Asgard

The golden sky of Asgard thundered with storm clouds, lightning crackling in angry streaks as Thor and Loki marched into the great courtyard.

And there she was.

Hela stood tall at the far end, her black and emerald armor gleaming under the light, her antlered crown rising like the horns of a beast. A cruel smile curled her lips, sharp and hungry, as though she had been waiting centuries for this moment.

The brothers froze, there was no mistaking her. Odin's final words, spoken before his death, came rushing back to them: You were not my firstborn. You have a sister.

Thor's grip on Stormbreaker tightened, his jaw clenched as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Hela…"

Loki's usual smirk faltered, replaced with unease. He raised his chin defiantly, though his voice betrayed tension.

"So, the whispers were true. Our sister… the firstborn, the rightful ruler of Asgard if not for her banishment."

Hela tilted her head, regarding them like a predator studying prey.

"So, you are the little brothers Father replaced me with," she said, her voice a velvet blade. "Pathetic copies, raised in comfort while I rotted away in Hel. Tell me, do you truly believe you are worthy of standing before me?"

Thor narrowed his eyes, lightning sparking faintly around him. "If you threaten Asgard, you'll have to face both of us."

Loki straightened his cloak and added dryly, "A united front, for once. You should feel honored."

For the briefest second, Hela chuckled, a harsh, humorless sound. Then her smile disappeared. Her voice cut like frost.

"Kneel."

The single command carried a force behind it, a weight that made the very stones under their feet tremble.

Thor's anger flared instantly, burning away hesitation. He raised Stormbreaker high and charged forward with a roar.

"No one commands the God of Thunder!"

The axe fell with a crack of lightning, only for Hela to catch the blade with her bare hand. Sparks scattered harmlessly against her palm.

Thor's eyes widened. "Impossible!"

"Is that all?" she mocked, twisting her wrist and shoving the weapon aside as if swatting a child.

At her thought, obsidian swords materialized in the air around her, hundreds of them glinting like shards of night. They shot forward in a deadly rain.

Thor managed to block some with Stormbreaker, each impact sending a jolt up his arm, while others cut shallow wounds into his flesh after barely evading.

Loki, standing behind, muttered under his breath, "I really hate family reunions…" He flicked his hand, summoning illusory doubles of himself, sending them sprinting at Hela to buy Thor some breathing room.

But Hela didn't even glance at them. Her blades skewered the illusions in a blink, smoke dispersing uselessly. "mere tricks," she sneered. "That's all you have, little brother?"

Loki swallowed hard, realizing how little he could contribute in a straight fight against such a monster.

Thor grit his teeth, throwing another bolt of lightning directly into Hela's chest. The blast exploded across the courtyard, scorching the golden floor.

But when the smoke cleared, Hela stood untouched. The energy danced harmlessly across her body before fading away.

"You don't understand," she said, her voice steady, almost pitying. "As long as I stand on Asgard, its power flows through me. I am invincible here. You cannot win."

Thor's expression shifted with shock, then dawning despair.

…

Nidavellir.

Far away, the star-forge shook beneath the shadow of Thanos' humungous spaceship.

Inside the forge's great hall, Eitri, King of the Dwarves, towered above his people. His massive hands trembled slightly as he faced the Mad Titan, who stood calmly in front of him, arms clasped behind his back.

Around them, the Black Order loomed like vultures, and endless Chitauri soldiers filled the halls.

Eitri's booming voice betrayed desperation. "There are only three hundred of us left. Without Asgard's protection, we cannot stand against you."

He lifted his head, glaring at Thanos with as much defiance as he could muster. "If I forge this gauntlet you desire, will you spare my people?"

Thanos studied him in silence for several heartbeats. Then he inclined his head.

"Yes. Do this for me, and I will not kill you."

Eitri hesitated. His instincts screamed danger, but the calm weight of Thanos' words made him cling to the hope that perhaps, just perhaps, someone this strong might be a man of his word.

With no choice, the king led his craftsmen deep into the vaults of the forge. There, hidden under dust and runes, lay a mold that had never been used, the design of the Infinity Gauntlet.

Hours passed in frenzied work. Sparks flew as metal was poured, the heat of the neutron star surging through the forge.

At last, the Gauntlet was complete. A colossal glove of shimmering gold, pulsing faintly with cosmic potential.

Thanos stepped forward, his gaze almost reverent. He slipped the gauntlet over his hand, flexing the fingers as though it had always belonged to him.

From his armor, he produced the Power Stone, glowing with destructive energy. Carefully, he pressed it into the first socket. The gauntlet flared with purple light, energy coursing across its surface.

The Titan smiled, a rare, genuine smile. "As expected. Only the dwarves could build a weapon worthy of destiny."

For a brief moment, hope flickered in Eitri's heart. Perhaps his people would live.

"You are satisfied then," he rumbled, forcing a small smile of his own.

Thanos turned his head slightly, his expression calm… almost too calm. Then he said softly, "Yes. Which is why you are no longer needed."

Eitri froze. "What…?"

Thanos turned away, gesturing lazily to his generals.

"Kill them all. Leave the king alive, but take his hands. Make sure he will forge for no one else."

Eitri's eyes went wide. He stumbled forward, shouting desperately. "No! You promised! You swore to spare them!"

Thanos looked back over his shoulder, his tone almost gentle.

"I promised I would not kill you. But I said nothing about them." He gestured to his subordinates.

The Black Order advanced, weapons gleaming. The dwarves shouted, scrambling, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.

Eitri roared in anguish as Thanos walked calmly away, already more interested in testing the gauntlet than the slaughter left behind.

…

Back in Asgard, Thor's chest heaved as he realized the truth of his father's final lesson. Hela was unstoppable here. His people were dying all around him, cut down by her endless conjured blades.

A terrible decision took shape in his heart.

He leaned close to Loki, speaking in a harsh whisper. "Go to the Vault. Take Surtur's crown. Bathe it in the Eternal Flame. End this… end her."

Loki's eyes widened, then gleamed with wicked admiration. "Brother, you finally sound like me. Destroy Asgard yourself… oh, Father would hate this, I absolutely love it."

Thor ignored the jab. He turned to Heimdall, standing near the Bifrost's control sword. "Get them out. All of them. Every man, woman, and child. Take them to Midgard. If Asgard falls, its people must live on."

Heimdall bowed gravely. "As you command, my king."

The evacuation began in earnest. Streams of frightened Asgardians fled through the Bifrost, light swallowing them into safety.

Meanwhile, Loki rushed to Odin's Vault, his heart pounding. He flung open the doors, racing toward the pedestal where Surtur's crown should have rested.

But the pedestal was empty.

He skidded to a halt, staring in disbelief. "No… no, this isn't possible! Without the crown, Ragnarök cannot be started!"

The truth struck him cold. Someone had clearly taken it.

Back in the courtyard, Hela watched Loki's departure with calm amusement. She already knew his intent, but Luke's warning had been right, the crown was long gone.

Her smile curved as her respect for her mysterious master deepened. 'As expected of the man I serve. He sees farther than any of us.'

She made no move to stop Heimdall's evacuation either. To her, the people of Asgard were irrelevant, just cowards and weaklings. She would raise her own army back from the dead, powerful warriors loyal only to her.

But as Heimdall placed his hand on the great sword that controlled the Bifrost, ready to send even Thor away, Hela's expression darkened.

A sword of night shimmered into existence and pierced through Heimdall's golden armor. The blade burst through his chest, its black hilt protruding from his back.

His amber eyes widened in shock.

Hela didn't really care if Thor ran away, but she couldn't allow Heimdall to take away the sword that could control the Bifrost!

…