Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel Cinematic Universe or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
And thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help again.
Also, imagine Tony Todd as Knull's voice.
Enjoy.
Panther-10: Thanks for the review and good to know. We'll see how it goes. I know, they're blocked by me. I will, and you have a good day too.
Guest 1: Thanks for the review. I think it could.
Guest 2: Thanks for the review. It is the Tobey Maguire version actually. Glad that makes sense and you liked it.
Guest 3: Its all horrible with T'Challa really.
Guest 4: Please ignore them, thank you.
Chapter 6- A father's love
Parker and Knull were both surprised to hear this voice, the source of which was an orb of light, that shone on both of them. Knull had to shield himself but Parker stared at the light, transfixed at it, right before it engulfed the entirety of the Void.
Parker opened his eyes and found himself staring at a ceiling, a normal house kind of ceiling. The change made him sit up in shock and look around, and finding out that yes, he was in a house, but something was...familiar about it.
Standing up from the couch he was laying on, Parker meant to explore but then stopped, and looked back at the couch. An excitable little boy used to watch movies with his mom and dad on that couch.
Parker's eyes shifted to a table, where a dinosaur toy stood, his dinosaur toy. He moved forward, looking around and finding pictures that made him start to tear up. It was him, from an infant to a toddler, and his mom, and his dad, all before he lost them.
There was one of them at the hospital where Parker was just born, one with Aunt May and Uncle Ben for a family photo. Parker barely remembered the place, but this was his childhood home, before his parents died.
This was his first home.
His steps becoming more hesitant, Parker treaded lightly before entering the hallway, passing more pictures, of his parents' wedding, of Ben and May's own wedding, numerous celebrations before he was born, including some of when his mom was pregnant.
The Spider-Man of Earth-199999 locked his eyes on a door at the end of the hall, trepidation filling him as he moved ever so closer, before reaching out a hand to the doorknob, twisting, and softly shoving it forward.
What he found made the young Spider-Man gasp.
"Dad?"
"Peter." Richard Parker and his son took identical slow steps, before throwing themselves at each other, arms wrapped tightly around the parent and his child.
Parker felt the tears drop from his eyes into his dad's shirt, and he felt the same on his shoulder as the man's hand stroked his hair, like his mom did when they were still alive.
A wave of emotions hit Parker in such a way that his body shook, only soothed by his father's touch.
He didn't know how long they stayed that way, and he didn't care, Parker only got to talk to his parents once after they left and died. There was no way he was wasting his chance.
But then memories of the Void, of Knull, came crashing back to him. It was with painful reluctance that he let go, stepping back while feeling his father do the same.
It was really him, the glasses, the hair, identical to Peter from Earth-2012, only, he seemed younger from the last and only time Parker talked to his dad after Strange's gift.
"How is-I don't-just what is happening?" Parker asked, his voice choked up.
"There are so many things I want to tell you, but I don't know how long we have." Richard told his son in a soothing voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Peter...I am your father, and I can't be any prouder than I am right now." Richard's eyes teared up as he held Parker's face in his hands. "You're all grown up."
"I am." Parker smiled with a sob, but was laced with confusion. How was his father here in the first place?
"And you got a girlfriend, who is gorgeous by the way, I am so proud." His tone was dipping into that embarrassing dad kind of voice that Parker always imagined.
"Dad..."
"What? A father can't tease his boy about his lady love?" Images flashed around them, Parker recognizing them as moments with him and Wanda.
That time he was late for a date, and all he had was a ruined bouquet of flowers, Wanda took them with a dazzling smile, and the time he took her ice skating and discovered no matter how graceful he was in the air, Wanda was an Angel on the ice as she helped him stand up and move, and finally, Parker rested his head in his girlfriend's lap, the Scarlet Witch running her hand through his hair after a hard day's work as Peter Parker and Spider-Man, relaxing under her touch as they enjoyed her favorite sitcoms.
It made Parker smile, but then slowly it dropped. Why, and how was this happening? Parker remembered the situation, and turned back to his father who watched the scenes with a bright smile. "Dad...what's going on?"
"...I am your father, Peter, that's the truth...but it's just complicated."
"I hang out with Gods, super soldiers, and play with a T-Rex, if you know my life, you know "complicated" is my normal." Parker told him, and that smile of his dad's the one he always remembered, all knowing with a bit of tiredness, remained on his face.
