For Tony Stark, there had never been a moment in his life where he wanted his ship to hold together more than now.
If possible, he truly wished they could activate another wormhole jump, just to put more distance between them and Thanos' warship.
But unfortunately, that was an impossible dream.
The ship's systems simply could not support another space jump. Their only option was a nearby forced landing, and the only available destination was the planet right below them.
The worst part was that this planet had already been occupied by Thanos' forces.
The entire surface was crawling with members of the Thanos Army. For them, landing here was no different from walking into a death trap.
But they had no choice.
Not Tony Stark alone.
Peter Quill and the others looked even worse.
Tony Stark was just an ordinary human. Even if they landed, he at least had a chance to avoid immediate danger. Thanos might not even be specifically targeting him.
But for the Guardians of the Galaxy, this was different.
Thanos was absolutely coming for them.
And now, he had appeared right in front of their eyes.
Their faces turned pale.
The damaged ship barely managed to land, sparks flying everywhere.
After a rough emergency landing, everyone stumbled out in a mess.
"Damn it, I never want to ride a spaceship again. Maybe I should just retire on this planet," Rocket Raccoon complained.
Drax immediately responded,
"I understand your sentiment, but if you want to do that, you should first get us out of this half-surrounded situation."
Rocket rolled his eyes.
This idiot really could not tell he was joking.
But what could he do? He was just a muscle-headed brute.
He could only reluctantly forgive him.
"So what now?" Gamora asked helplessly.
Then she suddenly spoke again.
"Maybe Thanos is here for me. If I stay behind, maybe you all can escape. At least I might buy you some time."
"Heh heh heh!"
Peter Quill immediately interrupted her.
"Are you kidding me?"
"I don't think that guy Thanos has any special feelings for you. Maybe he has other motives, but no matter what, you are part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. We are not abandoning you."
He sounded anxious, because he feared Tony Stark and the others might actually consider it. After all, they barely knew Gamora, and if they learned she was the reason Thanos came, they might choose to leave her behind.
But for Peter Quill, that was unacceptable.
Gamora was his girlfriend.
Tony Stark ignored their argument and spoke as if he had not heard anything.
"We need a new ship. Maybe you should contact that Ravager you were talking to earlier. See if he can come pick us up."
"Or we find another way to steal a ship on this planet."
Since they now knew the Guardians might actually be the ones from Stephen Strange's prophecy, he had no intention of abandoning them.
Especially Gamora, Thanos' adopted daughter.
That was extremely valuable intelligence.
If she could join their side, learning about Thanos would become much easier.
At that moment, another ship began descending rapidly.
"Damn it, Thanos is already here! We need to move now!"
Everyone shouted and immediately began to retreat.
None of them wanted to face Thanos and his army head-on.
Meanwhile, outside the planet.
Yondu's face was extremely grim.
He had just escaped Thanos' attack, or more accurately, Thanos had not even bothered with him. Thanos had simply targeted Peter Quill's ship.
Yondu had personally seen the attack hit it, forcing it down onto the planet below.
What should he do?
He did not want to fight Thanos.
Even though he had joined the anti-Thanos alliance formed with Locke Technology, it was still only a loose coalition. Facing Thanos directly was unrealistic.
Most members only shared one belief: as long as Thanos did not come for them, they would not go after him.
That was true for Yondu as well.
But Peter Quill was his son.
"Damn it. Land on that cursed planet!" Yondu roared.
His crew looked shocked.
"Boss, that's Thanos' ship. If we go down, we'll face him directly!"
Yondu glared at him fiercely.
"So what? Even if Thanos is standing in front of me, I'll still punch him. He dares to touch my son? He's asking for death."
He grabbed the controls and forced the ship downward into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Thanos had already stepped off his ship.
He held the Tyrant's Blade in his hand, scanning the surroundings. His gaze immediately landed on the smoking wreckage of a crashed ship nearby.
"They are nearby. Find them. I have waited long enough. I do not want any more delays."
The Thanos Army scattered in all directions.
More forces continued to converge on the area.
It was a dense jungle.
Lush green vegetation stretched across the land, with soft sunlight filtering through the canopy, creating a strangely beautiful scene.
It was once a famous tourist destination.
But everything changed today.
As Thanos' forces entered the forest, terrified tourists fled in panic.
Tony Stark and the others blended into the crowd, trying to escape in the chaos.
Their plan worked well. The planet was a well-known resort, filled with visitors from many worlds.
And Thanos did not want unnecessary large-scale slaughter here.
Although powerful, he had not yet conquered the entire universe.
There were still beings he could not afford to provoke.
Tony Stark managed to slip out smoothly.
So did Wanda, Quicksilver, Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, and others.
But just as they were waiting for the rest of the group, a roar suddenly echoed through the forest.
"Damn bastards! What are you doing!"
A massive muscular man burst out of the trees, chasing down a Thanos soldier.
The soldier tried to escape, but he was quickly caught and had his head brutally twisted off.
"Idiot," Peter Quill muttered, rubbing his forehead.
Of course things would not go smoothly.
He had expected Groot to be the problem because of his size, but instead it was Drax.
"Hey, hurry up!" Peter shouted.
Drax and Groot ran toward them.
Just as they thought they were about to escape successfully, a calm voice suddenly sounded behind them.
"Gamora. Long time no see. It seems you do not wish to see me."
Gamora's pupils shrank.
She turned around slowly.
A towering purple figure stood there.
"Father…"
She stopped mid-word.
"Thanos. What do you want? If you want to capture me, then take me. Do not harm them."
Thanos' expression remained calm, almost indifferent.
"Of course. If you are willing, that would be best."
Gamora was his most beloved daughter.
Even if she might need to be sacrificed for his dream, he would still grant her small wishes.
If Peter Quill had not stolen the Power Stone, he would not have come after them in the first place.
As for the so-called Guardians of the Galaxy, he did not care at all.
"Damn it! Gamora is a member of the Guardians! You are not taking her!" Peter Quill roared, raising his gun at Thanos.
But Thanos remained calm.
Even as the gun aimed directly at him.
Peter's hand trembled slightly.
That was Thanos.
He did not believe his weapon could do anything to him.
Before anyone could react, Drax charged forward.
"THANOS!"
He roared with fury.
His hatred had finally erupted.
Thanos met his attack calmly.
BOOM!
Drax slammed into the Tyrant's Blade with a punch.
Thanos did not move even half a step. Drax was immediately blasted away.
Groot caught him, while Rocket opened fire instantly.
"Die, you bastard!"
The battle erupted.
Tony Stark and the others joined in as well.
Peter Quill, now awakening his divine power, discarded his gun and charged forward.
But he was far too weak.
At that moment, a sudden pain struck Thanos' chest.
A dagger was embedded there.
Only then did Thanos notice someone standing beside him.
The man smiled.
"Damn it!"
Thanos roared and unleashed his power, sending Peter Quill flying.
He swung his fist, but hit nothing but air.
The attacker had already vanished.
"His defense is insane," Quicksilver muttered. "Even with acceleration, I only managed to break the skin."
Wanda's expression turned grave.
"Be careful. He is far stronger than we expected."
Her Chaos Magic surged forward, attempting to restrain Thanos.
But he only paused slightly before breaking free.
"Impossible…"
Wanda's eyes widened.
"Even Nolan Locke could not break free that easily…"
The realization hit her like a hammer.
This opponent was truly terrifying.
But at least, her attack had worked slightly.
That meant they still had a chance.
Wanda clenched her fists.
"Everyone, attack together!"
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