This chapter is for Volk. Never apologize for your interest in my work my dear. I haven't had someone so invested in my writing in a while. I hope you'll like this. You'll get the answer to that particular question I didn't clarify!
Here we are, the final battle! (Hope you're not too disappointed... I did warn you not to expect what we'll probably be getting in the movie, that just isn't my thing.)
Two songs for this chapter. First: "Tomorrow We Fight", by Tommee Profitt, featuring Svrcina; and "Fear Not This Night" as sung by Asja Kadric.
Hercules
Heroes are such, because they will do even the impossible to see their tasks done.
Svein Erik Foster, or Svein Thorson, was born at dawn on March 30th of 2019. Frigg, Nightingale and Eir were all present as Jane gave birth, at Thor's insistence as, since Jane had been pregnant by the time of her wedding, Frigg had recommended that they wait until after the babe was born before she began partaking in Idunn's apples. They would change her, not too much but enough to allow her to remain at peak physical health, and for her life to extend like the Aesir did… they had no idea how such a change might affect an unborn child. So they waited.
There was no problem with the birth, and as soon as the newborn had fallen asleep in his father's arms (who looked so absolutely enchanted with him, he refused to put the baby down even for a second), Frigg handed the exhausted Jane a golden apple. She didn't question, just ate it.
Nine days after his birth, Prince Svein Thorson was presented before all of Asgard, as was tradition, and announced as his firstborn and heir. Asgard was thoroughly enchanted with the baby prince in no time at all. The Crown Prince had an heir! Also, there hadn't been a royal presentation since Princess Helena, centuries prior. Hakon, being adopted, and already three years old at the time, hadn't required such a presentation (also, Loki hadn't trusted the Aesir enough at the time to risk one of them trying to attack his Jotunn son). Then Rose… she'd been born during their time spent in the past; in fact, Jane and Thor's wedding was the first time she set foot on Asgard. And while she'd been announced properly and all her titles recognized, Asgard hadn't had the chance to see her as a babe, see her grow up.
On the tenth day, with the baby sleeping in his room, watched over by his new nursemaid: Myriam (who was also one of Jane's handmaidens), Jane and Thor had a very serious conversation.
"You know I'm right." She told him at one point.
"My Jane..." Thor began, seemingly not knowing how to voice his doubts, and especially his fears.
Thor had never been good at expressing his feelings, and that hadn't changed, even when so much else had. It was one of the reasons why he'd insisted on him and Jane taking the Ancient Vows. He loved her, of course he did, and he wanted to be with her, and know they'd be together forever; also, he wanted to be sure she'd never doubt that love, his commitment to her. Since she was just as in love with him, and understood how hard it could be to find the right words, she'd agreed. It had been terrifying and fascinating, all at the same time. Also, the two had finally begun to understand Loki's and Nightingale's seeming possessiveness over the other.
"My Thor..." Jane replied, voice very soft. "You know I'm right. Thanos will be reaching Earth any day now. Rose is sure it'll happen before the end of the week. Wanda and Edward are ready to claim the Mind Gem. But there's still the Aether. We cannot risk Thanos getting that one. What that thing can do… its power alone would be enough to destroy our world! Possibly all the worlds..."
"That's still no reason…" The God of Thunder tried to insist.
"Cassie already said it's not her and Adam; nor Diana and Faye, and they're the only matches in the Circle." The Goddess of Science began enlisting. "Granted, Malekith might have been able to do it, but I'm sure that even if he were still alive, we wouldn't want him claiming any of the Stones." She actually smirked at the idea. "The answer is obvious in the end."
"Elskede (beloved one)..."
"The Aether… I didn't just touch it Thor. It was actually inside me, for days! And I managed to survive, I don't think it's a coincidence. I… I didn't bring it up before, because I didn't want to risk the ritual affecting Svein in any way. But now… can we really take the risk of not trying?"
"No, you're right. We cannot."
That was all that really needed to be said. The two sat up on the bed, legs crossed, facing each other. Having seen Helena and Stephen and later on Peter and Gamora going through the ritual, they knew exactly what needed to be done. So they did it.
It was the middle of the night, with nothing but starlight slipping through the windows to illuminate them. It made it easy enough to see the dark-red haze of light that twisted around them a few times before taking shape in between their hands, before being absorbed into them.
"Jeg elsker deg så mye..." Thor almost gasped, pressing against the top of Jane's head, before kissing her hair almost reverently.
Jane didn't know Norse, not really, languages just weren't her thing. But she knew just enough to understand the things Thor sometimes said when he slipped into his birth-tongue. She knew exactly what he'd just said to her, and responded in kind:
"I love you too, just as much." She whispered back, placing a kiss on his neck.
xXx
The next day, no one seemed that surprised when they saw Jane and Thor arrive to Avenger's Tower (they'd decided, after much consideration and not few tears, to leave Svein in Asgard, under Odin, Frigg's and Myriam's care… it'd be safer for the time being), red glowing runes on the back of their left hands.
"So… the satellites have caught sight of Thanos and his army." Tony announced everyone. "JARVIS has done the calculations, he'll be here in two days."
"All governments will announce a State of Emergency tomorrow, warning their people to take refuge as best they can, and stay away from the streets."
"Karl and Wong found a way to give more power to the magical shield without risking sorcerers falling dead." Stephen offered. "They've actually been working on it for months now. Everyone with the slightest bit of magic has been 'donating' power into crystals, which have been positioned just right for the shield to draw power from then, rather than directly for the sorcerers. According to Sachiko, that will allow the shield to last, at least, 24 hours."
"Hopefully, that'll be enough." Steve nodded.
Neither of them said it, though it was obvious they were all thinking it: if they hadn't managed to end things in 24 hours, then it was likely they'd already be dead by that point.
Like the original shield, this one would have a hole, where they expected Thanos to head. Even if he didn't believe it to be a vulnerability, the rest of them being there would make sure that's where he went. Also, Edward and Wanda laying claim to the last Jewel the night before would make sure he could think of nothing else.
It was the only plan they really had. To gather all together, hope Thanos would be furious and crazy and desperate enough not to suspect a trap. Then the Valar would be able to surround him, to do what they should have ages prior. The rest would be there as support, and to make sure the army wouldn't get in the way.
A last-moment addition was sending the children to Asgard, knowing they would be safer there (if Thanos got to them there it would only be because Midgard had fallen, and if that happened, if the Valar fell, then all hope would be lost). And so the families said their tearful goodbyes and off they went. Some even tried to send their non-warriors wives, but they refused to allow it. Pepper would be joining the fight in her own armor. While Betty, Gwen, MJ, and other families were in charge of coordinating efforts in the cities closest to the battlefield.
The group arrived to the desert early on Friday evening. While some went to set up tents and other things as necessary, Edward and Wanda took position in the center of the prospective battlefield and went through the ritual to call on the missing Jewel. It all worked as expected. And so the last pair of Valar joined the group.
As arrangements were made for dinner, more and more people began arriving.
"Just what is going on here?" Steve demanded at some point. "We're expecting a battle tomorrow, shouldn't all these people be taking refuge already?"
"They won't." Daisy said softly. "They know the risks, of course they do. But they still chose to come, to do anything they can, however small or big, to help."
"How do you know that?" Sharon inquired, intrigued.
"Because the ones on that side, are my people." The Queen of the Inhumans explained.
"Shouldn't you be with them then?" James inquired.
"No, they know that, for this, I'll be staying close to you all, and leading my Sentinels." Daisy explained. "In my absence Raina and Lincoln are in charge."
They soon realized it wasn't just the inhumans there. Metas from Kansas, 'demon-hunters' and mutants from many countries; all gifted who could make the journey, had. They were there, showing that no matter the very real danger, they stood together.
It was the longest night of their lives for many of them. Unsurprisingly, many were completely unable to sleep.
At some point someone even brought out a music-player, so those awake might have something to entertain themselves with. It seemed almost too great a coincidence when a certain song began:
"Cold in the violence
After the war
Hope is a fire to keep us warm
Children of anger
Eden's forgot
Waiting for the hour
The battle is done"
"Oh that light, oh, is bright
Sleep for today, but tomorrow we fight"
"Tomorrow we fight
Tomorrow we fight"
"Cold in the violence
After the war
Hope is a fire to keep us warm
Children of anger
Eden's forgot
Waiting for the hour
The battle is done"
"Oh that light, oh, is bright
Sleep for today, but tomorrow we fight"
"Tomorrow we fight
Tomorrow we fight"
"Wait for the war
Wait for the war"
"Tomorrow we fight
Tomorrow we fight
Tomorrow we fight
Tomorrow we fight"
When the song came to an end for several moments no one said a word. Then someone turned off the player before the next song could begin. It was Pete who spoke after what seemed like forever:
"That… didn't help… at all." He muttered with a shake of the head.
"No, it didn't." Tony admitted.
All eyes turned to Loki's wife and daughters at the same time. They weren't surprised at all. It wasn't pride, they knew they could sing, and the power behind their voices. They hadn't really been planning on doing anything, but it wasn't like they were about to sleep anyway. So in the end they all nodded. There was no time for planning. And it didn't work like that anyway. So instead they just stayed where they were, sitting on a blanket in such a way that their backs were touching, each of them facing a different part of the desert, and the people waiting out the night. Rose and Helena were the ones to begin humming, creating a basic melody; Nightingale was the first to sing:
"Fear not this night
You will not go astray
Though shadows fall
Still the stars find their way"
Helena took over for the next verse, the song ever-so-slowly beginning to take shape between them:
"Awaken from a quiet sleep
Hear the whispering of the wind
Awaken as the silence grows
In a solitude of the night"
Then came Rose's voice, clearly different from Helena's, though still not quite like her Mama's:
"Darkness spreads throughout the land
And your weary eyes open silently
Sunsets have forsaken all
The most far off horizons"
Then it was Nightingale's turn again. She sang two more lines then, directly from the heart:
"Nightmares come when shadows grow
Eyes close and heartbeats slow"
There had been no time to prepare anything, to make arrangements, they weren't even looking at each other, but the three of them were family, they were connected: by blood, and word, body and soul, by choice. They were family in every way they could be, and as they sang together it showed:
"Fear not this night
You will not go astray
Though shadows fall
Still the stars find their way
"And you can always be strong
Lift your voice with the first light of dawn!
Dawn's just a heartbeat away
Hope's just a sunrise away"
It was Rose who started the next part, her very soul being poured into the words as she sang them:
"Distant sounds of melodies
Calling through the night to your heart
Auroras, mists, and echoes dance
In the solitude of our life"
Helena came next, her voice deeper than her sister's being quite a contrast but still in harmony:
"Pleadings heard in arias
Gently grieving in captive misery
Darkness sings a forlorn song
Yet our hope can still rise up"
And then again their mother, the balance between both their voices, and the final piece of their trio:
"Nightmares come when shadows grow
Lift your voice, lift your hope"
Together mother and daughters created a harmony like nothing ever heard before by anyone in any Realm; even the elves had never tried a mix of voices like the one formed by the three singing there:
"Fear not this night
You will not go astray
Though shadows fall
Still the stars find their way"
When the song began, Skye never intended to be a part of it. She knew how important singing was to the family, and while it had been proven she could do it, and was good at it, she just didn't want to interfere in their moment. Then her husband gave her a shove, at the same time Hakon moved aside. The combination made it so she was suddenly standing face to face with Nightingale, with Aunt Helena looking at her from the corner of her eye. The reincarnated elven princess just smiled at her, not a word was said and without quite realizing it, Skye opened her mouth and added her piece:
"And though the night sky's filled with blackness
Fear not, rise up, call out and take my hand!"
The four women then began singing together then, even as more voices began adding their echoes to the melody, not all of them family. But that was alright, the song… it wasn't about family anyway, or at least, not about blood-family, it was about unity, and choices, and the families those forged.
