After hearing Nebula's explanation, Captain Marvel immediately lifted her chin proudly.
"You guys are way too weak," she said confidently. "Can the quantum teleportation device still be used? Send me over there. I guarantee I'll bring back the Power Stone."
No matter the universe, Captain Marvel's personality rarely changed.
Powerful.
Confident.
And unbearably arrogant.
Nebula instinctively wanted to warn her that the Thanos from that universe was completely abnormal, but before she could even speak, the others suddenly stepped forward one after another.
Tony Stark tossed her a quantum teleportation belt.
"Then we'll leave it to you."
Steve nodded seriously.
"We're only missing the Power Stone now. Hopefully you can finish this quickly."
Rocket crossed his arms with a grin.
"Relax. There's no way Captain Marvel could fail, right?"
Although their words sounded supportive, several of them secretly shared the same thought.
They had wanted to humble this arrogant woman for a long time.
Letting her suffer a little might not be a bad thing.
Besides, none of them had personally witnessed the terrifying Thanos Nebula described. To them, her warnings sounded exaggerated.
Captain Marvel naturally noticed the strange tone in everyone's voices.
Unfortunately, her pride made it impossible to back down now.
She immediately grabbed the belt and fastened it around her waist.
"Watch and learn," she said confidently.
Under everyone's guidance, she stepped toward the quantum teleportation platform.
The next second, brilliant energy flashed.
Her figure vanished instantly.
…
In Thanos' universe, he was still cultivating inside a massive star.
Only three days had passed, yet the amount of energy he absorbed already surpassed what hundreds of ordinary planets could provide.
The difference between stars and planets was enormous.
With his current physique, devouring planetary energy had become increasingly inefficient. A single star, however, contained nearly endless power.
Originally, Thanos had planned to enter deeper into the stellar core and use the star's pressure to accelerate his absorption speed even further.
But for some reason, a strange feeling continuously lingered in his mind.
A faint voice seemed to urge him to return.
At first, he ignored it.
Then the sensation grew stronger.
Thanos naturally realized something unknown might be influencing him again. However, after thinking briefly, he ultimately decided to return and check the situation himself.
He had a feeling those hidden manipulators were causing trouble again.
The moment he returned to Temple Two, even with mental preparation, anger still surged through him.
Part of the massive warship was engulfed in flames.
Explosions still echoed faintly through several damaged sections.
Smoke filled the surrounding space docks.
Thanos' expression immediately darkened.
"Deep Blue," he said coldly, "what happened?"
The AI quickly responded.
"Master, three days ago an intruder suddenly appeared. The target possessed overwhelming combat capability. Internal defense forces were unable to stop her."
Thanos immediately opened the surveillance footage.
Soon, the holographic projection displayed a familiar figure rampaging through Temple Two.
Blonde hair.
Red and blue armor.
A body radiating multicolored cosmic energy.
Captain Marvel.
Powerful photon blasts erupted from both of her hands as she tore through the ship like a human weapon.
Dark Order warriors rushed toward her repeatedly, only to be wiped out effortlessly.
Unfortunately, Sanctuary II's primary weapons systems were designed for external warfare. Internal combat restrictions prevented large-scale bombardment inside the ship itself.
That limitation allowed Captain Marvel to wreak havoc almost uncontested.
And the final result was the burning wreckage now surrounding him.
Watching the footage, Thanos slowly narrowed his eyes.
These Avengers really didn't know when to stop.
They genuinely thought he was easy prey.
"Deep Blue," he asked calmly, "is the quantum teleportation device still intact?"
"Yes, Master. The device itself survived. However, many of the remaining Pym Particles were destroyed during the battle."
Thanos' eyes flickered slightly.
Just as expected.
Those hidden players had already accounted for everything.
After thinking briefly, he asked another question.
"How many ships can the remaining particles transport?"
"Based on current reserves, only a small warship can make a complete round trip."
Thanos nodded slowly.
"That's enough."
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"Send a small warship over there."
Then his expression turned completely icy.
"Let them understand what fear actually means."
…
Universe E.
Inside the Avengers facility, everyone gathered around the completed Infinity Gauntlet.
All six Infinity Stones had finally been assembled.
The last missing Power Stone had ultimately been retrieved after Captain Marvel returned from yet another alternate timeline.
But now a new problem appeared before them.
Who would use the Gauntlet?
Everyone had personally witnessed what happened when Thanos snapped his fingers. Even someone with his terrifying physique had nearly died from the backlash.
Could any normal person survive such power?
Thor stepped forward first.
"I'll do it," he said firmly. "I'm not human. I'm an Asgardian god."
Unfortunately, the others immediately stopped him.
No one trusted Thor's mental state anymore.
Besides, everyone present secretly wanted to become the one making the sacrifice.
If someone had to suffer, they preferred it be themselves rather than the others.
For a moment, the atmosphere became strangely noble.
Everyone was willing to die for everyone else.
In the end, Bruce Banner stepped forward and persuaded them all.
"The radiation emitted by the Stones is mostly gamma radiation," he explained. "I was literally created by gamma radiation. I'm the best choice."
After sealing the Avengers base with heavy metal blast doors, Banner slowly approached the enlarged Infinity Gauntlet.
Then he put it on.
"AHHH!"
The moment he lifted the Gauntlet, terrifying energy erupted instantly.
The previously dormant Infinity Stones lit up simultaneously.
Massive streams of energy surged through Banner's arm as violent electrical arcs tore into his flesh.
The overwhelming pain immediately forced him down onto one knee.
Everyone nearby watched nervously.
Some of them even wanted to stop him immediately.
But after enduring the initial shock, Banner gradually stabilized.
Then he raised his hand.
Snap.
The instant his fingers closed together, the six Infinity Stones activated completely.
The Power Stone amplified the output of all the others, temporarily elevating their combined authority to the level of a universal force.
The Mind Stone read Banner's thoughts and fully interpreted his intentions.
The Space Stone locked onto every target location.
The Time Stone identified the proper timeline coordinates.
The Reality Stone began reconstructing erased physical bodies.
And finally, the Soul Stone restored the missing souls themselves.
Together, the six Infinity Stones fulfilled the wish instantly.
The moment the snap ended, the Infinity Gauntlet fell from Banner's burned arm.
Everyone immediately rushed over.
Tony used cooling systems to stabilize Banner's injuries while Thor and Steve checked his condition.
As the metal blast doors slowly reopened, Scott Lang and Clint Barton hurried outside to verify whether the Snap had worked.
Then Scott noticed birds flying outside the facility.
At the same moment, Clint's phone rang.
It was his wife.
The instant they confirmed success, cheers erupted throughout the base.
Everyone smiled in relief.
But suddenly, Banner's pupils contracted violently.
Because he saw something outside.
A spaceship.
A massive warship floating directly above them.
Boom!
A deafening explosion instantly shook the ground.
Then another.
And another.
Inside a small command ship high above Earth, Thanos sat calmly in his seat while watching the bombardment below.
If the Avengers hadn't repeatedly provoked him, he honestly wouldn't have bothered dealing with them.
But since they insisted on causing trouble, then he might as well respond properly.
Heavy artillery fire rained down mercilessly onto the Avengers compound.
Buildings exploded one after another.
Flames and debris swallowed everything.
The entire area rapidly collapsed into ruins.
After observing the destruction for a while, one of the Black Order officers stepped forward respectfully.
"Sir, the target structure has already been destroyed. Should we stop firing?"
Thanos didn't even turn his head.
"Continue the bombardment," he said coldly. "Do not stop unless I personally give the order."
He wasn't the foolish version of Thanos from the movies.
Those idiots had warships powerful enough to flatten entire cities, yet still insisted on charging into close combat personally like idiots trying to show off.
Only after getting beaten half to death did they remember they still possessed spaceships.
More importantly, the Infinity Stones were nearly indestructible.
Even if Earth itself exploded, the Stones would survive intact.
.....
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