About Nidavellir's forging abilities, Thor praised them greatly, as even neutron stars were used for smelting. But when they arrived, all they saw was a scene of devastation.
"It's gone?"
"I was still hoping to see how they used a neutron star to forge a weapon!"
The idea alone was incredible. Using a star to forge a weapon, how powerful would that weapon have to be? They didn't even dare imagine it. Now there was no place left to forge a weapon, so they couldn't help but feel disappointed that they wouldn't get to witness the forging process.
The small spaceship flew forward slowly, and Thor looked at the miserable planet before him, wearing the same puzzled expression.
"Something's wrong." Thor stared ahead and said, "The star's gone out. And the rings are frozen."
The spaceship passed through the star ring and arrived at the core of Nidavellir. After traveling through a concentric ring passage, the spaceship docked on a platform.
Rocket said, "I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning."
Rocket walked in front while Groot played his game in the middle and Thor followed behind. Their voices echoed throughout the empty steel halls of Nidavellir.
Rocket said helplessly, "Maybe they realized that they live in a junk pile in the middle of space."
Thor looked around and said, "This forge hasn't gone dark in centuries."
Ahead of them stood a gigantic furnace while sophisticated instruments and equipment surrounded it.
The audience watched in astonishment. No one had expected a forge to be as massive as a building dozens of stories tall.
Rocket suddenly noticed something. "You said Thanos had a gauntlet, right?"
Thor replied, "Yes, why?"
Rocket pointed toward a nearby platform. "It looks anything like that?"
"I am Groot." Groot turned to look at Thor.
On the platform stood a giant steel gauntlet model. In an instant, Thor understood.
The audience exploded.
"Damn! Were the Infinity Gauntlet's golden gloves actually made by the Dwarf?"
"My God! I thought they were supposed to stop Thanos, but they actually helped him!"
"This..."
"Without those golden gloves, it would've been impossible to wield the full power of all Infinity Stones."
"If we'd known earlier, we should've stopped them."
"Too bad. We're one move too late."
"Wait... is that a dwarf?"
The next scene shocked everyone.
Thor sensed something was wrong, and he immediately shouted, "Go back to the pod."
But as they turned around, an enormous figure with long, messy hair approached. His body was incredibly tall, with short legs and a massive upper torso. A giant steel fist sent Thor and the others flying, and they slammed heavily into the ground.
Thor looked up at the Dwarf. "Eitri, wait! Stop! Stop."
The Dwarf named Eitri frowned beneath his thick beard. "Thor?"
Thor nodded. "What happened here?"
The Dwarf King glared at Thor, his face filled with anger. "You were supposed to protect us. Asgard was supposed to protect us."
Thor staggered to his feet and walked over. "Asgard is destroyed."
Eitri froze.
Thor pointed at the gauntlet model. "Eitri, the glove. What did you do?"
Eitri didn't answer; instead, he walked to one side with a heavy thud and sat down alone. Both of his hands were encased in solid metal, like two massive iron blocks.
Eitri said in a low voice, "300 dwarves lived on this ring."
He looked at Thor. "I thought if I did what he asked, they'd be safe."
Thor looked devastated, and Eitri continued, "I made what he wanted. A device capable of harnessing the power of the stones. Then he killed everyone anyway."
Eitri broke down in tears. "All except me. 'Your life is yours,' he said."
Eitri raised his hands; they had fused into solid metal. "'But your hands are mine alone.'"
Seeing Eitri's hands, the audience who had just regained a glimmer of hope fell silent once again.
"Thanos is so evil! He threatened an entire race and even destroyed the Dwarf King's hands so no one else could forge anything!"
"I can't believe people were saying Thanos was right. He literally threatened innocent people for his own goal."
"My God... this is terrifying."
"Anyone who still says Thanos was right deserves to be dragged out immediately."
"Thanos probably knew Thor would come here to forge a new weapon, so he destroyed the Dwarf King's hands."
"It's over... doesn't that mean their last hope is gone?"
"Without a new weapon, how can they possibly fight Thanos?"
"He wiped out every single dwarf!"
The people of Terra were filled with righteous anger as Thanos' actions were truly unforgivable.
Although Thor was anxious about whether his new weapon could still be forged, he comforted Eitri. "Eitri, this isn't about your hands. Every weapon you've ever designed, every axe, hammer, sword... it's all inside your head."
Thor pointed at Eitri's head. "Now, I know it feels like all hope is lost. Trust me, I know. But together, you and I, we can kill Thanos."
Eitri looked at Thor and nodded firmly. The two of them would work together to forge a brand-new weapon.
Just then, the image began to shake. The next moment, it switched to the place where Nebula was imprisoned. Nebula was suspended in midair by beams of light while a guard was inspecting the mechanical parts on her body.
Suddenly, one of Nebula's eye components fell off with a soft clink, so the guard turned around and walked over. As he reached down to pick it up, Nebula grabbed his head with both hands and twisted. The guard collapsed to the ground.
Nebula forcibly broke free, dragging one damaged leg toward a signal transmitter. She reached out and activated it. When the communication channel opened, she said. "Mantis, listen very carefully. I need you to meet me on Titan."
The scene instantly made everyone realize that the final battle was drawing near. And the battlefield would be Titan.
"I'm so nervous. Thor is forging a new weapon."
"Nebula and Quill are reuniting on Titan."
"Tony and the others are heading to Titan too."
"I wonder who'll win!"
"But Thanos already has more Infinity Stones."
"On Vision's side, as long as they successfully remove the Infinity Stone and Wanda destroys it, everything will be fine."
"I don't think removing the Infinity Stone will be that easy."
"It's Tony!"
"They're almost at Titan!"
The screen flashed again.
In outer space, a brilliant star shone in the distance. A ring-shaped spacecraft spun wildly through space, completely out of control. Below it was an enormous planet.
Inside the spaceship, watching the ground rush closer, Parker exclaimed, "Hey, what's going on?"
Doctor Strange stared ahead. "I think we're here."
Tony suddenly realized something was wrong. "I don't think this rig has a self-park function."
He grabbed the massive control mechanism, and Tony shouted, "Get your hand inside the steering gimbal. Close those around it. You understand?"
"Yep, got it." Parker grabbed the opposite side, but the device was enormous. "This was meant for one big guy, so we gotta move at the same time."
"Okay, okay. Ready."
Pulled downward by the planet's gravity, the spaceship hurtled toward the surface. On the display, a gigantic structure rapidly filled their view.
Parker strained as he said, "We might wanna turn. Turn! Turn! Turn!"
Tony stared at the display and activated his nanotech armor while Parker also deployed his nanotech Spider-suit.
"F**k, this is intense!"
"Failed the landing? No way!"
"The ship is too big, and none of them have ever flown it before."
"Don't! It'd be hilarious if you crashed to your deaths."
"It's too fast! Slow down!"
"Sh*t!"
The ship was moving at an incredible speed, and it was even beginning to break apart. The tail of the spacecraft slammed directly into a massive structure, and half of the ring-shaped platform shattered.
Inside the ship, Strange raised his hands and magic surged. A circular shield appeared, enveloping the entire control console.
The damaged ship crashed straight into the ground, sliding a long distance before finally coming to a stop. Dust billowed everywhere as deafening crashes echoed through the air. Fortunately, both Tony and Parker had already put on their nano-suits.
Strange looked at the two of them. "You all right?"
Tony gasped. "That was close. I owe you one."
Parker hung upside down from a strand of spider silk, looking at the other two. "Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something... and I eat one of you, I'm sorry."
Tony interrupted him, pointing a finger. "I do not want another single pop culture reference out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?"
Parker pointed behind him. "I'm trying to say that something is coming."
A spherical object quickly rolled to the middle of the three of them, and a red light flashed. A powerful shockwave blasted outward, sending all three flying. Then, several people emerged from another ship. Holding their weapons, they cautiously surveyed the area.
The audience was stunned.
"Uh... Quill and the others met the Avengers?"
"And they opened with bombs? Aren't they trying to kill them?"
"No... nobody can die right now."
"Both sides are the main force against Thanos."
"...Damn, they're really fighting!"
The moment Quill landed, he roared angrily, "Thanos!"
Immediately, Drax pulled out a pair of short blades and hurled them at Strange, but Strange summoned a magical shield, deflecting them. Then, his Cloak of Levitation instantly flew off his back. With a quick swoosh, it wrapped around Drax's head, then slammed him back and forth across the ground with its familiar moves.
Quill put on his mask, then, jets beneath his boots ignited, launching him into the air, and he fired both blasters at Tony, while Tony immediately took flight, raising an arm as a small homing missile shot out.
Quill dodged, causing the missile to explode behind him, so Tony grabbed Quill and hurled him to the ground. Quill slid across the surface, then pressed a switch in his hand. Before Tony could react, an electromagnetic device that Quill had secretly attached activated, and an enormous magnetic force erupted. In an instant, Tony was pulled against a nearby metal structure.
Meanwhile, Mantis suddenly appeared behind Parker, startling him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Please don't put your eggs in me!" He hurried backward, firing spider silk from both hands, wrapping it around Mantis.
Just then, Quill descended from the sky and kicked Parker away. "Stay down, clown."
Parker agilely leaped between the steel structures. The six slender spider legs extending from his suit greatly enhanced his mobility. Just as he was about to reach Quill, Quill suddenly threw an electrified cable, binding Parker before slamming him to the ground.
"Die, blanket of death!"
Tony finally broke free from the electromagnetic trap. He pinned Drax beneath one foot, his pulse cannon aimed directly at Drax's head, while Quill grabbed Parker, pressing a blaster against his head.
"Everybody stay where you are. Chill the eff out." Quill removed his mask, and he glared at Tony. "I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where is Gamora?"
Tony frowned in confusion. "Yeah. I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?"
Drax, still pinned beneath Tony's foot, replied, "I'll do you one better. Why is Gamora?"
Quill stared furiously at Tony. "Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you I'm gonna French fry this little freak."
Tony replied coldly, "Let's do it. You shoot my guy, and I'll blast him. Let's go!"
His hand began charging, its pulse emitter aimed directly at Drax.
Still pinned, Drax shouted, "Do it, Quill! I can take it."
The spider silk-bound Mantis anxiously cried, "No, he can't take it!"
Strange calmly added, "She's right. You can't."
Quill's thoughts remained fixed on Gamora as he growled, "Oh, yeah? You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine. I'll kill all three of you, and I'll beat it out of Thanos myself. Starting with you."
His blaster remained pointed at Parker's head, ready to fire at any moment.
Strange frowned. "Wait, what, Thanos? All right, let me ask you this one time. What master do you serve?"
Quill sneered. "What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say, "Jesus"?"
Tony blinked. Pointing at Quill, he said, "You're from Earth."
Quill immediately corrected him. "I'm not from Earth, I'm from Missouri."
Tony stared at him. "Yeah, that's on Earth, dipshit. What are you hassling us for?"
The restrained Parker asked, "So you're not with Thanos?"
Quill looked utterly disgusted. "With Thanos? No, I'm here to kill Thanos. He took my girl."
Quill scratched his head. "Wait, who are you?"
Parker removed his mask. "We're the Avengers, man."
Quill sighed, releasing Parker.
Mantis exclaimed, "You're the ones Thor told us about."
Tony looked surprised. "You know Thor?"
Quill nodded. "Yeah. Tall guy, not that good-looking, needed saving."
Strange asked, "Where is he now?"
The chat exploded.
"What a complete mess."
"My eyes can't take this."
"Thankfully they finally cleared up the misunderstanding."
"Otherwise it'd be a disaster."
"These loudmouths together are absolutely insane."
"At least they can finally communicate."
"That's all secondary; stopping Thanos is what matters."
"He'll probably obtain the Soul Stone soon. Once he gets it, he'll definitely come back."
"The real final battle is unavoidable."
After the misunderstanding was resolved, the atmosphere calmed considerably.
Quill pulled a yellow handheld scanner from his pocket, waving it through the air. He muttered in surprise, "The hell happened to this planet? It's eight degrees off its axis. Gravitational pull is all over the place."
Tony looked around. "Yeah, we got one advantage. He's coming to us. We'll use it."
Tony turned toward everyone. "All right, I have a plan. Or at least the beginnings of one."
Quill looked at him, and Tony continued, "It's pretty simple. We draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. Definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet."
Tony glanced at Drax. "Are you yawning? In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?"
Drax glanced at Mantis. "I stopped listening after you said, 'We need a plan.'"
Tony sighed. "Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page."
Quill shrugged. "See, 'not winging it' isn't really what they do."
Parker asked curiously, "Uh, what exactly is it that they do?"
Mantis explained, "Kick names, take ass."
Drax fastened his belt. "Yeah, that's right."
Tony looked at them in disbelief. "All right, just get over here, please. Mr. Lord, can you get your folks to circle up?"
Quill nodded. "'Mr. Lord.' Star-Lord is fine."
When Everyone finally gathered together, Tony said, "We gotta coalesce. Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude..."
Quill interrupted, "Dude, don't call us plucky. We don't know what it means. All right, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the plan... and that way it might be really good."
Tony closed his eyes as he no longer wanted to hear Quill speak.
Drax gestured toward Quill. "Tell him about the dance-off to save the universe."
"What dance-off?"
Quill hurriedly interrupted. "It's nothing."
Parker asked curiously, "Like in Footloose, the movie?"
Quill immediately brightened. "Exactly like Footloose. Is it still the greatest movie in history?"
Parker pursed his lips. "It never was."
Quill frowned nut Tony interrupted again. "Don't encourage this, all right?"
"Okay."
"We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here."
Quill tilted his head with a grin. "Flash Gordon? Thanks. By the way, that's a compliment. Don't forget, I'm half human." Quill drew circles in the air with his finger. "So that 50% of me that's stupid... that's 100% you."
Tony looked utterly defeated. "Your math is blowing my mind."
Mantis nervously tugged at Quill's sleeve. "Excuse me. But does your friend often do that?"
Tony slowly turned toward the corner.
At that same moment, viewers on Terra witnessed an extraordinary scene.