"Fear not this night
You will not go astray
Though shadows fall
(Still the stars find their way)"
"Fear not this night
You will not go astray
Though shadows fall
(Still the stars find their way)"
"And you can always be strong
Lift your voice with the first light of dawn
Dawn's just a heartbeat away
Hope's just a sunrise away"
xXx
In the end, the battle against the Mad Titan was somewhat… anti-climatic. For the most part at least. Which wasn't something anyone complained about. It was a good thing, it meant they won, and with no serious loses to regret. There were no few injured, some badly, but no dead, which was a miracle in and of itself, all things considered. Goblin had come the closest, taking a hit meant for Peter and going down hard enough not few bones were broken. A point had come when what medical personnel was with them had to admit there was nothing they could do except try and make him comfortable. MJ (on a video-feed from the Osborn penthouse in NY, as she was pregnant and Harry, Pete and Gwen had ganged up to keep her from making the trip) had been practically wailing when the doctor looked for a pulse and could find none, only for Pete to yell at everyone to shut up, because he could still hear Harry's heartbeat, so low and slow it was beneath the doctors' notice, but not beneath Pete's…
"Pete…?" MJ questioned, sounding so afraid and hopeful at the same time.
"He's alive, but barely, I… I don't know..." Pete, who'd pulled his mask off at one point, was running a hand through his head, confused.
"I think he's in some kind of healing coma." Gwen, who'd approached with the doctors, offered. "It might be a side-effect from the serum. It was meant for extreme healing, right? Maybe it put Harry into a state where he might heal from all his injuries."
"So… this is a good thing?" MJ wanted to confirm.
"This is a good thing." Gwen and Pete confirmed at the same time.
"We need to get him off the battlefield." Kathryn, who was acting as Head-nurse, informed them. "This show isn't over just yet."
No, it wasn't but it was getting close. Thanos had finally made his appearance.
In the five months or so they'd had since Rose's announcement of when they could expect the Mad Titan to arrive, Tony, with help from FitzSimmons, Pete, Rocket, Lucius (Fox), and a few other people (including some assistance from somewhat-reluctant assistance from a Kryptonian AI) had managed to replicate (and even improve a bit) the flight-packs Rocket and his team carried, even create a somewhat lesser version of the oxygen-suit they'd need if they were to leave the planet. The later was just good enough for the 'supers' to use it, but the former was good for everyone. So, all who were willing to train in them (and not afraid of heights) had taken the fight to the air.
They fought in pairs, to guard each other's backs. For many of them that meant their match (or, when said match was a civilian, they'd pair up with someone close, in a similar condition). There were those who did not need such packs (like Iron-Man, War Machine, Scarlet Witch, Vision, the Kryptonians, the Hawks and some mutants), but still, they worked well together.
The moment Thanos entered the atmosphere an alarm began ringing through the desert. That was the sign for anyone who could do so, to take cover. The time had come for the real confrontation to start.
The moment Thanos landed, his power began seeping into the Earth and it showed. That is, until two people stepped forward, putting a stop to it. It surprised no one that Thor was involved, what was surprising, was when they realized Jane had done the moving first, shield in hand. The Titan's aura seemed to recoil at her presence, at their presence, it made him take notice.
"You..." He practically snarled.
What had once been the Aether reacted at his threatening aura, the red glow expanding from their hands to cover them both.
Before Thanos could truly react to what he was seeing, two more figures took position at Thor's and Jane's right: Loki and Nightingale, their bodies already enveloped in a blue glow. Then, at the left stood Wanda and Edward/Vision (allowing his body to appear as it did naturally, half-humanoid and half machine, rather than the human-like image he'd taken a liking to) glowing yellow.
The Mad Titan roared his fury then. But the Valar weren't done just yet. Helena and Stephen stepped out of the shadows and to their parents right, the green light of their own Jewel covering them like a cloak the moment they were back in the real world. They made sure to position themselves such, that they began to form a circle around Thanos.
Almost at the same time Peter and Gamora landed on Wanda's and Vision's left, already glowing with the pink-purple glow of their Stone.
And suddenly there they were, ten Valar glowing with the power of the Jewels they bore, in an almost full circle around the Mad Titan. Sadly there were a few problems with that statement, like the fact that the circle was 'almost' full, that there were only ten of them… If all of them at their peak hadn't managed to take Thanos down, how were they supposed to do it then, with numbers incomplete and still growing used to their old powers?
Thanos could see the exact moment when the Valar faltered, and he wasn't the only one:
"Do you trust me?"
"Forever and always."
The Mad Titan was gathering his power, about to blow at the Valar (and quite probably blow them all at the same time) when the circle was closed.
Words were spilling from two mouths at the same time. Words that everyone in the circle knew well enough, they each had pronounced them at one point, to claim their respective Jewel. Except, it made no sense at all, because there was no Jewel left.
Each of the Valar felt it the moment something at their very cores responded to that voice, to those words. The powers of their Jewels flashed, and then a fraction, looking like nothing more than stardust, pulled away from each, and to gather in a single point, behind Thanos, where two individuals had taken it upon themselves to close the circle corralling the Titan in.
Through the whole thing, histories and preparations, everyone (even the scientists) had forgotten what was probably the most basic rule of the universe: energy cannot be created, or destroyed… by none except perhaps the One (the Higher Power, God, Éru, whatever each of them wished to call such a being). And if it couldn't be destroyed… that included the Fëa, the Soul Jewel. It was the most simple, and most complex truth of all…
It was something even Elaine and Stephanos, with all the memories at their disposal, had never fully understood. The fact that Fëa might have been shattered, but the power it carried had never truly been lost. And as had been proven when each of them fused with their respective Jewels, the objects were but vessels (much like things like the Tesseract, the Mind Staff, the Orb, the Aether, had once been Vessels for the jewels themselves) of a power too high for anyone, even the Valar themselves, to fully comprehend. After all, it wasn't just their power in those Jewels, it was also their Creator's.
The moment the last couple to join the circle were enveloped in an orange-golden glow… it was as if something exploded. As if light itself exploded. To everyone outside the circle it happened in a matter of seconds, almost from one breath to the next; but from those inside the circle, they were aware of every moment of it: the moment the glow began, and it seemed to almost pulse, and all others pulsed along with it. The way the glows seemed to expand from each pair, to the others, until they touched. The circle was closed, but it didn't end there, because the colors seemed to almost be seeking each other, and so they rose, until they touched, in something that might have been a cone, or even a sphere (no one was paying that much attention). The moment all colors were touching, they stopped being six different colors, everything turned white, like the light going through a prism, only in reverse. It was the union of all the powers, of the twelve Valar…
"NO!" Thanos roared in a mix of disbelief, denial and what in any creature but him might have almost been called terror. "That's Impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible." A male voice called from behind him, echoing all around him.
"All you need is a little Faith." A female voice complimented.
It was the last part, both the voice and the words used, that gave away who exactly was standing there, who'd closed the circle. Rose! Pietro! While many may have touched on the matter of Rose being the Goddess of Chaos in recent months (starting with her being the only precog still having visions of Thanos, when no one else could see through the web of chaos all around him); but that wasn't all she was Goddess of… she was also the Goddess of Faith. And it wasn't just a matter of people believing in her, but of her own beliefs. And Rose? She'd never stopped believing, in herself, in Pietro, in all of them, and in the fact that they'd ultimately win. As far as she was concerned, there simply was no other option.
No one would ever know what happened inside that light. Soon enough it had become so bright everyone had to look away. By the time the light died out it was all over.
Even the Valar themselves didn't fully understand, but then again, they didn't have to. All they had to know was that it worked. That it'd be enough. (And if it wasn't, if by some kind of curse/miracle or whatever, one day Thanos did manage to find his way back… they'd be there to stop him again, and as many times as was necessary. They'd Always Be There…)
As the light cleared, people began blinking rapidly, trying to clear their sight, see what was going on. What they saw were twelve figures, still standing in a circle, each pair had one of their hands entwined with the other, their free hands held before them, all pointing to the empty center of their formation. The very spot where, until less than a minute ago, the Mad Titan had been standing.
There was nothing left of the once Vala, nothing at all, not even a trace of him having ever been there at all. The only clue that anything at all was happened was the circle with the myriad of runes that seemed to have been burned deep into the Earth; clusters in each color of the Jewels, others black or even white. No one except maybe the Valar themselves had the slightest idea of what those runes said. It didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Thanos… he was a Warlord. But he wasn't a general, or a king, or any sort of respectable leader. Those that followed him did not do so because they respected him; they did so because either they were so terrified of him they believed it was better than the alternative (being destroyed, quite possibly slowly and painfully) or they simply enjoyed causing pain and destruction themselves, and saw the Mad Titan as a way of doing exactly that, without fearing that someone might dare fight back (and that was true… until Midgard).
