The people in the meeting room gasped for air, their chests heaving after the harrowing experience. The sudden lack of oxygen, combined with the overwhelming disparity in power, had nearly suffocated them. Their first instinct was relief at having survived.
However, once the relief settled, a wave of anger surged through their hearts. As the upper echelon of Vought International and the self-proclaimed elite of human society, they had never been treated this way. Even when the Avengers had held power, they had never been outright threatened. The Sentry's warning had reminded them of someone else—Robert.
Yes, some of the executives began to think that the Sentry and Robert shared a dangerous similarity. Both possessed power beyond their control and had the ability to threaten their lives. While Robert was undoubtedly more ruthless, he had never directly dealt with them or made personal threats. The Sentry, however, was now a constant looming danger.
To them, the Sentry was even more intolerable than Robert. After all, Robert had disappeared along with Kent Farm, seemingly no longer a direct threat. But the Sentry was different—he was here, and he could act against them at any time. Regardless of the looming global crisis, the Sentry had become their real enemy. Worse yet, he knew all of Vought's secrets. If he chose to expose them, there was nothing they could do to stop him.
"This can't be left as it is!" one of them growled through clenched teeth. "Seal off the lab where the Sentry appeared. Analyze every piece of data and genetic material we have on him. If we can't get enough, let Doomsday take him down. We must recover his current genetic and cellular samples at all costs!"
"Deploy Doomsday? But Doomsday was created to confront the unknown crisis. If we waste it on the Sentry, isn't that a massive loss? The crisis should be our top priority…" someone countered, their tone hesitant.
"He claims he wants to protect Earth and resolve the crisis, doesn't he? If he can't handle it, he'll just die in vain. We'd be better off using his genes to create more super-soldiers, giving us a better chance to deal with the crisis," the first speaker retorted coldly, their gaze sweeping over the others.
"Zing!"
Just as the words left their mouth, a beam of energy pierced through their chest. The individual collapsed instantly, lifeless, leaving a stunned silence in the room.
Though Vought executives were obsessed with becoming "gods" and ruling the Earth, they cherished their own lives far too much to risk experimenting on themselves. Without safety guarantees, none of them dared to take personal risks. Here, they were all still mortal humans, and when a human body is pierced, there is only one outcome—death.
"What…?!" The room fell into chaos. The sudden, violent act had left everyone in shock. Some had been tempted by the idea of targeting the Sentry, but now they buried those thoughts deep, realizing who had intervened.
"To be honest," a mocking voice echoed, silencing the room. "With my current strength, you're all rather amusing. I imagine there were Avengers who, like me, could hear you scheming from a distance. It's like ants plotting against an elephant… ridiculous."
The Sentry's voice carried a palpable disdain. "Of course, feel free to keep scheming. Let's see if I overhear you again. But if I do, don't blame me for killing you next time. I've already given you one chance—and that's all you'll get."
The room remained silent as his words sank in. None of the executives dared speak. Whatever their thoughts might have been, none were willing to be the one to step forward.
In their eyes, the Sentry was now just like Robert—someone who disregarded life and left them powerless to act. Worse, unlike Robert, who had moved his family away and was unlikely to return, the Sentry was a lone figure with no ties, making him even harder to deal with.
"How dull," the Sentry scoffed, sensing the room's silence. He seemed to lose interest in them entirely, turning his gaze skyward instead. "The crisis… Where will it come from? It must be some alien civilization, right?"
At the same time, near the moon, the Silver Surfer, standing on his board, suddenly opened his eyes. He looked toward Earth with a hint of surprise. "A powerful being has appeared on Earth? How did such power come to be? Fascinating… but why isn't he fleeing?"
"Oh, right, this primitive civilization doesn't understand the true power of Galactus. How could they know to run? From my observations, this planet has the means for space travel, yet no ships have left Earth. Have they ignored my warning?"
The Silver Surfer sighed, shaking his head. "Well, if they've chosen to ignore it, it's out of my hands. I've followed Galactus's rules and delivered the message. That's all I can do… Hmm?"
His thoughts were interrupted as he sensed a powerful energy approaching. It was the Sentry, who had been gazing at the stars and decided to leave Earth's atmosphere to investigate.
Though the Sentry had never displayed the ability to survive in space, something deep in his genetic makeup assured him he could. Just as humans instinctively fear falling from great heights, the Sentry's body gave him no signs of distress as he entered the void of space.
"So, this is the universe… vast and endless. Earth, so immense to humanity, is but a speck in this infinite expanse," the Sentry thought, marveling at the sight. Suddenly, his pupils shrank as he noticed a figure before him.
"It's you!" The Sentry recognized the Silver Surfer immediately from the footage he had seen in Vought's lab. Although his voice didn't travel through the vacuum of space, his intentions were clear.
"Strong, yet so ignorant," the Silver Surfer's voice resonated directly in the Sentry's mind. "You can survive in space and fly at incredible speeds, yet you can't even transmit your voice telepathically. How primitive."
The Sentry frowned but didn't dwell on the insult. "I'll figure that out later," he thought. "Right now, the priority is dealing with this guy—he's clearly a threat to Earth."
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, the Sentry attacked. A beam of golden-red energy shot from his eyes, hurtling toward the Silver Surfer.
Clang!
The Silver Surfer's board shifted in an instant, positioning itself as a shield. It absorbed the energy effortlessly, leaving the Surfer unharmed.
The Sentry's eyes widened in disbelief. This was his first time fighting a true powerhouse, and he struggled to process what had just happened. The clash with Homelander had been no real battle, and Homelander wasn't even in the same league.
Boom!
Before he could recover, the Sentry felt a crushing blow to his jaw, as if struck by a planet. His body was sent hurtling through space at speeds faster than when he had flown up from Earth.
The Silver Surfer, however, had carefully controlled the angle of his attack. He avoided sending the Sentry back to Earth, aware that a battle of their magnitude could destroy the planet. That would be a failure on his part.
Floating uncontrollably in the void, the Sentry struggled to regain control. Only by unleashing a surge of energy from within himself did he manage to halt his momentum.
Boom!
But as soon as he steadied himself, the Silver Surfer appeared again and struck, sending him flying once more.
Frustration boiled within the Sentry. He could feel that the Surfer wasn't much stronger than him. If he were, the Sentry would have sustained serious injuries rather than just being knocked back.
And yet, despite their comparable strength, the Sentry found himself utterly outmatched. He couldn't even land a hit. For someone who had just unlocked immense power and believed himself invincible, it was a humbling—and infuriating—experience.
Zing!
The angrier he grew, the more power surged from within. For a moment, he felt as though countless suns were igniting inside him.
"Hmm? Kryptonian power? No… not quite," the Silver Surfer mused, pausing to observe the Sentry. "If it were Kryptonian, the changes would come from external sunlight. His energy seems to flow from within, outward."
Taking this opportunity, the Sentry steadied himself, golden-red energy radiating from his hands. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance to the Surfer, launching a devastating punch.
Thud!
But the Surfer's board once again intercepted the attack, absorbing the energy entirely. The Sentry's fist felt as though it had struck a black hole—his power simply vanished.
"What is this thing?" the Sentry thought, growing desperate. No matter what he tried, he couldn't harm his opponent. It felt like fighting an enemy immune to all attacks.
"This is the power bestowed upon me by my master," the Silver Surfer said, his voice calm yet tinged with regret. "If only I had encountered you earlier, my master might have taken you as his herald. Perhaps then, your planet could have been spared."
"Your master? A being who thinks he can make me his servant? Absurd!" The Sentry retreated cautiously, his voice dripping with disdain. Though his words didn't carry in space, he knew the Surfer could hear his thoughts.
"My master..." The Silver Surfer fell silent
for a moment, then sighed. He pointed to an empty section of space. "He's already here. You don't need to perish with your planet. It's not too late to preserve some remnant of your species."
"Already here?" The Sentry's eyes narrowed as he followed the Surfer's gaze. At first, he saw nothing but the void. He opened his mouth to retort—but froze.
His words caught in his throat as something massive, beyond comprehension, emerged from the emptiness. Words failed to describe the entity's sheer scale and presence…
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