Marvel: My Sign-in System

"You are indeed more clever than I anticipated. Unfortunately, your mind works too quickly, making it difficult to discern the truth in your every word."

Loki stood before Thanos, attempting to maintain composure. Fear and despair gnawed at him, yet he suppressed them, forcing himself to appear calm and rational.

There was no deep-seated hatred here—no vendetta spanning lifetimes. The interaction between them transcended such trivial emotions, shaped instead by the vast power imbalance that defined their universe.

Yet, as Thanos knew, Loki was not someone who would surrender willingly. Compliance was not in his nature.

If Loki had been capable of true submission, Thanos might have spared him the indignity of kneeling. But unplanned outcomes were anathema to the Titan, and he despised uncertainty.

"You are nothing but an insignificant pawn in my plans," Thanos said coldly. "And if you wish to remain useful, I demand your obedience. Kneel."

His towering figure loomed over Loki, radiating a biting indifference and murderous intent. Loki's body trembled involuntarily. The primal fear threatened to overwhelm his reason, dragging him into the depths of despair.

His legs weakened, but pride kept him gripping the Eternal Spear tightly. He hoped the ancient weapon—once wielded by his father—might grant him courage. Yet he knew that courage was meaningless before Thanos.

Resistance would only provoke the Titan's wrath.

Loki made his decision quickly. When Thanos released his grip on Loki's chin, the trickster god lowered his head, his pride crumbling. He took a step back, then knelt, his voice laced with forced reverence.

"I am willing to surrender to you, the great Thanos. I only ask that the sun may still shine upon me... and that I may take my revenge on Asgard."

Loki knelt with feigned devotion, his words dripping with submission. His gaze, however, betrayed a flicker of defiance as he looked up at Thanos.

The Mad Titan seemed not to notice. He stared at Loki with an expressionless face, scrutinizing him.

"You will make a fine chess piece," Thanos said at last. "I can grant you freedom, but only if you play your role well. And yet..."

He paused, his eyes narrowing.

"...this alone is not enough."

Loki's resentment and unwillingness briefly flashed in his eyes but vanished as quickly as it came. Lowering his head, he extended the Eternal Spear toward Thanos.

"I offer my loyalty to Thanos," he declared solemnly.

A faint smile played on Thanos' lips as he took the spear. He examined it for a moment before summoning a weapon of his own—a scepter adorned with a brilliant, gleaming gem.

The air around them seemed to ripple as invisible forces spread from the gem.

Unbeknownst to Loki, his thoughts began to shift. Subtle changes rippled through his mind, implanting another consciousness that silently reshaped his will.

The entire process took less than a moment.

Thanos noticed the brief flicker of darkness in Loki's eyes before they returned to normal. His smirk deepened as he placed the scepter in Loki's hands.

"This will help you fulfill your purpose," Thanos said. "Don't disappoint me."

"Yes, Thanos," Loki replied, clutching the scepter tightly.

Thanos turned and ascended the steps to his throne. As the space rippled around him, his massive form disappeared, leaving Loki alone.

Loki stared at the scepter in his hands. The fear, anger, and shame that had consumed him earlier seemed to dissipate, replaced by a singular thought: obey Thanos.

"Asgard... Midgard..." Loki murmured.

Yet, as he repeated the names, an unclear figure emerged in his mind. It was a formless, sacred presence—something beyond his comprehension.

A voice within him screamed to warn Thanos of this potential threat, but an invisible force held him silent.

On a beach far from the chaos, Leon lay on a chair, sipping iced juice. His beach attire—a brown hat, sunglasses, and a loose shirt—contrasted sharply with the serious expression on his face.

Nearby, Natasha Romanoff read a tablet, while Wanda Maximoff flipped through a book on crafting magical weapons.

Leon's gaze shifted to a platform in the sea where his younger charges sparred, their faces serious. What had seemed like an ordinary day had taken an unexpected turn.

"Thanos... sharp as ever," Leon muttered, his voice low.

Underneath his sunglasses, his eyes narrowed. After the battle in the Mexican town where the Frost Giants had been eradicated, he'd used the Sky Blade to establish a link to Loki's spiritual realm.

What began as a connection turned into an invasion. Without Loki even realizing it, Leon had planted a seed in his soul—a remote trigger mechanism.

It was a precautionary measure, and now it had borne fruit.

Through Loki's eyes, Leon received every image, memory, and interaction the trickster god experienced—including the details of Thanos' plans.

Even Thanos, for all his knowledge, hadn't detected this intrusion. Though the Titan was versed in many things, the intricacies of the soul world were not his strength.

"Planning to use Loki as a test subject, are we?" Leon mused. "Clever. And cautious."

Thanos' strategy was clear: he intended to wait for Odin and the Ancient One's inevitable decline, ensuring their absence before making his next move.

Leon smirked, setting his drink down.

"Patient as always, aren't you, Thanos? But you're not the only one who plans ahead."

...

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