This is Part II of the 30th Story Special, and the long awaited finale of Age of Miracles. Believe me when I say I'm sad to see this story go. It's the most fun I've had writing on this site in a long time. But all good things must come to an end eventually. Last time, Belial Aether and company entered Dragnarok's necklace and after a bit of convincing, got him to lead one last charge against Darkblood. So now, the finale awaits. Let's get to it!
(Our story resumes back in the Watchtower, where the entirety of the HRL stand waiting for their teammates to return from within Dragnarok's necklace, hopefully successful in their mission. Just as some are losing hope, the necklace starts to glow again, and soon from it emerges Dragnarok, Blaze, Goldix, Blitz, Tundra, Rokko, Sizzle, Leroy, Twirl, Shade, Hydrar, Bloodtar, Goldix, Belial Aether, Purple Diamond, Yin, and Yang)
Blaze: (Seeing the sheer number of people here) You certainly managed to rally quite an army
Goldix: That's dad for you.
Superman: Good to see you're back, Dragnarok. (Observes the rest of his party) I take it this is your family.
Dragnarok: (Observing the Element Guard and his family) Yeah. (Seeing just about everyone is nervous around Superman) Don't worry guys, he's not like the High Councilor. Multiverse and all that.
Blaze: Good to see Superman didn't always go bad.
Dragnarok: Okay, catch me up. What happened here?
Iron Man: Darkblood was apparently revived, firstly. Then he came here and gathered every supervillain we've captured and made an army out of them using the power of the Anti-Life Equation. Then gave us 24 hours to surrender.
Belial Aether: And managed to destroy Null Omni in the process, splitting him into Yin and Yang here.
Dragnarok: Okay, not much.
Flash: We've had less, admittedly.
Dragnarok: True. Alright everybody, this is going to be the biggest battle of our lives, I can already tell. We can't waste a second. We've got to get to Darkblood's location and take out whatever army he's pulled together, then get rid of him once and for all.
Green Arrow: Do we have any way to pull that last part off?
Yin: As it turns out, Ollie, we just might.
Yang: There's a spell we know that should be able to combine all of our abilities into one ultimate power that ought to be enough to take Darkblood out.
Spider-Man: Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get out there!
Dragnarok: Peter's got the right idea. So let's not waste a second. Time for the final battle.
(With the entire HRL prepared for battle, Yin and Yang needn't even be given instruction as the immediately teleport the entire group out of the Watchtower with help from Vibe. As they do, we transition to the Dark Realm, where Darkblood stands over his army from his castle, checking the time from the stars)
Darkblood: The 24 hours I gave them are almost up and there's still no sign of surrender? Either they're all crazy or...
(But before he can even finish that sentence, a portal opens up in front of Darkblood's army, and one by one the members of the HRL step through: Dragnarok, Blaze, Goldix, Blitz, Tundra, Rokko, Sizzle, Leroy, Twirl, Shade, Hydrar, Bloodtar, Belial Aether, Purple Diamond, Purple Pearl, Aero, Nekoto Wismer, Fire Jackal, Windstorm, Maverick, Lapin Noir, Toxicus Abiete, Za'Mag'Nu, Hellboy, Rorschach, Spider-Man, Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Ham, Venom, Batman, Batwoman, Catwoman, Superman, Superboy, Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Captain Marvel, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, Hulk, Nebula, Black Cat, Livewire, Poison Ivy, Cheetah, Kraven the Hunter, Aquaman, Doctor Strange, War Machine, Shazam, Ant Man, Wonder Woman, Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Ghul, Booster Gold, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Deadpool, John Stewart, Ghost Rider, Flash, Vibe, Firestorm, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Artemis, Takuya Yamashiro, Supergirl, Alex Danvers, Toyman, Mon-El, Brainiac 5, Punk, Biohazard, Thanos, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Neidr, Slick, Green Arrow, Gamora, Yondu, Kraglin Obfonteri, Dix Xenos, Bel Majin, Star Lord, Drax, Mantis, Rocket, Groot, Indigo-1, Saint Walker, Star Sapphire, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Doctor Fate, Hawkgirl, AMAZO, Static, Gear, Rubberband Man, Punisher, Lobo, Draaga, Solomon Grundy, Lex Luthor, Harley Quinn, Magneto, Mister Freeze, Killer Frost, Two Face, Riddler, Kotal Kahn, Vulture, Girder, Deathstroke, Kingpin, Adonis Donnaiolo, Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, Steven Universe, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Peridot, Lapis, Connie, Jasper, Goku, Piccolo, Beerus, William Carter, Heather Mason, Doctor Manhattan, Gwen Tennyson, Kevin Levin, Rook Blonko, Mister Miracle, White Canary, Atom, Heatwave, Zari, Vixen, Commander Steel, Black Canary, Captain Cold, The Ray, Wild Dog, Constantine, Black Lightning, Mister Terrific, Batman Beyond, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Ronin, Black Panther, M'Baku, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Wasp, Blue Beetle, Liu Kang, Sonya, Johnny Cage, Cassie Cage, Jax, Jacqui Briggs, Kitana, Jade, Kung Lao, Fujin, Yin, and Yang. All ready to face Darkblood's forces one last time.)
Deadpool: Forget Endgame, now THIS is the most ambitious crossover in history! (Realizes what he just said) Actually, don't forget Endgame. That movie still rocks.
Darkblood: Ah, I was wondering when you were going to show up. (Seeing Dragnarok is back, and his family is with him) You can't be serious.
Dragnarok: You won't be rid of me so easily, Darkblood.
Darkblood: It doesn't matter either way. You have all conveniently come right to me. Saves me the trouble of tracking you all down for elimination after killing your leadership. (Snaps his fingers, then to his army) Destroy them all.
(At their master's command, Darkblood's army charges forward as the HRL takes up a battle stance)
Dragnarok: HRL! TO BATTLE!
(And with that, the final battle begins. Dragnarok and the HRL charge into battle against Darkblood's army, and at the start things appear evenly matched somehow. Darkblood's army is full of powerhouses like Goro and Multiplex, but even then the HRL outnubmers them by a factor of probably 5 to 1 at this point, definitely so in terms of raw power. Ultimately, even if they're fighting without free will, and thus seemingly without any limits on their strength, Darkblood's forces start falling quickly)
Darkblood: (In frustration at his failing forces) Never send a bunch of mindless drones to do a dragon's job.
(Seeing his forces falling, Darkblood leaps from his castle's balcony and enters the fray. Almost immediately Dragnarok and Blaze specifically set on him, fighting like they've never fought before until before long enough of Darkblood's army has fallen that the HRL can join in the battle as well. First the rest of the Element Guard, then the Justice League, the Avengers, Raiden's Champions, so on and so forth until just about everyone is getting a shot in on Darkblood. Soon the dark dragon is being assaulted from all directions. And he is pissed about it.
Darkblood: (Channeling all his stolen power into one blast) ENOUGH!
(With one blast, Darkblood throws off the forces attacking him and then starts glowing with ebony energy)
Darkblood: If you think this is going to be an easy battle, you've all lost it! But now, you've given me an opportunity to show you just how powerful I really am.
(With that, Darkblood draws in the very souls of his army absorbing every last ounce of power they have, and growing giant as a result, now resembling the form he took when at the end of Silent Hill)
Darkblood: PREPARE TO DIE!
(With his new boost in power, Darkblood effortlessly sweeps away the HRL with one swipe of his claw.)
Dragnarok: (Getting up after the impact, then to Yin and Yang) You two said you had something that could win this battle? I think now's a good time to use it!
Yin: It's a lot more complicated than you'd think.
Yang: Don't listen to them, it really isn't. We just need a nexus who can withstand all the power without going mad.
Purple Diamond: What the heck are you talking about?!
Yin: This spell would merge all of us into a single being, temporarily. A titan of unparalleled strength.
Yang: However, that much power could easily drive someone insane, or kill them if it lasts long enough.
Dragnarok: (Puts it all together) This is why you've been meddling with my life. You knew this would happen, and were preparing me to be strong enough to withstand it.
Yin: Null had that theory.
Yang: Time to put it to the test. If you're up for it.
Dragnarok: (Seeing the giant Darkblood is coming for them) Do we have any other choice?
Yin and Yang: Not really.
Dragnarok: Then do it! (To everyone) Brace yourselves!
Yin and Yang: (Casting their strongest magics) Jedarkic di Mitne, Slathalin lae Ir!
(With the spell cast, the entirety of the HRL begins to glow, turning into beams of soul energy that make their way into Dragnarok. As the heroes merge, Dragnarok begins to grow, covering in violet and ebony armor resembling that of Iron Man as he does, and by the time the spell is completed, and all nearly 200 members of the group are incorporated, there Dragnarok stands, truly a titan of light, only his face unarmored)
Darkblood: (Seeing Dragnarok now equals him in size) I suppose that balances the books.
Dragnarok: I'd say there's still some overdue interest.
Darkblood: Fitting it all ends with the two of us. Back where it all started all those years ago.
Dragnarok: The outcome will be different this time.
(Now the true battle begins: two titans of light and darkness, in a clash that holds the fate of 13 worlds behind it. Darkblood pours his raw strength into every blow, but Dragnarok with the might of his allies behind him hits back in kind. Before long, Dragnarok starts summoning the weapons of his fellows to aid in battle: Captain America's shield, Green Arrow's bow, Scorpion's chain spear, all amplified by the divine lightning of Raiden and Shazam, the chaos magic of Scarlet Witch, or the ancient power of Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate. But even this variety of power has little to no effect on Darkblood who just keeps striking with equal force, eventually knocking Dragnarok to the ground)
Darkblood: Foolish mortal. You honestly thought you had what it takes to defeat A GOD!?
Dragnarok: Just seeing what I'm working against.
Darkblood: You and I were one for so many years, I know you're terrible at bluffing. You're still fighting like killing me would destroy you. How you underestimate what I can do now. Unlike you, I don't need to hold back. With the power I now have, I'm a separate entity from you. Meaning I can kill you with no consequence to my own existence!
Dragnarok: I was hoping you'd say that.
(Now we see what Dragnarok was really doing, he was just waiting for Darkblood to reveal his ace. If Darkblood is no longer connected to Dragnarok, either side can kill the other without endangering their own existence. Now with this information in hand, Dragnarok starts firing back, no longer holding back his punches, and with a perfect replication of his father's Comet Dash, Dragnarok has Darkblood down, toppling his castle in the process)
Dragnarok: (Realizing what he's just pulled off) Of course I could only pull off Dad's signature move in a situation like this.
(After being handed his tail on a platter, Darkblood still isn't done yet, and starts trying to claw at Dragnarok again only for the titanic dragon to throw him off like he was nothing)
Darkblood: (Refusing to accept he is losing) This is MY world, Dragnarok! You will not triumph here!
Dragnarok: Not for long.
(With that, Dragnarok unleashes a stream of the most powerful Aether he's ever managed to conjure, combining in the powers of all his companions, only for Darkblood to fire back in kind. The beams struggle against one another for a while before ultimately Dragnarok's wins out, blasting Darkblood to ashes with one final cry of anguish, leaving the treasures that were used to create him behind. At last, it's over. But just as things appear calm, the spectral images of Yin and Yang appear on Dragnarok's shoulders, as the treasures start to move.)
Yin: (Seeing all of this happen) What are you doing?
Dragnarok: What needs to be done.
(With that we see what's going on at last: Dragnarok is absorbing the artifacts used to bring Darkblood back into himself. And once the last one is within his being, the power radiates from him. He's essentially become a god.)
Yang: Are you sure you got rid of Darkblood?
Dragnarok: He's gone. I'm sure of it. I'm just putting everything back.
(And with one final move, Dragnarok begins to glow. The blinding light encompassing everything, spreading not just through the Dark Realm, but outwards from this universe, out to all the world's Darkblood's servants impacted. And as all 13 worlds are encompassed in the glow, the source of it starts to fade, and soon we are greeted not by the Dark Realm as it was when we started, but by what should have been there all along, the Dragon Realms, at last restored, as our massive group of heroes returns to the massive collection of individuals as they were, slowly but steadily until just Dragnarok is left glowing.)
Iron Man: Did... did we win?
Dragnarok: (As the glow finally stops) It's over. Darkblood is gone, and all the artifacts his minions stole have been returned to their proper places.
(In that moment, we can see Dragnarok is at his weakest, and as the last of the light he caused stops, he collapses, with Blaze only barely making it in time to catch him)
Blaze: Drago!
Dragnarok: I'm okay, just... a little weak. That took a lot more out of me than I thought.
Yin: (Seeing exactly what he did) You know that was a risky move, right? You could've killed everyone by doing that.
Dragnarok: But I didn't, did I?
Yang: No, you crazy dragon. You didn't. Somehow you didn't.
Blaze: (Putting it all together) You didn't.
Dragnarok: I did. That took every last ounce of my power. More than casting the Realms into a gemstone. All my elemental energy is gone, scattered throughout the multiverse.
Blaze: But how did you know it wouldn't take your life force?
Dragnarok: I didn't. And for all I know, it did take some of it.
Blaze: (With a slight grin) Always got to be the one to make the sacrifice play, don't you?
Dragnarok: (Chuckling despite the pain he's in) I guess I do.
(As those two chuckle about the situation, we fast forward a few days. Now the heroes have had a little bit of time to recoup and regroup, rest a bit from their giant adventure across the multiverse, and now, everybody is just about ready to go home.)
Superman: We can't thank you enough for hosting us these last few days.
Dragnarok: It was nothing, Clark, really. Everybody needed some time to rest after what just happened.
William Carter: It was lovely getting to know all of you.
Raiden: A sentiment we can all agree upon.
Neidr: You know, I've been thinking.
Dragnarok: Should we be worried?
Neidr: What if there's another Darkblood level threat just waiting beyond the 13 worlds we know?
Spider-Man: He makes a good point. We need to be ready.
Yin: Then we will be ready.
Yang: Neidr, Slick, Dix, Bel, answer us this. Would you four be willing to lead such a preparedness measure.
Neidr: I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we would.
Yin: Then it's settled.
Yang: A new band of interdimensional legionnaires. Wait: New Interdimensional Legionnaires, I like the sound of that.
Dragnarok: It's almost there. The name needs some clarity. Who's side are they on?
Bel Majin: To be honest, we've always tried to play neutral.
Yang: Neutral Interdimensional Legionnaires. I like the sound of that a lot better.
Yin: Then it's settled. Each world will contribute members to this new group.
Rorschach: Then you're stuck with me. I'm technically supposed to be dead.
Yang: Fair enough.
Yin: (To Dragnarok) And you? Will you be willing to lead?
Dragnarok: As much as I'd love to, I'm stepping down from this hero business.
Blaze: What about Dracia? She's already training to take your place. Maybe this will be where she makes her legacy.
Dragnarok: We'll talk with her about it later.
Blaze: Agreed.
Dragnarok: (To Yin and Yang) What about you two? You're going to hold to your word, right?
Yin: Of course we are. Yang and I should be able to merge back into Null Omni any day now.
Dragnarok: Then, without us, how're you going to stave off immortal boredom?
Yang: There's a project Null was working on before finding you. What did he call him, "Volatile Omnipotence"?
Yin: Something like that. If what Null's going to remember from being us is anything to go by, maybe it's time he finishes that one up.
Dragnarok: So his way out of boredom is to be a single dad? I guess that'll do it.
Vibe: (Throwing on his goggles) Well, I'd say it's about time we all got out of here.
Blaze: Feel free to come back any time.
Dragnarok: We'd always be glad to have you back.
(With that, Vibe opens up a portal back to his world, which with a little help from Yin and Yang, multiplies into 13 portals, one to each of the other 12 worlds and one back to Null Omni's throne room. And with them opened, just as suddenly as it all began, the multitude of heroes return slowly to their own worlds, and within minutes, they're all gone, leaving Dragnarok and his family, finally at peace, watching the sun set, as our tale ends)
And this concludes Part II of the 30th Story Special. For the finale, head on over to the Mortal Kombat intros. Well, that's the end. There's a few other items referenced here in the end that Yami teased a while back, and I'm just bringing them full circle. Hope I gave these characters the ending they deserved, Yami. And well, that's the last story of the Nullverse. Kind of. You'll see what I mean by the end of the day. It'll make sense then. But anyways, it's sadly time to close the book on Dragon's Quest: Age of Miracles. So, on one of my absolute favorite works, this is Dragon of Mystery, signing out.