Mirror Space, Stark Tower.
Thanos withdrew his fist from the dark yellow energy barrier. His cold gaze fell on Steve Rogers, whose pale face was streaked with blood from every orifice.
"Your name is Steve Rogers," Thanos said slowly, his deep voice reverberating. "That's good. I'll remember it." His tone softened, almost contemplative. "I hope the next time we meet, you'll be stronger."
Then, turning to Loki, who stood trembling behind him, Thanos's voice became icy.
"Loki, in terms of disappointment, you never fail to deliver."
Without sparing another glance at the enraged Tony Stark, who was launching another assault, Thanos extended his massive purple hand.
The Mind Scepter flew from Loki's grasp and into Thanos's hand with a sharp whistle.
Without hesitation, Thanos turned and hurled the scepter toward Mephisto, his voice as cold as the void.
"Mephisto, I've fulfilled my part of the bargain. Don't forget what I want."
Buzz!
Thanos's massive figure began to blur, turning into a purple phantom before vanishing completely.
At the same moment, as the Mind Scepter arced through the air toward Mephisto, a sudden boom! interrupted the exchange.
Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, wrapped in crackling blue lightning, collided with the scepter mid-flight.
The timing was impeccable, as though Thor had been waiting for this exact moment.
Bang!
Golden psychic energy and blue lightning clashed violently, and the scepter was flung away, landing some distance away.
Mjolnir followed, magnetically attaching itself to the scepter and slamming both to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Blue lightning surged over the scepter, overwhelming the golden glow of psychic energy. Thor's hammer firmly pinned the Mind Scepter beneath its immense power.
Mephisto's face darkened as he watched the scene unfold. His plans to use the Mind Scepter and the Cosmic Cube to dismantle Kamar-Taj's magical defenses—and facilitate a dimensional invasion—had been thwarted in an instant.
Thor smirked, confidence radiating from his expression. His intuition had told him to wait rather than attack Thanos directly. That intuition had paid off.
"Mephisto," Lockhart called out, his wand slicing through the air as he unleashed a crushing spell. His voice dripped with mockery. "What's your next move? Or are you ready for your final journey?"
Around Mephisto, Thor, Hulk, and Tony closed in. Steve, despite his battered state, guarded Loki, who was desperately trying to vanish into the shadows.
But Steve, with his vast experience and familiarity with deceptive magic from battles alongside Snape, saw through Loki's tricks and apprehended him.
Mephisto, now surrounded and outnumbered, felt the walls closing in. Fighting Lockhart, Snape, and the Hulk had been difficult enough. With Thor, Tony, and the others joining forces, his chances were slim.
Yet, just as despair seemed imminent, Mephisto's expression shifted. His grimace melted into a sinister smile, his tone dripping with malice.
"Lockhart," he said, his voice laced with mockery, "our game is far from over. Dormammu has a message for you—he's eager to meet you."
Before anyone could react, Mephisto's body dissolved into black mist, vanishing before their attacks could land.
Lockhart's face grew grim, his instincts screaming that worse was yet to come. But within the confines of the Mirror Space, their perception of the outside world was dulled.
Steeling himself, Lockhart waved his wand, conjuring a large portal. Its destination was the Cosmic Cube atop Stark Tower.
Through the portal came the cacophony of battle—gunfire, explosions, and the groan of collapsing buildings.
"Let's close the space wormhole first," Lockhart said firmly, "and then we'll deal with the rest."
He stepped through the portal, followed closely by the others.
New York City, Space Wormhole.
Boom!
From the skies, a deafening roar echoed.
At the wormhole's location, a fiery mass loomed—a massive aircraft carrier engulfed in flames.
Closer inspection revealed the burning craft to be the Hell Aircraft Carrier, piloted by none other than Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider.
The Chitauri poured through the wormhole, accompanied by their mechanical flying fish warships. Johnny Blaze maneuvered the Hell Aircraft Carrier with precision, unleashing relentless barrages of hellfire at the invaders.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hellfireballs streaked through the air, colliding with the enemy ships and igniting them in infernal flames.
No amount of fire suppression or freezing rays could extinguish the unholy blaze. One by one, the warships succumbed, crashing to the ground in smoldering ruins.
On the battlefield below, the Chitauri soldiers lucky enough to evade the hellfire swarmed the streets of New York.
Though some warships retaliated, firing energy blasts at the Hell Aircraft Carrier, the infernal flames engulfed them before they could deal significant damage.
New York owed much to Johnny Blaze's relentless defense. The Chitauri's forces were decimated, their invasion severely curtailed.
"In my name, burn sin," Johnny intoned, his voice reverberating through the Hell Aircraft Carrier.
More hellfireballs erupted, consuming the remaining Chitauri ships and soldiers.
Meanwhile, atop Stark Tower, Lockhart stood before the Cosmic Cube. His wand glowed as he manipulated the Mind Scepter, closing the wormhole.
Buzz!
The wormhole's blue light dimmed and vanished. Across the city, Chitauri ships and soldiers crumpled as if their lifeforce had been severed.
Lockhart exhaled, relief flickering across his face.
He turned to the others—Thor, Snape, Steve, and Tony—and spoke gravely.
"The battle here in New York is over," he began, "but Kamar-Taj is under siege by the evil gods. The crisis there is far greater and involves powers beyond anything here."
The weight of his words hung heavy in the air.
"I must head to this new battlefield," he continued, raising a hand to forestall objections. "And I advise against joining me. This is not your fight."
Lockhart drew a fiery red portal in the air.
Through it, the group glimpsed a storm-laden battlefield—dark clouds roiling, lightning flashing, and winds howling. Sorcerers in yellow robes cast spells amidst the chaos, their Sling Rings tracing red flame-like patterns through the air.
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