It's been a while since I write this fanfiction. Considering that Infinity War is getting closer and we got Thor Ragnarok just around the corner, I think it's time for me to continue. In the next weeks, I'll fix the grammars of the previous chapters and focus on my Guardian of the Galaxy fanfiction. The movie came out in blue-ray so I can continue that story. Anyway, this chapter is not that long, but we are getting to the ending of this arc, next will be the Age of Ultron, so be prepared.

Enjoy it and leave a review. (Before I forget, my X-men fanfiction will be updated between December and January. This is mainly because I'm working and I barely have time to focus in all my fanfics)

Chapter 18: The Search

Kokoro was looking at a complete white empty space, nothing was around her. Just pure whiteness. Kokoro slowly touch her eyes, they were still there, but she could still feel the pain that Nameless cause to her. Kokoro screams at the sky because of the pain, or at least she thinks it was a sky. She heard her own voice echoed. She falls to her knees and stays there for minutes, maybe hours. She didn't know how long she'd been there.

"Hey" Someone said from behind. Kokoro turns around, but there was no one there. She still could hear a female voice. "How many times?" Asks the voice

"W-What?" Kokoro looks around, but she couldn't find the source of the voice.

"How many times have you been here? How many times are you planning to cheat Death? She will reclaim you personally if you keep this up" Said the voice. Kokoro tries to figure it out from where it was coming from. She hears it before, near her, like it was next to her, but that was impossible. There was no one there.

"I don't know what are you talking about... Where am I?" Kokoro ask tiredly

"You are in the Limbo... Purgatory, whatever you want to call it, actually. This is the second time I see you here"

"Limbo? ...What do you mean by second?" Kokoro was confused. "I'm not dead yet... And I only died once"

"Hahahaha, you think that?" A hand came Out of nowhere and grab her left arm. In her skin appear the number two writing in Japanese, it was like a tattoo. "Then what's this?"

"What the...?" Kokoro gets away from the hand and looks at her arm. She starts shaking. "No... I didn't die two times. I would know that. You are saying that I just die again?! Stop lying to me!" Kokoro tries her best to see the person that was talking to her, but it was useless. "You said you saw me... When I die?"

"The first time you appear here... Yes. Not long ago" The voice made a pause and a body appears in front of her. It was a woman dressed in a long black dress, a hood was covering her face. "The next time you come back here... It's over for you. You won't be coming back to your body" The women get closer to her and whisper in her ear. "Let me ask you a question... Are you sure that He's your enemy?"

"What?"

"Are you sure you know him? Is Nameless your true enemy? Or there's something else? His reason to be like the way he is... He might be evil to the eyes of everyone, but did you stop for a moment to think about it...? There's someone else pulling the strings and I'll tell you this as a sign that I'm in your side... The person you are looking for is a million times worse than him" The woman got closer to Kokoro. "Still, it's a shame you won't be remembering a thing, but at least will remain in your subconscious"

"What do you mean?... W-W-Who are you?" Kokoro was shaking. She starts to feel cold around her. The temperature was decreasing rapidly.

"Someone that will wait for your soul... Now, leave. I'm giving another chance in life, but this will be the last one... One more and you are out" The woman touch Kokoro's forehead and they both disappear. The white, empty, space fall in a complete silence once again...

The Avengers were in the hospital, Tony was sitting in the waiting room. Next to him was Steve, Bruce, and Natasha, Thor was standing next to the exit door and Clint was looking at the window, watching with his bow and arrow ready. All of them were nervous and worried about the situation they were facing. Kokoro was in the next room, the doctors were trying their best to save her life. Tony was holding his Iron Man helmet and looking at it. He sighs and throws it to the floor with all his might.

"Stark!" Said Steve

"I know, Rogers. It's just... Dammit! That guy could end us whenever he wanted. We were on his palm the whole time and he just... mess with us, he played with us. Kokoro enter the fight and he didn't lose time, he tortures her, stole her powers and almost kill her. We weren't prepared for this!" Stark look at the window. "Maybe he's waiting for us to recover so he could jump out of that window and kick our asses again just for the fun of it! I bet he's enjoying it!"

"Tony, stop for a moment," Said Bruce. "It's a hospital, you shouldn't yell"

"No! I won't stop. That guy knock out the Hulk!" He snaps his fingers. "Just like that!" Tony stand up and walk around the room. "What's next? Is he going to control our minds? Is he going to make us kiss his ass? Come on Ladies and Gentlemen! Make your bets!"

"Stop it!" Clint yell. "Kokoro is in the other room, shut up" Clint keep looking outside the window. They could avoid the media, they didn't want them to know what just happen. But At this point, it didn't matter. People saw them lose in the Tokyo Tower, That was a complete defeat. Tony sat down again in silence. The silence invades the room and Thor break the silence.

"I could've come sooner," He said. "I could've saved her"

"She's not dead yet," Said Natasha. "Let's wait... That's what we can do now" Then, from the exit door, a woman appears, she looked desperate and scared. She saw The Avengers and went straight to Stark. She didn't wait to yell at him.

"Where is she?" She yelled. "Where's my daughter?" She asks.

"What?" Stark was confused.

"Kokoro! My daughter, Kokoro. Where is she?!" The woman screams at him. Tony just point at the door where doctors have her. The woman runs to the door, but Steve stop her.

"Wait, you can't enter" He said. "The Doctors said-"

"Why not? She's my daughter. I need to see her" She yell and shake him off.

"The doctors will come out soon, please wait here with us" Steve take her to a chair and without much effort, he made her sit down and wait for the doctors to come out of the room like the rest. "She'll be alright, Miss Nakamura" He said calmly, but Tsukino shakes her head.

"Is she? I saw it on TV... That monster almost kills her..." Tsukino was crying in front of the Avengers. Steve tries to calm her down, but it was useless.

"We were there too, we-" "Then why didn't you do something about it?! Why didn't you save her!?" Kokoro's mother interrupts Steve. No one says a word, they couldn't admit it in front of her. They were weak, they couldn't move a finger to help her. If Thor hasn't shown up then she would be dead now. The doctor came out and saw the group sitting there. He remains silent for a second.

"She's out of danger" He said calmly. "You can see her now, but be careful. She can't speak... Or see" Said the doctor with pain in his voice.รง

"See...?" Tsukino asks. "Is she blind?"

"So her eyes are...?" Bruce ask.

"Yes, we can't do something about it. We now know that a god can regenerate body parts, but a demigod can't. She's completely blind... Sorry" The doctor left the room in silence. Tsukino was the first to enter the room. Behind her was Bruce, but no one else follows him, they didn't want to enter together and make a scene. Bruce enters and saw Kokoro in the bed, she was wearing white patient clothes. Her eyes were bandaged and her neck as well. A monitor was next to her, showing the beating of her heart. It was too slow. Without her power, she won't make it out alive, he knew it, her mother too. Tsukino grabs her daughter's hand and didn't let go of her. Bruce only could watch Kokoro laying in the bed, he didn't want her to die like that, but they couldn't do something about it. Bruce wanted to tell Tsukino that everything will be alright, but he can't. He can't lie to her. He remembers the first time he meets Kokoro, he didn't know what to think about her. He couldn't accept the fact that Gods exists, but eventually accept it. Now he can't accept the fact that she will die in that bed... Kokoro moves a little and squeezes her mother's hand.

"Mom..." She whisper.

"Kokoro?! Yes, it's me. How are you feeling?" Tsukino asks desperately.

"I... I-It h-hur-hurts" She stutter with a trembling voice. "I-I can't s-see..."

"I know, baby. Calm down... Everything will be okay" Said Tsukino, but Kokoro pushes her hand away violently.

"... No... It won't" She said and grab the bandage from her face and try to take it out as quick as possible. Bruce stops her.

"No! Kokoro stop!" He said.

"Bruce...? But I can't see... It hurts" Kokoro was about to cry of pain. "I want to take them off!"

"Sorry, but you can't take it out" He said, but Kokoro didn't listen and push his hands away. She places her hands on her face, as soon she touch it, she felt extreme pain and start screaming. Bruce and Tsukino try to calm her down, but Kokoro yells at them.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She yells and the rest of the group enter the room, as soon they see Kokoro most of them gasped. "It hurts... So much" She said and blood come out of the bandage like tear from her eyes

"Just take it easy" Said Stark.

"You take it easy!" Kokoro yells again. "I'm going to find that son of a bitch and rip his eyes out!"

"Calm down, Kokoro" Steve grab her hands. "Take a deep breath and let it out"

"I can't calm down, i need to find him and end this" Kokoro try to get out of her bed, but she falls to the ground. She couldn't even feel her legs. "M-My legs... W-Why? Why I can't feel my legs!?"

"That guy stole your powers, you can barely move at all. Just stay there, you're only hurting yourself!" Said Clint.

"No... No... I still have them... They are away from my grasp" She said while breathing heavily.

"What do you mean?" Natasha asks and Kokoro sighs.

"My body... only could store a little of Mikaboshi's power. The rest... of it is hidden... inside... objects that I hide in different places. If I get them back, then I can transfer all that power to my body... But I can't win if I fight again with only a little part... I need all of it" Kokoro tight her hands. "All of it"

"But... You said that if you have all that power inside you will kill you" Said Bruce and remember the conversation he had with her before in the helicarrier. No one else knew that, only him and her mother.

"And!? I don't care anymore... You have a better plan? Come on, I'm listening! None of you can win against him. He was playing with you all. If we want to win... I have to go with everything I got, even if that kills me... Is that or the world is doomed... Choose"

"You can't do that!" Said Tsukino. "You won't do that!"

"... Sorry, Mom. But I can't let him walk away" Kokoro sighs. "I need my powers back... But even with them, I can't kill him. I need to find Devin Grayson"

"Who?" Steve asks.

"One of the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that I was searching. He has a shotgun that somehow kills a god in front of me and almost kills me... I need that weapon. It could be our chance to kill Nameless"

"If you say so... Where is he?" Tony asks her.

"I don't know. He could be... anywhere" Kokoro feel dizzy. he was about to collapse. "Meanwhile, Find the objects... they are in..." She couldn't finish that sentence, she faints.

"Kokoro!" Tsukino yell.

"It's alright, she only faint" Said Bruce.

"All right, we have something useful now. We need that gun" Said Tony. "If we let that bastard walk around any longer then we'll be doomed for sure. If that shotgun is the only weapon that can hurt him or kill him, then we have to get it fast. I'll talk with Jarvis, he can help us to find Grayson"

"Some of us have to search for those objects too" Said Bruce. "We need her... And if that helps her to heal her wounds, better"

"If we had that gun then all will be settled. We kill the monster and that's all" Said Tony. "I don't want her to fight again. She had a rough day. I don't want her involved in this anymore"

"I know, but she needs that power. Are you going to leave her blind for the rest of her life?" Bruce asks.

"You heard what she wanted to do? She will die if she uses all that power. You said it and you still want to give her back her powers? Wait until we kill that God, then we'll come up with something else" Said Tony and Tsukino nodded.

"... We actually might need her if things don't go well" Said Steve. Tony was about to talk, but Steve interrupted him. "I, personally, don't want her to fight, but what if there's no other choice? We might need her with us. We are facing a "God" and he was playing with us, making us think that we were actually stopping him" Steve look at Tsukino. "Sorry, but we can't do this without your daughter"

"..." Tsukino went silent for a couple of minutes before agreeing with Steve. "I don't want her to be part of this anymore... But I understand... If she wants to do it... Then it will be her choice... Just promise me that you'll save her if things don't go well. I don't want her to die now" Tsukino look at her feets and sighs. "The objects Kokoro mentioned... I know where they are, all of them"

"Really? Where are they?" Natasha ask. Tsukino put her hand in her pocket and take out a black ring. The ring was glowing black...

"This is one of them... Kokoro told me to keep it always with me. One of them is at the Science Museum of Tokyo in the Ueno Park, hidden inside one of the dinosaurs and the other is in Aokigahara" Tsukino explain.

"Alright, me and Natasha are going to the museum" Said Clint. "We can go unnoticed"

"Good, Stark, search for Grayson. When you find him we'll get him" Said Steve. "I'll go with Thor to Aokigahara. Banner, you stay here and keep an eye on her" He points at Kokoro. "Call us if something happens"

"I'll stay with him" Said Tsukino. "I won't leave my daughter alone"

Clint and Natasha came out of the hospital wearing casual clothes to mix in the crowd. As soon they came out they were received by a giant crowd of protesters just outside of the hospital. They all had signs that say "No more Gods", "We want peace", "Stop causing us troubles" and the most unexpected of all... "We don't need the Avengers here!". All these people knew that Kokoro was in the hospital and even so they decided to protest. Clint and Natasha evade the crowd and luckily enough, they didn't recognize them. When they were away from the crowd, Clint sigh in relief.

