Leo clenched his fists. His on-screen super meter began to fill.

99%... 100% – Download Complete.

"No way," he whispered.

Leo looked down. His hands were gone. In their place were glowing, translucent menu screens. His inventory. His health bar. His special move list .

Spider-Man pointed a shaky finger at a massive crack in the sky—the "Fate of Two Worlds" title screen, now a bleeding wound in reality. "Someone’s already beaten the final boss, Leo. And they hit 'New Game Plus' on us ."

And the battle for two worlds began.

This was not a game. This was the seam between worlds.

"The download finished," Leo said slowly, "but the installation... that's the fight."

He clicked "Install."

Before him, two figures materialized. From the Capcom side, Ryu stepped forward, his gi torn, his fists glowing with surging hadou energy. From the Marvel side, Spider-Man landed silently, his mask cracked, webbing frayed.

"Alright," he said, stepping forward. "Let's install some justice."

A booming voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere: "FATE OF TWO WORLDS. CHOOSE YOUR SIDE."

Leo realized then: the game wasn't something he played anymore. The game was playing him . Every punch he’d ever thrown as Wolverine, every combo he’d nailed as Dante—they were etched into his muscle memory. But he wasn't a character. He was the player, trapped inside the controller.