Three Weeks Later:
Knowhere, Edge of the Galactic Rim:
Flames ravaged everything in its path.
Corpses filled the streets of Knowhere as the screams of the dying echoed off the empty skull of the Celestial's withered head, the Sanctuary II drifting outside its confines.
Sakaaran mercenaries continued to unleash hellfire upon the citizens of Knowhere, who tried their best and failed to fight back against the invaders.
"This is NOT how I imagined our date going!"
"Who said there was going to be a date?!" Gamora shouted back at Quill as she ducked down, the latter rolling his eyes as he threw an electro-charge from their cover.
The numerous small spheres expanded and exploded with an electric pulse, paralyzing those shooting at them right as Drax and Groot leapt from cover.
The tree-like being sent out a storm of roots that impaled the closest attackers, Drax continuing with vicious stabs and a loud cackle.
Mantis and Rocket were up top on the rooftops with Kraglin and Cosmo, the last one flinging large boulders with her mind while the first three unleashed their own blaster fire onto the group.
"And I told you bastards that the very moment Xandar went dark, we should have stayed in the quadrant instead of coming here!"
"Oh, hush you!" Quill shouted up to Rocket, who rolled his eyes before the dual blaster user focused on the figures approaching at a rapid speed.
Corvus Glaive leapt into the air and threw his signature weapon, Drax moving out of the way as the blade barely missed him. Glaive landed and rolled, jumping at the end of the roll to grab onto his weapon.
Using it for stability, he spun around it and landed a harsh kick to Drax' jaw. Stumbling from the kick, Drax missed Glaive landing as he pulled out his weapon, but the spear user immediately turned to block Gamora's thrust.
"Well, hello sister. I see that the life of a traitor is quite soothing for you."
"The life of a mercenary was boring me," she spat back, twisting her blade around his glaive. Tilting his head as the blade missed his ear, the two engaged in a dizzying display of blows, filling the air with the sound of metal clashing with metal.
"You've always had Father's approval!" Glaive grunted as he used his weight to push her back, twirling his weapon with a snide smirk. "He will be pleased to see you returned to him, broken."
Before Gamora could retort, Proxima Midnight leapt over the wreckage, her spear's three prongs crackling with brilliant, arc-light energy as she lunged at her former sister.
However, an explosion forced her to backflip with an enraged hiss, glaring at Rocket who hovered in the air while slotting a massive, glowing blue battery into his shoulder-cannon.
"Keep your ugly mug out of this!"
"I will enjoy skinning you, rat!"
"I ain't a rat, ya hear?!" Activating the cannon, it fired another charge that forced Proxima back, Gamora lunging forward to meet Glaive's charge.
Mantis chambered another large power cell onto her mounted minigun before her eyes widened as she saw a figure dragging Tivan by the leg into his museum.
"Quill!! The big ball chin is entering the museum!" she shouted down, Peter clicking his helmet over his face as his jet boots flared to life.
"Groot, on your six! Help Drax! Mantis, you keep laying down fire cover!" He ordered as he launched himself into the air, firing a continuous barrage of dual-blaster plasma into a squad of mercenaries that tried to hide away.
Kicking off the air and spinning around another barrage fired up at him, Peter clicked in another pair of power cells as he spun around their blasts, landing in between the platoon of mercenaries.
"Coming right at you! Ha! Thought you had me there! Oh, did you see that?! Coming through, bitches!" With a series of acrobatic movements around the group, Peter finished off the last with a blast to the forehead.
Spinning his guns as the bodies fell, he flicked out the torched power cells and put in another pair, flicking his guns shut with a sharp click.
"Drax, Groot! Clear a path!"
"I Am GROOT!!" Teenage Groot roared as he slammed his hands into the ground, creating a pathway of wooden tunnels that also pushed Cull Obsidian to the side.
With his path made, Quill shot down it, skating through the air as he ran towards the Collector's Museum.
However, a crushing presence came from behind the door and his eyes widened as he felt himself being flung backwards, pipes and cables rising from the ground to coil around his form and pin his body down.
The same happened to the rest of the Guardians as they were pulled from their fighters, Gamora cursing under her breath as she watched her oldest 'brother' and the strongest Child of Thanos float out of the museum.
"Sister, I see you have gathered new 'toys' for your amusement?" Ebony Maw spoke with a stoic expression as he exited, hands behind his back while the rest of his 'siblings' gathered.
"We had that."
"Clearly not from the looks of you all," Ebony Maw murmured, clenching his hand and pinning the group into the ground as he saw them trying to push themselves free.
"Your loyalty to others is a fascinating defect, my daughter," Gamora went still as a deep voice came from inside the Museum, the Children of Thanos falling to a knee as heavy footsteps approached.
Walking out into the flames that illuminated Knowhere's demise, Thanos was dressed in a dark, sleeveless shirt, dark brown pants and his left hand encased in the golden gauntlet that now held both the Power and Reality Stones.
"My loyalty is to those that sees me as more than a tool."
