Atop a hill in the countryside of Upstate New York, there was a beautiful house that looked out at the valley and the river inside it.
The house was large and had no neighbours in the vicinity. It was situated on a private stretch of land. The exterior of the house was painted marble white, with wooden finishing to give it a very luxurious look.
The couple that lived in the house lived a very peaceful life, despite half the world knowing who the people were, they had managed to carve a slice of heaven for themselves away from the excitement that their life had been fraught with during their younger years.
They would wake up in the morning and would busy themselves the whole day listening to and watching the news from all around the world. Especially ones that featured their daughter.
He would watch television, read newspaper articles, and social media about the exciting things going on every day to spice up his life.
House chores, taking care of their space, and taking knitting lessons with the ladies in town summed up a day as the wife of this old man. She would often get sick, but her man had her back.
"It is okay, you will be fine, I am here for you." her husband said the words she had used oh so many times during the days when he came home broken and bleeding after a long day of crime fighting.
The clock struck three.
With wrinkles on his face, and his lovely wife by his side, the couple was watching the television with great interest. And this was one of the many things they did during the evenings—watching the news together.
The man's thoughts were occupied with different sorts of things, and after a few silent minutes, his wife decided to change to a different news channel.
"Peter… Look, May's on TV!" Mary Jane said, grabbing her husband's attention.
"Ah, May!… There you go, Spider-girl!" Peter cheered for his little girl who had taken up the mantle of Spider-Girl. His voice was weary yet held the authority and the roughness which grew with time.
Peter and Mary were both around sixty-five years old, bordering seventy.
With a daughter who followed Peter's superhero path, he was enjoying his retirement, being with his wife, and having a lovely time, every day until he could.
Peter's short white hair was prominent as he leaned on the white cushion of his sofa. His hazel eyes were now pointed at the screen, and he was having a moment of pride as he gazed at his daughter through the live feed of the news channel.
Watching his daughter in the camera on the tv, always sent him through nostalgia as his old memories surfaced. The way she talked resembled his high school days, but May was much more mature than he was at her age, most of it because she had him and Miles to learn from.
Peter's old yet still powerful body shifted from its initial position, to sitting on the sofa as he adoringly continued to watch the tv.
Mary, who sat on one of the small sofa chairs, had her hands on the sweatshirt she was knitting for Christmas. She wanted to give it to May, which was also a part of why she had started working on it earlier than usual.
On the television, there were pictures of Spider-girl. Her costume, but her mask was off, as it was laid out in front of her.
"According to the SWORD agents, the entire situation was covered and the risks have been taken off the care of. We have Spider-girl, May Parker, CEO of Parker Industries, and the current leader of the Avengers with us live."
Her mask lay at the table in front of her which let her brown hair flow behind her, and her eyes showed the same steely determination that Peter once did a lifetime ago. She was at a conference alongside Commander Steve Rogers, and the current Captain America, Sam Wilson.
"We have teams on the ground, taking care of the situation. We promise to keep the public informed as the situation unfolds." She said.
Steve Rogers, wearing his patriotic red, white and blue uniform, that was lacking his iconic shield, which could be seen adorned on Sam Wilson's back. He stole the spotlight for a brief second, as he affirmed his own position and support for May.
After a few seconds of him explaining the situation that occurred, the focus shifted to the spider-girl.
"...People have NOTHING to fear! And I'm repeating myself, people have nothing to fear. SWORD has the situation under control. The breaches are being fixed, and our interdimensional shielding arrays, alongside our best sorcerers, are working overtime to keep us as secure as can be"
Mary Jane sighed wistfully. In the background, her daughter was soothing the fears of the city, but in the little household, there was her father trying to soothe the fears of her mother.
~Sigh~
"Little May has come a long way, hasn't she Peter? I can't help the fear that builds up in my stomach whenever she's out there to do her job. I feel like- I have this worry in my heart."
Mary's voice made Peter look at her over his shoulder. She was sitting not too close to him, but the worry layered in her voice made Peter nod in his mind without letting her know that was agreeing.
He had been Spider-Man before he became a father. Even though that life felt like almost a lifetime ago, he knew what she was doing out there and how things normally went out there.
"...But- But I have accepted that in my life. My life with you taught me a lot," Mary continued saying.
Although she was mouthing her thoughts out, if Peter had learned anything from the past few decades, that would be how much the superhero responsibilities worried MJ.
"May had me and Miles to learn from. And she's turned out to be magnificent as Spider-Girl. We have nothing to worry about, MJ."
"I know, but still, the fear that comes up every time and the fear I try to hide, it's not possible for me to be all relaxed."
Both of them continued to talk while looking at the screen. As they grew older, together, even the silence that spread among them was enough to show the resonating love between the two at times.
Right now, there were various superheroes and agents who were heavily in a discussion about the situation that they were having under their control, but Peter knew Mary's fear was still bubbling up.
In fact, it had never really settled ever since May joined as the Spider-girl, if anything it had just increased. His own worries were but an afterthought.
