A group of Avengers stared at Alex Ray with puzzled expressions, each of them thinking they must have misheard him.
Even Doctor Strange, standing behind Alex, subtly moved a step away.
"This guy is still cracking jokes at such a critical moment... and he's not even afraid of getting beaten up. The problem is, no one here can beat him—so he might just come after me instead. Better keep some distance from Alex Ray in the future," Strange grumbled internally.
Thor, however, nodded enthusiastically. "I think Alex's proposal is brilliant. Let me play rock, and the rest of you play scissors. Let's get on with it!"
Everyone glanced at Fat Thor like she'd lost her mind. Had she been drinking again? Had it finally damaged her brain?
"Okay, okay. Hand over the Gauntlet. I'll snap my fingers. What are your wishes?" Alex finally stopped joking.
In truth, Alex hadn't fully decided if he should be the one to snap. In the original timeline, Bruce Banner had taken the burden—and he paid for it with a severely damaged arm.
It's worth noting: Hulk has one of the strongest physiques in the universe. Even Thanos, famed for his Eternal-level body, had been critically weakened by the snap and eventually killed with a single strike from Thor.
It wasn't hard to imagine the cost of using the Infinity Gauntlet.
Naturally, someone like Alex—who's deeply averse to dying—wouldn't take this kind of risk lightly. However, thanks to the Eternal Team System and possessing Deadpool-like immortality, he was confident that snapping wouldn't be a problem for him.
To be extra safe, Alex had even double-checked with the system: Could he survive the snap?
The system said yes.
After all, Alex had already adapted to the Time Stone, Space Stone, Reality Stone, and Mind Stone. That meant when he snapped, he would only need to withstand the Soul Stone and Power Stone.
To Alex's body, those remaining two gems posed little threat.
But that was just Alex's own assessment. The moment the Avengers realized he was seriously considering snapping the Gauntlet himself, they all pushed back.
"Mr. Ray, you've already done enough. This is our world. We should handle it ourselves," said Steve Rogers firmly. As far as he was concerned, no outsider should bear this burden.
Even knowing how powerful Alex was, Steve couldn't condone him risking his life.
"Yes, yes—I'll do it. You've helped us tremendously already," Banner said, visibly moved. He hadn't expected Alex to go so far for their world. But he couldn't let him suffer for it.
Banner immediately moved to grab the Gauntlet—but Tony Stark held him back.
Tony narrowed his eyes at Alex. "What exactly do you want with the Gauntlet? You saved Natasha and even loaned us three of the Stones—but we can't let you be the one to snap."
"This is our world's responsibility. No one knows if you'll even use the Gauntlet to help us."
Tony wasn't sugarcoating it—he simply didn't trust Alex.
Based on everything he'd researched about Alex online, Tony concluded that Alex wasn't the kind of guy who sacrificed himself for others. On the contrary, he seemed to be a walking contradiction.
Alex acted selfishly—he'd clashed with S.H.I.E.L.D., mocked the federal government, and did whatever he pleased. But he also had a soft side—he fiercely protected those he cared about, even going as far as to rebuild and reform Hell's Kitchen, turning the entire community around.
Regardless, Tony believed Alex wasn't someone who would give his life for another universe. Either Alex had a hidden agenda—perhaps saving Natasha Romanoff was part of a bigger scheme to earn the Avengers' trust and get his hands on the Gauntlet—or maybe Alex was truly strong enough to survive the snap unscathed.
Tony leaned toward the former.
He didn't believe anyone—not even Alex—could surpass Thanos in physical durability. No matter how many miracles Alex had pulled off, Tony wasn't going to bet the universe on someone he'd just met.
Tony's open suspicion reflected the thoughts of Steve and Scott Lang, though they remained silent, unwilling to provoke someone as powerful as Alex.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
Alex shrugged, palms open in mock surrender. "If I really wanted to use the Gauntlet for my own ends, I'd have taken it already. None of you could stop me. But fine—if you insist, I suggest Hulk or Thor should do it. Anyone else is just asking to die."
Rejected, Alex lost interest in the whole debate. He'd only spoken up out of a sudden urge, curious about what wielding the complete Infinity Gauntlet would feel like.
To be honest, the thought of channeling the combined power of all six Infinity Stones intrigued him deeply.
After a tense discussion, the Avengers ultimately agreed that Bruce Banner would be the one to snap.
Even Thor, who typically wouldn't shut up, stayed uncharacteristically quiet. He understood the weight of what was happening and knew he needed to conserve his strength for Thanos, who was still coming.
Banner donned the Gauntlet—and immediately winced in agony.
The pain hit him like a tsunami.
Still, he grit his teeth, refusing to pass out.
He knew that even the slightest misstep could result in complete annihilation.
With every ounce of strength he could muster, Banner raised his arm—and snapped his fingers.
In that moment, an immense wave of power erupted—so intense it felt like the universe itself was about to shatter.
The force radiated outward invisibly, but its impact was undeniable.
Only Alex and Strange could truly sense it.
Strange, for the first time in his life, felt utterly powerless. This wasn't magic. This wasn't science. This was something higher—a force beyond understanding.
And thank the stars, that power wasn't directed at him. If it had been, Strange knew he wouldn't last a second.
"I'm still not strong enough... I must become stronger," he resolved. "I need to study more. Even dark magic, if that's what it takes."
Alex felt it too.
The unified Stones weren't just bending laws—they were wielding conceptual power. Ideas made real. Concepts woven into the fabric of the universe itself.
However, Alex also noted something crucial: that power existed only within this universe. It could not penetrate the multiverse.
When Banner collapsed to the ground, gasping and weak, Alex raised his hand.
With a wave of his right arm, the Space Stone and Mind Stone zipped back to him. The Time Stone returned to Strange.
There was no time to dwell on what had just happened.
Thanos was coming.
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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