Temple Number Two was quiet, but not peaceful.
The moment Mister Fantastic claimed he was "one of the four smartest people," Thanos's eyes sharpened.
Smart.
That was a rare resource.
The Black Order was capable—ruthless, efficient—but vision? Strategic breadth? They excelled at executing plans, not redesigning the board. Ebony Maw was cunning. Corvus Glaive was calculating. But neither truly grasped the architecture of war.
If this elastic human possessed genuine intellect, he might be… useful.
"Deep Blue," Thanos ordered calmly, "display the battle sandbox. Alliance of Gods engagement. Full scale."
The air above the command platform shimmered.
A three-dimensional projection of the Solar System unfolded in light.
It zoomed in smoothly, centering on Jupiter—a massive striped titan surrounded by drifting wreckage and swarming fleets.
On opposite sides of the gas giant, two enormous armadas maneuvered like schools of predatory fish.
Energy beams streaked constantly between them.
The Obsidian Five directed Thanos's side with disciplined aggression. The Alliance of Gods responded with structured formations and coordinated shield rotations.
Around Jupiter orbited its seventy-nine moons—each now a strategic asset.
Frigates that had absorbed too many hits retreated behind satellites to recharge shields. Larger warships maneuvered toward icy moons to siphon volatile resources for rapid energy replenishment. Control of these celestial bodies meant sustainability.
War wasn't just firepower.
It was logistics.
Initially, the Alliance had used Jupiter's gravitational shadow to launch a devastating ambush. Now that advantage had faded, and both sides were locked in grinding attrition.
Despite superior numbers and combat conditioning, Thanos's forces hadn't achieved decisive dominance.
That irritated him.
He turned his gaze to Reed.
"How should this proceed?"
Reed froze.
He had expected interrogation.
Not consultation.
Was Thanos assuming submission? Testing loyalty? Or simply confident enough to solicit enemy advice?
Reed's mind raced.
He knew nothing about space warfare. Nothing practical, at least. The holographic display might as well have been an abstract painting.
But Thanos didn't know that.
And if he could subtly sabotage him…
The enemy of my enemy.
Reed began circling the projection, hands clasped behind his back, pretending analysis while frantically reverse-engineering visible patterns.
Both fleets were contesting a cluster of moons. Thanos's forces were about to secure one key satellite.
Reed pointed.
"There," he said carefully. "Withdraw temporarily. Feign weakness. Lure them forward and encircle."
It sounded tactical.
Convincing.
He had no real framework for it—only instinct and misdirection.
Thanos stepped closer to the projection.
Silence filled the chamber.
He observed orbital paths. Satellite rotations. Hidden vectors.
Then he saw it.
Several of Jupiter's outer moons had subtly shifted position. The Alliance fleet's "retreat" pattern wasn't collapse—it was staging. If Thanos pressed forward blindly, his vanguard could be funneled into a kill corridor, cross-fired from behind lunar cover.
Reed hadn't sabotaged him.
He had accidentally exposed a trap.
Thanos slowly turned his head.
For a moment, Reed wondered if he had miscalculated catastrophically.
Instead—
A low hum of approval.
"Deep Blue. Order Sector Theta to disengage and reposition. Immediate retreat."
"Yes, Master."
On the projection, Thanos's forward ships pulled back just as the Alliance's concealed satellites shifted into strike alignment.
The trap closed on empty space.
Reed blinked.
He hadn't expected that.
Thanos regarded him with new interest.
"You possess strategic intuition," he said evenly. "Rare."
Reed forced himself not to react.
Inside, his stomach dropped.
He had meant to mislead.
Instead, he had strengthened Thanos's position.
—
Meanwhile, aboard the flagship of Zeus, the war map flickered.
An officer stepped forward nervously.
"Your Majesty… the enemy vanguard has withdrawn."
Zeus leaned forward.
"What?"
"Their ships retreated just before our encirclement maneuver completed."
The God-King's expression tightened.
The satellites had been positioned perfectly. The timing calculated precisely. The Obsidian commanders shouldn't have detected it in time.
