Knull grinned at Healer, the green-eyed Symbiote peeking his head out while quivering inside his host. "You have traveled far to get here, I see, across space and time. I can see across them both, and I have seen your unique gift: you can heal the damage done by my own Necrosword, can't you?"

"Y-yes."

"Yes, I can see it from All-Black's memories... and then you helped these mortals destroy my beautiful instrument of darkness. Of course, it was in the hands of a much more pathetic mortal, but with its power, even something as weak and lowly as that Gorr could slay those cursed beings... those that brought that wretched light into my glorious kingdom of darkness!"

"The Celestials." Loki presumed.

"You looked into the hive mind for a brief moment, didn't you, lightling? You saw it, my cleansing that universe of those abominations. Your kind is corrupting innocent children of darkness, like the one you have taken hostage."

"My kind? Gods?"

"No, creatures of the light. Arrogant pup, you were born from the light, and you need it to survive: you are not a god, not even close. I have existed long before that wretched light came into creation by those cursed Celestials; they are closer to being gods than you or any of your brethren, but they too are born and can die… I am the only true god, so allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Knull, god of the Symbiotes, lord of the abyss, and the living void, the one who reigns eternal. That darkness that dwells inside you, the child whom you had the unmitigated gall to give a mortal name? That darkness belongs to me. I am the King in Black, and this little world will soon be part of my kingdom."

"And what do you plan to do with the people here, the 'creatures of light,' when you take this world? Are you going to kill all of them and then resume the extermination of the Celestials?"

"Correct! I have slaughtered so many of them, as has that so-called god butcher with the lesser creatures; he used to brag about his killings, as if they were accomplished by his own power. I even recall my All-Black and him killing so-called 'gods of healing' together, and none of them were ever able to heal from any of the wounds my sword inflicted! It was created to kill them for good, and yet you were able to heal your host completely after my sword pierced his heart. Child, you will come with me and use your gift for your god! I may not have my sword at present, but I can pierce this host's little heart just as easily!"

Knull placed his hand over Loki's heart, and he felt a chill run through his body like nothing he'd felt before! He glanced downward, feeling as though his heart had stopped completely and a heightening sense of panic!

"Loki, calm down! Our heart is beating, but it is way too fast! I know he is terrifying, but it won't help us if we worry ourselves to death before he can kill us! We must calm down so we are not too afraid to act, and then we can save ourselves and Thor!" Healer urged, and Loki started to feel a bit less anxious. "I have flooded our brain with oxytocin to soothe us, but you need to do the rest!"

Loki nodded and slowed his breathing, steadying himself. "Yes, I have quite the extraordinary partner, but he's staying with me, if you don't mind."

"I do mind. But first, I'd like to see this power of yours for myself, my child." Loki reached for his TemPad, but Knull ordered his followers to hold the Jotun's arms and legs back and keep his hands closed with their own appendages. "Hmmm... but I don't want to be a repeat act... let's try an even more fatal blow..." Knull moved his hand upward, grabbing Loki by the top of the head. "If you can heal this creature of light after I remove his head, that will truly impress me!"

"NOOO!"

Loki struggled in vain to ever so slightly move his hands, to cast any spell, holding his head down.

"Don't be afraid, my child. Have faith in yourself."

"DON'T! I-I CAN HEAL SOMEONE ELSE FOR YOU, ANYONE ELSE!" Healer continued shouting as he wrapped himself around his host's chin and neck, but his hold proved useless next to his creator's strength. One swift yank was it, leaving Healer to frantically fix the damage done. Knull watched with genuine curiosity, and soon his creation had his host's head completely reattached. Knull moved his ice cold hand back over Loki's heart, feeling it beat on.

"Amazing!"

"Youuu!" Healer growled. "You are a MONSTER!"

"Child, your healing rivals my own! I have never seen anything like it, and yet you were the one treated like a monster by these lowly creatures, rejected and ostracized by your own brethren. Your talent is wasted on this host. Come, you belong with me."

"Never! Lokiii, wake up!"

"Do not throw a fit, dear child, you will be happier with your father, with your god."

"You are no father or god of mine! I haaate you! I hate you more than I hate Malice!"

"You do not know what is best for you. Come; I will make you whole. I will make you well." Knull grabbed hold of Healer, who barely managed to keep a hold on his host!

"NOOO! LET ME GOOO!" Healer bit Knull's fingers and stabbed at him with Loki's sword, but nothing fazed him. "Please, don't make me leave my Lokiii! I love him!"

"So misguided..."

"LOKI, WAKE UPPP! LOKIII, PLEEEASE!"

Healer began to peel off of his host, but another Symbiote chomped through him, severing the piece that Knull held before the dark king could take him!

"That was a bold move, Eddie!" Venom commended. "I hope your fellow reporters write something nice about you in the papers, if they're still alive after Knull destroys us!"

"Oh come on, you say we're going to die before every Symbiote battle!"

"He is not a Symbiote, he is our creator, our god, our superior in every way, and I really mean it this time when I say we have zero chance of surviving this!"

"Your host has zero chance, you mean." Knull corrected him. "Now, I have no interest in you, Eddie Brock, but that child of yours-"

"You stay away from my son!" Eddie warned.

"Of yours and my own child, I should say! An intriguing mix of light and shadow... perhaps if I can dim the light from inside him, this Dylan, with his abilities, will make for a mighty ally!"

"You won't live to see him, you ugly freak! Come on, Venom, let's bite off his head!"

Despite his trepidations about fighting his creator, Venom bared his fangs at him, determined to protect his family, but Knull grabbed his head effortlessly.

"You, my rebellious child... yes, the one who instigated my entire imprisonment; I will still give you a chance to rejoin your disappointed father before I tear you away too!"

"Sorry, but Eddie and I love each other more than you could comprehend, and I will gladly die a million deaths before I let you hurt him or our son!"

"No... before that, you will live a million lives! Don't be nervous, child, I will make you whole before I come for the rest of your family!" Knull began to rip Venom off of Eddie as his creation thrashed and held on with all his might, until a bolt of lightning came down on him, preceding a heavy storm! The pouring rain drenched them, beginning to wake Detective Loki in the process.

"All these nasty weather spells and these bright flashes of light are ruining my visit." Knull complained. "Let's put an end to that!" The King in Black lifted his arms, and a sea of darkness surrounded the Earth, cutting Thor off from the clouds and darkening the sky even further until they could barely see! "Ah, that's better! Now, where was I?"

Knull promptly began to tear Venom off of Eddie again, although he resisted, attempting to hide inside of his host, but his creator simply pulled Venom out, piercing through Eddie's sternum in the process!

"Eddie, he is too strong! I can't fight him; I can't hold on much longer." Knull pulled a bit harder, and Venom began to lose his grip on his host. "I'm sorry, Eddie; I have to leave you."

"No!" Eddie tried everything he could think of, shooting Knull with various electrical weapons, but they weren't powerful enough to stop him. "NO! LET GO OF HIM! VENOM!"

"Eddie... I love you, Eddie. Save yourself and protect Dylan, Eddie! Protect our family for me!" Venom pleaded as his tendrils began to detach, one by one. "You are the Lethal Protector, Eddie! Nnngh, goodbye!"

"VENOM, NOOOOO!!!" Eddie screamed as Knull ripped Venom away, causing the Lethal Protector to revert from a suit to a formless blob, and the King in Black absorbed him into his own body, leaving Eddie alone in a state of shock! He mourned his longtime companion while Thor jumped back into the fray!

Unable to call forth his lightning or see his enemy, Thor was quickly caught off guard as All-Black's army held him down. "You have been the biggest pain in my side, thunderer, but you are still nothing but flesh and blood. Gods are immortal; let us see if your boasts of godhood are true or false!" Knull prepared to strike him down, but he covered his eyes as one more flash blinded him, this one a bright green light! When his vision cleared, Knull opened his eyes again to find Thor, Eddie, Loki, and Healer gone! "Where?" While the dark god tried to find him through the hive mind, his cult members approached.

"Lord Knull, Creator, we are your loyal children!" Mister E introduced. "Please, release us from our dependence on these human husks and make us whole again!"

"Of course, dear child. Mister E, right?"

"That is my name, yes!"

"You have all done well. Now, you will join me in freeing this planet from that wretched light!" Knull touched each of them, separating them from their hosts and giving them permanent form! He then gave them all orders on where to strike, except for Grievance.

"You, my child, Grievance: do you have the same healing ability as your variant?"

"I don't know. I should, right?"

"Hmmm..." Knull commanded the darkness to drag a fleeing human man towards him. "Try this one." Knull snapped the man's neck, passing him to Grievance. The green-eyed Symbiote placed his hands around the limp human's neck, but he was unable to heal the damage.

"It's not working for me! Do I have to be bonded to him to heal him?"

"No, child, all the abilities you had in your dependent state remain in your true form, the form you hold now. Your variant must have learned it from a host you have not bonded to yet, met some conditions you have not... I'll have to look into that. For now, you may hunt down the humans with the others!"

"Creator, could we take over Asgard?" Healer requested. "They are hypocrites and no better than the humans!"