"May, always don't forget, with great powers-"
"-Comes great responsibilities. I know, mom. I know. You have been saying that since I was five, and if daddy can trust me with this power I have, you have nothing to worry about. He survived, and so would I. So would I, mom." May Parker had said the very first day she went out on her mission.
The news channel turns to breaking news, grabbing the attention of the old couple.
Peter shifted towards MJ without blinking an eye and wrapped his arms around her as they both focused on the words coming out from the anchor.
"Breaking news! It has just been reported that the Avengers led by spider-girl have just evacuated the facility, and reports suggest that Dr. Doom has interrupted the proceeding-"
The pictures changed from the woman who was stuttering her words in the breaking news to a building where Dr. Doom was visible atop. His white green robes were waving due to the harsh wind.
With the undefinable face he had, the steel mask, he looked scary enough to make hundreds of kids cry. Doctor Victor Don Doom was the Monarch and Supreme Leader of the Kingdom of Latveria.
He was scarred from an accident and now wears an iron mask and armor to hide his true face.
He was also considered one of the most brilliant minds and scientists on the planet Earth.
The helicopters were taking the shot from afar, as they didn't want to get too close to whatever was about to happen.
Dr. Doom stood straight and tall at the tip of the building. If one hadn't known, he would have come off as a hero with the confidence and power he railed off of his posture.
The entire heroic-villain scenario could also possibly explain another fearful thing.
The live footage of the man, made fear bubble in both Peter's and MJ's hearts. The sweatshirt dropped to the floor, and so did the equipment she was knitting it with.
"I find the lack of action by this council… disappointing." Dr. Doom said while giving a glance at the cameras, his voice booming despite the distance between him and the camera. "Empty promises of safety are but a game to assuage the fears of the people. But, I am no common criminal that can be distracted by your prattling. Tell the people exactly what has happened, or I shall do it for you."
Shivers ran down in the old couples' spines equally watching how the entire thing was being recorded.
Parker hadn't moved since the mention of spider-girl. He held MJ's hand. She reciprocated it back tightly.
After a long time, fear surfaced in the hearts of the Parkers.
To most people, a vacation means a trip to a beach, the mountains, or a resort. Reed Richards, isn't like most people.
As a founding member of the team that has come to be known as the fantastic four, he has been challenging the unknown for most of his adult life.
A vacation for him, is a trip to these unknowns with his wife, exploring the possibilities and expanding his insatiable curiosity.
"Time to pack it up, Reed." A voice in his earpiece says as he finishes fiddling with the device in his hands.
He nods, as he takes a final glance at the cracked-up planet that he and his wife have settled around into orbit, hoping to get a good idea of what caused the cracks that were prominent in it in the first place.
"Almost finished, Susan. According to these readings, this world was once teeming with life. Just like the others, we have found." He replies on the comms as he floats his way back into the shuttle that had been their home for the past month that they had embarked on this vacation.
He frowns grimly and comments "Someone, or something, has recently stripped it of all inhabitants, all energy. An obvious suspect comes to mind."
"Reed, you need to return to the ship, before you run out of air. I mean it, now!" Susan commands as she notices that he's stopped again to stare at the once life-filled planet, as he pondered the various possibilities that may have caused such destruction.
"Yeah, I am on my way, Susan. Open the outer hatch." He replies as he finally reaches the shuttle.
"When you said let's go on a vacation, I thought we'd be sunbathing in the Bahamas, or joining Franklin and Valeria to get their power dampeners removed.
Not looking for clues to find an intergalactic mass murderer." Susan commented as Reed walked into the main deck of the spaceship that they both had been calling their home. "I think it's time we go back. Ben and Johnny must be beside themselves having to babysit for so long as they have been."
"I know, and I am glad you agreed to this little expedition, we both needed the vacation to ourselves. I am sorry that my initial plans became awry as we stumbled upon dead planet after dead planet. We should have been enjoying the scenery in the Andromeda galaxy, instead, we are here. But, you know I couldn't ignore these anomalies anymore."
Susan sighed as she wrapped her arms around Reed, as soon as he stepped out of his bulky space suit. "I know, Reed. I know. Let's finish gathering the data and head back. We will sift through the data once we're home."
Reed nodded as he enjoyed the comfort his wife provided, and then refocused his attention back to the control panel as a developing pattern demanded his attention.
"T-these patterns, Oh God, Susan! Chart a course back home! We need to get out of here."
Alarmed by the urgency in his voice, Susan immediately started plotting the quickest way back home, as she asked "What's wrong?"
"See these solar systems that we have marked on the star chart? Each system once contained an inhabited world that has been reduced to a lifeless husk.
The trail appears to be heading through Shi'ar space and heading towards the Milky Way galaxy!" He exclaimed as he joined his wife in changing the course of the ship to home.
"How long before it reaches Earth?!" She asked, as she turned on the engines and set them to warm up.
"Worst case scenario, three days. A week at best. Is the engine ready?" He replied.
"It's heating, 10 minutes to ignition." She replied as she navigated the last few buttons as she finished mapping the shortest course home "It will take us five days to reach Earth. We need to alert the -"
She was cut off as an Alarm started blaring in their shuttle, as all the lights turned red.
"My drone probes are saying another anomaly has popped up at the center of this galaxy!" Reed exclaimed as he surveyed the charts. "Luckily we are parked on the outer rim. We should be safe here."
"That 'should' doesn't give me much confidence. Eight minutes to launch." Susan replied.
"I am afraid I cannot guarantee anything, the central star of this galaxy is behaving rather oddly," Reed said as he remotely adjusted his scanners to peer at the center of the galaxy, instead of the nearby desolate planet.
"I will boost the probe's magnification, while we wait for the engines to heat up... Oh, how magnificent! There is an alien vessel that appears to be pouring energy into the Star itself!"
As the realization dawned on him about the possibility of the calamity that was presenting itself he stuttered "Susan! The earth, .. maybe the entire universe… is in far greater jeopardy than we had realized. How much time is left? We are not safe here. Not anymore."
"Five minutes Reed!" She exclaimed as she tried to engage all thrusters by bypassing the cooling mechanism for a few seconds.
Just as she managed to decrease the time to heat the engine, a massive explosion occurred at the center of the galaxy. The explosion was so vibrant and so hot that the rocket's engines immediately overheated and neared an explosion.
"Reed Richards to Fantastic Four HQ!" Reed instead shifted focus on his telecommunicator to send a message home, "The earth is in deadly per-"
He tried to say, but the fiery explosion covered their ship in less than a second. Seemingly burning away all there was around them.
Far across the void of space, an incredibly nimble figure hurtles through the cosmos.
A being who swims upon the waves of the fundamental forces that reside within the universe.
A being filled with Cosmic energy so potent, that not even power from the M'Kraan crystal or the Phoenix Eternal could scratch his organic armour. He was a simple being, who called himself the Herald.
Like a living comet, he streaks through the cosmos and into the sector of Space ruled by the Shi'ar Empire.
He makes his way through the outer rims of Shi'ar space, completely ignoring the defensive satellite minefield, and laser turrets that automatically attempted to annihilate him when he was detected as if they were targeting an unbreakable wall.
These same defensive weapons had the power to shatter an entire Asteroid, half the size of the moon should they have deemed it a threat, yet they were completely ineffective against the Herald.
Getting irritated due to their presence, the Herald regards them in disdain and sweeps them aside using his Cosmic energy, and without a backward glance, he dives towards his current destination, the imperial throne world of the Shi'ar Empire.
His arrival on the planet catches the attention of most of the population of the small, yet powerful planet, as he shines magnificently on the horizon of the Throneworld of the giant space empire.
"This world has been targeted for destruction!" He announces, his voice aided by using Cosmic Energy and reaching every living person throughout the empire, "Evacuate, or Die! The choice is yours! You will not be warned again."
The sudden arrival and the shocking announcement leaves a lot of the people who were witnessing the phenomenon utterly baffled, some were afraid, yet others believed it to be a hoax. The Herald cared not.
"Are you a madman?! Or are you merely a fool? I am Gladiator, the praetor of the Imperial Guard! And this planet is under our protection!" A tall hulking figure, who identified himself as Gladiator, answered.
He was flagged by the other members of the Imperial Guard of the Shi'ar Empire.
The Herald merely surveyed the answering party, and he was not impressed. "Your objection has been noted, and summarily dismissed. There is no further appeal. You must flee this doomed world, or suffer the consequences!"
Seeing that the Herald was not taking no for an answer, The Gladiator and his team attacked without delay. Little did they know it would be the last battle they ever fought.
Elsewhere, on the throne world of the Shi'ar Empire.
The Shi'ar are a relatively younger race when compared to the Kree or the Skrulls.
They govern their galaxy-wide empire from their imperial throne world. An artificial planet, with specially selected environments to serve the needs of all the member races.
The absolute authority of the entire empire, currently lays in the hands of the empress, Majestrix Lilandra Nermani. She was a kind and just ruler of her empire. She was currently frantically heading toward the exit of the throne room.
"We must hurry, The glow of the battle glows brighter!" Her advisor commented as he surveyed the battle between the imperial guard and the Herald.
He grimly noted, "The Destroyer has come! We must go, my lady. We don't have enough ships to evacuate the entire planet."
"It is my fault," Another councillor lamented, "I should have prepared for this eventuality."
"The high council awaits you in your personal starship, my lady" The advisor said, as he ushered the Empress toward the hangar bay. "You can delay no longer, you have a responsibility to those who survive,"
"What of my loyal servants?" Lilandra finally asked as she gazed at the slowly brightening explosions that arose from the battle. "There should be room for everyone!"
