Thanos had disappeared.
And on top of that, he had taken the Power Stone with him.
Aron wasn't too upset about it, one less purple potato, and the universe had become quieter.
But the other matter… that was different.
At this moment, Aron was the one who possessed the most Infinity Stones.
If there was anyone in universe 19999-FL who could gather all six Infinity Stones, it was him.
Aron didn't even bother hiding it. He knew that no one could stop him.
Even though those stones didn't mean much to him now, still… who could resist the idea of snapping their fingers and creating a world filled only with cute girls?
"And while I'm at it, I wish my gaming talent would become even greater!"
As the most famous artifacts in the Marvel universe, the Infinity Stones were incredibly powerful.
When all six were combined, they became almost omnipotent within their universe.
But there was one catch…
Their power could only be used within that specific universe, outside of it, no one would even recognize them.
...
"I told you everything I know. Can you let us go now?"
Corvus Glaive spoke hopefully, answering every one of Aron's questions in the faint hope of securing even the slightest chance at survival.
Aron fell silent for a moment.
He looked at Corvus and Proxima Midnight, both exhausted and wounded, with expressions of helplessness on their faces.
In that moment, something stirred in his heart.
Yes, Aron had found his conscience.
It was time to show mercy.
"Alright. But you'll have to cooperate with me and do me one small favor," he said calmly.
As he spoke, he activated a healing spell he had learned from the witch Topaz during his search for Agatha with Wanda.
His magic enveloped Corvus and Proxima, healing their wounds and restoring their strength.
"What is this…?" Corvus was confused, staring at the gourd from which Aron had just released the healing light.
He had no idea what kind of potion that was.
"Go!"
He didn't give them time to react.
Aron opened a spatial rift and threw them straight into another world, the Tentacle Dimension.
Quaggs had just finished performing some strange ritual when Corvus and Proxima appeared out of nowhere, followed by Aron.
For a moment, he just stared, completely dumbfounded.
"Oh, hey—"
"It's fine, don't make noise," Aron cut him off coldly, immediately beginning his operation.
"Target Corvus and Proxima, perform forced expulsion…"
"…and send them to Thanos' universe from 19999, wherever he is right now!"
The card glowed in his hand, and then a white light flashed.
In the next moment, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight vanished from the Tentacle Dimension.
Of course, Aron's logic was simple: transfer a living entity from one dimension to another, thus making them a stranger in their own dimension, and then, with precisely directed expulsion, you could send them to any universe you desired.
"Those poor unfortunate souls…" muttered Quaggs, watching as the white light disappeared.
His twelve eyes reflected a mixture of pity and unease.
"Don't you pity others," Aron said, glaring at him sternly. "Have you paid rent this month?"
Without a word, Quaggs immediately sent a cloud of dark purple destructive energy toward him.
Aron extended his hand and absorbed the energy effortlessly, then, without a single glance back, left the dimension.
He had no reason to stay, this place was far too… repulsive.
He had once even considered taking over this dimension and becoming its ruler, but now he was glad he hadn't.
It wasn't a matter of losing an opportunity — it was whether he could even digest what awaited him.
...
"What?"
"You threw Thanos' Black Order?"
"Do you think the other world doesn't already have enough problems, so you had to add a little spice?"
"First of all, let me correct you, the Black Order has five members, and I only sent two."
"Second, it's not 'increasing difficulty,' I just redirected them. Besides, I plan to bring them back later."
"Send them over when you can. I just need to use their eyes to locate which world Thanos went to."
---
Kamar-Taj.
The mages, led by Wong, had gathered once again, sweeping away dust and repairing broken walls.
Aron and the Ancient One stood aside, like supervisors observing the work.
Even the restoration tools were the same as last time.
Luckily, the invasion of Ebony Maw and Black Dwarf hadn't taken many lives.
Most of the wounded suffered only scratches, burns, and a few broken bones, nothing the mages of Kamar-Taj hadn't seen before.
The Berserkers were used to it; for them, such injuries were a daily occurrence.
The only one who truly died was the young apprentice of Archmagus Daniel.
But even in death, the child was blessed.
No, it wasn't a joke.
Wong and Daniel had written a letter together to the Vishanti, pleading with the divine forces to care for the soul of their first apprentice.
And so, the real loss in this war was rather modest.
Wong once again had to plaster walls under the scorching sun.
"Too bad Mordo isn't here…" muttered Aron, watching Wong push a wheelbarrow full of cement.
Jobs like these, moving bricks, fixing walls, scattering ashes, were perfect for Mordo.
"You said you could still retrieve them?" asked the Ancient One, intrigued.
"Of course," Aron replied confidently.
"Then why not just summon Thanos back?"
"Because I don't want to," he said indifferently.
He didn't want to, and that was reason enough.
"Judging by the time… it should be just about right," he murmured, glancing at his watch.
Enough time had passed since he left the Tentacle Dimension.
If the flow of time in both worlds was similar, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight should by now have at least a basic understanding of that world.
Aron raised his hand and spoke:
"I summon… Corvus Glaive from the Marvel world 19999 – FL universe version!"
Silence.
Then, something like an energy screen appeared before him.
[Target not found.]
[Would you like to initiate a random summon?]
"No!" he refused without hesitation.
Then he paused, deep in thought.
Where was Corvus Glaive?
Why couldn't the system locate him?
"Alright… then let's try Proxima," he muttered.
"I summon Proxima Midnight from the Marvel universe 19999-FL!"
This time, success.
A white light shone, and a figure slowly began to materialize before him.
But when the light dispersed, Aron froze.
It was no longer the Proxima Midnight he knew.
Before him lay a half-decayed body, only the upper half, the rest vanished into the void.
Blood dripped down the stone, and from her came only a faint, broken breath.
Aron leaned closer, lowering himself to her lips.
"Planet… Apokolips…"
"!!!"