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Thanos relaxes at a Miami waterfront bar deck table with a thirty something attractive woman named Leah. They share a plate of tuna sashimi.
"So, what is it you do Thanos?" asks Leah.
"I make lovely women like yourself happy."
"Really? I like your work already." she pauses. "Seriously, do you work?"
"Only when I have to. I'm one of the fortunate ones who come from a family of money, so I'd say...my job is to manage the family finances."
"That doesn't sound too difficult."
Thanos smiles. "It can, sometimes, be challenging."
A small group of people have gathered on the deck below Thanos as a few more amble over and join them. They take pictures, talk, point to the water.
"I wonder what's going on?" ponders Leah.
Thanos replies, "Sharks have gathered below the deck."
"How do you know that?"
"I feel them. It's one of my gifts. Would you like to go down and see?"
"I'd love to." Both get up and walk down to the lower deck.
As Thanos approaches, the sharks work into a frenzy, thrashing about. It's noticeable, some of the crowd stare at Thanos. A few large sharks leap out of the water, the crowd jerks back.
Thanos steps forward, crouches down and holds his hand out.
A large shark approaches, Thanos rubs his head. The crowd oohhhs as they snap pictures.
Another shark approaches, Thanos rubs his head. He stands, closes his eyes, concentrates. The sharks slowly swim away. He walks back to Leah as the crowd stares at him.
"That was creepy...what the hell did you do?"
"We all have the ability to communicate with all living creatures. I merely communicated with them."
"Yeah, well if I did that I wouldn't have a hand now. You didn't tell me you were a master manipulator of sharks."
Thanos chuckles. "I didn't tell you I was a master manipulator. Let's finish our appetizer."
As they walk back to the table, Thanos stops, freezes. He lightly curls his nose, sniffs. He closes his eyes, tilts his head, lightly sniffs the air again.
He pops open his eyes, stares at Leah. "I have to go."
"That's not funny."
"I'm sorry, I really do have to go...now."
He grabs a fifty-dollar bill from his pocket, squeezes it into Leah's hand.
"You're kidding me, right? You have to be kidding me."
He rushes away. She watches him disappear, still amazed by his leaving. She yells, "You didn't say you worked on being a manipulating asshole!"
He rushes down the city streets, slows at a corner, pauses, sniffs, turns right and crosses the street.
Jessa and Treena sit and eat in a nice restaurant.
Treena pops a scallop in her mouth. "These are wonderful! What are they called?"
"Scallops." Jessa replies. "You know them as sand dabs."
"These are sand dabs? I've never had them this way. They don't taste the same."
"We have what they call chefs here. A chef has a special way of preparing food."
"Yes, a magical way...I love it." Treena pauses. "I've wanted to ask you Jessa..."
"Ask away honey."
"All of the men, Brandon, Derek, Lou, they all seem to be obsessed with having lots of gold...millionaires they call it. Why is it so important to them to have so much, even more than they could need. Is the entire human population that way?"
Jessa chuckles. "Many humans do believe this way. I think it's a result of their culture, the world their kind has created."
"But on our island, we have no need for their gold and money. Everything we need is there and even though we are not 'millionaires', we are quite happy."
"Yes, this is true. Humans live a different life here, many seem obsessed with gold and money, even the clothes they wear and the cars they drive. They want others to think they are successful."
"Clothes? They send others a message with clothes?"
Again, Jessa chuckles. "Yes, clothes, and even these." she holds up her purse. "This cost fifty units of their money, called dollars. Some women will choose to spend five hundred, even a thousand or more of their dollars on these. But, I'm with you, I don't get it either."
"Then explain..."
Jessa stops, surveys the area.
"What is it Jessa?"
Jessa stares out the front window. "I sense something."
"Yes, me too. I sense I want more of these."
"No Treena, I sense danger, something is disrupting my flow of energy."
Jessa again surveys the area as Treena eats. Jessa stares at her food, takes a bite, stops, looks up.
Thanos stands in front of them.
Jessa is shocked, Treena curious.
"It's been many moons Jessaleen." says a calm Thanos.
Jessa replies, "What are you doing here?"
Thanos asks, "Do you mind if I have a seat?"
"Yes, I do. I want you to leave before your dark cloud casts thunderbolts upon us"
"I promise, no rain or storms." Thanos smiles, pulls out a chair and sits. He shoots a glance at Treena. "And what is your name my love?"
"Her name is Treena. Now please, leave us alone."
"That's not a way to treat such an old friend after all these years."
"Old friend? Don't make me laugh, you're not an old friend. You are a conniving sea serpent and you want something."
Treena, confused, asks, "What's going on, what is this about?"
Jessa sighs. "His name is Thanos and it means..."
"Immortal. I come from where you come from, I am one of you."
"You were one of us many moons ago" Jessa says, "but you took a different path...a dark path."
Thanos grabs a slice of bread, tears off a piece and pops it in his mouth. "That was many moons ago Jessa, I'm a changed person."
"You are not changed. You were turned dark by Deimos, you can never go back to what you were."
Treena quizzes. "Deimos...who is Deimos?"
"Deimos was the son of Ares and Aphrodite, his name means fear, terror, evil." explains Jessa. "This is what you are Thanos. Now leave us alone."
"That's in the past. Look around Jessa. We're in beautiful Miami, a different place in a different time."
Jessa shoots him a stare cold as ice. "What do you want?"
"I like that, right to the point." He pops another piece of bread into his mouth. "You are with child Treena."
Jessa, now in a grim, dark mood, fires back, "That is no concern of yours."
Thanos smiles. "It is a man child."
"You just lost all credibility." responds Treena.
"You've lost your mind Thanos. Even you know this is not possible." retorts Jessa.
Thanos, annoyed, responds, "Are you so lost in this world you have forgotten our past? Forgotten the prophecies spoken by the gods? The prophecies that told of the coming of a man, a man who would lead us into a new world, a man who would restore us back into power. This is who grows inside Treena now."
Treena sits, in shock, speechless.
Jessa tries to recover. "This cannot be...you are wrong. Leave us now."
Thanos tries again. "Why do you think I am here? In Miami? I have been here for over one hundred years...waiting. Waiting for this child to be born."
An irritated Treena warns, "This is my child, you shall have nothing to do with her...nothing!"
"This man child does not belong to you, it belongs to our world. It is my path to guide this child to his rightful destiny. You cannot escape this Treena, you are merely the vessel that brings him to us."
Jessa stands, holds out her hand. Treena grabs it, they take a few steps away.
An angry Jessa fires back, "You are obviously too blinded by evil to see the truth. Stay away from us!"
Thanos grins. "The least I can do is buy you lunch. Mmmm...sand dads."
He grabs a fork and pops one into his mouth as Jessa and Treena rush away.
"Mmmm...so good." he watches them as they walk away. "I'll be seeing you, soon."