On Thanos's side, he immediately noticed the Green Hulk charging toward them first. Without hesitation, he retreated, his body pulling back across the ruined sky.
His target was never Hulk.
His opponent was the other version of himself.
Let the brute deal with the monster.
The other three noticed his movement instantly, and their already low opinion of him dropped even further. In their eyes, retreating at the first clash only confirmed their assumptions—this Thanos was inferior.
Still, none of them voiced it.
A greater enemy stood before them, and even villains understood the importance of prioritizing survival over ego.
A thousand kilometers vanished in an instant as Hulk closed the distance.
Seeing the massive green figure rushing in, Carnage's eyes lit up with manic excitement. His entire body trembled with anticipation, as if he had just found the perfect prey.
"He's mine! Nobody touches him!" he roared.
Without waiting, he surged forward, his fist drawn back.
The next second—
"Boom!"
Their fists collided with overwhelming force.
The impact sent a shockwave tearing through the atmosphere, dispersing the heavy clouds above and revealing the dim, dying star hanging in the sky. For a brief moment, the battlefield was illuminated by that fading light.
Yet even then, there were no other stars.
The sky remained empty.
This universe truly stood at the brink of extinction.
On the battlefield, Hulk and Carnage clashed again and again, their blows shaking the ground beneath them. Neither side gained the upper hand. Raw strength met raw brutality, and the result was pure chaos.
At that moment, Doctor Strange arrived.
Without hesitation, his fingers moved in precise patterns as the dark tome behind him flickered to life. Arcane energy gathered rapidly, preparing to unleash a spell.
But before he could complete it—
Doctor Doom appeared.
With a flick of his hand, more than a dozen golden arrows materialized and shot forward like streaks of light.
Strange's defensive magic activated instantly, forming a barrier that intercepted the attack. The arrows shattered against it, but the interruption forced him to halt his casting.
His expression turned cold as he looked at Doom.
Doom, floating in the air, spoke with disdain. "So you chose the Dark Book as well."
In his universe, Strange had made the same decision—embracing forbidden power in pursuit of victory. And in that world, Doom had destroyed him.
Torn apart the Dark Book.
Reduced its wielder to nothing.
Strange's gaze hardened. "Funny. In my world, you were the one begging for mercy."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
"No pride. No dignity. Just a coward on his knees, hoping to be spared. Try not to disappoint me this time."
Doom's eyes narrowed.
Without another word, both resumed their spells.
Old enemies, meeting again across universes.
Their battle reignited instantly.
Moments later, the remaining four from the opposing side arrived.
Ultron didn't speak.
He simply attacked.
A barrage of laser beams erupted from his forehead, each one carrying enough force to tear through continents. The beams swept across the battlefield relentlessly, forcing Thanos II, Sentry, Captain Marvel, and Moon Knight to defend themselves with their own abilities.
Energy clashed against energy, lighting up the dead world with bursts of power.
Seeing the others holding their ground, Ultron's voice rang out again.
"Aren't you going to move?"
His gaze shifted toward Thanos—the only one who had yet to act.
Thanos didn't answer.
He simply moved.
His body shot forward, heading directly toward his counterpart.
Ultron noticed and immediately ceased targeting Thanos II, allowing the confrontation to unfold.
The two Thanos figures faced each other at last.
For a brief moment, neither attacked.
Thanos studied the other version of himself carefully. The black bodysuit, the Infinity Gauntlet, the calm expression—it was all familiar.
But something was missing.
"Where's your armor?" he asked. "And your blade?"
Those were essentials. Tools he would never abandon.
Thanos II scratched the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. "It's been a while since I fought. I kind of forgot I'd need them."
The response was so… harmless.
So lacking in edge.
For a moment, Thanos felt something unexpected.
Pity.
What kind of influence had shaped this version of himself into this?
This wasn't strength.
This was… weakness.
Thanos II continued, his tone still casual. "You look fully equipped, but you don't even have all the stones. That probably means you haven't conquered your universe yet."
He spoke as if offering friendly advice.
"Listen, you should stop chasing balance and trying to please Death. To beings like that, we're just tools. Used when needed, discarded when we're not."
His gaze softened.
"Go back home. Live a normal life. Titan's recovered enough to support life again. You could farm, watch the sunrise, enjoy peace. You don't have to keep fighting."
Thanos stared at him in silence.
This… version of himself…
Was talking about peace.
About farming.
About sunsets.
For a moment, the absurdity of it all almost made him laugh.
He remembered Wanda—her innocent expression, her gentle voice. And then he remembered the same girl smiling while killing without hesitation.
This version of Thanos… married her?
Impossible.
Completely absurd.
He couldn't reconcile the two images.
And yet—
Here it was.
"Let's move," Thanos said finally, sheathing his blade.
Below them, the battlefield was already collapsing. Hulk and Carnage's fight had likely reached the planet's core, while Ultron's attacks had carved massive craters across the surface.
"This planet won't hold much longer."
Thanos II glanced down, then nodded.
The two of them ascended rapidly, leaving the crumbling world behind. They didn't stop until they were more than ten thousand kilometers away, floating in the emptiness of space.
Only then did Thanos speak again.
"How did you change?" he asked. "Did you just abandon your goal of balancing the universe?"
He genuinely wanted to know.
That belief wasn't something easily discarded.
It was born from loss.
From witnessing the destruction of one's home.
It was obsession.
Thanos II's expression softened, a distant look appearing in his eyes.
"I have to thank my wife for that," he said quietly. "If it weren't for her, I'd still be trapped in that obsession."
Seeing Thanos's confusion, he continued.
"Her name is Wanda. I don't know if you know her. She's gentle… kind… and despite everything she's been through, she never gave up on the world."
Thanos said nothing.
His mind was still stuck on one thought.
I married Wanda?
The sheer absurdity of it defied logic.
He couldn't even begin to process it.
Thanos II went on, unaware of his counterpart's thoughts.
"When I led the Black Order to attack Earth, her team defeated me. My ship was destroyed, my army scattered."
He paused, his voice lowering.
"But she didn't kill us."
Instead, she had let them go.
While others demanded his execution, she had stood in his defense. She had spoken to him—not as an enemy, but as someone worth understanding.
"And during those talks…" he said softly, "I realized something."
His gaze turned steady.
"The universe doesn't need me to balance it. It already balances itself."
.....
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