On a barren-ish planet.
Thanos sat on his throne, sizing up this self-proclaimed future man.
Looks-wise, just an average grown dude—short, not buff.
No tech gear on him either.
But his eyes? A flicker of contempt that ticked Thanos off.
Yup, this was Kang the Conqueror.
No—call him Immortal Kang.
Right, this Kang's the undying type. Before the so-called Sacred Timeline locked the multiverse, he'd snagged eternal life.
Once that timeline shattered and the multiverse bloomed again—every Kang charging into the fray—he rose as one of the council's top three.
"Thanos, of Titan's Eternals."
"Pitched wiping out half the population to fix Titan's energy crisis—got shunned by his own."
"After Titan's collapse, swore to collect the Infinity Stones, use their power to erase half the universe's life."
"Sound right?"
Immortal Kang smirked, laying it out.
"Most life in the universe doesn't get it."
"They don't see population booms just speed them to extinction."
"So if they won't face the harsh truth, I'll choose for them."
Thanos didn't deny it—rolled with Kang's take, spilling his own goal.
"But what I'm curious about? How you know this."
Thanos mentally ran through his crew—then nixed the thought.
This plan? His alone.
His lackeys just got orders: scour the cosmos for the six Stones.
What for? They had no clue.
"Told you—I'm from a far-off future."
"So your fate? Crystal clear to me."
Immortal Kang grinned, all harmless vibes.
But eternal life didn't mean weak.
It's just a long clock—killable still.
Over eons, he'd stacked scary power.
"If you know my 'fate,' you'd know if I pull it off, yeah?"
Thanos half-trusted Kang's spiel.
Sure, he nailed the endgame and origin.
Didn't prove squat about his ID.
"Some yous win, some lose."
"Some nail it, then Earth's superheroes flip the script."
"I might not know every ending, but this you? I've got your finale pegged."
Kang's tone stayed steady—like he'd mapped Thanos's every move and end.
To a guy like Thanos, though? Useless chatter.
Changing his mind? Fat chance.
"Not here to stop your plan or tweak your grand vision."
"Just need you to take out one guy."
"Payment? I'll hand you every Infinity Stone's hideout."
Kang tossed what he thought was a killer bait.
Too bad he misjudged Thanos.
"Solid offer—real tempting."
Thanos chuckled.
He gripped his right leg, rising slow from the throne, looming over this human-looking male.
In Kang's eyes, that old contempt flared—masked well, but Thanos caught it sharp.
To Kang, Thanos was a loser, not worth a damn.
Big picture? When Kangs conquered multiverses, some crossed Thanos.
The survivors? Always the world-enders.
Some, like 616's Thanos, finished the job and retired to farmville.
Others kept the Stones, crowned cosmic kings.
A rare few scored bigger—like Death's favor, eternal life, locked-in overlord status.
But every last one? Kangs wiped them out.
So, Kang dissing Thanos? Par for the course.
He just underestimated Thanos's pride.
"Sorry, though—I don't need your help."
"The Stones? If I want 'em, I'll get 'em."
Thanos's voice oozed unshakable grit.
Like his name promised.
Kang squinted—didn't expect Thanos to shrug off the Stones' lure?
Worse, Thanos shot back the same disdain—like Kang was gutter trash.
That look…
Immortal Kang, ancient as dirt, didn't flare up over it.
He smiled, rethinking Thanos.
"Guess you're king material after all."
Kang nodded—contempt gone from his eyes.
Thanos glanced, didn't bite.
"Forgive my earlier vibe."
"Just testing if you'd bleed for your dream."
"Every parallel you's got a few who wake up—ditch victory at the last second for another path."
Kang dipped a slight bow, legit apologizing.
Thanos stayed quiet but eased back into his seat.
The tension from his rise mellowed out.
He seemed ready to hear more.
Exactly what Kang wanted.
"I'll help you snag the Stones, finish your plan."
"My goal's down the line—way future."
Kang dipped his head again, all respect.
Like nothing went down.
After a long hush, Thanos finally spoke.
"Lay out your plan."
Kang's smile bloomed at that.
Thanos trust him?
Hell no.
Kang trust Thanos?
Same deal.
So what?
From the jump, it's mutual use.
Allies? Just a tool for their ends.
As long as their goals synced for now, the rest mattered jack.