BGM-Kid Icarus: Uprising OST-Main Theme
Spider-Man: Watch out! Here comes the Spider-Man! Can't believe three years passed while we were trapped in that pocket dimension! Palutena has gone crazy and Dark Sonic has become king of the world! We gotta fix things fast! Hope three years didn't pass in my world, otherwise I'm super late to graduation.
BGM End
Issue 22: The Lightning Chariot
Houston, Texas. Earth Prime.
"I am going to murder the Dimensional Avengers."
"Don't."
"I will."
"No you won't."
"Who's gonna stop me?"
"You know better than to make Tiki mad."
The unmasked Scarlet Spider is in his hotel room arguing with another of his new Houston friends that knows of his superheroics. Annabelle Adams, a beautiful young singer at the Four Seasons Hotel that is so used to her friend's grumpy attitude that she just coolly stands there watching him vent alongside Aracely, Wally Layton and his gay husband, Doctor Donald Meland. "Why blame the Avengers for the attack on Houston?" The confused Donald asked his spider-friend.
"Because the Avengers have that Blue Hedgehog that was stupid enough to get himself cloned by some dumbass! And since none of them are answering their calls, it falls to me to clean up their mess before that mess destroys the multiverse!" Kaine retorted angrily.
"Assuming you can find out where he lives." Annabelle quipped.
"Tiki does." smiled Aracely, pointing at the divine dragon mediating peacefully on her bed.
"How?" Annabelle questioned.
"Something about using a Locator Spell with some fur she got from Dark Sonic." Aracely answered.
"And I would have his location by now if you all were not talking." Tiki scowled in annoyance during her meditation.
"Sorry." Donald apologized.
Her Divine Dragonstone begins to glow around her neck as The Voice casts the magic spell that transcends time and space in search for the hedgehog conqueror. With strands of Dark Sonic's hair that she acquired from their last battle, she is able to use the spell to find his current location in the multiverse and create an Outrealm Portal before her amazed friends. "There." said Tiki whilst getting off her bed, "This Outrealm Portal will lead us to the world that Dark Sonic has conquered."
"Just the two of you? Do you want backup? Do you even have a plan to stop an otherworldly invasion?" Wally asked the heroes.
"Find Dark Sonic and kick his ass. Simple as that." Kaine snarked whilst putting on his mask.
"Sure it is." Wally retorted sarcastically.
"Can I come?" An excited Aracely asked to join their dimensional adventure.
"No." Kaine rejected sternly.
"But I want to be a superhero. I can read minds."
"No!"
"But what if Dark Sonic is part of the darkness I sensed? I do sense some kind of 'Divine Shadow' at the other side of the portal." Aracely argued.
"Then we will have them contend with this Divine Dragon." Tiki smiled as she goes to comfort her telepathic friend with gentle hands on her shoulders, "We thank you for the warning, Aracely. We will begin your training once we return. For now, stay with Anna and others."
"Okay!" Aracely beamed in acceptance.
"Please do not teach her your ways of acquiring money while we are gone, Anna." Tiki teased her red-haired singer friend.
"I am not like the Anna you keep talking about. My schemes are more subtle." Annabelle responded with a quipping smile that gets the dragon giggling.
"Granny Dragon! Are we leaving or not?" The impatient Scarlet Spider asked his girlfriend.
"It's JADE Dragon! And yes, we're leaving! Stay safe, everyone!" retorted Tiki, saying her goodbyes to her Houston friends as the couple walk through the portal.
"Good luck!" Wally smiled, waving goodbye to his heroes as the portal closes behind them.
Meanwhile at Viridi's Residence in Pit's World…
Pit stands alone at a balcony that gives him a clear view of the skies above that rain depression down on his face. It would be clear to anyone that he is thinking of Palutena and how his heart feels so betrayed. He was her champion as she was his guide through his adventures, always combining their powers for the good of mankind. But now her light has gone dark, and the goddess is determined to exterminate the very humans she swore to protect with her life. Pit is lost. Confused. He wants to save her but doesn't know how. All he can do is mutter, "Lady Palutena…", while lowering his head in sadness.
"So three years didn't pass at New York?"
Suddenly, Pit turns to notice a nearby Spider-Man walking around with his cellphone in hand while engaging in a casual conversation with his friend, Mary Jane. 'Nope. Still the middle of summer vacation as you left it.' MJ replied.
"That's good to know. Thank you, time distortions. Thought I'd be late for graduation." Peter quipped.
'That's still very possible, knowing you.' MJ snarked, which got her ex-boyfriend chuckling before asking him a serious question, 'Can I tell you something, Tiger?'
"Sure, what is it?" Peter responded.
'It's been bugging me, and you're the only one who can understand, so…I think I saw Harry the other day.' MJ told him with slight hesitation in her somber voice.
"Harry was there…?" Peter retorted in shock, more surprised to hear his corrupted friend was at New York rather than hearing him alive as MJ thought he would react.
'I think so. Something about him looked older and he was on a date with Weiss at a café.' MJ replied.
"That…doesn't make sense. Weiss has been with me the whole time." Peter responded, deducing that it was Dark Weiss she saw with Harry, a fact that he's keeping from her.
'Then who did I see? I might've just been seeing things.' MJ said.
"Y-You're probably right. Must be that summer heat. Stay safe and indoors, MJ. I have some gods to save and monsters to beat up. I'll talk to you later." Peter advised before frantically ending the call, sighing to himself as Pit approaches him after overhearing their conversation.
"Didn't tell her about Harry?" Pit questioned his decision.
"She already lost one Harry. It would break her heart if she knew I've been fighting another…" Spidey replied somberly.
BGM-Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 OST-The Calm Before the Storm
"We will save them. Right…? Harry and Lady Palutena…?" Pit asked him for some hope.
"Absolutely. I know I was getting through to Harry the last time we talked. And Palutena would never turn to the dark side unless something was messing with her pretty little head." Spidey assured his angel buddy.
"Maybe. But…But what if she really has changed? It has been three years." Pit responded, still feeling hopeless.
"Three years is nothing to gods. Might as well be yesterday to them." Spidey quipped.
"That's still enough time to rethink stuff!" Pit retorted, getting frustrated with his friend for not taking this situation a little more seriously. Growing to a gloomy tone, the angel then tells him a little secret, "To tell you the truth…Lady Palutena is a mystery. Despite her reputation for wisdom and mercy, everyone knows so little about her history and motivations. Including me…Wasn't until recently when I learned she was friends with Asgard. Makes me scared of what else I don't know about her…"
"Pit…" Spidey uttered somberly.
Pit continues venting out his depression as he frowns, "No offense to you and the Avengers. I think you guys are awesome. But there are countless humans out there that fail to change and keep making the same mistakes. Maybe it caused Lady Palutena to finally snap, I dunno…I am not the smartest guy in the world. I always fall for her pranks…Maybe I've fallen for her lies too…"
"Cut that out!" Spidey snapped angrily, much to the angel's startling surprise.
"Huh?"
"This isn't like you at all, Pit! You're the most optimistic guy I've ever met! Some see that as annoying; I see that as inspiring! You always see the good in people! Why can't you see that Palutena needs a friend right now?" Spidey retorted.
"Uh…"
Peter then takes off his mask, to better express and comfort his friend with some encouraging words, "You've known Palutena for all your life. She's your family. When she was imprisoned and the world was under threat by Medusa, she entrusted YOU with the bow to save them all! She wouldn't have done that if she didn't love you as much as she loves humanity! Palutena has problems, yeah, and I believe she's realizing them. Her dream is to become the best goddess for the good of all! The Palutena we saw that destroyed Skyworld WASN'T Palutena! Just some living nightmare that she needs our help, YOUR help, to save her from! I'm not gonna give up! I NEVER give up! And neither do you!"
Pit is in awe with a heart being refilled with pure hope. Darkness has taken over Palutena, and it nearly took over him as well if it wasn't for Peter's words of encouragement and his absolute faith in his strength to save the goddess. His words also helped Pit to truly understand why Peter is so adamant to save Harry. Why he refuses to give up on any friend that is going through difficult times. "You're right…You're absolutely right! Man, I feel like a complete idiot for doubting my friends when I know they're suffering! When they really need me! I WILL save Lady Palutena, to realize both our dreams for a better world, no matter what!" Pit declared expressively, smiling with a reignited and amazing resolve.
"That's what I want to hear, little bro!" smiled Peter, proud for him as the two brotherly friends share a bro-fist.
BGM End
In the War Room…
BGM-Kid Icarus: Uprising OST-Solo Menu (Viridi)
"Oh, look at us fighting on the same side! You're like a member of my army now!" Viridi teased her latest ally, Sonic the Hedgehog, with a smile that he doesn't find amusing.
"Pretty sure I remember blasting away your invitation along with Phosphora." Sonic snarked.
"I believe there are some latrines that need cleaning, private." Viridi teased once more.
"Private?! No way! I'm a Freedom Fighting Avenger!" The smirking Sonic quipped.
"Who STILL won't do chores around the house!" Weiss retorted, hanging out alongside Lucina.
"Back on topic. Can we not simply use the Dream Stone to dispel the forcefield around Palutena's temple?" Lucina asked, as the four heroes have been discussing ways to breach Palutena's defenses.
"Tried that. Didn't work. Which is odd. I didn't think Palutena had a power that could counter an Exo Stone. Unless I'm missing something…" Viridi answered, feeling suspicious about the situation. "Regardless, that forcefield is incredibly strong. We're going to need to borrow the Lightning Chariot." She proposed her brilliant idea to the mortals.
"That sounds AWESOME!" Sonic grinned excitedly.
Viridi then projects to them the aforementioned chariot that looks sacred and has twin unicorns, "It's a superfast battle carriage that travels the galaxy. It's also pulled by unicorns!"
"And that's what we're gonna use to break through the forcefield?" Sonic questioned.
"Exactly."
"So basically, you're telling us to slam a horse cart into a brick wall." Weiss frowned.
"Sure, if you want to put it crudely."
"Which means its charioteer might die." Lucina sweatdropped.
"Well, anything's possible."
"Does the Lightning Chariot at least have air bags?" Sonic asked, looking a little worried like his friends.
"Last I checked, no."
"I'm not a safety nut, but even I draw the line somewhere." Sonic commented.
"So you don't really care about saving Palutena after all." Viridi snarked.
"Never said that."
"She could be in agony at this very moment. She could be trapped inside a dungeon of madness. She could be crying out, 'Oh, help me, Avengers! Oh, please!'" Viridi teased them all with expressive gestures, which quickly got into their nerves.
"OK OK OK! I guess it IS our duty to rescue her." Sonic retorted.
"Yeah, I know! That was my point!" Viridi snarked. Arming herself with her wooden staff, she points it onward to rally the team as she confidently smiles, "Now, let's get to rescuing Palutena!"
BGM End
Shortly After…
BGM-Kid Icarus: Uprising OST-The Lightning Chariot
Spider-Man puts on the Iron Spider Armor. Pit is granted the Power of Flight. Sonic activates his Hover Shoes. And both Weiss and Lucina hop onto their Sky-Cycles before Viridi sends them all out her teleporter door and into enemy-infested night skies for their next mission. "Underworld troops on the scene!" Spidey pointed out.
'I'll send in some backup. If they get in your way, I'll pull them out.' Viridi told the team.
"You know, you can be really nice when you try." Pit smiled.
Forces of Nature troops swoop in and start attacking the Underworld Army, providing openings for the Dimensional Avengers to take advantage of at full force. Several Nutskis keep foes at bay for Spidey to blast away. Parashooters fire blades of condensed air alongside Weiss's lasers for one body-piercing assault. A Mahva extends its barrier to Lucina when she needed it. An invisible Flage surprises some goons with its blade-arms for Pit to finish off with charged shots. Even a Trynamite allows itself to be kicked by Sonic for one huge explosion that clears the skies of demons for a while.
"Aren't we a little low to be flagging down a galactic chariot?" asked Pit, with the goddess flying the team low to the ground for some reason.
'It's not like those chicken wings of yours are really helping any.'
"Yeah, yeah."
'Don't worry. I've got a great plan.' Viridi claimed.
"This oughta be good." Weiss sassed deadpannedly.
'Have you ever been to the circus, Avengers? My favorite act is the human cannonball. It's just such a…thrill ride!' Viridi said suspiciously.
"Where are you going with this?" Spidey asked, sounding worried.
'We're going to do our own version…Not just with humans, but with a spider, hedgehog, and an angel!' Viridi announced mischievously.
The reactions to her crazy scheme are humorously mixed: Sonic chuckles with smiling excitement. Lucina gasps in fright at the mere thought of being cannonballed out of a cannon. And the other three frantically scream, "No way, uh-uh, absolutely NOT!"
'Ugh, you're so boring! Where's your sense of adventure?' Viridi quipped.
"We LIKE being alive, you little brat!" Spidey retorted.
Up ahead is the Angel Cannon. A transport device used by the gods and capable of delivering all manner of objects over long distances with a single booming shot. In this instance, the Avengers will be the objects that will be delivered all the way to the Lightning Chariot Base. "This is gonna be so fun." Sonic smiled, being the only one besides Viridi that will enjoy this as the heroes place themselves inside of the Angel Cannon.
'Three! Two! One! FIRE!' Viridi shouted vigorously, watching in awe as the Angel Cannon shoots the heroes into the sky at tremendous speeds.
With extreme delight, Sonic hollers, "Wooohooooo!"
While the other Avengers yell at the top of their terrified lungs, "WAAAAAAAAAAAOH!", until they all eventually come to a stop in space.
"Wow, that's what I call a flight!" Sonic laughed, feeling amazing from that wild experience.
"I think my heart stopped…!" Lucina felt while catching her breath alongside the others.
"We could've been blown to smithereens!" Pit complained to the nature goddess.
'But you weren't! Look on the bright side!' Viridi snarked.
"All I see are patterns formed by galactic particles." Spidey noticed.
'Beautiful, aren't they?' Viridi commented on their cosmic beauty.
Now that they are in space, the Dimensional Avengers begin searching through the skies for the chariot. So far nothing, just more hordes of enemies that keep them busy for a minute. 'The Underworld presence is very strong. Hmm.' Viridi noted.
"Do you think they're after the Lightning Chariot too?" Weiss questioned.
'Huh?' Suddenly, something epically fast catches Viridi's attention as she exclaims, 'Here it comes behind you, Avengers!'
In a stunning blink of an eye, a chariot that was glimpsed to be pulled by unicorns zips by the heroes at speeds beyond light and sound. "Ah! It is CRUISIN'!" Pit spotted the Lightning Chariot, but just barely.
"It's as fast as Odin's horse!" Spidey compared in amazement.
"Which we beat by the way." Sonic boasted their victory over the All-Father in the recent Multiversal Grand Prix.
'The chariot's headed for its home base. Stay on it!' Viridi ordered.
The Lightning Chariot continues racing through space, zipping by at such flabbergasting speeds that it leaves a portal in its wake. The heroes pursue it inside, where they are contacted by their old playful foe from the Underworld, 'Well, hello again, friends!'
"Hades!" Pit recognized his nemesis with a snarl.
'Ugh, not you again.' Viridi reacted with disgust at his annoying reappearance.
"Forgot he was a threat." Spidey joked.
'Just look at the six of you sneaking around behind Palutena's back. It's classic.' Hades teased them.
"Shut your mouth!" Pit retorted furiously.
"What do you want this time, Hades?" Sonic questioned the demon god.
'The Lightning Chariot, obviously!' Hades announced his latest mischief.
'You creep! Just go away already!' Viridi retorted.
'It's one slick ride. A veritable goddess magnet, if you will.' Hades flirted the nature goddess.
'Please. I'm a goddess, and I would never ride in that thing.' Viridi snarked.
'But the Pitty Avengies here sure likes it!' Hades teased.
"Are you only here to get in our way?!" The annoyed Weiss asked.
'My intentions are always honorable. You know that.' Hades quipped.
"Whatever you're REALLY up to, we're going to find out!" Weiss declared with a determined scowl, right before she is startled by lightning striking overhead, "Ugh! Whoa!"
'It gives me such pleasure to see you suffer, Kiddy Avengies.' Hades snarked.
'Just ignore him, team. The Lightning Chariot is up ahead.' Viridi informed them.
"We've got to get to it before the Underworld does!" Pit vowed.
'Both the Lightning Chariot and its master are in that tower.' Viridi stated, pointing out a large tower in the distance, 'I'll drop you off on the ground floor.'
"OK. We'll make our way up from there." Spidey remarked.
'Just so you know, the tower's really, really tall. Get ready to feel the burn!' Viridi warned them.
"No worries there. Have you seen these thighs?" Spidey quipped.
'Ready for land battle, Avengers?' Viridi asked them.
"Affirmative!" Sonic answered, allowing the goddess to send them through the entrance of the famous Lightning Chariot Base.
BGM End
Lightning Chariot Base.
BGM-Kid Icarus: Uprising OST-Lightning Chariot Base
Home to the Lightning Chariot, this realm exists in silence at the sky's end. In addition to its colossal tower, the Lighting Chariot Base also features broad courses used by its mysterious owner to make practice runs. The Goddess Avengers Alliance lands inside the base, deactivating their flying equipment while Pit questions, "So the Lightning Chariot is in this tower, huh?", before being greeted by the mysterious owner.
'Who dares trespass on my domain? Leave before you get hurt!'
"Who said that?" Spider-Man asked the telepathic voice.
'I've had many names in my life, but now I am called the Chariot Master.' He introduced himself as the Chariot Master, a legendary and powerful soldier that controls the Lightning Chariot.
Pit smiles, "Oh, great! You're the guy we're looking for. Listen, I have a favor to ask you. Would you mind if we borrow your chariot for just a little while?"
'Your foolishness is matched only by your rudeness. How dare you charge in here, flinging unreasonable requests at me? I've half a mind to turn you into galactic roadkill!' Chariot Master threatened, reluctant to agree to his rude request.
'You can't really blame him for being upset. That was kind of rude.' Viridi remarked.
