A Transcendent Encounter Across Time and Space

Noticing Heisenberg's unusually strange gaze, Natasha pondered thoughtfully, then suddenly smirked and asked him,

"I still don't understand why, in your future, you went to Vormir to save me and Barton."

"Heh…"

Hearing her question, Heisenberg couldn't help but chuckle.

"I guess I saved you both to make things more interesting!"

"Hmm, it feels like you're viewing us from a god's perspective!"

Natasha looked up at Heisenberg and continued softly,

"Though you do have godlike power!"

"Not even close. If I were truly strong enough, that damn snap wouldn't have left me injured!"

Saying this, Heisenberg deliberately raised his right arm, covered in blood and blisters, pointing it toward the sun as he tried to bask in its warmth.

Seeing Heisenberg's urgency to sunbathe his hand, Natasha's expression froze, and she whispered in astonishment,

"Wow, sunlight seems to speed up your healing. Are you Superman or something?"

"Haha, you've got sharp eyes. In my universe, they call me Injustice Superman!" Heisenberg nodded.

Natasha immediately chuckled.

"That's amazing, because Superman belongs only to Lois, but Injustice Superman belongs to everyone!"

Hearing this, Heisenberg turned to Natasha, his gaze lingering on her gentle facial curves for a full three seconds before shifting to her wine-red hair.

Suddenly, he reached out and gently ruffled her hair.

At the moment Heisenberg's hand moved, Natasha had intended to dodge.

But something stopped her, and she stood still, letting his large hand rest on her head.

As Heisenberg tousled her hair, Natasha fought off her whimsical thoughts and muttered,

"Tsk, my mortal god, are you treating me like a pet now?"

"Of course not, it's just…"

Heisenberg's gaze softened as he continued,

"This version of you, in this world, is unlike any other version of you in countless stories.

You're truly beautiful here, especially your soul."

Saying this, Heisenberg withdrew his hand, his emotions swirling.

He had to admit: Natasha's death in Avengers: Endgame was his second-greatest regret about the film.

Meanwhile, Natasha smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear after Heisenberg pulled away.

Lowering her head, she smiled and mumbled,

"So, in Vormir, that's why you ruffled my hair?"

"Uh… Did my 2014 self do that too?

Haha, maybe the present me wanted to do that!" Heisenberg laughed.

The atmosphere between them grew silent until Natasha softly said,

"Thank you… for this."

"Don't mention it. Just don't hate me later."

As he spoke, Heisenberg suddenly pulled Natasha behind him, then extended his uninjured left arm straight into the sky!

Startled by his action, Natasha quickly drew her pistol, aiming in the direction of his palm.

"You've been staring at the sky. What are you waiting for? What are you guarding against?" she asked softly.

Heisenberg smiled and replied,

"Remember everything I said before I snapped?"

Natasha's mind raced.

Moments later, she gasped and looked up.

"You're waiting for a worthy opponent. So who is your true adversary?!"

BOOM!!!

…

The busy paid no mind, while the idle chose to ignore it all.

In a world that seemed hers alone, Nebula quietly left the conference room and entered the chamber housing the time-travel platform.

She swiftly set the machine's parameters, then pressed the activation button.

In an instant, Thanos's ship burst from the Quantum Realm!

…

In the conference room, Heisenberg's snap had been too sudden for Tony to activate defenses.

Without full shielding, when Thanos's flagship tore through the ceiling of the SHIELD hangar—

BOOM!!!

Everyone heard the earth-shattering roar!

At that moment, Natasha, who had stayed by Heisenberg's side, shouted to the group,

"Enemy incoming! Prepare!!"

In mere moments, Iron Man suited up, Hulk raised his fists, Captain America gripped his shield, and Thor…

slept soundly in the infirmary.

Ignoring Thor, everyone gazed at the ship in the New York sky, its vast shadow blotting out the sun.

"What the hell is this?!"

"Heisenberg, what have you done?!"

"That's Thanos's flagship! How the hell is it here?!"

"Prepare defenses!!!"

As Cap roared, Natasha turned to Heisenberg, her face a mix of disbelief and betrayal.

"Heisenberg, tell me you didn't bring this here!!!"

"Hmm, of course not."

Heisenberg smiled at her, then raised his left hand, shouting to the group,

"Everyone!"

His voice commanded their attention as he continued,

"Those who manipulate time will be manipulated by it.

Brace for impact!"

No sooner had he spoken than Sanctuary II, high in the sky, unleashed over thirty wide-range energy blasts at the Avengers Tower.

Watching the blasts approach, Natasha stood beside him, panic etched on her face.

"Enjoy the show, Avengers!"

Heisenberg bellowed. Around him, everything began to float.

A colossal force field expanded rapidly, centered on him. Within a 300-meter radius, desks and debris spun wildly in the field's grip.

The debris was merely the outer manifestation of his bio-field. Within it, Heisenberg exerted precise control over his energy.

In the next instant, before the Avengers' eyes, the energy blasts struck.

The sprawling Avengers Tower collapsed into a wasteland resembling an alien battlefield!

Shockwaves erupted, pulverizing everything outside Heisenberg's bio-field.

Yet, no matter how fierce the assault, not a single centimeter of the field yielded.

The explosion raged for over thirty seconds, filling the Avengers' ears with deafening noise.

But they were too stunned to care, their eyes fixed on Heisenberg with awe and reverence.

Meanwhile, aboard Sanctuary II,

Thanos observed the Avengers Tower through a viewer.

The collapsing structure meant nothing to him.

But Heisenberg's bio-field made Thanos draw a deep breath.

Beside him, Ebony Maw frowned.

"My liege, that appears to be Heisenberg, leader of the Injustice League and the Skrull Restoration Movement!"

"I know," Thanos muttered, rising to grasp the double-bladed sword held by the Black Dwarf at his right.

"I never expected our first encounter to be in this future timeline. How intriguing!"

He descended from the flagship, striding toward the ruins.

Meanwhile, Heisenberg retracted his bio-field, his gaze locking onto Thanos.

At that moment, Iron Man asked Heisenberg,

"This wasn't your doing, right?!"

Heisenberg didn't answer. Everyone's attention was drawn to the figure approaching Thanos from the past—

Nebula, now standing proudly before Thanos.

"Father!"

She bowed reverently.

"I've brought you to this timeline and weakened Heisenberg, leader of the Injustice League!"

"Well done," Thanos nodded, his gaze fixed on Heisenberg's injured hand.

"He's snapped?"

"Yes, Father!"

Nebula confirmed, earning Thanos's approval.

"Well done. Go now."

At his dismissal, Nebula's excited expression crumbled into confusion and despair.

Her dejected figure wandered through the fiery, rocky ruins, as if she'd lost everything.

Watching her, Thanos sighed softly.

"Go, retrieve the Stones for me."

At this command, Nebula's spirits revived.

She nodded eagerly.

"Yes!"

She dashed away.

After Nebula left, Thanos faced Heisenberg, planting his double-bladed sword in the ground.

He removed his helmet, placing it on the sword's blade.

Heisenberg slowly levitated, descending with regal authority to stand before Thanos.

"Thanos."

"Heisenberg."

They spoke each other's names, both knowing—

Under this shared sky, their clash would be king against king.

Inside the Avengers Tower, Iron Man surveyed the room and ordered sternly,

"Hulk and I will assist Heisenberg. The rest, check on Thor's condition. The infirmary where he and Rhodey are is far from here!"

Natasha and Barton sprang into action, but Rogers remained still.

Gripping his shield tightly, he declared to Tony,

"I won't miss this fight, Tony!"

Seeing Rogers' resolve, Tony couldn't refuse.

But sending a regular man like Rogers against Thanos…

"Cap, you have more important tasks. I need you to rally all the resurrected Avengers!

Total war is coming. We need their strength…!"

"Hah, Tony, you've never been good at lying!

If Strange truly foresaw this, they'll appear when needed, not because I summoned them."

Rogers cut him off.

"You just think this ordinary Captain America can't handle a cosmic emperor, don't you?"

As he finished, Rogers raised his empty right hand.

In an instant, Mjolnir streaked through the air, settling into his palm, crackling with electricity.

Staring at the arc-discharging hammer, Tony felt a sting in his eyes.

He turned away, his back to Rogers, and whispered,

"I knew you were worthy."