𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 — a new ally

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 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐃 been made. Once everybody had settled and allowed the churning of their stomachs to finally cease, they swallowed at Stephen's confession — none knowing they were being fed a lie — and swiftly rallied themselves into a tense circle.

 Emilia had been surprised that Tony hadn't been the one to form a plan, and that it had been Quill who insisted on voicing his thoughts of action. Emilia had kept her place beside Stephen, fingers entangled as they both listened intently to Quill as he spouted and rambled. But Emilia couldn't help but notice the way Stephen's eyes would immediately flee from her own stare the second they made contact.

 Perhaps it was due to the terrors he'd seen whilst he traversed the future. But then again, he could easily stare into the eyes of the others. He had met Quill's eyes and nodded firmly when the man — after gathering as much information on their strengths as possible — had allocated Stephen's role.

 Stephen had glanced at Mantis, his eyes narrowing as she offered her own input, suggesting that she could be the one to put Thanos out for the count, if only for a few short moments. He'd rolled his eyes at Drax when the man had made an off-hand and rather unnecessary comment.

 Yet not once had he been able to stare her in the eyes. He hadn't been able to converse with Tony without swallowing a deep mouthful of air, and taking a second to mull over his words. And Peter, the boy had tossed questions here and there, positively giddy when it came to learning about their new comrades... Yet Stephen's lips hadn't so much as twitched.

 She tried not to worry, she really did. But Emilia knew what came after such visions — it was continuous torture and continuous guilt for the Master of the Mystic Arts. Emilia couldn't watch him suffer in such a way again.

 She had no idea of the internal battle Stephen had been fighting. He felt an inescapable stabbing pain with every movement Emilia made; he'd seen what could and would happen to her if the path he'd picked didn't play to his whims. But even so... the path he'd chosen wasn't without its sacrifices, and it most certainly wasn't without its pain.

 He couldn't meet her in the eyes after he'd selfishly lied once more. He couldn't bear to so much as glance at her when he'd been the one to pick what terrible future was laid out for her. He knew of every sacrifice that was to be given, of every fight they'd face in time. Though his chosen path favoured humanity and his own selfish desires. It did not favour Emilia, nor the billionaire by her side.

 And as he surveyed the group around him, his insides twisted as though a dagger had pierced his gut. He had to meet the eyes of the very people he'd picked futures for; sure, Stephen hadn't been the one to meticulously choose each of their individual decisions — that, thankfully, wasn't something he could do. Yet even still, he knew what would happen to them all. He knew he'd have to watch them... No. That was enough bellyaching and sulking like a petulant child. They had a battle to fight. Even if he knew the outcome wouldn't bring them happiness.

 His shoulders were squared, tensing as he sat himself up. His back straightened and his brows furrowed inwards. A deep breath made his chest puff out, and he could feel the hold on his hand tighten in a light squeeze.

 The warmth that rattled through him had once been a bother. He had chastised himself for acting like a lovesick teenager whenever Emilia showed him an ounce of affection... Yet he couldn't help but crave it, and he could never turn it away. He squeezed back and finally glanced up at her.

 He was still seated on the dust-coated rock, whilst Emilia stood by his side, finally taller than him for once. Her eyes were fixated on him, and though he knew that he held her attention, she still mutely nodded to Quill's explanation; she always was brilliant at multitasking and showing people she was listening to them.

 Emilia, when Stephen had finally caught her eyes, nodded to him with concern dusting her rigid features. She could feel the apprehension of what was to come clouding her thoughts. Though Stephen's quick squeeze at her fingers had easily broken her out of the daze.

 With that single acknowledgement from the man she loved, she had focused herself back on the matter at hand. Quill stood tall, a foot resting on a rock as he gestured wildly at his new crew. He pointed his fingers around the circle, delegating tasks and offering orders; incredibly pleased when he received nods in return. His chest puffed out a little.

