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Manhattan. The ruins.
"Here."
A chubby hand extended a paper bag.
Jake turned. Wong — expression pained, the sacrifice visible on his face — handed over the tuna melt that had been meant for his lunch.
Jake took it without hesitation, tore open the wrapping, and bit. "Mmm... good. Too much mayo though. Tell them to go lighter next time."
"That was my lunch..." Wong muttered, then silently conjured a bottle of water and passed it to the dust-covered Strange.
The heroes gathered in the crater-pocked center of what used to be a city block.
Tony deactivated his helmet, revealing a face that was exhausted and stubborn in equal measure. He stared at the spot where Thanos had vanished.
"We let him go." His voice was low. "That was the best shot. He was injured, the Gauntlet was damaged — if we'd chased—"
"That's the Space Stone, Tony." Jake swallowed and cut the fantasy dead. "As long as he wants to run — or throw you into a star — he only needs a thought. Without absolute ability to lock down space, pursuit is suicide."
Tony went quiet. He knew it was right. He hated that it was right.
"So what now?" Steve stepped between them. "He said he'll be back. With an army."
"Then let him come."
Jake wiped sauce from his mouth, scanning the team — Cap, Iron Man, Strange, Wanda, Peter, Sam, Bucky, Scott, Wong, Gwen.
"First — consolidate. The Time Stone is on Strange's chest. The Mind Stone is in Vision's head. As long as those two don't fall, Thanos can't snap."
"Where's Vision?" Tony asked immediately.
"Safer than anyone on Earth."
Wanda spoke up. Jake had stationed Vision at the Plumbers' Moon Base — behind the most advanced defense system in the solar system. Dr. Pym and Princess Shuri were already working on separating the Stone from his consciousness.
"Moon Base?" Strange raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a villain's headquarters."
"It's the Interstellar Peacekeeping Organization Headquarters, thank you."
Jake lifted the Omnitrix. "Since everyone's here — Earth is no longer safe. Thanos could warp in with a fleet and hit us directly. I'm moving the command center to the Moon."
"To the MOON?!" Peter bounced. "Like Star Wars? Can I wear a spacesuit?"
"You have an Iron Spider suit, Underoos. You don't need a spacesuit." Tony patted Peter's shoulder, then gave Jake a look of competitive curiosity. "Actually... I'd like to see this tech you keep bragging is 'ten thousand years ahead of my armor.'"
"Then hold onto something."
Jake pressed the teleport button.
"Gwen — beam us up. Tell Dr. Pym we're holding a war council. Coffee ready."
"Copy. Coordinates locked. Teleporting."
VRRRR——!!
Blue light descended. The ruins emptied. A few stunned officers and bystanders were left blinking at air.
Meanwhile. Edge of the Milky Way.
An asteroid belt. Rubble drifting in the dark.
A wildly painted ship — the Milano — threaded through the rocks like a colorful parrot navigating a junkyard. Inside, "The Rubberband Man" blasted at full volume.
"Sing it, Drax! Don't just stand there like a log!" Star-Lord danced while piloting.
"I am not a log. I am the Destroyer." Drax ate snacks with absolute seriousness.
"I am Groot." The small tree played a handheld game without looking up.
"This song is terrible, Quill." Rocket propped his feet on the console. "Where are we even going? That distress signal's been pinging for half an hour."
"Asgardian refugee ship." Gamora studied the radar, expression grave.
THUD!!
Something massive slammed into the windshield.
"WHAT THE—?! Space junk?!" Star-Lord nearly crashed.
Everyone looked.
On the glass: a burly man, charred head to toe, one eye remaining. Plastered against the windshield like the universe's saddest bug on the universe's weirdest car.
"He's alive!" Mantis pointed at a twitching eyelid.
"Get him inside!"
Minutes later, the medical table.
Thor bolted upright. Lightning crackled at his fingertips. The Guardians scrambled for weapons.
He panted. Looked around at his rescuers — a raccoon with a gun, a sentient tree, a green-skinned woman, a shirtless blue-skinned giant, a man in a leather jacket dancing to classic rock.
"You guys..."
His voice was raspy but carried the particular authority of a man who was, technically, still a king.
"Which circus are you from?"
The Watcher Station. Far side of the Moon.
When the teleportation beam deposited the Avengers on lunar soil, even the well-traveled among them went quiet.
A massive sci-fi fortress under a transparent dome — deep space above, the blue Earth below. Automated drones patrolled the air. Agents in red-and-white Plumbers uniforms — Skrull refugees, Nova Corps veterans, humans recruited through quantum portals — operated instruments that no Earth engineer could have identified.
At the center of the base: a giant statue. Jake, in Way Big form. Hundred meters tall. Arms crossed.
"This is your 'little base?'" Tony removed his sunglasses and stared at the statue. "You built a statue of yourself? Your narcissism is almost catching up to mine."
"It's a morale feature." Jake shrugged. "Also doubles as a backup power source and orbital railgun turret."
They entered the command hall. A white figure swung overhead on a web-line.
"Jake!"
Gwen flipped in mid-air and stuck the landing in front of him. Mask off. She hugged him — tight, brief, the particular embrace of someone who'd just watched energy readings spike past survivable limits.
"You scared me to death! Those readings were off the charts! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Gwen. Everyone's watching."
Her cheeks colored. She stepped back and clicked into commander mode instantly — turning to the assembled Avengers with a professional nod.
"Welcome to the Plumbers, heroes. I'm Gwen Stacy. Operations Commander."
"Tour's over."
Jake clapped his hands. The central holographic table activated — projecting six Infinity Stones and Thanos's face.
"He has two Stones. His next target is—"
Jake pointed to a coordinate on the star map.
"Knowhere. The Reality Stone. In the Collector's possession."
"Are we intercepting?" Steve asked.
"No."
Jake shook his head. Sharp light in his eyes.
"Too far. The Collector is slippery. Instead — we set a much bigger trap for Thanos right here on Earth."
He looked around the war room.
"A trap from which there is no return."
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