Chapter 19.1- All of Infinity in the Palm of my Hands

XXXXX- EBONY MAW

He would have hated to have to be the one to deliver the news to Father. He always hated having to deliver bad news to the one who had done so much for him. It almost felt like disappointing him. He knew that he had no fault for the news that was to be delivered, but he still felt guilty about it. He watched closely as Proxima said the words, and how their Father took in the sentences with a hard look on his face. He did not show his sadness. He was too strong for that. This was not the first time that Thanos would lose a child, but Maw knew that while Cull had not been the favourite, he’d occupied a special place in father’s heart as the only one whop could compete with him on a semi-level playing field when it came to pure physicality. 

“Come here my daughter” Father said before encircling Midnight in his wide arms. She looked positively tiny in his grip as her body was racked with sobs as she mourned the one she’d truly loved. Maw watched them while ignoring the twinge in his heart. It was difficult for him to speak on how he felt about Cull’s passing. For one, they’d been brothers. He loved each and every one of his siblings on their own unique ways. When it came to Cull, they were not just brothers, but rivals. They’d competed for Midnight’s affection and he’d lost. Cull had proven to be his better in that respect, and now he was gone. 
He should have felt satisfied. Now, he could have Proxima all to himself. He could already calculate just how it would begin. Giving her a rotation or two to recover from the grief she felt before making his move would be essential, but not too difficult. But instead of satisfaction, it was anger and sadness he felt. Cull was his brother. His Father’s son. Cull’s passing would sadden Thanos, and not just that, it was already devastating Midnight. Simply the fact that this Kal-El had managed to make Midnight cry meant that he was dead as far as Maw was concerned. Maw would see to it as long as his Father did not beat him to the punch. 

“And where is this Kal-El now?” His father asked, directing his words to him. 

“Reports say he has made common cause with the Nova Empire in the new phase of their war against the Kree.” he explained to his father, distilling information from close to a dozen different spy reports, each sent in varying degrees of detail and containing information sent in different codes and languages. He read them all and reported on them while making it look easy. Father had trained him well. 

“Good. That means we know where he will be. Maw, make cause with the Kree. Offer your services in exchange for payment. Bring me his head” His father commanded, and he knelt with glee, accepting the orders. 

He would rather have been given an army or a squad but he understood just how stretched thin their resources had become. The search for the stones was expensive, and the Asgardian trickster had lost them the Chituari, some of the most useful soldiers in their army. 

A/N; Quick sneak peek