Thanos sat in his comfortable chair, his appearance still concealed by the Scarlet Amulet, giving him the facade of a human businessman. His eyes closed, the titan contemplated his next move, finding it much easier to use his powers. In the past, reading the mind of someone would take minutes; now, he could accomplish it in mere seconds depending on the individual.
His thoughts were interrupted by an unknown lifeform he sensed within his building. Thanks to his high extraterrestrial IQ, Thanos had memorized every single biosignature of the members of his organization, meaning that even a shapeshifter couldn't sneak up on him using the disguise of one of his men – unless the shapeshifter could also change their biosignature to correspond to their victims', of course.
Minutes later, Thanos received a call. "Mr. Kai, Mr. Obadiah Stane has arrived," a pleasant voice came from the device next to the titan. Thanos answered, "Accompany him to my office." The woman agreed, and the call ended.
Moments later, a bald man with an expensive-looking bluish suit emerged from the elevator, guided by a female secretary in professional attire. Thanos asked the woman to bring some refreshments, and she nodded before leaving. As Stane approached Thanos's desk, he extended his hand for a handshake. The titan reciprocated with a professional smile and shook Stane's hand.
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Obadiah Stane took a seat in the chair opposite Thanos, immediately cutting to the chase. "Let's get down to business, shall we, Mr. Kai? I assume you know why I'm here."
Thanos nodded. "Indeed, I do."
Stane grinned. "How much do you want, or what do you want in exchange for selling your stocks that you bought from Stark Industries?"
The unnerving smile on Stane's face tempted Thanos to simply squeeze his head and end his existence, but he didn't want to cause that kind of change in the timeline. Instead, Thanos revealed that he was seeking connections and intel rather than money. His company and organization were already known and influential, but they lacked crucial information and connections. With more intel, Thanos could potentially find exceptional individuals not related to the Avengers' events and recruit them to his cause.
Obadiah Stane appeared puzzled by Thanos's decision but ultimately didn't care. The deal seemed feasible to him, so after a few adjustments, they concluded their contract. They shook hands again, and Stane left Thanes Inc. with a smile on his face, completely unaware that something had accompanied him, stealthily hiding under his clothes.
Thanos leaned back in his chair, scribbling numbers, names of locations, and other cryptic messages on a piece of paper. He smirked.
"Your death is written, your pain is my choice, and your tears my joy." The titan closed his eyes once more, a satisfied smile gracing his face.
However, an inhabitant of his mind cringed at the titan's words, metaphorically banging its nonexistent head against the walls of Thanos's psyche. With the world unaware of his true identity, Thanos continued to plot and scheme, setting the stage for a grand showdown that would change the course of history.