Baxter Building – Moments Before the Breach
Reed Richards' fingers flew across the console, sweat dripping down his brow as lines of code and schematics scrolled faster than the human eye could follow. The lab trembled with each pulse of green light bursting from the containment chamber, the walls groaning as if the building itself feared what was coming.
"Come on, come on stabilize!" Reed muttered, punching in new parameters with desperation. Across the room, Sue stood at the center, her translucent force field quivering under the assault of rampaging energy. Her face was pale with her legs buckling.
Ben Grimm knelt beside her, steadying her with one massive hand, his rocky features twisted in concern. "Reed!" Ben shouted over the roar. "She can't hold it much longer! Do somethin', stretch!"
"I just—need—thirty more seconds!" Reed barked, his eyes not leaving the screen. "Hold it, Sue!"
"I'm trying!" Sue's voice cracked, her body trembling as the force field rippled violently.
Johnny Storm hovered above, flames licking his skin as his eyes locked onto the figure standing calmly in the chaos.
Johnny's voice dripped with fury. "Why the hell are you doing this? You'll kill us all!"
The sorcerer's lips curled into a serene, unsettling smile. His voice echoed unnaturally, as though layered with whispers.
"I seek not destruction, child. I seek only our salvation. The world festers in division of nations at war, men killing one another over scraps. Petty rulers grasping for power, while the earth bleeds."
He rose higher as the green glow intensified. "It has worsened since the emergence of mutants. Hatred festers, as fear consumes all. Humanity wastes its strength fighting those destined to defend it. They will tear down their only home with their own hands."
His eyes burned with fanatical zeal. "But Lord Annihilus offers unity. To be one hive, one will, one purpose. No more war, no more division but only perfection. Your salvation lies in the swarm."
"Salvation, my ass!" Johnny spat, flame flaring around him. Reed glanced up from the console, his face pale. "Sue, hold on! Just a moment longer!" Sue's knees buckled, sweat dripping down her face. "I—I can't—"
Ben roared, "Reed, hurry it up before she drops!"
The sorcerer chuckled darkly. "Futile. All your science, all your resistance and it changes nothing. The inevitable is already here."
The chamber pulsed violently and Sue screamed as the pressure doubled, her force field fracturing like glass.
"There's no stopping what comes," the sorcerer intoned. "Accept it. Rejoice in it."
Reed's eyes widened at the readings flashing across his screen. His voice trembled. "No… no, no, no. The output, it's too much. I can't contain it. Not without the a container —oh my God…"
He spun around. "Sue, let go! Now!"
But before Sue could react, the sorcerer smirked and lifted both his hands high. "For the final step… I sacrifice myself. May the swarm embrace me!"
Green fire consumed his body, devouring flesh and bone as he screamed in ecstasy. His ashes swirled into the energy storm, the page dissolving into pure light.
"Aw, hell…" Ben muttered. "Oh shit."
The chamber erupted.
BOOOOOOM!
A deafening roar split the sky, followed by the sound of reality tearing open. In Kamar-TajThe Ancient One stood at the heart of the sanctum, her expression was calm. Around her, several Masters of the Mystic Arts flickered into view via projection circles, their faces lined with confusion.
"What is the problem this time?" one demanded. "The wards are intact. The balance should not be undisturbed but strangely enough our alarms are all blaring."
The Ancient One's eyes narrowed. "No. It is not undisturbed. Even now, a breach has opened in New York. What you sense is the stirrings of a Realm Lord."
Murmurs rippled through the gathered masters. Another asked, "You mean one of the Old Ones? Which?" Her tone hardened. "It is Annihilus the paranoid and ruthles tyrant who rules the Negative Zone as hive-lord of an endless swarm."
A ripple of unease passed through the room.
"We must prepare our forces," the Ancient One continued. "Call them from every sanctum. Send them here, to Kamar-Taj."
Mordo stepped forward as she exited the chamber, his voice was tight. "First Cyttorak. Now Annihilus. Why are we suddenly facing an increase in Realm Lord activity?"
The Ancient One gave him a pointed look. "Because their presence attracts one another. When one breaches, it creates ripples in the fabric of reality. And ripples become waves. Realm Lords are drawn to conflict, to imbalance. One breach… begets another."
She began to walk away, her robes flowing behind her. Kaecilius narrowed his eyes. "Then… is this because of the child?"
The room went silent.
The Ancient One said nothing. She paused only to glance back, her tone softer but edged with warning. "Intervene or not, the choice will be yours. But prepare. The world will might soon demand it." With that, she stepped out into the courtyard.
Above Manhattan – The Portal
From the helicarrier, Nick Fury stared grimly at the titanic swirl of green energy stretching into the sky, a hole in reality spinning high above the Baxter Building.
"This isn't just Reed screwing around anymore," Fury growled. "This is a goddamn invasion." On the comms, Stark's voice crackled. "Yeah, Fury, no kidding. I've got front row seats."
The portal pulsed again and the air shuddered. Then they saw something emerge. A figure towering over Iron Man, a blue-skinned and armored like a war chief stepped through the breach. A sharp red fin jutted from the side of his head, his glowing eyes scanning the city with predatory calm.
He raised his weapon high, his voice booming like thunder.
"I am Ravenous, commander of the Annihilation Wave. This world shall bow and be added to the hive of Lord Annihilus!"
Iron Man hovered closer, HUD locking onto the figure. "Don't mind me asking, Big Blue, but… what happens if we refuse this oh-so-polite invitation?"
Ravenous smirked, his sharp teeth glinting. "I do hope you reject. For then, I shall have the pleasure of burning your world to ash."
"Yeah," Stark muttered. "That's what I was afraid of."
He fired his repulsors. Twin blasts of energy slammed into Ravenous' chest and only for the alien not to flinch. Ravenous sneered, raised his weapon, and unleashed a searing beam of green force that struck Tony's chest.
"Stark!" Rogers shouted through comms.
The blast smashed Iron Man from the sky, sending him crashing through cars and into the pavement. His armor sparked with the HUD screaming warnings. Ravenous raised his weapon again, his voice ringing across the city.
"Your defiance amuses me. But it changes nothing. The swarm… will feed." And then the sky darkened. From the portal poured an endless tide of humanoid insect soldiers, their screeches echoing as they swarmed toward Manhattan.
The Annihilation Wave had arrived.
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