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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄

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After forming a plan for when Thanos arrived, Peter shot a string of webbing at half of their destroyed ship. He then wrapped his other arm around Alex's waist before taking them to their hiding spot. Even though they had a plan that was so crazy it just might work, the Easton girl was nervous. They knew very little about who they were about to face. And the little information they did have on Thanos they learned from the Guardians' stories and Doctor Strange's vision. On top of all that, some of them were emotional. And out of everyone on Titan, Alex knew that emotions didn't help in a fight.

What felt like an eternity passed before a portal appeared in the distance. Chills ran throughout Alex's entire body as she watched a gigantic purple alien walk out of it. Silence filled the planet's atmosphere as the newcomer looked around at the destruction surrounding him. It was as if he was looking for someone, and Alex knew exactly who it was. Unfortunately for the giant alien, he wasn't going to find his ally.

"Oh, yeah," Stephen said, drawing the newcomer's attention toward him before he continued speaking, "you're much more of a Thanos."

"I take it the Maw is dead," Thanos responded, earning a small nod from the Sorcerer Supreme, "this day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission."

"You may regret that. He brought you face-to-face with a Master of the Mystic Arts," the Strange man announced while keeping his eyes glued to the Mad Titan.

Alex and Peter adjusted their positions on top of the destroyed ship, both wanting a better view of what was happening below them without being seen. The Easton girl's breath got caught in her throat as she watched Thanos approach Stephen. Despite the fear flowing through her veins, the speedster was just grateful that they were close enough to hear the conversation happening between the Sorcerer Supreme and the Mad Titan.

"And where do you think he brought you?" Thanos asked after stopping at the bottom of the broken staircase Stephen was sitting on.

Doctor Strange didn't respond right away as his eyes scanned his surroundings. It wasn't long after that when he finally responded. "Let me guess. Your home?"

"It was. And it was beautiful," Thanos announced before raising his gauntlet in the air and letting the Reality Stone shine brightly. Not even a second after that passed when the world around them began to change, causing a small gasp to pass over Alex's lips. Instead of being surrounded by nothing but destruction, they were looking at what Titan once was. The Mad Titan let a few seconds pass to give Stephen the chance to take in what the planet used to look like. It wasn't long after that when he continued speaking. "Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution."

"Genocide," Doctor Strange stated in a tone that made it known he wasn't very interested in Thanos' story.

"But random, dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman," the Mad Titan continued, ignoring everything happening in the world around him, "and what I predicted came to pass."

The world soon returned to its destroyed state as soon as Thanos finished speaking. Stephen only let a second of silence pass before opening his mouth to speak. "Congratulations, you're a prophet."

"I'm a survivor."

"Who wants to murder trillions."

"With all six Stones, I could simply snap my fingers," Thanos continued as if the Sorcerer Supreme had never said a word before raising his ungloved finger in the air and snapping, "they would all cease to exist. I call that mercy."

"And then what?" Stephen questioned as he got to his feet and began walking down the broken staircase.

"I'd finally rest...and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe," the Mad Titan responded before letting out a long sigh, "the hardest choices require the strongest wills."

Not even a second after that passed when Stephen pounded his fists together to summon his magic. A circle of light appeared in front of him as he kept his eyes glued to Thanos. "I think you'll find our will equal to yours."

"Our?"

A shadow soon loomed over Thanos, causing Alex to look up and find Tony flying toward them while pushing a piece of their broken ship. Time seemed to slow down as the ship collided with the Mad Titan, making dust spread across Titan.

"Piece of cake, Quill," Tony said over the comms right as Peter wrapped his arm around Alex's waist and took them to the ground.

"Yeah, if your goal was to piss him off," Peter responded before flying into the battle.

Shock coursed through the Easton girl's veins as she watched a bright purple light emit from where the Mad Titan once stood. The ship soon exploded into a thousand pieces, revealing a very angry Thanos. It wasn't long before the purple light vanished and the Reality Stone began to glow. The ship's pieces soon transformed into bats before they flew at Tony, forcing him away from the imminent battle. The next thing Alex knew, a web stuck to Thanos' face, blocking his view of the outside world. It wasn't long after that when Peter swung by him and kicked him in the face. The speedster took that opportunity to sprint across the barren planet before sliding across the gravel and kicking the back of the Mad Titan's knee. Her actions instantly caused Thanos to stumble forward before Drax began attacking him with his daggers.

Stephen soon joined the Kylosian man after conjuring a large sword with his magic. However, their fight didn't last very long. Thanos managed to land a kick to Drax's stomach, sending him soaring through the air before slamming against the planet's surface. The Mad Titan was then able to grab the Sorcerer Supreme's sword before ripping the webs off his face. Not even a second after that passed when Thanos landed a kick in Stephen's stomach, sending the sorcerer through the air. Once he was able to use his magic to steady himself, the Strange man created magical stepping stones for the Quill man. Peter jumped from each one until he was able to soar over Thanos and place an electric bomb on his back. A smirk appeared on the redheaded man's face before he jumped backward into one of Doctor Strange's portals. Not even a second after that passed when the bomb went off, causing the Man Titan to stumble forward.

Alex let out a relieved sigh after watching the Cloak of Levitation wrap around Thanos' hand, rendering the Stones useless. However, her moment of relief soon ended when she saw the Parker boy jumping out of Stephen's portals to attack the Mad Titan. Peter managed to land a few punches along with a kick to Thanos' face before the latter pinned Spider-Man to the ground. Anger flowed through the Easton girl's veins as she sped across Titan as fast as she could. It wasn't long after that when she punched Thanos' cheek with all her might, causing him to stumble back. Alex didn't hesitate to help Peter to his feet, only for both of them to get thrown through the air and into Stephen by the Mad Titan.

A small groan passed over Alex's lips as she slowly looked up just in time to see Tony use his flamethrower against Thanos. But, to their dismay, the Mad Titan simply collected the flames with the Power Stone and shot it back at the Stark man, sending him flying through the air. Peter didn't hesitate to shoot one of his webs at the gauntlet to prevent Thanos from using it again. But his efforts were in vain after pulled on the webs to bring the Parker boy toward him before landing a punch in his stomach. Alex quickly raced to catch Peter before he slammed into the destroyed ship. As soon as she placed him back on his feet, they looked back to find the Mad Titan removing the webbing from the gauntlet. However, just as Thanos raised his hand to use the Stones again, a ship came out of nowhere and crashed into him.

Alex and Peter watched in shock as the ship and Thanos skidded across Titan's surface before finally coming to a stop. It wasn't long after that when a woman neither of them had ever seen before came out of nowhere and started attacking the Mad Titan.

"Who the h*ll is that?" Alex questioned as they watched the stranger swing her sword against Thanos' face.

"I have no idea," Peter responded after watching her sword fly through the air before returning to her hand, "but I'm glad she's on our side."

The next thing anyone knew, Thanos landed a punch in Nebula's stomach, sending her flying back before landing on the planet's surface. Not even a second after that passed when Doctor Strange used his magic to conjure what looked like glowing red ropes. It wrapped around the gauntlet before Stephen began to pull, only for Thanos to hold it in place. A wave of annoyance washed over Alex and she sprinted across the planet toward the Mad Titan. As soon as she was close enough, the speedster landed another kick in the back of Thanos' knee, forcing him to kneel.

It wasn't long after that when the Quill man threw a box through the air before it landed next to the Mad Titan. The object then opened and wrapped around Thanos' other arm, pulling it to the ground. Peter then charged into battle and used his webs to tie up the powerful alien. The Parker boy had to use his suit's metal arms to hold himself in place. Not even a second after that passed when Doctor Strange waved his hand in the air, creating a portal right above Thanos that Mantis fell through. The empath sat on the Mad Titan's shoulders and placed her hands on his temples. The next thing anyone knew, Thanos stopped struggling and was kneeling down on the ground.

"Is he under?" Tony asked after seeing the Mad Titan calm down, "don't let up."

"Be quick," Mantis responded without attempting to hide the exhaustion and panic in her voice, "he is very strong."

"Parker, Easton, help! Get over here," the Stark man called out, causing the two teens to rush toward him. The three of them instantly wrapped their hands around the gauntlet and began to pull with all their strength. "She can't hold him much longer. Let's go."

While they continued to try to get the gauntlet off Thanos' hand, Peter flew through the sky above them before landing a few yards away. The Quill man couldn't help but laugh as he approached the Mad Titan. His eyes scanned over every inch of the powerful alien until he stopped a few feet away.

"I thought you'd be hard to catch. For the record, this was my plan. You're not so strong now, huh?" Peter declared before all the joy faded from his face, "where is Gamora?"

"My Gamora," Thanos barely managed to say, causing a wave of anger to wash over the Quill man.

"No, bullsh*t!" the redheaded man exclaimed after getting so close to the Mad Titan that he was only a few feet away, "where is she?"

"He is in anguish," Mantis announced, making Alex freeze as she looked over at the Quill man. However, her attention was soon drawn back to the gauntlet when Tony elbowed her in the side. While she went back to trying to take off the gauntlet, the empath continued speaking. "He...he mourns."

"What does this monster have to mourn?!" Drax shouted as an eerie feeling washed over the speedster, not liking where their conversation was heading.

"Gamora," Nebula announced, drawing the Quill man's attention toward her before she continued speaking, "he took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul Stone. But she didn't."

It was at that moment that Tony realized why Alex was so interested in their conversation. He didn't waste a second taking off his helmet as he turned his attention toward Peter. "Okay. Quill, you gotta cool it right now. You understand? Don't, don't. Don't engage. We almost got this off!"

"Tell me she's lying," the Quill man ordered with his eyes glued to Thanos, completely ignoring the Stark man's words, "*sshole! Tell me you didn't do it!"

"I had to."

Peter muttered inaudible words under his breath as tears began forming in his eyes. The next thing anyone knew, he grabbed his blaster from his belt and slammed it against the side of Thanos' head. His actions caused Mantis to let go of the Mad Titan as Peter continued to hit Thanos in the face. Tony instantly moved to restrain the Quill man while the teen heroes continued working on the gauntlet. However, just as Alex and Peter were about to get it off, Thanos snapped out of his trance. The Mad Titan slammed his head back into Mantis, knocking her unconscious. It wasn't long after that when he grabbed the gauntlet and yanked it away from the teens, causing them to stumble back before landing on the ground beneath them.

The two of them looked back up just in time to see Thanos grab Mantis before throwing her through the air. Peter didn't hesitate to get to his feet and jump in the air to catch her. The metal arms instantly sprouted from his suit as he rolled across Titan with Mantis safely in his arms. Thanos then grabbed onto Doctor Strange's magical ropes and threw him toward Alex. The Sorcerer Supreme slammed into her and sent them both flying back and onto the ground. The speedster stayed on the ground and stared at the sky, taking a moment to catch her breath. It wasn't long after that when the moon orbiting Titan began to glow, making the Easton girl's blood run cold.

Before Alex had a chance to comprehend what was happening, the moon crumbled into pieces before they began crashing into Titan's surface. The impact of the moon caused Alex's body to lift up in the air a few feet. She would've gone farther if it hadn't been for the Cloak of Levitation wrapping around her shoulders to keep her in place. It wasn't long after that when she was taken behind a piece of their destroyed ship where Doctor Strange was waiting.

"Stay here," the Sorcerer Supreme told her as the Cloak left her shoulders and wrapped around him. After receiving a small nod in response from the speedster, Stephen went to face Thanos.

The Easton girl watched from her spot behind the ship as the Keeper of the Time Stone approached the Mad Titan. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment before Stephen summoned his magic to his hands. Shock coursed through Alex's veins after witnessing Stephen slam his hands against Titan's surface, causing lightning bolts to move toward Thanos. However, the Mad Titan easily dodged the Sorcerer Supreme's attacks before sending a beam of purple Stephen's way. To Alex's relief, Doctor Strange was able to block Thanos' attack with what looked like a mirror shield before sending it his opponent's way. The Mad Titan was able to shatter the magic mirror with ease and forced the shards in Stephen's direction, only for the sorcerer to turn the glass into butterflies.

Alex couldn't help but smile as she watched the butterflies fly toward Thanos, who was looking at them with confusion in his eyes. It wasn't long after that when Stephen created a hundred of himself before they all circled around the Mad Titan. They then created magical whips and lassoed the powerful alien's arms, preventing him from using the Stones. Just as Alex thought the Sorcerer Supreme stood a chance at defeating Thanos, the latter managed to activate the Power Stone. A surge of energy emitted from it and made all of Doctor Strange's duplicates disappear. Before Stephen had a chance to comprehend what had happened, Thanos used the Stones to pull the sorcerer toward him before he wrapped his hand around his neck.

The Easton girl immediately stepped out from her hiding spot and prepared herself to sprint toward them, only for a look from Stephen to stop her in her tracks. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment before the Sorcerer Supreme's attention was drawn back to Thanos when he began speaking.

"You're full of tricks, wizard. Yet you never once used your greatest weapon," the Mad Titan stated before ripping the Eye of Agamotto off Stephen's neck and crushing it in his hand, "a fake."

Thanos studied Stephen for a moment longer before tossing him to the side. Alex didn't hesitate to sprint forward and catch the sorcerer, slowing him down before they landed on the ground. A long sigh passed over the speedster's lips as she forced herself into a sitting position, only for her blood to run cold. The Mad Titan was slowly walking toward them with the Gauntlet held out in front of him. Alex watched as the Power Stone began to glow before closing her eyes and preparing for the attack, only for it to never come. The speedster hesitated for a moment before slowly opening her eyes to find a red device preventing Thanos from closing his hand. It wasn't long after that when Tony came out of nowhere and landed a few feet in front of her and Doctor Strange.

"You throw another moon at me, and I'm gonna lose it," the Stark man announced after slowly rising to his feet.

Thanos just stared at Iron Man for a moment before a hint of realization appeared in his eyes. "Stark."

"You know me?"

"I do," the Mad Titan responded with a sinister smirk plastered on his lips, "you're not the only one cursed with knowledge."

"My only curse is you," Tony announced before missiles came out of the back of his suit and launched at Thanos.

While the Stark Man fought against the powerful alien, Alex's attention returned to Doctor Strange, who was lying unconscious on the ground next to her. Panic flowed through her veins as her eyes landed on the large cut on the side of his head. The Easton girl knew that they were going to need him awake if they stood a chance at making it off Titan alive, but she had no idea how to help him.

"Would you like me to begin medical assistance?" a new voice asked, causing Alex to jump, "sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

The speedster hesitated for a moment as she tried to figure out where she had heard that voice before. Then it hit her like a freight train. "Karen?"

"I am here to assist you."

"And why didn't you assist me earlier?"

"You did not need me."

"That's debatable," Alex muttered under her breath before letting out a long sigh, "but yes, please begin medical assistance."

"Hold your right above the wound," Karen instructed, causing the Easton girl to do as the AI said. Not even a second after that passed when a mist emitted from Alex's palm and covered the cut on Stephen's head. The speedster watched in amazement as the wound began to heal. It wasn't long after that when Doctor Strange's eyes fluttered open.

A relieved sigh passed over Alex's lips as she helped the Sorcerer Supreme to his feet. However, all her relief instantly faded away when she looked back at Tony. Instead of fighting the Mad Titan, the Stark man was on the ground, his suit destroyed, with a sword of his own creation stuck in his side. Standing above him was Thanos, who was slowly raising his Gauntlet to end their battle.

"Stop," Doctor Strange ordered, causing Thanos to turn his attention toward the sorcerer, "spare his life...and I will give you the Stone."

"No tricks," the Mad Titan responded while still aiming his Gauntlet at Tony.

The only response the powerful alien received was a shake of the head from Stephen, which was enough. Thanos soon aimed his Gauntlet at the Sorcerer Supreme and waited for him to complete his end of the deal. Doctor Strange ignored Tony's pleas for him not to hand over the Time Stone as he reached up and plucked the green stone out of the sky. An unreadable expression appeared on Stephen's face while watching Thanos hold his hand out toward him. What felt like an eternity passed before the sorcerer released his grasp on the Time Stone and let it fly into the Mad Titan's hand. No one said a word as they watched Thanos study the Stone before placing it on the Gauntlet's thumb. A surge of energy went through his body before he let out a long sigh. "One to go."

Not even a second after that passed when the Quill man came out of nowhere and started firing his blasters at Thanos. The Mad Titan just stared at Peter as he approached before creating a portal and stepping through it. It wasn't long after that when the redheaded man crashed onto the planet's surface. Peter stayed on the ground for a moment longer before forcing himself to his feet and removing his mask. A wave of irritation washed over Alex as she watched the Quill man spin around in a circle with his blaster held out in front of him.

"Where is he?!" Peter shouted while continuing to spin around. It wasn't until he saw Tony closing his wound and the defeated looks on all their faces that all the emotion faded from his face. The Quill man just stared at them for a long moment before opening his mouth to speak. "Did we just lose?"

A small sigh passed over Tony's lips while he turned his attention toward Stephen. "Why would you do that?"

An eerie silence settled over them as everyone looked over at the Sorcerer Supreme, who was staring back at the Stark man with no emotion in his eyes. "We're in the endgame now."

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