"What if we say please?" Spidey quipped.
"I guess there's only one thing we can do. We'll go talk to this Chariot Master guy in person. He's at the top of this tower, right?" Pit decided assertively.
'That's right. Hey, look at you acting all assertive! You're just grabbing life by the horns and shaking it until it moos!' Viridi complimented his attitude.
Sonic revs up his Super Peel Out smirking, "Race ya to the top!", before rocketing ahead at extreme speeds that encourages his friends to race against him for the grand prize that is the Lightning Chariot.
Many rooms await to challenge the dimensional defenders in various ways. Many of them containing hordes of Underworld troops that want their heads. If they wish to reach the top of the Lightning Chariot Base, they must counter these great challenges with their great skills. One room contains a platform that travels across an abyss, with enemies firing at the heroes along the way.
"You know what's weird, guys?" Spidey asked, swinging to deal with the threats.
"What?" Lucina responded, deflecting enemy fire with her sword while riding the platform.
"There sure are a lot of Underworld troops here." Spidey noticed, defeating the enemies with web-striking ease.
"This tower does seem to be lacking proper defenses." Lucina noticed upon getting off the platform.
'Any riffraff can just waltz on in. After all, you mortal kiddies had no problems. But I must admit that I ADORE running amok in other people's homes.' Hades jokingly chimed into the conversation.
'Another uninvited guest? Very well. At least show your face. So my Lightning Chariot can erase you from existence!' Chariot Master threatened the Underworld God.
"Please. You'd be doing the world a favor. He has a face only a mother could love. And I'm sure she doesn't." Spidey joked.
'That's cold, Bugs.' Hades snarked.
"The truth hurts, man." Spidey quipped.
The Avengers head into the next room, one containing alternating floor panels that are electrifying. 'Those floor panels alternate between hurting you and not hurting you. They don't seem to have any effect on those Underworld enemies, though. Odd.' Viridi commented.
'That's a known issue. It'll be resolved in the next version of the tower.' Chariot Master claimed stoically.
"Someone needs a better QA department." snarked Weiss, freezing the floating Underworld baddies so they could fall onto the zappy electrifying floor panels.
The next room they traverse into has tall pillars with Zurrets perched atop them. "The Underworld has taken position up on top of the pillars." Lucina warned her allies, taking cover from Zurrets' lasers.
"Well, what goes up…" A smirking Sonic notices a crack on a pillar and destroys it, toppling it for him to say, "Must come down!", before bouncing off its Zurret to destroy its fellow stationed brethren with a Homing Attack barrage.
Another room contains rolling spheres across narrow walkways. "OK, so we've got rolling obstacles." Pit commented.
"Don't forget to jump." Weiss retorted, using a glyph to help herself jump over the rolling obstacles.
"Something seems familiar about this…" Pit said while jumping over his own spheres.
'I guess the Chariot Master has played Donkey Kong.' Hades joked.
Sonic stays in the lead of this friendly race, smiling and expressing his cockiness until he runs into a new room with icy floors that he humorously trips on, "Whoa! It's solid ice!"
'Using an Aether Ring should keep you from slipping around.' Viridi recommended.
"Why does the Chariot Master have a vehicle of the gods?" Pit wondered, hopping into the Aether Ring and using it to save Sonic from an enemy horde.
'Isn't it obvious?' Chariot Master remarked.
'Are you saying you're a god?' Viridi questioned the mysterious soldier.
'I'm not saying anything.' Chariot Master refused to answer.
'Aurgh! Then why even bring it up?' Viridi grunted in annoyance.
While continuing up a long walkway, Pit asks, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?", as he's starting to get tired of climbing this titanic tower.
'No, we're not. No, we're not.' Viridi snarked.
Quickly after, the gang venture into a room filled with landmines and enemies that aren't giving any of them trouble. 'Be careful you don't step on any landmines.' Viridi warned.
"We'll do our best." Spidey responded while swinging over landmines to land his foot onto a Monoeye.
'Mines certainly are useless on floating Underworld monsters.' Viridi criticized.
'Yes, yes, I'm quite aware of that.' Chariot Master snarked.
'Defense really isn't your strong suit, is it? Eh, whatever. Defenses are for the weak and insecure.' Hades quipped.
A grind rail gives the heroes a moment to rest their feet as they ride their way into a new room, one containing a Wrecking Ball and Reapettes that are position similarly to bowling pins. "Look, Lucy. We get to go bowling early." Spidey joked at the warrior princess.
"Not exactly how I had imagined it, but it should make for good practice." Lucina smiled.
With just a sword strike at the wrecking ball, Lucina earns a strike when it destroys all of the Reapettes in one hit. 'STRIKE!' Viridi exclaimed celebratory.
"That is good?" Lucina asked unsurely.
"That was the best!" Pit retorted happily, exchanging a congratulating high-five with the smiling princess.
Going up another long walkway, it's Spider-Man's turn to complain about the tiring trek, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
'Ugh, not you too.' Viridi groaned.
Another new room comes another new challenge, with this one being strong gusts of wind and ditches that the heroes may fall into if they mess up. 'A severe wind advisory is in effect up ahead.' Viridi warned them.
"Thanks for the heads-up. But no little breeze is going to slow ME down!" Pit claimed with such arrogance that is immediately, and humorously, refuted by the powerful winds nearly blowing him to a ditchy doom.
"You were saying, Lil' Wings?" Sonic teased the growling angel.
After proceeding through the room and hopping onto another grind rail, the interdimensional party enter a room with an Exo Tank for Pit to ride. "Look! The Chariot Master has an Exo Tank!" Weiss spotted.
"Maybe he's a gearhead." Pit commented.
'Or a nerd!' Hades snarked.
Pit revs his Exo Tank to maximum speed, using it to catch up and race against Sonic on the nearby racetrack. "Cool! It's a path made of light!" Pit said in admiration.
'Well, this is a nice design flourish.' Viridi complimented.
'No. It's a practice track for the Lightning Chariot. It's not for amateurs!' Chariot Master retorted sternly.
"Like I am! I'm the Fastest Thing Alive in the entire multiverse that beat Odin and his eight-legged horse! Didn't you watch the Grand Prix?" Sonic retorted, taking some offense to his statement.
'I did. I was hardly impressed.' Chariot Master answered stoically.
Once again a room was completed. And once again the heroes venture up a long walkway that is really starting to get tiring to deal with. Moreso for Viridi as now she must endure the combined impatience of Pit and Spidey asking her, "Soooo... Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
'You know that saying that there are no bad questions? Well, there are, and this is one of them! WE ARE NOT THERE YET!' Viridi screamed angrily at the two annoyances, 'But I do wish there was a way to speed up this process.'
Right after that climb is a room containing a massive pillar with gems embedded in its sides. "This pillar seems to have gems stuck on it. What should we do with them?" Weiss wondered.
'The same thing you always do: shoot them.' Hades snarked.
Weiss shrugs, "I suppose we have no choice.", before shooting a gem that lowers the pillar.
"Hey! It got lower!" Pit noticed.
"Keep knocking it down to reveal a way forward!" Spidey commanded.
One by one by each hero, all of the gems are hit that causes the massive pillar to collapse to their level and reveal a jump pad that will lead them to a new location. "Success!" Lucina expressed happily.
"Race is still on! See ya at the finish line!" Sonic taunted, taking the jump pad as the others quickly catch up.
"Whoo hoo hoo hoo!" hollered Pit while jumping to a higher level, with the team hoping they are one step closer in finding the Chariot Master.
BGM End
Elsewhere in Pit's World…
Tiki walks out of a town after exploring her new dimensional surroundings for a time. She looks around, making sure she is not being followed as she approaches a tree for a private meeting with her partner. "Scar-Scar, are you here?" She asked quietly.
"I'm here." Scarlet Spider revealed himself on the tree after deactivating his suit's stealth mode that can warp light and sound around it, which effectively rendered him invisible.
"That stealth suit is a godsend. There are eyes and ears everywhere. We need to maintain a low profile." Tiki advised him.
"Got it." said Kaine before jumping off the tree, "So what did you learn in town?"
Tiki frowns, "That its people are miserable. Everyone in this entire realm. They have been caught in the middle of a war between the Gods of Skyworld and the Underworld for over three years. Dark Sonic took advantage of the chaos and conquered the realm in mere months. Now he's out there wiping all resistance just to alleviate his boredom."
"He's a Sonic clone alright. His cocky ego will be his undoing." Scarlet snarked, "I learned he's headquartered at his own castle at Sparta at a region southwest from here. It's the heart of his little gang. Take it out along with him and we take out his entire organization. Best we cause a lot of trouble as we get there."
"Not the perfect plan. There are risks, but we have no other choice." Tiki commented.
"I know how he thinks. It's why I showed him mercy. Not this time. He wants to have fun killing people, then I'll do the same to him." Scarlet vowed to kill the clone hedgehog that he held some sympathy for in their last battle.
"Do not take pleasure from violence." Tiki chided deadpannedly.
"Fine. I'll still kill him." Kaine snarked, beginning to walk through a forest alongside his girlfriend.
"How I miss the days of fighting an army alongside an army." Tiki sighed.
"Like we needed an army to take out the gangs of Houston. And Dark Sonic is no Walhart." Kaine conversed stoically.
"True enough." Tiki quipped.
During their little walk, Kaine looks a little bothered by something. He seems to have something on his mind as he nervously rubs the back of his head. He glances at Tiki, building up the nerve to say to her, "So, darkness…"
"Hm?" Tiki reacted curiously.
"Can darkness be used to fight for justice?" Scarlet asked, apathetically to hide his true emotions.
Tiki sees through his hardened persona but answers his question nonetheless, "Your actions have done an excellent job answering your question."
"What about for the light?" Scarlet asked.
"Same difference." Tiki responded wisely, "Light and darkness are not inherently good and evil. It depends on how you wield them. The darkness in your soul is vast and deep, but you have shown bravery in acknowledging it and not giving in. When I was a child, I was alone in the darkness. Afraid of it. Thought it should never exist. Then I spent time with dear friends like you and changed my mind. The road you chose, I was oblivious to. Light and dark, back-to-back. With you, I think they might meet in a way nobody's seen before. You're the one darkness that I have come to love." She then teases him with a smiling, "Why did you ask?"
"…Just needed a little reassurance." Scarlet answered, subtly admitting to her that Dark Sonic's belief about heroism and clones born from darkness did bother him.
"What would be more reassuring is having an army." Tiki quipped.
"I can call spiders to keep you coming." Scarlet teased stoically.
"No, that's disgusting." snarked Tiki, laughing alongside her boyfriend's scoffing expression.
"Thanks, Tiki. We'll get through this. Together. I promise I won't let anything happen to you." Kaine vowed to her, sincerely from his dark heart.
Tiki smiles, "Likewise.", before the couple share a kiss of passion and reassurance that they'll always have each other's back.
Scarlet mounts Tiki once she transformed into her dragon form and they fly off together in search of Dark Sonic. As they fly over the gloomy land, Scarlet faintly hears some type of commotion happening in the distance and stares at that direction wondering, "What's going on over there?", which prompts the dimensional couple to investigate.
BGM-Super Dragon Ball Heroes OST-Inevitable Asura
What the two find is an intense air battle between the Dark Empire and a mysterious black-winged angel who is most definitely Dark Pit. He was just minding his own business when he found himself attacked by Spartans wearing jetpacks and giving him a run for his money, fleeing from their hot pursuit to find the right opportunity to shoot them down one by one with his trademark staff. He smiles at himself thinking he has won, which he didn't and is made painfully clear to him once he was knocked back by a cannonball fired by a Space Pirate Ship that also works under Dark Sonic's Army. Pittoo would've fell to his doom if Scarlet and Tiki didn't catch him promptly.
"Spider-Man?" Dark Pit questioned his surprise assistance.
"I'm not Spider-Man! Shut up and fight!" Scarlet retorted.
"Don't need you to tell me that!" The rude Dark Pit then flies away from their company to fight the ship alone.
"Arrogant punk!" Scarlet snarled, already not liking his fellow clone.
Reluctantly, the three warriors are working together to destroy this Space Pirate Ship that is firing many lasers. All of them failing to touch them. Scarlet Spider finds his opening to leap toward a side of the large ship, growling while igniting his fist in immense hellflames. Dark Pit flies toward the opposite side, grunting as he equips himself with his powerful Electroshock Arm. And Dragon Tiki powers up her devastating divine breath that is targeting the ship before her threatening glare.
"UURRRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" From their ferocious unified roar comes the monster trio launching their incredible combo at the Space Pirate Ship, with the boys smashing through its sides just before the divine dragon's blast finishes the job, causing a massive explosion that rocks the sky.
BGM End
"Thanks for the help, not that I needed it." Dark Pit said arrogantly to his newest allies.
"Whatever. I'll let you die next time." Scarlet snarked stoically.
"You sound like Spider-Man but you're not Spider-Man. Take it you're his clone?" Dark Pit deduced correctly.
"Who knows. Who are you?" Scarlet questioned, refusing to reveal his secrets to this mysterious stranger.
"Who are you?" Dark Pit retorted, refusing for the exact same reason.
"They call me Scarlet Spider. This is my partner, Jade Dragon." said Kaine, introducing themselves.
"Hello." Dragon Tiki politely greeted the dark angel.
"The name's Dark Pit." Dark Pit introduced himself.
"Greetings, Dark Pit. If I may, can I ask if you know of Dark Sonic? I can sense you two were born from the same darkness." Tiki asked.
"Actually it was a mirror." Dark Pit snarked, "Yeah, I know Dark Sonic. The two of us were never friends. Kind of hate each other."
"That would explain why his Dark Empire sought to kill you." Tiki proclaimed.
"You talking about the Underworld Army?" Pittoo questioned curiously.
"No. Dark Sonic is leading his own faction that has all but conquered your world." Tiki informed him, much to his surprise.
"He did?! He betrayed the Underworld? Sounds like I missed a lot while I was asleep." Dark Pit remarked, vaguely revealing that he was somehow left comatose for the past three years.
"Indeed. He now seeks to conquer other worlds. He tried to invade the world we came from but was forced to retreat. It will not be long until he tries again. That is why Scarlet and I are here. Can you help us put an end to his madness?" Tiki proposed an alliance with the black-winged angel.
"I'm not a team player." Dark Pit rejected her offer.
"With an attitude like that, it's no surprise." Scarlet snarked.
"Y'know, you're becoming just as irritating as Spider-Man." Dark Pit scowled, growing a disdain for this spider-clone.
"Don't compare me to that clown, Punk Pit!" Scarlet grimaced, growing a greater dislike for this angel clone.
"It's DARK Pit! Your nicknames are also as childish as the other Pit!" Pittoo retorted angrily.
"Please reconsider. We all share a common enemy. Though you were born from darkness, you too possess the potential to fight for justice." Tiki sensed a similar nobility in Dark Pit that exists within Scarlet Spider.
Dark Pit scoffs, "Yeah right. I fight for me."
"Then fight to save yourself from Dark Sonic's tyranny. We will aid you if you allow it." Tiki bargained, thinking smart while reasoning with his ego.
After a moment of sincere thinking, Dark Pit just sighs and shrugs, "…Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
"Thank you." Tiki smiled gratefully.
"Try not to get in my way." Scarlet mocked his newest angel ally.
"You try to keep up." Pittoo retorts with his own snarky remark, with the new team flying toward Sparta to put a stop to Dark Sonic's conquest once and for all.
Back at the Lightning Chariot Base…
BGM-Mega Man ZX Advent OST-In the Wind (Youtuber KokiRemix Ver.)
"We're still here?" asked by a dumbfounded Spider-Man, with he and the Goddess Avengers Alliance finding themselves fighting more Underworld troops at a higher level of the base.
'I warned you before we got here that it was a long way up.' Viridi reminded.
"Yes, but this place is so huge, we even had to switch perspectives with another cast back there." Pit stated, breaking the 4th wall for a bit.
"We did?" The confused Spidey raised an eyebrow.
'Shhh, they're going to hear you! We're not supposed to talk about that!' Viridi shuts up the angel's 4th wall talk that confuses the webslinger even more.
The Lightning Chariot Base is becoming so terribly infested with goons from the Underworld, Jotunheim, and Svartalfheim that it is borderline ridiculous. Any ridiculous situation requires a ridiculous solution, and in this case is the Dream Stone empowering the heroes with Dream Friends. Dreamy Yang throws a spinballing Sonic straight at enemies in a ferocious toss that annihilates them. Weiss harnesses the power of Dreamy Shadow's Chaos Control to repel mooks by distorting space. Lucina equips herself with Dreamy Captain America's shield to pummel monsters with a series of shield bashes, ending with a devastating sword slam that clears the room for more enemies to annoy them for another minute.
'Underlings! I'm offering 100 gold for the putz's head and 90 for each of Buggy's Kooky Quartet!' Hades commanded his forces to keep delaying them from the Lightning Chariot.
"The names are Pit and the Dimensional Avengers!" Pit retorted angrily.
'Yes. I know. Your tenure as a ring doesn't seem to have had any effect on that keen wit of yours.' Hades snarked.
"Wait, you know that I was turned into a ring?" Pit responded in shock, countering an attack from a Dark Elf.
'Oh, is it a secret? Then don't mind me! Mum's the word!' Hades quipped.
"Did YOU turn him into a ring? Were you the one that trapped us in that void?" Lucina sternly questioned the god.
'Wow, you really are clueless. Don't you know, Avengers? You're the cause of all this chaos.' Hades blames them for Palutena's recent behavior, much to their confused disbelief.
"Ha! That makes no sense!" Sonic laughed, thinking he was joking.
'Don't let him get to you, guys. The Underworld Army is the one to blame.' Viridi claimed otherwise.
'Why, thank you. That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say.' Hades flirted.
'You know what? You're annoying.' Viridi retorted.
'Yow! She's feisty! Wear gloves with this one, minions!' Hades snarked.
It took a bit for that room to be cleared but finally the heroes are allowed to press forward, soon entering a chamber containing a short maze with enemies and ditches that they should be careful around. "Uh…Are we there yet?" Pit asked for the umpteenth time.
'Yes. If by "there" you mean "at a maze." But it's not that big, so you shouldn't have much trouble.' Viridi claimed.
"Speak for yourself." Sonic snarked, constantly running into dead ends at supersonic speeds.
Eventually, the party escaped the maze to enter yet another room filled with enemies. 'I've got a heaping helping of Underworld goodness for you, Avengers!' Hades told them.
'He's saying that more enemies are on their way. Clever, huh.' Viridi clarified.
"Yeah? Well, I whipped up a club-your-face sandwich!" Pit quipped while flaunting his Earthmaul Club. "Hope YOU'RE hungry!" He shouted upon swinging his club with the long-ranging devastating force that plows through the enemy horde in seconds.
Once that room was cleared, grind rails are approached by the heroes that use them to ride around the base's exterior. "Walking's for chumps!" Spidey joked.
'Up you go!' Viridi cheered.
'It's like watching roller-skating chickens.' Hades quipped.
"Don't even pretend that that's not awesome!" Sonic snarked.
"Look at us go! We're all, 'whoosh whooosh!'" Pit smiled while grinding through a series of shōji doors.
"Eloquently put as always." Weiss teased.
Quickly after, the heroes ride into a room with a Cherubot and various enemies. "Score!" Pit happily exclaimed.
"Hop on in, lil' bro!" Spidey encouraged.
The excited angel hops into the mech suit in time for an amazing combo attack with his friends. Sonic tornadoes several goons into one spot, where Spider-Man webs them, before Weiss encases them in freezing ice, right as Lucina cuts the ice in half, with one half being smacked onto more enemies and the other half thrown at the remaining mooks by the Pit-piloting Cherubot.
"And that's the end of them! …Are we there yet?" Pit asked again upon their victory.
'Good job, and no, not yet. But there's just a little ways to go. Oh, and I have a special treat for you up ahead.' Viridi claimed.
"I know when I'm about to be pranked. Let's see how the gods want to torture us this time." Spidey quipped.
And what they find in the next room is startling. Overwhelmingly surprising. What they see here is so astonishing beyond natural belief that it looks like Pit is going to die from a heart attack as he struggles to say the words that are, "What what WHAT IS THIS?! A. HUGE. HOT SPRING!" He exclaimed with such overpowering joy at the massive hot spring before the heroes' very eyes.
'You're not the only hot-spring fan.' Viridi snarked.
"Apparently Underworld monsters value relaxation too." Lucina joked, pointing out the single Bumbledrop enjoying a hot bath all by themselves.
"But why can't they relax somewhere else? THIS IS OUR SPECIAL ME TIME!" Pit retorted, with the Bumbledrop sweating in great fear from the looming menacing threat that are the Dimensional Avengers.
Feet were relaxed. Bodies were healed. The Bumbledrop was pummeled. That hot spring really did the trick in re-energizing the Dimensional Avengers after a long tiring trek up the Lightning Chariot Base. Things get even better upon them walking up a long walkway and Viridi announcing, 'Guys, I have some exciting news for all of us. The Chariot Master is just ahead. SO YOU CAN FINALLY STOP ASKING ME IF WE'RE THERE YET.'
The heroes stand before the teleporter that will finally lead them to the Chariot Master. Before entering it however, Spider-Man has one last thing he wants to ask Viridi. Something very important that he can only say now, "…Are we there yet?"
'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUGGHH!' Viridi screamed with extreme hair-pulling ferocity, causing the mortal heroes to laugh before walking into the light of the teleporter.
BGM End
Boss Chamber, Lightning Chariot Base.
The Goddess Avengers Alliance took the warp to a large racetrack, where they encounter a unicorn with a small chariot attached. "The Lightning Chariot!" Pit spotted.
'Grab the reins of Phos there.' Chariot Master instructed.
"Gee, thanks!" Pit replied gratefully.
'You misunderstand. This is no gift.' Chariot Master reveals the true nature of his present as the heroes spot the flaming ghostly warrior zipping by in another chariot.
"Get him, kid! We'll cheer you on from the sidelines!" Spider-Man ordered the angel to face the Chariot Master alone. It's a tall order, one Pit is determined to follow with all his strength. He exchanges thumbs up with his friends before hopping into his own chariot, using it to pursue and engage Chariot Master in a racing battle.
BGM-Kid Icarus: Uprising OST-Boss Fight 1
"If you want the Lightning Chariot, you must prove your worth." Chariot Master explains to his opponent once he caught up.
'You need two unicorns to pull the Lightning Chariot. That means you have to defeat the Chariot Master and get the other one.' Viridi informed him.
"That won't be a problem!" Pit acknowledged.
"Now let's begin." announced Chariot Master, starting their racing battle by firing multiple energy blasts at the angel. Pit is still learning to ride a chariot, struggling to swerve through his attacks until many of them manage to slow him down considerably and painfully.
An agitated Pit grunts, "This isn't how I wanted things to go, but I have to save Lady Palutena."
"I understand better than you know. For my own master, I would not hesitate to dirty these hands." Chariot Master revealed.
"So you serve someone as well?" Pit questioned.
"I did." said Chariot Master, beginning to reminiscing his tragic past as he comments about it, "I've suffered countless war wounds, but none greater than the loss of my master. I once had many comrades in arms. But they too have returned to the dust. All I have left in this life are my faithful steeds, Phos and Lux."
"Oh…" Pit frowned, feeling empathy for him.
"My body has long since degraded, and now my soul grows thin. The warrior's path inevitably leads to loss. I have no qualms about this. But you are no warrior, angel. Tell me, why do you fight?" Chariot Master questioned his resolve.
"I fight for Lady Palutena. And I fight for the people under her protection!" Pit answered.
"That's not reason enough for an angel." Chariot Master refuted.
"Who are you to question my reasons? My choices are my own! And I choose to serve the goddess of light!" Pit argued with unyielding passion that impresses the legendary warrior.
"I admire your conviction. It speaks to the deep reservoir of strength within you. But it also proves you very foolish. And though you may be a servant of the heavens, I will show you no mercy!" Chariot Master declared, remaining unconvinced by his resolve.
"And I won't need it!" Pit retorted.
"We understand each other then." Chariot Master commented.
"We do!" Pit agreed upon equipping himself with the Viridi Palm weapon.
Two legendary warriors have agreed to give it their all and give the audience one of the most intense battles across a racetrack. Out of the two, Chariot Master is ahead casting down lightning bolts at his pursuer, prompting Pit to dodge and retaliate with great homing shots that are slowing down his rival. Tactics are then switched, with the Master laying mines with the same quick succession as the angel shooting them from afar, creating smokescreens that the spirit takes advantage of by firing an endless energy barrage through them to devastate Pit. Chariot Master dispels the smoke just as he finished casting down a powerful lightning bolt above the shocked angel, who dodges the blast at the very last second.
"Keep it up, Pit! You're doing great!" Weiss cheered him on from the sidelines.
"Dodge out of the way, then let him have it with a power-packed dash attack!" Sonic loudly advised him.
"Santa Chariot ain't playing around." Spider-Man joked whilst standing beside Lucina.
"Yes. I can only assume that he wants him to pull out all the stops for this fight. Are you confident Pit can win this alone?" Lucina asked solemnly.
"With all my heart." Peter answered with absolute confidence in the angel's abilities. "That kid is fighting for a light that will never go out, so long as he never gives up. Pit is naïve. The light will blind him sometimes. Make him foolish like the Chariot Master said. But it is how we learn from those mistakes is how we grow. Self-doubt can be seen as an invitation to be greater. This is his opportunity to prove it." He said wisely, much to Lucina's smiling acknowledgement and agreement.
'It amazes me when you speak wise sometimes.' Viridi snarked.
"I just love surprising people." Spidey quipped.
Back to the battle, it seems to be wrapping up after a brief clash between charioteers. Chariot Master unleashes his full speed that allows him to boost across the racetrack at the speed of light. It took a while, but after learning from his mistakes, Pit seemed to have mastered his chariot as he too reaches light speed to catch up with his opponent. Both warriors and their unicorns clash to the utmost limit, trading ferocious blows and blasts that tiring each other out.
"Time to end this, warrior!" Chariot Master declared.
"Let's!" Pit accepted his challenge.
The charioteers are side by side as they prepare their final move. Pit charges his Viridi Palm to maximum power, just as Chariot Master fires his full power energy wave straight at him. Just barely, Pit dodges his attack and unleashes his power-packed dashing blast that his foe has no other choice but to suffer its full might. "G-Guwaaaaa!" Chariot Master yelled painfully while being blasted off his ride.
BGM End
"ALL RIGHT!" The Dimensional Avengers cheered for the victorious angel.
"I win!" Pit exclaimed triumphantly.
"Well done…" Chariot Master congratulated his worthy opponent, accepting his defeat with humbleness.
The happy Dimensional Avengers go to reunite with Pit and congratulate him on his splendid victory. High-fives and hugs and fist bumps were shared until they realize the Chariot Master is laying weak on the floor, much to their great concern as they rush to his side. "What's happening to you?" Pit asked.
Weakly, Chariot Master chuckles, "…I seem to have drowned in your reservoir of strength. You've proven yourself worthy of my Lightning Chariot."
"Hold on just a little longer! We'll get you patched up!" Spidey said assuredly, sensing his end is near.
"Do not waste your efforts on this relic…I am but a spirit whose time of rest has arrived. I must accept it…" Chariot Master calmly rejected his help.
"Wait! I don't want it to end this way!" Pit retorted.
"This is the only way things can end for an old warrior…I have no regrets…I'm trusting you with Phos and Lux…And the future of this realm…Of all…realms…" said the Chariot Master in his final moments, before his body fades into the light.
The heroes take this silent moment to mourn the loss of the Legendary Master of the Lightning Chariot. Pit feels upset, as well as guilt for his role in the Chariot Master's demise. But a comforting shoulder pat from Spider-Man reassures him that he did good for bringing peace to his wounded soul. 'He was an honorable warrior. Don't let his death be in vain. Now let's go save Palutena.' Viridi declared somberly before extracting the team from the battlefield.
At Earth Prime…
BGM-Spider-Man (Movie Game) OST-The Green Goblin
Mary Jane uses her key to open the door into her house at New York's Queens, sighing, "What a day…", upon entering with a bag of groceries. It is night and nobody but her is in the house that is feeling chiller than usual, which wonders her. The redhead approaches the source of the ominous winds, which so happens to be a blown apart wall that surprises her into exclaiming, "What the…?", and dropping her groceries.
"Tough day at the office, hon?" Emerging from the shadows to startle MJ is Demogoblin, riding his glider and finishing his little joke, "Mine was a killer!"
"Harry?!" MJ quickly realized, much to her own shock and horror, that she really did see Harry Osborn the other day. Her best friend brought back to life through the power of the dimensions, and corrupted into looking more goblin than ever before.
"Not anymore!" Harry grabs her and takes laughing delight in her screams as they fly out of her house, "Put your heart into those screams, my lovely girl! You need the practice in time for my final trap against our dear best friend, Peter Parker!"
BGM End
BGM-Kid Icarus: Uprising OST-Solo Menu
KFX Here: The twin adventures are nearing the end. The Dimensional Avengers are ready to raid Skyworld in order to save Palutena. Team Scarlet are ready to raid Sparta in order to stop Dark Sonic. And then there's Demogoblin getting ready for his final battle with Spider-Man. Next chapter is gonna be long, intense, and will take a while to complete. See ya when it is.
Next Time: Save Palutena! Save Harry! End of the Corruptive Darkness!
Please leave a review that'll tell me what you thought of this chapter! What did you like? What didn't you like? Would really appreciate the feedback.
Attention fellow Omega Flight Agents! I have downloaded the newest Marvel mobile game, Marvel Future Revolution, and I'm having a blast so far! If you also have the game, feel free to send a friend request to "KingFrancisX" and join my alliance under the name "UnitedHeroes" so we may have fun together! I'm usually in the "Sakaar 1" server room!
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BGM End