Part One - Bugged! (Grim)

Elektra had just started her workout when the six foot tall, armored caterpillar broke through the walls of the dojo. She stood with her sais ready, waiting to see what the bizarre creature was going to do.

It lifted up on its hindquarters and slowly scanned the room, pausing when it was pointed at her. She reached behind her and gathered up some stars, just in case.

Maybe I can speak with it, she thought. "Hey." At the sound of her voice, the creature whirled and a laser beam shot out of what could be called a mouth. Elektra dodged easily, but when she landed, the creature shot at her again.

This time she landed soundlessly, thanks to her ninja training. The creature continued to scan the room. Sliding a pair of stars into her right hand, she threw them at the creature's head. They bounced off the creature's armor and when they landed on the floor, the creature shot at the floor.

It must track through noise, which means that it's light-blind, she thought. It's not a problem for me to move without sound but what if someone should come up here to investigate the noise? Sliding her sais into her hands, she prepared to attack the creature. Suddenly, Captain America came through the door!

"Is anyone in..?" the Captain began, but a blast from the creature stopped him. He blocked easily with his shield and began to drop into a roll to better attack, when he saw Elektra standing there.

Just wonderful, he thought. Here I have an extra dimensional creature in the same room as a wanted felon.

Elektra raised a finger to her lips and motioned "be quiet." Cap looked at her for a second with a puzzled expression, comprehension dawning when she pointed to her ears, then to the creature and shook her head. She pointed at Cap, indicating that he should drop and roll to his left. She hefted her sai in a throwing grip and pointed it at the creature. Cap nodded grimly, not happy to take another being's life, and also not happy to be working with a person with such a shadowy past.

Cap dropped and rolled and the creature spun to attack him. Elektra leapt into the air, forward flipped and threw the sai with all her might. The point buried into the laser orifice. The creature threw back its head and soundlessly screamed. Both Cap and Elektra covered their ears from the ultrasonic assault. After thrashing and tossing for long seconds, the creature finally stopped moving. Cap and Elektra stood staring at each other, Cap knowing that she was wanted by the law, and Elektra knowing that Cap knew it.

"I have to thank you for the assist," Cap began. "But after this is over, I'll have to bring you to justice."

"You can try," was all she said.

"I can vouch for her, Cap," said Wolverine as he entered the room. "Besides, I know her training. She'd be almost impossible to catch, and even harder to keep in custody."

"If you say so, Logan. I will take your word on her." Turning to Elektra, he said, "We would appreciate any help that you could give us today. After this is all over, stop by Avengers mansion and I'll see if I can get you help for your legal problems. I'm afraid that a lot more people are going to die today."

Elektra said, "I've been dead before. It doesn't scare me anymore."

Spiderman was swinging down 38th street when he saw the Juggernaut get out of the back of a van parked in front of a bank. Oh, great, he thought. Those weird creatures keep popping up and now Juggy's gonna take advantage of the confusion to get paid.

Spiderman swung around and came down in an arc, landing right in the middle of Juggernaut's back as he was leaning forward. This sent Juggernaut tumbling forward into the bank doors. "Hey, Jar Jar, what do you think you're doing?" asked Spiderman.

"Arrrrrgh. I hate you. Why are you always getting in the way? I swear, this is the final time you'll bother me!" Juggernaut charged and Spiderman leapt straight and somersaulted over him as he charged. Juggernaut demolished a car that had the misfortune to be parked in his way.

Spiderman thought, "Thank God, everyone stayed home today. The last thing I need is an innocent person getting hurt because Juggy wants to rumble. "Hey, Juggy. That one was double-parked anyway. You know how this is gonna turn out. You'll run around and destroy things, I'll stomp your hash, then you'll go to jail. Why don't we skip the first two and just go to the third."

"No. I'm not going back to the hole. There's no profit for me in this. But, someone's hash is gonna be settled!" Juggernaut didn't hear the pop of a creature appearing behind him.

"Uhhh, Juggy. Maybe you'd better look behind you," Spiderman said.

"I'm not gonna fall for that trick," he said, but something in Spiderman's voice made him stop and turn. Standing about a foot behind him was a creature straight out of a nightmare. It resembled a spider that stood eight feet tall and walked on two legs. It had eyes all around its head and it had a strange, attractive musky odor. "Ahhhhh. I hate spiders!" Juggernaut screamed. He turned to fight but the creature grabbed him by the shoulder, spun him around and tried to bite him. The creature's fangs slid off the impenetrable skin of the Juggernaut. Finding Juggernaut could not be eaten, the creature batted him away and started for Spiderman. "You stupid spider!" screamed Juggernaut, "You threw me right into my get-away car. Before I make a run for it, I'm gonna put a hurting on every spider I can get my hands on."

"Go ahead and squash it, Juggy," said Spiderman. "Somehow, I can hear its primal thoughts. We're nothing more than food to it. Maybe we should work together against it."

"Okay. I'll knock it up against the wall and you web it in place. Then I'll ram it into the wall. That should take care of it."

Juggernaut leaned back into his demolished van, drawing a complaining creak from the wreckage, and with a roar took off straight at the back of the creature. He hit the creature full speed… and BOUNCED BACK!

"Whaaaat..?" he said, dazed. "That's never happened before." The creature spun to see what hit it and thought it would try for make Juggernaut a meal again. It leaned over Juggernaut and when he put his hands up to keep the creature off him, it bit deeply into one of them. "Ahhhhhhhhhh," he screamed and pulled free, staggering back towards his van holding the bleeding hand close to his chest. The creature followed, determined to have more.

Suddenly, a web line appeared around it legs and tripped it up.

Spiderman kept webbing the creature until it was covered in a web cocoon.

He ran over to Juggernaut and asked, "Are you alright? I thought you were indestructible!"

"I was. Something must be draining the power of Cytorrak. Thanks for the save. Man, this hurts."

"C'mon. I'll help you get to a hospital. We've had our differences in the past, but no one should get eaten alive."

"Ahhhhhhhh! It's loose! Your webbing isn't holding it. It's gonna eat me! Without my invulnerability, I'm getting out of here! That thing is probably your mother, anyway!" Juggernaut took off down the street, leaving Spiderman to face the creature alone.

"A lot of good he would have done me anyway! Not indestructible! Now, how am I gonna contain this guy?"

"Spiderman, Do you need some help?" Asked Giantman as he walked down the street, standing 30 feet tall.

"Buddy, you're just the guy I wanted to see. Do you think you could help me out with my cousin, here?"

Lifting his foot high in the air, Giantman brought it down on the creature, producing a resounding splat. "Yuck! Spiderman, you owe me a new pair of boots! How am I going to get these spider guts off of me? Yuck!"

"Thanks for the assist, Giantman." As he swung off on a webline, Spiderman thought, Jeez, how am I gonna find boots in his size?

Part Two - Fighting Fire with Fire (Mystic)

Odin, weakened by his attempt to hold the Asgardian dimension within the safe confines of a Celestial's armor, had fared poorly against Surtur. The bizarre creature laughed defiantly as he continued his march through Asgard and the surrounding Nine Worlds which were now a part of the known universe. Thor and the Silver Surfer had been recalled to Doctor Strange and Warlock's side and had recently left. Loki had surprisingly stayed by Odin's side, as in battles with Surtur in the past. He knew well what it meant for this creature to be free and he would try and help Asgard any way he could. Though he desired a great deal, the destruction of Asgard was not his goal. Besides, Surtur must be dealt with for Loki to proceed with his role in Thanos' plans.

Odin and Karnilla had joined forces. Surtur had acquired the Twilight Sword. Ecstatic with the destruction he was causing, Surtur laughed, swinging his sword and causing everything he touched to become aflame.

Unable to have an effect on the immediate situation, Loki finally disappeared into the Nine Worlds, hoping to find allies to join the fight.

