The Strangest Feeling | Earth-56: Pilot part 1

Tony

The street was already ruined - buildings smashed, debris littering the street. The odd circular ship loomed overhead, and below it some twenty feet away stood two of what Tony could only assume were the Black Order, somehow much uglier in person than Wong had managed to convey in the library - especially the smaller one with pale, inhuman face, which Tony thought he recognized. Ebony Mouth? His taught, preaching voice rang out across the street.

"Today, you have been given a great honor. Not only may you die, but you may first give Thanos the Stone that will aid in his great cause."

"Listen, we're real flattered by your generous offer," Tony said dryly, raising his voice to carry across the distance, "But you can tell your boss this planet is protected and the Stone's not going anywhere."

The pale, inhuman face regarded him for a moment, unamused, before turning pointedly to Strange. "Does the insolent metal box speak for you?"

Strange stepped forward, brushing past Tony. He did something with his hands and the bands of spells circling them flared brighter, giving off a few sparks. "I speak for myself. However, on this occasion we seem to be in agreement. The Stone stays with us."

Ebony Maw sighed as if in genuine disappointment, and then spoke in a somewhat bored tone to the huge, scaly humanoid figure standing beside it. "Kill them."

The giant grinned in a horrifying display of fangs and started toward them, letting the axe in its hand drag across the ground to the sound of shredding concrete.

"Bruce," Tony said without looking away, "This might be a good time."

"About that..."

His tone beat out the misshapen giant in the Alarming Developments category, and Tony turned. "What?"

"That's not really... going to work out. I can't actually..."

Tony was keenly aware of Strange watching in vaguely derisive disbelief. Just what I needed.

Bruce deflated a little. "I'm sorry, Tony."

For a moment it occurred to him to wonder exactly what had happened to the scientist in the many months he had been gone. "Hey, don't worry about it. Wong, can you get him out of here?"

Wong gave a single nod. Tony thought Bruce might have started to protest, but by then the portal had already appeared, swallowed him, and vanished again.

"Alright," Tony said, turning back to the giant taking its time coming at them and holding up his hands, repulsors powering up with a whine. Thank god the mask made it easier to pretend that hadn't been weirdly embarrassing. "Guess it's just us."

The words had barely left his mouth when everything sprang into motion at once. The giant leapt suddenly, swinging the axe in a vicious arc. At the same moment a tree lying uprooted by the side of the road lurched toward them. Tony whirled and hit it with a beam of energy that nearly vaporized it, only to see no one behind it. What the hell? He turned in a wild circle, searching for his assailant, until his eyes came to rest on Ebony Maw. He was still twenty feet away, hands raised in a suspiciously good approximation of telekinesis.

"That's definitely cheating!" Tony shouted, just as movement flashed out of the very corner of his field of vision. The giant. Tony pushed off from the ground and into the air, lunging in front of Strange before the axe could hit the burning orange shield seared into the air above him. A blast from both repulsors sent the creature staggering back. Tony could feel the anger radiating off the sorcerer without even turning. He dropped gracefully back down to the ground a few feet from Strange but didn't let his eyes leave the fight.