CH-152. Thanos is Resurrected

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"Who says the world in comics is fake?" Luke continued, "Have you ever considered that maybe the universe where Superman and Green Lantern exist is real? And that those comic book editors just accidentally glimpsed real events from another universe and recorded them as comics? What if the world we live in is being watched and recorded in another form?"

As Luke spoke, he looked upwards, his gaze seemingly piercing through infinite space, as if he could see beyond the universe itself.

Jean was stunned by Luke's words but began to accept the possibility. After all, the universe was vast, and perhaps there really were infinite universes beyond it. The events in those comics could very well have happened in one of them. Maybe everything she was experiencing was just a story in someone else's world.

This didn't make her question the meaning of her existence; instead, it ignited a desire to learn more about the universe.

"Let's go. I'll take you to meet the best craftsmen in the universe—the dwarves." Luke said as he put the Ion Shark away and led Jean into Nidavellir.

Everything looked exactly as it had the last time Luke visited over 20 years ago. Nothing had changed. For the dwarves, perhaps the most meaningful thing in life was to continually forge better weapons.

Sensing the presence of newcomers, the Dwarf King Eitri put down his unfinished weapon and hurried out to meet them. Upon seeing that the visitors were strangers, confusion flickered across Eitri's face. He felt a strange sense of familiarity from Luke but couldn't place where he had seen him before.

"Who are you, and what brings you to Nidavellir?" Eitri asked, trying to be polite.

"Teacher, is this really a dwarf? He's so tall!" Jean whispered telepathically to Luke, sharing her thoughts. After all, the dwarves she had read about in fairy tales were short and small, and she couldn't reconcile that image with the nearly five-meter-tall figure standing before her.

"This is indeed a real dwarf. The one in front of you is Eitri, the King of the Dwarves and the finest craftsman among them." Luke replied mentally to Jean.

"Eitri, have you forgotten me?" Luke then asked the Dwarf King aloud.

"You... Are you Luke?" Eitri asked, memories flashing through his mind. After seeing the dragon horns on Luke's head, recognition dawned on him, and his face filled with shock.

"It seems you remember me." Luke said with a small smile.

Luke smiled, and as his divine power manifested, a giant dragon shadow appeared before Eitri's eyes, confirming Luke's identity.

"You really are Mr. Luke. It's been a long time." Eitri said, visibly relieved.

After confirming Luke's identity, Eitri felt somewhat restrained. He had heard stories about Luke's exploits from some Asgardians over the years and knew just how powerful the man standing in front of him was. Even Odin, the god-king he once thought invincible, couldn't compare to Luke's strength. The sheer difference in power made him uneasy, even though they were in his own domain.

"Eitri, I'm here to ask for your help in building a container. These are the materials I've brought for you." Luke said as he began pulling out the materials one by one: the star core, a pile of sun god crystals, dragon scales he had obtained in exchange, and several other materials—some useful, others not.

As Luke laid out his request to Eitri, Jean quietly observed, occasionally glancing around Nidavellir, taking in the surroundings while Luke discussed the construction of the central energy battery.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the universe, Death resurrected Thanos. However, the Thanos who returned to life was not the mighty titan he once was. Stripped of all his power, he was cruelly abandoned by Death, left to wander the desolate ruins of Titan, a world already decimated by his own hand.

"Why am I alive? Who took my power?" Thanos muttered, sitting on the ground, confused and disoriented. The once-powerful conqueror now found himself weak and powerless, the sensation of mortality unsettling and unfamiliar.

What Thanos didn't know was that his adopted daughter, Nebula—whose body he had altered—was being swayed by a mysterious voice. She was now leading a fleet toward Titan, unaware of her father's resurrection or his newfound vulnerability.

Originally, Nebula wanted to rush back to the Dark Quadrant to seize control of Thanos' remaining forces, but she overlooked the presence of Ebony Maw, Thanos' loyal servant. Ebony Maw couldn't believe that his master had been defeated so easily, so he didn't trust Nebula's claim that Thanos was dead.

When Nebula attempted to take power by force, she was swiftly defeated by Ebony Maw. However, instead of killing her, Ebony Maw chose to let her go. Now, Nebula was adrift in the universe with her fleet.

"Daughter of Thanos, does it grieve you to hear of the death of the father you hated so much?" A mysterious voice suddenly spoke in Nebula's ear.

"Who's there? Who are you?" Nebula asked, looking around warily. But the soldiers around her showed no signs of alarm.

"Did anyone hear a voice?" Nebula asked her men.

"No, Lady Nebula, we heard nothing." They replied in unison.

As Nebula began to think she might be hallucinating, the voice returned, "Do you really think Thanos is dead?"

Nebula's expression shifted, but then relaxed. Everything seemed to prove that Thanos had indeed died on the planet Morag.

"Thanos is history. He failed and disappeared into the void with his absurd ideals. Now I'm free. I no longer have to be his weapon!" Nebula spat the words, trying to convince herself that Thanos was truly gone. After all, he had tormented her, both physically and mentally, for years. The mechanical half of her body was a constant reminder of the pain he had inflicted on her.

"Really?" The voice taunted, "Are you certain your nightmare has ended, that he will never return?"

Nebula stiffened, "What do you want?" She demanded.

"I'm merely stating a fact you're unwilling to accept. If you want to know the truth, go to the ruins of Titan. You might find an unexpected surprise."

The voice fell silent after that. A fierce internal battle raged within Nebula's mind. On one hand, she desperately wanted Thanos to be dead, to be free of the nightmare he represented. But on the other hand, a part of her—an emotion she didn't fully understand—hoped that he might still be alive.

With her conflicting emotions swirling, Nebula made a decision. She had to know the truth.

"Full speed ahead. Set course for Titan." She ordered.

Meanwhile, on Titan, Thanos wandered through the desolate ruins of his homeworld, reaching out to touch the crumbling remains. Though he was born here, he had personally led the destruction of Titan after being exiled.

"I never thought I'd return here." Thanos muttered, gazing up at the gray sky.

He had once used overwhelming force to obliterate this place, and now, he felt only emptiness. Stripped of the power that had once made him invincible, Thanos was now as weak as any ordinary man.

Sitting down amid the ruins, Thanos surveyed his surroundings, the memories of Titan's former glory still vivid in his mind. As he sat there, exhaustion washed over him, and slowly, his eyes drifted shut.

Some unknown time later, a sharp pain jolted him awake. Opening his eyes, he saw a small beast biting his arm. Without hesitation, Thanos grabbed the creature and smashed its head with a nearby rock. One hit, then another, until the beast was dead.

"Have I become this weak?" Thanos muttered, looking down at the lifeless creature. He felt the gnawing hunger in his stomach, a sensation he hadn't experienced in centuries.

As an Eternal Titan, Thanos had long since stopped needing food. The cosmic energy he absorbed was more than enough to sustain him. But now, that familiar hunger had returned.

Despite his disgust, Thanos tore into the beast's carcass, knowing he had to survive. He was Thanos. As long as he was alive, there was always a chance to rise again.

After eating enough to satiate his hunger, Thanos stood and began searching the ruins for anything that might help him escape. But Titan had been destroyed for centuries, and everything of value had long since been taken by his own forces.

As he wandered through the wasteland, a familiar sound filled the sky. He looked up to see a massive spaceship descending, the symbol of the Dark Quadrant emblazoned on its hull. The ship slowly landed in front of him.