BGM-Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite OST-Title Screen & Main Menu Theme
Sonic: I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. We found the War Stone in the Monsterwatch Islands and met up with the Spirit of this Unified World. Her name's Gaea, and she warned us about the Black Order stealing our Planet Egg. We tried to stop 'em but it wasn't enough. The Egg's gone. Now Gaea's dying alongside the planet unless we get it back pronto!
BGM End
Volume 2 Issue 15: Shattered Gaia
Sanctuary II, Unified World's Orbit. (11 Days Since the Convergence)
BGM-Tekken 4 OST-Ending Kazuya
'Burn this world…to ashes…'
'Feed me…with their pain…'
'Honor me…with their destruction…'
Thanos hears her. The voice of Death. Speaking to her avatar through their bond. The Mad Titan sits alone in his throne room. His eyes closed. His Exo Gauntlet, equipped with 3 Exo Stones, resting on the arm of his throne. Still not enough to appease his mistress. But Death is patient. Interested to bear witness to just how Thanos will satisfy her. 'Now come…' said Death, manifesting her skeleton form behind the Titan. 'Show me who you are…' Her arms wrap around him as if she's hugging him. Teasing him. Manipulating him. 'Show me…' She then moves her lips to his ear. For the sole purpose of asking him a single question. To whisper him six words that will push him to the limit, and thus, seal the multiverse's fate.
BGM End
'What will you do for love…?'
Thanos opens his menacing red eyes, just to give her his answer, "Everything."
Harlem, Manhattan. New Vale City.
There is a cemetery in Harlem. And just like everything else that was affected by the Convergence, it has seen some sombering changes. Some graves were shifted around. Some were replaced by others from alternate realities. And there are some graves that were completely erased from existence. Destroying what little remained of the person that was considered friend or family by those that loved them. One grave survived the Convergence. The grave of a beloved husband and uncle. Ben Parker.
"Hey, Uncle Ben. It's been a while."
Placing fresh flowers on his grave is his nephew Peter Parker, wearing his Spider-Man costume. "Sorry I haven't come to chat lately. I've been busy doing…you know." He shrugged to lighten the mood this morning. But it was in vain as his guilt immediately sets in, "This…might be the last time we talk to each other like this. It's gotten bad, Uncle Ben. Like, EXTREMELY bad, like never before. All the Exo Stones have been found again. Most of them in the hands of my worst enemies. It doesn't matter. They were already doing a fantastic job messing up the planet. Now the Planet Egg is gone. The world is dying, AGAIN. And I still can't do anything about it." Peter lifts up his two fists, clenching them with all his frustrated might, saying, "I have ALL this power…", before losing hope as he uncurls them and just lets them hang by the side, "And I'm completely useless! I failed to be responsible. I'm unable to protect anything or anyone. Not even the flowers…"
On cue, the flowers he brought for his uncle die because of the missing Planet Egg. Feeling more miserable than ever before, Peter sighs and sits before his uncle's gravestone as he continues talking to his memory, "I've been thinking about what Warlock said. That I've been misinterpreting your words. I know what great responsibility is. But…What IS great power?" His eyes move upward to stare at the morning sky, "Looking back, I've always craved power. Who wouldn't when you're a wimpy defenseless kid always being picked on. I wanted payback. And either by some miracle or bad luck, I got the power." He returns his stare to his uncle's gravestone, "This power I have is like a drug. An incurable steroid that can only be endured through sacrifice. Friendship. School. Sports. Work. A home. Love…" He frowns at that last part, "It was your death that taught me to keep this power in check by doing the right thing. But no matter what or how much I sacrifice, it's never enough. I'm never strong enough to prevent tragedies that afflict me or the people of this city. You can argue my power just makes things worse." He said before remembering his past.
The first memory he looks into was during his first adventure with Sonic the Hedgehog. When the both of them were held prisoner by Doctors Eggman and Octopus in the Octo Egg. 'Rising up to a cosmic-level threat? Never seen you THIS ambitious, Ock.' Spider-Man said.
'Believe me, I've been dreaming for this day to come for YEARS, but nothing ever went my way, mostly because of you. But ever since the Pulse, everything's changed. The ISO-8. I may not know what caused their existence in the first place, and I don't care. They were the key to FINALLY fulfill my dream to prove to everyone who is their absolute superior!' Doc Ock boasted.
Then he remembers his encounter with Green Goblin when he was terrorizing Remnant with his Goblin Mech. 'This power isn't meant for destruction. This is the power to protect those who can't protect themselves!' Spidey declared to his archnemesis.
'Those professors at Beacon failed to lecture you on the most important lesson. Power is just power. The desire for all power leads to conflict. And that conflict leads to the ULTIMATE battle!' Green Goblin argued with a smile.
Lastly, he recalls succumbing to the raging power of the Black Suit during his first fight with Salem. 'That power…What was that…?' Black Suit Spidey asked himself.
'That was the power I helped you unlock. I was once told you possess limitless potential AND limitless danger, and I can see he was right. Do not lie to me. You ENJOYED it. The power of the Black Suit! With that power, you can achieve anything. Respect. Love. The safety of your family. I've also come to see you as family, like a son to me. Together, we can unlock the TRUE meaning of "great power".' Salem said in her attempt to manipulate him.
Those bad memories depress Peter into saying, "My DNA caused a multiversal viral outbreak. And Morlun, the guy that eats spiders for a living, had trouble drinking my radioactive blood. My power's a poison. It's why I gotta use the Exo Stones, to create a better world free from all poisons. And if not, die trying so no one else can suffer my burden. It's the responsible thing to do…" He believed. Before wondering, "Isn't it?"
BGM-Marvel's Spider-Man OST-Behind the Mask
Suddenly, he is hit with a flashback from during his dimensional adventure in Ylisse. He recalls a conversation he had with Chrom, before their final battle with King Gangrel. 'As for pride, it isn't about atoning for sins of the past…and I guess it ain't about taking revenge. It's all about accepting your nature and sticking to your convictions. And that's true of any family out there.' Chrom advised him.
"My pride…" Spidey muttered. Slowly but surely fighting off his depressing mindset, "Why did I think my death will solve anything? That's not who I am. I'm your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. It's in my nature to help people find happiness. No…That's just one half of my nature. The other half is…me." He then takes off his mask, revealing his true face while he talks, "The human with limits that's always striving to be perfect, despite knowing that's an impossibility. I grow through hardship. Infinite power isn't a replacement for experience. I would learn nothing or gain anything." Then ponders, "Be greater. But how? What's a better way to handle power?"
'Then just believe in your own potential to surpass your limits. Let nothing distract you. Let your heart fall free into the wind with no hesitation. Even without wings, one can still fly!' said Sonic, recalling his advice during the DX Multiversal Grand Prix.
'Pete…Isn't it about time someone saved YOUR life? I know you think girls like me can't be together, but can't you respect them enough to make their own decision. We KNOW they'll be risks. But we want to face them with you.' said Yang, recalling her kind words during the Wisp incident.
'I've fought to protect everyone. I've survived because they helped me! That's what we do, help each other live! That's what it means to be HUMAN!' said Spider-Man, recalling his own words during his final battle with Loki.
'…It's just…It never ends. The fighting, the violence, the madness. I know we cannot save everyone, but what's the point then? I won't be alive forever.' Spidey frowned, in the middle of a conversation with Spider-Man 2099 during the Time Eater incident.
'No. That's why I exist. And why you need to keep doing what you do best. Life isn't fair. That's why we fight. To right the wrongs of the world. You underestimate how impactful your heroics are on history. In time, your actions will become ideal. Humanity is lucky to have Spider-Man.' said Spider-Man 2099, encouraging his counterpart.
'Been struggling for years how to balance my two lives. One dedicated to fight injustice. The other pursuing science. More often than not they like to make a mess out of each other and I've worked hard to keep them separate. But, just like the two Earths, maybe we're allowed to intertwine…Under the right circumstance. To unite for a better tomorrow. Achieving peace through unity CAN be beneficial for both sides.' said Spidey, during a conversation with Tony Stark after saving dimensions from Ultron Sigma.
"Power…doesn't have to mean standing alone. Not if I share it with the people I love." Peter concluded, thanks to the lessons he learned throughout this multiversal journey of his. "Is that it? I've shared power with people before. I've accepted help before. I'm on a team for crying out loud! So why is my life still a mess?" He wondered, lowering his head in confusion. "Maybe because…I'm too stubborn to ASK for help. Lack the courage to sacrifice my independence when it matters most." He suddenly realized. "Balance is a process, not a destination." He quoted what Madame Web advised him days ago. "The world I want is a work-in-progress…" He says while standing up with better clarity at what he should be doing, "But it won't see ANY progress until I get rid of that roadblock. I've made TONS of sacrifices for the sake of others. Lost too many loved ones. But it wasn't all in vain. I've been repaid, with a bigger and stronger society, with NEW friends…" He thinks about the new friends he has made since the Convergence: Naoto Kurogane. Miss Marvel. Chris Thorndyke. Helen. America Chavez. Noel Vermillion. Jin Kisaragi. Luna Snow. Harley Keener, Celica A. Mercury. Princess Elise. "All of them share my ideals. To help the little guy. And it's not like I'M banned from asking them for help. What friendly neighbor refuse to appreciate the community he's built? A really terrible one would be it." He remarked, truly coming to terms with his weakness.
Peter stands tall and firm and with his eyes closed. Processing this self-reflection that unknowingly manifests a peculiar magenta-colored, web-like energy around his body for a brief moment. He comes to a solemn decision. "…I need to talk to Yang. I think I'm starting to understand the true value of strength. And…What death means to me." Peter opens his eyes that have a stronger look in them. Radiating a hope that he hasn't felt since the Convergence plunged him into the depths of despair. "Thanks as always for listening, Uncle Ben. I promise. I WILL become the man you believed I can become." He said to his gravestone, putting on back his mask before walking out of the cemetery.
BGM End
S.T.R.I.K.E. Command Tricarrier.
BGM-Shadow the Hedgehog OST-No Way Out
"They're retreating?" Nick Fury remarked.
He and America Chavez are in the bridge attending a televised meeting with Abraham Tower and James Ironwood regarding the alien invaders. With Tower having this to show his fellow STRIKE Commanders. 'Yeah. See for yourself.' said Abraham Tower, changing his screen to display a live feed of many Black Order Ships retreating into space near their mobile headquarters, Sanctuary II.
"That's odd." America Chavez comments on their mysterious retreat.
'This never happened in your precious encounters?' questioned James Ironwood, knowing America has fought Thanos's Army in several dimensions in the past.
"Only after Thanos blows up the dimension. Out of all the times I fought his army, this is a first. Then again, we DID blow up all of his fleet portals. Must've scared him good." America quipped.
"Unlikely. Thanos came here for the Exo Stones, and I know he doesn't have them all. He's planning something that'll help him steal the rest in one stroke." Fury speculated.
'The last time aliens retreated into space they used the Eclipse Cannon to blow up Central City.' Tower frowned, referencing the Black Arms invasion.
"He doesn't want his army caught in the stunt. What could it be? He already killed our planet by stealing its Planet Egg." Fury wondered.
'America, think you can lead a reconnaissance team into his ship with your power?' Ironwood suggested to the dimensional hopper.
"Not with them blocking me. Even if I could, he'll sniff me out from a mile away with the Star Stone. Can't let our emotions leave what's left of this planet defenseless. Learned that lesson at Merolantis." America rejected his idea, refusing to let revenge control her again.
"All we can do now is prepare for the worst. The Masters have two Stones. If we can take theirs, we'll launch an attack on Thanos." Fury recommended.
Suddenly, an alarm is heard sounding off that prompts Tower to check on this new development. 'Something's attacking his fleet. It's moving too fast.' Tower reported, with all eyes watching the live feed and noticing a dark blue blur demolishing the alien fleet at light speed.
"Isn't that…Grimadoom?" America noted, a little surprised to see him taking on Thanos's Army alone.
BGM End
In Space…
BGM-Super Dragon Ball Heroes OST-Assault
Numerous laserfire from several fighter ships converge on the lone android hungry for supremacy. Grimadoom the Hedgehog flies out of the smoke, unscathed but furious, to punch one of the ships into oblivion while continuing to fight his way through Thanos's fleet. Grimadoom had promised to crush the Mad Titan and now the perfect opportunity to challenge him has presented itself. Outriders. Chitauri. Metarex. So many foot soldiers flying to stop him. All of them killed by his ferocious, light-speed counterstrikes. A Chitauri Leviathan swallows him whole, then dies from an explosion within for thinking it had a chance against the Superior Hedgehog.
"Persistent little rat!" scowled Proxima Midnight within the bridge of Sanctuary II. Standing alongside Thanos as they watch Grimadoom's rampage through a monitor. "I will deal with him permanently this time!" She vowed, walking off so she may have her revenge on the pest that defeated her at Wakanda Island.
"No." Thanos stops her with just a word. "I'll do it myself." He stated calmly.
Proxima was shocked to hear her master wants to fight Grimadoom himself. Believing, and still believing, that he is far below his notice. Nonetheless, she stays her hand and complies to his command, "As you command, my lord."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Grimadoom roars while flying through countless aliens and ships with the fury of a thousand suns. He is still stoppable, with dozens of aliens latching onto him by surprise and struggling to crush his skull. Grim sees Sanctuary II not far from him and refuses to give up, yelling, "THANOOOOOOOOSSSSSS!", before using his available hand to unleash an energy blast that blows away the clinging creatures. Mere seconds before a few more manage to grab him again. "THANOS! GET OUT HERE, COWARD! I WILL DEFEAT YOU AND TAKE YOUR POWER!" He announced his intentions, finally appearing before his ship. Thanos responds to his threat by commanding Sanctuary II to direct its immense firepower on the captured hedgehog. Grim smirks, using Chaos Control to teleport out of the aliens' grasp and tricking Thanos into vaporizing his own men. He then rockets at the ship protected by a barrier, which he easily shatters through with his, "GAMMA SMASH!", finally allowing him to invade the spacebase.
"He broke through the barrier? He IS an abomination!" Proxima exclaimed, surprised by Grim's infiltration. And yet, Thanos remains calm as ever. Completely unbothered by the havoc the invader is causing within his Sanctuary.
Grimadoom lets out a sinister laugh, "Mwahahahaha! It's all over!", right before flying into the bridge where Thanos is waiting at top speed. "NOW I REIGN AS THE STRONGEST!" He declared, throwing a killer all-out punch at the titan's stoic face.
BGM End
A simple activation of the Star Stone opens a Star Portal that intercepts Grimadoom at the very last second. Transporting the embarrassed hedgehog to an alternate dimension that resembles Azure Earth. Grim crashes into the ruins of a Hierarchical City atop a toppled NOL building, quickly standing back up in this apocalypse to process what just happened. "What?!" The confused Grim exclaimed. Right before Thanos uses the Dream Stone to trap him inside a giant golden crystal.
"Foolish. The one who wields the Stones reign supreme." Thanos taunted the imprisoned hedgehog from the other side of the Star Portal. "Be devoured by darkness." He said before shutting down the portal.
Grimadoom is unable to escape. He has been sealed completely. And even if he does find the strength to break free, it will be too late. This Apocalypse Dimension was ruined by a beast of unimaginable power. A Black Beast to be precise. "Grrrrrrrrrrrr!" The multi-headed Black Beast growled upon finding the imprisoned Grimadoom. Quick to snack on and swallow him whole before finding anything else to destroy.
"Marvelous work. Your might is truly unsurpassable, Lord Thanos." Proxima praised her master, believing he killed Grimadoom.
"He is a tenacious android. He will return. By that time, I will have claimed the Exo Eight to erase him permanently." Thanos declared, knowing Grimadoom still lives.
"You mean it is time?" Proxima questioned, referencing his secret plan that he's been developing alongside Ebony Maw.
"Yes. I have played with these humans long enough. If they will not surrender themselves and the Stones to me, I will BURN their annoying little planet…into cinders." Thanos proclaimed with a menacing glare.
Holy Light Zone, Unified World.
BGM-Sonic Unleashed OST-Gaia Gate
Earth Mother Gaea is resting on a flower bed that is partially submerged in the Fountain of Life in this reborn Domain of Light. She has been sleeping here ever since last night's events when the Planet Egg was stolen by the Black Order. She does not have long to live. Adam Warlock is with her, being her nurse with the Soul Stone that is doing everything in its power to treat her dying spirit. "How does my Mother fare, Friend Warlock?" asked Thor, entering the Zone alongside Ruby Rose, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Professor Ozpin.
"Not good. She grows weaker by the hour. The Fountain's mystical properties are also wanning as a result of the stolen Planet Egg. I tried my best to stabilize her condition with the Soul Stone, but it is no true replacement for her heart." Adam Warlock answered, taking a break from treating her while the local Chao look worried for the Elder Earth Goddess.
"You have my thanks for trying your best." Thor said, comforting him with a shoulder pat.
"Hold up. Thought your mom was Freyja." Sonic commented.
"The All-Mother was the one that raised me. It was the Earth Mother that gave birth to me." Thor answered.
"Does that make you part-Grimm now? You know, since it was the Grimm God that created the Grimm and he's now fused with Gaea?" Ruby Rose questioned with a nonchalant tone.
"Perhaps." Thor replied. "But that would also make you a descendent of our family, since your Silver Power came from your Light God, who is also now merged with Gaea." He said awkwardly.
"Huh." Ruby scratches her confused head with an innocent look.
"You gods and your weird families." Sonic joked with a shrug.
Ozpin walks up to Gaea, the reincarnation of his Brother Gods that tasked him to be humanity's guide toward unity by the time of their return. His familiar presence arouses Gaea from her slumber to give him a groggy look. "Is that you, Ozma…?" Gaea asked weakly.
"That is correct, Lady Gaea. Please, continue your rest." Ozpin replied gently.
"First I must apologize…For placing such an unnecessary burden on your soul, all those ages ago. My actions were…rash, and immature. Tried to enforce balance instead of it coming natural. I should have handled Salem differently. Instead, I brought her corruption. I revived an innocent man as my pawn and abandoned lovers so they may ruin the world and its people with their forever war. Do not forgive this foolish woman." Gaea apologized on behalf of her former selves, genuinely feeling guilty for Remnant's destruction.
"But I will." Ozpin said, forgiving his god. "I accepted the choice to be humanity's guide for a selfish reason. My love blinded me to the monster Salem was becoming long before my first death. I should've heeded your warning and leave her in solitude. But this is a new world, Lady Gaea. Let us use it wisely by learning from our sins." He advised her.
"Agreed. You have grown wise." Gaea complimented.
BGM End
"Forget about his love life. We need to focus in getting your Planet Egg back." Sonic interrupts them with his snark.
BGM-Sonic Unleashed OST-Gaia Manuscripts
"In due time…But first you must overcome the Time of Awakening…" Gaea warned the heroes, sitting upright on her flower bed to better talk to them.
"What? Again? It's too soon!" Sonic retorted in shock, seemingly familiar with this mysterious Time of Awakening.
"I knew I sensed a growing imbalance in your soul. It is on the verge of fracturing into two opposing forces." Warlock remarked.
"What are you guys talking about?" Ruby questioned, staring at the blue hedgehog for an answer.
"Since the beginning of time, Mobius went through a cycle of rebirth that has light and darkness fighting each other. That darkness was called Dark Gaia and his sole purpose in life was to destroy the planet when it was time to wake up. Light Gaia is his counterpart, standing by 'til it was his turn to save the planet by putting the pieces back together. They would go at this every few millions of years." Sonic said sternly, lecturing everyone on his world's Brother Gods.
"I assume you experienced this Time of Awakening quite recently." Thor commented.
"Yeah. It was a handful. Turned into a Werehog and everything." Sonic quipped, before getting serious again, "It's way too soon for them to wake up. Course, things stopped making sense since the Convergence."
Solemnly, Gaea elaborates on what has become of the Gaias, "This is a new world in a new spacetime, thus the Time of Awakening was set anew. Once fate arrives, my soul will split into two new incarnations of light and darkness. However, with the Planet Egg gone, there will be a tremendous imbalance. With the dying world under siege, the abundant negative energy produced will manifest a darkness more powerful than the light. The planet will remain shattered and mankind will see no hope of rebirth."
"Just as the Gods promised if humanity remains divided." Ozpin frowned, recalling what the God of Light warned him in the distant past.
"Not my decision this time." Gaea added.
"No way…" Ruby exclaimed, covering her shocked mouth at this horrible news of the unified planet's inevitable destruction.
"I forbid this! You cherish this world, Gaea! You do not want it destroyed!" Thor argued with his mother.
"Me neither, my child, but it is the will of the planet. I must respect its nature." Gaea replied solemnly.
"It is unnatural without heart! We must reclaim it!" Thor retorted, vowing to take back the Planet Egg from Thanos if it'll restore the world's balance.
"Still not gonna put Dark Gaea back to sleep. He won't go down without a fight. Or we can try sealing him with the Gaia Temples before he wakes up." Sonic suggested, having already named Gaea's inevitable dark half.
"How do we do that?" Ruby asked him.
"With the Chaos Emeralds. Which I hear most of 'em are with the Masters of Evil now…" Sonic smiled sheepishly, earning an annoyed glare from the red huntress.
"Perhaps we can compensate with our Exo Stones." Warlock recommended.
"Yeah! They should do it." Sonic grinned, looking hopeful.
"GUUUAAAH!" Suddenly, Gaea clenches onto her chest in great pain from her soul inching closer into separating into two halves: One of light and one of darkness. The side-effect being the earthquakes that are affecting the Unified World.
"Another earthquake!" Ozpin exclaimed, struggling to maintain his balance.
"Odin's Beard! They grow stronger than those before. I do not know how long the planet can endure them." Thor remarked, whilst Warlock catches Sonic before he trips.
"Take it this is another sign that Dark Gaea is waking up!" Ruby said to the Earth Mother.
"Yes. Apologizes. There's nothing I can do about this. The Time of Awakening is nigh." Gaea stated ominously.
BGM End
Meanwhile at Houston…
The earthquakes are affecting the Space City to a worrisome degree. Some streets are breaking apart and some buildings are tipping over. Debris from one toppled building is raining down on a street that local huntsmen are evacuating. Two huntsmen stay behind under the shadow of one large piece of debris that is seconds away from crushing them. Thankfully, they were saved by a large psychic energy ball shattering it into harmless pieces, allowing their savior Hummingbird to fly in and check on them. "Are you okay?" Hummingbird asked the huntsmen.
"We're fine, kid. Thanks for the save." A Huntsman replied gratefully.
"You're welcome." Hummingbird smiled.
The huntsmen leave as soon as the earthquakes stopped, and before Officer Wally Layton walks up to converse with Hummingbird. "It stopped again. Feels like the whole planet is going to break into pieces." Layton commented, ironically being correct.
"That's what it's telling me." Hummingbird claimed.
"You can talk to the planet now?" Layton questioned the psychic.
"I dunno." Hummingbird replied nonchalantly.
BGM-BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger OST-Hollow
Just then, Scarlet Spider and Noel Vermillion enter the picture to check in on their Houston friends. "Between the alien invasion and the planet losing its eggs, glad to see you two are doing okay." Scarlet Spider greeted his friends.
"Scarlet! Noel! Hi!" Hummingbird smiled, happily reuniting with them by giving Noel a hug.
"Hi, Hummingbird. I missed you." Noel Vermillion smiles back at her telepathic kid friend.
"You handling yourself?" Layton grinned, sharing a friendly handshake with his spider-hero.
"More or less." Scarlet replied.
"Scarlet, Scarlet, I heard from Tiki that you helped save Wakanda Island from the Black Order and fought a giant black monster and that Nu girl. What was the Nu one like?" Hummingbird excitedly asked her guardian.
"Think Noel but a sociopath." Scarlet replied, pointing his thumb at the blonde gunner he just embarrassed.
"So blunt." Noel retorted with a funny sad face.
"In other words, she's you." Layton snarks at the grim spider-clone.
"I'm better these days thanks to you guys." Scarlet acknowledged, before getting serious in both body and voice, "Which is why I want to save her from herself the next time we fight." He turns to Noel saying, "You made a good call coming to me about her. I'm probably the only person in this Crossverse that knows what she's going through."
"You just remind me of her." Noel commented.
"Just like how you remind me of Ben." Scarlet compared her to his deceased clone brother.
"Is it because we're both blonde?" The naïve Noel asked.
"Among other things." Scarlet quipped dryly. "You know how I couldn't stand him, yet he still tried his damnedest to save me. I think I can finally appreciate that. Nu needs to realize that she's not alone. That she has family that loves her. And a friend that wants to help her get through this pain. She's a good kid, even if she doesn't believe so. Ben died before we could live together as brothers. I will NOT let you sisters suffer that tragedy." He vows to save Nu. For Noel's sake. And to redeem himself for failing to save Ben Reilly.
Shedding a tear from Kaine's vow, Noel smiles, "Thank you, Kaine.", before voicing her own determined vow, "I will do MY best to save my little sister!"
"I want to help too!" Hummingbird volunteered, raising her hand.
"Wouldn't it be easier to use Spirit Control to make her see reason?" Layton suggested his power over destiny and fate.
"Only with her permission. She's been abused enough. I want to EARN her trust before messing with her soul." Scarlet argued wisely.
"That's kind of you." Layton smiles proudly at his foster son, "Just let me know how I can help."
"Sure." Scarlet nodded.
"Thanks, guys. I just KNOW Nu will appreciate your kindness, even if she refuses to show it." Noel retorted with a smile brimming with hope for the rescue of her little Murakumo sister.
BGM End
New Vale City.
Nu-13 stands atop a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. She's less interested in the destruction left behind by the Black Order, but more confused by the memories she's looking through regarding her recent fight with Scarlet Spider. Something about their battle left an impression on her. The way he talked to her. The way he overpowered her. The way he looked at her. Scarlet was wearing a mask, yet Nu saw him expressing sympathy for her that no one else in her life has shown her before. The true source of her puzzling demeanor. 'That look…Why did he look at me like that? I don't get it.' Nu touches the bruise on her gut given to her by Kaine, 'He said the two of us are alike. Which means he has his own Ragna. But, something about him is different. It's as if he is together with his Ragna. That's not fair! Why…How did he achieve his own dream and not me? What is his secret? What does he have that I am lacking? Or…Is there something that he threw away?' She wondered, jealously, but more coming to the realization that her sociopathic ways aren't the key in achieving her dream.
BGM-Transformers: Devastation OST-Operation Obliteration
"Is something bothering you, #13?" asked Ebony Maw, approaching the startled Murakumo Unit.
"Negative, sir." Nu-13 lied through her emotionless voice.
Remaining apathetic to her response, Maw crouches beside her to speak to her ear, "Just remember your place. You are the Sword of Izanami. No…I hereby rechristen you as The Sword of Thanos! You are the heart of that which will shatter this world and claim us the Exo Eight. Complete this final mission, and you will be reunited with your Ragna."
Nu knows and can feel the whisperer's voice corrupting her mind. Torturing her like the scientists that created her did in the past. Unfortunately, there is little she can do to resist. The best her will can do is struggle for a brief moment before complying with the simple word of, "A-Affirmative…"
Maw forms a creepy smile, "Excellent.", before standing up and staring at Doctor Strange, who he previously corrupted in the Dark Domain. "The time is upon us, Doctor. Do it." He ordered the sorcerer supreme.
"By the Eye of Agamotto, direct the chosen to the end of the world!" Doctor Strange incanted, tapping into the power of his all-seeing eye for an incredible teleportation spell.
All across the Unified World, the heroes of S.T.R.I.K.E. vanish in a blink of an eye. Spider-Man. Lucina. Pit. Mega Man X. Jin Kazama. Naoto Kurogane. Miss America. Sonic and Ruby's entire group. Even Ms. Marvel for some reason. Countless heroes from across the Crossverse were transported to parts only known by the Black Order. Wally Layton sees Scarlet Spider's group disappearing before his very shocked eyes, exclaiming, "What the?! Scarlet! Where did they go?", and hoping his friends are okay. Wherever they have gone.
BGM End
United Core Zone.
Suddenly, Spider-Man finds himself swinging through an underground lava cavern with no clue how he got here. "Whoa-Wha!?" Spidey exclaims his confusion while tumbling onto the ground. He groans, rubbing his aching head as he stands to wonder, "Who changed the scenery?" He is then hit with more surprises. Sonic and Ruby falling atop of him. Followed by the other Dimensional Avengers. All of them are groaning in pain, but no one is in greater pain than their amazing leader who is crushed by their combined weight. Only his hand is left free to try and reach out for help, just for Naoto Kurogane to crash on it as well and causing Peter to scream, "GAAAUUH!"
Jin Kazama falls beside the disoriented Avengers, being the only one to land safely. "This is surprising." Jin Kazama commented, looking around to figure out where they ended up.
"You're telling me…" Naoto snarked, getting himself off of Spidey's crushed hand.
"Been some time since the whole team assembled." Yang joked, oblivious to her body crushing Pit below.
"That's awesome. Now can you PLEASE get off me? Some of you aren't lightweights, ya know." Pit complained, not wearing his Light Sirius Armor's faceplate for the moment.
"How rude! Don't speak to a woman like that!" Amy Rose scowled, kicking the angel away.
BGM-Mega Man X7 OST-Black Plotting
"I was just at Holy Light. Why are we here? Wherever HERE is." Ruby Rose wondered, with the friends getting off of each other.
"We're not alone." Lucina remarked, pointing out countless other Crossverse Heroes that were caught by the magic spell.
"All of S.T.R.I.K.E. is here? Why?" The surprised Tails expressed.
"Your guess is as good as mine, kid." quipped Iron Man, standing alongside his fellow Avengers.
"This is completely unexpected." said Rouge the Bat, hanging out with Team Dark.
"You can say that again." quipped Lie Ren, finding himself alongside the rest of Team JNPR and other huntsmen such as Ozpin, Winter Schnee, Penny Polendina, and the Branwen Twins.
"This feels scary." shivered Cream the Rabbit, with the other Freedom Fighters protecting her.
"Don't worry, Cream. We're here to protect you." assured Chun-Li, stationed with her fellow fighters like Zero and Heihachi Mishima from the Arcadia Earth.
"Were we caught in a Phenomenon Intervention?" wondered Jin Kisaragi, inspecting his surroundings alongside other Azure Earth soldiers like Noel Vermillion and Iron Tager.
"This feels akin to a mass teleportation spell." sensed Robin, with his fellow Shepherds like Chrom and Tiki from the Archanea Earth also here in this mysterious zone.
"That magic DID feel familiar." commented Morrigan Aensland, walking around alongside Hsien-Ko and her fellow Makaian Demitri Maximoff.
"Alright. Which one of you monkeys did it?" sassed Viridi, in the company of Dark Pit and Phosphora from the Skyworld Earth.
"Don't look at me. My portals are Star-powered." quipped Miss America, standing next to Ghost Rider and Iron Fist.
"Either kind would save tons of money on fuel. Space travel isn't cheap, you know." joked Star-Lord, with Nova and other Guardians of the Galaxy not finding him funny.
"No doubt the Black Order have something to do with this." Cyclops believed, with none of his X-Men arguing with him.
"Yes, but for what exact purpose? We have little clues to work on." wondered Espio the Chameleon, quick to join his fellow Chaotix, Silver the Hedgehog, and Blaze the Cat in doing some detective work.
"From my observation, it would appear we have been teleported to the mantle of this Unified Planet." stated Mister Fantastic, while the rest of his Fantastic Four stand cool beside him.
"What?! You're saying we're in the CENTER of the planet?! Wow. Being a superhero really takes you to places." Ms. Marvel remarked, in shock at this revelation.
"Always thought it'd be cool to host a concert here." joked Luna Snow, hanging out with Miss Marvel.
BGM End
BGM-Sonic Heroes OST-Monkey Business
"Dammit Spider-Man, you clown, look at this! Your bad luck screwed us over again! Why the hell are we here?!" barked Scarlet Spider, looking angry at his brother while Hummingbird just sits nonchalant beside him.
"Look, there you go blaming me again. I dunno why!" Spidey retorted. "Hey, wait a second, I've got it. You lost your temper again and your powers dragged us down here to fight another devil you pissed off, right? That has to be it!" He claimed, partially just to tease his clone.
"Are you insane?!" Scarlet snapped, jumping toward Peter just to grab and angrily shake him. "I only get angry cuz punks like you love to piss me off and now you're blaming ME for this!? Who made you the paragon of emotions anyway, Mr. Guilt?! Maybe you lost YOUR cool and dragged us all to fight ANOTHER devil that you pissed off in your adventures! Ever think of that?" He bickered to the point of almost losing his breath.
"When I'm in a good mood." Spidey quipped.
BGM End
BGM-Namco X Capcom OST-Enveloping Dark Clouds
"KAFF KOFF KOFF KOFF…!" coughed Gaea, who is also underground with the heroes and growing weaker under the care of Adam Warlock.
"Chip!" Sonic exclaimed, rushing to check on his goddess friend.
"No…This was their trap all along…" Gaea muttered, sensing a villainous plot is about to take advantage of her, much to the hedgehog's confusion.
Before she can elaborate, Gaea lets out another agonizing scream caused by a malevolent dark force on the verge of awakening from the planet. The earthquakes this time are so violent that they are shattering the United Core Zone. The heroes are startled when they are separated by the ground splitting apart and separating everyone into numerous groups standing on their own island floating above the planet's fiery outer core.
"Watch your footing! The mantle's cracking open!" Sally warned everyone.
"Whole planet's gonna break into pieces at this rate!" Captain Marvel cringed, struggling to keep her footing on her floating island.
The earthquakes continue as Hsien-Ko notice something strange deep within the outer core. "Huh. Your planet's core looks blue. Neat." She commented, noting the planet's inner core looking unusually blue.
"That's no ordinary inner core." Mister Fantastic remarked upon inspecting it himself. "It has been completely infused with Convergium Energy. A Convergium Core that has been producing Convergium for the planet. But how can that be?" He wondered, glad that this sudden trip to the planet's core gave him the opportunity to further his study on the Convergence.
"Doctor Richards! I'm detecting traces of Abel City technology in the planet's core! Some sort of stabilizing agent!" X informed, using his Head Part that caught a ping of his world's tech.
"To prevent the planet from breaking apart? Perhaps to better harmonize our worlds to prevent their collapse during the Convergence. The Genesis Convergium that merged our worlds was powered by at least ONE Exo Stone. That alone would've strained reality to its apocalyptic breaking point weeks ago. But, with Abel City technology, in addition to the Universe Tree, our enemy went through great lengths to ensure our worlds' survival by reducing the side-effects to small tears in spacetimes and annihilating one-third of the multiversal population. " Reed theorized.
"Better question is how Thanos stole our tech, and when?" Zero questioned.
"I'm starting to think he is NOT the mad scientist behind this experiment." Reed argued, coming closer to the truth.
"How pitiful that you haven't figured out the truth yet." A certain Murakumo Unit mocked the heroes.
All the heroes look up above the boiling hot lava to find Nu-13 and Doctor Strange glaring them down with their cold eyes. "Nu!" Noel shouted, with both Naoto and Scarlet Spider glaring at the cybernetic puppet.
"Gotta give you props, kid. You've been pestering us even BEFORE the Convergence. What's the Black Order up to this time?" Sonic questioned her.
"More importantly, why is Doctor Strange with you?" Weiss Schnee noticed.
One good look at Strange and Warlock is shocked upon realizing what has happened to him. "No! Strange's mind is NOT in command! He has been ENTHRALLED by Ebony Maw!" Warlock shouted.
"How can anyone take control of the Sorcerer Supreme?" Hawkeye retorted.
"Maw's voice can persuade even the strongest of minds. But when did he take control of Stephen?" Warlock grimly wondered.
