In the vast expanse of space, Tony Stark soared through the void in his heavily upgraded Bleeding Edge armor, familiarizing himself with its latest enhancements.
That's right—his Iron Man suit was now fully adapted for deep-space combat, its flight capabilities powerful enough to escape Earth's gravity with ease.
"What's that?" Tony's eyes narrowed as he spotted a massive ship ascending from the Moon, heading in the opposite direction of Earth. "J.A.R.V.I.S., zoom in on that vessel."
"Apologies, sir. The radar is unable to detect any such object. There is no ship at the location you indicated."
Impossible. He could see it with his own eyes—was he hallucinating?
Seconds later, J.A.R.V.I.S. interjected again, "Sir, detecting an anomalous energy signature—akin to an engine ignition."
At that moment, the enormous ship's rear thrusters erupted in a burst of orange flames, and in the blink of an eye, it vanished from sight.
Another alien incursion? No time to waste. He needed to alert the Avengers. No—this was big enough to inform the President. The last few alien invasions had wrought catastrophic devastation; this time, they had to be better prepared.
The wings of his Bleeding Edge armor ignited with a soft blue glow, propelling Tony back toward Earth.
"Garus? What are you doing here?" Tony questioned as he arrived back at his villa, surprised to find the man standing in his home. "Actually, this is perfect. I was just about to tell you—I saw an alien ship taking off from the Moon…"
"Just now? That would have been the Kree and the Asgardians."
Tony hesitated. "Wait, you already know about this? And you're telling me not to worry?" He gave Garus a skeptical look. "What's more important than an alien warship flying out of our backyard?"
Garus' expression was grim. "Thor's homeworld, Asgard, was destroyed by a swarm of Brood from the Negative Zone. Now, they've moved on to Alfheim. If we don't stop them, Earth will be next."
Tony, who had just begun removing his armor, froze. "Alfheim—the Nine Realms? Thor mentioned that place. But you're saying these… bugs are strong enough to take down an entire godly realm?"
"They're the Brood from the Negative Zone. I'll explain later. Just know that if they reach Earth, they'll devour everything in their path."
Tony exhaled sharply, realizing the gravity of the situation. "Alright, so how do we get to Alfheim?"
"I'll take you there. Gather the Avengers. And get the Illuminati as well. This is more than just another fight—this is war. And we all need the experience. There are even greater threats on the horizon."
Tony groaned. "You always make me feel like bad news is just around the corner."
He turned toward Pepper with an apologetic expression. "Pep, I—"
She sighed and stood up. "I understand. You have to go. The company's already drowning me in work, but now I'll have to handle it alone. Again."
Tony smiled sheepishly. "You're the best, Pep. I owe you one."
Garus interjected, "Tony, time is of the essence. I'll meet you at Avengers Tower."
...
"Wanda."
Garus appeared atop the floating city of Naxxramas, where Scarlet Witch stood gazing into the distance, her fingers weaving scarlet mist into something intangible.
She turned at the sound of his voice. "Something wrong?"
"Recall all combat-capable personnel from the field."
Her brows furrowed. "What's happening?"
"Activate Naxxramas and mobilize all Legion warships. We're going to war in another realm."
Wanda didn't hesitate. Trusting him implicitly, she turned and strode toward the control center.
Suddenly, the massive floating city of Naxxramas and its five accompanying warships shimmered into visibility over New York, casting immense shadows over the city below. Citizens glanced up in awe, then quickly pulled out their phones to capture the spectacle.
"Mutants… What are they up to this time?"
At S.H.I.E.L.D.'s successor agency, H.A.M.M.E.R., Director Norman Osborn leaned over his desk, eyes locked onto the screen in front of him, his expression tense.
"Keep a close watch on them. If they threaten national security, we take them down before they get the chance."
A nearby agent shifted uneasily. "Sir, won't they notice us monitoring them?"
"So what? We're a government agency. If they attack us, that's an act of treason. How's the research on the mutant serum coming along?"
For months, Osborn had been collecting mutant DNA and classified HYDRA research, hoping to synthesize a serum that could either neutralize mutants—or create new ones.
"No breakthroughs yet, sir."
Osborn didn't lash out, much to the agent's relief. After all, this wasn't his responsibility.
As the fleet soared over the city, public concern mounted.
"Another alien invasion?" someone muttered.
"I'm moving out of this city," another resident grumbled. "Too damn dangerous. I don't have superhero luck—I won't survive the next attack."
At the Avengers Compound, a large assembly of heroes had gathered. Iron Man, Falcon, War Machine (Rhodey), Captain America, Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange), and more—more than a dozen heroes stood ready, their expressions serious.
Ant-Man tilted his head back, staring in awe at the floating fortress above. "So that's Garus' flying city and warships? Damn."
The colossal structure cast a vast shadow over the base, blocking out the sky.
Doctor Strange folded his arms. "That level of magic… To suspend a city of that size in the air? Not even the Ancient One could accomplish that."
As they spoke, a golden beam of light descended from the fortress, and within it, a figure materialized.
Garus stepped forward. "Tony, is everyone ready?"
"We've gathered who we could. Banner's off the grid, and Reed Richards turned down the offer—said he's investigating Victor Von Doom."
Garus sighed. A pity. Having the Hulk and the Fantastic Four would have made this mission far easier.
"Alright. Time is short. Everyone, gather up. We move now."
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON