𝕻𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖚𝖑𝖚𝖒 - [𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲]

𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐢. 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥?

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎 — a child?

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 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 alien swung.

 The axe in Cull Obsidian's hand came crashing down, and whilst both Emilia and Bruce wanted to look away — unwilling to watch Tony Stark get crushed beneath the assault — they kept their eyes trained.

 Bruce, who had come to know and love the suits his fellow Avenger donned and constantly upgraded, watched with bated breath as Tony rose an arm, and there, as though out of thin air, a brilliant red and gold shield formed. The axe landed upon it, and Stark didn't even flinch nor did he move a muscle as a resounding clang rang out.

 Tony scoffed from inside his suit, the sound never reaching anyone but himself and the towering alien before him. He shot his fist out, metal-covered knuckles hooking Cull in the cheek with a sickening crack.

 Tony hopped back a step, allowing room between himself and his enemy, it took no instructions on his part for his intuitive suit to take charge. He held his balled-up fists before him and from the back of his suit erupted four hovering pieces of metal that drifted ever so slightly to the sides of his body; framing him.

 He wasted no time in firing the nano-lasers that jostled behind him, watching with a grin beneath his cold metal mask as each stark white beam shot forth, gathering to one condensed force. Cull couldn't keep his footing, even despite his heavy stature, and the moment the condensed laser hit him square on the chest, he was launched backwards as a snarl tore from his lips.

 Ebony Maw had watched with disinterest; to him, the people standing between himself and the Time Stone were nothing but mortal scum. He flicked his wrist, using his abilities to push Cull away from him and instead, the towering beast hurtled towards a cluster of abandoned cars.

 Emilia blinked, paying far more attention to Maw than Tony; his suit was remarkable, that much was certain. The way it acted without vocal command, the way it created pieces of weaponry and defensive shields from nothing... Yet it was Maw that held her attentiveness. The creature could move things in such a similar manner to herself. A single flick of the wrist had sent his companion crashing away from him; he'd certainly be an opponent.

 "Woah!" Bruce practically gushed as he gestured wildly towards Tony. "Where'd that come from?

 Stark, ever the man to relish in the attention of a friend — rather than keep an eye on the fight that had not quite concluded — spun to face Bruce. The sunlight glossed over the metal that encased his body, shining on the surface, "It's nano-tech. You like it? A little something I —"

 Tony didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, for Maw, in a single and almost lazy movement had manipulated the ground he stood upon. Cement, soil and the metal pipes that had been buried beneath the city roads shot up in a multitude of spikes, sending Tony flying into the air.