The tension in the throne room was palpable. The air crackled with a charged energy as Javier Sánchez stood before Thanos, the Mad Titan himself, who had been thrown into an uncertain silence. The Black Order lingered in the background, unsure of what would come next, but none dared to speak.
Javier's gaze remained unwavering, his confidence radiating through the room like an unyielding flame. The glint in his eyes was one of both resolve and sly charm, an air of a man who knew he was playing with forces far beyond his control—yet not afraid to face them head-on.
"I understand you, Thanos," Javier said, breaking the silence. His voice was smooth, almost conspiratorial. "You're not a man to make decisions lightly, especially where your daughters are concerned."
Thanos' eyes narrowed as he leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable. His voice, though deep and cold, was tinged with curiosity. "You think you understand me, boy? You come here, asking for what you have no right to demand, and you expect me to take you seriously?"
Javier's smile never faltered. "I think you're a man who desires control more than anything else. And I think your greatest fear isn't losing your power or your army. It's losing the one thing you can never fully control: the hearts of your daughters."
Thanos' eyes flashed with something dangerous, but Javier wasn't deterred. He had learned long ago that the key to controlling the conversation with someone like Thanos was not to show fear, but to offer something the Titan could not resist.
"I propose a bargain," Javier continued, his tone taking on a more serious edge. "I'm not asking for your permission, Thanos. I'm offering you a chance to make your greatest wish come true. Anything you desire. In exchange, I want to marry Gamora, Nebula, and Proxima Midnight."
The words hung in the air like a gauntlet thrown at the feet of a titan. The Black Order reacted immediately, their faces a mix of disbelief, anger, and confusion. Even Gamora, Nebula, and Proxima, who had stood silently by, looked momentarily stunned.
Thanos, however, remained motionless. For a brief moment, it was as if time itself had stopped.
"You dare offer me a deal?" Thanos finally spoke, his voice low, yet laced with a dangerous amusement. "You think I need a deal? You have no understanding of what I desire, boy."
Javier didn't flinch. He had anticipated this. He knew how to play the game. He stepped forward, his gaze steady and unyielding.
"Oh, but I do understand, Thanos," he said, his voice calm but resolute. "You want to reshape the universe. You want to perfect it, to eliminate half of all life to create a better balance. But deep down, I think you know that the one thing you truly crave is something you can never control: the loyalty and love of your daughters."
A muscle twitched in Thanos' jaw. He was silent for a long moment, but the air around him grew heavier, as if the universe itself was holding its breath.
"You offer me what, then?" Thanos growled, the faintest flicker of interest now present in his voice. "A chance to achieve my goal? To gain something more than just power?"
Javier nodded slowly. "Anything you want. Your greatest wish, Thanos. You want to wipe out half of all life? You want to bend the universe to your will? I can make it happen. I have the power to make any of your desires a reality."
The Black Order exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from stunned to furious. Gamora, Nebula, and Proxima Midnight, still reeling from the audacity of Javier's proposal, stood frozen, their faces betraying nothing.
Thanos' eyes, dark and calculating, narrowed. "And what, pray tell, is the cost for such a... generous offer?"
Javier's smile was both sly and genuine. "Simple. You grant me the right to marry your daughters. To have them by my side, not as soldiers, not as weapons, but as equals, as partners. I want them to have the freedom they deserve, the choice to live their lives without the chains you've placed on them."
A ripple of shock passed through the room at Javier's bold words. He could feel the weight of every gaze upon him, and yet, his confidence remained as steady as ever. He was offering Thanos a deal, one that was impossible to ignore—at least, not without serious consequences.
"You would barter with my daughters' futures," Thanos said, his voice a deadly whisper, "for the fulfillment of your own personal desires?"
Javier's gaze never wavered. "No. I'm offering you a chance to achieve your grandest ambition. But in return, I ask for them."
For the first time, a flicker of something resembling uncertainty passed through Thanos' eyes. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by the cold resolve that had defined him for so long.
"You believe you can manipulate me with such a deal?" Thanos snarled, rising from his throne, his towering figure casting a shadow over Javier. "I am Thanos! The Mad Titan! There is no power greater than mine!"
Javier didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped closer, his eyes locking onto Thanos' with a gaze that was fierce, unwavering. "But even you, Thanos, can't control everything. You can't control love. You can't control their freedom. You can't control what's inside their hearts."
The tension in the room could have shattered a planet. The Black Order stood frozen, waiting for Thanos' response. For a moment, it seemed as though the Mad Titan might crush Javier where he stood.
Then, unexpectedly, Thanos chuckled—low, guttural, almost darkly amused. "You are bold, Sánchez. I'll give you that. And this... this offer of yours intrigues me."
Javier's heart skipped, but he remained composed. Thanos was dangerous, yes, but in that moment, he was a man who had just encountered something he hadn't considered before: a potential path to his ultimate victory.
Thanos took a step back, eyeing Javier with newfound respect. "You are right about one thing, Javier. I do not control my daughters. I cannot bend them to my will. But do you think they will choose you? You think that they would choose to stand by your side over mine?"
Javier smiled, his gaze moving briefly to Gamora, Nebula, and Proxima Midnight. They had been silent throughout the exchange, but their expressions were hard to read. He knew that this moment would change everything.
"I can't speak for them," Javier replied honestly, "but I think they're tired of being tools. Tired of being pawns in a game they didn't choose. They're warriors, yes. But they are also individuals, capable of making their own choices."
Thanos' expression darkened. "And if they choose you, you expect me to simply step aside?"
Javier nodded. "Yes. Because I'm offering you what no one else can: the chance to finally achieve your true desire. To change the universe. To have everything you've dreamed of. And in exchange, you grant me what I've asked for."
Thanos was quiet for a long moment, his massive frame looming in silence. The room held its breath.
Then, slowly, he spoke, his voice tinged with both menace and amusement. "We will see, Sánchez. We will see if your offer is worth anything."
---
The tension in the room was still thick, but Javier knew he had just made a deal that would alter the very course of the galaxy. He had played his cards, and now the Mad Titan was left to consider the true weight of the proposal. And as for the Black Order... well, they were in for a ride they could never have anticipated.
End of Chapter 63.