Start the Fire
Chapter 1: And Then There Were None
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Jersey City, New Jersey
"Finally, I thought that would never end!"
Sitting on a bench in front of a Coles Academic High School, a teenage girl cries out in relief. She wore a black sweatshirt with a yellow lightning bolt, a bracelet on her left arm, and jeans. A beige messenger bag hangs from her shoulder, decorated with buttons and a red scarf. Sitting beside her is a young man her age wearing a blue and orange striped hoodie.
"Come on Kamala," the young man said. "It wasn't that bad as you make it sound."
"Easy for you to say, Bruno," Kamala Khan groaned. "You have no idea how unnerving it was. I stayed up until six AM studying your notes. By the way, I forgot to thank you for lending them to me. You have no idea how bad I needed to catch up."
"It's no problem Kamala," Bruno Carelli said bashfully scratching his cheek. "Somebody has to keep you covered."
"My parents would've killed me if they catch me falling behind," Kamala said with a shudder. "It will be a miracle if I passed today's finals. If I so much as get an A-minus…"
"If it helps, you won't hear about it until they finished grading," Bruno said as he stood up and stretched his arms. "Whelp. I love to stick around and celebrate, but Pop-Pop and Nonna are expecting me back home. Shall we go back together?"
"Sure," Kamala said, not noticing his nervousness as he spoke that last part. They got up and began walking down the street, away from the school. They didn't say a word until Bruno broke the silence to cheer Kamala up.
"So, I heard in the news that the Avengers saved the day…again," Bruno chuckled as if it was an everyday joke. "From that Atlantean warlord. What was his name again?"
"Attuma," Kamala answered with a small smile. "From what I hear, the guy wanted to sink Manhattan. Luckily, the Avengers But was a tough opponent considering he was able to go toe to toe with the Hulk in terms of strength. Luckily, I read up that Atlanteans are dependent on water to maintain their vitality. The longer they are out of the water, the more their physical attributes will diminish. So, I…Ms. Marvel slingshot him to the sky so that he'll dry up faster. It was a simple manner of keeping him away from water until we…they foiled his evil plan."
If anyone asks how she knows so much about superheroes and supervillains, she writes it off as being a fanfic writer. The real reason she knows this is because she is the magnificent Ms. Marvel. A superhero and a fanfiction writer. She achieved her powers after she was exposed to the Terrigen Mist produced by the Terrigen Bomb. While her first heroic endeavor was a bust at first, she got better thanks to her father's advice and Bruno's help. Filled with confidence, she swore to protect Jersey City as the new Ms. Marvel. The previous bearer of the mantle didn't mind if she used it. Eventually, she got to join her favorite team of heroes, the Avengers.
The Avengers is a team of extraordinary individuals with special abilities like herself. They are the Earth's foremost defense against superpowered threats, whether they be domestic or extraterrestrial. They are recognized as a peacekeeping force by both the United Nations Security Council and S.H.I.E.L.D. What made them Kamala's favorite heroes wasn't about how cool their powers were, but their will to do good in the world. As Abu said, being good isn't what you are…it's something that you do. It was one of the reasons that they are worthy to be called Earth's mightiest heroes.
Of course, she can't tell anyone about her double life. Especially her parents, whom she had no doubt would ground her for the rest of her life. This is why she is trying to watch what she said to avoid the wrong ears from hearing her and putting two and two together.
"Seems kind of risky," Bruno said. "What's to stop him from getting wet again?"
"I agree with you on that," Kamala said with a shudder. "He gets his strength back if he so much as touches a drop of water. So, we had to—I mean, they had to make sure he stays out of the water until the water goes back to normal levels. I can tell you that it must've been a chore."
"No kidding. Can you imagine Manhattan being underwater right now?" Bruno asked. "So, what are the—I mean, what do you think they are doing next in your fanfic?"
"I don't know," Kamala said, thankful that she had a friend who can keep her secret. Like speaking in fanfiction lingo. "I'm thinking of having Director Fury send Black Widow on a mission to investigate a deal between two terrorist organizations and nothing else."
She didn't say anything more than that. Bruno took it as a signal to end the subject. In her time with the Avengers, she had gotten close to them. It's natural to feel concerned for her friends. Bruno took out his phone to call his grandparents.
"That's weird?" Bruno's face became set with a frown.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not getting any reception," Bruno said. When Kamala gave him a skeptical look, he showed her his phone. Sure enough, there were no bars.
"Have you renewed your phone credit?" Kamala asked. "I sometimes forget to restart my phone so that it registers."
"I did just last week," Bruno said. "It was working fine until now."
"What the hell is with my phone?" That came from a couple that was walking on the other side of the street. Like Bruno, they were holding out their phones and are looking at them with looks of confusion. But it wasn't just them. Down the street, more people were pulling out their phones and they could tell that they were experiencing the same problem. Curious, Kamala took out her phone and checked the signal. Sure enough, it was getting no bars.
"Okay, now that's weird," Kamala said. "What's going on?"
"Hold on," Bruno held up a finger. "Did you hear that?"
Kamala held her breaths so she could hear what Bruno was talking about. There was a faint noise coming from above. She experienced enough to recognize the sound of explosions. Looking up, she found the sky riddled with explosions. Briefly, she can catch a glimpse of fighter jets engaged in dogfights.
"What the heck?" Bruno asked in a panic. "Are we under attack?"
Then they felt the ground shake. It wasn't anything equivalent to an earthquake, but it startled everyone, nonetheless. Then, it shook again. And again. And again! It continued in a pattern as a shadow fell upon them. Bruno turned around and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"Uh…Kamala…?"
Kamala turned to see what he was looking at. What she was looking at made her jaw drop as well. What could be described as an enormous tentacled vehicle with a skull-shaped head was walking over the row of buildings next to them. It had multiple guns and an extremely large one at the top of the head. The hull plating is black with red outlines, making the skull face stand out. Each step it took with its tentacles shook the ground.
"What is that?" Bruno demanded.
"That's a Hydra-Bot. It's HYDRA's assault multi-purpose walker," Kamala said, recalling information from the back of her head. "But what's it doing here?"
HYDRA is a neo-Nazi terrorist organization that has long since plagued the world. Composed of dangerous groups of war criminals, they are a dangerous foe to encounter in their quest for world domination. In a short version, they are a bunch of jerks.
Kamala snapped out of her thoughts as another explosion sounded in the sky. The main cannon at the top of the walker's head raised itself. It was aiming at a black and yellow warship, which was being pursued by black jets. The cannon fired a massive energy blast towards the warship. It struck it dead on, causing it to smoke.
To Kamala's horror, it was heading towards them.
"Bruno! Get down!" Kamala cried out as she tackles as surprised Bruno. They hit the floor as the ship soared over their heads by a hairsbreadth. People screamed as they dive out of the way of the skidding ship as it crashes into a nearby store. To the teen's horror, there was another Hydra-Bot walking over that same store.
"What is this? War of the worlds?" Bruno asked.
"Bruno, try and get as many people as possible to safety!" Kamala ordered as she starts to approach the Hydra-Bot.
"Where?"
"I don't know! Just not here!"
"Kamala, wait!" Bruno's voice called urgently. It was enough for Kamala to stop her advance. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"What?" Kamala asked, her face showing that whatever it was, it could be heard later. But when he pointed at her clothing, she understood what he meant. She was still dressed in her civilian clothes!
"Yikes! Thank you, Bruno!" Kamala yelled as she ran into an alleyway. If anyone saw her fighting in her civilian clothing, her secret identity will be blown. Though it irked her that it had to happen when Jersey City became a warzone. Millions of people could be dying right now while she is busy getting dressed in her uniform. But she knew that there are some things beyond her control. The faster she can get dressed the more lives she could save.
As luck would have it, the alley led to a public park. The teen made a beeline for the public restroom. She didn't stop to look at the sorry and unkempt state as she enters a stall. Locking the door behind her, she set her bag on the floor and opened it. Occasionally, the building would shake followed by the sound of an energy cannon firing or an explosion.
"Changing into a bathroom in the middle of a warzone…" Kamala muttered as she began to take off her shirt. "I preferred the janitor's closet at school."
A few minutes later, Kamala stepped out of the stall. No longer was she wearing the sweatshirt and jeans. Instead, she is wearing a modified blue and red burkini with a yellow lightning bolt across it, not too dissimilar to the one on her sweatshirt, a long red scarf, blue boots, and a blue domino mask.
The only thing she didn't change was her bracelet. Opening a small compartment hidden inside, she took out an earpiece and placed it into her ear.
"Ms. Marvel to Avengers. Anyone read me?" Kamala called into her earpiece. All she was getting was static, "Hello? Anyone there? Some assembly required?"
Still static. Either she broke the earpiece, or something was jamming the signal. Judging by how the cellphones were acting, it was likely the latter. If HYDRA is invading, then they must be the ones jamming the signal. She's going to have to find the cause and eliminate it. Until she can contact her fellow Avengers, she's on her own.
With her plan in mind, she exited the bathroom. The scenery had changed drastically. Smoke rose from the buildings as Hydra-Bots marched across the city without hindrance. The sky is even more abuzz with fighter jets and explosions. Just where is the national guard? Or the air force? Shouldn't they have been here right now?
A hatch opened beneath the head of a passing Hydra-Bot. Descending on cables are a platoon of troops wearing black and red armor. Each of them is armed with an assault rifle. Emblazoned on their shoulder pads is a symbol of an octopus with a skull for ahead.
The symbol of HYDRA.
The moment their feet hit the ground, they scrambled to secure the area that is the park. One of them spotted her and points that out to her comrades. Kamala blew a strand of her hair out of her face.
"Alright," Ms. Marvel breathed as her body began to glow a bright yellow. "Let's bring it on, baddies!"
They threw out a punch. Her polymorphic abilities allowed her to stretch her arm and sock the nearest HYDRA goon with an embiggened fist. Dodging a stream of energy bolts, Ms. Marvel stretches her leg and kicks in a wide circle, striking multiple HYDRA soldiers at once.
The ground shook as a Hydra-Bot came into view. It seemed to be staring down at Kamala. The weapons at its sides were trained on her. Energy bolts came raining down upon her. She was barely able to dodge them, and she felt a few of them graze her. Throwing out her arm, she latched on the edge of a nearby building and pulled herself to safety. The Hydra-Bot continued to follow her until she took cover behind a building. Looking out her eyes widened when she saw the energy cannon charging up.
"Alright," Ms. Marvel rolled her shoulders. "Let's take it to the big leagues!"
With that, she ran forward and jumped off the building. At once, her body began to grow. Her muscles expanded and her skeleton structure stretched out. She continued to grow until she stood taller than the Hydra-Bot. The walker looked up at her with its blank red eyes before Kamala's fist slammed into its face.
The Hydra-Bot was knocked back, its tentacles swaying before it lashed out at Ms. Marvel. She batted them aside and brought her fist down. She heard the metal crunch as another sizable dent was formed at the crown of the skull. Desperate, the Hydra-Bots front tentacles seized her arms. They constricted around her arms, trying to restrain her. With a grunt of effort, she gripped the tentacles and threw the Hydra-Bot up. Its hold didn't slack as it came crashing down, but that didn't stop her from raising her foot and stomping it. The hull of the Hydra-Bot caved in. The tentacles slowly stopped moving and drop to the ground.
Breathing heavily, she felt the adrenaline dying down as she shrank back down. She can now feel the pain from the energy bolts. Fortunately for her, she had something to remedy that. Taking a deep breath, she felt her healing factor kick in. The injuries and the pain they brought faded away. It was a handy thing to have, but it has serious drawbacks. For one thing, extensive healing leaves her heavily fatigued and hungry. The other is that overuse temporarily wakens her polymorph abilities. This is why she tries to avoid being damaged as much as possible.
It gets taken up to eleven when she enters giant form. If she doesn't have enough energy from food intake, she'll wind up fainting at the worse of times. Case in point, she nearly lost her balance the moment she shrunk back down. Hopefully, her training paid off and allow her to take giant form without any problems.
"No rest for the wicked," Ms. Marvel said as she ran off. "Or in my case…the good."
Unbeknownst to her, the sky suddenly became cloudy. Amongst the explosions came the rumbling sound of thunder. Kamala's long brown hair whipped in the wind. This change in the wind speed was impossible. The news forecast this morning said it was sunny.
"Hang on!" Ms. Marvel called out as she stretched her arm whilst embiggening her hand. She managed to push away a falling piece of rubble before it could hit a crowd of civilians. There are on-duty police officers taking cover behind squad cars. They returned fire to the HYDRA soldiers.
Grimacing, she grabbed the piece of rubble with an embiggened hand and threw it towards the HYDRA soldiers. They scattered to avoid the oncoming projectile as it shattered against the ground they stood.
"Officer!" Ms. Marvel approached the nearest policeman. "Is there anywhere you can get these people to safety?"
"We're evacuating them to a nearby FEAST shelter," the officer replied, never taking his eyes off HYDRA soldiers in cover. "But these bastards won't give us a break and there could still be others."
"I'll be on the lookout for them," Ms. Marvel said. "Allow me to give you some more breathing room."
She stretched her legs at an impossible distance and pull herself over to where the HYDRA soldiers are. Twirling her body, she stretches out her arms and embiggen her fists. Like a human tornado, she began to knock away the surprised HYDRA goons around. Anyone foolish enough to get up ends knocked back down. Eventually, she began to get vertigo, so she stopped.
Then, the ground shook again. Looking up, she saw another Hydra-Bot staring down at her. Panic rose within her as it began charging up its energy cannon. It will look as if she'll need to embiggen herself again. But without the proper energy, she'll only end up exhausting herself further and she'll be in trouble.
Before she could act, the sky rumbled again. At that moment, a bolt of lightning came down and struck the machine. The Hydra-Bot spasmed as tens of thousands of volts of electricity coursed through the circuitry. When it stopped, it stood very still before falling over like a chopped tree.
Looking up, she spotted what she knew to be the source of the lightning. Hovering in the air is a broad-shouldered and extremely muscular man with long blond hair and blue eyes. He wore armor with a black chest plate with six silver disks connected with a gold lining, silver lined-in chain mail armor, and a wing-shaped helmet. Blue eyes glowed an electric blue, completing his aura of power.
In his hand is a Warhammer with a leather strap at the hilt. It gave an intense glow, electricity sparking as lightning flashed across the sky. If the armor didn't ring any bells, the hammer alone told her who this person was.
"Holy cow, it's Thor!" A police officer cried out. Behind him, the civilians gave of cries of awe and hope.
"Have no fear, citizens of Jersey City!" Thor declared. "The son of Odin has arrived!"
"Thor! Over here!" Ms. Marvel called out. The god of thunder noticed her and descended. With a confident stride, he approached her.
"Hail, Ms. Marvel," Thor greeted. He was taller compared to her. "You'll have to forgive my unannounced arrival. The fiendish machinations of HYDRA are hindering our attempts at communication."
"So that's what's been going on," Ms. Marvel said. "How did you guys know what was going on in New Jersey?"
"I happened to be passing by when all of this was happening. Shortly before I moved to protect the innocent, I informed our fellow Avengers whom should be on their way right now as we speak," Thor said, giving the fallen HYDRA-Bot a baleful glare. "By the beard of the Allfather, they will pay for dragging the people into this."
"Why would HYDRA attack New Jersey City?" Ms. Marvel asked. Thor held up a hand and readied his hammer, Mjolnir.
"We'll talk later," Thor said, his eyes hardening as something launched from the HYDRA-bot he defeated. "It appears we have company."
Three large spheres slammed into the ground before them. A few seconds after they landed, the spheres began to shift and segment. When the smoke cleared, the heroes were staring at three robots that towered even Thor. Their armor plating is black and red like the HYDRA-Bot. Instead of a left arm, they each had a drill that spun upon seeing them. If Kamala remembered correctly, these are HYDRA dreadnought class robots. They are the combat armored automatons of HYDRA's military forces.
"Targets acquired," One of the robots spoke. "Designations: Thor and Ms. Marvel. Destroy!"
"I've had enough of machines!" Thor growls as he spun his hammer by the strap.
"Get to safety!" Ms. Marvel ordered to the crowd of civilians. They didn't need to be told twice as they fled when the Dreadnoughts advanced. The two heroes ran to meet them. Kamala embiggened her fists and threw them at the first Dreadnought she laid eyes on. Then, to her astonishment, the moment her fists made contact, a barrier blocked it. The force was enough to send the Dreadnought back, but it remained undamaged.
"Okay…looks like HYDRA got their hands on some StarkTech repulsor shielding," Ms. Marvel said as her fists became small again. "Tony isn't going to be happy about this."
"Stark is never happy when someone steals his technology," Thor retorts as he jumps into the air. Gripping the hilt, Thor swung it with the gathered momentum at his Dreadnought. As expected, it was also protected by a repulsor shield. Grunting in annoyance, Thor swung Mjolnir from below, knocking the Dreadnought into the sky. Leaping upward, he drew back his hammer, this time sparking with lightning, and slammed down upon the automaton back to earth.
Ms. Marvel twisted her body just in time to avoid the tip of an oncoming drill. The polymorph hero retaliated with an embiggened fist. If she recalled anything about the stolen technology, it can't be active forever. Unless the Dreadnoughts have an arc reactor core, then it will drain the automaton's power faster. Then Dreadnoughts gaping mouth suddenly breathed out fire. Eyes wide, Ms. Marvel could feel the heat as she barely dove away in time.
"Flamethrowers? Seriously!" Ms. Marvel cried out. It would be bad if she got burnt right now. The Dreadnought didn't say anything as it raised its right arm. The spiked knuckles unfolded to fire a barrage of missiles at her. Ms. Marvel barely had time to think as she stretched her arm to grab a nearby lamp post and pull herself out of the way just in time. Unfortunately for her, it appeared that the missiles are of a heat-seeking variant because they changed course and came after her. It will not bode well for her if they hit her.
Seeing the Dreadnought approaching gave her an idea. Embiggening her hands, she pushed herself towards the automaton. Ms. Marvel twisted her body to avoid the fist that smashed the ground as she slid between its legs. Embiggening her fists once again, she gripped the automaton and pushed it down just in time to tank the missiles that were pursuing her. They punctured the Dreadnought in a cascade of explosions. When the smoke cleared, the automaton is busted up, most of its body reduced to slag.
"Robot shield!" Ms. Marvel yells before dropping the robot. She could feel the lingering heat from the damage it sustained, and it was close to unbearable. Checking her fingers, she sighed in relief when there are no burns.
"Got to trademark that move," Ms. Marvel muttered.
Back to Thor, he had just forced it on the offensive. It seemed to realize that its stolen repulsor shield is draining too much power. Deflecting the drill, he swung Mjolnir upward, breaking it off. Seeing the loss of one of its weapons, it drew back its remaining arm and threw a punch at Thor. The Asgardian warrior merely scoffed at the attempt and grabbed it by the fist. Gripping it, he proceeded to crush it. The Automaton lost the use of both its arms. But its eyes began to glow in defiance.
"Enough of this," Thor muttered as he seized the automaton by the neck and lift him off the ground. His eyes glowed blue as he called down lightning upon the machine. The electricity surging into it began to melt the metal into slag. Finally, the automaton stopped moving and Thor let it fall to the ground in satisfaction.
"Ha! As usual, I am the strongest Avenger!" Thor boasted while stroking his beard. Ms. Marvel just rolled her eyes at the proclamation. But then they remember the third Dreadnought and turned to face it.
"Do you want the honors?" Thor asked Ms. Marvel.
"I think I've had my fill," Ms. Marvel said with a smirk. "You can go ahead."
Right before one of them could engage it, something landed on top of it. The two heroes covered their eyes to protect them from the dust kicked up. When they removed them, they see a green-skinned, and muscular humanoid pounding away at the Dreadnought. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of tattered shorts.
"HULK SMASH!" The green goliath roars as he pounds away at the Dreadnought beneath him. Despite its repulsor shielding, it was a futile endeavor as it broke down. That left the automaton vulnerable to the green fists that smashed away at its chassis. By the time he was done, the Dreadnought was nothing more than caved in scrap. With one final smash, it flattened the head completely. Seeing it finished, the Hulk stepped off, his enormous feet crushing stray scraps of metal.
"Hey, Hulk!" Ms. Marvel greeted, strolling up to her fellow Avenger. "It's good to see you! How've you been big guy?"
"Good," Hulk replied with a grunt.
"I'm pleased to see you as well, friend," Thor greeted as well. "Are the others arriving as well?"
"They're already here," Hulk replied. "Flag Man wants jammers down so we can talk to each other."
"The signal jammers," Ms. Marvel said. "How do we find them?"
"Tin Can say HYDRA is using towers to prevent us talking to each other," Hulk replied. "Find them and smash them!"
"Towers? Do you mean the local radio or cellular towers?" Ms. Marvel asked to which Hulk shrugs. "That doesn't exactly help. How are we supposed to—"
At that moment the earth shook again as another Hydra-Bot made itself known. The three Avengers looked up as it approached them with its energy cannon charging up.
"Seriously! Not another one!" Ms. Marvel complained. While the two readied themselves, they felt the wind blow past them. The Hulk had leaped into the air towards the Hydra-Bot. He smashed into the hull of the walker, leaving a sizable hole. The two Avengers outside watched the Hydra-Bot stumble and sway a few times before falling. It crashed into a nearby building, shattering the foundation as it fell to earth. The heroes watched as the gamma-powered destroyer punched his way back out through the top of the walker. Pulling himself out, he bared his chest as he roars to the heavens.
