[Back in Wakanda, Shuri is working steadily to complete the Mind Stone's removal; Wanda stands by tensely]

[The Kingsguard, Borderers and Jabari have little success going against Cull Obsidian's chained hammer -- he either sends them flying or punches them into the ground. The Black Panther gets free of his other sorties, leaps and uses all his collected kinetic energy behind a punch that lays Obsidian flat.]

"Whoa!? That's new, What was that?" Peter asked.

"The Vibranium of my brother's suit store Kinetic Energy of any impact to be released at will." Shuri explained.

Rocket: [Having found a clear spot] Come and get some, space dogs! [Another wave of Outriders heads right for the raccoon. The Winter Soldier, having come up behind Rocket, grabs him with his mechanical arm, holds him at arms length and spins 540 degrees, firing his own M-249 at the same time.] Come on, get some, get some! Come on, get some! [The Winter Soldier drops Rocket, who looks up at him with an impressed gleam] How much for the gun?

Bucky Barnes: [Snaps off another burst] Not for sale.

"Than, How much for the Arm?" Rocket asked.

Rocket: Okay, how much for the arm? [The Winter Soldier just gives him a look and moves off] Oh, I'll get that arm.

At this Avengers raised eyebrows.

"It seems that stealing of prosthetic eye wasn't a one time thing." Rhody comments, but got no response from the Raccoon. Just embarrassed looks from Quill.

"No, one time when we were breaking out of jail, Rocket asked us to get a prisoner's prosthetic leg" Drax provided.

"Hold on. You broke out of jail!?" Steve asked worried, Just who are the guardians.

[The tides of battle cause Thor, using Stormbreaker to great effect, and Captain America together. They take a breather.]

Steve Rogers: [Panting] New haircut?

"Chit-chat?" Maria asked astonished.

Thor: [Grinning] Notice you've copied my beard.

"Does it suits me?" Steve asked, he did have to voice this that Thor's entrance has a reviling affect on the team, much greater after the absence of Hulk in the fight.

"More than My Brother!" Loki said looking sideways towards Thor. Who gave an undignified 'hey' towards Loki, while others looked at him as if the ex-villain had grown a second head to try and start a friendly banter with Captain America.

[Captain America nods, wearily gesturing at his own face with a shield-covered hand. Groot skewers three Outriders with his right arm.]

Thor: By the way, this is a friend of mine. Tree. [Gestures towards Groot with Stormbreaker]

"Rabbit and Tree, Pointbreak?" Tony couldn't hold it in him, but his comment eased the populace of the theatre.

Groot: [In full battle snarl] I AM GROOT! (Translation: You gonna help me or what?!)

Steve Rogers: [Formally, but bemused] I am Steve Rogers.

Quill laughed out at that, Thor, Loki and Stephen smirked at the misunderstanding.

[In Shuri's lab, a deep rumbling can be heard even at their height. Wanda looks down on the battlefield, and sees movement through the blazing forest between the troopships and the dome. When the disturbance reaches the edge of the trees, it turns into vast moving mounds of earth that easily bypass the force field and emerge -- Threshers, sets of massive, motorized spiked wheels, intended for nothing more than shredding everything in their paths.]

"It bypassed the force field" T'Challa said horrified.

"Those Bastards!!" Clint said and buried his face in his hands.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"They were just toying with us, they could have used those machines anytime. There was no need for sending those Creatures first. Meaning they are waiting for something, buying Time." Natasha caught on Clint's thought.

"You think forcible assault wasn't the main plan?" Bucky asked.

"No. They are probably vary of something or someone which could wreck their plan, so they are going with a distraction plan." Nick explained looking meaningfully at Clint, and Clint's flinch confirmed it for him.

T'Challa: Fall back! Fall back now!

"Oh God!" Scott said horrified, this battle just got a whole lot difficult.

[Wanda watches as at least one set of Threshers separates into individual wheels and starts veering all over the battlefield, and then looks anxiously back at Vision]

"Don't...." Clint whispered to himself, as Natasha, Fury, Stephen and Gamora became anxious behind their calm masks, it seems enemy plan is working.

James Rhodes: Focus that fire on the left flank, Sam.

Sam Wilson: I'm doing it. [The two fliers use their firepower to crack a Thresher but cannot find a weak spot.]

[Black Widow with her escrima sticks and Okoye with her augmented spear have drifted together when they're suddenly in the path of a Thresher.]

"Okoye!!" Shuri jumped worried. While Clint had clutched Natasha's hand, as if she'd disappear if he let it loose.

[Both women cringe at their seemingly inevitable shredding when the Scarlet Witch lands in front of both of them, eyes glowing red, lifting the whole Thresher well clear of the ground. Looking behind her, the friendly forces have scattered and replaced by a charging mob of Outriders -- the perfect place to throw a Thresher. Black Widow straightens with a pleased smile, Okoye with an amazed look.]

"You should not be there, Wanda." Natasha comments without any emotions, most of the people looked at her as if she lost her mind, because she was telling someone who saved her that, she shouldn't have done that.

"And What!? Let you get killed." Wanda sassed pointing at screen. Clint while grateful of Wanda saving Natasha, but even then he's mind supplied that they just played in the opponents hand, and personally his heart also agreed with his mind. He prefer Wanda out of harms way, even if she's more powerful then anyone else there, Nat could certainly take care of herself. This fight seemed as an Chess with their opponent baiting them with pawns as they corners the King into a check, and he didn't like it one bit.

Okoye: [A touch indignant] Why was she up there all this time?

[Behind the Enemy lines.]

Proxima Midnight: She's on the field. Take it.

Breathing stopped in the Theatre, it seems ex-SHIELD agents had accurate intuitions. Things just started getting worse and worse.

[Corvus Glaive kills one of the guards just outside the lab, alerting Shuri to the problem. She starts hastily disconnecting her equipment from Vision's systems; he gasps at the sensations. The Dora Milaje engages Glaive but is sent skidding across the floor. Shuri finishes her shutdown, grabs one of her sonic panther-paws and fires at Glaive. The Dora attacks again, and Glaive sends both her and Shuri through the balcony railing and onto the main lab floor.]

"Shuri!!!" T'challa shouted jumping on his feets. How could he overlook a basic tactic of distraction, his command of confronting the enemy directly, led to being unable to response to a sneak attack. And now, he couldn't even protect his sister, it is all his fault.

"Don't go down that road." Thor said looking at T'challa, who seems to be shaking in his place. Shuri seeing her brother's state, goes for a hug. It took a minute for T'challa to calm down. While other heroes look at him with pity and understanding, they all have their own experiences with guilt.

[Vision is not where Corvus Glaive expects to find him. Vision is, in fact, charging at him and knocking him out the window to fall many meters down the face of Mount Bashenga.]

"I humbly thank you, Master Vision." T'challa said formally while giving a small bow to show his gratitude. Shuri was shocked as she had not seen her brother being this formal for a long time, last time was when she had burned a Wakanda's main lab to ground in one of her experiment at the age of five. Her brother had formally apologized to workers instead of her for not looking after his sister and destroying their research.

Sam Wilson: Guys, we got a Vision situation here. [He's tackled by a leaping Outrider and grounded.]

Steve Rogers: Somebody get to Vision!

Bruce Banner: I got him! [Bruce has figured out the Hulkbusters repulsor thrusters and makes a beeline for the android.]

"Thank God!" Bruce whispered to himself, he had no confidence in himself that he can successfully control the Hulkbuster Armour.

Wanda Maximoff: On my way. [She is clobbered by Proxima Midnight's pommel and rolls down into the large ditch from the Thresher before she can move.]

"Ouch!" Murmured Mantis as most winched, while most of heroes were expecting anything to jump out of anywhere. The timing just launch their anxiety to a next level.

Proxima Midnight: [Jumping down next to the Scarlet Witch] He'll die alone. As will you.

"Bitch" Gamora murmured, she never liked Proxima's attitude.

"Whoa! I never knew someone could rile you up." Quill tried to joke, but his own mood wasn't right for laughter and it fell flat. Gamora's response was just one of raised eyebrow and blank look at him.

Natasha Romanoff: She's not alone.

Scott, Peter and Shuri started cheering. While others looked at them with a small smile and thoughts like 'at least this cheered up the children'. Clint gave a long whistle, and this got every eye at him adult and children look at him as if he has lost it. But Clint didn't seem to care.

After a minute of awkward silence filled with a smug Clint, a facepalming Natasha, and wide eye everyone.

"Groot, I am Groot!(You go, Terran Gamora-like Lady!)" Groot cheers at screen, bored of awkward silence.

[Okoye silently brandishes her spear on the other side of Proxima and nods at Black Widow.]

[Proxima Midnight screams as She leaps for Black Widow, who has joined her sticks into a full staff. She blocks Proxima's blow with an electrical crackle while Okoye runs around the slope to also attack from the front.]

[Corvus Glaive kicks Vision, knocking him down; as he attempts to rise again, Cull Obsidian shows up and swings his hammer in a full arc, throwing Vision even further. He painfully starts to climb to his feet again when a whooshing overhead interrupts the fight as Bruce Banner lands the Hulkbuster between the aliens and the android. He takes a defensive stance, pointing one hand's repulsor at each.]

Bruce Banner: Oh no, oh no you don't. This isn't going to be like New York, pal. This suit's already kicked the crap out of the Hulk--

"Focus on the fight, Bruce. Honestly I underestimated Tony's influence on you." Natasha sassed, while she was Angry beyond belief about Bruce's prior actions, that doesn't mean she wanted her friend to be hurt because of rookie mistakes like this.

"Honestly, what's with you lot and Chatting inbetween fights." Carol said light-heartedly, while gulping the embarrassing fact that she wasn't much different from them, atleast nobody knows that about her. -after seeing Fury's deadpanned look- well except him.

[Cull Obsidian jumps forward, grabs Bruce's right arm and Bruce in reflex grabs Obsidian's hammer; a jet fires, taking the two of them in a random direction, to the base of a waterfall.]

