Nick Fury had been the head of intelligence for decades.
Throughout those years, he had been absolutely confident in himself. As far as he was concerned, there were no real secrets left in this world.
Even the devastating blow dealt by Hydra had not shaken that confidence.
The reason was simple. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. itself had been infiltrated and nearly destroyed, it did not matter.
Because in Fury's hands, there was still one ultimate trump card.
That trump card was Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel.
Only someone who had once fought beside her truly understood how terrifying her power was. Fury knew it better than anyone.
With strength like that, he believed it could change the outcome of any battle in an instant.
Because of that, he guarded the secret tightly and had never intended to reveal it.
After all, no matter how powerful a trump card might be, the moment it was used, it would stop being a trump card. Sooner or later, someone would find a way to counter it.
Yet now Nolan Locke had appeared out of nowhere and casually revealed Carol Danvers' existence.
The shock it gave Fury was even greater than when he discovered S.H.I.E.L.D. had practically become Hydra's playground.
Still, he quickly forced himself to calm down.
"I don't know where you heard that information," Fury said slowly, "but Danvers and I made an agreement. Unless the situation is absolutely desperate, I won't call her back."
Nolan's expression remained unchanged.
"In that case, the timing is perfect," he replied calmly. "Because right now, Earth is already on the brink. I doubt there will ever be a moment more desperate than this."
Fury frowned.
"What do you mean?"
He genuinely had no idea what Nolan was talking about.
Information about the Silver Surfer was currently under the control of the U.S. military. S.H.I.E.L.D. reported to the Security Council, so the military had not shared the details with Fury yet.
The intelligence revealed by the Silver Surfer had not reached him.
Nolan did not hesitate.
"The Silver Surfer isn't alone. Behind him stands a being that feeds on entire planets. And right now, that thing is already heading toward Earth."
Fury stared at him.
"If nothing unexpected happens," Nolan continued, "in a few weeks, maybe even just a few days, Earth will face a predator that devours worlds."
Fury's first instinct was disbelief.
A being that eats planets?
It sounded like pure fantasy.
But then another thought struck him.
Nolan Locke had no reason to lie about something that could be verified so quickly. If the claim turned out to be false, Fury could easily expose it.
And if Danvers returned because of it, she would certainly not appreciate being manipulated.
Thinking of Carol Danvers' personality, Fury was absolutely certain about that.
"You're serious?" he asked.
Nolan nodded.
"Of course. The reason I pushed so hard for the Titan Defense System in the first place was to prepare for extraterrestrial threats. But even I didn't expect the crisis to arrive this quickly, or to be this terrifying."
After a moment of silence, Fury finally nodded.
"Very well. I'll call her back. But you'd better not be lying to me. Danvers has a terrible temper."
After informing Fury, Nolan returned to his company.
So it was finally happening.
Galactus was coming.
Inside, Nolan felt both nervous and excited. Nervous because he still did not know the true extent of Galactus' strength. Excited because he would finally be facing a being on that level.
A starving Galactus was almost always in a state of near-constant hunger.
Which meant that, in Nolan's eyes, he was the perfect whetstone.
If Nolan survived this encounter, then when he eventually faced Galactus again in the main universe, it would not feel so overwhelming.
Of course, all of that depended on whether his preparations were strong enough.
"The Emperor Titan… don't let me down," Nolan muttered to himself.
This weapon had been built with the combined resources of an entire world. If even the Emperor Titan could not stand against Galactus, Nolan would have only one choice left.
Run.
Deep in the mountains, Victor Von Doom hovered above the ground on the cosmic surfboard.
Ever since obtaining it, he had barely left the board for even a moment.
"Such power…"
A smile spread across his face, slowly twisting into laughter.
"But something about it is strange. The board seems connected to some kind of signal."
He focused on sensing the board's inner workings, gradually uncovering its secrets.
"I should probably block that signal… no. On second thought, perhaps it's better to leave it alone. If aliens really do appear, maybe we can cooperate."
A strange glint appeared in Victor's eyes.
What he did not realize was that the board had already begun assimilating him.
Little by little.
This had nothing to do with his willpower. The process came from Galactus himself, a subtle influence that seeped into the mind.
Just as the Silver Surfer gradually regained his memories after losing the board, Victor was gradually being reshaped by it.
Unknowingly.
In the past, Victor would never have made the mistake of lingering in one place for so long. But the mental interference from the board had slowed his thinking.
At the base of the mountain, several figures gathered.
"Victor Von Doom is most likely here," Tony Stark said.
Beside him stood Bruce Banner, Captain America, and the rest of the Avengers.
"At last, we've found him," Captain America said firmly. "Everyone, this time we cannot let him escape."
They had another option.
They could have contacted the military or Nolan.
But they had chosen not to.
First, they did not want to rely on them. Second, calling in others would only introduce complications. People were scattered across the country. There was no way they could all arrive quickly.
So the Avengers began their first coordinated capture operation.
The results were disastrous.
Victor had not noticed their approach.
But with the surfboard beneath his feet, he could absorb energy endlessly, and the board itself supplied him with a limitless source of power.
Lightning erupted around him.
Blinding arcs of electricity tore across the ground like divine punishment, blasting the earth apart inch by inch.
"So this is the strength of the Avengers?" Victor said mockingly, his voice filled with disdain.
"Damn it," Tony cursed.
The Avengers had expected the Silver Surfer to be difficult to deal with.
But Victor Von Doom?
There was no way he should have been this powerful.
Fortunately, they had prepared thoroughly for the ambush.
Soon, Tony's Iron Legion arrived.
