Sparking Soul: Ch.28

The skies of Vormir warped as Thanos created hundreds of Sling portals in the air, the Mind Stone glowing before hundreds of concentrated energy blasts shoot out from them.

I quickly activated the Space Stone, teleporting myself and the others across the battlefield in bursts of blue light while blasts rained down like a storm.

The landscape itself was destroyed within seconds as sections of the craggy cliffs were vaporized, leaving molten craters where we stood while I shifted to the side to dodge another.

“Scatter!”, Father barked and I was the first to move, using Jarnbjorn and the Power Stone to parry and slap the blasts to the side while Hela and Loki rushed to the side.

With a thought, the Space Stone glowed and I found myself above Thanos with my axe raised, the Power Stone's energy overflowing from it as I grunted and swung it down.

Thanos was quick to conjure a mirror dimension as a barrier, Jarnbjorn's energy being sucked in by it before I activated the Reality Stone as he pushed the dimension towards me.

Mjolnir came soaring through the air right as the mirror dimension shattered against my form, Thanos easily tanking the blow and letting himself be carried away by it as I condensed the dimension around the location where he previously stood.

The orb of shards imploded upon itself with a crunch as Thanos pushed himself away from Mjolnir, warping space and light as a singularity formed before I threw it at the Titan.

However, he was quick to activate the Mind Stone and stomped on the ground, unleashing a wave of potent psychic energy that launched him up and over the singularity that continued to travel on before I stopped it and pulled it back.

He let out a pained roar as the singularity expanded and sucked him in, the Power Stone's energy flowing into the Space Stone as I clasped my hands and snuffed it out of existence.

“That should buy us another ten seconds,” Father murmured as he spun Gungnir, channelling the Odinforce through his body while Loki spun Mjolnir and Hela stood with a hand on her hip.

“Remind me why we did not just have Thor throw a star at him and be done with it?”

“Because despite the fact that he is not a god, Thanos is a monster that does not die easily. Believe me, I've tried,” Hela spoke before I watched as the spot where the singularity was cracked, the fractures spreading and twisting through the air before Thanos walked through with a glare.

His eyes burned with the energies of the Mind Stone, the Soul Stone pulsing in his gauntlet with an ominous hum as eldritch energy flowed from his body.

“I tire of these games, Odinson. You wield the stones like weapons, but I wield them as extension of my purpose,” Thanos growled and I noted the numerous layers to his voice, as if there were more people speaking through him.

“That's funny. To me, it looks like you're a purple corpse that hasn't figured out that it's dead,” He just stared at me before the Mind Stone let off a radiant glow, my eyes widening as I felt his presence entering my mind before activating the Reality Stone and Power Stone in unison.

Reality, reject the Mad Titan from my mind!

Thanos grunted as I pushed him out, Hela easily doing the same along with Father while the Odinforce shot from Gungnir and pushed his presence away from Loki's mind.

“O-Oh, the actual stone is a lot worse than when you did it, brother.”

“Stay sharp, then. The Mind Stone is searching for weaknesses,” Father barked out while rushing in, delivering a harsh stab that Thanos blocked with a Taoist fan before creating another and swatting Hela's slash downwards.

Loki rushed around and unleashed a storm of lightning at the Mad Titan that he easily blocked by kicking backwards and creating a mirror dimension, pushing it towards Loki only for the trickster to vanish and reappear at my side with a blue flash.

I myself was not idle as I rushed towards Thanos, who quickly created a portal below him and sunk through it. Reappearing from one of the many high above, Thanos snapped his fingers and the Soul Stone flared, the ground cracking open as eerie wails came from them.

“Finally~Something I can play with,” I decided to let the storm of blades known as Hela deal with the souls that charged at us like starving wolves, vanishing and appearing behind Thanos with a thought.

He turned just as I swung Jarnbjorn down, the Eldritch Magic around his wrist stopping the axe from cutting through his hand before I fuelled the Power Stone into the axe.

A pained cry escaped his lips as I cut deep into his wrists and he pulled his arm out of the way before it could cut through, but in doing so, I grinned as I continued pushing and cut right through his shoulder.

However, my eyes narrowed as the Soul Stone lit up and expelled a blast of raw energy that pushed me back, the Space Stone helping me freeze midair to see Loki soaring through the air.

Well, not just one Loki but dozens of them with mocking smiles on their faces. Lightning trailed behind their forms as they soon surrounded the Mad Titan from all sides, Thanos grunting as he swung widely and unleashed a burst of potent energy from the Mind Stone.

Yet, the trickster easily dodged it while letting go of Mjolnir, delivering a crushing blow to his side that sent the Mad Titan skating across the ground.

The battle was not done as Father slammed the butt of Gungnir onto the ground, a shockwave echoing across the landscape before a pillar of Odinforce crashed down upon Thanos' form.

I could hear his pained screams as he was pushed further and further into the ground, activating the Space Stone and crushing his Sanctuary II with a thought while watching as Hela finished off the last of the souls.

“Are you sure we needed all four of us for this? He looks like he's getting desperate, no?”, Loki asked, but Hela just nodded while Father had a grim look in his eyes.

“No, he's preparing for something worse,” He spoke before I felt the Soul Stone and Mind Stone being activated in synchronisation, the air going still while I felt a cold chill running up my spine.

“Vormir?”

“Yes, Mad Titan?”, I was already across the landscape with Jarnbjorn raised eye, the Space Stone helping me appear in front of him as I saw the hooded visage of the Red Skull appearing beside him.

“A soul for a soul.”

“…I accept.”

“No!”, I roared as I swung down, but it was too late and I gasped as I felt a soul-crushing force sending me flying backwards, groaning as something stopped me and looked up to see Hela's frown.

“What…was that?”, Loki asked with a slightly nervous look in his eyes while I looked at where Thanos was supposed to be only to see nothing but a scorched crater.

“Unlike the other stones, the Soul Stone is special in that it can create and manipulate the very soul of whatever it wishes. However, what many don't know is that the stone has a second ability,” Father explained and I watched as Vormir's dark skies cleared while I stood up with a murmured thanks to Hela.

“And what is that ability?”

“If one gives the soul stone it wishes for, then it will them not power, but release,” As he finished speaking, my eyes focused to the side as a portal opened.

Yet, the person who stepped out made me blink as I watched the Ancient One staring at me with a frown.

“May I ask why I have been feeling surges of cosmic energy from three galaxies away?”

“Who is this mortal?”

“Oh, my apologies. I am the Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme of the Universe. Also, may I ask why Hela is out of her seal?”, The Ancient One continued and I let Father take over as I look around.

“We do not have time for the many questions, Abria,” Father spoke and I raised an eyebrow at the casual name drop while the Ancient One just hummed.

“Oh, if you're using my given name, then this is quite important, then. However, I must ask that you handle this with more care.”

“Mortal, we are handling it. Now, would you mind going away?”, Loki asked with a frown as he called Mjolnir to his hand with a snap of his fingers, the Ancient One just raising an eyebrow before she spoke.

“The balance of the universe is tethered to the Stones your brother is so callously playing with.”

“Better I wield them than let Thanos rewrite existence for his pleasure, though,” I answered as I held Jarnbjorn and she frowned as she walked closer while looking at Father.

“Odin Borson. As a former user of the Soul Stone, you yourself understands the potential catastrophe that can occur if one gives yourself to its will. After all, were you not the one who tried and failed to do so?”

“And what is needed for one to do so?”, I asked, filing that bit of information for later as the Ancient One frowned while looking around.

“A soul of absolute will, one with no doubts or regrets.”

“Okay, and what happens now after he's done so?”

“He fuses with the soul, but not just any soul. He merges his own soul with that which is the pinnacle of what all souls can achieve,” The Ancient One answered Loki's question with a frown as she turned back to the crater and I groaned as I heard the rumbling in the distance.

“He's fusing with the Soul Stone, isn't he?”

“I'm afraid so,” As she said that, a column of golden light shot up into the heavens, twisting the space around it as a figure walked out of the light with a smile.

“Truly, this is wondrous,” Thanos murmured as he turned his hand, but I frowned as I stared at the Mind Stone that was in the gauntlet while the Soul Stone itself was attached to his forehead.

“Oh, I see that you have brought a mortal with you as well,” He said while looking at the Ancient One, who simply raised an eyebrow at his words before his gaze was focused on her necklace.

“The Time Stone. Ah, you must be the Sorcerer Supreme, then. Agamotto?”

“Oh, you are centuries behind. Agamotto is dead and buried and I am one of his many successors.”

“I see. Well, allow me to bury you alongside him,” He spoke softly, a serene tone in his voice as the Soul Stone pulsed while I frowned as I heard hundreds of ghostly echoes whispering in hundreds of languages that were both known and unknown.

“Gods, mortals and sorcerers. You all mistake dominion for duty, but I…I am balance,” He declared, raising a hand to the sky before my eyes widened as the world froze.

The next moment, I quickly activated the Space Stone as time resumed, staring at the Eldritch Magic dome around us that was keeping numerous spirits at bay while the Ancient One's Time Stone glowed in the air.

“What…just happened?”, Loki asked with a frown as I stomped on the ground, unleashing a potent shockwave enhanced with the Power Stone that levelled the landscape while the Ancient One lowered her barrier as my shockwave destroyed the spirits.

“It appears that he's using the Soul Stone to control the spiritual flow of time.”

“…How is that even possible? I thought one can only control time with the Time Stone,” Hela asked with a frown and the Ancient One didn't answer as Thanos was staring at us.

“I…do not know. I have not seen anyone fully merging with an Infinity Stone and live to tell the tale. Have you, All-Father?”

“One, but it was with the Power Stone and his hunger for more power grew to the point that he was forced to devour entire planets to satiate his hunger.”

'Wait, isn't…isn't that Galactus?' I thought with a frown even as I kept quiet while the Ancient One stayed silent before nodding.

“Odinson.”

“Which one?”, I asked, watching as the Ancient One rolled her eyes while Loki let out an amused bark of laughter.

“Thor Odinson.”

“Yes?”

“I wish for you, Loki Laufeyson and Hela Odindottir to keep him busy while your father and I start casting our spell.”

“Our spell?”

“That spell,” The Ancient One added and Odin frowned, which made me blink before he nodded.

“Very well. Thor, do as a leader would and make sure to keep his attention towards you.”

“Oh, that would be pretty easy considering I've been struggling to get him to stay down,” I answered with a sarcastic smile, to which Father just looked at him and I sighed.

“Hah, fine. I will try my best.”

“That is all I ask.”

“Think we could run away and leave him to fight on his own?”

“That would be a fun sight,” Hela murmured and I rolled my eyes as I heard Loki's snickers.

“You wish to sacrifice your son for your victory, Odin?”, Thanos asked and I just rolled my neck while swinging Jarnbjorn from side to side, Hela doing the same with one of her necrotic swords while Loki lazily spun Mjolnir in his grasp.

“I go left and you go right?”

“I would not have it any other way,” Hela answered with a smirk and I grinned as the Space Stone glowed, both of us shifting across the landscape and reappearing beside him in the blink of an eye.

Swinging my axe as lightning trailed behind it, I brought it down and he met it head on, the Mind Stone unleashing a burst of energy that clashed with the lightning and sent it rampaging across the landscape.

At the same time, Hela aimed a stab at his ribs that Thanos quickly dodged, catching her wrist mid-strike only for her to lash out with a knee into his though.

Both of us quickly spun and landed powerful heel kicks at his chest and sent him flying backwards, Mjolnir shooting past us and impacting his chest as well only for a translucent shield of golden light to block the blow.

“I see. So, souls can be used in that way as well,” I heard him murmur while watching as Loki called Mjolnir back, the trickster walking closer as Thanos caught his footing.

“What in the Hel was that?”

“I think he's using the Soul Stone to force souls to be what he wants them to be.”

“Well, that's fantastic. Is there anything we can do? You know, maybe use one of the three Infinity Stones that are sitting pretty on your chest?”, Loki asked and I looked at Thanos who stared back before glancing at Hela as she spoke.

“Perhaps, we should shatter that will.”

“Perhaps we should. If we die, I expect there to be a song about our battle.”

“Oh, don't worry. I already have the first three lines,” Loki joked with a smile and I smiled as I activated the Reality Stone and Power Stone, watching as a crimson pulse of light rippled from my body.

The world around us shifted and warped as I began to warp reality to my desire, lightning springing from Jarnbjorn before I shot forward. Thanos narrowed his eyes as I activated the Space Stone with the other three, Hela being pulled through space as she descended upon him like a storm of blades.

Her necroswords were like a razor-sharp hailstorm that attacked him from all sides, each chipping away at his defences before one pierced through the gaps and cut into his side.

Surprisingly, that brought a growl from his lips as he grabbed and shattered it with a thought while I leapt into the air, clouds gathering above me before I heaved and threw the axe at him.

He quickly created a portal in front of it only for me to shift the axe through space, making it appear in front of him while I also clenched my fist and opened the ground below his left foot.

Taking away his footing, I vanished and reappeared behind him with a thought as Jarnbjorn flew past him, Thanos turning around only to catch a powerful slash that split the landscape and took his gauntlet off.

A pained cry escaped his lips as I shifted myself and the Mind Stone away, ripping it free from the gauntlet before adding it to the others as Thanos looked at me with a glare.

However, he did not get much more time to glare as Loki rushed through the falling stones with Hela at his side, the trickster firing off blast after blast of divine lightning while Hela was a graceful storm that tried her best to take him out.

“I know I am to be the distraction, but make it easier at least!”

“You're doing great, brother!”, I shouted back as I activated the Mind Stone, feeling the knowledge flowing into my mind as I grinned and shattered the portals in the sky above.

'Holy shit, this thing is amazing,' I could feel the knowledge of everything since the dawn of time flowing into my mind, immediately quickly shifting the ground around his left foot to twist it.

That took his attention away from Loki, who was quick to capitalize on it and delivered a heavy slam to the man's jaw, sending him flying upwards and towards me as I slashed downwards.

He caught the blade by its side, but the burst of power of the Power Stone sent him ragdolling back to the ground, right towards Hela who rushed at him before delivering a flurry of stabs at his body that he barely managed to block.

The force of it though had him rolling across the ground before he quickly flipped over to his feet and as I went to use the Space Stone, I gritted my teeth as I felt pain flaring in my left arm.

Looking to my arm, I watched as a purple ethereal hand grabbed onto what appeared to be a golden spectral arm protruding from my flesh-and-blood one, looking at Loki and Hela to see both of them having the same purple spectral arms grabbing onto their limbs.

Reality, reject the grip of Thanos' soul to my form!

I quickly activated the Reality Stone to repel the effects, but my eyes widened as it only worked somewhat, the pain fading even as Thanos continued to keep a tight grip on my arm.

“Did…did you truly believe that I would not take precautions? I am the Soul Stone, my will made manifest! I am in-!”

“A fool,” I cut him off, grabbing onto the spectral arm gripping onto me before snarling as I deactivated the Infinity Stone.

“I have lost many close friends and two of the most important people in my love, the people that I cherish the most. Yet, I continue to fight every day like it's my last. Yes, I know that I am not as wise as my father nor as intelligent as he is, but I have one thing that he does not!”, I snarled, the arm's energy fluctuating as I looked up and tore it away, taking deep breaths while sparks flew from Jarnbjorn.

“I am the Protector of the Nine Realms. I am the heir to the All-Father, son of Odin Borson! I am Thor Odinson, the Herald of Storms and I will be damned if I kneel to a fool that thinks himself righteous!”, I roared as I lifted Jarnbjorn, feeling the lightning coursing through my veins as I lowered myself and shot forward.

Iridescent lightning radiated from my body as I carved through the air like a lightning bolt, my hand reaching forward and grabbing Thanos' wrist as he reached for me while I swung Jarnbjorn and stabbed deep into his shoulder.

“You do not own our souls!”, Hela growled as she appeared beside me, stabbing her sword deep into his side and tearing it out before I kicked him away as lightning rained down from the skies.

“And you do not decide our fate, mongrel!”, Loki snarled as he ceased his lightning, the world turning a mixture of scarlet, violet and azure as I froze the space around Thanos before watching as Father and the Ancient One appeared in front of him.

Neither of them said anything as they raised their hands to his sides and I watched as the world around him cracked, Thanos glaring at us as he was slowly surrounded with a dome of fractured air.

“Is that going to be enough?”, I asked as I looked at Father and the Ancient One and both looked at each other before Father let out a soft sigh.

“It should, but I do not know,” He answered and I nodded before taking a deep breath, surprising everyone as I slowly took out all four Infinity Stones before holding them out towards the Ancient One.

“What if you used these to fuel the spell instead?”

“It would be enough, but are you certain of using those to fuel it? You have been working hard at gathering them.”

“In all honesty, I want to take them back, but they've caused me nothing but pain and misery. Please, use them,” I answered with a smile and she smiled softly as she nodded, the four stones floating out of my grasp and surrounding the spherical prison.

The next moment, I watched as tendrils grew out from the Infinity Stones and linked together, surrounding the sphere in an iridescent net of light before she clapped her hands and a cube of Eldritch crests formed around it.

“May I ask you to keep this safe, Master Odin?”

“I will do my best,” Father answered as he took the cube and I watched as the Ancient One bowed before vanishing through a portal once again.

“Huh, may I have the stones once you are done, Father?”, Loki asked and I rolled my eyes at his words while Hela raised an eyebrow and Father sighed.

“It was a simple jest.”

“One in bad taste. Now, what are you going to do without the Infinity Stones?”, Hela asked and I frowned before looking to Father who looked back before I looked to the sky.

“Heimdall, call us back. It's time to get revenge for Mother and Darcy.”

A/N: Some will be pissed off at this and some will be disappointed, but this is probably the best way that I can think of getting rid of the stones while making sure that no one sacrifices themselves to do so.

The spell that was used to seal Thanos away was the same one that Strange Supreme and the Watcher used in the What-If with Zola-Ultron and Killmonger 'cause I thought it would be a fun idea.

Anyway, next chapter: Peace in the Nine Realms…or is it?

As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…

Ba-Bye~!!