The battlefield held its breath.
Across the plains of Wakanda, every warrior, every creature, every machine halted. The air itself seemed to freeze in reverence or fear. Dust swirled softly between craters and bodies as the golden light of the Bifrost faded into shadow.
Thanos had arrived.
He stepped through the darkened portal slowly, methodically, as if savoring the weight of the moment. Behind him, Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian emerged with similar purpose, their armor glinting in the sun. The Mad Titan stood tall, the Infinity Gauntlet gleaming with Power and Space, the other Stones still absent—yet his presence alone outmatched the entire army around him.
Alexander stood at the front, shadows coiling silently around his form, his cloak flickering as if anticipating the storm to come. His eyes locked with Thanos's, unflinching, unreadable.
Behind him, Steve raised his shield, dirt and blood staining the once-bright star. Thor spun Stormbreaker once, lightning flickering up his arms and across his chest. T'Challa stepped forward, vibranium suit purring with kinetic energy, his claws gleaming. Okoye stood beside him, her spear leveled and expression like carved stone.
"Ready?" Steve asked under his breath.
Alexander didn't answer. He took a single step forward.
Thanos raised one hand. A single, small gesture.
The silence shattered.
From behind him, thousands of Outriders surged forward. Siege beasts roared. Drop pods fell like meteors. The ground quaked beneath the weight of the final assault.
"CHARGE!" T'Challa roared.
The Wakandan army surged ahead like a tidal wave.
Alexander launched forward like a black arrow. His shadows twisted in his wake, reaching out like spears, battering the first wave of creatures into dust. Thor followed, lightning flashing, Stormbreaker carving through beasts like cloth. Steve, Bucky, and Natasha formed a trio of discipline and ferocity, shields and blades weaving a deadly rhythm as they fought back to back.
Nortis crushed an Outrider beneath his boot and hurled a siege weapon into the horde. The explosion scattered several ranks. Noctis reappeared near the dome's left flank, a halo of shadow missiles launching from his position to intercept incoming air support. His spear flicked out in arcs, decimating enemy fliers mid-flight.
But still—they kept coming.
The sky above was filled with chaos. Drop pods slammed into the ground, each one disgorging fresh monsters, each wave testing the strength of Wakanda's warriors. Falcon streaked through the air, unloading bursts of fire from his wing-mounted guns. M'Baku's Jabari warriors surged across the field with roaring chants, axes raised.
Inside the lab, Shuri's fingers danced across the projection interface. She worked with manic focus, the digital layers of the Mind Stone's matrix peeling back under her commands. Sweat beaded on her brow.
"We're almost there," she muttered to herself, her eyes scanning thousands of subroutines at once.
Wanda stood behind her, arms glowing faintly red, maintaining a hex field to protect the room. Each tremor from the outside made her flinch, but she didn't lose focus. Her gaze occasionally drifted to Vision's face, frozen in unconscious stillness.
In the corridor outside, Wong cast another wave of mystic sigils that formed a golden barricade. With each pulse, the barrier thickened. "You cannot pass," he warned the Outriders pounding on the other side.
One creature tried. It struck the shield—and disintegrated mid-air.
Noctis stepped into the hallway behind Wong, walking through a portal of smoke and shadow. "Reinforcements secured."
Wong nodded, his voice ragged. "You picked a fine time to reappear."
"Wouldn't miss it." Noctis raised his spear and turned toward the growing threat.
Outside, Alexander spun mid-air, plunging both fists into the ground. A shockwave of shadow tore through a hundred enemies. He rose again, launching shadow spears into a siege beast's eye, causing it to stumble and crash into a cluster of drop pods.
Thor landed beside him in a crackle of lightning, smoke curling from his beard. "Glad to see you again."
Alexander nodded once. "We need to get to Thanos."
"You'll have to go through Cull first."
As if summoned, Cull Obsidian slammed into the earth behind them, howling. Thor rushed in, hammer meeting axe, while Alexander darted past the brawl.
His path was straight. Unflinching.
Thanos stood at the far end of the field, still unmoving, watching everything with quiet calculation.
Alexander carved a path through elite Outriders, shadows flaring with every heartbeat. He twisted midair, redirecting his momentum between targets, cleaving through flesh and armor alike. Behind him, the army of Earth pushed forward with everything they had—but time was bleeding fast.
At the lab, alarms blared.
Shuri froze. "What is that?"
Wanda turned sharply, eyes narrowing.
From beneath the lab floor, the ground cracked.
A spike erupted upward.
Then another.
Burrowing Outriders.
"No!" Wanda screamed, red energy flaring.
Shuri backed away as sparks flew. A dozen Outriders burst from the tunnel, shrieking, eyes wide and mouths open in rabid hunger.
Wong raised a shield—too slow. One Outrider pounced onto the platform.
It reached toward Vision.
A claw grazed the edge of his temple.
The room exploded into chaos.
Wanda hurled three Outriders across the wall. Shuri shouted for backup. Noctis burst into the room, blade spinning, his shadows piercing enemy after enemy. But there were too many. Vision's vitals flickered.
And then—
To be continued.
_________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Good news—ALL advance chapters are available on Patreon for just $5! No more waiting, just pure binge-reading goodness! 🚀
👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️