Here's chapter six everybody, where the Rogue Avengers reunite with Rhodey, meaning him being called sidekick again by Rex, Tony, Jake and Peter saving Strange, and Bucky gaining a vibranium arm, all fun things. Also, Rex is gonna grab some extra help, and I know where he's to find it.
Ch.6 Getting Assembled.
At the New Avengers Facility at upstate New York, Colonel James Rhodes was having a holographic video call with the U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross, something he is not looking forward to. Ever since the Avengers Civil War, Rhodey has spent two years recovering from his injuries and adapting to the harness that enabled him to walk. During this time, Rhodey has gradually become embittered towards the Sokovia Accords, despite signing them in the first place, and Secretary Ross as he doesn't like Ross' bullheaded perception of the Rogue Avengers as a group of dangerous criminals. Right now, Rhodey was talking to Secretary Ross, who appears as a hologram, to discuss the disappearance of Vision and Wanda.
"Still no word from Vision or Maximoff?"Ross asked.
"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh." Rhodey replied.
"On a unknown ship with six of the most wanted criminals in the world."Ross said.
"You know they're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that, right, sir?" Rhodey asked.
"My God, Rhodes. Your talent for horseshit rivals my own."Ross said.
"If it weren't for those Accords, Vision and Wanda would've been right here." Rhodey, having regret signing the Sokovia Accords.
"I remember your signature on those papers, Colonel."Ross said as he 'approached' Rhodey.
"That's right. And I'm pretty sure I paid for that." Rhodey said.
"You have second thoughts?"Ross asked.
"Not anymore." Rhodey said.
Rhodey and Ross then look to see that Steve, Rex, Skye, Natasha, Sam, Wanda, an injured Vision, and Robbie had arrived at the building and approach Rhodey and the holographic Ross.
"What's up dickhead," Rex said to Ross then turned to Rhodey and smirked, "sidekick." Rhodey just rolled his eyes in amusement.
"Mr. Secretary." Steve greeted, making Ross 'approached' the group sternly.
"You got some nerve. I'll give you that."Ross said.
"You could use some of that right now." Natasha said.
"The world's on fire. And you think all is forgiven?"Ross said.
"I'm not looking for forgiveness. And I'm way past asking permission. Earth just lost her best defender. So we're here to fight." Steve said.
"And when we fight, if you try to stop us, we'll go through you too," Rex told Ross.
"Arrest them."Ross ordered Rhodey as he turned to him.
"All over it." Rhodey said before he disconnected the call. He sighed knowing he has earned Ross' anger. "That's a court-martial. It's great to see you, Cap."
"You too, Rhodey." Steve said as he shook Rhodey's hand.
"Hey." Rhodey greeted Natasha with a hug.
"Hey Rhodes," Rex said as he greeted
"Is it really necessary to keep calling me sidekick, Rex?" Rhodey asked.
"Yes it is." Rex told him.
Rhodey then looked at the rest of the Rogue Avengers. "Wow. You guys... really look like crap. Must've been a rough couple years." Rhodey said.
"Yeah, well, the hotels weren't exactly five star." Sam said.
"Add the fact we had to run from the law," Skye said.
"And all the stuff we did while on the run," Robbie stated.
"Uh, I think you look great." Bruce said as he shows himself, gaining everyone's attention. "Yeah, I'm back."
"Hi, Bruce." Natasha greeted, happy to see Bruce again.
"Nat." Bruce greeted.
"This is awkward." Sam muttered.
"You said it," Robbie said in agreement.
A few minutes later, Bruce explain what happen on theStatesmanand the threat of Thanos, and the Avengers told him and Rhodey what has happen back in Scotland.
"Seems
"So we gotta assume they're coming back, right?" Rhodey asked.
"And they can clearly find us." Wanda said.
"We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint?" Bruce asked, wondering the whereabouts of Clint Barton, a.k.a Hawkeye.
"After the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal. It was too tough on their families. They're on house arrest." Natasha said.
"Who's Scott?" Bruce asked, unfamiliar with the name.
"Scott Lang." Rex replied.
"Ant-Man." Steve said.
"There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?" Bruce asked.
"And a Ghost Rider," Robbie added in.
Bruce looked at him before getting back on subject. "Okay, look. Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he is not gonna stop until he gets... Vision's stone."
"He might be after my nanite aswell," Rex added, remembering his vision three years back.
"Then we have to protect both." Natasha said.
"No, we have to destroy it, the stone atleast." Vision said. "I have been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head. About its nature. But also its composition. I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source something very similar to its own signature, perhaps its molecular integrity could fail." Vision said as he approached Wanda.
"Yeah, and you with it. We're not having this conversation." Wanda said, realizing what Vision is thinking.
