Amid the chaos, Corrina pushed through the fray, her voice trembling but resolute. "Michael!" she shouted, tears streaking down her face. "Stop this! Look at what you've become… You're not saving anyone. You're just destroying everything."
Her words struck harder than any blow. Korvac staggered, his aura flickering with instability. His eyes darted to her, searching for hope—but all he saw was fear. And disappointment.
"You think I'm the monster?" he asked, his voice breaking.
"You are," Corrina whispered.
A silence fell.
Then, with a roar of anguish, Korvac unleashed a devastating pulse of cosmic energy. "You will all die!" he bellowed, pain and rage twisting his expression.
Just as he prepared to strike again, his Energy Sensing abilities alerted him to the approach of a powerful entity.
"Who are you?" he barked, turning toward the sky.
There, descending like a comet, was Ben—his energy flaring like a star.
Korvac didn't hesitate. With a flash of motion, he raised his hands and summoned a radiant force field, his entire body glowing as he drew deeply from the well of his cosmic energy.
Facing the cosmic maelstrom, Ben stood firm, and he calmly spoke, "I understand your pain, but you can't harm innocent people, Feedback."
Unbeknownst to Korvac, Ben activated the powers of Feedback alien.
"You're just like the rest!" Korvac snapped, his voice laced with rage. "You've come to capture me too!"
" Korvac roared, projecting potent energy beams from his hands and eyes using Energy Projection. The powerful beams slammed into Ben, surrounding him in a violent storm of light.
Ben didn't flinch.
"You need to calm down," he said, absorbing the energy blasts directly into his hands.
Around them, the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy watched in awe. Even Korvac faltered, taken aback by Ben's ability to absorb his attacks with almost casual ease. His Energy Constructs, his usual go-to tactics, now seemed pointless against this new foe.
With a growl of frustration, Korvac switched tactics. Channeling his Superhuman Strength and Telekinesis, he ripped chunks of the battlefield free—cars, statues, even pieces of nearby buildings.
With a flick of his mind, they flew toward Ben like cosmic missiles.
"Alright. Guess I'll have to bring out the heavy hitter. Gravattack," Ben calmly uttered as he tapped into the power of the Gravattack Alien.
Raising his hands, he caught every projectile in mid-air—suspended as if frozen in time.
Korvac himself was lifted, struggling mid-air as the invisible force bound him.
"You're not thinking clearly, Michael," Ben said with genuine sympathy. "I'm sorry it came to this."
With a subtle motion, Ben increased the gravitational force, slamming Korvac into the ground—once, twice, again. Each impact echoed through Central Park like thunder. The final strike left Korvac unconscious, the fury in him finally silenced.
As the dust settled from the fierce battle, Peter Quill jogged over to Tony Stark, wide-eyed and full of questions.
"Okay, seriously—who was that guy?" Peter asked, pointing toward Ben. "And how long have you been hiding him? That was insane!"
Tony chuckled, brushing some imaginary dust off his shoulder. "Oh, you know... we like to keep a few surprises up our sleeves," he said smugly. "Just like you didn't mention a certain cosmic maniac showing up uninvited, we figured we'd return the favor."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Touché."
While the playful exchange continued, the rest of the Avengers casually stood by Ben, silently reinforcing the idea that he was part of their team. Though in truth, Ben had no prior connection to any of them, he played along, offering a small, amused smile.
He watched Korvac lying unconscious nearby.
Later, back at the Avengers Mansion, both teams—Avengers and Guardians—had gathered in a high-tech lounge. The atmosphere was tense, yet calm. Korvac, now stabilized, slowly opened his eyes. He blinked, disoriented, scanning the room until his gaze met Corrina's. A silent exchange passed between them—regret and love tangled in a single look.
Ben stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "So... feeling a little more like yourself now?"
Korvac sat up slowly, then lowered his head. "Yes. I—I'm sorry. My mind was fractured. I let it take over... and I hurt people. I never meant to."
Corrina walked over, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're back. That's what matters."
Ben nodded thoughtfully, then pulled out a sleek, metallic band-like device from his pocket. "I figured something like this might happen," he said. "This device will help stabilize your thoughts and regulate your powers. It's tuned to your energy signature."
He handed it to Korvac, "But there's a condition."
Korvac sat on the edge of the med-bay bed, his hands clasped together, eyes locked on Ben. "I agree to every condition," he said without hesitation.
