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TWENTY TWO | GREATEST GOOD, GREATEST NUMBER
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THE GUARDIAN OF the Sorcerer Supreme ascended on a ledge overlooking the scattered debris of what was once a home, peering into a gray, orange, and white striped sky. A chilly breeze nibbled at her face and she shook her head, unconcerned by the biting wind. As she shut her eyes, she imagined the horror that descended upon the civilization of Titan. Stephen revealed to them earlier Thanos' objective for universal genocide. He wanted to bring stability to the universe by wiping out half of all life at every level, as he believed its massive population would inevitably use up the universe's entire supply of resources and perish. Goosebumps pricked her skin as she imagined the screams, the cries for help, the desperation of Titan's people.
The scene that played in her head was cut off when she felt a warm presence at her right. She clasped her hands and gave a small smile after hearing the word, "Planner."
"Mr. Stark."
"Oh, please call me Tony. After all, we'll… you know, fight Thanos." He shrugged, anxious. There seemed to be a heavy burden that he was carrying and Cassandra could feel it even from where she was. It radiated from his honey colored eyes "Honestly, if you didn't come out of that portal in that park, I never would have pegged you for a witch."
"Is that… supposed to be a compliment, sir -- I mean, Tony?"
He paused for a moment, looking ahead blankly then nodded. "Yeah, yeah, it is. Clever disguise. Not a Superman type. Good job, planner."
Cassandra crossed her arms. "How are you really, Tony? How are you feeling?"
"Me? I'm fine. Terrific."
"How are you, really?"
He swallowed as if reluctant to convey what was on his mind, as if the image of him being a strong person would be shattered. "I'm scared. Nervous. None of us here knows what's going to happen -- well, except Strange, but he refuses to tell us exactly what would be its outcome."
"It's going to be okay, Tony. Stephen said it worked. You all just have to stick to what I told you to do. We'll be successful."
"You sure?"
"Aren't we always in the end?"
He slowly nodded before patting her shoulder. "We'll wait for your signal."
Tony stayed for a couple more minutes and left her alone with her thoughts. Cassandra understood her now teammate's anxiety about all of this. Threats like Thanos had been inside Tony's head for years, torturing him and driving him to create many Iron Man suits and an artificial intelligence -- Ultron, that he hoped would protect Earth, though that last part failed horribly. A little more hint coming from Stephen would be helpful, but he didn't want to say anything in fear it might change the whole result. He even kept it from her. That's how dire it was.
"Cassie..."
And just like that, the woman's shoulders relaxed and her body movements loosened. Spinning around, she came face to face with the love of her life, the Sorcerer Supreme. Stephen's face was stunning in every way, but it was his eyes that drew her in the most. People frequently make a big deal about the color of their eyes, as if it were something important, but his eyes would be stunning in any shade. They have an intensity, an honesty, and a softness about them. Cassandra enjoyed drowning in them everytime, forgetting that everythigelse existed. She loved how his gaze would make her feel like she was the only woman in the world. The woman didn't have to extend her arms to reach him, for he already gathered her in his arms, pulling her in for a tight and warm embrace as if it would be the last time they would be together. She furrowed her eyebrows, but she didn't protest and instead returned his hug. They remained in each other's arms for a couple of seconds until Cassandra's nose picked up the trail of forceful stench emanating from Stephen's clothes.
"You smell like shit, sweetheart. We need to get a shower when we get home."
Cassandra felt Stephen' chest rumble as he laughed, breaking their embrace. She could see the weariness in his eyes even though he was fighting it with all he'd got. His smile didn't even reach his eyes. Lifting his hand, his trembling forefinger traced her cheek, raising an eyebrow when the tip of his nail reached her full lips. It was like he was tracing her face for the last time, memorizing every detail like how an artist would keep a memory of his muse. Running his thumb over the vermillion of her lips, he fished out a red lipstick from the pocket of his robes, handing it to her.
Cassandra hollered, amused and amazed that her boyfriend was carrying such an accessory. "You had this with you all this time?" She popped it open and applied it on her lips, puckering her lips as she felt complete.
He nodded, "Thankfully, yes, or you won't fight Thanos because you're not wearing your favorite shade of lipstick."
The sorceress laughed, slapping the shoulder of her partner. He returned her delight by squeezing her waist and she winced, forgetting to warn him that she had a bruise over that area. "Are you okay?" Stephen's expression swiftly morphed into worry.
"Yeah, yeah. I just have a bruise over there, sweetheart."
"You have a what?" Stephen commented, sounding upset.
"Stephen -- "
"You should've told me you're hurt…"
"I'm okay."
The Guardian knew her partner hated seeing her hurt -- wounds, bruises, even scratches, he hated them all. Ever since Cassandra's back was sliced open by that monster they fought weeks ago, he would fuss over her like a doctor that had a patient in critical condition whenever she got hurt. Cassandra gripped Stephen's hands that were now on her face and kissed his right palm. If she hadn't fallen deeply in love with him more, she did now. Stephen Strange was the focus of not only her attention right now, but also her soul and mind. She wouldn't mind getting hurt again and again if it meant he was safe and whole. "I'm going to be okay, Stephen. I've endured worse than this."
He nodded, just squeezing her hand in return as a reassurance. Cassandra didn't know why but she felt like there was some internal ticking clock counting down to zero to seal their fate. "Do you think my plan will work, Stephen?" softly asked the woman, fear laced in her tone.
"I have absolute faith in you." was his only response that she glanced at him, her eyes tight and worried. Within a second, Stephen pulled her close by her nape and connected their foreheads together. "Not just as your Sorcerer Supreme, but just me. I believe in you, Cassie."
Cassandra's lips trembled. She felt as if she'd misplaced a crucial reference point. She was unsettled, upset by abrupt shifts that forced her to venture into unfamiliar ground. She was restless because she was so uneasy. Her life's equilibrium was being thrown off. "We're going to get through this together."
Both of them held onto each other like it was the last time, like the world was falling apart around them and there was nothing they could do to stop it.
The battle hasn't even begun, but why did she feel like they already lost?
Their world had come to a full halt. A ghostly quiet hung in the air, accompanied by the whisper of his smoldering breath rising in gasps and lingering in the air. That is until an odd crunching sound startled them both, and they jerked away from each other. Alerted, the couple conjured sparking mandalas, ready to attack whoever interrupted them only to discover it was the muscled alien man from the other team, Drax.
"Mighty Agamotto, you scared us." breathed out Cassandra, letting down her guard. "How long have you been standing there, Drax?"
"Thirty minutes."
The couple shared a glance before Stephen uttered, "Are you serious?"
Drax stood imperceptibly still in his position. "I’ve mastered the ability of standing so incredibly still that I’ve become invisible to the eye, wizard. Watch." He unsheathed his gun which caused a loud noise. "My movement… it's so slow, it's imperceptible. I’m very sure I’m invisible."
"No, you're not." Stephen sighed in frustration, removing himself from Cassandra's grasp. "Do you even know the definition of invisible?"
"Stephen, I think it's best if we don't tell him he's not invisi – "
"Hi, Drax!" cheerfully greeted Mantis, coming into their view.
"Dammit!"
"Hello, Cassandra… and Cassandra's friend."
Stephen hung his head low and turned to face her. "And the fate of the entire universe is also placed in their hands?"
"YOU ALL KNOW what to do." confronted Cassandra, gathering everyone into a circle since Stephen had just warned them that Thanos was coming. One final huddle because there was going to be a minor change in the plan. Thanos' other adopted daughter, Nebula, had just arrived and Cassandra knew exactly where to insert her in the scheme. "Don't stray from the plan. One wrong move and the whole thing goes to shit and he wins. We cannot let that happen." Glancing at everyone, with an air of finality, she proclaimed, "Remember, today, we have to be soldiers, everyone, soldiers. And that means to hell with what happens to us."
The tension in the atmosphere was dark, unwelcoming. A heart-hurting dread like there was a guillotine hanging over their heads. "Peter Quill, and Peter Parker. I can't call you both by your full names, so you, space guy, will be Peter one and you, kid, will be Peter two, got it?"
The two nodded, smiling slightly, and they all dispersed over to their dictated positions when Stephen warned them once again. "Any minute now."
Cassandra unsheathed her dagger, silently praying to the divine gods they will be borrowing vast amounts of mystical energy to grant them the success of this battle. "We're going to be okay." She said, even in the face of uncertainty. "We'll go home and we'll see Moon-Young and Jae-Hyuk again."
Silence. Painful silence.
"Promise me you're not going to do anything rash." mumbled Stephen, his gaze still straight ahead.
The Guardian's eyes flickered over to her partner. "I can't."
"Then, try, Cassie. Try not to, please."
A glowing blue portal then split through the air and opened, presenting a giant purple alien who confidently stepped in. Their enemy's height reminded her of that huge Philistine in the story of David and Goliath. "Oh, you’re much more of a Thanos." remarked Stephen, acknowledging his presence. Both he and Cassandra were sat atop a dusty and creaking stairs, their chins high.
Cassandra would be lying if she said that she wasn't nervous because she was, but she didn't let it distract her too much. She'd like to think that this was just a crisis in an event she was handling, one that was going to be averted and solved immediately. Her heart stumbled over its own rhythm as Thanos took a step forward towards them. "I take it that Maw is dead?"
Stephen nodded.
"This day extracts a heavy toll." he verbalized, sounding anguished. He ambled and Cassandra eyed him carefully, her grip tight on her dagger. "Still, he accomplished his mission."
"You may regret that. He brought you face-to-face with the Masters of the Mystic Arts."
Thanos paused for a moment, surveying around. He had no idea that they weren't ones on the planet and they already had a master plan on how to bring him down. "And where do you think he brought you?" He challenged just as the sorceress caught sight of Vesper hiding behind the nearby wreckage with her weapon ready.
"Let me guess. Your home?"
"It was." The Titan perched his foot on top of a rubble, smiling reminiscently. "And it was beautiful." Using the luminescent red stone in his golden gauntlet, Thanos transformed the deserted scenery into the beautiful lush environment the planet was before it was destroyed. Titan was vibrant, humming with life. The reflective greens of the landscape glowed brighter in the strengthening light and there was a feeling passing between each living thing, a bond that was tangible and blended. "Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, and not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution."
"Genocide." retaliated Stephen, distastefully.
"But at random," Thanos emphasized. "dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman."
Cassandra chose to finally speak up, telling the first thing that came to her mind. How could genocide be ever a solution? Who in their right mind would allow innocent lives to die? "Because it's true."
Thanos' eyes flickered to her and there it was, a glimmer of recognition, but he blinked it immediately away. Goosebumps rose over the Guardian's skin. There was no mistake that he somehow knew about her, but how? He returned to finishing his monologue, the illusion he put up fading into the true state of Titan. "And what I predicted came to pass."
"Congratulations." The Sorcerer Supreme vocalized, sardonically. "You’re a prophet."
"I’m a survivor."
"Who wants to murder trillions."
"With all six stones," Thanos shot back, snapping his fingers. "I could simply snap my fingers, and they would all cease to exist. I call that…" he paused, contemplating his next choice of word. "mercy."
At this, Cassandra rolled her eyes and stood up, slowly transfiguring her dagger into a sword. "Gods, you're delusional. Sacrifice the few to save the many. You're nuts."
"Delusional?" Thanos repeated, narrowing his eyes at her. "When all I want is to save these civilizations from the same overpopulation tragedy that befell on my race? The greatest good for the greatest number."
Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, Cassandra recalled Spock's words in the Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan.
"Anyone who thinks of murdering millions of innocent lives as a solution is delusional in my book." shot back Cassandra, growling. "You have no right to dictate who lives and who dies, Thanos. You're not a god."
"You, of course, do not see my point in this, child." His last word shivers down the brunette's spine as she recalled Dormammu calling her like that as well. "I am doing what is necessary to save the planets of our universe. I am restoring balance. They will no longer suffer the same fate of starvation that my people endured."
"Balance, my ass."
"The planet Zehoberei no longer suffers from environmental hazards, global hunger, or any other form of violence, because I exterminated half of their population."
"Are you expecting an applause for that, Chowder? You're a psychopathic murderer. Anyone with a sane mind will never think of killing as a righteous cause."
"So, then what? What will you do once you've accomplished your goal?"
