It was midnight. On the rooftop of a Hell's Kitchen building stood a dozen annihilated Outriders. Sharp cuts from a Samurai sword and bullets embedded in their chests. Surely, this must have been the work of the Man Without Fear and the Punisher.
The two expert fighters had finished the job when two aliens (a log and a space pirate) came down from a ship, asking about Earth's mightiest heroes. They needed them urgently.
Matt and Frank were about to exterminate them. They had enough to do without even more space invaders coming. But the boy said a word that managed to paralyze them: "Thanos."
All four shared the same feeling and that lump in their throat.
-Why did you say that name?" asked Daredevil.
-You've come to attack us in his name," added Punisher, pointing his gun at them.
-What? No! We've come to kill Thanos," answered Sam, frightened.
-And why should we believe you aliens," exclaimed the Punisher.
-My name is Sam Alexand'r and I'm a Nova Corp." Sam pulled out his father's badge, making them believe it was his.
-And what the hell is a Nova?
-I'm part of the Intergalactic Police Corp.
-Okay, Nova... Why don't you get together with your fellow cops and assassinate Thanos yourselves?
-Because Thanos eliminated them," said Sam. There was a long pause... along with my father.
-We'd all better calm down," said Daredevil.
-We're not looking for your help, we just need you to tell us where the Avengers are.
-The Avengers are gone," replied Punisher. Sam and Groot realized that their search had failed.
-But we know of a group that might be able to help them," the heroes looked up, hopeful.
-They're called the Devastators. They're a couple of blocks from here," said the Punisher.
Daredevil and Punisher shared a look of uncertainty and concern.
-We'll lead them there," said Daredevil.
-But only if you promise us that we will find Thanos and make him pay," added Punisher.
-They shook hands and Sam smiled again. The four heroes got into the Mordekaiser II and set off on their journey.
As they piloted, Sam and Groot looked out over the dreary cityscape. Deserted streets, crumbling buildings, and very dark alleys.
-Is this all because of the Snap," Sam asked.
-The only thing different is that..." He pointed to a dark alley between the buildings. Out of it, a pack of Outriders emerged to attack a rat that had crawled into a sewer.
-Outriders aren't very lethal... alone. If they catch you distracted, they could rip, shake and shred you in less than a second," added the Punisher.
-I have a question for you, kid," said Daredevil, "Are you sure you're ready for this suicide mission?
-He's right," added Punisher, "I don't think you and the growing bush can stand up to him.
-What else have I got to lose," Sam replied.
Sam began to question whether this whole journey was worth it. Endangering not only his own life, but the lives of everyone involved. Perhaps his lust for revenge clouded his judgment. He wasn't like that. But even if he wanted to, there was no turning back now.
Minutes later, the boys arrived at an ice cream parlor. Sam parked the craft in the middle of the street.
-This is it," Frank said. Stealthily, they entered the place. Cobwebs in the dark corners and dusty tables littered the place. The place was in chaos.
Emerging from the darkness, a guy was pointing a gun at them in the dim grayish light. Daredevil and Punisher ready their weapons in a second. His voice was familiar to Groot:
-Who the fuck are you guys?" out of the gloom, Star-Lord emerged.
-Is that how everyone on Earth greets each other? - Sam asked.
From behind the counter came Mantis and Drax. Quickly, Groot stepped through the door and, pushing the boys out of the way, embraced his family. They all lowered their weapons and the atmosphere calmed down a bit.
-Wait, is that a Samurai sword?" Quill asked Daredevil in surprise as he sheathed his Katana.
Moments later, Sam and Groot settled at the bar to have ice cream with Drax and Mantis since they had not eaten anything for several days. Meanwhile, the others were debating. Sam offers to prepare a delicious dish of Escamoles as a thank you.
Daredevil was explaining that he knew the location of the Guardians since a few days ago they saw a Strange portal opening in front of that ice cream shop. They knew it was them since they saw everything that happened on the TV news.
-And how did you see the TV if you are blind?" asked Drax from the bar.
-There are other ways to see, animal," answered Daredevil.
Quill explained that they decided to take refuge there for a few days since it was a planet they knew and, besides, they could not escape because their ship was left on another planet.
-From what I see, you didn't just come here to bring Groot back to us," said Star Lord.
-We came to kill Thanos," answered Frank.
-You can't do that..." Mantis answered from the bar. Everyone's looks changed.
Groot had suddenly disappeared from Wakanda...
Thanos kneels down and tries to put the Space gem back into his Gauntlet, but something stops him. A sticky web comes out of the smoke and dust of the place to hit him right in the arm, preventing him from placing the gem.
Amidst the debris and dust of the scene, the heroes appear, gathered to hold off Thanos. A small orange portal opens above him and out of it comes Mantis, activating his antennae to numb him. The heroes who were on the planet Titan returned and prepared for battle.
Meanwhile, the other heroes arrive to help, but it is not enough and they barely manage to contain him. Suddenly, a small portal opened in the Gauntlet with the gems, covering it completely. The portal quickly closes, severing his entire forearm and teleporting the Glove elsewhere.
Purple blood splattered the surrounding members of the group. Meanwhile, Thanos could only emit a groan of pain and concentrate on not opening his other fist that held the Space Gem.
At that moment, out came Doctor Strange and Star Lord through the trees and with the Glove cut off.
-Open your hand or it will be your head next. - Strange threatened against Thanos.
Thanos closed his eyes tightly and activated the gem in his fist. A blue glow dazzled them. The heroes' eyesight begins to clear and they notice that Thanos had his hand open, but no gem.
The heroes look at him in surprise. They notice that the Gauntlet gems were gone as well.
- The universe required a correction. The use of the gems no longer serves any purpose... only to inspire temptation. - said Thanos, spitting out the blood-I reduced them to infinite atoms and so they will remain for sie...
Wanda let out a mighty scream that disintegrated Thanos into particles, which scattered through the air. Only a gray skeleton was left lying on the floor.
The noise seems to stop completely. Wanda collapses to the floor. Half of her face was half-sunken and her tears were falling on the ground.
The group looked at each other, sharing the same feeling. Not a feeling of anguish or sadness... But of "it's over, nothing worse than this can happen". Everything they did and everything that happened to them turned against them.
-The wizard already said it... there was less than 1% of winning and we lost... it's over- Quill warned.
The boys felt depressed. The only one who didn't lose faith was Sam. He pulled out and showed them the ruby gem to believe him. Sam's infectious hope to at least fix this whole mess managed to captivate the boys.
However, Quill had his doubts about the gem's veracity. For he had seen with his own eyes how Thanos destroyed them and now along comes a stranger to announce to him that it was all fake.
-Okay, we have the gem... What will we do with it to solve everything?
-Maybe the Avengers know," proposed Mantis.
-Ok, where are they? - asked Sam.
-Maybe in Wakanda," said Drax.
- And how do we get there? - asked Daredevil
Quill explained that the coordinates were on the communicator left on the ship on Titan.
-I remember the coordinates," announced Mantis.
-Do you remember where that place is? asked Sam.
-Yes. I will guide you," offered Mantis.
Daredevil and Punisher didn't seem very convinced with the plan. They only went there to kill the Mad Titan and it turned out that he died. Besides, they had no definite plan to bring back the fallen (among them their friends) Matt and Frank decided to leave the team.
The disbanded team left the bar. The Guardians and Sam head towards the Mordekaiser II, while the two expert fighters take the opposite direction, returning home.
Suddenly, Sam hears creaking sounds inside his ship just before he enters: It was an OUTRIDER. A herd of them begins to emerge from the darkness. The heroes draw their weapons and begin to battle.
With his senses developed, Daredevil managed to hear the chaos in the distance and alerts Punisher. Frank refused to go back, these were not his friends and he didn't want to get into more trouble.
Things weren't going so well on the other side. The boys had a hard time dealing with the alien puppies as they were outnumbered.
-Damn it! Something similar happened on Y'Golonac," Sam exclaimed.
Suddenly, a hail of gunfire began to fall on the Outriders, along with sharp slashes from a Samurai sword: Daredevil and Punisher came to the rescue and finished off all the beasts.
-We should leave before more come," said Frank, a little uncomfortably. The team answered him with a smile. They begin to board the ship.
-How did you know we were in danger," asked Drax.
-I told you there are other ways of seeing," said Daredevil. Drax was shocked.
Unexpectedly, an Outrider stood up and stabbed Mantis from behind with its claws. She falls to the floor unconscious with a large bloodstain on her back.
Sam shoots at the Outrider but misses the shot out of nervousness. Frank finishes finishing off the creature.
The first to help her is Drax, who quickly carries her in his arms. She is the only one who knows where Wakanda is and they had to heal her before she bleeds out. Drax uttered a few words of desperation to Star Lord:
-Quill... We need him.
Quill was melancholy as he looked at Mantis' pale face. He was the leader and he had to make a decision, even though he didn't like the idea...