17 - Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012
Coffee Bean, Tribeca, Manhattan, 9:35 am
His last summer vacation before high school had been a divine one thus far. Revelling in their new relationship, Nate and Gwen had spent every possible moment together. Neither of them had bought up the elephant in the room. She would be staying at Midtown with their friends for high school. He had been accepted into a live-in academy a three hour drive north of the city. With his powers, he would be able to still see her through the year, but suspicions would be raised if he kept disappearing. He still had a secret identity to protect (presuming Doom hadn't already told the entire planet who Sentinel really was) and they both agreed that was more important than them spending time together. With his mother working in the city it would be too dangerous. There was no way he could explain his appearance if she spotted them on a date whilst he was supposed to be away at school.
They were currently at the cafe after taking a guided tour of the ESU campus. Both fully intended to go to college after school, and though they hadn't discussed it as of yet, Nate definitely planned on going with her. Four years apart from Gwen and his friends would be more than enough for him. He had been here before while attending the classes that McNorman - Doom, he'd still need to get used to that - had convinced him to attend, but it had changed since then. Newspaper articles and photos of the various New York based heroes and vigilantes were hanging along the walls. Taking pride of place hanging high above the centre of the bar was a framed front page article of Sentinel's battle with the enhanced gorillas on the ESU campus. Gwen smiled when she caught him looking. She smirked. "Like the attention?" She mouthed playfully. Nate grinned back at her.
"Well it is nice to be appreciated, I guess" he mouthed back. She reached out, gripping his hand tightly. Nate picked up his cup, taking a few sips of the coffee as she ran her thumb over the pad of his hand. It had become one of her favourite things to do, it seemed. That and cuddling up to him at seemingly random intervals. Both gestures still left his heart beating a mile a minute.
"Well I appreciate you," she replied, gazing at him through the lids of her eyes as she took a gulp of her own drink. Her lashes fluttered gorgeously as the warm steam from the mug hit them. Nate's stomach turned in knots when she smiled at him. Placing the cup back on the table, she blinked. "Powers or not", she finished. Nate nodded, flipping their hands on the table over. Lifting hers up, he ghosted a kiss against her wrist. Gwen beamed at him.
Shouts and stunned gasps stole their attention from each other. Nate spun around, searching for the source of the commotion. A crowd had gathered around the bar, staring up at the television hanging over their heads. Even the baristas had stopped what they were doing. The screen showed an active war zone. Streets on fire, civilians screaming in horror as they ran for their lives. Cars had been overturned, and a truck was flying through the air. Entire buildings had collapsed in on themselves. Police and paramedics were rushing too and fro whilst tanks fired haphazardly. And there, in the centre of the chaos, bellowing in rage and victory, was a familiar figure. Nate's spine tingled and he winced involuntarily as their eyes met; staring back at him through the screen were the emerald eyes of the Hulk.
Nate turned to Gwen, rubbing the back of his neck. Before he could explain or apologise, she nodded, smiling as she did. "It's okay," she assured him. "We both knew it wouldn't last". She placed a kiss of her own on his hand. "Just be careful, would you?" Nate nodded, reaching into his pocket. Retrieving his wallet, he slid enough money to pay for their drinks and a tip onto the table. He leaped from his seat.
"I'll be back soon".
"I'll be waiting".
–AoS–
Brazil - Small village two hours from Rio De Janeiro, 9:40 am (8:40 New York time)
The hut near the edge of the jungle had sat there longer than anyone could remember. For most of that time, it had been empty, devoid of life. The abode only of spirits and memory. Then, the man came. The stranger with the kind, haunted eyes. At first, he'd kept to himself, avoiding contact with the villagers. He'd foraged for fruits in the jungle, fished in the stream. The man had let them be, so they had done the same.
Then, the children had started falling Ill. No one knew what caused it, and the nearest doctor would not come again for months. Villagers were sent out to bring her back, but she was afield helping another community on the other side of the country. The messengers returned empty handed. Then, the strange man came into the hut where the children were kept. He sat with them, working to treat them. After over a week of work, the young ones recovered. When the people offered to reward the stranger, he refused. He'd claimed to have seen the illness before. That the chance to help had been enough.
After that, despite his insistence otherwise, the people did not leave him alone. They bought food and water, sparing what they could. The mothers of the once more healthy Children made curtains for the windows of his hut. They made blankets and sheets. In return, the stranger came into town more often. When he did, he would treat their ailments and play with the children in the street if there was nothing to treat. In time, he became one of them, though he remained sad. When they asked why he would simply smile and say it could not last.
Strangers were rare in the village. Few ever came so far from the cities. And so, when the handsome man with hair the colour of night and bright green eyes came amongst them, skin pale as the clouds, the children knew where to send him. To their saviour. To the wise man who walked amongst the animals. To Bruce. And so, the stranger entered the hut. He thanked the children, ruffling their heads.
–AoS–
The former prince of Asgard ducked his head as he entered the tiny home. Briefly he wondered how anyone could live in such a manner. Especially one as powerful as this beast. He narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose as he cast his gaze around the meagre belongings of his quarry. Two backless stools on either side of a tiny wooden table, barely two feet off the ground. Less than a dozen books placed carefully on a little desk next to a pitiful bed. A handful of wooden plates and cutlery, and a single cup. In one corner of the room was a rucksack full of clothes. At least the place was tidy, Loki supposed. Making his way over to the table, he conjured a proper chair and took a seat to wait for his unsuspecting host to return.
Banner returned almost twenty minutes later, frowning at the sight of him. The mortal was a mess. His boots and legs were caked in mud up to the knees. His unkempt hair hung in ringlets down past his shoulders, and the salt and pepper beard he spotted was tangled and matted. The scientist dropped a sack on the table, the faint scent of fish filling the cabin. Clutched tightly in his other hand was a long wooden stave, which he carefully leant against the wall. Banner peered at him warily. "I don't suppose you want medical assistance, do you?" Loki shook his head calmly.
"I'm from out of town," he stated, smirking slightly to himself. "I need your help with something else". He leaped to his feet, arching his back and offering a hand to shake. The mortal glared cautiously down at his hand. Loki shrugged, letting his hand drop. Banner made his way to the nearby window, pulling the curtain back. "What are you looking for?" Loki asked curiously. Banner ignored him, still looking both ways out the window. After a moment, he pulled his way back into the room with a slight frown.
"Where are your friends?" A vein throbbed slightly on the man's neck. Loki smiled.
"What friends?"
"They wouldn't just send one person. Who are you? Naval intelligence? CIA? Shield? Army? How did Ross track me down anyway?" Loki shook his head.
"I'm not actually a spy, doctor banner". Banner glared at him, watching him sharply. Loki returned his gaze, lips twisted slightly upwards. After a few tense moments, Banner snorted, before retrieving a board and knife. dropping the board on the table with a soft bang, the doctor dug a hand into the sack, pulling out a large fish. Slapping the fish down onto the board, Banner began the process of cutting off the fins. He glanced up at Loki, clearly amused.
"You're not leaving, huh?" Loki shook his head.
"No".
"And you don't want the other guy?"
"Not at all. I need you for your brain".
Banner sighed. "Alright. I'm listening".
"I know". Loki waved his hand, emerald and purple energy surrounding the scientist's head.
–AoS–
He shot through the air, quickly grabbing a woman and her son running through the streets and flying them to safety. The city was a mess. The Hulk stood atop a compact office building, roaring at the soldiers and tanks firing up at him. Quickly scanning the building beneath the jade behemoth for civilians and finding it empty, Nate shot forwards, fists outstretched in front of him. Banner spotted him approaching, and let out a low snarl, feet digging into the concrete beneath him. Hulk leaped off the roof, the two of them flying towards one another. Nate's fists smacked into the green man's head. Hulk struck him in the ribs, sending him flying to one side.
They skidded to a halt, Hulk's feet slamming into the ground and Nate floating a few feet above the street a few hundred yards away from the bigger man. He turned to the soldiers behind him, waving them off. Banner's alter ego ran towards him, shoulders lowered like an offensive lineman. Nate shot forwards like a cannonball. He slammed to a halt a few feet from the still charging Hulk, delivering a boot to the other man's chin. The blow briefly slowed the momentum of the lumbering giant, who barged his right shoulder into Nate's neck and chest. The wind was momentarily knocked out of him as he was pushed back slightly.
