To be honest, Ebony Maw and his companions had never really considered the disciples of Kamar-Taj a threat. After all, with the Guardian of Earth supposedly out of commission, they believed there was no one left on Earth who could stop them. Even when they infiltrated Kamar-Taj and encountered Kaecilius and Baron Mordo, Ebony Maw and his team still didn't take them seriously. This attitude was partly due to their perception that Kaecilius and Mordo weren't particularly strong.
Ebony Maw's team had seen their share of battles across the universe. While the universe is vast and teeming with extraordinary beings, Earth's mystical defenders seemed insignificant to them. They believed that Kamar-Taj's magic, though powerful, couldn't compare to the cosmic forces they were accustomed to.
So when they easily knocked Kaecilius and Mordo aside with a mere gesture, Ebony Maw and the others felt even more confident. However, they seemed to have forgotten one crucial detail—they were on Kamar-Taj's magical territory.
The disciples of Kamar-Taj, all trained in the mystic arts, could combine their magic, enhancing each other's power and creating a synergistic effect. Additionally, they had access to a vast array of magical artifacts. While these artifacts might not always be at their disposal, the invasion triggered their activation, displaying their true power.
This unexpected resistance caught Ebony Maw and his team off guard, leading to their current predicament. After all, if even powerful dimensional entities couldn't easily invade Kamar-Taj, how could Ebony Maw and his crew, though formidable, expect to succeed where others had failed? Even in the absence of the Ancient One, Kamar-Taj was not a place to be taken lightly.
"We can't keep this up much longer!" Ebony Maw called out to Corvus Glaive as they fled from the relentless magical attacks. "You must have some hidden tricks! Use them now!"
While Ebony Maw excelled at devising complex strategies given ample information, he struggled with improvisation and didn't have a good solution for their current situation. Moreover, among the four of them, Ebony Maw was in the worst shape—not because he was the weakest, but because his physical durability was the lowest. His body, though enhanced, was still frail compared to the others, similar to the Kamar-Taj disciples who relied on magic rather than physical prowess.
Black Dwarf, with his immense physical strength, was a different story. The only reason he had been injured was due to the magical nature of the attacks and the strange spatial portals that could slice through his tough hide. Corvus Glaive, on the other hand, was not only stronger but also had an extraordinary healing ability, allowing him to recover almost instantly from any wounds he sustained.
Proxima Midnight, while a skilled melee fighter, was less effective in a battle against sorcerers unless she used her spear to unleash energy attacks. However, she remained unscathed, thanks to Corvus Glaive, who shielded her from harm with his superior regeneration abilities.
Under these circumstances, the other three could still hold their own, but Ebony Maw was reaching his limit. He found it humiliating to be so easily overwhelmed, especially since he had initially overpowered Kaecilius and Mordo. The sheer number of Kamar-Taj disciples and their magical artifacts—many of which were beyond his understanding—had turned the tide against them.
Kamar-Taj's defenders were now demonstrating what it meant to have a home-field advantage and the power of unity, driving the Black Order to flee in disarray.
"Hmph! Even without the Ancient One, Kamar-Taj is not to be trifled with!" Kaecilius sneered as he unleashed a series of magical whips, forcing Ebony Maw and the others to dodge desperately.
The sudden disappearance of the Ancient One had indeed caused panic among the Kamar-Taj disciples. Without their supreme leader, they feared that powerful dimensional entities might invade Earth. But the panic didn't last long. A magical message left by the Ancient One soon appeared in Kamar-Taj, providing guidance and restoring their sense of purpose.
The message from the Ancient One said: "If I ever disappear suddenly, continue following the previous precepts and maintain the stability of Earth's dimensional barriers. If a dimensional entity does invade, contact the Saiyan and Superman—they are now Earth's guardians in their own right."
After reading the message, the disciples quickly found their resolve, continuing their duties as protectors of Earth's dimensions. They had worked with Robert and Clark many times before and knew they could rely on them if things became too overwhelming. However, this time, the Kamar-Taj disciples were confident they could handle Ebony Maw and his crew on their own. After all, compared to the terrifying dimensional entities they had fought off in the past, the Black Order was no match, especially on their home turf.
