After Frank and Pietro reached a consensus, they quickly gathered the other Shazam-powered members, such as Harry Osborn, but not Steve Rogers. Steve was preoccupied with critical Avengers discussions about the official organizations and the future of their role on Earth, leaving Frank and the others free to embark on their side mission.
Unbeknownst to Black Adam, his casual remarks about seeking the gods had sparked this entire expedition. If he'd realized how seriously the Avengers would take his words, he might have regretted bringing it up, knowing it wasn't yet the right time for such actions.
The group soon reached out to Moon Knight, the known avatar of Khonshu. They informed him of their intent to visit Heliopolis, hoping to gain more insight into the gods connected to Black Adam's powers.
However, Moon Knight's reply was far from encouraging:
"Heliopolis? You want to go there? I can't even reach Khonshu anymore, let alone Heliopolis," he admitted, his frustration evident.
"Wait, what do you mean you can't contact Khonshu? What happened?" Frank asked, stunned.
Unlike the other gods who had vanished from Earth, the Egyptian pantheon had always remained relatively accessible. Moon Knight had been receiving power and guidance from Khonshu for years. Unless something catastrophic had happened to Heliopolis, Khonshu's disappearance made no sense.
If Khonshu or the Egyptian gods were in danger, it stood to reason they would reach out to the Avengers for help, especially given Robert and Clark's known strength. Yet Khonshu's silence was deafening.
"Something must've happened," Pietro speculated. "Should we head over and check it out?"
"Sure, come over," Moon Knight agreed after a pause. The shrine to Khonshu wasn't exactly off-limits to the Avengers, and if anyone could help uncover clues, it would be this team of Shazam-powered heroes.
With Moon Knight's permission, the team used a portal from the Guardians to travel to Khonshu's shrine in Egypt. Once there, they searched the site for any trace of what might have happened to Khonshu or Heliopolis.
Despite their efforts, however, they found nothing. Even the enhanced magical senses of Frank and the others, fine-tuned through their connection to the Shazam powers, revealed no trace of the missing god.
With the trail running cold, frustration began to mount.
"How about we try Wakanda?" Harry Osborn suggested hesitantly.
"Wakanda?" Pietro frowned. "You know our relationship with Wakanda is... complicated. After all, plenty of their people died during the Ultron incident because of us."
"Your information's outdated," Harry countered. "Wakanda's undergone a regime change. The new king, Erik Killmonger, took over after winning the ritual combat trial for the throne. Apparently, Shuri didn't take her loss well and tried to use advanced weapons to wipe him and the council out. That's when Bast, their panther god, intervened."
Hearing this, Pietro's expression turned incredulous.
"So, they pick their king through ritual combat, but using advanced weapons is cheating? That's rich, considering Wakanda's supposed to be one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world!"
"Well," Susan Storm reasoned, "maybe it's because advanced weapons would give an insurmountable advantage. If you think about it, hand-to-hand combat might actually be fairer."
"Whatever the case, this isn't about their politics," Moon Knight interjected. "If Wakanda's god, Bast, was involved in their leadership transition, they might know something about the other gods or Heliopolis. Let's go."
With the plan set, they once again used the Guardians' portal technology to arrive directly in Wakanda's royal palace.
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Possible Avengers detected!"
As soon as they appeared, the palace's automated security system blared the warning. Despite Erik Killmonger's successful ascension to the throne, the system was still operational, and the Avengers' sudden presence had triggered its defenses.
In the throne room, Erik Killmonger tensed at the sound of the alarm but quickly composed himself. He knew what had transpired outside Wakanda recently. The global nuclear threat had been neutralized by none other than the Avengers, and given their incredible strength, he had no desire to provoke them.
Killmonger rose from his throne as the Avengers entered the hall. His gaze swept over the group, recognizing several familiar faces.
"You're Avengers, right? Invisible Woman, Quicksilver, Shazam…" He paused. "What brings you to Wakanda today?"
Pietro grinned, pleasantly surprised by Killmonger's calm demeanor. "Huh, your attitude's a lot better than your predecessor's. I like you already."
Killmonger shrugged. "I don't have the same history with you that Shuri did. Besides, when Wakanda fell victim to Ultron, I wasn't even here. And now that I'm king, I have no interest in dragging up old grudges."
"Fair enough," Pietro replied. "We're here to find Bast, the Panther God. We heard she helped you during your rise to power, so we thought you might be able to contact her."
Killmonger's expression darkened slightly.
"Bast did help me… but she's gone now. I have no way to contact her."
"Gone? What do you mean, 'gone'?" Moon Knight's tone was sharp.
"She left shortly after the arrival of that… silver god," Killmonger explained. "Bast saw the Silver Surfer—the herald of Galactus—and realized she couldn't face such a threat. She urged us to flee, but we couldn't abandon Wakanda. So she took the entire Wakandan pantheon and left this dimension."
"Wait, you're saying Heliopolis might've done the same thing?" Moon Knight asked, his mind racing.
"It's possible," Killmonger admitted. "The gods fear threats beyond their ability to handle. If Heliopolis saw Galactus as a greater danger than the Celestials, it would make sense for them to leave."
Hearing this, Pietro groaned in frustration.
"So Wakanda's gods are gone, Heliopolis is gone, and now the only place left to look is Asgard? Great. Just great."
Killmonger hesitated, wanting to ask the Avengers why they were so interested in these gods, but ultimately chose to remain silent. He had no desire to get entangled in whatever larger conflict they were preparing for.
"I guess we should head back and regroup," Susan Storm suggested. "At least we can report what we've learned so far."
The team agreed, thanking Killmonger before stepping back through the portal.
Back at Avengers HQ, Robert listened intently as Pietro and the others shared what they had uncovered.
"So Wakanda's pantheon and Heliopolis both left because of Galactus?" Robert mused. "Interesting… and kind of disappointing. Diana, you're not curious about visiting Olympus to find your father?"
Diana snorted. "Why would I? Zeus is just a selfish old man who barely knows I exist. I don't need closure from him."
Robert chuckled awkwardly, quickly steering the conversation back on track.
"Well, if the other pantheons are gone, that just leaves Asgard. Let's go. Maybe they'll know something."
"Are you sure about this?" Pietro asked nervously. "Our relationship with Asgard is… complicated. Do you really think they'll talk to us?"
"It's fine," Robert said dismissively. "We'll just ask some questions and leave if they're uncooperative."
With that, Robert used Instant Transmission to teleport the team directly to Asgard.
"Who dares trespass in Asgard? Show yourselves!"
The team found themselves in the Bifrost's entry chamber, where Heimdall stood with his sword raised, his eyes blazing with vigilance.
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