The corpse of the giant insect y lifeless atop the mountain, half of its body still sprawled across the city, its blood staining the ground green and forming a small ke at their feet.

  A yellow orb of light was absorbed into the soul space of Frostmourne—the soul of the brood king. Despite the creature's formidable body, its soul energy was only on par with that of a Dark Elf.

  Frost formed beneath their feet, creating a frozen path that allowed them to stand atop the blood-soaked ground.

  Bobby spoke up, "Master, this is Ermeryth, Queen of the Skrulls."

  The other Bobby's form shifted, its body writhing as even its clothing transformed, taking on the appearance of a female Skrull.

  "Greetings, mighty warrior of Earth," Queen Ermeryth said.

  Remembering the Skrulls still being pursued by swarms of insects, she asked urgently, "My people are still being hunted by these creatures. Can you help me save them?"

  Garus surveyed the area. Many Skrull and insect corpses y submerged in the broo king's blood, a grim testament to the battle's intensity. It was unclear how many survivors remained.

  "Where did they go?" Garus asked.

  Queen Ermeryth pointed to a narrow passage. "Captain An led them that way."

  "Wait!" Garus suddenly sensed something.

  Nearby, Blonsky had transformed into Abomination and was engaged in battle. Turning to the others, Garus said, "I can sense them. We need to move now."

  Before Queen Ermeryth could ask further, Garus opened a Death Gate and stepped inside without hesitation. Bobby followed immediately, and after a moment of hesitation, the queen entered as well.

  Emerging from the portal, they were met with the sight of insect corpses strewn across the ground. A massive, blood-red figure stomped down, cracking the earth before unching skyward like a missile, swatting airborne insects down before they could react.

  A Skrull transport ship had nded nearby, serving as a refuge for the surviving Skrulls. Captain An and his guards stood watch, protecting their people.

  Queen Ermeryth spotted General Kallruth among the survivors. Though she had known he was alive, seeing him in person still filled her with relief.

  "General Kallruth!"

  "Your Majesty!" Kallruth exhaled in relief at seeing the queen safe. His gaze shifted to the enormous insect corpse in the distance—a creature unlike anything he had ever encountered.

  Suddenly, a cold wave swept through the air, freezing the wings of the remaining insects, sending them plummeting to the ground. The frost magic proved highly effective against them.

  Realizing they were outmatched, the surviving insects scattered in retreat. The Skrull refugees, who had feared they would all perish, finally rexed. Some even colpsed into each other, weeping.

  Captain An, gripping his sword, looked grimly at the remaining Skrulls—only a thousand or so left. Thousands had perished. The losses were devastating.

  "An, you've done your best," Kallruth said, pcing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "But what about your ship? The wilderness is dangerous at night. I think we should leave this pnet. Perhaps Earth is the safest pce for us now."

  Queen Ermeryth spoke up. "Our ship has lost power. Worse, those damned insects have taken it."

  Garus observed the thousands of Skrulls before him. His own ship, a vessel meant for personal travel, was cramped even for five or six people—let alone thousands. However, his goal was not merely to help Kallruth reunite with his queen. He wanted these Skrulls to serve him.

  Gncing at the darkening sky, Garus said, "The city is in ruins, and your ship is compromised. We have no choice but to stay in the wild for the night. Tomorrow, we will recim your ship and find a way to restore its power. By the way, are these insects native to this pnet?"

  "No, they come from another world," Captain An expined, giving Garus a brief summary of their origins.

  Listening to An's description, Garus couldn't help but draw parallels between these creatures and the Xenomorphs.

  He knew the Marvel universe contained countless parallel worlds and dimensional realms, but he had never heard of the Negative Zone before.

  Garus resolved to investigate upon his return to Earth. He wanted to visit the X-Men’s world and see if Deadpool, Wade Wilson, had appeared yet. More importantly, he wanted to test the existence of the "fourth wall" and whether he could cross through it. If Wade refused to help, Garus had plenty of ways to make him comply.

  Gncing at the sky, Garus sensed that many flying insects still lingered, watching them, unwilling to abandon their pursuit of the Skrulls.

  Tapping into the power of Death, Garus called forth energy that pierced the fabric of the cosmos, summoning creatures from the realm of the dead. Gargoyles and Nerubian burrowers crawled from his summoning circle.

  He had no intention of allowing more Skrulls to perish. After all, he pnned to recruit them.

  Thousands of shapeshifters, all capable of disguising themselves as anyone—the thought alone was terrifying. No wonder the Kree had always sought to eradicate them.

  "What is that?" Captain An and his guards instinctively raised their weapons at the sight of the flying gargoyles and the burrowers disappearing into the ground.

  Bobby calmly expined, "These are the master's summons. They will protect everyone tonight."

  "Summons?" An lowered his weapon.

  He knew Garus was from Earth. Among Earthlings, only Inhumans and mutants were truly worth noting. Yet, he couldn't cssify Garus as either. Whatever he was, An knew one thing for certain—Garus was far from ordinary.

  Ignoring the ongoing discussions, Garus trusted that the Skrulls wouldn’t attempt anything foolish. Kallruth understood the stakes.

  Summoning his Acherus Deathcharger, Garus rode alone into the distance.

  ...

  Meanwhile, Captain An, General Kallruth, and Queen Ermeryth gathered cautiously, discussing the future of the Skrulls.

  "General Kallruth, what do you think we should do next?" Queen Ermeryth asked. As a newly crowned monarch, she hoped Kallruth could offer guidance. He had once led the empire's legions, while she was still coming into her own as a ruler.

  Kallruth answered without hesitation. "Your Majesty, our people are few, and we are still being hunted by the Kree and the Nova Corps. We have only one path left—we must swear allegiance to Garus. I stand by this decision."

  His words surprised Queen Ermeryth. Was this truly the same iron-willed, brilliant general?

  Captain An, however, disagreed. "I refuse to pce our people's fate in the hands of another—especially a human from Earth."

  His Skrull pride remained unshaken.

  Queen Ermeryth, exhausted and overwhelmed, sighed. "Let me think on it."

  She was beginning to accept the truth. Perhaps survival meant pcing their trust in someone else.

  —————

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