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[Ebony Maw]

Thanos stared at the wreckage of the spaceship dissolving into the starry expanse, his expression grave. Despite his hesitation, he gritted his teeth and pushed his craft to its maximum speed, hurtling towards the vast emptiness above.

Moments later, he breached the celestial barrier that had stood unbroken for millennia, facing an unimaginable force that immediately engulfed his vessel, tearing and compressing it into oblivion.

Yet, as a third-level deity, empowered by his third awakening, Thanos' body withstood the onslaught. Stripped of armor and clothing, his imposing muscular form absorbed the cosmic onslaught, resembling a colossal, purple-hued titan in flight.

Cracks fissured across his skin, blood seeping like molten lava. Gripping a double-edged dagger tightly in his right hand, the weapon disintegrated within moments of exposure to the relentless forces.

"No!" Thanos bellowed as the dagger dissolved into cosmic ash and scattered.

Desperately, he reached out, trying to grasp the vanishing weapon, but his efforts yielded nothing. The dagger vanished, leaving Thanos to mourn its loss amidst the infinite cosmos.

Pain wracked Thanos, but he soon refocused, the agonizing loss of the dagger slipping from his mind.

The combined power of Odinforce and the power from three Infinity Stones odin had mobilized into divine aggreement had shackled all the Eternals, continuing to mutilate his body.

Within moments, fissures spidered across Thanos' body, blood oozing like magma from fault lines, his form blurring.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" His roar echoed like a beast rending itself, unheard in the vast expanse of the starry sky.

His cry was short-lived. Thanos succumbed to unconsciousness, his body left adrift in the vacuum of space.

Eventually, the force that had savagely assaulted him abated, sparing him from further disintegration.

Shrouded in plasma, Thanos resembled a crimson-hued statue, suspended in the cosmic abyss.

Time passed indeterminately.

A passing spacecraft altered its course, detecting something of interest, eventually halting near the enigmatic figure.

The hatch opened, and two humanoid figures in space suits emerged, gently retrieving Thanos and bringing him aboard.

"I thought we had a find, but it's just a corpse," remarked a gruff, bearded man with a hardened expression.

Glancing at Thanos, he gestured dismissively. "Toss it back."

"Wait, Captain Holkes."

At that moment, a slender man spoke up. His visage was unremarkable, save for his lack of a nose and pallid, bark-like skin.

Captain Holkes frowned upon seeing him, a hint of repulsion in his gaze. "Ebony Maw, do you have something to say?"

Ebony Maw nodded slowly. "He... he appears to be alive."

"Alive?" The crew reacted in surprise.

Ebony Maw leaned closer to examine Thanos, confirming decisively, "Yes, he lives. His heartbeat is faint, but present."

"How is that possible?"

"Could he be one of the Eternal Gods? Perhaps Titan is nearby," speculated someone.

"Be rational. The Eternals perished a thousand years ago!"

"Nonsense. The Eternal Protoss were imprisoned on Titan, not extinguished," argued another.

"Regardless, he doesn't resemble an Eternal. Likely, he possesses some kind of unique ability..."

After deliberation, they turned to Captain Holkes. "Captain, do we rescue him? He may be one of our own."

Captain Holkes pondered briefly before making a decision. "Ebony Maw, it's your call."

"Yes, Captain." Ebony Maw nodded and, with assistance, conveyed Thanos away.

Hours later.

In a secluded chamber aboard the ship, Thanos lay unconscious on a bed, his body cleansed of blood.

Ebony Maw unpacked a container of delicate needles.

Selecting a thin needle, he attempted to pierce Thanos' skin, only to find it unyielding. With added force, the needle snapped without a mark.

Frowning, Ebony Maw retrieved a smaller box containing several sturdier needles, noticeably thicker and longer—an enhanced variant.

Striking once more, he exerted considerable force, yet the needles failed to penetrate Thanos' resilient flesh, leaving no trace.

"Hmm…" Ebony Maw sucked in a sharp breath.

At that instant, Thanos' eyes snapped open, seizing Ebony Maw by the collar. "Who are you?!"

"I… I'm Ebony Maw," stammered Ebony Maw, taken aback. "The one who saved you."

Surveying his surroundings, Thanos demanded, "Where am I?"

"Holkes. Our captain," Ebony Maw replied promptly.

Noticing the needles, Thanos interrogated, "What are those?"

Ebony Maw hesitated briefly before explaining, "Medical tools. Though they seem ineffective against you—your skin is impenetrable."

Thanos paused, then released Ebony Maw, retrieving a garment offered to him. "Thank you."

Ebony Maw inquired tentatively, "Your name? How did you survive floating in space?"

After a brief pause, Thanos responded, "I am Thanos."

He divulged no further personal details, redirecting the conversation. "And who are you?"

"Ebony Maw, nominally. We're interstellar pirates," Ebony Maw disclosed.

"And in reality?" Thanos prodded.

"Well, truthfully, we are indeed interstellar pirates," Ebony Maw conceded.