Chapter 272: Guardians of the Multiverse (2)

[Third Person's PoV]

After Bruce and Harry both gave a thumbs-up, confirming their participation, Carter turned toward the Watcher. "Now that almost everyone has agreed to join, I think you owe us an explanation."

"What exactly are we dealing with here?" Gamora asked as she sat at one of the tables, crossing her legs.

The Watcher sighed. "Your worlds are either already under attack or soon will be—by Ultron. An artificial intelligence elevated to a cosmic being thanks to an enhanced synthetic body and the power of the Infinity Stones."

As he spoke, Doctor Strange conjured an illusion of Ultron. The projection revealed a being with Vision's body, encased in armor resembling Ultron's design. The armor was adorned with the Infinity Stones, and in one hand, he wielded a metal lance.

Small magic circles appeared as six differently colored stones manifested around them. Doctor Strange, now joining the conversation, explained, "The Infinity Stones are objects of unfathomable power, each controlling a fundamental aspect of existence… and Ultron possesses all of them."

T'Challa grinned. "I might be able to help with that. I have stolen from worse."

"Seriously? You really are from another planet," Killmonger scoffed.

"You guys are lucky to have me aboard," Felicia added with a proud smirk. "There's no greater thief than me!"

"Don't underestimate him," Peter warned, leaning back against the bar with his arms crossed. "If you do, you'll only get yourself killed."

Gwen nodded. "As the pervy Watcher said, he's an artificial intelligence. That means he'll be smarter than most opponents you've faced."

"Not to mention that he's capable of wielding these so-called Infinity Stones," Harry added.

Doctor Strange continued, "We believe the only way to stop Ultron is to separate his body from the stones." He then delved deeper into Ultron's capabilities.

Carter frowned slightly as she sat down. "There's a problem, though. Ultron could be hiding anywhere in the Multiverse."

"Behind an army of killer robots," T'Challa added.

"Afraid so," the Watcher confirmed.

"And armed with the full set of Infinity Stones?" Gamora finished, crossing her arms.

Everyone stared at the Watcher.

"I never said this mission would be easy," he replied awkwardly.

"This is practically a suicide mission," Killmonger said, exasperated.

Thor, lounging comfortably in a chair, raised a hand. "Is there perhaps a dimension where Chinese food has interdimensional delivery?" he asked with a chuckle, patting his stomach.

"Chinese food sounds fantastic…" MJ muttered, a hint of drool forming.

Peter and Gwen facepalmed while the rest of the team chuckled.

Doctor Strange and the Watcher stood in awkward silence before Strange leaned over and muttered, "You picked them."

The Watcher's shoulders slumped with visible weariness.

---

Later, they all sat around with their own orders of Chinese food. MJ appeared to be the happiest, swaying side to side with a grin as she swung her feet under the table.

"How exactly are we going to find this guy?" Lizzy asked, taking a bite of her meal.

"You can leave that to me," Thor said confidently, spinning Mjolnir in his hand. "I don't mean to brag, but I've been told I excel at attracting unwanted attention." With that, he unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning toward the ceiling.

"That could be useful…" Gamora admitted as they continued discussing their plan to extract and destroy Ultron's Infinity Stones.

Meanwhile, Peter was only half-listening. He discreetly beckoned Doctor Strange over with a small wave of his hand.

Curious, Strange walked over. "What is it?"

Peter removed his watch and placed it on the bar, sliding it toward Strange. "Their plan might work initially, but we can't be too sure. I want a countermeasure in case it fails," he said in a low voice.

Doctor Strange gave him an approving nod. "It's good to have a backup plan. What do you have in mind?"

"I need your magic to help me create something with this," Peter replied. "And I want it to stay between just you and me."

…

"How would you even go about destroying an Infinity Stone?" Gwen asked, giving Gamora a skeptical look. "As far as I'm aware, they're indestructible. Maybe the only way to destroy one is with another Infinity Stone?"

"I have just the thing for the job," Gamora said smugly. She reached to her side and pulled out a compact device, which rapidly expanded, revealing a powerful-looking shredder.

"I call this... the Infinity Crusher!" she proclaimed dramatically.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Where did you even pull that from?"

"Don't worry about it," Gamora said dismissively.

Harry, just as curious, chimed in. "Wait, do you have some sort of hammerspace?"

Thor's eyes lit up. "A space for hammers? I could use one! Where might I purchase this 'Hammer Space'?" he asked excitedly.

Felicia smirked. "He's not very bright, is he?"

Gamora quickly redirected the conversation. "Where I got it from doesn't matter. What matters is what it does."

As the team gathered around to inspect the machine, Gamora explained, "This bad boy is designed to disintegrate the Infinity Stones into dust."

"How convenient..." Killmonger muttered sarcastically.

"Maybe that's why she was chosen," MJ suggested. "I mean, there has to be a reason each of you were picked for this mission."

Carter nodded. "We all have a part to play. As long as we stick to the plan, we should be successful."

Thor cleared his throat. "It doesn't seem like everyone got the plan. Maybe you could repeat it for them?" He gestured toward the others. "I mean, I totally understand it—down to every detail—but the others might need a little refresher." He grinned uncomfortably.

Carter rolled her eyes. "The plan is simple: We draw Ultron in, ambush him, steal the Soul Stone from his possession, and pass it to Gamora so she can destroy it—thus, destroying Ultron."

She glanced around the group. "Everyone ready?"

One by one, the team signaled their readiness—Peter pulling down his mask, T'Challa tapping his Star-Lord helmet into place, and others preparing their weapons.

The Watcher observed them solemnly. "I wish you all the best of luck."

Felicia grinned. "Don't worry about that. With me around, there's plenty of good luck to go around."

A brilliant flash of blue light engulfed the group, transporting them away from the pub.

---

They reappeared inside a vast, open cavern under a star-filled sky on a desolate, blue-hued planet. No signs of life were visible.

Peter, ever resourceful, used his webs to create a hammock, where he and his girls lounged, swinging back and forth as they waited.

Doctor Strange stood nearby, weaving protective spells.

Carter, arms crossed, eyed their surroundings warily. "How can you be so sure we're safe? Or that Ultron won't just show up immediately?"

Strange didn't look up from his spellcasting. "Because this planet is devoid of life. It doesn't align with his goals, making it the perfect battleground."

However, before he could say more, he suddenly winced, clutching his arm in pain. His hand twisted, momentarily transforming into an eldritch tentacle before returning to normal—only for it to morph into snakes and shift back again.

Carter frowned. "What happened to you?"

Strange's expression darkened. "The same thing that happened to you… Love."

Peter, still swinging, muttered, "Damn, that's deep."

Harry and Lizzy approached the hammock. "Make room."

MJ shifted slightly, allowing them to join. Now, all six of them swayed gently, completely at ease.

Gamora, watching their carefree nature, frowned. "How can you all be so relaxed? We're about to face a cosmic being who threatens the entire Multiverse!"

T'Challa and Killmonger exchanged curious glances, wondering the same.

Peter and the others looked at one another before responding in unison, "Because we're strong."

Harry grinned. "And because we always work as a team. We've got each other's backs."

Lizzy shrugged. "With that, there's nothing to worry about."

Bruce, seeing their confidence, let out a small chuckle. The tension in his shoulders eased. 'If these kids aren't worried, why should I, as their elder, be any different?'

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