Hey everyone! This chapter is kind of a big one, and I'm very happy with how it turned out! It's definitely kind of a doozy, though, so bear with it! Also, please read the notes at the end! Next chapter will be an extra special one and I wanna give you some details!
The 'lucky girl', as it turns out, is a one-and-a-half ton modular weapons platform – as it can scarce be called a suit – lovingly and specifically designed to take down the Hulk.
"You named the Hulkbuster 'Veronica'?" –Kara questions, baffled.
"It's just a nickname." –Bruce shrugs, mildly embarrassed.
Tony puts his arm around the scientist's neck, grinning like a madman. "If Betty was the salt of the earth, girl-next-door kind of gal in Brucey's life, then Veronica is the take-no-shit, stone cold badass meant to take him down a peg when he's gone a little green – and of course, when you're not around." –he explains. "Seriously, though, the 'Mark XLIV Orbitally Deployed Modular Superhuman Interdiction System' doesn't exactly roll of the tongue."
Kara's eyebrow raises, examining the holographic blueprint. She can see the system in theoretical motion; the Hulkbuster is kept disassembled in orbit, within a satellite tasked with tracking Bruce's position at all times. When needed, the satellite launches the platform planetside, which in turn hovers in midair at a safe distance from the theoretical fight and launches the armor pieces, which unfold and interlock into the massive suit around the already powerful Iron Man. Just at a glance, Kara can see no less than eleven current-gen synth-vibranium arc reactors powering the armored behemoth, two massive repulsor cannons on each palm, rocket boosters capable of achieving escape velocity, hydraulic battering rams on each fist, prehensile restraining gauntlets, shoulder-mounted hypersonic amplifiers, a battleship's worth of missiles and high caliber ammunition…basically, enough firepower to single-handedly take on NATO – or in this case, a rampaging Hulk.
The blonde shakes her head, awed by the sheer engineering prowess on display. She wishes, more than ever, that her parents could see this – could see that a planet they'd charitably consider primitive would be capable of technological marvels that might even give the mighty children of Krypton pause. "This is incredible. And 'Mark XLIV', that's…a lot of iterations, isn't it?"
"In fairness, the numbering system includes all of my previous suits and the specialized modular systems designed to mix and match with forty-two." –Stark says, nodding at the blueprint for his latest Iron Man suit – the prehensile, sleeker design the Freon Beam prototype he just tested is a part of, designated Mark XLII, and nicknamed the 'Prodigal Son' for its robust pilot seeking capabilities. "But yes, we've been pretty busy lately."
"No kidding." –Kara says.
"Insane though he might be, Victor kind of lit a fire under our asses." –Tony admits. "I thought we were at the top of our game, but…clearly, we have lots of growing pains left to go through. It's not just the tech, either; we've been trying our best to design contingency plans so we don't have to get bailed out by the cavalry next time. We may not be able to plan for every superpowered jackass out there, but we can damn well give it our best shot."
Kara can't help but feel equal parts excited and guilty. As cool as the showcase is, it really does seem like the Avengers were forced to shift gears into overdrive because she's so potentially fragile all of a sudden; obviously, there's many more factors at play, so it's not as simple as that, but she figures she bears at least a little bit of the blame. The others would probably argue against it, though, so she keeps quiet.
Which is just as well, as Natasha chooses that moment to open the door to the workshop.
She looks a little worse for wear; her left arm is wrapped in bandages and held in a simple sling, and she seems to be wearing a sort of harness or flexible corset around her ribs. She isn't in her Kevlar catsuit, for once, instead clad in simple black yoga pants, pink ballet flats, and an oversized S.H.I.E.L.D.-issue sweatshirt – conspicuously embroidered with the name 'C. F. Barton'.
"Kara. Gotta say, looking a lot better out of a hospital gown." –she notes, with a small but genuinely relieved smirk. "Everyone's ready for the meeting."
"Go ahead, Kara." –Tony says. "We'll finish up here and join you in five."
Kara glances at Lena, who smiles and gives her hands a reassuring squeeze. She nods, following Natasha out of the room. Kara notices then that she's limping, too. "I'm fine, Kara." –the redhead reassures her, surely having noticed her constant worried glances. "Victor did a number on me, but I heal quickly. The Red Room made sure of that."
Kara tilts her head. She knows precious little about the Black Widow's past, much like everyone else except Barton, Fury, and the late Agent Coulson. "What's the 'Red Room'?"
Romanoff glances at her. "I suppose my dossier is full of black bars." –she muses. "The Red Room was a Soviet spin-off of HYDRA's superhuman enhancement program, in turn their attempt to replicate Erskine's Serum, which gave Steve his abilities. They booted the program back up after the War, when they captured some of the HYDRA scientists working on it, and made us into Black Widow operatives – only the Kremlin used us for espionage and assassination, not frontline fighting. Cold War gold foil variant, you understand." –she says, sarcastically.
Kara winces. "Vaguely. The United States and Russia held the Earth hostage with nuclear weapons for decades, or something like that? I was never much of a history buff, even on Krypton."
"That's more or less the gist of it. Might wanna give it a second look, though, if you'd like to understand why S.H.I.E.L.D. is the way it is. Best way to get ahead of your enemies."
The blonde tilts her head, surprised. "Oh? We're at enemies, now?"
There's a dangerous edge to Natasha's scowl. "Don't get me wrong; Fury gave me a second chance. If not for him…well, I'd be dead by now. Clint chose to spare me in the moment, but Fury let me truly survive – kept me safe from the Red Room and the other Widows, giving me S.H.I.E.L.D.'s full protection. But…he's also partly to blame for your injury. If we'd known about Kryptonite beforehand, we might've been able to protect you from it. Not to mention S.H.I.E.L.D.'s general incompetence in handling such a dangerous weapon."
"Well, to be fair, Kryptonite is only really lethal to me. And Doom used some kind of magic to steal it, right?" –Kara reasons.
"You really don't need to defend them, Kara. Even if they picked you up after you crashed and gave you a family, you've given back more than enough." –Natasha gives her an odd look. "But…I suppose you're right. I just feel…angry, on your behalf. Fury almost treated me, a remorseless assassin, like his own daughter, and then he goes and makes an actual sword designed to kill the best of all of us."
It's not exactly the lightest subject matter, but Kara still manages a knowing smirk. "Wow, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said about me."
"About anyone, probably. Don't let it go to your head." –Romanoff snorts. "At any rate, the Red Room made us into perfect assassins and sent us on our merry, murdering way. The only thing I can thank them for is giving me a minor healing factor – I'll be back to normal in a week or two. Doesn't really balance out the rest of the horror they put us through, but it's…something."
Kara hums. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you're okay, too." –she says. "It was terrifying, seeing him take us down so quickly and easily."
"I guess I'm glad I can't see, then." –a man says, behind them. Kara recognizes the soft-spoken voice, turning to face Matt Murdock. He looks very different, in his lawyer's attire; he wears a somewhat ill-fitting dark gray suit, a red tie that matches his opaque round glasses, and a black shirt – the better to conceal his oft-bleeding injuries, Kara figures. Safe in the Avengers level, he's folded up his walking stick, which tells Kara he's shared his identity with the group. "Judging by the stench of blood at the scene, it can't have been pretty."
"Murdock." –Romanoff greets, coolly.
"Miss Romanoff." –he retorts, polite as can be. "I take it our sparring session will have to wait a little further, then?"
Natasha smirks. "Not too long, d'yavolenok."
Kara doesn't speak Russian, but she gets the gist. "I really, really missed a lot, huh?"
"A few things, yes." –Matt says. "We'll get you up to speed, soon enough."
