Heroes Assemble

Author here, this is the bonus chapter earned through your hard work of throwing stones. Keep at it and you'll one day reach greater heights.

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I was in my office when a portal opened in front of me and Vaman walked out. "It would be nice if you guys could knock before opening portals into other people's rooms. What if I was in the middle of something private?"

Vaman smirked, "Yeah, sure. I'll come through the door next time to see you alone in the office."

"Why are you here anyway? Something wrong with the magic computer project?" I suddenly didn't feel like bantering with Vaman. So, I tried to guess what he would come for.

"You know the mad Titan right?" Those first words from Vaman were enough to make me get anxious.

"Don't tell me he is coming to Earth." I said jokingly but then my smile faded away when I saw Vaman looking at me with a serious face.

"Not only is he coming, but he is also bringing an army and four gems of infinite power with him."

"Fuck!" I couldn't help cursing. "I'm assuming that the other two infinity gems are on Earth and he is coming for them? Which ones are on earth?"

"Sure enough. Master said you'd know all of it and didn't need any explanations. From what we know, Kamar-Taj has the time stone, and the space stone was last known to be with the Nazis." Vaman answered while lost in thought.

"Why did you guys never try to take those gems for yourself? They have so much power so it's weird you guys didn't try holding on to it like Kamar-Taj did." I asked about my confusion.

"The sorcerer supreme of Kamar-Taj has an artifact made by Agomotto himself to store and make use of the time stone. But without the ability to hide it or make use of it, holding on to those things is like painting a giant target on your back. We know our limits and what powers we shouldn't mess with."

The Order of Seven Sages is definitely a very old organization dating back at least a thousand years so they should know a lot more about the universe. It is normal for them to avoid dangerous powers beyond their control. Their tactics seem to be working since their side of the world had much fewer conflicts.

"Okay, I get all of that but why are you here with me and telling me all this when you should be meeting with the superheroes and the Sorcerer Supreme? I'm just an ordinary guy who knows more than he should." I was interested in why the Seven Sages sent him to me first.

If it wasn't an order from Atri or his colleagues then the first response from Vaman after knowing this news would be to alert all the highest powers in the world of the imminent threat. And he should be busy checking the security measures instead.

Vaman sighed, "Don't ask me. I was given this task while the rest of the Trisul is busy with security work. I can't guess about Master's motives either. Every time I ask something like this he gives me a riddle to solve instead."

I shook my head in frustration. I guess I'll have to go along with it. "Have you informed SHIELD, SPEAR and the lot?"

"They should be getting their alerts right now too. I'm supposed to go to SHIELD headquarters right now. Want to come? You'd be of great help." Vaman asked in a weird tone.

I definitely didn't want to be a part of Thanos' gift to Mistress Death along with half of other living beings in the universe. So, I had to do everything I could to help.

"Okay. Give me a minute to make a call." I agreed and called Sage to suspend all other experiments other than the Sentry Serum and rush the relocation of our headquarters.

Although her voice sounded worried after hearing my orders, Sage still agreed without asking about the reason. She only asked if everything was fine and if I was in any kind of danger.

I returned back in a happy mood to the waiting Vaman who was confused. He then opened a portal directly to the Triskelion building, SHIELD's headquarters.

The moment we appeared out of the portal in SHIELD lobby we were warmly greeted with guns pointed at us from all directions. Even the receptionists and the people sitting around in the lobby had brought out a gun and were pointing at us.

"Wait! Don't shoot! We are not hostile." I shouted while raising my hands. "Why did you teleport us inside the lobby of all places? Couldn't you have found a quiet place?" I glanced at Vaman.

"It's not like I have been to this place many times. I only have some impression of this lobby so we can only come here. Or we could've only come by car." Vaman complained.

While we were bickering at the gunpoint of tens of SHIELD agents, Clint Barton aka Hawkeye came out of the elevator and ordered everyone to stand down.

"Quite the entrance you've made here. I'm guessing you have valid reasons for not using the front door?" Barton asked.

"Well it was an emergency too but it is mostly this sorcerer's fault for opening a portal here. Anyway, I'm Savant Smith. You probably know him, a leader of Trisul, Vaman." I threw Vaman under the bus and greeted Hawkeye.

"I'm Clint. Follow me, Fury is waiting for you guys." Barton gave the shortest introduction and led us to an elevator and punched in some code.

"I understand Trisul but why are you, a businessman, here as well?" While on the elevator, Barton broke the awkward silence.

"You can think of me as a consultant of sorts for Trisul. I'm here to help in whatever capacity possible." I didn't explain too much and we quickly got off the elevator in silence.

The moment we entered the conference room, I saw the Avengers and Fantastic Four heatedly discussing something with Fury. They noticed our arrival as well and Tony Stark was the first to address us.

"Well, well, if it isn't the telecom prodigal himself." Tony smirked.

"Telecom what?" I was stunned at the weird greeting.

Tony gave a smug smile and explained, "You seem to be unaware you are being hailed as the telecom prodigal in the business world. There is rumor going around that if you want to enter the telecom industry and make big bucks, you have to contact the telecom prodigal. He sells highly profitable contracts for peanuts."

I face palmed. "To think there would come a day when I would be made fun of for my business decisions by Tony fuckin Stark."

Fury interjected at this moment, "Welcome Savant and Mr. Vaman. I'm told you're here on behalf of Trisul?"

Everyone stared at me weirdly after hearing that. Fucking Fury playing mind games, putting me on the spot for working for Indian organization. "Don't mind me. I'm here as just a consultant. Big fan of all you heroes by the way."

I walked to the side and some of them chuckled while others still had serious faces. Fury continued, "We were just discussing how accurate is the information your organization provided. Can you show any concrete proof?"

"If you wait for concrete proof, Thanos will arrive outside the planet before you are done preparing." Vaman said bluntly.

Thor agreed, "I had asked the All-father and he says that there is indeed some unusual movements from Thanos." This made everyone believe it a little more.

I asked, "Odin isn't coming? He is still the ruler of the nine realms after all, even if it is only nominally."

Thor glared at me, but still answered, "All-father is occupied with a pesky hell-lord at the moment so he can't be of assistance to Midgard."

"So, Mephisto and Thanos are together this time. Things are getting worse." I mumbled, getting a glance from Dr. Strange. I wasn't exactly being quiet so most of them heard me.

"What do you know? Share with the room." Fury all but ordered me.

"Well, for starters, Thanos wants to kill half of all the sentient life in the universe to get laid." My answer got me more weird stares. Even Tony said, "Stop joking kid. This is serious."

I sighed, "That's the thing. This situation is exactly that stupid. I'm not even making it up." I went ahead and explained the whole story of Thanos and Mistress Death.

Reed looked at me incredulously, "So, you're saying Thanos wants to impress the personification of death so he is trying to kill half the universe? Why do you know all this? And what is Thanos trying to achieve by coming to Earth?"

"For your first question, Thor and Dr. Strange here should be more aware of this thing called cosmic awareness. When you are in tune with the universe, you can know certain things about the happenings within it. That is how the Sages from India knew about Thanos' arrival." I decided to make up something.

Thor looked at me suspiciously, "You're saying you have cosmic awareness? And to the degree that you knew so much about Thanos? You're just a mortal. I don't believe it."

"Well, my cosmic awareness is different from others. I don't choose what I know and I don't actively look for it either. As for believing me, it's your choice. I'm just telling you what I know. Now, the most important question, why Thanos is coming to Earth, it has to do with Dr. Strange and SHIELD."

That got their attention. Fury even stood up with a hint of anger and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

I looked at Vaman and Strange, "One of you do the part about those stones. I'm tired of that explanation."

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