LOKI'S POINT OF VIEW
Thank god Sigyn listened to me for once. I suppose her stubbornness did in fact have its bounds.
She squeezed my hand quickly before taking off, away from the army and the assailants pursuing that damn glove. Within a blink of an eye, she was gone from my side and off to do who knows what with the glove.
I could hardly hear the team as they tried to communicate the plan to us all. Through the shoddy ear pieces they had given us, I could only catch single words at a time. Sigyn's name, gauntlet, and Thanos all rang in my ears without any comprehension of what it all meant. The only thing I truly knew was that as long as my wife was in possession of that gauntlet, she would undoubtedly be in peril. And yet, she was far from my side and I had no means of protecting her.
Once again, that shaking fear struck in my heart as I scanned the battlefield. Perhaps, if I could just catch a glint of her armor amongst the flames, I would be able to join her once more. And protect her just as I had promised.
But as soon as I saw her, her golden hair dashing through the field, I had realized I was not the first to spot her. Just yards away, the purple Titan was charging. His eyes were narrowed, focused in on Sigyn. My breath caught in my throat as I watched this all unfold. My heart began to beat out of my chest as I searched for any possible way to come to her aid. Yet, there I stood, as far away from her as possible and with my own battle to fight.
Just as the titan began to charge her, coming within near inches of grabbing her by the hair, Tony stepped in. Though he hardly put any real damage upon Thanos, Tony was able to stop
him which bought Sigyn time. The thing she seemed to need most above all else.
As she tumbled away, another bolt of lightning cracked overhead. I looked upwards to find my brother flying through the sky, eyes aglow with absolute fury as he pursued a heard of Chitari.
"Help her!" I screamed as I dealt with the warrior surrounding me, stabbing them left and rught and sending them hurdling through the battlefield with gusts of magic.
Thor nodded and immediately changed trajectory as he flew towards Sigyn.
Though I knew Sigyn could hold her own, I didn't want to spare any chances. I needed her as long as I could possibly have her, I couldn't bear to watch her die just as I had so many years ago. The fate I was meant to live couldn't become hers, I just couldn't allow it.
Thor touched down before the great Titan, energy coursing through him with insane magnitude as he and Rogers attempted to kill Thanks. Slowly but surely, they pushed Thor's Strombreaker ever close to Thanos's throat. However, within a meeee instant, Thanos pushed both men away from him and refocused upon Sigyn.
She was alone before the Titan but she carried herself with a valor that showed no fear. Though she was by herself, she was unafraid of the fight in front of her.
At least...that's what it looked like.
SIGYN'S POINT OF VIEW
"Long time no see, Thanos," I chided, suffering a fake confidence as I gripped the gauntlet tightly within my arms. I was shaking, holding onto the glove so tightly that my knuckles were white. I wanted to just keep running, to keep avoiding Thanos. Perhaps the next time he would be unable to catch up to me. Maybe I could get out of this whole mess.
But, I stood firmly as I thenrealized that I couldn't simply run away. Though my body urged me to try and protect myself, to continue the chase, as I looked around the battle field-I knew that wasn't an option. Before me was the Titan and beyond him laid Steve, Thor, and Tony. The Avengers were no more than aching heaps upon the ground, battered and beaten. I couldn't keep running because of them. All of the men and women surrounding me, who had devoted their efforts to this fight, had whole lives ahead of them. Tony had a daughter to raise. Thor had a kingdom to rule. Steve had a country to fight for. And even then, they were countless other around me who had still yet to find the meaning behind longing for another day. I, on the other hand, had none of this. My future had been cut and my life was bound to end. I owed it to those around me to use whatever time I had left to ensure that they could spend their time free and unafraid. I owed it to Loki to ensure that he would be able to be there for Hela rather than be taken captive by Thanks once more. And most of all, I owed it to Hela, so that she wouldn't be orphaned by the end of this day.
Because of all of this, I couldn't run away. I had to face Thanos and I had to face my fears. I had to face death.
As the great purple behemoth stood before me, I only had one thing in my mind. Loki. The treacherous image and the horrifying sound of his neck snapping within Thanos's grip was overwhelming but I couldn't let it cloud my focus. I had to use that anger, that grief, against the very man who had caused it.