The Chitauri had been nothing, little more than canon-fodder. Always sent ahead in attacks, dying by the dozens, hundreds even, and nobody cared. The Insectoids hadn't been much better. While with a modicum of intelligence, compared to the Chitauri, they still had no real will of their own, and were only valuable in their viciousness. The ones that had been with Thanos for the fourth and last attack were perhaps the only ones who might really be called soldiers. Beings with mind and will. Even after the loss of all the others, they'd been so sure of their victory; surprising as Midgard managing to endure (win, but they'd never call it that) thus far might have been, there was no way they could ever win the actual war. Or so they believed.
Until that circle of light enveloped their leader, and when it vanished, It was gone. Thanos was gone. For several seconds no one (on either side) seemed to know what to do about that, and then… Then things really got beyond insane: There were those still trying to fight, those trying to run. Midgard's defenders seemed to take whatever had just happened (the invaders just did not know) as a sign and began fighting all the harder. It was as if whatever reason they might have had for holding back were suddenly gone.
That was the truth. Until that moment the heroes had truly been holding back. Readying themselves to fight Thanos if it happened to be necessary (not like they thought it'd have done much, but they weren't the kind to just give up). The moment they realized it wasn't necessary, that Thanos was gone, that they'd effectively already won… well, then the gloves really came off.
There's a chance some of the invaders survived the battle that day. Not very high, and if some did, they certainly weren't many. In any case, it'd probably explain the rumors that began extending across the stars after that day. Of how powerful Midgard truly was. How vulnerable they might seem, but that if provoked, they had the power to make stars crash and burn…
At a signal from Phil Coulson (which was then approved and echoed by the UN) governments around the world deployed their best space weapons (which had been primed and readied for that very day). Aiming them at the ships and whatever suspicious movement they could pick up beyond their atmosphere (having made sure the heroes were back in the planet proper).
Through the whole thing, the Valar didn't seem to move, they barely seemed to breathe at all. No one knew if maybe whatever they'd done, they were still working on it. Or perhaps they were making sure that it wouldn't happen again. Either was possible.
When it was all over, the explosions and shots stopped, and there seemed to be no more enemies anywhere anyone could find them, a heartbeat passed down, two, then… it was a riot. Everyone began cheering and celebrating almost at the same time.
The Valar all seemed to collapse in unison. They weren't exhausted, not exactly, truth be told, they weren't sure if such a thing as exhaustion was possible for them anymore. Really, the last time the Valar had existed as such, they'd kept a distance from all races for the most part, being little more than a symbol to all except their own envoys and chosen ones. They weren't part of any of the races Éru had created, weren't mortal in any way… they couldn't quite define what they were exactly. One thing was for sure, though, they, at their very cores, were still the very same people they'd been before calling on those Jewels: Jotunn, Aesir, Humans, Mutant, Sorcerer, Android, Gifted, Baseline; yes, they'd become more, but all the things they'd been and learned before, they weren't gone, they were all part of each and every one of them.
Skye was the first to rush them:
"Mom!" She barely stopped a few steps away from where her mom was, half laying on the sand, half on her husband's chest.
"I'm alright darling." Rose whispered softly, turning to look at her.
"So, is it really over?" Grant asked, standing just behind his wife.
"It's over." At least half of the Valar said practically at the same time.
That made the cheering start all over again.
xXx
Much like the last time, the warriors chose not to return to their homes until some time had passed and they were as sure as they could be that there wouldn't be another fight. It was the same reason why the Mystic Order had let the shield stand until the pre-arranged crystals ran out of power.
That night, each of the Sanctum Masters arrived, followed by a dozen or so of their best.
"Is everything okay?" Karl, who'd been present beforehand in case help was needed (the Masters had needed to stay in the Sanctums to keep watch over the shield, as Wong had stayed in Kamar-Taj just in case). "Why are you here?"
"We're here to help everyone get home." Sachiko announced with a bright smile.
"It was her idea." Yelan added for good measure.
