Chapter 23 - Darkness Falls
Realm of Yggdrasil
Korra stood frozen at the sight of the freed God of War, the deity of unlimited power hovered in the air laughing maniacally. His dark energies resonated throughout the realm; the worlds above were starting to become corrupted with Ares's power.
Now, should we begin?
Ares said with great pleasure as he fixed his gaze on Korra, little did he expect to be struck by Mjolnir. But the hammer only made the great God of Darkness flinch, not even denting his helmet.
The little godling wants to play? Ha! With a wave of his hand, he blew Thor away as if he was a leaf in the wind. Loki smiled to the sight.
"Oh great Ares, I have served you with all of my being!" Loki knelt before evil incarnate. Ares looked at his servant and placed his armor hand on his right shoulder. "Lord?"
No you have not, even though I am free, my powers dwindle as time passes. The conflict in the human world is not enough to feed me, that is why you are going to do one last thing for me, my servant.
"What is it?" Loki asked.
You are going to become my vessel, and together we will unleash chaos upon the stars. Ares said, this made Loki confused at first but then he agreed. Loki opened his arms wide…
"One!" Loki shouted. But before Ares could fuse with the zealous Loki, a blast of lightning struck Ares on his back, ripping his ebony cape. Angered, the God of War turned to see who had dared to attack him; it was Korra who had tapped into the Avatar State.
"There is no way I am letting you do that!" Korra yelled, Ares grunted with fury. Thor, coming back to the fight, grabbed Loki and pulled him away.
Korra used all of her power to attack the liberated God of Darkness, earth, fire, water and air struck Ares from all directions. Ares flew towards Korra who hovered on the top of an air tornado; she avoided the God of War and kept attacking him with dozens of boulders.
Thor and Loki rolled down the rocky hill, fighting evenly until Loki head-butted his brother. "This is my victory! Mine!" Loki yelled, he grabbed his scepter and swung it at Thor hitting him in the jaw.
"Agh!" Thor backpedaled away, rubbing his reddened jawline. "Mjolnir, to me!" Thor screamed at his hammer, the ancient mallet flew towards his hand.
The two brothers fought, the hammer hitting the scepter producing small lightning bolts emitting from each attack. The two Sons of Odin fought all the way towards the closest portal, the Northern Portal, they struggled until Thor delivered a mighty hammer strike on Loki's shoulder sending him to the gorund.
"Give up, Loki! I don't want to kill you!" Thor shouted at his brother, ready to smash his head in with Mjolnir.
"Never…!" Loki responded.
Korra was handling Ares better than she expected since the god's power was dwindling quickly. With the use of the Avatar State, Korra trapped Ares inside a ball of air, then combining the four elements into a new prison for the dark war god.
"I'm imprisoning for another ten thousand years!" Korra with the voice of Gaea said while she pushed Ares back into the Yggdrasil. But from behind her, Doom had punched her on the back of her neck.
"Ah!" Korra shouted in pain, this allowed Ares to rip the prison into pieces. Doom then grabbed Korra's wristed and held her close to him.
"Do not struggle Avatar, the end is just around the corner." Doom whispered to her ear. Loki saw what was happening, and smiled.
"So long, brother!" He rolled out of the Mjolnir's way, the hammer hitting the ground and becoming stuck in the rocky ground instead of smashing Loki's head.
"No!" Thor shouted, Loki stood back up and quickly ran towards Ares. The God of War saw the young godling running towards him and smirked.
Korra seeing Ares walk towards Loki, firebended a ball of fire from her mouth towards Loki. The godling of chaos used his scepter to disperse the ball of fire into thin air.
Ares then became ethereal and ran into Loki's body; the sudden charge of immense power was shocked Loki's young body. The unimaginable power of Ares lightened Loki's eyes and mouth, then the former Son of Odin took a full of breath of air and loudly cracked a laugh.
His eyes were bright red and the silhouette of Ares appeared behind him following Loki's every movement. To complete the union, Loki walked towards the Southern Portal and touched it, the power of the Convergence flooded the newly united Loki and Ares like it did to Wan and Gaea once before.
"No…" Korra said as she watched the unification of these monsters. Light blinded both Korra and Doom for a second, once they recovered their vision they both saw Loki standing victorious in front of the portal.
"We are now one!" Loki's voice mixed with now that of Ares stated. "Now a new era begins, both god and man will kneel before my very presence and I shall rule the cosmos as the new Avatar!"
Korra entered the Avatar State once more, using her power to bend the ground where Doom stood on and launching it into the air along with the former Equalist leader.
"Well I am the old Avatar and my era is not over yet!" Korra responded launching herself towards the newly created Dark Avatar.
Republic City
War! S.H.I.E.L.D. units made their attack, coming out of their hiding spots and coming into contact with every Equalist soldier they could see. Airships and planes in Equalist command re-entered the city, resuming their attack run, sweeping the streets with hellfire.
Fury's strike team, The Avengers, attacked on full force and were fighting the heavy troopers sent by Skurge. This team, led by the unfrozen legendary hero of the Hundred Year War, the Captain struck through the lines of mecha tanks.
"How you holding up?" Iron Man asked the old soldier as they took dozens of corrupted Equalists troopers together.
"Getting unfrozen and bring thrown into war is hardly a welcome back party." The Captain responded, "I have many questions, but the Colonel told me what was necessary and what needed to be done first! Also, sorry for denting your…armor with my shield."
"No worries, I do look like the type to get hit on anyway." Iron Man replied.
Mako flew overhead, using his Nova Force to take down incoming planes. It was too easy for him; it was like cooking flies with firebending. But his arrogance got the better of him once Deimos the Warrior swooped from above hitting the young Nova in the back. "Gah!" Mako felt the one through the armor.
"Your foolish attack won't stop us!" Deimos yelled at Mako who recovered from the surprise attack.
"Oh yeah? Well watch me!"
Below, Magneto and Deadpool were killing S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as if they were ants. Their attack was halted by Quicksilver and his twin, the Scarlet Witch. "Stop right there." Quicksilver said. "Your little revolution ends here."
"Look! He has white hair!" Deadpool shouted with his crazed voice. "I'm going to rip it out!"
Magneto looked at the twins in front of him, but he had a task to do. He bended the metal out of one of the buildings in the street and threw it at the twins. Quicksilver, with super-human speed ran away from the incoming metal beam while the Scarlet Witch used some strange power to stop it and match Magneto's control over it.
"Impossible!" Magneto yelled in disbelief. Deadpool looked around as a white and blue blur ran circles around them.
"This is not cool!" Deadpool yelled, and then he was hit by hundreds of punches coming from all directions. The fastest man alive brought down the mercenary as easy as he could run from Republic City to Ba Seng Sai under two hours. Magneto noticed and bended the several iron rods from another building and wrapped an unsuspecting Quicksilver with them.
"Crap!" Quicksilver yelled.
Scarlet Witch increased her force, causing a nosebleed, and out powered the Master of Magnetism throwing the steel beam they were fighting for onto him. Magneto couldn't have seen it coming, he hit the wall of the building behind him bringing it down above him.
The Scarlet Witch helped her brother out of the iron rods, "Thanks." Quicksilver said.
"That's why I am here for." Witch replied.
Nova grabbed Deimos and threw him into the streets below where the intense fight between the agents and the Equalists was taking place. Then he saw several warships incoming from Yue Bay, Mako knew that they had to be the United Forces.
"Guys, reinforcements!" Mako shouted at the agents below and pointed towards the harbor. With many of the air dominance of the Equalists having been diminished, the United Forces easily disembarked into the harbor.
Soldiers of republic stormed the ports with efficiency; they were led by General Iroh II the youngest general in United Republic history. Nova heard sounds coming from his helmet's radio, "Hello?" Mako asked.
"Good, you can hear me. This is Fury, have the United Forces made contact?" Fury asked through the radio.
"How did you…never mind. The United Forces are incoming, they are storming the bay sectors as we speak!" Mako responded.
"Good, just keep the airs clear while I…" Then radio communications dropped.
"Colonel? Colonel?!" Mako shouted into his helmet, and then the helmet's A.I spoke to him.
"Detecting unknown energies coming from the poles…" It said, Mako looked at the morning sky. A dark purple light passed above the clouds blotting out the sun in the process.
"What the?" Mako asked. The entire planet was covered in this energy; it had been released when Loki had been fused permanently with Ares. It was the apex of the Convergence and the moment that the God of War had to be stopped.
Realm of Yggdrasil
Doom landed next to Thor who was able to pull the hammer out of the ground. "Uff…" Doom felt the power of light had burned a bit of his dark green uniform off.
"Amon!" Thor shouted at him. "It's payback time."
"So you are also a god, but of what I ask myself? It doesn't matter now, behold the darkness!" Doom responded wielding the power of dark.
Thor attacked with Mjolnir, using what little power of the Odinforce was still locked inside the hammer from the last time Odin wield it long ago to imprison the demon Surtur. The strikes would mean death for the dark herald; Doom had to avoid all of the attacks Thor launched at him since Odin's holy touch would end him.
"Even though you are using a weapon made for gods you are as mortal as any of the fools on Earth." Doom stated. "Your godhood is still locked, and that will cost you gravely."
"I don't need my divinity to beat you!" Thor responded still swinging the mallet and hoping to strike Doom.
Doom grabbed the young prince by the head and hurled him into the air and quickly elbowed him on the gut. "Agh!" Thor spitted blood, Mjolnir fell next him. 'The hammer…I can't…use its power.'
"Have I ever told you how I get things done? No? Watch." Doom began to move his arms around, Thor then felt his arms and legs compressing. His arteries and veins being pulled by Doom…
"Aahhhhhhhhhhh!" Thor screamed in pain.
"Bloodbending at its finest. Actually I don't even need to move." Doom said, putting his hands inside his pockets. "Look at that."
Doom moved Thor's head via bloodbending, making him watch Korra's fight against the Dark Avatar. "Once she's gone, the worlds will be thrown into chaos. Beginning with yours."
Korra and Loki were on equal footing, both using their own Avatar States to counter each other's attack. Korra was forced to retreat back to the material world, followed by Loki.
South Pole
Korra used a tornado made out of water and air to move around, but Loki did as well trying not to lose her. If he was going to win, he would need to completely end the Avatar Cycle completely and killing Korra would not suffice.
Loki, using his amplified magical powers, bended water whips which he used to hit Korra on the shoulder. Korra responded throwing dozens of ice daggers at him, the Dark Avatar created a rock shield to block the daggers.
Loki then bended more water and threw gallons and gallons of water at Korra who made an ice shield around her to protect herself, Loki noticed this and turned the water attack into an ice one grabbing Korra and her shield and throwing her into the ground. The impact shattered the shield and numbed Korra.
Loki landed in front of her, shattering the ice and rock making a fault in which Korra fell in. She barely fit inside the fault; Loki began to squish her within it.
"Give up! Your era is over!" Loki shouted at her.
Korra couldn't move, she could feel the pressure…there was no escape. She closed her eyes…there was no way to get away. It was the end…
Korra, do not give up. Do not allow the worlds to fall into ten thousand years of darkness.
Loki kept the pressure but then he was thrown away by a great explosion from the fault. Korra was once more in the Avatar State came out of her icy death and ready to fight again. "You will not win!"
The Dark Avatar couldn't believe that she still had the willpower to keep going… "Err!" Loki grunted, the fight was still not over.
Realm of Yggdrasil
Doom had Thor under his heel; there was nothing that the young prince could do. His blood, his body was still human, he was sure that Doom would kill him but the dark herald was waiting for Loki's victory.
Thor…
'Huh?' Thor thought, he couldn't speak with the pressure of his veins being strangled.
Even through you are worthy to wield the hammer, you have not proved worthy to wield your birthright.
'I…I can't let Korra alone! If you're going to help then do it and if you're not then shut up!' Thor shouted at the ethereal voice.
Tell me…why do you feel the need to protect the Avatar? Why do you feel the need to protect her world when you could save your own?
'I love my home, I love Asgard and all of its people…but…I love Korra more!' Thor responded. The voice didn't reply for a minute…until…
Wield Mjolnir one more time and use it to light…your darkest hour.
'What do you mean!?" Thor asked but didn't get a response. He could barely turn his head; Doom was still waiting, looking at the realms above. Thor thought deeply as he looked at the hammer just some feet out of his reach. 'Mjolnir…come to me!' Thor commanded.
The hammer began to move but instead of coming to Thor's hand, it went directly towards Doom. The ancient mallet struck the dark herald on the head with a force that knocked him out cold allowing Thor to be released from his bloodbending grip.
Mjolnir then went to Thor's hand, but nothing happened. "Light…our darkest hour?" Thor asked as he looked at the hammer. It didn't matter, he ran towards the portal to help Korra.
South Pole
Korra was still in a bloody stalemate with Loki, both of them on equal footing. Korra tried using all of the four elements on the Dark Avatar but they were just countered and vice versa. Loki once more tried using the water whip against Korra since she was at ground level and Loki hovered on his water tornado.
Instead of hitting Korra again, she caught it and pulled him down. He crashed down into the ice; he stood up and tried another whip with his right arm which was caught again by Korra. They both pulled onto each other trying to make one of them fall, but they were equaled.
It was until they got close enough that Loki realized that this was his opportunity, he smiled and his head moved awkwardly. Out of his mouth came out some strange tentacles of dark energy which startled Korra at first. Not wanting to be attacked Korra firebended with her mouth but was quickly shut by the dark tentacles which covered her face completely.
Thor came running out of the portal to see what was happening, "No!" Thor yelled, he threw Mjolnir at Loki but was halted by a dark field probably created by the Dark Avatar. The dark tentacles then began to pull, literally, the light out of Korra.
The light then turned into the weakened ethereal form of Gaea, Korra collapsed on the ground. Loki pulled the dark tentacles back inside his mouth and looked at the weakened Gaea on the ground who tried to crawl towards Thor.
"I don't think so." Loki said using his dark powered water whips to strike Gaea, the elder goddess screamed in pain as Loki kept attacking her. Thor ran to help but was then stopped by Doom, "That was dirty." Doom said as he came out of the portal.
Loki kept whipping at Gaea whose body parts began to disappear with each strike. Korra could feel the same pain that Gaea suffered. With each whipping, Korra could feel each of her past lives going away from her…being destroyed.
Korra saw how Loki kept attacking her spiritual companion, until with the last strike slayed Gaea making her disappeared completely. This hurt Korra a lot, she felt as if a part of her had been killed off and passed out from the pain. Loki smiled, now that light was now completely gone Ares began to take over.
Thor and Doom watched as Loki began to change form, his appearance being corrupted by Ares. He began to grow in size becoming even bigger than the biggest of Frost Giants. "Spirits…" Doom said as he witnessed evil itself coming into being.
"Now ten thousand years of darkness begins." The Dark Beast said, he looked up at the sky and used the world wide aurora borealis to spread complete darkness over the planet. He then combined with it and left the South Pole, the shockwave of him leaving was powerful enough to knock everyone away, even Doom.
Korra lied unconscious on the snow…and the world was plunged into eternal darkness.