Chapter 15: A Magical Mishap

The man across the desk from me quickly glanced over my resumé.

"So Ms. Jones, you think you have what it takes to work at the Bugle?"

I nodded.

"I believe I do, yes."

The man looked over the paper and at me.

"Mr. Jameson is...apprehensive about hiring you due to your relations with...Spider-Man."

I rolled my eyes.

"It's illegal for him not to consider my application seriously and for me to be on equal footing with other candidates, otherwise it's discrimination."

"Mr. Jameson isn't in charge of hiring, I am Ms. Jones. Impress me."

I relaxed in my seat, looked him in the eyes, and smiled.

—————

"Quentin?"

I looked up from the newspaper I was reading and glanced up to the ceiling.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y.? What's up?"

"Boss would like to see you in the briefing room ASAP."

I stood up quickly and made my way to the exit of the common room.

"Tell Stark I'm on my way."

Walking briskly through the halls of the compound, I noticed many new faces were appearing.

A few heroes from Wakanda, Carol Danvers, a medieval knight with a magic sword, two sorcerers plus Wanda and more on the way.

Clearly Tony was gearing up for something big.

I turned down a hallway, passing Sam Wilson and James Rhodes debating...something and entered the briefing room.

Tony Stark stood in front of the holo-table, one arm crossed over his chest, the other with his hand over his face.

"Stark? You wanted me?"

Tony jumped and turned. Raising his arms in the air he smiled.

"Chrome dome, just who I needed."

He gestured towards the table and I walked over to it.

"We've got a situation, in Manhattan."

I walked up to the table, noticing the 3D map was zoomed in by a cinema.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Tony waved his hand and a mans face appeared.

He was black, with short black hair and green robes.

"His name is Mordo. An old ally of Doctor Stranges and I guess he's gone rogue. I need you to deal with him."

I crossed my arms.

"Why can't Strange?"

"He's still recovering from his little adventure, as well as looking after Wanda and the tin can. Wong isn't powerful enough to stop him, but you are."

I nodded.

"He's gonna be tough, but you're pretty qualified to handle him I'd imagine Cloud 9."

"It shouldn't take too long. The Mordo on my Earth was relatively easy to defeat."

Tony waved his hand.

"Just take care of him and report back to me when it's done. Pete's watching a movie but he'll be available if you need help."

I stepped out into the doorway, my suit materializing around me.

"I'll take care of it Stark."

———————

"Instead of sending Stephen they send a clown in a fishbowl?"

I lowered myself onto the ground, green smoke billowing out beneath me.

The streets were full of overturned cars and people scrambling for safety.

I scanned the street, I'd need to contain the fight but there wasn't a place big enough.

Mordo smiled.

"This fishbowl is more than a match for you Mordo."

He smiled and turned towards me.

"Please. Your 'magic' isn't nearly enough to stop me." He said, summoning two glowing shields.

I summoned my magic, green triangles appearing in front of my hands.

A green glow appeared around Mordo's arms and I pulled towards me, throwing him forward.

I spun around, jumping and kicking him hard in the face.

I scanned quickly for a place to take the fight, still failing to find one.

Until...

As Mordo started to stand up, I opened my comms.

"Peter? You there?"

After a few seconds I got a response.

"Beck? I'm in the middle of a movie, what's going on?"

Mordo summonsed a whip and swung it at me, I caught it on my arm and pulled him in, punching him with my free hand.

"Evacuate the theatre! I'm fighting Karl Mordo and I need to get him off the streets before he hurts someone. That theatre is the biggest building in the area."

He summoned a shield and bashed me in the stomach, making me stumble backwards.

Mordo lunged forward and tackled me to the ground placing his hand against my stomach.

"Your powers will be mine, hero." He said as his arm glowed orange.

His arm burst into green flame and he jumped back, waving his arm.

"Stark warned me you'd do that." I said and stood up, readying myself for another attack.

"Beck?! Beck you still there?!"

"Just get everyone out of there and suit up Peter!"

Mordo summoned two swords and ran at me.

He thrust one forward and I side-stepped it, bringing my elbow down on his back.

I grabbed him by the back of his neck and threw him down the street.

"You're supposed to be tougher than this Mordo." I taunted.

He snarled as he stood up.

"You dare taunt a master of the mystic arts?"

He flew towards me, grabbing me by the collar and throwing me a good 20 feet.

I crashed into a car just outside Peters theatre as people poured out of it in a hurry.

Mordo flew at me and summoned duplicates of himself, all summoning whips.

I turned to the people running from the theatre.

As Mordo pulled back, green energy started to form around me.

"Everyone behind me! Now!" I cried as Mordo shot the whips.

I threw my arms out sideways and a large green shield covered me and the civilians, the whips disintegrating on contact and any surrounding objects being flung or destroyed by the shield.

I pulled my arms back, the energy surrounding my body.

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

I screamed in pain as I shot a green beam of energy from my hands, straight towards Mordo.

He summoned a shield with both hands, blocking the beam for a few seconds before it shattered and sent him flying.

I dropped down onto one knee, panting and retracting my helmet.

Peter came swinging out of the theatre, dressed in his red and black costume.

"Holy shit Beck! That was insane." He said, helping me up to my feet.

I grabbed my stomach as I tried to catch my breath.

"Yeah, but that took a lot out of me kid, and he's coming back."

We looked down the street and Mordo walked towards us, sword summoned in one hand, axe in the other.

His robes were torn and he was bleeding heavily, but he continued onwards as if all the hits he took were nothing.

"Morgan will be pleased to have you both, as well as Strange." He said.

"Who the hell is Morgan?" Peter asked.

I summoned my helmet back around my head and lifted myself into the air.

"I'll get you up to speed after this, for now get him into the theatre."

I flew towards Mordo and he threw the axe at me.

It struck me in the chest but bounced off my armour and I grabbed him by the arm.

"Let go of me!" He yelled.

"With pleasure." I said as I threw him towards Peter.

Peter jumped into the air, shooting a web at Mordo and swinging him through the theatres door.

"Alright kid, let's deal with him quickly."

"Right."

I flew into the theatre, a green mist following behind me.

Mordo had crashed into the front desk and was standing up as I flew in.

I glanced behind him, seeing a group of people huddled in one of the theatres.

Mordo saw them too.

"No!" I cried and shot a beam, but Mordo opened a portal and shot it back at me.

It hit me square in the chest and sent me flying back into Peter, knocking us both down.

The door to the theatre slammed shut.

I slowly rose to my feet, my helmet retracting.

Peter sprung onto his feet.

"I thought you got everyone out?" I asked, looking at the door.

"I thought I did too." Peter said.

The door opened and a man was pushed out. He ran towards me and Peter, tears in his eyes.

He stumbled as he ran, tripping and grabbing onto my chest for support.

"He said he wants you to go in by yourself. Please Mysterio my wife's in there." He cried.

I placed my hand on the mans back and helped him to his feet.

"Don't worry sir, we'll get your wife back."

He smiled and thanked me profusely, but he frowned at Peter and ran outside.

"Guess J.J. still has some fans." He said, shrugging.

My helmet came back over my head as I cautiously walked into the room.

"Helmet off, fishbowl."

I walked into the room, hands raised and helmet retracting.

The lights came on and I saw five Mordos, each with a summoned sword pressed to the neck of a captive. Each looked oddly clean.

"See, that wasn't so hard." All five said in unison.

A sixth appeared in front of me, this one ragged and battle damaged.

The real one.

He started walking down the isle towards me.

"Ok Mordo. This is between us, leave them out of it."

"You're right, it is between us. That's why you dragged Spider-Man into it too."

I sighed and lowered my hands.

"Where is he by the way? Because if you so much as touch me, those five die."

"He's still outside Mordo, just let these people go."

"Only if you let me go with them, and you walk out with me."

"Not gonna happen." I said, taking a few steps forward.

Mordo placed his head in his hands and rubbed his face.

"I had a job to do, and you got in the way. I can't return to Morgan empty handed."

"You might have to Mordo."

I had to act, if I didn't, people could die.

If I did act, they could die too.

I figured I'd have enough time to take the clones out before he killed the hostages, so I acted.

My helmet came over my head and green energy started to surround my body.

"Wrong move Dome head." Mordo said and raised his hand.

The clones all raised their hands and a woman screamed for mercy.

Just before Mordo could bring his hand down, there was a wet thunk and Mordo's eyes opened as the clones fizzled out.

He looked down and saw an arrow sticking out of his stomach.

"Impossible..." he muttered and dropped to his knees.

Peter swung into the room and I flew over to Mordo.

Mordo fell onto his stomach, blood soaking through his torn robe.

"Where the hell did that come from...?"

I looked around the room and found a balcony seat.

Standing in the seat, a wrist mounted crossbow pointed towards me, was Michelle Jones.

"Michelle! What did you do?!?" I yelled as my helmet retracted.

Peter swing up and grabbed her, bringing her down to me.

"Peter, grab Mordo and call Stark."

Peter nodded and jogged over to the unconscious sorceror.

I grabbed Michelle by the shoulders, standing my full height over her.

"What did you do?!"

Michelle has tears in her eyes.

"I...I hit him..."

I looked her in the eyes.

"He's going to die isn't he?"

I shook my head.

"He's tough. He'll survive. How the hell did you get here Michelle? You're not even supposed to be fighting."

I backed away from her and turned to the hostages.

"Peter told me something was up at the theatre... I came to see if I could help through the back entrance and I saw you trying to defuse a hostage situation. I had a clear shot..."

"And you took it." I said.

She nodded.

"Where'd you get that?"

I motioned to the crossbow that quickly morphed into a watch.

"Stark."

I rolled my eyes.

Of course it was Stark, Clint probably didn't even know.

"Does Clint know you have that?"

She shook her head.

"Of course he doesn't."

I turned to Peter.

"Kid, help me move Mordo. Michelle, come with us, I need to bring you back to the compound."

A/N:

Well, it's been a hot minute since I've last uploaded. I've been really busy with school work and a pretty bad case of writers block, so this chapter is probably one of my weaker ones unfortunately. I think updates for the fic are gonna be somewhat sparse until my Christmas break, but I'm hoping to get at least one up next month, as well as hopefully get the first chapter or two of another fic I'm working on (if I can stick with it, it's Star Wars related).

Apologies for any inconvenience, but I'll hopefully have another chapter up soon-ish.

As always, I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading,

~Maca56