Chapter 273: Guardian of the Multiverse (3)

[Third Person's PoV] 

"I take it you know the Captain Carter in your universe?" Carter asked Strange, catching onto his comment about love.

"No, actually, in my universe, it was Steve Rogers who was injected with the serum and became Captain America," Strange replied.

Carter smiled fondly. "Now that would be a sight to see."

Meanwhile, off in the distance, Killmonger sat alone, turning the broken head of the Ultron sentinel over in his hands—the same one Thor had brought back. He traced his fingers along the eye sockets, and as he completed a full rotation, a faint hiss escaped as the hidden mechanism clicked open.

"Do you guys trust him?" Gamora asked quietly.

"Of course," Thor said without hesitation. "I trust everybody," he added sincerely.

"Not really," came the simultaneous reply from most of the group lounging on the hammock, swinging idly back and forth.

Gamora raised a brow. "Why do you say that?"

MJ was the one to answer. "Because everyone here is doing this for selfless reasons. He's not. I'm pretty sure he's hoping to gain something from this."

While MJ's telepathic abilities were limited to those connected to spiders—or those she had woven her mental web around—her unique blend of Spider-Sense and psionic awareness gave her an instinctive read on people from the moment they met.

Gamora scoffed. "Selfless reasons? I'm doing this because my universe is at risk. I'm doing this because I live there. That's self-preservation, not selflessness."

Her words only seemed to amuse Peter and the others. Even with Gwen and Peter wearing their masks, their amusement was evident.

"What?" Gamora asked, her lips curling slightly.

Felicia smirked. "Well, aren't you just adorable?"

Harry shook his head. "You're trying to prevent the destruction of your universe. No matter how you phrase it, that's a selfless act."

Before Gamora could respond, Thor stepped forward, planting himself in the center of the group. "Hasten, friends! Tonight, we feast! For tomorrow, we fight!" He thrust Mjolnir into the air, sending crackling lightning arcing from the hammer.

Doctor Strange smirked, crossing his arms before forming glowing rings with his fingers. "In that spirit, I propose a toast."

He spread his hands apart, conjuring a large floating tray laden with drinks—each customized to the recipient. For the adults, there were strong spirits; for the younger ones, milder favorites: root beer for Harry, a strawberry-banana smoothie for Lizzy, a chocolate milkshake for Peter, and so on.

Cheers erupted as they each took their preferred drink. Strange cleared his throat and began, "A wise sorcerer once told me, to face death is also part of the plan. To confront it is to conquer our greatest fear—the unknown, the endless void, the vast nothingness of—"

An awkward silence settled as Strange continued his monologue.

Peter and T'Challa exchanged a look before simultaneously stepping forward and placing a hand on Strange's shoulder.

"I think you've said enough, Doctor," T'Challa said with a small smile.

"Yeah, let's let someone else have a turn," Peter added wryly. He then raised his glass. "Basically, what our dear sorcerer here means to say is: Let's go kick some cosmic butt—no fear!"

"To the Guardians of the Multiverse!" Harry and Felicia shouted excitedly.

The others echoed the toast.

As their voices rang out, Thor slammed his empty mug down and once again raised Mjolnir high. "TO THE GUARDIANS OF THE Multiverse!" he roared.

Electricity forked into the sky, crackling wildly.

Suddenly, all the Spider-People tensed. A cold, oppressive presence slithered into their senses, sending a shiver down their spines. Sweat beaded on their foreheads as they slowly looked upward.

Among the stars, the image of Ultron loomed, his form blending with the cosmos, watching them.

"So… there was life on this planet after all," his voice rumbled, omnipresent and chilling.

The group stiffened.

"Well," Strange sighed, rubbing his temples. "There goes the plan to wait until we were ready."

Thor turned back to the others with an unapologetic shrug. "In my defense, I did warn you—I excel at attracting unwanted attention."

"Uh… guys?" Gwen's voice cut through the tension.

They turned to follow her gaze.

In the distance, a fracture in reality had begun to form—a glowing breach in space itself. It widened, crackling with unstable energy.

From the breach, Ultron descended, gripping his metallic lance. His crimson cape billowed behind him, his piercing eyes locking onto them.

"Hold on, everyone!" Strange called, quickly forming an intricate hand sign. "Here comes a non-compliant spell!"

A massive golden magic circle manifested beneath him, branching out in radiant arcs that connected to smaller sigils beneath each of them.

"AH! Ah!" Thor yelped as his body suddenly tingled with an unfamiliar sensation.

"Yeah, you might feel this one a bit," Strange warned.

Golden sigils and glowing runes burst forth, latching onto their bodies and forming shimmering armor of pure energy from head to toe.

Surprised exclamations filled the air as each of them found themselves clad in radiant golden silhouettes of battle-ready armor.

Ultron hovered above them, his soulless gaze scanning the group.

The battle was about to begin.

Peter turned to Bruce with urgency. "I don't mean to sound pushy, but now would be a really good time to turn green and let the big guy get some fresh air."

"You won't hear any complaints from me!" Bruce said nervously. His body suddenly lurched as his skin shifted to green, his muscles swelling as he grew larger and stronger.

"What the—!?" The others stared in surprise as Bruce transformed in an instant.

As the Hulk emerged, he unleashed a monstrous roar, his breath visible in the cold air as spit flew everywhere. He slammed his fists together, a grin forming on his massive face. The golden armor enchantment from Stephen stretched over his enormous frame, making him resemble a gladiator for a brief moment before fading into invisibility.

"Hulk, you know what's going on, right?" Peter asked with a smirk.

Hulk grunted, nodding. "Hulk always watching! Hulk saw through tiny Banner's eyes." He then raised a massive finger, pointing at Ultron. "Bad guy, right?"

Peter nodded. "That's right. Bad guy."

"It's showtime!" Carter declared before calling out, "Watcher!"

A glowing blue portal opened behind them.

"See you on the flipside!" Killmonger said, swiping his hand over his face, summoning his Panther mask. He, T'Challa, Felicia, Lizzy, and Harry all leapt through the portal, disappearing into the unknown.

"I know how to deal with this party pooper!" Thor announced confidently, stepping forward toward the approaching Ultron.

"Wait, Thor! The plan!" Carter called after him.

"That idiot…" Peter muttered, exasperated. 'This is exactly why I made countermeasures in the first place…'

Bolts of lightning crackled around Thor as he grinned. "Viva Las Vegas!!" he shouted, hurling Mjolnir forward and unleashing a devastating blast of lightning straight at Ultron's chest.

Thor's battle cry continued as the lightning struck its target with full force, illuminating the battlefield.

But as the energy dissipated, Ultron stood unfazed, his hand outstretched, absorbing the residual electricity.

"What!?" Thor's eyes widened in shock.

"I must admit, I've never heard such a battle cry before," Ultron mused. "Oh well." The Infinity Stones embedded in his chest flared to life.

"Everyone, hold on!!" Peter shouted.

The ground beneath them suddenly cracked, fractures spreading rapidly. The entire mountain collapsed, sending them all plunging into a chaotic landslide of debris.

A massive dust cloud rose as the cavern crumbled, forming a hill of shattered stone. Ultron scoffed.

Then, a swirling golden portal opened above him.

With an earth-shaking roar, the Hulk dropped down from the portal, his hands clasped together like a hammer. He struck Ultron with overwhelming force, sending the machine crashing into the ground in a violent explosion of energy.

The earth trembled again. First, as Peter and Thor erupted from the rubble, sending debris flying in all directions. They stood within a protective sphere of golden runes, conjured by Stephen's spell.

Then, the second tremor came when Hulk landed back on top of Ultron, forming a deep crater.

Thor turned to Peter with excitement. "Spider! You wield lightning and possess extraordinary strength! We are of the same kind—you are my thunder brother! Rejoice!"

Peter shot him a glare. "The only thing I'm going to rejoice in is beating you senseless for ruining the plan."

Meanwhile, Ultron grimaced as Hulk repeatedly slammed him into the ground. "You green beast… You are always a problem, no matter the universe."

Two of Ultron's Infinity Stones glowed.

Before he could act, a blue flash streaked across the battlefield—Peter tackling Hulk out of the way.

A thin yellow laser burst from Ultron's forehead, slicing through the air.

Blood splattered.

A lone arm spun through the air before landing on the ground.

Peter and Hulk tumbled across the dirt. Hulk turned to Peter, ready to question him—until he saw it.

Peter's arm. Gone.

Blood poured freely from the severed limb, the wound cut cleanly through at the elbow. Peter gritted his teeth, gripping his bicep to slow the bleeding.

Gwen and MJ went pale.

"Why…" Hulk's voice trembled. He had always believed he was indestructible. That nothing could truly harm him. But now, his friend—his brother-in-arms—had sacrificed a limb for him. It made no sense.

Through gritted teeth, Peter forced a smirk. "Because I saw you die just now, you idiot. Be more careful next time. Infinity Stones can actually kill you if you're not careful. Losing an arm? I'd say that's a fair trade for your life, don't you think?"

Hulk's entire body began shaking. Green gamma energy seeped from his skin, making his hair stand on end as pure rage overtook him.

His head snapped toward Ultron.

"URGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Hulk roared, the earth trembling beneath his fury.

"YOU HURT HULK'S FRIEND!!!"

The Hulk was enraged. 

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