Chapter 5
Suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue, a laser beam hit their base. The whole building shook to its foundations and collapsed in on itself. Already the bystander might have thought that no one could have survived such a thing, but inside were Earth's strongest heroes, weren't they?
It was all about coincidence because if it hadn't been for Loki, it was hard to tell how the whole disaster would have turned out. Loki succumbed to his latent lust for power at the last moment and took from the glove the stone of space he had placed in his spear. This allowed him to create a barrier around everyone to save them from falling debris.
Meanwhile, outside, through the clouds, a giant spaceship made its way to Earth, landing in front of the ruins. Thanos and his aides disembarked from the ship. Meanwhile, battleships were massing over the entire area to support their master in any predicament. They decided to wait a while before searching the wreckage.
They were in enemy territory after all, and from Nebula's memories, he could see clearly how they had killed him in the future. Who knows how powerful his enemies were. But he didn't care, in part, because he didn't know anyone who could stand up to him and win. He just didn't want to get his hands dirty. So he stuck his weapon in the ground, put his helmet on it, and sat down and looked at Nebula from the past.
„Bring me the stones,” he said, calmly waiting to get what he had come for.
Loki used most of his power to bring them back to the surface from the wreckage. Most of the Avengers were already wearing their battle armour, so they didn't even wait to go to the edge of their former home and find out who hadn't fallen them. What they saw chilled them. Their worst enemy was standing right on the threshold of their ruined home with victory within reach.
The heroes didn't miss a beat and immediately took up arms. The captain took his shield, Rocket took his giant weapon, Thor summoned the lightning bolt that gave him his armour, the Stormbreaker and even his old Mjolnir that he had acquired in the past, Clint took his bow quiver, Rhodey and Tony put on their suits and Yon-Rogg stepped in with his gloves and Loki with his spear. They weren't going to just abandon Tony.
„It could be a trap,” Thor said.
„It can,” the Captain replied.
„I just want us to be on the same side,” he said, quite ready for battle.
„You couldn't live with your own failure. And where did that get you? Back to me,” Thanos began as the heroes began to close in on him. „I thought if I destroyed half of living beings, the other would flourish. But you're demonstrating it's impossible. As long as some remember the past, there's always someone who won't be able to accept what might be. They will resist.”
„Yeah, we're pretty stubborn,” Tony said as if he were an ordinary man of his own kind.
„I must thank you for that. For now, I know what I must do,” and with that, he stood. He walked over to where he had put his helmet and put it on his head with a slow gesture. „I will crush this universe to the last atom first. And then with the stones you collected for me, I will create a new universe. A rampant life that will not know what was lost, but only what was donated,” and with that he took his weapon. The Avengers, meanwhile, surrounded him, and Thor called for lightning.
„Eternal universe,” he concluded.
„Born of blood,” the captain appealed.
„And who will know? You won't live to tell anyone,” he replied, calmly.
And with that, the whole team attacked him. They attacked him in complete sync, but for all their efforts, Thanos was able to block out every their attacks. Whether it was lightning or laser or any other attack. Tony stood in front of Thor, his suit modified to receive a large power source.
„All right, Thor hit me,” he said determinedly. Thor obeyed and was struck by several bolts of lightning, connecting the hammers and sending their accumulated energy to Iron Man, who converted that energy into several laser beams, which he focused on Thanos. But he blocked them with his weapon and walked slowly toward Tony to stop the attack.
The others didn't give him a chance. Thor bowled Mjolnir and Stormbreaker launched him at Thanos. That only hit him when Thanos lifted Tony. Thanks to the ensuing blow, the purple giant dropped Tony and he was flung several meters away. Excess energy was still coursing through his suit. Loki saw it and would have liked to have gone to his aid, but he had a hard time keeping Thanos's henchmen busy himself. Already he and Yon had managed to kill several, including Nebula from the past, who hesitated for a moment.
Tony fainted for a moment, and now it was the captain and Thor's turn to face the madman. The captain attacked first, sent by Thanos with one wave of his hand to the other side. Thor was cornered. The God of Thunder tried to summon the Stormbreaker but it caught Thanos and was about to end Thor's life with it. But who would have expected Mjolnir to pick up the captain and save the god of lightning?
„I knew it!” Thor laughed before Thanos kicked him in the head.
Now it was Captain America's time. This, with a hammer, managed to balance forces with the enemy for a while, and it became a very tense fight. But his luck ran out when he destroyed Thanos' helmet. But it went on the attack and the captain lost his hammer and was wounded at the same time. Now he was left with his classic good shield. But he didn't have much hope for Thanos's sharp weapon. Having split it in half with a few well-aimed and, most importantly, powerful blows. The heroes were barely scrambling to their feet. Now Loki was at Tony's side, ready to defend him at any cost.
„All those years of conquest, violence, murder were never personal. But you asked for it. So I'm going to enjoy what I'm going to do with your annoying little planet. You won't believe how,” and with that, he called his entire army to Earth. The captain scrambled to his feet and tightened his shield belt. He knew from looking that he would not win this fight, but he did not want to give up without a fight.
He stopped abruptly, hearing a familiar voice over the radio that he hadn't heard in years. The familiar voice told him to turn around. The captain did so and saw the magical portals begin to form behind him. Out of one came the Black Panther and his entire army of warriors; out of another came Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-man, Valkyrie with the remnants of Asgard, wizards, plunderers, and all manner of heroes and men who wished to win over Thanos and save their homes.
With this new reinforcement, Thor and Tony, who had the support of Yon and Loki at his side, scrambled to their feet. It was evident that Thanos had not expected such resistance. At the captain's command, a whole army of heroes went into battle. It was a spectacular battle when at first glance the armies seemed to be evenly matched, but the Avengers' side, though it was their first fight and they hardly knew each other, had the upper hand over Thanos's army out of the blue. They were in sync and helping each other. With that, they were able to gain a net advantage.
Tony was fighting a giant when he was put at a disadvantage. Loki immediately went to help him, but he was too far away. Tony was eventually rescued by Peter, who used cobwebs to hurl the enemy aside.
„Hey, wow. You won't believe what happened. Remember when we were in space and I was dust? I must have fainted because I woke up and you were gone, but Dr Strange was there and he said, „It's been five years. Come on, they need us,” and then he started doing the shiny wheels he always does... what are you doing,” he marvelled as Tony hugged him. Loki saw the whole thing, but decided not to interfere, since the boy didn't seem like a threat, and Tony could tell he'd been through a lot with the boy.
During this fight, the glove came almost to Thanos' hands. Hawkeye was the first to defend her, but he soon became hooked, and the Black Panther took over. He subsequently passed it off like a relay at the races. To keep Thanos from getting to the glove so quickly, the Scarlet Witch faced him. She had been filled with rage since the last reunion for killing her Vision.
„You took everything I ever had,” she snarled at him.
„I don't even know who you are,” he replied dispassionately, lunging at her.
„You'll know,” she said calmly, eyes blazing. She had incredible power, and the giant stones around it began to levitate. Anger sent them to the purple titan. Gradually, it destroyed his blade and sent it flying. Surrounded by a red glow that tightened every second until it threatened to squash him, Thanos ordered the ships to open fire.
The barrage had hit his troops, but it was a step toward freeing him. The firing began and everyone retreated into the offensive. The wizards created powerful shields to hide their friends under. Peter was also hit during that firing, dropping Gauntlet with stones. Already everyone thought they were going to lose this one, until, for reasons unknown, the fire turned on one single target in the sky. Almost no one understood what was happening.
It was Captain Marvel, charging in a fireball straight at the enemy ships. Like a bolt out of the blue, she flew through the first ship and destroyed it. The ship went down, and Thanos, thinking he had already won, was caught off guard again, though his face didn't show much. Captain Marvel flew over to Peter, who caught his glove again during the barrage and held it close to him with every tooth and nail. As soon as he saw he was safe, he handed over the glove.
She took over and, with a little help from the Scarlet Witch, Valkyrie, Pepper and others, managed to break through almost the entire enemy army. And they might even have gotten the glove into a different time frame if Thanos hadn't destroyed the device at the last minute.
This caused an incredible explosion, with Captain Marvel inadvertently dropping the glove. Near the glove was Thanos, who wanted to take it, but Tony was quicker. But Thanos shoved Iron Man aside, and this time Thor blocked his path to the glove. But despite the combined forces of the god of thunder and Captain America, Thanos tossed them aside. Captain Marvel was already returning that moment. And though Thanos already had the glove in his grasp, she could keep up with him. Thanos defeated her by trickery, removing stone from his glove and using it specifically against Captain Marvel. When she was out of sight, the purple titan turned to Loki, who still carried the stone of space.
The God of Lies had created a barrier around himself and Tony, but she had no chance against the four other stones. Loki tried to defend himself, but Thanos caught his sceptre and lifted it into the air. He crushed it and took the stone of space and placed it in his glove.
As the stones were together, a rush of energy swept through him, costing him a moment of inattention. Tony seized the moment and grabbed his glove. Of course, he knew his chances were minimal, but he also knew how he could manipulate his technology, and a tiny moment of inattention was what he needed. Thanos tossed him aside and prepared to snap.
„I am inevitable,” he said and snapped. What was supposed to happen didn't happen. He realized what had happened, and he also realized how the god of lies had looked at the Iron man who had just robbed him.
He immediately grabbed Loki by the throat and lifted him into the air. All it took was one hand. As soon as Tony scrambled to his knees and raised his hand with the stones, intending to snap his fingers and save the universe, he was faced with a dilemma. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Yon-Rogg, now with a gun to his head, had also been captured.
„Give me the stones, and I will spare them,” Thanos said. But everyone knew it was a lie.
„Save... yourself and... everyone... others,” Loki said through his teeth and gasps. Thanos didn't like this kind of defiance, and he tightened his grip further. Loki was almost airless. He tried to free himself but to no avail.
„Forgive me,” and he snapped his fingers. Suddenly the grip on Loki's throat loosened, and even Yon-Rogg was free. His captor turned to dust, as did the rest of Thanos's army. Thanos dropped the god of lies and looked around at his loss. He closed his eyes and turned to dust.
After catching his breath, Loki scrambled to his feet and ran over to Tony, who fell to the ground. The stones took their rate on him. He immediately removed the glove from his hand and placed it on the side. Yon, who had concern in his eyes, rushed over.
„Can you save him?” Yon-Rogg asked Loki immediately.
„Not here,” he said, disappointed. If he had been on Asgard, which was destroyed, he might have saved him. „You?” he asked Yon. He merely shook his head. This was beyond him. Loki took Tony gently under the head, and Iron man opened his brown eyes one last time.
„Don't leave, do you hear? We'll think of something. I can't lose you again,” and despair crept into Lokis voice. Tony gave him a faint smile and tried to stroke him, but he no longer had the strength for the task.
„Hopefully it will... work out... in the next life,” he said with his last breath. Loki leaned toward him, tears in his eyes that he now made no effort to hide. For now, was one of the moments in life when the man and king of Asgard could afford to shed tears in front of the common people.
„I will wait for you until the end of the worlds and all time. Me and your child,” he whispered, kissing his forehead.