Okay, sorry about the cliffhanger. XD So many awesome reviews and so much time to write that I decided to update early! Anyway, I'm not a comic book master. In fact, I haven't read any. So, instead of consulting endless comics, I did some research on Thanos's powers. Epic win for Google. I'll continuously try to get his personality right. So, any powers that are demonstrated in this fic are backed up by a website that I will do a disclaimer for at the bottom.
Tiger of the Storm: Yup, that's Yoda for you! :D He even got Loki to talk, and that's a pretty big accomplishment in itself.
Pergjithshme: That was a review on Chapter 14, right? Have you read chapter 15 yet? This is Chapter 16. Haha I love long reviews. They let me know thoroughly what I did right and what I need to improve on, so thanks!
laureas: Oh, I know. I'm so excited about the story's continuation!
NARUTO SON OF ARTEMIS: I wish I knew Ahsoka's fate, but alas, the world has yet to see Season 5. Bahaha I like the mental image there. "TANK MISSILE!" indeed. XD
Raychaell Dionzeros: I know, right! I'm on the edge of my seat here…and I'm the writer!
Irish-Brigid: Yeah, poor Loki. Remember what the Other said. Basically, Loki can run, but he cannot hide. And yes, I give laureas credit for the Yoda thing. She thought up the fact that Yoda would try to counsel him and he would react with irritation.
JapanRules555: The name sounds familiar…
FutureOscarWinner94: Thanks! I owe that part to laureas. Twas her idea to make Loki and Anakin connect like that.
AaylaKit: Boba's epicness shall begin. :) As far as Loki goes, I have a plan. It may seem bleak at first, but my idea will reveal itself in time.
Cassy27: Yeah, it's a strategy that I didn't even realize I was using: intense battle followed by a bit of down time followed by…well…this chapter right here.
Ptroxsora: That's great! Loki would probably appreciate any help he can get at this point…
Nick Fury got off the helicopter about a mile away from S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters. He felt that it was better to walk for a bit to clear his mind and keep people from tracking him. Somehow, it felt more…logical to just walk the rest of the way. He was the hardcore Director of a government agency. He was in no need of exercise, though it was nice to take some time away from his duties. It would not be much time, he told himself, so it was completely okay to do this.
He was about half a mile away from his destination when a sound behind him made him stop in his tracks. He turned around, but nothing was there. "Who's there?" he demanded, placing a hand on his belt.
"Your assassin has arrived," a cold voice responded. "Did you think for one second that I would not avenge him?"
The use of the word "avenge" was strangely ironic. "Reveal yourself," Fury ordered.
"Very well." A figure stepped out from behind a tree. Since it was broad daylight, it was easy to see the eleven-year-old boy dressed in long reddish pants tucked into boots and a long red shirt with a blue sleeveless vest over it. He also had a belt around his middle with weapons of various types in it. "Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?" The boy studied him a moment. "Why do you have an eyepatch? Who hurt you? That's my job! Dammit, it was my lifelong dream to give you an eyepatch before I killed you."
Fury's frown deepened. "Should I know who you are?" He did not want to harm a young boy, but that was some pretty advanced weaponry for an eleven-year-old.
The anger in the boy's face grew more apparent. "How dare you mock me! Did you really forget what you have done already?" He took a threatening step forward, though it was hardly threatening considering Fury had him in height and weight. "Does Jango Fett ring a bell?" he persisted.
"Should it?" Fury tried to conceal his confusion. He was not good with kids, but he had to be patient—and careful—with this one, so as to prevent a rampage. "Is that your name?"
The boy continued to glare at him. "Did you really forget who I am that quickly? I never forgot your name, Mace Windu."
Understanding dawned on Fury. This boy was from the universe that the Jedi had come from. He was angry with Windu for some reason, and mistakenly targeted him instead. "What is your name?" he asked carefully, hoping to keep the boy from firing any weapons upon him. The S.H.I.E.L.D Director surreptitiously pushed the panic button on his belt.
The boy stood up taller and his face grew more menacing. "Hello. My name is Boba Fett. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
Fury lifted his hands to indicate that he meant no harm. "Hello," he responded slowly, "I am Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D government agency. You are mistaken, and I have no intention of hurting you if you back down."
Boba did not buy it. "Did someone wipe your mind, Mace?" he asked. "Where is your lightsaber?"
"I do not have one. Check me if you wish, but do not try anything foolish."
Boba studied Fury's belt and saw that he was indeed telling the truth. "I have been informed that Mace Windu is here. If you are not him, then where is he?"
Before Fury could respond, about a hundred S.H.I.E.L.D agents surrounded them. Maria Hill walked up to Fury and said, "The backup is here. Where is the threat?"
Fury gestured toward the boy. "He is from the Jedi's galaxy," he said. "Take him for questioning. He claims to be after Master Mace Windu and intends to assassinate him." Boba immediately raised a weapon that Fury did not recognize. "Lower your weapon, Fett," Fury ordered.
"You are making a terrible mistake," Boba spat. "If you are wise, you will take me to Windu so that I can finish him myself."
"Take him away," Fury ordered.
The agents attacked him, though Boba put up quite a fight. Twenty died and ten were injured, but the superior numbers managed to overpower the young bounty hunter in the end. Boba glared mutinously at Fury as his hands were cuffed behind his back. Mentally, he put Mace Windu's look-alike on his hate list. That man would pay the same way that Windu will pay. In the meantime, though, all he could do was comply.
"Thanos." Loki's entire body quivered and his skin paled even more, if that was possible. "He has come for me," he whispered.
Tony leaned toward Natasha and whispered, "Do you know what Loki's talking about?"
She shook her head. "No clue."
The large titan stood where he was, taking in the room. When his gaze fell upon Loki, a sick grin formed on his face. "I have come to take what is rightfully mine," he boomed. "The Tesseract and Laufeyson belong to me."
Loki turned fearful eyes to Thor, who had edged unconsciously toward his brother. "Thor…" He could not put his terror to words.
"Who is this, Loki?" Thor asked.
Thanos's grin widened. "Why don't you tell them, Asgardian?" he pressed.
"I—I—" Loki's voice shook with dread. He took a deep breath and swallowed nervously. "We made a bargain," he said at last, trying to calm himself to the best of his ability. "He promised me an army in exchange for the Tesseract."
"What else?" Thanos prompted, relishing in the moment.
"The Other spoke for him. He said…'If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he can't find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain.' He is Thanos, the titan standing before you now." Loki looked painfully at Thor. "I told you that I should not be here. That I should have run far away, where I could not put any of you in danger. Now it's too late. He will unleash his anger on the entire realm."
Thor's expression had become increasingly shocked the more Loki spoke. "Brother, what have you done? Do you realize what you've brought upon the realms? Upon yourself?"
Loki grew defensive. He would not admit that he had been a fool—not even to himself. "I didn't exactly expect to lose the battle, Thor," he pointed out sarcastically. He had assumed from the beginning that he would seize the Tesseract easily from the puny Midgardians, and that the battle would be short and glorious. Never did he consider what would happen if he failed.
Thanos was getting aggravated. He usually liked to sit back and strategize, making others do the dirty work for him. That did not mean that he didn't enjoy a good fight, though, and he had walked in with the full expectation of combat. Despite his cruel nature, he had decided to step in with an offer. Considering the conversation directly in front of him was getting nowhere, he interjected. "I did not come here to listen to you feeble little beings discuss the past. As I stated before; I came for what is mine. If you do not give it to me, expect a fight." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "It will not end well for you."
The Avengers exchanged glances amongst themselves. The Jedi were tense and ready for battle, though Thanos did not seem to acknowledge their presence. Thor spoke first. "The Tesseract is not here. It is no longer in our hands."
Thanos balled his hands into fists. Loki could see the irritation in the gesture. "I did not say you had to have it with you," the titan roared. He let out a breath, trying to keep from lashing out, which was very tempting considering the lack of open-mindedness in the room. "I care not how you bring it to me. Just do it and be quick about it. One of the things I seek is standing at the back of the room. Hand him over to me, and I will give you more time to bring me the Tesseract."
This was a difficult decision for the Avengers, and Loki knew it. One option would be to defend him, in which Thanos would unleash his fury and potentially kill them all. The other option would be to hand Loki over, thus pacifying the titan long enough to form a plan. Loki could easily see the wheels turning in everyone's minds. He did not like it. Why were they hesitating? The very fact that they had to think this over was unnerving.
"I grow impatient," Thanos said.
"So…wait. If we give Loki to you, you'll give us some time to bring you the Tesseract." Tony's voice was slow, calculating, and contemplative. Completely unlike him.
"Did I not say that?" Thanos boomed.
"Right. Just making sure." Tony lifted an index finger. "Can we have a private Avengers huddle for a sec?"
Thanos sighed. He was through being merciful. "Give me your answer, or die."
"Harsh," Tony mumbled.
Loki's gaze flickered around the room. His fate lay in the hands of his old enemies. How reassuring. He turned his gaze to Thor. "Thor, you wouldn't even consider this, would you?" he whispered.
Thor felt like he had the weight of the realms on his shoulders. It would be best for the universe if he handed Loki over now, so that they could all plot out ways to defeat Thanos. But he had promised his brother that he would take care of him. Loki had stuck his neck out for the Avengers and Midgard. How could he betray him? "How can you ask me to choose between you and the well-being of the universe?" he whispered quietly enough that Thanos wouldn't hear. He didn't want the titan to suspect that they would use the time to plot his defeat.
"He is asking you," Loki replied. "Do not make me look like the monster here." Loki, for once in his life, was the victim. He hated it so much that he felt like he would vomit.
"Please give us a moment," Steve said.
Thanos was growing very tired of these silly little mortals. He wanted to break every one of their necks, but they were the only means of getting the Tesseract to him. So, he would force himself to be patient. "You may have a moment," he relented at last, "but no longer."
"Thank you." Steve ushered everyone into another room. "Loki, I don't think you should listen in on this—" he began.
"Loki has the right to know his own fate," Thor objected.
Steve wanted to challenge him on that, considering the god of mischief would probably not like the outcome, but he figured it was a losing battle that he could not afford to waste time over. "Everyone, go in there."
"Don't tear up my tower while we're debating," Tony said sharply to Thanos.
"I will refrain," Thanos said, grinning evilly.
Once the Avengers were out of the titan's hearing range, Tony clapped his hands together and said, "Okay, we've got a situation here. Should he stay or should he go?"
"This is no time for jokes, Stark," Natasha said. "Lives are on the line. What we decide now could decide the fate of the universe."
"Whoa. No pressure or anything." Tony sat down, taking this in.
"Here's the cold hard truth," Barton said. "If we hand Loki over, we get the chance to plan our attack. If we do not, Thanos will kill us all, capture Loki, and torture him until he relents and hands over the Tesseract. Either way, it looks bleak for Loki. Option two would guarantee him the Tesseract because, considering we would be dead, we would not be able to fight him off."
"What about the Jedi? Could they possibly fight Thanos off?" Banner suggested.
"We could try," Obi-Wan said.
"No, Obi-Wan. Remember what I taught you; do, or do not. There is no try," Yoda said sternly.
"I for one think we should defend Loki," Anakin said boldly. "We're powerful enough to take that guy out, right? We've got the Force, super awesome weapons, a dude in an iron suit, a super soldier, master assassins, a guy that can transform into a green rage monster, and two gods. I think we're more than capable of putting up a good fight."
Loki shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said. "You do not know of Thanos's power. He has the durability to withstand almost anything, strength far beyond that of Mjolnir, unlimited stamina in which he can never grow tired, faster reflexes than your average mortal…" He paused, thinking. "He also has mental powers. He can transport his mind as I can. He has the power of telepathy, force shields, and energy beams. He once turned someone to stone. He knows how to play with your weaknesses in combat. He is no force to take lightly."
"He can turn someone to stone? Damn." Tony shook his head, then glanced at the door. "I think we're running out of time here, gang. If only Fury was here. He would know what to do."
"Well, he's not, so shall we reach a decision, then?" Banner asked.
"We have to. He'll bust the door down any minute now," Tony said. "We can't stall much longer."
Anakin took out his weapon. "Let him come."
"No, Anakin, be reasonable," Obi-Wan said. "There's nothing we can do."
"You're just going to let him die, then?" Anakin challenged. He stared his former Master straight in the eye. "If I was the one Thanos wanted, would you let him take me?" he demanded harshly.
Pain entered Obi-Wan's eyes. He knew that he would have to, given the situation, because it would be for the good of the universe. Anakin must know that sacrifices must be made for the commonwealth. "I am not in that situation, so I will not discuss what-ifs, Anakin."
Anakin glared mutinously around the room. "I won't let you hand him over." He turned to Thor. "Support me on this."
Things were getting pretty tight for Thor. He had to consider Asgard for a moment. Agent Barton had been right. If they didn't give Loki up, he'd be tortured into bringing the Tesseract to Thanos. The universe—including Asgard—would be doomed to fall under the titan's rule. "I think that you know not what our actions could unleash," he said carefully.
Loki faced Thor, shocked, but was not given the chance to react before the door was kicked down.
"You could knock," Tony said. "That was just rude and inconsiderate."
"Stark, please," Natasha whispered, nudging him.
"Just saying," Tony mumbled.
"You have had enough time," Thanos growled. "Give me your answer now."
Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. No one spoke, but almost everyone was in agreement. Barton was the first one to step away to the other side of the bedroom. Natasha followed him, putting a reassuring hand on his arm. Steve joined them, followed by Tony and Banner. All of the Jedi except Anakin and Obi-Wan did the same. The Jedi Master placed a hand on his former padawan's shoulder and tugged lightly, urging Anakin to come with him. Anakin relented, glaring angrily at the floor. He would not meet the others' eyes for fear of what he would see there. All that remained in the middle of the room were Thor and Loki.
"Step aside, god of thunder," Thanos said. "Be wise like your friends over there."
Thor faced Loki and gripped his brother's shoulders. "I don't know what to say."
"Thor…" Loki's eyes were watering. "Don't let him take me. Please…"
Thor pulled him into a hug. For once, he was unpredictable. Loki did not know what the hug meant: loyalty or betrayal. He would find out soon. Thor's voice whispered in his ear, "I love you, brother." He stood up, and Loki saw tears in his eyes. "Forgive me." He backed away to stand in front of the group.
Loki felt his stomach drop. They were truly abandoning him. He could not grasp this, yet it seemed so…expected. He watched numbly as Thanos walked forward and stretched out a hand to grab him by the neck.
Seconds before the hand closed, Loki edged backward and bolted to the back of the room, pressing himself against the wall. "Please!" he begged. "Thor, don't let him do this!"
Thor said nothing. He was too choked up by pain to speak.
Thanos cornered Loki, grinning maliciously, and seized him by the arm. As he dragged him away, Loki pled once more.
"Brother!" He struggled out of Thanos's loose grip and fell to his knees before Thor. "Brother, no! Don't let him take me! I'll do anything—I swear! I swear by the All-Father's name that I'll do anything you want!"
Thanos had felt a sense of satisfaction in seeing Loki cry out in such a manner, but the time for playing was over. In one swift motion, he grabbed the god by the back of the neck and pulled him away once more.
The last thing they heard was Loki crying, "Brother!" And then there was silence.
Disclaimer: I do not own the knowledge of Thanos's powers. I researched them from a website called "Thanos: The Mad Titan." The article explained all of his powers that are known for sure, and a few that are theorized. I kept the fic limited to those that are known to be true. I also do not own the Marvel Avengers Universe, or the Star Wars Universe. I ALSO do not own the Princess Bride reference. Thumbs up to everyone who caught that. Actually, my sister, random-fan803, used that reference with Boba Fett and Windu in her fic. She gave me permision to use it.
AN: That was the hardest chapter I have ever written. I kept on wanting to stall because I had no idea what to do. Then, I realized what I had to do, even though it is painful to me and all of you. Please give me your feedback, as it is much appreciated and urges me to update quicker. I know you guys want to see the next update, considering the way this chapter ended… O_O