"Seems You cannot be his aid any longer, as of now Banner. You should ask others to help the Android." Loki comments, while this time he was genuinely trying to consult the Midguardians but it seems his prior experience in communication with them had led to opposite effects than desired.

"You know what a Android is!?!" Tony asked shocked, He didn't think raindeer games would know a thing about morden machinery and technology with the loner magic geek picture he made after hearing Thor talking about the then brother turned villian.

"Do not place your image of an Asgardian from this idiotic brother of mine. Asgard is-or now was-way more technologically advance than a Midguardians could ever imagine." Loki said proudly. His brother half-heartedly made an offended sound, while on the inside, he was happiest he's been after his coronation day- the day his life took a turn he dreaded even now. It seems while the Fate had given him much darker times after that day, it seems he got his Younger Brother back. Thor vowed to himself to protect Loki and never let Loki feel too lonely that a dark path be the only choice for him.

Bruce Banner: Guys! Vision needs backup now!

[Obsidian pulls the Hulkbuster up and kicks it in the small of the back.]

[Trying to change into the Hulk while fighting Cull Obsidian in the Hulkbuster armor]

Bruce Banner: Hulk. Hulk, I know you like making your entrance at the last second, well, this is it, man. This is the last, last second.

Avengers edged in their seats, waiting for Hulk to make a appearance. While Strange gives a sigh, it seems they don't understand the problem.

[Bruce extends his left hand protectively; Obsidian grabs the armor's hand, chops the shoulder joint with a relatively small axe then does a roll over Bruce's back to leverage snapping off the Hulkbuster's whole arm]

Bruce Banner: Ahhhhh! Hulk! Hulk! HULK!

Hulk: [Banner's face briefly becomes the Hulk] NOOOO!!!

"Why!? Why are you doing it now, Hulk" Bruce becomes hypervalent.

"Bruce! calm down!" Steve said as OG's were on their feets rushing towards Bruce.

"It would have been so much better if everyone else can also see what's I am seeing. To much of an headache this way." Strange murmured to himself as he grumble in his seat, annoyed and frustrated.

Bruce Banner: Oh, screw you, ya big green asshole! I'll do it myself! [To Obsidian] Come on!

"Ugh, come on! You had to say that!" Strange again murmured to himself, he had managed from the start somehow but now with the way of things and reactions it looks unmanageable going forward.

[He charges the alien, jumps into the air and delivers an effective punch with his remaining hand -- swat, punch, hammer -- except that blow is caught by Obsidian, who punches back, knocking Bruce flat. Obsidian changes his left hand armor into a pointed weapon, and lunges forward to deliver a likely fatal blow, when Bruce grabs the detached Hulkbuster arm out of the water, holding it so Obsidian impales that instead, and slaps the controls.]

Bruce Banner: See ya! [The repulsors fire, taking Cull Obsidian high into the air -- high enough, in fact, to intersect the defense dome. The Hulkbuster arm drags Obsidian against the field to grotesque destructive effect, ending in a very final explosion.]

"That was surprisingly innovative, Bruce." Fury comments, he hasn't ever taken the Doctor to know his was around Tony's Armor more than moving and punching, which had been the only use that Armor had been in this fight.

"Ofcourse! Why couldn't he? He helped to make it." Tony patronise his friend/Super Science Bro proudly.

Bruce Banner: Hulk, we got a lot to figure out, pal.

"Yes, Yes you do!" Strange comments, which got attention directed to him as his comment felt weird to most of the earth-bound heroes because of Strange facing the wall on the opposite side of Bruce Banner.

"You okay, Doctor?" Vision asked.

"No, nor would you if a 8 feet big baby was throwing a temper tantrum only you could hear." Strange answered the again rounds towards the wall, "Okay, Stop it now."

And before anyone asked something, Strange started the movie.

[Proxima Midnight alternates heavy blows between her two opponents, but all three of them duck as a single-wheel Thresher tears overhead, the ditch sparing them most of the danger from the wheel-blades. Proxima uses the distraction to kick Black Widow in the face, sending her to the ground. She then grabs Okoye by the shoulder and weapon and throws her meters away.]

[Simultaneously, Corvus Glaive and Vision struggle in the forest at the foot of Mount Bashenga. Glaive grasps Vision's shoulder and uses the leverage to plunge his blade once more into the android's chest.]

"Oh God!" Peter said as he closed his eyes and hid his face in hands. While others were gasping for air that just knocked out of their lungs.

Corvus Glaive: I thought you were formidable, machine. But you're dying, like any man.

"Bastard!" Wanda sneered as everyone seethed in anger, it seems someone is fighting for the most hated children of Thanos from now dead Ebony Maw.

[He yanks his blade out, and Vision collapses. As he bends over his fallen opponent to retrieve the Stone, he's tackled by Captain America at full speed.]

"Thank God, Captain!" Tony said as he let out a breath, as Clint and Vision tried to calm Wanda down.

