"This is a parallel universe, General. Do you think there might be other Skrulls here?"
General Kallruth narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the screen, silently observing the scene below. He did not answer his lieutenant's question.
Same planet. Same continents. Same cities. Who could possess such power? Not even their own advanced technology could facilitate travel between parallel universes, let alone pull an entire planet into another one.
A Skrull sitting at the warship's control panel reported, "General, no Skrull life signatures detected on the surface."
"They might be in hiding… or perhaps they've already gone extinct."
Their race had struggled to survive even before encountering Garus. In this universe, it's entirely possible their civilization had already been wiped out.
"We've got incoming. Enemy vessels detected—hostile intent confirmed. All combat teams to battle stations!"
The alarm blared across the entire warship. Skrulls, Kree, Inhumans, and humans alike scrambled into position.
General Kallruth had no intention of starting a war with this planet's inhabitants—but he wasn't planning to sit back and take a beating, either.
From the shape of the incoming ships, they were clearly S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjets. And at the center of their formation was a different kind of vessel—somewhat reminiscent of a Skrull warship, but clearly not there to welcome them.
Fel Cannons, photon torpedoes, Sidewinder missiles—
A chaotic dogfight erupted above the city. This wasn't Skrull territory. Even though their warship was technologically superior, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellite comms in this universe were interfering with their systems. Worse, the enemy numbers were increasing rapidly.
And then there were the familiar faces: Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, and other aerial-capable superheroes, making the battle even more difficult.
"We need to retreat."
This wasn't a sustainable fight. They had assumed that interference with global communications would prevent detection—but they hadn't even touched down on this Earth before being forced into a hasty escape. A scout ship would have to be sent next time.
"Trying to flee?" growled Johnny Storm, the hot-headed Human Torch, as he charged after the retreating warship.
"Don't chase them."
Iron Man intercepted him, blocking his impulsive charge.
"I remember your flames need oxygen to burn. You sure you can handle a high-altitude dogfight?"
Johnny bristled. "Was that supposed to be a joke?"
He rolled up his sleeves, ready to throw hands.
"No," Tony quipped, pointing to a familiar silhouette flying toward them, "but your sister's pissed. If you don't head back now, you're toast."
Johnny turned to look—and immediately zipped off toward the city below like a fireball, which, technically, he was.
The battle ended—for now.
Tony Stark landed aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, where a grim-faced assembly awaited him.
"These Skrulls aren't ordinary," said Tony. "Their tech is nothing like what we know. From the looks of it, they've probably already conquered that Earth in their universe."
Dr. Reed Richards nodded, concern etched across his face. "What worries me more is who's behind all of this. This level of manipulation? It's beyond the Skrulls of that world. Someone else is pulling the strings."
The room fell silent.
Reed activated his portable computer. A funnel-shaped image appeared on the display.
"This region of space is collapsing—and expanding. That Earth crossed over from the collapse. And there's something… a force… pushing it forward. As crazy as it sounds, it's real."
"What happens if it collides with ours?" someone asked.
"If the two Earths crash," Reed explained, "it won't just be planetary extinction. Both universes could be destroyed. Something halted the impact earlier—but it's temporary. The collision will happen. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
All eyes turned to Reed.
"We destroy that Earth."
Tony spoke next, voice tight. "Someone out there wants us to fight. So they can profit while we tear each other apart."
"Damn it!"
Destroying a planet meant the death of billions. None of them could stomach it—but they saw no other choice. Two Earths. Only one could survive. Otherwise, both would be lost.
Somewhere in a hidden, self-contained micro-dimensional pocket…
A gathering of enormous beings—the Beyonders, entities beyond even the celestials—watched silently as the Earths approached one another. Their expressions flickered with surprise when the impact was halted, but none of them seemed truly shocked.
After all, they understood: every Earth was unique.
Yes, this entire event had been orchestrated by these entities—beings who resided outside the Omniverse, beyond even the powers of the celestials.
"So, TOAA's final defense against us is that little planet?"
"A pitiful collection of inferior species. Their technology is laughable."
"Nothing can stand against us. We are beyond all things."
The Beyonders spoke with arrogant certainty. Only one being ever instilled a hint of fear among them: the elusive, omnipotent One Above All (TOAA).
"Enough!" barked a leader, silencing the chatter. "Have we learned nothing from our past failures? This time, we will conquer the Omniverse. We will seize TOAA's authority over all creation."
He turned toward a figure behind him.
"Norma, is the Molecule Man still under control?"
The Beyonder named Norma hesitated. Under the leader's gaze, she finally spoke.
"We still have Molecule Man contained—for now. But I fear he may break free if we lose focus."
The Molecule Man, once a human named Owen Reece, had stumbled into the realms beyond the Omniverse. There, he gained terrifying power and became entangled in a fierce enmity with the Beyonders.
While Owen was more powerful than any one of them, they had numbers—and had ultimately overwhelmed and imprisoned him.
"I won't allow him to interfere. Double the guards. Keep him contained."
"Yes, Leader."
Norma nodded, though unease lingered in her eyes. Molecule Man could manipulate all molecules—including his own—and absorb any form of energy. They had no way to kill him. For now, the only option was to trap him in a field strong enough to hold his power in check.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON