Boom!
The explosion from the five restored Infinity Stones reverberated across the battlefield, their immense power released in an instant.
But the light of the Time Stone dimmed almost immediately, its energy completely overdrawn. It would not recover anytime soon.
Still, the damage was already done.
This Thanos was not the contemplative titan of old, the one who sought balance by erasing half of all life. No, this Thanos was a true butcher, a being driven by the singular goal of total annihilation. His purpose was to obliterate all life, leaving behind a silent, desolate universe.
As the sound of his snapping fingers faded, silence fell across the battlefield.
A mysterious force swept over everyone, enveloping them in its suffocating grip. Many felt their bodies begin to dissolve, the faint sensation of disintegration creeping through their veins.
Panic set in. Even the most steadfast warriors were paralyzed with despair. No one seemed to know how to stop this inevitable end.
No one except Wanda.
Wanda Maximoff closed her eyes, retreating into the depths of her mind. Memories surfaced, and she could almost hear Thor's voice echoing in her ears:
"Your power is one of the oldest and most powerful forces in the universe. It's not just about throwing red energy balls."
"The Chaos Force you possess can alter reality itself. Your potential goes far beyond mine. When your power is fully unleashed, every word you speak will come true. If you say the Earth is the center of the universe, the cosmos will bend to your will."
"It's not just the ability to alter reality. It's the power to play God."
"I trust you, Wanda."
Those words ignited a spark within her.
The chaos swirling in her body surged once more, emboldened by her resolve. Wanda's heart raced as she reached deep into herself, drawing on the limitless potential of her Chaos Force.
"Everyone, don't disappear!"
Her voice rang out like a command. The red energy surrounding her boiled over, erupting in waves of raw, unbridled power.
But suddenly, dizziness hit her like a brick wall. Wanda stumbled, her vision blurring. The strain of manipulating reality itself was overwhelming—far greater than even she had anticipated.
Did I fail?
"Wanda," Strange's voice cut through her despair, steady despite his own body beginning to dissolve. "With your current ability, you can't change something as vast as the causal chain of the entire universe."
His feet had already started to fade, the dissolution creeping higher.
"You need to work within the framework of Thanos' snap," he continued. "Reverse its effects without contradicting his intent too much."
"Reverse the effects without compromising his purpose?" Wanda muttered, confusion evident in her voice.
It sounded impossible.
Thanos' purpose was the destruction of life. How could she undo the snap without defying that fundamental goal?
But then, clarity struck.
Thanos' true ambition wasn't destruction for its own sake. It was dominance, an assertion of power. He sought to annihilate life with his own hands, using the stones only as a tool of last resort.
There was a distinction—subtle but critical.
The battlefield stilled as the snapping fingers reached their crescendo. The universe teetered on the brink of silence, a moment away from total erasure.
Then, a cold, calm voice echoed through the minds of every being in existence:
"At this moment, there are no superpowers in the world."
A miracle unfolded.
Those on the verge of disintegration began to reform, their bodies slowly returning to normal. The ash that had started to scatter rewound itself, reconstituting into flesh and bone.
The Avengers and their allies stared in awe as the effects of the snap disappeared before their eyes.
Peter Parker, who had already felt half his body fading away, gasped as he looked at his restored hands. He tried to fire a web at the sky in celebration, but nothing happened.
Nearby, Bruce Banner called out desperately, "Hulk? Hulk?"
But there was no answer.
The Valkyries, once soaring gracefully through the skies on their winged mounts, wobbled in the air before descending safely to the ground. Even their Pegasus mounts seemed subdued, their supernatural strength stripped away.
Captain Marvel, glowing with radiant energy, faltered and plummeted toward the earth. Jane Foster, still clutching Mjolnir, also fell, her hammer now an ordinary piece of metal.
Wanda's body collapsed from the strain, her Chaos Force completely spent. Whether she remained the Scarlet Witch was unclear. She had poured every ounce of herself into altering the universe's fate.
Tony Stark stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock. This was the very scene he had witnessed in his nightmare visions—the universe tipping on the edge of salvation and destruction.
Thanos stood in stunned silence, his mind racing.
He hadn't anticipated this. Wanda Maximoff had turned the entire cosmos against his will, unraveling the effects of his snap.
But then he smirked.
She hadn't changed everything.
His army remained intact, their forms unaffected by the Chaos Force. The snap had excluded them from its scope—they were not of this universe.
A world without superpowers? He could work with that.
Thanos laughed, his voice ringing out with a chilling finality. "In a universe of mortals, what remains to stop me?"
He raised his head, his laughter echoing across the battlefield as he marched forward.