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Adam Warlock wasn't their last target pointlessly, their strategies and lucky strikes wouldn't work on someone like him, like they did on the others. A man who was created to be "perfect" and who ended up being much likely the most amazing advent of the people who originated him, someone with a so-powerful soul that not even Death could near to, whose threatening level jibed with some of the most essential entities for the universe. No one in good conscious would challenge him really hoping to win, that wasn't possible since a long time ago. When he showed up for the first time, Thor fought against him and was able even to kill him, but that was way before he passed through all the evolution that made him to became what he is today, and it is possible to risk saying that only Adam himself has enough power to defeat his own, after all, a simple demonstration of that is the fact that after feeling mentally instable as a consequence of the time he had the gauntlet and the six stones, Warlock get rid of his emotional thoughts that divided between the good and the bad and, unknowingly, at this moment of separation, two different and extraordinary entities were born: Magus and Goddess. Even with five of the infinity stones, Loki and Strange couldn't let themselves to think they'd win.

Even though they couldn't be absolutely sure about what the stones were trying to show, both chose to follow their intuition and with this, using the powers of the space stone, they were taken to Heven, the angels' home. The planet once was part of Odin's conquest, being characterized as the Tenth Realm of Asgard, but after Queen of Angels supposedly killed the new-born daughter of the All-Father, Aldrif, its people were condemned to receive the Odin Force to prohibit them forever of having access to the universe besides their own planet, anchoring them deep in the emptiness. The spell was so powerful that the Angels could use it to keep themselves alive in the eternal prison and deployed it as a mechanism to energize their world, however, with Ragnarok and with the death of the king, everything they could build got back to square one, what became for them energy and life before, now was an unstable and dangerous magic without its bearer. Loki and Thor were the ones responsible for the reopening of a passage to Heven, but only now it was possible for the jotun to know that that people could survive despite everything.

The illusionist magic of the prince hid them of the possible distrust on them in the case of some angel noticing how different of the rest of the people they are and, after this, mixed in the local population, everything they needed to do was letting their powerful weapons to guide them freely. Both had the sensation that there was something somewhere around screaming to be found. Utrimque was calling for its brothers.

The civilization got more and more away as they got near to what they came for, there were only some houses in the path they covered and, gradually, the landscape formerly reminding archaic Asgard disappeared, giving way to a dense, dry forest, with dead trees and a macabre appearance. It wouldn't be wise to enter in a so-full-of-ancient-magic ground like that, Strange and Loki could feel in their skin that it was exactly in that place that the souls of the dead of Heven got refuge after the passages to Valhalla and Hel were blocked, though, at that moment, there was nothing else to stop them from following their proper way, it is possible that they had already given up trying to get out of there a long time ago.

The god was already familiarized to the presence of the black magic and the death, but, even so, as they entered through the trees, he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable and his pile to chill. It would never be pleasant to see souls spending eternity unfairly suffering, but thanks to his historical of getting involved with some quite more terrible things, it wasn't a big problem for him to ignore the incomprehensible supplications and just keep following his way without much interference. For Stephen, though, things were way more different, his human nature revealed to be weak in the face of so many simultaneous pleas, his stomach churned and the nausea increased each second, even though his reaction was much more resistant than expected for anyone of his species, none of that was of much worth in his mind, his thoughts became incomprehensible, his body begged for him to leave and nothing could make that danger sensation to stop. TH wizard wanted to help, he wanted to free the pains of each one of the embittered there in that forest, and being incapable of that frustrated him so much that it made his body to completely freeze. The stones he carried forced him to keep going, but not even them were able of relieving him or those who were around of the only living things in kilometers, particularly because they were the single reason why the wizard was reacting that way and not being able to fight better against the interference he received. The weight on his shoulders and the strangeness about his own behavior made Strange almost to attack Loki after the fright he got when felt his hand in his arm.

- You need to calm down. – The prince said, trying to relax him somehow. – I understand you are very sensible to them, but you're attracting the cruelest forms for yourself with your lack of control. – The wizard answered with an agony grumbling. – If you want to help them, then you will have to fight against this impulse right now, after we get the soul stone we can send all of them to the world inside of it, this would cause no harm and would take them to a much better place.

It shouldn't be a surprise for the human that he could recognize the yellow bright in the eyes of the god while he said those words, both knew that the stones were treacherous weapons for any bearer, that they molded who used them however they wanted, manipulated their actions and drove them crazy little by little, but he also knew that the stones avoided to treat them the same way just because they considered them allies and, despite everything, didn't want to hurt them. The idea that each one of the stones he bore could indeed use him as they were clearly already doing with his partner was not recomforting at all, but, intimately, he couldn't even want to oppose to them.

Forcing himself (or being forced by something) to follow the advice the other gave him, Stephen strived to calm his own heartbeats down and normalize his breath. The following extremely uncomfortable seconds after this little recovering process could have made him even crazier, however, the prince used the mind stone to help him to keep stable, not that this could improve his condition, but it made it not to worsen. What a shame! The master of mystic arts exposing himself this way in the face of his enemy/ally. Strange probably would be ashamed about his behavior later, even though he wouldn't show it at all.

It would be so much simpler if they could simply manipulate the reality or use the space stone to go straight to Adam, but they chose not to risk themselves unnecessarily and now they had to walk on that great torment for what seemed endless hours. Despite uncomfortable and slightly disturbing, it was a way better experience than to show up in a known place by their adversary and being caught unprepared. Talking was avoided, both brains worked with all the concentration they had into what they would do when their lives were at stake.

There were some things, in their smallest movements and in their thoughts, that didn't belong to them, the almost unnoticeable influence raged on the actions of both, but even if it were something risky or somehow terrible, this was the price they accepted to pay for the power that would allow them to eliminate a greater threat.

They dragged on that disturbing way for what seemed hours and that probably weren't more than minutes, but eventually a light appeared in the horizon and got bigger as they walked ahead, ignoring the tormented souls that tried to keep them behind. The natural light of small plants and insects illuminated the near clearing, getting there felt like finally taking a deep fresh air breath after a long time without breathing.

However, the relief sensation didn't last long. On the border of the gorge, few meters away, it was visible the presence of the one they needed to rob. Adam Warlock, the man created to be perfect, who surpassed the expectations of all and who's become the figure of an unreachable, unbeatable, invincible being. The time until they were noticed didn't take long to vanish, the agitation of the stones was clearly evident and they could almost hear them saying their sister was not with the enemy, but somewhere around there and they needed to find it more than anything. Loki and Stephen exchanged a mutual comprehension glance, it wasn't hard to guess who would be the spot of the adversary's justice when they finally started the fight; the prince wasn't exactly well regarded in most of the planets, that's why he will find the stone while the wizard catches Adam's attention.

They shared a corner smile and wished each other good luck, then the god disappeared from his sight, just a split second before Warlock stop staring at the stars and turn minimally his face, recognizing the presence of the invader. Strange didn't move, forced each one of his senses to keep the watch, being ready to any sign of a first movement come from his enemy; he wasn't counting on the interference of his partner for anything even knowing he would come up to recover the stones in his body if he died, he was alone against one of the most powerful creatures of the universe. Under the attentive sight of the man, he raised one of his hands making his so-known movements to start a new cycle. Adam didn't try to stop him.

- When I came to know you were reuniting the stones, stealing my partners and conspiring with the trickster god, I swear I didn't believe. – He stood up and walked slowly towards who defied him. – Would Doctor Strange, the protector of the reality and the master of the mystic arts have given in to temptation of power greed? – His eyes seemed to see beyond his skin, inside of him. – Or are you being manipulated by something bigger?

- I'm no fool! I have the feeling that you would know if anyone were taking me to do anything unwillingly. – The magic was formed in his marked hands; the combat position was taken naturally.

- So, you affirm that your ego brought you here, right now, together with the rat trying to find your treasure? – There was not aggressiveness in his posture, but determination. – And, however, I still disagree for the very reason I know the evil beings you allowed to take over your body. They are using your good sense, Stephen. – In a moment, Adam was still meters away and in the other, his breath in the other's shoulder made him abruptly step back, in an instinct movement, trying to defend himself from a never-coming attack. – Look at yourself! The way you're acting… - There was pity in his voice. – You are a wizard who's in my level, but they confuse your senses and mess up with your mind, making you to run away as if you couldn't fight against me.

- No one is running away here.

- The first time Strange had a real idea about how the different stones he carried increased his natural powers was when he took the reality as a tangible thing and used it against the man trying to intimidate him; differently than before, everything seemed to be so simple and easy, much more fascinating and amazing, he became more conscious of his own power than ever. Warlock didn't shake when the world fell onto him, on the contrary, as he also had full gifts of reality manipulation he could reverse the attack to his uncontrolled point of view and put it against the one who didn't master the immensity of what he could do.

- A sacrifice is always needed to get what you want and the man you claim to be is not able to love anything enough to give in exchange of the power. – Adam treated his confront as a joke and wanted to root out the evil imposed to his adversary.

Power shined with the set of spells and anti-spells thrown by the wizard and promptly repelled by the other. The level out of Stephen's habit made his precision to reduce and his attacks to fail, though still lethal. On the other hand, He focused on finding a way of eradicating the wicked energized matter of the protector of the reality's body. His sense of justice prevented him from hurt him gravely while he still believed his adversary wasn't acting in his good conscience. The ground no longer coexisted with the manifestation of power of both men, it was destroyed and put aside when the fight was taken to the air, now, in the sky, they confronted each other distorting the naturality of life and manipulating the energy in the useless try to finish what could take one of them to ruin.

Invisible to the eyes of those who elevated the confront to gigantic proportions, Loki stared at the dark bottom of the valley that divided the refuge of the souls with a habitable part of the planet, in his mind, just one thought: it is needed to sacrifice who he loves the most. The stones attached to the gauntlet, that was perfectly created by a thought of his commanding the armor in his organism, vibrated excited to know that the last of their similar was so close to be reached and to be united to them, he only needed to make the next step.

How could he allow that a so-precious good like what he loved the most was thrown away? How could he go on without something so marvelous by his side? He was starting to desire to abandon the hunt for the soul stone and let that Strange got it alone, may he lose what was the most important for him to get it! But, at the same time, he couldn't help not to lust for the universe that would open up for him if he could reunite the seven stones as no other has ever done, everything and everyone would knee to his feet, no one would ever oppose to him besides the one who's above all. His body reacted eager to the perspective of everything that he was about to get, his mouth even salivated and literally one step ahead was laid what he has always dreamed of achieving. Sighing deeply, the prince made his decision.

"You clown, if what I'm doing goes wrong, feel responsible for ending this and undo my actions". – The advice came from the wizard's mind and gave him a split second to look at where he felt his partner was and watch him stepping ahead and jumping off the abysm, sacrificing who he loved the most. His distraction rendered him a punch in the stomach that damaged his magic structure and threw him on the ground, not having enough time to transform it into something less likely to hurt him. He profoundly hoped that the jotun didn't fail, he wasn't sure he could hold up for much longer.

(…)

It couldn't be told what was worse, looking at Lin Stark stuck in a cell designed for potential threats, knowing that it was Thor who added one more scar to her immense collection or abiding the goddamn smile on the girl's face. Pepper definitively wasn't having a good day, she woke up in the morning decided to take deserved vacations to plan another trip that would bring more joy for the one he recently accepted as daughter and, when going to bed, she got the news that that woman was responsible for a series of attacks around the world, applying mystic artifacts in spots spread through the globe, making illusions of herself in front of the cameras while using the image of her supposed friend to wander wherever she wanted, not to say using stealth mode entrusted to here so that no one could track her while she flew with her armor to another continent where she would commit other crimes.

The redhaired wasn't even allowed to talk to her, not that she was able to say anything in the case this dialogue could happen, but it was frustrating just to see her being treated like a caged monster, prepared for the slaughter, unable to do anything or to understand the reasons why the younger did those atrocities. The cameras that showed the place where the girl was didn't show much, but just the fact of being Carol Danvers the chosen one to watch her said how fearful people were about her.

The trial was getting closer, though it wasn't a smart attitude to try to submit someone like Stark to men's laws, that was what everyone needed to see to feel safe. She became, after all, a very admired public figure in the time she was a heroine and the people couldn't accept that one of the daughters of Iron Man was guilty of everything that was published she had done. Pepper really wanted to keep the hopes of everything being just another lie.

Changing to the perspective of the one who watched the marked girl, Captain Marvel, it was possible to admit that certain curiosity had been awaken in Carol about the supposedly fragile and genius creator of a project that saved the lives of millions while with her own hands, destroyed the mind of other hundreds and killed tens. When she put her eyes onto her, for the first time since she was called to impede Lin dared try to escape, the first thing she noticed was how different she was compared with the last time she had any contact with her image. It wasn't like from a weak and undernourished girl she'd become a healthy person, with her right adult moral she deserved… what she saw was even bigger, she didn't even look like human. Her arms and legs were lengthened, her face defined itself in a dangerous deity and her brown eye whitened so much that now it was as golden as the other. She didn't know if it has always been her original appearance behind the farce, or if she was turning into something much more threatening than she was when they made the mistake of freeing her from her captivity.

- Everyone is accusing you for having committed unforgivable crimes in this planet, won't you try to defend yourself? – Danvers asked wanting to observe what would be the girl's reaction to her intrusion.

- Would anyone be dumb enough to believe what I may say? – Her look turned away from where the theoretically hidden camera was, which transmitted everything they were doing for the people in charge of the security that kept her in jail. – So maybe I should think of something to impress the little lambs making them to believe my so-sure innocence.

- Isn't it what you're doing since you got here? Manipulating people to believe the fragile, brilliant and gentle Lin Stark? – She falsely smiled back to the prisoner.

- It isn't my fault if you humans believe so easily in what you want to see. Some needed to think that I was unbalanced and traumatized for horrible years of torture so that they could accept me and desire to protect me. Others wanted the figure of Tony Stark to reappear so that they could believe that the heroes have the whole situation under control. I gave each one of these things to all of them effortlessly.

- And then everyone believed your lies while a strong, evil and tricky woman hid behind a marked smile. – The Captain concluded being looked with satisfaction as an answer.

- You're not as stupid as you seemed to be. They expect fragility in a woman, they want her to find her Prince Charming and to depend on him after being saved from her tower. They want her body to be perfect as the one of a young maiden and even if not all of them can make a magic to solve their "defects", this pattern won't stop repeating, when her past is cruel or too different to give you a pretty face, to be what they consider normal, or to not worry about the treatment imposed to her, it's ok! For sure the eyes of pity, fear, repugnance or mockery will be very welcome and the "careful" behavior will be very well accepted. – Irony and sarcasm overflowed her tone of voice, but the other couldn't feel anger. – I'm literally free for less than one year and I had no reason to stop disgusting humanity even though my contact with it has changed a lot of perspective. I just needed to act as expected and everyone believed me.

- You killed and hospitalized all those people for a judgement based on your bad experiences? I won't deny that many of us can be despicable most of the time, but acting this way won't make you better than them. – It was the first time they talked, she didn't want to overcome unnecessary barriers.

- Tell me, Carol, do you think I got my scars because I like getting hurt? – Lin, with an insane smile playing in her lips, punched the transparent material that kept her caged and that many would call glass though it was far from being so easily broken. – No, it was because humans liked the idea of playing with a child and slaving a genius mind. I can be a monster like them, but I'm a result of what they did, not of my choices. – Her fist closed stronger. – I didn't kill innocent people, I killed people who raised guns against me and I broke some of those who turned me into this beautiful creature to look at.

