VOLUME 3
Xavier woke
His vision was blurred, but when it cleared, he still did not know where he was.
He was on some floating piece of rock, in the middle of space, inside a gas cloud. The gas was purple, and non toxic.
Come to think of it, how could he breathe?
He looked around; there were other 'islands' of flat rock, suspended in space. Then he saw a black spot in the distance. He couldn't make out what it was, it was too far off.
"Where are we?"
Xavier turned his wheelchair, and faced a bald man with a black beard. He wore round glasses that made him look souless, and a lab coat; he seemed quite muscular.
"I do not know" Xavier said. "Friend?"
"Hardly, I do not make many friends"
"Then, what can I call you"
The man cleared his throat. "My name is Professor Hugo Strange"
"Proffesor? That makes two of us" Xavier said, offering a welcome hand.
Strange simply 'hmphed' and walked forward to the edge of the rock island.
"What is this place?" he asked.
"I do not know, I can only guess" Xavier answered, moving his chair beside Strange. "We are in a gas cloud, able to breathe somehow. What universe this is, I do not know"
"Universe?"
"You did not hear the voice? We may have been unconscious, but that voice spoke of 'two' universes. Possibly mine and yours if we are not from the same"
"We will test" Strange suggested. "Do you know of Batman?"
"No, I do not"
"Then we are not from the same universe. Everyone in mine has heard of him, anyone who hasn't-"
They were startled by a stir. Two more individuals, one Xavier knew as S.H.E.I.L.D Director Nick Fury, another man he did not know and was perhaps from Strange's home universe; he was badly misshapen.
They both stood.
"Dr. Sivanna" Hugo 'greeted' to the other bald man. "You have been sent here too?"
"Hugo Strange?" Sivanna groaned, standing up and dusting himself off. He was somewhat short.
"Xavier, what the hell is this?" Fury asked tensely. No surprises.
"I don't know" Xavier said again. "For some reason, us four have been sent to this place"
"You don't know the reason?" Fury asked.
"No" Xavier tilted his head. He closed his eyes, and put a hand to his forehead. "Give me a moment, I'm going to find out why we are here"
"How so?" Sivanna asked.
There was a silence, save for Fury grumbling as he looked around at the purple around him.
"He's a telepathic" Strange then said. "Interesting"
Xavier went into deep thought, then saw into their minds, and the minds of everyone in the universe they were in.
#
Batman threw a flurry of batarangs at Captain America.
The Captain held his shield up, and the batarangs pinged off of it, not making a single scratch.
Behind the Captain, Deadpool lunged with both his swords at Deathstroke, swiping them at his foe.
Deahtstroke leaped, back flipped, and brought a foot down on top of Deadpool. Deadpool held both of his swords up, stopping and balancing Deathstroke on them and then pushed him off. Deathstroke flew back, and landed on his feet some meters away, skidding to a halt.
Batman and Captain America charged at each other.
Captain America threw his shield towards the side of the street. It pinged off a lamppost then headed for Batman, it slammed into Batman's stomach and sent him flying back.
The shield pinged off another lamp pos, which Batman then slammed into, and flew back to Captain America who caught it; sliding it back onto his arm. The captain took the opportunity and ran at Batman.
He leaped, bringing the shield down, but Batman sent a kick into Captain America's guts and sent him to the ground.
Batman leaped back up, and the Captain rolled backwards as he neared the ground, shooting back up to meet his foe.
Deadpool ran at Deathstroke.
He swung one sword, and Deathstroke leaped from harm again. But while he was in the air, Deadpool lunged the other sword at him, and Deathstroke was taken by surprise. The sword barely missed his leg, cutting a long gash into it.
Deathstroke grunted softly, and swung a kick into Deadpool's head. Deadpool was sent flying to the side, toppling into a car. He pushed off it, ready for the next attack. Deathstroke had landed on his feet and immediately came at Deadpool.
He lunged his sword now, Deadpool wasn't ready for this attack. He sidestepped, and watched as the sword scraped through the metal of the car. He looked back, and Deathstroke plunged a blunt weapon, a metal baton of somewhat, into his rib cage.
Deadpool felt his bones crack under the strength Deathstroke put into that attack. He spat blood, which soaked in his mask. The baton then made a whirring sound, and Deadpool was then electrocuted. He yelled, the shock running through his body, he felt in his hands and lost his swords
Quickly thinking, he grabbed his swords before they fell by the blades. Electricity crackled through both of them, and he sent both into Deathstroke's chest.
Deathstroke yelled in pain, stumbling back; the swords were still stuck in his chest.
Deadpool leaped at Deathstroke, ignoring the crack of his ribs. Deathstroke spun back, and sent his sword into Deadpool's chest, impaling where the heart should be; Deadpool was silent, only letting out a soft gasp.
Deathstroke smiled under his mask, he got his target.
Deadpool gritted his teeth under his mask and summoned up the last of his strength. He grabbed his swords, still impaled in Deathstroke's chest, and pulled them upwards.
Deathstroke grunted loudly at the pain. And then...
Deadpool pulled the swords up through Deathstroke's chest in diagonal moves and they came out of the shoulder's, cutting Deathstroke's head, neck and upper torso off.
Blood splattered the ground, followed by Deathstroke's dismembered body.
Deadpool fell back to the car, sliding down in until he was sitting.
"Argh, really?" he groaned, pulling the sword out from his chest, having dropped his own. He threw it away. "That was it? c'mon, you coulda done better than that. And you know who I'm talking to"
He looked to the side, watched as Batman and Captain America fought on; neither of the two were getting the upper hand.
