Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

Peter and the others fell into a heavy silence.

Seeing their expressions, Nick Fury's smile faded as well.

"It can't be, right? The enemy isn't already here, is it?"

Peter's tone was slightly bitter as he replied, "If nothing unexpected happens, their vanguard will arrive on Earth in two to three days. I'm afraid we won't be able to wait for Captain Marvel's support."

"That soon?" Nick Fury's brows furrowed deeply again. While he didn't question Peter's source of information—since he had chosen to trust Peter, he was willing to go all in—losing such a powerful ally was undoubtedly a significant blow.

"All we can hope for now is that the changes on our side might delay Thanos's arrival," Peter said helplessly.

Iron Man asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Peter explained, "In the original scenario, everyone was scattered. That's why Thanos chose to send his Black Order to Earth first to retrieve the Infinity Stones."

"For example," Peter continued, looking at Vision and Wanda, "in the original timeline, Mr. Vision and Ms. Wanda were ambushed in Scotland."

Vision nodded, saying, "If it weren't for Peter's warning, Wanda and I would indeed be in Scotland two days from now. If they had attacked us then, unprepared, we would've had little chance of fighting them off."

As he spoke, Wanda cast a grateful glance at Peter.

Without Peter's intervention, even if she and Vision managed to fend off Thanos's forces, it would have come at a devastating cost. If Vision were injured or killed, it would be a loss she couldn't bear.

With that realization, her goodwill toward Peter grew slightly stronger.

Peter continued, "And Dr. Strange would be attacked at the Sanctum Sanctorum by two other members of the Black Order." He glanced at Doctor Strange.

Doctor Strange nodded in acknowledgment. Clearly, he had already seen the "script" of his own future.

In his calculations, he had compared scenarios where Peter was a factor and where he wasn't. In the original timeline, without Peter's involvement, he was indeed ambushed, either captured alive or killed on the spot. In either case, the Time Stone would ultimately fall into Thanos's hands.

In contrast, Peter's involvement had shifted the entire trajectory.

"In that situation, we would have been picked off one by one," Peter concluded, "while Thanos systematically acquired the Infinity Stones, growing stronger with each one, until he became unstoppable!"

Iron Man and the others finally understood why Peter insisted on gathering all available allies in one place.

If events had followed the original course, it would have indeed been utterly despairing.

Iron Man asked, "Do you have any suggestions for the final battleground?"

This time, his tone toward Peter was one of genuine consultation and collaboration—a stark contrast to the slightly guarded attitude of mere acquaintances earlier.

Peter looked at Vision and said, "Wakanda!"

"Wakanda?" Iron Man repeated, puzzled. "You mean that African nation that donated the Quinjet? Sure, their technology is advanced, but are they really going to let us fight a galactic war on their land?"

Peter shook his head. "It's no longer a matter of whether they agree or not, because they're victims in this too. They'll be fighting for their own survival. In the future I've seen, after Thanos snaps his fingers, Wakanda's army is almost completely wiped out. Even their king and guardian, Black Panther, is erased by the snap! If they remain indifferent, they'll face certain doom!"

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Moreover, among all the places we currently know, Wakanda is the only location suitable for fighting this intergalactic war. Wakanda possesses a powerful sky shield defense barrier, which can effectively withstand attacks from spaceship-mounted weapons. This will give us a significant home-field advantage."

"In our culture, when waging war, we consider three factors: timing, terrain, and unity. As for timing, I've done my best to secure an extra two days of preparation for everyone. Regarding unity, we're doing everything we can to bring people together. For terrain, we'll have to rely on Wakanda!"

Iron Man and the others nodded in agreement, fully understanding his reasoning.

"So, if we consolidate our forces here, and Thanos finds that his plan to quickly capture the Time Stone and the Mind Stone is unworkable, there's a chance the battle will take longer, giving us more time to prepare. Is that right?" Iron Man asked.

Peter replied, "Exactly."

"Then let's head to Wakanda immediately," Wanda suggested. The more she learned about Thanos's threat, the more anxious she felt to help Vision remove the Mind Stone. She didn't want to wait even a moment longer.

Doctor Strange nodded. "I'll keep an eye on Thor and Dr. Banner. The moment I find them, I'll bring them here."

"I'm counting on you," Peter said earnestly.

Doctor Strange gave him a slight nod before turning to Wong. "Wong, you stay here. We need a sorcerer to guard this place, and there's a chance Dr. Banner might come here as well."

"Understood," Wong replied with a firm nod.

Thanks to Doctor Strange's portals, there was no need to use the Quinjet to travel to Wakanda, saving them several hours of precious time.

Doctor Strange waved his hand, creating a circular portal in front of them. He glanced upward for a moment before stepping aside.

Iron Man took a quick look through the portal and immediately understood. Pressing his chest, he activated his nano-armor, which swiftly covered his body. "I'll go notify them."

With that, he flew out the door.

At the same time, a massive glowing portal appeared in the sky above the Sanctum Sanctorum.

Meanwhile, Captain America, Black Widow, and the others in the Quinjet were staring at one another, unsure of their next move. Just then, Iron Man appeared outside the cockpit, knocking on the glass and pointing at the glowing portal before flying through it himself.

"Captain?" Falcon turned to ask.

Captain America nodded. "Follow Tony."

With a soft hum, the Quinjet roared to life and soared through the portal.

The bustling cityscape of New York vanished in an instant, replaced by a vast, untamed jungle.

"What's going on?" Falcon exclaimed in surprise.

Captain America, Black Widow, and Ghost stepped closer to the edge of the cabin, peering out at the new scenery. The magical portal had clearly introduced them to phenomena far beyond anything they had encountered before.

Just then, they spotted someone waving at them in the distance.

"Over here!" Iron Man gestured toward the group ahead.

Black Widow quickly maneuvered the Quinjet to follow him.

Soon, they arrived at the edge of the jungle, where a small group of people stood waiting. It was Peter, Wanda, and Vision, joined by familiar faces: former S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury and a flamboyant middle-aged man in a cape.

Seeing this, Black Widow brought the Quinjet to a hover and switched it to standby mode.

Falcon stayed behind to keep an eye on the Quinjet, while the others disembarked and joined the group on the ground.

(End of Chapter)

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