Midgard.
The ground was littered with corpses, gradually blanketed by frost and wind. Hela, twisting her wrist, lifted her gaze in silence toward the retreating warship.
"Lothar, by acting as you did, you've essentially involved yourself in the War of the Nine Realms. Are you aware of how serious this is?"
Aboard the resplendent warship gliding through the cosmos, Ebony Maw approached Lothar, who stood silently at the viewport, staring into the brilliance of the starry sea. His tone was calm, measured.
"Involved in the War of the Nine Realms?"
Lothar shook his head. "No. I never intended to meddle in that war. Nor do I care to involve myself in that woman's affairs."
From the beginning, he had only been a passing Saiyan.
He passed through Asgard. Then through Midgard. The War of the Nine Realms, the so-called golden savior of Midgard—none of it concerned him.
"But your actions have, undeniably, sent a very clear message. You handed the Casket of Ancient Winters over to Odin. You fought alongside his daughter on Planet C53 and wiped out an entire vanguard unit of the Nine Realms Coalition."
"What do you think people will make of that?"
Ebony Maw recited each of Lothar's recent deeds, laying them out plainly.
"I told you—none of that has anything to do with me."
"What others think, especially those with ulterior motives, is their business. I have no obligation to explain myself."
Lothar's confidence stemmed from both his own power and the authority of the Black Quadrant. Outside of his adoptive father, Thanos, he answered to no one.
Not even Ebony Maw.
"So long as you understand that." Ebony Maw didn't press further. The Black Quadrant's influence barely brushed against Asgard's sphere. And Lothar didn't strike him as someone who would fight the Nine Realms Coalition for Odin's daughter's sake.
"Where's the one Lord Thanos wanted?"
"Woz."
Lothar brought up Woz's profile, expanding the projection into view before Ebony Maw.
A blinking red dot labeled Astra flickered on the map, drawing a frown from Ebony Maw.
"Before Planet U40 exploded, some unknown force whisked him away. But he still had the helmet I gave him. Judging from the coordinates, he's likely at the location Father wanted to find."
"I had Woz transmit those coordinates to him already. What—he didn't go?"
As the projection vanished with a wave of his hand, Lothar glanced toward Ebony Maw, noting the genuine surprise on his face.
"No. Lord Thanos only just returned with reparations from the Skrull Empire."
"The Skrull Empire?"
"Our planetary surveyors detected the explosion of U40." Ebony Maw's answer was succinct. Upon hearing it, Lothar instantly understood. The corner of his lips curled into a subtle, amused arc.
The concern and attentiveness of his adoptive father warmed his heart.
After that, they traveled in silence. Lothar and Ebony Maw had little in common to discuss.
A rapid series of spatial jumps brought them close to a familiar sight—the Black Quadrant base. Once the warship landed, Lothar stepped onto solid ground with The Other following closely behind.
"Lothar, your hair?"
Proxima Midnight, who had been overseeing the unloading and redistribution of the Skrull reparations per Thanos's instructions, greeted him and immediately noticed his dazzling golden hair.
"It changed on its own." Lothar's reply was brisk as he passed her, striding into the main hall of the base where a shadowy figure had been awaiting his return for some time.
"Father."
At the sight of his adoptive father, Thanos, Lothar offered a respectful bow.
"A fine power, Lothar," Thanos remarked, descending the steps from his throne, examining the changed aura of his son.
He cast a glance toward The Other, who nodded in understanding and quietly exited the hall, blue scepter in hand.
"It's a pity... it won't last," Lothar said, shaking his head, his face tinged with regret.
Almost as if to prove his words, his golden hair faded back to its natural black the moment he finished speaking. The immense power that had surged within him dissipated in an instant.
Time was up.
A wave of weakness—unlike anything he'd felt before—seized every nerve in his body.
"How can this be?!"
Shock flashed across Lothar's eyes.
"The power of the Infinity Stones... is not so easily assimilated," Thanos said calmly, pouring a nutrient solution into his weakening son's mouth.
"Infinity... Stones?"
It was the first time Lothar had heard the term from Thanos. Struggling to remain standing, he waited as the nutrients slowly re-energized his body.
"They're among the most mysterious forces in the universe. Even I have only read of them in ancient texts."
"But what you encountered—no, what Astra came into contact with—was likely one of the six legendary Infinity Stones."
As his son gradually recovered, Thanos raised a hand, summoning a massive holoscreen into the air.
The data displayed was a compilation of all the information Thanos had gathered over the years regarding the Infinity Stones.
Not extensive—but invaluable.
At the very least, it helped Lothar grasp what these "Infinity Stones" truly were.
"So if I want to reach that level of power again, I'll need an Infinity Stone?" Lothar asked, eyes sharp.
Having tasted the might of Super Saiyan—of destructive power enough to obliterate stars—his heart ached with longing.
If just a fragment of an Infinity Stone's power could elevate him so drastically, what could a whole one do?
Or six?
Could he, with their power, locate the universe where Frieza resided?
As his eyes scanned the data, sparks of wild possibility ignited in his mind—only for Thanos to extinguish them one by one.
"Let go of those illusions, Lothar." Hands clasped behind his back, Thanos fixed his gaze on his adoptive son's burning eyes, cutting off his fantasies.
"The power of the Infinity Stones isn't something you can withstand."
Even the body of an Eternal like himself might not endure the side effects—let alone Lothar's.
"Besides, do you truly believe... the power you unleashed on U40 came from an Infinity Stone?"
Thanos turned, making his way back to his throne. He patted the seat beside him.
"What?"
"You, Lothar... you are the gift this universe gave to me. That's what I've always believed."
As Lothar took the seat beside his adoptive father, a rare warmth softened the edge of Thanos's expression.
The massive holoscreen above began playing footage—Lothar at seven years old, outside the Black Quadrant base, during his first sparring encounter with Ebony Maw.
In the image, the young boy, pressed hard by Maw's power, began to radiate a faint golden glow…
"You may not have noticed it, but Lothar... that was your power—not the Infinity Stones'."
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