Steve Rogers: Get outta here! [He exchanges blows with Glaive, using his arm-shields as offence as well as defense, then turns to Vision again] GO!

"Come on Vision, Gotta go." Steve repeated himself, captured in the screen.

[Black Widow splits her staff back into a pair of sticks to block Proxima Midnight's sword blows, and finally knocks it from her hand. The alien takes to her bare fists instead, knocks down and pins the Black Widow. Proxima triggers an arm-blade from her left-arm armor, and stabs at Black Widow, who barely manages to block the blade with her crossed sticks. As the edge starts to dig into Black Widow's neck anyway, scarlet energy grabs the alien and tosses her into the air right into the path of another passing Thresher. Dark blue blood spatters the women below. The Scarlet Witch sits up, sighing with relief, her hands still shimmering.]

"Oh my God!" Shuri said as she tried to control herself from vomiting.

Natasha Romanoff: That was really gross.

[Captain America keeps blocking Corvus Glaive's staff weapon using his shields, finally knocking it from the alien's hands just before he's thrown over a fallen tree and pinned, Glaive's hand at his throat. Even with his physical abilities, Captain America's struggling -- until a glaive-blade pierces Glaive's chest, and is pushed all the way through. Vision raises his enemy in a perfect mirror of the first attack on him, and holds him for a moment, before dropping Glaive's corpse to one side and collapsing exhaustively.]

"I thought he told you to go." Steve whispers to himself.

Steve Rogers: [helping him back up] I thought I told you to go.

Vision: We don't trade lives, Captain.

"I think those attack has done something to his mind, he thought you were trading in market and not fighting for Life." Drax said to Steve, which got a sigh from Quill, Gamora and Rocket, nod from Mantis baffled looks remaining.

He didn't get any reaction from Fury, Natasha and Strange as they earlier made the decision to ignore any weird things coming out of the mouth of Grey-Humanoid Alien. And Groot who was annoyed at everyone for stopping the screen every 10-15 seconds.

[The remaining Guardians and Avengers are dealing with the gravitic aftermath of dumping a large chunk of moon onto an unstable planet's surface. The unconscious Guardians are flying upwards uncontrollably, moon-chunks are still making fiery ballistic in-bounds, and random debris and massive rocks are floating in any possible direction. Spider-Man is well-equipped to handle this physically, even if he's freaking out emotionally.]

"What the...." Bucky said as the scene changed and devastating image of Titan came on screen.

Peter Parker: [Webs Mantis] I got you! I got you! [Snags Drax, securing both of them to something not moving] I'm sorry I can't remember anybody's names! [Reels in Star-Lord]

"It's Star-Lord, man! Why do nobody know of legendary outlaw turned leader of Guardians of the Galaxy, one and only Star-Lord" Quill complains.

"Forget it Peter, Nobody in the entire Galaxy calls you Star-Lord" Gamora answered.

"But that bald dude, the Ronin's pal called me Star-Lord. What was his name again..... Ahh.. Korak... or something.. Korath! Yes Korath called me Star-Lord before Drax killed him." Quill said proudly as if he proved the point. To which Gamora only rolled her eyes.

"Korath? You killed Korath the Pursuer?" Carol asked looking as if about to faint, how the heck this guy in front of her has managed to kill one of the former Star-Force member is beyond her compression.

At her reaction, all others debated their original impression of Drax, it seems weirdness is not the criteria for joining GotG.

[The Cloak of Levitation sets Doctor Strange down on a relatively stable outcrop as Thanos extricates himself from rubble.]

"You don't seem too much affected." Tony asked, he and the other alien were nowhere to be seen, he just saw Guardians send flying by the impact while Peter trying to help, but Strange seemed relatively unaffected by the impact.

To which Strange just shrugged his shoulders, his Clock was unmatchable, unparalleled piece of Magic. But he wasn't fool enough to say that out loud and boost Cloak's ego even larger.

[The Sorcerer Supreme makes a few passes with his hands, producing the familiar golden magic filigree circles, and slams his hands down on the rock before him, invoking the Seven Suns of Cinnibus as a lightning-like effect of immense heat jumping from rock to rock until it reaches Thanos, sending him flying -- but he makes use of the erratic gravity to keep control and fire back a blast from the Power Stone.]

Loki looks in fascination, he had seen and done Asgardian magic, which is way different then the eldritch magic the Masters of Mystic Arts is showing, while others are fascinated at someone dare to attack Thanos in a one-on-one duel. Before this moment only one-on-one was done by Hulk, when Thanos had only one stone and he refrained from using it. While this time Thanos has 4 of the 6 stones and shown no restrictions for using said infinity stones.

Steve flinched at the blast of Power Stone, it was the same energy which was successfully used to torture one of his friend and teammate, a literal God, at that. Just what was the Sorcerer going to do against it.

[Doctor Strange blocks the purple plume with a wall of Mirror Dimension, which he then pushes back at Thanos.]

Everyone's respect and wonder for Strange took another huge leap, there stands a human defending against the seemingly strongest being in existence attacking with the most powerful weapon in the universe.

[It shatters around the Titan, who suctions the magic into a miniature black hole with the Space Stone, volleying it back at Doctor Strange.]

"What the f......" Quill swore, an Attack from a freaking Infinity Stone was swallowed by that thing/spell he didn't know, Just what is this broke wizards of New York is capable of. And not to mention he was now seeing a black hole of all things used as a throwing ball.

[Just in time, Doctor Strange raises a shield and changes the dark energy into a swarm of aqua butterflies.]

"That was a black hole." Tony said dumbfounded, he never thought of seeing a real black hole. Let alone see a human turn it into a bunch of BUTTERFLIES!!?

"Butterflies!?" Bruce, Peter and Shuri shouted as they jumped to their feets, the heck were they seeing. Is that the might of Magic, if so then why Loki seems to be not use that at any given time, or is it exclusive to Masters of Mystic Arts.

Strange seemed troubled, he himself knew that just a twist in incarnation mandala would have retaliate with shadow hounds and not butterflies, which from this perspective seemed more useful. He also can very well use time stone even if not like with Dormammu, but he can stop the time at any given moment at just stroll at the paused Titan and snatch the gauntlet, among many other ways, so why does his Future self do that? Why his future choose this path, is it not his future self's intention to defeat the Titan? Has he saw something in the future which led to this plan and fight?

[Before Thanos can counterattack again, Doctor Strange levitates and invokes the Images of Ikonn, giving him many arms before dozens of Strange replications rush away, forming a circular wall around a snarling Thanos.]

"The heck.." Another shock to all, this just getting more and more baffling what someone sitting among them could do. When most turned to face the Sorcerer, who seems to be looking at something beyond the screen.

"I've seen this one" Thor said, it seems Asgardian and Midguardian magic have some commonalities.

"There is major differences, dooffus" Loki comments annoyed at his brothers inability to see the obvious difference between His and Strange's Spells.

"I can make illusions of myself, but those aren't illusions, those are actual materialistic copies with their own minds and can act differently from other copies on themselves, while my illusion of multiple copies all behave exactly like the real one and I have to consciously tell them how to act if I want them to do something alone." Loki admitted, while he didn't like it, Strange had some Major Spells in his Arsenal along with exotic Artifacts.

[They call cast magical cords, wrapping around Thanos' torso, arms and hands; he struggles to close his gauntleted fist, and uses the Soul and Power Stones to discover the real Doctor Strange among the many copies, blowing the duplicates away and sending the singular Doctor Strange reeling.]

"What!" Strange swore as he paused the screen, from what he had read about Images of Ikonn, there are only two spells in existence which can dispel it. And only 5 cosmic beings/entities who can see through this spell being, Living Tribunal, Eternity, Infinity, Vishanti and Ikonn himself.

Then 'how had the Titan has forcefully broke the spell in seconds?', Strange wrecked his brain repeating that section in his mind, the answer that he got was 'Thanos pushed his Astral Form/Soul out of his Materialistic Form/Body with the help of Soul Stone overpowered with Power Stone, and as even if his Images were Materialistic Structure with their own minds, but they lack Soul which was taken advantage of.'

After explaining all this to the hysteric allies/friends, with the help of fellow Magic user Loki, he absent-mindedly noted that Wanda and Peter especially seems very interested in those Magical Concepts. He once again started the movie.

[Reality and Space pull Doctor Strange forward, Thanos grasping him by the throat once in range. Doctor Strange grabs futilely at Thanos' hand.]

"Impressive, you had Thanos on his toes all the time, I think you are the only one to get him to use every stone till now, just to keep up with you." Commented Nickolas J. Fury, which got Steve, Clint, Maria and Natasha to look at Fury with wide eyes.

It wasn't often you see Fury complement someone even indirectly, let alone direct complement. Natasha knew that Fury has only complimented Steve and Maria once each and both indirectly after New York Attack and Vienna Terrorist Cell Mission respectively. She herself had only got 2 complements, indirectly for herself after Washington Bombing Mission and direct complement as Strike Team Delta. And knew the count of complements Clint had gotten from Fury sit at top with 4 complements, one indirect one after the successful IMF infiltration mission and 3 direct ones after his entrance exam, when she became Official SHIELD employee and one after Mission in Budapest as Strike Team Delta, fun fact was not one was given to a face to face conversation with the Archer, and those in front of whom the complement was given were strictly ordered to not let it pass to the Archer at any point. Because Clint was unpredictable as it was, God knows what he would have done if he knew Fury has complemented him.

Thanos: You're full of tricks, wizard.

Stephen Strange: [as Thanos reaches for the Eye of Agamotto] No!

"No!" Most shouted, Titan tilted the tables in his favour in just a second, what seemed like their victory was flipped in utter defeat in a second.

Thanos: [He snaps the Eye off its chain] Yet you never once used your greatest weapon. [He crushes it in his bare hand] A fake. [He throws Doctor Strange hard enough that Doctor Strange's head hits stone and he passes out.]

"I am sorry." Strange said turning to face everybody one by one and then gazed downward. While everyone including Spies and his fellow Magic user thought he was referring to his sudden lose against the Titan, only Strange himself knew he was referring to 'for whatever reasons' he held back in the duel and in the entire sequence of battle and let it end in Thanos's victory.

"You're kidding, right? You were a Rock Star out there, Facial Hair Bro." Tony said as he pats Stephen's shoulder. To which Strange turned his sorrowful gaze at Tony.

"I still hate you." Stephen answered, this somewhat lightens the mood. This got everyone reminded of the way to narrow escape from handing out the time stone.

As most sighs in relief, it seems Mad Titan didn't got his hands on 5th infinity stone. The pressure of this intense opponent, send shivers down every spine just thinking of what befalls the universe if they lose.

[Almost simultaneously, a red and gold device slaps into the palm of the Infinity Gauntlet, bracing the fingers open; and a red and gold Avenger makes a fast and hard entrance.]

"Oh thank God, Tony" Steve breaths relieved, they hasn't lost yet, Strange could get out of this tough spot while Tony engages Thanos.

Tony Stark: [sounding infinitely pissed] You throw another moon at me, and I'm gonna to lose it.

"Well, its one way to put it." Rhody nods after thinking, Tony was a man of cheesy line and one-liners even at deaths bed, there was no chance he wouldn't call this out.

Thanos: Stark.

"What!? He knows me?" Tony asked.

"He kept tabs on Humans after Loki fiasco, why would he not, you lot ruined his plan of getting Space Stone and also made him lose Mind Stone if that wasn't enough you literally nuked the mothership which he used to control his battalion of Chaturai, therefore he had tabs on all core Avengers especially you Stark, he thought you two have somethings in common" Gamora explained

Tony looked disgusted beyond belief to be called to have something in common with that monster.

Tony Stark: You know me?

Thanos: I do. You're not the only one cursed with knowledge.

"My only curse is you, Purple Cabbage." Tony snarled.

Tony Stark: My only curse is you. [Small rockets pop out of Iron Man's back and launch at Thanos.]

Thanos: Come on!

[The rockets all explode on target, momentarily shrouding Thanos in smoke. Before it clears, Iron Man pile drives into Thanos horizontally, using his single super-jet boot configuration. As he bounces off, he flips and sticks his landing, immediately re-configuring his boots into ground clamps for stability and his gloves into rocket-driven battering rams, punching Thanos into a ruined wall behind him.]

"Go! Mr. Stark" Peter cheered as other smiled.

[Thanos shakes it off quickly, reaches forward and tears Iron Man's helmet off, revealing Tony's surprised expression before the suit recovers automatically and re-forms his head protection.]

"That doesn't look good" Tony murmurs, it seems some modifications and extra nano tech storage is much needed.

[The Titan makes use of the fractional delay and punches back hard, sending Iron Man sliding meters away, giving Thanos time to rip the brace device off the gauntlet.]

"And now he can use the stones, again.." Scott sighs, it seems they will not be getting an easy fight anytime soon.

[He immediately uses the Power Stone to stream furiously lambent energy at his opponent, who forms a shield to kneel behind just as instantly, getting pushed back even further by the incredible force.]

"God!!" Peter flinched, that purple beams invokes trouble, Dr Wizard may have a way to handle it, but Mr Stark does not. And it greatly worries him.

[Iron Man slides out from behind the shield, letting the angled energy push him away for a faster start, and whips back to Thanos full thrusters; he kicks at the Titan with his left foot, turning the boot into a ground clamp at the same time to pin the gauntlet, and keeps twisting while his left glove becomes a ram again, slamming into Thanos' face, cutting his cheek.]

Thanos: [Panting] All that for a drop of blood.

This event just gave them undying hope as well as whisked away any joy at the same time. All that efforts had only able to make just a small cut, just how much difficulty it is to deal with this being. But at the same time it gave an unwavering determination, we can make him bleed, it can happen, Thanos can be stopped.

[He smiles briefly punches Iron Man, sending him pinwheeling, then starts beating him with his fists. Iron Man attempts to block the blows with his forearms, but Thanos is relentless, picking him up by the helmet and blasting his midsection with the Power Stone. The gaps in nanite coverage are now gaping, as the armor loses the ability to recover from the intensity and extent of the damage.]

"Not good- not good" Bruce and Steve murmured as Every member of audience glued to the screen waiting and hoping for any type of rescue for one of their own.

Tony looked at screen with a calm determined face. This was the moment, this is it, this is the end of road for him- end of his journey, because part of the journey is the end. This would be his final stance, and he want his future self to go out with a band, possibly take that damn monster with him.

[Iron Man lands hard from the Power blast, struggles to one knee and fires his right hand repulsor at the inexorable Thanos; the beam is easily deflected by the gauntlet. He gets to both feet as the suit tries to complete repairs, adding the beam from his left hand as well.]

Anxiety skyrocketed in the theatre with on-screen Tony's desperate attempts. This just didn't look good.

[Thanos walks right up to him, and backhands the incomplete helmet completely off Tony's head. He crosses his arms to block a blow from Thanos' gauntlet, and has his left hand caught over his head.]

"He's just walking, deflecting those attacks as if they were just gust of winds!!" Bruce couldn't take it, he tried to shut his eyes close, but his heart said to look at the screen with pride, do not shame Tony's attempts and his stance with deciding the results on his own beforehand, look with pride for his friend/teammate a man who he can call brother, look at the screen with pride of being a friend of the person who made Thanos bleed.

[In desperation, he forms what's left of his right glove into a short-sword, which is also easily caught by Thanos, snapping it off clean and driving it through Tony's left side. The fight is over.]

While other gasps and tried to control their emotions, as the theatre radiated with deadly auras from most of them but Spies making it much sinister, as theatre cracked with sounds of small sparks and sizzling of magical and cosmic powers with Thor and Wanda making most of it but with notable inclusions of Strange, Carol and Loki surprisingly.

Tony nods to himself silently, accepting the outcome, he knew while watching the possibility of losing that one on one was out of the charts, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't now plan against every encountering that type of choice, him seeing this future means he could now improve himself to safely avoid unfavorable odds and come up with a way to stop this purple son of a....... .

[Thanos walks Tony back until he sits, and places the gauntlet almost comfortingly on Tony's head.]

Every second pulling the mood to depths of depression and dread as the scene continued, everyone was tensely waiting for something to happen, good, bad, anything. This stillness was pulling on their hearts.

Thanos: You have my respect, Stark. When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive. [He lets go, straightens and steps back] I hope they remember you.

"I'll fucking kill this son of a bitch!" Steve growled, no one could voice their opinions either on Thanos's or Steve's comments. Their voices died before entering their mouth.

[Tony's just a little distracted with the pain, and blood drooling out of his mouth, and compromised breathing.]

Peter was clutching Tony's shoulder as Rhody was like a statue on the other side of Stark. Shuri had sat her head on T'Challa's shoulder, Guardians were feeling dread for someone they had met about 2 hours prior for the first time. Strange looked at screen full of guilt, he knew in some way all this was his future self's plan. While everyone else just wanted to just jump into the screen hoping that will send them to the scene on screen so they could help.

[Thanos raises the gauntlet, closing his fist, all four Stones glowing]

"No!" Peter whispered as he clutched Tony even tighter.

"Ow..ow..ow.. Calm down underoos. I'm okay, this didn't happen yet." Tony tried to calm Peter down as well as protect his shoulder from being broken.

"And will never happen." Thor comments, looking at his other friends, who nods full of determination with no hesitation. They Will stop this, there is no other option.

Stephen Strange: Stop! [Sitting up and sounding entirely damaged] Spare his life... and I will give you the stone.

"What No! The heck are you doing, Stephen. This isn't a joke." Tony jumped, outraged. He wasn't worth the bargain, it was the matter of trillion lives verses his life. All other chose to stay silence, they couldn't find the answer in their inner battles themselves.

Stephen chose to stay silence, it seems as Thanos said 'Destiny arrives all the same' this universe's destiny is at his future self's door, and he chose the path for what's to come. Everything beyond this point is on him, he was willing to bear this burden.

'Another Sacrificial Play' Clint Thought. 'And it seems another lose, now if only Vision can be safe.'

Thanos: No tricks. [Doctor Strange shakes his head as Thanos points all four Stones at him instead.]

Tony Stark: Don't...!

[Doctor Strange reaches up and plucks the Time Stone out of its hiding place in the stars.]

Loki was again impressed, while many thought of Stephen's hiding spell for the time stone was same as Loki's for Tesseract. Only a handful of them even caught the distant star changing into the stone.

But the difference was way more then appearing out of nothing or out of stars, it differ in fundamental way of accessibility.

If Loki himself had died with Tesseract hidden, Thanos would have to search entire Galaxy for the hiding place of treasures and books belonging to Loki from where he could invoke them at anytime, but the place exist in the same plane of universe and can be accessible if someone found the exact place and go though the spells and protection created by Loki and his Mother Frigga.

And if Stephen died with Time Stone hidden by the spell he used there, No-one else could be able to access the dimension in which Stone resides. It would only appear again on this plane of universe if a person specified by Stephen is in need of great help. He leaned this spell in his mother's collection, it was said only Great Masters of Magic with sufficient comprehension of Magic could be able to sustain dimensions of their own.

Loki knew he had required Raw Magical Power to sustain his own dimension but his comprehension of Magic lacked behind, and now he could successfully guess that while Stephen Strange may lag behind him in amount of Ram Magic and Physical Strength but Strange's comprehension of Magic and arsenal of Magical Spells, Books and Artifacts, gives an upper hand over him in any fight other than fatal surprise attack.

[He opens his hand, the scars on his fingers and their inherent trembling particularly obvious now, and the Stone floats to Thanos' bare hand.]

[Doctor Strange watches him intently, as he takes the Stone and drops it into the thumb setting, the energy pulse making the Titan wince.]

