"Oh? So you know me?" Alex Ray was genuinely surprised that Thanos would acknowledge him at such a moment.
Alex didn't have strong feelings about this situation. In his eyes, it was nothing more than a classic clash of victors and losers.
From Thanos' perspective, it made perfect sense—of course, he wouldn't want the Avengers traveling through time to upend his grand plan.
But standing with the Avengers, they'd naturally search for every possible route to resurrect their loved ones and defeat the Mad Titan.
At that moment, the Avengers also turned to look at Alex, puzzled by Thanos' sudden engagement. Had they known each other before?
"This is our first meeting, but I knew at a glance—we're the same. Join me. Let's conquer one universe after another," Thanos offered.
He saw Alex as someone like himself—a man with conviction, willing to do anything to achieve his ideals.
The second Thanos said this, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, and the others grew visibly more guarded toward Alex. Truthfully, they had never fully trusted him. Despite saving Natasha, that alone wasn't enough to earn their absolute faith.
However, Natasha and Clint stood protectively in front of Alex. He had saved Natasha's life—so for them, his trustworthiness wasn't in question.
"No, no, no—we're not the same. The winner takes all, right? So let's fight," Alex rejected him without hesitation.
To Alex, Thanos was outright insulting him. He wasn't the kind of lunatic who'd annihilate half the population for some warped idea of balance—even sacrificing his own daughter to do it. Alex wasn't some self-destructive maniac.
Maybe he was just a selfish bastard who wanted to make some money, enjoy his life, and eventually go home to his own universe. He wasn't trying to "fix" anything.
"What a shame. Then let's fight." Thanos's voice took on a heavy tone.
Originally, he had hoped to infiltrate their world through Alex. Based on his intel, Alex had the strength to defeat three of the Obsidian Order. He seemed like the perfect candidate to serve as a "tour guide" to the multiverse.
But now, Thanos no longer trusted the alternate versions of himself scattered across timelines. He believed only he had the resolve to forge a truly beautiful and balanced multiverse.
As he finished speaking, a twisted, grotesque smile spread across his face—a chilling prelude to the bloodshed ahead.
He raised his twin-bladed sword, its edge gleaming with cold steel, and charged toward the Avengers with devastating force.
The blade sliced through the air with lethal precision, aimed straight at the Avengers' vital points.
The Avengers met him head-on, and chaos broke out. Blows were exchanged in a furious melee.
"Why don't you step in?" Strange asked, watching from the sidelines with a curious smirk.
"Can't you see they've got decent teamwork? If I join in now, I'd just mess up their formation," Alex replied, equally relaxed as he observed the battlefield.
It wasn't that he didn't want to fight—it was that, before the clash, Thor (still in his unkempt, beer-bellied state) had specifically asked him not to interfere. "This is our world's fight," he'd said. "We'll handle it."
Plus, if Alex did get involved, the others might split their focus to keep an eye on him, just in case.
Sometimes, the smartest move is to do absolutely nothing.
"But why are these Avengers so weak?" Strange asked seriously. "Two blind guys from Hell's Kitchen could probably take them out. How did they even beat Thanos before?"
Alex rolled his eyes.
First of all, Hell's Kitchen wasn't weak—especially not under his management.
Second, the current Avengers lineup really was underwhelming. Despite the back-and-forth fighting, it was obvious: Thanos hadn't gone all out yet, and most of the damage control was being handled by Thor. The rest? Basically useless.
Take a look at the roster—Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, War Machine, Ant-Man, Clint Barton, and Natasha Romanoff.
In the grand scheme of cosmic warfare, they were just slightly enhanced humans or guys with cool gadgets. Essentially, they were bronze-tier players trying to compete in a diamond-level lobby.
If Thor weren't on the front lines absorbing hits, the others would've been one-punched into next week.
To be fair, Strange wasn't wrong to complain. Heck, even his grandma plus Thor could've held the line better.
Sure enough, one by one, Alex watched the Avengers go down under Thanos's relentless assault. Quantity didn't make up for quality here.
Tony took a brutal hit that sent him flying, his armor cracking under the force. He coughed blood, clearly hurt.
Thor was next, slammed into the ground and unable to rise.
As for the rest—Ant-Man, Rocket, Clint? They might as well have brought snacks to a gunfight.
Soon, the battlefield had only one man still standing: Steve Rogers.
"Uh… Alex?" Strange turned to him with a raised brow. "Shouldn't we, y'know, run now? We've got the Infinity Stones. Game over. Time to bail."
If Steve fell, the two of them were next.
"You ready? It's our turn," Alex grinned, completely unfazed, like Thanos was just a morning jog.
Strange looked at him, then sighed in resignation. The guy was clearly serious about this.
"Fine, fine. We'd have to face him eventually. I'll go test his strength first," Strange muttered.
Though he often joked about fearing death, Strange had already prepared his magical arsenal in the background.
He flew into the air, hands folded in a complex mudra, eyes shut as he began to focus.
In an instant, dozens of astral clones burst forth, circling Thanos in a tight perimeter.
Each clone summoned a crimson-hued spell circle. Then, dozens—no, hundreds—of glowing red chains shot from the circles like serpents, racing toward the Mad Titan.
While Strange launched his onslaught, Alex casually strolled toward the fallen Steve.
Steve was on his knees, trembling as he tried to push himself upright.
"Not much muscle behind your world's defenses, huh?" Alex's voice rang in Steve's ears.
Steve didn't reply. He didn't need to—his shame was written all over his face. This wasn't just a defeat—it was a massacre.
"You guys should go. This is our battle. You've done more than enough. No need for meaningless sacrifice."
Steve clearly didn't believe Alex and Strange could take down Thanos, especially not when Thanos wasn't even alone.
"Relax," Alex said calmly. "I've never lost a fight—and I don't plan to start now."
---------
🎇🎇 Check out new Fanfiction 🎇🎇
🎊 Naruto : Tsunade You're Really Drunk 🎊
---------
Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
---------------
📚 Enjoying the Story? Get Ahead Now!
Can't wait for the next twist or epic moment?
Join my Patreon and unlock 40+ advanced chapters—read ahead of everyone else! 🔥
👉 https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Your support means the world to me—thank you so much! 💖
-------------