-Broadcast-
Thanos narrowed his eyes, turning his attention to Loki with calculating suspicion. Before he could fully process what the trickster meant by his declaration, a thunderous roar erupted from somewhere within the wrecked ship.
The Mad Titan's head snapped toward the source of the sound. In that split second of distraction, Loki seized his opportunity. He released the Tesseract, letting it clatter to the floor, and tackled Thor, pulling his brother down and out of immediate danger.
From behind a pile of debris, an enormous green figure exploded into motion. The Hulk charged forward with devastating speed, his massive form a blur of green fury. Thanos, caught off-guard by the sudden assault, had no time to brace himself. The Hulk slammed into him with the force of a battering ram, sending the Mad Titan flying backward across the chamber.
Thanos crashed into a support column with a resounding impact that shook the walls. Before he could recover, Hulk was upon him, roaring with primal rage. The green giant's fists became a blur of motion, delivering a relentless barrage of punches. Each impact landed with bone-crushing force—left hook, right cross, uppercut—a savage combination that drove Thanos back with each blow.
The Mad Titan stumbled backward under the assault, his feet sliding across the blood-slicked floor. Hulk pressed his advantage, his fury overwhelming, driving Thanos back until the Titan's shoulders slammed against the wall. Without hesitation, Hulk lunged forward and wrapped his massive green hands around Thanos's throat, squeezing with murderous intent.
Black Dwarf, witnessing his master being throttled, took an aggressive step forward, his weapon raised. But before he could intervene, Ebony Maw's elongated arm shot out, stopping him with a gesture.
"Let him have his fun," Ebony Maw said smoothly, his tone carrying complete confidence. There wasn't even a flicker of concern in his voice, as though he were watching a minor inconvenience rather than his master being strangled.
Against the wall, Thanos's hands came up, gripping Hulk's wrists. The green giant's eyes widened in shock as he felt resistance—real resistance. With methodical, controlled strength, Thanos began to pry Hulk's fingers apart. Muscle strained against muscle, raw power against raw power.
Hulk couldn't believe what he was experiencing. His hands, which had crushed alien leviathans and torn through Chitauri war machines, were being forced open. Someone was matching his strength. No—someone was overpowering him.
With a sudden explosive movement, Thanos wrenched Hulk's hands away from his throat and shoved them downward. Before Hulk could react, Thanos delivered a sharp, precise strike to the green giant's throat. The blow landed perfectly, causing Hulk to emit a pained whimper as he stumbled backward two steps, his hands instinctively going to his neck.
Hulk shook off the pain, rage flooding back through him. He roared and launched another powerful punch at Thanos's face. But this time, the Mad Titan was ready. Thanos shifted his weight, deflecting the incoming fist with his forearm, and immediately countered with two brutal punches to Hulk's face in rapid succession.
BAM.
BAM.
Hulk's head snapped to the side with each impact, but his pride wouldn't let him back down. Still unconvinced that anyone could truly match him in physical combat, he wound up for another massive haymaker. The punch came in with tremendous force, but Thanos, despite his size, moved with surprising agility. He ducked under the swing, and as Hulk's momentum carried him forward, exposing his back, Thanos drove a devastating punch into the green giant's kidney.
The blow sent Hulk stumbling forward, pain flaring through his body. He whirled around, fury burning in his eyes, and charged again. But Thanos was no longer caught off guard. He met Hulk's assault with clinical precision, delivering a calculated combination of strikes. A jab to disorient. A hook to the temple. An uppercut that snapped Hulk's head back. Each punch landed exactly where Thanos intended, and with each impact, Hulk's movements became more sluggish.
The final blow came as a devastating straight punch to Hulk's jaw. The green giant's eyes rolled back, his massive body going limp. Thanos caught the unconscious Hulk, lifted his enormous bulk overhead with both hands, and with a contemptuous grunt, hurled him down onto the metal floor.
CRASH.
The impact left a dent in the deck plating, and Hulk lay motionless, utterly defeated.
A wave of despair washed over the surviving Asgardians who had witnessed the fight. If even the Hulk—the unstoppable monster who had helped them defeat Fenrir—couldn't stand against Thanos, what hope did any of them have?
Thor, still pinned under the debris where Loki had pushed him, grabbed a metal rod from the wreckage. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forced himself to his feet and charged at Thanos. With all his remaining strength, he swung the rod at the Mad Titan's head.
The metal bar connected with Thanos's skull with a resounding CLANG.
The rod shattered into pieces. Thanos didn't have a single scratch.
The Mad Titan slowly turned his head, his cold eyes fixing on Thor with mild annoyance. Thor raised what remained of the broken rod, preparing to strike again, but Thanos moved faster. His leg shot out in a powerful kick that caught Thor square in the chest, launching the God of Thunder backward through the air.
Thor crashed into a pile of debris, the wind knocked from his lungs.
Ebony Maw stepped forward, his fingers weaving through the air as he whispered an incantation under his breath. At his command, metal fragments scattered across the chamber began to twitch and rise. Pipes, support beams, and shattered plating flew toward Thor like a swarm of metallic insects.
The metal wrapped around Thor's limbs, his torso, his neck—constricting, binding, forcing him down. Thor struggled against the bonds, but more and more pieces piled on, their weight and magical reinforcement too much even for his godly strength. He was forced to his knees, half-buried in the twisted metal prison, unable to move.
From his position on the ground, Heimdall watched through pain-clouded eyes. His life was slipping away, blood continuing to pool beneath him from the wound in his abdomen. He looked at Thor, trapped and helpless, and knew the truth: they had lost. There was no winning this battle. No escape.
But perhaps... perhaps he could still do something. One final act.
Heimdall's gaze shifted to the Hulk's unconscious form. The green giant was vulnerable, yes, but also not bound by the metal prison. If Heimdall could send him away—back to Earth, back to the Avengers—then perhaps someone could be warned. Perhaps Thanos's arrival wouldn't be a complete surprise.
It would cost Heimdall everything, but he was dying anyway. What was his life compared to the chance to save countless others?
With trembling effort, Heimdall raised his arm. His hand shook as he lifted it toward the ceiling, toward the stars beyond. His voice, once strong and commanding, now emerged as barely a whisper, but the words carried power nonetheless.
"All-Father..." Heimdall gasped, drawing upon the last reserves of his divine essence. "Grant me... dark magic... one last time..."
Golden light began to emanate from his palm, growing brighter and brighter. The air itself seemed to respond to his call. Above the Hulk's unconscious body, reality shimmered and split. Brilliant rainbow light—the unmistakable signature of the Bifrost—exploded into existence, swirling columns of cosmic energy that wrapped around the green giant.
The sudden appearance of the Rainbow Bridge startled everyone in the chamber. Thanos's head snapped toward the light, his eyes widening in recognition. But before he could move, before anyone could intervene, the Bifrost completed its work.
The Hulk vanished, pulled through space and time, transported away from the doomed ship.
Thanos's expression darkened with fury. He turned slowly toward Heimdall, his heavy footsteps echoing ominously as he crossed the chamber. Corvus Glaive stepped forward, offering his weapon—a double-bladed glaive with a wicked gleaming edge. Thanos accepted it without a word, his cold gaze fixed on the dying guardian.
He stood over Heimdall, looming like death itself.
"That was a mistake," Thanos said, his voice low and dangerous.
Heimdall's breathing was labored, each inhale a struggle. But he didn't respond to Thanos. Instead, he turned his head, his fading golden eyes finding Thor one last time. Their gazes met across the chamber—guardian and prince, friend and comrade. Heimdall's expression held no regret.
Thanos raised the glaive and drove it downward.
The blade pierced through Heimdall's chest with brutal finality.