The trio enters the briefing room, a fancy-looking space dominated by a massive, elongated table, shaped like a very lengthy oval. The Avengers logo boldly marks its very center in brilliant crimson. Kara counts twenty comfy-looking chairs around the steel table, but it's so large that she could easily see it fitting ten more.
There are five people already inside; from closest to farthest, she sees Steve, Alex, Sue Storm, and Skye. A tall, unidentified man with a goatee stands in the opposite corner of the room, looking out at the city through blast proof glass. He looks a little bit familiar, but Kara can't quite place him, yet – even though his choice of attire, a perfectly fitted designer suit and an odd-but-fashionable red sash around his torso, is pretty distinctive. Everyone stops talking as she files in – and then they immediately erupt in relief and cheer to see her back on her feet.
"I hope it's not too old fashioned of me to say, but…thank God you're okay, Kara." –Steve says, standing up from his seat.
"Personally, I'd thank Rao." –Kara jokes. "But seriously, I'm…glad to be back. It's honestly kinda nice to know I have a bit of a failsafe going on, in case my invulnerability fails."
"Even I take a little while to heal. Haven't seen anything like it since the War." –Steve notes. "Only ever known one other person to heal that quickly, and he wasn't nearly as personable."
Kara tilts her head. "Oh?"
"Yeah…no matter how hurt he got, he'd be back up and at it in seconds. Saw him take a bullet to the head and the only thing he complained about was the blood throwing off his aim." –Steve shakes his head, reminiscing. "Odd fella by the name of Logan. Canadian, I think? Something of a lone wolf the Howling Commandos worked with for a few months. Not much of a soldier, really – honestly, I think he just wanted to kill Nazis. Good drinking partner – Bucky hated him though."
Romanoff narrows her eyes. "I feel like I've heard about someone like this before."
"Well, you know us old people. Repeating ourselves and whatnot." –Steve shrugs, coyly. "At any rate, I'm glad you were able to bounce back so quickly."
"Aren't we all?" –the man she doesn't recognize says, sauntering towards them. "We'd be rather hard-pressed to defend the Earth without our Supergirl, after all."
Kara manages a confused smile. "I'm sorry, have we met? You seem…familiar."
"I suppose I might be, even if I've not been in the public eye for some time." –he muses. He bows, slightly, and introduces himself. "Doctor Stephen Strange. One-time foremost neurosurgeon in the field, current Sorcerer Supreme."
The blonde snaps her fingers in recognition. "Oh! Yeah, I remember you now. I…thought you were dead. The Bugle published your obituary, and everything."
Strange snickers. "Did they? I'm not surprised. I left New York for a long time, after the accident that took my hands." –he says, holding up his horrifically scarred extremities. Even if they weren't, the constant shaking and extreme stiffness are evidence enough of the terribly traumatic injury. "And I have been something of a shut-in since my return."
Kara hums. "I see. So, 'Sorcerer Supreme', huh? Are you the 'wizard pal' Tony mentioned, then?"
The man rolls his eyes. "While I am the man Tony mentioned, I am no mere wizard. Just as the Avengers have been implicitly charged with the protection of the mortal world, the Sorcerer Supreme is tasked with defending Earth from perils of a magical nature, be they from within or beyond the borders of our reality."
The Girl of Steel ponders the Sorcerer's rather grandiose mission statement; magic had all but died on Krypton by the time she was born, but her people knew it to exist and be respected, even feared. Even through Krypton's isolationist policies, towards the end of the empire, she had known other species to have their own gods and branches of sorcery. She'd been surprised upon arrival to find that humans, too, believed in gods and the supernatural – when, to all appearances, there seemed to be little to no concrete evidence to prove its existence on Earth.
Until now, apparently.
"I rather feel like I must apologize, Miss Danvers." –Strange purses his lips. "Your injury at the hands of Victor von Doom could've been prevented, had I been more vigilant."
Kara frowns. "What do you mean? You know Victor?"