"Your safety is our utmost priority, Majestrix!" Her advisor replied as he gently pushed her toward the hangar again "We have faith in your imperial guard, they will be victorious against the destroyer." Though she could hear the uncertainty in the advisor's voice, she knew that he was merely trying to offer comfort.
"I pray they will…" She said as they continued walking toward the hangar.
The Skies of the Throne World of the Shi'ar empire was blackened due to the silhouette of a towering figure.
His mere arrival had caused the death and destruction of thousands if not millions of the inhabitants of the little planet. His name was Galactus, the Great Destroyer, the ravager of worlds.
For centuries beyond number, Galactus had roamed the universe, stripping planets of the energy he needed to survive–and leaving only dead and shells to mark his passings. And the target of his trail of destruction now seemed to be the center of the Shi'ar Empire.
The Imperial Guard, ever loyal to the throne that ruled over the vast empire remained undeterred, even in front of the nigh-impossible odds that they knew they faced.
"Onward, Guardsmen! ONWARDS!" Roared Gladiator as he rallied his fellow imperial guard into attacking the herald yet again, "We dare not fail our Majestrix! Or our People!"
Some tried to attack Galactus head-on, but the force field separated the primordial being, and the mortals made their efforts but a fruitless endeavor, and they too joined the fray in attacking the herald of Galactus.
But even here, their attacks seemed to be in vain as blast after blast, of any kind, be it telepathic, physical, or metaphysical was simply shrugged off by the herald, who instead seemed frustrated and irritated at the annoyance.
"You were adequately warned to forsake this ill-fated world! Why do you delay here? Squandering your only hope for survival?!" he spoke as though he were talking to a child, as he simultaneously threw three soldiers into nearby buildings collapsing them onto the soldiers "None, can deter my master!"
The few remaining people who watched, what seemed like a battle between a mortal and a god, were slowly losing hope.
"The guardsmen are being swept aside like flies, mother! We must hurry! We need to head for the evacuation pods!" A young woman helped her mother, as she crossed rubble that had littered the streets of the floating city.
Just as her mother was about to reply, a giant chunk of Rock hurtled toward exactly where the both of them were standing, and the woman pushed her mother out of the way, accepting her fate as she readied herself to embrace death.
Yet it was not her time yet.
The gladiator who had been thrown into the building just beside them caught the giant rock in one hand and used it as a projectile to throw at the Herald, who yet again swept it aside as if it were nothing more than a passing annoyance.
Another soldier quickly lifted the woman and her mother into her arms as she chanted to herself "Though our world be lost, I can still save this woman, these people! The Shi'ar will live, and we will rise Anew!"
Yet, unbeknownst to them all, high up in the sky, Galactus activated his elemental converter.
No trace of emotion crossed his face, as the device charged a massive beam of energy. The people on the ground looked up at the sky, as the colossal wave hurtled toward the ground, and all hope was lost.
The impact of the beam drained every precious quantum of biochemical, kinetic, or magical energy that was present around the throneworld.
Seas disappeared in an instant.
Cities, reduced to their individual atoms. People just vanished. No pain, or emotion on their faces, except unending horror.
The fiery core of the planet bled dry, within seconds.
And a once great world was lost forever, leaving behind but a few survivors, refugees of a once proud race lost in the vast expanse of space.
Yet, among all these people, a fury burnt brighter in their hearts, as people vowed vengeance against the colossal celestial, who had not shown the slightest of emotions during the entire event.
"S-set a course for Planet C-53, sector 17. Our only hope now lies on Terra." Majestrix Lilandra announced to her remaining people, gathered in her ship. Her voice hard, lacking the usual softness, as the pain bled through clear for everyone to notice.
"T-terra, my Lady?" Her advisor sobbed as he moved to set the coordinates on the refugee ship.
"It is our only hope. In a few days, it will be the last planet standing."
"I hunger." A booming voice echoes, as footsteps sound in a chamber which was filled with giant tubes of Golden cosmic energy. Had a single footstep have been placed on Earth, the planet would not have survived, yet this place was perfectly capable of holding a being as colossal as Galactus. "The need grows within me, but I dare not partake of my reserves. Not when I am so close."
"Why don't you satisfy yourself, Master?" The herald who rode atop Galactus' shoulder asked, as he caught his master's attention "We can always gather more energy."
"You do not understand, my Herald." Galactus finally said as he stared at the energy that surrounded him, that he constantly hungered for,
"How could you? Or any mere mortal? Since time immemorial I have been trapped in an eternal cycle of seeking and consuming cosmic energy. Now, thanks to the birth of a star using the energy released by the infinity gems, I will finally be free! I can finally end my imprisonment, free myself of this wretched existence, and be reborn anew!"
The herald listened patiently as his master explained, and asked "I assume that your recent test has proven satisfactory?"
"Most satisfactory" The celestial replied.
"Does this mean, we are now heading to the planet that has alluded your hunger for so long? Shall I announce your coming to the planet Earth?" He asked for instructions as ever the loyal servant of his master.
