Although the battle hadn't unfolded exactly as expected, the overall situation was still firmly in their hands.

Charles and Emma Frost's failure to penetrate the psychic barrier shielding Thanos's inner circle hardly dampened anyone's spirits. Alex, the X-Men, even Erik—none of them treated it as a setback.

If anything, it was almost preferable.

The rank-and-file soldiers had already been bent to their will, leaving only the most dangerous elites outside Charles's reach. That meant the X-Men now had perfect sparring partners—enemies strong enough to provide a genuine test of skill, but not overwhelming in number.

And with Alex here to anchor their formation, confidence burned high. Unless the Black Order commanded armies numbering in the thousands, there was no true cause for worry.

---

Just then, the ship's console chimed—a communication request.

Hank glanced at Alex, then accepted without hesitation.

Captain Marvel's holographic figure burst into view, her golden aura still flickering faintly as though battle clung to her skin.

"How's everything going?" she asked, eyes scanning the gathered X-Men. "I just finished on my end. I'm already en route, but it'll take me thirty minutes to reach you."

"Perfect timing," Erik said, lips curving into a rare smile. "Hurry and help us clean up the mess."

His casual tone made the others chuckle, a ripple of relaxed amusement passing through the cabin.

Captain Marvel raised a brow. The confidence radiating from the team surprised her, though it reassured her as well. For a moment, she had worried they might be overextended—but clearly, their plan had succeeded beyond expectation.

"Danvers, don't worry. Everything is under control," Raven chimed in, her voice brisk and certain.

"Excellent. That's great to hear!" Captain Marvel's own expression softened into a grin. "In that case, I'll pick up the pace. Maybe I can get there before you finish mopping up."

With that, the line cut, leaving the ship in silence once more.

---

Truth be told, Alex hadn't needed her help at all. He knew it.

He was fully confident that he alone could end Thanos and his Black Order here and now. Adding Captain Marvel into the mix almost felt excessive—like bringing a hammer to swat a fly.

After all, even against a Thanos armed with the completed Infinity Gauntlet, she had held her own. And here? Thanos had no Stones, no reality-warping artifacts. Just brute force, cunning, and what remained of his lieutenants.

Against the combined might of Alex and the X-Men, he stood no chance.

---

The warship cut through the void like a spear and soon pierced the borders of Thanos's dominion.

Thanks to Charles and Emma Frost, the vast Chitauri fleet was silent. The armada that had once blotted out stars now hung motionless in space, its countless soldiers reduced to husks awaiting command. Not a single shot was fired as Krakoa's vessel advanced unhindered.

No alarms. No resistance. No interception.

The only ones aware of their approach were those closest to Thanos himself—his generals, his confidants, and the Titan on his throne.

---

"Master, the invaders' ship has arrived!" a Chitauri commander burst into the throne room, dropping to one knee. His voice quivered despite himself. "But our forces… our forces are no longer responding. They are under enemy control!"

A deathly silence fell.

Thanos's massive form stiffened. His face darkened with disbelief. His army—the most feared in the universe, the very bedrock of his rule—had been stolen out from under him like a toy plucked from a child's hand.

This was the fleet that had razed civilizations, that had bent star systems to their knees. The fleet that gave weight to his every threat.

And now? It had been crippled in an instant.

Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight exchanged glances, both looking as if they had been publicly humiliated. Their jaws clenched, their pride bleeding away in silence.

Even Thanos himself was shaken. For all his arrogance, he could not deny what his own eyes and ears told him.

"Is that manipulator truly so powerful?" His voice rumbled low, edged with disbelief. Though he already knew the answer, he asked Proxima Midnight again, needing to hear it said aloud.

"Master, I have failed you," she admitted, bowing her head. Her voice was tight, strained. "Even at my peak, I can shield only those gathered here. The rest are beyond my ability to protect."

Her pride burned. Her mental might was among the strongest in the known galaxy, and yet—she had been utterly eclipsed. Even taking into account that two telepaths worked in tandem, the feat was staggering. An army that vast, crushed beneath invisible chains? It was monstrous.

Corvus Glaive's eyes narrowed. "And yet, Master, they've only brought one warship."

A razor-edged smile cut across his face. "They may have stolen the soldiers, but with such a pitiful show of force… it reeks of arrogance. Did they really think a single ship could topple us?"

His tone dripped with scorn, but beneath it was unease.

---

"Master, they're here!" Proxima Midnight's sharp voice cut the air.

She pointed upward.

Even before she spoke, Thanos had already seen it—a dark shape breaking the horizon, descending with predatory grace. The warship.

The throne room's vast windows filled with the sight.

Every gaze locked on the vessel as it drew closer, until at last it slowed, hovering above like a thundercloud ready to burst.

The hatch opened.

Clang.

Metal groaned as the first figure stepped into view.

A man—young, sharp-featured, with an unmistakable air of invincibility.

Thanos's eyes widened. His face twisted, the shock clear.

"Homelander!"

The name tore from his throat like an accusation.

Of all possibilities, of all foes who might rise against him, never—not even in his darkest imaginings—had he considered this.

Homelander.

The one responsible for slaying Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian. The one who had turned the Mad Titan's designs into dust.

But this? This was different. This was more. To paralyze his entire fleet so effortlessly, to march boldly into his territory—did Homelander truly wield such unfathomable power?

It was madness. It was insulting. It was… terrifying.

"How could someone from that backwater rock, C-53, wield such strength?" Thanos muttered, disbelief cracking through his composure. "How could this be?"

Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight's eyes narrowed dangerously. They too recognized the man, their shock matching their master's. They had felt the sting of his rise already, losing two of their own to his hands.

And now he had come knocking at their very gates.

Audacity. Insanity. Or perhaps inevitability.

---

One by one, more figures emerged behind Rorschach.

Erik's cold gaze glinted beneath his helmet. Cyclops adjusted his visor, red light pulsing faintly. Storm's cloak billowed, lightning crackling at her fingertips. The others followed in a formidable line, every step radiating certainty.

Together, they descended to stand at Alex's back.

Even Thanos and his generals could not deny it.

The aura these intruders exuded was immense—like a storm sweeping across the battlefield, ready to swallow everything in its path.

The war had arrived at Thanos's doorstep.

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