Sorry for the wait guys, I'll just get on with it.

Thank you for your support.

Esme's POV

Loki's arms hugged around me, surrounding me like a shield as the new man stood and looked at us all, one by one. It was very disturbing.

"Who the hell are you?" Clint short snappy tone bleed through the room. My eyes travelled from the man's head to his toes. He had short brown hair, and a face that looked as if it had seen more than his years. He wore a blue coat, with a red cape attached but what really pulled my sight was the gold medallion that hung in the middle of his chest. It looked like a necklace, but there was energy coming from it. My own powers sensing it, pulling towards it.

"As I said, I am Dr Stephen Strange." He looked in my direction. His eyebrows knitting momentarily before Loki stepped in front of me, obscuring my vision.

"That means nothing to us." Clint counter-argued. I poked my face around Loki's left arm. The dr's eyes now firmly trained on Hawkeye.

"I've seen multiple outcomes to what's about to happen. I am here to help." another gold portal opened behind Dr Strange and another male walked through. This one, slightly shorter and plumper.

"Dr." The new male greeted the original stranger. This was getting weirder and weirder by the second.

"We don't have time for this." I side stepped Loki, much to his dismay and took a step forward. "I don't care who you are..." I addressed the two men who I didn't know or trust. "My family are in danger. We have to..."

"If you all go barrelling in like you have planned to, you will die." Strange looked straight at me. No emotion in his voice.

"How do you know that?" Cap spoke from my left. He had walked over to stand close to me, taking position as he normally did. Dr Strange's hand caressed his medallion which opened slightly revealing a glowing green jewel.

"This stone." Strange looked down at his chest. "This stone is called the time stone. It is one of six stones that if re-united with the other five can cause immediate and life threatening damage to many worlds, including your own." The necklace moved and locked the stone back up tightly.

Strange kept talking.

"The time stone allows me to look into the future at all the different possibilities. The path you are on now leads to many deaths." A shudder flooded my skin, goosebumps prickled at my skin.

"Why should we trust you?" Loki spoke with authority from behind me. My breathing was irregular and my heart rate was erratic. A warmth breezed across my skin and my mind, Loki could sense I was uncomfortable and he was doing everything possible to help me.

"I have no reason to lie." Strange answered. His eyes set firmly on Loki. The man that stood slightly behind the Dr spoke.

"Dr Strange does not lie." He told Loki and the rest of us with resentment in his tone.

"Cap?" Nat spoke from the other side of the room. "What's your call?" All eye's turned to our captain, waiting to be told what to do. My tongue ran across my lips before I swallowed trying to regain some of the moisture I needed in my mouth.

Steve's eyes flicked to mine, before they gazed around the room and back towards the Dr and his strange companion.

"What do you suggest we do?" As quickly as everyone's eyes flicked to Steve, they now danced back to Stephen.

...

After what had felt like forever a plan had finally been formed. Captain, Nat, Bruce, and Rhodey all decided they'd be in team 1. They were going through the bifrost first and going in through 'the front entrance' whatever that meant.

Loki, Thor and Clint were to go through as the second team and try and surprise from the left. Myself, Wanda, Vision, Dr Strange and his sidekick and Peter Parker, were all going to go in from the left. A few others were coming with us but my mind couldn't take everyone in, it was all to much. My head was beginning to ache from the lack of sleep and peace I'd had, but I pushed the thought to the back of mind. I was needed and I would be there.

Walking out of Stark tower and towards a more derelict part of the city, Thor summoned Heimdall to engage the bifrost. I watched in awe as a rainbow of light touched the ground. The energy I could feel pulsing from it, pulled me in. The warmth bounced around me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Opening my eyes slowly I watched as Nat, Steve, Bruce and Rhodey all got ready to be transported.

Cap turned and looked at me.

"Be safe." He told me. His eyes filled with concern. I smiled as well as I could.

"You too. All of you." I spoke to them all. Nerves raced through my blood. A sickening feeling coursed through me.

The bifrost engulfed them and they were gone. I swallowed.

"Team 2 go." We all had earpieces connecting us so we could hear one another from a distance. Steve's voice echoed around my head.

Loki took my hand in his, brushing a kiss along my knuckles. "Be careful." Worry evident on his face. His beautiful eyes watched me closely. The warmth I had felt from him earlier danced around me, surrounding me.

"I'll see you later." I told him confidently.

Dropping my hand, he walked to the bifrost. It pulled him as it did the others and then they were gone. My breathing hitched. Shit. I thought to myself, it was my turn. A small sweat broke across my skin. This was like nothing had done before, and if I was being honest I was scared.

"Okay. Team 3." Wanda took my hand as we stepped up to the bifrost.

"Are you alright?" She spoke to me softly. I nodded, smiling softly. Not sure whether I was trying to convince her of myself. The pull of energy tugged at me as we evaporated on the rainbow. As quickly as it happened we were literally whizzing through time and space.

My stomach churned as we moved quickly before landing quite roughly on the other side.

"Ouch." Spiderman moaned from next to me. "They couldn't have made that a little softer?" He asked with sarcasm, seeping through his tone. I frowned at him. His comments and remarks just weren't needed right now. My parents were in danger and after all, he was supposed to be 'close' with my father.

"Okay." Dr Strange spoke softly under his breath. "We need to go. Move from this area immediately." Without a second thought Stephen leapt into action and began to race across the rocky terrains. It was only as I watched him run, my own body moving after him I took in the planet around me. The ground was barren. It was brown, and dry as if a fire had engulfed the entire place of anything...everything. The only places to hide were the huge boulders that jutted out of the ground every now and again.

A terrifying roar echoed all around us. We all froze, our eyes darting every where, taking everything in. My heart rate tripled and I stepped in closer to Wanda, her own eyes glowing red, calling forth her powers just in case. Vision shuffled slightly next to her, almost as if he was pushing forward.

"Smile..." The vile man growled into the silence. "For even in death. You shall become the children of Thanos." The name lit an anger inside me so strong, it rippled through me in waves. I began to shake.

Esme... Loki's voice blew through my mind.

Loki... I breathed back. I threw the connection between us wide open.

Don't be afraid. I will not let him hurt you. Loki was being strong. I could feel it in every ounce of me. But something wasn't right. Something was off... very very off.

Where are you?

Close... I can see you. Automatically, my eyes dragged away from the villain and swung around the empty space looking for the God of Mischief. But I couldn't locate him anywhere. Pushing my mind out further I tested the area of him. I could feel him, he was close. My heart began to race again.

Don't do anything stupid... I warned him. I didn't want him getting hurt.

"Be thankful..." The

Peter quickly brought forward his Spiderman persona and he remained silent.

"What the hell was that?" Cap's voice whispered down the ear piece. Apart from his rapid breathing in my ear, all I could ear was the thumping of my heart. It seemed to deafen me.

The silence that stretched out now was unforgiving. Every second, every heartbeat, every moment felt painful. Scary.

Just then, a single figure walked around the corner of the huge boulder to our left.

He was too far away for me to see his face, but he was dressed from head to toe in a black robe and he moved as if he was flying...no, more like hoovering.

Team 3, my team, all turned to face him. Pushing forth my powers, I felt the surge of them spread down my arms and towards my finger tips.

Then came his voice...

"Hear me and rejoice!" He spoke quietly but loud enough so we could hear him. His voice was sickly. It was like venom. It hurt my ears. I'd never hated anyone's voice so much in my life. "You have the privilege of being saved by the great Titan." Bile rose in my throat. Wanda tensed next to me, red flames of power erupting from her hands, ready to react at any moment. My own powers still warmed my fingers.

Esme... Loki's voice rippled through my mind. Almost instantly, part of me felt better, safe almost. But I knew I was a foul if I believed for even a second I was out of any real danger.

Loki... I pushed the connection between us wide open. I needed to feel him, I needed to be close to him right now, even if not physically.

Try not to be afraid, I will protect you. You have my word. His words scared me a little. He knew something. He wasn't sharing everything with me. But then what did I expect from the God of Mischief.

Where are you? I swung my eyes around the ruins of the lost planet. They found nothing and part of me was disappointed but a larger part of me was relieved. Even if I didn't make it out of this at least Loki would.

I can see you. My heart thumped hard in my chest and I wasn't sure whether it was from fear or excitement. Pushing the link between us further I scanned the immediate area for him. A faint pulse of energy radiated back at me. He was here.

"Be thankful..." The repulsive shadow stood only a few yards away continued...

"Where are my parents?" I cut him off midsentence. His face snapped to mine. If death had a face, it wouldn't be much different from the one I was staring at. Adrenaline exploded within me. The demon raised his hands slowly and flicked his wrists towards me.

It was almost gracefully. But then within seconds 2 huge dead mounds of rock flew towards me. I dove to the left, landing on my hip. I gritted my teeth in pain. Throwing a hand in the air, I pushed kinetic energy at him, knocking him slightly off balance.

Then...all hell broke loose.