Avengers: Whatever it Takes

Obtaining the Orb

Thanos and his children stared up at the figure of Nebula as she hung suspended within Sanctuary. The moment the strange transmission had been witnessed, Nebula had been taken aboard Thanos's ship where she was connected to monitoring equipment. Various cables connected her brain to the devices, allowing for diagnostics to be run.

"Continue running diagnostics," Thanos calmly ordered. "I want to see her memory file."

Standing near the console, Ebony Maw carried out his father's orders. Nebula's memory banks were accessed. Nebula's body twitched, an obvious discomfort hitting her as her systems were invaded. Gamora stared with feigned disinterest; inside she was torn by her sister's pain.

"The files are entangled, Sire," Ebony Maw explained as he worked. "The images we have seen are most-certainly memories. But they are not hers."

From beneath his hood, Fatality Eclipse regarded his adopted sister with interest, then looked over his shoulder at Thanos. "What does it mean?"

Ebony Maw briefly stopped working and looked at the others. "It means there is another consciousness that shares her network. Another Nebula.

Thanos's eyes narrowed. "Impossible."

"This duplicate of Nebula carries a time stamp," Ebony Maw reported. "This other Nebula comes from nearly a decade in the future. We're seeing her memories because of the overlap of both using the same network."

Fatality Eclipse looked from Ebony Maw to Thanos, then to Nebula. He stepped forward and pointed a finger at her dangling figure. "And where is this...other Nebula now?"

"She is in our solar system," Ebony Maw said. "She is on Morag now. With the earth woman."

Thanos recalled the images he'd seen. The earth woman was unknown to him but it didn't matter; both she and this other Nebula would be in his custody soon enough. "Can the other Nebula be accessed?"

Ebony Maw nodded. "Yes. Because they share the same network there is a link."

Inspiration struck Thanos. "Search the duplicate's memory for Infinity Stones."

While Ebony Maw worked, Thanos moved closer to Nebula and looked into her eyes. "What secrets do you have access to, daughter."

Gamora looked at Fatality Eclipse and saw a smile forming upon his lips from beneath the shadow of his hood. Then, all four of them watched as portions of the other Nebula's memory were projected before them. Images of an assembled group appeared, their discussion broadcast for all to hear.

"The Stones have been in a lot of places throughout history."

"Our history. Not all of them are going to be a fun drop-in."

"Which means we've got to pick out targets."

"Exactly. Let's start here."

Thanos reached out and tapped the console, freezing the image. He examined the group and smiled in recognition."

"They're Terrans," Gamora appraised.

Thanos grinned. "They are far more than just that, daughter. They are the Avengers. Unruly wretches." He paused and pointed at the screen. "What is this image? Amplify this, now."

Ebony Maw complied and the image of Nebula appeared in a mirror surface in the image.

Gamora frowned. "I don't understand. Two Nebulas?"

Thanos chuckled and walked to the hologram to study the faces. "No, this is the same Nebula. From two separate times." He looked at Ebony Maw. "I want a course set for Morag. And I want the duplicates memories scanned completely. I want to see everything."