Chapter 144 – What Power Can Do
144
Andromeda Galaxy
Morag
Year: 2014
Morag was a planet littered with unending storms and a fierce, uninhabitable environment. Lightning rocked the skies and rain pelted the rocky surface of the earth. A forever fog coated the planet and filled the landscape, ruins of an ancient civilization barely visible upon the dark purple, black, and blues of the horizon and atmosphere. Despite that, life existed on the planet.
Maud Pie crushed the head of the charging Orloni, the creature writhing beneath her hoof before finally settling upon the rock. Dead.
The team of six Avengers congregated as one after a short moment was taken to regain their senses from the aftereffects of time travel. Only one of them had experience in that arena, but even she needed a minute or two to breathe again. Especially taking into account the alien air they were breathing, a first for nearly all of them. Nebula was the only Avenger among them who had experience with alien air, the Luphomoid observing her team slowly coming together.
James Rhodes strode forth in his War Machine Mark VI, the Quantum Suit having disintegrated into the Time Travel GPS on his left, metal hand. Robbie Reyes walked alongside him, the man containing the Spirit of Vengeance cracking his neck as he took in a deep breath and coughed out the alien fog. The rain pelted his head and dampened his black hair, his black suit, but nonetheless affected him little. They were joined by three mares. Starlight Glimmer shivered as a cold wind washed over her coat, the mare creating a magical umbrella over her head to block the rain from hitting her mane. She stood on Reyes’ left. With her was the Pegasus, Derpy Hooves flying about and testing the atmosphere for her wings. It felt weird—being on another planet and all—but Derpy liked it. It was new. It was exciting. She wished her friends felt the same way, but just seeing their worrisome and downtrodden expressions seemed to infect her own. She settled down on Rhodes’ right.
Finally, there was Maud Pie, the Earth pony raising and cleaning her hoof from the vile left of the Orloni. She stood beside Nebula, the Luphomoid taking command amongst them, having the most knowledge of their surroundings and the time period of which they had entered. When they stood together in a medium-sized circle, Rhodes looked about and held out his hands. The rain pelted his suit of armor, rivers flowing down the glowing red lights upon the War Machine.
“So… we just wait for Quill to show up, and he’ll lead us to the Power Stone?” James asked.
Nebula nodded.
She tensed up when she heard the audible sniffle ahead of her. Everyone and everypony soon turned to it, as well, seeing the Pegasus nearly soaking wet in the rain and her own tears ready to start flowing and joining the rain. Starlight’s expression saddened, her heart aching to see Derpy on the brink of tears. She levitated her magical umbrella over Derpy. Maud nearly raised her hoof to touch the Pegasus’ shoulder, then noticed the visible gunk still lingering on her hoof. She stopped herself, simply listening in with the remaining Avengers, their own expressions softening.
Derpy sniffled, raising a foreleg to rub her muzzle. “Peter won’t know us… will he?” she asked.
Maud’s eyes slowly widened to that, the realization striking her. They were in 2014, two years before they ever met Star-Lord, Nebula, Gamora, or any of the other Guardians of the Galaxy. The Quill that would arrive to unveil the Power Stone to them would not even know who they were. Friends would become complete strangers to him, maybe even enemies. Turning to Nebula, Maud waited for an answer she was dreading. Nebula’s only answer was a drop in her eyes. Derpy and Maud took that as best as they could, their own eyes falling sadly.
“Let’s take cover,” Nebula stated after a moment of recovery. She proceeded away from the group, a reluctant following soon joining her. Her eyes were set on the temple resting within the fog. “We’re not the only ones in 2014 looking for the Power Stone.”
“Who else is?” Robbie asked, stumbling over a rock.
He stumbled into her back, having not known Nebula had simply stopped dead in her tracks. Backing away, Robbie watched alongside the four others behind him as Nebula slowly turned around, her mechanical eyes peering deep into them. Every last one of them. She thought she felt a tingle in her eye socket, a jolt of static in the back of her mind, but she ignored it for the time being. Somehow, she found the strength to say it.
“My father… my sister… and me.”
Everyone visibly tensed up at the mentioning of Nebula’s father, the thought suddenly recurring to them that they were, in fact, in the year 2014. Four years before Thanos’ death. Meaning that he was well-alive and still searching for the Infinity Stones. James let loose a shaking exhale. Derpy’s forelegs quivered beneath her. Maud blinked. Robbie flared his nostrils.
“You?” Starlight asked, needing to be clarified. After seeing the nod sent her way from the Luphomoid, Starlight looked aside. Taking in a breath of alien air… before finally turning back to Nebula. “Where are you right now?”
“Not here,” Nebula answered, nodding back to the Temple of the Power Stone. “So let’s use that.”
They moved out towards the remains of the ancient temple, passing Nebula as they did so. Some sent a nod in return to her, some sent a waning glance, but all failed to see what had become of her. All failed to see Nebula take one step forward and freeze.
She gasped for air and clutched her head, her eye flickering and several volts of electricity dancing across her forehead. Smacking her eye, Nebula grunted and hissed as the pain subsided… and her sight returned to her. She blinked, raising her head to see the curious and uncertain gaze from Maud meet her own. A gaze that only lasted a second before Nebula pushed on. But Maud kept staring.
Karidian
Aboard the Q-Ship
Nebula whipped out her Electroshock Batons, screaming as she drove herself towards the opposing alien invaders aboard her father’s ship, one of the many hundreds that laid siege to the helpless planet below.
The planet of Karidian burned beneath them. Leviathans, Chitauri chariots, and starships filled the burning night air and cried out as their blaster bolts impacted buildings and roads, decimating the Karidians fleeing for their lives. Chitauri Command Centers dotted the night sky, pillars of fire and smoke rising to paint the heavens a sickly orange, red, and black. Upon one of the many hundred Q-Ships laying waste to the streets below, the daughters of Thanos held off the planet’s populace that tried to overtake their ship.
Karidian warriors charged in heavy battle armor. Swords, axes, and blasters were gripped in their claws as they engaged with the two daughters of the Mad Titan. Nebula, especially, fought with every screeching mechanical implant in her body, what wasn’t Luphomoid and what was working in tandem to ensure a complete and total victory over her foes. Just as her father envisioned it when he enforced the implants within her. All of it to make her better in every single way.
It showed. Her moves were slick, precise, and utterly deadly. The Karidian warrior had no chance against her, the Electroshock Baton driving into its shoulder blade and Nebula finishing it off with a strike so profound it snapped the alien’s neck upon impact. Nebula flicked her head upwards, spinning around to see the second Karidian arm a grenade behind her. The alien reared back. Nebula was faster, flicking her baton towards the alien and seeing her weapon lodge itself into the Karidian’s neck. Faster than it could have deflected the baton. The Karidian stumbled, fell to its back dead, but not before having lost the grenade.
Shooting her glare to her right, Nebula had failed to notice the grenade cooking on the floor beside her. She wasn’t fast enough that time. The grenade exploded, a resounding shock wave sending Nebula through the air until she collapsed on the edge of the Q-Ship, its barren sides open to unveil the burning hellscape of Karidian beneath her. A sure-fire death if she had landed just a foot or two more.
Nebula heard the battle cry, lifted her horrified eyes to see the Karidian warrior raise its axe high above its head. Just standing over her. The alien was just about to bring the head of the axe down on her when the blade was thrust into its back, the sharpened end pointing skyward from its chest. A horrific gurgle of incomprehensible pain left the warrior before the blade was yanked free and the alien fell from the ship. Nebula watched its descent into the flames, quickly jamming her eyes back.
From the burning smoke and ash, Gamora emerged with a bleeding Godslayer at her side and her battle armor coated in the blood of her foes. Every last one of them that laid behind her. Every last one of them that Nebula failed to kill. And Nebula just glared. Sat up and glared to her sister.
“I didn’t ask for your help!” she growled.
“And yet you always need it,” Gamora retorted, standing on her side and offering her a hand, to which Nebula merely smacked away. Mirroring her sister’s glare, Gamora snorted and stepped away. Always refusing to accept her help. Fine. “Get up. We must return to Sanctuary II. Thanos may have found an Infinity Stone.”
The Q-Ship left the decimated remains of Karidian. Above the planet’s atmosphere, the lights of the distant cities darkened as devastating explosions shot out across the planet’s surface like ripples in a pond. Ripples of absolute power shaking the foundations of Karidian to its core, until its populace finally submitted to the might of the Great Titan. Nebula and Gamora had seen enough—they had seen even more horrifying displays of might in their past—and focused on the mission at hand.
Together, the two sisters gazed onto the lone hologram of the planet Morag, images from Ronan’s scouts captured mere days ago. The ancient temple and the overwhelming, radiating force of energy escaping it. The light of the hologram filled the darkened walls of the Q-Ship with a soft, blue aura, that light cascading across Nebula and Gamora’s faces the closer they stood to it.
Nebula leaned forward, her chest rising and falling quicker by the second. A hint of adrenaline filled her eyes, a spark that managed to create a smirk across her lips. “An Infinity Stone. At long last.”
Gamora crossed her arms, bemused to the hologram. “It’s only one,” she said in a deadpan manner.
“It’s a start,” Nebula shot back, glaring to her sister before slowly returning to the lone image of the shattered temple. “A start to the peace that Father promises. Soon, we will no longer have to fight this endless war. Soon, we can find our eternal rest.”
Gamora hardened her brow to that, walking alongside the table that expelled the hologram. She sneered when she came to Nebula’s side, stating, “You’re so focused on the future that you fail to notice the present.”
“I’m focused on both,” Nebula hissed, turning to face her. “Just as Father…”
The Q-Ship groaned. Both sisters—both daughter—turned around. They practically flinched to the sound, their posture straightened and their expressions solidified into an appropriate display. All they needed to see was the light of the beam shower inside, and the outline of the towering Titan emerge from it. That was all they needed for their hearts to harden.
From that light, their father emerged. He stepped forth coated in the blood of his foes, the double-bladed sword in his right hand bleeding even worse than his armor. The black lifeblood painted across his face and chin could not conceal the look of utter depravity and strength in his light blue eyes. It somehow fueled them, unveiling that wickedness and merciless spirit that glowed like a blistering firestorm within his black heart.
From that light, Thanos emerged. His eyes settled on his daughters as he began to approach.
They were silent with every stomp he took, watching as Thanos pulled a cloth from beneath his armor and began to clean the tip of his blade. It hardly did anything, smudging the cloth in blackness and barely cleaning the sword. Gamora and Nebula held their breath as he stepped closer, flinched as he began to speak.
“Ronan believes he has located an artifact of great power. The Orb. Little does he know of the actual power that lies within it. His vision is so narrowed on his obsession for the Nova Corps that he fails to see the bigger picture. No matter. I’m assigning you both to the Dark Aster. Ensure the Power Stone is secured,” Thanos declared, tossing the bloody cloth aside.
While Gamora stood her ground, Nebula took the first approach and knelt before him, Electroshock Batons laying on the floor within her palms. “We will not fail you, Father,” Nebula whispered aloud, head held low.
“I know you won’t,” Thanos said, sending a rather disappointed stare to Nebula, almost as if he expected nothing more than failure to come from her. She always did. With that disappointment already expected, Thanos instead turned to his other daughter. His favorite daughter, the one he ensured would succeed for both of them. “Gamora…”
She closed her eyes and dropped her head when his attention was shifted to her. Gamora could feel the floor tremble with every step he took, closer and closer to where she stood. Though she could not conceal a shaking breath and exhale, Gamora concealed the fear that laced around her heart as she forced her eyes onto him. Thanos stared down to her, his left palm clean from the blood and gracing her cheek, her hair, and softly stroking her skin. Gamora closed her eyes once more.
Thanos spoke. “Things are finally being set in motion. After a humiliating display with the scepter, I will not lose this Stone. Just as I will not lose the Soul Stone. After you help Ronan acquire the Power Stone, you are to begin your journey for the Soul Stone immediately. You will not return until you have found its location. Do I make myself clear?”