"I didn't saw that crowd when we were inside. They are quick" Said Clint. "How can they be like that? Kokoro is trying to protect them and even us... They treating us like we are troubles"

"I know, but they are scared... Scare of what they don't understand. To be honest, this is too much to deal with" Said Natasha. "For now we should focus on that object. Kokoro's mother said that we are looking for a silver coin in the museum, inside one of the dinosaurs in the exhibition" Natasha explained. "It will be easy to get it"

"If you say so... I hope Thor and Rogers don't have any problems with the other objects" Said Clint while he looks around, making sure that no one was following them.

"Don't worry, They'll be fine"

Thor and Steve took the quinjet to the Aokigahara. Tony went with them and search for Grayson with the help of Jarvis. While they were on the air, Tony felt anxious and Steve and Thor notice it. "Something on your mind?" Steve ask and Tony sigh.

"A lot actually... I still can't believe that something like this even exists. A being capable of killing Gods... It's like some kind of comic book" Tony write something on his computer and Jarvis start the search. "I'm worried. Not only about what might happen if we don't stop that maniac, but what will happen to Kokoro. You saw her... There might be a chance that if we take this objects to her... She will die"

"I know... I'm actually thinking about what to do. Is our only option? She's desperate, like all of us" He said and Thor enters the conversation.

"You saw the crowd outside the hospital, didn't you? What's all that about?" Thor asks and Tony respond.

"In the last months, Japan has been a little on the edge. Kokoro's been cleaning the city of any crime and people love her for that, but, like always, there are people that think of her as the next threat and half of the population want her out or simply to be locked down for what happened with her father" Tony explained. "And after our little failure..." Tony turn on the Tv inside the quinjet and show the news. People were on the street, there was a manifestation, people that want to this to stop. People that want normal lives, people that want a world without gods. "People are starting to hate on the gods... It won't be long until they start hating on the Avengers too. I think this is the first step for people hating on their saviors. I don't blame them, everything tends to end in disaster, like new york, Washington and London. People fear what they don't understand"

"They prefer the world as it used to be... Normal. Now we live in a world were Gods exists, aliens are no longer fiction and magic is real... I kinda like the world as it used to be... Simple" Said Steve.

"The world that you used to know can't come back" Said Thor. "People need to realize that the world might be destroyed by an outside force at any time and that they need protection. Casualties are inevitable, that's true, but as long the world still standing, together, they can overcome everything and anything. Now I'm seeing people hating on the heroes, the people that want to protect them... They'll regret this when there's no one to defend them in the future"

"Sir" Said Jarvis. "I can't find Devin Grayson, but I think I found the object that Kokoro might need. We are getting closer to Aokigahara and the signal is getting stronger. It appears to be that the object we are looking for is emanating some kind of unknown energy that might be affecting the surrounding area of the forest"

"Good, take us there as quickly as possible. The sooner we get it the better. Keep searching for the guy" Said Tony. Ten minutes later the quinjet landed in an open area on the wood of Aokigahara. The three Avengers get out and start the search. Tony look at his GPS and follow the signal. He runs through the forest with Steve and Thor follow him from behind. He suddenly stops and saw a big black tree with black leafs. "This is new..." He said and look at his GPS. The signal from the object was right below his feets. "Bingo" Tony fall to his knees and dig with his bare hands. Steve and Thor help him out and found a black box buried there. Tony grab it and open it, as soon it opens, black smoke hit him in the face and they all start coughing. The smoke leaves quickly, revealing the content of the box. A small silver coin.

"Is that it?" Steve asks.

"That coin is expelling so much dark energy that is affecting the whole area" Said Thor. "The trees turned black, the plants and even the ground is black"

"There's no doubt now. Come on, let's go before..." Tony didn't finish his sentences. He saw a Shadow between the tries, it stares at him and then disappears. "Did you saw that?"

"What?"

"... Nothing. Let's get going"