Alex Ray looked at the dying Thanos in front of him and was certain: this Thanos, the one from his own universe, would die here.
And this was no illusion conjured by the Reality Stone—he was sure of that. Thanos's right hand, the one that bore the Infinity Gauntlet, had been obliterated in the explosion.
They both came from the same universe, but only one of them would return.
And that person was Alex.
"Cough… cough…" Thanos's ragged coughing broke the silence. Strange, dark-colored blood leaked from the corners of his mouth—the unnatural color of their universe's biology.
He didn't look at Alex, instead gazing up toward the endless sky, searching for something beyond the stars.
"You win, Alex Ray." His voice was hoarse, weak, and slow, but each word reached Alex's ears clearly.
Alex nodded. He accepted the victory. And alongside it, a strange feeling of respect.
Thanos was, after all, one of the most formidable adversaries he had ever faced—far more powerful than the Thanos of the previous universe.
"Yes, I won," Alex said quietly, his voice carrying a sliver of emotion. "But you are the strongest Thanos I've ever encountered—stronger than the last one."
He had done something no other multiversal traveler had ever achieved: he had killed Thanos… twice.
Alex walked over and sat beside him.
One seated, the other lying down, they looked up together at the deep, boundless sky.
To anyone unaware of the context, it might appear as though these two had been lifelong companions.
But Alex knew there was a chasm between them that could never be crossed.
Still, in that moment, he was curious—curious to understand Thanos more deeply.
The two of them began to talk like old friends.
"I want to ask you something," Alex began. "Why do you—Thanos—seek to eliminate half of all life in the universe? I've heard different versions across timelines."
"Some Thanos did it for love. The personification of Death gave them a purpose. They thought if they wiped out half of all life, she'd finally return their affection."
"Others believed the universe was overpopulated—that unchecked growth would cause a collapse of resources. They thought of themselves as saviors, not tyrants."
"Then there are those who believe an excess of life might awaken cosmic deities that would destroy everything."
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly. "Which version are you?"
When he'd first watched the movie in his original world, Alex had always wondered: why would Thanos go to such lengths, even sacrifice himself, just to snap his fingers for the sake of 'balance'?
How could someone so ruthless and powerful be so… selfless?
Alex knew he himself could never do such a thing. He didn't believe anyone could.
Thanos never even tried to rule after the Snap. He retired, lived a quiet life tending gardens.
Every great villain, Alex had realized, harbored some grand ideal. Something noble—twisted beyond recognition—but noble to them.
But Alex? He wasn't like them. He was just a man, and he didn't understand.
Thanos didn't answer his question directly. Instead, he asked one of his own.
"Hah… Is that question even important now?" His voice was a whisper, each word like shards dragged from deep within his chest.
He turned his eyes toward Alex. Fatigue clouded them. So did regret.
"Tell me… did those other Thanos… did they succeed in their universes?"
"This one failed," he gestured faintly. "And mine failed, too. Does that mean… I'm doomed to fail no matter where I go?"
His body trembled—barely clinging to life.
All his power, all his ambition, now reduced to a husk.
Alex looked skyward. The heavens above them were a crystalline blue, beautiful and endless.
He felt small beneath it all. So much death, so much conflict—what did any of it matter, really?
"Not entirely," Alex finally said. He saw no reason to lie. "The odds of your failure are slim. One in fourteen million."
"In fourteen million realities… only one of you loses."
Alex's gaze fell upon Thanos. "You're that one."
"One in fourteen million…" Thanos managed a bitter smile. "Then I truly am unfortunate. Three failures. Three dead-end universes."
Alex nodded. He understood which ones Thanos meant: this one, the timeline where 2014-Thanos was defeated, and Thanos's own.
"No," Alex stood slowly, locking eyes with the fallen Titan. "You're wrong."
"You're unlucky because you met me."
"When I'm there… you always fail. I make sure of it. Your chance of success becomes zero."
"Guess that's just my luck then," Thanos murmured with a bitter chuckle. "All of this… just because I ran into you…"
His body was crumbling. Life slipping away.
Alex's expression shifted. If Thanos hadn't harbored this genocidal vision, he might've even liked him. The Titan was philosophical, poetic in a way.
But there were no "what-ifs."
"I'll return your body to our universe," Alex said at last. "Dying in a foreign world doesn't seem right."
Thanos blinked. In his fading eyes, a spark of gratitude flickered.
"Thank you…" he rasped. "I'm… tired. Finally… I can rest."
To return home, even in death, was something.
"Wait—don't die yet. I still have one last question," Alex suddenly said, urgency creeping into his voice.
Thanos weakly nodded. "Ask… while I still draw breath…"
"How did you even get to this universe?" Alex asked. "There's no quantum field left to travel through here. That path's been destroyed."
"Someone… helped me…"
That was his final breath.
And then he was gone.
Turned to dust. Faded into nothing.
Alex's brows furrowed. Someone helped him? The implications were huge. Someone strong enough to send Thanos across universes?
That kind of power… it had to rival or even surpass the Ancient One.
But Alex had provoked no such being. So who was it?
There was no time to dwell on it now.
The remaining Infinity Stones lay scattered not far off.
Once he retrieved them, his system would be fully upgraded. His power would increase again.
As he approached them—
A jagged bolt of black lightning tore across the sky, like a cosmic serpent slicing through existence.
Alex's pupils constricted. It happened too fast. He couldn't react in time.
The black lightning slammed into the Soul Stone just as he reached for it—and in the blink of an eye, the gem vanished.
Gone. As if it had never been there.
Then the lightning streaked toward the Reality Stone.
"Damn it!" Alex roared.
He instantly channeled the speed force within his body. His form blurred into a streak of motion as he bolted for the Power Stone.
He had to get it before the lightning did. Otherwise, everything he'd fought for would be wasted.
He snatched the Power Stone just in time—
—but the black lightning had already vanished.
"What the hell? He's faster than me?!"
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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