"Huh? What—

"Who are you that dares to challenge me?"

I AM MANWË SÚLIMO, KING OF ARDA, VICEREGENT OF THE ALMIGHTY. YOU STAND ACCUSED OF INNUMERABLE COUNTS OF MURDER, AND OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT AN EVEN VASTER CRIME. HOW DO YOU PLEAD?

Brightstar is, again, no longer processing any of the conversation. 

After ten seconds of standing frozen, he takes two steps forward, raises his hands, and attempts to blast Thanos with everything he has in his reserves shaped into a single bolt of lightning. 

The Valar are not going to prevent Brightstar from hurting Thanos. He's really strong, though, even without the Stones, and so while the blast definitely hurts him, it probably does worse to Brightstar.

When Thanos recovers enough to speak, he looks up at Manwë.

"The universe must be balanced," he says, "whether anyone else has the strength to see it or not. Do what you will to me. I will not repent."

VERY WELL. FOR YOUR CRIMES, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH.

Thanos turns to dust.

Brightstar stays where he is, on hands and knees in front of the circle of gods-who-aren't-his-gods, looking at the dust that used to be Thanos. 

...He expected it to feel a lot better than this. He doesn't feel anything, really. The only thought he can muster is a vague 'what's next', but he can't manage to feel especially curious, even. 

Manwë looks back at Strange and Brightstar.

YOU DO NOT BELONG IN THIS TIMELINE, BUT I HAVE NOT THE POWER TO SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR OWN. HOWEVER, I CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO REMAIN IN VALINOR EITHER. IT IS NOT A PLACE FOR MORTALS. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO?

"Uh, the Sanctum Sanctorum. 177A Bleecker Street, New York City." If he can't go home, they'll need him there anyway, with the Ancient One gone.

Manwë looks at Brightstar.

Brightstar shrugs, and pulls himself wearily to his feet. :I will go with him: 

It doesn't actually occur to him to check whether Strange is on board with this; he's a mage, people generally find mages useful. And he did notice an awful lot of damage to the city, from the alien battle. Very different from how the Cataclysm poisoned the land, but still, maybe, within his capabilities to fix. 

He can try to be useful. It's not like there's anything else left. 

They are now at the Sanctum Sanctorum.

In 2018 New York, the Avengers and mages return from their time travel mission.

Vanyel immediately flops on the ground, in the middle of the city sidewalk. He's probably been this tired before but he's not coming up with any specific examples. Also his head is killing him. 

- after five seconds it occurs to him that whatever just happened - it's still a blur - he thinks Leareth hadn't yet gotten out, when he did. 

He struggles up on one elbow. "Leareth?" 

Leareth is sprawled in a heap. He's not moving.

Nayoki is already crouched by his side, though. 

:He needs medical attention!: she tells anyone within twenty feet of her, which is hopefully mostly Avengers. :Now: 

Well, that's concerning but it seems like someone's handling it. 

Vanyel's thoughts aren't being very cooperative. His head feels kind of like someone just swished a bunch of lava around inside his skull. 

.....Brightstar? 

"Brightstar?" he tries to call out. 

Featherfire is looking around frantically as well. 

"Brightstar? Brightstar!" 

:Is he here? Did anyone see him?: she demands of the other Avengers. 

Tony's Iron Man suit has a lot of emergency medical capabilities. He removes it and puts it on Leareth, and it manages to get his pulse and breathing stabilized.

"I don't think Brightstar made it. Or Strange. I'm sorry."

Featherfire curls up and hugs her knees and puts her head down. 

He needs to think but thinking is really hard with the godawful headache.

Also the fact that Brightstar is dead, but honestly Vanyel's emotions aren't really processing that yet. 

...The first thought Vanyel manages to squeeze out is that he should fix this bottleneck. 

:Does anyone -: owwwwwww Mindspeaking is terrible right now, :- have - painkillers...: 

Nayoki really wishes there were a Healer here who could tell what was going on, but at least it looks like Leareth isn't about to die of backlash shock on the spot, it can wait. 

:Are we safe here: she asks Tony and the other Avengers. :If Thanos found us there - he might guess we would come back here -: 

"I don't think he can track us—2012 New York was a really obvious place to get the Stones, and Thanos knows that, because he orchestrated it originally. But the Avengers Facility is also a really obvious place to be, so we need to get the Stones that we do have out of there. Off this planet, preferably. Is anyone remotely in shape to do a Gate back there?"

:I can do it. I will be very tired afterward though. ...Can someone else carry Leareth, if we are all going and then departing from there?: