BOOK ONE, CHAPTER 9

“Mommy.”

Rachel Carpenter ran to her mother Julia’s open arms. Julia, also known as Spider-Woman, had just arrived at the Satellite Supreme along with the rest of the All-Mighty.

“Hi, sweetheart. How’s my little trouper?”

“This place is so COOL! I still can’t believe we’re gonna LIVE here!”

“Believe it, honeybunch. We’re finally living in a place that’s safe for you...and all I have to do in exchange is help keep the world safe.”

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the satellite, All-Mighty field commander Barbara “Bobbie” Morse, also known as Mockingbird, discussed weighty matters with Iron Man, who had just finished putting on the same special battle armor which had helped wipe out Ultron.

“The scanner has confirmed it,” said Mockingbird, “it’s a Shi’ar fleet, and their most probable trajectory has them on a direct course to Earth’s moon.”

“So much for Majestrix Lilandra keeping her word about the Stargates never being used again.” sneered Iron Man.

“Their E.T.A. is fifteen to twenty minutes. Most likely they’ll strike the Blue Area, where the Inhumans are. If we ‘port right away, we can lay an ambush.”

“Do it.”

Seconds later, all six members of the All-Mighty had assembled in the matter-transfer chamber.

*******

Back on Earth, Mr. Fantastic was leading his prisoner, Blastaar, towards the Negative Zone portal. Blastaar had been fitted with neuro-clamps that weakened his considerable strength and prevented him from using his blast powers. But Mr. Fantastic now found himself wishing he had put a clamp on Blastaar’s mouth.

“The look on your faces,” roared Blastaar with laughter, “was worth even so humiliating a defeat. The one you call Wonder Man swatting away the Thing like a common pest – priceless.”

Indeed, Wonder Man had single-handedly defeated Blastaar in Greece just as the Fantastic Four were arriving, and Wonder Man had also refused reinforcements from the Thing in the most rude fashion possible. It took a force-field bubble from the Invisible Woman to keep the Thing from attacking Wonder Man, and it took all of Mr. Fantastic’s negotiating skills to convince Wonder Man to turn over Blastaar to the Fantastic Four. Clearly, thought Mr. Fantastic, the days of super-heroes treating each other like good neighbors were over. Much to the amusement of Blastaar, whose gloating was getting ever more obnoxious.

“You’ll have plenty of time to laugh it up in the Negative Zone, Blastaar.” said Mr. Fantastic as he operated the controls to the portal. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay there.”

“Clearly,” grinned Blastaar, “I need no longer expend my energy attempting to annihilate your dimension’s so-called heroes, when their destruction at each others’ hands is imminent.”

Before Blastaar could go on any further, he was whisked away into the Negative Zone, leaving Mr. Fantastic with a clenched jaw and a rising level of bile. His sulking was interrupted by the voice of a woman not his wife.

“Reed?” said honorary Fantastic Four member Sharon Ventura, “I hope this isn’t a bad time, but I’ve always been fascinated by the Negative Zone, and I was wondering if you could show me how to...”

Before Mr. Fantastic could reply, the Invisible Woman had breathlessly barged in. “Reed!” she yelled, “The Inhumans are under invasion!”

**********

As the Inhuman Royal Family, minus Crystal who was on Earth with the Avengers, led the Inhumans’ march to face the invading Shi’ar fleet now coming in for a landing, the desired precision of the formation was not there. Karnak alone, with his keen senses, could tell from the body language of some of his fellow Inhumans, including the oft-disloyal Timberius, that they were not only pleased at the invasion, but may even have been expecting it.

But before Karnak could warn the monarchs Black Bolt and Medusa, the All-Mighty materialized in front of them. The All-Mighty’s intervention was unannounced and wholly unasked for.

“What is the meaning of this?” growled Gorgon.

The answer came not in words, but in the form of Iron Man and Wonder Man charging the Shi’ar mothership, Iron Man shooting to kill and Wonder Man ripping open the mothership’s hull. When the Shi’ar shock troopers made their landing out of the other ships, they were met with intense fire from Dr. Pym’s enormous twin guns, and the hand-to-hand combat prowess of Mockingbird, Super-Patriot, and Spider-Woman.

Iron Man and Wonder Man strode toward the mothership’s bridge, where they found themselves faced with the Shi’ar Starforce, formerly the Kree Starforce, now led by Viceroy Deathbird and including Ultimus, Shatterax, and Korath.

Iron Man locked eyes with Deathbird and said, “Go back to where you came from NOW, or else.”

“So,” said Deathbird in her piercing voice, “you Terrans have finally learned that negotiation is best left to fools. STARFORCE, ATTACK!!”