"Did she stop the plan?"
"Based on our projections, it wasn't Madam Herta herself who intervened. It seems a diplomatic mission from The Blue was simply caught up in the disaster by accident," Ebony Maw replied, his voice dripping with professional deference.
"An accident?"
At those words, Thanos let out a dry chuckle. "You don't know her. In an ordinary person's world, accidents might exist, but in hers, the odds of such a thing happening are practically zero."
"Are you suggesting... Madam Herta had a hand in this?" Ebony Maw's expression stiffened.
Even though he had long since prepared himself to face her as an enemy, the reality of it actually happening brought a wave of suffocating dread.
Thanos didn't give a definitive answer. Even a man like him didn't want to see things escalate to a point of no return.
The first time he'd heard Herta's name was a hundred and thirty years ago.
Back then, Thanos hadn't paid much attention to the rising star who had just begun making waves in the cosmos under the title of "genius."
He had seen plenty of so-called geniuses, and he had snuffed out just as many. To him, they were never worth more than a passing glance—but that mindset was shattered just five years after Herta's debut.
Thanos realized that compared to a true genius like Herta, the countless "prodigies" he'd met before were nothing more than mediocre minds desperately clinging to a label.
As the years passed, Herta's soaring reputation and her string of dazzling achievements sparked an idea in Thanos: he had to meet her.
He wanted to know how his plans and his ideals looked in the eyes of the most intelligent being in the universe.
But Herta wasn't as easy to see as he'd imagined.
It wasn't just that The Blue was no longer a world one could simply push around; more importantly, Herta possessed the quintessential arrogance and self-centeredness of a true genius.
Even when the leader of a world-renowned, titan-level power like Thanos came calling, she simply tossed him onto a waiting list like anyone else.
It took thirty years before he finally got his chance.
Thinking back to that first and only meeting, a complex light flickered in Thanos's eyes.
He even remembered the looks on the faces of the Black Order when he first told his inner circle that Herta would eventually be their enemy.
They didn't object or question him, but their expressions were filled with a silent plea: Does it really have to be her?
After all, the Curios they had acquired from Herta back then had already solved their food crisis.
Just a tiny spark of energy could create food at a ratio of hundreds of millions to one. It had practically fulfilled half of Thanos's dream already.
Everyone believed that the other half would eventually be completed by Herta as well.
But Thanos had pointed them toward a path they had never even considered.
"Her talent is a treasure to the universe, but it will also be the curse that destroys it," Thanos said, gazing at the planet outside his ship.
It was part explanation to his generals and part reaffirmation of his own resolve.
"When the universe can no longer contain her brilliance, the entire cosmos will be buried alongside it. That day isn't far off, so we must do everything in our power."
Thanos saw infinite possibilities in the Curios Herta created, but he also saw the terror that came with them.
That was why he still had to collect the Infinity Stones—not just to provide a source of limitless power for her creations, but to one day possess the strength to stand against Herta and drive her out of this universe.
Just as Herta likely sensed that her own talent might lead to universal ruin, Thanos felt that same looming shadow.
He believed she was self-aware enough to know it, but in the end, she was a scientist. Could a scientist truly stomach the stagnation of never moving forward?
Thanos didn't know, and he never trusted anyone else to find out.
So, he had to gather the stones—for the sake of the universe and every life within it.
Despite the urgency in his heart, some things couldn't be rushed.
Thanos pulled himself back from his thoughts and turned to Ebony Maw. "How is the cleansing of this planet coming along?"
"We have repaired most of the necrotic parts of the world and purified the uninhabitable regions. Food distribution has been calculated based on the population; we are providing only a 'moderate' amount," Maw reported.
"When food is too plentiful, life begins to multiply uncontrollably. Even with infinite resources, a planet will eventually birth oppression and apathy through sheer overcrowding," Thanos said with satisfaction.
"You've done well."
Despite the swell of pride at the praise, Ebony Maw simply offered a respectful bow.
"Put the matter of the Infinity Stones aside for now. It's time we moved on to the next planet." Thanos looked away.
--+--
Things were far from peaceful on Earth.
The following day, when Asta returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., she saw several new faces at the table that hadn't been there before. At the same time, the Avengers were nowhere to be seen.
More interestingly, these new faces appeared only as faceless, shrouded projections.
This immediately soured the moods of Themis and Janus, who already held little affection for Earth. It also killed any desire Asta had to be diplomatic.
Nick Fury looked miserable.
He wished more than anything that these people from The Blue would just take the Tesseract and the Scepter and vanish, much like Thor and Loki—to some place where Earth could never find them.
But he didn't have the power to make wishes come true, and the scenario he dreaded most finally unfolded.
When the Council demanded that Asta and her team "return" the Tesseract and the Scepter, Fury could already see the explosion coming.
The reality lived up to his expectations.
Asta flatly refused the so-called return, stating clearly that the Tesseract was the property of Asgard and had already been handed over to Madam Herta as compensation.
She made it clear that if Earth had no other argument to offer, then The Blue would simply have to handle things according to the "rules of interstellar civilization."
Nick Fury tried to intervene several times to keep things from escalating, but it was useless.
The Council was livid at Asta's statement.
How long had the Tesseract been in their possession? Since when did it belong to Asgard? They had never seen such shameless, blatant theft as that displayed by Asgard and The Blue.
Furthermore, they claimed the Scepter was a trophy belonging to Earth, and The Blue had no right to claim it.
Even knowing that ignorance breeds arrogance and conceit, Janus and Themis were left speechless by these people. They weren't even angry anymore; the situation was just too ridiculous for words.
The meeting, naturally, ended on a bitter note. As the three of them walked out the door in a clear huff, Nick Fury gritted his teeth and hurried after them.
"No matter what happens, please believe me: Earth has no intention of becoming an enemy of The Blue," he explained.
"Save your breath, Mr. Fury," Janus interrupted before Asta could even speak. "You should be grateful for Madam Herta's mercy. We won't involve those who are irrelevant."
Those words sent a chill down Fury's spine.
"What exactly did you mean by 'handling things according to the rules of interstellar civilization'?"
Janus didn't answer. He simply gave Fury a long, meaningful look.
And somehow, Fury understood exactly what it meant.
The rules were simple: whoever had the biggest fist made the law.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.