26 Arc VIII Last days before travel - Clean up

AN: Holy shit I get it. My story is super boring. and my super shit MC is too weak to change anything in canon. You shitlords keep writing the same shit and honestly suck out all the fun I had writing this story. I got it after the first three people wrote the same thing. You couldn't have possibly missed all those twitlongers of people pointing out all the things I didn't change and how boring it is, so stop writing the same shit. And stop reading if it's so boring. Especially that one dude who wrote a review, said he wouldn't read for a while because nothing in canon changed and commented two chapters later 'how boring it is still' a day later. At least keep it fresh and be wrong about what plot points I didn't change when you start listing things.

I wanted my MC to die a death he can come back from, so I needed the snap to happen. Without that, the entire reason I want to send him to the Multiverse is gone. He would try to grow strong enough to end Those Who Sit Above in Shadow or "fight fate" (since he didn't learn their name outside Valhalla) from his reality, which is a story I didn't want to write.

I wanted to send him to Valhalla to get the Allfather's blessing from the very start. It's why my MC is a fucking 14 year old who doesn't just stop Loki from opening the portal in New York and that's a fucking shit idea anyway because without that the Avengers will never get formed.

You want a 16 year old to be stronger than the fucking king of the Dark Elves that even Bor Burison couldn't kill in battle?

What? He didn't deal with Ultron before he becomes a threat when he isn't even a fucking Avenger, doesn't know about Loki's scepter being there, doesn't know what Ultron is capable of (because he is a fucking teenager), isn't even technically a hero at this point and doesn't want to be in the same room as his father (because, again, he is a fucking teenager).

And holy shit, you want a 17 year old to beat Hela when fucking Odin couldn't stop her at the height of his power but had to seal her away? Or somehow end Thanos' quest for the Infinity Stones as a teenager when he isn't a fucking reincarnator or isekai'd edgelord that knows everything about the plot or where the fucking stones even are?

All of your opinions are shit, fuck you guys. Go read fanfics where some retard gains a system, puts +9000 in strength as a reward for fucking all of Peter Parker's love interests from the comics and then kills Thanos with a fart because he watched a Marvel movie before he died to a truck outside of the cinema and woke up in the body of Peter Parker's older brother: Spider-Chad. With 1000 wives and the power to blow out the sun with a dedicated 5 second breath.

If you think this is boring because of that, all the more power to you. I won't delude myself into thinking this some great literary gold.

I write this because I want to. I made my MC weak at the start because I wanted him to fake-die to go to Valhalla and grow as a person along the way. I "only" saved thousands of regular humans, Maya Hansen, Tony, Pietro, Nat, a few widows, and countless Asgardians because that's all a fucking teenager could possibly ever do. Rant over. Fuck you.

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"Hey Misty, could you hop on Battledance and bring Nat to Eliza? I could teleport her, but Battledance probably knows where Warsong is and Warsong is probably flying Val and Eliza around," Eli asked as he sent Shatterstar in its sword form around the battlefield with telekinesis to deal with the last of Thanos' forces.

"Sure thing," Misty agreed instantly with a clap to summon her mighty winged steed.

"And I know what you're thinking. But there was never in point in you having to come back for clean up," Eli added with a wink as the two women hopped on the pegasus and were about to portal away. Natasha looked positively giddy about getting to meet her daughter again.

Eli used his psychic abilities in full power to find anything he might have missed as he floated above the battlefield in full concentration. He didn't want to get blindsided by some doomsday device or hidden group of saboteurs that would try to avenge Thanos in time. Especially if he was not going to be here after half a year.

"So. Son of Thor. Comes back from the dead stronger than his father. Is that a story worth sharing?" A voice sounded behind him. Behind him, casually floating high up in the air without making a sound. It wasn't hard to guess who it was.

"Well, sure it is. Do you care to hear the full story or the short version?" Eli turned around to face Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel.

"Let's try the short version," she suggested with a smile.

"Got whisked to the realm of the dead just before getting snapped, got the training of all Asgardian powerhouses, killed my grandfather's brother in a vision and was blessed by all three Allfathers of this Ragnarok cycle and charged with glorious purpose!" Eli dramatically revealed.

"And what really happened you jokester?"

"Well, instead of fading to nothing I arrived in Valhalla, met all my family members that made it there and they put me on a path to end a threat to Asgard," Eli said with a shrug.

"So you weren't kidding before?"

"He's not his uncle," a loud voice interjected. Eli looked to the side and saw his father leap upward on a collision course with him. Since Thor can't fly comfortably like Eli, he decided to help out his dad and allow him to float with his telekinesis.

"Hey dad," Eli greeted.

"Float me over for a hug or I'll use Mjolnir," Thor threatened with a giant smile on his face.

Eli laughed and hugged his father midair. Thor put all his strength into it and eventually, he started crying happy tears in his son's arms. Eli already knew his dad was a crybaby at times, so with a wry smile and moist eyes of his own, he just stayed up there with his dad. Carol looked at it a little awkward. She wasn't finished talking to Eli, but she also didn't want to interrupt the touching moment.

"I can't believe this worked. I thought I had lost you," Thor mumbled a few minutes in.

"Yeah, when grandmother was waiting for me in Valhalla and my mom immediately made her spill all the beans on your plans this last week, I honestly couldn't believe you guys could come up with a plan like that," Eli replied.

"How was she?"

"Frigga? I think she was really glad her death meant something, and she kept reminding me again and again that going like she did, one life for trillions, was a worthy price to pay," Eli softly explained as his father nodded in his arms.

"It truly was a worthy cause... her sacrifice... though I wish she wouldn't remember me as the depressed slob I had become in the last years. I let her down. I was supposed to be a worthy king to our people. Help them in their time of mourning," Thor sadly said, still not releasing Eli from the hug.

"Don't worry, she saw that you struggled and was sad that she couldn't help you more. She left me with these words for you... no for us; The measure of a person, of a hero... is how well they succeed in being who they are, not of who they are supposed to be," Eli said releasing his father from the hug and keeping him afloat an arm's length away.

"That's really inspiring," Carol nodded along.

"It is, she always had such a way with words," Thor agreed, gaining a few more tears again.

"Yeah, so don't let all the expectations and the past weigh you down, dad. Just try to be a little better than the day before until you're satisfied with who you are," Eli said with a warm smile.

"I suppose I could start by getting back into shape," Thor mused.

"Yeah, sure. Do anything you want. I heard our resident Valkyrie duo is already the leading force anyway. From what Frigga told me, nobody is really expecting you to be a king," Eli shrugged.

"She really didn't mince words, eh? But what will happen to Asgard if I just stop being king? Our family always ruled Asgard. Will you become king?" Thor asked.

"Don't you worry about Asgard, it's in good hands with Misty and Val. And I won't become king just yet, if ever. I have something to do, so I'll leave in half a year," Eli said.

"So soon? Is it a mission from the Allfathers? Can I come along?" Thor asked like a puppy that didn't want to be left at home by his owner.

"Yeah, it's in preparation for something. I can't explain it sadly, because it has to stay a secret for me to have a chance. It's also why I will have to go alone. But we'll make the best of the coming months, father," Eli explained as he patted his father's shoulder reassuringly.

"So you'll leave me behind? It's because I gained a little weight and you think I would slow you down, isn't it?" Thor inquired sadly, his eyes misting over again.

"It's not that, it's just that I'm not sure I can take you with me. I'll be traveling with a spell my mom learned and improved in Valhalla. I never cast it before," Eli added with a wry smile.

"Could always go out in the universe and help people. Not every planet has their own Avengers or a pantheon of benelovent deities hanging around," Carol interjected.

"Sounds like a plan," Thor reluctantly agreed.

"Yeah, revive the Asgardians of the Galaxy, become a pirate in the Kree territory again," Eli suggested with a wink.

"Oh! Have you met Quail yet? He's the guy who threatened us with the Ass-guardian of the Galaxy title! He and his team picked up the Statesman's distress signal and fished me up from the wreckage all those years ago after Thanos' attack. Their captain the rabbit and their mascot the tree brought me to Eitri in Nidavellir. You know, to have Stormbreaker and your arm forged," Thor shouted excitedly.

Eli heard a faint 'It's Quill, asshole.' from somewhere below them as Thor seemed to remember something and took out the little black uru arrow which was tucked into his vambrace.

"Here! It's the little arrow insert from your arm you shot into Thanos' eye. I kept it all these years," Thor said as he handed over the item in question.

"Oooh, I was wondering why Thanos had that eyepatch when we killed him the first time five years ago," Carol marveled at the reveal.

"Just a little deeper and we wouldn't have had to worry about the snappening," Eli sighed as he took the arrow and placed it back into the slot in his arm.

"You did the best you could, Eli."

"Yeah, no worries son. Not even your mighty father could stop him five years ago. And apparently, for you at least, it worked out for the best. Tell me then what this 'a Allfather' thing is all about," Thor spoke with a raised brow at the end.

"You remember the Odin-force, right?"

"Yes, of course. It's what bound our bloodline to Asgard and gave us immense strength. It's what made father so powerful and Hela invincible," Thor described with a sagely nod.

"It isn't all gone and right now, we, father and son, are sharing what is left. It will likely change when I'll be on my quest and you get my part. But as long as the cycle doesn't start anew, this All-force will stay bound to our blood or those we deem worthy. It came from Asgard, so it's just immensely weakened right now. As long as our people consider some place a true home, it could become stronger once more," Eli explained.

"Those you deem worthy?" Carol asked.

"Yeah. The allfather can grant divinities to others with the All-force. It takes a lot of energy, so you can't just raise an army of gods whenever you need it, but it is possible to raise a few people to godhood every century... technically."

"Father never said anything about this," Thor said with a frown.

"He didn't like using this power. Odin told me why but I don't particularly agree with his reason. The last time he used the power was when he granted divinity to uncle Loki, by the way. Buri did not yet have access to the bestowal powers, but he created the seed for it. Bor used it on a few of his trusted generals who later aided Odin in his conquest of the nine realms."

"What does any of that have to do with the Allfather-thing?" Carol tilted her head.

"Oh, nothing. We got a little off-track. Anyway, All-force. We share our Asgards' current All-force, father, but I passed a test and the three Allfathers in Valhalla granted me my own All-force seed from their essence. I think the infinity stones gave it a powerboost when I picked up the gauntlet earlier, but I didn't have time to check yet," Eli countered.

"Should I really be hearing this?" Carol asked with an embarrassed smile.

"What are you going to do? Tell the Nova corps about it and have them try to take this All-force from me by taking Asgardians hostage? Yeah, right. If anything, go ahead and tell the universe. There'll be two Allfather level power houses protecting Asgard in the future, that'll be a great deterrent," Eli scoffed.

"You're getting cocky Eli, who taught you that? Did you spend too much time with Loki in Valhalla?"

"Oh, uncle Loki wasn't there," Eli replied with a sorry look.

"He died trying to end a tyrant with a stab to his neck. If that doesn't land him in Valhalla, what does?"

"Yeah, even aunt Hela was there," Eli agreed.

"Haaa, god of mischief indeed. Either he actually survived or he had one last trick up his sleeve for something else entirely," Thor spoke his thoughts out loud.

"Who knows? Certainly nobody in Valhalla," Eli supplied with a shrug.

"I mean, I have these powers. I can fly to distant stars without a spaceship. But talking about gods and the afterlife still feels weird, not going to lie," Carol eventually said to break the short silence.

"Will you be staying for a while? We could talk all about life and what's beyond at a later date," Eli offered with a wink.

"As lovely as that sounds, Casanova, I'll have to go back out there soon. Planets will be thrown into a disarray by the sudden influx of people."

"Well, stop by New Asgard anytime. I take it you know where that is?" Eli asked as he forwarded his contact details to Carol's wrist-mounted communicator. With a nod, the original Avenger flew down to the battlefield for some last minute clean up by destroying some weapons that shouldn't fall in humanity's hands so soon, according to her.

Thor and Eli continued to spend some time up in the air, searching for stragglers and conversing about this and that. Eli was eventually finished and since restoring this place to its former glory was not his job, he flew down toward the ground to inspect the infinity nano-tech gauntlet and the changes touching the stones brought him.

Eli concentrated on the seed of his own All-force and was astonished by how much it had grown thanks to his short touch of the stones. As he continued observing, he eventually found the landmass inside the seed.

'Is that... Asgard? Wait, is this how the first Asgard was created? From Buri's attempt at creating the All-force from half of his father's soul? How do I get that out of the seed, though?' Eli turned the gauntlet in his hands, as he looked at it and the infinity stones in contemplation.

'Something tells me I shouldn't rely only on these stones for that... It will take time.'

It took Eli a while and nobody seemed to stop him from his musings. With a deep breath, Eli eventually touched the purple power stone, the yellow mind stone and the red reality stone to charge up what he has lost in the last fight, lest he has to go into Odi-.... Eli-sleep? His body once again acted as a conduit for the power of the stones and wasn't being torn apart by the powers of the three stones. It all went into the seed once more and only left behind a tingly feeling.

Not long after, the seed felt saturated, though it was a weird feeling to Eli and the channeling stopped. The young Allfather looked up and saw Hulk look at him with a conflicted expression.

"Speak your mind, I won't bite... Bruce? Hulk? What do I call you now?"

"Either is fine, we're one and the same now. Long story, before you ask. Spent a long time in a radiation chamber," Bruce replied with a wry smile.

"That didn't sound very long. I guess the process was but it's not like I would understand the long version with all the science anyway," Eli quipped with a wink.

"Haaa, guess you're right. So, the thing I wanted to say is... uh. We'll need the stones back, to bring them to where they came from. I'm afraid you can't keep the gauntlet, sorry," Hulk apologized as he used his one good arm to scratch the back of his head. Eli looked at the gauntlet for a short moment and threw it over to Hulk.

He had asked the Allfathers if the six infinity stones were enough to end Those Who Sit Above in Shadow and that apparently wasn't the case. Because the stones only affect what is in this reality and the enemy was something else... somewhere else. Here and yet at the same time not.

"Sure, I got the power up I wanted and I'd much prefer a present where the six stones aren't just gathered here on Earth for someone to use," Eli agreed with a nonchalant shrug.

"Thanks... for being so understanding," Hulk thanked Eli a little bashfully.

"What, you think I'd keep the gauntlet and make you all fight me? Was I such a person in your mind?"

"Well, no. But you did say you spent some time in.. Valhalla? That could change anybody, I don't know."

Eli wanted to reply, but something stirred from inside his All-force. A short moment later, a dark-blue bird materialized on Eli's shoulder. It was a little taller than his head from this position and its dark eyes with faint, pale-blue swirls in them shone with intelligence.

"Oh? And who might you be?" Eli asked curiously. The bird softly screached in gull-like sounds and somehow Eli could understand her as if she spoke English.

"You came alive two hours ago when I touched that glove for the first time?" The bird nodded and spread her wings in assent. Short sparkles of electricity span between the individual feathers on her wings.

"Do you have a name yet little thunderbird?" Eli asked with a soft smile. Eli had heard about these birds. Bor had told him about them, though sadly they were hunted to extinction by the dark elves during his reign because their bodies were treasures for their sorcerers.

"Do you want me to name you?" Eli inquired as the bird shook her head to his previous question but nodded to the last.

"Hmm, since the name doesn't really sound like you, I won't name you after your ancestor Hraesvelgr." The bird on his shoulder, again, nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it's a real mouthful, isn't it? Is calling you Skye too lazy?" The bird agreed with a nod once again.

"What about Tuuli? It comes from the word 'wind'?" The bird softly screeched again and quickly flapped her wings in short bursts. Eli was glad he apparently didn't fumble the first task his new companion trusted him with.

"Wow, is that a thunderbird? Where did that little guy come from? I thought they were extinct," Thor's voice sounded out from behind Eli. Hulk looked on in astonishment. He had seen a lot in the last years, so he shouldn't be all too surprised. But a bird from straight up legend was still new to him.

"Uh, I think the infinity stones gave birth to her through my All-force."

"That is so cool! Ah, the elves of Alfheim call them by a different name, do you know which one?" Thor asked as his eyes shone with adoration for the beautiful bird.

"Oh, which one?"

"Stormbird," Thor supplied with a wide smile. It would mean the bird's race linked father and son perfectly together.

"How fitting," Eli mumbled as he reached out to scratch the feathers close to its obsidian-colored, eagle-like hooked beak. Thor, too, stepped closer to offer his hand for a scratch which Tuuli accepted in bliss. Thor even tickled the bird with a bit of lightning that Tuuli answered with a screech almost sounding like a giggle.

"Father had the ravens Munin and Hugin, and his wolves. Though the wolves died before even my time, during the conquest of the nine realms. It's fitting that you have a fine companion yourself," Thor said with a nostalgic smile.

"Can't all have only weapons as companions," Eli chuckled as he held his hand up to call for Mjolnir that was currently resting next to Steve, who appeared to be having a serious conversation with Sharon right now. Possibly about Eliza, Sharon wasn't here for that reveal after all.

"Finally worthy, or did you fake it at the party before Ultron happened?" Thor asked as he kept scratching the bird's feathers on top of her head.

"No, I grew up a lot since then. I was too selfish in my thinking before," Eli explained as he handed over Mjolnir. But not before holding it up to Tuuli for inspection.

"I have Stormbreaker now, but I'll always miss Mjolnir... too bad we will have to bring it back together with the stones," Thor mused with a sad smile as he took his old hammer.

"Like I said, we can't all have weapons as companions," Eli joked with a wink.