For life, for balance. Put that way, compared to the old legend of the ultimate simp who could never get a lick yet kept licking anyway, it immediately sounded far more impressive.
But it really was strange. The universe's greatest murderer, a man plotting an unprecedented massacre, actually loved life and upheld balance. With such an extreme contradiction, no wonder people called Thanos crazy.
"Forgive my ignorance, but Your Excellency's thoughts are truly unfathomable. Why would you have such an idea?" Evenson knew Thanos was indeed crazy, but judging by his words and actions, he was not the kind of madman suffering from mental derangement. So it was not hereditary; he must have been traumatized later in life. But what exactly had traumatized him?
"You want to know?" Thanos waved a hand. A radiant glow flashed through the hall, and a slideshow began. The pitch-black walls served as screens, displaying one magnificent scene after another.
A beautiful world brimming with life, where cities and nature blended together in perfect harmony. Its massive buildings and strange low-orbit satellites proved that the world's technology was highly advanced as well.
"Titan, my homeland." Thanos spoke in a bleak, sorrowful tone. "It was a beautiful planet, like most others. But there were simply too many people, more than the planet could sustain. When we were on the verge of starvation, I came up with a way to solve the crisis."
"Kill half the people?" Evenson asked.
"That's right." Thanos admitted it readily. "It would have been random slaughter, perfectly fair, regardless of wealth or status. It could have brought that world back to life, but they called me a madman."
Evenson took a deep breath, his mouth hanging open as he found himself unable to say anything. He finally understood why Thanos was crazy.