Silence fell over the battlefield. Only the whisper of wind and the hiss of evaporating snow remained.
"Now that Thanos's men are dead, won't Thanos be angrier?" Thor asked, concern plain on his face. The logic was simple, and the consequence obvious: killing agents of a warlord like Thanos could provoke vengeance.
Kurogai regarded Thor without shift. "If we spare these invaders, Thanos will see only hesitation. He will consider Earth weak. A show of mercy can read as weakness to a conqueror like him. Killing two of his lieutenants is a message, not a provocation without reason." He did not waver; to him the arithmetic was clear, the calculus of deterrence.
The Ancient One considered the point, weighing greater good against immediate danger. "If Thanos truly wants the Stones, we are inevitably at odds. Diminishing his capacity, even by sacrificing enemy lives, can be tactical. You are right to be decisive when the alternative is to invite greater slaughter."
Thor nodded slowly. "I will take word of this back to Asgard, to Odin. If Thanos moves on Earth, Asgard may be next. I will report, then return to fight." He prepared to leave, the urgency in his movements saying he would not stay idle while forces gathered.
"I will make preparations here," the Ancient One said, thinking already of wards, refuges, and what protections to arrange for those who could not defend themselves. She did not relish the prospect, but she understood the necessity.
Kurogai listened, then bowed slightly in acknowledgement. "I have other matters to settle in the city," he said, meaning New York, where threads of other dangers and opportunities waited. He had committed to contesting the Stones with calculation, not theatrics.
While they departed to their separate tasks, beyond the frozen sky and far across space a vast warship drifted, escort vessels in formation like a swarm. This was Thanos's command carrier, a fortress in the void. On its black throne the Mad Titan sat, and to him strode Supergiant, one of his psychic lieutenants who consumed minds in search of intelligence. She bowed to him with practiced deference as she brought lethal tidings.
"Lord," Supergiant said, "Ebony Maw and others have been neutralized. Their life signs are gone." She kept her head low, careful to mask any tremor that might be read as fear.
Thanos's hand clenched on the arm of his throne. He crushed metal under his palm in a silent, controlled fury. "Explain," he demanded. "How did they fall?"
"According to ship logs, they arrived on the planet half an hour prior. Whatever confronted them was strong, and swift. It appears there are powerful defenders on that world." Supergiant's voice was clinical, because facts were the instruments by which her master would shape retaliation.
Thanos's expression, carved as always in stone, shifted into a grin of cold intent. The loss of three of his agents in such a short time told him everything he needed to know: Earth harbored force enough to strike a blow against his delegation. That fact both angered and intrigued him. Far from deterring him it stoked his appetite for retribution.
"Prepare to investigate this world closely," he said, voice low and final. "Find the strength that dared touch my agents. When I know the truth, we will decide how the army moves." The plan for how and when to strike had already begun to sharpen.
Far across the battle-scarred ice, a plan formed among the defenders as well. If the Stones were now a magnet for cosmic predators, Kurogai and his uneasy allies would need every edge they could gather.
The wind whispered through the barren landscape, carrying the scent of scorched snow and the promise of coming conflict. Every movement, every choice from this point onward would ripple outward, shaping the fate of Earth and perhaps the universe itself.
In the sky above, faint streaks of aurora shimmered, as if the world itself was watching, waiting, bracing for the inevitable storm that loomed on the horizon.
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Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.
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