Marvel's master of cosmic magic

Chapter 504

"Home."

"Home."

"Home."

"Home."

Blade, Human Torch, Elektra, and Remy answered at the same time, without hesitation.

Each of them had someone waiting in their own universe. Family. Friends. Lives that had been ripped away the moment they were erased into the Void. Every day here had been survival, not living.

People didn’t challenge Cassandra because they were brave.

They challenged her because of a rumor.

That she knew a way out.

The Void was vast. If you hid long enough, her forces might never find you. But hiding meant giving up any chance of going home. So people fought her instead.

And they always lost.

Cassandra was too strong. Even entire groups of erased survivors working together couldn’t touch her.

Now there was a clean way out.

Who would say no?

Wade hopped in front of them, pointing at himself wildly.

"Not you yet," Rowan Mercer said calmly, nudging him aside. "You’re later."

Wade froze, then started flailing in protest.

Rowan ignored him.

If Wade went back now, Paradox would immediately send TVA hunters after him. Rowan needed to finish things in the Void first and collect more multiverse coordinates. Then he could send Wade back and use him as a bridge to make contact with the Time Variance Authority.

Paradox’s reality-destruction engine still needed days to finish.

Rowan needed only hours here.

"Uh," Remy murmured to Human Torch, watching Wade bounce around like a trapped pinball. "Your friend... is he mute?"

Human Torch grinned. "Temporary. Rowan shut him up because he’s unbearable."

"Didn’t know someone could out-annoy you," Elektra said dryly.

They shared a brief, quiet smile.

Different universes. Same war. Same exhaustion.

They were about to part.

"You don’t need to do anything," Rowan said, stepping up to Blade. "Just stand still."

He placed one hand on Blade’s shoulder.

With the other, he traced a circle in the air.

A portal bloomed open.

On the other side: a dim underground chamber.

A muscular man with perfect abs was pinned to the floor, screaming obscenities while a leather-clad vampire woman crushed his groin with a stiletto heel.

"Talk," she snarled. "Where is Blade?"

"I swear on my future kids, woman," the man wheezed, "when my backup arrives, I’m going to—"

The heel came down harder.

Human Torch leaned halfway through the portal. "Wow. Is this a dungeon or a very niche nightclub?"

Logan lit a cigar, squinting at the man on the floor, then at Wade.

"Wade," he muttered. "Tell me I’m not crazy. Doesn’t he look like you, twenty years ago?"

Wade gestured indignantly.

Blade stepped through the portal.

His sword flashed.

The vampire woman and her nearby guards disintegrated into ash before anyone could scream.

"I was attacking a vampire nest when I got erased into the Void," Blade said calmly. "Going after an ancient vampire who crawled out of the desert. Guess I came back at the exact same moment."

He nodded at the man on the floor.

"Hannibal King. One of my partners. Vampire hunter."

Hannibal clutched himself and staggered upright.

"Eric, you absolute bastard," he groaned. "You were ten minutes late. Ten. I was about to get turned into juice."

Then he noticed the portal.

"...Why is reality doing donuts behind you? And who are all these people?"

"My friends," Blade said. "Long story. I wouldn’t be standing here without them."

Elektra hesitated, then looked at Rowan.

"Can we help him finish this?" she asked quietly. "That ancient vampire. Eric said it was bad."

Human Torch and Remy looked at Rowan too.

Rowan thought for a moment.

"It won’t interfere with your return," he said. "But don’t take too long. If the TVA notices timeline distortion, it gets annoying."

"That thing won’t last long," Rowan added mildly.

"Guess we’re doing a bonus round," Human Torch said, already cracking his knuckles.

Rowan stepped through the portal with Elektra, Remy, and Human Torch.

Logan followed after a brief pause, claws sliding out.

Leaving him alone with Wade, even mute, was still unbearable.

Wade immediately drew his swords and dove in after him.

Blade didn’t waste time on speeches.

"Thanks," he said once.

Then he ran.

Outside, the vampire base turned into a slaughterhouse.

Blade, Elektra, Remy, Human Torch, Logan, and Wade tore through guards like a storm front rolling over dry leaves.

Regular vampires didn’t stand a chance.

Hannibal King stared from the doorway, jaw hanging open.

"Where the hell did Eric find these people?"

He glanced down at the chains on his wrists.

"Hey! Eric! Little help before you go full action movie again?"

Rowan lifted his hand.

The chains fell apart.

Another flick of his fingers.

Hannibal’s wounds sealed shut.

"Go," Rowan said calmly.

Hannibal swallowed.

"Yeah. Right. Going. Definitely going."