"Wong has found Tony and the others. They're on a planet called Titan—the homeworld of Thanos. He's a Titanian."
Karl got straight to the point, telling everyone everything he knew, including how Thanos had personally destroyed Titan.
"Damn! The guy actually destroyed his own planet for that ridiculous 'balance' nonsense?!"
Rhodey looked utterly incredulous. Just how extreme was Thanos? He had annihilated the very world that sustained him. The man was completely insane.
"Let's not focus on that right now. Based on our previous discussions, I think Titan is the ideal place for the battle."
Steve spoke up.
To protect Earth, they had already discussed moving the battlefield off-world, but they lacked a way to do it. Now they finally had one. If they could open a portal to Titan, it would be the perfect battleground.
First, Titan was far from Earth and any fighting there would pose no threat to the planet.
Second, according to Karl's description, Titan was already a dead world with no remaining lifeforms. Even if a full-scale war broke out, no innocent inhabitants would be harmed.
Finally, Strange had already exposed the location of the Time Stone. Thanos might already know it was no longer on Earth and would head straight for Titan.
In every respect, Titan was the ideal location for the final battle.
"The Captain's right. It's the best battlefield available, and it keeps the fighting away from Earth."
Nick Fury agreed immediately. Protecting Earth had always been his priority, so he had no objections to making Titan the site of the decisive confrontation.
"Good. Everyone, prepare yourselves. We're making a stop in Wakanda first. They have resources that can help us."
As the leader of the Avengers, Steve issued the order without hesitation. Nobody objected. Everyone immediately returned to their rooms to gather whatever they needed.
Except Karl and Wanda.
Neither of them needed any preparation.
All of Karl's weapons were stored in his system inventory.
As for Wanda, she didn't need weapons.
She was the weapon.
Chaos Magic and the dark spells she had learned were all within her.
The two headed directly to the landing pad, where two Quinjets were already waiting. They casually chose one and boarded.
Soon, Skye and Gwen arrived.
Neither had much to prepare either. Skye simply retrieved her newest pair of gauntlets, while Gwen stocked up on web-shooters and spare cartridges.
Within ten minutes, every Avenger had assembled.
Steve, Natasha, Barton, Bruce, Rhodey, Sam, Frank, Matt, Pepper, Felicia, and Karl's group all gathered at the landing pad.
Moments later, the two Quinjets lifted off and streaked across the sky like bolts of lightning.
---
Wakanda
After learning that the Avengers were coming, Wakanda had completed its preparations.
Every tribe had mobilized its warriors.
Even M'Baku of the Border Tribe had arrived at the royal palace. Among all the tribal leaders, only he wore a thick cloak of animal fur.
"Your Majesty, are you really determined to share Wakanda's technology with the rest of the world this time?"
Okoye walked beside T'Challa, spear in hand, speaking in a teasing tone.
"Yes."
T'Challa smiled.
"It's time the world saw the real Wakanda."
He had wanted to do this for a long time but never found the right opportunity.
Now was that opportunity.
"It's just not how I imagined it."
Okoye continued.
"And what did you imagine?"
"Hm... maybe the Olympics? Or the World Cup?"
Historically, Wakanda had never participated in either.
After all, they had spent centuries hiding. With the physical capabilities of Wakandans, if they entered international competitions, nobody else would stand a chance.
"Forget the Olympics."
Erik walked on T'Challa's other side.
"I'd rather personally play in the World Cup."
He was no longer the violent radical he had once been and had fully adapted to life within the Wakandan royal family.
The group arrived at the landing pad just as the two Quinjets descended from the sky.
The Avengers stepped out one after another.
Some had already seen the true Wakanda.
Others still believed it was a poor agricultural nation.
Frank and Matt belonged to the latter group.
Matt was fine—his blindness meant he perceived the world through vibrations and outlines.
Frank, however, could see everything perfectly.
"This... this is Wakanda?!"
He looked around in disbelief.
There was no way this place resembled a backward farming nation.
If this counted as underdeveloped, then the rest of the world was still living in the Stone Age.
"Uh... am I supposed to kneel?"
Bruce suddenly asked.
It was his first visit. Before returning to Earth, he had spent years off-world fighting in gladiatorial arenas.
"Of course. That's the king."
Rhodey replied with a perfectly straight face, though a mischievous grin lurked underneath.
"We have to kneel?"
Frank turned to stare at him.
There was no way he was kneeling for anyone.
Not even a king.
As they spoke, the group reached T'Challa.
Bruce immediately started lowering himself onto one knee.
He was naturally gentle and respectful and assumed he should honor local customs.
Halfway down, T'Challa quickly stopped him.
"Uh... we don't do that here."
T'Challa looked thoroughly embarrassed.
Even the palace guards knew people weren't expected to kneel before the king.
Only the defeated knelt before the victor.
Bruce awkwardly stood back up.
Beside him, Rhodey turned away, covering his mouth while his shoulders shook uncontrollably.
He was obviously trying not to laugh.
Unlike Rhodey, Erik had no such restraint.
He burst out laughing on the spot.
Bruce instantly became even more embarrassed.
For a brief moment, he seriously considered turning into the Hulk and smashing Rhodey into the ground.
"How many enemies are we expecting this time?"
As they headed toward the palace, T'Challa asked.
He needed to estimate enemy numbers before deciding how many troops to commit.
"Your Majesty, there will be a lot."
Bruce quickly answered.
"I saw their fleet myself."
He still maintained a healthy respect for T'Challa as a monarch.
"All of Wakanda's forces are already prepared."
T'Challa nodded.
"The Royal Guard, the tribal armies, and the Border Tribe's warriors are all standing by. I believe it should be enough."
With Wakanda's level of technology, anything short of a massive capital ship could be dealt with.
And with vibranium enhancing their equipment, Wakandan soldiers were formidable on an individual level as well.
The group entered a massive conference chamber.
Around them, holographic displays showed troop deployments across Wakanda.
Inside the room, the tribal elders and chiefs were already waiting.
Most of the Avengers had never met these leaders before.
Karl had only encountered them once himself.
Of course, M'Baku—the giant gorilla-like man—was an exception.
And now, with M'Baku's participation, the Jabari had become the strongest tribe after the Royal Tribe itself, second only to the Wakandan royal family in both manpower and military strength.
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