"Eliminating the stone is the only way to be certain that Thanos can't get it." Vision said.
"That's too high a price." Wanda said.
"Only you have the power to pay it." Vision said, making Wanda walk away from him. "Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him."
"But it should. We don't trade lives, Vision." Steve said.
"Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? Tell me, why is this any different?" Vision asked.
"Because you might have a choice." Bruce said. "Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. JARVIS, Ultron, Tony, me, the stone. All of them mixed together, all of them learning from one another."
"You're saying Vision isn't just the stone?" Wanda asked.
"I'm saying that we take out the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts." Bruce said.
"Can we do that?" Natasha asked.
"Not me, not here." Bruce replied.
"Do you know anyone that can?" Skye asked. Bruce shook his head.
"Well, you better find someone and somewhere fast. Ross isn't just gonna let you guys have your old rooms back." Rhodey said.
Steve and Rex begin to think. They then look at each other, knowing that they were thinking the same thing; a certain African country that they've taken refuge and someone that they know that has helped them after the civil war. Rex nodded to Steve in approval.
"Rex and I know somewhere." Steve said.
Rex then spoke up. "But me, Skye, and Robbie will meet you there, we have to go do something, mind letting us borrow a Quinjet?" Rex asked the last part to Rhodey.
-Several Minutes Later, Hell's Kitchen, New York City-
"Are you sure they're coming?" asked Skye as her, Rex, and Robbie waited in an alley for four individuals to show up.
"They should be here soon, also told them to suit up, which means we should be seeing atleast Matt in a minute," Rex said as he leaned against the wall.
"And if they don't, then we better head out." Robbie told them.
Before anyone could replied a figure landed to their side, he was wearing a green attire with a gold dragon logo on his chest, aswell as a golden bandanna covering his face. He is Danny Rand, the Immortal Ironfist.
"Hey Danny," Rex said as he walked up to the vigilante and shook his hand.
"Hello Rex, Skye, Robbie, it's been a few months." Danny greeted as he shook Robbie's hand and got hugged by Skye.
"Yeah, being hunted by Ross makes visits hard to visit." Robbie replied.
Skye nodded. "And unfortunately, this isn't a social gathering."
"That's too bad," said a male voice from behind them and they turned to see a large black man in a yellow shirt and hoodie, along with black pants and boots aswell as a black-haired woman in a blue long sleeve shirt, black jacket, blue jeans, and black boots along with a red scarf around her neck. They were Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. "Was looking forward for an easy day today."
"Sorry Luke, it's not oneone of those days." Rex replied.
Jessica then spoke up. "I feel like what it's about is worth a drink." Jessica said.
"It might," Skye told her.
"So you gonna tell us or not," said another voice, which caused most of them.to jump. They turn to see a man in a suit that resembled a devil, particularly with the two devil horns on his head. The mask also covered his eyes and only exposing his chin, mouth, and nose.
"Hey Matt," Robbie greeted.
Matt tilted his head his direction. "It's Daredevil right now," he told him.
Robbie held his hands up in defense. "My bad."
Danny then turned towards Rex. "So why do you need our help with?"
Rex then went on to explain what's going on and why they needed their help as the four members of the Defenders listened, kinda thinking that this was bullshit.
"So an alien is collecting stones so he can take out half the universe?" Luke asked.
Skye answered him. "Pretty much."
"So you guys in," Robbie asked.
The Defenders looked among eachother, well all except Matt for obvious reasons, and came to an obvious answer. "It seems we don't have much of a choice." Matt answered.
"Can't really defend anything if there's nothing to defend." Danny added.
Rex, Skye, and Robbie were all greatful they're gonna help them, but they had to make sure they knew what they were signing up for. "Any questions?" Rex asked.
None of them seemed to ask until Jessica spoke up. "Where the fuck are we even fighting aliens at?" Jessica asked.
Rex just smirked at them as he got ready to tell them where.
-Wakanda, around the same time-
In the Kingdom of Wakanda in Africa, the monarch of the African nation, King T'Challa, who is better known as the Black Panther, has receive a call from the Avengers, asking for help to remove the Mind Stone from Vision and repel an expected invasion of Earth. T'Challa has agreed to help and has already ordered the armed forces to get ready. T'Challa was currently walking through an open plain with some guards to see someone as Okoye, the general of the Dora Milaje and the head of Wakanda's armed forces and intel, was informing him of the situation.
"The Kingsguard and the Dora Milaje have been alerted." Okoye informed with a Wakandan accent.
"And the Border Tribe?" T'Challa asked with a Wakandan accent.
"Those that are left." Okoye replied.
"Send word to the Jabari as well. M'Baku likes a good fight." T'Challa ordered.
