Endless darkness.
There was no color anywhere… except for Garfield himself, a blue-and-orange cat suspended in the void.
"Hello?" Garfield spoke, his voice echoing strangely.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
"Cats are okay."
"Dogs are okay."
"Aliens, gods, demons… anyone?" He called out to every creature he knew, terrestrial and extraterrestrial alike.
Only his own voice answered.
What the hell…
What the hell is this place?
"Pandora?"
"Pandora, Godzilla?"
No response.
Garfield finally crouched down, hugging himself helplessly, eyes scanning the endless black.
Something was very wrong.
He had used the Time Stone before. Every single time, when he returned, the Ancient One had been there… watching and guarding.
This place was wrong.
No time.
No space.
No life.
Just absolute nothingness.
In the entire Marvel Universe, only one being fit this description. The realization sent a chill through Garfield's fur.
Please… not her.
He endured the silence as long as he could. When his courage finally bottomed out, he opened his mouth and shouted with everything he had.
"Hello! Is there a cat here?"
Then, desperation creeping in…
"Hey Death? Garfield here! I admit I'm a coward, just say something, okay?"
"Hahaha." A bright, delighted laugh rang out.
That laugh sounded… familiar. A little like Pandora's playful cruelty.
But it wasn't her.
The laughter faded. A figure emerged from the darkness.
A pitch-black cloak concealed everything… no face, no feet… as though the figure itself was part of the void.
The moment it stood before him, Garfield smelled it.
Nothingness.
Absence of all things.
This was not Hela, the Goddess of Death who reveled in carnage.
This was Death itself. One of the Five Creation Gods.
The final authority over all endings in the Marvel Universe. Every soul eventually returned to her domain.
"Master… Death?" Garfield swallowed.
"It's me," She replied softly. "Cute little orange cat, oh no."
She tilted her head. "I suppose I should call you by your real name."
"Great Devourer."
"Big Sister Death!" Garfield said hurriedly.
"I'm just a cute orange cat in front of you. 'Great Devourer' is way too much pressure, I really can't handle it."
Inside his mind… Alpacas were stampeding across a sunset.
I'm weak, pitiful, and helpless. I worked so hard just to find the Cosmic Cube.
I only ate a little energy to grow stronger, how did that summon Death herself?!
Garfield silently activated the Time Stone's obscuration. If things go wrong, I'm running.
Death lowered her head.
From the black cloak emerged a pair of flawless, snow-white hands… She wrapped Garfield in her arms.
Rubbed his round cat face. Then gently scratched under his chin.
No!!
Don't!!
I'm not some random orange… So comfortable.
Don't stop.
"Meow~" Garfield let out a small, utterly traitorous sound.
Complete defeat.
Death laughed softly, then, licked him once.
She hugged him closer, cheek to cheek.
"What an adorable orange devouring beast." She murmured. "Little one… come stay with me."
"Oh, no, no, no!" Garfield protested weakly.
"I'm just a cub! I really don't plan on entering the Kingdom of Death yet!"
Garfield knew this made no sense. Winning Death's favor with cuteness?
That was absurd.
In the original records, Thanos the Mad Tita, had slaughtered half the universe just to gain her attention.
That madness was exactly why he was called mad.
The cinematic version softened him, but the truth remained.
Refusing Death was dangerous. She was one of the Five Creation Gods.
No one dared reject her.
Death's hands continued roaming Garfield's body for several long, indulgent moments.
Finally, she stopped.
"Alright, little one," She said lazily.
"Considering how much territory you've expanded for me…"
"I'll forgive your rudeness." She smiled, though Garfield couldn't see it.
"And I'll grant you… a reward."
As Death spoke, the darkness of her cloak slowly lifted. A beautiful, shamelessly perfect woman was revealed beneath it.
She held Garfield close, lowered her head, and gently pressed her lips to his forehead.
A faint chill passed through him.
"This," Death said softly, "Is my mark."
Garfield felt something settle deep into his being.
"I know you, little furry one. You flirt with death far too often, but it is not your time yet." Her voice was calm.
"With this imprint, even if you truly die by accident, you will not leave empty-handed. You will gain… something unexpected."
Garfield blinked. Wait, this kind of good thing exists?
Being personally blessed by Death, one of the Five Creation Gods of the Marvel Universe, was already absurd enough.
But…
When exactly did I help you conquer territory?
"Hmm." Garfield asked carefully, "When did I ever help you take land?"
Death smiled faintly.
"Of course you did," She replied. "Your arrival tore through spatial barriers, creating numerous unstable connection points between worlds."
"They are still forming, but through them, I have already claimed four new realms of the dead."
"…Four?" Garfield's pupils shrank.
His mind raced.
Naruto.
The world I livestreamed.
DC… next door.
His fur nearly stood on end.
The livestream world already knew of Marvel's existence. There was no way Death could simply annex it.
Garfield forced himself to remain calm and feigned ignorance.
"Lady Death." He asked innocently, "Which four worlds?"
Death's vermilion lips curved as she counted leisurely. "The world of wizards."
"The little ninja world you keep around."
"And the one next door… DC."
She paused.
"Their resistance to death was… impressive. I had to mobilize a significant army to stabilize their domains."
Garfield stiffened.
"And the fourth?" He asked cautiously.
"I won't tell you that one," Death said lightly.
Garfield. "…"
So Death could be playful too. Clearly, she was enjoying herself.
She held Garfield a while longer, then finally released him and straightened.
"Oh? Time's up already." She said. "Someone small is getting impatient."
She waved casually. "I'll look for you again when I have the chance. Goodbye for now."
The void peeled away.
Light flooded back into Garfield's vision.
The first thing he saw was the Ancient One's smooth, bald head.
The second thing…
Pandora's fist.
Thud
She punched Garfield square in the face.
"Cat," Pandora snapped and then vanished, dissolving back into his body.
"…What?" Garfield lay there, stunned. Why did she hit me?
He quickly checked himself. The Cosmic Cube was still pulsing steadily in his stomach. No abnormalities.
He deactivated his devouring ability, then dispelled the Time Stone's concealment.
"Master," Garfield said.
The Ancient One nodded calmly and patted him on the head.
"I know." She said. "There's no need to explain."
"No," Garfield replied seriously. "Master, I think you misunderstood what I'm about to say."
The Ancient One paused, expression turning odd.
"…Go on."
Garfield inhaled deeply.
"From now on," He said solemnly.
"Unless it's coming directly from one of the Five Creation Gods of the universe, please do not say things like 'you don't need to worry.'"
He looked utterly sincere.
"Your verbal karma is more lethal than the top-tier poisonous milk gods of my previous life."
The Ancient One set down the Book of Vishanti, scratched the back of his head, and gave a rare, awkward nod.
"…Understood," She said. "I won't say that again."
With that assurance, Garfield finally felt at ease.
He remained in Kamar-Taj for several days, absorbing Space Stone energy under the Ancient One's supervision.
While he was at it, he casually swallowed the Time Stone shell and all, storing it safely in his stomach.
After saying his farewells, Garfield departed with the two mages assigned to protect Howard.
He instructed Queenie and Baima to keep a close eye on the family business, then brought Rin, who wished to return home, to the spatial connection point through which she had fallen into the Marvel Universe.
Garfield opened the passage using the defensive spell he had prepared.
Anchoring the Ninja world with his innate spatial authority, he stabilized the corridor.
Then he led Rin through the doorway...
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Phantom your way through a treasure trove of chapters waiting on P@treon!
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