There was no sound, no light…
That miniature black hole devoured everything like a monster!
If Bant hadn't deliberately controlled the gravitational range of the black hole, the entire planet would have been torn apart and swallowed within minutes!
"This is what you called… average strength?"
Captain Marvel shot Fury a glare. A monster who can conjure a black hole with his bare hands, and you told me he was ordinary?
What?
Had she been away from Earth for a few decades, and humans had already evolved to this point?
Fury was at a complete loss too.
This… this isn't right, is it?
Weren't you Bant Parker, Spider-Man?
When did you turn into Crab-Man?
A crab that can create black holes with its claws—does that make any sense?
Sure, you could argue that spiders and crabs both have a lot of legs, but the thing is, Gravity Crab Overlord doesn't even really look like a crab.
He couldn't figure it out, but that didn't stop him from being utterly shocked by Bant's terrifying power.
A black hole deployed—who the hell could beat that?
"If you went up against him, do you think you could win?" Fury quickly asked Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel looked at him like he was an idiot and snapped, "Do you think I can fly faster than light?"
In truth, if she entered her Binary form, Carol could indeed fly at superluminal speeds and manipulate the cosmic spectrum and gravity.
But that wasn't really the point. The Binary form consumed enormous energy, and it was hard to say whether Bant Parker had other abilities in reserve. In a real fight, it would still be incredibly troublesome.
"So that means that blue-suited foreign devil is doomed for sure?" Fury's tone carried a hint of pleased surprise.
When you're out in the world, what matters is connections and backing!
Bant and he had had their unpleasantness in the past, but they had long since cleared the air. Out here in the cosmos, they were both Earth folk, and their relationship was actually pretty good—otherwise they wouldn't have chatted so much when they first ran into each other.
And sometimes, connections are power!
Why had he, Nick Fury, been able to act so arrogantly back on Earth? What had he relied on? Wasn't it the Skrull alliance and Captain Marvel watching his back?
The stronger Bant was, the more he could enjoy a bit of that reflected glory. At a moment like this, he felt more than ever that that Sky-Craft Union badge in his hand was genuinely useful.
From now on, if he ran into trouble, he could just flash this thing, and maybe people would give him a little face, right?
He mused to himself.
"He's not going to kill Gladiator, is he?" Carol frowned slightly, her emerald eyes fixed on the battlefield, full of concern.
In that region of space, everything had gone pitch black. All light that entered it seemed to be twisted and wrenched together by some immense force.
It flowed like a river toward that endless black hole, ultimately forming a closed ring of light gathered around it.
As if shrouded by a domain of darkness, terror spread rapidly.
Everyone could see Gladiator struggling within the darkness, trying to escape that black hole.
The energy within his body burst forth, seeking to carry him through the obstruction and flee to safety!
But in reality, he couldn't move an inch. The black hole greedily siphoned the energy from his body, and he was like a kite tied to a string, spinning helplessly around the black hole.
And as time passed, Carl Creel's self-confidence shattered too. His energy grew more and more depleted, and before long, he wouldn't even be able to maintain this fragile equilibrium—he would be ripped apart by that terrifying gravitational force!
The people of the Shi'ar Empire could no longer hold back. They drew their weapons one after another, ready to start a fight with the Sky-Craft Union.
If their Majestor died at the hands of the Sky-Craft Union's Chief Security Officer in full view of everyone, it would be nothing less than a declaration of war.
But Bill simply stepped forward, holding the universal weapon he had seized from Ronan, and the warriors of the Shi'ar Empire immediately ceased their reckless posturing.
There was no helping it—they really couldn't win.
If it truly came to war, they would have to return to the Shi'ar Empire first, regroup their forces, and then launch a full-scale assault.
But Bant actually had no intention of killing Carl Creel.
He was merely demonstrating his strength; he wasn't genuinely prepared to go to war with the Shi'ar Empire.
If he really did kill Carl Creel, the Skrull Empire and the Kree Empire couldn't help but feel a sense of shared peril—like when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. They might set aside their grudges and join the conflict.
Especially the Kree King—even killing him here would be pointless. The true ruler of the Kree Empire was the Supreme Intelligence; that blue-skinned locust was nothing more than a figurehead.
With that thought, the light in Bant's palm abruptly vanished. Immediately afterward, Carl Creel, who had been convinced he was doomed, suddenly felt the force that had been tearing at him from all directions disappear.
He couldn't recover in time, and the energy within his body launched him straight out of the atmosphere.
Bant paid him no further attention. He turned to face the other planets in the cosmos, dispelled his transformation directly, and stood there like a harmless little rabbit, smiling as he asked, "Does anyone else have doubts about my strength? Don't be shy—please, feel free to come and test it out."
Everyone shook their heads frantically.
Come on, man—you just conjured a black hole with your bare hands. Who the hell would go looking for death?!
If you really got sucked into a black hole, you'd even save on the cost of a grave.
Bant felt a faint sense of disappointment. He rose into the air using Sky Energy and flew back to the high tower of the Galactic Federation. Not long after, Carl Creel returned as well.
He was utterly disheveled. His original cockscomb hairstyle was now a tangled mess, like weeds trampled at the roadside. His battle suit was torn and full of gashes, and the gaze he directed at Bant still held lingering fear.
Judging by his demeanor, this mightiest warrior of the three great empires was already broken.
From now on, whenever he stood before Bant, his confidence would collapse like sand soaked in water, crumbling into something utterly defenseless.
Carl Creel carefully pulled out a chair, sitting as if he were beside a wild beast, utterly restless and uneasy. Fortunately, Bant had no intention of paying him any more attention.
What followed was the normal agenda of the meeting.
Having witnessed Bant's power, the three great empires no longer dared to raise any objections and directly acknowledged the Sky-Craft Union's standing in the universe.
D' ken VIII proposed ransoming Ronan back, and Bant refused without the slightest hesitation.
But the other party didn't dare let out so much as a fart. He merely lowered his head, his face clouded with dark resentment, having probably marked Bant down as a mortal enemy.
Bant naturally didn't take such a clown seriously.
Before the meeting had even concluded, he exchanged a word with Carol and Nick Fury and prepared to leave.
Leaving the remaining trivial matters to Bill was more than enough. The three great empires weren't worth wasting so much of his time.
Asgard.
This was Bant's second visit here.
This time, Odin upon his throne looked even more weary.
His divine power grew ever stronger, but his body had begun to decay—like an old electrical appliance hit with a powerful current, already on the verge of overload.
Hela had clearly sensed this and continuously assaulted the seal, making it even harder for Odin to cope.
He now needed more time and energy just to keep Hela imprisoned, and precisely because of this, Odin sank into the Odinsleep with increasing frequency.
During this period, chaos had erupted across the Nine Realms, but due to the state of his body, Odin found it difficult to resolve it. Yet turning a blind eye wasn't an option either.
If Loki had been willing to return to Asgard and inherit the throne, Odin might actually have been quite pleased.
But that boy would rather work as hired help at the Sky-Craft Union than come back.
How strange. Once upon a time, both brothers had thirsted for the throne, but now they seemed to avoid it like the plague.
So Odin had thought to seek Bant's help.
Now, within the great hall of the Realm Eternal, Odin slowly spoke: "A powerful force has invaded the Nine Realms. Jotunheim has already completely fallen."
"Jotunheim?" Bant frowned slightly. "Isn't that the realm of the Giants?"
Jotunheim had long since been wrecked beyond recognition by him and Luma. The last time he had left that planet, its surface had been shattered into crushed ice. Millennia-old ice had turned to powder, and even Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants, was dead.
"There's nothing in Jotunheim. Who would invade there?"
Odin shook his head. He didn't understand what that being's situation was either.
"Heimdall didn't get a clear look at the intruder's true face?" Bant asked.
"No. Although Heimdall can see through the Nine Realms, because Laufey was already dead, he had neglected that region. He never expected that the next time he would hear news of Jotunheim, that dimension would already be utterly destroyed." Odin's brow was tightly furrowed.
The destruction of Jotunheim felt to him like an omen, perhaps signifying that Ragnarok was drawing near.
When that time came, perhaps all things would finally perish.
"You want me to help you find the one who destroyed Jotunheim?" Bant asked.
He had previously taken quite a few things from Asgard, and now that Odin had a favor to ask of him, it was hard to refuse. In truth, there was no way to refuse, because if left unchecked, the threat to Asgard would eventually become a threat to Earth.
This point left Bant feeling utterly helpless.
But Odin shook his head and said, "That destroyer appeared once and quickly vanished without a trace. Even Heimdall cannot find any sign of him now. What I wanted to speak of is another matter…"
Odin paused, as if recalling history from a very long time ago.
It was indeed a very long time ago.
"Once, my father, Bor, defeated the Dark Elves and sealed them away. But now, it seems the Dark Elves are on the verge of breaking that seal. Moreover, before long, the Nine Realms will align in a straight line. I'm afraid that when that happens, all the worlds will be affected."
Odin pressed a hand to his forehead, deeply troubled.
Bant listened to him narrate from beginning to end and found himself at a loss for where to even begin with his comments.
Fine. So it turned out that even cosmic beings were into that whole "seven planets aligning, nine planets aligning" business…
Though he had long since watched the Thor: The Dark World movie, he still very much wanted to say: "Why didn't your father just annihilate the Dark Elves outright? Did it absolutely have to be a seal?"
Bant genuinely couldn't understand. After Bor used the Bifröst to take away the Aether, the Dark Elves had already lost all momentum. If he had wiped them out then, there wouldn't be any trouble now.
Odin: …
You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?
Odin was speechless. The one who sealed the Dark Elves was his father, Bor. It had nothing to do with him. If it had been him back in his younger, more fiery days, he would have taken Gungnir and lopped off Malekith's head without a second thought.
But then again, come to think of it, he hadn't killed Laufey himself either—so he wasn't really any better than his father Bor.
After a moment, he finally concocted an excuse and said, "At that time, it was probably to maintain the balance of the Nine Realms. And besides, we Asgardians have always loved peace…"
Bullshit!
Bant rolled his eyes.
Asgardians love peace, my ass!
Go ask those civilizations that were happily eating hotpot and singing songs when you came down on them—see if they agree!
Odin probably felt that his own words carried zero persuasive power too, and his aged face flushed slightly.
The real reason Asgard didn't exterminate every last one of its defeated foes was mainly to rule over them. If you didn't leave some enemy commanders alive, how could you showcase Asgard's overwhelming might?
The old man coughed a few times and hurriedly continued, "No matter what, the Dark Elves are extremely dangerous. Their goal is to drag all of the Nine Realms into a world of darkness. Fortunately, to shroud the entire Nine Realms and Yggdrasil in that power, they must rely on the aid of the Aether. And the Aether was taken away back then by my father, Bor, using dark magic through the Bifröst."
Odin spoke with considerable pride.
Although without the Aether, the Dark Elves were still a fearsome force—none of the dimensions within the Nine Realms were simple—they ultimately wouldn't pose an overwhelmingly terrifying threat.
The Sky-Craft Union possessed four Infinity Stones. Dealing with one Malekith was more than enough.
Bant had the same thought, and so he casually asked:
"Then where is the Aether?"
Odin scratched his head, as if stricken with senile dementia: "What Aether?"
Bant's eyes widened. "Of course I'm talking about the Aether that your father, Bor, took from the Dark Elves!"
You rotten old bastard, you're full of tricks!
You trying to keep my Aether for yourself?
Although Bant wasn't opposed to helping deal with Malekith, nor had he intended to ask for any reward, the Aether was intimately tied to this affair. Handing it over to him was only reasonable, wasn't it?
"Well, about that…" Odin scratched his head a bit sheepishly, his gaze shifting toward Frigga at his side.
Frigga sighed and explained, "It's like this—we don't actually know where the Aether was sealed away…"
Bant: …
Fine!
He didn't think Odin was lying to him. After all, this family had collected so many things they never even used. In the movies, after Thor got the Aether, he even handed it over to the Collector without a care at all.
Frigga, probably feeling they were imposing on Bant, said, "If there's anything you need, feel free to take whatever you wish from Asgard's treasury, as long as it can be put to good use."
Odin nodded repeatedly in agreement.
He didn't care about the items in the treasury. Those things were merely trophies symbolizing his past glorious victories. He understood perfectly well that what he ultimately relied on was his own mighty divine power.
Those enemies he had defeated—didn't they have powerful weapons too? And they still lost.
"That won't be necessary." Bant shook his head.
The items in Asgard's treasury might be precious, but they were no longer what he needed.
He now desired something else.
"What do you want? Don't stand on ceremony—just say it outright!" Odin waved his hand grandly, full of magnanimity, signaling that whatever caught Bant's eye, he should just speak up. There was nothing he, Odin, didn't have! And even if he truly didn't, he could help seize it!
Bant nodded, dropping all pretense of courtesy. "What I want… isn't an object."
He looked toward the Queen, Frigga.
Odin: Huh?!
The All-Father's eyes instantly shot wide open. Divine power erupted from his entire body like a volcano, making all of Asgard tremble three times!
You little bastard, you're after my wife?!
Believe me when I say I'll run you through with my spear in one thrust!
/-\
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