The Bifrost tore across space like a flash of divine light, carrying Bruce Banner's unconscious body as it surged toward Earth. Within seconds, it pierced the atmosphere and slammed down into the heart of the Avengers facility's underground courtyard—hidden from public view and fortified against invasion. The impact cratered the ground, sending shockwaves through the surrounding structure, buckling support tiles and shaking overhead lights.
Security alarms blared. Lights flickered. Automated defense turrets briefly activated before facial recognition protocols identified the man lying in the rubble. The scent of ozone and scorched air filled the room.
Bruce groaned.
Staff scrambled into the area as Steve Rogers arrived with Natasha Romanoff and James Rhodes close behind. Steve was first to kneel beside him.
"Bruce? Bruce, can you hear me?"
Banner blinked, face pale, body soaked in sweat. His lips parted as he tried to speak.
"Thanos... he's coming."
Natasha crouched on his other side, gently lifting his head. Her eyes softened with concern. "What happened? Where's Thor?"
"Gone. All of them," Bruce rasped. "Thanos has two Stones now. The Power Stone... and the Space Stone. He killed Loki. Heimdall used the Bifrost to send me. Thor... I don't know if he survived."
His voice cracked with grief and exhaustion.
Steve stood slowly. The tension in his jaw tightened. The name "Thanos" was no longer a warning—it was a declaration of war.
"We have to act. Now."
Rhodey looked at the group. "Has anyone heard from Alexander? He's been off the grid for days."
Natasha frowned. "I tried reaching out. No response. It's like he vanished."
Steve exchanged a glance with Bruce. "Whatever he's doing, let's hope it's helping. We'll need him."
Hours later, the Avengers briefing room was active again for the first time in years. The holographic display cast a soft blue glow across the room. Tactical readouts, surveillance footage, and satellite imagery shifted across the air. The air was tense, every breath filled with anticipation.
Tony Stark had arrived. He stood with arms crossed, watching the projections. His expression was unreadable, but his mind raced. Every detail mattered now. Every second lost brought Thanos closer.
"So let me get this straight," he said. "This guy has two Stones, one of which can control space, and he's looking for more. Which includes the one embedded in our friend Vision's forehead?"
"That's right," Wanda said from the corner, her tone subdued. Her eyes stayed fixed on the glowing Mind Stone in Vision's head, her hand occasionally drifting to his shoulder. She didn't need to say it aloud—she could feel the pull, the pressure growing.
Vision remained silent. His expression was unreadable. The faint hum of the Stone echoed through the room. It pulsed faintly, like a second heartbeat. There was fear in his eyes—but not for himself.
"The Mind Stone has a unique frequency," Vision finally said. "It will draw him to me eventually."
"Then we need to get ahead of him," Steve said. "Find a place to hide you. Or remove the Stone."
"If it's removed," Bruce replied, walking into the room with a limp, still pale but recovering, "he may not survive. The Stone is embedded into his neural matrix. It's not just powering him—it's part of him."
"We don't have time to be sentimental," Stark snapped. He looked at Steve with guarded eyes, but it was clear his frustration came from fear. "I get it, he's alive. But if keeping him alive means risking half the universe—"
"Tony," Natasha said, stepping between them. "Enough."
"I'm just saying," Tony muttered, exhaling. "If this guy wipes out half the universe, Vision won't be the only casualty."
"There's another option," Steve said. "Wakanda."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Shuri's technology is decades beyond ours. If anyone can remove the Stone and keep Vision alive, it's her. And Wakanda has the strength to defend him."
Rhodey nodded. "Then that's where we go."
"I'll make the call," Steve said. "T'Challa will listen."
Before they could say more, an alert rang through the facility. Red lights strobed along the walls. F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s voice echoed through the room.
"Unidentified craft approaching planetary perimeter."
Tony's eyes widened. "How close?"
"Descending over New York City. High altitude. Slow speed."
"We've seen this before," Bruce said grimly. "It's them."
In the Sanctum Sanctorum, Doctor Stephen Strange and Wong had already begun preparing wards. Ancient tomes floated beside them. Protective glyphs glowed on the walls and windows. The city's faint rumble could already be felt beneath their feet.
"The Time Stone stays protected," Wong said, completing a spell circle in mid-air.
"We may not have that luxury," Strange replied, turning as a portal shimmered into existence behind him.
Tony stepped through first, fully suited, followed by Bruce and Steve. Wanda and Vision remained behind to prepare for the Wakanda evacuation.
"Strange," Tony greeted. "They're here."
"Q-Ship?"
"Hovering over Manhattan," Bruce confirmed.
Strange turned to the window. The clouds above the city had begun to swirl, forming a vortex of pressure. The Q-Ship descended, casting a massive shadow over the skyline. The streets erupted into chaos as cars skidded, people screamed, and sirens wailed.
From the ship's underside, two figures emerged: Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian.
They landed hard on the pavement, sending shockwaves through the block. Storefronts shattered. Civilians ducked behind wrecked vehicles. The tension was immediate.
"Children of Thanos," Wong muttered, stepping beside Strange.
Maw raised a hand, his voice calm, unnaturally smooth.
"People of Earth, hear me. Your meaningless lives now belong to destiny. Surrender the Time Stone and be spared."
Tony's helmet folded down. His eyes narrowed. "Sorry, we're kind of attached to it."
Bruce took a step back, breathing deeply. His hands trembled. He growled, trying to force the transformation.
"Come on. Come on!"
Nothing.
He tried again, louder. "HULK!"
His body convulsed, but the green rage didn't come. Bruce fell to his knees.
"No! Not now..."
"Then you'll have to fight as you are," Wong said, conjuring a glowing blade.
Cull Obsidian roared and charged. Strange flicked his wrists, conjuring shields. Tony lifted into the air and fired. Wong leaped to the side, launching a whip of fire at Maw.
The street became a war zone. People scattered in all directions. Explosions rocked the buildings. Shattered glass rained from above.
Inside the Sanctum, the Time Stone glowed fiercely.
Far from the battle in New York, deep within the shadows of an ancient ruin buried beneath a forgotten mountain range, Alexander stood at the center of a crumbling chamber. The air hung heavy with residual magic, stale with centuries of sealed power. Arcane runes glowed dimly along the moss-covered stone walls. As he inhaled, the ancient energy stirred, sensing the resonance of a dominant force returning.
The air crackled with energy as dozens of shadow soldiers knelt around him, pulled from the darkness itself. His cloak shifted with each breath, resonating with power. Flanking him were Nortis, the silent executioner; Noctis, the piercing sentinel; and Vasili, the shadowed warlord—his three most loyal and powerful pawns, their forms etched in ethereal darkness and unwavering loyalty.
Alexander raised a hand, summoning a projection of the cosmos. Glowing points marked the locations of potential sealed relics—artifacts of power hidden or forgotten, veiled even to most galactic forces.
"We need more," he said quietly. "Thanos grows stronger by the hour. We cannot meet him with what we have."
"There is a tomb beneath the hollow cliffs of Terakai," Vasili said, his voice like gravel sliding over steel. "Its guardian has not stirred in millennia."
"A cursed weapon sealed in the Catacombs of Orvax," Noctis added. "It drinks from souls, but bound to your will, it can raise entire legions."
Nortis said nothing, but stepped forward and knelt, offering Alexander a sealed scroll pulsing with cryptic glyphs. It was a binding pact—one written in the ink of forgotten gods.
Alexander nodded, absorbing the knowledge flowing from the scroll into his mind. His system responded.
[NEW QUEST TRACKED: SHADOW EXPANSION ROUTE INITIATED. POTENTIAL YIELD: +3 ELITE SHADOWS / +200 UNITS. POWER RANK: B–A. WARNING: UNKNOWN ENTITIES DETECTED.]
He clenched his fist.
"Then we move. We split forces. Nortis and Noctis, with me to Orvax. Vasili, head to Terakai. Leave nothing behind. Raise them all."
His shadow pawns bowed and vanished into the dark.
Alexander turned toward a glowing portal etched in ancient runes.
As he stepped through, the ancient ruin trembled. Darkness followed, expanding, growing deeper, sharper, colder.
And his army, rising in number and strength, followed.
The next time he stepped onto the battlefield, the galaxy would feel it.
His power was only beginning.
His vengeance had not yet started.
And the shadows stirred.
To be continued.
_________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Good news—ALL advance chapters are available on Patreon for just $5! No more waiting, just pure binge-reading goodness! 🚀
👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️