"NO!!!" Thor's roar was raw and agonized, his voice breaking as he watched his oldest friend, the guardian who had stood watch over the Bifrost for thousands of years, die before his eyes.
Heimdall's eyes, which had seen across all Nine Realms and beyond, gradually dimmed. The light faded from them like stars going dark. His head slumped to the side, and the great guardian breathed his last.
A legendary life had come to its end.
Thor stared at Heimdall's lifeless body, his vision blurring with tears of grief and rage. When he spoke, his voice shook with barely contained fury.
"You will pay for this!" Thor snarled at Thanos, every word a promise of vengeance. "I will kill you! You will die for what you've done!"
Ebony Maw, finding Thor's threats tiresome, waved his hand with casual elegance. More metal bars flew to Thor's face, wrapping around his jaw and mouth, sealing them shut. The God of Thunder's muffled roars of rage were silenced.
Ebony Maw raised his index finger to his lips, making a soft "shushing" gesture, his expression one of mock politeness.
-Real World-
"Oh! My God! Hulk was defeated so easily?!" Scott's eyes were wide with disbelief, his voice rising in pitch.
Captain America frowned, his tactical mind trying to analyze what they'd just witnessed. "Did he use the Power Stone?" he asked uncertainly.
"No! He didn't!" Tony shook his head with absolute seriousness. His expression was grave, the implications clear. Thanos's strength was far beyond what any of them had anticipated.
Mysterio walked over to Banner and patted him on the shoulder in a gesture of solidarity. "It's okay! Wait for us to help you get revenge! We will help you get this place back sooner or later!"
Banner smiled bitterly at the encouragement. Seeing everyone's concerned eyes on him, he nodded in appreciation. He was very happy that he now had a group of reliable comrades.
Although Gamora and Nebula had told them that Thanos was a Titan with extremely high physical defense, no one had expected that Hulk's sneak attack—a full series of combos—would not only fail to injure him but result in Hulk being knocked unconscious so easily.
This really made them feel incredible.
General Ross also felt unbelievable. He had gone to such great lengths and made such a big fuss just to catch the Hulk. In the end, even his daughter had turned against him, and he still couldn't catch the Hulk.
Yet when it came to Thanos, he beat Hulk to the point where he couldn't take care of himself with just a few moves. Even Heimdall had to risk his life to send him away.
How did this make Ross feel?
After seeing Thanos's strength, everyone was a little worried. But there were a few exceptions.
Captain Marvel was ready to fight, eager even. Thor was itching for battle. If Thanos could defeat his awakened self, then he must be no worse than Hela. Thinking of this made him even more excited!
In her room, Hela watched the Asgardians lying in pools of blood, and a surge of anger inexplicably rose in her heart.
She was also an Asgardian. Although the Asgardians now did not recognize her, she undoubtedly still cared very much about Asgard.
She was the eldest princess of Asgard and the first heir to the throne. Her power over the people of Asgard and her power of life and death were all internal affairs of Asgard. What did this have to do with an outsider like Thanos?
He dared to wantonly murder the Asgardians, which was a disregard for Hela's majesty. When she was still alive, who dared to attack Asgard?
Those cosmic civilizations would be very lucky if they were not targeted by Hela's army!
The current Asgard had long lost its former glory. Under Odin's benevolent rule, no one dared to come and mess with Asgard!
Like the dark elves, and that one called Malekith, who directly invaded Asgard and killed her mother Frigga!
Thinking of Frigga, Hela suddenly realized something and lifted up her dress. As she gazed downward, a powerful seal with the power of the Vanir appeared beneath her chest.
"Mother... why..." Hela muttered to herself absentmindedly. She didn't quite understand why even her mother had wanted to help Thor seal her power.
"Mercy... if that thing works! How could Thanos kill those people so casually?!"
Hela didn't understand. She was obviously the one who was right, but it seemed that everyone was saying she was wrong. Even her mother didn't stand on her side!
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