"Ewe, kumkani." ("Yes, my King.") Okoye said in her native Xhosa language as she sees the person that she and T'Challa are about see at a farm. "And what of this one?"
"This one may be tired of war. But the White Wolf has rested long enough." T'Challa said.
The person T'Challa and Okoye were visiting is no other than Bucky Barnes, the former soldier of the US Army's 107th Infantry Regiment in the 1940s and former enhanced HYDRA operative who is best known as the Winter Soldier, as well the childhood best friend of Steve.
Two years after the Avengers' civil war, Bucky willingly went back into a cryogenic sleep until the Wakandan scientists could cure him of HYDRA's brainwashing. However, a few months ago, Bucky was brought out of cryo-stasis by T'Challa's sister and the Princess of Wakanda Shuri and began his recuperation in a remote Wakandan village and has been given the title 'White Wolf'. His recovery has been going quite well. Now, T'Challa and Okoye is now visiting Bucky to give him something for the upcoming invasion. One of the guards open a case as Bucky approached it. Bucky looks inside to see that T'Challa has provided him a new vibranium cybernetic arm to replace the one Tony had destroy in Siberia. Bucky realized what is happening.
"Where's the fight?" Bucky asked.
"On its way." T'Challa replied.
-In Space-
Meanwhile, billions of miles away from Earth, on board the Q-Ship, Stephen has regain consciousness and wakes up. The first thing he noticed is that he has been captured by Ebony Maw. The second thing he noticed is that he is telekinetically immobilized and surrounded by hundreds of alien microsurgery needles. Noticing that Stephen is awake, Ebony Maw approached him, preparing to begin the torture.
"In all the time I've served Thanos, I have never failed him. If I were to reach our rendezvous on Titan with the Time Stone still attached to your vaguely irritating person, there would be judgement." Ebony Maw said as he begins to telekinetically stab the microsurgery needles one by one into Stephen's body, each inducing terrible pain to him. "Give me... the stone."
Meanwhile, unaware to Ebony Maw, Tony and Jake, still in his dragon form, have stowed themselves aboard the ship. They both look from above to see the torture Maw is giving to Stephen. Suddenly, something tap on Tony's shoulder. Tony was about to fire a repulsor beam, making Jake turn around ready to open fire aswell, but both stopped upon realizing it was the Cloak of Levitation.
"Wow, you're a seriously loyal piece of outerwear, aren't you?" Tony asked.
"He ain't the only loyal thing here," Jake said as he sensed a certain someone was also here.
"Yeah, uh, speaking of loyalty..." Peter said as he shows up as he goes on his feet and unmasked himself.
"What the..." Tony said, surprise and upset to see Peter on board.
"Here we go," Jake muttered under his breath.
"I know what you're gonna say." Peter said, trying to explain.
"You should not be here." Tony said.
"I was gonna go home." Peter explained.
"I don't wanna hear it." Tony said.
"But it was such a long way down and I thought about you on the way and kinda stuck to the side of the ship." Peter explained.
"And now I gotta hear it." Tony said sternly.
"So do I," Jake commented.
"And this suit is ridiculously intuitive, by the way. So, if anything, it's kinda your fault that I'm here." Peter said, making Tony furiously look at him.
"Oh shit," Jake said, realizing Peter made the wrong choice of words.
"What did you just say?" Tony asked.
"I take that back. And now, I'm here in space." Peter said.
"Yeah, right where I didn't want you to be. This isn't Coney Island. This isn't a field trip. This is a one-way ticket. You hear me? Don't pretend you thought this through." Tony said.
"No, I did think this through." Peter said, defending himself.
"You could not possibly thought this through." Tony berated.
"Let's hear his reasoning," Jake said to Tony.
"You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there's no neighborhood." Peter said making Tony and Jake confused. "Okay, that didn't really make sense, but you know what I'm trying to say."
"He does gotta point," Jake said to Tony.
Tony sigh in defeat as Peter did somewhat had a good reason, and he could be good use of help.
"Come on. We got a situation. See him down there? He's in trouble. What's your plan? Go." Tony asked, pointing to Stephen.
"Umm... Okay, okay... Uh... Okay. Did you ever see this really old movie,Aliens?" Peter asked.
"Really?" Jake asked as he facepalmed.
Down below on the bridge, Ebony Maw continued to torture Stephen, who, while under immense pain and duress, remained unyielding to Maw's demands.
"Painful, aren't they? They were originally designed for microsurgery. And any one of them..." Ebony Maw said before he heard a noise from behind. He turns to see Tony aiming his repulsors and Jake glaring at him in a martial art position. "... could end your friend's life in an instant."
"I gotta tell you, he's not really my friend, he might be my dragon acquaintance's friend though. Saving his life is more of a professional courtesy." Tony said.
Ebony Maw then use his telekinesis powers to lift some large pieces of bulkhead.
"You saved nothing. Your powers are inconsequential compared to mine." Ebony Maw said, which neither Tony or Jake were fazed.
"Yeah, but the kid's seen more movies." Tony said.
Suddenly, Tony fired a missile past Ebony Maw, into the wall of the Q-Ship. The missile caused a hull breach, instantly sucking a screaming Ebony Maw into the vacuum of space, killing him. However, Stephen himself was inadvertently caught in the vacuum, and the Cloak of Levitation unsuccessfully attempted to rescue him. Leaping in, Peter managed to grab Stephen with a web and with aid from his new armor's artificial spider limbs.
"Yes! Wait. What are those?" Peter asked about the artificial spider limbs.
Peter was able to narrowly pull Stephen to safety, allowing Tony to seal the breach using his nanobots. The Q-Ship continue along as Ebony Maw's corpse gets frozen and lost in the cosmos. Back inside, Peter turns his attention to the Cloak.
"Hey, we haven't officially met." Peter said, but the Cloak ignores him and return to Stephen. "Cool."
"I can't believe that actually worked," Jake said as he turned back into human form.
Tony retracts his suit and heads to the controls as Stephen recompose himself.
"We gotta turn this ship around." Stephen said.
"Yeah, now he wants to run. Great plan." Tony said, still upset that Stephen didn't listen to him back at New York.
"No. I want to protect the stone." Stephen said.
"And I want you to thank me. Now, go ahead. I'm listening." Tony said.
"For what? Nearly blasting me into space?" Stephen asked.
"Who just saved your magical ass? Me." Tony spatted.
"I seriously don't know how you fit your head into that helmet." Stephen remarked.
"Admit it, you should've ducked out when I told you to. I tried to bench you. You refused." Tony said.
"Unlike everyone else in your life, I don't work for you." Stephen said.
"And due to that fact, we're now in a flying doughnut billions of miles from Earth with no backup, but the dragon guy over there." Tony said, pointing at Jake.
"I'm backup." Peter said.
"No, you're a stowaway. The adults are talking." Tony said.
"I'm sorry, I'm confused as to the relationship here. What is he, your ward?" Stephen asked.
"No. I'm Peter, by the way." Peter said, offering his hand to shake.
"Doctor Strange." Stephen greeted sternly.
"Oh, you're using our made-up names. Um... I'm Spider-Man, then." Peter said.
Jake couldn't help but chuckle. "You got to admit, most people don't see that as a last name." Jake told Strange before turning to Peter. "My name's Jake Long, also known as the American Dragon."
"Cool." Peter replied.
"This ship is self-correcting its course. Thing's on autopilot." Tony said, informing of the Q-Ship's controls while ignoring the exchange between Peter and Jake.
"Can we control it? Fly us home?" Stephen asked, but Tony didn't reply. "Stark?"
"Yeah." Tony said, still thinking.
"Can you get us home?" Stephen asked.
"Yeah, I heard you." Tony said as he thinks. "I'm thinking I'm not so sure we should."
Jake looked at him. "Say what?"
"Under no circumstances can we bring the Time Stone to Thanos. I don't think you quite understand what's at stake here." Stephen said, realizing what Tony is thinking.
"What? No. It's you who doesn't understand that Thanos has been inside my head for six years. Since he sent an army to New York and now he's back. And I don't know what to do. So I'm not so sure if it's a better plan to fight him on our turf or his but you saw what they did, what they can do. At least on his turf, he's not expecting it. So I say we take the fight to him, Doctor. Do you concur?" Tony said, remembering what happen at New York six years ago and rather fight on Thanos' territory then on Earth.
"All right, Stark. We go to him. But you have to understand if it comes to saving you or the kid or Jake or the Time Stone, I will not hesitate to let any of you die. I can't, because the universe depends on it." Stephen reminded.
"Nice. Good, moral compass. We're straight." Tony said before he approaches Peter. "All right, kid. You're an Avenger now." Tony said, declaring Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man, an Avenger.
"You can be one to if you want," Tony said to Jake before walking off.
"Cool," Jake said, surprised by the offer, but also gladly accepting it.
Peter look at Tony as he couldn't believe that Tony declare him an Avenger. Peter had a slight smile on his face, but remain serious for the things that are about to come. With that, the Q-Ship continues to fly to its destination.
Yeah, The Avengers are back together, Rex, Skye, and Robbie brought in the Defenders into it. T'Challa and Bucky get introduced aswell, and Jake and Peter become Avengers, surprising right. Also, I will be trying to update this atleast once a day, so don't worry and don't forget to review and check out my profile for my other stories and future content.