As the Red Skull's fist connected with Thanos, its ghastly form dissolved, shifting into something far more familiar.
Thanos' eyes widened. Standing before him, with a smirk that made his blood boil, was none other than Thor.
Relying on countless years of combat experience, Thanos reacted instinctively. Though caught off guard, he channeled all his strength into a hasty punch. The blow landed squarely, sending Thor skidding back several feet.
Thanos, too, stumbled backward, his boots scraping against the rocky ground. He teetered dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, arms flailing for balance. A grunt of effort stabilized him, but the reprieve was brief.
Thor saw his opening and seized it without hesitation. He charged forward, his shoulder slamming into Thanos with unyielding force. The impact was enough to send them both tumbling off the cliff's edge.
The two combatants fell in a chaotic spiral, their bodies colliding mid-air as they grappled. Thanos, ever the strategist, recovered quickly. He summoned all his strength and delivered a thunderous slap to Thor's chest.
The blow reverberated through Thor's armor, numbing Thanos' arm in the process. But the Mad Titan's grin widened as he saw Thor plummet faster, the force of the strike driving the god of thunder toward the ground below. Using the momentum, Thanos propelled himself upward, twisting mid-air to reach for the safety of the cliff's edge.
"Victory is mine," Thanos muttered, his voice laced with grim satisfaction.
But just as he thought the tables had turned in his favor, the heavens roared their defiance.
Boom!
A colossal bolt of lightning erupted from the sky, striking Thanos with unerring precision. His body convulsed as the energy coursed through him, his ascent abruptly halted.
The purple-skinned Titan fell like a broken marionette, his descent unceremonious. As he plummeted, his eyes locked onto Thor, who hovered effortlessly in the air, radiant with divine energy.
"Did you forget?" Thor called out mockingly. "I can fly!"
Thanos landed with a bone-jarring thud at the bottom of the cliff. The sharp pain was immediate, but it paled in comparison to the ominous sensation creeping into his body.
A faint, otherworldly orange glow surrounded him. The air grew icy, biting through his thick skin as an ancient and sinister force took hold.
"The Soul Gem..." Thanos rasped, his voice barely audible.
Beneath him, a pitch-black magic circle thrummed with power, its intricate patterns glowing faintly. This was no ordinary battlefield. The Soul Gem's malevolence radiated from the array, its hunger palpable.
Even Thor, as powerful as he was, would find himself in peril in such a place. For Thanos, the odds were even bleaker.
A sharp, searing pain tore through him. He clutched his chest as his very soul began to detach from his body.
"Arrrghhh!" Thanos roared, the agony unlike anything he'd ever endured.
The orange light grew brighter, pulling at his essence. Yet, just as it seemed his soul would be claimed, a sudden, blinding green light burst forth from the Time Stone on his gauntlet.
Time itself froze for an instant. The orange light recoiled, subdued by the green glow. Thanos felt his soul snap back into his body, the reprieve sending him gasping for air.
Boom!
Without wasting a second, Thanos stomped the ground with immense force, launching himself upward like a rocket. His leap carried him to the top of the cliff, his chest heaving as he landed.
For a moment, he simply stood there, shaken to his core. The experience of near-death lingered, his body trembling with lingering fear.
Gamora, who had witnessed the entire ordeal, stood frozen, her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Thanos turned his gaze downward, his eyes narrowing at the faint orange glow at the bottom of the cliff.
"It was a trap," he muttered under his breath. "The Soul Gem has already been taken by Thor."
He looked up, his expression darkening as Thor landed before him, Stormbreaker in hand.
"You set me up," Thanos growled, his voice filled with venom.
Thor's only response was a sly grin.
Before Thanos could speak further, a flash of silver streaked toward him. He barely raised his arm in time to block Stormbreaker. The force of the swing sent him skidding back, his boots scraping against the stone.
Crack!
A sickening sound echoed as the gauntlet on Thanos' hand began to splinter. Unlike the original Infinity Gauntlet, this imitation lacked the durability of Uru metal.
Thanos gritted his teeth, refusing to yield. With a desperate shove, he redirected the axe's trajectory, sparing his neck but sacrificing his shoulder.
The blade sank deep, severing his left arm with a wet thunk. Pain shot through him, searing and unrelenting. He let out a guttural growl but refused to scream.
Thor raised Stormbreaker again, his eyes alight with fury.
But Thanos wasn't done yet. He clenched his remaining fist, unleashing a simultaneous blast from the Time Stone and the Mind Stone. The twin beams of energy shot toward Thor, forcing him to backpedal.
The attack bought Thanos the time he needed. With his severed arm clutched tightly, he turned and fled, his towering frame disappearing into the shadows.