The guys, already probably a little envious of his really good looks and charm, went kind of stiff, too, especially Richard. We weren’t actually in any danger, as magnapsium bands were part of the standard kit for us here, what with telepathic aliens being a thing.

Eros was good at reading the atmosphere, and shifted his presentation to something more neutral and professional, realizing he’d lost us and there was nothing for him to gain or do on a personal level now.

He was a good tour guide, pointing out the awesome architecture and art of Titan as we flew around the domed city, relating its history with amusing and impressive anecdotes to convey how much time and skill had gone into so much of what we were seeing around us.

It was probably meant to make us feel small, uninformed, relatively insignificant, and like country bumpkins.

I instead kept up a running commentary with Peter and the others on the physics of what was going on behind the scenes, blatant use of anti-grav and flagrant expenditures of Isotopes here and there because they could, remarking on the low population for a city of this size, noting the lack of expansions and remarkably little deviation in the artwork despite the passing of millennia, and basically undercutting his eloquent diatribe with the holes and shadows he was attempting to gloss over.

------

It was supposedly a park, with graceful monuments around, fountains, pools, rest areas, and a peaceful, serene air.

There was basically almost no one around ‘at this time of day’, which meant nothing, as Titan had long outgrown the average light-dark cycle of Terra, and people were active when they were active here.

There was only one other person here, standing in front of a low monument. He seemed lost in thought, dressed in a rather heavy spacer’s outfit, tall and broad and heavy, massive fists clasped behind him as he stared at the sculpture before him, as if lost in thought.

I actually nailed everyone’s feet to the ground except Eros, expanding my Attract and holding out my arm to stop everyone. There was only a little flailing and surprise as everyone except our guide was jerked to a halt.

“Scott,” I stated in no uncertain terms, staring at Eros. “If violence breaks out here, you have one objective. You will burn our guide down to dust and ash.”

Scott looked at me, registered my tone of voice, and the way the smile faded from Eros’ face.

His visor snapped out of nowhere onto his face, and the slit and center circle turned an ominous fiery jacinth.

“Were you planning to introduce us to your little brother?” I asked in a voice that was all razors on silk.

“Oh, you know him? That is unexpected. He’s rather the black sheep of the family, not really talked about.” His voice was airy, but his smile was a bit strained. “There is no danger at this time.”

“But you were hoping there would be.” His self-healing had taken care of the burnt edges about him, but I had no doubt the memory was fresh. “Foolish mortal Terrans doing something stupid and provoking a reaction, yes?”

Over there, the big figure in blue and dark orange seemed to have noticed our arrival, and slowly turned around.

A face only a Neanderthal could love. Eyes as dark as the pits of space, and that famous purple skin, and a furrowed chin fresh off a Skrull.

He eyed our group, his expression completely neutral. “Is that the famous Dynamo from Champion’s recent Contest?” his voice rumbled out, more projected telepathy than audible. “Bring her over and introduce her, brother.”

Ah, fuck.

“Everyone else back to the edge of the plaza. Kismet, you are strictly defense if something starts. If something does start, make a lot of very loud and explosive noise, and run. Security, I imagine, will be here within one minute.”

“Back it up!” Richard agreed sternly, and having gotten use to him acting as Captain, the whole team quietly withdrew, with Kismet staying between them and the Titans as they did so. I could hear Peter naturally asking why and what was going on, but my Red Eyes were glaring at the big fellow, and his spider-sense couldn’t be doing anything less.

Cyclops pointedly had not taken his visor off of Eros. Starfox had noticed that, of course, and really was wondering if he could do what I’d said.

I just stared at him, and if some lightning was arching between my eyes, I was a little pissed. “Please, young master Eros. Introduce me to your little brother.”

“As it pleases you both,” he half-smiled, aware he was now caught up in something exceedingly dangerous to all concerned, instead of just endangering unknowing uppity Terrans. He turned and strolled onwards casually, and I followed, skating gently in his wake, while Kismet relayed that Nova was informing everyone of exactly who the big guy was.

I had noticed that this was a cemetery, not a true park, and the art was basically types of tombstones and gravestones. I’d been giving him the benefit of the doubt, since it was a beautiful and serene place, but, ugh.

Freaking sociopath. As I recalled, Eros and Thanos actually still had something of a relationship, and exchanged gifts once a year. Also, Thanos came home to Titan once a year, to his mother’s grave... the woman he’d murdered to try and learn where he’d come from, in his obsession with Death.

This was obviously the day, and the reason nobody was here was because they were told to stay away. What wonderful timing we had.

Have to mark this day on Titan’s calendar for future reference...

I wasn’t afraid, naturally enough, and there was a lot of potential danger here, to which my Red Eyes would scream heartily if it went live, giving me a second or two to react.

In that one second, I could be a couple miles from here, so I wasn’t too anxious about this.

Eros getting out of this alive if things went south was something he’d better be worried about. I didn’t like to be lured into potential deathtraps. It was just a thing with me.

I expected Cyke would get off a lethally powerful shot that still wouldn’t kill him, Starfox would run like Hell for his dad, and we’d have a diplomatic incident.

What an auspicious interval to our trip!

His brother was six and a half feet tall, but looked squat and heavy for his size, and so had a more massive physical presence than just height would convey.

Power also hung around him. A lot of power, completely dwarfing that of his older brother here, and the air of command and competency hanging deeply around him was no joke, either.

If you had any magical or psychic sensitivity, the deaths of billions, if not trillions, rested upon him, too, and their weight only made him stronger.

I looked at him, then at his older brother. “I gather you went to different schools when you were younger.”

“We have different interests we pursue, yes,” Starfox responded glibly, fetching a carefully wrapped and colorfully bound package out of nowhere. “Brother, may I introduce to you the lady Dynamo of Terra. Miss Dynamo, Thanos of Titan,” he introduced us smoothly, watching my face for a reaction.

I’d already had that reaction. “Greetings to the Master of the Black Order,” I bowed hand over fist. “I must confess your presence caught me by alarm, sir.”

His dark eyes glittered. “A Terran recognizes me? Interesting.” His voice was even deeper than Mr. Hill’s, like bones chewing gravel. Quite distinctive.

“The High Guard take an interest in galactic events, and I’ve recently been inspired to catch up on their records of active piratical groups and marauders. One of your subordinates has taken an interest in us, Master Thanos.”

His eyes turned away, as if looking at something. “You arrived on the Xandaran ship. Zorr has been obsessed with them for years. He does not know I am here, however, or I imagine he would be running here to pay fawning homage... or to attempt to kill everyone as an offering to me.” He gazed at his brother. “You brought a Nova Corpsman here? Does this have something to do with your hair?”

Eros was about to reply when I overrode him, “The pervert was trying to get into our heads with his rape-tasp. He’s lucky he’s not goddamn dead, and no, no, I’m sure him leading us over to you wasn’t an attempt to get a rise out of a Nova Corpsman and start something exciting with us while he stood to the side and watched in amusement.”

Eros just looked wronged. “I would never do something like that to disturb you, brother.”

“Of course not.” A dark light shone in Thanos’ eye as he opened his gauntleted hand to reveal his own waiting, delicately wrapped gift. “It is just not done on this day.”

I watched as they exchanged presents, and was actually somewhat surprised when they opened them.

I arched an eyebrow when Thanos lifted out the necklace of shrunken heads from Borneo headhunters. I remembered it being on the Starholder’s shipping manifest as a special order from the island nation...

Eros lifted out a pair of dangling gold and scarlet trinkets that interwove with one another, his smile delighted as his eyes said something else. “It appears we both know one another’s tastes,” he mused, stowing the thing away.

I wasn’t using telepathy next to this guy, either, so I didn’t ask.

He waved a dismissal to his brother. “You may depart. Tell father I will not stay overlong.”

“Of course.” Eros turned around after a flourishing bow, and stepped quickly away. Given the burning eye fixed on him from the distance, he elected to go in a different direction than the team, a fact that did not escape his brother’s gaze.

I was going to leave also, but a gesture from Thanos halted me. “Do you know what this is?” he asked me, holding up his present.

“A shrunken head necklace from one of the tribes that used to engage in headhunting and cannibalism on one of the island nations of Terra,” I relayed to him.

“Indeed appropriate. And do you know what I gave him?” Again, that very dry amusement.

“Beyond it being extrasolar art of some kind, no.” I wasn’t going to Assay something in front of him, either.

“It is a Korowendian fertility charm. One interweaves it about the wrist of one’s lover and one’s self.”

I looked at him, and then after Starfox, who had almost turned the corner out of sight. “He’s sterile?” I inquired, and a rare grim smile tugged at the corners of the crude features of the Mad Titan at my deduction.

“Indeed. For all his conquests willing and coerced, he has not a single child.”

“Couldn’t happen to a sweeter fellow.”

===============

None of which contradicts canon, by the way. Thanos actually has children real and adopted. Starfox does not, despite the fact he tasps women into having sex on a whim, and is indeed a sociopath.