"No" The Celestial announced. "There yet remains a necessary component. Our next destination is Xandar! The home of the Nova Corps!"
"The Shi'ar were lost as well." A man wearing a leather jacket, pompadour hair, thick beard and two blasters in his hand announced to his crew aboard the Milano.
"What? How and when?" A blue-skinned woman asked, "Dad, are you sure?"
"What are you talking about? This is not the time to joke." The talking raccoon who was among them asked. His fur was turning grey, yet his will was strong.
If one guessed already—Bingo!
"Can you start talking now? If Shi'ar is destroyed, there are not many long before they reach the Earth! What type of thing is happening?" Nikki asked as she pulled up the satellite images of what had happened.
"Oh f-" Peter Quill almost cussed at the imagery he was watching.
In front of them, the holograms depicted how the entire mass elimination had happened. It was traumatizing but nothing they hadn't seen before.
"That looks terrifying," Gamora whispered and walked towards them.
"Flark, it does. But at least it's something we could finally entertain ourselves after a lot of days being bored-" Rocket said while looking at Groot who sat opposite him.
"I am Groot," the giant tree said as his eyes widened.
"I know, I know. It's scary," Rocket muttered and looked at Quill, "What are we going to do now? We should head over, right? It would be a great honor if we all died together this time. Ah!"
The guardians of the galaxy had come a long way since they first got together. Peter and Gamora had started a family, after they adopted Peter's daughter, Nikki after her blood mother, Ko-Rel died saving her during the Nova Corps war.
She was talented, flexible, and someone who possessed both her parents' skills including being extra sharp with guns. She also could see in intense light and has a high degree of resistance to heat and most types of radiation.
Nevertheless, years of living in combat, surviving, and experiencing ups and downs taught her lots of lessons.
"We don't have much time do we?" Nikki put herself into the middle of the conversation.
"I suppose we don't."
"I am Groot."
"I know, they are hyping up for no reason," Rocket said making everyone frown.
"What do you know?" Quill asked while walking towards him.
Quill wasn't looking that young anymore. Grey hair, but his will and the vibes were the same—if anything, much stronger.
For all he had witnessed the life and escaped death, it was a little too late for him to get scared of death.
But all of them had something in common, the urge to save the Earth. It was only a matter of quantity for how they cared.
"I was waiting till you asked. My suspicion according to how the patterns were, they'd go to Nova first-"
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
"I am Groot."
"Can you contact Dey? Is the Nova secure? If you can contact them, tell them to send their best to new Xandar, we're going there," Peter asked, as slumped on his seat.
"We will get there, but are you sure this is what you want to do? He's hungry, and he can no longer be reasoned with. Heck earth doesn't even have the Ultimate Nullifier anymore!" Racoon said while looking at the video in front of him over and over again.
"Of course, I want to go get a piece of that ugly bastard! Spartax is no more and I wasn't there!" Quill shouted at Rocket, as he Peter's guilt over the desolation of Spartax burned a fire through him.
"Hey, chill out old timer, I was just checkin' you know I will be there with you every step of the way." Rocket replied as he placed his arm over Peter's
"You will always have me by your side Quill," Gamora added as she looked resolutely into his eyes, as she too placed her hand on top of Rocket's.
"As will I dad," Nikki joined in.
"You have my support as well, Peter Quill." Drax, the old Kathartian Warrior, too gave his assent.
"You know me, I will follow you guys to the ends of the world, but I sense this will not end well," Mantis chimed in, though she warned them of the possibility.
"I am groot!" The old Florra Colossus, Groot added as he placed a branch in support as well.
"When have we ever turned away from Danger! Let's do this!"
"I'll get ready. We all should get ready. We don't have long. Uh, prepare every weapon possible, and I will send a missive to the Avengers HQ on Terra." Nikki said while walking to the back of the spacecraft to prepare herself for the upcoming battle.
Verge System 001, 25 star systems away, Andromeda Galaxy.
Xandar Cluster, Home Planet to the Nova Corps.
"Attention Nova Corps, Crisis Protocols are in effect. Unauthorized pangalactic transit has been suspended until further notice. Stargates included." A station-wide announcement sounded to all Nova Corps soldiers and citizens of Xandar and affiliated planetary systems. "Nova Corps apologizes for any inconvenience. Please, head to your nearest shelter for authorized evacuation," It continued, and the message started repeating itself on loop "Attention Nova Corps, Crisis Protocols are in….."
Hordes of tourists, travelers, and other aliens who lived on or near Xandar rushed to the evacuation facilities, as giant queues started forming around every station in the system.
On the inside of one such facility, many Nova Corps officers were reporting to their commanding officers.
"Rider, Richard. Terran. Reporting for Duty!" The voice of one such soldier sounded, as Nova Prime reported to his battle station as well.
"This is not how I envisioned how I would be spending my R&R cycle." The Xandarian Worldmind's voice sounded in his head, and then it continued "You are to report to the Guardians, the string of mass annihilation of planets and star systems continues, and it is headed in our direction. Galactus has effectively wiped out a large section of the universe, and according to reports, he is beyond any reason. You are to rendezvous with the Guardians and Carol Danvers, and begin immediate evacuation of this system, once the evacuation begins, you will report on the Centurion, and attempt a final attack on the celestial. Use any means necessary."
Rider saluted in acceptance of his orders and asked "Are we looking at another Annihilation?"
The voice didn't respond for over a couple of seconds and then said "I fear that this may be worse, Nova survived Annihilation, how are we to survive if there is nothing left?"
"Good, you're here. There has been an incident out at the Kyln. We've lost all power to our subsidiary planets. Inmates have fled the outer rim. Sadly, none survived, except those that fled to Terra. And even there, we don't know the chances of survival. If this station falls. Terra will remain as the last planet standing, between Galactus and utter devastation." Peter Quill's voice sounded in the Milano as Rider made his way into the ship.
"I have my Daughter, Nikki preparing a fleet of refugee ships heading to Earth. But we don't want it to have to come to that. Spartax has been lost, and so is the entire Shi'ar empire. Rocket, start the engines, I want the Milano on board the Centurion before Galactus arrives. Let's give the bastard a taste of what he deserves."
"I am Groot!"
"What? Now?!"
"What's he saying!" Richard couldn't help but ask.
Everyone turned to look at Groot who had his big black eyes looking at Rocket. In his hands, he was doing something, while his full focus was on.
"He's sprouting a seed, he's only done that once..." Rocket answers for him "Groot, buddy. Are you sure?"
"I am Groot.." Groot replies sadly as he extends his vines and branches, and places a shining seedling into Rocket's hands.
Rocket sniffs, as tears pool in his eyes, he immediately starts preparing a pot in which he places the seed, and covers it with soil. He places the pot in a shuttle pod and launches it toward the Xandarian evacuation facility.
"I-I uhm, I will send this to Nikki. She will take it to Earth," He says as he looks sadly at his dearest friend.
"This may be our last battle, let's give it our best shot!" Quill says as he realizes the significance of Groot's actions.
Rider nodded and he takes control of the vessel as he connects the briefing table to the Worldmind "Standby for Worldmind operational brief. Three… two …. One. It's live"
"Attention all Nova Corps officers, this may be our final showdown. We have alerted the Terran authorities of the arrival of our refugees, we have already lost the Kyln. The Guardians and Nova Prime will lead this final mission. And I will be frank, we have no hope of winning. This entire battle, is a suicide mission, a diversionary tactic to prolong the evacuation of our star system. Attacking Galactus' herald is not our primary objective. Our objective is to stall Galactus himself. I have enabled full power for all Nova Corps officers. And just in case you didn't think it could get any worse, we have lost contact with all but three Omega Core precincts. This is full military protocol. We are no longer policing the galaxy. We are fighting a war. Galactus is two star systems short of us, and his Herald has already begun destroying the outer rim, and the Kyln. We will do what we have always done. We did it with Annihilation. We did it the mad titan and his Chitauri, we did it against the Kree! We will stand as the Nova Corps, and we will die fighting so that our loved ones may live, they may have the hope of a longer survival. We are the NOVA CORPS!" The voice sounded throughout the comms systems of all Nova Corps officer, Television Screens, and Holographic displays.
The silence that followed, was deafening. As every soldier, warrior, and guardian prepared for the battle of their Lives.
The Milano piloted by Peter followed the trailing blaze of the figure of Richard Rider, as he led them to the Centurion battleship.
"Security integrity confirmed. Docking procedures sequencing. Welcome aboard the Centurion guardians of the gala..." The voice cut off.
"Alpha Breach restricted space violation. Contact with first defense fleet lost."
"Shit, let's get the Centurion in battle formation….." Quill shouted as he rallied his team.
Rider nodded "I will rendezvous with Captain Marvel and rally our defenses. You're incharge of the Centurion. Good Luck Guardians," he said and took off into the space toward the shining form of Captain Carol Danvers, who was waiting to begin her attack.
"Gamora, there is still a chance to back out. If you want you can go on with Nikki—" He said and she shushed him by placing a finger on his lips.
"My place is here, by your side. If we are going to die, then I would rather it be fighting." She replied, as she looked resolutely in his eyes.
"I love you," Quill breathed, and he collected himself as he guided the Guardians toward the central command deck of the Centurion. "Rocket, the Milano is yours. For now. Pilot the ship, and stay on the Centurion's six. You will lead our fighters."
The old Raccoon rolled his eyes, as he wiped a tear off his furry face. He nodded and said "Aye, Aye. Captain"
Little did they know, this would be the final meeting of their lives.
"He's here." Carol Danvers said as she looked at the colossal form of the Great Destroyer that was towering in the distance. "He's breached the security web."
"All Battle stations, prepare Ion cannons." Rider commander through his comms "Aim! FIRE!"
Every ship in the fleet fired a gigantic volley of energy at the towering form of Galactus, and for a moment Carol hoped that it would be enough, nothing should have the capacity to survive such an assault, yet it was for naught.
As the cosmic dust settled, the unscratched form of Galactus came back into view. If anything, he hadn't even felt the volley at all.
"Retake aim!" Rider voiced out again, his voice strained and coarse "Fire!"
Another devastating volley shot out of the armada and hurtled toward the celestial.
It too had the exact same effect.
Carol sighed, and turned to Nova "I really wish we had the ultimate nullifier right about now."
"We all wish for things we do not possess." Rider replied, his voice now devoid of any emotion "Retake Aim! FIRE!"
Another volley, another failed attack.
"Prepare troops for close-quarters attack." He shifted focus to take the battle closer.
"That's suicide," Carol commented, even though she too directed her troops into close-quarter battle formations. "It's the only thing we have left. We need to at least slow him down. The refugees depend on it."
"That's if they're lucky enough to survive till they're out of the blast radius," Carol commented. "We're ready, see you on the other side Rider. If it's any consolation, I am happy I die fighting at your side."
Aboard the Refugee ship Alpha 613.
Nikki Gold-Quill watched with bated breath, as the light show generated by the fleet of the Nova armada ended. It was followed by the light generated by Captain Marvel, and the Nova Force heading into battle, and even at this distance, it was clear that they were not measuring up to be able to even lay a scratch on the Celestial.
She knew her parents were among the soldiers fighting for the trillions of lives that would be affected by Galactus' destructive rampage. They were doing what they had always done. Saving the galaxy.
She wiped the tears that threatened to spill as she watched as Galactus Activated the device in his hand. A fiery beam emanated at the center, and she pressed the comms to her refugee fleet.
"Jumping to Hyperspace, in three…. Two ….. one"
Just as the Destructive beam left the device, the entire fleet jumped into hyperspace, heading for Earth.
As Xandar was decimated, turned to energy, a morsel for the giant celestial. She was left, an orphan, again.
At least she had baby Groot by her side.
Earth truly was, the last planet standing. She hoped it would be enough.
Dr. Doom was on top of the same building, cameras and eyes of every person in the world were focused on Dr. Doom's next possible step.
His menacing figure alone was enough to send shivers down the spines of the millions of people who had been watching from their homes.
Though, what he had to say gave them an altogether different reason to be afraid.
"The welfare of my people is ever closest to my heart! What a pity I am so often forced to save you from yourselves! If my calculations are correct, in around a week from now, Earth would have no trace of its existence. I see the panic in your eyes!" He said while looking at the pilot of the nearest helicopter.
"Earth is already losing allies. Nova Corps, Shi'ar Empire, and the rest of the known universe have already been snubbed. Galactus decimated each and every galaxy he could find. And now, he has set his eyes on Earth!" His announcement made its way to the attention of everyone.
The people who were watching this on the television gasped in horror. At first, they were all confused and scared of the man who stood like a statue, but now, the focus shifted to the end of the world—or so what he implies.
Dr. Doom was looking straight into the cameras, and the helicopters flew round and round around him. His form painted a regal visage, as he looked down at the gathered news crew and the avengers beside them.
"This is the time to put a full stop to your ignorance, Avengers. Not just me, but the entire humanity including every species to reside on Earth are in danger!" He announced to the world. "
He turned to face the giant billboard TV that was currently displaying his face from one of the many cameras that were recording him live. He pressed a few buttons on his gauntlets, and the image shifted to that of a Star Chart, along with footage of what was once Spartax.
"What is your play in all this Doom?" Spider-Girl asked as Sam Wilson flanked her right and Steve Rogers on her left.
Kate Bishop had already made her way to the top of the building, and her explosive arrows already had Dr. Doom's head in their sights.
"This planet is mine to rule. Galactus may not have it. Avengers, Victor von Doom is in need of your services. Today, you work for me."
Likewise, Reed Richard's final message was being played on loop at the White House to the President.
"Earth is what? Can I get to see what happened to the other planets?" The president was shaken by what he was hearing. "This sounds absurd!"
"Satellite images?!" He yelled, and several people that were in the conference room hurried away to bring what he asked.
Two of the officers walked in and turned the computers on. With that, images of what happened—in fact, the same images that the guardians of the galaxy saw came up.
A loud gasp escaped through the president's mouth.
"What the fuck?" A person from behind unfiltered muttered.
"There's no way… all those lives!" His friend said with the same amount of horror in their eyes.
"This… can't be true, is it?!" The president questioned looking directly into the eyes of the officers.
"Unfortunately, it is." One of them answered.
The President straightened his back, and then faced the last two members of the Fantastic Four, "Do you have any other contacts with Reed or Susan Richards?"
Ben Grimm's face shifted as his hollow eyes stared at the repeating clips "No, no. We sent a probe to get them back, we even tried going there ourselves. B-but…. They're gone."
