[3rd Person POV] [Other end of the Galaxy]
Carol had been investigating the mysterious space cracks, ever since they first began appearing across the galaxy. At first, they seemed harmless, small tears in the fabric of space that disappeared as quickly as they came. But as their frequency increased, so did the fear and anxiety across the galaxy.
She had followed the trail of anomalies, energy signatures, and disappearing races that seemed to vanish without a trace into these cracks. Her pursuit had finally brought her to the edge of one of the largest space cracks she had ever encountered.
Hovering at the edge of the crack, Carol gazed into the dark, swirling vortex. The energies within were chaotic and destructive, and yet, there was a strange order to them, a rhythm that she couldn't quite place. She pushed herself forward, crossing the threshold into the crack.
On the other side, she emerged into a strange, uncharted sector of the galaxy, one that wasn't on any map she had ever seen. Before her was a planet, covered in darkness, its surface crawling with movement. As she flew closer, her enhanced vision allowed her to see what was truly there—hordes of symbiotes, slithering and pulsating across the landscape like a living sea of black ooze.
But it wasn't just the symbiotes that caught her attention. Among them were the various races and species that had been reported missing from different parts of the galaxy. Some were bound, encased in symbiote shells, their eyes blank and lifeless. Others moved with an eerie synchronicity, clearly under some form of control.
Kree warriors, Skrulls, Xandarians, and even some from Earth. All of them were present in this seemingly endless swarm.
She pushed further, flying carefully around the symbiote hordes, her energy signatures cloaked to avoid detection, a little trick she picked up from one of her adventures. She needed to understand the source of all this, to find the mastermind behind these cracks and their dark army. Her journey led her to a massive structure at the center of the planet, a fortress of twisted metal and organic matter intertwined, pulsating with life.
As she approached the entrance, she knew that she was close to the truth, but that also meant she was in great danger. No matter how powerful she was, going against this many symbiotes and unknowns, was dangerous. She activated her comms, sending a coded message back to Nova Corps, detailing her findings and the urgency of the situation. She knew they would need time to mobilize, and time was something she didn't have.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her shook violently. The symbiote army had detected her presence. They surged toward her, a wave of pure destruction, their numbers uncountable. Carol readied herself for the coming battle, knowing that if she failed here, the entire galaxy could be doomed. She braced for impact, unleashing a blast of cosmic energy that ripped through the horde like a tidal wave.
The bright energy blast tore through the symbiote army, destroying hundreds of them instantly. But like a wave crashing upon the shore, the rest kept coming, undeterred by the loss of their brethren. Carol unleashed another blast, and another, but the horde continued to advance, undaunted.
"Damn it!" She dodged multiple energy beams from the fortress and then noticed giant flying creatures emerging from the skies. One of them flew straight at her with incredible speed. Carol easily avoided it, but the creature seemed to anticipate her movements, turning sharply to follow her.
More of the creatures emerged from the fortress, surrounding her in the air. But Carol pushed through the hoards, blasting her way toward the exit. The space crack began to close and she knew that once it closed, she would be stuck in this strange new dimension.
"Huh?!" She noticed a small space crack slowly expanding. Her enhanced vision caught a glimpse of Xander through it. "Tsk." She wanted to fly in that direction, but there were too many flying monsters guarding that area and the crack was too small and unstable for her to pass through.
Carol reached the crack just in time, narrowly escaping before it sealed shut, leaving the symbiote army stranded on the other side. But before the crack closed she saw a familiar figure standing over that planet. A giant holographic figure of the High Evolutionary.
"He's still alive?!" She whispered to herself, "Then those symbiotes are artificial and controlled by him!!" Her eyes widened as she realized the gravity of the situation. If he was able to create and control such an army, then he posed a grave threat to the galaxy. He can easily take over Xander or any other planet in hours. "Xander is in danger!"
She flew towards Xander, hoping that Nova Corps could hold out long enough for her to return.
.
.
[Jack's first person POV]
"What's wrong, Jack?" Rosia asked, her tone shifting from seductive to concerned.
I sighed, "Looks like today's anal-only day is canceled." I got down from the bed and began to put on my clothes.
"What?! Why? C'mon, Jack!! Just today... Pleaseee!!" Rosia begged cutely.
"An invasion is coming in less than 4 hours. We gotta prepare. And don't ask how I know. Just dress up, we are going to Nova Corps headquarters. Given we got less than 4 hours, Irani must have noticed it too. We'll know more when we get there." I said as I put on my pants.
"Invasion?!" Rosia also jumped down from the bed and quicklyput on her clothes.
Then, the emergency siren began to ring throughout the entire Xander. I looked out the window and saw the planetary shield covering the entire planet. Looks like the Nova Corps are already on high alert. I then looked down and saw multiple citizens running toward the underground bunkers. Fighter jets and warships flew outside the city while the Nova Corps soldiers were rushing toward the city center.
This is bad. I don't know how many invaders are coming, but judging from the System's quest screen, the invaders are powerful. I gotta make sure my family is safe first.
"Dang! Rosia, you go first. I need to make sure Ann and the others are safe," I dashed out of the room.
Ann, Lisa, Alice, Fiona, and Nebula were already in the lobby. I told Nebula to go with Rosia. Nova Corps needed all the help they could get, and they quickly left without a word.
"Jack, what's going on?" Ann asked, worried.
I took a deep breath and spoke, "There's an invasion coming. So, less talking more running... Let's go to the nearest shelter. It's safer there than here."
After safely taking them to the shelter, I teleported to Irani's office. She was sitting in her chair while looking at multiple holographic screens. I didn't interrupt her as I knew she was busy analyzing the situation. But, the thing that surprised me was Carol Danvers. Finally, my chance to get her powers. She was also present in the room. She looked at me with a surprised expression.
"Did you just teleport in?" She asked, dumbfounded.
"Yeah. Anyway, please tell me you know what's coming," I asked.
Irani sighed, "An army of creatures called 'Symbiotes' are approaching Xander. They are unlike anything we faced before. Their numbers are immense. So, we are going into full war mode."
Dang! An army of symbiotes, huh?!
"You know their weakness?" I asked.
Carol shook her head, "All I know is that they are artificial symbiotes made by the High Evolutionary. I couldn't get close enough. So, no, we have no information on these new variants."
If it's that guy, then he must have removed the usual weaknesses of symbiotes. Now, the situation is kinda bad. But then again, what if he failed to remove the usual weaknesses? Hmm... No harm in trying, right?
But before that...
I focused on Carol and activated my skill> Devour.