Everything stopped.
The clash of lightning and Omega energy froze in midair, suspended like shards of light trapped in glass. The void itself trembled as The Living Tribunal materialized — a being beyond comprehension, three faces turning in eternal judgment: Equity, Vengeance, and Necessity.
Each spoke in a voice that echoed through every atom of creation.
"The multiverse bleeds.""The balance falters.""The hands of gods and mortals alike have tipped the scales."
Thanos took a step forward, defiance burning in his eyes. "You call this judgment? I call it fear. Even cosmic law trembles before power."The Tribunal's center face turned to him, unmoved.
"You mistake power for purpose."
A beam of golden light erupted, stripping the Gauntlet from Thanos' arm. The gems screamed — actual voices — as they shattered into motes of pure essence, scattering across the void. Thanos fell to his knees, his veins burning like molten iron.
Darkseid raised his hand, fury twisting his face. "No law binds me."
"All are bound by consequence," the Tribunal intoned.Darkseid's Omega Beams ignited — but they never left his eyes. They turned inward, searing him in his own darkness. His roar shook dimensions.
The heroes stood in silence. Even gods felt small now.
Superman floated forward, bruised, breathing hard. "If balance must be restored… then take me. Take whatever it costs to save them."Wonder Woman stepped beside him. "We all share this burden. No one hero bears the universe."Batman, ever the mortal among gods, added quietly, "Then maybe it's time the gods learned to be human."
The Tribunal's three faces turned as one — toward the unity they saw among them. The first warmth flickered in its tone:
"Where chaos ruled, harmony now stirs. The scales tremble toward light."
But equilibrium demanded sacrifice.
"One life must anchor the new reality."
A silence heavier than death fell. Every hero's gaze met another's.Tony looked to Steve. Steve looked to Thor. And then… Doctor Strange stepped forward.
"I opened the rift," he said softly. "I blurred the walls between worlds. This began with me."He turned to his friends, smiling faintly. "Let it end with me."
Before anyone could stop him, Strange raised his hands, channeling the remnants of his power. His body ignited in golden flame as he merged with the collapsing rift, sealing it with his soul.
The Tribunal spoke once more:
"Balance restored. Judgment rendered. Worlds reborn."
The explosion of light that followed swept across existence. The Marvel and DC universes tore apart—then fused, then realigned, forming new stars, new histories, new chances.
When the light faded, Earth was whole again.The heroes lay scattered across a quiet dawn. The war was over.But the cost would never be forgotten.
Doctor Strange was gone.
And in the silence after judgment, a whisper lingered across the cosmos — not of destruction, but of renewal.
"The multiverse breathes again."