Finale pt.1

Thunder started crackling, as a huge silence fell on the scene.

James, Artemis, Victor, Sameer, and Chief who had returned to safety as their fight had ended couldn't help but feel strange. Even Diana and Ares stopped their fights as the thunder kept going on and on.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked gritting her teeth, however, even Ares who had his eyes wide open as he stared into the sky that was turning into a void remained speechless. Heavy cloud-like darkness encasing a magnificent light that looked as if it wanted to break out any second, just kept on growing bigger and bigger. Like fire, the flare kept bursting over and over again.

The temperature started rising as the pressure increased making them all feel heavier. Weaker ones like Chief and Sameer couldn't stand the pressure as they fell into the ground.

"The fuck is going on!"

"Jesus! Allah!" Sameer started chanting and praying to every god he knew as the giant thing in the sky kept getting bigger and bigger. And the reaction followed to almost all nearby places, who could see the giant in the sky.

*Boom*

The light without a warning headed straight into the ground as quick as lightning, striking the same place where the crash took place.

"Not sure he's going to recover from that!" Victor mumbled blocking his eyes as the bright light swallowed the entire place.

Diana who still believed Ares had something to do with it all headed for him but the distracted Ares still managed to hold back a few of her punches as his laugh echoed through the place. "It seems the future I envisioned will become reality regardless of what happens. And it looks like you were hunting the wrong monster all along, Diana."

"It's the end, Ares, stop with the tricks." Diana threw Ares to the ground with a single punch as his laugh still didn't stop.

"You can feel it too can't you." Ares said, "By now you must have understood, what's going on."

Diana wanted to refute but she couldn't, by now she had gotten used to the feel of Ares' divinity which was quite similar to her own but the light was different. Just the feel of the power gave her shivers and looking at where the light was headed only one name echoed through her head. And as if to just prove her doubt, Howard whose body was regenerating appeared mid-air with the whole light seemingly being absorbed into him with every inch he recovered from.

By now it was clear to everyone around that something was wrong with Howard. It wasn't clear if it was his own doing or Ares but regardless everyone realized that it wasn't something good.

"You do, don't you?" Ares said between his chuckles, "So what's the choice, Diana. You and I both feel it, this is way worse than I could ever be. So what say, Diana, this is the right time to attack, you and me together we can stop this thing. Otherwise, it'll be too late."

"You know what it is?" Ares who was struggling with Diana found a chance to get back so of course, he wouldn't wait to take it.

"It's an entity called the Phoenix, I have looked into it through rumors but there's not a lot to go with. But to think I'll witness it getting a host, you should know that every time it has appeared only destruction has followed and nothing more." Ares said getting up as he glanced at Howard's lifeless body floating mid-air as he had almost absorbed all of the flares. "Diana, join hands with me and we can stop it, or else even if you want to save these people, I am afraid you'd be too late."

Diana's time seemed to have stopped as she glanced at Howard, the terrifying energy around him seemed to be boundless but she couldn't bring herself to attack him. She wanted to know what was going on, was it intentional or was it all just another hidden trick up his sleeve. She couldn't attack before she knows what was going on. But as if to clear her doubt, a comforting warmth surrounded her, she could feel Howard. "Why do you have to always make things so complicated?"

She shook her head as lighting gathered around her gauntlet, "I'll decide for myself what the future holds but for now, Goodbye brother."

"Then I wish you wouldn't come to regret it." Ares stood up as he raised his arms as the lighting surrounded his entire body as well. He knew he had lost but he wasn't going to give up without a fight.

The two divine entities, both children of Zeus crashed into one another, it was this moment that decided it all. Their fist collided with one another both trying to overwhelm oneself. As all it now was a battle of power, to see who will end up with the shorthand first.

"She was made to destroy you, Ares so isn't it about time you give up." A familiar voice sounded beside them as Howard stood in front of the two with a mocking smile. His eyes shining golden with an overwhelming power that could be seen from within and his demeanor a little different, it felt both like Howard and someone else at the same time.

Diana felt a surge of energy rush through her as lighting began engulfing her body as well, and with this Ares knew he had completely lost as his eyes opened wide and he was sent flying.

The fight calmed down as Diana looked towards Howard who was still glaring at the dying Ares and just a blink of an eye later he was beside Ares as she rushed behind him too. "I thought that would have done it but it seems you have cooked up something special."

"HAHAHA!! To think, you were the one with Phoenix...you truly are a monster," Ares laughed, "This world is surely doomed. You'll regret your choice in your final moments, Diana!"

"Are you really not going to stop with the villain speech, even till the end?" Howard said emotionlessly as he placed his hands on the dying God's head as it began burning through him, "You know when I said the thing about keeping your head on my shelf, I meant it."

Shouts of agony were all that left as the God of war disintegrated into nothingness, with only his bones behind. With him dying even Howard could easily deal with the God now in his final moments.

"We need to get rid of it, Ares is a true-god." Diana hurriedly said, "Even his bones might lead to his awakening again, we need to finish this."

"This is what Howard wanted." Howard said turning around with a smile on his face as he walked towards Diana, "And he hopes you could trust him."

"You aren't Howard..." Diana was vigilant as Howard raised his hands slowly but without meaning harm, he slowly kept his hands on her cheeks.

"I am truly one with him, but we're different." Howard said, "But don't worry, he'll be back to being him again, he's just tired."

"You're one but you're different..." Diana repeated still confused as Howard chuckled, "What's going on?"

"Guess, it's left for all of us to figure out." Howard said, "So please take care of him-"

As he finished his last sentence his voice got lower and lower, as the light in his eyes slowly faded away and an exhausted Howard crashed onto Diana as she grabbed him.

The sky slowly cleared up as Diana looked at the remains of Ares and back at the passed out Howard with a gentle sigh.

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A/N:- So one more chapter and the volume ends. Also do read what's written below...

Well so about the Phoenix energy... For me looking at the plot, it was clear that my options were limited... I mean I am going with the flow of the Marvel Timeline so sooner or later it was clear that I had to choose. Just a few years after the second world war, sentry serum would be invented and it would be stupid not to take it.

But I figured with all the complex struggling plot going on, just ending it with, "Oh, look an energy drink...better drink it and become OP" plot would be just extremely stupid and a major waste of time. And just skipping the fact that Sentry-serum doesn't exist wouldn't make sense either as I am mixing in comics too. So I decided to go with the X-men style of Phoenix which could be much more than what was shown in the movies.

Just because you have the phoenix within you doesn't mean you become OP, it's a slow process of controlling and struggling with power, and keeping yourself from going insane with the Dark Phoneix just looking for a trigger. So the whole struggle part of the story it's still there with the whole weak to strong part going on. And it also doesn't mean that from the very next chapter, MC is going to be strong as fuck to destroy worlds or something like that either.

For people complaining about the long build-up... I have said this like a thousand times before but this whole volume is supposed to be introductory to the world and characters so what did you expect.

I can't stop the people who don't want to read but anyone else who still is onboard I hope you enjoy the future chapters...