Ch: 246 [Thanos vs Earth’s defenders]
Ch: 246 [Thanos vs Earth’s defenders]
Far above Earth's atmosphere, Thanos stood on the bridge of his flagship, the Sanctuary II, his gaze piercing as he watched the planet below. Around him, a terrifying armada loomed: massive warships bristling with annihilators, godslayer cannons, singularity bombs, and fleets of Chitauri, Outriders, and Leviathans. His forces were a storm of destruction, prepared to overwhelm Earth in a single, decisive strike.
Thanos turned to Ebony Maw, his expression stoic yet brimming with menace. "The time has come. Break through their defenses. No mercy."
Maw bowed, his voice reverent. "As you command, my lord."
The fleet surged forward, engines glowing with ominous energy. But as the first wave neared Earth's orbit, they were met with an unexpected resistance. A shimmering barrier of magic and celestial energy encircled the planet, its surface rippling like liquid light. The first Chitauri warships slammed into the invisible wall, crumpling on impact. Explosions tore through the fleet, forcing ships to veer off course.
"What trickery is this?" Thanos demanded, his voice like thunder.
Ebony Maw's sharp eyes narrowed as he reached out with his powers, analyzing the barrier. "It is a complex weave of sorcery and celestial energy, my lord. A formidable defense created by Earth's sorcerers."
The Kamar-Taj sorcerers, stationed aboard a colossal space station orbiting Earth, stood at the center of this defense. Hundreds of them worked in unison, their hands weaving intricate gestures as they maintained the barrier. The station itself was enchanted, its structure enhanced by ancient spells and the latest technology created by Tony and Shuri. The barrier pulsed in harmony with their magic, protecting the planet below.
"Formidable indeed," Maw said. "But no defense is perfect."
Thanos raised the gauntlet, the Power Stone glowing with malevolent light. "Then we shall see if their magic can withstand this."
The Power Stone flared, releasing a shockwave of purple energy that slammed into the barrier. The impact rippled through the station, shaking the sorcerers to their core. Several faltered, their concentration breaking momentarily. But the rest held firm, pouring their strength into maintaining the spell.
As Thanos prepared another attack, the station came to life. Orbital cannons, powered by both cosmic energy and arcane magic, swiveled toward the fleet and opened fire. Blinding beams of destructive light tore through the invading ships, while bursts of magical energy created spiraling explosions that sent debris hurtling through space.
Simultaneously, the sorcerers unleashed their summoned forces. Magical creatures emerged from glowing portals, their forms radiating ethereal power. Celestial griffins, fiery phoenixes, and serpentine dragons streaked toward the enemy, their cries echoing across the void. These summoned beings, powered by the combined will of Kamar-Taj, tore into the invading fleet with ferocity.
The battlefield became a chaotic maelstrom of light and destruction. Earth's orbital defenses rained destruction upon the invaders, while the summoned creatures wreaked havoc among their ranks. Despite the overwhelming firepower of Thanos's fleet, the defenders held their ground.
"Deploy the annihilators!" Thanos barked, his patience wearing thin.
Massive annihilator-class ships moved forward, their godslayer cannons charging with destructive energy. These weapons, designed to pierce the armor of even the mightiest gods, fired beams that sliced through the magical creatures and punched holes in the station's defenses. Singularity bombs followed, their detonation creating miniature black holes that tore apart anything caught in their gravitational pull.
On the station, the lead sorcerer of Kamar-Taj shouted over the din, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Reinforce the barrier! Summon the second wave!"
The sorcerers redoubled their efforts, summoning larger and more powerful creatures to destroy the enemy. Colossal leviathans of pure magic emerged from the portals, their massive forms smashing through Thanos's forces. Even the singularity bombs struggled to contain these behemoths, as they regenerated rapidly under the influence of the sorcerers' magic. Thanks to the time chamber and hundreds of years of training, they got strong enough to summon such forbidden creatures that are hard to control.
But Thanos, ever relentless, activated the Space Stone. With a single motion, he opened rifts across the battlefield, redirecting his forces to strike at vulnerable points in the station's defenses. Outriders and Leviathans poured through the portals, overwhelming the summoned creatures and tearing into the station's outer layers.
The Kamar-Taj sorcerers fought valiantly, their spells filling the space with golden light. But for every creature they summoned, for every attack they unleashed, Thanos's forces retaliated tenfold. The station shuddered under the assault, its shields flickering as Thanos's annihilators targeted its core.
Amid the chaos, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Thor led Earth's counterattack.
Thor, with his Stormbreaker, flew through space, his hammer trailing arcs of lightning that blasted through enemy ships. Captain Marvel was in her Binary form and her body was glowing with nearly limitless cosmic energy. She streaked across the battlefield like a comet, dismantling entire squadrons and smashing through everything Thanos threw at them with ease. It was one-sided massacre.
Iron Man piloted his latest suit, the Infinity Buster, designed specifically for interstellar warfare. "Let's clear the skies!" he called, unleashing an arsenal of missiles and plasma beams that tore through the invading fleet. His AI, Friday, chimed in.
"Enemy forces attempting to breach the station, sir."
"Not on my watch," Tony replied, directing his drones to intercept the intruders.
On the ground, Doctor Strange and Wong coordinated Earth's magical forces, creating portals that redirected enemy fire and reinforced the barrier. Black Panther and Shuri directed Wakandan forces, their vibranium weaponry taking down Outriders that had managed to land on Earth's surface.
Back on the Sanctuary II, Thanos stood at the helm, his expression unreadable. His gauntlet shimmered with the combined power of the Space, Mind, and Power Stones. "Enough games," he declared, his voice cold. "Earth will fall."
He raised the gauntlet, preparing to unleash its combined might upon the planet. But before he could strike, the Kamar-Taj sorcerers enacted a desperate countermeasure. Their leader, his face etched with determination, extended his arms, channeling every ounce of their collective power.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, TITAN!!"
A massive glyph appeared in the void, its intricate patterns glowing with ancient magic. The glyph expanded, enveloping the Sanctuary II and the surrounding fleet. Thanos's attack faltered, the energy of the gauntlet dissipating as the glyph suppressed its power.
Thanos's expression darkened. "Impressive," he muttered. "But futile."
Under the cover of chaos, the Black Order gathered near one of the station's portals, preparing to teleport to Earth. Their mission was simple: find the remaining Infinity Stones that Thanos needed to complete his gauntlet.
Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw, and Cull Obsidian materialized through the rift, stepping into the quiet emptiness of a mysterious new space. The area was strange, alien—a twisting, contorting plane of existence, unlike anything they had encountered before. They were surrounded by endless, shifting landscapes of fractured realities. The laws of space and time seemed to be stretched and twisted, with bizarre geometric shapes floating in mid-air and colors bleeding into one another. It was a pocket of pure unreality, and none of them could make sense of it.
"This isn't Earth," Maw said, his voice filled with confusion, his telepathic powers probing the strange surroundings but finding nothing solid.
Proxima's eyes narrowed. "This is no ordinary trap. The dimensions are... unstable." Her spear crackled with energy, ready to strike at anything that might come into view.
Suddenly, a soft laugh echoed through the shifting planes, drawing their attention. The sound was light and playful, but with an unmistakable authority behind it.
From the depths of the bending space, a figure appeared—a girl, no older than twenty, dressed in a pink gown that shimmered with every movement. Her hair was pinkish, cascading down her back, and her eyes glowed like twin stars. She stood serenely in the middle of the warping chaos, almost as if she were entirely unaffected by the warping reality around her.
"Well, well," she said, her voice melodic and teasing. "Aren't you all far from home?"
Maw's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and suspicion filling his gaze. "Who are you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, as if pondering the question. "I'm Gali," she replied casually, twirling in place as the dimensions around her seemed to bend and twist with every motion. "Thought I doubt you will remember that... After all, I'm gonna kick your ass."