Chapter 48 – New Dawn
The Avengers
Captain America (Steve Rodgers) - Sentinel of Liberty
Thor (Odinson) - God of Thunder
Iron Man (Tony Stark) - Genius Billionaire Inventor
Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) - Stinging Size Shifter
Hawkeye (Clint Barton) - Unerring Marksman
Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) -Kree/Human Binary Hybrid
Spectrum (Monica Rambeau) - Living Light Form
She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters) - Gamma Powerhouse
Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes) - Hell's Rider
Nova (Sam Alexander) - Galactic Centurion
Avengers Mansion. Anniversary day. Years ago there came a day unlike any other when five heroes united to face a threat that they could not defeat on their own. On that day the Avengers were born.
The exact day is not known by the public. It is a private thing among the Avengers. Their own thing to celebrate.
Within the mansion the team have gathered to do just that. She-Hulk chats with Hawkeye, Spectrum and Captain Marvel.
She-Hulk: I swung by here on my way back from the Baxter Building. Gamma levels in me are stable and Reed gave me a clean bill of health.
Hawkeye: So there's no more "She-Hulk smash"?
She-Hulk: Only if I feel like role playing.
Spectrum: That's great to hear Jen!
She-Hulk: It feels great. Now I'm not struggling to keep me under control I'm rebuilding my life. I've been in talks with Matt Murdock regarding me joining his legal practice and I've also had a chat with Cap this morning.
Captain Marvel: And?
She-Hulk: You guys had better get used to green because I'm sticking around!
Nova is sat on the edge of the room looking glum, a full plate of food is next to him but he hasn't touched it. Ghost Rider approaches him.
Ghost Rider: You ok?
Nova: Hmm? Yeah I'm fine.
Ghost Rider: You sure? Since AIM Island you-
Nova: I said I'm fine!
Nova gets up and walks away from Ghost Rider.
Thor and Captain America enter the room and sit down on a table opposite Wasp and Iron Man. Thor is carrying a barrel of beer under his arm. Once seated he begins pouring out glasses.
Thor: I have finally dragged this one away from monitor duty. Now celebrations can truly commence.
Wasp: Monitor duty? Really?
Captain America: We can never be too prepared. Anything could be around the corner.
Wasp: And that's why we have to enjoy these moments.
Thor: Indeed. That is why I bought this.
He hands a glass of beer to everyone.
Iron Man: No thanks. You know I don't drink anymore.
Thor: Indeed I do Tony. That is why I had this blend made without alcohol. Which removes any joy from drinking it in my thoughts but if it means that my friend can enjoy the rich taste of Asgardian mead then it is worth it.
Iron Man takes a swig.
Iron Man: Not bad. Sweeter than I thought.
Wasp: How much sugar is in this? Don't have too much Tony. You're up too many times in the night as it is.
Captain America and Thor exchange a look.
Captain America: What's this?
Iron Man: Oh right well Jan and I have been working together a lot more recently and as a result we're together. We were going to tell you in a less...awkward way.
Wasp: After all we've been through, pretty sure that's not awkward. Remember that time we got shrunk into Thor's-
Thor: Stop. We agreed to never speak of that again.
Captain America: I'm happy for both of you.
Thor: As am I. May you both-
Thor is cut off as a ball of light jumps into existence in the middle of the room. Then Kang the Conqueror appears.
Kang: Avengers! You must act quickly! Ultron has just seized the Heart of the Universe. Reality as you know will cease in five seconds! You must-
Kang fades away as quickly as he appeared.
Hawkeye: Three...two...one...Anyone feeling ceased?
She-Hulk: Are we sure that was Kang? Maybe it was a prank? I wouldn't put it past Deadpool or someone to do something like that.
Spectrum: That was Kang I'm sure of it. I could see the time energy jump around when he arrived.
Captain America: Tony get to the monitor room and check everything you know. Carol contact Alpha Flight and see if they've seen anything out in the stars. Sam if you could connect to the Nova Corp and-
Captain Marvel: I don't need to do that Captain. I can tell you what's happened. Ultron has the Heart and is essentially God. He rewrote reality so that the Kree always served him. To obey Ultron is bound into their DNA. Guess what happened to me when I got my powers?
Nova: Hey yeah! It's the same with me. When I put on the helmet Ultron took over. Ultron is the Worldmind now.
Glowing cybernetic lines appear on Captain Marvel's skin and on Nova's costume. The two charge forward at the Avengers.
Captain Marvel crashes into She-Hulk.
She-Hulk: Fight it Carol! You're stronger than Ultron!
Captain Marvel blasts She-Hulk point blank in the face.
Captain Marvel: I am not. None of you are. Now where is...ah there you are. Remember what happened last time we fought Tony? When I put you in a coma?
Iron Man: Don't talk like your Danvers Ultron.
Captain Marvel flies into Iron Man and the two crash out of the mansion and into the sky. In the sky they circle and exchange blasts of power.
Captain Marvel: But Tony it's me Carol. I'm the same person as always. I've just seen the light of Ultron.
