The massive throne room aboard Thanos's ship was dimly lit, as three figures knelt before the Mad Titan. Black Dwarf, Supergiant, and Proxima Midnight maintained their positions of submission, waiting for their master to speak.
Thanos sat on his throne, the golden gauntlet on his left hand gleaming in the low light. His purple skin looked almost black in the shadows, and his eyes held the weight of countless conquered worlds.
"Proxima," his voice rumbled through the chamber, each word carrying absolute authority. "You say the stones are in Wakanda?"
Proxima Midnight raised her head slightly, her blue skin marked with scars from countless battles.
"Yes, Master. Atlantis was already in ruins when we arrived. Their defenses had crumbled, and they surrendered immediately. King Namor gave us the information we sought in exchange for sparing what remained of his people."
Thanos leaned back in his throne, considering this information. "And what of Maw?"
"He is not responding to our communications at all, Master," Proxima replied.
"Leave him," Thanos said with a dismissive wave. "That is how he works. It matters not, as long as he gets the work done."
The Mad Titan's gaze shifted to Supergiant, who had remained silent since returning. Her encounter with the unknown human had left her shaken in ways she was still struggling to understand.
"Supergiant," Thanos said, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "Who was that human? A member of the X-Men? The Avengers, perhaps?"
Supergiant lifted her head, meeting her master's gaze despite the fear still lingering from her telepathic encounter. "No, Master. We have no information on this human at all. This was the first time we had encountered him."
Thanos's eyes narrowed slightly. In all his conquests across the galaxy, unknowns were rare. Most beings of significant power were catalogued, their abilities and weaknesses documented. For someone to emerge without any prior intelligence was unusual.
"I see," he said finally. "Proxima, you will lead the mission to Wakanda. Bring me the stones, and lay waste to that kingdom as if it never existed. Leave no trace of their civilization."
All three of his servants responded in unison. "We will not disappoint you, Master."
But Thanos raised his hand, stopping them. "Not all of you. Only Proxima."
Without warning, his massive fist shot out and connected with Black Dwarf's face. The impact sent the enormous warrior flying across the throne room, his body crashing into the far wall with enough force to dent the metal plating.
"You will not be doing anything unless specifically called upon," Thanos said, his voice cold as space itself. "Your failures have consequences."
Black Dwarf struggled to his feet, blood running from his nose, but he said nothing. He simply bowed his head in acceptance of the punishment.
Thanos then turned his attention to Supergiant, his gaze making her flinch involuntarily. "And you will act as the key after I am done with this planet. I have no use for broken toys."
The words really hit her. In all her years of service, she had never been dismissed so casually. And now she was going to be permanently discarded.
"Go away now," Thanos commanded, his voice carrying finality. "I have a little king to meet."
The three members of the Black Order departed the throne room, leaving Thanos alone with his thoughts.
The Xavier Mansion's main hall was a shadow of its former self. What had once been a place of learning and hope now felt hollow, with too many empty chairs and too much silence. The attack had taken its toll on everyone present.
Lucien sat in one of the chairs. Around him, the surviving defenders had gathered to assess the damage and plan their next moves.
Natasha stood near the window, her phone pressed to her ear as she coordinated with SHIELD command. Her expression was grim as she received updates from various fronts.
Scott Summers sat with his head in his hands, the weight of leadership heavy on his shoulders. The loss of life tonight had hit him hard, and Lucien could see the strain in every line of his body.
"The evacuated people are currently at SHIELD headquarters getting medical treatment," Natasha announced as she ended her call.
Scott looked up, his jaw tight with emotion. "Just when we were starting to recover, the world throws another rock at us."
He turned to Beast, who was reviewing casualty reports on a tablet. "Hank, what are the numbers?"
Beast looked down at the device. "Twenty-seven," he said quietly.
The room went silent. Surviving an assault by over a thousand Outriders should have felt like victory, but losing twenty-seven lives was devastating for a species already on the brink of extinction.
For mutants who were down to their last numbers, every loss mattered.
Natasha's earpiece crackled to life, and she pressed her finger to it. "How many?" she asked, her voice tense.
Whatever response she received made her eyes widen. She looked troubled as she processed the information.
Wolverine noticed her reaction immediately. "What now, Redhead?"
Natasha took a breath before answering. "The remaining forces of Thanos are attacking Wakanda."
Scott straightened in his chair. "How many are we talking about?"
Natasha was silent for a moment, clearly struggling with the scale of what she was about to report. "At least ten thousand Outriders are currently assaulting the country."
The room fell silent. Ten thousand Outriders. They had barely survived an attack by roughly a thousand creatures.
"I'll go," Lucien said, standing up.
"No," Natasha said immediately. "Thanos himself is moving toward Attilan. We need you to go there."
"I'll go with you," Spider-Man said, stepping forward. "Thanos isn't someone you face alone."
Iron Fist nodded. "Count me in too."
Colossus looked between the group. "If we are facing the Mad Titan, perhaps—"
"No," Lucien interrupted. "I'll take care of it myself."
"Are you insane?" Spider-Man asked. "This is Thanos we're talking about."
Beast looked skeptical. "Lucien, even with your abilities, Thanos has faced the Avengers multiple times. He's not someone you can face alone."
Scott was quiet for a moment. "I think he can handle it," he said finally. "He's stronger than any of us right now. I know we could have fought the invasion by ourselves if not for being restricted by the evacuation process, but he basically took them out by himself."
Wolverine growled in agreement.
"But still—" Spider-Man started.
"I said no," Lucien cut him off. "You'll just get in the way."
The bluntness of his words stung, but everyone could see the confidence in his eyes. This wasn't arrogance—it was certainty.
"Then I'll go to Wakanda," Wolverine said. "I want to kill a few for the mutants they killed tonight. Ten thousand of those things need killing."
"I'll go as well," Scott said.
Spider-Man and the others finally spoke. "Count us in as well."
Lucien looked around the room at the faces of the heroes preparing to throw themselves into impossible odds. "I'll take care of Thanos then."
They all stood up, ready to depart. Each person knew exactly what they were walking into.
"Don't die on us," Spider-Man added. "We kinda need you around."
Lucien just smiled as he replied, "You too."
Scott stepped forward and placed his hand on Lucien's shoulder. "Take care out there. Once we finish in Wakanda, we'll come to back you up."
Lucien smirked. "There won't be a need for backup."
But as he spoke, something moved from his shadow to Scott's shadow. The transfer was so quick and subtle that no one noticed the brief flicker of darkness.
This small flicker of darkness would help them a lot in the upcoming battle.
Thanos had made his move; the question was whether Earth's defenders would be strong enough to stop him.
POWER STONE GOAL: 700 ( 1 Extra Chapter)
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