Thanos stood slowly and looked at the Soul Stone in his hand, the orange glow reflecting across his face while the memory of what it had taken still lingered in his eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek before vanishing into the cold wind of Vormir.
"Didn't expect I would see the universe's overlord cry," a voice said.
Thanos turned immediately.
Luke stood in front of him, hands in his pockets, watching him calmly.
"So even you have something you cry for."
"Who are you?" Thanos asked.
"Well," Luke replied casually, "the one who sent you the location of the Soul Stone. That was me."
This was what he had Mobius arrange. The current year was 2014, only a month after the Earth itself had turned to dust.
Thanos looked at him for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.
"So you used me to obtain this," he said, slightly raising the Soul Stone.
"Yes," Luke answered openly. "Not everyone is willing to sacrifice someone they love for a piece of glowing rock."
"Not everyone understands the peace the universe requires," Thanos replied calmly. "Prosperity demands sacrifice. Balance demands sacrifice. It is something that must be done."
His voice carried absolute certainty, not madness.
"The resources of the universe are limited," he continued. "Life multiplies endlessly while worlds remain finite. Eventually there is starvation. War. Collapse."
The wind moved around the cliffs while he spoke.
"I watched it happen to Titan," Thanos said. "My world was powerful beyond imagination, yet its people refused to act because the solution was unpleasant. They chose denial over survival."
His grip around the Soul Stone tightened slightly.
"And then they died anyway."
Luke remained silent, letting him continue.
"You call me cruel," Thanos said, looking directly at him now, "but what I offer is mercy. Random. Fair. Without prejudice." His expression hardened slightly. "The universe does not need more dreamers who refuse reality. It needs someone willing to do what others will not."
Luke tilted his head slightly.
"So your answer to suffering is killing half of existence."
"My answer," Thanos corrected calmly, "is preventing total extinction."
He slowly looked down at the Soul Stone in his hand.
"When I finish this," he continued, "children born afterward will never know hunger. Entire civilizations will thrive where they once fought over scraps. The universe will finally become balanced."
"And they'll never even know you murdered trillions to do it," Luke replied.
Thanos did not flinch.
"The hardest choices require the strongest wills," he said quietly.
"Yes, you are correct." Luke said.
In one way, he was responsible for Gamora's death. He had been the one who led Thanos toward the Soul Stone knowing exactly what price Vormir demanded.
Then Luke raised his hand.
"So now, Thanos," he said calmly, "give me the Soul Stone."
Space distorted around him instantly.
Purple energy erupted first as the Power Stone appeared above his palm, raw destructive force making the air tremble around it.
A second later the green glow of the Time Stone formed beside it, followed by the blue light of the Space Stone and finally the shifting crimson energy of the Reality Stone.
Four Infinity Stones floated around Luke slowly, their combined power bending the atmosphere of Vormir itself.
Even Thanos' expression changed slightly at the sight.
"You possess four stones already," he said quietly.
"Yep," Luke replied. "So here's what I propose."
The stones rotated behind him like small stars orbiting a dark center.
"A duel."
Thanos remained still, watching him carefully.
"The winner gets all the gems."
The mountain grew silent after those words.
Then slowly, Thanos smiled.
The expression of a conqueror being offered a challenge worthy of him.
"You would risk the fate of the universe on battle," he said.
Luke shrugged slightly.
"I figured asking nicely wouldn't work."
A low sound escaped Thanos, almost a laugh.
"You are either incredibly confident," he said, "or completely insane."
"Probably both."
Thanos closed his hand around the Soul Stone.
"The universe has tested me for decades," he said calmly. "Civilizations. Armies. Gods. All of them stood against destiny and all of them fell."
His gaze locked onto Luke.
"And now you stand before me carrying the very power I seek."
"Yeah," Luke replied. "And now you're standing in front of the guy who's going to take yours."
Then Luke clenched his fist and the four Infinity Stones disappeared.
The pressure surrounding the mountain vanished with them, leaving only the cold wind moving through the cliffs of Vormir.
"Now let's fight," Luke said.
Thanos smiled faintly at that.
Without taking his eyes off Luke, he placed the Soul Stone securely into the armor at his side, then reached behind his back and pulled out the massive double-bladed weapon resting there.
The metal spun once in his hand before settling into position.
Then both of them disappeared.
The ground beneath where they stood exploded a fraction of a second later.
Luke's fist collided directly against Thanos' blade in midair.
The impact generated a shockwave powerful enough to shatter the mountain beneath them. Stone cracked apart across the summit, massive fractures tearing through the cliffs while the surrounding peaks split under the force.
*****
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