Welcome back to Age of Miracles. Last time, we really enter the darkest possible timeline. Eternal's ritual was successful, and Darkblood was revived. And he started kicking heroic tail until Null Omni showed up to fight him. But then things went horribly wrong as Darkblood appeared to kill Null Omni before leaving to do whatever he's doing next. So what is going to happen next? Read on to discover...
(Our story resumes in the Watchtower, where the battle between the HRL and an army of released villains is still raging. Explosions are happening left and right, people are getting knocked down and getting back up to attack with equal force. As the battle rages, we focus in on Purple Pearl, Superman, and Iron Man, who are leading the fray)
Purple Pearl: They fight like demons!
Superman: I've fought demons before, these guys are nothing.
Iron Man: They may fight like crazy, but they're still falling back pretty quickly. Who knows? We may be able to wrap this up before the others get back with the hostages.
Superman: If that ends up happening, then I owe you lunch, Tony.
Iron Man: There's a great shawarma place next to the Daily Planet.
(Just as the classic shawarma joke gets through, a violet flash starts ricocheting through the room, and draws a border between the heroes and villains in the scene, initially giving the heroes hope that their ally has returned)
Purple Pearl: Looks like Mr. Dragnarok is back!
Iron Man: Wait, if he's back, then where're the others?
(Iron Man's question comes with just the appropriate amount of timing, as the violet flash consolidates into dark violet smoke, which reveals the sinister face of Darkblood)
Superman: (Seeing the menacing façade of Darkblood) Good lord.
Darkblood: (Observing the HRL) Ah, so this is the force of my weaker side gathered. (Looks over to the forces of evil) And this is the best the darkness can muster? Pathetic. But it doesn't matter, very soon all will serve the same master.
(As he says this, Darkblood's eyes begin to glow red, a glow Mister Miracle immediately recognizes)
Mister Miracle: EVERYBODY COVER YOUR EARS!
Captain America: What?
Mister Miracle: He's about to use the Anti-Life Equation's power! If I had to guess anyone who hears his voice is about to fall into his control!
(Heeding Mister Miracle's warning, the entirety of the HRL covers their ears, but the villains aren't as quick to get the message, as Darkblood speaks)
Darkblood: (In a booming, commanding voice) All those present here, hear My words! Those who serve Me will see salvation in My new world order, and all others, those who do not heed My word as law, must be disposed of .
(As Darkblood speaks, those with uncovered ears, namely all the villains, suddenly start to fall into a trance, standing straight at attention, their eyes turning as red as Darkblood's are)
Darkblood: (In his normal voice) Excellent. Destroy them.
(With one command, the now controlled villains move in, each in perfect step with one another, emphasizing the complete domination of their wills. Just as they approach though, Null Omni's portal opens, dropping Belial Aether, Purple Diamond, Rorschach, Neidr, Dix Xenos, Bel Majin, and Slick into the scene, temporarily stopping Darkblood's army when he himself becomes stunned by their arrival)
Purple Pearl: (Seeing Purple Diamond) My Diamond! What has happened?!
Purple Diamond: (Seeing Darkblood is already here, then to Purple Pearl) That.
Darkblood: I was wondering when you would show back up.
Belial Aether: We've got to get out of here.
Superman: What?
Belial Aether: Darkblood is too strong to fight. Is there anywhere we can fall back to?
Iron Man: I've got a place.
Batman: We're not surrendering the Watchtower.
Darkblood: You needn't worry about ceding your base, yet. I just came to claim my army. You will have time to prepare for the final battle. Or more accurately, time to prepare for your surrender. You have 24 hours.
(With a flourish, Darkblood transports himself and his army from the Watchtower, leaving the stunned HRL surprised at what they've just witnessed)
Superman: Did that... just happen?
Belial Aether: It did, Clark. And we've got no way to stop him.
Green Arrow: Our mutual friend should be able to stop this.
Doctor Manhattan: Indeed. Null should be able to help us.
Bel Majin: I'm afraid he won't. Darkblood has destroyed him.
Doctor Strange: What?
Bel Majin: I saw it, just before he teleported us away. Somehow Darkblood destroyed Null Omni.
Doctor Manattan: This turn of events is most disturbing.
Green Arrow: If this is true, then the multiverse is doomed.
(As a sense of hopelessness sets in, a pair of voices can be heard echoing across the Watchtower.)
?: Well now I wouldn't say that.
?: Neither would I.
(As the voices echo, we see two figures materialize: one an angelic female and one demonic male)
Neidr: (Amazed yet bewildered) Null?
Yin: Not quite. I'm Yin, the angel over there is Yang. We're kind of both Null.
Dix Xenos: What?
Yang: When Darkblood zapped us with his power, Null got split into two fragments: us. To be fair, that's something we could do normally.
Slick: Then why don't you just recombine?
Yin: Darkblood's... well, darkness is keeping us from reuniting the traditional way. Null may not be able to permanently die, but he does take time to return to live from the state of us.
Yang: The only other way for us to bring back our former self is to procreate. As much as I love that idea, we really don't have the time for that to work.
Yin: That may be the only good thing to come out of this 24 hour timeframe.
Purple Diamond: Getting to the moment at hand, you said we needed to bring Dragnarok back. How exactly are we supposed to do that?
Yang: Null gave you guys everything you needed to pull it off
Dix Xenos: All you gave us was Dragnarok's necklace.
Yin: Exactly. That's all you need to pull this off.
Belial Aether: Wait, are you saying what I think your saying?
Yang: Yep. Dragnarok's in there.
Purple Diamond: But, how's that possible? If I understand this correctly, Dragnarok and Darkblood were bound from the start. Inseparable.
Yin: That's why it took so many objects of power to revive him. Darkblood took all the steps necessary to sever himself from Dragnarok enough to act as his own being. So Dragnarok's soul had to go somewhere once Darkblood was revived.
Belial Aether: So he went where he's wanted to go since the start of this war. Back to his family.
Yang: Exactly.
Purple Diamond: Now I'm starting to get it. You two should be able to transport us in there.
Belial Aether: Unless of course there's some catch.
Yin: Nope, no catch this time.
Belial Aether: Then what are we waiting for? Let's get in there.
Yang: Well we can't exactly transport all of you.
Purple Diamond: Just send Belial and I in. If Dragnarok's going to hear anyone out, it's going to be us.
Yin: Let's hope he's in a position to hear someone out.
(With the decision agreed upon, Yin and Yang release a steady stream of their power, transporting Belial Aether and Purple Diamond into Dragnarok's necklace, followed shortly by Yin and Yang. Within a few minutes of this, we transition to within the necklace, back to the Dragon Realms at last, right outside a small village, where we pick up with Belial and company, strangely laying on the ground)
Purple Diamond: Did it work?
Belial Aether: (Getting back up, and feeling the grass beneath his palm) It worked alright.
Purple Diamond: So this is Dragnarok's homeworld. It's lovely, really.
Belial Aether: Sorry to burst your bubble, but we don't have time to admire the scenery. We have to find Dragnarok and get him in this fight. Thankfully if I remember the topography correctly, his village shouldn't be far from here.
Purple Diamond: Hope you're right. We've only got 18 hours left.
(With their timeline set, the quartet sets off towards their destination and within a few minutes, arrives at their destination, Dragonbreath Village, a small town founded by Dragnarok and his fellow Element Guard members to settle down in and raise their families. Standing in the center of town, is our familiar purple and black dragon. And on Dragnarok's face, a rare look of peace, at least that is until he sees Belial Aether and Purple Diamond walking into the village)
Belial Aether: Dragnarok, we need to talk.
Dragnarok: Get out.
Belial Aether: Wait, what?
Dragnarok: You think I don't know why you're here?
Purple Diamond: Yeah, we need your help if we're going to defeat Darkblood. What's with the hostility?
Dragnarok: I'm only going to say this once. The answer is no.
Belial Aether: Again, wait, what? You're willing to just let Darkblood win?
Dragnarok: Believe me, I want him gone more than any of us. But I'm not the one to do it. (Seeing Yin and Yang) Let me guess, you're his agents.
Yang: Actually, we kind of are Null.
Dragnarok: You spent your entire omnipotence trying to get me into this fight. Aligning events in my life to get me to this point.
Yin: We didn't align that many events in your life. Just some of the recent ones.
