Chapter 37: The Fall of Titans

The moment Ethan reformed in the center of the collapsing spotted dimension, a chilling silence settled over the battlefield. The black void trembled with the raw power radiating from him, and the glitching white lines across his body pulsed violently, signaling his complete mastery over the unstable dimension. His pitch-black form seemed to absorb the very fabric of reality itself, and the sight of him sent a wave of terror through the remaining heroes.

Doom's face remained expressionless, though his arcane device pulsed more frequently, struggling to contain the instability in Ethan's powers. Thanos, sword in hand, stood his ground, ready to unleash his fury once more, while Tony Stark, battered and nearly out of power, gritted his teeth, scanning for any last hope of a strategy. Doctor Strange hovered near the edge of the battlefield, the Time Stone glowing faintly in his amulet.

But they all knew it: Ethan was no longer the foe they had faced moments ago. He was something beyond them now.

Ethan's face, calm and collected, scanned the battlefield. His voice, low and unnervingly serene, carried across the void. "You don't seem to understand," he said softly. "This is *my* domain. Your existence here… is meaningless."

Without another word, Ethan surged forward, moving faster than anyone could react. His first target: Thanos.

The Mad Titan, armed with the Reality and Power Stones, raised his blade to strike. But Ethan was already upon him. With a flick of his hand, a portal opened inside Thanos' chest. The Titan's eyes widened in shock as his body twisted unnaturally, the portal pulling at his heart. He roared in defiance, activating the Power Stone to counter, but Ethan's hand shot through the portal before the Titan could react. With a sickening crack, Ethan's hand pierced Thanos' chest, clutching his heart.

Thanos gasped, blood spilling from his mouth. "Impossible…" he muttered, his voice fading as Ethan squeezed his heart, crushing it in his hand. Thanos' massive form slumped forward, his lifeless body collapsing onto the ground.

The others could only watch in horror as the Mad Titan, a being who had once wielded god-like power, was effortlessly killed by Ethan.

Doctor Doom, ever the strategist, moved swiftly. His arcane device pulsed, and a shockwave of destabilizing energy surged toward Ethan. For a brief moment, Ethan's glitching body faltered, his control over the dimension weakening. Doom raised his gauntlet, preparing to strike with his own considerable power. "You may be powerful, but even you have limits," Doom snarled.

Ethan turned to Doom, his eyes glowing with a dangerous light. "Limits?" Ethan's voice echoed with disdain. In an instant, he was on Doom, his glitching form phasing through Doom's energy barriers. With a swift motion, Ethan drove his fist into Doom's side, shattering the armor with ease. Doom grunted in pain as the impact sent him flying backward, crashing into the cracked ground.

Doom's device, however, flared to life, saving him from a fatal blow. The energy field around him flickered, and with a final pulse, Doom teleported himself out of the battlefield. But it was clear, he was crippled, his once-imposing form now broken, barely holding on.

Ethan watched him disappear with a faint smirk. "Run, Doom. It won't save you."

Then, his gaze turned toward Tony Stark.

Tony's suit was nearly spent, the HUD blinking with warnings of low power as the nanobots struggled to repair the damage sustained during the earlier battle. But even so, Tony stood firm. He activated his repulsors, launching a desperate assault at Ethan. "You won't win this," Tony growled, firing every last ounce of energy his suit had left.

But Ethan didn't even flinch. He raised his hand, and a portal opened in front of the repulsor blasts, absorbing the energy. Ethan closed the distance in an instant, grabbing Tony by the throat before he could react.

With terrifying ease, Ethan ripped the arc reactor from Tony's chest, tearing it out in a shower of sparks. Tony gasped as his suit went into immediate shutdown, leaving him vulnerable and powerless. Ethan tightened his grip around Tony's throat, his eyes cold and detached.

"You've fought well, Stark," Ethan said quietly, "but this is where it ends."

Tony struggled, his hands weakly clawing at Ethan's arm, but it was useless. Ethan raised his free hand, forming a jagged portal above Tony's chest, ready to impale his heart.

But before Ethan could deliver the final blow, Peter Parker swung into the fray.

"NO!" Peter screamed, slamming into Ethan with all his strength, his Iron Spider suit straining as he knocked Ethan off balance. Peter landed hard beside Tony, the impact sending a shockwave through his body. Ethan, caught off guard, released his grip on Tony, who fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Ethan straightened, his expression darkening as he turned to Peter. "Foolish child."

Peter, his face pale and drenched in sweat, activated his suit's legs, trying to stand between Ethan and Tony. But Ethan was done playing. He raised his hand, and a portal opened inside Peter's chest, tearing at his body from the inside. Peter gasped, his face contorting in pain as he felt his life slipping away.

Tony, still on the ground, reached out in desperation. "No… no, Peter… don't…"

Peter turned to him, his mask retracting to reveal his pale face, his breaths shallow and labored. "I… I don't feel so well, Mr. Stark…"

With those final words, Peter collapsed into Tony's arms, his body going limp.

Tony screamed, his voice breaking with grief as he held Peter's lifeless body in his arms. "NO! PETER!"

Tears streamed down Tony's face as the reality of the moment crashed down on him. The young hero, his protégé, his friend… was gone.

But Ethan showed no mercy.

Doctor Strange, seeing the devastation unfold, knew what had to be done. He had no choice. He raised his hands, summoning the last of his mystic energy to create a portal beneath Tony. "I'm sorry, Stark," Strange muttered as the portal opened beneath Tony, whisking him away from the battlefield.

Just as Tony disappeared, Ethan turned to Strange, his eyes narrowing. "Running won't save him."

With a flick of his wrist, Ethan opened a portal behind Strange. Before the sorcerer could react, Ethan's hand shot through the portal, piercing Strange's chest. Strange gasped, blood dripping from his lips as Ethan twisted the blade of reality inside him.

Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme, collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Ethan stood over the battlefield, his glitching form pulsing with raw, unrestrained power. The remaining Vanguards, scattered and broken, had no strength left to fight. Thor, Peter, Strange, Thanos, all gone. Only the echoes of their struggle remained in the pitch-black void.

With a calm and methodical precision, Ethan cleared the battlefield. His portals ripped through the remaining heroes and soldiers, erasing them from existence with terrifying efficiency.

And then, silence.

The battlefield was empty. Ethan stood alone in the spotted dimension, his body still flickering and glitching from the instability. His gaze turned upward, to the Heart of the Galaxy, the source of the power he sought to control.

His black figure pulsed with anticipation as he floated toward the Heart, ready to absorb its energy and stabilize his control over the multiverse.

"This ends now," Ethan muttered, his voice cold and emotionless as he ascended toward the ultimate power.

He was ready to become the master of all reality.