Odin and Karnilla attempted to combine their magicks. Both concentrated heavily. In an instant, a new creature was formed from their powers, a creature possessing qualities of both Odin and Karnilla. They would take the fight to Surtur on a different plane.

Though the face on this new creature was Odin's, the face was less of an old man, and more of a younger man possessing some of the finer facial qualities of Karnilla. The body reflected both their attire and armor. The creature reacted with the will and minds of both Odin and Karnilla. Surtur laughed at the challenge as he picked up his sword and pointed it at the creature. The creature raised it's left hand with palm open and Odin's trident spear appeared promptly.

The two circled each other as they prepared to attack. Raising its' spear, the Odin & Karnilla creature released a blast so powerful, Surtur fell directly backward. Surtur lost his grip on the twilight sword and it fell down to the ground several hundred meters away.

Surtur promptly got up, however, and charged. Immediately, they locked into what conceptualized as a hand-to-hand struggle. With neither getting the upper hand, Surtur turned around and dropped. So quickly did he do this, that the composite creature did not have time to react. Surtur then grabbed its hand and slammed the creature forward. Meters away, blood gushed from the mouth of Odin. A slight bruise appeared on the cheek of Karnilla. Surtur grabbed the creature again from behind within a headlock. This time, he grabbed the head and spun it, as if conceptually breaking the creature's neck. Odin coughed and dropped more blood from his mouth, as Karnilla fell to her knees straining to stand. The composite creature staggered, shimmered dimly, and then vanished.

Surtur had won.

"Doctor Strange!" Thor was able to say as he took a momentary pause from fighting Drax in the chamber aboard Galactus worldship, Taa II. "We cannot continue this futile battle lest my beloved Asgard continue to suffer!"

Strange understood Thor's worries. Surtur had been released and would set the universe aflame if not stopped. He had not thought about what to do. His own magicks diminishing, he had had to rely on Chaos magic and others to achieve what he once could have done so easily.

"I've got it!" he said turning to Quasar. "Quasar, we cannot fight for an extended period of time," he began.

"I can encase most of these guys, although Drax can probably break free of a quantum prison."

"Let it be done. You will have to deal with Drax on your own for a time, but we will return as soon as possible," he said as he went over to Thor. "Listen to me, I have a plan..."

In a place that was once an entire dimension away, a voice called out. "Dormammu?"

Dormammu was ready. He knew the Sorcerer Supreme would come to him sooner or later, and he would have it no other way.

"At last, you arrive. And what is this? You bring a weapon?" Dormammu said incredulously. Mocking him, Dormammu began laughing, "How naive to think I can be defeated so easily!"

Doctor Strange flew up to him in space. He had a large sword and had grown himself a hundred meters accordingly to wield it.

"You appear different, Sorcerer Supreme, and not merely in stature." Dormammu said looking at Stephen Strange intently.

"The Union has caused problems with my magicks, but I will still defeat you as I always have," Stephen replied defiantly.

"Then come," Dormammu challenged.

The Doctor pointed the immense sword at Dormammu and released a mystic blast. Dormammu was taken by surprise at the potency of the blast. It sent him flying back for kilometers; he finally hit a nearby landmass floating in the dimensional sea. His impact created a crater-sized hole. He lifted himself slowly from the indentation he had caused. "What manner of weapon is this?" Dormammu cried out.

"It is the Sword of Union," Stephen answered. "With it, the Union's power can be controlled. As the dimensions become accustomed to the new universe, so too shall this sword's power grow! But it is not strong enough to kill you yet...as I had hoped." As Stephen Strange said this, he began flying away.

Dormammu shot a blast from his eyes, but missed him. "I am no fool," Dormammu said following Stephen and growing to match his size. "I will not give you a future chance to use that weapon against me!" He continued to fire from afar, attempting to hit the Sorcerer Supreme, while beginning to catch up to him.

Just then, the Doctor spun the sword in front of him and created a vortex. He traveled into it as he just barely missed a blast from Dormammu.

"Wherever you go, I can now follow," he said as he too entered the vortex. He looked around as he emerged from the other side of it.

Observing a burning world, the tamer of the Dark Dimension noted that the Doctor was no where in sight.

Approaching closer, Dormammu yelled, "You hide from me, Strange? I expected more from..." he was cut off as he saw Strange running across an island world just below him.

Dormammu raised his hand and fired in front of him, cutting off his route. The resulting explosion sent Strange flying off to the side.

Dormammu landed next to Strange and picked up his sword. "Now, the power of the Union belongs to me!" Dormammu said raising his sword to kill Stephen.

"Return my sword," boomed the words from behind Dormammu.

Dormammu turned around, "Surtur?" he said with surprise.

"Return my sword!" The fiery giant yelled again as he stepped closer.

Dormammu pulled the sword down and turned to face him. "It is now mine," he replied, "...and if you get in my way, you will be destroyed by the power of the Union."

The two circled each other preparing to fight.

Stephen Strange arose and looked to the side where a battered Odin, Karnilla and several others stood, including another Doctor Strange. The Doctor Strange next to Odin raised his palm and the other Stephen's form changed to that of Thor. The Thunder god joined them as they huddled together and looked on.

"Your plan worked, Sorcerer." Thor smiled at Stephen.

"Yes, though I needed some help from Odin to have Mjolnir appear as the Twilight Sword," Stephen answered. As if on cue, the mystic hammer also shed its illusion and returned to the hand of its wielder.

"Now we MUST return to the others. These two should be locked in combat for quite some time," Strange said, turning to Odin.

Odin nodded and placed his hand over Karnilla's shoulder, both still hurting from their fight with Surtur. Odin spoke. "Thou hast the thanks of the Golden Realm, Sorcerer. Go to fight the glorious battles for which thou art destined. Surtur and Dormammu are no longer thy concerns. We shall find a means to prevail this day, thanks to thy aid."

With a wave and a nod back to the All-Father and his allies, Doctor Strange and Thor teleported away.

"It was a victory of sorts," Strange said en route back to Taa II, "but one whose results will matter little if the larger victory was lost." As though he were surprised by his own words, Stephen wondered how much of Adam Warlock's perspective he now understood.

Part Three - Passing the Torch (Morfex)

Surtur and Dormammu held each other in a tight wrestling embrace, arms locked. It seemed as if the stalemate would go on forever.

Dormammu carefully considered Thanos' last words to him. "Surtur will be the perfect vessel from which you can absorb the Power Dimensional at the precise instant of Cosmic Union. But first you must surrender your own power…" Dormammu concentrated as he deposited his entire dimensional sovereignty into the being before him. The influx of energies surprised Surtur, and he nearly staggered as Dormammu's regal flames appeared in unison with Surtur's own. As Thanos had theorized, the influx was sufficient to begin a cascade loop of energy absorption from every transdimensional conduit not yet assimilated into the Union's waves, or not yet protected by a functional containment unit such as Celestial armor. A seemingly human Dormammu used Surtur's confusion to escape back to Thanos' lair using the Mad Titan's technology before it was too late.

Odin was quick to respond to the turn of events he observed from his Hall. As Surtur began to compose himself once more from the confusion of dimensional omnipotence, Odin was able to reseal the gates of Asgard within the Celestial armor it had inhabited until the Silver Surfer's untimely disruption at the behest of the conniving Grandmaster. Asgard was safe again, although cut off from the cataclysmic event that was surely to follow. Odin's thoughts went out to his noble son, Thor.

With Asgard seemingly erased from the primary universe, Surtur floated freely for a time, continuing to adapt to Dormammu's gift. Soon, Surtur grew beyond all mortal measure of size as the last ambient transdimensional energies made their way into his being. He was engorged with Power. He was nearly reeling with the incomprehensibility of the experience. As the last iota of unprotected dimensional energy became a part of him, he stood erect suddenly, shifted his head upward and to the right, hearing the call of the chosen few.

"I…am…whole…I…am…Dimensional! To…the… Nexus…"

But no one was present to hear his statement, save Oera the Watcher. She observed impassively as Surtur faded away.