Ragnarok | Book 4

Chapter 41: Ashes To Ashes; Dust To Dust

Sigyn conjured a dagger and slammed the blade into Thanos' arm. He grimaced and threw her body aside. Sigyn hit the hard ground and came to a roll. She laid on her back, gasping for air.

Steve then came sliding in from underneath Thanos. Like a boxer, Steve landed punches using his shields. He landed a blow across Thanos' chin. Thanos just looked down at the mortal and reached out with the gauntlet.

Steve grabbed onto the gauntlet, stopping Thanos for a mere moment. Sigyn rolled onto her side, her hand rubbing her neck.

"Steve." she barely managed as Thanos landed a mighty blow to the head. Nothing stood between Thanos and Vision, except Wanda.

With one hand, she worked on destroying the Stone, and with the other she held back Thanos who used the power of the Stones to push forward.

Sigyn crawled froward towards Wanda, she reached out her hand and grasped her ankle. A stronger burst of energy radiated off Wanda, it didn't stop Thanos, but it slowed him down.

Using what Seidr Sigyn had left, she poured it into Wanda and finally, the Mind Stone cracked and with a brilliant light, it exploded, sending out a shockwave over the small part of the forest.

Thanos sighed and walked towards Wanda, "I understand my child. Better than anyone."

"You could never." Wanda spat, looking up at the Titan. Thanos reached down to pat Wanda's red hair.

"Today I lost more than you could know. But now is no time to mourn." he stepped towards the spot were Vision was seconds ago. "Now is no time at all."

Thanos activated the Time Stone and reversed the events. Bruce was released from the wall, T'challa was revived, Bucky was back on his feet, Jim and Sam were fine and uncrushed, Natasha was released from her rock imprisonment, and Steve was revived.

The explosion pulled back on itself to reform the Vision and the Stone. "No!" Wanda screamed and dove for Vision, but Thanos smacked her tiny body away.

"No..." Sigyn stood on shaky legs, her spear flew back into her hand but before she could strike, Thanos used the Power Stone and slammed her into the ground. Her spear flew from her hand and instead impaled her.

Sigyn cried with pain as her spear impaled her shoulder, pinning her to the ground. Thanos then proceeded to lift Vision by his neck up to eye level. Using his fingers, Thanos gripped the Stone in his forehead and pulled it out. Vision's forehead caved in and his body turned a dull grey. Thanos tossed Visions body aside as he admired the yellow Stone before he added it to the gauntlet and collection of Stones.

The Mind Stone joined it's siblings and a surge of power pulsated threw Thanos, all six were now reunited.

A bolt of lighting then struck Thanos sliding him threw the ground. Thanos stood to his feet and punched the gauntlet into the air at the on coming axe Thor threw his way. The Stones all lit up in an attempt to stop the axe as it effortlessly pushed its way threw their power and struck Thanos in his chest, forcing him to one knee.

Thor landed in front of Thanos and held his head and growled, "I told you. You'd die for that." and he pushed the axe further into the Titans chest. Thanos yelled with pain, his mouth agape while Thor's glare stared into his soul.

Meanwhile, Sigyn's hand wrapped around her own weapon and slowly pulled it from her own body. She bit her lip to stop her cries of pain as the golden spear head slid from her body. She dropped it aside and propped herself up on her good arm and held a hand to her bleeding wound.

She smiled with victory. Thanos was now in deaths door, they had won.

"You should..." Thanos gasped. "You should have gone for the head." he raised the gauntlet and snapped his fingers.

"No!" Thor screamed.

A bright light exploded, blinding Sigyn. She froze as the light faded, her mouth hung open... 

"What did you do?" said Thor stumbling back. The gauntlet was burnt and sizzling with smoke. Thanos' whole left arm too looked in the same condition as the gauntlet.

"What'd you do!?" Thor demanded an answer.

Thanos remained silent, he raised the gauntlet and activated the Space Stone, a portal opened up behind him and sucked him in. Thor's axe fell behind as he disappeared with a loud ring.

Thor stumbled back slightly, he had lost, they failed. He casted Sigyn a glance, her face was written in shock. Did they really just loose?

Steve came running to them gripping his side. "Where'd he go?" he looked around. "Thor, where'd he go?"

"Steve?" Bucky's voice called. Their attention turned to the soldier, his body turning into ash. Bucky's leg faded and he fell into nothing. Steve Stumbled towards the pile that was Bucky.

"Bu..." Sigyn could barely managed to form words as she watched in horror as Steve knelt beside the ash. It was unfathomable to believe that half the universe had now begun to turn to nothing but ash. 

 "Up, General." T'challa made his way to Okoye and extended his arm to her, "This is no place to die."

As Okoye took her Kings hand, she stared with shock as he too turned to ash before her eyes.

Groot also began to fade, "I am Groot."

"No." said Rocket, "No, no, no. Groot." he reached out for the tree as he turned to ash.

Wanda held onto Vision's grey body, her tears long dried up. Her body then began to fade into ash. She looked into the sky, grateful to be joining her loved ones as she turned to ash.

"Sam!" Jim called for the youngster only feet away from where he turned into nothing. "Sam, where you at?!"

Sigyn looked down at herself, half expecting to see her body turn to ash like the rest, but nothing happened. She chocked back a cry. They lost... they lost.

Bruce walked over in the Hulk Buster, stunned with silence. Rocket sat on the log, mourning his friend.

Steve turned over Visions body and fell back defeated. Natasha came running over to Steve, stopping in her tracks at the sight of Visions body.

"What is this?" Jim asked. "What the hell is happening?!"

Everyone fell silent in the thought of failure and loss. "Oh, god." Steve murmured in realisation.  

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