Chapter 17
The team walked through the golden portal, the morning sun of Wakanda glowing on their faces. The sound of airships passing by filled their ears as the group was stunned by the spectacle of the nation.
"Holy shit," Hope breathed, amazed.
"You can say that again," Scott smiled.
They walked down the path leading them to the palace of the royal family. Rows of Dora Milaje soldiers lined up next to the team, saluting their king as he passed by them.
As they proceeded forward, Carol noticed the look on Valkyrie's face. Brunnhilde gazed at the Wakandan soldiers standing beside them with a look that resembled nostalgia. As though seeing all of this was bringing back fonder memories.
At the front of the palace stood Okoye and T'Challa's family. T'Challa's back straightened as he bowed to his mother.
"Mother," he smiled.
"My son," Queen-Mother Ramonda greeted her child, embracing him with a hug, "I see America has not been good to you."
He grinned, "It is...an acquired taste, I suppose."
"Fine neighborhood you got, buddy," nodded Osborn as he smiled around before sauntering over to Ramonda, reaching his arm out for a handshake, "Howdy, Norman Osborn. Pleasure to meet the woman responsible for such a fine young man-"
Before the billionaire could take another step, Okoye swiftly aimed her spear right at his chest, her eyes laser-focused on him.
"Well, I've had worse first introductions," Osborn chuckled.
"Okoye," T'Challa cleared his throat.
Ther warrior pulled her weapon away, her gaze still on Norman.
"If this is how you treat me, I'm curious how you're gonna treat my entourage once they get here," Osborn chortled.
"Pardon?," T'Challa turned to him.
"Oh, I hope you don't mind. I've been making plans for spreading Oscorp outside the nation. Wakanda's definitely somewhere I can see the brand thriving."
Okoye's withering stare turned to T'Challa, who could only wince and look away. Shuri, on the other hand, was giggling, enjoying the show.
"Now, where's the lab around here?" Osborn smiled, "Been dying to get a look at the tech you guys have been cooking up."
"Our ship shall take you over to my laboratory," Shuri raised her arm to the large black jet to the team's left, "Unless you wish to embarrass T'Challa some more, which in that case, please, continue to do so."
T'Challa looked down to the ground, "I could have been an only child."
This earned him a light slap to the chest from his mother.
"Alright then," Sam nodded, "Let's get a move on."
"I will meet you over there when I finish," T'Chlla turned to the Falcon.
"What's up?"
"I must convene with our army," the king explained, "It should only take a small amount of time."
"Of course," Sam nodded before looking over to his teammates, "You guys go on ahead. I'm sticking with your majesty over here."
"You do not need to, Mr. Wilson," T'Challa hesitated.
"I wouldn't mind going with you," Valkyrie spoke up, "Might as well see what manpower this country has."
"The rest of our troops should arrive shortly," Strange nodded, "So please don't be surprised when men in robes suddenly appear out of nowhere."
"Okay, Parker, the other tech-wizzes, and I are gonna get on the Kree tech. If we're gonna win, we need to fight fire with fire. Rewire their weapons, upgrade armor, give me something that can go boom," Osborn smiled.
"Get to it," Sam nodded.
As Shuri led the group towards the vessel, the royal family, the Asgardian, and the ex-soldier marched into the massive building.
…
"I have died and now I am in science Nirvana," Peter exhaled, the glowing walls of Shuri's lab entrancing him like a moth to a flame, "God, if MJ was here now."
"Are you sure Strange didn't open a portal to space, because I'm pretty damn sure we're not on Earth right now," Scott stared around.
They entered the lab's center, where rows of Black Panther uniforms were lined up and gadgets and gizmos of all shapes and sizes were stacked up on steel tables. Holograms flashed around the area as a massive window showed the team the massive vibranium mines that the nation took pride in.
"The mines of Wakanda," Osborn grinned, "As I live and breath."
Strange began spinning his hand in circles as more portals opened up, giving the team a doorway to their tech room back at Kamar-Taj, "Will this place work?"
"Oh, trust me, this is perfect!" Hope grinned as she began walking through the vortex, picking up their items to begin bringing it over.
"It better be!", Shuri exclaimed, "I've been waiting years for my brother to bring his crazy American friends over here and I will not have them call my lab anything less than exceptional!"
