Marvel: Death Knight

Behind them, the planet had completely collapsed, its remains drifting into the void. The surviving Kree, Skrulls, Mutants, and Inhumans boarded their ships, initiating their return voyage.

Aboard the spacecraft, Garus finally released Wade from his restraints but issued a stern warning:

"If you cause any trouble, I'll slice you into pieces, freeze them solid, and toss you into deep space."

"Got it, got it! I'll behave, I swear!" Wade nodded rapidly. "But, uh, buddy—where exactly are we going?"

"Earth."

Just then, the warship shuddered and transformed into a streak of light, racing toward the planet.

"Well, ain't that just great—hey, Logan! You're here too?!" Wade's eyes widened in disbelief as he spotted a familiar yet unexpected face.

At the sound of his name, Logan turned around. A man in a red leather suit was waving at him enthusiastically. His voice was vaguely familiar, but Logan couldn't place him.

"And you are?" Logan frowned. "I don't think we've met."

"I'm Deadpool, buddy! A pal of Colossus, former X-Force operative—heck, I know a ton of X-Men! Hey, isn't that Erik—Magneto himself?" Wade's excitement only grew as he spotted another recognizable figure. Magneto—Erik Eisenhardt—was a legend, after all.

Wade's shouting drew the attention of several others on board. Logan walked over, yanked off Wade's mask, and took a good look at his scarred, cratered face—but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall ever meeting him.

"Ugh, gross!" A voice scoffed. Rocket Raccoon had been passing by and, upon seeing Wade's face, couldn't help but throw in a comment.

"A talking raccoon?" Wade looked down to see the short, furred creature standing nearby.

The warship swiftly approached Earth. This time, thanks to the pre-installed planetary defense system, the planet had avoided significant damage.

"They're back!"

The massive ship breached the atmosphere, bringing relief to many. However, a few couldn't shake their lingering unease.

Though the war had ended, many problems remained unresolved. Garus delegated most of these concerns to Wanda and Kingpin, only stepping in when brute force was necessary—some people only responded to violence, after all.

"This world feels… different. What the hell is 'Azeroth Technologies'? Never heard of it. What year is this?" Wade's gut told him something was off.

In this universe, Garus had never heard of Deadpool. He had even made inquiries—there was no record of Wade Wilson at all. And yet, Wade clearly knew Logan and Magneto.

Summoning a Death Gate, Garus gestured for Wade to follow.

"You. Come with me."

Wade pointed at himself. "Me? You're talking to me?"

Garus needed to figure out which universe this Deadpool came from and how he'd ended up on Titan. "Yes, you. Move it."

Reluctantly, Wade followed. He wasn't thrilled about it, but considering the monstrous red-skinned demon Garus had fought—and won against—he figured it was best not to push his luck.

Through the Death Gate, they arrived at Garus' villa in Hell's Kitchen. Despite all the chaos that had swept through the city, the place remained intact.

"Wade, how the hell did you end up on Titan?" Crossing interstellar barriers wasn't easy. Someone with Deadpool's abilities shouldn't have been able to pull it off.

Wade shrugged. "No idea. Pretty sure I'm not in my home universe anymore, though."

Garus' gaze narrowed. "What's that on your wrist?"

"Oh, this?" Wade glanced at the device strapped to his arm. "Nothing special. Just a little keepsake from a friend." He quickly unfastened it and stuffed it into his pants, shooting Garus a defiant look. He wasn't about to let anyone take his most prized possession—not if he ever wanted to get home.

"You stole it, didn't you?"

"How dare you! Cable was my best buddy! What's his is mine!"

Garus flicked his wrist, and the wristband—reeking from its recent hiding place—floated out of Wade's pants.

Clang!

A sword struck down, knocking Wade's twin katanas out of his hands. Frost spread from his feet, locking him in place.

"Fine! It's a time-travel device," Wade admitted. "But I used up the last of its energy. It's useless now."

"That's not your concern." Garus studied the device. He didn't understand its mechanics, but he knew someone who could restore it. If this thing worked, it might lead him back to his original world—not Azeroth, but the one without superheroes or supervillains.

"Tell me about the Mutant Academy in your universe."

"You mean the X-Men? Bunch of folks who mostly hide out at their school. I tried visiting a few times, but they were never home." Wade pouted. "Almost like they were avoiding me."

"Has your world experienced any major events?"

"Of course! Let me tell you—"

As Wade rambled on, Garus pieced things together. This was another parallel universe, untouched by his influence. A universe where the X-Men had recently battled Apocalypse.

That reminded him—he had almost forgotten about that damn duck.

Howard the Duck. The one he had trapped inside Frostmourne's realm.

Garus opened a gateway into the sword's inner world, and a disheveled, trembling figure tumbled out.

Howard curled into a ball, shaking. "Gah! That place was terrifying! So many ghosts!"

"...What the hell am I looking at?" Wade stared. "A talking, clothes-wearing duck?"

Howard shot him a glare. "I detect prejudice in your tone. Address me properly—Howard, the greatest sorcerer of the Duckworld!"

Just then, Garus' phone rang. He glanced at the screen—it was Kingpin.

"What is it?"

"Master, we've lost contact with our base on an island near Antarctica. We sent people to investigate, but they've been disappearing one by one. Just recently, Pietro went in… and now he's gone too."

Pietro—Wanda's younger brother. She would be worried sick. Whoever was behind this had to be powerful. Pietro wasn't easy to take down.

"I'll check it out myself."

Garus sighed. He never got a moment's rest.

Howard clung to his arm. "Garus, you promised to send me back to Duckworld!"

Wade grinned conspiratorially. "And if you send me back to my world, I'll tell you a huge secret. Something only I know."

Garus raised an eyebrow. "A secret?"

Deadpool might be a lunatic—reckless, crude, and completely unhinged—but he wasn't a liar.

Maybe this "secret" was worth hearing.

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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON