Time and Space in Hand

Once every contingency was in place, Tony, Captain America, and Thor walked shoulder to shoulder out of the devastated ruins to face Thanos in his prime.

Thanos's gaze moved between Tony and Captain America. With his extraordinary battlefield awareness,

he sensed something strange about them. An indefinable wrongness clung to both men; their life trajectories and marks of time felt out of place.

But Thanos paid the anomaly little mind.

As far as he was concerned, these Earthly Heroes could not change the outcome. A few oddities would make no difference.

"Nebula told me your attempt to seize the Infinity Stones failed. You didn't gather all six."

Thanos's voice was low and raspy, thick with indifference and contempt.

"I thought you might manage The Snap before I arrived and bring back the half of this world's living beings who vanished. It seems I gave you too much credit."

With that, Thanos lost all interest in talking.

He saw no point in debating ideals with them. Gripping his formidable Tyrant's Blade, he charged straight at the three.

The three Avengers met him without hesitation, throwing everything they had into the fight. They clashed at once.

The three fought with dazzling, vicious precision. Their teamwork was flawless, a combination of some of Earth's greatest fighters.

But the gap in raw power was too great. Thanos was a veteran of countless battles, and he blocked and dismantled their attacks with ease.

Within a few exchanges, each of the three left an opening. Thanos seized every one, leaving them badly wounded on the ground.

"Thanos, your ambition will never succeed!"

"My counterpart in this Timeline succeeded, and I can do the same. Before long, every one of you will be dead.

Then I'll use your technology and intelligence to return to the past and