Marvel: What If Thanos Adopted A Saiyan?-Chapter 164 - 165: Lothar’s Confinement – Odin’s Journey to Vormir

Chapter 164: Chapter 165: Lothar’s Confinement – Odin’s Journey to Vormir

"Prince Lothar."

"Out of my way."

"But—"

"Do you want to die?"

Centauri Galaxy, Planet Q-91.

Descending onto this desolate penal planet, Lothar wore a grim expression as he strode toward the colossal bronze-hued gate, towering three men high.

Behind him, The Other stumbled to the ground but clenched his teeth, picked up his scepter, and doggedly followed Lothar, ramming into the seemingly decorative metal door.

"Your Highness, it was because of me that you went to Gafa, so I—"

"Spare me the self-pity. I never said I went to Gafa for you. Stop flattering yourself."

"But—"

"You can come along if you want, but if you die in there, there won’t be another chance to resurrect."

Lothar paused, glanced sideways at the hesitant The Other, and gave a cold smirk before vanishing into the swirling black nebula that lay beyond the bronze gate.

"Prince Lothar!"

Despite his fear, The Other took a resolute step toward the dark portal, only to be blasted away the next instant by a barrage of energy beams!

"What?!"

"Chitauri, leave Q-91. Do not approach the Dark Nebula."

As Lothar entered the gateway, the hidden guards responsible for securing the penal grounds finally emerged from the shadows.

Gripping his scepter tightly, The Other ultimately chose to retreat. After all, Thanos had never ordered him to share in Lothar’s punishment.

"How tedious."

Within the Dark Nebula, Lothar appeared at the true confinement arena, and instantly transformed into his Super Saiyan state. Torrents of unrestrained power surged within him, burning like wildfire.

"Father, I’ll show you... my power." Whispering to himself, Lothar, who firmly believed his punishment was unjust, faced the thunderstorm-laden skies of Q-91 and launched his right fist upward.

A fist that could rend the stars, and legs strong enough to shatter planets beneath their step.

Wreathed in golden ki, his radiant form was a beacon amidst the barren wasteland.

Watching his son’s defiance from afar, Thanos stood with arms folded and an unreadable expression.

"So it’s come to this... Is this because I haven’t disciplined you in a while?"

"A true king cannot afford arrogance and prejudice, Lothar."

Thanos sighed inwardly after a long silence, casting a complicated gaze toward the empty throne.

He had always believed Lothar’s development was under control, but now...

"By his own words, he’s still twenty millennia too early..."

Thanos, who had raised Lothar as his successor from a young age, suddenly felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.

He could only hope this confinement on Q-91 would help Lothar realize where he had gone wrong.

Ending the surveillance feed, Thanos exited the Black Quadrant base. Standing on the barren surface, he gazed into the stars, contemplating how best to deal with his foster son’s increasingly wayward temperament.

As his heir, such a mindset was unacceptable.

...

"Prince Lothar, we’ve detected a life force at coordinates 1024.91."

Back on Q-91, Lothar, whose power had already surpassed the need to fear punishment, followed Woz’s tracking data and came face-to-face with a towering draconian lizard, large enough to block out the sky.

"Haven’t eaten this in ages."

Recalling this delicacy from his childhood, Lothar snapped his fingers. With a sonic boom, the enraged beast collapsed instantly, paralyzed.

Treating the punishment as a vacation, Lothar began roasting the creature without the slightest guilt.

"Woz, can you still track the Reality Stone?"

Lothar reflected calmly. He now believed Thanos’s wrath stemmed from his loss of the Reality Stone.

"If I remember right, that Flerken still had the tracking collar around its neck when Ego threw it out of Gafa?"

As the dragon meat sizzled to a perfect golden hue, the savory aroma wafted into the air. Lothar bit in, juice dribbling as he savored the rich flavor, only to be interrupted by an unexpected voice.

"Lothar?"

"Living like a caveman now, are we?"

Hair freshly conditioned, Hela scanned the barren landscape with faint amusement in her eyes before settling her gaze on Lothar, feasting like a barbarian.

"Woz?"

Lothar paused mid-bite, raising a brow.

"Prince Lothar, Woz already disabled Lady Hela’s magical communication channels."

Woz, currently sipping motor oil nearby, was clearly just as baffled by Hela’s sudden appearance.

"My mother said my power would grow with Asgard’s strength."

"And as luck would have it, Asgard just won the war against Vanaheim under my father Odin’s leadership."

Hela’s hologram walked forward and sat directly across from Lothar.

"Getting stronger without lifting a finger, huh? Whatever."

Lothar made no further effort to disconnect her. With Hela’s rapidly increasing strength, Woz couldn’t block her transmissions even if he tried.

Besides, he was bored out here alone.

He didn’t tell me to piss off immediately?

Hela raised a brow in surprise. She had been fully prepared to be cursed out, and to gloat in return, but Lothar gave her nothing.

It felt... hollow, like punching cotton. No resistance, no reaction.

"Prince Lothar, Woz cannot detect the tracking signal from the Flerken’s collar."

Sticking to his orders, Woz finally cut into Hela’s conversation, breaking the moment.

"You—"

Before Hela could finish, her image vanished. Lothar clicked his tongue and took another savage bite of the succulent dragon meat.

...

Asgard – Hela’s Palace.

"Father, is something wrong?" Hela respectfully greeted Odin as he entered her chamber.

"It’s time, child."

"Yes, Father."

Though the map to Vormir she’d obtained from the Collector had been stolen by King Rodus of Gafa, Hela’s flawless memory had already memorized every route and detail.

Now that she had returned to Asgard, Odin, unwilling to entrust the mission to others, would personally escort her to Vormir to retrieve the Soul Stone hidden there.

"Were you speaking with someone just now, Hela?" Odin paused, glancing back at her with curiosity.

"No. No one." Hela replied firmly.

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