Deep Space - The Cosmos
Time passed swiftly. Years folded into one another like a dark, relentless melody.
The name Black Shadow Mercenaries echoed across the galaxies.
Their origin was a complete mystery.
Every operative wore a pitch-black, adaptive bodysuit on missions.
They veiled their entire forms, leaving only their cold, calculating eyes visible.
The sudden emergence of this elite syndicate terrified the cosmic underworld.
No one knew who held their leashes.
But everyone knew their power.
Some mercenaries could transform into towering firestorms.
Others possessed invulnerable, living-metal skin or fired lethal, concentrated laser beams from their eyes.
To the rest of the universe, they were an army of unstoppable demons.
Fortunately, the Black Shadows adhered to a strict, brutal code.
When a contract was accepted, it was fulfilled with absolute precision.
They did not terrorize the weak. Provided they were not provoked.
Countless empires and cosmic warlords attempted to recruit the Mercenary Corps.
Every single offer was rejected in silence.
Eventually, even securing a meeting became physically impossible.
The Black Shadows deliberately concealed themselves in the dark matter of the universe.
The only visible proxy was Stakar Ogord, the legendary former Ravager King.
His position bred massive, bitter envy among the galactic syndicates.
They wondered why they hadn't been lucky enough to align with the shadow army.
Ernst stood on the bridge of his flagship.
He gazed out at the swirling, endless starry sky displayed on the panoramic viewport.
A deep swell of pride echoed in his chest.
This vessel was not just a ship. It was a masterpiece of mutant engineering.
He had retired the Celestia. He now commanded the Space Walker.
The dreadnought was funded entirely by the staggering wealth his mercenaries had accumulated over the years.
It possessed one of the most advanced jump drive systems in the known universe.
It was powered by a void reactor.
The energy configuration was near-perfect, shielded by an impenetrable defense matrix.
Theoretically, the Space Walker could traverse the cosmos for a thousand years without refueling.
From the outside, the battleship appeared to be a standard, eight-hundred-meter heavy cruiser.
It was a beautiful deception.
Ernst had personally embedded five hundred space energy crystals into the hull.
He had cast a permanent, massive Undetectable Extension Charm over the entire superstructure.
Internally, the ship's volume was multiplied by a factor of one hundred.
It boasted three distinct, massive layers.
It housed a sprawling, fully simulated ecological park.
Artificial suns hung suspended in the vaulted ceilings, casting warm light over ten thousand acres of biological diversity.
It provided a perfect, relaxing sanctuary for the mutant soldiers to cultivate flora and fauna between bloody deployments.
Ernst had invested billions to procure the absolute finest technology from a dozen different empires.
It took years to perfect.
Ernst paced the command deck, relishing the cool, refreshing texture of the metal alloy beneath his boots.
Suddenly, a sharp, encrypted ping echoed directly inside his mind.
He almost dismissed it.
But the encryption signature belonged to the Red Queen on Earth.
Ernst had strictly forbidden contact unless the information was critical.
The timing suggested a catastrophic event.
Ernst opened his neural link. He read the data packet.
His expression darkened instantly.
He stepped to the central console and activated the ship-wide intercom.
He summoned his father.
He summoned Borgin.
He summoned Stakar.
Within sixty seconds, the heavy blast doors hissed open.
Shaw entered first, his face set in a grim line.
Borgin followed, his dark wizard's robes sweeping across the metal deck, a wand gripped loosely in his hand.
Stakar brought up the rear, his Ravager armor clinking in the silence.
Borgin's presence on a cosmic dreadnought was highly irregular, but essential.
He had been a part of the Black Shadows since their inception.
Once, Borgin had despised Ernst. He was a reluctant subordinate, forced into servitude.
If Borgin ever believed he stood a chance, he would have betrayed Ernst years ago.
But the power dynamic had shifted drastically.
Ernst had deliberately fused Borgin with a Boggart, creating a stable, terrifying entity.
The fusion triggered a massive, violent spike in Borgin's magical core.
Ernst didn't stop there. He used specialized nanobots to aggressively stimulate Borgin's brain chemistry.
His spiritual power and magical sensitivity were elevated to an unprecedented, god-like level.
He quickly realized that even if Voldemort and Dumbledore fought him together, they would fail.
He possessed the power to rule the wizarding world as a shadow king.
But absolute power brought absolute boredom.
His subordinates handled the day-to-day operations on Earth.
The emptiness in his heart grew. He understood the isolating loneliness of the apex predator.
When Ernst announced the second wave of cosmic recruitment, Borgin demanded a seat.
He wanted to rediscover his passion among the bizarre, alien magic, creatures, and occult artifacts of the universe.
Ernst had agreed instantly.
A dark wizard of Borgin's caliber was a terrifying tactical asset in deep space.
The decision proved flawless.
Borgin's lethal, reality-bending magic had saved the mutant strike teams from annihilation on multiple occasions.
He had earned the absolute respect of the mutants.
He was now one of the three supreme commanders of the Black Shadows.
The three commanders gathered around the glowing holotable.
"I just received a priority transmission from Earth," Ernst stated, his voice flat.
"There has been a massive paradigm shift. I must return immediately."
He looked at the three men.
"The mercenary group is under your joint command until I return."
Shaw stepped forward, frowning deeply.
"Earth? What exactly is happening down there?" Shaw demanded.
"Is it a mutant issue?"
Shaw was the only soul in the universe bold enough to demand answers from Ernst.
Borgin was powerful, but he was bound by Ernst's magic. Stakar viewed Ernst as a living god.
Neither would dare question him.
Ernst lowered his head slightly, softening his tone out of respect for his father.
"According to the Red Queen," Ernst said quietly, "Magneto's wife and daughter have been murdered."
Silence fell over the command deck.
"Knowing Erik's personality," Ernst continued, "he will initiate a reckless, apocalyptic crusade for revenge."
Ernst cursed the violent inertia of history.
In the original timeline, Erik had hidden himself away, living a quiet, low-key life.
But Ernst had altered the timeline. The butterfly effect had struck.
This time, Magneto was not a lone, grieving father.
He was a general. He possessed a formidable, radicalized mutant army.
If he unleashed them on humanity in a fit of pure rage, the collateral damage would be unpredictable and catastrophic.
"If Magneto wages a total war against the humans," Ernst explained, "it will trigger a global extinction event. It will be devastating for our people."
Ernst brought up a secondary data file on the holotable.
A massive, violent energy spike pulsed in red light across a map of Egypt.
"But there is a secondary threat," Ernst said.
"The Red Queen detected an energy field in Cairo."
"The signature belongs to a mutant. And his raw power output surpasses my own."
Shaw's face drained of color. He knew exactly how powerful his son was.
"Stronger than you?" Shaw gasped.
"Is that even mathematically possible? Did the Phoenix Force awaken on Earth?"
"It is not the Phoenix," Ernst replied, his eyes narrowing.
"This mutant is ancient. He is the primordial root of the X-gene."
"Human legends and myths are directly tied to his existence. I need to investigate the site before he fully consolidates his power."
Ernst already knew exactly who was buried in the sand.
Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur.
The first mutant.
According to the ancient lore, he was infused with celestial blood before awakening his powers.
He did not just possess mutant powers; he accumulated them.
He could hijack bodies, permanently assimilating their genetic abilities.
Ernst wanted to understand that specific biological mechanism.
How did Apocalypse transfer genetic powers along with his consciousness?
It was a biological mystery Ernst was eager to dissect.
"Are you absolutely certain you can handle this?" Shaw asked, his voice tight with worry.
"Do not underestimate him."
"Do not worry, Father," Ernst smiled. It was a cold, supremely confident expression.
"I am entirely prepared."
Ernst had evolved.
He had been forging a trump card using fragments of the Reality Gem.
In his current, altered state, Ernst would eagerly face Thanos and Darkseid simultaneously.
His confidence was absolute, backed by terrifying, world-breaking science.
Seeing the resolve in his son's eyes, Shaw relaxed.
He knew Ernst better than anyone. If Ernst said he would win, the enemy was already dead.
"Alright," Shaw nodded.
"Return to Earth. Secure our people."
Shaw looked at Stakar and Borgin.
"The mercenary operations are stable. We will handle the galactic politics. Do not worry about the fleet."
Stakar bowed his head respectfully. Borgin offered a curt nod.
They understood the chain of command. They would never vie for power against Ernst's father.
Ernst gave a few final, heavily encrypted instructions to the ship's mainframe.
He stepped back from the holotable.
He raised his hand, channeling spatial energy.
A jagged, blinding blue portal tore open in the center of the command deck.
Without another word, Ernst stepped through the rift.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
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