In the ward of Arkham Sanatorium, Shiller was doing his rounds when a nurse walked in and said, "Doctor Shiller, it's nearly time for your appointment with Mr. Strange, do you want to head over now?"
"Alright, I'll be right there, I apologize, sir, I need to leave first."
Shiller nodded at the two people in the ward, exited, and went to the glass-enclosed visitor area on the second floor of the main building. Strange was already waiting there, evidently having used a teleportation portal to arrive.
Shiller approached, handed his record book to the nurse, and after she left, he sat across from Strange on the sofa, asking, "What's up? Why did you need to make an appointment so late last night, is there an emergency?"
Strange furrowed his brow, rubbed his temple with his finger and said, "It's not a big deal, I'm mostly just puzzled about why you encouraged Loki to stir up Thanos to challenge another version of himself in a different universe to seize the other Thanos' resources."
Strange let out a sigh, shifted his posture and said, "To be honest, I'm not afraid of the infinity stones, and I'm not scared of our universe's Thanos getting the Infinity Gauntlet. After all, we've drawn Emperor Mount Wey into the game, and your relationship with Eternity ensures that Thanos from our universe won't get a chance to snap his fingers."
"But territories, subordinates, and resources are the real threats. If he really can bring the dark quadrant from that universe back here, it would definitely pose a tremendous threat to human civilization, perhaps immediately."
"Of course, Shiller, I understand that you might have a follow-up plan, but I still think this step is somewhat risky. Thanos is only a temporary ally, yet possesses infinite potential. If he gains a solid foundation, we would be in trouble."
Shiller tilted his head slightly to indicate that he understood. As he was about to stand up and get some wine, Strange said, "I've given up alcohol. Let's have some tea instead, I just brought it back from the Himalayas."
With a wave of his hand, a pottery jar and a few teacups appeared out of nowhere and landed solidly on the table. Hot water gushed into the cups with a "splash", and the tea leaves slowly floated up.
Shiller picked up his tea cup, blew on it gently, and said, "Of course, I can understand your concerns. Although humans are rapidly developing, they don't have a firm foundation. Meanwhile, Thanos has infinite potential."
"Nevertheless, my actions are still aimed at maintaining balance. For Thanos, territories and populations are not only assets but also burdens."
Upon hearing this, Strange's brows relaxed slightly. As long as Shiller had a plan, it was better. He repeated the word, saying, "....burdens?"
"Exactly, among the humans, the Asgardians, and Thanos, only Thanos has nothing to lose. He stands alone, he has nothing, and while he appears to be the weakest, he poses a significant threat to us."
"The essence of the threat is that both humans and Asgardians have territories and subjects. Although the strong among the humans and Asgardians are not afraid of Thanos, what if he is determined to wreak havoc? Today, he sends a few suicide bombers to Earth; tomorrow, he targets the Asgard fleet on patrol. Surely we can't just sit and do nothing, hunting him down all over the universe, right?"
"Like Mandarin?" Strange had some insight.
Shiller took a sip of tea, nodded, and said, "That's right, like Mandarin. Is Mandarin powerful? Maybe, but just the SWORD agents are enough to deal with him. Consider his behavior, playing both sides between S.H.I.E.L.D and SWORD, he should have died long ago given his abilities."
"The reason he is still alive is that he is just a fly. Humans will only try to swat flies when they have free time. When they are busy, who would obstruct their work just to kill a fly?"
"Although the surface of the Earth is peaceful now, everyone is secretly competing. Everyone knows that the early stage of entering the interstellar society offers the best dividends. If you don't seize the opportunity to develop and take a large slice of the cake, but rather divert your attention to killing flies, wouldn't that be stupid?"
"It is the same with Thanos. If he were hiding alone in the vast star ocean, we would not even have a target to attack. But if he, like the Asgardians and humans, had his own territory and population, then before he does anything, he needs to think about whether his country will be attacked."
"Oh, I see it now." Strange nodded, saying, "An unscrupulous fugitive will naturally resort to every possible trick, just like Mandarin. However, every nation is currently focused on development. To keep up with the trend, even causing minor trouble for others secretly, they dare not make too much noise. Otherwise, in addition to hindering their own development, public opinion is also troublesome."
"Mandarin is notoriously evil and is a wanted criminal in many countries. His subordinates are mostly fugitives and poachers, friendless and fearless. What we need to do is prevent Thanos from becoming like that, from becoming a terrorist, instead, to become a legitimate nation."
"After joining the interstellar society, it is equivalent to joining the order side. Enjoying the prosperity and stability that comes with the order naturally requires compliance with the rules. Though this provides him a chance to develop, it can significantly reduce his risk."
Shiller nodded, affirming Strange's thinking, saying, "In a sense, it is easier to deal with kings than assassins, at least for people like us."
"Also, the infinity stones are not interchangeable between different universes. Most of Thanos' troops probably died in the war. The only thing of significant value is his territory and the resources accumulated by Thanos in the past. Honestly, it's pitifully little." Shiller shook his head, blowing on his cup of tea.
"However, Thanos has no other choices. Accumulating from one to ten is not difficult, but first, he must have that 'one'. He is well aware that both humanity and Asgard are on their guard against him, and will surely prevent him from acquiring capital. This might just be his only chance."
"He knows that we are profiteering off his desperation, trading him trivial territories and resources for a multitude of promises, but he must seize this only chance. Thus, even though the offers are meagre, he must take them."
"For this opportunity, he's willing to pay a large price, and in turn, he reveals a weakness. So, why not take advantage of it?"
Strange nodded, indicating that he understood.
"Oh, and there's another thing..." Strange touched his temple and said, "Do you remember the country that you referred to as a 'ridiculous little nation'? Latvia?"
Shiller's tea-drinking action paused for a moment. As soon as this familiar name popped up, a figure naturally came to mind, the famous Doctor Doom from the comics, also the monarch of Latvia.
Many people are familiar with Doctor Doom. He's a famous villain in the Marvel comics. Born in a small Eastern European country, his mother was a gypsy witch, making him acquainted with magic from an early age.
After going to university, a tragic accident left his face scarred. Heartbroken, he returned to his hometown, established Latvia, and became its ruler and dictator.
Doctor Doom's defining characteristic is his ability to use both technology and magic. Also, he always desired to rescue his mother's soul from Hell.
Shiller put down his tea cup and looked at Strange, "Latvia? ...Oh, I remember now. Wasn't there a country that sent a robot to The Sanctum last time, saying it wanted to trade with Mephisto? How did their negotiations go?"
"That's what I was just about to tell you." Strange put down his tea cup and wiped his mouth, "The king of this small country is called Doom. His mother was a Gypsy witch, and her soul was taken by Mephisto. Doom wanted to negotiate with the Master of Hell to get his mother back, but Mephisto refused."
Shiller frowned and asked, "Why? Isn't it just a human soul? Didn't Latvia have enough money? But I remember their technology was quite advanced, it seemed no less than Wakanda's?"
"You've pointed out another key factor." Strange gave a bitter smile, "Latvian technology is indeed advanced; they even have some Magic Tech. However, their national situation had just stabilized, and their energy reserves weren't abundant. In order for Doom to trade with Mephisto, he must acquire more energy."
"Somehow, Doom had heard that the Panther God of Wakanda was open to doing business, so he sought for a trade in Wakanda. It's unclear why, but they ended up in a fight."
"Doom is quite good at combating, he ended up beating up the King of Wakanda, the Black Panther. Unable to just stand by, the Panther God stepped in to break the fight. But Doom ended up beating it too. The Panther God, scared out of its mind, hid in its divine country and refused to come out."
"Animal Gods are part of the African Deity System. Currently, all deity systems are understaffed. With the Panther God cutting work and hiding at home, its colleagues, the lion, snake, fish, and bird that we have met before, are almost worked to death."
"Yesterday, the lion came to me, pleading to me to justify their case, accusing Doom to be a thieving highwayman, demanding mental compensation."
Shiller chuckled bitterly and held his head as well. What a spectacle this is!
But he was more concerned about Doom's situation, so he asked, "Did Doom get the energy he wanted?"
"He did. The lion wasn't wronging him. After Doom beat the Panther God, he plucked a tuft of fur from its tail. The main reason the Panther God doesn't want to leave its divine country is that it feels ugly with a bald tail."
"So, did he get his mother back?"
"Not at all!" Strange sighed heavily, "Indeed his mother was an Eastern European Gypsy Witch, but even witches need to eat. To make ends meet, his mother used to be an auditor at a Soviet Arms Factory."
"Mephisto has been sneakily poaching the souls of financial professionals from Earth, and Doom's mother was the star employee in Hell, the leader of the quarterly fiscal settlement group. How could Mephisto let her go?!"
"Mephisto made it clear that anyone attempting to snatch his precious workers would have to step over his dead body. Geez, who could beat him?"
Shiller slapped his forehead in exasperation.