The next part as promised! :) Your reviews are so lovely, makes me so giddy to see and read them, so again I gotta say thank you! It is my catchphrase on the internet! ;) haha, hope you like!x

Thanos regarded them for a moment, before erupting in fits of malevolent laughter. "Very true, very true.." he chortled, as he took a few steps into the centre of the room. "But... OH!" he suddenly proclaimed in a lurid tone, raising a hand to his ear derisively. "What is that I hear?" He spoke aloud to an invisible listener. Thor and Loki watched him, unamused, but with a hint of concern becoming evident in both their faces. "Drat! I do believe I have leverage that may dissuade you from such actions!" The brothers regarded him, their expressions askance. "You lie" snapped Thor angrily. Loki, however, said nothing in return, feeling a dreaded sensation come over him instead as his face dropped.

"May I?" Thanos asked perkily, gesturing to the door with his right hand. Thor and Loki remained on guard, as Thanos proceeded to knock, without clarification, on the still attached golden door to the chamber. It promptly opened, as a Chituari marched through, dragging the writhing form of Frigga behind it. It grunted ferally, as it tossed Frigga across into Thanos' arms, where he held her fast in front of him, wrapping his huge arms around her neck. Thor and Loki's faces sank in mutual expressions of horror.

"You were supposed to escort her to safety!" Loki snapped angrily out of the corner of his mouth to Thor, who replied, equally offended; "I did. She was safe on the passage to Vanaheim when I left her in the protection of a Vanir sentry!" "Now, now, children!" cooed Thanos cockily, as he continued to keep his hold on the struggling Frigga, whose eyes lamented the sight of her children beginning to spar yet again. "Fret not, for I have a few contacts in the Vanir army. A debt had to be collected. And now the fate of mummy dearest rests in my all too capable hands." Thor and Loki tore their eyes from each other, directing them back to Thanos, and allowing the abrupt tension between them to dissipate.

Thanos grinned. "I do believe it is time to do what I do best. I believe a bargain is in order." Loki's fists clenched at his sides, as Thor gripped Mjolnir even tighter. Thanos pulled Frigga tighter, using his other hand to loutishly brush back her hair from her face. "Shall we say… a litre, for the life of your mother?" Thor and Loki's faces were both rigid, as they both stepped forward, almost immediately "Be not of haste" said Thanos, his arm shooting out in front of him to signal them to halt. "A litre from each of you." "You already have a sample of Thor's blood" interjected Loki stiffly. "Such a demand is unnecessary." Thanos looked at him.

"I do. And such would have been efficient to meet my ends, but with such an opportunity before me, it is better to be safe than sorry. As I said, excess is always appreciated, and will most likely quicken the extraction in any case." He smirked, as Thor and Loki stood, unyielding. "Or alternatively" he said slyly, turning his attention to Thor. "You can give me all of Loki's." His face suddenly became severe. "Let me spill the lot like I intended, and I will allow yourself and your mother to flee." Frigga moved to make a sound in protest, but it was stifled by Thanos' hand. "Never" replied Thor dangerously, as he stared Thanos down. Loki shot him a perturbed glance as he did so.

"More fool you. Very well then. " smiled Thanos, returning his attention to the both of them. "A litre of shed blood from each." His eyes brightened as he directed his following statement at Loki, as well as downwards to Frigga. "Oh! How could I forget to disclose, for the sake of our dear thunder god, the reason why I seek such a prize?" His mouth curved widely, as Thor maintained a curious look at Frigga, before glancing at Loki, who was gazing at the floor. Thanos chuckled.

"The blood of the House of Odin, of those whom he loves, is the only means by which his shields can be deconstructed. And subsequently, his assailant may possess-" "The Odinforce" Thor cut in, anger staining his expression. "That is what you have been seeking…" "Commendations, noble prince" taunted Thanos sarcastically. "This final ingredient is all I need." "But, Father's defences are strong. There is no way you could have discovered-" "Not at all!" proclaimed Thanos exuberantly. "I cannot claim universal credit for such an achievement! The exploitation of the Allfather was not my doing, sadly. You have your precious sibling to thank for that."

Thor turned slowly to look at Loki, his questioning expression regarding him deniably. Loki would not meet his eyes. Thor looked away sorrowfully as he understood. "Apologies. I digress. Pressing on.." said Thanos brightly, extending his hand. "Your blood for her life. Your Father for your Mother. Do we have an accord?" Thor and Loki looked at each other again, as Thor registered something in his brothers eyes. A suggestion of regret? He couldn't be entirely sure. He turned to look at Odin, and thought of everything that had transpired over the last couple of years. Odin was to blame. A part of him loathed the man. There was no such presence within him towards his mother. He could not let her die.

Loki reached out his hand first, placing it on top of Thanos'. He had made a deal with him before; he knew how it worked. Thor looked at him for a moment, and then at the desperate face of his mother. "You will not harm her.." Thanos smiled. "You have my word." Thor's face hardened with his decision, as he moved forward, placing his own hand on top of his brothers. Thanos' hand was so large that it made Thor and Loki's look like that of two small children. Frigga was shaking her head desperately, trying to say something, as Thanos spoke aloud. "The deal is struck!" Thor and Loki removed their hands, as Thanos re-produced the slaying knife from his person.

"Shed that of each other. Upon him" he said, suddenly very serious, his voice underlying with sadism as he handed Loki the blade. The brothers slowly and reluctantly complied, as they both made their way to Odin's bedside. Frigga's cries behind them were muffled. As they looked down at Odin's sleeping form, Thor held out his arm before Loki. He regarded him with stable eyes, as he nodded. With the same candour, Loki proceeded to slice the blade over Thor's wrist, neglecting to even blink. Turning the knife in his hand as Thor allowed his cut wrist to bleed through the coffin of light and onto Odin's chest, Loki handed it to him, as he pulled up his sleeve and held out his own arm in return. Promptly swallowing his initial hesitation, Thor proceeded to do the same to Loki, who likewise held the wound over Odins's sleeping form.

A few moments passed, as Thor, Loki, and indeed Thanos, waited. It seemed like nothing was going to happen. Thor and Loki looked over at each other, puzzled. And then, the light around Odin began to flicker, causing Thor and Loki to stand back, before it died altogether. Loki remembered this from before. Yet it had not taken so long. And Odin still had to be physically slain. Which he was no longer able to do. Thanos bellowed with delight; "Well? Complete our bargain! Slay him and your mother will be free!" Thor looked over at Loki, still holding the knife in his hands. Loki's expression gave nothing to indicate whatever emotions he may have been having. Within himself, Thor sighed.

Cautiously, he finally held the blade over Odin. His arms were unsteady, as the second in the progression of Odin's two sons stood with a blade above his heart. Loki swallowed as he watched, knowing full well Thor's inability to execute the act, as well as he knew his own. Behind them, Thanos finally sighed impatiently, as, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the knife flying from Thor's hand and into Odin's chest.

Thor screamed aloud in anguish. Loki simply stood frozen, his face completely still with masked shock. "My apologies. I do revere the theatrical, as you well know, but my patience has now ran dry." Thor and Loki remained where they were, looking at the knife embedded in Odin's chest as Thanos' voice reached them. It was then that an effervescent glow began to become apparent beneath the wound, growing brighter and brighter. In all their lives, neither Thor nor Loki had ever seen the power of Odin manifested. Now here it was before them. Seeing the light grow brighter and brighter, Thanos yelped with delight, as he threw Frigga carelessly onto the floor before him, charging towards Odin's bedside.

Thor immediately moved to go to his mothers aid, but Loki remained still, transfixed, as he looked upon Odin's body. Thanos reached his side, grinning with satisfaction as he extended an arm to grip the handle of the knife. "Loki. Loki" came Thor's voice urgently, as he pulled on his brothers sleeve. "We must get Mother out of here" Loki's trance was broken, but he still remained slightly dazed with disbelief as he allowed Thor to pull him away from the bed and over to Frigga. She was sobbing as her sons bent down to look over her. "It is over" she could only say weakly, as she gripped both of their hands hard.

As a testament to the nature of Asgard's royal family, as the three of them squatted on the floor, bloodied and amongst the dirt and dust, they appeared more united than they had been in a very long time. As Frigga continued to sob, the ground began to tremble. Thor and Loki looked up in dread, as they witnessed the searing light of the Odinforce drill its way into Thanos with the strength of a hundred volcanoes, building and building in intensity. Frigga's sons frantically pulled her to her feet, Loki taking the weight on her left side onto his shoulder and Thor her right.

The light had almost reached full capacity, as a wailing noise made itself known, becoming higher and higher in frequency, until it began to crack the very walls, subsequently causing Thor, Loki and Frigga's hearing to be temporarily lost. They squinted at each other, as Thor shouted, though no one was able to hear. "What do we do?!" Loki could just make out the basics of what Thor was trying to communicate by reading his lips, before the silence gradually began to retreat, as the light built closer to its climax.

Thanos was 90% charged with the Odinforce, the most powerful agent that any of them had heard of. Frigga repeated Thor's words as she glanced at her two sons. "What can we do?" she squeaked exhaustedly. Thor watched as Loki began to finally engage with his surroundings. "The only thing we can do here and now" he said resolutely, as he swivelled around to face the door, his actions mirrored by Thor, as the light swelled to its highest capacity. "We run."