24

Chapter Twenty-Four: Out of Trouble

A brilliant purple light flashed across the night sky, almost illuminating it completely.

Even Thanos, despite his immense power, could not block the force of the Power Stone.

The sudden close-range attack caught him off guard. By the time he realized the danger, it was too late. The combined power of the lightning and the Power Stone overwhelmed him, sending him flying backward and crashing through countless buildings.

The surrounding area was reduced to ruins.

From a distance, it looked as if the Thanos Sanctuary had been struck with a massive dark purple hole, with destruction spreading everywhere.

Ebony Maw, standing behind Thanos, was also sent flying.

Although Thanos managed to block most of the attack, the resilience of his minions was nowhere near his own, resulting in severe injuries for them all.

Among them, Ebony Maw, who was physically weaker, would have perished if he hadn't been pulled away by Black Dwarf just in time to shield him.

Black Dwarf was incredibly unlucky; his resistance to damage was his only saving grace.

Thor pulled Nebula with him and rushed to the nearest fighter. Although the Black Order was now unable to resist, Thanos would not be defeated easily. Once he recovered, Thor would have a hard time escaping.

"Are you going to stop us?" Thor asked Gamora, a crackling electric arc forming in his palm. Despite her generally favorable image, if she tried to impede him, he would show no mercy.

"No, I need you to take care of my sister and ensure she isn't recaptured," Gamora replied, throwing him a small card. This card granted access to the fighters and was more authoritative than those given to ordinary soldiers, a prize from her recent duel with her sister.

Thor accepted the card and climbed onto the fighter with Nebula.

He didn't consider taking Gamora with them. Although she was also Thanos' adopted daughter, her position in his heart was not comparable to Nebula's. If Gamora were taken, Thanos would hunt him down across the universe.

…

The fighter roared and ascended into the night sky.

The recent explosion had been so violent that the surrounding fleets were focused entirely on the Thanos Sanctuary, with numerous rescue ships circling the area. No one noticed the fighter's departure.

Even if they did, it would likely be dismissed as part of the rescue effort.

Not long after, Thanos approached. Aside from his damaged armor, he showed no significant injuries.

Gamora knelt and apologized, "I'm sorry, Father. I wasn't able to defeat him."

"You were correct," Thanos responded flatly, waving his hand. "It is foolish to rush forward to meet an invincible enemy." As a seasoned hero, Thanos often displayed a certain level of magnanimity.

Ebony Maw approached, seething with frustration. "Master, they left not long ago. If we pursue them now..."

"No need," Thanos interrupted, shaking his head. "There are too many jump points to track their path accurately. Besides, now is not the time to engage Asgard in battle. The energy we detected was likely from the Infinity Stones, correct?"

Thanos gazed thoughtfully at the dark starry sky and continued, "The locations of the Time, Space, and Mind Stones have been determined. We are still searching for the remaining three. Intensify the search."

"The universe needs redemption, and there's little time to rest before we realize our ideals."

"I am destiny!"

…

"Your sister actually cares about you very much.

The one you should truly hate is Thanos."

After several jumps through teleportation points, Thor turned to Nebula as he set their destination.

Now that she was with him, it was important to instill the right ideals and prevent her from becoming as extreme as she was previously.

Nebula was silent, overwhelmed by the day's events.

"Set course for Midgard."

"Please confirm."

"Confirmed."

Thor pressed the button to initiate their departure.

"Wait!" Nebula's urgent voice suddenly called out...

…