When I came to, the first thing that came to my senses was the pressing of cold metal against my skin. I hissed through my teeth, arching my back a small bit in surprise. I sucked in a sharp breath, twisting my body and trying to sit up, only to jerk against cold metal restraints that had been fastened on my wrists. I could tell by my points of contact on the surface that I was barely wearing anything, I felt some sort of cloth around my chest different from an undergarment, and something that hung around my waist. I frowned and yanked hard against the material that held me, grunting when it doesn't budge. Huffing in defeat, I begin to survey my surroundings.

The space around me was too dark for even my fairly well sight to make out, I blinked a few times, my eyes adjusting a little but not enough to see anything around me. Looking at it now I assume it to be an empty and small room, barely spacious enough for the strange slab of metal I lay across. I feel this strange foreign weight on my chest, not a physical object, but more as if an invisible force was weighing down on me. It wasn't painful, more uncomfortable than anything other than that. I took in a shaky breath and blinked a few more times. I weighed the risk of calling out, making my consciousness known to whomever held me here. How long had I been asleep? It couldn't have been too long, I don't feel any serious hunger or thirst, so it could be possible that my captor expected me to be sleeping for longer.

Captor,

With that word, I remember suddenly why I had been knocked out. I see an image flash in my mind, the one I love so dearly shaking and choking on his own blood, crimson liquid flowing freely from his stomach.

Vile rose in my throat and my shoulders shuddered with emotion, I try to twist my head because I know I'm about to empty the contents of my stomach. My stomach heaves and my shoulders caved as pain rolled down my spine. Nothing comes from my mouth but I continue to dry heave at the image of Loki laying there, that glazed look in his eyes so full of pain...

I heaved again.

I can't remember if I fainted on my own accord or if it was someone else's doing, but it doesn't seem to matter now. Loki is dead.

Dead.

I've seen people I care for die in the heat of battle, falling to the barren ground and moving for the last time. Honor, I'd called it, they died defending the realm of the gods and that somehow was a good thing. I know death- death has never been my friend but it's always been my neighbor, knocking on my door ever so often to take someone else from me. I know death, yet thinking it now... it's like the word is so foreign to me. Like I've never known the pain of losing a loved one, like someone has somehow forged my innocence anew only to brutally rip it from me. I've known pain, sure, but not pain like this. This was different- this sort of loss threatened to rip me apart from the inside and shred my heart into pieces.

No tears came down my face but my chest and shoulders trembled with sobs, the reality that I'd never again feel his touch against me tore me in two. Loki had let himself die, didn't try and stop it because he thought I was dead. Wherever he is now, does he know the truth? That someone faked my death? My sobs grew more intense as I realize that I'd been powerless to save him, to save myself. This grief is so much different than that I felt on Midgard when I feared Loki might've been lost. I had held hope in my heart that he had survived wherever he fell to, and grasped that and held it so tightly that there was no way I would ever let it go.

But this- I had saw the life leave him, had witnessed his eyes fade and Thor roar into the night air in anger that death could take Loki and I away from him.
My back went stiff as a series of clicking rang in my ears coming from where I had previously assumed the entryway to be.
My breath suddenly came short when I heard footsteps approaching me, slow and taunting. I forced my sobs back into my chest, my entire body shaking with fear and the lingering grief. I suddenly feel vulnerable in the thin attire I can feel wrapped around my breasts and hips, why my body is so exposed I don't understand.

"I know what it's like to lose, little bird." That familiar deep voice sounds from beside me, I try not to flinch at the ominous nickname I've been given by my captor. I don't dare to look in his direction, to acknowledge how easily he had beaten me. No matter how desperately I try and keep it in, a stray tear falls down my face and my temple. "You know nothing," I say with less malice I had intended. A deep sigh, and then another set of footsteps. "Is it ready?" The man asks gruffly, his rough words enough to make my skin crawl. "Yes, Father." A female voice replies, a somewhat mechanical tone in her voice. It was enough to make me turn my head toward them in the darkness, barely able to make out their figures. A tall, broad man stood over me, I realize that I am on the ground because I can see his feet next to my head, I try not to flinch about that fact. Next to him stood a petite girl, but I still can't make out any details.

