Chaos Wars

Loki stared in utter shock as he saw the figure emerge from the portal that hung above New York. He was riding on a far more ornate and grand version of the Chitauri Platform that Loki himself had been flying about in. He was wearing golden armor but even with his helm on there was no mistaking the wrinkled purple features or the muscular build of the looming figure.

Thanos. The Mad Titan.

‘That human was right,’ Loki thought in shock. He had believed, when the man known as Ediwn Chaos, had claimed that it was Thanos who was pulling the strings when it came to him claiming Earth, that the man was using a dark tale of the galactic tyrant in order to get his way. Plenty of criminals and thieves and fools, especially fools, claimed that Thanos was the reason this happened or that happened. The Mad Titan, moving from world to world, seemingly with no reason yet also clearly with a plan, destroying all that laid before him. Gathering up allies… his Black Order… all in the name of… well, no one knew. Power was the safest bet but no one in the Nine Realms was entirely for sure why Thanos did what he did. Why he sought out destruction.

Oh, there were plenty of claims. That he was in love with the physical embodiment of Death and slaughtered as he did in a mad attempt to impress her. Or that he was driven to try and match himself against that other legendary destroyer, Galactus. That he was the hero of the tale, not that anyone realized it, and that when his plans were revealed all would be ashamed of having doubted him.

It didn’t matter. The fact was that wherever Thanos went destruction followed him.

And now he had come to Earth.

Loki disappeared.

It was a simple conjuring trick. Bending the light to disguise himself so that everyone thought he had popped out of existence. It would allow him to make his escape and plan on what to do next because he knew he had no hope of taking out Thanos as he currently was. Especially without his army.

He glowered as he saw several of the Chitauri drop into a bow upon seeing Thanos’ arrival. They had never done that for him, always acting like a herd of barely controlled hunting hounds. It was utterly insulting that they were showing Thanos respect that they had refused to show him! That they had acted like they didn’t even understand the concept of respect only to suddenly reveal they knew all the tenants and norms of it!

Loki turned away in disgust.

‘I have time,’ he thought. ‘I have time to gather my strength and prepare to battle him. I still hold the staff… if Thanos truly gave it to me then that was his first mistake. Even with how powerful he is and how much fear he spreads in others the fact remains that Thanos’ forces have minds of their own. Their self preservation will lead them to trying to save themselves if the danger becomes too great. Even with the cracking of the whips against their backs they won’t be able to help themselves. But this staff…’ he squeezed the weapon, feeling its weight in his palm, ‘…it forces all to obey me. Makes my commands their very existence, so that they can’t help but do as I say. An army that marches not because they were ordered to but because they do not know any other life than that? That is a powerful, to be sure. One that can defeat the likes of Thanos-‘

Loki suddenly tripped and he looked down to find glowing white chains wrapped around his feet.

“Going somewhere?” Avo asked from behind him, giving a tug upon the chain that he was holding, causing Loki to slam into the ground. “You don’t get the start this madness and then leave when things get slightly out of your control.”

“If you think Thanos can even be considered ‘slight’,” Loki said even as he thrust out his hands in an attempt to try and blast the mage with his staff. But just as the tip of the staff began to glow Edwin cracked Glepnier’s Cord and Loki found his body encased in shimmering rope, the golden thread wrapping around him tight and forcing his hands to his sides. He dropped the staff and Edwin picked it up, considering it for a long moment.

“Too much power, even for you?” Avo said softly.

“…yeah,” He muttered before he walked over to a doorway of some building, only to open it and reveal what Loki could only assume was a vault of some kind. “I should toss it in-“

“We need it to close the portal,” Avo said and Loki frowned at that; what were they talking about?

“Fuck,” Edwin muttered, slamming the door and positioning the Staff so that it hung across his back, held in place by his cape or… something else. Whatever the man was wearing it was far different from anything Loki had ever seen before. “You’re right.”

“We can stuff Loki insider there,” Avo said with a smirk.

“I prefer keeping him here… we can always play ‘Get Help’ with him. I bet if I throw him at Thanos the Grimace decides to break him in half.” Edwin glanced at Loki and smirked.

“You are a bold one when I’m restrained,” Loki snapped.

“And you’re a bold one when you think the deck is stacked in your favor,” Edwin countered. “You should have taken the deal, Loki.” With that Avo flicked his hand and Loki found himself floating in front of them. “Come on, Chris can’t hold off Thanos for long.”

But before they could make a move they saw the portal begin to shimmer… and more of Thanos’ ships began to emerge.

“Fuck,” Edwin hissed. “We don’t have time to try and get to Stark Tower, especially if Loki has guards there.” The Asgardian merely smirked; yes, he had ordered his minions to make towards the tower. Edwin though looked at the sky before slowly reaching down and wrapping his hands around the golden key that hung around his neck. “The mind… is the only limit,” he whispered before his eyes began to glow.

“What are you doing?” Avo asked.

“Gravity is a chain, locking us to the Earth,” Edwin whispered, more to himself than anyone else. “And I… am the Key.” The trinket began to glow and Loki swallowed as he felt the raw power suddenly coming off of it, churning and swirling around the red-garbed figure. “And that portal… is just another door.” He smiled even as the golden energy wrapped around him. “Not a devil, huh mom?”

The golden energy consolidated… before exploding out into a pair of burning wings.

Edwin launched himself skyward, a trail of fire left in his wake.

“He thinks he can stop this!?!?” Loki demanded, his shock at the mere mortal suddenly gaining wings like those of the Valkyrie making his words higher pitched than he would have preferred.

Avo nodded as he watched Edwin go, a tight smile on his lips. “Yes. And he will. Because that man… he has something you will NEVER have, Loki Odinson.”

High above New York Edwin felt the winds ripping across his face but he smiled all the same, spinning in the air as he freed himself from gravity’s grasp. He saw an entire armada waiting for him within the portal… but he felt no fear. He knew exactly what to do.

Edwin ripped the Millennium Key from his neck and pointed it right at the portal.

“The way is shut,” he whispered as in that terrible moment he counted all the people that would die if he failed.

A beam of golden energy shot straight from the key and struck the portal, branching out like cracks in the ice. The power of ancient Egypt, of the Duel Monster Dimension, of the freed thieves of Kul Elna…

…none of these was what Edwin called upon.

He called upon his own strength. His own power. His own might. His own soul.

With a wordless roar Edwin twisted the key and the beams of golden energy latched onto the edge of the portal, grasping them and slowly dragging them towards the center. Thanos’ armada, seeing what he was doing, rushing to make it through the portal but his eyes merely narrowed before he sent out another pulse of energy, forcing the portal to close all the faster.

“The way… is SHUT!” he repeated before giving the last of his strength to the Key.

The portal slammed shut, the first ship that had tried to get through having the nose of it cleaved right off.

Edwin gasped, the wings disappearing and his vision blurring as he twisted in the air, his greatest fear realized as he began to fall-

A hand grabbed onto him, yanking him up.

“No one gets left behind,” Slash hissed from the back of her Charizard, pulling Edwin to safety.

“What… what does he have?” Loki whispered on the roof below, his eyes wide in shock.

Avo smirked.

“A glorious purpose.”

~MC~MC~MC~

“You know… I have been doing this a long time. A very long time. Planet after planet. Solar system after solar system. Again and again I have landed on these places where the people have deluded themselves into thinking that everything is fine. More than that… they believe that no matter what happens things will continue on as they always have. That there is no need for them to change because things will just keep going as they always have and they have no need to worry. So they turn a blind eye to the waste. To the spoilage. To the starving stomachs and pain-filled bodies. Because things just have to remain the same… until the very end.

“I come to them and I tell them that things will not last. That there will come the breaking point. And if they want to avoid that moment where all comes crashing down they need to make some hard decisions. And every time they refuse to listen to me. Because they are weak… and they don’t have the will to do what they must in order for not just them but their entire world to survive.

“And when they call me mad for daring to suggest something that isn’t the norm they are used to they always send out… the champion. Someone big and strong or fast and quick or brainy and cunning. Someone that is supposed to be different from every other champion I have ever faced. They will be the first ones to defeat me and drive me off and then everything can continue on as if it were normal and the same even though they have to know that the world they are fighting for is doomed. That every world is doomed unless something drastic is done.

“So you called me out, champion. Told me to come here because you believe that it will make a difference. And I will give you this: it will make a difference. Because once I pluck that Infinity Gem from your cold hands I will be one step closer to saving the universe. So be glad for that.”

Thanos looked down at the blue and yellow clad figure before him.

“And what do you make of that?”

“The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” the man, Spider-Chaos as he was apparently called, stated with an aloof tone. He folded his arms over his chest and sighed. “Now that you’ve told me about your tiresome life… let me tell you about mine.”

“Is this where you inform me of why this world is important to you?” Thanos asked with a shake of his head. “If it truly was you would let me do what needs to be done so it can survive.”

“Actually I don’t get two shits about this place,” Spider-Chaos stated. “See… this isn’t my planet. I wasn’t even supposed to be on it; some… friends… brought me here to help save it from Loki and I suggested bringing you here.”

That had Thanos puzzled. He was used to facing champions and heroes who spoke of how their actions were needed to save their beloved world. As if their planet was more special than any other one in the universe. That was the point of all Thanos did! EVERY planet was special. Every single one of them deserved a chance thrive and that would only happen if drastic steps were taken. Every planet he visited was beautiful in its own way and all Thanos wanted to do was ensure that they survived. But the champions… they were so short sighted. They refused to see the truth.

‘But this Spider-Chaos… he claims that this isn’t his earth. Yet he fights me all the same. Could he be a warrior from a planet I once invaded? I have encountered them before too… those lost to revenge, who see only their desire to destroy and nothing else?’ Thanos had encountered those types of beings too… the tiresome figures who believed that they were on some ordained quest to stop him and that they were always fated to meet in glorious battle. He had, more often than he could count, informed them that he simply had no idea who they were. That he had no idea their name or their planet or anything like that. ‘He wanted me here… and he knew I was manipulating the Asgardian… how though? I was so very careful…’

“See, I too have been to a lot of different places. Not just planets… but timelines. Time travel… its my thing.” Thanos could tell the man was smirking under his mask. “And in nearly every timeline there is the madman. The delusional fool who believes themselves to be the hero. That all the pain and suffering they cause is worth it because they, and only they, know what needs to be done to save the universe. And each and every time… they fail. Fall. Die trying. Because the universe loathes them and thus the universe seeks to destroy them.

“You and your hubris, Thanos. You believe that you are the one that is different from all others. That everyone else is wrong about their place in the universe but you… you are the only one that understands. Do you not hear yourself talk? Hear how foolish you sound. NO ONE is perfect. No one is right. And no one has the perfect solution. You’re ideas… if they were truly so amazing you would have no problem getting people to go along with them. You would merely need to speak them aloud and people would gasp in shock and wonder why they never thought of them. The fact that every sane and rational being gasps in horror? The fact that all you can get to follow you are the greedy, the spineless, the corrupt, and the violent?” He leaned forward. “Wasn’t that your first clue?”

Thanos merely narrowed his eyes as he stared at the annoying figure. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Ah, the choir song of those that know they are wrong but don’t want to admit it.” He rolled his neck before rotating his shoulders. Behind him Thanos knew his Black Order was preparing to move on the foolish champion. “One more small thing you got wrong, Thanos.”

“And that is?”

“Like I said… I’m not this world’s champion. It doesn’t have one.” He gave a helpless shrug.

Thanos didn’t even have a chance to consider what those words meant before he heard a weapon whistle through the air and he turned to see Corvus go down, clipped in the shoulder by a spear that he had tried to dodge, four others near him as he hissed. Proxima was instantly at his side, ready to attack any that dared to come near him. Just behind Thanos and his Black Order stood a squadron of female warriors, all with dark skin and short hair (some completely bald), holding spears and shields and commanded by a figure in a full black bodysuit.

“Yibambe!” he cried out and the warrior women all fell into defensive stances, shields held so that they protected not just themselves before those to their direct right.

Cull Obsidian let out a chuckle, or at least what was a chuckle for him, before taking a step forward, cracking his knuckles… only for a small insect to buzz around him. That made him growl and he swatted at the thing… only for it to strike him on the chin, sending him flying up in the air before another bug came down, growing in size to reveal itself to be a female warrior in a form fitting suit. He crashed down as the female landed, the second bug growing into a male who glanced at his companion.

“Nice to know I still have it, Hank,” she said.

“I never doubted you for a second, Janet.”

“But wait!” Spider-Chaos proclaimed and Thanos turned in time to see a bald woman in ornate robes step out of a portal along with several other mages. “There’s more!”

As if summoned by his call, and it was entirely possible that was the case, more defenders appeared, emerging from different doorways.

“The Avengers, sire,” Ebony Maw stated as he studied them. “Freed from Loki’s grasp. As for the others they are the ones we heard tale stood against them… the brothers.”

“Not quite,” a man in a long white coat said with a smirk as he floated above the ground, white and black energy cracking around his fists. “Just different reflections of the same man.” He glanced at the one in the red regal outfit, who got off the back of an orange dragon. “All of us, despite this one claiming he is from Earth-1.”

“Yeah, still surprised Edna allowed me to get away with that.” The caped one pointed his double bladed spear at Thanos. “I liked you better in Deadpool 2, by the way!”

Spider-Chaos huffed. “I get enough of those references from Timepool. You’d think I would make them more but-“

“I believe we should focus on tall, purple, and wrinkled,” a woman in an outfit similar in design to the regal red one stated as she leapt off the back of the dragon.

“Slash is right,” Captain America stated. “Thanos… leave this planet.”

“I think not,” a symbiote user declared, licking her fangs. “We do not let him leave just so he can harm us later when he has redoubled his strength. This one either surrenders… or dies.”

“I agree most heartily with Lady Corrosion,” Prince Thor stated. “Too long have you been allowed to terrorize Midgard, Thanos of Titan. You threaten the Nine Realms… and now they say NAY! Today… all the pain you have visited upon others is returned upon you!”

Ebony Maw raised an eyebrow at that. “You dare speak that way to mighty Thanos? The savior of universe? He who should-“

“Kamehameha!” an orange wearing humanoid roared and thrusting out his hands he fired out a blast of energy. Maw merely flicked out his hand, drawing a car to block the blast… only for the energy beam to rip through it and force Maw to leap away.

“Avengers!” Captain America roared out.

“Assemble!” Spider-Chaos bellowed.

Thanos merely raised his blade and his army rushed out in two directions, not concerned at all that they had been caught between their enemies’ two forces. They would be broken, just as all armies had been… that was the way of it. Thanos would claim what he wanted.

And what he wanted was the Infinity Gem that Spider-Chaos held.

Thanos moved through his men with easy, the Chitauri and the followers of his Black Order used to sensing his presence and avoiding it so he might get to his prize. Spider-Chaos though proved to be a slippery thing as he was able to leap through the air, sticking onto a building before he suddenly leapt away, swinging on some webbing, if Thanos had to guess, in order to get to where Corvus was now fighting against several of the warrior spearwomen. Thanos grit his teeth and changed directions… only to blink when a strange rodent appeared before him, riding on his tail as it hovered in the air.

“Rai!” it declared almost cheerfully… just before its cheeks began to spark.

Thanos lifted up his sword just as the creature unleashed bolts of electricity at him. A normal blade would have caused him to become fried by the bolt but he had gotten his sword specially forged to resist heat, electricity, and all other manner of energy. Thus he was able to use it as a shield against the assault and the moment it was done he smirked, lashing out-

-only for the rodent to disappear in a beam of red, leaving him swinging wildly just as Iron Man raced down and fired repulsors at him.

“Yeah, I so need to visit Slash’s world and pick me up a Pokemon! I am debating which one… you know there is an evolution for Bisharp now? That sounds cool! Pepper said- she’s my assistant and kind of my girlfriend though don’t tell her I said kinda and don’t say girlfriend either because either might make her mad, in fact don’t even bring it up to her, anyway she said I should get a Scizor but that feels on the nose-“

Thanos growled and leapt at Iron Man, punching him as hard as he could.

“I will claim the Time Stone, human, no matter what you do!” He felt his fist clang against the metal but there was no satisfying crunch of bone or the caving in of the steel that made up his armor. No… Stark merely was pushed back a few feet before he raised his hands.

“Hate to break it to you but affirmations don’t work!” Iron Man declared before opening fire on him.

Thanos shielded himself with his sword, glowering as he saw Spider-Chaos swing away. ‘He said he was setting a trap and I walked right into it. But if he thinks that will stop me then he has miscalculated. I will claim the Infinity Gem even if all of this planet must burn!’

~MC~MC~MC~

“Hmm… I was looking to challenge the mage,” Ebony Maw stated wearily as he looked upon the Pharaoh. “His manipulation of energy is quite interesting… I was curious to see if my own abilities, along with my intellect, would merely make our battle child’s play or if I would still tear him limb from limb.”

“You are someone who enjoys games, aren’t you?” the Pharaoh said with a smirk.

‘Pharaoh?’ Yugi asked him.

‘We never did get to do this against the Black Widow… and for that I am glad, Yugi. We would have been forced to hold back.’ The King of Games smirked darkly as his puzzle began to glow. ‘Let us see just how great our power has grown since we last attempted this.’ At once the Pharaoh thrust out his hand. “I am the Pharaoh! And I challenge you to a Shadow Game!”

“A Shadow Game?’ Maw said, tilting his head. “I must admit I have played many games but never a Shadow Game. It does sound like something I would create though. Tell me… what is this Shadow Game? What are the rules?” He was willing to humor the youth… while the strange pyramid he wore was glowing it didn’t seem that much of a threat and he was apparently the youngest of all those currently fighting. It might have been because he was powerful… or it could have been he was a fool. Maw would need to find out for Thanos would want to know about all the fighters that stood against him, just in case there were more of them.

“The Shadow Games have their own rules, each game different from the last. They are tailored towards the players, and since no two beings are alike they always change. In fact if you and I were to play 10 Shadow Games each would be different; our experiences would change us and thus change the game.”

“How… interesting,” Maw admitted. “Empathetic?”

“In a way,” the Pharaoh stated. “So as you can see I can not tell you the rules until you agree to play.”

“So long as you know that if it is some pathetic trick game where when I say yes all I can do is leave or die or attack my allies I will instantly end the game and you?”

“That isn’t a game,” the Pharaoh countered.

“…then I accept.”

And at once the Pharaoh chuckled as the Shadow Realm appeared around them, drawn from the Puzzle itself and wrapping around their small section of the battlefield. Both he and Maw could vaguely see the fights happening but they couldn’t tell who was who unless they were very close. Otherwise they were just blobs fighting blobs. The Eye of Horus glowed on the Pharaoh’s forehead as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck. But… it wasn’t his dueling deck. No. This was just a normal deck of cards, one he had snagged from the helicarrier, figuring it might be of use. He broke open the seal even as the Puzzle began to tell him just what kind of Shadow Game they would be playing.

“This is a game of words and strategy… but as you know strategy wins wars… and words can harm far worse than many blades, if one knows how to use them.” He held out the deck and pulled out four cards: the Ace of Clubs, the 10 of Spades, The Jack of Diamonds, and the 2 of Hearts. “Each of these represents a way of battle and conquest. The Club is brutal violence. The sword. The gun. The ability to break and damage. The Spade represents more cunning violence. Slippery. A knife between the ribs, a dagger to the throat.”

All of this made perfect sense to Ebony Maw. And he had to admit he was intrigued. Perhaps he would keep the youth as a pet after all of this was done. Someone he could visit and play such games with to keep his wits sharp.

“The Diamond is loss of possessions. The theft of wealth. The burning of a house. The razing of land.” The Pharaoh held out the final card, the 2 of Hearts. “And Hearts… that is the spiritual. To break them so they lose the will to fight.” He shuffled the cards. “One of us will draw a card… and the suit we draw will represent how we will fight. The numbers and characters don’t matter… jus the suit. The other will draw and counter with that suit, then draw again to strike back. We will battle until one can no longer counter. A battle where you do not know your next move until you see it… and you have only limited time to decide before the blow falls.”

“Very well then” Maw said, holding out his hand and causing a card to fly to him. ‘Let us see how skilled this one is. I need to go slow, get a feel for this game.’ He revealed the club he had drawn. “I select a battle axe that I hurl at your head.”

Much to his surprise within the darkness the shadows twisted to form into an ax, which hung there as the Pharaoh drew his card. The moment he did so, however, the weapon began to fly right at Maw’s opponent. But the Pharaoh merely stated, “The forest rises around me, the trees taking the blow.” He revealed a Diamond and a whole grove of trees appeared between him and Maw, the ax biting deep into the trunk of one, causing it to groan. “From the safety of the shadows my assassin creeps towards you, dagger in hand!”

Catching sight of something moving amongst the trunks Maw called for his card, smiling as he saw it. “I light a fire, setting your assassin’s hiding spot ablaze!” The trees went up at once and he heard a cry of agony from somewhere to his right. A club was his next card. “I send my soldier marching forth, for he has no fear of the flames! He will take your head from your shoulders and toss your body into the fires!” A Chitauri Soldier appeared and with determination began to march through the fire, its armor protecting it.

“But the smoke is blinding!” the Pharaoh declared as he drew another diamond. “And choking. He becomes lost, swinging wildly at threats that aren’t there, his mind becoming addled as he attempts to find me… but never does before his lung seize!” Maw tried to find his warrior but the words that the Pharaoh had spoken had caused the fires to produce black smoke, thick and toxic, and though he could heard the Chitauri snarling and slamming his ax into the trees he was unable to get even near the boy, wandering in the wrong direction and back towards Maw before, finally, he heard him collapse. “Thanos will be most displeased with you,” the Pharaoh stated.

“Oh?” Maw said, raising his brow.

“You are supposed to be one of his elite generals, are you not? And I sense one of his greatest minds. And yet here you are… struggling against me in a simple game. The rest of his generals are battling great heroes with fantastic abilities and here you are wasting your time with a child… all because of your curiosity. I would have thought he had beaten that out of you.”

Maw frowned at that. “I suppose I could just rip your heart out of your chest…” He raised his hand… only for the world around him to ROAR and the shadows to suddenly loom around him. “What is this?”

“You chose to play the game… and we are still playing,” the Pharaoh warned. “You haven’t drawn your card.”

It dawned on Maw just what the boy was saying… and its ramifications. Until they were done with the Shadow Game he literally could do nothing but draw cards and declare actions. The only telekinesis he could do was calling a card from the deck. He was trapped… and would remain trapped until the game was done. It was worrisome that he hadn’t seen that… but also something to intrigued him.

“I wouldn’t do that again,” the Pharaoh warned. “That was your only warning.”

“You have a great-“

“A tree breaks and cracks and falls down towards you!”

Hearing the ominous groan Maw quickly called his card. Another Club. “A soldier shoves me away, taking the blow!” One of the Chitauri appeared and pushed him aside, Maw barely managing to maintain his composure as he slid to the side. The tree crushed the soldier and he turned, calling forth another card. It was time to stop being coy and cute with the youth. “A club! I call forth one of our scythe ships to fire down upon you!”

Above them one of the sleek and deadly fighters appeared, weapons charging as they locked onto the Pharaoh.

“But it has flown too low,” the Pharaoh said as he revealed a Spade. “And the hidden defenses that had been tucked away in this forest can now make themselves known.” The ground beneath their feet cracked open as laser turrets rose up, firing upon the Scythe Ship, making it begin to spin wildly. “Perhaps Thanos should have chosen one of his other generals. They all are quite skilled in battle and would not have been so easily distracted. It must be worrisome for you to constantly know you are the different one. The one that doesn’t quite fit. The one that should be replaced since you don’t mesh with the others.”

Maw’s mouth pulled in at that. The boy… perhaps he was just getting lucky. Saying generic little comments that were little more than daggers thrown in the dark. And yes… he was speaking the hidden fears that Maw had always possessed. He knew he was different from his brothers and sisters. Even the cunning of them were battle harden and desired combat. He preferred to match wits with people, to plan out grand traps and strategies. They liked to rush in and take heads off of shoulders.

Thanos was the only one that had been different. Their father planned things too… grand plans. The Great Plan to save the universe! Maw ignored the fact that he was just as much a warrior as the rest of the Black Order, enjoying the times he’d been able to cut loose even if he claimed it was a bother and a waste of time. He could tell that his father delighted in being able to truly test himself against a worthy foe-

“The ship comes crashing down towards you!” The Pharaoh declared and Maw, once more, drew a card. This time it was a Spade and he knew he should have used it to set something else but with all that burning metal coming towards him all he could do was declare that Corvus yanked him to safety, arguing mentally that his brother was good at infiltration and thus worked as a Spade. Still, he hated that he’d needed his brother to save him… and drawing another Spade sent him to attack the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh drew a Club and Thor engaged Corvus in battle.

The next few rounds continued on like this, with each of them calling forth new Champions to defend them. The Pharaoh would bring out the Avengers and Maw the Black Order. They would clash, one would fall, another would take their place. And through it all the Pharaoh never stopped speaking. Never stopped taunting Maw. Secret words. Terrible words. Ones that Maw had spoken to himself in the dark a thousand times… dismissive, taunting, painful words. Painful truths. Of how he was the weakest of his siblings. How Thanos thought little of him. How he was only the mouthpiece or the oddity or the toy that the others played with. Or humored.

And with every one of the verbal daggers he would attack. Captain America’s shield bouncing back at him. Thor sending a stray bolt of lightning. One of the explosives Black Widow threw out-

Maw’s eyes widened.

“What… what cards are you drawing?” he asked as he realized that every one of the Pharaoh’s attacks… weren’t actually attacks. They were the continuation of his counters.

The Pharaoh merely smirked and behind him cards appeared.

All Hearts.

He HAD been attacking Maw… by striking at his self doubt. His self worth.

He had made him QUESTION himself.

Maw lifted his hands, jerking the Pharaoh to his outstretched hand. “You will suffer-“

He was sent flying back, his body aching as he found himself held to what felt like a wall. But one that grabbed onto him, pulling him in a multitude of directions. He struggled and fought but found there was nothing he could do to escape the grasp of the shadows.

“I warned you not to do that again,” the Pharaoh stated as he walked towards Maw, eyes glowing black and gold. “You broke the rules. And that… comes with a cost. PUNISHMENT GAME!” He thrust out his hand and Maw cried out as he felt his body being yanked even harder. “Your master wishes to destroy half the universe? That will now be your fate. You will have half of you destroyed.” The tearing sensation continued and Maw struggled to keep the scream that threatened to bubble from his throat silent. “Of course… that remaining half is still you… and must have half of IT removed as well. And half of that… and half of that…”

Maw didn’t get a chance to scream at that. The Shadows decided to claim his vocal cords next.

‘Pharaoh…’ Yugi whispered as the Shadow Realm retreated, taking with them Ebony Maw. Sound returned to the world as the Pharaoh and Yugi found themselves once more in New York, the battle raging still. ‘That… that was wrong.’

‘Thanos and his Black Order are threats the likes of which we have never faced, Yugi. They are darkness and violence that make even Marik, on his worst day, seem like the most innocent of children. He would have killed us Yugi, had he not broken the rules of the Shadow Game.’

‘But that makes it right to torture him like that?’ Yugi asked. ‘Not just the Punishment… you manipulated the deck to draw all those Hearts. You wanted to mock and insult him.’

‘He could have done the same, had he realized it. But for all his effort to portray himself as some aloof thinker he was still a savage killer and his mind always went to physical destruction. He was trained to handle violence of that nature, both in dealing it and defending against it. By attacking the heart… the soul… I found the one place he couldn’t fight back against.’ The Pharaoh paused. ‘I promise you, Yugi… it wasn’t an action I took lightly. And I will not do so again, unless we are in a similar situation.’

Yugi was silent.

He remembered well the last time the Pharaoh had promised such things.

He remembered the attack that had nearly killed Seto.

~MC~MC~MC~

Corrosion snarled as she leapt away from Corvus, his blade coming down onto the part of the road she had been standing on. Extending her hand she formed a katana, hardened to near the strength of adamantium. It had taken a lot of practice for her and her symbiote to master such a move but once they had it had served them very well.

The bastard had managed to sneak up on Chris as he had been attempting to deal with some other soldiers of the Black Order, knocking him down and moving to spear him through the chest. That had caused Corrosion to see red, leaping away from the fight she was having so she could defend the Spider.

“I didn’t expect to see a Symbiote here,” Corvus commented as he dodged one of her swings and moved to strike at her side with his spear. But rather than twist away from the blow Corrosion merely allowed her symbiote half to grab onto the spear, wrapping around it so that Corvus was trapped in place, allowing her to swing once more at him with her katana. That forced him to let go of his weapon and duck, left he lose his head and half of his left shoulder. “Your kind… I wasn’t aware you had gotten this far in the universe.”

“We have traveled far,” Corrosion stated as she flung the spear away only to growl when Corvus pulled out a short sword in response. The man seemed to have weapons everywhere. “In our short time we have seen far more than even you, invader!” She had wanted to say that ‘We’ve seen a lot, bastard’ but her symbiote tended to get far more wordy and dignified, especially when it was in control like this. Not that she truly cared but she did find it amusing.

“Perhaps… but that won’t let you see victory this day,” Corvus countered. “My sire will win… your planet will fall. Give up the Time Stone though and we can be merciful… there is always a place for another sister.”

Nearby one of Corvus’ sisters was finding herself dealing with Edwin. He was pulling out all the stops, using all the knowledge he had gained from morphing; all the weapons too, as well as his Duel Band to counter her strikes. He hadn’t yet pulled out his lightsaber or Gleipnir, as he wanted to save those as surprises. Same for the Key… he was eying up doors and did have the images he’d pulled up of blast furnaces… but no, for now he was focused on taking down the woman before him with just the power of the Morphing Grid.

“You are little more than a bug,” Proxima stated as her sword locked with his double bladed staff. “A weak and pathetic thing that doesn’t understand its place! I will enjoy teaching you… I will slowly drain you of every drop of essence you have, milking you dry and refusing to stop until I have had every ounce of pleasure I can gain from you!”

“…Selene?” Edwin said, raising an eyebrow.

Proxima frowned at that. “Pardon?”

“Sorry just… you aren’t a moon goddess, right? Because I’m dating a moon goddess and that is exactly something she has said when she’s been in control. Like literally, word for word. Its kinda creepy, to be honest. All you need to do now is claim you want to make me immortal and then I am convinced you’re her just fucking with me.”

That made the alien woman sneer. “You are delusional, human. Addled in the head.” But then she stared at him for a long moment. “… though…” she looked him up and down slowly, “I suppose there is something appealing to you. Perhaps you are right. A bit more power so you might rival me-“

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Edwin snarled before he let go of his staff with one hand and punched Proxima in the side. “Mai is never going to believe this.”

THAT made Proxima pause, her sneer disappearing at once. “What was that?”

Edwin groaned, fighting the urge to rub his forehead; yes, he felt a headache coming on but he was also in the middle of a fight and didn’t feel like getting stabbed while he expressed how exasperated he was. “My girlfriend’s name. Mai. M-A-I. And yes, I said her name was Selene, it’s the same person she just created a separate persona-“

“No,” Proxima slowly lowered her weapon, staring at him in befuddlement. “Mai… I… haven’t heard that name since I was a child. Before my sire found me… I think… my parents called me that.”

Edwin’s shoulders slumped. “Of course…” There was an explosion and he winced. “Listen, I’m dating someone but I think Spider-Chaos is single. Yeah, has some kids but good egg. Hit on him.”

The Chaos in question was currently trying to free himself. Corvus had managed to grab some rebar and twist it in a way so that it pinned one of his legs down. He’d ended up falling at an awkward angle and as such wasn’t able to get good leverage to rip it out of the ground, thus why he was still half on his side as the Black Order member, after tossing Corrosion into a wall, loomed over him, blade raised.

“For Thanos!” Corvus roared… only for Corrosion to tackle him.

She formed no blades. No swords or daggers. Instead she landed on Corvus and pinned him down, lifting up one of her fists high.

“Do you know why they call us ‘Corrosion’?” she asked.

Corvus struggled to free himself. “A reference to the symbiote?”

“Not to me,” the symbiote said, pulling away from its host’s face to reveal the young woman’s thunderous look. Her hands also became free and for the first time Corvus noticed that they looked slightly… off. He couldn’t tell what but they seemed to have a shimmer on the palms… “Because I’m a mutant,” the young woman said before slamming her hands onto Corvus’ chest… and the alien credout as her touch caused his armor, some of the best in the galaxy, to begin bubbling as her acidic touch ate through it. “My touch… is corrosive. All fear it on my world.” She leaned in close. “Learn to share their dread.”

But Corvus was saved by the worst kind of savior.

Thanos.

“Corrosion!” Chris roared as his friend was ripped off of Corvus and thrown hard into a wall, the symbiote doing all it could to protect her. She wasn’t dead, Chris could tell that, but it would take her a bit to get up.

He growled and ripped the rebar out before moving to confront the bastard that had hurt her.

“Are you regretting yet your choices this day?” Thanos asked as he stalked towards Chris. “Are you seeing the error you made by luring me here?” He smirked at that. “Don’t beat yourself up too much over it… I would have still found you. Still plucked the Time Stone from your corpse. Because I… am inevitable-“

“Ka…me… ha…me… ha!”

The beam of energy ripped across the battlefield, Thanos just bringing up his sword to block the blow. But Goku had been counting on that… hadn’t actually expected his attack to hurt Thanos.

He just needed it to distract him.

Avo appeared right in front of him and weaved his hands about before calling out the chains he had used the capture The Hulk. They wrapped around Thanos’ arms and legs, pulling on them tight.

Thanos began to pull back.

“You… think these little… tricks will help you?” he ground out.

Avo tensed, feeling Thanos trying to break his spell and doing all he could to strength it. Goku moved to punch the Mad Titan but Thanos was able to jerk his hand enough to shove him aside. Narrowing his eyes, Avo slammed his left hand into his right, transferring all of the magic for the Chains to his right so that, with his left, he could perform another spell. “White Satin!”

With a wave of his hand a helmet appeared on Thanos’ head.

One with spikes lining the inside.

The Mad Titan roared as Avo dropped the chains and pressed his hands together, working to slam the Iron Maiden helm close and embed the spikes in his skull. Thanos though at once brought his hands up, grabbing the helm and tugging at it, doing all he could to keep it open.

“Avo!” Goku shouted before leaping at Cull, who had been moving to strike him. Goku punched the huge Black Order member, knocking him back, but Thanos was able to use that distraction to rip the helmet off, throwing it at Avo who made it disappear.

“You think you’re justified in any of this?” Avo snarled. “You think you get to destroy countless lives and be forgiven because you have some grand scheme? You’re just a delusional fool!”

“And what are you, human?” Thanos asked. “A hero?”

“No,” Avo admitted. “I’ve made too many mistakes to call myself a hero right now. But… I am working on it. To live up to the glory of my friends, the true protectors of Earth. I’m just the liar. The thief. The trickster.”

He thought of the planet he had abandoned all in the name of improving his Dark Magic.

He swore, in that moment, to never do it again.

He would find a way to do the impossible… and he would do it without ever again harming the innocent.

“I… am the future Silver Sorcerer. BLACK PARADE!”

But his spell didn’t activate like he’d expected.

Instead of shadowy duplicates of himself Avo was startled to find the shades take the form of his friends. Goku. Krillin. Senza. All the Z Warriors. They surrounded Thanos and pulled back their arms.

Avo smirked and mimicked them.

“Chaos…” he roared, “…Kamehameha!”

All the duplicates fired on Thanos, causing him to roar as he was struck from all sides, unable to fight his way free. His armor was torn apart and bruises and gashes covered his body as the beams finally disappeared and the shades disappeared into vapor.

“That… shouldn’t be possible,” the Ancient One whispered to Wong.

But still… Thanos remained.

“I work very hard… to never make these things personal,” Thanos warned as he began to move towards Avo, picking up his sword from where it had fallen. “But with you… I’ll make an exception.”

“That’s a lie,” Avo said even as he quickly rose in the air and began to create some barriers.

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

Rather than answer Avo let Captain America and Bucky come at Thanos from both sides, each delivering a flurry of kicks and punches that had Thanos forced to brace himself. Both focused on his injuries, pounding into them and making Thanos stumble.

“It means-“ Slash said as she suddenly appeared behind Thanos, driving her saber into the Mad Titan’s back, “-that this was always personal for you!”

Thanos reached back, grabbing Slash and hurling her off of him, only for NONE to appear, grabbing her before she could fall, the sockets of his skull burning with flames. He lifted up his hand and Thanos began to cry out in pain, veins swelling.

“This… is me turning your blood into concrete!” NONE snarled only to suddenly shudder, the Gauge screaming in warning. “Fucking hell, Entropy!” he got out, releasing Thanos who was panting hard from the attack. While everything had reverted back to how it should be in his body he had still felt the terrible moment where all his fluids had solidified.

He grit his teeth and stormed towards the panting skeletal man, ready to take his head.

Goku blasted in and decked Thanos across the jaw.

“You don’t get to hurt people and claim you are saving them!” the Saiyan declared as he began to deliver a flurry of kicks and punches to Thanos’ torso. “That isn’t what a hero does!”

“A hero-“ Thanos said, grabbing Goku’s head and throwing him out of his way, “-does what he has to, to save everyone he can!”

“And you plan to do that by killing half the universe?” Black Widow said, opening fire on Thanos with her guns. He once more shielded himself but that only left an opening for Lady Sif to attack his side, driving her blade into his ribs. He howled at that before he was able to wrap his fingers around her throat and hurl her at Natasha, sending both women falling.

“Better than losing all of it!” Thanos declared just as Edwin snapped out Gleipnir, wrapping it around Thanos’ right arm and tugging HARD. Avo responded with his chains while Slash performed a modified Frenzy Plant with her Z Crystals, locking down his right leg while Corrosion fired off webbing to nab his left. Chris swung in and the Time Stone flashed as duplicates, each half a microsecond apart, appeared and caught Thanos’ shoulders, heaving with all their might to help keep the titan still.

“This isn’t personal…” Edwin grunted as he struggled to hold Thanos in place, Goku charging up another Kamehameha, “…that’s what you keep claiming. But it all boils down to your world suffering a terrible loss… and you NOT being able to see that what happened to you… isn’t the same for everyone else!”

“But. It. Is.” Thanos said as he fought to free himself. The different Spider-Chaoses grabbed onto his face, stabbing their fingers into his mouth, his eyes, even his nose and tugging hard. “This is how it always happens! Its meant to be!”

“…no one introduce him to Miguel O’Hara!” Chris shouted even as Hawkeye and his wife made themselves known, the two archers firing arrows right into Thanos’ shoulders that fired off electrical shocks. “Goku! Anytime now!”

“Ka…me…”

Thanos though would not be deterred. “I will not allow you to doom this planet because of your lack of vision!” He threw back his head. “RAIN FIRE!”

“But sire…” Proxima said, startled, “my brothers… our troops…”

“JUST DO IT!”

“FUCK!” Edwin roared, looking up at the sky in horror as Thanos’ ships turned their guns on New York. The charge of the weapons filled the air and it seemed as if every single person in the city froze so they could see the death that was coming for them.

“Sometimes…” Thanos growled as he began to break free, “one must do the hard things… to save the universe. If the cost of your Infinity Stone is the death of this city… so be it!” He broke free of Avo’s chains and Chris’ webbing. “BURN THEM ALL!”