Author's Note:
Now we're getting to the good stuff. Thanks for sticking around, and thanks for all the likes and reviews. Y'all are awesome.
Honestly, when writing chapter 5, something felt off. It felt hollow, like there was no emotional connection to the story. I ended up rewriting the ending to have more of an impact. Don't worry, this isn't a throwaway decision, it will definitely be featured again.
Anyways, Onwards!
Chapter 6:
First Contact
...
In the aftermath of events at Undertown, Plumber's base had become a hubbub of activity. Even on most normal days, one could hardly find an idle soul nearby. Agents and cadets bustled about, reports were delivered and processed, new readings being carried out, new criminals booked for transport to the Null Void, while the tech heads were constantly calibrating and repairing.
"I'm telling you, the energy readings are off! Check again, Blukic!", speaking of tech heads, two Galvan technicians were bickering over the research console. They'd been put in charge of monitoring earth's energy readings for anomalies, corresponding with points of alien interest.
"And I just confirmed the results, AGAIN", drawled the other alien, taller of the two, dressed in overalls and a Plumbers belt.
The hiss of the entrance hatch announced new visitors, two were instantly recognized by the personnel while the third was an unfamiliar face.
"Ah, Magister Tennyson, Benjamin Tennyson, and some random human lady!", the smaller of the two greeted with a salute "It's good to see you!"
"At ease, Driba", Max replied, Ben and Natasha trailing behind."Ben, Miss Romanov, this is Blukic and Driba, our Plumber tech support", he gestured towards the two Galvan in question.
"Also, the resident geniuses", Blukic, the taller one added. The gray skinned aliens gave their best impression of a smile and a wave. They didn't succeed.
"We need all the data on this artifact", Max presented the data pad to the two, who began poring over its contents. Synchronizing the data pad with their console, it didn't take long before their conversation devolved into another argument.
"Quite an interesting pair", mused Natasha.
"Are they always like this?", Ben queried out loud. Max simply shrugged.
"Great minds don't often think like, Ben", Driba spoke up, "and speaking of great minds, how did those peons at SHIELD get their hands on an Infinity Stone? Earth's level 2 tech isn't sufficient enough to handle, let alone channel it into consumable energy!"
"Maybe we're smarter than you think", the redhead agent retorted, a proud smirk on her face. Blukic huffed, looking away indignantly. Ben chuckled, clearly enjoying the exchange.
"What exactly are we dealing with?", Max questioned, "some kind of weapon? "
"Not particularly, sir. Essentially, we're dealing with a quantum singularity bound within a physio-spatial construct", Driba continued earning a defeated sigh from Max and Ben. Natasha merely raised an eyebrow.
"It's a primordial cosmic macguffin", Blukic chimed in, "and its one of six. Nasty business, those. A tough nut to crack, but if harnessed, can wipe out entire planets if channelled by the right hands. Or should I say, the wrong hands?"
"How can we track it?", Natasha asked, apprehensive.
"Wait, you LOST IT??? ", Driba exclaimed, jumping from his seat. Ben facepalmed in response.
"We...were compromised by an unknown entity, who broke into a secure SHIELD facility and captured the device, along with several of my colleagues ", Natasha confessed, "I was given the assignment to parlay and obtain the help of the Plumbers and Ben Tennyson, any means necessary"
Ben and Max looked a little uneasy. She pursed her lips. This honesty thing had some real getting used to.
The Galvan duo began recalibrating the monitoring devices on the console, their animated chatter only increasing the intensity of their search." Unfortunately, the energy source seemed cloaked, and any attempts to triangulate its location creates a spatial misdirection", Driba croaked, scratching his broad forehead.
"So you can't find it", Max deadpanned. "Well...", Driba drawled, before Blukic intercepted. "We can construct a thingamajig to stabilize its frequency, maybe even throw in a beacon so you lot can find it faster"
A security personnel frantically interrupted, stopping for breath. " Magister Tennyson, we're getting more sightings of unknown Chitauri activity, your attention is needed quite urgently!"
"Duty calls", Max smiled apologetically and turned to leave. "I'll leave you to in their hands. Blukic, Driba, ensure Agent Romanov gets all the Intel and help she needs. Ben, we'll talk later. As you were!"
The Galvan got to work, leaving Ben and Natasha alone. While waiting for the Plumbers' tech-heads, their conversation moved to a more secluded area, to avoid eavesdropping.
"So...by any means necessary, huh?", Ben was the first to speak after an awkward silence.
"You know what I meant, Tennyson".
"Do I? You're not exactly an easy person to get a bead on, Miss Romanov. One minute you're the cold, badass agent the next you're...well, normal"
The agent sighed. "I'm an agent, Ben. I change personas like clothes. My job isn't for everyone, and sometimes what I do to get the job done isn't so...pretty. Or acceptable". Trust was a hard thing to come by in her line of work, and Natasha's circle of friends remained small for a good reason.
"Just another day at SHIELD, huh?", came the response. She glared at him for a moment before dropping her gaze, looking away.
"Should I be worried about you?", Ben continued, regarding the superspy with a questioning gaze.
"Maybe I should be worried about you, Ben", Natasha quipped, grinning slightly before adopting a more serious demeanor.
"Nick Fury classified you as a level 10 priority. That means you're one of the most dangerous things on SHIELD's radar, and that's without even considering today", Ben hung his head.
