The meeting was held in an underground chamber within the base, one of the last secure locations available. The Swarm had already devastated most of the world's military installations.
Passing through a series of reinforced security doors, Garus stepped into a modestly sized underground conference room. A circular table sat at its center, surrounded by over fifty seats, occupied by unfamiliar figures—likely government officials from various nations.
"Mr. Garus, welcome!" Several of them hurried forward to greet him, showing clear deference. In their eyes, Garus wielded more influence than even the President of the United States.
He simply nodded, indifferent to their gestures. Politics had never been his concern, and he recognized none of them.
Before long, the room filled with attendees, including some familiar faces. Tony Stark took the seat beside Garus.
The atmosphere was heavy with anxiety. Political leaders murmured among themselves, visibly distressed over how to manage the displaced citizens within their borders.
Then, the President of the United States entered, accompanied by a figure that caught Garus's attention.
Black Bolt? Had the Swarm crisis forced him to reconsider his isolationist stance on the Inhuman kingdom?
"Mr. President, who is this?" Someone in the room spoke up. Most attendees were well-known public figures, but only a few, including Garus, recognized Black Bolt.
"This is Blackagar Boltagon, King of the Inhumans on the Moon."
Murmurs spread throughout the room. The existence of Inhumans on Earth was common knowledge—many governments, including the U.S., had been actively capturing them. But an entire kingdom of Inhumans on the Moon? That was an unexpected revelation.
"Silence. Let's begin," the President said, nodding toward Nick Fury.
Fury activated the holographic display embedded in the table.
"Ever since the Chitauri invasion of New York, we've entertained the idea of establishing a space station in Earth's outer orbit to monitor extraterrestrial threats."
S.W.O.R.D.'s headquarters were originally meant to be built from Kang the Conqueror's ship, but in this timeline, Kang had never appeared. Their alternative solution remained uncertain.
"Excuse me," a Russian official, Vladimir, interjected. "How do you intend to build this space station? We lack the resources for such an undertaking."
"We've prepared for this, Vladimir. This initiative is temporarily designated as the Sentient World Observation and Response Department—S.W.O.R.D. We've secured a Kree vessel to serve as our base. In fact, they approached us first."
"Wait a minute!" Black Bolt signed rapidly, and his interpreter spoke up. "You mean the Kree who recently arrived on the Moon? I wouldn't trust them. They always have ulterior motives."
The Kree had a notorious reputation in the galaxy. Black Bolt was well-versed in their history—his own city had once been a Kree outpost. He had no reason to believe they were acting in goodwill.
Several others nodded in agreement. After the series of alien invasions, paranoia ran high. A Kree offering their ship for free? That had to be a trap.
The President hesitated before speaking. "I had my doubts as well. But we obtained intelligence suggesting another invasion is imminent. A being called Thanos, a Titan warlord, is coming. We cannot fight him alone."
The room fell into an uneasy silence. Even Garus raised an eyebrow. How did they get this information?
"So, what do you need from us?" Garus finally asked.
"The Kree vessel suffered massive casualties during the Swarm's attack. It's severely undermanned. We need every nation to contribute engineers and scientists to maintain its functionality. Moreover, one ship alone won't be enough. If we study its technology, we could construct a fleet, though it will take time."
The holographic display projected the Kree vessel, revealing visible damage.
"There are multiple areas requiring urgent repairs. For Earth's survival, we must collaborate. No one wants to endure another disaster like this."
"Fine, I'll agree," Vladimir conceded. "But who will oversee this organization? Norman Osborn?"
"No. We've already decided—Nick Fury will serve as Director, and Garus will be Deputy Director."
Most government officials had lost faith in Osborn. He wasn't even invited to this meeting.
"Wait a minute." Garus tapped the table. "Since when did I agree to this?"
The President turned to Fury, who shrugged helplessly. "I wasn't given much choice either."
"Enough of this," the President said. "We must unite against the threats ahead."
Garus shook his head. "You don't understand. This is pointless. I know the dangers of this universe better than any of you. Thanos is just the beginning. He commands the Black Order. Dormammu of the Dark Dimension still lurks in the shadows. Mephisto watches Earth from the depths of Hell. And with Odin dead, our greatest deterrent is gone."
"Odin? You mean Thor's father?" someone asked.
"Yes. If Odin were alive, the Brood Swarm wouldn't have posed a threat at all."
Tony Stark, who had been silent until now, leaned forward. "Alright, then. What's your plan?"
"That's why I came here," Garus said. "To announce my own project. Stay out of my way."
He placed a data chip on the console, overriding the holographic display.
"This is the Planetary Defense System. It will block cosmic threats of overwhelming power, like Dormammu or Mephisto. The system will create an outer barrier around Earth. Any entity without authorization will be repelled infinitely, preventing them from getting close. It will also sever connections between alternate universes and Earth."
The concept sounded absurd, but no one doubted Garus's credibility. They knew he had spent years traveling through space.
Reed Richards adjusted his glasses. "Garus, how is this possible? Did you acquire alien technology for this? What do you need from us?"
"To be frank, your assistance is unnecessary." Garus's response was blunt. "My scientists have already mastered the required technology. Implementation has begun."
The hologram shifted to display a construct engine, an intricate device designed to be buried deep within Earth's core.
"This must be built within the planet's mantle," Garus continued.
The room stared at the blueprints, dumbfounded. Each device represented a leap far beyond Earth's current capabilities.
By revealing his plans so openly, Garus sought to eliminate opposition before it could arise. He knew some would object. Titan technology was too advanced for Earth, and he had no intention of sharing the schematics with government labs.
Uatu the Watcher had already warned him—tampering with uncontrollable technology often led to self-destruction. But in Garus's eyes, if Earth was doomed anyway, caution was meaningless.
And if any nation attempted to interfere, he would not hesitate to crush them.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON