At that moment, a familiar system notification broke Thor's thoughts:
"Ding, congratulations on triggering the Thanos-related quest: The Last Supper. Completing the quest will grant you a reward!"
Thor's brow furrowed as he continued to listen.
"Mission Introduction: I am a retired fruit farmer, Thanos. That day, as usual, I carried my small bag, gathered fruit, and quietly cooked soup. Who knew that before my soup was even ready, a group of robbers would rush in, beat me—a widowed old man—overturn my soup, destroy everything in my house, and finally chop off my head!"
"Mission Goal: Let Thanos finish his bowl of soup before he dies and allow him to leave as a full ghost. Mission Reward: Advanced Artificial Intelligence Red Queen."
Thor blinked. "…What?"
For a moment, he stood still, processing the bizarre task. Then, as if making up his mind, he turned back to the others.
"In our lands, it's a tradition—out of humanitarianism—to grant a condemned prisoner their last meal before execution. So…" He paused, meeting Gamora's gaze. "He can finish his soup."
Gamora gave him a faint, almost imperceptible nod of gratitude.
A soft ding sounded in Thor's mind.
"Drip, congratulations to the host for completing the mission: The Last Supper. You've received the reward—Advanced Artificial Intelligence: Red Queen."
Thor ignored the system for now, though its description of the Red Queen AI flickered briefly in his mind: a supercomputer from the Resident Evil universe, tasked with managing the Hive while protecting both humanity and the Umbrella Corporation. It was an AI with conflicting directives, ultimately leading to morally ambiguous decisions.
For now, the AI was far from Thor's immediate concerns.
As Thanos finished the last of his soup, a faint glimmer appeared above the Soul Stone in Thor's hand.
"The eternal deal has been finalized!"
Thor frowned. "What deal?"
The Soul Stone's sentient voice echoed in his mind:
"Remember the sacrifice rule of Vormir? I don't only crave a soul of great power—I desire the soul of one's most beloved. That green-skinned woman, Gamora, loved the purple Titan as much as she despised him. The bond between them fulfilled my requirements. Though the exchange came late, the deal is now complete."
Thor's eyes narrowed. "So what does that mean?"
"It means you now hold full dominion over the Soul Stone, unbound by the ten-year limit. It will remain with you until you die or willingly relinquish it. then, when my role is fulfilled, and I shall return to Vormir to await the next soul-for-soul exchange."
Thor sighed, tucking the Soul Stone away. He didn't have time to argue with the stone's cryptic nature.
Moments later, Gamora emerged from the small house, her steps unsteady. In her hand, she held a dagger, the blade still slick with blood. Her expression was a storm of conflicting emotions—rage, sorrow, and something close to madness. It was impossible to tell whether she was crying or laughing.
Thor watched her, a rare moment of reflection passing through his mind.
Thanos sacrificed Gamora, and now Gamora has sacrificed Thanos. Is this what they call karmic retribution?
The universe seemed to have a way of self-correcting. Thor thought back to the chain of events: Ragnarök occurring for reasons unrelated to prophecy, Asgard transforming into a destructive Titan, and Captain Marvel missing the Infinity War despite early warnings of Thanos' invasion.
Even the Soul Stone's sacrifice seemed to hold a twisted balance: father and daughter, bonded by love and hatred, completing the cycle.
Perhaps this was why certain key events remained unchanged despite the divergence of the timeline. It was also likely why Doctor Strange had handed over the Eye of Agamotto—despite his vow to protect it—to ensure Iron Man's survival. Strange had foreseen the need for Tony's continued presence in a future war yet to come.
Though Thor was curious about the full scope of Strange's vision, he knew the sorcerer would never reveal it. That kind of foresight was a burden, and one Strange wouldn't share easily.
Nearby, Tony Stark stood silently, staring at the aftermath. Thor placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't brood, Stark. I've told you before: the stones haven't vanished. They can be found again."
Tony shook his head, his expression troubled. "That's not what I'm thinking about. I'm wondering if my approach has been wrong all along."
He raised his damaged wrist armor, the metal warped and cracked. "Look at this, Thor. My best armor, built with the strongest materials I could find, and it still wasn't enough. Not against him."
Thor remained silent, letting Tony continue.
"Even Vision, who had a Vibranium body—the hardest material on Earth—was still torn apart like paper. And here I am, pouring everything I have into designing the next piece of tech, only to realize it's still not enough."
Thor raised an eyebrow. He couldn't deny Tony's point.
On Earth, technology had always been humanity's greatest strength. For a genius like Tony Stark, it was the ultimate weapon. But even the most advanced technology was a slow process, often lagging behind the rapid escalation of universal threats.
"The Earth's tech base is too weak," Tony muttered. "We're playing catch-up in a game we're not equipped for. Even Wakandan tech, as impressive as it is, revolves around Vibranium. It's not the same path I've been following."