As the folded dimension slowly unwound and Gene returned to the material plane, a faint rumble echoed across the skies of Earth. Above the atmosphere, space itself shimmered unnaturally—like ripples on the surface of a dark pond.
S.W.O.R.D.'s orbital satellites caught it first.
"Unidentified cosmic object approaching at high velocity—impact projected within ten minutes!" a technician shouted from the command center. "Trajectory indicates direct descent over the East Coast!"
Director Fury was already moving. "I want all eyes on that object. Scramble response teams. Call the Avengers. This could be another similar to Kree stunt—or worse."
Gene stood on the rooftop of a tall skyscraper in New York, eyes locked on the sky. A piercing beam of silver light had broken through the cloud cover, descending like a spear of divinity—or doom.
Galactus's herald had arrived.
The Silver Surfer tore through the atmosphere without resistance, his sleek chrome body gliding on an otherworldly board that obeyed no law of physics. He hovered over the skyline in silence, casting a long shadow that stretched across the streets below.
People stared in awe. Some recorded him on their phones. Others fled.
Gene narrowed his eyes. The last time he felt this kind of pressure was in the Hell Dimension. But this was something colder. Calmer. Older. Not rage, but inevitability.
The feeling of a planet being marked.
Suddenly, a pulse of silver energy exploded outward from the Surfer's body—harmless to the untrained eye, but Gene felt it. It wasn't an attack. It was a scan.
Every mountain, river, city, and soul on Earth... was now known to Galactus.
Just as Gene was about to act, a familiar suit of red and gold streaked across the sky.
"I see you got the memo too," came Tony Stark's voice through comms. He hovered beside Gene, visor sliding back to reveal his wary face. "Any idea who the chrome ghost is?"
"He's called the Silver Surfer," Gene replied, arms crossed. "And he's not the problem. He's just the welcome mat."
"Wonderful. Let me guess, behind him is someone bigger, badder, and way hungrier?"
"Galactus," Gene confirmed. "A cosmic entity that feeds on planetary energy. Earth's next on the menu."
Tony winced. "Okay, that name sucks. Galactus? Sounds like a cereal brand."
Before Gene could reply, a wave of energy surged from the Surfer's hand. A beam shot downward, carving through a stretch of unoccupied farmland like a hot knife through butter. Trees disintegrated. Earth boiled.
"That was a warning shot," Gene muttered.
Tony's humor faded. "Yeah. Got it."
Suddenly, from nearby rooftops, the rest of the Fantastic Four arrived—Johnny in flames, Susan shimmering into visibility, Ben stomping forward with a thunderous growl, and Reed stretching his arms outward, analyzing readings on his wrist device.
"Cosmic radiation," Reed said grimly. "High concentrations. This is definitely a herald. And not a friendly one."
The Surfer's head turned slightly, finally acknowledging them. "You do not understand. I do not come as conqueror... I come as a harbinger."
"Of what?" Susan called out.
"Of your end," he replied simply.
In an instant, his board swerved, and the sky erupted into light as he shot forward.
Gene stepped back. "Time's up. We engage now or not at all."
Stark's repulsors lit up. "I'll take the lead."
Reed nodded. "We'll support and buy time. Susan, get the containment field ready."
Ben cracked his knuckles. "Bout time I hit someone that shines."
As the Surfer soared through the air like a silver comet, the heroes split into formation. Stark launched first, Johnny trailing in flame, and Reed whipped forward like a slingshot.
From the ground, civilians screamed and ran as the air became charged with cosmic pressure.
And high above them all, watching silently from a parallel dimension, The Ancient One sipped her tea, the reflection of the battle forming in the surface of her cup.
"Let's see how much time they can buy..." she murmured.
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