"I agree," Ant-Man, Scott said, raising his hand.
One by one, the others followed, their hands lifting in unanimous agreement.
The Infinity Stones possessed unimaginable power, enough to even restart the universe itself. At this moment, they were clearly the best option available.
"Alright, looks like it is our turn to track down the Stones," Wong said, nodding in agreement.
"Then we start with Ant-Man first…"
Wong was about to continue outlining the plan when his voice suddenly faltered.
His gaze drifted toward the ornate windows of the Sanctum. The rest quickly followed his line of sight.
At that very moment, the entire world seemed to tremble.
It was subtle, almost gentle, like a ripple through the air. Yet everyone felt it unmistakably.
"The world collision has begun," Doctor Strange said quietly.
He had remained silent until now, observing everything without interruption. In an instant, he pushed through the crowd, his Cloak of Levitation flowing behind him as he pulled open the Sanctum's main doors.
High above the sky, the faint, ghostly silhouette of another Earth slowly emerged.
What once felt like nothing more than a mental haze now crossed into reality. The Sun was partially blocked, and vast regions of Earth were swallowed by an unnatural shadow.
The haze had become real.
"That Earth is fully materializing? That makes no sense. They are this close, yet their gravity is not interfering," Banner said, staring upward in disbelief.
"That means there is still an invisible barrier between the two Earths," Tony said, his eyes locked on the massive world above them.
"Correct," Strange replied. "That is the barrier between universes. The two universes have already begun to make contact."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Before we go borrowing the Stones from other timelines, we may have time to investigate what is happening on the other side."
"You might be right," Tony said, narrowing his eyes at him. "But tell me, buddy, are you not the magician who caused this mess in the first place?"
Strange opened his mouth to argue, then sighed. "Technically… yes."
When he had confessed earlier, the backlash had been relentless. Still, he had not allowed it to shake him.
He looked back to the sky, his fingers brushing the faint lines on his forehead where the Eye of Agamotto once rested.
"I have seen the solution already," he murmured.
"The summoning spell in the Darkhold can call forth the ancient being Shuma-Gorath and command it to devour entire planets. If the Avengers fail, both universes will be destroyed. When that moment comes, perhaps I alone will be able to bear that sin."
As he spoke, Strange's reflection in the other Earth seemed to twist and distort, as if the planet itself were growing countless eyes and writhing tentacles, slowly forming the shape of Shuma-Gorath.
His past battles against world collisions in the Dark Dimension had taught him one truth. Against the scale of a universe, even a sorcerer was insignificant.
To prevent the worst outcome, he would have to be willing to abandon everything, even his own humanity, if necessary.
His gaze shifted to America Chavez among the Avengers.
The girl possessed the rare ability to travel freely through the multiverse. During their escape from Wanda, Strange had seen countless versions of himself across different realities. Almost all of them had fallen into extremes, bringing ruin upon their worlds.
Those visions had become his warning.
Yet now, facing a truly unstoppable crisis, Strange finally understood that sometimes the extreme path was not a choice but the only remaining road.
Boom.
Tony, Diana, Kara, and the other heroes capable of surviving in space launched themselves into the sky, streaking toward the vacuum above.
The rest, led by Wong, rushed toward the portals opening inside the Sanctum.
On the other side awaited a Thunderbolts base, where rows of Quinjets capable of interstellar travel were already prepared.
Several of the aircraft lifted off almost simultaneously.
Inside one of them, Yelena's voice rang out, tense and sharp. "Can anyone contact Sentry? With something this big happening, where is he?"
"I do not know," Bucky replied calmly from where he leaned against the backrest. "No one has seen him in weeks. For now, we rely on ourselves."
"Great. He is probably wrestling with his second personality somewhere again," Yelena muttered.
Months earlier, Sentry of the Main Universe had lost control in public due to severe mental instability. It had been the Thunderbolts, formed by Yelena, Bucky, and the others, who had managed to pull him back through relentless intervention and therapy.
After that, Sentry had occasionally worked alongside them.
Unlike most heroes, his powers were unaffected by Malrick's removal of the world's energy channels. Yet at such a crucial moment, he was nowhere to be found.
"At least we have Captain and Iron Man from other worlds with us now," Yelena said softly. "I just hope everything ends well."
Natasha's voice from the S Universe suddenly cut into the channel. "Yelena, if you are scared, you can hide behind me. I will protect you."
"Shut up, Natasha," both Yelenas snapped at the same time.
The Quinjet tore through the sky.
One by one, the Avengers and the heroes of the Main World broke through the atmosphere and into the vastness of space.
At the front flew Tony in his Anti Superman Armor, a suit refined through countless iterations.
Behind him followed the true god Diana and Kara, who had been absorbing solar energy for over two and a half years.
Jarvis, after settling matters with Pepper and their daughter, also pursued them from Earth.
As they drew closer to the other Earth, they suddenly passed through an unseen membrane.
"Did you feel that?" Tony said. "That must have been the world barrier."
"I believe so," Diana replied. The golden light of her armor shimmered as her eyes sharpened. "I can already see what is happening on the surface."
She turned her head slightly toward Kara, who flew beside her.
"Kara, what do you see?"
Both of them wore ear mounted communicators that formed an energy shield over their faces, allowing them to speak freely in space.
Kara's eyes glowed faintly as her vision zoomed in on the planet ahead.
"Yes… I can see it clearly now," she said slowly. "Their world is under attack."
She paused, her expression tightening.
"The invaders are aliens. Their leader is enormous, with purple skin all over… Wait. That is Thanos."
"Thanos?"
"Thanos!?"
"Thanos!!!"
The communication channel erupted in overlapping voices.
Shock quickly gave way to fear, and then to a surge of fierce anticipation.
"Thanos is on the other Earth?" someone said breathlessly. "Does that mean the other universe is living through its own Endgame right now?"
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