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"When you notice an insect on the ground, do you stop to consider it a fool? The life of an insect is so beneath you that it would be a waste of your time to even consider judging it. That would be an accurate summation of my feelings towards you, humans."
- Father (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
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<(Omniscient POV)>
"Reed, why are you freaking out?" Johnny Storm asked, his voice laced with forced bravado. "We've been through worse. Remember Galactus? If we could take him down and turn him into a war engine for our masters, we can handle this unknown enemy, too." The corrupted Human Torch, his demonic features twisting into a frown, kept his burning gaze on Reed, who was nervously tinkering with an antimatter rifle, his hands unsteady.
But even though Johnny tried to project confidence, doubts gnawed at him. He'd seen that dimensional invader tear through the Revengers like paper. He'd watched him end Doctor Strange as if the Sorcerer Supreme were a helpless child. None of them knew yet how Lord Mar-Vell was holding up, but Johnny doubted even the Kree warlord could make it look easy against a monster like that. The blast that had obliterated the moon minutes ago-courtesy of the ongoing battle between them-was proof enough.
"You're not getting it," Reed shot back, his tone tight. "That thing is far more dangerous than I thought. I figured Strange could counter his supernatural abilities with dark magic, but I was wrong. He's got some kind of antimagic field which wipes out ninety percent of my contingency plans. We were only able to beat Galactus because he was starved, corrupted, weakened-and because we had the Revengers, the Defenders, the Ex-Men, and even the corrupted Silver Surfer backing us. And the Master was with us too." He exhaled sharply.
"We knew everything about Galactus, but this one... even though he is at the same level as Galactus, too, we know nothing about him. He ambushed us like he's been studying us for years... But none of that matters anymore. I've already alerted the Master. He'll be out of his chamber soon to deal with the threat. He might be furious at our failure, but in the end, he won't lose. After all, he's the most powerful being in this universe."
"Oh, darling, don't beat yourself up over failing to impress the Many-Angled Ones," Susan Storm said, her smirk as cold as her eyes. "You're a disappointment, but I'm sure they won't discard you entirely. I'll even put in a good word. Tell them you... have your own uses." Her grin sharpened. "And honestly, this is an opportunity. The invader not only culled the weak ones among us, but also showed us that there are other places still intact for us to spread our master's influence. Universes and dimensions we still haven't managed to open a doorway to. As a matter of fact, we should be celebrating."
"You got that right, Susie," Ben Grimm, aka The Rock, growled, his jagged, rock-like form shifting as he cracked his knuckles. "I was starting to get bored with nobody left worth smashing. Now? I can tear into something again."
"Wow... and here I thought I'd met twisted people before," a new voice cut in, dripping with disdain. "I actually know demons with more pleasing thoughts than you." The sudden interruption made them all turn toward the shadowed corner of the room-where a familiar, armored figure was steadily phasing into view.
***
<(Atem POV)>
"Well, sorry for dropping in uninvited," I said, my tone casual as I scanned the room. "But your threat detection systems clearly aren't built to handle... non-physical or astral entities. But still, you're not quite as pathetic as my universe's version of you. At least you've got some psionic safeguards in place to keep your brains from being puppeteered. I'm guessing that's built into those suits, right?" I finished with a disarming smile as I eyed Susan's tight, blue, and black-themed costume.
