Crack...
A faint sound echoed across the battlefield.
The legendary Twilight Sword, forged to destroy Asgard, now bore a growing crack that spread rapidly across its length.
Surtur stood frozen, momentarily stunned by what he was seeing. He didn't even notice the sudden flash of purple light streaking through the darkened sky—a bolt of lightning, seemingly ordinary, that struck him squarely in the back.
"Ahhh!"
Surtur released an ear-splitting howl, his fiery form trembling. At the point of impact, the flames flickered and dimmed, never reigniting.
The Eternal Fire's famed regenerative power, once thought infinite, faltered. Against a force so vastly superior, even its recovery was suppressed.
Carol Danvers, hovering nearby, muttered under her breath, "This guy's got all the hacks. And he has the nerve to say I'm cheating?"
Thor's voice boomed across the battlefield. "Leave this to me! Go to Earth. Their attack isn't just focused on Asgard!"
Without waiting for a response, Thor surged forward, the Phoenix Stormbreaker blazing in his grip. He was determined to end Surtur once and for all.
Meanwhile, on Earth, chaos reigned.
Hulk was in the fight of his life—or what remained of it.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Thanos unleashed a barrage of precise, brutal punches, his movements fluid and relentless. His fists pummeled Hulk's face like a pile driver, each strike more devastating than the last.
Though Hulk's legendary endurance held out, his strength waned. Finally, a thunderous blow sent him crashing to the ground. As his colossal form collapsed, he reverted back to Bruce Banner, unconscious and vulnerable.
The Avengers rushed to Banner's aid, pulling him from the battlefield. But Thanos was already focused on something else.
A distant explosion echoed across space, its shockwaves rattling even the Earth. Thanos paused mid-step, his gaze snapping toward the source.
"That power..." he murmured, his voice tinged with something akin to reverence.
The force was unmistakable. Even across the cosmos, he recognized it: Thor. The young king of Asgard. One of the strongest opponents he had ever faced, even in the countless universes he had ravaged.
But this Earth... this timeline... had proven unpredictable.
The Avengers here were far stronger than expected. The sorcerer who could bend time, the witch who had just eradicated Nightmare, and even the Hulk—though defeated—had fought harder than anticipated.
And then there were the others.
At the far edge of the battlefield, Captain Marvel glowed with radiant energy as she advanced, flanked by Jane Foster wielding Mjolnir. Both were far more powerful than ordinary Avengers.
And Thor...
Thanos frowned. The newly awakened King of Asgard now wielded not only the Odinforce but another, ancient force. Together, they made him something far greater.
Thanos calculated quickly. For now, he had the upper hand, but that was only because Earth's strongest forces were divided. Once they regrouped, his chances of victory would vanish.
There was no time to waste. He had to act now.
As Wanda Maximoff obliterated Nightmare in a final, echoing scream, Thanos reached into his armor and pulled out a battered glove.
The Infinity Gauntlet.
Its six sockets were empty, their once-magnificent gems long gone.
Many saw this and dismissed it as a relic, a powerless artifact. But Thanos' voice was quiet and resolute. "Many years ago, I collected all six Infinity Stones."
He spoke softly, almost to himself. "I wielded their power and discovered something profound. I didn't need the gems to destroy the universe—my armies were enough. So I used the stones' power one final time... to destroy the stones themselves."
His words puzzled those listening. If the stones were gone, then what was he planning now?
"But today," Thanos continued, his voice darkening, "I find myself in need of their power once more."
Reaching into the gauntlet, he produced a full-body emerald gemstone—the Time Stone of this universe. He slotted it into the gauntlet, its green glow illuminating his grim features.
"Fortunately," he said with a smirk, "I have mastered time."
As the Time Stone flared to life, faint outlines of the other five stones appeared in the gauntlet's empty sockets, shimmering like ghosts.
The Avengers, seeing the danger, charged toward him in a desperate bid to stop whatever he was planning. But Thanos' legions stood firm, forming an impenetrable wall of resistance.
"The power of one Time Stone isn't enough to restore the others," Thanos admitted, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "But I don't need them restored—just... rewound."
The spectral outlines of the missing stones solidified, trembling as if resisting the pull of time itself.
"For one moment, they'll exist again," Thanos said. "One moment is all I need."
As the Avengers fought furiously to break through, a red figure—Tony Stark—managed to slip past the enemy lines.
Tony lunged toward the gauntlet, desperation etched into every movement.
"Not today," Thanos sneered. With a swift kick, he sent Tony flying.
"Mr. Stark," Thanos said mockingly, "I know you're clever enough to build a device to harness the stones. But I won't give you the chance."
Thanos raised his arm, the glowing gauntlet held high. The scene was eerily familiar, a chilling echo of events from another timeline.
"I am..." Thanos began, his voice booming with finality, "destiny!"