Author's note : Happy New Year! It's good to be back! Sorry for the lack of updates, the Holidays really stole me away this time.
Thanks for your patience. Anyways, it should be weekly as usual from now on.
Also, thanks for your ideas for which aliens should feature on the Battle For New York.
Onwards!
Chapter 9
Freakshow
The roar of the Hellicarrier's still functioning turbines cut through the air, overlaying the blaring of alarm sirens blaring loudly, indicating the ship had been rendered structurally compromised. An unseen attacker had detonated the explosion, which completely blew out one of its engines, causing it to lose altitude. It's refractive panels were also down, the previously obscured aircraft now visible from the clouds. Accompanying the Hellicarrier's sudden reappearance was a trail of smoke and debris that colored its steady decline as gravity resumed its operations.
WHIIRRR
In the chaos above deck, an unnamed SHIELD Jet landed on the Hellicarrier's airstrip. The entrance hatch hissed as it opened, revealing a platoon of soldiers led by none other than Agent Clint Barton. Like the others, his eyes still glowing a ghostly blue, shimmering with the arcane energy of Loki's mind control.
Three members of the group stood out, their pale green skins contrasting with their black, leather clad Harlequin-esque outfits. One of the trio towered above the rest, his large hands wrapped in bandages and his metallic boots loudly clanking with every step he took. The second was female, her wild orange hair in long, twisted knots which seemed to move on their own volition. The last was haggard and lanky, his green skin mottled, a gas mask covering his labored breathing as he walked.
With a loud blast, the sealed hatch leading into the ship's interior was sent flying, allowing the team to descend below deck. Expertly dropping from deployed lines attached to the exterior deck, the team reached a passageway within the interior Hull. The team began moving into positions as Agent Barton barked orders.
"Keep that engine down!"
"Detention, wait for cameras to go dark!"
"You three!", the Archer pointed at the odd trio, "with me!"
Like clockwork, they began carrying out orders, their motions robotic yet efficient. The largest in the group easily pried open a steel door with his hands, the metal groaning as it bent and warped before being yanked away.
"Move out!!"
Sharon Carter was knee deep in the chaos, attempting to salvage the rapidly deteriorating situation at Mission Control. All around her, the first suppression systems went haphazardly blasted coolants from the vents, distressed agents clamored to gather weapons and gear, others could be heard chattering as they worked on the on board systems, all while the PA system blared its emergency warnings to the ship' inhabitants.
" Attention: All hands to stations!!"
Her communicator crackled to life as she put her hand to her ear. "Agent 13! Give me a sitrep! What's our status down there?", Nick Fury's voice boomed over the comms.
"We're trying to contain the damage sir! The crew at Engine three got trapped in the blast, just managed to radio for backup!!"
"I've got Stark and Rogers headed up there!", Agent Hill patched in.
"We need to secure the perimeter, sweep for any breaches!!", barked Nick, "where's the containment team?!!"
BOOOMMMM!!!!
As if on Cue, the walls of Mission Control were blasted apart, sending multiple agents flying as the blast flooded the room with a shower of sparks and debris. A loud thump shook the facility, causing the remaining active agents to scramble for cover. The Containment team or what was left of them, were sprawled on the floor, their state beyond recognition.
Agent Carter picked herself up from behind the console, her eyes landing on an agent's body. Her body revulsed in shock as her gaze fell on the soldier's torso, the lower half of his body completely vaporized by what appeared to be some form of gaseous chemical agent, his innards reduced to a liquefied puddle.
Within an instance, the attackers made themselves known. A large, pale hand reached out from the smoke to grab an unwary agent and toss him into a nearby power junction, the agent's smoldering corpse dropping limply with a dry thud. The smoke parted, revealing a large brute with what seemed to be a giant toenail growing atop his head.
To their credit, the remaining SHIELD agents held composure enough to mount an offensive.
"Enemy hostiles spotted!! Shoot to kill!!"
BANG BANG BANG
Multiple armed agents released a barrage of gunfire at the assailant, trying to repel the monstrous threat. To their dismay, bullets did little more than temporarily stun their target, as he recovered almost instantaneously from the bullets.
Thwock! Thwack!!!
The second assailant revealed herself, wearing a form fitting leather suit, her unnatural orange hair whipping around like a twister, catching the SHIELD agents unawares. The mystery lady's tangerine locks hit like sledgehanmers, either disarming the gunmen or outright knocking them sideways.
"Carter!", her communicator blared again, "what's the situation? We've lost contact with the containment team! Multiple reports of another explosion at your end!". Nick Fury's distressed calls were not her focus as she stared at the monstrous trio from the other side of the room.
Though wide eyed with shock, the blonde managed to recover her senses." Director Fury, this is Mission Control! We've been breached! Repeat we've been breached!!!"
Natasha Romanov had been in plenty of bad situations, and she was considering trading places with any of them at the moment, if only for a reprieve from her current one. An unconscious teen laid in her lap while she stared at Bruce Banner's menacing alter ego, a violent and uncontrollable force of nature known as the Hulk.
Loud, heavy footsteps echoed through the mist. The sounds of metal groaning under his weight ever closer with each passing moment.
The superspy's mind went into overdrive. Adapt. Control. Pacify threat.
"Bruce?", she panted, the steam from the vents obscuring her vision, beads of sweat on her forehead, her red locks matted to her face. Hopefully she could reach out to whatever shred of humanity still within the being.
The Hulk stood momentarily, his eyes confused and unfocused.
"Bruce, it's us! Ben's here with me! He's unconscious! You need to stop!!!"
The Jade giant began to thrash about, groaning loudly as his large hands crushed the metal scaffolding barricading the hallways, the metal beams crashing noisily.
"You need to fight it, Bruce!", she urged shakily, "This is what Loki wants!". From the corner of her eye, she spied a couple of technicians attempting to investigate the crash. Upon sighting the Hulk, they both made off in a sprint. Thank God, not a moment too soon...
Hulk's attention was momentarily divided. "Listen, its all going to be okay, alright? We'll be okay. Trust me, we'll be okay! You'll walk away from all of this..."
" Trust you???!!", the green giant roared. His gaze was furious, resolute. She swallowed the bile in her throat as he resumed his approach, pounding feet against the creaking metal flooring denting with each step.
"Черт побери!", she thought, " Time for plan B..". The Hulk about to go berserk, and she had to get him away from Tennyson. Laying the unconscious teen on his back, she got up gingerly. Her left foot had been sprained when they both crashed through the ceiling. With heavy breaths, she stared at the raging beast, piercing eyes focused and resolute.
Goddamn this is a bad idea...
FFZZZZZZZZTTTTT!!
ROOOARRRR!!!!
Arm extended, she'd let loose an electrical dart from her Widow's bite directly at the Hulk, the projectile burying itself inside the monster's chest. The ensuing roar shook the walls as the jade giant rushed at her with the ferocity a freight train.
From the reinforced glass trap that was his cell, Loki Laufeysson grinned like a madman.
She took to a sprint, ducking and weaving through the metal piping that ran in the tunnels. The Hulk was at her heels, tearing apart everything that stood between him and his redheaded target.
Great, I got his attention, now what?
Steve and Tony made their way through the chaotic hallways of the Hellicarrier, agents frantically swarming all around them. The supersoldier guided the billionaire, using his height advantage to navigate the chaos, frenzied yells and reports mingling with the flashing reds of the ship's emergency alarms.
"Level three, let's go!", urged Steve, steering them across the halls, while dodging haphazard sparks from the ship's damaged power terminals.
"Stark! Rogers!", Fury's voice blared through their comms, "we have a breach situation down at mission control! Reports of multiple unknown assailants just got through my men!"
"Hate to inform you Nick, but we already have a big situation on out hands!", Tony yelled.
"I've got report that assailants are heavily armed, possibly enhanced! If they get to Containment, they could free Loki and kill everyone else along the way! Those are my people, Stark!!"
"How far is mission control?", Steve asked, pausing in his stride. Tony turned to the supersoldier with a quizzical expression.
"Take a detour on the left wing after the hallway! Those maniacs are likely gonna tear through our systems just to get to the control station at the Bridge!"
"Oh you've gotta be shitting me!"
"Language!", Steve corrected.
"Dammit Cap, we don't have time for this!", Stark clipped, rolling his eyes. This was pointless;the longer they spent arguing, the more certain their collective demise.
"Lives are at stake here, Tony!"
"And even more lives are at stake if we don't get to fixing the engine! In case you haven't noticed we're losing time and altitude! It's basic math: save the ship, save more lives!".
"We don't trade lives, Tony", the supersoldier stated firmly, before tapping his communicator "I'm on my way, Fury. Tell your agents to get to safety if they can. Leave no man behind".
Tony threw up his hands in exasperation. "Wait...wait is this really happening? You're actually going through with this? Ship's going down and you're here pulling a Saving Private Ryan?"
Steve merely responded by throwing on his helmet, "Head to Engine three! I'll catch up with you once I'm done! Do anything you can to keep this craft from going down! Move!!!"
The billionaire genius was hesitant at first, but one look at Steve's determined expression gave him the push he needed. "Godspeed, Cap".
He quickly headed to the rendezvous point, but first he had to make a detour. His Stark Phone beeped as he flipped it open, his suit compartment responding to his biometric signatures as he walked through the hatch. The Iron Man module opened automatically, while he flicked open a holographic interface, remotely activating his suit.
Iron Man was Online.
The bizarre trio tore through the squad of heavily armed SHIELD agents with practiced versatility and coordination, their attack patterns practiced yet unpredictable. They moved as a single unit and used their abilities to complement their attacks augmenting their impacts against the unfortunate souls who stood in their path.
Sharon ducked as another wave of corrosive gas washed over the area, acidic mist causing all the nearby equipment to disintegrate upon impact. The smallest of the terrible triad had a gas mask dangling from his neck, apparently functioned as a protector for his grotesque ability. His chest inflated as he suctioned in a gust of breath, about to unleash another acidic assault.
Agent 13 peered out of cover, sighting the impending assault, dove towards a nearby panel that remained relatively unscathed from the previous assault and tucked her body into a roll. She entered into cover just in time to avoid another jet of vitriol.
A few blasts from her pistol tagged the acid breather in the shoulder, forcing him to retreat temporarily.
The roar of gunfire could still be heard over the dying sparks of corroded machinery as agents attempted to return fire, only for their shots to bounce off the large, toe-faced brute. The painted female with fiery hair kept them at bay, while also snatching up weapons and even agents with her living locks.
"Listen up, bozos!" the female yelled, "we're here for the boss! Anyone else gets in our way, better get ready to bite the dust!"
"Well what are you waiting for? Bring it on!! " Sharon quipped before firing off a shot, dropping a beam unto the orange haired lady. Her living locks instantly caught the beam with ease, before crushing it completely in a mass of her orange follicles.
Sharon responded with another shot that clipped her ear. The lady recoiled before vengefully tossing a nearby console at Sharon's hiding spot.
CRASH!
Debris was flung from the impact before revealing the spot was empty. Agent 13 had given them the slip while her team provided her with scatter shots and cover fire. The brute in turn raised his hand to shield the pale girl from the barrage.
Frustrated rage colored the pale girl's face as her hair began further pulling apart the room. "You're dead, bitch!", she yelled with clenched fists, her hair seemingly sharing her emotional disposition.
Sharon, on the other hand, just took up a new hiding spot. Her plan, so far, was working. Keep the assailants distracted so they focus less on her men, and keep them contained so they don't progress to the holding cells.
Unfortunately her luck was cut short when the massive brute tore through her cover, lifting the piece of machinery like it was nothing.
"Heh, gotcha girlie!", he grunted, his maw widened in a sickening grin. He reached out to grab the agent like a ragdoll before getting interrupted in his tracks
CLANGGGGG!!!!!!
Before the brute could react, he was flung back by a high velocity projectile disk, his head spinning from the impact as the disk did a number on his jaw, spittle flying from his concussed expression. The thrower was none other than the star-spangled Sentinel of Liberty, fully suited up with extra armor parts from the SHIELD mission repository. Classic red, blue and white had been overplayed with a dark blue military grade armor, adding a more militaristic appearance to the supersoldier
"Everybody stand down! Get to safety!! ", Steve yelled to the remaining soldier attempting to defend against the bizarre trio.
Sharon's sigh was almost as much as relief as it was awe.
"I don't know why you're here", Steve declared as he turned to face the pale-skinned assailants, raising his retrieved shield in a combat-ready stance, "but if you want a fight, you've got it!"
Natasha ducked under scaffolding as a large hulking hand smashed through the metal beams with ease, turning them into scrap with one swipe. She rolled forward to avoid another desperate grab and bolted across the corridor towards a flight of metal stairs, the Hulk not too far behind, snarling as he gave a mad chase towards the redhead.
Part of her plan had worked, she'd managed to keep the Hulk away from the unconscious teen. Pulse pounding, she pushed past her limp as she ran for dear life. Sparing a moment to look back at her pursuer, she glimpsed his form leaping towards her. Quickly she grabbed the handlebars of the railing, she vaulted over the hand railing and landed in a spread crouch.
A split-second later, the floor grating she stood on collapsed while she leapt and used a ceiling bar to perform a bar swing, sailing through the air while avoiding the grabbing hand of the Hulk. She grimaced as she landed on her bad foot, using a recovery roll to move with momentum down a set of steps. The frustrated roar of the charging giant behind her propelled the redhead once again, sliding through an opening in the pipes.
For good measure she shot a cooling pipe, ensuring her movements were temporarily obscured. Another roar shook the walls and nearly left her stunned on the spot. Her deeply ingrained instincts took over, giving her a second wind.
Keep target moving, her mind raced, keep target contained.
The Bridge was in just as much in a state of pandemonium, with multiple monitors and reports delivering from other stations at the Hellicarrier to the facility. Nick Fury stood at the helm, barking instructions to any agent in sight.
"Bring the carrier to about a 180, heading south!", he ordered, "Take us to the water!"
"Sir, we're flying blind out here! Navigation's recalibrating after engine failure, and we've lost satellite imagery from Mission Control!"
"Is the sun coming up?"
"Yes sir!"
"Then put it on the left!",yelled Fury, "get us over water! One more turbine goes down and we drop! The last thing we need is to land in a populated area!"
The agents scrambled to initiate new manoeuvres, while Fury could only hold his head. He needed some good news, and he needed it yesterday.
He tapped his ear bud, "Stark, what's the status at Engine three ?".
Tony's mechanized voice crackled over the radio, "Well, the good news is: I got your men out, the bad news is the engine took a lotta damage. And without Ole Capsicle here, I gotta figure out how to get this superconductoid cooling system online before accessing the rotors, work on dislodging the debris..."
"What do we need, Stark?"
"I need someone on the inside, monitoring the relays and the control panel..."
BANG BANG BANG
Multiple gunshots erupted from the right flank of the smoldering debris as masked gunmen began firing at the armored genius. Tony swerved mid air, his suit could tank bullets easily but the impacts on his suit could affect his balance and tip him over.
His suit's HUD instantly pinpointed multiple armed hostiles, all aimed at him.
"And of course, I got company", he muttered.
Nat moved like her moniker, her feet gliding steadily across the dimly lit floors while she remained in a crouching position, silently stalking her enrages pursuer. Her breathing was labored, both from the exhaustion and from battling the array of panic urges. She steeled herself as she made her way past the corridor, the heavy thuds of Banner's footsteps filling her ears.
CRASH!
The Hulk tore through the walls like a bulldozer, before charging at her. Discharging her Widow's Bites, she struck multiple gas containers lining the corridor, causing a chain reaction that filled their surroundings with obscuring vapor. Banner stumbled around temporarily blinded, allowing her to break into a sprint, sliding past his massive legs and sending a flurry of charges at his feet, hoping to at the very least slow him down.
Incensed, the Gamma giant lashed out, swatting Natasha directly into the wall. She tumbled like a sack and crashed in a heap, her body instantly aflame with agony. Bruised ribs, possibly broken and her ears were ringing. She groaned, picking herself up as the Hulk approached, about to strike.
THOOOMM!!
A flash of lightning wrapped around a white blue caused her to shield her eyes, while the impact nearly took the wind out of her. Something had collided with the Hulk, sending him flying through the wall into another room.
She opened her eyes to see what appeared to be a thick, muscular yeti-like creature, electric discharges dancing around his grayish blue-black fur. He turned to her, familiar faceplate visible on his chest.
Tennyson.
"Is it too soon to say I told you so?" the electric sasquatch quipped.
She scoffed, as the transformed teen helped her up to her feet.
"What's going on?", Shocksquatch asked.
"The Hellicarrier's going down and we have a rage beast on the loose, not to mention new homicidal guests aboard. It's about damn time you woke up, Sleeping Beauty" She managed a weary grin.
"Hey, thanks for being my princess charming", the Gimlinopithecus beamed, his sharp teeth flashing prominently against his blackened lips.
"Save the wisecracks for after we survive this, okay hero?"
A loud roar interrupted their little banter. The Hulk had instantly recovered, emerging from the hole and was furiously charging towards the two. Ben charged up his electric rods embedded in his skin, his thick fur raising up a breadth as he prepared for another assault.
"Hey big guy! Pick on someone your own size!", Ben yelled as he charged towards the green brute
BLAMMMM
The two heavyweights collided, sending shockwaves through the room. Shocksquatch grunted, Banner was definitely more than a handful. Switching up tactics, he pivoted into a flip, using the Hulk's weight to his own advantage by gliding over him, repositioning at Hulk's exposed flank. He raised his hands, reshaping his electricity into a massive fist.
BOOOM!!! The resulting thunderclap shook the room slightly, causing the Hulk to buckle under the . The Jade giant retaliated almost instantly, a large swipe sending the teen flying backwards, his arms crossed in defense. Ben managed to right his course by digging his heels and claws into the ground for traction, finally stopping in a quadrupled stance
The teen got up and flexed, sizing up his opponent. Banner was much bigger than he was and probably stronger. However, reducing this fight to a pure slugfest would definitely damage the ship. Ben had to fight smart and also fight careful: Somewhere buried inside the raging brute was the mind of a mild-mannered scientist.
Gathering up more lightning in his palms, Ben used his electrokinesis to create two whip-like constructs, his new weapons hissed with energy. Hulk slammed on the ground before picking up chunks of debris and sending them flying at the teen. Shocksquatch used the whips like makeshift Slingshots, latching on to the debris and wrapping it in an electric field before sending them back at the Hulk, temporarily stunning him with the makeshift catapults.
Propelling himself using the whips like a grappling hook, Ben launched himself like a cannon directly at the jade giant's chest, knocking him backwards and releasing another massive Shockwave from his electrified body. What Ben did not expect, however, was the massive brute to power through the blast, reach out his arms and latch on the teen, pulling him into a massive bear hug.
"Hey, what the...", the teen interjected as the Hulk began to squeeze, applying an ungodly amount of pressure on the Gimlinopithecus. The transformed teen began to groan, his joints popping as he was being put through a vice press of a grip. Shocksquatch could endure a bit of punishment, but not for long. With a yell, he managed to wrench his arms free and jammed his fists into the jade giant's face, the metal bolts on his hands acting as defibrillators.
BZZZZZZTTTTT
The two screamed simultaneously: The Hulk from the impromptu electrical lobotomy and Ben from the desperate need to be free. Much to teen's relief, Hulk eventually let go, allowing him space to manoeuvre again. The green brute slammed both of his hands down like a sledgehammer, Ben countered by creating an electric forcefield to contain the force, his feet sinking into the metal floors from the impact. Ben swiftly followed up with a grapple, sliding behind the Hulk and grabbing his torso, before enveloping him in an electric field and tossing him backwards.
"Dr Banner!", Ben yelled, "snap out of it!".
They were running out of time, and he was running out of options. He'd to either subdue Banner or get him out of the ship before the brute would send it plummeting even faster.
Hulk hesitated for a moment, panting from the recent altercation, his green skin sizzling from the point blank lightning shots. He grunted, wiping his chin before gearing up for another round, leaping at the teen with a renewed yell.
"Aw c'mon dude!!!!!"
Ben ducked under three more swipes from the Gamma giant, before tanking an uppercut seemingly out of nowhere.
Briefly stunned, he couldn't react to the hammer fists in time before he sank under their weight, nearly crushed if not for his own brute strength. Banner was losing himself,as the Hulk's behavior had become more erratic.
"Nnngh...Don't make me...have to... hurt you!!", with that, the teen unleashed a blast of lightning from his palms, throwing the weight of Hulk's massive fists away from him.
The Jade giant didn't stay down for long, raring up as he charged like a mad bull towards the teen.
Ben clenched his fists as he got into a fighting stance.
This is gonna take all day..
Don't think I can do this all day...
Cap grunted as two massive fists nearly made his legs buckle under their weight, sledgehammer like arms impacting his shield instead. He ducked into a roll, evading a spray of corrosive vapor from the other assailant with the gas mask. Leaping, he dodged several hair tendrils, now sharp and piercing like Javelins, buried themselves in the spot he recently vacated.
Needless to say, he wasn't having a great time. The bizarre trio, whom he'd dubbed the "Circus Trio" didn't show military experience typical with mercenaries but what they lacked in finesse they made up for with their coordination and teamwork. One would apply pressure, the other removes escape routes and the last would go in for the attack.
Another assault came as the large brute made a grab for him; Cap sidestepped the attack and used the larger man's arm like a ladder, climbing up to reach his back.
He jammed his shield into the man's temple, inflicting a temporary concussion as the brute's eyes rolled in their sockets. Unfortunately, the painted girl used the opportunity to ensnare the supersoldier in a mass of hair tendrils wrapping around his head, nearly suffocating him as he struggled to balance atop the brutish Thumbskull.
Cap attempted to break himself free, getting thrown to the ground for his efforts. The brute raised his feet to crush the Supersoldier, before getting blasted by a flashbang from Agent 13.
Steve quickly rolled out of danger, while another shot rang out and the painted girl's locks retreated, their owner recoiling as Agent Carter clipped her again on the shoulder. Steve flipped off the brute, narrowly escaping a large hand that made another swipe at him.
"Watch your six, cap!", Agent 13 hollered, earning a respectful nod from the soldier. While the rest of the team had evacuated to safety, blonde agent had nobly stayed behind to offer some form of assistance.
Sharon had heard stories about the First Avenger from her aged aunt and had been inspired, joining SHIELD in her aunt's footsteps. She'd been eager to meet the Supersoldier from day one, ironic that she would team up with him in a literal life or death situation.
"What are you doing?", the soldier questioned. "Agent 13, Captain Rogers!! Here to save your ass!" , quipped the blonde, as she took position beside Steve, reloading a clip. "All due respect, ma'am, I gave you an order to retreat! I can't protect you if you're putting yourself in danger!".
"With all due respect, Cap, I'm not the only one in danger", came her reply. Sharon was never one to back down from a fight, especially when fighting the good fight. Her blue eyes sternly met his, Steve was slightly taken aback with how familiar they seemed. Blue eyes, a pointed jawline and a determined hard look, he felt like a young cadet again.
The harlequin-esque trio had regrouped for another combined assault, this time led by the large brute. "Don't suppose you got any of your other buddies as backup?", Sharon backed up slowly, pistol raised. Cap sighed resignedly, before raising his shield defensively, standing directly in front of the blonde. If he wasn't going to beat them back, he was at least going to give her an opportunity to escape.
"For Midgard!!!"
Out of nowhere, a whoosh tore through the air, accompanied by a metallic projectile slamming directly into the pale brute's stomach. "Oof!!", Thumbskull attempted to grab the weapon as it made contact with his midsection, only to get floored as Mjolnir's weight sank on his chest. Wide eyed, he attempted pulling the offending weapon off, but to no avail.
Cap and Sharon watched the weapon slowly rise, lifted by an unseen force, then swiftly shot back to its sender. Thor Odinson snatched his hammer mid-flight, arm extended with a valiant grin on his face.
"Well met, Captain!", boomed the Asgardian,"it seems I've arrived just in time!". He wore a valiant grin, his battle hungry gaze lingering on the circus trio. Frightwig, the painted lady with the living hair, nervously backed up along with her companion, Acid Breath.
"In a manner of speaking", Cap answered gratefully. The brute groaned as he groggily rose to his feet, while Thor took position next to the supersoldier, ready for combat.
"We'll handle things from here, miss! Stark needs help at Engine 3", Steve turned to the Blonde agent, "can you get there in time?".
The blonde eyed the two Avengers before tucking her pistol into her belt, nodding at the Captain. "Aye aye, sir!", throwing a half salute as she made her exit through the ruined hallway, with Thor and Cap covering her escape.
With Sharon gone, the eldest Avengers could finally let loose. Nodding to one another, they surged forward, Thor spinning his hammer and Cap leaping with his shield. Without the need for verbal hints or communications, the two experienced warriors aptly read each other's movements, each move complementing each other's in combat.
The Supersoldier set up a finisher by driving his shield into the midsection of Thumbskull, while the Asgardian's mystical hammer met the jaw of the brute, sending his body into a gravity defying arc before Cap leapt, flipped mid-air, and planted his feet into the
Thor grimaced as he came into contact with the corrosive mist from the hairless Acid breath, his Asgardian physiology allowing him to withstand its effects. Reaching out and grabbing him by the throat, the Thunderer proceeded to slam him to the ground, knocking his lights out, a string of acrid drool leaking from his grotesque maw.
Two down, Cap and Thor rushed the fiery haired girl, who attempted using her locks like a net, barricading herself from the approaching duo. Expertly weaving through the mass of orange locks, the Supersoldier caught the painted girl off guard with a well placed throw of shield, the vibranium disc ricocheting through the mesh of hair and bonked off the girl's temple, stunning her temporarily. He finished his assault with a kick to the midsection, sending her flying into the wall with a reverberating smash.
With all members of the circus trio finally subdued, the duo took a moment to breathe, with Thor lightly patting the exhausted Cap on the back.
"Took you long enough", Cap panted, leaning on the nearby panel for support. The walls of the ship creaked, atmospheric pressure causing the metallic walls to groan, strained by the monumentous task of keeping the vessel floating with only three engines.
"Oh crap...", Steve blurted, momentarily forgetting to mind his language.
"This vessel will not hold!", exclaimed Thor," with me Captain, we must find the others!!"
Tony groaned for the umpteenth time. It wasn't that he was currently attempting an engineering fix this high altitude, or that he was essentially trying to keep a massive bucket of bolts in the air.
Nor was it the fact that he was getting peppered by gunfire from masked gunmen who'd appeared out of nowhere. No, not at all...
It was he fact that he was doing all of these things. At the same damn time. He swerved mid air to avoid another salvo of high caliber rounds, screeching when he collided with the scrapheap that was formerly the Engine three chassis. His self-righting jets had been shot, leaving them at full capacity and leaving him with having to manually reset his position everytime he moved.
"Jarvis! How's my heat-seeking barrage coming along?!!", the billionaire genius yelled into his helmet.
"Barrage Missiles were knocked offline by high explosives rounds. Currently recalibrating...40% complete", came Jarvis' automated voice.
Dammit. He needed a plan B now. "Switch to manual mode! I'm riding shotgun on this!". Mechanical clicks emanated from his suit as its internal mechanisms adjusted, giving him the reins to the remote arsenal.
Another round of gunfire sprayed from within the ruins of the deck, forcing Tony to duck and weave as he flew past the hostiles, through the labyrinthine corridors and back out from the other end of the now trashed engine deck. He stopped mid air, having tagged all the heat signatures from the gunmen. A mini-rocket compartment popped open with a metallic clink, firing off multiple projectiles at the gunmen, their shocked groans as Stark returned fire with his compressed knockout missiles.
"Well, that takes care of that", Stark mused as he oversaw the unmoving bodies of the gunmen. With that unfortunate diversion aside, he needed to resume the fix before the Hellicarrier lot altitude.
"Stark?", Fury's communication popped up on his helmet's HUD, "what's your status".
"Well I've made some brand new friends along the way, too bad they're all too sleepy to say hi...",quipped the billionaire, "How's the relay panel coming along?". His repulsors tore through the rest of the debris with a mechanical whine.
"The relays are intact, as far as our scans show...", Fury stated, "we need to find a way in there and jumpstart the whole damn thing at once without losing an arm or leg...even I don't like the sound of those odds" .
"..."
"Stark?"
"I'm going in..", Tony announced.
"Excuse me, did you just say you're going in a damn engine rotor?"
"More or less...if I can get it to pick up speed, it'll get the torque needed to run itself up again, effectively jumpstart this bucket of bolts"
Nick's exasperated sigh could be heard over the channel. "For a genius you come up with the dumbest ideas. If the rotors pick up speed with you in there, you're gonna get shredded!"
"Awww are you worried about me?", the billionaire joked, "don't worry old man, it'll be quick. I'll be in and out before the maglev takes effect: I hope", the latter part was less of a joke and more of a prayer.
"Stark, we can still get someone over there before..."
"Whaaaat? You're breaking up zzzzt, can't hear you zzzt," irreverent as ever, Tony swiftly cut the communication line to the SHIELD Director. Time wasn't on their side. And sometimes, being a genius meant taking risks hat no one else could, or even wanted to. Other times it meant throwing yourself into an oversized blender. Y'know, for science, or something. Better him than anyone else, at least.
"Alright Jarvis, it's go time!"
The Hulk grunted as he was pummeled consistently by Shocksquatch's lightning blasts, his initial frustration blossoming into a full-blown vexation at the Gimlinopithecus.
Though Hulk was clearly the larger one, Ben employed more advanced combat tactics: rather than engage in full on melee, he'd use his form's agility to glide around the him, weaving and bobbing while he pelted the jade giant with Torrents of lightning, never giving him a chance to gain his bearings. With a roar, the giant charged the Yeti, throwing them both into the Hellicarrier's garage.
The garage staff immediately took to their heels, yelling upon seeing the green giant facing off against Ben. The transformed teen recovered quickly, before switching to his quadrupled stance, running on all fours and charging back at the Hulk with the ferocious speed of a bull in a coat of lightning.
Krakoom!!!!
Hulk was flung violently against the docked jets in the hanger, the impact causing his skin to sizzle and steam. Grunting, the jade giant tore off a chunk of the jet and tossed it at Shocksquatch, who used his electrokinesis to catch the improvised missile and launch it back at the brute. Hulk swatted away the torn jet piece, before eating a lighting charged knee from Ben.
THUD!
THUD!
POW!
Ben doubled down with a three-strike combo, one to the abdomen, causing the Gamma giant to buckle, two to the jaw, each strike packing a lighting fuelled wallop. The teen finished with a sledgehammer fist, dropping the jade giant to his knees
Seizing the opportunity, Ben used his agility to wrestle the Hulk into a half-grapple, legs around the Hulk's neck like a vice, trapping the green beast's arms behind his hairy feet. With both hands he charged into their bolts, creating improvised lightning gloves. Ben couldn't afford to drag this out any more, he'd a Hellicarrier to fix and the Hulk needed some pacifying. Really hard pacifying.
"Alright, doc! Time to knock some sense into ya!", the Yeti yelled,gathering lighting unto the metal rods in his fists.
" Clear!!".
Using his charged fists like defibrillators, he started raining thunderous punches on the jade giant. Dazed, the Hulk thrashed around, attempting to shake off the teen.
POW! "Why...", THWOCK! "..won't..", BLAM! "...you..", BIFF! "..stay..", THUMP! "down?!!!".
A large green hand shot up and grabbed Shocksquatch's face, before slamming him down on the ground, knocking the wind out of the transformed teen before proceeding to ragdoll him around the hangar, smashing the walls and roofs of the Hellicarrier garage.
"Ack!", Shocksquatch was durable enough to tank most of the damage, but at this rate he wasn't sure how much more he could take. Luckily, the Hulk paused long enough for Ben to attempt another blast, only for the green giant to grab his arm before impact. Dammit, he's learning, Ben realized as the blast missed by a margin, hitting a row of parked aircrafts instead.
Unfortunately, the jade giant made a grab for the Omnitrix symbol on Shocksquatch's chest. Ben's eyes widened as the Hulk attempted to rip out the device, seeing it as some form of vulnerability within the teen. "No, wait!!...".
BOOOM!!!
The Omnitrix responded by activating it's security protocol, overloading it's capacitors and delivering a massive bio-energy feedback that blasted the two away.
"Banner!!!", Ben yelled as the green brute was send careening through the bulletproof glass windows that separated the hangars from the airlock. Ben grunted as the vortex of atmospheric pressure pulled him slowly, as he leapt after the Hull's plummeting form, slapping on the Omnitrix in the process.
"JETRAY!!!!"
"Stark? Stark!", Fury yelled into the comms, getting no response. Dammit. The supposed genius was about to attempt a suicidal exercise by using himself as a propeller to restart the engine.
"Agent Hill!", he yelled, "can we get anyone over to Engine three?". The agent in question was already swamped, endlessly barking out orders to her subordinates on the Bridge, trying to maintain some form of grip on the situation.
"Sir, all agents have already been evacuated from the area", she answered.
"What about Rogers? Thor?",
"Negative, sir! We've got no visuals on them yet!", turning to one agent "we're getting reports of the Hulk from the Hangar bay!.. Uh...also reports of some kind of Yeti? That apparently shoots lightning?"
Tennyson, Fury realized. He'd his reservations about the kid, but when push came to shove, no one delivered like the teen. A loud thunk interrupted his thoughts as a metallic object impacted the deck of the Bridge, Mariah Hill instantly recognizing the device.
"Grenade!!!!"
The deck was instantaneously enveloped in an inferno that blasted everyone, showering the deck in debris and smoke. Agent Hill managed to avoid the brunt of the attack, the Shockwave having thrown her under the railing. A bunch of armed gunmen emerged from the smokescreen and began shooting. Fury quickly recovered, taking position next to the entrance and disarmed the first couple of gunmen as they filed in.
Maria Hill and the rest of the staff returned fire, with the Director spotting Barton just in time to raise an alarm. Another explosion rang out as Barton unleashed a flurry of explosive arrows, forcing everyone to take cover. Fury managed to return fire with a series of well placed shots, forcing Barton to retreat.
Unbeknownst to the Director, one of Barron's arrows had embedded itself into the monitors, instantly hacking through their subsystems.
"Director? Agent Hill?", a voice crackled through the comms. Fury recognized the voice almost instantaneously. "Agent 13, come in!!", he yelled, picking himself up from the recent altercation.
"Rogers and Thor were last seen engaging hostiles at Level 2", she reported, "I'm heading to Engine Three, reports of another perimeter breach, hostiles are in SHIELD gear!"
"Yeah, same thing here, agent", Hill responded, "whatever you do, keep them off Stark!"
"Understood, ma'am, heading there now!"
The ship jolted again, systems were blaring as the Hellicarrier began to lose even more altitude. Our of the corner of his eye, Fury spied one of Agent Barron's trick arrows lodged in the system's ports.
"It's Agent Barton, sir! He's taken out Engine one! We're losing altitude!"
Tony used his plasma cutters to remove the debris clogging up the rotors before surveying the area. The damaged seemed less extensive than it appeared, while the rotors were mostly intact. All it needed was a push. As he got in position, the ship rocked dangerously, forcing him to rebalance his hovering.
"Stark?" came Fury's voice,"we're losing altitude!".
"Yeah, I noticed". Running out of time, the billionaire began the arduous process of manually pushing the giant blades of the rotor. Metallic screeching could be heard as the rotor's fans slowly started picking up speed, the large engine groaning in response.
Unbeknownst to the billionaire, another squad of henchmen had made their way to the Engine's deck, about to detonate a series of grenades intending to disrupt the process. However a series of shots rang out as Sharon Carter aka Agent 13 rushed to the scene, using potshots as cover and preventing them from hurling explosives into the rotor.
Slowly, the engine rotors picked up speed, thanks to Tony's efforts the ship began gaining altitude again. Unfortunately, Iron Man was also stuck within the rotors, causing him to be knocked into the path of the blades, sent into a screeching loop as he was tossed around like a fly in a vacuum machine.
Sharon leapt into the damaged deck, dispatching the gunmen with a quick set of strikes and shots, sending an unfortunate gunman plummeting from the deck. Using the discarded weapons, she engaged the remaining agents, their shots ricocheting of the decks floors and dilapidated walls. As she felt the ship realign, Tony's efforts to escape the rotating blades showered the deck in a series of sparks.
He was really starting to regret that decision.
Quickly, she managed to reach the nearest control panel, dismantling the cover, attempting to override the vents in an attempt to disengage the maglev effect. Another shot rang out, hitting the blonde on her shoulder.
With a sharp cry, she ducked into cover, before attempting to return fire. One of the shots had damaged the control panel, forcing her to come up with another solution.
Sharon spied the manual lever up on the deck before backing up and ran. Shots rang out around her as she ran, another unlucky shot tagging her left thigh. Grunting, she leapt with all her might and grabbed unto the lever, pulling and temporarily disengaging the maglock.
Hearing a click, Tony was suddenly flung out of the rotor, and quickly adjusted power output to his jets, managing to stay afloat long enough to soar into the jet, knocking into the gunman aiming for a prone Sharon, knocking the man out. His suit's functions sputtered before going dark, his suit having sustained a lot of damage.
"I am never trying that again", groaned Tony
They were too late.
Thor and Cap ran through the halls, reaching the Containment Unit where Loki was held captive. To their shock, Loki's cell was already empty, and a dying Coulson was lying next to the panel, slumped against the wall.
"No...",Cap rushed to aid the dying man, while Thor angrily slammed his hammer on the now empty cell, cracks forming on the Neon shatterproof glass. The chamber shifted in response, gusts of air filtering through the disposal chamber as the system registered what appeared to be an attack on the cell.
"Nooo!!!!", Thor yelled, his voice bitter and hoarse with regret. The agent who'd formed the closest bond to the Asgardian out of any other SHIELD agents lay in a pool of his own blood, his eyes bloodshot and hollow.
Coulson had attempted to hold off Loki using what appeared to be a weapon crafted out of the remains of the Asgardian Destroyer Thor had bested during his first unfortunate foray into Midgard.
"Must you always be so dramatic, brother?", the air went cold as Loki's sinister voice echoed in the Container chamber. Thor wasted no time lashing out at his surroundings, sparks of magical lightning discharging off Mjolnir.
"Show yourself, coward! Face me!"
"As much as I'd love to oblige, brother mine, I'm afraid I won't. I'm saving you for last after all", a familiar shadow swam across the metallic walls, the two Avengers recoiling warily. Loki, it seemed, was still in the premises. Cap stood cautiously, his shield gripped firmly on his arm.
"Fragile little beings, aren't they brother?", Loki continued, "like little porcelain dolls, these humans. They break at the very smallest of true adversity, of true power. Is that why you love them so, hmmm? You simply protect the fragile little creatures, and in return they grovel at your feet, endlessly feeding your bottomless ego!"
Thor flung his hammer at the trickster, only for Mjolnir to phase through what was in fact an apparition.
The God of Mischief cackled," Are you ever not going to fall for that? I suppose you belong with them, don't you? Small-minded, gullible, easily swayed by sentiment."
"Thor", Cap warned, placing his hand on the Thunderer's shoulder, "he's baiting you, don't give him what he wants".
"What he wants is my rage", Thor snapped as he surged forward, tearing himself from the soldier's gentle grip, "and by Odin's beard, he shall have it!!".
Thor surged forward as another Loki appeared opposite the door, his hammer once again meeting still air as the illusion faded away in a glimmer of light. Thor snarled as three more apparitions took his place, positioning themselves at adjacent corners of the chamber. Quickly spinning his hammer, Thor let loose Mjolnir, the mighty weapon bouncing off the walls and clearing out all the illusions.
"Aww and you were so close..", mocked Loki, "what's the matter, getting sloppy so soon? Must be all that mortal air you've been breathing".
"Why don't you come and find out! FACE ME!!!", yelled the Thunder-god.
"Be careful why you wish for, brother", Loki's voice was much clearer, distinct. His true presence was nearby. Swivelling on the spot, Thor attempted a strike only to come face to face with Loki holding his scepter out, his trap already sprung.
Loki's enchanted scepter was pointed at Captain America's chest. The supersoldier's eyes glowed a familiar blue.
"Tssk, What did I tell you?", the God of Mischief grinned, "easily swayed".
"Treacherous cur!!", Thor attempted to lunge at the duo, but stopped his advance when Loki pressed the bladed top of his staff against the neck of the Captain, the supersoldier's eyes glowing a faint shimmering blue.
"Ah-ah-ah...", Loki warned, "we wouldn't want to break another one of your fragile dolls, now would we?" Thor held his hammer by his side, seething as Loki held up the Captain hostage.
Loki's grin grew sadistic, "I'll be borrowing this one, dear brother. Don't worry, he won't break like the others. No, he'll suffer more, sooo much more. Maybe I'll give him back, but you may not like him then. Their little minds can only take so much..."
"You shall never to win, brother"
Loki scoffed "Oh really? Shame, that's what the other one said before I ended his pathetic drivel. But don't worry, I'm not done yet. You know me brother, I do love a dramatic exit. Observe..." the trickster dramatically raised his hand before snapping his fingers.
BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!
A barrage of explosions instantaneously rocked the Hellicarrier, its infrastructure almost immediately compromised. Thor stumbled slightly as the force of the explosions cut through the foundations of the airborne facility, completely eviscerating what little defiance the vessel had in the face of gravity.
Two engines had been rigged to blow, along with nearly half the Hellicarrier.
THE ship instantly went into free fall.
And Loki was nowhere to be seen.
Jetray sped through the wind in a red blur, hoping to catch sight of the Hulk. He yelped as the explosion on the Hellicarrier's deck caught him off guard, nearly knocking him off the sky.
"Oh no..."
Ben watched in horror as two of the Hellicarrier's engines went up in smoke. The ship had taken too much damage to stay airborne, and the loss of its engines caused its immediate downfall.
Within the interior, the Bridge didn't fare any better as the loss of altitude caused the entire facility.
"Sir, we're dropping fast! Blast took out engines two and four!!", yelled Agent Hill amidst the panic that filled the room, drowning it's inhabitants in perpetual dread as the ship dropped to its doom. Everyone scrambled for hold as the ship tilted dangerously to the right.
Another jolt rocked the deck as the infrastructure collapsed further. "Shit! Everyone brace for impact!", boomed Fury, as he got knocked back on his ass from the impact.
"Sir, we've got incoming, six o' clock!!!"
WOOOSH
A red blur shot inside the Bridge, crashing through the airlock.
"Tennyson?!", Fury queried, his one eye appraising the humanoid Manta Ray that just landed in the dead center of the rapidly deteriorating
"Everyone hold on!", Ben yelled, tapping the Omnitrix symbol once again. A burst of emerald evlnveloped his previous form, replacing it with that of a golden robot with a spinning top.
"CLOCKWORK???", the shapeshifter boomed, his voice mechanical and eclectic.
"Kid, whatever you're gonna do, do it now!!", The Director's voice could be heard over the chaos as everyone shielded their eyes from the flash.
Ben flexed his arms; he didn't have enough practice with this particular alien but desperate times called for crazy-ass measures. He'd originally planned on Upgrade, but there was too much damage to repair with Upgrade's nanites and time wasn't on his or the Hellicarrier's side.
Luckily, he'd an alien who knew all about time.
Ben spread his arms apart, the gears within his robotic chassis all spinning rapidly in unison as his Chronosapien powers activated. His wind-up top piece began rotating, it's centrifugal force generating a chronon force field that projected itself outwards from Ben and began to envelope the entire ship. Agents could only stare in amazement as time itself began to cease moving, the effects producing spatial ripples that halted anything in its past.
In effect, the teen was controlling the very flow of time around the Hellicarrier.
Ben grunted as his efforts were taking its toll. He'd never attempted time manipulation of this magnitude, and his body was literally firing on all cylinders as the time bubble expanded, enveloping the entirety of the Hellicarrier.
Fury hung in stasis, utterly flabbergasted. He knew Tennyson was capable of a lot, but this was on a whole new level, manipulating the very fabric of time, causality and reality. He turned to the rest of the crew, all held in temporal stasis but still left conscious as they all gazed in awe.
Maria Hill paled at the sight, time had shifted all around her, leaving her powerless like a goldfish in a bowl. Her body was stuck floating in stasis, all she could do was marvel at the sight.
Within moments, the Hellicarrier was suspended in a giant, green temporal bubble.
Ben wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. With another metallic grunt, he shifted gears and pulled with all his might, reversing the flow of time within the bubble.
"Ungh... Okay...here goes nothing !!!"
The Ship creaked and groaned as its disparaged components began to reassemble, the effects of the recent attacks being rewound and rewritten. The unseen hands of time began to reassemble the ship, piece by piece, event by event. The Hellicarrier wasn't just being repaired, the damage was simply erased from time.
"Grrrrrrahhhh!!!!"
The ship stabilized, it's engines back to their original form. The Hellicarrier was airborne once again, the damage to its engines only existing as a memory within the minds of its inhabitants. Said minds were too occupied with the Chronosapien in thier midst, as he knelt under the strain before heaving a release, his spinning top unleashing one last chronal ripple across the field.
WHIIIRRRRR
The Bubble collapsed, dropping everyone previously caught within its stasis effect with a series of metallic thuds. Shocked gasps and murmurs emanated from the group, hands pointing and heads turning. In the center of the Bridge stood Ben, albeit shakily, his monumental efforts had strained his form a little.
A burst of green light later, Ben was back in his original form, his voice strained as he wheezed.
"Everyone okay?"
The stunned look on everyone's faces was indeed a sight to behold.
Amongst the murmurs of surprise, shocked gasps and pointed hands, Tennyson had just saved the entire ship.
By controlling time.
"Kid, what in the hell just happened?", Fury panted.
Author's Note2:
You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the support and the follows. And your comments are pretty fun.
Bet you weren't expecting the ending huh?
So yeah, in case you didn't notice there's now a MAJOR divergence from the original storyline. It'll shake things up a bit, and definitely feature later in the long run. I'm not gonna change TOO Much, mind you, I still want to keep some necessary character development scenes going.
Side note:
So yeah, I decided to bring in some OV Aliens I originally was going to cut. Shocksquatch for me just felt too much like Frankenstrike, despite some of you guys making good points for him.
That said, I decided to give him a unique ability: something that separates him from other electric-based aliens: Electrical Constructs.
He makes whips, gloves, Shields out of electricity. Not too far from his Canon abilities, but distinct enough to separate him from the others.
Anyways, thanks for reading!!
Responding to Comments :
As much as I love your comments there are a lot to keep track of. Sorry if yours isn't here, but I still appreciate and read every single one. Guests, consider signing in so I can use your names. There's like 20 comments here made by "Guest" and I dunno if they're the same or different people.
Mark: Yeah, the Rath fight would've been funny, but also bland. Watching two virtually indestructible dudes punch each other is kinda boring. Especially since they have the same power set. Plus these two temper-titans would've wrecked the ship completely
-I'm thinking of writing a Winter Soldier story parallel to the Canon events, but with a few shakeup to add to the story.
Amit Baraabi: Thanks, always hated how Sharon's character was introduced haphazardly and we never get to see more of her, especially in Civil War. Oh the possibilities..
Guest: I'm not touching the Reboot, or anything in it.
The Guardian Of Reality: Technically Ben doesn't have a Plumber partner in this universe. Plus, Natasha's his official SHIELD handler, so she's his "partner" kinda. Sorry, Rook's most likely not gonna be in this story. I've essentially replaced him with Nat.
Maximum Rhapsody: I might do a smaller set of stories in the same universe, like one shots or episodes. Mini adventures, a day in the life of the Avengers, etc.
ArashiNoKitsune: Thanks. I'm still not sure if I can fit in Ballweevil, but we'll see.
Guest: Omnikix does sound cool, but the issue is how to implement them
Mark: Not sure if Ben ever got anxiety attacks but he does have a lot of experience, so maybe he can give reassurance to Tony.
-Thanks, Merry Christmas Mark!
Jeremy Steinmark: Thanks. I might keep some other aliens, but I'm mostly going to be using classic and UAF aliens, with some handpicked ones from Omniverse.
-No, like OV did, I'm ditching the Ultimate forms. Cool concept, poor execution.
-I've already decided on a pairing.
Guest: Yes, Wanda is cute.
reader2020italia: Thanks again.
-Vilgax might feature as a side villain, but not a major one. The Infinity Saga's definitely gonna happen. Who knows, maybe Vilgax could join up with Ben. UAF showed that even though he's a tyrant, he still care about the lives of his people.
-Unfortunately I haven't read 5 years later, yet.
William14: Thanks, I appreciate it.
Guest: Sorry about the delay.
Kieran.duneclift: I'm leaning towards Natasha as you can see. I think they'll be great together. Wanda might have worked, but there's already her thing with Vision. I'd like to expand on their romance a little bit more.
Anmari: Gracias. El Doctor Strange no se encuentra con Ben, pero creo que Gwen podría aparecer en el Sanctum para entrenar su magia, como un viaje universitario o algo así.
Guest: Yeah, the General is pretty much Ross in most respects. I can definitely see Ben bringing up that discussion in the future.
Thanks you guys and I'll hopefully see you next week.
Excelsior!!
