Marvel: Death Knight

As the countdown for the self-destruct sequence reached zero, explosions erupted from within the Dark Aster in the sky. Feeling the shockwaves through her claws, Sindragosa reluctantly released the warship. Debris struck her body, making her feel as though she might fall apart.

Below, the citizens of New York screamed and scrambled to escape as the disintegrating Dark Aster broke into fragments, scattering in all directions as it plummeted.

"Damn it!" Fury slammed his hand on the table in frustration. Watching helplessly as vast swathes of the city faced destruction, he began to question the very purpose of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Although the explosions occurred some distance from Stark Tower, Pepper and Tony could see the unfolding chaos clearly from the building's rooftop.

"Tony!" Pepper called out anxiously.

Tony wrapped an arm around her shoulder and sighed. "Pepper, you know there's nothing I can do about this."

She had always believed Tony could solve anything, but the terrifying scene before them made it clear even he was powerless this time.

Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man had rushed to the streets, trying to save as many people as possible.

Just as the Dark Aster's remnants were about to crash into the ground, the sorcerers of the Ancient One's order had taken their positions. Forming intricate hand seals, they manipulated the air, creating ripples. The flaming debris hurtling toward the earth disappeared the instant it entered these shimmering portals.

Only Fury, monitoring through satellite feeds, and Garus, perched on Sindragosa's back, could clearly see what had happened.

"Were those... Ancient One sorcerers?" Garus thought, his heart stirring with surprise. As Earth's most powerful guardians, the Ancient One's order had long piqued his curiosity, though he'd never been able to find their location.

In the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, Fury breathed a sigh of relief. If this disaster had unfolded, even if it wasn't his fault, he would still have faced severe repercussions.

"What the hell just happened?"

On the ground, people exchanged confused glances. They had no idea why the alien warship had suddenly exploded—or where the debris had vanished.

"Director Fury." A familiar face appeared on Fury's computer screen: Alexander Pierce, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director. "What was that massive creature in the sky? Or perhaps... it wasn't a creature?"

Faced with his former boss, Fury didn't hold back. He shared everything he knew. "That enormous creature was summoned by someone named Garus. Beyond that, I'm as clueless as you."

"I see." Pierce ended the call, making a decision as he reached for an encrypted phone.

"Baron Strucker..."

High in the sky, the Ancient One watched the frost dragon with an enigmatic expression. No one could guess what she was thinking.

"Mordo," she said, "invite that young man to the New York Sanctum. I want to have a word with him."

"Yes, Master." Mordo's tone betrayed a hint of disdain as he glanced at Garus above. He valued natural order and harmony, and the frost dragon radiated a deathly aura that made him deeply uncomfortable. To him, such creatures belonged in the grave.

With the immediate crisis averted, Garus let out a sigh of relief. Just as he returned to his academy, his phone rang. The caller ID displayed an unfamiliar number.

"Who's this?" he asked.

A deep male voice replied, "Mr. Garus, this is Karl Mordo. My master has invited you for a meeting."

Mordo's master? That must be the Ancient One. Curious about the reason for the summons, Garus asked, "Where should I go?"

After receiving the address, Garus arrived at an old, imposing building with tightly shut doors. Strangely, passersby seemed oblivious to the odd structure.

Recognizing the symbol on the building, Garus knew he had found the New York Sanctum of the Ancient One's order.

Before he could knock, the heavy doors swung open on their own, and a black man stepped out.

After sizing Garus up, the man said curtly, "Follow me."

Meanwhile, on the moon, Ronan's scattered escape pods reassembled into a small starship. Before fleeing, Ronan had deployed a reconnaissance drone to confirm whether the target had been eliminated.

Through its feed, he saw a peculiar sight: a massive, strange creature appearing in the sky and the warship debris vanishing near the ground.

"Is this still the Earth our ancestors documented?" Ronan wondered. This supposedly technologically backward planet held powers beyond his imagination. Could a hidden deity be at work here?

After some thought, Ronan decided to abandon the attack. Thanos had been right—Earth was not as weak as it seemed. Returning to Kree, he planned to regroup and join the Chitauri in a future assault.

Just then, his communicator lit up. Thanos appeared on the screen, sneering at Ronan's disheveled state. "Kree, it seems your mission has failed."

Ronan hesitated, unsure how to respond.

"Lord Thanos," he finally said, his tone subdued by defeat. "I will destroy the Skrulls. Next time, I will join the Chitauri in their assault on Earth."

"Kree, do not test my patience," Thanos warned. "Your task is to find the Orb. Help me achieve that, and I will see to the Skrulls' destruction."

Frustrated but outmatched, Ronan had no choice but to comply.

Thanos, curious about Ronan's defeat, asked, "Who stopped you? Was it the Ancient One or Asgard's gods?"

To Thanos, only these two forces could thwart his plans. He respected the Ancient One's power and knew Odin could dispatch mighty Asgardians despite his inability to enter Earth directly.

"Neither," Ronan admitted, sending Thanos a recording.

"I see." Thanos ended the call, pondering his next move. With only Cull Obsidian available among his Black Order, he decided to send him alongside the Chitauri.

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