"You're also reckless, childish...and yet, you've got more guts and experience than half of the people I've worked with...You're quite the Anomaly, aren't you, Ben Tennyson?", she concluded, beaming, with a strong conviction brimming in her eyes.
Ben brightened up a little, "Hey, I'm a galaxy famous hero, kinda comes with the territory"
She beamed for a brief moment, "Does it also come with a cocky attitude?"
"Nah, that's all me", Ben quipped. The duo shared a brief chuckle, the air of their conversation a little lighter. For a while, another bout of silence reigned, more comfortable this time.
"I dunno if I can trust Nick Fury. Or SHIELD", Ben confessed.
"Not a lot of people do, but this isn't a matter of trust anymore", replied the superspy.
Natasha held the teenager's gaze, meeting his emerald orbs with her piercing ones.
"The world is at stake, and Fury needs every advantage we can get on ground, ready to meet whatever's out there. This is bigger than SHIELD, heck even the Plumbers",
"Fury's never going to admit it, but he really does need you, Ben. Just like the world does" the redhead added.
"Nat, I'll be going public for the first time in...ever", Ben sighed, hand brushing through his overgrown curls, "Is the world ready for Ben Tennyson? Not just the hero, but for me?".
Secret identities were an important part of a hero after all. Save for national figures like Captain America (or a public personas like Stark), the majority of heroes were largely underground. The Helpers, the Plumber Kids and even Ben's former team.
Up until that point, Ben's public presence had been little more than an urban legend. Once Ben joined up, he'd make more public appearances. How would the public react to him? His abilities? His presence?
Nat purses her lips knowingly. As an international woman of mystery, she knew the value of subterfuge and secret identities. Of course, she'd family of hers to protect
"You're not alone there, kiddo", she smirked, "Spies aren't exactly known for being public figures either"
The redhead placed an arm on the teenager's shoulder, "I guess that's what heroes do, huh? Make the tough calls".
Ben was silent, staring at the redhead. Due to being one-fourths Anodite, his empathic senses could sometimes pick up certain...vibes from people. Ben could tell her words came from earnest emotions. And in her line of work, earnest was a rarity.
"Hey you two! We got the thingamajig ready!", barked Blukic. "For the last time, it's called the RADD, Retrofitted Anomaly Detection Device, Blukic ! Have some sense of professionalism!", Driba was furiously tapping at his data pad.
The device was similar to a cube, fitting perfectly on Natasha's palm. "We also downloaded all the Intel on the Tessaract we could find, it's on your data pad now" Driba handed her the pad, receiving a tiny pat on the head from the agent, much to his displeasure.
"Ahem! As much as I enjoy earth customs and greetings, my cranium is quite valuable and must be treated with care", Driba folded his arms in a vain attempt at austerity. Ben snorted at that, he could clearly see the Galvan blushing underneath.
"So, see you soon?", Nat turned to Ben, ready to go. "We'll see", the brunette teen replied, sharing a quick goodbye with the redhead. She exited through the entrance hatch, before turning back to him one last time, both of them sharing a look.
Deciding to meet up with Grandpa Max, Ben moved to the Observatory wing of the base, passing by several Plumber cadets briskly, finding the man conversing with two officers, before dispatching to their assigned objectives.
"Made your decision yet?", the old man asked Ben as they both walked towards the garage, Ben's car already parked and waiting.
"It's a...work in progress", the teen replied." It's just... I don't know if I'm ready to be a team player again, y'know?".
"No one's ever truly ready, Ben. Trust me, I learned that during my days as a cadet. I also had different teammates I had to work with"
"This is different, Grandpa"
"Is it? Ben, if it one thing I know about you, it's that you're gonna do what's right in the end, even if you don't know what the right this is at first. With or without anyone. But we can't always save the world alone, can we?" Max's words reminded him of the old days on the road, Ben always going into troublesome situations headfirst, with Gwen and Max having to pull him out and help him get the job done. Ben smiled at the recollection.
"And the way I see it, you completed your first mission...with a teammate", the retired veteran smirked, causing the teen's eyes to widen.
"You...you knew...", Ben realized, the old man chuckling heartily in response. "Hey, I might be old, but I still have new tricks!", Max beamed, a hint of mischief twinkling in his eyes, "plus you didn't seem to mind having a SHIELD superspy as a partner, especially one of her..."
"Looks?", the teen blurted, a little too quickly.
"I was gonna say skills, but I can see looks definitely helped, didn't they?", Max gave a sly wink, the teen slightly blushing in response.
"Can't say I blame you, I met your Grandma almost the same way", the old man sighed in remniscence, leaving Ben sputtering a series of incoherent denials.
The two shared a good laugh afterwards.
Ben sighed deeply, looking towards the hatch the redhead in question had just departed through.
A New Age. A New Era of Heroes. The Avengers Initiative. Ben knew that no matter which times he found himself in, it was always hero time. Always.
"Thanks, Grandpa", the boy gratefully hugged his grandfather, heaving a soft sigh of relief. Max had always been a source of support and guidance for the teen, keeping him grounded and focused when he needed it and giving him encouragement when he was down. Theirs was a bond forged not just fraternally, but through gruelling and tough times.
"Be careful, Ben."
"Aren't I always?"
"Nope. Not in the slightest"
The two shared another laugh before embracing again, with Ben departing to the Plumber base exit, his grandfather waving him goodbye.
"Don't pick a lame superhero name! Again!", Max called out, earning a chuckle from the teen. Memories of his childhood resurfaced, a short-lived partnership with the Galactic Enforcers had Ben dressing up in an oversized costume with the moniker "UltraBen". Good times, relatively speaking
The entrance hatch hissed as the teen stepped out, to a new world. A new reality.
A new age.
The one thing about SHIELD headquarters: there was never a dull moment. The agents were moving about their business, military personnel training while the lab technicians were focused on keeping the systems up and running. A whirr of helicopters could be heard transporting goods and personnel, the smell of seawater assaulting the senses of exterior personnel.
The Bridge was like the brains of the operation, all information and commands flowed from the room to the rest of the base. Many agents were familiar with the facility's modus-operandi at this point, so it was no strange thing to see Agent Natasha Romanov aka the Black Widow marching briskly through the corridors of the facility towards the bridge.
What was strange, however, was the teenager in a white Hoodie and brown jeans tailing behind her, his hands placed nonchalantly in his hood pockets. His green eyes scanned the environment with vivid curiosity, yet he carried himself with an air of familiarity: like he'd been through similar places.
The agents began to murmur. Who was that guy? What was he doing here? And why did Agent Romanov glare at anyone who stared too long?
Ben and Natasha walked into the bridge, the latter strutting briskly while former was getting easily distracted in the sights and sounds. The facility was massive, while not as impressive as Plumbers facility it definitely still a sight to behold. Ben constantly craned his neck to take in his surroundings as he lagged behind the superspy, the latter trying her darndest to keep the teen out of trouble.
"Woahhhhh, Kevin would KILL to be here! And I'm not sure if that's an exaggeration!", Ben paused to look around, before his eyes landed on the elevated centre, the Main control unit. Atop it was the Director Nick Fury himself, in all his eyepatched glory.
"Tennyson. Glad to finally have you on board", Nick was appraising a report from another agent, before finally turning to the approaching duo. He'd been expecting the teen, and dreading his arrival. Tennyson was young and unpredictable, a recipe for all manner of shenanigans, shenanigans he didn't have the time for, nor the mental energy to deal with.
"Well, seeing as you asked nicely this time, instead of the whole attempted assassination thing", Ben drawled, levelling an accusing glare at the SHIELD Director. Nick ignored the barb before continuing, his eye roll already conveying his reaction to the teen.
"You'll live", Fury clipped, earning a scowl from the teen. Same old Fury, it seemed. Unapologetic and uncompromising. Especially when being a grade-A asshat.
"Seems like for once, the Plumbers really delivered", he continued, "We're going over the Intel now, leads seem quite solid. We're going to need a bit of help though, to sift through all the necessary and unnecessary information"
"Director, we have Banner and Rogers inbound", Agent Mariah Hill, Fury's right hand, spoke up. Unlike the other agents who'd been distracted by the appearance of the teen, she'd remained focused on her task,stopping only to report.
"Good. Prep their landing decks and get ready for Protocol 193.6. Romanov, Tennyson, you'll be the welcome party", Fury ordered.
"Oh boy, a party! Am I underdressed?", Ben quipped. "And how did you manage to get Captain America? Don't tell me you asked nicely this time.."
"That's need to know, kid. Get moving before I regret bringing you on my base"
"Too late! No takebacks! I call dibs on Captain America!"
Natasha pretty much dragged him out of there, while everyone looked on in intrigue. Not everyday a teen walked into one of the most advanced human facilities on earth only to banter with THE Nick Fury
" Do you always have to be so insufferable? ", Natasha asked, our of earshot.
"Comes with the territory, Nat. Me and Director Classified go way back".
...
WHIRRRRRR
The duo reached the busy airspace hangar, as a Shield-copters made its landing, the roar of their propellers giving way to the hiss of the entrance hatch. Out stepped Agent Coulson and a heavily built blond man in a brown military jacket and jeans.
"Stow the Captain's gear", Coulson ordered the attendants nearby, only to get blindsided when the teen hero rushed to the blonde, brushing past the agent.
"Woah, Captain America!", Ben grasped the larger man's hand in a vigorous handshake "I had your poster on my wall! Well, I did until I was 10 and my mom made me clean out my room after I went on vacation with my cousin and Grandpa...then I got a bigger room and well.."
"It's...good to meet you, son", the blond, Steve Rogers, cut short the boy's awkward ramblings. He stared at the teen, before turning to Natasha in confusion. Coulson merely shook his head in disbelief.
"Hi, Agent Romanov", Natasha greeted, before turning to Coulson "Fury needs you on the bridge, they're starting the trace, your expertise might come in handy". He departed quickly, leaving the trio on the hangar.
"Wait, Fury's recruiting kids now?", Steve questioned Nat, a little taken aback. This whole situation felt a little too familiar for his liking.
"I'm right here! And I'm 19, thank you very much", Ben protested, arms akimbo.
"Steve Rogers, Ben Tennyson. He's a...special case, I think you'll see soon enough" Nat managed to explain.
"Hey, did Coulson get you to sign his trading cards yet? I think he's a bigger Captain America nerd than I am!", Ben piqued. "Trading Cards?", the blonde asked.
"They're vintage", Nat added, "apparently he's always holding on to them".
The trio reached the second landing pad, where a bespectacled man in a plaid suit paced about nervously. "Doctor Banner?", Steve called out, greeting the man with a handshake. "Uh yeah, hi! They told me you'd be coming", Banner responded, a little befuddled.
"Wait, THE Doctor Banner? My cousin geeks out about you all the time! Reads all your articles and stuff", Ben greeted the doctor. "Uh, thanks, I guess? Wait, who are you?", Banner queried, regarding the teen with curiosity. One couldn't blame him, Tennyson stood out like a sore thumb. "Ben Tennyson, nice to meet ya", Ben replied with a handshake,"I've heard a lot about you, mostly rumors but still, a LOT"
"Word is you can help find the cube", Steve continued. "Is that the only word about me?", Banner rubbed his hands together apprehensively. "It's the only word I care about", Steve replied.
"Gentlemen, you may want to take a step inside for a minute, it's going to get a little hard to breathe", Natasha announced to the trio, a growing smirk on her features.
Oh boy, Ben thought. The on board P.A sounded, sending agents on deck scrambling to their stations. "Is this a submarine?", Steve asked, feeling the entire base rumble against the ocean. "Really? They want me in a pressurised metal container?", Banner peeked at the edge, watching the waves form and seawater foam against the base.
"Hold on, are you claustrophobic or something?", Ben asked, only to get a mirthless chuckle from the doctor. "Let's just say I have a companion who really isn't into tight spaces", Banner added, his hands still rubbing nervously. Ben raised an eyebrow in confusion, before a loud roar of engines snagged his attention.
The waters swirled before parting, revealing gigantic turbines underneath, attached to the base. Ben turned to Natasha, watching her smirk in return. Soon, the rumbling of the base intensified, as the turbines began to lift the entire base off the waters. All personnel on the exterior deck put on oxygen masks simultaneously,
"Whaddoyouknow? A flying base! SHIELD does know how to surprise, after all!", Ben remarked as the four of them found their way inside.
"Y'know for a guy who fights aliens and turns into them, you're awfully easy to impress", Nat whispered to Ben. "Hey, can't a guy get to be awestruck once in a while?", Ben retorted. Nat managed to hide her conspiratorial smile. Ben was, in many ways, still a child at heart despite his physical age and maturity. Banner and Steve shared a confused look, apparently not in on the the duo's little exchange.
The base took flight, elevating higher before reaching atmospheric levels. From the command level of the Bridge, the ship's cloaking protocols were activated, refractive panels replacing the steel hull of the base.
The SHIELD Helicarrier was fully airborne, and invisible.
...
Reconvening back at the bridge, the team got to work. Ben watched as Mariah Hill barked coded commands to all agents on the Bridge, pausing momentarily to take a glance at Captain America, her eyes showing a mix of awe and wariness; the man was a living, (previously assumed dead) legend after all.
Introductions with Fury were brief and to the point. Banner got to work, already laying down theories and offering solutions to help with tracking the Tessaract, he also studied the R.A.D.D provided by Natasha, examining the cube like device with scientific curiosity. "Intriguing", he whispered, "I've never seen a design like this! Who'd you say made this?", Banner turned to Natasha and Ben, the latter averting his eyes and whistling away.
"You'll have all the time to examine what we have in your labs, doc. I'll let Agent Romanov escort you to the labs. Tennyson! Stay put and don't touch anything!"
"Aww, you wound me, Director", Ben cheekily replied, "You actually think I'm gonna probably fool around a bit and possibly dig up whatever spooky-but-awesome toys you've got stashed away?! The nerve!", the teen faux-gasped. Nick gave a deadpan glare, causing the teen to beam innocently. Steve chuckled, clearly amused by the young hero's exchange with the SHIELD Director.
Deciding not to push his luck, Ben decided to join Captain America and Coulson, the latter subtly trying to convince the Super Soldier to sign his cards. From Cap's expression, he clearly wasn't doing a good job.
"Captain!", Ben greeted, interrupting the balding man's pitch, "how's it going?"
Steve merely nodded, his expression knit in a thin line. He didn't know what to make of the kid, who didn't even look old enough to drink, yet had the look of someone with much greater experience. The Super soldier had seen that look only on the most grizzled of veterans, back in his day.
"It's been...strange, to say the least", he finally said.
"You'll get that a lot, Cap. Don't worry, it gets easier eventually" Ben remarked, his green eyes surveying the bridge.
"If it helps, this whole thing's kinda strange for me too. Now excuse me while I try to get some dirt off Coleson", the teen left the supersoldier, finger guns shooting.
Just what at kind of a world did I wake up to? Steve wondered. He watched Ben trying to strike up conversation with Coulson, the latter attempting to dodge his curious inquiries with a less than enthused expression.
"So what's the deal with that Banner guy?", Ben asked.
"What do you mean?", the Agent was still staring at Cap, the faint hope that he could still get his cards signed. "He's a scientist guy, right? So why does everyone look at him like he's gonna explode anytime soon?"
Coulson straightened his tie before answering. "He's a...classified asset to SHIELD" Ben merely raised an eyebrow, the remark only making the teen more curious.
"He also said something about a companion that doesn't like tight spaces" Ben added, pushing further. Coulson sighed. "Bruce Banner has a...unique condition. Kinda like Jekyll and Hyde. When triggered, he transforms into an extremely dangerous and unstable creature also known as The Hulk", the agent whispered.
"Wait, you mean that green giant dude on TV? Wait does that mean..."
"Ben, whatever you do, don't set him off", Coleson warned. "He's a level 7 hazard for a reason. If he gets triggered for any reason and transforms in the helicarrier.."
"Sir, we got him, 67% match", a SHIELD agent piqued, gesturing towards the monitor "wait, cross match 79%"
"Location?", asked Coulson, promptly marching towards the agent's console to inspect the new Intel.
"Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Konigstrasse", the agent replied, zooming in on the monitor. "He's not exactly hiding". A series of windows popped up on the screen, showing screenshots of their target.
"Captain, Tennyson, you're up", Fury ordered. Cap walked off to his quarters, while Natasha headed to the jet.
"I call Shotgun!", Ben hollered, right behind her, much to the redhead's chagrin.
The SHIELD director grimaced. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea in retrospect.
Melodious classical music cut through the gentle evening, as numerous guests dined and conversed inside the extravagant German ballroom. The magnificent hallways were filled with exotic sculptures and paintings, bathed in the golden light of the chandeliers.
Unbeknownst to them, a group of intruders had already begun carrying out their operations within the halls of the building, an unseen Archer taking out the security on the rooftops with expertly placed arrows.
The serene atmosphere of the German ballroom was violently disrupted with the arrival of a peculiar guest: a well dressed man with slicked back hair, carrying a glowing scepter. The man approached one of the guests and proceeded to knock him down with the scepter, slamming him down on one of the sculptures before producing a three-pronged device and jamming it into his eye.
The crowd erupted in shocked gasps and hysterical screams as they watched the victim seize up uncontrollably under the effect of the device, his attacker looking on with passive interest.
The ballroom erupted in a melee, with the guests fleeing for their lives, their panicked screams only fueling the mystery guest's growing grin.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" he announced, "I'll be your entertainment for the evening!"
"So what exactly do we know about this guy?", Ben asked, fiddling with the Omnitrix. Seating in the passenger section of the SHIELD Jet, the teen was mentally preparing himself for yet another fight.
"He's classified as an Enigma Entity", came Natasha's reply as she expertly piloted the plane through German airspace. Being a SHIELD agent did have its perks, like being able to completely ignore international travel laws. Ben wasn't one to judge, reminding himself that he'd probably broken a thousand international laws in his career as a hero, along with Gwen and Kevin.
"A-what now?", Captain America spoke up, seating opposite Ben, his gaze momentarily on the holograms produced by the device on his wrist.
"He's mostly unknown", came the redhead's reply, "All we know is he decimated an entire squad of expert agents, he's most likely Asgardian in origin and he's got some kind of connection to the Tessaract"
"Wait, Asgardian? Like the Nine Realms and stuff? ", Ben sported a quizzical look.
"Apparently he also has a staff that shoots some kind of energy"
Ben folded his arms. He'd had more than his fair share of encounters with maniacs with brainwashed minions and energy staffs. And unfortunately those encounters were not something he was keen on repeating.
"So what's your deal, son?" Steve's curiosity had gotten the better of him. He couldn't glean anything about the Ben from the agents around him nor from the Director himself, and from where he was sitting, Ben himself could as well be an "enigma entity".
"Huh?" the teen asked.
Steve continued, "The way I see it, you don't bring a normal hunter to catch abnormal prey, and you don't bring kids to warzones. How do I know you're not a liability?", the super soldier finished bluntly. There was something...odd about the teen. His mannerisms where a mixture of juvenile cockiness, yet a strange sense of familiarity. Like he'd been doing this before.
"Me?", Ben smirked, "I'm just full of surprises!", holding up his Omnitrix. "Just wait for my signal, Cap, then you'll see what happens"
"Signal?", Steve asked.
"We're here!", Natasha called out, "looks like he's causing a mess down there!", she said, observing the carnage of Loki's assault.
She opened up the hatch, a blast of wind greeting the inhabitants of the plane.
"Let's go boys!!", the redhead ordered.
...
Loki gave a dark smile as his true appearance manifested, rays of illusions magic wafting off his black suit to reveal a dark green Asgardian style armor with a flowing green cape, capped off with a golden helmet whose horns grew forwards and curved into themselves.
He slowly surveyed the panicking crowd as they fled in all directions, their cacophony of screams like music to his ears.
He strutted forward confidently, Chitauri staff in hand, before firing off an energy beam towards a moving truck, causing it to instantly flip on its head, crashing into the busy streets. The crowd's frantic screams only intensified.
"Kneel!" An multiplex of Loki's replicas manifested in front of the fleeing crowd, causing some to freeze in shock. Others tried escaping in a different direction, only to be met with another Loki. Soon they were all corralled in four directions by a small army of Loki images, their ominous scepters simultaneously flashing a dangerous blue glow.
"I said, KNEEL!!!!!", the real Loki commanded, his features twisted menacingly. Slowly, the helpless crowd obeyed, all falling on their knees before the Asgardian prince.
Loki's menacing glare morphed into one of amused satisfaction.
"Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?", Loki strolled into the kneeling masses, his voice having switched back on a dime, now laden an unnatural amount of charm and authority.
"It's the unspoken truth of lesser creatures; your kind craves subjugation!", Loki preached "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were simply made...to be ruled!"
Loki grinned, his eyes filled with maniacal glee at the stunned crowd. This is what he was meant to do, to rule over those who couldn't rule themselves.
Too weak to rule themselves
"And in the end, you will always kneel", came the cold conclusion, Loki grinning from ear to ear.
Cap and Ben reached a rooftop overlooking the chaotic streets. The duo took up a vantage point near a fire escape, overlooking the situation below.
"Wow, he's definitely all about the theatrics. So what's the plan of attack, Cap?", Ben whispered, crouching down alongside the soldier, whose gaze was on the crowd and their monologuing captor
"He's got hostages, so we have to approach this carefully", Cap surmised. He quickly surveyed the ground, his enhanced senses and training picking up all the necessary details.
He observed Loki standing over the crowd. Hostages.
He observed the staff in his hand.
Weapon.
He needed to act, now.
...
An old man amongst the crowd slowly got up, with a defying look aimed at the Asgardian. "Not to men like you", he said, staring at Loki.
"Oh boy.." Ben had already activated the Omnitrix, cycling the dial.
"There are no men like me", Loki stated, his grin diminished at the old man's defiance.
"There will always be men like you", came the reply.
From the rooftops, Ben and Cap sprang into motion, with Cap silently leaping from the ledges.
Loki aimed his glowing scepter at the old man. "Look to your elder, people...let him be an example"
CLANG!!!
Captain America jumped in between the man and Loki, expertly deflecting the beam back towards the Asgardian. The deflected beam sent Loki flying away from the crowd, the illusions vanishing instantly.
"Y'know, the last time I was in Germany, I saw a man standing above everyone else. He and I ended up disagreeing", the Super Soldier remarked.
"The Soldier", Loki grunted, getting up to his feet, "the man out of time".
FLASH!!!!!
A blast of green light illuminated the buildings above, causing gasps and confused shrieks within the kneeling crowd. Loki's eyes widened in realization. Captain America, on the other hand, stood ready.
ZIP!!!!
POWWW!!
A black and blue blur rushed into Loki, sending him flying away from the crowd into a nearby building. Loki's scepter landed nearby with a resounding clank, it's owner covered in rubble from the impact.
"Says the guy dressed like a Power Rangers villain reject from the 90s", a new voice quipped, right beside the Super Soldier.
The blur had slowed down, revealing a semi-armored, blue and black Velociraptor like creature, with ball pads on his blue feet and a black, conical helmet covered with a strange visor.
"Toldja I'm full of surprises", the visor's helmet slid up, revealing a blue face with green eyes, black lips, and stripes running under and in between the eyes.
"Kid?", Steve asked, taken aback.
"Yup! I know it's a new look for me, but I think it's got its perks! I call this one, XLR8!!!", Ben boasted, his clawed hands proudly by his sides.
Loki recovered himself from the impact against the building, picking up his staff only to be greeted by a floodlight from SHIELD Jet hovering above the buildings, armed with a mounted mini gun.
"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down", came Romanoff's voice from the jet's PA.
The Asgardian responded with an energy blast to the jet, forcing Nat to perform evasive manoeuvers. Cap quickly threw his shield into Loki to divert his attention, his shield bouncing off with less impact than he expected.
"Get everyone out of here!!!", Cap shouted to Ben, grabbing his shield on its flight path back to him. Ben nodded, while the Super Soldier made his way towards Loki, trying to take him in close combat or at the very least, stall for time.
Zipping around, Ben ferried the shocked onlookers out of the way, each civilian seemingly vanishing from the road. The teen also took care to avoid whiplash, having to carry one person at a time. Less efficient, but less dangerous.
Speaking of dangerous, the Captain's first brawl with the Asgardian wasn't going as planned. Loki was surprisingly a good close quarters for, using his staff's reach and expert skills to smack the Soldier around. A wide strike sent the Soldier flying towards a concrete roadblock, before getting on his feet and throwing his shield in retaliation.
Lokii deflected the projectile, causing it to clatter harmlessly to the ground nearby. Forced to resort to fisticuffs, Steve tried following up with a series of haymakers. The Asgardian expertly dodged his shots, before responding with multiple staff strikes that sent the Soldier flying again, before landing in a heap nearby.
"Kneel.. ", Loki jeered, his staff held at the Soldier's neck. "Not today!", Steve retorted, before sending Loki backwards with a recovering spinning kick. Loki attempted to deflect the blow only to get hit by something moving fast from his left.
WHUMP!!
Ben had managed to get the last civilian out of danger before engaging Loki, slamming into the Asgardian once again. He attempted to follow up with another strike, only to breeze through what appeared to be a mirage "Loki", the projection fading away upon contact.
"Whoa! Didn't know he could do that!", Ben exclaimed.
"You know very, very little, my dear Benjamin", Loki sneered.
XLR8 paused, his helmet slid up to reveal a confused face. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
"No", Loki replied, raising his staff to summon more illusions, all aiming their staffs at Ben, "but I know you!" A barrage of energy beams erupted, forcing Ben to rush Captain America out of the line of fire, dodging the beams along the way.
