Max stood calmly, observing the vibrating Darkhold on top of the fourth machine as its energy rippled through the room. The other machines hummed quietly, each fulfilling its crucial role in the grand plan.
"Chthon's powers are mighty in his dimension," Max began, addressing the group. "He can alter reality, bend the laws of the universe itself. But here, outside of his realm, he's bound by verbal magic alone. The moment he took over Apocalypse's body, he lost his full potential." Max pointed to the Vibranium block encasing Apocalypse, Chthon trapped within, his voice now slurred and confused.
"Blight your—table! Worms shall...sing...eggs with—" Chthon sputtered, trying to form a coherent insult, but the machine distorted his words into ridiculous nonsense. The attempt at a threatening sentence died in the air, making it almost comical.
The group exchanged confused looks as Chthon's voice broke off into random phrases.
Tony smirked. "I don't know if he's trying to kill us or if he's ordering breakfast."
Steve chuckled, unable to hide his amusement at the cosmic being's futile attempts. "Either way, he's not making much sense."
Max grinned. "That's part of the trick. Chthon's power here relies solely on the spoken word. With this machine, I've scrambled his ability to make sense of the magic he needs. He can't even cast a simple spell now."
Chthon, enraged, tried once again. "Your—fingers...socks of dirt! Puny...lamp...darkens your—" His words devolved into garbled nonsense, failing to produce any effect.
Magneto, watching from the edge of the second energy shield, crossed his arms. "So, you're telling me this entire fight was unnecessary? You could have activated the shields, and we would have been unnecessary."
Max glanced at him, shrugging. "Well, I needed a distraction to lure Chthon out. I didn't want him realizing this was a trap. Plus, having you and the others here added pressure. Chthon was desperate to stop us, so he became reckless."
Chthon tried to respond, but his sentence was once again interrupted by random words that made no sense. "You shall—penguins dance...upon the—pizza of doom!"
Tony couldn't hold back his laughter. "Penguins, huh? Real scary."
Max nodded, unfazed. "This is why I wanted you all here. Chthon would've had a chance to destroy the machines had he focused his efforts earlier. Now, he's stuck in Apocalypse's body, unable to cast magic or use mutant abilities."
Chthon's frustration only grew. His voice cracked with anger as he spat out yet another jumbled insult. "Your—tea pot...shakes before—moons of...sandwiches!"
Logan wiped his bloodied claws and shook his head. "This guy's more of a joke than anything now."
Tony turned to Max, his curiosity piqued. "Okay, so the machines are doing their thing. What exactly does the fourth one do? It's clearly pissing Chthon off more than the others."
Max crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby stone pillar. "The fourth machine destabilizes dimensions. It's based on technology I once read about in an alternate universe where a scientist named Dr. McKay tried to create an alternative to a ZPM—an advanced energy source."
Tony's eyes widened in recognition. "Stargate technology?"
Max nodded. "Exactly. McKay used a parallel dimension to siphon energy, but the machine inadvertently began destabilizing that universe. Had he left it running, the parallel dimension would've collapsed entirely. McKay shut it down in time, but the damage had already begun."
Chthon's garbled attempt at speech cut through the explanation. "Your—fingernails...laugh at the—tree bark of—"
Max continued, ignoring the incoherent insults. "So, I applied the same principle here. But instead of a random dimension, I targeted Chthon's. His dimension isn't a full universe. It's more like a pocket realm—much smaller, and without the self-healing capabilities of a true universe. The fourth machine is destabilizing it much faster."
Chthon's voice roared in frustration, but it was still unintelligible. "You shall—breakfast...with—cheese and—rainbows!"
Steve looked horrified at the implications. "So, you're destroying his entire dimension? That sounds..."
Max cut in. "Necessary. He'd do the same to us if he had the chance."
Chthon tried to cast a spell, but his words were once again scrambled into gibberish. "Your—clouds of—squirrels...shall...swim!"
The group exchanged amused glances, but Tony pressed on with his questions. "And what happens when his dimension is gone?"
Max gestured to the Vibranium block containing Apocalypse. "Chthon will have to cut his connection to Earth before his dimension collapses entirely. That's the only way to stop the fourth machine from continuing its process. He can either disconnect or be destroyed."
Hank McCoy furrowed his brow, the scientist in him intrigued. "So, what about the N'Garai? They're bound to Chthon, right? What happens to them?"
Max turned to Storm, who had asked the same question moments earlier. "Once the connection is severed, the N'Garai will likely die or become significantly weaker. Without Chthon's power fueling them, they won't be a threat anymore."
Chthon's muffled voice erupted again. "I shall—plow the—clouds with—bananas!"
Logan snorted. "This guy just doesn't quit, does he?"
Max glanced at Logan. "No, but he's powerless now."
Hank's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Is this also why you didn't want Wanda involved?"
Max sighed. "Yes. Chthon would have tried to possess her or, at the very least, manipulate her into undoing all of this. She's too dangerous to bring here."
Chthon's garbled voice continued. "Your—feathers...will—destroy the—pancakes!"
Steve finally spoke up. "So, how long until Chthon cuts his connection?"
Max shrugged. "Could be minutes, could be hours. Either way, we've trapped him. He's not leaving this dimension without some serious losses."
Chthon's attempt at one last curse fizzled into absurdity. "Your—hamsters...shall...float—forever!"
Tony clapped his hands together. "Well, at least we won't have to worry about Chthon's hamsters."
Max smirked and gave a nod toward the Vibranium block. "And in the meantime, I'll keep Chthon's body on ice. He'll probably retreat soon, but the moment he does, we'll know."
Tony, still chuckling, turned serious for a moment. "So, you've got this machine that can destroy entire dimensions, huh? What else do you plan on using it for?"
Max's expression grew darker. "The TVA."
Steve's eyes widened. "The TVA? Why would you need to destroy them?"
Max sighed. "Because they meddle in time. They've erased entire timelines, destroyed countless lives just because they deemed them 'incorrect.' And worse, they weaken the entire multiverse by restricting how many universes can exist."
Chthon tried to chime in, but his voice was a garbled mess. "Your—marshmallows...shall—bend before the—onions of—"
Tony nodded. "So, this TVA... they're really that bad?"
Max leaned back against the machine. "Worse than you can imagine. I built this machine specifically to destroy their dimension if they ever try to mess with me."
Mordo, standing silently until now, finally spoke. "And how does the TVA manipulate time?"
Max crossed his arms. "They have technology—machines that allow them to travel through time, reset universes, and even create paradoxes. They enforce their idea of order, and they limit the multiverse's growth."
Mordo's face darkened. "And what of Dormammu? What are your plans for him?"
Max glanced at him. "The machine I built for Dormammu is the same principle. If he ever tries to invade Earth again, I'll destabilize his dimension just like I'm doing with Chthon's."
Chthon's voice rang out again. "You—shall...eat the—worms of...victory!"
The group collectively groaned, tired of the nonsensical insults.
Max sighed. "Chthon won't allow his dimension to be destroyed. Eventually, he'll sever the connection, and we'll be rid of him for good. But if he doesn't..."
Storm raised an eyebrow. "And if he doesn't?"
Max looked up, his gaze calm but serious. "Then his entire dimension will collapse. And the N'Garai will either die from the shock or become powerless. Either way, Chthon is out of the picture."
Logan flicked his claws clean, looking satisfied. "Well, let's hope he's smart enough to run while he still can."
Max nodded. "In the meantime, we wait."
Hank's voice was quiet as he asked the final question. "So, that's why you didn't want Wanda involved?"
Max nodded grimly. "Chthon would have possessed her or killed her to sever the connection. I couldn't risk it."
As the group stood in the shattered ruins of the pyramid, the reality of their situation sank in. They had Chthon trapped, but the waiting game had begun.