Chapter 8: Race to the Core

The rift behind them shimmered with the raw energy of the Celestial Core, but the entity wasn't about to let them pass so easily. Tendrils of darkness lashed out, seeking to crush the heroes before they could escape.

"Go! I'll hold it back!" Thor roared, twirling Mjolnir to summon a storm of divine lightning. The bolts crashed into the entity, forcing it to recoil—if only for a moment.

Doctor Strange extended his hands, conjuring a shield around the portal. "It won't hold for long! Everyone through, now!"

One by one, the heroes dove into the rift, racing against time. Black Panther and Gamora were the first to cross, followed by Messi and Ronaldo, who barely avoided a tendril snapping at their heels.

Rocket Raccoon fired a final round of explosive charges before leaping through with Groot on his back. "This thing is way too creepy for my taste!"

Scarlet Witch and Wong combined their powers to slow the entity down just enough for the others to escape. Doraemon adjusted his Time Cloth, wrapping it around the edge of the portal to momentarily freeze it in place. "That should buy us a few seconds!"

Finally, Thor, Captain America, and Captain Marvel made their way through, Iron Man bringing up the rear. Just as the last of them crossed, the rift snapped shut with a crackling burst of energy, cutting them off from the entity.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, the glow of the Celestial Core surrounded them. It was a sight unlike anything they had ever seen—an immense sphere of pulsing cosmic energy, radiating colors beyond comprehension. The air vibrated with its sheer power.

Doraemon scanned it with his futuristic tech. "The Core is destabilizing! If we don't secure it soon, the entity will find another way to absorb its energy."

Ben 10 tapped his Omnitrix, shifting into Brainstorm. "We need a containment field, something strong enough to resist the entity's corruption."

Shuri stepped forward, analyzing the data. "If we use vibranium-based energy shielding, we might be able to stabilize it."

"Great idea," Iron Man said, activating his nano-tech. "But we don't have enough vibranium here."

Black Panther placed a hand on his necklace. "You do now." His suit deconstructed, forming a network of nanites that merged with Tony's tech, creating a protective shell around the Core.

As the shield formed, the ground trembled. A chilling whisper filled the air. "You cannot stop what is coming."

The heroes turned as the shadows around them twisted unnaturally. The entity had found a way in.

Captain America gritted his teeth, raising his shield. "Then we'll fight to the last breath."

The battle wasn't over yet.