Gamora didn't give up. Her other hand shot forward, and a blade plunged straight into Thanos's neck.
At the same time, Nebula rushed in from the side. A blade extended from her dagger, and she drove it into Thanos's chest. Their coordination was swift and efficient, leaving Thanos seemingly unable to fight back.
As Thanos collapsed and gradually fell still, Nebula slumped to the ground as though all her strength had been drained away.
Gamora knelt on the floor, crying as she looked up at the sky. No one could tell whether her tears came from the joy of finally avenging herself or the sorrow of having killed the man who had raised her.
Inside a glass display case, the Collector applauded enthusiastically. Thanos had nearly killed him, and now the Mad Titan was finally dead. How could he not be pleased?
Drax also woke up at that moment. Staring blankly at Thanos's corpse, he froze in place. He hadn't personally avenged his wife and daughter, yet Thanos had died before his eyes.
Did that count as revenge or not?
"Are you mourning me, my daughters?"
Thanos's voice suddenly echoed through the room.
Gamora and Nebula froze and immediately looked toward him.
Thanos was still lying on the ground, his body radiating the gray aura of death.
"I know the two of you still care about me."
The corpse suddenly dissolved into a mass of red energy before disappearing entirely.
At the same time, as the red energy swept across the area, the surroundings began to change.
The Collector's orderly sanctuary was gradually consumed by flames, replaced by shattered ruins and devastation.
It became obvious that Thanos's forces had already ravaged this place. Everything they had seen before had merely been an illusion created by the Reality Stone. Now, the true state of Knowhere finally revealed itself.
Even the Collector, who had been clapping excitedly inside the display case, vanished together with the red energy.
Amid the burning wreckage, Thanos slowly stepped forward.
"Reality is often disappointing. But now, I can make it whatever I want."
As he spoke, he raised his left hand.
The red Reality Stone gleamed brightly. Beside it sat a blue stone and a purple stone.
Clearly, Thanos had already obtained the Reality Stone. Everything that had happened moments ago had been fabricated through its power.
"You knew we were here from the beginning..."
Gamora looked up at the towering Titan, her eyes red from crying.
"I did. And there are things we need to discuss, little one."
Gamora knew exactly what he meant.
The secret she had guarded for so long.
Her dagger lay nearby. She immediately moved to grab it, while Nebula charged forward at the same time.
Unfortunately, Thanos was faster.
He seized Gamora effortlessly and twisted her arms behind her back with one hand.
Gamora cried out in pain, forcing Nebula to stop in her tracks.
Thanos glanced at Nebula.
A flash of red light erupted from the Reality Stone.
Nebula instantly came apart into countless mechanical components. Most of her body had long since been cybernetic; Thanos had merely disassembled her with the stone's power.
Suddenly, someone charged in from the distance.
Drax.
He had thought Thanos was dead and that he'd lost his chance for revenge. Now that he realized Thanos was alive, the flames of vengeance surged through him once more.
"THANOS!"
Drax sprinted forward at full speed.
Before he could even get close, Thanos raised his hand.
A flash of red light.
Drax instantly transformed into a stone statue before shattering into pieces across the ground.
Seeing this, Quill stepped forward and aimed his blaster at Thanos.
"Let her go!"
Thanos sneered.
"Your little boyfriend?"
Quill immediately started firing off insults, but Thanos paid him no attention. To him, Quill was nothing more than an insignificant insect.
"Not him, Peter. Not him. Shoot me..."
Gamora suddenly spoke, reminding Quill of the promise he'd made.
Quill's eyes reddened, but his blaster remained aimed at Thanos.
"You promised me, Peter. This is the moment. Shoot!"
Gamora urged him again.
Reluctantly, Quill turned the gun toward her.
Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pull the trigger.
"You clearly don't have the courage. You overestimated him."
Thanos looked at Gamora before shifting his gaze to Quill.
"Do it. Kill her."
Quill still couldn't bring himself to act.
Thanos stepped forward and pressed Gamora's head directly against the muzzle of Quill's gun.
"KILL HER!"
Thanos roared.
It was obvious he didn't believe Quill had the nerve.
"Peter... do it. I told you before..."
Tears streamed down Gamora's face.
Quill was crying too.
Finally, he squeezed the trigger.
But instead of an energy blast, a stream of soap bubbles floated out of the barrel.
Both Quill and Gamora stared in shock.
Moments later, Quill's blaster itself dissolved into a handful of bubbles.
Clearly, this was Thanos's doing. The Reality Stone had altered the weapon itself.
A contemptuous smile crossed Thanos's face.
Blue light then flashed from his hand.
Space folded around him and Gamora, and the two vanished instantly.
The power of the Space Stone allowed him to travel anywhere at will.
After Thanos disappeared, Drax and Nebula gradually returned to normal.
With the Reality Stone's influence gone, reality restored itself.
Standing amid the sea of flames, Quill's expression slowly hardened with determination.
He bent down and picked up Gamora's fallen dagger, gripping it tightly.
---
In Wakanda, T'Challa and Erik sat atop the massive Black Panther statue.
Behind them stood Okoye, commander of the Dora Milaje.
"Your Majesty, the Dora Milaje and the forces of all the tribes are ready."
Okoye checked the information displayed on her kimoyo beads as she spoke.
"Notify the Border Tribe as well. M'Baku will definitely be interested in something like this."
T'Challa continued gazing out over Wakanda below without turning around.
"At once."
Okoye wasted no time and departed immediately.
"What's the plan?"
Erik never liked wasting words. He got straight to the point.
After all, T'Challa was the king.
"It's simple. Whoever comes, we fight."
T'Challa looked toward the sky.
"Wakanda possesses the most advanced technology on Earth. If we can't repel these aliens, then no one on Earth can."
The two alien warships had been impossible to miss. Even Wakanda's technology seemed insignificant compared to them.
"Come on. Shuri wants us."
Erik's kimoyo beads vibrated softly.
The two headed to Shuri's laboratory.
At the moment, Shuri was speaking with Nick Fury and the others via holographic communication.
"Perfect timing. Nick Fury was looking for you."
T'Challa and Erik took positions on either side of Shuri.
"King T'Challa, we need your help."
Nick Fury still sat with his chin resting on one hand, maintaining his usual serious demeanor.
"I'm sure you saw those two alien ships earlier. Tony and the others are currently aboard one of them. We're trying to establish contact."
He paused.
"At the same time, we need to assemble an army."
"An army capable of fighting back."
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