- You had the chance to recover, to get a better life with people who care about you and you chose to revenge. It's your turn to tell me, without your lies and your god Loki, what's left?

- A genius, witch, goddess and the one who's going to star in your bad dreams.

- You must be cockier than I thought to assume you can scare me. – Captain somehow found it funny how the younger behaved.

- Me? No, of course I can't scare you, not now. – Her expression suddenly changed into something almost melancholic. – But you're not going to forget me when the shit really starts.

The weird moment dispelled when other people entered the room, ready to act as decorations while Carol escorted the prisoner to the auditorium where the trial would take place. For she saw the woman as a disturbed person, despite all, Captain gave no importance or any other meaning to her words, just followed her closely while they left the place where she could be contained more easily and headed to the place where she would be exposed to law, not receiving any positive credit for her actions, after all, a cruel murderer doesn't cease to be what it is for its supposed reasons or motivation.

The way to the court was silent, Lin just looked down with a puckered frown as if her head pulsed painfully; it seemed she was unconnected to the place around her, she didn't show any different behavior when they finally got to the place where her sentence would be given. There was a surprised murmur when people saw her like she really was, without anything of the extraordinary beauty or of the blatant similarity with her father. Carol saw when men cringed on their seats fearing her grotesque appearance, she got mad for they were treating her with so much repulse just because she exposed herself.

It was needed she stepped away from the younger so that the trial began, but she kept close enough to interfere in the case she tried anything. Observing better, she noticed Stark cringed where she was, keeping the eyes closed as if she was indeed terrified, a behavior that she wanted to believe to be false and that confused her for such realism.

- Linna Mary Stark, for the crimes of murder and heinous torture, was brought before this court to respond for her actions. Do you deny your guilt, little one?

In the beginning, no one understood the sudden shock that took over the accused's body and paralyzed her face, much less when she started trembling and stare at nothing with the eyes wide open. Whatever that was she wasn't pretending that time, or even before, since that only now Captain witnessed personally such fragility behavior and she could feel the dread in the involuntary agitations of her power. She started to understand that even though humans feared her, it wasn't them who were panicking with her presence, but the contrary. All the accusers, witnesses and law agents were staring at her, awaiting an answer or a reaction, but they couldn't expect what came next: Lin forced herself to laugh and laughed as if she was freaking out.

- From all the judges in the world, they chose you to judge me. – Her shining golden eyes raised slowly till stopping when finding the man's who spoke to her. – The universe must hate you as much as I do.

Murmur only increased with humans speculating about how she knew him. Carol felt her throat to compress in sadness when she understood what was going on. All the public figures the woman attacked, according to what she said, were people who contributed to the scars on her body, but she never said she had destroyed everyone who harmed her. Suddenly, the whole trial to make civils feel safer became vain, even before it had begun.

- I must advise you to control yourself, little one, it isn't wise to do things that are going to worsen your situation. – The man obviously noticed she was getting angry and he knew that if she turned mode Hulk on, her punishment would be much worse, so as the presence of Captain made him feel safe enough to provoke her through his gentle words, not being noticed by the others. He knew what those hospitalized had done to her, but didn't see any threat towards him while Stark was chained and the Avenger continued to protect him.

Lin changed her form as abruptly as when her melancholy had appeared, she seemed again the powerful and evil figure showed before, corrected her posture and stared at the man with the her so-usual arrogance. In the seconds that a smile appeared on her face, all of them, except Davers and the judge, screamed of fright, dread and even pain.

- You didn't think I'm still that girl you assaulted, did you? – The eyes of those who screamed looked at the judge, terrified. Carol stepped ahead with her instincts shouting for her to do something.

- What are you trying to do, little one? – He stood up, stepping back, scared with the expressions of all those surrounding him. – Do you really believe you can do something big being chained and without your armor right there where you are?

