Inside the Spaceship
The Commodore streaked through the upper atmosphere like a silver flame, tearing away from the wounded Earth below. Through the viewing ports, the survivors could see the planet receding into the distance—a dying world, half shrouded in red storms and flickering arcs of wild Infinity Energy.
Inside the ship, the silence was heavy. Even though they had survived countless horrors—the
undead hordes, corrupted heroes, the fall of continents—this was different. This felt like an ending.
Yelena Belova sat near the viewport, her gloved hand pressed against the cold glass. She watched the swirling chaos below—the planet that had once been home. Her voice was quiet but steady.
"Let's hope Alastor and Shalltear will be safe once we come back," she said. "They've faced worse than this."
No one answered right away. Even the thought of "coming back" felt like a fragile dream.
Zemo stood beside the ship's command console, arms crossed as he stared at the projected navigation chart. "If we come back," he said dryly. "Assuming there will still be an Earth to return to."
Across from him, Blade Knight—stoic and silent as ever—adjusted the sharp edge of his moon-forged blade. The white glow of his eyes reflected faintly off the steel. "There will be," he said finally. "My god does not favor despair."
The hum of the ship filled the silence.
Valkyrie, piloting the Commodore with her usual sharp focus, adjusted a series of dials on the control board. The Asgardian warship creaked and groaned as it broke through the last barrier of the planet's magnetic field. Beyond that—open space. Cold. Infinite. Free from the poisonous fallout below.
"Alright," Valkyrie said, exhaling. "We're clear of the atmosphere. Infinite energy levels are stable. We won't melt into cosmic soup."
Kamala Khan, standing near the center console, clutched the small, keychain-sized transmitter close to her chest. It was the same device they'd risked everything to deliver—the one that, supposedly, could call for help and save their world.
Shang-Chi walked up beside her, his expression calm but weary. "You know," he said softly, "none of this would've happened without you, Kamala. We'd still be running in circles down there."
Kamala smiled faintly. "Guess being the last fangirl standing had to count for something."
Katy nudged her from behind. "You earned your superhero stripes a long time ago, Khan."
Death Dealer, silent as always, nodded once in agreement.
The console lit up with a soft blue glow. Valkyrie turned slightly. "Alright, Ms. Khan. You're up. Let's see if your miracle key actually works."
Kamala stepped forward and placed the device into the synchronization port on the Commodore's communications relay. Valkyrie began inputting the data, syncing the transmitter frequency with the ship's Asgardian comm array. The room filled with a low thrumming hum, and lines of alien code scrolled across the main display.
Zemo folded his arms behind his back. "Nova Corps communication frequency... mid-range, secure... impressive. I didn't think humans were capable of engineering something this precise."
Kamala tilted her head, a little proud despite everything. "Hey, it's not just human tech—it's Stark, Wakandan, and Kree mixed with a little Pym touch."
"Ah," Zemo said with a faint smile. "A recipe for chaos."
The group watched as the energy field around the transmitter expanded. A golden beam shot outward from the Commodore, piercing through the void, its path curving across the stars as it searched for a receiver.
Kamala held her breath. "Please… please work."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—the ship's sensors blared to life.
The system voice—still operating through the ship's systems—chimed in.
"Signal received, Captain. Establishing contact with the Nova Corps long-range beacon."
The screen flashed with a symbol.
Katy whispered, "We did it…"
But then, the screen flickered. Static cut through the image—and what appeared next froze everyone in place.
Hundreds of Nova ships. Massive carriers, patrol vessels, and cruisers, all positioned in formation around the Earth's orbit. They weren't there to rescue anyone. They were surrounding the planet—like a noose tightening around a dying throat.
Zemo's eyes narrowed. "They've already arrived."
Valkyrie frowned and opened a communication channel. "This is the Commodore, requesting identification of fleet command. We're transmitting coordinates and signal authorization. We need immediate extraction assistance."
The reply came instantly—a cold, mechanical voice.
"Unidentified vessel, you are violating the quarantine perimeter of Planet E-199999. You are ordered to turn back immediately. Failure to comply will result in termination."
"Quarantine?" Kamala repeated, her voice breaking. "Wait—you're not here to help? You're just—you're just locking us in?"
Another voice came through—calm, authoritative, and unmistakably Nova Prime's.
"To all surviving entities of Earth: you are contaminated by the Quantum Virus. The Nova Corps cannot risk further spread. Planetary sterilization is underway. Turn back immediately."
Shang-Chi stepped closer to the monitor, his fists tightening. "You're going to destroy Earth?"
"Containment is the only option."
Katy slammed her hand against the console. "You can't just contain people! There are still survivors down there!"
The voice remained cold, unbothered.
"Collateral casualties are unfortunate but necessary. The virus will not reach the wider galaxy."
Zemo smirked bitterly. "So this is how the galaxy thanks humanity—with genocide."
Yelena's fists shook with anger. "They can't do this. Alastor, Shalltear—they're still down there!"
Blade Knight stepped forward, his tone firm yet calm. "Then we stop them."
Valkyrie gritted her teeth. "We can't outrun a Nova fleet. Not in this ship. They'll vaporize us the moment we break orbit."
"Alright then, we go back to Earth and prepare another plan." Zemo quickly said.
~~~