The Galactus stared at the small blue speck of light in the distance, his hunger growing stronger by the second. Even now, he could already smell the mouthwatering aroma emanating from the planet called Earth.
"Damn it!" he muttered, feeling his massive stomach growl once more.
Without a second thought, he pushed his speed even further, tearing through the cosmos like a living storm.
He needed to feast. Now.
An overwhelming surge of high-energy particles erupted from his colossal form, piercing the vast cosmic barrier. Tiny space creatures scattered in terror, their fragile bodies shuddering as they felt the raw, suffocating power of the Galactus.
But he paid them no mind.
There was only one thing he cared about: Earth.
From the reports that had sent before, he knew—if he could devour Earth, he could restore his strength to the level of a half-celestial god.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, it was just another peaceful, breezy morning.
People enjoyed the quiet hum of daily life... until the sky abruptly darkened.
"Is there an eclipse today?"
Confused, people instinctively glanced upward—and gasped.
Half the sun had vanished behind... something.
And to the naked eye, it almost looked like... a person.
Panic rippled through the crowds.
How could something so massive, so human-shaped, cover the sun?
News networks scrambled to report the anomaly:
"Sudden Solar Eclipse Sweeps the Western Hemisphere!"
"A Once-in-a-Century Eclipse Visible Across the Globe!"
"Scientists: Shadow Resembles a Human Figure!"
"Experts Suggest Possible Meteorite Phenomenon."
But something was clearly wrong.
This wasn't a normal eclipse.
Normal eclipses didn't last this long.
And the shadow wasn't static—it was growing larger.
It was moving toward Earth.
A creeping dread began to grip people's hearts.
Could it be… something flying straight at them?
Inside Avengers Tower, Reed stared grimly through a specialized observational device.
"Tony… this might be the Galactus we were warned about," he said, his voice low.
Stark, now fully suited up in his armor, smirked with trademark bravado.
"Relax, Reed. Our Destruction Device is ready and waiting. If he dares come any closer, we'll punch him right back to whatever black hole he crawled out of."
The Avengers stood at high alert, ready for battle.
Meanwhile, the Galactus Destruction Device—now supercharged with even more power—was primed and waiting. The second the enemy entered range, it would fire without hesitation.
Over at S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters, preparations were also in motion.
Gene had previously ordered the relocation of the Dark Star to avoid the risk of their HQ getting obliterated in the inevitable chaos. Now, the S.W.O.R.D. base floated safely within the Kuiper Belt, hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from Earth.
"Galactus is closing in," someone whispered.
Through a massive holographic display, the Sharp Blade Squad watched as the gigantic being slowed its approach, looming larger and larger.
Gene had already laid out a meticulous battle plan.
"It's almost time," Rogers said quietly, strapping on his shield.
The great war was about to begin.
In space, the Galactus was grinning—his enormous mouth practically watering at the sight of Earth growing bigger and bigger before him.
"So delicious..." he rumbled.
The closer he came, the stronger the intoxicating aroma became.
He had already shifted into his devouring form, ready to consume the planet in a single, glorious feast.
Inside the Skynet base, Gene watched the live feed transmitted by the S.W.O.R.D.'s orbital satellite. His voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp as blades.
As he spoke, the Mason Industries Twin Towers—once simple skyscrapers—began to transform dramatically.
Massive mechanical parts burst forth from windows and hidden compartments, intertwining rapidly like living metal vines.
The sleek towers, once wide at the base and narrow at the top, reshaped into something far more ominous—like two enormous siege cannons aimed at the sky.
On the streets of New York, people stopped in their tracks, staring at the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.
"Oh my god, what's happening?!"
"What's going on with the Mason Industries Building?!"
"It's... it's transforming!"
The Mason Industries headquarters—a landmark of New York—was now something terrifyingly different.
The entire structure pulsed with power, waves of azure blue and brilliant gold light racing along its metallic veins like an unstoppable heartbeat.
Inside the towers, energy siphoned from two Infinity Stones—the Mind Stone and the Space Stone—was being funneled upward through a network of conduits, converging at the tower tips.
Over at Avengers Tower, Stark and Reed felt it immediately.
An overwhelming surge of energy battered their sensors, burning them out in seconds.
"What the hell is that?!" Stark exclaimed, wide-eyed.
Peering through the gaps between the high-rise buildings, they could just make out the Mason Industries towers, now flashing with rhythmic, almost living light.
"Sir," Jarvis said, his voice tight, "it appears Mason Industries has activated a device similar to our own… but the energy output is far beyond anything we can currently generate."
Stark and Reed exchanged a look of stunned disbelief.
They had thought the Galactus Destruction Device was the ultimate weapon.
And yet... Mason Industries had quietly prepared something even more terrifying.
A thought gnawed at the back of their minds—
How did Mason Industries know about the Galactus?
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/MPHFics