All it took was a snap.
A simple snap.
The silly god in front of him screamed.
And with that, his world got sucked inwards.
A red, misty horizon as far as he could see.
No sound. No noise. No volume.
The red sky faded into white at the meeting of the land and pink edged the faded colors. It was almost peaceful.
Beneath him was some sort of liquid. Or at least he expected something like it. It was odd in that way, for he associated ripples with liquid and yet the ground beneath him was ridgedly solid and silent.
His footsteps never made a single sound as he started to walk. It was unnerving hearing nothing but cold quiet instead of the heavy thumps that usually heralded his arrival.
Off in the distance was a building. Well, more of an elaborate arch than anything. He recognized it immediately along with the small figure underneath it.
Even with her back turned to him, he'd know that small form anywhere. Never could he forget her. His daughter. His beautiful, tragic, lying daughter. He hadn't wanted to kill her but it had been for the greater good. Everything was.
The small, impossibly young girl turns around to face him, something ancient in her eyes.
"Did you do it?" She says finally, and it's like she never aged a day since the ceremonies.
"Yes." He replies, deep voice echoing out into the silence.
"And what did it cost?" She asks him, innocent eyes staring up at him.
"Everything." And for a moment he can almost believe she's right there and he can fix this all over again but among the red horizon and crimson ripples, there's no way for it to be reality.
She smiles without a hint of joy and he feels something akin to sadness when the world comes back into focus and -
50% of all life. That's what he took. He can feel something inside him shift and it's not just his crippled hand, desperately curled inside the Infinity Gauntlet. He couldn't really - he didn't want to - "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
He glances up. The silly godling. Oh, right, he was in the middle of something. Groaning around the axe in his chest (seriously, how had he forgotten it?), he stands up and with a tug from the space stone, he bends space around him and teleports himself away.
He should be happy.
At peace, even.
But he isn't
And for the first time in many years, Thanos feels something like regret.