The last loop

Location: Higher dimension

Dr. Strange hovered in the midst of the chaos, the air around him crackling with mystic energy as he unleashed spells with precision and ferocity. His crimson Cloak of Levitation flared behind him, weaving and darting as it dodged attacks aimed at his back. Below him, the battlefield stretched for miles, a hellscape of blood and fire. The ground was littered with the wreckage of war, shattered weapons, fallen warriors, and smoldering ruins of Asgardian outposts.

Beside him, Odin All-Father wielded Gungnir, his enchanted spear. Every thrust and swing emitted waves of golden light, incinerating scores of Parademons and Demon Shock Troopers. The ancient king was a whirlwind of destruction, his one eye blazing with fury as he led the Asgardian forces against the endless tide.

"Strange!" Odin bellowed over the din, driving Gungnir through the chest of a hulking Pacifier, a ten-foot-tall monstrosity wielding dual plasma axes. "These creatures bear the stench of the Old Gods' corruption. Do your spells detect the source of this power?"

Dr. Strange gestured with his hands, forming intricate sigils of light that lashed out at the horde around him. The spells carved through the enemy lines, giving the Asgardian warriors some breathing room. "I'm trying, Odin, but this energy is… unfamiliar. It's as if the fabric of reality itself is warped around them. Someone or something is fueling them with power beyond anything I've encountered."

The Ancient One appeared beside Strange in a swirl of golden sparks, her calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the chaos around them. Her hands moved with practiced grace, creating protective barriers that shielded the Asgardian troops from incoming blasts. "You're correct, Stephen. This energy is not just dark—it's ancient. It predates even the Old Gods. Whatever its source, it has given Darkseid the means to create an army that defies death itself."

From the sky above, a massive boom echoed as Thor descended like a comet, Mjolnir in hand. Lightning crackled around him as he landed amidst a cluster of Dog Cavalry, his hammer sweeping in wide arcs. The ground trembled with each strike, thunderclaps ripping through the battlefield. "Darkseid hides behind his creations!" Thor roared, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "If he were truly a god, he would face us himself!"

Odin glanced toward his son, his voice sharp. "Thor, focus! The battle is not with Darkseid yet. We need to hold the line here, or his army will reach the heart of this realm."

Thor growled but heeded his father's command, throwing himself back into the fray.

Above the battlefield, the sky itself seemed to darken. A massive portal opened, and from it poured another wave of Darkseid's forces. Parademons swarmed out in endless numbers, accompanied by towering Pacifiers and heavily armored Demon Shock Troopers. Riding above them were new horrors, winged beasts wreathed in shadow, their riders armed with weapons forged from the same unknown energy.

Dr. Strange clenched his jaw. "It's like fighting the ocean," he muttered, casting a spell that created an enormous glyph beneath a cluster of enemies. The ground exploded upward, engulfing them in a vortex of fire and stone.

Odin stepped beside him, his face grim. "If we cannot find the source of this power, this war will not end. Even Asgard's strength is not infinite."

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled violently. A massive Pacifier, nearly the size of a mountain, emerged from the distance. Its hulking form gleamed with obsidian plating, and its glowing red eyes locked onto the Asgardian stronghold. The monstrous figure took a single step, and the shockwave sent troops on both sides stumbling.

"By the Norns," Odin muttered. "This is no ordinary construct."

The Ancient One's eyes narrowed as she focused on the towering figure. "This one is different. It is imbued with a fragment of Darkseid's will. A piece of his essence animates it."

"Then it's as close to fighting Darkseid as we're going to get," Strange said, summoning the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. He hurled the glowing chains toward the giant, wrapping them around its legs. The Pacifier roared, tearing against the bindings, but they held—at least for the moment.

Thor joined the fray, leaping into the air and hurling Mjolnir with all his might. The enchanted hammer struck the Pacifier's head, shattering part of its armor and sending it reeling. Thor followed up with a barrage of lightning, but the monster hardly faltered, its wounds already beginning to mend.

Odin raised Gungnir, golden light pouring from the spear's tip as he unleashed a devastating beam of energy. The blast struck the Pacifier square in the chest, forcing it back several steps. But even this was not enough to bring it down.

As the gods and sorcerers focused their efforts on the colossal enemy, the Ancient One suddenly gasped. Her hands froze mid-spell, and her usually serene expression turned to one of shock.

"What is it?" Strange asked, concern in his voice.

She turned to him, her voice urgent. "I felt something... someone. A familiar presence. It was faint, but unmistakable."

"Who?" Strange pressed, even as he continued to hurl spells at the encroaching horde.

"Darkseid's power may not be the only force at work here," she said, her voice heavy with implication. "There is another… and their influence is spreading."

Before Strange could respond, the massive Pacifier roared again, shattering the Chains of Cyttorak and swinging its colossal arm toward the stronghold. The gods and warriors braced themselves for impact.

From somewhere beyond the battlefield, a deep, resonant voice echoed across the realm.

"ENOUGH."

The voice carried such authority that the very air seemed to vibrate with its power. The battlefield fell silent for a moment, the endless hordes of Darkseid's army freezing in place. From the shadows beyond the horizon, a figure stepped forward—a towering silhouette wreathed in a faint, golden light.

It was Zuras, the High Eternal, flanked by an elite guard of Eternals, their eyes glowing with cosmic energy.

"It seems we have more than one war to fight," Zuras said, his voice calm but firm. He turned his gaze toward Strange, Odin, and the Ancient One. "Darkseid's corruption spreads further than we anticipated. But we are not without allies."

Strange's eyes narrowed as he studied the High Eternal. "If you're here, then you know something we don't. What is Darkseid really after?"

Zuras glanced at the sky, where the silhouette of Darkseid's new Apokolips loomed like a second moon. "Not just domination," he said, his voice grim. "He seeks the ultimate weapon. A power so ancient and destructive that even the Celestials once feared it."

Odin gripped Gungnir tightly. "Then we must destroy him before he finds it."

Zuras shook his head. "You don't understand. He's not searching for it."

The High Eternal's eyes met Strange's.

"He's building it."

The weight of Zuras' words settled over the battlefield like a suffocating cloud. Dr. Strange's expression darkened, his mind racing. "He's building it? What kind of weapon are we talking about?"

Zuras stepped closer, his cosmic aura intensifying as he waved a hand. A shimmering projection appeared in the air, depicting a massive, celestial structure being forged on the surface of Darkseid's new Apokolips. At its center was a glowing core of unfathomable energy, pulsing with ominous intent. Strange and Odin could feel the raw power radiating from the projection as if it were right in front of them.

"This," Zuras said, pointing to the projection, "is what Darkseid calls the Omega Forge. Using the energy of countless conquered worlds, he's constructing a weapon capable of reshaping reality itself. The core you see is what fuels it: an artifact older than the Multiverse. The Shard of Entropy. Its power is limitless."

Odin's face tightened. "The Shard of Entropy is a myth. A remnant of the First Firmament, said to have been destroyed eons ago when the multiverse was born."

"It is no myth," the Ancient One interjected, her voice grave. "I've felt its presence before... fragments of its essence scattered across dimensions. If Darkseid has gathered enough of it to forge a weapon… we may be facing the end of all things."

Thor, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his grip on Mjolnir tightening. "Then we go to this new Apokolips and destroy the Forge before it can be completed. I'll lead the charge!"

"Reckless as always," Odin growled. "We cannot charge blindly into Darkseid's domain. His armies are endless, and even the strongest of us would falter under their numbers."

Zuras raised a hand, silencing the debate. "We will need more than brute strength or clever magic. The Forge's power comes not just from the Shard of Entropy, but from something or someone amplifying its reach. The artifact alone cannot channel this energy. Someone must be guiding it."

Dr. Strange frowned. "And you suspect Darkseid has help?"

Zuras nodded. "Not just help. He has aligned himself with forces that defy even the gods. Entities that once existed beyond creation itself. This energy signature," he gestured to the glowing projection, "is disturbingly similar to the power of a Celestial. But it is corrupted. Twisted."

"Impossible," Odin muttered. "No Celestial would serve Darkseid willingly."

"Not willingly," Zuras agreed. "But there are ways to enslave even the most ancient of beings. If Darkseid has subjugated one of the Celestials or worse, forged one into the foundation of his Forge then we are facing a power none of us can overcome alone."

Thor slammed the butt of Mjolnir into the ground. "Then let us find this enslaved Celestial and free it. Without its power, the Forge will be useless."

"That may be easier said than done," the Ancient One cautioned. "If the Shard of Entropy is involved, freeing the Celestial might destabilize the entire multiverse. The Forge's collapse could trigger a cascade of destruction."