"I'd finally rest." Thanos claimed, smirking as if to show his superiority. "And watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills."
Cassandra swore she caught sight of Stephen's jaw clench just as she raised her sword. As a former medical practitioner, he ardently believed that every life is worth saving. "I think you’ll find," His eyes zeroed in and he harnessed two mandalas that covered the entirety of his fists. "our will equal to yours."
Thanos lifted his head just as the Guardian finally set the blade of her sword on fire. Its golden light reflected on her eyes, turning her jade colored eyes into molten gold. The woman's muscles were as stiff as they could possibly be. Her heart was thudding like a jackhammer and was about to burst. Her lungs were empty as a deep hole, but she was more than willing to march on. This was the moment she had been waiting for. A loud buzzing sound filled her ears, then everything went silent as she roared, "Now, Stark!"
Their enemy looked up in time to see a massive piece of wreckage coming down on him and tried to use one of the stones in his gauntlet to stop it, but it was too late. The huge piece of debris smashed onto him, immobilizing him.
"See that?" remarked Tony, flying in to flaunt his action. "Piece of cake, Quill."
Peter one – Peter Quill hovered in from the other side, reacting a, "Yeah, if our goal was to tick him off."
Vesper interrupted him by running and pushing him forward. "Stop whining and do your task, younger brother!"
Peter Quill was quite correct in his statement that they only enraged Thanos since the debris they used to trap him erupted and a fracture of amethyst-bright light peeped through which made Cassandra realize that their rival utilized the Power Stone. Decimating the wreckage that fell on him, he transformed them all into an endless swarm of furious bats with the Reality Stone. He directed them to attack Iron Man, forcing the latter to flee. At this, Spider-Man swung into the fight and used his synthetic webbing to blind Thanos and swung in to kick him in the face, before Drax the Destroyer quickly slashed his leg with his knives. Vesper leapt into the fight and struck her sword against the ground, generating a shockwave that almost threw their opponent off his feet.
Cassandra used this as an opportunity to jump in and summoned a mandala shield on her right hand, gleaming like star flame as he swung his hand as if to back slap her. She leapt away and swung her sword in a flat arc. Her blazing blade landed flush with his ribs, slicing him open. Nothing more satisfying than making a clean hit with a blunt instrument, she thought.
Stephen then conjured a sword made of pure eldritch magic to engage Thanos in close combat, as did Vesper and Drax. By then, Thanos was fending off against four swordsmen. Soon, their weapons were clanging and clangorous under the seething, spite-filled sky. But, the Titan was swift in composing himself and overwhelmed them all easily, managing to land a heavy blow against Drax through several stones and blocking Stephen's attack. She watched with wide eyes as the Sorcerer Supreme summoned a shield, absorbing the livid force of his kick, but this forcefully knocked him back.
Thanos then effortlessly caught the sword slash of Vesper and was about to kick Cassandra, but she thrusted up her shield and wielded her pent-up fusion of mystical energies to stand on her ground. He swatted the blonde woman away from their fight, letting her crash against an abandoned shuttle just as the sorceress sent a tempest of shrilling and sissing arrows from a spell she evoked. Seven of them hit Thanos and this drove him more furious than before. He swung his fist down on her and it collided with her magical barrier. He attempted to overpower her with his raw strength, yet the Guardian casted several lightning strikes at Thanos, disorienting him. Still, he attempted to advance towards Stephen, only for his path to be blocked by the Guardian.
"You wanna get to the Sorcerer Supreme, Barney? You're gonna have to go through me."
Thanos' lips curled into a sinister smile. "You are swift, Guardian. But, I can sense your fear. You are afraid of me."
Cassandra's fingers wrapped round the comfortably worn hilt of her sword, and within a blink of an eye, she summoned an orb of scorching fire in her left palm, a spawn of a heartless heaven that its lances of molten-gold beams splashes onto the sandy ground. As it washed their battlefield with a pale orange glow, Cassandra's wrath smoldered as well, flaring hotter. The corners of her crimson lips quirking upwards. "Oh, but fear is a requirement of courage, Thanos. It's what will make us all prevail today."
Then, the Guardian swung her blade within inches of his neck.