The mysterious man turned toward Dormammu, purple light flickering in his eyes.
Dormammu met his gaze with purple eyes of his own, refusing to back down.
At the edge of the crowd, Thanos watched the two in the square with a puzzled look.
He did not know why they were fighting for control of the venue, but he was certain there was some benefit he did not know about.
Then Nightmare said, "That mysterious man is Victor, a representative of the Celestials."
Confusion flashed in Thanos's eyes.
Hadn't Dormammu said Nightmare was the Celestials' lapdog? Where had Victor come from?
This little trading group struck him as chaotic. It seemed someone was deliberately stirring up trouble and setting its members against one another.
Then again, anyone who became a Dimension Lord or joined the Escapists was deeply suspicious by nature. They were already wary of one another. It would not take much to throw them into chaos.
As though he knew what Thanos was thinking, Nightmare spoke again. "Did Dormammu tell you I was the Celestials' lapdog?"
He gave a self-mocking laugh, then continued. "You've probably noticed the problem with us Dimension Lords and Escapists. If we didn't need to exchange intelligence and resources, we'd never gather in one place. But we each need something, so here we are."
"Ah..." He sighed. "Some want to use us. Others want to destroy us. That's how things ended up like this. Everyone just hopes we can keep it going for one more day.
"Victor and Dormammu both know that. Victor would rather hold this little group together, so he wants us to stay hidden in the Space Rift. Dormammu has always wanted to move into the Reality Universe and make a fortune before the group falls apart."
Thanos nodded in understanding.
At