The room shifted until they were back in the living room, on the same couch Parker woke up on, Richard standing in front of him, pacing back and forth, like Parker usually does when he's nervous.
"Okay, umm, so, as you know, I was working on the Symbiote at Oscorp. The Venom Symbiote was our most prized project, it's species sought hosts and to further understand it's symbiotic relationship with them, we tested it on human DNA. My DNA."
"I don't understand."
"Peter...I'm your dad, but not the one who died. I am...the consciousness of Richard Parker that manifested in the Symbiote. The Klyntar races have a genetic memory based on who they have bonded with, it's how they manifest some of their powers, it's how the Venom of your world, our world, has your abilities."
"I'm still lost, how are you my dad, but not my dad?"
"I lived on, through Venom. Even after you were separated, there were remnants of him that remained inside you, which was the part of myself that I injected in the Symbiote, and when you fought that other Symbiote, I reacted the only way I knew how: protect you. I was the Symbiote."
"You were my black suit?" Richard nodded. "All those times it came out, it was protecting me as best it could, making me stronger, faster...you were protecting me."
"As best I could."
"Then...how is it we're here?"
Richard sighed heavily, removing his glasses to rub his face before dropping in the seat next to Parker. "When you were sent back to the time before the Big Bang, you were there in the Void, and you encountered Knull."
Realization hit Parker like a truck, the weird dream of those red eyes in the dark, it started to make sense.
"He sensed his power in you, which was actually me, he created the Symbiotes to help him return the Multiverse to the Void it once was. But after billions of years of war against Celestials and Gods, one of his Dragons encountered the wrong planet, and he lost his link to the other Symbiotes, and soon enough they turned on him, trapped him in a planet made from the Klyntar themselves. Then he used you, as a gateway to pull his powers through, and I was the catalyst."
"He made you stronger, to protect me from...everything."
"The Phoenix Force, that guy in the suit, Galactus' minions, Knull couldn't afford to lose the very person returning him to power...and I couldn't lose my son."
"You went along with it? With everything?"
"I wasn't a real Symbiote, Peter. I was only made from the slivers of another, Knull used my instincts because I know I would protect you, which is what he wanted. Through you, he re-established his hive mind control of the Symbiotes, regained his power, broke free from his prison, then used your body as a medium to bring himself to Earth."
"I feel so...violated." Parker felt a chill run down his spine as Richard looked at him in sympathy.
"I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry, Peter. I didn't want this to happen but my baser instincts were to keep you safe, and keeping Knull's link intact kept you safe from everything."
"People are getting hurt, they're dying because of this thing!"
"I know." Richard hung his head solemnly, feeling the slight resentment aimed at him, and he understood. He may not be Richard Parker himself, but he had his feelings and emotions, and he loved his son so much. "Knull lost his sword, it was destroyed after he was imprisoned. So, as a reward for our services, he was to keep you alive after he completed his war against the Light, and I would become his new weapon, his new Necrosword. I grew stronger with Knull, every drop of divine blood made me his perfect weapon."
"Then how did...this," Parker gestured to their old home, "happen?"
Richard moved from the couch to kneel in front of Parker, gazing at him with such intensity that he didn't know how to react as his father's hands cupped his cheeks.
"He hurt you, Peter...he hurt my boy...that changed EVERYTHING."
Parker grasped the hands on his face as they stroked his cheek, Richard's smile turned bittersweet as the tears returned.
"I wish we had more time, but I need to end this." Richard threw his arms around Parker again, kissing his son's forehead before resting against his chin on top of Parker's head. "I love you so much, my amazing little boy."
Parker felt the pain of those words, and it hit him again. This was a goodbye.
Arms wrapped around Richard tightly as he cried into his shoulder, tears dropping from his face. He lost his parents, he lost Uncle Ben, and all this time, his dad was right next to him, closer than he ever thought possible.
He wanted more time.
"I don't want you to go. I don't wanna go. Not yet. Please, not yet."
"I was never gone, Peter. Remember that. Remember how much we loved you."
Those were the last words Parker heard before his world was engulfed by light.
Knull convulsed, stabbing the Necrosword into the ground and steadied himself, clutching his chest before the armor pulled itself back and launched Parker's body into the air.
