Earth 1991

Mobius

Sonic ran.

He ran as fast as his feet could take him.

Not even a few days after foiling his latest scheme, Eggman had made his move. The hedgehog didn't know what his plan was this time, he frankly didn't care, all that mattered to him was getting his friends back. They had each been captured by the mad doctor, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, even sweet, little Cream.

Every last one.

Of course the egotistical doctor had to rub it in his face and left him a message.

"Hello, hedgehog. As you've probably surmised, I have captured your friends. If you ever want to see them again then you'll meet me at this location, failure to do so will result in the destruction of your furry, little friends. You have one hour to get over here. I'm waiting, rodent."

It hadn't even been a minute after the message had ended that Sonic took off. The message showed a location once the recording had ended, they were located in the Luminous Forest. Knowing Eggman he had probably taken them to some sort of lab.

Didn't matter, Sonic would tear through every Badnik if he had to.

Egg Base -1

The alarms began to blare, the room flashing red as Badnik after Badnik marched out to intercept the threat. Dr. Eggman grinned, it was about time that he showed up. Standing atop a circular platform in the center of the room, Robotnik surveyed the chamber, the five rodents were secured in large cylinders, each prisoner was trapped in circular, energy binders to prevent their escape.

The trap was set.

The hedgehog was here.

All according to plan.

The doors leading into the room exploded open, a blue blur blitzed into the room, uncurling out of his ball-like form and landing in a crouched position. Sonic stood upright and smirked cockily at his arch enemy, "Really, Egghead? Not even a few days after we kicked your butt and you're already back at it? You're committed, that's for sure."

"Oh, I'm committed, all right." Eggman responded, folding his hands behind his back. "Committed to destroying you!"

Sonic scoffed, rolling his eyes and waving his hand, wanting Eggman to get on with it. "Let's just get on with it, c'mon, we both know you've been waiting to give your big, evil speech. So, let's get it over with so I can kick your butt for the millionth time."

Eggman scowled, "You're confidence will be your undoing, rodent, but I'll humor you. By now, you've probably noticed your friends trapped within these cylinders, unable to move or escape. But what you don't know is that these cylinders are a familiar design to at least three of us in this very chamber." He gestured to him, Sonic, and Knuckles, both heroes eyeing him with suspicion.

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles dared to ask.

Eggman grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Sonic, Knuckles, allow me to introduce to you the new and improved Roboticizers!" Both the hedgehog and the echidna let out horrified gasps as the mad genius let loose his iconic chortle, relishing in this moment.

"You rebuilt it again." Sonic whispered in horror, memories playing back from his very first encounter with Robotnik. He never wanted any of his friends to go through what he and his siblings went through, especially Tails, he wanted to keep him as far from this as possible. But if Eggman had gone through the trouble of rebuilding the Roboticizer, then that meant that he was desperate.

And that made him all the more dangerous.

"Allow me to explain how this is going to go, blue boy." Eggman bared his teeth, enjoying every moment of the hedgehog's despair. "In a few moments, my Roboticizers will activate, turning your friends into lifeless androids that will forever do my bidding. Your job is to stop that from happening, you have two minutes to do so, lest you wish to never see your friends ever again. But I won't make it easy for you!" He let out a whistle and the center of the room opened up, a blue blur flying up and landing in front of the hero.

His form was eerily similar to the blue hedgehog, it was downright imitation. His claws were sharper than knives, his strength was near unmatched. His rocket booster charged, his core humming with power, his soulless eyes set upon Sonic with pure, utter malice.

"Metal." Sonic gritted out, clenching his fists, his metallic doppelgänger doing the same. The two adversaries stared at one another, awaiting the other to make the first move. The organic hedgehog looked away from his counterpart and glared at Eggman, "Alright, Eggman, I'll play your sick game, and I'll win, just like I always do!"

Eggman simply smirked down at the hedgehog, "We shall see."

