Aboard Sanctuary II, Thanos stood in triumph, the Mind Stone finally separated from Vision's alloyed skull. The golden gem gleamed as he placed it into his gauntlet, the Infinity Stones beginning to radiate an ominous power.
With a flick of his hand, Thanos transported himself to Gamora's cell.
Gamora glared at him with unyielding defiance. "I told you—I will never tell you where the Soul Stone is."
Thanos's expression remained calm. "Very well," he said, waving his hand.
A screen lit up behind him, displaying a live feed of the Guardians' cell. Inside, Gamora's friends writhed in pain under Ebony Maw's psychic control. Star-Lord suffered the most, bound by chains that stretched his limbs to the breaking point.
Peter's screams echoed through the room.
"Ahhhh!"
Gamora's composure cracked as she covered her ears. "You monster! Stop this!"
Thanos's voice remained steady, almost indifferent. "You can end this, Gamora. Tell me where the Soul Stone is, and I'll spare them."
"I won't tell you," Gamora spat, her face filled with hatred. "Even if we all die, I won't let you win!"
Thanos shook his head. "Pity. Their deaths will be meaningless."
He raised his gauntlet, the Mind Stone glowing. "You know I could force you to tell me. The Mind Stone ensures that."
Gamora's heart sank as she realized the hopelessness of her situation.
Meanwhile, on Vormir, Natasha landed hard on the rocky ground, her body aching from the fall.
Groaning, she opened her eyes to see Thor's smirking face.
"You bastard!" Natasha yelled, struggling to her feet. "I've been free-falling for ten minutes! Do you know how hard it was to work up the courage to jump?!"
Thor laughed, helping her stand. "That's what you get for deciding things on your own without consulting me."
His voice softened. "Natasha, the goal isn't to sacrifice you or anyone else. The goal is to protect everyone—including you. If we sacrifice what we love to save others, aren't we just proving Thanos right?"
Natasha blinked, her expression softening. "You mean…"
Before she could say more, Red Skull floated toward them, his eerie visage unchanging.
"You misunderstand," the ghostly figure rasped. "He didn't stop you because he loves you most. He stopped you because he doesn't know who his true love is."
Thor's jaw tightened, his face darkening as Natasha burst into laughter.
"Don't listen to him," Thor growled, glaring at Red Skull. "This guy doesn't know what he's talking about."
But Red Skull only grinned. "I've been here long enough to recognize love—or the lack of it."
Thor stepped forward, his hand clenching Stormbreaker. "Red Skull, right? I'll remember you. And next time, we'll settle this properly."
The mention of Stormbreaker made Red Skull recoil, his confident facade slipping.
Natasha wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "Alright, Thor. If you're not sacrificing me, what's the plan?"
Thor hesitated, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "I brought you here to retrieve the Soul Stone, Natasha. But not through sacrifice—not like this."
"What do you mean?" Natasha asked, confused.
Thor avoided her gaze, scratching the back of his head. "I… uh… I can't be sure who I love the most. But I'm pretty sure you love me the most."
Natasha stared at him, speechless.
Before she could respond, Thor stepped back toward the cliff's edge.
"Thor, wait—" Natasha shouted.
"It's fine, Nat," Thor said, giving her a reassuring smile. "You'll take the Stone back to stop Thanos. And if this works… well, you owe me a drink in Valhalla."
With that, he jumped.
Back on Asgard, Jean Grey gasped, her psychic powers activating as she clutched her head.
"I see it!" she cried out.
"What do you see?" Hela demanded, her voice sharp.
Jean pointed toward the horizon, her voice trembling. "A sorcerer in a yellow robe… he opened the portal and let the enemy into the treasury. His mannerisms, his dress—they're Kamar-Taj, but I don't recognize him."
Frigga's expression darkened. "Perhaps I know who's behind this."
In the corner, Loki remained silent, his face unreadable.
Fandral, standing beside him, clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't take it to heart, Loki. Your name's been cleared. No one blames you."
But as Fandral's hand reached out, Loki was gone, disappearing into the shadows.
"Uh… where did he go?" Fandral asked, bewildered.