Philophobia ➤ W.M.

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  Not that he particularly cared for Terran lives. He was honestly only concerned for the princess' life (and even then, he couldn't really bring himself to care much). That same concern stemmed from how the princess' death would disrupt Asgard's peacefulness, anyway.

  The universe didn't need Asgard to reign terror upon it again. And, he didn't need his or Ari's life on the line. He pulled his lips into a grimace at the thought of his target's name – one he had tried to avoid as to not trigger any unpleasant memories from the past.

  Thankfully, the perfect distraction came in the form of the ground beneath him. He quickly turned in the air so he's land on his feet, and hit the concrete a second later. His bones rattled at the impact, pain slightly dulled by the summersalt following the landing.

  He had barely made it to his feet before Ari spoke. "Iarund." Clear recognition filled the spoken name, and the man, Iarund, nodded. "What are you doing here?" Ari asked gruffy, watching Iarund with keen green eyes.

  "It's time to stop wreaking havoc across the universe," Iarund responded in a matter-of-fact tone. Ari's eyes narrowed, glancing at the ground beneath Iarund's feet. The man jumped away from the spot as it exploded, landing nearer to the princess who lay incapacitated on the ground. Ari scoffed at Iarund's placement, and doesn't dare try to explode him again. Iarund has Ari right where he wants him.

  "I know you better than you think, Ari." Enough to know that Ari wouldn't try to harm the princess. The bounty on her head was plentiful, but Iarund had a sickly feeling that Ari cared for the woman, somewhere deep down in that twisted heart of his.

  "I'm sorry, but could I interject?" A feminine voice interrupted. Iarund turned to the blood-covered princess beside him. "Who the hel are you?" And why are you here? A question that clearly needed multiple responses.

  "Iarund. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance," He responded, mockingly bowing. He then turned to Ari. "And I'm here for my target."

  Her voice then quieted as she asked, "Why isn't he using his powers... on you?" By the end, she was breathing heavier than any person should.

  "I'm afraid his powers don't work on me." Her eyes widened comically, and she coughed harshly. Blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.

  "Owch princess, might wanna get that looked at," Iarund smirked as he spoke. She hissed at him through her teeth.

  "Are you done yet?" Ari asked. The princess turned to Ari with a deadly glare. One which caught both men off guard. What surprised them even more was when she began to move.

  "Stay down! You are not equipped to fight in your condition," Iarund hissed at the woman after he overcame his momentary shock.

  "Like hel I'll listen to you," The princess (Astrilde, was it?) responded in a low voice. Iarund shook his head in exasperation. There was no way he'd change Astrilde's mind. Not if her headstrong, God of Thunder brother Thor was anything to go by.

  Iarund turned back to Ari. "Are you sure you want to go against me, brother?" Ari asked, but the question seemed rhetorical.

  Before Iarund responded, Astrilde but in. "Brother?! And I thought Loki was bad... " Both men ignored the princess, clearly engaged in their own conversation.

  "Ari, you will come with me," Iarund stated, hand rested on one of the knives on his belt. Ari glanced at the gleaming metal.

  "I won't go down without a fight," Ari responded. With that very dramatic sentence, a carefully placed explosion shook the building, and Iarund lost his footing.

  Once he regained his balance, he was displeased to find Ari holding Astrilde in a chokehold. Her hands were pulling on his arm, trying to free herself, but to no avail. Iarund noted the obvious pain the woman was in, but the very fact that she was moving showed that her healing ability was kicking in. He internally groaned, watching the woman with a guarded expression. Her incarceration put him in a compromising position. How would he capture his target and ensure the princess' safety?

  "Stop moving," Ari growled at the struggling woman. Iarund noticed that Ari's grip had been somewhat relinquished, just enough for the princess look back at him. That turned out to be the wrong move on her part, as their eyes connected and she went slack in his grip. Ari's powers had taken effect, and that would make everything just a little more difficult for Iarund.

  "Let the girl go." Ari sneered at his younger brother, grip tightening around Astrilde even though she was under his control.

"Sorry, Ia, but she's my ticket off of Terra." Iarund frowned, his hand resting on one of the many weapons strapped to his hip. He toyed with the idea of just running at his brother and hoping for the best, but ultimately decided against it.

  "Astrilde!" An unfamiliar voice screamed from nearby. Iarund glanced at the direction it came from, then toward the princess. Pure horror was in her eyes and Iarund observed as they became glassy. Clearly, the princess knew who it was, which most likely meant that it was one of the so-called "Avengers". Iarund cursed quietly. He needed to apprehend his brother before anybody was harmed (or most likely killed).

  His gaze flickered back down to the short woman who was no longer struggling in his brother's grasp. A grimace covered Iarund's face, the man not even attempting to disguise it. There was no way in hell that everybody would make this out alive. It just wasn't possible.

~=~

I was wondering what everyone would think of a Thor Ragnarok/Infinity War continuation of this story. It may go into endgame, but ultimately depends on what happens.

EDIT 6/29: Broke chapter up into two chapters :)