The external conflict had reached a stalemate. Though the four warriors could briefly subdue corrupted Ahsoka, she created unpredictable problems at every turn. Whatever dark power the Son had granted her, it had transformed her into a genuine threat.
"We must stop her," Obi-Wan said calmly, his tactical mind working through possibilities.
"But how?" Spider-Man asked, frustration evident. "I tried webbing her up, but she broke free like it was tissue paper."
"The Son's power corrupts everything it touches," T'Challa observed, studying the Padawan through his helmet's visual display.
"I'll do whatever it takes to free my Padawan from the Son's control," Anakin declared firmly, just as his former master called to him.
Obi-Wan drew the dagger they'd retrieved from the altar. Turquoise flames erupted from the hilt, revealing its true nature. "Our plan is simple—cut the puppet's strings by eliminating the puppet master."
"What is that thing?" Spider-Man asked in awe.
"This dagger can kill the Son," Obi-Wan explained, pointing it toward Ahsoka.
When the corrupted Padawan saw the weapon, something triggered within her. Her voice became twisted and evil as she hissed at them.
"Yeah, that doesn't sound promising," Spider-Man muttered nervously.
They had to do more than simply subdue Ahsoka—they needed to sever the Son's hold on her entirely. As Ahsoka rushed at them with renewed fury, determined to eliminate all four, a different battle was unfolding inside the tower between the siblings and Vision.
"You don't have to do this," the Daughter pleaded through the chaos. "Please, brother—stop!"
"It's too late for that," the Son replied coldly.
He unleashed a torrent of black and red Force lightning that collided with the beam from the Mind Stone. The two energies wrestled for dominance, filling the throne room with blinding light. Vision struggled to maintain his balance under the assault, but the Daughter reinforced him with her own Light Side power.
Even combined, it wasn't enough to overcome the Son's overwhelming strength. He poured more dark energy into his attack, intensifying the battle. Just as the contest reached its peak, a new presence made itself known.
"Enough!" a commanding voice boomed.
With tremendous force, the Son, Daughter, and Vision were all blown backward out of the throne room and sent crashing into the courtyard below. Those already fighting there froze as the three combatants tumbled from above.
The Son recovered first, rising to his feet with inhuman grace.
"You must end this madness immediately," the Father declared.
Looking up, the Son saw his father standing on the elevated platform, his expression cold and resolute.
"Father," the Son said with false warmth, his voice dripping with venom. "How delightful of you to join our little gathering."
"I will not allow you to compound your mistakes," the Father said firmly. "End this, my son."
"You're too weak to stop me, old man. You're worthless to me now." The Son showed no hesitation. He unleashed another blast of lightning that scattered the others, then fired a concentrated stream of Force lightning directly at his father.
The Father blocked the assault with his hands, but the effort was evident.
"No more restraints! No more containment! No more weakness!" the Son roared.
His power surged dramatically, breaking through the Father's defenses and driving the ancient being to the ground. Dark Side lightning poured over him in waves.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called to his former student, seeing he was closest to their position. "Quickly—take it!"
The Jedi Master hurled the dagger he'd claimed from the altar, but Ahsoka moved with inhuman speed. She intercepted the weapon mid-flight, catching it smoothly.
Spider-Man instinctively fired webbing to restrain her, but she sliced through the strands effortlessly with her lightsaber and the dagger. She rushed toward the Son and leaped to his side.
She glanced back at Anakin and Spider-Man, a smug grin spreading across her corrupted features as she raised the dagger high.
The Son finished electrocuting his father and turned to his servant with satisfaction. "Everything has proceeded exactly as I planned," he announced proudly.
The Father looked up and saw what Ahsoka held—the Mortis dagger. Horror filled his eyes.
"Did you take them to the altar?" he asked his daughter, reproach evident in his voice.
"I'm sorry, Father," the Daughter replied, deep regret in her tone. With help from Obi-Wan and Vision, she stood again. "I didn't know how else to stop my brother."
The Son extended his hand toward Ahsoka.
