Ancient One had fallen under Ebony Maw's mental control.
Her mind remained clear, but her body obeyed his commands.
"Give me the Time Stone," Ebony Maw ordered.
Like a puppet on strings, Ancient One raised her hands, forming a specific mystical gesture—the Eye of Agamotto opened, revealing the brilliant green glow of the Time Stone.
Ebony Maw's eyes lit up with fascination.
Drawn to the stone's immense power, he slowly extended his hand, plucking it from Ancient One's grasp.
The sheer energy radiating from it thrilled him.
With this in his possession, Thanos' conquest of the Nine Realms was within reach.
Ebony Maw ordered his forces to retreat to their ship, while Ancient One remained frozen, struggling to resist his control.
But suddenly—
A mechanical hum echoed in the distance.
Iron Man, Tony Stark, descended from the sky.
However—
He was too late.
Ebony Maw had already boarded his ship and escaped.
All Tony could see was the wreckage of battle and Ancient One vanishing through a portal.
Frowning, Tony analyzed the scene.
Something wasn't right.
This attack didn't seem like a random invasion—it was too precise, too calculated.
The enemy had come and gone too quickly, as if they had already achieved their objective.
Realizing this, Tony immediately returned to Avengers Tower, determined to gather the team and analyze the attack.
---
### Meanwhile, in Deep Space
Ebony Maw's ship left Earth and quickly jumped to Thanos' flagship.
Overcome with excitement, he rushed before his master and knelt reverently.
Raising his hands, he offered the Time Stone to the one he served most loyally—Thanos.
Seated upon his throne, Thanos reached out, grasping the stone in his massive hand.
As a Titan, he immediately understood its power.
With this, time itself was within his grasp.
"Well done," Thanos rumbled, his voice filled with satisfaction.
"Now, go retrieve the rest of the stones."
Ebony Maw bowed deeply. "As you command, my lord."
---
Leaving Thanos' presence, Ebony Maw immediately attempted to contact Cull Obsidian.
After all, it was his idea to split up—and if he had successfully obtained the Time Stone, then surely Cull Obsidian had secured the Reality Stone.
Yet—
The communication link remained silent.
A flicker of unease crossed Ebony Maw's face.
He checked the transmitter multiple times—there was no malfunction.
Something was wrong.
His instincts screamed danger.
Without hesitation, he rallied his forces and set course for Asgard—where Cull Obsidian had been sent to claim the Reality Stone.
However—
As their ship approached Asgard, what they found shocked them.
Floating wreckage.
Countless shattered fleets.
The debris belonged to the Chitauri forces that had accompanied Cull Obsidian.
Ebony Maw's eyes narrowed.
"Did Cull Obsidian... die in Asgard?"
From a distance, he surveyed the golden city.
Outside the Great Hall, Asgardian soldiers stood guard, their formations disciplined and unshaken.
Above them, a golden energy barrier shimmered, a defense against invaders.
Something wasn't adding up.
Asgard showed no signs of having been invaded.
Ebony Maw's doubts deepened.
Had Cull Obsidian truly fallen?
His last known mission was to steal the Reality Stone from Asgard—but now, he was gone.
Ebony Maw had no choice but to retreat.
If he couldn't find Cull Obsidian, then his next move was clear—
Find the Infinity Stones.
Back on Thanos' warship, Gamora had been tasked with retrieving the Power Stone, while Nebula had been assigned to find the Reality Stone.
But both of them had since betrayed Thanos.
Fortunately—
Ebony Maw had a fail-safe.
He had implanted a tracker inside Nebula's body.
And through that—
He would find her.
...