Chapter 448: The Rat Talisman
Silas stood among the group, staring at Thanos as he stepped out of the wormhole. This was the first time he had seen the Titan in person. Despite mentioning his name countless times, Silas was still struck by the sheer, overwhelming pressure of the man's presence.
Thanos walked with a slow, deliberate pace, his gaze lingering briefly on the fallen bodies of Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive.
"This guy is Thanos? Are we sure he's not just a giant sweet potato?" Tony quipped, eyeing the Titan's purple skin.
"I'd bet on an extra-large one," Rhodey added from the side.
"Focus, everyone," Steve Rogers cautioned. He felt the weight of Thanos's aura; it felt like facing an entire army alone.
In front of them, Thanos stood on the ice, clenching the Infinity Gauntlet. "The Avengers... I've heard of you."
"Really? I didn't think our fame reached that far into space," Tony said with mock surprise.
"Tony Stark," Thanos said, his eyes locking onto Tony.
"You know me?" Tony narrowed his eyes.
"Of course. You are not the only one cursed with knowledge." Thanos began to walk slowly toward them, his fingers trailing over the nearby ice as if feeling the pulse of the planet.
Tony frowned. What was this purple giant talking about? He didn't understand a word.
Thanos inhaled the crisp Antarctic air and stopped just before the Avengers. "Hand over the Stone," he said, extending a massive arm toward Silas, who stood behind Tony.
The team's eyes immediately shifted to Silas.
"Silas?" The Avengers were confused. Why was Thanos addressing him?
"The Stone is indeed here," Silas said, ignoring the looks from his teammates. He held out his hand, and the Mind Stone materialized, glowing with a brilliant orange light. "But... why should I give it to you?" He then vanished the Stone back into his inventory.
The small smile on Thanos's face vanished. "If you give it to me freely, I promise you will not die."
"No thanks. I don't think I'm going to die today. And even if I do, it'll be after you," Silas replied, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.
"ROAR!"
While Silas and Thanos locked eyes, Hulk, unable to contain himself any longer, leaped over the heads of the team and lunged at Thanos.
Bam!
Thanos was caught off guard by the sudden attack and took a heavy punch to the face, stumbling back several steps. Hulk pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of wild, unrefined "donkey punches" on the Titan.
Thanos recovered quickly. Watching the mindless rage of this beast, he was reminded of the Hulk he had fought on the Asgardian refugee ship. "Stupid beast."
Thanos tilted his head slightly, dodging a punch, and countered with a staggering blow to Hulk's solar plexus.
"Ugh!" Hulk stepped back in pain but quickly tried to strike again.
However, Thanos predicted the move. He caught Hulk with a punch to the jaw, grabbed him, and delivered a brutal knee to the chest. As Hulk gasped, Thanos lifted him high. The Power Stone on the Gauntlet flared purple, and he slammed Hulk into the ice with terrifying force.
Crr-ack!
Powered by the Stone, the impact shattered the thick glacial shelf. Hulk was driven straight through the ice and into the freezing ocean below. His eyes grew hazy as he began to drift into the dark depths of the sea.
"Hulk!" Natasha screamed.
"Wanda, go save him! We'll stop Thanos!" Tony shouted.
Tony decided to put aside his questions about Silas and the Mind Stone for now. The priority was keeping that Stone away from the Titan. Tony charged forward, his nano-arms transforming into two massive jackhammers reinforced with thrusters. He swung them with full force at Thanos's face.
Thanos clenched his left fist. The Space Stone glowed, and in a blink, the "Thanos" Tony was about to hit was replaced by Steve Rogers.
"Steve!" Tony yelled, but it was too late to pull the punch.
Steve reacted instantly, raising his shield.
BOOM!
The shield absorbed the brunt of the kinetic energy, but the sheer force of the shockwave sent Steve flying. He slammed into a jagged rock formation, gasping for air. Even with his soldier's constitution, the pain nearly made him black out.
Having brushed aside Steve and Tony, Thanos began walking straight toward Silas.
On the other side, Wanda—having just pulled Hulk from the water—saw the threat. Her face contorted with effort as she telekinetically seized a truck-sized piece of a crashed warship and hurled it at Thanos.
Thanos didn't even look. He simply raised the Gauntlet and made a crushing motion. The ship was compressed into a ball of scrap metal in mid-air and hurled back at her.
Wanda raised her hands to shield her head, but after a moment of silence, she realized the impact hadn't come. She opened her eyes to see the scrap ball floating harmlessly above her.
"Impressive power," Thanos said, now standing only a meter away from Silas.
"Not as impressive as your Infinity Stones," Silas said. With a flick of his mind, the scrap metal fell into the sea, sending up a massive spray.
Thanos opened his left hand, displaying the Stones already in his possession. "The universe's resources are finite. Life, however, grows without limit. One day, the entire universe will perish."
"So you want to use the Stones to wipe out half of all life?" Silas challenged. Even if the intent was "noble" in some twisted way, the method was extreme.
"To trade half of life for the prosperity of the other half... it is a worthy trade," Thanos said, caressing the Stones.
"You don't have the right to decide who lives or dies," Silas said. Then, he spoke to the system in his mind: "Extract the Rat Talisman!"
At that moment, the red Reality Stone on Thanos's gauntlet flared brilliantly. A hexagonal stone fragment flew out from the gem.
Thanos watched in shock. He hadn't activated the Stone; why was it acting on its own? He lunged to grab the flying fragment, but his hand passed right through it. The magical stone flew directly into Silas's body.
"What is this?" Thanos immediately checked the Reality Stone. The power was still there, but it felt as though a core essence was missing.
Silas took a deep, satisfied breath as the power of the Rat Talisman settled into his soul. "One more to go. System, unlock!"
"You truly are an anomaly," Thanos growled, no longer interested in talking. He swung a massive fist at Silas.
Silas flipped backward with ease, landing gracefully in mid-air.
"Thanos!"
Silas crossed his arms and expanded them outward. The entire world flipped upside down—the ice they were standing on was now vertical.
Thanos lost his footing as gravity shifted, but before he could fall into the ocean, the Space Stone flared, and a platform of ice appeared beneath his feet.
"The Mirror Dimension... the ancient one taught you much. It's a pity she chose the wizard to succeed her instead of you."
"I don't have time to play with you right now. Why don't you play with them instead?"
Silas hovered in the air, opening multiple shadow portals. From the darkness, several statues of the Avengers tumbled out.
Having known the Rat Talisman was hidden within the Reality Stone, Silas had long ago prepared these statues.
"This again," Thanos muttered. He realized now that the "Hulk" and the "fat man" from the refugee ship had likely been Silas's creations.
Crr-ack~
"Thanos..." The statue of Carol Danvers shifted from stone to flesh, cracking her knuckles.
Silas's Rat Talisman granted the power of "motion to the motionless," bringing any statue to life. While the power of these statues was tied to Silas's own strength, they were completely loyal to him.
"While I appreciate your vision, I must decline," said a massive, purple-skinned figure in golden armor as it stepped forward.
It was a statue of Thanos, brought to life.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!