"PETER!" Wanda, May, Frank, and the Spider-Clan screamed in fright, before the scarlet colored energy covered his body and slowed his fall, lowering his almost bare body into Frank and May's arms, cradling the young man's body as it returned to his normal color while the Dark God screeched.
His armor and sword shivered violently before the weapon raised itself up, turning it's top toward the God of Symbiotes' chest, and stabbed forward, if it wasn't for Knull's hands holding it back.
"No! I MADE YOU! I! AM! YOUR! GOD!"
Knull's arms shook from effort as the Necrosword moved closer, inch by inch. At that moment, Parker's eyes opened, his brown orbs looking across and seeing the Dark God hold back the blade, but, when he blinked, Parker saw his father looing back at him, before the image faded and it returned to the Necrosword touching the armor baring the red dragon symbol, only for it to retract away, exposing pale white flesh.
"What power is this?!"
Knull's hands began to bleed as the sword moved closer, his strength doing nothing to halt it's movement before finally, the tip of the blade suddenly lunged into his chest.
An explosion of darkness spread across the city, the country, the planet, and across the Universe itself as all were victim to the terrible screams of the Dark God. His weapon to slay the divine and Celestials turned on him.
The armor retracted into the sword as it moved deeper into Knull's body, his pale body becoming frailer by the second until it began to turn to dust.
"NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Knull screeched his last before his body dissipated, turning to dust in the wind until finally, there was nothing left. The Necrosword hovered in the air for a moment before dropping to the street, but it faded away like it's former master as black smoke flowed off the Symbiote until the weapon was gone, and the smoke faded into nothing.
"Dad..." Parker whispered as he saw the last remaining shred of his Symbiote disappear, feeling arms wrap around his head and a strong, course grip on his shoulder. He looked to either side of him and found Aunt May, and Frank, smiling down at him.
With their help, the young hero found his feet again, but he didn't get much time before a fast moving blur threw herself against him, and he knew by the hair and smell it was Wanda, and he quickly returned the embrace.
Basking in her touch for a moment longer, they separated, allowing himself to look back into those beautiful green eyes he's fallen in love with. He looked at May and Frank, then towards the others gathered around him.
That was when his heart stopped.
Spider-Man was on the ground, his mask off, skin pale with veins turning black, and his eyes bloodshot. The wound on his shoulder was oozing black blood as Parker hurried next to him, Peter gripping their older counterpart's hand.
"Hey, hey look at me." Spider-Man turned his gaze to Parker who looked tearfully down at him, and he returned it with a pained, but hopeful smile. "We won, Peter. We won, we did it."
That smile never faded as Parker grabbed his other hand, gripping it hard, but felt the strength grow weaker. Parker knew it was coming, and he hated it.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Parker sobbed against Spider-Man's hand, yet he never stopped smiling.
"This...is what...we do." He said so softly, but it made Parker sob harder as the other Spider-Men and Gwen cried with him.
Frank looking down in regret while Wanda held May, who watched as she lost Ben again, as did Parker.
During that time, all over the Multiverse, the Symbiotes suddenly stopped, then formed wings and flew into Space, with the Dragons flying off too, not stopping as they flew away from the Milky Way Galaxy.
Earth-167
Kal and the rest of the Justice League watched as the Symbiotes and Dragons went off.
"Well, didn't expect that", Kal commented.
"Still, good for us", Lois shrugged.
Earth-50
The Justice League here watched them go too as Shazam cheered. "We scared 'em off!"
"Or something else happened", Clark noted.
Earth-10005
The X-Men and Fantastic Four watched them leave, Jean hearing Charles in her head. "Jean, please, control yourself."
Jean nodded, taking deep breaths with closed eyes and focusing, thinking of all those she loved like Scott, the Professor, Ororo, and others, before her power faded, the Phoenix Force sleeping finally.
Doom observed from within his castle.
"They actually did it."
In Middle-earth too, they watched the Symbiotes and Dragons retreat.
"I sense no malice, or rage from the Symbiotes", Gandalf said to the rest of them. "Only grief, and regret. Their actions were not their own. They tried so hard to escape the thrall of their creator, and lost themselves to his control once again. Yet, I feel there is more to their mourning, as if stars that lit the sky in the dark, are fading away."