Metal made the first move, boosting forward at high speeds while Eggman pressed a button on his console, activating the Roboticizers.

Okay, the pressure was on, and time was running out.

Time to do it, to it!

Sonic met Metal Sonic head on, at least, that's what he wanted Metal to think, as he slid across the floor right underneath the robot, confusing the imposter as his arch nemesis bolted behind him, making a beeline for the Roboticizers. Metal Sonic quickly turned around and chased after the hero.

The two ran along together, the real Sonic ducking under Metal's slash before boosting forward, with Metal in hot pursuit.

The Roboticizers began to glow, only a minute and a half left.

Sonic tapped into his speed to get there faster, but he was slammed in the side by Metal Sonic, sending the hedgehog rolling across the metal floor. He didn't have time to get back up as Metal was already on him, grabbing him by the throat and holding him in the air, squeezing his windpipe in his deadly grip.

"You're not very good at this, are you?" Eggman taunted, leaning on the rail on his platform.

That didn't roll with the Blue Blur, so he kneed Metal's chin and backflipped out of his grasp, sending the metallic duplicate across the room with a Spin Dash. Wasting no time, Sonic boosted forward to save his friends. Less than a minute remaining, he had to hurry otherwise his friends were done for.

The sound of an engine behind him caught his attention.

Metal Sonic.

He just wouldn't quit.

But neither would he!

He curled into a ball as Metal Sonic tried grabbing him from behind, bouncing upwards when Metal was above him. He uncurled and kicked the robot away from him, boosting through the air towards the Roboticizers. Twenty seconds left. He was going to make it. He was going to save his friends from a fate worse than death. And then he would send Eggman packing for even trying to think that he would let him turn his friends into robots.

That bravado disappeared when Eggman shouted, "GOTCHA!!!"

Sonic was suddenly slammed onto the floor, screaming in agony as he felt his bones crushing against an immeasurable weight. "W-What is this?!" He continued to scream as the pressure intensified, he could hear the hundreds of bones in his body cracking, he couldn't move.

"OH HO HO HO HO HO HO!!!" Eggman laughed as he shut down the Roboticizers and signaled for Metal Sonic to stand down. "You've fallen directly into my trap, well done, Sonic!" He applauded his adversary mockingly, grinning at his pain filled screams.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?!" Amy screamed, panic evident in her voice.

"Allow me to explain, you see, this entire chamber is not what it seems." Eggman began as the platform began to lower to the ground. "This chamber is, in fact, a Gravitational Field that focuses on beings or items that move at impossible speeds. Or, in this case, Sonic! Right now his body is experiencing lethal levels of stress and pressure, limiting his ability to move while crushing his body at the same time. First his nerves will shut down, damaged beyond repair that any transmission to the brain would be impossible. Then his bones will be the next to go, then his organs, an instantaneous death for the Fastest Thing Alive."

Blood began to stream out of Sonic's nose, his vocal chords strained from all the screaming.

"STOP THIS, PLEASE!!!" Tails begged, tears threatening to fall. "YOU'RE KILLING HIM!!!"

"Yes, that's the point."

"YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT, ROBOTNIK!!!" Knuckles roared, struggling to try and break free from his bonds.

"DON'T YOU GET IT, YOU'VE WON!!!" Amy cried out, tears falling from her eyes. "PLEASE STOP THIS!!!"

Eggman couldn't help but chuckle, "Yes, I have won, haven't I?" The platform landed on the floor, just in time for Metal Sonic to approach his master and stand by his side. Robotnik took out a device from his pocket and pressed it, activating a beacon for his accomplice to follow. He looked to the hedgehog, still being crushed against the floor, and smiled. "Farewell, Sonic. Though it pains me that you won't live long enough to witness my brave new world, know that I will make it so that Mobotropolis seemed like child's play." He gave his enemy one, final bout of laughter before he and Metal Sonic were whisked away by a red streak.