"Woah, watch the lasers, horn head!", Ben was able to dodge most of the beams, some impacted the road causing him to lose his sense of direction. Using his tail as a pivot, Ben spun vertically mid-air, avoiding the broken asphalt that would've impaired his movements. He attempted another speed-blitz only to hit another illusion .Only this time, the hologram faded away to reveal a large column.
WHAMMM!!!
"Ooff!!! ", Ben crashed into the granite column, leaving a shroud of debris and dust in his wake. Loki walked cautiously through the smokescreen, taking aim with his staff only to get a faceful of Cap's shield.
Okay, this guy's a little slippery, gotta box him in! Ben thought as he recovered and picked up speed, zooming round Loki, in a counterclockwise direction, attempting to pull him into a Vortex.
"Rahhh!!!!!", The angry Asgardian responded by slamming the base of his staff to the ground, creating an area-wide blast of energy that sent the teen flying.
"I know more about you than you even know about yourself, Shapeshifter", Loki taunted, staff leveled at XLR8's prone form. "Your tactics, your many forms, your weaknesses...", his staff began charging up, the transformed teen had just barely recovered.
"Watch out, kid!", Cap took the moment to interrupt with a shield attack, diving at Loki. The illusion dissipated, only for the real Loki to appear out of thin air, yank the super soldier mid-descent and toss him overhead like a ragdoll. Mercifully, Ben managed to catch Steve mid air before they both crashed to the ground.
"For a pompous show-boater, this guy's got some real tricks", XLR8 rasped, rubbing his helmet, "let's see how he takes on some real firepower!"
Slapping the Omnitrix symbol on his chest, Ben's form was once again engulfed in green light.
"HEATBLAST!!"
"Let's turn up the heat!!!", Ben wasted no time in showering Loki with a flaming barrage, while Cap used his shield to protect himself from the immense heat produced by the attack. Loki, on the other hand merely avoided the hail of fire, using a combination of illusions and teleportation to keep a distance.
Loki's illusions multiplied, forming a circle round Heatblast. They also began firing back a barrage of energy blasts, forcing Ben to go on the defensive. Using his palms as thrusters, Ben attempted to give himself breathing room, and spun into a flaming tornado, dispersing some of the illusions, only to get clipped by a lucky shot from one of the blasts.
"Have I yet mentioned that I already know all your tricks, shapeshifter?", Loki's illusions resounded.
Briefly losing his balance, Ben crashed to the pavement, leaving a smoking crater in his wake. Quickly recovering, he dodged another energy beam from Loki's staff, narrowly evading a focused laser beam that ended up cutting a nearby truck in half, setting it ablaze.
"That's it, run!", Loki cackled. He tracked Ben's movements with the laser beam, forcing him on the run. Ben employed his form's enhanced agility and versatile pyrokinesis to avoid the beam cutter, avoiding the charred debris cluttering the now abandoned streets.
CLANNGG!!!
Cap leaped at Loki before flipping, momentarily drawing the Trickster's focus, before stunning him with a powerful shield bash and sending him backwards. Loki's staff clawed the grounding, friction allowing the Asgardian to maintain a foothold while being tossed back.
"Hey kid, got any other ideas?", came Steve's commando voice, clear and resolute even in a battle seemingly above his caliber.
"I'm working on it!!", the pyronite groaned.
Switching up tactics, Ben started unleashing a sequence of rapid fireballs from each hand, running counterclockwise against Loki, who avoided the shots with his illusions. The fireballs bounced on the ground, creating a wall of fire that cleared the illusions.
"Is that the best you can do?", the God of Mischief taunted.
The Pyronite merely smirked, before raising his hands, activating his little trap.
FWOOOSHH!!!
Heatblast gathered up the Inferno surrounding them, before letting it out with an area wide blast of flames that caught the Asgardian off guard, knocking him backwards and obliterated his illusions.
"How's that for firepower??!!", Ben retorted.
"You...wil not best me, shapeshifter!!" Loki grunted, his Frost Giant nature having taken the brnt of the flames. Cap got into a defensive stance, ready to throw his shield again. Heatblast primed his hands, another round of firepower ready.
"Kid's something else...", Natasha smirked, watching the fight from the Jet.
"Hey agent Romanoff! Miss me?", a new voice spoke from her comma.
Suddenly, her flight PA monitor glitched out, having been overridden, accompanied with a sudden blare of rock music from the speakers.
Natasha's expression went from mild surprise to resigned eye roll in a moment. There was only one person who could own that obnoxious voice...
And said person was currently flying overhead, directly into the fight below.
From the ground, Cap, Ben and Loki turned their gaze upwards, their attention momentarily drawn towards the SHIELD jet, now blaring AC/DC's " Shoot to Thrill" from its PA system.
From the sky, a new party had entered the fray. Tony Stark, aka Iron Man had just flown in wearing his Mark 32 suit, an upgrade from his previous mechanized suits. Upon arrival, Tony aimed his repulsors at a recovering Loki before unleashing a twin blast from both palms that caught the Asgardian in the chest, knocking him back against the concrete walkway, his staff clattering uselessly a width away from him.
The Armored hero landed with a resounding clang, his metallic suit impacting the asphalt in a burst of smoke and sparks. Loki attempted to grab his scepter, only for Captain America to knock it away with his thrown shield, sending it away from the Asgardians reach with a dull clunk.
Iron Man immediately activated his suit's advanced arsenal, a metallic whirr activated on different parts of his suit, aiming an arsenal of primed lasers, rockets and repulsors at the prone Loki.
"Make a move reindeer games", he taunted.
Loki looked around before slowly raising his hands in surrender, his armor melting way into golden light, revealing a much more compact Asgardian style tunic.
"Good move", Iron man's arsenal retracted with a series of compact hisses . Captain America had already recovered his shield before making hits way to Tony's side.
"Mr Stark", he greeted,slightly winded from the recent encounter.
"Captain", Tony replied, "is it just me or is there a walking barbecue pit behind us?", Stark turned to the approaching Pyronite, his arm's repulsor extended warily, it's mechanical chime indicating it was primed for attack.
"Tony Stark, aka the Invincible Iron Man", the transformed teen commented, "Appreciate the assist, can't say I'm a fan though"
"And what are you exactly?", Tony quizzed, cocking his head to the side.
Ben merely responded by slapping the Omnitrix symbol on his chest, reverting back to his human form with a blast of verdant light. The teen folded his hands and gave a smirk.
"...Uh, Jarvis, remind me to hold off on liquor before a flight" Tony said after a long pause, repulsor arm lowering slowly.
" You're currently not intoxicated, sir" a mechanized voice came from his suit.
"Huh...really? Could've sworn I was seeing a fireball turn into a kid", Tony quipped, his helmet flipped open as he appraised the teen in question.
"Again, I'm nineteen, not a kid!", Ben complained. Captain America shook his head slightly before addressing the billionaire.
"Stark, Ben Tennyson. He's a...special case".
...TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N
Well, that wraps the basic introduction into the the MCU Avengers. Going forward, I'm going to be making some changes, both big and small.
Also, I REALLY WANTED to rewrite the entire Loki fight from the ground up, adding in henchmen for Loki, a much longer speech, and the scene would've been INSIDE the grand Hall where Loki first appeared, with him seated on some kind of flamboyant throne or something.
Unfortunately, it didn't make much sense. Bigger isn't always better, kids. Loki's too vain to keep hostages contained inside a small area, he'd want the whole world, especially SHIELD, to see. Plus, his plan kinda relied on only him being the one captured so...yeah.
Anyways, expect some changes down the line. Especially in the sequels, I've got some base ideas written down. As always, your feedback is appreciated, just be polite and stuff.
Unrelated, I find Driba quite adorable.
SIDE RANT:
From a graphic designer's POV, I really don't like Ben's Omnitrix design in Omniverse. It makes NO sense. It's this tiny half-wheel with vague head shapes that somehow represent the forms. Like, how does he even see those tiny heads? How can he distinguish them?
The OG series had a sleek, clear design. Aliens were large, distinct black silhouettes over a bright green background, making them easy to see. UAF introduced holograms, which means Ben could even see a 3D render of the alien he wanted. Omniverse's just felt different for the sake of being different.
So moving forward, Ben's Omnitrix will simply project 3D holograms of his aliens. Simple and efficient.
Also, I'm going to be cutting most of the Omniverse aliens, like Ballweevil, Walkatrout (aka Ripjaws but worse), Mole-stache, Astrodactyl (aka bootleg Jetray), Bloxx or Shocksquatch. Personally I don't like "Lego-man", and Shocksquatch is basically Frankenstrike with fur. Same goes for:
-Eatle (basically Upchuck but worse, Upchuck doesn't need to chew off his food)
-FastTrack ( XLR8 but worse)
-Chamalien (Ben has two aliens that already do invisibility, but better).
Rant complete.
As always, reviews are welcome.
...
Now to respond to your comments:
reader2020italia: Thanks. I'll try to be as loyal as I can to Canon, but I'll definitely make some changes.
poketrap08: Thanks, stick around for more!!!
Anime Crossovers: Thanks!!!!!
Sakra95:
-Upchuck has limits. Here's an excerpt from the official wiki:
/There is a limit to the kinds of energy either Upchuck can ingest, as the energy beams of an Evolved Galvan made them inflate into a ball /.
I'm pretty sure Albedo's beams aren't nuke level, the force alone would've destroyed the ship instantly. And no, the sub-energy doesn't count since he spat it out almost instantly and flattened Mt Rushmore.
-Ben does use Clockwork to rescue civilians off-screen, sorry I forgot to add.
-Nat and Wanda are pretty hard to choose from. Maybe you can give points in favour of either.
-Most Likely, we'll see.
-The Plumbers do know about the Infinity Stones.
-No, thanks to SHIELD meticulously wiping out all media traces, the public is mostly unaware of Ben. He's like an urban legend of sorts. Which means NO Will Harangue (Thank God, that man was just a bad version of J.J Jameson, with all the character depth stripped out)
Amit Bharabi:
-Nat's other objective was to establish contact with Ben and earn his trust, kinda like with Banner. What better way than to help him on a mission?
-Thanks for the note. It was on purpose, however. If you read that paragraph, Max abruptly changes the topic after seeing Nat's reaction to it. The Black Widow program (and the Red Room) is a sore spot for her.
Guest: I release chapters per week.
Omnihallows: Thanks a lot. Yeah the NY Council are a bunch of hypocritical assholes. The Plumbers will feature heavily in the upcoming plots.