Although the previous battle had severely damaged his forces, the original Iron Legion consisted of many unique suits. Now he had simplified the design, mass-producing a smaller number of standardized armors to create a mechanical army.
Even under the combined assault of the Avengers and the Iron Legion, Victor remained standing.
Anger burned across his face, but he also understood something.
He needed more time to fully merge with the board's power.
"Let's end things here for today," Victor said coldly. "Next time, Tony Stark… you won't get another opportunity."
The surfboard accelerated instantly.
Tony launched several high-speed pursuit suits, but Victor was far too fast. Within seconds, he vanished beyond the horizon.
"What? You lost him?"
Nolan's face darkened.
He had not expected the Avengers to attack on their own.
And fail.
Now the situation had become far more troublesome.
After this incident, Victor would never reveal himself easily again.
If Victor hid himself completely, Nolan would lose one of his most valuable pieces.
Nolan had already confirmed the Silver Surfer's condition.
Without the board, Norrin Radd was almost like an ordinary man. His emotions had returned, and he deeply regretted the choices he once made.
Seeing that, Nolan suddenly understood why the Surfer had eventually helped Earth.
This time, there was a high chance he would do the same.
Nolan did not believe the Surfer could defeat Galactus by sacrificing himself, but even causing some trouble for Galactus could create an opportunity.
But without the board, none of those possibilities meant anything.
At this point, there was nothing left to do but wait.
Victor had only just gained his power. The temptation to use it would likely drive him to act sooner or later.
It was a passive strategy.
But it was the only one left.
Inside the prison facility, the Silver Surfer suddenly looked up at the sky.
He stood motionless, as if frozen.
"Norrin Radd?"
The observers monitoring him immediately tried to contact him.
The Silver Surfer did not answer.
He simply stared upward.
After a long time, his body moved again.
"He's here," he whispered.
Footsteps echoed urgently through the corridor.
Susan Storm rushed into Nolan's office.
"Nolan. We just received word from the facility. The Silver Surfer suddenly said Galactus is coming."
Nolan immediately stood up.
"I understand. Contact NASA. I need the latest observations from the Earth Defense Ring."
Galactus appeared before worlds surrounded by a cosmic storm.
Something that massive would certainly be detected by NASA's monitoring systems.
At the same time, Victor Von Doom, who had not appeared in public for days, also looked up at the sky.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"It seems my partner is about to arrive."
The technology of the surfboard was extraordinarily complex. Even after studying it for so long, Victor had only made limited progress.
He had discovered that the board originally possessed a one-way tracking system.
Now he had modified it.
It had become two-way.
Which meant he could track Galactus in return.
The discovery filled him with confidence.
Unfortunately, he had absolutely no idea what kind of "ally" he was about to meet.
"Perhaps I should prepare a welcoming gift."
Victor chuckled.
Tony Stark came to mind.
Not long ago, Stark had led a team to capture him. If Victor had not fled, he might already have been imprisoned.
Since his ally was arriving soon, why not eliminate Tony Stark first?
With that thought, Victor stepped onto the board and flew straight toward New York.
Tony Stark, however, had no idea what was coming.
"So when does your ally arrive?" Tony asked.
Nolan had mentioned they might gain powerful assistance in this battle.
Nolan glanced up at the sky.
"No idea," he said casually. "Maybe the strongest always arrive last."
Tony rolled his eyes.
As far as he was concerned, the strongest hero in the world was clearly Nolan.
Everyone else?
Please. Iron Man was no weaker than anyone.
NASA had already sent new data.
The Earth Defense Ring's detection system had indeed discovered something unusual.
At first glance, it looked like an abnormal meteor cluster.
"What does this look like to you?" Tony asked.
Before them floated a holographic projection.
At its center was a massive cloudlike formation, the anomaly detected by the defense system.
Tony ran a quick calculation of its distance and size.
"Damn. This thing might be bigger than Earth. Don't tell me this is that damned Galactus. Honestly, I'm starting to feel scared."
Nolan studied the projection carefully.
He pointed to the center of the cloud.
"Very possible. But this probably isn't his real body. It's just an outward manifestation of his power. The true Galactus should be at the core."
"Even so…" Tony muttered.
"That monster is surrounded by a cloud larger than Earth."
His face had turned pale.
Against an enemy like that, he had no idea how they were supposed to fight.
The Emperor Titan was powerful.
But could it really kill something like this?
He had serious doubts.
Just as they were discussing it, Nolan's eyes suddenly narrowed.
Without warning, he shoved Tony aside.
An instant later, an explosion erupted exactly where they had been standing.
Both men turned toward the source of the attack.
"Victor!"
Nolan's voice turned icy.
He had never expected Victor Von Doom to appear at a moment like this.
But strangely enough, this was actually good news.
Victor also noticed Nolan and paused in surprise.
"Nolan Locke. So you're here too," he said with a laugh. "Originally I had no intention of killing you. But now… I suppose your luck has simply run out."
Tony immediately summoned his armor through JARVIS, while Nolan activated the portable version of the Mjolnir Armor.
"Victor," Nolan said calmly, "I once believed you still had a chance to change. But now… you've made me very angry."
Tony shouted furiously.
"You bastard! Do you even know where you are? This is New York!"
He could not believe Victor had the nerve to attack him in the middle of the city.
It was practically suicide.
"You think you can escape?"
Victor glanced at him.
"Escape? Who said anything about escaping?"
He could already imagine countless superheroes rushing toward the city.
But he also looked up at the sky again.
His ally was almost here.
And what better gift could there be than this?