Randomfan134: Why thank you. Glad to hear it.
Green Hal37: It's just easier for me to call Quill Quill. Quill has some moments of intelligence, but most of the time, he is just an idiot.
Watson Smith: Sorry, I'm going to have to decline. I don't have the time to do a story like that, not to mention I've never read any of those stories.
Guest 1: Sorry, but if I see a part where they think they'll react, they're probably gonna react. No offense intended.
Guest 2: Its fine, just if you're gonna leaves multiple reviews, use something other than 'guest'. As I said before, I did not suggest Ross kept it a secret, but he built it in secret. Those are so many things wrong with The Accords that to list all of them would take half an hour, at least. Completely agree on Quill, I actually address that this chapter.
Guest 3: I'm putting in Ant-Man and the Wasp because it ties into Infinity War and Endgame by introducing the concept of going into the Quantum Realm. Plus, after the doom and gloom of Infinity War, the cast could use some levity.
Guest 4: Thank you for that.
Guest 5: If Peter had his Spider Sense, then he wouldn't have been hit by Red Wing almost immediately afterwards. Even if what you said was true, that's still just as much a crime against the Spider-Man character.
Guest 6: Indeed, excellent use of foreshadowing.
Guest 7: I think Tony would be lucky if Steve ever spoke to him again if things had gone that way. I also can't see Natasha and Rhodey being too pleased either.
A portal opened on Titan and Thanos walked out, seeing the remnants of the Q-ship when he saw he heard Strange. "Oh yeah," Thanos looked over to see Strange sitting down a few feet from him. "You're much more of a Thanos."
The room was tense as they all watched the screen, none of them daring to move. This was it, the last chance to stop Thanos. They could only hope that Tony, Peter, Strange and the Guardians were successful at this point.
Thanos realized Maw was dead and said the day extracted a heavy toll before he saw the Eye of Agamotto, saying Maw had accomplished his mission. "You may regret that. He brought you face to face with a Master of the Mystic Arts," Strange said while Quill was hiding behind scrap metal and Peter was perched above him. Thanos asked Strange where he thought they were and Strange said Titan had been Thanos' home planet. Thanos used the Reality Stone to conjure an illusion of Titan in its glory days, with people roaming too.
"It was. And it was beautiful. Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution." "Genocide," Strange realized. "But random, dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike," Thanos said.
"Still genocide, you monster," Scott sneered as they all felt disgusted by Thanos.
"They called me a madman," Thanos said as the illusion faded. "And what I predicted came to pass." "Congratulations, you're a prophet," Strange said sarcastically. "I'm a survivor," Thanos said. "Who wants to murder trillions," Strange pointed out. "With all six Stones, I could simply snap my fingers. They would all cease to exist. I call that mercy," Thanos said, snapping his fingers to emphasis his point.
"Mercy. He wants to kill trillions and he calls that mercy," Sam asked disgusted.
"He's a monster, what do you expect?" Clint said, as disgusted as Sam.
"And then what?" Strange asked as he got to his feet. "I'd finally rest... and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe," Thanos said.
"After what he's done, he expects us to be grateful and just let him rest?" Steve asked angrily as they all glared at the screen.
"God complex," Parker said simply, although he couldn't keep the look of disgust off his face.
"The hardest choices require the strongest wills," Thanos said. "I think you'll find our will equal to yours," Strange said as he summoned Tao Mandalas. "Our?" Thanos asked when Tony flew at him from above with a huge chunk of a building, smashing his face just as he activated the Power Stone.
"It didn't even phase him," Peter said shocked.
"Did you really expect it to kid?" Clint asked and Peter shook his head after a moment of thought.
"No," Peter admitted.
Tony flew off with Quill, the two bantering as Thanos shattered the building with the Power Stone and turned them into bats with the Reality Stone as they chased Tony.
"Distracted by bats. Great," Tony grumbled as he tightened his hands, which were already gripping his pants legs tightly, not even noticing his fingernails were digging into his legs.
Then webbing hit Thanos in the face as a swinging Peter hit him and Drax sliced at his leg, with Strange arriving in his front via portal. Strange made an Eldritch sword as the two dueled Thanos who then kicked Drax away and grabbed Strange's sword while removing the webbing. The sword dissipated as Thanos kicked Strange back but he used a Tao Mandala to protect himself.
"He's actually giving Thanos a run for his money," Rhodey said as they all stared, impressed by Strange.