Sonic's friends could only watch helplessly as Eggman got away, and as their friend was being crushed to death.

Earth 1983

The Mushroom Kingdom

"PEACH!" Shouted the worried Mario as he kicked down the doors leading into the throne room of Peach's Castle, having already dealt with the Koopas and Goombas guarding the entrance. From the look of things, Bowser was back up to his usual tricks, kidnapping Peach, declaring that the Mushroom Kingdom was finally his to rule. So, Mario, being the hero, was going to put a stop to the Koopa's plans.

But something was off here, Bowser hadn't taken Peach back to his castle like he normally did. No. He remained in the castle, waiting for Mario. That unnerved the plumber somewhat, Bowser seemed confident enough in his plan that he wasn't hiding away like normal.

No, he had something up his sleeve.

But that didn't matter, he had his girlfriend hostage, and that wasn't going to fly with Mario.

Upon entering the throne room, Mario noticed a couple of things. Number one was the Koopa sitting atop Peach's throne. Two was the various Item Blocks hovering in the room. Number three was Princess Peach held prisoner in a metallic cage, dangling from the roof.

The Koopa King smiled, his head resting on his fist as he made himself comfortable on the throne. "Lookie here, the man of the hour has finally arrived." Leaning forward on the throne, Bowser continued, "You sure took your sweet time getting here, moustache. I was actually starting to think that you weren't gonna show, and after all the effort I put into this latest scheme. Heh heh heh. I'm glad that my efforts weren't gone to waste."

"That's where you're wrong, cause I'm gonna send you packin' right back to the Dark Lands where you belong." Mario disagreed. "Now save us all the trouble and let my girlfriend go before you embarrass yourself yet again."

Bowser wasn't threatened, he wasn't even outraged at Mario's blatant disrespect. No, not this time. To show his confidence, Bowser arose from the throne and marched down the steps and approached his nemesis. "For so many years, I've been waiting for the day I can wipe that smug look off of your face." He folded his arms over his chest, a look of confidence on his features. "And today is that day."

Mario took a look at the Item Blocks hovering in the room, "You realize that you've overplayed your hand, right? You've literally given me the tools to stop you."

"That's intentional." Bowser revealed, confusing Mario. "Today is the day that our rivalry ends. Today is the day that I earn Peach's eternal love. Today is the day that you cease to exist, your stain in my life will forever be gone, and nothing will stop me from claiming what is rightfully mine!"

"So this is a battle to the death then?"

"You could say that." Bowser gestured to one of the Item Blocks with his hands, not threateningly, not smugly, just casually. "Go ahead, hit that block and give me your all. Cause if you don't, then I'm gonna kill you where you stand. No hesitation, no questions asked. Go ahead, Mario. Make my day."

Mario simply rolled his eyes at Bowser's dramatics, not taking him very seriously. He looked up to his girlfriend, who also didn't look very scared at her current situation. "Don't-a worry, Peach. I'll have this sorted out before dinner time." He adjusted his cap and rushed forward towards one of the Item Blocks. He smirked at his enemy before jumping in the air, his fist colliding with the Item Block.

"Perfect." Bowser thought to himself as the block glowed brightly.

But instead of releasing a Power Up like normal, the block exploded and released a green gas that surrounded Mario, causing him to fumble through the air and crash against the floor, gasping for air.

"MARIO!!!" Peach cried out as she watched her hero grasp at his throat, no air entering his lungs. She didn't understand, what was happening here? Why was this happening? Why wasn't he getting back up? Why was her hero struggling to breathe?

She turned her gaze down to Bowser as he chuckled darkly, "Aw, where's that smug confidence now, Mario?"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?!" Peach demanded to know, her hands grasping the bars that concealed her.

Bowser looked up at the love of his life and smiled sweetly, "Peaches, your little hero has just been dosed with a deadly neurotoxin that his currently filling his lungs, preventing any air from entering, therefore, suffocating him." He turned away and looked down at the gasping plumber, "He'll be dead within minutes."

He perked up when he heard a sudden 'beep' from behind him. He turned around and walked up to the throne, leaning down at picking up a small device. He smiled and tapped it, sending out the signal so that he could be evacuated from the castle.

He looked up to Peach and gave her a loving and longing look, "Just you wait, Peaches, when I get ahold of that spear, we can finally have the life we've been longing for. We'll finally get our happily ever after." He looked down at Mario, who was still gasping for air, his face losing its color, and glared hatefully. "Without any third wheels getting in the way of our love."

"GET IT THROUGH YOUR TWISTED HEAD!" Peach roared at the Koopa, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I WILL NEVER, EVER LOVE YOU!!!"

Bowser never lost his smile. "You will."

That was all he said before he disappeared, having been taken by a streak of red lightning.

Earth 616

New York City

A Repulsor Blast flew right past Loki's head, the God of Mischief turning his body to the left to avoid the projectile. He responded in kind by shooting a blast of magic from his scepter in an attempt to take down the Avenger flying around the main lounge of Stark Tower.

You see, Tony Stark was enjoying a quiet night on his balcony with a glass of scotch in his hand, when a certain Asgardian decided to spoil his night with a surprise attack. Calling in his armor, Tony took flight and took on the trickster God, not wanting to go out without a fight.

"Y'know, I hate it when people show up unannounced." Tony quipped, launching a missile from his back at Loki. "I mean, it doesn't give me enough time to prepare for guests. Hell, I'm sorry, I didn't even offer you a drink."

Loki actually chuckled as he stomped the butt of his scepter on the ground, creating a shield to protect him from the missile. "You didn't actually think that I was done after New York, did you?" The shield disappeared and he fired another blast at the Armored Avenger, the hero managing to dodge the attack. "No, that pales in comparison to what I have planned now."

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that." He wasted no time and dove downward, intent on tackling Loki to the ground. Instead, he simply phased through him and slammed into the bar behind him. As several bottles of alcohol fell on top of him, Iron Man slowly got to his feet to see Loki disappear, revealing that he was fighting an illusion the entire time.

No, the real Loki was sitting on the black couch with a glass of scotch in his hand. He took a sip and smirked at the Avenger, "Don't worry, I helped myself to one of your many beverages, I hope you don't mind." He set the glass down and leaned back on the couch, getting comfortable.

Tony aimed his palm at the comfortable villain, his Repulsor Ray humming slightly, as he he walked around the bar and approached the Asgardian slowly. "So what? You escaped S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, came here, tell me again, what exactly was your plan? Haven't had enough of getting your ass kicked?"

"Oh, I believe it will be you who will have his posterior handed to him this evening." Loki laughed, standing up from his seated position. "Since it is I that hold all of the cards." He said, placing his hands behind his back.

"Like I've told you before, there's no version of this where you come out on top. Just wait until The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. get here, oh boy, you'll be screwed then."

"Oh, I do believe that they are not coming."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Because your entire tower has been hacked." Loki revealed.

That actually made Tony laugh, the idea of Loki knowing how to hack anything, let alone his tower, was laughable. "You're telling me that you hacked my tower. That's hilarious."

Loki shook his head in denial, "Oh, not me. You see, my accomplice, the time traveler, hacked and breached the firewalls in your systems a few minutes ago. Your communication devices are down, meaning there is no way for you to contact my idiot brother or his allies."

Tony frowned as he tried calling for backup within his suit, but when he couldn't get through, he knew that Loki was telling the truth. No Comms, no backup. He thought back to this supposed accomplice, more so what Loki called him. "Your accomplice, you called him a time traveler. What time traveler? Who is he?"

"I'm afraid I am not a liberty to say." Loki responded with a devious smirk. "But you shouldn't focus on that, no, you should be more focused on your wellbeing."

"What are you talking about?"

"My accomplice didn't just hack into your tower, mortal. No, he also managed to hack into your armor when you weren't looking. Even I didn't know he did it until now, but you'll find that your weapons are no longer working."

Okay, it was time to shut him up.

Tony fired his Repulsor Blast, but nothing happened. It just fizzled away, tiny sparks flying out of his hand. He tried again, but once again, nothing happened. "How the hell...?"

"And that's not all." Loki smiled. "Not only are your weapons down, but you'll find that your suit is now a living deathtrap." He walked closer to the Avenger, continuing, "In mere moments, your armor will enter its self destruct sequence, and once the countdown is complete, it will explode." He patted Tony on the shoulder condescendingly, "And don't even try escaping the armor, for all intents and purposes, you are locked in, with no way out."

Tony's breathing hitched as HUD began to blink red, with a countdown appearing in the bottom left.

2:00

"Make peace with your life, Tony Stark, for it is about to come to an explosive end." Loki smirked before he was taken away by a streak of red lightning.

Igniting his rocket boots, Iron Man blasted out of the tower and took off into the night sky, "J.A.R.V.I.S.?!"

"Sir, Loki was not lying. In two minutes the Mark 43 will explode."

"Can you halt the countdown?"

"I can stall it, but not for long. I'm afraid that I am also unable to unlock the armor. Whoever managed to hack it is using a program I have never seen before. I'm sorry, sir, but unless you can think of something, you will die."

Earth 2010

The Crystal Empire

How did things go so wrong?

It was supposed to be a beautiful day, she would get to meet her niece for the first time, she would help Starlight reconnect with her first friend and complete her first lesson in friendship, and they would get to witness the first royal Crystalling in over a millennia.

But it all went wrong with that explosion.

That one, singular explosion.

Now they were all injured, the Crystal Guards were dead, and the baby was currently being held hostage by the one behind all this destruction.

The one who destroyed Twilight's library, her tree, her home.

The one who should've been locked away in Tartarus.

Lord Tirek.

He had returned.

Judging from the size of him, he had been feeding on the magic of the crystal ponies this entire time, using the preparations for The Crystalling to his advantage. Now he had caught them by surprise and was now holding the baby alicorn in the same type of bubble he held her friends in during their last encounter.

Tirek smiled at the horrified and shocked expressions of his enemies, relishing in their moment of horror. "Now why all the sour faces? Don't tell me I missed The Crystalling."

"Tirek." Twilight whispered, her voice nothing more than a deadly whisper, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"But that's impossible!" Luna exclaimed.

"How did he escape Tartarus?!" Celestia shouted, asking the question of everypony's minds.

"MY BABY!!!" Screamed Cadance, stretching out her hoof to reach out for her child. She snarled at the smug expression on Tirek's face, unfurling her wings, ready to strike, but stopped when the centaur wagged his finger.

"Uh uh uh, you'd better not move." Tirek warned, his smirk disappearing, now replaced with a merciless scowl. "Unless you wish for me to drain the infant of her magic right here, right now. So, be a good pony and furl those wings."

And the Princess of Love did exactly that, knowing that Tirek would hold up on his threat. So she died down her magic and rested her wings and her sides, not wanting any harm to come to her baby. She looked at the centaur hatefully as he laughed at her.

"Good girl."

"What do you want, Tirek?" Celestia asked through gritted teeth.

Tirek placed a hand on his chest, feigning being hurt by her harshness. "Now is this any way to treat an old friend? Especially one who's just escaped Tartarus? Now I came back to pick up right where we left off, and then I find out you ponies are holding a ceremony without me. For shame. And here I thought you ponies were all about 'friendship'."

"Like we'd ever invite a meanie like you to a party!" Pinkie shouted, pointing an accusatory hoof at the villain.

"And despite that, here I am, back again to finish what I started so long ago."

Twilight, having had enough, stomped her hoof on the crystal ground and said, "Enough! Why are you here, Tirek?"

The centaur turned his head and stared at his nemesis, "Simple. I am here for retribution, for what you stole from me. I finally had all the alicorn magic in Equestria, I was the most powerful being in the land, until you and your friends ruined everything. You somehow used foreign magic that was unknown to me and sent me back into that dark hole in Tartarus. Now I am here to reclaim what is mine, starting with my vengeance against you. So, here's what's going to happen. You and me will fight, uninterrupted, and to the death!"

The ponies present gasped at that, while Twilight simply stared at the centaur, a hateful look on her face. If there was a list for who Twilight would consider to be her greatest enemy, Tirek would be on top of that list, followed by Discord. He already took her home from her, she wouldn't let him take her friends and family as well.

"And our fight is to be between you and me." Tirek continued, ignoring the ponies. "And if any of these fools dare to interfere, I will cut off the flow of oxygen into the bubble and the infant will die. You know me, I always follow through with my threats." He smiled evilly and smugly, "So, Princess Twilight, what's it going to be? Your life? Or hers?" Tirek looked to the baby in the bubble, who was crying and trying to reach our for her mother.

The Princess of Friendship looked back to her friends and family, all of their eyes pleading with her not to do this, that they could find another way to resolve this. But they didn't. They were out of time. Tirek was holding all the cards now, and he's played his hand.

She had no other choice but to play hers.

"Alright, Tirek." Twilight started, locking eyes with the red centaur, the smirk never leaving his face. "I'll fight you. Just me, not them," She tilted her head to the others, who all let out exclamations for her not to fight him. "And I'll win, because you've made a great mistake. You messed with my family, and I'll see to it that you're sent right back to Tartarus."

Teeth bare, Tirek chuckled and said, "Then we have a deal, Princess Twilight." He snapped his fingers and suddenly, all of her friends were trapped in bubbles similar to the baby's. When Twilight looked at him in a shocked manner, the centaur simply said, "To ensure that they do not interfere with our duel."

In response, the alicorn flared out her wings and leaned down low, snarling hatefully at the villain. Tirek simply cracked his neck and his fists, orange electricity spiraling up his curved horns, his eyes glowing a menacing orange.

The two adversaries stared at each other, magic also spiraling up Twilight's horn as she waited patiently for Tirek to make the first move.

Go time.

Tirek roared as he launched a magic blast from in between his horns, the centaur laughing as the blast soared through the air. He frowned when the alicorn gave her wings a mighty flap and took to the air, the explosion from beneath her flapping her mane and tail.

Twilight pushed her hoofs forward and flew toward the centaur, firing a magic blast of her own. But to her misfortune, Tirek raised his arms in a crossed formation and blocked the magic, the sheer force of the assault sending the villain sliding back. She saw Tirek plant his hooves in the ground, digging trenches as he was being pushed back.

Eventually the magic ceased and Twilight flew right past his head to try and get behind him. But Tirek anticipated this and proceeded to grab her tail mid flight. Her eyes shot open in fear as she was pulled back and raised into the air before being slammed right onto the crystal floor.

The air left her lungs as she tried to scream in pain, but not even a whisper escaped her, only a pathetic squeak, before she was thrown away, tearing through the torn curtain behind her and crashing into a nearby stall. The nearby crystal ponies scattering away in fear for their lives.

The Princess of Friendship heard her friends cry out her name as she rubbed her head with her hoof to try and get rid of her dizziness. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out the image of Tirek staunching his way toward her, pounding his fists together.

She shook her head and got back to her hooves, her horn lighting up as chunks of the ground raised up into the air. Twilight launched the chucks at the villain, hoping to distract him momentarily.

Tirek batted two of the projectiles away with his hands before punching the last one, destroying it with a smug look on his face. But that look of smugness disappeared when Twilight came into view, flying directly towards him, swinging her hoof directly into his face.

The punch was strong, strong enough that Tirek stumbled back a bit, rubbing his jaw with his hand, chuckling softly. "So, the Princess of Friendship has a few tricks up her sleeve? Interesting." He flexed his fingers before turning around to see a certain alicorn flying in his direction.

She fired a blast of magic.

So did he.

The ensuing explosion from the two blasts shook the entire Crystal Empire, sending both combatants in opposing directions. The houses on the street leading to the castle were all decimated, the crystal ponies themselves being sent flying through the air.

Slowly getting to her hooves, Twilight could only see smoke clouding her vision. But it was soon consumed by red as Tirek galloped forward and rammed right into her with his horns, sending her flying through the air. But before she could hit the ground, she was grabbed by the tail and thrown in the opposite direction.

She spun through the air but managed to regain the use of her wings, steadying herself before she could crash again. She looked to the left and saw her friends and family looking at her with worry evident in their facial features.

A nearby roar got her back into the action, as she turned and saw Tirek launch himself into the air, his right fist held back and crackling with orange electricity, and come down like a meteor right on top of the princess. Luckily she used her magic to conjure up a shield spell before Tirek landed.

His punch shattered the shield immediately, but she was somewhat unharmed, and she was sent flying through multiple houses while the streets were reduced to nothing more than a charred wasteland.

As Twilight rolled to a stop on the ground, Tirek took this opportunity to laugh to himself, maybe he didn't need the contingency after all. He began walking through the holes made by Twilight, the bubbles containing her friends and family trailing along behind him.

He enclosed his fist and levitated the fallen alicorn to him, "Looks like this is the end for you, Princess Twilight." He grinned right in her face, "A shame, but now your magic is up for grabs, and you know me, I just can't resist the temptation."

But before he could drain her of her magic, he saw a smirk tug on the alicorn's lips. Confused, Tirek failed to noticed the build up of magic in her horn. Before anyone knew it, a raw, magic based explosion shook the empire, sending Tirek flying back, roaring in outrage before digging his hooves and right hand into the ground to stop his momentum.

Now that he did not anticipate.

Twilight had released an explosion of magic that she had been building up within her. She was pulling out all the stops, so it was his turn to do the same. He remained in his crouched position as Twilight teleported in front of the centaur, her friends cheering her on from inside their bubbles.

"Had enough?" Twilight asked, ready to go another round.

But Tirek simply smiled and reached behind him, "Not quite yet."

Suddenly, before Twilight could react, Tirek had hurled a metallic ball at her. A ball that exploded into an orb of electricity that quickly consumed her, and when it did, she was in agonizing pain. She let out a horrid scream as her body convulsed, falling to the ground as she continued to seize.

"TWILIGHT!!!" Her loved ones cried out in despair, watching as she continued to scream and convulse on the ground.

Deep chuckling caught their attention and they turned to see Tirek with his arms folded, admiring his handiwork. "Do you feel that? Your nerves on fire? Your organs seeming like they might just explode? Your head flaring up in agony as your pain receptors respond to the pressure? Neat little thing that, I call it the Agony Matrix. Y'see, your biggest strength is not only your friends, but also your magic. You're a prodigy, I'll give you that, but it is also your greatest weakness. A fitting end to your pathetic story."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, DEMON?!!!" Luna roared in the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Tirek smiled as he began to explain, "I took your greatest strengths and turned them against you, just like I did before. I took somepony you love and made them my leverage, getting you to do what I want. Then, I used your own magic against you! The Agony Matrix locks onto your unique magical signature and emits a pulse that puts your body through agonizing pain. You need focus to use your magic, so I took that away." He placed his hands behind his back as he slowly approached the screaming alicorn. "Direct neural stimulation of pain receptors. All of them. Imagine the worst pain you've ever felt in your life, times a thousand. And now imagine that pain continuing forever."

He looked down at the crying alicorn, tears streaming down her cheeks as she continued to scream and cry. She had never felt pain like this, she wanted it to stop, she wanted it to end. Why was she being put through this? Who could ever come up with such a cruel and spiteful weapon? She wouldn't wish this kind of pain on her worst enemy, this was agonizing.

"Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOP!!! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!"

Tirek let a cruel smile grace his face, "Oh, that's right! You don't have to imagine."

Earth 1

Gotham City

Bruce Wayne groaned as he drifted out of unconsciousness, his vision was hazy and his body felt extremely hot. He felt sweat drip down his forehead, as well as blood on the back of his head, due to the impact on the tombstone. He tried getting up, but hit something solid, rendering him immobile for the time being.

He took in his surroundings, all around him was the same white, cushioned material, with specs of dirt layering it. He was inside a closed casket of some kind.

In front of him he saw an audio recorder, ready to relay whatever had been recorded onto it. Bruce reached forward and pressed the 'Play Button', beginning the recording.

A deep, distorted voice played, "Good evening, Mister Wayne. Normally, I'd be intrigued to meet the great 'Dark Knight', but unfortunately, today, I don't have the time. Apologies for being unable to attend. I must say that I am a bit disappointed. I'd heard the legends of the heroes of this time, you being among them. But after dealing with you, a rich boy in a suit, I must admit, that you're not all that you're cracked up to be. By now my associates and I have already dealt with your fellow Guardians, and are now on our way to change the world as you know it, so this will be goodbye. Oh! You were concerned with where I put your parents? Don't be, they're very close."

Looking down, Bruce gasped as he came face to face with a corpse.

His father's corpse.

He tried backing away, but couldn't.

His father's hollow eyes burying deep into his soul.

His breathing hitched, but a low growl escaped his throat when the voice came back.

"Rest in piece."

The recording stopped there and Bruce looked away and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before his hardened gaze returned to him. He rolled onto his back and dug into his pocket, pulling out his keys. He lied on his back, holding the sharp end of the keys in between his fingers.

He started punching the roof of the casket, breaking it slightly. He punched again, and again, and again, and continued to do so even when his hand was covered with blood. After a few minutes of punching he stopped and looked to his father's corpse, shivering slightly.

He shook his head, he was not going to die here.

He continued to punch at the hole above him, the keys in his hand having already bent, but stopped when he noticed a small hole in the wood. His eyes widened, that was his way out. Bruce grabbed both sides of the hole and tore it open, a cascade of dirt entering the casket, burying him.

That would've been it, had it not been for a hand to shoot out of the grave.

The man in yellow buried Bruce Wayne.

But The Batman had risen from the grave.

Author's Note

Holy shit, that was intense. Yup, told you lot it was gonna get dark.

As you've probably guessed, I've taken some inspiration from Justice League: Doom. Great movie, go check it out!

Now the plans and how they were altered.

Sonic's was meant to hold him in place, the Gravitational Field was meant to restrain him, but it was altered to crush him instead. Leave it to Eggman to make Sonic's defeat as humiliating and excruciating as possible.

Mario's was supposed to be simple. He hits the block, a sleeping agent is introduced into his system, and he's knocked unconscious. Simple. Of course, Bowser went and altered it using a nerve agent Thawne had given him.

Typical.

Iron Man's was meant to disarm him, hacking into his armor and shutting it down. But Thawne and Loki took it one step further and made it so that his armor would explode and kill him.

And Twilight's was meant to be quick and painless. The device would be thrown, it would explode and focus on her magical signature, and shock her until she went unconscious. But Tirek and Thawne altered it so that she would suffer for as long as she lived.

And Thawne, after figuring out Batman's identity, decided to bury him alive.

I think it's safe to say that Eobard Thawne is a sick and twisted bastard.

I mean the guy erased Barry Allen's only friend from existence just to mess with him, he basically murdered a child to make Barry's life miserable.

Guy's a psycho.

Anyways, things are heating up, stay tuned and I'll see you lot next chapter.

Metal Sonic - HGBD-WolfBeliever5