Infinity Era

by JDPrime22

Chapter 52 – Catching Up to Do

“How much do you know?”

“Enough.”

“Let me reword that. How much did Twilight tell you about us?”

“Oh, just as much as she wanted… which was a lot. She practically followed me to my guest room in her castle just… rambling on about Friday, the world she came from, her creator…”

Tony Stark stared at the fiery-maned unicorn for a moment, slowly letting the silence she allowed to pester him further. He never showed it. Though with Sunset Shimmer sitting right next to him, sending that red-hot smirk his way the longer she stared at his dumbfounded expression, it was hard to keep his posture straight, clean, and to the point.

“All she could really talk about the most was… the Avengers,” Sunset sighed, adding a small, adorable chuckle at the end of it. “She said that three years ago… a man in a metal suit fell from the sky and hit Ponyville. That day changed her life forever. And when the Iron Man himself finally reunited with his team… they fought alongside Twilight and her closest friends… and a certain unicorn who turned away from… from…”

“Ultron,” Tony finished for her, looking away sullenly.

Sunset clapped her hoof against the cushion-covered bench, making a soft smacking sound. “That was the name. Anyway, she said that alongside the Avengers, they were able to stop him from unleashing Tartarus itself to consume all of Equestria and the world. Guess that gave you guys a bit of a reputation around here, huh?”

“Just like you?” Tony said, facing her but mostly her smirk. “First prodigal child of Princess Celestia?”

Sunset blushed at that, looking away with a tiny smile. “If you mean first student, then no. Celestia has had hundreds of personal pupils before me considering how long she’s been alive. Except… I guess I was the only one to actually betray her. Guess I am famous for something around here.”

The unicorn dropped her gaze, a certain pang of sadness filling each orb. Tony absorbed the emotion in her tone, especially her last few words. Then almost as instantly as the depression settled in, Sunset sprang up with renewed vigor, meeting Tony’s eyes and making him flinch.

“But seriously, a deranged, genocidal robot?! That’s insane!” Sunset exclaimed. “Not to mention your little skirmish with Captain America and his team of Avengers?! You guys are crazy…”

Tony stared at her, unsure of what to make of the unicorn. Noticing the odd look she received from Stark, Sunset blushed again, quickly adding with another smile, “B-but still really cool!”

Unfortunately, Tony didn’t respond to her smile with one of his own, like she was hoping. Instead, he leaned forward, metallic elbows resting on his armor-plated knees. His fingers interlaced with one another, the glowing orbs within his suit’s palms shimmering between the fingers. “Twi told you all about the Accords?” he asked, voice so very soft. Eyes so very distant.

And how could Sunset blame him? The way Twilight described it, the disbanding of the Avengers must have been a difficult time not only for Twilight and her friends, but also for Stark. With that in mind, Sunset nodded, even when his eyes weren’t on her, and said, “Well… not all of it. She left out the more…personal stuff.”

Stark slowly nodded in return. He could appreciate that. He could appreciate Twilight for keeping some of what happened two years ago between them. Some scars were better left hidden for no one to see. Recollecting on past mistakes always made his head hurt, Tony leaning forward and rubbing his face of the weary nature that tried to take over. The cool, metal plating of the Mark 50 covered his hands, arms, shoulders, and anything below his neck in dense nanotechnology. His Arc Reactor burned bright blue, facing the large room and crowd accompanying him and Sunset.

They weren’t alone in Princess Celestia’s private study. Within the Canterlot Archives, Celestia herself gave Stark and his team of Avengers, New Yorkers, sorcerers, Asgardians, assholes, and ponies a moment of recollection and preparation for the big journey to the Badlands. They were tasked by the two royal sisters themselves to track and study the new volcano that had emerged where the Gates of Tartarus once stood. Discovered originally by Capper, now Twilight and her closest allies would begin to fully understand its nature and properties, how close it was to erupting, what precautions needed to be taken to prepare for such an eruption, and so forth.

That, and Celestia wanted them to get some quality time alone from the rest of Canterlot just… to reunite with one another. Rekindle old friendships. Catch up after so long and so far away. Some—like Tony and Sunset for example—took the brief moment of rest to just chat. Properly introduce themselves, share a few stories of past adventures. But most just kept to themselves, or tired to considering Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Spike kept trying to spark conversations amongst the large group.

Princess Celestia’s private study within the Canterlot Archives was a sizable room. Towering ceiling, large windows with morning sunlight spilling inside to keep everyone warm, rows upon rows of books alongside the walls covered in bookshelves, nearly reaching the ceiling. The fireplace was dead, large pillows, chairs, and coffee tables filling the area around it. Most likely where Celestia read her books, or where she read her letters when Twilight was still learning about friendship. And within that massive room, the just as massive group of humans, aliens, and enhanced individuals alike either rested on chairs, against the walls, stood lonesome, or had smaller conversations.

Amongst the many who were present, the ones accounted for were, of course, Tony Stark and Sunset Shimmer resting on the one of many cushioned benches within the study. Then there were Twilight, Pinkie, Spike, Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy, Starlight, and Rarity. Fluttershy mostly kept to herself, the only other person in the room she could talk to other than her friends being Bruce Banner. She and Rarity were one in the same, the fashionista unnaturally quiet and sitting near the edge of the room where Vision and Gamora were talking. Every once in a while, she would lift her gaze and shoot it across the room, quickly darting it back to the floor and shutting her eyes tight. It was unusual. Hardly anyone paid her any attention. She didn’t get involved with any conversations and no one dropped by to say hi to her.

Then there was James Rhodes standing in his Mark IV War Machine armor, more accustomed to checking his own armor statistics then chatting with anyone else. As noted earlier, Vision was speaking with Gamora near the end of the room, Gamora trying to understand how he got the Mind Stone stuck in his forehead. In the distance, Star-Lord kept a close eye on his girl, ensuring that this “Vision” character didn’t try anything smart. Peter Quill couldn’t trust a guy in a cape, not since Ego. Keeping the ponies amused around the dead fireplace, an enthusiastic—if not a tad shy—Peter Parker tried to explain to Fluttershy, Applejack, and Starlight how his powers worked. The mares were all mesmerized by his stories of heroism back in a place he called “Queens”, Fluttershy managing to break out of her shell and even offer a growing smile to all of Peter’s heroic stories. Peter was even breaking away from his shyness as well to see all of their glowing smiles. He was just glad to stand on the right foot with the ponies this time around, considering his last time practically fighting them back in Leipzig. Bruce Banner was with them, as well. After all, it was the first day he met Parker. Might as well learn as much about him as he could.

Spike sat with Thor in the chairs near the fireplace, keeping a good enough distance to remain out of Parker’s stories and instead share their own with each other. Spike, especially, was enthralled with Thor’s recent adventures across the universe. Thor was more than welcome to share some of his stories, especially with someone as meager as Spike. Though, he did appreciate the dragon’s new set of wings… even if they were tiny. Rainbow Dash hovered near Drax, the burly Destroyer munching on a bag of Zargnuts. Rather loudly to be exact. She slowly turned her frown over to him, Drax seamlessly unaware of her presence as he chewed and chewed.

A secluded and lonesome Doctor Strange was clearly focused on other matters, the Sorcerer Supreme hovering in place while meditating. Even then, there was Pinkie Pie bouncing around him in a complete and perfect circle, spouting off a million questions a second about what he was thinking about, what his favorite flavor of ice cream was, what his favorite song by Beyoncé was, and so on, and so on. Strange was clearly struggling to keep his peace, the Cloak of Levitation keeping him suspended above the ground, but not from Pinkie’s constant chatter.

Twilight was focused elsewhere, focused primarily in trying to make amends with Frank Castle. Their last meeting didn’t end in the best of terms for either of them. Twilight, as the Princess of Friendship, and remembering clearly of the scolding she received from Celestia about upholding that friendship, knew she had to put the past between her and Castle behind them. She offered her hoof in friendship to the Punisher. He only offered a sideways glance in return before eventually turning back to the exit, ensuring that he remained as far from the noise and ponies as possible. Twilight eventually gave up after several minutes of no response, snorting and leaving Castle as he leaned against the bookshelf. She would get to him eventually. Maybe in a more secluded location away from all the conversation, somewhere he’ll be more comfortable to open up.

Instead, Twilight chose to formally introduce herself to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen and his fellow compatriots. That’s how she referred to them anyway, none of them yet certain on the title of the “Defenders” as Spider-Man had chosen for them. Still, they introduced themselves to the Princess of Friendship, first being Daredevil—that’s the name he told her—then Luke Cage, then Danny Rand, and finally—and begrudgingly—Jessica Jones.

Groot was in the opposite corner of the room, sitting on the bench and playing video games. Rocket sat right next to him, polishing his laser rifle and muttering curses only he could hear. He couldn’t care either way if anyone else heard him… or what he said about them. Mantis stood awkwardly, her hands close together, the empathic, insectoid, alien woman trying to meet someone’s eyes. No one would look at her. She kept turning her attention back to Frank Castle, the Punisher really not trying to look at her.

And finally, there was Loki, standing alone behind Thor’s chair, doing his damnedest to remain out of the conversation, out of the spotlight, and out of everyone’s way. Out of all times to be the center of attention, now was not it. Especially after their little excursion in the Badlands, they would go after Thanos. They would want to know about Thanos. They would want to know how he was able to get so powerful so fast.

Then they would turn on him.

Plenty of time to flee once they left for the Badlands.

And that was everyone.

Just as weird, frantic, and somewhat still comforting as Stark remembered. Nodding at that single shot of everyone interacting, Tony thought back to his discussion with Sunset Shimmer, finally realizing he had been silent for nearly two minutes and counting.

“That’s good to know,” Stark finally said, the unicorn on his left perking up to his voice. Watching as he leaned back, his metal suit clanking against the wall he rested against, Sunset met Tony’s eyes once more, the man holding his hand out to her. “So, as you were saying about that quote unquote ‘human world’ you came from…”

Raising an intrigued brow, Sunset asked, “Yeah… what about it? You interested in the fact that there’s another world inhabited by humans?”

“No, it’s just—” Stark began to say, then stopped himself. A short moment of recollection, almost like he didn’t want to say what came next, but knew he had to. He had to know. “It’s just… Do you ever recall seeing… a horse step out of the portal?”

Sunset was stupefied for a few seconds. That’s how long it took for her to finally click, the mare’s jaw falling and her eyes shooting open. “Oh! Yeah, I do remember that! Some horse stepped out of the Canterlot High School statue! Gosh, you should’ve seen the faces on Lyra and Bon Bon.”

The sad part was that he did. “Funny story…” Stark regretfully began, Sunset slowly looking back his way. “I… actually… may have… stepped through Twilight’s portal that time.”

“Wait… that was you?”

“Please don’t laugh,” Tony said quietly, almost begging. “I still have nightmares.”

Sunset giggled, waving her hoof out to him. “Oh, don’t worry. We already did our laughing a while back. In fact, you were pretty much the talk of the whole school for, like, three months.”

Swallowing that information, Stark sighed heavily, his forehead falling into his right palm. “Goddammit,” Tony muttered. Sunset giggled again, hoof failing to cover her smile.

While Sunset continued to enthrall Tony about her world and all the crazy, magical adventures she had been on in the past, the room was constantly shuffling about. Ponies moved from Avenger to Guardian, to Defender and Asgardian, many taking a seat near the God of Thunder. Thor seemed to attract quite the crowd, soon to begin his tale of the end of his home... the story of Ragnarök. Peter Parker was there, as well as Bruce Banner, Loki standing far behind his brother and remaining far from the story. While many ponies, mainly Twilight, Starlight, Pinkie, and Applejack took nearby chairs and pillows and surrounded Thor, Spike was there to begin with. Rarity sat somewhat close, still remaining unnaturally quiet throughout the duration of Thor’s tales. Fluttershy was busy wandering about, turning her attention to the two creatures she had found the most interest in…

Yet couldn’t find the courage to actually start a conversation. With Rocket sitting in silence and polishing his firearm and Groot playing his video game right next to him, Fluttershy decided that now would be the best time to break the mold and introduce herself. After all… she did want to learn more about them… ever since she first saw them two years ago.

“Um… hello there,” Fluttershy meekly began, raising her yellow hoof and waving it towards the raccoon. Her long, pink mane managed to cover her right eye, her failing smile as well. “My name is Fluttershy.”

Rocket glared at her, barring his teeth and returning to his gun shortly. Fluttershy felt that look, that denial punch her right in the heart, but she stood her ground, determined in the end. “Um… I was just wondering… considering you’re a raccoon and all…”

Mantis gasped, twisting her head far left over to the yellow Pegasus. Groot looked up from his game. Rocket looked like he was going to explode, but just sighed, returning to polish his gun and mumbling more curses under his breath. Fluttershy, unsure yet still apprehensive of what she had just done, continued. “How… um… how did you learn to talk?”

He wasn’t going to budge. Realizing that after nearly ten seconds of silence on his end, Fluttershy turned her head over to Groot, the adolescent about to reach a new high score. “Your name is… Groot, right… from what I heard earlier?” she asked.

His wooden fingers keeping mashing away on the handheld video game, his eyes glued to the screen. Fluttershy leaned in, asking in nearly a whisper, “Are you an actual… living tree?”

He kept playing, intentionally ignoring her, or trying to at least. “Um… excuse me?” she quietly asked, gingerly reaching forward and tapping his shoulder. Groot raised his head and shot it her way, Fluttershy yelping as several loud beeps escaped from his video game. Groot turned back, gasping and gripping the handheld electronic even more furiously than last time.

Game over. He was so close to actually beating Arcade Defender this time. Not even a new high score. Huffing at that, Groot glared back to Fluttershy, the butter Pegasus flinching under his heated gaze. “I am Groot,” he grunted, shifting to a flat sitting position, back against the wall, raising his handheld so it blocked his face from her as he started a new game.

“Groot, that’s no way to talk about someone’s mother,” Rocket muttered.

“I am Groot.”

“Even if she did have it coming.”

Fluttershy’s ears fell, the Pegasus retreating back to the pillows and chairs near Applejack, Peter Parker, Starlight, Thor, and Spike. Mantis stared at her retreat, a pang of sadness filling her massive orbs for eyes. She seemed to notice the especially large group that Thor was accumulating, the one where Fluttershy fell back to. Thor, on the other hand, was just in the middle of explaining his battle with Bruce Banner on Sakaar. The ponies were especially enthralled with that, Twilight and Pinkie leaning forward in anticipation for the next drizzle of information.

Rainbow Dash hovered a good enough distance away from Thor and his group. She fidgeted in mid-air, really wanting to check out what Thor was talking about. She could go for a good story since Drax apparently would hardly budge with her. It was difficult, considering Twilight wanted them to make some friends with the new faces amongst their visitors. Wishing to break the apparent bad blood between them—Rainbow clearly remembering that it was Drax who said he didn’t like her the first moment they met each other two years ago—Rainbow was still having trouble trying to find some common ground with the Guardian.

If anything, all he ever did since she came up to him was eat his bag of Zargnuts. Very loudly.

After a few more aggravating crunches coming from her left, Rainbow sighed, twisting her head in that direction and watching as Drax continued to chew on the alien delectable. “Are those pretty good?” she finally asked. Her answer was just more chewing. “Can I have one?”

She received no response, Drax continuing to crunch away at the Zargnuts. He slowly reached into his bag, so slow in fact that he looked to be moving at an inch a second. Frowning at that, if not more confused, Rainbow asked, “Oh, so you’re just gonna ignore me then?”

With his hand falling into the bag, Drax whispered, “I don’t know who you’re referring to.”

Rainbow’s neck leaned backwards, her frown worsening. “I’m referring to you!”

“That’s not possible.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You can’t refer to me because you can’t see me,” Drax responded, plucking a Zargnut out of the bag at long last. “The only way you know I’m here is because I’m still talking.”

He moved slightly to the left, sighing with content and pulling the Zargnut out of the bag, slowly but surely raising it to his mouth. “Much better,” he whispered, popping the treat in his mouth and crunching it between his teeth. Rainbow raised a brow in his direction, her jaw refusing to close as she tried to pinpoint what exactly his deal was.

“What are you doing?”

Swallowing, Drax didn’t even look her way. He whispered, “I have mastered the ability… of standing so incredibly still… that I have become invisible to the eye. Watch…”

His hand slowly fell back towards the bag.

“I can still see you.”

Drax reached into his bag, pulling up another Zargnut. “No, you can’t.”

“Yes, I can!”

Plopping the treat into his mouth, Drax crunched on it annoyingly loud, sighing, “There must be something wrong with your perceptibility… because I am certain I’m invisible.”

Rainbow smacked her hoof to her face. “You know what? Okay. You’re invisible. I give up.”

Drax closed his eyes, clenching his fist tight in victory. “I knew it,” he whispered, still munching away on his snack. Rainbow rolled her eyes and hovered away from him, towards Thor’s growing audience and taking a seat right next to Fluttershy. It didn’t seem like she had missed that much, already arriving to the best part. Before she even knew it, the rest of the room all came together.

All surrounded Thor. All the ponies, Spike, the Guardians, the Defenders, and all of the Avengers, Tony Stark included. Doctor Strange was finally at peace without Pinkie bothering him, continuing in his meditation away from the group. Frank Castle merely shifted his stance to be facing the growing crowd, arms still crossed, glare still heavy, patience still running thin. Jessica Jones was no different, standing the furthest away from Thor unlike the rest of her team. Part of her still couldn’t believe how she got tied up into all of the madness that was falling down on Earth, let alone getting involved with… magical, talking horses.

God, she still couldn’t believe it, the detective groaning through her sighs as she stood with her arms crossed, head down, and mind elsewhere. She still managed to catch a smidgen of the God of Thunder’s story.

“I then turned my sister’s attention to Asgard and said, ‘But he can!’ Then Surtur himself burst forth from the castle grounds and drove his blade straight through her heart and the heart of Asgard! It was quite awesome.”

The ponies were quite possibly the best audience Thor has had in years. They gasped at appropriate times, remained silent during the rising tension, then remained in utter awe at the grand conclusion of it all. It was refreshing to see other perspectives on Thor’s predicament, similar to having brought tales of adventure from other realms back to Asgard’s young, growing minds. Children were always a wonderful audience… especially children of Asgard.

And when he looked in their large, colorful eyes that’s all Thor could really see… the eyes of the children lost forever. Of the dead race… the dead world of the Asgardian people. Thor leaned back in his chair. “Until I saw my home explode into a billion pieces of rock and debris. That was one of the many downsides of my recent adventures.”

“One of many?” Twilight pondered out loud, tilting her head. Sunset sat on her right and Pinkie on her left, Starlight next to Pinkie, then Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Spike in his chair, and finally Rarity further away from the rest of her friends, barely raising her eyes. Thor stared at all of them, his last, good eye meeting theirs and seeing only regret. Painful grief… something he still couldn’t fathom, even now.

He couldn’t continue, so Bruce Banner picked up for him. Gulping quietly at first, Bruce stepped forth, standing on Thor’s left and resting his palm on the god’s shoulder. He said, “It wasn’t long before myself… the Hulk… in actuality, and Thor, Loki, and many others were attacked by another ship. And our… our refugee ship didn’t have the capabilities to defend itself. When they boarded, they…”

Just like Thor, that silence, that sickness consumed his throat and silenced his breathing. His eyes gazed a million miles away.

“They did… what?” Starlight asked, almost not wanting to know. None of the ponies appeared to want to know either, like they were huddled together watching the same horror movie, expecting the scare to arrive at any second.

Finally, it was Loki himself who said it. Many eyes shifted to near the corner of the room, where the God of Mischief remained leaning against the wall, his eyes gazing through the window perched high above him. And he said, “We were the sheep… to our own slaughter.”

“So many warriors…” Thor mumbled, his eye gazing longingly to the floor, “… so many families… friends… like nothing to them.”

There was a certain time and place Twilight and her closest friends had heard Thor, the mighty God of Thunder, sound so seemingly lost in despair, the hope in his voice but a distant, fleeting memory. It was the only time they had seen him last, three years ago when he stood with them against Ultron, but even then, he still held strength in his tone, the mighty Thor still willing to seek for something to fight for. But now… the battered, beaten, wounded, broken, and aged God of Thunder had seen something that shook him to his very core. And for a moment… Twilight could only see a scared, old man where one of the strongest Avengers sat before her.

“Who…” Twilight began, her voice shaking, “… w-w-who were they?”

Thor looked at her. His remaining eye met her twin, violet irises, each sharing a certain knowledge. Experience, power, tragedy, so much they’ve seen, wanted to forget, knowing they never could. “You’ve already heard his name… the one responsible for bringing your world to Midgard,” he responded.

Banner shifted his gaze over to the ponies. “Thanos,” he stated grimly.

If that didn’t bring everyone together…

Frank Castle lifted his head. Jessica Jones did the same. Rarity slowly raised hers, that name catching her heart and gripping it tightly in a frozen, hellish embrace. Even Doctor Strange broke from his meditation to turn towards Banner and Thor. He rose to both feet, the Cloak resting against his backside as he strode over to stand on Tony Stark’s left side.

Thor was right… Twilight had heard that name before. They all did. It was merely a name, yet it contained so much catastrophic weight behind it that each mare felt the dread flood over their systems without having even known much about the alien behind the name. That’s how powerful it was. That’s how powerful he was. Each pony slowly looked to one another, feeling similar sentiments of unease as they gazed in each other’s eyes.

And yet Rarity felt the worst, she just hid it so well.

She didn’t know why, she couldn’t tell how, but that name… that… wretched name somehow managed to shake her to her very core. Other than that day in her entire life, she had never heard the name, the word before, never mentioned or thought of once. Yet it managed to sneak into her mind, delve deep into the darkness, sparking something. Rarity ruminated on it throughout the noise and constant chatter amongst her friends. The name brought up something, she didn’t know what… but something she would rather forget…

But couldn’t. The unicorn kept her head low, her eyes closed, and her hoof continuously rubbing her opposite foreleg, steady, fearful breaths leaving her shaking lips. Nearly silent. Hidden from her friends.

Sunset Shimmer was the one who finally asked, “Who’s Thanos?”

No one could seem to answer. Until Drax turned to his close friend and announced, “Gamora… is the daughter of Thanos.”

Everyone looked at her, minus her fellow Guardians. Complete, sickening silence. Gamora, managing to ignore the look she received from the Vision on her far left, closed her eyes and instead focused on her own breathing. Once more the center of attention, already feeling the growing cynicism shifting in her direction. The growing distrust.

Something they really didn’t need right now.

The truth. Nothing left. Leave it all on the table… most of it, Gamora thought to herself.

So, that’s what she did. She gave the truth. Most of it.

“For as long as I knew him, Thanos only fought, only bled, only dreamt of one thing in his life, and that was to wipe out half of all life in the universe. He traveled from planet to planet, cleansing half of each indigenous population to see his dream come to fruition. That’s how he took me from my planet… after he cleansed it.”

Gamora opened her eyes, not expecting the responses she got. While some like Thor, Peter, and the rest of her closest friends—the ones she could call her family—all understood and held no humor in their expressions, everyone else was filled with nothing but pure dread. Tony especially, finally getting the rundown on the alien that’s been torturing him for six years. Finally seeing the monster within the nightmares. And it was just as horrible as he imagined.

Maybe even worse.

Nothing compared to the ponies, though. Spike included, sharing similar expressions of growing angst, fear, and some even appearing to be sick, mainly Fluttershy and Twilight. How anyone—other than a cold, heartless machine—could have the audacity to actually want to kill half of all life in the universe, even going so far as to murder billions on alien worlds… was something they just couldn’t fathom. How anyone could have that type of will, that type of sick, twisted ideology was something not unheard of to the Equestrians… yet still hard to swallow. Rarity continuously shuddered, even as Gamora continued and made it all the worse.

“He tried to push me into his cult, make me the most feared member of the Black Order. But I wouldn’t give in. I wouldn’t fall prey to his doctrine… fully. I have done things…” Gamora said, pausing as wretched, horrid memories of her times leading Thanos’ forces, actually helping in cleanse infant worlds and reaping the benefits… just to prove to father her worth. “Things I am not proud of… things I pray I can take back, but knowing I never could. Not unless I failed Thanos and suffered because of it. I got away as soon as I could… and was willing… and able to.”

Peter Quill wrapped his arm across her shoulder and pulled her in close, comforting her. Gamora was new to affection, but accepted it anyway and rested her head on Quill’s shoulder. He rubbed her arm gingerly, kissing her black and red hair. She seemed to ease further into his embrace, sighing contently, if not a tad shakily. Breaking away from Quill, Gamora faced the mares once more, meeting their horrified expressions with her own.

“If he collects all of the Infinity Stones, he can achieve his dream. He can wipe out half the universe with a snap of his fingers,” Gamora explained, snapping her own to clarify her point. The snap reverberated across the study, causing each mare and Spike to flinch back at surprise, some of them catching their breath. Some of them losing theirs. Gamora looked to them and their expressions, feeling every inch of it in her soul. “Just like that, and we would lose. No going back. It all ends.”

Her hand fell to her side, and she was done.

Yet the terror of Thanos’ legacy continued to grow, continued to spread from one to another. The heads of the ponies swiveled around to Mantis, the young, alien woman rubbing her own palms and whimpering. Almost like she didn’t want to say it.

“Death follows him like a shadow,” Mantis whimpered. “That’s who Thanos is.”

“He’s been in my head for six years,” Tony finally piped up, eyes turning back to him. Especially Twilight’s. “Since New York, he’s been torturing me. In my head, in my sleep, in every goddamn waking moment of my life since then, and everything I’ve done to prevent this has failed. Ultron turned against us. The Avengers turned against one another. Pristine moment for Thanos to turn against us.”

Doctor Strange looked to Stark, the Iron Man not meeting the Sorcerer Supreme’s gaze that time. But someone did. Somepony did. “Stephen,” Twilight said, his head perking her way. “What was the Infinity Stone you and Thor mentioned?”

Doctor Strange nodded to her request, stepping forth. “I can do better than that,” he said, raising his shaking palms and bursting his fingers outwards towards the ceiling. Unsure at first to what he was doing, the mares all gasped as a shower of light exploded above them. Several Tao Mandalas spun ferociously over the ponies’ heads, not just them but everyone looking and observing the light show Doctor Strange put up for all to see.

The lights shot out, creating what appeared to be a canvas of blackness, representing the vastness of space above their heads. Doctor Strange continued to move his hands in unique, mystical fashions, something Twilight couldn’t understand but couldn’t look away from. As he worked, he said, “In the beginning, there was nothing… then boom.”

The Tao Mandalas exploded, showering the blackness with hundreds of dots of white, red, and orange. Stars. The lights shimmered in the ponies’ eyes, each of them with expressions so lost in wonder they couldn’t even close their jaws. Their necks craned backwards, observing the mystical, alien universe above their heads.

Strange continued. “During the birth of the universe, six essential elements of the virgin cosmos came into existence. Space…” a blue gem shimmered into existence, “Power…” a purple gem right next to it, “Reality…” a red stone glowing violently by the others, “Mind…” the yellow rock shining just as bright as the one on Vision’s forehead, “Soul…” the orange gem resting beneath the others, followed by the last green stone, “… and Time. These were known as the Infinity Stones. Over time, they were cast out throughout the universe, the Time Stone finding its way to Earth… where the Masters of the Mystic Arts hold it in safe hands to this day.”

The ponies, especially Twilight, all stared at him in mixtures of wonderment, soft anger for having lied to them about the Time Stone, and complete shock. Even as the light show ended and Doctor Strange dropped his hands, not a single breath could be taken by any of the ponies. They just received the history of the universe in less than a minute and none of them could even fathom or process it. Even Twilight struggled in that regard. Despite that—knowing she could study it further with Strange—Twilight focused and thought back to the Stones he mentioned.

“Well… Vision has the Mind Stone,” Twilight said, Vision turning her way. Their eyes met for a brief second. “So, we know where two Stones are.”

“And we know we need to keep Vision as far away from Thanos as possible,” Stark said.

“We don’t even know where he is,” Vision stated, earning a few disgruntled sighs throughout the room.

“What we do know is that we have the Time Stone safe, and the Mind Stone is with us,” Bruce Banner explained. “That just leaves the Soul Stone, considering Thanos already has three Infinity Stones, so he’s already unstoppable.”

Hearing that caused a collective whimper to spread amongst the mares, mostly Fluttershy and Rarity. Rainbow let a short, fearful gulp escape her. Thor must have heard different, because all Banner received from him was soft chuckle.

All heads in the room slowly turned accordingly, all staring at the God of Thunder with his large biceps crossed over one another. On his face, he wore a slick grin, shaking his head and continuing to chuckle away the threat of Thanos. Banner faced him fully, the mares looking to one another, the Avengers, Guardians, and Defenders doing the same.

Sighing at last, Thor stared at nothing, still holding a soft smile. “Such a quaint thought, Banner. Nothing in this or any other realm I’ve traveled has been unstoppable. There were legends, there were fears, even the great Surtur himself fell by the power that flows through me. Thanos is just another number to the many bastards I have slaughtered, no matter how many Infinity Stones he wields. And do you know why he will fall before me? Do you know why Thanos will fail?”

He spun in his chair to meet Banner’s gaze as he asked that. Even when he sat, Bruce still felt Thor was taller than him. He raised his hand, pointing his finger to Bruce and declaring low, strong, and threatening, “Because fate wills it so.”

While some were awestruck by Thor’s declaration, Applejack remained unmoved. She cleared her throat, Thor turning her way, and said, “This… ‘Thanos’… He sounds like the toughest there is.”

“Well, he’s never fought me,” Thor said with a humorous grin.

“Yeah, he has,” Rocket groaned from where he sat, his deadpan tone laid thick.

“He’s never fought me twice,” Thor corrected himself. He not only pointed to Rocket, but to every mare, every dragon, and every one. “And next time it’ll be a fair fight, where I will be good and ready for wherever Thanos may appear! He may have the Reality Stone from where his children killed the Collector. He may have the Power Stone taken after he decimated Xandar. And he may have the Space Stone acquired when he slaughtered my people, but he can never be able to withstand the wrath… of the God of Thunder. With vengeance fueling my fists… I will see his end.”

A moment of silence, the ponies staring at him. Everyone staring at him. Some shocked, some still in disbelief, some barely hanging on. Thor chuckled breathlessly, shaking his head. “You know, my friends, I’m 1,500 years old… I’ve taken more than I’ve lost in that span of time, yet these past few years have been especially cruel. Lost my mother to a Dark Elf… my father to his own age… my hammer…”

It was at that moment that Twilight and her closest friends realized that Thor no longer wielded the mighty Mjølnir, his palms bare. A soft, collective gasp escaped the mares, minus Sunset. Spike’s jaw fell at the realization, Thor managing to leave that part of his story out when he told Spike earlier. Thor continued shortly. “My home destroyed… my people and closest friends lost to the Mad Titan… and now the two worlds I love brought into this madness. I lost that assurance… of their safety.”

“Aren’t you afraid?” Fluttershy whispered, yet it was so quiet in the private study that even Frank Castle could hear her from clear across the room. Thor turned his head her way, his lone eye meeting her fearful ones. She shuddered where she sat, Rainbow looking to her sympathetically. “This… monster… sounds t-t-terrifying.”

Loki stared at him, arms crossed, expression hanging over the edge. Waiting for what his brother would say next. A warm chuckle escaped Thor, the God of Thunder smiling softly and looking only to the ponies. To Fluttershy. To his friends. He told them, “I’m not afraid to face Thanos once more… because I have very little left that he can take from me. And he will not… take another thing from me. He would have to kill me for that to happen.”

“And what if he does?” Rainbow asked, her voice unnaturally quiet.

Even that managed to slow Thor’s rising enthusiasm, grinding it to a halt and managing to deflate it. His expression fell, his eye following. “Well, if he does, then… what more could I lose?” he asked, his voice sounding so lost, so distant. So defeated. Then they saw it, never once before even humoring the thought of ever seeing it grace the face of the God of Thunder. But it was there…

A tear rolled down Thor’s cheek. He quickly wiped it away, hoping no one had noticed but knowing that everyone did. A show of weakness, something no leader, no god should ever present to those who needed him, those who would stand with him against the face of Hel itself. He slowly closed his eye, let that pitiful show of grief eat away at him just as the silence had.

The sound of trotting hooves came soon. He lifted up his head and nearly came face to face with the small, delicate Pegasus. He nearly did… had she not already hugged him.

Ponies showed their emotions all the time. Fluttershy could see it every single day, even more times in the past. To see someone she considered a friend, someone who experienced so much turmoil, so much pain, loss, regret, and many more horrible tragedies burned her heart and hurt her soul. She hugged him for his grief, for his fear, to him and him alone. To all of those he had lost… and what little he had left. And Thor soon realized, with that brave, little pony who broke through the tension and saw his stress, willing to help… He realized he had so much more he could lose. The ponies. His friends. The worlds he had come to love…

All if they didn’t stop Thanos.

Especially Loki… considering Thor never even mentioned his name. Especially considering he was one of the few Thor could still lose in the end.

He tried to not let it get to him. “I assure you, brother,” Loki said, Fluttershy breaking away and Thor turning back to meet his eyes. His cold, calculating, wounded eyes. “The sun will shine on us again.”

Rainbow slowly turned her growing, heated glare towards the God of Mischief.

Everyone was so captivated by Thor’s story, his loss, and the scene unfolding before them that they completely missed Mantis scooting closer and closer to where a certain Punisher stood alone. Right up until she was but a few feet away from him, his gaze lingered to the group just mere yards ahead of him, a dreary and bored expression etched on his face. He was drowsing out, not even noticing the alien woman on his left.

Slowly, she turned to Frank and introduced herself. “Hello… I am Mantis.”

Frank almost flinched, turning his scowl in her direction. She offered the best smile she could, one she had been practicing with Drax. It appeared just as awkward as ever. He just glared at her. Mantis didn’t seem affected by his show of dominance, simply stating, “You seem… broken. Can I touch you?”

“You like that hand?” Frank asked at last.

Mantis brought up her palm, staring at it close to her face. She held it towards Castle, asking, “Mine? Yes, I do.”

“Then keep it away from me.”

“Thor told us earlier that it was you who told Thanos about Equestria!” Rainbow Dash shouted, both Mantis and Castle darting their heads back to the large group ahead of them. There, they could see the rainbow-maned Pegasus hovering accusingly towards Loki, jamming her hoof in his direction, then towards Thor. “Thor only held back because he didn’t want to tell the princesses! Well, they’re not here! Look who’s caught red-hoofed now!”

“Now, Rainbow,” Thor interrupted her, raising his palm and lowering her hoof for her. “Loki only did so to protect me from Thanos… and himself.”

Rainbow’s jaw promptly hit the floor. In the corner of her vision, she could see Loki flash her a mischievous smirk. “B-b-b-but he—!” she started.

“That’s enough!”

Every eye in the room turned back towards Danny Rand. Castle snorted. He could hardly wait to see what Richie Rich had to say. Mantis furrowed her brow by his side, hands held close together by her chest. As for Rand, he didn’t mind to know that all the silence in the room was diverted his way. Every frown, every awaiting look, everything he had experienced time and time again. He didn’t back down from it. He kept his expression hard and tone even harder.

“We can’t play the blame game right now… and we really can’t be fighting with one another when Thanos is our true enemy. No time for making enemies. It’s time for a united front,” Danny explained, keeping the focus of his speech mostly on Rainbow Dash and Loki. Neither seemed impressed.

In fact, both just seemed slightly perplexed. Rainbow Dash especially, with a sneer to boot, asked, “Um, I’m sorry, but who even are you?”

“Don’t say it,” Jessica whispered.

With eyes like fire, Danny tightened both of his hands into fists, leaning against the chair that Luke Cage sat in. “I’m the Immortal Iron Fist,” he replied in a slick whisper.

“He said it,” Jessica groaned.

Danny expected a plethora of reactions, primarily in the more “shocked” category. Then there was awe, wonderment, deceit, uncertainty, so many different reactions to having paid witness to the Living Weapon of K’un-Lun standing before them. At least… that’s what he expected. It was nothing at all what he received.

From across the study, Rocket looked up from his rifle. Even Groot lowered his video game and shared Rocket’s glance towards Rand. He asked, “Did he just say ‘Immoral Fister’?”

Blinking at that, Danny ignored the tiny giggles escaping the mares. “What?” Danny questioned, shooting his furrowed brow towards the raccoon. “That’s nothing at all what I just—”

“Isn’t that like a rock band?” Star-Lord asked.

“No, that’s Iron Maiden,” Peter Parker corrected him.

“Are you related to Iron Man?” Pinkie asked, Danny turning to her. She nearly shot off like a rocket from her pillow, gasping, “Oh, my goodness, are you two brothers?! Tony, you never mentioned a younger brother!”

“Oh, yeah, forget to mention that he didn’t exist,” Stark mumbled.

“I thought his name was Immoral Fister?” Rainbow objected.

“Okay, enough!” Danny shouted. Things didn’t go off as he initially hoped it would. The ponies were a short fuse away from losing their collective patience, several blushing, many trying to contain their laughter. The Avengers, Guardians, Strange, and the Asgardians were hardly any better. “It’s Iron Fist. If that’s too hard, then just call me Danny. But names aren’t important, ‘cause right now we need to focus on Thanos.”

“I agree with the one who fists!” Drax exclaimed, wanting to turn attention to the fact that Thanos was still alive and out there. The attention, however, shifted instead to Drax’s statement. Danny rested his face in his hand, Rainbow chuckling and Fluttershy, Twilight, and Starlight blushing profusely. Applejack wore a shit-eating grin and watched the madness unfold, as did Sunset. Pinkie kept on smiling like a maniac. Spike was the only one in the room confused, not understanding the apparent joke birthed from Danny’s superhero name. He never had time to fully realize it…

“Loki…”

And just like that, the laughter died. The rising positivity amongst their situation dimmed down to a more sensitive level, the conflict and relationship between two brothers being the centerfold. All eyes were on them, Loki facing Thor and the God of Thunder’s neck twisted back towards him.

“I appreciate what you did on the Statesman… saving my life… and Banner’s,” Thor began, looking to Bruce to see him sigh. “But I think Bruce and I can agree that we would have rather died than to have brought Equus into this war.”

Loki snorted, arms still crossed tight across his chest. “Equus would have suffered regardless whether we lived or died,” he retorted. “In this scenario, we have more bodies—more preferable strength—against Thanos and his disgraces of villainy that he calls his children. If we had died… it would be easier for Thanos to win.”

There was no clear or easy answer. Many still held contempt for Loki and what he did, bringing Equus close into the war that Thanos brought with him. Some—mainly Loki himself—couldn’t blame him for helping to spare his brother’s life, as well as the life of someone he may have considered an enemy at one point in his life. Sunset and Starlight found special interest in Loki, knowing him to have once been an enemy to the Avengers from Twilight’s stories she learned from Stark. How anyone could be responsible for so much suffering, willing to turn away from it, only to fail time and time again… yet still stand with them? It sounded familiar… especially for Sunset and Starlight.

“So, what do we do now?” Spider-Man asked, breaking the rising silence. He wasn’t the only one to do so. The very second after he asked that—before anyone could formally respond—Pinkie Pie shot up from her pillow, all four hooves planted on the cushion and twitching profusely.

That wasn’t all. Her eyes exploded into a shower of sparks within her irises, her mouth forming a small “O”. Pinkie went into a full fit of twitches and spasms shortly after, bouncing across the room, screaming and cheering as she did so. The Defenders shielded themselves as the pink mare soared over their heads, Tony Stark backing off alongside Rhodey. Her friends watched and rose from their seats, heads darting across the room, following her descent into furthered madness. Doctor Strange’s eyes bounced back and forth, eventually settling in the middle of the room where Pinkie froze. Pinkie Pie was as stiff as a board, shivering as if she was caught in the heart of a snowstorm.

Then all was quiet once more. A few books fell from the shelf where Pinkie hit, but other than that, it was completely silent, all eyes on the pink mare settling herself back on the floor. “What the hell was that?” Doctor Strange demanded.

“Thaaaaat,” Pinkie sang, bouncing over to Strange with a consuming smile, “was my Pinkie Sense! Do you wanna know what it said? Huh? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?!”

“I’m inclined to say yes,” Strange responded awkwardly.

“Well,” Pinkie began, pulling out an especially large parchment from within the infinite abyss that was her pink, fluffy mane. She unraveled the scroll, the paper traveling past every leg and nearly reaching the end of the room. “According to my official Pinkie Sense Log™, bounding around the room then suddenly pausing to have an ice-piercing cold rush through my body is an indication that we ALL need to go to the Badlands!”

The parchment rolled back and was practically sucked into Pinkie’s mane. “I know some of you have been wanting to stay here, and while some of you can—namely only three—the rest of us are going to have to go to the Badlands and study that volcano!” Pinkie finished, ending it with an adorable squeal and a grin to go with it.

Though some still haven’t recovered from Pinkie’s strange behavior, others shook it off, focusing instead on what she wanted from them. “And why should we listen to you?” Jessica asked, sending her official scowl in Pinkie’s direction.

Pinkie gasped. “You’re not listening to me, you’re listening to the Pinkie Sense! And the Pinkie Sense has never been wrong!”

Star-Lord didn’t know why, but the way Pinkie worded that—alongside her fearful eyes and equally-serious expression—sent an uneasy feeling in his gut. One of many that day. “And what if we don’t?” he pondered the thought, the pink mare spinning his way.

Seeing her expression shift from serious to terrified just solidified his worries. Especially with what she said next. “Something reeeeally bad will happen to Canterlot.”

Doctor Strange’s brow wrinkled at that statement, a few uncertain and worrisome eyes meeting from across the room and sharing the same feelings. Tony looked to Twilight, the Alicorn sighing through her nostrils, nodding softly to him. Peter Parker turned to Quill, neither one of them certain of what to make of Pinkie’s ominous statement. Well… Parker had something of an idea.

Pinkie grinned, completely wiping the fear from her face and replacing it with that same bubbly personality. “So, what do you all say?” she asked, hoof raised to them all.

No one responded. No one except Strange, all other eyes just frozen on Pinkie. Doctor Strange stepped forth, Pinkie spinning around to meet his gaze. “What ‘bad thing’ will happen to Canterlot?” he asked.

“I… I don’t know!” Pinkie admitted, hooves tapping away on the carpet beneath her as she thought more on it. “The Pinkie Sense doesn’t really work like that. It doesn’t really go into that many specifics, but it’s never failed me yet!”

“How does it work?”

Pinkie just shrugged.

“Wonderful description,” Doctor Strange sighed. He felt a tug on the Cloak of Levitation, prompting his attention to his left and downwards.

Twilight Sparkle was his greeter, the Alicorn dropping her hoof and staring up at him expectantly. And she was the first to say it, to tell him, “Stephen, just… just go with it.”

Stephen Strange… shut his mouth. He… listened. Weird. He didn’t expect Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, of all ponies to actually agree with something so ridiculous as a “Pinkie Sense”. He was almost starting to hold her in a higher regard… but he didn’t drop her just yet… almost interested and wanting to see how she would back up her claim.

“I’ve learned… we’ve all learned a long time ago that Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense is something of an enigma… as is the pony it comes from,” Twilight explained the best she could. From her side, Pinkie popped her hoof against her lips, making a soft popping sound. “Although it may not seem it, but Pinkie’s right. Her Pinkie Sense has never been wrong. In all the years we’ve known her, her Pinkie Sense has managed to steer us in the right direction every single time. I know it’s hard to believe it, but trust me… we need to follow this.”

Wow. That’s all Strange could say. He didn’t though, already finding himself coming closer to her terms than expected. It wasn’t the first time in his life he experienced the impossible, and there he was… an abandoned neurosurgeon now Sorcerer Supreme of the mystic arts. “So just… follow the sense?” he asked.

“Yes,” Twilight said with a supporting smile.

“I’m down!” Peter Parker said, raising his hand. Twilight, Strange, and even Tony turned his way, as well as many others. “Trusting your senses has always worked for me!”

“Everyone else?” Strange asked. Several nods slowly consumed the remainder of the room, leaving just a few unaccounted for. Pinkie bounded up and down, her smile growing bigger and bigger, glad to see everyone in agreement for something. Well… almost everyone. Which reminded Strange exactly of what Pinkie had said. “Pinkie told us that three individuals can stay in Canterlot while the rest of us travel to the Badlands. And since I’m told we should follow it exactly…”

He looked to Twilight and Pinkie, the Alicorn offering a sheepish grin and Pinkie Pie hopping in place, hardly containing her excitement for the adventure ahead of them. Strange shook his head, sighing, “Who wants to stay here?”

“I’m out.”

All eyes turned to Jessica Jones raising her hands, letting them fall as she broke away from her Defenders, from the group, and made her way towards the exit. As if the sudden declaration of her departure hadn’t yet reached any of the room’s occupants, people looked to one another, Pinkie’s smile deflating alongside a portion of her mane.

“Jessica,” Luke said, rising from his chair and almost knocking it over. “Jessica, wait! Stop!”

Luke grabbed her arm, the woman turning to him furiously. “What are you doing? You were the one who wanted to come here in the first place! Don’t you want to help stop this invasion?”

God, she wanted to punch him so hard. Preferably somewhere it hurt so he would let her go and no one else would be able to stop her from leaving the shitshow she had been forced to induce. Jessica tried to ignore all the eyes turned her way, focusing only on Cage. “To be honest, I don’t even want to stay in this toy-colored, shitty wonderland you call a castle,” she snarled, Twilight gasping at that. “I’d rather stay in the Sanctum Sacktorum or whatever the hell he called it than deal with this galactic bullshit.”

“Okay, look,” Luke said, still refusing to let go of her arm, even as she declared her stance and tried to pull away. “You don’t have to fight for us. But if we have a chance of saving our world, then shouldn’t you take it? Shouldn’t you fight for your friends and family?”

Jessica stopped struggling. Her eyes met Luke’s… and they were red. She saw only that, felt her blood boiling but still managing to keep in the steam. It slipped through, Fluttershy whimpering behind them. “My best friend murdered my mother… my only family left,” Jessica ripped her arm away from him. Complete silence filled the room. “The way I see it… I have neither family… nor friends left.”

Danny sighed. Murdock remained as motionless, as emotionless as he tried to, yet that statement still managed to get to him. Luke took a step back, staring at Jessica’s expression and seeing no deceit behind it. Twilight’s ears fell at that revelation. The ponies looked sadly to one another, Sunset especially to the Princess of Friendship.

“In fact, I’d rather take my chances with New York and stay in the Sanctum then spend it in a desert with you freaks,” Jessica declared, referring to everyone. Holding nothing back. Rocket growled at her, Drax doing the same. “And if you didn’t get the memo, the princesses said there were no aliens attacking Earth anymore. The invasion halted, unless you all had your heads up your asses the entire time she was explaining that.”

“For the time being.”

Jessica looked to Murdock, sneering his way. Murdock didn’t hold back, stepping forth and continuing his argument. “You really think these aliens are gonna leave Earth alone forever? You must be pretty damn stupid to believe that. I know you, Jessica. You’re not stupid. You’re one of the smartest detectives I’ve ever met. So, you should know… that dying for nothing is no victory for you.”

“Sounds pretty damn nice to me,” Jessica said, her voice shaking, eyes burning the longer she stared into the Devil’s eyes.

“It’s not,” Daredevil continued, slowly but surely weakening Jessica’s stone skin and breaking through to what truly mattered. “Stay with us, Jessica. I can’t promise your safety… none of us can promise something like that. But you can’t stand there and honestly admit to yourself that you would rather die on your knees than die for something worth fighting for. Because you, Jessica Jones… you’re a fighter.”

Jessica wanted to slap him. She wanted to slap him so hard his mask cracked in half. And she nearly did… but stopped. Everything he told her didn’t come from their “team” or the Avengers, or the ponies, or whatever else Jessica didn’t care about. He came from him. He meant every word of it. Jessica was stunned into silence, her eyes burning red and threatening tears. Not because of Murdock’s sentiment… but because he was right.

“Pinkie,” Luke called, the mare slowly turning her head his way. “Is Jessica meant to go with us?”

The mare stared at her for some time, studying her. And Jessica… stared back. She found a strange sadness in Pinkie Pie’s eyes, the mare tilting her head to the side, little tears managing to break through the longer she stared into the eyes of Jessica Jones. Seeing her life… her love… her fights… her wars… her pain… herself. Pinkie sniffled, slowly nodding with a soft smile. Jessica’s head fell, a soft sigh leaving her. With her black bangs almost blocking her eyes and face, she lifted her gaze and met Murdock’s smile. Jessica didn’t know if she should frown, glare at him, or smile in return. Definitely not the latter. She stared into the red lenses that his mask held, that devil mask still hiding his full face.

She couldn’t even believe she was saying it. “All right… I’ll go,” Jessica finally said, several responding smiles filling the Defenders and the ponies. “But on one condition.”

Those smiles fell. Especially Murdock’s, Jessica stepping forward and almost breaking what little distance that still stood between them. She stared right into his eyes, through the red lenses and seeing the blank stare beneath. Murdock saw the fire in her eyes, the fire consuming her face and body. Her heartbeat quickened.

She said it. “Take off your mask.”

The air in the room stiffened. Ears from ponies perked up, Spike’s wings flapping and the dragon flying up and into the air, joining Rainbow Dash. Tony Stark crossed his arms, he and Rhodey slowly turning their eyes from Jones to the Daredevil. Many more followed. So many more followed. Every Guardian, every Avenger, every pony, every sorcerer, every Asgardian, and every… Defender.

Leaving just Matt.

He was stuck, hearing every heart turn his way, every murmur focused on him. Everyone waiting for what would happen, for how he would respond. For so long, he simply remained as stoic and unmoving, his expression hardened to fine point of dismissal. Jessica Jones didn’t make it any easier, pushing forward.

“Only way we’re a team is if we trust one another,” she told him, Murdock mentally battling himself throughout the endeavor. It was hard enough to actually admit to hearing Jessica refer to them all as a team. It was harder to listen to her. “So… can you trust all of us with your identity?”

Daredevil barely breathed, his hands tightening into fists. “Jessica, that’s—”

“Just take off the goddamn mask or I’ll just tell everyone who you are,” Jones finished.

No escape now. She had him trapped in the corner, every eye burning against him, the silence eating the rest of him. Every part of Matt’s instinct and livelihood told him no, they couldn’t know who he was. But the sensible part of him… the rational… it knew there was more at stake. He knew there was more at stake. With the end of the world literally on his doorstep, what more could he truly hide from the world?

The Daredevil thought of that. As he removed the devil mask from his head. As he gripped it with both palms, lifting it and lowering it so the devil horns lied just beneath his chest. He slowly spun around, every fire-filled gaze staring onto the pale, white face and filthy, brown hair tattered on his head. The eyes that couldn’t see anything but fire gazed straight ahead, a soft sigh leaving the man behind the Devil.

And he said, “My name is Matthew Murdock.”

There were a few hushed whispers amongst the crowds, the ponies looking curiously to one another, then back to the man named Matthew Murdock. So far… not so bad. Matt actually felt a little bit… at ease finally revealing his identity to them. It may have been a larger group than the Defenders, but it still felt somewhat… natural.

Until Tony Stark broke the silence and asked what was on everybody’s minds. “Are we supposed to know who that is?”

“No, Stark, you’re not,” Matt said with a slight chuckle, turning in Tony general direction, not meeting his gaze which confused Stark momentarily. “And I would prefer it if you didn’t from here on out.”

Pinkie Pie shot up from the carpet, pointing straight at Murdock and shouting, “I knew you were Matthew Murdock! I knew you were the blind lawyer! I just knew it!”

That statement alone caused another frenzy of questions to fill the study, the most prominent one being: “Blind lawyer?” Stark asked that one, too. Matt sighed, dropping his head and his hands, his right still gripping the Daredevil mask.

“I’ve had enough.”

Lifting his head—many more following him—Murdock turned to his left. There, he could see Frank Castle making his retreat to the study’s exit. Lost for brief moment, Murdock shook it away and stepped past Jessica. “Castle, what are you doing?” Matthew asked.

His large, black trench coat swayed with every step he took. He reached down and plucked his backpack and bag of weaponry and slung them over his shoulders. Grunting at the added weight, Castle didn’t even look back at them. “You all can go off on your little pony adventure, but I’m gonna focus on the fight that’s actually my war, the war for New York!” he shouted, turning back only slightly to meet Matt’s empty gaze. “Like you said, Murdock… they’ll come back. And I’ll be ready for ‘em.”

“Frank, we need you—” Matt started to say, taking another step forward.

“No, you don’t,” Castle already argued, pointing a gloved-covered hand directly to Stark. “You have… ‘Iron Man’, you have ‘Thor’, you even have wizards and whatever the hell those assholes are supposed to be!”

He pointed across the study, to the Guardians of the Galaxy sending conjoined glares his way. All except for Mantis, who simply waved to all the eyes suddenly diverged their way. She refocused her attention back to Castle, slowly making her way around the room and abandoning her fellow Guardians. He continued to ignore Murdock’s statements, his pleads, and had his mind set, his back turned to the exit so he couldn’t see who was approaching it.

“The longer I’m here, the more innocent lives are in danger!” Frank declared, finalizing his statement with a wave. “Best of luck to all of you!”

“You can’t leave without my help,” Doctor Strange stated, freezing Castle in his tracks, stopping him from turning fully around.

Frank closed his eyes, feeling a boiling frustration ready to be unleashed. They weren’t worth it. Curtis Hoyle’s rehab sessions taught about controlling anger, using it only at the right times. Castle wasn’t a patient man by any means, but even he could hold back when it was needed. They weren’t needed. The people in New York, the ones were suffering, they needed him.

Snorting, Castle faced fully towards the exit, tightening the straps on his backpack as he finally opened his eyes. “Then get your magical ass out here and open a—!”

Mantis blocked his path, making him freeze on his way towards the exit. He looked down, almost shocked to see her hand placed over his chest, resting right over the forehead of the white skull painted on his armor. Right over his heart. Her antennae gently glowed a soft white, Mantis’ jaw falling and a painful gasp of air leaving her. Almost as instantly, tears began to flow freely from her eyes, down her cheeks and dripping to the floor.

As she wept, Frank felt certain memories flushing into his mind once again, things he tried to keep down and away for anyone to catch. And yet… whoever this alien woman was… she saw it. She saw all of it. Every bloody stain on the merry-go-round, every bullet-filled body lying in the massacre, and those three bodies lying at the feet of a certain man’s perspective… right before he heard the bang and everything went black.

The memories were closed, as was Frank’s heart. Nothing could contain the unrelenting fury that followed. His bags hit the floor with resounding force, the Punisher grabbing Mantis by the throat and slamming her into the wall to his left. The insectoid yelped, gasping in pain and gripping onto Castle’s vein-filled palm wrapped around her throat. The bookshelf rattled from the impact, a few books managing to fall off the shelf and impact the carpet.

The rest followed as he expected. Distant voices crying out, urging Castle to stop, all of which were numb to his ears. Then there was retaliation, coming forth as Mantis’ fellow Guardians.

Star-Lord had his gun trained to the back of Frank’s head, Gamora with her blade against his neck on his opposite side. Several more rose from their seats, ready to act. Before they provoked a larger fight, Peter held out his free fist and shouted, “Hold up! Calm the F down everyone!”

