Thanos' Flagship
The vast warship drifted silently through the void, its jagged black hull blotting out the stars. Within the throne chamber, shadows pooled beneath towering pillars, the faint hum of alien engines reverberating like a heartbeat in the silence.
At the chamber's center, Thanos sat upon his throne—a mountain of muscle and menace draped in golden armor. The faint gleam of the holographic screen before him cast cold blue light across his grim features.
The feed showed the aftermath of the failed missile barrage against the Avengers compound. The ground remained scorched, but the Earth's defenders stood unharmed.
"Master, they blocked our attack."
Ebony Maw's voice trembled with a mix of disbelief and awe, his thin frame bowing low.
Thanos' lips curved, a smile that held neither warmth nor mirth.
"So these are the future Avengers… Impressive."
He leaned back, the armor creaking faintly. Earth was, by cosmic reckoning, a backwater planet—a fragile, insignificant world with no empire, no fleets, no dominion. And yet, in a single coordinated effort, they had countered the might of his flagship's orbital strike. Few civilizations in the galaxy could claim the same.
"Master, give me fifteen minutes. I will wipe them out."
Maw's eagerness rang sharp in the air, his fingers twitching as if already weaving the spells of destruction.
"Patience."
Thanos raised a massive hand, silencing him with the barest gesture. His eyes lingered on the hologram, as if staring through time itself.
"They killed me once. No one in the universe has ever managed that."
The Mad Titan's voice carried no anger—only a chilling weight of truth.
"They are my enemies… but they have earned my respect."
The chamber fell silent. Even his Black Order dared not interrupt.
Finally, Thanos rose, his shadow stretching across the room like a mountain at dusk.
"Lower the transport. I will face them myself."
"As you wish."
Ebony Maw bowed low, though unease flickered in his eyes.
WHOOSH!
A column of blinding light burst forth, descending through the ship's belly to the planet below.
When it faded, Thanos stood tall in the Avengers compound courtyard, his double-edged blade planted into the earth with a thunderous crack. He slid his helmet free, resting it upon the hilt, then seated himself on a boulder with a casualness that bordered on mockery.
It was an act of supreme arrogance—a king waiting for his challengers to approach.
But arrogance backed by absolute power.
And Thanos had already proved he could back it.
---
Avengers Compound
"It's Thanos!"
The shout rang out like a gunshot. Every Avenger stiffened, their eyes locking onto the hulking figure outside.
Steve Rogers' jaw tightened as his fingers curled around the familiar weight of his shield. Beside him, Tony Stark's expression hardened inside the glowing blue light of his HUD.
They had fought Thanos before. They had tasted what it meant to stand against inevitability itself.
Steve remembered the clash of shield against blade, the strength that had nearly crushed him in a single swing.
Tony remembered the sickening impact of a gauntleted fist, the helplessness as his most advanced armor folded under the Titan's raw might.
Both men knew—this was no ordinary foe.
"That's Thanos? Looks like a walking purple sweet potato."
Scott Lang broke the tension with his usual brand of humor, though his laugh sounded just a shade too nervous.
"We killed him once. Let's do it again."
Steve's eyes flicked to Tony, a silent understanding passing between them.
"For once, Cap, we agree."
Tony's helmet snapped shut with a sharp hiss, the Iron Man mask sealing over his face.
"Alex, are you fighting with us?" Steve asked, voice steady but carrying the weight of the moment.
"Obviously."
Alex's tone was calm, though the way his hand gripped the case carrying the Tesseract betrayed the storm beneath. His gaze flicked briefly to the courtyard where Thanos waited, like a predator coiled in patience.
"Not like I have a choice, right?"
Everyone could hear it—Alex knew exactly what Thanos was here for.
"Wait… do you really have future vision?"
Scott gaped, his mind struggling to connect dots that weren't there. First Nebula, now Alex—how many secrets were floating around this team?
Alex ignored him. With deliberate care, he handed the case to Steve.
"Hold onto this. I'll grab it after we deal with Thanos."
Steve nodded firmly and darted off, disappearing for only moments before returning, lighter without the burden of the cube.
Around them, armor snapped shut, servos whirred, and weapons charged. Rhodey's War Machine suit rumbled alive, heavy cannons primed; Scott shrank, then grew, his suit adjusting with a hiss of energy. Even Bruce, still injured, pushed himself upright, determination etched across his face.
"Alright. Let's not keep the big guy waiting."
Tony's voice carried through the comms, steady as steel.
Together, the group strode out into the courtyard, their shadows long beneath the setting sun.
And there, upon the stone, the Mad Titan waited.
---
The Confrontation
Thanos' gaze swept lazily over the Avengers lineup, the faintest glimmer of interest in his cold eyes. But then his eyes landed on one figure—and the mask cracked.
For the first time in this timeline, the Mad Titan looked shaken.
"Alex?!"
His voice thundered, a raw mixture of shock and disbelief.
"How?!"
Alex blinked, caught off guard.
Damn. Even Thanos knows me?
The Titan studied him, disbelief giving way to recognition, then to something deeper—caution.
"No… You're not him. You are Alex, but… a different one."
His gaze lingered, as if peeling away layers of reality itself. This Alex carried power, yes, but not the suffocating weight of the one Thanos had faced before. The other Alex—his Alex—had burned himself into Thanos' memory.
If it had been that version standing here now, Thanos might have thought twice before setting foot on Earth again.
Alex leaned toward Steve, muttering low.
"What's the deal, Rogers? Did I fight Thanos before?"
Steve shook his head, uncertain.
"Not sure. But you did leave Earth for a while. It's possible."
Alex's lips tugged into a half-smile.
"I went intergalactic?"
The idea amused him, though part of him couldn't deny the thrill.
Guess I really leveled up.
---
Thanos' Offer
The Titan rose slowly, the earth trembling faintly beneath his armored boots. His blade gleamed under the fading light, but his words were heavier than the weapon he carried.
"Alex, this is between me and the Avengers."
His voice rumbled like distant thunder, reverberating across the compound.
"I don't know why you're involving yourself. If it's about mutants—I give you my word. Once I have the Stones, I will spare them. What do you say?"
The air grew heavy, silence thick enough to choke.
The Avengers froze, staring at one another, then at Alex. For Thanos to negotiate—to make a concession—was beyond unthinkable.
And yet the truth was undeniable.
Future Alex had terrified him.
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