Zuras turned to Dr. Strange. "Which is why we must tread carefully. Considering your intellect and future vision, I'm sure you must have taken certain steps. Tell me, what are our chances against Darkseid with what we have?"

Strange frowned, his mind racing as he calculated the odds. The numbers were not in their favor, but there was one crucial factor they hadn't considered—a wild card that could turn the tide in their favor. At that exact moment, he felt the seals he used to lock the Ten Rings breaking one after another.

"Now isn't the right time. He needs more time. Time we must provide by holding him back," he said, eyes on Zuras.

"What are you talking about?" Odin asked, turning to him.

"If I tell you the future then it won't happen, and with our current situation, that future is the only hope we have," He turned to Thor. "Go back to Earth. He'll find you the moment you enter the Sol System. The rest is up to him. Ten years is all we can buy him."

"Ten years!?" Odin shouted. "We don't have ten years! We may not even have tomorrow!"

Dr. Strange stepped forward as he for the first time took out the Time Stone from the Eye of Agamotto and held it with his hand. He instantly felt the raw endless power flowing through him, trying to swallow his existence, but he held on. "I'll create a time loop, long enough to stall the universe's end and give him enough time to master the full extent of his powers. He has the potential, but it will take time."

"It will kill you," The Ancient One warned.

"It might." Strange glanced at her with a smile. "But if Darkseid wins, we're all dead anyway. I'll die, but the world will live. Is it worth it?"

Odin glanced at his son who had been silent throughout the entire conversation. "Thor, do as he says. If he's right, we have no choice."

Thor nodded, understanding that this was the only way. Odin opened a portal to Midgard and Thor leaped through it, disappearing in a flash of lightning.

"Your sacrifice will be honored," Zuras said solemnly.

"Make sure it isn't in vain."

Dr. Strange opened a direct portal to the new Apokolips and turned to Zuras and the Ancient One. "When this is all over, tell him. I'm sorry for everything. But this was the only way."

The Ancient One nodded in understanding as Dr. Strange closed the portal behind him.

In the distance, the colossal Pacifier let out a roar as it resumed its march toward the Asgardian stronghold.

...

[New Apokolips]

Dr. Strange stepped out of the portal onto an unfamiliar world, his senses overwhelmed by the sheer amount of power radiating from the dark skies. Everywhere he looked, there were hulking fortresses, massive factories, and endless armies of Parademons, all laboring tirelessly to bring Darkseid's vision to life. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay, and the ground beneath his feet trembled with the unrelenting force of Darkseid's war machine.

He sensed the presence of Darkseid inside the tallest building.

Strange clenched his fists, summoning the power of the Time Stone. The artifact's emerald glow filled his veins, and he felt his consciousness expanding, his awareness extending across the Multiverse. The endless possibilities stretched before him—an infinite number of realities, all playing out in perfect harmony. He could see the threads of fate, weaving and unraveling with each decision, each action. He could see the paths that led to victory, and the paths that led to oblivion. And in that moment, he knew what he had to do.

Strange began to cast the spell that would seal his fate—the spell that would trap him and the entire Apokolips in a loop of time, stretching on for ten years. A loop that would consume his very essence, but allow those who still had hope to survive. Had it been any other demon, like Dormammu, he could have created an infinite loop, but this being, Darkseid was on a different level, a level he couldn't match, not without a sacrifice.

As Strange continued to cast the spell, he felt a presence materialize behind him. He turned, coming face-to-face with the monstrous figure of Darkseid. The Dark God's eyes glowed with an unearthly red light, and his expression was one of pure malice.

"Well done, sorcerer," Darkseid said, his voice low and powerful. "You came to me on your own accord and with the Time Stone no less. I'll tear you apart for delaying my plans and take that Stone out of your corpse." Two bright beams of red light shot out of Darkseid's eyes and engulfed Dr. Strange, killing him on the spot. The Time Stone was floating before him. But as he tried to grab the Stone, everything rewinded.

Dr. Strange reappeared alive once again. Darkseid's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He killed Strange again with his Omega Beams. Yet again, Strange reappeared. This time, Darkseid punched him in the face with a giant fist, sending him flying before he hit the ground and died. Again, everything rewinded and Strange appeared alive once again.

"What is this!?" Darkseid roared as he attacked Strange again and again, but no matter how many times he killed him, Strange kept reappearing.

The loop continues...

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