Alexander's shadow-clad body collided with Thanos like a falling star. The force of the impact sent a ripple of energy tearing through the lab, blowing out every light, every console, and hurling debris in every direction. Sparks flew as metal met metal, and the reinforced walls cracked under the immense pressure. Wanda threw up a hasty shield around herself and Vision's remains. Shuri ducked behind a fractured console, shielding her head as fragments rained down. Noctis braced with his spear, but the shockwave flung him back, smashing into a pillar that crumbled beneath him. Alarms wailed through the building, flickering red lights casting a chaotic glow.
The Gauntlet met the full force of Alexander's attack.
A screech of metal tore through the air as his sword of darkness plunged into the Gauntlet's surface, carving into the space between the Power and Reality Stones. Sparks flew. Shadows hissed like steam as they tried to corrupt the Gauntlet's structure. Thanos roared, staggering back, holding his ground only through sheer will and brute strength. The strain was visible on his face—the Gauntlet was not invincible.
Inside Alexander's mind, the system screamed.
[OVERCLOCK STABILITY: 3% — WARNING: SYSTEM INTEGRITY COLLAPSE IMMINENT]
[NEURAL CORE OVERLOAD — EXECUTING LAST RESERVES]
[REMAINING SHADOW ENERGY: 2% — CRITICAL LIMIT EXCEEDED]
Alexander's vision blurred. Blood poured from his nose and mouth. His shadow core trembled violently, light and darkness clashing within him. But he gritted his teeth and pushed harder, channeling every ounce of rage, pain, and willpower. The floor beneath him cracked as energy surged.
The Gauntlet cracked. A fissure split through the knuckle above the Reality Stone, purple and red light leaking through the fracture like magma. The energies inside the Gauntlet pulsed erratically.
But Thanos reacted.
The Mad Titan growled and slammed his fist into the ground, triggering a quake of energy that erupted from beneath his feet. The backlash was immediate. Alexander was launched backward like a broken doll, his body spinning midair before crashing through two reinforced walls and landing in a heap, smoke rising from his limbs. His armor sparked feebly. The system dimmed.
The Gauntlet glowed ominously, pulsing with the resonance of six Stones aching to be used.
Wanda rose again, staggering. Her magic flared around her, burning red-hot with desperation. Her eyes glowed, tears streaking down her face. She had nothing left but fury and grief.
Thanos turned.
She screamed and hurled everything she had left. Chaos magic surged forward in waves, tearing through the ground and wrapping Thanos in a cocoon of reality-warping force. The very air twisted as her powers bent it. The energy screamed with intensity.
Thanos narrowed his eyes and stepped through it, roaring. He reached her and slammed her into the ground with a wave of purple energy from the Power Stone. She hit the floor hard, breath escaping in a gasp, limbs splayed.
He turned to the center of the lab.
He raised the Gauntlet.
"I am… inevitable."
He snapped.
The sound was soft. Barely audible.
Yet the effect was immediate.
Silence fell. A hum deeper than hearing vibrated through the room. Light shimmered unnaturally. Dust floated upward, suspended in midair. Machines fell silent. The Gauntlet dimmed, its stones flaring one final time.
Then people began to vanish.
Noctis blinked and looked down. His hand… was fading. Bit by bit, pieces of him drifted away like ash on the wind. His eyes widened, lips parting in disbelief. He looked toward Alexander, voice trembling.
"Alexander…" he whispered, just before his form disintegrated completely.
Shuri screamed. Her left arm vanished, then her shoulder. She reached out to Wanda, eyes wide in terror, but her hand dissolved before contact. Her mouth formed a final gasp—and she was gone.
Wong clutched his sling ring. "No—"
Gone.
Wanda crawled to Vision's lifeless body, clutching his hand like a lifeline. Her magic sparked once, flickered… and then she began to vanish. Her eyes filled with sorrow.
"No…" she choked. "Not again…"
She faded, fingers slipping away from Vision's.
Inside Alexander's ruined body, the system struggled to respond.
[USER UNCONSCIOUS — SYSTEM ATTEMPTING AUTO-RECOVERY]
[WARNING: SHADOW CONNECTION LOST — SHADOW "VASILI" TERMINATED]
[SHADOW "NOCTIS" — UNSTABLE SIGNAL DETECTED]
[CRITICAL DAMAGE. EMERGENCY STANDBY ENGAGED]
Across the field, Wakanda's mighty army and allied heroes fought fiercely—until soldiers vanished mid-run. Blasters and weapons fell to the ground. Armor crumpled without bodies inside. The air filled with confused screams.
Falcon disappeared mid-flight, his wings spiraling to the dirt. Sam had no time to react.
Bucky turned to Steve, beginning to speak. "Did you—"
Gone.
T'Challa reached to help Okoye to her feet… and vanished before her eyes. She fell to her knees in silence.
Spider-Man stumbled, limbs trembling. He staggered to Tony. "Mr. Stark… I don't feel so good…"
He collapsed into Tony's arms. "I don't wanna go…"
His voice cracked like a frightened child. Tears welled in his eyes. "Please…"
And he faded.
Tony was left alone, arms still cradled around empty space.
Elsewhere around the world, chaos erupted.
In New York, Doctor Strange's sanctuary shook. Wong's assistants turned to dust before his eyes. Strange's cloak drifted to the floor as its master vanished mid-cast, a spell dying on his lips.
On the Benatar, in deep space, Star-Lord watched Drax vanish mid-laugh. Mantis turned to him in panic—and was gone. Rocket clutched Groot as his friend looked at him one last time, voice trembling. "I am Groot…"
Rocket's eyes filled with tears. "No, not you too…"
On Titan, Iron Man collapsed to his knees, fingers trembling. The last pieces of Peter Parker crumbled in his hands. He said nothing—his heart had already shattered.
Back on Earth, children wandered alone in parks, calling out for missing parents. Pilots vanished mid-flight. Hospital wards went silent as patients faded.
All across Earth and beyond, the universe held its breath.
Thanos stood silently in the lab, his breathing ragged. The Gauntlet, though intact, was charred and smoking. His arm trembled from the effort, veins glowing with golden heat. The lab was now a graveyard of silence.
He glanced at the ruin.
Then he opened a portal.
Without a word, he stepped through, vanishing into shimmering orange light.
The portal closed.
Silence returned.
Inside the wrecked lab, Alexander's body lay motionless in the center.
Cracked.
Burned.
And alone.
Only one shadow flickered beside him.
Noctis — barely formed — crawled to his master's side, his figure ghostly and weak, barely held together by raw will. The glow in his eyes dimmed.
The system flickered faintly.
[SHADOW LINK RETAINED: NOCTIS — STATUS: WEAKENED]
[RECOVERY MODE: INITIALIZING...]
[STANDBY — USER STABILIZATION REQUIRED]
The screen faded to black.
To be continued.
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