Hearing Nolan's words, everyone finally understood why he hadn't responded to their messages earlier.
So he had been in the mountains.
No one bothered asking exactly where. It wasn't important.
What mattered was that Nolan Locke had arrived.
And Nolan's arrival meant this nightmare of a war was finally nearing its end.
No one doubted his power.
Even after witnessing the terrifying magic displayed by Ebony Maw, their faith remained unchanged.
It was the reputation Nolan had built over the years.
Regardless of their personal relationship with him, no one questioned his strength.
Everyone's spirits immediately soared.
Then Nolan spread his hand.
A portal opened once again.
Beyond it lay a vast mechanical fortress.
Rows upon rows of robots stretched into the distance, seemingly endless.
As the portal activated, every machine opened its eyes.
Or rather, the optical sensors in their heads lit up simultaneously.
The sight was chilling.
Yet to those watching, it brought an overwhelming sense of security.
Nolan looked toward Ebony Maw, who remained completely unaware of what was happening.
A faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Let's begin."
The moment he spoke, the robots marched forward in perfect formation, flooding through the portal.
NS5 combat robots emerged first, carrying advanced weaponry. Nearly every one of them was equipped with a Psionic Rifle as standard gear.
Then came the Terminators.
These powerful machines had once been the source of countless nightmares.
Even someone as strong as Bruce Banner found them troublesome opponents.
But now they were allies.
And their numbers seemed limitless.
Yet this was not the end.
When the Titans appeared, the entire battlefield seemed to tremble.
The first Titan launched into the sky immediately after emerging.
While capable of ground combat, Titans truly shined as airborne weapons platforms when sufficient ground forces were already present.
At first, Ebony Maw paid little attention.
He saw the reinforcements arriving, but he never doubted the outcome of the battle.
The only thing that bothered him was the possibility of increased casualties.
But when he saw the Titans and Terminators, he froze.
Weren't those Locke Industries weapons?
He had never expected Earth to have ties with Locke Industries.
And not merely a business partnership.
The sheer volume of mechanical forces suggested something far deeper, similar to the relationship Locke Industries maintained on Ravager-controlled worlds.
No wonder Earth's weapons looked so familiar.
They were practically identical.
"What a headache..."
Ebony Maw sighed.
He had originally thought this mission would be an easy opportunity to redeem himself in Thanos's eyes.
Now it seemed surviving without worsening his master's opinion of him would already be an achievement.
Still, he had to retrieve the Mind Stone.
No matter what.
Taking a deep breath, Ebony Maw raised his voice.
"Charge!"
"All forces, advance!"
"Crush them!"
"Show these primitives the power of the Black Order! Show them why Thanos rules the stars!"
His roar ignited the battlefield.
The soldiers of Thanos's army surged forward, shouting battle cries.
As warriors of one of the galaxy's greatest empires, they possessed immense pride.
A ruler could not become a galactic overlord through strength alone.
Without charisma and conviction, such an empire could never exist.
And Thanos undoubtedly possessed both.
Even Nolan had never denied that.
As far as he knew, Thanos sought to eliminate half the universe's population not for personal gain, but because he genuinely believed it was necessary. He had even been willing to sacrifice his own life for that vision.
Nolan could respect the determination.
But respect did not change reality.
Their paths were fundamentally opposed.
Watching Thanos's forces charge with renewed ferocity, Tony Stark clenched his fists and slammed his metal gauntlets together.
"Alright, everyone."
"Round two starts now."
Beside him, Steve Rogers laughed.
His body was exhausted.
His mind was exhausted.
Yet the moment Nolan appeared, he felt a new strength rising from deep within.
That strength had a name.
Hope.
As long as Nolan Locke stood with them, they would not lose.
The Avengers regrouped.
Then they charged together.
Behind them marched countless combat robots of every model imaginable.
Quicksilver moved first.
Before anyone else could react, he had already torn straight into the center of Thanos's formation.
Soldiers were sent flying in every direction.
Moments later, Tony Stark led the remnants of his Iron Legion back into the fight.
Unlike the others, Bruce Banner remained in relatively good condition.
The Hulk's power granted him nearly limitless stamina.
The angrier he became, the stronger he grew.
And war was the perfect fuel for rage.
Bruce rampaged through enemy lines like a living bulldozer.
Ebony Maw merely smiled in disdain.
Behind him, the fleet unleashed another barrage.
Shells rained from the sky.
The bombardment crashed down like a storm, inflicting heavy losses on Earth's forces.
Even the newly arrived three thousand soldiers from the New York military base suffered severe casualties.
Bruce slapped one enemy warrior wearing advanced powered armor clear off the battlefield.
Another rushed him from the side.
Bruce kicked him away instantly.
The soldier crashed into the ground and did not rise again.
A third attacker met an even worse fate.
Bruce grabbed him by the legs and spun him around like a club before hurling him deep into enemy ranks.
Afterward, Bruce threw back his head and roared.
The roar carried all the frustration he had endured during this war.
Despite his immense strength, he had been unable to change the battlefield's outcome.
He wasn't Hulk.
But possessing Hulk's power did not stop him from feeling anger.
The rage caused his massive frame to swell even further.
Then—
BOOM!
A beam of energy slammed into the ground beside him, blasting him through the air.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Bruce shook his head and climbed back to his feet.
The impact had left him dazed.
Looking around, he realized similar attacks were striking across the battlefield.
"How can they do this?"
His face twisted with shock and fury.
The aliens had begun indiscriminate bombardment.
They were shelling areas occupied by their own troops without hesitation.
And their weapons far surpassed anything Earth possessed.
It was a strategy that ignored casualties entirely.
Brutal.
Heartless.
And incredibly effective.
Under such overwhelming firepower, the battle once again settled into a deadlock.
Yet Ebony Maw felt no satisfaction.
His eyes remained fixed on the Titans soaring overhead.
Those machines were the true threat.
Not only were they heavily armed, but their energy shields allowed them to withstand tremendous punishment.
If the Titans remained operational, victory would become nearly impossible.
"Focus all fire!"
"Shoot those damned birds out of the sky!"
Ebony Maw barked his orders.
What he failed to notice was a single figure walking calmly across the battlefield toward him.
The man wasn't moving particularly fast.
Yet every soldier who crossed his path died effortlessly.
A faint smile rested on his face.
Along with a trace of mockery.
Eventually, he stopped not far from Ebony Maw.
Only then did Ebony Maw finally notice him.
A look of confusion appeared in his eyes.
The man seemed familiar.
Where had he seen that face before?
How could he possibly know someone from a backward world like Earth?
At that moment, a warrior from Thanos's army charged toward Nolan.
A massive battle axe swung downward with deadly force.
"Die!"
the warrior roared.
Nolan turned his head.
His indifferent gaze met the soldier's eyes.
An overwhelming sense of dread suddenly gripped the warrior's heart.
But it was already too late.
Nolan casually raised one hand and caught the descending axe.
Then he squeezed.
Crack.
The weapon shattered instantly.
"Impossible!"
The warrior stared in disbelief at the broken remains.
The axe had been forged from advanced alloy.
He had never seen anyone crush such a weapon barehanded.
Perhaps Thanos could do it.
But Earth?
A primitive planet?
How could a being comparable to his master exist here?
His shock changed nothing.
Nolan chuckled softly.
Then the shattered fragments of the axe shot forward.
Whoosh!
The metal shards sliced through the warrior's neck.
Without losing momentum, they tore through dozens more soldiers before finally embedding themselves in the ground.
Ebony Maw swallowed hard.
At last, he remembered.
He had seen this man before.
Back on Knowhere, the Collector's world.
He had witnessed a battle between this man and Thanos.
A clash between two titans who stood at the top of the universe.
Even Thanos had been unable to defeat him easily.
That opponent came from one of the largest technological corporations in existence.
His name was Nolan Locke.
And the man standing before him now looked exactly the same.
Not only that, Earth was flooded with Locke Industries technology.
Perhaps even worlds directly affiliated with the company did not possess this many products.
All the evidence pointed to one conclusion.
This was Nolan Locke.
Not someone who merely resembled him.
The real thing.
But how?
"Damn it..."
"The head of Locke Industries is actually an Earthling?"
The mere thought made Ebony Maw shudder.
How was he supposed to fight someone who could stand toe-to-toe with Thanos?
Especially here.
On Nolan's home turf.
Run.
The word exploded into his mind.
"Retreat!"
"Retreat immediately!"
Ebony Maw shouted before turning and fleeing without hesitation.
"No."
"I have to warn the Master."
"Nolan Locke is on Earth."
As one of Thanos's most loyal followers, his first thought was not survival.
It was protecting his master.
If Thanos came to Earth unprepared, even he might lose.
After all, no one knew how many preparations Nolan had made on his home planet.
Ebony Maw immediately activated his communicator.
He had to contact Thanos.
The distance between them was enormous, so communication delays were unavoidable.
Meanwhile...
Thanos lounged lazily upon his throne.
"I wonder how Ebony Maw's mission is progressing."
"Has Earth truly lost the protection of Odin and the Ancient One?"
A trace of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
If that were true, it would finally be time to claim the Infinity Stones.
He looked down at the Infinity Gauntlet resting in his hand.
His dream was within reach.
Soon, the universe itself would be reshaped.
The endless overpopulation consuming countless worlds would disappear.
Life across the cosmos would flourish once more.
Just imagining that future brought him satisfaction.
At that moment, his communicator chimed.
"Ebony Maw?"
He glanced at the caller ID.
"Has the battle already ended?"
he wondered before accepting the call.
"Master, Nolan Locke is on Ear—"
The transmission cut off.
Thanos slowly frowned.
"What happened?"
Ebony Maw would never deliberately end a call with him.
Not under any circumstances.
There was only one explanation.
Something had happened to him.
"Earth has what?"
"Locke?"
"Locke Industries?"
"Nolan Locke?"
Thanos considered the possibilities.
Then he shook his head.
Nolan Locke couldn't possibly be on Earth.
Earth must have established some sort of partnership with Locke Industries.
That would explain everything.
He remembered the company's powerful Titans.
Even Ebony Maw might die if enough of those machines surrounded him.
Still...
What difference did it make?
Thanos rose from his throne.
"Make preparations."
"Something has likely happened to Ebony Maw."
"Gather the army."
"This time, I will go to Earth personally and claim the Infinity Stones."
Nearby, Proxima Midnight stared in surprise.
Ebony Maw was in trouble?
But when she heard that Thanos himself would lead the campaign, excitement filled her eyes.
No force in the universe could stop her master.
Certainly not a world as insignificant as Earth.
...
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