Chapter 1930 - Ch: 246-255

Chapter 246: Very Powerful Hulk!

It had been a while since Sean Brooke left Earth. No one knew where he had gone, and he hadn't left behind any pagers or anything of the sort, only telling them to be careful lately.

Sean Brooke's words made the Avengers nervous again. Steve and those other retired-style heroes all started taking action, constantly watching the sky to see if another big hole would appear.

Tony went even further, deploying his unfinished Earth defense system directly into orbit, having Fridaykeep a constant watch for any approaching unidentified alien fleets.

For a time, the Avengers all felt as if they were preparing for war. Fury even sent Natasha to Sif to scout for information and ask about the situation.

Sif didn't hide anything; she told them about Sean Brooke going to the Land of Nihility to get the Reality Stone.

Upon learning this news, the Avengers held a special meeting to discuss Sean Brooke's reasons for collecting the Infinity Stones. They even called in the Guardian of the stone, Strange, to speculate on what kind of wish he might have that needed fulfilling.

They discussed it for a long time but couldn't think of any wish Sean Brooke might have that he couldn't fulfill himself; it could be said that at this stage, no one could stop him.

But Natasha suddenly realized something and brought up the matter of the Red Room.

The Avengers thought about it and felt it was possible. If it was for a group of beautiful girls, then that was something Sean Brooke could do.

Only Fury and Strange frowned, feeling that something was off. Going to such great lengths to scour the Universe for the Infinity Stones just to heal a group of girls' bodies?

The group thought about it all afternoon and could only come up with this possibility. However, they weren't in a hurry. After all, the mage still had one stone here; if he really was collecting them, he would definitely come back.

Hearing them say this, Strange could only smile awkwardly, glancing at the "eye of agamotto" on his chest without a word.

'Don't wash your dirty linen in public.'

Outside, because of Iron Man's return, the security Armors in the sky gradually increased, taken over entirely by Friday. Added to the hard work of those two heroes, Pietro and Spider-Man, the crime rate in New York City plummeted once again.

For a time, the city seemed very harmonious, except for the Garden, which should have been even more harmonious.

Hess and Dice called all their subordinates and key personnel over, even calling over the security lackeys from the White House. Everything was because of what Sean Brooke had said to her before he left.

"Half of the people on Earth are going to die, so you make arrangements."

Hearing this, even the usually calm Hess was stunned for a good while.

In the past, whenever Sean Brooke asked her to do something, she never asked for details, but this time, she had to ask.

Sean Brooke naturally wouldn't hide anything from her, directly telling her about Thanos snapping his fingers to randomly kill half the life in the Universe.

This half of the population included them.

Of course, Sean Brooke didn't let her worry, saying that he would save them later, so there was no need to be afraid.

Sean Brooke was very confident. Firstly, he had seen them come over during the Battle of New York, and secondly, he had left several vials of Pym Particles just in case.

Right, what if something happened midway, causing the future to branch off, and this was no longer the original World but a parallel Universe? He could still use the Pym Particles to save them. Sean Brooke couldn't bear the thought of Hess and the others disappearing.

After saying this, Sean Brooke took a dozen or so people and used the Tesseract to go to a place. He wanted to do an experiment to see if he could save Barton's life.

---

In the cinema, Tony and Pepper were holding hands while watching a movie. Recently, they came every day to contribute to the box office, as if they wanted to make up for the lost time.

Pepper also cherished these few days of life. Before the disaster in Sokovia, she was busy with company matters every day, and Tony was also focused on his laboratory, researching his Armor.

It was precisely because the two had been together for so long that they skipped the honeymoon phase; otherwise, problems would have arisen long ago.

But after that time, Pepper also understood that she had to step away from work; they weren't young anymore, and they should think about the future.

Especially since Tony emphasized one thing every night, which was that when he was on Sakaar, he had already thought of names for their children.

"I still want a daughter. If it's a boy, I might beat him up." Tony suddenly said.

Pepper leaned on Tony's shoulder, feeding him fries, and said, "Because a boy would be just like you?"

"Hmm... that's right. If it were a boy, he would definitely make my laboratory a mess, just like I was when I was a kid."

"If it's a girl, it would be good..."

Tony hadn't finished speaking when the glasses he was wearing flashed red, and then Ultron's voice sounded.

"Sir, an unidentified alien spacecraft is approaching, and it is very fast!"

"How fast?"

"It will reach New York in three minutes."

Tony gasped, "Expand the monitoring range!"

He had underestimated the speed of the alien spacecraft, thinking that deploying surveillance drones outside the orbit would be enough. He didn't expect them to be so fast.

He immediately notified the other Avengers with a red alert, then kissed Pepper and ran out.

"Ultron, predict the spacecraft's landing point!"

"Near 177 Bleecker Street!"

Tony flew over immediately. He knew what that place was; nothing could go wrong!

On the other side, the Avengers who received the news all rushed over. Strange also received it, and upon seeing the location was the New York Sanctum, he thought it was someone sent by Dormammuagain.

Back at the banquet, he had told the Avengers about Kamar-Taj guarding the Sanctums, but he only told them about the New York Sanctum, asking them to help watch it, and did not inform them about the other two, to prevent internal problems.

He and Wong walked out the door and saw Tony in his Armor appearing in mid-air.

The two nodded in greeting and looked up together, seeing a circular spacecraft quickly landing on the street.

The crowd was a little panicked, but after seeing Iron Man, they felt a little better. They didn't even run far but hid in the corner to take pictures with their phones, looking very excited.

Strange was also a little helpless. With a push of his hands, a gust of wind blew, and all the unrelated people disappeared from the street, leaving only the roar of the Hulk in the distance.

"Very powerful magic." Tony praised.

"Thank you."

A blue beam shone on the ground, and suddenly four... humanoid monsters appeared inside.

Tony's eyelid twitched. Technology that can teleport living creatures?

Their entrance alone made Tony perk up and take it seriously, and furthermore, he was drooling over their spacecraft.

Looking at the three humans in front of him, Ebony Maw frowned. After being beaten up by Thor, he was in no mood to exchange greetings. He turned his head and said:

"Get the stone!"

Black Dwarf roared and smashed a nearby car with his axe to vent his anger.

Having been bitten by a dog for so long, anyone would be angry!

He charged up directly. Smashing the car wasn't satisfying enough; he wanted to smash the three people in front of him into pulp.

"Hulk!"

In the street nearby, the Hulk rushed out and slammed directly into Black Dwarf.

Having not fought for a long time, he had accumulated quite a bit of anger!

"Very powerful Hulk." Strange praised.

"Thank you."

Chapter 247: Your Wife, I Will Care For

"What did you say?" Thanos gripped Tivan's neck, his eyes full of disbelief.

"I said... there is a man... who took... the Aether, cough cough!"

Thanos loosened his grip, and Tivan coughed a few times before continuing: "He not only obtained the Reality Stone, but he also showed me three others."

Someone else is collecting the stones? Thanos stood there, thinking.

It must be the person Hela spoke of. He has already obtained four stones; apart from the Power Stoneand Soul Stone in his own possession, he has collected the rest.

As for the final Soul Stone, Thanos was not worried, because he did not even know where it was; only his daughter, Gamora, knew.

Thanos was not nervous; even if that man had four stones, he would not be his match.

Because he was the only one who possessed the Infinity Gauntlet. Without the gauntlet, it was impossible to use four stones simultaneously.

Moreover, the most crucial Power Stone was in his hands, which was why he had prioritized getting the Power Stone instead of the Space Stone.

Without the Power Stone as support, even his Titan body could not withstand the backlash of the stones' energy.

In other words, everything that man had done was in vain; in the end, the stones would still fall into his hands.

Thinking of this, Thanos could even smile.

He only needed to go get the Soul Stone. By using two stones at once, that man, who could only use one, would not be his match.

Just as he was stepping on Tivan, a loud bang came from the side, sounding like two pieces of steel colliding.

The Power Stone flashed, and purple flames erupted from Tivan's body. He let out a miserable scream before turning into ash.

A moment later, Gamora appeared above, sword in hand, ready to kill Thanos.

This time, without the Reality Stone, he did not bother to probe Gamora's heart; he simply grabbed her and threw her into a nearby display case.

"If you don't want them to die, tell me the location of the Soul Stone."

Gamora pounded on the cabinet door like a madwoman, pulling out the dagger Thanos had given her to attack it repeatedly, trying to get out.

But this was something The Collector used to contain living creatures; how could she possibly break through with her strength?

"Thanos!" Drax roared, charging forward with his two blades, swearing to avenge his wife and daughter.

With a single punch, Thanos sent him flying. Although he had been grazed by a blade, it was of no consequence.

It was only because Drax's body was strong enough; otherwise, he would have died from that punch.

Mantis, standing to the side, saw Thanos staring at her and was so frightened that she raised her hands, not daring to step forward.

"Let her go! You ugly freak!"

Star-Lord Quill raised his Element Gun and walked forward cautiously.

"You better let her go! I am the Universe's most famous full-time, gold-medal Titan killer! Let her go! Otherwise, I will blow off your big, ugly, butt-like face with one shot!"

Thanos smiled slightly and even turned to look at Gamora. "A little lover?"

Taking this opportunity, Quill fired a shot directly; in any case, Gamora was in the cabinet and would be safe for the moment.

But he had underestimated Thanos's strength. Thanos dodged the shot by tilting his head, then slid forward and grabbed him by the neck.

Pressing Quill's face against the transparent cabinet door, just as he had done with Thor, he channeled the Power Stone to force the location of the Soul Stone out of him.

"No! Let him go!"

Gamora kept hitting the door with her dagger, her hands already bleeding profusely.

"Don't! Don't tell him!" Quill gritted his teeth. "I... still, ah!"

If he were still a demigod, he might have been able to hold out a little longer, but now, he was just an ordinary human with slightly better physical fitness.

Watching Quill in pain, Gamora cried out hysterically, "I'll tell you! I'll tell you!"

Thanos smiled helplessly and threw Quill aside; he found him very annoying.

He channeled the Power Stone again, turning the place into a sea of fire, then took Gamora into a spaceship and left quickly.

"Don't try anything funny; Nebula is still in my hands."

Gamora glared at him without speaking, and Thanos was in no rush.

After a long while, she finally named a Planet: "Vormir."

---

Vormir. The sky here was beautiful, but Red Skull had long grown tired of such a beautiful place.

How many years had it been? Not a single living soul had come; when would he ever be able to leave this place?

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Red Skull froze, for he sensed many people descending onto this Planet.

If he weren't unable to enter dreams, he would have truly thought he was dreaming.

"Wow, this place is really nice. Note that down; it can be a tourist attraction in the future."

Sean sighed, then tugged on the chain in his hand, leading the dozen or so people behind him forward.

As for this last Soul Stone, Sean had not originally intended to come and get it. After all, only Gamoraknew of this place, and she would eventually be pushed off by Thanos; he didn't need to come collect it himself.

He had gone to get the Reality Stone only because he happened to be in Asgard and decided to stop by; Sean was quite interested in The Collector.

The reason he had come here was to see if, when Natasha and Barton came in the future, he could save Barton's life.

Why not Natasha? Hah, the bracelet on her wrist could not be taken off.

Leading the people into a cave, a black shadow appeared in mid-air, followed by an ethereal voice.

"Welcome, Sean Brooke, the..."

"Alright, say no more." Sean waved his hand.

The ordinary people behind him were all startled by the sudden appearance of the black shadow.

Red Skull was also stunned. What did this person mean? Could it be that they were just passing through and not here to take the Soul Stone?

That wouldn't do! This stone had to be taken, whether they wanted to or not!

Sean continued walking upward with his group, too lazy to pay attention to Red Skull. Killing him would be quite troublesome; what if the Soul Stone made him the guide instead?

Seeing his attitude, Red Skull was certain he knew nothing about the Soul Stone. Then, looking at the people behind him—shackled and dressed as prisoners—his heart sank.

It was over; he was here to deal with prisoners. How could he possibly sacrifice anyone for the Soul Stone? No, I must tell him how powerful the Soul Stone is!

"Do you know... of the Infinity Stones?" Red Skull tempted him with an ethereal voice. "Legend has it, the Universe..."

"Get lost!"

Walking to the mountaintop, Red Skull didn't say another word. It wasn't that he was afraid—what was there to fear? He actually longed to die.

It was only because Sean had stated outright that he was here to take the Soul Stone that he had earned some peace and quiet.

Braving the wind and snow, the group arrived at the edge of the cliff. Sean gave a tug, and the chains broke, but the handcuffs did not loosen.

He picked two people out and pointed ahead, saying: "Discuss it among yourselves. Push one person down to die, and the remaining one can live."

The two brothers who were chosen looked at each other, then turned to Sean and spoke in unison.

Younger brother: "Him!"

Older brother: "Me!"

The two looked at each other again. The younger brother dared not look at his brother, while the older brother smiled slightly, a final trace of tenderness appearing on his ferocious face.

Although the two of them were ruthless, arsonist, looting criminals, they were always good to their last remaining family.

It was just that the younger brother had started a family and had a wife and children who were still waiting for him to come home.

Sean did not hesitate, pointing at the older brother and saying, "Push him down!"

"What!"

The two froze, thinking they had misheard. The younger brother wanted to argue, but the handcuffs on the older brother's hands moved, and he pushed him down directly.

Sean looked up at the sky; it was calm, and nothing happened.

"Hahaha! I bet right! I bet right!" The older brother laughed terrifyingly, completely devoid of the tenderness from just a moment ago.

He even walked forward a few steps, and seeing that his younger brother had indeed fallen to his death below, he patted his chest in relief.

"Don't worry, little brother, I will take care of your family!"

A look of greed appeared in the older brother's eyes. Every time his sister-in-law came to visit his brother, no one knew how envious he was.

The key was that they were allowed one hour alone in a room every month.

Every time he saw his brother return with a look of satisfaction on his face, he would burn with rage; the feeling of having to vent on his roommate was something only his roommate could understand!

Sean, standing behind him, kicked him down and said to the others behind him, "Next pair!"

Chapter 248: Thanos: The Advantage is Mine!

The dozen or so prisoners at the edge of the cliff all took a few steps back, looking at Sean in terror; even Red Skull looked on with a side-glance.

"Truly a fine seed to become HYDRA."

Seeing that none of them were moving, Sean didn't have time to waste here. He pressed the remote in his hand, and two people immediately walked out uncontrollably.

Without following any procedures, he directly controlled one person to start slowly pushing the other. There were seven pairs left; one pair was bound to succeed.

He didn't believe that everyone was like the pair from before, harboring ill intentions.

Sean felt this was a bit tedious and advised them earnestly:

"You've seen it; no matter who pushes whom, someone has to die in the end. You might as well be a bit more efficient; you can even earn some pension money for your families."

At the edge of the cliff, the prisoner who was about to be pushed off shouted, "Do you even know who our families are?"

"..."

Sean turned his head. "Next pair!"

Red Skull's face was full of pleasant surprise—not just because he was happy he would be able to leave soon, but because he felt this person's unscrupulous methods were very much to his taste.

"Don't speak!" Sean glared at him. "Dare to say a single word, and I will kill you as soon as I get the Soul Stone."

These fierce words were even more to his taste!

The sky of Vormir rumbled. Sean took a look, and seeing that nothing was happening, continued to have people jump off.

He estimated that the Soul Stone was a bit angry, seeing him defiling the purity of the soul.

Hmph, whatever.

Finally, when only four people were left, two men with exploding muscles walked to the edge of the cliff without resistance. Without even waiting for Sean's command, they held hands and jumped straight down.

"Hmph!" Sean felt a surge of joy in his heart and pressed the remote. A grappling hook shot out from one of their wrists and pinned itself into the stone wall.

"Hold on tight!" A shrill scream came from below.

Leaning over to look, the two men had their hands tightly locked together, as solid as two iron chains.

"Even if I die! I won't let him have his way!" one man below shouted, about to pull and break the rope.

Seeing this, Sean directly fired his Heat Vision, hitting their arms, and the other man fell straight down.

"No!"

Accompanied by this cry, the sky blazed with light, and a powerful radiance quickly enveloped everyone.

Realizing he was finally free, Red Skull could not hide the excitement in his heart. He opened his arms and laughed heartily, disappearing from sight on the spot.

The Soul Stone wasn't some harsh boss; after using someone for decades, it naturally wouldn't leave him stranded on this deserted Planet.

Disappearing along with him was that heart-wrenching scream from beneath the cliff.

Sean turned around and killed the remaining two people, then began searching the Planet. He soon saw a large man lying in the water.

As the person who helped him obtain the Soul Stone, Sean gave him a final shred of mercy and killed him directly, not letting him wake up to endure the pain of his loved one's passing.

Looking at the yellow-orange gem in his hand, Sean felt a strange sense of affinity toward it.

Before he could study it carefully, a spaceship appeared in the sky. It was moving fast and soon landed behind a distant hillside.

Thanos walked out carrying Gamora. Looking at the dim sky, he said, "You'd better not have lied to me."

Gamora looked at him without saying a word.

