Chapter 8: “Convergence Approaching”

[SYSTEM STATUS: ACTIVE]

Host: Peter Benjamin Parker (a.k.a. Ethan Grey)

Level: 7

EXP: 500/4000

New Ability Unlocked: Temporal Rift – Opens a localized rift to slow or accelerate time within a 15-meter radius. (Cooldown: 30 minutes)

Current Quest: "Kang's Gambit" (Phase 2: In Progress)

Threat Level: EXTREME

Rooftop – Brooklyn Skyline

The city below thrummed with life—unaware of the ticking time bomb hidden in its shadows.

Ethan stared at the remnants of the destroyed Continuum facility. The battle with Kang's emissary had left more than scars; it had left questions, gnawing at the edges of his mind like static in an old radio.

"Kang is already here."

Those words haunted him. If Kang was operating within this timeline, every second mattered.

Nova joined him on the ledge, her face tense but composed. "This wasn't just an outpost. It was a relay—a beacon. The Convergence Event isn't a distant future anymore. It's already started."

Ethan clenched his fists, his mind racing. No more running. No more waiting.

[SYSTEM ALERT: New Quest Unlocked – "The Countdown Begins"]

Objective: Locate Kang's stronghold within this timeline.

Bonus Objective: Intercept the Convergence Catalyst before activation.

Reward: +4000 EXP, System Evolution Opportunity

Failure Penalty: Multiversal Collapse

"Looks like we've got work to do," Ethan muttered.

The First Clue – Stark Tower

The next lead pointed them to the heart of Manhattan—Stark Tower.

It wasn't just a symbol of technological advancement; it was a hotspot of temporal energy, thanks to the Arc Reactor embedded deep within its core. Nova explained that Kang's forces often used such energy sources as anchors, stabilizing their operations in fragile timelines.

But Stark Tower wasn't unguarded.

Ethan and Nova infiltrated the tower under cover of night. The sleek, futuristic design contrasted with the tension simmering beneath the surface. Holographic displays flickered, and the faint hum of the Arc Reactor pulsed through the walls.

Suddenly, alarms blared.

They'd been detected.

Dozens of automated Stark drones—reprogrammed by Kang's agents—swarmed toward them, weapons primed.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Combat Scenario Initiated]

Objective: Neutralize the security forces and reach the central core.

Recommended Ability Use: Temporal Rift

Ethan activated Temporal Rift.

A pulse of distorted light rippled outward, slowing time for the attacking drones while he and Nova moved at full speed. It was like fighting in a world frozen mid-breath. Bullets hung in the air like suspended raindrops. Ethan weaved through them effortlessly, disabling drones with precise, calculated strikes.

Nova unleashed energy blasts, her attacks amplified by the slowed perception around them. The battle was swift, brutal, and efficient.

But this was just the appetizer.

The Catalyst Revealed

At the tower's core, they found it: The Convergence Catalyst.

A crystalline device pulsating with unstable temporal energy, tethered directly to the Arc Reactor. It wasn't just siphoning power—it was rewriting it, distorting the very fabric of space-time around it.

Standing guard was another familiar face—Victor Von Doom.

But this wasn't the Doom Ethan remembered from the comics. This version radiated an aura of temporal corruption, his armor etched with symbols of the Continuum, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

"Kang sends his regards," Doom said, his voice cold and mechanical.

Ethan's blood ran cold.

Kang and Doom. Together.

Boss Battle: Doom, Herald of Convergence

The battle was unlike anything Ethan had faced.

Doom manipulated time itself, accelerating his movements, reversing Ethan's attacks mid-strike, and creating echoes of himself from alternate timelines. Nova fought fiercely beside him, but Doom's mastery over temporal energy made him nearly invincible.

Ethan gritted his teeth, tapping into every skill the system had granted him.

[SYSTEM OVERRIDE PROTOCOL: ACTIVE]

Override Option: Chrono Break – Temporarily negates all time-based abilities within a large radius. (Cooldown: 1 hour)

"Override: Chrono Break!" Ethan roared.

A shockwave of raw energy erupted, severing Doom's connection to the temporal field. For the first time, Doom looked vulnerable—human.

Ethan seized the moment.

With a burst of speed, he struck Doom with everything he had—combining raw strength with the system's enhancements. Nova followed up with a devastating energy blast, shattering Doom's armor and sending him crashing to the floor.

Blood trickled from Doom's mouth, but he smiled.

"You've delayed the inevitable," he rasped. "But you can't stop it."

With his last breath, he triggered a failsafe.

The Convergence Catalyst began to overload.

A Race Against Time

Ethan sprinted toward the device, his Spidey-sense screaming in his head. The system flashed urgent warnings, but there was no time to think—only act.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Critical Event Detected]

Objective: Stabilize the Convergence Catalyst.

Failure Penalty: Immediate Timeline Collapse.

Ethan's fingers danced across the device's control interface, guided more by instinct than knowledge. The system provided fragmented data, algorithms flickering across his vision.

Too complex. Too unstable.

Then he realized—he couldn't disable it.

But he could rewrite it.

System Override: Rewriting Reality

Ethan did the unthinkable.

He accessed the System Override Protocol and attempted something he never had before—overriding reality itself.

His vision blurred. The system fought back, warning him of catastrophic risks. His body felt like it was being torn apart on a molecular level.

But he pushed through the pain.

"Override: Reality Stabilization Protocol!"

The world exploded in light.

Aftermath

When Ethan woke, he was lying amidst the rubble of Stark Tower. The Convergence Catalyst was gone—its power absorbed, neutralized.

Nova knelt beside him, her expression filled with both relief and fear. "You did it… but at a cost."

Ethan sat up, his body aching. But something was different.

The system interface flickered strangely—unstable.

Then it appeared:

[SYSTEM REBOOTING…]

Warning: Unstable Integration Detected.

New Status: No longer bound to a single timeline.

Ethan's heart raced.

He hadn't just stabilized the timeline.

He'd become unanchored.

No longer tied to this universe… or any universe.

[End of Chapter 8]