Why was Death so angry?
To put it in terms of modern dating toxicity, both Thanos and Saiki Kusuo were like fish swimming in Death's carefully managed pond of admirers. Thanos was the ultimate simp—completely devoted, obeying her every command, willing to accept her even knowing she was playing the field and messing around with others.
Compared to the fiercely independent and harder-to-control Saiki Kusuo, Death naturally favored Thanos.
But then, one day, her devoted follower suddenly had an epiphany. The man who once hung on her every word not only turned cold but actively wished for her complete annihilation.
Yes, they had made a deal.
She would help Thanos acquire the Infinity Stones and fulfill his grand desire. Afterward, Thanos would gather all the stones and resurrect her.
However, after achieving his goal, Thanos betrayed her. He destroyed the Ego Gem, obliterating her chance of resurrection forever.
Death could never forget the look of absolute finality on Thanos's face as he destroyed the gem. It infuriated her; the man she had always held firmly under her thumb had actually learned to resist.
So, she kept resetting things, starting over again and again. She encountered Thanos time after time, seduced him time after time, but the end result was always the same: Thanos destroying the Ego Gem.
Death knew it wasn't that Thanos didn't love her anymore; it was that he had seen through her entirely.
So, this time, after Thanos handed the Ego Gem over to Saiki Kusuo, she finally abandoned the idea of another reset. Perhaps it was anger at Thanos's defiance, or perhaps disappointment that he had ultimately given up on her.
Death always told herself she only saw Thanos as a tool for her resurrection. She never considered that if she truly felt nothing for him, she wouldn't have chosen to seek him out, again and again.
Just as Death decided to abandon the useless, blind fool Thanos and focus her efforts on seducing Saiki Kusuo, Saiki hit a nerve, dredging up her painful past and triggering her shame and fury.
Her current mood was akin to arguing with a new partner only to have embarrassing details about an ex thrown in her face. She lost all desire to continue talking to Saiki. After spewing her insults, she stormed off in a huff.
However, she failed to consider the long-term consequences of her outburst. Running your mouth might feel good in the moment, but crossing the wrong person... especially someone as vengeful as Saiki Kusuo... inevitably leads to disaster.
The very first thing Saiki Kusuo did upon waking was destroy the Ego Gem.
He'd hesitated before, wondering if destroying the stone was the right move. But after being relentlessly harassed by Death all night, his resolve solidified.
As long as the Ego Gem existed, Death wouldn't give up. Being pestered by her constantly was ruining his sleep quality. Saiki genuinely worried he might just drop dead from exhaustion one day.
Yet, destroying the gem didn't deter Death. If anything, it made her even more furious. She invaded his dreams, pointedly jabbing a finger in his face and screaming insults.
Because it was a dream, and Death wasn't a physical entity, Saiki's omnipotent psychic abilities were useless against her. He was forced to simply endure her harpy-like tirades.
This went on for several days straight, leaving Saiki utterly drained, mentally and physically.
(Seriously, this is never-ending.)
He finally couldn't take it anymore. "The gem is destroyed," he said wearily. "Coming after me now is pointless. Why don't you just use your powers, go back in time, make up with Thanos, and then use him to help you get resurrected?"
Death exploded. "I will not! You're the one who destroyed the gem! Don't try to shift the blame, and don't you dare try to push me off onto another man!"
"Hey, watch your wording," Saiki retorted flatly. "You make it sound like I actually did something to you."
"And you didn't?!" Death stared at him, aghast, as if he'd said something utterly unbelievable. "Saiki Kusuo, let me tell you something! You destroyed my gem! Don't even think I'll let you off the hook for the rest of your life!"
Saiki: "..."
Seeing the determined expression on Death's face—the look of someone intending to stick to him permanently—Saiki pinched the bridge of his nose and practically pleaded. "Look, if you're afraid to go back to Thanos, afraid he'll just betray you again after decades of devotion, then let me help you. I'll teach you. Just do as I say, and I guarantee he'll be completely obedient."
However, this attempt at appeasement didn't satisfy Death at all. It only enraged her further. Her voice rose, shedding all traces of elegance, grating on Saiki's ears.
"I already told you, Thanos is irrelevant to me now! You destroyed the gem! If you can't find another way to resurrect me, I will follow you for the rest of eternity!"
There was a strange hint of resolution in her tone, as if she'd come to terms with something.
But Saiki couldn't figure it out. Especially when Death, after tormenting him all night, cheerfully declared, "I'll be back tomorrow!" The words struck Saiki with the same terror as encountering his mortal enemy, a cockroach. He nearly stumbled, his legs unsteady.
He had to find a way to deal with Death permanently. Otherwise, Saiki Kusuo might go down in history as the most tragically pathetic psychic ever – dead from stress-induced exhaustion.
While agonizing over how to solve his Death problem, Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. came looking for him.
Because of the whole Death and Ego Gem situation, Saiki hadn't yet had time to address the other messes Thanos had left behind.
Everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. knew he was the one who had resolved the Thanos incident. As the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury's reason for seeking him out was obvious: recruitment into the Avengers. Although the Avengers had disbanded, the threat posed by Thanos had motivated them to put aside their differences and rebuild.
After all, someone capable of easily driving off Thanos, whom no one else could stop, was too dangerous to leave unsupervised. Regardless of his intentions, Saiki was a ticking time bomb.
Nick Fury arranged their meeting at a newly opened dessert shop in Queens. He'd done his homework on Saiki's preferences before approaching him. Thankfully, it was a dessert shop; if it had been anywhere else, Saiki would never have agreed to meet.
After Saiki had eaten his fill, Fury, seizing the moment while Saiki seemed to be in a good mood, stated his purpose. When he finished, Saiki's first words were, "Does Kusuke Saiki know you came to me?"
Kusuke Saiki might not hold Fury's rank at S.H.I.E.L.D., but his influence was undeniable. If Fury had this plan, Kusuke would surely have tried to prevent it. Of course, there was always the possibility that Kusuke, ever the agent of chaos, had deliberately let Fury come, just to annoy Saiki.
Fury hesitated for a fraction of a second at Saiki's question, and his thoughts immediately spilled into Saiki's mind.
Turns out, Saiki had misjudged his brother. Kusuke had not only tried to stop Fury but had explicitly warned him not to mess with his younger brother. Fury, however, brimming with self-confidence, seemed convinced he could handle Saiki.
Hearing this, Saiki let out an internal scoff.
He placed his spoon down neatly and said politely, "I'm finished eating." Only then did he continue.
"Director Fury, I believe before you sought me out, Kusuke warned you not to bother me."
Fury clearly hadn't taken the warning seriously. "I don't have any siblings myself," he said dismissively, "but I can understand an older brother's protective instincts. However, I assure both Dr. Saiki and you, joining the Avengers won't put you in unnecessary danger."
Saiki sighed. "It seems, Director Fury, that you misunderstood my brother's meaning. The reason my brother warned you wasn't because he was worried about me." Saiki paused, letting the implication hang. "He was worried about you."
At these words, Fury's brow furrowed. He looked at Saiki's faint, unreadable smile, and a profound sense of unease began to creep over him.
Before Fury could ask what he meant, Saiki's demeanor shifted, his tone hardening slightly. "I'd really like to know, Director Fury," Saiki asked, his voice dangerously smooth, "are you inviting me to join the Avengers... or HYDRA?"
Hearing the word "HYDRA," Nick Fury felt his scalp tingle.
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