Ready, folks? Alright, let's go! I see a man in the back with transformative powers who has yet to be outdone and a girl with a sniper who thinks this is easily won. Oh yeah, there's a guy who's got lightning! On a night that was quite frightening, an android wishes to be soothing. This was gonna be booming, and the main in the chair said attack, and it turned into a...

Infinity Chapter XXI

Ball Room Blitz Part II

Linda Carter Memorial Children's Hospital, New York, October 31st, 7:00 PM EDT

Ben fidgeted with his tie for the fourth time since he'd entered through the front doors, looking around furtively as several people walked by him dressed in Halloween costumes.

"I still don't get why I couldn't just…" he mimes transforming, eliciting a giggle from Fetch.

Jan smirks, fixing his tie with a roll of her eyes, "You look great. Now stop complaining, or I will zap you."

She turns, and Ben allows a bit of impishness to come out, sticking a tongue out at her.

Fetch laughs looking about the milling crowd, "This is a lot of people."

"Yep! This ball always has a way of dragging the upper-crusts out of their pent houses." Janet remarks, shooting a glare at a wide and tall bald man as he walks past them arm and arm with a smiling dark-haired woman. Both are dressed in costumes resembling Vampires.

"And I'm guessing not because all of them have a deep love of philanthropy." Ben snarks.

Jan laughs bitterly, taking Fetch's hand and slipping her other arm through Ben's, leading them both inside.

"Some, others are simply here to make an appearance, to look respectable," Janet states, smiling politely at a withdrawn-looking man dressed in Victorian garb, who briefly nodded his head at the trio before turning his attention back to his own party, an older, balding man wearing a Sherlock Holmes outfit and a shorter boy dressed like a trapeze artist.

"Even with the Dome?" Fetch asks, looking up at her.

"Especially with the Dome," Janet notes, "There are faces from all across the Burroughs and beyond. Deep pocketbooks, which is good for the Hospital. I just…eh, I'm being a downer."

Ben shoots her an intrigued look.

"You know a lot about these 'deep pocketbook' havers?" he asks.

Jan laughs, "Tony might bankroll…pretty much everything, but he's not the only one with connections. Quite a few of these people are my customers."

Ben stares at her blankly, and she shakes her head.

"I keep forgetting that you…."

"Forgot?" Ben asks, smiling.

"Correct. I'm a fashion designer, a really good one. My clients are more often than not." she gestures around, but Ben notices just a hint of displeasure.

"And you fell into fighting Crime how?" Ben asks.

She laughs, "I came to fancy one Hank Pym."

Ben blinks in surprise, and Fetch starts to pull away, getting bored of the conversation.

"Got over it, once I like actually got to know him." Janet snarks, "But we became friends. He was working for SHIELD, helping them develop tech to contain and nonlethally stop all the bad guys that seemed to be coming out of the woodwork. One lab accident later, I had powers, and I could finally do something to help stop all the terrible things that were in the news, just like the Iron Man."

Ben laughs, "Did your opinion change after meeting him too?"

"Of course." Jan returns, "The rest is history, but I think we are boring her."

She nods to Fetch, who has zeroed in on the array of food across the ballroom.

"Go on," she says.

Fetch smiles and darts across the ballroom, drawing a few eyes.

Jan slips her hand into her purse, bringing out several envelopes, "Right, we hand Tony, Daisy, and my donations off, and then we can start to have a bit of fun."

She looks up and notices that Ben is staring behind him, at the far corner. She looks around him, spotting a young girl wearing a black cat mask, talking excitedly with an oddly familiar man with a shaggy blonde beard and a tall person in a very impressive costume, some kind of Lizard character.

"Ben?" Janet asks, reaching out to him.

He jolts at her touch, looking at her, his eyes briefly glinting with green light.

"Are you alright?" she queries, leaning in.

"Yeah, I…" he falters, glancing back quickly and then smiling, "Nevermind, let's get over to the table before Fetch clears them out of salami rolls."

He darts off, hands uncurling and curling into fists rapidly.

She stares after him and looks back to the group, smiling despite herself as the girl begins to spin to the music, using the Blonde's hand to pirouette. He looks up at her, with a slight grin on his face and again she is struck by how familiar he seems.

Shaking her head and pondering Ben's sudden shift in mood, she hurries after him.

"Progress?" Nagant asks, sweeping her gaze across the ballroom floor from her vantage point.

"Getting there, Shiela." came the terse reply and a grunt of effort.

Turning her attention back to the ballroom she switches comms, "There are few big names in attendance. Falcone and his lapdog, Fisk, Wa-"

"My dear Lady, the preening of mob bosses is not my concern. Only the children and any that would get in the way of acquisition." the cold voice of her current benefactor returns.

"What of an Avenger?" she returns just as coldly, wondering yet again who she had thrown her lot in with.

