Ragnarok | Book 4

Chapter 43: Space Oddity

"It's been twenty three days since Thanos came to Earth." Rhodey explained as holographic images showed the people who were lost. Many different faces Sigyn didn't recognise. 

"World governments are in pieces." said Natasha. "For the parts that are still working are trying to take a census and it looks like he did..." Natasha paused with a shake in her voice. "He did exactly what he said he was going to do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent of all living creatures."

Sigyn leant against the wall with her arms crossed, Thor was across the room with his elbows resting on his knee's and his eyes narrowed on his hands. Tony who sat in a wheelchair hooked up to a drip said,

"So where is he now? Where?"

"We don't know." replied Steve who leant on a table with his arms crossed. "He opened a portal and walked through."

Tony scoffed and his gaze fell onto Thor. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's pissed." said Rocket. "He think's he failed. Which of course he did, but you know there's a lot of that going around, aint there?"

"Honestly at this exact second I thought you were a talking build-a-bear." Tony said astonished.

"Maybe I am."

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now." Steve interrupted feeling like there were more important things to talk about. "Deep space scans and satellite, we've got nothing. Tony you fought him..."

"You told you that?" he retorted playing with his robe. "I fought him? No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleaker Street magician gave away the store. That's what happened, there's no fight..."

"Okay."

"... Because he's unbeatable."

"Did he give you any clues. Any coordinates, anything?"

Tony made a series of noises and saluted, "I saw this coming a few years ago. I had a vision, I didn't want to believe it... thought I was dreaming."

It struck a cord with Sigyn and her head perked. She suddenly remembered the vision she had when she touched the Mind Stone, where she saw Asgard in flames and the Chitauri laying waste.

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus."

"And I needed you." he spat back. "As in past tense, that's trumps what you need, it's too late buddy. I'm sorry. You know what I need...?" Tony pushed the bowl of food and spilled it across the table as he stood. "I need to shave. And I believe remember telling..." Tony ripped the needle from his arm.

"Tony, Tony!" Rhodey protested.

"... you otherwise," Tony continued. "That what we needed was a suit of armour around the world. Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedom or not, that's what we needed."

"Well that didn't work out did it?" said Steve calmly.

"I said we'd lose. You said, 'We'll do that together too'." he recited. "And guess what, Cap? We lost. You weren't there. That's what we do right? Our best work after the fact and what are we?" Tony advanced forward and Rhodey had to hold him back. "The A-vengers? We're the Avengers? Not the Pre-vengers?"

"Okay, you made you're point." Rhodey said firmly and motioned to the wheelchair. "Just sit down."

"Okay, here's my point." Tony pointed to Carol while Rhodey tried to push Tony into his chair. "We need you, you're new blood." and he broke free from Rhodey. "We're tired old mules. I've got nothing for you, Cap. Got no coordinates, no clues, no strategy, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust." he then ripped the core from his chest and placed it in Steve's hand. "Here, you broke it once, break it again."

 Tony collapsed to his knee's and Sigyn pushed herself off the wall. "Tony!"

"I'm fine... I." and then collapsed completely.

*

"You haven't spoken a single word since I've been here." Carol Danvers stood by Sigyn who held some sort of device in her hands.

Sigyn's tired blue eyes gazed upwards at the women. "Well..." she fiddled with the device in her hand.

"What's that you got?" Carol motioned her head towards the circular device in Sigyn's hands.

"The racoon..."

"Rocket!" the racoon corrected from the far side of the room. "But at least you got what I am... Is that what I am?"

Sigyn shook her head and corrected, "Rocket gave it to me."

"What does it do?" asked Carol curiously.

Sigyn flipped open the device and an empty image appeared above the device. "It's supposed to contact my home world. No one has answered. Not my father, my mother or my sister. Not even my son..." she closed the device. "I don't know if they're even alive."

"I'm sorry." Carol murmured. "What's your home world?"

"Vanaheim is my birthplace before I married into Asgard. I was royalty on both realms, of course that was before Asgard was destroyed in the event's of Ragnarok and my people were slaughtered."

"Thanos."

Sigyn nodded and took in a breath. "He took the one thing I held most dear in all the nine realms. My son, if he survived, will be all I have left of him."

Carol shared a sympathetic look before Rhodey came out from the room where they put Tony and hooked him back up to machines. "Bruce gave him sedatives, he'll be out most of the day."

"You guys take care of him." said Carol. "And I'll bring him missouri elixir when I come back." and she turned on her heel and marched for the door.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked.

"To kill Thanos."

Sigyn whiped her head around at Carol's words. The device in her hand disappeared in a mist and she marched after Carol. "I'll accompany you."

"Hey!" Natasha called stopping the two. "We usually work as a team here and uh, between you and me, our worlds a little fragile."

"We realise up there is more your territory." said Steve. "But this is our fight too."

"You even know where he is?" asked Rhodey.

"I know people who might." replied Carol.

A voice then spoke from the darkness, "Don't bother. I can tell you where Thanos is." an alien creature stood in the darkened room, adorning black clothes and purple skin.

"Who are you?" Sigyn asked warily and stalked towards them.

"Someone who knew Thanos on a personal scale." replied the creature. Sigyn stood a few feet apart from this person examining the metal arm and metal pieces engraved into her skin.

"What were you too him?"

"We don't need to fight." Steve quickly stood between them both. "Gather the others."