Marvel: From the Void and Back Again, Part 3
Chapter 21: The Valley of Screams and Cyber Earth Prelude
…
The streets of the Seireitei was filled with new activity. The expansion of Soul Society was well underway, and what had once been a rigid and outdated system was now rapidly evolving into something greater. New districts, Seireitei-2 through 5, had been successfully established, their architecture blending ancient elegance with the futuristic advancements derived from Earth-616's celestial corpses and the ever-growing network of interdimensional alliances. Now, with the influx of newly cured Arrancar and Hollows integrating into society, work had begun on Seireitei-6 through 8 to accommodate the growing population of rehabilitated souls.
At the center of this grand transformation stood Peter-Knull and Madelyn Pryor, both overseeing operations with careful scrutiny. They were stationed at the Central Resource Hub, where manifests were signed, logistics were reviewed, and quotas of the vital symbiotic berries were distributed to maintain the cleansing initiative. With these berries, countless former Hollows had been restored to proper souls, given a second chance at life rather than being trapped in an endless cycle of conflict and consumption.
Peter-Knull idly flipped through the latest batch of reports, his fingers drumming against the paperwork. "Seritei-6 through 8, huh?" he muttered, scanning the plans. "Didn't think Soul Society would ever grow this fast. I'm almost impressed."
Madelyn chuckled beside him, her hand finding his own.
"Almost?" she teased. "You should be proud. You had a hand in this, you know."
He exhaled, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, I guess I did," he admitted before signing the next set of manifests. "Not often you see an empire growing because of ex-Hollows integrating instead of being destroyed."
Kyoraku strolled in, a relaxed grin on his face despite the serious business at hand. "You're looking real official there, Peter-Knull. Careful, keep doing all this paperwork, and we might have to call you 'Captain of Expansion.'"
Peter scoffed. "No thanks. I'm not about that life." He handed over a signed document to one of the logistics officers. "I just want to make sure the people here, former Arrancar, Hollows, and Shinigami alike, have a future. That's it."
Madelyn tilted her head. "Speaking of futures, we should check in on the hybrids Aizen left behind."
Kyoraku raised an eyebrow. "Oh? The Ichigo-lookalike and the two Rukia clones?"
Madelyn smirked. "You make them sound like cheap knockoffs."
"Well, their genetic code is based on those people," Peter-Knull pointed out, rolling his shoulders. "However, they are making lives for themselves."
…
With the heavy business of logistics handled for the day, Peter-Knull and Madelyn took a detour into the residential sector of Soul Society. The streets here were different, modernized, yet holding onto the traditional aesthetics of the past. Thanks to the technological advancements gifted by their interdimensional allies, Soul Society had not only eliminated poverty but had successfully integrated Hollow-born souls into everyday life.
It wasn't long before they came across the market district, where two small businesses had opened side by side.
One was a perfume shop, the elegant gold and violet sign reading Infernal Fragrances. Through the glass storefront, Infernal Rukia was hard at work, testing a new batch of scented oils. Despite her succubus-like wings and forked tail swaying lazily behind her, she looked completely at ease, absorbed in her craft. She was clearly thriving in her newfound passion, a stark contrast to the artificial purpose Aizen had tried to force on her.
Next door, a flower shop called Parasite Petals had its doors wide open, the scent of fresh blossoms wafting through the street. Parasitic Rukia stood by the counter, arranging a bouquet of vibrant flowers. What was immediately strange, but now expected, was how her own arms were helping her, with her left hand grabbing stems and her right hand tying the ribbon. Both hands had tiny mouths and eyes of their own, happily chatting to her as she worked.
Madelyn couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe they actually opened up stores."
Peter-Knull snorted. "Honestly? I should've seen this coming."
Further down the street, near the training grounds, they spotted the Ichigo duplicate standing at attention, engaged in a conversation with Captain Komamura and a few Squad 7 officers. His body language was stiff, he was taking this seriously.
"He's actually going for Squad 7, huh?" Peter-Knull muttered.
"Seems like it," Madelyn replied, watching as the duplicate absorbed Komamura's words with genuine focus.
From a distance, however, another familiar figure was watching him, Haineko, who sat perched on the rooftop above the training area, her tail flicking with interest.
Madelyn smirked knowingly. "And it looks like he's got company."
Peter-Knull followed her gaze before shaking his head with amusement. "Figures. He's been spending time with her at night, huh?"
Madelyn shrugged. "They seem happy. That's all that matters."
As peaceful as things were in Soul Society, the World of the Living was not faring as well.
At a shrine located on the outskirts of Karakura Town, spiritual disturbances had started manifesting, subtle at first but growing stronger by the day. It wasn't an enemy attack, nor was it a Hollow outbreak, no, this was something different.
A ripple in space.
A crack in reality.
Something that had no right to exist here.
Ichigo Kurosaki, currently patrolling the area alongside Rukia, stopped in his tracks, his instincts flaring. "Did you feel that?"
Rukia, who had been reviewing reports on her Denreishinki, immediately turned her head toward the disturbance. "Yeah. Something's not right."
The air shimmered, an unnatural pressure bleeding into the atmosphere.
And then, in the distance, the first Blank appeared, a humanoid figure, featureless and ghostly, standing eerily still.
And it wasn't alone.
…
In the depths of Soul Society, something stirred in the research division.
Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's monitors flickered, the readings coming in from the sensors stationed in the World of the Living. His golden eyes narrowed, intrigued by the distortions manifesting near Karakura Town.
"Interesting…" he mused. "Very, very interesting."
The readings weren't like anything he'd seen before.
It was as if the barrier between worlds was being peeled away.
And that meant only one thing, the Valley of Screams was bleeding into reality.
…
as researchers huddled around the main screen, monitoring the readings from the World of the Living. The air buzzed with unease, a stark contrast to the usual hum of diligent scientific chatter. Third Seat Akon strode into the room, his sharp eyes scanning the data on the screen.
"What's the status?" he asked, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
A nearby researcher looked up, their face pale. "The space is still expanding, sir. We've dispatched the Onmitsukidō alongside some of Peter-Knull's symbiote operatives to investigate the dimensional tear. They should be passing through the Dangai now."
Rin Tsubokura, seated at a console, adjusted his glasses nervously as he worked. "I've established communication lines with the team," he reported. "They'll reach the anomaly in approximately ten seconds."
The screen flickered, showing the Onmitsukidō operatives moving swiftly through the Dangai, accompanied by several symbiotes that shimmered with an otherworldly glow. The feed was steady at first, but as they neared the exit, the visuals distorted, static crackling over the audio.
"What's going on?" Akon asked sharply.
Before anyone could answer, a sound echoed through the room, a chilling mix of buzzing and clicking, like the rapid movements of countless insect legs. The screen crackled again, and the operatives' voices came through, panicked and disjointed.
"Something's happening to the exit-!"
The feed erupted into chaos. Screams pierced the static as the visuals briefly showed a massive shadow blotting out the light. The buzzing grew louder, joined by an unsettling hissing sound. A researcher gasped as the screen revealed a brief, horrifying glimpse of what had ambushed the team: a gargantuan scarab-like creature, its multifaceted eyes glowing with malevolent intelligence.
"Pull them out! Now!" Akon barked.
The symbiotes acted quickly, their bodies shifting into protective forms as they shielded the operatives. Tendrils of shimmering energy lashed out, forcing the creature to be preoccupied with them just enough for the team to retreat. The feed flickered again, and then the screen went dark.
An hour later, the survivors sat in the SRDI's debriefing chamber, their faces pale and their hands trembling. The symbiotes hovered nearby, their forms tense and protective. Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood before the group, his expression uncharacteristically grim as he reviewed the footage and data recovered from the mission.
The symbiotes had taken detailed images of the creature during the encounter. As they projected the photos onto the wall, a collective shudder ran through the room. The scarab-like monstrosity was massive, its body gleaming with an iridescent, chitinous exoskeleton. Its legs were jagged and spiked, each movement exuding a sense of predatory grace. But what drew the most attention was the faint, glowing sigil on its thorax—a mark unmistakably tied to Knull's influence.
"It's a Knull," one of the symbiotes confirmed, their voice low and reverent. "A counterpart to Peter-Knull, but… different. Ancient. Primordial."
Another symbiote, one of the Seraphis type, hovered forward, its glowing form radiating a calming aura. "If not for our combined strength, your operatives wouldn't have survived. That thing… it was pure malice given form."
Mayuri's expression shifted from detached fascination to a glimmer of curiosity as one of the symbiotes, Shell-Shock, stepped forward. The armored symbiote's voice rumbled deeply, resonating with concern.
"We've just received an alert," Shell-Shock began, his massive frame seeming almost hesitant. "Peter-Knull is en route. He suspects this Scarab-Knull may have allied itself with Aizen."
Mayuri tilted his head, his golden eyes gleaming with interest. "Ah, how intriguing. And here I thought our dear Peter-Knull had all his counterparts under control. It seems I was mistaken."
Another symbiote, Seraphis, floated closer, its ethereal glow pulsating with unease. "If this counterpart has allied with Aizen, its presence in the Valley of Screams cannot be coincidental. There's something… deliberate about this."
Unohana's serene gaze fixed on the glowing symbiote. "What are you suggesting?" she asked calmly.
Shell-Shock interjected, his claws flexing slightly. "Think about it. The Valley of Screams is already a volatile dimension, teetering on the brink of collapse into the World of the Living and Soul Society. If this Scarab-Knull has aligned with Aizen, it wouldn't just be a bystander. It could be deliberately sabotaging our efforts to stabilize the valley."
Akon's eyes widened as he pieced it together. "If that's the case, then the Scarab-Knull's goal would be to force a collision between the Valley of Screams and the other realms."
Seraphis nodded gravely. "Exactly. Such a collision would create a cataclysmic event. The instability would tear apart the barriers between dimensions, making it nearly impossible to contain the damage. It's the perfect plan to destroy both Soul Society and the World of the Living."
The room fell silent, the implications sinking in like a heavy weight. Even Mayuri, usually unfazed by threats of mass destruction, appeared momentarily pensive as he processed the scenario.
"Deliberate sabotage…" Mayuri mused, his voice quiet but dangerous. "It's an elegant strategy, I'll admit. But if Peter-Knull is on his way, then I suppose we may soon have the means to counter it."
Unohana's voice broke through the tension, calm but commanding. "If this is true, we need to act immediately. We must accelerate our efforts to stabilize the Valley of Screams and prevent the collision. The operatives we sent in earlier are proof of how dangerous this Scarab-Knull is. We can't afford any further losses."
Shell-Shock stepped forward again, his deep voice resonating with determination. "We should prepare. If Peter-Knull's suspicions are correct, and this Scarab-Knull is allied with Aizen, then we cant take any chances.
Peter-Knull's fiery expression softened as he exhaled deeply, his eyes narrowing in thought. The fury in his gaze was replaced by a calculating, almost analytical focus. He folded his arms and began pacing slowly, his heavy boots echoing in the room. The room waited in tense silence, watching as his mind worked through the possibilities.
After a few moments, Peter-Knull stopped, his eyes gleaming with clarity. "Alright," he said, his tone measured and steady. "If the Valley of Screams is expanding at an exponential rate and destabilizing the barriers between realms, then the solution is to remove the problem entirely."