The Hulk wrapped a meaty hand around him, slamming him into the ground. Nate cursed silently as the other man leaped on top of his back, and wrapped an arm around the back of his head, running along the street as he ground Nate's face into the concrete.
With a faint groan, Nate slammed his fists into the cement, pushing himself off the ground and delivering a jab to Hulk's kidney, sending the behemoth staggering back slightly. He shot after his opponent, delivering a series of punches to his sternum before slamming his knee into the bigger man's chin. Hulk dropped to his hands and knees. Nate floated back away from the other man, frowning slightly.
"Calm down, doctor banner", he called. "We both know you don't want any of this. You don't want to hurt innocent people. This isn't you. Either of you". Hulk snapped his head up to glare at him.
"Puny Banner not here! Hulk here! Banner can't protect us! Banner can't protect anyone! Puny Banner is weak. Hulk is strong! Hulk is the strongest there is!" With that, the green giant leaped forward once more, fist pulled back. He snapped his fist forward, Nate catching his hand in both of his own and pushing it to one side. He slung both fists wildly, like a silverback engaging an upstart rival. He lifted Nate above his head, preparing to slam him across his knee. Wriggling free, Nate kicked the green goliath in the back, sending him sprawling.
Thinking quickly, he took in a deep breath, drawing in as much air as he could. A gust of cold air buffeted the Hulk, freezing him in place. Hulk slammed his fists against the ice. Hairline fissures began to appear in the structure. Nate landed beside the block of ice, bending his knees and lifting it above his head. He lifted off the ground, flying up into the air. "Sorry about this doc. There's not much air up here. Should calm you down".
They broke through the clouds. The ice shook violently above him. Inside, Hulk slammed his meaty fists against it, like a distressed animal in a glass enclosure. The ice cracked Violently, shattering into a thousand pieces. The largest smacked into his chest. Hulk sailed through the air towards him. They slammed together, twisting and tumbling through the air. The emerald giant wrapped an arm around his throat, catching him in a sleeper hold as they cartwheeled towards the ground.
–AoS–
Janet peered at the ant farm that Hank had sat perched on the table before moving on to the butterflies preserved in glass. She rolled her eyes slightly as she removed her chewing gum and tossed it into the nearby waste basket. With a groan she made her way over to her husband, wrapping both arms around his neck. Don't you think this is a bit sad, Hank? I mean, think about it, you designed a pair of super suits, and all you wanna do is sit here and do this? And it's so boring! So, so boring!" Hank rolled his eyes good naturedly as he scribbled away into his notebook.
"Those super suits were designed to aid with my research, Jan. And boring?" He laughed. "What could be better? I just replicated an ant chromosome. It's amazing! Boring!" He scoffed. Janet rolled her eyes, letting out a soft gasp as she spotted the news through a nearby window. Dropping her cashmere sweater on the floor, she rushed over to her nearby suit before zooming out the window.
–AoS–
Tony rushed around the garage,gathering the pieces of his suit whilst unplugging the arc reactor and replacing the old core. If the news was to be believed, the boy scout would need all the help he could get in Rio. JARVIS sounded in his ear as he finished suiting up, the sun roof opening as he prepared to lift off. "Sir," the AI inquired, crisp as ever "how will we engage the Hulk at our current capacity? Given his durability and damage output, he far out strips our capabilities". Tony grimaced at the reminder. Pepper's not going to like this.
"We just do what we can, Jay. Big blue will need to do most of the work. We can just help out. Maybe rescue some people, and look good doing it".
"Naturally, sir".
"Lighten up and grow a spine, JARVIS. Where's your sense of adventure?" With a whoop, he soared into the open air.
–AoS–
Janet grinned as she heard the sound of engines roaring in the air behind her. She glanced around to spot Iron Man streaking through the air behind her. She grinned. Nice! Shell head. Time to hitch a ride! She waited for him to fly underneath her, landing softly on his back and sitting cross legged for the rest of the trip.
–AoS–
Thor stepped into the gatehouse, spinning Mjolnir in his grip as he went. The god of thunder stopped next to Heimdall, who was gazing out at the cosmos. What he was seeing, Thor could not tell, though he had often wondered. His friend had often tried to explain it to him, with varying results. It wasn't that Thor found it boring, more that he - admittedly - often didn't have the patience to stand still and listen. He was a warrior not a scholar. Action rather than debate and quiet meditation had always been his calling. Loki had always been the brains between them. Loki. Thinking of his brother still made him sad. Since the discovery of his involvement in the casket finding its way to Midgard, his younger brother had been gone from Asgard. Their father had wanted him imprisoned, guarded for all time by the Midgard serpent. Thor and his mother had managed to convince Odin to rescind his punishment to banishment. No one had heard from the liesmith since.
The prince of Asgard glanced at his friend. "You asked to see me?" Heimdall nodded, golden eyes still gazing out into the unknown reaches of the realms. The gatekeeper turned to face him.
"Yes, my prince. The Allfather will not heed my words, yet I believe you might. There is danger once more afoot on Midgard. An enraged and grieving soul threatens to consume the entire realm amidst its suffering. I have lost sight of Loki. I fear he may well be involved. If he is, then doubtless the mortals will require our aid." Thor nodded grimly.
"Mayhaps my brother is up to his old schemes once more. I swore an oath to fight with Midgard's champions, Heimdall. Will you permit me to use your bridge? I will bear any punishment in your place". The gatekeeper nodded, moving to open the bridge. Thor leaped onto the rainbow, spinning Mjolnir and thrusting it out in front of him to fly along the length of the bridge, headed in the direction of Midgard on the other end of the rainbow.
–AoS–
Erik Selvig and Kazuo Sato were not Bruce Banner. Compared to the other man, they weren't even competent. Loki had not anticipated the beast being able to hijack his control over Banner's mind, however. He hadn't even anticipated it wanting to. Whilst he could easily have dealt with the thing that called itself 'Hulk', leaving it - allowing it to rampage, and forcing Midgard's pathetic excuses for 'Heroes' to waste time in a futile attempt to stop it - would suit his plans just fine. After his father - Thor's father, he reminded himself bitterly - had banished him from the only home he had known, for a brief while, he had feared his life would be without meaning. Then, he found him. The maw had given him purpose, by revealing the stones to him. He had done more than that, promising to give him the means to claim Midgard. Thor seemed to harbour a strange appreciation for this little realm and it's backwards mortals. He knew he couldn't challenge the Allfather, but at least he could hurt his perfect golden son.
Selvig and Sato were silently working on the necessary components for the portal. The former approached him, eyes shining with a pale magical light. "I don't know where you got this power source" he stated, gesturing to the Tesseract humming silently, snatched out of SHIELD headquarters by a few compromised agents. "But it's perfect for the work. We can easily open the portal with this. She's going to show us a new world. All of us". Loki grinned coldly as he laid a hand on the old man's shoulder.
"Good, doctor. I'm glad to hear it".
Soon, he reminded himself. Soon the army would come. Soon, all that had gone wrong would be set right.
–AoS–
They sailed through the air, his cape slapping against his shoulders and cheeks. He'd never thought about dying before. In all the time he'd been sentinel, through all the battles he'd fought, it had never crossed his mind. Even with Doom trying to strangle him, he hadn't considered it, not really. Now, with Hulk's hands wrapped around his throat and covering his face to keep him from releasing more solar energy from his eyes, the idea suddenly felt real. He was afraid. That hadn't surprised him. What surprised him was that the fear wasn't for himself. It was for all the people he would leave behind. His mom would blame herself, he knew. She'd scream and shout, call him reckless when she knew, but ultimately she'd forgive him. She'd not be capable of forgiving herself. Gwen would be okay, eventually. Peter, Ned, and Betty would all make sure of that. His sister, though. For years, before Didi, he and Alexis had been all the other had, even after the adoption, he'd still been determined to keep her safe, to look out for her. It was why he disliked Steve, despite his mom's efforts. The idea that his baby sister would look to someone other than him for protection scared him. Steve was nice, and kind. Sweet he loved Didi, adored Alexis. And despite Nate never giving him a chance, the man had been nothing but patient and accommodating.
He wondered if the world would mourn. If the people he saved would remember. Or if he would be ultimately forgotten, a nameless figure who came, stayed for a little while, and then was gone. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear jets racing towards them. No doubt, they had been dispatched to try and stop the rampaging Hulk. It wouldn't work. Nothing could stop the Hulk, he knew that now. Only Banner was capable of containing his other half. No one else had a chance. The sensation of falling suddenly came to a screeching halt. The little air remaining in his lungs lurched out as he slammed into the ground.
Banner released his hold on his throat, delivering a sharp punch to his solar plexus. Nate felt himself snapping forward, and painfully lurching backwards once more as the behemoth delivered a sharp toe kick to his eye. He hissed, and waved off the approaching soldiers, even as they prepared to fire on the green rage machine. Hulk snarled at the men, who, all at once, took several steps back. He felt himself being lifted up by the cape as their eyes met, Hulk letting out a bellowing roar. It was all he could do to defend his face as the taller man slammed a fist into his outstretched arms, sending him flying into a nearby building. Nate staggered to his feet, leaning against a nearby cylindrical pillar as he glanced around blarilly at this surroundings. With a start, he realised he wasn't the only one in the building.
Huddled in a corner were a small group. Four children and three adult women. The youngest child, who looked to be about four, blinked owlishly out at him. Nate raised a finger to his lips, smiling at the little boy in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. Hulk slammed through the entrance way, letting out a thunderous roar. Nate groaned silently, quickly flying back and towards one side. Using a blast of optic energy, he quickly cut through a semi exposed metal beam, cutting it out of the broken wall as the jade monster charged in his direction. He snapped the beam back, waiting with a grim expression. Just as the green man reached him, he slung the beam with all his might. It slammed into the other man's midsection, sending him careening out through a nearby hole in the wall. Hastily flying the civilians down to the waiting soldiers for extraction he soared off after the dazed Hulk.
A burst of light split the sky. A massive rainbow arched down above their heads as rain lashed down upon them and thunder crackled above their heads. Thinking nothing of it, Nate increased his speed, delivering a punch to Hulk's forehead. Windows shattered in the office and apartment buildings around them. He shot after the flailing man once more, punching him harder. They shot out over the jungle, moving further and further from the city. Nate shot out above the Hulk, driving the green man into the trees below. A shout sounded from behind him, and a hammer slammed into the falling monster's chest before shooting back behind Nate. Several beams of energy followed suit.
He turned around to greet the newcomers. Hovering in mid air behind him were Tony and a woman he'd never met, dressed like some sort of insect. A bee or a wasp, were his first thoughts. Above them, letting out a laugh and shouting down at Nate to thank him for finding a good fight, was Thor. The Norse god hovered down beside him, slapping a hand on his back as Tony and the new woman made their way over as well. Stark's faceplate flipped open, the older man grinning impishly. "Nice going doing most of the work, boy scout. Goldilocks, mean swing you got with that hammer". He gestured to the woman. "This is a good friend of mine. Janet Van Dyne. Janet, the boys. Boys, Janet." The brunette stuck out her hand. Thor was clearly confused by the gesture, clasping her forearm in his. Nate smirked as he shook her hand.
"Sentinel. Big fan. Super strength, heat vision, super speed, super breath, flight. Whole shebang. All I can do is shrink, fly, and shoot these stingers". To demonstrate, she shot a flash of orange light from one wrist. Nate blinked.
"You can shrink?" She nodded, and Thor let out a gasp as she disappeared. With his enhanced vision, Nate could still see her as she shrunk down to the size of an ant, flew over and landed on his shoulder. He grinned at her. "Okay. That is so much cooler than anything I can do". She beamed at him as she flew back to her original position, returning to her normal size.
"Really?! Seriously, Tony wasn't kidding, huh? You are Mr. Nice Guy all the time". Nate shrugged.
"I just try to be the best person I can. Golden rule and all that, I guess". He turned his head down towards the forest. "I think the good doctor might have slipped off," he told the other heroes. Janet let out a playful huff.
"Never get to do anything fun," she poured. Nate glanced at her, stunned.
"Fun? Fighting the Hulk; fun?" The brunette shrugged, pulling a face and poking out her tongue.
Tony grinned. "C'mon. There's got to be a restaurant or something around here that's still functioning. Post victory revells. Jan, boy scout, you in? How bout you, big guy?" Thor nodded, beaming.
"I will most gladly partake in libations and feasts with you, man of Iron!" He slapped Tony on the shoulder. Nate hesitated. Janet Van Dyne nodded, and all three of the others turned to regard him expectantly.
"I kind of need to get back to New York. There was something I was doing today". Stark rolled his eyes.
"Look boy scout, you saved this city. With my -" Janet cleared her throat. "Our help, obviously, but all the same. You could stand living a little. Just for a few minutes at least. Grab a quick bite to eat. Have a laugh. And then you're home free. Can do whatever it is that's so much more important than this beautiful face". Nate sighed, rolling his eyes at the billionaire's ego. He nodded. Stark slung an arm around his shoulders. "That's the spirit, sport!"
–AoS–
They were sitting around a small table in a fish and chips store with a dilapidated roof. Stark was doing most of the talking, attempting to explain Earth customs and technology to Thor. The god of thunder seemed to understand about half of it. Nate silently chewed on his chips, grinning slightly at Janet, who was pulling faces behind Tony's back. She rolled her eyes as she met Nate's gaze, pointing at Tony. "Nerd", she mouthed. Nate laughed silently. Despite his misgivings, he found himself enjoying their company. These people were fun, he realised. It was nice being around others like him.
The bell rang as someone else made their way into the store. Nate glanced up, just as Tony did as well. Stark groaned and swore under his breath. Nate raised an eyebrow, to which the billionaire simply waved him off dismissively. The woman behind the counter called to the newcomer, who waved her off. Nate regarded the stranger curiously. He was a middle aged dark skinned man dressed all in black with an eye patch over one eye, and no hair. The man made his way to their table.
"Fury" Stark greeted, deceptively cordial. Van Dyne barely concealed a snort. 'Fury' ignored her. He nodded at Stark as he pulled a chair over.
"Good. You're all here. Had a feeling you might be. Nick Fury, director of SHIELD. Of course, I know who all you are already". The man spoke severely. "I'm gonna cut to the chase. I don't trust you; don't take it personal. I don't trust anyone. Stark knows this. He also knows that some of you" he looked pointedly at the billionaire. "I don't even particularly like all that much. Truth is, I need you. The world needs you. All of you".
"Why?" Janet enquired, tilting her head in a way that reminded Nate of a cat. Fury regarded her for several moments, before pointing at Thor. The Norse god spluttered.
"Me?! I want nothing but peace with your realm! As does my father! Asgard respects Midgard!" Fury shrugged.
"But your brother doesn't, does he, your highness? Loki wants a throne all of his own. Our intelligence suggests he's here on Earth now." He slapped a folder down on the table. Nate reached out for it, opening it as he began to read. Fury continued to fill in the rest of the group. "Stark was helping us study an artefact his father fished out of the ocean decades ago. The Tesseract. He believes - like I do - that the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited energy. Something humanity sorely needs".
"What does my brother have to do with the Tesseract?" Thor demanded.
"He stole it", Nate replied, as he closed the folder. He glanced at Fury. "Or at least people working for him stole it. Right, Director?" Fury nodded.
"Loki has some sort of mind control -"
"He's a sorcerer," Thor cut in. Stark snorted loudly. Fury ignored them both.
"Call it what you will. If Loki stole the Tesseract, he has nothing good planned for it. We were hoping to recruit Doctor Banner to help us track its energy signature down". He glared at Nate once more. "Obviously, that's no longer an option." Tony snorted.
"I'll find it."
Nate nodded. "I'll give you a hand. I think I know someone else who can help too". Stark grinned as he slung an arm around Nate's shoulder. "Knew you'd come around to me eventually, boy scout! Bugsy, Goldilocks, you sticking around?"
Janet grinned. Thor nodded. "If your friend wielding the shield is correct, and my brother threatens this realm, I shall aid you in bringing him to face justice!" Tony laughed.
"Yeah, he's not my friend".
–AoS–
Saturday, July 28th, 2012 - 10:43 AM
Stark Mansion, 5th Avenue, New York
They had been hunting the internet for any sign of Loki or the Tesseract for days. Tony was rushing back and forth, directing the whole operation. T'Challa was sitting nearby, working silently. Shuri had curled up like a ball on the couch behind him, flicking through dozens of files on her tablet. Fortunately, despite knowing he was longing to, the billionaire had not asked Nate how he knew the Wakandan royals. That was a messy bomb he wasn't willing to unpack with the other hero, especially not his friendship with Shuri. Stark was one of the people who wouldn't need help connecting the dots between Sentinel and a New York high school student.
So far, they'd had no luck finding any information anywhere. Wherever Loki was, whatever he had done, he had found some way to hide from all of Stark's technology. He frowned, rubbing his eyes. Stark glanced up, and made his way over to him, dropping a hand on his shoulder. "Get some sleep. We can handle things here". Nate shook his head, squinting at the screen in front of him. 'Another few hours. Then we can deal with Loki. I can go home then. Get some sleep.'
Stark frowned. "I've been there. Where you are now. Something bad happened recently, or maybe you're worried something bad will happen. You're going to drive yourself insane trying to fix it. Or worse. We have no idea what we'll find if - when -" he corrected himself. "We track this clown down. We're gonna need you and Thor to both be at your best. I've got spare rooms all around this place. JARVIS can direct you. Get some sleep. Even just a couple of hours".
–AoS–
He shot awake with a groan. Fumbling around, he reached for his glasses, which someone had carefully placed on the table beside the bed. Slipping them on, he groaned, running a hand through his hair. As usual after an episode there was an awful metallic taste in his mouth. He pulled himself out of bed, slipping on the clothes that had been placed on the bed. Staggering into the nearby bathroom, Bruce splashed water over his face, washing his mouth out quickly as he did. He needed to find out where he was. Find out what the Hulk - what he - had done. Making his way out of the room, he held an arm up to his face to block the sunlight filtering in. An elderly couple glanced up as he entered. The man, wearing a plaid shirt and faded jeans, slid a cup of coffee over the table towards him, gesturing to the chair next to his. The old lady, grey flecks in her brown hair, was working in the kitchen.
"Tell you what, lad," the old man stated plainly, "I saw a lot of strange stuff in my day. But you know what? A giant green man leaping over entire farms? That's a new one". He offered a faint smile as Bruce gulped. "No worries son. You're safe here. Mary and I won't be telling anyone. Not like anyone would buy it if we wanted to sell it anyhow". The old lady grinned.
"Don't scare the boy, Jack". She made her way over to the table, placing a plate of eggs and bowl of apples on the table in front of him. Bruce felt his stomach flip. He hadn't had a good meal in days, he realised abruptly. Taking a bite, he quickly wolfed down the eggs. Once finished, he felt his cheeks redden as he apologised to his hosts. They waved him off, both smiling and assuring him it was simply nice to have someone to appreciate the cooking. Nevertheless, as Bruce took an apple from the basket, he was careful to pace himself, taking small bites.
Later, as he was helping Jack with the work in the barn, Bruce rubbed his forehead. His head was throbbing; a migraine. A sure sign that he wanted to talk. Bruce grit his teeth, returning his focus to the work at hand. The headaches worsened through the day. He tried his best to ignore them, focusing instead on the warm Texan sun. On peeling vegetables in the kitchen, or listening to old Jazz records crooning from downstairs as he took a cool shower. That evening, as he sat cross legged on his bed, the feeling returned in force.
He found himself standing in front of a familiar diner. It was here he'd broken things off with Betty. With a sigh, he made his way inside, the bell jingling as he entered. The other customers were all ignoring him, just like they always were, all avoiding conversation. Whether he was green or not, he had a way of scaring people away. Paint was peeling off the walls in all the same places. The woman working behind the counter seemed not to notice him, like always. He sat in his regular booth, and waited. Sure enough, as expected, the door was blown open. Bruce didn't need to look up to know who was entering. The other customers all began to scream and run. The woman behind the counter reached for a double barrell. The green giant - with a gentleness that surprised Bruce even now, years later - placed an unconscious woman on the counter. Betty. Even now, so long after, the sight of her filled him with pain and regret.
"Help Her. Chicken soup, maybe". The other guy told the woman bluntly. Hulk let out a huff of air, turning to regard Bruce. "What do YOU want?" His other half rumbled softly, glaring at him. Bruce smiled sadly at him.
"You were the one that wanted to talk to me this time, remember?" Hulk stepped forward, bending down as he let out another huff of air. Bruce ignored the creature's - his - bluster, staring at the flecks of wood on the table. He focused his mind, flicking the television in the corner to on. Playing on the screen were a series of fights. Some were Iron Man. Others featured wasp and Ant Man. Still more were the devil of hell's kitchen. Various vigilantes flashed across the screen. Hulk pointedly ignored the screen, as the green creature grit his teeth and the screen came to a pause on a shot of Hulk and Sentinel brawling. Bruce let out a faint groan.
"We both know the man who tried to attack me" Hulk huffed. Bruce smiled sardonically. "Us", he corrected, "isn't finished. He's going to cause a lot more damage if he's not stopped. You could really make a difference. You could help. Help Iron Man, wasp and Thor. Help Sentinel. Help them save people. Just like you saved Betty." Hulk snarled, barring his teeth.
"It's funny." He scoffed. "I don't remember Sentinel ever doing anything to help me out". Bruce nodded thoughtfully. It was true. They'd never been on the same side before. Briefly, he wondered if anyone could stand a chance of stopping them if they were. It seemed the only difference between Hulk and the black clad superhero was that the latter could control his strength. That, and flight. He would have to try a different tack to get him to listen, then.
"I know you hate people seeing you as a monster as much as I do. Probably even more so. If you help them, it will help us. Help you. Stark is popular. He could help change your image. If we stand by these other heroes, if YOU save lives, things will get better. People will begin to see that the Hulk is not a monster. That we - that you - can actually be a force for good in this world". Hulk's expression lightened slightly, though he still regarded Bruce with suspicion. "Plus, maybe you'll get some revenge on the guy that did this". Hulk snorted. It took Bruce a moment to realise his other half was amused.
"IF I do this, I do it my way. And you have to do something for me". Bruce sighed.
"What?"
"This is my body too. I'm sick of you controlling it all the time. We share. I'm tired of being Banner. I want time as the Hulk. Not just when I'm protecting you. Real time". Taking a deep breath, Bruce nodded.
He slid the letter onto the table, silently walking out into the night air. Moving a safe distance away from the property he took a deep breath. Alright, a deal's a deal. You're up. I just hope this works. They grew in size, veins popping as they let out a bellowing roar in challenge to the sky above.
–AoS–
The room was smaller than he'd expected, but cosy. Miss Potts had shown him up to the third floor, thanking him for keeping Tony safe when the giants invaded. He'd rubbed the back of his head and shrugged at the gratitude. "It's the right thing to do. Protecting people." He smiled. "Though, he sure doesn't make it easy".
Now, sitting back against the pillows, he wondered what keeping people safe would mean now. Especially the people he loved. With Doom knowing who he really was, was it only a matter of time before the rest of the world found out? Short of honour, the Latverian dictator had no reason to keep his secret. And now some alien god from another 'realm' was intent on wreaking havoc. Even worse, the Hulk was still out there somewhere, licking his wounds. Fumbling in the dark, he reached for his phone off the dresser.
He dialled the number instinctually from memory, holding the phone against his ear. "Nate?" Came the concerned tone from the other side. He smiled at the sound of her voice.
"Hey," he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Gwen asked urgently. Nate smiled faintly. He should have known she would worry.
"Yeah," he reassured her. "I'm back in the city. Hulk got away. There's something more going on here though. SHIELD had a potential doomsday device stolen. They want me to help track it down and recover the thief. Sounds like it was Loki". Gwen gasped.
"The Norse god?"
"The very same. Though it turns out, he's also Thor's adopted brother".
"Yikes. Quite the Thanksgiving meal, that one". Nate laughed.
"Yeah. I promise I'm all yours again when this is done. I just wanted to call, hear your voice to be honest. It feels like this is gonna get a hell of a lot worse before it gets any better".
"Are you alright? You sound tired".
"Haven't slept since Tuesday night".
"Get some sleep then. Then you can finish whatever this is. And come find me when it's done".
–AoS–
The portal was all but finished. They only needed another few moments or so before they could open the wormhole. Then, the war could begin. He hoped his brother would come to deal with that dull creature. He wanted Thor to bear witness to his victory. Needed it. Then, he could kill him. Perhaps he would send his head back to Odin. The Allfather deserved it after all.
He stood on the balcony of the tower. It had been a simple matter of a few spells to make the Stark employees look the other way. The 'Arc reactor' in the bowels of the tower would be a perfect auxiliary power source for the portal, Sato had claimed. The human had tried to explain the physics, though Loki hadn't really been listening. He tilted his head down to the mortals on the street below. Several of them were pointing off excitedly in the distance. Loki tilted his head up, following their gazes. A red and gold blur spurred towards him from the horizon. Fixing his tie and dusting off his suit jacket, Loki grinned. Stark landed on the spire as Loki made his way back into the penthouse, taking a seat on the lounge. Stark removed his helmet, walking towards the bar on the other side of the room. Mechanical arms removed the rest of his armour. Loki watched him, curious and amused at once.
"I understand you prevented Skurge from killing my halfwit brother". Stark shook his head.
"Oh no, sorry to the mischief maker, but you got that a little wrong. I just fought your bio daddy with him. The one who kept your guy from taking his head off was a friend of mine, though. Clever guy. Tough too. Maybe a little too nice for my tastes, but hey. No one's perfect. Although, I have to admit, I AM pretty brilliant. Loki raised his eyebrow. Another? One Thor had failed to mention perhaps? Surely not the cat man? Stark removed two glasses, holding one up.
"Drink? No, well I'm gonna have one anyway". Loki smirked at the industrialist.
"Shouldn't I be the one offering you that?"
Stark glanced up with a grin. "Ahh, yeah. My little security snafu. Well, you might have taken up residence, but it's still my name on the building. Squatter. By the by," the mortal added, as though an afterthought, "how did you pull that off? Your big brother says it's magic, but between you and me, that's BS, right?" Loki shook his head with a smirk as he stood. His suit dematerialised, shifting into his regular Asgardian garb. Stark let out a whistle.
"Neat trick. Aren't the antlers a bit much though reindeer games?" Loki ignored the barb.
"Why are you here, mortal? Come to buy some time appealing to my better nature while the rest of your hero friends rush about trying to recover the cube?" Stark shook his head, downing the last of his drink. The other man met his gaze.
"Oh, god no. You're beyond reason. No, I'm here to threaten you". Loki smirked.
"They sent you for that? Bad idea".
"Is it? Why are you so certain? Most of the people I'm working with already beat your Jotun buddies. So let's do a head count here. Yours truly, genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist superhero. Your big brother, the god of thunder. The super soldier prince with a suit that absorbs energy, a woman with a high tech suit and blasters who can shrink down to the size of an ant. The world's most powerful and dangerous intelligence agency. And the strongest person I've ever met. Versus you, and what, two lab monkeys and some SHIELD rejects? C'mon. Thor says you're smarter than this. What's the play here, pretty boy? Build a giant death laser, point it at a random country, and hope they give you whatever you want after you blow that one up?"
Loki glared at him. "I have an army". For a moment, sudden realisation dawned on Stark's face. Then he grinned.
"We have a sentinel".
–AoS–
T'Challa's troop carrier banked through the streets of New York. Nate flew ahead of the plane, scanning rooftops for any of the compromised agents. A few blocks ahead, Stark was sailing through the air towards the ground. Nate shot forwards to catch the other man, grabbing him by the back of the shirt. Stark glanced back at him. "Thanks for the catch! Let go when I say, the suit will do the rest!" Nate nodded. "Now!" Tony bellowed over the rushing winds around them. Nate let go, only for the older hero to become encased in a suit of Iron Man armour.
"What's his play?" Nate asked. The sky rumbled above them, a tear in reality opening over the city. A few dozen metallic whale-like creatures the size of a city block slowly flew through the hole, followed by hundreds of strange flying bike-like vehicles with hideous creatures perched atop. "Ahh, right". Nate stated bleakly. Stark nodded. He aimed a missile at one of the bike bound aliens. It slammed into the creature's head, exploding on impact.
"Yah. Army".
"Sentinel. Stark. We're on our way to where you are." T'Challa called over the intercom. Nate nodded, then remembered his friend couldn't see him.
"Got you, Panther".
"What took you so long?" Stark bristled at the same time. "You make a quick stop at McDonald's?" He soared through the air, away from Nate, who was firing optic beams in an effort to bottle neck the portal by taking out as many hostiles as possible before they could get through. "Take a right, cat man. I'm gonna lay them out for you".
Nate shot up through the air, dodging the blasts of energy from the alien soldiers as he went. So far, apart from vibranium, and hits from Carol, Doom, or the Hulk, nothing he'd encountered had been able to do any permanent damage, but it made no sense to take unnecessary risks. He flew closer and closer to the gargantuan beasts. Broadside guns erupted out of the sides of the creature, firing down on him all at once. He rolled to one side, deftly avoiding most of the shots. A few grazed his shoulders, and he let out a wince as a sharp buzz ran down his side. He reached the belly of the creature, cocking his fist back. His body shook as his strike met resistance from the alien metal.
A second blow left a small dent in the structure. He let out a groan as he hovered below the flying behemoth. Trying to bring it down like this would take too long. He needed to do it quickly, to prevent unnecessary civilian casualties. Thinking quickly he formulated a plan. Diving back towards the ground, he pulled out of the dive at the last moment. Shooting back up towards the beast, he slammed both fists into the metal. Pulling back, he let out a burst of energy. The metal turned a bright orange. Letting loose a cold breath, he struck the armour again, seizing it in both hands and pulling with all his might.
The creature let out a groan as it slowly tumbled towards the street below. Dropping below it, Nate carefully lowered it safely to the ground to avoid damage to the surrounding city.
–AoS–
T'Challa brought the jet safely to the ground. He and the others rushed out the back doors, glancing around at the expanding alien force. He glanced at Miss Van Dyne. "Is this the sort of excitement you had in mind?" She shook her head.
"Maybe not". Thor grinned as he began to twirl his magic hammer in one hand.
"Speak for yourself, friend Janet!" He turned to the aliens. "Have at thee, beasts! I am the mighty Thor!" The Asgardian god leaped through the air, hammer slung over his shoulder. He thrust the hammer outwards. Arcs of electricity leaped from one foot soldier to the next. A few dozen of the soldiers each let out high pitched shrieks before exploding into shards of metal and flesh. Janet glanced in his direction before shrugging and leaping into the fray. T'Challa quickly followed suit, leaping into the fray by jumping onto the backs of two of the foot soldiers on the ground.
Miss Van Dyne flew around him, providing support as he rushed from enemy to enemy. Thor moved ahead of the duo, taking down entire squads on his own. Stark soared through the sky, blasting repulsors everywhere he went. He slashed his claws through the gun of one alien, ripping the weapon from the grip of another as he did so. Firing the gun as he charged, he quickly disposed of the rest of the squad. A pair of light blue energy beams shot past above his head, incinerating a hundred more soldiers as they charged towards the duo. Nate slammed into the ground beside him, kicking an advancing enemy away from him and off the bridge. His friend turned to him before glancing up at the sky above them.
"We can play soldiers with these guys all we want. It's not going to make any difference unless we can close that portal". T'Challa nodded grimly. Nate was right. The army was only a symptom, not the cause. They could draw focus away from civilians as much as they liked. To save the city, they needed to win. To win, they had to stop Loki.
"Don't worry about that part, boy scout" came a voice over coms. "The princes and Janet can deal with these stooges. You focus on search and rescue. First responder stuff. Do what you do best. Jack of all trades, right? I'll work on closing the giant sphincter in the sky". T'Challa hesitated.
"Stark! You are no match for a Norse god with magical abilities!"
"Maybe you're right Cat Man, but I don't think we need to brawl with Loki to shut that thing down. Just buy me a bit of time." At that, a bellow erupted across the city. Thunderous winds shattered windows, flew cars down the street, and barrelled alien soldiers over. Miss Van Dyn lost control, skidding to a stop as she landed on the ground beside him and Nate. T'Challa felt his bones rattle, even as the suit absorbed most of the energy.
"What in Dante's fourth through seventh hells was that?!" The brunette socialite demanded as she shivered slightly.
"Boy scout?" Stark began, "was that -?"
"Well it wasn't me Tony. So yeah, I'd say so".
"Well what do you know?" The billionaire replied, "I guess you called it. Maybe there really is something to this 'trusting other people' thing you've got going on, kid". Doctor banner, already transformed, stood behind the group, hands clapped together. The green man barrelled down the street, leaping over their heads. One of the massive leviathan creatures streaked towards him. The Hulk rolled his shoulders back, muscles rippling. The ship opened fire, the blasts bouncing off near impenetrable skin. As it grew close, an emerald fist collided with the creature, a low metal groan escaping it as it buckled, momentum halting. Nate surged forward, flying around the brawling behemoths. He nodded to the Hulk, who seemed to comprehend his plan.
Nate gripped the tail at the creature's rear end. Hulk dug his fingers into the creature's armour plated head. Both pulled at the same time. Within a few moments, the leviathan, another ear piercing metal groan escaping it, shattered, letting loose a burst of energy. T'Challa braced himself for the explosive energy to reach them, though it never did. Glancing upwards, he was met by nothing but green and purple as the Hulk sheltered both him and Wasp with his own mass. The Goliath grit his teeth as he once again stepped back, rising to his feet. As Nate flew towards them, Hulk glared at the caped hero, though it seemed to T'Challa the hate was tempered by begrudging respect. Nate simply nodded at their enemy turned ally. The four of them stood in a row, Thor and Stark quickly joining them. A man in a red and black suit wearing a silver helmet with strange metal antennae appeared by wasp's side, an ant the size of a large dog behind him.
Wasp grinned at the man. "what? Let me guess; an ant told you what was happening." The other man smirked.
"A termite, actually. They're huge gossips, if you can believe that." The socialite rolled her eyes, before tugging the newcomer into a kiss. Thor rubbed the back of his neck, looking to T'Challa for guidance. The Wakandan prince shrugged at his Asgardian counterpart. Stark grinned as the pair pulled apart. "thanks for coming out, Hank. Goldilocks, Cat Man, boy scout, this is Hank Pym. The Ant Man. Or shrinky, if you prefer".
"I do not" the man replied primly. Stark snorted.
"I do".
"Iron man is right about one thing". Thor stated. "We stand a better chance of doing this if we all know our roles. I assume Black Panther and I are the only ones with military experience". Nate, Pym, and Van Dyne nodded. Stark shrugged.
"Unless we count weapons dealing, sure. I guess". Thor glanced at him.
"Our compatriots are humans, and this is your realm. I will leave command in your capable hands, prince." T'Challa nodded, glancing around quickly at the others.
"Thor, Sentinel and Iron Man are the most mobile here. Thor, you need to try and contain more of these things from coming through. Mr. Stark, you have the most versatile weaponry. Hunt down their airborne squads. Turn those to dust. If you find any of the big ones, call it in for one of our two big guns", he glanced pointedly at Nate and doctor Banner. Stark nodded before taking off, followed by Thor. T'Challa turned to his caped friend. "Even with Thor, Stark, and Hulk, some of these things are bound to get by us. You're the fastest one here, and you'll see any stragglers long before we do. Go wherever we need you, and protect the civilians". Nate nodded.
"I can do that". He shot off into the air in the direction of a massive apartment building. T'Challa gestured to himself, Van Dyne, and the shorter of the two newcomers.
"We'll stay down here. Keep this lot focused on us. Keep them off Sentinel whilst he rescues the non-combatants and buy Stark time to come up with a way to shut down this portal. Do not engage Loki if he comes down from his tower. Leave that to Thor". Hulk snarled. "Or Hulk". T'Challa quickly amended. Wasp saluted. Ant man simply nodded. He turned his attention to the last member of their bizarre unit. "And Hulk -" the green man nodded with a snort.
"Smash" the bigger man finished with a feral grin. T'Challa nodded, trying not to show his fear.
–AoS–
He swept into the bank, incinerating a pair of squads with a quick optic burst. He turned to the hostages. "Follow me, and keep your heads down. I'll lead you out of here". One by one they nodded. Nate stepped out into the street, delivering a sharp jab to an alien soldier as it flew past, knocking it off its vehicle. The bike skidded to a halt, catching fire as it went. He shot a burst of super breath to extinguish the flames. Hulk leaped past above his head, tearing through entire groups of enemies. Thunder rumbled in the sky. T'Challa dashed past down the street. Scanning the battlefield quickly, he found Loki soaring above their heads, leading a squadron.
"Thor!" Nate called. The norse god halted in generating his storms, turning his attention towards him. Nate gestured at the Asgardian prince's wayward brother. Thor nodded firmly as he shot off after Loki.
–AoS–
Humanity's gone to hell in a handbasket. This was the only thought flying through Kathryn Phillips' head as she and Yuri Wattanabe rushed through the streets of Manhattan. Above their heads, Iron man was swooping around buildings, strange creatures riding what looked like sci-fi motorcycles on his tail. A giant green gorilla leaped from one skyscraper to another, tearing into the creatures as he went. The car screeched to a halt as they arrived in what appeared to be the centre of the chaos. She leaped out of the car. Sentinel rushed towards them. "Am I glad to see you for once!" He nodded.
"I've got almost two dozen non-combatants here. I need somewhere safe to take them to." She nodded, hastily relaying a report back to dispatch. She glanced up at the vigilante - hero - in front of her.
"Metro-General. Closest place to here they haven't hit yet." Sentinel nodded. Glancing around behind her, he zipped off in a gust of wind, returning with a shipping crate. He gestured to the civilians crouched behind him. After a few moments of hesitation, the group followed a blonde woman into the open crate. Kate watched the proceedings silently. Stepping over to the blonde, she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck" she murmured softly. He nodded grimly.
"You too". Yuri made her way over to the pair.
"So," her partner addressed the hero. "This seems pretty insane".
He snorted. "Yeah".
"Weirder than Japan?"
"Much".
"Got a name for this team of yours yet?"
He laughed humorlessly. "Nope. Don't even think this is going to be a thing, to be honest" he shot a blast of energy from his eyes at a nearby flying alien. The creature's vehicle was set alight and it let out a howl as it attempted to leap off.
"It should be", Kate stated, surprising all three of them. He hesitated before grabbing the shipping crate carefully. "When we get a name for it, I'll make sure you're first to know then".
–AoS–
Thor launched a burst of lighting at his brother, throwing him off the saddle of his transport. Loki slammed into the roof of a nearby building, before leaping to his feet, Laevateinn blazing in his hand. Thor's brother glared at him as he landed on the roof across from him. "You've always been a trickster, but this is a new low. Even for you, baby brother". Loki's green eyes flashed vividly.
"Don't call me that, Odinson! I am no brother of yours! Or did Odin not tell you the truth of my birth?" Thor sighed.
"He did. That does not matter. Our father's opinions do not matter. Loki, we were raised together! We fought together, learnt side by side! We played together! Mayhaps you do not have my blood, but you are my brother!" Loki hesitated, before lowering his sword. He fell to his knees, tears running down his cheeks. Thor rushed to his brother's side, slowly helping him to his feet. Loki buried his head into the fur lining the neck of his cape, gripping his back tightly.
"I'm sorry brother," he rasped, eyes shining through the tears. Thor clung to him.
"It's alright Loki! If we stand together, I know we can put an end to this madness". Loki nodded, offering a wobbly smile as they stepped back from one another.
"Yes," Loki replied shakily, wiping the tears. "Together". Without warning, he raised his hands. A beam of purple energy shot out of his hands. The concussive force collided with Thor's chest, sending him flying off the edge of the building. Mjolnir dropped onto the roof of the building as he fell. He felt his stomach lurch and coughed as he slammed into the ground. Sometimes, it's impossible to love him. Thor thought sardonically.
–AoS–
Sentiment, big brother? Loki sneered inwardly as he called upon his magic. Thor went flying off the edge of the building they were standing on, his paperweight remaining behind. Curious, Loki made his way over to the hammer, reaching a hand down to pick it up. He was hardly surprised - merely slightly annoyed - when the hammer did not budge as he tugged on the strap. With a casual shrug, he cast a simple banishing spell.
He couldn't keep Thor separate from his overgrown mallet entirely. Not permanently, at least. He could however have some fun with his brother in the meanwhile. Teleporting down to the ground below, he smirked at his brother, twirling Laevateinn by the hilt as he went. Thore glared at him, wiping rubble off his cheek. Loki laughed. "Fifteen centuries, Thor! Are you ever going to learn to not fall for that one?"
"You mock my caring for you?!"
"No, Thor, I mock your stupidity". He lunged forward, swinging the burning sword. Thor leaped back, ducking and weaving out of reach of the blade. The blonde slung a fist, punching Loki on the jaw. He stepped back, rubbing the area. Well, that will leave a mark, I'd imagine. He teleported behind his brother, stabbing him in the back and blasting him through the front doors of a nearby building. Calling upon his magic, vines erupted out of the earth, slamming Thor back and forth against the ground. The blonde groaned as he picked himself up, barreling towards him. Loki rolled his eyes. Moron.
–AoS–
We do fight well. Doctor Pym delivered a burst of energy from a strange gun-like weapon into an enemy squad. The other man shrunk down, allowing T'Challa to springboard off his back as he shrunk down, delivering a kick to two of the other aliens. Slamming into the ground, he forced the energy out of his suit, incinerating more of the enemies. Janet zipped around them, shooting blasts from her wrists as she went. T'Challa rushed forward, delivering a two-footed kick as he did, sending one of the aliens sprawling through a window.
"I think I've got something", Stark's voice came through the communicators. "Loki took the Tesseract. He must need it to generate that eye sore. If we can shut it off –"
"No," Nate cut the industrialist off, "we don't switch it off. We take it off world. If SHIELD wants that thing, they can't have good intentions. Think about it, Tony. You know better than anyone what they'd do with something like that". Briefly, T'Challa wondered if his young friend was trying to subtly insult Stark, or if that was just a coincidence. Stark was silent for a few seconds. "Alright. What did you have in mind?"
"I'll find an empty planet nearby. Drop it off there. You can tell SHIELD the Tesseract was destroyed when you cut the power". T'Challa nodded.
"Done. Stark, what do you need?"
"To get back to the tower. If I can cause the reactor to surge, it should shut off the portal. And someone needs to handle prince charming". Hulk leaped through the air, charging off.
"I think that one will take care of itself," the black panther muttered.
–AoS–
Thor rushed at his brother, ready to tackle him into a nearby car. Loki smirked at him, and before Thor could stop his charge, he passed through his intangible brother. Smacking into the car behind his brother, he growled as he rolled out of the way of his brother's blade. Thor slung his fist like a boulder, knocking Loki to the ground. His brother gazed at something over his shoulder, frowning slightly as he picked himself up.
"Oh" his brother stated, before disappearing from sight.
–AoS–
Thor caught him off guard, sending him sprawling. He picked himself up, glancing curiously at something over his brother's shoulder. A black and red blur was rushing towards them. "Oh" he stated calmly before the blur slammed into him, and he felt himself flying through the air.
–AoS–
Thor grinned at him, smacking him on the shoulder. "Good hit, friend! Thank you for your assistance". Nate nodded.
"Don't mention it" he replied. He glanced at thor, noticing he was missing his hammer. "Need a lift?" The Asgardian stared at him aghast.
"Nay, Harridanite! Stay your 'lift'!" He thrust out a hand, the hammer momentarily slamming into his waiting grip. Nate shrugged. Together, the two heroes took off, following after Loki. They landed in the penthouse of Stark Tower. Loki smirked as he sat up, glancing at Nate. "I…take it…you are the Sentinel, then?"
"Just sentinel is fine. But yeah, that's me".
"Well, excellent. If it's all the same to the two of you, I think I'll just take control of your new friend's mind, brother. If that's alright with -" the tower shook violently as all three men glanced behind them. A bone rattling roar split the sky, as the Hulk slammed into the ground between them. The roof collapsed under his weight, covering all four of them in plaster. Stark spluttered over the comms. Nate rolled his eyes, ignoring the industrialist. "Ahh, Bruce! Wonderful seeing you. We were just discussing the terms of your sur-"
"Hulk, not Banner! You mess with puny Banner, you mess with Hulk! Hulk is the strongest there is!" Thor coughed beside him. If the emerald behemoth heard, he chose to ignore the Norse god. Seizing Loki by the feet, he slammed the Asgardian back and forth into the floor repeatedly. As the jade giant released the vice grip on his legs, Loki let out a noise that sounded decidedly like a whimper.
Hulk stepped back between the pair of blondes, delivering a 'fist bump' that sent Thor flying through a wall. As he made to do the same to Nate, he grinned, flying backwards a few inches. "Too slow, big guy".
–AoS–
They made their way down to the entrance of the now powerless Tower. Stark had placed the Tesseract in a secure container. Loki was cuffed, walking between Thor and Nate. Hulk stalked silently behind him. No doubt, Nate knew, glaring daggers at the back of his head. Stark smirked at the prince of Asgard. Loki shrugged. "If it's all the same to you, I'll take that drink now". Stark snorted.
"You'll have to talk to your dad about that one, I'd guess". He glanced at Thor on Loki's other side. Two stark enterprise engineers rushed out of the tower, and over to their boss. Stark handed them the container. He turned to Nate. "I'll give you that once we've got SHIELD off the scent. Once we manage that, you can do what you like with the damned thing".
"I may have a solution," Thor spoke up. They all glanced in his direction. "There is an ancient world our father spoke of to me once. A world with no sun. Long ago, Harridan kept its most dangerous prisoners there to study" he told Nate, looking at him expectantly, no doubt expecting him to know the story. Nate shrugged, gesturing for the Asgardian to continue. "It has long since been abandoned. The prisoners are now all dead, and the other races fear to step foot on its soil. It is an accursed place. A fine hiding place for such a relic".
"Could you lead me there?"
"But of course. Yet first, we should celebrate. A great victory was won here today, through our camaraderie and fellowship! Midgard is preserved once again!" Tony nodded.
"I know a few great restaurants. Don't know if any of them are open though. Party at mine tomorrow night?" The others shrugged. Getting no refusals, Stark instructed his AI to set the plans.
A helicopter touched down a few hundred metres from the tower. Nick Fury leaped out, making his way towards them. The director of SHIELD regarded the seven heroes for several tense moments before nodding to himself. "I don't often say this, but good work. Stark, you and your friends here took care of business rather nicely. I need people like that. SHIELD needs you. The world needs you". Hank Pym was shaking his head, even as Janet was eagerly grinning. Thor chuckled softly. T'Challa stood still, also watching the others.
Tony looked thoughtful. He glanced at Fury silently for several moments. Nodding to himself, he turned back to the rest of the group. "I think the super spy might be right," he told the other heroes. T'Challa snorted. Pym, if possible, looked more dejected. Janet gaped at Stark, speaking for them all.
"You're going to join SHIELD? You - of all people?!" Tony scoffed.
"No. God, well gods now I guess, no. Fury's right. Half right at least." Over Stark's shoulder, Fury was smiling slightly. "He's right about us making a difference - a real difference - together. And the world does need us, this group. But not as SHIELD agents". Fury sneered. "As a team. We know those aliens are out there now. And not all of them retreated when the portal collapsed. Together, we can hunt them down. We can stop anyone else from trying the same thing again as well". The other heroes were silent for several moments.
"A team? This might be possible" T'Challa stated uncertainty. Janet nodded.
"A team of heroes? We can make this work. We can be Avengers!"
"Hmm". Hulk huffed, grinning slightly. "Good name". Tony turned to Fury with a smirk.
Fury shrugged. "Guess that's settled then. SHILD will be in touch. Avengers". He turned and made his way back to the helicopter.
"I do not like this man". Thor muttered. Nate nodded in agreement, only to be sent flying into a nearby building. He winced. Hulk stalked over, helping him to his feet.
"Not too slow for that, blondie." He rumbled, leaving Nate standing dazed.
