On Earth, the moment Garus departed, the planetary defense network preparations began in earnest.
The rumbling of heavy machinery echoed through the mountains as Azeroth Technologies' construction teams worked tirelessly in this desolate landscape. Their task: excavating a deep underground chamber to house the Creator's Engine.
At the entrance of a newly formed cave, a security officer patrolling the site spotted an unexpected visitor approaching. The guards immediately drew their weapons and leveled them at the intruder.
"Halt! This is an Azeroth Technologies construction site. No unauthorized personnel beyond this point."
The stranger stopped in his tracks, surveying the fortified cave entrance before him. "I heard you've uncovered gravitonium."
The security guards exchanged puzzled glances. They had no idea what "gravitonium" was.
Gravitonium was an extremely rare element, capable of manipulating gravity itself. It could only be found deep beneath the Earth's surface.
From within the cave, a chilling frost emanated as Bobby stepped forward, his breath visible in the cold air.
"Where did you hear that?" he asked. Wanda had stationed defensive forces at every construction site, and here, the post was under the watch of the Ice Knight, Bobby.
"That doesn't matter," the man replied. "I have no quarrel with you. Hand over the gravitium, and I'll be on my way." Talbot's tone left no room for negotiation. "With more gravitonium, I can defeat Thanos instead of merely defending against him. You do know who Thanos is, don't you?"
Of course, Bobby knew. Everything they were doing here was in preparation for the coming invasion. But what disturbed him was the fact that Talbot somehow knew about the gravitonium, which had only recently been excavated and had yet to be transported.
"We know who Thanos is," Bobby said, narrowing his eyes. "But if you think that possessing gravitonium alone will be enough to defeat him, you're gravely mistaken. Even my master isn't entirely certain of victory. Thanos has found powerful allies."
"There's only one way to find out." Ignoring the warning, Talbot strode toward the cave entrance.
"Open fire!"
Bullets tore through the air, yet none reached Talbot. Instead, they froze mid-flight, orbiting him in a gravitational vortex.
"You will understand my power soon enough."
With a flick of his fingers, the suspended bullets reversed direction, hurtling back toward Bobby and the guards. Bobby barely had time to summon a thick ice wall, shielding himself and his men from the deadly projectiles.
"A mutant?" Talbot scoffed. "You underestimate me."
With a mere gesture, he clenched his fist in the air. The security guards screamed in agony as their bodies were crushed, twisted, and compressed into dense spheres of flesh and bone.
Bobby, usually composed, felt a rare surge of fury. He lunged forward, his rune-etched sword glowing with an icy blue light, the temperature plummeting around him.
Before he could strike, his entire body was yanked upward, caught in Talbot's gravitational grasp. The pressure mounted, forcing his body inward, threatening to crush him.
Bobby activated his abilities, transforming into solid ice to withstand the immense force.
"Impressive," Talbot mused. "You're holding out longer than I expected."
He intensified the pressure. Cracks spread across Bobby's frozen form like fractures in a glacier.
With a final, thunderous shatter, Bobby's body exploded into a cascade of ice shards that scattered across the ground, glistening under the sun.
"So much for that." Stepping over the fallen remains, Talbot continued deeper into the cave.
The base had been hastily constructed, with little in the way of security measures. It wasn't until he had ventured inside that the personnel took notice of the intruder.
Guards raised their weapons, but before they could fire, Talbot hesitated.
"Our goals do not conflict," he murmured. "Consider yourselves lucky."
With a mere thought, he lifted them all into the air, immobilizing them in place. Without further hindrance, he pressed onward.
After a long descent, he finally arrived at a yawning chasm, a passage leading deeper underground. The tunnel was pitch-black, an abyss with no visible bottom.
The excavation was still in its early stages—equipment had yet to be fully installed, and only the tunnel itself had been dug.
Talbot grabbed a nearby oxygen mask and secured it over his face. Without hesitation, he floated downward into the darkness.
For minutes, he continued his descent, finally emerging into a vast cavern more than twenty kilometers beneath the surface. This was the richest deposit of gravitonium he had ever encountered.
The cavern walls shimmered, streaked with veins of silver-white metal that gleamed under the beam of his flashlight.
"Gravitonium," Talbot whispered, his face splitting into a triumphant grin. The more he absorbed, the stronger he would become.
Liquid-like streams of gravitonium drifted toward him, sinking into his body, merging with his being.
A wave of power coursed through him. He could feel the very fabric of Earth's gravity bending to his will. He had the terrifying sensation that he could tear the planet apart with a mere thought.
"Perhaps now, I can defeat Thanos. But I need more… much more." He extended his senses, detecting other deposits buried deep within the planet. "Let Azeroth Technologies dig the tunnels for me. I have no desire to rip the Earth apart—at least, not yet."
Rising from the depths, he emerged from the cave. Gazing at a distant mountain range, he clenched his fist.
In an instant, the mountain collapsed, crumbling into a vast, flat plain.
"Thanos… send him to me." With a rush of air, Talbot soared toward his next destination.
Back at the cave entrance, the shattered ice fragments stirred. Slowly, the pieces began to coalesce, melting and reforming into Bobby's body.
"The master isn't on Earth… I need to report to Wanda," Bobby murmured. He knew he was no match for this mysterious foe. Talbot had made his message clear—this was an act of provocation.
...
Deep in the void of space, an enormous warship hurtled toward Earth—the Sanctuary II, Thanos' command vessel.
On its command deck, three dark figures loomed: Thanos, Dormammu, and Mephisto.
"According to my followers, there is a human on Earth constructing a facility akin to the Sanctum Sanctorum," Dormammu intoned. "If completed, it will be a major obstacle to our plans."
"That would be the one they call Garus," Thanos said. Their movements were not entirely secret, and by now, the entire cosmos was aware of their approach. Thanos pondered whether he had miscalculated—perhaps he should have struck before Odin's death, before Earth had time to prepare.
"We cannot allow the construction to be completed," Mephisto growled. Twice, he had suffered humiliating defeats at Garus' hands. Though those had been mere fragments of his essence, the sting of failure still burned. This time, he would not rely on avatars.
Draped in a shadowy robe, Dormammu's eyes gleamed. "Then let my followers put an end to their efforts."
Without the Space Stone, their journey to Earth would still take time. But first, they had another task at hand—the Time Stone, held by the Ancient One. Securing it would tip the scales in their favor.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON