Collector

Nagato stared at the natural darkness of the cosmos, regarding hundreds, if not thousands, of dazzling stars. However, Nagato's attention was still driven by something else. In between his fingers, he held the Tesseract, which glowed with the sovereignty of its own.

"I know that your true power is hidden beneath this fraudulent material," Nagato said, remembering those six stones lingering in the air. His theory was deemed to be correct, for he took one rod by the edge.

Placing the Tesseract onto the floor, Nagato extended his weapon behind his back. "Show me your true power." Nagato smashed the cube as a crack spread in the center.

Not stopping to inspect even once, Nagato kept on hitting the cube until it was completely shattered. A power far denser swept through Nagato's body immediately, forcing a smile to spread across his face.

Could Biju even be compared to this naturally compact energy?

"Spectacular." Nagato extended his hand to grab the stone, feeling its raw vigor. However, when Nagato's finger brushed the surface of the Infinity Stone, his hand swelled with blue veins.

The power behind this natural force was too powerful for a simple body to bear, for Nagato didn't dare to touch it again. No... even gods wouldn't be able to compress this intense energy within their bodies.

Perhaps these stones weren't created to be wielded by anyone because, after constantly using this kind of power, the user should automatically die. Still, it was enough for Nagato since he didn't plan to use these stones regularly.

He needed them for only one time.

"We are nearing the Knowhere, mister." The robotic voice articulated as Nagato retreated his gaze from the stone. The planet of Knowhere looked nowhere as brilliant as others, it was enveloped in a brownish shade.

"Fly to the coordinates I have stated before," Nagato said, then glanced at the King of Hell, who was awaiting a further order. "Swallow this stone."

King of Hell obliged. His mouth opened at an impossible angle as his tongue sprung out, wrapping the stone and withdrawing it back.

Nagato unsummoned the creature.

-

"Brilliant, I will await your further response with deep anticipation." Taneleer Tivan answered the phone, smiling with the genuine delight he rarely showed. "Gamora."

"Huh?" Tivan wanted to ask about some other details regarding their deal. However, this woman ended the call. Perhaps she didn't like when he called her by her name. He will take that into consideration in the future.

"Is everything going well?" The maid asked from the side, offering some hot tea. Tivan pushed her out of the way, causing all the cups to smash against the floor.

"What the hell are you doing? Can't you keep your hands steady?" Tivan looked at her from above, disgust clear in his expression. "Don't ruin my night or I will let you share the same fate as your sister."

The maid clicked her tongue but responded with a nod. It still wasn't the moment for revenge. She had to wait for a perfect opportunity. Tivan didn't bother with her anymore, leaving to inspect some of his spectacular collections.

Before that, however, he stopped in front of a mirror. Every aspect of his face looked excellent, though the haircut could be altered a bit. Tivan would make sure- he froze.

An unfamiliar person stood beside him, glaring at him with his eccentric purpler eyes. No... that couldn't be possible. Tivan blinked a few times, yet the person didn't disappear.

"You are the collector, right?" Nagato whispered, placing a black rod against Tivan's back. He sensed him shivering slightly, though it was just for a bare moment.

"I am." Tivan regained his composure, answering quietly. It was not the first time that someone was coming for his life, yet it didn't mean that he wasn't scared.

"I came here hoping to hear some information of certain importance to me." Nagato pushed the rod further, causing the collector to flinch at the perception of cold metal. "Your apprentice told me you were quite interested in this topic as well."

'That bastard. I will kill him!' Tivan roared mentally but didn't dare to say anything aloud.

"I want to the location of the Infinity Stones," Nagato said louder than before, a scary presence excluding from his body. Tivan frowned visibly at the question.

"Unfortunately, I-" Nagato pushed the rod further as it penetrated Tivan's skin. His teeth clenched at the pain as panic filled his heart. If he died right now, then he could never collect all the Infinity Stones. However, giving this stranger information wasn't so favorable either!

Damn it!

"I will tell you, calm down!" Tivan yelled, feeling blood leaking down his torso. The weapon stopped moving as Tivan talked immediately. "I don't know the exact location, but Gamora stole one of the stones!"

'Gamora?' Nagato thought for a moment, skimming through the taken memories. If the information was correct, Gamora was the adopted daughter of Thanos who was, Nagato noted, also after the Infinity Stones.

Since Gamora still didn't deliver the stone to her father... does that mean she betrayed him?

"Thank you, now I know that taking your memories is compulsory." Nagato grabbed Tivan by the hair, who struggled hopelessly.

"Hey, man, don't kill me! You will regret this!" Tivan shouted violently, trying to unsuccessfully escape from Nagato's grip. "I may even know the location of other stones! It's in Asgard! Just don't kill me! We can even work together, I have conta-

Nagato devoured Tivan's memories one after another, huffing. He really didn't enjoy using this ability so much, for it took a great stroll on his mind. It flooded his memories with others, and it took an annoying amount of time to transpire through everything.

Soon, Tivan's body fell to the ground, his makeup gradually perishing from the sweat. Nagato stood quietly for a moment, storing through everything. Then he sighed and opened his eyes, frowning slightly.

Tivan actually didn't know the exact location of other stones; only that perhaps one of them was hidden somewhere in Asgard. However, the matter with Gamora wasn't just a fabrication.

Not only that, but Gamora was soon coming here to sell the stone. How dull. Some puny money couldn't appreciate the power behind an Infinity Stone.

Still, Nagato felt satisfied. He didn't even need to do anything, since the stone was going to be brought right into this workshop. The nearby noise interrupted Nagato's train of thought.

"Mister?" A maid came out from the corner, shock visible in her eyes.

Nagato regarded her with no emotions, extending his rod towards her.

"Please no," she mumbled but got nothing in response. The rod set off, speeding towards her as it penetrated her through the heart. Her body fell against the floor, turning the carpet dark red.

"I am afraid I can not leave any witnesses, but I respect you for enduring so much pain," Nagato said, then glanced back at Tivan's dead body.

He crouched and grabbed something out of his pocket. It was a tube, populating a unique worm of black color.