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

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

With the path clear, Ghost Rider charges for it at full throttle.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

It worked! Beating the robots was nice enough... but they did it by working as a team. If they hadn't, they'd still be fighting and probably a lot worse off. That alone energizes Sarah enough to ignore what injures she does have, flying to keep up with Ghost Rider.

"Careful through here. Anywhere in this place could be one big deathtrap."

[certaindoom.livejournal.com]

Doom knows this well.

He navigates his craft further into the Taa, as there's no shortage of space. This was not a craft contructed with tiny humans in mind.

Doom makes sure to stick with his fodder. Mildly impressive so far.

The approach to the chamber containing the Ultimate Nullifier is imminent.

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

Morph keeps an eye out for danger.. well, several, really, in each direction.. but the really heavy security measures either haven't arrived or aren't coming.

"Maybe his giant robot budget was cut this year.."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven sighs. "It's happened three years in a row at S.H.I.E.L.D."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Spidey's back aboard Doom's craft, as he's paranoid that it's going to stop being breathable out there at any moment. Eyes focused straight ahead with his accelerated vision.

Waiting for the next round of cosmic death.

[certaindoom.livejournal.com]

Massive chamber doors appear at the end of a hallway the width of Manhattan Island and the height of Big Ben.

Doom steels himself once more, and his hand raises from the controls, opening a portal into the chamber that they can all see and go through.

[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.