Earth-199999
The Cloak of Levitation floated Strange close to where the Spider-Clan were, and it seemed to comfort Strange in his dying moments. Stephen and Wong were next to him, as were some other Heroes, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-199999 feeling Knull's power continue to kill him.
He felt the end.
"You should be happy, Wong. With me gone, you're the new Sorcerer Supreme. Can finally cut those offenses against natural law in the bud."
"I do not think I would make a good Sorcerer Supreme." Wong said, trying to keep his tone even.
"Don't worry, if you're not, I'll come back and haunt you." Wong tearfully smiled, before Strange looked to his Earth-2002 counterpart. "have you ever died before?"
"I have."
"Same, I just kept coming back, but this one is different." Strange exhaled one more time, the effort causing pain in his pale, weak body. "What's it like, to die for real?"
"I sense it will surprise you."
The Heroes couldn't speak, just watch with tears, as Fitz and Simmons held each other, the other Agents looking down sadly, some having tears, while Steve too felt a tear roll down his cheek, Thor and Loki looking sad and grim too, as Natasha's and Bucky's faces were emotionless masks, but inside they were torn up too.
Hulk turned back into Banner, falling on his knees, as even Tony was silent for once.
They were witnessing two great Men, staunch protectors of humanity, champions of the innocent, fade away.
Parker kept on saying, "I'm so sorry."
"Well now, isn't this an unwelcome sight?"
Everyone turned to the source of the voice, and found a tall man, taller than even Thor, clad in a dark hooded cloak, with long, greying beard and hair, a staff in his hand, and a cauldron strapped to his back.
He walked with gentle smile, even at such a depressing sight.
"This should be a moment of celebration. The ancient enemy of Celestials and Gods have been vanquished. Such misery is not suited for most joyous time."
"Lord Dagda." Thor stepped forward, a slight bow of his head, with Loki doing the same, as it was returned by the smiling God.
"Our joy is salted by...the fate of our dear comrades." Thor looked back to the dying Spider-Man and Strange, both surrounded by the vast gathering of Heroes of Earth-199999.
"Yes, that would truly bring such sorrow." The Dagda muttered as he approached closer, looking down with sympathy at both the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Astonishing Spider-Man. "I know of these men, these Heroes. All the Gods do, as with all of you. You were incredible. Your courage was without equal, though you fought a being that would have killed us all, you showed no fear, or hesitation. These qualities have brought you admirers throughout the Heavens."
"We thank you for the admiration, but..."
The Dagda held up his hand. "Say no more, King Thor. We among the Gods feel you deserve a reward for your efforts, recognition for the service you have done for, well, everyone. Knull would see us all returned to darkness, you stopped him. Now it is time to show our thanks."
"How so?"
"We are Gods after all, when it comes to the natural laws, we wrote most of them, and let us say that when it comes to death, we have a certain leeway." The Dagda smiled as he raised his staff. "Knull was never meant to return, his attack was unforeseen by any of our prophecies or seers, an offence to the natural law when someone who shouldn't even be here tries to kill, well, anyone. So, I do not believe that the death and destruction he caused should be counted. Allow me to correct that."
Then his staff slammed down, and a green wave of light engulfed the planet and spread further beyond, throughout the Universe, and even the Multiverse, for the rest of the Council had empowered him to go that far for this once.
When the Heroes regained their sight, they looked down, and saw Spider-Man and Strange back to their healthy skin color, back to normal.
The looks of sadness turned to smiles as Stephen and Wong patted Strange's back, the Cloak seeming to flutter in happiness as Tony said to both of them. "Good to have you back." He looked to Strange. "You a bit less, but still."
That made them chuckle a bit as Strange shrugged. "Yeah, now I'll have to tolerate you again."
Steve simply smiled, as did the rest, while the Spider-Clan hugged Spider-Man, who returned it with a chuckle. "Looks like I'm not going anywhere after all."
Parker then threw his other arm around Peter and brought him in close. Peter was surprised, but didn't object.
"Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you."
"What for?"
"For being you." They choked out an emotional laugh before the rest of the Spider-Clan dogpiled the three Spider-Men.
The cloak helped Strange to stand up again.
"I was expecting to see your ghost soon enough."
"Not yet it seems." Strange then looked at Wong and noticed something. "Were you...crying?"
