Chapter 14

Wanda stood in the middle of the courtyard, taking in the beautiful scenery of the sun setting on the massive slopes. She's been everywhere around the world thanks to being on the run from the government, but it was rare for her to pause and enjoy the world around her.

"Enjoying the view?" Strange asked from behind her, watching her curiously.

"Bit chilly," Wanda joked.

"Oh, you think this is cold?" Strange asked, "Try being sent through a portal to the top of the Himalayas. Now that will mess you up."

"Seriously?", Wanda laughed in disbelief.

"My teacher didn't exactly like me," Strange shrugged, "Or maybe she thought I was 'the best of us', I don't know. She really loved her riddles."

Wanda chuckled a little, "So, everyone here's a wizard?"

"We prefer the term 'sorcerer'", Strange explained, his voice deepening, "But yes, those of us here have dedicated our lives to the mystic arts. We train to master our potential for magic and use it to defend this realm from those who wish to cause harm."

Wanda listened before saying, "So basically, this is Hogwarts?"

"Are you and the Parker kid in cahoots or something?"

Wanda burst out into laughter, "You care for the boy, don't you, Doctor?"

"If that was another Potter reference, I'm gonna take a page from my master and send you to Everest."

"It wasn't a reference, but now that you said it-"

"Goddammit," the doctor cursed.

"Well, do you?"

Strange sighed, "He's a good kid. Has a lot of potential. And Stark...Stark really took to him."

Wanda couldn't help but notice something flash across Strange's face. A look she very much recognized: guilt.

She looked him the eyes, "On the docks when we were fighting the Kree, you could've taken them down in a second. I saw you on the battlefield in New York, I've seen what you can do. But even before you had to run off for the kid, you just stuck to shields and whips. Why?"

Strange arched his back, almost as though he was trying to make himself appear more confident than he really felt, "Don't want to bust out the heavy stuff just yet. What's your excuse?"

"Pardon?"

"I know about you. The Scarlet Witch, a mutant enhanced by an Infinity Stone. You could have killed Thanos back then if he didn't call down his airstrike," he pointed out, "Yet, you didn't go all out. Got any explanation for that?"

Wanda shuffled before clearing her throat, "What can I say? I don't want to bust out the heavy stuff just yet."

"Clever," Strange snickered, "You know, your abilities...it doesn't seem that far off from what we teach our students here. If you'd like, I'm sure we can help you with your abilities."

Wanda was surprised by the offer, "You have mutants here?"

"Well, they usually prefer Xavier's, but yes, there are mutants here. Some have managed to combine the realms of mutant abilities and sorcery."

"...I'll think about it."

...

Peter lay on his bed, scrolling through articles on his laptop. Articles about the new team flashed before his eyes and a good many of them weren't saying positive things. Rather than people applauding them as they did with the original team, they were accusing them of causing this whole mess. And honestly, a part of Peter agreed with them.

Suddenly, an alert appeared on the boy's laptop. Someone wanted to facetime.

Peter happily obliged, clicking on the call to reveal the smiling face of Ned Leeds.

"Yo, Peter!"

"Ned, hey, what's up?", Peter grinned before noticing the large bruise on one of Ned's eyes, "OHmygosh, what happened to your eye?!"

"Oh, man, you know that crazy dude on the hoverboard?"

"The Green Goblin?"

"Is that what we're calling it? That's a stupid name."

"I gave him that name."

"A stupidly awesome name!," Ned tried to backtrack, putting up a fake agreeing smile.

"Ned, the eye?"

"Oh, yeah. When that thing was attacking, it socked me right in the face. I blacked right out and when I woke up, Mr. Osborn filled me in on what I missed."

"Aw, man, Ned, I'm sorry."

"It's cool, man. Mr. Osborn said that he jumped in and kicked the Goblin away before going to get his new suit."

Peter chuckled, "I'm gonna guess he told you about his new gig."

"DUDE! MY BOSS IS A SUPERHERO! I AM LIVING THE GODDAMN DREAM RIGHT NOW!", Ned shouted with glee, "OH MY GOD! Is this what it was like with Mr. Stark?"

"More or less."

"Dude, and he told me he fought with you guys! Well, not with you like against but more like 'Ey, Avengers unite and everything'!"

"That's not the phrase, Ned," Peter pointed out, "But yeah, he saved our lives at the docks."

"Is he really joining your team now?"

Peter hesitated to answer that. So far, it seemed like he was the only one who wanted to work with Mr. Osborn, "Uh, we're still kind of talking about that. I'm wondering that myself."

"Dude, I know he can come off a little...weird, but he really is a great guy," Ned defended his boss, "He's been helping me out with college, he's been teaching me everything about the business. I mean, it makes sense ever since Harry-"

Ned stopped himself at that last line, looking away from Peter like he said too much.

Peter noticed this, "Harry? Who's Harry?"

"Not important," Ned quickly pushed that aside, "The point is that he really cares about being a hero and protecting people. He's a lot like Mr. Stark, you know?"

Peter gulped, remembering Tony. He'll admit it, Norman was very similar to Mr. Stark in a lot of ways, The quips, the fast way they talked, their penchant for nicknames, they were a lot alike. But Peter believed the same thing about Quentin and look how that went.

"Maybe," Peter nodded slowly.

"So, are we really getting another invasion?"

"...I guess so, man. I guess so."

"Shit," Ned cursed, "Way to kick off our graduation."

"Right," Peter chuckled.

"Well, here's hoping you stop it before the ceremony."

"Ceremony?," Peter asked before his eyes widened, "Damn it! That's next Wednesday, right?"

"Tuesday."

"Crap," Peter mumbled. Only five days to save the world from what could've been a massive alien attack. No big deal.

"Hey, you better not miss it, man."

"When have I ever missed anything this big-Don't answer that. Rhetorical."

Ned chuckled, "Look, man, I gotta bounce. Catch you later?"

"You know it," Peter smiled as he hung up the call.

Peter stared for a few minutes at the blue screen of his busted laptop before an idea popped into his mind. He opened up a tab on his laptop and began to search for everything he could about one man.

Norman Osborn.

…

Hope tinkered with the bomb, trying to regain the signal that got them to find the Kree in D.C. Scott slowly crept up beside her, trying to get a good look at the thing.

After a minute of awkward silence, Scott whistled, "You know, when I was under house arrest, I spent a lot of time figuring out computers...reading books...studying-"

"I'm not letting you touch the bomb, Scott."

"Why not?!," Scott asked, "Come on! You know I can work my way around this! I've got an electrical engineering degree, I built a TIME MACHINE, for god's sake!"

"Technically, that was Stark," Hope pointed out.

"ARGH!," Scott groaned.

"Scott, I know you know your way around tech, but this is way too sensitive! Until S.W.O.R.D. can find anything, this is all we have! We can't risk a screw-up!," Hope explained, "Now...please, could you let me work?"

Scott sighed and nodded, "Alright."

He began to get up and walk off. Before he exited the room, he turned around, "You can do this, Hope. If anyone can track down a group of evil Smurfs, it's you."

Hope smiled at the comment, "Thanks, Scott."

"Besides, if you don't, then the entire Earth is doomed."

"Not helping, Scott."

"Alrighty," he finger-gunned his girlfriend before heading out, passing by Rhodey.

Rhodes chuckled, "Where's ants-in-his-pants running off to?"

"I'm stealing that nickname now," Hope joked.

"You can't. Copyrighting it," Rhodes replied, "How's it coming along?"

"About as well as the last five times someone's asked me that."

"Where's T'Challa and Parker?"

"Told them they needed a break. Parker's not exactly in the right mood and the king had an important call."

Rhodes nodded, "Yet, you're still here?"

"Someone's got to figure this thing out."

Rhodes smiled, respecting the scientist's determination, "So, you and your bug buddy aren't government targets anymore. How's that feel?"

"...Freeing, I guess. I don't know. It's weird, not having to look behind my back constantly. It's kind of nice."

"Find any job? Something to do?"

"I've been working with Scott and his friends on X-Con for a while now. It's not perfect, but it helps," Hope answered.

"You know, Stark Industries could use someone like you."

Hope chuckled, "My family never really had a good relationship with Starks. Never really trusted them."

"Yeah, well, a lot's changed since your pops was at S.H.I.E.L.D.," Rhodes commented.

Hope turned and looked down at the colonel's legs, a question rising in her throat.

"You wanna ask about the legs, right?" Rhodes asked.

"I didn't mean to stare-"

"It's cool. I get it."

"I saw the news. I heard about what happened in Germany."

"Yeah, well, it...it was hard, getting used to the whole thing. I thought that was it. No more War Machine. Hell, no more walking really," Rhodey somberly reminisced, "But Tony...he helped me get back on my feet."

"Was that a pun I heard?"

"Tell anyone and you're off the team."

Hope laughed, fiddling away at the bomb, "So, you really owe a lot to Stark?"

"Yeah. I do," Rhodey slowly nodded in agreement. It may have been over a year since his friend died, but he still missed him dearly.

"Is that why you hate Osborn? Because he's running around in your friend's armor?"

"No, I hate him because he's an absolute douchebag," Rhodes bluntly stated.

…

"I am telling you, Nakia. There's no need for the Council to worry," T'Challa spoke to the hologram emitting from the beads on his wrist. He stood on a balcony, facing the slopes of the snowy mountains.

"That is what I tell Okoye, but you know how she is," the glowing image of Nakia replied, "She and the others are concerned with not only the fact that their ruler is putting himself in such danger, but that he is doing it in such a public way."

"Was going public not the plan?"

"According to them, the world believing that our king...for lack of a better word, failed-"

"I'm sure there are better words."

"-To stop an attack makes us seem weak," Nakia finished her statement.

T'Challa squirmed a little, doubt creeping into his mind, "Do you feel the same way?"

Nakia shook her head slowly, "Of course not, my love. They are merely being stubborn. All of them. The Council, the people calling out your name in hatred. Those who love you know that you are fighting for what is right and we are proud of you."

T'Challa smiled warmly, his heart beating faster listening to his fiance's words, "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

"Do you know when you will return?"

"Hopefully, soon," the king sighed, "We are still waiting on S.W.O.R.D.'s analysis."

"Well, I hope you do not die before our wedding. That would ruin the atmosphere," the warrior joked.

"Hilarious," T'Challa chuckled.

"Alright. I must go now," Nakia sighed, "Shuri is about to test to see if one of her new suit designs can withstand explosions."

"How will she test that?"

Before the king could finish his question, a loud boom came from behind Nakia. She cursed in Xhosa before the hologram glitched out.

T'Challa groaned, "Nevermind."

The king slinked back inside, feelings of insecurity striking his heart. He took on this mission because others convinced him that he could do more good as the Black Panther than as a king. But now, he wasn't sure what was true.

"Leadership," the voice of the Valkyrie calling out from inside, "It's more difficult than most people believe, isn't it?"

"Well, we do what we can," T'Challa agreed.

"How's Wakanda?"

"Same as usual, I suppose," T'Challa shrugged, "What of your nation? I've seen the news reports. Your people have been making massive improvements from what I've heard."

"It's...a slow process, but soon, we can only hope to recapture even a speck of the glory that Asgard once was," Brunnhilde admitted, "Minus the whole colonization ordeal."

T'Challa let out a little laugh before turning his gaze back to the mountains, "I wish to ask you a question. Ruler to ruler."

"Shoot."

"What do you believe the world needs: a warrior or a king?"

Valkyrie spent a moment thinking the question over before an answer came to her mind, "Honestly...I'm still not sure. I'm still somewhat new to royalty. All I know is that what matters now is that we stop the Kree."

T'Challa nods, "Do you believe we can do that? This team is already so...divided."

"Eh, I've seen more chaotic team-ups," Brunnhilde shrugged, "I ever tell you about the time the Hulk beat the shit out of Thor?"

"You did not."

Valkyrie burst out laughing, "Oh, shit, okay, you're going to want to sit down for this one!"

...

"You've reached the Rambeau household. You know what to do."

Carol's heard that message so many times now, it was basically engraved in her memory.

"Hey, Lieutenant. Attempt #15, I guess. Um, I know you and your mom are busy, of course, but I could...I would really love to talk, so...when you're, you know, not hating me, please...call back, sweetie."

Carol gulped as she hung up the phone. As she floated in the air, she couldn't help but feel lonely.

However, even as high up as she was, she wasn't alone.

*CLANG!*

"AAARGH!"

Carol turned around, trying to see where the noise was coming from, "The hell?"

...

*CLANG!*

"DAMMIT!"

At the top of a mountain, the sound of vibranium hitting rocks hit the air. For the eleventh time in a row, Sam threw the shield at his target, a small tree, and failed to hit it. Just like the last four times, the shield merely landed on the ground instead of hitting the rocks behind the tree and coming back to Sam.

He marched over and tried throwing it again. Instead, he threw it too hard, causing it to miss the tree, bounce off the rocks again and again, and fly back towards him, hitting him right in the face.

Sam fell to the ground, dazed and in pain, as the shield fell off the side of the mountaintop.

"No!," he yelled, trying to reach out for it, but he was in too much pain to fly after it.

Thankfully, a familiar face flew up and landed in front of him, shield in hand.

"Drop something?", Carol smirked.

Sam slowly rose back up, head still swimming, "Thank you...All five of you."

"Need a hand, Cap?", she helped lift him up, a concerned look on her face.

"Please, don't call me that," Wilson moaned as he took the shield from her, turning away to sit on one of the rocks.

"Oh, I figured since everyone called Rogers that-"

"Well, do I look like Steve to you?!," Sam bitterly interrupted her.

He noticed how Carol appeared taken aback and his face softened, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like a dick."

"It's cool," Carol accepted the apology, "Trying to get used to the shield?"

Sam dropped the thing in frustration, "Don't know how Steve did it."

"I mean, I'm pretty sure the whole super-soldier thing helped," Carol said, "But that wasn't exactly what made him Captain America."

"Because he was a good man," Sam chuckled, "He told me that's what the people who gave him his powers said to him. Said the same damn thing to me too. But now look."

"Look, one screw-up doesn't equal utter failure," Danvers pointed out, "Otherwise, I'm sure we all would've given up ten times over. We still have a chance."

"Do we? Come on, we're supposed to be some of the most powerful people in the world, yet we couldn't even take down on one group of Kree soldiers! ONE GROUP! We've got Parker disobeying orders, Strange isn't going full god-mode like he usually does, and whatever the hell's going on with you!"

"Well, call us all out, why don't you," Carol sarcastically noted, "Look, this isn't on you. We're not blaming you for any of this."

"Yeah, well, I am!" Sam exclaimed, "Someone needs to lead the team!"

"If you didn't want to be the leader, why take the job?"

Sam paused, thinking it over, "...Because Steve did."

Carol sighed, "Yeah, well, maybe the team needs a little less Rogers and a little more Wilson right now."

Sam looked up, confused. Carol blasted off into the sky, leaving the ex-soldier alone to sink deeper and deeper into his own thoughts.

…

Peter stood in the middle of the courtyard, tapping his foot in impatience, "Come on, come on."

"Peter?" Strange asked, floating down behind him, "What are you-?"

"Okay, I know how you're gonna react, but I need you to listen to me," the teen stammered.

"What are you-What have you done, Peter."

"Well, I was thinking. We have a giant alien invasion coming to kill everyone and, hey, we need all the help we can get and I know you don't really trust the guy, but I think we're really running low on options right now-Not that any of you guys are-!"

"Peter," Strange sternly spoke to the boy, "What. Did. You. Do?"

Peter began to open his mouth when something crashed right down into the courtyard. The other heroes heard the noise and quickly rushed out to see what just landed. The other sorcerers appeared and began to form defensive formations.

The thing that crashed slowly stood up and put its hands in the air, its faceplate slowly lifting up.

"Nice pad you got here, Gandalf," Osborn smiled, "So, what's the gameplan here?"