"Give it to me, child," he commanded.
"Ahsoka, don't!" Anakin and Spider-Man shouted simultaneously.
Ahsoka looked back at them, and for a moment, conflict flickered in her yellow eyes. A force of resistance surged within her, but the Son's control tightened like a vice. Finally, when she smiled again, she turned and gently placed the dagger in the Son's outstretched hand.
"Thank you," he said with dark satisfaction. "Your role is complete."
The Son touched two fingers to Ahsoka's forehead. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, falling stiffly to the ground. Her lightsabers tumbled from nerveless fingers.
The Jedi and Avengers below witnessed everything, their hearts filling with horror and despair.
Spider-Man and Anakin cried out in grief and rage, rushing forward. But the Son's power created an impenetrable barrier. Any attempt to reach him was effortlessly repelled by his overwhelming strength.
Thunder rumbled ominously across the darkening sky.
Vision's gaze snapped away from the Daughter and Obi-Wan. He fired a concentrated beam at the Son.
The Son reacted instantly, deflecting the attack with the dagger and redirecting it back at Vision with surgical precision.
T'Challa followed up immediately, launching a spinning kick at the Son's head. But the dark avatar caught his leg with one hand and hurled him away effortlessly.
Then the Son turned, raised the dagger, and pointed it directly at his father. His eyes were cold and determined, as if announcing the final act. The Father's expression showed shock and profound sadness.
The Daughter rushed forward, desperate to prevent the impending tragedy, but everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Just as the Mortis dagger came within inches of the Father's heart, a beam of pure, brilliant light descended from the heavens. It pierced through the clouds and struck the ground precisely between the Son and his father, forcing them apart.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to the seemingly eternal column of light until it finally dissipated into the sky.
A lone figure stood where the light had been.
He wore magnificent armor—a blue tunic with red piping over black pants, covered with silver plates. A bright red cape connected to his vest at the shoulders. Chain mail adorned his arms, and black boots rose to his knees.
In his right hand, he held a humming hammer. His hair was golden, his eyes electric blue, and his beard thick and striking. He slowly lowered the hammer, his gaze sweeping from the Son to the Father before settling on the latter.
"Are you the being called the Father?" he asked immediately.
The Father could only respond with a shocked expression, unable to find words.
"I am—"
"Thor!" Vision nearly shouted in recognition.
The newcomer was none other than Thor Odinson, God of Thunder and Prince of Asgard.
Thor turned in surprise. "Vision? How did you—"
His sudden appearance made the entire scene more complex and tense. Thor paused, looking around, his eyes falling on familiar faces that shocked him.
Then his gaze shifted to the side and found a lone figure—a young girl lying motionless on the ground.
The stench of decay and corruption hung around her body, a sharp contrast to whatever light and innocence had once resided within. The source of that dark energy stood nearby—the being he'd interrupted.
Thor was often seen as straightforward and combat-focused, but after his exile to Earth years ago, he'd learned many new skills while fighting alongside mortal heroes as an Avenger.
One of those skills was what humans called "situational awareness." Through it, Thor felt the grief and pain radiating from his allies—pain caused by the loss of a friend at the hands of one individual, even one whose power far exceeded that of normal mortals.
He turned slowly toward the still-confused creature and detected the same dark aura that clung to the fallen girl.
"You..." Thor said slowly, his voice deepening. "You must be the Son."
The red-eyed being was clearly surprised to be recognized by this stranger.
"Son," Thor continued, and his body began crackling with electrical energy. "It is said that you are the most dangerous of the three imprisoned here."
Suddenly, Thor swung Mjolnir in a devastating arc and struck the Son's jaw with crushing force, launching him into the air before slamming him into the ground.
Lightning flashed in every direction as Thor strode forward, power radiating from him in waves.
"A being who murders innocent children so casually," Thor declared, his voice carrying across the courtyard like thunder. "Come then. Let us talk. Thor wishes to have words with you."
His voice echoed in the air, and the duel between gods was about to begin.