Gamora bowed. Thanos smiled. “I can always trust you, little one.”
Nebula felt that strike her metallic heart. Nebula remained on her knees, raising her eyes to her father and lord. Despite his eyes set on her sister—a minor tremble in her features before she forced it away—Nebula managed a small smile, nodding to him. She whispered painfully, with a promise, “I swear… I will make you proud.”
Thanos turned to her. Nebula smiled wider.
Moments before clutching her head and screaming.
She fell to her backside and held the sides of her head, hissing with agonizing torment as her eye flickered on and off. Spurts of electricity danced across her forehead, Gamora finally turning to her and coming to her side. Distress filled Gamora’s eyes, distress for her sister writhing in pain before her. Thanos merely watched the display. Waited.
Then paid witness to the hologram spewing forth from her eye. Within the light, a man in a suit of armor stood and held out his hands. Gamora was breathless. Nebula couldn’t even move, let alone speak. Thanos took a step forward.
“So… we just wait for Quill to show up, and he’ll lead us to the Power Stone?”
Thanos sneered at that, narrowing his eyes.
“Peter won’t know us… will he?”
Gamora’s eyes continued to widen, at the mentioning of the Power Stone and then to Thanos.
“Let’s take cover. We’re not the only ones in 2014 looking for the Power Stone.”
The second Nebula heard her voice utter those words she forced every nerve of will in her body to smack her own eye. Her own head. She cried out as the hologram cut off and was left with just her quivering breaths and shaking body. Gamora was right by her side, holding her sister’s arm close and comforting her the best she could. Nebula was shaken, more so than she had ever seen.
“What was that?” Gamora asked, almost whispered as if hoping Thanos didn’t hear it.
“I don’t know!” Nebula cried, clutching her head and rocking herself on the cold, bloody floor. “I don’t know… I don’t know…”
Furrowing her brow to her sister, Gamora could sense nothing more from Nebula but the absolute truth. If she didn’t know, then she didn’t know. That much was proven to her. It would be much harder to prove it to her father. Rising up, Gamora spun to face his wrath, coming up with a well-intentioned lie on the spot.
“Her synaptic drive was damaged in battle. If you allow me to—”
“Shhh…”
His voice was a cold, sharp pain into Gamora’s heart. It told her to stand down, to keep quiet, and let him handle it. Just like the many times before. Gamora complied without questions, forced to watch as Thanos raised the cleanest end of his bleeding blade to her sister’s throat. The tip of the sword raised Nebula’s head to him, the Luphomoid shivering uncontrollably, tiny whimpers of fear leaving her as her eyes met his. Forced to.
Thanos merely narrowed his own. “Bring her to my ship.”
Sanctuary II
Nebula was suspended from the ground, an invisible force field of energy keeping her constrained and frozen while Thanos slid a neural link to the back of her skull.
“Run diagnostics. Scan her synaptic drive and memory files,” Thanos ordered.
The Ebony Maw strutted out of the shadows, letting his bony-white fingers move and dance across the holographic screen displayed before him. Instantly, he was greeted with a shared set of neural links interwoven with each other. The Maw frowned at that, declaring, “Sire… there seems to be a problem when scanning her memory files. There’s another consciousness sharing her network, interwoven with her own. Another Nebula.”
Thanos frowned, turning away from Nebula’s blank expression and onto the Maw. “Impossible.”
Gamora stood behind her father, unmoving and unquestioning to her father’s tactics. Having seen her sister tortured and experimented upon in that very same room gave her a chill of dread the moment she stepped foot inside. However, it seemed to be just a standard operation, just Thanos wishing to see Nebula’s memories. Nothing too severe.
Then her brother mentioned the possibility of a second Nebula.
“This alien consciousness…” Ebony Maw continued, his eyes widening when he analyzed the coordinates further, “… comes from nine years in the future.”
Then everything changed.
Turning to her father for an answer, Gamora was surprised to see none escape Thanos’ lips. Instead, he took a step closer to his suspended daughter, eyes narrowed and focus centered solely on her. “Search the duplicate’s memories,” Thanos said. “I want to see everything.”
He saw everything. The holographic imaging shooting forth from Nebula’s eye showcased various images and events that the Maw found particularly interesting. From joining forces with three alien equines to defeat a Celestial planet—with Gamora by her side—and even attempting to kill Thanos in his sleep. The Titan smirked at that. Gamora felt beads of cold sweat flowing down the back of her neck, a soft gulp leaving her. She expected punishment from her father, especially after seeing what was undoubtedly herself standing together with Nebula when they fought Thanos. The proof was right there.
The Ebony Maw froze. He was certain to pass over the memory of Gamora’s corpse lying near the base of a great chasm. Thanos didn’t need to see that. If he somehow discovered it later, then the Maw warranted judgement. He would accept it then, but knowing that the mere thought of Gamora’s dead body lingering in Thanos’ mind would deter him from what was important now. Instead, he paused on a still image of Nebula’s reflection standing with various other humans.
Gamora whispered, “Another Nebula.”
She flinched when Thanos responded to her. “No. The same Nebula… with them. Avengers…” he paused, snarling to see the likes of Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Thor Odinson. Especially Stark, the man who had single-handedly destroyed his Command Center two years ago with the failed invasion of Earth. “Unruly wretches.”
The Maw continued, freezing to the moment Nebula engaged him in the Garden. Maw zoomed in on the gauntlet, to all six Stones shimmering upon it.
“The Stones…” Gamora whispered.
Thanos turned back to her, a solace expression plastered on his features. He approached her slowly. “I collected them all. For them, the deed is done. I won. But here… now… my time is yet to come. The cosmic scales remain in chaos.”
His fingers rose up and graced her cheek once more. Just as Gamora had seen the memories of her and her sister standing against him, so too did Thanos witness such memories. It was heartbreaking, but not unexpected. She was always rebellious. From the day he saved her, even now. Always fighting, always resisting him. Gamora bowed quickly. But nonetheless loyal to the bone.
“This is your future,” Ebony stated.
Thanos turned to him. “It’s my destiny.”
There was still more. In that respite of silence, Thanos finally turned back to the holographic memories. He saw the rest. The moment the axe was lodged into his chest… to the moment he raised his gauntlet high and snapped his fingers. Moments after, he saw the scorched remains of the Infinity Gauntlet. And nothing else. No Stones. No Thanos. Gamora gasped.
Thanos smirked. “And that is destiny fulfilled.”
“Mighty Thanos, your daughter,” Ebony began, flicking his right hand out and ripping the neural cord from Nebula’s head, the same cord that wrapped tightly around the Luphomoid’s neck and strangled her, “is a traitor.”
Gamora took a step forward to intervene, but Thanos held out his arm to her. The two of them listened in as Nebula began to gasp for air, her eyes latching with her father’s as he began that slow, subtle approach. All the while, she begged, “No! That’s not me! That’s not me; I would never betray you! I would never!”
Thanos raised his hand, and in a moment that both sisters thought he would strike her, he merely ripped the cord away and gave her that precious oxygen. Thanos gripped her lower jaw with his right palm, forcing her eyes into his. He smiled. “Then prove it.”
He tore himself away from her, still holding that grin until he called out for Maw. “You have the coordinates for the duplicate’s location?”
“Yes, sire,” the Ebony Maw answered, tapping away on the holographic screen and bringing forth the location that the future Nebula so graciously offered. “Morag.”
Thanos frowned, looking down to his left palm. He tightened it into a fist, growling softly, “Forget Ronan. Set course for Morag. We siege there.”
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Well , I don't have much to say about this chapter . It wasn't bad , don't get me wrong , but since it was so similar to the movie's scene , I can't say anything appart from that you greatly translated a good scene from screen to text , kudos for that. And also a great choice for a transition after the Ultron part.
Oh boy, yet another new timeline! These missions truly are no picnic!
