Eagle (A Loki love story)

Chapter 157

Pepper had no problem offering to care for Dreyma while we were gone. It was an unspoken decision that we couldn't afford to wait until Tony had recovered, nor could we wait for him to wake to tell him where we were going. He'd find out when everyone reappeared.

"Go get him. Bring them back."

"We will." Carol replied before running out to the Milano. I kissed my daughter farewell as I handed her over to Pepper.

"I will see you soon, little one. And I'll have your mother with me."

"Mama?"

"Yes, mama's coming home." I summoned my Asgardian battle armor to me. It felt strange, having the weight of all that leather and gold on me again, but it was blessedly familiar.

Not even ten minutes later, we had all suited up and strapped in. The Milano itself was filthier inside than it had been the last time I'd seen it. I hadn't even thought it was possible, and hated being proven wrong. My stomach leapt to my throat as we angled upward and pierced the atmosphere. It was so different from travelling with the Bifrost.

"Ok," Rocket brought the ship to a halt in orbit, "Who here hasn't been to space?" I sniggered when Steve, Natasha, and Rhodey raised their hands.

"Why?" Rhodey muttered.

"You better not throw up on my ship!" Was all the warning we received before he piloted us towards the nearest Jump Point.

"Approaching Jump in three," Someone clasped their armrest loudly, "Two, one!" A hexagonal wormhole opened in the middle of the sky and we were pulled in. This felt more like the Bifrost. Beside me, I saw Steve's eyes glaze over. But then I turned my eyes back to the magnificent colors flashing outside the glass.

The next time my eyes could focus on something, it was on a planet larger than, but very similar to, Earth. Tilted father on its axis, with at least two moons, and a planetary ring. I gripped the metal beneath my fingers so hard that I bent it. This was really happening! We were going to bring her back!

A bright light streaked out from under the ship and stopped eye-level with us. Carol.

"I'll head down for recon." With that, she streaked off. She was, without doubt, the most powerful out of any of us.

"This is gonna work, Steve." I looked over just in time to catch a glimpse of a plain box that held a pair of rings. He slipped it back into his uniform as he turned back to face Natasha.

"I know it will. Because I don't know what I'm gonna do if it doesn't." I shared his sentiment wholeheartedly.

"No satellites." Carol returned, "No ships. No armies. No ground defenses of any kind. It's just him." She sounded confident.

"And that's enough." Nebula couldn't have been more right.

We coordinated our approach carefully. I would mask the approaches of everyone but Carol, who would rush in first and restrain Thanos as best she could, followed by Bruce and Rhodey. Then, Thor would cut Thanos's left arm off to keep him from using the stones again.

As the rest of us snuck up to his residence on foot, I felt disgust and hatred bubble in my gut. He had wiped out half the universe and now had the audacity to live the simple life on a farm!? The only structure on the planet was a single-room shack, where he seemed to be preparing a meal. He had no right to just go on living unpunished after what he took away from me! From all of us!

Carol, Bruce, Rhodey, and Thor all made their attacks. When we heard Thanos scream in pain, we entered the hut. Nobody else was armed, but I still wanted a dagger in each hand. They had him on his knees, Carol with an arm around his throat, with Rhodey holding his only remaining full arm. I fixed him with a withering glare and for once, he didn't make a comment, nor did he seem surprised. Rocket went for the fallen gauntlet and rolled it over. I had no desire to know where that severed hand would end up in the future.