In the silent expanse of space, a vast black cloud emerged, rapidly expanding and sweeping across the void, consuming one planet after another as it spread throughout the cosmos.
Upon closer inspection, the cloud revealed itself to be a massive swarm of insects—some as small as a few centimeters, others stretching thousands of meters—blanketing entire regions in a suffocating tide.
At the heart of the swarm stood a towering insectoid figure, several meters high, its entire body covered in glistening green chitin. A pair of antennae twitched atop its head, ceaselessly transmitting commands to the insect army. Unlike the mindless drones around it, this creature bore the unmistakable air of intelligence. Draped in an eerie, tattered robe, it clutched a staff radiating a soft white glow around its neck.
This was Annihilus*, Brood King from the Negative Zone. In his home dimension, the Brood had stripped their worlds of resources, leaving little sustenance behind. Free from the competition of his kin, Annihilus had led his swarm into this universe, where they multiplied rapidly, consuming entire civilizations and gnawing planets into rubble.
"What is that?" A Kree fleet, passing by on patrol, stumbled upon the dreadful swarm. Their colossal warships seemed insignificant against the seething tide of creatures.
"How could there be so many monsters..." Only a handful of beings in the Marvel Universe could survive the vacuum of space unaided.
"Retreat!"
Before the Kree ships could turn, the swarm detected them. The black tide shifted course, rushing toward the fleet with a chorus of chittering screeches.
"Faster! Accelerate!" The Kree captain's blue face paled as fear overtook him.
"Commander Will, there's a wormhole ahead!" a crew member reported from the console. The anomaly was shrinking, its destination unknown.
"It doesn't matter!" Will's mind raced. Watching asteroids crumble under the swarm's corrosive rays, he knew the wormhole was their only chance. "Take us through!"
The Kree fleet surged forward, plunging into the unstable wormhole.
"Follow them!" Annihilus's mind seethed with fury. He would not let his prey escape.
On the other side of the wormhole, the Kree emerged into unfamiliar stars.
"This place... feels familiar..." one captain muttered.
A shimmering projection of Commander Will appeared before the fleet. "Leave a defensive squad behind. The Brood will follow. The rest of us will retreat."
Silence gripped the bridge. Everyone knew that staying behind meant certain death.
"I know where we are," a captain broke the silence. "This is one of the Nine Realms—Vanaheim is nearby... and not far from Asgard."
Whispers spread through the crew.
"Perhaps... we could seek Odin's aid?"
Hope flickered in their eyes. None knew that Odin had vanished.
Will's hologram flickered. "We don't have time to debate. Set course for Asgard. The rear guard will buy us time."
Reluctantly, a captain accepted the grim duty. His ships stayed behind as the rest fled.
In Asgard, the palace courtyard trembled as a longsword plunged from the sky, embedding itself in the stone at Hela's feet.
"Heimdall!" Hela's emerald eyes burned with hatred. "You're dead this time."
"Wait, Hela. I haven't come to fight. There are graver threats at hand."
"You can't stop me, Heimdall. Swear fealty, and I'll lead Asgard to conquer the Realms once more. The Vanyar will rise again."
Heimdall's orange gaze shimmered. A cosmic projection unfolded before them—an endless swarm of insects pouring through the wormhole carved by Galactus long ago.
The courtyard fell into uneasy silence.
Above them, the Kree fleet burst from the sky, engines howling.
"Has Asgard fallen so low that even the Kree dare trespass?" Hela sneered. Once, under her and Odin's rule, Asgard's name inspired fear across the galaxy.
A captain of the Einherjar approached Heimdall. "Shall we activate the palace's shields?"
"They are refugees, pursued by those creatures," Heimdall replied, his gaze turning to Loki, who had been lurking quietly.
With a sigh, Loki adjusted his crown. "As King of Asgard, I suppose I should greet our guests."
On the Kree flagship, the crew's relief was short-lived.
"The rearguard... they're gone," a soldier reported.
Will's face hardened. "We have little time. Land in the open fields. We must warn Asgard... and pray they listen."
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TL/N:
Annihilus here might not be Annihilus himself, as the raw says "Enerlus the Annihilator" but since Enerlus and Annihilus almost sounds the same and there is the 'Annihilator' word, I guess this might be Annihilus.
Oh, I might have translated this one also in the previous chapters as Enerlus, Enarus, or something like that.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON