Deadpool tumbled down the narrow tunnel, his body bouncing ungracefully against the walls as he fell. He tried to orient himself, but the darkness was absolute, making it impossible to tell which way was up. With a loud, undignified thud, he landed at the bottom in a heap.
"Wow. Ten out of ten for that landing," he groaned, pulling himself upright. Dusting himself off, he glanced around, though it was hard to see anything in the pitch black. "You guys might want to think about upgrading your elevator system. Maybe throw in a railing or some mood lighting?"
He took a cautious step forward. The ground beneath his feet felt solid enough, but when he reached out, there was nothing—just a void stretching endlessly in all directions. It was unsettling, even for Deadpool. Still, he shrugged and muttered, "Eh, I've been in weirder places. Bring it on, void of doom!"
Above, Charlie wasn't fully focused on Deadpool's escapades. Instead, he had Friday set up a broadcast feed, allowing him to watch Deadpool's perspective while managing the chaos outside. To Charlie, it was like gaming while watching a livestream—a multitasking feat he had long since mastered. His enhanced senses made it easy to track both the fight and Deadpool's progress simultaneously.
Outside the temple, Green Lantern and Iron Man were effortlessly dispatching wave after wave of alien attackers. Between Green Lantern's constructs and Iron Man's advanced tech, the battle was more of a chore than a challenge. Charlie estimated they were only using about 30-40% of their energy to wipe out the enemies. That left plenty of attention free for monitoring Deadpool, who was effectively his "human camera" inside the mysterious temple.
That was the whole reason Charlie had brought Deadpool along in the first place. With his unique blend of unpredictability and resilience, Deadpool was perfect for exploring the unknown. If the legends about an ancient god awakening turned out to be true, Deadpool would be the first to encounter it—giving Charlie a valuable advantage.
Then something unexpected happened.
A massive, glowing eye opened in the void.
Deadpool froze mid-step, his gaze drawn upward. The eye was enormous, its pupil swirling with venomous green energy that seemed to radiate malice. Just looking at it sent a chill through the air, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees. Deadpool felt an involuntary shiver crawl up his spine.
"Well, hello there," Deadpool said, his voice dripping with mock friendliness. "Big, scary, and glowing—my three favorite things! Do you come with a name, or should I call you Eyeball McEvil?"
The eye's gaze didn't waver. As Deadpool took a step back, the rest of the figure emerged from the shadows. It was a massive demon, its body pitch black and grotesquely deformed. Rugged spikes jutted out from its limbs, and its movements were unnervingly fluid for something so massive.
Deadpool tilted his head, unfazed. "Oh, hey, we've met before, haven't we? You're the guy I ran into when I touched that creepy statue. Remember me? No? Aw, that hurts, big guy. I thought we had something special!"
The demon god didn't respond, but there was recognition in its unblinking eye. Deadpool's voice turned smug. "Yeah, you remember. I'm hard to forget—just ask anyone."
As Deadpool rambled, another figure appeared in the void. It was a young boy, his movements hesitant as he landed lightly beside Deadpool. The statue he had been holding earlier was gone, seemingly absorbed by the temple itself. The boy looked up at the demon god with wide, terrified eyes, his expression a mixture of panic and confusion.
The demon god's gaze shifted to the boy, its eye narrowing slightly. The air grew heavier as it stepped forward, its massive form looming over them.
"Whoa, slow down there, big fella," Deadpool said, stepping in front of the boy with his katanas drawn. "You've got a problem, you take it up with me. Leave the kid out of it."
Deadpool squared his shoulders, ready for a fight, but to his surprise, the demon god didn't attack. Instead, it paused, its body lowering slowly. The outlines of its form began to blur as it bowed its head, its massive frame sinking into the darkness around it.
Deadpool blinked, lowering his swords. "Uh… you good? Free from courtesy, and all that?" He scratched his head, clearly confused by the demon god's unexpected display of submission.
The demon god turned slightly, revealing a path carved through the void. It gestured toward the boy and Deadpool, silently urging them forward. The boy hesitated, glancing at Deadpool for reassurance. Deadpool gave him a thumbs-up. "Go on, kid. Big, scary, and polite here isn't gonna stop us."
With a deep breath, the boy stepped onto the path, his movements slow and deliberate. Deadpool followed, keeping his swords at the ready just in case the demon god changed its mind. As they walked, the void around them began to shift, shapes emerging from the shadows. After a few moments, they came to a stop in front of the statue, now resting in a perfectly shaped slot.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then reached out to touch the statue. The moment his fingers brushed the surface, the statue began to glow. Light radiated outward, banishing the darkness and illuminating the void with a soft, golden hue.
Then, everything changed.
The darkness dissolved, replaced by a series of vivid, holographic images. They appeared all around, forming a massive, immersive scene. Deadpool and the boy were at the center of it, their surroundings transformed into what felt like a living movie.
Above, Charlie's eyes widened as he watched the broadcast. He hadn't expected this. Instead of finding an ancient god or some powerful artifact, Deadpool and the boy had unlocked the truth—a story long buried in the sands of time.
The images revealed the history of the Stardust Valley, the boy's home. Generations ago, the Stardust Valley was a sanctuary for the chosen ones of the old gods. These gods had once ruled the star realm, but they were eventually overthrown and replaced by a new pantheon. The chosen ones who had served the old gods lost their powers, retreating to the valley to preserve their legacy.
For centuries, they lived in peace, guarding the secrets of the old gods. But more than a decade ago, their sanctuary was discovered by divine envoys loyal to the new gods. Believing the old gods' return would threaten their masters, the envoys launched a brutal assault, slaughtering the people of the Stardust Valley to ensure the old gods could never rise again.
Almost.
The images shifted, revealing a single child—small, innocent, and oblivious to the destruction around him. One of the envoys had found him and hesitated. Unable to bring himself to kill the boy, the envoy chose to spare him, believing the child posed no threat.
But the envoy had been wrong.
The boy was the key to everything. His lineage tied him directly to the old gods, and his survival meant the possibility of their return still existed. The images faded, leaving Deadpool and the boy standing in silence.
"Well," Deadpool said after a long pause. "That was… heavy. So, uh, you wanna talk about it, or should we just grab a milkshake and pretend this didn't happen?"
The boy didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the empty slot where the statue had been. For the first time, he seemed to understand the weight of his existence—and the danger it brought.
Charlie leaned back, his expression thoughtful as he processed what he had just seen. "This just got a whole lot more complicated," he muttered.