Oh go. I so hope they don’t have to face two versions of Thanos and Ultron.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I swear if you are bring Thanos from the past along with Ultron.........I'm done with this story! We already got a present Thanos who be coming but Ultron is already over kill, but bring a younger Thanos.....to the present as well.
Who will win, 2023 Thanos; 2014 Thanos; or Ultron? Unless the two Thanos’ team up in the battle of foes. Great chapter!
Oh boy, here we go again. Now Thanos' past self has caught wind of the Avengers' time heist and soon he'll be entering the fray. While I feel some sympathy for Thanos in the current present timeline, Past Thanos I do not since he has yet to go through the events his future self had been through and is instead seizing an opportunity to take a shortcut route. If it ever comes to it, I would actually like Thanos to kick his own past self's purple ass.
First, Ultron, now it's 2014 Thanos. Way to build up the sense of dread.
Another great chapter.
I was wondering if Maud be the one to notice. Though it begs the question if it will change events much or not.
DDDAAAMMMNNNN!!!!!
Very similar but quite original too!!!
Look forward to what you give us next.
9963440
Well it depends how much stronger Present Thanos has gotten through his recovery and training plus he's still the main villain so let's wait later to see present Thanos in more action to decide if Ultron is more overkill or not compared to him.
So how strong is Present Thanos compared to his past self, Captain Marvel, present Thor and Ultron after his recovery and training?
No. He knows.
Still two Thanoses (Thanosi?) will be gunning for 2023's Infinity Stones. Should be fun to see how they react to each other.
9963967
I'm referring to having all three present in the same time line battling the avengers. Ultron is deadly enough, but Present Thanos is perfect for the final battle, but adding Ultron to the mix and then past Thanos pretty much will ruin the story.
Not much to say, but I am interested to see if this Thanos comes to the present in this story.
Poor Derpy. She shouldn't have been part of this.
#@*$!
Now we're gonna have to fight two Thanoses, Ultron, and I presume Grogar?! Well, on the bright side, they all have different goals, so maybe we can just sit back and let them kill each other for a while.
You're weak.
9964133
Don't forget potentially a past Typhon/Set.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
9963360 Exactly why I don't want to carbon copy scenes from the film. Everything will have it's own unique turn to it.
9963440 Things aren't going to go exactly as the movie. I think everyone will be pleasantly satisfied with the final battle and the set up for it.
9963472 Thanks!
9963520 Now THAT would be interesting.
9963666 Something big is coming...
9963976 Present Thanos is much, much stronger.
9963987 Not necessarily.
9964433 I'm YOU.
MEANWHILE...
*2023 Thanos is jerking off with his new robotic arm while waiting for JD to give him his cue*
9964698
Hey man happy thanksgiving 🍁🦃 🤩
9964698
Happy Thanksgiving
Stronger than Each of Them?!
First Ultron, then Grogar, then Set, and now 2014 Thanos. If all of them are going to find a way to go to 2023, then the final battle is truly going to be an epic, with all of them sparing with each other, because I doubt that they all going to team up again our heroes (maybe except 2023 and 2014 Thanos)
And I wonder when are we going to see Nat, Clint, Elektra and Tempest again?
9964816 Next chapter.
Another awesome chapter right here!
So, we have finally arrived at this point. As the group wait's for the Past version of Star-Lord to arrive, the two Nebulas (or whatever the hell the plura for that is supposed to be) end up synchronizing memories, and the 2014 Thanos now knows what their plan is. The Present Nebula also seems to be feeling the effects a bit early herself, so maybe her friends will realize what is happening before they get the Power Stone? Regardless, they need to get what they came for and get the Hell out of there!
I thought at first that with the Present Thanos alive he and his Past counterpart might end up teaming up for the final battle, but what if Thanos and Ultron travel to the Present from their different timelines? What if Grogar and Set somehow do the same thing? Point is, as a certain "Perfect" being once said:
Not gonna lie, it hurt seeing Derpy like that. So close to seeing an old friend again, yet so far too. It still feels pretty wild to think that Derpy of all people is part of this team of heroes working to save the universe and bring everyone back, but I believe without question she has the heart of a hero.