"It's just dust from the battle." Wong rubbed his eyes and sniffs, trying to hide the truth, but that didn't stop Strange and Stephen from smirking. "Okay, maybe a little."
"Welcome back Strange", Steve said to him, then turned to Spider-Man. "And you too."
They nodded, as the Dagda said. "This power has spread across the Multiverse, no one has to lose themselves to this dark power."
That made them sigh in relief when they heard groaning, and turned to see Brock staggering towards them, Venom fading from him.
"Oh boy!" He said, panting heavily. "I remember what happened….that thing…it….."
"Brock", he turned to Parker, "I'm free of it now, its gone."
Brock sighed in relief, getting on his knees. "It made me do such horrible things, made us do such horrible things, me and Venom."
"It wasn't your fault, Brock, it wasn't you", Spider-Man assured Brock with an encouraging smile.
Then Merlin appeared in a flash of light. "What did I miss?"
"Late as usual." Arthur joked, and they all laughed a bit.
Merlin then saw the Dagda and bowed. "Lord Dagda, it is an honor."
"The honor is mine, Merlin", the Dagda said to him gracefully.
Then Lucifer Morningstar appeared in a small Hellfire, and walked here and there, looking around. "I know what happened, came to investigate."
He looked at the Dagda and gave a nod, as Dagda nodded back, while Steve said to him. "Its done now, that thins is beaten."
"Oh thank Dad, I guess, and you all", Lucifer said to them. "And the Heroes of the Multiverse. That old and powerful bloke is gone at least."
Another breach opened as Eddie of Earth-84 then finally came in. "I came here, and felt something wrong-" He saw the mess in the whole city, "-oh damn!"
"Yeah, a lot happened", Miles said to him with a groan. "You missed it all."
The Dagda then opened a green portal with his power, then turned to Thor and Loki. "There is something to tell you two, please come."
The two brothers shared a look, then walked through the portal, while the Dagda stood in front of it, looking at the Heroes.
"Never forget, the Gods are with you, always."
He smiled in a fatherly manner before he too stepped through the portal, but before the portal closed, Lucifer sensed something from it and turned to it just as it finally closed.
"Dad?"
Thor and Loki stood amongst the Council of Godheads now, the portal having led them here, seeing in the center of it was a God with blue skin, wearing a crown and dhoti, and a long garland around his neck, while he also had four hands.
In the bottom right, he held a mace, in the bottom left he held a lotus. In the top left, he held a conch, and in the top right, a discus with a million edges spun on his finger.
There was a kind smile on his face.
This was Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of Preservation, and the true form of Lord Krishna, who was the eighth and most glorious incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
On his right side sat Lord Shiva and Lady Parvati, and on his left were Hades and Persephone, with other Gods like Sun Wukong and Horus also sitting there, and also Ulmo of the Valar.
"Lord Ulmo", Thor greeted, him and Loki bowing slightly, as Ulmo did the same.
"I have brought them here", The Dagda bowed his head to Lord Vishnu, who returned it, as the Dagda took his seat.
Thor knelt in front of Vishnu, as did Loki. "Lord Vishnu, it is an honor to meet you today."
"And I say the same, Thor and Loki, Sons of Odin", Vishnu smiled at them both as they stood up, looking around at all the Gods.
"We know that divine light was you, so we thank you for the help there", Loki said gracefully, then turned to Dagda. "And you saved everyone, so thank you."
He simply smiled, before Thor asked. "So, what did you want to tell us?"
"The power of Knull, it felt familiar to some of us here", Lord Shiva spoke, making the two look at him. "Even though we had not encountered him before."
"I believe you know of your father's days of bloodshed, do you not?" Lady Parvati inquired, and they nodded.
While they hated that their father used to be like that, it was the truth, but at least he had changed and become a better person, though he shouldn't have hidden the truth either.
"Back in those days, he considered himself Supreme, with his daughter Hela on his side, and bathed the Realms in bloodshed", Persephone informed them.
"However, he wasn't just satisfied with conquering the Realms", Hades revealed.
"What do you mean?" Thor inquired.
"Your father thought to prove himself superior to all other Pantheons, and decided to attack their realms as well", Sun Wukong revealed, to their shock.
"Didn't know that either", Loki groaned.
"So, what happened?" Thor asked.
"He attacked Devlok, where the Devas reside", Lord Vishnu revealed. "First, he sent Hela with her army. The Devas came to me, and so I confronted her."
