Capítulo 44: 396-400
"Wong and Mordo, lead all the official Sorcerers of Kama Taj to guard the three Magic Sanctums. Make sure there are no issues with the Earth's magical protection network.
Strange, it's best if you join us in this operation. We need to ensure the safety of the Time Stone."
"What about the Mind Stone at the new base? All our power is concentrated here!"
Colonel Rhodes asked with some concern.
"That's manageable, but, Dad, you'll have to inconvenience J.A.R.V.I.S. for a bit. Shut down your program first and transfer it to my data processing center."
Tony nodded, "No problem. I have other backup intelligent AIs, and temporarily shutting down J.A.R.V.I.S. won't have a significant impact on me."
With Tony's confirmation, Mark opened a palm-sized portal, reached in, and, in front of everyone's eyes, the Mind Stone appeared in Mark's hand. "Now, no need to worry."
"Wow! This is amazing! Mr. Mark, can you teach me? I'm doing pretty well in school, and I represented our school in the intellectual quiz competition, winning first place. Do you think I have a talent for learning magic?"
At a time like this, Peter Parker was the only one with his gift of gab. Mark completely ignored him and handed the Mind Stone to Quicksilver, saying, "If the worst-case scenario happens, take it to your sister Wanda and have her use her powers to destroy this Mind Stone, understood?"
"I understand, but I believe such a situation won't occur. We are the most powerful superheroes on Earth!" Quicksilver confidently patted his chest, but everyone knew that this upcoming battle wouldn't be as optimistic as Quicksilver anticipated, especially the members who had experienced the Battle of New York. They still had vivid memories of that crisis, and there was lingering fear.
...
Above the streets, the peaceful morning had been shattered by enormous spacecraft, and the experienced citizens of New York City were frantically fleeing to the nearest shelters, trying to get as far away as possible from the menacing giant objects.
"Friday, contact the relevant authorities as soon as possible to evacuate civilians from the southern section of 43rd Street!" J.A.R.V.I.S's reboot would take some time, so Tony temporarily loaded his pre-prepared offline emergency AI, Friday, for assistance.
"It's been a while since we've seen so many big guys in the New York sky. Banner, are you going to step in? Smashing things is your specialty."
Tony looked at the person next to him and asked Banner.
"I'm not really inclined to, but this situation has never been my call to make, um..." Dr. Banner concentrated, trying hard to bring himself into a state of anger to summon the Hulk from within.
But this time, the Hulk, who had always been like a barrel of explosives ready to explode, couldn't be summoned no matter how hard Dr. Banner tried.
"Why isn't he coming out?" Tony asked with a puzzled expression.
"I don't know either. Perhaps I need to talk to him..." Dr. Banner was equally baffled by the situation he found himself in, not knowing what had gone wrong.
"Dr. Banner, there's no time left. The enemy is right in front of us. If you can't summon the Hulk, it's best for you to take the communication device left by Captain and return to the New York Sanctum. Inform the Captain about the situation.
I guess that the Hulk encountered Thanos in space and suffered a severe blow to his ego, making him unwilling to come out. This psychological issue won't be resolved quickly, especially when it's the Hulk inside you who's sick."
"Alright." Dr. Banner followed Mark's advice, took the communication device from Tony, and returned to the Sanctum.
"What do we do now? There are so many massive spacecraft in the city, and without the Hulk, we can't deal with them at all. S.H.I.E.L.D and the battle group dispatched by the UN will take at least fifteen minutes to arrive, but we can't afford to wait!" Fury looked at Tony and Mark, and at this moment, if anyone could make a miracle happen, in his mind, these were the only two candidates.
"Don't worry, Director Fury. There's something I need to apologize for..."
"Mark, it's not the time for apologies! We can talk about that after the war ends. Tell me if there's a way to deal with the current situation!" Fury interrupted Mark before he could finish his sentence. Due to his years as the king of spies, even though he maintained a poker face, he was more anxious inside than anyone else.
In the pocket of his trench coat, Fury had been tightly gripping an outdated pager. If Earth's forces couldn't stop this crisis, then...
"Well, do you remember what happened to that spaceship that landed in Greenwich back in the day? What was its ultimate fate?" Mark asked with a strange expression as he turned the question back to Fury.
"Of course, I remember. It was the sky-based weapon you developed, one shot, and it turned into gas. But later, that weapon was requested to be retrieved from space due to the UN's interference, right? S.H.I.E.L.D. was responsible for the transport, but later, the item was secretly taken by Hydra."
"So, take a look at this—Baymax, launch!"
With Mark's command, everyone followed the direction he pointed, and a dazzling light descended from the sky like a miracle, accurately hitting one of the massive spacecraft.
Under this strike, the spacecraft, as Nick Fury had described earlier, completely transformed into high-temperature metal vapor, leaving nothing behind, not even a trace of debris.
"This is the reason I want to apologize to you. I never actually removed the sky-based satellite; instead, I used AR technology to hide it. In other words, I took advantage of you, and you all were fooled. The sky-based weapon I launched has always been orbiting Earth, prepared to face dangers like today."
Although he had been deceived by Mark, Fury had no ill feelings at this moment. Instead, he applauded and exclaimed, "Hahaha, well played! If you hadn't successfully fooled me and the UN back then, I wouldn't be witnessing this satisfying scene today! Well done! As long as you eliminate these guys who thought Earth was an easy target, I'm willing to forgive you no matter how many times you deceive me!"
Under the consecutive strikes of the three Earth-orbiting satellites, the once-massive space fleet now had only one ship left. This was a deliberate move by Mark to track the main fleet's location in reverse. Otherwise, no matter how many warships Thanos dispatched, they would have been completely wiped out by Mark's devastating attacks.
While the warships were destroyed by the formidable firepower of the sky-based weapons, the Black Order and their soldiers managed to escape some of the attacks due to their powerful mobility and decisive decision-making.
Once these large forces were scattered, it would be troublesome for Mark and his team, who were outnumbered.
"Everyone, it's time for individual combat. I've already had Baymax mark all the alien soldiers who escaped from the warships for tracking and locating. I'll send this tracking information to your personal terminals. You can allocate your own areas and work together to eliminate these enemies!"
"Hmph, I've been itching for this! My new battle armor hasn't had a chance for real combat since it was developed! These aliens are conveniently delivering themselves to us. I'll make sure they understand the might of Earth's inhabitants. If they dare to come on our land, they'll undoubtedly pay a painful price!"
Tony, who had been eager to take action in the current situation, was the first to step forward. He lightly tapped the peculiar device on his chest, and a large number of nanometal particles instantly covered Tony's entire body, forming a high-tech red and gold Iron Man suit!
"It seems that you've finally made a breakthrough in nanometal research, Dad. Your long-planned nanosuit has finally been successfully developed!" Seeing the brand-new nanosuit on Tony, Mark knew that Tony's research had achieved a breakthrough.
Because Tony's nanosuit technology was different from Mark's, whether it was Mark's black nanosuit or the later-made Vibranium nanosuit, both used Pym particles to nano-size micro-robots, achieving the nanoscale application of this technology.
On the other hand, Tony used technology inspired by Dr. Helen's Cradle of regeneration technology, employing 3D nanomaterial printing as a blueprint, and innovatively achieved rapid deployment and repair of the suit through nanoliquid metal.
This nanoliquid metal was the result of Tony's long-term efforts, and based on the success of this research, Tony successfully realized his nanosuit project.
"This is Mark 50, with the nano-components on my chest, I can put on my Iron Man suit anytime, anywhere, greatly enhancing my combat mobility." Tony tapped his energy reactor on his chest somewhat boastfully, clearly very satisfied with the new Mark 50 armor.
Then, behind him, what appeared to be a single-piece backplate suddenly detached and formed floating cannon units behind Tony. They fired an energy pulse at a giant alien charging toward them from the end of the street. Under the massive energy impact, this burly alien warrior didn't last a second and turned into a pile of minced meat.
"Dad, you actually nano-sized my floating cannon technology and integrated it into Mark 50?" Mark looked at Tony in astonishment.
"Hehe, just a small thing," Tony responded quite proudly.
"No, what I mean is, you actually replicated my floating cannon without paying the patent fee for authorization. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Cough cough, who's related to whom here? We're a father-son duo, on the battlefield, we're still father and son. Don't be so petty about this small matter; I'll send the patent fee to you later."
"Fine, but it'll be five times the usual rate," Mark displayed a rare smirk, showing his entrepreneurial side.
"Haha! Five times! You... you... well, five times it is. I don't know where you picked up this greedy habit," Tony chuckled.
"Tony, and Mark, both of you, stop bickering. Start your actions in your respective areas. Don't let these aliens endanger civilians!" Rhodey intervened between the eccentric father and son's banter and then maxed out the War Machine's thruster power, soaring into the sky to engage in counter-attacks.
The second to rush out was Quicksilver, after all, he was the fastest man in the Avengers, and nothing would leave him behind. In no time, all the superheroes except Fury and Coulson were in action, constantly taking down the enemies roaming the city.
Among them, Quicksilver and Mark were the most efficient. Quicksilver, relying on his extraordinary speed and the Vibranium nanosuit, so he didn't need to defend at all. He charged through recklessly, one word—ruthless!
Unlike Quicksilver, Mark, although using a similar method, appeared more relaxed in his approach. He only needed to manipulate a large number of micro-robots scattered across the signal points marked on the map, effectively eliminating a significant number of enemy forces simultaneously.
The remaining warship, originally spared by Mark, saw the situation taking a turn for the worse and immediately planned to start its engines to escape Earth. However, Mark wouldn't let it succeed. In an instant, a vast swarm of micro-robots rushed towards it like waves, firmly immobilizing it on the ground.
At the same time, Mark received a communication signal from Dr. Banner. "Mark, I've contacted the Captain. He and a few others, along with Natasha, are currently in Wakanda. T'Challa is willing to mobilize the entire nation to help us resist the invasion of Thanos' forces. They are ready on their end, and as long as you open a magical portal for them, the fully armed warriors of Wakanda and the Captain's team can immediately join the battle and lend us a hand."
Dr. Banner had brought Mark fantastic news. With their current strength, even if each of them could handle a hundred foes, it would still take a considerable amount of time and energy to eliminate so many formidable alien warriors. Now, with Wakanda's assistance and the return of Captain America and his team, their progress would undoubtedly be greatly accelerated.
Without hesitation, Mark directly opened portals one after another in areas where no one was responsible, precisely deploying the warriors of Wakanda to the most critical battlegrounds.
Behind him, another portal opened, and standing on the other side was the long-lost Captain Steve Rogers, Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff, Falcon Sam Wilson, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, and Black Widow Natasha Romanoff.
Both sides looked at each other in silence, and the current situation didn't allow for small talk or reunions. Mark simply took out a capsule from his body and tossed it to Captain America.
"Captain, before we start, you might want to put this on. Your current suit can't fully unleash your power."
Mark handed the capsule to Captain, containing the Flash's suit that had been returned to Mark before the Captain left.
"Although your shield is still with my old man and we can't complete the full set of equipment for now, having this suit will still allow you to unleash seventy percent of your power, Captain."
Captain looked at the familiar suit in his hand and raised one question, "Am I still worthy of wearing this suit?"
"You've always been worthy of wearing this suit, and it will forever have only one owner - Captain, you. Put it on and let's make some noise like old times!"
"All right!"
...
With the Wakandan warriors joining the fight and high-end forces like Captain and Black Panther sweeping through, the numbers of Thanos' soldiers, though vast, couldn't withstand the sustained losses.
Finally, Ebony Maw, who had been lurking in the shadows, couldn't hold back any longer. Not only were they failing to complete Thanos' assigned mission, but this main force of battle-hardened soldiers would also be lost here if he didn't make some changes!
"Stop, Earthlings!" Utilizing his telekinetic superpower, Ebony Maw easily transmitted his voice to the ears of every superhero on the battlefield.
Although his voice sounded confident, Ebony Maw was more anxious than anyone else at the moment. According to his original plan, the sudden assault by the cosmic fleet was supposed to take the residents of New York City as hostages, forcing the Earth's superheroes to surrender the Infinity Stones.
However, they had not anticipated the level of technological advancement on Earth. Despite having the most outdated infrastructure and transportation facilities made of reinforced concrete, they possessed a space-based weapon capable of obliterating a warship in an instant.
Moreover, based on the inside information he had received, the ultimate weapon used to repel Dormammu hadn't even been deployed yet, and they were already in a state of disarray.
Recognizing that things were not going as planned, Ebony Maw immediately escaped from the warship, directing his subordinates to disperse and engage in combat. Unfortunately, the other members of the Black Order who came to Earth with him were not as lucky; they had all been sublimated into mist, leaving no trace behind.
Ebony Maw's voice was transmitted, and coupled with his ability to control others through language, the battle should have stopped. He could have taken the stage and temporarily stabilized the situation. His plan was to negotiate a strategic retreat, preserving as much of the legion's combat power as possible.
This way, while facing Thanos, he would still be subjected to severe punishment, but at least he could save his own life.
But ideals can be lofty, and reality can be stark. Little did Ebony Maw know that, to guard against enemies with telepathic control abilities like himself, Mark had already distributed a new generation of mental shields to everyone before the operation.
