FAITH

I must constantly challenge myself if I am to continue to progress.  Directly overhead there are several large plates being added while I finish my initial warm ups. The giant claws, which I created to accomplish this task, struggle even now as I double the previous weight bringing it up to several hundred tons.

The weight stops at the midway point as the unimaginable amount of tonnage takes its toll on my physical form. The body begins to shake and there are sounds of ripping and tearing but I am Thanos; and what is pain to one such as I.

An astral vision in garments of purest white tears a hole from what ever dimension it came; Her face, even her movement, is unmistakable.  However, the effect of having such epiphany can be murderous, especially on the flesh as over 100 tons rain down on me from above. My automatic forcefield takes care of the debris.   Even my floor is intact, as the adamantium, which I created, is undamaged.

"You will soon meet the one responsible for your perversion, the one who tainted you with its evil," the vision declares.

"MOTHER"

"The last time I saw you, you looked much different," I say.

But my sarcasm is not lost to her as she says, "This is true, but what else could a woman say when she had been vivisected and examined from every angle from her loving son?"
"I see death has given you a sense of humor, although a black one," I reply.

She seems to suddenly grow despondent as she then says, "I have paid for my sins as will the entire universe, but all I can think of when I look upon you is the blessed child I held in my arms and showered with kisses."

"I find such sentiment unpalatable."

"As I’m sure you do a mother’s unconditional love."

"Be away bothersome vision and return to your exile from beyond, I have much to do before I return home and visit my brother and your mate. "

"Know this, that death will abandon you just as she abandons all for one such as her cannot love and will lie and conspire to get what she wants."

However, before I even have time to relinquish my hold on what just transpired, her black highness appears before me, being carried by two of her servants and the apparition of my mother gone.

"Mistress death what do I owe the pleasure of this visitation? "

She does not address me directly, but instead does so through her mouthpiece which stands apart from the other servants. A large humanoid configuration of a diseased rodent.

"THERE IS A SORCERER WHO CURRENTLY HOLDS THE TITLE OF MAGUS IN THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH OF TRUTH, HIS GOAL IS TO BECOME IMMORTAL SO THAT HE AND ALL MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WILL BE ABOVE MY MISTRESS’ TOUCH. SUCH A BLASPHEMY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE.  BUT THE CHURCH IS ONLY IN ITS BEGINNINGS AND CAN STILL BE CRUSHED.  NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE ABLE TO CRUSH ONE OF YOUR MISTRESS’ FOES BUT YOU WILL ALSO BE ABLE GAIN SOME POWER OF YOUR OWN BY BECOMING HIS ACOLYTE.  IT IS WRITTEN IN THE CHURCH’S ARCHIVES OF ONE WHO WILL COME, THAT ONE SHALL BE YOU."

It hands me a kind of sacrament, which I devour and then turn to the task she has assigned me.

My thoughts are interrupted by my robotic servant SR-22.  Although I had been there for some time I was not sure how long, for Eternals are extremely long lived and I could have been there for a century perhaps longer for time is not the same for beings who stand outside its jail.

"Master, you were immobile and conversing with yourself for an extended period of time, is everything all right?"

I am silent as I always am after visiting her, a return to the flesh is truly terrible and it causes the hate I have for this vessel and all like it to grow and fester only the embrace of Death can bring sweet release.

"'I brought the bionic enhancements, as you requested a teleportation device you enhanced from home world of Titan"

EXCELLENT SR-22 NOW LEAVES ME, THE MOMENT IS NEARLY UPON US.

When I arrive, I cannot help but make a connection with the Ikons, the ceremonial dressings, the layout, it is a religious sect. Not merely any but the one my mother followed when I was but small. The creature was alien and spoke in a strange tongues as did my mother when she went into trances for what seemed long periods, and when she had awaken she always seemed to weep the return to the flesh as well. All around was a congregation of humanoids who would do anything for the master which stood surrounded by many strange symbols clearly he was building an army of followers but for what purpose? But if my Mistress had me come, then clearly this being was more formidable than he appeared.

I walk down the center aisle as all around me there is crying and self-mutilations. The being that leads the congregation is somewhat insect like in appearance and like most insects, he was ruthless as he punished a young couple on the alter as they kicked and scream with there two bodies sewn together for adultery. Or so it appeared. Such sophistry was difficult to refrain from, as I wanted to tear down this altar.

But in what seemed to be a cross from a past memory and a vision I saw my mother holding my body before a similar altar and I had to wonder the strange coincidence
At first he does not seem to even notice me as I approach the altar, which soon begins to run red with crimson and spills onto my boot?  Why anyone would follow such foolishness as this so blindly. His eyes opened and they glance at me with such indifference that even I could not predict their next move. But with his stare I soon felt his alien presence rummaging through my mind seeking to know who I am.

"THANOS YOU COME AT LAST AS IT WAS PROPHESIED BY WHO WEARS THE MANTLE OF THE OF THE MOON.  AND YOU WISH TO GAIN SERVICE AS MY ACOLYTE?"

The being goes through my mind and answers my questions before I can even ask them, it is as if he has stolen my free will.

"DO NOT BE AFRAID, YOUNG Thanos, WHEN I WEAR THE ROBES OF THE MAGUS I AM ONE WITH GOD AND NOTHING CAN BE HIDDEN."

Why would my mother bring me to such a place and for what purposes?  Clearly the old ways must be torn down and replaced by my own dark visions.

"THOSE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED IN TIME MY NEWLY ACQUIRED ACOLYTE ALL IN DUE TIME.  NOW, YOUNG THANOS, DRINK OF MY CUP."

