One day later.
On the ruins of the Supreme Intelligence chamber, Hala Planet.
Frieza eyed the green-skinned woman—Gamora—who'd been dragged in, trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.
Then he glanced down at the kneeling purple giant in front of him, Thanos, head bowed so low his chin practically scraped the floor.
The air was thick with a silence you could cut with a knife. Awkward didn't even begin to cover it.
"My lord…"
Thanos's voice came out rough, like gravel.
The same iron-fisted warlord who'd been steamrolling entire star systems with his fleet just yesterday was now trembling—actually trembling.
"About the… price for the Soul Stone…"
"Is there any other… way to pay it?"
"Like, say, all the glory I've earned in your service?"
He lifted his head. Those fierce tiger eyes actually glinted with something that looked a whole lot like pleading.
Sure, he'd become Frieza's most loyal attack dog.
Sure, he'd been granted power enough to crush planets in his fist.
But Gamora…
She was the one soft spot in this cold, ruthless universe—the only place his twisted version of fatherly love still lived.
"Tch."
Frieza set his wine glass down with an annoyed clink.
"Thanos, Thanos, Thanos."
He shook his head, those crimson eyes filled with the kind of disappointment usually reserved for a kid who flunked algebra.
"I just complimented you on being a top-tier demolition expert, and now you're getting all sentimental?"
"That's the price the universe itself set. It's not like we're haggling over vegetables at a farmer's market."
Frieza stood, strolled over, and poked one finger against Thanos's armored chest like he was testing a melon.
"Besides…"
"She's just an adopted daughter."
"Out with the old, in with the new."
"Once we've conquered the whole universe, you can have as many daughters as you want."
"Hell, if you feel like adopting a whole orphanage in bulk, I'll even cover the expenses!"
His tone stayed light—until it suddenly wasn't. A wave of murderous intent locked onto Thanos like a missile guidance system.
"Or are you telling me…"
"That your daughter's life matters more to you than my orders?"
In that moment, Thanos felt like he'd been dunked into absolute zero.
Death had never felt this close, this real.
He had zero doubt: the second he said "yes," he'd be reduced to cosmic dust.
"N-no… I wouldn't dare!"
Thanos shuddered, slammed his forehead against the ground.
"Your subordinate… understands!"
He rose, grabbed the still-struggling, still-cursing Gamora by the collar, and his expression hardened back into cold steel.
Though—if you looked close—one tear might've slid down his cheek, evaporating in the heat radiating off him before it ever hit the floor.
"That's more like it."
Frieza nodded, satisfied, and raised his left hand.
Bzzz—!
The blue Space Stone flared.
A portal to the realm of death yawned open in front of everyone.
…
Vormir.
A planet forever shrouded in shadow and despair.
At the edge of a towering cliff, icy winds howled.
The Red Skull drifted out like a ghost in his tattered cloak.
"Welcome, son of A'Lars, Thanos…"
"And…"
He turned toward the man in the crisp white suit, hands casually in his pockets, and his voice faltered.
He couldn't read him.
This man's soul was a bottomless black hole—even the guardian of the Soul Stone felt fear.
"Yeah, yeah, skip the creepy monologue," Frieza said, waving him off like he was shooing a fly. "We all know the rules—one life for one soul, right?"
He glanced at Thanos.
"Get it done, big guy."
"Don't make everybody late for dinner."
Thanos took a deep breath, looked at Gamora dangling from his grip.
"I'm sorry, little one."
His voice was low, thick with regret.
"This is for… the greater cause."
"Let me go! You maniac! What are you doing?!"
Gamora screamed in terror.
But the next second—
Whoosh—!
Her body arced through the air and plummeted into the endless abyss.
"NO!!!!!"
Her scream echoed through the canyon, then faded into silence.
Thud.
No one heard the impact, but everyone knew the deal was sealed.
The clouds parted. A strange light bathed Thanos.
When he opened his eyes again, an orange-glowing stone rested in his massive hand.
The Soul Stone.
"Hand it over."
Before Thanos could even process his grief, a pale hand was already waiting.
Frieza snatched the stone, held it up to the light, and turned it over like he was inspecting a mediocre diamond.
"Eh, quality's just okay."
"All that drama for this orange rock. One life down the drain—total rip-off."
He pocketed it, glanced at Thanos still kneeling there like a statue.
"Quit the melodrama."