Thanos.
"Sigyn," he beckoned, stopping before me, "Give me the gauntlet and I can assure you that no harm will be done to you or your family. There's no other option now."
"I think you're mistaken," I stated as I stood up as tall as I could.
"Am I?" he laughed, "Your friends here have destroyed the only other existing time machine. Hand me the glove, Sigyn, and this will all be over."
"Don't do it!" Steve yelled as he struggled to come to his feet.
"Don't listen to him," Tony added as he shakily stood up.
I took a deep breath and tucked the gauntlet under my arm before aiming my spear at Thanos.
"If you want this," I said firmly, "You're going to have to come through me."
Thanos laughed, getting his sword at the ready he said, "Bad decision."
Instantly, he charged at me. Each of his steps caused the ground to shake beneath me. His sword met my armor just as my spear wedged between his ribs. The titan screamed out in pain as he made an attempt to grab the gauntlet. Just then, Thor reappeared behind Thanos and began to choke him. Besides him, Loki appeared out of nowhere and drove a dagger right into the Titan's side.
"Leave it to the Asgardians to finish the job," Loki chided, winking at me before he was swiftly hurled away by Thanos. Immediately after, the purple brute shook of Thor and pulled the god into the ground with a single punch.
"It's just you and me," Thanos growled, taking another step towards me.
"Lucky me," I spat as I slipped the glove onto my own hand.
"What are you doing?" he asked, his eyes going wide as he stumbled back.
"Sigyn, don't you dare," Loki yelled as he came to his feet and began to run towards me.
From behind me, Tony grabbed my wrist and said grimly, "Do you have a damn death wish?"
I attempted to rip myself away from him as Thanos signaled for his warriors to seize us.
"No, Tony," I said as I finally tore my grip from his, "But do you have a better idea?"
"Yeah, not having you die," he said as he shot away an approaching warrior.
"And what gain does that give you," I asked as I stabbed another mindless Chitari with my spearhead.
"Oh, I don't know, not having the God of Mischief at my throat again," he said sarcastically as he reached for the gauntlet.
"Let me handle this," I demmanded, stepping back from him and straight into the Titan.
"Well, well, well," Thanos said as he looked down at me, taking me firmly by the shoulders. His hands gripped me with such a force I could immediately feel my bones crack beneath his fingers. I couldn't help but drop my spear under the pain as the gauntlet slipped off from my hand.
"Thank you very much, dear," he said, picking up the gauntlet before immediately pushing me down to the ground. I attempted to get up, trying to just fight back. Just got a second more before he swiftly held me down by the heel of his boot.
"Don't even think about it," he said grimly as he slipped the gauntlet over his hand and wrist.
"You're going to pay for this," I struggled, my lungs suffocating under his weight.
"Am I?" he asked, laughing as he peered down at me, "How many times do I have to kill Loki, to rip apart your family Sigyn? Don't you know? I'm inevitable."
"Let's save the chit chat," Tony said as he swooped in, wrestling the Titan away from me as he grabbed hold of the gauntlet.
For a moment they quarreled before Thanks finally received the upper hand and threw Tony aside as if he were no more than a rag doll.
Thanoschuckled as he walked towards me.
"I really hoped it wouldn't have to come to this," he said as he picked me up from the ground, "But I suppose if I want these Avenger's to stop, I better have some leverage."
As my feet left the ground, my toes just barely grazing the rubble underneath me, he continued, "Let's face it, dear. They're not going to mess with me as long as your life is on the line. I really would rather be civilized, this choking business is really too messy for my taste. But I suppose it's all in a days work when you're saving the world."
I knew this picture all too well, it was as if I was watching a seen from a film I had watched a million times before. As his hand met my neck and the other began to snap, I felt my feet dangling in the air. Suddenly, everything became quiet and my vision became fuzzy. I knew I was still fighting, I had to be. Though I could hardly see, and I definitely couldn't breathe, I could feel my fingers desperately tugging at his grip.
Desperately...trying...to...escape...