Out of consideration for Thor, Frigga did not say much. Now was not the time to reprimand him.
Heimdall, standing beside her, suddenly lowered his head and whispered something. Frigga's expression darkened as she nodded before turning to Garus. "The situation has changed. Those insects have evolved and are now several times stronger than what we previously encountered."
A beam of light shot out from Heimdall's eyes, projecting the image of an unknown continent.
"This is Alfheim, the land of the elves," he explained.
Alfheim was once a dreamlike realm, covered in lush green forests, with towering trees and an abundance of magical creatures—unicorns, griffins, faeries, and dryads.
The elves, known for their ethereal beauty, were adept magic wielders. They cherished nature and all things beautiful.
But now, a black storm loomed over their land. The sky was darkened by the endless swarm of insects.
Elven cities, built atop massive trees, were heavily guarded by sentinels. Among them stood warriors distinct from the elves—refugees from Vanaheim. After the fall of their home to the swarm, the Vanir had sought shelter in Alfheim, only for the insects to follow closely behind.
Garus carefully observed the invaders. They were different from the ones he had encountered in the Andromeda Galaxy. Not only were they significantly larger, but some bore streaks of gold in their carapaces. More disturbingly, their eyes gleamed with golden, black, and azure lights—powers that were clearly not their own.
"What in the world...? These insects can evolve?"
The swarm crashed against the magical barrier enveloping Alfheim, its surface distorting under the impact. Yet, the shield held firm—for now.
"Vanaheim has fallen," Frigga continued. "Njord led the surviving Vanir to Alfheim to make a stand."
She had chosen Earth as a refuge because Thor was here, and Asgard had a direct passage to this world. Messengers had also been sent to warn the other realms.
By all logic, the swarm should have arrived on Earth first, yet they struck Vanaheim instead—and so quickly that the realm was utterly annihilated.
As Heimdall ended the projection, those watching were left shaken. The Skrulls in the room, in particular, were reminded of their own painful past.
"We must go there immediately and provide aid." The method by which the swarm had reached Vanaheim and Alfheim remained a mystery.
Frigga turned to Garus, her voice sincere. "Mr. Garus, Asgard still has many civilians who cannot fight. I hope you can provide them with a place of refuge."
Bringing non-combatants to the battlefield was not an option. Asgard's population had already dwindled significantly. After this disaster, only one or two thousand remained.
Finding a suitable place on Earth was challenging. The only viable option was the lunar colony.
"Kallruth, how is the lunar city progressing?"
"The primary construction is complete. The void ecosystem technology you provided has fully stabilized the city's life-support systems. Only interior structures remain unfinished."
"So, accommodating an additional two thousand people won't be an issue?"
"None at all. The city could house tens of thousands."
Garus turned to Frigga. "What do you think, Lady Frigga?"
She had noticed the lunar city upon her arrival and had hoped for this exact solution. There had been some worry that Garus might not consider it an option, but his response reassured her.
It had been nearly a thousand years since she last visited Earth, and she was astonished at how much humanity had changed. No longer were they mere mortals struggling to fill their bellies.
"Thank you very much!" Frigga then turned to Thor. "Thor, the people of Asgard still need you to lead them."
Asgard's numbers had already been small, but Hela had made it far worse.
"Commander Will, we need to go to Alfheim and fight the swarm together."
At this point, retreat was no longer an option. The only hope lay in uniting the remaining forces against the insects.
Thor turned to Garus, who said, "I'll gather the Avengers. We'll head to Vanaheim together."
A Kree warship ascended into the sky, heading toward the battle, leaving behind thousands of Asgardian refugees under the Skrull Queen's care.
Garus held a small disk in his hand, containing coordinates to Alfheim.
Since the swarm had not yet reached Earth, the plan had to change. However, Garus made no move to recall the scout ships stationed near Mars.
"I need to make a quick trip to Earth. Wait for me here, and then we'll depart for the elven realm together."
As he left, the once lively hall fell into silence.
At the Avengers base in the outskirts of New York, Garus's sudden appearance startled the guards, who immediately raised their weapons.
"Halt! This is Avengers headquarters. Do not take another step!"
"Wait! Garus!" A voice cut through the tension.
Before he could force his way in, a gust of wind and a cloud of dust announced the arrival of Falcon, landing between him and the guards.
"What brings you here?"
"I need to see Tony and Dr. Banner."
"Thor returned home. Banner went on vacation with his girlfriend—I have no idea where. Do you need me to pass along a message?"
"No time. I'll find them myself."
"Hey, wait—!"
Ignoring him, Garus activated a portal and vanished from the base.
At Tony Stark's coastal villa, Pepper Potts was watching TV when Garus's sudden arrival made her jump.
Realizing who it was, she exhaled in relief. "Garus, would it kill you to use the front door? This is private property."
"I'm in a hurry. Where's Tony?" Garus scanned the room but found no sign of Stark. Without waiting for an answer, he headed straight for the underground lab.
"He's out," Pepper called from the doorway, watching him curiously. "What's so urgent?"
"I need to find him now. Where is he?"
She pointed upward. "He's in his armor—off flying around somewhere."
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON