Levi glanced at Wanda, then at Steve, whose expression was complicated, and said, "Alright. I'm not too late."
Just as he finished speaking, his brows furrowed. He suddenly turned toward the west.
Something was wrong in New York.
"Don't waste time," Levi said, cutting through everyone's thoughts.
He looked at Wanda, who was clutching the corner of his clothes tightly. Fear filled her eyes—fear that he might disappear again.
In Levi's cold, still heart, it was like a small stone had been dropped into a frozen sea.
He reached out and ruffled her hair, his tone softer than he himself realized. "I'll take you with me. Hold on tight."
With that, he tore open space in front of him.
Like fabric, it split apart into a pitch-black rift.
Holding Wanda, he stepped through.
Steve had just opened his mouth to speak when the rift closed, as if it had never existed.
---
The air in New York reeked of burnt concrete and ozone.
A massive donut-shaped spaceship hovered over Manhattan.
Levi and Wanda stepped out of a spatial rift, appearing on the rooftop of a building.
Below them, the situation was dire.
Tony's nanotech armor was being used as a punching bag by the hulking brute known as Cull Obsidian. Red-and-gold nanites constantly peeled off and reformed, on the verge of collapse.
Elsewhere, it was even worse. Doctor Strange was suspended midair by an invisible force, slowly being dragged toward the tall, gaunt Ebony Maw. His Cloak of Levitation struggled desperately—but to no avail.
A smile played on Ebony Maw's face as his fingers neared the Eye of Agamotto around Strange's neck.
"One's a brute, the other won't shut up," Levi commented. "And this is all Thanos sent?"
Beside him, Wanda's face was pale. Scarlet Chaos Magic flickered at her fingertips—but Levi's grip steadied her, calming the surging power.
Levi's gaze landed first on Cull Obsidian.
He simply looked—and a thought crossed his mind.
Cull Obsidian, mid-swing with his massive axe, suddenly froze.
His thick right arm—along with the weapon—detached cleanly from his shoulder and fell to the ground.
No blood. The cut was smooth as a mirror.
Cull stood there in stunned silence for a second—then roared in pain and confusion.
Tony seized the chance, blasting him away to gain distance. Spotting Levi on the rooftop, he shouted over comms, "I knew you weren't dead, you bastard! One second later and my new paint job would've been ruined!"
"Deal with the stronger one first," Levi said, ignoring him as he turned his attention to Ebony Maw, whose expression had already changed.
Holding Wanda's hand, Levi stepped off the rooftop—descending as if walking down invisible stairs—until he stood before Ebony Maw.
Ebony Maw's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
His prized telekinetic field failed completely around Levi. This man was like a black hole detached from the universe—every physical law warped in his presence.
Maw instantly abandoned Strange, slamming both hands toward the ground.
The asphalt, underground pipes, and steel reinforcements of nearby buildings were torn free, twisted and compressed into dozens of black spikes that shot toward Levi and Wanda from all directions.
Levi raised his free hand and snapped his fingers.
The spikes stopped three meters away.
Then, from their tips downward, they silently crumbled into ash.
Horror spread across Ebony Maw's face. His connection to the matter had been forcibly severed by a higher power.
In that moment of shock—
Levi was already in front of him.
"You understand nothing about laws," Levi's voice echoed directly in his mind.
The next second, Levi extended a finger and lightly tapped Maw's forehead.
Maw's body trembled. His eyes lost focus, and a strange smile appeared as he began muttering endlessly:
"Hear my command… and rejoice…"
"Hear my command… and rejoice…"
He had become nothing more than a broken recorder.
---
On the other side, the one-armed Cull Obsidian saw Maw's fate and broke completely, turning to flee.
But Thor was already in his path, Stormbreaker in hand.
Raising the axe high, rainbow energy gathered along its blade.
"Not here!" Tony shouted over comms.
Thor didn't hear. He just wanted to test his new weapon. With a roar, he brought it down, channeling the Bifrost.
But no portal opened.
Levi appeared beside him, pressing a hand against the axe.
"Don't wreck the place."
With his other hand, he casually gestured toward the fleeing Cull.
The space beneath Cull collapsed inward like a funnel. His massive body slid uncontrollably into it.
Then—
The space snapped shut into an invisible نقطة.
Cull Obsidian was gone.
---
The battle was over.
Tony dismissed his armor and approached with Strange and Wong. They glanced at the still-muttering Ebony Maw, then at the massive crater—at a loss for words.
Levi released Wanda's hand and walked toward Maw, seemingly considering what to do with him.
Then—
His brows furrowed again.
He suddenly looked up.
That feeling… of being watched.
Stronger this time. Clearer. Lingering.
Something was observing him. Analyzing him.
A scanning beam—imperceptible to mortals—descended from an unknown dimension, locking onto Levi.
He could feel it dissecting him—his laws, his energy, everything being cataloged.
Levi let out a cold snort. His will condensed into an invisible blade and slashed back along the beam.
"Get lost."
His intent crossed dimensions.
---
Far beyond, in distant spacetime, a blue-clad alien with an enormous smooth head suddenly trembled.
On the holographic display before him, Levi's data model dissolved into chaos, replaced by a flashing red warning:
[Warning: Target has acquired reverse-tracking capability. Threat level elevated to RED. Disconnect advised.]
For the first time, a flicker of surprise crossed the Watcher's otherwise impassive face.
He immediately cut the connection.
---
Back in New York, Levi felt the gaze retreat in haste.
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