//------------------------------// // Chapter 176 – Spikezilla // Story: Infinity Era // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// 176 The Battle of Earth 6:30 p.m. They were untouchable. Unseen. Once they reached the shattered driver’s side window of the van, Hope van Dyne enlarged the same second Scott Lang had. Both Ant-Man and the Wasp retracted their helmets once they were safely inside Luis’ van. With Hope in the passenger seat and Scott adjusting himself in the driver’s seat, Lang ran his gloves across the dashboard and computer resting in front of him. He tried for the key, jamming it inside the ignition and twisting it. Nothing. Hope shot her gaze back to the Quantum Tunnel still dark. “Hurry up, Scott!” she shouted. “I can’t!” Scott grumbled, twisting the key again and again and only hearing a dying engine. She turned to him, brow furrowed. “What?” “It’s dead!” he shouted, slamming his palms on the steering wheel. All around them, they could see nothing but hordes and hordes of Outriders streaming down the hills past them. Both Ant-Man and the Wasp were momentarily frozen to the unfathomable odds placed against them and the Avengers as a whole. If they failed to get the Quantum Tunnel functioning, then all else failed. Then, it clicked. Or, more appropriately, it sparked in Scott’s head. He gritted his teeth, bending down beneath the steering wheel and stating, “Here, I gotta hot-wire it.” Even in the heart of enemy lines, they were unseen. Thanos’ forces were focused elsewhere, anyway. Deeper into the battle and lost within the madness, the Mad Titan himself was currently preoccupied with the three mares and a certain Scarlet Witch. He had diverted all his nearby forces to converge solely to the Infinity Stones. Where they were or where the gauntlet was had yet to be determined, as Thanos was currently in the fight for his life. Though he had finally managed to gain some footing against his oppressors, they were relentless and kept up their conjoined assault. Derpy and Trixie rained fire from the air. Maud tossed more and more boulders towards Thanos, each one bigger and faster than the last. The challenge not only lied with keeping his eyes on the mares, but also focusing the majority of his effort on the Scarlet Witch. Wanda Maximoff had broken any distance between them, ensuring Thanos felt every square inch of her wrath. They engaged in hand-to-hand combat, her psionic energy used as both a defensive and offensive means against the Titan’s overwhelming speed and strength. When Thanos slashed at her with his sword, she would block the entire blade with just her palms, the red haze acting as a shield to deflect. When she attacked, her energy shot out and struck the Titan’s armor and exposed body. She was relentless in her pursuit, wrathful in her intent, and unstoppable even when Thanos did not want to admit it. He reared back and slammed his sword right on top of her, Wanda raising her palms and catching the entire sword in a haze of crimson. Thanos applied even more pressure, his feral glare only intensifying as the light and heat of the psionic energy flowed between them. Wanda pursed her lips, the light in her eyes only glowing brighter and brighter as she managed to release her right palm while still holding the blade against her. The crimson dots in her stare shifted back to see the gray Pegasus fly high above. A bolt of condensed lightning shot down from Derpy’s Domino Gun, striking Thanos in the spine and eliciting a roar of pain and anger from the Mad Titan. It was all Wanda needed to push back. She rammed her right palm forward, the power of her energy blast knocking Thanos back several feet. The boulder that Maud tossed at Thanos with her Asteroid Gloves sent the Titan even further back. He crashed against a pillar of rubble and concrete, both Thanos and the boulder tearing through the complete opposite side and rolling several more yards in the dirt. Catching his breath and wincing at the pulse of pain filling his body, Thanos turned to the scream and saw the Witch descend from the skies. Her eyes still glowed that hellish red, her hands encompassed in that same murderous hue as she landed and charged him. Derpy and Maud were right behind her. Perfect. Quickly rising, Thanos grunted as he reared back and tossed his Double-Edged Sword right for all three of them. While Wanda flew over it and Derpy dodged to the side, Maud was not so fortunate and only had enough of a reaction time to raise a slab of rock from the ground. The sword struck the rock and shattered it, both the fragments and Maud Pie launched backwards and lost within the rubble. Derpy cried out to Maud in that moment, having taken her eyes off Thanos and allowing him to grab her. He gripped the flailing Pegasus in left hand, that enraged murder radiating off his expression. Shooting out his right hand, he caught his sword once it spun back to him, rearing the blade back and intending for the pony’s head. When Wanda landed, she threw her arms down with her, the charged blast of psionic energy shooting free from her hands and striking Thanos dead in the chest. The blast was strong enough to knock Thanos back several feet. It was strong enough to release his grasp on the Pegasus, Derpy flying out of the Titan’s palm and crashing elsewhere, lost in the dust and fire. Lifting his gaze, Thanos watched as the Witch proceeded towards him, that same energy clouding her palms, her fists, and that feral scream leaving her lungs as she lunged for his weakened state. He waited. Waited until she was mere feet from him. Then, with his right hand, he backhanded her and sent Wanda crashing through a pile of rocks. She flipped and rolled as she exited the other side, the Scarlet Witch groaning as she tried to stand, tried to push herself up from the dirt. But failed. She fell back to her chest and lay there, regaining her strength and the breath she lost. With the Witch taken care of, Thanos rose up only to fall back down when the flash of light nearly blinded him. Still standing valiantly against the Mad Titan, Trixie Lulamoon held her ground and planted all four hooves in front of his path. Her cloak and hat flowed viciously in the heated wind, the glare in her eyes strong enough to melt steel. Thanos rose to full height. Trixie ignited her horn. Blast after blast, Trixie sent continuous magical beams onto the Titan. To her dissatisfaction, however, Thanos only continued to proceed forth. He blocked her attacks with his sword, turning his approach into a sprint, into a leap, as he held his blade high and roared as he drove it down onto the unicorn. Trixie bit her lip as that distance was severed, having no choice but to teleport away at the last second before that blade struck the ground she was on moments ago. As Thanos rose, he was almost expecting her return in another flash of magic. Only nothing came. She had fled. Thanos caught his breath. With the four of them dealt with, he brought his attention back to the battle around him. It was a cluster of bodies killing one another in the distance, energy bolts and gunfire ringing out and colliding with the constant explosions consuming the earth and the air. Within the skies, dogfights raged and airships did battle with Thanos’ Leviathans. His Chitauri Command Centers kept resupplying his forces, his Sanctuary II glaring down upon the war within the clouds. On its way towards his ship, the War Horse hovered over the battlefield and bombarded it, its cannons firing both above and below as the heart of the war in the skies surrounded the massive airship. His Chitauri Titans stomped miles apart, swinging their arms and destroying various Ravager warships and Equestrian airships. A swarm of dragons consumed an entire section of the battlefield, breathing their flames across his armies. That was where his forces congregated. That was where the Infinity Stones were. Having acquired the minimal rest he needed, Thanos sprinted towards the fire with blade in hand. As he ran, he cast his eyes skywards and watched the quadruped Chitauri Titan stomp forth on the various Wakandans, changelings, and swiping high at the Hippogriffs with its pincers. By the time he was close enough, Thanos breathed in and shouted to the very peak his vocal cords could offer. “Retrieve the Stones!” Flinching at his booming voice, the Chitauri Titan slowly turned and caught its lord and master sprinting towards the dragons. It saw as Thanos pointed his blade forward, at his destination. Recalling the order Thanos gave, the Titan growled and turned its attention to the dragons. They remained a mile away, casting their flames onto the battlefield and lighting up the evening darkness already filled with smoke and death. Within the fires, the Titan could see them, the Stones. It roared, picking its claws up and proceeding towards the Nano Gauntlet. And the Black Panther that held it. As for King T’Challa, his pathway between the dragons proved to be quite advantageous. Any Chitauri, Sakaaran, or Outrider that tried to follow him were instantly scorched and slaughtered by the various dragons that crowded together and filled the section of the valley. From the adult dragons breathing in deeply and spewing fires across the wastelands, their necks towering over T’Challa, and even to the younger dragons battling Thanos’ forces with blades and axes in close combat. All of it was consumed in war and death, a massacre of all who stood against the Dragon Nation. Just as T’Challa was about to make his exit to a clear and free path towards the van, he halted. He froze only when the ground quivered. Every dragon did. The fires ceased, every adult dragon lifting their heads in unison. Another tremor washed across the battlefield. Every head turned and rose, from every Chitauri, dragon, and one Black Panther. Through the billowing smoke corroding the battlegrounds, there emerged the silhouette mightier than any dragon on the earth or in the skies. From the smoke, all four pincers of the Chitauri Titan shot out to join the beast’s ear-shattering roar. The quadruped stomped forth, crushing entire legions of both Chitauri and Equestrians alike. It cared not for the masses below. Its glare, its teeth, its head, all of it was centered just on them. Just on him. On Black Panther and what he held. In response to the mightier being, the adult dragons all backed away, roaring and shooting out their wings to hopefully ward off the greater threat. The Titan responded with another roar of its own, shaking the entire battlefield and every bone that consumed it. Various adult dragons gave one more fleeting roar before they flew off, retreating as the Titan entered the vicinity. Few dragons remained, both the young and the old further backing away. T’Challa found himself backpedaling, his eyes widened to the insurmountable odds placed before him. The Titan glared his way, stomped closer and closer, and narrowed its focus on the Nano Gauntlet in the Panther’s arms. Between its titanic, towering leg, T’Challa could barely make out the image of the van slowly being lost within the madness of war. Grumbling to that, Black Panther tightened his grip on the gauntlet and spun around. He would find another way. Yet the second he spun around he was met with the Double-Edged Sword striking him across the head. T’Challa was thrown violently across the valley, his body spinning and crashing upon the earth. His grunts and groans were limited, the Black Panther forcing himself to shake away the stars and turn towards the imminent threat. To his shock and horror, the Mad Titan sprinted at him, rearing back once more with his blade and bringing it down on T’Challa. He dodged to the side, gauntlet under his left arm, allowing his right to retaliate against Thanos. The Black Panther slashed at Thanos’ armor and exposed skin, only managing to strike the Titan’s golden plating and send sparks across the dirt and rock. He spun in mid-air, slamming his feet across Thanos’ face and continuously pelting him with shorter, weaker hits that barely even phased the Dark Lord. Knowing his strikes did not even bring the Titan to a staggering state, T’Challa backed away, his body defensively protecting the Nano Gauntlet. Thanos overwhelmed him in seconds. His blade swung for the Panther’s head, T’Challa barely dodging. Low, Thanos rammed his hand across the king’s face, T’Challa faltering backwards and nearly collapsing. He fumbled back to his feet, forcing himself to the Titan and meeting the ferocious glare face to face. Despite the odds, the Black Panther held his ground. He defended the Infinity Stones, with his life if need be. “T’Challa!” The younger voice cried out and earned both of their eyes, both Thanos and Black Panther turning to see the young dragon flying several yards in the distance. Spike waved his arms and claws up high and above his head, his wings beating to keep him airborne, his own eyes wide with adrenaline. Spike yelled, “I’m open!” That was enough for Thanos. He growled and roared as he slammed his blade down on the Black Panther. But not before T’Challa had time to give it off. He passed the torch onto Spike, rearing back and tossing the Nano Gauntlet with all his strength. He grunted as he released the gauntlet into the air, cried out as that blade struck him and rammed him into the earth. Though his suit protected him, T’Challa lost his breath on the impact. His eyes weakly rose, joining Thanos’ momentarily shocked gaze when they saw the gauntlet fly off into the distance. Spike, having greatly misjudged his position, gasped and flew back as fast as he could manage. T’Challa had thrown the gauntlet with all his might, and that might had managed to send the glove several dozen yards behind where Spike was hovering. Despite that, Spike never gave up. He beat his wings furiously as he tore through the air, dodged the energy blasts and explosions filling both the earth and the sky, and kept his eyes on the prize. Everyone did. Just before the gauntlet could land in the growing crowd of Chitauri preparing to catch it, Spike zipped in at the last second and snatched the Nano Gauntlet right out of the air. “I got it!” Spike announced triumphantly, flying high above and disregarding the Chitauri, knowing they had no chance of reaching him. He held the Nano Gauntlet over his head, slowly bringing it down in his arms. “I got…! I…” Despite his better instincts, Spike found himself slowly entranced by the gauntlet, more so, by the gemstones resting on its face. His eyes fell and widened to the mere sight of all six Infinity Stones, their rainbow of colors shimmering and illuminating untold power and might. Up close and personal, his natural dragon instincts took control, the sparkle in his eyes and the greedy hunger in his stomach quickly overcoming the young Spike. He was so mesmerized by the gems that he failed to move in time, a single Outrider leaping from the crowds and tackling Spike. It brought him back to the earth, where that crowd of Outriders swarmed and piled on top of the dragon within seconds. “Spike!” Twilight cried from where she flew, the horror in her eyes joining the likes of Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. Applejack and Pinkie Pie fought off the nearby Outriders, both mares turning accordingly to Twilight’s cry, seeing the massive dogpile of Outriders and fearing the worst for their dragon friend. Shooting out her wings, Twilight tightened her wounded expression and sought to dive down and save him. She could see as Thanos was already charging forth to Spike’s location, the odds quickly rising against them the longer they waited. Her best friends were right beside her, intent on charging together and meeting the Mad Titan face to face if need be. Only, she didn’t need to. None of them needed to. Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy halted in mid-air. Applejack and Pinkie skidded to a halt. They slowly backed away from where they stood, Applejack’s jaw continuously falling and eyes continuously growing wider and wider. As did Pinkie’s wicked grin. Both mares felt their heads lean back further and further, just to catch a portion of him. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash slowly glided backwards, but not Rarity. Not Twilight. They both were awestruck, frozen where they hovered, and couldn’t help but share a smile. Tiny smiles, but nonetheless relieved. Nonetheless completely captivated. In the valley of fire, Dragon Lord Ember flew by and watched as her various dragons soared in the opposite direction. She cast them all an enraged glare, jamming her Bloodstone Scepter back to the Chitauri Titan and screaming, “We do not retreat! Get back to the fight and—!” A new roar shot out and shook her body, filled the entire war, and lasted for several seconds on end. With her feral glare fading, Ember turned to it. Every dragon followed her, spinning accordingly both within the air and upon the earth. All could hardly believe what they were witnessing. An entire portion of the battlefield silenced and turned to the roar, to the massive being only growing taller and taller, mightier and mightier. Armies halted. The fighting ceased in the valley. Every eye turned and gazed wonder and shock to the behemoth of a dragon rising up from the earth. The Outriders were the first to die when Spike was unleashed. His body grew more and more massive. The greed-induced enlargement brought Spike to new heights, leaving the ground behind and rising above it. Rising above practically everything else. Once his shadow had fully cascaded, Spike unfurled his wings and roared once again. His towering size and frame turned every head to rise up and meet him, his wings reaching out so far that he might as well have touched each end of the battlefield. His neck towered and led to his massive head, the rows of razor-sharp teeth flaring outwards upon the dragon’s war cry. His left claws were unsheathed. His right claws were closed into a fist. That same fist that held the Nano Gauntlet and the six Infinity Stones. All it took was one look at his scales for Ember to know exactly who it was. She smirked as Spike’s roar continued to fill the air, the Dragon Lord muttering, “Not bad, kid.” Thanos froze where he stood. He grimaced at the sight of the colossal dragon, his breathing growing heavier, more uncontrolled. As for Spike, he slowly closed his mouth once his roar had ceased, his eyes glaring ahead to the many beasts and aliens that stood in his path. All swarmed towards him and what he held. He growled to it all, hearing the responding growls and shifting his gaze over to them. The mere sight of the beast that stood before Spike made the dragon’s scales burn, the rage and hatred all boiling down to the unfathomable greed that had consumed the young dragon. In his current state, his mind was lost. All that mattered to him now were the Infinity Stones. His gemstones. None would take them. The Chitauri Titan slammed its claws onto the earth, roaring at Spike with enough intensity to deafen all life. Spike roared back. He drove his own claws onto the ground, tearing through absolutely everything as he and the Titan collided and shook the world.