The president sighed but soldiered on "And what about the weapon? The one that Reed Richards swore to protect? What about the ultimate nullifier?"
"I-I am sorry Mr. President. It's gone too."
...….
[New Asgard, Earth]
"Kind of a step down from a golden palace and magic hammers and whatnot."
"Hey, have a little compassion, pal. First, they've lost Asgard, then half the people. They're probably just happy to have a home." These were the words that Rocket had used to describe the quiet slice of heaven on Earth, that the Asgardians had carved themselves in Scandinavia after Asgard had fallen all those years ago. It was once upon a time when Thor saved the city and renamed it, New Agard, giving space and a house to people who lived around there.
Later on, it was handed over to Valkyrie. But all was not well in the home of the Gods who dwelled on Earth.
Their king was missing.
"Do we have any information about his last known whereabouts? Where was he last seen?" Valkyrie questioned her advisors and chiefs.
"No Ma'am. All we know is that he was heading towards sector 495, to Maklu IV. He never made it there. And Maklu IV has also been destroyed by Galactus." The chief said as she chugged down an ale of mead.
Valkyrie rubbed her forehead "What about Sif?"
"She hasn't returned from her search either. We lost contact with her right around the time the Nova Worldmind went offline."
...…
[New York Sanctum]
Sorceress Supreme, Emily Bright was trying hard to make sense of the 'situation'.
As if everyone else understood by now, every possible hero or every talented person is trying their best to overcome the almost impossible challenge they've ever faced.
Just like that, Emily with her wisdom was trying her best to find what had gone wrong or was happening in outer space that could bring Earth to an end.
After coming up with a few more plans, her last one was to reach the cosmos.
She wanted to know what happened to Reed and Sue Storms.
"We've got no time, we need to be prepared!" She said and arranged everything to get into the astral plane.
To know what was happening in outer space, she decided to reach out to use the entity Hoggoth's help.
"Hello there, m'lady. What possibly do you need now? And who are you?" Hoggoth questioned while watching the girl skeptically.
"I'm Emily Bright," she sighed inwardly knowing it would be kind of hard to get anything out of the Hoggoth. "I need a favor."
Hoggoth laughed mockingly.
"Favour? Why would you think I'd help you, mortals, with anything? Even after everything, all you'd done was deceive me and the other Gods! You're mistaken if you think I'll help you with anything at all."
"Wait, wait…" She stopped it from walking away. "This probably might be the last favor any Earthling would possibly ask from you. The entire planet is in danger, and I just have one question."
She was testing the waters, and she knew, that if a word went wrong, she'd not be able to know what happened to Reed Richards or Sue Storms.
Its eyes doubted what it was hearing.
"Last time, are you sure?" Hoggoth asked.
"Pretty much. Can I know what happened to Reed Richards or Sue Storms? They were out in space, and now they're missing."
"With this being the final time, I'm helping the sorcerers of this Earth, I have bad news. Not that I care much, but Reed Richards and his wife Susan Storm… Their spacecraft blew up in space. They are dead!"
A gasp escaped and Emily nodded not being able to understand how it happened.
"Give me the vision!" Emily requested.
"That's too many requests, lady. You said one question, not a request."
"Please, I want to know where the Ultimate Nulfiller is."
"I will do so, if only for the friendship that I once cherished with Stephen Strange. Let this be the last you ever see of me or mine."
Hoggoth accepted her request, and the images of what happened played as a movie.
The way Reed was talking to Susan, the panic in their eyes, how they moved to do something quickly but failed, and in the middle of his sentence how the spaceship blasted.
"F-"
The clip came to an end.
"Alright, Emily Bright. I think we're done here. I have to say that you were at least a tolerable sorcerer."
She nodded as the Hoggoth disappeared.
By what happened, she also found out the ultimate nullifier was broken and lost by how the spacecraft was destroyed.
That was the only weapon that could have destroyed or feared Galactus away, but now, it was lost too.
She sighed loudly, she saw no way to battle the coming cosmic calamity.
...….
[At the house of Parker]
The old couple watched the television with pure anger and fear in their eyes.
At first, they had assumed Dr. Doom was up to something, just like everyone else who watched the entire breaking news.
But later on, from what he was saying, it looked as if what he was implying was the complete opposite of what everyone thought.
"That can't be happening, now can it? Destroying planets? This is insane… Oh, God!" MJ said with fear in her eyes.
"...This is the time to put a full stop to your ignorance, Avengers. Not just me, but the entire humanity including every species to reside on Earth are in danger!" The announcement of Dr. Doom aired in every house.
Including where Peter Parker and Mary Jane were.
As Dr. Doom's loud robotic voice came over, they both started to panic about how their daughter May Parker was out.
"I.. can't believe… this is happening!" MJ was confused, worried, and nervous at the same time.
"Let me try calling May."
Peter went off to call May so that they could see where she was, and maybe spend the last time remaining, together, on Earth.