“If you were wise, you would put down our friend,” Gamora threatened, Godslayer edging closer and closer to Frank’s windpipe. Yet it didn’t even seem to notice the sword by his throat, or the gun on his head. All of his focus, all of his fury, was all diverted to the fearful Mantis he had suspended several feet from the floor.

“You have ten goddamn seconds to explain what you just did,” Frank hissed, seeing more tears flow from her alien eyes, her face turning a shade of purple.

Easing the pressure on his grip, Castle let Mantis breathe fully, the woman practically gasping for air. Grasping onto his palm with both of hers, she found her footing on the bookshelf beneath her, managing to stand and not be completely throttled in the air. “I am an empath! I can see and feel emotion whenever I touch someone! And you… Frank Castle… you feel great emotional pain!”

“I am two seconds away from wringing your little neck into a piece of tattered flesh,” Frank growled. Peter Quill turned his Quad Blaster from stun to kill. Frank felt the coolness of Gamora’s blade resting on his neck, the sharp edge scraping skin. Frank ignored it again, despite his better judgement, and growled, “Why did you do that?”

When she answered, it was almost like a wake-up call. Something he didn’t except nor could he anticipate to hit him so hard.

“You need it.”

Frank’s eyes slowly shot open, his anger cooling to acceptable levels. He finally felt Gamora’s blade. He finally heard Quill’s firearm heating up against his head. Castle released her, Mantis practically crumbling to the floor and coughing loudly. As he backed away, Quill and Gamora came to her side, easing Mantis back to her feet.

Silence. All eyes on him. Waiting.

Frank Castle was nothing short of ill-tempered. Had it been any other circumstance, he would have picked up his bags, walked away, and demanded the princesses to send him back to Earth because Strange certainly wouldn’t now. That’s how stubborn he was. That’s the wall very few could hurdle. And those that could didn’t make it far afterwards… because Frank wouldn’t allow it. He would never let anyone get as close to him as his…

He let his head fall. His hands formed fists, knuckles cracking as wretched memories flooded him again and again, no power of heaven or hell being enough to push them back down. There they all were… watching him… like an animal in a cage, waiting for the next show to start. He couldn’t believe he was watching so much pony-filled bullshit. He nearly lost it when the Pegasus actually hugged Thor. That’s why he stayed back. That’s why he stayed away.

Just like every other time.

But… not now.

Frank didn’t want to admit it—he hated admitting things that were impossible—but the princesses wouldn’t let him go home. After what he did to Mantis, his patience already hindered as it was, one wrong move with the princesses and he was stuck on an alien world. The only other way back was with Strange…

… and them.

They wouldn’t trust him. How could anyone trust him after he practically strangled the nicest, sweetest alien girl right before their very eyes. He could already tell they were whispering murmurs against him, maybe that Alicorn or her unicorn friends ready to freeze him with that paralysis spell like she did two years ago in Germany. If she saw him as a threat, that is. Whether Frank wanted to admit it or not, he needed them in order to get back to Earth, and they apparently needed him to stop the invasion occurring on Equus. They needed a reason to trust him.

Give me a reason to trust you… so I can give them a reason.

Frank lifted his eyes and found Starlight Glimmer herself standing amongst her friends, she as well as each of them staring at him, all waiting. Waiting for what he would do next.

He took a deep breath in…

What the hell are these ponies doing to me?

And he started…

“Years ago, I took my wife, my son… my daughter… all of us to spend a day at the park. That’s all it was. That’s all I ever wanted it to be. By God, you could look at the sun and it would blind ya the second ya did. Not a cloud in the sky, that’s how beautiful it was. Never wanted nothin’ more than that.”

Peter Quill, Gamora, and Mantis all slowly looked to Castle, Mantis shaking, knowing what was coming next. Tony Stark and his Avengers took slow steps forward at first, pausing just the same. The remaining Guardians, Asgardians, and Defenders remained where they were. The ponies got closer, falling silent as another story was presented to them. Rainbow and Spike took a seat on the floor.

“Next thing I know… bullets are flying… people are screaming, running… dying all around me. Bunch of gangs, murderers… they had a mission that day… and that mission was to take every last thing that had meaning to me,” Frank continued, looking away from everyone. “And they did. By God, they did…”

Shaking breaths escaped the Punisher. Nothing but silence was all he could hear from the other end. When he continued, Frank couldn’t even hear himself like he used to. Like someone else took over.

“You ever hold your little girl… your son… your wife… and think there could ever be anything in the world so precious, worth anything more than what you already had. You can’t.” Stark’s eyes slowly fell to the carpet, a knife slowly easing its way into his heart. “And you see that… you see them as the bloody corpses those murderers turned them into… just lying in your arms… and you think there could have been something different you could’ve done. You can. But it was too late. That right there, that’s… that’s what Hell is.”

There were pained gasps at Castle’s reveal, many ponies visibly crying now—only Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Twilight being those few, Starlight closing her eyes. Everyone else was stuck in pure and utter shock, Mantis closing her eyes as more tears slipped down her cheeks, not being able to hold the same strength twice. Except for Murdock, Matt struggling to hold back tears. He hid it well. It wasn’t the first time he heard the story, but it never got any easier to hear it the next.

Frank seemed to be in the same boat, sniffing rather loudly and rubbing his nose with a sleeve. “I don’t give a shit about your fight,” he muttered, reaching down for his bags. “I’ll fight on my own. Always have… always will.”

When he rose back to full height, he was stopped once more by a hand, this one falling on his shoulder. Not as gentle as Mantis’, but soft enough to tell Frank that whoever it was meant no ill will. If anything, he meant the opposite. Slowly turning back around, Frank Castle met the alien eyes of Drax the Destroyer.

“I will remain visible for this,” Drax said, offering a strengthening smile to the Punisher. “You cannot allow your past mistakes to determine your future. Much like we cannot choose our allies in a war. We simply must face the obstacles ahead… with whoever would be willing to stand with us. Going alone… never works. I know.”

Frank didn’t fight back.

“Just like I know what it means to lose,” Drax continued, still gripping Castle’s shoulder, the Punisher still not responding to that. “As Quill has said once before, we are losers. And you, my friend… are a big loser.”

“I didn’t necessarily put it that way,” Quill interrupted, then was promptly ignored.

Drax’s eyes met Frank’s, and that brief moment of respite was all Castle needed to see the pain in his glowing, blue eyes. He saw the loss, the tears boiling, threatening to fall. The agony, the pained past… he saw that. Just as much as he saw the smile that joined it. Frank furrowed his brow, confusion gripping him, turning it to the Destroyer.

“My Ovette… my Kamaria… taken from me when Thanos cleansed my world,” he said, voice so soft and so sincere. “And yet I still know I cannot win while I stand alone. My friends… my new family… they are exactly what I needed. They are what you need, too.”

He didn’t simply address just the Guardians alone when he meant that. And he meant that. He meant every last word of it, his smile joining his tears, mixing with his pain and his loss. His happiness… something that still left Frank Castle perplexed. He lost his family. His wife, his daughter… taken from him by another, and yet there he stood before Frank, smiling to him the way only a friend could. He may have been alien, but he was still a man, like Frank. Like someone who had lost someone so dear and so precious and fell because of it.

And they both rose… Castle closing his heart and Drax giving his out to others. And the fruit of Drax’s labors were as clear as day, Frank looking back to Peter Quill and Gamora. Looking to Mantis. Looking back to Groot and Rocket. The aliens, the assholes… the people he had found a new family in… because he was willing to admit that loss and look again for something to fill it. And he smiled because of it.

Frank let his eyes fall. His vision was blurry, and he could’ve sworn he felt the dampness dot his eyelashes, paint his cheeks. It was short, Castle quickly wiping it away and turning back to Drax. But he already saw him. Everyone already saw him. And they hardly saw anything different… minus the supporting smiles they sent his way.

“We do this now, then we can work on stopping the invasion,” Stark said, breaking the silence and watching as Castle turned his way.

Frank gave in.

He couldn’t believe it himself. There was no other option that seemed positive in his favor except… to go with them. To fight with them. To save the world with them. And maybe… maybe it was something Maria would want him to do. Maybe Frankie would see him more as just a soldier. Maybe Lisa would see him as a bigger hero than ever before.

Everything he could look forward to when he saw them again.

He nodded, stepping back so Drax’s hand fell from his shoulder.

All on the same page. Everyone had finally reached some form of common ground. With no other objections, Doctor Strange felt several eyes turned in his direction, meaning that it was time. “All of us have to go?” Strange asked, focused directly at Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie looked to the Punisher, then back to Strange, nodding with a large grin. She was the first one to make her way towards the exit and actually successfully reach it, Doctor Strange slowly following behind her. He watched her bounce, somehow growing more used to her bubbly behavior. Twilight’s advice was actually starting to work the more he started to believe Pinkie Pie was an actual thing.

That was the cue. Matt put on his mask. Thor rose from his seat. Rainbow Dash and Spike hovered in the air, the large group of ponies trotting their way out of Celestia’s private study. Tony Stark led Peter Parker, James Rhodes, and Vision out of the study, right behind Twilight and her group. Murdock did the same with the Defenders, Frank Castle being the one leading the rest of them this time. Matt smiled at that. Everyone pushed past Drax, but it was Gamora who laid her hand on his shoulder, smiling his way. Quill did the same, patting Drax on the back and leading him and his team out of the room. Until no one was left.

