Blue || Bucky Barnes

34. The Guardians

"Do you really think it's a good idea to go back to Earth?" Loki asks his brother as they look out into space.
"Yes of course. The people of earth love me, I'm very popular." Thor says.
"Let me rephrase that. Do you really think it's a good idea to bring me back to Earth?" Loki asks.
"Probably not, to be honest. I wouldn't worry brother. I feel like everything's going to work out fine." Thor says and it's as if he spoke too soon. The light is shaded from their craft by a monstrous spaceship looming in front of them.
Loki's heart sinks completely knowing exactly what it is. Fear courses through him instantly.

Leia and the rest of Asgard see the ship too. Beams of light come down onto the ship causing complete chaos and destruction. There's deathly screams as the group of aliens lay waste to the craft. Valkyrie stumbles to her feet after being knocked down and ushers as many people as possible away. The Black Order tare through the ship sending it up in flames and decimating anyone who tries to get in their way.

"Val, Korg, go, get them out of here! There's pods on the far end of the ship!" Leia yells. She watches as the escape pods leave the ship and fly away. At least they'll be safe. Heimdall is caught in a blast and sent to the floor with a groan as Leia tries to heal the people on the ground but they're already gone.

"Hear me, and rejoice. You have had the privilege of being saved by the great Titan!" One of the members of the Black Order stalks through the dead bodies on the floor. "You may think this is suffering. No, it is salvation. Universal scales, tipped toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile, for even in death you have become children of Thanos." Ebony Maw stalks around Loki and his eyes follow the strange looking creature. Leia stands in the shadows out of sight completely. She stands by Hulk. Leia holds her hand out in front of him preventing his movements.

Loki averts his eyes to the tall man far ahead of him.
"I know what it's like to lose. You feel so desperately that you're right, but to fail nonetheless." Thanos starts, picking a disheveled Thor up by his breastplate collar. "It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. I ask you, to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now it's here. Or should I say... I am."
Loki is surrounded by the Black Order and Proxima Midnight holds her spear to his head. Thanos raises his left hand where he wears a gauntlet, which already holds the Power Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones.
Thor splutters blood as Thanos holds his head up. "You talk too much." He mumbles.
"The tesseract or your brothers head." Thanos threatens Loki. "I assume you have a preference."

Leia watches their encounter from the shadows.
"Oh I do. Kill away." Loki's voice is devious and Leia has to hold back her gasp. Thanos presses the violet stone to Thor's head and he cries out in agony. Leia watches Loki as he watches his brother. His demeanor changing slightly as tears prickle in his eyes.
"Alright stop!!!" Loki yells at the top of his lungs. Thor huffs and puffs heavily. Loki breathes out, closing his eyes.

"We don't have the tesseract. It was destroyed on Asgard." Thor groans looking at the ground. Leia watches Loki and she knows something's up almost immediately. There's a mischievous glimmer in his eye. The dark haired man looks from his brother up to the mad Titan. He raises his hand and his illusion falls, leaving the tesseract in his hand. "You really are the worst brother." Thor says.
Loki steps towards Thanos holding the cube out in front. "I assure you brother, the sun will shine on us again."
Thanos chuckles. "Your optimism is misplaced Asgardian."
"Well for one thing, I'm not Asgardian. And for another... We have a Hulk." Loki says and Leia drops her arm letting Hulk run out and attack. Loki drops the tesseract and tumbles away grabbing Thor from Thanos' grip. Hulk attacks the Titan sending punch after punch after punch.
Cull Obsidian goes to step in but Ebony Maw holds him back. "Let him have his fun."

Thanos gets a grip on Hulk's wrists and starts to overpower him in strength. He tries to throw more punches at the Titan but he keeps missing and getting hit himself until Thanos picks him up and throws him to the ground. Leia's eyes widen, she wants to help but if the Hulk can't beat him then what makes her think she can.
Thor runs up and hits the Titan over the head with a steel pipe but it does nothing to falter him. He kicks Thor in the stomach sending him flying back. Ebony Maw then traps the God between several pieces of metal.