Chapter 78: I Hunger...

The Mad Titan sat upon his throne, his mind racing with thoughts of conquest. Darkseid's declaration had hastened his own plans, and though Thanos had no intention of backing down, he knew he needed to act swiftly.

Earth was more than just another battleground—it held two of the Infinity Stones. And now, with Darkseid's looming invasion, Thanos knew he had to claim those stones before the Lord of Apokolips had any chance to interfere.

Thanos clenched his gauntleted fist, the dull glow of the stones he had already collected radiating dimly.

With a subtle motion of his hand, he summoned his most loyal and powerful children: Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, and Nebula.(A/N Gamora defected already)

One by one, they appeared before him, kneeling as they awaited his command.

Thanos' voice was cold, filled with the weight of countless conquests. "Darkseid's greed has accelerated our plans. He seeks to claim Earth for himself. Foolish. It will not be his prize, but mine. There are two Infinity Stones on that wretched planet, and I intend to take them before he even sets foot on it."

He rose from his throne, towering above his children, his presence overwhelming.

"Corvus, Proxima—prepare our armies. I want every soldier, every war machine ready to move at my command. We will descend upon Earth with the full might of our forces. Cull, oversee the gathering of resources for the invasion. Leave nothing to chance."

Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight exchanged a glance, a sinister smile playing on their lips. They bowed, knowing the bloodshed that awaited, before leaving to prepare for the coming war.

Thanos then turned his gaze to Ebony Maw, his most trusted advisor. "Maw, your task is of utmost importance. You will locate the Time Stone and the Mind Stone. Find them, and report their positions. I do not wish to waste time when the invasion begins."

Ebony Maw nodded solemnly, his eerie voice filled with reverence. "It will be done, my master. The stones will be yours."

Finally, Thanos looked to Nebula, his conflicted daughter. "You will lead the scouting mission to Earth. I want you to weaken any defences they might have. No mistakes, Nebula. Fail me again, and there will be consequences."

Nebula's jaw clenched as she nodded, determined to prove her worth to her father, despite their troubled history.

With his orders given, Thanos returned to his throne, watching as his children set out to execute his will. As they left the chamber, Thanos gazed into the distance, his eyes burning with the desire for ultimate power.

"Darkseid may have declared his intentions," he mused to himself, "but Earth belongs to me. And soon, the universe will bow to my will."

The Mad Titan had set his plan in motion, and nothing—not even the God of Apokolips—would stand in his way.

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[Lightyears away]

In the dark, cold void of space, a faint rumble echoed through the cosmos—an ancient sound that could be felt across lightyears, the awakening of a cosmic force whose hunger knew no bounds.

Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, stirred from his slumber, his colossal form slowly rising amidst the wreckage of the planets he had once consumed.

The ruins of primitive civilisations, the remnants of once-thriving worlds, drifted around him in silent testament to his insatiable hunger.

His eyes, glowing with the fires of creation and destruction, flickered open. The emptiness within him gnawed like an eternal flame, burning with a need only entire worlds could satisfy.

His voice, a thunderous echo, reverberated through the cosmos.

"I hunger..."

The cry travelled across the stars, stirring the currents of space-time itself. Galactus, weakened by his rest, had reached the edge of his patience. His hunger had become unbearable.

His hand, the size of continents, lifted as he called forth his herald.

A brilliant streak of silver flashed in the distance, racing towards him at impossible speeds. The Silver Surfer, his loyal servant, glided effortlessly through space, the Power Cosmic thrumming within him as he approached the titanic form of his master.

As always, he was prepared to serve—though the burden of his oath weighed heavily on his soul.

Surfer knelt before Galactus, his silver form gleaming against the black void. "My master," he began, his voice calm but edged with concern, "you have awakened. The universe trembles at your call."

Galactus' burning eyes narrowed. "I hunger, Surfer. Find me sustenance, or this universe will know my wrath."

The Silver Surfer bowed his head. He had sworn long ago to serve Galactus, hoping that through his service, he could minimise the destruction wrought by the Devourer of Worlds.

His heart still ached with the knowledge that countless planets had been sacrificed because of his deeds, but he had managed, for the most part, to steer Galactus towards uninhabited worlds—sparing countless lives in the process.

"I shall find a world for you, my master," Surfer vowed, rising to his board. In a brilliant flash of light, he shot into the cosmos, racing across the galaxy at speeds no mortal being could comprehend.

For days, he scoured the farthest reaches of space. Nebulae, dead stars, rogue planets—they all passed in a blur as he sought out a suitable world for Galactus to consume.

He visited star systems long abandoned, asteroid fields where remnants of ancient civilisations lingered, and planets so desolate that they were nothing more than barren rocks.

But everywhere he searched, Surfer found nothing that would satisfy Galactus' hunger. Planets with rich energy were inhabited, brimming with sentient life. The uninhabited worlds he found lacked the sustenance Galactus needed.

His mission grew more desperate with each passing hour, knowing that every moment without a new world pushed Galactus closer to consuming something... far worse.

Eventually, he reached a distant star system, his eyes scanning the planets as he approached. It was then that he saw it—a blue, glowing beacon of energy in the void. Hala—the homeworld of the Kree.

The Kree were a powerful race, with advanced technology and vast resources. Their civilisation spanned galaxies, and they were not known for their mercy or kindness.

To sacrifice this world would be to damn millions—perhaps billions—of lives. But Surfer's mind was clouded with the urgency of his task, and Hala radiated with energy—energy that could sustain Galactus for a long while.

He hesitated, hovering above the planet's atmosphere, torn by his oath to protect sentient life and his duty to serve his master.

Hala was brimming with life, a thriving metropolis of technological marvels. The Kree Empire's military forces were unmatched, their advancements cutting across the stars.

But that same energy, that immense power, made the planet a prime candidate to satiate Galactus' endless hunger.

"Forgive me," the Surfer whispered, as his silver eyes scanned the vast cities and bustling life below. He could feel the life forces—so many lives.

Each one would be extinguished in the blink of an eye. But Galactus' hunger… it could no longer be ignored.

With a heavy heart, he returned to the endless void, his mind clouded with guilt as he sped back towards his master.

He had failed to find an uninhabited world rich enough in energy to sate Galactus, and now the price would be the lives of billions.

In a streak of silver light, the Surfer arrived once more before the looming form of Galactus. His voice was quiet, almost reluctant, as he delivered the news. "I have found a world, master. It is rich in energy… but it is home to a civilisation."

Galactus' gaze turned upon his herald, the fire in his eyes intensifying. "Civilisation is irrelevant. Energy is what I seek. Show me this world, Surfer."

The Silver Surfer extended his hand, a shimmering map of the cosmos materialising before Galactus, highlighting Hala in the distance. The Devourer of Worlds studied it for a moment, his hunger overtaking any concern for the lives that would be lost.

"Prepare the Worldship. We will travel to Hala," Galactus declared. "I will feast."

Surfer bowed, though his soul felt heavy. He knew what was to come—the annihilation of an entire world, the destruction of countless lives.

His burden as Galactus' herald had never been more difficult to bear.

As Galactus' colossal form prepared to move through the vastness of space, the Silver Surfer took one last glance back at Hala, knowing that the weight of its destruction would stay with him forever. He had sacrificed planets before, but never had it felt so wrong.

In silence, they began their journey toward the doomed Kree homeworld. The devouring of Hala would soon begin, and with it, the galaxy would tremble at the return of Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.

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