Chapter 1: The Protector (Avengers + Persona Series)
Zeta: I do not own any of this. Avengers belongs to Marvel and Persona belongs to Atlus. In any case, read and review.
"Unbelievable." Is what Pietro would have said when he ran to take the hit from the bullets being fired by a hijacked Quinjet, only for none of them to hit nether him or the two people he was protecting, Clint Barton and a civilian young boy.
Earlier…
Pietro had just joined Tony Stark's merry band of heroes called the Avengers with his sister Wanda after finding out how Ultron, an AI created by Tony himself, deceived them with fake, empty promises of vengeance while his true agenda was to end all humanity. While he did feel guilty in that his sister and himself helped the megalomaniac to make progress in accomplishing this goal.
The band of heroes then ended up in Sokovia, his home that he fought to protect so hard along with his sister, which began to become a battleground. The Avengers began evacuating the civilians and protect them from Ultron's Sentry Robots, which began to push back the Avengers with their large numbers.
Yet for Pietro, something struck to him as peculiar. When he saved a group of children, he took one look at the mirror to see his reflection before the sentries broke in and he managed to escape with the kids. In his reflection before the chaos, his normally blue eyes that held a spark of confidence were instead an eerie shade of amber, staring into the depths of his very being. After the image, he shook his head and looked again to see his normal reflection.
It wasn't the only time he witnessed the strange occurrence during the Battle of Sokovia.
"Hey, Speedy! Get you're a** moving or they'll kill you!" Tony Stark, the last man he had ever thought of even working with, shouted at Pietro, who had stopped when he noticed the Pietro Copy in the metal of the Sentries. He managed to regain focus and smashed the minions of Ultron into scrap metal before meeting up with Wanda.
"Pietro, is something wrong? You seem distracted more than usual since we began fighting. What's going on?" Wanda, worried sick for her twin ever since she saw him stop several times before moving again to fight.
"I… I don't even know, sister. I saw myself in a mirror while saving some kids…" Pietro began when Wanda sighed and shook her head.
"Brother, this is not the time to admire yourself."
"No, no, that's not it. I was not admiring myself, but what was odd about it was the difference in the reflection and myself." Pietro explained.
Wanda raised an eyebrow at that, "Odd? How?"
"The reflection had golden eyes, but I have blue eyes."
Wanda was puzzled at the description. Pietro was right though about the one detail. He didn't have golden eyes, but rather the bright blue eyes that she had known since they were kids. Their parents would describe Pietro's eyes as the shiniest blue eyes they had ever laid eyes on. Even now, she could tell that he still had those same eyes.
"We'll find out later. For now, we have our home to save." Pietro nodded and the two returned to the fray and fought tooth and nail to destroy the robotic invaders.
It wasn't until Ultron hacked into a Quinjet and began killing innocents that he found out what the phenomenon was. Clint and Costal were in the line of fire and at the last second, he jumped in the line of fire, planning to take the bullet shots in an act of selflessness.
'It is not your time… my other self…'
Pietro's eyes widened at the hearing of the voice.
'That voice… who are you?!'
A subtle chuckle of amusement was heard in return.
'In time… but when you need me… remember this… Persona'
The presence vanished after releasing the blast of wind, knocking out the Quinjet and the bullets away, saving his life and the lives of Clint and other civilians.
From that point onward, he made sure to keep an open mind clear.
The Avengers do succeed in evacuating everyone from the floating isle that was Novi Grad and destroyed it, the remains falling safely in a lake near the capital.
As they return to the Tower, Clint sits next to Pietro, who was still in deep thought. Clint noticed Pietro when he jumped in between himself and the rain of bullets when he was surrounded by some kind of blue fire and a figure in the shadows pointed what appeared to be a spear and soon unleashed a burst of wind, enough to protect them and knock the jet from the air.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Clint asked, trying to get the younger man to talk. Pietro remained silent for a while. Clint then laid back into his seat in the jet, trying to relax.
"Did you see it?"
Clint looked up to see the man of speed stare at him, waiting for an answer that he could clearly see he desperately wants.
"I…" Clint needed a moment to think to describe the memory before speaking, "I saw you surrounded in blue fire, and a shadow in the shape of a man riding a horse in wheels while holding a spear over you."
Pietro took it in before murmuring thanks to the only father-figure he had met and fought against. He knew the old man had some tough days and he seemed to be a family man.
And it was something he needed at the moment.
It was a floating feeling that had Pietro open his eyes to find himself heading towards a small light. Alongside him, was Clint and Wanda, and strangely enough a golden butterfly.
"Where are we headed to?" Clint asked, not liking the feeling of falling.
Before he could speak, the light took over their vision.
The trio had awakened to what appeared to be a large shrine in the middle of a psychedelic space that was mesmerizing to the naked eye. In the center of the ornate shrine was the emblem of a golden butterfly, with the same insect floating over the emblem.
A burst of light blinded them temporarily, and in the place of the insect, was a man radiating with a peaceful light and filled with mystery. The man's face was covered with a mask bearing a butterfly on one side, this time colored blue. He wore a white blazer and a black shirt underneath with black shoes and white pants. This man was strangely familiar to Pietro, yet he didn't recognize him from anywhere.
"Welcome. I've been expecting you to see me in my domain." The man spoke in a serene tone.
"Where are we? Why are we here?" Clint asked, trying to figure out the man.
"My name is Philemon, a dweller of the consciousness and the unconsciousness. You are here because of the soon-to-be events that will transform the world as you know it." The man- Philemon, Pietro remembered- explained.
"Are you a mutant?" Wanda asked next.
"No. I'm a being that exists within the depths of humanity's souls. I have brought you here to explain the situation that you will face soon. But first, a test. Can you state your names?"
"Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye"
"Wanda Maximoff"
"Pietro Maximoff"
Philemon was satisfied, and gave them a subtle nod, "Very well, not many can state their names while in this realm. Now, on to other details. Are you aware of the other selves that lie within you?"
"Other selves? As in plural?" Clint asked, still not convinced that this is all real.
"People go on their lives wearing different masks. The self that is capable of showing kindness, and the self that is capable of showing malice." Philemon explained to the trio of superheroes.
"So… our 'other selves' are the variations of us?" Wanda concluded with a questioning tone, to which earned her a nod of acknowledgment.
"Indeed. But you three seem to have a good grasp of who you are. So… I will grant you this power, Persona. The power to be able to manifest the gods and demons you harbor within yourselves. As for your other powers, I am not sure how it will interact with you." Philemon then sent them a small light that entered their bodies.
"Now, you will need this power in the coming future. I cannot give you much detail other than that it will test the bonds you have with your friends and allies. Farewell, I will see you again soon."
Clint and the twins were then surrounded by light once more, the shrine vanishing from sight.
Pietro woke up in the jet carrier with the rest of the Avengers as they arrive at Avenger's Tower, the large A of the tower in plain view above the city in the early morning, but the rest of the tower was still slightly in disarray from Ultron's attacks. Mostly it was intact, only needing a sweeping on the floor and some cleaning.
As they landed, Pietro noticed from the corner of his eye, a fluttering blue butterfly with flecks of gold near Tony's shoulder.
"Huh, hey little guy. What are you doing here in? Giving us a nice welcome?" Tony then carried the small insect into the balcony and shifted it onto a small potted plant, the flowers in full bloom.
It was a strange event to see Tony, being soft-hearted as he was moments ago, for Pietro. Clint just gave a small smile before leaving to hang out in the lounge with the others. Wanda then grabbed his brother and began to chastise him before hugging him.
The butterfly then fluttered away before vanishing in a blue light, unknown to the band of superheroes.
Tony had an appreciation for nature from time to time, but he just felt compelled to carry the fluttering insect to the only flower pot he held in the entire tower. The white heather flowers were his mother's favorite, and he usually remembered her mentioning how flowers carried a meaning depending on the type and color. Protection was the meaning of the blooming white heather flowers, the morning dew weighing down the petals and leaves.
The rest of the Avengers took a break in the lounge before heading to their rooms to sleep. The Maximoff twins were placed in the guest rooms until he had their rooms ready. He was planning to head to the labs but later decided that he needed some sleep, which was something he really needed after the Ultron debacle and the hallucinations.
He went ahead and got undressed before getting on to bed dressed in some black pants with a red stripe on the sides and a black undershirt and entered the realm of the unconsciousness.
When Tony opened his eyes, he did not expect to see himself floating in a strange place towards a bright light. The light blinded him for a few moments before he saw that he ended up in a golden shrine with the symbol of a butterfly in the center. A man in a white suit stood there in the middle of the serene otherworldly shrine as if expecting him.
"Welcome, it's a pleasure to meet you." The man greeted him with a gentle tone.
"Where are we? Are you another Asgardian?" Tony was confused, but he felt like the man knew something about him. The realm resembled something that the Asgardians would have created.
"No, I am not an Asgardian. My name is Philemon, a being that exists between the human consciousness and unconsciousness. But before we continue, could you please tell me your name?" Philemon asked.
Tony was confused and did as he was asked, "Tony Stark. Now, could you tell me why I'm here?"
Philemon gave a subtle laugh, "Such an impatient one, yet you have a grasp of your identity as well. Not many people can remember their name while in the realm. As to why you are here, you are here to receive a gift that not many people have, and neither do the mutants have this as well."
Tony now became curious. A new power that rare could be useful to use without having to let Fury know.
"Tell me more." Tony requested. Philemon then summoned what appeared to be a small fairy, then what appeared to be…
"Wait… that's me?"
In front of Tony, stood an exact copy of the genius wearing a suit, but instead of his usual warm brown eyes, this copy had amber eyes.
"Within your own soul, there are many 'selves' that lie within you. The self that is suffused with divine love. The self that is capable of demonic cruelty. People go on about their lives wearing these masks, never knowing of their true selves." Philemon then gestured at Tony's shadow.
"The suppressed self is known as the Shadow. It is what you have deep within yourself that you reject or refuse to acknowledge." The shadow vanishes with the Pixie.
"The power that I will give you is called… Persona. It is the ability to call upon the many masks that you hold within you. The gods and demons you harbor deep within yourself. This will become of use to you in the soon-to-be-coming events that will test your relationships with others."
Tony frowned at that notion, but despite the man's explanation, it all seemed too surreal. But whenever he remembered the Avengers, he knew better and took it all with a grain of salt. The fact of an upcoming threat was almost of no surprise, except that it involved with the use of the Persona ability.
"So… when should I expect this to all happen? We should be ready for any threat, right?"
Philemon gave him a nod, "You do need to be ready, but I cannot tell you when. You will know when the time is right. Trust yourself and your abilities as well as the powers of your companions. The time will be right with the coming of a contract. Farewell."
Tony was puzzled when he mentioned 'contract' but before he could ask, he was enveloped in light once more and into the sleep he needed.
Months later…
Natasha Romanoff, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, and Sam Wilson were all getting settled in the New Avengers facility constructed by Tony. After the news spread of the Battle of Sokovia, the public had begun to see the Avengers in a negative light, but there were still those who stayed true to them and supported them through the mudslide.
Lately, the dreams of the Avengers, both old and new, are filled with terrors from the battle. Civilians being killed, cries of the living mourning for the dead, screams of children being mercilessly slaughtered by the Sentries.
Until they all received a dream, consisting of a man who predicts a dark future and the need of a new power. For them, it bodes not too well as they are busy with the U.N. trying to get the Avengers under their control, specifically Thaddeus Ross.
As they watch the news, currently presenting discussions on the team of superheroes being dragged in the mud as they slander them with no remorse, Natasha finally shuts off the TV screen before turning to them.
"Ok… question to throw at all of you." Everyone on the couch turns to look at her in confusion.
"What is it?" Steve, still tense after seeing the public reject the team and blaming them for their misfortune.
"Have you all had a dream of a man and something about this Persona power?"
The majority of the supers nodded with the exception of Vision. Bruce then stood up to get a Stark Tablet.
"I know because the Other Guy calls him Butterfly Man. I did some research on this 'Persona' and I found this." He handed the tablet to Steve, who began to read it.
"So… persona is more of a theory from some man named Carl Jung?" the blonde man asked the scientist.
"Yes, so persona is the idea of having a social role in the face of society. Our personalities change depending on the environment, thus the change in persona. In layman's terms, a mask of conformity." Bruce explained to the group, who were absorbing the information with some confusion.
"The Jungian theory mentions the Shadow or the dark parts of the individual. It is basically our instincts and primitive archetypes, or our suppressed personality. And the Self is the unity of the two." Bruce then changes the screen to show a picture of a sea of stars.
"Then there is the collective unconsciousness, the universal aspects of all humans, ranging from myths and legends to common logic and instincts. It is what all the people have in common unconsciously." Bruce finished the explanation of the theory.
"So that's why he said they are our own selves… our own gods and demons we harbor." Natasha muttered, with Steve grimacing slightly at 'demons' and 'harbor'. Everyone then agreed to not think about it as much and continued to focus on their training.
A butterfly fluttered in the room, gently landing over the tablet, which Bruce had turned off before leaving.
Zeta: So... what did you think? Tell me how should I improve and if the idea is good or not?