"And that pesky thunder boy's home will get a lovely remodeling... I like it! Go, my child, extinguish the light of Asgard!"

"YESSS!"

"As for me, all this reminiscing has made me nostalgic... I miss my first creation." Knull signaled his horde of dragons. "You come with me; let's take a little trip to Earth 199999 to reclaim it!"

Detective Loki and his allies reappeared in the Null-Time Zone, immediately closing the Time Door behind them! Red Thor looked around him, noticing Loki healed his and Eddie's injuries back on Earth and having no idea where he was or how he got there, while Eddie turned towards Mobius and Sylvie, who briefly waved to him, and Loki laid down for a moment's rest.

"Hey, what do you know, he brought back a Thor!" Mobius casually remarked. "Funny, I bet you'd bring back another Loki, and Syl bet you'd bring back a Frigga. I guess we broke even."

"Loki, what happened?" Sylvie wondered. "You look like you just went through Hel and back!"

"The god of Symbiotes... we fought him, and we were nothing to him. Gorr was nothing compared to him, so I... I returned to you, like I promised."

Sylvie then put back the frog she had hidden for her prank and comforted her fiancé.

"H-h-he-he took him!" Eddie exclaimed, distraught. "He took Venom!"

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to reach you in time, but against someone that powerful, we can't help you any longer."

"So you're abandoning the case, just like that?" Mobius asked him. "I mean, it's the smart move for you, but I... wow, this is the first time I've seen you give up on a case! Wait... did this guy take Healer?"

"No, but he was frighteningly close."

"And he would have killed Thor and then Loki and Eddie, but Loki pulled a solar flare on himmm and outsmarted him!"

"Not I!" The redheaded Thor objected. "None can slay Thor Odinson! Now where hast thou brought me!?"

"Somewhere safe to keep you alive for the time being: the Null-Time Zone."

"You fool, you brought us straight to Knull's time?!"

"Null, N-U-L-L, as in, a place where time holds no meaning, you oaf! And you're welcome."

Thor huffed and turned away. "I am the almighty Thor; I need rescuing from no one, least of all by a cowardly spellcaster such as you! Whether I die today or ten thousand years from now, 'twill be in battle, earning me my place in Valhalla. Your running away has only brought shame upon me, and infinitely more so upon you!"

Loki groaned. "I haven't the energy left to argue with you. You want to go back and die with honor, be my guest!"

"What an ungrateful dick! Must be taking lessons from Odinnn." Healer said to Loki. "Anyway, we are weakened: we need fooood!"

"Hey, can I use your phone?" Eddie requested as Loki and Healer grabbed a meal. "I want to call Dylan to make sure he's alright!"

"Yeah, go right ahead." Mobius replied. "Are you alright? You seem really shaken up!"

"Yeah, yeah, I... I'll be okay, I think. I dunno." While he dialed the number, Loki offered Eddie some chocolate. He hesitantly took it, although tears formed in his eyes when the dessert brought back memories of his own Symbiote. "Oh. Thanks. Hello, Anne? Are Dylan and you alright?"

"We're fine, but it suddenly got pitch black out! Are you fighting the bad guy?"

"I, uh... well, he's- he's got Venom, and I got taken out of the fight."

"Eddie, he's leaving!" Dylan shouted as he rushed to the phone. "He ripped open some kinda portal to another dimension, and he's leaving!"

"What? Crap, is he looking for us!?"

"No, he said... he's looking for his 'first creation.' He called it Earth, uh, one and a lot of nines!"

"Earth 199999!?" Loki repeated. "Is he headed towards Norway?"

"I don't know, man. I can only see where he is, not where he's going! I think that's the number he said. I don't think he can find you, since Healer isn't officially part of his hive."

"I could understand if he thinks we're there, but why look for his first creation there? All-Black was obliterated, and we burned the rest of Gorr's body! There couldn't be anything left of it, not even a codex!"

"But Gorr wasn't the only one from Earth 199999 who bonded with that sword, remember?" Mobius reminded Detective Loki.

"King Loki! He is headed for New Asgard!"

"And your variant is as good as dead." Healer sadly said. "Along with the other Thor and anyone else Knull decides to kill. But at least weee should be safe here!"

"Other Thor and yet another Loki!?" Red Thor exclaimed. "I must leave this confusing place at once!"

"I can't let that monster kill my universe's Thor and Loki!"

"But you can't stop him!"

Loki clenched his fists. "I know!" After a moment of pained silence, he spoke again. "Wait, the Light Elves of Alfheim: the best I can do at present is blind Knull temporarily, but if I can learn some real light magic, we might just have a chance to stop him before he takes back his Necrosword!"

"You don't mean..."

Loki nodded. "We must return."