Chapter 70: Our Creator Is Gone!

Earth had triumphed.

The Chitauri were defeated, and with their technology now ripe for the taking, humanity stood on the cusp of yet another quantum leap forward. Once their alien tech was fully assimilated, Earth's science and industry would evolve at unprecedented speed.

But with Earth's coordinates now exposed across the vastness of space, all internal conflicts suddenly felt petty, irrelevant, even.

"First Norse gods, now literal aliens! This world's crazier than we ever imagined."

"Oh, it gets crazier. You wouldn't believe me if I said I saw people living under the sea."

"...Really? Yeah, still not buying it. But at this point, does it even matter?"

"And let's not forget, those Transformers played a key role in the Battle of New York. They weren't just helping; they were the main force holding the line. Like it or not, they chose Earth's side. They saved my life! I mean, come on, how do you beat that? They saved my life!"

...

S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Command Deck.

Nick Fury stood with his back to the assembled Avengers, his expression carved from stone. He took a long breath before speaking.

"New York is nearly in ruins. In just a few hours, we lost millions. Nothing like this has ever happened on Earth before."

Tony Stark cut in, voice sharp. "That's not the real problem. The real problem is what comes next, Earth's location is now public knowledge. If the Chitauri could find us, others will too. And trust me, the worst is yet to come. We have no idea what kind of power is out there, or how many others are watching."

Fury's gaze shifted toward Captain Marvel.

"This galaxy is dangerous," Carol Danvers said, eyes hardened by battles far beyond Earth. "More dangerous than you can imagine. Invasions, massacres, entire civilizations wiped out, that's just another Tuesday in the cosmic order. I've spent years putting out those fires."

"But it's not just warlords or pirate fleets. The worst ones?" Her voice dropped. "The ones who call themselves gods."

Carol wasn't exaggerating. She'd encountered beings who considered life mere raw material, like the Celestials, those Skyfather-tier cosmic entities who seeded worlds with genetic experiments, only to erase the ones that didn't meet their standards.

And then there was the Elders of the Universe, a conclave of fifteen cosmic elders, all sub-Skyfather-level at minimum, and most of them dangerously unhinged.

And above even them: Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. A being of primordial might, who fed not on power, but on living planets themselves.

Many of these cosmic deities didn't just disregard lower life forms, they didn't even register them.

"Like Martin," Steve Rogers said quietly. "Treating slaughter like it's routine."

"No," Carol said, eyes narrowing. "Worse. Martin, at least, is still human. But some of these entities... they're monsters cloaked in godhood."

Steve crossed his arms and fell silent. Ever since losing his shield, the pose had become his subconscious armor.

Fury turned toward the window, watching clouds drift past the Helicarrier.

"Don't lose hope," he said at last. "S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't built overnight, and it wasn't built without contingency plans. We've got weapons stashed away the world's never even heard of. If it comes to it, we'll fight."

Tony arched an eyebrow. "Wait, how much are you keeping from us?"

Fury gave him a cool glance. "S.H.I.E.L.D. sees more of the world's dark corners than you can imagine. By the time a crisis hits your radar, it's already buried hundreds of agents. Some secrets... aren't for you to know."

Natasha's voice came low and grim. "Martin took the Tesseract and the Scepter. That was his goal from the beginning. And we've been monitoring the Scepter's transformation, whatever that stone was, it's turned into a yellow gem. Maybe the same's happening to the Tesseract."

"The Infinity Stones," Carol said sharply. "Artifacts of ultimate power. Strong enough to let mortals challenge gods. In the hands of someone like Martin? That's a cosmic threat."

Fury turned, his lone eye resolute. "Then it's time we had a conversation, with Martin. Coulson, I'm assigning this to you."

"Wow. Thought you'd want to go yourself," Tony quipped.

Fury shot him a look as dead as winter. "Me? I don't take unnecessary risks. I'm the one who keeps the game pieces in play, not the one who throws himself on the board."

He didn't say it, but everyone heard it: Fury had too many secrets buried in too many shadows to gamble with personal exposure.

"I'm going too," Steve said firmly. "Coulson will need protection. And I want my shield back."

One hour later, en route.

A sleek jet tore through the sky, launched from the Helicarrier's underbelly. Coulson piloted it himself, unable to hide his excitement, after all, he was flying alongside his idol, Captain America.

"Captain, this is one of our newest birds. Upgraded systems, cutting-edge propulsion. Pretty smooth, huh?"

Steve didn't answer. He was staring out the cockpit, expression unreadable as the world blurred past.

They reached their destination quickly. But before they could land, they were intercepted.

A fighter jet swooped in low and transformed midair into a towering Cybertronian, slamming down onto the SHIELD craft with a thunderous clang. The impact shook the jet violently.

Coulson's face paled. Steve tensed but stayed silent.

"This is Earth Base, under jurisdiction of Cybertron," the towering Transformer growled, servo-motors hissing. "This airspace is monitored by a flight patrol of the Decepticon faction."

The Transformer's frame bent low, metal joints screeching. Its glowing optics narrowed, scanning Coulson.

"Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.," it snarled. "You are not authorized to meet the Creator. If Fury wants an audience, let the baldy come himself. Also, our Creator is not here."

Coulson's heart skipped. "Not here? Where is he, then? We need to schedule a—"

"I'm here for my shield," Steve interrupted. "You stole it. I want it back."

"Watch your tone, treacherous S.H.I.E.L.D. agent," the Decepticon bellowed. "Every word you speak is being uploaded to our database."

Martin was, indeed, gone. He had traveled east, to a land of ancient secrets.

To Kamar-Taj.

He had business there before he would return to Earth's affairs.

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