Turnabout Crossover

ACT II: BLIND LEADING THE BLIND

"Remember when you told me that story when I was a kid, Daddy?"

He had been studying the room they were in for quite some time now. There was a sort of nostalgic essence that overcame him once he stepped foot inside it. It felt like a home he's been longing for, yet took far too long to find.

"What story?" he asked her, without averting his eyes from the sky blue-painted walls, and the eggshell white ceiling.

"You know what I'm talking about, Daddy," she insisted. "You're just messing with me. Remember on our first night? The day you adopted me, you told me a story."

"Oh," exclaimed Phoenix, pretending not to know what she meant. "You mean that story?"

She stuck out her tongue at him. "Don't try to mess with me, Daddy. I want to know what happened next."

He seemed perplexed at her request. "I can't remember where we stopped, to be honest."

He actually does remember. After all these years he still remembered. He promised her, after all.

"But, but," she mumbled. "You promised me you'd tell me, Daddy. You promised."

"I did, didn't I?" he muttered, his hand rubbing the back of his head as he let out a weak laugh.

She then proceeded to sit down on the bed, and he sat down beside her.

"Well, first of all I didn't die," he started.

She blushed. "Daddy!" she exclaimed. "I was eight, okay? You didn't need to remind me of that."

"Sorry," he apologized, as he patted her on the head. He was laughing much more naturally now. "I—well you, actually… you made me promise to tell you I didn't, remember?"

"Then tell me what happened next."

As he was about to begin, a figure suddenly appeared by their doorway and stayed there. A man of middle age as it seemed, sporting a rather well-sculpted beard and dressed in a very sharp suit, walked inside. Both men came up to each other and shook each other's hand.

"It's been too long, Mr. Wright," spoke the man.

"It really has, Mr. Stark," he assured him, and he grinned a big, goofy smile.

The man then noticed the young girl sitting on the bed, who was now staring at him confusedly.

"And who might this be?" he asked, while patting her on the head.

"I'm Trucy. Trucy Wright! " she told him. She then suddenly grabbed his hand and shook it. "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Stark! Daddy says you build really cool armor and stuff. Would you mind showing me them sometime? Pretty please?"

He smiled sheepishly, as the man turned to look at him, confusion evidently engraved on his face.

"This is my daughter, Trucy," he said with clarity. "Sorry if she's a handful."

Stark took his hand and, with an even bigger grin, shook it once more while exclaiming, "It really has been too long, Mr. Wright."

The man then crossed over to the windows on the other side of the room and looked outside. Light shone brightly through the curtains as he turned around to face his guests.

"So, what's going on here with you?" asked the man.

"Daddy was just telling me a really great story about you and your friends," she answered pluckily.

"He was, was he?" asked the man once more. The man then turned to him and asked, "Where'd you stop?"

Phoenix thought for moment. "I think I'm at—what was it? ...You know, that part where the Nemesis curb stomped me, Chun-Li and Maya, Tron went missing, and Peter became tr—"

"Ah. I see. Wait, here's an idea," suddenly interjected the man, as he glanced at his watch. "I'm not needed in a while since they'll be busy readying the transport downstairs. So how about I tell the story for now? I mean, you didn't do much after that. Now me, on the other hand..."

He was surprised at the Stark's proposal. "I still remember what you guys did after that, you know. But I guess it is better if you're the one explaining what happened afterwards. Well, if it's okay with Trucy, then—"

"Of course!" she cried happily. "One storyteller can only tell so much. I want to hear the whole thing from everyone!"

"Alright then," spoke Tony. He then walked towards the bed where father and daughter were and, leaning on the wall adjacent to them, started, "If your father hasn't told you yet, it was the 15th of December then, and Christmas Day was only a few days shy of a week left. But that same day…"

Chapter 10: The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes

Something fell. Either from heaven or Earth, something fell that moment. And while we went about our lives uncaringly, as specks of dust in an unfathomably wide universe often do, none of us could have ever anticipated the God forsaken atrocities that would happen in the following months.

I swear, I don't want to think about it.

What I can say though is that bad things happen when the balance shifts, and the world we're on, one that was already teetering precariously over the edge of the abyss, threatening to take the whole universe with it, was very dangerously close to falling off the slippery slope.

Plus, there were still a lot of things we didn't understand, and a lot more that we thought we did, but didn't. At least I thought we did, but as your father can attest, I've been knocked off my high horse too many times to be stubborn about things that I only think I get. Prove me I'm wrong and I will graciously accept my mistake and we can move on from that point.

Unless she was the one doing the proving. At least, at first.

That night, there was a lot on my mind. I guess your dad already told you all about it: Spider-Man was in intensive care after suffering through a fatal beating and taking an energy blast to the face; your dad, Chun-Li and Maya were in the infirmary as well after being stalked through New York by the Nemesis; Tron had gone missing, they didn't know where she was at the time; the neighborhood where Spider-Man and Deadpool held off the Mindless Ones was decimated, there were no casualties but several civilians had been injured and a lot of property damage was sustained; and finally, George Washington Bridge was in shambles, and although luckily, or rather thanks to Steve's team, there were no civilian casualties, but as you can imagine the collateral damage caused by the attack was tremendous.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was keeping the events under wraps by making a cover story about the attacks being acts of terrorism and telling Capitol that the recent attacks on the city were being investigated by the organization personally. Of course, having happened in New York, people weren't too happy with that announcement, and if they had found out it was a lie, they would have undoubtedly been furious. But if they knew the truth, if they knew what those attacks really were and what was at stake… there's no telling what would have happened.

Lastly, and most precious of all, there was still the issue of what to do with our favorite daughter dearest. It happened some three hours before I was brooding by myself at nine o'clock that night.

I didn't trust her.

I didn't trust her more than Steve Rogers distrusted telemarketers. There was just something off about believing the cosmically-powered daughter of the cosmically-powered being you were trying to oppose, who as far as you knew was the reason behind the whole dilemma you were facing. We hardly knew anything about her. She was a complete mystery to us, and as far we knew she could just be a smaller, younger and hotter version of her father, the World Devourer.

"I don't see the point of watching her from here," I told the skunk-striped, goatee sporting fellow beside me in the old, gray suit. "For all we know, she could hear us from here just fine, so I don't see the point of hiding."

"But she cannot. I assure you that she cannot," he replied back. "For every time she uses the Power Cosmic, it drains her reserves of energy, further increasing the burn rate of her metabolism, and more than likely will renew her hunger. And as I've told you before, she will do everything in her power to prevent that from happening."

"And for some reason you believe that she's going to keep herself in check and not destroy the world?"

"If she were intent on doing that, or rather, if she did not care about the fate of the world, then she would have been able to destroy this merged Earth the first time she came within reach of this planet's atmosphere, just from the sheer energy discharged by those who possess the Power Cosmic," argued Strange. "You know how fragile this planet, nay, this whole universe is. Which is why we—"

"I know, I know. You don't have to remind me every time that because of this universe's instability, constant, blunt discharge of stronger than normal bursts of concentrated, weaponized energy can cause a tear into the very fabric of space-time that's large enough to cause a full-scale, universal quantum shift, enabling reality to collapse upon itself and take all of us out along with it," I sighed. "Which is why we keep people like you, Thor, Jean, Ammy and Morrigan in check, lest all of you using the full extent of your powers cause the Earth to implode. "

"You had no need to speak of the whole thing aloud like that."

"I remember things better when I talk aloud," remarked Tony. "Anyway, if we're gonna deal with her, I would have preferred that you wore your kung-fu wizard duds. I'm wearing my armor, as you can plainly see, because I'd rather not be in a position where Galactus' little girl force chokes me or something. I suggest you do the same."

"Believe me when I say there will be no need."

"And believe me when I say that I'll know it when I see it. I'd rather be safe than sorry," I told him. "But, if I could change the subject... how's Peter doing?"

"Not good," he responded. It was about to get worst. "He lost a lot of blood. The wound in his shoulder is too large to be closed with conventional magic, and to heal the wound and replace the blood he lost would mean either Jean, Aensland or I would need to delve into a deeper form of healing magicks which, I'm afraid to say, are one of those higher forms which we must restrain from using lest we accidentally destroy the world. The Iron Fist, Danny Rand, might have been able to perform the procedure himself with his chi, but as he is on an assignment, there is no way we could summon him."

"I don't get it. How come you can still perform teleportation spells and shoot arcane bolts, but healing magic can be enough to crack the world?"

"Because healing magicks sap power from a different source than the conventional magic I use with my own energy. They consume the reserves of a mystical lifeforce that is interconnected with all beings through the red strands of fate, and thus allows them to—"

"Yeah, if you're gonna go all pseudo-mystical on me with your magical mumbo jumbo I'm not going to understand anything," I cried. "I'm a scientist after all. So yeah, sorry for asking, but if the exposition is gonna take a while, I'd rather hear it later. But what I want to know is if Peter is going to pull through."

His lower lip quivered. "Of that, I am not certain. Aside from the blood loss, the wound ripped through the bone and muscle within his chest, with his right shoulder suffering heavy tears in the ligaments. We may be able to stitch through the torn muscle and skin, and with his healing factor we may only need to set the bone and they would be able to repair themselves. But the suddenness of the damage he sustained would be our greatest obstacle, since the trauma might actually be the one that will do him in, despite the fact that he would be able to heal all—"

"Don't say that."

"Apologies, but I'd rather be blunt than bring up false hope. There is a substantial chance that he might not survive."

"And what am I going to tell Mary Jane when we get back to our Earth? 'Sorry, MJ, but we couldn't bring Peter back with us'? I can't go back there if we'll be leaving allies to die here."

There was a silence that endured quite a while afterwards.

"I've heard Chun-Li, Maya and Mr. Wright have already checked out," I said a little while later, breaking the eerie quietness around us. It was my fault that silence came about after all.