"That one better be better" he breathed, eyes closing under the mask. "Heh, you know…it's kinda different….without…those…sppech bubbles"
And then his head rested on his chest.
Batman and Captain America took no notice; they were too busy with themselves.
#
Superman flew at Thor, and Thor at Superman.
Superman threw a mighty punch, as parried with his hammer. Superman's fist met the hammer, and the very air around them rippled, the rain that had started pouring down shot outwards.
The two were stuck there, in a deadlock.
Both gritted their teeth as they looked into their foes eyes, nothing more was done. Then, Superman's eyes glowed, and Thor shot upwards. Superman's eyes shot red beams, burning through a flap of Thor's cape.
He looked up, eye's back to normal, and held his arm's up to block the hammer that came down upon him. He was sent down a few meter's, feeling the strength in Thor's hammer. He raised his arm's up again and was sent down further. The third time, Superman went to grab the hilt
He tried to pull the hammer away from Thor, but found that it was no use. Thor didn't grip it with all his strength either, it just wouldn't move; at all.
"Fool" Thor said. "Only the son of Odin can wield Mjolnir"
Thor then sent the Hammer smashing into Superman's face, and the caped hero was sent down further than the previous two times. He stopped his fall, balancing himself in the air.
The rain came down even harder.
On the bridge, Storm flew around and away from Wonder Woman's attacks. She leaped, sending punches and kicks at Storm, only to miss every time. She used the vehicles to gain a better height, but she still missed.
The rain didn't make things any easier, the roofs of cars were slippery and Wonder Woman constantly lost her balance.
She climbed on top of another car, a lot closer to Storm now.
Then the car exploded, struck by lightning. Wonder Woman cried as she was sent flying, slamming into the side of a truck. She dropped to the ground, and shook as she stood back up; wiping blood from her forehead.
She looked at Storm, eyes full of anger.
She grabbed her whip, and lassoed it at Storm. The whips caught around Storm's ankle, who was taken by surprise. Wonder Woman gave a mighty pull, bringing Storm shooting down into a kick she sent into her chest.
Storm was sent flying back, but Wonder Woman pulled again and Storm came back. This time, Wonder Woman leaped to the side and Storm was thrown into the truck, smashing through it.
Back in the sky, Superman looked up at Thor, and his eyes glowed again.
The red beams fired, and Thor blocked it with his hammer. The beams shot 'reflected' off the hammer, shooting out in all directions, 'mixing' with the lightning to create red lightning.
Thor held against the red beams, he was not pushed back but felt the strength and intensity of them.
And then he saw Superman fly up at him, eyes still shooting. Thor was too slow to stop him, and Superman sent a flurry of punches into Thor's torso.
Thor gasped with each punch, Superman grunted.
Thor raised his hammer, which was red hot from the beams. It crackled, and lightning struck the two of the two of them. Superman was sent flying back, electricity crackled through his body. Thor was unharmed from it, but was harmed from the flurry of punches Superman had dealt him.
He looked at Superman, who recovered from the lightning attack.
He grunted, and threw his hammer at the Man of Steel.
The hammer flew with great speed towards Superman. He was too slow to dodge or block it, and the hammer caught him in the jaw and he spun around. It flew on past him, then flew back and hit him in the stomach.
The Hammer pushed into his stomach, pushed him back towards Thor as it returned to its master.
Thor then dealt a powerful punch into Superman's lower back, polar opposite to the hammer in the stomach.
Superman's mouth fell open and blood flew out from it. He felt the strength of the Hammer and Thor; he was lucky they didn't burst through his body to meet each other.
Thor drew his fist back, and his hammer returned to him.
Superman floated there, hands over his stomach. The pain was intense, so intense. He turned his head to Thor, the God that seemed to be more powerful than him.
#
In space, Galactus struggled.
Green Lantern watched, nervously, as Parallax wrapped itself around the world eater.
Galactus' armor began to turn yellow, to turn into fear. Lantern could see the fear in the giant's eyes, and watched them glow from red to yellow as Parallax him over.
Galactus breathed his last words. "Silver Surfer…aid me"
And somewhere else in the universe, the Silver Surfer heard and zoomed towards the cry of help.
#
Inside the gas cloud, Xavier's eyes opened back up.
"Well?" Sivanna asked.
"We are not in either of our universes" Xavier said. "We are in one made especially for both of them, a handful of worlds have brought here"
They looked at him in confusion.
"There are ten planets" he continued. "Five from each universe. They have formed a ring around this gas cloud, and I can sense a powerful source of energy emitting from it. On those planets, battles are breaking out. Hero's and villains are fighting each other, fighting to the death…one of those battles has already ended"
"Who?" Fury asked. "Who won?"
"It was a draw" Xavier said, tilting his head. "Deadpool, and an assassin called Deathstroke are both dead"
Strange coughed. "Slade Wilson is dead? Amazing, he is one of the few to deal the Batman an utter defeat"
"And Deadpool" Fury said, showing little remorse. "He was a cocky prick, but he got the jobs done"
"So, they are all fighting out there" Sivanna joined in. "Why are we in here?"
There was quiet.
"You know, don't you?" Strange asked
Xavier lifted his head.
"I do" he said.
The being spoke to itself.
"So, the war gains its first two casualties. a God and Hero among Hero's are each other's throat and a world eater has been taken by fear…and someone is meddling with my war.
Oh yes Xavier, I know what you are up to. Go ahead, meddle with my war. It is pointless, but it is also entertaining to watch you try and stop it. You cannot stop this war…
You cannot stop Krathos