Thanos sat back in his chair, lost in thought as he contemplated the events of the day. He replayed his session with Samson in his mind, trying to decipher what he might have accidentally revealed. The enigmatic Titan couldn't help but feel that his therapist was onto something, despite Thanos' efforts to reveal as little as possible.
As he pondered, Thanos opened a secret compartment in his desk and withdrew two vials of a pristine liquid. "Reindeer Milk," he mused, "I couldn't even afford a gallon in my past life." With a deep sigh, Thanos took a long sip of the drink, savoring the taste and texture. He continued to drink and the more he consumed, the more he talked.
"If destroying a world could give me a ton of these, I would gladly do it," Thanos said, half-jokingly, the liquid emboldening him. The voice in his head chuckled at Thanos' addiction, but the Titan couldn't help but feel that he had some truth to his words.
Just then, a woman entered his office and quickly noticed the numerous empty bottles in the bin next to Thanos' desk. She skeptically looked at him, but Thanos ignored her gaze and smoothly handed a contract to Ava Starr, who had decided to join his organization.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Without the experimental suit that she had tested earlier, Ava already felt the pain of her unstable powers, but she accepted the contract nonetheless. As she probed further about her role in the organization, Thanos disclosed only that her missions would involve intel gathering, spying, and retrieving certain objects. When Ava tried to pry further, Thanos simply told her that it was all in the contract.
After carefully reading the contract, Ava was surprised by its contents, particularly the generous pay. Thanos explained that he was always generous with his hardworking employees. He also informed her that she could stay in the building, in designated chambers, since she had nowhere else to go for the moment.
Before leaving, Thanos assured her that when the suit was fully operational, she would be the first to know. Ava smiled and thanked him, but Thanos waved it off. He then called someone on his desk device to guide Ava to her new room.
Once alone, Thanos turned his chair toward the transparent glass that offered a stunning view of Jersey City. As he retrieved another bottle of the milk, he muttered, "Soon."