Thanos raises his shields at the last possible second as the mighty hammer, Stormbreaker, crashes down. Beta Ray Bill delivers a blow that could shatter a mountain, but it does not penetrate the Titans defenses. Rebounding from the blocked assault, Beta Ray is just able to nimbly avoid a point blank blast from Thanos eye beams by ducking under them. Thanos had to lower his shields to make his attack, and so Bill lands and leg sweeps the Titan off his feet.
With a thunderous battle cry, Bill leaps on the Titan and brings Stormbreaker down, smashing the Titan in the face. Mystical lightning crackles through the ebon void of space as Beta Ray brings Stormbreaker crashing down once more. Raising it to the heavens once again, Bill brings Stormbreaker down to strike the Titan once more
only this time Thanos catches the wrist of Beta Ray with his right hand.
Impossible, Beta Ray thinks.
Thanos smiles wickedly as a slight drizzle of blood pours from his nose. Thanos tightens his grip, and the bones in Bills left wrist crack and splinter. Bill screams. A scream of both pain and rage. To his credit though, Bill does not let go of his mighty Uru hammer.
The Titan rises to his feet as Beta Ray kicks him in the midsection with both heels in an attempt to break Thanos vice-like gripe. Thanos does not let go though. He does not even acknowledge the blow. He simply stares at Bill with that evil, toothy grin plastered on his face, and proceeds to hammer Beta Ray with a series of backhand blows.
When Thanos finishes the beating, he hurls Bill across the asteroids surface. Bill, with a shattered wrist and hurting from the backhand strikes, skips off of jagged rocks before slamming to a stop against a large mound.
Come now, Beta Ray Bill, chides Thanos as he casually strolls towards Beta Ray,
Surely the Oath-Brother of the Mighty Thor can do better than this?
Bill grunts as he gets up to his feet, blood smeared across his face. His left wrist looks like pulp, but he valiantly grabs Stormbreaker in his right hand and stands ever defiant.
You wish to see my best, Titan?
Stormbreaker begins to crackle with mystical energy.
Then I shall be happy to show you!
A blast of mythic proportions gushes from the enchanted Uru hammer that engulfs the Titan and bathes Bill and the surrounding asteroid in a bright white light. The blast can even be seen by the forces of Thanos and New Korbin as they do battle just outside the atmosphere of the planet. The giant space battle seems to pause for a few seconds as fighters on both sides look on in awe of the spectacle of the blast.
An explosion rocks the asteroid. The titanic blast from Stormbreaker has shattered the giant space rock into pieces.
Beta Ray Bill floats motionless for a handful of seconds, his armor and clothes tattered and torn, and Stormbreaker hanging onto his good wrist by the leather strap. His eyes open slowly, and Bill shakes his head to clear the cobwebs out. Looking around him, Beta Ray surveys the damage he has wrought. The giant asteroid lay in ruins. Dozens of smaller chunks of it still litter the spaceways, but the majority of it has been turned to atoms.
Bills eyes open wide as he hears a loud, haughty laughter from behind him.
Spinning around, Bill is surprised to see the Titan still standing on top of a chunk of the asteroid. Most of his clothing had been burnt to dust from the mystic blast, but Thanos, and the major pieces of his armor, appeared none the worse for wear.
Very good, Beta Ray Bill, laughs the Titan,
Very good indeed. That blast actually penetrated my shields. I must say, I am impressed.
As ever the warrior, Bill tries to attack again, but he is too weak. The blast and his injuries have taken their toll on him. He flies at the Titan and brings Stormbreaker down to strike the Titan in his now exposed ribs, but Thanos just steps forward at the last second, catching Bills arm in-between his arm and his side. With lightning quick reflexes, Thanos jerks his arm and breaks Bills limb at the elbow.
Bill screams in pain, but continues to try and fight by headbutting the Titan square in his still bleeding nose. The Titan takes this in stride and lands a headbutt right back, bringing spots to Bills eyes and sending him to his knees.
Thanos raises both his hands high above his head and brings them down in an axehandle blow atop Bills cranium, splitting Beta Rays helmet in two and knocking him to the ground at his feet.
Reaching down, Thanos grasps Bill by the throat and lifts him up. The Champion of the Korbinites and Oath-Brother to Thor has seen better days. His left wrist is shattered, his other arm broken at the elbow and hanging sickly at his side, his body covered in cuts and blood, and his face bloody and swollen.
Thanos is no longer smiling. Even when he knew he had no chance, Bill continued to fight on, and part of Thanos respected that.
Thanos speaks,
You have earned my respect today, Beta Ray Bill, and so I will spare your life.
Pulling Bill close towards him to make sure that he hears his words, Thanos continues in a cold uncaring voice,
However, should you ever come against me again, I will see to it that you and your people spend the rest of their days in endless agony.
And with that, Thanos tosses Bill over his shoulder, sending the Korbinite Champion streaking through the inky blackness of space.
