As we leave Wakanda, the tension ratchets up several notches in the Statesman. Our next destination is Titan, Thanos' capital, for another large event. This will bring me into the proximity of Thanos, and after my not quite successful tour of the districts, I'm not so sure I want that.

I doubt I've done enough; I could feel the lack of change I'd wrought as I visited the various districts. So now what? What happens when I see Thanos again, having failed to accomplish what he wished?

Will I die?

The day we're scheduled to arrive in Titan, Hela meets Veers and I for an early breakfast. Over cups of coffee and salt bagels, she asks us how she thinks Thanos will receive us. "Because in the districts? You've stuck to the script, for the most part, but you haven't been that convincing. I don't believe you're a loving couple now any more than I did before, and I didn't believe it at all before. So...." She spreads her hands, arching an eyebrow at us. "I doubt Thanos believed any of it."

I glance at Veers, and see my own doubt mirrored on her face. "I don't believe I did any good," I say, and she nods.

"So what will you do now?" Hela asks.

There's silence as we consider it, taking small sips of our steaming coffee. "What about..." Veers begins, then pauses, biting her lip. "What about an...an engagement? To prove we're serious about each other?"

Hela and I both make a face. I compose my expression quickly, but Hela doesn't. "Really? An engagement? You're hardly believable as girlfriend and boyfriend – how will being engaged change anything?"

"Okay, so that's what I have a problem with," Veers interrupts. "You say we're not believable together, but then how come we made it out of the arena if nobody bought into the romance?"

"And how come you seemed to be pushing us for a romance?" I echo. Veers glances at me, narrowing her eyes slightly, but waits for an answer.

"I pushed for you two to fight together," Hela says, leaning forward. "I didn't encourage the romance. The two of you are the ones with that genius idea."

"You survived in the arena because you two make excellent allies in a fight." Valkyrie's voice comes from the doorway. She's already got a bottle in her hand, which looks like a third of the liquor is missing, and her expression is grim. "The romance was important to your alliance, but then...it was different. The two of you made a good pair then. Now, you're stiff. You clearly are done with each other, I can see it. You were good at being friends. You're just not good at being lovers."

"But that's the ultimatum," Veers points out, her brow furrowing in confusion. "We used our relationship as an excuse to win the Contest together. Thanos told Loki he had to convince the galaxy that he loved me. That we were both in love with each other. We have to be good lovers. We have no choice."

"That's why an engagement is a bad idea," Valkyrie says, stepping into the room. "It won't work, it won't convince the doubters any more than you have been doing. Now, if you were to declare a partnership of a different nature...like, an alliance in the employ of Thanos...that might work better. It will return your relationship to its original state, one of necessity in the face of combat."

Veers and I look from Valkyrie to each other, then glance at Hela. I don't like the idea of working for Thanos, but I can promise anything since I'll be going back to Asgard to run away with Gamora shortly after this. "You think that will help?"

"Better than anything else you can do," Valkyrie says grimly, taking a swig from her bottle. Hela just tilts her head. She doesn't give much of an indication of her thoughts, one way or the other.

When we reach Titan, we are ushered from the platform back to the Contenders Facility, where we prepare for our interview with Luis that night. Veers wears a leopard print dress and I wear a completely black Midgardian suit, with my Yggdrasil pin on my lapel. With her on my arm, we approach the chairs in the center of the stage and greet Luis.

"Lokivers!" he exclaims. "Dang, yo! Welcome back to Titan!"

I inwardly groan. I had forgotten completely about the ship name.

"Good to see you again, Luis," Veers replies, with her characteristic smirk.

We begin the interview, Luis asking us questions about life since the Contest and our disaster of a tour. He avoids any touchy subjects, though. Probably was coached in it very thoroughly, and Veers and I answer everything carefully.

At the end, Veers and I announce our intention to work for Thanos, as partners, instead of mentoring future champions. "Pending our first mission," I add. "But both Veers and I admire Thanos and his efforts to maintain Balance in the universe. We hope he will accept us as keepers of that Balance."

As the interview ends, Thanos steps on stage and congratulates the both of us. "I would be happy to have the two of you working for the Balance."

But when I meet his gaze, he doesn't look very happy.

"I am not impressed by your lies," he says in a low voice, so only I can hear.

All right then. I'm dead.

But there's no time to bemoan my approaching death. For now, I am alive, and there is a party to attend. Here, on Titan, it really is a party, not just an event, and people whirl around us for hours, congratulating us over and over again until I'm dizzy and wishing I was deaf to avoid their meaningless words.

It's like the party after the Contest ended, except here, there are no other champions beside the ones from Asgard and Hala. I see Thor and Jane, dancing slowly together, Minn-Erva and Korath taking a turn on the floor, and I lead Veers out onto the dance floor. It seems like a good way to avoid well-wishers and the generally inebriated.

"I can't wait for this to be over," Veers murmurs as we dance.

"It's not over yet," I warn her quietly.

"Excuse me," I hear, and Veers and I both stop and glance over to see a dark-skinned man standing beside us, holding black sunglasses in his hand. He has short, curly dark hair and is wearing a black suit, with a leather trench coat. "I hear you two are new in town."

"Um, do we know you?" I ask, furrowing my brow. I feel like I have seen this guy before, but I can't place where or when.

"No, but I know you." He gestures at me with his sunglasses. "Loki Odinson and Veers of Starforce. A powerful duo. Sad to hear the two of you won't be staying on as mentors." He holds out his hand for me to shake. "Nick Fury, new Grandmaster of the Contest of Champions. But just call me Fury. Not Nick, or Nicholas. Just Fury."

"Grandmaster?" I repeat. "Impressive title."

"Impressive title for an impressive job," Fury says. "Especially with the Infinity Endeavor this year."

"Infinity Endeavor?" Veers echoes. "I'm curious now."

Fury raises his hands. "Can't say anymore. Operation Infinity begins tonight. It's time to prepare for the endgame to the first thirty-sixth Contests." He nods at us. "Couldn't have chosen a better pair to close them out myself."

Now I remember him. Nick Fury had been with the Collector last year, during the private training session. When I created an illusion to hurl a spear at Corvus Glaive, one of the Children of Thanos, he had removed his sunglasses in astonishment. And now he succeeds Taneleer Tivan to the position of Grandmaster.

"May I have a dance?" he asks Veers, and I offer him her hand, stepping back.

The Infinity Endeavor. So that will be the thirty-seventh Contest of Champions, the special event planned to close out the first six rounds. I wonder what will happen during it, what will differ from the others. I suppose we'll see eventually, I reflect, watching Fury dance and talk with Veers.

As the song ends, he escorts Veers back over to me. "Well, I need to be going." He dips his hand into his pocket and withdraws a thin leather wallet. He opens it quickly, glancing inside it as if for something, and I'm able to catch a glimpse of a dark grey stylized bird symbol on one side of it, with wings spread, before he closes the wallet again. "Enjoy the rest of your Champion Tour!"

I've never seen that bird symbol before, and by the look on her face, neither has Veers. We watch Fury melt into the surrounding crowd before glancing at each other in confusion.

It's not long afterwards that Jane rounds us all up and we depart the party. Thanos is sitting in his big stone chair on the dais in the center of the chamber, and I feel his eyes on us as we leave, but I refuse to look at him. I won't have to worry about this for much longer – once I'm back in Asgard, I can speak to Gamora and leave this all behind.

I can only hope she chooses to run with me.