95. The Power You’ll Never Touch

"Even though I used my full power, it didn't make a dent in his defense. Truly a bull," John thought, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His body ached, but his spirit hadn't broken.

At that moment, John had already realized.

"To defeat Thanos… physical strength wouldn't be enough."

He narrowed his eyes, looking up at the darkened sky.

"Looks like I'll have to take it up a notch."

With that decision, John soared high into the air, his body glowing with multicolored energy. Seeing this, Thanos's expression darkened. He silently picked up his massive double-edged sword, which had been resting beside him. The moment John flew upward, Thanos knew—he was planning something big.

John didn't attack right away. He paused in the sky, surveying the battlefield below. The Avengers' army was holding their ground better than expected. That gave him a bit of relief. But just as he was about to focus on Thanos again, something caught his eye.

A blur moved quickly across the battlefield—a familiar red and blue figure.

"Peter?" John muttered.

Yes, it was Peter Parker—Spider-Man—running through the chaos with something tightly clutched in his hands. A golden glow flickered around it. John's eyes widened.

"The Infinity Gauntlet…"

He didn't know how Peter got it, but he was grateful. At the same time, a chill ran down his spine. A single mistake, a moment of carelessness, and everything they'd fought for could vanish.

"I need to secure the gauntlet first," John decided.

Without hesitation, he launched himself toward Peter.

Thanos noticed the shift instantly. His eyes followed John's path and then landed on Peter. It didn't take him long to figure it out.

"The gauntlet…" Thanos growled.

With a heavy step, the Mad Titan began sprinting toward Peter, crushing stones and bodies underfoot. The battlefield suddenly felt heavier.

Peter, unaware of the looming danger at first, was already struggling. Dodging blasts, weaving through enemies, swinging from broken structures—it was a desperate run. Every step was powered by sheer will.

"I've got to keep moving! I can't let him get these!" Peter shouted to himself, panting. "Why is it always me with the hot potato?!"

But no matter how fast he moved, no matter how hard he tried, the enemy forces started closing in. A massive warrior swung a hammer at him. Peter barely dodged. Another alien aimed a blaster—he ducked just in time.

Then, a sudden beam of energy caught him off guard. Peter screamed as he was thrown back, landing hard against a crumbled wall. The gauntlet slipped from his grip and rolled a few feet away.

John saw it all happen.

"No!" he shouted.

He changed direction mid-air, abandoning his path toward the gauntlet. He shot down like a comet, reaching Peter just as another enemy raised a blaster to finish him.

Boom!

A shockwave rippled as John slammed into the ground, creating a barrier of energy around Peter. As for the enemy, he was blasted away by the shockwave.

"You okay, kid?" John asked, kneeling beside him.

Peter groaned. "I've been better… but thanks, Mr. Stark."

John smiled slightly and helped him up.

But it was too late.

Thanos had already reached the gauntlet. He picked it up, sliding it onto his hand with a satisfied grunt. Power surged through him, making the air ripple with heat and force.

Silence fell across the battlefield.

Every Avenger, every soldier, froze in dread.

Thanos looked around at their frightened faces, then turned his gaze to John.

"Now what are you going to do, John Stark?" he said mockingly. "Now that I have the Infinity Stones. You couldn't beat me before… and now? You have even less of a chance."

But John wasn't shaken. In fact, a mischievous smirk slowly appeared on his face.

"Oh? Are you talking about this?"

He raised his hand.

Everyone gasped.

The Infinity Gauntlet—was on John's hand.

Thanos's eyes widened, confused and alarmed. "What?!"

"I just used a little trick," John said casually. "Snatched it while you were busy monologuing."

"Now, should I erase you from this world or make you so helpless that you'll wish for death as salvation?"

Saying that, John raised his hand with the Infinity Gauntlet and made a motion as if to snap his fingers.

Seeing this, Thanos clenched his fists, rage boiling in his eyes. But before he could react, John did something no one expected.

He didn't snap his fingers as everyone thought...

Instead, John swiped his other hand through the air, tearing open a glowing dimensional rift. A portal swirled into existence like a galaxy being born.

"What are you doing?!" Thanos roared.

"You're very proud of your strength, right? So I'll make sure you feel true despair before you die. And I'm making sure no one ever uses this again… if something happens to me," John said calmly. He placed the Infinity Gauntlet inside the dimensional pocket and let it vanish. The rift closed behind it with a hum.

Then John looked Thanos dead in the eyes.

"Now what are you going to do? Even if you kill me and everyone else here, you'll never get the Infinity Stones again."

The entire battlefield echoed with silence. Thanos trembled in fury.

"You think this changes anything?!" he shouted.

"No," John replied, his voice calm, "but it changes everything for you."

John took a step forward.

"I won't waste the Stones' power on the likes of you. You're not worth it."

Thanos's face twisted in rage. "Then this arrogance of yours will be your downfall!"

Fire burned in his eyes—he had never suffered such humiliation in all his conquests. But this time… this time was different.

And with that storm of fury hanging in the air, the battlefield braced for the next clash.

( Finally, 100,000 words finished after 3 months of hard work! Please, guys, help me celebrate this moment — a review would mean a lot! )