Chapter 130: A New Father Has Arrived

Deep in the vastness of the cosmos, a colossal spacecraft was carving a path through the dark void. Its jet-black hull merged seamlessly with the shadows of space, much like Nick Fury standing in a dimly lit, unilluminated room. This massive, menacing vessel was none other than the flagship of Thanos.

The ship drifted aimlessly through the universe, and upon its central bridge sat a formidable titan—Thanos himself. Yet, at this moment, he was not in the best of moods. An aura of oppressive, violent pressure radiated from him, so palpable that the members of the Black Order felt it acutely, leaving the vast bridge in a state of absolute, deathly silence.

After the stillness persisted, the deep, rumbling voice of Thanos broke the quiet. He looked toward the intellectual pillar of his five lieutenants.

"What is your assessment, Ebony Maw?"

"My Lord, there must be something peculiar happening with Odin."

As the strategist of the Black Order, Ebony Maw was the one who always maintained his composure and elegance. He was deep in thought, pondering why the Asgardian Bifrost had been so intermittent lately, wondering where Gamora had gone, and questioning what had turned his master into such a brooding, empty-nester figure.

Was it the rising fame of the Guardians of the Galaxy? Could it be those accursed Guardians? Lately, whenever the Chitauri armies went out to conduct purges on frontier planets, they were invariably interrupted and disrupted by the Guardians. What was most infuriating was that this small group could consistently defeat Chitauri forces many times their own size. However, they had recently been unable to track the specific whereabouts of those individuals.

If not the Guardians, what else could be spoiling his master's mood? Aside from those meddlesome brats, the only other things capable of distressing Thanos were the Infinity Stones.

Originally, after obtaining the Mind Stone, Thanos had disguised it within a scepter and entrusted it to Loki. He had sent Loki to Earth to pave the way, intending to secure the Space Stone. Once the Space Stone was in hand, he could have used its coordinates to transport the entire Chitauri army to Earth, much like the Bifrost of Asgard. Moreover, knowing there were multiple stones on Earth, Thanos had long since devised a plan.

Yet, they had tracked the signature of the Space Stone, and Loki had gone to Earth, but the outcome deviated significantly from Thanos's projections.

The Mind Stone had been squandered by Loki on a whim, and not only had they failed to secure the Space Stone, but the Mind Stone had also been lost in the process. At the time, Thanos had been so enraged he was ready to march his entire army upon Asgard, but with Odin still present, he found it unwise to confront Loki directly.

Now, sensing that Odin’s presence had vanished, Thanos felt an opportunity had arisen, yet it brought even greater doubt. Was that old fox truly dead? Thanos, the Mad Titan, was skeptical; he hesitated, suspecting it might be an enemy trap.

Having failed to secure the Space and Mind Stones, Thanos had shifted his focus to the Power Stone. However, the Power Stone, which Ronan had acquired, was snatched away by a scavenger and eventually fell into the hands of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The most absurd part was that someone within the Guardians was actually capable of wielding the Power Stone. After all, even Thanos himself would not claim that harnessing the Power Stone was an easy feat; those who dared to wield it without sufficient strength were invariably reduced to ash.

The disappearance of the Ancient One had made Thanos believe the time was ripe to claim the Time Stone, yet he feared that she, like Odin, might be feigning absence to lure him to Earth.

As for the Reality Stone, it had been brought to Earth and "delivered" there by those fools, the Dark Elves.

Regarding the final Soul Stone, Thanos had yet to find a lead. He had previously dispatched Gamora to track it down, but the result was that not only was the stone missing, but Gamora had also defected to the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Gamora’s betrayal was what infuriated Thanos the most. It made him feel that everything he had done was in vain—that his own daughter could so easily place her trust in outsiders. What were these "Guardians of the Galaxy"? Gamora and Star-Lord might as well call themselves the "Daddy Issues Alliance."

Thanos was livid. He felt as though the very will of the universe was conspiring against him. And when he was angry, he did not want anyone else to have a pleasant time. At this thought, he couldn't help but glance at the golden gauntlet on his left hand. This Infinity Gauntlet, forged by Eitri the Dwarf King, had six empty sockets waiting for the stones, yet here he was—the gauntlet existed, but he had no Infinity Stones to utilize.

"Ebony Maw, how much longer until we can accurately pinpoint Asgard?" Thanos asked his most trusted lieutenant regarding the matter that weighed most heavily on his mind.

"My Lord, without the assistance of the Space Stone, we require a little more time. However, there have been frequent fluctuations in the Bifrost lately, and I have successfully tracked the energy frequency."

"Very well. We head to Asgard first, then use the Bifrost to reach Earth. I need the Infinity Stones—any of them will do. I need them now, and no one shall obstruct my plan!"

"As you command."

As the one closest to Thanos and the one who understood his master's temperament best, Ebony Maw was the first to pledge his loyalty, and the other members of the Black Order knelt in unison.

"Adjust the ship's course. Our next destination is Asgard. Have everyone prepared."

Asgard? Ebony Maw was slightly surprised by the objective. He mused, "And what of Odin?"

"Whether he lives or dies, Asgard is our first stop. If he lives, all the better; I shall send him to his death once more."

"Your will be done."

Despite his reservations, Ebony Maw chose to obey and issued the orders to the ship’s crew. The engines roared to life, pushing the massive vessel forward as it veered toward Asgard, the place they considered the center of the universe.

Although Thanos did not know Odin's true state, the existence of the Bifrost allowed him to overlook the risk. Or perhaps, this time, he was going specifically to test whether Odin was truly dead or alive. Thanos believed the Space and Mind Stones must be in Asgard—if not in Loki's hands, then in Odin's. He could not conceive of anyone else possessing the power to keep two such stones in harmony; only Odin had the strength to harness them.

Furthermore, once a single stone was obtained, its power could be used to acquire the rest. If the plan proceeded smoothly, he could secure two stones in Asgard. With two stones providing guidance, obtaining the others would be far simpler. And indeed, this was the most opportune moment. With Odin gone—regardless of the reason—the timing was perfect.

Thanos felt he had the strength to take on Asgard single-handedly.