The gathered captains and researchers exchanged uneasy glances. Mayuri leaned forward, an eyebrow raised in skepticism. "And by that, you mean…?"
Peter-Knull turned to face him, his voice blunt but calm. "We move the Valley of Screams."
The room erupted into murmurs of disbelief and confusion. Unohana tilted her head slightly, her serene expression betraying a flicker of intrigue. "Move the Valley of Screams? That would require unimaginable power and precision."
Mayuri, who seemed both amused and intrigued, sneered. "And where exactly do you propose to move an entire dimension, Knull? Shall we shove it under a rug somewhere?"
Peter-Knull smirked faintly, undeterred by Mayuri's sarcasm. "No, we move it to a designated location. Somewhere isolated, where it can't threaten Soul Society or the World of the Living."
Mayuri's smile faded slightly, replaced by genuine curiosity. "And how, pray tell, do you propose to do that?"
Peter-Knull's tone was blunt as he crossed his arms. "I'll create a blank universe and move the Valley of Screams into it."
The silence in the room was deafening. Even Mayuri, who thrived on grandiose ideas, blinked in surprise, his golden eyes narrowing. "A blank universe?" he echoed. "Do you have any idea how much energy, precision, and—"
Peter-Knull cut him off, "I have access to higher existence. The same power that lets me manipulate cosmic symbiotes, build realms, and cross dimensions. Creating a blank universe is child's play compared to some of the things I've done."
Mayuri's expression flickered with begrudging respect, though his curiosity remained piqued. "And what makes you so certain this plan will work?"
Peter-Knull's gaze didn't waver. "Because it's the cleanest solution. The Valley of Screams isn't inherently evil; it's a byproduct of the natural order. Aizen and the Scarab-Knull are weaponizing its instability, but if we move it to a separate universe, it's no longer a threat."
Madelyn Pryor, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. "And by creating a blank universe, we can control its parameters. Seal off entry points. Make it impossible for Aizen or anyone else to exploit it again."
Unohana nodded thoughtfully. "A bold plan. But if anyone has the power to achieve this, it's you."
Mayuri, finally recovering from his initial shock, smirked. "Very well, Knull. If you claim you can create an entirely new universe to house this dimensional anomaly, then by all means, prove it. I'd very much like to observe."
Peter-Knull ignored Mayuri's snide tone, his attention focused on the task ahead. "We'll need to stabilize the Valley of Screams first to keep it from fracturing during the transfer. Madelyn, Seraphis, and I will handle that part."
Unohana turned to Nanao, who was standing quietly at the edge of the room. "Prepare the Onmitsukidō and symbiote operatives to assist with monitoring the dimensional boundaries. We'll need their expertise to ensure the transition is seamless."
Nanao nodded, her face determined. "Understood. I'll coordinate with the teams immediately."
Peter-Knull took a step forward, his presence commanding. "Once we move the Valley of Screams, we can focus on dealing with Scarab-Knull and Aizen. This isn't just about stopping them, it's about showing them that their games won't work anymore."
Mayuri chuckled softly, his grin widening. "Oh, I do love a good spectacle. Very well, Knull. Let's see if you can pull off this little feat of godhood."
Peter-Knull's smirk returned, faint but confident. "Don't blink, Mayuri. You might miss it."
…
Ten Minutes Later
Peter-Knull stood in front of what initially appeared to be an ordinary sliding door, now resting in the center of the 12th Division's research division. Black symbiotic matter adorned its frame, twisting and weaving into intricate, almost organic designs that shimmered faintly under the lab's fluorescent lights. The design wasn't random; it pulsed faintly in sync with Peter-Knull's movements, like an extension of his will.
In his hand, he held a newly-crafted key. It wasn't ordinary either—made of crimson symbiote material, its edges glowed faintly with cosmic energy, shimmering like the stars themselves. Peter-Knull examined it briefly, then with a firm, deliberate motion, inserted it into the lock at the center of the door.
The moment the key turned, the room erupted into chaos. Alarms blared as monitors displayed wild fluctuations in energy levels. Researchers scrambled to make sense of the data pouring in, their expressions ranging from confusion to outright panic.
"What is happening?!" one researcher cried.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi leaned closer to his console, his golden eyes narrowing with a mix of suspicion and fascination. "Fascinating… The Valley of Screams is… it's moving?!"
The dimensional map on the monitors displayed the Valley of Screams, a sprawling, chaotic void, being dragged across realities. It was jolted suddenly, violently, as though something far greater than itself had grabbed hold. The readings were wild—impossibly wild, but somehow, the process stabilized. The Valley of Screams came to rest in an infinite blank expanse, its location entirely isolated from any known dimension.
Peter-Knull's crimson eyes glinted with satisfaction as he turned the key back and gently pushed the door open. On the other side was the Valley of Screams, its chaotic, haunting beauty now contained and stable. The air rippled with faint echoes, but it no longer felt dangerous. Peter-Knull stepped back and closed the door. Then, with a casual motion, he opened it again, revealing the same tranquil scene.
He repeated this process a few more times, opening and closing the door, each time confirming the stability of the connection. Satisfied, he turned back to the stunned researchers and plucked the key from the lock. He handed it to Mayuri, who was staring at the process with something rare, speechless amazement.
"There you go, Mayuri," Peter-Knull said with a smirk. "Knock yourself out. You've got a direct gateway to the Valley of Screams now. All stable. Do what you want with it."
Mayuri blinked, his fingers twitching as he reached out to take the key. "You… just… relocated an entire dimensional anomaly into a blank universe and stabilized it with a… door?"
