Garus still wanted to persuade the Silver Surfer. He was a being worthy of respect, someone who had sacrificed himself for his people. "You don't have to serve Galactus anymore. Think about the countless worlds destroyed because of you—innocent lives lost."
"How do you know this?" The Silver Surfer was almost convinced that the man before him was one of his own kind. He seemed to understand his plight all too well. On the planets he had visited, no life had ever survived. "I have no choice. You cannot fathom Galactus' power."
The more the Silver Surfer learned about Galactus, the greater his awe and fear became. Galactus had four heralds who scouted the universe for sustenance on his behalf, and among them, the Silver Surfer was the weakest. At this point, he had resigned himself to his fate—even if he were ordered to lead Galactus to his own home world, the planet he had once sworn to protect, he would do so without hesitation. Other worlds mattered even less to him.
"No, you do have a choice. The universe is vast, and Galactus is constantly occupied with consuming energy. He won't have time to hunt you down." Galactus' hunger for energy was insatiable. He had no interest in a mere speck of dust in the grand cosmos.
The Silver Surfer remained unmoved, shifting his board slightly. "Galactus is coming. This world is doomed. Your resistance is futile."
Garus smirked. "That's not necessarily true. This world isn't as simple as you think."
The Silver Surfer doubted that any human could stop him. He had traversed countless worlds, yet never had he encountered a warrior who could make him hesitate—let alone a being capable of defeating Galactus.
Just as he was about to leave, a swirl of gray mist shot up from below, enveloping him. Caught off guard, he was slammed into the ground with a resounding crash, creating a massive crater.
He hadn't expected an attack so suddenly. His power came entirely from the board granted to him by Galactus. Without it, he was just an ordinary alien.
The Silver Surfer struggled to his feet, regaining control over his board and lifting himself into the air once more. His expression darkened as energy surged from his board into his hands—a radiant burst of cosmic radiation, the destructive force bestowed upon him by Galactus. The blast struck Garus, sending a wave of searing pain through his body as the energy corroded his flesh, exposing stark white bone.
Fortunately, he no longer felt pain. However, he had been careless—he wasn't wearing his rune armor.
Garus cast a Death Coil on himself. Normally a spell that drained life from foes, this time, the necrotic energy rapidly healed his wounds.
The Silver Surfer wished to avoid further entanglement. As he prepared to soar away, a legion of gargoyles swarmed toward him, blocking his path. Yet he passed through them as effortlessly as one would glide through water.
It was truly difficult to contain him.
Realizing he couldn't harm this mysterious human, the Silver Surfer knew his best option was to leave as quickly as possible.
Just as Garus was about to tap into the power of the Infinity Stones, he noticed figures emerging from all directions, surrounding them.
Something was off.
Their target was the Silver Surfer. These were agents of H.A.M.M.E.R. Among them, Garus spotted Tony Stark and Dr. Reed Richards. Since when had they started working with H.A.M.M.E.R.?
The Silver Surfer also sensed their presence. He recognized them from their previous encounters.
Tony Stark, standing by the lake, took in the scene. "That's Garus. He's here too?"
"Forget about him for now. Get the equipment set up—we can't let that alien escape," Reed ordered as he unloaded devices from the aircraft. "Move those over there. Surround him."
"Brother, I don't take orders from you," Tony retorted, annoyed. No one commanded him—not even the President of the United States.
The Silver Surfer floated upward again, his body streaking across the sky like a comet, hurtling toward H.A.M.M.E.R.'s forces. This time, he intended to deal with them once and for all.
Meanwhile, Garus drew Frostmourne. The Space Stone embedded in the blade emitted a pulse of blue energy, enveloping the area and disrupting the Silver Surfer's spatial abilities.
Now, the gargoyles managed to grab hold of him, seizing his limbs and dragging him downward.
On the other side, Tony and his team had completed their preparations. As their device activated, a force field blanketed the battlefield, cutting off the connection between the Silver Surfer and his board. The surfboard plummeted to the ground, while the Silver Surfer's brilliant silver sheen faded, his movements slowing.
"We did it!" Johnny Storm, ablaze in flames, rocketed toward the fallen Silver Surfer.
"Johnny—!" Susan Storm barely had time to call out before her brother was sent flying by an unseen force.
Despite the success of the operation, Norman Osborn wasn't pleased. Garus' presence was the greatest variable in his plans. Capturing the Silver Surfer wasn't just about saving Earth—securing the board was crucial.
"Victor, that weapon is in Garus' hands now. That's a problem," Osborn muttered. He knew Garus wouldn't hand it over easily.
"I'll handle it," a gravelly voice answered. Victor von Doom stepped forward. "I'll make him give it up."
"Go on, then. I'll be watching." Tony smirked mockingly. He had no idea who this Victor was, but the arrogance amused him.
What Tony didn't realize was that in another universe, Victor von Doom was a being of supreme power.
...
Garus commanded the gargoyles to release the Silver Surfer, then casually flicked his wrist, binding him with necrotic energy.
The Silver Surfer's board hovered inches from the ground. As Garus reached for it, a searing heat whooshed past his ear—a fireball.
Boom!
A tree behind him ignited and collapsed in flames.
"Hey! Step away from that thing! It's our prize!"
Garus turned to see a fiery figure floating nearby, another fireball forming in his palm. The attack had come from him.
"Johnny?" Garus narrowed his eyes. Now he recognized him—a cocky, hotheaded youth.
As Johnny attempted to approach, Garus raised a hand. A wave of icy mist enveloped Johnny, extinguishing his flames in an instant. His body froze solid, his expression locked in shock.
"Johnny!" Susan shouted, sending an energy pulse that shattered the ice, freeing her brother.
"That was freezing!" Johnny shivered, igniting himself once more to warm up.
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