Buzz~
Soon, the glow enveloping David began to fade. Seeing this, Doctor Doom didn't hesitate.
His hands formed seals, green magic surging like a tide around David's body. Thin green threads unraveled David's form, attempting to extract the power within.
"Ah!!"
David's scream made Charlie and Thanos's faces shift.
"What are you doing?"
Thanos stepped forward to stop him, but though his fists were mighty, they paled against the multiversal might of Doctor Doom.
BOOM!!
Doctor Doom's cloak whipped up a gust, sending Thanos crashing back.
"Eternal Titan, pathetic!" Doctor Doom sneered.
Though the Eternal Titans were powerful beings crafted by the Celestials, Doctor Doom's power intimidated even them. He didn't take such beings seriously.
Before David's body could collapse, golden webbing enveloped the space. The Twelve Talismans soared, coalescing into a vast, infinite galactic light that surged down.
Buzz~
BOOM!!
Under the radiant glow, Doctor Doom's green cloak was torn apart.
The fierce impact rattled his silver armored form.
As the galactic light surged again, eerie green patterns spread across his armor.
Crack crack~
BOOM!!
His armor shattered, green energy exploding like a nuke, scattering the Twelve Talismans' hold.
"Spider-Man, stay out of my way!"
Now clad in black leather beneath his armor, Doctor Doom's silver mask remained intact.
His eyes flashed green, space twisting rapidly around them, invisible chains binding Charlie's body.
"This power can defeat the Beyonders. It's our last chance!" Doctor Doom declared.
Charlie's body glowed with golden webbing, totem power sinking into the void to tear at the chains. Freeing himself, he unleashed the Eight Immortals' artifacts.
Buzz~
Eight trigrams blasted forth, forming a mystical diagram in the sky.
Under its influence, Doctor Doom felt a tremor, an inexplicable sense of being targeted.
"Didn't you hear me?" Doctor Doom's tone grew agitated. "Stay out of this! This power benefits us all!"
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Benefits you. Once you have it, I'm probably your first target."
"Impossible, we're allies."
"Allies are for betraying."
"Spider-Man, your heart's too dark."
"Mr. Doom, your reputation's the problem, not my thoughts."
"Damn it, no one in the multiverse knows what I'm really like."
"Yeah, because everyone who knew your dirty deeds is dead."
"Jerk, how do you know everything?!" Doctor Doom snapped, exasperated.
"Heh, forgot my superpower?"
Charlie pressed his hand down, the Eight Trigrams glowing with mysterious light. A terrifying aura suppressed Doctor Doom, making his heart race.
Just as Doom decided to abandon extracting David's power to focus on Spider-Man, David's power spiraled out of control.
BOOM!!
In an instant, the surrounding space turned to nothingness.
Doctor Doom's magic vanished, Spider-Man's golden webbing erased.
The universe's rules were rewritten. Only the Eight Immortals' artifacts barely floated in the void.
But even they wobbled, on the verge of collapse.
Finally, as David's eyes slowly opened, their cold indifference sent a chill through Doctor Doom and Charlie.
"That's…" Doctor Doom gasped. "The Cosmic Cube's power has awakened!!"
Charlie's face darkened, cursing. "This is your fault! If you hadn't meddled, David would still be that unlucky guy."
"I was trying to save the universe," Doctor Doom retorted.
Charlie snorted. "Save it now, then!"
"It's too late."
"Then sing 'Baby Goodnight' to lull the Cosmic Cube back to sleep."
"You think I'm an idiot?"
"You're not an idiot, you're a moron."
"I'm not, you are—"
"Stop arguing!" Thanos joined the chat, exasperated. "Focus on calming David."
He pointed. "Look at our bodies."
Doctor Doom glanced down and panicked.
His lower body was twisting, animal limbs flickering.
"Damn, the Cosmic Cube's reality-warping power surpasses Scarlet Witch's!" he cursed. In this rewritten space, his powers were gone, useless.
Charlie was no better.
His hands and feet morphed into spider legs, but his eyes lit up.
"Wow, sexy long legs."
Doctor Doom: "..."
Thanos: "..."
"Pervert!" they said in unison, looking away.
"No worries, watch this."
Charlie stopped wasting time.
Using his spiked "long legs," he traced a spider totem in the void, a thread of gold sinking in.
The next second, the Web of Life and Destiny bloomed across the multiverse.
"The Web of Life and Destiny!" Doctor Doom exclaimed.
He'd studied Spider-Man and knew the Web's mystical nature.
He hadn't expected it to defy the Cosmic Cube's rule-warping, halting its reality rewrite.
No wonder he was the invincible Spider-Man. Not fighting him earlier was the right call.
Doom reflected.
Continuing would've risked defeat under the Web's mysterious power.
Buzz~
As the Web restored some universal rules, Doctor Doom's cosmic power stirred.
BOOM~
Green magic erupted, and Charlie tapped into Corrupted Charlie's eight demon powers.
BOOM!!
ROAR~~
The eight demons surged forth, orbiting with the Eight Immortals' artifacts.
The Eight Trigrams grew deeper, more complete.
Under the combined assault of the Trigrams and green cosmic power, David's body shattered. The Cosmic Cube's power repaired him, retracting its overflow.
Whoosh~~
The void's darkness faded, returning them to the leaking room.
Panting, Charlie and the others eyed the unconscious David, hearts racing.
"Worthy of the Cosmic Cube. Truly powerful," Doctor Doom said, his greed barely concealed.
Charlie stepped in front, warning, "Don't start trouble. You know the Cosmic Cube won't leave David. Trying to take it will doom us all."
Doctor Doom shrugged. "I know, I won't mess around.
But Spider-Man, the Web of Life and Destiny seems stronger than the Cosmic Cube. Too bad no one can wield it, or we wouldn't need other powers."
His words dripped with probing, but Charlie ignored him.
"You're right. So while the Web's on my side, you'd better behave," he said coldly.
Doctor Doom didn't argue, just spread his hands. "I'll behave."
His words promised compliance, but his mind likely schemed otherwise.
Charlie knew this well.
After all, Lord Doom was notorious for collecting the universe's mystical powers.
In short, stealing.
But Doom's point was valid.
Mastering the Web of Life and Destiny could resolve their troubles swiftly.
Yet destiny's power was intangible—no one could grasp or escape it.
Controlling the Web was harder than defeating the Beyonders and destroying the Beyond Realm.
Compared to destiny, tackling the Cosmic Cube was more practical.
Charlie frowned at the unconscious David.
"The Cosmic Cube's power is insane. Good thing it didn't fully awaken, or it could destroy the universe with a thought."
Doctor Doom added, "This isn't even the full Cosmic Cube."
"Hm?" Charlie looked curiously. "Not complete?"
"Of course."
Doctor Doom explained, "From my gathered intel, the Cosmic Cube is no longer whole. David holds only a fragment, not enough to defeat the Beyonders."
Charlie facepalmed. "Knew it. No superpowers are complete these days. Here comes the mission."
He turned to Doom. "So, Mr. Doom, where do we find the rest of the Cosmic Cube's power?"
Doctor Doom shrugged. "No idea. Let's handle this first."
He flicked a finger, a green wisp flashing past David's eyes.
David stirred, mumbling, "Sorry, I felt so tired and fell asleep." He rubbed his eyes, standing.
Thanos nodded. "No problem. We almost fell asleep too."
Permanently.
David missed the subtext.
He stretched, smiling. "I'm ready for a life without birthday nightmares. Spider-Man, I'm in—I'll be a hero to save the world."
Charlie grinned, satisfied.
"Great, David. I hereby appoint you a probationary member of the Spider Squad. You'll travel the cosmos with me, saving worlds."
Before David could respond, Doctor Doom cut in. "Hold on. I think David should join my Doom Nation. I'll pay a fortune to make him a grand general."
"General?" David's eyes sparkled.
Charlie's heart sank, arguing back.
"What general? The Spider Squad specializes in flattening generals."
"My generals earn thirty billion cosmic credits annually."
Charlie: "..."
He didn't know the exchange rate to dollars, but it sounded tempting.
I want to be a grand general! No, wait—the invincible Spider-Man has the most potential! He gritted his teeth. "My Spider Squad's got top-tier looks!"
Doctor Doom scoffed. "My generals get benefits and body mods for extended lifespans."
Charlie clenched his fists. "What's long life without self-fulfillment?"
Doom smirked. "They also each rule a planet. That's for the lowest generals, not grand ones."
Charlie's forehead vein throbbed. "Ruling a planet's no big deal. Rule a universe!"
Doom spread his hands. "Sorry, my 19th through 23rd and next eighteen generals each rule a universe. As grand general, David would lead them all."
Charlie: "!!!"
He jumped on the table, pointing. "You! Big villain! Ruling so many universes, you've done tons of evil. I'll take you down for all cosmic humanity, purging this multiversal blight!"
Doctor Doom eyed him coldly. "Spider-Man, I admit your strength, but this is a competition. Name your terms."
Charlie: "..."
Seeing David's eager look, Charlie pondered.
He couldn't offer riches, power, or a planet.
Not even a girlfriend.
He was doomed to lose.
Finally, he conceded.
"Fine, Doom, you win."
"Wait, I'm not done!"
Thanos stepped up.
"I haven't stated my terms." He straightened, facing Doctor Doom.
Doom sneered. "Go ahead, has-been cosmic overlord. I'll allow it."
"Thank you, Mr. Doom."
Thanos nodded politely, then fixed David with a resolute gaze.
"David, do you want to truly live?"
The question stunned Charlie.
"This…"
His eyes widened, seeing hope.
As expected, David pondered Thanos's words.
Thanos continued, "David, I know failure—thinking you're destined to win, only to crash spectacularly."
He gazed out the window. "I've seen children sleep hungry, scavenge scraps in dumps.
The universe's order was collapsing. I stopped the tragedy, but not how you'd think.
I erased half its life, believing the other half would thrive."
He looked at David. "Know what happened? Newborns ate under clear skies—a paradise.
No, I was wrong."
Thanos took a deep breath. "I called myself destiny, said it countless times.
But now, you're my destiny. I need you to fulfill my old dream.
I know it's a hard choice, but the toughest choices require the strongest will.
You're qualified to choose your path.
Whatever you pick, you'll have a brilliant life."
He patted David's shoulder, his gaze firm. "But I'm confident I can guide you to be who you want—without my past mistakes."
With every word, David's eyes shone brighter.
His heart stirred inexplicably.
Charlie gave Thanos a mental thumbs-up.
Worthy of a cosmic overlord, a natural leader.
Bet Thanos loved Titan's taverns back in the day.
How else did he build a crew? As for Doctor Doom, his masked face darkened.
He knew he'd lost.
Who'd have thought this washed-up overlord had such charisma?