A New Infinity Stone

TEN

The prison cell is dark and dingy and is more like a sewer tunnel. It is barely six feet by four. The wall is freezing cold on my back, and there is a layer of slime on the floor. Everything about it is disgusting. There is no bed, not even a bench, and there are no windows. The only light comes from a gap in the door, which the Chitauri guards use to check on me. This place was defiantly not built for comfort or style. It is either suffocatingly quiet or pierced with the screams of tortured inmates.

I don't know how long I have been here. Nebula just dropped me off and left without saying anything. I've been sitting on the floor, with my back to the far wall and facing the door. All I can do is think about the choices I made to be here, the people I betrayed. Loki. Dad. Natasha. All of them, my family. I couldn't risk them getting killed; if my plan doesn't work, they need to be able to stop Thanos.

"Prisoner, the Dark Lord wants to see you." A strange-looking man peeks through the gap in the door before stepping into the cell.
Actually, he isn't a man. He looks like a better evolved Chitauri. He wears a black cloak that covers most of his face. The top half of his grey body is exposed with gold decoration.
"Who are you?" I question, jumping up from the floor and following him out of the room.
"I am The Other. The Dark Lord's personal servant."
I vaguely listen to him as he carries on talking, but I am more interested in our surroundings. This place is absolutely terrifying. The towering walls look like they are made from obsidian, and Chitauri guards line the corridors. We must be heading to a nicer part of the ship as the lighting improves slightly, and we step into an enormous room with a throne in the middle.

I glance up at the throne with the Mad Titan himself sitting proudly. Thanos. He truly is a king. I feel so small compared to him. Just being in his presence makes me regret my plan. This isn't going to work. The Avengers will not be able to get near this guy without his knowledge. And he will crush them like a bug. I notice Nebula and The Other have taken their places beside the Titan.

"Mellona Barton." His powerful voice is filled with authority and echoes throughout the room. "Welcome. I have sensed your power for a long time, and now you are finally within my grasp."
I gulp, and my head spins slightly. Is he going to kill me?
"It is time for you to take your rightful place by my side." He motions to where Nebula is standing. "Your power is magnificent. I have never seen anything like it before. Mellona, I need you to collect the rest of the Infinity Stones for me."
"What?" I whisper; my brain is trying to comprehend what is happening.
Thanos motions to his servant, The Other, who is holding a Sceptre I recognise all too well.
"Loki's Sceptre." I breathe, my chest constricting as I start to panic.

Thanos laughs a deep sound that seems to shake the ground beneath my feet. Nebula seems to grin, but I send her a quick glare. Two alien hands grip my shoulder and push me onto my knees, and that is when the real panic sets it.
"For me to access your power, you have to be alive." Thanos states as he stands up from his throne. "And I need you to be willing. I cannot fight you every step of the way."
Thanos stands to his full height, and I feel even smaller. What have I gotten myself into? I notice the beautiful gem inside the Sceptre, and Thanos grins as he points it towards my chest.
"The Mind Stone. Loki used it when the Chitauri invaded earth. The pathetic god failed. But you, my dear, will succeed where others have failed."

With that, he lightly presses the end of the Sceptre to my heart, and I take a deep breath. The power is immense as it flows through my body. I feel my mind being moulded and played with; my free will is ripped from me. I stare into his electric purple eyes as they smile down at me. My body feels stronger like I can take on the world. The Titan steps back to admire his work, and the hands are removed from my shoulders. I stand up, and I look straight into The Dark Lord's eyes as a menacing grin splits my face.

"Which stone first?"