Memories
Gods or Dragons
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If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.
Steve staggered into the clearing and froze. Odin was cradling Thor to him and Logan had Tora's head in his lap, his chest stained with blood from terrible neck wounds. And then a fire flared up and a person he knew very well stepped out.
"TANA!"
She looked at him and he recoiled, knowing that wasn't Etana, it was something else. She was dressed in a loose white chiton with a curved sword held in one hand and her eyes were burning. She turned and her hair, which had been floating as if she were underwater, burst into flames.
Well… Er… This is a bit embarrassing really…
Odin looked up, his one eye looking hopeless.
"You have come for him then?"
Well, you see, that's the problem.
"What?"
I'm here for one soul and one soul only. Unfortunately, it wasn't specified which one. And because this idiot here, a sandaled foot nudged Tora's left hand, decided to mess around with fate and so on, I'm not too sure which one to take.
Steve stared for a long moment before breaking the silence.
"Huh?"
He could have sworn she rolled her eyes at him.
Hello everybody. I am the Malach Hamavet, the Angel of Dying Nicely, by which I mean if you aren't afraid to die, if dying is a relief from pain or you die in noble sacrifice. You may have known me as Etana, the Shadow, the Darkwing or that annoyingly creepy precognitive mutant who hangs about with the X-Men and looks like the child of Nightcrawler and Angel. I sort of died but didn't because I'm an angel –a real angel, not a mutant who looks like an angel- and my human bit is right now bored stiff and has started a Tiddlywink contest in the Afterlife. Apparently she got fed up of winning chess all the time. And this doesn't solve my problem. Because right now, it looks like either of them could be the one to come with me and say 'Goodbye cruel world' but on the other hand they could equally well make a miraculous recovery.
Odin's eye widened.
"Take the Dragon!"
And Logan's lips slid up in a snarl.
"You ain't got a right to let her die! Goldilocks knew what he was doing! He's the one who's supposed to die!"
"You dare confront me!"
"When my wife's life hangs in the balance, YES!"
Steve blinked.
"Why can't you just –I don't know –ask them?"
I already tried that. They both insisted on saving the other. I think they're still fighting. Yep, Tora's just slung a right hook at Thor. They're not going to be much use for this.
"Can't you just pick one?"
And that's the rub. I'm not allowed. My job is simply to show up and usher them on. I can't pick and choose. That's a mortal's job. Odin cannot and in the interests of fairness, neither can Logan.
"What's so difficult that you can't choose?"
According to the prophecy, Thor should be the one to die. However, the Dragon took the brunt of the attack, and in most cases, a god's life is considered about equal to a cosmic entity's avatar. The books will balance either way.
"Oh…"
Look, it's incredibly complicated and involves the cosmic entity version of chaos theory. Even I don't get it, and I'm the one who does all the hourglass calculations.
"You have hourglasses?"
Oh yes. Here are the two and now you see my problem.
He did. The sand in both was totally stationary. However, the one with the silvery-grey sand had a gaping hole in one side and in the other, the sand looked like it was about to run out.
"Ah…"
Yes, ah. Now… er… I don't suppose you could be the mortal adjudicator? Because right now you're the only one not taking a side on who should be allowed to live and you'd probably be the most thoughtful. Unlike Iron Man, who is yelling at Logan that Thor is a GOD and he is by definition much more powerful and Wolverine is yelling some rather rude stuff right back.
Steve turned and sighed. Half the main Avengers team had taken the Asgardian's side. The other half of the team –mainly those closest to Wolverine; the New Avengers and almost all the Secret Avengers were taking Tora's side. The Asgardian group were arguing that by interfering, Tora had changed the prophecy enough to allow Thor to survive, therefore she should be the one to die. The group crowded around Logan were arguing that the prophecy stated Thor was the one who should die and trying to shift the consequences onto someone who helped him wasn't what Thor would want. He looked back at the angel.
"What's the likelihood of them coming back?"
Ah, ah, ah. That would be both telling and cheating. You have to decide based on the past and the present, not the future.
"Why me?"
Because about now you're the only one with half an ounce of sense.
"I…I can't do it…"
She rolled her eyes. At least Steve thought she rolled her eyes. Only Etana was capable of rolling eyeballs made of fire.
Oi! You! With the beard and the bald head! Yes, you! I have an important moral question!
"You can't hassle civilians! You can't ask them to make that choice!"
You aren't. And maybe he can offer unbiased judgement.
The man –Rick, a small part of Steve's mind supplied- looked terrified.
I have a question for you. Thor was fated to die this day, defeating the Serpent. But the Dragon intervened in the hope of saving him and in payment was mortally wounded. Now both lives lie in the balance. Tell me, who do you think should die?
"Er… Did Thor ask to be helped?"
No. He believed his fate was to die an honourable warrior's death.
"And…er…did Dragon know she could die."
I rather believe she was counting on it.
"Why?"
She has lost too much. She has lost the will to live, but her leaving will cause much pain.
"What… What family do they have?"
And the angel smiled softly.
Only one like you could answer a question like that. The heroes would base on their friendships, their strengths and weaknesses but you choose…family.
"Tell me."
Thor's family is here. The Asgardians. Dragon… Only her husband is here today. I believe her eldest son is in New York and her twins are in San Francisco, all unaware of what could happen.
"She has kids?"
Three by blood, one who I believe counts as 'stepdaughter' but sees her as a mother figure and another, unrelated girl, who also sees her as a mother figure.
"And Thor?"
No children.
"Then… I think… I… I can't do this…"
She shrugged.
I never expected you to. I merely wanted an unbiased series of questions.
And the angel turned back to Steve.
The choice is yours Captain. Make. Your. Choice.
And Steve gulped as everyone went silent.
"I… I know who should be the one to go on…"
The water faded out and Phoenix glared at the masked woman.
"I. Hate. You."
"Sorry, I need to go and check the Stores. Do be a dear and don't start without me."
She rose gracefully and walked out of the room
"She's doing that deliberately!"
Death grinned.
"Oh, she's brilliant, isn't she?"
A.N. I am very happy for 4 reasons. One, my mum watched Daredevil and actually liked a superhero film; two, I finally got around to watching Iron Man 2; three, I'm watching Thor today and four, I GOT MY RESULTS AND THEY WEREN'T TERRIBLE! If my brother is reading this, thank you very much for waking me up before the alarm so I could read my text. You're a wee star!