Phantom | S. Rogers

-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄-

april twenty seventh, 2018
nidavellir

"I am Groot."

"Tinkle in the cup. We're not looking. What's there to see? What's a twig?" Rocket asked as he glanced at Groot. "Everybody's seen a twig before."

"I am Groot."

Thor glanced at Groot from where he was looking out the window. "Tree, pour what's in the cup out into space and go in the cup again."

Rocket turned around to look at the god with surprise. "You speak Groot?"

"Yes. They taught it on Asgard." Thor said with a nod. "It was an elective."

"I am Groot."

"You'll know when we're close. Nidavellir's forge harnesses the blazing power of a neutron star." Thor explained as he sat down. "It's the birthplace of my hammer. It's truly awesome."

"Okay, time to be the captain." Rocket muttered to himself before he walked over to Thor. "So dead brother, huh? Yeah, that could be annoying."

"Well, he's been dead before." Thor said, making Rocket look at him. "—but this time I think it really might be true."

"You said your sister and your dad—?" Rocket trailed off.

"Both dead."

"—but still got a mom though?" Rocket asked, making the blonde shake his head.

"Killed by a dark elf."

"—a best friend?"

"Stabbed through the heart."

"You sure you're up to this particular murder mission?" Rocket asked before Thor looked at him.

"Absolutely." Thor said with an uneasy chuckle. "Rage and vengeance, anger, loss, regret; they're all tremendous motivators. They really clear the mind. So I'm good to go."

"Yeah, but this Thanos we're talking about, he's the toughest there is." Rocket reminded, Thor waving him off.

"Well, he's never fought me." Thor said with a dumb smile.

"Yeah, he has."

"He's never fought me twice." Thor said with a nod. "—and I'm getting a new hammer; don't forget."

"It better be some hammer."

"I'm fifteen hundred years old. I've killed twice as many enemies as that and every one of them would've rather killed me, but none succeeded. I'm only alive because fate wants me alive." Thor paused his tangent to take a breath. "Thanos is just the latest in a long line of bastards and he'll be the latest to feel my vengeance. Fate wills it so."

"Mmhmm." Rocket hummed with a nod. "What if you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong—" Thor trailed off to think. "—then what more could I lose?"

"I could lose a lot. Me personally. I could lose a lot." Rocket watched Thor sit next to Groot before he pulled an eyeball out of his bag, walking back over to the god. "Okay. If fate does want you to kill that crapsack, you're gonna need more than one stupid eyeball."

"What's this?" Thor asked as he took the eye from Rocket.

"What's it look like?" Rocket asked rhetorically. "Some jerk lost a bet with me on Contraxia."

"He gave you his eye?"

"No, he gave me a hundred credits." Rocket said with a shake of his head as he got into his seat. "I snuck into his room later that night and stole his eye."

"Thank you, sweet rabbit." Thor said with a smile before he put the eye into his empty socket.

"I would've washed that. The only way I could sneak it off Contraxia was up my—" Rocket cut himself off, relaxing they had arrived. "Hey, we're here!"

"I don't think this thing works." Thor said as he hit himself on the temple, trying to make the eye work. "Everything seems dark."

"It ain't the eye." Rocket denied as he flew toward the ring.

"Something's wrong." Thor said as he looked out the window. "The star's gone out and the rings are frozen."

"I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning." Rocket said after he landed the pod, the trio looking around. "Maybe they realized that they live in a junk pile in the middle of space."

"This forge hasn't gone dark in centuries." Thor said as he looked around for Eitri.

Rocket looked around, his eyes landing on a mold of a gauntlet. "You said Thanos had a gauntlet, right?"

"Yes." Thor confirmed as he glanced at the raccoon. "Why?"

"It look anything like that?" Rocket asked as he nodded to the mold, Thor's eyes widening in realization.

"I am Groot."

"Go back to the pod." As Thor turned around, Eitri appeared, throwing the god across the room before he kicked Groot and Rocket. "Eitri, wait!" Thor yelled, Eitri realizing who he was. "Stop! Stop."

"Thor?"

"What happened here?" Thor asked as he slowly stood up.

"You were supposed to protect us." Eitri reminded with a teary yell. "Asgard was supposed to protect us!"

"Asgard is destroyed. Eitri, the glove." Thor said as he gestured toward the mold. "What did you do?"

"Three hundred dwarves lived on this ring." Eitri informed as he leaned against the wall. "I thought if I did what he asked, they'd be safe. I made what he wanted: a device capable of harnessing the power of the Stones. Then he killed everyone anyway; all except me. Your life is yours—he said—but your hands are mine alone." Eitri recited as he held up his metal encapsulated hands.

"Eitri, this isn't about your hands. Every weapon you've ever designed—every axe, hammer, sword—it's all inside your head." Thor reminded as he pointed to his head. "I know it feels like all hope is lost. Trust me. I know, but together—you and I—we can kill Thanos."

While Thanos and Gamora traveled to retrieve the Soul Stone, Nebula was left on the ship, currently being inspected by one of Thanos's guards. After the guard walked over to Nebula's face, the woman quickly snapped his neck before she made her way over to the tablet on the other side of the room. "Mantis, listen very carefully." Nebula said after she called Mantis. "I need you to meet me on Titan."

Bruce, as the team is getting ready to send Thor off: when will we see you again?

Thor, confused, but smiling anyway: at dinner. we're going to eat.