"Stop. Spare his life... and I will give you the stone."

Thanos turns and regards the wizard with a curious look; his expression quickly neutralizes.

"No tricks."

Strange shakes his head.

"Don't."

Despite the order, Strange lifts his hand and the Time Stone materializes out of thin air and floats, spinning in the space between his forefinger and his thumb.

Thanos holds out his hand and Strange sends it towards him. The stone snaps into the second-to-last socket in the gauntlet.

"One to go."

Quill launches himself at Thanos, blasters blazing, but Thanos opens a portal with the Space Stone and vanishes with it.

Everything stops then, as if the entire scene had suddenly been put on pause.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter says quietly from behind Tony.