Swiftly upon a horrific realization, Palutena gasps and answers, "At the Dark Domain!"
"So THAT's what skinny did. He used Strange to teleport us here." Dante frowned.
The mind-controlled Strange wastes no time to enact the second part of Thanos's vengeful plan. He casts a dark magic that is doing something to both Nu and the planet's core. Linking them in a mysterious way that makes Tsubaki Yaoyi to shout, "What is he doing?"
Warlock fires a powerful Soul Stone blast that erases Maw's darkness from Strange's soul. The unconscious sorcerer is free to fall from the sky, prompting an urgent rescue before he dives into the lava. "I got him!" Penny Polendina shouted, flying to catch him.
BGM End
"It is too late. He has awakened." Nu proclaimed ominously.
"Enough pronouns! Who's he?" Naoto demanded.
It was that this moment that Sonic reaches a shocking epiphany. "No…Were you planning to take advantage of the Time of Awakening?" He realized.
BGM-Sonic Unleashed OST-Dark Gaia Appears
"GUH!" Gaea's eyes suddenly widen in pain as she loses all control of her divine body. Her body that was lying on the ground rolls to a position that struggles in vain to push her up. "AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUU!" She screamed from the bottom of her soul until her body disintegrates. Splitting apart into a light spirit that vanishes into thin air, and a dark spirit that dives into the planet's core.
"MOTHER!" Thor yelled in horror, wondering what just happened to the Earth Mother.
It was then Spidey's turn to scream. "GOOOAAAAAAH!" His intense hands clench onto his head that's banging like a drum. He too struggles in vain to calm himself, collapsing onto his knees while Yang rushes to his aid.
"Spidey!" The concerned Yang shouted.
"Spider-Sense going overload! What the hell's about to happen…?!" Spidey wondered.
Things get worse as the ceiling above STRIKE crumbles and breaks apart while glowing with purple energy. "The planet can't take it anymore! IT'S SHATTERING!" exclaimed Iron Man, detecting the earthquakes are causing a global catastrophe that only those from Mobius would feel familiar with. Whatever is inside the planet's core is awakening and shattering the planet into multiple continents hanging over the unified core.
"That's ONE way of undoing the Convergence!" Human Torch joked during this apocalypse.
"What's doing this?!" Lucina shouted.
Her question is answered by the scream of an ancient deity that attracts all the startled attention, "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR…!" Tentacles resembling the nightmarish, dragon-like form of Remnant's God of Darkness burst out of the magma as the main body arises alongside them. The Dimensional Avengers are among the first to react with utter shock and amazement at what they are staring. A black-skinned creature with a size so gargantuan that it makes mortals like Sonic and Spidey seem like grains of sand by comparison. This terrifying abomination has a lower body resembling a snake and a wide head with a reptilian face and dark twisted horns. His white mohawk energizes. His massive draconic wings start fanning lava everywhere.
"That's…" Ruby stared, wondering if this creature is what she thinks it is.
"Dark Gaea!" Sonic frowned upon confronting the reincarnation of one of his greatest enemies ever.
Three red eyes Dark Gaea have, with the massive middle one opening up as the God of Darkness and Destruction stands up to be in awed at by the STRIKE Heroes. "GREEEEYAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!" roared Dark Gaea, the Ultimate Fused Entity of this Unified World. Born from the frightening combination of the Gaea's inner darkness, Dark Gaia, and the Brother God of Darkness.
"HOLY SHIT!" Both Star-Lord and Naoto yelled from the absolute horror they have just witnessed.
"That thing's… a Grimm…?" Raven Branwen questioned, unable to hide the fear on her face.
"This world had its OWN Black Beast living in its core?!" Kisaragi compared, gritting his teeth while brandishing his sword for the inevitable disastrous battle.
"And Thanos wants to use it to destroy us." Shadow the Hedgehog scowled.
"He turned the planet against us!" The stunned Mantis frowned.
"A primordial hyper energy organism. Fascinating!" Reed commented.
"Not the time, honey!" Invisible Woman scolded.
Dark Gaea begins his assault on STRIKE by launching its many tentacles at them. Forcing Captain America to shout, "SCATTER!", and prompt everyone to dodge the scary attacks that are demolishing floating islands.
"I was right about there being a devil!" joked Spidey, swinging away from two tentacles.
"Don't think either of us pissed off THIS thing!" quipped Scarlet, punching down a tentacle and getting knocked off the air by another, prompting his brother to catch him.
"Never imagined Mother Gaea would have a dark side like this!" said Viridi, repelling some tentacles with her magic.
"Nature's not so 'wonderful' now, is it?" snarked Knuckles the Echidna, working alongside the goddess by punching back his own tentacle.
"I'm REALLY missing Medusa! She's somehow more pretty than this guy!" joked by the terrified Pit, wearing his armor's faceplate while retreating from his own set of tentacles.
"Damn! How do we even BEGIN to fight that?!" wondered Chris Redfield, his sniper bullets having absolutely no effect on the fused dark god.
"You don't…" Ozpin responded in a rather unusual position. The immortal professor sits on his knees with a petrified face, staring down at the ground as if he has just given up, "It's over. After countless millennia, I failed to unite humanity in time for judgment day. It's hopeless. The planet is lost!"
"Get a grip, old man!" Spider-Man shouted, snapping him out of his depressive stupor. "Does it LOOK like we're not united to you? Too early to go senile!" He encouraged him by reminding him of this ultimate alliance that are still determined to fight destiny.
"This isn't the Remnant of old, and we've beaten our fair share of dark gods thanks to your lessons. We'll win this." Ruby said, with Team RWBY standing tall and hopeful before their headmaster.
"How? The imbalance has made Dark Gaea more powerful than the light." Ozpin argued.
Sonic retorts, "Then we'll compensate.", before gesturing to the Maverick Hunter Leader, "Yo, X, pass me the Heart Stone! Thor, Palutena, Viridi, with me!"
X complies and throws the Exo Heart Stone for the hedgehog to catch. The Gods of Thunder, of Light, and of Nature then join Sonic in harnessing the Stone's power for a miracle. Dark Gaea sees what they are trying to accomplish and attacks with his tentacles, only for the Heart Stone to surround all of STRIKE in a green orb that protected them. "Oh yeah! I get what we're doing!" Viridi smirked, realizing what Sonic has planned.
"I can feel Gaea's light calling to me." Thor commented, sensing his mother.
"Then let's answer her. Seven lights of the earth rekindled!" Palutena incanted, causing the green orb to rise into the air as they summon their miracle.
BGM End
At the Same Time…
BGM-Sonic Unleashed OST-Shrines in Flight
The Heart Stone is connecting with the Gaia Temple found at the Monsterwatch Islands. A bright dome of light envelops it that rips it off the ground and into the air. Fin Fang Foom and other monsters watch this strange phenomenon happen even as the light blinds them from the temple disappearing in a flash. Of course, this isn't the only temple affected by the Heart Stone, as six more around the world answer the fated call.
"Are you all seeing this?!" asked James Ironwood through his Scroll. Standing outside Atlas Academy in disbelief at a Gaia Temple flying over Solkaria.
"Those look to be the Gaia Temples. Is THAT what's happening?" Abraham Tower remarked, observing more Gaia Temples from a monitor in his G.U.N. Fortress.
One Gaia Temple dives down past the S.T.R.I.K.E. Tricarrier in order to fly into the open crack of the planet. All of this observed by Nick Fury standing on the flight deck. "They're converging at the core. Those heroes better know what they're doing." Fury said, knowing the united heroes are fighting an intense battle in the center of their world.
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Back in the United Core Zone…
BGM-Sonic Unleashed OST-Hour of Awakening
"Chip, please, lend us your power!" Sonic requested, clenching onto the Heart Stone that's shining brighter than ever.
"AWAKEN, AND GATHER HERE TO US!" The trio of Thor, Palutena, and Viridi shouted as they raise their respective weapons to the air.
S.T.R.I.K.E.'s energy sphere glows its brightest and flies away while the seven Gaia Temples come together to form something awesome. One temple acts as the central connector. Two more make the arms, and another two make the legs. Another temple inserts itself atop the others, resembling an oriental-looking dragon head with large golden antlers and two feathery tipped whiskers, as well as possessing eyes that then glow a mystical gold. This giant stone humanoid-like golem, which shares a slight resemblance to the Brother God of Light, completes itself upon inserting a temple that looks like an Arc Reactor in its chest. This is the Dragon Gaia Colossus. The avatar of the fused Gaea's light, Light Gaia, and the God of Light. The Ultimate God of Light and Rebirth that will fight to restore to this shattered unified world.
BGM End
Meanwhile at Latveria…
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN DARK GAIA IS AWAKE?!" Doctor Eggman screamed from within Castle Doom with such a loud voice that scares the birds across the kingdom.
"Exactly what I said. Are you that surprised our Convergence reset his time of rebirth?" Salem questioned the petrified doctor, hanging out with the other leaders of the Masters of Evil in the throne room.
"O-Of course not! This was to be expected." Eggman lied, turning away from the others to hide his embarrassment from this massive oversight that has ruined his world.
"That's a flat out lie." Juri Han snarked.
"SHUT UP!" Eggman snaps back in a comical way.
"Awakening at THIS time was an unforeseen consequence! Our forces are scattered across the globe and I've lost faith in Grimadoom being of any help! What was that idiot thinking going off to fight Thanos himself?" Doctor Octopus scowled, angry at Dark Gaea's awakening making a mess of their conquest.
"On the bright side, this will occupy the heroes for some time. We can use this opportunity to claim the remaining Stones." Jedah Dohma suggested.
"Is the Exo Master complete?" Ock asked about their machine that will control the Exo Stones.
"Yes, just recently. Moved it to a pocket dimension for its protection." Albert Wesker answered.
"Add extra security to both it and the Convergium Reactor. We can't risk any more mistakes at this stage." Ock ordered.
Just then, Orbot enters the throne room alongside Cubot with urgent news. "Excuse me, Masters, but-." Orbot said.
"Not the time, Orbot! We're busy!" Eggman interrupted his robot lackey.
"Then you should be happy to know we found something that'll keep you busier. We have a guest." Orbot sassed, which earned Doctor Doom's cold-glaring interest.
"Who?" Doctor Doom questioned.
"He didn't tell us his name, but he looked purple and very mad." Cubot answered. The look on each of the Masters of Evil's face range from mere shock to absolute priceless petrification as they know exactly who just decided to invade their territory.
BGM-Hyrule Warriors OST-Boss Introduction
Doomstadt is still damaged from yesterday's alien invasion. Yet it still comes as a surprise when a new invader breach the defenses and utterly demolishes the capital with one cosmic punch to the ground. Whole buildings collapse into ruin. Fires are burning out of control. And the one walking out of the flames, like the terrifying Titan that he is, is Thanos. This was his plan. Sic Dark Gaea on STRIKE, while the Mad Titan himself confronts the Masters of Evil. By destroying the city and shooting a taunting laugh at Castle Doom from afar, he has earned their most wrathful attention from the balcony they are watching him from.
BGM End
"See? He looks mad even from up here." Cubot noted, prompting Eggman to casually smack both his lackey bots off the balcony.
"Kill him." Doom ordered with a vengeful glare, with the Mad Titan readying himself for the bloodbath that will determine which team will, at long last, claim all eight Exo Stones.
BGM-Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite & Beyond OST-Lobby Theme
KFX Here: Originally, there was a plan for STRIKE to fight Yami (from the video game, Okami) as Thanos's secret weapon, but I wanted things to be more related to the worlds of Marvel, Sonic, and RWBY, since their heroes are the main focus on this story. So I settled with Dark Gaea. The War with Thanos is approaching its final stages. Things are only going to get crazier from here.
XenoSlayer983: I killed her off last time? I don't remember. Regardless, Cosmo might still be around in this continuity if I have plans for her one day.
HybridKing18: Reading it. Really enjoying it. Sucks that it'll only be 5 issues long and not 12 like the Sonic/Mega Man crossover, but I'm sure it'll be just as enjoyable.
Next Time: Light vs. Dark! Death vs. Doom! Who Will Claim the Exo Eight?
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