Marvel's FBI?

As soon as Dante issued the warning, he opened a portal, booted Loki through it with zero ceremony, and—while Hela wasn't looking—grabbed her hand and bolted in after him.

The other side of the portal opened on the open ground near the Airbus. Dante emerged, scanning the surroundings immediately.

"Dante! Did I even get a chance to refuse the portal? Was kicking me in the ass really necessary?!"

"Shut it, you tsundere. Keep talking and I'll get your sister to slap you again."

Loki clamped his mouth shut, still fuming.

Not that he had a choice.

His lovely big sister had about as much familial affection for him as a tax audit.

Translation: she was kind of treating him like family now.

And more importantly, Loki couldn't beat either of them. One more snarky remark and he might end up the sad victim of a co-op sibling smackdown.

With Loki finally quiet, Dante exhaled.

Thankfully, Ada had ordered the entire scientific task force to retreat before they even entered the ice cave. Judging by the tracks in the snow, their vehicles were already long gone.

At least there wouldn't be any innocent bystanders to rescue.

"It really was a giant lifeform," Hela said calmly, with zero concern—only satisfaction. "I felt a faint pulse the moment I entered the cave. At first, I thought something was off with the frozen human, but it was coming from below him."

No fear. Just full-on, goddess-level vindication.

She turned to Dante, eyes glittering. "This planet's North Pole actually harbors such a massive creature? Just how many surprises is Midgard hiding from me?"

"My dear Hela, that thing is definitely not from Earth."

Dante shrugged and started giving her the briefest crash course possible.

"That's called Starro. It's an intelligent space monster. Wanders the stars, always looking for a prime parasitic environment."

"Parasitic?"

"Yup. When it finds a good spot, it asexually reproduces thousands of spores that latch onto the locals and mind-control the hell outta them. Doesn't matter which planet—it always ends in disaster."

The difference between Starro and your average space kaiju? Most just smash stuff for fun.

Starro? Starro doesn't smash. Starro settles in, brainwashes the ruling species, hijacks the planet's ecosystem, then strip-mines it like a corporate vampire.

The others leave a mess and go home. Starro moves in, lives rent-free, and takes your entire monthly salary.

That's what you call sustainable overexploitation.

And if a host doesn't get treatment quickly after infection? Game over.

Just as Dante finished explaining, Ada's voice crackled in through the comms.

"I've lifted the Airbus into hover mode. What happened down there? What giant starfish? Are you serious right now?"

Ada might mess around on the regular, but when it came to missions, she was a total pro.

The fact that she followed Dante's one-line freakout and immediately got the aircraft airborne? Perfect response.

Before Dante could reply—

RUMBLE RUMBLE.

The ground shook beneath their feet.

Then, with a blast of force, a massive purple-and-blue starfish erupted from the ice!

Dante instantly cloaked himself in Will Green Light for defense, stepping lightly off the flying ice chunks and putting some distance between himself and the monster.

Loki—while considered "weak" compared to Dante and his charming sister—was still a god. Dodging the clumsy attacks of a sluggish kaiju? Easy work.

Hela didn't even dodge. She just floated there in midair.

And then?

A hundred pitch-black Nightsword manifested around her in an instant.

They spun like deadly petals in orbit.

The second they made contact with the shattered glacier, the entire sky turned into a fine mist of ice powder.

Dante caught the wild gleam in Hela's eyes.

Oh yeah. She was thrilled.

This was Hela, Goddess of Death—conqueror of realms, destroyer of armies, literal war goddess. Calling her a warmonger was practically a compliment.

After being sealed away for over a thousand years, her combat instincts must've been clawing at her ribcage for release.

And now? Giant space starfish? Perfect warm-up target.

That's why Dante wasn't worried about Starro being the real danger.

The actual threat was if that thing got loose and started latching onto civilians. Its spores could wreck towns.

But as a monster?

Please.

Against a Heavenly Father-tier goddess? It was just XP.

Hell, even Loki—if he gave up the rogue cosplay and actually used his ridiculous multiverse-level spellbook—could probably solo Starro.

Suicide Squad killed it in the movie. Sure, that version was weaker, but so was the Squad.

A kaiju getting killed by rats with attitude says more about the monster than the rats.

"You… are all… SLAVES."

A sharp voice echoed directly into their heads.

Dante and Loki exchanged a look.

Well, it was definitely stronger than the movie version. This one had legit psychic projection.

Not much, though. Judging by how long it took to speak those words, the thing probably couldn't maintain a full telepathic conversation.

Maybe a thousand years ago, Starro could've been mistaken for a god by early humans. Might've even ended up as Lovecraft's muse.

But today?

It was just future sashimi for an actual goddess.

Dante didn't even bother attacking.

He and Loki just watched as Hela went full-on blender mode.

The Nightsword danced in formation, each one enhanced with her divine power. Their sharpness wasn't just supernatural—it was Asgardian divine-tier.

Starro never stood a chance.

And just like that—

The starfish was dead.

Aside from its big dramatic entrance, it hadn't offered any of the pressure or weight you'd expect from a true kaiju-class monster.

Because this wasn't beast vs. beast.

It was beast vs. God.

Even so, Dante couldn't help but marvel.

This was Hela at her lowest point—sealed away for a thousand years, drained of most of her power—and she still crushed a universe-level threat like it was a Tuesday workout.

Honestly, if he had to go all out right now? He still wasn't sure he could beat her.

His best assets were:

Green Lantern Ring

Diamond Form

Loki's physical toolkit

That was plenty for smashing Thor, Loki, Tony Stark—heck, even Vision if necessary.

But someone like Hela?

Different league entirely.

Before long, the shredded remains of Starro were scattered across a hundred-meter radius of snow and ice.

And Hela?

Still hovering in the air, radiating joy and goddess energy, laughing like she'd just cured her centuries-long itch.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Universe monster? That's it?"

(To be continued.)

***

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