Far beyond the borders of the Nine Realms...
Far beyond the countless worlds that acknowledged the protection of Asgard...
Far beyond even the territories claimed by the great galactic empires...
A fortress drifted through the endless darkness of space.
It resembled no ordinary warship. There were no elegant curves or gleaming towers meant to inspire awe. Its hull was a mass of black alloy, forged into brutal, angular shapes that looked as though an entire mountain had been carved into a weapon. Layer upon layer of armor covered its surface, broken only by massive batteries of concealed cannons and hangars large enough to swallow capital ships whole.
No banners fluttered from its towers.
No lights shone from its windows.
Even its engines emitted almost no visible glow, propelling the colossal fortress silently through the void.
It was not a vessel built for diplomacy.
Nor exploration.
It had been created for one purpose alone.
War.
Within its armored heart lay one of the largest chambers aboard the fortress.
The room itself was almost unsettling in its simplicity.
It was perfectly circular, its polished black floor reflecting every movement like still water. The walls were smooth and bare, devoid of carvings, paintings, or symbols of conquest. Above, the ceiling disappeared into darkness so completely that it was impossible to judge its true height.
The chamber contained no throne.
No banners.
No decoration whatsoever.
And four figures waiting within it.
Each possessed enough strength to conquer entire civilizations.
Each commanded fleets, armies, and countless warriors.
Yet before the being they served...
They were merely loyal followers.
The first was Cull Obsidian.
He stood like an immovable mountain, towering over everyone else in the chamber. His broad shoulders seemed almost too massive for any armor to contain, while muscles thicker than tree trunks shifted beneath dark metal plates engraved with scars from countless battles.
Resting casually across his shoulders were two gigantic war hammers.
Each one alone weighed more than an ordinary soldier could hope to lift.
Cull breathed slowly.
Each exhale echoed faintly through the silent chamber.
Beside him stood Proxima Midnight.
Where Cull embodied overwhelming strength, she represented deadly precision.
She held her long spear upright beside her, the weapon's dark metallic surface faintly shimmering beneath the chamber's dim lighting. Her posture remained perfectly composed, almost graceful, yet the cold expression upon her face revealed someone who had spent centuries perfecting the art of killing.
Several steps away leaned Corvus Glaive.
Unlike the others, he appeared almost relaxed.
His infamous glaive rested lightly against one shoulder as though it weighed nothing at all. The ancient weapon pulsed softly with an eerie light that seemed alive, responding subtly to its master's touch.
Corvus himself watched the empty wall before them with patient indifference.
He had fought enough wars to understand one simple truth.
If Thanos summoned them personally...
Something important must have happened.
Finally stood Ebony Maw.
His pale hands remained folded neatly behind his back. His expression betrayed neither curiosity nor impatience.
He simply waited.
Among all of the Black Order, Ebony Maw perhaps understood his master better than anyone.
Thanos never acted without reason. If the Mad Titan had interrupted campaigns across several sectors merely to gather his generals...
Then whatever news he intended to share would alter the course of their future.
Time seemed almost frozen within the vast chamber.
Then—
The wall opposite them began to glow.
At first it was little more than a faint purple line stretching across the polished surface.
Moments later, the light spread outward like ripples across still water until the entire wall shimmered with deep violet energy.
The smooth wall transformed into an enormous holographic projection.
Without hesitation...
All four members of the Black Order knelt.
"My Lord."
The projection sharpened. Darkness gave way to stars. Endless galaxies stretched behind a single floating throne.
Upon that throne sat Thanos.
Even as a projection, his presence dominated the chamber.
Heavy golden armor covered his enormous frame, every plate engraved with symbols so ancient that few living beings still understood their meaning. Resting upon his head was a magnificent crown forged from the same strange metal, its jagged points framing his stern face like the halo of a forgotten god.
His massive hands rested calmly upon the throne's armrests.
His expression betrayed neither anger nor satisfaction.
He allowed several long moments to pass as his eyes moved across each of his generals.
His gaze lingered briefly upon Cull.
Then Corvus.
Proxima.
Finally Ebony Maw.
Only after ensuring that every one of them had his full attention did he speak.
"Our timetable has changed."
His voice rolled through the chamber like distant thunder.
The silence that followed somehow carried even greater weight than the words themselves.
Ebony Maw slowly inclined his head.
"What has changed, my lord?"
Thanos rested one armored hand upon the throne.
"Odin."
Even Cull Obsidian's confident expression became more serious. There were many rulers throughout the galaxy. Many powerful beings. Very few possessed the authority to concern Thanos.
Odin was one of them.
The All-Father had ruled Asgard for thousands upon thousands of years.
Empires had risen and fallen beneath his reign.
Entire civilizations had accepted his protection.
His victories had become legend across the stars.
Thanos continued.
"He knows."
Proxima Midnight frowned slightly.
"He knows... about the Infinity Stones?"
"I am not sure."
Thanos answered without hesitation.
"But he knows enough."
The stars behind him disappeared. Instead, several holographic images materialized around the throne.
The golden towers of Asgard.
The frozen mountains of Jotunheim.
The forests of Vanaheim.
One by one, the Nine Realms appeared.
"The situation has changed more rapidly than I anticipated."
His gaze shifted toward the image of Jotunheim.
"The King of the Frost Giants has begun asking questions."
The image changed.
Loki.
Watching the stars as though searching for answers hidden within them.
Thanos regarded the image for several moments before speaking again.
"Loki."
Cull Obsidian gave a dismissive snort.
"A trickster."
Thanos' eyes slowly moved toward him.
"He is far more dangerous than a mere trickster."
The projection enlarged until Loki's face filled much of the chamber.
"He investigates."
"He asks questions that others fail to consider."
Thanos folded his hands before him.
"Months ago, he began gathering information regarding unusual movements throughout nearby sectors."
Corvus Glaive narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
"He found us."
"He found traces."
Thanos corrected.
"But traces are often enough."
The projection shifted once more.
Invisible lines spread across the galaxy, linking distant worlds together.
"Loki now knows far more about our activities than I intended any outsider to discover."
Ebony Maw remained thoughtful.
"Has he informed Odin?"
"I believe so."
Silence settled over the chamber once again.
Thanos slowly rose from his throne.
Even through the projection, his towering presence seemed almost overwhelming.
"My original strategy relied upon patience."
"The Odinsleep."
Thanos spoke the words almost reverently.
"The one period during which the All-Father becomes vulnerable."
"His personal strength would diminish."
"The Nine Realms would become slower to respond."
"Their coordination would weaken."
"Only then..."
His eyes seemed to glow faintly.
"...would our campaign truly begin."
He paused.
Then looked directly at each member of the Black Order.
"For the first time in decades..."
Thanos said quietly,
"...Odin believes war is coming."
The words lingered in the vast chamber.
If the All-Father himself had begun preparing for conflict...
Then somewhere in the galaxy...
The first move had already been made.
Corvus Glaive was the first to break the silence.
"If Odin truly believes war is coming," he said carefully, "then he will strengthen every realm under his protection."
Thanos inclined his head.
"He already has."
The projection shifted again.
One after another, the allied realms appeared before them.
The golden towers of Asgard.
The frozen mountains of Jotunheim.
The fertile kingdoms of Vanaheim.
The fiery realm of Muspelheim.
The shadowed lands of Helheim.
Then dozens of smaller worlds that acknowledged Asgard's authority.
"Odin has ruled for thousands of years," Thanos said evenly. "He possesses something far more valuable than armies."
He paused.
"Trust."
The word echoed through the chamber.
"When Odin calls..."
The projection showed fleets departing from dozens of worlds.
"...they answer."
"When Odin requests soldiers..."
Entire armies began marching across the hologram.
"...they march."
"When Odin declares war..."
More and more banners appeared upon the map.
"...he does not fight alone."
Cull Obsidian's brow furrowed. The giant was many things, but subtle strategy had never interested him.
He understood battle.
Politics was another matter entirely.
Finally, he stepped forward.
His heavy boots struck the polished floor like thunder.
"My Lord."
Thanos turned his attention toward him.
Cull rested one of his enormous war hammers upon the ground with a heavy clang.
"There is still something I do not understand."
"You may speak."
Cull nodded.
"We have conquered worlds stronger than these."
He spread his massive arms.
"Our fleets darken the skies."
"Our warriors are feared throughout the galaxy."
His deep voice echoed throughout the vast chamber.
"So why do we chase relics?"
He gestured dismissively toward the floating images of the Infinity Stones.
"We already possess enough strength."
His grip tightened around his hammer.
"Let us attack."
"We invade Asgard."
"We crush Jotunheim."
"We break every realm that stands before us."
His grin widened.
"Then we take the Stones from their corpses."
No one moved.
Neither Proxima nor Corvus interrupted.
Ebony Maw lowered his eyes respectfully.
They had all wondered the same thing once.
Only Cull had possessed the courage—or perhaps the simplicity—to ask it aloud.
Thanos remained silent.
He regarded the enormous warrior before him for several seconds.
Then...
To everyone's surprise...
He smiled.
"Cull."
"Yes, my Lord."
"You are one of the greatest warriors I have ever commanded."
The giant straightened proudly.
"You possess unmatched courage."
"You possess overwhelming strength."
"You inspire fear wherever you walk."
Cull's grin broadened.
Then Thanos continued.
"But..."
The smile disappeared.
"You think only as a warrior."
Cull's expression faltered.
Thanos descended the few steps before his floating throne.
His armored boots echoed softly through the chamber.
"A warrior sees the enemy before him."
The holographic projection transformed once more.
An immense battlefield appeared.
Asgardian armies stood assembled beneath glittering banners.
Ranks upon ranks of the Einherjar stretched beyond the horizon, their shields locked together in perfect formation.
Above them soared warships.
Behind them waited cavalry mounted upon magnificent steeds.
"Odin."
Thanos spoke quietly.
"Commands the finest professional army within the Nine Realms."
Towering Frost Giants emerged from blizzards, each carrying weapons the size of trees.
"Jotunheim."
Another image.
Vanaheim's disciplined soldiers stood beneath emerald banners.
"Vanaheim."
Then came another.
The dead marched beneath black skies.
Thousands.
Then tens of thousands.
An endless sea of skeletal warriors.
"Hel."
The projection focused upon a single woman.
Hela.
The Goddess of Death.
She stood alone before her undead legions, her expression utterly calm.
The Mad Titan slowly folded his hands behind his back.
"Could we defeat them?"
He answered his own question.
"Perhaps."
"Would they destroy us?"
He paused.
"Perhaps."
His voice grew colder.
"...both sides lose everything."
The chamber became silent once more.
"I do not gamble."
Thanos looked at each of them in turn.
He raised his hand.
Six brilliant lights appeared before him.
Blue.
Purple.
Red.
Orange.
Green.
Yellow.
The Infinity Stones floated silently in the darkness.
"They..."
His voice carried almost reverence.
"...are certainty."
He slowly reached toward them.
"With these..."
The projection transformed again. The completed Infinity Gauntlet appeared upon his hand.
"I need not invade kingdoms."
"I need not besiege cities."
"I need not sacrifice millions of warriors."
The gauntlet slowly closed into a fist.
"I simply decide."
He snapped his fingers.
Half the stars within the projection disappeared.
The chamber remained perfectly still.
War against the Nine Realms would cost millions of lives.
Countless years.
Perhaps even victory itself.
The completed Gauntlet...
Would achieve everything in a single moment.
Ebony Maw smiled with unmistakable admiration.
"Magnificent."
"Your vision surpasses that of any ruler who has ever lived."
Thanos ignored the praise.
Instead, he extended his hand once more.
A new object floated into view.
At first glance it resembled an ancient astrolabe.
Dozens of golden rings rotated slowly around a crystal sphere suspended at its center.
Runes unlike any known language glowed faintly across its surface.
The intricate mechanism turned continuously despite possessing no visible source of power.
Proxima Midnight studied it carefully.
"What is it?"
"A compass."
Thanos replied.
"A compass created to locate the Infinity Stones."
Even Corvus Glaive looked surprised.
"I believed such artifacts were only legend."
"So did many."
Thanos answered.
"Until I acquired it."
Corvus folded his arms.
"From where?"
"The Collector."
That single answer immediately drew everyone's attention.
Even Ebony Maw looked intrigued.
Thanos continued.
"Taneleer Tivan values only one thing."
"His collection."
The projection shifted again.
Its towers resembled museums more than fortresses, each one filled with treasures gathered from across the galaxy.
"He had no desire for war."
"So when my fleet entered his territory..."
A faint smile crossed Thanos' face.
"...he chose negotiation."
Proxima tilted her head.
"He surrendered?"
"He bargained."
Thanos corrected calmly.
"He offered this device."
The golden rings continued turning.
"In exchange..."
"He requested that his world remain untouched."
Cull burst into laughter.
"You accepted?"
"I did."
The giant blinked.
"You spared him?"
"A dead collector..."
Thanos said evenly,
"...has nothing left to trade."
Mercy had never interested Thanos.
Efficiency had.