Chapter Sixty-Nine: Thanos’s Infinite Journey

“Bang!” A thunderous crash echoed. Thanos had just set foot on Earth, barely able to grasp the situation before him, when he was struck violently on the back of his head. The assailant was Hulk—Dr. Bruce Banner had already transformed, wielding a Wakandan vibranium club. Seizing the moment as Thanos was still unsteady, Hulk smashed the club down hard, landing it squarely on Thanos’ helmet.

The blow made Thanos see stars, and he staggered, collapsing to the ground. As he tried to rise, brandishing his double-edged blade, someone stomped on it, pinning it beneath their foot. His right hand, bearing the Infinity Gauntlet, was also pinned. Then, he was kicked repeatedly—head and body, he had no idea how many feet struck him.

Thanos realized he was being held down and kicked, but couldn’t fathom how many were attacking him. Darkness crept into his eyes; he nearly lost consciousness.

“I, Thanos, have dominated the stars for centuries—when have I ever suffered such humiliation? Roar!” With a furious bellow, he activated the Power Stone, sending his assailants flying.

Just as Thanos was about to stand and wreak havoc, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, led by Doctor Strange, immediately conjured golden magical whips, binding his limbs and head tightly.

“Roar!” Thor, the God of Thunder, let out a wild cry, raising Stormbreaker high and descending from the sky. His axe struck Thanos’ chest with brutal force, and grabbing Thanos’ head, he declared, “I told you, I would kill you myself!”

“You should have gone for my head,” Thanos retorted, once again summoning the Power Stone’s might. With its force, he broke free from the sorcerers’ golden restraints, swung his double-bladed sword, and cleaved Thor in two.

“Thor!” The Avengers cried out in shock. No one had expected that, even with such an advantage, Thanos would turn the tables and kill one of their own.

“Don’t worry,” Yang Xin replied with an air of ease.

“Thor is dead! What kind of idiotic battle plan did you make?!” Captain America shouted, grabbing Yang Xin by the collar.

“Relax, relax. Now comes the moment of miracles!” Yang Xin slipped from Captain America’s grasp, waved his hands, and activated the Time Stone. Instantly, time rewound to the moment Thanos first emerged from the space portal and stepped into Wakanda.

“Bang!” Hulk, acting on instinct, raised his vibranium club and struck Thanos on the back of the head once more, then blinked—feeling something strangely familiar about the scene.

Thanos, too, sensed a déjà vu. He was again pinned to the ground and kicked, still unable to tell how many were attacking him.

“I, Thanos, have dominated the stars for centuries—when have I ever suffered such humiliation? Roar!” Thanos unleashed the Power Stone, sending everyone flying. But just as he rose, his head and limbs were again ensnared by countless magical whips, and Thor descended from the heavens, plunging Stormbreaker into Thanos’ chest.

“I told you, I would kill you myself!” Thor said fiercely.

“You should have gone for my head,” Thanos replied, using the Power Stone to break free, wielding his double-bladed sword to slice Thor in half.

“Thor!” The Avengers cried out again, but the scene felt increasingly unnatural.

“Thor died again—what kind of idiotic plan did you make?” Captain America marched over, grabbing Yang Xin’s collar, sensing an odd familiarity in the moment. He hurriedly smoothed Yang Xin’s collar, muttering in self-doubt, “Why did I say ‘again’?”

“Relax, relax… Now comes the moment of miracles!” Yang Xin repeated, once more invoking the power of the Time Stone.

Time rewound again, returning to the instant Thanos stepped into Wakanda.

“Bang!” Hulk struck once again.

Thanos was kicked yet again, and after sending everyone flying with the Power Stone, he was again bound, and Thor descended yet again.

“Go for his head!”

“Go for his head!”

“Go for his head!”

Finally, the group realized they were trapped in a time loop and, not wanting Thor to die yet again, shouted loudly, but the enraged Thor, whose head was filled with muscle and rarely gave thought to anything, failed to react.

Thus, Thor was cleaved in two once more.

The fourth time.

“Go for his head! Go for his head! Go for his head!” The shouts grew weary.

Thor still went for the chest—and fell.

Fifth time…

Sixth time…

By the ninth cycle, Thor’s muscle-bound mind finally caught on that something was amiss.

“Go for his head! Go for his head!” The cries grew weak.

“Come on! Be serious! Can’t you put in a bit more effort? Passion, where’s your passion? Expressions must be earnest and vivid, voices loud, conveying anger at his misfortune, grief at his lack of resolve…” Yang Xin bounced about, exhorting them.

At last, Thor struck Thanos’ head, howling to the sky, but before he could vent his frustration, time rewound once more to Thanos’ arrival in Wakanda.

“What the—! Again?!” Everyone was shocked, but to forestall any tricks from Thanos, or just in case, Hulk brought the club down once more, knocking Thanos to the ground.

History repeated itself…

“How many time loops did you set?” everyone demanded.

“Fourteen million, six hundred and five!”

“What?!” Eyes widened, jaws clenched in disbelief.

“Fourteen million, six hundred and five. Was I not clear enough? Was your math taught by your gym teacher?” Yang Xin shrugged, unconcerned.

“Can’t you break the loop?” Hopeful eyes turned to Yang Xin.

“Nope.”

“Damn!”

“Bullshit!”

“You bastard!”

Middle fingers shot up all around—even Thanos joined in.

“Mmm,” Yang Xin nodded, noting the differences in cursing between East and West. Westerners, he mused, always stuck to the same few phrases, whereas the art of insult in his homeland was richly layered…

Among them, only Doctor Strange twitched his mouth. As one who often studied the Time Stone, he knew Yang Xin was bluffing, but couldn’t grasp the significance of the number 14,000,605, nor Yang Xin’s intent. So he refrained from exposing him, simply raising his middle finger with the others.

Thanos, too, sought a way out. He could not endure endless cycles of being slain. Sensing that Yang Xin was the cause, when the loop began anew, Thanos immediately activated the Power Stone and charged straight at Yang Xin.

Yang Xin faced the oncoming Thanos with a slight smile, his eyes turning into kaleidoscopic Sharingan. In Thanos’ vision, he saw himself charging forward, snatching the Time Stone, then the Mind Stone, finally snapping his fingers to fulfill his destiny…

But before he could rejoice, “Bang!” Hulk’s club knocked Thanos back to reality, and the cycle of being slain resumed.

“What just happened to him?”