As soon as Thor boarded Thanos's doughnut, he saw Rocket Raccoon and Groot toying with a Chitauri soldier.
First, Groot swung a hammer bigger than himself and sent the terrified Chitauri soldier flying with a bang. The soldier's body traced a perfect arc through the ship toward Rocket Raccoon.
Rocket hefted his prized weapon and pulled the trigger on the unlucky soldier as he flew through the air. Pale blue energy bullets streamed toward the airborne Chitauri, and in the blink of an eye, they riddled him with holes. His corpse crashed heavily to the floor, giving off an odd, scorched smell.
"Nice work, Groot!"
Rocket Raccoon high-fived Groot as he flew over. Groot put away his weapon, flew up onto Rocket's head, and sat down, looking at the newly arrived Thor.
"I am Groot!"
(Thank you, asshole Thor!)
"Hey! You little runt, who was it that brought you back to life? Who brought you here to save your teammates?"
Thor knew the moment he heard him that Rocket Raccoon had been a bad influence on Groot. He stepped forward and flicked the little fellow who had insulted him to his face, sending him flying with ease.
Groot's tiny body tumbled through the air until he hit a wall and slid down it.
"Ahem... Well... I never taught him to say anything like that... Quill must have taught him..."
Rocket Raccoon instinctively lost his nerve when he saw Thor and immediately pinned the blame on Star-Lord Peter. It couldn't be helped. If you could keep your nerve in front of someone powerful enough to blow up a planet, then you were the truly strong one.
Before Thor could speak, Rocket darted over, picked up the still-dizzy Groot, and began scolding him for the first time in a long while.
"Groot! You little punk, all you do is get me into trouble. Watch your mouth from now on, got it?"
"I am Groot..."
(Stop shaking me. Any more and I'll pass out...)
Thor ignored the tactful Rocket and turned to look at Classic Loki and Betsy. Only then did he notice that the fellows at their feet looked a little familiar.
Oh! Isn't this the octopus guy who loves acting elegant, and his teammates?
The guy who couldn't open his mouth without mentioning His Majesty Thanos's will-why isn't he smiling now?
Doesn't he like smiling anymore?
Thor glanced at Ebony Maw's corpse and the other four members of the Black Order, who were tied up like zongzi.
As a good god, he very humanely used the law of oblivion to send them to meet His Majesty the Titan, whom they had missed so dearly.
"Thor, aren't you going to kill these four?"
Betsy spoke up as she watched Thor stand there.
Could these guys have some special use?
"No, I'm thinking about something. Should I get the laws of all six stones in this universe, or go to the Prime Universe and do it there? Loki, do you have any suggestions?"
"Thor, you're just one step away from entering that realm. What's there to agonize over?"
Classic Loki glanced at Thor and enlightened him.
"Oh, right. I'll be at Universe Level soon. What difference does it make where I comprehend them?"
Thor slapped his forehead and waved a hand, using the law of oblivion to erase Thanos's four remaining subordinates. He wiped out their weapons along with them.
Corvus Glaive's ability to come back to life depended entirely on his peerless blade. With the weapon gone, he was dead for good.
He had no habit of sparing his enemies.
"Gamora, I know you know where the Soul Stone is. Take me there, or give me the coordinates."
Thor turned to Gamora and used the law of life to wake Mantis and Drax as well.
"No." Gamora instinctively took a step back, her voice turning cold. "No one can have the Soul Stone."
Thor simply looked at her in silence.
Star-Lord Peter hurriedly stepped in front of her and tried to smooth things over with an awkward smile. "Uh... Thor, give us a moment."
He pulled Gamora aside and lowered his voice. "Gamora, are you crazy? He just killed Thanos! That whole planet is gone! Can you stop him?"
Gamora gritted her teeth. "But he's collecting the Infinity Stones, just like Thanos-"
"That doesn't matter, Gamora!" Star-Lord cut her off. "Didn't you see? Even Thanos with three Infinity Stones was no match for him. How are we supposed to stop him?"
Gamora fell silent.
Star-Lord continued, "Besides, Thanos is already dead. You don't want that damn stone hurting anyone else, right? Give him the coordinates, he takes it away, and we won't have to worry about it anymore."
Gamora was silent for a long time.
Then she raised her head and looked at Thor.
"Vormir. I'll give you the coordinates."
Thor wasn't surprised by her choice in the slightest. He nodded. "Thanks."
"Thanos!"
Drax sprang to his feet, a short dagger in each hand, and looked around with murder in his eyes.
"Stop! Drax, Thanos is already dead. Thor killed him!"
Seeing Drax wake up, Star-Lord Peter rushed over and blocked his path, afraid he might suddenly lose his head and attack Thor.
"Thanos is dead?!"
Drax froze when he heard the news. Then his gaze slowly swept over Gamora, Nebula, Rocket, and the others. After they nodded in confirmation, the weapons in his hands clattered onto the floor of the ship.
His wife and children had died at Thanos's hands, yet after he woke from unconsciousness, someone had killed Thanos?!
"Who?!" Drax suddenly gripped Peter's shoulders, squeezing hard enough to make him grimace. "Who killed Thanos?! Why didn't he wait for me?!"
"Let go, let go!" Peter slapped at his hands. "It was Thor! The god of thunder! He did it while you were unconscious!"
Drax let go and turned to look at Thor.
There was no gratitude in his eyes, only something hard to describe-something like anger, but also like hurt.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
In the end, he merely turned away with a gloomy expression, picked up his weapons, walked to a corner, and sat down.
He didn't say another word.
"Sorry, Thor. That's just how Drax is. His wife and children died at Thanos's hands, and he always wanted to avenge them himself, but..."
Star-Lord Peter looked at Thor with a hint of apology as he explained.
"It's fine, I understand. Groot, catch."
Thor paid no mind to how the big fool was feeling and tossed Groot a badge engraved with the World Tree.
"I am Groot?"
Groot caught the badge and looked at Thor in bewilderment.
"I've done what I promised you. We're leaving now. If you run into danger you can't handle, just burn that badge. I'll come."
Thor gave the little Groot sitting on Rocket's head nearby those instructions.
"I am Groot!"
(Thank you, Thor!)
Holding the badge, which was bigger than his head, Groot stood up and solemnly thanked Thor.
"It's nothing. We both benefited, after all. At least I got the Infinity Stones, didn't I?"
Thor casually tore open a spatial portal. On the other side was Vormir, the location of the Soul Stone.
"Thor, thank you for your help, and for stopping Thanos from taking Gamora away."
Star-Lord Peter Quill also solemnly thanked Thor. If he hadn't shown up, the Guardians of the Galaxy would have died today.
"It was nothing. Let's go, Betsy, Loki."
Thor stepped through the portal first. Betsy glanced at the oddball team and followed him.
Without looking at any of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Classic Loki leisurely followed the others, muttering under his breath:
"I hope Asgard in this universe hasn't been completely wiped out."