Sachiko blushed a bit but still smiled brightly. She was the youngest of all three of the Sanctum Masters, not even thirty years old, and the one who'd been at her post the least; also, she was married to a man about fifteen years older than her (her match!) and whom almost everyone in the Order still held at a distance for the most part, since he'd walked away from the Order for years (even if he'd never actually been declared a Rogue, mainly due to the insistence of Stephen Strange and Wong). Then again, she'd been a prodigy from the very beginning, and the protege of the man who was perhaps the most unorthodox Master of the Mystic Arts ever (and who had also since become Sorcerer Supreme… and one of the Valar as well!).
Sachiko Mordo knew things weren't perfect. Not everyone agreed with Stephen not only declaring her a Master, but NY's Sanctum Master right as he ascended into the position of Sorcerer Supreme. Then again, those were the same people who'd have stood aside and let her previous Master: Tamara Walker, demote her and send her back to Kamar-Taj simply because she wanted to go to Sokovia to help. Being Stephen's protege had allowed her not only to learn a lot of magic, but also to grow more confident, more sure of herself. That had helped a lot, not only in her new position, but also when realizing what Karl was to her, and that some people would never accept them (no matter that she couldn't imagine living without him). It had taken a while, but Sachiko had earned the respect of everyone in the NY Sanctum, as well as her fellow Masters. Yelan herself was the oldest of the Masters, and while she didn't much trust Karl, she'd come to trust Sachiko, and believed that if she loved the man enough to marry him, then she could give him a chance.
Things went pretty smoothly, and soon the Avengers and their families were crossing the last portal straight into the Common Level at the Tower. They all thanked Sachiko, Tony insisting that she visit as often as she could, before she and Karl left through one more portal to the Sanctum.
"So… now what?" Tony asked finally.
"I don't know about you man, but I'm planning to sleep, at least for a whole day." James declared.
"Bo-ring!" Tony cried out dramatically.
"Man, I don't think any of us slept last night, and while the battle didn't exactly last long, it wasn't an easy thing either." Peter pointed out. "So, I agree, I'm going to sleep."
Tony pouted, but he too ended in his own bed not too long afterwards, though that was mostly at Pepper's insistence, he couldn't really say no to her. Also, Aylen spent the night in between them (Their allies from other Realms had left through the Bifrost earlier, it had then been Myriam's idea to drop by, and she had the children with her… she'd expected that the parents would want to see their kids again, with the danger past).
None of them had really the slightest idea what the future might bring. Fury had begun saying something about reports and official debriefs before leaving earlier, with Kathryn, to meet some of the UN liaisons. And that was just the immediate concerns. The danger from Thanos may be past, but that didn't mean nothing else would ever happen. Still, they'd won, after so long fearing the worst, they'd won. At least for the time being, they were safe, the Earth was safe. That would just have to be enough for the time being.
So... what do you think? Anti-climatic much. I'm actually really nervous about that, have been ever since I wrote this, but it just didn't seem right any other way. The way I see it, by this point it was about more than just an epic battle, they'd already had enough of those (first invasion in 2012, second invasion in 2013, and the third one -with the insectoids rather than the chitauri- in 2018). Also, having made Thanos a Titan... he needed to be defeated in a different way than just the force of arms. At least that's how my mind (and muse) work. Hope you agree.
Funny thing happened with the songs in this chapter. I liked "Tomorrow We Fight" and chose it precisely for the day before the final fight. Couldn't make up my mind who should sing it, so in the end I left it like the kind of song they just heard on a radio. And then... I'd just written it in when I realized that song really wouldn't help. Still, I decided that provided a good moment of levity, which would be needed there. Also, it gave me a good excuse to add "Fear Not This Night" which I really, really wanted to use but hadn't been able to think of a good excuse to have two songs in that scene. The original is sung by one person, here I chose to have all four of them do it, it felt right. Skye's participation wasn't planned either, it just happened.
This isn't over just yet. Two more chapters to go as I do my best to show you what's in the future for all our beloved characters.
See ya next week! Please don't forget to comment. What you liked, what you didn't, what you'd like to see (here or in AUs, I've just begun writing the new set). I lived for your comments!