 Stephen was to be the one to confront Thanos. After all, he did have the Time Stone dangling around his chest; and the very thing was what Thanos was coming for. He'd be able to keep the Titans' attention, he'd make the beast that threatened their universe let down his guard upon seeing but one man ready to fight for the Stone.

 Once Thanos was fully distracted, it would be down to Tony to make the first move, and Peter Quill would soon join him. It was more of an ambush than a planned attack, in all honesty. Everyone would throw themselves at Thanos, taking swipe after punch.

 They would weaken him physically. Drax would swipe his daggers at the back of Thanos' legs, Peter would throw fist after fist at Thanos whilst Stephen conjured portals to give him an advantage. Even the cloak had a role. Emilia would be the only one who would attack from afar.

 Quill had quizzed her as though he was her old Biology teacher back in college, gaining piece after piece of information on just what she could do. It was a limited list, for now, but Quill seemed delighted at the prospects.

 He, after learning that she too could conjure portals, suggested that Emilia be on stand-by as she conjured portal after portal to throw rocks and metal through. She would open a circle of sparks, throw a weapon, and close it again. Then she'd repeat and repeat all while changing where the portals would open. Thanos wouldn't be able to anticipate her attacks.

 That's how Emilia found herself perched upon a high platform made of russet rock. Dust curled around her boots, splashing them with colour. Her hands rested by her side, fingers tightening into fists before relaxing again; giving the crescent moons that were carved into her palms a break every few moments.

 Everybody was in position. Tony had flown off, high into the bleak sky until he became a mere speck to them all. Quill had shot off moments after, finding his hiding place; as did Peter, Mantis and Drax. Stephen, however, was out in the open.

 He was sitting upon a lone rock, sticking out like a sore thumb. His navy robes almost seemed like neon lights compared to the dull and decrypted surroundings that had wasted away over time; much like the former inhabitants. Stephen had his fingers clasped together, resting between his legs as he stared forward with a nonchalant gaze... Waiting for Thanos.

 Emilia felt the change in the air when he arrived. It felt like static caressed the skin of her arms; all hairs stood on end and it felt as though someone had plucked the air from her lungs, only to squeeze them in a tight grip. A glance down made her very aware of her trembling  hands.

 She balled them into fists as her eyes slipped shut, directing all of her concentration towards Stephen's voice that rang out mere moments after Thanos had made his anticipated arrival.

 "Oh, yeah." Stephen drawled out, tearing his eyes from the pink scars lining his hands, to the purple, towering titan steadily approaching him. Thanos' eyes were burning holes into him, "You're much more of a "Thanos".

 "I take it that Maw is dead? This day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission." Was Thanos' nonchalant response.

 Emilia hadn't a clue what she had been expecting, but perhaps even a slither of anger or even sadness for the so-called 'child' he'd lost at their hands. Yet the Titan remained stoic, his voice like stone against stone. No emotion clouded his words.

 "You may regret that." Stephen's voice sounded again, acting as a small shred of reassurance that helped soothe the fear pricking at her skin and bones. "He brought you face-to-face with the Master of the Mystic Arts."

 "Where do you think he brought you?"

 "Let me guess. Your home."

 "It was," Thanos responded, eyes staring out over the horizon that surrounded them. His foot was lifted, propping up upon a piece of dusted rubble and the gauntlet surrounding one of his gargantuan hands almost whined in protest as he rose it into the air. The scarlet stone — the Reality Stone — began to glow, and with it, the air around all of them shifted. The picture changed as though someone had merely switched a television channel.

 Emilia gazed around, watching as russet and amber, and smoke and dilapidated buildings were replaced by a thriving world. The planet was lush once more; fields of lime-green grass were splayed over the surface. The trickle of clear running water called out like a chiming bell. Emilia was almost certain she could hear voices mingling together, as though the former inhabitants had returned to their home again.

 Thanos hummed, still entirely unaware that he had further enemies lying in wait for him, "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."

 Stephen scoffed, "Genocide?"

 "At random." Thanos started with a slight shrug of one of his built shoulders; as though those mere words were enough to explain his actions, "Dispassionate, fair; to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman... and what I predicted came to pass."

 "Congratulations, you're a prophet." Stephen's sarcastic tone was beginning to fade. Anger, disgust, and utter repulsion had begun to creep in like venom swimming within blood. His cerulean eyes had hardened like ice over a lake as he stared at Thanos.

 "I'm a survivor."

 The rolling fields and crystalline water faded again. The voices cleared out, leaving nothing but the whisper of wind that carried orange dust over the deserted planet once more.

 Stephen didn't care to throw a gaze over the planet. He spoke through gritted teeth, "Who wants to murder trillions."

 "With all six stones," Thanos drew his other, gauntlet free hand into the air, as though brandishing a weapon. His thumb and middle finger came together, a resounding snap echoing throughout the planet he'd once called home, "I could simply snap my fingers; They would all cease to exist. I call that... mercy."

 The sound of Thanos' fingers snapping was enough to make Emilia's stomach lurch from where she was hidden away. The thought that a being could house and control so much power was terrifying.

 Stephen, eyes still latched onto Thanos, finally rose from his seat. He swiped his hands against one another, ignoring the amber dust that fell from his skin and scattered in the light breeze that jostled his cloak and robes, "And then what?"

 That had been one of the many questions that Emilia and the others had pondered upon their arrival on the planet. Why? Why did he want to brandish such power and cause such destruction? And then what would he do after?

 His answer wasn't enough for her. It was so... bleak, and meaningless.

 "I finally rest and watch the sunrise on a grateful universe." Anger bubbled in her stomach at Thanos' words. He wanted to kill, to murder half of the entire population just so that he could rest. Rest from what exactly? The murders he'd already committed with his blood-stained hands? "The hardest choices require the strongest wills."

 That made her scoff.

 "I think you'll find —" Stephen bit out in a venomous tone. He slammed his fists together and the familiar sound of his Tao Mandala's coming to life echoed out. Sparks flew from the shields, clattering on the ground before fizzling out within the dust, "— Our will equal to yours."

 "Our?" Thanos echoed, eyes narrowing on Stephen.

 And then, as though the meagre sliver of confusion that surrounded Thanos' words was the signal, Tony finally made himself known. One of the dismantled and dilapidated spaceships that had been hovering in the air with the help of the shifting gravity came crashing down.

 Tony had his metal-coated hands firmly planted on the hunk of metal as he forced it down, closer and closer to Thanos. It whined and creaked as it fell through the air, but even with such warnings, Thanos didn't have the time to react, and the being growled as he raised the gauntlet and braced himself for impact.

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 The wreckage that Tony had forced through the air did little to deter the mad titan, for the towering purple beast had raised the gauntlet and activated the stones lingering within the golden glove. The metal that had fallen down upon him burst into shards surrounded with a glowing purple light. The pieces of metal began to swirl into that of a twister. Then, the Reality Stone shone once more and soon enough Thanos threw his hand forth with a yell of complete frustration. The metal shifted and swiftly transformed into a large cluster of squeaking and blood-thirsty bats.

 Tony, still nearby observing his assault on Thanos with a grin of accomplishment, suddenly wiped the smile from his features hidden behind the metal mask as the bats began to swarm him with shrill squeaks. He did his best to blast them away with the repulsors resting on his palms, yet the attack was futile and more simply replaced the few he'd take out.

 Emilia, upon seeing Tony pass her by with a flock of vivacious bats trailing after him like blood-thirsty hounds, finally hopped to her feet. A swift hand brushed at her knees, swiping the dust away as she brought forth her hands. Each was still as they hovered before her. She had expected them to have been shaking.

 Yet they didn't tremble at all. They didn't move in the breeze like her rippling robes or stray hairs. So, with a heavy breath being sucked through her parted lips, Emilia summoned a portal; one hand stayed where it was and dutifully kept the portal alight with fizzling embers and sparks whilst the other, her left hand, darted to the side and became alight with rippling powder-blue energy.

 The rock just to her left, piled atop another began to screech as stone scraped against stone. Emilia jerked her hand in a sharp fashion, and like that, the crumbling, russet-coated rock flew through the portal. A resounding smack echoed out, swiftly followed by Peter Parker's laugh. The boy had been tasked with hopping from portal to portal whilst slamming his fists into Thanos' face with all of his strength.

 It seemed as though the whooping boy decided to pay her a visit, for rather than disappearing into the safety of Stephen's conjured portals like Peter was supposed to, he flipped through her own, easily landing upon his feet with his arms out in a flourish. She knew he was grinning at her behind his mask.

 Emilia allowed herself to entertain the boy, she threw a rather strained smile his way before brushing her hand to the side, causing the portal to close. Then, repeating the gesture with a wide arc; Emilia summoned another portal behind Thanos' glaringly purple head.

 Boom! A rock collided with the back of his skull.

 Whoosh! The portal closed, and another opened.

 Smack! A cluster of smaller rocks was pelted through the fizzling ring that Peter had once again, thrown himself through. He laughed again as the rocks shot towards Thanos and bounced from his enraged face.

 Emilia continued on; she opened and closed portals as swiftly as she possibly could, all while focusing her powers enough to lift boulders, rocks and scrap metal. She threw weapon after weapon, watching with satisfaction as a majority hit her target, or at least distracted him enough for her teammates to get a hit in.

 Thanos had glared through one of the portals, locking eyes with her. Rather than freeze like a deer in the headlights; a reaction her past self most certainly would find herself caught in, she narrowed her gaze and snapped the whirling sparks shut... Only to open another.

 It was all a well-versed song and dance. A portal would open, and Thanos would snarl as something collided with his obtuse skull. Peter would throw a punch or a kick whilst happily shouting out battle cries and the new names of his attacks. Stephen would summon a portal for Peter to disappear through, and then the cycle would repeat.

 But then something did change.

 Steps sounded out from behind her, and with hands raised and ready to attack, for she wasn't expecting another of her team to join her, Emilia spun around. Instead of facing somebody who was certain to strike her with whatever weapon they held, Emilia came face to face with a blue figure.

 Whilst the glaring look of utter rage might have been a good enough reason for Emilia to strike at the newcomer, it was the look of longing within their eyes that kept Emilia's hands where they were. Not a trace of wavering, powder-blue mist reached the figure.

 They stood in silence, facing one another, scrutinizing one another until Emilia spoke, caution in her tone "Are you fighting with, or against Thanos?"

 It was glaringly obvious that anyone who found their way to the abandoned planet of Titan was either a friend or foe. No in-between. They were either an ally of their own or another of Thanos' so-called children that was willing to kneel and grovel at his feet.

 The cobalt person scowled and offered but a single word, "Against." Before she sprinted off. Emilia watched her go with her lips agape. Her words had been laced with venom and nothing but pure disgust, and she hadn't wasted time before withdrawing her weapon and racing forth to Thanos.

 Emilia blinked; everything was just a little too much to keep up with; from Earth's invasion, meeting Bruce once more, becoming acquaintances with Stark and Parker, willingly following a ship into space... Now she stood upon a planet watching as her other half, the world's most well-known billionaire, a kid, and a bunch of aliens fought a Titan that was on a mission to gather stones all for the single goal of wiping out half of the population.

 She should have asked further questions, for the blue woman could have been lying and may have just been after the Stone herself... Yet Emilia knew from that single, little interaction with her that she was searching for something... And she was desperate to find whatever it was she was looking for.

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13-04-2022

i hope you all enjoyed this chapter! please remember to vote and comment, let me know what you think as i do require a certain amount of comments before i post another chapter!!

just TWO chapters left of act two; hope you're all prepared <3