"But how long can he keep that up when Thanos has four stones?" Steve asked uneasily.
Quill fired at Thanos from behind as Strange conjured platforms for him to jump on. He planted an explosive on Thanos' back and showed him the finger. "Boom!" He exclaimed and then jumped into an inter-dimensional portal Strange had conjured as the explosive exploded and Thanos was stunned.
"As far as plans go, that wasn't terrible," Natasha said, impressed despite herself.
"So maybe he's not a total idiot," Rhodey amended.
The Cloak of Levitation wrapped itself on Thanos' left hand on Strange's command to prevent him from closing his fist as Strange conjured portals from which Peter jumped to attack. "Magic!" He said as he jumped into a portal. "More magic!" He said as he jumped out and kneed Thanos before jumping into another. "Magic with a kick!" He said as he kicked Thanos and leapt into another. "Magic with a-" He was cut off as Thanos grabbed him in a chokehold and furiously slammed him to the ground. "Insect," Thanos sneered.
"Technically, a spider is an arachnid," Parker quipped as they all tensed, Peter paling as everyone looked at him concerned. "Still here guys."
"You should never have been there in the first place," Tony said guiltily, self-loathing filling him at involving Peter.
"Nothing you can do about it now," Parker told him and Tony nodded after a moment.
He threw Peter into Strange and ripped the Cloak off as Tony fired missiles at him but he absorbed the flames into the Infinity Gauntlet and fired back at Tony, sending him back as Peter webbed Thanos' hand and swung at him but was smacked down as Thanos ripped the web off.
"He's too much," Wanda said softly as they stared at the screen as everyone looked at Tony, Peter, and Parker worriedly.
"I'm in over my head," Tony breathed and the fact that he admitted it openly had everyone worried. "I can't stop him. Not alone."
"When we face him this time, you won't be," Steve promised.
It wasn't this time that concerned him, Tony thought grimly. It was the version of events that they were currently watching.
Then a Necrocraft rammed into Thanos from behind, sending him down as debris fell upon him. As he got up, Nebula leapt out and punched him.
"Nebula's here," Scott said.
"And she has an axe to grind," Clint noted.
Thanos greeted her as she said, "You should have killed me." "Would have been a waste of parts!" Thanos snapped.
"Bastard," Steve sneered as they all glared at the screen.
She furiously attacked Thanos with her electric baton, asking where Gamora was when she was kicked away just as Strange conjured dark red metallic bands to restrain Thanos' left fist while Drax kicked his knee, sending him down as Quill threw a gravity mine, restraining his other hand just as Peter webbed his chest and swung in the front. Tony flew down and grabbed his left fist, trying to pull the Infinity Gauntlet out as the binding spell disappeared. Thanos struggled and Peter had to use the legs while Strange opened a portal above Thanos and Mantis jumped down, using her powers to temporarily put him to sleep and told them to be quick as he was very strong. Peter ran up to Tony and both started pulling the Infinity Gauntlet out.
"Come on come on come on," Tony prayed as the past Avengers watched, desperately hoping this would work.
None of them noticed Parker's wince or the grim looks on the faces of the other future Avengers.
Quill stopped in front of Thanos and taunted him, saying this was his plan. Quill taunted Thanos before asking where Gamora was. Quill continued interrogating Thanos as Mantis said he was in anguish and he mourned. Drax asked what he had to mourn and Nebula said Gamora. Shocked Quill turned to her as Nebula said Thanos had gone to Vormir with Gamora and returned while she hadn't. Quill started getting angry as Tony begged him to cool it, "WE ALMOST GOT THIS OFF!"
"Shit," Clint said as they all knew what was about to happen.
"Don't do it Quill, please don't do it," Tony begged, turning to Parker. "Tell me he doesn't do it."
The blank look Parker shot him said all Tony needed to know.
"Tell me she's lying. Asshole! Tell me you didn't do it!" Quill roared as Thanos said, "I had to." Quill snapped, "No you didn't." And then he started hitting Thanos with his blaster, "NO YOU DIDN'T!" Mantis' hold was broken as Tony stopped Quill.
Natasha swore in Russian as Steve put a hand to his face.
"That idiot!" Sam exclaimed.
"He just couldn't control himself," Tony snapped. "Not even with the fate of the universe at stake."
"It wouldn't have mattered," Parker said and they turned to him. "I asked Strange once why he didn't stop Quill."
"What did he say?" Clint asked.
"That if he had, Thanos still would have won. He would have gotten the gauntlet back, killed me and Quill to get it," Parke said and Peter paled. "Then neither of us would have been there in the final battle and I was needed to do something there. There was only one future where we won; stopping Quill wasn't one of them."1
Peter almost had it off when Thanos woke up and head-butted Mantis, knocking her out before snatching it back and pushing Peter off.
Tony winced as Clint and Scott, being fathers, looked at Peter in concern as he watched this.
Thanos pulled Strange to him and pushed him off before throwing Mantis away as Peter grabbed her and saved her with his metal legs. Thanos then kicked Drax into Nebula and Quill before knocking the Guardians out with a blast from the Power Stone. Tony attacked with a blade he had conjured but was head-butted away as Thanos used the Power Stone to break the moon above and rain down huge chunks of it. Tony flew around to avoid as one hit him while Quill, Drax and Nebula were sent flying around.
"This is only getting worse," Vision noted as they all watched, tense.
In Wakanda, Shuri continued the procedure as Wanda looked on. Cull killed some Wakandans when T'Challa leapt at him and punched him, the kinetic energy sending him down.
T'Challa had a thunderous glare on his face as he glared at the screen. Cull would pay for what he had done to his people, T'Challa vowed darkly. One way or another.
Rocket fired at approaching outriders and Bucky picked up him up to prevent him getting trampled. They then both fired at several Outriders, killing them. He put Rocket down as he asked, "How much for the gun?" "Not for sale." "Okay, how much for the arm?" Bucky looked at him and walked off as he said, "I'll get that arm."
"He is weirdly obsessed with prosthetics," Scott noted as everyone else laughed.
Thor killed several Outriders with Stormbreaker as Steve asked, "New haircut?" "I noticed you've copied my beard," Thor said and Steve nodded with a smile.
"Now we're all beard bros," Tony joked and Steve and Thor sighed in exasperation.
Groot stabbed Outriders with his elongated hand and lifted them as Thor introduced him and he roared, "I am Groot!" Steve thought he was introducing himself and said, "I am Steve Rogers."
"And I am Iron Man," Tony joked and everyone turned to look at him in exasperation. "What, I am!"
Wanda watched from above as the forests shook and five giant spiked wheels burst out from the ground.
"Holy crap!" Peter exclaimed.
"What are those?" Scott asked.
"Threshers," Scarlet said grimly.
"No," T'Challa said, worried for his country.
T'Challa ordered everyone to fall back while up above, the flame of decision formed in Wanda's eyes. Sam and Rhodey fired at the threshers to no avail as Natasha and Okoye killed Outriders when the threshers came at them. Then Wanda leapt between them and using her powers, stopped the threshers and crushed scores of Outriders with them.
"That's my girl," Clint said proudly as Wanda flushed and Steve and Natasha smiled at her.
"Nice," Natasha said as she looked over at Scarlet.
"Good job," Steve said and she smiled tightly.
"I was taught by the best," she said simply.
Steve nodded, feeling a little put out at her reaction but understanding He simply wished he knew what he had done that caused Scarlet to resent him so much.
Wanda looked at the two as Okoye asked, "Why was she up there all this time?"
"To guard…" Scott trailed off as it hit them.
"Shit," Rhodey swore.
Midnight told someone to take it and in Glaive snuck into the palace.
"Son of a bitch, he was alive the whole time," Tony said in horror.
"They distracted us and used the Threshers to lure Wanda out," Steve realized as Natasha swore in Russian.
"As far as strategies go, it's not bad," Lila said reluctantly.
Glaive fought the guards outside, beating them down as Ayo attacked. Shuri worked faster but Ayo was beaten down so she took out her blasters and fired, fighting Glaive as the table was shattered.
"Shuri!" T'Challa exclaimed worriedly as Thor put a hand on his shoulder, hoping it offered him comfort.
Ayo got back up but both were thrown down as Glaive saw the table empty. Then Vision leapt at him and threw them both out the window as it shattered.
"And now you're out of the lab," Rhodey said as they paled.
"Why didn't you just blast him out?" Scott wondered.
"After the last time, I do not believe that was advisable," Vision said as they all remembered how Glaive had deflected Vision's blasts.
"Good point," Scott said.
Sam noticed and told the others as Steve asked someone to get him. Bruce flew up as Wanda said she was on her way when Midnight punched her down and stood over her, "He will die alone and so will you."
