Spider-Man 0X

Ch: 229 [Knull awakened]

Tony Stark was sitting in his lab, surrounded by holograms and machinery. The soft whirring of servos and the hum of energy reactors filled the air as usual. His focus was on the new suit design - a cutting-edge iteration of his armor, using an upgraded version of his old liquid nanites.

The Ancient One had been clear that Thanos would not be the only problem. Knull, god of the symbiotes, and Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, would eventually make their appearances. Tony was not going to sit idle and wait for them to come. Preparation was key, and he was not going to be caught off guard again.

He hunched over the table, cinching a tiny component in the suit's chest piece. The nanites shimmered, responding to his commands as they flowed and shifted. His mind was racing with calculations, improvements, and possible scenarios. He needed the suit to be smarter, faster, and versatile enough to handle cosmic threats.

A small red blob emerged from one of his older suits in the corner of the laboratory. The blob was silent and purposeful, slithering across the floor as it edged closer and closer with each passing second.

Tony set down his tools and stepped back to survey what he had done. "Not bad, Stark," he muttered, admiring the fine lines of the suit. He reached for the coffee on the table but froze in mid-movement. Something ran up his arm, a cold, slimy touch that made his skin prickle. He looked down and saw the red stuff attach itself to his wrist. And before he even had time to react again, the symbiote shot up his arm and up across his chest. He tried to pull it off, but it already took over, and his eyes blurred. His knees collapsed, and down he fell onto the floor.

Darkness had consumed Tony's mind. It was cold and oppressive, but within it stirred a presence, as if something was keeping him company. Scenes flashed before him...

They were fragmented and endless.

He saw a figure, towering and sinister, wrapped in darkness. Its eyes glowed red, like embers out of Hell, and tendrils of black and crimson curled around it, snake-like, as if living. The ancient creature was holding a black sword. Tony did not need to guess any names. How he knew this was Knull, god of the symbiote at the first glance.

The vision shifted. Planets burned, consumed by writhing masses of symbiotes. Entire civilizations fell to their onslaught, their screams silenced as they became part of the hive. Tony's stomach churned, but the visions didn't stop.

He saw Earth, covered in darkness...

A deep, guttural voice echoed through his mind, "The symbiotes are coming. They are searching for something... Someone... A key to their dominance. A key that will remove their weakness and make them immune to every power in existence. A hybrid Celestial."

Suddenly, Tony felt Knull's eyes on him. It was suffocating and he could hardly breathe. Knull pointed his finger at Tony, "You will fail," He declared directly to Tony's mind. "Your toys cannot stop me. I will claim this world and every soul on it. And when I do, my hunt will begin anew. Gods will fall, Celestials will fall. Do try to resist and make it more fun for me."

Tony tried to push back, but couldn't; he was powerless against the sheer force of will emanating from the being. The visions grew chaotic—cities collapsing, friends dropping one by one. And when it was done, one final shot remained: his own suit, corrupted and twisted, standing as a puppet for Knull.

"That's a small glimpse of your future. Resist till the end," Knull's voice echoed in Tony's mind.

With a gasp, Tony sat up straight, his chest heaving. He was in his lab again, sprawled on the floor. His body ached and sweat-drenched his shirt. The red symbiote was gone, without a trace of its very existence. For a second, he wondered if it'd all just been a dream, but the impending dread in his chest told him so much otherwise. His hands trembled as he reached for the holographic control panel on his desk.

"Friday, full-body diagnostic. Now."

The AI assistant's calm, female voice responded instantly. "Of course, boss. Please remain still."

A soft blue light emanated from the ceiling, scanning his body from head to toe. He felt the familiar hum of the system calibrating as Friday analyzed every cell, organ, and synapse. Tony's mind raced, replaying the visions over and over, the chilling voice of Knull echoing in his thoughts.

"Scan complete," Friday announced after what felt like an eternity. "No foreign substances, parasites, or anomalies detected in your system, boss."

Tony exhaled a shaky breath, but the knot of unease in his chest remained. "Double-check," he demanded. "Nanite-level inspection. Look for anything remotely symbiotic. I don't care how small."

"Yes, boss. Beginning enhanced scan."

Tony stood rigid, watching as the holographic display showed layers of his body being analyzed. Bloodwork, cellular structures, and even his brainwaves were scrutinized by Friday's unparalleled algorithms. The results began to populate on the screen: Clean. Clean. Clean.

"Still no trace of any foreign material," Friday said gently, as though sensing his unease. "You're completely clear."

Tony collapsed into his chair, rubbing his temples. The pounding in his head refused to subside. "Then what the hell just happened?" he muttered. His hands moved instinctively, pulling up the lab's security footage. He scrubbed through the timeline, eyes narrowing as he searched for the red blob.

Nothing.

The footage showed him working on the suit, reaching for his coffee… then blackness. The cameras had recorded no blob, no attack, no fall. It was as if the incident had never occurred.

"Friday, check for system tampering. Did anything mess with the lab's security feed?"

"Performing integrity check," Friday replied. Moments later, she returned with a response. "No signs of tampering. All systems are functioning normally."

Tony leaned back, his eyes staring at the ceiling. If it wasn't real, why did it feel so real? And what about Knull? That name, that presence—he couldn't have fabricated it. It wasn't like any nightmare he'd ever had.

"Boss," Friday interrupted his thoughts, "your vitals indicate elevated stress levels. Should I call Dr. Banner or Dr. Strange?"

Tony shook his head. "No. Not yet. Let's not go running to the Avengers or the wizards for this."

He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to clear his thoughts. 'There was someone else other than Knull in that vision. A hybrid Celestial? A key?' It wasn't just his life at stake—it was the entire planet. He couldn't ignore this.

...

Far across the vast emptiness of space, in a region cloaked in eternal darkness, Knull stirred. His prison, forged by the Celestials in their arrogance, had weakened over millennia. The divine chains that once bound him had frayed under the constant strain of his will. Now, the ancient god of the symbiotes sat upon his throne of writhing black, his crimson eyes glowing with a malevolent light.

The prison was not silent. The void thrummed with the ceaseless whispers of his children—the symbiotes scattered across the galaxies. They cried out to him, their creator, their god. They awaited his command.

A massive ripple of energy spread through the void, shattering what remained of the Celestial bindings. The darkness surrounding Knull churned violently as his will surged outward. He rose, his towering form an amalgam of pure malevolence and ancient power. The All-Black, his cursed Necrosword, appeared in his hand, its edge gleaming with an unholy light that seemed to devour the surrounding shadows.

The time had come.

The prison's barrier gave way with a final, thunderous crack. Knull stepped forward, his presence radiating a suffocating darkness that consumed everything in its path. The celestial wardens had long since perished, their once-vibrant creations reduced to lifeless husks by Knull's corrosive influence.

He gazed out into the endless expanse, his lip curling in a sneer. *Earth.* He had seen it in his visions. A small, insignificant planet, yet it harbored what he sought—a hybrid Celestial. The key to removing the symbiotes' one true weakness: Enigma Force. A perfect being that could merge his symbiotic creations with Celestial energy, making them invulnerable, unstoppable.

Knull stretched his arms outward, and the void responded. Symbiotic tendrils writhed and twisted, forming a massive, writhing mass that surrounded him like a living tide. His voice, deep and guttural, resonated through the void.

"My children," he intoned, his words carrying across the cosmos, "the time has come to reclaim what is mine. The Celestials thought they could imprison me, but their arrogance shall be their undoing. Earth shall fall. Its light will be extinguished, and from its ashes, I will forge a new darkness."

The symbiotes surged in response, their voices joining in a cacophony of screeches and hisses. Entire planets, already consumed by his influence, began to stir. Symbiotic hives activated, their dormant inhabitants awakened to carry out their master's will.

Knull extended a hand, and from the depths of his prison emerged a colossal vessel—a living, breathing fortress crafted from symbiotic material. It pulsated with energy, a monstrous entity capable of traversing the stars. As Knull stepped aboard, the ship groaned and shifted, its tendrils wrapping around him protectively.

"Prepare the hive," he commanded. "Earth will kneel before me, and its champions will fall. Their light will be devoured."

The ship surged forward, propelled by tendrils of living darkness. Knull's gaze remained fixed ahead, unyielding and full of hatred. His thoughts drifted to the figures he had glimpsed—heroes who would attempt to stand against him. He sneered at the idea. No armor, no sorcery, no resistance would matter. They would all succumb.

As the ship tore through space, the symbiotes spread his message across the stars. Planets they passed trembled in fear, their inhabitants either fleeing or succumbing to the darkness. The god of the symbiotes was free, and his hunger for destruction was insatiable.

His destination: Earth.

The hybrid Celestial awaited him, as did a certain mortal who dared to glimpse his presence—one Tony Stark. A small grin formed on Knull's face. The so-called genius would soon learn just how insignificant his creations truly were.

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