Undying Fidelity

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"This is the Asgardian refugee vessel Statesman. We are under assault, I repeat, we are under assault! The engines are dead, life support failing. Requesting aid from any vessel within range. We are twenty-two jump points out of Asgard. Our crew is made up of Asgardian families, we have very few soldiers here. This is not a warcraft. I repeat, this is not a warcraft..."

Ana puffed the hair from her face when her back met the ground and grunted, glaring at Proxima Midnight who stood above her. She launched herself at the lance-wielding warrior, one arm in the air that carried a makeshift spear. It came from the wreckage of the vessel. When Thanos had hit the ship with an energy shell from an oversized cannon, it fried everything. The systems were out. Half of the ship broke off from the attack. Brunnhilde managed to lead a group of Asgardians to safety along with Amora and some of the Sakaarian fighters for protection.

Ana got back up and slammed her spear against Proxima's lance. She did not want to be shot at by that thing again. She pushed with all her might, sending the woman flying into the other side of the assembly hall. The Black Order were the only ones on board. For now. Thanos had yet to make an appearance. Ana supposed it was because he wanted his adoptive children to clean the house up before he arrived. At Ana's feet laid dozens of dead Asgardians. Some of them died instantly when the vessel was blasted, others tried to stand up against the Black Order, but due to their lack of fighting skills, they were quick to fall. Few laid wounded and barely breathing. Her father was nowhere in sight. The explosion had sent him into outer-space. But she couldn't think too much of it. Marcus was well equiped to survive and find his way back. He had to.

Ana mildly heard the sound of Hulk's breathing coming from the canal below her. It was rough and shallow. She had made contact with the Avenger prior to the ship being boarded and reminded him to stay low. Hulk would know when they needed him, all he had to do was listen for the words, We have a Hulk.

She was getting ready to recite the words just when Ebony Maw found himself hovering above her. Ana's hand flung to grab Maw by the throat, but he lifted his index finger and every fibre of her being turned to stone. He smirked at her deviously, and pushed his hand upward, raising her from the ground. Ana was upside down, unmoving. Maw fashioned space shards from the atmosphere around them and sent two into her cranium once again. Ana gritted her teeth together when unbearable pain suddenly washed over her. She tried to thrash around, to be free of them, but it only made it worse.

"You fight like a coward." She snapped, eyes flaring. "Never getting your hands dirty. You'll die first."

"Do you recall what I once told you, Warrior? Force is a blunt instrument and often unnecessary."

Thor released a war cry and barrelled into Maw. He grabbed his head, flinging him into the wall. The effect wore off and Ana dropped to her feet, before taking a sharp piece of scrap metal to hurl it towards Maw. A hand grabbed her elbow before she could strike Maw. She looked back at Cull Obsidian, and glared at him.

"You wanna go first? Fine." She retorted and dropped the metal in her grip.

Ana proposed to do something spectacular and bodyslam Obsidian into the ground. But Destiny had other plans. She lurched forward with a choked groan when a curved weapon punctured her side much like it did Heimdall's. The Watcher of Worlds was on the ground, laying on the bodies of the people he had sworn to protect. She craned her neck to see Corvus just as he retracted his glaive from her right side. Her hand went flying to conceal the gushing wound and she dropped to her knees, panting from the piercing pain.

The Statesman was continuously being shot at, this time by smaller, more frequent energy blasts. Thanos entered the ship, eyeing all the downed occupants. Loki had surrendered the moment the Titan arrived. He was surrounded by the Black Order seeing as he was the one they were after. His face held minor burns from the initial explosion. Thor was closest to Thanos, and even he couldn't land a blow. The Power Stone saw to it that Thanos would be greater in strength than anyone who laid a hand on him. Ana watched as Thanos kneed Thor's face, making the God of Thunder fall back with an injured face.

Ana heard footsteps get closer to her and she shut her eyes, inhaling sharply when she was lifted into the air. The sudden movement made the wound on her side stretch uncomfortably and she grunted. Thanos observed the way Ana struggled in his grip. She tried to claw at his hand, leaving traces of her blood along his purple skin and gold armour, but it only motivated him to tighten his hold on her neck.

"Where is he?" Was his simple question.

Blood dripped down Ana's chin when she parted her lips to reply. He was asking about Ana's friend. The one with the Nova helmet. "I-I don't know..."

Thanos tilted his head to the side at her answer, and released her without waring, turning away.

"Hear me, and rejoice." Ebony Maw strolled through the wreckage, paying no mind to the people he stepped over. Heimdall tied to reach for Maw, but he lacked the strength to, and cried out, falling back. Ana dragged herself to the ragged walls of the ship, and leaned against it, peering down at her side. Blood had drenched her clothes. Her head lulled upwards, eyes fluttering closed as she listened to Maw. "You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan. You may think this is suffering. No..." Ebony Maw looked to Ana who stared back, and continued, "It is salvation. Universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile. For even in death, you have become Children of Thanos."

"I know what it's like to lose." Thanos began to say, as he peered down at the defeated God of Thunder. "To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless." He lifted Thor from the ground as if he weighed nothing and approached Loki, dragging his brother closer to him. "It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. But, I ask you, to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now it's here. Or should I say," Thanos raised his gauntlet and formed a fist, igniting the bright violet of the Power Stone.

"You talk too much." Thor spluttered out blood as he spoke, lifting his head.

"The Tesseract." Thanos stated, looking to Loki. "Or your brother's head. I assume you have a preference."

Loki's face remained expressionless as he maintained eye-contact with the Titan. "Oh, I do." The God of Mischief was quick to reply. "Kill away."

Ana darted to her feet and screamed out, "No!"

Her yell was met with Thor's agonising cries as Thanos placed his gauntlet at the side of his head. The Power Stone glowed when it made contact with his skin, beginning to burn it right off his skull. Loki started to shake as if he was unable to keep his emotions in check. Mixed with Ana's devastating cries and Thor's painful howls, Loki finally cracked.

"All right, stop!" Loki roared.

Thanos removed the gauntlet from Thor's face. The Power Stone dulled it's brightness and Thor gasped for air, chest heaving as he tried to raise his head. "We don't have the Tesseract. It was destroyed on Asgard." Thor said.

Loki glanced at him with a look Thor was familiar with, and Thor gawked at his brother. Ana stepped forward as Loki lifted his hand, revealing the gleaming Tesseract in his palm. It had been with him all along. Ana wanted to grabbed it, to use it. To remove her friends from the situation around them. She didn't care what happened to her as long as Thanos didn't get his hands on another Infinity Stone.

"You really are the worst brother." Thor sighed.

Loki walked forward, Tesseract raised as he looked to Thor. "I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again." Once he was close enough, Loki stopped, pulling his hand that carried the Infinity Stone back an inch. Ana monitored his movements and stationed herself away from a specific valve that connected the assembly hall to the canals below.

Thanos gave Loki a cold stare, and scoffed. "Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian."

"Well, for one thing, I'm not Asgardian." Loki corrected. "And for another..." His eyes met with Ana's, and he sent her a knowing grin when she nodded.

With an ear-piercing roar, the Incredible Hulk jumped out of the valve and tackled Thanos away from Thor just as Loki removed his brother to safety. Ana watched as the giant men fought each other, and when she noticed Hulk gain the upper hand, she grinned at his triumph. She moved quickly and lightly across the wreckage to the other side of the vessel. With one hand stuck in a sling and the other pressing against her wound, Ana vaulted over the obstacles with minimal errors. Training with Captain America had its perks since Steve was the best parkour athlete Ana knew.

Once she rejoined Thor and Loki, Ana slapped the God of Mischief upside the head. "You liar." She hissed.

Loki retracted from her as she took Thor's arm and wrapped it around her shoulders to support him. "You should know that about me by now." He hissed back, rubbing the back of his neck.

Thor took note of Ana's wound. "That looks bad, Ana."

Ana was too busy watching Hulk and Thanos barrel into each other to acknowledge Thor's words. Her eyes widened when Thanos hit the Hulk with sharp and rapid punches to the gut and spine. Soon enough, the Hulk backed down, and Thanos won. The Titan heaved Hulk over his head, before thwarting him to the ground. Seeing their friend in trouble, Ana and Thor simultaneously got to their feet. But before either one of them could take action, a ray of light entered the ship, heading straight for Thanos.

Ana heard something drop at her feet and looked down when the gold helmet clanked against the ground. She picked it up to examine it and lifted her head, jaw dropping at the sight of her father drawing Thanos into another brawl. "Marcus!" She exclaimed.

The Sentinel was done hiding. He pinned Thanos to the ground and stared down at the Titan, fists flaring brightly on either sides of Thanos' head. Thanos couldn't believe what he was witnessing. It had to be close to a century since he had seen the Sentinel. And to think they had fought on Xandar and he wasn't aware who was behind the mask made the situation all that more strange.

"You're done hurting people, Thanos." Marcus said strongly. "This ends now."

Thanos glanced down at his gauntlet, at the glowing purple stone, and he smirked up at the Sentinel. "You're wrong. I'm just getting started."

Marcus was able to dodge the hefty punch Thanos threw at him and stepped back. Thanos climbed to his feet and launched a series of brute attacks towards the Sentinel. He used the Power Stone to add more damage to each hit he gave Marcus. By fighting the Hulk, he was able to learn how to use the first addition to his Infinity Gauntlet. Purple and blue energy blasts met, illuminating the ship. Meanwhile, Ana went back for the Hulk. She skidded along her knees to avoid a bolt of purple energy Thanos had thrown.

Ana's body rolled next to Hulk's, and she peered down at his bloodied face, frown deepening. "Hulk? Hey, buddy, wake up." She urged, slapping his cheeks gently. He only groaned at her calls, failing to get up. He was done. Much to Ana's disappointment. She didn't know what this meant for him. Or for Bruce. She had to get him out of there. Ana adjusted the cold helmet against her chest as she looked up at Marcus and Thanos. With a surprised shout, she lowered her torso over Hulk when Thanos had managed to send a mean right hook at Marc's face. The Sentinel was launched across the ship, landing near Thor. Ebony Maw lifted pieces of metal from the wreckage to bind both Thor and Marcus.

Ana's eyes lifted when she heard Heimdall struggle in his movements. He knew what he had to do. He reached for his sword, Hofund, and gathered what little strength he had left. His golden irises found Marc's flaring blue ones. He could see how defeated his friend felt. As if he had failed. Heimdall couldn't watch this any longer. No more blood. No more lives lost. He needed to give the Sentinel's daughter the chance to warn others. To prepare for the Titan's Infinity Crusade. Time seemed to stop as the two — Marcus and Heimdall — looked to one another. With an apologetic smile, Heimdall lifted his hand, directing it towards Hulk and Ana, and summoned his Asgardian magic.

"All-Fathers, let the dark magic flow through me one last time."

With the glow of his palm, the energy of the Bifrost escaped the Watcher of Worlds. The tunnel of coloured lights flowed through Ana and Hulk, slowly lifting them from the ground. Ana found that she was unable to escape Heimdall's magic and looked up with a sharp yank of her head. Her eyes screamed panic. She was going to be launched light years away from Marcus and Thor. Transported to another point in the universe. With one hand clutching Marc's helmet, Ana outstretched her injured arm towards him, face contorted by dread. She didn't think she had it in her to lose him — especially since they just found each other after decades of separation.

Marcus could feel the light in his eyes fade away when it dawned on him. His face fell when the space between him and his daughter was getting bigger. Too big. He wanted nothing more than to break free. He struggled against the restraints pinning him down. He turned to glance up at Thanos, to the Power Stone that was siphoning his energy to keep him stationary. With a grunt, Marcus focused back on his daughter, and he breathed out shakily.

Not even a second passed before he launched out of the restraints. He rocketed towards Ana, arms outstretched. But he couldn't reach her in time. The Bifrost had picked up, removing Ana and Hulk from Marc's line of sight. Her muffled call of his name was all that he registered before he was pulled back by Thanos, forced onto the ground face first. Marcus cried out when Thanos ground his foot into his back. Bones were breaking. Flesh was tearing. But none of it amounted to the reality of his daughter being taken away.

Bucky checked his phone once more. The time told him it had been two minutes since he last looked. He could've sworn it was longer than that. He sighed, watching as the picture of Ana and Steve turned to black when the phone screen locked on its own. Eyes fluttering shut, Bucky leaned forward to place his elbows on his knees and bury his face in his hands. It had been hours since Ana left with Marcus. Since then, he had been waiting for her inside the Talon Flyer that was currently parked above the Sanctum Sanctorum, fully invisible to the public eye. He was getting antsy. Knees kept bouncing. Stomach wouldn't quit churning. He was twitchy as hell.

Somehow, Bucky knew something went wrong. He could practically feel it. Ana was hurt. Oh how he wished he was wrong. He had to be. Because if she was in trouble, that would mean it would take a while for it to cool off. Bucky predicted despite how critical Ana's condition could be, she would still try to resolve the solution no matter what. That's what drove him crazy. Ana was one hell of an irresponsible peacemaker. Bucky understood her need to make things right. She prided herself on working through the conflict and chaos. But just how much chaos could Ana endure until she cracks under the pressure?

Bucky was conscious of Ana's mind. It was fragile. Constantly invaded. The stress of taking on Marc's memories should've shattered her brain in two. It almost did. She had trouble figuring out what was real and what was merely a past illusion. She needed stability, and as much as Bucky questioned his own mindset, he wanted to give it to her someday. Bucky raised his head and leaned back against the cold Vibranium wall of the aircraft, looking out the overhead window panel.

A smile grew on his face when he realised where Ana had travelled to. He was staring right at it. Space. The stars. He went on to think if he would ever see it like she did. Fly through the galaxies and witness the telling of her favourite moments. Being aware of how protective Ana was of him, Bucky supposed it would take some time. That up there was becoming a big part of Ana. Her father belonged to a dead universe. Half of his girlfriend was associated with that other dimension. Just thinking about it made his head spin.

"One thing's for sure, this ain't the forties."

- - -

Stephen Strange descended the main staircase in the Sanctum Sanctorum in his casual clothes with his hands in his pockets. Wong was following close behind, having just placed a stack of books back on the shelves. They were looking for the reason as to why the Astral Dimension was having a meltdown. Answers to their sole question were hard to find, and Stephen couldn't take it anymore, especially not on an empty stomach.

"Seriously, you don't have any money?" Stephen asked Wong.

"Attachment to the material is detachment from the spiritual." Wong replied.

Stephen shook his head with a slight grin. "I'll tell the guys at the deli. Maybe they'll make you a metaphysical ham on rye."

Wong quickened his pace, "Oh. Wait, wait, wait. I think I have two hundred." He reached into his vest and pulled out a couple of paper bills.

"Dollars?" Strange asked, stopping at the foot of the stairs.

"Rupees." Wong corrected when he realised the currency of the money he carried.

"Which amounts to?" Stephen questioned.

"A buck and a half?" Wong calculated.

Stephen sighed, continuing forward. "What do you want?"