His voice was steady, his gaze shifting briefly to Corrina standing beside him. "I just want peace... with her."
Ben nodded, stepping closer. "You don't need to get involved in anything dangerous anymore. You've already been through enough."
His tone softened, but the seriousness remained. "You're still a target, Korvac. My condition is simple—leave Earth. Start over with Corrina somewhere safe. Far from all this."
Corrina squeezed Korvac's hand, her eyes misting. "I don't care where we go. As long as we're together."
Korvac looked at her, then back at Ben. "Then we'll go. Thank you... for giving us that chance."
Ben gave a small, approving smile. "Good."
With the tension easing, he stepped away from the couple and turned to the others. "Well... now that everything's settled, I should get back."
Just as he was about to lift off, his eyes landed on Carol Danvers—Ms. Marvel. A flicker of recognition passed between them. Something unspoken. Something from another time, another universe.
He walked over to her, slow and deliberate. She stood still, curious.
Ben raised a hand and gently brushed her cheek with his fingertips. "You are amazing," he said softly.
Carol blinked, momentarily frozen. As Ben turned and took flight, soaring out of the mansion, she stood in stunned silence. Her fingers brushed the place where his hand had been, a rare blush creeping up her cheeks.
Rocket nudged Star-Lord. "Okay, who is that guy, and why do I kinda like him?"
Peter just shrugged. "No idea."
As Ben vanished into the sky, Korvac and Corrina quietly left too.
The Avengers and Guardians exchanged glances, the gravity of what they'd witnessed settling in.
Then, without a word, the heroes began to part ways, each one changed in their own subtle way by the presence of the man who had just left.
Wasp turned to Carol with a knowing smile.
"You okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Carol blinked, still caught in the daze of Ben's parting gesture. "Yeah… I just wasn't expecting that," she murmured, her fingers brushing her cheek where he had touched her.
Wasp smirked. "Well, someone's got a secret admirer from another universe."
Carol shot her a playful glare, cheeks flushed. "Shut up."
Their shared laughter broke the tension, but deep inside, a sense of something new—had begun to stir.
Meanwhile, from high above the clouds, Ben soared toward his mansion. Though Korvac was gone and peace had been restored—for now—the weight of Earth's safety still lingered on Avengers shoulders.
So many battles won… and yet, there's always another storm coming, he thought.
As he landed on the mansion's terrace, the peaceful silence was quickly broken by a sudden alert. Super Ultron's voice cut through the air.
"Priority Alpha Alert. Unauthorized biological incursion detected."
Ben turned sharply as a holographic projection lit up in front of him. He leaned in, eyes narrowing.
The footage showed Captain America stepping into a dim alley to meet an old war buddy. But just as Steve extended a handshake, the "friend" pulled a hidden injector from his coat. With a hiss and a flash, the needle plunged into Steve's neck.
"Steve!" Ben hissed under his breath.
Cap collapsed instantly, his shield clattering to the ground.
Then, before Ben's eyes, the attacker morphed—flesh rippling and reshaping into a perfect copy of Steve Rogers. The Skrull imposter glanced around, then picked up the shield.
"The infiltration has begun," the false Captain murmured coldly, his eyes glowing a faint green.
Ben clenched his fists. "They've started replacing heroes. And no one will notice… not until it's too late."
He turned from the screen, thinking aloud. "I could warn the Avengers. But if I play this smart… I might be able to expose all of them in one move."
Back at Avengers Mansion, the doorbell rang insistently.
Hawkeye, lounging on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, groaned and stood up. "Alright, alright, I'm coming."
He opened the door and blinked in surprise. Standing before him were Thing and Johnny Storm, grinning like kids at a candy shop.
"Well, well, look who it is!" Hawkeye said, leaning against the frame. "Ben Grimm and the Human Torch. You boys lost, or just here to crash game night?"
Thing shrugged, cracking his knuckles. "Heard there was poker. Figured we'd bring the party."
Johnny smirked. "Hope you stocked up on chips—because I plan on burning through all of 'em."
Hawkeye stepped aside with a laugh. "Come on in. Just don't torch the table."
As the Fantastic Four entered, laughter echoed down the halls. Unbeknownst to them, however, danger was already creeping in—masked in familiar faces and waiting to strike from the shadows.