Four months later, in a luxurious bar, Eric sat comfortably, sipping on a glass of Coke. The sparkling fizz danced in the glass as he took a long gulp. His eyes lazily wandered to his watch.
"That bastard," Eric grumbled, raising his face with a frown. Time was ticking, and his patience was thinning.
It had been four months since his return. Four months of contemplation, lounging, and the occasional existential crisis. Despite the comfort of familiar surroundings, one question loomed large in his mind—what the hell was he even supposed to do in this world?
The answer wasn't as simple as he'd hoped. After regaining the memories of his past life, paranoia hit him like a truck. Fearing for his safety, he hastily travel to different world. But now? With the abilities he'd gained from there, he had a fair shot at survival. That didn't mean he could let his guard down, though.
"People think the Marvel Cinematic Universe is all sunshine and rainbows, with weaklings galore," "But next door in the comic universe? Multiverse powerhouses are as common as stray dogs on the street."
He shivered. The memory of Marvel's Secret Wars lingered ominously in his mind, there is certain news about a secret war's movie in previous life. There is two secret war in marvel comic, Sure, the first one was just a bunch of heroes duking it out and eventually teleporting back to Earth. But the second? That was a whole different beast.
"Even the Living Tribunal kicked the bucket in that one. So, what's a small fry like me supposed to do?" Eric sighed.
And in the end? The multiverse got wiped out. Rebuilt, and that could be his future wasn't comforting. The percentage chance of his untimely death in a future catastrophe? A solid 100%.
—
"As for Thanos…" Eric scoffed inwardly, swirling his Coke lazily. "Not even worth worrying about. Six stones or not, I could take him out any time."
Confidence radiated from him, but the thought of lingering threats beyond Thanos dampened his bravado. Traveling to different worlds was the only path forward. His ultimate goal was clear: gain enough power to protect himself and his mother. Multiversal domination? Not on the to-do list.
"Ten to twenty years. That's all I need," he thought. "Plenty of time to become unstoppable."
Still, there was one nagging issue. Earth.
"This damn planet is like a cosmic magnet for trouble. In Marvel, Earth is the center of every catastrophe and also, its heart. If Earth bites the dust, so does the universe. And who's stuck cleaning up the mess? Yours truly."
He sighed dramatically. It wasn't like he could just pack his bags and leave without consequences.
—
"What should I do, Egris?" Eric called out lazily, tapping his glass. From the shadows a voice emerged. Egris, his most intelligent soldier, once a top graduate of a prestigious knight school.
"Your Highness, what are your thoughts on the matter? I can only offer my advice," Egris responded in a deep, composed voice.
Eric leaned back, considering his words. "I want this world to be my vanguard. I refuse to fight on the frontlines. Do you know how ridiculous it would be to turn my back, only to have someone like Tony Stark or Steve Rogers stab me in back at a critical moment?"
During the Incursion events, Doctor Doom acted while the so-called heroes squabbled amongst themselves. Men like Tony and Strange, though intelligent, often invite disaster."
Those two are like chaos generators, second only to Reed Richards when it comes to causing trouble."
Even though Eric wasn't in the comic universe, the mere thought of the unpredictable chaos they could unleash made him shiver.
—
"If you seek a vanguard, Your Highness, conquering Earth would be most efficient," Egris suggested with a straight face.
Eric froze. Conquer? Sure, it crossed his mind. But conquering Marvel Earth was no simple feat.
"It's not like I'm scared of the big guns," Eric muttered, feigning confidence. "In this cinematic universe, I'm practically invincible. But… you know how it is. One moment Spider-Man's struggling against a street thug, and the next he's punching Galactus in the face."
Egris nodded in understanding. "And the mysterious energy boosts that come from nowhere—plot armor, as they call it."
"Exactly! I'm not dealing with that nonsense," Eric huffed.
—
"Perhaps," Egris began, a cunning gleam in his eyes, "you could create your own kingdom."
Eric's ears perked up. "A kingdom?" He'd considered it before, but the logistics made his head hurt. "The main problem is population. If I offer good living conditions, sure, people will come. But do I really care about a bunch of ordinary humans?"
Then, like lightning, inspiration struck.
"Wait a minute… What if I just… kidnap—I mean, recruit people from other worlds?" Eric's grin widened. "They probably won't mind. Right?"
Egris remained silent, though the corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.
"Yeah, it's brilliant! No fuss, no unpredictably overpowered heroes showing up to ruin my day. Just good, reliable thugs… I mean, citizens."
Then he can just take over the earth slowly, from inside. while he at it, he could also consider conquering the universe, then the multiverse.
Any way they will be wiped out without his help, so no one should complain, right.
Eric leaned back, satisfied with his new master plan. No longer would he wander aimlessly. His path was clear.
"Time to build a kingdom. Marvel Earth, you better watch out."
And with that, the self-proclaimed future king of Earth sipped on his Coke, dreams of cosmic domination sparkling in his eyes.
While thinking, a knock on the table woke him up.