Chapter 575
As he stepped through the portal, Doctor Strange paused, startled.
The scene before him didn't match what he had envisioned.
At this moment in time, shouldn't Thanos already be piloting his warship, invading Earth, and blasting the Avengers' headquarters to rubble?
Why was it… that the headquarters remained completely intact?
Even Thanos's warship was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Thanos…?"
Doctor Strange stood there, dumbfounded.
"Doctor Strange, what's wrong?" Peter Parker asked curiously.
"This isn't what I expected. The future shouldn't look like this. How could the Time Stone be wrong…?" Strange murmured in disbelief.
"What exactly happened…?"
He had already prepared himself. After confirming that the Avengers' base had been destroyed, he planned to head to Kamar-Taj and have Wong gather every available superhero using portals.
They would all charge together, launching an all-out counterattack against Thanos and his army!
He had even pictured the final outcome in his mind—
Tony would seize that one, fleeting opportunity and unleash a blinding snap!
That was the one and only winning chance he had foreseen!
But the current situation was completely beyond his expectations. It didn't match the future he had seen at all.
What had happened?
Hearing Strange's murmured words, Peter and the others also paused in confusion.
"Doctor Strange… you used the Time Stone?"
"The future changed?"
While they were still puzzled, Strange—just to be safe—used a spell to send a message to Wong and the others, instructing them to begin gathering heroes.
After that, he stood quietly in place, waiting, while Peter and the others looked on with concern.
But no matter how long he waited… Thanos and his warship never appeared.
Strange was baffled.
Even if Thanos had a flair for drama, this delay was far too long.
Hesitating, he finally opened a new portal—this one leading directly to the Avengers' headquarters.
He stepped through, followed closely by Peter and the others, all still confused.
...
Avengers Headquarters.
The Hulk and the others were still basking in the joy of the successful snap when a portal opened before them.
Seeing Doctor Strange step through, followed by Spider-Man and the others, the Avengers were filled with joy.
Tony, in particular, strode forward without hesitation and pulled Peter into a huge hug.
"Mister Stark…" Peter was just as emotional.
As they caught up, Strange couldn't hold back anymore and asked, "Where's Thanos?"
The room fell silent.
All eyes turned toward Strange, puzzled.
A second later—
"What do you mean, 'where's Thanos'?"
"Isn't he already dead? Thor chopped off his head with an axe, remember?"
War Machine, puzzled, asked the question aloud.
Thor and the others nodded in agreement, staring at Strange with confusion.
Strange's shock deepened.
He wasn't referring to this Thanos who had died early on.
He meant the Thanos from the past timeline—the one who, through Nebula's interference, had been brought into the present with his warship, catching everyone off-guard.
In the vision he had seen, that past Thanos launched a devastating attack that leveled Avengers HQ with a single blast.
But now…?
Had the future really changed?
How could this be?
After a moment of silence, Strange finally explained, "I'm not talking about our Thanos. I mean the Thanos from the past timeline."
Everyone froze at his words.
The past Thanos?
What was he talking about?
What did the past timeline's Thanos have to do with them?
Strange turned and looked out through the tall windows of the base, scanning the skies—still expecting to see the looming shadow of Thanos's warship.
But no matter how hard he looked, he saw no warship.
Instead, what he did see… was a white figure floating serenely above the rooftop.
Had it not been for his eyes spotting him, Strange wouldn't have even noticed—there had been no sense of presence at all.
He hadn't sensed anything from that person?
Eyes wide in disbelief, Strange asked, "Who is that?"
Star-Lord and the others instinctively looked up as well—and saw Syd, dressed in white, radiating a mysterious presence.
The moment they laid eyes on him, they froze.
Just looking at him, they could tell—this was no ordinary mortal.
He exuded an aura of mystery and awe that was impossible to fake.
It took them a moment to snap out of their daze.
Among them, Drax, bald and broad, his red body covered in ritual-like markings, couldn't help but ask, "Why can he fly?"
Star-Lord glanced at Thor, then back at the mysterious man in white floating overhead. He mumbled, "Why do I feel like this guy is even stronger than Thor…"
He hadn't said a word, yet just standing there, he gave off such an oppressive, divine pressure.
At that moment, Star-Lord made up his mind. He would no longer try to mimic Thor. He wouldn't try to talk like him anymore.
Look at this guy in white—he didn't need to do anything to be cool.
This was who he needed to study and emulate!
As he daydreamed—picturing himself in white, radiating divine energy and stunning everyone—
Thor and the others were just about to explain to them who this being actually was.
But before they could speak, something strange happened outside.
A ripple of yellow sparks appeared—a portal opening.
The first to walk through were three dark-skinned figures, dressed in sleek, black vibranium armor. The one in the center was unmistakable: the Black Panther.
They were people from Wakanda.
Wakanda—a seemingly impoverished, agricultural nation in Africa—was, in truth, the most technologically advanced country on Earth, and the sole possessor of the precious metal vibranium.
Still, they… did kind of look like tribal warriors.
At least, that's how it struck Syd, who watched them through the transparent windows with a slight frown. Something about their appearance felt… off.
Tony and the others inside could also see the portal and the three Wakandans walking through.
Before they could even react, more portals began opening—one after another.
(End of Chapter)
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