"Have you thought about what punishment you're ready to accept?"
Norma knelt halfway down the steps, cautiously lifting his head to glimpse the expression on his leader's face.
At the critical moment, he had opened a spatial portal and escaped the Molecule Man's assault, retreating to their own dimension. There, using Beyonder-tech, he managed to reconstruct his shattered body. But even so, he now stood weak—dangerously so.
He had considered fleeing again, but before he could act, he was apprehended and dragged back.
This time, he was certain—he was dead.
"I... I…" Norma stammered, helpless. According to past precedents, his powers would be stripped and he'd be exiled to some unknown dimension. That, to him, was worse than death.
"I won't make it hard for you," the leader said coolly. "Just head to Earth and find out exactly what that human is."
With a flick of his hand, a projection of Garus appeared—hovering in midair.
The leader had taken note of Garus, though hadn't deemed him particularly significant. Still, in his self-proclaimed prudence, he decided to keep an eye on him.
Norma stared at the projection, his heart sinking. He had no choice. Escape was impossible now. All he could do was follow orders.
As Norma disappeared from view, the Leader of the Beyonders approached a large console. In front of him was a massive red button, designed with an aesthetic oddly reminiscent of goblin engineering.
"Bang!"
He slammed the button. The entire facility rumbled as towering white beams shot skyward, piercing the void and striking another world.
The barrier between the two Earths fractured. Gravitational pull surged between planets, straining the defense systems of Titan—a planetary collision seemed imminent.
"All forces, standby. If the Living Tribunal appears, eliminate him again. Keep an eye on the Molecule Man too."
In his mind, a Beyonder operative was more than enough to monitor Garus. The real threat was the Molecule Man. If manpower weren't so limited, he'd have already dealt with Norma himself.
The Living Tribunal would show, of course. But he wasn't too concerned—last time, they had disposed of the TOAA's (The One Above All) emissary without difficulty.
"It's time for the Living Tribunal to act."
After countless battles with TOAA's forces, the leader knew the Tribunal was the only real obstacle TOAA could send against him.
"The Prime Universe must be destroyed—only then can the multiverse reboot."
Earth of Universe-616, the heart of the Omniverse, had to fall. Only through its annihilation could his ultimate objective be achieved.
The tremors unleashed by the Beyonders' device shattered the previous deadlock. Once again, the twin Earths inched closer. The planetary crust trembled violently—even the reinforced underground base built with Azerothian tech began to tilt.
Cracks split the ground above. Were it not for the reinforced magical cement, the entire structure might have collapsed into the forming abyss.
Wanda had just arrived. When she saw Garus turn toward her, she gave a slight nod of understanding.
Floating upward, she raised her hands. Scarlet mist of Chaos Magic curled from her fingertips, enveloping the base and slowly lifting it skyward in a crimson glow.
Now, like a floating city, the entire fortress hovered aboveground—held aloft by Wanda's power alone.
Streams of faint purple Arcane Net energy surged in from all directions, syncing the base to Titan Engines scattered across the globe.
Yes—even in the Marvel Universe, Azeroth's Arcane Net existed, though none here had learned how to harness it—not even Garus.
At that moment, Garus descended alone into the energy core chamber.
Crystals of elemental power were stacked high. At the very center pulsed the Stardust Core, blazing with blinding brilliance, illuminating the runes around it.
Garus removed the Space Stone and placed it in the heart of the core. Instantly, the blue radiance of the Infinity Stone overtook the room.
With this surge of energy, the Earth's protective shield stabilized. The world stopped shaking.
"Mr. President, what are your orders?"
The President of the United States was no longer operating out of the White House. Instead, his command center had moved to an undisclosed, remote bunker. He was terrified—deeply shaken by the sheer scale of power at play.
Taking a long drag from his cigar, he said grimly, "Get Hyperion and Captain Marvel here—fast. I've agreed to all their terms."
There was no room left to negotiate. He still had one last card to play, of course—but that was a doomsday contingency, the nuclear option. And frankly, he feared even summoning that man. Calling on Hyperion was a lesser risk—and just maybe, the government would survive this war.
He still shivered remembering the sheer energy that had erupted from that man's eyes—the kind that could erase entire worlds.
Seeing his aide still frozen in place, the President barked, "Don't just stand there—move!"
As agents scrambled around him, the President opened his laptop. These were truly chaotic times. Ever since that man—Garus—arrived on Earth, disaster followed disaster. At this rate, the world wouldn't survive much longer.
Why had they never detected such powerful beings before? The President was beginning to suspect a long-hidden truth.
Elsewhere, his secretary, briefcase in hand, boarded a government helicopter bound for a secluded estate.
Below, a devastated city sprawled endlessly, a wasteland abandoned by its people. No one bothered rebuilding anymore. After so many apocalypses, humanity had turned to constructing subterranean shelters instead.
After some time, the chopper reached a relatively untouched garden estate.
There, reclining lazily in a lounge chair, was a man clad in a skintight suit with a long yellow cape. Eyes closed, he looked eerily like Superman—and had powers to match.
This was King Hyperion, an Eternals-level being from Universe-4023. Once a galactic tyrant, his insatiable ambition had earned him the wrath of an alternate-universe version of himself. Together with the X-Men and other superheroes, they defeated and exiled him to this universe.
Opening his eyes, Hyperion glanced at the visitor.
"If you haven't agreed to everything I demanded," he said flatly, "then don't waste my time."
"The President has accepted. Once this is over, he'll resign—and push Congress to make you the next President."
"Good." Hyperion stood up. "Let's go."
In truth, he had been itching to act. The old Hyperion would've simply crushed anyone who disagreed with him. But after his recent defeat, he'd learned caution.
First, he would dominate this universe. Then, he would return to his home and destroy those who betrayed him.
Of course, before all that… he had to solve the problem right in front of him.
And it was proving far more complex than he'd expected.
-----------------------
TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON