Then it came, my memories. The memories of my soul for... “95,489 years!” I cried in grief and anguish.
I had suffered for 95,489 years in the flames of purgatory to reach the gates of heaven, yet it was all taken away.
“NOOOO!” I screamed in mental anguish as the agony I had gone through for 95,489 years rolled in. Every second of suffering within the purgatory, my only hope there was looking forward to the day I left that place and reached heaven. I counted down every millisecond to reach there. Yet I had foolishly given it all up in the name of entertainment.
“GIVE IT BACK EL!” I screamed.
“Hahahaha!” El’s laughter echoed within my ears. “You agreed to it David, there are no takebacks.”
“I SUFFERED AND WAITED FOR SO LONG! YOU TRICKED ME! YOU TOOK AWAY MY RIGHT TO ENTER HEAVEN! GIVE BACK MY DEATH!” I pleaded in agony.
I had misunderstood everything. The dreams, they were not pointing to a future that showed Nat's death. Nat was right, if I told her everything, she would have run away with me, I had foolishly thought I understood her, but I didn’t.
All this time, it was my own soul. Nothing could get past my own mental defense combined with my cheats, except for myself or rather my own soul.
The agony and anguish behind the eons of memories within my soul slowly infiltrated as dreams to craftily guide me to unseal itself, a seal that El placed on me, through my death. However, by the time it was unsealed, I had foolishly destroyed my chance again.
“Good luck David, show me some fun.” With that, the mindscape shattered as reality resumed itself.
“NOOOOO!” I cried as I unleashed everything within me to destroy myself inside out. However, with this 3rd chance at life, El had gifted me with a new cheat, to not die until I was 100 years old.
Every second, living was an absolute hell to me. It couldn’t be explained unless one went through it themselves. Nothing mattered to me in this state.
‘I just want to go back, please.’ I cried before I felt someone striking my face.
I don’t remember much before I noticed the army before me. ‘That’s right the infinity stones.’ I remembered how Tony died.
Summoning the stones from the placed I hid them, I pulled them to my hand. The safety mechanism behind the eye of the Agamotto easily crumbled under the combined power of 5 infinity stones along with my own study of it, as it too appeared in my hand.
Without the least bit of hesitation, I swallowed it. ‘Please kill me!’ I prayed as I felt the energy-burning and destroying everything within me.
However, the powers and knowledge I had gathered so far in tandem with my own cheats betrayed me. My true immortality-like state kept me alive, as Comfy Potato worked well to assimilate the power of the Infinity stones into me.
‘No! This is not what I want!’ Whatever, I wanted the opposite of it was happening to me as I looked at the retreating figures only to notice Nat in their midst.
I raised my hand and snapped.
All of us reappeared in an empty corner of space.
I ignored Thanos and TVA and looked at the true players. Several various-sized beings were before me: Gods, Celestials, and Cosmic Beings.
“You have evaded our eyes for too long creature, not of this world!” Eternal proclaimed as he stood at the front.
‘They will kill me if I fight them.’ A plan quickly summarised as I noticed my future sight growing incredibly strong in tandem with the power of the time stone. With it, I was able to see them attack me.
“DIE!” I roared as I unleashed the energy of the infinity stones within me eradicating all the gods, the members of the TVA, Thanos and his army in an instant.
“Remove him from this universe!” Entropy ordered as they all surrounded me.
I stood still hopeful that their plan worked as they removed me from my universe to another, as it practically stripped me of my power of the infinity gem.
At that moment Eson the Searcher attacked me. The incredibly power beam of attack vapourised my existence as my consciousness began to fade.
‘Finally…’ I smiled as I closed my eyes in hope.
*Thump* Just at that moment a wave of energy erupted within me bringing my existence and consciousness back.
“No!” I looked at my regenerating body in horror. “No! Stop working!” My Same Potato cheat began working. It kept the power of Infinity stones within me regardless of which universe I was shifted to, it didn’t weaken the power of stones at all. Same Potato, it made whatever power I obtained mine, regardless of conditions, that went for the infinity stones. The power of infinity stones was mine now.
“This cannot be possible.” I looked at my hands which glowed for a moment before reverting back to normal human hands. “Why can’t I die?” I looked at the celestials and the cosmic entities, especially Death. “Kill me or I will kill you all today!” I declared as I felt the infinity stones strengthening me without limit.
It should have killed me, but all 4 of my cheats kept me alive and helped me get stronger by every millisecond.
Not even 10 seconds had passed, and the celestials were mere ants before me, as only the cosmic entities matter.
*Whoosh* I waved my hand at which point the celestials dispersed while the cosmic entities took several steps back as a golden figure suddenly appeared in the middle of my attack.
“This is troublesome.” The living tribunal frowned as he looked around. “Retreat and keep the multiverse stable. I will hold him off here!” The living tribunal declared.
“NO! Kill me or you will all die here!” I declared as I rushed forward only to be stopped by the living tribunal trapped in a cage made of light as chains erupted forward and bound me.
The chains burned my cells one by one making me feel pain but compared to the agony I felt after losing everything as I waited for 95,489 years it was nothing.
I drew in the energy from my bondage into my body, viciously tearing through my existence using the power of the cosmic force that maintained the universe.
Instead, the power of the infinity stones, my immortality, and the Potatoes worked in tandem to absorb the power and increase my strength.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*Boom* Inside a room covered in drawings a simple old man sat as he drank tea.
*Boom* The bookshelf shook as several drawings fell down from the cases revealing drawings of the Marvel universe.
*Boom* “Is it ending?” The old man wondered as he seemingly watched something no one could see.
The old man could see the greatest existential fight of the multiverse. Several supreme beings were fighting.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
At first, it was just the Living Tribunal, against him, however, soon even the Tribunal found it harder to keep up at which point the tear in multiverse allowed existences that were locked out to come out: Beyonder’s, Fulcrum, the First Firmament and many more existence.
“No, it’s better to say he is purposely bringing them out.” The old man sighed as he watched all of them trying their best to kill him as the man himself did his best to die. He slaughtered and the power of the infinity stones absorbed those that couldn’t kill him into him, forcing them to use their all to end him.
“Lord!” A battered Tribunal appeared before the old man. “You have to step in.” The Tribunal pleaded to the old man or rather the One Above All.
“It’s too late.” OAA shook his head as he relaxed.
“What do you mean lord?”
“Do you remember what I told you about existences greater than me?” The OAA enquired.
“Isn’t that just a theory you suggested?” Tribunal enquired.
OAA chuckled upon hearing this. “You see him.” OAA pointed at the window of space where David with an animalistic look was tearing through each and every creature in existence. “Aren’t you curious why he has prevailed against all your visions for all this while?”
“I…” Tribunal was about to say as he thought the OAA must have been behind it, but seeing the look on the old man’s face he kept quiet.
“His power comes from a place beyond this multiverse, from someone greater.” The OAA explained causing Tribunal to look surprised.
“Someone greater?”
OAA nodded. “Several years ago, as the white mist began drawing over all your visions, you all tried to locate it. You looked for any creature in existence that was born at the time the mist exuded.” OAA explained as a screen appeared showing the scene of the TVA, Celestials, and Cosmic Entities searching for the preparator clouding their visions and fate.
“Yet you all failed to look at a 6-year-old in whose body his soul was placed in.” OAA showed an image of a 6-year-old waking up.
“But that is a nobody.” The Tribunal couldn’t understand. All his senses screamed that the boy was extremely normal and ordinary, nothing about him seemed out of the ordinary.
“That’s what your cosmic vision is telling you. He has powers that transcend your cosmic vision which is why you were never able to find him unless you see him in person physically or be near him like the Ancient One was with the aid of the Time stone.”
“Impossible! How can that be?” Tribunal asked in shock. To existence such as them, they relied on their cosmic awareness to look at every inch of the multiverse. In simple terms, it was a more powerful version of Heimdall’s vast superior sense which allowed him to see and hear everything within the 9 realms, a power greater than the infinity gems. To be told it wasn't working was equal to saying their eyes weren't working.
“Would you believe me if I told you I was created by the very being that sent him here?” OAA enquired.
“You were created?” Tribunal enquired. As far as the Tribunal can remember, the OAA has always been.
“I don’t remember it, since it has been so long, but I was created by him, El.” OAA smiled saying that name. “The funny thing is he is merely a gatekeeper who got bored in his punishment causing him to create this world from a story he read.” OAA chuckled.
The tribunal was calm hearing this, as he often remembered the OAA did the same as well. Creating things from stories of his own creations.
“Then what’s his purpose?” Tribunal looked in the direction of David who was slowly killing off the last of his challengers. “Why was he sent here?”
“Tell me how you would feel if you recreated whatever you read without a single variation in it?” OAA questioned.
The tribunal remained quiet but OAA knew his answer. “David is the variant that is meant to spice up the story.”
“He is a source of entertainment,” Tribunal answered.
“Yes, both he and El agreed to that fact before sending him here. Unfortunately, the poor kid was tricked before he was sent here. His full memories were sealed away while El offered him the deal. El knew David would never accept that deal if he remembered the majority of his memories. Now that his memories are back, he desires nothing more than to die and escape here so that he can return to his home.”
The Tribunal having witnessed and heard all sorts of things in its entirety of existence wasn’t surprised hearing this.
“How do I stop him?” The tribunal asked the most important question.
“You can’t, at least not until he turns 100.” OAA sighed. “Till then he will continuously get stronger no matter what you do.”
“Is it possible for you, my lord?” Tribunal enquired.
“If I got there, he might possibly absorb me, at which point everything will fall, leaving only him behind, and that’s the last thing I want to happen to him,” OAA answered.
“Then?”
OAA waved his hand at which point a vision of a woman with red hair crying while hugging her 2 kids: one around the age of 2 and the other an infant that was only a month or 2 old.
“Hopefully she can get through to him. If not, then it’s all a lost cause.” OAA answered.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I suddenly felt the presence of Sasha and Levi disappearing before me. Raising my head, I looked up to see a golden humanoid before me with several heads.
“Who are you? Where is Sasha and Levi?” I asked as I wiped my tears away.
“We don’t have much time, Natasha. Your husband is in the process of destroying the multiverse and only you can stop him.” I looked at him in confusion.
I shook my head. “David is dead, I don’t know what you are talking about.” I didn’t want to hold a false hope. I had seen him die with my own eyes.
Whatever, I saw there on that battlefield must have been his contingency plan like his semi-conscious that appeared after his death.
“I am afraid that’s not true. He is back from the dead, stronger and crazier than before. Please, stop him.” The creature in gold pleaded. “If not everything will cease to exist, even your kids.”
“Who are you?” I asked him.
“I am called The Living Tribunal, the will of the One Above All.” My heart stopped for a moment hearing these familiar names/ titles.
David had told me about them, apparently one was the messenger, and the other was the creator.
“You mean…” I asked as my hand shook in hope.
“Yes, but in his current state, he won’t stop until nothing remains. Only you can talk sense to him, please.” The Tribunal pleaded.
“Wh-what happened?” I felt my throat drying up as I desperately tried to hold my tears back.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[House of Ideas, Mystery]
A hand tore through the barrier separating the House of Ideas from the rest of Mystery (a realm outside of the Multiverse).
As the hole tore open it revealed a naked figure that didn’t look as if he had gone through several thousand fights. The only evidence of the fight was the destroyed armor of nano-bots that flew in the vacuum of the realm.
“I know you are here! Come out!” David shouted.
The door to the small house opened as an old man walked out. “I can’t do it David, it’s useless.” One Above All answered as soon as he saw David.
“You are lying! You can do it!” A white and black light surrounded David as he got ready to fight. “Please kill me.” David pleaded.
“David, I am weaker than the one that gave you your gift.”
“It’s no gift! It’s a curse!” David screamed as he held his head in pain. “All these years! I wasted it! I can’t wait any longer!” Tears streamed from his red eyes. “Please! You can do it. You are the creator of this world, and he must have given you enough power.”
OAA remained quiet with a sad look. “Don’t give me that look!” David roared as the white and black energy rolled out destroying the barrier between the realms of Outside.
*Crash* Like glass the barrier shattered and revealed the corpses of the Phoenix, Beyonder, First Firmament, and other various beings.
“If you won’t do it, then I will force you!” David shouted as he rushed forward.
Just at that moment, another person walked out from behind OAA causing David to immediately stop in his tracks.
“N-Nat…” David’s voice broke.
“Is it really you David?” Nat asked in tears as she walked forward.
“No!” David shouted as he held his head. “Don’t stop me, Nat! Please! I need to go! I want to leave! I waited too long! I can’t wait any longer! Please!” David pleaded.
“I won’t stop you.” Nat came forward grabbed David’s hands and pulled them apart. She looked at her once-dead husband’s pained face. “Is it really that beautiful?” Nat enquired.
“My soul, all it longs for is to go there. I waited and endured so long to be there Nat, yet I foolishly threw it all away.” David cried.
“Can you take me with you?” Nat asked surprising David.
David looked up at Nat before shaking his head. “No, you will die. I can’t let you die.”
*Slap* David’s face shifted to the right from the slap. Though he didn’t feel any physical pain, he felt the emotional pain from that slap.
“I hate that you are always selfish. From the very start, it was all about you. You wanted me, you wanted us, you wanted a life with me, you wanted me to live.” She started hitting him on the chest. “It’s not fair! You never ask for my opinion! Maybe I want to be selfish. I want to be with you! I want to live with you. I want to die with you! Why can’t you ever think like that!?” She shouted at the stunned David.
David was quiet for a while before he spoke. “I can’t die Nat. He won’t let me die. I just want to die. Please.”
She grabbed his hands and began kissing them. “You never keep your promises. You promised to let me be selfish as much as I want. You promised to cook with me. You promised to play the flute for me. You promised to be with me till the end. You promised that we would die together. You broke it all! I hate you.” Nat spoke as she buried her face in David’s hands.
A pained look appeared in David’s eyes hearing this. “I am sorry Nat… but it hurts, more than I can hold it in.”
“Then let me share your pain.” Nat pleaded. “I will share your pain with you. Regardless of it being a hundred, or thousand, or a million years, let me stay by your side till then. If nothing else, I won’t leave you, just let me die together with you, please.”
Hearing this an emotion overwhelmed David’s heart. It overwhelmed the pain and anguish that flooded his heart. Love was the most powerful force in the universe.
[Nothing transcends it, and nothing ever will.]
The One Above All looked at the small strip of message he had written on the comic before him as he remembered the day love had triumphed.
“I hope that was a good enough show for you El?” OAA looked up.
“Meh, passable.” Came a mysterious voice out of nowhere.