In a dimensional realm beyond the bounds of the Omniverse, a colossal temple-like structure loomed. Within its vast, echoing halls, towering figures clad in ceremonial robes stood silently, their gazes stern and vigilant.
A powerful force field enveloped the area—so absolute that no form of matter or energy could escape its grasp.
And at the very heart of this sacred edifice, Molecule Man was imprisoned.
His body had been shattered into infinitesimal particles, suspended in a glowing stream of energy that flickered ominously in the central chamber. He had been trapped here for so long that time itself had lost meaning. And yet, he was close—so close—to escaping.
Molecule Man had been methodically replicating the genetic structure of a being even more powerful than the Beyonders. With enough precision, he could become that entity... and walk free. But it was painstaking work.
Clack. Clack.
Heavy boots echoed across the temple's stone floor. Molecule Man's fragmented consciousness stirred—hope flickering. Could it be... Norma? One of the Beyonders?
As the figure came into view, Molecule Man immediately went into action. Most of his powers were suppressed here, so he could only make subtle moves—just enough to keep his plan in motion.
"Human, stop resisting. Submit to us, and everything you desire will be yours," said the Beyonder, voice echoing with alien authority.
"I want freedom. Can you give me that?"
This was the Temple of Veritas—Truth incarnate. Within these walls, lies could not be spoken. That was why he was confined here.
The Beyonder, Norma, sighed and turned to leave. "There's no point wasting words with you. Prepare to rot here for eternity... until the Void arrives."
"Wait. Can I at least get a hamburger?" Molecule Man called out suddenly, needing just a little more time.
"…A what?" Norma blinked, utterly baffled. "What's a hamburger?"
"It's a kind of food from Earth. Haven't had one in ages. Who knows, bring me one, and maybe I'll reconsider." Half a lie, half truth—about as far as he could stretch things in this place.
"No." Norma scowled, then turned and strode out the door without another word. He wasn't particularly worried. This was, after all, the Temple of Veritas—no one could deceive it.
The moment the Beyonder departed, Molecule Man's scattered particles began to coalesce—taking the exact form of Norma himself.
Cough. The newly transformed Molecule Man staggered a bit, adjusting to the new body. Leaning against a wall for balance, he smirked. As Norma, he now had full clearance to exit the temple.
At the gates, the guards—other Beyonders—were visibly startled. They had just seen Norma leave moments ago. Why was he... back?
Striding confidently past them, Molecule Man exhaled. He was finally free.
"Uhh..."
But his relief was short-lived. Not far from the exit, the real Norma reappeared—he had come back for something he'd forgotten.
For a beat, both froze.
Then Norma's eyes went wide with fury. Drawing a weapon, he shouted, "Seize him! That damn human—stop him now!"
The temple guards sprang into action, leveling their weapons as they surged forward.
"Damn it. Busted." Molecule Man cursed under his breath, dropping the disguise and reverting to his true form.
He hovered into the air, extending a hand—and in its path, reality unraveled. Matter disintegrated into oblivion with every flick of his will.
"Idiots! Activate shields!"
Several guards fell before the rest managed to deploy energy barriers. Seeing resistance grow, Molecule Man turned and bolted.
Not long ago, he had been just a regular human—barely understanding how to traverse dimensions. And this? This was a realm outside the very fabric of the Omniverse.
Realizing he was moments from recapture, Molecule Man made a desperate move—tearing open a random dimensional portal without knowing where it led. With no hesitation, he dove through.
Norma, panicking, followed. If the human escaped, the consequences from their leader would be fatal. Ignoring his team, he pursued Molecule Man through the portal—emerging into a foreign universe.
As soon as he landed, Norma regretted it. This was not their world. He had followed blindly—and might have just signed his own death sentence.
For the moment, Molecule Man hadn't noticed him. Norma considered slipping away quietly.
Scanning his surroundings, Molecule Man recognized the substance of this realm—it was part of the Omniverse again. But whether it was his world, he couldn't yet tell.
He spotted a small spacecraft parked nearby. It didn't matter who or what was inside. With a thought, he disrupted its power source, causing it to shut down.
"Huh?"
He started toward it—only to sense Norma creeping behind him, trying to escape.
"Are we finally leaving?" Rocket fired up the ship's engines, the thrusters glowing with white-hot intensity.
"Let's go."
Just as the Milano was about to take off, Garus—ever sensitive to dimensional shifts—felt something was wrong. A strange spatial rift tore open ahead of them, and out stepped a humanoid figure... standing barefoot in the void.
"Uh, our ship won't move."
"That guy," Star-Lord said, his eyes glowing with celestial light. "He did something. I'm going out there."
He was already mid-teleport when Garus grabbed his arm.
"Wait. Look again."
Another figure emerged from the rift—a towering being resembling a Celestial, but... off. Not one of them.
"Let's observe first."
"Fine," Star-Lord shrugged.
The two strangers clearly weren't allies. The second one turned and ran the moment he saw the first.
"Who are these people?" Drax asked.
Norma's shields didn't last long. Molecule Man's unraveling touch was absolute—he could only watch as his body began to dissolve.
"We need to leave. Now," Gamora said urgently.
"That guy's trouble. Big trouble," Rocket muttered, trying again to reboot the ship. "Why won't it respond?"
His instincts had saved them more than once, and right now, they were screaming—this guy was worse than Ego.
"He's coming."
Molecule Man floated toward them, then turned translucent—and vanished.
"Wait—don't freak out. I'm not here to hurt anyone."
He reappeared inside the Milano, startling everyone. Weapons were drawn in an instant.
"You guys from Earth?" Molecule Man asked, hope flickering in his voice.
If he could just get back to Earth, everything else could wait.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON