Location: New York Sanctum – Grand Hall
Time: 1 Day Before the Invasion
The chamber was packed.
No chairs this time.
Everyone stood, forming a loose circle — Avengers, Sorcerers, Wakandans, enhanced individuals, even Nick Fury leaning quietly in the back with Maria Hill. T'Challa stood tall beside Shuri and Okoye, Vision and Wanda held hands, and somewhere in the corner, Peter Parker was bouncing on the balls of his feet.
The ancient glyphs on the walls of the Sanctum were glowing — a silent omen.
At the center stood Doctor Stephen Strange, the Eye of Agamotto gleaming on his chest.
To his right: Mark, robed and calm, one hand on his hip, the other holding tea.
To his left: Wong, serious, collected, and holding a thick book labeled "Plan F: Baby Wars – Do Not Use."
Strange Begins
Strange raised his hand, and silence fell like a curtain.
"Tomorrow, Thanos's vanguard lands on Earth. We don't know if he'll come himself — yet. But his generals will. We've seen it. They'll come for the Mind Stone. Maybe the Time Stone too."
He looked around. "We stop them here. Today we finalize assignments."
The Teams
Mark stepped forward and waved his hand. A massive projection appeared mid-air — like a floating war map made of light and energy. On it were faces, locations, movement paths.
"Here's how we break it down," he said.
Team Sanctum (Defense of the Time Stone):
Doctor Strange (Leader)
Wong (Defense Coordinator)
Mark (Tactical Support & Portal Relay)
Peter Parker
Shuri (Tech Shields & AI Disruption)
💬 "Our job is simple," Strange said. "The Time Stone does not fall. Period."
Team Vision (Defense of the Mind Stone in Wakanda):
Wanda Maximoff
Vision
T'Challa
Shuri (duplicated tech support via holographic link)
Rhodey
Sam Wilson (Falcon)
Okoye & Dora Milaje
💬 "We reinforce Vision's defenses. Wakanda is where the battle will be longest. They'll throw everything at us," T'Challa said.
Team Intercept (Ambush and Delay Tactics):
Steve Rogers (Leader)
Natasha Romanoff
Pietro Maximoff
Bucky Barnes
Nick Fury
Maria Hill
💬 "We delay Maw and Obsidian before they even get near Earth cities. Hit and run. Ambush. Disable," Cap explained.
Team Cosmic Backup (Last-Resort Offense):
Tony Stark
Bruce Banner (Hulk – if he transforms)
Carol Danvers (if she arrives in time)
Thor (still to be located)
💬 "We don't fire the nukes unless we have to," Tony quipped. "But when we do, we go big."
The Closing Words
Mark looked around the room. "Every move we make tomorrow must count. No ego. No lone wolf crap. You see someone in trouble, you help. And if you see Thanos... don't play hero. Call Strange or me."
Tony muttered, "For once, someone else is saying that."
Strange turned to everyone. "We win this by unity. Thanos will expect panic. Chaos. Individual glory chasers. He doesn't expect us. A multiversal anomaly, sorcerers, soldiers, kings, synthetics, and one kid who talks too much."
Peter grinned. "Hey!"
The Final Moment
Nick Fury finally stepped forward. "I've seen this world almost end more times than I'd like. But I've never seen a defense like this. You all are what comes next."
He turned to Strange. "Time to make it count, Wizard."
Strange nodded.
The war map closed.
Wong muttered, "I'll put on the tea."