One Wild Ride (A Marvel Fanfic-Complete)

Avengers: Heralds and Heroes

"Death is headed towards Earth.  Brought by Thanos... her most loyal servant."

After Dr Strange, Wong, and Stark hauled the silver surfer out of the hole and onto the only nearby couch that remained intact. The being spent some time disoriented and mumbling about warning Dr Strange of a terrible threat.  Eventually he slipped completely into unconsciousness.

"What was that about?" Stark asked Strange and Wong. 

"He mentioned the name, Thanos." Dr Strange moved away, absentmindedly fingering the emerald stone that he wore around his neck.  "He's a sycophant from the planet, Titan, who worships death.  He claims to have met the embodiment of death and that he is her loyalist servant.  In other words, he's crazy.  There've been rumors of his many attempts to find the six infinity stones for years.  And I've been a bit uneasy lately... as more and more of these stones are suddenly appearing here on Earth.  My uneasiness just came to a head about a week ago.  Now this being shows up mumbling about Thanos."

Strange looked deathly worried. His entire arrogant demeanor long discarded. Then he said to himself.  "If Thanos is coming to earth, it would be to collect the time stone." 

"These infinity stones... these wouldn't be the same stones that had Thor's Asgardian shorts in a wad?? The mind stone is one of them, isn't it?" Stark stood up and began to pace.  "And the tesseract that Thor took back to Asgard?"

"So you know about the stones then too?"  Dr Strange turned and looked at Stark intensely.  "It's urgent we get in contact with the others who have these stones."

However, Stark looked skeptical.  "Well that's easier said than done.  Cause I have no idea where Thor is... haven't seen him years actually, and Vision, who has the mind stone, ran away with Wanda Maximoff over a month ago.  He turned off his transponder and there are no traces of either of them on this planet at the moment."

"Apparently, Wakandans have space durable aircrafts now."  Stark remarked to Riri and Peter in a low voice.  "Now, if Stark Industries created a spaceship, I'd guarantee that Ross and every other government official in a suit would be up my ass immediately... but hey, I hold my peace. I did the right thing and signed the accords. So I gets no spaceship."

"That's not adequate." Dr Strange scolded, exasperated with Stark's nonchalance.  He looked down at the time stone.  "My order has been protecting this stone for centuries.  Yet, you're now telling me, the Avengers have already managed to lose not one, but two stones in a span of a few years."

"I wouldn't say lost." Stark argued.  "We know where they are... just not how to get to them at the moment."

"Mr. Stark." Peter whispered up to his mentor. 

"Not now kid.  The adults are talking here." Stark hushed Peter, still in deep thought.

"But Mr Stark... even if you don't know where Vision went.  Perhaps Captain America knows where Wanda went.  She was on his side during the Civil War." Peter suggested.

Stark paused and looked at Peter for a second.  Then he patted him on the back. "You might've redeemed yourself, kid. Good idea."

Turning back to Strange, Stark said, "I'll need to get back to the Avenger headquarters right away.  My Rhodey's there.  And he needs to make an important phone call and perhaps take a little side trip to Wakanda."

Strange paused for a second to wonder what the hell a "rhodey" was, but then figuring it was more of Stark's arrogance, he moved his hands to create another portal.  Stark held up his hand abruptly. "No thanks, wizard.  I have my own methods for travel.  Besides, I need to drop these two back off in Boston anyway."