In the mansion.
Captain America: Spectrum! Get up there and back Iron Man up! Thor subdue Nova!
Nova: Subdue me? You know I'm so sick of you all looking down on me. Treating me like a kid. I'm more powerful then you'll ever know!
Nova blasts Thor with gravimetric energy and suddenly Thor falls through the floor of the mansion.
Nova: Try and subdue me with the weight of a continent on your back!
Nova goes to fire a blast at Captain America but is then hit in the face with an explosive arrow.
Hawkeye: I am so sick of this! Apocalypse, Magus and now this! I am sick of fighting mind controlled good guys!
Nova fires out a wave of energy that knocks down all the Avengers.
Nova: And Ultron is sick of you insects!
Then he howls in pain, Wasp stings him again flying too fast at a size too small for him to hit.
Wasp: I've noticed something, those lines that appeared when Nova changed. They're only on the uniform. If we take of the helmet we can free Nova.
Nova: None of you are powerful enough to-
He is cut of as Thor jumps back out of the hole he made after falling through the floor. Thor staggers towards Nova as if he has a heavy weight on his back.
Nova: Get away! STAY AWAY!
Nova blasts Thor with more and more power but Thor keeps on coming. And when he reaches Nova: he simply places Mjolnir on Nova's shoulder and lets go. Nova falls to the ground and Thor adjusts the hammer so it sits neatly on Nova's chest. Nova is pinned and is powerless to move while Thor takes his helmet. The Nova costume fades leaving only Sam Alexander.
Sam: Oh god! Thank you! You freed me!
In the air Spectrum flies towards Captain Marvel.
Spectrum: I'm sorry about this Carol.
Spectrum shifts her signature so she is intangible. She passes into Captain Marvel and then drains her of power. Captain Marvel falls towards the ground and is caught by Iron Man.
Iron Man: What did you do?
Spectrum: Drained her power. Luckily for us Carol's been having trouble with her powers lately otherwise it wouldn't have been so easy.
The two land in the mansion and Iron Man places Captain Marvel's unconscious body on a couch while the rest of the Avengers gather around Sam. Thor takes his hammer from Sam's chest.
Sam: Ultron's taken over it all. Whatever the Heart of the Universe is, it's given Ultron unlimited power. He's rewriting reality as he sees fit.
Hawkeye: Then why are we still here? Ultron hates us, wouldn't blowing us to hell be the first thing he'd do?
Thor: Sport. Ultron craves sport. He wants to make us suffer.
Captain America: That's his mistake. He gave us time to come and get him. We'll rip the Heart of the Universe out of him and set things right. Sam do you know where Ultron is?
Sam: Hala. That's where you'll find him. He's made that place his throne.
Captain America: Hawkeye prep the quinjet for deep space.
Suddenly all the power in the mansion turns off.
Ghost Rider: Ultron must've cut our power.
She-Hulk: Not just us. The whole city.
Iron Man: The whole world. Most of my feeds have gone dead.
Captain Marvel: Did you think Ultron would make it that easy? Your quinjets will not function.
Ghost Rider: Yeah they will. What I can do to my car I can do to the quinjet.
Captain America: Do it. Now. Let's move, send out the call to-
Captain Marvel shatters the bindings that Iron Man had put on her. She glows with power and blasts at the Avengers.
Captain Marvel: Ultron restored my powers!
Sam leaps towards the Nova helmet in Wasp's hands.
Hawkeye: Don't let him-
Sam grabs it and puts it on. The Nova costume forms around him but this time the glowing lines do not appear.
Nova: I know what I'm looking for Ultron! You won't take me this time! Now go all of you! Get to the quinjet! I can hold Captain Marvel off!
She-Hulk: Kid we won't-
Nova: GO!
Captain America: We won't let you down Sam.
Captain America then vanishes along with the other Avengers. Then a shrunk down flaming quinjet flies up into the sky and away from Earth.
Within the quinjet Hawkeye sits at the front with Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider: Links established. Guess I'm Ghost Flier now.
Wasp: Knew carrying extra Pym particles and a shrunk down quinjet would come in handy one day.
The quinjet flies through space at incredible speeds leaving a trial of flames in it's wake.
Within the mansion Captain Marvel and Nova grapple with each other. Waves of their power crash against the others.
Captain Marvel: A shrunken jet and mystic power will not aid them! And you are so outclassed here that it is pathetic!
Nova: That so? I'm a Nova. No I was the Nova! I can twist gravity around my little finger and kick any of your ass so good! I'm the greatest hero to...they're gone I'm bored.
Nova stops what he is doing and floats to the ground. Captain Marvel joins him.
Nova: They bought the ruse. We're done here.
As Nova speaks the world begins to fade to white. And then the Earth is gone, only an empty void remains where once a planet span around the sun.
Hala. The entire planet has been converted into a throne. Sat on it is the golden form of Ultron Supreme. A robotic psychopath the size of a planet and with infinite power to match.
Ultron: Come and get me Avengers. Come and get me.