After walking forward for a while, a figure made them stop. Thanos subconsciously reached out to shield Gamora behind him and asked with an unfriendly tone:

"Who are you?"

"You arrived quite quickly." Sean walked toward him at ease, hands in his pockets.

Thanos narrowed his eyes. When the distance was right, he clenched his left fist and swung it heavily. When he saw the person in front of him also throw a punch, he smiled.

A punch carrying the Power Stone—even Hela, whom he had met before, could not withstand such a blow and could only rely on her life force to recover.

He didn't believe that this person was like Hela, relying on Vormir to provide energy!

The two fists collided, and a wild wind blew past. Neither side moved half a step; only the sand beneath their feet and Gamora were blown away.

Thanos was a bit dazed, not quite understanding the current situation.

It was one thing for this person not to be sent flying—if he was strong, Thanos could accept that. But! Why was he wearing an Infinity Gauntlet! And it was fully encrusted with gems, including the Power Stone in his own hand, which was also on it!

The two Infinity Gauntlets clashed, one on a left hand and one on a right hand; neither side was damaged.

"Your gauntlet..." Thanos suddenly understood and shouted, "It's a fake!"

"There is only one Power Stone, and it is in my hand. It's impossible for you to have one!"

Sean withdrew his hand, looked at it, and said with a smile, "Ahaha, you're right. I really didn't notice the gems encrusted on it."

Then, he plucked all six gems off and threw them away.

Thanos let out a long sigh, having almost been fooled. Just as he was about to continue questioning, he saw a scene that left him stunned.

He watched as Sean took the Soul Stone out of his pocket and—clack!—placed it on.

Next, he took out the Tesseract, crushed it with a snap, and with another clack, placed it on.

Then came the Reality Stone, Time Stone, and Mind Stone, all of which were embedded into the gauntlet opposite him.

"Phew, alright, it looks much better now. All that's missing..." Sean held the Infinity Gauntlet without wearing it and looked up. "Is the one in your hand, and I'll have the set."

Thanos subconsciously took two steps back, but soon, he fell into a state of wild joy.

To be honest, if the person opposite him had only embedded one or two gems, he would have been a bit nervous, fearing he really couldn't win.

But now, he had put in all five gems!

Without the Power Stone, no one could withstand the energy backlash of five gems. In other words, he couldn't use the Infinity Gauntlet right now!

The advantage is mine!

Thinking of this, Thanos couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Thank you for helping me collect the gems. Truly, thank you very much."

When his entire fleet was wiped out and only a few people remained, Thanos had almost thought he would have to lie low for a while before he could collect the gems again.

He hadn't expected that suddenly, the gems would all be gathered. It was truly an unexpected joy.

Gamora crawled out from the sand and dirt. Regardless of whether the person opposite was good or bad, she shouted loudly, "Take the gems and go! He wants to wipe out half the population of the Universe!"

Sean nodded to show he understood, then placed the gauntlet on the ground.

"Hmph! Too late!" Thanos lunged forward, using all his life's strength to throw the most powerful punch of his life.

Purple light shone brilliantly before Sean's eyes. In the short distance of a few meters, Thanos took less than a second to bring his fist close to the man's face.

But in Sean's eyes, this speed was still very slow.

With a slight sidestep, his left hand slapped hard against Thanos's wrist. As Thanos lost his balance, Sean's right hand delivered an uppercut to his chest, sending him flying.

Sean spread his hands, the corners of his mouth curling up as he said coldly, "Again?"

Thanos slowly climbed up, his previous smile completely gone. "Who are you?"

"Sean Brooke, the God of Earth, and the future sole God of this Universe."

Chapter 249: Dealing with the Black Order

On the streets of New York, Hulk was pummeling Black Dwarf and had already used the creature's own weapon to hack off one of his dark hands.

Tony was in the air, relentlessly launching long-range attacks at Corvus Glaive; every time the distance between them closed to twenty or thirty meters, Tony would proactively retreat.

The blade in that man's hand was terrifyingly powerful.

Just a moment ago, Tony had conjured a double-layered shield, thinking he could block a strike and then finish him off directly.

To his surprise, he was nearly skewered right through both the shield and his body.

If Wong hadn't used a magic rope to pull him away in time, Tony would likely have another hole in his chest.

Proxima Midnight was being besieged by three sturdy men; fortunately, her equipment was strong enough, and with Ebony Maw intervening a few times, she hadn't been defeated yet.

Steve and Bucky were like twins, almost never separating, and with Falcon arriving quickly, the three of them had no problem fighting Proxima Midnight.

On the other hand, Strange lost his match while testing his magic against Ebony Maw.

His combat experience was still too lacking, and he had learned too many disparate things; he simply couldn't match Ebony Maw's manipulation abilities and was quickly knocked unconscious.

Fortunately, Pietro and Wanda also arrived on the scene, and the two of them held their own against Ebony Maw through coordination.

After waiting a little longer, Peter also swung over on his webs to help Tony deal with Corvus Glaive.

By now, except for Scott who was far away in Los Angeles and Natasha who was scouting for information in the Garden, all the heroes had joined the battle.

Barton had retired after the Sokovia War and bought a house in the suburbs, living a very beautiful life with his wife and three children.

The battle on-site was progressing smoothly; every member of the Black Order was being suppressed. Aside from Ebony Maw's side being evenly matched, the situation for the other three was not optimistic.

Black Dwarf was not far from death, and Proxima Midnight's weapon had been snatched by Steve; she was about to go down as well.

Tony didn't dare fight Corvus Glaive in close quarters, and his long-range attacks couldn't quite pin him down, but things changed once Peter joined in.

His agility combined with Peter's Spidey-sense meant that even in close quarters, Corvus Glaive couldn't touch him. By coordinating with Tony and using webs, they quickly suppressed the situation completely.

The battle went smoothly, with the only minor accident being a weapon beam from Proxima Midnighthitting Steve's shield; the light refracted and caused significant damage to the surroundings.

Even Bucky and Sam, who were beside Steve, were grazed slightly. Fortunately, only their equipment was damaged, and the people were unharmed.

On the other side, following a roar from Hulk, Black Dwarf's screams gradually faded away.

Proxima Midnight's weapon was also stolen through a plan by the three men, and she was captured on the spot.

Wanda also woke Strange from his stupor. Facing the combined magical attacks of the two, Ebony Mawcouldn't hold out; just as he was preparing to call for a ship transport, Wanda froze him in place, unable to move.

The others who were now free immediately followed suit, disarming Corvus Glaive. Furthermore, after they arrived, Tony and Banner had directly hijacked their spaceship.

The trapped members of the Black Order were stunned. It was one thing for Asgard to be hard to fight, but how could a tiny Planet be so difficult as well?

Let alone them, the Avengers were also bewildered, constantly looking up at the sky to see if more alien armies were about to descend.

Even after Tony landed, they saw no other alien fleets. They turned their gazes to the Black Order, their eyes full of confusion.

There are only four of you, how did you dare?

"Who are they?" Tony turned to Wanda and asked, "Wanda, can you look into their minds?"

"I'll try."

Just as Wanda took a few steps forward, Ebony Maw's eyes suddenly widened. The surrounding air became slightly agitated, but the two mages weren't useless; they immediately suppressed him.

A flash of red light occurred, and Wanda stumbled back a few steps in shock, nearly falling over.

"Chitauri. They are the Masters of the Chitauri. They have killed many people in the Universe, and even Asgard was invaded by them."

"Asgard? Thunder God Thor?" Peter asked; he had never seen that legendary god before.

Ebony Maw chuckled. "The Asgardians used their insignificant lives to make a small contribution to the balance of the Universe. I hope you can have that same realization!"

"Of course, even if you resist, it will be to no avail. The great Lord Thanos will lead his army to descend immediately and let you witness the power of a god."

The group formed a circle, looking pensive. Tony checked his screen and said, "An alien army? Sorry, I don't see any army outside Earth."

Wanda crossed her arms, her expression tense. "There really is one. I saw it in their memories; the numbers are enormous."

"How does it compare to... the last Battle of New York?" Steve asked.

Wanda thought for a moment and said, "If what I saw on TV back then was their full number, I'd estimate this is at least ten times that."

"No!" Ebony Maw interrupted with a smile. "A hundred times."

In this, he wasn't lying. The Chitauri were just one of their legions; while they made up the majority, they weren't the whole of it.

Furthermore, when they invaded New York, not many of the Chitauri army actually went down; the portal was only so big, and not even many Leviathans could get through.

The only problem was that Ebony Maw didn't know their army was currently at Asgard—or rather, that it was gone.

Even if there were any left, it was likely just a few stragglers, not even enough for the Avengers to warm up on.

But therein lay the issue: the Avengers didn't know the army was gone either; they could only confirm through Wanda's information that there really was a massive army.

For a moment, the Avengers fell silent. Given the current situation, unless Sean returned now, they truly wouldn't be able to stop this alien army.

Ebony Maw naturally saw their distress and smiled. "You should be happier. After all, being able to contribute to the Universe with your ant-like bodies is simply wonderful."

Tony keenly noticed that he had mentioned this phrase twice and asked, "What do you mean by 'contributing to the Universe'?"

"By using your... lives, of course!"

Ebony Maw didn't hide anything and briefly explained their contributions over the years.

It was essentially constantly searching for Planets in the Universe and then randomly selecting half of the life on that Planet to be killed.

Until one day, Thanos felt the progress was too slow; killing Planet by Planet like this, he would never truly save the Universe before he died.

After learning about the Infinity Stones, he began his move, intending to randomly wipe out half of all life in the Universe.

After hearing his words, the Avengers all chuckled, finding the idea too absurd and foolish.

At the same time, they weren't too worried because half of the stones were in Sean's hands, so this evil plan would certainly not succeed.

Tony's eyes lit up, and he asked Ebony Maw, "Hmm... if we take the stones and go with you to Titan, would the Chitauri not come then?"

When he was on the ship, he had seen a set of coordinates for a Planet.

Ebony Maw was stunned, then looked at Tony with satisfaction. "A very sensible ant."

"We originally intended to head to Titan to regroup immediately after taking the stones. Who would have thought..."

Ebony Maw didn't finish his sentence; it was a bit hard to say.

Upon hearing this question, the other Avengers understood what Tony wanted to do. Steve was the first to stand up and say, "I'll go!"

"I'll go too!" The other Avengers volunteered one after another; not a single person backed down.

Tony glanced at everyone. He was hesitating; in truth, he didn't want to take anyone and wanted to solve it himself.

But he knew that was impossible. Leaving aside that the Avengers would definitely refuse, Tony didn't have the confidence to defeat Thanos alone.

"Fine! We'll prepare a bit, but some people need to stay on Earth. Otherwise, if the alien army comes after we leave, someone needs to be able to notify those who left."

Tony checked the time and said, "We leave in thirty minutes!"

"Alright!"

Chapter 250: Thanos, Whose Mood Is Like a Roller Coaster

On Vormir, Gamora's gaze was somewhat dull. That source of her former fear, the overlord of the Universe, the invincible god, was now being beaten at will by a man only one-third his size.

She couldn't help but pinch her own face, and the pain coming from her face also made her realize that she wasn't dreaming.

Looking to the side, there was an Infinity Gauntlet on the ground, embedded with five stones.

Gamora didn't move; even though the two of them had fought far away—no, it was Thanos who had been beaten far away—she didn't take this opportunity to pick up the gauntlet and run.

Because Gamora felt that she had no certainty of surviving at this man's hands.

Suddenly, a scream came from not far behind her head. Gamora immediately jumped to the side. With a bang, Thanos landed right where she had been standing.

Thanos lifted his head from the sand. His left eye was already half-closed, and faint red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Infinity Gauntlet not far away. His eyes widened, and he propped up his hands to slowly crawl over.

"Ah!"

Just as he reached out his hand, a foot stepped heavily on his wrist.

Sean bent down and took off the Infinity Gauntlet without any effort, throwing it aside.

Watching the last stone leave him, the light faded from Thanos's eyes. He sighed and stopped struggling.

He had failed. In the end, he hadn't let this Universe return to balance. One could imagine that one day in the future, the Universe would become a wasteland, just like Titan.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Sean took his foot away.

As if resigned to his fate, Thanos turned around and looked at the gloomy sky, murmuring, "The sky here is very poor, not as beautiful as Titan's..."

Then, as if unburdening himself, Thanos spoke of everything about Titan—the population explosion, the lack of resources, and finally, nothing left.

Gamora also slowly walked over. It was the first time she had seen Thanos like this. Looking at Sean and the Infinity Gauntlet next to him, she felt that he was the truly powerful one.

A super-powerful individual who could dismiss the six Infinity Stones with disdain, not even giving them a second glance.

After speaking for a while, Thanos finished, including his plan to Snap his fingers and eliminate half of all life in the Universe completely randomly, without a hint of emotion.

Gamora let out a scoffing laugh. Even though she had heard it before, hearing it again, she still found it completely absurd.

How could someone think of killing half the population just because a Planet's population was too large? Thanos only made such a decision to satisfy his inner desire for slaughter.

She believed this powerful man would surely think... why isn't he laughing?

Hearing such words for the first time, how could one not laugh? Could it be!

Sean sighed and looked up at the sky with a deep gaze. "Thanos."

"You know me?"

"Of course." Sean smiled slightly. "I know about Titan because where I come from, our situation is... very similar!"

Thanos suddenly sat up, his eyes looking a bit stunned.

"I've thought of many ways and consulted many records to see how other Planets solved this situation, to see if there was anything worth learning.

But in the end, I only found two results."

"Which two?" Thanos asked somewhat anxiously.

"Destruction, or conquest!" The smile on Sean's face vanished, and his gaze turned cold.

"Either head toward destruction, or start a war and seize the surrounding resources!"

Thanos laughed, even a tear squeezed out from the corner of his eye. He hadn't shed a tear when he was being beaten like that just now, but now he was actually moved to tears.

Because someone had helped him prove that his ideal was right!

Only his idea was correct!

Only by randomly eliminating half of the life in the Universe could the Universe enter balance, enter... peace!

"Then how do you plan to choose?" Thanos really wanted to know the final choice of this man who was even stronger than himself.

"Conquest! I only have this one choice!"

Gamora, behind them, swallowed hard. She was nervous.

If such a man were to conquer the Universe, to be honest, no one could stop him. Moreover, with all six stones in his hands now, no person or army could block his path.

"But!" Sean suddenly turned his head to look at Thanos. "When I learned of your actions, I found that it's actually... feasible!"

Sean gave a bitter smile. "I am a peace-loving person. I really can't find it in my heart to conquer other civilizations. I... can't do it!"

At this moment, Thanos, whose heart had been as cold as the temperature of the Universe, suddenly felt his heart grow hot. In this Universe, there was actually someone else who shared his thoughts!

This was different from the passive persuasion of the Black Order; this was an idea he had conceived himself, and... Thanos glanced at the gauntlet, and he had put it into action.

"You... you, are you serious?"

"You're not the only One Cursed with Knowledge, Thanos," Sean said calmly.

These words immediately made Thanos understand that he was serious! He truly agreed with his viewpoint!

Thanos quickly stood up, unable to hide the excitement in his heart. Pointing at the gauntlet, he said, "Then what are we waiting for? Quick! With just a Snap, this Universe will return to balance and regain peace!"

He also reminded, "Oh, right, remember to destroy the stones in the end as well, so as to eliminate future troubles forever!"

If he weren't afraid of Sean's misunderstanding, Thanos would have been eager to Snap his fingers himself right now to complete his grand plan.

"No!" Gamora pulled out a short blade and lunged forward, grabbing the nearest left-hand gauntlet, looking at the two of them with fear.

She couldn't even deal with one Thanos, let alone now with an even stronger man added to the mix.

Even though she now held the Power Stone, she didn't feel any sense of security at all.

"Gamora!" Thanos roared. "Bring it here! It's only a fifty-fifty chance; you won't necessarily die!"

Gamora was in tears, clutching the gauntlet and pointing her blade at the two of them, saying with a sob, "I won't! Not unless you kill me!"

"Why must half of all life be eliminated to balance the Universe? Why must peace be obtained through slaughter! Can't you think of some other way!"

Her exhausted crying and shouting received no sympathy. Neither of them paid her any mind, because the decision-making power was not with her.

Sean slowly stepped forward. The agitated Gamora stabbed him directly, but the dagger snapped upon impact.

He took out the Power Stone, walked to the right-hand gauntlet, and placed it inside.

With a ding, the sound of the stone merging with the gauntlet echoed around. The six stones were gathered, and even the sky changed color.

Looking at the gauntlet, Sean did not choose to put it on. His expression dimmed, and he lowered his head, saying:

"I cannot do this."

"Why?" Thanos was extremely puzzled. "With your strength, you can completely withstand the backlash of the stones without suffering very serious injuries."

Sean looked up at him. His trembling pupils made Thanos understand that he wasn't afraid of the stones, but afraid of the people he cared about dying.

"I cannot be fair; I cannot be selfless. There are too many people I care about on Earth. I can't even guarantee what my wish would truly be after the Snap."

Listening to Sean's self-narration, the other two were both stunned for a moment. These words were truly too sincere, making them both feel somewhat ashamed.

Thanos took a deep breath, walked forward a few steps, and said, "I'll do it! If you trust me, I'll do it!"

Sean looked at Gamora, then at Thanos, and slowly shook his head, saying, "You can't do it either."

"Only the strongest will can achieve the hardest choices. You still have attachments, so you can't."

"Do you know what the qualification to obtain the Soul Stone is?"

"The soul of a loved one!"

Looking at Sean again, a tear had already fallen from his eye. Before the tear hit the ground, no one spoke again.

After a long silence, just when Gamora thought the matter was over, Thanos suddenly said:

"No, I can!"

Then, he looked at her!

Chapter 251: Preparing to Receive Refugees from Asgard

Two blue mist portals appeared on Vormir. Thanos and Sean fist-bumped and each stepped into a portal.

Sean returned to the Garden with a look of pleasure, unable to hide the smile on his face as he walked into the resort. Hess sensed something and turned to see Sean's beaming face.

Just seeing this expression, Hess understood immediately that he had just tricked someone again.

"How did it go?"

"A small glitch, but it doesn't matter." Sean hugged her and continued, "The Blip should be delayed for a short while, no rush."

Regarding the timing of The Blip, Thanos naturally wanted it to happen as soon as possible. After personally strangling Gamora, he didn't want to wait at all.

Sean didn't have any objections and told him to bring his army near Earth and then "threaten" him to hand over the stones.

The benefit of doing this was that Sean could hand over the stones openly and wouldn't have to bear the responsibility after The Blip. Perfect!

The only problem was that Thanos said his legions were all wiped out when Asgard exploded.

Then there was no other way. Sean couldn't just hand over the stones to him like that, so he could only let him go back and come find him again after making a comeback.

Thanos didn't suspect anything because Sean didn't take all the stones; instead, he gave him both Power and Soul, giving him the capital to gather soldiers.

In that case, he would only need to conquer some space pirates and seize a few large warships to get the stones, which was much easier than before.

After listening carefully to Sean's words, Hess led him inside. Although she didn't know why Sean was so obsessed with The Blip, she still chose to believe him.

Afterward, she told Sean about a circular spaceship landing in New York this morning.

Knowing that the spaceship had already left, Sean was somewhat surprised. Could it be that the current Avengers still couldn't beat the Black Order and let them capture Strange?

No way. Even if the four members of the Black Order appeared together, with the Avengers' current combat power, dealing with them should be quite easy.

Inquiring about the battle on the Avengers channel, Sam and the others were thrilled to see Sean's message and quickly recounted the events.

After they worked together to defeat the Black Order, in order to keep the Chitauri Army away from Earth, they decided to go to Titan to eliminate the Lord Thanos that Ebony Maw spoke of.

Regarding the candidates, everyone except Sam and Bucky went to Titan, seeking a one-hit kill and maximizing combat power.

The two of them stayed on Earth to monitor the situation with Natasha and Barton because their wings and arm were damaged, leaving them with little combat strength.

Sean said he understood and hung up. He looked up at the sky and said to Hess, "Prepare to receive refugees from Asgard."

---

Broken ruins, dim yellow light, chaotic gravity—everywhere the eye could see was in a state of desolation.

No one could have imagined that this place was once more prosperous than Earth, with blue skies, white clouds, singing birds, and fragrant flowers—it had everything.

But now, this was a place that even the most desperate space pirates wouldn't deign to visit.

A circular spaceship sat steadily on the ground. Tony led the Avengers to stay alert of their surroundings, with five spider cocoons hanging overhead.

Aside from Ebony Maw, who had to be guarded by Strange, the two Black Order members and the person who had suddenly attacked them earlier were all tied up there.

"Where is Thanos?" Tony asked Ebony Maw.

"Hehe, My Lord will be back soon. Just find a place to wait for death quietly!"

Everyone finished checking; there were no traps, so they gathered to discuss their strategy.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Above, Star-Lord kept shaking his body, trying to say something, but his mouth was sealed by a spider web, and he couldn't say anything.

Tony looked up, fired a shot, and Star-Lord's spider cocoon fell down, landing among them.

"Who are you?"

Star-Lord spat out the spider silk from his mouth with a look of disgust and said, "You're not Thanos's people?"

While up there, he had heard quite a bit and felt that this group was also here to cause trouble for Thanos.

Seeing that no one answered him, Star-Lord gave a forced laugh. "I'm from Missouri. Thanos took my girlfriend, and I came here to kill him."

"Earthling?"

"Uh... I'm from Missouri, like I just said."

"That's on Earth, you idiot!"

Tony slapped his forehead, feeling like another troublesome fellow had arrived.

With the misunderstanding cleared, Drax and Mantis were released. However, Peter was a bit afraid of her and stood slightly behind the others.

"Alright, we need a plan." Steve looked around. "Since that guy named Thanos hasn't arrived yet, we have the advantage and can set an ambush."

As he spoke, Steve began to arrange everyone's positions. Star-Lord and his group were also assigned a spot; they were satisfied as long as they could kill Thanos.

But now there was a problem: what to do with these three Black Order members.

Everyone turned to stare at Ebony Maw. They had to deal with them now; otherwise, if they broke free and joined the fight later, it would be quite a bit of trouble.

Ebony Maw understood the look in their eyes. Narrowing his eyes, he prepared to use his power to rescue Corvus Glaive and the other one so they could act together.

But Strange, who was watching him at all times, how could he not notice? He immediately suppressed him with a magic circle.

Seeing this, the others realized Ebony Maw still wanted to resist, so they acted directly and killed the three Black Order members without much effort.

Just then, a small aircraft flew toward them.

Thinking Thanos had arrived, before they could even set the ambush, they quickly surrounded the aircraft and raised their weapons in caution.

But only a blue-skinned cyborg stepped out. She looked somewhat fierce, but everyone really couldn't associate her with a cosmic overlord.

"Where is Gamora?" Nebula asked.

"Who is Gamora?"

"My girlfriend is Gamora." After Star-Lord finished, he noticed Nebula giving him an eye roll.

Nebula naturally knew they weren't Thanos's subordinates, especially after seeing the bodies of the Black Order. She felt their strength was decent and told them what she knew.

Tony and the others were also somewhat helpless. How was it that everyone who came here was here to kill Thanos? How many enemies had he made?

But this was good; they could prepare. It was better to be careful when dealing with a cosmic overlord-level figure.

According to Steve's arrangement, everyone scattered to various parts of the ruins to hide, waiting for Thanos to take the bait.

While hiding, Star-Lord learned they were the Avengers and were on the same side as Thor.

They had encountered a distress ship with depleted fuel in space. With the intention of extorting... no, helping, they boarded the ship, were impressed by Thor's might, and provided fuel.

Fortunately, they all had the same enemy: Thanos.

Plus, with Groot and Rocket willing to go with him to Vanaheim to find the Dwarves to make a weapon, Thor hadn't made things difficult for them.

After the battle of Asgard, Thor knew he urgently needed a weapon... one that could fly back on its own, preferably a hammer.

Chapter 252: The Soul Stone Shows Its Power

On Titan, a thick gray-blue mist appeared. Thanos slowly walked out from within it, looking somewhat exhausted yet relieved.

Suddenly, three black corpses not far away caught his attention. Walking up to investigate, he discovered they were actually the bodies of the Black Order.

Before Thanos could think further, a green figure lunged at him. The two of them were pushed back over ten meters, pinning him against a wall.

Although he didn't know where this green monster had come from, Thanos smiled slightly; it was the perfect chance to vent the frustration of being beaten up earlier.

Without even using the Power Stone, he sent Hulk flying with nothing but his Titan physique. Whether in terms of strength or skill, it was a complete victory.

But Hulk's strength was not static. Every time Thanos thought he could knock the Hulk down for good, he would stand back up, and his strength would only increase.

The more they fought, the more frustrated Thanos became. What kind of people had he been running into these past few days?!

Hela, who couldn't be killed no matter what; Sean, whom he couldn't defeat no matter how hard he fought; and now Hulk, who grew more courageous with every blow—it was truly beginning to shatter his confidence.

The two massive figures fought for quite a while, subjecting Titan to a second sweeping devastation. It wasn't until Thanos grew somewhat irritated that he used the Power Stone to blast him far away.

Seeing the opportunity, Steve shouted:

"Go!"

Pietro reacted the fastest, bringing Wanda behind Thanos to immobilize him with magic.

"Hurry up!"

Wanda shouted with effort, and only then did Strange's magic follow.

The Crimson Bands shot out, directly binding the hand wearing the gauntlet. Peter swung through the air, firing webs at Thanos's feet as if they cost nothing.

Steve and Drax locked eyes and charged together into Thanos's back, knocking him to the ground.

Tony seized the chance. Aside from the nanobots on his body, everything else transformed into shackles, pinning Thanos's limbs and rendering him unable to move.

A blast of electric chains followed, landing right under Thanos's right hand to reinforce the lockdown.

The Crimson Bands slowly spread over Thanos's entire body. These were the tentacles of Cyttorak; it was nearly impossible to break free through sheer strength—at least, he couldn't.

Pietro moved again, placing Mantis on top of Thanos's head.

Not daring to delay, she immediately used her ability to control him. Seeing this, Wanda also used her magic to help, easing the pressure on Mantis.

As Thanos's eyes turned white, the pressure everyone felt decreased sharply. Tony called out to Peter, telling him to help take the gauntlet.

With Hulk gone, the little spider had the greatest strength.

"Hold on!"

"I'm... I'm fine, I can hold out a bit longer." Mantis glanced at Wanda and gave her a smile, and Wandasmiled back.

While the two controlled Thanos together, they glimpsed each other's inner Worlds and understood how difficult things had been for one another over the years.

Star-Lord and Nebula rushed over, their expressions relaxing slightly. They hadn't expected the Avengers to be so powerful that they might actually succeed.

Walking up to Thanos, Star-Lord asked anxiously, "Where is Gamora?"

Thanos didn't answer the question; he couldn't bring himself to say it. But Mantis could feel his emotions—he was in great pain and sorrow.

At the same time, Wanda saw Thanos's memories. "He... he's choking a green-skinned woman by the neck."

"What!" Star-Lord and Nebula were both agitated. "Did you kill Gamora?"

Wanda choked up slightly. "Possibly. That woman was... huh?"

Suddenly, Wanda saw a familiar figure in Thanos's memory. Was that... Sean?

The moment she saw him, Wanda's magic faltered, causing the pressure on Mantis to multiply.

Star-Lord could no longer suppress his rage and was about to beat Thanos to death.

Fortunately, Tony noticed his state in time and had Pietro take him far away, with Nebula being taken along as well.

Seeing that the gauntlet still hadn't come off, Steve quickly got off Thanos's back with Drax and went over to help. Combining the strength of four people, they pulled at the gauntlet together.

"I... I can't hold on much longer!"

"It's off!"

As Peter lost his balance and tumbled a few times, a massive gauntlet ended up in his arms.

At that moment, Mantis was grabbed by the now-conscious Thanos and thrown aside. Feeling guilty, Wanda quickly went to save her.

Meanwhile, her heart was filled with doubt. Why was Sean standing by and watching? What role did he play in all of this?

Feeling his hand empty, Thanos was enraged.

To be honest, once he was certain the stones were collected, he didn't want to kill anyone else, because that wouldn't be fair to them.

But now, he realized that if he didn't deal with these people, he would have no way to assemble his army and go to Earth for the remaining stones.

His left hand, free from the gauntlet, broke loose first. He grabbed the Crimson Bands and swung Strange, who was at the other end, away.

The Crimson Bands couldn't be broken, but this sorcerer didn't have the strength to hold him.

He forced himself up, the ground cracking continuously with bursts of noise. It didn't take long for Thanosto break free from the nano-chains and stand up.

Just then, Hulk leaped back, but now, Thanos's rage was no less than his.

He landed several punches on Hulk's head, dazing him, then threw him toward Steve, knocking three people away.

He narrowed his eyes and glared at Peter. "Give the gauntlet back to me!"

"Uh... sorry, Mr. Purple Giant, I can't give it to you!" With that, Peter shot out a web and swung away.

But this was Titan; there wasn't much for Peter to use as anchor points. Before long, he could only run to distance himself from the battlefield.

Thanos didn't chase him. Instead, he looked around and charged at Steve, who was getting up.

He understood this type of enemy well. He only needed to catch one, and they would return the gauntlet themselves.

Tony and the others had also underestimated their opponent, thinking that without the gauntlet, Thanoswould be no threat. They hadn't expected his inherent strength to be so formidable.

Steve raised his shield. He had just withstood the Impact of Hulk's collision and then a punch from Thanos; he couldn't hold out and was sent flying to the ground, unable to get up again.

In his state of fury, Thanos truly displayed the strength he should have. Grabbing Steve's shield, he neutralized Tony's long-range attacks and Steve's magical strikes one by one.

Finally, he threw the shield at the lunging Hulk, sending him flying once more.

He picked Steve up from the ground, gripped his head, and said, "Give me back my gauntlet!"

"Ah! Don't... don't give it!" Blood leaked from the corner of Steve's mouth as he cried out in pain.

Peter stopped in his tracks and looked at the distant battlefield, unsure of what to do.

Recalling Instructor Sam's training, in this situation, he should choose to save more people and keep running with the gauntlet.

But that was just an exam. In reality, Peter couldn't possibly do that.

"Give it to him, Peter." Noticing his dilemma, Tony spoke up directly.

At this, Peter no longer hesitated and threw the gauntlet toward Thanos.

But at that moment, an equally angry Star-Lord propelled himself forward. He didn't care about Steve's life; he only wanted to kill Thanos.

Even without a demigod body, he would use the last ounce of his life's energy to manipulate two Infinity Stones and kill Thanos!

Thanos immediately threw Steve toward Star-Lord, then leaped forward, casually striking down Nebulaas she tried to snatch it, and reclaimed the Infinity Gauntlet.

"Leave this place! This is my final mercy!" Thanos warned.

He truly had no intent to kill. Otherwise, with the Power Stone capable of easily destroying a Planet, how could he fail to kill this group of humans?

If nothing else, if he had used the same purple flames he used to kill Hela just now, they wouldn't have been able to withstand it, and there would have been no game of stealing the gauntlet.

It was simply because these people were no threat.

"Impossible, Purple Sweet Potato. Round two starts now!"

Tony helped Steve up, Wanda returned to the battlefield with Mantis, Hulk roared again, and Strangeused the Images of Ikonn, creating hundreds of copies of himself.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out again.

"Sigh, I gave you a chance."

No trace of pity remained in Thanos's eyes. The Orange Stone on the gauntlet glowed brilliantly, and an Impact wave quickly swept through the crowd.

Hulk and Steve stood at the front to resist, and Strange used the Shield of the Seraphim to block in front of everyone.

But it was of no use, because this was the Soul Stone.

Chapter 253: The Stones, or Their Lives!

In the center of the battlefield, a brilliant orange light flashed, striking everyone.

Strangely, those who were struck felt no pain; instead, they felt a sense of lightness, as if all their shackles had been removed, a sort of... feeling of transcendence.

Looking at his own hands, Peter was instantly shocked and shouted, "Oh my god! Am I dead? Am I dead?!"

Everyone looked at each other and realized their bodies were lying on the ground while their souls floated in the air.

The same thought as Peter's crossed everyone's minds; if their souls had ascended, if they weren't dead, what else could it be?

"Don't be afraid!" Strange roared. "We aren't dead yet!"

This wasn't the first time he had experienced this feeling; finding his body, he immediately controlled his soul to fly toward it.

The others were still unfamiliar with their souls and didn't know what to do for a moment, but they subconsciously swam toward their own bodies.

At that moment, another flash of orange light occurred, freezing all their souls in mid-air, unable to move.

"I gave you a chance."

Thanos walked forward slowly, looked up at the blue souls floating in the sky, sighed, and raised his left hand, the purple stone on it flashing with light.

Suddenly, a laser beam was fired from a distance. Thanos quickly used his hand to block it, but he was still knocked to the ground.

Everyone in soul form turned their heads together, their expressions filled with joy; except for Star-Lordand Nebula, who didn't know Sean, everyone else smiled.

Sean stopped in mid-air, glanced at them, and after revealing a solemn expression, he charged directly downward.

On the ground, Thanos's hand felt uncomfortable; he felt like the inside might be medium-well. Looking up to see it was Sean, he was also a bit dazed.

But the reality of the situation didn't allow him to remain dazed, because Sean's fist had arrived.

Two dull heavy blows made Thanos recall his days on Vormir, as if it were just yester... oh, just a moment ago.

The Soul Stone flashed again, and Thanos's expression changed as he knocked Sean's soul out, freezing him in place just like the others.

Just as Thanos thought he had defeated Sean with the Soul Stone, a cyan ray struck, nearly sending him straight to see Gamora.

Sean also realized he seemed to have used too much force; he quickly stopped the ray and returned to his physical body, roaring in an impassioned tone:

"Release them!"

Simultaneously, he quietly winked at Thanos, signaling that this was a good opportunity!

Fortunately, that blow hadn't caused Thanos any permanent damage, and he saw the hint.

"I know you, Sean Brooke. The rest of the Infinity Stones are in your hands, aren't they?" Thanosstraightened up. "Hand over the stones, or they die now!"

As he spoke, the Soul Stone in his hand flashed again, and all the soul forms in the sky let out screams of agony.

"Stop! I... I..." Sean showed a conflicted expression and slowly opened his palm, revealing the four stones floating there.

"No!" Nebula shouted. "If Thanos gets the stones, he'll kill half the life in the Universe. They'll still die then!"

"Ah!"

Thanos squeezed his fist again, and the soul forms screamed once more.

"At least they'll have a fifty percent chance of survival."

The choice was now in Sean's hands: let them die now, or give them a fifty percent chance to live.

The soul forms behind him were all telling Sean to just kill Thanos; none of them feared death, including Star-Lord and the others. As long as they could have their revenge, what did it matter if they died?

They also felt that Sean wouldn't hand over the stones, because even if Thanos released them, no one would be able to stop him once he had all six stones.

The final result would be everyone dying here together, including Sean.

And the few Avengers who knew Sean's character well understood that he wouldn't be threatened by such simple words, nor would he be foolish enough to put his life in someone else's hands.

But the Avengers had never truly known Sean, except for the deceased Odin and the Ancient One.

Before their disbelieving eyes, Sean slowly extended his hand, and the four stones slid toward Thanos.

No plan, no conspiracy, no sneak attack—just like that, he simply handed the stones over.

With four metallic clicks, all six stones were embedded in Thanos's gauntlet. The massive surge of energy made even him show a pained expression.

After enduring the impact, Thanos glanced at Sean and waved his hand to release the soul forms. His lips moved slightly without making a sound; his lip-reading message was:

"The Universe will finally return to balance. We succeeded."

Sean's back was to the Avengers; they couldn't see the faint smile on his face or the affirmation in his eyes.

As for Thanos's lip-reading, hmph, how could Sean possibly stare at a male Titan's lips? He only thought Thanos was trembling from the pain.

Luckily he hadn't been the one to snap his fingers; it looked like it really hurt.

He immediately fired his Heat Vision, knocking Thanos to the ground but not killing him.

The people who had returned to their bodies also charged forward, trying to prevent Thanos's fingers from closing. Strange threw his cloak, Pietro ran regardless of his physical condition, Hulk leaped through the air, and Tony accelerated with his thrusters—all were using their last bits of strength...

To stop him!

Snap!

His middle finger brushed against his thumb. Amidst the simple sound of metal clashing and several agitated roars, this part of the Universe fell into an eerie silence.

Thanos was also in a red space, where he saw the person he cared about most in his life, the young Gamora.

"Did you do it?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Thanos's tone actually became somewhat choked with emotion.

"Yes."

"And what did it cost?"

"Everything."

One large and one small, both their eyes grew moist, understanding what those two simple words meant.

In reality, Thanos's left hand had begun to smoke; it was medium-well before, but now it was well-done.

By the time the fastest, Pietro, was about to reach him, Thanos, who was lying on the ground with a hole burned in his chest by Sean, had already opened a portal and disappeared from everyone's sight.

"What did he do?" Tony retracted his faceplate and looked at Sean, asking agitatedly, "What did he do!"

The people present looked at each other, and finally turned their gaze to Sean. They could understand his actions, but they couldn't accept them.

Wanda also walked over, wanting to ask privately what the relationship between Sean and Thanos was. She had seen Sean standing right there in Thanos's memories.

However, the situation didn't seem to allow her to ask.

"Uh, sister, I..."

Pietro looked at his palm, then at Wanda, and realizing something, he immediately said to Sean, "Take care of..."

"Pietro?" Wanda tried to grab him, but she only felt a handful of sand. "Pietro!"

Following that, Star-Lord, Mantis, Drax, Strange, and Peter all turned into ash one after another.

A burst of Scarlet Energy erupted, blowing everyone except Sean away.

Sean braved the energy, walked to Wanda's side, and hugged her.

The moment he hugged her, Sean felt her intense pain and the Scarlet Magic trying to drill into his brain.

"Go to sleep."

With a gentle squeeze, Wanda fainted.

Those still alive were also in a daze. Steve asked tremblingly:

"Half the people dying randomly... is this it?"

Holding Wanda, Sean didn't look up. "Let's go back. New York is about to fall into chaos."

Chapter 254: The Moment of The Blip

The Blip.

This disaster was simply beyond anyone's imagination.

Thor had just gotten his stormbreaker when Groot disappeared beside him; he almost thought it was his own fault.

The Asgardian refugee ship, which hadn't yet reached Earth, lost half its people mid-journey, including Loki.

Natasha and Barton watched helplessly as Bucky and Sam, who had just been discussing strategies with them, turned to ash.

Then one contacted the Director, and the other contacted family.

The results were the same.

In the Garden, after seeing the first person turn to ash, Hess tightly gripped Dice and Sif's hands, a rare look of tension appearing on her face.

Although she knew those who disappeared would return in a few years, the feeling of watching them die was truly awful.

"Mo... Mother."

Sif's voice gradually faded. Hess's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly muttered, "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! You'll be back soon, don't worry! You'll... be back soon."

Watching the children she had spent years with leave her, Hess finally understood what Sean meant by being mentally prepared.

For those who passed away, it was only a few short seconds, but for those left alive, it would be a long few years.

At night, a circular spaceship landed in the yard of the Avengers Headquarters.

In the past, whenever a ship landed, many staff members would swarm around to handle security, disinfection, medical care, and various other chores.

But after The Blip, those who hadn't disappeared had rushed home to find their families.

So, on the vast lawn, there were only four people: Natasha, Sharon, Pepper, and Hess.

Among those getting off the ship, some were dejected, while others felt fortunate.

Even Sean smiled knowingly when he saw Hess was still there, because he couldn't guarantee she would survive that snap.

Seeing no sign of Bucky, Steve was clearly disappointed. He took a deep breath, his expression full of melancholy, but felt slightly better seeing Sharon still alive.

At least Carter's relative had survived.

A rainbow fell, and Thor tightly gripped his axe, looking at everyone with tears clearly visible in one eye.

He was late—too late!

The survivors went to the meeting room and sat around the long table, unable to speak for a long time.

Thor sat to the side, filled with self-reproach.

Loki was dead, truly dead.

According to Valkyrie, before he turned to ash, he was still apologizing for the matter regarding their mother and for the matter regarding their father.

Apologizing for everything he had done.

At the head of the table, Sean leaned back in his chair, holding Hess's hand to soothe her trembling body.

"You were right, Tony."

Sean's cold words echoed in the empty conference hall.

"Sooner or later, an enemy will appear in this World that none of us can handle. When that time comes, we will lose, we will fail, and we will die!"

"I just didn't expect this day to come so soon."

Everyone looked at each other, and Tony asked, "Why did you give up the Stone? Just to save us?"

"Yes," Sean sat up and looked at them, "just to save those of you who were on Titan at the time."

"Perhaps I was too conceited, thinking Thanos wouldn't be my match even with all six Stones. Unfortunately, the final Heat Vision didn't kill him directly. I..."

Tears suddenly welled up in the corners of Sean's eyes. "I should have aimed for his head. I should have hit his head!"

Hess immediately stood up, pressed Sean against her chest, and stroked his hair. "It's not your fault, it's not!"

Very fragrant.jpg

At this, everyone fell into silence again.

Indeed, it wasn't Sean's fault. If they hadn't been conceited and gone to Titan to try and ambush Thanos...

"Let's go find Thanos, kill him, take back the Stones, and bring back those we lost. What do you think?" Steve asked.

"Right!" Banner also stood up. "We can use the Stones to bring them back!"

"But where is Thanos?"

"I can find him!" Tony stood up and called out Ultron. "Even if I have to search every corner of the Universe, I will find him!"

At that moment, Nebula, leaning against the wall, said, "I know where he is. I can take you there."

"Really? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go now!" Thor stood up furiously, clutching his axe.

To prevent Thanos from hiding the Stones, they didn't want to waste a single moment. Everyone stood up, preparing to set off immediately by spaceship.

"Sean?" Natasha called out, as he hadn't stood up.

"The result won't change," Sean took a deep breath. "Try it once more, or many more times—the result won't change."

Everyone stopped. Steve took a few steps forward. "No matter how many times it takes, I will try! Because they are our comrades."

"Heh, naive American-style thinking," Sean sneered. "Unfortunately, this is reality, not a movie."

"If you go now, Thanos will just snap his fingers again and send us away."

Suddenly, red light flashed in Sean's eyes, and the air he exhaled caused the room's temperature to drop several degrees.

"I will use my own way to protect those who remain, even if it infringes upon so-called freedom!"

With a sizzle, Heat Vision blasted a large hole in the window.

Sean picked up the still-sleeping Wanda next to him and glanced at Hess, who hugged him. Then, he flew toward the Garden.

The cold wind blew in from outside, but for some reason, the temperature actually rose slightly.

"Are we... still going?" Rocket Raccoon asked.

"Yes!" Thor roared.

"Wait!" Natasha took out a pager and said, "Let's wait a few more days for Carol to return. Otherwise, it really would be a suicide mission."

Looking at the blinking pager, those who knew Carol breathed a sigh of relief and decided to wait for her return.

Back at the Garden, while flying in mid-air, Sean revealed a smile, which finally allowed Hess to relax. She laughingly scolded him and swatted him a few times.

Sean's performance just now had almost frightened her; she really thought those who were lost wouldn't come back.

If he hadn't secretly... did... you-know-what, while burying his head in her embrace, she really would have been fooled by him. This little rascal's acting was getting better and better.

As soon as they landed, Sean saw Millis rushing straight toward him.

Handing Wanda to Hess, he embraced the terrified Millis and patted her back to comfort her. "It's so good that you're okay!"

"I'm... I'm also happy you're okay, but Dad..."

Millis leaned into Sean's arms and wept loudly.

Although Rom was very greedy for money, he was very good to his daughter. No matter what, he would never make her do anything she didn't like.

She remembered last time when she wanted to help clear Sean's name despite public opinion; Romhadn't said anything. Even though he knew the company might go bankrupt because of it, he hadn't stopped her.

"Don't worry," Sean held her a little tighter and said, "Everyone will be back in a few years. How could I let you guys stay sad?"

"Mhm!"

Millis didn't ask why, nor did she wonder if Sean was telling a white lie. Just like before, she chose to believe him!

"I heard that!"

Wanda suddenly snapped her eyes open. With tears flowing and biting her lip, she asked tremblingly, "Is... is it true?"

Sean smiled slightly, pulled Hess into his arms, and held both of them. He looked at Wanda and asked:

"They all believe me. What about you?"

Saying that, he walked into the room. Tonight, he just wanted to relax properly.

He had used his brain a lot these past few days. Oh no, surely a super-brain wouldn't just grow on its own!

Chapter 255: (Avengers) Darkest Hour / (Sean) Happy Hour

"Gwen... is still here, but her parents are gone. Tsk, is she going to become Batman?"

"Christine, ah, what a pity, she's gone too."

"Hess, remember to arrange for people to clean her house every day. That ring, just leave it in the living room," Sean said to the person in his arms.

Suddenly, Sean's chest was pinched by a small hand. "Hmph, keep talking, I'm listening. I want to see just how many more people there are."

Millis felt that pinching wasn't enough, so she bit down directly.

"Ow, it hurts, it really hurts." Sean immediately put on a pained expression. "In that battle, I lost most of my superpowers."

"Ah!" Millis quickly let go and then rubbed the spot guiltily. "I'm sorry, I... I didn't know."

Sean pulled her over, looked tenderly into her eyes, and said, "It's okay, just let me take a bite back."

"Bad guy! You lied to me! Ya! Ah~"

After a while, Millis, clutching something with teeth marks on it, dived down and stopped talking.

Seeing an empty spot, Wanda squeezed over. Knowing that Pietro could be resurrected, she felt much better.

Moreover, she thought about how Pietro would have to call her 'big sister' after he returned, which made her even happier.

Hess continued to talk about the information regarding the other women.

For example, Lisha and Nora had both remarried—well, to each other.

Hearing this news, Sean was stunned for a good while. He hadn't expected them to play so wildly, but same-sex marriage was quite nice here!

It was probably because every time he went to see them, it was always both of them together; he rarely sought out one individually, leading them to forge a deep "friendship."

However, Nora had vanished, so Lisha brought Inisa to live in the Garden.

Daisy's side was fine, but Jane's disappearance had left her saddened for a while. She was currently rushing to New York, needing comfort.

Betty's situation wasn't good either. Aside from her, her boyfriend and father were both gone. She was currently staying in the guest room; Dice had put her to sleep, and she hadn't woken up yet.

Aunt May had some issues; she hadn't vanished, but the news of Peter's death had sent her straight to the hospital. It would be best to go visit her.

Annie, the younger sister of the Winter Soldier twins, had also vanished. The older sister, Renee, was heartbroken and had also been hypnotized by Dice to sleep.

Besides these people, basically everyone else had vanished: Sif, Helen Zhao, Bishop, Sophia, Lilei, and so on.

Sean stretched, and a coughing sound came from under the covers. He patted them and said sorry.

Thinking about how he would be immersed in this pink-hued scene for the next few years, the smile on Sean's face wouldn't stop.

This wouldn't do! If people outside saw this, they would gossip!

Oh, never mind, there aren't many people left outside anyway, ahahaha!

---

At Avengers Headquarters, after waiting for two days, Carol flew back. She was already on her way back; she had just arrived late.

After learning what had happened, she didn't even go to find Sean. She immediately took them and flew towards the Garden in space.

"Uh... do you all like to call your retirement spots 'The Garden'?" Rhodes quipped.

But at this moment, the tense crowd ignored him. Except for Tony responding with a few words, the atmosphere remained noticeably cold.

Sean hadn't come with them, and everyone felt somewhat disappointed in their hearts.

The chances were slim, but if they didn't try, how would they know it wouldn't work?

To clear away this darkest hour and bring everyone back to life, they were willing even to die.

Natasha finally sent a message to Sean on her phone saying they were setting off. Then she steeled herself, prepared to fight to the death in the suit he had given her.

Gwen's house, her bedroom.

A few beeps came from the pocket of the clothes on the floor—it was Natasha's message—but those beeps were no match for Gwen's cries.

Having just learned that her parents would return, she was completely unable to suppress the excitement in her heart; she had to keep crying out.

George had been patrolling outside in his Armor when he suddenly stopped moving, which was when people discovered he had vanished.

But her mother, Helen, had vanished right in front of Gwen, right there in the room, turning from a living person into dust.

Who could know how sad and desperate she had been at that moment?

Sean only just found out. If he hadn't held Gwen's hands and put the suit on her, her fingers would have broken against his back.

"Al~ alright~ don't worry, they~ really will return!" Sean intentionally slowed down, wanting to give her some joy.

But Gwen clearly didn't want that kind of kindness, shouting, "Don't let me be rational—at least, not today!"

Even though Sean explicitly told her that her parents would return in a few years, Gwen still couldn't hide the void in her heart.

Sean smiled helplessly and let the Nano Suit behind her vacate a little... space.

A long time later...

He carried the speechless Gwen back to the Garden and took her to soak in the comfortable hot spring.

The women of Asgard had left this place and gone to Norway to build their new home.

But the hot spring was not empty.

Not long after Sean returned, several women immediately walked out, entered the hot spring, and surrounded him.

Lisha, Daisy, and Betty's expressions changed, looking a bit nervous.

Because the three of them had just negotiated their positions, but now that Sean had someone on his right, they would be short one spot.

Without hesitation, except for Betty who dazed for a moment, the other two occupied the positions they wanted.

"Will Jane/Nora really come back?" the two in front and on the left asked the same question.

Betty also moved forward, squeezing inward, also wanting to know the answer.

"They will." Sean gave them a feigned angry look. "Hess should have told you already. What, you don't believe her?"

"Ah, no... no, we just wanted to hear you say it personally." How could the three of them dare to say they didn't believe?

Although they knew Sean wasn't actually angry, he could be very fierce even when he wasn't.

It's just that... they weren't afraid, that's all.

Lisha dived directly under, vacating the top position for Betty to kiss him directly. Daisy on the left knew her advantage and immediately delivered herself into Sean's hands for him to play with.

Their techniques in the hot spring were still a little bit inferior compared to the women of Asgard.

But it didn't matter; Sean had time to slowly let them become proficient.

Regarding the fact that the people from The Blip would return, Sean didn't intend to hide it from these few, as long as they didn't tell the outside world.

Hess must have also cautioned them, saying this was his instruction and they couldn't let those outside know.

He was very reassured by Hess's handling of things, and he wasn't worried about Lisha or Daisy talking; they were quite obedient. Except for Betty, who wasn't in contact as often.

But there was no need to worry; she knew his temper and wouldn't dare tell anyone.

At this stage, Sean didn't plan on letting the Avengers know about this, at least not for a few years.

When they discovered the Infinity Stones were gone and fell into agony, with no heart to manage external affairs, that would be when Sean's goal was achieved.