"I believe she could not win", Thor realized, Lord Vishnu simply smiling.
Hela could only watch in horror as the Sudarshana Chakra broke all the blades that she conjured, shattering them into pieces. The rest of the army had their weapons shattered as well.
Hela held up Mjolnir, when Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra flew at it, and struck it. While the weapon did not break, Hela was still disarmed of it, as Mjolnir fell from her grasp, while Hela fell down.
"You are Gods of a different Pantheon, with your own followers, so I shall not slay any of you", Lord Vishnu said as the Sudarshana Chakra flew back to his finger. "Rather, take this as a chance, and be the kind of Gods that your followers would be proud to worship."
Hela could only glare at Vishnu hatefully.
"I've a feeling she didn't take that well", Loki commented.
"No, she then called your father to attack Devlok instead", Horus revealed. "And there was a battle, but at the end of it-"
Once more, the weapons of the entire army had been shattered, though the battle had been great, and Odin watched in horror as the Sudarshana Chakra actually shattered even Thrudstok.
Hela was on the ground, gasping in pain, some wounds on her.
Odin held up Gungnir this time as the Sudarshana Chakra flew at him. He fired a powerful beam that managed to slow it down, but that was it.
The Sudarshana Chakra hit Gungnir and Odin was disarmed of it, before it hit his helmet, making it fall down too, while Odin fell as well.
He glared in hate as Vishnu called the Sudarshana Chakra back to his finger, and looked down at him calmly.
"You have potential to be the greatest, King Odin, yet you let it go to waste by engaging in war and bloodshed. Like I had said to your daughter the previous time, you are all Gods of a different Pantheon, so I shall not slay you, due to the Cosmic imbalance it shall cause. Go back to your home, and ponder over my words, you can be better than this."
"So, did father ponder over your words?" Thor asked Vishnu.
"Not at first", Vishnu shook his head. "He decided to collect the Infinity Stones, as he believed with those, he could defeat me."
Thor and Loki shared another look of shock, realization on their faces as Loki realized. "That is why he had that replica of the Infinity Gauntlet."
"And his knowledge of the Infinity Stones as well", Thor noted.
"So, something made him stop, did it not?" Loki asked Vishnu.
"Indeed, he found out the cost of the Soul Stone, and he did not want to sacrifice Hela for it", Vishnu revealed, as the two noted for all his flaws, Odin loved all his children, even Hela before she had gotten out of control. "So he took a hard look at himself, and changed his ways at last, but Hela rebelled, having grown too fond of Death."
"However, she was his daughter, so he couldn't kill her, just imprisoned her", Persephone finished that part of the tale.
"Then he decided to become peaceful instead", Ulmo added.
"So that's what happened", Thor realized. "And then he became wise as well."
"Once he imprisoned Hela, he ventured to the Well of Mimir, and sacrificed his eye, before hanging himself to gain new heights of power and wisdom. Then, he established a peaceful rule", Shiva revealed.
"I thought he lost that eye in the War against the Jotuns", Thor said, confused.
"He replaced that eye with a prosthetic, then he lost that against the Jotuns, and decided to let it be that way", Hades told them both.
"After his peaceful rule was established, he approached me once more", Lord Vishnu revealed.
Lord Vishnu rested on the primordial snake and his devotee Sheshnag in his abode of Vaikunth, his consort Goddess Lakshmi sitting at his feet.
Then the two guards Jaya and Vijaya came in, hands joined.
"My Lord, All-Father Odin has come to see you."
"Send him in", Lord Vishnu said, as Odin walked in, looking remorseful.
"Why are you here, Odin All-Father?" Lakshmi inquired.
Odin looked at Vishnu and said in a voice laced with regret. "I request you, to forgive me, Lord Vishnu. I was wrong to attack Devlok, you were right." He sat neat Sheshnag. "I wasted all of my power in pointless war and bloodshed, I realized that only when I realized the cost of the Soul Stone. Then I realized with my actions, I turned my daughter into a monster, and lost her forever as well."
Vishnu simply looked at Odin in sympathy. "You realize it now at least, I believe from now on you shall establish peaceful and benevolent rule."
"Yes, I will."
"Though I do not think hiding the past is the right way."
