Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lasers fired. Ships exploded or crashed. People were killed. Space was no longer a quiet emptiness.

Thanos sat on his captain's throne in the center of his ship. His calm demeanor didn't betray the fact that he had been in a space fight with the Nova Corps, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and a group of space pirates led by a blue alien for the last few hours.

None of his plans had worked, and all of his minions had failed, either dying or betraying him. Thanos was patient, but he had limits. He had finally decided on a final showdown with his enemies to gain the Infinity Gauntlet. Since the Kree were useless, he had teamed with the Skrulls. It wasn't hard to convince the simpletons; they hated the Nova Corps as well.

Both sides had taken heavy damage and casualties, but Thanos knew he was losing this battle. Suddenly, on his chair, head leaning on a fist, he realized that he was growing weary; weary of this endless battle. Would losing be such an unwanted thing? If he were to die, he would join his beloved.

Through the monitors, he could see the Nova's mothership charging a suitably large cannon, one that was designed to fire particle beams, which destroyed on a molecular level.

Thanos grinned. Good, they were using the heavy artillery. Anything smaller might not end his life, and that wouldn't do. As the beam fired on his ship, and the Skrulls around him began to cry out, pray, or simply go numb in panic, Thanos slowly closed his eyes.

Soon, beloved. I will be by your side.

"Goodbye, teacher. See you tomorrow!" a chorus of young voices said brightly as they exited classroom 1-B. One kid even left an apple on the mahogany desk, next to the sign that read Layla Dunham. She smiled at the young boy who had left the red fruit. Ducking his head bashfully, the kid dashed out of the room to join his friends and enjoy the weekend.

And another school day was over for her, as was the week. She sighed. Layla loved her job, and she loved the children, honestly. But she had been a teacher at Crosswoods Academy for at least five years, and it was getting stale. As she put on her coat and walked out into the brisk air, she moved her brown bangs out of her eyes and checked her cell phone for any messages. The bright screen informed her that there were none.

Walking to her house, she tried to cheer herself up.

"Cheer up, Layla! You have two loving parents whom you visit every once in awhile, you've never had a kid who was a terror, you get paid fine, and you live in a house that, while not gorgeous, is far from a wreck." But she was bored and restless. Unfortunately, she lived in a small town where nothing happened. She had some nice neighbors, but most of them had left the previous weekend to attend the town's annual Fall Festival in the mountains near the town.

She went every year, and she had been invited this year, as usual. For the first time, however, she had passed, not being in the mood. She was beginning to regret that hasty decision now. With the sun setting, walking home alone with no neighbors nearby was almost creepy. Catching herself thinking dark thoughts, she laughed.

Yeah, right. As if a murderer would be in this sleepy town. I would almost welcome that, actually. Mentally, she slapped herself. With her luck, she would jinx herself. And it wasn't actually that dark, now that she thought about it. Actually, it was getting brighter.

Wait, what?

Looking up, she gasped as she saw what could only be described as a spaceship came crashing through the sky, landing not far from her house, in the middle of Main Street. She stood stunned for a few moments, before starting to run towards the ship. She didn't know what she would find, but whatever it was, she had a hunch it would not be boring.

There was an explosion, and a bright light. After that, there was pain, and darkness. A few moments later, another explosion. But a crash meant that he could feel. If he could feel, he was not dead. Thanos opened his eyes. He was still in the ship, which was now almost pitch black, except for the fires that had started. Thanos tried to get up, and winced. Raising his fingers to his forehead, he pulled them away after feeling something trickling down his face. Blood.

Thanos was not an emotional being. But realizing that he would not be joining his Lady Death made him want to roar, tear something apart violently, and kill millions to show his displeasure. But he would control himself, at least for the moment.

Slowly, painfully, Thanos crawled out of the wreckage. Cool air washed over the parts of his skin that was now uncovered by torn cloth. Hmm.

He looked around, getting a feel for his surroundings. He could see shrubbery, a road, and various living spaces. Houses, they were called. And then he realized that he was familiar with this planet.

"Earth," he growled out. A dirtball of a planet. He had once fought the Avengers here, and it was not a place he had ever intended to return to, or at least until he was in possession of the Gauntlet, so he could then destroy it.

His musings were interrupted when a feminine voice reached his ears.

"Hey, are you all right?" Layla called out to the large purple alien that had emerged from the flaming wreckage. She had been too scared to call out, until she noticed the wounds all over his body, bleeding purple blood. As she called out, he turned to face her. She put a hand in front of her mouth to stop herself from making a startled noise.

His eyes were black, with no pupils. But his mouth was what had scared her; it was in a grimace, and with his ridged chin and large figure, it made him very imposing. His helmet and battle armor, colored blue with gold edging, didn't help. Oh, she hoped he was a friendly alien.

She slowly approached him, hands in front of her in what she hoped was a universal sign for "I don't mean you harm", which was a laugh; she highly doubted she could harm him even if she wanted to.

"You're hurt. I can help; at least, I think I can help. If you let me, of course, I wouldn't force you." She realized that she was rambling, and she didn't even know if this purple alien spoke English! Still slowly walking towards him, she also realized he was bigger up close. He was at least three heads taller than her!

The small human female continued to edge towards him, her brown-hair moving about in the wind, prattling on about helping him. As if he wasn't upset enough, he apparently looked enough of a wreck that a human was taking pity on him. And yet, he was injured badly. While he did not mind being killed in combat, dying in this pitiful way would not be worthy of his Lady Death.

He would need a place to stay, and to build a new ship. He was tempted to kill the female standing in front of him, as thoughts of murder were never far from his mind, but she could prove beneficial. He would have to play it smart, but seeing as many humans were idiots, it would probably take little effort on his part to fool her.

Quickly scanning her mind, he was bemused to find that she wasn't sure if he spoke her native tongue.

I suppose she is in for a surprise, then.

"I speak your language, if that is a primary concern of yours. And in anticipation of future queries you might have, I am indeed an alien. I hail from a faraway planet, a planet of great beauty and prosperity. However, my planet was taken over by a savage race. I escaped in my ship, but they gave chase, and shot down my ship mercilessly, as you can see."

The female looked surprised, which gave Thanos a small sense of satisfaction. Perhaps it was a tad petty, but he enjoyed causing other beings to feel bewilderment in their lack of knowledge. The next part, however, might prove to be tricky.

"If I could bother you for a place to stay, I would be most appreciative. I would also need to build a ship, to return to my home planet." Thanos managed to keep a straight face while telling this ridiculous tale. Judging by the female's face, it seemed to be having the wanted effect, though.

"O-of course. My house is just down the street, you can stay there. But why would you need to build a ship? Why not just fix up the one you already have?" Getting over his surprise of how fast she accepted him into her household, Thanos realized her questions were well-founded. His ship no doubt still contained the bodies of the various Skrulls. If she were to see such a sight, he didn't know what would ensue.

It was best to tell a half truth, then.

"The enemy may have a trace on my ship. If I don't destroy it, I risk having the enemy follow me to this planet," Thanos explained, and it wasn't a lie; he knew that the Nova Corps could track his ship based off the unique Tesseract energy it ran on. He couldn't have them locate him in his weakened state.

The female looked at his ship, squinting a bit. Turning back to him, he braced himself for another question.

"Well, how do we destroy the ship? Most of the neighbors are gone, but if you blow it up, that would still bring a lot of attention." Thanos was pleased that he had an easy answer for this one. Reaching into one of the pockets on his suit, he pulled out the Tesseract, its pulsating light reflecting on his face. Holding it out towards the ship, Thanos smirked when he noticed the female gawking again.

Closing his eyes, Thanos concentrated his energy on the cube. He felt his power flowing into the cube, and as the cube began to glow brighter and brighter, the broken ship began to get sucked into a portal the Tesseract had produced. In a few moments, it was gone, completely silently. It was almost as if the wreckage had never existed. Putting the cube back in his pocket, Thanos turned back to the female, hands folded behind his back.

"Um, wow. I've never seen anything like that before," she breathed. Humans were easily impressed.

"Unless we have further business here, I suggest we head towards your living area," Thanos said, because standing here for the next ten minutes as she went into awe over every little thing would get tiresome. Jolting her head up as if she had forgotten, she nodded, and they began a brisk walk towards what Thanos easily assumed was her house. Decent-sized. It would do.

As they reached the front porch, the female gasped, and stopped. Thanos nearly banged into her.

"What?" he growled, almost forgetting to keep up his polite facade. The female grinned sheepishly.

"I am so sorry, but I never even asked your name. That was rude of me. My name is Layla Dunham." She seemed earnest, and Thanos saw no reason to not tell her. He would kill her after he was all healed anyway, and his name wasn't well known on this planet. He was also mad at himself, however, for not thinking to learn her name when he scanned her mind.

After she had given her name, Layla quickly held a hand out, and almost retracted it. What if his species didn't shake hands? She mentally breathed a sigh of relief when one of his large, gloved hands grabbed hers.

"Thanos," he replied. She could already tell he was one of those guys who wouldn't beat around the bush. Smiling at him, to put him at ease, she noticed his eyes weren't black anymore. They looked like normal, pupil-filled eyes.

"Do your eyes normally change like that?" she asked, hoping she wasn't crossing a line of privacy. He looked confused for a moment.

"Ah," he replied after a moment. "My eyes have been known to change, depending on the mood I am currently in. For obvious reasons, I myself wouldn't notice. Does that bother you?" He raised an eyebrow, or at least, the ridge above his eye where his eyebrow would have been. He didn't seem to have any hair on his head.

"No, not really," she lied. Layla still wasn't entirely sure how safe the alien – Thanos was, and she didn't want to offend. Turning to go back in the house, she felt him put a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head back questioningly, she saw him frowning.

"One last thing: don't tell anyone about me. You wouldn't want them to get involved, would you?" His face was dead serious. For the first time, Layla wondered if bringing this stranger into her house was a good idea. It would be a long night…

Chapter Text

Shrugging off her coat and removing her boots, she turned to Thanos, who was standing silently on the porch. Now that she thought about it, he didn't look that cold for someone who was standing in brisk air with very-torn clothing.

"Come in, come in," she stressed, grabbing him by an arm, and pulling him in, though she had the distinct impression he was letting her pull him. The man looked very heavy.

Leading him into her living room, she grabbed a chair from the kitchen, and told him to sit down.

"OK, your wounds may need disinfecting. I have some medical alcohol here, and some cotton swabs. I also have some bandages, for the wounds, and –"she realized she was gabbing a lot, but she supposed she still hadn't gotten over her shock yet. Thanos held up a hand to silence her.

"You may leave the bandages. My wounds will heal on their own, although the disinfectant is welcome." Well, she couldn't say no to him. She nodded, briefly considering removing his shirt….but no, that was too embarrassing, and besides, it looked very difficult to remove, even with all the holes and tears. She couldn't see any zippers or buttons. All the wounds he had were in the places that were torn, anyway, so she would just wipe there.

She grabbed a swab and she doused it lightly with the alcohol. She glanced at Thanos, whose face was unreadable.

"This might sting. Is that okay?" Thanos gave her a look as if he was offended she would ask that.

"I have faced much worse," he said resolutely. Taking him for his word, she pressed the cotton to his most nasty wound, on his forearm. He didn't so much as breathe in sharply, so he obviously wasn't bluffing. She continued for about half an hour, leaving the gash on his forehead for last.

"You may want to close your eyes, in case the alcohol runs down your face," she warned him, before moving in. Thanos was tall enough that she had to stand up to reach his head, even though he was sitting down. She was uncomfortably close; she could feel his breath, which wasn't very pleasant.

To her surprise, the gash had already stopped bleeding, as had most of the other wounds. She began to wonder if his medical emergency had been exaggerated.

"You seem very experienced at this, as if you have had previous exposure to this kind of situation before." Layla almost dropped the cotton, not expecting Thanos to initiate a conversation.

"Well, I teach a bunch of little kids. The rascals always get into accidents, so knowing at least this much is a must. I'm no doctor, though, trust me. If you needed stitches, I would not be your girl."

Since that she didn't need it any longer, Layla threw the cotton in the garbage she had nearby, before stifling a yawn; her body was tired. Thanos was probably worse off, having survived a nasty crash.

"Well, I suppose you'll want some rest now. My house isn't huge, but I do have two bedrooms. One is mine, obviously, but no one else lives here, so you can have the other one." Thanos stretched, his muscles cracking.

"One glance at this house tells me there are at least five rooms. How is it you only have two bedrooms?" Geez, he was observant.

"Well, most of the other rooms don't have any more space for a bed. I use one of them for keeping all my books, and another as a study. I go there to grade my kid's papers, and things like that." She stopped herself, not wanting to bore her alien guest with details. Thanos simply nodded.

Assuming that was her cue to lead him to his sleeping quarters, she went into the hallway and headed up the stairs, assuming he'd follow, which he did, judging from the heavy footsteps behind her. The stairs creaked with every step he took, and she made a mental note to check tomorrow if they were damaged.

As he followed her up the stairs, Thanos had to admit that the female hadn't done an awful job with his wounds. He would make her death even more glorious for his Lady. But for now, he was feeling mildly taxed, and he was forced to admit that a bit of rest wouldn't hurt him. On the way to the staircase, he had noticed another set of stairs, leading down, presumably to a sub-level.

His active mind already made plans to check it out after the house's owner went to bed. If he was to build a new ship, underground would be the ideal location; there would be less prying eyes, and if any small explosions should happen, it could hopefully be at least partially contained.

Their journey ended when the female stopped at a closed door, and grasped the handle. Following her inside, the first thing he noticed was that the air smelled somewhat decrepit. It was obvious the room hadn't been used much at all. Still, there was a bed, which was basically all Thanos required. It wasn't like he would be here for a long period of time anyway.

"I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of male clothing, but luckily, I do have some pajamas that belong to my father. I hope they fit!" the female's voice called from the closet. Thanos crossed his arms.

She exited the closet, holding light blue pajamas. Thanos stared. They didn't look uncomfortable, but it was like nothing he had ever worn before, of that he was sure. She tossed it to him, and he caught it obligingly.

She quickly went to the window, and after a bit of effort, managed to yank it open, letting in some much-needed fresh air.

"You can put that on, and I'll just leave the room, so you can do it in private. Well, I guess I'll head to bed now, so good night." and with a hesitant smile, she exited the room, not giving him time to reply, although he wasn't sure if he would have at all.

When the door closed with a click, Thanos tore off the rags he was wearing, and decided to chance putting on the clothing he had been graciously (?) given. He attempted to slip one arm through a sleeve-and he couldn't. It was impossible, as his arms were way too large. He imagined the woman's father wasn't very muscular, but then, even the most muscular human might still prove to be smaller. Thanos huffed in annoyance.

Tossing the pajamas on a dresser, Thanos decided his own clothing was best. Concentrating hard on his torn battle armor, he began to "fix" it, but in no way a human could. The tears began to close, as Thanos manipulated the molecules, stretching them. It wouldn't be a perfect mending, but until he could find (or build) a new one, it would have to do.

Holding the now-repaired armor at arm's length, Thanos decided he was satisfied with his work. With nothing else of consequence to do, getting rest was the ideal next step, and a glance at the bed showed that it would at least be mildly comfortable. It was only after he got in the bed that he realized the problem.

The bed was much too small for his large frame. His legs folded off the edge of the bed, touching the carpet-covered floor. Gritting his teeth, the Mad Titan gave up on sleeping for the night. Perhaps it was time to start re-building his ship, among other things.

When Layla got up the next morning to the cheerful sounds of birds chirping, she went through some of her usual routine, which included getting dressed in casual clothing, washing her face, brushing her teeth, and making her bed, the latter of which she always told herself there was no point, because when you lived alone, who would know? Her mom had really drilled it into her, she supposed. Old habits die hard. She caught herself almost putting on the clothes she was going to wear to school, despite the fact that it was Saturday.

It was only when she was on her way to the kitchen to make breakfast that she remembered the events of last night. It would have been easy to believe it was a dream, but that was what people in films always assumed. She rushed to the second bedroom, which was empty. She wondered if had left in the middle of the night.

Would he have left without saying good-bye, or even thanks? Well, I can't pretend to know alien customs. But still, that would have been nice…

She was almost disappointed. The only exciting thing to ever happen to her was already over? Her thoughts were stopped from getting too depressing when she heard some noises from her basement.

Not knowing what to expect, she grabbed the nearest blunt object, which happened to be a cloth hangar from the closet.

She knew it was stupid, going down the stairs to the basement with only that for a weapon…but meeting and interacting with a scary, purple alien must have made her braver. That's what she told herself as she descended. When she reached the bottom, her mouth fell open, which was something she had been doing a lot recently.

Her basement was unrecognizable. What had once been a dark, dank, almost empty room (aside from some random furniture), was now a bright, almost sci-fi styled haven. Wires, lights, and computers were almost everywhere. The ceiling had some kind of antennae, only they were facing downwards. There was no more moss on the walls; in fact, the walls had gone from black to silver. Was that steel?

In the back of the room, where there had previously been a discarded, hole-ridden sofa, was the largest computer in the room, and what seemed to be the central one. In front of the computer screen was a large seat, and Thanos was sitting on it, leaning forward, reading whatever was on screen.

Even though she hadn't made any noise or sound, Thanos swiveled his seat around to look at her. Startled, she blurted out a morning greeting. He simply nodded his bald head (his helmet was next to the computer's expansive keyboard) and turned back around. For a few moments, there was an awkward silence, as she searched for something to say. She always encouraged her students to ask questions, so she would start there.

"You're really smart, aren't you?" she asked. She winced at how timid her voice sounded, and how dumb the question was.

"I'd like to think so." Thanos didn't even turn around this time.

Stupid, stupid. Of course he's smart, he can drive a spaceship. Why did you ask him that?

"Did you set all this up while I was sleeping? That must have been hard," because anything she said now would be better than the question she had previously asked.

Thanos finally turned around again, and shrugged.

"It wasn't as difficult a task as you might be imagining. This is hardly the first time I've had to create a make-shift lab in a foreign location. And I didn't begin this morning, as you might be assuming, I began last night."

"Last night? Didn't you get any sleep at all?" Layla decided it was best to focus on that last part. Thanos looked surprised that she had asked that, as well.

"I'm afraid my size made sleeping on the spare bed a chore. I'm afraid your father's clothing will not do either." and she once again mentally kicked herself.

"But…aren't you tired?" She didn't want her fancy alien guest to leave thinking she was an awful person who gave him the wrong size clothing and bed. For some reason, the thought of Thanos telling his alien friends that Earth had horrible hospitality was not appealing.

"No, I'm not. I can go many days without the need to sleep or replenish my energy," and was it just her, or was he starting to look annoyed? Maybe she was asking too many questions. Oh, but she knew what might raise the mood!

"I was just about to prepare breakfast, and since you're already up, I may as well make some for you!" Thanos shook his head.

"I do not need any nourishment at this time. Also, I am busy installing a cloaking program to this computer. If any of the beings chasing mean try to find me using a tracking device or satellite, this will jam those signals." She laughed, not at him, but because he lost her with all that tech-talk.

"Oh c'mon, I'm sure you've got to be at least a bit hungry! You haven't eaten since before that crash. Now, I won't hear another word. I hope you like eggs." and she went back up the stairs before he could answer.

Thanos watched her go. Eating some of her Earth food wouldn't hurt, he supposed. He could go for long periods of time without needing to ingest anything, but she wouldn't know that. Turning back to his computer, he began to create a diagram of a ship. Once he was done with calculations, all he would need were the materials to build it.

It was a shame he would have to kill his host. She had nothing but kind thoughts; he would know, as he had read her mind more than once, making sure she wasn't some clever enemy. He had nothing against her; in fact, she was one of the few people to ever show him a shred of kindness. She was even concerned over his possible lack of rest! But that is why she would make a fitting tribute to Death.

Chapter Text

"Tony, could you come to the conference room?" Tony looked up upon hearing Pepper's voice over the intercom. The various men who had been yelling all around the circular table Tony had been sitting on fell quiet as well. After a brief pause, Tony stood up, glad for an excuse to get away from this faculty meeting, which had become boring half an hour ago.

"Sorry, gentleman. I'll have to take that call, but I'll be back in – well, it depends how pressing the matter is, but it shouldn't take more than an hour," and with that, Tony exited the boardroom, a spring in his step.

Taking the elevator over twenty floors up, Tony had time to once again admire the Avengers Tower. He had helped fund and build it, but dang, was it a piece of awesome work. Most of the Avengers lived here, and Tony could also hold Stark Industries meetings here. There was also a hotel on the lower floors, laboratories, a restaurant, and other places that Tony planned to open once he had time.

Time, though, was something he didn't normally have. As the head of a company, and an Avenger, free time was few and far between. He was thankful that Pepper was so understanding.

The elevator finally stopped at the intended floor. Tony straightened his tie, and walked out to meet Pepper.

"Hey, Pep. Is Captain America calling one of his emergency meetings again?" Pepper smiled and shook her head.

"No, actually. Fury is on the untraceable line, which probably means it's something top secret. Well, I guess most of SHIELD's business is top secret. Rogers is already in the room, because he's punctual, by the way." The last part of her explanation came out teasingly accusatory. Tony raised his hands in defense.

"Hey now, I bet Rogers didn't have to attend a board meeting for over two hours," Tony defended, almost pouting. Pepper gave Tony's shoulder a friendly punch, and walked away.

Inside the conference room, Captain America was already sitting down at the round table, which wasn't quite as large as the one in the boardroom, but had a large, fancy "A" embroidered on the surface. The red, white, and blue Avenger was sipping from a coffee mug; you certainly couldn't say that Pepper didn't serve refreshments.

Fury's face was already plastered on the screen in front of the table. Tony gave Fury a wave and a grin before sitting down himself, leaning back with his hands behind his head. Fury glared daggers at him.

"Now that you're both here, I won't mice words. SWORD had some interesting news to inform me of earlier today. Apparently, an unidentified flying object crashed down on our planet. However, its energy signature vanished before SWORD could get a proper fix on it."

"So, there are aliens on Earth, and we don't have a clue where?" Tony had nothing against aliens (Thor was kind of an alien, right? Thor was cool. And the Avengers had met this group called the Guardians of the Galaxy, and they got along fine), but most aliens had the tendency to be pretty nasty. Tony only had to think about Loki, Thanos, and the Kree and Skrull.

"Not exactly," Fury continued. "We don't have an exact crash-site; however, SWORD was able to get an estimated range. I will send you the co-ordinates." The screen Fury was on divided into two separate screens; Fury's mug was still on one, but the other contained a map, with a glowing circle around an area.

"So we have to comb through miles and miles to find a ship that might be destroyed anyway? That could take weeks!" Stark groaned. That's what he had meant when he said he had no free time!

"We'll do it, sir," Mr. Boyscout said, saluting Fury. Fury nodded at Cap briskly, before addressing both of them.

"We don't know if this is the start of another invasion or not. But if it is, finding this ship could be imperative to stopping a war before it happens. Do I make myself clear?" This time, Stark nodded along with Rogers.

Layla picked up the tray, and carefully tread down the stairs. Tripping now, and dropping all the food, would be the most embarrassing thing she could do with a guest in the house. She would probably ask Thanos to just end her misery.

When she finally reached the bottom, she sighed through her nose. Fixing a smile on her face, she briskly walked to Thanos, and placed the tray on the console in front of him, next to the glowing cube he had used earlier to warp away his ship. He looked up disinterestedly.

"Since I didn't know what you would like, I piled the tray with four egg omelets, two loaves of buttered toast, one croissant, and three pancakes. Have you ever tried these?" Thanos looked like he was making a decision in his head.

"No, I have never eaten food like this," he finally admitted. Layla hoped Earth food wouldn't turn him off. She knew that if she was on an alien planet, she'd hesitate to try anything, even if she was starving.

It turned out that was something she didn't need to concern herself with; despite the huge platter of food she gave him, he wolfed it down in probably less than a minute, and downed the glass of orange juice even quicker.

"Ah, see. You were hungry," she couldn't help but gloat a bit. Thanos made a choking noise.

Thanos almost choked. She had completely mangled his intentions. He had hoped that by hurrying, she would get the message that he was far too preoccupied to waste any time indulging in food, and he was only eating to get that out of the way. Instead, she got the idea into her head that he had been famished.

"It was…acceptable. Now if you excuse me, I have to finalize some things." Thanos got up from his seat, holding a large screwdriver, to add some touches to the ship he was building. He had started to build the ship after Layla had gone upstairs to fix breakfast. He was decently far along. It could be done in even just a week's time. Then he could get off this forsaken planet.

"That looks hard," the female said absently, and Thanos could tell she was trying to make "small talk" for the sake of noise. He hated when people spat out empty words; it was a waste of time. Ignoring her, he got to work for the next few minutes. He screwed a bolt in here, a bolt in there; it was tedious work, but the fruit of his labor would be beneficial.

He was painstakingly screwing in a noticeably minute nail when the female gasped. As he accidently broke the nail, he turned around angrily.

"What?" he barked, before realizing what she was doing. She had been reading though his computer, probably out of curiosity. She had one hand over her mouth, and she was looking at him, and certainly not in a positive way. She had been reading his weapon plans!

"What…what is this? It sounds like a plan to murder people. It - it says right here." She was sounding frightful, but also hopeful, that he could somehow clear the whole misunderstanding up - except there was no misunderstanding. Thanos sighed. She knew more than she was supposed to. This was his fault for writing his plans in her language. He would have to kill her now. Thanos pushed down a twinge of regret.

Layla had randomly browsed the console while Thanos was busy with his ship. She had been bored, and hadn't seen the harm. She probably wouldn't understand half the lingo anyway. At first, most of the pages she found were what looked like schematics for various objects. But one of them had caught her eye. The reason was that it looked like a pointy gun, the kind that aliens always had in the movies, except this one was huge, as if it would go on the end of a large spaceship.

She was sure there must be an explanation. And as she read on, the instructions actually in English (It truly is the universal language, huh? She thought wildly) it talked about all these crazy ideals, about killing people to appease…a lady?

She turned to Thanos, thinking maybe he could explain things to her. Her heart almost stopped when she saw his eyes were that black color again, and he was walking towards her. She tried to back-up, but that computer was behind her, and there was nowhere to go.

"It's true, Layla. I do plan to kill every single human on Earth. My lady Death demands it. I'm afraid that includes you." Layla tried to answer, but her voice caught in her throat, and all that came out was a pathetic squeak. Thanos looked amused.

"Afraid? Of course, you have every right to be. For most people, death is something to be afraid of. Not me. I'm in love with her. I am driven to please her." Layla felt tears trickling down her eyes. Of course this alien was evil. Why hadn't she trusted her better judgment? Why had she assumed he'd be a peaceful, kind alien?

"One should never assume such things. Sometimes, appearances aren't deceiving at all." Layla looked up at him, trying to comprehend. Thanos laughed.

"Oh, you didn't know? My dear, I can read your thoughts as clear as if you were speaking to me." She should have known. That's how he had known what she was about to ask after he had emerged from the wreckage.

It hurt, that he had been playing around with her this whole time. How he must have laughed at her behind her back!

"This can't be happening," she whispered. Thanos moved closer, raising a fist, which was now glowing, a subdued yellow color.

"I assure you, this is reality. If it is any consolation, I will make this painless." And with that, a blast of bright energy erupted from his fist, knocking her straight in the chest. Letting out a gasp, she fell against the computer with a crash, hard enough that she knew she had broken something.

Thanos was a liar. She was in pain; the energy was burning, slowly killing her. She could tell that she was dying. Fear seized through her.

I don't want to die. Not like this. I never got to say goodbye to my parents, or my students!

She feebly reached out to grab something, and grasped onto the computer's keyboard. Thanos just stood there, no doubt waiting for her to die. At least, she thought he was there; her vision was getting blurry.

As her hand scrambled across the keyboard aimlessly, her fingers touched something. It felt like glass, but it wasn't the monitor. It felt hot and cold at the same time, and it felt like it was pulsing. Thanos began to stride towards her suddenly, and deciding she didn't like that, she grabbed whatever she was touching, and cradled it to her chest.

She felt warmth go through her, like she had ingested a powerful battery. She absently noticed that whatever she held in her hands was gone (I must have dropped it), but she didn't have time to dwell on that. She was feeling remarkably light-headed. The room was swaying from side-to-side. She only managed to make a humming noise before fainting dead away, not even noticing when someone caught her.

Chapter Text

Thanos was not a fan of his plans being disrupted, especially when it was a human who was the cause. Sometimes, he humored the possibility that Lady Luck was cursing him. Obviously, that was a bunch of nonsense.

And yet, he did have some unfortunate events happen to him, one after the other. And now, the Tesseract had somehow embedded itself inside his host's body. This was a predicament Thanos had not anticipated. If he destroyed her body, he also risked destroying the Tesseract. While the Tesseract was not as vital as the Infinity Gems were, it was certainly a convenient item to possess, as it powered almost all the devices that had been in use – including his ship.

And he was mysteriously relieved that she was alive. The crash must have messed with his head.

Thanos dragged the woman's body to his electronic scanner, which he had previously used to find hidden properties in various minerals. He had never intended to use it to locate an object inside someone's body before. Thanos placed her on the slab, and folded the other half of the machine over her unconscious body. He supposed it resembled what humans called a "tanning salon".

He connected the scanner to his main computer via cable, hoping he could find a way to surgically remove the cube. A few minutes of scanning later, and he was coming up with zilch. It was peculiar; even using the x-ray, he could find no trace of any square-shaped objects in her body. He was certain the cube had phased itself into her!

The silence was broken by a groan, signifying that the female was waking from her untimely slumber. Thanos was tempted to mentally knock her unconscious once more, but perhaps this ordeal would be easier if she were awake.

"Where am I?" was the first question out of her mouth, as she tried to get up, only to bang her head against the top of the machine, slightly lifting the top half. She grunted, falling back down. Turning her head left and right, she finally seemed to gather her bearings. She began to breath heavily.

"So this wasn't a dream." It amazed Thanos how some lower life forms could manage to stay in denial for so long!

"Of course it wasn't," he growled at her, quickly losing whatever patience he still had. He stomped towards her, placing his large hand on the top of the scanner, lowering it again.

"Why am I in here? I thought you were going to kill me," her voice wavered. Thanos glared at her, realizing he would have to explain the whole mess. He didn't feel like taking what would most likely be ten minutes to explain to her feeble mind all that had transpired, so he took a shortcut with his telepathy, and beamed it all to her.

She was silent, drinking it in. Her face grew pale, so she must have gone down some dark conclusion.

"Please, get it out. This Tesseract thing is like a battery, right? I don't want something like that in my body!" Thanos had never heard anyone call one of the strongest devices on the universe a battery…but that was a surprisingly apt description.

"I wouldn't be so upset about it if I were you," Thanos informed her, leaning over. "Unlike your Earth batteries, the Tesseract doesn't give off any radiation, and has never been known to harm anyone in possession of it. Besides…it is the only thing keeping you alive at the moment." Oh, that got her attention very fast.

"What? I don't understand." There wasn't much she did, apparently.

"I can't risk killing you. Doing so could damage or even destroy the Tesseract, which is something I'll be avoiding to the best of my ability. Trust me, I would have already removed it if I could, but I can't seem to locate it."

"It's gone? I don't think so. I can feel it…I think," and Thanos wasted no time grilling her for information.

"Where do you feel it? I have already checked most of your body. What have I missed?" Her reply took far too long for his taste, but she seemed unsure of herself.

"It's strange. I feel it, but not in a physical way. It's like….I don't know, like it melted." She shrank back when Thanos stood up, but he hadn't even meant to intimidate her that time. He was almost ashamed of himself. Why hadn't he thought of that? No, the Tesseract hadn't melted, but he had foolishly assumed it would still be in a physical form.

"Hmm. Perhaps the Tesseract has become ethereal, in order to accommodate your body. I will need to look into this." Despite himself, Thanos was vaguely intrigued. The Tesseract had never done that as long as he had been with it, but then, he had never tried to force it inside his own body. Changing the frequency on the scanner, he also switched the lens, which would block out all solid matter. The Tesseract's energy, if Thanos had made the right changes, should pop up in the color yellow, with foreign energy sources coming up red.

Thanos flicked the switch, not even realizing he was holding his breath. He could almost feel the girl squirm, and he snapped at her to stay still. Brightening the screen, Thanos pressed the button to activate the scanner. A diagram of her body blinked on the monitor. And there was plenty of yellow.

To the amazement of Thanos, the yellow was almost literally all over the screen. It seemed the Tesseract's energy was flowing through the female's blood stream.

"Is that good? Oh god, please tell me that's good!" Thanos snapped out of his thoughts, and flicked off the screen. Turning on the basement's lights, Thanos opened the scanner, letting her up.

"It is good…for you. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to remove the Tesseract's energy from your body. Until I find a way, I will have to stay here. You will not be allowed to leave nor have guests over. You will also be under heavy surveillance, in case you consider suicide, or some other form of drastic action. Is that clear?"

Layla, in the course of a few hours, had gone from griping about her boring life to desperately wishing she could have it back. The fact of the matter was that she was terrified. And now Thanos was explaining to her how her life was about to get even worse.

She wasn't scared of the Tesseract anymore. Apparently, she should actually be on the ground thanking it. She was alive, and Thanos had made it clear the cube was the reason. No matter what, she had to make sure it stayed inside her. Of course, she didn't even know how to get it out in the first place.

The problem was, she didn't know what to do now. Here she was, in her basement, with a creepy purple alien. They had nothing to talk about, and the silence was getting to her. Looking at him, she could only wonder why she hadn't realized he was evil just by looking at him. He even had the stereotypically large chin.

She sighed. She always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt. And now look where it got her. She could try calling the police...but she had a feeling Thanos would know, and she'd pay for it.

Layla took one last glance at Thanos before heading up the stairs. She wasn't sure what he was planning to do, but at the very least, she did have some papers to grade.

Am I insane? Grading papers at a time like this?

She knew there was a word for when someone pretended that everything was normal, so that they could avoid thinking about the elephant in the room. It was true; to stop herself from going insane with worry, she would do something she did every Saturday night: grading her student's papers.

She walked inside her study, trying not to walk too timidly (she didn't want to give Thanos the satisfaction), but also not walking too loudly (because she also really didn't want him to think she was rebelling). She supposed it didn't matter. He could read her thoughts, so he could learn her intentions anyway, if he were so inclined.

The previous week, she had given her students a free-form assignment to write about what they most liked about their family. That felt like a lifetime ago. She had collected the papers on Friday, but hadn't had the chance to read them. At the very least, they'd be a nice distraction from her current living situation.

Thanos had returned to the guest room, lamenting the fact that he would have to remain for the time being. He had made sure to cloak the house from any censors, ensuring that no one would be able to detect anything out of the ordinary.

Conserving energy was high priority. Thanos lay down on the bed, forgetting the problem he had the previous night.

I really should build another bed. If I can build a ship, a bed should be child's play. Perhaps tomorrow.

Closing his eyes, and waiting for sleep to claim him, his tense body finally relaxed. Quickly reliving the past day through his mind, as he did every night to make sure he didn't forget or miss anything, he had to admit to himself that Layla hadn't behaved as he had figured. She hadn't screamed, or cried, or tried to run away at all. Most humans he knew were worthless cowards.

When had he started thinking of her as Layla, and not female?

I must be more tired than I thought.

With that, Thanos drifted off to sleep, hoping to dream about his Lady Death, as he often did.

Tony Stark was wondering why he and his team were walking around aimlessly in the middle of some suburbs in New Mexico. It turned out, that when Fury told them that SWORD had, at least, an approximate landing site for the ship, it wasn't too exact. To be more precise, it could be anywhere in New Mexico.

Fancy that, a spaceship that might be in New Mexico. Shocking! Tony couldn't help the bitter thoughts that went through his head. It didn't help that the weather wasn't that nice. It was the middle of Autumn, dang it, and he was cold.

He didn't even need to be cold. After all, he had his armor. But Fury and Cap had convinced him that if he wore it, any alien would take one look and bolt. Tony sullenly leaned against a tree.

"Do we even have a plan?" he griped to Steve, who was also in civilian clothing. Steve was also wearing shades, which actually made him look pretty suspicious, but Tony didn't feel like bringing that up just yet.

"Well…I will admit, this wasn't as thought-out as I would have liked. I especially don't like the idea of knocking at random houses, asking about aliens. It isn't right," and Tony was amazed that of all things, THAT was what made him dislike the mission.

Stark turned to the two others who had signed for the mission, Clint and Thor. Widow had been away on another mission (lucky her, Tony had thought), and Banner had politely declined. No one had wanted to force him, so…

"Don't you have that device that would help you locate an alien?" Clint looked pointedly at a walkie-talkie looking device that Stark had been holding. Only it wasn't a communication device.

"It isn't that simple, Robin Hood. Think of this device as a metal detector, but for aliens. I built this based off the brain waves that the Kree and Skrull give off. The problem is, if our mystery invader has a completely different physiology than the aforementioned, my device wouldn't light up. Also, if the alien can somehow hide his own brain signals, we could also be out of luck."

This was one more thing Tony hated about this mission: the chance factor. Stark was a man of science, and he hated to leave things to chance like this. The way things were going, they didn't even know if their alien visitor had already split!

"I would hope not. I look forward to dealing with this invader!" Thor proclaimed after Tony had voiced his displeasure. Hawkeye gave Thor a thumbs up.

"Don't encourage him," Tony groaned. Rogers sighed, and the group took that as a signal to keep moving. As seemingly fruitless as this was, they were determined to find the alien.

Chapter Text

Thanos opened his eyes. At first puzzled as to what had roused him, he soon came to the conclusion that it was the bright sunlight pouring from the windows. He couldn't even recall when he had last woken up to light, as he had spent many days either in his dark ship, or on the solitary hunk of rock he gave orders from.

Getting up from the small but admittedly warm bed, Thanos shoved the curtains, intending for them to mask the glare of the sun. He pulled with too much force, however, and the curtains ripped from the steel bars, letting even more light in. Growling under his breath, Thanos stomped from the room. He was already in a foul mood, and the day had just begun.

It wasn't just the light, though. It was also the fact that he hadn't been able to commune with his lady in his dreams the previous night. Was Death avoiding him? No, Thanos refused to entertain the thought.

A quick glance across the hall at Layla's room told him she wasn't inside, or if she was, she had left the door open, and hadn't slept in her bed. He had a hunch she would be in the same room where she had been reading those papers the previous night.

His hunch proved to be correct. She appeared to have fallen asleep while reading, as her body was hunched over the wooden table, her face resting on one of the reports. She was snoring, too. Having nothing else to do, Thanos quietly grabbed one of the papers. As far as reading material went, it was especially short, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Thanos swept his eyes over the page, and its infantile handwriting and tone, apparently written by a "Kevin". It would be amusing to read this aloud.

"My family is the coolest ever. My father and mother are the greatest parents in the world, even if they can get mad and ground me, but I forgive them anyway, because I love them. My little sister stinks, but I love her too. But don't tell her." Thanos snickered at the sentimental foolishness.

"Don't laugh," a groggy voice spoke up. Reading the paper out loud must have wakened Layla, not that Thanos cared.

"Why shouldn't I? It was terribly written, and the boy's love of family is pathetic." Thanos dropped the paper on the ground. Layla snatched it up, placing it back on the desk.

"He's in the second grade. Do you expect Shakespeare level writing from him?" She sounded exasperated. Thanos wasn't familiar with Shakespeare, but it was obvious he held a high literary status on this planet.

"On my planet, children at a younger age had better writing skills. I believe the teachers here are lacking at their job, or humans are mentally inferior." Layla looked offended and also a bit skeptical.

"How would you know? Did you attend school?" Thanos crossed his arms, not liking her tone.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I was at the top of my class, which had the negative reaction of my classmates shunning me. Of course, my looks had something to do with it as well." She still didn't look convinced.

"Is it so hard to believe?" Thanos asked incredulously. He had already proven to her how smart he was. Did she assume it was self-taught? Layla's look softened.

"Sorry, I guess you just don't seem like the type to sit down in a classroom and write things down for a teacher," Layla semi-apologized. She could see why his classmates wouldn't get along with him though. She quickly forced herself to stop thinking like that, in case Thanos read her mind again. Luckily, it seemed he hadn't caught that thought.

"Anyway, I don't like it when people unfairly criticize my students. They're just kids, and in this case, I thought he did a wonderful job. I told the kids to write about why they love their family. Why would you be against that? Even you must have loved your family." She wished she hadn't said that. Thanos had stopped smirking, and his eyes had grown dark again.

"Not especially, no. Actually, I hated my parents, and they hated me. My mother tried to kill me when I was an infant, and my father was ashamed of me. If I don't have any lost love for them, you'll have to excuse me." His tone was bitter. His family was definitely a sore subject. Layla knew that pushing the subject was dumb, but she was a nosy person, and even though this alien would probably kill her, she wanted to help, if she could.

"But you were a kid, right? You could make up with them, perhaps. I'm sure by now it's all water under the bridge." Thanos laughed, but not in a happy way.

"I don't think that will be possible. You see, I killed them many years ago." Layla opened her mouth, and then closed it. How could she respond to that? It was horrible. All her sympathy suddenly vanished. She had never met someone who had murdered a family member (at least, not that she knew of), and it was hard to imagine. She loved her own parents dearly; the thought of killing them made her sick.

Thanos turned to leave, probably deciding he was done with the conversation. Layla was glad. She didn't think she'd be able to be around him right now, not without thinking some nasty things about him.

Thanos walked downstairs, not even sure what his destination was. He acted like a fool back there. He hadn't meant to go on a rant about his past, but it just came out. He had never told anyone, not a single soul, about his parents. Everyone needed to vent once in awhile, but to a human?

Breathing deeply to calm himself, Thanos found himself in the kitchen. Maybe eating would help him steady himself. He certainly couldn't afford to be so emotionally vulnerable in front of Layla again. It was this Kevin's fault. If Thanos hadn't read the brat's paper, those old feelings wouldn't have come out.

Well, good for the young one, having loving parents. I, however, have no need of people to coddle me. I have done fine without anyone like that in my life, and I plan to continue it that way.

His thoughts were getting increasingly bitter. He needed to distract himself, and preparing some foreign dish would do the trick. He wasn't very familiar with Earth cuisine, but he had traveled to many planets and cultures. In comparison, Earth food would be simple to prepare.

Layla had finished the final paper, satisfied because none of her students had gotten under a "C" grade this time. She stood up, wincing when she got a painful message from her foot, informing her that it had fallen asleep. She hated when that happened to her. She was still tired, though. Leaning on a table in her sleep had not made for a comfy night.

She yawned, which was probably a sign from above that she should go back to bed. Even if it wasn't a sign, it was good enough for her.

A loud crash came from the kitchen area. Layla hesitated, and then decided she didn't want her house to burn down. Her plans to sleep for the next few days would have to wait.

She slowly poked her head in the kitchen, expecting to see a classic cooking screw-up. Flour clouding the room. Sauce stains on the floor, morbidly like blood. Maybe a small fire in the stove.

She hadn't expected Thanos to be sitting on her largest chair near the table, digging into a plate of pancakes. The pancakes were a bit overcooked, and their shape was more towards the square side than a circle, but it wasn't nearly as horrific as she had imagined. His helmet was on the table next to his plate.

Thanos looked towards her, began to say something, seemingly thought better of it, swallowed, and then tried again.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I won't need you to cook for me. It appears I will do fine in that regard," and the jerk was smiling deviously at her, as if he had done something really impressive. She wouldn't say so out loud, but next to turning her basement into a laboratory, making semi-good pancakes was low on the impressive scale.

"I, uh, heard a noise, so I came to check it out. I thought…" she didn't finish, not wanting to offend him. After all, she had assumed the worst of him, again. Thanos kept his focus on her.

"You thought I had blown up the kitchen in my quest to make myself breakfast. Honestly, I should be offended." His light tone made her relax slightly. If he killed her, it wouldn't be because he was upset at her assumption. Good to know.

"Should I assume you only make enough for one?" Layla asked him. She was too tired to make breakfast right now.

"I only made these pancakes for me. However, while I can eat much larger portions than you can, it isn't a necessity for me. I will give you half my serving, if you agree to leave me alone to my work for the rest of the day." Layla quickly agreed, quickly serving herself a cup of milk to go along with the sweet food. Upon further consideration, she served a second cup for her purple chef.

Their breakfast was mostly done in silence, punctuated by the clattering of silverware against plates, and the occasional gulp of milk. It was calm enough to almost make her forget that Thanos could basically kill her at any time. When they were done, Layla automatically grabbed both plates, taking them to the sink to wash them.

"I'm surprised you didn't ask me to wash them," Thanos said in an amused voice, his head resting lazily on one hand. Layla glanced at him before putting her attention back on the dishes. Syrup stains took a bit of scrubbing to get rid of.

"Would you have done them if I asked you to?" Thanos tilted his head, as if to think.

"No." She sighed. There was her answer.

Finishing with the final plate, the silence was starting to weigh down on her again. The birds chirping outside weren't good enough.

"Tell me why you like her. Lady Death, I mean," she quickly added the last part, in case Thanos had some second love somewhere. She was honestly curious. Was it possible to love such a horrid being? Thanos let out a humming sound.

"She was the first person to accept me, as a child. When my parents and schoolmates abandoned me, she was still there. I pledged from then on I would devote my life to her. To please Death, I must kill for her. Most people don't understand, but it matters not to me. As long as she is happy, I am content." Layla didn't dare voice her opinion, but she thought that sounded crazy.

"So, you're willing to go so far for her. What has she done for you in return? She isn't here right now, is she? If she loved you, wouldn't she be with you?" Thanos stood up, the chair falling backwards. Layla flinched, hoping she hadn't gone too far.

"You imply that I devote myself to her for nothing. Do not speak of things that you know nothing about!" Thanos roared. He had heard enough from her. He would do anything for his lady; he did not need to receive any gratification. His devotion was pure, not fickle in the least.

"Does she love you back? If she does, you can ignore everything I'm saying. But can you answer that with any certainty?" Layla's voice was quiet, but steady. Thanos froze. His lady adored him…right?

It was true that Lady Death tended to ignore him, even going so far as to have her minions speak in her stead. She had never been intimate with Thanos, but he had always assumed that physical interaction wouldn't be possible for her. At least, that is what he had hoped. It appeared he possibly had things to consider.

"I will be in my lab. Do not disturb me, or I will kill you," Thanos said, dangerously quiet. Stomping past Layla, he trudged to the basement, hoping that he could make progression on his ship. Hours later, he stopped trying, knowing it was in vain. Layla's words dwelled in his mind, and he was almost ashamed for wondering if there was some truth to be found there.

A good night's rest would help to clear his mind. Decided on a course of action, Thanos headed back to his room. Tonight, he planned to meet with Death in his dreams.

He had things to discuss with her, and this time, he would demand answers.

Chapter Text

At first, he was a bit disoriented. There wasn't much sense of direction or gravity. It took Thanos a few moments to gather his bearings, but once he realized where he was, his mood lifted considerably. He had been to this dark void many times before, in order to converse with his love, Lady Death.

However, despite the fact that he was only occasionally able to traverse to this dimension after falling asleep, it was no mere dream. Death used his subconscious mind to meet on an astral plane, one that no telepath could reach alone.

Searching for his lady was no easy task; this place had no visible features beyond the dark corners. There was no up or down in this realm and Thanos may well have been standing upside down for all the difference it would make.

But he soon spied her, close enough that he could grab her if he was so inclined. He could not fathom how he had not seen her immediately.

"My lady," Thanos murmured, getting down on one knee. His lady deserved his respect. Death gazed at him, her body completely covered by a black cape and hood, only her slender face visible. Her ruby lips and black-orbed eyes gave her a predatory look. Thanos was always satisfied when those dark eyes had him in their sights.

Death didn't give him a reply, vocally or mentally. She stood still, if standing could be possible in such a non-corporeal place as this. Growing slightly impatient for a response, Thanos stood up, deciding to take initiative.

"My lady, I have been awaiting a visit from you for some time. I have missed you in my last few dreams," and his bass voice seemed to echo through the empty space. Death stared at him, her face showing no emotion. Her mind was also well-guarded. Thanos grit his teeth. This played-out scene was all too familiar to him.

"Please, my lady. Give me the honor of conversing with me. I have waited a very long time to hear your voice. If you continue to ignore me, I may begin to think you do not care for me," and he tried to make the last park come out jokingly (he had never tried to joke with Death before), but his voice was strained.

Of course, he had never liked being the object of Death's cold shoulder. But now he remembered what Layla had said. He hated feeling like a fool, and he was feeling like one now.

Death looked away, her eyes seeing something that even Thanos probably couldn't imagine. Thanos clenched his fists, his patience draining. Frustration and resentment flowed through him.

"I have done everything for you. I have never ignored you when you gave me an order. I love you; you must know this. Then why do you ignore me? WHY!?" Thanos no longer cared if he sounded like a petulant child. He demanded an answer, and by the gods, he would receive one!

Death turned her eyes towards him. She didn't seem impressed by his rage. Pulling down her hood, her black hair was let free, flying around her face as if she had her own personal gust of wind.

"Thanos, I do not ignore you as you seem to think. I only mean to discourage you. I'm afraid your obsession with me isn't as flattering as you may think." Her voice was deeper that the average female, but Thanos found it to his liking. The words being spoken, however, were not.

"What? I do not understand. Discourage me? My dear, if I come across as overbearing, you need only say the word, and I will do my utmost to change! What I do for you, I do out of love." Lady Death sighed, sitting down on the non-existent ground. Thanos chose to stay upright.

"Do you confuse love with something else? Thanos, when I met you as a child, I admired your penchant for death. I was flattered when you claimed I was your god. But it has gone too far; you follow me around the galaxy, killing everyone in your path. It was fun, at first; but you cause more death than even I can handle."

"My lady, I still don't see what the problem is," and Thanos once again felt foolish. Lady Death walked towards him, causing his heart to pound. She put a bony, skeletal hand on the side of his face.

"I do not love you. I never did, Mad Titan. And I wish of you to stop following me like a lovesick child." With those final cruel words uttered, she began to ascend, towards a sky that was slowly brightening, as if a hidden sun had emerged. Death's face had also changed, from the beautiful vixen, to a skeleton. Thanos found both equally beautiful, but at the moment, that wasn't what he was focusing on.

"Please, do not leave me," Thanos murmured, as if raising his voice might destroy the now fragile dimension. He attempted to follow Death, but he found his way blocked; as the light surrounded the area, filling it with warmness, the ground and surrounding area began to melt, and Thanos found himself falling through the cracks.

Thanos shot up in his bed, gasping. He was clenching his bedsheet so hard, he had torn it almost straight down the middle. Taking a moment to steady himself, he mentally noticed someone else in the vicinity. Raising his head, he saw Layla, who was standing warily at the entrance to the guest room. Her brown hair was flattened on one side, and her eyes looked barely awake.

"Are you all right?" she ventured tiredly. "I heard you calling out in your sleep, and I-" Thanos cut her off with a growl.

"Leave. I am not in the mood for discussion right now." Thankfully, Layla left as speedily as she had entered, leaving Thanos to his thoughts. He didn't want to believe it, but reality was setting in. He had just been….dumped by Death. It was a completely absurd notion, and yet it had happened.

Thanos began to shake, but couldn't stop the laughter from escaping his mouth. How insane! All these many years of chasing after Death really had been a colossal waste of his time! Layla had been correct! Almost his whole life was now meaningless!

Thanos lay back down, letting out the occasional bitter laugh, but slowly sobering as it hit him. Did he even have a reason to live now? Nearly every single thing he had done in his life was for Death. What was his purpose now? He had no plans to commit suicide, though; that would only further his humiliation.

Layla had gone back to her room, very tempted to get back in the inviting warmth of her bed. She had woken up to groans and cries from the guest room. Not the kind of person who could let anyone suffer, even a jerk like Thanos, she had hurried to his room, not even sure what to expect. He had been having a nightmare, apparently.

Since he obviously didn't want company, she had gone back to her room. She turned to the old-style clock on her wall. She felt like groaning herself. It wasn't even five in the morning? She didn't even need to head for her school, Crosswoods Academy, for a few more hours.

"I guess I could try to get in some extra sleep, but I'm way too awake now. Guess I'll make breakfast," she muttered to herself. Still in her nightgown, she trudged to the kitchen. A cup of coffee to start the day sounded blissful. Through the curtains of the kitchen window, the first birds began to chirp, and the sky began to turn pink.

The sky must have a crush on the sun. It always blushed when it's time for the sun to rise.

Layla giggled at the cheesy joke her mother used to tell her. She used to believe it, too! She must have been very gullible in her youth.

Heating the milk took time, and waiting was boring. Leaning against the stove, she looked out the window at a pair of yellow chicks in a nest, no doubt chirping for their mommy.

She yawned, the reason being a cross between boredom and a general sense of fatigue. That coffee couldn't be ready too soon. Heavy footsteps coming down the stairs let her know that she might need to prepare a second cup.

Thanos walked in silently, footsteps aside. Layla smoothed her hair, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She wasn't at her most presentable at the moment. Her hair was probably all messy. Ugh.

Thanos sat at the same chair from the previous morning. Pouring the now ready coffee into two mugs, Layla sat across from him again. Eyeing the coffee, Thanos carefully took the steaming mug from Layla's hand. She watched him, wide-eyes, as he absently gulped the scalding drink down.

"How can you do that? I'm wincing just looking at you," Layla admitted. Thanos set the mug down on the table.

"My interior is no more vulnerable than my exterior. There was never any fear of harm." Well, good for him. She took a sip of her own mug, and then lightly blew on it, not wanting to risk a burned tongue because of some dumb competition.

"I think I actually left it on the heater for too long. I don't think there is an exact science to coffee making, though," she said lightly, getting up so that she could use a spoon to stir the brown liquid.

"Recalling what you told me yesterday, I think you'll be gratified to hear that I don't believe I'll be seeing Death anymore." Layla had taken another sip from her cup, and almost spit it out at the off-topic comment. Thanos obviously wasn't joking, though. He looked mildly upset.

"I'm sorry," because that's all Layla could think to say. She didn't want him to think she was happy that he was down. Thanos looked out the window, and Layla tried to follow what he found so interesting.

"Oh, those birds. They've been calling for their mom for a bit now. I wonder where she went," Layla said, not really concerned. The mom would fly back when she was ready. Turning back to Thanos, she decided to try to be friendly. The guy was clearly not in a great mood, and she didn't want it to worsen.

"Hey, coffee is great, but nothing beats a solid breakfast," she said, taking both mugs to the sink. "What would you like?" Thanos raised his head.

"I found the pancakes to be delectable. The eggs made for a fine accompaniment. I will leave the cooking to you this time." Layla laughed; he had practically admitted her pancakes were better! That counted as a victory in her book!

"Pancakes and eggs it is!" she called back at him. "They should be ready in about fifteen minutes!" As she poured the batter into the pan, and turned up the heat, a pleasant smell permeated through the room.

"What should I do now?" Thanos asked, breaking the comfortable silence. Layla wasn't sure how to answer; heck, she wasn't even sure that the question was aimed at her. When she looked back at him, however, he was staring at her expectantly.

"Why ask me? I'm not nearly as smart as you, even as a teacher." She wasn't sure that she could give Thanos any helpful insight.

"You seem to be at peace with your life, and satisfied in the direction its going. You must know a way for me to find my purpose." The poor guy sounded lost. She wondered what would happen if she found out she couldn't teach anymore. It wouldn't be a good feeling at all, but that still wouldn't be as bad as what he was feeling.

She had to reply carefully. Being blunt, and saying something like, "Well, first off, you should let me go, and we'll talk from there," might not work. She had to use tact.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Layla hoped that answering his question with a question of her own wouldn't annoy him. If Thanos was offended, he didn't let it show.

"All my actions were done to please Death, and with the goal of ending up with her. It seems it was all in vain. I don't have a current goal in mind. I don't even have a place to go," Thanos said. It was so matter-of-fact, he didn't even sound sad. He sounded resigned. Maybe that was what made Layla speak up.

"You can stay here for a while. You already have a room anyway, and I could use the company." Thanos looked at her, surprised, as she flipped the pancakes on two blue plates.

What am I saying? I don't want him to stay!

But I do. I've been lonely, living all alone. At least I could have some company, someone to talk to.

"Being alone isn't fun. I guess you know that feeling. This could be good for both of us," Layla continued, placing one of the plates in front of her purple guest.

When Layla thought about it, she was surprised to realize that the idea wasn't very daunting at all. She welcomed it, even. As she waited for his reply, Layla found herself holding her breath.

Chapter Text

Thanos stared as Layla began to cut her pancake into smaller, more edible pieces. She must be more foolish than he presumed, to offer a monster like him residence.

"Why would you offer to let me stay here, even for a short amount of time? You obviously can't trust me," he said, almost reprimanding. She paused, a pancake slice stabbed on a fork.

"I meant it. Look, we could both use the company, and I won't even make you pay rent. That sounds like a swell deal, I'd say," she replied cheerfully, eating the first piece of pancake.

"You are naïve, Layla. You know I am a murderer. What if I was dishonest regarding Death? I could murder you in your sleep." Layla took a gulp of milk.

"But if you killed me, you'd be alone again, right?" Layla looked so sure of herself that Thanos wanted to shake her. Instead, at the moment, he looked down at his own plate.

"I have a difficult time comprehending your thoughts. The fact that you know who I am means that you should be running in fear, not consuming food casually in front of me," his quiet voice slowly rose in volume.

"It seems to me you're just scared to get close to someone, maybe. Some of my children have that problem too," Layla said, obviously referring to her charges at school. Thanos angrily slammed a hand against the table, almost causing both glasses of milk to tip over and spill.

"Don't make light if this! I fear nothing, but more importantly, you should fear me! It would be all too easy for me to kill you!" His chest heaved, his breathing harsh with anger. Layla stood up, and leaned towards him, her face close to his.

"Do you want to kill me?" She asked it so straight-forward. Thanos stared back at her, noticing her eyes, which were like hazelnuts, and her brown hair, some of which almost covered her eyes. He almost felt an urge to shift the hair out of the way.

Thanos leaned back against his chair, and shoved a large pancake in his mouth, swallowing whole. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Layla, who had sat back down to finish her meal.

"You are far too kind for your own good," Thanos muttered. "But I will take you up on your offer, until I find better arrangements." He was almost loathe to say it, but she had fair reasoning. And if she was offering feely, who was he to refuse?

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Layla exclaimed, looking at her watch. She quickly finished the rest of her food, and rushed her dishes to the sink. Thanos turned to her questioningly.

"Oh, today is Monday. The kids will be expecting me," she answered in a hurry, straightening her hair in front of a mirror in the living room. She had gotten dressed fast! Females were efficient, apparently.

Thanos grinned, and crossed his arms. He could have some amusement with this. He coughed, loudly. Layla looked up from where she was tying her shoe-laces.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Thanos asked, tapping his boot on the ground. Layla looked confused, but he noticed the moment it dawned on her.

"Wait, you're talking about that stupid rule about how I can't leave the house? That's still valid? Thanos, I really have to go! It's way too last-second to get a replacement!" Thanos was content to sit at the table, and watch as a bunch of thoughts and emotions crossed her face. She almost looked ready to attempt to make a run for it. Finally, he decided to show mercy.

"I jest. It no longer matters to me if you venture out; I have no plans to foil, after all." He saw the relief in her eyes, and maybe even silent thanks. He turned away, uncomfortable with the naked emotion in her eyes. He wasn't someone who deserved to receive a look like that. She promised him that she'd back by early evening, and that he better not break anything, and to make lunch. He listened in the back of his mind, but he was already focused on the time he'd have to make modifications to his ship.

As Layla exited the house, she zipped up her jacket, shivering a bit at the brisk weather. Still, she would take the autumn cold over the upcoming bitter December winds. She could do without that, for sure. Blowing on her hands, she got a good pace going. She'd be at the school in only half an hour.

She passed by a couple of strange folk on the way. They were muttering to each other, but one of them saw her coming, and gave a warm greeting.

"Hello, ma'am," the first man said. She could immediately tell he was rich; the coat he was wearing was from a really exclusive label, and his cologne smelled exotic. The three other men with him all waved at her. Two of them were blond, one noticeably large then the other. The final man had sunglasses on, despite the fact that it wasn't all that's sunny.

The shorter blond man stepped forward. His voice had authority when he spoke.

"I'm sorry to use up your time, ma'am, but if I may, I'd like to ask you some questions." Yup, definitely a policeman, Layla thought. Has something happened?

"Well, I'm in a hurry, but I'll be back around six." The man looked a bit disappointed.

"No, that's ok. We'll be gone by then. Thanks for your time, anyway," the man said cordially, turning to join his buddies, who were already walking away.

At the school, Layla hung up her coat on the wooden rack, and sat down at the desk. She had made it, with a few minutes to spare. Thank goodness she hadn't forgotten the papers she had graded. Dashing back to the house now would take far too long.

As she arranged the stack of papers on her desk, a head popped through the doorway. Layla mentally sighed; it was Mr. Haynes. He was the principal at Crosswoods Academy, and most of the teachers really liked him. Unfortunately, she had somehow managed to get on his bad side.

"Dunham, can I have a moment?" He then entered the classroom before she could answer, still talking. His neat, gelled brown hair screamed, "I'm trying too hard!" to her. He also didn't fit the stereotype that most people had about principals; he wasn't overweight or short, and he didn't wear any glasses, let alone square-shaped ones. He actually hit the gym a lot on the weekends.

"I tried calling you over the weekend. I called your house, and tried your cell phone. You never answered. What was up with that?" Layla flashed him a winning smile.

"It was a very busy weekend, Mr. Haynes. I'm sorry; I must have forgotten to call back." That was partially true, but honestly, she probably wouldn't have called back anyway. Talking with Mr. Haynes wasn't fun at the best of times.

Mr. Haynes squinted at her. She tried to keep the smile on her face, but she could tell it was faltering.

"Dunham, when I call a teacher, I expect them to pick up. Keep that in mind, if you want to keep your job." He wasn't bluffing at all. Layla suspected that if the kid's parents didn't like her, Haynes would have kicked her out of Crosswoods years ago.

"You never let that grudge go, did you?" Layla asked, wanting the conversation to end. Haynes moved his hand through his hair, exhaling in seeming exasperation.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Dunham," he said coldly, before turning to walk out the door, moments before the small patter of young feet could be heard echoing in the school halls.

As the kids filed in, one kid made a beeline for Layla's desk, and gave her an apple. It was almost a daily occurrence now, but it was a sweet gesture. Any fruit would be fine, as long as it wasn't cranberries; she was allergic to those.

"All right, students, line up to receive your papers. Like I promised, if the average was over a C, I wouldn't give out a surprise test." Many of the kids looked around nervously.

When Layla gave Kevin his paper back, she was relieved that he didn't complain about how crinkled it was after Thanos had handled it. But then, she wasn't sure if Kevin would have cared much about that anyway.

Speaking of a certain somebody, I just remembered something I need to do after class, Layla thought. It was something that she couldn't put off.

Thanos had been working on his ship for the last few hours. He believed he was almost done. Truthfully, he would have been finished a long time ago, but he decided to add some small improvements. There was no need to rush, as far as he was concerned. And the more he immersed himself in his work, the less time he had to think about anything else.

Perhaps that made him a coward. He found he didn't care. Sometimes the best way to avoid addressing something was a good distraction. Besides, even once the ship was repaired, there was still the matter of the Tesseract. He couldn't very well leave it inside her, knowing how many various people were searching for it.

Am I actually concerned for her well-being? No, of course not; I may require the Tesseract's power for any future endeavor.

Glancing at the time (almost 6:30), Thanos decided to head back upstairs. No doubt Layla would be back soon.

Only a few minutes later, Layla did indeed arrive, announcing her presence with a loud hello, and a large shopping bag. When Thanos went to inspect, she practically shoved the bag in his arms.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, but I had to go shopping. I hope these fit." Her words made sense when Thanos removed the items, namely, clothing. Very large shirts, sweaters, and even a button-down pajama were all included.

"C'mon, try one on!" Layla said, probably eager to see that her shopping was not a waste of time and money. Thanos, almost flustered, grabbed a large, yellow sweater, and went to his room to put it on.

If this doesn't fit, I'll have to borrow garbs from the Hulk. The idea was horrifying. Thanos removed his armor, and stared at the sweater. Not one to ever hesitate, Thanos gripped the yellow item, and put it over his head, yanking it down.

A few moments later, Thanos exited his room. To his surprise, it fit. It was a bit close-fitting, but at least it didn't tear. Layla didn't look very surprised, but she tended to be more optimistic.

"It fits, right? It doesn't feel tight?" she asked. Thanos shook his head, preparing himself to say something out of his comfort zone.

"Thank you. I imagine this wasn't an easy thing to acquire, what with my size." She laughed, told him not to worry about it, and then gave him a hug. Thanos froze, his mind freezing along with his body. He had only ever been hugged a few times before, by a young green alien. It was a foreign feeling to him.

It turned out he didn't need to worry, Layla had let go a moment later, seemingly not noticing that he hadn't reciprocated the action.

"You know, you actually look pretty handsome with that sweater on," she teased jokingly. Thanos looked in the living room mirror. She wasn't necessarily lying; the sweater was snug, and his muscles and body shape were easy to see, even through the cotton. He swallowed, making his neck muscles jump.

"Don't worry, I don't expect you to get me anything in return," Layla was saying in the backdrop, her reflection in the mirror mouthing the words.

"That is just as well. I don't have any human money on me." He allowed himself a smile, and felt strangely satisfied when she laughed and smiled back.

Chapter Text

That night, to celebrate the surprising fact that the yellow sweater actually fit Thanos, Layla ordered a pizza. After Thanos informed her that he had never eaten pizza, she made sure to order pepperoni as well, joking that he looked like the kind of guy who liked meat. She wasn't wrong, actually; vegetables and sweets had never done it for Thanos. Fortunately, with his Titan physiology, eating with health in mind wasn't a concern.

When the doorbell rang, Thanos was warned to hide in the kitchen. It wouldn't do to scare off the delivery man, after all. Thanos complied, only because after all the raving Layla did about this pizza, he was honestly intrigued.

Sitting down at the wooden table, Thanos on one end, Layla on the other, the pizza's odor had already spread across the room.

"If the taste of this pizza is as pleasing to the sense as the aroma, it seems you will not have been overstating how good it is," Thanos remarked. Layla grinned at him, and opened the cardboard box. She removed two slices, and pushed the box towards Thanos.

"You can have the rest. I love pepperoni, but I'll be honest: if I eat too much, it'll go straight to my hips," she said, looking at the box longingly. Not knowing the culture, Thanos watched as Layla grabbed the pizza by the outer crust, and copied her.

The flavor was certainly expressive. It was hard to put it into words, exactly, but it was a potent combination. The sauce was sweet, but not overly so, and the cheese was salty, grounding it. The bread was plain, but the sauce and cheese made that a moot point, and besides, it kept the toppings from spattering on the plate. The pepperoni was spicy, but presumably not enough to make it uncomfortable.

The lighting wasn't great, as the lamp above the table was dimming. Layla commented that it would need to be replaced soon.

"I'm afraid when you tried to inform me earlier, I wasn't paying very much attention. I recall you mentioned your occupation involved teaching kids, but could you specify?" Thanos asked, trying to make small talk. That's what people did during meals, he was pretty sure.

"Oh? Sure, but why are you suddenly interested?" Layla asked after swallowing a string of cheese.

"Hmm. If I'll be living here for the near future, its best that I get to know you better. It would make for a very uncomfortable living environment otherwise." Thanos realized that his explanation sounded very unconvincing, but fortunately, Layla seemed to enjoy discussing her job.

"So, yeah, I've been working at Crosswoods for a few years now. The current semester is just starting, so I haven't memorized all my student's names yet," Layla continued, almost 15 minutes later. She finally stopped to bite into a slice of pizza, than gagged.

"Was that slice too spicy?" Thanks asked, bewildered at her sudden dislike of the pizza. Layla shook her head.

"No, it just got cold," she said, shrugging. Thanos decided it was best not to comment on that matter further, and got things back on track.

"Obviously, you have enthusiasm for your work as a teacher. I wouldn't have the patience for it myself." Thanos also didn't like children, but he felt adding that was unnecessary. Layla looked at him ruefully.

"I can tell, after the way you completely made fun of Kevin's paper," she admonished, arms crossed.

"I still don't believe it was well-written, but perhaps I was hasty to judge solely on that paper." There was no harm in giving an inch, Thanos decided. Layla visibly relaxed.

"Your family, tell me about them. You mentioned your parents before," Thanos prompted.

"My parents are really nice. They don't live too far from here, only a two-hour drive on car, so I can visit them occasionally when I have free time. They have a farm, so I guess some people would call them old-fashioned."

"I wasn't aware you owned a vehicle." Thanos knew that Layla's house didn't have a garage, and he hadn't seen any parked near the house.

"Oh, I guess I never mentioned it. I usually leave it at the school's parking lot. I always walk to the school, and the supermarket is a few blocks after that, so I almost never even need to use it! Hey, maybe I'll let you drive it." When Thanos didn't make a response, Layla paused.

"You can drive right? Do they have cars in space?" Thanos laughed.

"Yes, they do, but the majority of space vehicles don't use wheels. I think an Earth vehicle would be simple enough," Thanos replied, amused. It would probably take him minutes to learn, the control scheme seemed simplistic.

"My parents didn't want me to be a teacher, originally. They heard all the horror stories, I guess, and how it can be a stressful job. But I like kids, so I applied, and I passed. It was pretty close, though," Layla continued, her eyes distant in the sea of memories.

"You parents seem like much nicer people than mine," Thanos remarked, finishing the last slice of his own pizza, and leaning back, feeling content, more so than he had in a long period of time. When he looked at Layla, see was staring at him with pity in her eyes. Thanos felt a dull, almost habitual anger welling inside of him.

"I don't want or need your pity, human. It disgusts me," Thanos growled, wanting her to look away. Layla but her lower lip, and took her plate to the sink. Coming back to get his, she wouldn't make eye contact. As she reached for his plate, Thanos grabbed her wrist. Layla, gasped, but Thanos didn't make a move.

"That was petty of me. I apologize, my anger issues aren't always in check. I will wash my own dish," Thanos said gruffly, and before she could object, he moved past her. He had managed to wreck the mood with his temper.

The title Mad Titan is well deserved, I see.

Thanos sighed. No wonder he was always alone. Absently, he began scrubbing with more force than necessary. A slight piercing noise alerted him to the fact that he had snapped the dainty plate in two. Thanos growled with frustration. Could he do nothing right?

Layla stepped forward and put her hand on his arm. "So, I never got to ask you about your, um, telepathy. You mentioned it, and even used it, but I had more pressing thoughts at the time. Can all Titans use that ability?" Her tone was light, and Thanos realized that she was trying to distract him from his current issues. He gratefully took the bait.

"No, I am among the few with that particular skill. It is far more useful to me than almost any weapon." Layla looked a bit wistful.

"I wish I had a cool ability like that. It would be helpful in the classroom, if I suspected a student was cheating." That sounded like a mundane use for telepathy, but Thanos figured that for someone Earth-bound like Layla, there weren't many other uses.

Layla, who had started to wash the dishes herself, looked at Thanos expectantly. "Just don't use that ability to make me act weird or something, OK?" Thanos huffed, not sure why she would request that. He hadn't tampered with her mind at all.

"Why would I force you to act in an unbecoming manner? I already barely understand you humans," Thanos grumbled. Layla laughed, and the sound, for some odd reason, didn't bother the Titan at all.

Pepper almost couldn't contain her laughter when she saw a very tired bunch of grown men wearing ridiculous clothing enter the lobby of Avengers Tower.

"I take it things still haven't gone well," she managed, hiding the lower part of her face behind a clipboard. Hawkeye groaned, heading for the restroom. Tony, Steve, and Thor headed for the elevator, and Pepper followed, handing all three water bottles.

"Thank you," Steve said gratefully, Thor following his lead. Tony took a sip, before handing the bottle back to Pepper.

"It's frustrating. Fury has basically told us to find a needle in a haystack. We must have combed through over a hundred miles, and we have nothing to show for it." Pepper had only seen Tony look so defeated a few times.

"This ship crashed a few days ago, right? If this alien is hostile, it'll probably make its move soon. No pressure," Pepper teased Tony.

"Ooh, the lady has some barbs. I like it!" Thor said, boisterously. You almost wouldn't know from his tone that aliens could invade any day now. Thor wasn't one to worry about things like that, though.

"Anyway, I'm going to give Fury a piece of my mind," Tony said grimly. Pepper had a feeling she had better stay clear of the meeting room for a bit.

"I'd better come too." Steve exhaled after finishing his water. "I may have to step in if you guys start having a yelling match." Tony shrugged, and the two exited the elevator. Thor and Pepper stayed inside.

"It must take a lot of strength on your part to deal with Stark 24/7," Thor remarked. The elevator began to move higher, the elevator music playing something from Chopin. Pepper smiled at him.

"Yeah, you have no idea. It's a very demanding job. But…I wouldn't trade it for anything." It wasn't the most flattering job at times, but she was also very grateful to it. Without it, she never would have met Tony.

Takhan pinched the bridge above his nose. One of his lieutenants was listing all the problems found within their current flagship. These included one faulty cannon, a thruster that was slow to start, some rebellious crewmates, and other things that were too minor to give any serious thought.

"Enough," Takhan said, knowing his strong voice would carry through the hull of the ship, where the only other noise to be heard was the humming of the engines. The lieutenant shut his mouth, not wanting to be reprimanded, or worse, disciplined.

"Go on about your business," Takhan waved the lieutenant away, eager to be left alone to dwell on his thoughts. If he wasn't the new head of the Kree, Takhan would have been tempted to get up and leave, not looking back. But after the death (murder) of Ronan the Accuser, Takhan had been chosen, thanks to his grades at the royal academy.

Takhan's hands gripped the hand-rests harder as he remembered some of the events that had occurred. The Kree had been in an alliance with a Titan named Thanos, who had promised them many things. It turned out those were sweet nothings; Ronan had been killed, and Thanos did nothing to aid their Kree leader!

The bastard had then deemed the Kree worthless, and had moved on to the Kree's mortal enemies – The Skrull! The Kree, of course, had not taken this lying down, and they had sent a fleet to destroy Thanos and the Skrull.

Their fleet had been wiped out, along with Ronan's replacement. Afterwards, the Kree went into hiding for a few years, licking their wounds. Takhan had been chosen during that time to lead his people into battle. After years of building their strength, the time was now. Word had spread among the stars that Thanos had engaged the Nova Corps in battle, and had lost.

Takhan grinned, running his hand over his face, a habit he had nurtured as a child. He knew that if he looked in a mirror, he would see his fingers tracing over the black lines that were customary for Kree leaders.

Thanos was most likely injured. This would make the Titan easy pickings; Takhan wanted nothing more than to squeeze the life from his purple throat. Takhan briefly wondered what would happen if a purple-skinned freak lacked oxygen.

What color will your skin be then, Titan? I look forward to finding out for myself. Takhan licked his lips. Another lieutenant walked towards the captain, but hesitated. Takhan glared at the meek member of his crew.

"Sir, we are approaching the area where the Titan's ship was reportedly shot down." Takhan let himself feel a bit of pleasure. He would avenge his people, and murder a madman. It would be oh-so productive.

Chapter Text

Thanos stared down at Ronan, who was doing his best to look intimidating. The Kree warlord had just killed The Other, which Thanos supposed was meant to be an act of aggression. His daughter Nebula looked on, amused with the situation.

Thanos was not pleased. Instead of going after the Infinity Gem himself, he had sent Gamora, who had ended up being arrested. Thanos was mildly attached to Gamora, so this was upsetting. The silence was probably starting to get on Ronan's nerves, which was perfect; let the fool wallow in his fear.

Ronan tried to offer up some excuse for his miserable failure, but Thanos refused to acknowledge it. He calmly informed Ronan that he expected the Kree to deliver him the Infinity Gem, or his "Blood would be spread across the stars". He also ordered Nebula to keep an eye on the Kree; Ronan wasn't very dependable on his own, which had already been established.

Scowling, Ronan left, Nebula trotting behind him. Thanos grinned at their retreating backs. In the long run, it wouldn't matter if Ronan failed or not; Thanos would probably still kill him.

The buzzer rang, signaling the end of the class for the day. Takhan exhaled in relief as he packed up his holographic discs, stuffing them in his school-bag. The political classes were all well and good, but they could start to drag as the day went on. He just wanted to go home to his mother, and have her delicious food.

As he walked down the hallway that led to the transportation units, he spied a few of his classmates crowding around a large three-dimensional holographic unit. Curious, he edged closer, wanting to see what the fuss was about. A pretty young news reporter was on the projection, yellow lipstick standing out surrounded by her blue skin.

"The Skrull forces were pushed back today by the Kree militia, after a ten-hour standstill. However, the retreat was punctuated by the destruction of many of the Skrull fleets." As the lady went on, many of the classmates began cheering, some of them throwing their hats in the air. Takhan grinned, thinking of how cool the army was! He planned to join them once he became of age, which was why he toiled away in the political course.

"We give our thanks to Lord Thanos, who's funding and power made this victory possible," the lady on the projector continued, beaming like the sun. Takhan's grin faded a bit. One of his boisterous classmates elbowed him.

"Takhan, why are you looking so downcast? We beat the Skrulls again!" The young Kree was practically bouncing on his feet, quickly stopping when a teacher walked past. Takhan shrugged his broad shoulders.

"No, don't get me wrong. I'm glad we won, but... this Thanos guy is someone I don't like." The classmate gave him a weird look. Takhan sharply realized that he didn't even know this Kree's name.

"But why not? He looks creepy, but ever since he arrived all those years ago, we've prospered, have we not?" Thanos had arrived years ago, before Takhan was even born, and had taken over the Kree Empire, even if some people didn't want to admit it. At least, that was how Takhan felt.

"I get a bad vibe from him, I guess," Takhan muttered, knowing that was a weird reason to hate someone; it wasn't logical at all. The nameless Kree laughed.

"You do realize that if you graduate, and join the army, you'll probably have to take orders from Thanos eventually, right?" Takhan knew he was right, but that didn't meant the experience would have to be enjoyable!

The course that Takhan was taking was so that he could join the Kree's army after he graduated in a few years. However, if one's grades weren't high enough, they would have to take on other, less important jobs. In Takhan's opinion, any man who couldn't make the army was a failure.

Another requirement was that one needed to be physically fit. Luckily, Takhan came from a strong family; even though he hated his father for abandoning his own wife, Takhan had to admit that he was grateful for the genes. His body was already very muscular, considering he was still in the forming years. Females were already propositioning him.

Arriving home after taking one of the transportation units (which didn't cost that much, thankfully), Takhan took off his boots, as was the custom.

"Takhan, is that you?" his mother's hoarse voice called from a room upstairs.

"Yeah, mom. Sorry I'm a bit late, but I was talking with a…friend," Takhan called back, rummaging in the cooling unit for a quick snack. Unfortunately, the fridge was mostly empty, as usual. They weren't the wealthiest family around. Takhan once again thanked whichever god was listening that his political class was free. The Kree encouraged people to join the army, so it made sense.

Takhan's mother came down the stairs, holding a bundle of Takhan's clothing, no doubt taking it to the laundry.

"Mom, I can wash my own clothing!" Takhan exclaimed, embarrassed. She patted his head, something she knew flustered him.

"I enjoy doing it, honest. And you always take so long, honey," she badgered good naturedly, before heading to the washing machines in the basement. Takhan was glad to have her around, because he didn't think he'd be able to take care of the house as much as she did. He spent most of his free time studying, anyway.

He briefly heard a cough resound from the basement. Takhan's mother had been feeling ill lately, but had refused to go to the doctor, insisting that it was a minor bug. Takhan hoped so; he hated to see any harm befall a fellow Kree, let alone his mom.

Thanos was mentally considering the best way to kill Ronan. The treacherous scum was on the holographic projector, making his intention to turn on Thanos clear. The screen turned dark, giving Thanos ample time to imagine blasting Ronan to smithereens. Let Ronan come; Thanos would enjoy killing the accuser himself.

Unfortunately, that wouldn't be possible. A brief time-period later, Thanos was informed by his sources that Ronan had been killed against a ragtag team of galactic heroes. Thanos had a good laugh! Ronan was such a weakling that he had been vanquished by a team of misfits!

Shortly after, he had gotten a call from yet another Kree, presumably the next in command.

"Thanos, we have been informed that Ronan the Accuser has been killed in action. I, Thoruth, was his understudy. I will now be the one to communicate with you." He seemed so eager to please.

"Unfortunately, I will not be requiring your services any longer," Thanos said, resting back on his throne casually. The Kree sputtered, not expecting a rebuttal.

"But sir, our alliance-"

"Has been severed, as of now. I'm afraid that you Kree have performed under even my expectations. I will need to find a more dependable source of aid," and then he shut down the communication channel, not wanting to hear any more sniveling.

Still, having allies would be helpful. The tricky part was finding someone who was actually helpful. Still, Thanos certainly had time to contemplate. A few moments later, the Mad Titan grinned. It was a good thing he was alone, as anyone present may have dashed off in fear.

Thanos had thought of a group that was perfect: the Skrulls. Not only would their shape-shifting abilities be useful in espionage, they and the Kree hated each other with a passion. Leaving the Kree for the Skrulls – it would be like rubbing salt in a wound. Thanos laughed, echoing in the empty space around him.

Grabbing his holographic unit, Thanos sent a message signal to the Skrull homeworld. A few moments later, and one of the green aliens appeared on the projector, looking bored.

"You have reached the Skrull Empire, how may we-"the Skrull cut off with a rather ugly gasping noise. Obviously, he recognized Thanos. That was good; it would have been insulting if he hadn't.

"Skip the formalities. I wish to speak with your leader, immediately." Thanos wasn't here to waste time. The idiot Skrull fumbled with something just off-screen for a moment, before giving a rushed and panicked, "Right away!"

Just as Thanos was beginning to tire of waiting, the screen emitted static, before clearing up to show a much larger Skrull than the previous one. Unlike the previous one, he wasn't shaking, which caused Thanos to smirk. This was someone he could work with.

"Speak your business, Thanos. We don't deal kindly with people who ally themselves with the Kree," the being called Kl'rt growled. Most people knew him better as Super-Skrull, and for good reason; if Ronan was the strongest of the Kree, Super-Skrull was his equivalent, a warrior among green weaklings. One day, Thanos planned to test Super-Skrull's famed might, but today was not that day.

"I'm afraid your info is outdated. I am no longer allied with the Kree; they have betrayed me in a most horrific way. I should have never trusted those snakes. Indeed, the ones I should have gone to in the first place were you, the honorable Skrulls." Thanos did his best to make his voice sound even slightly pathetic. Super-Skrull's face looked slightly sympathetic.

"Yes, the Kree's wretchedness is well known to us. But why should we partner with you? Your power is also well known on our homeworld." Thanos knew that the best way to get someone to do what you want was to offer something they couldn't refuse.

"If you agree to work with me, I will help you eradicate the Kree Empire. Furthermore, I would help you conquer the Nova Corps, and I would hand over the Tesseract." Of course, he only planned to keep the first two promises; giving away the Tesseract would be foolish.

"I will consult with our elders. I will inform you of our decision afterwards," and with that, the screen went dark, signaling the end of the conversation. Thanos sat back down, not worried in the least. The Skrull would say yes, of that there was no question.

Takhan had been home studying when the news broke. The newscaster on the holovid suddenly seemed anxious, so Takhan raised the volume, so that he could listen while he studied.

"This just in…not completely verified yet, but it seems the Kree fleet has been shot upon and is under attack. I will report the news as it comes in!" She sounded scared, and the emotion was hard to avoid. Takhan felt himself grow cold. Was this an act of terrorism? Was it the Skrulls? But they had been sent running back home not too long ago!

Takhan's mother walked in the room, her hands still wet from doing handling the laundry.

"I heard from downstairs. This is terrible. I hope everyone is OK," she wringed her hands in distress. Takhan's mother worked as a nurse part-time, and she had seen enough results of violence in her lifetime to have grown sick of it.

"Don't worry, mom. It could be a false alarm. It's happened before." He had to stay brave for his mother. He moved to flick off the holographic image, but the screen flashed with an update signal.

"It is the Skrulls attacking the fleet. We have a visual, sending to the screens!"

The projector played an image, showing the Kree's fleet battling against the Skrull's fleet. The Kree ships could be identified by their Grey coloring; the Skrull ships were covered in black. Both sides were firing missiles at each other, but for some reason, none of the Kree missiles seemed to be hitting the Skrull ships.

The black sky lit up, as many of the Kree ships exploded. Takhan's mother turned away, not wanting to see the carnage. Takhan couldn't blame her; debris and bodies could be seen floating around, almost as if they were swimming in water.

The news reporter, frantic, was alternately trying to report the news, and letting out exclamations of disbelief. The camera also didn't seem to know where to look; it zoomed in and out at different angles, trying to capture the action and destruction all at once.

On the screen, Takhan noticed a small smudge on top of the lead Skrull ship. Before he could point it out to his mother, the news reporter saved him some time.

"Viewers, it appears someone has climbed on top of the Skrull flagship. We are attempting to zoom in on it now!" A few moments later, as the camera presumably used all of its magnifying power, the dot on the ship became clear. Takhan inhaled sharply.

The person on the ship was Thanos, who had recently broken his alliance with the Kree. What was the Titan doing with the Skrulls?

The News reporter basically mirrored Takhan's thoughts, but her voice was drowned out when Thanos raised a fist, and fired an energy blast. What happened next was something Takhan knew he would never forget.

The entire Kree armada was disintegrated! Almost nothing solid remained, aside from the ashes. Smiling, Thanos turned to head inside the Skrull ship, but glanced back – looking straight at Takhan. Takhan's heart stopped beating, until he realized that it was more likely that Thanos had spotted the camera. But even that should be impossible; Takhan figured the camera would be miles and miles away. Thanos pointed at Takhan, and the screen became overrun with static.

Takhan felt his mother sit down beside him, her body trembling. Takhan wanted to comfort her, but he knew that his body was in a similar state. He felt so cold…but that couldn't be! Amazingly, despite the dark feelings inside the house, the sun was shining outside, the rays streaming in through the windows.

He was scared, scared for his planet, scared for his mother, and scared for his own life. Fear was an emotion that made one think. And Takhan knew he had to stop the Skrulls – no matter the cost!

For Takhan, that day marked the end of his old life. A few days later, his mother collapsed and died. A few more days later, and his school was burned to the ground. These two events caused uproar in the army, who asked for new recruits.

Takhan didn't hesitate to sign up. He wanted to be there when they caught and executed Thanos.

Chapter Text

Thanos moved the scanner over Layla's body again. He still couldn't figure out a way to remove the Tesseract, which irked him. He felt he should have already figured out how to extract it, but the solution was stubbornly out of his grasp.

"Have you felt anything odd, recently?" Thanos probed. Layla shook her head.

"No, not at all. At first, I was nervous when you told me that the cube was inside me, but not anymore. Honestly, I forget it's inside me half the time. I don't think it'd be so bad if you couldn't remove," she replied. She was saying that for his sake, he could tell. Her pity always got him on edge, which was the opposite of her intentions.

With a sigh, Thanos flicked the switch, turning off the machine. Layla patted down the wrinkles of her dress after getting up. Her students would laugh at her if she went to class looking like she had been playing a sport, she informed Thanos.

"Well, you know the drill. I'll be home no later than seven." Oh, he knew all right. It had already been a few weeks since she had graciously let him stay at her house, so he was used to her arrangements. The only times she arrived home late was if she had gone shopping, or had stayed after class for the sake of a child.

Thanos smirked when he remembered the unfortunate discovery on they had made the day after Layla purchased his clothing: while the shirts and sweaters Layla had purchased fit just fine, the jeans she got did not, forcing Thanos to stick with his purple ones for now. Layla claimed they clashed with all of his upper-body clothing, but he didn't know (or care) of such things.

A few hours after Laya had left, and Thanos was getting restless. The house was very quiet and still when Layla was absent, and his patience only extended so far. It was time to stretch his legs.

The bell rang, which caused the kids to shoot up like fireworks. Yelling their farewells for the day, the kids all scrambled out of the room, to go play with friends or watch after-school cartoons. Layla didn't blame them; Wednesday was smack-dab in the middle of the week, and the kids would start to get jittery for the weekend.

Gathering her book-bag, she closed the door behind her as she left the class, trying not to make too much noise. The last thing she wanted was for Mr. Haynes to scold her for letting the kids run in the halls, or something. Luckily, she managed to escape the school with no principal incident.

Maybe he was on the phone. More likely, he was having "discussions" with another teacher, she thought ruefully.

The weather wasn't so bad, considering it was autumn. The sun was still up, at the very least, so the walk home wouldn't be too frigid.

Walking down the front stairs of the school, Layla almost tripped and fell when she saw a familiar, purple figure waiting near the school gate. Briskly jogging towards Thanos, she couldn't help but let out a confused, "What the heck are you doing? I thought you didn't want people to see you?"

"Ah, I was anticipating that question, although I didn't think it would be so upfront," Thanos began, leaning on the metal gate, which would probably stain the orange sweater he was wearing. "It's a simple trick to alter passerby's perception of me, using my telepathy. Most people will only see an average, unassuming human male." His tone was almost proud. Layla supposed he liked showing off.

"You can do that? Wow. But I can still see it's you." Thanos crossed his arms.

"I'm not altering your perception, of course. How else would you have known that was me?" Layla decided that was a dumb question, but then her mind got back on track.

"That doesn't answer my first question. Why come outside at all?" Thanos hummed, looking in the air.

"I suppose I just needed to stretch my legs. Also, memorizing the terrain around here was something I had to get around to eventually. When I realized that it was almost time for your school to be let out for the day, I thought it might be a good idea to wait for you. It might be safer for you if I was present."

Layla felt like informing him that she had walked alone for years, even after dark, and had always been just fine, but it was a nice gesture from him (was he trying to be friendly?), so she would just let it go. Before she could say anything, though, she heard an unfortunately familiar voice calling her to her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Miss Dunham, I'm glad I caught up to you," Mr. Haynes huffed, apparently having run out of school (hypocritical, Layla though) to catch her. Layla turned to him, doing her best to smile a real smile at him. She was coming up short, though.

"I just wanted to remind you that the parents-teacher meetings are coming up, and I wanted to make sure that you made yourself presentable. You wouldn't want you to embarrass the school and the students, right?"

He only then seemed to notice Thanos. Layla tensed up, almost ready for Haynes to scream in fear. Instead, the principal rolled his eyes.

"And here I thought Miss Dunham was single. Are you some new boyfriend?" Turning back to Layla, Haynes gave her a disappointed look. "If you're having some illicit relationship, I want to know about it. You wouldn't want me to reconsider keeping you at this school, would you?" As he stepped into Layla's personal space, Mr. Haynes got lifted into the air. Thanos had grabbed the man by the collar of his fancy suit. Layla was shocked; what was Thanos thinking?

"I would suggest you watch your tone. Or would you rather I crush you right now, insect?" Mr. Haynes was starting to gasp for breath, so Thanos dropped the pathetic creature on the ground, where he scrambled backwards, staring in fear at what he saw as a seemingly meek guy.

"And I suggest you don't tell anyone about this encounter, or I will find you, and do things that will make you long for Death's cold embrace," Thanos growled. The man wisely nodded his head, before getting up and running away.

Thanos looked on with satisfaction. Still, part of him wanted to kill the human anyway, but all his work with Layla would go down the drain, and there could be witnesses. Layla looked at him in shock, her eyebrows scrunched together.

"You shouldn't have done that! He's a jerk, but you may have gone too far." Thanos knew she didn't care for his methods, practical as they were.

"Come now, Layla. I'm sure you must have enjoyed some part of it," Thanos said, looking her in the eyes. Layla looked away, but grinned self-consciously, smoothing her hair.

"OK, maybe the guy had it coming…but let's try to keep a low-profile. I want to keep my job!" Surprising him, she linked a slender arm with his much larger one.

"But thanks. I mean it. You're not the kind of guy I would have expected it from," she said softly. Thanos almost said something, quickly coughed to hide his stumble, and let out, "He made it easy. I dislike worms like him," deciding he didn't at all mind the feeling of having her close to him.

What am I thinking? Such a foolish thought! I like her company because I have been alone for a period of time, not because of physical want.

To distract himself, Thanos asked Layla, "This may have been prudent of me to ask beforehand, but who exactly is that man to you?"

"My boss, basically," Layla said dismissively, but Thanos wouldn't be waved off.

"Your boss speaks to you in such a manner?" Thanks asked angrily. "What cause does he have to do so?"

"It's a long story, but to make it short, he propositioned me. I gave him a negative answer, and ever since, he's been on my case. I think he's hoping to wear me down, so that I'll say yes next time he asks. Or he's just really bitter, and wants any excuse to fire me. I don't know."

Thanos gazed at her, an unknown emotion spreading through him. He wanted to go back and kill this Haynes immediately.

"I have heard enough. He has no right to hound you," Thanos snapped. "I will go back and deal with him!" Layla stopped.

"No, don't you dare! I don't like the guy, but I don't want him dead either! He might have a family of his own!" Thanos wanted to shake her off and hunt down the fool, but that would chase away Layla, and the thought of being alone, this time without Death, was surprisingly frightening.

"Very well," Thanos relented. "But if that man bothers you again, I will not be accountable for my actions." Layla nodded.

"Fair enough," she murmured, hoping that Thanos wouldn't find out about any future incidents. Her arm slightly tightened around his, not going above his notice.

"Did his accusation bother you?" he asked, regarding the assumption that they were a couple. Layla laughed.

"Actually, I was worried you'd be annoyed by that." Thanos grunted.

"He can believe whatever he wishes. It doesn't matter to me." Secretly, he wondered why he was so okay with it.

When they arrived home, there was a package at the door. Layla grabbed it excitedly, having a strong hunch what was inside.

Opening the brown box was difficult. The sender had wrapped a ton of tape around the box, but Layla was too proud to ask Thanos for help. Finally, with help from a knife, she yanked it open, pulling out her prize; a TV remote. Seeing the questioning look Thanos gave her, Layla handed it to him.

"My TV remote broke a few weeks back, so I had to order a new one off Amazon. It was a pain waiting for it." Thanos handed the device back to her, seemingly disinterested now.

"After a long day at school, there is nothing better than putting your feet up and watching a good movie. Care to join me? I hear there's a good action film on tonight!" She was hoping he'd say yes; it had been a long time since she had seen a good film with company.

Thanos looked like he was about to answer in a certain manner, then changed his mind. "I'll have to decline. I plan to keep studying the Tesseract's mysterious behavior, and I have some more work to do on my ship."

It all sounded like excuses to Layla, but she shrugged, taking off her red scarf. Thank goodness the heater in the house was strong. As she lay on the couch and flicked on the television, she wondered about Thanos. Part of the time, he seemed to be trying to get closer, and then he would suddenly pull away, as if he was scared to get too close.

Late that night, Thanos sat up in his too-small bed, wondering what had awoken him. Thinking hard, back to his dream –

Oh.

He had one of his dreams, the ones he shared with Death, only Death wasn't in this one. Layla had been in it for some odd reason. Thanos crumpled his hand into a fist, ripping part of the bedsheet.

Was he becoming attracted to her? No, that was foolishness. But the dream…

This attraction, if that is what this is, is dangerous. I have stayed long enough. I will fix my ship as soon as possible get back the Tesseract, and leave. It will be better for both of us that way.

Chapter Text

Layla wasn't sure what had happened. The atmosphere around her and Thanos had changed to chilly degrees. He had seemingly been avoiding her all Thursday night, and Friday morning. She usually woke up before him on weekdays, but on Friday, he was already tinkering in her basement before she even had breakfast ready. When she asked him what he would like, he just grunted.

She tried to start a conversation with him more than a few times before she had to leave for the final school day of the week. He was pretty unresponsive, so she was forced to leave the house in defeat.

Still, it wasn't all bad that day; after the incident with Thanos, Mr. Haynes hadn't bothered her at all, only speaking to her when she had a telephone call or something. Even then, he usually avoided eye contact. She actually felt a bit guilty about that, but she would look weak if she tried to apologize.

Class was a bit difficult when Layla realized that she was having trouble concentrating. She was too busy wondering what she had done to upset her purple housemate.

I don't remember anything in particular. Was it because I told him not to kill Haynes? He couldn't have hated Haynes that much, could he? I hope not, because that isn't an issue I'm willing to bend on.

"Teacher? Are you OK?" Layla's head jolted up from where it had been resting on her arms when one of her female students piped up. All the kids were staring at her, some of them trying to hide giggles. Well, she supposed she did look silly.

"Sorry, my head must have flown to the clouds for a few seconds," Layla said, glad to see the kids light up again. It wouldn't do to daydream in class, especially since a few of the kids still had to learn to separate "their" from "they're". Teaching the children was a hard job, but someone had to do it.

Thank goodness Mr. Haynes has been off my back lately, or I would have been in hot water with him for my performance today, Layla thought to herself as the kids began to line up to hand her their papers. When I get home, I should just ask Thanos what I did. No, he'd probably lie to me. I'll just have to make it up to him. Being with someone who doesn't speak to you is the same as being alone…

When one of her students got upset, talking it out with them and letting them vent usually helped. With Thanos, she wasn't so naïve as to think that would work. Unlike the children, he wasn't very vocal about what he was feeling. In that respect, he was pretty similar to most human men…

Before heading home, she made a quick detour at the supermarket. Jogging inside, she was blasted by the cool air of an air conditioner. Wondering why the heck a store would blast the AC in the autumn, Layla rushed towards the baking section.

Thanos was on the couch in the living room, thumbing through some reading material he had borrowed from Layla's bookshelf. It was biographical book about, of course, a famous literary writer. Thanos didn't care to learn more about any humans, but it was one of the few books in the house that held any interest for him. Looking up at the clock, he noticed that Layla was a bit late.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard the keys rattle at the front door, before a gust of wind rushed in, followed by a familiar, bundled up female. She was holding a plastic bag in one hand. Closing the door behind her with one foot, Layla lowered her scarf.

"Man, it's getting colder, and it's not even October yet!" She laughed, taking off her green hat to hang on the wooden appliance near the door. Rubbing her arms up and down, she looked at Thanos. "You don't even look cold at all. How do you do it?"

Thanos put down his book, almost grateful for a break from it. "Layla, I can survive in the cold of space. A bit of Earth weather hardly means anything to me." Layla smiled and rolled her eyes, a response he didn't expect.

"You know, that kind of makes me jealous. But at least I got you to actually say more than two words," Layla commented victoriously. Thanos shook his head, and went back to reading. Mentally, he wasn't so calm.

Try as I might to drive her away, it seems all too easy for her to reel me back in. Does she not realize that attachment could be hazardous for her?

Thanos felt a strange sensation in his chest, an unfamiliar one, and he didn't like it. But it seemed to get worse when he tried to ignore the cheerful woman.

Layla headed to the kitchen, putting the plastic bag inside one of the upper cabinets. She wasn't tall enough, so she had to kneel on the counter just to reach. Thanos caught himself watching her.

"What is in the bag?" he inquired, to get any other thoughts out of his now treacherous brain. Sliding off the smooth counter, she waved a finger at him.

"Nope, not telling. It's a surprise for tomorrow." If she thought that she could goad Thanos into continuously badgering for more info, she was mistaken. He grabbed his book, and headed to his room, not in the mood to work in his lab.

The next morning, the first thing Thanos noticed as he awoke was that the usual breakfast aroma was different, but he couldn't quite place why. Getting up from his bed, which was constantly rubbing in the fact that he never got around to making it larger, he heard the patter of footsteps approaching his door.

Before he could gather his bearings, Layla rushed in, wearing a white cloth over her normal attire. She was holding a spatula in one hand, the end of it drenched in a black-coating.

"Hey, Thanos, I – Oh my god!" The last part was shrieked as she hurriedly turned around and closed the door behind her. Thanos sat back down on the edge of the bed, wondering what could have bewitched her, before remembering that he was stark naked.

Oh yes, human "deceny". I forgot many of them were shy around nudity. I will have to keep that in mind.

With that said, he could feel his own face mildly heating up. Being naked around people had never even mattered to him before, and yet here he was, feeling flustered. What had she done to him?

From behind the closed door, Layla had been apologizing non-stop for what felt like whole minutes, and swearing that she hadn't seen anything, before telling him, "When you're dressed, come downstairs, OK? I have a surprise for you!"

Pulling on a yellow sweater over his head, Thanos hoped it was a good one; he detested surprises.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Layla was putting the finishing touches, trying to stop blushing. How stupid could she be?

I should have knocked first. That's one of the first thing every parent teaches you! Luckily, I didn't see anything…or at least, I don't think I did. But his body…

Wow, he was buff. More so than any body-builder she had ever seen. No wonder he was so strong. He looked like he could kill her by hugging her.

Layla clapped her hands over both her cheeks. Her mind was going to some dirty places, and she had to stop this. He was a guest and maybe (hopefully) a friend. She couldn't wreck that.

She felt herself blushing again when she heard Thanos enter the kitchen, now fully dressed. He didn't say anything, so she didn't either, for fear of accidentally causing things to get even more tense.

He peered over her shoulder at what she was doing, which was putting a frying pan on the stove. She knew he must have noticed the pancake batter was darker than usual. She decided to save him the trouble of asking.

"Have you ever tried chocolate pancakes?" she asked. Thanks took one last look, before sitting down at his usual seat, stretching.

"Hmm. No. As a matter of fact, I have never indulged in chocolate. Ah, that must be what you purchased last night." She studied his face, but he didn't seem to be teasing. Then again, she was never good at reading him. She absently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Then you are in for a treat. Many people would say chocolate is some of the best food there is, if you asked around. My mom used to make these for me on special occasions, but this will be my first time making some." She grew nostalgic, remembering how her mom made a whole plateful when she graduated from elementary school.

"What occasion is this, then?" Layla was glad he asked.

Sitting down as the table next to him, she replied, "It's been a week since you crashed into my very boring life, and made it a lot more bearable." She began to self-consciously play with her hair, twirling it around her fingers.

"I've been worried that maybe I hadn't been showing my appreciation, or that I'd been unintentionally rude to you. So…thank you. Thank you for making my life that much more interesting. I'm not sure when you have to leave, but I want the rest of your time here to be fun. I want you to leave with good memories, I guess." She was blushing now, she knew it, but she forced herself to look into his eyes, so that he would know she meant it. She only hoped his response wasn't too harsh.

Thanos wasn't sure how to respond to her heartfelt statement. She had taken his earlier silence the wrong way, assuming that he had been offended in some way. He would have to set that straight.

"Let me make this clear: if you feel that you have somehow caused me any inconvenience, that isn't true in the slightest," Thanos began. "It had nothing to do with the way you have treated me, which I might add, was almost too kind, considering who I am."

"Then why..?" Layla started, confused.

"I'd rather not say," Thanos quickly interjected, not wanting to bring up the fact that he was starting to suspect that he harbored less than innocent feelings for her. But he wasn't convinced; it was possible that it was a reaction to being with someone after years of being in solitude, or the fact that she was the first person to be show him kindness.

"I honestly don't even understand why you would miss me if I left. I've done terrible things in my time; I even tried to kill you! Why would you want me to stay?" Thanos crossed his arms, waiting for her reply.

"Because I don't want to be alone anymore. The last few years have been some of the loneliest in my life. I honestly value your friendship. If you left, I certainly wouldn't be happy," Layla responded quietly, her eyes begging him for…something. It was a look that he wouldn't be surprised to discover resided in his own eyes.

He held her gaze, until his senses picked up the fact that something was burning. Layla noticed too, eyes widening as she got up and dashed to the stove, turning one of the dials.

"Oh no," she moaned, looking down at the pan. Thanos didn't need to look to tell that it had cooked for longer than intended.

"Sorry, I forgot to set an alarm," Layla said, mock slapping herself on the forehead. "Looks like my first time cooking chocolate pancakes is a bust, huh?" She laughed at herself, but it was all too easy to see it was a front.

"Oh well, don't worry, I'll make something else, just as – huh?" Thanos cut her off by taking the pan from her, and dumping the black contents on his plate. Jamming a fork in the substance, he put it in his mouth and swallowed.

"Wait, what are you doing? That's burned. It's not healthy!" Layla warned, her maternal instincts kicking in.

"Hmph. I'll be fine. I doubt eating this will get me sick. And eat it, I will." Eating this would be his penance, he decided. Perhaps he had been too hasty when he had decided to leave, avoiding all contact with Layla. Would the vast emptiness of space be preferable to this?

No, Thanos realized. It wouldn't.

Layla watched as he forced the whole thing down. There was no way that tasted good, confirmed when he winced after eating the last bite. He huffed, lying back in his chair, before quickly thinking better of it and standing up.

"Thank you for the meal. I hope that can make up for the horrible way I have been treating you." He seemed to be forcing the words out; he obviously wasn't the kind of guy who said words like that often. Layla shook her head.

"No, no. I was never mad. I thought you were upset with me the whole time!" and she laughed, because the whole situation was absurd. A few moments later, Thanos joined in. It was the first time he had laughed, not a bitter or creepy laugh, but a seemingly genuine laugh.

Thanos sobered up, coughing into a fist. "I don't know what you do to me sometimes," he admitted, his bass voice slightly deeper than usual, out of embarrassment.

"So…still friends?" Layla asked, holding her hand out. Thanos reached out, hesitated for a moment, and grabbed hers.

"Yes, that would be fine. I accept your companionship." They shook on it.

That night, they finally watched a movie together, some lame comedy film. Thanos watched the whole thing with a bewildered look on his face. Layla giggled as she stared at him, hands wrapped around her legs, not even bothering to listen to the film. He actually looked cute when he was confused.

"Not a single action in this…movie has made any sense," he complained at one point.

"Trust me, that's how comedy films work." Layla wasn't a fan of slapstick humor herself, but it was worth it to see the alien's reactions.

Truth be told, she had been disappointed when he had responded positively to her "friends" comment. She was starting to wonder if she wanted more than that, or if she was miss-placing her feelings of friendship.

"I'll bite: what does this one do?" Captain America was referring to the latest armor that Stark was currently building. Stark pulled up the mask that protected his face from the heat.

"This, my friend, is the strongest armor yet, designed to face off against any alien opponent. When we find this guy (if we find him), no matter how strong he is, this armor will be able to handle it! Even if it turns out to be Thanos himself, I'll have a trick up my metallic sleeve".

Captain America looked impressed, and a bit skeptical. Tony couldn't blame him; he tended to exaggerate juuuust a bit when it came to his inventions.

Putting an arm around Steve's shoulder, Stark led him out of the lab. "We should go have some shawarma and relax a bit. When I get back, I'll put the finishing touches on my new baby," he said excitedly, leaving his latest creation on a metal table, shining in the light-bulb filled room.

Chapter Text

Waking early on a Saturday was never something Layla tried doing on purpose. What was the point? Saturday was one of only two days in the week where she could sleep in, and taking advantage of that was something she took pleasure in. But today, she had things to think about, and it would be easier if she did her pondering outside, where she wouldn't have to be worried about Thanos scanning her mind.

Putting on her warm black coat (her father had once joked the dark color would make her easy to see in a snowstorm), gloves, and hat as quietly as she could, Layla wrapped the scarf around her neck (the final touch), and tip-toed down the stairs. It was a good effort, but the stairs creaked anyway. She was tempted to pause, but she knew that was the worst thing she could do; better to get the noise over with, so she hurried down the stairs, skipping every-other step.

Entering the living room, she saw Thanos reading on the couch. He glanced up at her questioningly.

"You woke up before me? Really?" Layla was honestly surprised; Thanos usually stayed up late doing science-related things in his lab, which resulted in him getting up later than her.

Thanos ignored her question, and nodded pointedly at her attire. "Going out? Isn't this a weekend? I recall you mentioning that school was closed during this time." She kinda wished he'd go back to reading the book.

"I was just going to go for a walk. The air is at its freshest in the morning, good for thinking and clearing the mind." She didn't see any reason to lie about that, even though she wasn't sure if he'd understand that. He didn't look like the kind of guy who had ever needed to clear his head.

"The weather is rather frigid for a simple trek. Those must be some heavy thoughts on your mind," Thanos commented lightly, and for a moment, Layla was worried that he was reading her mind right now. One of these days, she would have to speak to him about personal boundaries.

Deciding it was time to go, Layla shoved her feet in thick boots before opened the front door, hesitating when a gust of chilling wind blasted against her face. Glancing back, she saw Thanos had gone back to his reading, all snug. Being an alien had some very good perks, obviously, such as having thick skin.

Steeling her resolve, she inhaled, and put one foot out the door. Feeling braver, she put her other foot in front, took a few more steps, and let the door shut behind her. Normally, the sound would have been louder, but the wind had drowned everything else out.

At least it isn't snowing. The snow can get real thick around here, Layla thought to herself, putting her scarf over her mouth.

Walking aimlessly forward, Layla got lost in her thoughts. Most people would be indoors right about now, so she wasn't too worried about running into other people, despite the fact that her neighbors had finally returned. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to speak with them yet; Thanos made that difficult.

Thanos. He was the whole reason she was out here, and not just because his telepathy made her wary, but because her thoughts were about him. She had been happy when he had crashed down, happy to let him stay at her house for awhile, and happy that she had someone to talk to. Despite a rocky start, she truly was happy.

But those feelings of happiness seemed to be morphing into something else. Sometimes, they would be talking, and she would be content to listen to his deep voice. More than a few times, she would catch herself stealing quick glances at him.

Of course, I like him. Anyone who helped add some spice to this boring place would be a winner in my book. But would I feel this way about anyone else who had arrived? She wasn't so sure. She was also concerned that Thanos had "heard" her thoughts, and considered her foolish. Did he have those kind of emotions? Did his species look down on things like that?

There were so many questions and thoughts to sort out. She could ask him – but no, that would be too embarrassing. What if he laughed? Just the thought made her clench her fists in anxiety. She sighed, a puff of visible air flying up towards the sky and vanishing.

Looking up, she saw that she had arrived at the local supermarket (AKA, the only supermarket in the whole town). The name, Bob's Local Produce, wasn't very catchy, but when this was the place everyone came for their food, it wasn't a name you forgot. She didn't enter (Layla hadn't thought to bring any money), but the place brought back pleasant, if uneventful, memories.

The automatic doors slid open for Layla and her shopping cart, moving aside as if they were royalty. Hah, she wished! No, she was just here to get herself some vegetables and soup. Maybe some dessert could be squeezed in, but she didn't want to gain weight. One of her kids had once claimed, "Teacher, you got bigger!" That had been enough to cause Layla to abandon sweets for months.

Walking down the well-lit aisles to the health section, Layla wished for a moment that she had someone else to eat with. Instead of buying two cans of soup, she could buy four – at least. Instead of buying a few tomatoes, she could get a basket-full! Spending the extra money wouldn't be so bad.

After filling half her cart, Layla rolled it to the nearest check-out line, trying to ignore the squeak one of the cart's wheels made. One of her neighbors, a gabby lady named Clementine, was the customer in front of her, unfortunately. Layla plastered a friendly smile on her face as Clementine turned towards her.

"Oh, hello dear. I didn't expect to see you here today. How is your job as a teacher going? Oh never mind that, are you still on your diet?" Layla got lost in the conversation after that. Clementine meant well, but the amount of words she could speak in the course of a few minutes was overwhelming. Then again, the curly-haired lady was phone operator; being able to speak quickly was probably what got her the job in the first place!

After waiting what felt like half an hour, it was finally Clementine's turn. Swiveling her head to address the cashier, earrings dangling like swings, Clementine seemed to switch the conversation. "Why, hello Bob! Fancy meeting you here. I was just informing Layla that she needed to get married soon!" Layla couldn't remember that part of the conversation, but then, she had missed the last few minutes.

Bob nodded, rubbing his hand against his beard, stroking it. "Its true, Layla. You're already in your 20s; maybe it's time to consider getting hitched."

The problem with that idea was that in this small town, she knew everyone…and there was no one she liked enough to marry.

Thanking them both for the well-meaning advice, Layla quickly paid for her groceries, and briskly walked past the door, which seemed to open faster than usual.

It was for that reason she was happy to have Thanos around. It was just nice to have someone else at home that she could buy extra groceries for! It was simple as that; romance had nothing to do with it. Layla laughed to herself, kicking a stone that was on the ground. Lying to herself was never her strong suit.

Thanos had long since put his book down, giving up on being able to concentrate on the long passages of text. When Layla had suddenly brought up that she was going to think about human things, his first inclination had been to read her mind; he had dismissed the thought. He hadn't actually scanned her mind for over a week now, although he didn't know the precise reason why this was.

Maybe because she trusted him, reading her private thoughts would be despicable of him. But since when did he care about that? But then, the situation had changed since the beginning. At first, he had planned to murder his host, but that changed when the Tesseract unexpectedly embedded itself inside Layla. He had still planned to kill her, after the cube was removed. But now…

When he thought about it…he no longer had any wish to harm her, even after removing the Tesseract. The thought actually made him feel….unpleasant. She had been kind to him, treated him in ways he had never been treated before, and she had even given him something else to live for, aside from Lady Death. She had even offered…friendship. The word was alien in Thanos' mind.

Of course, he was grateful for that. But was that all? He had been grateful to people in the past, people he still ended up murdering. But she was different; he sometimes picked up the scent of her hair when he walked past her, and he sometimes caught himself gazing at her inexplicably. And that dream he had…

Thanos lay back on the couch, hand behind his head. He was too tall for the couch, as with his bed, but that wasn't his concern at the moment.

One such as I, Thanos, having these feelings? It must be a cruel cosmic prank! He wasn't laughing, though. But what could he do with feelings like this? She was friendly with him, of course, but if he admitted these feelings…what would her reaction be? Would she scream, or maybe faint? The thought made him wince.

Besides…he wasn't attractive by Earth standards, he knew and accepted that. He was massive, purple-skinned, and had a large, lined chin. And as an alien, would a…relationship be forbidden? He didn't know (not that gave much thought to what anyone in power considered "decent").

Thanos almost laughed to himself. Why was he giving such rambles the time of day? It was probably best to squash these musings now, before it got out of hand. With that decided, Thanos turned back to his book, which now seemed infinitely less interesting.

Layla decided to head through the small woods (if it was big enough to even call it that). It was on the edge of town, and some kids used to play there after school, until the parents put their foot down. It wasn't especially dangerous, since getting lost was nearly impossible.

Most of the leaves had already fallen off the trees, leaving them very much naked. Layla placed her gloved hand on one of the tree's bark. She couldn't feel it through the glove, but it was probably cold and rough. She had come here once, with a student.

She chased the young girl into the woods, knowing that if the kid got hurt, she would have Hell to pay with the parents and Mr. Haynes. The girl was laughing happily, care-free in a way that only a kid could be. Layla thought it would be nice to be young again, so that she could play without worry too.

In the woods, the girl had begun to climb a tree, and Layla watched, fidgeting. She had to be ready to catch the girl if she were to slip. Reaching a high branch, the girl shouted down, "Teacher, have you ever climbed this tree?" Layla responded that climbing a tree was something she had never tried before. Furthermore, she had never explored these woods either. The girl seemed disappointed.

"My father takes me here sometimes. Don't you have anyone to come with, to climb trees or have picnics?" Layla smiled sadly, saying that she didn't. But she wished she did, very much.

Maybe she would ask Thanos if he would like to come to the woods with her one day, when the snow fell, and the trees looked like they were blanketed, and no one was around, and everything was calm and still.

Her final stop was Crosswood Academy. Looking at the building from outside, she was hoping for a different perspective. It looked the same, though it did bring one not-so-great memory back to the surface.

After moving from her parent's house, Layla had been working at Crosswood for a few weeks, and she was getting the hang of it, had memorized the code to enter the teacher's lounge, and had begun to make friends with her fellow instructors.

At the moment, she was drinking some coffee in the lounge, when Mr. Haynes walked it. She knew it was him because he was the only adult in school who had the scent of thick cologne. He sat down on one of the plastic chairs.

"I see you've been doing well so far. I knew I saw something in you," Haynes said, seemingly trying his hardest to make conversation.

"Thanks," Layla replied graciously. He had been the one to recommend her, so she really couldn't thank him enough. Reaching for her coffee cup, her hand was obstructed by another hand, which was attached to Haynes. Clasping his hand to hers, Haynes let out, "You're a strong, commanding woman. I like that in a lady."

It was obvious this was his way of flirting. Layla had no interest, and planned to stop things before they got out of hand. Removing her hand from his grasp, she tried to politely tell him what she thought.

"Sorry, Mr. Haynes. I appreciate what you did to get me a job, but I'm way too busy right now to consider anything else at the moment. Maybe in a few months, once things get settled, I'll think about it." Mr. Haynes didn't look happy being rebuffed. Getting up stiffly, he strode to the door, only turning back to say, "I'm disappointed with you, Dunham." The door angrily slammed against its frame as Haynes departed from the room, leaving a shaken Layla.

Well, at least she didn't have to worry about him now, thanks to Thanos. It was one more thing she had to thank him about. Dating him was much more appealing than dating Mr. Haynes.

Rubbing her hands together to get warm, Layla hurried back home, realizing that she had been gone for hours. Making up her mind, Layla decided that she would tell Thanos her feelings….tomorrow. What happened after that was something she would think about when she got there.

At the house, Thanos had been stuck in the same chapter of that blasted book for a while. He was frustrated at his easily distracted thoughts, but he had to steel his mind.

I am no coward; I will tell her tomorrow, when the time is right. Even if she turns me down, I am sure she will have the decency to hear me out.

The front door opened, and Layla walked in, shivering. "I think I'd better make some coffee. Want some?" Thanos nodded, feeling more satisfied that he had in awhile, and sensing that Layla felt the same way. Her walk had apparently been fruitful.

Takhan was staring at a glowing computer monitor, one that his scientists had asked him to look at.

"Sir, we are getting readings from the Tesseract, the cosmic cube that Thanos had stolen. The signals are originating from the planet Earth. We suspect Thanos to be hiding down there." Takhan sneered. Just like Thanos to hide on such a wretched mudball. It would be fitting to kill the Titan in such a desolate place.

Chapter Text

The scent of cinnamon and batter in the air let Thanos know that Layla was already awake, cooking what would probably be an easy to digest meal. He hadn't deigned to tell her, but the meals she had been concocting had, frankly, been some of the most delectable he had eaten in years. Of course, being alone in the depths of space didn't give one much opportunity to feast on fancy or tasty food. Truly, one had to live with what they could find out there.

Not seeing any reason to dally in his bed any longer, Thanos hurriedly dressed himself and walked towards the tantalizing aroma, not bothering to keep his footsteps light. He no longer felt like he had to tip-toe around the house as an unwanted guest.

Layla acknowledged his presence by sliding a plate towards his side of the table, already topped with four pancakes. The routine was already memorized by both of them, and was beginning to feel familiar in ways that inferred they had been doing this for years. It unnerved Thanos, to think he could get used to such domesticity in such a short amount of time.

"I was wondering when you'd get up, "Layla said conversationally. "But if there is one thing that is guaranteed to wake a sleeping male, it's the tempting smell of food." Thanos wanted to reply that it had been the noises the utensils made that roused him, but decided against it; he was certain that even an idiot would be able to see through that.

As he took his first bite into the warm food, Thanos glanced out the window. It looked misty outside, which he supposed was common in the winter season. That was one thing he missed about space; the little weather it had was usually consistent, as long as one took pains to avoid solar flares and meteor showers.

Layla sat down opposite him, the chair screeching on the ground as it was moved back, and then pulled forward. It hit Thanos that they were alone, and that the warm food had made for a cozy atmosphere.

Now is as good a chance as any to speak up. If I delay it any longer, I may just lose my nerve.

Thanos opened his mouth to speak, but fate had other plans, as Layla somehow spoke before him. "So, any progress on the Tesseract problem?" Thanos quickly closed his mouth, not wanting her to know that he had been about to speak.

Clearing his throat, Thanos rumbled, "Unfortunately, no. There are various methods that would allow me to suck the Tesseract's energy from your body, but the means are all too forceful, and would likely cause your heart to fail." Layla winced, and he couldn't fault her for that.

"Well, that's too bad. I feel like it's partially my fault that you're stuck here." Thanos was mildly grateful that she didn't blame him, but also felt partially liable; if he hadn't violently shoved her into the cube, it wouldn't be trapped inside her.

Yes, but she also wouldn't be alive right now, Thanos thought to himself. The thought was disquieting, especially considering that he would have done it for Lady Death, whom he now knew wouldn't have given a damn.

"You know," Layla's voice cut through his haze of contemplative thoughts. "After breakfast, we should go out. It doesn't matter where, as long as we can walk there."

"Why?" Thanos asked, the question coming out harsher than he had meant. It wasn't that he was averse to going…"out" at all, so he was confused why he had responded in such a manner. He hoped he hadn't scared her off with his tone. But he needn't have worried.

Layla wasn't deterred by her guest's seemingly angry tone. She was getting used to Thanos being moody, or at least acting like he was. If she was ever going to get him out of his shell, she couldn't let herself get pushed away.

"Well, once you fix your ship, and solve my Tesseract problem, I don't know how long you'll stay. I want to make the most of this time, and I haven't shown you around town yet!" Layla was getting excited - and also a little nervous! Once they were outside, it would be the perfect opportunity to speak her mind – and feelings.

"I was under the impression you didn't wish for me to go outside, even more so now that your neighbors have returned." Thanos had a bass voice that made everything he said sound menacing, but she was sure that she heard a note of concern (for her?)in his voice.

"No, it's fine, as long as you use that cool Jedi mind trick thing, like last time," Layla dismissed his worries. "I know the weather is crummy right now, but we've already established that you won't be bothered by it, and I've already made up my mind. So how about it?"

When he didn't reply, she clasped her hands together and added, "Besides, do you have anything better to do?" It was pretty much a trick question, because if she was being honest, trying to fix the ship and remove the Tesseract were both probably more important.

For some reason, Thanos looked peeved about something. He always had a surly look on his face, so she hoped it had nothing to with her suggestion.

"I will come along, but do you have any place in mind for our little stroll?" She was glad he asked; there was a place she wanted to show him. After they finished breakfast, she dumped the dishes in the sink to wash later, and hurriedly got dressed. She still hadn't gotten Thanos a coat, but he'd be fine in a sweater, even if it's ridiculous, brightly yellow hue made him a bright target outside.

Then again, Thanos is one target that no one would dare shoot at.

Stepping outside, Layla shivered. Looking at the surroundings, it didn't necessarily look pleasing to the eye; the sky was grey and ominous, the wind was causing the trees to sway as if they were dancing, and no one was around. The latter observation would have spooked Layla if she didn't have her – companion felt like a good word – with her.

"Come on, it's a small walk past the house," Layla beckoned, and took a good pace towards the small woods. She heard Thanos following her; his steps were not quiet by any means.

Just to break the silence, Layla called back towards Thanos, "How are you doing? Hope the wind isn't bothering you?" The only response she got was a grunt, and she had to hold back a giggle. She hadn't been serious with that question, but maybe Thanos thought she had been. Teasing him was fun, if not just to see if she could break his always stoic look. Normally, she would be way too shy to do that with anyone, but with Thanos, she felt she could be herself and joke around, even if the big lug didn't have a sense of humor.

A few minutes of cold, wind, and having to brush some hair out of her eyes later, and they had arrived at their destination. Upon telling Thanos, he glanced around, seemingly unimpressed. She had to admit that maybe she should have chosen somewhere else to pour her heart out. Still, she had decided on this place, and she wouldn't go back on that.

"It looks barren," Thanos commented. The area was pretty sparse, and the leaves were all gone.

Layla felt she had to defend it. "It looks gorgeous in the winter, once the snow has covered everything, but I didn't want to wait that long, for obvious reasons." For all she knew, it wouldn't snow until January. She couldn't afford to wait that long.

"I might like to witness such a sight," Thanos said. He said it in a casual way, as if he wasn't saying anything special, but it made Layla's heart race. What was he implying?

I think…now might be a good time for me to tell him. He seems to be in as good a mood as ever, and the atmosphere is set!

Layla breathed in to slow her pulse, which was going way too fast, and oh gosh, was that her heart beating so hard? She really hoped that Thanos couldn't hear it. It wasn't fear, however; it was adrenaline! She felt brave, as if she could do anything.

Glancing up at one of the trees, the branches looked surprisingly inviting. Her mind flashed back to the day one her students climbed a tree, before the young girl became surprised that her teacher had never done so.

Making up her mind, Layla grabbed the lowest-hanging branch of the nearest tree, and hoisted herself up. Managing to sit down on the somewhat wide branch, she looked down at Thanos – though she wasn't actually much higher than him at all. She grinned impishly at the confused look on his face.

"What are you doing?" It was a fair question. Wrapping her arms around herself as the wind began to howl again, Layla called down, "You know, this is my first ever time climbing a tree. I just got the impulse to do something reckless, I guess, and this was something I wanted to knock off my bucket list."

Thanos had to swipe off some twigs that had landed on his shoulders, the only sign that the wind could even slightly annoy him. "I recall you mentioning that you grew up on a farm with your parents, and yet you've never climbed on a tree. That strikes me as odd."

"You're right. My family liked growing fruit trees. I probably didn't go a day without eating an apple, an orange, or some other kind of fruit." Every other syllable was punctuated by a grunt of effort as she pulled herself higher. She only hoped she wouldn't get blown off!

"My parents always drilled it into me to never climb those fruit trees, for fear I would somehow damage them, or something. I guess those lectures always stuck with me. But now I can make up for lost time!" She had climbed up to around the middle of the tree, and decided against going any higher.

Once again, she glanced at Thanos, who was quite a bit lower than when she last looked. She thought he looked concerned, but she was really too high to tell, so maybe that was wishful thinking. Settling on a branch with her back against the tree's rough bark, she took in a large gulp of fresh air. The air was really nice so high up, almost minty. When she exhaled, a small vapor cloud danced away.

Layla was almost sad that this was her first time; she had been missing out! She understood why kids loved to do it; it was exhilarating! It almost felt like she was flying, with the wind blasting her hair around. It felt like she was on top of the world, and she wasn't even at the highest point of the tree!

She briefly entertained the thought of pretending to fall, so that Thanos would catch her like in a movie, but dismissed the idea as stupid. Besides, she didn't trust him THAT much!

"I'm coming down!" Layla called down to Thanos, who was looking up at her closely. She was suddenly glad she was wearing jeans, and not some skirt.

Climbing down the tree was harder than going up; half the time, she wasn't so much descending as sliding. She knew that once she got home, she would find marks and scratches on her jeans and coat.

Near the bottom, she was pleasantly surprised when Thanos offered her a hand, which she graciously accepted. Smoothing her coat self-consciously, a tiny bit embarrassed now that her rush was over, Layla realized that she had forgotten to confess her feelings.

"I would have asked you if you wanted to join me, but I think you'd have broken any branch you sat on," Layla admitted. Thanos shrugged his massive shoulders. They silently began the trek back home, the wind clawing at their backs, and the sun seemingly doing nothing to warm her up.

He had been taken aback, he would admit that. Scaling a tree was the last thing he had expected her to do after calling him out. When the wind had begun to pick up, there were a few uncomfortable moments when it looked like she was about to take a tumble. She was not the kind of human who struck him as someone who would be reckless, but he considered most humans to be cowardly and frail anyway.

"You know, you haven't said almost anything since we began this little walk. I'm having to talk for the both of us!" Layla said good-naturedly.

"What do I have to discuss that would interest you? Most of my former…associates and I have only had one thing in common: a love of violence. That was all that was spoken about." He paused to look Layla in the eyes. "I could regale you with tales of my many conquests, but I don't think you would appreciate the gorier details." Layla shook her head quickly.

"You really don't have any interests or hobbies outside of death? You weren't kidding when you told me before that Lady Death had been your life," Layla said, a pitying look in her eyes. Thanos found that he didn't mind so much, this time.

"I did take up farming, briefly. It failed to hold my attention, but it was adequate as a peaceful distraction." Layla started to laugh, and held up her hand to stop him.

"Wait, wait…you, a farmer? Oh my gosh, I can't picture that at all! You don't seem like you'd be patient enough!" She giggled some more, before apologizing for laughing. Thanos didn't reply, but it hadn't bothered him. Actually, the noise wasn't unpleasant, and he liked seeing her laugh.

Before, he would have admonished himself for such a thought, but they were coming so frequently now, that it felt pointless. Besides him, Layla jammed her hands inside her coat pockets, probably hoping for some relief from the cold.

"You should concentrate on getting warm," Thanos spoke up. Layla glanced at him. "With the Tesseract's energy flowing inside you, I believe you could heat up your body temperature if you concentrated."

"Well, it's worth a shot." Squeezing her eyes shut and balling her two hands into fists (which Thanos thought was highly unnecessary) Layla hummed to herself. A few moments later, and Thanos could detect a small surge of cosmic power shifting around her body. Layla opened her eyes in surprise.

"Wow, I – that really worked! I'll have to remember that!" Turning to Thanos, she gave him a hug. Before he could stop himself, he wrapped his arms around her, nearly covering her with his width. He was oddly satisfied that he was able to warm her up, even if it was just temporary. He owed her that much.

But little did he suspect the consequences of such a simple action.

Chapter Text

For once, the morning sunlight failed to wake Thanos early, as he had been up most of the night thinking about the previous day's events, and how he had failed to speak up. It was starting to look like he'd never be able to. The thought disturbed him. Would he have to live the rest of his day, shackled by the fact that he was too embarrassed to express what was on his mind?

Seeing as he had nowhere to go, he decided that staying in bed would make up for his lack of sleep. He wondered if Layla would leave his breakfast on the table. He knew she was leaving to teach those kids in less than half an hour.

He sighed and closed his eyes, waiting to drift off. The door to his room opened, so he turned on his side, hoping that the intruder would leave him be. The wonderful fragrance of cinnamon (an Earth spice that he had recently become acquainted with) flooded his senses, forcing him to reconsider.

"It's obvious you're not coming down today, so I hope you don't mind breakfast in bed," the female intruder said lightly, going over to the window and opening the drapes. Thanos decided to skip the grumbling today, surprising himself with how hungry he was.

"Thank you," he quietly mumbled before stuffing his face with one of the cinnamon toast loafs. Despite the fact that he wasn't fond of saccharine food (he discovered this a few days prior, when he was unable to finish a chocolate cake that Layla had purchased), he had a soft spot for the breakfast pastry.

"If you're feeling sick, you should have told me," Layla chided, probably assuming that was the reason he hadn't ventured downstairs.

"I do not get sick," Thanos gravely informed her. "I was merely conserving my energy." Layla giggled.

"You're starting to sounds like some kind of lazy couch potato. How did you get so muscular in the first place?" His body was the natural product of Titan physiology, but there were better subjects to latch on to.

Placing his tray on the dresser near his bed, Thanos decided to take the initiative. "I've been meaning to speak to you, yet I never seem to get the chance, and when I do, I lose my nerve. That is obviously something that doesn't normally occur with me."

"What a coincidence," Layla interrupted as she quickly looked in the mirror to make sure she looked fine. "The same thing has been happening to me. I meant to speak about it during yesterday's walk, but I kinda got sidetracked."

"I see. I think it would be best to do it now, instead of procrastinating." Thanos was tired of the discussion getting pushed back. If he was going to be rejected, he'd rather know now. Layla sat down on the bed, right beside him. Her light weight didn't even cause the bed to groan, as her addition didn't make much difference with a heavy Titan already on it.

Leaning in close, Layla said, "You're the guest, so you can go first. I'm curious, anyway," and Thanos was almost certain that her face was heating up. He shifted a bit, and now his legs were in contact with Layla's.

For the first time, he really looked at her, close-up. He drank her appearance in: her brown hair that only went a bit past her shoulders, even though the bangs almost covered her eyes, which were also brown, and her nose, which some might consider too small. Her scent reminded him of a flower he must have smelled many years ago.

Now was definitely his chance, and Thanos blurted out, "I have a confession to make: I actually finished repairs on my ship a few nights ago." That wasn't what he had planned to say, though he wasn't lying; he had planned to tell Layla eventually anyway.

"You're all done? And you didn't leave?" Layla's response came out as a question, but she didn't seem displeased.

"I didn't wish to do so," Thanos whispered, his hand moving of its own accord to hold on to Layla's.

Thanos moved his face a bit closer to hers, or maybe she moved a fraction nearer, or perhaps they both edged in. Before long, their foreheads were leaning on each other. Thanos could actually feel her breath.

"I couldn't think of a better position to have our talk, at the moment," Thanos whispered. Layla opened her mouth to reply, when her cell phone buzzed. The noise broke whatever spell Thanos had been under, and they both quickly backed away. Thanos wouldn't look in her eyes; he didn't know what had come over him. He had acted like a love-struck fool.

In the background, Layla answered the damn phone, speaking with someone that Thanos wanted to strangle. He took a few deep breaths to calm down. A few moments later, Layla hung up, and gave Thanos an apologetic look.

"It was another one of the teachers. I'm afraid I have to go now, or I'll be late." She walked to the door, and glanced back.

"We can finish this talk when I get back, OK? We'll have the whole night to discuss it." Thanos nodded.

"That sounds reasonable enough." Layla smiled at him, and his spirits were lifted, if even just temporarily. Frustration still lingered. He had been so close!

"I don't know what you want to say to me, or ask me, but…I have a feeling that whatever it is, I'll say yes." She winked at him before leaving, and Thanos felt his pulse speed up. Laying back down on the bed, Thanos was certain he had a stupid look on his face.

Could she be implying…. No, it wouldn't be wise to get my hopes up. But she was definitely hinting…

Even though Layla would be back in a few hours, Thanos knew it would feel like an eternity.

The walk to school was a blur in Layla's mind. She didn't even feel the cold winds. She was almost surprised when she reached Crosswoods Academy. Her brain had been elsewhere.

Did I almost kiss him? I was this close! Oh my god, I hope I didn't come off as….oh no! But maybe he wouldn't have cared….heck, he seemed to want it too.

Her thoughts kept circling around a few times. She had even flirted, before bolting out the front door. She wondered if he had even noticed.

Oh yeah, he can read minds. Oh geez.

Arriving at her classroom, Layla took off her coat, and sat down behind her desk. There was no apple waiting for her this time. Most of the kids who were already in class were yawning. Layla stole a look at her watch. There was still seven minutes left before the final bell rang.

"Ms. Dunham, did you have a fun weekend?" one of her female students, Vicki, asked politely. Vicki was the kind of girl who others teased for being a "teacher's pet". She got good grades, was very polite, and sometimes went out of her way to be courteous with her teachers. In a few years, she'd become a beauty with her soft black hair.

Some of the other kids perked up at the mention of their teacher's name. Layla smiled, inwardly deciding that kids got into gossip younger and younger every year.

"I had a pleasant weekend, but I couldn't say it was very eventful," Layla responded, deciding she didn't need to lie. One kid, a somewhat large boy named Lewis, raised his hand. Layla nodded at him.

"Did you hang out with that guy?" Layla paused, confused what the boy meant.

"I'm sorry, but what guy are you referring to? Mr. Haynes?" Layla racked her brain, honestly not sure who Lewis was referring to.

"The man who walked home with you a few days ago. He almost punched Mr. Haynes out too!" The kids began to ask questions about this mysterious hero who almost "beat up" their principal. Layla was tempted to hide her face in her hands, or change the subject. She should have known that one of the curious kids would have spotted Thanos.

I shouldn't panic. This isn't a big deal, since the kid probably only saw the illusion that Thanos placed over himself. This isn't so bad.

Layla grinned. "You caught me, Lewis. I'll fess up: I do have a male friend who is boarding with me for now." All the female students let out dreamy sighs, and Layla knew she had to act fast.

Holding up her hand for silence, she added, "He is not my boyfriend or husband, so don't get the wrong idea, OK?" Most of the kids didn't look convinced.

Jodie, a sweet girl who didn't speak much, surprised everyone by interjecting, "But you want him to be your boyfriend, right?" Layla blushed and stammered, realizing that whatever she said now wouldn't be convincing.

"Teacher has a boyfriend!" all the female students sang, and most of the boys mock gagged. Layla tried to get order back in the classroom, but it was an uphill battle.

It ended up taking a few minutes before Layla could get the kids to calm down, and it took the mention of a surprise test to do it.

After class ended, the kids filed out of the room, some of the female students discussing how "romantic" the whole thing was. Layla rolled her eyes at their backs, wondering how long it'd be until they stopped talking about that. With her luck, it would take the rest of the semester.

Bundling up to prepare for the cold that she would probably notice this time, Layla almost forgot to turn off the light in the classroom afterwards. She didn't want to give Haynes an excuse to get back on her case.

"Speak of the devil," Layla murmured to herself as Mr. Haynes walked around the corner. Seeing her, he set a grim smile on his shaven face.

"Ms. Dunham, it has come to my attention that your students are under the impression that you are letting a man live with you, a man that, seemingly, isn't in a romantic relationship with you."

"Mr. Haynes, that simply isn't any of your business," Layla voiced angrily. Haynes smirked at her.

"Oh, but it is. I can't have a teacher having an illicit affair. It's a bad influence on the students, you understand." Layla shoved past him, rushing out the door. She didn't want anything to put her in a foul mood before she could hear what Thanos wanted to tell her.

But telling herself to ignore Haynes was easier said than done. The man had some nerve, attempting to pry into her private life. He didn't have the authority to say who she could and couldn't date. The idea was ridiculous!

The sun had already set by the time she exited the building, so Layla quickened her pace. Her boots made crunching noises as she stepped on some fallen leaves. Her phone made a buzzing sound as she got a text; unfortunately, she dropped it due to her hands shaking from the cold. Sighing, she bent down to pick it up, and heard the leaves crackle again – only this time, it wasn't from her.

Layla quickly stood up, and looked behind her. There was a figure standing there, dressed in black armor. His blue face practically called attention to himself, and the black face-paint didn't help.

The blue figure eyed her closely, looking almost disappointed. "You aren't who I was expecting, but my scanner clearly says that the energy signature is coming from you." Layla only then noticed a handheld electronic device in his hand. It made a small beeping noise every few moments.

"I suppose you will have to do for now," the blue stranger said, before pulling out some kind of gun-shaped appliance. Layla didn't plan to stick around to see what it did; she turned around to run, only to bump into two more of the aliens, albeit ones not as large. They both grabbed one of her arms. Layla gasped, hearing a gunshot before feeling something pierce her back.

Oh my god, they shot me. I need to…everything's shaking.

The world around her began to go crazy, as if she was on a carousel. She absently felt her legs give way, and she blacked out. Her final thought was that it was a shame she'd never get to hear what Thanos had been planning to tell her.

Chapter Text

It was late in the afternoon when Thanos left his lab, and went upstairs to settle on the couch with a long book, anticipating Layla's return. She usually returned from her occupation before six, so Thanos assumed that she would open the front door in a few minutes.

When the hands on the clock signaled that it was six, Thanos figured that she must have stopped at the market again, purchasing some necessary ingredient for a dish she planned to make. Perhaps she marked today as a special occasion, which Thanos couldn't help but find promising.

By the time the evening reached seven P.M., Thanos had long finished the book, and decided to quickly void his own rule of not scanning Layla's mind; he closed his eyes, stretching his telepathy in hopes of reaching her.

A feeling of dread swept through his chest as he came to the realization that he couldn't locate her.

That should be impossible. I have the longest range of any telepath I know. If I can't sense her presence, she is either off planet, or…

Thanos couldn't bring himself to finish that thought. Gritting his teeth, he hurried out of the house into the misty night air, pausing to decide where to start his search. The obvious decision was to head to the school; if he didn't find her on the way, he could search through the memories of anyone who would still be inside the building.

As Thanos began his brisk walk, he acknowledged that he was feeling…concern for Layla, an emotion he hadn't felt for another living being since – a time Thanos couldn't even recall. After all, if Layla was dead, where would that leave him? At the moment, he had no other place to go. Even worse, he would be blamed for her untimely end.

He tried to convince himself that those concerns were the justifications for any negative feelings he was experiencing, but he had never been good at lying to himself.

His jaunt shifted into a jog, and slowly changed into a run, and Thanos didn't even notice when he began sprinting.

Reaching the red-bricked school, Thanos crossed the steps in a single bound, and crashed open the locked doors. Concentrating, Thanos mentally searched for a living being whose mind he could scan. Sensing one person two floors above him, Thanos didn't bother with the stairs, simply jumping through the ceiling, breaking through cement and plaster.

The ear-splitting sound must have startled whoever was inside the room, as the person had backed against the wall. Lifting his body through the newly made hole, Thanos strode to the quivering human male. Thanos felt that he had laid eyes upon this man before.

The well-dressed and groomed male sank to the ground, almost in the fetal position. Impatient, Thanos lifted the man up, ignoring the cries for help and mercy. It was then that recognition opened his eyes; this was the designated leader of the school.

"You," Thanos growled, trying to recall the wretched man's name. The man squeaked in obvious fear, and tried to wriggle his way out of the Titan's grasp. Thanos slammed the man against the wall to knock the fight out of him, and scanned his mind to see when the worm had last laid eyes on Layla.

Thanos felt a burst of anger heat up his face as he saw a memory in which Mr. Haynes harassed and threatened Layla again. His fist scrunched up Hayne's suit until it began to tear.

"I suppose my warning wasn't enough for you," Thanos said, lowering his voice to a frightening degree. The man whimpered, and broke into a cold sweat.

"Please, I – I forgot. I promise never to do it again. I swear!" The man's eyes were starting to leak, and his torn suit was already drenched in sweat. Thanos wanted nothing more than to rip the man's head from his body for daring to disobey.

The only thing keeping Thanos from killing the man was the mild concern that Layla would find herself unemployed without the school's leader. Thanos considered his options quickly, for he had no time to waste, before settling for damaging the man temporarily. Thanos grabbed the pathetic human's arm between his pointer finger and thumb, and squeezed. A loud cracking noise didn't drown out the man's painful shriek.

Dropping the useless man back on the floor, Thanos turned to leave the room, only stopping to threaten, "Will you bother Ms. Dunham about her position at this academy again?" Haynes shook his head quickly, biting his own lips to keep his moans out. Thanos smiled ruthlessly.

"I didn't think so." Satisfied, Thanos exited the school, deciding to head back home, where he could make a proper plan of what to do henceforth.

Layla's first thought upon waking was that she must have drunk too much, because her head was throbbing with a nasty hangover. Her second thought was that she ought to close the blinds on her windows, because the light was practically burning her eyes.

Rubbing her eyes, which refused to open, Layla stood up, and attempted to feel her way around the room. When her hands made contact with what she thought was solid wall, she received a shock, and fell back on her behind.

Opening her eyes, Layla was surprised and dismayed to discover that she wasn't in her room, or even her house! She was in a pale, blue energy dome of sorts, one that was see-through. Beyond the dome was some kind of mad scientist's wildest dream, a laboratory that made the one in her basement look like a rented out version.

Cautiously, she slowly touched the dome with the tip of her finger; a spark burst out, and Layla withdrew her hand as if it were on fire. She desperately glanced around, but didn't see any way out. Layla knew that the first step in situations like this was to stay calm, but she was already on the verge of panic. Just as she began to feel herself start to hyperventilate, her attention was shifted to a door on the far end of the room, which opened to let in three of the blue aliens that kidnapped her, one of them seemingly being in command.

She could tell because unlike the other two, the one in the center wore fancy black armor, and had some strange symbols painted in black on his face. He also carried a purple sword, but with the alien's bulk, it may have been for show. Well, if the sword was meant to intimidate people, it was sure working right now!

The two other aliens, who had dressed in more casual attire than there leader, wandered away to some keyboards, inputting something or other. Layla was more interested in their black-clad boss, who stepped up to the dome that she was trapped in. He starred at her as a scientist would stare at an interesting specimen, one that would soon be dissected.

"H-hello? Please, there must be some mistake! I don't know you, or any of your friends, so you have no reason to keep me here!" Layla was worried that this might be one of those random alien abductions she had heard about, but never before believed. She was glad that she had chosen not to read about most of the grisly details.

The alien smirked, horribly disfiguring the lines on his face for a few moments. Layla could barely stand to look at him, but she was worried about what could happen if she dropped eye contact. A sign of weakness might be all that was needed to sign her own death warrant.

"Oh no, human witch, there has been no error. You were chosen specifically because of what you have lying inside you," and the alien pointed at her as he said this. Layla shrank back, and the menacing figure began to circle the dome, leaving her with nowhere to hide. She wrapped her arms around herself, involuntarily protecting her body.

"Aside from the fact that I find all humans to be repulsive little creatures, I have no opinion of you as a single entity. This kidnapping is nothing personal, you understand. But the Tesseract is something I require to find and kill Thanos. Are you, by any chance, familiar with him?"

Layla realized two things: first, she was sure that if she answered too many of his questions, she would outlive her usefulness, and second, that she really didn't want to see this creature kill Thanos.

"What, exactly, are you?" Layla inquired, hoping to distract him from his own questions. The alien stopped pacing, looking at the ceiling.

Finally, he looked back at her and loudly replied, "My name is Takhan, current leader and head judge of the Kree Empire. The Mad Titan Thanos caused our empire much grief and strife, and for that, I sentence him to death." A mix of pain and anger was in Takhan's eyes, and Layla was sure that he wasn't lying.

Still, she didn't trust him either, or even like him. She found it hard to warm up to someone who knocked her out and kidnapped her.

"I can't kill him on my own, however," Takhan continued. "But with the Tesseract, I may be able to do so. Not only that, but I know the Mad Titan is searching for this cube, and he will come to find it, once I inform him of its location, of course." The last part dripped with loathing, causing Layla to start to sympathize with him, despite herself.

This man was wronged by Thanos somehow. I don't want him to kill Thanos, but…what if Thanos did something unforgiveable? Who am I to get in the Kree's way? What if their way is just?

Layla sat on the ground cross-legged, not sure what else she could do. It didn't seem like she would be allowed to just walk out. Takhan knelt down as well.

"Now, if you behave yourself, you won't need to get hurt. Now excuse me while I go and make a call." Layla watched with some interest as Takhan walked to the center of the room. Raising his hand in a circular motion, a humming noise preceded a large screen that descended from the ceiling.

On the road to Layla's house, Thanos had seen something glint in the moonlight, which turned out to be Layla's cellular device; Thanos recognized it because of the unique silver-star on the keychain. Carefully picking it up so as not to crush it, he flipped the phone open, his throat going dry at the wallpaper image.

The glowing image was of him, reading one of the boring books from Layla's study. She must have taken it without consulting him. Normally, Thanos would be annoyed, or even angered, but…there was something flattering about it.

It also rekindled his anger at whomever at abducted her. Layla was, above all else, kind and harmless. There was no reason for anyone to do harm to her. A small part of him felt self-loathing at his hypocrisy; hadn't he almost murdered her recently? For that matter, he had murdered countless beings who were no doubt just as innocent.

Lost in thought, he was unprepared for the psychic message he got from his computer back in Layla's basement. Like he had programmed, it was summoning him due to receiving a message. Thanos couldn't fathom who had sent the message, but he was filled with the slight hope that perhaps it was Layla, trying to contact him.

Returning to the house took a few minutes, and Thanos was at the console in even less time. Switching it on with a mere signal from his mind, the image on the screen was not what he had been wishing for; instead of Layla, an ugly Kree was staring back from behind the computer monitor.

"Ah, Thanos, I see you got our message beacon. I was very much hoping you would answer it," the marked Kree said. Thanos sneered at the alien; judging from the symbols on his face, this Kree was the head judge. Thanos didn't give a damn, but he had far more urgent matters to attend to than trade barbs with a Kree.

"I have no wish to speak with you, nor do I have the time," Thanos growled, prepared to shut down his computer, already feeling the disappointment wash through him. The Kree smirked.

"I wouldn't leave if I were you, Thanos. I believe I have something you want." Thanos highly doubted this, but it was possible the Kree had acquired one of the Infinity Gems. If so, Thanos would pretend to barter for it, before taking it for himself.

Taking the Titan's silence as a go-ahead, the Kree dramatically waved his arm to the left, and the camera followed promptly, landing its gaze on an energy dome. Thanos squinted to see what was inside, but the dome's visibility was low.

"I apologize, let me lower the density a tad bit," the Kree taunted, pressing a button somewhere off camera. The tint on the barrier lightened up, and it was all Thanos could do to keep the astonishment out of his face as he saw Layla, kneeling inside the barrier.

Chapter Text

Thanos stared at the screen, attempting to veil his emotions behind a calm facade XA

His relief at seeing Layla again was unfortunately overtaken by the severity of the situation.

How did the Kree locate me? And why would they take Layla? If they were already on Earth, they could easily have attacked me. Thanos only had one answer to his second question, and it led to plenty of problems.

Unless they intend to use her as leverage against me.

This was what Thanos had feared, an enemy using her against him. Normally, such a cowardly tactic would make Thanos scoff, but Layla was the only person who could make him pause in such a situation.

As Thanos continued to try to think of a way out of the situation, the Kree warlord went back on camera, grinning like someone who was delighting in playing a cruel prank.

"I apologize, I was jesting. No, the real prize I have found isn't the girl, but the Tesseract." The Kree paused, as if hoping for a reaction from Thanos. Thanos, leaving his face stiff as stone, was pleased to see the Kree frown in disappointment.

Inside, though, Thanos felt his mood lift considerably. This new info was something he could work with!

So they don't know my connection with Layla after all. This is a fortunate turn of events; I only hope that Layla has enough sense not to bring up anything that could jeopardize this.

"Anyway, you can imagine our great surprise when we discovered that the Tesseract was inside the body of this frail human woman. Of course, the first thing I thought to do was call you. I so very much wanted to see the look on your face, but you're not giving me much to work with." The last few words were punctuated by a mock pout that the Kree put on his face. Thanos thought it was a fitting look for him.

"How did you find the Tesseract?" Thanos asked. "I had gone to great lengths to keep it hidden." He had even put a cloaking device over the house.

The Kree, who had probably been waiting for this question to be asked, grinned. "We lucked out. We were flying over this quaint planet, wondering if you were even still around, when our energy censors picked up a sudden spike of cosmic power. Interestingly enough, our heat censors also went crazy, though we can't imagine why."

Thanos growled under his breath. It must have been in the woods, when he advised Layla to try to use the cube to raise her body temperature. He had been a fool!

Out of the corner of his eyes, Thanos spied Layla looking at him, her eyes fearful. He ignored the temptation to even glance at he; a single movement could alert the Kree that something was up.

"What do you want for the Tesseract? I know how greedy your kind can be; I assume it won't be free," Thanos rumbled. The Kree smiled again.

"Now, now, Thanos. Let's be on friendlier terms, OK? My name is Takhan, so it would please me if you could use that name when addressing me from now on!" Takhan injected some cheer into his little speech, making Thanos want to retch.

"Answer the question, Kree," Thanos growled, spitting out the last part just to spite Takhan's request. Takhan's blue and black face shifted into an ugly grimace.

Leaning in close to the screen, causing his face to appear stretched, Takhan venomously said, "Very well, Titan. I only have one simple demand, so even an ogre like you can understand: I want you to come to my ship, the Kree flagship. I want you to come alone and unarmed." Takhan's eyes held a dark fire in them, something Thanos had been the recipient of many times. This was a person who desperately wanted to kill Thanos, and do it slowly.

Thanos held Takhan's gaze, not letting it waver once, showing that he was not intimidated by Takhan's pathetic demands.

"I will fly to your ship then. As you say, it is a simple enough instruction to grasp," Thanos sarcastically remarked. "But how do I have know that you actually have the Tesseract? You could very well be bluffing. Besides, you couldn't use it anyway if it is truly inside the girl." This turned out to be a grave mistake, judging from the evil look Takhan featured on his face.

"Oh, we plan to rip the girl apart to get it." Thanos could see Layla react to the news by standing up, eyes wide in horror and arms shaking. Thanos knew he had failed to keep the sudden anger off his face when Takhan laughed.

"Ah, Titan. I finally managed to drag some emotion out of you. It feels very satisfying." The Kree laughed, stroking the anger that Thanos felt in the pit of his stomach.

"I will kill you, Takhan. Mark my words; you will not live past tonight! I will make you suffer in ways you never dreamed!" Thanos banged his fist on the console, his hand crashing right through the center. The screen turned black. Roaring, Thanos grabbed the monitor and threw it against the wall.

Not enough to sate his fury, Thanos punched a hole through the steel lining the wall, tearing part of the plaster as well. Knowing in the back of his head that he had to calm down, Thanos bit his lip and breathed in. This was one situation where losing his temper wouldn't help, at least until later.

After feeling like he could safely think without leveling the whole house, Thanos considered heading for his fixed ship, aware that if he had damaged it, he would have no way to get to Takhan's vessel.

My anger once again almost jeopardized my plans. I do need to work on my temper. At least, after I rip Takhan's beating heart from his body.

Thanking whoever was listening that Layla's neighbors were probably asleep, Thanos pressed a button on his belt. There was a whirring noise, and the wall behind his ship opened not unlike a garage door. The sight that greeted him was not very welcome.

"Hey, prune-face. Fancy running into you here," Iron Man said, repulsors at the ready, and with the other Avengers flanking him. Thanos sighed. He had no time for interruptions.

Layla was stunned, her mind refusing to process the scene she had just witnessed. Thanos knew where she was, and that was good, but these Kree were going to kill her, which wasn't. Reeling, she backed up, remembering that she couldn't touch the energy field moments before she made contact.

She wasn't a claustrophobic person, but she was starting to grow weary at the fact that one wrong move could get her killed. She resignedly sat down, leaning on her knees. It was a safer position.

Fast approaching footsteps reminder her that safe was a relative term. Takhan lightly tapped on the field to get her attention, his armored gauntlet protecting his hand from the radiation.

"Unfortunately, it seems you will not be leaving this ship alive. I'm sorry, but the Tesseract is much too valuable to pass up. If it is any consolation, your death is for the greater good." Layla never hated anyone as much as she hated this man now. Tears threatened to escape her eyes, so she blinked hard. She didn't want this creep to see her cry.

"Is there any way I can convince you to let me go?" Layla asked quietly. Takhan shook his head.

"He'll kill you, you know. I won't try to stop him if he does," Layla threatened, hoping to come across as intimidating.

"If I feared him, would I have invited him to come here? I'm counting on it! We do need the Tesseract for our plan to work, however, so we do hope you cooperate." He flashed a sympathetic smile at her, and she was amazed at what a good actor he was.

"I would never help you kill him. I guess you may have guessed why by now." Takhan sat down next to her, only the barrier between them, as if they were two friends talking about something fun.

"You're right. Seeing the furious glare after I mentioned dissecting you made it all clear. I guess someone finally managed to tame that beast, at least somewhat. I have to be honest, that gives me more reason to murder you right now." For a moment, his features hardened, and Layla feared he would really make good on his word.

But then, he stood up, and Layla breathed a sigh of relief – until he opened his mouth again. "I won't kill you, but I have my guards for that." Takhan grabbed a small, black remote from some crevice in his armor, and pressed a button. A small humming noise signaled the barrier's dispersion.

Before Layla could even think to dash, two large guards grabbed each of her arms in iron-like grips. Struggling was useless.

"Take her to the surgical chamber. You know what to do from there." Layla didn't like the sound of that. She wasn't sure if Thanos would make it in time at this rate.

The two guards pulled her down a hallway. It was completely empty, but not non-descript; there were some rectangular windows, but they were black. It took a few moments for Layla to remember that she was in space. Even if she were to escape from these guards, where would she go?

"Guys, can't we talk about this? If you let me go, I won't tell Takhan. I'll even let you come with me! I'll even beg Thanos to keep you safe from your leader." Her bargaining fell on deaf ears, and her captives made no move to release her.

With no one to talk to, it became quiet. There was no music playing in the halls, no one wandering past, and even her captor's footsteps were surprisingly silent. Layla shivered; she hated the silence for some reason.

When they finally reached their destination, Layla was so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed. As the two Kree dragged her in the room, only marked by a sign she couldn't read, Layla mentally scolded herself for not being alert to her surroundings.

Layla quickly glanced across the room, and almost wished that she hadn't! Half the room was filled with rows of cloth-covered tables, with straps and cuff-links. Layla had the feeling that she would be on one of those tables when they began operating, and the mental image turned her legs into spaghetti.

One of her escorts mercilessly pulled her back on her feet, while the other Kree went rummaging around in some kind of utility closet. When he stepped out, he was holding a large buzz saw. Layla dearly wished that she could faint dead away, but her body wasn't complying.

Please, Thanos. Hurry! She had never prayed as desperately and fervently as she did then.

Thanos faced Iron Man and his compatriots, and while he would normally be all too willing to serve them a beat down, he was under a strained time limit. He couldn't afford to waste any time with these pompous fools.

For the first time in his life, he would have to turn them cheek. As he turned to do so, he felt a burst of heat strike his back. The Titan glanced over his shoulder to see who had started this; it was undoubtedly Iron Man, whose palms were smoking from the repulsor beam.

"Just remember, Avenger: I didn't initiate this," was the only warning Thanos felt the need to give before he was suddenly face-to-face with the armored hero. Iron Man, quickly getting over his surprise, threw a punch towards the purple giant, which was caught in a large hand.

"How feeble." Thanos used his strength to toss Iron Man high into the air, before turning just in time to duck as a shield whizzed past. Captain America frowned, no doubt disappointed that he had missed, but Thanos didn't dwell on it, turning his attention to the thunder god.

"I expect that you want a chance to exact revenge on me, for your poor adopted brother. Blood runs thick, after all," Thanos taunted. Thor roared.

"Fiend, you are correct, I have dreamt this day for many a night!" Thor twirled his hammer, charging it up with lightning. Thanos gave himself a challenge: he would take Thor's strongest hit head on, and give the Asgardian two-fold afterwards.

With one of his famed battle cries, Thor flew at Thanos at speeds that made his own ship seem pitifully lethargic. There was an explosion, and the ground underneath the two fighters crumbled. Thanos felt something in his arm break as he was engulfed in a blinding flash of light.

When the dust cleared, Thanos could see Thor breathing heavily, and he knew that if he could take a look in a mirror, he would be in a similar state.

"I survived your finest attack, Avenger," Thanos goaded, wiping a bit of blood from his mouth. "Now allow me to return the favor." With that, Thanos rushed at Thor. Thor raised his hammer, but Thanos grabbed his wrist, and twisted it. Thor yelled in pain, but Thanos didn't stop there; he punched Thor in the gut three times consecutively. The thunder god fell to the ground, clutching his stomach, and gazing at Thanos with a look of hatred.

A loud roar shook the very ground, and as Thanos felt himself get launched high into the air, he already knew that his fight was just beginning. The Hulk roared something unintelligible, before slamming Thanos on the ground, causing spider-web shaped cracks in the pavement.

"It's a wonder that none of the locals have exited their homes to view this spectacle," Thanos growled as he and Hulk ran at each other. Thanos raised his good arm, and aimed a solid punch towards Hulk, who countered in kind. The two fists collided with unimaginable force, creating a shockwave that sent both fighters flying.

Thanos decided that a physical fight would just take up too much time, and switched tactics. Using his mental abilities, he entered Hulk's mind and acted like a sedative, forcing the jade beast to turn back into his meeker form.

"You wondered why none of the neighbors have been crowding around? We had SHIELD evacuate everyone before we arrived. I won't have any civilian casualties on my watch." Captain America strode towards Thanos, head held high. There was no sign of fear in his eyes. It made Thanos feel less guilty for punching the brave man in the face.

Thanos then turned to the two weakest of the group, the spy and the archer. He hadn't even bothered to keep their names in his mind. As he began to stride towards them, the archer ran in front of the spy protectively, raising his ineffective weapon.

Something clicked in his mind, and Thanos paused, before heading the opposite direction of the courageous archer. He could almost feel their puzzlement at his action, but he didn't care. He had someone to protect as well, and so far, he was doing a dismal job.

As he stepped into his ship, Thanos addressed the Avengers once more. "I have greater matters to attend to. But I will return shortly, and if you still wish to face me, I will hardly refuse. Depending on my mood, I may even be lenient."

With nothing more to be said, Thanos started the engines, and the ship took off. In a few moments, he found himself in the throes of space. He had wasted far too much time on Earth; if something happened to Layla, he would return and brutally slaughter every single Avenger for daring to step in his way.

Wait for me, Layla. I'm coming as hastily as I can, and once I arrive, I will make your captors pay.

Chapter Text

"As tempting as it would be for me to use this on you now, I can't," one of the Kree guards informed Layla, nodding at the large buzzsaw in his hands. "Lord Takhan ordered us to sedate you first. I suppose he would rather not hear the screams echo in his ship."

Layla suspected that this Kree brute didn't approve of his captain's order, but wasn't able to voice his displeasure out loud. Still, she supposed that if she had to die, she'd much prefer to be unconscious.

The Kree placed the buzzsaw on a glass desk next to the strapped bed. Signaling to his partner, he moved into the adjoining room. The one holding on to Layla forced her to move towards the operating table. Layla struggled, but as had been the case lately, it was futile.

The Kree soldier dropped her none-too-gently on the table, before strapping her legs down. Something about the process felt invasive to Layla, and she vowed to herself that she wouldn't let him tie her wrists down either.

As the Kree reached for her right arm, she used her left hand to scratch at the Kree's face. She felt her nails connect with his cheek, but Kree skin must have been thicker than a humans, because she didn't see a single scratch on him.

"That was a big mistake, you Terran scum," the blue alien snarled, his teeth bared. Layla gasped as he wrapped a hand around her neck! Layla grasped his wrist with both of her hands, but his strength far surpassed her, and she was starting to black out.

I can't breathe! Oh my god, he's going to kill me!

In desperation, she let go of his wrist and fumbled around for something, anything, to use against him. One of her hands came across a sharp, metallic object, and not stopping to see what it was (not that she could see anyway), she yanked it towards the Kree's forearm.

It sliced through the blue skin easily, and the Kree let out a howl as he stepped back. Layla coughed, the action hurting her now sore throat. She glanced at the sharp object, which turned out to be the buzzsaw. It's steel material was coated with blue blood. Feeling sick that she actually had to use the weapon on a living being, she swallowed some bile that threatened to release itself from her chest.

Acting quickly, she cut the leather straps attached to her ankles, and dashed out the door. The injured soldier tried to grab her as she ran past him, but she was able to stay out of his range. Exiting the room, Layla didn't have time to think about where she was going.

Layla knew that if she stopped to consider her position, she would panic. She was in space, so unless she could somehow find, hijack, and learn how to fly a spaceship, she was screwed either way.

Thanos approached the large mothership in his considerably smaller one. He liked to think his silver ride had a better aesthetic, though; the Kree ship was an unseemly black color, and wasn't even aerodynamic.

Of course, he also had to deal with the problem of getting into the ship. He couldn't wait for a ramp to open. He pondered his predicament for a moment, before deciding on the obvious choice of just crashing his ship through the other ship's body.

With a course of action decided, Thanos pushed the boosters to their highest capacity, and rammed straight into the hull of the Kree ship. There was an explosion, and Thanos feared his ship would need yet more repairs, but he was inside. He could hear the confused cries of several foot soldiers.

Wasting no time, Thanos jumped out of his damaged vehicle, and fired multiple energy blasts from his hands at their highest intensity. The soldiers who were blasted with the hot energy disintegrated immediately, and were not even able to utter any sounds.

Some more of Takhan's minions ran from around the corner, and also got a taste of the fury Thanos was feeling. After they were turned into dust particles, Thanos continued down the hall, raising his hands whenever another Kree appeared.

If one were to spot Thanos, they would think he was going for a peaceful stroll; he walked nonchalantly through the ship as if he owned the place, only ever pausing to blast more of the throwaway minions, or punching any that managed to get close. It was hard to tell which action a smaller corpse.

It feels good to be killing something again. Layla wouldn't approve, but I'm sure I can convince her it was a matter of self-defense. Now if only that wretched Takhan would show up; My hands twitch at the thought of getting to tear him to shreds.

Thanos didn't even bother to halt his thoughts when he blasted more of the vermin that crawled out of their holes. It wasn't a task that required much effort on his part, even with a broken arm. Getting further in the ship, Thanos expanded his telepathic reach to locate Layla and Takhan. If Layla was closer, he would consider leaving Takhan temporarily so that he could take her to safety, and then return to murder the Kree warlord in a brutal fashion.

As bad fortune would have it, it seemed that both of his goals were in complete opposite parts of the ship. This made his decision difficult.

I should go for Layla; It's the main reason I came here in the first place. But my bloodlust tells me to go for that dog!

Thanos grit his teeth, and slammed the wall with his good fist, leaving a dent in the steel frame. Making his decision, he turned – in Layla's direction.

Takhan could not believe his ears. His subordinates had let the human female escape? If these weren't his men, and if Thanos wasn't biting at is heels, he would laugh at the pathetic tale he was hearing. Takhan waved his arm, to let his men know that he wished for them to shut up.

"When I return, I will kill you both for this outrage," he said quietly, getting up from his throne and stalked out the door, smiling inwardly when he heard his two men gulp in fear. His main plan had hinged on using the Tesseract that was stored inside the girl. Still, he had a contingency plan.

Takhan strode towards a large, grey vault. Inputting the right combo, Takhan opened the large door, which groaned in protest due to rusty hinges that signified the lack of maintenance.

Recently, the Kree had come across something very valuable, and while Takhan hadn't planned on using it until much later, Thanos had forced his hand. The item was in a small, unassuming box of dark color that was located in the center of the otherwise empty room. The box was surrounded by a glass barrier that receded when Takhan pressed a button on his weapon.

When Takhan opened the box, a red light illuminated the room, causing the shadows to disperse in fear. The scarlet color danced on Takhan's face, before the Kree closed his fingers around the object.

Thanos, I will avenge my people. Their souls cry out to me, telling me to end your life! And with the help of this weapon, I will do so overwhelmingly!

After feeling the object's power flow through his veins, Takhan exited the room, not bothering to close the vault door behind him. Stepping inside one of the ship's many teleportation points. These were handy devices installed throughout various spots in the ship, for easy transport. You pinned in the co-ordinates of where you wanted to go, and the device warped you to the nearest teleportation point.

Thanos was apparently causing havoc in the lower levels, so Takhan ported to one of the warp points below. His hunch proved to be correct, since he could already hear the telling sounds of explosions, and shouts from his useless soldiers. Takhan pulled his purple-tinted sword from its sheath.

Layla was still running, not daring to even glance behind her for fear of slowing down or, Heaven forbid, trip like some useless horror film character. She also still held on to the buzzsaw, which she hadn't thought to drop. Besides, if it came down to a fight, she would need to defend herself.

I don't know how much longer I can keep running. But if I stop…. I can't think like that. I have to go on. Maybe I can find an escape pod that'll conveniently take me back to Earth. Yeah, right.

Layla's side started to grow painful, and she was forced to stop so that she could lean against the wall. Gasping for air, Layla slid down until she was completely sitting on the floor. Her legs refused to support her weight, and Layla couldn't bring herself to care much.

She was exhausted, cold, and scared. She didn't seem to have any allies around, or anywhere to even escape to. Lowering her head, Layla was quite tempted to weep, and she didn't see any reason not to.

So exhausted was she, that she had to question her own sanity when she heard her own name voiced uttered. Layla slowly lifted her head, but didn't see anyone. She sighed, annoyed that her wishful thinking had gotten her to hear things that weren't there.

Layla!

No, she didn't imagine that! Layla stood up, her head twisting around wildly, trying to spot whoever called her. But it was strange, she could hear the voice…but it almost echoed, as if it was bouncing around in her head. Her eyes widened.

It can't be. Is that you, Thanos?

For a tense moment, she waited, hoping that she wasn't having a breakdown. But then:

It is indeed me.

Layla could have kissed him, she was so overjoyed! She didn't even care that he probably heard that thought.

I'm not dreaming, right? This isn't some cruel trick of the mind? It's really you?

She "heard" Thanos chuckle, before he replied, I can assure you, I am as real as anything. I'm sure these Kree guards would attest to that, if they could.

His tone darkened then, as he remembered something.

They haven't hurt you, have they? If they have, I will not leave a single one of the wretches alive.

Layla winced; somehow, even after all this, she didn't like the idea of Thanos murdering people so callously. But she also couldn't bring herself to defend the Kree; they had almost cut her to ribbons. She didn't feel like coming to their aid at the moment.

I'm fine, honest. Are you on your way to where I am? Please tell me you are. She could somehow feel Thanos "nod" in the affirmative. Telepathy truly was hard to comprehend at times.

Yes, I am closing in on your brainwaves, like I would with a homing beacon. I should arrive in less than ten minutes. I would advise you to stay out of sight until then. With that, the mental connection was broken. Feeling rejuvenated, Layla continued her run, hoping to meet with Thanos even sooner.

Thanos thought it was a wonder that he was able to keep his mental voice emotion free. He had sensed her joy at being discovered, and this had made him feel…pride in himself, that he caused someone to feel such an emotion.

He also sensed her distress and fear, which renewed his anger at her captors. This was fine with him; in a battle, anger was the greatest weapon there was. And against Takhan, he wanted to be as angry as possible.

"Speak of the devil," Thanos muttered as Takhan appeared out of the shadows. Takhan was holding a purple sword, glowing with some kind of ethereal energy.

"How I have longed for our meeting," Takhan gushed, though his words radiated anything but happiness. Thanos got in a fighting stance, fists at the ready. He could blast Takhan – but he wished to feel the man's spine break under his own two hands.

"Then you have also longed for your death," Thanos growled. Takhan's face scrunched up with fury.

"I won't waste your time with words. Let us begin." Takhan lunged at Thanos, aiming to slice at the jugular. Thanos leaned away from the blow, and landed a punch on his opponent's shoulder. It was a glancing blow, however, and Takhan slid back far enough to avoid another immediate hit.

Takhan inhaled, before moving to jump behind Thanos. Anticipating this, he thrust his hand behind his back to grab at Takhan, without needing to turn his head. Instead of his prey, he ended up with a handful of the Kree's helmet.

Thanos threw it at Takhan, who used his sword to slice it in half. With a grunt of exertion, Takhan jumped high enough that he sailed over Thanos' head. Thanos reached up to grab the fool, but Takhan struck downwards with his blade, scratching the hand that aimed to pull him down.

"I will break that blade into pieces before your very eyes," Thanos growled. Takhan smirked, before running towards Thanos, thrusting his blade as if it was a rapier. Thanos evaded each stroke, but Takhan soon increased his speed until the sword seemed to leave a purple afterimage. Thanos prided himself on his speed, despite his considerable size and bulk, but the blade was impossible to dodge at such close range.

Thanos felt the sword slice his cheek, and he felt some warm blood travel down his face. He didn't bother to wipe it away; that would give Takhan an opening.

Besides, what was a battle without bloodshed?

"Titan, you could have grabbed my sword before it injured you. Oh, but you can't. Your arm seems a bit…worn down." Thanos mentally cursed, while keeping his face impassive. He didn't think that Takhan had noticed.

"I figured that giving you a handicap would please you, Takhan. Goodness knows how quickly this battle would end without it." Thanos grinned at Takhan, reveling at how the Kree's face contorted as he processed the Titan's words. Upon realizing the insult, the enraged Takhan lunged at Thanos once more, but Thanos was prepared; he kneed Takhan in the chest the moment the Kree landed in front of him.

To his surprise, the Kree didn't crumble to the ground; instead, he grabbed Thanos by the neck, and threw him to the ground. Takhan then attempted to stomp on Thanos' head, but the Titan managed to grab his foe's foot, causing the blue alien to join him on the ground.

"How did you do that?" Thanos growled, still staring at the ceiling. Kree were strong, but none of them had the body strength to lift someone as heavy as Thanos. It shouldn't have been possible.

"It's all thanks to a pretty little stone my men found on some remote planet. It almost looks like a ruby, but it is so much more than that." The Kree's voice had begun to sound breathy, as if he was enraptured by said gem.

Thanos was no fool who needed time to ingest information; the situation was becoming all too clear to him.

"The Power Stone." It wasn't a question; Thanos wasn't seeking verification. The scarlet Power Stone was one of the Infinity Gems, and it allowed the user to wield great strength. If one were to use it, their power would be tripled.

"Indeed. With this, I will have the power to end your life." Takhan stood up, dusting some imaginary dust off his royal garb.

"Such bold words. You must be overcompensating for your lack of ability." Thanos could tell that his words were affecting Takhan, which was good. An opponent who was too angry to think wasn't very dangerous.

"You should really thank me. Haven't you always wanted to join your beloved?" Takhan slid his sword back in its sheathe.

Standing up as well, Thanos replied, "My plans and intentions have shifted since then. Joining Lady Death isn't something I intend to do for a while yet." Takhan tossed his sword to the side, and raised his hands. Thanos was glad; if Takhan wanted to turn this into a combat of power, he would oblige.

Thanos grabbed his useless arm, and twisted it, accompanied by a sickening noise. He winced, but the fact that his arm would temporarily be usable made the pain worth it. It wasn't medically recommended, but would have to suffice for now.

The two massive fighters ran at each other, and began to whale on each other viciously. Fists connected to faces with great force, and the cracking of bones could be heard. Takhan karate chopped Thanos in the neck, hoping to break it. The effort was futile, but Thanos returned the favor by clubbing his opponent upside the head.

Takhan stepped back, but then lashed out his foot, connecting it with Thanos' leg, attempting to cause the larger being to fall. Thanos did fall to one leg, and Takhan brought his fist back to hit the Titan while he was down. Thanos smiled, and quickly raised an arm to blast Takhan dead in the chest. The Kree warlord was sent flying, until he crashed into a wall. He didn't get up.

"Don't get up, I'll come to you," Thanos said loudly, making his intentions known. The patter of footsteps brought his attentions to the door, away from his fallen adversary. Layla ran in the room, before stopping to rest her hands on her knees.

Looking up, her face brightened when she spied Thanos. Her body was covered in perspiration, and her brown hair clung to her face, no surprise considering what she had been through. Thanos squinted; was that a buzzsaw in her hand?

Even though Thanos wanted to stick around and make sure every last Kree was dead, seeing Layla had softened him up a tad.

Blasted feelings. Very well, I will take her home, and decide what to do from there.

Before he could move towards her, a figure appeared behind Layla. She slowly turned around, sensing the presence, and Thanos raised his arm to blast the figure, but he knew it'd be too late.

The figure was Takhan, and he had his sword raised. His face was smeared with blood, and one of his eyes wasn't looking straight anymore. Thanos could only watch as Takhan emitted an animalistic yell and lowered his sword towards Layla.

Chapter Text

His head was ringing, and he found it hard to focus on any of his thoughts. Thanos had used some kind of energy attack on him, and the blast's impact had been enough to project him across the spacious room they had been fighting in. He had hit his head against the wall, hard. His sight was also fuzzy in one eye.

Takhan raised his hand to check his face. It came back covered in blue blood. He knew that it was very likely that he had a concussion.

Damn you Thanos. Damn you to Hell.

Takhan ground his teeth together, and his fingernails dug into the ground hard enough that he was sure his head wouldn't be the only thing bleeding that day.

Takhan turned his head when his ears registered some kind of noise over on the other end of the room. The captive Terran female, the one who had escaped the clutches of his men, was in the room. She had just caught sight of Thanos.

It isn't fair. He has killed my people. My mother is dead, my subordinates are dead, and yet he has a woman?

Then a thought crossed Takhan's damaged mind.

I should take her away from him! I'll have him feel the pain I have felt before I kill him! I want to watch his face when I murder her, and keep watching his face when I then murder him!

Looking around, Takhan saw his discarded sword on the ground. Fortune was favoring him!

Takhan reached inside the crevice of his royal uniform, and grabbed the Power Stone. Willing it to grant his shaky legs new-found strength, Takhan stood up, and in a quick leaping movement, found himself behind the woman, whose name he had already dismissed from his mind.

The lady slowly turned her head to look at him, but Takhan was focused on drinking in Thanos' surprised expression. It looked very dumb on him, in Takhan's opinion.

Still, he had a very important job to do. He would get to look at the Titan's dismayed expression all he wanted later, but first…

Takhan lowered his sword, intending to embed in inside the woman's lower back. He felt his sword pierce flesh, and Takhan curled his lips into a grim smile, a look that promptly vanished when he got a better look at what had transpired.

The woman had managed to twist her body enough to try stab at him with an electronic saw that she must have snatched up somewhere on the ship. While she hadn't made contact with his skin, she had managed to deflect his sword enough that he had struck her left shoulder instead.

The female lowered to the ground, holding her shoulder. Her face radiated pain, and for a moment, Takhan was enraptured. Pain was something that had, in recent years, always gotten him fired up. It was a vice that he had never told anyone about, but he supposed the criminals he tortured knew about it.

Takhan reached out a hand to stroke her face, unable to stop himself from reacting to her pain and blood. As he extended his arm, a large hand grabbed it and squeezed. A few moments later, Takhan heard his arm break. The pain came seconds later.

Thanos saw red when Takhan brought his blade down on Layla. How DARE the bastard injure her? Crossing the space between them as fast as he could, Thanos grabbed Takhan's arm, and snapped it. Takhan opened his mouth to scream, but Thanos wouldn't give him the luxury. Delivering a solid blow to Takhan's face was just the beginning, as far as Thanos was concerned.

But first, he had to deal with Layla, who was kneeling on the ground. Getting down on one leg, Thanos inspected the wound. Seeing that Layla was almost in a state of shock, Thanos decided it would be easier to communicate telepathically.

Layla, if you can hear my thoughts, respond. He only had to wait a moment before he heard her "slurred" reply.

Thanos? It hurts. My shoulder, I mean. It's painful. Am I gonna be OK? Her thoughts were all confused and random, sometimes repeating themselves.

You'll be fine. It was only a flesh wound. I will attend to it once I deal with things. You have no need to be afraid anymore. He hoped he didn't sound too stiff; he was never good at reassurance.

Thanos stood up, but Layla grabbed his hand. She briefly moved it to her cheek.

I'm not. I'm not afraid anymore. Having you here has set my mind at ease. Her mind was still not at 100%, but those thoughts came out so pure and trusting that Thanos was tempted to embrace her that very moment. But he wouldn't, not in front of Takhan.

Reluctantly removing his hand from her hold, Thanos turned back to Takhan, who was fiddling around with the Power Stone, rubbing it against his purple sword.

"Hand over the stone, Takhan. I plan on killing you regardless, but this will make it easier on both of us." Takhan snarled, and continued to rub the stone on the flat of his blade, as if he was using it to wipe dirt off.

Thanos charged at the Kree, expecting him to engage in more hand-to-hand, but was surprised when Takhan instead dropped the Power Gem on the ground, and swiped his sword in an arc. It was a foolish gesture, since Thanos wasn't close enough for the sword to reach.

Thanos hadn't expected a red flash of light to escape from the sword and ram into him, forcing him to stop his charge, and raise his hands to protect himself. As soon as the light vanished, Thanos lowered his arms, spying the Kree looking pleased.

Had the Power Stone actually lent some of its power to the sword? Thanos hadn't even thought that was possible.

"Interesting, that you were able to transfer some of the stone's energy into your blade. It will not help you, however." Thanos raised a fist, charging up some of his energy in it. Takhan made a similar move, raising his sword in the air, where a maroon ball began to form at the tip.

Both combatants fired their powerful energy surges at each other, and the resulting explosion wasn't surprising, but still very impressive. There was enough backlash that the entire warship shook from the strain. Thanos and Takhan both shot off another blast, with the same conclusion.

"I guess this is a stalemate, eh?" Takhan rasped, his shoulders moving up and down from his heavy breathing. Thanos, even trying not to show it, had visible signs of growing weariness.

"Not quite," was Thanos' brief reply as he raised his fist again. Takhan smirked as he raised his sword, but the look was wiped off as a bolt of energy struck him in the chest.

"W-what? How were you able to strike me?" Thanos gave his opponent a pitying look.

Since our powerful attacks are leading us nowhere, I decided that it would be prudent to fire smaller bolts of energy. They have less strength than my larger ones, but can be expelled faster. But I have no reason to inform that scum.

Takhan bit his bottom lip, but traded that for a serene smile that Thanos did not like. "I guess I may not be able to kill you after all, Mad Titan. But I no longer wish to. I have better plans." Before Thanos could retort, Takhan swiped his sword, shooting another crimson flash, but his aim was pitiful; the blast radius wouldn't even come close to striking his target.

It took Thanos a split-second to realize that he wasn't the intended target. Turning around with a strong sense of urgency, he dove in front of Layla, shielding her with his body. As he anticipated, he was bombarded by a large explosion of heat.

"Oh my god!' Layla cried underneath him, grabbing the front of his armor and holding on tight, as the force from the explosion threatened to blow her away.

When the energy finally dissipated, Thanos cautiously stood back up. Layla, fortunately, had not been harmed in any way, though she looked shaken.

"You would dare? YOU WOULD DARE?" Rare were the times when Thanos felt nothing but hate and fury against an opponent, but this was one of those occasions. Takhan backed up in fear, before shouting back, "You brought this upon yourself, you monster! Killing so many of my people was your mistake! Now I will make you suffer to the depths of your soul!" Tears were streaming down Takhan's face now, giving Thanos the urge to gauge the Kree's eyes.

Thanos breathed out through his nose, before replying, "You're right; I did make a foul mistake." Takhan looked at Thanos in surprise, his mouth forming a perfect little circle.

"I made the mistake of letting many Kree survive my attack. I should have killed every single one of your disgusting race," Thanos finished, his voice getting darker with each word. Takhan roared, and ran towards Thanos.

"YOU MAY NOT SPEAK ABOUT MY PEOPLE IN SUCH A WAY!" Takhan raised his sword.

Ignoring Takhan's rage, Thanos strode forward and backhanded Takhan in the face as hard as possible, sending the Kree flying across the room once more. Takhan sat up, his lower jaw hanging grotesquely.

"Let me make this clear, Takhan. You may come after me and attempt to murder me as much as you desire, I care not. In fact, I welcome you to try." Thanos clenched his both fists, which were beginning to light up. Takhan stared back dumbly, blood dribbling down his mouth.

"But kidnapping Layla, like a damn coward, was your mistake. Injuring her has caused me great anger, Takhan. I will not make your death pleasant, and I hope you understand that with what is left of your brain." Takhan shakily stood up, making a moaning sound, attempting to say something.

"Do not even try. Even if you by some miracle managed to form words, they would hold no interest to me." Takhan, in a last-ditch move born of desperation, ran at Thanos, sword pointed forward as if he were in a jousting match.

Just before the sharp object could stab Thanos through the heart, the Titan grabbed the sword, feeling the edges cut his hand. Purple blood slowly dribbled down the sword, but Thanos ignored the fleeting pain. Squeezing his hand, Thanos broke the sword in half, and Takhan reacted like a frightened child, falling back and crying out more rubbish.

Flinging the shattered sword to the ground, Thanos knelt over Takhan. Without a word, he struck Takhan in the face. It felt satisfying, so Thanos did it again. He punched the Kree a third time, and then a fourth, and then a fifth.

Thanos continued to cause Takhan pain, like he had promised. The blows, which started out as solid punches, soon started to become wet, and splash effects echoed in the large room; Takhan had long since stopped crying out. A grim pleasure shot through Thanos' body, and that's when he knew that he wouldn't stop.

Until he felt a feather-light touch on his arm.

Layla couldn't sit by and watch anymore. She hated violence, and while she hadn't planned on trying to stop Thanos from murdering Takhan, seeing him get brutalized was more than she could stomach.

Her legs still felt weak and rubbery, but she managed to shakily stand up, before half-jogging to where Thanos was continuing his gruesome activity. She reached the Titan before her legs gave way, and grabbed his arm.

Thanos paused, and slowly turned around. She gave him a brief smile, before lowering her forehead to his arm.

"Please, stop. He doesn't deserve this, Thanos. I don't think anyone does." Thanos gave her a look of disbelief.

"Of course he deserves it. He would have murdered you, without even blinking. You do realize this, don't you?" Layla nodded, trying to keep her tears back. "And you did not mention your discomfort with me ending his life before," Thanos continued, his voice turning accusatory.

For a moment, her own conscience whispered that he was right, and she had no reason to stop him now. But even so… "You're right. I stayed quiet at first. I – I hated that man. But this isn't a killing, its torture! And Thanos, I don't like seeing you this way. That's not the person I fell in love with." The tears started to fall then, ad Thanos looked startled enough that he reached out to hold her.

"I did not realize that this affected you so," Thanos said, looking puzzled as to what he should do. "Do you really wish for me to spare him then?" Layla looked at Takhan, and then had to look away; his face was beyond repair, and almost past recognition. It was obvious he was dying anyway.

"No, I think killing him would be a mercy at this point. Just….make it quick, OK?" Thanos nodded affirmation, before instructing her gravely, "Layla, look away. You won't want to see this." Understanding, Layla turned around, also covering her ears.

Kneeling back down, Thanos grabbed Takhan's head between his two large hands, and twisted.

Takhan was in a state between life and death. He knew his life was ending, and he was OK with it. He no longer wished to be part of this world. He had tried, and failed, to avenge his murdered comrades and family. For his efforts, he hoped he could go somewhere where he could be in peace.

In the distance, a black dot slowly came into focus, turning into a womanly figure. The figure somehow seemed familiar.

Takhan's eyes widened. "Mother?" The figure smiled kindly at him, and held out her hand. Takhan paused, before grinning and taking that hand. It was warm.

Bright white light engulfed both him and the figure, and Takhan knew peace.

The deed was done. Any satisfaction Thanos felt he should have received was overwhelmed by…something else he had felt when Layla had burst into tears. He didn't ever want to see her do that again, especially not because of an action he did.

Layla had wiped her eyes, probably embarrassed by her tears. "I'm fine now, honest. It's been a long day." Thanos hesitated, before placing a hand on her shoulder. Cutting the tender moment short was the glint of the Power Stone, which had rolled out of Takhan's hand.

Kneeling down in front of it, Thanos was tempted to crush the wretched thing under his heel. He no longer wished to collect the gems anyway. The rational part of his mind, however, informed him that the gems could assist him in removing the Tesseract from Layla. Fighting the urge to destroy it, Thanos placed it in a secret compartment in his glove. Standing back up, he addressed Layla.

"That it has. Unless you have further business here, I suggest we head back home." Layla smiled a beautiful smile at him, showing her approval, and the two went off to find the ship that Thanos had crashed.

Luckily, the damage was minor compared to the last crash landing Thanos had endured. Giving the ship a quick look-around, Thanos almost didn't hear Layla ask, "That's weird. I wonder where all the guards are?" Coughing, Thanos quickly informed her that the ship was all ready to go, and after helping her board the ramp, Thanos sat at the controls.

The front of the ship had two seats, and Thanos was only too pleased to "allow" Layla to stay next to him, as he explained the controls to her, for lack of anything better to say to cut the silence.

Look at me now; making small talk to fill the void. I used to have no patience for people who did that. I may have to reevaluate my stance on the matter.

About half-an-hour later, Earth could be seen from the windows, rapidly expanding as they moved in closer. Layla laughed, before admitting, "It's so nice to see Earth again. There were a few moments I wondered if I'd ever see it again."

"There was never any doubt I'd take you back to your planet," Thanos reprimanded stiffly. Layla gave him an amused look.

"Well, yeah, it's easy to say that in hindsight," she said teasingly. Thanos shrugged, deciding that arguing with her wouldn't be beneficial.

Thanos attempted to make the landing as soft and quiet as possible, so as not to wake the neighbors. Unfortunately, an extremely loud crunching noise greeted them; it sounded like a large tin can being crushed! Layla and Thanos exchanged glances.

"I had better go see what that was," Thanos muttered. Layla stretched her arms before getting up to follow him. As Thanos stepped out the door and down the ramp, he paused when he remembered who he had left in the area. Layla bumped into him.

"Thanos? Why'd you stop?" she asked, before peering around him. Her eyes widened as she recognized the figured blocking their path. "The Avengers?"

Their leader, Iron Man, stepped forward. "You got lucky last time, Thanos, skipping out on us like that. This time will be different; I'm not resting until you're on a maximum security holding cell 500 miles underground. "

"You can make this easy, or hard, and most of us are hoping you choose the latter," Captain America added, and Thor smacked his hammer against his palm to emphasize his point.

"T-this wasn't the homecoming I was expecting," Layla whispered.

Chapter Text

Layla had never seen the Avengers up close before. She had seen them all the time on the news, but seeing them in person was a completely different experience. Normally, she'd be thrilled that such famous heroes had visited her small town, but the way Iron Man was pointing his large finger at them had her nervous.

On that note, Iron Man's armor was a lot bigger than she remembered from TV. It was around the size of the Hulk (which she could properly gauge, since the green giant was right beside him).

"We've been waiting, Thanos. Let the hostage go, and we can finish this. As you can see, I came prepared for our next encounter. I call her Veronica." Mr. Stark's voice boomed through whatever speaker system his larger armor had.

Beside her, Thanos growled. "I'm impressed you all had the nerve to remain. However, you will find that even your most impressive toys will not be able to stop me." Layla gazed at Thanos; even though he was trying to hide it behind bravado, he was exhausted and beat-up. His face and parts of his body had blood on them, and one of his arms was heavily bruised, at the very least. He was in no condition for another battle!

She jumped in front of Thanos, stretching out her arms to the side, weakly aware that she would make a horrible shield, since Thanos was both taller and wider. Hawkeye slightly lowered his bow, but Iron Man and Widow held their weapons up. The Hulk looked like he was barely holding himself back, clenching and unclenching his fists. His breathing materialized as white mist, reminding Layla how cold it was.

"Ma'am, please step aside," Captain America urged as Thanos growled, "Layla! Get out of the way." She shook her head.

"Please, wait. Here me out. I'm not a hostage or a victim of Thanos. In fact, he just saved my life." The Avengers looked surprised (or at least the ones who weren't wearing helmets did), and Hawkeye and Widow exchanged glances.

"He saved me from the Kree, I swear. He didn't do anything wrong." Mentally, she realized that she wasn't being completely honest; Thanos did murder Takhan, after all. It wouldn't do any good to mention that right now, though.

"How can we trust you?" Stark's voice boomed out of the robot again. "Do you have any proof?" Behind him, Clint raised his bow again.

"How do we know that Thanos isn't using his telepathy to control you, for that matter?" Layla felt Thanos stiffen.

"How dare you? I have no need to prove myself to the liked of you, and I would surely not use my power for a reason as petty as having someone lie for me." Layla winced; an offended Thanos wouldn't be good.

"I, um, don't have any proof on me. But if you use your satellite, you'll see a Kree ship somewhere out there. It's basically destroyed, but the remains should be up there." She held her breath as Iron Man held up a hand, signaling for silence.

A few moments later, his helmet retracted, showing the handsome face of Tony Stark, looking sheepish. "OK, that part checks out; there is an alien spacecraft that, apparently, has a huge, ship-sized hole in it." Layla let a relieved grin play on her face before Stark added, "But! Even if your crazy story about Thanos going out of his way to save your life is true, it doesn't erase all the other many crimes he's committed. Sorry, but we still have to take him in." Captain America nodded at that, and Hawkeye gave a relieved grin himself as he readied his bow once more.

"Enough. There will be no battle today." A calm, almost melodic voice floated through the night air, cutting right through the tension that had been building. Layla turned her head to locate the source of the voice, so that she could the man, but she couldn't see anyone – at least, not until she looked up.

Thanks to Thanos, she had seen some strange things, but this would take the cake. There was a man, slowly descending from the sky, his cape billowing behind him. His curly hair was blonde, but so deeply colored that it resembled gold – which was the same shade his skin was! In the dark night, there should have been no way for her to make all those details out, except he also seemed to be glowing in the same way that angels did in the movies. Somehow, she felt awed in his presence, and judging from the hush from the Avengers, so did they.

Thanos sighed behind her. "Warlock," he grumbled under his breath. He sounded annoyed, but….there was something else there too, under the surface. Layla wasn't good at reading between the lines, but it was obvious that Thanos was familiar with this Warlock person.

Warlock landed on the ground, not making a single noise. He gazed around, before his eyes landed on Layla. His eyebrow briefly lifted in curious surprise, before turning to address the Avengers.

"I understand that you wish to have Thanos atone for the sins he has committed. However, I am here to inform you that, for now, that cannot be allowed, or at least not in the way you had planned." Captain America crossed his arms.

"Just who are you? We're not about to listen to a stranger, especially not one who might be in cahoots with Thanos. Mind giving us your name?" Warlock gave a strange little smile at that, as if he found the idea of working with Thanos amusing.

"My name is Adam Warlock. You may have come to the conclusion that I am not from this planet, and you would be correct in thinking so. I am not a human, and thus, I have cosmic awareness that lets me know things that ordinary beings would not. And I say that Thanos must remain free." Layla was already beginning to like the stranger, even if his reasoning seemed incredibly vague.

"You've got to be kidding. I don't know about the others, but some nutjob dressed like he's living in the 80s won't stop me!" Hawkeye fired a round of arrows at Thanos, who shoved Layla behind him. It didn't matter; Adam raised his hands, and a strange, green energy dematerialized the arrow.

"As I said, that cannot be allowed," the ever-patient Warlock reprimanded. "But if you require more official reasons, I believe SHIELD will give you a call momentarily." As if on cue, Widow tapped the com-link in her ear, as if she had just been contacted.

"Sir? Are you -? Of course sir." Widow, looking mildly perturbed, gave Hawkeye a sympathetic look. "That was Nick Fury. He's ordering us back to base. Apparently, Thanos gets to go scot-free, and his crimes have been temporarily pardoned. Don't ask me why, I couldn't tell you." Tony sputtered, but that was nothing compared to Hawkeye, who had an enraged look on his face.

"I don't care! There is no way that I'm letting Thanos, FREAKING THANOS, get away after everything he's done. We don't even know if that's Nick Fury talking! He might be manipulated like that floozy hanging with Prune Face!" Hawkeye's final words ended in a squeak as Thanos grabbed the archer by the front of his costume.

"You would do well to consider your tone when you address Layla, especially in my presence," Thanos warningly growled, his face inches from Hawkeye's. The other Avengers quickly tensed, but Thanos merely dropped the Hawkeye on the ground. Hawkeye glared at the Titan, but otherwise didn't say anything else.

"I assure you, I have no ill intent," Warlock serenely continued as if nothing had happened. "And for that matter, I suspect that neither does Thanos. I believe he has found something else to occupy his time." With another small, knowing smile, Warlock nodded at Thanos, who scowled.

"At the moment, my only 'plans' are to remain here, keeping my presence hidden from other humans," he grudgingly admitted. Walking back to Layla, he snarled back at Warlock, "But don't think you have me all figured out. I would also prefer that you stop interfering with my affairs. Of course, I know you won't cease your meddling; you never do."

"But why Thanos?" Captain America had apparently decided to get more info out of Adam, who seemed only happy to oblige. The alien closed his eyes, as if better focusing on his answer.

"I work for powers you cannot even fathom, and they sense that Thanos will play an important role in the future, one that bears great cosmic importance. His destiny and mine have always been linked, and so shall it stay." Hawkeye laughed, holding his stomach as he bent forward.

"Oh man, so you're saying Thanos might be the key to saving the universe or something? I hate all this cosmic garbage." Thanos didn't seem any more pleased to Layla.

"Warlock, surely you jest. I have no interest in saving the cosmos, or working for your benefactors." Warlock shrugged.

"It is not my place to question the powers that be." Smiling, he reached out a hand towards Thanos. "That reminds me, I was also given a secondary mission. I was to ask that you hand over the Power Stone that you recently acquired from the Kree." Layla was surprised; how could Warlock already know about that.

"Word travels fast." Muttering, Thanos reached inside a compartment in his armor, fishing out the glimmering gem, hesitating slightly before placing it in Warlock's waiting palm.

"I would have fought you to the death for it not too long ago, but I find that I don't yearn for it now." Thanos sounded almost surprised.

Warlock gave Layla another glance, one that only held warmth in it. "I believe that is because, in a sense, your hunger has been quenched." Before Thanos could ground out a reply, Warlock had somehow stepped off the ground, slowly floating into the sky.

"Farewell." With a parting nod, he accelerated up into the sky, until he was out of view, indistinguishable from the stars that inhabited the night.

Hawkeye threw his bow down in disgust, shrugging off Captain America when the hero tried to place a consoling hand on the archer's shoulder. Layla felt somewhat guilty, feeling like she was somewhat responsible for whatever pain he was feeling.

"We can take a hint," Mr. Stark informed Thanos. "But don't think we won't be watching you, especially since we now know where you'll be shacking up. If you try anything…" He left the threat hanging in the air, and Layla was relieved that Thanos didn't take the bait.

"Very well," was his frosty response. "It's only fair, considering the activities I've monitored you doing." Layla was pretty sure he was bluffing. She would know if he had been spying on the Avengers….right?

The Avengers piled up into their jet, and with a loud boom from their thrusters, they were gone, headed back to their base in New York City. Layla had always wanted to visit, but she suspected that it wouldn't be in good taste to go now.

"Let's head inside," Thanos quietly suggested. "It has been a long day, and I need to properly bandage your wound." She had forgotten about her wound. Nodding absently, Layla followed him inside. It was only when she hanged up her coat that the events of the day fully hit her.

Had everything that occurred – the kidnapping, Thanos fighting Takhan, the Avengers arriving, Adam Warlock – really only happened in the course of a few hours? Even her forgotten wound began to sting; Thanos had made a makeshift bandage out of cloth to stop the bleeding when they were in his ship, but he hadn't had the proper resources then.

Shaking a bit from delayed fright, Layla sat down on the bed in her room, removing her sweater so that Thanos could have better access to her shoulder. She averted her eyes when he removed the red-stained cloth; blood wasn't something she liked to see, especially her own.

"This might sting," Thanos warned before pressing a wet cotton swab against the wound; she hissed, and automatically tried to jerk away. Thanos had a tight grip, however, keeping her immobile. To her surprise, she could see him wince.

"I apologize. I don't believe I have the proper bedside manner for this," Thanos forced out through gritted teeth, apologizing being foreign to him. Somehow, it just made him all the more endearing to her.

"No, no. It's not your fault," Layla reassured him, before wincing again at another stab of pain. "But, um, maybe you could distract me by telling me who Adam Warlock is." Thanos looked like he was about to decline, when he sighed in a resigned way.

"Very well, but only for you. I will have to ask that you tell no one what I am about to tell you." Layla nodded rapidly, wincing when it caused her wound to ache. She fisted at the blue polka-dotted quilt, feeling it crumple between her fingers.

"Adam Warlock is a very….unusual being. He was born from a cocoon." Layla grinned at him, but his look suggested that he was completely serious.

"When he was born, somehow, one of the Infinity Gems, the Soul Gem, fastened itself to his forehead. On my quest to collect all the gems, I wound up coming to blows with him. This repeated many times; somehow, he managed to survive more than one encounter with me." Layla could almost feel the grudging respect in Thanos' voice as he reminisced.

"Still, that wouldn't last; eventually, I did kill him, gaining possession of the stone. However, it was only a short time later that he managed to kill me, so I suppose that made us even." Layla gasped after the first sentence, and almost did so again during the second. Thanos gave her a bemused look.

"Death means little to one such as Warlock, and Lady Death allowed me to live again," Thanos explained, answering her unasked question. "I suppose she really wanted to be rid of me." Some bitterness crept back into his voice, but not nearly as much as there might have been a few weeks ago.

"After that, surprisingly enough, we found ourselves working together on more than one occasion. I must admit, he can be very adequate in a fight, and some of his abilities are impressive. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to pry into my affairs, and he always disapproved of my search for the gems."

Layla, absorbing all the info, let a grin appear on her face. "Sounds like Warlock was the closest thing you had to a friend." Thanos sputtered, but somehow didn't lose control of his hands, which were applying a fresh line of gauze on her wound.

"Him? Don't be absurd, Layla. If we were anything, it was reluctant partners, and only when it suited me." Layla carefully shrugged, her physical way of saying, "If you say so."

His work done, Thanos sat back to see his handiwork. He let out a satisfied grunt, before attempting to slide off the bed; Layla grabbed his wrist.

"If not Warlock, then…am I your closest friend? Or…" Layla felt the words escape her mind as she wrestled with how to proceed forward; they had almost made an important step, before the whole mess with the Kree happened.

"I…do not know. What happed before….was of an impulsive nature. Layla, you need to consider this very carefully." He looked at his hand, crushing it into a fist. "I am a monster, Layla. I have used these hands to kill hundreds. I am not handsome, and I do not know if I could always show you the affection that humans crave so much." Layla shook her head, feeling sad for the man who was obviously putting himself down.

She put her hand on his, bringing it to her lips. "I don't care about your past, and I don't think you look quite as ugly as you think, either. And to be perfectly frank, I don't think I'm content to consider it any further. I've been doing that for way too long." She placed both her hands between his head, forcing him to look at her.

Before he could change his mind, she moved closer, placing her lips on his rough ones. The room they were in vanished from her mind; all she could sense was him, the way his lips felt touching hers, the warmth of his breath, and his large hand, which had moved on one of hers, keeping it connected to his face.

When she had to disconnect for air, she did so reluctantly. She hadn't even realized that she had been holding her breath. Her chest was heaving, and she could hear the blood rushing through her veins, but it was a different adrenaline than the one she felt when the Kree were chasing her. This feeling was pleasant.

"Layla," Thanos whispered, before taking the initiative and kissing her again, harder and with more movement this time. Layla closed her eyes; she didn't want this moment to end. She wanted to stay like this for the rest of the night, just the two of them, together.

Chapter Text

When he kissed her, it took him a few seconds to register; he was momentarily in shock, and in the midst of savoring the moment. Layla's lips were soft, so very soft. He feared that his kissing skills were rusty; it had been many years since he had been with a single female, and even then, not one that gave him such intense feelings.

Not wanting to hurt her, he responded to her action as gently as possible, barely moving his mouth. Almost subconsciously, he moved his hand over her smaller one, which was on his cheek. He didn't want to let go, but he could soon sense her need for oxygen.

As they parted, he took note of the blush on her face, and the rapid pounding of her heart. She had enjoyed it; this somehow made him feel pride in his actions, and after murmuring her name, was spurred to action once more, pressing his lips harder against hers. She let out a small moan, muffled inside his mouth.

Not wanting to seem inferior to any potential past lovers, Thanos used his tongue to the best of his ability, eyes closed in concentration. She ran her hands down his shoulders and down his arms, which began to encircle her. So lost in the activity they were that he didn't notice them descending until he found that she was laying on her back, staring up at him.

Regaining some of the sense he had lost, Thanos coughed into a fist. "I believe we got… carried away. If you do not wish to continue, now is the time to speak your mind." He absently licked his bottom lip, making sure to get Layla's taste committed to memory; it was a sweet taste, like some exotic fruit that he had never dreamed of. He wondered if it would become addicting.

"Stop?" She seemed offended at the very idea. "Trust me; I didn't start this tonight only to have you stop. I'm not some indecisive teenage girl. If I don't want to go all the way, I'll say so." Her forwardness was actually quite a relief. As much as he wanted to respect her wishes, the truth of the matter was that he very much wanted to continue with their activities; her earlier touches had caused his body to react in ways it hadn't for an extended period.

Standing up, he began to remove his shirt, not missing how Layla ogled him, his reward for having such a fit body. He had never given it much thought before, but he supposed it was a perk of his Titan physique. He briefly had the idea to simply tear off the cumbersome clothing, but he had to keep in mind that it wasn't technically his. She, in turn, began to fumble with her own clothing, and he respectfully turned around to continue removing his pants.

Layla just knew that her cheeks were lighting up like a lava lamp when Thanos lifted his shirt over his head; his purple body resembled an old Greek statue, but far bigger. In its own way, it was intimidating – but she also wanted to know what it felt like. She wanted to run her hands down his biceps, and kiss her way down his chiseled chest.

She brought her hands to her face. Even in her youth, she had never had thoughts as racy as those. If Thanos was reading her mind now, he was doing a good job of not reacting. Of course, he was always pretty stoic in any situation.

Seeing as how it wasn't fair for Thanos to be the only one losing articles of cloth, Layla slowly began to remove her own top, flinching when the cold air nipped at her skin. Only her pink bra remained, but she held off on it by changing her focus to her skirt (the same one she had been wearing since school that morning, which now seemed like a lifetime ago), methodically unzipping the back, and letting it fall to the ground.

She had already decided that this is what she wanted to do. She could feel goosebumps appear over her arms, a mixture of the winter season and the butterflies in her stomach. Looking up, she yelped and took a step back from Thanos, who had silently moved only a few steps in front of her.

She couldn't stop her eyes from quickly glancing down, wondering what she would find. She had accidentally walked in on him naked before, but she truly hadn't seen much.

Oh. Oh wow.

He was big. He was really big. Her heart began to pound away; was THAT was she was going to do it with? Thanos spotted her obvious reaction, letting out an insufferable smirk. "I always assumed I was much more of a man than any male on this planet, and I suppose I was correct."

She didn't bother arguing, and she managed to restrain from rolling her eyes at his male machismo. With Thanos being completely naked, it was time for her to bare everything as well. With a deep breath, she unbuckled the clasp holding her bra together, before sitting down on the edge of the bed, not meeting Thanos' gaze.

"If you are concerned, I assure you, I will be as gentle as possible," Thanos murmured, almost uncharacteristically gentle as he cupped her face with his large hands to lean his forehead against hers.

"It's not you, it's just….it's been a few years since I did anything like this. I don't know if I'm out of practice, or something like that." She saw Thanos frown for a moment, most likely regarding the fact that she basically confirmed that she had been with a man in the past. It was a brief look, though, as a more contemplative look took over his features.

"I believe I know a way to cut through some of the tension." Before she could ask what he meant, he slid the palm of his hand down her back. He did it very slowly, deliberately, before starting over again. It was nice…his hand was so warm.

She opened her mouth, but his voice rang in her head. Don't. It will far better to speak mind to mind. I know of a calming technique that involves exploring your partner's body. I have never had the chance to test it out, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

Oh. She understood. It was a way to get more comfortable with each other. Foreplay, almost. Biting her bottom lip, she took the plunge, running a hand down his strong chest. She could feel his heart beating, which was somehow calming; she wasn't the only one here who was nervous.

Seeing her in little more than undergarments did some very interesting things to his body, and seeing her wearing nothing….. Thanos prided himself in the fact that he always had complete control of his mind and body, but there was no stopping the thoughts scrambling through his mind, or the reactions in his chest.

The feelings were almost overwhelming in their intensity, and yet, they weren't unpleasant in the slightest. His mind wasn't so fogged over that he missed the brief look of apprehension in her eyes. He knew that most humans considered sex a large step, one not advisable to take lightly. It was possible that she was of two minds about it.

Fortunately, he had done some research in such matters (not that he would ever admit to it even under the harshest of torture). He knew of ways to calm a partner down, and it would still be pleasing to both. Unfortunately, it required patience, something he didn't have in abundance.

Mentally explaining his intentions, he cautiously ran his hand down her back, feeling the vulnerable spine underneath it. Humans were so fragile; there were so many things in this world that could kill Layla. But that was why he was here; he would protect her, keep her safe. The thought of death anywhere near Layla was much less appealing than it once was.

His musings were cut off by the light touch on his pectoral, sliding down his chest in a comforting motion. A small, carnal growl escaped his throat as he felt her fingers sliding patterns on his stomach; an enjoyable buzzing sensation followed her fingers wherever they deigned to travel.

Two could play that game; his left hand slid down her stomach, settling on her thighs; his other played with her long hair, something he did not have. It felt like silk, and he wondered if all human hair felt like that, or if it was a feature exclusive to Layla. He heard her let out a small gasp.

I would hear you say my name in such a manner. He almost hadn't realized that he had sent her that thought, but he knew she must have heard it when she blushed. It only made her all the more attractive.

She keened as he rubbed a large finger against her entrance. Her hips moved against his hand, seeking the release that he could give her. But he had to admit, teasing her was fun, and also very erotic. His smirk vanished from his face when he felt her slender fingers grasp his erect cock. He supposed he deserved it, but blast it all, she wasn't even stroking so much as lightly touching. It felt pleasant, but that was all.

As enjoyable as this activity was, he could feel his patience growing thin, and he could practically hear Layla's lust growing, as her apprehension faded away. Tentatively, he brought his mouth to her smaller one, and she replied with a passionate kiss that he hadn't expected. Obviously, she had gotten over any reservations.

Gently, he shoved her down on the bed, moving over her, keeping all his weight on both arms, which were besides Layla's head. He didn't wish to crush her when love-making (a term he found hard to use even in his head, and yet, what other term better fit the situation?) If he were to let go of all caution during the act, he feared he could accidentally kill her.

She smiled at him, and slowly tilted her head to kiss his neck. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, giving her more access.

Laying her head back on the fluffy pillow, Layla exhaled, before locking eyes with Thanos. The hand he used to caress her face stilled when she said three words.

"I love you."

Her mind was hazy, and her face was as hot as it had ever been. Thanos knew what he was doing; his technique had truly worked to relax her. Her muscles that had been tense managed to loosen up. As Thanos lay her down and looked at her from above, it struck her once more how large he was, but instead of fear, she felt reassurance. Even his face didn't hold any menace.

As he ran a hand down her cheek, words were born in her heart, and reached the tip of her tongue, where they demanded to be set free. "I love you." Only three words, but they were sacred, and had an effect on Thanos. She felt her face light up, almost regretting the impulsive statement.

He gazed down at her, looking almost uncomprehendingly confused for a few moments, the words not having reached him yet. As he absorbed the words, and their full meaning, his face seemed to light up. He brought her close to him, in a tight embrace that almost hurt, but not quite.

"I still can't understand, how someone as beautiful and radiant and kind as you can love a monster like me. By all rights, the universe should have punished me for my various deeds, and instead, I have been gifted with someone who deserves far better." He whispered the words into her ear, but she could simultaneously feel the words echo in her mind.

"Oh yes," she shot back jokingly. "I'm totally settling for someone who has literally hung out with gods, and has enough power to take on the Hulk and Thor." Less sarcastically, she added, "I felt the same way, you know. That I was underneath you, that you couldn't notice a simple human like me." She had wondered what he saw in a normal person like her, but now she supposed it was the normalcy, possibly, that attracted him.

She leaned back, to look him in the face. "I think it's both time we stopped berating ourselves, don't you think?" He paused, before nodding and murmuring, "Of course." Kissing him again, she closed her eyes, letting the feelings and pleasure wash over her as they began to heatedly consummate their relationship.

Thanos growled as her heat engulfed him. Gods, had it really been so long? This felt as pleasurable as his first time, and Layla was twice as responsive as any female he had been with. He gave a few shallow, experimental thrusts, and she moaned for each one. Her hands were scrabbling on his back, seemingly trying to find a purchase. Deciding that she was ready, he gave a larger thrust. She arched her back, and perhaps slightly embarrassed at the noises she made, lightly bit Thanos in the neck.

Though he felt no pain and knew it wouldn't leave a mark, he bit his lip at the surprising amount of pleasure such a simple act brought him. His self-control left him, and he began to pound into her a roughly as he dared. She held onto him for dear life and the bed began creaking. The next minutes were a blur, filled with panting and moans and bodies sliding against each other.

After he had caused her to reach orgasm a few times, he felt himself grow close. But he wanted her to reach her peak once more.

"Layla," he ground out between clenched teeth. She looked at him with glazed over eyes, and he forgot what he had planned to say as he kissed her, hard. That broke the dam, and she clenched around his cock as she came. He broke; as the ultimate pleasure washed over him, he roared, feeling his essence enter her body. And at that moment, he knew he was ruined forever. There was no way he could ever leave her now.

She felt sore, but not in a bad way. That was the first thing she thought when her brain informed her that it was time to get up. She blinked her eyes open, trying to adjust to the sunlight streaming in. She must have forgotten to set the alarm, but she could always count on her internal clock to get her up in time to get dressed, eat, and head over to the school.

Still, it was hard to leave the firm, purple pillow she was on. She was just so tired, and –

Her half-asleep brain slammed awake as she remembered the events of the previous night. Her face turned red once again, something she would have to learn to stop one day. It all came rushing back, including the part where she ended up falling asleep on top of Thanos, due to the fact that her bed wasn't wide enough for both of them to sleep comfortably on. As it was, his legs hung out from the foot of the bed.

She tried to slowly get up, as not to wake him, but found that she was held back by a muscular pair of arms fastened around her body.

"Ah, you're awake," Thanos breathed into her ear, chuckling when she yelped in surprise. Annoyed slightly by the smug look on his face, she gave his shoulder a small slap, one he probably didn't even feel.

"Don't scare me like that," she scolded. She couldn't stay upset for long with the toothy grin he gave her.

In just one night, her life had changed once again, and there was no going back. But as she lay there with her alien lover, the sun shining down on them, she knew she wouldn't want to head back anyway. Life was perfect right now.

Chapter Text

He woke up slowly, savoring the final fleeting bits of sleep. He could not remember the last time he had slept so soundly. He knew the cause, and she was slumbering in his arms, which were protectively wrapped around her.

He couldn't help but let a small grin play on his face as he remembered the activity from the previous night. It wasn't so much the pleasure that he received as what he was able to get Layla to feel that made him look back so fondly.

He gently moved some hair out from in front of her face, and her eyelids twitched in response. She gave a soft moan before gradually getting up. He could almost see the cogs in her head turning, before gleefully letting her know that he was awake by whispering into her ear.

"Ah, you're awake." She jumped in his lap, before hitting him on the shoulder and chiding him for frightening her. He chuckled, watching as her features calmed down.

As she moved to get off the bed, she winced. Thanos had a lot of stamina, and in his quest to please her, had taken her at least five times the previous night. He had been gentle for her sake, but he wondered if that was enough.

"Are you in pain?" She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, before giving him a thumbs up. It came off more comically than she had probably intended, partially because she had her blouse only half-on.

"I ache a bit, but…how do I explain this? It doesn't hurt in a bad way. It's a satisfying pain, I guess. Does that sound weird?" He shrugged, not knowing what the proper human etiquette was for such matters.

More importantly, there was something he very much wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure if the question would come across as too forward. Still, he was never one to tread lightly.

"How was it?" When she gave him a questioning look, he specified, "How was I last night? I suppose I'm a bit anxious to hear an evaluation of my abilities." He wondered if he had gotten rusty – but no, Layla had seemed receptive enough.

She blushed, but managed not to look away as she laid a hand on his thigh. "You'll be happy to know that you did just fine, much better than any of my old boyfriends, especially the ones who were more concerned with pleasing themselves. That said, if I had to describe it in one word, overkill comes to mind. But I think it's better to go all out; I wouldn't want you to go at it half-baked." Thanos mentally sighed with relief, while also balancing a hatred for her "boyfriends". He dearly hoped to meet them face to face one day.

His main concern out of the way, Thanos relaxed on the bed, hands behind his head. It was shaping up to be a pleasant day already.

She had been surprised and flustered when she was asked that intimate question, but she had no reason not to give a straight reply. Since he asked, she decided it would be fair for him to answer it himself.

"How about you? Did you come out of it satisfied?" She was pretty sure that he had enjoyed it; during their passionate lovemaking, she had apparently gotten him to lose control, to the point where some of his stray thoughts beamed themselves into her mind. It was mostly rambles, about her, and she was proud that she got the normally stoic Thanos to do that.

In response to her question, Thanos sat up on the bed, resting his back on the headboard. It was a miracle that it only creaked a bit.

"It was the best I've ever had. No one else has even come close." He said it so seriously that Layla could feel her cheeks heating up yet again. I really need to stop doing that.

"I've never felt like that with anyone else, but of course, I didn't feel the same way about them as I feel for you. I never thought that sex could feel so…intense. Emotions are such a complicated thing, but perhaps I can get used to them, if it's with you." The look he was giving her was one of exaltation and adoration; it was touching, and also a tad frightening. She knew that his obsession had driven Death away; she wasn't sure if she wanted a lover who worshipped the ground she stepped on. It was a frightening thing, having a boyfriend who would, if she deigned to ask for it, would try to retrieve the moon for her. She would have to address that later.

"Despite the lengthy intercourse we had, I still desire you," Thanos admitted, almost sheepish in a way that only he could be, and she knew he wasn't bluffing judging by the way the blanket tented. Layla loudly sighed in mock exasperation, but in complete honesty, it was the same for her. Aching body be damned, she wouldn't object to another go. She supposed that was what newlywed couples felt like.

"Mmm, tempting, but I need to get to school in less than two hours." The sun was causing the room to grow brighter and brighter, a sure sign that her students were beginning to wake up themselves. She moved to the windows and flicked open the blinds, peering outside. A single man was walking his small dog.

Two large arms wrapped around her, and she felt hot breath pour down her neck. She arched her neck as Thanos kissed the back of it, and leaned her back against his heated chest.

"I promise it'll be brief, and I'll personally make sure you arrive at your school in time." It was far too tempting to resist, and Thanos hadn't broken a promise to her yet.

"OK, OK, you win, oh insatiable one!" she laughed, before turning around to kiss him on the cheek, which was only possible when she stood on her toes and he bent down. "But this bed is way too small; I have to buy a new one." Thing is, that would take way too long. Brainstorming, she came up with what she thought was a pretty good plan considering how last second it was.

"Never mind, just bring the bed from my room, and we'll push the two together." Thanos nodded, giving her a quick squeeze before exiting the room. As Layla followed him, she couldn't help but run her eyes over his lower half. Despite their activities the previous night, she hadn't had much of a chance to look.

In Layla's room, Thanos picked up her bed with one hand and held it over his shoulder. She could tell the behemoth was just showing off, although at this point, it wasn't very impressive.

"You know, I've seen you do much cooler things than that," she teased. Thanos grunted, shifting the bed so that he could grin at her.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Layla hoped the neighbors ignored the loud crashing noise Thanos made when he dropped the bed unceremoniously down beside the other one. Still, messy or not, the two beds were joined together, so as far as she was concerned, it was mission accomplished.

"I've done as you requested, madam." Thanos mock-bowed at Layla, and made a sweeping motion towards the bed. "Will I receive some form of reward or payment for my services?" It only took a few seconds of confusion before what he was doing registered in Layla's mind.

Oh. Ohhhhhhh. So that was his game.

"Hmm," Layla hummed in what she hoped was a self-important, pompous tone. "You have done admirably, this time. Yes, perhaps there is something I can do that will show my gratitude." Slipping off the clothing she had just recently put on, she pressed the palms of her hands against Thanos and lightly pushed him down on the bed, conscious that she was only able to because he let her.

She could spend all day in bed with Thanos, warm as they huddled under the covers and maxed out with bliss. Having breakfast in bed sounded like an amazing idea in her mind.

Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't spend any time indulging in the post-coital haze. Springing up from the bed and dashing to the closet, she managed to brush her hair, get dressed, and generally make herself look presentable in less than ten minutes. It was probably a record for her.

She glanced at her watch, which claimed that school would begin in about fifteen minutes. Like she had predicted, there was no way she could make it by then, even by car thanks to possible morning traffic. She looked over at Thanos, who had sat up in the bed with another self-satisfied look on his face. He wasn't even dressed!

"OK Thanos, you promised to get me to school in time for the morning bell," she reminded him. She wanted to add that he should hurry and slap something on, but decided not to add to his list of things to do.

"I did, didn't I?" It was rhetorical, and she didn't reply, choosing instead to cross her arms. Thanos grinned at her. She wasn't prepared for what he did next: standing up from the bed, he closed his eyes; despite this, she could see a glow behind his eyelids. She had to shield her own eyes as Thanos' body was briefly engulfed by light. When she was able to look again, his armored attire was covering his purple skin.

"Handy, isn't it? My armor consists of tiny, molecule sized nanite fragments that I can summon telepathically. This way, even if I'm caught off guard, my armor is only a thought away." She hadn't even asked the question yet, but he had answered it.

"You know, I heard that Iron Man has armor like that now," Layla pondered out loud, knowing that it would drive Thanos mad. It worked.

"I'd rather you didn't compare that worm's measly inventions with my superior technology." She shrugged, deciding that getting Thanos annoyed was good enough for causing her to be almost late, before changing the subject.

"So, what's your fool-proof plan to get me to school in a dozen minutes? Your spaceship? Seems like it would attract a lot of attention."

"Nothing so extravagant," Thanos assured as he reached into one of his armor's many pockets and pulled out an object that was the same shade of gold as his gloves. Layla got a fluttery feeling in her belly.

"Oh, I should have known," she groaned. "You want to use that teleporter." Thanos, before she had met him, had built a teleporting apparatus. It was a small device, one that he fit on his wrist as an extension of his own gloves. Because of its size, he couldn't teleport great distances, but it would be no problem to reach the school, at least in theory.

"Of course. We would reach the building in mere seconds, and it wouldn't attract any unwanted attention." It sounded perfect on paper, but Layla had one question.

"Have you worked out all the bugs?" Thanos' face twisted in the way it did when anyone questioned one of his inventions.

"My creations don't have 'bugs', merely small miscalculations that can easily be fixed." Tone softening a tad, he added, "I would never suggest this if I believed it would put you in any danger, especially not now."

Layla sighed, defeated. Thanos had a look of pure honesty on his face, and she believed him, despite herself. Lying wasn't one of his flaws.

"Fine," she grumbled. "But if something goes wrong, I'll be ticked at you for at least a few weeks." He chuckled, putting his arm around her shoulder as the device on his wrist began to whir with internal activity.

"I'll chance that," he boomed with laughter in his voice. To the unknowing, he might sound angry, but that was just how he was.

In a moment, they were gone from the room, and they were in the vastness of…something. Thanos had once explained it, or tried to, but all she had gotten out of it was that they briefly travelled through some other dimension, one that intersected with their own. It was horribly confusing.

In the next moment, the two appeared in the small woods behind the school. A flock of birds were startled into flying away. Layla's stomach did flip-flops, and she wondered if she would ever get used to the dizzying sensation she got when she teleported.

"Are you well?" She nodded at the cutely concerned Thanos, and then motioned towards the building, indicating to him that she would be heading inside. She didn't trust herself to open her mouth at that point, or even speak mentally, for fear she would be sick. She would just have to get a drink from the vending machine, although the chances of it working were pretty dim. That thing gorged on people's money, but no one ever seemed to get around to replacing it.

Thanos watched her leave until she vanished inside the building. He was pleased he had convinced her to let him teleport her to the building; it might have been overprotective of him, but after the previous day's events, he had decided that he didn't like the idea of her walking to the school alone, at least not until he could be sure the Kree wouldn't retaliate. It was just like them to try their hand at petty revenge.

Ignoring that, there was also the matter of the vague words Warlock had spoken. Thanos frowned, thinking it was true to form for Warlock to show up, only to spout nonsense that the various cosmic beings had given him. He had no patience for the drivel that the various gods could come up with.

He shook his head, ridding himself of any and all thoughts concerning Warlock, deciding to head back to Layla's house. He could wait outside the school for the next few hours, or actually accomplish something, like constructing a full-sized teleporter. The latter seemed like a far more practical way to spend an afternoon.

He warped inside the basement, greeted by the hum of his main computer automatically turning itself on, as he had designed. As he began typing away at the keyboard, he absently noted that he had referred to the house as Layla's house.

But that wasn't quite right. It was his house too. He supposed the correct term would be "their house", now. Hmm. It was something he would have acclimate himself to.

The computer monitor turned bright red, flashing a warning. It was programmed to activate the warning mechanism when someone approached the house. Mentally shrugging, Thanos quickly scanned the area, hoping the Kree had chosen that moment to strike.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the Kree, but a far more annoying group, if a bunch of fleas could be considered annoying. Upstairs, the doorbell rang, because of course it did.

Thanos made a show of slowly walking up the stairs, showing his uninvited guests that he was in no special hurry.

Slamming the door open, Thanos was met with the sight of dozens of identically dressed soldiers, their guns all pointed in his direction. How cute.

"Did you decide to reject Warlock's advice?" Thanos snarled at the unimpressive militia. "Or did you simply come for my famous hospitality?" The leader of the group stepped forward, his iconic eye patch seeming to somehow glare at the Titan.

"Thanos, we need to talk," Nick Fury ordered.

Chapter Text

"We need to talk."

Thanos crossed his arms, using his large bulk to purposely block the doorway. He didn't like being told what he needed to do, especially not by a human law enforcement group.

As he peered over Nick Fury, he couldn't help but think that the normally picturesque view of their front lawn, surrounded by other houses and various woodland critters was somewhat disabled due to the twenty or so SHIELD personnel standing in the grass, pointing their feeble weapons.

"I don't believe I need to do anything. I might, however, allow you to leave alive, depending what your reason for visiting is." His non-subtle threat hung in the air; he could psychically feel the tension and fear coming from the guards. Not for the first time, Thanos wondered how none of Layla's neighbors noticed any of the happenings. Were they all willfully ignorant?

Fury, however, didn't radiate a single ray of hesitation as he stepped up to Thanos and looked him straight in the eyes. "I don't intimidate easy." It was almost impressive, for a worm.

"Very well, we'll talk. But your men stay outside, I don't wish for Layla to return home to find her house overrun by rodents." Several of the men took a step forward, some of them voicing their displeasure at the idea. Fury raised an arm, and they all fell silent. At least he had the respect of his men.

Fury followed Thanos inside, where they ended up in the living room. Thanos sat down on the couch, nonchalantly resting his head on his hand, but Fury opted to stay on his feet.

"This won't take long," Fury assured Thanos. "Now, I'm not here regarding anything the mysterious alien said. I've come to accept the fact that there are some things out there that even SHIELD isn't equipped to deal with, and frankly, it's none of my business what cosmic beings do on their days off." He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a cigar.

"No." Fury raised an eyebrow at Thanos, who nodded at the cigar. "Layla dislikes the fumes. You'll have to refrain from smoking." Fury ground his teeth together, but dropped the cigar in the nearest trash can. Thanos took pleasure in causing Fury even the slightest amount of annoyance.

"I must confess, I am at a loss. If you aren't here to arrest me, what business do you have?" Narrowing his eyes, Thanos came to a realization. "Does this have something to do with Layla?" Fury shook his head, leaning against the wall.

"No, or at least, not directly." Fury paused, before driving ahead. "This Warlock character claims that we can't drive you from Earth for some reason. Now, I'm not a trusting person, but I'm willing to believe this guy. However, I do have one condition." Again, Fury paused, much to the Titan's aggravation. He also didn't care much for conditions; if Fury thought that Thanos would willingly follow any condition that was set, the man was a fool. Still, it wouldn't cause any harm to hear it.

"Say it." Thanos was tired of Fury dancing around the subject. Any more stalling and he would reconsider letting the SHIELD personnel live.

"Then I'll get straight to it. I'm not comfortable with you taking residence here anymore, at least not in secret. This town is filled with nice, honest people. They deserve to know who lives among them. If you agree to this, I won't ever come here to bother you again."

Thanos bristled at the tone that human used with him – however, he was never one for laying low. He had no reason to keep himself hidden from the humans anymore – no, there was one thing he had to consider – Layla. If he revealed himself, it wouldn't only be him that would be affected.

"I can't give you an answer." Fury didn't care for that response, judging by the scowl, not that Thanos gave a damn about how Fury felt.

"And why not, exactly? It isn't a difficult request." Fury somehow formed the words through gritted teeth.

Thanos leaned back against the couch, enjoying the sturdiness that allowed him to sit on it without having to worry about it breaking in two, and also to show that he wouldn't be rushed.

"As you said, this doesn't concern Layla directly, but it will still have an impact on her life. It's only fair that I discuss it with her first. Whatever she decides, I will go along with. I won't make a decision before then."

Fury whistled. "Is her opinion that important to you?" Thanos didn't respond. The head of SHIELD sighed, jamming his hands inside his coat.

"Fine then. After you deliberate with her, contact me. I trust that you'll find a way to contact us." Without glancing back, Fury exited through the front door.

Thanos hated SHIELD; it would be fun contacting Fury in a way that would confuse his best scientists as to how he did it. That would be very satisfying. Glancing at the clock, Thanos realized that he still had a few more hours until Layla finished her work.

"I'll be expecting the reports by next week. That should be enough time for you guys to wrack your brains for a subject to write about." As the kids mumbled, Layla glanced at the clock. Where had the day gone? The days usually dragged, and yet it seemed to her that the morning had just begun. She absently grinned; she couldn't complain. With the day over, she could go home and see Thanos. She wasn't even sure what they would do, maybe watch a movie, but it didn't matter. Somehow, knowing that the Avengers were aware actually took a chip off her soldier. She had never been good at keeping secrets.

"Teacher, you look really happy." Jodie, the sweet girl with the pig-tails, beamed at Layla. "Is it because of your boyfriend?"

"You know, I'm always being reminded of how observant kids can be." She wondered if some children just had a sixth sense for these things. "Yeah, you could say my boyfriend has something to do with my good mood."

"Are you getting married?" Layla considered what her answer would be, but since most of the kids in her class had chosen to ignore the conversation in favor of heading home, she supposed she wouldn't really need to hold back with her answer.

"I'm afraid not, that might be…difficult, for certain reasons." Layla wanted to stop there, but Jodie quickly cut in.

"Are you ashamed of your boyfriend?" Some of the other kids gasped at the boldness of the question, but Layla quickly decided to set the record straight.

"Not at all. He isn't perfect, but no person is. There isn't anyone else I'd rather be with, although other people don't seem to feel the same way." Some of the kids immediately began whispering among themselves that she was referring to her parents. Layla realized that her reply could be turned into a small lesson.

"Now, I know your parents have probably told you this many times, but lying, even for a good reason, never ends well. You see, I had been keeping a secret from some people, but they found out. To be honest, it didn't feel right keeping it a secret, so I'm just happy that I won't have to lie anymore. Does that make sense?"

Jodie nodded, her pink glasses sliding down her nose. The little girl was wise for her age, but Layla always thought it was the quiet ones who were actually bursting with knowledge. Jodie was one of the best students in the class, but she sometimes had a problem interacting with other students.

"Mommy says that secrets are usually bad, especially if you feel weird about them." Layla began to gather all the items on her desk, deciding it would be faster if she cleaned up while talking with Jodie.

"Your mother sounds like a smart lady." Jodie beamed. "The thing is, I thought it was a good thing that I keep the secret. I thought that if everyone knew, it would make life difficult. If I'm being honest, it might still make life easier. But it's not healthy, keeping it to my chest." Layla opened the top of her wooden desk, dropping various school equipment inside. One of these days, she would have to organize the mess.

Jodie pushed her glasses back up her nose. "What about your boyfriend? Is he happy?" Layla hadn't really thought much about it, but when Thanos wasn't satisfied with something, he made it known quite clearly.

"I don't think he necessarily has a problem with it, but I haven't really asked." Jodie shook her head, disappointed in the way only a child could be.

"My mom says that communication is important between couples." Layla laughed, wishing all her students were as precious as Jodie was. Class would be a lot easier.

Coincidentally (or maybe not), Thanos chose that moment to telepathically contact her.

We need to talk. I'll be waiting behind your school building.

Thanos had some very good timing. Mentally acknowledging him, she hugged Jodie. "Hurry along home, now. You wouldn't want your mom to worry, would you?"

Jodie pouted, but gamely grabbed her backpack and dashed off, ignoring the no-running rule that Mr. Haynes had instated. Good girl.

Putting on her own jacket, Layla hurried to the woods behind the school. No matter how many times she visited the place, she couldn't help but notice how beautiful the trees were. The effects were probably wasted on Thanos; he wasn't much of a nature guy.

"Don't tell me: we're going to teleport again." Layla gulped when Thanos gave her a half-grin.

"When did you become a telepath?" Growing more serious, he cut to the chase. "SHIELD arrived today for an impromptu visit. Nick Fury himself graced our doorstep."

Nick Fury? The name sounded familiar, but she definitely knew that a visit from SHIELD was no small matter. She bit her bottom lip.

"You're kidding, right? Why would SHIELD come back after last time?" Thanos shot her bemused look.

"Is it so hard to believe that I'm completely serious?" Stupid question, Layla decided.

"What did they want? They're not going to go against Warlock, will they?" Her heart quickened. "They didn't ask you to leave, did they?" Thanos glanced around.

"I think it would be best that we carry on this conversation back home. Now, if you would give me your hand…" Layla sighed, before placing her hand in his much larger one. In a flash, they were in their living room. Layla felt dizzy, but not nearly as much as the previous time. Maybe she was getting used to it!

"Fury had a…suggestion, although I'm sure it's the kind that he expects no one to decline." Layla raised an eyebrow as she shrugged off her jacket, tossing it to her Titan lover, who had somehow already switched to the more comfortable attire of loose pants and a shirt. Thanos wordlessly tossed the jacket on the nearby coat rack.

"You actually heard him out? That's out of character for you." She grinned mischievously before elbowing him in the ribs. "Maybe I'm finally rubbing off on you." His lips thinned together, but he chose to ignore the comment.

"Believe it or not, he claims that he has no problem with my current living arrangements. Of course, there is a condition, which would be that he wants the neighbors to become aware of my presence." Somehow, Thanos made it sound simple, but…

"That's some condition," Layla said as she sat down on the couch. To think, she had just been discussing secrets with one of her students – and now she might have to make good on her words.

"It is entirely up to you, of course. I have no intention of bowing down to SHIELD, but if you wish to keep any semblance of normality in your life, I can leave. I have already brought enough hazards into your existence." His face showed no emotion, but Layla knew he meant it.

"We've already been through this, Thanos." She grabbed his arm, beckoning him to sit beside her. "I knew from the second I met you that things would change, and in fact, I welcomed it. Yes, the Kree incident shook me up, but I don't want you to run off just because things are getting difficult. That's a human thing, by the way."

The look on his face was priceless. "I would not 'run off', as you callously put it. Before I left the planet, I planned to deal with SHIELD personally." Layla patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's, um, not do that, OK?" Thanos scowled, probably disappointed that he wouldn't be able to murder Nick Fury.

"Believe it or not, I was actually having a similar discussion with a student earlier. She's a sweet little girl; she asked about you." Thanos didn't seem like he approved.

"I trust that you didn't mention me by name." She hadn't, but depending how things went, that would be a moot point anyway.

"It doesn't matter. My point was that, I've been giving this some thought, and maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world if we were to inform our small community that, yes, an alien lives among them."

"Are you sure? Once word gets out, there will be no going back. Even I couldn't change that." The warning in his voice was clear; if they were to do something to get the stone rolling, it would become a stone that they couldn't stop.

"I'm not saying it's an easy choice. It's something I could easily come to regret later, I know that. But the worst that can happen is that everyone hates me. Well, actually, that would be pretty terrible." She allowed herself a small laugh. "But the best case scenario is that everyone only freaks out for a few days before accepting you and going back to the daily routine."

Thanos huffed. "You do realize that your version of 'the worst that can happen' is actually fairly light. No, your biggest fear should be that people brand you a traitor for siding with a known, evil dictator who tried to destroy the planet. A lynch mob isn't out of the question, nor is violence."

Darn him and his pessimism. Layla winced as she realized that Thanos could probably hear that, but if he did, he gave no indication.

"Let's try to stay positive. I have some friends here, and a lot of parents like me. If I can just convince them that you mean no harm at the moment (don't you smirk at me!) they should probably come around. I just need to find the right opportunity."

Thanos interrupted her musings by grabbing her hands. "As I said, the decision is yours. I will stand by it. However, I will also leave any and all planning to you." Pressing his body tightly against hers, he added, "But at the moment, I intend to have you think about…other pressing matters." Deciding that she could easily think about things tomorrow, she accepted his hidden invitation as he picked her up easily and carried her to the bedroom.

Chapter Text

Pepper sighed as she glanced at the electric clock on the wall, which informed her that it was only half an hour until 1:00 in the morning. Tony still wasn't home; he had left four hours ago to do some "Avengers business," as he had put it. Still, she hadn't expected his meeting to last so late.

She turned around, giving her back to the clock, remembering that she had read it was best to turn off any device that gave off a neon light; it could hurt the eyes, or at the very least, make it harder to fall asleep. The latter was something that Pepper couldn't risk; she made sure to always be a hundred percent, body and mind. How else would she run the company that her boss didn't have time for anymore?

I just wonder what they're discussing…

"Seriously? You went to Thanos' house, and you didn't tell any of us? I'm feeling a little left out!" Stark flipped open his helmet, wanting Nick Fury to see his disapproving pout, even if the head of SHIELD was behind a monitor.

"Oh, because you always tell us everything," Natasha interjected, giving Stark a pointed look. Tony held a hand up.

"OK, fine, that was hypocritical of me. But Fury, if Thanos had fought back, you really think a dozen of your cub scouts could have done anything? You should at least have brought Banner." He clasped his hand on said scientist's shoulder. He was shrugged off.

"I don't know. If Thanos isn't in the mood to fight, I say that's a good thing. I'd rather avoid starting a fight that could level New York City, if it's at all possible." Tony admired Bruce, but he wanted to roll his eyes at the man's wry words.

"So…we just wait for him to strike us first, once our guards are down? That sounds like a surprisingly dumb plan, Nick." If his words bothered Fury, the agent didn't show it on his impassive face.

"Waiting is exactly what we'll do. I've learned a long time ago not to ignore the words of a cosmic being that's probably seen more planets and alien races than you can count on both hands. Besides, I get the feeling that he won't be doing any strikes against us unless someone tells him to."

Tony furrowed his eyebrows, and he noticed some of the other Avengers glancing at each other. They weren't quite sure who Fury was talking about.

"Where is Barton? I don't see him." Last Tony had seen the archer, Hawkeye had been letting off some steam by going overkill on a bunch of sorry punks.

"He's still peeved about your decision to let Thanos go. I don't think he wants anything to do with the purple bruise at the moment." Fury shook his head, looking disappointed.

"I prefer my agents to keep their emotions out of the mission, but for now, I'll let Barton off the hook. We have bigger things to prepare for, if Warlock was correct." The room grew hushed as everyone pondered those words.

If her first-grade students had been paying careful attention, Layla knew that even they would have noticed how detached she was today. She had to admit that despite her brave talk the other night, she was feeling rather antsy about calling up her friends and acquaintances. What would their reaction to Thanos be?

She had already decided that she would only bring a couple of people, because if a panic broke out, at least no one would get trampled. Obviously, that jerk Mr. Haynes would not be invited. The last thing she needed was a murder on her hands. Of course, even if she were inclined to ask, he'd probably turn her down.

As soon as she had a break during the student's lunch hour, Layla rushed to the teacher's lounge to make a phone call. As much as she didn't want to, she decided that it would be best to invite Clementine first. The lady always seemed to find out everyone's secrets somehow, and Layla would rather that she found out tonight. Her contacts menu was fairly large, mostly because the parents of the students were all listed. It didn't take long for her to locate "Clementine Odunsky".

The phone rang a few times before someone picked up. Layla winced as an obnoxiously shriek voice invaded her ears. "Layla, darling, is that you? It has been far too long. Ooh, I know, we should go shopping this weekend. I can catch you up on all the latest gossip!"

Ugh, I think I'd rather face the Kree again.

Layla made sure that her voice didn't betray her thoughts. "Actually, Clementine, I was calling to see if you'd like to come over to my house later. I, well, have a pretty huge surprise that I've been waiting to tell you and some of my other friends. I figure I should do this now before I lose my nerve." She twirled the phone's wire between her fingers. She wasn't nervous about the response; Clementine would never miss an opportunity like this.

Layla could hear a noise in the background, like Clementine had just clapped her hands together. "I have been waiting for you to invite me to your house for the longest time! May I ask what the surprise is? But no, don't tell me, I do like a good surprise every now and then!"

You'll be surprised, all right!

"Do you think that you could invite some of the other girls? That would be great." It would save a lot of time; Clementine probably had the phone numbers of everyone in town! Clementine assured Layla that she would inform three of their closest friends before hanging up. Layla sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. Sliding into a small plastic chair, she glanced at the clock. She still had about fifteen minutes until the next class.

She couldn't believe that gossiping Clementine's daughter, Vicki, had turned out so different. Sure, Vicki could be a bit precocious, and she seemed to enjoy being a "teacher's pet", but in Layla's slightly biased opinion, she was still a charming kid.

Layla slapped her forehead as she realized that once Clementine met Thanos, she would probably rush to tell Vicki, who would then inform the rest of her classmates. If the kids were already on her case regarding her "boyfriend", the news that he was in alien would inject a bunch of adrenaline into their classroom discussions.

Well, it was too late now, and she had scheduled the meeting for after school, which only gave her a few hours to calm down and prepare – not that there was any preparation to be done. Thanos had promised to be on his best behavior (which wasn't saying much), and she had done a quick house cleaning. If anything went wrong, it would be something beyond her power or foresight.

After all the kids had left, and even after Mr. Haynes had driven off to who cares where, Layla heard the tell-tale beep of the Toyota Prius that Clementine owned. She drove it everywhere, trying to make a statement.

Layla, in her nervousness, had dashed out of the classroom before remembering that she had forgotten to turn off the lights and close the blinds. It took a few moments to go back and fix things before heading down the front stairs and enter the backdoor of the fancy vehicle, which already three other passengers besides Clementine.

Fortunately, the car was spacious, and the leather seats could easily lead a tired teacher into dreamland. Clementine, who was driving, waved at Layla, as did the bespectacled woman besides her. "Hey, Layla. Those kids running you ragged?" Layla quickly glanced at the fender mirror, which confirmed that she had small bags under her eyes.

"The kids can be a handful, Stacy, but I think it's the stress of holding in this surprise for so long. I'll be relieved once I let it out." Stacy Kudrow raised her eyebrows with interest. The action somehow caused her glasses to slide slightly down the bridge of her nose.

"Ever since Clementine gave me a ring, I've been trying to guess, but nothing seemed to fit. Still, it must be something big, seeing as how the front of your skirt isn't wrinkled at all." Layla blushed and turned to look at curly-haired Brianna Taylor, who was the local optometrist. She had the best eyes in town, and was also naturally observant.

"Yeah, you always smooth the front of your skirt when you're nervous. This surprise is gonna be good, isn't it?" Sitting between Brianna and the window was Grace Hall, who was grinning impishly as she formed no doubt ridiculous ideas in her head.

Of course, nothing she imagines can actually be as weird as the reality.

"Well, it'll definitely be a surprise, all right. Whether or not it'll be a 'good' surprise is up to you guys," Layla answered diplomatically.

Brianna put one of her caramel colored hands over Laylas. "Honey, I'm sure we'll all love it. Especially if it's a guy, like Clementine thinks." At this, all the women laughed with glee, almost giddy that their friend had finally found a special someone.

Stacy raised her glasses with her index finger. "That actually reminds me of your wedding, Brianna. You didn't even tell us until a week before the big day!"

Layla remembered the initial shock that had then bled into joy when a blushing Brianna had informed them that her long-time boyfriend (they had met when he came to her for an annual eye check-up) had proposed to her. The ensuing days had been hectic as they prepared, leaving it all a hazy blur in Layla's mind, but she clearly remembered the wedding ceremony that had been held at the Spring-decorated park.

After the kiss, the husband had joked that the first thing that had caught his eye was Brianna's skin. "It looked just like my favorite brand of chocolate." Then, conspiratorially: "But her kiss tasted sweeter than any chocolate I've ever tasted."

Brianna had given him a good-natured swat on the shoulder, before leaning in for a second kiss as the crowd went wild. After that, some merriment had been had before the couple had driven away in a shiny blue car. Even as a spectator, Layla had known that such a perfect day was rare. Now, sitting in the backseat with her friends, she wondered if she would ever be able to find such a happy day for herself.

"The wedding cake was to die for," Grace commented with a dreamy expression, as if she could almost taste the cake. Shaking her head as she broke out of the trance, she wagged her finger at Layla. "I really hope you did meet a dude, because we haven't had a wedding around here in years, and I would absolutely love to get to try some more of that cake!"

The girls all laughed again, but Layla's heard wasn't in it. Marriage? She wasn't sure that would be a great idea, at least not yet. Absently, she patted down the front of her skirt, although she didn't get very far before Brianna grabbed her wrist.

"You really are worried, huh? What could be so bad? No matter what, we won't hate you." Pausing and tilting her head, she quickly added, "Well, unless you're dating some kind of serial killer or something. You're not, right?" Layla didn't respond.

Clementine sucked in her breath harshly. "OK, let's not discuss this anymore. Now I'm getting nervous, and that's certainly saying something." The drive became quiet for the next few minutes, until they reached Layla's modest house.

There wasn't any way to drag things out further, so Layla simply opened the door and stepped out into the cool weather. The crickets had stopped their buzzing noise, which made her apprehensive.

But I have no reason to be so tense. Thanos promised not to intentionally scare them off, and I trust these women. They're my friends.

Straightening herself, she marched up the stairs to her house and yanked the door open. Her friends followed her easily enough, chatting about this and that, but Layla wasn't listening. She knew that Thanos was waiting in the living room, probably sitting on the couch. Or maybe he was standing near the window, as he sometimes did when thinking. She didn't know, and wasn't sure which she preferred.

Whichever one leaves a better first impression. I'm not sure if any position would be better than another, though.

Layla suddenly pictured Thanos emerging from the kitchen after preparing himself a meal, butter knife in hand. It was the kind of thing that would easily cause her friends to run, screaming like banshees. She wouldn't even have time to try and explain.

Sighing, Layla flicked on the light switch with the edge of her fingernails. The sudden illumination forced her friends to instinctively close their eyes for a few moments, temporarily delaying the first sighting, if only by a few seconds.

She had been correct with her second guess; Thanos was at the window, his back to the door as he gazed at the stars. Perhaps he assumed he would appear less frightening from the back. Like she had requested, he didn't have on any of his battle armor. Instead, he had scrounged up a thick red sweater (not thick enough to hide his back muscles), and soft blue pants.

Beside Layla, someone gasped; she didn't know who, and wasn't in any hurry to find out. Thanos hadn't moved an inch, however, so Layla forced herself to turn to look at her friends. Clementine had dropped her purse on the floor, and all four women were openly gaping at Thanos.

Grinning with faux cheerfulness, Layla rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, you guys were right. My secret is boy-related. So…I suppose you're pretty surprised." She laughed a bit, which everyone ignored.

"Layla – don't you know who that is? He was on the news! He was that guy that almost destroyed the earth before the Avengers stopped him!" Stacy's voice quavered as she pointed at the Titan. Grace had moved to stand behind her.

Layla stuffed her hands in her pockets, feeling uncomfortable. "Yes, I know, but I can explain…" If she could just get her friends to listen, she could explain everything, she could convince them!

"Honey, I don't think this is something you can just explain." Brianna was taking it the best, all things considered, but she was crossing her arms and giving Layla a frosty look.

"He's a murderer," Clementine whispered, her face pale under the make-up. She began to slowly back away, followed quickly by Grace and Stacy. Layla stepped forward, to stop them, grab them, anything, but Brianna got in her way.

"I'm shocked. Layla, how could you? This man is dangerous. You have to come with us, now!" Brianna grabbed Layla's forearm, trying to drag her out of the house. Layla dug her feet into the carpet, refusing to take another step.

Brianna was stricken. "Layla, don't be a fool." A loud footstep dismantled them from their conversation, and for the first time, a deep voice spoke out.

"That is enough." Brianna covered her mouth to hide the small shriek that escaped from her throat, and the others huddled near the door, petrified of the purple giant who had decided to take notice of them. It didn't help that his tone wasn't friendly.

"I will not have you wenches insult her. You may exit, or you may stay and face my wrath. It is your choice." It wasn't a hard choice he gave them; within seconds he and Layla were the only people left in the house, and it didn't take much longer for the Toyota Prius to drive off, its tires screeching in protest at the speed in which it was driven off.

The room was unbearably quiet. Layla found that her legs could no longer support her, and she let herself fall on the couch. Thanos, after a moment's pause, sat down beside her. Together, they existed in the calmness of the silent room.

It didn't last. Layla, her anger finally rising like the magma in a volcano, turned to Thanos and did something she had never done to anyone before: she struck him in the chest with her small fists. It wasn't enough; she continued to pummel him, even though she was sure he could barely feel it, even though she was sure she was doing more damage to her own fists, even though it was an ultimately futile gesture.

"Why didn't you say something? Why didn't you try to stand up for yourself? And why the hell did you scare them off?" Tears were streaming down her face, and dripping on to the leather of the couch.

Just when her hands were starting to ache, Thanos grabbed her wrists, somehow tight enough that she couldn't move them, but gentle enough where it didn't hurt. "Nothing I could have said would have changed their minds about me. Why waste my breath?"

His words were cold and practical. Of course. That's always how he was.

Thanos sighed, something he rarely did around her, but that surprise was nothing compared to what she felt next when he slowly dragged a finger across her cheek, wiping away the last stray tears.

"I once promised that I would never cause you to cry. I see that some promises have difficulty staying undamaged." Answering her final question belatedly, he admitted, "I lost my temper. They had no right to – but perhaps I already had an opinion of them, before they even entered the house."

He held her close to him, an intimate gesture. "I apologize." Somehow, hearing him apologize to her made her want to apologize too, for yelling at him and for hitting him. But somehow, she was sure that her thoughts reached him.

Thanos used his pointer finger to tilt her head up, so that they looked at each other eye to eye. "…If you wanted, I could erase their memories." Layla blinked as she made sure that she heard correctly. She knew that Thanos did not make the offer lightly. She also knew that, no matter what happened between her and her (possibly former) friends, she could never go that far.

She sighed, leaning back against the couch. "That's way too tempting, and you probably know that. But that's not a line I'm willing to cross." She wiped at her eyes. "Besides, I made my bed, and now I have to lie on it. We discussed this, and I meant it when I said that no matter what the result was, I would stick with it."

"Even now, you would stick to those words? Words that were uttered without thinking seriously about the possible results? No one would blame you for changing your mind."

The truth was, a large part of her wanted to use a "do-over", but…she didn't want to use Thanos as a crutch. She couldn't just undo every single mistake she made. Besides…her friends were understandably freaked out, but they could still come around.

"There is also the chance that your friends will contact the police, or the media. If so, you would be thrust into the light. That kind of attention seems like it would be the source of discomfort to someone like you."

Layla had never been one to bask in the attention of others; she preferred to live in relative peace. However, now that SHIELD and the Avengers knew about her and Thanos, she felt it wasn't so intimidating, the thought of news reporters and police knocking on her door.

The brisk wind entering the house through the window brushed against her face, feeling extra cool thanks to her drying tears.

"I think I'll be able to manage. And even if I can't, I have someone to lean on now, someone who can help shoulder everything." In response, Thanos took her hand in his and gave the smallest of squeezes.

Yes. I'll be able to make it through this.

Chapter Text

Clickity-clack. The final words of the article were typed in. Frederick Foswell leaned back in his swivel chair, satisfied with his work, which had taken all of the previous night, and the majority of that morning. He would submit the article to Jameson, and then head home for a well-deserved nap.

He had just begun printing out his article when a breathless Peter Parker dashed up to him. The lanky teen had come out of nowhere to become the paper's star photographer. No one knew how, but the boy was the only person in New York who could seem to get consistent, quality pictures of Spider-Man. But then, maybe it was natural that only a young person would have the stamina to be able to keep up with that wall-crawler.

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Foswell, I know that you're probably about to head home, but Jameson told me that he wants to see you." Foswell sighed; Jameson, at the best of times, was a strict boss with a loudspeaker for a mouth. He only hoped he wasn't about to be scolded.

"Thanks for the heads up, kid. I'd better hurry before Jameson blows a gasket." Foswell straightened his old-fashioned fedora (which earned him no small amount of ribbing from his co-workers), picked up his briefcase, and crisply strode to Jameson's office. It was never a wise idea to dawdle when the boss was waiting.

The doorknob turned as he grabbed for it, and the door opened to bring him face to face with Karen Page. She gave him a polite nod before heading to her cubicle; she was probably writing another crime piece. Those were her specialties.

Jameson, who was smoking a fat cigar behind his desk, looked up sharply at Foswell. His sharp words emerged a moment later. "Took you long enough. What, did you take the scenic route? Never mind. I need a reporter to cover a new story, and everyone else is busy or on vacation. That leaves you. Here's your plane ticket, which leaves tonight."

Foswell absently took the tickets. His brain attempted to process everything, and failed.

"Sir, what? Plane tickets? Isn't this kind of last second? I don't even know what this story is that you want me to cover!" Jameson snorted in disgust.

"Haven't you heard? Purple alien moves in with single lady at some middle-of-nowhere suburbia. It's been everywhere." Foswell briefly remembered hearing about that on the radio, but he had otherwise been preoccupied in the shower.

He frowned. "But sir, if other news outlets have already covered this, it isn't really new anymore. Anyway, I thought we mainly covered New York news." Jameson jammed his cigar against the wooden top of the desk.

"Use your brain, Foswell. No one has been able to get an interview with the woman, or that alien menace, and the best pictures are blurry. That's where you come in. The Daily Bugle will be the first ones to nab this story, or my name isn't J. Jonah Jameson!"

Foswell knew that arguing with Jameson would be pointless, so he meekly nodded and exited the office. Fortunately, he got lucky, and managed to flag down a taxi in a couple of minutes. The drive to the airport only took half an hour; the actual plane ride would be quite a bit longer.

Ever the studious man, however, he planned to spend all his time in the air reading about the peculiar events he was supposed to report about. It turned out to be even more interesting than he thought. Apparently, the woman (her name was Layla Dunham) had been living with an alien in her house for an unspecified amount of time, and when she had informed a few of her neighbors, one of them had passed it along to the local news station. Crosswoods, a small community, had never been the center of attention before that day.

From there, it had spread like wildfire. News outlets from around the globe had attempted to get interviews, photo ops, and even make TV deals with Layla and the alien, but none had been successful, with most being chased off.

The most tantalizing detail about the whole thing was that the alien in question was suspected of being some intergalactic warlord. It was eyebrow raising stuff. Apparently, various media outlets had tried interrogating Tony Stark about it; his response was of the No Comment variety.

Well. Foswell knew he had his work cut out for him. His immediate plans hadn't involved potentially coming face-to-face with a dangerous alien. When he had first signed up for the Bugle, Jameson had assured him that there would be some dangerous work, but even so, he had never expected extraterrestrials to be involved. He had assumed he would be interviewing people like Captain America, or if he had to go more exotic, Thor.

That night, in his quaint hotel room, he retired early. He always made sure to be at his best when conducting an interview; if anyone tried to make a fool of him, he made sure to twist it around back at them. Also, Jameson would have his hide if he ever found out that he had come across as slovenly.

Bright and early, as the birds were chirping, he headed over to the address listed in the phonebook (which he had been surprised to find in his hotel room, but nonetheless pleased). He was a city man himself, but as he passed a tantalizing hot dog cart, and headed around child-filled playground, he found it hard to come up with any description of the place besides "happy." It was the kind of place one could easily live in, raise a family, and die peacefully in. Obviously, it was also the kind of place where any change in their daily lives would be met with hostility.

With a brisk walk, he reached the unassuming house in less than twenty minutes. Inhaling, he rang the doorbell. He heard no footsteps approach to answer the pleasant jingle. After another push of the button, he decided that a loud rap on the door might be prudent.

But no arrived to answer his knocks either. "I don't believe anyone is home," he said to himself, for lack of anything better to do. He only hoped that Jameson wouldn't be upset if the assignment took a few days longer than expected.

Foswell, hoping that he could find a bar somewhere in town, turned around in time to spot two people heading down the road towards the house. He had to raise his hand to block the glaring sunlight.

The person in front was a lady - moderately average looking, wearing a dress that wasn't gaudy, and no jewelry in sight. He had read that she was a teacher, and she seemed to fit the description. If she was wearing her hair in a bun, his mental image would have been fulfilled.

His heart skipped a beat when he took notice of the rather large being following close behind her; he was large enough that if he had been in front of the lady, Foswell wouldn't have seen her. The sun couldn't hide the purple skin, or the angry scowl, or the almost comically out-of-place casual wear. Foswell didn't know the alien, but somehow, he didn't think a sweater was something he would normally wear.

As they got closer, Foswell could see the questioning look in the woman's eyes, and he remembered his goal. If only his legs would stop shaking, he could get down to business. Stammering, he avoided making eye contact with the behemoth, intending to field all questions to Layla.

"Excuse me, I'm Frederick Foswell, and I'm a reporter with the Daily Bugle." So far, so good. "We're interested in doing a piece about you and your, erm, living arrangements." Not bad, but hopefully she didn't notice that awkward pause. "There are no cameras or tape recorders here, so anything you don't want me to write in the paper will stay between us." Dumb, no one ever believed the authenticity of news reporters.

The alien moved to possibly eject Foswell in a painful way, but Layla stepped in front, giving the giant a look. "Mr. Foswell, was it?" She smiled reassuringly. "I've read about the Daily Bugle. It has quite the positive reputation. I'm a fan of Spider-Man and the Avengers myself." Foswell let some of the tension in his body melt away. She wasn't being antagonistic, which was good.

"But," she continued, "I'm sorry. I really don't want to talk to any reporters right now. I've had to turn away more than I can count in the last few days, and I'd like to keep things as low-key as possible. I'm afraid that being in your paper would just bring more unwanted attention to Thanos and I." Ah, a name.

Foswell dared to quickly glance at Thanos (who didn't look pleased), before attempting to plead his case. "Ms. Dunham, I assure you, our paper would never publish anything untoward or scandalous. We're not a gossip rag. We would make sure to publish you in a positive light."

She shrugged. "Like with Spider-Man?" His mouth opened, but he couldn't think of any comeback. "Sorry, but I'm declining your offer." He opened his mouth again, to convince her, but Thanos growled.

"She has given her reply. I suggest you don't pursue the matter any longer." Foswell trembled; his voice was the deepest bass he had ever heard, and on top of that, possessed a certain authority. Foswell had no doubt that the rumors were true.

As he backed up, a tiny handheld camera dropped from his pants pocket. Foswell cursed as Thanos crushed it under his foot, grinding it into the dirt. "I don't think you'll be needing that." Foswell wasn't about to argue.

"I'm sorry," Layla apologized. "He can be a bit…overprotective." Foswell nodded, willing to agree with anything if it meant that he wouldn't get his head popped by an angry alien.

"If that's your final answer, I suppose I'll have to leave it at that." His attempt at keeping any last strands of professionalism was hampered by the quake in his voice. Layla offered him a smile born out of pity; Thanos merely scowled deeper.

As Foswell quickly strode away, he couldn't help but think that, while he was rather glad that his life hadn't been ended, Jameson would have his hide for failing to bring back any sort of story. He bet Peter didn't have such problems taking stupid photos…

Layla wasn't sad to see the reporter go; recently, she had become frustrated with all of them. Job or not, she was annoyed by how intrusive they could be. Suddenly, she could sympathize with various celebrities hounded by the paparazzi.

Thanos glanced sideways at her. "If you would only let me kill them, our situation would be far simpler." He had offered the first few times reporters had bombarded them with questions, but Layla had quickly and decisively shot him down. That would just make things worse, and there was no way she could turn a blind eye. Heck, she sometimes felt guilty when Thanos chased away with the reporters using intimidation techniques; flat out murder was almost unthinkable!

Layla sighed as she opened the front door of their house. "Violence isn't the only way to solve problems, you know, at least not in a domestic setting." She doubted that Thanos believed her.

"Seemed to work with those interlopers from a few weeks ago." How had she forgotten? After the story had broke that she was harboring an alien, apparently some thugs with nothing better to do had taken it upon themselves to break into her house and steal something. It was possibly a test of bravery, or maybe even a dare. In the end, it didn't matter. The end result was that the three masked men who had broken into her home had been killed by Thanos. Even though he made sure that she hadn't seen a thing, it had weighed on Layla's conscience, even after the police hesitantly ruled it self-defense. They had gotten lucky.

"Don't remind me. If another thief ever makes the dumb mistake to try and rob us, just knock him unconscious." Thanos gave the reply he always did during their argument.

"There won't be a next time. I doubt anyone places such a low value on their own lives." Thanos looked proud, and she knew why. After word spread, they hadn't had a single problem with thieves; even some of the local troublemakers stopped hanging out in the area. If there was a silver lining, it was that graffiti had become scarce.

"Well, whatever," Layla said, willing to dismiss the argument. "It's been a long day, and I'm very much in the mood for a movie." Thanos opened his mouth, and Layla was quick to add, "I promise that I'm not going to choose a romance film." Mollified for the moment, Thanos followed her into the living room.

As the movie played, and the guitar strings began thrumming, Layla lay her head against Thanos' shoulders. With the way things had been lately, the few moments of peace she had were to be enjoyed.

Even if the peace had to be found while watching a film filled with explosions…

Chapter Text

When you did something, something that changed your life, it was something that you would only do after you gave it great thought. Maybe, beforehand, you would even promise yourself that no matter what, you wouldn't regret it. But what if you ended up regretting it anyway?

Layla, on her daily commute home after work (she had quickly declined when Thanos offered to teleport her again) had plenty of time to think about such things. She didn't regret meeting Thanos at all, and she also wouldn't wish to kick him out of her house, especially after all that had happened.

But she was starting to wonder if she had been too hasty in trying to tell her friends. "If I hadn't, they probably would have found out somehow, though," she reasoned with herself. Somehow, the words felt fake in her mouth. Sighing, she happened to glance at a nearby pedestrian. She smiled; he frowned, and walked across the street.

After one of her "friends" had ratted her out (she never found out which one, or even if it was just one), her life had become something of a news story. For over a week, reporters had been almost accosting her just to get a photo or a statement, some with more success than others. They even used to stake out her house, before Thanos put a stop to it.

And the reporters had been the sane ones. Aside from the punks who had tried to rob her, she had also suddenly found her mail increasing by a large margin. The only word she could think of was fanatical. The letters were intense, some in a positive manner, some in a negative manner, and others just very bizarre, with horrible punctuation and grammar, and writing that felt like something a hippie would have said in the 80s.

Despite this, the reporters and the weirdoes didn't bother her; the reporters were only doing their job, and the creeps, while annoying, weren't very frightening with Thanos around. No, the people who bothered her were former friends, co-workers, and acquaintances.

The day the news had broken had begun like any, ordinary weekday. She had been in class when another teacher barged in, asking, "Layla, is it true?" A few awkward events later, and she had been crowded by every single teacher in the school, and what felt like half the students. They wanted to know if the news was true, if she and the alien had hooked up, if the alien was in school, and even if she herself was an alien!

She had gone home early that day, explaining to Mr. Haynes that she had a strong case of nausea. In hindsight, she suspected the only reason he didn't use that as an excuse to give her the boot was his fear of Thanos.

All the attention, however, was better than what happened next. After the initial rush was over, whenever she went to the school building, the other teachers (even the janitor) avoided her. She would find herself sitting alone at the teacher's lounge when she was on her break.

As for trying to initiate conversation? It didn't go much better.

"Mr. Bishop," Layla said with an upbeat tone. "It's been so long." Bishop was the science teacher for the fifth graders, and despite his lack of stereotypical glasses, his ever present lab coat made him an ideal science whiz. Once upon a time, the two had been friendly.

"Dunham," he replied coldly. Apparently, he was no longer on a first name basis. "I suppose you still have time to teach, even when you're not babysitting a possibly dangerous alien." Layla frowned.

"Mr. Bishop, I can assure you that he isn't –" He held up a hand to cut her off.

"How do you know for sure? How can you be sure what an alien thinks, or how his mind works? In fact, how do I know that you're not being controlled somehow?" Layla's blood rushed to her head as she stalked away. How dare that wretched man? She didn't normally lose her temper, but…

The only bright spot in school anymore were the children. They didn't judge or look at her with frightened eyes. Of course, she wasn't even sure if their parents had informed them, but many kids had ways of overhearing things not meant for them.

The other bright spot of her day was returning home to spend time with Thanos. He didn't really comfort her in the usual way; it just wasn't him. At most, she would feel his arm snake around her shoulders as they sat on the couch. Mostly, his idea of comfort was sex. Somehow, the embarrassing things he couldn't say were easier to tell her telepathically during sex.

There were also nights where it was nice to just lie next to him and talk, about any subject they happened to come across. Layla was planning for this to be one of those nights.

Thanos was nothing if not observant, but even the most idiotic of his old generals would have had to notice the negative effect the townspeople were having on Layla. It made him want to destroy the whole town, and all the civilians with it. If he thought for even a second that Layla would approve, he would have.

He glanced over at her; she was reading next to the lamp on the bedside table. An older book she had purchased at a garage sale. Thanos had no interest in such books, but he supposed that he couldn't begrudge her such things.

"It must be nice to be the protagonist of a fictional story," Layla pondered out of the blue. Thanos replied with a grunt; what else was there to say to such a statement.

Layla continued. "After all, in a story, things always work out for the protagonist. I suppose there are some exceptions, but for the most part, no matter how rough things get, there's a bright future somewhere down the line."

"It is unfortunate, then, that we live in reality." Thanos winced at how that came out; he hadn't meant to come across as annoyed. "We don't need some omnipotent author writing a satisfying conclusion for us. We can accomplish that for ourselves." Layla smiled, setting the book aside.

"That's what I hope for everyday, but I'm honestly starting to think that no one will ever forget. I don't even care if they give me the cold shoulder, but for people to look at me with fear in their eyes…"

Thanos huffed. "Anyone who fears you never had any bravery to begin with." Layla lightly smacked him on the arm, and he grinned. "No offense, of course, but I don't think you have any sore of intimidation factor."

Layla hit him with her fluffy pillow. "Well, not to you, obviously. But think about it from their perspective: as far as they know, I can ask you to go pound anyone who displeased me." Thanos snorted from behind the pillow.

"That is what I recommend you do, actually. You must know I wouldn't object."

He watched as she lightly bit her bottom lip (and rather sexily, in his opinion), before she said, "And that would only justify their fears. Problem is, I also can't think of any ways to get them to stop flinching whenever I try to speak with them. I assume the same thing has been happening to you?"

Now that his presence had been revealed, Thanos had no more reason to stay cooped un inside his lab, so whenever the urge to explore struck him, he would go for a short, aimless stroll around the town. Most of the town's people avoided him like a plague, and that was fine with him. One child had burst into tears next to him, and Thanos had grinned.

"Yes, and I feel all the better for it," Thanos admitted. He lay back down, putting an arm around Layla to pull her next to him. Her hair tickled the bare skin of his chest.

A quiet relaxation formed around them, only to be broken when Layla wondered aloud, "I hope my parents haven't been watching the news or reading the papers. They haven't called or texted, though." Thanos had meant to ask about her immediate family, but had simply forgotten.

"In this day and age, that would be miraculous," Thanos grumbled. Was it possible that there were people who lived such secluded lives that they had no access to current events?

"Well," Layla started slowly, "my parents live in a farm that's kinda out of the way, so they don't get a regular paper. They're also not avid television viewers." She sighed. "I guess that's one more thing I have to stress about. How to tell them that I'm dating an alien."

Thanos pulled her down again. "The direct approach is always best, I think. In fact, if you truly don't think that you can tell them, I'll do it for you. I can't promise I'll be nice, though." Layla giggled and kissed him. He savored it.

When she pulled back, her face was flush. "On second thought, I'll probably do it myself. There are some things that you have to do with a bit of finesse." Thanos easily shrugged off the comment; it was true that he lacked a light touch when it came to delicate matters. Being "gentle" wasn't his style.

He reached over and grabbed Layla's cell phone from the bedside desk. "Perhaps you should call them now, before you lose your nerve," he suggested. She glared at him. "Or perhaps a text message would be easier."

He smirked as she snatched the phone. "I am not losing my nerve, for the record. I am merely waiting for the perfect time. Wipe that smirk off your face." He merely huffed before moving in to kiss her again. He wondered if she had any idea what she did to him. Somehow, she became even cuter when she looked angry.

Well, he didn't need to press the issue. When she wanted to confront her parents, she would do so. If he had any concerns, it was that Layla would take it hard if her parents met the news with horror. He didn't care if they approved of him or not, but he had the feeling that such a thing would distress Layla.

Oh, that reminded him. "I suppose you'll want to inform them about the Tesseract inside you?" Layla turned, giving her back to him.

"Good night, Thanos!" And that was that.

Chapter Text

Thanos didn't bring up Layla's parents again for a few months. He thought it best, as her mood had been deteriorating over the last few weeks. As far as he could tell, her colleagues and former friends (he mentally snarled at the thought of the spineless cowards) had either abandoned her or had begun to treat her maliciously.

No longer did she venture out to the supermarket or café. Mostly, she stayed home and ordered out; once in a while, he would go on her behalf, but she made an attempt to limit the number of times.

Perhaps it was best he did pressure her to reveal the situation to her parents. On the chance they completely accepted it, that could be the positive reinforcement that Layla needed.

Thanos, who had been reading a book about poetry (only mildly engaging), sighed. It was….difficult, caring about someone. Obviously, such concerns had been foreign to him back before he met her. Humans had all sorts of physical and mental ailments that he could understand why they drove each other insane.

A glance at the clock informed him that Layla would return in five hours. Five, long, restless hours. Flinging the book down on the floor with a bit of frustration, Thanos stomped out to the front porch. Fortunately, no one was out walking, which suited him just fine. Squeaks of fear grew old after awhile.

Perhaps, Thanos idly thought, it wouldn't be so hard on Layla if she didn't have to spend every single moment around her neighbors.

He had to admit, the neighborhood was pleasing to the eye. Simply standing on the porch brought a sense of tranquility. Sunlight filtered through the many trees, creating inventive shadows on the pavement. The nearby bushes produced sweet smelling flowers, and even the weather was consistent (maybe even tediously so).

However, Thanos was not one for attachment. If he had to, he could easily re-locate without as much as a backwards glance.

And that's when the metaphorical lightbulb (something he had learned from human "comedies") lit up. Why should she stay? It was obvious that there was no one that she was very much attached to here; even her parents lived in another town. He very much doubted that she would have any objections to his idea.

In fact, he was confident enough in his assumption that she would enjoy his idea that he decided he would keep it a surprise until he had time to go through with his plan. Planning surprises was very much unlike him, he grudgingly had to admit, but something told him that he would very much enjoy the pleased look on her face when she viewed the end result.

While he wouldn't be able to finish everything that day, he still had enough time until Layla returned to do some basic scouting. Heading behind the house to his parked spaceship, which had finally been completely repaired, he frowned when he noticed two birds chattering away on it. Even invisible, apparently the ship managed to attract pests. Sighing, he pressed a button on his belt, which started up the ship's engines. The startled birds flew off. Satisfied, Thanos entered his ship.

The ship was programmed to obey only his voice commands, but there were times when he wanted to manually fly it. With his cloaking apparatus on, he wouldn't be noticed by any nearby planes or jets, but he was heading a bit…further.

It didn't take an hour to reach the upper stratosphere. Glancing out the window, he noted that Layla would enjoy the view. It looked like he was caught in the middle of infinity, an endless plain of neon blue as far as the eye could see. He would have to remember to bring her one day.

Bringing his mind back to the task at hand, Thanos initiated the remote hacking feature. His target: three major satellites circling the planet. All three had telescopes with immense focal length and ratio, enough to take pristine images of Earth; that Fury would be angered was a bonus. It would send a message that Thanos was not to be kept on a leash.

After he had decided enough images had been collected, he descended back to Earth, with none of the neighbors the wiser.

When an exhausted looking Layla arrived home, he successfully exuded an air of bored casualness. She noticed.

"So, uneventful day?" she asked wryly as she removed her jacket. He shrugged.

"Nothing special. I can only amuse myself on books for so long." She laughed, and practically tossed herself on the couch besides him.

"Well, now that I'm back, we can watch something. I'm assuming it'll be something exciting?"

Thanos thumbed through the television guide and wrinkled his nose. "Unless you find rings especially pulse-pounding, perhaps not." Layla swiped the booklet from his hands.

"No, this movie is actually really good. We're definitely watching it." Having decided on her movie, Layla curled up next to Thanos. Immediately, it became tempting to divulge to her the actual events of the day, but his need to surprise her won out. Simply telling her would be anti-climatic.

And so he let himself be enthralled by a story starring diminutive fantasy creatures attempting to save their small village by shipping a magical ring to a faraway place. Thanos thought the protagonist to be a pathetic specimen; if not for the supporting cast, the small one wouldn't have lasted more than a day.

The film's length was greater than he had expected, and it came as no surprise when Layla announced her intentions to head straight to bed the second the credits began to roll. "If you are truly so exhausted," Thanos started as he stood up and scooped her up in his arms, "I assume you'll have no objection if I choose to carry you up." Lala let out a small shriek of laughter.

"Give a lady some warning," she mock scolded. She swung her arms around his neck. "If this were a comedy film, this would be the part where you make an off-hand comment about how much I weigh, and I would probably hit you."

"Ah, but I'm no fool," Thanos retorted. Truthfully, she weighed nothing in his arms, but even if she did, he didn't think he would care. Before he knew it, they had reached the bedroom, and he let himself fall down on the soft mattresses that had been pushed together.

When he turned to look at Layla, she was staring at him with such naked adoration in her eyes that it almost made him uncomfortable.

"I love you, you know." She said it in almost a whisper, not that there was any chance of someone else overhearing.

The only reply that Thanos was able to verbally give was, "Hmm." He hated himself for it. It was three simple words, words that he should have easily been able to say, but they felt awkward on his tongue.

Ah well, he was a believer in action speaking louder than words. He shifted so that he was leaning over her. Her eyes shone with anticipation as he leaned in to kiss her. He was never a gentle kisser; he preferred to ignite her with strong kisses, kisses that told her that she belonged to him, and he to her. They said everything he couldn't verbalize.

The next time Layla left to teach, Thanos wasted no time in locking himself in his lab and printing out every single image he had captured from the satellites. He spent the next five hours intently studying the clear pictures. There were a few contenders, but most of them were automatically disqualified due to being either populated or because of random weather patterns.

In the end, there was really only one choice, which was fine with Thanos. With the selection process done, the real work could begin. The noise of the front door opening reminded him that he would have to wait until the next day. He quickly shredded the images in a handy paper shredder that he had "borrowed" from Layla, before hurrying to join her upstairs.

When Layla woke up on Saturday morning, the first thingshe noticed was that Thanos was gone. He had a large presence in any room, and she was starting to grow a sixth sense when she was able to tell if he was in the house or not. Still, just to be sure, she checked the lab.

"Well, I suppose he's entitled to have some alone time," Layla assured herself, and the empty house, but also a bit hurt that he wouldn't even tell her beforehand. Now that she thought about it, over the last week, he had been fairly quiet, he never spoke about his day unless asked, and even then only gave short answers. She could tell that he had been out more than once, but she didn't want him to think of her as someone who always nagged. Now she was starting to regret that…

She shook her head hard. She trusted him, for crying out loud! Even thinking for a second that he was sneaking around with someone else behind her back was ridiculous! Aside from her, he still seemed to harbor, at best, a disinterest in humans. No, he was probably dealing with some problem in space, or maybe that Warlock guy had come back.

Having calmed herself down, she prepared a large breakfast (in case Thanos returned before noon) consisting of eggs, pancakes (with blueberries, like her mother had taught her), and bacon. She was halfway through her plate when Thanos materialized besides her, and she was proud of herself for not doing something stupid like dropping her fork on the floor.

"So I'm starting to think it was smart of me to cook your breakfast." Layla gestured at the plate across from her. He glanced at his food before staring back at her.

"The food can wait. I –" Whatever he was going to say was cut off when Layla raised her hand.

"I spent a lot of time cooking this, you know. You wouldn't let it go to waste, would you?" She even tried her hand at the puppy dog stare, something that made her sneer and roll her eyes whenever it popped up in some romance paperback. Still, if the books all said it worked…

Thanos looked confused, but he sat down anyway, which was probably a small mercy. After practically vacuuming his food, he started again. "I know you've been curious about my…activities as of late, but today I am prepared to reveal everything to your satisfaction."

Ah, so he knew that she knew he had been a busy bee. Well, that made things simple, and if he was willing to divulge his secrets, it couldn't be something scandalous.

"I won't lie, I have spent more than a little time wondering." She grinned as she took a sip of her orange juice. "Don't tell me you got a job or something." Thanos huffed.

"See, I could explain, but I think it would be far more efficient if I could just show you." He then held out his hand, and Layla realized that he was going to teleport them. Great, and I just finished eating.

"So it's somewhere far away?" Layla asked, mildly stalling for time. Thanos nodded, and she noticed the look in his eye. It was the same look her father had every Christmas when she was a young girl, and she was about to open the brightly colored present he bought her. A look of anticipation.

She sighed. "Well, I suppose I'll have to get used to this eventually." She placed her hand in his, and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she was standing on a beach. It was a complete difference from the cold weather back home that she felt completely overdressed.

"Hmm, your body is finally acclimating to the teleporting," Thanos commented. Layla, surprised, realized that she didn't feel faint or nauseous at all! She didn't dwell on it, though; her curiosity was all focused on the area around her. She had never been to the Carribean, but she had always pictured it to be like this: Crystal Blue skies, palm trees swaying in the wind, the cries of seagulls overhead. Perhaps a bit stereotypical, perhaps, but that had been her dream vacation.

"Where are we?" she finally asked, not being able to keep the awe out of her voice. "Is this Puerto Rico? The Dominican Republic? Barbados, maybe?" Layla knew that Thanos had been waiting for her to ask, and as she guessed, a pleased grin appeared on his face.

"This island has no name." Layla, who had been admiring a small turtle lumber across the sand, gaped at Thanos.

"May I ask why? No offense, but it seems pretty odd that there would be an island that no one has claimed." She didn't want to think Thanos had illegally "stolen" an island or something.

Thanos, as if he had read her mind, held up a hand. "Completely legal, I assure you." He chose not to mention hacking the satellites. "This island is a very small piece of land, and it has little value economically. Not much grows here, and there are no minerals to be found."

Ah, she understood. "Basically, no one wants or needs it." It was almost a shame. It was beautiful, and because of the privacy, she could see it being the perfect honeymoon or vacation spot. She smiled at Thanos, and reached out to grab his hand again.

"This is a wonderful surprise; I mean it. You may have outdone yourself, and that's saying something." Thanos gave her hand a small squeeze before leaning down to whisper, "This isn't the surprise." She could tell he relished her surprised reaction. There was more?

He led her towards the center of the island, past a small grove of trees. The shade felt nice; already she made a mental note to bring sunblock next time.

When she saw a large house in the distance, she asked Thanos who it belonged to, since apparently no one lived here.

"It's ours, of course." Layla stopped, and Thanos glanced back at her. "Before you ask, no, I am not 'kidding you' or any nonsense like that."

"Am I that predictable?" Layla laughed. "I have always wanted a vacation house, but.." Thanos shook his head.

"A vacation house wouldn't be worth my time. I mean for this to replace your old house. I won't take no for an answer." He crossed his arms in his obstinate way. But Layla could be stubborn too.

"OK, slow down. I like where I'm living now! I'm not just going to move at the drop of a hat! And you didn't even discuss this with me! Believe it or not, I have a say in this." Her awe and happiness was slowly turning into anger. If Thanos thought he could dictate her life as he saw fit, he was completely mistaken.

"This is for the best," Thanos growled. "You may think I haven't noticed the adverse effect your town has been having on you, but I most certainly have." His hands balled into fists. "Perhaps I have acted hastily, but if I have, it is only because I do not wish for you to live in a town filled with small-minded fools who treat you like a criminal."

The muscles in his jaw clenched; she could tell that he was trying very hard not to lose his temper. She inhaled deeply herself; it wouldn't end well if this became a screaming match.

"I'm grateful that you felt concerned about me. But I can honestly handle being ostracized." Then she thought of a logical argument. "Besides, I have to go to work to earn money. There aren't any jobs here, obviously, and it's not like I'll be able to rent a boat." Before Thanos could interrupt, she added, "And before you offer to teleport me there every morning, what happens if you aren't available that day?" Thanos perked up at that.

"Ah, I have already considered that, and I have an ideal solution." Of course he did. Wordlessly, he headed for the wooden door, and she followed. It really was a nice house, if maybe a bit plain, as if Thanos had consulted a book on very basic houses. It was an unassuming size; the kind of place two people could live in comfortably; four or more might get stuffy. The white paint was unmarked, normal for new paint. After a few years, the weather would have taken its toll.

Once inside the house, Layla breathed in the fresh, new smell. She always loved the scent of wood (except when it rained). "It looks nice," Layla admitted, her voice echoing around her, finding only walls to bounce off.

"Nice? Surely you have something more to say than that?" Thanos prodded. It was true, nice was an understatement, but she also didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Before I say anything else, what was this solution you were talking about? I'm not making any decisions before that." When she had to wipe her sweaty forehead, she added, "Also, we'll need to install an air conditioner, or three." Thanos promised he'd look into it before practically dragging her upstairs.

They entered the largest room, which Thanos proclaimed would be their room. Lo and behold, there was even a bed, the largest Layla had ever seen. Thank goodness, they could finally share a bed without having to push two together.

She voiced this to Thanos, who shrugged. Apparently, the bed wasn't what he came to show her…it was the device beside the bed. Layla hadn't noticed, because the device was on the wooden floor; it resembled a Frisbee, but much rounder. A person could completely step inside it.

"This is the teleportation device I have been working on for the past few months. The one I wear on my wrist was a trial run, and I believe I have perfected it. Also, now that your body has shown more resistance to it, you should have no trouble using it to get to your destination each day." Layla stared at the contraption skeptically.

"Maybe we could give it a test run?" Thanos informed her that there was no "we", as only one person could use it at a time. "Wait, how do I get back then?" The last thing Layla wanted was to find herself stuck if she was accidentally warped inside a volcano or something.

Thanos smirked knowingly. "I think you'll know once you arrive. Don't worry, I've already set the co-ordinates to your working facility, since I take it that's the only place you'd want to use this teleporter for." Layla nodded. "Excellent. Now step into the center, and don't move out of it until you arrive."

She followed his instructions, and closed her eyes as he pressed a button on his wrist. She suddenly had the feeling that she was on a roller coaster, but faster. She couldn't make out anything around her. And suddenly, she was lying down on some cold grass.

Layla gingerly got to her feet, recognizing the area as the forest outside the school. Fortunately, it was late in the afternoon, and no one was around. She quickly reached in her purse to call Thanos on her cell phone when she noticed a soft, circular glow on the grass. It had the same shape as the teleporting device back at the house. Remembering what Thanos had told her, she inside, and in a moment, the cool forest air was replaced with the island heat.

"I take it that all went well and you have no complaints." She quickly patted over her body, making sure that nothing was missing (clearly, she had read too many sci-fi novels).

"I'm all in one piece, so I guess I can't complain," she admitted. Even if she tried finding something to nit-pick about, she honestly couldn't think of any major concerns.

"I thought as much." Thanos walked over to the machine and pressed a button on his belt. The machine's humming stopped, and all the blinking lights turned dark.

"If you have no further questions or complaints, I think the next course of action will be to transport your furniture to this house. I will also need to install electricity, which may take a few days." Layla tuned out the rest. She had no doubt in his abilities, but she still felt a bit put-off by his take-control nature. The word "bossy" came to mind, juvenile as it was. She sighed. It looked like she would have to get used to this new house over the next few weeks, so she supposed she could make the best of it.

"Director Fury?" Fury looked up from the blueprints his mechanics had sent him regarding newly installed weaponry. Coulson stood by the door, hands folded in front of him. Fury nodded, giving the signal to Coulson to continue speaking.

"As you are aware, sir, we monitor over a hundred uninhabited islands, in case any dangerous super powered being were to try to turn it into a secret base or Murder World." Fury nodded again, slightly impatient. It was standard practice.

"Well, I thought it would probably be prudent to inform you that Thanos has seemingly decided to inhabit one of those islands. He's built himself a cozy little shack, if I may say so." Coulson had moved up to Fury and handed him a folder of satellite photos, which the director flipped through.

"Make sure to keep tabs on him. I don't like the idea of leaving him to his own devices." Coulson turned to leave, before remembering something else.

"Oh, he also hacked some of our satellites." Fury was surprised enough that he got up from his chair, dropping the photos on the floor.

"That son of a -!"

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Layla's schedule changed. Every weekday after school, instead of heading home to relax, she would head to the house to prepare for the move. Fortunately, with Thanos, she didn't need to bring attention to herself by hiring a moving company. The last thing she wanted was for neighbors to look out their windows and see conspicuous moving trucks in her yard.

Most of her furniture had sentimental value, so she chose to bring most of them over, even if her couch was scratched up, and one of her lamps barely lit up anymore. She did agree that they no longer needed the beds, not when Thanos had gotten that extra large one. Besides, years of use had left their springs damaged.

It was a bit of work deciding where all the furniture would go in the new house, but the television was easy; it would be placed in front of the window facing the wall. There would be no glare that way. Fortunately, Thanos didn't complain about having to haul everything around; Layla felt a stab of guilt at "using" him in that way, but he didn't seem to mind. Besides, she reasoned, it was his idea to move in the first place.

Still, to make it up to him, she informed him that she would paint the house by herself. In fact, she refused to let him help her out at all. Deciding that there was nothing dangerous about painting, Thanos agreed. He nearly changed his mind one night when Layla slipped off the roof while painting it brown; she was lucky to fall on a small bush.

As for the interior of the house, Layla painted it a robin's egg blue, which had always been her favorite summer color. Something about it just gave the house a cheerful atmosphere. Thanos objected, claiming it burned his eyes, but Layla reminded him that seeing as how he practically forced her to move, he owed her big time. Seeing as how she wasn't above lording this fact over him, he relented.

When she had finished painting the final room, it was just in time for the sunset to illuminate everything in dark orange colors. She wiped her sweaty forehead, absently getting blue paint over it, but she didn't care. The house looked beautiful.

That night, to celebrate, Layla cooked a large meat dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes, and salad (the latter mostly for her). The electricity still hadn't been installed, so she had to cook back at her house before letting Thanos teleport her to the new place.

On the bright side, it was an excuse to break out the candles. Layla had never eaten by candlelight before, despite the activity being a romantic trope in movies. She completely got the appeal once she actually did it; the low lighting made everything somehow more intimate and sexy.

"You know," Layla started slowly as she took a bite out of her lettuce, "I think we should break in this new house." Thanos looked up from the turkey leg he had been chomping on.

"How so?" She made her intentions clear by sliding her foot up his leg. The astonished look on his face was priceless, but she enjoyed the glint in his eyes even more.

"By that I mean…break in the bed. We need to try it out sometime, right?" Thanos stood up, sending his chair to the ground, but she didn't care as he scooped her up and smashed his rough lips against hers.

"This will also be a good opportunity to test out the bed's durability," Thanos growled with promise as he took her upstairs. He dropped her on the bed, and in seconds, had removed his clothing. She moaned as he lay against her and began to roughly kiss her neck. She reached up to touch him, but he leaned away.

"After your hard work today, let me do the work now. Just lie back," and his growl was so mesmerizing, she decided to comply this time. He was right; she deserved this tonight. That night, the pleasure never seemed to end.

The infernal tropical birds woke him up with their screeching. Thanos growled under his breath as he debated the merits of simply letting his consciousness drift back under. But no, he was already awake, and with the mornings here being even more sunlight-soaked than before, sleep was unlikely.

Soft breathing next to him alerted him to the fact that maybe that wasn't true; Layla didn't seem to be having any trouble staying dormant. Her chest rose slightly as she inhaled, and her lips slightly parted. It was his opinion that she was just as beautiful asleep as she was awake. He would have to wake her soon, or else she would blame him if she was late to attend to her students, but for now he was content to watch her slumber.

At least today he would be able to keep himself occupied once she was gone. He had to set-up the electricity, build a security perimeter around the house (including motion detectors under the sand of the beach), and continue to finish his lab in the basement. It would be a full day, but that was preferable to having nothing to do. Thanos liked to keep busy.

One item on his agenda that he had "forgotten" was to inform Layla that they would have to reroute the telephone connection; if someone tried calling Layla at her previous house, they would be re-directed to the new one. Thanos had failed to mention this, however, because he didn't want any of the townspeople talking to Layla more than absolutely necessary. He didn't want them to cause Layla any more distress.

Layla shifted in bed beside him. Ah, I won't need to wake her after all, Thanos thought as Layla stretched her arms. "Mmm, morning," Layla yawned, her eyes still half-closed. She glanced at the electric clock on the bedside table, and quickly scrambled from the bed. As she stood up, she winced.

"Are you feeling pain?" Layla shook her head quickly, before relenting. "A bit. You sure go all the way in bed." Thanos opened his mouth to offer some sort of apology, but Layla held up a finger. "Look, don't worry about it. I'd rather have some light bruises than a wimp in bed."

He couldn't help but stare at her as she got dressed for her job. She caught him looking and winked. "The day will fly by before you know it, you'll see. And you have it easy; you get to stay home all day." She wagged a finger at him.

"Hmm. I would like to see you attempt to set up the advanced security system. Perhaps I should leave it for when you return?" Layla tilted her head, pretending to consider it, before replying, "Nah, I'm good." She blew a kiss before stepping on the teleporter and warping away.

Thanos calculated that if he began early preparation, he had a slight chance of finishing the basic security by the time Layla returned. No rest for the weary, Thanos thought wryly as he forced himself out of bed. He had never been the lazy type; no reason why he should start now.

Seven hours later saw Thanos mentally patting himself on the back. He stood at the front of the house, silently surveying the surrounding area. To the naked eye, nothing seemed different from that morning, but running in a circle underneath the perimeter was a sensitive sensory field that would detect even the slightest movement on the ground.

And of course it was that exact moment that the silent alarm began ringing; Thanos had connected the sensors to his suit, so that whenever the alarm was tripped, a small icon on his gauntlet would light up. Thanos would not be caught by surprise.

As he stomped out behind the house, he decided that if he was able to do away with the source of the alarm fast enough, Layla would never need to know. She would not be pleased to discover that a murder had been committed on the island literally days after they began living there.

He wasn't sure who or what he expected to see, but even Thanos had to admit to some surprise.

"Nick Fury. I was hoping I would never have to see you again." He didn't bother addressing the small, insignificant man behind Fury. Fury's face betrayed no emotion.

"I could say the same thing, but unfortunately, it seems you just can't stay out of trouble."

Layla, in a conscious effort to stay warm, did the hyper-dash once school was over. She wasn't in the mood for any chit-chat, and she really hadn't dressed warmly enough for the weather. The cold winds cut right through her light jacket.

The gusts of wind almost blocked out the sound of her name, being called urgently. Layla turned around warily, but it was only Clementine. The lady had her arm half-raised, a pensive look on her face. Layla sighed; she really wasn't in the mood.

"Clementine, did you need something? I'm kind of in a hurry right now." Layla awkwardly shuffled lightly, trying to keep warm. Dang, it was freezing. She could even see the small cloud as Clementine opened her mouth, then shut it again, before apparently gaining enough courage to speak.

"Look, Layla, I know I've been avoiding you, and that's on me. After the way the girls and I treated you, I doubt you'd want to see us anyway. But it was weighing on my mind all week, and…" Clementine paused, weighing her words before she spoke them.

"I'm really sorry. We've known each other for years, so I trust you. I do, I really do. But I'm also scared for you, Layla. This Thanos…everyone knows how dangerous he is. I don't want him to hurt you. The others agree with me." There were tears in Clementine's eyes now, but she didn't break eye contact with Layla.

For her part, Layla was speechless. She honestly thought the girls had hated her! She was aware of how she must have looked, just staring at her friend and not offering any kind of response. Finally, at a loss for words, she did the next best thing - she dropped her briefcase on the cold ground and darted forward to embrace her friend in a hug.

For a perfect moment, the two women held each other tightly, as if afraid the other would vanish the second their grips slacked.

"Please forgive me," Clementine whispered. Layla simply nodded, because she would have forgiven Clementine for far, far worse. As the two separated, they began to laugh at how foolish they had both been.

"By the way, Layla, where were you last night?" Clementine gave Layla a slightly puzzled look. "I went over to your house to apologize, but no one seemed to be home - and a peek through your windows only told me that your furniture was gone. I was so scared that I made you leave town." Layla bit back a pang of guilt.

"No, no, I was just…I hired a moving company to take my furniture to a different house." Clementine looked skeptical, so Layla quickly added, "You know how much I hate this Winter weather. I rented a beach house quite far away from here, to escape the chill. That's all. I promise, it had nothing to do with you." Layla winced at that lie, but Clementine moved her hand over her heart in her usual overdramatic fashion.

"That is such a relief, dear," Clementine breathed. "I would have never forgiven myself if that was the case." Just as Layla was ready to sigh in relief, Clementine continued on. "But where is this beach house? It must be nearby, and I would like to visit."

"Uh," Layla stalled as she thought of a decent answer. "I would love to have you visit, but I really can't say. I mean, with the way the media has been hounding us, we need our privacy. I know that you would never rat us out, but you know how word can get out."

"I understand," Clementine muttered reluctantly. "Anyway, I supposed if I visited, I would run into that Thanos fellow again. I'm in no rush to do so." Layla bit back a heated reply, knowing that would cause more harm than good.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going," Layla awkwardly interjected, not wanting Clementine to see the teleportation happen behind the school. "But it was nice seeing you." She and Clementine waved goodbye, and once her friend was out of sight, Layla dashed behind the school, eager to return home.

When Layla warped home, the last thing she expected was to hear the front door close. She dashed downstairs, but stopped short when she saw Thanos glaring at the door.

"Dare I ask who that was?" Layla grinned at Thanos. She didn't have a clue, but she did know that he hated uninvited guests.

"No one important." She kept staring at him until he caved. "Very well. If you must know, it was Nick Fury and some young pup of an agent."

"And? What exactly did he want this time?" Thanos looked very unapologetic as he gave his short but succinct reply.

"He wanted to remind me that the hacking and/or manipulation of SHIELD technology is illegal." Lay,a waited for any further explanation, but realizing that she would be waiting a long while, she decided to use her time in a mire productive way.

"Well, I'll start on dinner. I'm open to requests, so shoot." Thanos turned towards her, surprised.

"Your mood seems to have brightened considerably. Surely Fury wasn't the cause." Layla giggled as she headed into the spacious kitchen, beaming at the fact that the electricity seemed to finally be working.

"I got to catch up with a friend, is all." She hummed as she turned the stove on. Then, deciding that she wanted to discuss everything now, while she had his attention, she brought up the other issue on her mind.

"This house is gorgeous, Thanos. I'm, of course, incredibly grateful at the work you put into it. But maybe we were hasty with this move. I think things can be repaired back home, at least with my friends." She quickly glanced at Thanos' face, and his reaction was about what she expected.

"I disagree. I don't know what transpired today, but having one person on your side is nothing against all the people who have decided to take their fear of me out on you. I am not blind as to what goes on in town." He crossed his arms as he sat down on the nearby couch.

"This island is safe from any who would attempt to harm or harass you. It is also highly privatized. I see no need to return to your previous dwelling." Layla struggled to hold on to her good mood, but the fact that Thanos was once again ignoring her opinion was starting to get very old.

"Look, I -" before she could blow up at him, the telephone rang. Layla was under the assumption that they didn't have a phone in the house yet, which would be her excuse if Thanos were to ask why she jumped.

"You've been busy," Layla remarked. Thanos shrugged, and after a beat, she grabbed the phone from it's holster.

Not sure who to expect, she uttered a, "Hello?" A static-filled pause was broken by a very familiar, "Layla? We've been trying to reach you all day."

Layla gasped. "MOM?"

Chapter Text

"Mom? How did you get this number?" Layla knew for a fact that Thanos had only installed this phone hours ago. There was no way he had given her parents the number.

"What are you talking about? This is the same number you've had for years. I do admit it's been while since we called, but it hasn't been so long that I've forgotten your phone number. Of course, it was your turn to call us, but we waited a few weeks before getting worried."

Layla wanted to smack herself! Granted, a lot had been going on in her life, but still. She and her parents had decided years ago, when Layla first went off to college, that they would take turns calling the other. One month she would call them, then vice versa the next month.

"Oh gosh, mom, I'm so sorry. I've been swamped with work and life in general." She gave Thanos a pointed look, and he grinned back. She was sure this phone call was amusing to him.

"As long as you're taking care of yourself," her mother predictably replied. "But Layla, your father and I were talking, and we thought it would be lovely if you came to visit us over Spring Break. Your kids will be on vacation, so you won't be busy, I'm sure." Layla's heart grew; she hadn't visited her parents in a few years, mainly because they lived a few states over. She would love to catch up with them.

"Oh, and Layla, remember what we discussed last time?" Huh? Layla tried to recall their last conversation, but found herself failing.

"You know? About getting a boyfriend (and a husband)? You know I want to live to see grandkids." Layla wanted to melt into the earth. Her mother had been trying to get Layla to find a forever boyfriend for years.

She was also reminded how incredibly fortunate it was that her parents didn't believe in television, and that they didn't get any newspapers delivered to their farm. She could maybe wriggle her way out of this….

"You know how excited I would be if you could bring over a boyfriend…assuming you have one." Layla's mother always knew how to guilt-trip someone. It was her manipulative voice; even Layla's father couldn't deny it.

"Well," Layla started slowly. "It just so happens that I do have a boyfriend, mom." Thanos, who had been smirking the entire time, sat up straighter, a look of faint surprise on his face. "I was going to keep him a secret for a while longer, but…"

Layla had to move the phone further from her face as her mother squealed in delight. "Oh my goodness. Is he handsome? I'm sure he is. I bet he has a respectable job too. Where does he live? Is he *gasp* living with you?"

As soon as she found an entrance, Layla quickly replied, "Mom, I promise I'll answer all your questions when I come over. Just…try to stay patient until then." Layla hung up as quickly as she could, before burying her face in her hands. This had been the perfect opportunity to tell her mom - and she chickened out. It was almost predictable.

"Am I a coward?" Layla's muffled voice traveled between her hands. Thanos chuckled.

"Coward isn't the word I would use to describe you. In any case, it matters not. You will have another chance when we visit them." Layla groaned. She wasn't looking forward to this at all. She thought she had finally readied herself, mentally, but now the situation was finally reality, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. After the way her friends reacted, it was very plausible that her parents wouldn't fare any better.

She must have looked even more pitiful than she felt, because even Thanos softened. "If you truly don't feel up to it, I don't have to accompany you. We can save this for another time." It was cute (and almost frustrating) at how accommodating Thanos was trying to be.

"No, no," Layla sighed. "Spring break still isn't for a few more weeks; I'll manage to work up some courage until then. I've made up my mind." Her voice wavered at the end, because of course, her speech wasn't unconvincing enough already.

Quickly changing topics, Layla arched an eyebrow at Thanos. "So…I was under the impression that we would have a completely different phone number for this house, but I appear to be mistaken? Care to fill me in?" She had hoped to see him fidget a bit, but he looked her straight in the eyes as he answered.

"Your so-called friends are under the assumption that you are moving, and thus, also assuming that you will acquire a new phone number. Naturally, until you give them this fictional number, they'll have no reason to dial the old one." Layla felt a headache coming. "I have already stated that I don't wish for them to have any more communication with you than is absolutely necessary."

Layla held up a finger to stop him. "First off, I do have a cell phone. They can just text me there." Seeing Thanos look surprised at his oversight almost lifted her mood. "And second…I get what you're saying, but I've had enough of you trying to take control of my life and micro-managing everything. If I want to speak to my friends, I will."

"I'm only looking out for your best interests," Thanos countered with no sign of repentance. "If you feel smothered, I apologize, but…"

Layla stood up. "No offense, but I don't need you to make decisions, and I don't need you to look out for my best interests. I can do those things myself. Did you ever stop to think that maybe I didn't want to move?" Thanos stood up as well, and seeing as how he towered over her, it made her previous action irrelevant.

"You were in distress. That much was obvious. What kind of lover would I be if I did nothing? Perhaps I may have acted that way in the past, but I'm not heartless like so many believe. Not with you." He paused, before admitting, "I didn't enjoy seeing you in pain. If I could lessen that pain…I would." Layla huffed, but…Thanos wasn't one to share his feelings easily. It was a vulnerability that he didn't like. It was sort of touching…even if it wasn't exactly a full-blown apology.

She reached out to cup the side of Thanos' face. "I was upset - no, I was heartbroken after my friends seemingly abandoned me. I appreciate what you were trying to do. But do you think, maybe, instead of making huge decisions like this without me, that we could discuss them first? Like equals?" One of his larger hands moved to hold hers.

"Very well," he grumbled, looking slightly self-conscious with himself now that the worst had passed. "I didn't mean to upset you the way I did. I suppose that I lack the necessary relationship experience that you are probably used to."

Damn him for being cute at the least-expected moments. "Well, I guess that's why I'm here." She reached up to kiss him on the cheek, before heading off to finish dinner for the night, her spirits at a new high.

A few weeks passed, and Layla found herself whistling as she brushed her hair. She was still nervous, but visiting her parents was almost always the highlight of that month. She loved seeing them, and visiting the old farmhouse. She briefly wondered if they had done any renovations, but then dismissed the idea. Her parents hated change with a passion, and that included technology and other updates. She was pretty sure that her father only gave the barn a fresh new coat of paint once a decade.

"I suppose this isn't a black tie affair?" Layla rolled her eyes at Thanos, who was simply lounging around.

"Casual wear will be just fine. I don't think the full armored look will go over so well for a first meeting. You're intimidating enough as it is." Thanos nodded his agreement.

After making sure she was presentable (because if she was anything less, her mother would fuss), Layla followed Thanos downstairs. As they headed to the garage, Layla reflected on how they decided that Thanos would be driving. Her parents lived far enough away that it took a few days to visit, even by car. However, as Thanos had his Titan stamina, he could drive non-stop, without the need for any sort of pit stop.

Of course, the first problem to get brought up was the unnecessary attention Thanos would get at basically every highway tollbooth. So it was decided that Thanos would once again don his telepathic "human disguise." As long as no one recognized Layla, it would be a smooth drive.

"Four hours down, a bunch left to go," Layla drawled, bored out of her mind. Ever since she had gotten her driver's license, she had never been in the passenger seat. She had forgotten how tedious it was with nothing to do. With their GPS, she didn't even have the job of trying to figure out the over-complicated map.

She turned to Thanos. "Hey, let me drive for a while. I've already taken a nap anyway." Thanos smirked and shook his head. He was obviously having way too much fun, though whether his amusement came from driving or tormenting her was a toss-up.

"I told you that I could have easily teleported us to your parent's house. I seem to recall that you wanted to enjoy the more scenic route." Layla didn't need him to remind her; she had been regretting that for at least three hours.

"Fine, then can we at least stop for some lunch or something? We're not reaching the farm until tomorrow morning anyway. No sense starving until then." Thankfully, Thanos agreed. Unfortunately, they were in a large stretch of nowhere, so it took another hour and a half just to find a small burger shack. It had the quaint name of "Aunt Odetta's Burgers".

Layla initially wanted to eat in the car, but Thanos disagreed. "This is the perfect opportunity to see if anyone recognizes you. I'll even make a wager; if no one does, I'll let you drive next." Layla quickly agreed to it.

The waitress who took their order gave them a critical look. "I hope this isn't a first date for you two. I've always been of the opinion that first dates should be at fancy restaurants or something." Then she winked, before walking away to bring the food.

The meal was surprisingly good. The burgers were fresh and juicy, and the fries were filled with steaming potato. For dessert, the apple pie was as classic as it got, and to Layla, that was no bad thing. As a bonus, Thanos gave her his pie. It wasn't to his liking, she supposed.

Spirits lifted and stomach filled, Layla felt serene as she drove for the next few hours. She even turned up the radio to it's highest setting and sang along with the bouncy pop music. Thanos grumbled under his breath. Once the sky grew dark, she handed the wheel to Thanos once more as she went to sleep. Right before she went under, she bemusedly noticed that Thanos had switched the radio off.

"Destination in one mile." The robotic and yet feminine voice of the GPS woke Layla up. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she wished that her car came with some drapes for the windows. She couldn't deal with the sunlight right now. There were in the farm area, which meant there weren't even any huge clusters of trees to block the sun.

"Ah, good. I was just about to wake you. As you said, you want to look presentable for your parents, and I don't think being half-asleep helps with that goal." She ignored him as she checked her cell phone in case her mother called while she was sleeping, but she was in luck.

Still, much as she tried to ignore it, now that they were getting closer to their inevitable destination, hesitation was starting to gnaw at her again. Stupid, she chastised herself, but it was true. Even after days of resolving herself, she was starting to get cold feet once more.

She had to bring it up all casual-like, though. "So, I was thinking. I normally spend the night at my parent's farm anyway, so maybe we don't need to bring up the fact that you're an alien right away. I mean, why rush it? This way, they can get to know you first." The more she spoke, the more into it she got. And why not? She thought it was a fine idea, regardless of her motivation.

She looked at Thanos hopefully, but didn't miss a small flash of disappointment in his eyes. It was gone so quickly that she tried to convince herself that it was never there.

"So you wish for me to continue the charade with your parents? I don't suppose that deceiving them will make them more inclined to trust me?" He arched a brow at her. Layla ignored it.

"I don't know. What if the shock of it is too much for them? I really think easing them into it is the better move." She nodded as she spoke, as if this was truth. Thanos gripped the steering wheel harder than necessary, but his words were calm.

"Very well, we'll try it your way. But we will need a cover story. A charade is doomed to fail when the people carrying out aren't on the same page." Having read enough secret agent books to realize that he was right, the two spent the next few minutes quickly coming up with a name and backstory for Thanos' alter-ego.

Layla plastered a cheery smile to her face as they drove up to the farm. As expected, her parents were already waiting in front of the staircase that led into the house. As Layla exited the car, she noted how fresh and clean the air was. It was one thing she missed from living in the farm.

"Oh Layla, you're looking so well," her mother murmured as she hugged her daughter. Layla felt a genuine warmth in her chest; speaking on the phone just wasn't the same. When the hug ended, Layla quickly looked over her mom; despite her age (late 50s), her hair was still a dark golden-brown. Unlike Layla, who kept her hair down, her mother preferred keeping it in a bun. While her face showed some wrinkles, Layla was of the opinion that it made her mother's smile even cuter looking.

"Hey, kiddo." Her father, not quite as touchy-feely as the women, stepped forward and ruffled Layla's hair, something he had never out-grown. When she was a teenage, she had pretended to hate it, but she didn't bother with that anymore. Life at the farm had kept him tan, and he was still large enough to wrestle some of the younger farmhands. He had also taken to wearing a wide-brim straw hat all the time. He claimed it was because it was passed down from his father, but Layla suspected it was to hide his coming baldness.

"Why do I even bother brushing my hair," Layla joked as she winked at her father. Her mother elbowed her husband, but chose not to scold him - this time.

The slamming of a car door got her parent's attention, and Layla turned around to see Thanos awkwardly shuffle towards her. In a less important situation, it would be amusing to see Thanos like this.

"So, I'm assuming this young man is your boyfriend." It wasn't worded as a question, and there was no judgement in his statement, but Layla didn't like how her dad crossed his arms in an apparently intimidating way.

When Thanos got close enough, Layla snaked her arm around his waist and pulled him close. "Yeah, he is. Mom, dad, this is Thane Titus." Thanos gave a stilted wave of his hand. Obviously, this wouldn't be easy.

She practically had to grab Thanos' wrist and direct it towards his mom, who would be easier to win over. "Thane, this is my mother, Joan." Layla wasn't sure whether to be relieved or exasperated when Thanos decided to turn up the charm.

"It's a pleasure, Mrs. Dunham." Thanos kissed Joan's hand, something Layla was sure he had picked up in one of the romance films she had made him watch. Still, it seemed to work. Joan gave an impressed gasp.

"And here I thought chivalry was dead. I must say, young man, I'm impressed. It seems to me that most of the men in this young generation could learn a thing or two from you." Blushing lightly, Joan moved aside so that Layla's father could step up.

"And this is my father, Randall." Layla knew her dad would be a trickier sell; she don't think he approved of any of the guys from high school, even the ones she didn't date!

Thanos gripped Randall's hand tightly, showing no sign of weakness. Looking her father straight in the eyes, he gave shook his hand firmly. "Mr. Dunham, your daughter has told me much about you. I understand that her impressive work ethic originated from you." Layla could see her dad's stony face soften a tad; one reason her father never respected most of the guys her age was that they all tended to cower in his presence; just the fact that Thanos was able to talk with a voice that didn't wobble was probably a step-up.

"Well, Mr. Titus," Randall began, in a tone that sent many boys dashing, "you have me at a disadvantage. I don't know squat about you." Ruffling his mustache with one hand, he motioned at Thanos' body with the other. "My daughter doesn't normally go for larger men, so something about you must have impressed her, anyway." He looked like police officer about to start an investigation, but Joan grabbed his arm.

"Dear, there is still a small chill in the air. Surely, we can finish this inside." Randall grumbled, but agreed once Joan gave him what Layla dubbed "The Look". As the two headed inside, Layla and Thanos stalled for a moment.

"I told you I would be on my best behavior." Thanos sounded as smug as he looked, but Layla wasn't quite as satisfied.

"It'll only get harder from here. Honestly, my dad is a nice guy, but he always asks my potential boyfriends way too many questions." Thanos clearly wasn't happy with the comparisons to past men.

"I am quite sure that none of the other men your father met had any spines to speak of. I assure you, I have faced far more threatening specimens than this human." Walking with a bravado that Layla wish she felt, Thanos headed up the staircase. Reluctantly, she followed him inside the house.

Chapter Text

The house was just as she remembered it. Her mother must have finally convinced Randall to re-paint the house, because the white paint was fresh, but otherwise, it was like a time capsule. The walls in the living room and kitchen were covered by paintings, large and small, that seemed to all be centered around food. Her personal favorite was a medium-sized painting that featured five loaves of light-brown bread. One could tell the bread was straight from the oven, due to the way smoke was shown curling around the bread. When she was a child, Layla swore that she could almost smell the tantalizing painting.

The kitchen table was rustic by modern standards, but Layla loved it, despite the fact that it made a groaning noise whenever anybody placed anything on it, whether it be a heavy bowl of soup or some empty plastic cups. Still, it hadn't broken yet. Her father liked to say that in comparison, modern tables wouldn't last even a decade.

Her mom had obviously been busy, as the table was almost completely covered by all sorts of food. Steaming rolls of bread (with a side of creamy butter) complimented the bowls of glistening fruit and vegetables (Layla admittedly thought her mom could sometimes use a bit too much salad dressing). But Layla knew that for Thanos, the real treat was the meat. Turkey, chicken, and even bacon could be found in the platter, no doubt her meat-loving father's idea.

"This looks quite delicious," Thanos complimented smoothly. Joan beamed as she quickly piled a bit of everything on his plate.

"Yeah mom, you really outdid yourself with this," Layla marveled. Her dad chuckled as he served his own plate.

"Joan spent the entire evening stressing on if this was enough food. I had to physically wrestle her from the oven." He laughed and ducked as Joan lightly swung a spoon at him.

"Really? Oh mom, this is more than enough." Layla began placing some vegetables on her plate. She always liked her mom's habit of placing pieces of corn inside the salad. Joan tutted.

"First impressions are everything, you know. Besides, how do I know that you've been eating properly? I will admit that you look fine, but looks aren't everything." The conversation lulled for a bit as the four family members began digging in. The bright kitchen kept everyone's moods light, and the food felt like perfection. Layla always forgot how much she missed her mom's cooking.

All too soon, the food was gone. Layla, feeling more full than she had felt in a long time, wanted nothing more than to take a nap, but as she expected, her father took that as an opportunity to begin his questions.

"So..Thane, was it? What exactly is your occupation? I'm assuming it's something that will help you provide for my daughter." Layla knew that this was coming. Thank goodness Thanos and I discussed this on the way here.

Thanos dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "Actually, I work at the school with Layla. I'm a science teacher. In fact, we met at a teacher's conference." He delivered it naturally, and not like someone who may have rehearsed it numerous times in his head.

Layla's father gulped down the last bits of his drink. He had wanted a beer, but knowing her mother, Layla was sure that she had hidden all the cans. Joan hated serving alcoholic drinks for guests.

"I hope that working in the same building doesn't get too…distracting." Layla was no idiot; the suggestive pause made it easy to see what her father was getting at.

Thanos raised an eyebrow, choosing his words carefully before replying. "I assure you, our relationship stays professional at the school." Layla thought it was a good, solid answer. And then he opened his mouth again.

"After all, we find that reining in our passion at the workplace allows us to even better unleash it back in the bedroom." No one even dared to breathe too loud as Thanos then took a gulp from his glass cup.

It was only when he set his cup back down on the table with a clunking noise that Joan quickly excused herself to grab the dessert. Layla wished she had an excuse to get out of there, but then again, she might be needed to cool things down. Still, she couldn't imagine what Thanos was thinking, making such a comment!

Thanos drank in the silence. He was sure he would catch hell from Layla later, but he sincerely didn't care at the moment. He had done his best to hold in his temper, but from the first moment, he didn't care for Layla's judgemental father. Every question, every statement, was tinged with a surety that he wasn't good enough for Layla.

Perhaps that was normal on Earth. Maybe no father thought any male worthy for their daughters. Even so, Thanos could already tell that Randall was planning on asking questions designed to make Thanos look less than desirable for Layla. Well, Thanos didn't suffer fools lightly. Yes, it was best he nip that plan in the bud.

He couldn't help but smirk at Randall; the man was clearly also holding back his rising anger, but his reddened face and quick breaths told the whole story.

"Father, I'm sure Thanos didn't mean any disrespect. He's just very frank." She kept her tone light, but Thanos wouldn't let things end there.

"Of course not. We are a couple, after all. Wouldn't this be normal for any couple? Besides, I'm sure your parents are already aware that we live together." Layla glared daggers at him as Randall paled.

"I…what. But that's just. Layla is this true?" Layla appeared to shrink under her father's rambles, but before Thanos could interject once more, Joan strode back in the room holding a steaming apple pie, but one that looked much larger than any Layla had baked.

She must have followed the conversation from the next room, because she chose to weigh in. "Now Randall, you can't really complain. Why, we were younger than Layla is when we began cohabitating." As he sputtered, she continued with a wink. "And I know you aren't naive enough to not know what that entails."

Unlike Randall, Thanos had no ill feelings towards Joan. Even so, he hadn't counted on her defending him. He also didn't count on what she said next.

"And you know that I've been hoping for some grand-kids. The sooner, the better, I say." This time, Layla and Randall both reddened in perfect synchronicity.

"Mom!" Layla exclaimed. "This isn't something one discusses at the table!" She had already finished her slice of pie, but that wasn't important. What was important was getting her mom to not embarrass her.

"I'm not getting any younger, is all I'm saying. And I know he won't admit it, but Randall was agreeing with me just the other day, and -" Layla's father pushed back his chair in his hurry to stand up.

"Perhaps, Layla, it would be a good idea to show your…boyfriend around the farm? I bet he's never spent more than five minutes on one before." Layla was grateful for her father's quick thinking.

"I can't say that I have…sir," Thanos easily agreed.

A one-on-one "tour" with Layla didn't sound bad at all, but naturally, Joan and Randall both insisted on accompanying them. Did they not trust Layla to be able to lead a tour? Was Randall suspicious of Thanos' integrity?

On the whole, however, he couldn't say he had a bad time. He was, of course, not unfamiliar with farms - but he was used to farms on other planets. To his surprise, Earth farms shared many of the basic features that the interstellar farms featured. It helped that the weather was pleasant in that soft-Spring way.

Layla explained that their family farm wasn't exactly one of the larger ones in the state, but it suited their needs just the same. They also had a medium-sized silo behind the farm, but it was apparently not in use. "We haven't stored anything in their in years," Layla wryly explained. They also had enough animals and crops that they never starved.

"I used to resent having so many chicken and livestock," Layla admitted quietly when her parents were out of earshot. When Thanos incorrectly guessed that it was because they were more trouble than they were worth, Layla chuckled. "No, because I always wanted a pet, but my parents always said that adding another animal wouldn't be practical."

As they approached the enclosed area behind the house, Layla allowed her voice to rise back to it's normal pitch. "But now I really like them. We have some really friendly cows, so they're kinda like owning a dog - at least, a very large dog with horns."

"I'm sure." Thanos, ironically, didn't have any hard feelings towards animals. They were automatically more tolerable than most humans. In her excitement, Layla ran forward, and Thanos knew then that she hadn't been exaggerating, as three cattle ran forward to greet her, trying to push their snout through the narrow, wooden bars of their enclosure.

Their demeanor completely changed the moment they spotted Thanos. Their eyes rolled back, but instead of fainting, they dashed away, crying out the whole time.

"That's the oddest thing," Joan remarked as she and Randall caught up. "These cattle are usually so friendly. They're only skittish around coyote and foxes, dangerous creatures like that." Randall crossed his arms, giving Thanos a skeptical look.

"Maybe they have the right idea." Thanos glared back at the man, feeling his temper rise. There was only so much baiting he would take from this human. Layla, probably sensing the growing animosity, got in between them.

"Maybe we should see what the pigs and chicken think?"

As it turned out, they apparently didn't think much differently. The chicken all beat their wings as hard as they could, and the pigs acted like they were on the chopping block. If he was being honest, Thanos didn't mind. In fact, he usually enjoyed causing fear where ever he went. Intimidation was just part of who he was. He was an alpha predator compared to most creatures.

Still, it also made things tricky with Layla's parents. He wasn't sure how one could casually explain away something like this.

"I'm very sorry," he tried. "There must he something about my face." The group had sheepishly returned home. The setting sun was almost blinding when reflected off the windows of the house.

Joan smiled kindly at him, easily willing to overlook the whole thing. "I'm sure it was just a bad day. Maybe tomorrow we'll let you try feeding the animals. In my experience, that's always the quickest way to earn their affection." Thanos nodded, but on the inside, the mental images made him shudder.

As they piled in the house, Joan glanced at the clock. "I know it's a tad early, but why don't you show Thane your room? You can break it in." She winked at the two, not noticing Randall's fists clench.

"Oh, that sounds like a splendid suggestion," Thanos smirked. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy seeing how angry Randall got. Layla quickly wished her parents a good night before dragging Thanos up the stairs. He noticed with some amusement that the walls on the staircase were cluttered with stock photos of cats and dogs (and one squirrel).

It was fortunate that Layla knew the way, because all four doors in the upper part of the house looked identical.

As Layla reached for the doorknob, she looked Thanos in the eye. "You promise not to laugh?" Curious. Very curious.

"Of course. Have you ever known me to tease?" She opted not to answer. With an inhale, she turned the knob and practically barged in the room. Thanos walked in with more dignity.

Well. Layla had told him that her parents rarely ever changed anything in the house, so Thanos could only assume that Layla's room was the way it was because it hadn't changed since she was a young girl.

The room was pink. The entire room. Certainly, the walls were painted pink, but even beyond that, the curtains, the bed-sheet, the pillows, the carpet, and even the various stuffed animals lying around were the same horrid color.

"...It was a phase?" Layla offered. There were plenty of things that Thanos wanted to say, none of them nice.

"I thought you mentioned your multiple visits to your parents house. You never once changed the room?" He didn't mean to sound so accusatory, but it was hard to imagine living in such a room and not getting a headache.

Layla got defensive. "It was nostalgic. I have a lot of good memories associated with this room, you know. Besides, I'm sure your childhood room was silly, too."

"It wasn't." That's as far as he was willing to discuss the matter, so with a defeated sigh, he collapsed on the bed…which it turned out were two beds pushed together.

"I guess mom and dad had the same idea we did," Layla said, reaching the same conclusion he had.

They just lay there for a few minutes in comfortable silence, drinking in the events of the day and trying to ignore the stifling atmosphere of the room. Or perhaps that was just him.

"Your mother has quite a few good ideas, actually," Thanos whispered as he edged closer to Layla and put an arm around her. She gave him a puzzled look.

"What do you -" her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, no way. Mom was just…she was probably just joking, and…" She bit her bottom lip when Thanos briefly slid his arm down her leg.

"This is a big house. They'll never know. In fact, even if they did, it doesn't sound to me like Joan would have any objection…" He leaned over to kiss her neck, one of her weaknesses. Any resistance she had was gone at that point as she began trying to lift his shirt over his head.

"Am I really going to have sex in the same house as my parents?" Layla murmured. "I must be going crazy."

"You can blame me for corrupting you, if you must." He joked, but Thanos was of the opinion that Layla had loosened up after meeting him. In some ways, it was her purety that had attracted him in the first place, but he would never complain about a less reserved Layla either.

And while he wouldn't dare mention it, if Randall just so happened to hear their activities…well. Picturing the old man seething was something that Thanos could easily deal with.

Once all their clothes were off, Layla gave Thanos one final request. "Just, please, not too loud. No need to be obnoxious about it." Thanos smirked before leaning in to kiss her.

"You have no need to worry about me. You should probably save some concern for yourself," was his cocky reply as the two joined together.

"There's no way I can face them."

Layla considered herself a morning person, but she refused to get out of bed. Thanos was watching her, not even bothering to hide a grin. Well, goodie for him. At least someone is having fun this morning!

"Layla, I assure you, your parents didn't hear a thing." Pause. "And even if they did, I'm sure they won't bring it up over breakfast."

"Wow," Layla drawled. "You're such a source of comfort." Then she pulled the blankets over her face, which worked to block out the sunlight, but failed to block out Thanos' voice - or the tantalizing smell of her mom's cooking.

"I won't force you, of course. I suppose it means more food for me." His voice got softer as his footsteps walked further away. "But perhaps, if there is any left, I'll bring you some scraps."

Ugh. With a groan, she yanked the covers off herself and dashed to the bathroom to quickly wash her face and brush her hair. "Just save some for me, OK?" she called out as she heard Thanos exit the room.

She was done in just a few short minutes. She dashed down the stairs in time to see her mother laughing at something Thanos had just finished saying. Her dad was stony-faced.

"Oh, honey, glad you could join us," her mother said. "Thane was just telling us some of the amusing things that have happened to you." Layla knew that Thanos wanted a rise out of her, but she wouldn't play his game. She daintily sat down at the table, where her mother had already taken the initiative and placed three blueberry pancakes and two sausage links on a yellow plate.

"Oh, I'm sure he has. But has he mentioned the time he first tried to drive a motorcycle?" She briefly heard Thanos cough on his orange juice and allowed herself a small smile. Even her dad seemed interested, all of a sudden.

As breakfast neared it's conclusion, Thanos let his mind wander. He hadn't brought it up, but Thanos had briefly wondered what exactly Layla's parents did for their own amusement if they didn't believe in television. Did they read all day? It sounded to Thanos like a tedious lifestyle,but he was proven wrong by Joan.

"So, how about we break out the board games?" Layla and Randall both perked up, enlarging his curiosity, though his pride wouldn't let him ask what they were referring to. As Joan and Randall left to secure the board games, Layla pulled Thanos aside.

"Guess I should have mentioned, my parents are nutty about board games. They must own close to a hundred now. I grew up playing these, and I don't think I've even played all of them." She pulled Thanos to the large closet her parents were rummaging around in, and she wasn't kidding. The closet was filled to the brim with board games the same way most closets were packed with clothing.

Joan turned to him with a smile. "You're our guest, Thane, so I think it's only fair that you choose which game to play!" Thanos gave a few of the boxes a critical look, but frankly, many of the names were downright childish ("Candy Land?"), and didn't even indicate the nature of the game.

"...I'm afraid many of these are unfamiliar to me. Perhaps you should choose." Thanos only realized his error seconds later when Randall got a glint in his eye.

"Works for me. I have just the game…"

"I guess you're not in the mood tonight, huh?" Layla teased that night as they lay in bed together, his back facing her. Thanos growled in reply, his mood matching the color of the night sky.

"Hey, is losing at a board game that bad?" Layla snickered. "Or are you just a sore loser?"

"Don't belittle me," Thanos ground out. "You know very well I didn't care about the game. The fact that I lost to your father, however, is something else entirely."

"Does it really matter?" was the exasperated reply. "Parcheesi is pretty much a luck-based game anyway. Everyone has an equal chance at winning. It could have just as easily been mom."

"In which case I wouldn't be aggravated." He sighed. Tomorrow was their last day in the house, and then he could finally be free of having to act in front Layla's parents.

"You do still intend to tell your parents tomorrow, correct? This charade has lasted long enough, and I grow weary of it." Layla was quiet for a few moments. Thanos considered counting the seconds, but thought better of it.

Finally, he felt her move closer to him as she admitted, "I'm still scared. But yeah, I will. Dragging it out won't make it any easier in the long run." Satisfied with her answer, he turned around to embrace her. They eventually fell asleep in the same position.

The next morning played out in similar fashion to the one before. Thanos welcomed a hearty breakfast, but he had to question the sanity of anyone who drowned their pancake in that sugary slime Layla called syrup.

Things deviated when, instead of anyone suggesting a round or two of a board game, Randall of all people walked up to Thanos and initiated a conversation. He looked very uncomfortable when doing so.

"Look, Joan has been pushing me to do this. I really want to make that clear right off the bat." He jammed his hands in his pants pockets, truly looking like he wished he could be anywhere but his present location. "My wife really wants me to talk to you. Frankly…I don't really want to. I'm also pretty sure you don't want to either."

As he was speaking, Joan motioned for Layla to follow her. The two women left the room; Thanos didn't miss the "Don't mess this up!" look Layla shot him.

"Let's just go through the motions. Hopefully, that will satisfy Joan. Deal?" Knowing that Layla would be upset if he were to refuse, Thanos reluctantly nodded.

"Agreed. We'll call this a truce, then." As if they had done this for years as old pals, they walked out to the back yard, where a (poorly lit) porch was. Joan had the foresight to have already stationed three large chairs, so Thanos took his pick. It groaned when he sat on it. Randall chose the flimsy rocking chair.

Randall seemed less than eager to start, so Thanos decided to supply him with a topic. "Your farm is well kept." It was only a step away from something as banal as the weather, but Thanos figured it would suit his purpose.

Randall, it seemed, wasn't one to be diverted easily. "Enough with the BS." He leaned his chair forward as far as it would go. "My daughter seemed very happy, and I can appreciate that. I'd like to think I can read her emotions pretty well, and I don't see any signs of her being dissatisfied with you."

He looked Thanos dead in the eye. "But I don't know you from Adam. Obviously, Layla is an adult who can make her own decisions. But to me, she'll always be my baby girl. And so, I need to know if you can provide for her. Can you, on a teacher's salary?"

Thanos hated being judged. But, seeing as how this man was only looking out for the well being of his daughter, Thanos figured he could overlook it this once. "We are financially stable. So much so that we have recently purchased a new house."

"Impressive, but Layla hasn't mentioned this to us."

"Ah, it was meant to be a surprise for later." Not a total lie. "I would appreciate if you didn't mention this to her."

Randall still didn't seem convinced, but Thanos could tell the man was loosening up. "Then I have one last question, at least for now." He stood up, looking out at the sunny sky, which lacked the pollution the skies in the city had. It was a pure blue.

"Can you protect her? I want my daughter marrying someone who can keep her safe, not someone who will get knocked around by just anybody."

Thanos could understand the man's concern. When he created his "image", he had chosen a generic looking human, someone who wouldn't stand out in a crowd. He had decided against choosing a large, muscular body for that reason, but he knew that he didn't look like an impressive specimen.

"Mr. Dunham. If nothing else, I do promise this: No harm will befall Layla. I would protect her with my life. Nothing less than that is acceptable to me. I know you don't think highly of me, and I don't much care. I'm not going to create a false pretense that we are anything but acquaintances. I'm also not trying to win your approval. However, when it comes to Layla's safety, I believe we are in agreement."

He wouldn't get any more heartfelt, not with this man, so if those words weren't enough for Randall, well, Layla couldn't say he didn't try. Still, perhaps this would make his reveal go down a little easier.

"I'm a pretty good judge of character," Randall stated. After scrutinizing Thanos for a few more moments, he seemingly came to a decision. "I really don't think you're lying. I suppose that alone makes you slightly more worthy of my girl then most of the guys around here…"

As if Thanos would get the wrong message, Randall quickly added, "But don't think this means I've accepted you, either. Just because you don't seem as sleazy as some of my daughter's classmates doesn't mean much."

"Hmph, that's fine with me."Thanos was actually relieved. He had no intention of becoming friendly with this man, no matter what Layla said.

"I have to admit, I was worried that things wouldn't go this smoothly." Thanos and Randall whirled around as Joan waltzed out to the porch, holding two large glasses. Practically forcing one on Thanos and Randall, she cheerfully explained, "The way Layla was wringing her hands, I assumed you two would be at each other's throats."

Thanos took a sip of his drink, which it turned out was lemonade. Mercifully, it wasn't overly sweet, but it was very refreshing.

"We've reached an…agreement," Thanos summarized. Layla, who had followed her mother, beamed at him. He nodded at her. It there was ever a time to go through with it, now was the time.

Layla got the message. Quickly draining her drink, Layla set her glass down on a window sill, loud enough to get her parents attention.

"Mom, dad, there's actually one more thing I need to say before we leave tonight. It's…really important." Joan gasped, eagerly grabbing both of Layla's hands.

"I knew it! You're pregnant! Oh Layla, I'm so happy." Thanos mentally winced, hoping this wouldn't make things harder for Layla. He also noticed Randall physically recoil. But Layla wasn't deterred as she gently removed Joan's hands.

"No, mom. This might be even bigger than that. Oh boy, this isn't easy, but, the truth is -"

She was cut off when a blinding light burst from the sky. Layla and her two parents covered their eyes as Thanos stood up, noticing that whatever the descending object was, it was moving towards them at an alarming rate. Before he even had time to warn them to get in the house, the object crashed into the backyard, throwing random debris and plants all around.

"Joan! Layla! Are you all right?" Randall shouted hoarsely as he struggled back to his feet after getting knocked down by the force of the crash. Layla and Joan shakily replied that they were only mildly scratched.

Thanos didn't reply, his attention already taken by what he was seeing. The object, which he had assumed to be a meteor or spacecraft, emerged from the flaming wreckage. It was a large, metallic being with a dark violet color. A few glowing, emerald-colored orbs were embedded in it's body.

"Thanos, I demand an audience."

Chapter Text

The robot wasted no time. "I demand an audience with Thanos." It's booming voice easily carried across the farm. Even the animals fell silent.

"What the hell is that? An alien?" Randall moved in front of Joan and Layla as he spoke. Thanos could appreciate the thought, but the chances of Randall being able to successfully defend himself or others from this machine were minuscule.

"All of you, head inside." Joan and Randall looked at him as if he was mentally unstable. "I'll go get help. Just barricade yourselves inside."

Randall was about to argue, but Layla wisely grabbed the stubborn fool. "C'mon, Thane's right, we have to hide." She dragged her parents inside the house, sparing a glance at Thanos.

That taken care of, Thanos redirected his attention back to the robotic creature. Despite how large he was, the robot was still at least a head taller. "If you wanted my attention, you've succeeded, so I suggest you state your intention."

The robot's optics pulsated, the only visible movement it made. "I have been sent to collect your stone."

Thanos frowned. He had assumed the robot was working alone, so that was no surprise, but a stone? What was this, a petty robbery? At any rate, he wasn't in the mood to deal with whatever nonsense the robot had in mind.

"I don't know, or care, who sent you, but there has obviously been an error. I don't have any sort of stone with me. Perhaps your programming is faulty."

The robot ignored the insult - assuming it even processed his words as such. "I have data that suggests that you are in possession of the Power Stone, which you recently acquired from the Kree warrior Takhan."

Ah, so that was it. Whoever had sent this robot was under the incorrect assumption that Thanos still had the Power Stone, not realizing that Adam Warlock now had it. If he had realized that freaks would come after him for the stone, he might have tried to spread the news that he no longer had any interest in them sooner.

However, he had no intention of telling anyone who he had given the stone to; if whoever sent this robot was so hellbent on finding the stone, they could do it themselves.

"I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I no longer have that stone, nor do I know where it is or have any interest in locating it." When the robot made no reply, he pressed on. "As we have no more business, I suggest you leave immediately. I won't ask again."

"My creator believes you are deceiving us. Battle mode initiated." Fast as a whip, one of the robot's arms stretched out to strike Thanos. The Titan grabbed the elongated arm, intending to pull the robot towards him to deliver a crushing blow, but the robot's other arm struck Thanos in the head, sending him hurtling across the ground. Various livestock evaded him, bellowing the entire time.

This robot was obviously dangerous. Thanos had to destroy it before it could hurt Layla. He would have preferred avoiding a fight in this one case, as Layla's parents were too close for comfort, but the robot had taken things out of his hands.

As he stood up, the robot lunged at him. Thanos quickly reached out, grabbing both of the robots hands in his own. They both struggled, but Thanos began pushing the robot back. The green grass was scraped away as the robot attempted to hold it's ground to no avail.

In a few moments, Thanos would push the robot on it's back, where he would finish it off. His plan came to an unexpected halt when the robot fired a green energy blast from one of the orbs on it's chest. With both hands taken, Thanos took the energy blast to the face, stunning him long enough for the robot to deliver an uppercut, sending Thanos through the nearby silo.

Inside the house, Layla's mother had just hung up from a 911 call. Layla hadn't been able to think of a good reason for her mother not to call, so she just hoped that Thanos wrapped things up before the police arrived.

Her father, having nothing to do and being upset by it, was pacing. "This must be a nightmare. That machine was like something out of one of those damned Transmorphers movies." Layla didn't bother correcting him, a bit stressed as well.

"Oh, I do hope Thane is OK. We really shouldn't have let the boy go out by himself. To make things worse, the police said they can't make it for another twenty minutes." They had locked the doors and windows, and huddled together in the middle of the living room, but none of them truly believed that would keep them safe from a giant robot.

"I'm sure we'll be okay. We just have to hold on and not lose our heads." It was no better than any pep talk someone might give in a generic action movie, but Layla thought that considering the circumstances, she could be given a pass.

Then a deafening noise shook the entire house. Layla's mom shrieked as she grabbed the nearest wall to steady herself. Thanos, what the heck are you doing out there? Layla knew that some damage was unavoidable, but she really hoped the farm would be in one piece by the time this was over.

Layla almost didn't notice her father striding towards the door. "That's it. I've never been a coward, and I refuse to sit around while some science-fiction reject tears my farm apart. If the police plan on taking their sweet time, then it's up to me to defend the family." He grabbed the shotgun that he kept in the small closet near the door; it was normally used to chase away wolves and coyote.

Layla's mother grabbed his arm. "Randall, don't be a fool. You saw that…thing. How do you know it isn't bullet proof?" Randall gave his wife a brief but strong hug.

"I'm sorry. But if we're going to die anyway, I'm not going gown without a fight. But, I want you to take Layla and run as fast as you can. Doesn't matter where you go, just away from here."

Layla racked her brain for a good excuse to keep her father indoors, but was coming up blank. He wouldn't react well if she asked to go get help.

Steeling himself, her father banged the door open. Despite themselves, Layla and Joan followed close behind, both curious as to what caused the booming noise.

"Oh my god," Joan gasped as they saw the likely cause. Their fortunately empty silo was a pile of rubble, and from the way the robot was staring at it, it didn't take a genius to figure out who was the cause.

But where's Thanos? Wait, unless… Layla suspected she knew where he was, and her thoughts were confirmed when the rubble began shifting before a large hand broke through. A purple hand, no less. Her parents both gasped, and she suddenly wished she were anywhere but here.

Thanos growled as he started to pull himself from the wreckage. His body was actually beginning to ache, which was very aggravating. But the robot was hardly going to give him a chance to recuperate. He could already hear the clanking footsteps heading in his direction.

Deciding the element of surprise might serve him well, Thanos lay dormant for a few moments as he let his opponent get closer. When he sensed the robot was close enough, he burst out of the rubble with a roar as he slammed into the machine as hard as he could. It went down, but Thanos gave no quarter as he began to pound into it, enjoying the way the metal began denting underneath his fists.

He was broken out of his violent haze by a small noise on the ground beside the downed robot. After a small pause, he was about to resume his beatdown when a small object whizzed past his face.

He turned around, prepared to face a second adversary, only to spy Randall shakily pointing a large shotgun at him. Joan was standing behind him, her hand over her mouth. Layla was animatedly speaking to her father, but Thanos couldn't hear what she was saying from his distance.

He also belatedly remembered that, during the fight, he had stopped keeping up his mental disguise up. I don't think even I'll be able to explain this. Perhaps Layla could concoct a tale about how I kidnapped Thane. Yes, that might work.

He was too lost in thought to notice the robot getting up until Layla screamed at him to watch out. He whirled around, narrowly avoiding one of the robots fists. He didn't count on the arm being as elastic as it was, however, and the hand he avoided ended up entwining him with the robot's other arm.

It was obvious what the robot had planned when Thanos began to feel the arms constrict around him. Being squeezed to death wasn't the most appealing way to go, if some of Thanos' past victims had been anything to go on.

"This is your final warning to hand over the stone. Do so, and we will grant you a merciful death."

"Truthfully, that is still more quarter than I plan on giving whoever sent you." Thanos flexed as hard as he could, grunting with satisfaction when he began to feel the metal arms giving way. In a few moments, he could hear the metal peeling, and with a final yell, he burst free from the embrace.

"Rerouting mental systems to backup strategy," the robot warbled. Thanos, having lost his patience, searched for anything nearby that he could use as a weapon. A large, green tractor entered his eyesight. This will do nicely.

The robot barely had time to look up before Thanos slammed the large farming machinery down on it's head with as much lethal force as possible. The robot's vocals let out a small squawk before it was forever silenced.

Celebrating his victory and investigating the robot would have to wait, unfortunately. He had a feeling that Layla's parents would be less than pleased regarding their tractor, or their silo, for that matter.

He was correct. Randall not only hadn't lowered his weapon, but he had edged even closer. If the man thought that Thanos would raise his arms at the sight of the gun, he would be sorely disappointed.

"You monster! What have you done to my farm? I oughta shoot you right now, police be damned!"As he spoke, his shaking started to subside.

"I was trying to protect your farm, you fool," Thanos snarled. He hadn't expected gratitude for a second, but was the man really so blind that he couldn't tell who was doing what?

"Oh yes," was Randall's sarcastic response. "You were protecting my farm by destroying our silo and our only tractor. I suppose next you'll kill our livestock and say that it was for our benefit."

Ah, right. Thanos had been so caught up in the battle that the use of the tractor as a blunt instrument was admittedly a rash decision. It certainly didn't help his case.

"Father, wait!' Layla came to his defense, grabbing her dad's shoulder. "Look, let's not be rash, alright?" Randall didn't lower his gun, but he turned his head to listen to his daughter. "Why don't we take a deep breath, and -"

"Honey, I'm doing this for you. Aren't you worried about your boyfriend?" Turning back to Thanos, he demanded, "Where the hell is Thane? Did you take him up on your spaceship or something?"

Thanos was mildly amused at the fact that Randall seemed genuinely concerned for Thane's well being, but he didn't answer. For Layla, it was the moment of truth. No matter what she chose to do, Thanos would go along with it. If he became the villain in this scenario, so be it. He wasn't unaccustomed to being the antagonist.

Despite the fact that Layla had spent days worrying about the eventual meeting between her parents and Thanos, even her wildest nightmares hadn't pictured this scenario. Her dad, pointing a gun at Thanos, in the middle of a partially destroyed farm.

At least the animals were safe.

Her dad angrily asked Thanos where Thane was. It hit her that this was it. The perfect chance to reveal everything to her parents. If she didn't do it now, she knew that she never would.

"Dad." She spoke much softer than she meant to, and no one heard her. "DAD!" she repeated, this time much louder than she intended. Both her parents stared at her confusedly; Thanos merely crossed his arms.

"Dad, mom. I know where Thane is." She felt herself growing meek again as her parents looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

"Honey," her mom began in a comforting tone. "I know it's hard, but you can't possibly know where Thane is." She patted Layla's hand. "But I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is."

"No, mom. I do know where he is. But you might not believe me." She took a few steps towards Thanos, and pointed right at him. "That's Thane. Only his name isn't Thane. It's Thanos."

For a few moments, she didn't want to turn back around to see the looks on her parent's faces. But when they made no sound, she had to look to make sure they hadn't fainted or something.

For better or worse, they hadn't. Her mom's face was pale, and her dad was gaping as if he needed air. At least they weren't screaming, which is something Layla had braced for.

"I need to get this out of the way. I'm not lying, I'm not crazy, and I'm not being forced to say this. This is Thane. I had been planning to tell you guys in an easier way, but I guess that crazy robot took things out of my hands."

Mentally, she cursed the robot out. What had it even wanted? She supposed she would have to ask Thanos later, when they had time.

"How exactly am I supposed to respond to this? Hugs and kisses to everyone? Frankly, Layla, I'm baffled right now. You're dating an alien? Like, one of those chitauri things from years ago?"

Well, apparently even her parents knew about the New York incident from a few years ago. "No, dad, he isn't a chitauri. Going into this could take awhile. But I do want to make clear that, no, he wasn't here to destroy our farm."

"Obviously," Thanos muttered. She desperately wished he would keep his mouth shut. He wasn't always great help in delicate situations.

"Maybe not," her dad acquiesced. "But it was probably his fault that the robot attacked in the first place." It was a strong accusation, but until she knew more, Layla couldn't dispute it. The fact that Thanos didn't defend himself spoke volumes, though.

"I'm sure he's sorry about the silo and the tractor, but he was fighting the robot to protect me. The collateral is unfortunate, but it wasn't out of malice." She knew that most superheroes got freebies when it came to destruction; hopefully her parents could be as understanding.

"Oh honey," her mom sighed. "I'd like to believe we're open-minded parents. I know nowadays, there are many people who have parents who shun them. Maybe it's because their parents can't accept that they're gay, or maybe their parents are upset that they dropped out of college. We always promised ourselves that no matter how you turned out, we'd back you up."

She glanced at Thanos. "But you have to understand, this is a bigger bombshell than most parents have to deal with. Truthfully, I'm a bit scared for you."

Layla wanted to be able to see things from her parents point of view. She was sure that, to them, the whole thing must seem like a crazy nightmare. But all she could truly think about was that she really wanted her parents to at least accept Thanos.

For his part, at least her father finally (if not slowly) lowered bis shotgun. "How do we know we can trust this…Thanos? Doesn't necessarily look like the friendliest alien." Layla made a mental note to not bring up Thanos' nebulous past, at least not for a long while.

"I've actually been dating him for months now." Her mother gasped. "And he's already saved my life once, if it helps." Another gasp. "And besides, I though you guys knew better than to judge based on appearances." It was an admittedly low blow, but she couldn't deny getting some satisfaction out of seeing her parents blush.

"That isn't the point, and you know it," her dad explained once he found his voice. "We don't even know the first thing about him."

"Dad, this is the same person who literally slept in the same house as you the last two nights. I'm sorry that it was based on a lie, but I'd say that was a big enough introduction." Thanos must have finally taken pity on her, because when he inserted himself in the conversation, it wasn't disastrous.

"I meant it when I said I intended to keep Layla safe. And I haven't come here to cause harm to you or anyone else here. If my presence offends you, then so be it, but remember that Layla brought me here because she had hope that you would accept the current situation. It wouldn't do to let her down, now would it?"

Her father huffed. "Don't be a smart-ass." He waved at the destroyed robot. "At least tell me what the hell that thing is? If he isn't with you, who sent him?"

Thanos walked up to the robot, cautioning the others to stay back. "That's exactly what I intend to find out." He began shifting through the wreckage. To Layla, all the broken metal looked the same.

Thanos pulled out a chunk of burnt metal, but at first glance, it didn't seem like anything special. It wasn't even an especially large piece. But as he scrutinized it, she noticed some small letters engraved on it.

"Sentry 459," Thanos muttered.

"And what does that mean?" Layla wasn't sure she would like the answer.

"Sentry 459 is a line of robotic guardians. I've dealt with some before, but none with this specific design. As for who sent them…generally, they're Kree constructs."

Chapter Text

Layla stared at Thanos, hoping he was wrong. "Kree? You mean, the same alien race that Takhan was? I figured they would leave us alone, now." She remembered hoping that Thanos' attack on Takhan wouldn't lead to some kind of Kree retaliation, but it sure seemed like that was happening now.

"Do not fear. I don't believe it was here to avenge Takhan, not if what it said was true. Besides, one such as Takhan would not be worth avenging." Layla wasn't quite sure if other Kree would see it that way.

Before she could ask what the Sentry 459 had told Thanos, her parents (whom she had honestly forgotten were there for a few moments) spoke up.

"Should we expect more of these…sentries soon?" Layla's mother asked. It was a fair question, and Layla looked to Thanos for an answer. He stood up, dropping the piece of metal he'd inspected back on the scrap heap it came from.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he replied in such a tone that Layla knew she would be terrified if she were in the shoes of the person who had sent the Sentry. Reluctantly, at least it seemed that way to her, Thanos held a hand out to her father. Idly, she noted that since Thanos was no longer using a mental disguise, he truly towered over her father.

"I apologize for the abrupt departure, but it appears there are pressing matters I must attend to." Layla had to give her father credit; if he was intimidated, he didn't show it.

"Fine, but we're not done talking about this, not by a long shot." Thanos gave the slightest nod, and the two shook hands, and Layla decided that it wasn't such a bad way to end the family visit.

"You two take care of yourselves," Layla's mother cautioned. "And I mean that more than ever, now." She rushed forward and hugged Layla tightly. If she had her way, Layla probably wouldn't be leaving for awhile yet.

"We'll be just fine. I don't think traffic will be that bad, mom," Layla joked. Thanos coughed.

It stopped being funny when Thanos said, "Actually, Layla, I'm afraid that you'll be making the drive alone."

"What? Why? You're not planning on staying here, are you? You know that would be awkward!"

"No, but unfortunately, what I have to do can't wait the full day it would take us to arrive at your house." He motioned the the teleporter on his glove. "I have a speedier mode of transportation, as you know. I will meet you at your house when I'm done."

"Can I ask what your task is, exactly?" Thanos paused, before shaking his head.

"It is probably best I tell you after I'm finished. But please believe that there is no reason to worry yourself about my well being." Despite the fact that she knew he hated public displays of affection, he didn't recoil or protest.

"You know I'll probably be worried anyway."

"I am more than adept at taking care of myself," Thanos reminded her dryly. As he stepped away, he raised his fist, and then he was gone.

"Is that…normal?" her father asked as he and his wife looked around, as if they would spot Thanos sneaking away. Layla just smiled.

The air buzzed with an electricity born out of anticipation and some uncertainty. Also, there was plenty of literal buzzing from insect-like wings.

The Galactic Council was having it's monthly meeting, and as per usual, it was a 50/50 split with various council members wanting peace and wanting to kill each other.

The Skrull queen, Veranke, didn't have much to report. Her people were happy (or at least satisfied, which was usually the closest the green-skinned Skrulls could get to happiness. It probably explained why they enjoyed conquering other planets so much).

"In summation, it has been a blessed month for us," she finished primly. The Brood queen smacked her mandibles, before making her voice heard.

"Veranke, that is pleasing to hear. I assume you're all recovered from the lashing we gave you?" Chuckles could be heard coming from various parts of the room, though most inhabitants of the room would most likely deny their involvement if later asked.

Veranke let out a tiny, patronizing giggle. "That isn't quite how I recall it. Perhaps we didn't take over your poor excuse for a planet, but I believe we left your side with more casualties than ours."

The chill in the room began to grow as the Brood queen flexed her mandibles in irritation. "If you want another demonstration, bitch, why not have another go at it, and see how things end up this time?"

"That is quite enough." The voice, although soft, had enough authority that the two queens reluctantly turned from each other.

Lilandra sighed, glad that they had managed to avoid yet another scuffle. The leader of the Shi'ar Empire was of the opinion that these meetings always went overlong due to never ending petty squabbles. But, she had to admit, most alien races weren't known for their even temperament.

"I think this meeting is just about over. If you will excuse me, I will be taking my leave." She nodded at Gladiator, her personal bodyguard, and she stood up, wanting nothing more than to head home and rest for the next few months.

"Hey, the Kree haven't had their turn yet!" Veranke shouted righteously. The Kree and the Skrulls were bitter enemies, but in this case, Veranke wasn't lying.

"I apologize, Supreme Intelligence," Lilandra murmured with as much grace as possible considering her disappointed air at not being able to return home early. "You have the floor."

The Supreme Intelligence, as leader of the Kree, was also the representative of the entire race. He was also the only representative in the Galactic Council who was immobile; while no one would dare to comment on his appearance for fear of galactic war, he was essentially a large head in a jar. Large Kree soldiers would have to wheel him in at the start of each new meeting. Still, he wasn't named the Supreme Intelligence for nothing, as he was considered one of the smartest beings in the galaxy.

"Thank you, Lilandra!" His booming voice, emitted from a loudspeaker at the base of his glass jar, seemingly only had one vocal tone, and it was loud. It didn't matter what his mood was, his voice was always deafening, but when he was angry? No one wished to be around for that.

"Unlike Veranke, I am pleased to report that the Kree Empire has grown by 30% since our last meeting. Calculations show that by the end of the decade, we will have grown by over 70%." The Supreme Intelligence couldn't really move his face, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was gloating, seeing as how the Skrulls showed no growth since the previous meeting.

Veranke screeched. "The only reason your foul species manages to spread so fast is because of your damned Sentries! You know as well I do that the Galactic Council forbade you from using those infernal machines to capture anymore planets for your empire!"

The two Kree guarding the Supreme Intelligence glared threateningly at Veranke, but she paid them no heed as she continued to stare at the Intelligence in her most accusatory way.

"I assure, the Sentry 459 units have only been sent to uninhabited worlds. The spreading of the Kree Empire has been kept in the confines of the Galactic Council agreement. Far be it from the Kree to go back on previous arrangements."

Everyone in the room was startled when a new voice spoke up. "Then I sincerely hope you aren't speaking for the rest of the Kree." Thanos emerged out of a dark corner of the room. Everyone in the room who possessed weapons immediately pointed them at the Titan.

Lilandra stood up, slamming her hands against the table. "Thanos! How did you find this place? No one but us know it's exact location!" The Citadel of the Galactic Council was (she had thought) a well guarded secret, helped by the fact that the Citadel had no exact location; it was a large asteroid that randomly drifted through space.

"And how did you get past the security?" Veranke shrieked. Thanos turned to her, looking surprised.

"Was that security? I assumed the guards outside were just for show; my mistake." He then turned back to the Supreme Intelligence, who showed no emotion save perhaps for the slight twitching in his eyes. "And if you what you claim is true, I think your fellow council members will be interested to learn where I found this." He unceremoniously tossed the Sentry 459's head into the center of the room, in front of the Intelligence.

The light murmurs in the audience turned into gasps and surprised screams. Everyone in the room knew what a Sentry 459 looked like.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lilandra had cautiously stepped forward to confirm the sight herself.

"I was attacked by this machine without provocation. On the planet Earth, I might add. If I am not mistaken, Earth was decreed off-limits by the council." Even as he spoke to Layla, Thanos kept his eyes on the Supreme Intelligence. Lilandra was of the opinion that Thanos barely even registered, something that would have upset her in another situation. "At first, I briefly believed that the Sentry was sent by the Kree to avenge that fool Takhan."

The Supreme Intelligence finally spoke. "Takhan was not affiliated with us when he chose his rash course of action against you. He was not given permission by me!"

Thanos nodded. "I figured that out. Takahn was an insect who could never command the respect of others. I highly doubt there is a single person alive who feels his absence. This means that you have no one to cower behind."

Lilandra did her best to keep the peace, moving between Thanos and the Intelligence. "This is a serious accusation. We take the treaties very seriously here, and I find it hard to believe that anyone of us would break them just to attack you. No offense."

Thanos shrugged. "Perhaps I am not ranked very high on the Kree's agenda - but the Infinity Stones are a different matter. The Sentry demanded I hand over any stone I might have in my possession." He released a grin that stilled Lilandra's blood. "As you can see, it didn't end well for it."

"I have no knowledge of this Sentry." The Supreme Intelligence was apparently intent on making sure his innocence was well known. "Perhaps it was a rogue Sentry, or some other party was in control. Do you have any proof, Thanos of Titan?"

Thanos knelt down and began tearing into the robot's head. "During our encounter, there were various moments when it appeared to be receiving instructions - ah." With a triumphant grunt, Thanos pulled out a small device between his pointer finger and thumb.

"I believe this is a transmitter." He held his hand out to Lilandra, who tentatively took the small device. "If you scan this for the other end of the transmission, I suspect it will lead you to someone currently in this room." Lilandra moved to take the device back to her seat, which was attached to a console (one was given to every member of the council; it assisted with translations between the races), but was interrupted by the Intelligence.

"Enough of this farce! Yes, Lilandra, if you were to scan that device, the transmission trail would lead to me." The Brood queen buzzed.

"So you admit you were lying, you treacherous renegade!" Her cry was followed by the angry, accusatory shouts and growls of the various aliens.

"Supreme Intelligence, explain yourself now," Lilandra commanded, angered that she had almost been fooled by the Kree leader.

"It is true. I wanted the Power Stone that my intelligence network assured me was in the possession of Thanos of Titan. Alas, it was mistaken."

Thanos looked unimpressed. "Your intelligence network is about as reliable as your army, which is to say, not reliable in the least." Then, with no warning, he slammed a fist into the console besides the Supreme Intelligence. His guards rushed at Thanos, but one glare from him stopped them in their tracks.

"I don't know, or care, why you wanted the Power Stone. I also don't care that you attacked me." Thanos spread his arms facing the entire room. "In fact, I don't care if you all decide to try and kill me. I welcome any and all challengers, foolish as that may be. However."

At this, his voice lowered a pitch, and a few of the aliens in the room leaned in to listen. "While I do not care about what attempts are made on my life, under no circumstances will I allow anyone to endanger Layla." No one needed to ask who she was. The news about what had happened when Takhan kidnapped an Earth woman had already spread far across the cosmos.

Thanos once again addressed the Supreme Intelligence. "If you ever dare to endanger her again, I will kill you and every single Kree I can get my hands on." He didn't wait for the Intelligence to respond before he went back to addressing the roo in general. "That goes for all of you. I won't hesitate to kill every single being in this room if I feel even the slightest aggression against Layla." Lilandra didn't even dare breathe, but Gladiator had no such problem.

"If you were to raise a hand against my queen, you would suffer for it." His presence was always calming to Lilandra; Gladiator was the strongest warrior in the Shi'ar empire, and had never known defeat in his life. Still, she knew Thanos' reputation! If he and Gladiator wwere to fight to the death, she was honestly unsure who would come out on top.

Thanos was unfazed. "Is that a promise? I've always been curious if the rumors of your strength were accurate, or grossly exaggerated." Gladiator scowled at the Titan, and as the two large men faced each other, Lilandra couldn't help but notice the irony that the only two purple-skinned beings in the room already hated each other.

The flapping of wings brought everyone's attention to the insect-like being Annihilus, who hadn't spoken since Thanos had made his presence known. "Not all of us fear you, Titan." His body wasn't the only thing that resembled an insect; his voice had a warbled quality to it. "You would be wise not to make threats that you cannot carry out."

"Don't bore me, Annihilus. I'm sure you recall the last time you challenged me. You refused to leave your precious Negative Zone for over a year." The Negative Zone was the dangerous and mysterious realm that Annihilus ruled over. Lilandra had never been there herself (and had no desire to) but she had heard that the majority of beings who entered never came out - and those few who did had barely any sanity left. "Besides, I don't threaten. Threats are empty boasts that weaklings hide behind. No, I promise that anyone who crosses me or Lyala will perish, and not necessarily swiftly."

Annihilus rose from his seat, no doubt preparing to lunge at Thanos, but two of his guards, who resembled anthropomorphic beetles, restrained him, but it was a close thing. The two guards were nearly swept off their feet by the frantic struggles of their leader.

Lilandra (and quite a few other people in the room) breathed a sigh of relief when Thanos mentioned he was leaving soon. "I suppose I've had enough entertainment for one day." He reached for a device on his wrist, then paused.

"I'll leave the sentencing of the Supreme Intelligence to the council. I assume that even you won't be able to mess this up." With those words, he vanished in a small flash of light.

"The arrogant bastard," Gladiator muttered. He clenched and un-clenched his fists, a sure sign that he was itching for a fight.

"He is right about one thing, however." Veranke pointed at the Intelligence. "This scoundrel must answer for lying to the council. It is an almost unheard of crime." She got a crafty look in her eyes. "If I can suggest a course of action, I say we remove him from the Galactic Council and ban him from the Citadel from here on." She leaned back in her seat, satisfied at having driven the suggestion into the minds of everyone.

No one had ever been banned from the council, to Lilandra's knowledge. True, a few alien races had voluntarily left the group, but no one had ever committed an infraction large enough for such drastic measures. And the Kree were one of the most influential alien groups in the galaxy.

And yet, The Supreme Intelligence had not only broken a treaty by sending a Sentry 459 to Earth, but had also lied about it when directly asked. Perhaps it was best to set an example for anyone else brazen enough to copy the Intelligence.

Still, she had to be fair. "Supreme Intelligence, do you have anything to say in your defense?" If he could somehow give a logical reason for his actions, then perhaps they could work something out.

To her surprise, his answer was a baleful, "I am intelligent enough to realize that nothing I say in justification will be enough to appease the council. I have no excuse for my actions. Judge me as you will."

Not surprisingly, it didn't take too much deliberation from the council before the unanimous verdict came in. The Supreme Intelligence was off the council, and the Kree were no longer affiliated with the Galactic Council. They no longer had the protection of the council, but also didn't have to follow the council's rules anymore.

"In a few years, once things have cooled off, perhaps you will be allowed to return," Lilandra sympathetically informed the Kree leader. Veranke laughed.

"We'll see about that!" she crowed. She was still laughing when she and her escorts entered their spacecraft. Slowly, the other leaders began trickling out of the citadel, until only Lilandra, Gladiator, and the Kree remained.

"You are too kind," the Intelligence rumbled. "However, your pity won't be necessary." With that, his two Kree soldiers wheeled him out. Neither Lilandra or Gladiator noticed the slight smile on the Supreme Intelligence's face.

Layla was exhausted after arriving at in her driveway. She had taken a minimum number of naps, wanting to get home as soon as possible. If Thanos wasn't home yet, she'd be ticked.

She needn't have worried; he was reading one of her rather large writing books on her front porch. She supposed that since they had shifted all her furniture to their other house, the front porch was the only place he could sit.

"Ah, I was starting to wonder if I would have to wait until tomorrow," he started, not looking up from the darn book. She rolled her eyes anyway.

"Well, not all of us can teleport." Remembering that she was curious, and that he had said he would tell her what his task was once it was done, she pressed on. "So, what exactly were you doing? Bothering SHIELD some more?"

Thanos finally lowered the book. "I think I have already drained SHIELD of all the amusement that they could provide me. I promise I'll satisfy your burning curiosity, but this is a conversation that would be better had in a more private location." Taking Layla's hand, the two of them warped to the island house.

"OK, now spill." The teleportation process no longer phased Layla at all. She was proud to say that she no longer felt nauseous at the thought of it.

Thanos sat down in his large, leather chair. "Before I begin, let me just say that while I know you dislike violence, you never told me that threats of violence were out of the question." Layla was already scared to hear the rest…

Chapter Text

Thanos woke slowly. The tendrils of sleep crept away as the morning sunlight shone in through the windows. Layla never used the drapes, with the logic that a bright morning led to a happy morning. The way Thanos saw it, the drapes had been a waste of money.

He made to get up, before realizing that two slender arms were wrapped around him. Layla must have grabbed onto him in her sleep. Her head was even leaning on his chest, and Thanos had to dismiss the word "adorable" before it could even enter his head.

He tried a few experimental shifts before accepting that there was no way he could leave the bed without waking Layla. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue in itself, but as it was summer, school was apparently closed, meaning she had no reason to wake up early.

Still, he couldn't be upset. Why should he? He had no pressing engagements at the moment, and no one seemed to be gunning for his head either. It was almost tedious, and yet, he was reluctant to label his current circumstances as such.

Very well then. With no reason to object, he held Layla closer before allowing himself to return to whatever dreams he had been in.

The Supreme Intelligence never slept. His mind was always racing, and while some small-minded beings might call that a curse, the Intelligence viewed it as a strength. The strength of the mind trumped physical strength. That was something the Intelligence believed completely.

Unfortunately, he was surrounded by lesser beings who couldn't see him for the wise leader he was. After arriving back on the Kree homeworld, his second in command intercepted him.

"My liege, word has it that the Kree have been expunged from the Galactic Council, but surely this rumor is a falsehood." The Supreme Intelligence looked down at Hala, wishing she would leave him in peace.

Hala the Accuser was the understudy of Ronan the Accuser. Once Ronan was killed, Hala was quickly promoted. She also had a strong sense of justice, which the Intelligence would admire, but she also tended to question his methods more than Ronan ever did. Perhaps she thought herself larger than life due to the fact that she was named after the Kree homeworld.

"I no longer need the Galactic Council. Everything is as I will it," he rumbled. The council had always held him back, as if they were shackles tied around his empire. With them out of the way, the Kree could return to being the conquerors that they were once known as.

Hala bowed to one knee, but her respect ended there. "My liege, is this not a rash decision? The Council was helpful in multiple ways. We shared info with other planets, they would provide assistance if we were attacked by an evil race, they -"

"SILENCE!" Hala lowered her head. This was the problem with Hala. She dared to assume that she knew what was better for the Kree than the Intelligence himself.

"Hala, my accuser," he cooed, or as close as he could with his voice. "Try and understand. We Kree used to be feared across the galaxy. We took what we wanted, and destroyed what we didn't. No one dared to oppose us. But with the council, others assumed that we weren't strong enough to handle our affairs alone. The council made us into laughingstocks. I'm sure it's fitting for the Skrulls, however, to accept help."

"My liege, is this really about the council?" Hala dared to raise her head and look straight at him. "Or is this because of Thanos? If you were part of the council, you wouldn't be allowed to attack Earth, but now that the rules of the council no longer apply to us, we would be free to hunt down Thanos. Am I wrong?"

The Intelligence was oh-so tempted to order her execution (there would be an irony to ordering the death of an accuser), but she was truly useful with her set of skills. No, it would be wiser to keep her alive, at least until he could find a decent replacement.

Instead of dignifying her with an answer, he ordered his men to roll him to the Kree science laboratory. If he was going to hunt down Thanos, he would need a different mode of transportation, something far less lumbering.

When you're a teacher, you basically run on an internal clock. So when Layla woke up, and the first thing she noticed was that her electronic clock claimed it was almost noon, she almost panicked, scrambling out of bed and grabbing her cell phone so that she could call the school and explain. Her panic was replaced by a sheepishness when her phone's LED screen told her that it was June.

"Aren't we spry this morning," Thanos deadpanned, still in bed. Layla blushed, but climbed back into bed anyway. Getting up before noon during summer vacation was madness.

"Well excuse me for an honest mistake," she mumbled, but there was no venom in it. She was too sleepy for that. "Anyway, I hope I didn't wake you up in my rush."

"It hardly matters." She supposed that was his clumsy way of saying that she had. She snuggled up close to him; despite the heat, she felt more comfortable that was.

"Well, I'll make it up to you with a big breakfast. Well, actually, I guess it'll be more like a brunch." The two of them lay there, content to let the morning atmosphere wash over them - until Layla remembered something important.

"You know, you're really going to have to apologize to my parents."

Thanos gave her a bewildered look. "And what do I have to apologize for? Saving their farm from total destruction?"

She snickered quietly. "No, for seemingly ditching me at their house. They weren't very impressed. I'm pretty sure they don't think you're a very dependable guy, unfortunately."

She had the feeling that Thanos had been called many things in his life, but undependable probably wasn't one of them.

Thanos scowled. "Nonsense, I'm nothing if not dependable; anything I set out to accomplish gets done."

Layla couldn't keep a teasing note out of her voice when she added, "Except the whole conquering the world thing or murdering almost everyone thing."

Thanos grinned at her in a rare show of humor. "Perhaps, but I don't anticipate you complaining about that."

"Yeah, probably not. I like this planet just the way it is, thank you very much!" Deciding it was time for a change of subject, Layla brought up the other issue from the previous day. "But what I will complain about is the fact that people were apparently threatened because of me."

Thanos sighed as he moved his large hands higher on Layla's shoulders, something she normally enjoyed. "I didn't raise so much as a finger against anyone, as per our agreement."

If he thought that answer would satisfy her, he'd be surprised. "Sorry, but the idea of you threatening to kill a whole bunch of alien leaders to keep me safe is a tad disturbing."

"As I informed them, it wasn't a threat, it was a vow." Layla shifted uneasily. She truly loved Thanos, but his penchance for speaking so casually about horrific violence still made her shiver at times.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised," Layla murmured, trying to bring her mood back up. "From the stories you've told me, you tend to make these overly grand gestures for any woman you fancy."

"I never do half-measures," Thanos agreed. "And your safety is of the utmost importance. Everything else, including political relations with other planets, are of lesser value to me." Layla hated how his "sweet talk" worked on her so easily, but it was difficult to not feel flattered when one was told that their life was more precious than literally anything else. Honestly, there were some human guys who could learn to act like that…

"Whatever, I'm too sleepy to continue this conversation," Layla yawned to punctuate her words. "Anyway, I'm sorry if I've kept you in bed too long. I'm sure you have something or other to do."

Thanos had a look of consideration on his face before grunting. "No, I think I'll stay here for a while longer."

She hadn't expected that answer. "Really? Normally you're too busy with something or other to properly relax. I kinda figured spending all morning lying in bed would drive you crazy."

"A few months ago, you would have been correct," Thanos admitted. "This level of inactivity would have driven me mad not too long ago. I had ambitious goals, and I meant to accomplish them as swiftly as possible. But now…"

Layla patiently waited for him to finish gathering his thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to rush him and then have him cop-out.

"I suppose…I'm content to lie here on this perfectly average summer day because I have no pressing goal. Tch, but that isn't completely truthful either…"

He was beginning to look flustered, but he stubbornly pressed on. "Ruminating on my life up to the present, I don't think I was ever truly happy before we crossed paths. Momentarily satisfied, perhaps, but not happy, no." He gripped Layla's hand just hard enough that it almost hurt, but not quite.

"It's almost pathetic. Once, nothing less than godhood would have satiated my soul. Yet now, I don't wish for anything more than to spend the rest of my days living a tranquil life with you." The last few words had lowered to a grumble, and his embarrassment was obvious.

Layla removed the hand that Thanos was holding so that she could grab his head to bring it closer to hers.

"I don't think it's pathetic at all, frankly. Who says you need some lofty goal or a hectic life in order to be happy? A peaceful life sounds perfect to me." Then she kissed him, and he kissed her back, and they both came to the realization that neither of them would be leaving their bed soon…but not because of a nap.

"But I trust that none of what I said will ever leave this room?" Thanos whispered. Layla rolled her eyes.

"Scout's Honor. But that's enough talking for now."

The Milano flew through the desolate cosmos, the Guardians of the Galaxy having just completed another menial task for the Nova Corps. Peter Quill hadn't realized that being a hero would be this much of a drag. The comics he used to read were never like this!

But what really had him in a crummy mood was the silence. It had completely engulfed his ship, due to one horrifying fact - the speaker system had been damaged during a previous aerial dogfight. Peter missed his tunes dearly. In his opinion, his ship just wasn't the same without them.

"Hey, Rocket, when are you getting around to fixing the speakers?" Rocket was normally really fast when it came to repairs, but the speakers were taking their sweet time.

"Heh, what's the rush?" Rocket snickered under his breath.

"I am Groot!" Groot admonished as he lightly smacked Rocket's furry head.

"Geez!" Rocket exclaimed as he gingerly rubbed his head. "Okay, okay, I'll get on it, but we don't even have the necessary parts. We'll have to do some shopping at one of them industrial planets."

"Good to know," was Peter's cheerful reply. They had been heading to Xandar to report the mission's success to the Nova Corps, but Peter figured a pit stop might be in order. He gently and subtly began steering the Milano in the opposite direction, confident that no one would be any the wiser.

"Hey, why the heck are we changing course?" Peter winced. Leave it to Rocket to notice the small things. "Quill, don't you dare! I want that reward money the Nova Corps promised!"

"Sorry, can't hear you over the engines!" Peter shouted back as he revved up the boosters.

"Turn this bucket of bolts around before I twist you into a human pretzel!" Drax looked up from where he had been sharpening his blade, cautiously interested.

"Is this another metaphor?" Rocket shook his head.

"Nah, I meant it literally," was his dark answer.

"Dude!"

Gamora slammed her hands down on the armrests of her seat. "Enough! If this is what will be filling up the silence, I think I'm actually going to have to agree with Peter. I'll take his music over this bickering."

Peter felt choked up. "Aw, Gamora, I knew you'd be on my side!" She glared at him.

"Mainly because I don't have much of a choice."

Peter was always one to look on the bright side. "You know what, I'll take what I can get."

Any further conversation was halted by a specific beeping noise that usually preceded a call from the Nova Corps. This was no exception. Peter quickly put the call up on the video monitor. Their old pal Rhomann Dey was on the screen, and not looking especially happy.

"Hey, how's the family, Rhomann? Did your kids ever get those Star-Lord action figures I sent?" Rhomann didn't even crack a smile.

"I hate to say this, seeing as how you guys just busted your butts doing a mission for us, but I'm afraid we already have another task for you. Trust us when we say that this is of the utmost importance. Also, you will be handsomely rewarded." That last remark came just as Rocket was about to open his mouth. Peter knew that Rhomann was smarter than he sometimes let on.

"In that case, we're ready to handle whatever mission you guys can throw our way." Peter bragged. "So what's the case? An evil bounty hunter you want us to chase? Some poor alien poodle who escaped from it's owner? Heck, I'm sure we can handle traffic control with the right incentive."

"We were robbed," Rhomann bluntly stated, partially to shut Peter up. "And we need you to locate the thief and get back the item that was taken. I don't need to tell you that we expect this to be done fast."

"What's so important about this item to make you so desperate?" Gamora liked knowing all the details of a mission before agreeing to do it. She knew first-hand that the most dangerous missions were the ones that you were ill-prepared for.

Rhomann coughed uncomfortably. "I'm afraid I've been instructed to inform you that the info is on a need-to-know basis. I apologize, but we really don't want rumors of that…item to spread." Rocket sighed.

"Then how the heck're we supposed to know what the thing is, even if we find it?"

"Oh, you'll know. It was packaged inside a small, cylindrical casing, and the thief most likely wouldn't dare remove it from the case. If the thief has an object like that on his or her person, grab it. That is all." The screen went blank.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy?" Peter was affronted; normally he was the guy who hung up on people! "What an a-hole! If we weren't getting paid, I wouldn't even accept this mission, because we totally have standards, right guys?"

No one backed him up. "I get the message," Peter mumbled as he fired up the thrusters. They didn't have any particularly great leads, so it would be best to start at Xandar.

"I wonder what idiot would steal from the Nova Corps? Do ya think the Kree would try their luck again?" Rocket mused. Drax shrugged.

"Whoever took the mysterious item will be no threat to me." Peter quickly swiveled his chair around.

"That may be true, but when we find this guy, let's take him down together, okay? No fancy heroics from anyone. That's always how the heroes lose in these situations."

Drax grumbled a bit, but eventually conceded the point to Peter. Satisfied, Peter returned to face the front of the ship when a blinding flash of gold burst inside the Milano. The Guardians all covered their eyes with one arm as they reached for weapons with the other.

When the bright light settled enough for everyone to open their eyes, they were almost shocked speechless to see a gold-skinned man standing among them.

"My name is Adam Warlock, and I believe I can help you."

Chapter Text

"Do not be alarmed," the mysterious being named Adam Warlock said softly. Even so, something about his presence was immense.

Gamora had to stifle the urge to roll her eyes when Peter Quill began his grandstanding. "Pfft, you didn't alarm us at all. Nearly blinded us, maybe, but that's it! Now, Adam, you'd better explain what you want before Drax gets mad. And you wouldn't like him when he's mad!"

Gamora forced Peter to lower his guns. "No, Peter, I don't believe he's a threat to us."

Peter looked betrayed. "And how would you know that?"

Gamora hesitated, before deciding that there shouldn't be any secrets between her and her teammates. "On my quest to kill Thanos, Adam Warlock's name came up multiple times. Apparently, the two have come to blows in the past. I even tried to locate Adam, but was never successful."

Rocket lowered his oversized gun. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but anyone who's an enemy of that large grape is a pal of mine!" He bounced up to Adam, and offered a paw. "Rocket Raccoon is the name, and I'm the captain of this ship."

"Yeah, nice try, furball," Peter snapped back. Smartly stepping in front of Rocket, Peter shook hands with an amused-looking Adam. "So, if there's anything you need, the Guardians of the Galaxy are at your service."

"That is very kind of you, but in a way, I am here to aid you." He pointed to the emerald-colored gemstone embedded in his forehead. "This stone is the Soul Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones."

Gamora nodded. "We're all aware. Thanos has hunted them for as long as I can remember."

"Well, at the moment, it is I who am on the hunt. The stones resonate with each other, and the Soul Stone informed me that one was nearby."

"Stones do not speak," Drax gravely informed Adam. Rocket shushed him.

"More importantly, gold man, you said you're here for another Infinity Stone that's not too far away?" Rocket was rubbing his paws together. "Are you implying that the stolen item we're retrieving is-?"

Adam nodded sagely. "Yes. An Infinity Stone was that was removed from Xandar." Rocket jumped in the air, excited as Gamora had ever seen him.

"Man oh man! Now that we know this, when we return the stolen stone to the Nova Corps, we can demand an even higher reward! Everyone know these Infinity Stones are probably worth a fortune!" Warlock put a gentle hand on Rocket's shoulder.

"I apologize, Rocket, but I need the stone. I can't let the Nova Corps keep it; obviously, they haven't proven their ability to keep any of the stones safe." Gamora and Peter glanced at each other, prepared for one of Rocket's explosive tantrums.

"Oh no, oh no, no way I'm doing this flarging mission and not getting paid for it! Look, Adam or whatever, you seem like a neat guy, but I am getting that stone and getting my reward for doing it!"

This went on for what must have been almost a dozen minutes. Finally, Rocket paused to take in a breath, and Peter wisely used the time to add in his two cents (a phrase Gamora had learned from Peter).

"Hey, we can discuss this later. Fact of the matter is, we need Adam to find the thief anyway. No point arguing about what to do with the stone until we actually have the stone. Makes sense?"

Rocket nodded, but grumbled some choice words under his breath. Things about double-crossers and bleeding hearts and suckers.

With Warlock giving Peter directions, the drive was relatively peaceful, which gave Gamora too much time to think. When Warlock had said "at the moment, it is I who is on the hunt", well, perhaps she was over thinking it, but she sensed an implication in that sentence.

She would have to dwell on it at a later time; she was jolted out of her thoughts when the ship shuddered. "Um, I guess we found the thief, because they're firing at us," Peter helpfully explained. Gamora looked out the window to see a mostly unremarkable, medium-sized ship firing what looked like ballistic missiles at them. Their ship couldn't take too much, but it also wouldn't be too hard to avoid them now that the element of surprise was gone. While she wouldn't admit it to his face, Peter Quill was a very competent pilot.

"C'mon, Drax, wanna fire back using the back-guns?" As if Rocket had to ask. Drax was more than happy to join him in firing back some "non-warning shots." Apparently, the ship was bolder than Gamora had thought. It didn't appear to any sort of energy shield equipped. It took only a few minutes for Drax and Rocket to almost completely damage it.

"That's enough!" Gamora yanked the two idiots off their seats. If they destroyed the ship, the stone could be destroyed along with it! She explained as much to Rocket and Drax, who didn't even look all that sheepish.

"Wait, we already subdued it? Sweet, let's get on board and snag that stone!" Peter parked the Milano as close to the enemy vessel as possible, and the team grabbed their spacesuits as they prepared to enter.

"I am Groot!" Rocket translated that as, "It could be a trap."

"It doesn't matter. No trap holds Drax the Destroyer."

Peter, his voice muffled by his helmet, turned to Warlock. "You sure you don't need a spacesuit?" Warlock nodded. "Suit yourself. Or…I guess not, in this case." Gamora sighed as the group exited the ship and made the "jump" to the other one. They squeezed in through one of the holes their missiles had left.

The ship's lights must have been damaged in the attack because it was almost pitch black inside, or at least it would have been if Warlock hadn't come with them.

"Warlock, I really hope you join us," Rocket admitted. "With you around, we'd really save money on flashlights."

"How much money do you spend on those?" Warlock asked innocently. Everyone else shivered.

"Too much," Rocket answered sourly, before perking up. "Wait, I hear something." A few moments later, a couple of green soldiers dashed in their sights, carrying laser guns.

"Skrulls!" Gamora cried out as she sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a laser that had been aimed at her head. Peter took out both his blasters and began firing, taking out a few Skrulls. Unfortunately, he hadn't noticed one sneaking behind him.

"Peter, duck!" The Guardians were nothing if not trusting, and Peter knew to trust Gamora and not ask any questions, so he ducked, which meant he wasn't stabbed by the knife she had thrown. The Skrull behind him wasn't so lucky.

"Grah!" Drax grabbed one of the Skrulls by the neck and slammed it into a wall. As the Skrull slumped over, Rocket reached into it's pockets.

"Man, this creep doesn't have anything useful in here!"

A couple of minutes was all that was needed for the Guardians to take down all the Skrull warriors.

"Gee, thanks for the assistance," a heavy-breathing Quill spoke sarcastically to Warlock, who shrugged.

"It didn't seem like my assistance would be necessary. And I do abhor violence." He looked around, the gem on his forehead glowing dimly. "It appears these were meant as a distraction. Whoever has the stone is up ahead."

The group followed the hallway to what seemed to be the cockpit. The door was locked, but Drax made short work of the rusted metal. As they broke in, they spied a feminine figure attempting to break a cylindrical object. The object itself was almost but not quite see-through, with a milky surface.

Gamora didn't recognize the figure, but as she green-skinned, it was a safe bet that she was also a Skrull, perhaps even the leader of this group. Gamora pointer her blade at the woman. "Drop the object and roll it over here. Now."

"No, I need this." Temporarily abandoning the case, she grabbed for her holstered gun - only to come up with nothing. "My gun! How?"

Groot dangled the gun off one of his extended fingers, which had snuck around the room to grab the weapon. He shared a knowing smile with Warlock. The golden skinned alien turned to the Skrull.

"Veranke, tell me, why do you think you need that Infinity Stone?" Veranke, as she was apparently named, scowled at Warlock.

"Our mortal enemy, the Kree, have been removed from the Galactic Council." Gamora and the Guardians shared looks. To be removed from the Council was a big deal; the Kree weren't foolish, but they must have done something even more horrible than usual to earn this. "We fear some sort of retaliation may occur, and we need to defend ourselves in case they have an Infinity Stone of their own. Now if only I could open this blasted container!"

In a desperate last measure, she raised the container over her head, and threw it to the ground with all her strength. Warlock cried out, "No!" but they were all too late as the casing cracked against the floor and, for the second time that day, a bright light blinded them all.

After laying in bed for the better portion of a day, Thanos and Layla both came to the awkward conclusion that they were no longer sleepy at all, so the evening was spent watching a random movie on the television.

The film itself was nothing special, but Thanos still had limited experience with Earth movies, and was attempting to learn any nuance they might contain. The film's wiry protagonist was about to answer his obnoxious telephone when Thanos felt…something electric in the air.

"Are you okay? You went all rigid all of a sudden." Thanos hadn't realized his reaction was so visible. When he had told Layla that a peaceful life was all he needed, he had meant it. Telling her about a vague feeling he had might seems counterproductive.

"It's nothing, my dearest. I was just distracted for a moment." Layla smiled before cuddling back up to him.

"That's good. I was wondering if you were just losing interest in the movie. But then, I figure that if it's boring enough, it'll send us to sleep soon enough anyway." Thanos chuckled. The film wasn't quite that boring.

When Peter Quill opened his eyes, he pinched himself. "Ow!" But he had to be dreaming. His team had been inside that ship, facing down that green lady for the Infinity Stone.

So why was he on a grassy field on a beautiful spring day? And where were the others?

"Hey, Gamora? Drax? Rocket, I know you're here somewhere!" No one replied to his calls, and he couldn't help but get a bit stressed out.

But whatever, he was Star-Lord! He'd figure something out! Maybe whoever lived in the nearby house could help and - that house looked awfully familiar, now that he thought about it. In fact…it was nostalgic.

The front door of the house banged open, and an all-too familiar voice wafted out. "Peter, come inside before your food gets cold."

He nearly collapsed. "Mom?" That was clearly impossible. She'd been dead for so long. It must've been a cruel prank.

His confusion was replaced with a stark anger. Whoever was doing this was going to pay for impersonating his mom like this!

Grabbing his gun, Peter strode towards the voice. He was prepared to blast whoever it was, but he wasn't prepared for the speaker to also truly resemble his mother. He faltered for a moment, but his anger compelled him to point the blaster at the imposter.

"Who the hell are you? And how are you doing this?"

His mom's lookalike gave an a quizzical look. "What game are we playing today? Interrogator? I'm sorry Peter, but I don't have time to play." Peter's hand shook.

"Stop. Just stop screwing around!" His mom put her hands on her hips.

"Peter, stop waving that thing around! You know that I don't approve of you playing with toy guns." That was definitely something his mother would say. Someone had done their homework.

"Ok, then. If you're really my mom, tell me something only she would know." She frowned, but proceeded to say her birthday, the name of her former husband, how many siblings she had, all the gifts she received on her birthday, and how many cars she had driven. She refused to give out her PIN because she wasn't stupid.

"There, I played along with your silly game, now come in to eat lunch. I made hot dogs, your favorite." Peter's stomach growled; he hadn't even realized that he was so hungry. It was probably some sort of trap, but he was getting tired of resisting. She sounded like his mother, spoke like his mother, and knew things that a faker probably couldn't know. Maybe she made hot dogs like his mother too.

"OK, you definitely make hot dogs like my mother," Peter spoke through a full mouth. They were delicious! His mother didn't take the bait.

"Flattery is nice, but please don't talk with your mouth full." Another scolding he received way too much as a kid, but right now he couldn't care. Maybe whichever Stone the green lady had thrown to the floor had somehow brought his mother back. If so, he would have to thank her, because this was turning into the best day of his life!

"I never want to leave," Peter said quietly, and then glanced around, as if saying that aloud would cause a jinx or something.

"You know, that hot new film is out in theaters tonight. I was thinking the two of us could drive up and see it." Peter had no idea which film his mom was talking about, but he could care less. He would watch any crappy movie as long as it was with his mom.

Stuffing the last hot dog into his mouth, Peter nodded vigorously. "Heck yeah, let's do it!" As he got up to help his mother wash the dishes (something he admittedly didn't do much as a kid, but this was a special occasion) the doorbell rang.

"Peter, would you get that? I can handle the dishes." Peter walked towards the door a bit more hesitant than he normally would be. He somehow had the feeling that if he opened the door, his situation would change, and maybe not for the better.

He opened the door. Adam Warlock was standing in the entrance, and without even knowing why, Peter wanted to slam the door on his golden face.

"Peter Quill, we need to leave. You can't spend too much time here."

"Man, what are you talking about? Why would I want to leave? Everything is just perfect. My mom is here, and we're gonna see a movie later. Hey, maybe you can come too." Warlock shook his head.

"Peter, I'm sure you've already figured out that-"

"Nope, I don't wanna hear this." Peter knew he was being childish, but when did that ever stop him. He stalked away and ran into his mother, who had been coming to see who the visitor was.

"Is he a friend of your, Peter? I didn't realize you had such…eccentric buddies." Peter glared at Warlock.

"Yeah, but he was just leaving, weren't you?" To force the point, Peter grabbed Warlock by the arm and dragged him outside.

"Dude, just please leave me alone," Peter hissed.

Warlock was relentless, however. "Peter, none of this is strictly real. The Infinity Stone that Veranke had was the Reality Stone, and it has warped reality to fit your desire. Your mother is still dead, Peter. I am truly sorry." Peter just stared at Warlock, trying to wrap his mind around everything he had said.

Peter had suspected that one of the Stones was to blame, but to hear it like this! It just wasn't fair! "I don't - I don't even care, alright? This is as real as it gets, and I'm finally going to get to do things with my mom that I never had a chance to. You wouldn't understand what that's like."

"Perhaps I wouldn't," Adam conceded. "But Peter, you above all others know how important family is." Peter gave him a funny look.

"Yeah, duh. And that's why I'm saying I need to stay with my mother."

"And what about your…extended family, Peter? Would you just abandon them?" Peter's mouth went dry. How could he have forgotten about his friends so fast? For the first time, he felt conflicted. His friends…no, his family. They had promised they wouldn't leave each other.

"Where are they?" he asked. At the very least, he needed to know that.

"Like you, they are in realities built from their dreams. My Soul Stone allowed me to escape my own, and with your help, we can free the others. Take my hand." Warlock held his hand out. Peter paused, taking one last look at his mother. She smiled him, and Peter knew that if he kept looking at her, he would lose any will he had to leave.

But his friends needed him. In the end, that was all he needed to know. Before he could change his mind, he grabbed Warlock's hand.

Chapter Text

"Where is this?" Peter had been hoping that when he grabbed Adam's hand, they would appear right in front of the others, but instead, they were in some forest that Peter Quill knew for a fact he had never stepped foot in.

"I do not know, but if this is anything like your situation, one of your friends must have been here in happier times."

"Too bad your Soul Stone doesn't come with a tour guide function," Peter joked. They walked for a few minutes, with Peter filling Adam in on his life as a kid.

"So, yeah, it was pretty easy for the Reality Stone to take advantage of me, is what I'm saying. I already have a hunch of where we'll find Drax and Gamora. Rocket was always pretty quiet about his past, though, and I never asked Groot, although maybe he told me and I never knew."

"Wait, that looks familiar." Peter stopped when Adam pointed at the ground. Peter knelt down, and saw some paw prints that resembled a raccoon's print (and yeah, Rocket technically wasn't a raccoon, but damn if it wasn't hard to think of Rocket as one).

"Rocket must be close by. If I call out, maybe he'll hear me." It turned out the effort wouldn't even be necessary, as two curious raccoon heads popped out of the nearby bushes.

"Hello. Who are you two strangers?" Like Rocket, they could apparently talk, and like Rocket, they had the voice of a human; nothing cartoonish about them. The one who spoke had a young, female voice.

"Oh, uh, hello little guys. Hey, is there a guy among you who looks like you, but has his own jetpack, and maybe has a potty mouth." The two raccoon glanced at each other.

"That kinda sounds like uncle Rocket, but how come he never mentioned knowing any humans?" The other raccoon sounded like a boy who had only recently entered puberty. But whatever, if they knew Rocket, then great!

"If you could just point us in the right direction, we'll be out of your fur in no time." The two young raccoon discussed it for a few moments before nodding.

"Follow us," the female instructed before the two bounded away, leaving Peter and Adam to dash after them. Well, Peter dashed; Adam merely levitated, which was cheating but also looked very cool.

They came to a collection of mini huts. "Who knew that racoon liked to build houses for themselves?" Peter muttered. He wasn't prepared for an offended "I am Groot."

He whirled around to see Groot, crossing his arms in a disapproving manner. Peter suddenly had an idea where the wood used to build the huts came from. "Uh, hey Groot. I don't suppose you remember me?" Groot looked at him in a confused manner. "Yeah, I guess that would be too easy."

"What's all the commotion? Can't a guy have dinner with his lady friend in peace around here?" Peter would know that grumpy voice anywhere.

Rocket exited one of the huts, followed closely by another raccoon, the one he must have been referring to. She had a necklace on, and if Peter was being honest with himself, it was really the only way he could tell it was female.

It was a longshot, but Peter hoped that if he just acted the way he always did with Rocket, that perhaps something in Rocket's brain would get jogged. "Rocket, how's it going? Since when do you have a girlfriend? She's pretty cute…for a raccoon." The raccoon bit was designed to get a rise out of Rocket.

"Uh. Who the hell are you? Humans don't come around these parts often, and that's how I like it." He completely ignored the raccoon comment. This was going to be more difficult than Peter had thought. It was time for tough love.

He grabbed a still talking Rocket and brought him to eye level. "Rocket, it's me, Peter Quill. You're a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, we drive a ship called the Milano, we saved the world from Ronan and other crazy aliens, and I called you a trash panda a few times." Peter liked to think he saw a flash of recognition in Rocket's eyes, but he wasn't able to confirm it before he felt a large arm wrap around his mid-section and pull him into the air.

"I AM GROOT!" Peter didn't need a dictionary to let him know that Groot was defending Rocket, who was struggling like crazy in Peter's arms. Peter was unable to hold on to Rocket, and the furry little demon scampered down Groot's trunk.

"I wasn't trying to hurt him. I just…this is complicated…Adam, a little help here?" Warlock was suddenly nowhere to be found. Just great. Groot began shaking Peter, and to his horror, his Zune fell to the forest floor.

"I swear, Groot, if that Zune is broken, we'll be having a stern conversation later!" The various raccoon began cautiously sniffing at the music device, but Rocket cautioned them to stay back as he investigated. This gave Peter a great idea.

"Hey, if you wanna know what that does, it plays some sweet music." The raccoon gave him strange looks.

"But we play music. We use drums and strings to make music, so how can this tiny thing do that?" one of the young ones asked. Peter gave a non-committal shrug.

"Tell the tree to put me down, and I'll show you." Rocket bent over laughing.

"How stupid do you think we are? No, you're staying up there AND telling us how to use this thing. Sound fair? Well, it does to me." Peter hesitated, but decided that maybe this could still work, even if he didn't choose the particular song that Rocket listened to.

"So, see those long, rubbery things? The end of those go in your ear. Then you press the center of that circle, and the music starts. Easy as pie." Rocket was good at following instruction, but Peter had a hunch that the little guy would have figured out how to work the Zune pretty fast anyway.

He held his breath as Rocket placed the earbuds inside his ears. When his furry little fingers pressed the play button, his body briefly stiffened as the music began playing, but whatever song it was must have been soothing, because he quickly relaxed, and even began tapping his foot a little. Some of the other racoon were begging for their turn, but Rocket ignored them.

"Hmm. This ain't bad at all, actually. Dumb lyrics, but the beat is something else. It kinda reminds me of that big lug, Drax. He was never able to sing along, and…" Rocket paused when he realized his error. As far as he remembered, there was no Drax…

"What the? Hey, what is this music doing to me?" Rocket ripped the headbuds out of his ears, but it was too late. The familiar music had begun moving the cogs in his head. A concerned Groot dropped Peter so that he could kneel next to his friend.

"What's wrong with me, Groot? I'm suddenly remembering all this stuff and all these stupid people, but…I've lived here all my life, haven't I?" After dusting himself off, Peter grabbed the Zune from Rocket, because better safe than sorry.

"Rocket, I know it's hard, realizing the reality you think is real, the one you want to be real, isn't. But Rocket, you have friends…family, real family, and they're waiting for you." He turned to Groot. "And you too. Actually, you should probably listen to the Zune next."

While Groot listened to some rocking tunes, Peter continued his heart to heart with Rocket. "And that about sums up our situation. Once I manage to locate Adam, he'll take us to the next manufactured reality. Did you get all that?" Rocket groaned.

"No, and I'm not gonna even bother to try. But once we find Gamora and Drax, then we just have to hope we find the stone? Sounds like a dumb plan. But, eh, I guess we're desperate." Groot had finished listening to whatever music he had chosen, and grabbed Peter and Rocket in a bear hug, despite Rocket's protests.

"I am glad to see you all together like this," Adam said as he walked in through the bushes. Peter pointed at him angrily.

"And where did you waltz off to when I needed you?" Warlock raised his hands defensively.

"I knew that you would be able to free your friends. You share a bond much stronger than anything I could add." Peter mumbled, but decided to accept the explanation. Rocket, meanwhile, had to say goodbye to one last person.

"Heya, sweetstuff. I have to go, see, but I'm afraid that, where I'm going, you can't come. But you know I'll never forget you." Peter averted his eyes to give Rocket some much needed privacy. When Rocket was finished, he wiped a few tears from his eyes before hopping on Peter's shoulder. "Not a word of this to anyone," he threateningly whispered.

Warlock held out both hands; Peter grabbed one and Groot grabbed the other. Then they vanished, off to the next location.

Just a few years ago, Tony Stark wouldn't find himself heading to bed until well past two in the morning, but Pepper had been doing her best to get his habit of overworking to ease up. Hence, his new bedtime of midnight. It was a compromise.

"They say the best boyfriends are the ones who compromise the most," Tony had even helpfully informed Pepper, who was quick to tell him that buttering her up would not work. She was sharp.

That day had been tough in general. Some losers calling themselves the Masters of Evil had attacked New York because they wanted to get rich or whatever. The Avengers had made quick work of them, but then there was the clean up to deal with, not to mention another Stark Industries stockholders meeting to cap the day off. To say he was dead on his would be heavily understating it.

"You really are tired," Pepper said, daring to be amused. "Normally I have to practically drag you kicking and screaming just to get to bed." Tony groaned into his pillow.

"I'm not that bad." And no, he wasn't whining. "I just happen to have a very large workman's ethic."

Pepper wasn't having it. "There's a difference between working hard, and working like a madman. I think most people would be content with two big inventions in a lifetime, but sometimes you act like you need to make that many every single day." She gave him a look. "After all, one would think that I would be enough."

Tony paled. He would have to choose his next words carefully. "Pepper, none of the inventions I have ever built come even close to what you've brought to my life. I swear on…on…D.U.M.M.Y." She giggled slightly at that.

"Well, then, let's focus on us, and not on whatever other inventions are bouncing around in your head. I mean, let's face it, your Avenger work already takes up like half your free time. When was the last time we even took a personal vacation? Don't even answer that, I'm pretty sure the answer is never."

"Well, being a full time superhero makes it hard to find the time to lay back on a beach. And goodness knows I have really been needing a martini, but time is one thing I'm not able to manipulate." He paused, thinking it over. "That would be pretty cool. But I have a lot on my plate. Stark Industries is still expanding, Nick Fury has been bothering me about building some stuff for SHIELD, and we all have Thanos in the back of our minds."

Pepper rolled on her side. "Has he been causing more trouble?"

"Nope, and that's the trouble. Pep, I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. He's been way too quiet. Unfortunately, I've also been told not to spy on him. How do you like that? One second, Fury wants me to do everything, and the next, he acts like I'm a novice who would get caught spying on someone."

"Whatever you say, James Bond," Pepper quipped. "But can we talk about this in the morning? I'll feel more like a human after I've had my coffee."

Peter knew they had made it when his stomach stopped churning. The silence had also been replaced by dozens of voices, although none sounds familiar. Peter opened his eyes, blinking a few times as they adjusted to the light. They were standing in a community of green-skinned people. For a moment, Peter entertained the thought that this was perhaps Gamora's home planet, but a booming laugh had Peter thinking a second theory.

"Well, we know Drax is having a good time," Rocket muttered, echoing Peter's thoughts. "Man, I'm really gonna hate having to wake him up from this."

"Me too, but it's called tough love for a reason." The three Guardians began navigating the crowd. Interestingly, the majority of the crowd lacked Drax's red markings.

"No wonder none of the men wear shirts, I'm boiling alive here," Rocket heatedly complained. "And where did Warlock go?"

"Oh, he probably thinks we have to be the ones to do this, or some mumbo-jumbo crap like that."

"I am Groot!" Groot pointed towards a clearing where a bunch of people were dancing, and in Peter's opinion, not particularly well. But Groot wasn't pointing at the dancers, he was pointing at the only two people who weren't. One of them was Drax. He hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't a dancer.

"He ain't no twinkle-toes," Rocket agreed as the three made their way to Drax, who was speaking animatedly with who they had to assume was his wife. She was pretty, Peter absently thought. She shared her husband's green skin, but had a smoother face and blue hair, which wasn't as awkward as it sounded.

"I take it you're not in a dancing mood," Peter slid in as casually as possible. Drax and his wife glared daggers at him, presumably for interrupting their alone time.

"I don't dance," Drax said with a certain finality. His wife nodded.

"Dancing is for some people, but it is not for us. We prefer real action, like hunting. Nothing is more thrilling than that." She tenderly cupped Drax's face, and Peter nearly gagged.

"Do you think we could speak to your hubby alone? Just for a few minutes." Rocket was using his best "I'm polite!" voice, but Drax wasn't buying it.

"I have no idea who any of you strange people are. Why would I wish to speak to any of you?"

Well, if the Zune worked once, maybe it could work again. He Peter reached into his pocket to grab the device, but Drax and his wife quickly pulled out a pair of knives and held them to his throat. So much for that.

"Whatever weapon you were reaching for, drop it on the ground," Drax snarled, digging his knife into Peter's skin. Peter totally didn't yelp as he dropped the Zune on the muddy ground.

"Hey, back off!" Rocket pulled out a huge gun (from where? Peter wondered wildly). "He's with me, and I don't take too kindly to people threatening him. Only I do that!" It appeared to be a stand-off - until some unseen branches grabbed Drax and his wife from behind and lifted them up from the ground. The two of them struggled briefly, but once they dropped their knives, they both knew there was no hope of escaping.

"Release me, tree demon!" Drax bellowed. Groot looked sheepish, but wouldn't let the large man go. While that was happening, Peter knelt in the mud to see how his Zune was doing.

"Dangit, the mud must have done something, the Zune won't turn on!" This wasn't good, the Zune had basically been his entire plan. They were screwed.

Peter tried brainstorming. What else would help bring back Drax's memories? Nothing was coming to mind. Rocket didn't seem to have any ideas either.

"I am Groot?"

"Uh, Groot, do ya really think that could work?" Groot nodded firmly. Peter couldn't take it anymore.

"What? What is Groot's idea?" Rocket snickered.

"He thinks that if you do the same dance that you did to distract Ronan, that maybe Drax would remember it." Peter glared at Rocket. "Hey, I know this is stupid, but it's so stupid that it just might work. And we're the Guardians of the Galaxy; we're always making stupid decisions!"

"Uh, yeah, solid point." Peter normally wasn't self-conscious when it came to his sweet dancing moves, but with Ronan, he had literally just done whatever. It wasn't his finest dancing, but if that's what Drax needed to wake the hell up, then that's what he would do. Even if the humiliation would be real.

And so, he began recreating the dance as best he could. Even considering the circumstances, Peter couldn't help but get annoyed at the way Rocket was smirking. Drax and his wife were staring, mouths totally hanging open.

"Dance off!" Peter shouted, mainly because he recalled yelling that at some point as Ronan watched. After a few moments, Peter was tempted to stop - until Drax began laughing loudly.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. You move your body in such stupid ways, but it is not unenjoyable. Somehow, it is even familiar to me, despite the fact that we have never met before." As he spoke, his voice became slower, more contemplative. Perhaps Groot's dumb plan would actually work!

Peter was beginning to sweat, but funnily enough, he was also starting to get into his crude little dance.

"That dance is just as horrendous yet amusing as it was before." Despite the words, Drax was no longer smiling. He turned to his wife, who was still writhing against Groot's hold.

"Drax, my love, you are confusing me. Why are you acting like you recognize this odd little man?"

"Because I think I do." Honest as always, Drax didn't sugarcoat anything. "As much happiness as you bring me, I no longer believe you are real, although I truly wish you were." Groot released Drax, who slowly walked up to a still dancing Peter.

"You can stop that dance now, Quill. I have all my memories." With a groan of relief, Peter fell on his butt.

"It's great to have you back, man. I don't know how much longer I could have continued dancing like that. Anyway, I guess this is Warlock's cue." As if perfectly timed, Warlock appeared, his stone glowing promisingly.

"The Reality Stone must be nearby," he informed the others (probably his way of saying hello). "My Soul Stone feels it's presence."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. Time to hold hands, everyone." Rocket and Groot didn't even hesitate. Drax was confused, but went with the general flow of things, sparing one last glance for his wife. For what felt like the umpteenth time that day, Peter closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, he would be seeing Gamora.

Tony Stark was rudely awakened by Pepper shaking him. "I'm up," he groggily slurred.

"Tony, Jarvis has some really weird news." Pepper sounded nervous, and that was enough to wake Tony up. Pepper didn't get nervous easily.

"Jarvis, what's going on?" Tony's AI butler responded by flicking on one of the computer screens near Tony's bed. Tony used that screen to monitor certain outer space activity; when some of your enemies were aliens, you couldn't be too careful. Normally, there was no activity to report, but now, a giant ship was heading in Earth's general direction. And it didn't look like a peaceful voyage either.

"Tony, who the hell are they and what do they want?" Tony wished he had a satisfying answer to give Pepper.

Chapter Text

"So the ship hasn't moved since you contacted us?" The main Avengers were seated in the conference room, having been summoned by Nick Fury. It turned out that SHIELD had noticed the alien ship around the same time Tony had.

Fury nodded to Steve. "That is correct. As soon as it came within range of our sensors, it stopped. We have no idea what it's intentions are, and it is not responding to any of our attempts at communication. We've been fortunate that no amateur astronomer with a twenty buck telescope has noticed them yet."

"So we've only tried transmissions so far? No physical contact?" Natasha always liked having all the facts.

"Trust me when I say that no one is going to be sending any astronauts up there. Potentially, this is where you guys come in. If need be, your next mission will be to board the vessel and find out anything you can."

Tony was intrigued by the notion of getting to explore an alien spaceship, but kept an air of nonchalance. "Well, I have been meaning to test out my new deep space armor. I wonder if we should bring food as a peace offering. Well, if we do, it probably shouldn't be McDonald's."

Hawkeye looked insulted. "I happen to think McDonald's is pretty good stuff." Noticing everyone staring at him, he threw his hands up defensively. "Look, when you guys have kids who demand McDonald's every day, you get used to it."

"Hey, I never said I disliked McDonald's. I just think that, if we want a really good first impression, fancier food might be a better idea. Just saying."

Nick Fury had that look, the one that meant he was getting a migraine. "Can we focus? If they make a move, I want you all to be ready."

Hawkeye leaned back in his chair, and tossed a crumpled piece of paper towards a small garbage can in the corner of the room. To no one's surprise, he made the shot. "Do you guys think Thanos is involved? Fury, you told us that he was living on some remote island. How do we know he isn't summoning his army from there?"

"Trust me, that has been considered, but we haven't noticed any strange signals coming from his location, which we have under surveillance. In fact, we have let him know that he is under surveillance, practically daring him to try something along these lines." Everyone gaped at Fury.

"And he didn't react violently?" Steve sounded skeptical, something Tony felt as well. Fury shrugged.

"I believe Warlock may have been correct when he claimed that Thanos had…different interests now. Still, I'm not stupid. SHIELD will be keeping Thanos under surveillance for the near future."

It was a small comfort, and Tony wasn't always a very trusting person in the first place, but for the moment, he didn't have much choice but to trust that Fury knew what he was doing.

Thanos was in a pleasant mood. He had gotten things off his chest, spent some…quality time with Layla, and woke up to the smell of bacon, which was startlingly delectable.

The alien craft hovering over Earth did nothing to dampen his spirits. In fact, he truly didn't care. If they were benevolent, all the better. And if they had violent aims against the planet, he presumed the Avengers or another such group could handle it. Frankly, unless these unknown beings did something to specifically place Layla in harm's way, he didn't plan on involving himself.

And if SHIELD had any competency, they would have already spotted the ship. And if not, well, he didn't feel any obligation to warn them. On a more guilty note, he had also decided not to inform Layla. She would most likely pressure him into, at the very least, informing Nick Fury. At most, she might ask him to get directly involved. No, it was best that she didn't know.

"You seem deep in thought," Layla idly noted as she handed him his black, no sugar coffee. He smiled at her.

"An idle mind is a wasted mind." Coffee was the single human drink that he enjoyed every day. It was honestly easy to understand why humans thought of it as addictive.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Layla sat down at the table, prepared to dig into her pancakes and bacon. Thanos felt guilty again (an emotion that he still hadn't completely gotten used to). But why cause her concern unnecessarily?

"Nothing of great importance." He justified this answer to himself. He wasn't strictly lying; he truly believed that the ship was nothing important. He had an inkling that Layla wouldn't see things that way, however.

"So, what's on the agenda for today? I don't have anything to do, so I'm open to suggestions." Thanos thought about it, and decided that some activity was in order after a whole day of laying in bed.

"We have yet to properly explore the island. There is a rather expansive forest area behind the house." Layla gave a mock shiver.

"Oh dear, I hope there aren't any scary, wild monsters living there." He grinned at her.

"I believe I'll be able to keep you safe from any creature that views you as a morsel…"

"I'd bet money that this is Gamora's home planet." Peter wouldn't take Rocket up on that bet, since it was obvious to everyone there, despite the fact that none of them had ever seen so much as a photo of the place.

But unlike Rocket and Drax's planets, this one was completely quiet. Peter strained his ears for any familiar sounds, but nothing. Even something simple, like the singing from a bird, was gone. Despite the sun shining high in the sky, Peter got goosebumps. He wasn't a coward, but the silence had an eerie effect.

"Perhaps the people of this planet are nocturnal," Drax offered. Peter shook his head.

"Gamora always seemed to have normal sleeping hours." His teammates gawked at him, and he blushed. "I mean, I'm just guessing. It's not like I know her sleeping schedule or anything."

"Uh-huh," Rocket deadpanned.

Peter was just about to make an epic retort when "I am Groot!" interrupted him.

Rocket scratched his ear. "What do ya mean you see Gamora?" He climbed up Groot's back. "I don't - oh!" Hearing this, Peter quickly climbed up Groot's shoulder to see for himself, and lo and behold, Gamora was in the distance, striding in their directions. Peter jumped off Groot and ran in her direction. The other Guardians weren't far behind.

"You guys took your time," were the first words she said when they reached her. The cool delivery stopped Peter from outright hugging her, tempting as it was. Groot had no such inhibition though. But then, he hugged everyone.

"Wait, you remember us?" Peter was happy, of course, but he hadn't thought it would be this easy.

"Gamora, we feared that Quill would be forced to dance once again to free your mind," Drax explained.

"...What exactly have you guys been doing? When I came to, I was surrounded by my family. At first, I was overjoyed. But the more I thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed. Then it hit me that this was the work of the Reality Stone. Hard as it was, I accepted that my family was still dead, and I left, figuring that you all could be in similar situations. But…what's this about dancing?"

Peter stepped in front of Rocket and Drax before they could say anything incriminating. "I'm just glad that we're all together again. That's the important thing. Well, that and the Reality Stone, which must be around here somewhere."

"Perhaps closer than you realize." Peter jumped as Warlock once again seemingly materialized out of nowhere.

"I'm tired of this vague mumbo-jumbo," Rocket growled. "If the stone is nearby, and if you know where it is, just tell us." Warlock gave a half-smile before turning to Gamora. Peter kicked himself mentally, because he only just now noticed that Gamora was holding a thick cloth in one of her fists.

"I think Gamora knows as well," Adam softly replied. Gamora held his stare as she slowly unclenched her fist and then began to unwrap the cloth. After a few layers, a familiar yellow glow could be glimpsed.

"I knew better than to touch the stone with my bare hands. I suppose I can thank Thanos for that much, if nothing else." As Warlock reached for it, she moved back. "When I realized that my family were still dead, this stone appeared. I suppose accepting that this wasn't my true reality did it. But before I hand this over, I have some questions for you."

"Of course," Adam replied. "That is your right."

"Before, you said you were the only person searching for all the stones. But that can't be true. Thanos has spent countless years trying to locate them." She began to sound hopeful, though there was something else in her voice. "Could it be that he's perished?"

Adam paused. "I - no, he isn't dead, Gamora. But I can assure you, the stones are no longer of any interest to him."

"What? How can you expect me to believe that?"

"I'm afraid I have no proof. You will have to speak with him yourself. He is currently on Earth." Gamora scowled at the suggestion.

"If I never see him again, it'll be too soon. But fine, I'll take your word for it…for now. But my second question is, what do you intend to do with the stones?" Peter wished he had thought to ask that question.

"That is unfortunately a hard question to answer. The truth is, I don't completely know why I need them."

Drax scoffed. "That sounds like a lie to me. How can one want something, and not know why they want it?"

If Warlock was bothered by the comment, he didn't show it. "My Soul Stone spoke to me, in a certain sense. It told me that the rest of the stones would need to be found and brought together."

"And I don't suppose it gave a reason? Great." Rocket shook his head, exasperated.

"I'm sorry, but I'll need a far better reason than that to hand this over." Gamora wrapped the stone back up in the cloth, and placed it in a pocket. "This stone is obviously too powerful to fall into the wrong hands."

Peter was expecting Warlock to object and maybe even get physical, but Warlock merely nodded. "If you believe that is best, then I won't object. Now, I must be going."

Peter blinked. When had they returned to the Skrull ship? The other Guardians also seemed disoriented. There was also a body on the floor; closer inspection reminded Peter that it was Veranke.

"So, uh, do we just leave her here?" Rocket shrugged, and Groot presumably scolded him.

"No, I will take her back to the Skrull homeworld. It is only right," Warlock murmured as he picked her up bridal style. With his back to the team, Warlock had some final words. "Watch yourselves. The stones are magnets for trouble."

"We can handle it," was Gamora's response. Warlock flew off into the depths of space, and Peter was reminded that they had to return to the Milano. Fortunately, it was still parked outside the Skrull ship.

Once aboard, Peter felt an immense relief, though he had a suspicion it wouldn't last once the word spread. But then again, who would tell? Oh, right, Veranke.

"That Warlock was a strange man, but not a malicious one. Perhaps we should have given him the Reality Stone?" Rocket disagreed with Drax.

"What? Can you imagine how much this would sell for?"

Peter decided to pull rank. "No way. We are not selling this to anyone. Can you imagine what would happen if the wrong people got it? It stays with us." Gamora gave him an approving glance. Yup, the events of the day had been worth it.

Layla couldn't remember a time where she felt better. The day had gone perfectly. Exploring the island with Thanos had actually been a lot of fun, especially considering that she had never really been a nature girl herself. It turned out the wildlife on the island was really vibrant; she had never seen flamingos in person before. She needed to invite her parents one of these days.

Now, as the afternoon sun began descending, Layla was using the final hour of sunlight to finish reading a book that would be used in the curriculum next semester, but truth be told, she was feeling so relaxed that she was on the verge of nodding off.

She had to say, this was a contender for her favorite summer vacation ever - and she didn't even have to spend any money. She idly wondered if she would be able to convince Thanos to take a trip with her next year, to some exotic location. She wasn't even sure if he had any interest in jungles or mountains, but she knew she would feel safer if he came along.

She had just about fallen asleep when a buzzing sensation in her body brought her back to full alertness in seconds. It wasn't painful, but it was freaky. It felt like a mild electric current was pulsating in her veins. Nothing like that had ever happened to her before, and she was considering her options when a final pulse suddenly became painful. She didn't remember it, but the quick pain must have caused her to yelp, because Thanos was suddenly kneeling next to her, his face featuring the concern that he rarely showed.

"Is it the tesseract again?" She hadn't even thought of that, but in hindsight, that was probably it. She smiled, trying to downplay the fear she had felt.

"Maybe, but it's fine. I'm fine. I was feeling weird for a second there, but I'm feeling fine now."

"Hmm." She didn't think that would convince him, and she was right. "We agreed that as long as the tesseract didn't cause you any harm, there was no need to rush to find a solution to remove it. But if it has begun to cause you pain…"

She absolutely hated causing anyone trouble, and she hated having to be a damsel in distress (once was enough), and above everything else, she hated being poked and prodded. So she stood up and announced her intention to finish reading upstairs. Unfortunately, Thanos followed her to their room.

"Perhaps if I run some more tests-" Layla flung herself on her bed, sighing loudly enough that he paused.

"Please, no. I'm not in the mood for any experiments. I think I'm done with that whole thing. If I'm destined to stick with the tesseract for the rest of my life, well, so be it."

Thanos frowned for a few moments, before grounding out, almost painfully, "If you don't trust my methods, there are surely other scientists who you could turn to." Layla realized that he had completely misread what she had been saying.

She sat up and faced him. "What? No, of course I trust you! I trust you more than any random scientist. I just don't care to try any tests or experiments, no matter who is doing them. That's all." She couldn't tell if he was relieved or not, his expression hadn't really changed.

"You put me in a tricky position." He sat down on the bed next to her. "You know I always respect your wishes. But I also hold your health in high regard. If I had to choose between the two, I think I would want you to be healthy, even if it led to you resenting me."

"But I need you to understand that I am healthy! At least, I feel healthy, and I don't want you to waste so much time worrying about me. I don't like having people worry about me. It makes me feel guilty that I'm causing them to stress out about my problems." She hadn't meant to say that last part. She had never told anyone, even her parents.

Thanos was silent for a few moments as he stared at her. His eyes bore into hers, and not for the first time, she noted how intimidating they could be, but in her case? They were intelligent eyes, and that was what appealed to her.

"I've already made it known that this…romance isn't something I have much experience with. However, and you may correct me if I'm wrong, I believe that one appeal of being in a relationship with a significant other is that together, they can more easily shoulder a burden then either one could alone."

Layla looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I know that, but it still bothers me. I don't want to cause anyone any problems." Thanos lifted her head back up with a large finger.

"You could never be a bother to me," was his firm response. "And if we get down to technicalities, it is because of my actions that the tesseract was embedded into your body. This makes it my responsibility." He gave her a rueful smile. "Did you think you were the only one with feelings of guilt?"

Layla supposed she hadn't really been taking Thanos' feelings into consideration as much as she would have liked. Was it fair to keep this problem to herself if Thanos believes he could ease his own guilt by helping her? She didn't think so.

She opened her mouth with the intention of saying something, but instead ended up kissing the Titan. He wasn't shy about kissing her back, and seeing as how they were already on a bed, she wasn't surprised when the clothes began to come off.

As they started, he whispered one last thing in her ear. "Once again, you could never be a bother to me, my dearest. You are precious to me. I'll kill anyone who says otherwise." Well. Coming from Thanos, it was romantic.

The Supreme Intelligence watched the monitors with a sense of satisfaction. So far, phase one of his plan was working perfectly. Not that he had expected any other outcome, but confirmation was always enjoyable.

The electronic doors swished open, but he didn't even need to turn around to know who who had entered his security room.

"Hala, I assume my ship is ready for departure, just as I commanded?" Hala nodded sharply.

"Of course. You may leave whenever you so choose." Pausing ever so slightly, she then asked the question that was no doubt weighing heavily on her mind.

"But, if I may ask, why did you place that dummy ship in Earth's upper atmosphere? That ship is set on autopilot, and has no crew. I don't see how this helps you in any way."

Truthfully, the Supreme Intelligence had been hoping that someone would ask him that question, but his subordinates were all spineless cowards who never dared to question his plans. Fortunately, Hala was an exception.

"That ship is serving it's purpose - as a distraction for the humans to investigate. They have already wasted precious time attempting to create a line of communication with the ship. Predictably, they will soon attempt to board it. But while they are on their fruitless quest, I will already be far along on my own mission."

Hala frowned. "Mission? I was told that I was preparing your ship so that you could return to the Council and apologize." The Intelligence inwardly thought her foolish for believing that cover story.

"That was merely a ruse to avoid any information leaks. In actuality, I have discovered the location of an Infinity Stone. Once I have it in my possession, I will return to Earth to exact my revenge on Thanos. Once he is dead, the Council will be the next to feel my wrath."

Hala made the wise choice of silent, though the Intelligence could tell from the way she was staring at him that she certainly had strong opinions about his plan. But no matter, he hadn't a care about what his minions thought about him or his plans.

As two of his minions arrived to wheel him out of the security room, he gave one last command. "I leave you in charge while I am away. I trust that I won't return to find everything destroyed or misplaced." He didn't notice her hateful glare as he exited the room.

Chapter Text

"My scanners aren't picking up up anything. No bio-signatures, no heat signatures, no bomb signals, nothing. Somehow, though, this makes me more suspicious than if there were any signals."

Steve nodded at Tony. He felt the same way. Back in the war, the worst traps were the ones that were built to look abandoned. "In that case, you'd better let me go first. I'm a veteran at this kind of thing." He stepped back, before kicking the steel door down. The noise was almost startling in the otherwise deathly quiet ship. Steve rolled inside, Iron Man right behind him with his repulsors at the ready. The room was empty.

"Is kicking doors down, like, a secret superpower you have? Because you seem to do that a lot." Steve just grinned at the good-natured ribbing, but Natasha shoved past the two in exasperation.

"Guys, don't forget why we're here. This isn't the time to joke around, though I know I'm probably talking to thin air where Stark is concerned."

"First, I take offense to that, and second, give me some credit, I remember our mission." After their meeting with Fury, the three Avengers had boarded a Quinjet and headed off to the mysterious ship. Tony, who wasn't an idiot on his worst day, had asked the other Avengers to remain on Earth, on the chance that the alien ship was being used as a distraction to lure all the heroes off planet.

They were just fortunate that the ship was in the upper atmosphere; any further, and the Quinjet may not have been able to make the trip without a few modifications, but Tony wasn't sure if they had that kind of time.

As the room was empty, the trio moved on to the next room, and even without checking his sensors, Tony had a good idea that this room would prove to be more fruitful. The doorway was large and more ornate than the plain metallic doors they had already checked;; it resembled the kind of entrance a throne room would have, or perhaps the control room itself.

"Since you're so fond of this part, I'll let you take the door," Tony invited Steve, who nodded before kicking the doors down. It took a bit more effort this time, but the door wasn't built that could stop Captain American from entering a place he intended to search.

To Tony's disappointment, while the room was indeed the control room, it was completely empty, and none of the monitors were even on. The humming around them did seem to indicate that the computer mainframe was operational, so as Natasha and Steve flanked him, Tony began pressing buttons on the terminal. He half-hoped that the alien computer was just on stand-by, because otherwise, without knowing the alien language, he was flying blind.

Fortunately, it only took a few random buttons to turn one of the screens on. Tony had to rapidly blink against the bright light at first, but once he was able to properly study the screen, it seemed like another dead end. It showed what appeared to be a map of space, or more precisely, a map showing where the ship they were in was.

"This really isn't much help, unless I can find a way to locate the other ships in this fleet. How hard can that be?"

"Don't bother, human. All you would be doing is calling attention to yourself." Tony and Steve whirled around to discover that they weren't so alone after all. A feminine alien calmly stepped out of the shadowy corner of the room.

"Hold it right there, ma'am," Steve warned as Tony charged up his repulsor beams. The blue-skinned alien lifted her arms in a universal "I'm unarmed" gesture.

"I am not here to harm you, and I am not here under order of the Kree Empire. In fact, quite the opposite. I am willing to help you."

Surely she didn't think it would be that easy? "You'll have to excuse us if we don't instantly believe you, but we're not naive. We've dealt with tricksters before, believe me." She shrugged.

"My name is Hala. I am a proud warrior of the Kree race. In terms of loyalty, I am second to no one. However, in recent times, our leader, the Supreme Intelligence, has grown…emotional. Where as he was once a leader ruled by logic, now his judgement is clouded by petty feelings like anger, and the need for revenge. He is on a path that threatens to destroy the Kree. He has already gotten us banned from the Galactic Council." Seeing that Tony and Steve still didn't seem to trust her, she grew physically frustrated. "Why will you Earth creatures not believe my words?"

A small clicking sound alerted her to the fact that a gun was being pointed at her head from behind. Tony couldn't help but grin; leave it to Natasha to sneak up on an alien like that.

"For your sake, you had better be telling us the truth," Natasha murmured from behind Hala. "If I believe that you're leading us on for even a moment, I won't have a reason not to shoot." Tony wasn't sure if she was bluffing or not, but her voice had a frostiness to it that would make anyone who didn't know her instantly believe she was a killer.

Hala remained tight lipped for a few moments, before biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. "This goes against every fiber of my being…but if it will prove I am being truthful, I will show you how to find the Supreme Intelligence's ship is."

Steve lowered his shield. "And why would you do that?" Hala gritted her teeth.

"You fool, have you not been listening? He is dangerous, not just for our enemies, but for the Kree race itself. He is on some foolhardy journey to locate the Infinity Gems, but I believe it is just a waste of resources."

"The Infinity Gems? Are there any maniacal aliens who don't want to get their hands on those?" Tony had hoped that once Thanos (seemingly) lost interest in the gems, that he would never have to here about those things again.

Hala ignored him. "This ship that we are standing in was always meant to be a distraction; the Supreme Intelligence didn't want anyone following and possibly intercepting him on his quest. But each of our ships have a beacon, which we can use to locate any ship that gets separated from the rest of the fleet. If you allow me, I can use that to find his ship."

Tony hesitated, but Steve nodded at Natasha, who shrugged before pulling her gun away from Hala's head. The Kree warrior haughtily strode up to the computer console, and began pressing a few buttons in seemingly random order before the on-screen map grew larger. A small red dot could be seen on the outskirts of the map. It was moving.

"There. I have held up my end of the bargain. I trust that this will be enough to let you locate and kill him." She turned to walk out the door, but Natasha beat her to it.

"And who said you could just prance out of here?" Hala growled, before rapidly pulling some small device from her pockets.

"Take cover!" Steve commanded as the small explosive went off. Tony braced himself, confident his armor would protect him, but there was no need. When his body wasn't buffeted by a concussive blast, he opened his eyes and noticed that it had only been a smoke bomb. He didn't normally feel stupid, but this was one of those times.

"Should we follow her?" Tony was slightly hurt that Natasha appeared to be asking Steve, and not him. Steve shook his head.

"No. We have what we came for, info. Tony, you're probably the only one here who will be able to read this map. How far away is that ship?" Mood considerably lifted, Tony intently studied the map for a few minutes before turning back to his teammates.

"Well, the bad news is that the -what was his name?- Supreme Intelligence's ship is, not gonna lie, really far. And he has a head start. The Quinjet won't be enough to catch him before he gets his hand on whichever gem he thinks is out there. And we don't know too many people who just happen to own a space-ready ship. I think we'll need Fury's help with this, much as I hate to admit it."

"You have got to be joshing me!" Hawkeye's outburst was in response to the admittedly outlandish idea Nick Fury had just offered. Even Tony didn't have a witty comeback.

"Clint, don't insult either of us with the implication that I would ever make a joke. I know that you have a personal dislike for the man, but the fact of the matter is, we need Thanos' ship to catch up the Kree leader, and that's all there is to it." He wasn't leaving any room for debate, but Tony knew that they all had questions.

After returning to Avengers HQ, Tony and Steve had informed the other Avengers, along with Fury, about the situation. Tony had been crossing his fingers in the hope that Fury had a spaceship or two secretly stashed away. What he hadn't been expecting was Fury to bring up Thanos, in the context that Thanos had a capable ship of his own. Tony believed it; he had seen the ship with his own two eyes, and it looked admirably high-tech.

Clint scowled, leaning back in his chair. Bruce patted him on the shoulder. "Just because we're using his ship doesn't mean he has to come along as well."

"Doubt it," Tony interrupted. "Alien or not, who just lends their car, or ship in this case, to relative strangers? He won't trust us with it. No, I have a gut feeling that this will be a package deal."

"We don't even know if he'll agree to help in the first place," Steve added. "We don't have a good history, and from what I know of him, he wouldn't be interested in saving the world."

"I think we'll be able to convince him." Fury seemed sure of himself. "He may say that he has no more interest in the Infinity Gems, but I believe that once we mention that the Kree are interested in them, that might be incentive enough for him."

"When the heck is Thor getting back?" Clint asked, frustration lacing his question. "I would feel a lot better if he was here. How long can his family business take?" Tony smirked at him.

"With his family, you have to ask? Those gatherings must be a headache."

"So." Natasha stood up, signaling that the meeting was about to end. "Who volunteers to try and convince Thanos?"

Spending time doing nothing, a concept that Thanos had only recently begun to understand, was slowly becoming more and more appealing. With nothing in particular to accomplish, he and Layla were sitting together on the couch. They weren't watching the television, or anything like that, they were just making small talk.

"I like to think I was a pretty good student," Layla was explaining. "I never liked to cause trouble for any of my teachers. In hindsight, maybe I should have tried to contribute more. I was always so quiet. I probably raised my hand only once a week, if that." Her head was leaning on Thanos' shoulder,and he was loathe to move even an inch if it meant she would shift away.

"I'm sure you were the definition of a model student." Thanos wasn't even trying to flatter her. He honestly couldn't imagine the sweet Layla he knew now ever being the kind of person who wasn't endearing to her peers.

Layla blushed. "Well, anyway, I didn't really discover that I wanted to be a teacher until I was in high school. I began tutoring some of my classmates, and most of them would tell me that I was pretty good at it, and so…" She shrugged. "I guess the rest is obvious."

"Finding your purpose in life so early on is fortunate. Not everyone has that luxury or stability." Layla looked like she was about to question him on his statement when one of the computer consoles let out a series of beeps. Thanos immediately stood up to check the computer; the alarm only blared on the rare occasion someone manages to set foot on the island.

"Who is it? Laya asked, walking up beside Thanos.

"It appears to be a SHIELD craft. Perhaps Fury feels the need to badger me once more." He briefly considered donning his armored look, which was the best to way to intimidate anyone. As he hadn't had any plans, he was wearing a far more casual look with a blue shirt and cotton pants. It wasn't an outfit that would impress anyone, and no living being outside of Layla had ever seen him in such attire.

But no, this was his home. He would not force himself to change into something else because of uninvited guests.

"I can go upstairs, if you don't want to be interrupted," Layla offered. Thanos grabbed her arm as she turned to leave.

"Anything Fury has to say to me can be said in front of you. I wouldn't presume to hide anything from you." Layla gave him a grateful smile as he headed towards the front door, opening it just as the quinjet landed softly in front of the house.

When Nick Fury exited the ship, Thanos wasn't surprised. No, that emotion was saved for when two of the Avengers followed the eye-patched man. Specifically, it was Iron Man and Captain America. Thanos tensed, realizing that it was a very real possibility that they were here to attempt to apprehend him.

But no. The more Thanos mulled it over, the more that seemed unlikely. He had proven himself as a formidable adversary. If they wanted to capture him, they would surely send the entire team, at the very least.

Thanos crossed his arms as Fury and his two bodyguards approached his front door. Layla stood by his side. He could sense that she was slightly nervous, but one couldn't tell by looking at her.

"Fury. I seem to recall that you yourself claimed that we would never need to meet again. Or have you already forgotten?"

"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me to be here. But I pride myself on being able to put aside petty differences when the need arises."

"And what would this pressing need be?"

The armored Avenger spoke up with his usual annoying manner. "Oh, just potentially end-of-the-world stuff. But other than that, nothing too bad." Layla stiffened, but Thanos wasn't yet convinced.

"I'm told that you handle such threats frequently enough. Why come to me?" This time, it was the captain who replied.

"It involves that alien ship that was circling the planet." Too late, Thanos remembered the ship, and more importantly, his decision to keep it from Layla.

"I don't think I know what you mean."

"We know you aren't stupid, so don't pretend that you are. If you were able to hack our satellites, then there is no way you wouldn't have noticed that ship." Thanos glanced over at Layla, who's lips had thinned.

"Very well. Yes, I was aware of the ship, but surely you have the means to investigate yourselves."

"We did," Iron Man confirmed. "Unfortunately, no one was home. But, a little birdie told us that the ship was a distraction, while the real action happened elsewhere." He must have seen the disinterest written on Thanos' face, because then he added, "It involves an Infinity Stone."

If that was meant to grab his attention…he had to admit, it worked. After he demanded that they explain the situation, Iron Man described their encounter in the ship, and the knowledge they had learned.

"In short, we need your ship to reach this apparently super smart alien before he can grab the gem. We're in a rush, so just name your price, and we'll be out of your hair. Um. So to speak."

Thanos had barely been listening. "The Supreme Intelligence is a fool if he think he'll be able to exact any sort of revenge against me, though I welcome him to try." Tony didn't miss the comment.

"Revenge? Are you telling me there's a chance he's going to all this trouble just so that he can get one over you?"

Thanos smirked. "Yes, I recently caused him great embarrassment in front of the Galactic Council. I don't believe he took it well." He chuckled. "It was worth it to see the look on his face."

"Yeah, it would be nice if you could show a bit more concern about an alien leader who wants to take you down, and Earth along with it." The inventor boldly strode up to Thanos. "In fact, seeing as how this is your mess, I think showing some responsibility and letting us use your ship would be a smart idea."

Captain America and Layla both went rigid as Tony and Thanos kept their staring contest. Thanos surprised himself by relenting first.

"If I don't seem especially concerned, it's because I'm not. I don't fear the Supreme Intelligence, no matter what he uses against me. However, perhaps it would be in my best interest to make sure the stone isn't misused." Before Tony could open his mouth again, Thanos held a hand up. "I will let you use my ship, with one caveat." He turned from Tony to give a piercing look at Fury. "I will be piloting the ship. I trust no one else to do so."

Fury didn't even hesitate before responding, "I had a feeling this is how it would go down. That's fine. It doesn't especially matter to me who drives the damn ship as long as it leaves as soon as possible."

"Of course," Thanos responded understandingly. "Just give me half an hour to…finalize preparations." Iron Man and Captain America both glanced at each other as Fury nodded. The three of them strode back inside their jet.

Thanos turned his head, noticing the frosty look Layla was giving him. "So you wouldn't presume to hide anything from me, huh? Like, say, a giant alien ship that was eyeing Earth?"

"I'm sure you heard Stark mention that the ship was essentially a decoy. Completely harmless." Layla looked far from convinced.

"You didn't know that at the time! Did you think it would stress me out? I've been through some crazy stuff recently! It'll take more than some ship in the sky to freak me out." She stopped for a second, and when the next words came out, they were softer.

"Did you think I wouldn't the info well?"

Thanos sighed, realizing once again that his intentions had been misconstrued. "No, that is not what I feared. However, it no longer matters. I have already been roped into this." He gently grabbed her shoulders. "Perhaps it is the wrong time to ask, but I hope you won't keep a grudge. I would prefer it if we were to leave on positive terms."

Layla lowered her eyes as she considered it, before giving him a determined look. "I won't stay mad, if you do me one favor."

"Anything."

"You guys have to take me with you." Thanos was stunned as she continued on. "I don't want to be one of those girlfriends who stay at home, wringing their hands in concern while their boyfriends travel around. I mean, you're heading out to space! I'd feel better about it if we weren't so far apart."

"Layla. This is no joyride. We are in pursuit of a dangerous being who has aims against me. I can't allow you to come with me." That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, evidently.

"Exactly, it's dangerous. If something were to happen to you, what would I do? I'd have no way to find out what happened. I'd spend the rest of my life never knowing, and it would drive me insane. Trust me, if something bad happens, I'd rather it happen when we're together."

Her logic made sense. If the roles were revered, nothing in this reality could keep him from accompanying her. He understood the frustrations of remaining behind, unable to help in any capacity. And yet…

"I may not be able to guarantee your safety, I need you to understand this," he urged as he pulled her against him. She kissed him, deeply.

When they pulled apart, she responded, "I never asked for that guarantee anyway." Her eyes sparkled. "I feel safe with you anyway." As she pulled away, she added, "Besides, this wouldn't be the first time I've ridden in your ship."

"Hopefully this trip doesn't involve a Kree trying to drill a hole in you," Thanos dryly replied. Layla smacked him on the arm.

As the Supreme Intelligence hurtled through space, his mind absently wondered if he should confront Thanos after acquiring the stone, or if he should put it off until he had collected more of them.

Logic dictate that he wait. The more stones he had, the better his chances at claiming victory.

"And yet, I refuse to wait any longer. My patience wears thin, and my anger grows by the second. No, one stone will be all I require." His rambling caused his two pilots to glance at each other fearfully, but neither dared to utter a word.

Chapter Text

They were only a few hours into their journey, and Layla could tell that Thanos was already on his last nerve from the way his jaw clenched. He was sitting at the helm of his ship, piloting it, as he had stayed true to his word about not letting anyone else get even close to the controls.

He had built a custom seat next to his own, which Layla sat in. She felt a tad bit awkward, not because the seat wasn't comfy (it was well cushioned) but because Thanos hadn't bothered to build any extra seats in the front of the ship, meaning none of the Avengers would be able to sit, unless they went to the back.

Tony Stark had spent most of the trip walking around and checking out the technology, something that drive Thanos crazy. Captain America was much more…diplomatic. Layla had spoken with him a bit, and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. She had always wondered if it was just an act he put up for the television cameras, but he was the real deal.

The third and final guest was the one she was the least familiar with, a scruffy looking man named Bruce Banner. He was the only one who had willingly gone to the back of the ship, where it was apparently calmer.

As she looked out the window, at the stars moving past so rapidly that they looked like streams of light, she couldn't help but recall some of the earlier events.

After their talk, Layla felt relief wash over her. Nothing sounded worse than having no communication with Thanos, and having no way of knowing if he was okay or not.

As she and Thanos left the house (she briefly wondered if she should bother locking the front door behind her, then decided she might as well), Nick Fury and three other men entered her line of sight. She recognized Iron Man and Captain America, but the third man was new to her. He had messy, curly hair, and his hands seemed to always be wringing, as if the man was a nervous wreck. Also, she absently noted, his pants were purple.

Thanos didn't seem confused by the newcomer as much as disgruntled. "I was under the impression that only three of you were accompanying me."

Fury curtly nodded. "And that is correct. I'm remaining on Earth, in order to coordinate everyone if things go south. Bruce Banner is taking my place." Bruce nervously and self-consciously waved. Thanos glared at the man, who shrank back.

"If this makes it less awkward, I didn't exactly volunteer to be here," he sheepishly admitted.

Thanos ignored him, choosing to respond to Fury instead. "Very well, but I do hope this sniveling man won't hinder our mission."

"I personally vouch for him." Captain America placed a hand on Bruce's shoulder. Thanos sighed, shaking his head as he walked to the backyard, where his ship was located. Pressing a button on his armor, the protective shielding around the ship was dispersed.

"Huh, I thought it'd be bigger," Tony Stark joked, breaking the silence. Layla knew that Thanos wouldn't take that comment lightly.

"This is merely my personal ship. The leader of my fleet, the Sanctuary 2, is a behemoth the likes of which makes the Hellicarrier seems like an antiquated vessel."

"Then where is it now?" was Tony's quick reply. Layla was honestly curious as well. Thanos had never mentioned the Sanctuary 2 to her before.

"It…is currently being manned by a few of my associates who do not know my current whereabouts or situation. But they are patiently waiting my return." Bruce was gaping at Thanos.

Tony wasn't as silent. "So, let me get this straight: after you crashed here, you never bothered to call up and ask your buddies for a lift? Or even to see if they were okay? Not exactly boss of the year, are you?" Layla wondered if Tony had a death wish.

"It took me a few weeks to even create a device that would allow me to send a message to Sanctuary; I wasn't exactly surrounded by a wealth of technology. But by then…I no longer felt it was in my best interests. I will contact my men when I deem it the right time." His eyes roamed over everyone else, daring anyone to argue. No one did.

But as soon as he turned…

"I thought Fury could be hard-headed," Bruce murmured. Layla heard Thanos inhale sharply, but he otherwise chose to ignore the remark as he opened the door to his ship. Tony immediately stepped forward.

"So, I'm assuming your ship has a large seating area?" Tony asked. Thanos simply grinned.

Back in the present, Layla fidgeted as she thought of something to say to begin a conversation. 'So. Is this ship hard to pilot?" He had been pretty insistent that only he could pilot it. Thanos turned to her with a bemused look on his face.

"Not especially. Actually, it's currently on auto-pilot." Anticipating her next question, he added, "I only led the others to believe it needed to be piloted by myself so that we could spend the majority of the flight together here."

"Oh." Layla wasn't a fan of lying in general, but she supposed she could set that aside for what was a nice gesture. She still felt a tinge of guilt for the fact that she and Thanos got to sit in comfy chairs, something the others wouldn't be able to do unless they didn't mind staying in the back of the ship.

"I don't think I would be able to keep myself from strangling Stark if I had to endure any more of his prattle. It is best this way, for all parties involved." He swiveled his chair in order to face her. "But I'm sure the subject you really wanted to discuss with me is about Sanctuary and it's crew."

Layla blushed. "Kinda, but I figured we've spent a lot of time recently discussing serious topics. I wasn't sure if it'd annoy you."

"No, I'm not vexed. It was a subject I was avoiding, admittedly, but I suppose we have nothing but time at the moment."

A bright, shooting stream of light passed outside the window, and a part of Layla wondered if it was a shooting star, though she supposed at the speed they were going, it could have been anything.

"Before crashing on your planet, I was engaged in a firefight with the Nova Corp. To increase my odds of escaping, I detached a smaller ship from the Sanctuary. It didn't exactly work as planned, but my options were limited."

Realization dawned on Layla. "And this was the smaller ship."

"Indeed."

"So, there were still crew members on board the Sanctuary? Did they escape from the Nova Corp?"

Thanos nodded. "I believe so. Once I jettisoned from the Sanctuary, they had no more reason to attack my ship. I also gave my second in command an order to exit the area as quickly as possible, and await my next command."

"But…that was months ago. Why haven't you contacted them?" Thanos paused. "You don't have to answer now."

"If I said I was strongly considering never contacting them, what would your response be?"

Layla searched his eyes for any signs of sarcasm or humor, but found none. "I…well. I'd be against it, of course. If they're alone, and in need of leadership, you can't just abandon them."

"I wonder if you would still say that if I were to tell you of the many grisly crimes my various crew-mates have committed. I'll spare you the details, but the list is long and varied."

Layla knew what Thanos was getting at. "I- yeah, I'd rather you didn't tell me, and I'm sure they'll have to answer for their crimes. But…I still accepted you, and you changed."

Thanos winced. "Perhaps, but only because of you. But don't be naive, Layla. Don't think for a second that any of them will change their ways for you. Even I can't guarantee that." He sighed, unconsciously balling his hands into fists. "Truthfully, I command them out of fear. If they feel that I have grown…weaker due to our relationship, there is the very real chance that they would defect, or even turn on me."

Layla suddenly had a grasp on why Thanos was hesitant on contacting them. "I see. You think that once they find out who you've been hanging around with over here, that I could be in danger?"

"In a word, yes. They may grow vindictive, and blame you for taking me away, or some such foolishness. But I promise on my life, none of them will lay a hand on you."

They heard a crash coming from the back of the ship, along with a curse or two. Thanos growled, but pressed on.

"And that isn't the only dilemma I face. The moment I find out where exactly my ship is located, that causes another problem for me."

"How do you mean?"

"Picture this scenario: I contact the Sanctuary, and I explain the situation truthfully. My crew choose to abandon me on Earth, and they head off to parts unknown. I suppose you would tell me that I'm obligated to inform SHIELD, before they can cause the universe further harm?"

Layla nodded hesitantly. "Well, yeah."

Thanos gripped the arms of his chair. "I'm afraid that would not be my first inclination. I have been many things. A rat, as you humans say, isn't one of them. But that was perhaps the easier scenario."

Layla was worried about what the hard one was, but she stayed quiet to let him continue.

"What if I were to contact them, and they accept my situation, and welcome me back as captain with open arms. Then what? I made my decision to stay with you, of course. Would they remain on Earth as well? Would they be welcome? Would they stay at our house? And if they did not remain on this planet, who would hold them accountable?"

He leaned back. "As you can see, I have been reluctant to contact them because it raises too much headache-inducing baggage. Perhaps it would be simpler to let things remain as they are."

Layla hadn't thought of a good response before a red light on the console began strobing. It immediately pulled Thanos' attention away from her.

"We're close to our destination." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Odd. I'm not familiar with this sector. But of course, I suppose it would make sense for an Infinity Gem to be placed in such an obscure area."

The door behind them swished open as Tony Stark's armored head poked in. "We've reached our destination, by the way." Thanos failed to hide his surprise, so Tony added, "Oh, I had asked FRIDAY to notify me when your ship began to slow down. Judging from your reactions, I guess it worked."

The Supreme Intelligence felt an intense emotion welling up inside of himself. After a few seconds of introspection, he realized that it was eager anticipation.

He had landed on this nameless planet only a few minutes ago, and he could already sense the power coming from whichever stone was located nearby.

The area around him was covered in crumbling ruins, perhaps temples where the locals had once prayed to their gods. The Supreme Intelligence wasn't much for prayer himself.

Either way, he had no time to admire the foreign architecture. The stone's energy was drawing him like a moth to flame.

His two Kree soldiers dutifully carried him down a dark passage underneath one of the temples. Any sources of light that may have once illuminated the way had long since been snuffed out, but fortunately, the container that housed the Intelligence had it's own steady glow.

"Before we go any further, don't forget to leave the surprise for any fool who would follow us." The two Kree guards gulped; they had indeed almost forgotten, but the Intelligence didn't have time to punish them. That would come later.

One of the Kree briefly put down his side of the container in order to kneel on the ground. He carefully removed a few tiny pods from his belt, and pushed the into the ground, as one would with a seed. Dusting his hands carefully, the Kree returned to his post without saying a word, which was the Intelligence's preference. Soldiers were there to be seen, not heard.

The Supreme Intelligence didn't truly think anyone would actually discover this planet's whereabouts, let alone follow him through this specific tunnel, but it always payed to plan for every contingency. He hadn't reached his high status by winging it.

Bruce Banner was the first one to exit the ship as soon as it landed, before Thanos could even confirm that there was indeed oxygen on the planet.

"You okay?" a concerned Steve Rogers asked Bruce, who looked a bit dazed.

"Yeah, sorry, I just don't do well with space travel for some reason. I prefer having solid ground under my feet." He paused, before adding, "Also, closed spaces are especially stressful."

Thanos couldn't believe that Banner was such a weakling, considering his other uses. But it didn't matter, if the other Avengers wanted to baby the scientist, that was there prerogative. He had a mission to complete. He just had one thing to address.

He turned to Layla, who was already halfway down the ramp. "I suppose asking you to stay here in the ship, where it would no doubt be safer, would be futile. As we don't have time for a debate, I'll simply allow you to come." He didn't add that the real reason was that he also didn't care for the idea of leaving her alone in the ship, and he didn't trust any of the Avengers to watch over her.

"I wasn't going to ask your permission anyway, but thanks." She winked at him, and he quickly looked around to make sure the other Avengers hadn't seen. Fortunately, they were all busy. The captain was still attending to Banner, and Iron Man had been doing his own scans on the planet.

"I'm not getting many readings at all. This planet doesn't appear to be very populated. Hey, if this planet doesn't have a name, I totally called dibs on naming it!"

"And what, pray tell, would you name it?" Thanos asked dryly.

"Starkania? I'm strongly considering that one," was the reply. Thanos wished he hadn't asked. "That said, this place would need a complete overhaul."

That, he wasn't wrong about. All the structures were barely hanging together, and some of the rubble was virtually unidentifiable. The pure silence somehow made the place feel less real, like a photograph.

"I'm glad I'm not here alone," Layla admitted. Steve finally finished with Banner.

"You're sure you want to come along, ma'am? We don't know what the Supreme Intelligence has planned."

"She has made her decision." Thanos bristled at the insinuation that Captain America didn't think he could keep her safe. "She will be fine as long as she stays by my side." Annoyingly, the captain didn't even glance at him; he kept his eyes on Layla, only looking away when she gave a nod.

"Wow, he really is as polite as everyone says," Layla breathed. Thanos wondered if he would be able to get away with strangling the captain, but no, the mission had to take priority over any petty squabbles. He glanced at the small homing device he had attached to the armor on his wrist. Theoretically, it would be able to follow the pulses the stone emitted. Sure enough, the small screen lit up.

"And I've got a hit." Thanos' head whipped up to see everyone crowding around the Armored Avenger, who had apparently installed a similar device into his armor. He was victoriously raising an arm. "It looks like we'll have to cross this passageway. I think it's underneath this building here…"

Thanos quickly snuffed out his brief flare of anger. If Stark wanted to lead the ragtag group down into the catacombs, that was certainly his choice to make. Thanos would shed no tears if anything were to befall the billionaire. He nodded at Layla, and the two of them began following the Avengers down the tunnel.

Layla didn't have any way to confirm this, as she didn't want to risk alerting anyone with the glow of her cell phone (she assumed that Tony Stark had the same idea), but it felt like they had been walking down the almost pitch black path for over ten minutes. She wasn't really worried that they were lost, since there was only one direction to go anyway, but she did wonder how far ahead the Supreme Intelligence was. Did he already have the stone?

They walked on in silence; even Mr. Stark was uncharacteristically quiet. The silence put her on edge, and she was tempted to hold Thanos' hand. But of course, she knew that intimate physical contact of any kind in public embarrassed him. On the other hand, who would even see?

She was grateful when he didn't make an attempt to pull away from her grasp.

She was deep in thought when a noise broke the eerie quiet. It sounded like something was breaking out of the stony ground.

"Incoming!" Captain America shouted as the world seemed to burst into light around Layla. Once she was able to see again, she saw a few robots that strongly resembled the one that attacker her family's farm, the Sentry 459. There were four of them, and thanks to their bright, flashing lights, they instantly lit up the room.

"The Supreme Intelligence was nice enough to send us some flashlights," Mr. Stark joked. "They're a tad big, though." Layla didn't feel much like laughing as the Sentries pointed their weapons at the group. Thanos instantly moved protectively in front of her.

Glancing around, she noticed how damaged the walls and ceiling were. She hoped it wouldn't come crashing down during the ensuing battle.

The Kree guards were heavily panting by the time they reached what appeared to be a circular room. In the center was a small pillar.

"Take me to it, you fools!" the Supreme Intelligence commanded. The two guards picked up the pace hastily.

As soon as they felt they were close enough, they gently lowered the Intelligence near the tiny pillar. There was a light shining from the center of the pillar, and the Intelligence didn't even need to feel it's power to know what it was.

"Grab it for me," he commanded, but lower than he had intended. The two Kree gulped, before one of them wordlessly marched up to the stone and tried to pick it up. With a scream, his body collapsed into a pile of ash.

As expected, one couldn't just hold a stone with their flesh. However, the Intelligence had a way around that…

He had recently had his scientists craft a pair of mechanical arms that were attached to his glass life support system. Utilizing them now, he gingerly maneuvered the left arm, lightly poking the innocuous looking stone. When the arm didn't immediately melt, the Intelligence smiled.

The stone was his!

Chapter Text

The moment the Sentry robots emerged from the ground, Thanos' first reaction was to step in front of Layla. When one Sentry dared to point it's weapon at Thanos, Thanos quickly raised his own fist, firing an energy blast from his glove that knocked the Sentry back - but didn't destroy it.

"Take them out!" Captain America commanded as he ran towards to of the Sentries. They both fired their weapons at him. Thanos expected the captain to stop and block with his shield, but impressively, the star-spangled man used his acrobatic skills to dodge every single blast. He ducked under, weaved around, and jumped over every single blast until he was close enough to slam his shield against one of the Sentries, which fell over. Captain America then cut off it's head with his shield.

"Save some for us," Iron Man chided as he flew up to one of the Sentries, throwing it against a wall before it could so much as react.

"Speak for yourself," Bruce Banner whimpered from the side, where he was seemingly trying to melt into the stone wall.

Thanos would have liked nothing more than to crush some of the Sentries between his hands, but he was struck by the realization that the Supreme Intelligence had most likely left these behind to serve as a distraction as he went ahead to acquire his prize. Not to mention, Thanos didn't want Layla to spend anymore time down in this precarious tunnel than was necessary.

"I will be moving on ahead, to stop the Intelligence from succeeding with his plan," Thanos announced, before grabbing Banner under one arm. Banner squawcked. "And I will be taking the doctor with me. I trust you have no objections?"

Iron Man shook his head. "That actually might be a good idea. I don't feel like having tens of tons of rock and stone falling on my head, so Banner might be safer where there's more space."

Layla looked confused, and Thanos realized he would have to explain this exchange with her at another time. "Come, Layla. These two should be able to handle themselves." Grabbing her arm with his free hand, the two rushed down the tunnel, the sounds of fighting and explosions slowly becoming distant.

"If I asked you to put me down, would you?" Bruce warily asked. Thanos considered it, realizing he would need both arms to fight.

"Perhaps. Would you run away?" Bruce shook his head, and so Thanos generously set him down. Bruce sighed, but kept pace with Thanos and Layla until they reached a staircase. Thanos could sense…something upwards. It felt powerful.

"Layla, no matter what transpires, stay behind me." Layla nodded, and Bruce could be heard gulping.

When they reached the top of the stairs, the sight made Layla gasp beside Thanos. There was a conspicuous pile of what looked like sand on the floor. Besides that was a dead Kree. Blue liquid seeped from a wound on his neck.

Floating over him was the Supreme Intelligence…except he was no longer in his containment pod; he appeared to be levitating somehow, perhaps using telekinetic powers. His body was outlined by a soft, blue glow.

There was no question in Thanos' mind who had killed that Kree, and any doubt that was there was swept away when Thanos noticed some blue blood still dripping from two mechanical hands that were floating by the Intelligence's side.

Ah, I didn't expect you to reach me as quickly as you did. But then, my subordinates were never very efficient.

Banner and Layla flinched besides Thanos. The Supreme Intelligence's mouth didn't move once. He was speaking to them telepathically, something Thanos wasn't aware he had the ability to do. Unless -

You seem surprised, as you well should be. I wasn't sure which stone this was when I found it, and I suppose I didn't much care either. But the Mind Stone is actually a perfect match for me. I already had the smartest mind in the universe; this stone merely augments it further. Let me demonstrate.

Thanos felt an invisible energy push against him with great force. He was forced to step back, but he had the presence of mind to grab Layla before she could go flying. Banner wasn't quite as fortunate, and he was shoved quite roughly against a steel wall.

See how I can fling you about on a mere whim? And I have not yet begun to scratch the surface of my powers.

Thanos was already getting tired of hearing the voice prattle on and on in his mind. Still, fighting someone with powerful mental abilities was the worst kind of fight.

"For someone who claims to have unlimited mental capabilities, your plan to distract the Avengers with a dummy ship was surprisingly basic."

Your taunts no longer have any effect on me. Indeed, I am in an elevated state of being that you cannot hope to reach. The Supreme Intelligence's eyes began to glow a bright blue, and Thanos felt himself getting lifted off the ground. At first, he moved at a slow pace, but gradually, he began to speed up until he crashed headfirst into the ceiling like a rocket.

"Thanos!" Layla screamed.

Thanos' head ached! He had been thrust into the ceiling hard enough that he was now embedded in it. He growled, a mixture of pain and anger twisting his face.

I suppose that just leaves you. As a normal human, killing you will hardly take any effort on my part. The Intelligence's eyes glowed again, but before he could do anything to Layla, Thanos shot himself out of the hole in the ceiling and slammed into the Intelligence's container. He used his weight and the force of the fall to his advantage, and he grinned when he heard the sound of glass cracking.

"Wha-?" The Intelligence was clearly surprised, and if Thanos' hunch was right, since the Mind Stone revolved around someone's mental abilities, if that someone was momentarily distracted, then…

The Intelligence had barely even registered Thanos before the Titan began to continue punching it. His punches became more and more rapid until each hit was almost a blur, yet with the intensity of a bus.

"Layla, back away," Thanos advised as he continued to pound his opponent. More and more glass continued to break away and fall to the floor. Layla obeyed, walking towards a wall and flattening herself against it.

The Supreme Intelligence could barely think a coherent thought between the seemingly endless pain the brute Thanos was causing him, and the disorientation the damage to his container had caused.

He had never thought he would meet his end this way. Actually, he had never thought he would die at all. Surely, if anyone could figure out immortality, it would be him.

So then why was he on the ground, being pummeled to an inch of his life? He had just found one of the Infinity Stones. Surely, he should be invincible! He simply had to find some inner reserve of strength, that was all.

At the very least, he just needed time to think, to collect his thoughts. He couldn't very well do that when he was being punched in the face. He needed to…create a divide between Thanos and himself.

No sooner had he thought this then he felt a barrier of sorts surround himself, pushing Thanos off. Yes, this was what he needed. The fools had no idea how much power he truly had.

Then he heard a monstrous roar.

Thanos could feel the Supreme Intelligence weakening underneath him. Only a few more blows would be enough to finish him.

Unfortunately, as he thought this, his fist collided against something only a few inches away from the Supreme Intelligence's puffed up and bleeding face. As he brought his fist pack to slam against the mysterious object again, it seemed to expand, pushing Thanos off the Intelligence.

As he hit the ground, he realized that while the barrier was transparent, it wasn't quite invisible either. However, he also had an idea that it was probably not as easily breakable as glass, assuming this was a mental construct.

Still, there was no barrier he couldn't eventually break through. He clenched his fists, preparing to destroy the construct at any cost, when he heard a wild, bestial roar - one that he recognized.

"I was wondering when you would pop out," Thanos grumbled as a large, green blur zoomed past him and slammed into the Intelligence, not quite breaking the barrier, but still managing to knock the Intelligence backwards.

The Hulk growled, the muscles in his legs tensing as he prepared to jump on top of his temporarily downed foe. Layla ran up to Thanos.

"I can't find Mr. Banner. You don't think he's been hurt, do you?" The naked fear in her voice surprised Thanos, who had assumed that she knew.

"I think Banner would be touched by your concern, but you don't need to worry about his well-being. He seems to be handling things fine on his own." He nodded his head in the Hulk's direction, where the green giant had grabbed the Intelligence's container, and threw it against a wall hard enough that the Intelligence wasn't able to slow down his momentum with his telekinesis.

Layla head swiveled between staring at the Hulk in shock, and staring at Thanos in disbelief. "You mean, Bruce is… Did you know this whole time?"

"Yes. I would have said something before, but I assumed it was common knowledge among the populace. My mistake."

"I just…he seemed like such a mild mannered guy, it's kind of hard to make the connection." Thanos had to admit, she wasn't wrong. Bruce was a spineless wimp who's only worth was that of his intellect. The Hulk, on the other hand, could at least be slightly helpful when it came down to facing an opponent.

Still, he never let anyone fight his battles, and he didn't plan on starting now. Thanos saw an opening as the Intelligence slowly levitated upwards, facing Hulk. Thanos grabbed the largest stone fragment (part of another temple) he could find, and jumped in the air with it. His target didn't even notice him before he slammed the blunt object against the glass casing, causing more of it to crack and break.

The Intelligence bellowed as he turned to face Thanos, but the Hulk chose that opportunity to grab the Intelligence's container, jump an impressive distance into the air, and then slam back down to the ground - using the Intelligence as a cushion. Thanos could hear even more glass break upon impact.

Thanos knew that the Supreme Intelligence had probably realized what Thanos had already discovered; his mental powers were impressive, but he also needed to concentrate, which meant that facing two opponents on opposite sides would be a tricky challenge indeed.

"This will be less painful for you if you stop your struggling," Thanos darkly advised the Kree leader. Hulk apparently took offense at that, and got up into Thanos' personal space.

"HULK DOESN'T NEED YOUR HELP! HULK WILL DEFEAT BIG HEAD ALONE!" Thanos had to resist the urge to punch the green monster in the face to end that horrible noise, and also the urge to roll his eyes. He hadn't even mentioned anything about a team up, but apparently the Hulk had come to his own conclusions.

"Don't be a fool. Personal pride has no place on the battlefield," Thanos began. The Hulk roughly shoved Thanos into a wall before lunging at the Intelligence. Layla gasped at the sheer speed at which Hulk moved, despite his size. It was to the Intelligence's credit that he had the presence of mind to quickly zap the emerald giant with a mental bolt that briefly sent Hulk reeling, though judging from the growls coming from his mouth, he was far from done.

The Intelligence was clearly losing his cool now. Before, his mental voice had been loud, but controlled. It was now about as calming as a madman in an asylum.

FOOLISH CREATURES, ATTACKING YOUR GOD THIS WAY. I WILL SMITE YOU, AND I WILL BE PRAISED FOR IT. YOU WILL WORSHIP ME. YOU WILL BOW BEFORE ME.

"Hopefully not in that order," was Thanos' reply as he ran towards the ranting Intelligence. Hulk ran besides him, trying to elbow Thanos out of the way.

"NO, LEAVE HIM TO HULK!" The Intelligence fired numerous mental bolts at the two, but to his astonishment, Thanos and Hulk both managed to evade every single blast, even as they avoided colliding with each other. So great was his shock that he didn't move in time to avoid a double punch from the two.

The combined power of the punches sent the Intelligence flying further than Thanos had intended; the Kree leader was smashed straight out of his containing unit, and through the stone wall of the ruins. Thanos was sure that the Supreme Intelligence wouldn't be able to move without being in his container, but with the stone, he had to make sure. Without waiting to see if Hulk was following, Thanos jumped out of the hole he had inadvertently created. The sunlight was almost blinding after spending so much time underground and in the ruins, but Thanos didn't waste time shielding his eyes.

The Intelligence was so still that for a moment, Thanos was certain that he had passed away. But no, he could spot the head briefly convulse, before he opened his lips to speak. Apparently, he had no more strength to speak mentally.

"Don't look so smug yet, fool. I'm not dead, as you can see." Then he smirked as Thanos sensed something rapidly approach him from behind. He quickly sidestepped as the Intelligence's two mechanical arms flew past him.

They drifted in mid-air, heading back in his direction; as one attempted to knock him in the head, he ducked and reached out to grab one, smashing it against the rocky ground. The second arm didn't fare much better. As Thanos grabbed it, he had a sudden flash of inspiration. Instead of simply breaking it, he through it towards the immobile Supreme Intelligence. At the last second, the arm was mentally flung away.

"So you were playing possum." Thanos knew that the Intelligence hadn't run out of energy yet.

"I may be down for now, but know that I am far from defeated. With this stone, I cannot fathom ever running out of energy."

Thanos grinned. "Let's test that theory." He took a step, and then paused. He could hear a rumbling from above the clouds. The Intelligence clearly heard it too. The sound was familiar.

A titanic shadow covered the two as a large, intimidating ship lowered from the sky. Thanos, who wasn't usually surprised, found himself speechless. It was the Sanctuary.

"I should have known you didn't come unprepared," The Intelligence said bitterly after a pause. "I suppose this is checkmate." Before Thanos could respond, a powerful missile launched itself from the Sanctuary, and with only the whispering sound of an object zooming through the air at a hypersonic speed, targeted on the Intelligence. He closed his eyes before the explosion completely covered his body. Thanos barely managed to duck behind a boulder - and even that didn't completely shield him from the heat.

When he deemed it time to leave the boulder, he assumed that there would be nothing left of the Intelligence besides some stain marks on the ground. He was correct, although the stone survived the blast. It glinted in the sunlight, a small gemstone in a desert of dust.

He turned around, arms behind his back, as the Sanctuary landed gracefully next to him. It was nice to know that the ship was working just as well as it ever had. Behind him, he could hear Layla and the new returned-to-normal Bruce climbing out of the catacombs. Layla and Bruce both let out a gasp, no doubt admiring the sheer size of the Sanctuary.

"That's your ship, right?" Layla asked nervously, probably worried that it wasn't.

"Indeed," Thanos replied, soothing her fears. "But I admit to being just as surprised as you at it's sudden appearance." He certainly hadn't given any orders, and beyond that, he had never informed his crew where he was.

He could feel Bruce and Layla stiffen next to him as the ship's hatch opened, and a ramp slowly slid down. A medium-sized Skrull holding a plasma rifle strode down the ramp with the body language of someone with a high authority.

And even so, upon reaching Thanos, he bowed. "My liege, our tireless search for you has finally yielded results. Your ship and crew have been awaiting your return."

Chapter Text

Layla wasn't sure how to react when the Skrull bowed to Thanos. She was relieved that this large ship obviously wasn't going to try and kill her like so many other aliens had, but she hadn't expected this outcome either. At least the Supreme Intelligence wasn't a factor anymore, not if the stain on the ground was any indication.

But she really didn't care to look at that mark any longer than she had to, so she returned her attention to Thanos and the Skrull.

"Stand, Fiz. Your crew has done well. The Supreme Intelligence was a dangerous individual. His death was a mercy, if anything. The power of the Mind Stone would have eventually engulfed him anyway." The Skrull, Fiz, bowed even harder, if it was possible.

"Your praise fills me with satisfaction, my liege. But I must confess, we did not know that he was the Kree leader when we eliminated him. We just saw him as an individual who was attempting to harm you."

"Your loyalty is admirable, but your concern was unwarranted. I could have handled one such as him." To Layla, it came across as a gentle admonishment, but Fiz briefly shivered.

"Of course, my liege. I do apologize." Thanos glanced at Layla and rolled his eyes. Fiz didn't notice with his face at the ground, but Layla wondered what the Skrull would have thought of the more human facial expression.

"Think nothing more of it, Fiz. Now stand up and tell me: how is it that the Sanctuary is here? I was under the impression that you weren't even aware I was on this planet."

Fiz stood up in a smooth motion. He was obviously accustomed to bowing and standing up afterwards. "At first, when you didn't contact us, we feared the worst. Not that we had given up, you understand, but we had no idea where to begin our search."

He glanced at Layla, before continuing. "That changed when we heard a Kree outpost had been attacked by someone fitting your description, my liege. Apparently, A Kree soldier had incurred your wrath by kidnapping a particular human. At first, I didn't believe the report. After all, what human could capture your attention so? Though, I suppose it is no coincidence that I happen to come across you with what I imagine is the same human?"

Then he stared at her. She couldn't read his face, but it was still an intense look. It made her want to give up her secrets, but Thanos came in with the save. "She is important. Her body has absorbed the Cosmic Cube, and until I can remove it, I have been guarding her from any who would attempt to steal it." Layla had to admit, it was a good explanation, and Fiz visibly loosened.

"Ah, I see, that does make sense, my liege. Not that I ever doubted you, of course. But now, we must be off. The rest of the crew will be anxious to see you, and to leave this planet before the so-called heroes arrive."

Layla saw Thanos pause. It turns out their previous discussion was becoming much more relevant than they had assumed it was. Would Thanos be able to lie his way out of this one?

"...Of course. Go on ahead. I have a few things I would like to prepare first. I also need to contain the Mind Stone." Fiz hesitated, but then seemed to think better, before simply nodding. As he climbed the ramp, Layla looked behind her to see if Banner had left. Surprisingly, he was still there, looking a bit dazed, but otherwise normal.

Thanos strode over and picked up the Mind Stone from the ground. The yellow light made it look like a star to Layla.

"I suppose our earlier conversation was prophetic. The gods must be laughing at the timing of my ship's arrival." He shook his head. "Nonetheless, I can hardly ignore my crew mates, nor will I turn them in to SHIELD." He glared at Bruce.

"Maybe I should just go," Bruce mumbled as he began to shuffle away, but Thanos held a hand up.

"No, stay a moment. I need you to relay a message to your teammates." Layla gave him a quizzical look.

"Layla, if our aim is to locate the Infinity Stones like Adam Warlock requested, it will no doubt be easier with full access to my crew and ship. Travel through the stars will no longer be restricted, and I won't have SHIELD breathing down my back at every moment."

She….had not expected this, but he wasn't wrong. He would have way more resources this way. But… "What will the Avengers say?" Thanos considered it, before turning back to Bruce.

"Stop your shivering. I need you to inform your teammates everything I have said. I don't care what their response is, nor do I care if they attempt to follow me. Tell them it would be a waste of their precious time." Bruce nodded, and wasted no time in crawling back into the hole in the temple wall.

A second later, he popped his head back out. "Um, Layla, are you coming?" She shook her head, giving Thanos a "don't you dare argue" look.

"No, I think I'll be going with Thanos. But thanks." Bruce shrugged, once again exiting stage left.

Layla put her attention back on Thanos, preparing to argue her case, but was surprised when he smirked. "If I have learned nothing else, Layla, I have learned that you are stubborn. So no, I won't argue against you coming. In fact, I encourage it. I will feel…less conflicted if you are near my person at all times."

"Oh, uh. Well. Good." Flushing slightly,she looked up at the sky. "I wonder how long it'll take for him to come back." Wordlessly, Thanos pressed a small button on the armored area on his wrist. Within moments, she could hear the rumblings of the engine, and moments after that, the ship parted the clouds as it descended.

Thanos grabbed Layla's hand. "I promise, no harm will come to you on my ship. Not as long as I breathe." It was reassuring, she had to say, especially when the ramp extended, and she took her first steps towards the ship. It was very reassuring indeed.

A feeling of familiarity washed over Thanos as he ascended the ramp and entered Sanctuary. How many times had he entered his ship this way? Countless times. And yet it was also different this time. He felt like he had lived a whole lifetime since his previous time in Sanctuary. He had changed. Still, if he had his way, no one on the ship would be aware of this little fact.

He didn't glance at her, not wishing to call to much attention to Layla quite yet, but he could practically feel her gawk at the insides of Sanctuary, which was no great surprise. It was a massive beast of a ship, making all the other crafts she had been inside look like the dwarves they were.

"My liege, I suspect you may be exhausted from your ordeal. With your permission, I will prepare your room so that you may rest." Fiz's loyalty was meticulous, but could sometimes border on annoyance.

"Later, perhaps. But for now, I have an announcement, and I wish for everyone on board to hear it. Fiz, round everyone up and have them convene at my throne room. Don't dawdle." Fiz hurriedly bowed before rushing off.

Once he was out of earshot, Thanos turned to Layla. "Not to come across as too eager, but…my curiosity overtakes me. What are your initial thoughts on my Sanctuary?" Layla gave her surroundings one more look before giving a measured answer.

"I think I'll need to see more of it before making a final judgement. It seems like there must be over a dozen floors here. But…right now, it kind of gives me an oppressive feeling. It's so…dark, and cold."

Layla wasn't wrong. His entire ship (which did happen to have over a dozen floors) had never been painted, and thus, the walls, floors, and ceilings were all a dark (some would venture to say depressing) gray. Thanos had never been bothered, feeling that things such as colors were of no consequence. He simply hadn't given the subject much thought. As for the temperature, that was something he would have to fix;. He had never realized that there was a lack of heating. No one had complained to him.

With a rueful half-smile, Thanos realized that of course no one had brought the issue up with him. It would have been a shortcut to a grave.

"Perhaps it will grow on you." He felt his response was somehow inadequate. But Layla squeezed his hand and smiled.

"As long as you're here with me, there's no way I could hate this ship. I'm sure I'll be fine here." Thanos felt his heart constrict for a moment. Sometimes it still stole his breath, the fact that this special woman loved him. He had figured that by now, this would no longer come as a surprise, and yet…

He cleared his throat, before walking towards an elevator. "We should head to my throne room, before everyone else."

"Should I get dressed up or something?" Layla asked. Thanos shook his head. She was fine the way she was right now, and his men would have to accept that.

The elevator ride was quiet, but also thankfully brief. Thanos spent the time deciding on what he would say when he addressed the large crowd, and he would word his statement. This wasn't the time for subtlety; he would throw everything out in the open. He was Thanos; no one would dare question him, or go against his wishes.

"You know…I expected something else. I don't know why, just assumed there wouldn't be any buttons." Layla broke the silence.

Thanos chuckled. "I suppose you thought the Sanctuary's elevators simply scanned the occupants's brains to find out which floor they were headed to?" He could see Layla bristle at the amusement that laced his voice.

"No, not necessarily! Buttons just seem like such an Earth thing." Then the elevator doors opened with a ping. The throne room was empty, for now. Their footsteps echoed across the vast room.

Beside him, Layla shivered. "I take it this room isn't to your liking either?" She hesitated, but he could see the distaste in her face even before she spoke.

"It's all so gloomy. I've never seen a throne room that was so cheerless. I've always seen pictures of throne rooms include glass chandeliers, candles mounted on the walls, bright red carpets…those kinds of things." As Thanos surveyed the room, he had to admit, it was barren, and there were no great sources of light either.

The only object of note in the room was his throne, which was large but otherwise completely un-decorated and unmarked. "Should I be worried about your opinion of my throne?" His delivery was wry, and with a half-smile to assure her that he wasn't serious, but her reply was.

"It doesn't look comfortable at all. I hope you didn't spend too much time sitting on it." He decided not to answer her, because he had promised her that he would no longer lie to her. But yes, he had spent countless hours on that chair, ordering his men around, giving decrees, maybe watching an execution.

Thanos strode up to his throne, absently tapping his fingers on one of the armrests. "I assume that if I were to have a second throne built for you, you would have some specific requests, yes?" Layla, who had been gazing at the ceiling, perhaps searching for any signs of a light, jerked her head towards him.

"Come again?" Thanos sat on his throne, idly thinking that perhaps the seat could use something like a cushion.

"I desire to have a second throne built for you, Layla, right beside my own. Preferably within the week, but first I would need to know what you want, or don't want."

From the way she was fidgeting, one would think he had gotten on a knee and proposed to her, as was the human custom. Unfortunately, before he could get an answer out of her, the elevator doors opened once more, and Fiz stepped out. He quickly bowed, before announcing that he had rounded up everyone in the ship. Thanos smiled to himself. Ah, this was what he had been waiting for.

Not knowing what to do with herself, Layla quickly moved to stand next to the throne where Thanos sat. As soon as Fiz finished making his announcement, Thanos' entire demeanor had changed. His face and body language had become colder. She decided that he had to be this way with his subordinates, because showing weakness was probably a bad idea in this crowd. Still, she couldn't completely suppress a shiver. But perhaps it wasn't Thanos who caused it, but the seemingly hundreds of aliens staring directly at her.

It was even worse than the usual feeling of self-consciousness. It was more like being studied under a microscope, only instead of a scientist at the other end, it was a dispassionate predator judging how much of a meal she would make.

"I see your speed at following my orders has not lessened in the time I have been absent," Thanos addressed Fiz. Fiz bowed on the floor, despite the fact that it seemed like it hadn't been mopped in months.

"Of course, my liege. But I must confess that I myself am curious as to what this meeting is about." Murmurs of vague agreement wafted around the room. Layla couldn't make out any specific words - assuming most of these aliens even spoke English.

Thanos leaned back in his seat. "To save precious time, I will refrain from asking for a status update since I was last here. I will find out at a later date, no doubt. No, my first order of business is to proclaim that our priorities will once more be the acquisition of the Infinity Stones." Once more, Layla could hear low voices coming from the crowd, although she couldn't discern the tone this time.

"The other reason I have called you all here is this." He suddenly stood up and, to Layla's shock, grabbed her arm. She gave him a strong, questioning look, which he ignored. "I'm sure that every single one of you have been wondering who this human is, and why I haven't already killed her."

There's a cheerful image, Layla thought sardonically.

"While you may have your initial doubts, this human is a vital component in my plans to find the Infinity Stones." Layla was sure she heard some gasps in the audience. "Thus, until the stones are all located, she will be my guest on the Nemesis. If you have an opinion on this, keep them to yourselves, as I will not be questioned on this matter." Thanos let go of Layla's hand, choosing to clasp his hands behind his back.

"Mark my words very carefully, and let them wash over you. You will not speak to her unless absolutely neccesary, you will not attempt to dispirit her, and most importantly, no attempts to maim or kill her will be tolerated. Breaking any of these rules will result in the immediate, painful death of the culprit by my hands. Next to her, all of you are expendable in my eyes. Do I make myself clear?" During his speech, Thanos' face had grown even stonier, and towards the end, his eyes had begun glowing. Layla wondered if that was even intentional.

Well, if it was to frighten his men even more, it worked. No one in the audience let out so much as a peep. Not that Layla could judge them, not after the way she shivered. Thanos wasn't as understanding.

"I asked….do I make myself clear?" His voice had become dangerously low, and this time, everyone was too terrified to not answer. There were many hurried answers to the affirmative, and Fiz's reply rose above all the others with his, "Of course, my liege."

"Very good then." Thanos, for now, gave off a mollified vibe. "I will be escorting this human to her room. Fiz, I will have you wait in the Conference Room until I arrive to discuss what has transpired while I have been absent." Fiz bowed so hard Layla was almost surprised he didn't snap his back.

Thanos took Layla's hand and led her across the room. The many aliens immediately parted to give them room to move, which was a relief to Layla, who wasn't sure how she would feel about wading through this kind of crowd.

The doors were already opened when Layla and Thanos reached the elevator. After stepping inside, the last thing Layla saw before the doors slid shut was an intense look from Fiz. The elevator rose up, but her spirits sank. Even with Thanos, she wasn't sure if she would enjoy her time on the Sanctuary.

Chapter Text

The elevator ride was, fortunately, uninterrupted. Thanos wasn't sure if Layla would have been able to stand the awkwardness of having the elevator come to a halt a number of times in order to let in strangers who would either size her up (not if he had any say in it) or ignore her.

He wanted to speak up, but he was apprehensive that nothing he said at the moment would assuage her stress.

When the doors opened, Thanos led her down a dimly lit, green hallway. "I expect that it would take you awhile to memorize this floor, let alone the entire ship, so for now, I would prefer it if you didn't stray far from our room." As he finished talking, they arrived at their (formerly his) room. He thought it was a bit silly to feel such a thrill at being able to call it "their" room, but perhaps he had just never realized how lonely being alone was.

"You don't have to worry about that," Layla replied, fidgeting as she glanced down the hallway. "The last thing I want to do is get lost here." Thanos, reassured, opened the door, but Layla had a question.

"Um, why aren't any of the doors in this hallway labeled? It would make it easier to at least remember this room."

"It was never a priority, truth be told. The only rooms we have labeled are the various laboratories. The living quarters were to be left for a less…productive time." Layla didn't look like his answer had impressed her.

"Not even your room has a label? And are you telling me that none of your soldiers have even gotten their rooms mixed up?" She leaned against the wall, no doubt assuming what the answer would be, but she would be surprised.

"No. At least, if any sort of mix-up has occurred, no one has come to complain to me. But I think you can understand why." As he expected, she groaned.

"I should have seen that reply coming." She smirked at him. "I'm not even going to ask if you've ever gotten lost on your ship before. You seem to have a pretty good compass in your head." She sighed, suddenly looking tired as she threw herself on the bed. "I wish I had something like that."

Thanos couldn't lie to himself. Seeing her on his (their) bed did things to him, and supplied him with mental images. Unfortunately, he had already told Fiz he would meet him in the conference room shortly.

"I promise this meeting won't take very long. I regret that my room is…sparse when it comes to entertainment."

"Don't worry about it." Layla stretched, the joints in her arms making a cracking noise. "I'm sure that when you get back, we'll think of certain activities we can do." She gave him a smile, one that very nearly kept him from leaving to go meet Fiz altogether. But alas, his willpower was just strong enough to let him give her a kiss filled with sensual promises before he forced himself to leave the room. Hopefully his meeting with Fiz wouldn't be a waste of his time.

As soon as Thanos opened the door to the conference room, Fiz practically stumbled out of his seat to bow. "My liege, you honor me with your presence." The diminutive Skrull didn't have as large a body as most Skrull on a good day, and when he spent half the time on his knees, he appeared even smaller.

"Get up," Thanos growled, his patience with the groveling reaching a fiery end. The sooner they could conclude their business, the sooner he could return to Layla. "I expect that you have collected your thoughts enough to give me a satisfactory report on everything that has transpired while I was away?"

Fiz jumped back on his feet, the blood having rushed to his face, giving the normally Green color a purple flush. "Of course, my liege, though I fear it may not prove to be very interesting."

And so Fiz spent the next dozen or so minutes giving an impressively detailed account of how the crew of the Sanctuary had chosen not to panic upon Thanos' disappearance, but instead done a meticulous search of every nearby planet. Scouts had been sent, and questions had been asked to spies currently on missions of their own.

With the Black Order having already been dispatched prior to the incident, Fiz had taken it upon himself to make sure that everything stay in it's proper position for when their master returned, because it wasn't a question of if, but of when.

Fiz explained how, over the grapevine, there were rumblings of a Galactic Council meeting that had been interrupted, and while he hadn't dared to hope, he knew it was the kind of thing only his master would dare.

Thanos only smirked as his way of confirmation.

"Otherwise, things have been fairly quiet, my liege. We have not located any other Infinity Stones, but of course, finding you trumped our other priorities." He blinked, before adding, "Ah, I don't know if such a thing would interest you, but apparently the Guardians of the Galaxy have been spotted recently, and were involved in an altercation with a Kree higher-up. I recall you wanted us to keep tabs on the Guardians, correct?"

That order felt like it had been decreed ages ago. Thanos had genuinely forgotten. "That is correct. I see they are keeping themselves busy. At any rate, the Infinity Stones are the more pressing matter.

Fiz flinched. "I assure you, we are doing everything in our power to locate them…"

"Cease your shivering," Thanks ordered with a wave of his hand. "I recently came into possession of this." He pulled out the Mind Stone that he had acquired from the Supreme Intelligence. "Now that we finally have one of the stones in our grasp, locating the remaining ones will not be a hassle." Fiz's eyes lit up. He knew as well as Thanos that they had the technology to take the energy from one stone, and use it to lock on to similar energy frequencies, which is how they would fine the other stones.

Layla told herself she would be patient. What felt like hours later, but was probably much less, Layla decided that exploring might lessen her boredom. The reasonable part of her brain told her that it was a stupid idea. Not only could she get lost,but it was obvious the inhabitants of the ship didn't care for her.

But at the same time, Thanos had told them they couldn't touch her. She knew Thanos well enough at this point to guess that none of his followers would dare disobey him. The idea of exploring the ship was probably scarier than the actual act.

Her mind made up, Layla got up from Thanos' surprisingly comfy bed and walked towards the door. Before her nerves could trip her up, she creaked the door open and glanced outside. The dimly lit hallway was empty and quiet.

The first step outside the room was oddly liberating. As she looked down both directions, she couldn't help but note that if she got lost, she'd have almost no way of knowing which way she had come.

Ah well, she could always ask for directions. She didn't want to be scolded by Thanos for wandering around.

As the hallway had no carpet, her footsteps seemed to echo louder than they normally would. She briefly considered humming to end the imposing silence, but that almost seemed childish.

Suddenly, one of the identical doors opened, and what she was 98% sure was a Skrull (it had green skin, and pointy ears) stepped out. He stared at her, and she was certain he hadn't expected to see her of all people walking around the ship. She gave what she hoped was a genuine looking smile and waved at him. He continued to stare.

"Um, hello?" As if her voice broke through whatever trance he was in, he quickly stalked away. Had she offended him? Or maybe he didn't know English. She hadn't even considered that possibility. Of course not all aliens could speak her language!

Sighing, she chose to accept the reality that even something as simple as communication between her and the ship's other residents could be impossible. She turned around to head back to Thanos' room, but bumped into something hard.

Rubbing her nose, she glanced up and realized that she had bumped into someone's rather sturdy chest. This Skrull was almost as large as Thanos! He towered over Layla, and the scowl on his emerald face didn't make him any less intimidating, that was for sure.

"U-um, hi" Layla started, before remembering that English wasn't necessarily the prime language on the Sanctuary. To her surprise, the Skrull replied with a curt, "Human".

Did he understand that her words were a form of greeting, or was human the only word he knew? She had to find out. "Did…you understand me? Do you know English?" His scowl deepened.

"Has Thanos not explained to you?" Layla quickly shook her head. "Everyone on board this ship is implanted with a Universal Translator Chip. We wouldn't be very helpful to Thanos if half of us couldn't understand each other, now would we?" His words were biting, full of venom, but Layla could hardly bring herself to care. This information gave her a lot to think about.

It was a sobering thought that the Skrull she had tried to address a few moments earlier had understood her, but chose to ignore her, perhaps out of a hatred for humans, perhaps due to fear of Thanos. She didn't feel comfortable making others feel, well, uncomfortable.

"How surprising it is to see you out of your room." Layla was slammed out of her thoughts by Thanos' voice. He and Fiz had turned the corner, leading Layla to the conclusion that the meeting had already ended.

"Oh, I was just trying to get myself better acquainted with your, um, lovely ship." Thanos didn't look convinced, and Fiz had an annoying half-smile on his face. He was probably enjoying her embarrassment.

"Ah, Kl'rt, I see you've become officially acquainted with the human." Kl'rt (Layla knew she would have trouble pronouncing the name) nodded his head.

"I do not know if acquainted is the right word, my liege. I was heading off to the training room, and we traded a handful of words, is all. Now, I must be going." He strode off, his black and purple costume seeming to shift in the dim light.

"I didn't realize Skrulls could be so naturally large," Layla admitted once he was out of earshot.

"He is a rare specimen. He is the strongest and fiercest of my Skrull warriors, and it is no wonder. He trains dutifully for hours upon hours every day. Some of his fellow Skrulls have even taken t calling him the Super-Skrull. Rather ostentatious, if you ask me, but then, he didn't exactly ask for the name."

"I'm afraid I must be off too. I need to get to work on the machine we discussed." With a quick bow to Thanos, Fiz was gone. Layla wasn't sad to see him go.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Thanos sighed.

"Don't try to avoid the subject, Layla. I'm not pleased that you ignored me and went off on your little adventure. Do you not recognize the danger? I have many psychopaths under my employ, and while I don't believe any of them would dare go against my orders, I don't feel like testing my luck."

"Sorry," Layla replied, trying not to become too defensive. She recognized that Thanos was just trying to look out for her. "I guess I just got bored waiting in the room with nothing to do. Anyway, I figure that if I can at least memorize this floor, I'll avoid any risk of getting lost."

She tapped Thanos on the arm. "But seriously, what were you and Fiz discussing? Fiz seemed pretty pleased with himself." Thanos, without warning, scooped her up in his arms as he rushed them inside their room.

"I promise to tell you everything later. But first, I think it's time we had some quality time together. Even my willpower has it's limits." Layla had no complaints as the two tumbled into the spacious bed.

Chapter Text

Layla's first blurry thought was that she didn't want to get up ever. The bed was so warm and cozy. She snuggled closer to Thanos, who always felt like a furnace in situations like this. She had thought her first night on the Sanctuary would be a restless, stress-filled night where she jumped at every bump in the night.

But her lovemaking with Thanos had tired her body enough that falling into a deep slumber had been easy. If she dreamed, she didn't recall any, but that was okay with her. She glanced around the room fruitlessly; one thing she would have to get used to was waking up in the morning without any sunlight.

Thanos told her that his internal clock had never failed him, but just for her, he had set up an automatic light that would gleam orange in the morning. Apparently, she had woken up before the light. She was proud of that. Years of getting up to teach at the school had taught her well.

"I will have to get up soon. I don't know if my image would survive if my crew realized that I was lounging in bed all day," Thanos breathed in her ear, giving her a delightful shiver. He wrapped his large arms around her, and she leaned into him. He kissed the top of her head, and she was reminded why she loved the early mornings, when Thanos was at his softest, for lack of a better descriptor.

"Well, I'm sure your men would understand if they could see us now," she whispered back. He chuckled.

"Perhaps, but I would never let any of them lay their eyes on you like this. That pleasure is mine alone."The possessive rumble of his voice, deeper than usual as he was still waking up, was delicious.

"I wish you didn't have to go, but I get it, duty calls." She let Thanos nuzzle her neck once before he got up, the bed creaking slightly as he did so. She could hear him putting his armor on, and after a few moments, could see him doing it too. Apparently, it was now time for the lights to turn on.

"You may stay in bed as long as you desire," Thanos assured her as he put his golden helmet on. She fake-pouted.

"What if I get bored?"

"So demanding," Thanos teased. "Give me a few hours, and I promise I will have something exciting to show you. This ship isn't without some delights." She mulled that promise as he exited the room. She was never good at guessing surprises, and that was without the literal alien factor.

Oh well, if it was only a few hours away, she could wait, frustrating as that might be. With nothing else to do, she wrapped the blanket around herself, and began drifting off once again. Besides the blanket, she kept herself warm with memories from the previous night. She flushed, thanking whoever built the ship that the walls of Thanos' room were soundproof (Thanos had told her so after she grew embarrassed following a particularly passionate outburst).

Even if Thanos had been blind, deaf, and stupid, he still wouldn't have missed the curious glances he received from the crew members he passed, not to mention some of the whispers. Apparently, word had already gotten around that the human was staying in his room, which was no doubt juicy info.

He briefly considered constraining the rumors, but thought better of it. He had already decided he wouldn't confirm or deny that he and Layla were "together". It was no one's business, and if anyone truly cared enough, they could take it up with him face to face. If he ever chose to mention it, it would be on his terms and his terms alone.

But no matter. He pushed aside all the irrelevant thoughts, making room for his business with Fiz. The device they would use to pinpoint the location of the remaining Infinity Stones was being worked on at that very moment, and Thanos was expecting a notable update. He was a patient man, but he expected the machine to be finished before the month was up. Any longer would be deemed a failure on his scientist's part.

With no one daring to interrupt him, the trip to the lab was pleasantly short. The two Skrull guards stationed in front of the lab doors took one glance at Thanos before quickly stepping aside. Not even glancing at them, Thanos strode in. Fiz was tinkering with something at the main table, and a handful of other Skrull scientists (all wearing white lab coats) skittered around the room, attempting to look busy.

Apparently Fiz actually hadn't heard him enter the room; he almost jumped out of his own skin when Thanos placed a hand on his shoulder. As he whipped around, the object in his hands slipped out. Thanos easily caught the object, and Fiz flushed a dark purple.

"My liege, I…I sincerely apologize for my clumsiness." It was hard to not feel even a smidgen of pity for the display Fiz was giving. But Thanos had no time to deal with his panic.

"I trust you have been working on the device. I would hate to think that this," and Thanos glared at the item in his hand, "had taken up the majority of your time." Fiz gulped.

"My liege, the device in your hand is what will be powering the homing device." Suddenly, Fiz's fear made more sense.

"It is very fortunate for you that I caught this then." Thanos allowed some mild reproach to enter his voice.

"It most certainly is. But, ah, the machine is almost finished now. We only have a few more tests to run, I'd estimate." This was more like it.

"Show me." Fiz walked Thanos to the back of the lab, where a white cloth had been placed over a strange shape. With a sudden flourish, Fiz swiped the cloth away, revealing something much less large than Thanos had imagined.

It resembled a black wide-screen television, only instead of facing forward, the screen looked up. It was being supported by a gray metallic beam that connected to the ground. A "limb" also branched out from the beam, which in turn held a small, square-shaped pad. The pad was punctured with six indents. Thanos had a good guess what objects would be placed in them.

Fiz confirmed his theory. "My liege, if you would place your Mind Stone inside one of the depressions, I will give a demonstration of this device's simplicity." Thanos pressed the Mind Stone into one of the tiny holes, and took his hand away when he heard a click. A light began surrounding the stone, and traveled through the limb and into the screen.

The television screen lit up, only now it resembled a space map. The Sanctuary was at the center of the screen, and a green light pulsated from it. Like a radar, a the green circle got further from the ship, it would occasionally make a blip-ping noise.

"Theoretically, once the machine is finished, we'll be able to locate nearby Infinity Stones by using the energy frequency from the Mind Stone. However, I must admit that we don't know the current range, which might limit our search."

"Impressive," Thanos admitted. "I must commend your work." Fiz practically glowed. "However, the real test will be upon completion, so don't pat yourself on the back just yet."

"Of course, my liege."

Thanos could tell that Fiz would immediately bow, and held a hand up in a "stop" gesture. "Don't bow every five second, Fiz. It grows tiresome." Fiz halted mid-bow, looking for all the world like a chagrined child.

"I apologize. Anyway, my scientists estimate that this will be complete in a few days, possibly less."

Thanos nodded. "Good. Make sure to focus all your energy on this project." He turned to leave, and the remembered he had one less question. "Ah, yes, and wasn't Kl'rt's demonstration today?"

"So what was this exciting thing you promised to show me?" After exiting the elevator, she and Thanos walked down a hallway she hadn't been down before. Or at least she assumed she hadn't. They kind of blended in after awhile.

"I guarantee that it's something you haven't witnessed before back on Earth," was the only response she got. He opened a door, and had to rapidly blink when her eyes were assaulted by the brightly lit room. It was a medium sized and mostly barren, white-walled room - except for around a dozen or so chairs propped up against a large, rectangular window. About half the chairs were already occupied by various sized Skrulls. They all stood up and stood at attention when they noticed Thanos. A few of them couldn't contain their curiosity and glanced at Layla, who wanted to wave at them, but suddenly felt like that might make Thanos look…bad, or something, so she merely smiled. She didn't get any in return.

Thanos didn't acknowledge any of the Skrulls; he simply sat in the center chair. Layla took it as her cue to sit next to him. She noticed that none of the other Skrulls sat next to her. But what really caught her attention was what she could see through the window.

It was a much larger (but just as white) room. The walls and ground had lines that criss-crossed in every direction, and there were a few columns that jutted out of the ground and the walls. She couldn't even begin to guess what she was about to watch.

A door in the room opened, and Layla was surprised to see the rather large Kl'rt enter. And he was definitely aware of his audience, because he looked straight at the glass with a rather cocky grin.

Thanos pressed a button on his wrist and spoke into it. "Kl'rt, as you probably noticed,we have a guest today. Now, I don't want you to treat this training demonstration any differently than you normally would. However, I know you will show off as you please, so I request that you don't damage the room any further than necessary." Kl'rt nodded towards the window, and then turned around to face the wall. "Begin training procedures," Thanos spoke.

As Layla watched, six of the panels on the walls on both sides of the training room flipped, and laser guns appeared. "As I have already told you, Skrulls can shapeshift into any form after they see it. But Kl'rt is different. He is the most skilled Skrull in my ship. But you'll witness for yourself."

The guns automatically aimed at Kl'rt, and began firing. The Skrull nimbly dodged, and raised a fist towards the guns. Layla wasn't sure what he planned to do. He didn't seem to have a gun. But to her shock, his arm began to extend, before whipping towards one row of guns like an elastic cord. The now snake-like arm slammed into the row of guns, destroying them, before he lengthened his other arm and did likewise with the second row.

"He can manipulate his body in ways most Skrulls can't," Thanos explained to her without taking his eyes of the Skrull. "And he has more tricks up his sleeve."

A few steel panels from the ground lifted up, and engulfed Kl'rt in a box shape. A final panel dropped from the ceiling and on top of the other panels, effectively hiding Kl'rt from view. Before Layla could even wonder if he was alright, a dent appeared in the steel box, and then another. Two dents later, and the side of the box flew away, almost hitting the very window the spectators were looking through.

When Kl'rt stepped out of the box, Layla could easily guess how he had done it. His left arm had greatly increased in size, and appeared to be covered in orange stone. It might as well have been a battering ram. Kl'rt raised his hand and roared in triumph. The other Skrulls in the viewing room roared as well. It reminded Layla of how people reacted in sports arena.

"One last test," Thanos murmured as he pressed a button on his gauntlet. Down in the room, three small doors opened, and a swarm of robots emerged, each one holding either a gun or a sword.

Kl'rt just grinned as he dashed into the horde. His transformations were flawless. As he zipped to each robot, he would either smash one with his rocky arm, or slam another into the air using his elastic arm. He could do this while simultaneously blocking weapons with his other arm.

At one point, a lone robot managed to grab Kl'rt's head with a strong looking metallic hand. Kl'rt grabbed the metal arm with his own hand, but when she expected him to use his stone arm, he surprised her by somehow engulfing his own hand in flames. The heat began to melt the robot's hand, and the moment the robot let go, it was smashed by Kl'rt's stone arm.

"He has combustion too?" an incredulous Layla asked Thanos. "What can't this Skrull do?"

"He can't walk through walls. Yes, anyway. I suppose he won't be satisfied until he can." Layla couldn't tell if Thanos was serious or not, but if he was, she wouldn't be too surprised.

Down in the room, another robot charged at Kl'rt. The Skrull ripped a panel off the wall and hurled it at the robot hard enough that it tore severed the robot's head from it's neck. The final three robots surrounded the lone Skrull, but Kl'rt simply turned both of his arms into stone and slammed them into the ground with enough force to create a small crater. The impact also knocked the three robots on their back, which allowed Kl'rt to easily dispatch all of them with a punch.

The second the final robot was taken care of, the floodgates opened. All the Skrull in the room (and Layla could swear that there were more now than at the start) cheered and raised their fists, causing quite the uproar. Layla would have clapped, but she wasn't sure what the local etiquette was, and anyway, Thanos wasn't clapping, and she figured she would just follow his example.

"Very good. I think this demonstration was enough to tide us over," Thanos spoke into his wrist. Kl'rt nodded at the window, before exiting the room. For some reason, this was enough to cause another small outburst from the Skrull. She could swear that she heard someone yell, "That's our Super Skrull!"

Thanos stood up, and Layla grabbed his arm. As they exited the room, Layla had to admit that it was indeed pretty exciting. "You were right. I've never seen anything like that back on Earth. He's pretty amazing."

Thanos chuckled. "That is one way to put it. To me, it's his dedication to the Sanctuary that impresses me. But yes, his fighting ability is commendable. He didn't get a chance to showcase it, but he has trained in the art of hand-to-hand, if such a thing ever becomes necessary." He pressed the button on the elevator panel. "And he will be helpful when we go to retrieve the rest of the Infinity Stones. The machine is almost ready, or so I am told."

"That's good. The sooner we find the Infinity Stones, the sooner we can go home." She paused. "Not that it hasn't been charming so far. But. You know. I think you're more accustomed to the outer space life than I am."

"Perhaps so," Thanos readily agreed. "The search will hopefully be brief. But I shouldn't expect miracles either. Things would be going quicker if my Black Order were here, but they've been stationed a great distance away, and probably won't return for some time."

"What are these Black Order people like?" Layla thought the name sounded ominous, and Thanos confirmed her suspicions.

"The Black Order are my four highest ranked generals. Loyal beyond compare, and equally as powerful. Their very name causes many beings to quake in fear. I don't believe there is any point to having you meet them." Layla could tell that the discussion was closed. She was fine with this, because if Thanos didn't think it was a good idea to bring her into contact with them, they were probably extremely nasty.

Fiz watched as his best scientists tinkered some more with the machine that would locate the Infinity Stones. To say he was stressed was putting it mildly. He needed for this machine not to mess up. It had to be perfect. If he failed in front Thanos, he would never forgive himself. He would sooner kill himself than fail his lord.

His ears perked up when one of the scientists gave a small cry. "What?" He couldn't keep the fear from his voice., Had the fools damaged it?

"S-sir, I think the power just went on!" And now that Fiz really looked, yes. The lights on the machine were glowing brightly, and he could hear the hum of the electricity. This was perfect! He had to inform his lord that the machine was now fully functional!

Chapter Text

Thanos groaned as he was awakened from a deep sleep. Seeing as how his internal clock always woke him, he had to assume it was extremely late - or early, perhaps. The reason for his sudden return to consciousness was the intercom system in his room. It was buzzing, signifying that someone else on the Sanctuary was attempting to contact him.

"Huh? Whas going on?" a very tired Layla slurred? She rubbed at her eyes, but Thanos softly rubbed her back.

"It's nothing, just some work. Go back to sleep." She obviously didn't need to be told twice, as she was out once again within seconds. If only he could be so lucky. He growled; if this interruption wasn't of the utmost importance, someone was dying today.

He pressed the red button on the intercom, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice when someone picked up. "For your sake, this had better be worth my time." He heard someone gulp on the other end, and by the stars, it was quite possibly the only person he knew that gasped as if it was a whimper.

"I do apologize, my master," Fiz whispered, suddenly aware what time it was. "My excitement got the better of me. I'll call back in a few hours…"

Thanos felt a headache coming. "I'm already up, Fiz. Now tell me what has you in such a furor, before I lose my temper."

"Yes, of course. I thought you'd want to know that the machine is finally completed and is operational. Even more importantly, we have discovered two Infinity Stone signatures." This did perk Thanos' interest.

"I see. I suppose congratulations are in order." He could mentally picture Fiz beam. "However, next time you have a breakthrough, I would appreciate it if it didn't interrupt my sleep." Now he pictured that smile vanishing. "I'll head over to the lab in a few hours. Have everything prepared by then." He didn't wait for a reply before shutting off the intercom. Internally, he was very pleased by the news, but his mind was still too foggy to give it very much thought. He crawled back into bed, and gave a little hum when Layla wrapped her arms around him. It didn't take very long to drift back into sleep.

With a full rest, Thanos was prepared to face the day, not to mention Fiz's always annoyingly subservient attitude. He invited Layla to come with him, and she eagerly agreed as he knew she would. As the ship's hallways were slightly colder than Layla's human body was used to, Thanos bundled her up in the equivalent of a human jacket. It was actually intended for Skrull use, for expeditions on icy planets, but it fit Layla well. The black color made her light hair stand out.

If Fiz was surprised or displeased to see Layla follow Thanos when he entered the lab, he was smart enough not to show it. The other scientists were a bit less subtle in the way they stared at Layla, but their expressions were more curiosity than anything hostile or negative, so Thanos allowed it.

Thanos walked up to the machine, to check the screen. He quickly explained the basics to Layla.

"So, if I have this radar thing right…the two stones are in completely opposite directions?" Unfortunately, Layla was correct in her assessment. The two beeping dots on the screen were on both sides of the screen, to the left and right of the Sanctuary. It was…a vexing predicament. Thanos was patient, but he always intended to collect the stones quickly.

"To add to that," Fiz began, "One of the energy signatures seems to be moving." Thanos and Layla leaned in, and yes, one of the dots was slowly, but steadily, moving further away from the Sanctuary. Thanos had been deciding which stone to chase first, but it appeared his choice was made for him. The travelling stone would have to take priority.

He explained as much to Fiz, but Layla must have heard the reluctance in his voice, because she quickly spoke up with a plan of her own. "Thanos, wait, I think I have an idea that could work!" He glanced at her, to confirm that she was serious. She had no falsehoods present in her eyes.

"What if…you take a smaller ship to chase down the moving stone, and the rest of us can take the Sanctuary to grab the other one? You won't need the rest of us to help you with that stone, and I'm sure Fiz and the rest of the crew are more than capable of handling this without you." Fiz gave her a surprised but almost grateful look.

Thanos, for his part, surprised himself by actually seriously considering her proposal. He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone. But it was true that splitting up would be the more efficient method, and the Skrulls were competent enough to handle things on their end. Theoretically, there was no reason why Layla couldn't come with him - but of course, if he insisted that she had to come with him, that would seem suspicious.

He turned to Fiz and the other scientists. "I will be putting Kl'rt in charge of the Sanctuary while I'm gone. I trust that none of you will cause him any trouble?" Fiz nodded rapidly, obviously not trusting himself to give a verbal response. Thanos huffed.

"I dislike the idea of leaving the Sanctuary again - but I suppose fate has a way of forcing my hand." Layla caught his eye, and the look she gave him spoke volumes. She wanted him to leave, to prove that she could get along on the ship (and with the Skrulls) without him. And who was he to deny her such a rite of passage? He was confident that no harm would come to her, at least not by the Skrulls.

"My liege, if I may, we have taken the liberty of constructing a compact version of the machine, so that you may bring it with you. May your travels be safe and fulfilling." Thanos didn't think Fiz could lay it on any thicker, but he was mistaken.

"Very well. I will be leaving immediately, before the stone can get any further." He strode out of the room, Layla close behind him. As soon as they were in the elevator, Layla hugged him. His first instinct was to pull away, but he supposed they were alone.

"I can't say it in such a flowery style, but I hope everything goes well," Layla whispered. Thanos smiled inwardly.

"I feel like that is what I should be saying. A part of me still loathes this idea…"

Layla shrugged. "I don't see how I can be any safer than in a super fortified battleship manned by an alien crew that are loyal to you. Relax, I'll be fine. Scout's honor," and she followed that with some sort of hand gesture.

"I think I am entitled to a bit of concern, but if it pleases you, I will do my best to keep you out of my thoughts completely." Layla chuckled, but his him on the arm anyway. Thanos quickly put his stoic face back on when the elevator doors opened.

A Skrull bowed to Thanos. "The preparations for your personal ship have been completed. It is waiting in the hangar to use at your leisure." Thanos nodded.

"This will be your first time in the hangar, correct?" Layla nodded as she removed her jacket and placed it on a chair. The hangar was far warmer than other parts of the ship, as heat radiated from the various engines in the room.

"Heck, this is the first time I've been in the bottom level of the Sanctuary. How many personal ships do you have?" As an answer, he opened the glass doors to the hangar, and let her soak in the sight. There were dozens of smaller ships, many of which looked identical, but had internal features that differentiated one from another.

"When you called it your personal ship, I expected a one-man craft, but even the smallest one could probably fit a few people." Layla brought up a fair point, but when Thanos traveled on his own, he preferred to go sans crew members.

"Perhaps, if we stick around long enough, I can train you in the basics of piloting a ship," Thanos offered. Layla, who crawling all around one of his more compacts ships, gave him a look of disbelief.

"I heard it can take years of training to become a pilot. I don't think we have that kind of time."

"I wouldn't expect you to zip around in space," Thanos amended. "But for an emergency, knowing some things could be the difference between life and death." He shook his head. "But enough of this. I said I would depart immediately, and I intend to do so." Pressing a button on his gauntlet, the ship next to Layla lit up, and a ramp descended from it's door. Thanos climbed up, and glanced back. A few Skrull, including Kl'rt, has entered the room. Kl'rt nodded at Thanos.

"I will return shortly. I expect everything will be in one piece when I return."He made sure that the last thing he saw before the ship's door closed was Layla's face. It didn't take long to reach the captain's chair. He started the engines, which were far quieter than those of the Sanctuary. He didn't allow himself one last glance at Layla, but he could feel her eyes on him.

Within moments, his ship had exited through the hangar doors, and he was alone in space, with only his thoughts to keep him company. Fortunately, his personal ship's controls were simpler than the Sanctuary's, which meant he could let the autopilot handle the brunt of the work, but the downside was that it also couldn't match the Sanctuary's raw speed. Still, by his calculations, it would still be more than enough to catch the moving Infinity Stone.

His ship had enough fuel to last a month, if things somehow got to that desperate point, but Thanos was confident that the chase wouldn't even last a week. As he thought this, the dot on the scanner began to slow. As Thanos silently watched, not even daring to hope, the Infinity Stone stopped. Perhaps this would be over even sooner than he had guessed.

The moments after Thanos left were awkward. Layla's first instinct was to slink away to the elevators, and then retire to her room, crawl into bed, and hide under the covers like a wimp. But she also recognized that she would never get to know any of the crew that way, so after some hesitation, she turned to face the nearest Skrull.

She gave him a smile, hoping it told the alien that she meant him no harm (though she wasn't sure how she could hurt him even if she wanted to) and asked, "So, what's the plan now?"

The Skrull squinted at her, like he was trying to peer into her mind to see if she was baiting him into a trap. Apparently, she didn't look like a tricky person because he sighed in resignation, before eventually replying, "Just as Thanos said. We'll locate the other Infinity Stone, and determine if it is on a planet listed in our database. If it is, we'll simply disembark on the planet, find the stone, and bring it on board. If it's on an unknown location, we'll send a scouting party to determine the risk-level of the mission and if the environment is hostile. If it is deemed safe enough, we'll send a party to secure the stone. If not, we wait for Thanos."

Layla, not wanting to sound too eager, but just invested enough to seem like a capable crew member, asked, "So, what can I do to help? If there's any way I can be of assistance, just name it." She offered the Skrull a wide, totally not creepy smile.

The Skrull seemed unsure what to make of her question, stammering a bit. "I, ah, assure you, we have no need of your…assistance. We are on top of things. This is practically standard procedure for us."

Layla understood. They had probably trained all their lives for missions like this. He wasn't being rude about it, just matter-of-fact, but Layla still disliked feeling like a freeloader. If she couldn't help the preparations on board the ship, then…

"Please, bring me along to the planet. I'll try not to get in the way, I swear. I can even carry some of the equipment, or something." OK, now she was sounding desperate, but if she could contribute to the mission, it would be the best chance she got to prove herself to the Skrulls.

The Skrull (she really needed to learn his name) shared an uneasy glance with some of his fellow Skrull was like they were scared to bring her along, and she had a hunch why that was.

"Tell me, are you a scientist on your home planet?" Layla begrudgingly shook her head at the Skrull.

"No, but even if I was, I doubt Earth's technology would be on par with the stuff you guys have."

"Then, are you proficient with a gun, or any other kind of weapon?" Layla winced.

"I've used some weapons out of self-defense, but I can't say that I'm really any good with them. But -"

She was mercilessly interrupted by another question from the Skrull. "Do you have any tracking experience, or medical skills?" His voice was more than a little tinged with exasperation at this point. That was fine, because Layla was feeling like her patience was thinning out as well. She clenched her fist almost involuntarily.

"Admit it, you don't care that I'm not skilled or experienced at this or that. You don't want me along because you're scared of Thanos!" She immediately wished she could take those words back. Being that blunt had not been her intention at all, and it also wasn't her style to accuse anyone of cowardice. She wanted to apologize, but none of the Skrull would look her in the eyes.

"You aren't wrong," a deep voice came from behind her. She turned around as Kl'rt entered the room. "But you have to understand from our point of view. If any harm were to befall you, Thanos would have our heads." Kl'rt was so large that Layla couldn't help but feel intimidated, despite the fact that she genuinely wanted a friendly relationship with the Skrulls. She also noted, for the first time, the differences in costume. The scientists had traditional, white coats, while Kl'rt had a black and purple colored armor.

"If I got hurt, that would be my fault. I could convince him not to hurt anyone. I've done it before." Unfortunately, she could tell from their faces that she wasn't convincing them. But why should they believe her? They barely knew her. And in her heart of hearts, she wasn't even one-hundred percent sure that Thanos wouldn't lose his temper if anything happened to her.

"Fine. Whatever. I understand." Dejected, she strode towards the elevator, hoping her dignity was still intact. She rapidly pressed the button on the panel, knowing it wouldn't make the elevator arrive any quicker, but it was an old habit she had.

The elevator doors had just slid open when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin, but quickly calmed down when a familiar voice requested, "Please understand."

It was the Skrull scientist she had been speaking with. He was still looking at the ground, even as he addressed her. "It is true that we don't wish to anger Thanos, which is a large factor into our decision." Then he seemed to collect his nerves, as he looked right at her. "But don't get the wrong idea. Even without Thanos, we'd still hesitate to send and unarmed and inexperienced civilian into a potentially hostile environment. We're not monsters." He gave a tentative smile, which was the first smile Layla had seen on his face. "Maybe I'm just an old fool, but I don't like to see anyone hurt, and that includes you."

Layla felt her face heat up. Because these Skrulls worked with Thanos, and at least paritally because of her initial interactions, she had assumed they were all bloodthirsty warriors, or at least incredibly unfriendly. She was starting to feel ashamed at how she had judged the aliens; hadn't she learned long ago on Earth not to judge people by their appearances?

"I'm really sorry." She hoped her apology sounded as sincere as she felt. "I misjudged you guys. That was wrong me. And so was trying to force myself into your scouting mission. If you decide that it isn't safe, I won't go." The Skrull seemed to accept her apology with another almost shy smile. "But I do have one new request." He immediately tensed up again.

"Can I know your name?" He opened his mouth as if he had been about to decline whatever her request was, but then his brain caught up to what she had actually asked. "If we're going to be spending time on this ship, I feel like we should all get to know each other. And I doubt Thanos would care in the slightest, before you ask."

The Skrull scientist paused one last time before clearing his throat. "Fortunately, my name should be easy to pronounce even for a human tongue. It's R'Kin." He was right. His name was a lot easier than Kl'rt's.

R'Kin and the other Skrulls seemed to be waiting for a response, but she had fortunately already decided on her first course of action. She slowly raised her hand towards R'Kin. "My name is Layla, but you all probably already knew that. It's nice to meet you, R'Kin." R'Kin looked at her hand curiously, unsure how to proceed.

"On Earth, we call this a handshake." She gently grabbed his green hand in hers, and slowly raised and lowered it. "Doing this, our…friendship is now official." Understanding, he pumped his arm excitedly, but he was obviously strong for a scientist. When he let go of her hand, her arm continued to buzz for more than a few moments after. The other Skrull scientists, who were waiting to see what R'Kin would do, crowded closer around Layla. Kl'rt, however, chose to remain in the background, his arms crossed in a vaguely disapproving manner. Layla also didn't know where Fiz had gone, but she suspected getting through to him might take more work than the others.

"It…is a pleasure. We don't get to meet too many people who aren't part of our species, you understand." Layla believed R'Kin. She had a feeling that Thanos didn't give any of his followers much time off to socialize.

Kl'rt cleared his throat, and not in a subtle way. "I hate to break up this budding friendship, but we do have to return to our duties. I trust you know your way to your room from here?" Layla bristled at the dismissal, but she supposed she had held them up long enough. And surprisingly, she was confident that she could make it back to her room by herself.

"Well, I'll see you guys around then." She was heartened when a handful of the Skrulls, including R'Kin, cheerfully waved at her. She wondered if that was an Earth custom they had previously heard about, or if other alien races also said their goodbyes that way. With one last glance, she entered the elevator. The lack of any kind of music no longer bothered her.

When she was halfway to her destination, she almost face-palmed. She had forgotten her jacket in the hangar! Oh well, it won't take long to go back and grab it. Kl'rt won't mind as long as I don't start another conversation. She quickly pressed the same button Thanos had earlier, and she felt the elevator lurch to a halt, before descending.

The elevator doors silently opened, and the first thing Layla noticed was the lack of noise. She had expected to hear people walking around, speaking to each other, or even Kl'rt scolding someone about something or other. But no one was in the general area.

Feeling a little creeped out, Layla had a sudden hunch that she should be quiet when she went to retrieve the jacket Thanos got for her. She tiptoed her way to the area of the hangar where she had left her jacket, but before she got far, she heard some voices speaking quietly, barely above a whisper.

She moved behind one of the smaller ships in the room, and peeked underneath. A handful of Skrulls, including Kl'rt and R'Kin, were gathered together. She leaned in, making sure to stay conscious of her surroundings. She didn't plan on pulling a horror heroine mistake and accidentally tripping on a loose wire or something.

"...But the human wouldn't be harmed, right?" Layla's attention was immediately caught. Was R'Kin referring to her?

Kl'rt shrugged. "That is up to her, and how she reacts to his death. I have no reason to kill her unless she forces me to." Layla was pretty sure she was the one being discussed, but in that case, the one who's "death" she'd react to would have to be…

"We all want him dead, that much is certain," R'Kin muttered. "But I don't want any part in killing the human, who was most likely taken here against her will. She has nothing to do with any of us, and she seems rather kind for a human." Kl'rt snorted at that.

"You know I don't care much for humans, but whatever you say. It doesn't matter anyway. Her presence shouldn't change our plan. Once we kill Thanos, we'll just drop her off on that mudball she calls a planet. She'll never have to see us again." Layla covered her mouth to cover the gasp that almost escaped her throat. She had a feeling Thanos was the one they had been discussing, but to hear his name like that…

"That sounds acceptable," R'Kin acquiesced. It seemed like the discreet meeting was wrapping up, so Layla tiptoed as quickly as she could back to the elevator, where she was grateful as never before for the lack of elevator music.

As the elevator rose to her floor, Layla leaned back against the wall. Her heart was raming against her chest. She didn't know what to do. She had no way to warn Thanos until he returned, and that wouldn't be for a few days or so. If only she knew what their plans were to kill him! She had the advantage that they didn't know that she knew, but at the moment, she was at a loss as to how that could help her. Still, as long as she played dumb, she would be safe.

As she walked back to her room, she idly wondered why they wanted to kill Thanos. But the more she thought about it, the more she despaired that it could be for any number of reasons. Thanos wasn't exactly the nicest guy. Who knew what ind of history Thanos had with the Skrull? As Layla collapsed into her bed and let her body shut down, her last thought was that she wished she could just ask R'Kin why they hated Thanos.

The stars must have been smiling on Thanos. It had only taken a single day to catch up to the Infinity Stone. He had long since guessed that it must have been on a ship, since the previously moving signal had stopped at a "rest planet", where travelers would refuel and perhaps grab some food at a dining establishment. Thanos wasn't hungry himself, but the scanner informed him that the signal was coming from inside what looked like a low-class hole-in-the-wall, the kind of place he would never set foot in unless it was to gather info - and even then, he would have usually had some of his men go in his stead.

It wasn't even a restaurant, but a bar named "Krispy Krutack's Tobs." The neon sign was damaged, and half the letters no longer lit up. Thanos wasn't even sure what a "tob" was. He had just reached the front door, which smelled of grease, when it opened and a sole figure fell out head first. A large, grey-skinned alien stuck his head out the door and growled at the fallen figure. "If you cause any trouble here again, you'll be banned for life!" And then he unceremoniously slammed the door as the figure moaned on the ground.

Thanos had no pity for the figure, who was most likely drunk, judging from the way he stumbled as he attempted to get up. Thanos stared in distaste for a few moments, wondering why he was even wasting his time looking at the pathetic creature. But something about him was vaguely familiar. Maybe it was the shabby brown jacket…

"Man, that dude was an a-hole. I didn't even start that fight." The male, who also had a familiar voice, seemed to check himself for any broken bones, and once satisfied, stretched his arms out. The figure happened to look Thanos' way, and froze. Thanos froze as well. He knew that human. It was…the human's name evaded Thanos, but he did recall that he fancied himself a "Star-Lord", or something to that effect. And wherever he was, his daughter wasn't too far behind.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the door to the bar opened once more, and Gamora stepped out, already scolding the human for his buffoonery. "Peter, I swear, I can't take you anywhere. I-" She became the third person to freeze when she spied her father.

"I didn't imagine our next meeting would happen like this," Thanos broke the silence. "But hello, daughter. We meet again."

Chapter Text

"I wish I could say this was a pleasant surprise, but I'm not a liar." Gamora's demeanor could only be described as exceedingly chilly, but Thanos wasn't deterred. It wasn't every day he got to see his adopted daughter, and while the circumstances didn't give him a lot of time to catch up, he wasn't displeased at the turn of events either.

The human, Peter, squinted at him. "Oh, dude. Dude! If you're here for a fight -!" He brashly reached for the gun holstered at his hip, but Gamora, quick as a whip, grabbed Peter's arm.

"Don't!" she hissed. "Don't be an idiot. He's caught us by surprise; he has the upper hand." She stood protectively in front of the human. He was proud at the speed she showed, but also unsure what she saw in that feeble man.

"This may surprise you, but I didn't come here for the two of you. Our meeting was purely coincidental." The two clearly didn't believe him.

"Why are you here, then? Obviously not for the food. Do you even eat?" The human gasped as if a great thought suddenly struck him like a lightning bolt. "Do you even take craps at all?"

Thanos chose to ignore everything after the first question. He briefly considered replying with the simple truth, but decided that if they knew he had come for an Infinity Stone, they'd either attempt to stop him, or try to grab it themselves, and he didn't want to keep Layla waiting any longer than absolutely necessary. A pointless fight would be tedious.

"My business is none of your concern, I assure you. We will have to catch up another time." He sidestepped the two, but before he could open the door, his daughter lunged in front of him.

"That isn't good enough. How can we believe a word you say?" She snarled at him. Thanos could also hear Peter pull out his gun behind him.

"Yeah. You're probably up to some devious scheme."

Thanos growled, feeling his patience fray. "And what 'devious scheme' would I be concocting that would involve me coming to this forsaken bar?"

Peter faltered. "Um, I don't know. Maybe you're planning to poison all the drinks here? Or the bartender is actually rich, and you're gonna kidnap him for a ransom? Or maybe someone buried some treasure under the bar!" Gamora looked vaguely embarrassed, and Thanos couldn't blame her. The human's ideas were ridiculous and nonsensical.

"If you can name a single time I have ever resorted to poisoning an individual, I will be impressed. I warn you, Gamora, I did not come here to fight with you, but if you don't move aside…"

"Even if I let you inside," Gamora tried reasoning, "You wouldn't get very far. The rest of the team are still inside, and while I might be able to reason with Peter, I wouldn't be able to talk Drax down. You know he'll fight you the moment he sees you."

"I see Drax hasn't changed then." One of the bar's windows was shattered when a body went flying through it. They could hear Drax holler in victory inside. "Case in point. But Drax does not concern me."

What did concern him was the chance that he had wasted so much time that the Infinity Stone was already gone. He quickly pulled out the tracking device, ignoring the inquisitive noise the human made. To his great surprise, the device seemed to indicate that the stone was no longer inside the bar. In fact…it was right in front of him. It was a ridiculous turn of events, but he was starting to realize just who had the stone.

"Gamora, my daughter. Could it be that you are in possession of an Infinity Stone?" Gamora, just as he had taught her, quickly controlled her facial muscles to feign indifference, but he had caught a brief look of surprise flutter in her eyes.

Whatever bluff she had been about to concoct was ruined the moment the human shouted, "What? How did you know?" Gamora growled under her breath. It seemed the human's prattling grated on his daughter's nerves as well.

Thanos figured that there was no point in hiding his objective now. Gamora would surely guess.

"I am on a search for the Infinity Stones. My search has led me to this miserable planet, and I won't be returning empty-handed for my troubles." He made sure the deadly implication made itself clear in his voice. Gamora tensed once again, prepared for a battle.

"You're a smart man, Thanos. But I may have to re-evaluate that opinion if you truly believe that we'll just hand over such a deadly item to you." Thanos glared, but internally, he was chiding himself. In any ordinary situation, he would have already crushed his foe and taken what he wanted. He suspected that if any of the other Guardians had been holding the stone, that would have transpired. And yet, with Gamora, he hesitated. Had his time with Layla made him this soft? And could he risk showing weakness of this sort to Gamora?

With a flash of inspiration, he thought of the one thing he could possibly say that might possibly sway Gamora to his way of thinking. "What if I were to inform you that it was Adam Warlock who sent me on this quest?"

Gamora's reaction didn't disappoint him; she lowered her blade, and opened her mouth to rebut him, but something caused her to pause.

"That…does kinda line up with what Warlock told us," the human muttered behind Thanos. Perhaps the boy had some sense after all. But Gamora still ruminated.

"But…he also said you weren't interested in the stones. Was that a lie?"

"I can only assume he meant that I was no longer interested in the stones to utilize their power. I have moved on from such things. My life has changed much since we last met."

Gamora let out a bitter laugh. "I'm sure. Warlock told us that you were living on Earth. What, did you retire and deign to live with the, in your words, lower lifeforms? Or are you biding your time for some extinction-level event?"

"My answer to that is to say that Warlock obviously speaks too freely for my liking. But to be transparent, yes, Earth is now my home. Save your breath, I will not be expanding on that fact other than to say that the humans are in no danger from me." He knew that the human would likely fill his mouth with obnoxious questions.

There were a few moments of silence, punctured only by the sounds of a brawl starting up inside the establishment. Thanos felt his lip curl up in distaste. But Gamora had obviously come to a decision; as she sheathed her sword.

"I will give you the stone, Thanos. But, I have a condition. I know how much you just love those." The pure insolence in her voice would have led him to strike her down not long ago. As it was, he had to concentrate to avoid involuntarily glaring at his daughter. At the same time, he had to admire her brashness.

"I do not make bargains, Gamora. You know this well enough." She smiled, but one without any good humor.

"I think my condition is reasonable enough. Seeing as how I clearly don't trust you, and I don't know Adam Warlock enough to trust him either, my condition is that I accompany you back to your ship. If you have nothing to hide, then this shouldn't be a problem for you, and if I can see the situation with my own eyes, I can verify things for myself."

She bluntly made her point, never once taking her eyes off of his. Her body language screamed confidence, and her terms weren't unreasonable. Perhaps she had learned from watching him.

For a brief moment, Gamora's serious eyes twinkled with some mirth. "Also, I think I'd like to see your Earth home. I've been trying to picture what kind of place you'd live in. A house out in the country, to enjoy your privacy? No, a mansion might be more your style." Gods, she knew how to get his blood boiling.

"Don't push it, Gamora," he growled. "I plan to leave immediately, before the green buffoon and your pet rat notice I'm here. I'd prefer to avoid any more delays." Gamora nodded, her face back to a controlled, stoic level, but her human boyfriend stepped in front of her.

"Um, as the leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, don't I get some say in this?"

"NO!" was the simultaneous response from father and daughter alike. Peter jumped back, his hands facing outwards in the universal, "I'm harmless, please don't kill me" sign.

"Yeah, wow. I get the message. But Gamora, just what am I supposed to tell the others?" She shrugged her green shoulders.

"The truth works." She turned to follow Thanos to his ship, but the human grabbed her arm. Thanos knew she could have easily shook him off, but for reasons beyond his comprehension, she chose to let the man stop her.

"I trust you Gamora, and I know you can handle yourself, so I won't ask you to be careful, even though I think this whole thing is insane, for the record." He took a deep breath. "But if I find out that this raisin did anything to hurt you, I'll blast his face off."

The threat was amusing at best, but Gamora seemed to take Peter's words seriously. "I don't think it'll come to that, Peter, but I appreciate it. But don't worry; this shouldn't take long. Tell the others I said that." And then she gave Peter a hug. Thanos was disgusted by the act of open affection. He had to be thankful for the small mercies that they weren't making out in front of him. He may have had to wring the human's neck. Even so, he made sure to cough as loudly as possible. Time was wasting.

"When I said immediately, I meant it. I won't have us delayed because you couldn't keep your hands off your pet human." The human in question let out an undignified squawk, but Gamora took the hint, and distanced herself from Peter.

"I'm not one of your soldiers," she unnecessarily reminded Thanos. "I don't take orders from you anymore." It was that spirit of hers that caused him to "adopt" her in the first place, and it still simultaneously vexed and somewhat impressed him, although he wouldn't say such a thing out loud.

As they approached his ship, he tried one last time to dissuade her from bringing herself along. "I must warn you, my personal ship is rather compact. It is designed with only room for one seat." He was exaggerating, but perhaps she would believe him.

Gamora seemed very unperturbed. "I'll stand. It wouldn't be the first time." Thanos mentally sighed, resigned to the fact that nothing would stop Gamora from coming. She had always been that way. He wasn't expecting a pleasant flight anyway.

As his ship lifted off the ground, he allowed one glance out the window. The puny human was still staring towards Gamora, looking for all the world like a scruffy Earth dog.

"I don't understand what you see in him, daughter," he confessed. Gamora, who was sitting directly behind him instead of beside him, was quiet just long enough that he assumed she wouldn't respond.

It wasn't until they could no longer see Earth that Gamora quietly replied, "I don't think you could understand, even if I tried to explain it." Thanos frowned, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. If his daughter was going to be like that, so be it. Perhaps the lengthy ride would be more bearable in silence.

Layla's first thought after waking up was that she really should have gotten more sleep. The reason she thought this was because it took her literally five minutes after opening her eyes and staring at the ceiling before her mind could even form a thought.

She had spent the previous night too wired to fall asleep, wondering what she could do with the dark knowledge she had come across. She supposed she could beg the Skrulls not to try and kill Thanos (partially because she was worried that he would kill them instead, and some of them seemed genuinely really nice) but that would also mean that she would have to admit that she overheard their conversation, and she wasn't sure what their reaction to that would be. She didn't think R'kin would react violently, but Kl'rt? She already knew that he didn't like humans. And Fiz probably liked her even less.

Well, it would do her no good to stay in bed all day. Maybe walking around would get her mind working. Exhaling, she got out of bed and got dressed with the (very basic) human clothing Thanos left her before brushing her hair in front of Thanos' oversized mirror. Satisfied that she looked reasonably acceptable, she tentatively exited the room before remembering that she still hadn't really memorized the ship's layout. She knew where the lab was, anyway…

Between wandering aimlessly, and heading to the lab, It wasn't a hard choice to make. Maybe she could try even harder to befriend the various Skrulls, and then maybe they'd be more open to any suggestion she might have. The elevator ride was surprisingly uneventful; she had been expecting it to be awkwardly filled up, but she supposed she was due for some good luck.

The laboratory was bustling, and none of the Skrulls had time to do anything more than nod politely at her. She cautiously walked around, deftly avoiding bumping into any Skrulls, while also keeping her eyes peeled for R'kin. She had been to New York City's Time Square once, and while the lab wasn't quite that crowded, it was comparable. The Skrulls also came in all shapes and sizes.

She started when someone tapped her shoulder, but it was just R'kin, who gave her an apologetic smile. He beckoned her to a side room behind a sliding glass door. The moment the glass door closed behind her, all sound from the crowd behind her vanished. This room must be sound proof, she thought.. Whoever had thought of that had hopefully been payed well.

As if he had read her mind, R'kin gestured outside. "We scientists came up with the idea of a soundproof room where we could conduct experiments in peace. Things can get a bit rowdy here, as you might have already guessed." Layla heard a cheer coming from outside, possibly from an experiment gone right.

"Yeah, I see what you mean," Layla agreed. Giving the room a cursory look-over, she spied a few standard lab stuff. A few tables, some fluorescent lights, and a chair that resembled the kind found at the dentist.

R'kin coughed awkwardly, grabbing her attention. "So…did you need anything? I have to assume this isn't just a social visit." Layla sat down on one of the normal chairs; they looked metallic, but were surprisingly warm and comfy.

"Actually, I guess that was my reason, more or less." She smiled at him, hoping he would believe her. "Since Thanos is out there searching for one of the Stones, I don't really have anything to do."

R'kin stiffened at her words. "I apologize, we should have accounted for that. We will find something to entertain you. Perhaps one of Kl'rt's training matches will be of some amusement to you." His words were tinged with…was that fear? That was definitely not what Layla had been aiming for.

"What? No no. I didn't come here to complain about being bored. If you're worried that I'd tell Thanos that you guys failed to keep me entertained, let me assure you, I'm not that kind of person. R'kin, I like you, and the last thing I want is to see you get hurt, especially for a reason as silly as that."

She felt better when R'kin's body relaxed, if even just so slightly. Making friends with these Skrulls would be difficult if they felt they had to walk on eggshells around her. She wanted a genuine friendship, not servitude.

"So…what do you do when you're not working in the lab?" R'kin fidgeted for a moment. He was obviously uncomfortable with the question, but before she could reply and say that he didn't need to feel obligated to answer, he stood up.

"I think it would be easier for me to answer your inquiry if we went to my room. But I also understand if you would rather not. This might come across as improper, but I assure you, I have no devious intentions." Layla paused, but ultimately, she believed him. She had a hard time believing R'kin capable of any violence to her, even if he wasn't as loyal to Thanos as she had thought.

"Sure, why not? The only personal room I've seen has been the one that belongs to Thanos. I'd like to see how yours looks."

R'kin chuckled. "Well, I don't know if mine will be as large or fancy as his, but of course, I don't have a guest sharing my bed either." Layla felt her face flush, and R'kin hurriedly tried to give an apology for being too forward, but Layla stopped him with a shake of her head. She could take some joshing. She didn't add that Thanos' room wasn't all that fancy anyway, as far as she could tell. He wasn't the kind of guy to get extra extravagant.

The two of them pushed through the crowd of Skrulls, some giving the two of them horrified and questioning looks, no doubt suspecting that R'kin was taking her to his room for less savory reasons, but as long as none of them tattled to Thanos, Layla didn't think it mattered.

The two of the reached the elevator; Layla let R'kin press the button. He turned to her with a small smile. "Last chance to back out. I may have forgotten to tidy up my room. You know how absent-minded us scientists are."

Layla smiled back, glad that R'kin was getting comfortable enough to joke with her. "Back on Earth, I used to work with kids. I'll take my chances." The elevator doors opened, and Layla was happy to note that the usual awkward elevator ride atmosphere was missing.

Chapter Text

Layla had been expecting a more over-the-top science-y room, but R'Kin's room was relatively normal. Bookcases lined the edges of the room, filled with books that Layla knew she had no hope of reading. What looked like a futuristic television screen was embedded into one of the walls; it was currently turned off. Across from the door was his bed. It looked normal enough, but next to the bed was a small desk with what may have been a lamp, only the lamp wasn't made of glass, and it was floating in the air, as if it was a ball of light that was somehow suspended in midair.

"I know it isn't much," R'Kin bashfully began, standing back to let Layla explore the room, "But I like it just the same. I've grown very attached to it."

"I like it. It's very cozy." It reminded Layla of her own room back at her parent's farm. She had collected tons of books since she was young. "Does Thanos let you decorate the room any way you see fit?"

"To a certain extent, yes." R'Kin finally entered the room, sitting on the metallic chair near his desk. "He is very hands off when it comes to our rooms. All he requests is that we do not block the door. In an emergency, anything that would impede us is not welcome." He paused, head tilted, before adding, "No pets either. We simply don't have the time to properly take care of one." Layla understood. Besides, she didn't think the cold tendrils of space was any place for an animal.

"So, besides reading, what else do you do in your spare time? I noticed you have a television, you must watch something." R'Kin looked momentarily confused, before brightening up.

"Ah, you must be referring to the visualizer when you say 'television'. Unfortunately, we do not get enough reception in space to receive any broadcasts." Noticing Layla's disappointed look, he added, "However, I do have some 'video games', as your race would refer to them as." Layla perked up; she hoped it wasn't an RPG, as not being able to read the dialogue boxes would be a major roadblock.

R'Kin knew what she was thinking, and recommended a shooting game, one where being able to comprehend the dialogue wasn't important. Layla took him up on his offer, and before long, the two were playing fighting each other in a third-person shooter with the best graphics she had ever seen. Funny, she had always assumed that aliens would use 3D-goggles or some such things. Layla had never been much of a gamer, and she knew that she wouldn't stand a chance against R'Kin, but just being able to hang out with him in such a way was rewarding enough. She only wished she could pronounce the name of the game.

After what must have been a couple of hours, Layla collapsed on the bed, letting her controller drop. The victory theme was catchy, but only R'Kin ever earned it. "OK, I give up. You're either way too good, or I'm just lousy at this game." Her words weren't heated, though. She had had a genuinely good time.

R'Kin chuckled. "Don't fret, you were steadily improving with each game. With more practice, perhaps you could defeat me, eventually." Layla didn't know about that, but the idea of a rematch another day didn't sound bad at all.

"We'll have to make a date of it, then," she cheerfully responded as she handed R'Kin his controller (which looked remarkably like the ones from Earth). He flinched, and dropped the controller.

"Oh, bad choice of words? I don't mean that kind of date, more like a…playdate." R'Kin nodded.

"That is good. No offense, of course, but I think Thanos would wring my neck if he thought you were even slightly interested in me."

"Well, I am interested in you," Layla said, leaning in. R'Kin gasped in shock, before she giggled. "Interested in being friends with you, that is." R'Kin blushed, angrily muttering about crazy humans and their crazy mannerisms.

But as she left the room, he called to her, "Friendship sounds nice." She grinned to herself as she headed to her room. Mission accomplished!

After putting away his controllers, R'Kin returned to the lab. He wouldn't call himself a workaholic, but he was also self-aware that he spent more time in the lab than in the rest of the ship. In fact, he couldn't even place when he had last spent any quality time with someone besides Layla. He also couldn't recall the last time he had actually eagerly awaited something that wasn't a scientific experiment, but the idea of getting to "hang out" with Layla some more sounded pleasant. Was he really that starved for simple friendship?

There were plenty of Skrulls around him, and he conversed with his fellow scientists quite frequently. He would even consider some of them his friends. But they really only ever interacted at work. It didn't bother him; before now, it wasn't something he thought twice about. It wasn't like Thanos would suddenly let them quit their job, let alone find a life outside the ship.

His musings were cut short another scientist cried out in excitement. "We've reached the planet!" Kl'rt walked over, looking over the scientist's shoulder at the monitor. "The signal has led here." R'Kin dashed over to get a look at the planet himself. The image the screen showed looked fairly ordinary. Blue and green were the two primary colors for this orb.

"Is this planet listed in our database?" Kl'rt asked R'Kin. R'Kin, who had memorized almost the entire database during his free time, shook his head.

"In that case, we'll send out a scouting party, as is standard procedure." Kl'rt turned to the other Skrulls. "I will be leading the expedition, of course. Do I have any volunteers?" Many hands shot up. R'Kin wasn't surprised. Since many of the Skrulls were stuck on the ship for months at a time, everyone wanted to stretch their legs. And while the presence of danger was always a possibility, the Skrulls knew how capable Kl'rt was, and trusted him with their lives.

"I think a five man squad should be enough," Kl'rt mused to himself, before addressing the crowd in a louder voice. "I will choose the members of this squad based on rank and experience." R'Kin could hear a few muttered words of disappointment, but everyone knew better than to outright challenge Kl'rt's words.

R'Kin quickly spoke up. "Sir, may I come along as the scientist on this expedition?" Every scouting party always had at least one scientist on board, in order to take notes to bring back to Thanos, and in case of an emergency, give first aid to an injured soldier.

Kl'rt gave him a look over, before nodding. "I don't see why not. You might be helpful. I'll let you hold the tracking device. I trust you wouldn't lose it." The unspoken threat was that anyone who lost or broke the tracking device would be in big trouble.

He knew he was pushing his luck, but R'Kin suddenly had a thought, and now was the only time to bring it up. "And, sir, I was hoping I could bring along Layla, the human that Thanos brought along. She so did wish to come, after all, and I would take full responsibility." R'Kin, who looked surprised, opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"This is most unorthodox, R'Kin!" Fiz, who R'Kin had not even noticed, was crossing his arms. Displeasure wafted off of him. "My word, do you even know what would happen to us if that human were to get injured. Our lives would be forfeit."

R'Kin stood his ground. "I told you, I would keep her safe. I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

Fiz shook his head. "Why do you even want her along? What reason could you have?"

Because she was nice to me, and I want to repay the favor. Because I want her to be my friend, and this seems like the logical way to earn that friendship. He knew saying this would look foolish at best, so he answered, "If she will be staying on this ship indefinitely, it wouldn't hurt for her to gain some relevant skills and knowledge. I could teach her. Surely that would make her more useful to Thanos."

He watched as Fiz began pacing. "It's far too risky. I would prefer if we had permission, but I wouldn't dare call my liege now, not when he is probably busy. I just can't allow it." His pacing stopped when Kl'rt's large hand grabbed his slim shoulder.

"You forget, I am in charge of this expedition, and it is my final call on whether or not the human is allowed to come or not." He glared down at Fiz, who gulped. The other Skrull in the room were all deathly silent. Fiz and Kl'rt didn't get along, but they were never openly in disagreement either. R'Kin didn't dare speak up, unsure if saying anything would help or hurt his cause.

"I will allow it," Kl'rt said, glaring at Fiz, probably daring him to oppose him. Fiz didn't. "However, R'Kin, you will be in charge of her. I do not wish to see her hinder the scouting party." Fiz, shaking his head, strode out of the room. A soon as he was gone, Kl'rt lowered his voice. "Besides, it does not matter. Once we retrieve the Infinity Stone, Thanos will no longer be a concern anyway." R'Kin understood; their plan all along had been to retrieve the stone and use it to kill Thanos. If Thanos was dead, they wouldn't be punished even if Layla was hurt, not that R'Kin wished for that anyway.

"Thank you." R'Kin gave Kl'rt a quick bow, and hurried to Layla's room, wanting to give her the good news. He knew she would be pleased by the turn of events, judging from the way she had previously pleaded her case. When he reached her room, he hesitated for a brief moment, before knocking on the door.

Layla fidgeted as she stood in the hangar, watching the Skrulls rush around. She was too excited to stand perfectly still, and if she was honest, probably nervous as well. When R'Kin had told her that she had been accepted for the mission after all, she had at first been in disbelief. But Skrulls didn't seem like the kind of people (aliens?) who pulled pranks. Once her initial reaction was spent, she immediately thanked R'Kin, who had grown incredibly flustered when she hugged him. At first her biggest concern was that she had offended him, but he assured her that hugs were not foreign to Skrulls - just him.

The two has gone to the hangar - Layla was interested in watching the proceedings. The Skrulls were too busy to pay her any mind, but she was fine with that. If someone had told her just two years ago that one day she would get to watch some aliens prepare for a mission, she would have laughed.

To her surprise, one of the Skrulls broke off from the others and made a beeline towards her. He was holding what looked like a plastic bag, which he shoved into her arms. He gave her a brusque, "This is for you," before striding away. Layla quickly reached inside the bag, and pulled out a spacesuit looking thing, but not nearly as bulky as the ones she had seen on TV back on Earth.

"Ah, I see they were able to find one in your size," R'Kin murmured. "You humans aren't able to breathe in space, and your bodies aren't as hardy as our own, so you'll need to wear this in case the planet doesn't have oxygen, or has a poisonous atmosphere." It struck Layla again just how potentially dangerous this mission could be…but at the same time, she knew Thanos wouldn't employ incapable soldiers. She was pretty sure she could trust them, even if they had plans against Thanos.

"Thanks." And she meant it. "This will certainly be a first for me. Well, not the outer space part, but getting to wear something like this." R'Kin smiled.

"I assure you, it is very comfortable. We have spent decades finalizing the design, although we only need these on very few occasions." He pointed towards a closet at the end of the room. "You can change in their. I know that humans value their privacy." Layla nodded, and made her way towards the closet. It was a difficult task, considering the hustle and bustle in the room.

As she had never worn an astronaut's suit, she couldn't really compare the two, but she was willing to bet that the Skrull's spacesuit was way more functional. In every movie she had seen, it seemed hard to move as an astronaut. This suit was more skin-tight, and it didn't feel any different from moving with ordinary clothing, only a bit hotter. She hoped that there was an air conditioning button.

After she managed to put it on, she went back to meet with R'Kin. He gave her a look-over, and seeming satisfied with what he saw, he gave her a nod. "It seems to fit juts fine. Any discomfort?"

Layla shook her head. "No, it feels wonderful. But I do have a question. Where's the helmet?" Layla had realized that while the suit was comfortable, it hadn't come with the helmet that would allow her to breathe in space.

"Closer than you think," R'Kin's eyes twinkled as he pressed a small red button on the left wrist of Layla's suit. In response, a fish-bowl shaped dome closed around Layla's head. "Does that feel fine? Any trouble breathing?"

His voice sounded slightly further away now. She took a breath, and the air felt wonderfully fresh in a way that she knew had to be artificial. Normal air didn't taste that good. "It seems to be working perfectly," she responded, marveling at the echo in the helmet.

"That's good to hear. We really have no room for error where you are concerned." A Skrull scientist ran up to R'Kin, informing him that the ship would be ready to depart in just a few minutes. Layla felt the butterflies in her stomach begin flying wildly.

"I know I was the one who begged to come, but is it okay if I'm nervous?" R'Kin looked at her, and after hesitating, grabbed her hand in his. "I hope this doesn't come across as too brash of an action. Regardless, you will be fine. You will have four of us to protect you, and Kl'rt is practically a one-man army on his own. There is nothing to fear." Layla couldn't properly word how grateful she was to have support, so she chose to hug R'Kin instead. Almost predictably, he stiffened, but it didn't take too long for his body to relax.

"Humans are rather bold, aren't they?"

"Yup!"

Relatively speaking, the trip wasn't extraordinarily long. They were already approaching Layla and the others. But the stony silence that Thanos was forced to endure for the majority of the journey was very trying. He wasn't one to force conversation, and neither was Gamora, and that led to a void of emptiness. Layla would probably describe this feeling as awkward. Thanos would have disputed this; one such as him did not feel awkward. But now, in this situation, it would be hard to deny.

"We will be arriving shortly," he finally said, just to break the silence.

"I could tell," was Gamora's short response. Even now, she showed insolence. "You don't need to fill the air with words if you don't want to. I don't wish to speak to you any more than you wish to speak with me."

He gripped the his armrests tighter. "Brash words for one who is about to enter the lair of her hated enemy. How do you know you won't be ambushed the moment we arrive?" She rolled her eyes, a bad habit he detested.

"Like I said before, you are many things, but not a liar. I don't have anything to fear." She still refused to look at him, but he noticed her give him a sidelong glance. "Although I don't think you've told me everything yet."

"I have told you everything I care to," Thanos ground out between clenched teeth. "Anything else is irrelevant and unnecessary for you to know. My business, as always, is my own."

"Oh, trust me, I know. If I want to find out, I'll have to do it myself."

"You won't get the chance to," Thanos growled. "As soon as we reach the ship, and you decide for yourself that I have no secret insidious plot in the making, you are leaving. There will be no debate."

"I don't think so." Gamora shifted in her seat, arms crossed. "You're not getting rid of me so easily. I'm sticking around until you have all the stones. Once I see what you plan to do with them, only then will I be in my merry way. Besides, like I mentioned, I'm curious to see what kind of home you have for yourself."

Thanos vowed to himself that Gamora would never set foot in his house. He wasn't sure if he could stop her from meeting Layla on the ship, but he would think of something. He didn't need Gamora to attempt to turn Layla against him with some kind of graphic tale of depraved violence, of which there were probably many.

Perhaps he could call ahead, and give Fiz orders to hide Layla before they arrived. But no, that would be impossible with Gamora only inches away in a cramped ship. Ah well, they would be arriving shortly; Thanos would get everything figured out by then. He always did.

Layla sat in the rumbling ship, which was preparing to takeoff. She had her seat-belt on (which, incidentally, resembled the Earth ones. She supposed some things never changed). The ship was larger than the one Thanos had taken, but not overly so. It had five two-seat rows, not counting the pilot's seat, which was taken by Kl'rt. With only four crew members besides him, only two rows were filled up.

Naturally, R'Kin had chosen to sit next to Layla. She was glad; if for some reason, the ship suddenly lurched, and she reached out to grab someone, he would be the least embarrassing choice.

"I assure you, this ship is perfectly safe. Thanos only hires the best mechanics, and there has never once been a crash on our ship that wasn't caused by enemy fire. Why, even these seat-belts are only here due to possibly air turbulence. We may not even need them."

While he was speaking, Layla felt the generator kick it up a notch, and the ship began moving through the middle of the hangar, and by the time R'Kin had finished speaking, they were in the darkness of space. But not completely dark; as Layla looked out the window, she could see so many stars. It was quietly beautiful. She idly wondered which one was the planet she would be visiting.

On a whim, she looked out a window on the other side of the aisle, where she could see Thanos' ship. It rapidly diminished in size the further they got from it. Soon, it was nothing but a black speck, lost amidst the countless balls of light.

Chapter Text

Layla didn't have a watch on her, and she had left her cell phone back at the ship, so she had no way to tell, but she was sure that it hadn't even been half an hour before R'Kin told her that they would be slowing down momentarily as they prepared to land on the planet. She glance out the window; at least from this distance, the unnamed planet didn't look all that unusual. She could spot a lot of blue, which most likely meant water. Hopefully the planet also had breathable air for her, though the suit was comfy enough where not being able to take it off wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

In the past, whenever she had been on a plane, the descent had always noticeably been the roughest part, but as the ship landed, she couldn't feel even a slight bump. Not for the first time, she had to marvel at how amazing alien technology was.

She took R'Kin unbuckling his seatbelt as the cue to do likewise. She hadn't been on the ship long, but she still stretched her arms out. She was still nervous, but extremely curious to go walk outside. Still, she wasn't foolish enough to take a single step outside before the Skrulls did.

Kl'rt was the first to exit down the ramp, closely followed by three gun-toting soldiers, who were then followed by R'Kin. Layla noted that Kl'rt wasn't holding a gun, but then, he seemed more than capable enough without one.

And so for a few minutes, she awkwardly stood in place, trying not to consider any worst case scenarios, when R'Kin poked his head through the doorway, looking excited. "Layla, I have some wonderful news! This planet has breathable air for humans! You won't be needing your helmet, though I do advise you to keep on the suit." With the temptation of freedom reaching out to her, Layla wasted no time pressing the red button on her arm to remove the helmet, and then almost dashed down the ramp.

That first moment of the fresh air kissing the skin of her face was bliss. It had been so long since she had last stepped foot on Earth; she hadn't even realized that she missed this sensation. Cliche as it was, she closed her eyes to soak it all in. There was a slight breeze, and she could hear it waft through nearby leaves. The sunlight felt good, too.

"You look enraptured," R'Kin broke through her thoughts. She just hummed back at him, wanting to let the experience wash over just a bit longer. Once they returned to Thanos' ship, she didn't know when she would get to experience this again.

"I would keep my eyes open, if I were you," a growling voice cut in next. "Need we remind you that this is an unexplored planet?" Layla sheepishly opened her eyes; she knew that Kl'rt was right, but geez. She was sure that a few seconds more wouldn't have hurt anything.

That aside, she did want to take in the sights. It wasn't every day that one got to explore an alien planet. She was only sorry that she hadn't brought a camera. She only hoped her parents would believe this.

As she looked around, she was almost disappointed at how relatively normal it all looked. Blue sky (minus any clouds), normal looking trees, a lot of rocks, and a blue monkey. She froze; the monkey appeared to be staring at her. She recalled reading an animal book years ago that said not to hold eye contact with a wild animal - or was it vice versa? Her failing memory didn't matter, as the monkey rapidly dashed away the second Kl'rt took a step forward.

"R'Kin, which way is the Infinity Gem signal?" Kl'rt barked. R'Kin started, quickly pulling out the scanner and nearly dropped it in his haste. He turned his body around, before pointing in one direction that seemed to head into a thicker forest area.

"I'm in front. R'Kin, stick with me. The human will stay in the middle. You two, stay behind the human and keep up the rear." Layla had to admit, Kl'rt could be a jerk, but he was obviously an experienced leader. His commands were clear, and no one hesitated to carry out his orders. Also, truth be told, she was comforted by the thought of two Skrull warriors (with guns!) guarding her flank.

And so, in single file, they walked deeper into the forest. The sunlight, filtered through the treetops, didn't give as great a view as it did in the clearing. Still, she could make out a lot of plants and flowers that satisfied her craving for alien eye-candy. She thought that the flowers back on Earth were colorful, but these fauna looked like what she imagined she would see if she was high on something, or maybe something out of Dr. Seuss.

Purple plants with black polka-dotted vines, humongous sunflowers that sparkled where the sunlight touched it, a small brown flower that squeaked whenever it moved in the wind, and trees that looked like they had green eyes. She couldn't even begin to describe some of the odder ones, but she knew it would be a very long time before she forgot the sights she was seeing.

For awhile, everything was quiet except for their footsteps, and a beeping noise coming from the scanner. Apparently, no one wanted to break the silence with words, and Layla didn't want to be the one to do so. The silence also made another fact quite apparent; there were no animal noises. Either they were all hiding or sleeping…or there weren't many in the area. Perhaps the blue monkey had been a fluke.

It was probably because of the silence that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a nearby bush rustle, as if something was moving alongside it. She couldn't stop a small gasp from exiting her mouth, and the two Skrulls behind her, evidently as jumpy as she was, quickly pointed their guns at the noise.

A small rodent scampered out of the bush, and with a noticeable air of relief, the two Skrulls lowered their weapons. The rodent, which resembled an opossum, twitched its nose before making an escape inside a second, thicker bush.

Layla smiled, happy to know that not everything on the planet would try to kill her, but Kl'rt growled out, "Enough gawking, we still have ground to cover. We can't afford to stop for every single distraction." The two Skrull sheepishly nodded, probably embarrassed at having been startled by so small a creature.

Silently, the procession trudged on, until they reached a sunny meadow. Layla breathed in deeply. There was a heavenly aroma coming from a patch of flowers, and unlike the previous ones, these looked like simple, red Earth flowers. Roses were the closest comparison. She leaned down to touch one, figuring that it would be safe since her hands were covered by her space suit.

"Layla, don't touch those!" She heard R'Kin shout at her, but her arm's momentum was too fast, and her finger grazed the flower's petal. She yanked her hand away, but it was too late. The flower had an instant reaction; it appeared to swell up, before bursting apart, a red mist spurting out of the remains. It moved quicker than regular mist, and Layla was frozen as it approached her, until she was shoved aside by Kl'rt, who shielded her body.

"Foolish woman!" he roared, causing her to flinch. "Don't touch anything unless I give the OK!" She nodded, not trusting her voice. She felt ashamed of herself. She had told them she wouldn't be a burden, but it seemed she couldn't even walk past a dangerous flower without almost getting hurt.

As they stood up, two of the Skrulls ran up to Kl'rt to attend to him, but he roughly brushed them off. It was then she noticed parts of his suit seemed to have melted off around his upper body, and she could see patches of green skin. Her heart sank. R'Kin noticed her distress.

"This is why I tried to warn you not to touch the flowers. These are a rare species that can fire an acidic mist when under attack. It is quite the impressive defense mechanism."

Layla turned to Kl'rt. "I am so sorry. That was my fault, and if there is anything I can do to make it up to you…" He glared at her.

"A Skrull warrior of my caliber would never let himself be felled by a feeble attack such as that. Your concern is unwarranted - and offensive, coming from one such as you." It didn't seem like apologizing would help raise his mood (not that he was ever really in a good mood), but Layla still felt terrible.

But the Skrulls were efficient as always, paying no heed to her inner turmoil, and in a few moments, they were trekking down a hill that took them out of the forest. Layla was no longer enjoying her surroundings; she just wanted to find the stone and get back to the ship before she could cause any more harm.

They didn't get very far when they encountered a new problem: straight ahead was a cliff. Layla wanted to ask if they were sure this was the right direction, but didn't want to risk coming across as stupid. She really didn't like the idea of rappelling down the side of a cliff, but maybe they would let her stay at the top. Then again, she didn't like the idea of staying alone either. Maybe R'Kin would stay with her.

Ahead of her, Kl'rt raised an arm, signaling to everyone to halt. Before Layla could ask what was wrong, a giant snake crawled up from the cliffside. It slithered way faster than Layla would have expected from a snake that size. It was already towering over the party, and it hadn't even completely moved it's entire body. Layla wasn't really scared of reptiles in general, and yet this was probably the scariest thing she had ever seen. There was no way they'd be able to get down the cliff unless they could get past this thing. It hissed, and spittle practically rained down on the group.

The two Skrulls behind Layla pushed her back and began firing their guns at the reptile. The blasts didn't seem to have any effect, and the snake knocked the two aside with it's tail. Fortunately, they didn't fall off the cliff, as they were knocked back towards the forest. R'Kin raised a shaking arm to fire his gun too, but Kl'rt grabbed him.

"Don't waste your time. Go see if the other two need medical attention; I'll take care of this beast myself." R'Kin nodded, grateful, and dashed off to the two unconscious Skrull warriors. Kl'rt then addressed Layla. "Go hide behind that tree." He pointed to a thick one, at the very edge of the forest, one that would hide Layla's entire body. She didn't need to be told twice.

Once she was safely behind the tree, she peeked over at Kl'rt. Brave warrior that he was, he faced down the gigantic snake without any weapons, but Layla knew he wouldn't need any. The snake opened it's mouth, and lunged at Kl'rt, but the large Skrull simply raised an arm, which he turned into stone. When the snake was within striking distance, Kl'rt socked it in the jaw. The snake reeled back, and Layla was hoping that would it, but the snake seemed to gather it's bearings.

This time, Kl'rt didn't let it get close. He fired some fire blasts at the snake, but the surprisingly nimble creature wove around the larger blasts, while the smaller ones didn't seem to cause much of an impact. Kl'rt growled before jumping onto the snake's back. It hissed, in either surprise or rage, Layla couldn't tell. Kl'rt turned both hands into stone, clasped them together, and raised them over his head, ready to deliver quite the punishing blow.

But at the last moment, Kl'rt winced, and grabbed at his chest. Layla's heart seized as she realized that he was grabbing at the area where the flower had sprayed him with that acidic release. The snake took the chance to buck Kl'rt off, and drove a large fang into Kl'rt's leg. The warrior shouted in obvious agony, but had enough of his mental faculties left to take the opportunity to slam his stone hand against the snake's head three times in quick succession. The snake let go of his leg, and finally collapsed.

Kl'rt tried standing up, but ended up stumbling. Layla glanced over at R'Kin, but he was busy attending to the two other Skrulls. Biting her lip, Layla made the decision to leave her hiding spot to rush to Kl'rt. It was her fault that he was injured, and helping him walk to R'Kin was the least she could do. When she reached Kl'rt, he tried to brush her away, but even that was frighteningly weaker than normal.

"Leave me, I can manage," he growled. She shook her head.

"You're in pain. R'Kin probably has a some kind of pain killer with him, but I don't think you're in a position to reach him yourself." He growled again, but to Layla's surprise, allowed himself to lean on her. Then again, he seemed barely conscious. She wheezed, having underestimated just how heavy he would actually be. Still, while she wouldn't exactly be going the distance, reaching R'Kin wouldn't be too difficult.

And then she heard the worst sound she had ever heard - a hiss. She whirled around, in time to see the snake surround her with it's lengthy body. It was bleeding green ooze from it's eyes and mouth, but evidently, it still had some energy left. It began sliding towards her, forcing her back, and with a jolt of terror, she realized it was herding her towards the edge of the cliff.

She wracked her brain, trying to decide if it would be possible to jump over the snake's tail, but the snake took the choice out of her hand. With a look in it's eyes that she could only call a malicious glint, it slammed the edge of it's tail against the ground. Then, Layla heard the second worst sound she had ever heard - a loud crack. She looked down, heart plummeting as she saw the cliff-side crack underneath her very feet. There was nowhere to go.

As she and Kl'rt fell, she realized that she couldn't scream. It felt like her throat was closed up. Funny, all the movies she had ever seen showcased people screaming their lungs out when they fell from a great height. Either all the films were wrong, or she was a unique case. Those thoughts fluttered through Layla's brain in the few seconds it took her to land in a body of water.