"Your loyalty is always to those that can love the broken soul that you are," Thanos retorted, the Guardians gasping in relief as Ebony Maw's bindings fell off from them as thin strings.
The moment they were free, they all lunged forward, but their eyes widened as their bodies were turned to piles of cubed flesh, Gamora the only one left unaffected as she gasped.
"Now, I have asked of you once to locate a stone for me and I wish to have the answer now, dearest daughter. If not, I shall begin with your friends."
"You can kill me, but nothing will change for I could not find it," Gamora replied with a smug smile, staring defiantly at Thanos who continued to observe her with a stoic expression.
Then, he smiled and her eyes widened as the Guardians' bodies were reconstructed, though they were missing their arms.
"Maw?"
"Yes, sire?"
"Begin with the half-Terran. Make sure to take it slow and make sure she hears every moment," Maw gave a bow as he rose, Gamora's form freezing in place as she tried to move.
Peter's body was lifted with a flick of Maw's wrist along with a stone nearby, which was filed down into dozens of thin needles that Maw moved to float around the man.
"For every second that passes, Maw will push a needle into one of his nerve endings. For every minute that passes, Maw will push a needle into his brain. You know how skilled your oldest brother is, my dear daughter. Now, I will give you this one opportunity to speak."
"I don't...I don't have it, Father. Please," Gamora pleaded, Peter unable to speak thanks to the pipe wrapped around his mouth as Thanos simply looked disappointed.
"Begin."
"No!" Gamora cried as a needle entered Peter's shoulder, whose eyes went wide as an excruciating pain ripped through his body.
"One...two...three...four..." Mantis' cries were muffled by her own gag as Rocket closed his eyes, Groot glaring at Thanos while Drax glared at Gamora.
The woman in question gritted her teeth and tried to close her eyes, but she gasped as spikes rose from the ground and peeled them open.
"Brother, please. Please, stop!"
"Tell our sire the location then."
"Vormir! It's on Vormir!" she cried out, to which Maw ceased as he turned to Thanos who stayed watching.
"One more."
"It's on Vormir, I swear! I found the map and I burned it, but I know how to get there! Spare everyone on this planet and I will take you!" she sobbed and Thanos merely gave a slight nod, returning everyone's limbs as Maw floated back.
"Come then, daughter," Thanos spoke, holding his hand out. Gamora looked hesitant as she looked to Peter, who even in his dazed state shook his head.
"P-Please."
"I'm sorry," she whispered as she turned and followed towards Thanos, who gave a slight smirk as he looked to Peter.
"You are valuable to her as are the rest of you. Therefore, you shall live," With that said, a tractor beam slammed down onto their group and pulled them out, several others pulling up the invaders spread out around Knowhere.
Taking one final look at the Guardians as they were finally allowed to move, Gamora let out a soft, regretful sigh as she turned, the sight of the Sanctuary II's insides making her nauseous.
"Set a course to Vormir. Let us see if my daughter tells the truth."
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One Hour Later:
Vormir, Center of Celestial Existence:
"To get the stone, you must sacrifice that which you love the most. A soul for a soul," Thanos stared out over the edge of the cliff, clouds partially obscuring the ground.
Gamora's laughter echoed behind him as he looked down, the rest of his Children's anger towards her visible to his gaze as he turned and stared at his smiling daughter.
"Tears? You think that tears are going to help you? You are...pathetic."
"They're not for him, dearest sister," Maw spoke, his head bowed as if praying as the rest of the Children did the same.
Gamora just gave them a confused stare before her eyes widened as she felt a grip clamp around her neck, her weapons turning into bubbles while she was lifted from her feet.
"I am sorry, little one, but I have ignored my destiny once before. I will not do so again."
"As are we, but know, sister, that in death, you have furthered the cause of our father," Maw spoke with a broad smile, tears streaming from his face as he fell to his knees. "Praise her who has offered her final breath to the altar of the stars!"
Gamora clawed at the massive fingers of her father, her legs kicking at empty air as she looked into her father's eyes. She expected a cold stare, the look of a warlord that's merely sacrificing a piece for victory.
Instead, she found herself staring at deep, crushing guilt, the tears falling from his eyes as he turned and threw her over the edge, the sensation of weightlessness washing over her form.
The edge grew further and further as she fell, anguish filling her heart and the wind whistling past her ears. Closing her eyes, she could only think of her friends with a sad smile as she awaited the impact.
However, she gasped as her legs found the ground first, finding herself rolling across the ground and into something soft.
"Apologies. We had to adjust the coordinates to find you," she stared at the man with black hair with silver-grey hair on the sides, the red cape around his shoulders waving at her?
Looking forward, she found herself staring at a sparking orange portal that showed the night sky of Vormir before it snapped shut, looking around at the room of people around her.
"W-Who are you?"
"Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the saviours of you, fair lady," A silver-haired man spoke with a smirk as he stepped forward, sparks dancing around his body as he crouched down and smiled. "Now would you mind giving me the coordinates of Knowhere so that I can help bring your friends and allies here, please?"
