Real-Life Myth

Ten.

Thanos and Gamora appear on sand dunes alternating with shallow pools around the base of a mountain. The sun is in full eclipse, lending eerie lighting to the scene in front of them. This is Vormir.

"The stone had better be up there. . . For your sister's sake," Thanos threatens.

The walk up the mountain seems to be long, but not difficult. Paths worn by centuries or more of feet lead up to the summit, where Thanos and Gamora encounter a floating hooded figure.

"Welcome, Thanos, son of A'lars. Gamora, daughter of Thanos," the Stone-keeper greets.

"You know us?" Thanos asks.

"It is my curse to know all who journey here."

"Where's the Soul Stone?"

"You should know. . . it extracts a terrible price."

"I am prepared," Thanos promises.

"We all think that at first." The Stone-keeper touches down and glides out of the shadows, revealing the face of the Red Skull. "We are all wrong." The Stone-keeper guides them to a temple-like structure at the summit.

"How is it you know this place so well?"

"A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the stones," Red Skull explains, "I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here. Guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess." They stop on a semicircular engraving overlooking a sheer drop. It decends in three shallow steps to a final half-circle cutout, the whole bisected by a deep cut that runs between the two spires behind them. Far, far below is a full circle with similar engraved decoration. "What you seek lies before you. As does what you fear."

"What's this?" Thanos asks.

"The price. Soul hold a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say it has a certain wisdom."

"Tell me what it needs."

"To ensure that whoever possesses it. . . Understands its power. . . The stone demands a sacrifice."

"Of what?"

"In order to take the stone you must lose that which you love. A soul. . . For a soul."

Gamora, who has been otherwise silent, begins to laugh at the irony of the situation. "All my life, I dreamed of a day. . . A moment when you would get what you deserved. And I was always so disappointed." She tells him. "But now. . . You kill and torture. . . And you call it mercy. The universe has judged you. You asked it for a prize, and it told you no. You failed. And do you wanna know why? Because you love nothing. No one." Thanos turns to face Gamora with tears in his eyes. "Really? Tears?"

"They're not for him," Red Skull tells her. Gamora looks at Red Skull, and as her bitter smile fades, realizes what is about to happen.

"No. This isn't love," she argues.

"I ignored my destiny once. I cannot do that again. Even for you," Thanos tells her. Gamora stares down unseeing for a moment, then up at the resolution on his face. She grabs the red-jewelled dagger from his belt with lightning reflexes, triggers the blades and stabs herself in the stomach. . . except it's only bubbles. "I'm sorry, little one." He grabs Gamora by the arm and walks inexorably to the precipice.

"NO!" She yells. She tries in vain to break from his grasp, much like she tried to pull free from the Child of Thanos so many years ago. But, pain showing clearly on his face, he throws her over the edge, and watches sorrowfully as she falls to her death. Light pulses overhead as the sacrifice is correctly accomplished.

Thanos finds himself lying in one of the shallow pools back at the base of the mountain. He opens his hand and sees that he now has the orange Soul Stone.