Thanos sat motionless, his sword planted in the ground beside him like a silent sentinel. His golden armor glinted in the scorched daylight, his expression unreadable. The battlefield lay in ruins around him, and smoke curled into the wind from shattered stone and smoldering earth. He watched the approaching figures—Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and Thor—with the quiet intensity of a king surveying pawns.
"I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive," Thanos said slowly, voice low and gravelly. "But you... You showed me that's impossible. As long as there are those that remember what was, there will always be those that are unable to accept what can be."
Tony's repulsors sparked to life, his gaze fixed with burning resentment. He didn't flinch at Thanos's words. Beside him, Thor clenched both Stormbreaker and Mjolnir, lightning running across his body in arcs of fury. Steve remained silent, his shield battle-worn, but his eyes hard as steel.
"We're not here to listen to your philosophy," Steve said coldly, his voice tight with grim resolve.
Thanos rose slowly, the massive blade in his hand spinning once before resting heavily against his shoulder.
"I'm grateful," he continued, tilting his head slightly. "Because now I know what I must do. I will shred this universe down to its last atom, and then—with the Stones—you will watch as I create a new one. A grateful one."
Thor stepped forward, summoning both weapons with a roar of thunder that shook the ground. His eyes glowed white.
"As long as there's breath in our lungs," he growled, "you'll never get that chance."
Thanos turned to face them fully, expression like carved stone.
"I know."
The Avengers charged with unrelenting fury.
Thor launched Stormbreaker first, the weapon spinning through the air like a divine spear. Thanos batted it aside with his sword, sparks cascading from the impact. Tony swooped in from above, deploying mini-missiles and laser bursts in quick succession. Thanos's blade spun defensively, deflecting each shot with calculated precision.
Then Steve arrived with a leaping strike, slamming his shield into Thanos's chest. The blow staggered the Titan, giving Thor a window to crash in with Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, unleashing twin waves of lightning.
The three heroes fought as one, perfectly coordinated. Thor's lightning charged Tony's suit, amplifying his repulsor blasts. Steve's shield deflected Thanos's strikes into open angles for Thor to counter.
But Thanos wasn't just powerful. He was a tactician. A warrior honed by war and loss. He adapted quickly, and soon, the tide began to turn.
With a vicious sweep, he knocked Tony from the sky, slamming him into a pile of debris. Sparks and shattered armor scattered like shrapnel. Before Thor could react, Thanos caught Stormbreaker mid-swing and hurled it aside, then brought his sword down hard on Thor's shoulder, driving him to his knees.
Steve's shield blocked the next strike—but only barely. With each hit, more of the shield cracked.
Still, they stood.
Thor gasped for air as he tried to reach Stormbreaker. But Thanos stomped on his chest, pinning him. Then the Titan picked up the axe and began pressing it into Thor's chest.
The air left Thor's lungs. His arms quivered against the force. The same death that had nearly claimed him once before was returning. He grunted and screamed in pain, eyes wide with panic.
Then the shadows shifted.
Alexander stepped from them, his entrance silent but electrifying.
His cloak curled behind him like living night. In one swift movement, his blade struck Thanos's gauntlet hand, sending him staggering just enough for Thor to roll away.
Thanos's eyes narrowed as he steadied himself. He looked at Alexander with the recognition of someone who had sensed him before.
"You again," Thanos muttered.
Alexander didn't reply. He simply said, "You won't fall the same way twice," and vanished, disappearing in a swirl of black mist.
Thor exhaled shakily and gripped Mjolnir.
Tony crawled from the rubble, one arm sparking, the other clutching his ribs.
"I'm starting to really hate this guy," he muttered.
Steve helped him up.
"He's still coming," Steve said. "We need to end this."
They turned to see Thanos charging again.
Thor rejoined them, face grim.
"Then we fight to the last."
Thanos's blade came down like a guillotine. It crashed against Steve's shield, knocking him back. Thor caught the next swing with Mjolnir, lightning flaring, but was quickly thrown aside.
Tony's suit adapted, forming new armor over his chest, but it cracked under Thanos's assault. He was flung backward once again, crashing into the remnants of a Quinjet engine.
Steve, bruised and bleeding, staggered to his feet.
Thanos slammed him with a backhand, and Steve tumbled across the broken ground.
Then it happened.
Mjolnir lifted.
And it flew—not to Thor, but to Steve.
Steve caught it.
Thunder cracked. Lightning surged.
With renewed strength, he launched himself at Thanos. Mjolnir and his shield danced in perfect unison. Each strike was timed with supernatural grace. Thanos stumbled, caught off guard.
Steve hurled Mjolnir, called it back, and smashed Thanos with a concussive blast of lightning. For a moment, the Titan faltered.
But only for a moment.
With rage, Thanos caught Steve mid-swing, drove him into the ground, and began pounding his shield.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The shield cracked… then shattered.
Steve rolled, gasping, barely conscious. Blood dripped down his face. His arm shook as he pulled himself to his feet.
Thanos stepped back.
Then he lifted his sword—and pointed to the sky.
Darkness consumed the horizon. The sky split open as the Sanctuary II released its full payload. Dropships descended. Outriders poured out in waves. Chitauri hovercraft flanked Leviathans as they circled above the ruins.
Steve stood alone.
He looked down at the remains of his shield.
Then strapped it to his arm.
He took one step.
Then another.
Then a third.
He stood at the center of the battlefield, alone, defiant.
Across the valley, thousands of Thanos's soldiers formed ranks.
The earth trembled.
Steve's legs quivered, but he refused to fall.
His earpiece crackled.
Faint static.
Then—
"Cap… can you hear me?"
Steve's head tilted slightly.
The voice was familiar.
"On your left."
To be continued.
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