"He told me, nothing like this will ever come to past." Tony said full of adrenaline, without direction, Lost. It seemed another one of his friend became a liar. "What happened to your oath, Stephen. Was that also a lie" Tony snarled, angrily.

"The Oath is a unwavering Truth, Tony. Eye of Agamotto is essential for protecting the sanctums from mystical threats." Stephen explained, "what you are seeing on-screen, that person, there is a difference between him and I."

Tony knew that already, but his frustrated mind needed a reason to let his anger out on to.

Thanos: One to go. [An energy blast hits the gauntlet right in the empty Mind Stone setting, and Thanos grimaces in surprise.]

"He's coming to Earth!" Wanda said in horror.

Peter Quill: [Screaming in incoherent rage, helmet up, firing with both hands and flying straight for Thanos.]

[Thanos doesn't even bother responding to the assault -- he just leaves. Star-Lord flies through where Thanos had been and crashes, rolling several times]

Dread filled them, they lost another stone. It seems Wakanda would be the last stand for them, and losing wasn't an option.

Peter Quill: [Standing and de-helmeting] Where is he?!

[Tony stitches up his stab wound as well as he can with his suit functions; he has no breath for answers.]

Peter Quill: [Now fearful instead of furious] Did we just lose?

Those words had a greater effect on the audience then they thought, they were heroes, they are suppose to win. With Loki, Ultron, Hydra, Ronin and Ego, Dormammu they had won, they saved million or even billions of lives. And now that the stakes had literally topped at Trillions of lives, defeat wasn't an option, even then Thanos has punched them to ground, defeat in every sense of word.

Tony Stark: [To Doctor Strange, sadly, who has given the Time Stone to Thanos] Why would you do that?

Stephen Strange: We're in the Endgame now.

None could break the silence, everyone in their own minds trying to decipher what Strange wanted to say, those who knew more then just how to play Chess, were wondering can there be some connection to 'endgame' of chess, and if yes, then what does that mean for them?

Fury had made the deduction that Strange was planting those words in Stark's mind, he knew the word 'Endgame' in chess refers to the last stance- a set of moves to checkmate opponent king even if giving up the higher pieces to be killed. Which means, to win the final battle they would have to make a sacrifice of life, probably of Tony himself.

~~
**Infinity**

LOKI (2021) special.....

7728 words.
Almighty Loki of Asgard shall take his leave.

Loki Headcannon :-
Time:- during Avengers (2012)

Original deleted extend scenes from Avengers

Original extend scenes as it is.
My Headcannon, something that would never happen but I like to think of this scenario.

Loki:- What did it Show you Agent Barton.

Clint:- My next Target.

Selvig:- *laughs* stick to the mud, he got no soul. No wonder you chose this-this tomb to work in.

Clint:- Well the Radisson doesn't have Three Levels of Lead line flooring between SHIELD and that Cube. *Selvig goes back to his work*

Loki:- I see why Fury chose You to guard it.

Clint:- *Loki and Clint start walking away from Tesseract* You're gonna have to contend with them Sir, as long as he's in the Air, I can't pin him down and he'll be putting together a team.

Loki:- They are threat?

Clint:- To each other more than likely, but if Fury can get them on track- and he might- they could throw some noise our way.

Loki:- You admire Fury!

Clint:- he's got a clear line of sight.

Loki:- Is that why you failed to kill him?

*Clint stopped walking*
_______________________________________________________
*Clint stopped walking*

Clint:- it might be. I was disoriented *Loki stopped walking a bit ahead of Clint* and I'm not my best with a gun.

Loki:- *turns to face Clint* I want to know everything you can tell me about this team of his. I would test their mettle.

Loki:- I weary of scuttling in shadows, I mean to  rule this world not borrow in it.

Clint:- It's a risk.

Loki:- *nods* Oh Yes.

Clint:- If you are set on making yourself known, could be useful.

Loki:- *approaches towards Clint* Tell me what you need.

Clint:- *opens a case and removes his bow* I need a distraction, and an eyeball.

_______________________________________________________
*Clint stopped walking*

Loki:- *Loki stops a step ahead him* You aimed for his chest even after you knew for certain Fury would have a vest. *Loki suddenly turns and grabs Clint's forehead*

*Loki going through seeing and experiencing entirety of Barton's life*

*Key points being-

Abusive/Neglecting Father and Caring Mother.

Parents death in Car accident.

Abusive Forster Father.

Run away to circus & 'Fabulous Hawkeye' Circus Act.

Betrayal by his Teacher and Brother.

Left to die in forest with his own brother's arrow stuck in his chest.

Life as an No#1 Assassin in SHIELD blacklist.

Recruitment by certain Agent of SHIELD at age of 16.

Youngest ever Agent being bullied and taking hand to hand combat lessons from a suit-tie Agent.

A new father figure and handler.

Terminating Black Widow.

Budapest.

Pranks in Helicarrier.

Challenges by juniors/seniors for Aim or Hand to hand.

[A/N: Comment what you think would be Loki's Reaction to all those memories.]