After the merger with the Battleworld, the Beyonders in a distant dimension realized their long-orchestrated plan had completely fallen apart. First the Molecule Man, then the God Emperor Doom, and now—after countless casualties among their own kind—the shattered universe simply vanished without a trace.
"Who the hell did this?!"
Fury surged with nowhere to go. What was once a radiant expanse was now engulfed in pitch-black nothingness.
Within the universe contained in Frostmourne.
Following the fusion with the Battleworld, the original universe sealed inside Frostmourne had changed. Now it formed a miniature star system—comprising just two planets: the Earth and the Battleworld's planet, orbiting a single sun.
The environment had mostly stabilized, with sunshine once again gracing the skies. Yet at night, the darkness was almost absolute—only the moon and the Battle Star visible above.
Creating new stars wasn't easy. The energy required was astronomical. But now, with the proper conditions and the Soul Stone's intervention, the skies would eventually be filled with starlight once more.
A beach somewhere in the United States.
Tony Stark lay shirtless on the sand, sipping his drink and admiring the women passing by. Occasionally, he whistled flirtatiously.
Suddenly, a swirling black portal opened directly in front of him, blocking his view.
The onlookers whispered among themselves. Everyone recognized that signature space-magic—it belonged to the headmaster of the Mutant Academy. Even though portals like this had appeared before, they always drew attention.
Tony sat up lazily, took another sip, and said, "Garus, finally done saving the universe?"
Garus gave a slight smirk. "Not even close. I came here for a reason."
Now that Garus had hope of returning home—and more importantly, after claiming dominion over an entire universe—his power had multiplied exponentially.
Tony stretched, brushing sand off his hands. "You really should try living like me sometime. It's not all tech and terror, you know. Kick back, enjoy life. Oh—and Pepper's pregnant, by the way."
"Oh?" Garus raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. In this era of chaos and disaster, he hadn't expected Tony and Pepper to find time to make a baby. "Congratulations."
Tony shrugged. "So? What brings you to my beachfront retirement?"
"I'm looking for Dr. Pym. Do you know where he is?"
Tony frowned. "Why are you looking for Hank? The guy's been off-grid for years. And honestly? He's a bit of a pain in the ass."
Just thinking of the stubborn old man made Tony sigh.
"I just need to understand more about Pym Particles and the Quantum Realm," Garus said. "The one I captured was just the second Ant-Man—a user. But Pym created the damn things. If I can talk to him directly…"
Tony waved dismissively. "Don't hold your breath. Those particles are Hank's pride and joy. He even told off S.H.I.E.L.D. over them. My dad too. He doesn't play nice with anyone."
Garus didn't know Hank Pym personally. Despite his vast psychic reach—capable of sweeping the entire globe—finding one man among billions would take time. And Garus didn't want to wait.
"Alright. I'll find another way."
As soon as he finished speaking, Garus vanished from the beach in a shimmer of dark light.
Inside the System Core of the Temple.
Back in the temple's heart, Garus took out a small vial containing glowing yellow particles—Pym Particles.
It was housed in a specially designed container. Pym Particles would shrink nearly any material they came into contact with. The Ant-Man's suit had been severely damaged during the battle with Death, or Garus might have simply stripped it for his own use.
"You know, I really appreciate you bringing me back," Scott Lang muttered, just released from a tight, dark chamber. "But do you have to keep me locked up? I'm losing my damn mind in there."
"Not yet. I still need you for something. I want you to take me into the Quantum Realm."
Scott's face paled. "No way. I'm not going back in there. That place is… death. Silence. Madness. Weird-ass microbes everywhere. Last time I was basically a zombie. Barely survived."
"Don't lie. I know when people are lying." Garus tapped the Mind Stone embedded in his helmet. "This little gem sees right through you."
Scott flinched. "Wait—that's the Mind Stone?! I thought that thing was still in Vision's head!"
Garus summoned a menacing helmet—the Helm of Domination, now enhanced by the Mind Stone. Its golden gem pulsed, and Scott could feel a presence probing at his thoughts.
"Alright, alright! No need to brain-fry me!" Scott cried. "I can take someone with me now, ever since… that last battle. I think the Pym Particles fused with me somehow."
"Good," Garus replied. "But don't worry about bringing me back. I'll handle that myself."
The Marvel Multiverse had already collapsed into chaos—empty, lifeless, without matter or energy. But this fused universe—sealed inside Frostmourne—still thrived. Garus would use it as a bridge.
Under his pressure, Scott reluctantly released the Pym Particles. A golden light enveloped them both. In the blink of an eye, their bodies began to shrink—faster, smaller, until they vanished entirely.
The world expanded around them—or rather, they were shrinking into it. They passed dust mites, bacteria, even individual skin cells.
Then—molecules… atoms… subatomic particles… quarks...
"Okay, that's enough!" Scott shouted, his voice tight with panic.
"You're not at your limit yet," Garus replied calmly. "I want to see what lies beyond—what exists past the veil of one universe into another."
Scott groaned. "I swear, man, last time I barely made it back alive. Fine, fine!"
They continued to shrink.
Then, Garus felt it—ripples in the fabric of reality. A presence. Not life, but consciousness. All around them, strange fluctuations, echoes of quantum energy—resonating like the heartbeat of a different realm.
"Stop," Garus ordered.
Scott didn't hesitate. He stopped immediately, wiping sweat from his brow. His suit was soaked.