Real-Life Myth

Fifteen.

Iron Man slides out from behind the shield, letting the angled energy push him away for a faster start, and whips back to Thanos full thrusters. He kicks at the Titan with his left foot, turning the boot into a ground clamp at the same time to pin the gauntlet, and keeps twisting while his left glove becomes a ram again, slamming into Thanos's face, cutting his cheek.

Thanos pants. "All that for a drop of blood." He smiles before punching Iron Man. . . But his fist never meets Tony. Lana stands in front of both Iron Man and Thanos, holding the Titan's fist. Her arm is dripping in blood and her armor has been cut in some spots but she remains firm- determined. Thanos is surprised to see her looking so confident. "Didn't you learn your lesson already, little Asgardian?"

Lana snorts. "Perhaps I would've if I were Asgardian," she comments. The two stare at one another before Lana blasts his knees with her magic (and Quill's gun). He starts to fall. She then sucker punches him in the face and, jumping onto him, wraps her legs around his neck. Lana summons a sword in her hands (a truly beautiful sword with snake carvings in the hilt), holds it above hers and Thanos' head, and is about to stab him through when he blasts her off with the Power Stone. She falls off him, the sword clattering with her.

Thanos stands. "Where were we?" He punches Iron Man a second time, this time hitting him and sending him pinwheeling, then starts beating him with his fists. Tony attempts to block the blows with his forearms, but Thanos is relentless, picking him up by the helmet and blasting his midsection with the Power Stone. The gaps in nanite coverage are now gaping, as the armor loses the ability to recover from the intensity and extent of the damage. Iron Man lands hard from the Power blast, struggles to one knee and fires his right hand repulsor at the inexorable Thanos; the beam is easily deflected by the gauntlet. He gets to both feet as the suit tries to complete repairs, adding the beam from his left hand as well. Thanos walks right up to him, and backhands the incomplete helmet completely off Tony's head. He crosses his arms to block a blow from Thanos's gauntlet, and has his left hand caught over his head. In desperation, he forms what's left of his right glove into a shortsword, which is also easily caught by Thanos, snapping it off clean and driving it through Iron Man's left side. The fight is over. Thanos walks Iron Man back until he sits, and places the gauntlet almost comfortingly on Tony's head. "You have my respect, Stark. When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive." He lets go, straightens, and steps back. "I hope they remember you."

Iron Man's just a little distracted with the pain, and blood drooling out of his mouth, and compromised breathing. Thanos raises the gauntlet and closes his fist with all four Stones glowing.

"Stop!" Strange yells, sitting up and sounding entirely damaged. "Spare his life. . . and I will give you the stone." Strange looks to Lana. She nods.

"Both stones," Lana says, shakily leaning up on her arms.

"No tricks." Strange and Lana shake their heads as Thanos points all four Stones at the two of them instead.

"Don't. . .!" Tony protests.

Strange reaches up and plucks the Time Stone out of its hiding place in the stars. He opens his hand, the scars on his fingers and their inherent trembling particularly obvious now, and the Stone floats to Thanos's bare hand. Strange watches him intently, as he takes the Stone and drops it into the thumb setting, the energy pulse making the Titan wince. Lana concentrates really hard, her palm outstretched. The blue Stone appears and she extends it to Thanos. The Titan takes it and slots it with the bloody fake one.

"One to go," he states. An energy blast hits the gauntlet right in the empty Mind Stone setting, and Thanos grimaces in surprise. Quill screams in incoherent rage, helmet up, firing with both hands and flying straight for Thanos. Thanos doesn't even bother responding to the assault; he just leaves. Star-Lord flies through where Thanos had been and crashes, rolling several times. He lands next to Lana who's still laying on the floor. Quill grabs her and helps her stand up as he does the same while also dehelmeting.