Chapter 4: Avengers! Assemble!
WHOOOM!
The quantum tunnel dispersed with its characteristic energy discharge, leaving Rory standing in what appeared to be the Avengers compound's hangar bay. But instead of finding himself in 2008 New York as planned, he was surrounded by a very familiar group of heroes.
Tony Stark waved casually from beside a massive time travel platform. "Hey there, kid. Fancy meeting you here."
"How is that even possible?" Rory stared in disbelief. "I specifically programmed the coordinates for—"
"For 2008, right around the time I was building my first arc reactor in a cave?" Tony's smirk was infuriatingly smug. "Yeah, about that. Did you really think I'd hand over Stark Industries quantum technology without including a few failsafes?"
Rory nodded slowly, his mind racing through the implications. "So you... remotely overrode my destination coordinates?"
"The quantum device has a built-in neural link to my lab's main servers. I can modify its programming protocols from anywhere with an internet connection—or in this case, a quantum entanglement communicator." Tony tapped his temple. "You may be smart, kid, but I've been building impossible things since before you were born."
"Okay, I'll admit it," Rory said grudgingly. "You might be older and grayer, but you're definitely not an idiot."
"Hah!" A gravelly voice barked with laughter. "I like this kid already. He's got balls."
Rory turned to see a bipedal raccoon in tactical gear, standing next to the most intimidating collection of superheroes he'd ever witnessed in person. Bruce Banner in his Professor Hulk form towered over everyone, his massive frame barely contained by a custom-fitted jacket. Thor sat nearby, looking like a depressed Viking with his unkempt hair and beer gut straining against his Asgardian armor. James Rhodes stood at attention in his War Machine suit, while Clint Barton kept a watchful eye on the newcomer.
"Everyone, meet our unexpected passenger," Tony announced. "He's going to be our houseguest until we figure out what to do with him. Right now, though, we have bigger priorities. Where's Nat?"
The mood in the room shifted instantly. Clint Barton's face darkened, and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.
"Natasha... she's not coming back."
Although Rory could move freely throughout the Avengers compound, he was essentially under house arrest. Not that anyone was paying much attention to him—Natasha Romanoff's sacrifice to obtain the Soul Stone had left the entire team devastated, and they were focused entirely on preparing for what might be their final mission.
"FRIDAY, what's our guest up to?" Tony asked absently while calibrating the quantum field generators for the Stark Gauntlet.
"He's currently in the kitchen, Boss. No unusual activity to report."
"Show me the feed."
Tony pulled off his work gloves and activated a holographic display, revealing Rory wandering around the compound's communal kitchen area. The scene looked innocent enough—just a guy exploring his temporary quarters.
On the holographic display, Rory approached Bruce Banner, who was assembling what appeared to be a very sad-looking taco.
"Hey there, Dr. Banner," Rory said with genuine friendliness. "Making some Mexican food?"
"Trying to," Bruce replied, his massive green form looking somewhat ridiculous wearing an apron. "The portions are... challenging to calculate for someone my size. Want one?"
Banner held out a taco that looked like it could feed a small family.
Rory waved him off politely. "Thanks, but I'm pretty particular about my food. Mind if I borrow some ingredients from your kitchen? I'll whip up something that might actually taste good."
"Knock yourself out," Bruce said, gesturing toward the industrial-sized refrigerator. "We've got everything you could possibly need—Pepper makes sure the compound is fully stocked."
An hour later, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of properly seasoned food. Rory had prepared what appeared to be a complete feast: perfectly scrambled eggs with fresh herbs, garlic-roasted vegetables that actually looked appetizing, and some kind of slow-cooked beef that made Bruce's primitive taco attempts look like cardboard by comparison.
"This smells incredible," Bruce admitted, abandoning his sad Mexican experiment entirely. "Is there enough to share?"
"Of course," Rory replied, plating the food with practiced efficiency. "Just remember—you're about eight times my size, so maybe pace yourself. I don't want to be responsible for giving the Hulk a stomachache."
Meanwhile, Tony stared at the holographic display with growing irritation. The food looked absolutely delicious, and he hadn't eaten anything substantial in hours. His stomach growled audibly as he watched Rory and Bruce enjoying what appeared to be a five-star meal.
"Damn it," he muttered, shutting off the hologram and returning to his work on the Infinity Stones.
Several days later, Tony's version of the Infinity Gauntlet was finally complete. Six stones—Power, Space, Reality, Soul, Time, and Mind—each pulsed with cosmic energy that seemed to bend the laws of physics around them. The gauntlet itself was a masterpiece of Stark Industries engineering, designed to channel forces that could reshape reality itself.
Rory took one look at the assembled heroes gathering around the completed gauntlet and made a strategic decision.
He needed to be anywhere but here.
The building was about to become ground zero for cosmic forces that could vaporize him on a molecular level, and he had no intention of becoming collateral damage in the heroes' grand finale.
As he slipped out of the laboratory, he nearly collided with Nebula, who was also moving quietly through the corridors.
"Oh, hey," Rory said awkwardly, thinking fast. "I just need to hit the bathroom real quick. Nature calls, you know?"
Nebula glanced at him with the kind of expression usually reserved for insects, but said nothing. Her cybernetic eye glowed briefly as she scanned him, then she continued on her way without comment.
"Thank God," Rory muttered, sprinting toward the compound's exit.
He burst through the main doors and oriented himself quickly, then plunged into the wooded area surrounding the Avengers facility. He needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and whatever was about to happen inside that building.
Back in the laboratory, the heroes faced the ultimate question: who would wield the completed Infinity Gauntlet?
"I'll do it," Thor declared without hesitation, stepping toward the gauntlet with grim determination. "I am the strongest Avenger. This burden should fall to me."
"Whoa, hold up there, Point Break," Tony said, moving to block the Asgardian's path. Steve Rogers stepped up beside him, forming a united front.
"Thor, this isn't about who's the strongest," Steve said diplomatically.
"Maybe you're right," Thor replied, "but this isn't about strength, either."
"Then what is it about?" Rhodey interjected.
"Responsibility," Thor said solemnly. "I should have killed Thanos when I had the chance. I had him dead to rights on Wakanda, and I went for the chest instead of the head. I wanted him to suffer, and because of that choice, half the universe paid the price."
"That's not on you," Tony started to say, but Thor cut him off.
"You want to know what's flowing through my veins right now?" Thor asked, his voice rising with emotion.
"Cheese whiz?" Rocket suggested helpfully.
Thor ignored the raccoon's sarcasm. "Lightning," he said, turning to face Tony directly. "Pure Asgardian lightning. I am literally made of the same energy that powers the cosmos."
"Even if that's true, it doesn't mean you can handle the Stones," Tony replied.
Banner, who had been silent throughout the debate, finally stepped forward. "Let me do it," he said quietly. "You all saw what the Snap did to Thanos—nearly killed him, and he's one of the most powerful beings in the universe. None of you could survive the energy feedback."
"How can you be sure you can?" Steve asked.
"I can't be completely sure," Bruce admitted, "but look at me." He gestured to his massive green form. "These Stones emit gamma radiation—the same energy that created the Hulk in the first place. It's like they were designed specifically for someone with my physiology."
Deep in the woods, Rory felt like he still wasn't far enough from the compound. He continued running through the undergrowth, branches catching at his clothes as he pushed deeper into the forest.
When he finally stopped and looked back, he could see that the Avengers facility had activated what appeared to be a complete lockdown protocol. Heavy blast shields covered every window and doorway, turning the building into a fortified bunker.
"Here we go," he muttered.
BOOOOM!
The explosion that erupted from the facility's hangar was visible even through the trees. But this wasn't the gamma radiation burst Rory had been expecting.
This was something much worse.
Thanos's massive dreadnought, Sanctuary II, materialized in the sky above the compound like a metallic mountain. The ship was so enormous that it blocked out the sun, casting everything below into ominous shadow.
"Holy shit," Rory breathed, his movie knowledge suddenly feeling inadequate compared to the reality of seeing Thanos's warship in person.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
RUMBLE!
Missiles rained down from Sanctuary II like a biblical plague, each impact shaking the ground with seismic force. The Avengers compound—the symbol of Earth's mightiest heroes—was being systematically obliterated.
The shock wave from the bombardment hit Rory like a physical blow, sending him tumbling through the underbrush. When he finally managed to get back to his feet, the compound was nothing but smoking rubble.
Dust and debris filled the air, turning day into an apocalyptic twilight.
Rory struggled to his feet just as a massive bolt of lightning split the sky. Through the haze, he could hear the sounds of battle coming from the crater that used to be the Avengers facility.
Moving cautiously to the edge of the devastation, he peered down into the pit and saw Captain America picking himself up from where Thanos had sent him flying. Even at this distance, Steve Rogers looked as battered and desperate as Rory felt.
"Jesus Christ," Rory whispered. "It's really happening."
Dozens of drop pods detached from Sanctuary II and slammed into the ground around the ruins. The pods split open like metallic flowers, disgorging wave after wave of Thanos's Outrider forces—alien creatures that looked like a cross between wolves and insects, each one designed for maximum lethality.
A beam of blue light descended from the dreadnought, and through it came the Black Order—Thanos's elite lieutenants. Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Cull Obsidian, and Ebony Maw took their positions at the front of the alien army.
Captain America stood alone in the center of the devastation, his vibranium shield dented and his uniform torn. Against impossible odds, he tightened the straps on his shield and prepared to face down an entire army by himself.
"Damn," Rory muttered with genuine admiration. "The guy's either the bravest man alive or completely insane."
Then the reinforcements arrived.
BZZZZT!
Rings of golden light began appearing throughout the battlefield—the signature portals of the Master of the Mystic Arts. Through them came a force that made even Thanos's army look small by comparison.
The armies of Wakanda emerged in perfect formation, their advanced technology gleaming in the smoky light. The Ravagers brought their interstellar ships and weapons. The surviving Asgardians materialized with Heimdall's warriors at their head. The Masters of the Mystic Arts took positions on elevated ground, ready to rain magical destruction on their enemies.
Giant-Man burst up from underground, carrying Hulk and Rocket Raccoon to safety. War Machine soared overhead in his heavily armed suit. The Guardians of the Galaxy regrouped near their ship.
And above it all, a figure wreathed in cosmic energy descended from the heavens—Captain Marvel, looking like a living star.
The roar that went up from Earth's assembled heroes could probably be heard from orbit.
Even Rory, watching from the sidelines, felt his blood surge with adrenaline. Every instinct told him to run down there and join the fight, even though he'd probably last about thirty seconds against the alien horde.
Then Captain America raised his shield high above his head and shouted the words that had rallied heroes for generations:
"AVENGERS!"
The pause seemed to last forever.
"ASSEMBLE!"
The final battle for the fate of the universe had begun.
End of Chapter 4
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