The Final Initiative

20.

A/N : Farmer Thanos is an AESTHETIC.

Thanos sat heavily in front of his fading fire, wincing sharply at the effort because of the wounds that had exploded across his face and down his arm to his hand. The hand that had once held the gauntlet a month ago, was left burnt to a crisp, and hung limply at his side. All he had wanted was for things to be perfectly balanced, and with his relentless will... he got what he set out to achieve. This was the price, a weak and tattered body, but to him it was all worth it.

At the end of the long day, the Mad Titan defeated the Avengers after nearly six years of knowing their presence. Since Tony Stark flew the nuclear bomb through the tesseract portal and destroyed the alien war craft. He had his mind set on cleansing the galaxy and then he could finally rest. However for him, his actions would not go without consequences. When will he learn? That his actions have consequences. As he prepared to fix up his supper for the night, a strange disturbance vibrated in the air.

He looked up from the fire just as a blast of plasma exploded through the wall of his hut, going as fast as a bullet. There was no way to be prepared for the angry woman that pushed her way inside of the space with flames erupting from his eyes and skin. She pushed Thanos swiftly to the floor, and kicking him back to the wall. Not waisting anytime, she flipped over him and wrapped her arm around his neck. Bruce Banner wearing the large hulk-buster suit pushed through the bottom of the wooden floor and gripped his arm tightly.

      Rhodey was there as well, breaking down the door and securing his other arm so that the Titan couldn't get away. The fire was left to burn on the ground. Carol tightened her grip on his neck, holding him steady. Thanos was now restrained by the Avengers and critically weakened. He hardly looked like the same monster that attacked earth three weeks ago. Thor flew in from the hole in the door of the hut, swinging his storm-breaker harshly and slicing his gauntlet covered arm clean off. It landed with a thud just beside him. Thanos let out a pained, shocked growl at the sudden act.

      Jessi walked with Steve Rodgers and Natasha Romanoff as they entered in from the main entrance of the hut, the deep horizon of the alien planet behind them. Her iron man gloves were powered up and prepared to shoot if Thanos tried to do anything. The gauntlet laid down on the ground, the Infinity Stones not visible. She couldn't believe that it was him. He looked battered, and half dead already. Her teeth gritted together as the memory of her friends fading away replayed. It was him, all of this was him. She aimed her repulser.

      He had frozen her mid-air, forcefully taking the time stone that Strange had trusted her to keep. Now he was gone, because of Thanos. What happened to his arm and the side of his sunken face was similar to what happened to Jessi's arm. She looked to Steve, waiting for him to make the first move. Rocket walked towards the severed arm that was covered with the golden glove and pushed it over. The air left Jessi's chest as the emptiness took over.

The stones were gone.

"Oh, no" Rocket whispered gravely.

"Where are they?" Steve demanded, his voice dark.

      Thanos remained quiet momentarily as he strained against the Avengers holding him down. Carol squeezed her arm around his neck sharply "Answer the question" she hissed.

"The universe required correction" he eventually spat "After that... the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation" he told Steve.

Doctor Banner darted forward angrily "You murdered trillions!" He yelled, shoving Thanos across the room using his bulky armored suit. He landed heavily on his back, struggling as he propped himself up with his elbow.

"You should be grateful" he muttered in return.

Jessi thought of her tormented father, her dead boyfriend, and many dead friends, along with half of the population of the universe "Grateful?" she echoed, hardly audible. Her ironed hand fell slowly down to her side as she realized that he was no longer threat to them now. He's too far gone. Whatever happened to him during these past few weeks had taken his fighting ability far away. Just what had he done to the Infinity Stones? "Where are the stones?" Jessi asked, her eyes wide in utter dread

"Gone. Reduced to atoms"

"You used them two days ago!" Bruce yelled.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones" he explained weakly. Jessi's head began to ache as she tried to comprehend just what he was saying to them "It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be. I am inevitable"

"W-e have to tear this place apart" Rhodey darted his eyes around the room "He has to be lying"

Nebula stepped closer to Thanos, already knowing full well that this maniac was telling them the truth "My father is many things... A liar is not one of them"

      Thanos gazed upon his daughter almost thoughtfully, the anger in his tone had slipped away. The daughter that he ripped apart and put back together countless times "Thank you, Daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly..." he said softly. Nebula dropped her eyes to the ground. A sudden ripple through the air changed the tone as quick as the snap of a finger. Thor grunted as he swung his massive hammer out from nowhere. Jessi jumped back as the blade sliced through the Titan's neck. She closed her eyes, hearing the thud of his head colliding with the floor.

"What... what did you do?" Rocket asked quietly.

Thor stood motionless, staring at the fallen killer who laid before him. It was almost as if he couldn't believe that he had just actually destroyed him "I went for the head..." he said in a dazed tone, letting the blade of his ax rest at his feet. Jessi opened her blue eyes, feeling her shoulders drop at they all gazed upon the empty gauntlet.

"We're not getting them back" she said out-loud as a dark cloud settled over her. She then slumped out from the hut and down the stairs, and into the sunlit yard of his now empty home. Everyone was gone, for infinity.

:(