"Okay...we have the failsafe so...what do we do now?" Hope asked.
"We need to take care of two things: The Heart...and Prime's Hive network." Jeremie said.
"He's right. If the chips in the Etherians stay in place any longer, they will permanently fuse with their hosts and forever deprive them of any chance of free will." Entrapta said.
"So we'll divide into two teams. One that goes to confront Prime while also dissecting his network, and a second team to go with Adora to deactivate the Heart." Terra said.
"My group can handle the distraction through a fight, but we'll need Entrapta to destroy the hive mind since she's more familiar with the tech." Jexi said.
"I'll go with Adora. Knowing how important the Heart is, there's probably going to be some sort of guardian protecting it. She'll need a lot of muscle." David said.
"Fair enough. The rest of you can do as you wish to help. But those are our assignments." Jexi said. "Let's do our best to end this once and for all."
The group acknowledged as they coordinated their plans.
"Hey, David." Hope said as he came to David. "If Adora gets herself in danger, make sure to protect her, okay?"
"Got it. You have my word." David said. "I won't let anyone else die."
"Counting on you man." Hope said.
"Wait, where are you going?" David asked.
"Gonna teach Prime a few lessons...in person." Hope said. "He's tormented my members long enough."
"Just...don't do anything reckless. You know what he's capable of." David said.
"I know. That's why I have to do this." Hope said. "Good luck." he said running off.
Things soon shifted over to the battlefield as Jexi led the group right onto it. "That's a lot of soldiers and bots. But...nothing we can't handle." he said. "This is our last stand. We're going to take back Etheria or die trying." Jexi said as most of the group cheered and ran down to the field.
"Die?" Usopp said before Zoro came back and got him. "Die?" he repeated as they ran to the field.
While the group fought against Horde Prime's armies, David, Zacian, Glimmer, Bow and Adora made their way to the Heart via passages in Light Hope's ship.
"We need to be careful. Light Hope might be gone, but this place will still show us memories." Adora said in She Ra form.
"Yeah, we're well aware of that. It's still a little strange after the first time it happened." David said.
"Yes. It's a shame that Barbara and Zamazenta couldn't be here for this one. They probably wished they had come with us now." Zacian said. "But that just means we'll have to work twice as hard for them too."
"Ah, so you already knew that Cheetah was a part of this whole resistance, huh?" David asked.
"Well, Zamazenta was actually the one watching her on that front." Zacian said.
"I see. That makes a lot of sense, actually." David said. "Speaking of which, not to sound like the two of you were being creepy or anything, but...how much of our travels have you observed since we faced Eternatus?"
"We've observed plenty. But we weren't being invasive." Zacian said.
"Hahaha… Yeah, not quite what you were expecting, were you?" David asked.
"Not at all. But you, Cheetah and Alice have more than proven yourselves as Galar's heroes." Zacian said. "We could not be more proud of a legacy that we left to anyone else."
"I feel honored that the two of you chose us. I'd imagine being away from Zamazenta must be quite strange, given how the two of you seemed inseparable." David said.
"True but I know he is in safe hands, or claws as it were." Zacian said.
"Heh. Yeah. I'm sure he chose her for a very good reason." David said.
"Yes." Zacian said.
As they continued on, the groups outside continued to fight against Prime's forces as Hope and Entrapta were inside the spire.
"Come on, you gotta hack it." Hope said.
"Almost…" Entrapta said as a green ray of light surrounded the two of them. "Oh no." she said pushing her console out of the way as she and Hope suddenly found themselves on a ship.
"Oh no." Hope said.
"Welcome...little rebels." Horde Prime said as he looked at them.
"Horde Prime…" Hope said.
"You're just in time to witness my achievement." Horde Prime said showing a map of Etheria and green roots of some kind inching towards its core.
"You're trying to infect the heart with your network." Hope said.
"Of course. All is Prime after all, so should Etheria. And I'll make an example of it by doing away with this planet." Horde Prime said. "I'll lose a world but gain the most powerful weapon I could ever hope to attain."
"That's what you're hoping to do. But I'm here for one reason and one reason only." Hope said pointing at Horde Prime. "To kick your ass!"
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Horde Prime asked.
"Uh…" Hope said as a bullet sounded as one of the screens was hit.
"Well, that's easy. He's got abilities you couldn't possibly understand." a voice said as another Hope stood there holding a gun.
"What? You can clone yourself too?" Prime asked.
"(I can't clone myself… that's gotta be Brave disguised as me.)" Hope said as he saw mist swirling around the ship's main deck. "(So they were here too… guess I'll play along.) What? Didn't think I had the audacity to clone myself and copy your tricks?"
"Darn right. But why settle for two…" Brave said as another Hope stepped out.
"When you can have a three for one." said the new Hope aka Aurora.
Prime looked at the three Hopes in surprise, before he chuckled.
"I'll admit, this is unexpected…. But know this. You can't fool me with simple illusions." Prime said.
"What are you talking about? Everything's real before your eyes." Hope said.
"You can't fool me, child. Two of you are merely impersonating you, and this mist is dulling my senses, so i can perceive those fakes to be real. Ive studied you for a long time, also. ANd i know… you would never use a gun." Prime smirked.
"True but...this was never meant to be a deception." Brave said firing a bullet that grazed Prime. "This is an execution."
"I see now… who was it that sent for my death exactly?" Prime chuckled.
"Doesn't matter. After we kill you, that Murkoff bastard is next." Brave said.
"Who?" Hope asked.
"He's the one behind all this. He got that governor to rile up Prime and force him into this invasion." Aurora said.
"That is where you are wrong. I was influenced to move my forces but not through that fool's pitiful attempts." Prime said. "Let's just say this person has grand plans...and I don't plan to fall behind them."
"Hey...I see another ship encroaching on us." Aurora said.
"Gotta be the one that Murkoff guy is on." Brave said. "Son of a...the bastard's got the Galactica model. That's the most top of the line in fleet destroyers. It's even managed to destroy a few planets."
"Lord Prime. We are being hailed by the Human Murkoff." a clone informed.
"What does he want? Acknowledge his wish." Prime said as Murkoff appeared on screen.
"Well well well… what do we have here?" Murkoff said from the screen. "We have a conqueror, a scientist princess, and three Color Fighters… or rather, one and two knights from the Lost Universe. Quite the ensemble, all we need is a bar and we have a great joke." he chuckled. "Of course, you already know about being a joke, don't you Ginova?"
"Don't go there with me, buddy!" Hope fired back.
"Easy there. He's just trying to get under your skin." Aurora said.
"So you're this Murkoff guy….at least...that's who you're claiming to be." Brave said.
"Well, that's the name my parents gave me." Murkoff said. "So, what brings a couple of Lost Knights to Etheria?"
"Isn't it obvious? Came to drill a couple of holes right through your skull." Brave said.
"Oh, is that so?" Murkoff said in mock shock. "Oh wow, I'm SO scared! HAHAHA!" he laughed before his voice got serious. "As if some kids off the street and a fellow lost with delusions of grandeur could scare me."
"We should." Brave said.
"Oh please. You think you and your 'king' are so smart, thinking you can make everyone play nice just by getting rid of a few people. News flash, kiddos! People don't care who protects them as long as they're protected. Universal Government, Lost Knights, Hero Alliance… is there really any difference?"
"There are many differences...there are tons of differences." Aurora said. "Methods on how things are handled, their treatment of their fellow man, the way they make sure things go their way...multiple things make these groups. Though...you're too much of a bone head to understand."
"You're more right than you know." Murkoff said, before he grabbed the bottom of his neck and pulled up, pulling off a mask, revealing a skull. "Oh, don't look so surprised, not everyone can hop out of the Lost Universe willy nilly."
Hope saw the true face of Murkoff and realized. "You're not human."
"Neither are the Lost Knights." Murkoff said. "The king can talk about peace all he wants, but he doesn't want to face the facts: we've left humanity behind. Unlike the rest, I embrace it, with pride! And once I'm done here, no one will care what me and my company do, as long as they're safe and secure!"
"Is that what you're doing? Trying to be the hero? What exactly are you gonna do to take care of Horde Prime? As long as he has his Hive Mind, he's immortal!" Hope said.
Murkoff chucked. "Whatf I'm gonna do? Heh… I'm gonna destroy this world. Thanks to the split forces, all that remains of Prime's empire is here, in this world. That heart goes off early, and it's bye-bye Prime. And, since I'm smart enough to learn how the thing works, I can do it right here! Course, the heroes will die, but… what's the hero job without a little sacrifice?" he shrugged in taunting.
"You… you're insane!" Hope said.
"Of course I am!" Murkoff said. "People born in the Lost Universe tend not to be sane for long. Course, no one will care once they're hailing me as the one who killed Horde Prime. Say, your opinion, Hope: for my hero name… how does Skeletor sound?"
"Hero name...more like a demented villain. For that, it definitely suits you." Hope said. "However...there's just one thing wrong with your plan...the heart isn't going to be around much longer."
"You mean the failsafe?" Prime said laughing. "Sorry, but I don't plan to have that girl interfere with my plans."
"What do you...oh no…" Hope said. "Adora… David!"
"You think I wouldn't notice your attempt to stop me? Hardly." Prime said. "The heart will be activated. And once it is...I'll eliminate this skull faced fool along with this world."
"Not if I take you down first!" Skeletor said. "Prepare the ships hyperdrive, this is gonna be LOUD!" he laughed as he pressed a button.
"WARNING: HEART ACTIVATION IN T-MINUS: 60 SECONDS." a robotic voice announced.
"Ah, stupid delay." Skeletor grumbled.
"Hehehe... planning an escape?" Prime said as his ship charged its cannons before firing at the other ship, taking out its engines. "Shame you can't activate your hyper drive without an engine."
"That's just fine." Skeletor grinned. "After all… I don't have to be alive to be a hero. The Murkoff Corporation will just pick up the slack. You, on the other hand… are screwed."
"Uh, sir? Didn't our dirty secrets get spilled by the media?" one of Murkoff's associates asked.
"Oh...AHHH! WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Skeletor panicked as the feed cut out.
"What a fool...but he's not wrong. You all will die here." Prime laughed.
"Yeah...no...I won't think like that." Hope said.
"You should. I've faced many people over the centuries but their faces were lost to oblivion...just as hers and yours will be." Prime said. "This will be goodbye...my enemies."