"When did you start working for Osborn?" Tony Stark asked, his skepticism evident. The Fantastic Four had repeatedly declined S.H.I.E.L.D.'s invitations in the past—did Norman Osborn really have that much influence?
Susan Storm shook her head. "You misunderstand. We merely accepted Osborn's invitation to discuss how to handle the threat posed by this alien entity."
Tony, a former security consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D., was well aware of Osborn's role in its dissolution. Before shutting down Stark Industries' weapons division, he and Osborn had been business rivals. He had no love for Osborn's newly established H.A.M.M.E.R.
Susan continued, "This being is from another world. Osborn wants to invite you to join the discussion on how to neutralize it. We can't let it continue rampaging on Earth."
Tony hesitated for a moment before nodding. This alien could absorb any form of energy or physical attack, making it nearly invulnerable. He needed more intel and a strategy. More importantly, he had to figure out why it was here in the first place.
Upon arriving at the H.A.M.M.E.R. headquarters, Tony and Susan were led to Osborn's office, where Reed Richards and an unfamiliar man were already deep in conversation with Osborn.
"Mr. Stark," Osborn greeted with a calculated smile. No one could tell what he was really thinking.
Tony wasted no time. "How much do you actually know about this silver being?"
Reed was the first to respond. "We've been tracking him since his initial appearance."
He opened his laptop, revealing footage of a silver figure, identical to the one Tony had encountered.
"We detected intense radiation emanating from his body. Using this data, I conducted a search across space and found that every place he visited turned into a dead zone—either all life was wiped out, or the planet's core energy was drained, leaving it shattered."
Tony frowned. "I'll admit he's powerful, but you're saying he has the ability to destroy entire planets? That's a stretch."
Reed shrugged. "I wasn't convinced at first either, but after extensive cross-verification, the evidence speaks for itself."
Osborn, uninterested in theoretical debates, interjected, "Regardless of what he's capable of, we need to stop him. Whether he can destroy a planet or not, we can't allow him to continue his destruction on Earth. His last appearance caused mass panic. The President has issued an order to resolve this immediately."
The fear from the last incident still lingered in New York—its citizens hadn't forgotten.
Tony crossed his arms. "Energy absorption, immunity to physical attacks, and the ability to unleash devastating energy blasts… We have no viable way to counter him. My Iron Legion was decimated in seconds."
He saw no reason to hide the truth.
Johnny Storm, who had remained silent until now, suddenly chimed in. "Sounds like it's time for the blazing-hot, incredibly handsome Human Torch to step up! I refuse to believe he can withstand temperatures of over ten thousand degrees."
"Shut up, Johnny," Susan snapped, exasperated. Her brother was reckless, arrogant, and always picking fights. No matter how many times she scolded him, it never seemed to sink in.
"Fine, fine," Johnny muttered, backing down slightly. Even he had to admit, he was a little afraid of his sister's temper.
Victor von Doom turned to Reed. "Dr. Richards, this is on you. Director Osborn is confident you can devise a way to separate him from that surfboard. If we can pull that off, we'll have a real chance."
Reed nodded. "I still need more data. We have to understand how his board functions and its connection to him."
Osborn pulled a hard drive from his desk drawer. "This contains all the data Victor and I gathered during our encounters with the alien. You and Tony should analyze it. We need a solution as soon as possible."
Reed took the drive, and Tony suddenly asked, "That board of his—it looks like an extremely powerful weapon. How do we decide who gets to keep it?"
Clearly, everyone in the room was interested in acquiring the alien artifact.
Osborn answered smoothly, "For now, H.A.M.M.E.R. will take custody of it. Once this crisis is over, we can all study it together."
A brief silence followed as the others exchanged glances.
"Fine, I have no objections," Tony relented. There wasn't much choice at the moment.
Several days passed.
The Silver Surfer continued carving deep tunnels across the world, drilling straight toward Earth's core. The planet was already riddled with gaping wounds.
Meanwhile, Tony and Dr. Reed Richards had finally developed a device capable of severing the Silver Surfer's connection to his board. However, it had yet to be tested, and its effectiveness remained uncertain.
Though Tony had always considered himself a genius, even he had to admit his admiration for Reed's intellect.
"I've pinpointed the radiation signature of the extraterrestrial entity. He's currently in Germany." Reed retrieved a tablet from his pocket, displaying a set of coordinates on the screen.
"Then let's move out immediately."
"We've located the alien."
In the Azeroth Technology Building, Dr. Wim had been scanning the globe via satellite, tracking the Silver Surfer's movements.
The cosmic traveler never lingered in one place for long, vanishing before Garus could intercept him.
Now, staring at the coordinates flashing on the monitor, Garus stepped onto the rooftop platform of the building. With a swift incantation, he summoned a Frostwyrm. A gust of icy wind swirled around him as he soared into the sky, disappearing into the horizon.
The Frostwyrm's speed was astonishing. Before long, Garus arrived at a dense forest, where the ground bore evidence of the Surfer's handiwork—a gaping tunnel plunging deep into the earth, seemingly bottomless.
The Silver Surfer truly lived up to his reputation as a master tunneler. The passage looked as though it led directly to the planet's core.
A thunderous roar echoed through the air. Nearby, yet another enormous crater had formed—just like the one that had appeared in New York. A once-pristine lake had been drained in an instant.
Garus watched as a figure, clad entirely in shimmering silver, emerged from the depths of the pit. There was no mistaking it—this was the Silver Surfer.
Just as the cosmic herald was about to take flight once more, Garus called out, his voice carrying through the winds.
"Norrin Radd—I know who you are!"
Hearing his true name spoken aloud, the Silver Surfer abruptly halted. This planet lay countless light-years from his homeworld—how could anyone here possibly know him?
"Who are you?" The Surfer's expression shifted slightly. His gaze swept over Garus, scrutinizing him. No memory surfaced of this figure before him.
Garus met his gaze steadily. "Just a human of this world. And I'd like to invite you to my home as a guest."
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