The sockets in the gauntlet, which should have held the six Infinity Stones in sequence, were now completely empty. The stones had vanished.
Tony Stark's mood plummeted like a roller coaster hurtling down a steep drop.
Tony stood up, the armor over his head flowing away as particles to reveal eyes that all but spat fire.
"Talk! Where did you hide the stones?!"
The agonizing pain of losing his arm had brought Thanos fully to his senses. Hearing Tony's furious demand, he immediately shook his head. "They're gone. Every last one!"
Pinned firmly by the Adamantine Sealing Chains, Thanos knew he had no hope of escape. Yet some of his bearing as a ruthless conqueror returned to his face, without the slightest dejection at being a prisoner.
The other Avengers had arrived as well. They jumped out of the hatch before the ship could land, just in time to hear Thanos give a low, derisive chuckle like a victor. "Just before you arrived, I realized I had to complete my mission ahead of schedule, so I destroyed the Infinity Stones completely."
Tony Stark's eyes were full of doubt. "That's impossible!"
"Heh. Don't believe me? I used the stones' power to destroy them completely." As though he had expected this, Thanos calmly countered, "Otherwise, how could I have fallen to you so easily?"
As he spoke, he raised his head, displaying the furrows burned by the Infinity Stones' power from one side of his face down to his arm, and stated a fact that chilled everyone's hearts.
"The Infinity Stones no longer exist in this world."
Listening to their exchange, Josen couldn't help feeling a pang in his balls. He had thought they had arrived early enough, but Thanos had actually destroyed the stones ahead of time.
Presumably, this was down