"Chun-Li is all right, considering she took quite a beating. We all know how tougher she is than she looks," he replied.

"She does like to remind us a lot, doesn't she?"

"Mr. Wright is even more surprising though," he continued. "Aside from the superficial gashes and lacerations, all he sustained was a sprained ankle. Considering he was trashed about by the Nemesis it is quite a feat. On the other hand, aside from the small cuts and bruises, Maya only suffered a fractured wrist. Her right hand will be in pain for a while, but there is nothing serious beyond that."

I was relieved. "Good to hear it," I told him. "By the way, Cap is debriefing Emma at the same time we'll be interrogating our dear daughter cosmic, right?"

"Yes, he is. I'd actually like to hear what she has to say, since we've already confirmed that she did not come from a gateway, as energy pulses are completely absent from her person."

"Plus, the disturbance we detected when we found her location didn't match with any of the pulse readings we've known to associate with any gateway," I agreed. "Is there a chance that she's, you know, a Skrull or clone or whatnot?"

"No," he assured me, "Physical examinations, fingerprint analysis, voice recognition, biometrics... everything checks out. Plus, the distinct physiological and biological characteristics we've known to detect from Skrulls when they change form, and especially from genetically-engineered clones don't show with her. She's the real Emma Frost."

"Alright, I trust you with that," I said, nonchalantly. "What I don't believe is what you're saying about her."

"What she will speak of is the truth," he told me, irritatantly, with his arms crossed over his chest. The daughter cosmic could be seen through the one-way mirror in front of us, on the other side of which she sat at a metal table in a small, darkened room. What he said surprised me a lot.

"What?" I asked him bluntly. I really couldn't see, let alone understand why he said that. As far as I was concerned, this girl can and will make a meal of this planet the second we had our backs turned. "You don't seriously believe her, do you? Look, Stephen, maybe those months you've spent in the Sanctum Sanctorum messed up your judgment. Have you even eaten anything yet? Maybe you haven't had much sleep? Because that girl, the girl inside that room, she's Galactus' daughter. The freaking daughter cosmic."

"My stay at the Sanctum Sanctorum has not clouded my judgment in any way," he answered, sternly. "In any case, it has opened my eyes to something of a greater magnitude than what we've encountered so far. The very reason why I came back now is because I had been informed of her coming. All we need to know, the truth, everything, we can only learn through her. Without her, all is lost."

I was dumbfounded. At a loss for words. Flabbergasted. The whole of existence was at the brink of destruction and Galactus' little girl would be the catalyst that could help us stop multiversal armageddon.

"Ammy, thoughts?" I asked the young lady who stood to my left, beside me. She was always so quiet that I almost forgot she was there.

She was a young woman of average height, clad entirely in a white kimono that had dark red accents, while a dark red sash was tied around her waist. There were red, swirly markings painted on her face, hands and bared shoulders, while her neck and wrists were adorned with various beads and jewels. Her hair, which was as white as the driven snow, had a small, red flower tucked neatly into it, and her eyes were as golden as the embers of a bonfire. A pair of dog ears that were protruding from the top of her head twitched as I turned to asked her.

"...Dog ears?" asked the little girl.

Phoenix and Tony stared at each other a good while before nonverbally agreeing how to go about explaining it.

"It's because she's…uh," mumbled Tony, before analyzing whether the sentence 'She could turn into a dog... no, wolf,' sounded a little bit too absurd.

"I'll tell you later," Phoenix told his daughter, realizing how hard a time they'll have later when introducing Rocket Raccoon. Stark nevertheless continued, troubled by the thought.

"Ammy thinks that we should hear her out," a voice blurted out. I looked down towards her shoulder and saw a tiny, bouncing green bu—er, sorry, I mean wandering artist, looking up at me.

"You sure about that, Issun?" I asked once more. He nodded. I then looked at her, and found her staring at me, nodding her head as well. I then turned to Strange and asked him, "All right, I trust that you know what you're doing."

I then lead the way towards the door to the room she was in. I held the doorknob for perhaps a full minute, my hands shaking, before turning it and gently pushing the door open.

I didn't trust her. Honestly, I don't want to. But with absolutely everything on the line, if salvation lied with her then I didn't have a choice.

"It's coming," she spoke softly as we entered the room.

"What is?" I asked. "Are you going to say 'The End is Nigh?'"

We sat down across from her, and I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I was," she confessed. "Was it too obvious? Perhaps something a little more subtle would suit your taste."

"Galacta," Strange interjected, "we need you to tell us what you know."

"Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme," she then said. "I believe we've met once before."

"I do not recall."

"I was a child then, so I would not assume you would remember. Also, I prefer to be called Gali, if you would not mind."

"It seems you've taken a liking to that name," asked Strange.

"Yes, I have," she agreed, and she gave one of the warmest smiles I've ever seen. "But that is not what matters now. You are all here to learn what truths I am to reveal. What has the Living Tribunal told you about me?"

"He simply informed me of your coming," answered Strange. "He told me that salvation lied within you. Rather melodramatic, but the Living Tribunal does not use words lightly. For him to insist that the fate of the multiverse lies in what you know, it would be a grave mistake not to believe you."

She leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms.

"Then please inform Mr. Stark that he should not act so condescending towards me."

"He already did," I informed her. "Look, I'll trust you because you can help us, but no more. So state your business, daughter cosmic, and then we'll consider if whatever you say will be of any use to us."

"Why must you act this way?" she asked me.

I looked her in the eye and said:

"I fail to see how a being of your supposed intelligence doesn't understand what I'm trying to say, so I'll say it straight: it's because you're the daughter of Galactus. It's because your father has threatened to eat my world more times than AMC has shown reruns of Mad Men, even now that we're on an unstable Earth whose destruction will catalyze the complete and utter annihilation of all of reality. You do understand, don't you? He wants to eat this planet even if starts multiversal Armageddon."

"It is you who should understand. My father is merely a pawn; he is not acting on his own accord," she spoke. "He knows not what he is doing, and therefore he is not the enemy that you perceive him to be. The true enemy, the one who we must oppose, is the one responsible for this deceit in order to further goals that I have yet to learn. It is because of this that I need to save my father."

"There's also that," I told her, rather condescendingly. "I'm rather doubtful of your reasons. Mr. Wright told me that you confessed to doing this for a personal stake. You're doing this only because Galactus is involved."

"And Mr. Wright might have also explained to you that due to the nature of the universe and the concept of choice, taking on this herculean task was not my decision to make."

"But you're not denying that you're doing this simply for your father?"

"I am," she answered, rather sternly. "It just so happens that unfortunately, my daddy issues coincide with the fate of the universe. I hate that absentee father of mine. I despise him, even. Perhaps as much as you humans do. You antagonize him, demonize him, and treat him like some sort of monster, and I cannot blame you for I have been doing the same."

"Then why are you doing this for him?" asked Strange.

"Like I've said, his fate ties directly with the fate of—"

"No. I mean, why are you doing this? What are your reasons?"

"Is my reason relevant to why I am in this room, being interrogated?"

"It helps me not think of you as a threat," I let her know.

She sighed.

"Very well. I could always just remind you all that without my father, the being Abraxas would come forth from his incarceration to lay waste and sow destruction upon the universe."

She smiled.

"But of course, the true reason is much more compelling. It is because… my father is a necessity." She then turned to Strange and said, "You of all humans should know that. In the vastness of the universe, none are like my father. Not even me. He was there when the universe began, and shall be there when it ends. He is a force of nature, a being who does what he does and causes so much destruction and death in the universe to keep himself alive. Why? Because no matter how many planets he ravages, nor how many civilizations he destroys, in the end he is destined to give back to the universe—infinitely so much more than what he has taken from it."

She then turned to me and said:

"That is not a personal reason born of emotions and spontaneous reactions. That is what any rational, sentient being would decide when faced with the dilemma of either preserving or destroying a being of ultimate importance such as my father. My reason was not born of a desire to protect my father, but is rather due to my desire to preserve the universe, of which my father is only coincidentally involved. Does that answer satisfy you, Mr. Stark?"

Was I prejudiced? Yes, yes I was. But was it justified, my prejudice? I'd like to think so. Here was a young woman of dubious morals who could destroy the planet with her bare hands on a whim. Yes, I was prejudiced against her father because of what he does, even if it was for some greater good in the long run. And in turn I was prejudiced against her because of what she was. Her father's daughter.

But understand that I'm doing is because of my own desire to preserve this world. It may not be the Earth I know, but something tells me this Earth wasn't just some parallel world to the one I knew. I could feel it.

"It does, somewhat," I told her. "But you should understand that I'm not just going to step aside and let him eat this world."

"You and I both, Mr. Stark," she told me. "There are things about this world that will surprise you."

"Like how this world is a time bomb waiting to explode, and this universe is an abomination that inexplicably appeared out of nowhere, doesn't really exist and shouldn't even exist, and is now threatening to destroy itself for disturbing the natural order of things, taking out the whole of reality along with it?"

Her eyes opened wide.

"Did I leave anything out?" I asked her confidently.

"Yes," she told me, crossing her arms. "Everything that made sense, in fact."

"What?"

"Apologies," she said, mockingly. "I am no good at sarcasm. What I meant to say is that you are completely wrong with your supposition. Everything about it did not make sense to one such as I who knows the truth."

"What did you say?" I cried. She was really getting to me, I'll admit.

"Tony, calm down," said Strange.

"Don't misunderstand, Mr. Stark," she said. "I've read your research on the history of this world and its universe. Very factual, and you were able to piece together all the minute details, correctly even. It just so happens that you're wrong. That is to say, you came to the wrong conclusion about this world and the universe in which it resides in."

"What are you getting at? And when did you have the time to read my research? You've been in this room since Dante found you with Mr. Wright, Chun-Li and Maya."

"Please, Mr. Stark. Don't sell my abilities as short. I have several ways for getting around since after all, I am… what did you call me? The daughter cosmic? Yes, I am that," she said. "Your hostility towards me is starting to be unbecoming of you."

She stood up and slammed both of her hands on the table. If it was anyone else, I would probably not have hesitated to Unibeam them to kingdom come once they started to get aggressive. She... Gali, just stood there, her lips quivering, anger evident on her face, but sadness was blatantly showing from her eyes.

"I am not my father, I can assure you of that. Yes, my diet does consist of the biomass of living organisms, and like my father I am susceptible to the cosmic hunger. But I am not your enemy, nor am I a force of nature like my father who, though he has no quarrel with sentient beings and other living things, still feeds on them to survive."

She paused for a bit, and continued:

"I share not his destiny to give back to the universe infinitely more than he has taken from it, but I do have a purpose which, I dare say, is greater than his. I have been tasked with preserving not just this universe, but all of reality. I have been tasked with defeating an ancient evil that has been plaguing the multiverse for as long as it had existed. I have been tasked with fulfilling a prophecy billions of years in the making. And most importantly, I have been tasked with seeing all of it through without fail, for failure would mean the cessation of all of existence. I am shouldering this herculean task on my lonesome, but I know I cannot do it alone. I brought all of you here to the world that gave birth to everything in existence because I have been bestowed by the scriptures and beacons of the Celestials the knowledge that I now possess, and according to it, I cannot triumph over my enemies without your help. This place where it all began, I brought you all here because it was written that I will not do this alone. I ask not for you to trust me, but I do ask for you to help me, Mr. Stark. We are bound together by a common goal, and as such I see no reason for us to quarrel, because only through our combined strength can we even have the chance to defend reality and everything that exists. Only through an alliance can we even hope to battle those who oppose us. So speaks Galacta."

It was then that I realized it. As powerful and all-knowing as she was, she still just a child. A young woman who as far as I knew was separated from a father who didn't care for her and whom she grew to hate, and now finds that she is part of a prophecy that has her involved in protecting said father. And if you knew how the universe works, it only starts to get worse from there.

"Now will you listen to me?" she asked, sincerely as she took her seat. Her eyes pleaded to me. Her glowing, purple eyes.

Was I prejudiced? Yes, admittedly, I was. Was I wrong about her? Yes, I guess I was, although the prejudice and paranoia I had against her didn't wane as fast as you would think. But then and there, she made me understand. If we were to fight against one another, then we would accomplish nothing.

"Alright," I told her. "You have my full attention."

And I mumbled something that sounded like an apology. I wasn't really sure, myself.

Strange and Ammy both looked at me and smiled. And then were snickering just a little while afterwards. I was left wondering if they found it funny that I actually knew how to apologize or because I didn't. I never really cared much to ask them.

"Now, what was it about this world being—"

"—the birthplace of everything?" she cut in. "It's simple, really. This planet is the progenitor of all. Which is what makes it a very important piece to solving the most important puzzle in existence."

A moment of silence came afterwards.

"A little bit of elaborating would be nice," I told her.

"Oh," she exclaimed. "I'm sorry, it is just that this whole conversation is playing in slow motion for me. Yes, this planet is the reason for the existence of everything. The first Earth, and more broadly, the first planet is this one. As such, all other planets are derived from it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You theorized that this Earth is unstable and erratic because it was never meant to be," she told me. "But you are wrong in that regard. This Earth was the first planet ever created, and was made as a template from which every other planet in this universe would be derived from. In turn, the multiverse was created when parallel versions of this Earth and all other planets were created and placed into parallel universes. Because this Earth was the template from which the multiverse, and by extension, all of reality was derived from, every universe has been designated the monicker of Earth plus an alphanumerical code."

She pointed towards me and said:

"For example, your universe is designated as Earth-616. This universe is in turn designated as Earth-TRN177. But that is besides the point: all you need to know is that this Earth was the reason for the birth of everything in existence."

"Are you saying that this Earth is some sort of Earth Prime?" asked Issun.

"No," she answered. "It is the Earth Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. It has been here from the birth of existence, and shall be there at its end." She then turned to me and Strange, and said. "In your arrogance, you humans see yourself as special in the grand scheme of things. You see yourselves as if you were at the center of everything, but I am here to tell you that your perception is not entirely unfounded. For unbeknownst to you, you humans were the race that the Celestials thought worthy enough to inhabit the planet that gave birth to existence. Though it does not make your actions any less haughty, if I may state an opinion."

"Then why is it designated with a random code like TRN177?" asked Issun once more.

"This universe, and especially this Earth, is more precious than anything else in existence," she answered. "Mr. Stark was correct when he said that its destruction would mean the end times. If you were to hide and protect something of such grave importance such as this, would you have designated it as some Earth-Prime, or Earth-Alpha, or Earth-Zero, thus making it stand out, or would you have called it something less suspicious, like the seemingly random designation of TRN177?"

"True," agreed Issun.

"But there's still the matter of the unnatural anomalies that have been occurring since the beginning," added Strange.

"According to my research, this Earth is falling apart," I told her. "Not just this Earth, but this whole universe is seemingly unstable and erratic. There are multiple shifts in its minute structures, particles are being deconstructed at a quantum level in steady rates, and there are several instances where there have been fluctuations in the natural displacement of space-time dimensions. There are too many deviations from the natural flow of the universe that it's hard not to think that reality itself is trying to tear this universe a new one."

She looked at me with fear in her eyes. It was something I never thought I'd see in any god-like being, much less the daughter of something like Galactus.

"That… I cannot say without endangering ourselves," she said. She looked straight into Strange's eyes and said, "The walls have ears, Sorcerer Supreme. In this dark space devoid of light, he listens and waits. You know who I am speaking of."

Strange's eyes widened in disbelief. "It… can't be. I see. The disturbances I've been feeling since the beginning… so there's a good reason why I can sense them. So it is him who we are ultimately facing."

"Who?" asked Issun, obliviously. "I'm not following this. And can we turn on the lights here? It's kind of creepy in here with you guys talking so ominously like that."

At first I kept on wondering to myself how peachy keen it was with her suddenly clamming up because of some sort of disturbance in the force, or something. I'm not good with metaphors. And just when things were getting juicy, everyone just suddenly stopped for fear of some eldritch voyeur listening in on our conversation. Just then, I could feel my face lightening up like a bulb. That was when it hit me.

I turned to Ammy and told her, "Ammy, would you mind turning on the lights?"

She looked at me, perplexed and with her eyebrows crossed, before she came to understand what I meant. Maybe I shouldn't have been too vague with the way I worded my request. Anyway, she then nodded, and from her sleeve she pulled out an enormous paintbrush. Gali looked at me confused for a moment. But only a moment, before she then realized what I was planning. Ammy then took the brush and pointed it towards the ceiling, and with a single stroke, drew a circle in a counterclockwise direction.

The room then illuminated with sunshine. Bright light swallowed the room and everyone in there felt a special kind of warmth that couldn't be described with mortal words. As the brightness started to dissipate into a more tolerable level, Ammy then looked at us, smiling, before taking her seat.

"Pretty smart thinking, Stark," remarked Issun. I couldn't have said it better myself.

"What was that?" asked Strange.

"Do you still feel it?" I asked him "Do you still feel that the walls have ears?"

"No, the energy… the malevolent energy dissipated," he answered. "At least in this room. What was that?"

I cleared my throat.

"That little maneuver is called Sunrise, a Celestial brush stroke," I explained. "Good at prolonging daytime, dispelling darkness, and achieving a tan. As the sun goddess, Ammy here can use it at its most effective and powerful form. Whoever this entity is that you're too afraid to talk about, even he won't be able to pierce through pure, blinding sunshine as long as Ammy's here."

I then leaned towards Gali, and asked:

"Now tell us, who is it that we're up against?"

She inhaled, and the feeling of elation on her face was evident. It was if she had been restrained for far too long and only now has had the chance to free herself.

"He-Who-Sleeps-But-Shall-Soon-Awake, The Great Old One, The Withering Devourer, The Unclosing Eye, Chtma-Gorath, Cthuma-Gurath… Shuma-Gorath," she spoke. "He is the one causing the imbalance in this world, making it unstable and erratic. All of it is being caused by presence of his… heralds, if you would call them that: the man named Albert Wesker, the man named Victor von Doom, the abomination known as M.O.D.O.K., the Skrull warrior Kl'rt who goes by the moniker of Super-Skrull, the demon-like human known as Akuma, the demon lord Dormammu, and the demonspawn called Vergil."

"Wait, we didn't know the Super Skrull is in on this. We've never seen him here. And Akuma hasn't even showed himself since the beginning," remarked yours truly. "Logan, Ryu and Laura have been on his trail for months and have never encountered him once. And about Vergil, he's only shown up recently. We don't know what exactly he's planning."

"And what about Magneto?" asked Strange.

"All the details I possess have been derived from the beacons of knowledge that the Celestials have possessed since time immemorial that foretold of these events," she explained. "All is written there: I have absorbed all knowledge that I could gather from it and now have worked out every possible permutation and every probable outcome that could be weaved onto the web of fate and things to come. As far as events come to pass, all the information I possess on my person are entirely accurate. However, they will be subject to interpretation."

"So you've become some sort of seer?" asked Issun.

"Somewhat," she answered. "It is hard to explain."

"Would you at least try," he asked once more.

"I believe that the term seer is partially applicable to me, as through the prophecies I have studied from the beacons, I am able to preemptively predict future events in relation to our ordeal. That is, I am able to predict every future event in the web of things to come. I know everything that is to possibly happen, and through the partial web I have woven, depending on events that have already transpired, I may be able to foresee the future using the knowledge I've gained from the beacons by eliminating the least probable outcomes and integrating the most possible events through the results of previous endeavors."

"But..."

"But unfortunately, they are not concrete," she spoke sadly. "They are prophecies after all, and all are open to interpretation."

"We'll worry about your prophecies later," I told her. "What about Magneto, the Skrull and Akuma?"

"For now, I know nothing of the mutant Magneto, the demon Akuma, and their whereabouts, nor what the Super Skrull has been up to in the last nine months that he has not made an appearance. All I am sure of are that the former is not part of this treacherous alliance, and the latter two are."

"And you're sure of that?" I asked her.

"Positive."

Everyone fell silent, as we did our best to absorb the information overload we just suffered through. It was a while before I got to thinking about other things. Mainly:

"So, if Shuma-Gorath is their benefactor," I realized. "Then you're—"

"—yours. Correct," she confirmed. "As I have already mentioned, I am the reason why you are here. The decision was not made by me, you must understand, but it is what the beacon has foretold I would do in a number of possible, interwoven events. It would be rather mind-racking for all you if I were to explain it this moment. You only have to trust me for now, that the decisions I made are not without reason."

"Wait a minute," I cried. "This isn't the first time this has happened. This is the third time… the third cycle, and it's been happening for years. But if you're saying that the reason we're here is you, does that mean that all those other times—Onslaught, Abyss, Apocalypse—those were because of Shuma-Gorath? That this ordeal has been happening for so long? That there was something happening in the background, something underneath the surface... and we've been completely oblivious to it for so long?"

She seemed thoughtful for a moment. "I cannot answer that, at least, not now. For the meantime, it is better that we do not stray off-topic. Certain revelations are unhealthy if it is not the time and place for them."

I had so many questions. So many things that I didn't understand. But I knew they had to wait. There's a reason for everything, there are no accidents—we kept repeating those words to ourselves because it was the only way to keep ourselves sane. This ordeal, once you get the gist of it, is frightening to think about. If we lose, if we had failed... we would have lost everything.

So sometimes we just had to pretend that there was a pretty good reason why we were doing the things we did, why we were sacrificing so much. It was because we knew what was at stake. We needed to force ourselves to believe there was a good reason reality was trying to screw us over. Because in this line of work, kiddo: the world, the universe… everything only made sense when you force it to.

"Alright. Still, I don't see how Galactus factors into all of this," I told her. "Also, since you were the one who sent us here, then you would probably be able to enlighten us on the nature of the gateways."

"There is, as well, still the issue of what Shuma-Gorath wishes to accomplish through his actions," added Strange.

"The gateways are... a rather complicated matter," she answered. "Also, what Shuma-Gorath has to gain is something I know not as well. It is a mystery to me as it is to you. What I do know is that he has deceived my father into attacking this planet. We all know that since this planet is the progenitor of all planets, its destruction would be the catalyst that would cause a chain of devastation and annihilation throughout the universe. It would seem that with his current actions, that event would be his desired outcome, although how it would benefit him is beyond my rationalization."

"Yeah, but you're making it out to be a little too simple," I told her.

"How so?" she asked me, confused.

It was time for me to ask the obvious question. "I mean, how do you get a being like Galactus to play into the palm of your hand? How did Shuma-Gorath do it?"

"Simple," she stated, as-a-matter-of-factly. "He gave him a target."

I came across a peculiar game of chess as I made my way from the interrogation room to the second level of the residential wing. As I stared at the pieces, it was obvious that whoever was playing red was only three steps away from winning. And that made me think deeply about our situation. Which is funny, because I don't think much of chess.

But to be reminded that at any moment my opponent could be no more than a few moves away from a win was nothing short of frightening for me. That was something that I didn't want to happen in this ordeal. I wanted to get ahead. I needed to plan things out, think about my moves in advance, and create a strategy... I needed all the advantages I could get my hands on. It was a fight for the soul of the multiverse, and I wasn't willing to lose. I didn't even want to think about what would happen if I lost.

God, it was depressing.

Just then, my phone rang. I flipped it open and answered the call. It was Pepper.

"Tony," she said, "Your seven o'clock just finished. Captain Rogers and Miss Frost have come out of the meeting room, and Captain Rogers wants to see you. He assumes you're finishing up now."

"Tell him I'm just about done," I told her. "What about Chun? Has she come out yet?"

I could hear her covering the receiver with her hand while she talked to someone. I never really found out who it was she was talking to, but she came back a short while later and said, "No, they say she's still locked herself inside and that she shut the door pretty tight. I feel bad for her, Tony."

"Don't worry," I reassured her. "The best we can do is leave her alone for now for her to calm down on her own. Pitching in might only aggravate her further. Besides—"

There was something else that Gali told us before we each went our separate ways. Something about the world merger. Something about there being some sort of treachery behind its creation. After she told us about this world being Earth-Zero, the progenitor of worlds, I had come up with the conclusion that the reason this world and the universe it's in seemed like an amalgamation of worlds and universes was because it was the first, and such, it had the combined, unique qualities of all worlds. It logically made sense.

I was wrong again, of course. It really is a merged Earth, at least, that's what she told me before she left the room with Ammy. She told me that this world was originally a world devoid of uniqueness. A blank canvas, if you will. Perfectly normal, and with nothing supernatural about it. And if you've been paying attention to your dad's story, you'll recall that that was my very first assumption.

When Gali tugged at my armored arm and told me that, she also told me of three keys to unlocking the secrets of the world merger. Why it was important wasn't apparent at the time, and you'll learn about it soon enough, anyway. The important detail however, is that she told me Peter is one of those keys. That Peter would be okay, and that I didn't need to worry about him. She told me he'll be fine, before she walked away.

And so I told Pepper:

"—I think Peter will be waking up soon."

"Tony, false hope isn't going to help. I mean… I'm in his room right now. Everyone else is, too, actually. His condition is stable—"

Stable. There's a word I hate. When doctors say 'stable', they actually mean 'can still die but we'd rather not think about it, and so shouldn't you'. I hated that word.

Because truthfully, nothing is ever stable. Everything changes.

Except war.

War. War never changes.

"—but the doctors are saying... I mean, I would really be glad if he were to wake up soon, but it would be better if we didn't… Tony, I hope you know what you're saying."

"I do. Oh, and Pepper?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry for everything and thanks for everything."

"Huh? What for?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry and apologize for everything I did wrong, and thank you and show my appreciation for everything you did right. I just… feel like I've been jerk to you… and the whole human race, at that."

"I also called her a thing. Along with every human on the planet. Did your daddy tell you about that?"

"Yeah, he did."

"Good. Then I don't have to explain myself."

"You wouldn't be Tony Stark, otherwise."

"Very funny."

"You're welcome," she said, mockingly. "But seriously though, thanks. I appreciate it."

There was a slight pause before she came up again, and said:

"Well, you should go meet Captain Rogers. He said he'll be in the library."

"Will do."

I closed my phone and put it back in my pocket. Surely she wasn't making it all up. Gali, I mean. She wouldn't, because she had no reason to. And there's a reason for everything and stuff and... no matter how tiring and repetitive it seemed, we needed to push on. Giving up wasn't on the agenda. It never was, but it seemed so much like the easier option that anyone with a weak disposition would have given up just for a chance to be in peace.

Peter wasn't one to give up, and so I had to emulate his example. Gali said he would live, and all I could do was to trust her. I needed to grab every ray of sunshine that I could, and regrettably, I did.

I also didn't go into the library that day.

That night, there was a knock on the door of my penthouse. I was busy then with decrypting the blueprints Jill had sent along with her report on Wesker's pet project that I didn't realize how late it was. To say that his project was depraved was nothing short of an understatement, but something about it felt off. Like the whole project didn't feel like it was something he'd do. Or at least, there was an element missing that because it wasn't there, it didn't feel like it was a master plan he had spent months on end making. As I walked towards the door I happened to glance at the clock on the wall. It was a few minutes past nine in the evening.

I opened to the door to find a rather unsettling sight.

"Steve, sorry I forgot I was supposed to meet you about Emma," I muttered frantically. His head was hanging like a drunk man's, but I knew better than to think that he came to my office drunk. He couldn't even get drunk, actually. "Good thing you came like you did. JARVIS was just—"

"Tony."

"—decrypting Jill's report on Wesker—"

"Tony."

"—and to tell the truth, there's a lot about this project that—"

"Tony."

"—didn't make sense. To begin with, it has—"

"Tony."

"—an eerie... yeah? Oh, right. You first. So what did Emma Frost had to say? It's still really—"

Steve then grabbed my shoulders with both hands. It was only then that I noticed his face.

"Steve. You're crying."

He mumbled something, and with the only light in the room coming from the porch where my desk was near, I didn't quite see his lips move. There was only the sound of his voice muttering something under his breath.

"What did you say?"

He repeated, his voice much clearer now. I felt my eyes open wide. I didn't understand what had happened then. I didn't understand what I did afterwards that night.

I swear I don't want to think about.

But I remember waking up the next morning hungover. Pepper was at my bedside, putting away the bottles of wine and vodka by the foot of my bed. A lot of them were broken, shattered messes. I was one, too, actually. Pepper held my right hand—which was hurting and covered in bandages, and I swear I don't remember why—and told me that everything was going to be okay. I lashed out at her, but I didn't mean to. She knew that I didn't.

She didn't blame me for it; for making her hope, I mean. I wanted to say sorry, but nothing came out of my mouth. All she could say in turn was how everything was going to be okay. I didn't like it, but I didn't blame her if that was all she could say. After all, I didn't know what to say either. I didn't know if there was anything that needed to be said, really.

But I wanted to ask her how everything would be okay. I wanted to ask her how the hell everything was going to be fine.

I mean, how in hell was everything going to be fine?

Peter Parker is dead.

End of Chapter 10