"No one better." –he admits. "But the story is complicated, and there is much else to discuss beforehand. I'll wait for my turn, if you don't mind."
She hums. She does mind, a little, but she can hear the rest of their group coming, so she bides her time. Moments later, they pour in; Tony leads the way, and everyone sits down. If there's a pattern to it, she can't tell, but she's sat between Alex and Lena, probably for maximum emotional support. Sue switches sides and moves to the other side, looking distinctly uneasy amidst the Avengers. Kara shoots her a reassuring glance, which the oft-invisible woman returns, if a little bit more unconvincing.
"Should we be discussing our evil plot to bring about the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. with not one, but two spies in our midst?" –Tony asks, shit-eating grin in full display.
"Har-har." –Alex grumbles. "I can and will smack that grin off your face, Stark."
Tony shrugs. "No points for originality, Danvers. I get that one a lot."
"Can you guys just not?" –Kara requests. "I hear there's a lot to talk about, so let's get to it."
"Agreed." –Steve says. "Plenty of time for pettiness later. We need to discuss the state of this team and our modus operandi going forward. Not to mention, pooling our findings on Centipede and Victor von Doom."
"Such a ridiculous name." –Lena mutters. Agreement sweeps through the room.
"But first, Kara." –Rogers turns to her. "What'd Doctor Cho say?"
Kara tries her best not to shrink under everyone's gaze. "Obviously, she had a little trouble examining me – impenetrable skin and all – but she gave me a clean bill of health. As far as anyone can tell, all the damage caused by the Kryptonite blade was repaired and there don't seem to be any lingering physical repercussions." –she reports. "She…also said she wanted to study my blood, potentially help me understand my powers better."
Steve nods, serious. "She said as much to us, too. Much like the Kryptonite dagger, we want you to be the one to decide what to do with it. They affect you more than anyone else."
"Right. About that." –Kara takes a deep breath. "I gave Doctor Cho the go-ahead, and…I'd like to keep the Kryptonite."
Much like she expected, everyone starts to protest – Alex and Lena loudest of all, of course – but she swiftly shuts them down. "I've already mulled it over, and I don't wanna argue about it. Fury has a lot to answer for, but the idea of keeping something that could subdue me if I went rogue isn't without merit. Bruce gets the Hulkbuster; I get the Kryptonite. Snap off a small shard, and destroy the rest. Polish the edges away, and keep it somewhere handy and well protected – and don't tell me where it is. I'll trust you all not to use it unless the situation calls for it."
Alex balks at her idea. "Kara, that's…it's such a risk, you can't be serious!"
"Look, I may not want to be treated like one, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is right to call me a walking WMD." –Supergirl reasons. "I don't wanna hurt anyone that doesn't deserve it. I've seen enough death and destruction in my life – I won't be the cause of any more, not willingly. So, if someone were to somehow override my will and use my powers for ill, I want you – all of you – to do whatever it takes to stop me. That includes exposing me to Kryptonite, no matter how painful it might be. And if I can't be snapped out of it? You let that damn green rock poison me until I can't hurt anyone anymore. That's my final decision."
Her sister remains worried beyond belief, but she can see the strange mixture of awe, pride, and respect staring back at her. She glances at Lena, who seems to be experiencing every aforementioned emotion plus unfathomable rage – and perhaps, a bit of honest-to-goodness love.
Steve, mostly proud, nods approvingly. "I promise to honor your request." –he says, solemnly, and turns to Strange. "Doctor, if you will?"
Strange tilts his head, and waves his beleaguered hands, which become encircled by complex geometric designs, glowing amber with what must be human magic. Before him, a sphere sprouts into existence, containing the Kryptonite blade. Something in Kara's core clenches at the sight of it, but she forces herself to stare at the weapon – if nothing else, the process is fascinating. She looks on as the dagger completely disintegrates, inch by inch, until only a jagged fragment the size of a cherry remains. The crystal then reshapes itself, following Strange's hypnotic hand motions, into a perfectly polished sphere, which vanishes along with his magic.
