"This is impossible!" Thanos growled, his voice thick with shock. He had traveled the galaxy, fought untold battles, and tested his strength many times — but he had never met someone this powerful.
Malrick stood before him, calm and composed. Thanos's protective shields, even on his cosmic battleship, had been shattered by this man. Yet Malrick showed no signs of strain. He tilted his head slightly, as if puzzled by Thanos's anger. "A little weak, Thanos," he said quietly, scanning the veins bulging in the Titan's neck. "You're trying to save the universe… but your way won't work."
He reached for Thanos's left arm, steadying it with one hand, then pulled the Infinity Gauntlet off with the other. Thanos roared in disbelief. "Impossible! The universe needs balance! Only I can bring it!"
Thanos grasped at Malrick's shoulder, using every ounce of strength to pull him closer. But Malrick held firm, unmoving, like an ancient tree rooted in bedrock. Thanos shouted into the sky: "Bombard Earth with everything we've got!"
High above them, Thanos's fleet unleashed its full power. Energy beams converged, energy weapons fired in unison — but before they could fully charge, two crimson beams sliced through the sky. They tore open Thanos's flagship, carving a blazing wound through its hull. Within moments, the ship erupted in a violent explosion, molten energy spilling like lava.
Malrick's eyes, once glowing crimson, turned dark again. Thanos stared at him, enraged and terrified. "What power are you? Who... are you?"
Thanos ripped the Power Stone from the Gauntlet. Purple energy surged in his palm, radiating destructive force. He roared and swung his fist — the Power Stone's might enough to obliterate a planet.
Malrick didn't flinch. He calmly withdrew his left hand and met Thanos's fist head-on.
Clang!
The collision echoed like forged metal. Purple energy engulfed Malrick, but he stood unbroken. As the energy faded, Thanos realized: his punch had met not a person, but a cosmic barrier.
Malrick gripped Thanos's fist, applying pressure. Slowly, he pried the Titan's fingers open. Thanos trembled, voice cracking. "Stop! You're preventing the universe from finding balance!"
Malrick's quiet smile remained. "Balance lost… that's also a law of the universe."
He stripped the Power Stone from Thanos's grip, snapped it into the Gauntlet, then pulled the Gauntlet free from Thanos's wrist. Thanos, bones cracked and bleeding, was helpless.
Thanos glared. "If you're letting everything fall apart… why don't you just destroy this universe?"
Malrick placed the Gauntlet on his hand. He raised his fingers. "If I said I snapped, would that change anything?" he asked softly.
The question made Thanos pause. He stared, the rage fading as confusion took over. "Who are you… really?"
Malrick pressed his thumb and middle finger together. "You can call me Superman."
He snapped his fingers.
The cosmic fleet vanished in a blink. Across the ruins, dust swirled and people reformed. Billions of souls, once lost, were resurrected: Stark, Rogers, Banner, Rhodes — the Avengers and countless others returned.
Malrick removed the Gauntlet. It was charred by the energy, but his skin was perfectly unscathed. He inspected his fingertips — minor burn marks. He blew on them gently, and they disappeared.
Thanos, humiliated but resigned, sat on a large jagged stone. His form trembled, but his voice was steady. He reached for a communicator. "You stopped me," he said quietly, "but you can't shut out the others."
Before Malrick could reply, Thanos's body crumbled into dust, drifting away like ash.
The Avengers cheered. Wanda ran forward, her face streaked with soot. Malrick glanced at her, then out at a portal in the distance. He sighed.
There were more Thanos.
He tapped his Time Pad, opening a new portal. He planned to hand over the Stones — and the Gauntlet — to the TVA. Let them restore everything to its rightful place.
He kissed Wanda's forehead gently. "Be safe," he said.
Just then, space around them shimmered. Twenty-three hulking, purple figures appeared. Each wore battle armor, a Pym Particle belt, a double-bladed axe, and — worst of all — a full six-Stone Gauntlet.
They surrounded Malrick and Wanda, their eyes burning with murderous intent. The Avengers scattered, readying themselves again.
One of the Thanos sneered, raising his voice. Their gaze fixed on Malrick: a chorus of warlords, all versions of the same titan — and they all wanted power.
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