Chapter 5: You again?
Thanos activated his space stone and entered his old home, Titan. I saw him at that exact time he appeared before us, but all of us, except for Doc, were hiding.
"Oh yeah... you're much more of a Thanos," Strange commented, looking at the purple giant.
"I take it that the Maw is dead," Thanos said, a grim expression on his face that revealed nothing about him. Strange nodded slowly. "This day extracts a heavy toll," he continued. "Still, he accomplished his mission."
"You may, in time, come to regret that; he made you face-to-face with the master of the mystic arts," Strange said smugly. I hate that look on his face, to be honest.
Thanos tilted his head slightly. "Your powers are problematic, sorcerer. But you are vastly outmatched."
"We'll see about that."
Before Thanos could respond, a portal shimmered open beside him, and Wong's voice echoed through the air. "You talk too much." A blast of energy shot out, barely missing Thanos as he turned to deflect it with the gauntlet. The distraction was enough for the rest of us to spring into action.
I transformed back into the Hulk mid-leap, crashing into the ground in front of Thanos and delivering a massive punch that sent him sliding.
"You again?" Thanos muttered, shocked as he was.
"Nice shot, big guy!" Tony called, zipping around Thanos to keep him off balance.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man swung in, webbing the gauntlet and attempting to yank it off Thanos's hand. "Wow, this thing is really stuck!" Peter grunted, struggling against the titan's strength.
Thanos growled and hit Peter away like a fly, but Star-Lord was already there to cover him, firing his blasters and shouting, "Over here, Grimace!"
"FUCK THIS GUY!" I heard Hulk shouting, and as I slowly felt my subconscious going to the back of my mind, I knew what was happening... The Hulk was taking control.
The shift was instantaneous. My subconscious slid into the background, watching as the Hulk rushed forward. This wasn't just brute strength. This was me—us—fully unleashed.
"Back for another beating, beast?" Thanos said, there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Hesitation? Annoyance?
"NO MORE RUNNING, YOU PURPLE MAN!" Hulk shot. The first punch landed squarely on Thanos's chest, cracking the ground beneath him. The second was an uppercut that snapped Thanos's head back.
The titan staggered but retaliated quickly, swinging the gauntlet in a wide arc. The Power Stone flared, and an energy wave blasted outward. Hulk crossed his arms, absorbing the brunt of it, his massive form barely moving a few centimetres.
"You hit like a wimp!" Hulk growled, slamming both fists down onto Thanos's shoulders, driving him to one knee.
Tony and Strange seized the opportunity. Strange conjured glowing shackles that wrapped around Thanos's legs and arms, pinning him in place.
"Spider-Kid, now!" Tony shouted.
Peter swung in from above, firing webs at the gauntlet. "Gotcha!" he said, landing on Thanos's arm and pulling with all his strength.
Hulk joined in, his massive hands gripping the gauntlet and tugging. "You're not so tough without this, are you?!" But Thanos withdrew his hand just as the gauntlet was close to coming off.
Thanos growled, his muscles straining as he fought against their combined strength. "You think... this will stop me?"
"You're not so scary when you're outnumbered, are you?"
"Enough!" Thanos roared. The gauntlet burst again, this time with the Space Stone. A sudden gravitational force rippled outward, flinging all of us backwards.
Hulk hit the ground hard but rolled to his feet instantly. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted, slamming his fists together.
"Your persistence is admirable, Green Beast," Thanos said, rising to his full height. "But it will not change the outcome."
"FUCK YOU!" Hulk growled, creeping forward.
Strange floated upward. "Banner, we need to hold him just a little longer," he said.
Hulk growled. "BANNER?"
He jumped onto Thanos' head, pinning him to the ground. He raised his fist, in an attempt to punch Thanos, and he did, breaking Thanos' nose. But Thanos wasn't done, he headbutted Hulk, staggering him.
Thanos roared, his nose bleeding but his resolve unwavering. "You fight like a beast, but you lack the discipline of a warrior." With a swift motion, he used the gauntlet to create a shockwave that sent Hulk stumbling back.
