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This fic was written for the Marvelously Magical Fanfiction group on Facebook. My prompts were: Thor/Harry/“It’s an imperfect world but it’s the only one we got” – Tony Stark (Iron Man, 2008) - This is NOT canon. Please suspend the expectation if that is your goal. The aftermath of battle has been altered for the storyline's purpose.
So many dead. The world may have won against Thanos and his minions, but far too many had already lost.
Thor and the other Avengers were grateful for the help they'd received from the unexpected arrival of allies. Dr. Strange and the Wakandans had been the only people aware of the witches and wizards suddenly in their midst. A novel reveal; an entire world all around the super-heroes, hidden in plain sight.
There was no time for amazement, only relief as the tide turned, the literal army of stick-wielding magic-users blowing the rest of the evil away.
It was hard to rejoice with so many dead and dying. It would take days to clean up the carnage.
"Thor! C'mon! We've been out here for sixteen hours. Get some sleep."
The God waved off Captain America. "I need not rest at this time. There are still warriors missing. I must not lounge in repose until they are all accounted for."
Steve approached him, trying to draw Thor from a growing pile of bodies, getting shrugged off roughly. He jumped back, hands coming up when Thor gave him a dirty look. "You, and no one else, will deter me from the search."
"All right, all right! It's just that some weapons vaporized people. You're not going to find everyone's remains."
"Do you see this field clear of dead?" Thor indicated.
Grimacing, Steve sighed. "No. There's nothing you can do – nothing any of us can do. If anyone were alive, we'd have found them by now."
"You do not know that!"
"Yes, I do! Even the magic-users have declared their search for survivors as complete."
"I do not understand why you do not cease your attempts to thwart my duty."
"Because the mission is OVER!"
"IT IS NOT! I will search until the last body, the very last remnant of flesh is accounted for!" Thor thundered out vocally, lightning sparking in his eyes and hitting the ground in a spray of dirt, rock, and metal right behind the Captain. The debris sent Steve stumbling forward into the God's strong arms, who threw the other man back onto the resulting pile of damage.
Landing hard on his ass, Steve's lips thinned into a tight line as he jumped to his feet, fists at the ready. Thor prepared to take him on, and when Steve realized further attempts to sway Thor were fruitless, he lowered his arms, shaking his head and chuckling. "Okay big guy. Have it your way. If you want to waste the last of your strength picking through dead bodies, go for it. The rest of us will get some rest, a shower, something to eat, and pick back up tomorrow morning. None of these corpses are going anywhere."
Cap's proclamation disheartened Thor. At one time, the Captain would not have hesitated to slog through thick and thin at his warrior brother's side. Time had changed the man, and not for the better, at least in Thor's judgmental heart.
The sparks of light didn't altogether leave his eyes but did calm down to a steady stream of sparks flowing from his fingertips, miniature stars falling to the dead earth beneath their feet.
A small band of colleagues had rushed out at the sound of the strike, but Cap waved them all away. They slowly receded, unanswered questions etched into weary expressions.
Thor crossed his arms, planting his feet firmly, straightening his spine. "Tell me something. If someone you loved – who was truly dear to you – was possibly out in this – this smoking graveyard, evil's travesty of ruin, would you be so eager to run along and bask in the comforts of the flesh without knowing that loved one's exact outcome, to the best of your ability?"
"I care about every one of these people out here, dead or alive!" Steve growled.
Thor just shook his head summoned Moljnir, casually tossing it down at Cap's feet. "Really? Prove it. Pick her up."
Cap looked at him, puzzled. "What?"
"You heard me."
Rolling his eyes, Steve muttered, "Fine," and went to lift Moljnir, shocked when he was unable to. He pulled with all his might, straining until he finally let go, stunned, gaping at the God of Thunder. "What – what is this? Why can't I lift it? I used it in battle!"
Thor made a show of stalking forward and hefting the hammer from the ground like a feather. Speaking into Cap's face, he rumbled lowly, "If you do not know the reason for your unworthiness, your lie-in will allow ample time to dwell upon what's transpired this day."
"I don't have time for this. Have fun digging around in the dead. I'll see you tomorrow."
"As you wish."
Cap gave Thor a puzzled look, and Moljnir, a concerned one before he turned and disappeared inside the temporary structure serving as barracks.
Thor went back to work, nodding to the few Wakandans and magic-users that persisted upon the remote chance any of their people could be alive. If Loki's life and death had taught him anything, it was that any outcome was possible.
Long hours later, Thor the last one still throwing aside debris in the wee hours of the night when all else slumbered, the God uncovered a body. He knelt beside it, turning it over carefully, pressing fingertips to check for a pulse.
A heartbeat! With no time to spare, Thor feverishly worked over the young man, channeling what little Seidr still resided within the Asgardian. It sapped the very last of his strength, but at last, the young man opened his eyes, blinking hard through the caked dirt and blood, raising a trembling arm to wipe his face.
"Wha-?"
"Rest, young one. We've won. You're safe now. I've got you."
Recognition sparked within. "You're Thor."
"Aye."
"Ha-Harry Potter." He tried to extend a trembling hand, dismayed when it fell short of its goal.
Thor scooped up Harry's hand, engulfing it in both of his own battle-weary palms. "A pleasure to meet you."
"Am I dead?"
Thor laughed aloud, withdrawing temporarily, holding his belly, unable to do more than look up at the sky or over to the side at young Harry. "Nay. But you may wish you were, upon the 'morrow. Many have perished."
"Where is everyone?"
"They'd given up finding you."
"I – I could have died."
"Aye."
"Why did you save me when everyone else had given up?"
Thor's head turned, intent, compassion, and conviction shining from his blue eyes to the brilliant green masked in shadow and starlight.
"If there were any chance of saving even one other being's loved one, even at risk of my own life, I would do so over and over again. For if a brave, hardy soul found one that I loved when all else had forsaken them for dead, who would I be if I could not say I'd put forth the same effort?"
Harry grunted at him, grimacing. "I'm starting to regret living already."
"I've healed you as much as I can. It will take a while for me to regain enough strength to carry you to safety."
"What will you do now that your world is lost?"
"Live in yours. Integrate with your world. Carry on."
"You're welcome to it."
"Thank you, my new friend. Count yourself my battle-brother."
Resting in silence, Thor gradually found the strength to rise and gingerly transfer Harry over the wreckage. "I am grateful Earth will allow my people to persevere."
Harry laughed weakly, coughing, swallowing hard. "Well, you're welcome to it. It's an imperfect world, but it's the only one we've got."
"Indeed."
Thor hugged the young man closer to his exhausted body, kicking in the door to the makeshift infirmary. "I have wounded!"