When everyone heard Nick Fury's words, they all felt a wave of despair.Just a single Thanos, this so-called "final boss" of the first stage, was already enough to make them feel suffocated by sheer pressure.
If not for the faint possibility that there might still be a way to win—though they didn't yet know how—they might've already given up hope entirely.
Even heroes as strong-willed as they were couldn't help but feel a chill when faced with a future that seemed utterly hopeless and shrouded in darkness.
They were on the verge of flipping the table.What kind of sick joke is this?How are we supposed to fight that?How are we supposed to win?!
Even with a sliver of hope, none of them could imagine a method that would actually lead to victory.
"Maybe…" Coulson hesitated, then spoke up. "Maybe we could try using nuclear bombs on him? What if we set up a bunch of them ahead of time, lure him in, and detonate them all at once?"
Everyone's eyes suddenly lit up—it did sound like an idea.
If a nuclear bomb could destroy the Chitauri mothership, maybe multiple nukes could do the same to Thanos.
The cost, of course, would be that a whole region of the planet would become permanently contaminated by radiation—but compared to killing Thanos, that seemed like a small price to pay.
After all, this was Thanos—the tyrant of the universe.
The catch, though, was obvious: none of the "big three" Avengers—Iron Man, Thor, or Captain America—would be making it out alive.
Everyone instinctively turned toward Steve Rogers and Tony Stark.
If the battle really reached the same desperate point as in the footage they'd seen, using nukes might truly be the only option left.
Steve thought for a moment, then nodded calmly."If it's a necessary sacrifice, I can accept it. As a soldier, there's nothing I wouldn't do for the mission."
His tone was steady. To him, death on the battlefield was nothing new. Someone always had to stay behind to hold the line, to draw enemy fire—this time, it would just happen to be him.
After all, he was a man out of time. Though he loved this world, he never truly felt like he belonged to it. His home, his era, was seventy years in the past.
If giving his life meant protecting this world, he was willing to do it.
Everyone then looked toward Tony Stark.
Tony exhaled and said, "I'm going to die anyway, so it doesn't matter how. But the real question is—do you actually think a nuclear bomb could kill him?
"Thanos is a cosmic conqueror. His army has wiped out countless planets. You think none of those worlds had nuclear weapons?
"If nukes could kill him, he'd have been dead long ago. The fact that he's still alive proves they don't work."
That was the key issue. Even humanity's deadliest weapon might not even scratch Thanos.
As Tony said, if someone like Thanos could be taken out that easily, the universe would have done it already.
Everyone fell silent.
Earth certainly wasn't the most advanced civilization Thanos had ever fought—so if others stronger than them had failed, how could they succeed?
Tony continued,"Thanos's life form is what Lin Feng called a Heavenly Father level being. There aren't many references for that, but Odin's in the same tier. So at the very least, Thanos's strength is comparable to a God-King.
"He may not call himself a god, but in essence, he's a living god walking among mortals. Comparing him to us carbon-based lifeforms is laughable.
"Even someone like Lin Feng—bullets and shells can't hurt him. And he admits he's still far below Thanos. So, yeah… a few nukes? Thanos could probably tank them head-on."
"So the only real option left…" Hawkeye muttered bitterly, "…is those Stones?"
"Yeah," Tony nodded. "In the end, it probably all comes down to the Infinity Stones.
"Think about it—even Thanos needed the Stones to wipe out half the universe. Without them, how long would it take him to do that by hand?"
The reminder made everyone realize the same thing—the Stones were the key.
"Right now, we just don't know enough," Hawkeye said. "But if we ask Thor, maybe he knows more. He should've seen what was in Lin Feng's diary too.
"Asgard's a god-level civilization—he might understand things we don't. Lin Feng seemed wary of Odin and the Ancient One, but honestly, they might actually be protecting us, not threatening us."
Everyone nodded. It did make sense.
Lin Feng feared the Ancient One because he was an anomaly from another universe. The Ancient One could observe time lines—she might've treated him like an intruding dimensional being and erased him.
But for them—normal Earthlings—she was a guardian.
The same went for Odin.
From what they'd seen, Odin was no longer a ruthless warlord but a kind, wise father who avoided needless wars and quietly protected Earth as part of his watch over the Nine Realms.
And after both he and the Ancient One were gone?That was when everything started going downhill—alien invasions, Thanos's arrival…
It was hard not to see a connection.
Their existence had been a deterrent—a warning to cosmic powers that Earth was not to be trifled with.
Even if ordinary people didn't know it, the great powers of the universe clearly did.
"This future's so dark," Natasha said softly. "Is there really any chance of victory? Thor turning into a beer-bellied shut-in… it's hard to imagine. Isn't he supposed to be a god? Doesn't he know what self-discipline means?"
"He must've suffered a huge blow," Fury replied. "Lin Feng said his fate was that of a 'Heavenly Doom Star'—a curse that dooms all his loved ones.
"By then, he'll have lost his parents, his brother, his sister, even his people. Asgard itself will have fallen to Ragnarok.
"After that, ending up in a fishing village in Norway, calling himself a king—it's not hard to see why he'd fall apart."
The room went silent.
Even Tony, who'd once drowned his own grief in alcohol after his parents' deaths, couldn't help but feel sympathy.
Only Obadiah Stane had pulled him back from the brink—though, as Tony later learned, that same man had only done it to exploit him.
"So that's what we're facing… and so soon?" Maria Hill said quietly. "We don't have much time, do we?"
Everyone felt the same pressure.
Advancing technology was no easy task. America's progress over the decades had been incremental, nowhere near the explosive rise of nations like China, which had multiplied its national power dozens of times in just thirty years.
"Anyway," Fury concluded, "the nukes might be a last resort—but finding the Stones… that's what matters most."
Meanwhile, in Asgard's royal palace, Odin watched the footage of Captain America fighting to the very end, eyes full of admiration.
He had always respected warriors with such unyielding resolve—that's why he'd created Valhalla, to grant eternal glory to brave souls like them.
Thor, too, had grown to respect Steve Rogers's courage. It suited his own warrior's heart perfectly. Even learning that Steve secretly trained combo attacks didn't bother him anymore—especially since, at the crucial moment, those very moves had saved Thor's life.
"This future is far too grim," Thor sighed. "Is there even a path to victory?"
"If there weren't, how could the story continue?" Odin smiled faintly. "But your current strength is far from enough.
"I saw that weapon you wielded in the vision—a battle axe. Mjolnir's power won't be enough for what's to come.
"Go to Nidavellir. Ask the Dwarves to forge you a weapon greater than any you've wielded before."
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(End of Chapter)