Episode 26: The End of All Things - Part 4

Fifty years ago, after Mark McCoy's sudden disappearance into the vast expanse of the multiverse during his intense battle against Tekno Witch, the world was left reeling. Terra had warned of an impending Tetronian invasion, heightening the sense of urgency among Earth's heroes. They found themselves grappling with two monumental tasks: bringing Mark back home and preparing for the Tetronian war. The stakes were higher than ever, and the heroes threw themselves into their efforts with determination.

Despite their relentless search and attempts to retrieve Mark from the multiverse, they faced failure at every turn. Years passed, and the Tetronian invasion, which they had feared, never came. During this unexpected period of peace, life moved on in unforeseen ways. Mark Junior and Amanda, bonded by their shared grief and determination, gradually fell in love. Meanwhile, Terra, burdened by her past actions, sensed a deep connection between Zipporah and Mark. In a moment of vulnerability, she entrusted her secret daughter, Teldrea, to Zipporah's care, fearful of Tetra's disapproval.

"Her name is Teldrea. She's Mark's daughter," Terra confessed, her voice heavy with regret. Zipporah, sensing the turmoil within Terra, vowed to protect the child, understanding the gravity of the situation.

Years continued to slip by without any sign of Mark's return. Just as the world began to believe the threat of invasion had passed, the unthinkable happened. Without warning, the Tetronian invasion finally struck, catching the planet by surprise. Massive Tetronian warships descended upon Earth, unleashing hordes of subjugated alien creatures that attacked with brutal efficiency, devouring countless victims in a matter of moments.

In the midst of the chaos, Teknight activated a plan he had hoped would never be necessary. He released a drone that dispersed a suit powered by the Ultra Cure, a specialized countermeasure designed to protect Earth's defenders from the deadly Ultra K9 virus. The suit enveloped heroes and allies around the globe, shielding them from the viral pandemic that Teknight had unleashed into the atmosphere as a last-ditch effort to level the playing field.

As the Ultra K9 virus began to take effect, it wreaked havoc on the subjugated alien creatures. The moment they came into contact with Earth's atmosphere, they met their demise in gruesome fashion. Some of the aliens exploded on impact, others incinerated, and many disintegrated before they could inflict further harm. The tide seemed to turn as more and more of the creatures perished.

However, the surviving Tetronians, led by the fearsome Tetramand and Mother Tetora, observed from the safety of outer space. Frustrated by the loss of their forces, Tetramand, with his powerful upper hands, released a resounding thunderclap that reverberated across the atmosphere, clearing it of the toxic gas. This act signaled the true beginning of the Tetronian assault as the elite Tetronian soldiers charged down to Earth, ready to engage in battle.

The war on Earth escalated into a brutal conflict, with both sides fighting with relentless fury. Tetra, who had taken a stand against her own kind, found herself facing off against her sister, Tetora. Despite Tetra's attempts to reason with Tetora, urging her to see the futility of their fight, Tetora remained resolute, blinded by her loyalty to their cause. The two sisters clashed in an epic battle, their powers colliding with devastating force, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

As the battle raged on, Earth's heroes found themselves pushed to their limits, fighting not only for survival but for the future of their world. The stakes had never been higher, and with Mark McCoy still lost to the multiverse, the burden of protecting the planet fell squarely on their shoulders. The outcome of the war remained uncertain, but one thing was clear: the world would never be the same again.

***

As Tetramand descended from the sky, his majestic presence was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. His upper hands were tucked in front of him, his middle hands resting on his waist, and his lower hands folded behind his back. His six eyes glowed ominously, brimming with power. As he hovered above the battlefield, he unleashed a deadly blast from his eyes. The beams shot out with devastating precision, locking onto multiple targets simultaneously. The beams followed their victims, cutting through the air with lethal accuracy.

The attack was merciless; heroes and their allies alike fell in droves. The beams penetrated their defenses, ripping through their bodies, tearing them apart. Chests were burst open, faces were shattered, and fragile bodies were split in half. The surviving heroes scrambled to shield themselves from the relentless onslaught, but the damage had already been done. The battlefield was littered with the remains of those who had dared to stand against Tetramand's might.

Terra, seeing the devastation, charged toward Tetramand, determined to stop him. However, before she could reach him, a male Tetronian named Tetram intercepted her. With a swift motion, he tossed her aside, his eyes blazing with fury and hatred.

"Killing you will be satisfying for what you did against Tetraband," Tetram spat, his voice dripping with venom. "Tetraband was ever loyal to the empire, true to the cause, but you killed him because you went soft with your friendship with Tetra."

Terra's expression hardened as she met Tetram's glare. "Tetraband was weak, unworthy of the challenge I presented. I hope you put up a better fight, or at least die with more dignity than he did," she retorted, her words igniting a fire within Tetram.

Enraged, Tetram prepared to charge at Terra, but before he could strike, his head was severed from his body in a swift, brutal motion. Blood sprayed into the air as Tetram's lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Terra, stunned, looked up to see Tora standing over the fallen Tetram, her gaze fierce and unyielding.

"Tora!" Terra whispered in shock, her voice barely audible as she took in the sight of her former ally, now drenched in Tetram's blood.

Tora returned Terra's gaze with a look of vengeful determination. "Like I told you, Terra, no one dares to kill you but me," she said, her voice cold and resolute.

As they locked eyes, Tora's emotions surged to the surface, a mixture of pain, anger, and betrayal. "Why did you have to do it, Terra?" Tora questioned, her voice trembling with hurt. "After all I've done for you. You abandoned me like I meant nothing to you. Before Tetra, I was there for you. I made you who you are today because I loved you, but you threw that away like garbage."

Tora's words cut deep, her bitterness and resentment clear. "Betraying the empire is one thing I could overlook, but defying our sacred love is unforgivable," she continued, her voice growing harsher. Tora's keen senses detected the lingering scent of Terra's betrayal—the scent of another. She could tell that Terra had been with Mark, an act that hurt her more deeply than any other.

Tora's hatred for Terra stemmed not only from her betrayal of the empire but also from the personal wound of rejected love. She had always harbored feelings for Terra, a desire to be with her, but Terra's rejection had driven her to the edge. In her mind, if she couldn't have Terra, no one else would. She would rather see Terra dead than allow anyone else to be close to her.

Terra, realizing the depth of Tora's pain, tried to reason with her. "What we once had, Tora, is in the past. I'm sorry for hurting you, truly, but I've moved on. I strive to bring a new age to the Tetronian empire, and that can only happen with a union of opposite sexes. I hope you can understand."

But Tora was beyond reason. "Then may our battle decide our fate, Terra," she replied, her voice cold and final.

With that, the two former allies clashed. Their fists collided with a force that shook the ground beneath them, the impact leveling their surroundings. Tora's eyes burned with intense hatred, her heart consumed by the desire for vengeance.

"Why did you have to do this, Terra? Why?" Tora screamed, her voice filled with anguish. "What more could you have wanted that I couldn't offer, except your death? Killing you will bring peace to my broken heart."

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Tora," Terra responded, her voice pained but resolute. "But I cannot return your feelings. My duty is to the future of our people."

Their battle raged on, a fierce dance of combat that lit up the sky with flashes of energy blasts, sonic booms, and the roar of thunder. The heavens themselves seemed to tremble as the two warriors fought with everything they had, their fates intertwined in a brutal struggle for dominance and survival. The outcome of their battle would not only determine their own destinies but also the fate of the entire Tetronian empire.

***

In the midst of the chaotic battlefield, Tetra and Tetora faced each other midair, their forearms locked in a powerful clash. The intensity of their confrontation was palpable, as they hovered above the ground, their gazes locked. Tetra's eyes reflected a flicker of reason, a hope for reconciliation, while Tetora's gaze was filled with unspoken hatred.

"Where's that bastard son of yours, Tetra?" Tetora spat, her voice laced with venom.

Tetra, her voice steady yet firm, replied, "Is this vengeance for my past ignorance, Tetora? We're sisters, and it doesn't have to come to this."

"Oh sister! How the mighty have fallen. It has to come to this. This is why father never saw you fit to rule the empire; your heart is weak, just like mother's. That's why I killed her and put the blame on you, dear sister."

Tetra's eyes widened as the weight of Tetora's words hit her. "It was you?" she whispered, her heart heavy, tears welling up in her eyes.

"And father acknowledged it," Tetora added with a sinister smile, her lips curling in satisfaction.

The revelation struck Tetra like a lightning bolt. Overcome with emotion, she unleashed a powerful punch that sent Tetora crashing to the ground with a resounding impact, drawing blood from Tetora's lips as she tasted her own bitterness.

"Does it hurt, sister, to finally know the truth?" Tetora taunted as she got up, seemingly unharmed, and signaled four powerful female Tetronian soldiers to attack Tetra.

The four soldiers—Tetrea, Tetre, Tetress, and Teresa—charged at Tetra with deadly intent, but they were no match for her. In a display of swift, lethal precision, Tetra decapitated all four before they could even blink. Their heads were severed from their bodies in an instant, followed by a slight shower of blood as it sprayed from their headless necks.

Tetora watched this with a maniacal laugh. "I knew you still had it in you, that fearsome warrior spirit still burns with hatred for what I did to our mother."

"That was our mother!" Tetra yelled, her voice thick with emotion. "She loved us, and you took advantage of her love, twisted it into something vile."

"She was your mother, not mine!" Tetora screamed back, her voice cracking with emotional pain. "She loved you, showered you with all her affection, and left me with nothing!"

Tetra's heart ached at her sister's words. "No, that's not true, Tetora," she whispered, struggling to understand the depth of Tetora's hatred.

"You're right, sister. I did take advantage of our mother's love, and when I killed her, it was a good thing. She died a martyr for your protection. Her affection made her weak, and she wasn't ready to embrace the new empire."

Tetra felt a surge of anger rise within her, but she suppressed it, her voice calm yet firm. "It's a good thing you left. But you betrayed your kind, abandoned your duties, and destroyed your world for the sake of these pathetic humans."

"They have more dignity than you ever will," Tetra shot back. "This has gone too far!"

Tetora smirked. "Then their dignity won't be enough to save them."

Realizing the depth of her sister's hatred, Tetra tried one last time to reason with her. "I understand your hatred towards me, Tetora, but I can help you. Instead of fighting each other, we could honor our mother's legacy. She was an excellent warrior of peace, and I only hope to live up to that."

Tetora scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "How awfully pathetic of you. Truly, you've gone soft. You're not the sister I once knew. Father was a conqueror feared across the universe, and you let him die because of your negligence."

For a brief moment, silence fell between them as they stared into each other's eyes, the weight of their shared history heavy in the air. Then Tetora broke the silence, her voice low and dangerous. "Fight me like you did in the old days," she demanded, her eyes burning with intense hatred.

Tetra took a deep breath, understanding that this was now a fight to the death. "If that's your desire, sister," she replied, her voice filled with resolve.

They clashed once more, their forearms locking in a fiery embrace, their gazes filled with intensity. "Mother said we must learn to fight together, Tetora," Tetra said, her voice soft but firm.

"On that subject, she was wise," Tetora replied, her words dripping with hatred.

With a final struggle, they broke free from their clash and began to battle with ferocity. The sky above them erupted with shockwaves from their powerful punches, the sheer force of their blows causing the heavens to tremble. Their battle was so intense that it engulfed friend and foe alike, many caught in the crossfire of their destructive power, brutally shattered by the impact of their exchange.

As the sisters fought with everything they had, it became clear that this was not just a battle of strength but a battle of wills—a struggle for the very soul of their empire and their place within it. The outcome would not only determine their fates but also the future of the Tetronian legacy.

On the far side of the heated battle, Teknight stood his ground against the onslaught of Tetronian soldiers, his armor switching fluidly between various configurations to compensate for the sustained damage. Despite the overwhelming odds, he managed to counter his opponents' attacks by deploying the ultra K9 virus, a weapon specifically designed to exploit the weaknesses of Tetronian physiology.

However, his resilience was tested when a Tetronian soldier named Tarot entered the fray. Tarot, gifted with technopathy, quickly exploited a dormant piece of Tetroid embedded within Teknight's systems. With a mere thought, he activated the Tetroid, turning Teknight's powerful armor against him and his allies. The sudden betrayal sent shockwaves through the battlefield, as Teknight, now under Tarot's control, became a formidable threat to his own team.

Seeing the dire situation, OLX, the speedster with unmatched reflexes, sprang into action. With blinding speed, he incapacitated Tarot, giving Teknight a brief respite from the technopathic influence. Just as Tarot began to recover, a devastating punch from Zipporah sent him reeling. Zipporah, not one to waste an opportunity, engaged Tarot in fierce combat, her relentless assault finally overpowering him.

Before Zipporah could catch her breath, she was blindsided by Tabitha, a powerful female Tetronian with a brutal fighting style. Tabitha's attack sent Zipporah crashing to the ground with bone-shattering force. As Zipporah struggled to recover, Tabitha seized the moment, snapping Zipporah's neck with a sickening twist. Zipporah's lifeless body lay still on the battlefield, but Tabitha was far from done.

Tabitha, determined to ensure Zipporah's demise, pressed her foot against Zipporah's back while gripping her arms, ready to tear them from their sockets. With a brutal display of strength, she managed to rip off Zipporah's left arm. Just as she prepared to do the same to the right, Zipporah's eyes snapped open, blazing with power. Despite her broken neck, Zipporah unleashed a concentrated energy blast from her eyes, which tore through Tabitha's skull, killing her instantly.

In the aftermath, Zipporah's body began to heal rapidly. Her broken neck snapped back into place with a grotesque crunch, and her severed arm reattached itself, knitting together as if the injury had never occurred. Fully recovered, Zipporah shifted her form to resemble Tabitha, using the disguise to sow confusion among the Tetronian ranks. She moved through the battlefield like a specter, brutally eliminating several Tetronians before a male Tetronian named Tetreo noticed her deception.

Tetreo, realizing the ruse after seeing Zipporah kill one of his comrades, engaged her in fierce combat. Unlike the others, Tetreo was more than a match for Zipporah, his strength and combat skills pushing her to the limit.

Meanwhile, OLX's earlier stunt did not go unnoticed. Two male Tetronian speedsters, Tetran and Tetrim, spotted him and launched a high-speed pursuit. The three speedsters clashed in a blur of movement, the air crackling with the sheer velocity of their combat. Despite the odds, OLX drew on the experience he had gained from previous encounters. Using his agility and tactical cunning, he managed to outmaneuver and ultimately take down both Tetran and Tetrim after an intense struggle, without succumbing to the berserker rage that had once consumed him.

As the battle raged on, each heroes faced their own personal trials, the outcome of which would shape the future of the conflict. The battlefield was a brutal arena where strength, cunning, and sheer willpower were the only things that mattered, and only the strongest would survive.

***

On the other side of the intense battle, Stardust finally triumphed over Tetrom, a formidable male Tetronian whose powers mirrored her own with slight differences. Their clash was fierce, a test of endurance and sheer will. Stardust managed to secure victory, but the effort left her utterly exhausted, every fiber of her being strained from the relentless combat.

Elsewhere, Green found himself locked in a brutal struggle against Tetram and Theresa simultaneously. The fight pushed him to his limits, forcing him to unleash his full potential. The battle was so intense that it nearly claimed his life, but in the end, Green emerged victorious, though he too was left drained and battered, barely holding on.

As the battle reached its climax, Terra faced Tora in an equally grueling encounter. The two warriors clashed with ferocity, each strike carrying the weight of their resolve. Terra, summoning all her strength, delivered a devastating blow, thrusting her fist into Tora's chest and puncturing her heart. As Tora's heart fell to the ground, she struggled to yield. Weakened but defiant, Tora clung to Terra's arm, closing the gap between them. In a final, surprising gesture, Tora stunned Terra with an affectionate kiss before dying with a serene smile on her face. Terra, overwhelmed by the emotional weight of the moment, wept as Tora died in her arms.

During Terra's moment of sorrow, Terri, a male Tetronian soldier, attempted to take her by surprise. But Terra's subconscious magic, responding to the threat, exploded him upon impact, reducing his body to shattered remains that fell lifelessly to the ground. In the battle against Tora, Terra had lost her left arm and right eye, injuries that could not regenerate due to Tora's ability to nullify healing properties.

Meanwhile, the brutal stalemate between Tetra and Tetora raged on. The sisters, equally matched, inflicted grievous wounds on each other, their fists simultaneously thrust into each other's bodies. As they fought, faded memories of their past flashed through their minds, a reminder of the bond they once shared. Finally, both collapsed to the ground, their bodies spent from the fierce battle.

Zipporah, however, emerged victorious in her fight against Tetreo. After a fierce struggle, she managed to snap his neck with a powerful twist, ending his life with finality.

With the battle seemingly over, the surviving heroes regrouped, their bodies weary and broken, yet their spirits remained unbroken. As they prepared for the next phase, they noticed Tetramand, who had been observing the entire battle from above. Hovering midair, his presence was ominous, and the heroes braced themselves for the confrontation to come.

Teknight's scanners quickly revealed a grim truth—the absence of Tetra's vital signs. She had fallen in her battle against Tetora. The news struck Terra hard, her heart heavy with grief. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the challenge ahead. Though many of the heroes had sustained grave injuries or were exhausted from their earlier battles, their determination did not waver. They understood that Tetramand was no ordinary foe. As he gracefully descended to the blood-soaked battlefield, his gaze swept across the carnage, finally resting on the body of his beloved mother.

The air grew tense as Tetramand's gaze hardened, his grief and fury palpable. The heroes, sensing the imminent onslaught, prepared themselves for what could be their final stand. They knew that Tetramand would be unlike any foe they had faced before, and the battle ahead would determine the date of all who remained.