–AoS–
Tuesday, July 30th, 2012
Chitauri Ground zero, Manhattan
9:17 AM
Yuri stepped out onto the sidewalk beside her partner. After the attack, given her liaisons with Sentinel and a few of the other heroes, Yuri and Kathryn had been put in charge of coordinating he and Ant-Man, who had volunteered to assist with the cleanup. With their help, what would have taken who knew how long would go much quicker. It would still take time for the city to recover, but weeks, not months or longer. The other members of the impromptu team, including Hulk and Thor - and weren't those two both mind benders - were away, chasing leads on the remaining Chitauri activity. Loki had been shipped back to Asgard for his punishment, or so Sentinel had told her. Most humans wouldn't like that one, so she understood the need for secrecy. A gust of wind streaked past the pair, scattering Kate's hair out of its tight bun. When Yuri glanced down, she found a cup of coffee in each hand. Stuck to the lid of one was a sticky note.
Courtesy of sentinel, your favourite Avenger. She let out a laugh. Tying her hair back, Kate frowned as she took the offered coffee. Smirking as she showed her partner the note, Yuri laughed once more. "Not a bad name, huh?" She asked. Kate nodded as they wandered back to the cruiser.
"Avengers. Not bad at all".
–AoS–
7:07 PM, Stark Mansion drawing room
The others were sat around a pair of couches, drinking and laughing as Tony shared a story of a fight he and Bruce had got caught up in while they were looking for Chitauri in Mumbai earlier that day. Thor was laughing the loudest. Sentinel stood off to one side. Near enough to hear what they were saying, far enough to stand separate. Unlike her and the rest of their teammates, he was the only one still in 'work clothes'. His cape, which had flown out behind him like a pair of massive dragon wings in the battle, was now hanging limply at his back. Even still, the sight was still imposing. It wasn't hard to picture him on Asgard with the other gods. Janet frowned.
She stood up from beside Hank, releasing her grip on his hand. He frowned slightly, relenting when she gestured over to their teammate. He nodded silently. Making her way over, Janet was stunned when he greeted her even before she'd got near the window. "Can you hear me coming with your super hearing?" She asked, ever curious. He laughed.
"I saw your reflection. But also, yeah." She smiled.
"Cool".
"It has its moments. At least I can switch it off when I feel like it".
"They are a rowdy bunch". She agreed. He shook his head.
"They aren't the issue. When this first started, I could hear everything on earth. Then, a while ago I went into space to rescue a little girl. Turns out, I could hear a cry for help back here on earth from a few dozen solar systems away. At least". She winced.
"Christ", she whispered. He nodded in agreement. "What's it like?"
"It scares me sometimes. Not all that long ago, I was a normal guy. Then I got an alien suit that bonded itself to me and started altering my DNA. Now I can shoot pure energy from my eyes and go toe to toe with the strongest one there is. The person who told me the suit was permanently screwing with my DNA also said these powers would keep getting stronger. It makes me wonder, what would happen if I went off the deep end one day? Everyone on this planet is so very fragile, you know? It's kind of like everybody else is made of tissue paper or cardboard, models on someone's hobby table. And one wrong step from me, one brush of my shoulder against the table could shatter it all.
Janet smiled as she stood next to him, bopping him gently in the side. "I don't know what it said on your invitation, but in ours it said celebration". They both laughed. He nodded. "Switch it off for the night. The world will still be spinning tomorrow morning". She turned to lean back on the glass, watching their teammates interacting with Happy and Pepper, and the Wakandan prince's sister. "You know," she continued, speaking casually. "This team thing only works when we all trust each other". She glanced pointedly at the suit. He nodded, bowing his head.
"T'Challa already knows. Just don't freak out?"
"Depends how bad it is. I'll try though. Can't speak for the others though". After a few tense moments, he cleared his throat, turning to the rest of the room.
"There's something you should probably all be aware of. T'Challa and Shuri already know". His suit dematerialised, his body and face shrunk, his hair lightening slightly. Before them stood a young teenager. "Hi. My name's Nathaniel Thomas. Friends call me Nate". He stood there, waving awkwardly.
"You're" Janet muttered softly.
"A" Bruce continued.
"Teenager? Cool!" Tony broke the ice with a grin.
–AoS–
Thursday, August 22nd
Arctic circle
They trudged through the snow, Tony leading the way, torch held out in front of him, repulsor gauntlet on one hand. He and Jan followed a few steps behind. Whilst he was on high alert, keeping a careful watch on the horizon and also periodically checking on Tony ahead of them, Janet was tightly bundled in several layers. She glared at him in his suit. "Yo-y-you sssuck, know th-th-th-that, Nathaniel Thomas? This not getting cold thing of yours is bull." He smirked at her.
"You can have the suit, if you like" he offered. She sighed, grumbling about 'metahuman boy scouts'.
"Remind me again," she called loud enough for Tony to also hear, "why we're out here, in the cold, with no backup?" Nate shrugged.
"Because. Both JARVIS and VIOLET picked up strange signatures out here. This is supposedly close to where the Tesseract was found by Howard Stark. So Tony and I decided it was worth coming to investigate". Janet nodded, teeth still chattering. Nate pulled his cape off, the alien nanites immediately replacing it with another. He dropped it over her shoulders. Tugging it around herself, she smiled up at him gratefully.
"Thanks kiddo," she whispered, knowing he would still hear her. "And why did I have to come?" She continued more loudly. Tony laughed.
"Because you were bored, and tired of Shuri beating you at checkers". She grumbled softly, almost walking into the industrialist's back. Tony gasped. "Nate!" He hissed. "Get up here. Take a look at this. I'm gonna need you to open it up for us anyway". He made his way over, looking down at where Tony was pointing. There, a few dozen feet down in the ice below was an old plane. Clearly visible on the floor of the cockpit was a familiar red white and blue shield. Nate gaped. A faint heartbeat met his ears.
"He - he's still alive!"
A/N:
Okay! So the Avengers are now, most definitely, a thing. This concludes phase one of what I am now referring to in my own head as the AOSverse.
So, a few things to address. Minor things, but I thought I'd touch on them.
For anyone wondering, yes, I said originally that the founding Avengers in this universe would be the original Avengers, Nate, T'Challa and Carol. However, I decided I like the number seven for a superhero team a lot more than nine, so changes were made. Carol will arrive on earth (to stay) soon enough, and naturally join the team. I decided to go with the original roster from the comics, plus Nate and T'Challa. Therefore, unfortunately, Natasha and Clint also got cut in place of Hank and Janet. They will both join the team by the end of phase two though. Clint will most likely join just before Nat, but we will see. At this stage, by the end of phase 2, there will be fourteen members of the team. I won't tell you who all the new members will be.
Also if anyone wonders; the fantastic four will never appear in this universe. I don't like them, except Ben. Especially Reed and Sue. They're not the sort of characters I enjoy. Sorry for any F4 fans hoping to see them. I just wouldn't feel comfortable shoe horning them in and trying to do the same justice as someone who actually likes them.
Now, onto a couple of other things;
I've had the point raised that at least one person isn't happy with the way the Doom v Sentinel fight went down, specifically Nate losing. I can understand their issue, but for anyone with that problem, I'd like to explain why I did it that way.
I don't want this story to turn into Nate just steamrolling the entire Marvel universe without any sort of struggle or set back whatsoever. He's powerful, not omnipotent.
I didn't actually view that fight as a defeat for Nate. I saw it as ending in a non-finish / tie. Though if a person viewed it as a defeat for Nate, I can appreciate that viewpoint
And finally, on the fight between Nate and Bruce, as well as a quick note on AOSverse power scaling in general;
I see base form (no time taken to absorb extra solar radiation or other energy) Sentinel as being very slightly stronger than base form Hulk (in other words, a Hulk who has just transformed and not had time to grow even angrier). On the flip side of that, base form Hulk is considerably more durable than base form Sentinel. Overall, if you were to put the Avengers and other AOS heroes so far introduced into a tier list for strength/damage potential, I would say Nate and Hulk are the only S tiers, with Thor and non-Binary form Carol being the very top of A tier.
In case people have forgotten, here are the cast for the founding Avengers in this universe
Nathaniel Thomas / Sentinel - Lucas Adams (civilian) / Luke Mitchell (Sentinel)
Tony Stark / Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr.
T'Challa / Black Panther - Chadwick Boseman
Hank Pym / Antman - Matt Bomer
Janet Van Dyne / Wasp - Lauren Cohan
Thor Odinson - Chris Hemsworth
Bruce Banner / The Hulk - Mark Ruffalo
And introducing …
Steve Rogers / Captain America - Chris Evans