It all connected.
Everything, it all made sense.
Thanos, his mind clear, showed a look of deep satisfaction in his eyes—the satisfaction of a long-held wish finally coming to fruition.
Lothar, however, was a bit lost, unable to follow Thanos's knowledge-cursed train of thought. He asked, bewildered, "What?"
"There are two Infinity Stones on Midgard: one of Space, and one of Time."
"If Thor Odinson merely faced some powerful enemy, there would be no need for him to take such a massive risk traveling back two millennia to try and take the Reality Stone."
"No matter what formidable foe they encountered, two Stones would be enough."
"Even you, Lothar, the power of the Time Stone would be enough to trap you in an eternal time loop."
"Unless, the one they encountered was me, having already gathered all six Infinity Stones."
Thanos's tone held a hint of wistfulness.
The ideal he had pursued for half a lifetime had been realized in the future, and he was gratified, yet also somewhat angry. For he had already deduced the answer to why Thor Odinson had traveled back two millennia to attempt to seize the Reality Stone.
It was because that was the only moment they could find when Lothar was too preoccupied to pay attention to them.
Before that moment, Lothar's interactions with Asgard had been relatively amicable. With Thor Odinson's power, trying to subtly steal the Reality Stone from right under Lothar's and Hela's noses would have been nothing short of a fool's errand. And after that, Lothar was directly exiled by Odin using the Space Stone, only now breaking through the cosmic barrier to return. During this thousand-year gap, Thor Odinson wouldn't have been able to find him even if he tried.
"My future self gathered all six Infinity Stones, and with a snap of my fingers, just like this."
Snap!
Thanos raised his hand and snapped his fingers right in front of Lothar.
"This universe then returned to balance, as I intended."
"Thor Odinson must have been unwilling to accept the random annihilation of his family and friends, which is why he sought to re-gather all six Infinity Stones to resurrect those who had randomly perished."
As he spoke, Thanos's expression grew cold. To put sorrow aside, bear the burden, and create a brighter future—this was Thanos's expectation for the surviving creatures after restoring universal balance. But now, it seemed, someone had failed to meet his expectations.
"My existence ensured that Thor Odinson and his companions couldn't take the Infinity Stones from you, so they chose to go back in time, two thousand years ago." Lothar, his thoughts now aligned with Thanos's, also realized why they had insisted on traveling to the past.
"There's another possibility," Thanos added, "that I chose to destroy the Infinity Stones."
"What???" Lothar was utterly bewildered.
"Father, the Infinity Stones aren't—"
"Do you remember the question you asked me when you were a child, Lothar, about what I would do once my ideal was achieved?" Thanos reached out and patted Lothar's shoulder.
"I remember, Father. You said you'd find a secluded planet, become a self-sufficient old farmer. You'd plant vegetables in the fields, wash melons in the river, and in your leisure, sit on the steps of your porch, watching the splendid sunset on the horizon, enjoying your golden years." Lothar had a vivid impression of Thanos's description. The tranquil life Thanos yearned for had once deeply surprised the young Lothar.
"The Infinity Stones possess immense power, but precisely because of that, if they fall into the wrong hands, they become extremely dangerous."
"So, before I begin to enjoy my retirement, I will personally destroy the Infinity Stones." Thanos's voice carried a hint of gravity. That was why he would make Lothar his successor. Destroying the Infinity Stones would also severely damage his own body, greatly reducing his power and even weakening his life energy.
"Father..."
"Don't grieve for me; this is the path I've chosen."
"And, I'm doing this because I believe in you."
"Lothar, I believe that in the future, you will become an even more outstanding leader than I."
Lothar felt as if the broad, heavy hand of his adoptive father, Thanos, resting on his shoulder weighed a million tons.
Their eyes met.
Lothar felt he wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat.
"In any case, the reason Thor Odinson returned two thousand years ago is likely because I will have already destroyed the Infinity Stones."
"So, Lothar, do you know what you should do next?"
With the benevolent smile of an old father still on his lips, Thanos withdrew his hand from his adopted son's shoulder.
"I know. Fan the flames." Lothar nodded, the training he had received directly from Thanos allowing him to make a decision in an instant. The gleam in his eyes was familiar to Thanos. It was the gleam of wisdom.
"I will tell Loki to stop probing the situation and act now."
"I will release this raccoon, send it back to Xandar with that space pirate calling himself Star-Lord, and then have people monitor them to see who they contact."
Lothar's eyes began to glow fiercely: "Because anyone who has too much friendly interaction with that raccoon will be our future enemy."
There were six Infinity Stones in total: Time and Space were on Midgard. Lothar had also sent Loki to Midgard with the Mind Stone. The Reality Stone and Power Stone were now in Thanos's hands. The only remaining one was the enigmatic Soul Stone, whose location was still unknown.
"Father, will you be able to stop the Sorcerer Supreme with the Time Stone for me when the time comes?"
A thought began to form in Lothar's mind.
"What are you planning?"
"I'm going to draw Odin out on Midgard. I'll force him to declare our intention to seize the Infinity Stones in front of all Midgardians."
"With Odin's 'testimony,' Thor Odinson and his companions will try everything they can to stop us."
"And the best way to stop us is to find the Soul Stone, which is still unaccounted for, before we do."
Lothar was confident in his own strength. He wasn't incapable of handling the unpredictable nature of the Space Stone.
Don't forget, he now possessed not only the Reality Stone but also the newly found Power Stone.
With sheer force, Lothar didn't believe that his Super Saiyan 4-like power, augmented by a Power Stone, couldn't shatter the spatial tunnel created by the now-aged Odin. And once he dealt with the Space Stone's peculiarity, with the Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One tied up by Thanos, no one on Midgard would be his match.
The old father, Thanos, was very pleased.
"Come with me."
With his hand holding the Orb, Thanos led Lothar into his armory. The golden gauntlet placed prominently in the center was particularly eye-catching. The gauntlet had six indentations, one of which already held the Reality Stone that Lothar had returned. And now, it was about to be adorned with the second, the Power Stone.
"For the Power Stone to shatter the spatial tunnel created by Odin, it can give you immense assistance."
"Now, embed the Power Stone."
Thanos tossed the Orb into Lothar's hand. The smiles of father and son slowly grew cruel.
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