The sun was rising over the valley as Thanos looked on, the first day of his new world.
It was quiet, no conflicts, no famine, no war. The Titan should have been at peace. And yet, he wasn't content.
Beside him sat an empty space, the one who should have been seated there lost to him for want of the soul stone. His Gamora, her fire doused as payment for this better world.
Thanos had expected to pay such a price for the universe and yet, a part of him yearned to have her here with him, regardless. He would even have accepted the presence of the Boyfriend if that would have made his Gamora happy.
He could bring her back, the reality stone would allow it. But he knew that to do so would forfeit the very stone her life had bought. And deep down, Thanos knew that if he were to bring her back, it would be his image of her, not the real one. Her fire would not return. he could never imagine it in a way that could bring it back to him.
Her fire was what had made Thanos notice her from the beginning. Her will to fight, even when all was lost. That little spark inside her which could never be extinguished. Nebula had never had that spark, that fire. Certainly, the woman was strong. Most of Thanos children were not strong enough to survive and inevitably it led to their destruction. Nebula had survived everything Thanos had made her do. And yet, she didn't have Gamoras fire. It was why Gamora had been favored, why Thanos had considered her his heir over Nebula.
Nebula had been a good soldier and would have made a worthy second for Gamora, had she not decided to rebel against Thanos, but she was never in the same position as her sister. None of the other children, living and dead, had been.
And now, on the eve of his triumph, Thanos could see a new problem. The universe had been shaped to become perfect but Thanos knew it would still require help. The people left would not understand his kindness. They would attack, as all mortals did when scared of a new thing, regardless of how it would benefit them. And despite his power, and he would only be around for so long to assist and complete his great task. Thanos did not plan to live forever when his beloved death was waiting for him. He would someday need an heir to carry on his work.
He would need a child with the fire that had burned in Gamora. A child would could survive and thrive, a child who would be trained to do what was needed, regardless of those who would fight against them.
Thanos shifted, the small cut on his cheek stinging. A thought came to his mind, a memory of a pair of brown eyes, burning with a familiar fire. A mortal who had stood up to a Titan.
Thanos had remembered the Asgardian Princes failure, remembered looking into how his forces had been defeated and the stone almost lost. A lowly mortal who should not have even known about his army until it was too late, had risked his life and had done what was needed, regardless of the price he would be asked to pay.
Stark.
Thanos had looked into the mortal after the defeat, trying to understand. What he had seen had been interesting, a mortal driven to save others over himself.
The Titan had seen the tinge of the mind stone around him from the little Witch, how she had tried to make him tear himself apart and yet he still stood, still tried to protect others as her hand forced him to build his destruction.
He had seen how the Soldier had beaten the mortal down, tried to rip the life out of him because the soldier could not see the greater good over his own agenda. How the rest of the morals 'friends' had knocked him down without regard for what he was doing.
Thanos remembered the mortal kneeling before him, the mans own armour piercing his side. He should have been defeated. And yet, the fire was still there, the man still planning to fight, even though it was hopeless. The wizard, handing over the stone in an act of loyalty to the man, to attempt to save this mortal life.
Stark had commanded such loyalty, had such fire. He did what needed to be done, where others shrieked from that duty. Like Thanos himself, the mortal made those choices to protect, even when he was forced to do evil things to bring it about.
Stark was a lot like him. In another life, he would have been worthy as a Child of Thanos. A worthy heir.
In the gauntlet, the green stone flashed, as if sensing the Titans musing.
Raising his gauntlet, Thanos watched as the other stones lit up.
He knew what he must do now. For the universe, he needed an heir to carry on his work.
Rising from his seat, the Titan willed a portal into existence. The next time he would sit, he would have a worthy heir by his side.
-