The space between Alexander and Thanos warped as their powers collided, though neither had yet moved. Reality shivered under the weight of two opposing forces—one drawn from the abyss, the other from the raw might of cosmic domination. The shattered hull of the Q-Ship moaned, metal panels folding in on themselves as pressure from both presences expanded outward. Dust and debris hovered in microgravity, suspended like ash between burning suns.
Alexander stood tall, shadows swirling around him like sentient armor, responding to his every breath. His feet were steady, anchored not by gravity but sheer will. Behind him, Nortis and Noctis stood at attention, their forms tense, weapons ready. Nortis's cleavers emitted a faint hum of restrained fury, while Noctis's spear twitched slightly in anticipation, resonating with the tension in the air.
Thanos moved with deceptive calm, every step echoing across the steel. The two Infinity Stones embedded in his gauntlet—the Power Stone and the Space Stone—flickered ominously. The air around the gauntlet shimmered, waves of distortion rippling outward as if space itself was resisting the weight of its power. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes burned with purpose.
"You wear your defiance like a badge," Thanos said, his tone quiet but dangerous. "But you are nothing more than a shadow."
Alexander's expression remained unreadable. "A shadow is only feared when it moves."
For a long heartbeat, the void was silent.
Then, without warning, Thanos lunged forward.
The fabric of space cracked.
The Space Stone activated, warping the distance between them. One moment, Thanos was fifty feet away—the next, he was within striking range, fist glowing with the fury of the Power Stone.
Alexander raised his arm and conjured a wall of condensed shadow, absorbing the strike—but the blast was immense. The impact generated a concussive shockwave that sent both figures crashing through the ruined command deck. The hull split further, rupturing the floor into spiraling plates of steel.
Nortis moved instantly, slamming both cleavers into the hull to anchor himself, intercepting debris flying toward Alexander. Noctis darted across collapsing beams, generating a veil of black mist above them to shield them from atmospheric pressure spikes and incoming fire from distant fighters.
Alexander twisted midair, stabilizing himself with tendrils of darkness before landing on a jagged support pillar. His boots dug into the steel. Thanos emerged from a blast vent with smoke trailing off his shoulders, his expression calm but intent.
Alexander struck first.
He vaulted forward, spinning through the wreckage. His shadows lanced out like vipers, forming jagged spears that zigzagged toward Thanos from all directions. Thanos lifted the gauntlet, its glow intensifying. Space bent—several of the shadow spears were redirected harmlessly into the distance.
But three broke through.
They tore into Thanos's armor, grazing his chest and forcing him to pivot.
Thanos grunted.
"You're more persistent than I expected."
Alexander appeared behind him in a blur, wielding a massive blade forged from collapsed void matter. He brought it down with both hands. Thanos twisted, caught the blade with the gauntlet, and retaliated with a brutal backhand to Alexander's jaw.
The force was devastating.
Alexander crashed into the debris below, creating a crater within the Q-Ship's side wing. Metal plates shattered and alarms blared from the ship's dying systems. He lay still for a second—then pushed himself up, blood trickling from his lip.
"Persistent doesn't win wars. Precision does."
He clenched his fists.
His system responded:
[SHADOW MODE — STAGE TWO UNLOCKED]
[SYNCHRONIZATION RATE: 91%]
[WARNING: CORE DRAIN INCREASED — TIME LIMIT: 7 MINUTES]
The air around him shifted. The darkness surged. Shadow armor extended along his spine, wrapping around his chest and neck, forming layered plates. His form shimmered with dark energy as veins of silver-black light traced through his armor.
Thanos didn't wait.
He activated the Power Stone.
A beam of raw, destructive energy surged from his fist—purple and red, dense and angry. Alexander raised his arms, shadows spiraling upward in a protective dome.
The beam struck.
A roar of destruction echoed through space. The nearby asteroid belt trembled, several rocks splintering from the force. Parts of the Q-Ship were vaporized.
When the light faded, Alexander stood within a smoldering crater. His armor cracked and smoking. His body shook, but he did not fall.
Then he leapt.
Their fists collided midair.
The impact distorted the space around them. A ripple expanded outward, distorting nearby structures, scattering smaller fighters and pushing parts of the battlefield further into space. Even the dreadnought's sensors flickered momentarily.
Nortis was sent tumbling into a ruined engine coil. Noctis remained high, casting suppression fields to weaken Thanos's hold on gravitational control.
The two titans clashed again.
Each strike was thunder. Each movement echoed with silent violence. Alexander ducked under a punch, landed a crushing blow to Thanos's ribs, then followed with a knee to the jaw. Thanos stumbled back but retaliated, grabbing Alexander's cloak and hurling him upward through a spire of mangled hull.
Alexander fell.
But he landed on his feet.
Breathing. Bleeding. Standing.
"Why do you fight?" Thanos asked as he descended from above, gauntlet hand pulsing. "You cannot save them all. Half must die so the rest may thrive."
Alexander's voice was low, but unwavering. "Spoken like one who fears his own weakness. You hide behind balance to justify your obsession."
Thanos's expression darkened.
"And you fight for sentiment?"
Alexander met his gaze. "No. I fight because someone has to say 'enough.'"
A beat of silence passed.
Then the shadows surged around Alexander again, faster, sharper, deadlier.
Thanos raised the Gauntlet, gathering another blast.
Noctis's voice crackled over the comm. "Reinforcements from the dreadnought. Dozens of drop pods inbound. We need to move."
Alexander's eyes narrowed. He extended one hand.
A massive portal opened beneath Thanos's feet—a pit of shadows lined with clawing tendrils. Thanos fought back, slamming his gauntlet into the ground, forcing the portal to destabilize. The feedback blasted outward, knocking Alexander back.
He slid across the debris, bracing himself against a collapsed girder.
Thanos strode forward, unstoppable.
Alexander's system warned:
[STAGE TWO POWER THRESHOLD REACHED — BURN RATE EXCEEDING OPTIMUM LIMIT]
His vision flickered for a moment.
He wiped the blood from his mouth and exhaled.
"Then let's finish this."
The battlefield trembled.
To be continued.
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