A GODS WEAKNESS [l.laufeyson]

FORTY TWO

     "Thanos wiped out fifty percent of all the living creatures on Earth..." Natasha was talking to the group of the remaining Avengers with Astrid in the room. She felt strong enough to start moving around and started becoming more practical.

"Not just Earth." Carol had stayed to help the Avengers after saving Tony, Nebula and Astrid from near death.

"You sure about that?" Rhodey was still unsure of the woman.

"You never have to ask me that."

"Where is he now?" Tony was also sat in the room but he was still incredibly weak.

"We don't know, he just opened a portal and walked through it." Steve was still annoyed of the loss.

"What's his deal?" Tony looks out to see Thor sat on his own. Astrid follows his gaze to look at the God. She decided to go join him, leaving the others to continue their discussion of their next move on Thanos.

"Thor?" She hopes to gain his attention but he ignores her, still looking ahead. She sits next to him, looping her arm through his.

"It's all my fault." After a moment of silence he finally speaks up.

"Thor, it's not. You have got to stop blaming yourself."

"If I had just gone for the head-"

"Thor Odinson!" Before he could blame himself anymore, she interrupts him. "King of Asgard. I order you to stop taking all the blame."

This gains a small chuckle from Thor. "You're ordering me?"

"I am the Princess after all. And not only that but I am your sister. And I know for a fact that Loki would also be scolding you for the way you're acting."

"I truly am sorry, Astrid" Thor turned more serious again at the name of his brother. "I shouldn't have left you. If I hadn't, then your son still may have had a chance at life."

"Even if I went with you, it still would've turned out the same. I lost Selig while Loki was still alive."

"But I should've at least left you on Sakaar... Loki was right. I'm not fit to be a King."

"Come on Thor, when have you ever listened to Loki?" Astrid joked. Talking about her husband still pained her. But Pepper was right, over time she would heal and the best thing to do was talk about him. "Besides I wouldn't have listened either. How were any of us supposed to know that Thanos would be hunting us down?"

He stayed silent and knew deep down that she was right. He shouldn't take the blame for losing his brother and his nephew. Thor and Astrid sat there in silence again while listening in on the conversation going on inside. They heard that they found the location of Thanos, and Carol going on about how she could defeat Thanos.

"Hey new girl. All of us in here are about that superhero life. Where've you been all this time?" Astrid agreed by what Rhodey was saying. If she was so great then why wasn't she there to help.

"There's a lot of people in the universe. And they didn't all have you." Carol made Astrid's blood boil. She hated the way she looked down on the rest of them.

Thor stands, making his way over to the newbie. Astrid follows not far behind. He holds out his hand to summon stormbreaker as it whips past her head. Carol however, doesn't flinch.

"I like this one."

Steve looks back at the planet on the screen for a long moment... "Let's go get that son of a bitch."

~

"No satellites, no ships, no armies. No ground defences of any kind. It's just him." Carol was giving a report of the planet while the others had waiting in the Benatar.

"That's enough." Nebula responded as Thor and Astrid shared a look. They were ready.

Meanwhile, smoke curls from the chimney of a solitary lodge. A pot boils over a fire, and Thanos limps towards it. His left side paralysed and his arm blackened. He stirs the pot. Suddenly, an armoured hand bursts from the fire, grabbing Thanos' gauntlet... preventing him from closing his hand.

Thanos jerks back as Carol and Rhodey bash through the roof, pinning Thanos' arms. Thor and Astrid crash through the doors followed by the others.  Thor swings Stormbreaker, cutting off Thanos' hand.

The Gauntlet lands by Rockets feet. He picks it up and his face goes slack. He turns the glove towards the others and at that moment they realise, the stones are gone.

"Where are they?" Steve questions. Thanos however only ignores him and Astrid shoots a look to Carol. Carol nods in understanding and presses Thanos to his knees while Astrid presses her daggers to his throat.

"Answer the question." Astrid partly sounded evil. She had waited for this moment.

"The universe required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose beyond temptation." Astrid brought her daggers away stepping back just slightly allowing him to talk.

"You murdered trillions!" Banner shouted.

"You should be grateful."

"Where are the stones?" Natasha asked with slight worry in her voice.

"Gone. Reduced to atoms."

"You used them two days ago!" Banner was getting more angry.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones." Astrid gripped onto her daggers tighter, ready to use them. "It nearly killed me, but the work is done. It always will be."

That feeling of knowing they were gone forever was sickening. It was their only hope to bring back their friends. Astrid even wondered if maybe... just maybe they could bring back Loki.

Rocket searches around frantic. On the verge of crying. "No... they can't be gone."

"He's lying." Rhodey speaks up still gripping onto Thanos' arm.

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them." It hurt Nebula to say, but it was the truth.

"Thank you, daughter... perhaps I've treated you-"

Thor swings Stormbreaker, severing Thanos' head from his body. It hits the floor, followed by the thud of his huge frame. Most of the avengers look away. Astrid however, stares at the body without even blinking. She had seen so much death lately, it only became natural.

"What did you do?" Rocket looks up at Thor only to see him standing next to Astrid staring at the body.

"I went for the head..."

Astrid is the first to walk out, followed by Thor. As they walk away Steve stares at Thanos' head on the ground.

It's over. They lost.