Ding! The Ultramarine Joined the Group Chat!

At the center of it all, Gaius stood, though it was no longer only him.

Light moved across his body in a steady flow. It didn't burst or flare like before. It stayed close, controlled, almost calm. But the weight of it was clear. Anyone who stood near could feel it pressing against them, not pushing them down, but reminding them that something far greater than them was present.

His right arm was raised slightly. The gauntlet sat there, solid and unmoving, each of the six Infinity Stones locked into place. They glowed, not wildly, but with a steady rhythm, like they had settled into something stable.

Then the change began.

The light around the stones shifted inward.

It didn't look like anything dramatic. There was no explosion, no sudden surge. It was quieter than that. The energy from the stones started to move, slowly at first, then more steadily, being drawn into him.

Like gravity.

Like something that could not be stopped.

The air around him felt tighter. Not suffocating, just… fixed. Like everything nearby had decided to stay exactly where it was.

No one moved to interrupt.

They couldn't.

Gaius, or the Emperor, shone with light.

He now held full control over the Infinity Stones, drawing on their power at its maximum. Their essence was being consumed, not violently, but steadily, like a force pulling everything inward.

He could have used it then, to restore the Golden Throne, to return fully to life, but not here. Not yet. First, he needed to return to his own universe, carrying the power he had taken from the Stones.

Tony stood a short distance away, his helmet retracted, his eyes locked on Gaius.

"…he's not just using them," he muttered.

Doctor Strange stood beside him, hands lowered but ready. His gaze was focused, sharp.

"No," Strange said quietly. "He's taking something from them."

Tony didn't reply.

He could see it too.

This wasn't like what Thanos had done. It wasn't reckless. It wasn't forced. It was controlled in a way that made it harder to understand.

Gaius wasn't struggling.

He wasn't even reacting.

He simply stood there as the energy flowed into him.

Time passed.

No one marked it, but they felt it.

Minutes went by slowly.

People started to gather.

The Avengers moved closer, though they kept their distance. Wakandan soldiers regrouped, standing in small clusters. The Asgardians remained where they were, watching quietly. Even the other allies, Korg, the Guardians, the sorcerers, drew nearer, forming a loose circle around the center.

No one spoke loudly.

It didn't feel right to.

There was something about the moment that made them all hold back.

Scott Lang leaned slightly toward Clint.

"…so we're just gonna stand here and watch that?" he asked under his breath.

Clint didn't take his eyes off Gaius.

"Yeah," he said. "Pretty much."

Scott nodded slowly.

"…okay."

Thor stood with Stormbreaker resting lightly at his side. His eyes were fixed on Gaius, but there was no challenge in his expression now.

Only thought.

"…this is beyond power," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

Beside him, Steve Rogers didn't answer.

He understood what Thor meant.

This wasn't just strength.

This was control.

Doctor Strange continued to observe.

He could feel the flow of energy, even without touching it.

It was… clean.

Not chaotic.

Not unstable.

The Emperor, through Gaius, was taking only what was needed. Not more. Not less.

Strange exhaled slowly.

"…he knows exactly what he's doing," he said.

Tony gave a small nod.

"Yeah," he replied.

The minutes stretched on.

Ten in total.

By the end, the change was clear.

The stones were still shining, but not as brightly as before. It was subtle, something most would have missed at a glance. Yet there was no denying it now. The light had dimmed.

They weren't empty. They weren't weak.

Just… less.

The flow of energy slowed, thinning out until it finally stopped.

The Emperor could have drawn in more power, but he chose not to. Gaius' physique could no longer sustain it, and even the Emperor's fragment had reached its limit. It was enough.

He descended slightly, his feet lowering until they nearly touched the ground. The light around him faded into something calmer, more contained. The pressure in the air eased, like a storm finally passing.

It was over.

For a moment, no one moved.

They waited.

The Emperor lifted his head, his eyes still glowing.

As his gaze moved across the battlefield, people felt it, not like before, not crushing or overwhelming, but enough.

Enough to remind them of what stood before them.

Something that could end everything, if it chose to.

With the power he now held, a single thought would be enough to erase it all.

It wasn't a threat.

Just a fact.

Then he spoke.

"Gaius will now disappear from this place and return to his own time."

His voice was calm and majestic, a clear contrast to Gaius's own. It was deeper, carrying a quiet, sacred weight. Clear, yet without any force behind it.

Even so, no one doubted him.

Tony stepped forward slightly.

He didn't hesitate this time.

"…yeah," he said. "We figured."

There was no resistance in his tone.

No argument.

Just acceptance.