But the Hulk wasn't fazed. He wiped the dust off his face, cracked his knuckles, and smirked—a terrifying grin that made even Thanos hesitate. "You talk too much, Purple Man."
Hulk charged again, tackling Thanos with enough force to shatter the ground beneath them. He grabbed Thanos by the arm with the gauntlet, holding it in a vice-like grip.
"You think you're unstoppable because of this shiny glove?" Hulk growled as he squeezed. "I'll show you what real power is."
Thanos strained against the Hulk's grip. Hulk slammed Thanos into the ground again, creating a crater as he landed a barrage of punches.
"Doc, now's the time!" Tony yelled.
Strange nodded, conjuring an intricate spell. Runes glowed brightly around Thanos, binding him in place. For a moment, it seemed like victory was within reach.
But Thanos wasn't finished yet, he activated the Space Stone. A blue aura engulfed him as he broke free from the magical restraints.
Hulk grabbed him by the wrist, his sheer determination pushing through the Space Stone's power. "You're not going anywhere!" Hulk growled, slamming his fist into Thanos's face again, shattering the ground beneath them further.
The Space Stone erupted with energy, sending Hulk sliding back.
Hulk leapt again, this time landing on top of Thanos and pinning him down. His fists hammered into Thanos's armour, cracking it like brittle glass. "YOU'RE NOT STRONGER THAN ME! LAST TIME WAS A... LUCKY ENCOUNTER!"
At this point, I'm just like... damn, I was like damn, Hulk has some serious shit against Thanos.
"You think you're untouchable because of these stones?" Hulk growled. "Guess what? Stones break too!" He raised a massive fist, aiming for the gauntlet.
Thanos struggled beneath Hulk's weight. For the first time, it looked like the Mad Titan was genuinely afraid. His left arm, the one wielding the gauntlet, trembled as Hulk's hand sealed around it.
The others weren't idle. Strange chanted a spell. Peter swung in with another web barrage, aiming to secure the gauntlet.
"Now or never, guys!" Tony called out, his arc reactor glowing more luminous by the second.
"DO IT!" Hulk roared, pressing his full weight into keeping Thanos pinned.
But just as Strange's spell began to manifest, the power store glowed as Thanos punched Hulk. *BOOM*
The explosion was deafening. The force sent everyone flying in different directions, a massive shockwave ripping through the battlefield.
Thanos emerged from the smoke, still standing. The gauntlet, now glowing with an ominous power, radiated power as the Power Stone flared once more.
"You think that hurt me, Purple Man?!" he growled, slamming his fists into the ground and causing it to vibrate. "You just made me angrier!"
"You are relentless, beast. But rage alone will not save you." With a wave of the gauntlet, he summoned a field of gravitational distortion, pinning Hulk momentarily to the ground.
Tony's voice cut through the chaos. "All right, team, we need to regroup! This isn't working—we need a plan!"
Strange raised a hand, summoning a swirling portal that deflected an incoming blast from Thanos. "No time for a plan, Stark. Improvise!"
"Improvise?" Tony muttered. "Great. That's my favourite kind of plan."
Spider-Man swung into action again, this time attaching webbing to the gauntlet and using every ounce of his strength to pull. "C'mon, c'mon, just let go already!" Peter shouted, his voice strained.
Meanwhile, Strange's hands moved in complex patterns, and glowing runes began to surround Thanos once more. "Hulk, hold him!" Strange commanded.
"WITH PLEASURE!" Hulk roared, breaking free of the gravitational force. He charged Thanos, slamming into him like a bull. The two titans collided, the ground beneath them shattered.
"You're done, Thanos!" Hulk growled.
Tony flew in. "On it!" He released a concentrated beam directly at the gauntlet, amplifying the energy of Strange's spell.
But then, a sudden surge of power burst from the gauntlet, an uncontrolled eruption of energy that sent everyone flying once again.