"I'll throw double bonus pay your way when we get back. Enough to adopt a dozen new daughters on whatever planet you want."
Frieza straightened his collar, gaze shifting to another dimension.
"Next up…"
"Just one last piece."
"The Reality Stone."
…
Svartalfheim, the Dark World.
Home of the Dark Elves—perpetual night, zero sunlight.
Inside an invisible black ark ship, Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves, huddled on his throne, shaking like a leaf.
He'd just gotten the news.
That demon called Frieza had steamrolled the entire Kree Empire.
"Terrifying… absolutely terrifying…"
Malekith clutched a swirling red liquid mass in his hands.
The Aether—the Reality Stone.
His last trump card. His people's hope of plunging the universe back into eternal darkness.
Right now, it felt like holding a live grenade.
BOOM!!!!!
The top of the ark exploded open.
"Whoops—looks like we found the rat's nest!"
Frieza hovered in the air, Apocalypse, Loki, and the rest of his heavy hitters floating behind him.
He pinched his nose dramatically, eyeing the Dark Elves below.
"You guys are pale as ghosts. Seriously, get some sun."
"Hey, you—the trembling albino over there."
Frieza pointed straight at Malekith.
"Hand over that red goo you're holding."
"You… you'll never get it!"
Malekith was scared out of his mind, but that was the Reality Stone—his race's future!
"The Aether is invincible!"
He roared, slammed the Aether into his body.
His form ballooned, red tendrils spiking out like vicious tentacles, trying to rewrite reality itself and turn Frieza into rubble.
"Invincible?"
Frieza actually laughed.
"You dare use that word in front of me?"
He didn't even bother dodging. Just raised one finger and flicked it at the incoming red storm.
"Disperse."
BZZZZ—!!!!!
A wave of sheer overwhelming power slammed back against the Reality Stone's rules, forcing them to kneel.
POP!
Malekith's bloated body burst like an overfilled balloon, shrinking back to his scrawny self.
The red Aether was ripped out of him, floating obediently above Frieza's palm.
"Trash."
Frieza flicked his wrist. A death beam vaporized Malekith and his throne in one clean flash.
"Total waste of my afternoon."
…
Back at the top floor of Frieza Tower.
Frieza dismissed everyone, leaving himself alone.
He stood at the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the glittering city that now belonged to him.
On the table in front of him, six Infinity Stones hovered quietly.
Blue Space, yellow Mind, purple Power, red Reality, green Time, orange Soul.
Their lights wove together, beautiful and deadly.
"At last. All six."
A wild, hungry grin spread across Frieza's face.
He never bothered looking for some gauntlet.
That clunky dwarf-forged junk? Ugly, heavy—didn't match his tailored white suit at all.
Besides…
"I'm the emperor of the universe!"
"My body is the ultimate vessel!"
"You think a few little stones could possibly overload me?"
Frieza took a deep breath, crimson eyes snapping wide.
"Come on, then!"
He spread his arms. The energy inside him erupted like a black hole going supernova.
Whoosh—!
The six stones shot forward as streaks of light, diving straight into his body!
BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!
In that instant, the entire Earth—no, the whole solar system—shuddered.
Frieza's form vanished inside a blaze of rainbow light.
Infinite power fusing with him.
Pain.
Pain that could shatter gods.
But Frieza just laughed through it.
"Oh ho ho ho ho ho…"
"This is it!"
"Power… endless, surging power!"
His skin began glowing with golden divine radiance; the purple parts of his body now shimmered with starfields.
Time, Space, Power, Soul, Reality, Mind.
The six fundamental forces of the universe were now part of him.
No snap needed. No medium required.
His will alone was the will of the cosmos.
After what felt like forever, the light faded.
Frieza reappeared—looking almost the same, still elegant, still impeccably dressed.
But if you got close, you'd feel it: the suffocating pressure of facing the entire universe in one person.
He slowly raised a hand, admiring how perfectly clear and flawless it looked.
"So this is infinity."
He closed his fist gently.
Crack.
The space around him fractured like glass, spiderweb cracks spreading everywhere.
"Magnificent."
Frieza closed his eyes in pure bliss.
"Even if the leader of the Celestials showed up right now…"
"I could roll him into a ball and use him as a soccer ball."
"Oh, right—one last thing."
He glanced down at himself.
"Time to adjust the height a little."