"The Power Stone's energy is incredibly volatile; an ordinary person would be reduced to ashes by even the slightest touch."
"Therefore, this is the container I specifically built for it."
"I named it the Infinity Gauntlet."
"In theory, it can safely contain the power of six Infinity Stones without self-destructing."
"But that's just a theory. No one knows what the reality is."
"So the Infinity Gauntlet you have is merely a prototype."
"Since you want to use the Power Stone to shatter the spatial tunnel created by Odin, I believe you need it more than I do right now."
Centauri Galaxy, Black Quadrant base, side hall.
Lothar sat on a stone step by the entrance, leaning against a cold pillar as he gazed up at the nearly unchanging stellar view of the Black Quadrant. His right arm was completely encased in a golden Infinity Gauntlet, with the Reality Stone and Power Stone glowing on it.
"I made its color golden."
"It suits you."
"Remember to inform me before you go to Midgard; I will go and intercept the Ancient One."
"Don't disappoint me, Lothar."
The heavy trust from his adoptive father, Thanos, brought a rare, genuine smile to Lothar's lips. A pure smile, free of any impurities.
'I won't disappoint you, Father.'
On his tightly clenched right fist, the light of confidence shimmered.
"Your Highness Lothar." Gaitz, the side hall butler, wearing a checkered apron, interrupted Lothar's thoughts as he pushed his serving cart.
"What is it?"
"This is the armor that Lord Thanos asked Gaitz to retrieve from the armory."
"Lord Thanos said that Odin possesses an immensely powerful Destroyer Armor, and if you were to face it in your regular clothes, some unexpected accidents might occur."
"This armor was forged by Lord Thanos during your absence from the most mysterious and unique materials in the cosmos. It should provide a significant boost to your power."
"While it may not match Odin's Destroyer armor, it serves as a safeguard."
Gaitz bowed respectfully, wiping his chubby little hands on his checkered apron again and again before pulling away the gray cloth covering the cart.
Whoosh!
Instantly, a golden light blazed forth!
"This is..." Lothar's pupils constricted suddenly.
"This is the return gift Lord Thanos prepared for you over a thousand years, Your Highness, Prince Lothar."
As soon as Gaitz finished speaking, the golden armor neatly arranged on the cart seemed to come alive, flying off the cart and enveloping Lothar, who had stood up on instinctual alert.
Shoulders, chest, arms;
Waist, legs, knees...
The dazzling golden armor complemented the Infinity Gauntlet on Lothar's right arm. The red tail swayed, and a vibrant red cape billowed without a breeze, looking exceptionally gallant against the golden skirt-like armor.
"I made its color golden."
"It suits you."
Feeling the power boost the golden armor gave him, Lothar finally understood the meaning behind those two sentences from Thanos. The armor didn't cover Lothar's right arm because his right arm was already clad in the golden Infinity Gauntlet.
"It feels... pretty good."
Lothar murmured, his gaze falling on the direction of the distant base's grand hall. It had been a long time since he had worn battle armor. The last time was before he met Hela, and his armor's color was just silver, the same color as the armor worn by Ebony Maw and the others. The series of events after meeting Hela had made Lothar prefer to fight in his loose-fitting combat suit.
Until now.
He had a new set of battle armor, the same color as Thanos's: golden.
"Meow..." The orange cat perched on the beam licked its paws, nibbling on the energy pellet Lothar had given it earlier. In a flash, it landed on Lothar's shoulder. Its orange tail wagged happily, occasionally bumping against Lothar's tail.
"Lord Thanos, this is..."
Inside the base's grand hall, Ebony Maw, who had been called over by Thanos and standing at attention for a long time, was confused. The Black Order knew that Thanos was building armor for Lothar. Although Ebony Maw was personally at odds with Lothar, he still acknowledged his status as the heir to the Black Quadrant because it was Thanos's decision, and he was loyal to Thanos.
"Have your people inform Ronan and tell him the truth about his father's and his grandfather's deaths."
"I will have Lothar send that raccoon back to Xandar."
Thanos, seated on his throne, slowly gave his command.
"Yes, I understand, Lord Thanos."
Ebony Maw bowed and slowly retreated.
'How much of a boost will this armor actually give you, Lothar.'
Thanos's eyes flickered, then he rose and left the grand hall.
....
Earth, United States, Dark Energy Research Facility.
This facility, located several hundred meters underground and meant to be top-secret, was now bustling with activity. Loki, having received his orders, abandoned his pretense and began his invasion with the Mind Stone scepter. The so-called impenetrable defenses were nothing to Loki, a "god."
A frantic helicopter slowly landed, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury and Deputy Director Maria Hill, having been notified, rushed to the scene.
"What's the situation?"
"The bad news is, we don't know what's happening inside, sir." S.H.I.E.L.D. Senior Agent Coulson removed his sunglasses and truthfully reported the current intelligence.
Ten minutes ago, an alarm from the Dark Energy Research Facility had brought Coulson's team to the scene immediately, but they were met with an attack from the facility's own security forces.
"HYDRA?"
The name of the organization that had been at odds with S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades was the first thing that came to the sensitive Nick Fury's mind when he heard that the guards had all turned against them.
"We don't know. Our people are currently clearing the area; we should be able to get in in about a minute."
Coulson glanced down at his watch, his expression no longer calm. The Dark Energy Research Facility was where Nick Fury's most valued asset was kept: the Tesseract.
"Area clear. We can go in now, sir."
A minute later, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, having cleared the area, escorted Nick Fury and Maria Hill directly to the Tesseract's research area. There, a figure in dark golden, elegant casual clothes was holding a scepter, like a spear, pressed against a Tesseract researcher's chest.
"Sir, I don't know who you are, but I think it would be in your best interest to put down your spear right now."
The one-eyed Nick Fury, his face expressionless, spoke in a cold tone.
"Oh?"
"Are you sure?"
Loki, who had paused his movement, slowly turned around, a smile on his face as he looked at the group before him.
"Danger!"
Boom!
An energy blast fired silently, sending the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents scattering!
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