"Perfect timing. Start it up now, there's no time to waste." The deep-voiced male orders. A few more footsteps, and then suddenly light floods into my vision, making me quickly close my eyes and wince, the sudden intrusion making me hiss through my teeth. I have to blink a few times to adjust to the light. Once my eyes got used to it I begin to examine my surroundings briefly, I was indeed correct on my observation that I was in a small room, the room was carved of something like black stone. Instead of smooth walls it was jagged rock curved into a somewhat dome like space, like a cave yet not quite. The room was still somewhat dark, only illuminated by small orange lights that line the walls around me.

The floor beneath me is not metal as I thought it to be, but a grayish stone. The cold I feel against my back I quickly identify as something else; these strange rocks this room is carved of is evident it is not anything I have witnessed before; it is likely not composed of any material that exists within the Nine Realms from what I can tell. There were a few whorls carved in a circle along the ground, a few symbols I don't recognize within the patterns. I yelp in surprise when suddenly my body begins to move without me doing it. A strange, foreign power wraps around me and seems to pull me up. My almost completely bare back leaves the cold ground, my body pulling up until I'm fully ascended in the air. I fight the panic that begins to rise inside me when my body continues to rise, a small, dim light shining on me from above. I squint my eyes against it, and my body stops moving whenever I'm about at the height of the man's abdomen. With that, I turn my head to study my captor and his daughter.

My breath hitches in my throat at what I see, it's indeed the man from my dreams, who spoke in such riddles and left my skin crawling. His skin was a light shade of purple, bordering on a somewhat pink pigment. His head was bald, and his eyes a chilling crystal blue. As Loki's eyes were on Midgard and he had acted out of character. His lips curled back into a cunning grin, as if he knew what those blue eyes struck in me, flashing his white teeth at me, I have to force a whimper down my throat and swallow my fear quickly, but by the glint in his eyes it likely did nothing. It's evident he is a titan, though he doesn't resemble any titan I've ever heard of in my lifetime. His broad, creased chin striking confusion in me, but I don't dare ask about it. The Titan wore a chest plate of golden armor embroidered with satin purple that covered his broad, muscled chest. Next to him his daughter was barely as tall as as his shoulder, but still looked as though she might be taller than I am. I recognize her from an earlier dream I had a long time ago when I was first locked in Asgard's dungeons, but I don't see the green skinned girl that was also there anywhere near here.

Her skin was of darkest blue, she had eyes that were almost completely black with a little white shown on the corners. Pieces of her were composed of machinery, but not naturally as if she is indeed a machine, but as if she was made that way. Her head was completely bald, silver metal surrounding on of her eyes and a dark black cuff around her neck. She had a dark purple leather tunic with one arm that was completely composed of machinery. I can't help but cock my head to the side as I study her, studying that glint in her eyes, and the hate I can feel pulsing off her. Not for me, but for her father. With one last glance between them I know now that they aren't truly father and daughter, or blood related for that matter, since there is no way that the girl is a titan, though she may take after her mother..... I shook away my prying thoughts. They still are my captors, and still held my life in their merciless hands.

"Who the hell are you," I ground out, trying to stop the waver in my voice, but not succeeding. The Titan surveyed me with narrowed eyes, as if weighing the costs of telling me. I tried not to groan, who can I go to? Everyone I know thinks me to be dead.

Dead.

I try to ignore the pang in my chest at the thought of the word, refused to let the pain I felt show in my expression. He seems to come to the conclusion that I cannot hold anything he tells me against him, which is the truth, and begins to answer my question. "I am the Mad Titan Thanos, burdened with a glorious purpose," He tells me, holding his chin up high as if bathing in the glory of whatever prophecy he believed beheld him as savior. I snigger, remembering where I've heard that before. I feel a tug of recognition at that title, but I shrug it off. I fight my exasperated groan. I know people like this, believing themselves a godsend tasked with the greater good. Loki was one of those people, telling us that his invasion of Midgard was indeed for the good of humanity, though I seriously doubt he actually believed it himself....

Usually nutcases like those are more a nuisance than anything else, but this guy.... He could make the Hulk beg for mercy if he wanted. The raw power he held inside him strikes enough fear inside me to send a shiver down my spine, but I hide my unease well in my expression. "And that purpose is...?" I ask blatantly, forcing my voice into calm curiosity. The corner of his mouth pulled into a self-glorified grin, titled his head back and looking down at me as if I am worth nothing more than a rodent. I have to reign in my snarl at that.

"Reuniting the very stones that created our universe and restoring peace across the galaxies once again, creating the very utopia that the gods themselves lust after."

He held his fist in front of his face, surveying the purple skin as if something is wrong about it, or missing. He gains a righteous expression that even his daughter seemed to roll her eyes at inwardly, if he noticed then he says nothing about it. I ponder on what he could possibly do with the infinity stones to create such a utopia, could you rid the world of the dark stain with them? I have never heard such a thing before, and I have only ever been taught that bringing the stones together can only end in catastrophic results. I've spent a great deal of my life on keeping those stones separate, and keeping that very thing from happening.

"So you're searching for the infinity stones? You and everyone else. " I scoffed, earning a look of warning from the blue skinned girl. Not a threat, but more of a warning to keep my mouth shut around this guy. I feel strongly that I should heed her warning. My words were nothing more of nonchalant, but I do feel uneasy about his goal. What if he already has a stone? No, I would've heard about something like that if he had taken one. Asgard keeps track of all the stones locations, and I was the one charged with that information, with that thought I gave Thanos a sidelong glance. Did he know about that? Is that why I was here?

I couldn't imagine that being the reason, even some of my closest confidants did not know of that duty of mine. Only members of the royal family knew of it. I forced myself to forget the thought, I could not betray that on my face.

"I am not like everyone else, little bird," Thanos said simply, closing his fist in front of his face as if it would do something, I can't help but wait for something to actually happen, but nothing does. And though I want to roll my eyes at his self-righteous bullshit, I do know that his last statement is true.

I creased my brows at him suspiciously, still unsure of how exactly he can use the stones to insure such a perfect society. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a utopia, but they never work. It only makes things worse. "So... you're going to get all of the infinity stones..." I start, my tone disbelieving. "and then what? You'll just.. make everything perfect?" I inquire, careful of how I phrase my words. Right now we may just be talking, but he could kill me right now if he wished. I could do nothing to stop it.

"I will provide balance to the universe by eradicating half of all lifeforms. The children born of that era will know nothing but paradise. Clear skies and full bellies. No more hunger, or war, just peace." Thanos tells me, my eyes grew wide and a breath escaped my lungs, face going pale. Genocide, that's what he is planning. To kill half of the universe, and calling it balance?

"You're a madman," I said breathlessly, eyes widening in realization of what he planned to do.

"With all of the stones, I could simply snap my fingers and all of the pain of the past will simply cease to exist. I call that mercy," He says, seeming to get impatient with my questions. "So you'll kill half of the entire universe to provide balance, and then what? Everyone just falls to your feet and thanks you for your generosity?" I said in disbelief.

"Many people fail to see the truth in my actions, but it must be done, the hardest decisions have to be made by the strongest wills. I do not wish to waste my time on convincing you that my actions are justified, I know it will only be in vain." The Titan says humorlessly, dismissing any reaction quickly. I reign in my groan at his godsend nonsense, though he is right about the fact that he will never be able to convince me that he is a prophet.

"What do you need me for? I can't help you get any of the stones, not with everyone thinking I'm dead. Why not just kill me?" I asked with a sudden burst of bravery, alarm flashes in the blue-skinned girl's face, as if not believing she heard the words that came out of my mouth. I didn't bother to spare her a glance.

Thanos only smiles, a chuckle coming from him that makes my skin crawl.

"I have searched for the stones for a millennium, but still I find myself getting nowhere. I must admit that even my abilities are futile in this case. But you," a chuckle "you have a power deep inside you that you are not aware of. A heart of flame that I mean to unlock. You, little bird, possess enough power in your finger," he glanced at my hovering hand for emphasis. "to decimate an entire planet. And once I bring that out in you, you will help me get the stones, and fulfill my great destiny,"

I barely have enough time to register what he's told me, the amount of power I contain inside of me, I stare at him with shock that I don't even bother to hide, all I can manage to say is the thing that keeps repeating in my head over and over. "I will never help you," I snarl, he chuckles lowly, a sound that sends my skin crawling and the empty contents in my stomach turning leaden.

"Let us begin,"