Chapter 4: The Alliance of Rivals

The battlefield lay in ruins, its surface scorched from the clash of cosmic powers. The mysterious entity had vanished, but its presence lingered like an unshakable shadow. Both teams—once fierce enemies—now stood in uneasy silence, their weapons still raised, their bodies still tense. The war that had raged between them now seemed insignificant compared to the monstrous force that had just threatened them all.

Iron Man took a step forward, his helmet retracting to reveal a hardened expression. "Well, that was fun. Anyone else feel like we're all about to die if we don't do something about this?"

Captain America exhaled, lowering his shield. "You're not wrong, Stark." He turned to his team, then to Team A. "This fight between us? It has to end. At least for now."

Thor twirled Mjolnir in his hand, glancing at Doctor Strange. "Aye. The storm has calmed, but it will return stronger. We must prepare."

Scarlet Witch, still recovering from the blast she had taken, looked at Wong. "That thing—whatever it was—wasn't using normal energy. It felt… endless."

"Because it is," Wong confirmed grimly. "It doesn't just take power. It consumes it."

Ben 10, still in his XLR8 form, zipped over to stand beside Iron Man. "I've fought some pretty terrifying aliens before, but this thing? It barely tried, and we were struggling. We need a plan."

Ronaldo and Messi locked eyes. Rivals on the field, now standing on the same side of a war bigger than either of them had ever imagined.

Messi clenched his cybernetic fists. "We fight together."

Ronaldo nodded, adjusting his stance. "For now."

Doraemon, scanning the aftermath with his futuristic gadgets, looked concerned. "That entity is feeding off the Celestial Core's energy signature. If it fully bonds with the Core, we won't be able to stop it."

Black Panther stepped forward. "Then we must strike before it reaches full power."

Gamora tightened her grip on her swords. "Attacking without a plan will only get us killed. We don't even know where it went."

Doctor Strange closed his eyes, his hands forming intricate symbols. The Eye of Agamotto pulsed, revealing fragments of possible futures. His face darkened. "There is only one certainty in what I see… If we fail to stop this entity, all of existence will be consumed in darkness."

A heavy silence followed.

Finally, Captain America spoke, turning to his former enemies. "We're running out of time. We need to move as one. One mission, one goal." He extended his hand toward Iron Man.

Iron Man hesitated for only a second before shaking it. "Alright, Cap. Let's do this."

A temporary truce had been formed, but would it be enough to stop the darkness that was coming?

The war for the Celestial Core had changed. Now, it was a war for survival.