The first rays of dawn burned pale against the horizon, but the sky above the Black Serpents' fortress was already drowned in darkness. Their stronghold rose like a wound in reality—spires of obsidian twisting into the heavens, walls shifting as if alive, and serpentine runes glowing a poisonous green.
From the air came the hum of S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarriers and Fantastic Four's sleek craft. From the ground, waves of Avengers, X-Men, Thunderbolts, and allies assembled in disciplined lines. And from the shadows, Helena and her Sisters advanced, cloaks flowing, eyes hard with resolve.
Professor X's voice spread telepathically through every mind: Remember who you fight for. Remember why you fight. Now—strike as one.
The Opening Salvo
The first blast came from Iron Man's gauntlets, a beam of searing light tearing open the barrier long enough for Thor's hammer to crash through. The shield shattered like glass, and the battlefield erupted.
Juggernaut thundered forward with Vanessa perched on his shoulder, her body already glowing faintly with regenerative energy. She leapt from him mid-charge, landing in the center of Serpent soldiers—every blade that pierced her flesh recoiled as the pain transferred back, shattering their own bodies. She stood untouched, crimson eyes blazing.
Beside her, Luna Snow unleashed a storm of frost that coated entire battalions in ice, her dance weaving through enemies as if the battlefield was her stage.
From the other flank, Isolde, Mausgrau, Delilah, Greta, Candy, and Louis stormed forward with the X-Men. Delilah's fire clashed against Serpent warlocks' green flames, Greta summoned vines that cracked open the very walls of the fortress, and Louis moved like a shadow through enemy ranks, his strikes surgical.
Susan Storm bent light around Candy, cloaking her until her claws flashed at enemy throats. "Nice trick," Candy smirked as Susan dropped her invisibility.
Above them, Reed Richards stretched his form across collapsing battlements to shield troops while Wolverine and Mona's demons carved a bloody path beside him.
The Thunderbolts and the Sisters
The Thunderbolts clashed with Serpent shock troops on the western wall, but Helena's Sisters surged beside them, their movements precise and coordinated. When Moonstone's photon blasts misfired, Anastasia intercepted with a reflective ward, saving a squad.
For the first time, villains-turned-soldiers looked at the Sisters not with suspicion, but respect. Songbird's voice rose in a sonic scream that merged with Seraphina's hymnal chant, creating a soundwave that shattered both stone and serpent alike.
Helena herself dueled a Serpent champion clad in living scales, her blades carving arcs of silver through his black armor. When she faltered for a breath, Deadpool of all people slipped in to cover her, swords flashing, muttering, "Don't worry, nun-lady, I've got your six."
She only gave a sharp nod, then pressed forward harder.
The Avengers' Spearhead
At the heart of the charge, the Avengers advanced like a spear. Captain America's shield deflected volleys of cursed arrows, Natasha picked targets with clinical precision, and Hawkeye let loose explosive shafts that detonated against Serpent artillery.
And then there was Silvanna. Her crimson power flowed like rivers across the battlefield, blood answering her call from allies and enemies alike. When a Serpent beast lunged toward Tony, she extended her hand, freezing the creature midair by clenching its blood vessels like puppet strings.
Tony, panting, muttered through comms, "Remind me never to make you mad, Red."
Silvanna smirked, lips stained with battle. "Then stop giving me reasons."
Even Steve, hardened as he was, cast her a wary glance—but in the storm of combat, none questioned her effectiveness.
The Black Serpents' Counterstrike
From within the fortress came the true horror: the Serpent Generals. Each tower disgorged monstrosities born of dark ritual—colossal serpentine titans whose scales absorbed energy, spewing venom that corroded steel and flesh alike.
One general raised a staff and split the battlefield with a river of green fire, separating allies from one another. The strike force staggered under the onslaught.
"Hold the line!" Captain America roared, rallying them.
Thor hurled Mjolnir into the largest serpent general, lightning exploding across its armored hide. Beside him, Storm from the X-Men called down her own tempest, their thunder merging in blinding fury.
But still, the fortress walls pulsed, alive, feeding the Serpents more power.
Vanessa's Stand
In the heart of the chaos, Vanessa strode forward, arrows, blades, and blasts striking her body—only to recoil back upon her enemies. She raised her voice above the battle:
"No more running. No more hiding. The world ends with us, or it begins anew!"
Juggernaut slammed his fists into the ground, sending shockwaves that cracked the serpent army's formations, giving Vanessa room to advance. Luna Snow spun ice-lattices over the gaps, sealing off flanks and funneling enemies into kill zones.
Even hardened veterans of war paused to see the three—Juggernaut, his daughter, and the rising star Luna Snow—carve a path into the impossible fortress.
The Push Toward the Gate
At last, the factions converged before the great obsidian gates, battered but unbroken. Fire rained from Delilah, shield walls shimmered under Susan and Anastasia, blood tendrils slashed in sync with Silvanna's crimson fury, and every hero, soldier, and outlaw gave their all.
Professor X's voice filled their minds again:
This is it. The door to their heart. Strike together. All of you.
And with one deafening roar that shook heaven and earth, the joint strike force unleashed everything they had. The gate began to crack, light bleeding from within, the fortress screaming as though alive.
The Siege of Shadows had truly begun.