"Done." –the Sorcerer Supreme reports. "We'll discuss a good location for safekeeping later, but know that it is beyond Victor's reach – though frankly, I doubt he'll ever try to find or use Kryptonite again."
"How could you know that?" –Kara wonders.
"Because he doesn't need it, now that he's proved his point." –Strange admits. "From what I've gathered, your prodigious strength and indestructible body are no more resistant to the whims of magic than any of ours – barring any protective spellwork, of course."
Kara frowns. "What? Really?"
"You were paralyzed by the simplest of curses." –Strange says, deadpan. "There is far more powerful magic out there. Victor certainly knows some."
"You keep hyping up the bastard, Stephen." –Tony says, frowning. "Are you finally spilling the beans, or are we in for another week of your cryptic bullshit?"
Strange smirks. "Come, now; being cryptic is practically in the job description, Tony. But I'll get to it as soon as you lot are done."
Tony grimaces. "Ugh. You aren't even British, man." –he mutters. Strange ignores him.
"I suppose Centipede is next in the order of business, then." –Lena pushes the conversation forward. She taps the table, which lights up in response, like a touch screen. Overhead hologram projectors display a plethora of information – data they've gathered on Centipede over the prior weeks.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to take point on the investigation going forward, but I think I can speak for all of us when I say we can't possibly drop this." –Steve says. "Even if they hadn't all but made it personal, Centipede isn't a one-off threat; they're still out there, and even though we've dealt them a decent blow at OsCorp, all signs point to the conspiracy being far larger and more dangerous than we thought. Too dangerous, I think, even for S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Not to mention the moles at S.H.I.E.L.D. we've started to suspect." –Alex says, coldly.
Kara shifts, uncomfortable at the notion. "You guys are suspicious too, huh?" –she says. "I thought something was up the minute Titanium Man called me a Kryptonian. Doctor Doom, too."
Romanoff snorts. "I can't believe we're really calling him that."
"He does have several PhDs." –Bruce muses.
Rogers' lips press thinly together at the ongoing efforts to derail the conversation, conscious or otherwise. "The fact of the matter is, Centipede knew we were coming. Even though our mission was planned just a few hours ahead, they had enough personnel to keep us busy until their reinforcements arrived. If our good Doctors Banner and Strange here hadn't brought in the cavalry when they did, we would've been hard pressed to defend. Maybe even to survive."
"Not to play Devil's Advocate," –Matt says, smiling cheekily at his own turn of phrase, "but there are many groups attached to this conspiracy – even some whose members, masters of stealth and subterfuge, might be capable of infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. and stealing their secrets. While I wouldn't recommend disregarding the idea of moles within the agency entirely, it might not be the agents themselves we have to worry about."
"Besides, it wasn't hard to find out what you guys were up to. All I had to do was snoop in on the lovebirds' DMs." –Skye says, looking a little too proud of herself. Lena and Kara both blush, embarrassed, but they don't argue the point.
"Did you guys figure out where the reinforcements came from?" –Kara wonders. "What do we know about them?"
"They were led by a man named Edison Po." –Natasha drawls. "Former marine, fell off the grid four years ago. He's not talking."
"The mech suits were old. HYDRA designs from '45 they never got to realize, thanks to Aunt Peggy and the Commandos." –Tony says. "They ran out of resources back then, but I guess someone managed to fund a few. They don't have much in the way of weaponry – they were intended to field Tesseract-powered blaster cannons – but their bulk is dangerous enough, I guess."
Steve nods. "JARVIS, if you would." –he requests. The AI shifts the hologram to showcase a map of New York and the surrounding areas. "Centipede's reinforcements came from a hidden depot upstate, about twelve miles northwest from the Cold War-era bunker. The facility was abandoned by the time S.H.I.E.L.D. raided it, but it used to belong to HAMMER Industries, before they sold it to a Silicon Valley tech start-up called AIM. Neither company admitted to being aware of the buildings true purpose; the sale is recent, so it's possible that AIM was indeed unaware, but considering the upgraded HAMMER drones at the battle, we must treat Justin Hammer and his company as a potential threat. Hammer himself has claimed deniability, since he's on parole and under strict surveillance."
Tony snorts. "Don't believe a word that little worm says. Greedy little bastard."
Peter stares at the image of the bespectacled man in question with something almost approaching anger in his eyes. Kara wouldn't have thought it possible from such a sweet kid, but...well, his parents did die at the Stark Expo, presumably at the hands of Hammer's failed drones. No one could fault him for a little well-deserved hatred.
"Don't worry. Between the drones and the woman wearing the Whiplash harness, we can be reasonably certain they're involved." –Natasha says. "We'll find the evidence."
Kara crosses her arms. "What happened with her, by the way?"
"She's in custody." –Alex pipes up. "Being interrogated by S.H.I.E.L.D., not that they'll get much out of her."
"How come?"
"She's been Enhanced with some version of Centipede's serum." –Rogers says, grim. "It granted her strength and agility, sure, but the cocktail also made her prone to hallucinations and dissociation. Not to mention it destroyed her vocal chords, along with several other such soft tissues."
"It's horrific." –Lena says, hotly. "And she didn't deserve any of it. Facial recognition places her as a homeless addict named Sasha, in Moscow. She was abducted off the streets three months ago; now we know they turned her into a mute killing machine."
Kara winces. "Rao, what a mess."
"She's one of the lucky ones, too." –Stark leans back. "From the data Skye gathered, we know the process isn't always successful. And when it fails, well...it ain't pretty."
"They burn to death, from the inside out." –Winn clarifies, knowing her well enough that she'd rather have the full picture than be left to imagine the possibilities. "Their cells become so incredibly charged with energy that their integrity fails. It's like trillions of tiny napalm bombs going off inside you. Only one in ten survive."
"That's why they needed this." –Lena nods at the hologram, which shifts to display the segmented fluid container she took from them. "A Chitauri techno-organic fluid regulator. For the aliens, it contained everything they needed to survive – nutrients, water, nitrogen to breathe, etc. For Centipede's soldiers, it serves to administer controlled doses of the serum on the fly, and as needed. The conversion will be slower, of course, but nearly guaranteed to be successful and render a much less damaged product."
"Add to that the fact that this is their most stable cocktail yet, and...well, you can see why the really wanted it back." –Tony says, glaring at the alien device.
Kara crosses her arms. "I don't get it. How could they know this obscure component from an alien race nobody knew would invade would be the thing they needed to perfect their human super soldiers?"
"We don't know." –Romanoff admits. "But if our 'mole' theory holds up, they could've easily gleaned that information from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s earliest research into Chitauri anatomy. They were producing data just hours after the invasion."
"Or, perhaps, Victor simply told them." –Strange suggests. "He seems to be involved with them at the highest level, and he would have undoubtedly known about the Chitauri before any of us."
"Stop teasing, you little shit." –Tony hisses. Strange shrugs, but Kara can tell he's doing it on purpose.
Steve sighs, long-suffering. "Whatever the case, we have more than enough leads to go on. And while we may be subject to STRIKE missions now, we will do our best to chase them."
"Yeah, I'm not doing anything for STRIKE. Fury can't make me." –Tony waves, dismissively. "Which is why I'm pursuing our biggest non-magical lead, thank you very much. I'll be going back to Malibu for a spell – visiting an old friend, Maya Hansen. Her old research – not that I remember too much of it, honestly – bears a few too many similarities to Centipede's. She's been receiving some funding from AIM, too, so I figure it can't hurt to pay her a visit. Plus, I've been invited to SFIT's admission project showcase, and I just love seeing tiny nerds in action. Maybe I'll take Pete, let him see what his future competition's looking like." –he says, lightly punching Peter's shoulder. The kid lights up at the prospect.
