Malrick hovered not far from the Moon, his gaze piercing through layers of space, reaching into the chaotic void beyond the Universe.
Countless Universe bubbles were compressed in the void, and farther out lay the Outer Dimensions, beyond which stretched the Realm of Split, home of the God Kingdom.
"Hmm? Frog Thor?"
A figure in a blue robe suddenly darted through the Universe.
It was the Observer Frog Thor, scanning frantically, until their eyes met.
"Malrick?" Frog Thor murmured, then jolted, as if spotting a lifeline.
"Malrick, help me! Quick, help me with that…"
But before he could finish, he leapt away in panic.
"Oh no, he's coming! I have to get out, now!"
In the blink of an eye, Frog Thor vanished into the void beyond the Universe, leaving Malrick perplexed.
"What is he doing? Isn't he being hunted by Dark Strange or Infinite Ultron?" Malrick muttered.
Frog Thor was resilient, and having spied on him before, there was no immediate threat.
Any crisis that could kill Frog Thor would be cosmic in scale—beyond Malrick's concern for the moment.
"Time to return home."
Malrick flew leisurely toward Earth, marking the longest absence from his home dimension.
Several months had passed, though time in the Realm of Split had no fixed rules, so this could have been far longer in Earth's timeline.
Before leaving, Malrick had left a detailed group message: if he were away for more than a year, or if a major crisis arose, Jarvis could contact him via the TVA's time tablet.
Wong and Mordo could communicate with him magically.
So far, he had received no messages from Earth and felt completely at ease.
Flying through space, Malrick deployed an m-body of his Rege Duo Clone, tossing it into the void.
It quickly transformed into an abstract conceptual state, dispersing into light particles to merge with the Universe.
"With an m-body monitoring Earth, I won't need to worry about unexpected events while I'm away," he thought.
Malrick then accelerated toward Earth at light speed.
---
New York.
Landing on a familiar rooftop, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
The city seemed eerily empty.
"Where is everyone?"
Malrick's enhanced senses scanned the area: Tony, Diana, Kara, and others were absent.
Wong and Mordo remained at Kamar-Taj, but Banner was gone.
Extending his observation to the Universe, he found no trace of the missing heroes—they seemed to have vanished entirely.
Just then, Jarvis's voice rang from inside the house.
"Young Master Malrick, is that you?"
"Jarvis?"
Malrick entered, and the holographic projection of the butler appeared, bowing slightly.
"Welcome home, Young Master Malrick."
"Why are you alone? Where is everyone else?" Malrick asked.
"Mr. Stark and the others assigned this part of my sub-entity to watch the house while they went elsewhere, Young Master.
They have traveled to another Universe and may be some time before returning."
Malrick frowned, connecting the dots.
Perhaps Wanda had intervened, or the TVA had called upon them.
Whatever the case, Tony had likely taken a group to assist.
Jarvis continued, "Five months after your departure, Young Master…"
"How long have I been gone?"
"Five months, it is now late December, Young Master."
"Almost 2012… please continue."
"A few days ago, Peter Parker—already twenty-three—came seeking us.
His Universe is in great peril.
Due to complex circumstances he doesn't fully understand, his Universe is colliding with another."
Jarvis explained further: the phantom of another Earth appeared above Parker's world, solidifying and threatening imminent collision.
The Avengers of that Universe were struggling to respond, having lost their usual coordination.
"According to Sorcerer Supreme Wong of that Universe, the Earth collision is only the beginning.
As the Earths collide, their corresponding Universes will follow, eventually leading to destruction."
Malrick's expression darkened.
This was the onset of a major multiversal event, beginning with the Main Universe and extending outward.
Chain reactions would follow, worsening over time.
He recalled Dormammu's warning: Doctor Strange had failed to prevent the collision.
Eternity and Galactus's previous warnings aligned with this timeline.
"Is this collision caused by Strange's reckless crossing of the Multiverse?" Malrick asked, frowning.
"Yes, Young Master. Your deduction is correct," Jarvis replied.
"According to Peter Parker's side, the crisis was initiated by Strange.
Parker himself acknowledges some responsibility for aggravating the situation."
"Parker seems harmless, but perhaps he unwittingly set this chain in motion," Malrick mused.
Jarvis suggested vigilance.
"Young Master, I recommend monitoring Strange closely.
But fear not, Wong is already watching him."
"I'll go and assess the situation myself," Malrick decided, rubbing his chin.
Jarvis then displayed a scene: Tony Stark leading a group of Avengers, crossing a space-time portal with Peter Parker, venturing into the threatened Universe.
"I have an ominous feeling," Malrick muttered.
"It's time I joined them and saw what's happening firsthand."
____
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