Unless—
Someone saw through it.
Zeus's fingers drummed against his throne armrest.
"So," he muttered softly, eyes narrowing, "Thanos has sharpened his claws."
Outside, beams of divine light and dark plasma continued to carve the space around Jupiter into a battlefield of burning wreckage.
The war had just become more interesting.
The gods gathered around the floating projection were practically vibrating with excitement.
"As expected of the God-King!"
"We barely had to bait them. They swallowed it whole."
"Once the two satellites align, our hidden fleet will seal the perimeter. Thirty thousand ships? Finished!"
Laughter rippled through the chamber.
At the center stood Zeus, his golden armor gleaming beneath the light of the projection. His smile was broad and satisfied, the look of a ruler already imagining victory banners fluttering in the cosmic wind.
Originally, the plan had been modest: wound Thanos, withdraw, regroup.
But if this fleet could truly be annihilated…
Why settle for minor damage?
No matter how powerful Thanos was, could he really stand alone against hundreds of thousands of warships?
As the disguised satellite drifted closer, the massive force hidden behind it powered up quietly. Engines hummed. Targeting systems locked.
Then—
Thanos's fleet retreated.
Without warning.
Without hesitation.
The trap snapped shut on empty space.
"…How so?" Zeus muttered, the single phrase thick with disbelief.
The chamber went silent. The earlier flattery evaporated instantly.
A poised and beautiful goddess finally spoke, her tone measured. "It seems… there are capable minds among them."
Zeus's jaw tightened. Irritation flared across his face.
"Damn them," he snapped. "Send the fleet in pursuit. If we cannot annihilate them, then seize the satellite. We must gain something."
Several gods exchanged uneasy glances.
The enemy fleet had withdrawn cleanly. No visible losses. Pursuing blindly could very well lead them into a reverse ambush.
But Zeus's temper was rising, and none of them were eager to test it.
Perhaps, they reasoned, the enemy would simply keep retreating.
And if they secured the satellite and its resources, at least the operation wouldn't be a complete failure.
So the pursuit began.
—
Meanwhile, inside Temple Two, the battlefield unfolded across a massive holographic sand table.
Thanos studied the projection quietly.
Then he smiled.
"Not bad," he said calmly. "I didn't expect you to detect their ambush so quickly."
Beside him, Mr. Fantastic felt a sharp, invisible slap across his own face.
What ambush detection?
He had assumed Thanos was charging toward the satellite to seize it. He'd interpreted the maneuver as reckless expansion.
But now—
Now it looked like the enemy had been luring them in all along.
If he had misjudged that, and Thanos had walked into a trap because of his silence…
Reed felt a cold sweat form.
Thanos turned slightly.
"Mr. Fantastic," he said, almost conversationally, "what would you suggest we do now? Continue retreating?"
The tone was light.
But Reed knew better.
This was not casual curiosity.
This was a test.
If the fleet continued retreating, the enemy might abandon pursuit and regroup safely.
If they counterattacked at the right moment—
Reed's thoughts spun rapidly.
No. We need this fleet to fail. We need Thanos to bleed.
He shook his head quickly.
"No, we shouldn't retreat further," he said firmly. "We should turn back immediately."
Lose the fleet. Draw them in. Overextend.
Thanos said nothing at first.
He leaned over the projection, studying fleet positions, trajectories, and hidden vectors. His massive fingers adjusted the holographic markers with calm precision.
A moment passed.
Then his eyes brightened faintly.
"Yes," he murmured. "Let's return."
Reed's heart skipped.
Thanos continued, "Hela has just arrived in the adjacent sector with reinforcements. If we pivot now, we can form a counter-encirclement."
Hela.
Reed felt his stomach drop.
What he had intended as sabotage had just become fuel for a larger trap.
The enemy gods believed they were chasing retreating prey.
In reality, they were accelerating straight into a tightening noose.
Thanos straightened, satisfaction faint but unmistakable.
"Excellent insight," he added calmly.
Reed forced himself not to wince.
Somehow, every time he tried to undermine the Titan—
He ended up helping him win.
.....
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