"Which?" the voice demands, and she smiles despite herself hearing the pomposity give over to fear.

"The Wasp," she states, zooming in on the aforementioned heroine as she drags the younger man behind her to mingle with some new money entrepreneur.

"Ah, well, I imagine our compatriots can handle that." the voice states, "Is she accompanied?"

Nagant describes the other man as she flicks her sight to him. He keeps checking over his shoulder and, for a moment, seems to look right at her, instinct causing her to pull up her shot.

"If he gets in the way, shoot to maim." the voice states coldly, "But do not kill him."

The emphasis on keeping the man alive confuses her for a second, but she files it away into the growing amount of questions weighing on her starving conscious.

"Understood." she returns.

"Tell the others of the development, and order them to avoid them, excluding Marko, of course." the voice states, "I do not want to hear from you until after the mission is completed. Over and out."

She does as he asks.

Harley grimaces, "I didn't sign up to fight an Avenger, let alone two."

"Oh, quit your bitching," Boomerang counters, drawing his hand back, titular weapon in hand, as he turns the corner, "We ain't gonna be fighting them if we do this right."

"No plan ever survives first contact," Harley states with a grimace, even as he brings his pipe to his lips.

"No shit, but don't go jinxing this!" Boomerang hisses, "I need this payday."

"For what more cheap booze and new frisbees?" Harley snarks.

Boomerang turns, "Even if you're right that is none of your concer-"

"Gentleman." Compress interrupts, "As amusing as this little performance is. Can we get the show rolling, please?"

The pair shoot him a look, and both of their mouths clamp shut as they turn back to the matter at hand.

"Right, my Lady, we are going in." Compress notes over the comms.

"Good. Marko, you are go in ten. Drones are on standby."

"Wonderful." his thick voice mutters over the comms, followed by a dark chuckle, "Have fun, you three."

Harley rolls his eyes and begins to play a lilting tune that seems to tug at the other's ears before they both turn on the gifted ear plugs that funnel out the sound.

Boomerang peeks the corner again and sees the trio of guards begin to shake their heads, the one reaching for his radio. His first boomerang lances up, taking out the security camera.

"Sorry, mate!" Harkness barks, launching another at the offending guard, shattering his fingers, and eliciting a brief shout before another cracks him in the jaw sending him spinning to the ground.

The second whirls woozily, reaching for his gun but the third lunges for him, brutally head butting him, knocking the pistol aside and laying a hammer fist across his temple, dropping him to the ground.

He then drew his pistol and flipped it around, bringing it up to crack himself in the forehead, but he stays standing. A boomerang strikes him in the chest, a small burst of concussive force slamming him into the door with a muffled bang.

"I had him!" Harley snaps, bringing his pipe from his lips.

"You were taking too long." Harkness fires back.

"We were told, the least noise possible." Harley rebuts angrily.

A shriek cuts them off as a gargoyle detaches from the building and lunges down at frighting speed.

Its claws almost find Boomerang's face, only for it to vanish with a soft pop, a brilliant teal marble striking the ground and rolling away.

The pair turn to see Compress, arm outstretched, three more marbles splayed between his fingers.

"We were also warned of magical defenses." he snarks, adjusting his jacket as he brushes past both of them, "Now as much as I love the mellow drama I can only believe is constructed on a bad break-up. Can we please focus on the matter at hand? Or am I the only true professional here?"

The other two grumble but nod, sliding into the building ahead of him.

Looking towards the building where Nagant was perched, he bows, doffing his hat with a flourish, and sidles inside.

Ben winces as he almost steps on Janet's foot for what feels like the tenth time.

"Sorry," he mutters, with a sheepish smile.

She laughs, spinning him around, clearly in the lead despite the foot of height he has on her.

Fetch is sitting a bit off to the side, talking with a dark-haired boy that had seemed to materialize out of the crowd, and he could catch snippets of the conversation, something about a circus.

"So you still glad you took me as your date?" Ben asks, with a smirk, fighting to keep his eyes off the eerily familiar brown-haired girl standing at the edge of the dance floor.

Jan smirks, "I never said this was a date, but ask me about it after stepping on my toes for the eleventh time."

He chuckles. "Alright."

As the turn she amends, "No, this has been fun."

"Just not as fun as you'd hoped," he states, catching himself as he almost bumps into another dancing pair.

"What makes you say that?" Janet asks with jokingly narrowed eyes.

"Well, I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, as I'm sure you've figured out." he jokes, "Especially when compared to Hank, Tony, or….Banner but I can notice things."

"What are you getting at?" she asks.

"You seemed pretty down that Bruce couldn't make it, is all," he notes, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, yes, because, well, I…" she says, trying to find something to say before stopping and looking at him flatly, "You know I've let you ask quite a few questions about me today, but I have yet to ask you anything."

"You're dodging my implications," Ben notes.

"And you've been dodging questions for weeks." she returns, "I'm no Daisy, but I am SHIELD, I know when people are hiding things, Tennyson."

He grimaces and finds his eyes drawn to that girl again, noticing that she had backed away from the dance floor and was making her way towards the men he could only guess were her guardians. He feels the urge to walk after her but catches Janet staring up at him critically.

"What is it?" she asks

"Just thinking." he returns.

"More dodging," she notes with a mischievous grin.

"Fair, so…ask away." Ben states, stopping her with a raised finger, "But you have to tell me the deets about Banner."

"Since you are so intrigued by my relationships." she snarks, "What was your deal with Kevin?"

He pauses and chuckles, "Did Tony tell you we were dating too?"

Wasp blinks, "No?!"

She leans in conspiratorially with a wide grin, "Where you? Is that why you were giving Miss Tentacles a dirty look?"

"No." Ben states, "He's, he was just a really good friend. It was good to learn he was okay after everything."

"I can imagine." Jan agrees.

"The Dome…" Ben remarks, pausing and swallowing as a flood of memories, guilt, and pain flashes before him, "It took a lot from me. I don't know all of it, but I know it was a lot."

Jan pats his arm comfortingly, "I'm sorry."

"D-don't be. I came out of it pretty fine, all things considered." Ben remarks, looking around the Hospital, "Especially in the context of this ball."

A bit of the guilt seems to slip through as Jan tilts her head, "This isn't on you."

"I…I know." he lies, looking away and finding his eyes drawn once more to the brown-haired girl, catching for the first time emerald green eyes looking back as she had lifted her mask to take a drink from one of her guardians.

"Ben?" Jan asks, following his gaze.

He sees her eyes narrow, tilting her head.

"Do you know her? Them?" she asks, "Is something coming back?"

She taps her temple.

'N-No." he mutters, wincing as his head begins to ache suddenly, "I don't…."

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"Nothing, I just-" he rebuts.

"Janet van Dyne!" a voice interrupts.

Ben turns, seeing a widely smiling, clean-shaven man with well-groomed black hair. He was dressed in a wizard's robe, finger marked with several fake rings, and a very fancy watch resting on his left wrist.

"Stephen Strange." she returns with a smile, holding out a hand, which he politely kisses with a smile.

"Please, my friends, call me Doctor." he jokes.

"It's a good thing we're just acquaintances then." Jan snarks with a bright grin.

He laughs and turns to Ben.

"I don't think we've met," he states, sticking out a hand.

"Ben Tennyson," Ben remarks, shaking his hand, though fighting to wince as another pulse of pain goes through his brain.

"Good to meet you, Tennyson." Strange states, "Do you mind if I cut in?"

"Not at all," Ben states, stepping away from Jan, who gives him a worried look.

"Ben?" she asks, clearly worried.

"I'm fine. I just need a drink." Ben states, "Have fun."

He turns on a dime, ignoring the burrowing state she sends after him, and gives Fetch a wide, hopefully believable grin as he passes her and her new friend.

"You finally free?" she jokes, leaning across the table as he passes.

"Yep, just grabbing a drink, and I'll be over," he states, ignoring the oddly piercing look the black-haired kid was shooting him.

"He doesn't look like he's feeling the aster." the kid remarks, eliciting a laugh from Fetch, "What does that even mean?"

Ben reaches the punch bowl and almost keels over as another wave of pain rips through his brain.

Flashes of creatures that vaguely resemble his alien forms rip through his brain, weird cacoons, the snarling faces of what Malware had become.

And then suddenly, it all stops, and the pain draws away.

He stares around and notices several pairs of eyes on him and Fetch a few steps away.

"Ben?" she asks, approaching him cautiously?

"Yeah?" he returns, feeling something trickle from his nose. He reaches up, fingers coming away with blood with the faintest black and green coloration mixed in.

He stares at that for several moments before carefully wiping his fingers with a napkin and pocketing it.

"Are you alright?" Fetch asks.

"I…yeah, why?" Ben lies.

"You're whole body was like…." Fetch waggles her arms and makes a bubbling noise, "Shifting."

"I'm good." Ben states, "Promise, just a headache."

Fetch purses her lips nervously.

Ben turns back to the table and accidentally brushes up against another of the guests.

"Sorry," he remarks, looking at them in full, and freezing in surprise.

It was the person in the Lizard costume or makeup, but this close-up, Ben could see that this was no costume. It was very real and eerily familiar. Thick scales, glinting with the faintest bit of gathered moisture, slit like nostrils, and the faintest hint of sharp fangs, great him as well as a set of worried and slightly fearful green reptilian eyes.

"Quite alright." the man states in a soft voice, turning quickly, and making his way towards the girl that had drawn Ben's eyes.

"Ben?" Fetch asks, appearing at his elbow.

"Right…might have lied." Ben remarks, backing up and whirling to try and find Wasp, "I think we might have a problem."

"Oh?" Fetch asks, falling in step as he begins to hurriedly weave his way through the crowd.

The boy leaps up as Fetch passes.

"What's up?" he asks.

"Not now, Dick." Fetch mutters; Ben pauses, looking at her in confusion.

"Rude," Ben remarks.

The pair look at each other and crack up almost immediately.

"That's his name." Fetch states.

"Oh." Ben mutters before pushing the boy aside and continuing to hunt for Wasp, "Not now, Dick."

He finds her in the middle of the dance floor, laughing at something the doctor said, but her smile immediately falters as she catches his worried expression.

"What is it?" she asks.

"I think we have a problem." Ben states, "The girl, the one with the Lizard."

"Yes?" Janet asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

"That's not a costume." Ben states, "It's flesh and blood."

Strange stops, "Really? One of the patients?"

"This is a children's hospital, isn't it?" Ben remarks, "They didn't sound like a kid."

"Well…maybe we should-" Janet began.

A loud crash shook the building.

Followed by another, closer.

And another. Suddenly, the far wall exploded inward in a wave of shattered brick and concrete shrapnel.

The crowd screamed, flowing around them in panic.

Ben looked up, watching the Lizard and the young girl slip through a door on the other side of the room.

"They're leaving!" he yells, and he rushes off, leaving Jan and Wasp staring after him as the former pushes the latter behind her.

"Ben!" Wasp demands, but he doesn't appear to hear him.

She sees the blonde-haired man from before moving towards the cloud of dust.

Several seconds later, several large spider-like robots lunge out of the dust, scattering more of the assembled crowd.

As the dust clears, what remains of an ice-cream truck is seen with a giant man in a domed suit of armor sitting, munching lazily on an ice-cream sandwich.

"Here's Johnny!" the man jokes, chuckling to himself as he downs what's left of the sandwich.

One guard draws his pistol, nervously pointing it at the man.

"I wouldn't." the large man warns.

The guard fires, and the bullet pings off his helmet, burying into the floor, and all of the robots turn on him, glowing red dots appearing across his body.

"What did I say?" the man remarks almost lazily.

He stands up, stretching his back, a cold smirk crossing his face.

"Anyone else wants to try?" he demands.

Wasp's eyes narrow, and she catches the blonde man shift forward.

"Didn't think so." the man states, snorting and spitting a loogie on the ground, "Right, names Marko, others call me the Juggernaut, and unless you want this entire building coming down on your pretty heads, and those poor sick kids upstairs, you're gonna hand over everything you've got to my shiny little friends here. Understood?"

Wasp takes a step back, urging Fetch to move as well, as she tries to find an opening to go after him.

No one else speaks.

"Good! We all stay calm, and I promise no one gets hurt." Marko calls out before pointing at the guard, "Cept you. You didn't listen."

"No!" Wasp cries as Marko lunges down at him.

There is the sound of metal meeting flesh, and Marko stops in place.

Wasp peers through the crowd, spotting the blonde man holding Marko's fist with a look of surprise on his face. The guard knocked to the ground.

"What the hell?" Marko demands, "How."

"You know…" Donald Blake chuckles, "I don't actually know."

Marko punches out again, and Blake catches it with little strain.

"You're the Juggernaut?" Donald asks, tilting his head, "Names Donald."

And Wasp sees him kick the man in the chest, sending both him and the ruined ice cream truck rocketing out of the building.

"Nice to meet you," Donald calls out, lunging after him.

"What was that?" Fetch asks, looking up at her, confused.

"Just another day in New York." Wasp snarks, "Get somewhere safe, okay."

Fetch nods, darting away, dragging her new friend behind her.

And that's when the sniper fire began.

The crowd scattered in panic, darting behind tables, Stephen rushing to aid a fainted patron and drag them to safety.

Wasp allowed the energy to build within her hands.

Just another day indeed.

"Bruce…you really should have been here," she remarks with a sigh, blasting the nearest drone with a bolt of energy.

"Avengers Assemble," she mutters to herself as they all turn to face her.

And end scene.

So.

Hi, I'm back.

Not sure for how long or how regularly, but regardless here I am!

I have since Graduated from my College, and am a free and terrified bird!

Hope y'all loved the dialogue and caught the rather hamfisted hints I've been throwing out in the wider Verse.

It took me a bit to remember what was actually happening in this story. I have been away for so long.

Next time it's the Juggernaut, bitch vs Donald the Not Duck, a whole slew of chaos amongst the actual patients, and Janet continues to wish Bruce had come along and Ben wasn't in the middle of a personal crisis!

Also, any Ruination Fans, who might see this, See you Next Week!

This has been VerBeeker. Signing off!