"I'll uh, try and see if I can't reverse the effects of the Serum." –Bruce awkwardly proposes. "If nothing else, I can at least try and stabilize it so any others we find aren't liable to spontaneously combust."
Rogers nods. "Natasha and I will take STRIKE teams to several probable Centipede-affiliated paramilitary bases. They'll likely start clearing out and shuffling their forces around once they figure we have some of their locations, but we need to put the pressure on them, nevertheless."
"I'm like, not a superhero? So I think I'll try and track down other Centipede facilities for y'all to knock on the door. Maybe sleuth out any potential S.H.I.E.L.D. moles, too." –Skye says. "Winn and I are nearly done with the Guardian's revamped OS, anyway."
Kara tilts her head. "What's the 'Guardian'?"
The hacktivist winces, looking at Kara's maybe-girlfriend. Lena puts a hand on hers. "I'll tell you after the meeting." –she promises. Kara narrows her eyes, but doesn't push for an answer.
"Everyone else will help Doctor Strange track down and stop Victor von Doom, whatever it takes." –Steve says, gravely. "That includes you, Kara, if you're certain you feel up to it."
Kara nods, resolute. "I'm game."
"Be warned; Victor could be one of the greatest foes this Earth has ever faced." –Strange says. "Once we find him, we will need to strike decisively."
Rogers' arms cross. "Tell us what you know, Doctor."
Strange hums. "I've only met him once." –he begins. "One week into my tenure as Sorcerer Supreme, following the death of my predecessor, as I searched for the missing goddess Hecate. But once was enough – enough to know he is from beyond our reality."
The wizard manifests an image of the Earth, in all its beauty, in the center of the room. "This is our world as you know it. Planet Earth, cradle of humanity, centerpiece of our solar system. As the Chitauri's presence has hinted at, there is a universe full of life out there – some hostile, some neutral, and thankfully, most friendly. I imagine, in the coming years, we will meet many of their kind, as Loki's invasion has elevated our little blue orb's notoriety in the galactic consciousness." –he muses. "But beyond the borders of our realm – beyond the limits of our very universe – lie other realities, both familiar and strange."
Bruce narrows his eyes. "Are you talking about Everett's Many-Worlds Interpretation?"
"I'm talking about the Multiverse." –Strange corrects. "Our reality is one of many, yes, but the scientific theory you've mentioned posits the existence of an infinite number of dimensions stemming from each and every one of our individual choices. The truth of it is far more complex."
Earth shrinks, becoming a small sphere within a stream of sand. "Say I'd become fed up with Tony's very existence, and I considered snuffing him out." –he muses, earning him a glare from the billionaire. "In that moment, I would have a choice; to stay my hand, or satisfy my deadly impulse. Such a major decision – and more importantly, its many consequences – would indeed split our reality in twain."
The stream becomes two, one golden and one black. "Loathe as I am to admit it, Tony Stark is a very important character, in the grand scheme of things. His influence is felt all throughout the globe, and his choices affect many. Such is his nature throughout many of the other Earths in which he exists – and the same goes for every person, to some extent, but is most intensely true of the people who bear the most power and responsibilities. His death, for example, could prove catastrophic in the face of mounting, oncoming threats. The reality I'd create by slaying him would then be considered an aberration, as it deviates from the common pattern so harshly that the end result, after the consequences have unfolded, would likely be unrecognizable."
He stares at the darkened representation of Earth. "Aberrations are dangerous things, in the Multiverse – they are unpredictable, unstable, and they can spread their effects to become a new norm. Entire regions of the Multiverse have withered away from errant events as abhorrent as the Nazis winning World War II, the earlier discovery and abuse of atomic power, and the unchecked spread of viral disease."
