As soon as Charlie Parker said it, the group was filled with confusion.
"Fight Thanos?"
"Why should we fight him? Isn't our mission to protect him?"
"I get it. This guy must have died at Thanos's hands and now sees this version of Thanos as his enemy."
"What a pitiful guy. He can't even tell who actually killed him."
"What a waste of time. I can't believe I've been listening to him this whole time. What a lunatic."
"Let's go, let's go."
"He says he's won two resurrection matches? He's gotta be lying."
Instantly, the group broke into jeers, with people pairing up to leave the area.
Suddenly, Old Steve pushed through the crowd.
"I believe him."
He walked up to Charlie, "Little Spider, I'm glad to see you again... though maybe I shouldn't be happy." His smile turned awkward.
"It's fine," Charlie replied, not in the mood for jokes after multiple restarts.
He scanned the group, realizing that convincing everyone to stay was impossible, so he'd have to use another tactic.
Drawing on the experience from his many resets, Charlie quickly convinced Carter, Lizard Parker, and Infinite Tony to join the mission.
Charlie stood beside Carter, pretending to be concerned.
"Sigh, this mission is so dangerous, and Agent Carter is so delicate. Who's going to protect her? It's such a headache."
His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, especially the various Steves.
Old Steve caught on immediately, knowing Charlie too well. He also noticed the hesitation in the other Steves, who had stopped in their tracks.
"I am Captain America, the brave Avenger. I will protect all Agent Carters. It is my duty!" he shouted, voice booming. The other Steves reacted, their expressions wavering with uncertainty.
Carter felt embarrassed by the display, but she understood Charlie's intention.
She thought for a moment, still reluctant to engage too much with the Steves. They reminded her too much of the Steve she knew, but something about them made her uncomfortable.
Just then, Charlie leaned close and whispered in her ear.
"Agent Carter, with great power comes great responsibility. The team needs more strength, please."
In an instant, Carter shivered.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
She pondered the phrase, feeling as though it carried a special kind of magic that shifted her thinking.
"Fine, I'll try."
Finally, as if guided by some unseen force, she agreed and walked over to the Steves.
Seeing this, Charlie couldn't help but smile slightly.
That phrase always works.
Next, he turned and approached Jane Foster, ready to convince her.
"To complete this mission, reliable teammates are essential. You don't have to trust me, but you should trust it."
He pointed at Mjolnir in her hand, "Anyone it chooses can't be wrong, right?"
Jane glanced toward Thor in the distance. "You mean him? He doesn't seem interested in joining you."
"No, he means me."
Old Steve stepped forward, extending his hand with a smile. "Let me try."
"What?"
Both Jane and Thor, as well as Loki, looked shocked.
"Are you sure?" Jane asked, her tone curious but without hesitation as she handed the hammer to Old Steve. She seemed to have a guess.
Before Old Steve could move, Thor burst out laughing.
"What a joke! How could a mere mortal possibly be worthy—"
Before he could finish, his laughter turned to shock.
"No way!"
"Impossible!"
Thor and Loki exclaimed simultaneously, their jaws dropping as they watched Old Steve casually hold Mjolnir, shaking their heads in disbelief.
"I must be seeing things. How can a mortal lift Mjolnir?"
"I know! The hammer must be broken, that's why he can lift it," Loki clapped his hands, laughing. "That's got to be it."
He hurried over and snatched the hammer from Old Steve. Neither Jane nor Steve resisted.
But as Infinite Tony watched with amusement, Loki, the moment he grabbed Mjolnir, was pulled to his knees by its immense power.
Loki: "..."
How embarrassing!
Looking around awkwardly, Loki quickly let go of the hammer and stood up, brushing off his clothes as if nothing had happened.
"Actually, I was just joking," he explained.
"I know. You're very funny."
Old Steve turned and picked up the hammer, handing it back to Jane. "Will you join us?" he asked earnestly.
"Of course," Jane agreed without hesitation.
She smiled, "If I'm not mistaken, I think I know who you are."
"What do you mean?"
Old Steve paused, then suddenly understood.
"I get it. Mjolnir was stolen from the exhibit, right? I heard it was a woman who took it—I read that in the news."
"That wasn't stealing."
"I know, you're Thor's girlfriend. He loves you, so his hammer loves you too."
"We're no longer together."
"Ah, that's a shame. How did you die?"
"It's a long story. After I died, I went to Valhalla. It was so boring there until I got a strange invitation."
The two started chatting enthusiastically.
Seeing this, Thor approached, listening curiously to Jane's story.
"Well, are you going to join us?" Charlie interrupted, taking the opportunity to invite Thor.
Thor thought for a moment, then proudly said, "Alright, mortal. I'll join you, but don't think you can command me. I am Thor, God of Thunder, and I represent the glory of the North Gods."
"Got it, the glory of the North Gods. You're free to act however you like."
"I'll join too," Loki chimed in with a mischievous smile. "You all seem quite entertaining."
"No problem."
With that, the team's strength was greatly enhanced.
"Let's move! To Titan's Sanctuary!"
Under Charlie's lead, the group reached the side of the road.
They hailed a taxi!
Half an hour later.
At the base of the spire, Charlie waved his hand, and Loki cast a spell, creating thousands of duplicates of himself, which surged like a tide toward the Titan guards.
"What the hell are those?"
"So many twins... triplets... no, multiples."
"Their poor mother."
"Shut up and stop them!"
Before long, the Titan guards were lured away by the duplicates, allowing the group to rush up to the top of the spire.
At the massive stone altar, Charlie dripped his blood into the groove.
Above them, a massive spider totem appeared in the night sky, and Thanos was drawn to the scene.
"Hello, I am Thanos, leader of Titan."
As Thanos introduced himself, Charlie quietly moved to the corner.
He lightly tapped one of the stone tablets, and a virtual lock appeared.
Skilled, Charlie quickly entered the password, causing the surrounding stone tablets to move rapidly, transforming into a sanctuary that locked the Titan guards outside.
Thanos was left alone to face the Avengers.
"What?"
Seeing the situation, Thanos was startled.
He glanced around at the group, who were now eyeing him warily, and then locked his gaze on Charlie in the corner.
His face darkened. "How did you know the code to open the sanctuary?"
"Obviously, you told me," Charlie said with a grin.
After watching Thanos open the Exile Journey portal twice, Charlie knew everything he needed to know.
Opening the sanctuary required a password, but opening the portal didn't require any specific timing. All you needed were the sacred artifact and the corresponding divine power.
And the sacred artifact was hidden within the sanctuary.
As long as they could subdue Thanos, they wouldn't have to worry about him losing control under the influence of the Mind Stone.