"That's up to me to decide", Odin said, and Vishnu decided to let Odin handle this how he wanted to. "But I came here with a proposal."
"What's that?" Lakshmi asked.
"A Council, of us powerful Godheads", Odin said, Vishnu listening with interest. "To watch over and protect the Universe. It can be you, me, Zeus-"
"Zeus is not a good person", Lakshmi pointed out.
"I know, which is why we will make rules, ones that will stop Zeus from doing his usual", Odin told Vishnu. "He will want to join the Council due to his ego, but these rules shall bind him, and he won't be able to act petty with mortals or trick and force women. He will be forced to do good."
Vishnu smiled and nodded. "I approve of this."
"The Council disbanded shortly after the defeat of the Jotuns", Vishnu finished the history lesson. "Until we formed this new one recently."
"Zeus bound by a leash, figuratively", Loki chuckled at imagining that.
"I believe there is a reason you tell us of this though", Thor noted.
"Indeed", Parvati nodded. "One of Knull's Symbiote Dragons that conquered worlds for him was found by Hela once upon a time when she was very young. She could not have the Dragon, but a part of the Symbiote latched onto her, shaping her for years to come, influencing her in a way where Knull had a touch of influence on her. But she did not free him from his prison, rather used the power to drown civilizations in blood with Odin until he imprisoned her."
The shock and surprise kept increasing for Thor and Loki, as Loki realized. "That is why you say Knull's power felt familiar, because it influenced our sister, and some of you knew her."
"This explains why her swords resembled the Necrosword as well", Thor commented.
"When you killed his 2 Dragons by striking them with divine lightning in the sixth century, it severed Knull's connection to the vast majority of his Symbiotes", the Dagda said to Thor. "As the Symbiotes bonded to benevolent hosts, the hive-mind became tainted with notions of honor and nobility, leading to them rebelling against their God and imprisoning him at the heart of the throneworld, which they renamed Klyntar - their word for "cage".
"It remained like that, until now", Vishnu finished. "And this is what we wanted to tell you after we all realized it ourselves."
"So, I guess my sister too was a victim of Knull after all", Thor said with a sigh.
"The Symbiote only heightened what she already had inside her, she would have to be imprisoned either way", Persephone assured Thor, who nodded in appreciation.
The Dagda opened another portal as Vishnu said. "This audience now comes to an end. We will meet again. Farewell."
"Farewell", they said together, bowing, before returning to Earth via the portal, feeling that the loose ends had now been tied up for them at last.
A week later, Barton Farm
Parker and Wanda were sitting on Clint's couch, laughing as they watched 'Friends'. The other Spider-Men had returned to their worlds.
It was hard, but Parker was slowly recovering from his trauma.
However, seeing the bit with Chandler's dad made Parker's laughter stop, as Wanda looked at him, seeing his face.
"Hey", she held his face as he looked at her.
"My dad….." Parker whispered, tears in his eyes. "He was with me all this time, and I didn't even know….I…."
"He loved you, Peter, remember that", Wanda said, then pointed at his heart. "He will always be alive in there, you know that, right?"
Parker wiped his tears, then nodded with a very slight smile. "Right." He sighed. "And all the things I did as Kn-"
"I've done terrible things too, I used to be on Ultron's side once, to hurt the Avengers, you were under control, not yourself", Wanda assured him. "So don't blame yourself, no one else does."
Parker was reluctant to admit it, but still relented a bit, nodding.
"Dinner's ready!" May's voice came, as she'd also come for this little weekend getaway.
"Come on kids!" Clint's voice cried out as well.
Parker and Wanda shared a look, then went off, basking in this happy family moment, which they both needed after what they had all gone through.
These threats to the Multiverse would always come, but the bonds of the Heroes were stronger, and they would always be ready to face it.
And done at last. Plus I added some lore from my side for Thor-related stuff to flesh out Odin's change, and Hela's connection to Knull too.
The Dagda has saved Spider-Man and Strange. Imagine Liam Neeson in the role.
Hope the Richard stuff made sense too.
Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help again, much appreciated.
And now this story comes to an end, with the post-credits scenes left to go, thank you to all who favorited, followed, reviewed, kudos'ed, bookmarked or commented on this fic, or supported me in any way while I wrote it, its very much appreciated.
Hope all enjoyed and we meet in the post-credits scenes.