"Damn it! How did his weapon become so powerful?!" The president's face turned pale as he frantically signaled his bodyguards, stumbling in his haste toward the helicopter pad.
"Trying to run?" From a distance, the roar of helicopter blades filled the air. Garus spotted the president inside, nervously wiping sweat from his brow.
"Just what did the president offer you two to make you help him?"
"Hmph!" Captain Marvel struggled to move, her powers proving useless in this situation. "I won't tell you."
"Hey, Mr. Garus, after all the secrets I've shared with you, don't you think it's time to let me go?"
"I won't make things difficult for you. Once I'm gone, you'll naturally recover."
Garus gazed up at the sky. "Now then, time to have a proper chat with Mr. President."
Frostmourne was plunged into the ground. Suddenly, several stone pillars erupted from the earth, extending rapidly upwards until they collided with the helicopter.
Boom!
The rotor blades snapped against the stone, sending the helicopter spiraling downward.
"Tony, are you sure you don't need to save the president?"
"Relax, Director Fury. Garus isn't planning to kill him." In this world, no one understood Garus better than Tony. He knew how the man operated.
They watched as Garus reached out and clenched his fist in the air. The American president was lifted from the wreckage, floating toward him.
"You know what the consequences of this will be."
The president closed his eyes in resignation. "I admit, my greed blinded me. Do whatever you wish."
"I don't have time to deal with you right now. More pressing matters demand my attention. For now, stay put."
The ground beneath the president surged upward, encasing him in stone, leaving only his head exposed.
With that done, Garus opened a portal and stepped through.
"Wanda."
The Mutant Academy and the Skrulls were busy installing the necessary infrastructure—a massive undertaking.
"What is it?"
"I need to leave for a while. I'm leaving the Academy and Lunar City in your hands."
The construction on the Moon was progressing rapidly. The ethereal technology had transformed the barren landscape into a habitable environment.
The Inhumans had refused to relocate to Earth, and their current territory was too small. It was time to invite them to join Lunar City.
"You just got back, and now you're leaving again?"
Garus sighed. "I have no choice. Thanos and Mephisto are coming with a mysterious ally to destroy everything. Their goal is the Infinity Stones. If I stay, it puts everyone at risk. I need to find the final Soul Stone. Once I have all six, they won't stand a chance against me."
"Then be careful."
"I will." Turning away, Garus set off alone in search of the Soul Stone. His first stop: Sakaar, a nexus of interstellar travel.
In Kamar-Taj, tension ran high. Ancient Order sorcerers stood guard, keeping a close watch over key locations—especially the library, which was usually deserted.
"Master, you summoned me?"
Doctor Strange had grown into a formidable sorcerer, yet in the presence of the Ancient One, he still felt her immeasurable depth.
"I can feel the darkness stirring. This time, it is far more dangerous than ever before."
Doctor Strange hesitated. "More dangerous than the Brood invasion? That wiped out nearly half the population."
"You will understand soon enough. If we fail, Earth will cease to exist." Among the Nine Realms, only Odin had rivaled her strength. With his passing, the burden of protecting the realms fell squarely on her shoulders. She still couldn't fully grasp Garus' origins, making it unwise to place all hope in him.
She had wanted to assist in the Brood invasion but had been restrained. Dormammu's followers were waiting for any sign of weakness, and she could not afford to let her guard down.
"In the meantime, keep an eye on Kaecilius with Mordo."
Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange, was her most promising disciple—gifted and righteous. After a moment's hesitation, she added, "Mordo is an excellent sorcerer, but he's rigid in his ways. Sometimes, we must make difficult choices."
Silence fell between them. Strange knew Mordo well enough by now.
"Master, who is it that even you fear?"
"You don't need to know that yet. Now, return to your duties."
After Strange departed, the Ancient One opened a portal to the Dark Dimension. A kaleidoscopic void unfolded before her.
"Dormammu, where have you gone?" She had entered the Dark Dimension not long ago, only to discover that Dormammu had vanished without a trace—a first in all these years.
Dormammu stood in a shadowed realm, no longer the cosmic entity he once was, but appearing in the form he had before discarding his mortal flesh—a cloaked figure clad in black.
Opposite him stood a towering, purple-skinned titan and a monstrous, crimson-skinned demon.
Thanos and Mephisto.
"Mephisto, how does it feel knowing that a mere mortal runs freely across your domain? Not very dignified, is it?"
"Hmph. What would you know?" The Hell Lord scoffed. "You underestimate that mortal's potential. His soul belongs to me."
Thanos intervened. "Enough. We are here for mutual benefit. Once our deal is done, we go our separate ways. Mephisto, ensure that human does not interfere with our plans."
Garus had already gathered five Infinity Stones. His raw power made him a formidable adversary. Even with Odin gone, Thanos knew he couldn't take the Stones by force.
After much deliberation, he had sought allies who also had designs on Earth—Dormammu and Mephisto.
If their plan succeeded, Dormammu would drag the Nine Realms into the Dark Dimension, Mephisto would claim the souls within, and Thanos would seize the Infinity Stones.
Of course, dealing with demons required caution.
"I can see you don't fully trust me." Mephisto smirked. "Then let's make it official—a contract. Under cosmic law, I cannot break it."
From the void, he produced an ancient parchment filled with intricate demonic script.
Thanos and Dormammu scrutinized every word, wary of deception.
"Relax. Would I dare deceive the Lord of the Dark Dimension and the consort of Lady Death?"
As the three beings imprinted their essence upon the contract, it flared with an abyssal glow. A dark beam erupted from the parchment, piercing the void and soaring toward an unknown destination.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON