Marvel: NIHILITY

There's good luck, there is bad luck, and there is shitty luck. However, my luck seems keen on setting down a new standard today for worst luck ever.

First, I am shoved into a nasty body that has gone through torture for years, then I get tortured as well for who knows how long. Then a questionable dude offers me power which I take but it ends up destroying the universe.

Cherry on top, now the Living tribunal has come to judge me for my accidental mass genocide and universal destruction!

I looked at the two cosmic beings that are in staring contest and just speak depressed, "Just get this over it." To which both of them stare at me .

The being of Nothingness beside me chuckled softly. "Behave, human. You have an audience with the multiverse's arbiter. Few mortals can say that."

David shot him an unimpressed glare. "Yeah, great. Maybe I'll get a souvenir mug."

The Tribunal's booming voice interrupted any further banter, resonating across the void. It wasn't sound, but a force that hammered directly into my consciousness.

"Mortal. You have destroyed your universe, yet you are no cosmic being. You are a vessel of powers beyond mortal comprehension. State your nature. Explain your actions."

David blinked. "Explain? Seriously? I almost died in a lab while those sick bastards were cutting me open. Some cosmic lunatic decided to shove his power into me, and this, he gestured at the nothingness around him "was the result. I didn't ask for any of this!"

The Tribunal's three faces regarded him silently, their expressions unchanged. He continued, his voice rising with anger.

"If you wanna judge me, fine. But I didn't want to destroy everything, I just wanted it to end.

 I've been a punching bag for my whole life, for people, for fate itself. I never got to choose." His voice softened as he looked down at his feet.

"If you want to erase me now, go ahead. At least it'll be over."

There was silence. Endless, unbearable silence.

Then the Tribunal spoke again, its tone marginally softer, like a storm retreating to a distant horizon.

"Your intentions were not born of malice. Though you harbor within you an essence of Nihility—of absolute destruction—you are not yet its master. The fault lies not with you but with those who sought to exploit you."

David's crime partner, now identified as Nihility, protested from the side, " Hey! that's not fair. I just forgot to mention the side effects…..maybe."

David stared at the colossal being in disbelief. "Wait… are you saying I'm not screwed?"

The Tribunal continued. "You have caused great destruction, but you are judged innocent. However, the power within you cannot remain unchecked in a fractured multiverse. You shall be placed where balance can be maintained."

Before David could respond, the Nihility beside him chimed in with a grin. "Oh, this will be good."

The Tribunal ignored him.

"Mortal, you will be sent to Universe 616. A realm where strength is tempered by will. There, you will inherit the power of a billion exploding stars, the power of the so called Sentry serum they injected you. But Your hidden essence Nihility, will remain be dormant unless you willfully awaken it or situation forces you to. But beware, unleashing it's full might will erase the nearby universe along with your own. "

David's heart raced. The Sentry's power? He remembered bits and pieces about Sentry from his past life: the golden guardian, a man who could rival gods, yet whose own darkness, the Void, threatened all existence, including himself .

"Wait... you're giving me that guy's power? Isn't that, like, super dangerous to give to a guy with mental issues, like me?"

The Tribunal's three faces seemed to focus on him more intently, as though peering into his very soul.

"It is not power itself that corrupts, but the mind that wields it. Whether you become a savior or a harbinger of nothingness will depend on your choices. Also, in return, you will act as Oblivion and be responsible for erasing some universes deemed beyond saving. He has left his duty , thus it's best for both parties."

David swallowed hard, nodding. "Great. No pressure or anything. Just be a humble cosmic janitor."

The Nothingness entity beside him let out an amused laugh. "Oh, this will be fun. You're a ticking time bomb, David Faust. Remember, I'm just here to watch. Entertain me. Oh, by the way, that guy has separated the concept of Nothingness and stuffed that into your soul's void. So have fun trying to not get mindfucked into destroying everything too quickly."

Before David could curse at him, everything shifted. A blinding light erupted from nowhere, engulfing him, pulling him through the infinite void.

He felt his consciousness unravel and reform, as if he was being rewritten on a molecular level.

Universe 616: New York City

David sat slumped against the grimy brick wall of the alley, his heart pounding as he tried to comprehend his situation. The residual golden glow around his hands had faded, but the sheer weight of the power still coiled in his chest like a star waiting to explode.

"Universe 616," he muttered under his breath, glancing at the chaotic cityscape beyond the alley. "Home of superheroes, world-ending crises every other Tuesday, and apparently now… me."

"Holy… shit," he muttered, feeling the incredible power coursing through him. The Sentry's power. My power."

The faint smell of garbage mixed with exhaust fumes stung his nose, but even that paled in comparison to the overwhelming barrage of sounds. Every honk, every conversation, every scurrying rat echoed like a cannon blast in his ears. His senses were dialed up to eleven, and his brain scrambled to process the flood of information.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Nihility's voice chuckled.

"Not bad, Faust. You're like a newborn god trying to figure out how to walk."

David grimaced. "Shut up, before I accidentally kick you into oblivion."

But even as he tried to ground himself with sarcasm, the whisper of the Nihility, a constant, chilling reminder of what he carried. He felt like a walking nuke strapped with two countdown timers: one for the Sentry's insane cosmic powers and the other for the erasure-fueled tantrum of Nihility itself.

His mind raced as he stood up, his senses overwhelming him. He could hear everything, the hum of the city, distant conversations, even the heartbeat of a rat scurrying nearby. He clenched his fists, feeling the energy ripple through his very being.

The voice whispered in the back of his mind, one that wasn't the Nothingness entity. It was his own, but darker, colder.

"You could erase it all. Return everything to nothing. Wouldn't that be peaceful?"

David yawned and pushed the voice aside. "Not today," he said aloud.

"Not yet," he muttered under his breath.

As he stumbled out of the alley and into the bustling streets of New York City, he realized something strange: despite his usual despair, despite the quiet hum of nihilism lingering within him, for the first time in forever… he felt alive.

A second chance. And powers that could shake the cosmos.

"Alright, 616. Let's see what you've got."

David only took a couple steps, but then leaned against a brick wall, trying to steady himself as his senses adjusted to the overwhelming chaos of New York City.

The golden energy still hummed softly beneath his skin, like a glowing star.

Each breath he took felt heavy, as though the weight of the universe had settled on his shoulders.

"This is too much," he muttered. The voices in his head , the faint whisper of Nihility and the latent power of the Sentry, threatened to drown him. But before he could dwell on it, the world around him… changed.

The noise of the city fell silent. The crowded streets froze. Cars halted mid-motion, their drivers frozen like statues. Birds hung in the air, their wings suspended. Time itself had stopped.

David's body tensed. His instincts screamed that something, or someone, was coming.

"I have not seen such power in a long time."

The calm, measured voice came from behind him. David spun around, his golden aura flaring instinctively.

Standing there, draped in ornate yellow and green robes, was an older, bald woman with sharp, piercing eyes that seemed to see straight through him.

The Ancient One.

David blinked. He recognized her instantly from his past life. Sorcerer Supreme. Teacher of Doctor Strange. Guardian of the fabric of reality. And right now, she was staring at him as though he were an unspeakable threat.

"...You're the Ancient One," David said with an interested look. "This is about to be one of those "you're too dangerous to live moments, isn't it?"

The Ancient One tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "Perhaps. That depends on you, however, Mr. David Faust."