The new generation of products was not only compact and portable but could also create localized coverage, ensuring that anyone within a radius of 100 meters had excellent shielding. So, even though Ebony Maw's sudden vocalization added some caution to the situation, there was no sign of the superheroes being influenced by superpowers to stop.
"This..." This was embarrassing. Ebony Maw had originally planned to turn the tide in his favor with his superpowers and intelligence, but he didn't expect that while he was still on the third level, Earth's residents had already reached the fifth level. Ebony Maw felt his intelligence being utterly overshadowed for the first time.
Just when he felt embarrassed about the current situation, a voice suddenly appeared behind him without any warning, making him shiver and sending chills down his spine. "Found you, Octopus!!"
The moment he heard this voice, Ebony Maw's entire body stiffened, and his mind went completely blank. He slowly turned around, and what he saw was a figure with a face covered by a black mask.
The next second, Mark controlled the nanobots on his face to retreat, revealing a smile that looked like the Grim Reaper to Ebony Maw. "Octopus, it seems that Loki's previous failure didn't make you realize your mistakes. But I believe that after today, no one in the entire universe will think that Earth is a weak and easy-to-bully planet anymore, especially you and your master Thanos - you will become the best offerings to prove Earth's strength to the entire universe."
Upon hearing Mark's harsh words, Ebony Maw's initial reaction was that this young Earthling was simply too ignorant. Simultaneously, he felt anger at the blatant disrespect shown to the great Thanos.
However, the next moment, all the thoughts in his head were all cleared up, because originally he was hiding in an alley in the streets of New York, but now the surrounding environment suddenly changed, and the original buildings and sky disappeared. No, there was only a dark red sky and the blood-red moon in the sky.
After returning to his senses, he realized that his body at the moment was unknowingly tied to a cross, and he was unable to move no matter how hard he struggled.
"How... How could you know what I was thinking?! This is impossible! With my telekinetic level, a mere Earthling cannot penetrate my mind with a psychic attack!"
Ebony Maw shouted almost frantically. He couldn't believe that while he led his vast army to Earth, encountering unprecedented horrors, he himself was being toyed with by an Earthling. This was a heavy blow for him, who had always revered only Thanos.
"Hehe, a mere Earthling? Think about it. Why do you suppose Thanos, who knew that the Space Stone and the Time Stone, two Infinity Stones, existed on Earth, didn't dare to come in person? Do you really think it's because he trusted Loki to fulfill his ambitions for him?
No! The reason Thanos hesitated is that Odin, the King of Asgard, remained powerful even in his old age, and Earth had the Supreme Sorcerer known as the Ancient One guarding it.
Now, Thanos dares to let you invade Earth only because he believes that Odin is dead, the Ancient One has passed away, and there is no powerful presence inside or outside of Earth to protect the Infinity Stones. This is why he has changed his previous turtle-like behavior and launched a massive invasion of the Nine Realms.
And do you think Dormammu, the Dark Dimension's ruler, whose power is comparable to someone like Thanos with two infinity stones, was willing to flee into the hands of mere Earthlings? It's all about power! Your current predicament in my illusion is no different; it's about your strength, not your race.
However, today, I will show you how mere Earthlings retaliate against those who seek to invade our homeland!"
In Ebony Maw's terrified gaze, Mark suddenly had a short sword in his hand, sharp enough to pierce through his body. Swish! At that moment, Ebony Maw experienced the pain and fear that the lives he had slaughtered in the past had once felt...
The illusion Ebony Maw was in is called "Tsukuyomi," inspired by a famous anime from a previous life, which Mark developed into a magic spell.
The victim's mind is forcibly pulled into the Tsukiyomi space created by Mark's magic. In this space, Mark has control over all factors, including space and time. The enemy will endure immense mental and physical pain in the illusion world, ultimately leading to the enemy's mental breakdown.
Mark's illusion, Tsukiyomi, is optimized and improved compared to the anime, eliminating the prerequisites of having the Sharingan bloodline limit and making eye contact with the enemy.
Even powerful entities like the Ebony Maw cannot escape the capture of Tsukiyomi. The key lies in Mark's use of his soul's strength advantage gained through reincarnation. During the casting, he first targets the enemy's soul, guiding them unnoticed through imperceptible soul fluctuations, ensnaring them in Mark's technique.
Once dragged into the Tsukiyomi space, the victim faces relentless torment and pain. Mark's illusions continuously stab the short sword into Ebony Maw's body, leaving two wounds each time.