Until Pinkie shot out her hoof by the exit doors, declaring, “Wait! Only three have to stay!”

The Pinkie Sense. Nearly everyone had almost forgotten. It asked of everyone but three to go to the Badlands, and according to Twilight and Doctor Strange, they had to follow it exactly or else things would turn… sour for them in the end. It didn’t take long for volunteers to start piping up.

“Not sure what kind of use I’ll be worth,” Banner said, several heads shifting in his direction. He nodded absentmindedly, pursing his lips to Tony and Stephen. “Hulk and I got stuff to work out anyhow.”

“I would rather stay… and not be a burden any further,” Loki said, looking from Rainbow’s glare to Thor’s uncertain eye.

“Oh, well, I’ll stay too,” Spike announced, hovering back to the ground and landing. His wings folded back into his sides, holding out his claws and saying, “The Badlands aren’t even really that fun. Went through it trying to stop the Storm King, and it’s nothing but sand, sun, and boring. No thanks.”

With the three decided, Pinkie declared, “That works!” She led the group back into the archives and out in the hallway, bounding forward with each step. Twilight stared at Spike a moment longer, eventually nodding to him and making her retreat. Spike nodded back, offering a helpful smile to the Alicorn. That smile faded when he watched who she approached from behind.

“Frank…”

The Punisher looked down to Twilight Sparkle walking on his right. She, like many, struggled to hold back her tears, wiping her snout with a wing. When she looked up at him, Castle couldn’t have pictured a closer look of sincerity… except for the one on Drax earlier. “I… I’m so sorry. If I had known what you truly went through—”

“It’s fine,” Castle grunted, opening the Canterlot Archive doors for him and Twilight. “We have other issues to deal with.”

That simple gesture was enough for Twilight. A baby step closer to—hopefully—a growing friendship between her and Frank. Smiling gratefully to him, she joined her friends out into the hallways of Canterlot Castle. Amongst them were Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity falling behind, Sunset, Starlight, and Pinkie Pie bounding forward alongside Doctor Strange. Tony Stark, Spider-Man, War Machine, Thor, and Vision were close behind Strange. Matthew Murdock, Frank Castle, Jessica Jones, Danny Rand, and Luke Cage walked amongst the Avengers. Drax, Rocket, Groot, and Mantis followed as well. They were a different team, something Twilight was still struggling to fully comprehend. Never in her life would she have imagined studying a volcano alongside a talking, vulgar raccoon.

Yet for some reason she smiled every step of the way.

Star-Lord kept the door open for Gamora, them being the last two out of the archives and into the hallways. Further down, Peter could see the rest of the group turning the corner left, meaning they were already far behind. Ready to pick up his step, Quill could only stop once Gamora laid her hand over his chest, prompting him with both her strength and her eyes elsewhere.

He followed, brow furrowed, confusion ripe. “What’s up?” he asked quietly, leaning against the nearest wall Gamora brought them to.

As for the Zehoberei woman, the fiercest woman in all the galaxy, the most feared and deadly assassin known throughout hundreds of star systems… she shivered. The glass window portraying tales of heroism and unveiling the beauty of Equus just outside the warming sunlight meant nothing to her. For she could only feel a piercing darkness clouding her heart, a cloud of fear overcoming her senses and making her as someone she wasn’t.

But Quill didn’t see that. He had seen Gamora as the woman who fought, the woman who smiled, the woman who danced, the woman who laughed, the woman who cried beside him, and the woman who loved him… just as much as he did her. No amount of fear he saw in her eyes could take away that perfect picture of the woman he had fallen in love with. He knew it was serious. He shut his mouth and listened to her.

“With what’s to come…” Gamora finally began, taking in several deep and cautious breaths as she stared out into the morning sunlight. “If Thanos… gets me… I want you to promise me…”

She looked right at him, no sense of deceit located in her beautiful eyes when she said it.

“You’ll kill me.”

The sunlight was showered by a cloud, making the shadows of the castle fall over her face and darken it. As for Peter Quill, he had to take a quick second to fully comprehend what she just said, if she actually said it… and if she actually meant it. He stared into her eyes, seeing the red overcome the beauty, the pain shielding the truth.

Peter leaned forward. “What?” he said, voice so silent. Complete disbelief.

“I know something he wants,” she continued, staring out into the darkness that came forth onto Canterlot. The cold made her shudder. “If he gets his hands on that information, the universe could be in danger. I know I’m asking more than you could ever force yourself to do, but please, Peter… you have to kill me.”

“What do you know?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you,” Gamora whispered, shaking her head. “Your life would be at risk.”

“I would rather die,” Quill snarled, gripping her shoulder tightly, his breathing uneasy through his flared nostrils, “… then have you die. Please, Gamora, you can’t expect me to—”

She closed his mouth with her palm, struggling to breathe herself, hardly keeping in the tears. “Swear to me…”

Peter dropped his hand from her shoulder, the adrenaline in his eyes slowly but surely draining from his entire body. Her tone, her posture, everything had taken a turn towards uncharted and dangerous territory, to where neither were comfortable entering. Yet they did it together, Gamora meeting her love’s eyes and crying.

“Swear to me on your mother.”

When she lowered her hand from his mouth, all she could see was… nothing.

Yet she knew there wasn’t nothing flooding in his senses, his mind, and his heart and soul. Gamora rarely ever brought up Peter’s mother, deeming it a subject far too serious for any of their friends to touch upon. But this was different. The entire universe was at stake. Quill’s love for his mother, for the woman lost, was equal if not more sacred than his love for Gamora. All she could do now was wait and understand how far that love would go…

And Peter Quill… nodded.

He nodded.

“Okay.”

Gamora lets loose the tears, fully knowing the type of sacrifice Peter had just agreed to. There was no going back. Once Thanos tries to take her… that was it. She would gladly die by the one she loved more than anything else. She felt his soft palm grace her cheek, the Guardian looking up and meeting Quill’s eyes, Peter wiping her tears away and closing the distance. Their lips met. A blissful feeling of warmth entered the two as they melted into each other’s embrace, enjoying their love. Enjoying each other.

Enjoying what little time they had left to be alive.

A noticeable cough came from behind Gamora, both Guardians breaking away from each other and turning appropriately to see the humorous expression of Starlight Glimmer at the end of the hallway. She wasn’t alone, practically the whole cast of ponies observing the scene from several yards away. Fluttershy could hardly hide her blushing features, the mares giggling amongst themselves and vanishing back behind the wall. Pinkie winked at them, clicking her tongue seductively.

“We’re leaving for the Badlands now!” Doctor Strange announced loudly, Pinkie shooting upwards and disappearing back into the hallway.

Star-Lord and Gamora both sighed, the two of them eventually nodding to one another. They followed the ponies and turned the corner, close by each other’s side, taking every moment to be together. They saw Doctor Strange preparing the portal, all of the Avengers stepping forth through it. Peter and Gamora joined their fellow Guardians, both sending the mares equal frowns, the ponies trailing close behind them with noticeable and innocent smiles.

All except for one.

And Rarity just couldn’t seem to know why.

It was so unlike her to be silent during common introductions and easing conversations amongst friends. Where had her strength gone? Her voice was but a distant echo that had vanished and refused to return throughout the entire discussion in Celestia’s private study. And still the pony, the unicorn, the snow-colored fashionista still couldn’t find that strength to push onwards. Her friends moved on without her, entering the portal that sent them straight into the burning winds of the Badlands.

All she could do, all that was allowed for her, was to stare onwards. To Matthew Murdock and Danny Rand being some of the last few in the portal, followed alongside by Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. She stared at those two in particular… for the longest time… refusing to beforehand, but now finally falling prey to what tried to resurface.

What tried to resurface…

Another man with dark skin lied by a smaller female, her flowing, dark hair tangled and lying in disarray, blocking her face. They weren’t even the worst ones.

Rarity blinked and shook her head, gasping for air. She pressed her hooves against her head, teeth clenched tight alongside her eyes. More flashes, more pieces, everything coming together to paint the vivid and horrid image she had dreaded to fully recognize. Rarity shot open her eyes, finally being able to breathe again. Until she was certain she was the last soul in Canterlot’s halls.

When she turned back towards the portal, Luke and Jessica were gone. Her friends were gone. All that remained was Doctor Strange staring quizzically at her, his brow furrowed and yet not a word leaving him. He just waited for the unicorn, watched as she stood frozen in the middle of the hallway almost having a panic attack, then finally making her way towards him.

She shivered with every step she took. Strange kept watching her, even as she hopped into the portal and entered the burning sunlight within the Badlands. Stephen didn’t.

He pondered. He thought of Rarity’s actions prior. She was so couth and polite when he had first met her, hitting it off straight away with the Cloak and even going so far as to wish to be his friend. Childish thoughts. Then all of a sudden, when he returned to Canterlot with more allies, she appeared… distant. Cold. Like a completely different pony had replaced her. The way she looked at others—at the Avengers, the Defenders, and the Guardians specifically—it showed something else in those large eyes of hers. Something… dark.

Something Strange could ponder about another time. Strange sighed and left those thoughts for further study, entering after her and closing the portal.

Doctor Strange couldn’t read minds yet. He really wished he could.

Because all Rarity saw was the same horror, the same bodies, the same death. All she heard in her mind was the same name over and over again…

Thanos.