"It seems like it's finally over," Baldwin said as he emerged, holding a female Skrull.
Even though he was protected by superpowers, his body was covered in wounds of various sizes, clearly indicating that the battle had been a tough one for him.
He threw the female Skrull down in front of Steve with a smile on his face.
To be honest, it had been a long time since anyone had seen Baldwin smile—ever since the Stanford Explosion.
Though he initially believed the Nitro Man was the main culprit behind the explosion, seeing those protesters holding up their signs, and reading those heart-piercing slogans, had made him understand—
Maybe Nitro was indeed the instigator.
But Baldwin knew he was the catalyst for everything that followed.
All he could do now was atone.
Atonement through action.
"This time, I did the right thing," Baldwin said, locking eyes with Stark. Once someone he had looked up to, Baldwin now finally had the confidence to say those words to him.
Stark nodded. "That's right, kid. You did."
For the first time in ages, Baldwin let out a genuine, joyful smile—even if that smile couldn't erase what he had done in the past.
At least it would let him sleep a little better for the foreseeable future.
Stark waved his hand, preparing to clean up the battlefield.
Unmerciful Iron Arm landed beside them at that moment, but as soon as he touched the ground, his armor vanished.
Stark looked surprised. "Hey, that's not nanotech, is it?"
"The Thunder Legion is aware of what's going on," Bruce said, ignoring Stark's question and focusing on the situation. "But it seems like something's keeping them occupied. They don't have time to come after us yet."
"The Thunder Legion's been delayed?" Stark was clearly shocked—though he was even more surprised that Bruce knew about it.
"How did you find out?"
Steve arrived beside them just in time to catch Bruce's comment. He'd never fully trusted Bruce.
Even after encountering another version of himself during the war, Steve's doubts hadn't been erased.
"I killed two Thors. Given the Thunder Legion's usual style, they should have responded with overwhelming force. I expected to see a massive invasion by now," Bruce explained.
He remembered that the Thor who arrived here last had clearly been dispatched hastily.
Their teamwork had been sloppy, even disjointed at times.
And their numbers were clearly lacking.
For someone capable of killing Thors so easily, the Legion wouldn't have just sent a few people to control the situation.
The only reasonable explanation was that something—or someone—had completely stalled the Thunder Legion.
Bruce suspected that others had awakened in this world.
Just like Jessica and the others.
He never doubted the possibility of survivors from other universes possessing world-altering power.
There are always geniuses.
Even Superman, who always relied on an external brain, possessed a supermind.
This universe, too, had its share of brilliant minds.
Take Reed, for example.
Bruce was certain that guy had survived—though how, he couldn't say.
"But the fact that they only sent a small squad, and didn't even try to stall me to stop me from escaping, tells us one thing: they're severely short on manpower. If the rest of the world finds out, the balance of power in the Battle Realm could fall apart."
Just as Bruce suggested, the current Battle Realm had indeed stretched the Thunder Legion too thin.
At that moment, in Utopia Desert—Zone 12—a titanic battle was underway.
The figure leading the charge was impossible to miss: purple skin and armored from head to toe, leaving no doubt about his identity—
Thanos.
By his side stood the infamous members of the Black Order, who had once fought under him in Earth-616.
Now, they were locked in combat with what seemed like an endless wave of Thunder Legion warriors.
And yet, facing them, the Thunder Legion felt astonishingly weak. Gone was their former glory. None of them could hold their own.
Thanos easily grabbed one Thor in each hand and slammed them into each other, leaving them sprawled on the ground with no chance to rise again.
It wasn't just Thanos—the rest of the Black Order also noticed that the Mjolnir-wielding warriors they fought didn't deserve the title of "Thor."
They were nothing more than slightly stronger superhumans.
Even their strength seemed to come solely from the hammers in their hands.
Even the weakest of them—the Black Swan—could block a Thor's attack and keep him at bay.
The Black Order quickly realized these were nothing but cheap imitations, created by someone else.
The Thunder Legion had clearly started to fall into a disadvantage.
Yes, even with their large numbers, they were no match for the Black Order.
"Stay alert, brothers and sisters! I've activated the distress beacon—we'll get—" one Thor, his body glowing with blue runes, shouted to the others.
On the other side of the battlefield, a boar-headed Thor smashed the Deathblade General he was fighting against to the side with a powerful swing of his hammer.
Clearly, this boar-headed Thor was among the strongest of the bunch.
He had heard the warning loud and clear.
And he knew this situation was far beyond what they could handle.
He had to report directly to the Supreme Commander!
"We can't wait any longer, brother!" the boar-headed Thor shouted, using his hammer to block a savage energy blast fired from Black Swan's eyes.
Breaking free from the chaos around him, he rushed toward a small stronghold of Thors.
"Two squads have already fallen. We can't hold them back any longer. We can't afford to wait for reinforcements—they might break through and escape to other realms at any moment."
He glanced at the Black Order, who had begun making their next moves.
Then, he flipped his hammer upside down and planted it into the ground. Chanting something under his breath, the hammer began to glow.
"Criminals are a plague. We cannot allow them to spread to other realms. I must report this to the All-Father."
Naturally, this action caught the attention of two figures in the Black Order who had yet to enter the fight.
The Creator, Reed, and the Mad King, Maximus, watched the boar-headed Thor curiously, analyzing what he was up to.
"Violence, violence. They're all so obsessed with violence. So predictable. Most things are predictable—that's why I love surprises," Maximus said to the Creator as they stood within a cocoon of energy, safely shielded from the attacks of the Thors outside.
"That guy... is he surrendering? Or praying for peace?"
The Creator focused his gaze on the boar-headed Thor—and what he saw made him frown.
Because who in their right mind would be praying in the middle of a battlefield?
"Clearly, his brain is broken. He's actually praying," he said.
As a former Herald of Galactus, the Tyrant had also noticed the Thor's actions.
Rushing in, he raised his war axe, intent on severing the boar head from its shoulders.
But before he could strike, another Thor intercepted his axe.
The Tyrant stared at the Thor who blocked his weapon with scorn.
"Pointless," he sneered.
Thor was unable to speak—just blocking this guy's attack had already drained all his strength, while the Tyrant still moved effortlessly.
But behind Thor stood another version of himself, the Boar-headed Thor, deep in prayer.
The Tyrant pressed forward with even more force, directly overwhelming the Thor blocking his battle axe.
Despite the vast difference in strength, holding him off for even a brief moment was enough.
Because he could already sense that the Boar-headed Thor behind him had completed his prayer.
"Almighty Father, I beg you—hear my prayer."
Meanwhile, in the Castle of Doom, Doom was seated upon his World Tree Throne, gazing at the image of Thor forming below.
"A supplicant?" Doom murmured in confusion. A supplicant appearing at a time like this? That didn't feel right.
Valeria, who stood below his throne, answered his unspoken question: "I think I know why. Earlier today, our research team in Utopia discovered a potential threat. I called in the sheriff, and he sent your enforcers to investigate."
"I'm guessing..." Valeria glanced at the praying figure now appearing before Doom. "It didn't go well, Father."
Hearing this, Doom allowed the Boar-headed Thor to speak.
"There has been an uprising in your empire. We need your guidance, Almighty Father. I am certain that victory is ours, no matter the cost. But something strange is happening—I believe you need to know."
Doom rose from his throne, accompanied by Valeria and his 'wife,' Susan.
"Perhaps. But most fools remain unaware of their own ignorance," Doom said as he descended, step by step. "That's why I must see it with my own eyes."
"Or through the eyes of someone I trust."
As he reached the lower level, a map of the Battle Realm appeared before him.
"Show me what you've seen, Thor. Let me witness this uprising."
At his command, Doom saw everything the Boar-headed Thor had seen.
Proxima Midnight killing a Thor. Black Swan fighting another. Thanos slaughtering Thors.
"Valeria?" Doom called out.
"First impression? Thor's right. The outcome this time is hard to predict. I mean, we've seen projections of that Titan before, but the energy signature of this one is unlike anything we've encountered."
She redirected the question back to the godlike figure.
"What do you think, Father?"
"Conflicts between criminals—barely enough to concern me. Just ants fighting ants."
"I think you're underestimating them, Victor," Susan said, walking up to observe the two figures safely contained within her energy field. "Even my force field can't withstand that many direct hits from Mjolnir. Maybe it's time to reconsider your strategy?"
Hearing the voice of the one he loved, God-King Doom's tone softened. He turned to Susan and said, "No need, Susan. Look."
He turned his gaze to the current scene—someone he recognized. It was his current sheriff and once the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.
He had opened a portal.
But what emerged from that portal astonished God-King Doom.
"Valeria, has the situation escalated?"
"It's more interesting, certainly. But also harder to predict," Valeria said, watching the image unfold. "Like I said, we've seen simulations of these beings, but this one... there are subtle—or perhaps massive—differences. I'll call it a variable."
"And if a variable persists long enough, it becomes a constant. That makes my conclusions interesting. I'll need to study this further."
"I admit, it makes me feel uneasy… and oddly familiar," Doom muttered, troubled.
But his conviction didn't waver.
Until Susan spoke again.
"Victor, look."
Doom followed her gaze—and he too saw the figure she had noticed.
"I don't know what it is, my love, but there's something unique about him. He's... special."
Of course Doom knew why—because the figure Susan had seen was Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards, of Earth-616.
"Susan, find a doctor. Tell them to prepare for casualties."
"Something caught your attention, my love?"
"Yes, my queen. I must act personally. But don't worry—I'll be back shortly."
With those words, the white-cloaked God-King vanished from Castle Doom.
In his place remained only a field of Thors.
He had teleported the Thor Corps away, arriving himself in the desolate wastelands of Utopia.
The sudden shift caught everyone off guard.
And in the next moment—they saw Doom.
"Richards,"
Doom called out the name he could never forget.
"Is he talking to me? I don't care what he says," the Creator muttered, assuming he was the one being addressed.
But Maximus shook his head. "No. He's definitely, absolutely, not talking to you."
Out from the rubble stepped a man clad in the Fantastic Four uniform.
"So it's true? It really was you, wasn't it, Victor?" Mister Fantastic looked at the now white-cloaked Doom. "Amazing. A carefully constructed world. One that should never have existed."
"Look at what you've done!"
(End of Chapter)
Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon
https://patreon.com/Glimmer09