When Ebony Maw believes he can no longer endure, all the wounds inflicted by the blades vanish, leaving only the lingering pain in his brain as a reminder of what just occurred. Then, everything starts anew, with the bloodied dagger piercing his body repeatedly in an endless cycle.
In the end, Ebony Maw no longer desires unconsciousness; he only hopes for Mark to make a mistake so he can bleed to death and escape the torment.
However, everything runs flawlessly, like the most perfect lines of code, without any loopholes, systematically carrying out the task of torturing him.
It's unclear how much time has passed—whether it's been a year, ten years, or a hundred years. Ebony Maw only knows that the blood-red moon in the sky remains suspended in the dark red heavens from start to finish, without changing as time passes.
When he sees the azure sky again and Mark's chilling smile, he doesn't know how he managed to escape the horrifying Tsukiyomi space because the next moment, he falls into unconsciousness due to extreme mental exhaustion.
...
"Hmm... How did I get back here?"
Uncertain about how long he was unconscious, the only things Ebony Maw remembers are the recurring nightmares of his painful experiences in the Tsukiyomi space during his unconsciousness and the unforgettable smile on Mark's face just before losing consciousness.
When he opens his eyes again, he realizes he's back in a familiar environment.
This is Titan. It's also the home where Thanos and other Eternal Titans were born and raised.
However, looking at the devastation and desolation that now covers the entire planet's surface, it's clear that this place is no longer suitable for any form of life.
But what really puzzled Ebony Maw was how he had gone from Earth to Titan with just a blink of an eye. Just as he was about to assess the situation, he realized something was amiss.
Lowering his gaze, Ebony Maw saw that his body was tightly bound by a strange artifact. He couldn't even move a finger, and his telekinetic and psychic abilities were sealed, rendering him powerless.
"You've finally awakened, and it's slower than I expected. It seems your mental fortitude isn't as strong as I imagined."
Hearing this voice, even though he was tightly bound, Ebony Maw couldn't help but tremble all over, for the owner of this voice was Mark.
Ebony Maw widened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. The repeated scenes of being stabbed in the abdomen in the Tsukiyomi space were still vivid in his mind, and he even felt a faint ache in his abdomen.
"Don't be afraid. This thing on you is an artifact called the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. However, the last person it bound didn't fare too well; he was eventually dragged into the realm of darkness and became pure dark energy nourishment. I still remember his pitiful screams."
"What I'm afraid of is not this artifact. What I'm afraid of is you, demon in human skin!" Ebony Maw silently muttered in his heart, but of course, he didn't dare to say such words in front of Mark.
"Hehehe, my lord, since you spared my life, there must be something you wish to command me. Feel free to make any requests, and I, Ebony Maw, will do my utmost to serve you. I only hope you won't use that illusion technique on me again."
"Oh? You're not going to ask about the fate of your subordinates you brought to Earth or how you ended up on Titan?"
Mark could understand why Ebony Maw, who had endured the torment of Tsukiyomi, reacted this way. But understanding didn't mean believing. Mark didn't think that with just a one-second exposure to his illusion, he could surpass Thanos, who had ruled him for most of his life.
However, Mark was truly mistaken this time. While Ebony Maw had only been under the illusion for one second in the real world, in the Tsukiyomi space, he had endured nearly eternal suffering and torment. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been left with such a profound psychological shadow.
"No, no, no. That's not a question I should be asking. My lord, please give me any tasks you have in mind. I'm willing to share all the information you seek about Thanos!"
What Ebony Maw didn't know was that the more obsequious and compliant he appeared in front of Mark, the deeper Mark's suspicions grew.
However, despite the suspicions, in their plan to deal with Thanos, Mark and the other superheroes discussed and believed that Ebony Maw was indeed a valuable pawn. If used wisely, perhaps they could take down Thanos without expending many resources.
"Even if you don't want to know, I have to make it clear to you. Otherwise, if you expose us when facing Thanos, our plan will be revealed, right?
Let me be straightforward. Those foot soldiers you brought to Earth are all lined up reporting to the Yama of Earth's underworld. I believe the Eighteen Hells will have a suitable place for them. We can't have these souls from outer space complaining that our Earth's afterlife hospitality is lacking.
As for why you were brought to Titan, it's thanks to your detailed interstellar travel records. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for us to determine this location."
Mark looked at Ebony Maw with a mischievous grin.
"My lord, what do you mean by this plan?" Ebony Maw asked with a trembling voice.
"Of course, it means that you'll be our undercover agent, following our plan to get close to Thanos and then take him down."
"What?! This... this... My lord, I really can't do that! That's Thanos, the most powerful ruler in the entire universe, and chances are he already has three Infinity Stones. Even if I help you, there's no way we can defeat him."
The distressed expression on Ebony Maw's face at this moment was probably something he never expected to show. Within Thanos's army, where he ranked higher than thousands of others, he now resembled the eunuch steward beside the emperor in a TV drama.
"Oh, so you're saying you're unwilling to work for me! In that case, you can continue to endlessly cycle in the Tsukiyomi space—"
"Wait! My lord, please give me any task you have in mind. Whether it's for Thanos or the god of creation, as long as you command it, I, Ebony, will not hesitate to fulfill it, even if it means going through fire and water."
"That's more like it. Since you're willing, listen carefully. Your mission is..."
Exiting the room where Ebony Maw was held, the members of the Avengers who had been waiting outside immediately surrounded Mark, inquiring about the situation inside. "How did it go? Is everything going smoothly?"
This time, the group that came to Titan included both new and veteran members of the Avengers, as well as Black Panther. They were all high-caliber fighters. Facing someone as powerful as Thanos, sheer numbers wouldn't pose a threat to him; what was needed was quality and a well-thought-out plan.
However, Hawkeye had not rejoined the main team. He had essentially retired to spend more time with his family, and everyone respected their unspoken agreement not to involve him.
"It went smoothly, almost too smoothly," Mark truthfully informed the other members.
"In my opinion, we should just deal with him directly and have Wanda destroy the Time Stone and the Mind Stone. That would completely thwart Thanos's plan. There's no need for all this complicated plotting," Tony suggested straightforwardly. Since the root of all their problems lay in the Infinity Stones, Tony believed that eliminating the source would solve everything.
The issue was that Doctor Strange was unwilling to destroy the Time Stone. As the Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj, his duties extended beyond protecting Earth from magical threats. His most important responsibility was safeguarding the Eye of Agamotto, which was the Time Stone.
On this matter, Doctor Strange was unwilling to compromise. So, even if they destroyed the Mind Stone, it would be futile because if Thanos acquired the Time Stone, he could use its power to restore the Mind Stone.
Just as Doctor Strange was about to reject Tony's proposal once more, both he and Mark simultaneously sensed a spacecraft approaching their location.
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with the same seriousness and uncertainty. Could it be that Thanos had returned...
"Hey! Everyone, someone's coming. Shouldn't we hide? Otherwise, why did we plan so carefully just now?"
"But it's too late now, pajamas Baby..."
As soon as Tony's words fell, Spider-Man felt all the hairs on his body stand on end – his spider-sense was activated. Looking down, he noticed that a round hand grenade had somehow landed among them.
Boom!
There was no time to dodge, and by the time everyone reacted, the grenade had already exploded. Except for Captain and Quicksilver, who managed to outrun the blast wave with their speed, the other members were not so lucky.
However, the Vibranium nanotech battle suits and various high-tech protective gear rendered the surprise attack completely ineffective. At the same time, it gave the Avengers an opportunity to see who had come down from the ship.
The good news was that the newcomers were not Thanos, but the bad news was that they immediately launched an attack without saying a word.
There were only three of them, two men and a woman, wielding alien technology weapons that the Avengers had never seen before. In their first encounter, they demonstrated their superiority.
However, they quickly faced counterattacks from Quicksilver and Captain, two speedsters. No matter how advanced their technology and weaponry was, if they couldn't react quickly, it was useless.
With numerical superiority, superior strength, and the dual onslaught of technology and magic, the trio couldn't withstand three rounds of combat before being captured by the Avengers.
"Ah! Damn it, let me go! Where have you taken Gamora?" One of the captives, pinned to the ground by Spider-Man, angrily demanded.
Seeing this silly face, Mark knew he hadn't mistaken the person. The newcomers were none other than Star-Lord and his fellow Guardians of the Galaxy members, Drax the Destroyer and Mantis.
However, when Mark found out that the newcomers were not Thanos but Star-Lord, he felt a sense of despair. Even if Thanos had come, they were somewhat prepared, but instead, they had to deal with the one who had been the catalyst for their defeat in the previous Infinity War – the infamous, invincible troublemaker, Star-Lord!
Originally, Mark had great confidence in his plan to use Ebony Maw as a mole. However, at this moment, he couldn't help but start to doubt.
At this point, Tony also removed his nanotech mask and looked puzzled at Star-Lord. "First, tell me, who is Gamora?"
