"Wow wow wow, what's going on?"
"Are these people cosplaying?"
"Why would anyone want to cosplay Spider-Man? If you're going to cosplay, go all out—be Iron Man!"
Alex Ray's return to Hell's Kitchen, accompanied by a swarm of Spider-Men variants, caused an instant stir among the locals.
Still, it didn't turn too many heads—this was Hell's Kitchen, after all. Superheroes were practically a daily sight.
Wasting no time, Alex summoned every hero currently active in Hell's Kitchen to convene at the Fisk Building. The Good Luck Restaurant simply wasn't large enough to host this many supers, not with the looming crisis involving the Reincarnators.
As Alex and his alliance of heroes finalized their combat strategy, a different kind of storm was brewing quietly elsewhere—one among the stars, far beyond Earth's surface.
The Eternals—that enigmatic race hidden in humanity's shadow—were locked in a conflict deeper than any they had faced in their immortal lives.
The source? A brutal truth revealed by their leader, Ajak.
It was about their origin—and their true mission.
In the vast, ever-recycling flow of cosmic time, the Celestials appear once every billion years, colossal beings of incomprehensible power and purpose. They are the architects of galaxies, the judges of life itself.
Among them stood Arishem, the Prime Celestial—called the Supreme God by some. With his divine power, Arishem had scattered the seeds of creation across the universe. Earth—this seemingly insignificant blue planet—was chosen as the cradle for one such seed: Tiamut, the Communicator.
But the birth of a Celestial is no gentle miracle.
To awaken, a Celestial must consume the energy of intelligent life. The emergence of Tiamut would require Earth's total annihilation.
To facilitate this sacred cycle, Arishem had created three races.
The first were predators—initially designed to control humanity's population, but they mutated into Deviants, monstrous and uncontrollable. To correct his mistake, Arishem created the second race: the Eternals, beings gifted with immense strength and wisdom, tasked with eliminating the Deviants and overseeing population growth.
The third race? Humans—brimming with dormant potential, unpredictable, and vital for the Celestial's awakening.
When the Earth's population reaches a tipping point, Tiamut will emerge, absorbing all sentient energy to complete his rebirth.
And in that moment, the Earth will be destroyed.
In Celestial doctrine, death is merely the precursor to creation. The destruction of a planet is insignificant compared to the birth of a Celestial—beings capable of creating galaxies, reshaping suns, and igniting the light of life across the stars.
The Eternals were never meant to be guardians. Their existence was designed to serve the emergence.
And after each emergence? Their memories were wiped clean.
Again and again.
That truth cut deep.
"We're not protectors. We're caretakers of a ticking time bomb," growled Gilgamesh, his voice raw with rage. He slammed his fist into the stone floor, sending tremors through the ground, as if the earth itself shared his anger.
"Watch your tongue, Gilgamesh!" snapped Thena, her voice as sharp as the celestial blades she conjured. Her gaze pierced through him like a dagger. "This is our divine mission. It is our honor—our responsibility!"
Her words rang with unwavering conviction.
Gilgamesh usually bowed to Thena's authority, often trailing her like a loyal hound. But this time, defiance flickered in his eyes. Still, he said nothing more, lowering his head in silence.
In truth, even Gilgamesh couldn't deny it—he was Thena's shadow.
"It doesn't matter," said Ikaris, his voice laced with venom, the stub where his arm used to be a constant reminder of the humiliation dealt to him by Alex Ray. "If Earth dies, so be it."
To Ikaris, the end of Earth meant the end of Alex. It was a sacrifice he welcomed.
"How can you say that?" asked Sersi, her voice trembling with disbelief. "This is our home! We live here. We've built lives here. We've loved here... How can you be so heartless?"
Once, she and Ikaris had shared something real—love, connection. But now, the man before her felt like a stranger, cruel and alien.
Ikaris sneered. "You care too much about these ants, Sersi."
He stepped closer, his tone dripping with cold logic. "When Earth is gone, a new Celestial will rise. A new universe will be born. What's a few billion lives compared to that?"
Madness shone in his eyes. He was already picturing the flames of destruction, the cosmic rebirth that would follow.
Before tensions could explode, Makkari stepped between them, her hands moving in rapid gestures. Though deaf and mute, her urgency was unmistakable—pleading for calm, for reason, for peace.
Beside her, Druig moved swiftly to help.
"Ikaris, don't," Druig warned, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Ikaris turned to him. "You agree with me, don't you? Humans are ants."
Druig's response was silence.
His eyes weren't on Ikaris. They were on Makkari.
No, he didn't care much for humanity. But the idea of having his memories erased again—especially the ones with her—filled him with revulsion.
He wouldn't let that happen. Not this time.
Then, the voice of another joined the debate. Cool. Calculated. Emotionless.
Sprite—often called the Water Elf—spoke with a calm rationality that stood out amid the chaos.
"No matter what path we take, assisting the Celestials is our purpose. It's our responsibility. Only with their rebirth can balance return to the universe. If that means sacrificing this planet… so be it. Do we even have the power to resist them?"
Her words sparked a firestorm.
On one side, Sprite and Ikaris, champions of the Celestials, argued that this cosmic duty must be fulfilled, no matter the cost.
On the other stood Sersi and Phastos, unwavering in their belief that human lives mattered—that they were worth fighting for.
Between them, Thena, Gilgamesh, and Druig remained silent—each battling their own doubts.
The tension in the room thickened, like storm clouds on the edge of lightning.
And then, a quiet voice rose, cutting through the noise.
"Everyone... why don't we hear what Ajak has to say?"
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