Shockwave: Logic will not fail...

The cold winds of Vormir howled through the desolate cliffs, the air heavy with an almost tangible weight. Red Skull, the spectral overseer of the Soul Stone, stood motionless on the edge of the ancient altar. His tattered robes flowed in the wind, and his hollow, eternal gaze was fixed on the horizon.

The silence was broken by the arrival of Thanos, his towering frame cloaked in his black-and-gold armor, his cape billowing behind him. Gamora and Nebula followed closely, their faces shadowed by conflicting emotions.

Red Skull turned to face the Mad Titan, his hollow voice resonating through the barren cliffs. "Thanos, Son of A'Lars. You come seeking the Soul Stone, but it has already been claimed."

Thanos's glowing eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, claimed? By who?" His voice was calm yet edged with simmering fury.

Red Skull gestured toward the cliff's edge with his skeletal hand. "Look below. Your servant, Ebony Maw, met his end as the price for the Stone. A being of unmatched precision made the sacrifice."

Thanos's brow furrowed as he stepped to the edge of the cliff. Gamora and Nebula followed, their eyes scanning the deep chasm below. There, far below, lay the lifeless body of Ebony Maw, his slender form crumpled against the jagged rocks.

Gamora's lips twitched, almost curling into a smile, though she quickly masked her relief. Nebula, on the other hand, stared down at her brother's remains, her expression unreadable.

"Good riddance," Nebula muttered, her voice laced with bitter indifference. "He was always insufferable."

Gamora shot her sister a sidelong glance, then turned to Thanos. "Looks like whoever did this did us a favor."

Thanos's gaze remained fixed on the body for a moment before he turned to face Red Skull. "You said the Stone was claimed. Where is it now?"

"The one who took it is gone," Red Skull replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "A creature of logic and cold efficiency. The Stone is beyond your grasp, for now."

Thanos clenched his fists, the gauntlet on his hand crackling with the power of the three stones he already possessed. He turned to Gamora, his cold eyes boring into her.

"You got lucky, girl," he said, his voice low and menacing. "Had this... being not intervened, you would have been my sacrifice."

Gamora froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She dared not show the relief she felt, though her mind raced with the implications of Thanos's words.

Nebula crossed her arms, her expression dark. "So, what now? We hunt this thing down? Find out who stole the Stone?"

Thanos turned, his cape sweeping dramatically as he began walking back toward the ship. "Of course," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "But first, we continue with the plan. The Time and Mind Stones await."

Gamora and Nebula exchanged a glance before following their father, the tension between them palpable.

As the trio departed, Red Skull remained on the cliff, his gaze following them until they disappeared into the distance. Though his role as overseer bound him to Vormir, he couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious being who had outmaneuvered the Mad Titan.

"A creature of logic," he mused, his voice echoing softly in the empty air. "Fascinating."

For the first time in years, the ancient guardian felt a flicker of curiosity.

Far away, within the depths of Plexicon, Shockwave monitored the situation from his command center. The drones he had dispatched to Vormir had performed flawlessly, returning the Soul Stone without a trace of his involvement.

The holographic image of Thanos appeared before him, captured from a surveillance bot that had remained hidden aboard the Mad Titan's ship.

"His rage is predictable," Shockwave said to himself, his optic glowing brighter. "Emotional beings are so easily manipulated."

The Soul Stone rested within a containment unit nearby, its orange glow pulsating faintly. Shockwave's calculations had proven correct—the Stone's energy signature had already been cloaked, rendering it undetectable to Thanos or any other seeker.

"This universe thrives on chaos," he muttered, his voice calm and deliberate. "But chaos is illogical. The Mad Titan, the Lantern Corps, the Nova Corps... all serve as obstacles to true order. They will fall, one by one."

He turned away from the hologram, his mind already working on the next phase of his plan. Parallax, the emotional entities, the Infinity Stones—they were all pieces on his chessboard. And Shockwave always played to win.