Galactus's World-Ship

[exiles-extras.livejournal.com]

The enormous vessel has entered Earth's solar system - seemingly oblivious to all broadcast entreaties, it inexorably closes the distance to Earth. So insignificant to the ship's master are the beings of Earth that only the most perfunctory of the ship's defenses have been activated.

Comments

[exiles-extras.livejournal.com]

What they'll see, though, is startling even to Doom.

A tall man, garbed in some amalgamation of ancient Greek attire, has beaten them there.

Glowing with energy, the Ultimate Nullifier is in his grasp.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Spider-Man is stunned.

"THANATOS?!"

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

".. apparently, the Roman Centurion budget is well-funded, though. Who the hell...?"

[exiles-extras.livejournal.com]

The figure looks at the gathered Exiles, then dismisses them. Stepping into a portal of his own making and vanishing out of sight.

With their only means of defeating Galactus.

[certaindoom.livejournal.com]

Doom cannot react.

Utterly stunned at this development.

Until his hand is instantly clasped around Spider-Man's throat.

"SPEAK, insect! Who was that?!"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"Hrk..."

The grip is unbreakable.

"Time-traveler... or dimension-traveler... I don't know! I just know he's a bastard!"

[certaindoom.livejournal.com]

Doom grits his teeth behind that mask. The equipment necessary to trace this Thanatos' travel is not aboard this craft, and they don't have time to return to Earth and hunt him down before the Devourer...

With a frustrated growl, Doom hurls Spider-Man against the wall of his craft, then clenches his fists in anger.

A moment to catch his breath. A grim realization.

Finally, he straightens up.

"Your fate is now sealed. Yet Doom shall endure."

A barked incantation, and Doom's arms raise. His own backup plan engaged, with none provided for them.

With a strong glow of mystical energy, Doom also vanishes from sight.

Perhaps from this plane.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Leaving Spider-Man in the ship. Groaning as he picks himself off the floor.

Hearing the Tallus now repeating something new, which is what he tells his teammates over the comlinks.

"The future is grim," he says, in a broken voice.

"The future is grim."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"Victor's such a charmer. If we meet his mother in another dimension, tell her to drown him at birth."

She lays surprisingly gentle fingers alongside Spider-Man's throat. "Let me see if there's any tissue damage."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head, slumping against the wall, wincing a little at his back pain.

The neck is bruised, but it'll heal.

"What happens if we fail to save a world? Do we die with it, and that Timebroker plucks out a new batch of poor bastards to go on with? We've got nothing. This is too big."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

She rolls her eyes. He's welcome to suffer.

"I know exactly when and how I'm going to die. This isn't it. The kid's probably immortal." She nods towards Morph. "But the Timebroker will sacrifice and replace the rest of you just like he did Alison."

Raven lights another cigarette. "There. Feel better?"

She turns to Grimm. "It's your world. You have any more ideas?"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

A squint towards Raven.

She knows when she's going to die? What does that mean? How could she?

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

The Rider looks to Sara and Bucky. They always seem to have a plan.

[nuttinbeatsrock.livejournal.com]

The future is...

"Yeah." Grimm says, looking over at Spider-Man for a moment, before cracking his knuckles. "Yeah, I does." He can't even bring himself to be mad at Doom. He just feels kind of...numb. He pulls an envelope out of his pocket, and hands it to Spider-Man. "Give this t'Reed, if youse gets a chance t'see'em."

The General steps forward, then, looking up at the sky and cupping his hands over his face. "HEY! PALOOKA! BEN GRIMM'S GOTTA PROPASITION FOR YAS!"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"What the shock are you doing?!" Spider-Man barks, taking the envelope and sliding it into a near-invisible pouch on his costume. Handy future innovations with unstable molecules.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"He's doing what he can to survive," Patriot sighs. His expression is one of shock and horror.

"Because everyone else on the planet is about to die to feed Galactus."

[nuttinbeatsrock.livejournal.com]

"No, they ain't." Ben Grimm insists quietly, looking up at the sky and waiting for his answer.

[marvel-cosmic.livejournal.com]

General Grimm hasn't long to wait - the theft of the Ultimate Nullifier has most certainly attracted Galactus's attention.

"Who dares intrude upon the World-Ship of Galactus?"

His voice echoes through the whole ship as he floats downward to the floor of the chamber, alien eyes staring down at the arrogant insects before him.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

His eyes narrow. Now he gets it.

"You're going to make the Surfer's deal. Ben... it's got a cost. It's probably worth it, but know that it's got a cost."

[nuttinbeatsrock.livejournal.com]

"I dunno no surfer, ask Johnny." Grimm mutters to Bucky, only really half conscious of what the guy's saying as he steps forward.

"I do. I'm Benjamin J. Grimm, da'idol a'millions." The irony is probably lost on Galactus, but Ben needs the sense of familiarity. "These kids dunno who th'fruitcake inna toga was what stole your nillifier, so I'd take it assa kindness if youse wouldn't blame 'em."

Grimm takes a deep breath, and continues, "Look, I ain't gonna judge you, okay? People gotta eat, and youse happens t'eat planets. But why this one? Did we do somethin to yas? Do you needs people to be livin on it? I ain't the scientist...any of the eggheads I used t'work for are, but 'living planet' seems kinda vague."

[marvel-cosmic.livejournal.com]

"Galactus must feed. Only certain planets meet the requirements for my consumption - and seeking them out consumes time and energy. The search leaves little room for selectivity."

If he were human, one might described his tone of voice as resigned.

[nuttinbeatsrock.livejournal.com]

"And I bet fightin off the understandibly desperate folks who'se try and stop yas takes up even more time an'energy." Ben rubs his chin, as if thinking this out on the fly. "Time an'energy ya could be usin to figger outta way to, I dunno, find somethin'else t'eat."

"Or play solitare, whatever." Grimm shrugs. "But, basicly, youse spend so much time findin'food an'dealin with the folks livin on said food that by the time youse is finished, you allready need another bite. Do I got the gist of it?"

[marvel-cosmic.livejournal.com]

Galactus inclines his head in a nod.

"Your understanding of the situation is adequate."

As he speaks, Galactus reaches out to the machinery in the room - perhaps reviewing the sensor logs of the double security breach of the Taa - but his attention is split between that and General Grimm.

The human intrigues him.

[nuttinbeatsrock.livejournal.com]

"So..." Ben swallows. "So, what if ya had help?"

"I mean, that's what I hadda do when my job got too big fer me. Got someone to help me out so I could focus on the stuff I was good at."

[marvel-cosmic.livejournal.com]

That definitely grabs Galactus's attention.

"It is an.. intriguing suggestion. What do you propose?"