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"What happened?" Thanos asked as he saw a flash of orange below, turning to the spectral figure with his black hooded robe who smiled.
"It appears that she was rescued at the last moment...by Terrans," Red Skull spoke with a chilling grin, turning to Thanos who stood with a tightened jaw. "The soul did not touch the abyss, Titan, and the altar remains empty."
"Father, our forces are ready to begin on your orders," Ebony Maw spoke with a frown, one that hid the vitriol bubbling in his soul as he watched his father's mission be denied once more.
"Return to the ship. We shall travel to Terra...and we shall show those fools what it means to intervene with our path once and for all."
"Not so fast, butt-chin!" An iridescent comet shot from the heavens and punched right through the Sanctuary II, bringing it crumbling from the sky in a brilliant blaze.
Thanos spun around just in time to catch a heavy punch to his jaw, one that sent him blasting off the mountain and towards the ground.
Landing with a spin, Captain Marvel ducked under Corvus Glaive's enraged stab, snapping his weapon and throwing it blade first through his skull.
Leaning back as Proxima's spear flew past her head, she punched and shattered her ribs, twisting her around and slamming her head through Cull Obsidian's chest.
Kicking them both away, she spun to Maw only to feel a telekinetic pressure crushing her body from all ends. However, Ebony Maw was surprised when the woman just floated with her arms crossed.
"Really? That speedster hyped you up and this is all you amount to?" An orange sparking portal appeared beside her before it stretched out fully, several figures walking through as Maw's eyes widened.
"Well, I did say that he was trouble for most people. It's not my fault you're a walking cheat code," Pietro spoke with a snort as he stood beside the woman before looking in the direction she pointed.
"Your guy is down there at the base of the mountain."
"Great. I'll go handle that."
"Non-lethal first, Pietro," Tony spoke and the speedster groaned before he vanished, a silver-blue blur the only thing they saw rushing down the mountain side.
The genius then turned to Maw, who rose as Steve adjusted his shield, Thor spun his hammer and Hulk smashed his knuckles together with a wide grin.
"Why are we here again?"
"You're going to ignore a show and good food?" Widow asked as she held out her popcorn bucket, to which Wanda paused before giving a shrug and picking up a handful.
"Ooh, give me some," Shuri spoke excitedly, T'Challa letting out a soft sigh at his sister's childishness before Marvel shot forward.
Raising a stone wall to block her path, Maw flew up to the skies as Thor came from the side, the god and Tony flying after him with Captain Marvel closely behind.
"Well, there they go," Steve murmured, scratching his head before turning to the ladies who were eating peacefully. "May I...?"
"Sure, grab a handful."
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Up in the sky:
'This is not supposed to happen!' Maw shouted in his mind as he clenched his fist, Tony dive bombing as Thor spun Mjolnir before flinging it forward.
It cut through the air with a thunderclap, Maw violently twisting to the side to avoid being obliterated.
However, the moment of evasion left him wide open to Tony who deployed a pair of energy-disruption clamps right onto his wrist, the alien looking confused as the Iron Man hovered with a chuckle.
"Let's see you try your stuff now."
"Insolent ingr-Agghhh!" Maw hissed as the clamps a high-frequency shockwave directly into his nerve centres. His eyes widened and his body locked up, causing him to drift and fall.
Illuminating the clouds above with incandescent, binary energy, Captain Marvel slammed an energy-wrapped knee straight into his sternum.
His consciousness was gone before the attack could even fully register, the woman immediately diving after his body and slowing down his fall as they crashed into the mountain top once more.
As the dust settled, she dragged his body out of the crater, but paused at the sight of the other heroes sitting around with a plate of sandwiches now.
"How...?"
"Portal," Wanda replied, pointing at said portal as Strange walked through with several cups of cola.
"Hello there. Care to join us?"
"...Sure. Tony, you can finish down here."
"Shit."
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Down at the flat ground:
Thanos took heavy breaths as he pulled himself free from the crater he was punched into, looking at his left dislocated shoulder and snapping it back into place.
"Man, you are hardcore," his gaze moved to the Terran that stood waiting, Pietro giving a smirk as the Titan rose to his full height and let out a slow breath. "I mean, I never fought you in my timeline, but you are still pretty cool."
"You Terrans are a persistent infe-" Pietro's form illuminated the area with a golden hue as his Super Form activated, the golden blur shooting forward through frozen time.
His eyes focused on the form of Thanos as the man was midway through clenching his hand into a fist, shooting forward while his arm blurred.
With a swift chop, he shot past the man as time resumed, Thanos going to clench his left hand only to fee nothing but a chilling cold there.
"We are a persistent lot, I'll agree to that," Pietro replied as he turned around, holding the left arm of Thanos from the elbow down with the Infinity Gauntlet and its stones still on the hand.
Looking the shocked Titan dead in the eye, Pietro smirked as his form blurred and his eyes glowed with a scarlet red hue.
"But that's what makes us the greatest race in the universe. Now, put your hands up."
A/N: And we end it off here!
Next chapter: What to do now.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!!