"It's decided then. We'll establish defenses near Mars. I'll notify the others—we need more allies for this battle." Garus had no idea how powerful the weapon in the insects' hands truly was, and he had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.
"Then we should leave as well. The swarm could descend upon us at any moment." Frigga stood up. The shadow of Asgard's destruction had yet to fade, and their enemy's numbers were overwhelming.
"Wait a moment. I don't trust Loki—we need to keep him under our supervision." Loki was unpredictable; no one could ever guess what he was thinking. There was always the risk that he would stab them in the back when they least expected it.
"Alright." Frigga agreed without hesitation. Loki had been a headache for her ever since he discovered his true origins. It was as if he had become a completely different person.
A magic circle appeared on the ground, and two cloaked undead monks emerged from it.
"Is this really necessary?" Loki recoiled slightly at the sight of the undead. "I am the King of Asgard! Hey—let go of me!"
A cold hand gripped his shoulder, sending a shiver down his spine.
The aura of death emanating from these creatures reminded him of Hela back in Asgard. Even Will, the Kree warrior, couldn't help but take a second look. The sight of the dead moving was beyond his comprehension.
"Mr. Garus, we Kree no longer wish to be your enemies." Thanos' impending attack on Earth was no longer a secret. Any lingering concerns the Kree had about the presence of Skrulls on the planet had faded. No matter who won this war, the victor would be a force the Kree could not afford to antagonize. "We—"
Garus dismissed the Kree with a wave of his hand and walked toward the door.
The Kree? He had never paid them much attention.
Now, it was time to find some reinforcements.
Just as he was about to step outside, Frigga called out, "Where should we regroup?"
Garus thought for a moment before replying, "The Moon. Fly your ships there, and someone will meet you."
"Understood. And what about Thor? Bring him as well."
Loki might have been handling Asgard's daily affairs, but Thor was still the rightful heir to the throne.
Thinking about Thor, Garus realized he hadn't seen him in a while. After leaving Asgard, Thor had gone off to find his girlfriend, Jane. Garus was no babysitter—he had no reason to keep tabs on him.
"I'll go get him."
Sunshine. Beaches. Laughter.
It was a bright and sunny coastline. A month ago, when Thor first arrived on Earth, he had left Garus behind and spent his days traveling with Jane. Deep down, he had a feeling that these peaceful days wouldn't last much longer.
Now, he lay side by side with Jane on the beach, basking in the warmth of the sun.
His well-built, muscular frame attracted quite a few lingering gazes from nearby women, some of whom looked as if they wanted to throw themselves at him.
Jane, noticing this, playfully smacked Thor's chest in annoyance.
Half-asleep under the sun, Thor blinked awake. "What is it?"
Following Jane's gaze, he turned his head.
The bikini-clad women, realizing Thor had noticed them, erupted into excited shrieks.
"This isn't my fault," Thor said innocently. "Isn't this how people dress on a beach?"
"Thor, you sure look relaxed. Your father didn't send you here to have fun."
A sudden gust of icy wind swept over them as a pitch-black portal appeared nearby. Garus stepped out, looking distinctly unimpressed.
Seeing Thor so at ease, Garus couldn't help but feel exasperated.
By now, he had placed dozens of teleportation markers across different locations. Without Thor noticing, he had discreetly left one on him.
Although mutants, enhanced individuals, and magic users were no longer a secret, Garus' sudden appearance still drew the attention of curious tourists.
"Back off." Garus shot them a cold glare, causing the onlookers to hesitate and keep their distance.
"Hey, who was that guy? Right! He's from the Mutant Academy."
A group of people whispered among themselves, too intimidated to approach.
"Hey, Garus, we had an agreement—"
"No time." Garus grabbed Thor's arm and pulled him toward the portal.
"Wait! At least let me put on some clothes!" Thor struggled but found Garus' grip surprisingly strong.
Jane, flustered, quickly followed them through the portal.
The moment they stepped out, they found themselves inside a spaceship. Metal walls surrounded them on three sides, lined with glowing buttons, while a large glass window at the front revealed the vast darkness of space.
"Where are we?" Thor looked around, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings.
Jane, however, was thrilled by the sight. "Is this a spaceship? Thor, we're on a spaceship! And these—are they aliens?" With her powerful boyfriend by her side, she didn't even flinch at the sight of the green-skinned Skrulls.
Noticing Jane still dressed in her beach attire, Thor saw that the Skrulls were eyeing them with curiosity. He quickly grabbed a nearby cloak—without caring who it belonged to—and draped it over her shoulders.
"Mother?!" Seeing Frigga standing at the doorway, Thor's mind momentarily went blank. For a second, he thought he was hallucinating. Stammering, he asked, "How… how are you here?"
Frigga's gaze flicked between Jane and Thor, taking in their appearances. A frown creased her brow. "Thor, you have deeply disappointed me."
One son obsessed with power. The other, utterly devoid of responsibility. Now, they stood at the precipice of disaster. Odin had fallen. Asgard was destroyed.
Odin had made many enemies through his conquests, and there was no doubt that some would take this opportunity to strike.
"Thor, your father has fallen. Asgard has been destroyed by invaders. That is why I am here."
"Mother… what did you say?" Thor thought he must have misheard. In his mind, Odin was an unshakable force, a king who could never die.
But as the reality of her words sank in, Thor collapsed onto the floor, lost in thought.
"Thor!" Jane sat beside him, concern written all over her face. As an ordinary human, she realized there was nothing she could do.
Garus observed Thor in silence. Because of his interference, Thor had lacked the trials that once forged him. But now, faced with this crisis, perhaps he would finally change.
Feeling uneasy under the scrutiny of the Skrulls, Will asked, "Mr. Garus, shouldn't we deploy scouts to monitor where the insects will appear?"
"I've already dispatched a reconnaissance ship near Mars. The moment something happens, I'll know immediately."
Aboard that ship, Garus had stationed his undead subordinates. If anything went wrong, he would be the first to sense it.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON