AN: Sorry for the long delay! I have been studying like a freak. Stupid professional schools and stupid tests that determine your future. Updates will be rapid after July 2nd when I finally become free from the shackles of testing.

Huge thank you to everyone who reviewed! They were really helpful, and I hope I can integrate some of your suggestions! I hope some things get answered in the next few chapters. But really, thank you everyone for reviewing! You are honestly amazing and I wish I could hug you all! Keep it up! :)


Chapter 33: Blind


"I don't know what happened!" Nick's voice yelled over the phone, "They just disappeared!"

With eyes glued on a television screen, the young college student listened as Pepper argued with the director of SHIELD. All eyes were on New York, and every news station was broadcasting surveillance from the empty town. But as the sky split open and aliens started pouring out just like a year ago, everything suddenly vanished—along with their heroes.

"What if he's dead, Nick!?" Pepper yelled over the phone, "How can you not know where they are?!"

"Our communication systems are down, Potts!" an angry voice countered, "Wherever they went, they're out of reach!"

Upon hearing the words, Darcy's eyes widened. Almost instantaneously, a memory flashed through her mind. It had been a few days early, during breakfast with the Asgardians and she had paid it no mind then, but when Heimdall said everyone would thank him for his mastery over space…

"I know where they went."

Caught in mid sentence, Pepper stopped her screaming and looked towards the intern. Darcy felt guilty when she looked in the woman's eyes, their blue orbs holding back tears. How was she to tell her that Heimdall had whisked them across the universe to protect everyone on Earth from the horrors Thanos brought? How was she to tell her that the man she loved most was on some alien plane of existence, with limited ways of getting back? Letting out a small sigh, Darcy finally allowed the word to pass her lips.

"Asgard."


Sometime during the journey, Loki must have blacked out. The last thing he could remember was being overcome with magic on Midgard—an odd sensation washing over him and everyone around him. What followed next was an imprecise and crude fall, followed by a crash that lacked elegance. It was nothing like traveling in the Bifrost, a torture that he had long become accustom to. Instead, whatever magic Heimdall had used had almost ripped him apart—had almost scattered his being across the cosmos.

Cringing, the prince let out a hiss as a sharp pain rushed through his back and head as if he had fallen into something. All around him was a thick darkness, with nothing to clue him in on his location other than a musky, metallic smell. The back of his head felt sticky, and each time he tried to move everything hurt worse. Closing his eyes in pain, a panic raced through him as Heimdall's final words echoed through his memory.

Hold onto someone.

But before he could move, a hand came to his face and a bright green light flashed in his eyes. Scrunching his face at the sudden brightness, the man couldn't help but smile when he saw a pair of gold, analytical eyes studying him. Her hands came to his face softly, the scars on her palms brushing against his cheek before they touched the back of his head.

"You are the only person who would smile at a skull fracture." Eir whispered, finally surrendering a small smile towards him, "Truly delusional, you are."

Almost instantly, he could feel the familiar rush of magic dance over him. It was as if his body was being wiped clean of every cut and scrape—and as it reached his face, he felt as if a cold glass of water had been spilled against him, leaving healing in its place. But what felt even better was the image of the healer in the glowing light, and the knowledge that he had done just as Heimdall had said.

"Where are we?" he asked finally, his eyes not yet adjusted to the pitch black surroundings, "Certainly not Midgard."

In the background, he could hear a howling that sounded positively metallic and had a chilling familiarity about it that shook him.

"Lower Asgard." Eir whispered, "Home."

Taking the doctor's hand, the prince stood up and looked at the broken surroundings that slowly showed themselves in the faded moonlight. Heimdall had used whatever power he possessed to bring them back—bring them back to the one place that offered them hope. Asgard itself was a weapon, bestowing upon her children a power unexplainable. Even now, just being amongst the magic in the realm, he could feel a certain electricity race through his veins. The magical matrix was far stronger on Asgard, and it would be this gift that would help them win this fight.

Turning his head, Loki watched as the healing Goddess used the hissing green gem as a lantern, the green glow casting an eerie light over the scene. One by one, he could hear the painful grunts of the others sitting up. His eyes now adjusted to the light, the prince was suddenly aware that they were in a deserted tavern—the tables and bottles turned over and littering the floor. There had been a fight, a massive struggle, and as the motionless rotting figures lay against the dark backdrop, he realized it had not gone in their favor.

"You are brilliant, Heimdall." Fandral's voice echoed through the room, "Don't ever let me say otherwise."

"Is this Asgard?" the robotic filter on Tony's voice asked, "I kind of imagined it being…golder?"

Holding up the Power gem, Loki watched as Thor's face emerged through the darkness.

"This is lower Asgard, Man of Iron." Thor answered, his face serious against the red glow, "Commoners live here."

In the background, there was another horrid screech. Swallowing hard, Loki finally remembered where he had heard it before. Thanos had pulled out all the guns this time around, no doubt drawing resources from both The Other and Malekith himself. Both yielded powerful weapons, and now that he was on the receiving end…

"They are displeased." Loki insisted, his voice sacrificing more panic than he wanted, "And gaining."

"Grumpy Cat is right, Thor." Stark remarked, his face looking worried behind the glow of the stones, "What's the plan?"

For the first time in so long, Loki noted that Thor looked scared. There had been many times he had followed his brother into battles, but this time there was something about the Thunder God that was off. Though Thor spoke in a confident voice, Loki could tell when his brother was lying—and he was lying to himself.

"They will follow us." Thor said quietly, "Thanos will use his army to seek us out."

There was an uneasy silence in the room.

"The palace." Sif offered simply, "Bottleneck them there. No one knows the palace as we do."

From the other end of the room, Loki could see Eir tending to one of Heimdall's wounds.

"The palace is laced with traps and escapes." The gatekeeper explained, "Tis a weapon in itself."

"The problem is getting there." Hawkeye huffed, his face emerging from the back of the room, "We're exposed. Not all of us are immortal, you know."

And with those words, Loki felt a sick feeling in his stomach. Despite what the mortals thought, they were not immortal—their lives may span millennia, and they may live thousands of human lifetimes, but they, too, were plagued by Death. Loki had known he was to be killed by Thanos for some time, but this feeling was something different. This time, it was not the same panic that coursed through him when he thought of his own demise. Instead, it was a fear of what was to become of him if he lived while others…

"I'm sure as long as you all keep your earpieces on, House will come rescue you." Tony remarked, slapping the doctor on her back, "In fact I—"

Before the man could finish, the whole room was silenced as the tables and glasses began to shake. In the distance another wild screech rang through the chilled air—this time the metallic howl sounding much closer than before.

"We need to get out of here," Steve said forcefully, "Now."

For once, Loki agreed with the mortal.

"Banner, slow them down." Thor decided, looking towards the man still in human form, "Stop as many as you can from entering the palace."

Thor looked directly at the man dressed in iron.

"Remain vigilant in the sky." He added, "If you spot Thanos, alert me immediately. I will dispose of him."

Blinking a few times in the darkness, Loki cast a confused look towards his brother.

"Thanos is my problem, Thor!" he yelled angrily, "It should be I who—"

"Father wished for me to be king." Thor interrupted, his face stern, "Tis what a king would do. A king would not watch his brother die."

But before he could argue, a small hand found its way to his arm.

"You must secure the weapons vault." Eir whispered, her grip tightening, "No one knows its secrets as you do. Leave Thanos to your brother—please."

There was an almost pleading quality to her voice that unsettled him, and when he caught glimpse of her emerald shaded face, he knew that she was terrified. For as giving and heroic a doctor the handmaiden was, she was also as selfish as he was—content to have Thor die in his place. Feeling his chest tighten, Loki cast his brother a defeated glance, listening carefully as Thor described the rest of the battle strategy.

"If this is the last time I see some of you, know it was a privilege to fight at your side." Thor said strongly, the vulnerability in his eyes betraying the strength in his voice, "May we meet again in Valhalla."

Not a second passed before a loud crash at the door joined them. From the other side, animalistic screeching and scratching echoed ominously in the night air. With a burst, glass scattered into the tavern and blue rays of energy burnt past them—singeing clothes and flesh. Warriors followed, their faces obscured by masks and their hands filled with weapons.

"Go!" Thor's voice boomed, "I will hold them off!"

And as electricity cracked in the air, they each had only seconds to escape before blinding white lightening lit up the room, taking the enemies and Thor with it.


Gloved hands gripped the marble railings tightly, and yellow eyes narrowed at the scene below. In the soft glow of moonlight, Thanos could see the Asgardians burst from the city below—their movements scattered and erratic like frightened herd animals. From above, he could hear the unmistakable crack of thunder calling out like a personal signature of the prince himself. But no God of Thunder could save them now. No amount of famed deities could stop the onslaught.

Laughing a little to himself, Thanos thought of the odds against them: Eight Asgardians and five mortals against the best warriors the universe had to offer? It would be a battle that was neither glorious nor lengthy, and it was only a matter of time before all the gems were in his possession. He had searched his whole life for the gems, and now that they were so close—now that he could almost feel their power—he was growing impatient.

"The Gatekeeper actually managed to utilize the Space Gem." Thanos remarked, his voice laced with a hint of surprise, "They are complicated artifacts; only a genius can learn to weird them in so short a time."

Next to him, Thanos saw his companion smirk.

"Heimdall is known for not only his senses, but his intellect." Malekith recalled, "T'was foolish to underestimate them. They are Asgard's best."

"They have certainly sullied our plans." Thanos groaned, "No matter, once we dispose of the Asgardians, we will take Midgard."

The Dark Elf raised an eyebrow.

"And Loki?"

Casting his yellow eyes towards the battlefield once more, Thanos was not surprised to see that it lacked a certain man. While the other warriors were fighting their way to the palace, Loki was nowhere to be seen. It was typical cowardice. The younger prince of Asgard had always been spineless, but after his stay on Midgard—after whatever pathetic redemption he found in himself—he had become even more so. The self-proclaimed harbinger of chaos and mischief had grown soft.

"That worm will show himself soon enough." Thanos spat, putting on the gauntlet, "If you happen across him, keep him alive—I want the pleasure of ending him myself."

"And what exactly shall I do?" Malekith asked curiosity dripping from his voice, "The warriors can most certainly lead themselves."

"Tend to the weapons vault." Thanos decided, "The only one of those Asgardians smart enough to wield any of them is Loki himself. His worst enemy is himself…I pray you can use that advantageously."

The look on Malekith's bicolored face was positively malicious.

"And what of you, Milord?" he asked seriously, "Where are you off to?"

Thanos couldn't stop the satisfied smile from gracing his face.

"To finally collect what's mine."


Heimdall raced over the scattered remnants of his observatory—the gold carved pieces laying like glitter over the shattered ends of the rainbow bridge. Around him were the bodies of many warriors, with their sightless Dark Elf masks staring unseeing towards the star speckled sky above. Something told him he should race past the bodies and towards the palace to join his comrades, but something else was stopping him.

Walking towards the edge of the bridge, the man let out a heavy sigh as he gazed upon the cosmos below. Though he was Asgardian, this was his home: standing at the edge of her existence as her gatekeeper. Closing his golden eyes, the man allowed himself to get lost for a moment. Gone were the screams of alien invaders, and gone were the sounds of weapons slicing through flesh. Instead, the only feeling he allowed himself to become victim to was the soft breeze across his face-just as he had done for thousands of years.

Nostalgia.

"Heimdall, the great Asgardian gatekeeper."

Turning around quickly, the man tightened his grip on his gilded sword as his eyes caught sight of the large, purple Titan before him. The man seemed to be unarmed, the only extraneous object a strange golden gauntlet upon his right hand. Narrowing his eyes, Heimdall could feel his heart quicken as he noticed the glove was missing four stones—ones owned by the surviving Asgardians.

"Your eyesight is famous." Thanos remarked with a smirk, "A talent to be as much coveted as feared."

With each agonizing step closer, Heimdall prepared himself to attack the encroaching villain. But as he went to grip his sword tighter, Heimdall found that he could not—that he was paralyzed in his place. Not wanting the Titan to see his panic, Heimdall put on the best defiant face he could, even as his own heartbeat screamed against his own chest.

"The mind is the control center of the body." Thanos reminded, tapping a finger to the lone blue gem in the glove, "Quite a useful resource to have command of."

With a loud crash, Heimdall felt his own sword fall to the glittering rainbow bridge below—his hands no longer able to grip on.

"I came here to kill you." Thanos smiled, his hands running themselves over the purple stone laced around Heimdall's neck, "I am sure you knew that."

Swallowing hard, the gatekeeper watched anxiously as Thanos ripped the purple gem from its chain and placed it into the gauntlet. Almost instantaneously, the Asgardian could feel a sickening loss of power, the stone's abilities no longer granting themselves to him. With the stone now with its sibling, a wicked smile found its way across the Titan's face. His yellow eyes, morally empty and filled with bloodlust, simply looked towards him.

"They say your senses are so acute they can hear grass growing on Nornheim." Thanos remarked, his voice silky, "They say your eyesight is so powerful you can see everything."

There was a pause, as if the alien was trying to order his thoughts.

"I could use that skill." He decided, "I will spare you, if you vow to help me."

Not willing it, a laugh escaped the gatekeeper's lips.

"I have served the House of Odin faithfully for my entire life." Heimdall hissed, his voice low and intimidating, "My loyalty will not falter faced with Death."

This time, it was Thanos's turn to laugh.

"The House of Odin is filled with nothing but the scum of Asgard." Thanos bellowed, his fingers tight against Heimdall's face, "Filled with nothing more than mortally bankrupt nobility and harlots undeserving of your talents!"

Lowering his gilded eyes from the yellow ones clawing into his soul, Heimdall let out a hiss when the hands on his face tightened. In a snap, Thanos had ripped the small communicator out of his ear, pinching the small radio in between two massive fingers. The man was not wrong about the House of Odin—whose rule was based off of lies and want for power. But the people he had grown to know, the people he had grown to fight alongside, were worth more than any royal ideology. Thor represented a new chapter for Asgard—new blood for the House itself—and that was something worth protecting.

"So be it." Thanos spat, taking his silence for defiance, "But your gifts will not be used against me, either."

Feeling the rough hands leave his face, Heimdall said a gracious prayer as the Titan walked away from him, stepping over the many elvish bodies that littered the rainbow bridge. But when he tried to move once more, he found that he was still unable to—his legs locked in place. Feeling his heart race quicker, the gatekeeper felt his arms start to move against his will. Trying to break whatever magic held him in place, Heimdall started to panic when Thanos's satisfied voiced echoed in the cool air.

"For your insolence, a fate worse than death."

Letting out one final, desperate plea for help, Heimdall shook as his hands made their way towards his face—his appendages moving against their will and under control of the blue gem. Feeling a hot tear trickle down his cheeks, the gatekeeper was surrounded by his painful cries as his own fingers clawed out the very eyes Thanos cherished. Gasping for breath, the Asgardian screamed as his fingers were drenched in the heat of his own blood and flesh. Shaking in uncontrollable pain, the gatekeeper fell to the ground and hissed at the sharp debris of the broken bridge slicing against his flesh. In the distance, he could hear the wicked laughter of a Titan that spared his life, and took from him a stone and something far more precious.

Leaving him, too, to stare towards the star speckled sky—unseeing.


Thank you so much for reading! Reviews are always appreciated! Also someone brought up the idea of a side story of one shots-this certainly is an idea I would entertain if there is an interest! It would probably be much lighter than this.

Next chapter: Thanos continues his collection and Malekith confronts Loki.