- I'm free of the chains for around six hours. – The chains vanished in an illusion. – And I'm only exposing to my enemies some memories of mine in which you're having much fun. – She laughed freaking joyful, opening her arms. – You just saved me the work of looking for you, coming here so cocky.

Captain acted when some spots of the accused's body shined and her armor started to form from tiny particles in her organism, but it was too late even for her. Her hand closed would punch her and finish the conflict before it got more intense, Carol wouldn't count on Lin being able to stop the hit with one of her own hands and give it back as intense as hers in her face. No one would believe that in some weeks, she had evolved to achieve the level of one of the strongest avengers, however, that's exactly what happened.

People were again for Iron Girl when she showed them part of her past and now they held the assaulter so that he couldn't escape from the punishment she would give him. But there was something wrong, when Davers neared her for the first time a so long time ago, in the party he introduced her as Tony Stark's daughter, he didn't feel the same power on her as he did now, but the worse was that he also knew that ancient and dark power, it was the same she felt when found the remnants of an ancient civilization with Jane Fost, a terror from past eras that motivated her to look for more information about it.

- He's one of you, do whatever you think is fair. – The electronic voice sounded as an order for the humans who took her side.

Carol, after so many years, felt lost. She could capture each vibration of her power, causing her danger stimulus, her own power answered with submission as if recognizing the other's superiority. But her conscience denied admitting a defeat without even fighting against her, if that woman kept inside herself who she thought to be there, all the universe would be in danger.

- You had Ego… - She whispered to herself.

- I told you, you would learn to fear me when the shit started. – Her voice sounded in a different timbre inside her own head and the armor with its propulsion jets took off. She would escape and disappear before anyone had the chance to stop her.

Captain didn't let this happen, energized all her body and followed her closely, passing through the recently-destroyed layer of floor so that they could leave underground, hearing at the back the shouts of the judge and going back to the surface, being all the supposedly safety of the facility easily broken by the force emitted by the armor, which, even being very similar to the models designed by Iron Man, had a completely new technology for Carol.

Lin didn't stop or showed to be slightly bothered with the chase of her "team partner", she followed through the city as if she couldn't even see her and continued to fly in a high speed, apparently aimless and not willing to stop. Only when they got around Mount Apo, in the Philippines, she slowed down till almost stop and landed softly, deactivating her armor as if she weren't under the attention of one of the only person in the world strong enough to be threatening to her plan. Her clothes had changed to the Asgardian garment she usually used in battles.

The golden eyes stared the other woman, almost curious about what she would do next, but she didn't take the first step indicating what she planned to do or did anything to provoke a violent reaction. She just kept a glad expression like the one of a child who succeeded in its play.

- You wanted to be arrested, you let Thor catch you red handed and bring you exposed as a villain to us, but you got nothing more with this than highlight for me what you hide in your body. Why are you doing this, Linna? Turning the world against you makes part of your pointless plans?

- The god you despise so much is not here to help, then, what makes you think you're talking to Linna Stark? – If she knew her better, she would know that even the way she stood up was wrong. – Besides, I got exactly what I wanted when I started committing crimes in the humans' point of view.

- Are you going to tell me what would this be before or after I take this satisfied expression out of your face?

The raise of a hand was her first answer and the ground hit Captain and she couldn't help it, a brutal force kept her still, momentarily being compressed almost unbearably against the ground. For some seconds, Carol felt unable to move one very muscle, to breath or, mainly, to react.

- I made you to be here now, alone and helpless. – Insanity was again on her face, she didn't have to do anything to immobilize the other despite continuing to tense the muscle of her hand. – Why would someone come to help the strongest Avenger when she's just battling against only one enemy, with mental problems?

That was the truth, no one would come up to prevent her from being annihilated by the one who carried the Original inside of herself. No one besides Davers herself had any chance against it and everyone would be in danger if she allowed herself to lose today, so that was the time of forcing herself to get up again.