The airlock hissed open with a sharp metallic sigh, and the ramp of the ship extended with a low hum. The faint vibration under Ethan's boots faded as the engines wound down, leaving only the soft background thrum of the ship's core cooling.
One by one, they stepped out.
Ethan was first, adjusting his coat as the alien wind brushed past. The light here wasn't quite the same as Earth's — it was brighter, sharper, like every color had been dialed up a notch.
Behind him came Reed Richards and already pulling out a compact scanner before his foot even hit the ground.
"Alright, team," Reed's voice crackled over the comms, the scientist's tone calm but serious. "Stay alert. The atmosphere here isn't suitable for human respiration—too thin in oxygen, and I'm detecting trace elements that could be toxic over prolonged exposure."
Johnny followed next and glanced toward him, his voice full of sarcasm. "Thanks, Reed. Always a pleasure to know how I might die in slow motion."
Ben Grimm clomped out and gave the alien horizon a quick glance before grunting, "This place feels like a bad vacation postcard."
Susan Storm stepped out last, her blonde hair catching the strange sunlight.
Everyone wore reinforced space suits — everyone except Ethan, who strolled casually in his usual clothes. He didn't need air, warmth, or even gravity. His body adapted to any atmosphere with ease.
He had already taken precautions for them, the FF's suits were enhanced for durability and layered with a teleportation spell — a silent insurance policy in case things got ugly.
Reed immediately turned to Ethan and said, "You should wear these suits. I know you can handle space, but this atmosphere isn't exactly suitable for humans. Just to be safe, put it on."
Ethan stretched his arms above his head like he'd just woken from a nap. "Yeah… good thing I'm not 'just' human, huh?" He gave Reed a sideways smirk, then breathed in deeply, almost theatrically. "Mmm… fresh alien air. Kinda smells like a mix between rain and… burnt marshmallows."
Susan's lips twitched into a small smile inside her helmet. "You know, one day that cocky attitude is going to get you killed."
Ethan tilted his sunglasses down just enough to meet her eyes, a playful glint in his gaze. "Well, if I do, at least I'll have your face as the last beautiful thing I see."
Johnny made a gagging sound immediately. "Oh, come on. We've been here two minutes and you're already—"
Reed's brows furrowed inside his helmet. "This isn't— wait, are those sunglasses? In space?"
"Gotta protect the eyes from the blinding beauty of the cosmos… and from Johnny's ego glare."
Johnny turned toward him in mock offense. "Hey! My ego's got style, pal."
Ben chuckled through the comms. "Kid's gonna get himself killed just for the sake of lookin' cool."
Reed raised his hand, "Please stop and focus on why we are here.'
"Oh, I am focused," Ethan said, hands in his pockets. "I'm just multi-tasking. Priorities, Richards — the mission and morale."
Johnny turned serious. "Yeah, well, if you're gonna try flirting with my sister, you better hope morale's not the only thing keeping you alive."
"Noted," Ethan said, though he didn't sound remotely concerned.
Ben gave a low chuckle. "Kid's got nerve, I'll give 'im that."
Susan then drifted toward him while Reed crouched beside the landing struts, scanning the hull with his instruments.
From above, the Silver Surfer descended on his board, silent and smooth as moonlight on water. "Follow me," he said before gliding toward the inner gates.
Susan kept close to Ethan, her hand brushing his arm as they walked.
Few seconds later, "Well," Ethan said before tilting his head slightly and with his lips curling into that easy, infuriating smile. "If this whole 'saving the world' thing doesn't pan out, at least I've confirmed something important."
Susan arched a brow. "Oh? And what's that?"
"That the laws of physics clearly bend in your favor," Ethan said without missing a beat. "Because you're somehow even more stunning under alien sunlight. Unfair advantage, really."
Susan smirked, a faint blush rising in her cheeks despite her practiced composure. "You're lucky I know you're joking… mostly."
Reed, who hadn't looked up from his scanner this whole time, finally muttered, "Please try to keep interpersonal distractions to a minimum. We're here for a reason."
Ben muttered to Johnny as they followed behind. "She's gettin' awful cozy with him."
Johnny's eyes narrowed. "Oh, she's falling for him. Trust me, I can tell. The guy's a walking romance hazard."
Ben shot him a side-eye. "You're one to talk. Didn't you hook up with a married woman on her honeymoon?"
Johnny coughed into his fist. "That was… complicated."
