A cloaked figure was bent down in the middle of the road, feeling around for something. His hand paused on a stick, and Thanos and his guard relaxed slightly.
"Move along, so we may pass through...I know you can hear me..."
The man flipped his hood onto his shoulders, a worn handkerchief wrapped around his eyes.
"Of course I can. Forgive me sir. But, as you can clearly see, I am a bit lost. I was heading for Paris..."
"I'm afraid your kind aren't welcome here..."
"Excuse me?" The man titled his head, then laughed. "Are you discriminating against the blind?"
"I'm discriminating against all that is against our Lord, which includes thievery and witchcraft, which to me, explains your...condition."
"Wow...I thought my friends were over exaggerating when they told me how cruel you were...but, I must be mistaken, because they never came back to tell me anything...they were burned at the stake, they were hung by the dozens, or drowned in the river..."
Thanos' anger was boiling over. He stepped off the carriage and walked to tower over the much smaller man.
"God has granted me this power to save the world. I can only do so much when they refuse to repent, choosing the pleasures of this world over righteousness."
"It's kinda hard to do so when they're starving and can't find a roof over their head, because no one wants to give them an honest chance..."
"I suggest you move along, gypsy...I have honest work to fulfill..." Thanos made to shove the blind man away, but was stopped from doing so by the staff.
"I'm sorry, Minister Thanos, but I can't let you kill any more of my friends..." He was looking straight ahead, but his movements were so much more stronger and confidant than meets the eye.
"You jest?" Thanos laughed. "Even on my worst day, I can snap you in half like a twig with my bare hands..."
"You're right, but one must find the twig first-" The man threw a substance to the ground, which exploded into a puff of red smoke, choking Thanos and his guards.
"After him!" He barked.
They split off in different directions, but the blind man had disappeared.
"What the devil..." Thanos realized he was becoming more outnumbered, and he had to move quickly if he were to find these gypsies. He cannot afford for more reinforcements to unite against him.
Anthony and the gypsies continued through the mass graves, ducking behind every headstone. Paranoia kept them alert, as the sun was high in the sky.
"Over here!" A voice whispered.
Steve motioned for them to follow and they all moved down to a clearing where a huge mausoleum was barely standing.
"That's not creepy at all..." Bucky said.
"Matthew, thank God!" Carol hugged the man, who warmly returned the gesture.
"Mind telling me what's going on and why Minister Thanos is still on the warpath?"
"Long story, short...we've all pissed him off..." Anthony explained.
"Except me...I've actually been the only decent human being in this bunch." Bucky added.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" The man tilted his head slightly.
"This is Anthony, he helped us escape the cathedral when Thanos trapped us all...he saved our lives..." Carol explained.
"Sorry, I don't mean to be rude..." The man shook Anthony's hand firmly. "I'm Matthew, and well, these guys are all I have left after Minister Thanos murdered my family and friends years ago..."
"No, I should apologize...I've lived with him for the past ten years, well...he visits me on most days, but-"
"You were his prisoner?"
Anthony did not know what to say anymore. The longer he was around these people, the more his life was getting turned upside down again.
"We better get going..." Steve said nervously. "Matthew, where is everyone?"
"Here, actually..." Matthew pressed his hand on the door of the mausoleum. "My ancestors called this place The Court of Miracles, but don't let the name scare you...not all of us have mastered the art of witchcraft." He shrugged.
Anthony was not sure if he was being serious or trying to be funny...