Gaius had never belonged here.

The Emperor looked across the battlefield, taking in the devastation and the many wounded. Some were not human, but they had fought alongside them, stood against the same enemy.

This time, he did not discriminate.

The Emperor raised his hand.

The motion was simple. The effect was not.

Light spread outward once more, not sharp, not sudden, but a wide, steady wave of gold that moved across the battlefield, passing over everyone.

It reached the wounded first.

A Wakandan soldier clutching his side felt the pain vanish instantly, the wound closing before he could react.

An Asgardian with a broken arm felt the bone shift back into place, the injury gone as if it had never existed.

Steve blinked as his body settled fully, every ache fading away.

Scott straightened slightly.

"…okay, yeah, I feel great," he said, almost surprised.

The wave continued.

It did not stop at humans.

Korg felt it as well, the cracks along his rocky body smoothing out.

Other allies, alien or otherwise, even those far from the center, were restored in the same way.

No one was left out.

Then the light moved further. Across the ground.

The effect changed.

Broken earth began to shift. Cracks closed. Scorched land returned to normal. Burning fires faded as if they had never existed. Debris lifted, turned, and settled back into place.

Tony turned slightly, watching as the ruined remains of the Avengers compound began to rebuild itself. Walls rose. Metal reformed. Everything returned to the way it had been.

"…that's…" Scott started.

He didn't finish. He didn't need to.

The restoration continued until everything was whole. Not repaired, restored. As if the battle had never happened.

Then, quietly, something changed.

A figure appeared within the golden wave of light. No flash. No sound. She was simply… present.

No one spoke for a moment.

Then Hulk, Tony, Steve, Scott, Clint, and Thor exchanged looks, glancing around as they realized everyone was now watching them. Slowly, they all smiled, because it was done. They had brought everyone back.

Then—

"Hey… are you going to celebrate without me?"

Her voice was casual. Familiar. As if nothing had ever gone wrong.

It cut through the silence like it had always belonged there.

Clint froze.

"…Nat?"

Bruce turned sharply.

"Nat?!"

Tony's head snapped toward her.

"…no way."

They moved at once. Clint reached her first, stopping just short before pulling her into a tight hug.

"You're—" he started.

He didn't finish. He didn't need to.

Bruce joined them, careful but firm, pulling them both in.

Natasha let out a small laugh.

"Okay, okay, I'm still here," she said.

Her voice was steady. Real.

They held on longer than they needed to. No one said anything about it.

Around them, the others watched. Wakandans. Asgardians. Guardians.

They understood.

And for the first time since the battle began,

They relaxed.

At the center, the Emperor remained still. The light around him faded slightly, not gone, just settled.

He raised his hand one last time. Then snapped his fingers.

He vanished.

At the same moment, the Ultramarines and the Sister of Silence began to change.

Their forms did not collapse. They broke apart into light, clean, calm, controlled.

Spider-Man noticed first.

"Hey, wait—!" he called out, rushing forward.

"You guys okay?!"

He reached Titus as the light began to spread through him.

Titus looked down at him.

"No need, kid," he said calmly. "We are simply being called back."

Spider-Man hesitated.

"…called back?"

Titus gave a small nod.

"We are no longer needed here."

No sadness. No hesitation. Only certainty.

Then he was gone.

One by one, the others followed.

The Dreadnought was last. It stood still for a moment.

"…for the Emperor," it said quietly.

Then it vanished.

Silence returned. Not heavy. Not tense. Just quiet.

Steve let out a slow breath.

"…we did it," he said.

Thor nodded.

"Aye. We did."

Tony looked around. Everything was intact. Everyone was alive.

He understood what that meant. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. But it had.

Because of Gaius.

Tony exhaled.

"…good call," he muttered.

Then he clapped his hands.

"Alright!" he called out.

Everyone turned.

Tony allowed himself a small grin.

"Everyone, time to celebrate!"

A beat of silence.

Then,

Cheers.

Loud. Relieved. Uncontrolled.

Wakandans raised their voices. Asgardians shouted. Korg lifted his arms.

"Oh, this is nice!" he boomed.

Scott laughed. Clint shook his head, smiling despite himself. Natasha stood with them, arms crossed, quietly watching it all with a faint smile.

Doctor Strange remained at the edge, observing. Thinking.

He had seen countless futures. In most of them, they lost. In one, just one out of millions, they won, but the cost…

Heavy. Always heavy.

He glanced at Tony. Then at the celebration.

This…

This was better.

Strange exhaled softly.

"…I'll take this one," he said under his breath.

Then he stepped forward.

And joined them.

~~~

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