POV Thanos
Crunch
I destroy the automaton in my rage as I try to calm myself down. Things had not gone to plan. Years of methodical planning and slow buildup had been lost in only a day. Now I had nothing but a nearly useless army of automatons that had no intelligence. I had only a single transport ship. No allies. No minions. I didn't even have a set of armor or weapons, as I lost them on Pandora.
'When I find who made those traps, I will make them watch as I burn their world.'
That world was an incredible annoyance for how much effort someone put into stalling me. And I can't be certain who was responsible for it. Sure, it was definitely related to Asgard or the Dwarves, but beyond that I have no leads. Then there was the strangeness of my loss. The unnerving silence from Terra. Hundreds of thousands of people were sent, and yet not a single one managed to escape or even send a distress call. Even Ebony Maw failed, and that is beyond strange. I was certain of his loyalty and knew that he would do everything to complete the mission; should he fail, he should have been able to send some kind of message, and yet there was none.
'Could I have underestimated Terrans that badly?'
That question haunted me the most. No matter how much I thought or tried to explain the situation, it didn't make any sense. Even if I assume that Terra had developed technology on par with the Kree or Shi'ar, it still wouldn't be possible to defend the planet perfectly, let alone prevent anyone from escaping. A part of me thought that this could be the result of someone using an Infinity Stone, but even that doesn't make sense, as such rampant use of a Stone would have sent a signal throughout the universe for anyone to hear.
"I suppose the destruction of three of the Nine Realms could have masked it, but that would only work for the Space Stone," I think aloud.
A part of me also considered that by using the Numidium, it may have masked such effects. But I didn't want to think about the loss of such a weapon. Its loss was far greater than even the loss of the Mind Stone. Destroying an Infinity Stone is impossible without the power of another Infinity Stone. But the Numidium cannot be recreated, as it was made in such a way that defies our universe. Especially the Heart. I wouldn't even know where to begin trying to recreate such a work of art.
'Perhaps there was some weapon artifact that was left behind by the Ancient One?'
I hadn't faced the Ancient One myself, but from what I had been told by those who had, she was a well-known schemer.
"Sigh. It doesn't matter why; what matters is where I go from here," I say to myself with a tired sigh.
I look to the destroyed automaton and reconsider my previous thoughts.
'Perhaps I can build a new army.'
POV Shift Majestor D'ken Neramani
"Asgard is weak; we should take this chance to strike while we have the chance," Grand General Keldore, the highest-ranking member of the military, says strongly.
"We mustn't rush into battle. We cannot be certain that the Allfather has truly perished, nor the exact conditions of Asgard's defenses," Lady Malinex, the only living mage in the Empire, refutes.
"I have made contact with the exile Malekith. He has corroborated the info that our agents have reported. Odin is dead, and his two sons and wife are left behind. All of whom have not awakened their divinities. The longer we wait, the longer they have to awaken their abilities and become a tangible threat once more," Grand General Keldore argues.
"Then Malekith has surely told you what happened on Earth," Lady Malinex retorts.
"You mean Terra, the backwater world? What is there to know? It's no threat to us," Grand General Keldore responds.
"Then why did over 5k vessels enter that system and never appear again? Or what of the silence that emanates from that system? My scrying has failed to see anything, and that shouldn't be possible!" Lady Malinex says strongly.
"I seem to recall that you couldn't see into that system anyway," Grand General Keldore retorts.
"Kamar Taj blocked it. But we have confirmed reports that it was destroyed. So why does the spell blocking my vision still remain? And what of all those ships and crew? You don't truly believe that well over 100k people could vanish just like that. Even our Imperial Fleet couldn't guarantee that nobody could escape," Lady Malinex warns.
"The scum that invaded Terra is likely busy participating in their own debauchery to bother sending out word of their success. And they are keeping silent to avoid any competition for their prizes," Grand General Keldore explains.
"And what of Thanos? He has gone off the radar again. Do you believe that he too is being quiet to avoid interference?" Lady Malinex says with a scowl.
"The Mad Titan is of no worry to us. He is most definitely injured after his battle with Odin. He is thus hiding to avoid us finishing the job Odin started," Grand General Keldore says with a smug smile.
I nod as Keldore has made the most sense so far.
"My liege, I request command of the 5th Imperial Fleet. I shall head to Asgard and ensure it never becomes a threat or obstacle," Grand General Keldore requests.
Before I answer, I wait for the other side.
"My liege, I understand the need to strike Asgard, but I believe we should gather more info before rushing into this battle. With almost half of the 3rd fleet being out of commission, the disappearance of our great Gladiator, the current unknowns about the circumstances in the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Angel of Vengeance causing havoc in our Empire, we must be patient. If I have some more time, I can gather more info so we can make an informed decision," Lady Malinex suggests.
"I see both sides, but I must side with Grand General Keldore. The Kree and Nova will not stay at war forever. And with rumors spreading about Kallark's disappearance, we need a show of force to show our strength and settle the dissidents internally and enemies externally. Moreover, we may not have the time to wait. While I am confident in the Navy to defeat Asgard even if Thor or Loki awaken their abilities, the losses would be too much, so I am giving Grand General Keldore the authority to command the 5th Imperial Fleet to crush Asgard and then marry them into us," I order clearly.
"I won't let you down, my liege," Grand General Keldore says with a deep bow.
I nod.
"May I also request the deployment of Kallark's daughter? If Thor or Loki awaken their divinities, she will greatly reduce any losses we may suffer," Grand General Keldore requests.
"She is the last of her kind and cannot be risked in such a dangerous mission. Moreover, she isn't ready. She is rebellious, insubordinate, and inexperienced. She is clearly not fit for active duty," Lady Malinex protests.
"I agree with Lady Malinex; Xena is not ready for such a mission. She will remain here, where she will continue her education until I see fit to deploy her," I say clearly.
"As you command, my liege," Grand General Keldore says calmly.
"Now, what strategies have been developed to deal with that rogue angel?" I ask.
Both of them look nervous before finally Lady Malinex speaks up.
"We... Have found a way to deal with them. However, it is one that we cannot use," Lady Malinex says.
"Why not?" I demand.
"We require Holy or Divine Weapons," Grand General Keldore speaks up.
"Then go get them," I demand.
"That's the thing, Your Highness. We can't. Your Grandfather's Anti-Zealotry Campaign says that all holy or otherwise divine artifacts were destroyed or made useless. Many of our magical artifacts were also lost during that time," Lady Malinex explains.
"Of course we aren't saying he was wrong. They were a threat and had to be dealt with, but it has left us with very limited options to obtain more items," Grand General Keldore explains.
"What other ways are there?" I ask.
"Asgard is possibly the last place where such items could be found, but we aren't very confident in that statement due to recent intelligence reports," Grand General Keldore says.
"Oh? What now?" I ask with interest.
"We believe that the Allfather may have destroyed many of the artifacts he had in his possession. But do not worry, as we have a possible solution!" Lady Malinex explains.
"Elaborate," I command.
"We have two feasible options. The first is Mjolnir. But that may not work, or we may not be able to take it, so the second option is to have an item of similar or greater power forged by the Dwarves that made Mjolnir and many other Divine Artifacts," Grand General Keldore explains.
I stroke my chin in thought.
"And you believe you can get the Dwarves to do it? I hear they are a very stubborn species," I comment.
"Well... Possibly. It depends on if we can find them," Grand General Keldore says nervously.
"What?" I say with narrowed eyes.
"Our agents have said that Nidavellir has been abandoned or that Thanos might have killed them all. We won't know more until we investigate personally. It was one of the reasons I wanted some time to confirm the situation before we attack, but I'm sure Grand General Keldore can manage it," Lady Malinex says with a subtle jab.
"Don't fail Grand General Keldore," I say firmly.
The Grand General nods with a nervous gulp.
"I believe you had a suggestion prior about using Captain Marvel to deal with Zarathos. Why have you dropped that idea?" I ask.
"I... I believe she is dead," Lady Malinex says.
"Captain Marvel? Are you sure?" I ask with skepticism.
"Yes. She went to clear out the remaining Xenomorph Hives and has not been seen since. I scryed but haven't found any trace of her. Lastly. There was a strange astrological event in the region she was last seen. A Supernova in a star system that our records indicate wasn't due for a supernova for at least another few million years," Lady Malinex says worriedly.
"Was it near where Kallark went missing?" I ask.
She nods. Her answer worries me. Kallark and now Captain Marvel.
'Those myths might have been true after all.'
"Grand General Keldore, can you take a route that won't pass through the northern quadrant of the Milky Way?" I ask.
"Yes, Malekith has agreed to show us the way in exchange for rulership of Asgard and what remains of the Nine Realms. Given we would want a puppet ruler, I deemed it a worthy trade," Grand General Keldore replies.
"Good, Malekith can rule in our stead. I hereby decree that the northern quadrant of the Milky Way is off limits. No travel is permitted inside of that region; anyone caught doing so is to be destroyed on sight," I command.
They respond firmly and are then dismissed to do as I commanded. I consider if I made the right calls but decide to dismiss such worries. I had work to do and couldn't let some uncertainty cloud my judgement.
'What's the worst that could happen? Even if everything goes wrong, Grand General Keldore can just retreat or at least report when something bad happens.'
Not once did I even consider the oddity of Terra, as the explanation that Grand General Keldore gave made perfect sense to me.