I drink the bowl of wrath for what does someone whom worships death itself. And in the corner of my eye I saw her kneeling next to me, her hand gently on my shoulder as the contents burned my innards burn with retribution but I did not cry out after all, was I not Thanos?  But as I saw him, my mind seemed to go numb and I saw it come from his stomach, first as black shadow tendrils reached toward me, their touch like ice. And in the corner of my left was my Mistress who stood by me protecting me from the touch of God.
Time passed and he taught me his methods, and although I never learned to project my thoughts with ease into another's mind, I soon learned that I could prevent him from seeing my own.  I began to develop a defense and soon my resistance was enough to where I could hide my thoughts from the Magus by simply thinking of something else. But to keep such a front from one such as he was difficult and he tested my mettle, as I had to maintain my vigilance both day and night.

I learned more defensive incantations then offensive ones, but I eventually learned how to bind my own cosmic energies with those of his own dark reservoir and it increased my energies almost exponentially as it added a mystic element to my normally destructive powers. This would be my edge when he would try to destroy me, for one thing was evident to him and that was my strength was growing daily and soon I would pose a threat.
My mother had such faith in her religion and I recall how she performed the rituals almost tirelessly and without fail. Faith to me seemed a weakness as those who saw it preyed on the weakness and it was her only fault for other then her faith and the blasphemy of giving birth she was a strong woman. But her faith failed her as it does all those foolish enough to waste there time on such rituals.

"TOMORROW IS THE BAPTISM AND THEN YOU WILL MEET GOD FOR THE PROPHECIES SPOKE TRUE, YOU ARE THE SEED OF THE GOD AND TOMORROW HE WILL CLAIM YOU AS HE INTENDED FROM THE BEGINNING AT LAST THE PRODIGALS SON RETURNS."

The creature’s words began to fill in piecemeal memory which did not quite understand what my mother was doing as she followed these exact rituals during my youth.  She was preparing me for this. Was I to be her sacrifice? And if so why did she not do it? And why was she telling me now?  I return to my chambers to prepare when she appears her countenance more ebon than even Mistress Death.

She covered herself with purple raiment and her deathly pallor and sunken in face could only sob as she just looked upon me: her hand reached out to touch me but, as she drew closer I saw her robe open just slightly and an insect like abdomen was revealed. A knife then came from on high like some great judgment.

"YOU REVERTED TO TYPE PREMATURELY INSECT," I begin to draw upon his own dark reservoir, which I wedded my own energies to during my training with him and surrounded my fists with the hybrid mystic/union.  I knocked the blade from his grasp with one of the fighting techniques I had learned with my last opponent; he seemed surprised by my physical assault, thinking that I would only use a mystic attack, and how I was also able to incorporate his own skill in a new and creative way.

"How is this possible?  You have not the necessary training to defeat a Magus from the Church of Universal Truth."

He tried to enter my mind and determine my next course of action, but he found it impossible, as my mental defenses were now equal to the task at hand. Once again I had countered him successfully, I had spent all my time not merely in study but in learning both my opponents strengths and his weaknesses and using old knowledge in new and innovative ways.

"I NEEDN'T LAY HANDS UPON YOU MYSELF, OBSERVE AS MY FOLLOWERS CAN DO IT FOR ME."

Zealots of the Magus surround me, but instead of fear or apprehension, there is only a grin as they rush headlong into there own personal Armageddon. My fists begin to crackle as my newly bound mystical energies crush bone and tear muscle. They soon learn the folly of their ways and make a hasty retreat leaving me to confront their master once more.

"Such devotion, I have never seen its like, hahahaha."

He attempts to use his eldritch energies upon me when I use my power, as I have never done, to erect a shield. It was apparent that my mind could now shape the energies in certain ways that it could not before. But clearly there is a greater surprise on his face than mine as he found I was not the strawman so easily dispersed as he had once believed and now his own life was forfeit.

But he then attacked me in a different way as I felt my very spirit being drawn from me like water from a well. He would use my own spirit to add my newly acquired might to his own. And quench his unholy thirst. Then the unexpected occurs as I hear him scream.

Behind him, an apparition of my mother standing with a knife that was intended for me. He fell to his knees as he began to gasp his last breaths. And for the first time, his utter alien countenance began to take on a familiar emotion that all those I encounter eventually come to FEAR.  As I walk closer, he covers his face and waits my blessing.

"It is done you now have life eternal," I say sardonically.

Nevertheless, my mother who was present gestured to the altar where the God was making his way into our world. An ebony tail encircled me as a serpent its prey. His touch was like the vacuum of the void and his breath was like fire but he could not melt nor break my resolve, and the dragon of the moon at last revealed himself to me and I saw how he drew me here since my birthing, for My mother begged me to flee but I am Thanos and there was something seductive as it whispered its dark secrets to me and made its false promises as all gods do.

When his silvery eyes met my own it was the true test and for the space of several moments the fate of my very astral being was in dire straights I could feel a familiar presence standing between itself and me.    

When I finally recover, I was not sure what has happened only that I was different as I have looked the God of the moon in the face and have found it wanting. But I have also seen my own twisted reflection mirrored back upon me, and it called me to this place. I do not know what it wanted, only that I have completed my task and given the Magus his greatest wish as his statue will forever adorn the temple somewhere on the perch between life and death.

One must always be careful what one wishes for. 

"THANOS YOU HAVE DONE WELL, MISTRESS DEATH HAS DECIDED THAT YOU WILL BE HER PARAMOUR."

The yellow teethed rodent teeth rodent is before me once more, "Tell your Mistress, I thank her for her boon, I could feel her embrace when I met the God of the moon."

"MISTRESS DEATH WAS … YES YOU ARE MOST WELCOME," the rodent seemed to choke on its own words, as he was cutoff by his Mistress’ ebon glare. Death even seemed to smile, her dark features hidden in cowl.  There were still many unanswered question but such is the way of spiritual matters and the weakness of the flesh.

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