"Your Highness Lothar, should we...?"
After reading the room, The Other waved his hand in a slicing motion, suggesting they go after Ego.
The Other had seen and remembered Ego's arrogance back then; he was truly the first to push Lothar to a genuine dead end.
Even though Lothar had gone on to achieve his divine state and found his goal of becoming a Super Saiyan God to change the rules of the universe, Ego still had to die in his eyes.
Simply because he was an enemy.
"I'm afraid not, Mr. The Other. Ego is very cautious. Woz can't pinpoint the exact location of that planet."
"It's as if the planet is consciously hiding itself."
Woz, who poked his head out of a bracelet, preemptively squashed The Other's desire for revenge.
"A planet with self-awareness?"
Lothar frowned, having never heard that term before.
"Yes, Your Highness Lothar."
"The planet has a field that can disrupt our technology. The surveillance signals on Star-Lord and that raccoon suddenly cut out the moment they stepped foot on that planet."
The signal interruption was why Gamora and Nebula had sent the video to The Other. They didn't know, or rather, didn't dare to take any further action. Though they were all adopted children of Thanos, Lothar's status in the Black Quadrant was far higher than theirs, as Ebony Maw's attitude showed.
Ebony Maw dared to command Gamora and Nebula, but with Lothar, he could only use a questioning and consultative tone. If it weren't for their different skin color and appearance, they would have suspected that Lothar was Thanos's biological son, and they were the ones who were truly adopted.
"Can you determine the general area?" Lothar asked.
"We can, but the range is too wide, Your Highness Lothar."
A vast star chart instantly appeared before Lothar. Woz had done his best to narrow the scope, but there were still over a hundred planets that couldn't be ruled out.
"How many troops can we mobilize right now?"
"Apart from the First and Third Armies, the other legions are in their respective systems for recovery."
"Mobilize all of them."
"I'm afraid that's not possible, Your Highness Lothar. Your authority can only mobilize the Chitauri legions." Woz scratched his head, indicating he was powerless.
It was an authority issue, and even he couldn't bypass it. Without Thanos, the armies of the entire Centauri Galaxy could only be mobilized if the Black Order generals agreed. At the moment, the Black Order generals in the base were Ebony Maw and Proxima Midnight.
"Your Highness Lothar, why don't we— Wait? Your Highness Lothar! Where are you going?!" Lothar's abrupt departure shocked The Other, especially when he saw that the direction he was heading was the office of Ebony Maw and Proxima Midnight. The Other grew anxious. Based on his understanding of Lothar, he knew exactly what he was about to do, and that's why he panicked.
"Your Highness Lothar—"
"Shut up." Lothar pushed open the door to the Planetary Observatory with a blank expression.
Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, and Gamora and Nebula, who were reporting on their mission, all turned to look at the commotion.
"Lothar? What are you doing here?" Proxima Midnight stopped what she was doing.
"I want control of all the armies. All the armies currently in the Centauri Galaxy."
Lothar's directness made both Ebony Maw and Proxima Midnight's faces change.
"What are you planning?" Ebony Maw frowned. The old Lothar had never had such a thought.
"There are 132 planets in the Z-86 system that need saving. Is that a good enough reason?" Lothar met Ebony Maw's gaze with full confidence.
Proxima Midnight was skeptical. As her finger was about to check the Z-86 system's planetary observer report, Lothar grabbed her hand, and she couldn't break free.
"Lothar, you—?!" Proxima Midnight now understood that Lothar was making things up.
"I want control of all the armies. Ego is hiding on one of those hundred-plus planets."
Thanks to his height advantage, Lothar's towering presence put immense psychological pressure on Proxima Midnight.
Searching for Ego one by one would be too slow, and Ego would surely discover them. Only by leading a large army and concentrating their fire could they catch Ego off guard and work efficiently.
"Impossible."
"I disagree."
Boom!
As soon as Ebony Maw spoke, the black-haired, black-eyed Lothar transformed into a golden-haired, green-eyed Super Saiyan. The tumultuous golden energy radiated from him, roughly jostling Ebony Maw's body. His green eyes were filled with a clear threat.
Gamora and Nebula, who were standing speechless on the sidelines, were dumbfounded.
"I wasn't asking for your opinion, Ebony Maw." Lothar's words were extremely overbearing, making Ebony Maw's face sour.
"I'm just notifying you that I want command of all the armies. Do you hear me?"
"Ego is still alive, and I don't want him to be."
"Understand?"
Releasing Proxima Midnight's fair wrist, Lothar walked up to Ebony Maw.
"Lord Thanos would not agree to this." Ebony Maw's face was grim.
"That's not for you to worry about. When Father returns, I will explain it to him myself." Lothar was noncommittal. Thanos would certainly not agree, but among the many things Lothar had done in recent years, there were plenty Thanos didn't agree with.
"I'll be waiting for the day you regret this, Lothar." Ebony Maw gave Lothar a long, hard look and handed over his command authority. Proxima Midnight, knowing when to back down, also handed over her permissions.
"I never regret anything. Never." Lothar scoffed, turning to leave. His domineering presence made Gamora and Nebula, who had never seen anything like this, doubt their own status as Thanos's daughters even more.
"Instructor, why did he..." Gamora trailed off.
"That's just Lothar. You get used to it," Proxima Midnight glanced at the sullen Ebony Maw, her eyes full of amusement.
"He's the only one in the entire Black Quadrant who would dare to do something like this. Isn't that right, Ebony Maw?"
"Hmph," Ebony Maw snorted in response.
....
"Your Highness Lothar, is what we're doing... a little reckless?" As they headed out to mobilize the armies, The Other was still uneasy.
"Keep that reflection paperthat Hela gave me safe. I'll need it when we get back." Lothar glanced at the worried The Other, and his words instantly made The Other freeze in his tracks.
"???"
I forgot about that!
The Other smacked his head and, beaming with joy, eagerly followed Lothar onto the ship.
"Just as expected of Your Highness Lothar..."
Woz, inside the bracelet, got goosebumps from the torrent of sycophantic praise.
....
Earth, USA, Washington D.C., Tony Stark's villa.
After a month and a half of research, a prototype of the plan was finally taking shape. Tony Stark was eating a hamburger to stave off hunger, his face unshaven from his long hours in the lab.
"God..."
"What is this, Tony?"
His personal assistant, Pepper Potts, looked at the results of Tony Stark's month and a half of secluded research, the rotating holographic images dazzling her eyes.
"A prototype defensive weapon."
"Part of the 'Anti-Lothar Armor Plan' you mentioned before?" Pepper Potts remembered.
"That's right." Finishing his fragrant hamburger in a few quick bites, Tony Stark waved his hand, and a virtual hologram of a humanoid weapon, with only an outline visible, formed.
"For now, I'll temporarily name it: Ultron."
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