Peter began laughing with glee, "This is spectacular! My girlfriend and I always talked about coming here one day and I figured, I'm friends with Mr. T'Challa-Well, okay, maybe not 'friends' friends, but I watched the videos about Wakanda and I've always wanted to-!"
"Wait, wait, wait, I'm sorry, are...are you Peter Parker?" the princess asked.
"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm-I'm Peter Parker. You know me?"
"Ha! Holy shit!," the girl smiled, "You're the Spider-Boy! From Youtube!"
"Um, Spider-Man, but yeah!"
"I've been watching your videos since you first appeared! I remember having the honor of saving your ass in New York!"
"Yeah, that was a weird way of coming back to life," Wanda spoke up in the background, using her powers to lift the Kree armor over.
Peter chuckled nervously, "Yeah, that was epic by the way! The way you all ganged up together to take those guys on! Honestly, you were so epic over there! I thought we were all gonna die!"
Shuri scoffed, putting on an American accent, "I'm a bad bitch, you can't kill me."
"You watch Vines?" Peter perked up, a big smile on his face.
Rhodey noticed something flash in Strange's eyes when Peter said that he thought they were all gonna die. He looked down and noticed how Stephen's hands were beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
"Uh, Strange?"
The doctor cleared his throat, "I...I'm gonna go...get some air. Be right back."
"Oh, um, okay," Rhodey watched as the sorcerer walked off. He sighed, noticing trauma when he saw it. All he could do was take a page from Sam's book and try to give Stephen space.
"What's with him?" Osborn asked, "Figured the guy in charge of an entire society of sorcerers would be a bit more...strong-willed, I guess."
"Guy's been through a lot, Osborn. Back off," Rhodey growled.
The smug look on Osborn dropped a little, his tone becoming somewhat more apologetic, "Right. I guess the hero life takes a toll eventually. I mean, I can note a few shining examples around here."
Osborn may have been trying to be subtle, but Rhodey knew exactly who he was referring to.
"Christ, why the hell Wilson brought you on is beyond me," Rhodey pinched his eyes in frustration.
"Now, is that any way to talk to your new teammate, Colonel?"
Before Rhodey could reply, Shuri spoke up, "Ey! Tin-Man #2, do you mind lending a hand?"
"I'm sorry?", Osborn shook his head in confusion, "Tin-Man?"
"Unless I'm referring to Colonel Rhodes, then I don't see anyone else in a metal suit!"
Osborn looked a bit taken aback, "I'm sorry, you do know who I am, right?"
"Let me guess, Propaganda-Man?," Shuri asked sarcastically, pointing at the patriotic colors on Osborn's suit.
Rhodey chuckled, enjoying the look on Osborn's face. Peter couldn't help but snicker a little, quickly clamming up before Osborn could notice.
Osborn faltered a little before walking over, mumbling under his breath, "Rich coming from the princess building war suits after your country's god."
"Hey, get to work, Propaganda-Man," Rhodes joked.
…
On the other side of the lab, Wanda was staring out the window at the massive amounts of vibranium being mined, a somber mood in the air. She remembered it all like it was only yesterday that hordes of aliens barged through the nation's borders. Only yesterday that a mad man seeing himself as a god claimed to know the pain she felt. Only yesterday that...she lost her love.
From behind her came Carol's voice, "You alright there, Red?"
"Hm?", Wanda turned her head around, "Yeah, just...been a while since I've left my own house."
"It's been a while since I've been to my own house," Carol chuckled, "Heard you did some damage last time you were here."
Wanda scoffed, "You don't know the half of it."
Behind the two, a few other Wakandan scientists passed by. Wanda gave them a small wave and in return, she received their hateful stares.
"Abomination," one mumbled under their breath, hoping that the two heroes wouldn't hear them.
Carol's fists clenched, sparks beginning to fly, "Hey, wanna say that again, asshole?!"
"Just ignore them. It's what I do."
"What the hell was their problem? I thought you and the others were cool with the Wakandans. You saved their lives, risked everything, and now-"
"Well, they were fine with me," Wanda quickly interrupted before her gaze returned to the window, "Before they found out that I was a mutant."
Carol sighed, "You know, I've been hearing a lot about this whole mutant thing. Why's everyone getting so worked up about it?"
The Scarlet Witch giggled without humor, "The world suddenly find out that there's a race of people out there born as literal ticking time-bombs and you think they wouldn't be concerned?"
"Oh come on, I've read what little news Fury was able to send me. Not all mutants are dangerous."
"Yes, well, tell that to the people chanting for our blood. To the bastards who shoot us down the second one of us grows wings or starts reading minds," Wanda's expression darkened, "We could save the world ten times over, sacrifice it all, but they'll still hate us."
Carol looked at her teammate with sympathy, recognizing how the woman felt. She remembered how her Skrull allies were picked off left and right simply for existing and she remembered helping in that fight for a "greater good" that turned out to be a sham.
"I'm sorry," the intergalactic hero reached her hand out to comfort the girl in red.
Wanda lightly batted the hand away, "It's...It's fine. It's nothing I'm not used to. Back in Sokovia, everyone wanted to kill my family. My family was Jewish and Romani, so life was never a walk in the park."
Carol shook her head in anger, "You know, I know a few guys like you. Hated just for existing."
"From what I hear, you were one of the people shooting at us and calling us primates. At least, that's what Thor's friend said."
"Oh, your majesty?", Carol rolled her eyes.
"What's her deal with you?", Wanda asked, curious.
"God, I wish I knew," the blonde groaned, "I don't get it! This woman brought me onto this team, yet she keeps acting like I give a shit about getting back to the Kree!"
"Do you want to?"
"Do I want to get back to the genocidal extremists?" Carol sarcastically asked.
"I mean, makes a good back-up plan if we end up losing," Wanda replied, shrugging.
The ex-pilot sighed, "That Valkyrie knows more than she's letting on about the Kree. She knew about the Accuser ship. Her people apparently have some rivalry with the Kree. I just wish I knew what was going on in that head of hers."
Wanda's eyes lit up at that last statement, "I think that can be arranged."
…
"How are our defenses?", T'Challa asked Okoye as they walked down the halls.
"We've warned all our troops of the oncoming threat," Okoye answered, "All of the Dora Milaje, the Border Tribe, M'Baku's best men-"
"And a semi-stable hundred-year-old man", someone spoke up.
The group turned to see a familiar face walking over, his metal arm gleaming almost as much as his face.
"Oh, yay, the return of the Robo-Hobo," Sam snickered, "Still couldn't find a barber around here?"
"Still couldn't find better insults, you glorified seagull?", Bucky joked.
"Now, you've crossed a line, Barnes," Sam feigned anger before putting a hand on his ally's shoulder, "How's it been, man?"
"Meh, just a life of goats, farming, and NOT getting involved in more alien invasions."
"Yeah, well, sometimes life just kicks us in the arse, doesn't it," Valkyrie stepped in.
"They told me you were a goddess. That true?", Bucky asked, confused.
"Oh yes, very much. Now, bring me a human sacrifice, mortal. I'm sure your other arm will do just nicely," Valkyrie chuckled.
Bucky smiled, enjoying the fact that someone was willing to joke around him rather than remember him only as the Winter Soldier.
"Sergeant, you do not have to return to the fight," T'Challa sighed, remembering how much the man merely wanted a quiet life.
"Yeah, well, never been the type to run from a fight," Bucky shrugged, "Besides, someone needs to cover the winged wonder over here."
"Aw, you called me a wonder," Sam chuckled.
"Alright, keep it in the bed, you two," Valkyrie cut in.
"Quite the cavalry," Ramonda leaned over to her son, who watched his allies in amusement.
…
"Alright, righty-tighty, lefty-loosey," Scott mumbled to himself. Off in the corner of the lab, he fiddled around with the piece of Kree tech, trying to get a read on the thing.
The tech kept on glitching on and off again as the ex-con used every trick in the world to come up with some type of solution. However, each time he tried, the thing couldn't stay on.
"Gah, this is hopeless!", Scott yelled as he tossed the thing onto the floor in anger, "What the hell's the point?"
He covered his face, feeling like an idiot. His one chance to help his team and he botched it up once more. No matter what he did, Scott was always going to stay...small.
As he stared down at the device on the ground, Scott staggered back up, shaking his head. As he rose up, something dropped out of the pocket of the sweatshirt he was wearing over his uniform.
"Damn it," Scott sighed, seeing the back of his phone facing him.
As he picked it back up, it turned on, his wallpaper flashing before him. Scott faltered for a second as he saw the image of him and his daughter playing around at Hank's lab. He remembered how happy she was to see where her dad and his friends hung around. Hank and Hope were ribbing on him as usual, but Cassie's pride in Scott had never been stronger.
A small smile crossed Scott's face. He may not have been everyone's hero, but he was her daughter's.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head, "Holy-!"
He picked up his phone and his tools and groaned, "Ohh...here's hoping this gig has a good salary."
…
Strange stood outside, looking over the vast wilderness of Wakanda. Normally, he'd be happy to get out of the colder regions of Kamar-Taj, but now, being so close to this place, a growing emptiness reached his guts.
Suddenly, the grasslands around him suddenly burst into flames. Then to ash. Then to nothingness. The skies went from blue to red. From being covered in flaming Wakandan jets falling to the ground to massive warships setting the earth ablaze.
All Strange could hear was either the horrifying emptiness of silence or the deafening noise of his teammates crying out in pain.
"Strange, what the hell is happening?!," Wilson's voice called out.
"Not like this...Not like this," T'Challa coughed weakly.
"SCOTT?! SCOTT?!," Van Dyne cried out in fear.
"Mr. Strange...I don't wanna go," Parker whimpered.
The trembling in the man's hands grew stronger and stronger, sweat beginning to bead down his head as these visions danced before him. Everything and nothing all before him, all in the palm of his hands. He could be their god. Their devil. Their hero. Their villain.
Thankfully, as Marshall Mathers once said, the doctor "snapped back to reality" and the scenery returned to normal.
As he panted, trying to catch his breath, he felt someone tug his cape, "Excuse me?"
Stephen quickly spun around and burst out his golden shields, his face contorted into a look of rage.
"AH!," the boy yelped, raising his arms into the air, "Whoa whoa whoa! Don't kill me, please!"
The man's eyes widened as he realized that he was about to strike a boy. He looked up to see three jets slowly land, men in body armor walking out with guns in their arms. Before him as a chubby young boy, a clipboard in his hand and fear in his eyes.
"Sorry", Strange asked.
The kid's look of fear turned to shock and awe, "Oh-Oh my gosh, are you-You're Doctor Strange! Oh my gosh, Peter told me everything about you! Can you really turn back time! Can you?! I mean, are we talking Harry Potter logic or-?"
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
"Oh, right! Uh, I'm Ned Leeds, I'm here with Norman Osborn. He here?"
…
T'Challa strolled through the halls of his own home, one he missed with all of his heart, with the only thought on his mind being a single person.
As he turned the corner, the Black Panther saw a massive room where the many soldiers of Wakanda were training. Women in red and gold garb, warriors with glowing blue cloaks, a menagerie of different fighting styles and weaponry.
However, only one person caught his attention as he watched her swiftly disarm the two younger trainees she was fighting against and pinned them to the ground.
T'Challa snickered, "And you said being a spy was better than being a soldier."
Nakia looked up and smiled before moving towards her lover, bringing him in for a soft hug.
As the two embraced, T'Challa placed her hand on her fiance's cheek, "This is much better than a hologram."
"I don't know. Your face looks better digitalized," Nakia joked as she leaned in for a kiss.
A cough from behind the two turned their attention to those behind them. As Ramonda and Valkyrie smirked, Sam and Bucky awkwardly stood there. Okoye, meanwhile, rolled her eyes at the two, hoping she could hide a small smile.
"Ruining the moment?", asked Sam.
T'Challa cleared his throat, "Nakia, I am sure you remember Mr. Wilson and Sergeant Barnes. This is King Brunnhilde of New Asgard."
"Ah, the glorious fiance," Valkyrie bowed, "Your man over here hasn't shut up about getting back home since we started. Who knew the apocalypse could bring people together?"
While T'Chlla tilted his head down in unease, Nakia pinched him teasingly on the cheek.
"If you are done, I am sure the troops are losing their patience," Okoye's voice rose up.
"You truly love to ruin the moment, don't you?", T'Challa jokingly asked/
…
The teens babbled on about science as they began fiddling around with the Kree's gadgetry. Hope and Rhodey watched the two banter, amazed by how fast the two were bouncing off of each other.
"You know, I know the Black Panther suit is really special to Wakanda and everything and I don't mean to sound insane, but how hard do you think it'll be to build a vibranium Spider-Suit?", Peter stuttered.
"Oh, is Stark Tech not cutting it anymore?", Shuri replied.
"No! No! It's going great! It's just, seeing Mr. T'Challa-"
"Mr. T'Challa?", Shuri snickered.
"Er-King T'Challa blasting people away with just one punch, sneaking around the dark, it's so badass!"
The princess chuckled, "HA! You think T'Challa is badass?! Give me an hour, I'm sure I can find some baby pictures that say otherwise!"
"Pfft! Bet he was shredded even back then."
"I do not need the image of buff baby T'Challa right now!", Shuri laughed, "So, I must ask, how did you get your suit to stick to the walls? I've been getting close with my designs so far, but it's always temporary."
"Oh, that's not the suit."
"What?"
"Yeah, that's all me."
"Wh-You are serious?!," Shuri exclaimed, "That is incredible!"
She immediately grabbed his arm and began looking over his hand, "Okay. Okay. I can put this under a microscope, analyze texture, certain chemicals exerted. How willing would you be to donate a skin cell?"
Peter pulled his limb away, shocked by the girl's sudden interest, "Uh, do you really need a suit that sticks to walls? I mean, your design's already incredible."
"Oh, I know, it's a masterpiece," Shuri bragged, " But just because something is great does not mean it can't be made better. Anything can be improved upon."
Peter's eyebrows slowly raised up. Those words, the way she said it...They hit hard. It sounded exactly like something that Tony would say.
"You know, maybe when we finish up here, you think I could take a look at those Panther uniforms?," Peter asked, "I mean, not trying to say your designs are bad. I just really want to see if there's anything I can do. I've got some friends who could also-"
"You really like to ramble, don't you?," Shuri asked, amused, "Believe me, I'm used to crazy white boys hanging around my lab looking for trouble. You'd blend right in with Sergeant Barnes."
Peter let out a small chuckle, "Cool!"
As the two conversed, Osborn was less focused on adapting the Kree weaponry to his armor and more busy staring at the laughing Peter, an unreadable emotion on his face.
"What, you jealous?", Rhodey snickered.
"You joking?", the billionaire scoffed.
"Let the kids have their fun. I remember being like that as a kid," Hope smiled before looking around, "You guys seen Scott?"
"Mr. Lang? No," Osborn shrugged.
"I'm sure regular-sized man's just going on a walk or something," Rhodes shrugged.
Suddenly, speak of the devil, Scott immediately enlargened behind the War Machine, "Hey, guys-!"
Rhodes yelped and socked Scott straight in the face. Thankfully, the colonel wasn't wearing his armor. Otherwise, Scott's head probably would've been on the floor, seeing stars.
"Scott, are you alright?!," Hope reached out to her partner.
Scott staggered, dazed and confused, as he held is nose in pain, "Oh...Oh, is something bleeding? Yep, something's gotta be bleeding."
"Quite the sneak attack, Mr. Lang," Osborn noted, "Hope you didn't make a theatric appearance just for that."
"Uh, hang on. Things are spinning...Okay, I'm good," Scott shook his head to clear it, "Okay, I think I've got something."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Kree tech he was working on.
"The hell?," Rhodey asked.
"We've been trying to take down those, what do you call them, Green Goblins?," Scott stammered.
"Nice," Peter nodded, happy that someone else was willing to use the nickname.
"And I've been thinking, what if there was a way to take them all down at once?", Scott grinned, an idea spreading through his mind, "I think this gadget is the key. I picked this off of one of the Goblins I fought against. I think if we rework it, we can gain access to all of their weird glider thingies. I think I'm close to breaking the code, but I'm gonna need a hand on this one."
"Scott, you've been holding on to that? We've been looking for a piece of their tech all day!," Hope looked at the ex-crook with exasperation.
"I know, but I really think I'm close with this one. I just need your help on this!"
Hope shook her head, "Scott-"
"Now, hold on, if Shrinky here was able to find a way to take down these Final Fantasy rejects, I say we let him lend a hand. I mean, what's the point of a team if we don't let everyone pitch in?," Osborn smiled, placing a hand on Scott's shoulder, "Now, Mr. Lang, what did you have in mind?"
"Well, if we're gonna do this, we're gonna need Marvel's help. She may not know what these things are, but she knows Kree tech," Scott explained.
"Alright, well, where the hell is Danvers?", Rhodes asked, "And for that matter...Where's Wanda?"
…
Valkyrie watched as the Dora practiced fighting against one another, their spears clashing against one another's. A part of her wanted to jump right in and join the battle, the pang of nostalgia growing within her.
Okoye walked up besides her, analyzing the look on the Asgardian's face with great focus.
"What? Do I make for a better show than your own warriors?", Brunn asked in a snarky tone.
"That look on your face. I recognize it well," Okoye bluntly stated, "You were a general once."
"Yeah, once," Valkyrie nodded, "Then, I traded that for a bottle, then a bottle for a crown. Odd how much can change in a millennium."
The doleful look on Brunnhilde's face led to Okoye making another observation, "I understand how you feel. The weight of many lives on your shoulders, looking to you for guidance."
"Last time I was in charge…," Brunn scoffed before a small tear almost welled into her eyes.
"It is difficult. Losing a sister in battle," Okoye nodded with sympathy, "I shall never forget the faces of those I lost. Answer me this."
"Yes?"
"This war we face...There is no way to avert it? To lead it away from my country?"
"From the looks of it...No," Valkyrie admitted.
Okoye leaned in closer, "Then you must promise me with your life...that you will do whatever it takes to protect my people."
"Big ask," Valkyrie noted.
"I do not support my king joining you. I believe he has greater responsibilities to his country than working with this team," Okoye explained.
"Value your honesty," Valkyrie smirked.
"But I will fight alongside you. My nation has already faced too much and it does not need more loss. So please...can you promise me that you will do what it takes to keep my people safe?"
Valkyrie eyed the general, empathizing with the woman. It was a massive promise to make, but the Asgardian knew that if it were her people on the line…
"I promise," Valkyrie nodded.
…
As the Asgardian king exited the training room, she stared down at the floor, a feeling of worry growing in her. She knew the battle was not going to be easy and she wasn't too sure if the team could handle this new task. After all, last time she fought the Kree...
"Sup, facepaint?"
Valkyrie turned to see Carol strolling over, a sly look on her face.
"Danvers? Aren't you supposed to be helping the others with those weapons we stole from your blue buddies?"
"We've been making a lot of progress so far. Figured they could handle me being gone for a few minutes."
"You do realize we brought you on for that Kree knowledge you've got in that head?", Valkyrie pointed out.
"Aw, it's nice to know you value my brains, not just my brawn," Carol smiled, "Look, I was thinking about earlier. I've got a few questions for you, your majesty."
"Busting out the 'your majesty', I see," Valkyrie chuckled.
"Earlier, you knew about the Accurser ship's failsafe. The Kree made it a point not to reveal that fact so that if one of our...their-"
"Nice save," Valkyrie smirked.
"-Ships were destroyed in combat, they could take take their enemies out with them," Carol finished, "It's only been done once or twice before and no one's lived to tell the tale. So how do you know about it?"
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow, "Nice to know where your focus is, blondie."
"If you know something, don't you think it'd make sense to tell us?," Carol asked, "Put all the cards on the table? Give us more of an idea on what to do?"
"What I know is useless right now, so if you don't mind, I'm sure you have places to go, because I sure do," the Valkyrie patted the woman on the cheek mockingly before walking off.
Carol frowned, clenching her fists, "Okay, what is your deal with me?"
"Who said I had a deal with you?"
"All you've been doing so far is accusing me of being some type of Benedict Arnold for the Kree!," Carol yelled, "If you didn't want me here, why bring me on the team?"
"You think I wanted you? I'm only brought you on so the others wouldn't shut up about you?", Brunn retorted, "You think Rhodes was going to assemble a group of super-fighters and not include the glowing warhead?"
Carol was taken aback a little surprised by the sudden reply, "I'm not whatever you think I am."
"I helped you with Thanos and I'm working with you now for the sake of my people," Brunnhilde made it clear, "But don't think a few years of flying across the galaxy erases what you did."
"And what exactly did I do?"
The two were right in each others' faces, the tension so think that not even a knife could cut it.
"Be seeing you, love," Valkyrie turned back around and began to walk off.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, something strange happened...well, strange for them.
Brunnhilde stopped mid-step, the Asgardian standing frozen like a statue. Slowly, she loosened up, but her face looked glazed over, as though she was in a trance.
Out of nowhere, her eyes glowed red.
The young Maximoff girl slowly snuck up from behind Brunnhilde, a scarlet mist flowing from her fingers.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?", Wanda asked.
"I know it's risky, but if she knows something that can help us out, we need to figure out what it is," Carol explained, "You good with this?"
Wanda hesitated, but she slowly nodded, "Here we go."