"I'm right here," Scarlet pointed out as she saw Clint, Steve, and Natasha tense and Barton clench his pants legs.
"Doesn't mean we don't worry kid," Clint said as he wrapped an arm around his Wanda.
"She's not alone," Midnight turned around to see Natasha and Okoye, ready to fight.
"Oh this is gonna be good," Scott said as Scarlet smirked.
Midnight attacked with a roar as Natasha blocked with her baton and Okoye also helped with her spear.
Vision was kicked down by Glaive and smacked away by Cull when Bruce flew in the way. Cull grabbed him and they both flew to a distance. Bruce said Vision needed backup and tried to fight but his arm was chopped off while Hulk didn't come out in spite of his begging.
"Oh come on Hulk!" Tony shouted in exasperation as they all tensed, worried for Bruce.
Bruce begged Hulk but his face transformed and roared, "NOOOOOOOO!" Bruce returned to normal and said, "Screw you, you big green asshole! I'll do it myself!"
Bruce punched Cull several times before being thrown down. As Cull was about to land the finishing blow, Bruce grabbed the severed gauntlet and attached it to him. Bruce said, "See ya!" He activated it and Cull was sent into the air, with the barrier destroying him.
"Wait to go Dr. Banner!" Peter cheered as they all relaxed slightly.
Still, they knew the fight was far from over.
"Hulk, we got a lot to figure out, pal," Bruce said.
"They sure do," Rhodey noted.
Natasha and Okoye continued battling Midnight as a thresher passed above. Midnight Kicked Natasha, sending her falling down before she grabbed Okoye and threw her to the ground.
"Damn, she's good," Scot said as T'Challa, Steve and Clint tensed, worried for Natasha and Okoye.
Glaive stabbed Vision, "I thought you were a formidable machine. But you'll die, like any man," He retracted glaive as Vision fell down.
No one dared to so much as breathe. They simply stared at the screen, wondering if this was the end.
Steve then pushed Glaive away and fought him, telling Vision to get out.
Everyone relaxed slight, but it did nothing to relieve the tension in the room. Too much was at stake for them to relax now.
Natasha split her baton into two and disarmed Midnight before being punched down. Midnight tried to stab with her blade as Natasha tried to push back. Then Wanda lifted Midnight with her magic and a thresher ran into her, killing her.
"Ew," Scott said as they all looked disgusted.
"That's gross," Natasha said.
"But effective," Tony added.
Natasha got up; Midnight's blue blood on her face as she said it was gross.
"Don't repeat yourself Nat," Clint joked and she rolled her eyes good naturedly.
Steve fought Glaive and disarmed him but was thrown down as Glaive started choking him.
Everyone tensed, worried for Steve. Even Scarlet, as angry as she was with him, worried for him, even knowing he had survived.
Suddenly, Glaive's own glaive burst from his chest and Vision lifted him from behind, killing him.
"Nice job," Steve told Vision as everyone relaxed slightly.
"Thank you Captain," Vision said.
"I think I'm the one who should be thanking you," Steve said with a slight smile.
Steve helped Vision and said he'd told him to go as Vision said, "We don't trade lives, Captain."
"No, we don't," Tony said as the future Avengers winced, unseen to him.
On Titan, Peter saved the Guardians with his webs as Strange flew down to battle Thanos. Strange summoned Tao Mandalas and fired bolts of Eldritch energy at Thanos which he leapt to avoid and fired a blast with the Power Stone. Strange countered by opening the Mirror Dimension in the middle to absorb the beam and pushed it back at him. Thanos destroyed it with the Power Stone's punch and transforming the remnants into a Black Hole, threw it back at Strange. Strange cast a spell and the Black Hole was transmuted into mystical butterflies.
"Two powerhouses going at it. This would make a great movie," Scott mused as they all watched, tension building as the fight continued.
Strange then made an army of clones and all restrained Thanos with Eldritch whips. Then Thanos activated the Soul and Power Stones, destroying the clones as the real Strange was sent back and his astral form was seen for a second.
"What was that?" Peter asked curiously.
"His Asternal form. Basically, his ghost. When people talk about ghost, it's really your spirit leaving your body to journey to the Asternal Plane. The Masters of the Mystic Arts know how to do it," Scarlet explained as Peter looked fascinated as everyone else looked curious.
"Cool," Peter said in awe.