Winn meekly pipes up. "I feel like this should be more shocking? Why isn't it more shocking to know there's a bunch of alternate versions of us out there?"
"If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say many of your doppelgängers are already aware of the existence of the Multiverse." –Strange says. "There's the smallest bit of overlap between you and them – something you'll have likely noticed as déjà vu, or perhaps, through the most realistic of your dreams."
Steve stares long and hard at the magical display. "I thought the existence of gods and monsters was a lot to take in, but this is..." –he trails off.
"Quite a bit more." –Strange agrees. "Know that this changes little, in your day to day life. The existence of other versions of your selves doesn't diminish your own in any way, and interactions between dimensions are rare, as it takes a great deal of power to breach the dimensional barriers for most. I only explain the Multiverse so you can better understand the foe we're facing."
Tony groans. "Alright...so, like, thanks for breaking my brain – and using me dying as an example, super classy of you – but what's this have to do with Victor?"
Kara rubs her chin. "I...I think he's saying is that Doctor Doom isn't from this dimension."
Strange nods. "Precisely. When I met Victor, I was able to sense – among a host of other things – that his dimensional frequency didn't match our own. He's come from an alternate reality."
"Which one?" –Kara asks.
"I don't know. I was unfortunately hampered at the time by visions I could glean of him slaying other versions of me in magical duels." –Strange admits, soberingly. "Finding his home among the Multiverse will be our key to victory, however; I will only be able to banish him once we discover his point of origin."
Steve sighs. "Then we better get to it."
Strange tilts his head, then, staring out into the city. "Oh...I fear it'll have to wait just a little longer, Captain. It appears you're about to be needed."
Before anyone can ask why, a rainbow in the shape of a powerful beam blasts down from the heavens, directly onto the Tower's helipad. The Avengers all rush to the window, just in time to see a figure descend and land in the midst of the multicolor vortex. He grins and raises his hammer at them in greeting, as what can only be the Bifrost vanishes and leaves behind its distinctive glowing runes.
Thor, Norse god of Thunder, has finally returned to Earth – and if the missing prince's prior visit is any indication, Earth will be needing its champions again, indeed.
I swear to Thor that I've had this plot in mind since long before Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness was ever announced, haha.
Alright! That was...a lot of work. Many plot threads to touch base on, a lot of fun references I wanted to include (kudos if you find them all!), and the hefty job of starting to unravel Victor's presence in this universe and the motives behind his actions. I hope you enjoyed it! I definitely enjoyed writing it, though I am kind of exhausted - I typically write 2K-ish word chapters, and this was a whopping 5500. Please don't get used to it, haha! You probably won't see these chapter lengths again until the end of this arc.
Anyway, as Thor's presence hints (and, y'know, my question last chapter), Earth is about to be invaded again - which means, it's crossover with Changing of the Guard time. I asked what the best way to handle it was, and the vast majority of you agreed on wanting to keep continuity intact and have a chapter from Supergirl/the Avenger's POV in this fic.
(Also, I want to thank you for not choosing the "I don't wanna read it" option. I know most people aren't interested in every fic in the series, and it's completely valid, but I do appreciate you wanting to read what I have to offer. Love y'all!)
As such, the next chapter will be our heroes' POV of the action. I'll endeavor to keep things as simple as possible, so even if you haven't touched Changing of the Guard, you won't be lost - and of course, I'll keep things focused on the Avengers' own thoughts and feelings, especially considering there's been some hefty revelations lately. I hope you will enjoy it!
Now, the bad news is that it's going to take me a little bit longer to write the next chapter. There's a lot of plates to balance, and I wanna give you guys the best version of this series I possibly can, so I'm going to take my time and try my best to get it right. Please, bear with me! I can't promise a date, but I'll try to take less than three weeks. I suggest bookmarking or subscribing so you'll know to check back in when it's ready! Thank you for your support, and see you then!
As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a buck to spare.
Until next time!