Journey Back To You // Spider-Man [Book 3]

eight {Peter's POV}

We left the space-donut to inspect the planet we had landed on. As soon as we stepped outside, I noticed that the gravity was off. If we wanted to, we could bounce around, which the antenna girl, who was apparently called Mantis, did. 

"What the hell happened to this planet? It's eight degrees off its axis, the gravitational pull is all over the place," Quill said as he held up a dimly glowing device. 

"Yeah, well, we got one advantage, he's coming to us. We'll use it," Mr Stark stated. "Alright, everyone. I have a plan. At least, the beginnings of one." Everyone gathered around him. "It's pretty simple, we draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. We definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet." Mr Stark's eye fell on Drax, who was widely yawning. "Hang on, are you yawning? Right in the middle when I'm breaking it down? Did you hear what I said?" 

"I stopped listening when you said you had a plan," Drax said. 

Mr Stark sighed. "Okay, Mr Clean is on his own page." 

"See, 'not winging it' isn't really what they... do," Quill stated. 

I raised my hand at Drax and Mantis. "What exactly is it that they do?" I asked because I had been questioning myself about this for the past few minutes. 

"Kick names, take ass," Mantis answered confidently.

"That's right," Drax agreed and silence fell in which both Mr Stark and Arya sighed in disappointment. 

"Alright, just get over here, please," Mr Stark said. "Mr Lord, can you get your folks over here?" 

"Mr Lord," Quill cackled. "Star-Lord is fine." 

Everyone gathered around and formed a circle. "We gotta coalesce. 'Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude-" Mr Stark started but he was cut off. 

"Dude," Quill stated. "Don't call us plucky, we don't know what it means." Another sigh of disappointment was heard. "Alright, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the planning and that way, it might be really good." 

"Tell him about the dance-off that saved the universe," Drax commented. 

"What dance-off?" Arya asked. 

"It's not... it's not a... dance-" 

"Like in Footloose? The movie?" I questioned. 

"Exactly like in Footloose," Quill beamed. "Is it still the greatest movie in history?" 

"It never was," Arya answered and Quill narrowed his eyes at her in disbelief. 

"Don't encourage him," Mr Stark told her as he came up to me and Arya. "We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here." 

"Flash Gordon?" Quill called. "By the way, that's a compliment. Don't forget, I'm half-human. So that 50 per cent of me that's stupid, that's a 100 per cent you." 

"Your math is blowing my mind," Mr Stark commented. 

"Excuse me?" Mantis called, gaining our attention. "Does your friend often do that?" She pointed at Strange. He was cross-legged floating in the air and his head was phasing from side to side. A green light was emitting from his hands as green smoke appeared. 

"Strange? You alright?" Mr Stark called. Arya walked up to him and as she stepped closer, the spell broke and he returned to the real world. 

 "You're back. You're okay," she said calmly. 

"Hey, what was that?" I called. 

"I went forward in time to view alternate futures. I wanted to see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict," he explained. 

"How many did you see?" Quill asked. 

"Fourteen million six hundred and five," Strange answered. 

"How many did we win?" Arya asked and I heard she was almost afraid to ask. 

Strange hesitated. "One." 

Arya stepped back and closed her eyes. "That can't be right. Are you... Are you sure?" she asked Strange. 

He nodded. "The Time Stone is never wrong. I'm sorry." 

I walked up to my girlfriend and placed a hand on her shoulder, which she took in her own. She turned to me and wrapped her arms around my torso. "We'll be okay. I got you," I whispered and pressed a kiss to her hair. She sighed deeply before she pulled back and turned to the others. 

"Okay, what's our plan?" 

***

A portal appeared and a tall, purple creature stepped through. I knew right away that it was Thanos. His left hand was covered in a metal, golden glove, the Infinity Gauntlet. 

Mr Stark, Drax, Quill, Mantis, Arya, and I were all hidden from his view but we were all able to see Thanos.

We had, after long debates and discussions, settled for Quill's plan since that was the one Strange agreed with, and since he had seen the future, we knew it must've been the right solution. 

"Oh, yeah," Strange's voice sounded. He was seated on the rubble as he awaited Thanos' arrival. "You're much more of a Thanos." 

"I take it the Maw is dead," Thanos' deep voice said and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight. Strange nodded. "This day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission," Thanos continued as his eye fell on the necklace around Strange's neck; the Eye of Agamotto that housed the Time Stone.

"You may regret that. He brought you face-to-face with the Master of the Mystic Arts," Strange stated. 

"Where do you think he brought you?" Thanos asked. 

"Let me guess. Your home?"

"It was," Thanos answered. "And it was beautiful." He clenched his fist and a bright red light appeared. The surroundings changed from old and abandoned, to green and packed with life. People walked around and the place was bustling. "Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, not enough to go around. When we faced extinction, I offered a solution."

"Genocide," Strange stated. 

Thanos nodded. "At random. Dispassionate. Fair to rich and poor alike," he explained. "They called me a madman. And what I predicted came to pass." The lively city disappeared and the deserted planet returned. 

"Congratulations, you're a prophet," Strange commented sarcastically. 

"I'm a survivor," Thanos corrected without blinking. 

"Who wants to murder trillions."

"With all six stones I can simply snap my fingers and it will all cease to exist." He demonstrated the snap with his other hand. "I call that... mercy." 

Strange rose to his feet. "And then what?" 

"We finally rest," Thanos said. "Watch the sun rise on a grateful universe." The purple Titan lowered his head. "The hardest decisions require the strongest wills." 

Strange slammed his hands together. "I think..." He formed the orange mandalas. "You'll find our will equal to yours." He raised his hands at Thanos. 

"Our?"