Issue 11: The Wish Seed and the Dream Stone
BGM-Sonic the Hedgehog 4 OST-Reboot
The wind blows the leaves through a lush green forest, cut off from any civilizations for miles. Somewhere in the forest a portal from an unknown location opens up in the forest, and out from the portal are three shady individuals that definitely don't look friendly. One of the individuals look similar to Spider-Man but completely metallic, possessing a more sinister red-and-black color scheme with reinforced shoulder pads and a nanotech web cape. The second individual shares a robotic resemblance to Sonic the Hedgehog, looking more evil than the original as evident with a pronounced body armor like a spiky belt with a black cape protruding out of the back of the waist. And the last mysterious being also looks like a hedgehog wearing a dark blue hooded cloak that gives off the mysterious, vagrant appearance to invoke fear to all those that cross his path.
The black hedgehog looks to the clear blue sky as he starts speaking to his teammates, "Are you sure we're in the right location?"
"Affirmative, Grimadoom. According to our radar, there's a 62% chance at least one Exo Stone is located in this dimension." The robot hedgehog answered him.
"62? I would be a little happier if it was 63. Where is it?" Grimadoom asked.
"Somewhere east. 240 miles from where we stand, but that's all I can determine. There's a mysterious energy flux harping the radar." The mecha wall-crawler answered this time as he's having trouble getting a precise fix on the Exo Stone.
"Your right. My Thor DNA is reacting to the weird energy in the air. It seems that divine work is at play and are at war with one another. We really need to upgrade our radar for interference. Nonetheless, this seeks investigating. Metal Sonic. Mecha Spider-Man. Do a little exploring. Learn what you can from the natives of this world. Find out what we're potentially up against. I'll go and procure that Exo Stone." Grimadoom said as he crosses his arms.
"Affirmative. But I thought we told you. We go by NEO Metal Sonic and NEO Mecha Spider-Man while in this form." Neo Metal Sonic made clear to the team leader.
"What a mouthful. Whatever. Let's get this over with. I'll send you the coordinates to rendezvous later." Grimadoom grunted as the whole Team Superior charge up their aura and, in a flash, flies off across this new world to their own separate assignments.
BGM End
"I can't believe Hades was behind the entire Underworld invasion!" Pit said, holding onto the Royal Blade as he and the D-Avengers rush out the door to their next mission above the clouds of a volcanic area.
BGM-Kid Icarus Uprising OST-The Wish Seed (Volcano Route)
'Both him and Loki! They created Medusa to distract everyone!' Palutena said while they quickly confront Underworld enemies.
"What do you think those two are really after?" Weiss asked.
"What else? The Exo Stone! It's the only reason those two teamed up!" Sonic said while kicking a Komayto.
'It's something big as far as I know. Because of Loki, Hades hasn't just overstepped his realm, he's kicked down the door. What I DO know is that Underworld forces have assembled at a volcano nearby. And that's where today's mission is taking us.' Palutena said as she guides the heroes diving the smoky skies to the surface of erupting lava.
Pit gasped and fisted his fist together after destroying some Shulms, "Oh, I just put it all together!"
"You did?" Spidey replied, looking a bit surprised Pit thought of something on his own.
Pit happily nodded, "The Underworld Army is here to steal magma!" He believed, making the others sigh as they know that's completely not the case.
'No, you idiot! Hades and Loki wants the Wish Seed.' Ero told him.
"Oh. Of course." Pit sheepishly replied as he refocuses his attention on Syrens and Paramushs.
"What's the Wish Seed?" Lucina asked the gods.
'Ask Palutena, even though the answer should be obvious.' Ero said.
'From what I've heard, it grants any single wish. As you might imagine, it's quite sought after.' Palutena answered.
"So it's not an Exo Stone? We seriously need to start finding that thing. Still, I can imagine a wish-granting relic could spell world-ending." Spidey said while blasting Gloomerangs.
"I could really use one of those! My wish would be to fly by myself!" Pit smiled.
'What a complete waste of a wish,' Ero criticized Pit's selfish and honestly unimportant wish. 'Anyway-.'
"Don't change the subject!"
'Do you want me to rip the "wings" off your spineless back?' Ero threatened the young angel with a dark tone in his threat.
"Eep!"
'Thought so. Anyway, the Underworld forces seem to be very interested in the Wish Seed.' Ero said.
"Who knows what the evil duo would wish for it they got it?! It could be a total disaster!" Sonic said after homing attacking a Vakloom.
'I couldn't agree more. Let's hurry, Avengers. If Hades has entered the game with Loki, they're playing to win.' Palutena said.
"Plus, if anyone deserves a wish, it's me!" Pit grinned.
'Hmph.' Ero remarked.
"Or maybe one of you guys. How 'bout you, Lucina? What would you wish for?" Pit asked her.
"I already received my wish of vanquishing Grima from my world thanks to my father and my friends. I have no other wish needed granting." Lucina smiled, still grateful for the friends who helped her defeat Grima and saved her future.
"Ah. That's cool. What about you, Sonic?" Pit turned the blue hedgehog next about his wish.
"Nah. I'm good. I already have my awesome speed, great friends, and a lifetime pass of incredible adventures just waiting to happen." Sonic grinned as he kick-board a Handora off his Gear.
"Haha. Should've expected that. What about you, Weiss?" Pit turned to Weiss after she destroyed some Daphne and a Paramush.
"Honestly, if anyone deserves a wish, Spider-Man should have it." Weiss smiled as she turns to Peter.
"Huh? Really? But-?" Spidey asked, a bit shock she would give a potential wish to him.
"No buts! You work tirelessly, day and night, protecting New York, without ever asking for a single thank you. Just think. You could use the Wish Seed to bring back your love ones, like your Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn. Out of everyone, YOU deserve a little good fortune." Weiss explained a valid good reason why Peter deserves a little happiness in his double life as kid and a superhero.
"Thanks Weiss. Really, thank you. And as much as I would LOVE to see Uncle Ben again…" Peter sighs before he finishes what he's about to say, "I'll have to decline."
"WHAT?!" The D-Avengers exclaimed in utter shock.
"Huh?!" Pit exclaimed himself.
'But, Spider-Man, are you sure?' Palutena asked him if that's really his final decision.
"There are other people out there suffering way worse than me. Some lost their whole families or they don't have a job or are even homeless. I wish for a world where everyone is happy. Not through some magic rock, but through our own hands. Or else we won't treasure the world we got, we'll just take it for granted. Struggling. REALLY earning for that dream. 'Sides, I don't like messing with power that could end the world. I've already done that for more than one lifetime." Spidey joked at the end there, but truly meant everything he said about helping people with his own hands and not from a glorified cheat code.
Everyone smiles and nods in acknowledgement of Peter's decision, respecting his choice. Ero too nods with a smile as he knows what Peter is always about: Sacrificing his own life to help others in need. Palutena finds it heart-warming, and inspiring to have met a mortal who has a big heart of selflessness that surpasses hers to help everyone in the world, in any world, before he could help himself, truly coming to respect Spider-Man more and more by the day. 'That's a world I wish for too.' She muttered to herself as the team speeds up pass enemy defensives, approaching a molten cave.
"Let's take that cave!" The team follows Spidey's lead through the cave, blasting the Fire Wyrm to bits in the process of exiting to a very large, and highly active pool of lava that leaves them amazed.
"This is incredible!" Pit exclaimed
"You could say that again!" Sonic said.
'Yes, the volcano's guardian puts on quite a show.' Palutena said.
"Who's the volcano's guardian?" Lucina asked.
'The immortal bird. The Phoenix.' Ero answered.
"The cosmic entity from space?" Spidey joked.
'Not that Phoenix!'
"Hmm…So if the Phoenix is protecting the Wish Seed…Does that mean he created the Wish Seed too?" Pit wondered.
'That reminds me…Phoenix eggs make the most "divine" omelets. Or so I've heard.' Palutena joked.
"Now I'm hungry to try it out." Sonic replied.
"What does THAT have to do with ANYTHING?!" Both Weiss and Pit replied to the goddess of light as they continue shooting down enemy forces down a volcanic ravine that could instantly burn Pit's wings from a little contact.
'How are you guys holding up there?' Palutena asked.
"I'm…very sweaty." Pit replied.
"It's a good thing I built in temperature control into our suits, right Pit?" Spidey teased as his team are wearing custom suits that can control how hot or cold they can be, or in Sonic's case his Flame Shield somehow keeps him cool.
"I hate you all." Pit told them, looking jealous.
'There's an alternate tunnel route that might be cooler.' Palutena offered.
"Oh, good timing!" Pit sighed in relief as they fly out of the ravine.
'But it will take us a little out of our way. I'll let you guys decide. Either we go directly to the volcano to the right or go left through the tunnel.' Palutena said.
"Volcano!" Both Sonic and Spidey chose and immediately sped off to the volcanic route, leaving Pit, Weiss, and Lucina.
"Those two really want to die, don't they?" Weiss glared as they quickly disappear from her line of sight. "C'mon. Let's head into the tunnel." She gestured the other two to follow.
BGM End
BGM-Kid Icarus Uprising OST-The Wish Seed (Cave Route)
"I hope it's cooler in there!" Pit hoped as the three non-daredevilish heroes ride through the much cooler tunnel. "Ahhh. Much better." Pit smiled.
"Are they gonna be okay?" Lucina asked about Sonic and Spidey.
"About 60/40." Weiss replied.
"Does the 60 mean they have a better chance of surviving?" Lucina asked.
"Nope."
"Uh, guys. What's the better chance WE'LL survive, 'cause, uh, the magma level's rising in here…" Pit asked.
"Pit, PLEASE shut up!" Weiss yelled.
"I hope we have a 60% chance of surviving!" Lucina said, a little worried.
'Hopefully it' won't rise too fast…' Palutena hoped.
As they make their way out of the heated tunnel, a waterfall of flaming lava pours down, causing them to scream as they are blocked from their exit.
'Stay calm, guys!'
"Stay calm?! You're not the one who's about to get steamed like a dumpling!" Pit shouted.
'I said STAY CALM!'
"We're trying!" Weiss retorted.
Thankfully, Palutena quickly found an alternate route for them to fly through safely. "Thank you, milady. I thought we were done for sure." Lucina sighed in relief.
'Don't thank me yet! Behind you!'
The three slowly turn around to horrifyingly see the lava rapidly rising towards them at an alarming speed. "Huh?! OH COME ON!" Weiss shouted as they make a break for the exit before they get cremated.
"WHOOOOOA-OA NO, NO, PLEASE NO!" Pit shouted.
'Hang on!' Palutena speeds up everyone to their maximum out the tunnel.
Nearby outside, Sonic and Spidey were racing each other as they exit the volcanic route they took. "YEEEEE-HAAAAAAW!" Spidey yelled as the two tie outside the tunnel to bear witness to its blazing eruption.
"Whoa…" They shared the same reaction, then notices their other teammates outside the tunnel covered in soot.
"That was way too close for comfort." Lucina remarked.
'No need to get all hot under the collar though, right?' Palutena joked, causing them to groan in disgust.
"You just couldn't resist, could you?" Pit muttered.
"Hey guys, what happened? Did we miss anything?" Spidey asked as he and Sonic approaches them.
"We almost got burned to a crisp!" Weiss shouted.
"Aw man. That sounded so much more fun than the boring volcano we raced through." Sonic replied, nonchalantly.
"W-What…I just…I can't…can we just land soon, please?" Weiss sighed tirelessly, having no clear understanding of him and Peter's nonchalant attitude to the extreme dangers of life.
"Yes, please. Oh, I hope my scandals don't melt." Pit said.
'Don't worry. I'll get you some new ones after this mission.' Palutena replied as the team are set to land on Phoenix Mountain.
BGM End
Phoenix Mountain
BGM-Kid Icarus Uprising OST-Phoenix Mountain
All the Avengers land safely on the ground, dematerializing their flying equipment back to their wrist storage. Meanwhile, Pit was approaching the land a little too fast and skids to a halt, tipping over the edge. "Whoa. Whoa whoa whoa. Whoa!" He said as he falls over the edge.
"Pit!" Peter exclaimed, thinking he fell to the lava, and rushes over only to find he landed on a lower strip of the volcanic environment. "Oh." He casually said before jumping down with his friends.
"Ah! Take it easy, will ya?" Pit asked Palutena as he slowly stands up while scratching his butt.
'The Underworld Army has already reached the Phoenix. But they're facing severe resistance.' She said.
"This Phoenix sounds like a tough opponent." Lucina said as they start exploring the area and fighting Magmoo.
"And very hot." Spidey punned.
"Spidey, no." Weiss glared at him.
"So if we want the Wish Seed too…" Pit began.
'You're going have to hunt down the Phoenix, and kill it like any hunter.' Ero finished.
"I was afraid you'd say that." Pit replied, looking gloom to kill an innocent, but dangerous bird.
'Don't worry. He's the Phoenix. He'll come back to life.' Palutena assured him.
"That's not exactly what I'm worried about. What I mean to say is...I'm not scared. I'm not scared at all!" Pit repeatedly told himself.
"Saying it twice doesn't make it more convincing, dude." Sonic told him.
"How about if I say it a third time? I'm not scared at all!" Pit said again.
"Relax, Pit. Just be glad it's not the other Phoenix I know. That one can destroy solar systems at minimum power." Spidey told him.
"Why is your universe so crazy?" Pit asked as they walk through a door, just as someone's about to talk inside their heads.
'Well, helloooooo there! Glad to see you made it!' Hades greeted his lovely adversaries.
"Hades!" Pit growled.
"Ah great. It's NOT-James Woods." Spidey said with his hands on his hips.
'I'm sorry, who? I only know of a S. Scott Bullock.' Hades joked.
'Ignore the buffoon, Hades. It's just another one of his pathetic attempts at humor.' Loki entered the conversation.
"And the evil dynamic duo returns. What do you guys want?" Sonic asked the dark duo when they are forced to a little brawl with Hades's minions.
'So the "good guys" covet the Wish Seed too. Tell me, God Spider, what do you wish for? Cobwebs for your next Halloween party? Oh such a waste. I could provide you the ones I have in my basement. I'm sure they would look so good on your wall. Wouldn't you agree, Other?' Hades asked Ero, receiving nothing but a yawn from the tired totem.
'…Hm? Did you say something?' Ero asked.
'Oh my goodness! No one has ever ignored me like that! That was very good, it makes you worthy as my rival. That attitude is so modern, it almost pisses me off.' Hades said, seeing Ero as his one-and-only rival that could match him.
'Right…' Ero replied while raising an eyebrow.
'Okay, how about you, goddess? What do YOU wish for with the Wish Seed?' Loki asked Palutena.
'I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!' Palutena replied.
'Thanks so much for asking! Actually, me and Hades have one, humble little wish.' Loki said as he projects a screen to the heroes, showing a young child crying by two coffins.
"What is this?!" Lucina asked.
'You see this poor child? Both of her parents are dead. Awww… There was an unfortunate accident, if you know what I mean.' Hades said with a smile they cannot see.
"You mean you murdered them!" Pit frowned.
'Actually, it was Loki.'
'It was a simple case of distracted chariot driving. I knew it wasn't the best time to polish my staff.' Loki joked. 'Anyway, we were hoping to use the Wish Seed to bring back the parents.'
"That's…kind?" Spidey said as the screen switches to the same child eating cake with her two, revived zombie parents.
'I'm glad you approved. Can you think of anything more joyous than a family reunion?' Hades asked.
"A mountain-size of chili dogs?" Sonic joked.
'Sort of, except replace chili dogs with freshly-wished cash, and then we'd slap crowns on all of them and make 'em royalty!' Hades said as the screen quickly shifts to the family surrounded by cash then wearing crowns before the screen disappears just as the heroes defeated that batch of monsters.
'And that's basically the gist of our wish. Pretty noble and not at all evil, right?' Loki asked.
"Uh-huh." Weiss replied, crossing her arms, completely non-convinced.
'We can't think of anyone MORE deserving of the Wish Seed than yours truly.' Loki said.
'Spider-Man deserves that wish more than you two.' Palutena told them.
"But I said I don't want it." Spidey remarked.
'See? Even Silky agrees we're more deserving.' Hades said.
"That's not what I said either." Spidey remarked again.
'So let me get this straight. You, the lord of the Underworld, working together with the God of Mischief and EVIL, wants to revive the dead. That's somewhat at odds with both your "mission statement," wouldn't you say?' Palutena asked the malicious partners.
'Don't tell me the goddess of light hasn't heard of altruism before.' Loki remarked.
"What a load of baloney!" Pit said.
"You can't honestly expect us to believe what you say is true!" Weiss said.
'Our intentions are pure.' Hades said.
"As pure as rotten meat.' Sonic said.
'You don't mean that. As the God of Mischief and his benevolent lord of the Underworld, you have our word.' Loki promised.
"Hah!" Spidey snickered.
'That just makes me more suspicious.' Palutena said.
'How cold of you. Your words pierce our hearts like, uh, what do you call your species again?' Hades quickly turned to Loki.
'Frost Giants.'
'A frost giant icicle.'
"This is gonna be a LONG mission." Spidey said as they continue their trek through the lava-filled mountain, eventually coming across an Exo Tank on a small racetrack.
"Hey Pit. Wanna race?" Sonic asked him.
"No!"
"Great!" Sonic retorted as he grinningly starts running on the track, leaving a sighing Pit to chase him on the racing vehicle to quickly lose as Sonic's already at the end with the treasure.
"I win!" Sonic said as his ego rises to the level of ignoring Pit's annoyed growl.
While those two are messing around, Spidey leads the girls into a room with Remoblam and Remoblamlings. "What are those?" Lucina points to the floating Remoblam.
"That joke is so old." Spidey quipped.
'A Remoblam. It controls its Remoblamlings to blow up near its targets. It's best to take it out to eliminate the rest.' Ero suggested.
"Already on it." Spidey webs up the Remoblam and throws it to its explosive babies, killing all in a single shot. "Score!" He fist-pumped while an arriving Pit almost took damage from a lava geyser.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Pit said as he makes tiny hops away from the fiery geyser.
"Be careful, Pit. Those geysers are dangerous." Lucina told him.
"You THINK?" Pit replied.
Meanwhile, after barely surviving the onslaught of a Mimicutie, Sonic and Weiss walk up a temple-like structure and confront a switch. "A switch? I wonder what it does?" Weiss wondered as she sees Sonic walking up to the switch. "Sonic! Don't-!" Her words fell on deaf ears as Sonic casually kicks the switch, causing the statue the two are standing on to slide downwards, making a loud thump that almost made them fall off.
"So that's what it does. Neat." Sonic said that made Weiss exasperate.
'Now that the stature has settled into the lava, I don't think it'll budge.' Palutena said.
"Well, I wouldn't either if I was soaking in a nice hot bath." Pit said.
"You can take on now if you want." Peter joked as he gestures his hands to a heated lava pool.
"Uh, I was hoping for something a little less skin-melting." Pit said as he nervously scratches his hair.
"Makes sense." Spidey said as they exit the door to encounter a Guttler.
'Well, look at that. It's an Underworld Guttler.' Palutena said.
"So, what's its deal?" Sonic asked.
'It gobbles up friends and foes alike, getting extremely strong in the process.' Palutena replied.
"It eats its own allies to get stronger. Talk about a true demon!" Lucina said as her eyes widen in surprise.
'And its strength grows with every bite it takes, so if you see one, defeat it quickly.' Palutena advised.
"We're on it!" Weiss draws out her rapier along with Lucina as they battle the Guttler.
"Don't we know someone else that eats people to get stronger?" Sonic asked Pit.
"You mean Kirby?" Pit replied.
"Yeah, him."
"What's a Kirby?" Spidey asked as Weiss freezes the Guttler in place for Lucina to slice it to two.
"That wasn't so hard. Now, where are-?" Weiss pauses as she notices the boys entering a hot spring room, causing her to growl while Lucina chuckles nervously from behind.
"You just gotta love a nice hot spring to cool the nerves." Spidey said while relaxing in the warm pool.
"Who's got two thumbs and loves hot springs?! Everyone with two thumbs!" Pit said while giving Sonic a high-five, but was immediately cut off by a magic bubble that lifted the three up and returned them to an angry Weiss.
"It was Pit's idea!" Sonic quickly pointed to the chuckling angel before the three are forcefully thrown to the next room and bounce off the lava to lie on their backs on the molten ground, just as Hades re-enters the call.
'Oh, you boys aren't looking so "hot". Girl trouble?' He joked.
"Oh, hi Hades… How do you know my love life sucks?" Spidey painfully asked as they get up with Weiss and Lucina quickly joining them.
'Through Wikipedia, my spider friend. It's not that hard to figure out. So, Pretty Paluteeeeena! Can you and your boyfriend hear me?' He sang.
'Ero is not my boyfriend.' Palutena denied.
'I rather kill her than date her.' Ero said.
"But you did." Weiss remarked.
'I lost a bet!'
'Well that's interesting.' Loki remarked.
'You never told us your wish, Palutena. Even after we bared our very soul to you!' Hades said.
'Right. Your wish? I don't buy it. In fact, it makes me doubt this entire story. Answer me this: does the Wish Seed even have the power to grant wishes?' Palutena asked.
'You're a sharp one.' Hades mockingly replied. 'How'd you guess?'
"What?! Are you serious? The Wish Seed is a fake?" Pit asked.
'It's so obvious to me now. I mean, the idea of a Wish Seed is pretty farfetched. An item like that could make anyone more powerful than the gods.' Palutena said.
Spidey chuckled. "I dunno. Have you VISITED my universe? We have thousands of powerful, godlike items. We have so many, one of them is probably on display at a museum, which was the case before we got here." He said, referring to the Tablet of Death and Entropy he and his team stopped Mr. Negative from retrieving for his own purposes.
'What is WRONG with your universe?' Palutena asked the wall-crawler.
'I don't see anything wrong with his universe. It sounds so much more fun than this one.' Hades commented.
"It's a good thing none of us really cared about the Wish Seed to begin with." Sonic said as the D-Avengers were pretty good with their lives already.
"Speak for yourself!" Pit said. "I wanted to wish for…a kazillion wishes!"
"But wait. If the Wish Seed doesn't work, why's the Underworld Army going after it?" Weiss wondered.
'To make everyone, us included, believe that it's real.' Palutena said.
Just then, the heroes start to hear Loki chuckle, as he found Palutena's statement oddly amusing, 'You are…HALF correct, my dear.'
'Excuse me?'
'It is true that the Wish Seed ITSELF is fake, but what's hidden within is not.'
'That…doesn't make a whole lot of sense.'
'Oh trust me, it will. Tell me, Spider, what was your original intention when arriving in this world?' Loki asked Spider-Man.
"Uh, to collect the Exo Stone and save the world?" Spidey replied.
'And have you "found" the Exo Stone yet?'
"We kinda got tied up braiding Medusa's snake hairs then had to deal with you and Hades McLee."
'How did you know "McLee" was my last name?' Hades joked.
'How about you check that radar of yours to figure out the Stone's location. The war isn't so intense now for your mortal scanners to be blinded by its power.' Loki advised
Spidey pulls up a holographic screen to check out the Exo Stone's current location. "Huh. My scans are indicating an Exo Stone is close by. In this area even." Then at that moment, Spidey's eyes widen as he figured out what Loki's trying to say. "Oh no…Are you telling me that-?"
'Finally, you've figured it out. The Wish Seed is merely a casket to hold its TRUE prize: The Exo DREAM Stone!' Loki revealed.
"The Dream Stone?!" Pit remarked looking shock, just like his friends and Palutena.
'Correct. And unlike the fabled Wish Seed, the Dream Stone can grant the user's ANY wish with no limitation, except for the part it can only grant one wish per year, but it still has many other "destructive" capabilities I'm sure you Avengers have already experienced.' Loki said.
'That kind of power could bring ruin to the whole world! The whole universe in your hands!' Palutena remarked in utter horror.
'Our original plan was to trick the humans into thinking somebody got a hold of the fake Wish Seed. You know how greedy they can be to the point of wiping themselves into extinction for it. But when Loki found out about the Dream Stone, we made some "slight" alterations to our ingenious plan.' Hades said.
"You'll keep the real deal as a bonus while still driving the people to kill each other for a fake." Sonic deduced.
'Exactly! You're pretty smart for a sewer rathog.' Hades insulted.
"I'm not a rathog! I'm a hedgehog!" Sonic shouted.
'Is there much of a difference?' Hades sassily asked, causing Sonic to growl.
"But the Phoenix! It could wipe out humanity if the Underworld frees him!" Lucina said.
'You're right, child. It would seem we have no other choice but to defeat the Phoenix.' Ero calmly responded.
'Urgh! We've fallen right into their trap!' Palutena growled.
'Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear! Actually, scratch that. It'll get you a hot date with the Phoenix.' Loki smiled.
'Ciao.' Hades nonchalantly said as the evil duo leave the telepathic group chat.
"Damn it…" Spidey muttered under his breath. "All the people are gonna suffer. If only I figured out the Exo Stone's location sooner." He berated himself for falling under the villains' trap.
'Don't blame yourself, Spider-Man. We can still stop them if you hurry to the Phoenix. Remember, we both share the wish of creating a peaceful world through our own hands. We can't allow Hades and Loki to ruin that dream.' Palutena said encourage Spidey to keep on fighting.
"Yeah, I know. Still, I don't think the Phoenix will be happy to see us." Spidey replied.
"I'm sure it'll be alright. Maybe." Sonic hoped as they finish off another wave of baddies and proceed hopping across several floating platforms to a larger platform.
'The Phoenix is up ahead.' Palutena said.
'Go die now!' Hades "cheered" them on.
"Thanks for the encouraging words!" Spidey made a last-second quip before they arrive on the arena.
BGM End
The Avengers hurry onto the large arena where they notice the Wish Seed floating idly by itself. "The Wish Seed looks real enough…" Pit said while Peter opens up his holographic radar.
"And if I'm reading this right, the Exo Stone is inside, just like Loki said." Spidey said as his Spider-Sense perks him up to a large screeching bird approaching them.
"It's the Phoenix!" Lucina points as the green Phoenix crashes down in a form of a fiery ball.
"Is that it? I was expecting Jean Grey." Spidey quipped.
'For the last time, that's a different Phoenix!' Ero shouted as the flaming Phoenix bird screeches at the heroes.
BGM-Kid Icarus Uprising OST-Boss Fight 1
"Let's deal with bird brain first before we secure the stone." Sonic suggested.
"So we should go ahead and attack him?" Weiss asked him before her eyes glances to fireballs coming straight at them and forcing the heroes to dodge the Phoenix's flaming attacks.
'You have no choice. Unless you want to be flambéed. The Phoenix is cranky after fighting Underworld forces. Who knows what he's capable of? You need to stop him.' Palutena said.
"Oh, WE WILL!" Pit declared. He starts shooting at the Phoenix, forcing it to flying around the arena while still throwing explosive rocks.
"Let's try and reflect the rocks!" Lucina advised as she reflect the rocks back at the immortal bird.
"Good idea!" Weiss agreed, using her glyphs to bounce the rock and fireballs back at it.
Sonic successively landed a spin attack underneath the Phoenix's jaw, leaving it stunned for Spidey to jump on its back and straps down a part of his body to control it with his webbing and starts flying through the air. "YEEE-HAAAW! Where's my cowboy hat?" Peter said with a country accent.
'That looks fun. Is there room for one more?' Palutena asked.
"Sorry, ma'am. This bird's a one seater." Spidey continued with the weird accent, annoying Palutena. "Alright there, lil' birdy. Sheriff Spidey's gonna find you a nice place to land your beak. I should warn it's gonna be a harsh landing. I never drove bird before, except that one time with the Vulture. It didn't end pretty." He quipped as he straight up nosedives the Phoenix down crashing to the arena while safely jumping off in time before collision.
"I was never good with animals." Spidey quipped, returning to his normal voice.
The heroes start beating the feathers out of the Phoenix until it regained the strength to blow them away with a loud screech of flames. It tried attacking them with his fiery feathers but they either dodged or deflected the projectiles until it got the idea of shaking the ground with tornadoes that almost sucked them in until it quickly disappeared.
Sonic quickly goes into a spin dash formation and starts revving up. "Here I come, chicken wings!" He said before dashing off to attack. The Phoenix responds by engulfing itself in flames and darts for the hedgehog, forcing him to vault over its body before the clash since he can't handle its flames. "Ah! That certainly heated things up." He punned.
"Then lets cool things off, shall we?" Weiss made a surprise pun of her own.
"You've been hanging around with us too long." Sonic slyly smirked at the ice queen.
"Shut up! By the Vapors of Valtorr!" She summoned a mighty storm that doused the flames of the Phoenix and weakened it for another chance of Spidey riding it but makes it more of a struggle to control it.
"Oh c'mon! Your cousin Toomes wasn't this uncooperative!" Spidey shouted as he starts hanging on a single web, screaming for his life while the Phoenix flies high all around the sky to shake him off. "You've left me no choice!" Spidey unsheathes a wrist stinger and pokes the big bird's butt, causing it to screech in pain as the two of them start crashing down to the surface. "That should keep you paralyzed for a few moments while we fall to our deaths. Well, MY death. You're immortal. You can come back to life as a flame of glory while I go down splat as a bug. You are so lucky." He babbled before he hopped to the air to attached two weblines to the ground and he reels himself to kick the bird down first. While still falling, He triggers Sonic to hold onto his webbing and reels him to the air, gaining some speed to unleash a mighty spin throw right on the Phoenix's stomach as it's about to stand up, defeating it.
BGM End
"Phoenix extinguished!" Pit exclaimed.
'I'll have a nice, cold drink waiting for you when you get back.' Palutena said as the Phoenix explodes, leaving behind a fiery beacon in its place. 'Quickly, guys! Destroy the Wish Seed and retrieve the Dream Stone!'
"On it! Wait! Where is it?" Sonic asked as they glance over to a Magmoo and a Skuttler Mage grabbing a hold of the Wish Seed.
"Hey, get away!" Pit shouted as the monsters destroy the Seed, causing it to explode. "It just blew up! Well, that proves it's a fake."
"But where's the Exo Stone? It didn't blow up, did it?" Weiss asked.
"If it did, the universe would've been destroyed." Spidey replied since the immense power an Exo Stone controls is strong enough to destroy the universe if it was destroyed.
"Wait, what?! So where is it?" Pit asked until he and his friends are blind-sighted by a powerful blast that quickly trapped them in an unbreakable magical cage.
"What was…?" Spidey asked as they hear a familiar sinister laughing.
"Once again, you fools have been tricked!" Loki appears before the Avengers, holding the rainbow-colored stone that houses a galaxy.
"The Dream Stone! Where did you get it?" Lucina asked the god of evil.
"The Dream Stone was NEVER inside the Wish Seed, but locked away in a hidden chamber underneath this arena. I needed you fools to defeat the Phoenix so the chamber doors will open to my prize." Loki explained.
'You mean "our" prize?' Hades asked.
"You know what I mean! Now, for the other stage of our plan." Loki points his scepter to the beacon of the Phoenix shining high in the sky. "This beacon shows the world that the Phoenix has been defeated. Which will only make the humans believe that someone has taken the Wish Seed."
"The people will NOT be so easily deceived!" Pit told him.
"You may be right. So let's make things a little more…" The god of mischief surrounds himself in a green mist, and in a quick instant, he swipes the mist away while now looking like an exact copy of Lady Palutena. "Believable." He said with Palutena's voice down to the T.
The heroes, especially Palutena, are in shock that Loki shape-shifted into looking like the goddess of light herself. "Lady Palutena?" Pit asked while looking really, really confused.
"No. Loki's impersonating her!" Spidey replied.
'Loki, don't! Stop what you're doing!' Palutena pleaded with the shape-shifting god to stop what he's about to do but it was completely hopeless.
"People of the world!" Loki, disguised as Palutena, starts speaking to all mortal life in the whole planet, with the Avengers unable to do anything but watch him trick the entire populace. "This is your beloved goddess, Palutena! I am here to inform you that the Wish Seed has been liberated! This is your chance to fulfill your wildest dreams! All you have to do is conquer anyone in your path, then your prize will reveal itself to you and you alone!" He had a sinister smile throughout his whole lie before he turned back to normal male form. "Be honest: How good did I do?" He asked his angry adversaries.
'ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! You were perfect! I can already hear the people CURSING Palutena's name!' Hades smiled.
It was at that moment Spidey's rage hit his peak, temporarily roars into his flaming Aura Arachnid Mode to break out of their magical cage to glare intensely at the God of Trickery. "You broke out of that. Impressive." Loki calmly complimented the furious Spider.
"Loki…What have you DONE?!" Spidey said in a rageful sounding voice.
"Don't be so melodramatic. It's not like I lied. The Wish Seed was technically liberated, as you can plainly see." Loki threatens to destroy them with the Dream Stone as he slowly walks closer to them while it glows in power. "It is time you fools retrieve divine retribution." He menacingly prepares to wish them out of existence entirely, but the moment it glows to its maximum, it quickly dims, confusing both the villains and the heroes. Loki tries again, pointing the Dream Stone to blast them to the Underworld, but again, it doesn't work
'…Uh, is something supposed to happen?' Hades broke the awkward silence.
"This is odd. You'd think it would work." Loki said.
"Well, performance issues, it's not uncommon." Spidey starts quipping. "One out of five…"
Tired of Spidey's banter, Loki shoots an energy blast from his staff at the Avengers, forcing them to dodge out of the way. While Spidey blinds Loki with some webbing, Sonic quickly hops on his head to repeatedly clap on his helmet, distracting him even longer for Spidey to yank the Dream Stone from his hands, "Yoink!"
"Lady Palutena! We have the Dream Stone! Get us out of here!" Pit exclaimed.
'R-Right, right! On it!' A distracted and heart-grieving Palutena, blaming herself for the eventual bloodshed she "sort of" had a hand in creating, managed to whisk the Avengers away just as Loki rips the webbing off his face and fixes his helmet.
'Awwww! They got away with our prize.' Hades quipped.
"Urgh! It's no matter. I was expecting as much." Loki said, revealing that he knew THAT particular Exo Stone wouldn't work on him, even though he's from the Earth-616 universe, where one from either that, Mobius, or the Remnant dimension can safely use an Exo Stone without danger to their dimension. "We still have the other Exo Stone to find in this dimension. The one with the most potential to be absolute." He ominously said before teleporting away from the lava mountain.
Unknown to them all, a hooded Grimadoom the Hedgehog has been watching this whole ordeal from a hidden ledge where he can see the Beacon of the Phoenix at its most beautiful. "An Exo Stone that has the potential to be the most powerful…" He muttered after hearing Loki's words. "Interesting."
BGM-Kid Icarus Uprising OST-Opening
Spider-Man: Hey, it's Spider-Man. Look at what Loki's done. He tricked humanity as masking as Palutena, getting them to fight to the death with each other. What's worse, we have a new god entering the fray. Some lost eight-year-old girl with the powers of nature and she's killing everyone. Someone needs to give her a spanking, and we'll be glad to volunteer.
Next time on D-Avengers: God Mission:
Viridi, Goddess of Nature
Spider-Man: Don't you need your parents' permission to launch nature bombs onto the world? It sounds unethical.
KFX Here: Yes, Yes. Team Superior returns, representing the Masters of Evil for this story. We'll be seeing more of Grimadoom and the newly upgraded Neo Metal Sonic and Neo Mecha Spider-Man in this story, and what role they'll have in the future. And don't worry. Loki and Hades are still the big villains of this whole story.