And there he stood — the ruler of the Void, the great collector of the cosmos.
Taneleer Tivan!
The moment the guards saw the Collector appear, they immediately bowed their heads in reverence. Others in the crowd, however, showed only mild curiosity rather than fear. After all, Taneleer Tivan was not known as a tyrant. He ruled Knowhere not through cruelty, but through influence — indulgent and eccentric, yes, but not ruthless.
As long as one didn't cross him, one was safe.
Still, people were puzzled. Why had the legendary Collector appeared in person? He rarely left his inner sanctum.
With a casual wave of his jeweled hand, Tivan dismissed the battalions of guards and the hovering airships above. The armed vehicles retreated in an orderly fashion until only a small escort remained behind him — little more than decoration.
After all, with his power, those guards were merely for show.
His eyes drifted to the three strangers — Selina, Lisa, and Basang. He studied them for a few seconds, masking the jolt of surprise he felt within, and then smiled elegantly.
"Knowhere welcomes you, honored guests," he said, his tone polished but cautious. "I never imagined this place would one day play host to visitors of such distinction."
He clasped his hands. "I am Taneleer Tivan, the Collector. Tell me — what service may I offer you?"
His goodwill was unmistakable, and Selina and the others could feel it clearly. But they were not surprised. Someone like Tivan would already have sensed the vast energy flowing from their very being.
Three beings whose aura surpassed even his own had walked into his domain — and the Collector was wise enough to know what that meant. Power demanded respect.
Around them, the crowd stared, slack-jawed.
This was Taneleer Tivan — a being of near-immortal age, one of the Elders of the Universe. Though not cruel, he was far from gentle, and rarely humble. Yet here he was, smiling, deferential to three strangers of unknown origin.
Murmurs rippled through the onlookers.Who were these people?Whose favor did they hold, to make even the Collector bow his head?
Some began whispering and sending encrypted messages — after all, in the vastness of the universe, knowing who you were dealing with could mean the difference between survival and annihilation.
"I hear you've lived for a very long time," Selina said evenly.
"Perhaps," Tivan replied with a lazy wave. "I can't quite remember. You know how it is — after a few million years, one tends to lose track of time."
His tone was light, but his eyes were sharp. These three were no ordinary travelers — that much was obvious. He couldn't tell where they came from, but one thing was clear: their strength was at least equal to, if not beyond, his own.
Such beings did not live short lives.
And so, he assumed they understood his sentiment perfectly well.
The three said nothing. Their calm silence unnerved even him.
Tivan sighed dramatically, feigning exasperation. "Very well, my taciturn friends. What is it that you desire?"
"Information," Selina replied.
"Ah… that's quite a broad request," he mused, eyes narrowing. "It seems the knowledge you seek isn't of a single subject."
He was already analyzing her tone, her posture, the faint cosmic vibration around her. But he kept his expression pleasant.
"So then," he said lightly, tilting his head, "how do you intend to acquire this information from me, my friends?"
His words carried a double meaning — both an invitation and a challenge.
Selina understood perfectly.
She extended her right hand. Light shimmered across her palm, and a sphere of black flame appeared, flickering like the breath of the void itself.
The Collector froze.
His eyes widened.
Then, trembling, he stepped forward as if drawn by an irresistible magnet. His hands rose, hesitant yet yearning, and he gazed upon the flame with reverence.
"Incredible…" he whispered. "So beautiful…"
His voice trembled, almost worshipful. Then, with sudden clarity, he declared:"I accept your offer."
A faint smile touched Selina's lips. She knew it — the Collector would never resist such a thing. Among all of Mephisto's infernal treasures, this black flame ranked among the top few. To Tivan, it was priceless.
Later — in the Sanctum's golden temple — the three Gold Saints knelt before Leon, their mission complete.
Before him floated a massive holographic projection, streams of data flowing faster than the eye could follow. Leon's gaze was distant, processing it all within his mind — memories, records, and the secrets of an ancient being who had lived since the dawn of time.
The knowledge was immense — deeper than anything stored in Kamar-Taj or Asgard's libraries. It vastly expanded Leon's understanding of the universe.
Then, something caught his attention.
A name.
A presence.
A familiar shadow.
Thanos.
A galactic warlord who commanded endless armies — moving from world to world, leaving nothing but blood and silence in his wake. Entire races were wiped out under his iron will.
Leon frowned slightly.
After countless eons of conquest, Thanos' hands were drenched in more blood than any mortal mind could comprehend. The term "mountains of corpses and seas of blood" felt almost inadequate.
He slaughtered without hesitation — claiming it was balance, order, necessity.But lately, the pace of his killing had accelerated.
His fleets spread chaos across the stars.
To Leon, those massacred lives were not mere victims — they were resources. Lost souls that could have become his believers under the light of his new order.
