As the battle raged between the three-headed beast and the Abomination, the chaos drew not only civilians and soldiers, but also the media, how could these vultures be missing such a newsworthy spectacle?
Reporters from multiple news outlets had scrambled to the scene as soon as the first footage leaked. Monster attacks in the heart of New York guaranteed one thing: global attention.
Now, with cameras rolling and livestreams broadcasting across the world, millions watched in awe and horror.
The hellish creature towering in the city center didn't seem like it belonged to this world. Its massive, flame-wreathed form blazed across every screen. Coils of dark red fire twisted like serpents around its three snarling heads, casting dancing shadows on scorched concrete.
Even the saliva that dripped from its mouths hissed like acid, burning deep pits into the asphalt wherever it fell.
Its prey, the massive green monster, hung limp in its jaws, absolutely helpless.
The Abomination's skin was blackened, his body scorched and sagging. The brutal battle had left him cooked alive, corroded and broken.
And just when it seemed the nightmare was over, the central head of the beast tilted back, its jaws opened wide.
Then it bit down on the Abomination's skull.
…
Gasps erupted all around.
"Is it… is it eating him?!"
"No way… oh my God, that's disgusting!"
Onlookers screamed, some turning away from their screens. Even the battle-hardened General Ross flinched at the sight.
With a sickening crunch, the hellhound bit off Abomination's head, chewed twice, and swallowed directly.
Panic rippled outward. Those still near the battlefield fled in terror. Even people watching remotely recoiled in horror. Screams, cries, and disbelief filled the air, both on the streets and through digital waves alike.
…
Far away, across the globe in the hidden sanctuary of Kamar-Taj nestled in the Himalayas, someone else also felt the disturbance.
The Ancient One stirred.
Though physically distant, her senses were tuned to the delicate balance of Earth's mystical forces. And now, something had just shifted.
A dark power had appeared, foreign, unnatural… evil.
Even she, with centuries of knowledge and mastery, felt a tremor of unease.
"What could have bypassed the protections of the Sanctums without warning?" she murmured, rising from meditation.
With a graceful motion, she conjured a sparkling orange portal and stepped through it.
On the other side: the New York Sanctum.
As soon as she arrived, the oppressive heat and corrupted aura hit her. The air itself vibrated with the residue of something terrible.
Not as strong as Dormammu, perhaps, but potent enough to threaten the city, the world, and the balance of realms.
There was no hesitation. She opened another portal and stepped through again, this time, to the heart of the chaos.
In an instant, she appeared just a few hundred meters from the smoldering battlefield.
The scene before her was surreal.
"What in the names of the old texts… is that a Cerberus?"
Even the Ancient One, unshakable as she was, blinked in surprise.
Three snarling heads, flames like coiled dragons, and a monstrous size that dwarfed some nearby buildings. It radiated malice. It burned with fury. It stood like a guardian of hell itself.
But her surprise lasted only a moment.
The temperature was still climbing. A single step closer, and ordinary humans would burn where they stood. This thing could not remain here.
She raised her hands, preparing a containment spell. But then the beast shifted.
Its massive form began to shrink rapidly, flames vanishing in wisps of smoke.
Within seconds, the monstrous hound was gone.
Completely.
No portal. No trace whatsoever.
Only silence
…
The Ancient One lowered her hands, and for the first time in centuries, she was baffled.
Where the creature had stood, now there was nothing, just the smoldering, headless remains of the Abomination. Half his body charred, the other half melted.
She stepped forward cautiously.
There were no dimensional rifts. No spells lingering in the air. Whatever force had brought that creature into existence had vanished just as quickly.
She knelt beside the corpse, examining it briefly.
"Human-made," she murmured. "Typical, tampering with powers they barely understand."
Clearly, the Abomination wasn't a foreign invader or a demon, just another failed experiment by people pushing too far.
Not her concern.
But the other one?
That flaming beast, that pure evil…
That was definitely her concern.
And yet, it had vanished without a trace.
She stood still for a moment, looking around the ruined battlefield, as the last embers died and the heat began to fade.
Gone.
As if it had never existed.
…