The destruction of Sanctuary II dealt a heavy blow to Thanos. Standing amidst the chaos, he stared silently in the direction of the wreckage, his expression unreadable.
"ROAR!"
Hulk's furious roar shattered the momentary stillness. Charging forward with unrelenting rage, he delivered a thunderous punch to Thanos' head, sending the Mad Titan flying. Thanos tumbled across the battlefield, rolling to a halt as dust rose in his wake.
Hulk, unfazed by Thanos' stoic demeanor, only felt his rage intensify. In his mind, the so-called "purple sweet potato" was just standing there, dazed, as if indifferent to everything happening around him. Hulk, now in his World Breaker Hulk form, felt an overwhelming need to release his strength.
Before Thanos could recover, Hulk was upon him again.
The shattered remnants of Thanos' armor, already weakened by Wanda's Chaos magic, offered no protection. With a mighty uppercut, Hulk struck Thanos' jaw, sending him soaring into the air.
Mid-air, Thanos adjusted his posture, preparing to retaliate with a crushing blow of his own. But just as his fist began to swing, Wanda's crimson energy enveloped his arm, wrenching it back mid-strike.
"BOOM!"
The next punch from Hulk landed squarely on Thanos' face. The impact was so powerful that Thanos momentarily saw stars. He swore he felt his cheek dent from the sheer force of the blow.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
Hulk unleashed a relentless barrage of punches, each one shaking the battlefield. Thanos struggled to counterattack, but Wanda's Chaos Magic continuously disrupted his movements, slowing him down just enough to leave him vulnerable. For a combatant of Thanos' caliber, even the smallest delay was catastrophic.
Thanos roared in frustration, his fury mounting with every second. For the first time, he felt a chilling realization creeping over him: If I don't do something soon, I might actually die here.
Suddenly, a strange energy ripple spread across the battlefield, unseen yet palpable. Hulk, mid-swing, froze as his vision began to blur. The world around him twisted and distorted, and Thanos' battered form vanished before his eyes. Instead, flashes of memories—both familiar and alien—assaulted his mind.
Voices echoed in his ears, their words cutting deep:
"This device will extract the Hulk serum from your body..."
"If you dare to destroy Hulk, prepare for imprisonment!"
Hulk's thoughts spiraled, dragging him back to the days when he was hunted relentlessly by General Ross. The fear, the pain, the desperation—it all came flooding back.
"AHHHH!" Hulk clutched his head, roaring in anguish as he fell to his knees.
Across the battlefield, the Avengers were similarly affected. Each found themselves trapped in their worst nightmares.
Tony Stark saw a vision of defeat: a broken battlefield littered with the fallen. Among them was Steve Rogers, his shield shattered, his voice a hoarse whisper as he clutched his chest and rasped, "You could have stopped this."
Natasha Romanoff relived the sacrifice on Vormir. In her vision, Thor leapt off the cliff to complete the ritual, yet he never returned. The realization of the permanent loss hit her like a hammer.
"No! No, this isn't real!" Natasha cried out, her voice trembling with despair.
Other Avengers screamed in terror, their voices echoing across the battlefield:
"Help me! I don't want to die!"
"Get away! Get away from me!"
Amidst the chaos, soldiers and allies fled in every direction, their faces pale with fear and despair. Even the most hardened warriors were paralyzed by their own horrors.
Only those with extraordinary mental fortitude managed to shake off the effects, though even they were visibly shaken. Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff were among the first to recover, their minds steeled against the nightmare's grip.
"What's happening?" Wanda ask, her voice sharp.
Strange's gaze darkened as he scanned the battlefield. "It's not a spell. This… this is her."
"Her?" Wanda echoed, confusion and urgency mixing in her tone.
Thanos' forces were unaffected. Seizing the opportunity, they advanced mercilessly on the now-vulnerable Avengers. With weapons raised, they prepared to deal a devastating blow to their incapacitated enemies.
Realizing the imminent danger, Strange acted swiftly. The Eye of Agamotto on his chest glowed faintly as he cast his spell. Though the Time Stone was gone, the Eye retained traces of its power. A faint green energy seeped from the relic, enveloping the battlefield.
"Time, stand still," Strange intoned.
The chaos froze. For one fleeting moment, the battlefield became eerily silent.
Strange turned to Wanda, urgency in his voice. "This isn't just an illusion. This is Nightmare. She's manipulating their dreams, trapping them in their worst fears. In this state, she can siphon their energy to grow even stronger."
Wanda's expression hardened as Strange continued. "Nightmare doesn't just create dreams—she modifies them, twisting them into something far worse. If the victims can't break free, their souls will be trapped in her dimension forever."
"How do we stop her?" Wanda asked, her voice steady despite the weight of Strange's words.
"My spell will hold her influence at bay for one minute," Strange explained. "That's all the time I can buy. Scarlet Witch, you're the only one who can break her hold."