"Can you tell me why everyone keeps talking about Gamora?" Drax, who was also pinned down by Tony, asked somewhat jealous.
"It seems like you guys don't want to tell me where Gamora is! But it's okay; we have three more members and a big guy from Asgard. They'll come to rescue us, and then we'll take you all down. At that time, I'll personally go to face Thanos and take him down too, then rescue Gamora."
Star-Lord's intelligence was indeed questionable. He boldly threatened them, revealing all of his cards. If they were truly enemies with the Avengers, Star-Lord's words alone would have made them cautious and possibly set a trap for his teammates when they arrived.
However, perhaps the saying "fools rush in where angels fear to tread" applied here. Star-Lord's foolishness turned out to be just the right amount, avoiding the need for Mark to expend extra effort to resolve the conflict.
Sure enough, in the next moment, wearing the Anti-Hulk Hulkbuster armor, Dr. Banner awkwardly opened his cockpit and looked at Star-Lord with excitement. "You mentioned a big guy from Asgard just now. Who is he? Tell me! And you said you want to take down Thanos, so you're not working for Thanos, right?"
"Of course not! I can't wait to twist the head of that purple yam with shoe-bottom chin!" Star-Lord, still pinned down by Spider-Man, said with a range of expressions.
"So, you're not sent by Thanos?" Tony asked again to confirm.
"No, we came to rescue our own and take down Thanos on the side! Who are you guys?"
Hearing this question, Spider-Man, who was closest to Star-Lord, couldn't hold back anymore. "Since you asked sincerely, I'll graciously tell you! To prevent the world from being destroyed, to protect Earth's peace, and to uphold love and true justice, the cute and charming team of superheroes!"
"We are the Earth's mightiest superhero team, the Avengers!!"
"Are you the ones that Thor and Baymax mentioned?" Mantis, the only one with her intelligence intact in the Guardians of the Galaxy, asked directly.
"Thor! I knew you were talking about him! Thor is not dead; this is fantastic!" When Mantis mentioned Thor's name, Dr. Banner, the first to jump out of the Hulkbuster armor, danced with excitement.
On the other hand, Mark was surprised to hear Baymax mentioned by Mantis. He hadn't expected that Baymax had not only survived in outer space but had also joined Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Life was full of surprises indeed.
"Where is Thor now?" Dr. Banner, still excited, approached Star-Lord and asked the most crucial question. Spider-Man, Tony, and Scarlet Witch, realizing that these three weren't enemies, released their restraints on them.
Star-Lord flexed his stiff joints. Despite his somewhat slow thinking, he now understood that the people before him were not Thanos's henchmen or enemies, so he did not conceal the news of Thor.
"That ugly big guy, along with Baymax and my other two companions, went to a place called Nidavellir. They said they were going to forge a weapon capable of killing Thanos. As for us, we split up from them. Originally, we were going to the knowhere to stop Thanos from getting the third Infinity Stone, but we ultimately failed. He also took Gamora, so that's why we came to Titan."
Hearing Star-Lord's information, most of the other members were delighted to hear that Thor was alive. However, Doctor Strange and Mark exchanged a glance, sensing gravity and concern in each other's eyes.
That's because if Thanos had indeed obtained the third Infinity Stone from the knowhere, it meant that the Reality Stone had fallen into his hands.
Among the six Infinity Stones, Mark and Doctor Strange wouldn't display such expressions even if Thanos had acquired all the other five stones.
But the Reality Stone was different. It was the core key to realizing Thanos's ambitions, an existence capable of turning everything impossible into reality. The existence of the other five stones was only to provide enough energy to the Reality Stone, allowing it to modify the entire universe according to Thanos's desire—to randomly erase half of all life.
"Now, this is really troublesome..." Doctor Strange lowered his head and looked at the Eye of Agamotto on his chest, ultimately making a decision...
"Listen, right now our goal is to take down Thanos, so we should cooperate wholeheartedly and maximize our strength. Our advantage is that we've already infiltrated Thanos's lair and captured one of his trusted associates.
So, here's the plan: we'll use this captive to divert Thanos's attention and lead him into our prepared ambush. Once Thanos is in position, we'll all converge on him, subdue him, and, most importantly, take the Infinity Gauntlet and Infinity Stones from him. Only then will we have a chance to deal with him.
Each of you, please introduce yourselves and your abilities. I need to assign your combat tasks... Hey! Wait a minute, you, the big guy without a shirt over there, were you even listening to me? Yawning at such a crucial moment!"
Tony was in the process of explaining the battle plan to Star-Lord and his companions when he noticed Drax yawning. Tony couldn't help but express his frustration.
"Ah, um, sorry, I haven't been paying attention since you started explaining your plan."
Upon hearing Drax's response, Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation, clearly frustrated. It seemed like he had a less-than-ideal teammate. "Never mind, let him live in his own world..."
"I don't want to discourage you, but my team members are like this. They're not good at following plans, and it's something that gives me a headache," Star-Lord said, understanding Tony's frustration.
"What are you guys good at then?"
"Killing and surviving."
"...," Tony didn't know how to comment on Star-Lord's group of misfits anymore. After all, when dealing with a bunch of fools, you had to lower yourself to their level. Tony decided to give up.
"All right, Lord, should I call you that?"
"It's Star-Lord! You may not be familiar with interstellar travel, but I'm a famous figure in the universe!"
"Okay, Star-Lord, can you gather your people together and make them focus? We need to unite now. If you guys go off on your own, it will not only disrupt our plans but also put both you and us in a dangerous situation."
"Hey! Are you even listening to me? Can't you take this war meeting seriously?"
Tony angrily shouted, but this time, his target was not Drax but the mantis woman standing next to him.
"I'm really sorry, but your friend seems off? Is he usually like this?" Mantis pointed towards Doctor Strange, not far from Tony, and asked.
Tony turned to look and saw Doctor Strange sitting cross-legged, floating in mid-air, and his entire body was shaking uncontrollably as if having a seizure.
"Mark, what's going on with Doctor Strange? He looks like there's something wrong with his body or mind..."
Seeing Doctor Strange in this state, other superheroes gathered around, concerned about Doctor Strange's well-being.
"Strange is using the Eye of Agamotto, one of the six Infinity Stones, specifically the Time Stone, to travel through time. What you see is him constantly twitching, as if having a seizure. He's continually traversing between the future and the present, trying to foresee the outcome of our battle against Thanos. Through these experiments conducted in different timelines, Strange can find a path that guides us to a successful outcome.
The time is almost up, and Strange should wake up soon. Then we'll know the answer."
As Mark finished explaining, Doctor Strange had already released the time spell and awakened from the convergence of multiple timelines. However, judging by his pale face and profuse sweating, it was evident that this spell had not been easy.
In fact, what Mark didn't explain to the other members was that using magic like Doctor Strange's, which involves using the Time Stone to traverse time and foresee the future, is incredibly dangerous and torturous.
In each failed timeline that Doctor Strange traverses, all the pain and death must be endured by him personally. Even if time can be reversed, the memories of this excruciating pain persist in his mind as he returns to the present and do not disappear.
Experiencing such repeated deaths thousands of times demands not only immense magical power but also an incredibly resilient mental will.
In this sense, compared to Loki, who is often presumed dead but returns, Doctor Strange must have experienced death more times than anyone else.
As Doctor Strange caught his breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead, he finally noticed that a group of superheroes had gathered around him and felt a bit overwhelmed.
"Are you back to your senses? How do you feel?" Captain, as the leader of the Avengers, was the first to ask with concern.
"I feel awful. I just traversed time and saw all possible outcomes of our battle against Thanos."
"How many outcomes did you see?" Star-Lord, who had never witnessed magic like this, asked with curiosity.
"14,000,606."
"How many times did we win among those?" Tony asked the question that concerned him the most.
"Only one..."
When Doctor Strange gave his answer, all the surrounding superheroes fell silent, and Mark and Doctor Strange exchanged a glance.
Doctor Strange's gaze spoke volumes; the key to the only successful possibility lay with Mark. Mark also guessed the implication, as the number of possible outcomes Doctor Strange saw was one more than the figure from his previous life's memory. This extra possibility represented the variable that didn't originally exist in those timelines.
After receiving this information from Doctor Strange's eyes, Mark could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Since the timeline where he existed was the only one with an additional outcome, it meant that their chances of defeating Thanos were not the 1 in 14,000,606 as Tony and the others had thought, but a hundred percent!
However, Mark was so absorbed in this newfound one hundred percent chance that he didn't notice the deep sense of regret and pain in Doctor Strange's eyes.
No one knew what Doctor Strange had seen in the future timelines through the Time Stone, causing such complex emotions to fill his gaze. And until the moment of the final outcome arrived, to maintain the continuity of time, Doctor Strange couldn't reveal any specific information about what he had witnessed to anyone.
Whether it was comedy or tragedy, the unknown brought not only hope but also a despairing fear and pain...
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