The universe was vast, infinite. Even a thousand years of slaughter could not purge it of life. Thanos' method was wasteful — shortsighted.
"Yes," Leon murmured. "Those races could have become mine…"
His eyes flashed. "So why does this old fool still persist?"
Perhaps Thanos had grown impatient — or perhaps he had found something new. He had begun developing terrifying weapons, and sending his children and lieutenants to seek out an unknown power.
Leon's vision blurred as he attempted to peer deeper into that knowledge — to see the threads of Thanos' destiny.
But something resisted him.
An invisible force disrupted his sight, clouding the picture.
He narrowed his eyes.
"So… this is destiny?"
At his current level, there were few in existence who could hide anything from him. If he willed it, the entire past and future of any being could unfold before his mind — yet Thanos was different.
Something — or someone — obscured him.
A god, perhaps.One from a higher plane.
Leon considered. The sacred timeline had already been shattered by his arrival. Many destinies had changed… yet Thanos remained untouched, as if cocooned in fate itself.
"So then," Leon murmured, "is this the work of you… or a god above you?"
His eyes grew cold.
He turned his gaze toward Selina, Lisa, and Basang, still kneeling before him. His voice resonated with divine authority.
"Selina. Lisa. Basang.Evil is spreading. I see chaos, blood, and war engulfing the stars."
"I despise this universe as it is," Leon declared, his tone low and steady. "It is time for change."
The three raised their heads in unison, voices firm and resolute.
"We will follow you — to the death."
They too had seen what he had seen — the endless suffering, the senseless wars. Civilizations burning, innocents crushed beneath the greed of empires. It filled their hearts with fury.
Leon's eyes gleamed.
"Go. It's time to announce to the universe that Justice and Order have arrived."
The three Saints placed their right hands over their hearts, and in a burst of golden light, vanished into the stars.
Leon watched the holographic cosmos before him. His lips curved faintly.
"Let's see what happens next."
In the endless starry expanse, a crimson planet burned with war. Screams echoed across its surface. Armies clashed, blood flowed, the air thick with smoke and despair.
And then — silence.
Within the ruins of an ancient city, naked natives were divided into two trembling groups. Above them, colossal warships blotted out the sun.
To these primitive people, the invaders were gods.
But their gods brought only death.
Atop the shattered palace, a towering figure stood — broad-shouldered, armored in gold and purple. His skin glimmered with violet hue, his eyes cold and detached.
Thanos.
Behind him stood two female warriors — one blue-skinned and fierce, the other green-skinned, her expression distant yet filled with faint sorrow.
The green one, Gamora, once tried to plead for mercy from her father — but was punished harshly. Against Thanos' will, resistance was meaningless.
To her, he was both the greatest power… and the cruelest being in existence.
"Another choice of fate," Thanos murmured, surveying the terrified masses below. Corpses littered the streets; rivers of blood flowed through the city.
His armies had conquered the entire planet. None escaped. Not even those who fled into the wilderness.
He turned toward his daughter."Gamora. This time… you choose."
Gamora hesitated. "Father, this is your decision to make."
Thanos smiled faintly. "But I want you to decide."
Her teeth clenched. It was always like this. Each time, another race. Another slaughter. Another "choice." Each one carving another wound into her soul.
At last, she lifted her trembling hand — and pointed left.
A thunderous explosion followed.
Screams pierced the sky as one side was massacred without mercy. The survivors clutched their children's faces, trying in vain to shield their eyes from the horror.
Gamora's gaze flickered, but she forced herself to remain expressionless.
Thanos watched her — proud of her composure.
He knew she hated him. But he also knew she still loved him, in her own way.And yes — he loved her too, in the only way a being like him could.
All this, he believed, was for the arrival of something greater.A destiny Gamora could not yet understand.
The slaughter ended. Amidst the wails of the dying, Thanos and his daughters returned to their massive mothership.
The planet fell silent behind them.
In the mothership's Sanctum of Command, Thanos stood before a vast viewing window, the stars stretching endlessly before him.
Nebula and Gamora waited silently behind him, knowing better than to speak while he was lost in thought.
Thanos watched the stars drift past — countless systems, countless worlds.He had seen this view more times than he could remember. It no longer inspired him.
His victories brought no joy — only a gnawing sense of unease.
An invisible danger loomed.
He could feel it in his bones.
It had whispered to him years ago, faintly. But now, it was growing louder — stronger — closer.
For a brief moment, the great Titan had felt fear. True fear.
But only for a moment. His iron will crushed it immediately.
Thanos was not one to yield to the unknown. His conviction — his faith in himself — was absolute.
Still, as he gazed into the abyss of the cosmos, he muttered quietly:
"What… is that danger?"
His brow furrowed. The uncertainty disgusted him. The future — clouded, shifting — was poison to his mind.
And so he made his decision.
"We must move faster."
End of Chapter)
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