Chapter 444: Peter Goes to Titan
The massive warship collapsed instantly, disintegrating into shattered fragments that rained down upon the earth.
"Underoos! Protect those people!" Tony shouted, looking down at the civilians still fleeing through the streets.
"On it, Mr. Stark!" Peter struggled to push back Cull Obsidian. Just as he tried to leap away, the giant grabbed him by both legs.
"Uh oh..." Peter thought, sensing trouble.
Bam!
Cull Obsidian swung Peter by his legs with immense force, hurling him straight into an ordinary residential building.
Having dealt with the pest, Cull Obsidian looked up at the wreckage of the warship, momentarily lost. Thanos had ordered them to bring the prize to Titan, but with the ship destroyed, he wasn't sure how they would get there.
"Who did this?!" Ebony Maw looked toward the sky, roaring in fury.
The heavens offered no reply. Whatever had struck the ship had vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving no trace in the air. Ebony Maw had plenty of rage but nowhere to vent it, as he couldn't find the hidden hand behind the attack.
"Hey, Squidward!"
Tony suddenly fired a brilliant blue laser from behind the Maw, the energy distorting the air as it streaked toward the alien's back. Maw didn't even turn around; he simply raised his hands, and the falling wreckage of the ship coalesced in front of him.
Boom!
The laser collided with the shield of scrap metal. Countless parts were instantly vaporized, melting into molten iron that sizzled in the air.
"Hmph." Seeing the shield failing, Ebony Maw flicked his right fingers.
A streetlamp standing firmly on the sidewalk was ripped out by its roots. Accompanied by chunks of broken concrete, it whistled through the air and slammed into Tony's side while he was still channeling his laser.
Clang!
Tony had no time to block. The impact of the streetlamp sent him spiraling out of the air.
"Roar!" Cull Obsidian dragged his heavy axe across the pavement, leaving a deep furrow in the road as he lunged toward Tony, intent on cleaving him in two.
"Jarvis!" Tony yelled.
"Right away, sir," Jarvis replied, immediately taking control of the Nano-Armor. The thrusters on Tony's boots merged into a single large engine, and power output hit 100%.
Boom!
A thunderous sonic boom erupted from Tony's feet. The massive thrust instantly broke him free from the streetlamp's weight, propelling him back into the sky.
Cull Obsidian looked up, frustrated. He had been just inches away from cutting the man in half.
Ebony Maw floated over to Cull Obsidian, still keeping a telekinetic grip on Doctor Strange. "The warship is destroyed. We must adjust the plan."
"What's the new plan?" Cull Obsidian asked, gripping his axe.
"We wait for news from Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive," Maw said coldly.
"What about them?" Cull Obsidian pointed at Tony in the air and Peter, who was just then climbing out of the residential building.
Ebony Maw pressed his fingertips together. "Is that even a question? Kill them."
"My pleasure," Cull Obsidian chuckled. His massive frame surged forward, while a long, hooked tether trailed behind him.
"I'll leave them to you," Maw whispered as the giant charged.
He had just received word from Antarctica—Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive were dead! For them to be killed so quickly meant the enemy was formidable, possessing power at least on par with their own. Now was not the time for a protracted battle; his primary mission was to deliver the Time Stone to the Great Titan, Thanos.
Maw began to tilt and collapse the surrounding buildings, creating a curtain of dust and debris to obscure his position.
"This is bad, Underoos. Squidward looks like he's trying to bail," Tony noted.
Peter ducked under a punch from Cull Obsidian. "I'll stop him!"
Peter leaped into the air, but a clawed tether immediately whipped toward him.
Boom!
Just before the hook could snag Peter, it was blown to bits by a missile fired from Tony.
"I've got the big guy!" Tony shouted, drawing Cull Obsidian's attention.
Peter fired a web and swung between the skyscrapers, soaring over Cull Obsidian's head. The flightless giant could do nothing but watch him pass.
"Hey! Stop right there!" Peter spotted Ebony Maw. The Maw was currently bringing Strange aboard a smaller, secondary craft. As an invading force, they obviously brought more than just one ship.
Peter tried several times to attach a web to the craft, but Maw used his powers to sever every line.
"I need to try something else." Peter fired a web at a nearby manhole cover and hurled it with all his strength.
Clang!
Expecting another web, Ebony Maw didn't anticipate a solid piece of iron! The cover slammed into the left side of his head. Fortunately, his reflexes allowed him to tilt his head at the last second, or his brain would have been scrambled.
Thwip!
Taking advantage of the distraction, Peter successfully hit the ship with a web and was jerked high into the air as the vessel ascended. He climbed the line and secured himself firmly to the hull.
"Peter! Your situation is critical. Please leave the vessel immediately," Gaia (the AI) warned.
The ship was accelerating rapidly, on the verge of leaving the atmosphere. Had it not been for the advanced Nano-suit Silas gave him, Peter would have frozen or suffocated instantly.
"No. Gaia, deploy the cutting legs," Peter said, glancing down at the rapidly receding Earth.
Gaia hesitated. "I'm sorry, Peter." The AI prepared to override the suit to force Peter back to safety. However, to the AI's surprise, it found it no longer had the authority to override the wearer.
"I should be the one saying sorry, Gaia. I need to prove myself. I've grown up; I'm not just a superhero who needs help anymore," Peter said.
The moment Silas had given him the suit, Peter had secretly modified the programming with Ned's help. Six nano-spider legs extended from Peter's back.
The legs stabbed into the hull, and intense lasers fired from their tips. Using himself as the center, Peter carved a circular hole into the ship. He kicked the plate inward, jumped inside, and quickly sealed the hole with webbing.
"Whew..." Peter exhaled, trying to calm his racing heart. He turned around only to find Ebony Maw staring at him silently.
"Uh... so... could we have the doctor back, please?" Peter asked, gesturing toward the unconscious Strange.
Ebony Maw stared intensely at Peter. "Boy, you have courage to chase me here." He pushed a lever on the console. The ship, which had been traveling at high speeds, suddenly engaged its warp drive, plunging into a wormhole.
Outer Space
"Dammit!" Tony, having finally shaken off Cull Obsidian, reached the upper atmosphere just in time to see the ship vanish. They had jumped.
Tony had no way to follow. No matter how fast he was, he couldn't match a warp jump, and more importantly, he had no idea where they were going.
"The masked boy is going to be furious," Tony muttered, hovering in the void. After a moment's thought, he turned back toward Earth. Maw was gone, but there was still an alien army left behind.
As Tony descended, several more warships slowly phased into view near the space station. These were Thanos's fleet reserves, and they had only one target: Antarctica.
Antarctica
"Peter went with them?!" Silas was stunned. Even if Peter went, why didn't Tony go too?
Silas was incredibly worried. The destination, Titan, meant they would definitely run into Thanos. At best, they might get help from the Guardians of the Galaxy, but in the original timeline, even with Tony and the Guardians, they were wiped out by Thanos.
Now, with one less heavy hitter, Peter and the others stood almost no chance. The only small comfort was that they weren't in immediate mortal danger—they'd just likely be turned to ash by the Snap.
He was most frustrated that the AI, Gaia, had let Peter be so reckless. It should have overridden the suit. If Gaia were there, it would surely defend itself by saying it had no idea Peter had rewritten the code.
As Silas fretted over Peter's safety, dozens of new warships appeared in the sky above the ice.
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