Machinations

As Thalorin, the Inhuman spy, left the premises, he could feel the piercing gazes of Thanos's squad upon him. Thanos appeased their curiosity by informing them that he had managed to extract information from the spy and sent him away to relay a warning to his race.

Dave whistled, impressed by Thanos's effective torture methods, while casting a disappointed glance at Frank, as if he had just seen him leaving to buy milk. Frank glared back at Dave and growled, "He's the boss, and obviously better at this than me."

Thanos asked if they had already implanted a GPS tracker in the spy's body, and Frank nodded, confirming that the substance they had injected Thalorin with would effectively track him down. Satisfied, Thanos left the base in a car that had been waiting for him. As he drove away, he couldn't help but think, 'Why did she have to be Inhuman? The tests never revealed that fact.'

Meanwhile, in another location, Bruce Banner woke up in a dark alley, disoriented and confused about his whereabouts. The last thing he remembered was making a delivery with a coworker before his mind went blank. He left the alley, still wearing the same work clothes, and found himself in a bustling marketplace, not far from his workplace.

Feeling a surge of panic at the thought that he might have transformed into the Hulk without realizing it, Bruce decided not to return to work and to change locations to avoid potentially hurting anyone. As he walked through the marketplace, he passed an old woman selling fruits and vegetables. Curiously inspecting her wares, he unwittingly shuddered at the sight of a pile of purple eggplants. Unaware of what could have caused his sudden aversion to the innocuous fruit, he quickly left the area.

Upon returning to Jersey City, Thanos took a moment to survey the cityscape—the buildings, the inhabitants, and the overall atmosphere. While he contemplated the scene, he received a notification from his manager informing him that Tony Stark had returned and announced his decision to cease manufacturing weapons.

A smile played on Thanos's lips as he thought, 'You see, my friend, I can't know every possible future, but I will make the most of everything else I have knowledge of.' It seemed as though he was thinking to himself, but a cackle echoed within the deepest recesses of his mind.

As the titan continued to observe the city, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. His machinations were beginning to bear fruit, and the delicate balance of power and control was slowly shifting in his favor. His ultimate plan was coming together, piece by piece, but he knew that there would be many more challenges to face before he could achieve his ultimate goal.

In the shadows, his squad prepared for the battles ahead, each member honing their skills and embracing their roles in the grand scheme of things. They knew that their leader was a force to be reckoned with, and they were ready to follow him to the ends of the Earth.

As the sun set on Jersey City, casting its streets in a golden glow, Thanos stood tall, the weight of his ambitions resting firmly on his broad shoulders. With each passing day, he grew more resolute in his quest for power, his determination fueled by the knowledge that he alone held the keys to shaping the world as he saw fit.

And so, the stage was set for a new era, one that would be defined by the titan's indomitable will and insatiable thirst for control. But as the saying goes, "heavy is the head that wears the crown," and Thanos would soon learn the true cost of his ambitions.