The search was over.
It had taken weeks of exhaustive investigation, chasing down dozens of empty leads, but they had done it. In a small villaige in Russia, Wanda Maximoff was finally found.
She wasn't happy to see them.
The combined teams weren't able to match Wanda's power. Without so much as a drop of sweat marring her face, she'd taken down Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Ms. Marvel. The X-Men were the next to fall, brought to their knees with an equal lack of effort. Magneto and Quicksilver had been there as well, and the Scarlet Witch, it seemed, had something special in mind for them. She dragged her father and her twin into the air. Hulkling didn't know if words were exchanged between them, though.
Billy's betrayal took all of his attention.
One moment, Wiccan had been standing among his teammates, bracing for an inevitable attack, and in the next, he turned on them. Billy Kaplan, the most loyal and loving person Teddy knew, the boy he loved, began blasting the other Young Avengers like a man possessed. First Cassie, then Kate and Eli, Tommy, Jonas. His face was blank as they fell to the ground, shrieking in pain.
Teddy had been the last, frozen in horror and confusion. This couldn't be possible. How was it happening?
Billy approached him slowly, finally showing the barest hint of a smile. He raised himself up until they were at eye level, caressing Teddy's green-shifted cheek and leaned in very close.
"Don't worry," Billy whispered reassuringly, "Everything will be alright."
Their lips touched, and the world went dark.
Dorrek VIII, crown prince of the Skrull Empire, awoke with a start. It was the third time he'd had that particular dream this week. What did it mean? Faces he didn't recognize, people he'd never met.
Dorrek looked down at the sleeping form of Billy Maximoff. The heir to a dynasty of heroes had stolen Dorrek's heart the day the Skrull Embassy had been established on Earth. They'd been drawn to each other, the sons of heroes and peacemakers.
It had been like a candle lighting up a dark room. Mutual attraction and a shared pressure to live up to their legacies had given way to love. It was the greatest feeling in the universe, and as he looked down at his sleeping lover, he knew the truth.
'Dreams are just dreams', he decided.
'All is right with the world.'
A/N: It figures, our first effort for YA would be a feast of depression and treachery. That's pretty much what this whole thing will be. Tales of betrayal, breakups, cheating, and a certain unimaginable horror not yet known to the world.
We speak, of course, of the evil that is...
Straight Billy.
Run away while there's a chance, because you won't be able to un-read it.