"Don't worry, I'm contacting Supergiant now," Corvus Glaive said as he placed his hand on his glaive, seemingly manipulating something. The Kamar-Taj disciples' attacks were growing stronger, and Ebony Maw's injuries were becoming more severe.
"What good will contacting Supergiant do?" Black Dwarf asked, blocking another magical whip. "If the four of us can't handle this, how can he?"
"He can control Loki to use the Space Stone!" Ebony Maw snapped, glaring at Black Dwarf. "The Mind Stone requires precise control. Even with this scepter, I can only use its power through direct contact, or I can just unleash basic energy attacks. Otherwise, I would have already controlled them all and forced them to reveal the Time Stone's location!"
Yes, despite their current predicament, Ebony Maw and his team were here to find the Time Stone. They had tracked its energy signature to Kamar-Taj but didn't realize it had vanished along with the Ancient One.
"But even if we use the Space Stone to escape, they can still follow us with those magical portals. My ear got sliced off by one of them..." Black Dwarf muttered.
"Are you stupid? No matter how advanced their magic is, it can't compare to the Space Stone! The Space Stone represents the pinnacle of current spatial power in the universe. Once it's activated, they won't be able to pursue us!" Proxima Midnight snapped, glaring at Black Dwarf with frustration.
Perhaps it was true that most large-sized species had lower intelligence, as Black Dwarf still didn't fully grasp the explanation. However, seeing the frustration on his companions' faces, he nodded obediently. He knew from experience that if he continued arguing, he'd likely get a beating from the others once this ordeal was over.
"Got it!" Corvus Glaive's eyes lit up as he released a faint light from his glaive, signaling that the connection had been made.
With a hum, a brilliant blue portal appeared in front of the four of them. They wasted no time and dove through, the portal vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
At the same time, the massive space portal over New York suddenly closed as if it had run out of power. A Leviathan battleship was sliced in half mid-flight, and countless Chitauri soldiers died instantly.
"Hmm?" Robert's eyes narrowed in surprise as he looked at the disappearing portal. A thought crossed his mind: "The portal closed. Did the Space Stone run out of power, or did something happen on the other side? I didn't detect any spatial fluctuations nearby..."
"Is it over?" The Avengers and Atlanteans, watching the remaining, now-confused Chitauri in the sky, breathed a sigh of relief. Even though they hadn't fought in a while, the constant display of Chitauri being blasted apart had weighed heavily on their minds. But now, it seemed the battle was finally coming to an end.
"Guardian, did you detect anything?" Robert didn't rush to finish off the remaining Chitauri. Instead, he contacted the Guardian, hoping to find some clues about the Space Stone's whereabouts.
Although the Guardian couldn't match the power of the Space Stone, it was more adept at detecting spatial fluctuations than Robert.
"I detected a spatial fluctuation when the portal closed, but I can't open a portal to follow it. My power is too weak compared to that spatial energy, and I can't lock onto it..." The Guardian's voice was both excited and frustrated, causing Robert's eyes to light up.
"Try to guide me to it!" Robert instructed, then turned to Tony Stark and the others. "Take care of the remaining Chitauri. I'm going to track down the Space Stone."
Before anyone could respond, Robert had already vanished, leaving Tony Stark and the others to exchange puzzled glances. They couldn't afford to delay, though. While the Chitauri had been helpless against Robert, they were still a serious threat to ordinary humans.
Just as the Avengers and Atlanteans were about to engage the Chitauri, a fleet of jets appeared in the sky. Clearly, the government had noticed the disappearance of the space portal and wanted to take part in the cleanup and share in the victory.
After all, the terrifying battle had had few witnesses outside of official agencies. While they respected Robert's power, the government wasn't there to fight the Avengers—they wanted to help protect Earth. The Avengers couldn't exactly refuse their assistance.
Of course, once the Chitauri were dealt with, the government would likely exaggerate their role in the battle and embellish their heroism in protecting Earth. After all, that's what they did best…
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