Centauri Galaxy – The Black Quadrant.
After a series of relentless hyperspace jumps, the ship departing from Sakaar finally arrived at its destination.
The mont the unfamiliar craft breached the Black Quadrant’s airspace, it was imdiately intercepted by patrols. It was only after Woz presented Lothar’s identification that the ship was permitted to land safely.
"You crashed again, Lothar."
Proxima Midnight, who had just returned from a separate mission, couldn’t help but chuckle as she watched Lothar disembark from the unfamiliar ship.
Of all the warriors in the Black Quadrant, only Proxima Midnight, also one of the Black Order, dared to speak to Lothar like that.
The rest either held ranks too low or, like Corvus Glaive, simply didn’t get along with him—they could barely exchange three civil words.
As for Ebony Maw... Lothar had beaten him senseless once. They were clearly not on the sa page.
"Shut up."
Lothar, unable to refute her entirely accurate remark, maintained his ever-stoic persona and walked past her legion, receiving countless reverent gazes, along with one dramatic eye roll from Proxima.
"Seriously, Lothar. Every single ti you go on a mission, your personal warship crashes. How do you do that?"
Each warrior from the Black Order had their own uniquely outfitted flagship, custom-engineered and irreplaceable. Most treated theirs with care, keeping them in service for years with minor repairs and upgrades.
Even Corvus and Proxima, known for their frugality, had never once lost or damaged theirs.
The Black Order had a proud tradition of discipline and thrift, until Lothar burst onto the scene.
Despite his relatively recent promotion, his reputation as the Black Quadrant’s most notorious money sink was already legendary. Every ti he was dispatched, it ant one less flagship.
Proxima had bet that his recent mission to the Cosmic Auction House would finally break that 100% crash streak.
She lost that bet.
Because there he was, again, piloting soone else’s warship ho.
Which ant she now owed Corvus Glaive another round of letting him pick the, ugh... "special combat stances."
Disgusting.
"How did you manage it this ti?"
"You rear-end soone in hyperspace?"
Proxima leaned in as Lothar filled out his mission debrief paperwork, refusing to let her pride die quietly.
She couldn’t stand losing to Corvus in these wagers.
She was supposed to be the one in charge of that particular position of dominance.
This round had felt like a sure win. Yet here he was again, back in soone else’s ship.
"Get lost." Lothar’s face darkened.
So what if he crashed again?
You think he wants to?
Besides, it wasn’t like the Black Quadrant was short on ship-building materials.
"If you gamble on again," he growled, glaring coldly at her, "you and Corvus will pay for it."
He completed the transfer forms in the port office, then turned and strode toward the base, his cape billowing behind him.
Did they really think he didn’t know?
Idiots.
Lothar couldn’t understand why the usually aloof and commanding Corvus would go along with Proxima’s childish gas.
If it were him, he’d have started throwing punches already.
Like with He...
Wait. Why did she co to mind just now?
Lothar shook off the fleeting thought and pushed it aside as he entered the heart of the Black Quadrant’s base.
If things played out as expected, he would likely never cross paths with Hela or Jennifer again.
He had a mission to fulfill—the vision of his father.
"...He’s gotten... a little cuter, hasn’t he?"
Watching his figure fade into the distance, Proxima smirked with curiosity.
The old Lothar wouldn’t have exchanged more than a single "Get lost" with her, at best, a cold courtesy in Thanos’s na.
Sothing had definitely changed.
She found herself wondering: just what had Lothar encountered?
Inside the Black Quadrant base, Lothar kneeled on one knee before the throne, clad in a loose black combat uniform.
"Father."
"Welco ho, Lothar."
Still studying the galaxy chart before him, Thanos turned, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his eyes—a rare, fatherly warmth.
"...I’m sorry, Father."
"I lost the Reality Stone."
Lothar didn’t rise after his greeting. He remained bowed, openly confessing his failure to his adoptive father.
Gathering the Infinity Stones had always been Thanos’s goal. And now, because of him, the Reality Stone was gone.
Sha clouded Lothar’s expression.
"Is that so?"
A heavy silence fell over the grand hall, broken only when Thanos spoke again, his voice calm yet laced with quiet disappointnt.
"You rember what I once told you, Lothar?"
The warmth in his eyes faded. A solemn authority replaced it.
"Never let pride blind your eyes."
"And tell ... did you heed that when you faced Ego?"
Thanos stood tall, towering over Lothar. Behind him, planetary orbits flickered in holographic motion.
"Father... how did you kn—"
"Answer , Lothar!"
The thunderous roar of Thanos’s voice echoed through the chamber like a cosmic storm. Lothar’s head lowered.
"...No. I didn’t."
"But Father, my strength—"
"Then report to the Penitence Zone," Thanos snapped, cutting him off with icy finality.
This was the first ti since Lothar began operating independently that Thanos had assigned him to punishnt.
"I’m not angry about the Reality Stone," he continued, voice cold but controlled. "I’m angry because of the arrogance and ignorance you’ve allowed to fester in your bones."
"I want you to understand: you won’t always have the luck to survive disaster."
"If it weren’t for the Grand Sage Gubo, do you think you’d have lived long enough to break through and grow stronger?"
Lothar remained silent.
"Your power is imnse. Your growth, astonishing even to . But it’s because of that power that arrogance has begun taking root."
"Perhaps... I’ve gone too long without correcting you."
"Once you enter the Penitence Zone, you will not leave without my permission."
"...I understand, Father."
Lothar gave a final nod and turned to leave.
After he disappeared down the hall, Ebony Maw erged from the shadows of the chamber.
"Why did you treat Lothar so harshly, Lord Thanos?"
Maw couldn’t grasp the rationale. Lothar’s blank expression as he left had said it all—he hadn’t truly accepted his punishnt in spirit, only in form.
Maw believed: had Thanos told Lothar he’d already avenged him by slaying Ego, his expression would’ve been anything but blank.
Thanos, now seated on his throne, stared coldly at Ebony Maw, who instantly bowed low, cold sweat beading on his back.
"Forgive , Lord Thanos!"
"...Leave."
After a long pause, Thanos finally spoke. Maw let out a breath of relief and retreated from the throne room.
Thanos was left alone, once again gazing at the vast galactic chart before him.
"Pride... will be your downfall soday, Lothar..."
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