Fate: Hammer Time

Chapter 1: The twilight of the Last Avenger

It was cold, extremely cold. The kind of cold that he had thought only the dead would be subjected to in the deepest pits of hell.

It was strange though. Just a few hours ago, he had contemplated how hot it seemed here.

But, he was so cold now.

'Heh,' Thor silently mused to himself while holding his bleeding sides, trying to stem the blood loss. 'I shouldn't be surprised. I've always been told dying is unpleasant, and seeing that both friend and foe told me so, it must be true to some extent.'

Thor looked around to reorient himself. A glance to the side revealed Mjolnir, his ever-loyal companion, lying next to him. He was currently kneeling in a crater, miles wide and dozens of yards deep. Freshly made by him. His strength was great, even in old age.

'But then,' he thought with a deep, pained sigh; 'I suppose even gods have limits, limits I have surely reached by now. I do not have very long left, Lady Death is coming for me, I can feel it.'

He was dying, there was no doubt about it.

He should have been disturbed by that, protesting, sad, in denial, anything. But he wasn't. He was almost content.

He had been so tired during the past centuries, ever since his last true friend had died. Even though his powers had increased by many magnitudes, he could not summon the motivation anymore to go out and seek glory on the battlefield or by protecting the weak.

The mighty flames of justice, righteousness and drive to protect the innocent that had once burned perpetually in his chest had burned bright and long, but little more than smouldering embers remained now, and even those were about to be extinguished.

He had done his part. He had left a legacy that would instil pride in the title of 'Thunder god' forever. He had led Asgard in times of peace, war and unrest like his father and his father's father before him. He could go and join the others in the void. He was of no more use here, and even gods needed rest.

Thor smiled at the prospect of seeing the others again, allowing himself to reminiscent on fond memories for a few moments. Of the Man of Iron, of the noble Captain, the strong Hulk, the mighty Sorcerer, the one-eyed spy. All of them his friends, his brethren in all but blood, his comrades, and since ages past, all dead.

But cherished memories they were, for none of them had died a bad death. Quite the opposite in fact, all had died satisfied, with their goals reached. Tony and Pepper had gotten married, Steve had settled down as well with a nice partner, a civilian. Bruce and Natasha, despite many considering it weird, had gotten together and Clint's family had prospered beyond what anyone had thought possible.

In fact, he confirmed for himself, they had all had a very happy end, almost as if they were in one of those films from that one company the Man of Spiders had talked about so much. Come now, what was it again? Dirney? Didnoy? Disney?

Ah yes, Disney, a classic happy ending. Thor remembered nearly crying in joy when his friends, his family, had received their well-deserved, and hard-fought happy ending. Sometimes expected, for he knew everyone had seen it coming that Peter Quill would ask for Gamora's hand, and sometimes not at all. Who could have predicted Strange would marry the Princess of the Dark Dimension? He did not, that was certain.

The Man of Spiders himself had gotten a Disney-end as well, happily getting together with those girls, Felicia and Michelle, both of them at once. Thor distinctly remembered buying young Parker a drink for that. There had been shocked reactions by some, but Thor himself cared not for any such stigmas. Having Loki as a brother meant that one had to be accustomed to... things.