Aboard the Sanctuary II, Thanos sat quietly, his expression thoughtful.
Something gnawed at the edge of his mind, a vague sensation as though he had lost something significant. He frowned, searching his thoughts, but nothing came to him.
It's irrelevant, he decided, shaking his head. Whatever the feeling was, it could wait. The universe's balance was still his ultimate goal, and distractions had no place in his plans.
Still, he couldn't help but glance out the viewport, his gaze drifting toward the distant stars. He had considered launching a full-scale assault on Asgard to seize the three Infinity Stones Thor carried. The temptation was immense, but the risks were greater.
Thor and his allies are formidable, he reasoned. If they fought to the death, even I could fall.
With a deep breath, he turned his focus back to his mission.
Back in Asgard, Thor had just returned, battle-worn but triumphant. The immediate threat to Asgard was over, but Thor's mind was far from at ease.
Just as he was about to report to the others, a familiar chime echoed in his thoughts:
"Drip! Congratulations to the host for triggering Vision-related mission: 'The Hatchet Ending.'"
Thor froze mid-step, his expression turning incredulous.
"Mission Description: Vision, a superhero who died twice in a single minute, suffered unimaginable tragedy. What's worse, one of those deaths came at the hands of his lover. Now, it's time for you to experience Vision's fate."
"Mission Objective: Be killed by your lover."
"Mission Reward: The character's exclusive plug-in will be triggered."
Thor stood in stunned silence, his mind racing. The system, dormant for so long, had suddenly decided to intervene.
The reward's not the issue, he thought. The mission content is ridiculous!
"Hatchet ending?" he muttered. "Vision sacrificed himself for the greater good. That's not a hatchet—it's heroism!"
His mind shifted to the task itself, and a shudder ran through him. The mission required him to be killed by his lover.
Thor glanced nervously at Wanda, who stood not far away. Despite the chaos of recent events, she was calm now, focused on regrouping with the others.
"Better get this over with," Thor muttered. "Wanda!"
She turned, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
"Kill me," Thor said bluntly.
Wanda blinked, her expression shifting from confusion to irritation. "What?"
"Just try it," Thor insisted.
Wanda rolled her eyes. "Thor, I'm not in the mood for jokes. Even if I were, I wouldn't hurt you."
Thor sighed, but Wanda had already turned and walked away, muttering something under her breath.
Natasha Romanoff appeared at his side, her brow furrowed. "What's going on? Why is Wanda storming off?"
Thor shrugged. "I asked her to try killing me."
Natasha stared at him, her expression one of disbelief mixed with pity. "Are you feeling alright? Did Surtur knock something loose in your head?"
When Thor didn't respond, Natasha sighed and walked away, shaking her head.
This is impossible, Thor thought. Even if I wanted to die, my body wouldn't allow it.
The Man of Steel—his godly physique—was practically indestructible. His defenses were unmatched, and his recovery rate far exceeded even Surtur's regenerative powers.
Thor ran a mental list of beings in the universe capable of killing him. Even Odin, at his peak, would have struggled. The only force he could think of that might succeed was the combined power of the six Infinity Stones.
Stormbreaker, his own weapon, had the potential to harm him. But the axe, enchanted to serve its master, would never turn against him.
So why now? Why had the system triggered a mission involving Vision?
Thor's thoughts were interrupted by a sense of foreboding. Pulling out his communicator, he checked for messages. His heart sank as he saw hundreds of missed calls.
Steve Rogers. Tony Stark. Hawkeye. Bruce Banner. Nearly every Avenger had tried to contact him.
The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. During the battle with Surtur, Asgard's energy had disrupted all communication signals. Something terrible must have happened.
Thor quickly called Vision. The communicator beeped once, then twice, before cutting out entirely.
His unease deepened. He tried Tony next.
The line connected, and Tony's voice came through, brimming with anger. "Thor, you idiot!"
"What's going on?" Thor asked, ignoring Tony's tirade.
Tony didn't stop. "Do you know what we've been dealing with? Do you have any idea—?"
"Tony!" Thor interrupted. "Tell me what happened."
Tony's voice dropped, his frustration giving way to exhaustion. "Thanos."
Thor's blood ran cold.
Tony continued, his voice heavy. "Vision's dead. Thanos ripped the Mind Stone from his head. And that's not all—he's taken the Time Stone from Strange."