Peter-Knull chuckled, already turning back to the door. "Yup. Simple fix. But don't get too excited. I've got one more thing to handle."
As the researchers stared in shock, Peter-Knull opened the door one more time and stepped into the Valley of Screams, the keyhole closing behind him with a faint click. The air grew heavy with silence as everyone stared at the door, unsure what to expect next.
…
Five Minutes Later
The door creaked open again, and Peter-Knull stepped out. His expression was calm, his body unmarred, but his symbiotic tendrils slithered lazily back into him, carrying traces of what looked like smoldering organic matter. A faint trail of smoke curled behind him as though he'd walked through a firestorm. He dusted off his jacket with a casual air, his crimson eyes faintly glowing.
"Well," Peter-Knull said, stretching his neck with a faint crack, "that's one more Knull down."
The room froze in stunned silence. Mayuri, who had been pacing and muttering to himself in thought, stopped mid-step, his head snapping toward Peter-Knull. His golden eyes widened with uncharacteristic shock as he stammered, "You… dealt with that Scarab-Knull? Already?!"
Peter-Knull raised an eyebrow, glancing at the nearest clock on the wall. "I told you it'd only take five minutes."
Mayuri's voice rose in disbelief. "Five minutes?! You were gone for over two hours!"
Peter-Knull blinked, his expression unbothered. "Time dilation in the Valley of Screams. Felt like five minutes to me."
Mayuri stared at him, utterly dumbfounded, his golden eyes narrowing as he tried, and failed, to find any coherent response. "Two and a half hours… against a creature the size of a mountain… and you're telling me you just… handled it?"
Peter-Knull shrugged, adjusting his jacket. "Yup. Turns out the Scarab-Knull was big, but it wasn't that smart. Once I got close enough, it was over pretty quick."
Mayuri's jaw twitched as he processed the information, clearly wrestling between awe and indignation. Finally, he let out an exasperated laugh, throwing his hands in the air. "Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. If you hadn't just relocated an entire dimension, I'd call you a liar."
Peter-Knull smirked slightly as he gave Mayuri his full attention. "You're welcome, Mayuri. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to grab some coffee. Let me know if anything else decides to crawl out of the Valley."
Mayuri stared after him, muttering under his breath as the researchers scrambled to analyze the residual data. "I hate him. I absolutely hate him… and yet… I must know everything about him."
…
After the events in the research division, Peter-Knull had barely taken a sip of his coffee when his communicator pinged, a secure line from one of the Onmitsukidō units patrolling Karakura Town.
"Lord Knull," the operative's voice came through, slightly strained. "You're going to want to see this. We've encountered… something unusual near the outskirts of town."
Peter-Knull sighed. Of course. "What kind of unusual are we talking about?"
There was a pause, followed by hushed whispering between operatives on the other end. Finally, the operative's voice returned. "We… found a girl. A spiritual anomaly. She has the energy signature of a Soul but isn't a Plus, Hollow, or even a Shinigami. And there's one more thing…"
Peter-Knull narrowed his eyes. "Spit it out."
"We checked her energy readings, and… she's identical to the disturbances from the Valley of Screams."
The coffee in Peter-Knull's hand rippled slightly as his grip tightened.
Bingo.
…
When Peter-Knull and his escort of Shinigami and symbiote-enhanced operatives arrived at the site, the first thing he noticed was the girl sitting on a broken section of railing near an abandoned shrine.
She looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, with deep violet hair and golden eyes that glowed faintly against the backdrop of shifting reality. She was idly kicking her feet, humming to herself as if she had no care in the world, despite the fact that she was radiating raw spiritual energy.
When she spotted the group approaching, she perked up. "Oh, cool, more weirdos! You guys with the last group?"
Peter-Knull blinked. "The last group?"
Senna tilted her head. "Yeah, some guys in white with weird masks were following me around, but I lost them. They smelled awful." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Peter-Knull felt a chill run down his spine. Arrancars. Aizen's forces.
Something wasn't right. The Scarab-Knull's attack had felt too easy—but now, it was making sense. This girl wasn't just an anomaly, she was the target. They needed her blood.
The puzzle pieces started clicking into place. The Scarab-Knull wasn't an invasion. It was a distraction. They wanted to keep Soul Society focused on the Valley of Screams while another team moved in to secure this girl. But for what?
He knelt slightly, getting a closer look at her energy. The second he reached out with his senses, he felt it, her presence wasn't stable. It was like the Valley itself was clinging to her, keeping her tied to existence.
"You're not from here, are you?" Peter-Knull asked.
Senna blinked, then laughed. "Pfft, I dunno! Maybe? I just kind of… exist, I guess." She leaned back against the railing, completely at ease. "You ever just wake up and boom, you're just there?"
Peter-Knull studied her. She doesn't even realize what she is.
A new variable. A living key. And if Aizen and the Knulls had wanted her, it wasn't for something small.
The situation had just escalated.
Peter-Knull went quiet.
His crimson eyes narrowed slightly, his arms crossing as his mind worked through the implications. He wasn't the type to jump to conclusions without considering every angle, and right now, the pieces were there—but the full picture wasn't clear yet.
Aizen, the Knulls, the Scarab-Knull's suicide move, Senna's existence, and now this feeling gnawing at the back of his mind.
There was something else at play.
His voice broke the silence, steady but laced with curiosity.
"Hey, Mayuri," he said, his gaze never leaving Senna. "This world. Does it have a Hell?"
Mayuri's golden eyes flickered with intrigue as he turned, his lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, now that is an interesting question. I take it you don't mean metaphorically?"
Peter-Knull shrugged. "I mean literally. Every world we've seen has its own underworld, its own version of damnation. Some are chaotic dimensions, others are structured realms of punishment, but all of them are governed by specific rules." His eyes darkened slightly. "And if those rules can be exploited…"
Madelyn Pryor exhaled, already seeing where he was going with this. "Then it means someone can use them against you."
Mayuri tapped his chin, considering his words carefully. "Well, since you're so enthusiastically asking, allow me to enlighten you." His voice took on a theatrical quality as he began explaining.
"Hell exists, though it is an enigma even to Soul Society."
At that, Peter-Knull raised an eyebrow.
Mayuri continued, gesturing slightly as he spoke. "Unlike the cycle of reincarnation, where souls pass into Soul Society or return to the World of the Living, Hell is a prison, a dimension reserved solely for Sinners, those who committed such horrific crimes in life that they are deemed unworthy of purification. It is a place that not even Soul Reapers meddle with. And why is that?" His grin widened. "Because anyone who enters cannot leave."
Peter-Knull's jaw tightened slightly. A prison. Not a realm of rule, but a dimension of confinement. That… changed things.
"Who controls it?" Peter-Knull asked.
Mayuri chuckled. "That, my dear Knull, is where the real mystery begins. No one knows. Hell is sealed, its true nature lost even to the Spirit King's oldest records. The gates are said to be watched by the Kushanāda, monstrous enforcers who ensure that nothing escapes." He tilted his head slightly. "Though, of course, no one truly knows what exists beyond those gates. After all, no one who enters ever returns."
Peter-Knull absorbed that information. A prison-realm… a place where things were sealed rather than destroyed.
And then the final piece of his theory clicked into place.
"…If they gather enough components," he said slowly, his voice turning grave, "then they can bind me to this world's Hell."
Silence.
Madelyn's expression darkened as the weight of that statement settled over them. Mayuri, for once, didn't interject with a quip. Even he was considering the ramifications.
Peter-Knull's mind raced.
It would be the perfect trap.
He was too powerful to be outright killed, even if the Knulls and Aizen somehow managed to overpower him. But binding him? Trapping him in a sealed dimension where he couldn't interfere?
That was far more efficient.
And it made sense.
Aizen had always been methodical. Every move had a purpose. And with the way the Scarab-Knull sacrificed itself, it was clear that whatever they were doing required a distraction.
His gaze flicked toward Senna again.
She was humming to herself, completely unaware of the conversation unfolding about her. Oblivious to the fact that her very existence was likely the key to their plans.
Peter-Knull exhaled slowly.
"They don't want to capture me," he said aloud, voice sharp with realization. "They want to permanently remove me."
Madelyn folded her arms. "And if they bind you to this world's Hell, that means you'll be out of their way permanently."
Mayuri let out a quiet laugh, though there was a flicker of unease behind his eyes. "Oh, now that is creative. I must say, I'm almost impressed by the ingenuity."
Peter-Knull's mind was already moving ahead.
Madelyn folded her arms. "And if they bind you to this world's Hell, that means you'll be out of their way permanently."
Mayuri let out a quiet laugh, though there was a flicker of unease behind his eyes. "Oh, now that is creative. I must say, I'm almost impressed by the ingenuity."
Peter-Knull's mind was already moving ahead.
He needed proof before jumping to any major conclusions. But if this theory was correct, if Senna was the component they needed to initiate the process, then that meant she was the target all along.
Which meant-.
He turned to Madelyn.
"We need to move her," he said firmly.
Madelyn nodded. "Where?"
"Somewhere Aizen wouldn't expect," Peter-Knull muttered. "And somewhere the Knulls can't track."
He glanced back at Senna.
She blinked at him.
Then grinned.
"Sooo, does this mean I get to go on an adventure?" she asked brightly.
Peter-Knull exhaled. This was going to be a long day.
…
Inside the Research and Development Institute of Soul Society, Peter-Knull, alongside the eccentric minds of Toon-Shade, Patch-Work, and Candivore, was busy completing an ambitious project. Given the new revelations about Senna's existence as a collection of memories from lost souls, Blanks, Peter-Knull felt a responsibility to help. It wasn't just about stopping the Valley of Screams from colliding with the other realms anymore. It was about giving these lost souls a real chance at being whole again.
With the Valley of Screams now safely relocated to a separate dimensional space, thanks to his intervention, they had the time to figure out a real solution. The issue was simple but daunting: the Blanks, despite having once been people, had no natural connection to Soul Society. Unlike Plus souls, who had a reishi tether binding them to their past lives, Blanks were severed, lost echoes of individuals with no real "anchor" to any realm.
That meant that even if they were purified by a Shinigami's Zanpakutō, they wouldn't transition to Soul Society. Instead, they would fade into nothingness.
Peter-Knull, however, had an idea. A radical one.
At his workstation, he held up a freshly crafted Symbiote Berry, its surface glowing bright blue, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. Unlike the others they had created to convert Hollows into normal spirits, this one had been specifically engineered to restore the Blanks into proper souls, capable of joining the cycle of reincarnation. If it worked, it would be the first successful method of fully saving lost souls that had otherwise been doomed to oblivion.
Toonshade stretched his rubbery form over Peter-Knull's shoulder, his oversized cartoonish grin widening. "Ya really think this little guy is gonna fix 'em up all nice and proper, boss? We put a lot of weird science into this berry."
Patch-Work, his towering frame reminiscent of Frankenstein's monster, gave a slow, calculated nod. "Theoretically, it should restore their missing soul composition by binding their fragmented essence into a coherent identity," he rumbled. "But it's only a theory until we test it."
Candivore twirled a candy cane-like appendage, his swirling body of sweets shifting excitedly. "Ooooh! If this works, we can finally stop seeing those poor lost souls all ghosty and confused! I love it when an experiment has a happy ending!"
Peter-Knull smirked and turned to Senna, who was sitting on the edge of a nearby counter, swinging her legs and watching the process with quiet interest.
She tilted her head. "So, what exactly do you need me to do?"
Peter-Knull stepped forward, handing her the glowing blue berry. "You're the best test subject we have. You exist as a Blank, but unlike the others, you have a will of your own. This should work to stabilize you and the other Blanks—binding them back into a proper soul state. Think of it like… giving them their missing puzzle piece."
Senna took the berry, sniffing it curiously. "Smells sweet…" She popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly. Her eyes widened. "Tastes like blueberries. Nice."
As she swallowed, the atmosphere in the lab changed immediately.
A ripple of pure spiritual energy pulsed outward from Senna's body. Instruments in the room began flickering, monitors lighting up as they detected an unprecedented reaction from the Blanks they had contained in the next chamber.
Akon, monitoring the readings, gasped. "Captain Kurotsuchi! The Blanks—! They're… reverting! Their soul compositions are stabilizing!"
Peter-Knull, arms crossed, watched intently as the containment field in the next room flared with golden light. Where there had once been blank, featureless entities, now stood fully restored souls—their memories intact, their identities returned. Some of them fell to their knees, overwhelmed, as tears streamed down their once-empty faces.
Senna blinked, feeling an unfamiliar warmth course through her body. "I… I feel weird," she admitted, looking down at her hands. "Like… I'm more real."
Madelyn Pryor placed a hand on Senna's shoulder, smiling. "That's because you are."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who had been observing in utter fascination, suddenly burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHA! Magnificent! Peter-Knull, you've just made history! The very first successful conversion of Blanks into functioning souls! Oh, the data I'll collect from this will be delicious!"
Peter-Knull smirked, but his eyes remained sharp, thoughtful. "This means we finally have a way to save all the lost souls in the Valley of Screams. No more wandering spirits doomed to fade away."
Senna, still reeling from the change in her own existence, grinned. "And here I thought you guys just did all the punching and sword-swinging."
Toon-Shade bounced up beside her, flexing his comically large hands. "We do that too, sweetheart."
Patch-Work crossed his massive arms. "But science is also fun."
Candivore twirled in delight. "Especially when it saves people~!"
Mayuri twitched with irritation. "Enough with the sentimentality. We have so much research to do! Get these newly restored souls processed for Soul Society integration immediately! And I want scans of Senna every hour on the hour!"
Peter-Knull clapped a hand on Mayuri's shoulder. "Yeah, you have fun with that, I have some work to do." He turned to Senna. "Come on, we should probably get you out of here before he starts taking samples."
Senna hopped down from the counter, stretching. "I think I'd like that."
Meanwhile Grimmjow, Yammy, and Tesra were assigned a job that was equal parts diplomacy and a logistical challenge.
Helping a world in the neighboring multiverse that up until recently was overrun by the dead…
…
Half a day's worth of time later…
The meeting on the outskirts of what was once New York had taken a somber but determined tone. The wind carried the scent of fresh-tilled soil, mingling with the lingering metallic stench of the dead bodies that were being organized and disposed of by burial or cremation.
Spider-Man, this world's Peter Parker, stood at the center of it all, his patched-up armored suit covered in reinforced plating and cloth that looked like it had been scavenged and repurposed a dozen times over. The silver linings of circuitry occasionally pulsed beneath the fabric, showing the enhancements they had been forced to implement to survive in recent days since they managed to salvage some advanced tech from the research facilities. Beside him, his wife, Peggy Carter-Parker, stood, holding their young son, Timothy, in her arms. Their other children, James and Sarah Parker, stood nearby, both fully engaged in logistics discussions about the recovery efforts.
Grimmjow, arms crossed, scoffed at the sight of the jury-rigged steam-powered vehicles sputtering around the settlement. "Tch. The hell kind of world is this? Half these people look like they crawled out of a post-apocalyptic flick?"
Yammy, stretching his massive arms, grinned. "At least there's something to do. I was getting bored."
Tesra, ever the tactician, eyed the coordination efforts. "Their organization isn't bad, given the circumstances. Even the Soul Society divisions back home could learn a thing or two from this."
Captain Amagai and several of his officers were present, overseeing the integration of Soul Society's former Hollow populations as part of a volunteer force to aid in cleanup and reconstruction. Illyana Rasputin, better known as Magik, and Robbie Reyes were in the midst of finalizing trade agreements, ensuring that critical resources, food, clean water, medical supplies, were properly distributed across what was left of civilization.
In another section of the camp, Illyana Rasputin, known as Magik, and Robbie Reyes were finalizing trade agreements with several remaining strongholds and nomadic survivor groups.
The world was still raw, and recovery was slow, but this was progress.
And then came the disturbance.
A scout sprinted toward them, breathless, his expression urgent.
"Sir! We've got someone on the outskirts of the city, another version of you."
Silence followed.
Peter raised an eyebrow beneath his mask. "Describe him," he ordered.
The scout hesitated. "He's got some kind of cybernetic-enhanced suit. Silver linings. Looks like he's been in a fight, he's bleeding out bad. There's a Jocasta with him, but she's not like the ones we've encountered before. She's panicked, refusing to leave his side. And…"
He swallowed.
"There's a kid with them."
Peggy shifted, tightening her grip on Timothy. "A child?"
The scout nodded. "An android. He called him 'Dad.' He won't leave his side, either."
A heavy silence settled over the group.
Grimmjow cracked his knuckles, grinning slightly. "Hah. So another one of you showed up, huh? Guess it's not just Knulls and Aizens screwing with the multiverse."
Tesra shot him a look but turned back to Peter. "Orders?"
Peter hesitated only for a moment before nodding. "Take me to him. Now."
…
The smell of disinfectant and old blood was filling up the tent and it was cramped but sterile, one of the few areas in the settlement that still functioned as a proper medical ward.
The injured Peter variant lay unconscious, his cybernetic-enhanced suit sparking slightly. The silver linings that ran along his arms and chest glowed faintly, but they were dimming, evidence of a battle that had drained him.
Standing directly beside him was Jocasta, her artificially human-like face twisted in worry.
She looked up immediately when Peter entered.
"You…" she breathed, her synthetic eyes widening. "You're an alternate version of my peter."
The air in the medical tent froze.
Peter Parker's entire body went rigid at Jocasta's words.
Grimmjow, standing nearby with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely baffled. Yammy, for once, didn't say anything, too stunned to even react.
Even Peggy Carter-Parker, who had seen her fair share of bizarre multiversal encounters, found herself caught off guard.
Jocasta immediately noticed their confusion. She blinked, tilting her head slightly, then sighed as if realizing the obvious.
"…Oh," she said slowly, her fingers tightening around the unconscious Peter's hand. "I see. This must be… unusual to you."
Grimmjow let out a sharp laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Unusual? Lady, I've seen a lot of shit, but this? This takes the damn cake." He gestured toward her and the unconscious cybernetic Peter. "So what, you're saying you two are… together?"
Jocasta nodded without hesitation. She squeezed her Peter's hand gently, her synthetic expression softening in a way that was eerily… human.
"Yes," she confirmed, her voice calm as she continued. He and I are together."
That was the moment that broke the room.
Grimmjow's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Yammy choked on air.
Tesra just slowly looked between the two of them, blinking like his brain was short-circuiting.
Meanwhile, Peggy's eyes flickered toward her husband. Peter's face was utterly unreadable, his mind visibly struggling to process what he had just heard.
Jocasta, ever the logical one, seemed almost confused by their bafflement. "Is… that strange?"
Grimmjow gestured wildly at them. "Hell yeah, it's strange! You're a damn robot!"
Jocasta frowned slightly, her expression unamused. "I am an artificially-created synthetic lifeform. There is a difference."
Grimmjow threw up his hands. "Call it whatever you want, it's still weird as hell!"
Tesra rubbed his temple, exhaling slowly. "I think what he means is… it's not every day you hear about a Peter Parker dating a Jocasta. In most universes, she's…" He hesitated. "More… of an Avenger ally, not-."
Jocasta cut him off with a quiet but pointed statement.
"This world's Peter Parker married Peggy Carter."
Silence followed that statement as she made an interesting point.
She turned her sharp synthetic gaze toward Peggy, who still held Timothy Carter-Parker in her arms. "In most realities, Peggy Carter is tied to Steve Rogers. Yet here, she is married to a different man. Why should that be any more or less strange than my relationship with my Peter?"
Grimmjow opened his mouth to argue, then promptly shut it.
For once, he had nothing to say.
Peggy, meanwhile, smirked slightly, intrigued. "That's a fair point."
Peter finally exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Okay. Okay. Let's just… put a pin in that discussion for now." He turned back toward Jocasta, his expression more serious. "Right now, your Peter needs medical attention. And I need to know why exactly he was being hunted."
Jocasta, still holding Peter's hand protectively, nodded. "Agreed. But I promise, if we survive this, I'll gladly explain in detail how we ended up together."
Grimmjow groaned. "Ugh. This is giving me a headache."
Yammy grinned. "I think it's hilarious."
Tesra, rubbing his temple, muttered, "This mission just keeps getting weirder."
Peggy chuckled, rocking Timothy slightly. "Welcome to our multiverse Tesra, which has far more whacky stuff than this on a daily basis."
…
Twenty minutes later, everyone was tense as the team worked on Cyber Spider-Man, the alternate universe's Peter Parker, now critically injured and lying on the table.
The operation had been going well until they finally found the cause of his distress, a metallic tendril, eerily similar to Doc Ock's mechanical appendages, had been burrowing into his side, latching onto his nervous system. Jocasta's normally calm demeanor faltered for a split second as she took in the sight.
"There," one of the doctors muttered, steadying his tools. "We've isolated it."
With careful precision, they extracted the metallic parasite, and the moment it was detached, Cyber-Peter's vitals stabilized. Jocasta let out a sigh of relief, running a hand over her face as she composed herself.
Grimmjow, Yammy, Tesra, and Captain Amagai, who had been watching from the side, eyed the writhing tendril on the tray with clear suspicion.
"The hell is that thing?" Grimmjow asked, grimacing at the sight.
Jocasta exhaled, adjusting her optics before responding. "Before we were displaced here… we got into a fight with our world's Doc Ock. That thing is one of his. He managed to stab Peter with one of his spikes, and almost immediately, we were yanked from our universe."
That immediately got everyone's attention.
Jocasta, tapping into her internal data, continued. "What's strange is, before we were pulled in, I detected cosmic vibrations. It wasn't targeted at us specifically… it was like an aftershock."
She turned toward the Peter Parker of this world, her synthetic blue eyes analyzing his expression.
"I've run through every scenario… the only thing that could have caused that kind of multiversal shockwave is a powerful spell."
Peter's expression darkened. "A spell?"
"Yes. Tell me… Has Peter-Knull been displaced recently?"
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Grimmjow's entire body tensed. Amagai exchanged looks with Tesra. Yammy, for once, was quiet.
Peter of this world, who had been multitasking—listening to status updates on a comm device while keeping an eye on the operation—paused and turned toward the Arrancar. "What does she mean by displaced?"
Grimmjow exhaled sharply. "Yeah. He's been displaced. A while back, about twenty Knull variants ganged up on him. They tried to shove him into a reality beyond the void of this multiverse… somewhere that operates on completely different rules."
Peter's frown deepened. "And he survived?"
Tesra nodded. "Yeah. He stabilized the connection. But ever since then, we've been seeing more Spider-Man variants getting randomly displaced. We didn't know why before, but…" He looked at Jocasta. "Based on what you're saying, this Shaman-Knull, the one behind it, must have caused some kind of rupture when he threw Peter-Knull into the void."
Jocasta processed this, her eyes flickering as she reviewed past data. "A multiversal bubble was ruptured… and now it's causing chaos with anyone tied to Peter-Knull?"
Amagai thought on that for a moment putting the pieces together. That would explain why the only displaced individuals we've encountered so far are from worlds that Peter-Knull has interacted with."
That's when it clicked in Grimmjow's head.
His entire body stiffened, and he suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"Wait…" he muttered, his tone serious. "So you're telling me… this effect could spread?"
Everyone turned toward him.
"If the disruptions keep happening… it could spread to any Earth where a Spider-Man exists?"
The weight of his realization settled like a bomb in the room.
Grimmjow was no scientist, but he knew just how many Earths were out there. He had heard enough in starks bar about how many universes and variants exist in this multiverse that keeps getting bigger as time goes on. to understand the sheer scale of the Spider-Verse.
"If this keeps up," he muttered, his usual bravado gone, "it could mess up millions of universes."
Silence.
Yammy actually looked unsettled. Tesra grimly nodded. Amagai's expression darkened.
Peter ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "Then we need to find a way to stop it before it reaches that point, if it reaches that point."
Before they could dive into solutions, Grimmjow's brain jumped tracks.
He turned back toward Jocasta, finally processing something odd.
"Wait a damn minute," he muttered. His sharp blue eyes flicked between her and Cyber-Peter. "If Tom Mark-1 is your kid… then how exactly did you two…?"
He trailed off, giving a not-so-subtle nudge toward Peter.
Jocasta rolled her synthetic eyes. "We built him," she said flatly.
Grimmjow blinked. "You… what?"
Jocasta, completely unfazed, continued. "And then we adopted our daughter from an orphanage."
Yammy, who had been silent through most of this, suddenly barked out a loud laugh.
"That's hilarious."
Tesra pinched the bridge of his nose. "Grimmjow, is that really your biggest concern right now?"
Grimmjow crossed his arms, grumbling. "I mean… a robot and a Parker? Come on, that's gotta be weird for someone other than me."
Jocasta simply ignored him, focusing back on Cyber-Peter, who was now resting easier.
Peggy, still holding Timothy Parker, chuckled slightly. "If it works, it works."
…
As the meeting wrapped up, the group slowly dispersed, each person going their separate ways to continue their work. Peter, Peggy, and Jocasta remained behind to discuss further plans, while Grimmjow, Yammy, and Tesra took a break from all the multiversal nonsense.
Grimmjow, stretching, cracked his neck before slipping away from the others. He wasn't in the mood for more Parker variants or Shaman-Knull theories. His brain hurt just thinking about it. Instead, he wandered toward the outskirts of the encampment, where the cured survivors were setting up their own spaces.
That's when he saw her.
Emma Frost—or rather, this world's version of her. Unlike the Emma he had met in other realities, this one had been through hell, literally. The remnants of her former undead state were nowhere to be seen, thanks to the cure Peter-Knull's forces had developed, but the lingering trauma was still there.
Still, she was Emma Frost. And even after surviving an apocalyptic nightmare, she held herself with the same grace and poise she always had.
Grimmjow paused, watching as she silently surveyed the ruins of what had once been a lavish city. New York was barely recognizable.
Emma must have felt his presence because she turned her head slightly. "Is there something you need?"
Grimmjow smirked. "Not really. Just didn't feel like listening to more multiversal bullshit."
Emma arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "So instead of dealing with reality, you decided to bother me?"
Grimmjow shrugged. "Yeah. Pretty much."
Emma sighed, crossing her arms. "Well, I'm not particularly in the mood for small talk, so unless you have something worthwhile to say-?"
"Alright, fine," Grimmjow cut her off. "I'll say it."
Emma narrowed her eyes. "Say what, exactly?"
Grimmjow stepped closer, his sharp blue eyes locking onto hers. He had a look on his face that was casual, yet completely unapologetic.
"You're hot," he said bluntly. "And if you ever get tired of acting all high and mighty, you should let me know."
Silence.
Emma froze.
Her entire brain short-circuited for the first time in her life. Her jaw literally dropped.
She had been flirted with, admired, and even worshipped before. But no one, no one, had ever just outright said it like that. No hesitation, no attempt at charm, no expectation of a reaction. Just a fact.
She opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again. No words came out.
Grimmjow chuckled, grinning like a bastard. "Damn. Didn't think I'd actually make you speechless."
Emma snapped out of it, glaring at him. "I, That was completely inappropriate!"
Grimmjow tilted his head, still smirking. "Was it?"
She huffed, trying to regain her composure. "You, you don't just say things like that!"
"Why not? It's true." He leaned in slightly, just enough to make her pulse spike before pulling away. "Anyway, let me know if you ever wanna stop pretending you don't enjoy a little chaos."
Emma glared, but there was a hint of color on her cheeks. "You're insufferable."
Grimmjow just laughed as he walked off. "Yeah, yeah. See ya around, princess."
Emma stood there, watching him leave.
For the first time in a long time, she was genuinely caught off guard.
And she hated, absolutely hated, the fact that her heart was still racing.
…
To be continued…