Dragnarok: So you admit you're responsible for all of this needing to happen.
Belial Aether: Look, Dragnarok. I understand where you're coming from here, but...
Dragnarok: But nothing! You have no idea what I've lost, and only just now reclaimed!
Belial Aether: You think I haven't lost my family?! If so, you're crazy!
Dragnarok: You don't understand my losses because yours were final. My family was just out of reach all this time, and I've finally gotten them back. If I have to let some other poor sap face Darkblood to keep them, so be it!
Purple Diamond: What happened to you? You used to be more caring about this sort of thing!
Dragnarok: You think I don't care? I do. I'm just sick of being the one who has to sacrifice everything every time the multiverse throws a new threat at us! I have cared about everyone else so much, is it illegal that for once I want to focus on what I want?
Belial Aether: We're not saying you can't, we just need you for this fight. You know Darkblood better than anyone!
Dragnarok: And I've already answered you. I'm not leaping into battle this time. (Glaring at Yin and Yang) Let them ruin someone else's life for once.
Belial Aether: Dragnarok...
Dragnarok: JUST GET OUT OF HERE, OKAY?!
(Dragnarok's flare-up causes the entire scene to fall silent for a second, before a familiar orange and white dragoness peeps up, followed shortly by a younger purple and pink dragoness)
Blaze: Drago, what's going on? (Sees Belial and company) Belial? What are you doing here?
Dragnarok: Blaze, take Dracia back inside. I've got this covered.
Blaze: It's not like you to start shouting at friends, Dragon. What's going on?
Belial Aether: We needed to speak with Dragnarok here about a new threat.
Blaze: Is that Luthor brat back?
Belial Aether: No, Darkblood is.
Blaze: But that can't be, Dragnarok's right here.
Dragnarok: Blaze, I've got this covered.
Blaze: What the heck is going on here?
Yang: I'm just going to be forthright about this. Darkblood's been separated from Dragnarok and is now running amok in the multiverse. We need Dragnarok here to be able to stop him by coordinating the effort of the nearly 200 heroes he's been leading for the past year and a half or so after stopping Luthor Jr's first attack and sealing the Realms in a gemstone that you've been living in all that time.
Dragnarok: (Now panicking) Blaze, I know this sounds bad, but...
(At this point, Blaze does something seemingly out of character for this type of moment, and quietly shushes him, triggering a realization in Dragnarok)
Dragnarok: You knew?
Blaze: I had my suspicions that something was up after that Luthor brat's first attack. Seeing an occasional purple glitch coming off your husband will do that.
Dragnarok: Then you know just how much I've wanted to come back to you, and to Dracia. All this time I've wanted nothing more to be reunited with you. (Glaring and Yin and Yang) Regardless of the meddling of omnipotent beings.
Yin: We had our reasons.
Dragnarok: You know what? I'm calling complete bull on that. One of the first things you said when I was stuck in Silent Hill is how bored you were.
Yang: He's got us there.
Blaze: Ignore them for a second. Think about what's going on here. Darkblood is somehow separate from you and wreaking havoc across the multiverse. As much as you have a right to spend time with family, you have a duty to stop him. We are the home realm of this threat, Darkblood is our problem. We'll be with you, all the way. But we have to do this.
(Seeing the rest of the Element Guard, even Goldix, has rallied behind Blaze, Dragnarok finally lets loose a sigh)
Dragnarok: Alright. On one condition. (To Yin and Yang) Once this is over, you two need to find someone else to mess with for eternity. Leave all of us alone, however many worlds you dragged into this.
Yin: That's a condition we're more than capable of meeting.
Dragnarok: Alright then. Let's do this. One last time.
Yang: Let's go then.
(With that, Yin and Yang power up and transport the Dragnarok and his allies out of the gemstone, ending our tale for now)
And that looks like a good spot to end for today. If Dragnarok's reaction seems out of character, that's because I kind of based it on a question I found pretty common while developing this point. Regarding those who are known for putting others before themselves, have they earned some right to focus on themselves at least once in a while? I personally think so. But that's neither here nor there. Anyways, next time we hit the climactic finale as Dragnarok faces Darkblood one last time. So who's going to emerge victorious? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!