"Is it resolved?" Thor asked as Captain Marvel stepped through the door.
"Resolved. Supreme Intelligence is history," Carol replied, her tone as straightforward as her approach.
The conversation was brief but brimming with implications. It seemed Carol had gone directly to the heart of the Kree Empire and eliminated their ruling power.
Though the Supreme Intelligence was an artificial construct—essentially an advanced version of an AI like Ultron—it was the ultimate authority of the Kree. With its destruction, the entire Kree infrastructure would collapse. The living members of their leadership were little more than figureheads, subordinates to the Supreme Intelligence.
In a sense, the Supreme Intelligence was a god to the Kree. Its downfall meant the Kree's military power would diminish significantly. For years to come, their ability to operate in the universe would be severely crippled.
Thor gave a subtle nod. "Looks like the Kree and the Skrulls are back on equal footing."
Meanwhile, reports trickled in from the Ravagers who had been dispatched to the unnamed farming planet. They had found no sign of Thanos. It seemed he had not yet returned.
Thor wasn't surprised. This wasn't the Thanos of the original timeline, who left the battlefield as a victor. This was a defeated Thanos, injured and humiliated. He was likely planning his next move elsewhere.
But this time, Thanos' options were limited. The Avengers were united, no longer splintered or fighting their battles alone. Captain Marvel had returned to Earth ahead of schedule, and Hela—once a fearsome villain—now stood as a reluctant ally. While Hela might not follow Thor's orders in every matter, her hatred for Thanos ensured her cooperation when it came to dealing with him.
With such a powerful coalition, even a fully equipped, six-stone Thanos would struggle to pose a significant threat.
Thor instructed the Ravagers to keep watch on the farming planet. He also called on his contacts across the universe to search for any trace of Thanos. Places with high information flow, like the Sakaar arena, were excellent hubs for gossip and leads. The Grandmaster, with his vast network of informants, would undoubtedly hear whispers of the Mad Titan's movements.
A few days later, Thor stood in Kamar-Taj, addressing Strange directly. "Where's Mordo?"
Strange shook his head. "There's no trace of him. He's accepted Dormammu's power, and now his strength rivals my own."
Thor groaned, raising a middle finger in frustration. "Didn't you see the future? You must've known this would happen. You even handed over the Eye of Agamotto. If you've seen the future, how do you not know where Mordo went?"
Strange hesitated, an odd expression crossing his face. "I've seen 14 million possible futures, yes. But in only one of them do we succeed."
"And?" Thor prompted impatiently.
"Why would you assume Mordo's actions are aligned with the 'perfect' timeline?" Strange countered.
Thor froze, beginning to understand. Strange continued, "Even now, there are infinite possibilities for Mordo's actions. My ability to see the future isn't all-encompassing. Using the Eye of Agamotto, I observed 14 million outcomes. That's far from the total number of possible futures."
Thor sighed, rubbing his temples. "So, in the end, you didn't see every future—you just saw 14 million of them, and one happened to work."
Strange gave a slight smile. "Precisely."
Thor muttered under his breath, but before he could continue his complaints, Strange interrupted. "There's another matter. It concerns Jean Grey."
Thor turned, his irritation replaced by curiosity. "What about her?"
Strange chose his words carefully. "The artifact around her neck—it isn't strong enough to fully suppress the Phoenix Force. Under normal conditions, it works. But if her power surges, the circlet's control will fail instantly."
Thor frowned. The circlet, while invisible to most, was obvious to powerful sorcerers like Strange or Wanda. A few days earlier, Wanda had made an offhand remark: "Why does your beautiful friend have a collar around her neck?" That comment had earned her three days of relentless pursuit from Jean.
Thor nodded slowly. "I've thought the same. The circlet is a temporary fix, nothing more."
Suppressing the Phoenix Force was an enormous challenge. The circlet was a stopgap measure, not a solution. But Thor's own power was growing rapidly. One day, he believed he would be strong enough to help Jean master the Phoenix Force and remove the need for any external suppression.
Before the conversation could continue, Natasha's voice crackled through the comms. "Thor, we've got a situation!"
Thor straightened immediately. "What's going on?"
Natasha's reply was brief but urgent. "The Ravagers sent a report—they've found something."