-------
Inside Galactus's Worldship, the scale didn't just defy logic here—it mocked it.
Walls stretched upward until they vanished into a haze of violet and gold light, like the interior of a nebula. Titan arches of black-and-silver metal curled overhead, etched with shifting glyphs that pulsed like the heartbeat of something alive.
The floor beneath their boots was smooth, metallic, and warm, humming faintly. Glowing veins of the strange energy flowed through it like rivers of light. In the distance, colossal machines rotated slowly, their size so vast they could have been moons in orbit.
Far away, machines the size of moons turned with slow, deliberate grace. Some chambers weren't rooms at all, but entire ecosystems — alien forests frozen in time, oceans suspended in shimmering spheres, landscapes stolen from other worlds and preserved like exhibits in a god's private museum.
Gravity here seemed optional. In one corridor they walked as normal; in the next, they floated, drifting through shimmering gates that twisted their perception until they were walking sideways or staring at infinite reflections of themselves.
The air carried a deep, resonant hum, as if the ship itself were breathing. Far above, the blinding white glow of the central power core pulsed in rhythm with the presence of its master. It felt less like they were inside a vessel and more like they had stepped into the nervous system of a god.
The Surfer finally stopped at what appeared to be a towering purple wall. He knelt on his board in reverence.
Johnny tilted his head. "Uh… is he praying to a wall?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He could feel it.
That "wall" was no wall at all… it was a small section of Galactus's finger.
"That's not a wall. That's part of a finger."
As if to prove his suspicion, the wall shifted — or at least, that's how it seemed at first. In reality, they were the ones moving, carried away by some unseen force until they had enough distance to see the truth.
Galactus.
Even from afar, all they could see was his face — massive beyond comprehension. Standing before him made them feel smaller than an ant standing before a mountain. The sheer scale was humbling; the entire Earth could fit easily in the palm of his hand.
Everyone instinctively took a step back.
Everyone except Ethan. He was smiling. A big, almost boyish grin spread across his face, and he couldn't resist cracking a joke about how Galactus might make Way Big from Ben 10 look like an infant.
To him, this wasn't fear — this was an opportunity. An opportunity to evolve even further.
Then, Galactus's colossal form began to shrink. His size diminished until he stood like a towering giant rather than a cosmic god.
Ethan sized him up and thought, If Ben were here, I could finally confirm whether this matches Way Big's scale. But he kept that to himself.
His armor gleamed like forged dusk: plates of violet and deep indigo, engraved with cosmic sigils that shimmered faintly. The helm rose high, flaring like the crown of a mythic king, framing a face of stern, inhuman symmetry. His eyes burned with a light that wasn't just bright — it was the glare of stars being born and dying all at once.
The others stared in awe. Galactus's gaze swept over them, then halted, locking onto Ethan.
Ethan slid one hand from his pocket, raised it lazily, and said, "Yo." — in the exact cheeky tone of Meliodas from Seven Deadly Sins.
Every head whipped toward him. "Is he insane?" Johnny muttered.
Galactus's voice rolled through the chamber like tectonic plates grinding. "You are not the Avatar of the Phoenix Force… You carry only a fragment — a fragment you have nurtured until it rivals the original in strength."
The hum of the ship deepened, and the air between them shimmered with tension.
Ethan raised a brow. "Well… I do like to get creative with my gardening."
Susan stifled a laugh. Johnny facepalmed. Reed didn't even look up from his scanner. Ben's mouth fell open, but no words came out. He just stood there, staring up at the giant in stunned silence, his brain struggling to process what he was hearing.
And Galactus… simply stared.
The void was silent, but the tension was deafening.
Galactus who sat upon a throne, his immense form looming like a living continent. His eyes which are like two blazing suns—locked entirely on Ethan, ignoring the rest as if they were nothing more than drifting dust.
Johnny squinted upward, his voice crackling over the comms. "How the hell can he even hear us when we're this small?"
The kneeling Silver Surfer didn't turn his head. His voice was calm, but heavy with warning.
"He hears you perfectly. I advise caution… you've already angered him far more than you realize."
Johnny leaned toward Ethan. "And you! Why'd you go and say you're the Phoenix Avatar if you're not?"
Ethan tilted his sunglasses down just enough to reveal his eyes with a grin tugging at his lips. "Because thanks to that… we're standing here, instead of getting prepped to be served as dinner."
Johnny muttered something under his breath, but Reed stepped forward, his voice measured. "We are from a planet named Earth."
Galactus's head shifted slightly, his voice rolling like thunder across the cosmos. "Are you here to beg?"
Reed's jaw tightened. "We are here to negotiate—"
But the titan ignored him, his gaze still locked on Ethan. "If you wish to barter, then bring me something of equal value… and I will spare your world."
Susan's brow furrowed. "And what exactly would that be?"
"The one who holds the fragment of the Phoenix," Galactus replied instantly. "Give him to me… and your planet will be spared."
The group froze. Susan stepped closer to Ethan, her gloved hand finding his. "No."
Galactus's eyes flared, burning even brighter. "You wield more than the Phoenix… powers unlike any other in this universe. Something strange. Something unique. Surrender yourself to me as the sacrifice, and I shall sate my hunger. Your world will be spared."
The group froze, stunned by the sheer weight of Galactus's words. Eyes widened and breaths caught in their throats.
Johnny's hands curled into fists. "Yeah, that's not happening."
Ben growled low. "Over my dead body."
Reed said nothing, but his calculating gaze kept flicking between Ethan and the giant.
Susan's voice wavered. "This… no. This has to be some kind of sick joke. Ethan… please. Say something."
Ethan turned to her with a warm smile. "Thanks, Susan."
Her brow knitted tighter. "That's not—"
He looked to the others. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to Earth."
Raising his right fist, he jabbed his thumb toward himself with a cocky grin spreading across his face. "Because I am here."
The light in Galactus's eyes flared, but Ethan's grin didn't fade. "Now… let me give you my response."
He took a slow, deliberate breath… then raised his middle finger without a hint of hesitation. "$#@! you."
And then it came—a string of curses so venomous they felt like a spell.
"@#$%&! ₹#@! YOU and your whole &%#@!-sized family tree! I wish you $#@!☄️💢 implode into a @#%$!🕳 black hole and get stuck in a 🤬🚽 cosmic toilet for all eternity and choke on your own $#@! stardust!"
Johnny's jaw dropped so far it was a wonder it didn't hit the floor.
Ben blinked twice, as if trying to make sure he'd actually heard what he thought he heard.
Susan stood frozen, utterly stunned, her mouth opening but no sound escaping.
Reed's eyes widened, the faintest crease forming on his brow, as though he was questioning whether his hearing had just failed him.
The Silver Surfer's gaze narrowed, but the corner of his lips twitched — betraying the faintest hint of amusement.
A heavy silence settled over the vast chamber. For several long seconds, Galactus simply stared at Ethan.
"You have doomed your planet… and yourself," he rumbled.
The Surfer moved instantly, gliding forward on his board. Energy gathered in his hands, a swirling mass of blinding Cosmic Power.
And then…
A sudden pulse of emerald light burst from Ethan's body, flooding the void.
The green shimmer of this energy spread like a living aurora around them, freezing every dust particle midair, bending light itself into a still painting.
Time itself stopped.
The Surfer froze mid-motion, his board tilted in an eternal curve. The jagged energy blast he'd hurled toward Ethan hung in the air like a glowing crystal shard. Reed's scanner remained mid-blink. Even the slow flicker of Galactus's burning eyes became still.
Only Susan moved, her voice trembling. "Ethan… what—what the hell did you just do?"
Ethan's sunglasses gleamed faintly in the unnatural green hue, his dark hair shifting lazily in a breeze that didn't exist. He stepped toward her slowly, boots silent against the nothingness of frozen space.
"I hit pause," he said simply, "Thought we could… talk without an audience."
"Ethan… what—"
He placed a hand gently on her shoulder. His voice was calm. "Susan. Thanks… for being my friend."
She shook her head, panic flashing in her eyes. "Don't," she whispered sharply, "Don't you dare say that like it's some kind of goodbye."
But he continued. "Thanks for loving me… even knowing I've had… multiple relationships. And I will come back. To you. To all of you. Just have a little faith in me."
He waved his hand—her helmet dissolved. The toxic space around them didn't harm her; since Ethan's spell which was prepared before this wrapped her in safety.
He stepped closer, cupping her cheek with one hand, his other hand at her waist. He kissed her—slow, certain, deliberate.
She stiffened… then kissed him back.
When they broke apart, he waved his hand again, her helmet reforming. "When I get back… we'll spend more time."
Before Susan could respond, a flare of energy pulsed from Ethan's hand, rippling outward like a shockwave of emerald light. Her voice broke through the stillness, desperate and sharp.
"ETHAN!"
Her voice cried his name as she and the others vanished in a blink, teleported away.
Time resumed.
The green glow faded from Ethan's eyes, and reality lurched back into motion.
Immediately Silver Surfer's attack — a concentrated blast of the Cosmic energy — slammed into him like the wrath of a collapsing star.
The impact tore through the chamber, hurling Ethan across the room and into the far wall. A thunderous boom echoed as smoke and dust swallowed him from sight.
Hovering in the air, the Surfer drifted forward, his glowing eyes cold and certain. He descended slowly, every movement deliberate. In his long existence, no one had ever survived the full brunt of that strike. To him, this fight was already over.
But the universe had other plans.
A whistle cut through the air — sharp and sudden.
From within the haze, a blazing arrow of living fire shot toward the Surfer, crackling with veins of lightning. He had only a split-second to react. Tilting his board, he twisted out of its path — but not far enough.
The arrow struck the wall behind him.
The resulting detonation ripped through the chamber like a cannon of storm and flame. A glowing hole the size of a starship door burned through solid metal, its edges still sizzling.
When the smoke cleared, Ethan stepped forward.
His upper clothes were gone, scorched away entirely, leaving only the black fabric of his pants. His skin glimmered faintly, as if still charged with cosmic energy. The faint burn marks across his chest were already fading, his flesh knitting itself whole in seconds.
He had let that attack land.
The protective spells woven into his clothing were gone — dismissed before impact — so that he could absorb and adapt to the raw force of the Power Cosmic.
He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, the sound echoing in the quiet aftermath. A slow smirk spread across his face.
"Now that they're gone…" His gaze locked on the Surfer, eyes bright with challenge. "…let's dance, shall we?"
He slid one foot back, his weight shifting as he dropped into a fighter's stance. One hand rose, curling into a slow, taunting 'come here' gesture, while the other rested casually behind his back. A smirk tugged at his lips.
And then — the real fight began. Or, more specifically, Ethan's adaptation began.
...
Jean opened the driver's side door of her car and slid inside with a long, tired sigh. The leather seat creaked softly under her weight as she tossed the thick folder onto the passenger seat. It landed with a muted thud, pages spilling halfway out. She leaned back, letting her head rest against the headrest, eyes closing for just a moment.
It had been three days.
Three long, heavy days since Ethan had gone to space—and not a single word from him.
Her fingers drummed lightly against the steering wheel, the rhythmic tap-tap-tap filling the silence. The only comfort she had was the tracking spell Ethan had personally cast on her… and on Anna, Diana, and Didi. With it, they could sense his location and monitor his status. If that green thread of life force ever wavered, they would know instantly.
That small glow of reassurance was all that kept the anxiety from swallowing her whole.
She'd just finished meeting Tony Stark, giving him his requested dose of Immune+. As usual, the man had been more interested in his own wit than in her explanation of dosage instructions. Still, business was business.
Before she left Stark Tower, she'd also handed him something far more important—a piece of information Ethan had telepathically sent her. Something about Howard Stark's lost designs, a "future model" Tony could study to learn a lesson or two from his old man.
Jean didn't understand how Ethan even knew about such things. But she knew one thing: she trusted him. Always. If he told her to deliver it, she would. No questions asked.
She was just about to turn the key in the ignition when her phone began to ring, its sharp tone cutting through the quiet.
The screen lit up. Susan Storm.
Jean's brows furrowed. 'Susan?'
That didn't make sense. Susan had gone to space with Ethan. If she was calling from Earth, then—
Her eyes darted to the magical tether Ethan had left inside her soul.
It was still there… but too far.
Something wasn't right.
She swiped to answer. "Susan?"
The voice that came through was hurried, almost breathless. "Jean—it's bad news."
Jean's stomach tightened instantly. "What happened?"
There was a pause, a crackle of static, and then Susan's voice came again, rushed and filled with worry. "It's Ethan. He's in danger."
----------------
Author's Note:
How's the chapter?
Sorry for the delay in updates — life's been doing its job a little too well lately.
I know some of you aren't a big fan of Ethan's personality right now and have compared him to a "Chinese MC," but come on, guys — the man can adapt to anything and literally can't die. Of course he's going to get a bit arrogant. I think I did alright with it, but if you have any suggestions, I'm always open to hearing them.
The next chapter is going to be a surprise, so stay tuned. And as always, reviews and suggestions are welcome!