[Earth, New York]
"Damn it! Where did I put my peanut butter?"
A man wearing an eye patch opened his refrigerator but couldn't find what he was looking for.
"What a shitty day."
Bang!
He slammed the refrigerator shut.
"I knew I shouldn't have drunk so much yesterday."
Holding his head, he muttered, "Hangovers are awful. Even after sleeping all day, I still feel like crap."
He dropped onto the couch and turned on the TV.
The news was on.
["Breaking news: New York has come under attack."]
"New York?"
"How did I not hear about this?"
The man put on a pair of glasses and stared at the screen, where a donut-shaped spaceship was displayed.
The anchor continued, ["This is the alien spacecraft that attacked New York this morning. We can confirm that Iron Man and Spider-Man engaged the invading aliens."]
["Here is some footage of the battle recorded by local residents."]
The footage changed.
On the TV, a hulking figure raised a massive battle axe and brought it down at Iron Man, only for the blow to be blocked by his shield.
What followed was an intense fight.
The footage switched again.
In the blurry video, Spider-Man could be seen hanging from the giant donut-shaped ship.
Iron Man flew after him, and before long both of them had become tiny black dots in the distance.
The broadcast returned to the studio.
["We've just learned from Stark Industries that Iron Man has not yet returned."]
["We still don't know where they went, and it raises the question... has the end of the world arrived?"]
Click!
The man turned off the TV.
"This is bad."
Rubbing his face, he said, "Stark and that little bug still haven't come back."
"So much happened while I was asleep?"
"All right. Let's see what I can do."
He walked into another room and, after digging through a pile of things, found an old pager.
The antique was covered in dust. He blew on it and almost choked himself.
"Damn!"
"Hope this thing still works."
He pressed a button on the pager. The screen flickered once, then went dark again.
"No way."
He smacked the pager a couple of times, then pressed the button again.
This time, it finally responded.
A golden five-pointed star soon appeared on the screen, blinking over and over as though it were calling someone.
———
[Scotland]
Inside a room, Vision pulled open the curtains when a sharp, piercing sound suddenly echoed through his mind.
He instinctively held his forehead and let out a low groan, his face showing pain.
"Are you okay?"
On the bed, the Scarlet Witch, Wanda, got up anxiously.
Over the past two years, their relationship had grown rapidly. They had become inseparable, unable to leave each other's side.
"Is it the Stone again?", Wanda asked worriedly.
"It feels like it's trying to talk to me."
"What is it saying?"
She came to Vision's side and gently stroked his face, her eyes full of tenderness.
Since her brother's death, this was the first time she had completely opened her heart to someone else.
Well, a super robot.
Vision shook his head, "I don't know. But it's definitely trying to say something."
At that moment, the Mind Stone lit up on its own, and pain spread across Vision's face once more.
Wanda looked at him with concern.
Vision took her hand and pressed it against his forehead, "Tell me. What do you feel?"
"All I feel... is you," Wanda said with a smile.
The two shared a deep kiss.
A short while later, they walked hand in hand through the quiet streets.
"The train to Glasgow leaves tomorrow at ten in the morning."
"We still have a little more time together before you go back," Wanda said with a smile.
Vision joked, "What if I miss that train?"
"There's another one at eleven," Wanda replied.
"What if I miss every train?"
"What if I don't go back this time?", Vision said, voicing his thoughts.
Wanda looked at him, "But you promised Stark."
"I'd rather make a promise to you."
"There are people waiting for me too."
"You know that. We've both made promises," Wanda said helplessly.
Vision looked at her affectionately, "But we've never made any promises to each other."
"Wanda, we've stood by each other these past two years."
He held her by the shoulders, "We both want this relationship to have an ending."
"You know, I really think... we're right for each other."
Wanda nodded, "You're right. We are."
Vision said, "Then stay. Stay here with me."
Wanda froze.
She looked away instinctively, but her attention was caught by a television inside a shop window behind her.
She unconsciously walked over and saw the news about New York being attacked.
When Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian appeared on the screen, Wanda covered her mouth.
"Who are they?"
Vision's expression turned serious as well.
"This must be the warning the Stone was trying to give me."
"I have to go."
He kissed the back of Wanda's hand and stepped away.
Wanda quickly called out, "No, Vision."
"If all this is real, then maybe you shouldn't go alone."
"Wanda, I lo—"
Before Vision could finish, a blade suddenly pierced through his chest and lifted him into the air.
———
[Vormir]
A mass of black-blue flames appeared.
Thanos and Gamora stepped out of it.
"Will you let Nebula go?", Gamora looked at the towering figure before her.
"I never intended to hurt her. I only needed her to get the location of the Soul Stone out of you."
Thanos spoke as he walked.
He looked toward the mountain beneath the eclipse, "So the Stone had better be there."
"Otherwise, your sister won't be leaving alive."
The two continued on, climbing toward the summit.
Just as they were about to reach the top, a hooded figure in a cloak floated in midair.
"Welcome, Lord Thanos, son of A'Lars."
"And you, Gamora, daughter of Thanos."
"You know us?", Thanos asked.
"My curse is to know everyone who comes here."
"Where is the Soul Stone?", Thanos asked directly.
The cloaked figure replied, "You should know the price of obtaining it is great."
"I'm prepared."
"We all believed we were prepared."
"We were all wrong."
"Come with me."
He led them to the summit, where two enormous stone pillars stood like a gateway.
Then he brought them to the edge of a cliff, "What stands before you is not merely the treasure you seek."
"It is also your fear."
"The Soul Stone holds a place of honor among the Infinity Stones."
"That is because it possesses a wisdom unlike the others."
"Tell me what it wants," Thanos said.
"To ensure its wielder understands its power..."
"The Stone demands a sacrifice."
"To obtain this Stone, you must lose the one you love the most."
Thanos's entire body trembled.
Slowly, he turned to look at Gamora beside him.
Gamora burst into laughter, "This is your punishment. You've never loved anyone. You'll never obtain this Stone."
Thanos remained silent, but tears began to glisten in the corners of his eyes, "Haha! You're crying. Well, if it were me, I'd cry too."
"No," the cloaked figure said, "He weeps because he is about to lose the one he loves most."
Gamora froze.
Then realization dawned on her.
"No... No! That's impossible!"