had a few hours to learn this skill."
Loki was gaping. "You..." he gasped. "You tricked me."
"Well, I wouldn't say that," Thor commented. "I just kept an ace up my sleeve."
"You had planned this before we left! Kept quiet about it, and waited for the right time. You tricked me!" Loki stated.
Thor quieted then smiled, a bit abashed. "Well, sort of." He looked up at Loki and saw Loki's eyes… They were not angry. Not the slightest bit. They were intrigued!
Thor did remember back when the dark elves had attacked and he had tricked Loki, Loki's reaction back then had been much the same. He hadn't been angry at all, only intrigued, even excited. Excited for Thor to use trickery back against him, and now too, he seemed deep down excited by the prospect.
Thor had no idea what could possibly be going through Loki's head, if he was delighted by the thought of Asgard's golden prince falling back on trickery like he did.
Or if he was witnessing a challenge he deemed worthy of himself and that excited him… Perhaps it was a mix of both. Thor didn't know.
"Well Loki, your battlefield is not one of brawn but one of wits," Thor repeated himself from one of their earlier conversations. "To have you as an enemy… To stand a chance. You have to adapt or perish."
Loki tilted his head as he looked at Thor, curiosity ever present in his eyes.
"Though quite frankly, I'd rather have you as a friend than an enemy. Any day," Thor stated.
Loki smirked. "Well, perhaps it won't be too bad fighting alongside you once more," he said as he turned around and started to walk out with a straight back.
Thor shook his head as he chuckled, then walked after Loki outside on the barren planet, then he halted.
Loki was standing a bit away, his head raised as he looked up in a frozen position. There was something… different about his body, it looked tense.
"Loki?" Thor asked as he walked up next to Loki and followed Loki's eyes up to blink, most of the sky was littered in stars... Except this one place, that one big massive place around them looked black, it was odd. No stars, no moons or planets, just… Nothingness. "What is..." Thor breathed.
"This universe has started to collapse," Loki replied. "A few planets are supposed to be in that space… Planets where people are supposed to be living. No more… They don't exist… As if they were never there in the first place." He reached out a hand.
Thor felt a chill within himself.
"The corners of the universe are vanishing." Loki looked up.
Thor was shaking. "How much time do we have?" he asked.
"The universe is vast, it may be years… But it is coming." Loki turned to Thor. "The corners will collapse first… Asgard last, because Asgard is in the center. That, though, is just this reality, the other which has no Infinity Stones... The destruction will probably be much more erratic."
"Then..." Thor breathed. "We must hurry." He placed a hand on Loki's shoulder. "Midgard is next. We shall travel back to Svartalfheim and from there travel through the branches to Midgard."
"As we planned." Loki nodded.
Back at their spacecraft, Thor did feel pretty tired, so he took the opportunity to lay down. Loki was laying down as well not far from him, resting.
Once again Loki's mere presence was calming to Thor, and as he started hearing a racoon's voice in the back of his mind, he was once again thankful his other self would be with Loki as he was shifting.
"Collapse of the universe! HAH!" The racoon was mocking him.
Thor looked down at Rocket, realizing he had left while the raccoon was still talking. Thor, Natasha and Rocket had decided to get dinner together, if only to catch up.
"Rocket, please," Natasha sighed, sounding tired. "If you can't behave, leave," she asked, putting her fork into the pasta in front of her.
Thor looked in front of himself and saw his own plate of pasta with tomato sauce, as well as a glass of water. No alcohol for him.
Once again he was back as if no time had passed whatsoever.
"I saw it," Thor then informed.
"Oh?" Rocket asked.
"Parts of the universe gone, as if they were never there," Thor informed.
Rocket blinked. "Why didn't you say that sooner then?" he asked. "That's something you can actually check out."
Thor smiled sadly. "In the other timeline… The Stone was where you said it would be."
"Huh?" Rocket asked. "You mean, the Stone I told you about this morning and you were talking about it just ten minutes ago."
Thor shook his head, without thinking, feeling that pocket dimension he had created then he blinked… Wait.
"See, making stuff up!" Rocket stated.
Thor though was quiet as he held out a hand, and then suddenly a sphere appeared in his hand.
Rocket's eyes widened. "WHAT THE?!" he shouted.
Thor was looking at his hand, wide-eyed… He had successfully transported one Infinity Stone from one timeline to the other.
"That thing," Natasha gasped. "I feel the power just sitting here."
"The Infinity Stone of Power." Thor looked at his hands in shock, then looked up. "This timeline is trying to repair itself. Split itself up into multiple different realities where the Stones still exist, desperate to get them back!"
"Oh my god, ARE YOU FOR REAL?!" Rocket shouted.
"You can honestly bring Infinity Stones from the other timeline to this one?!" Natasha asked.
"But that… THAT'S GREAT!" Rocket exclaimed. "Then we can bring them back! We can bring everyone back."
"It is not that simple." Thor allowed the sphere to disappear back into his pocket dimension. "A universe cannot exist without Infinity Stones! That other place is already unstable with them! If we remove them, that world would cease existing!"
"Who cares?!" Rocket asked, excited. "That timeline is just a fake anyway, isn't it?" he asked.
Thor's eyes narrowed. "No Rocket, that timeline and the people living in it are just as real and alive as the people in this one!"
"THEN WHAT IS THE POINT?!" Rocket shouted as he stood up.
"NO ONE IS GOING TO BE SACRIFICED IN THIS!" Thor shouted as he stood up.
"What makes you think you have a choice, lardy?" Rocket asked. "There are two realities but only one set of Infinity Stones!" he stated. "We, though, are the originals! Why should they get priority?" he asked.
"You and Loki would make a fine pair, I hope you know that," Thor stated.
Rocket sneered, his teeth showing.
"I will figure something out!" Thor stated. "So sit and eat your pasta or leave!"
Rocket grumbled as he jumped off his chair, then picked up his plate of pasta and started to walk out. "You're making a mistake, God of fries," he stated as he walked out, the door closing behind him.
Thor groaned. "And it's not even that bad," he murmured, glancing down at his stomach then up again.
Natasha looked at Thor though, her eyes concerned.
"Natasha?" Thor asked.
"What if there is no way? What if you have to choose?" Natasha asked.
"It won't come to that!" Thor insisted. "There must be another way."
"But what if there isn't?" Natasha asked, and Thor halted. "Look, all I am saying is, you need to consider that possibility. Who to choose… I, for one, won't blame you at all if you choose the others," she admitted. "That reality still has a chance, it is not as broken as this one. We, however… We are a mess. Lost."
Thor reached forward a hand, then grabbed Natasha's hand. "It won't come to that," he assured, and Natasha looked up. "Trust me," he asked.
Natasha smiled lightly. "I do trust you," she informed. "Trust that you will do whatever it takes… But it might not be enough. Just like last time."
Thor swallowed, his body shivering.
"I have to try," Thor then finally stated.
"I know." Natasha smiled lightly. "I am with you."
"Thank you," Thor breathed as he finally let go, thankful for having such good friends.
