Disclaimer: I do not own Thor, nor the Avengers.
Chapter 11 – The Infinity Stones
Jane gave everyone two minutes to do what they must to be ready to go face Thanos once more. She herself took those two minutes to say goodbye to her daughter, whom Ramonda assured her would be safe. One hundred and twenty seconds later the Avengers, Dora Milaje, Wakanda's army as well as the Jabari warriors were all standing ready to do battle once more. Knowing that with Thanos on Asgard Heimdall would not be watching from the Bifrost as he usually was, Jane raised Mjölnir and used a power known by few, and gifted to only two aside from the Gatekeeper himself. The Biforst opened remotely, summoning them all to her home, which looked far more normal than she expected. She had thought it would resemble something like when Hela had attacked, that Asgard would be aflame, though this was not the case this time. The sounds of battle could still be heard though, and Jane was ready for a fight.
"Head straight across the bridge, you'll find us easily when you get to the main city." She instructed, before swinging Mjölnir around and taking flight. It was not the first time she had flown this way on her own, but she was far from used to it. Even so, it came quite instinctively, as did the thunder coursing through her, which she used to put down a group of Thanos' army as she landed next to her husband. Thor did a double take when she appeared, his expression morphing into one of anger before settling down, though worry was still clear in his eyes.
"Let me guess, your instincts are telling you to yell at me for being here in battle?" She asked as she began to fight alongside him.
"Not at all." He said, and she was admittedly somewhat surprised. "At least, not once I remembered you were no longer pregnant." He amended. "You fight with Mjölnir as if you had been training with it for years. I know you can handle yourself." Jane couldn't help but smile and the two worked together to bring down the oncoming army. As they fought, Jane saw that Loki and Sif were fighting together nearby, while their other friends weren't far away either. Tony, Rhodey and Sam had also joined them, the three having their own ability of flight had easily caught up with Jane, and they had brought who they could, while the pounding of rushing feet could be heard getting closer, signalling the others were getting nearer as well. However, they weren't the only newcomers.
"What the…?" Jane trailed off when she saw a tree and a racoon fighting together not far away.
"Oh yes, we were joined by another group who followed Thanos here." Thor briefly explained. "They kind of just joined the battle, I assume they are on our side or they wouldn't be fighting him." Jane couldn't fault that logic and so continued fighting. Eventually her battle brought her closer to one of the new group that Thor had talked about.
"Woah…you can use thunder too? How many of you are there, and why isn't anyone else using this highly effective weapon?" A man, who very much looked human, asked.
"There's only two of us who can use it." She responded as she threw Mjölnir into an oncoming alien, before recalling it and taking a swing at another one.
"Fair enough then." The fact that they were in a battle for not only their lives, but the lives of half the people in the galaxy didn't seem to disturb him. "I'm Peter Quill, by the way, though you probably know me as Starlord." Jane raised an eyebrow. "Or not, that's cool too."
"I'm Jane, Queen of Asgard." Peter's head whipped in her direction when she said queen and Jane was forced to stop the alien coming up behind him from attacking. "Don't get distracted!" She barked and he went back to fighting. The two drifted apart as they fought and Jane met Groot and Rocket, and tree and racoon, as well as the former child of Thanos, Gamora. All of this happened in two or three minutes, and finally the other Avengers and Wakandan army were starting to join them. The addition of Earth's army did little but annoy Thanos, though it bolstered the Asgardian army enough to renew their will to fight. That, more than the army's actual arrival, grated on Thanos, who became more and more erratic. Finally, he had had enough and a quick clench of his fist saw them all go flying courtesy of the Power Stone.
"Enough." He said, turning to Thor. "Where is the Soul Stone?"
"Even if I knew I would not tell you." He said, glad at least that they had a reprieve for a moment. Thanos smirked and his blood ran cold. With a another clench of his fist, Thanos activated the Space Stone, the blue portal they had come to associate with travel by Infinity Stone surrounding him, though he did not disappear. Instead he had summoned something, or someone, and if Thor's blood ran cold before, his heart stopped now, though his wasn't the only one.
"AERITH!" Jane shrieked, seeing her child in the arms of the Mad Titan. Both she and Thor made to rush to their daughter's side but were held back by Sif and Loki. They all watched as Thanos quieted the newborn, who had begun crying, and whom he was cradling surprisingly gently.
"There now." He said when she'd fallen back to sleep. "Let's not wake her, shall we?"
"If you harm even one hair on her head…" Thor threatened though it sounded more like begging.
"She doesn't need to come to harm, just give me the Soul Stone and I will return her to you."
"Don't believe him." Gamora spat. "He's already taken more than one child to be his slave, there's nothing stopping him taking another, and the heir to Asgard would be a powerful child of his indeed."
"Is that truly what you think of me, daughter?" There appeared to be genuine sorrow in his eyes for a moment, though it was quickly gone.
"Everything I hate about myself, you taught me. You're nothing but a monster."
"Perhaps to some." He agreed, before turning back to Thor. "But I have a destiny to fulfill, and no one will stand in my way. Now give me the Soul Stone." Thor stared at him for awhile, and though he was clearly impatient, Thanos waited. To give up the Soul Stone meant the end of Asgard, the end of his people, and of billions more. And yet he knew he would give it up. That one tiny human Thanos held meant more him than anything and if there was a chance to save her, he had to take it. Still he hesitated, though he knew his choice ultimately, it was still not an easy one.
"Go ahead, Thor." Stephen spoke up. "We understand." Thor looked incredulous, though Jane was filled with understanding and nodded to her husband. Still knowing he was making a bad decision – even though the other choice was just as bad – Thor banged Gungnir on the ground, summoning the final Infinity Stone. It appeared before him and he dared not touch it, knowing to do so would unleash the stone's power and likely kill him. Aside from Vision, who had had the Mind Stone imbedded into his molecular make up, somehow making him an exception, very few could physically touch an Infinity Stone and live to tell the tale. Thor walked forwards, Jane by his side, and approached Thanos.
"Give me my daughter." Jane said, looking up at him with pure hatred. Thanos smiled infuriatingly but did as commanded, though he kept one hand placed on the baby's head, comforting for now, though it could turn crushing if they tried anything.
"The stone." He said. Thor gritted his teeth but did what he had to and handed the stone over. They retreated immediately once Thanos' hand was removed, looking their daughter over for any sign of injury. "Finally." Thanos speaking drew their attention back to the current conflict and they watched in dread as he moved the stone towards his Gauntlet.
"Be careful, Thanos, son of A'Lars." Thanos stopped, his head snapping up as he looked for whoever had spoken.
"That voice…" Jane murmured. "I know that voice."
"What have I to be afraid of?" He scoffed, knowing who must be speaking, but not truly caring, not now that he had all six Infinity Stones. The One-Above-All may have created the stones, but he had placed in them his power, to hold all six stones was said to be the One-Above-All's equal.
"The Soul holds a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say, a certain wisdom. It will not give its power lightly, and can extract a terrible price." The One-Above-All warned.
"I am prepared."
"You all think that at first. You are all wrong."
"I am not afraid of whatever sorcery you have concocted" Said Thanos forcefully. "With the Infinity Stones I have brought together, I will fulfill my destiny." Without any further hesitation he placed the stone in the final spot on his gauntlet. They all held their breath as the power surged over him, same as it had with the other stones he had collected. When it dissipated he turned his gaze on them smiled sinisterly once more. Raising his hand he snapped his fingers and those around him closed their eyes, waiting for whatever it was to come. Thanos' cry alerted them that something had hit, but not them. Their eyes snapping open, they saw Thanos surrounded by the Infinity Stones, his Gauntlet destroyed, while the Soul Stone glowed brightly before him.
"What's happening?!" Steve shouted above the wind that had picked up, the power swirling around Thanos creating a vortex that they could feel was strong enough to hold them back should they try to approach.
"The Soul Stone will not give its power lightly." The voice repeated. "Only those who are worthy may wield it. It is the final safeguard against the destruction of all I have created."
"The Soul Stone deemed Thanos unworthy then." Thor surmised.
"What, like your hammer?" Clint asked and Thor nodded.
"Though this is much more than that. My father placed a powerful spell on Mjölnir yes, but this…" It was left unsaid but they understood; Mjölnir was a mere magic trick compared to this. They watched in both horror and fascination as Thanos met his end, the stone's power destroying him from the inside out, from the very soul it deemed unworthy. When Thanos was no more they expected things to quiet down, to be over, but the vortex remained, it's strength continuing to grow.
"And what's happening now?" Asked Peter. This time though the voice did not reply, the One-Above-All had left them, his purpose here, whatever it had been, complete.
"The stone's power has been released, it's gone out of control, we need to calm it or it will destroy everything!" Loki shouted, the only way to be heard above the vortex.
"You speak as if it is alive." T'Challa noted.
"The Aether was." Said Jane. "Why not the Soul Stone too?" She then turned to her husband. "Thor, you'll have to get it under control. You're the King of Asgard, the Soul Stone is bonded to you as it has been to all of Asgard's kings and queens."
"But how?" He asked in return. She thought for a moment, but it was Loki who came up with the answer.
"Return it to the heart of Asgard." He said. "It may be bonded to you, brother, but it is also bonded to Asgard itself. Return it to it's home." Thor banged Gungnir on the ground, trying to return the stone to it's home the same way he'd brought it here, unfortunately for him that didn't work.
"Ok, so now what?"
"We'll have to physically take it back." Said Jane. "It's the only way."
"Won't it destroy you like it did Thanos if you touch it?" Natasha asked.
"Only if they are unworthy." Loki replied.
"They?"Jane asked.
"You are the one that the One-Above-All deemed worthy, are you not? With his bond to the stone, and the One-Above-All's faith in you I think you have a fairly good chance of not dying a horrible death."
"Gee thanks." She muttered.
"He's right though." Gamora spoke up. "We have held the Power Stone. And we are alive because we held it together."
"Or we're alive because I'm half celestial." Peter muttered. Gamora shot her boyfriend a look but otherwise said nothing.
"We don't really have a choice. The stone can't continue to grow in strength like this, it will destroy Asgard and we've only just rebuilt." Jane said. She turned to Loki and handed him her daughter. "Swear to me you will protect her if anything happens to us."
"You would leave me in charge of –"
"Asgard." Thor butt in. "As regent until she is old enough to rule on her own. We know you love her already, that was never in question. But Asgard's future is if we die and I would have this sorted here and now." He handed Gungnir over as well and Loki looked well and truly lost for words. "Sif will keep you in line, of course." The lady in question had been standing by Loki's side the whole time and nodded her head, though her gaze begged her oldest friend not to die. She and Loki, as well as the Warriors Three who stood behind them, were the only goodbyes they said – aside from their daughter, whom they kissed on the head – if not in so many words. Turning towards the vortex, Jane and Thor grasped each other's hand and began making their way towards the stone. It wasn't as hard as they thought it would be, though it was by no means easy. The stone's power continued to try and push them back and they had to force their way through. Finally they stood in front of the Soul Stone with the other five Infinity Stones gleaming around them. Looking to each other they hesitated.
"I love you." Said Thor.
"Always." Jane replied. Then raising their hands, the two reached out and grasped the stone together.
A/N - Only one more chapter to go!
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