Thanos activated the Space and Reality Stones, pulling Strange to him by changing the landscape and held him by the neck, "You're full of tricks, Wizard. Yet you never once used your greatest weapon." He ripped out the Eye of Agamotto and crushed it as nothing was inside, "A fake."
"Damn it," Tony said as they all tensed.
He tossed Strange away, knocking him out, when a nanotech clamp stopped him from closing his fist and Tony flew down, "You throw another moon at me, and I'm gonna lose it!" "Stark," Thanos said. "You know me?" A shocked Tony asked. "I do," Thanos said. "You're not the only one cursed with knowledge."
"He knows me?" Tony asked shocked.
"When you destroyed his ship during the Chitauri invasion, he found out about you. Then, when he did research, he found out about the rest of you," Parker explained as he looked at the original Avengers. "He would never admit it, but he feared you. All of you. No one else had stood up to him and stopped him the way you had. For the first time, Thanos was unnerved. He didn't like it. That made him even more dangerous."
"My only curse is you," Tony said and fired missiles which Thanos blocked with his Infinity Gauntlet. Tony flew at Thanos, transforming his feet into the huge jet as he kicked Thanos down before punching him back with conjured battering rams. Thanos ripped off his helmet but another appeared as Thanos punched him back and ripping off the clamp, fired from the Power Stone, with Tony using a shield to block. Thanos stopped and Tony kicked him and pinned the Gauntlet with a foot clamp before hitting him with battering rams, sending him down. The force was enough to make him bleed a little as he said, "All that for a drop of blood."
"All that for a papercut? Tony asked dismayed.
"You still made him bleed," Steve said. "And if you can hurt him-"
"You can kill him together," Barton said and Steve nodded.
"His days of playing god are over," Thor said darkly.
Thanos threw him of and started pummeling him before blasting him away with the Power Stone. Tony fired with his reforming suit but Thanos used the Power Stone to block as they fought and Thanos blocked an attack of Tony. Tony formed a dagger and tried to stab but Thanos grabbed his hand and broke it off before stabbing him.
The entire room froze as they stared at the screen. No one dared to move, fear for Tony and, in the case of the man in question, his own life filled them as they waited to see what would happen next.
Thanos then backed Tony up as Tony gasped in pain and fell to his knees. "You have my respect Stark," Thanos said as he placed a hand on Tony's head. "When I'm done half of humanity will still be alive." As Tony gasped, Thanos removed his head from Tony's head and said, "I hope they remember you." He pointed the Infinity Gauntlet at Tony.
"No no no," Rhodey said as they paled, worried about Tony.
Steve clenched his fists angrily while Natasha and Clint stared at Tony, who simply watched the scene numbly, wondering if this was how it would end.
"STOP!" Strange said as they turned to him. "Spare his life...and I will give you the stone."
"No," Tony started, staring in horror. "If he gets that stone…"
"There was no other way," Parker repeated what Strange had said all those years ago. "You were needed alive for the final battle, at all costs. You had to live Tony, for all our sakes."
"No tricks," Thanos said and in spite of Tony's protests, Strange conjured the Time Stone from where it had been disguised as a star. Strange sent it over to Thanos, inserted it into the Gauntlet as power surged through him while Tony watched horrified. "One to go," Thanos said.
"No," Steve said as they all watched horrified before turning to Vision.
"He will come for me now," Vision said with a pit in his stomach. "I do not think we can stop him."
Quill fired at Thanos angrily but he escaped via portal as Quill landed roughly. "Where is he?!" Quill asked as he retracted his mask and Tony used his Nanites to heal his wound. "Did we just lose?"
"We all lost," Barton said with a haunted look in his eyes as the mood shifted from tense to dread.
"Why would you do that?" Tony asked Strange. Strange looked at him and said ominously, "We're in the endgame now."
1: Quill gets so much hate for hitting Thanos, people blaming him for Thanos' victory. But, actually stopping to think about it, I can't help but wonder if it would have made a difference. Without the aid of any Infinity Stones, Thanos was able to defeat Hulk in battle without even trying. And in Endgame, the less powerful version of him was able to defeat Thor, Steve, and Tony, again without the aid of any Infinity Stones. So I find it hard to believe that, even if they had gotten the gauntlet off him, Thanos couldn't have taken it back. And Strange, who, by his own words, looked into millions of futures and saw various outcomes, didn't stop him. At least one of those futures had to include someone stopping Quill. And since Strange did nothing to stop Quill, we can assume they still lost in that future.