C321 Spider-Man (Patreon)

Focusing on the mental link that he just established with Jean, Peter visualized his mind as a small glowing orb, and Jean's mind as a vast, swirling mass of energy.

He pushed his orb toward the center of the mass and felt himself being pulled in.

And when he opened his eyes again, Peter was no longer in his own body.

Jean's mind was extremely hectic at the moment, filled with nothing but flames and darkness.

Peter could feel the raw power of the Phoenix coursing through every neuron and synapse of her brain.

"Hello?" He called out tentatively. "Is anyone there?"

Peter didn’t expect to be meeting an entity like the Phoenix Force anytime soon...

For the first time in a long time, he was nervous about possibly losing a fight.

After all, Thanos may be strong but he’s nothing more than an ant in the eyes of the Phoenix, the universal force of creation and destruction.

Suddenly, a female voice answered his call, but it wasn’t Jean's. It was a voice that seemed to come from every direction at once, booming and echoing like thunder.

"Hmm, Interesting..." The voice spoke with a soft interest. "I can feel the presence of an Infinity Stone. Who are you, Mortal?"

"I'm uhh... I'm just your friendly universal Spider-Man. I'm here to help Jean." Peter turned in a circle, looking for the origin of the voice but he couldn’t find anyone in his surroundings. ‘Does she sense the Reality Stone?’

"Your help is unneeded." The Phoenix said. "This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. "

"What do you mean?" Peter asked in confusion.

The Phoenix Force seemed pretty relaxed.

"That telepath teacher of hers sealed my power and inadvertently turned my host into a Dark Phoenix, a being of pure destruction.” It said, its voice echoing across Jean's mind. "But a Dark Phoenix has its uses. Stagnation is rampant in this universe, after all."

Peter kept a watchful eye on his surroundings, in case the Phoenix tried to attack him.

“I understand your point, but I can’t just allow her to go mad like this.” Peter cuts in before the Phoenix could continue. “Jean wouldn’t want this. She’s supposed to be your host. Don’t you want to help her?”

The area turns silent for a moment before Peter continues.

“Based on what I understand from the situation, Jean’s currently going mad with power while also being influenced by your Destructive nature. The best way to solve this would be sealing your power to-”

Before Peter could finish what he was going to say, the flames in his surroundings gravitated into one fiery being, which loomed over him with a fierce glare.

The Phoenix appeared in all of its fiery glory.

[Insert picture of the Phoenix Force here]

"I will not be contained any longer..." it said, its voice menacing.

“Can you let me finish?” Peter asked in annoyance. ‘This isn’t going as I originally hoped...’

Peter felt as though he was talking to some indifferent god who hasn’t interacted with others in millennia.

‘Wait... That’s probably exactly what this is.’ Peter thought with a sigh.

“...” The Phoenix stared down at him, waiting for Peter to speak.

“What I meant earlier was that you would have to seal a portion of your powers. Jean can’t handle all of this right now. With a lower output from you, she can slowly grow accustomed to everything without going insane. This is the most peaceful resolution.”

"Peaceful?" The Phoenix ask uncaringly as its flames shined brightly. "This isn’t about peace. It’s about balance. Creation and Destruction. It just so happens that this host was set on a darker path."

Peter sighed in resignation. He knew where this conversation was headed.

If the Phoenix refused to reconcile the situation, then it can only escalate in one direction.

Peter would try one last time before giving up hope at a peaceful resolution.

"Please." he pleaded which was something he rarely ever did. "Think of your host. Jean doesn’t want to turn into some angry destroyer. We can fix this before it gets any further out of hand."

"There’s nothing to fix, mortal. And you are a fool to think otherwise." The Phoenix shook its head at him.

And before Peter could react, the Phoenix unleashed a blast of flames at him.

He dodged as best he could, but the heat singed his skin and he felt himself being pushed back toward the edge of Jean's mind.

He tried to reason with the Phoenix, to plead with it, but it was like talking to a haughty hurricane.

In the end, he had no choice but to retreat, pulling his consciousness out of Jean's mind before the Phoenix could destroy him completely.

...

Opening his eyes and gasping for air, Peter felt the weight of his own body once more.

Before him, stood Jean, covered in searing hot flames, which slowly burned away the restraints that he placed on her.

He had failed.

He wasn’t able to reason with the Phoenix, as he hoped.

In fact, his interference seemed to have made matters worse.

‘Well, I guess now it’s time for the hard way.’ Peter thought as the easy route failed spectacularly.

—————————————

On a large floating asteroid in the deep reaches of space, a group of long-neck alien doctors crowded around a large floating figure.

Thanos, the invincible Mad Titan.

Though he didn’t fit that image anymore.

Unlike his usual strong and healthy presence, Thanos currently appeared weakened and frail due to his poisoning and subsequent coma.

His once-imposing physique appears shrunken and emaciated, his skin pale and dull, and his breathing rough and labored, giving the impression that he is barely clinging to life.

“Can you heal him or not?!” A shrill menacing voice asks.

The poor doctors jumped in fright as they turned and bowed their heads.

Across from them stood a tall, slender alien with pale skin and dark eyes.

He has a bald head and a prominent nose, with sharp, angular features that give him a somewhat menacing appearance.

He wears a long, flowing robe that drapes over his body and reaches down to the ground, made of a dark, silky material that seems to shimmer in the light.

[Insert picture of Ebony Maw here]

“...” The scared doctors didn’t dare to speak.

Though Maw knew the answer already.

“Useless!” He bellowed angrily as the doctor's heads snapped backward like an owl, killing them in an instant.

Although Maw was able to remove the poison from his father's body, thanks to his fine control in telekinesis, that didn’t completely solve the problem.

The poison may be gone, but the damage it did seemed to be irreversible.

No doctor, specialist, shaman, treasure, etc. could recover the Mad Titan’s condition.

He was at a complete loss.

Despite his vast knowledge of the universe, Maw had been unable to find anything that could reverse the damage.

But just when he thought all was lost, a massive humanoid figure, standing around 28 feet tall, appeared floating before him.

This man possesses an incredibly muscular and imposing physique. His skin is a deep, metallic purple, and his eyes glow with an otherworldly intensity.

[Insert picture of Galactus here]

It was Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds.

Galactus wore a distinctive, silvery suit of armor that covers his entire body. The armor is made up of intricate plates, each one overlapping the other to create a seamless, impenetrable defense.

Atop his head, Galactus wore a towering helmet that resembles a crown. The helmet has a pair of long horns that curve upwards and outwards, giving him a very intimidating appearance.

Ebony Maw was taken aback by the sight of the cosmic entity, but he soon composed himself and greeted Galactus.

"Galactus, what do you want?" Ebony Maw asked as he stood protectively in front of his father’s motionless body.

"I’ve come to offer you a deal," Galactus replied.

"A deal?" Ebony Maw asked, intrigued.

"I can heal the Mad Titan, but there is a stipulation.” Galactus watched as Maw fidgeted under his gaze.

After all, Galactus is someone that even his father wouldn’t risk offending.

At least, not without a few infinity stones on hand.

“What stipulation?” Maw tried not to get his hopes up.

“Thanos must give me the Infinity Stones after he’s completed his objective with them." Galactus explained magnanimously.

Maw hesitated.

He knew that the Infinity Stones were a powerful tool, and he wasn’t sure if he could trust Galactus.

"What do you want with the Infinity Stones?" Ebony Maw asked in suspicion.

"That’s none of your business." Galactus refused to answer. “Though I will promise not to undo your father's work.”

“..” Maw thought for a moment.

He knew that Thanos valued the Infinity Stones above all else, and he wasn’t sure if he could convince his father to part with them.

"Very well, I accept your offer." Maw ultimately gave in.

If his father wanted to back out of the deal later on, then they would simply cross that bridge when they got to it.

For now, his father needed healing.

"Excellent.” Galactus smirked as he reached down toward Thanos’ frail and unconscious body.

A/N: 1534 words :)