Narrator's POV

"How is he now?"

"For now, stable. His vital signs are normal. Heartbeat rate is a little high."

"What happened down there?"

"Something quite terrible, as far as I can make out. Max isn't someone to black out easily. Why don't you have a look at him? You are a doctor, after all."

Dr. Strange sighed." Not yet. Give him some time to heal, Tania."

"It's been two days, Stephen. Two freaking days and he still hasn't woken up. Is this a normal comatose?"

"Is anything normal around here?"

Tania sighed.

****

Max's POV

I found myself in a large circular hall. It was dark, with small lanterns hardly any help to light up the area. Tall blue columns supported a high domed roof. From the faint light, I could make out there were intricately carved mosaic on the walls.

"The Grand Hall had always been a place of awe. It surprised me as a child, and it still does now." A deep voice spoke up, his words reverberating around the walls of the near-empty hall.

I turned my gaze towards a large podium constructed on a platform at one end of the hall. A large golden throne was placed upon it. Seated in it was a lone gigantic figure, his gaze directly at me.

I inched forward, my heart beating wildly." How did I come here?"

The figure smirked, and stood up. There was no forgetting that purple scarred face, that brutal spirit, that gauntlet on his hand studded with six glowing stones.

" Where is this place, Thanos? How did I arrive here?" I pressed.

"You're currently in the Null Dimension. It's a place where the soul exists apart from the body, free to do as it shall. I simply brought your consciousness here." He said.

"Why?"
"To talk."

I folded my arms and glared at him.
"So talk."

Thanos smirked." You're brave. I'll give you that. No wonder the Rebels think of you as a leader."

"I'm no leader." I answer truthfully." What I would like to know is what the hell have you done with my Captain!!"

Thanos's face became serious." I saved your Captain. He was dying when we found him. He was weak, pathetic. I just fixed him up."

"And made him a weapon." I deadpanned.

"I gave him a new sense of purpose." Thanos sneered." It was his destiny to serve me. And fulfilling it he is."

"He's not your slave!" I shout." You condemned an innocent man, a brave soul, to your torture! You destroyed him!"

"Sometimes, to bring peace, destruction is necessary." He murmured.

"That's what you think."

"That's what I know!" He shouted as I jumped back, startled. Angering him was not a good idea.

He snapped a finger, and our surroundings changed. I found ourselves in the middle of a wreckage, the aftermath of a war. Everything was destroyed, demolished. Tall structures stood high, broken and demolished, crumbling, standing like a spectre. Bodies littered the ground. Looking up in shock, I found Thanos looking at me with a grim expression.

"What the hell is all this?" I shout.

"This, is all that remains of my planet, Titan." He whispered. His tone carried a feeling of sadness and hurt.

"It is now as you see, a wreckage. A bitter reminder of a more prosperous civilization. Now it is just the epitome of death, but this was not always so. Watch."

The Reality Stone glowed on his gauntlet, and the surroundings changed. Instead I found the both of us in the middle of a field. I admired how the sun kissed the bright green field as it brushed the sides of the tall golden buildings that surrounded us. The same buildings that were demolished before were now intact, luxury and technology screaming from them. I knew this was an illusion, yet I felt the heat on my skin, as I swept the sweat off my forehead.

"Titan, was like most other planets." Thanos said, his voice strained with pain." Too many mouths to feed, and not as many resources. When the planet was to be overrun, I offered a solution. Simple, yet effective."

"Let me guess." I sneered." Mass genocide."

"Destroying half the population would ensure the survival of the other half. They could live in prosperity and happiness once again."

"By killing over a million people! That is no option, Thanos!"

"It would be at random! No discrimination between the rich and the poor. Everyone would be given an equal chance to survive. But no. They called me a madman. Banished me. And you see the result." The Reality Stone stopped glowing, and we returned to the same wreckage.

"Congratulations, you're a prophet." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"So you decided to destroy half the population of all other planets to save them from ruin? Isn't that a little too far-fetched?"

"My work brought back balance." He said." After I learnt about the Infinity Stones, I sought to find them. And now I have. One snap of my fingers, and you all would cease to exist. That's fast. I call that, mercy."

"And I call that insanity!" I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air." You've got the Stones now. What's stopping you from blowing us all up, huh?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips." Time has taught me much. In the beginning, I used the Stones to wipe out half the universe. But it was futile. I find the universe again on the brink of collapse. And I'm here to stop it. Whatever I've done, is for that only."

"So you destroyed the ruling organizations and formed an empire?"

"I'm game for any form that brings balance to the universe." He explained." Know this that I myself am not pleased with this, but this is the only way. The universe is safer under my reign."

"Safe from whom?" I ask.
He sighed." Other dimensional beings. Beings who are not as lenient as me. Beings who won't hesitate to destroy the universe. I'm just....protecting it."

"So why bring me here?" I sit down on the edge of the platform, watching him pace the wide hall.

"I'm not the only one with a purpose. I brought you here for you to realize the stakes. You're a Rebel, but you're not doing your job well enough. Fight harder, human, if you want to stand a chance against me."

I raised an eyebrow." You're telling me, your enemy, to fight you harder? That's unusual."

"You cannot escape your destiny." He looked at me, and for the first time, I saw a sense of desperation and fear in his eyes." Be strong. Be steadfast. Fight harder, like your life depends on it. I need you, and your Rebels, to pose a serious threat to me."

"Why?" I asked, incredulously.

"Only then can you defeat me, end my reign. Or else, you stand no chance."

"Oh, I think we do." I deadpanned.

He smirked." Hope. Such a naive feeling. I know what it is like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless. It's frightening, turns the legs to jelly. I ask you....to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now it here. Or should I say, I am.

Accept your destiny, human, or find yourself perished. Your Captain Fleming learnt his lesson, so should you."

My blood boiled as he mentioned the Captain. I answered hotly," You've brainwashed him, turned him into a weapon. If that is fate I do not want it."

"Your Captain no bears no memory of his pathetic former self. He now has a new identity, a new family, a new master. He fulfilled his purpose. And now, he's the Commander of my armies, sweeping across the multiverse, bringing the other dimensions under my rule."

I glared at him." You really are a madman. You condemned an innocent man, a friend, and made him your slave!"

Thanos smirked." You're already upset that I turned him, so what would you say when I tell you that your own friend hid this fact from you?"

"My friend?" I asked.

He tsked." You really shouldn't trust wizards. They are always playing games."

I stand up, shocked. His voice held sincerity, and I'd no doubts he was telling the truth, but this is preposterous." You're saying that Dr. Strange knew this would happen?!"

" You really shouldn't trust wizards." He replied in a sing-somg voice.

A memory suddenly appeared in my mind. It was when I, the Captain and Tania were leaving Lyra for the first time.

"Be careful, Steve." He warned. "Destiny has dire plans for you."

The Captain smiled as he shook hands." And I have dire plans for destiny."

That was it.
It was true.
Strange really knew what was going to happen, yet he didn't tell us. My fists clenched in anger. Traitor.

Thanos smirked at my reaction." So you see."

I looked up at him, glaring." Know this, Thanos. We will not give up. We'll fight back, ten times, hundred times, a thousand times against you. We will not give up till you get lost. If we can't protect the universe," my eyes narrowed." You can be damn well sure we'll avenge it."

Thanos said nothing, but just gave me a menacing smile.

"Then it appears that our dance has begun."

My surroundings began to fade. Without warning, I began radiating a golden light.....brighter and brighter. My entire body started convulsing intensely, and then, in a rush of thunder, I exploded into a thousand splintering shards of light.

I bolted awake, my eyes wide open, sitting up suddenly.

The room was white and bright. I was alone. The sharp tinge of medical alcohol hung in the air, and somewhere a machine pinged in rhythm with my heart. I tried to remove my left arm, but a sharp pain restrained me. I looked down and saw an IV tugging at the skin of my forearm.

This was a hospital room. But where am I?

I heard voices from the other side of the door. They belonged to Tania ad Strange.

"Is anything normal around here?" I heard his voice, and gritted my teeth in anger. He knew.

Yankinh the IV from my arm, I sat up, and walked towards the door, fuming. He better explain everything.

****

Narrator's POV

Tania and Stephen were so engrossed in discussing Max's health that both jumped when the door suddenly swung open. Max stood in a hospital gown, his face red with anger, his fists clenched.

"Max?!" Tania exclaimed in surprise." How are yo-" She was cut off when he swung a fist directly at Stephen, who failed to dodge. Hit straight on the jaw, Stephen stumbled back. Max pinned him against the wall,his hand pressing down on Stephen's throat.

"Max??" Tania shouted angrily as she tried to pry him off Strange." What the hell are you doing??"

"You knew this was going to happen!" Max hissed, glaring daggers at Strange." You knew what was going to happen to Steve, so why didn't you tell us??!"

Stephen's face turned pale."I couldn't. That was his fate. Nobody can change that."

"Bullshit!" Max hissed."Why didn't you?"

Stephen slumped, suddenly exhausted with the circumstances." I couldn't." He muttered." Not after the first Infinity War. Not after my role in it."

"What do you mean?" Tania asked, surprised.

"I couldn't,Max."Stephen's lips quivered.

"Because I was the one who killed the Avengers."

Ta-da!
I'm back, with a fresh, sizzling, hot new chapter of 'Galaxias'. Granted that this comprises more of dialogue than action, but it was necessary to potray all the circumstances. Did you like Thanos and Max's meeting?
And what about Dr. Strange's confession about he killing the Avengers? What do you make of it?
Stay tuned for more updates!
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