The world was ending — again.Only this time, there would be no next dawn if they failed.
Above Omega Earth, the sky had shattered into fragments of galaxies. Stars flickered like dying embers as the void expanded, swallowing constellations whole. At its heart hovered Shadow Strange, wrapped in a cloak woven from the remains of collapsed dimensions. His eyes were two black suns devouring all light.
Below him stood what remained of the Guardians — the greatest heroes of two realities.
Superman, body bruised but unyielding, floated forward. "Strange… if any part of you still exists, fight it."The creature smiled, voice layered and echoing.
"There is no Strange. There is only what he denied."
Lightning tore across the heavens as Thor joined Superman, Mjolnir blazing with stormfire. "Then face the thunder of gods, shadow!"
He hurled the hammer — but before it struck, it froze midair, suspended by invisible magic. Shadow Strange flicked his wrist, and the hammer shattered into sparks. The shockwave knocked Thor from the sky.
Wonder Woman lunged next, blade glowing with divine power. "By the will of Olympus!"Her sword met his shield of voidlight — and cracked. A pulse of darkness threw her back into the earth, carving a crater miles wide.
From above, Captain Marvel unleashed the full force of her binary form, her energy lighting up the dark like a second sun.For a moment, it seemed to work — the void recoiled — but then it bent her energy back upon her, consuming it, absorbing her light.
Shadow Strange extended his hand. The ground began to lift, cities rising into the sky like fragments of glass. The planet screamed.
Below, Iron Man, armor half-destroyed, worked furiously on a pulsating device — Stark tech combined with Kryptonian crystal and Wayne's dark matter core.Batman stood over him, voice calm despite the chaos.
"You said it could separate essence from form.""In theory," Tony gritted. "If it doesn't blow up the universe first.""Then we don't miss."
Superman descended beside them, cape torn, eyes glowing. "You'll have your shot. Just open the path."He shot back into the storm, punching through waves of dark magic as Thor, Wonder Woman, and Captain Marvel regrouped beside him.
They rose together — light against the void.Shadow Strange laughed.
"You still believe in balance. I am beyond it. I am the absence of it."
Doctor Fate appeared behind him, chanting ancient incantations that glowed with golden runes. "And yet, even nothing casts a reflection."Fate's spell cracked the air, binding the void for one heartbeat.
Batman seized the moment, shouting, "Now, Tony!"
The Pulse Core ignited — a beam of white-gold energy erupting upward, striking Shadow Strange square in the chest. He screamed, the sound shaking galaxies.
For a brief instant, two forms appeared within the storm — Doctor Strange, radiant and human, and his dark reflection, the shadow that had consumed him.
They faced each other inside the light.
"You could have joined me," the shadow whispered. "We could have been gods.""We were never meant to be gods," Strange replied softly. "Only guardians."
He reached out — and pulled his own shadow into his heart. The two merged in a burst of blinding energy.
The explosion swept across Omega Earth, dissolving the darkness, healing the sky, and restoring the stars. The void collapsed, folding back into itself until nothing remained but silence.
When the light faded, Strange lay upon the ground, mortal again. Superman knelt beside him."Stephen…"Strange smiled weakly. "Tell them… light needs shadow… to be whole."And then, his eyes closed — peaceful, finally balanced.
The heroes stood together, gazing at the new sky — one universe, one reality, whole again.
Batman looked to the rising sun.
"It's over."Thor nodded, voice solemn. "Until the next dawn."
Above them, the constellations shimmered — the Eye of Agamotto reborn, not as a symbol of magic, but of unity.
For the first time in history, the worlds of Marvel and DC stood as one.
The age of the Guardians had begun.