"Hulk is the strongest there is!"
"I'll have to disagree with him on that," Thor muttered under his breath. Ms. Marvel heard him regardless and smiled wryly. Hulk leaped down, making the ground shake a bit. She did not doubt that he could split the ground if he wanted to.
"Okay, let's focus you two," Ms. Marvel declares. "We need to restore communications. "But how? There's got to be a thousand towers here!"
"If the enemy wants to keep us in the dark, they'll need to guard it," Thor surmised. "Some of these Hydra-Bots were acting strange."
"How so?" Ms. Marvel asked.
"There were some places that they would avoid," Thor answered. "While I was in the air, these tentacled monstrosities were rampaging through the city. But some of them were standing vigilant…like they are protecting something."
"Those must be where the signal jammers are," Ms. Marvel realized. "Then let's hit those places! The sooner we get communications back online, the sooner we can save Jersey City."
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Thor said in agreement. "Lets us show these villains what it means to anger the God of Thunder!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Ms. Marvel asked. After Thor shared the locations of possible signal jamming towers, Ms. Marvel launched herself onto a building and scurried off. Thor and Hulk were about to take off when they saw a horde of Dreadnoughts coming their way. These variants had energy Gatling guns for hands. From behind, they see another wave coming towards them.
"It appears that HYDRA does not learn that their mechanical soldiers are no match for able-bodied warriors," Thor said, gripping his hammer. He looked to his comrade with a wry smirk. "Shall we make it another competition?"
"Gladly," Hulk smirked while pounding a fist into a palm. Together, the two of them charged towards different directions, eager to prove themselves stronger than the other. The horde of automatons opened fired on them
High above the city-turned warzone is a massive air carrier. The hull is painted the same black and red as the ground forces below. Emblazoned in places like the aft and the helm is the symbol of HYDRA. It is currently cloaked, as to avoid confrontation with the battle below. It flew on advanced anti-gravity technology. This ship served to mock their adversaries, S.H.I.E.L.D. in terms of technological prowess and power while providing a mobile base of operations.
Johann Schmidt observed on the battle below from the deck of the Terror-Carrier as HYDRA took to calling it. He is an imposing man dressed in a red and black military uniform. What made him more intimidating was the red skull that is his head. The lack of ears and nose cemented this look. His eyes were glued to the screens displaying the Terror-Carriers statistics and battle feed.
Behind him approached a man wearing the same uniform as himself. A glass spectacle covered his right eye. His upper right arm had been replaced with a mechanical arm-like device. The Skull knew for a fact that it is a deadly weapon that should be feared other than himself.
"Baron Strucker," Red Skull acknowledged the man with a raspy German-accented voice. He never took his eyes off the display as a couple of Viper jets shot down a yellow and black gunship. "Report."
"Herr Skull," Baron Von Strucker addressed the supreme leader of the High Council of HYDRA. "The Avengers have arrived in New Jersey City."
"So, they have," Red Skull said as if he expected this to happen. "Have our forces increase security around the signal jammers. The Avengers will defeat them, of course, but it will draw their attention and buy us time to extract the superweapon A.I.M. tried to swindle out of us."
He stressed out that last part on purpose just to make him flinch. It was no secret to him and the rest of the council that he desired to be the supreme leader of HYDRA. That arrogance is what cost them the opportunity for HYDRA to become masters of the world. This infighting is unacceptable within the organization. Which is what lead to the creation of the High Council of HYDRA.
But this situation can still be salvaged. Based on their intelligence, the weapon can still be retrieved. This is why they cut off all communications coming in and out of Jersey City. That way, their quarry won't be able to contact reinforcements. What they didn't expect was for them to send out their own forces and escalate the conflict making it difficult.
"Sir!" One of the computer operators called out. "We've detected a massive surge of cosmic energy in the city!"
Red Skull and Baron Strucker snapped their attention towards him. Cosmic energy is the energy of reality itself. That type of energy must be the weapon they're seeking. There can be no other explanation.
"Where?" Strucker asked.
"Its signature is moving, so we can't get an exact location!"
"So, this is all a paper tiger," Skull surmised. "Keep us distracted while they smuggle our prize out of the country."
"Have all remaining ground forces converge on that signature!" Baron Strucker ordered. "Bring down the ship but do not destroy it! We need the weapon intact!"
"Understood sir!"
"We shall go retrieve it ourselves," Red Skull said, turning on his heel and walking towards the entrance of the command deck. "Strucker, you shall accompany me. Gather our best agents. I have a feeling that to obtain our prize, we shall need to overcome the Avengers."
"At once, Herr Skull," Strucker said with a salute. Red Skull turns to address the rest of the crew of the Terror-Carrier.
"Today, the old world will end," Red Skull declares. "Tomorrow, a new one shall emerge from the ashes with the reign of HYDRA. Borne to the fruit of power that lies within our reach! Our enemies will be powerless against us. If they bring this vessel down, hundreds more will rain fire upon them! If they cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail HYDRA."
"Hail HYDRA!" Baron Strucker called out. At once, the crew began chanting it with the rest of the occupants of the Terror-Carrier. Raising their arms above them as they did so.
"Hail HYDRA!"
Ms. Marvel cried out as she threw an embiggened fist towards a power generator. It was the last one as the portable tower shuts down. It was cleverly disguised as a hot dog stand. She was low on energy after taking down the Hydra-Bot standing guard, so she feasted upon the hotdogs. Hopefully, she can pay them back.
"That's one down," Ms. Marvel said. "Hopefully the others are taking the others out as well."
With that, she hopped away and began looking for the next signal jammer. Thanks to Thor's intel, it was easy to track down the signal jammers. Already, she took down two of them. But her comms are still filled with static. Hopefully, the next one will be the last so that she'll finally contact her fellow Avengers.
Ms. Marvel found herself at the next signal jammer. It was on top of a multistory parking garage. At least it wasn't an abandoned apartment complex. Security was tighter than the last one, so she must be in the right place. Standing above it is another Hydra-Bot. Just how many of these things does HYDRA need right now? She shook that thought out of her head.
"Well, let's deal with the bigger fish," Ms. Marvel said. Hopefully, she ate enough food for what she's about to pull. Immediately she grew gigantic. The ground forces of HYDRA cried out in surprise at her sudden appearance, but she didn't care. Before the Hydra-Bot could act, the polymorph seized the machine by the tentacles with both hands. Without letting go, she yanked the bot into the air and swung it around like a sling. When she gathered enough energy, she released it. The Hydra-Bot soared over Jersey City and splashed into the upper bay. It was a sheer miracle that the impact didn't result in a tsunami wave.
"That takes care of that," Ms. Marvel said, clapping her hands. She turned her attention to the HYDRA soldiers standing guard. "Now to deal with—argh!"
Just then, she was hit with a wave of dizziness. This is bad. She experienced this before when she grew herself to titanic proportions. Soon, she's going to be under a fainting spell.
"Crud! It wasn't enough," Ms. Marvel groaned as she shrank back down. While she struggled to stay awake, the HYDRA forces were getting ready to gun her down. They raised their weapons and trained them on her.
But just before they could pull the trigger, a circular object flew past her head. It struck the nearest HYDRA soldier and ricochet off several others knocking them down. Finally, it rebounded and flew until a red-gloved hand caught it. She felt a hand on her shoulder. From the corner of her eye, a man was kneeling next to her.
"Are you okay, soldier?"
Ms. Marvel's vision became clear. The person kneeling next to her is the living legend himself. Dressed in a uniform bearing the red, white, and blue, with a helmet emblazoned with wings at the side and an 'A' on the forehead, is Captain America.
"I think so," Ms. Marvel said. When she saw the look on his face, she corrected herself. "No…I'm a little dizzy but my head is still in the game. I don't think I can embiggen my whole body without fainting next time."
"Then save it until you really need it," Captain America ordered firmly. He stood up and held out his hand to her. "We can't have you fainting in the middle of the mission."
"Will do, Cap," Ms. Marvel said as she accepted his hand and he pulled her back on her feet. "It's good to see you."
"I can say the same," Captain America replied with a confident smile. It went away as he became serious. He held up a round shield, bearing the same colors as his uniform with a lone white star in the center, just in time to block energy bolts. "Stay focused. We need to take out that signal jammer. Once it's down, we can coordinate with the other heroes and contact S.H.I.E.L.D. for reinforcements. With your powers, you can get there and smash it."
"What will you do?"
"I'll provide a distraction to keep them off your back," Captain America said, jerking his head over to the HYDRA forces that are still firing upon them. "I'll meet you at the top. On my signal. Go!"
The second he said that he charged forward, his shield protecting him from the continuous barrage of fire. Behind him, Ms. Marvel took the opportunity to slip away. The captain picked up enough speed to ram two HYDRA soldiers and knock them over. He bashed his shield against the HYDRA soldier before twisting his body to sock another in the jaw.
Gripping his shield by the edge, he threw it at the HYDRA soldier who was readying a launcher. It rebounds off concrete pillars before slicing the weapon in half with its edge. It sparked in his hand before it exploded. While the shield was flying, Captain America engaged several soldiers in a bare-knuckle brawl. He parried a strike of a goon and punched him where the liver is. Throwing another over his shoulder, he kicked his shield just as it was returning to him. It ricocheted off several more soldiers before returning to his hand.
"I forgot how good it feels to kick some HYDRA scumbags butt," Captain America said with a smile as he ran up the stairs to the next floor.
While the sentinel of liberty was fighting his way up, Ms. Marvel had reached the top floor by pulling herself up with an elongated arm. To her minor annoyance, there a three more Dreadnoughts standing guard with more HYDRA soldiers. While she made short work of the soldiers, the automatons were proving to be troublesome.
"Seriously! You have laser eyes too!" Ms. Marvel cried out as her body bends to avoid twin lasers from frying her to a crisp. She frowned at the menacing machines. "Okay…now I know how Thor feels about machines."
Embiggening her hands, she reached out and grabbed one of the Dreadnoughts. With a grunt of effort, she slung it back before slamming it into another Dreadnought. The force sent the dreadnought flying off the complex. Ms. Marvel didn't stop to look as she threw away the Dreadnought and grasped the other one with her embiggened hand. Gritting her teeth, she applied more pressure to her grip. The repulsor shielding failed as the Dreadnought struggled to three itself. The next sound she heard is the one of screeching metal as she finally crushed the automaton.
"That takes care of that," Ms. Marvel quipped as she tosses the hunk of metal to the side. Facing the signal jammer, which was disguised as a food truck, and began smashing it with two embiggened fists. The food truck caved in from the impact of her fists. By the time that she was done, the signal jammer met the same fate as the last automaton.
"And that!" Ms. Marvel exclaimed, shoulders slumping with exhaustion. "I really hope that it's the last one because I can't handle another Dreadnought."
At that moment, something landed behind her with a loud 'clang. Turning around, she found herself looking at the same Dreadnought that she knocked over the side. She can only think of one thing as it raised its spinning drill arm.
"Let me guess…you can fly too?"
It didn't say anything as it advanced. At that point, something collided with the back of its head. It turned around just in time to see Captain America charging forward whilst receiving his shield. He leaped into the air and planted both his feet into the torso of the Dreadnought, knocking it down. Without letting up, he gripped his shield at the sides and slammed it into where the neck is. The vibranium shield's edge chopped the head off like a carrot and it rolled on the asphalt floor until it stopped. The light faded from its eyes from the lack of power.
"I figured that HYDRA's robots would be smarter, you know?" Captain America said as he got off. "Because this is clearly the least smart move they could make."
Before Kamala could say anything, she heard her earpiece crackled to life. Both heroes recognized the deep voice that spoke to them. It was the director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, or better known as S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Captain, if you are hearing this, it means the comms are back online. The Helicarrier is about fifty clicks away from Jersey City."
"Fury, Ms. Marvel just destroyed the last signal jammer," Captain America responded. Ms. Marvel straightened up with pride at that. "What's the status on evacuation?"
"Hill is reporting that the other Avengers and heroes have gathered the civilians into separate secure areas. I've already ordered response teams to carry out the evacuation. It is imperative that you get the city back in order, Captain. They're likely using this as a distraction to get Project Omega out of New Jersey city. You must retrieve it before they cause any damage with it."
"We're on it, Nick. You can count on us," Captain America said as he cuts off communication. He noticed Ms. Marvel looking at him with a questioning look.
"Project Omega?"
"Project Omega is a superweapon," Captain America explains as they walked to the edge of the building. "One that can make a nuke look like a firecracker if it is set loose on the world."
"Wait…a superweapon is HERE? In MY city?" Ms. Marvel asked, her voice laced with panic. "How do you know all of that?"
"We have an inside man," Captain America replied. "Or in this case, I should say an inside woman."
"Inside woman?" Ms. Marvel asked when it clicked. "Oh, you mean—"
"Get down!" Captain America suddenly yelled. He tackled Ms. Marvel to the ground, covering her body with his while raising his shield. Above them, a black and yellow warship soared past them, smoke coming out of all areas. The heroes heard it crashed to earth. After a few seconds, they looked over the edge to see the crater of destruction left by the crash.
Immediately, the heroes leaped over the edge. For Kamala, she elongated her legs to the ground and lowered herself down. The captain rolled his body the moment it met the ground and got back on his feet. Cautiously, they approached the crash site while looking for any civilians that might've been caught in the crash. To their relief, any inhabitants occupying the building left long before the crash.
The rear ramp lowered itself down. Stumbling out of the wreckage was a man in a combat uniform that looks a lot like a beekeeper. He didn't get far from the ship when he was electrocuted from behind. As he fell to the ground, unconscious, a woman shimmered into existence. She is a beautiful woman with long red hair, green eyes, and an athletic yet voluptuous physique dressed in a form-fitting black jumpsuit. Wrapped. Around her waist is a utility belt with a red hourglass symbol with two pistols holstered at her sides and a pair of yellow gauntlets on each wrist.
"Hey Steve," the woman greets as she approached them. "Long time no see."
"I can say the same, Natasha," Captain America greets Natasha Romanov, AKA the Black Widow. She looked to Ms. Marvel.
"Hey Kamala," Natasha waved. "Have you been keeping up with your studies?"
"Let's try to keep my personal life out for the moment," Ms. Marvel said with her arms crossed in annoyance. "What's going on? What is Project Omega and why does HYDRA want it so bad?"
"Long story short, A.I.M. was developing a superweapon for HYDRA and they screwed them over," Natasha said with a grimace. "As you can see, they didn't take that well when they found out."
"Wait…A.I.M. involved in this too?" Ms. Marvel asked, looking at the Beekeeper lying prone on the ground. A.I.M., Advanced Idea Mechanics, is another terrorist organization. Only this one is composed of brilliant scientists who create advanced technology and builds and sell weapons for profit.
"Yes, and they're the brains behind Project Omega," Natasha confirmed. "It's a superweapon called the Cosmic Cube. Appropriately named because it's a device that utilizes cosmic energy to warp reality to the user's whims. If someone such as HYDRA gets their hands on it…"
"HYDRA will make it so that the allies never won World War ii," Captain America said with a look of anger. "With that kind of power, they can finally take over the world and clear out anyone who can oppose them. We have to stop them!"
"We've got company," Natasha said as she pulls out two riot batons from behind her back. Her gauntlets, widows bite, added an electrical charge to them. Coming towards them are a contingent of Beekeepers armed with a variety of weapons. Above them are a swarm of Y-shaped drones. A big one in heavy-looking armor and wielding a hexagonal Gatling gun took notice of the heroes and barked out orders.
"Well, this is a nice change of pace," Ms. Marvel commented as the Beekeepers lined up to take a shot at them. She saw the looks on her elder's faces. "What? We've been fighting nothing but HYDRA and robots lately!"
"We'll talk about this later!" Captain America yells as he throws his shield. As they charged forward, the shield ricocheted off several A.I.M. Beekeepers before they had a chance to fire. This includes the big guy when the shield hits him in the head, causing him to fire upon his own allies. The Beekeepers scrambled to avoid the weapon's rapid-fire energy bolts. By the time they recovered, the three Avengers were upon them.
"So, wait, if A.I.M. created this powerful superweapon, why haven't they used it yet?" Ms. Marvel asked as she punches an A.I.M. goon with an embiggened fist. "I mean, wouldn't it be helpful for them. Not that I'm complaining."
"It's because they haven't finished it yet," the Black Widow replied as blocks a strike from a Beekeepers baton and decks him in the jaw. Striking another one, she swept the legs of a Beekeeper and hits him while he is down. She garrotes an A.I.M. soldier with a wire produced from her gauntlet. "I've been listening to their comms. HYDRA launched their attack before it could be completed. They try to complete it while they smuggle it out of Jersey City."
"And when HYDRA found out, their spat turned into an all-out war for the cube," Captain America surmised while deflecting an energy bolt with his shield. "Do you know how they're transporting the Cosmic Cube?"
"They were transporting it in one of their warships using the battle as a smokescreen," Natasha yelled as she activated her gauntlets, the widow's bite. She fired an electrical blast that shocked a Beekeeper unconscious. "But from what I gathered from their transmissions it was shot down by HYDRA. These guys must be the reinforcements."
"Then we have a chance to secure it," Captain America said. Natasha nods while she trades her batons for two pistols. She fired upon the drones and while he punched a Beekeeper, he spoke into the comms. "To all Avengers, be on the lookout for an A.I.M. warship that was recently shot down. Be advised, it is carrying a superweapon called the Cosmic Cube that can destroy on a massive scale. HYDRA is here to secure that weapon. To anyone near a crash site, search it for the Cosmic Cube. we must retrieve it at all costs."
"Read you loud and clear Cap," Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, replied through the comms. He is a blonde man wearing a black suit with purple accents. On his chest is a purple downward arrow. Adjusting his purple sunglasses, he knocked an arrow on the string and shot it at another HYDRA soldier. It struck him in the chest and sent an electrical charge through his body. The HYDRA soldier spasmed and fell to the ground unconscious.
When the comms were back online, he felt relieved to hear from Natasha again. They worked together when they were with S.H.I.E.L.D. and they watched each other's backs. He had faith in her skills as a spy when infiltrating A.I.M.
He walked past the unconscious bodies of HYDRA soldiers. Most of them have been pinned to the wall or floor. Looking over his shoulder, he sent a request for another quiver full of arrows. Now that communication was back online, he didn't have to worry about running out in this warzone.
The roar of a jet engine filled the air. Looking up, he saw a pod slam into the rooftop a few feet away from him. Approaching it, he placed his handprint on the scanner. It opened, revealing a new quiver full of arrows. He unslung the empty quiver and replaced it with the new one.
"You can always count on Stark to think of that one," Hawkeye said to himself. Satisfied that he was fully stocked, he walks to the edge of the building, confident that he can take on the next challenge.
"Now that's a crash site," Hawkeye mutters as he observes the battle below. A.I.M. forces have holed up in the damaged warship, peeking out to take potshots at the advancing HYDRA forces below. For a bunch of scientists, they can hold their own to wanted war criminals. The suppression fire was forcing them behind cover, but it was only a matter of time.
Clint was scanning the battlefield when he saw a HYDRA soldier doing something interesting. He was holding some sort of scanner and pointing his comrades in a direction. The archer followed the direction he was pointing to and saw a couple of A.I.M. guys loading something into a black briefcase. Just then, he caught a glimpse of an object glowing like a Christmas light before the Beekeepers closed the case.
Interesting…
"Cap, I got eyes on a crash site that probably has this 'cosmic cube' everyone's been talking about," the bowman spoke. "They're loading it into some sort of briefcase."
"Are you sure?"
"Judging by how HYDRA's scanners are buzzing, I'm sure as hell," Hawkeye responded affirmatively. "I'm no expert like Tony, but cosmic energy has a unique signature of its own. So yeah, I'm sure that's the Cosmic Cube. If not, it's definitely something A.I.M. doesn't want HYDRA to get its hands on."
"Whether it is or isn't, we can't pass this up," Captain America said. "Can you retrieve the object?"
"Already on it," Hawkeye said as he draws an arrow with three small, claw-like prongs. When he released the string, a high-tension cable remained attached to his bow as it flew. The Beekeepers had just finished locking the black briefcase when the arrow dug into the case. Smirking, Hawkeye pressed a button on his bow and the cable retracted itself, yanking the case away from the surprised goons at high speed. Smirking, Hawkeye received the briefcase and ran away from the edge. When he gained enough distance, he set the case down.
"Course it had to be an electronic lock," Clint muttered as he examined the lock. He took an arrow from his quiver and jammed it into the interface. Electricity surged from the arrow, short-circuiting the lock. When he heard a click, he opened the case.
He almost averted his eyes from the bright light of the object. Inside is a cube that could fit in the palm of his hand. It glowed a myriad of colors, ever-shifting. It was then he knew for sure that this is Project Omega. The Cosmic Cube. Already, he could feel the temptation to use within him. But he shook his head. Something like this can cause enough damage if misused. Until it can be confirmed safe to use, this thing is better left locked up.
"This is Hawkeye," Clint spoke into the comms as he closes the case. "I got some good news. The Cosmic Cube is in my possession."
At that moment, he heard hooks digging into the building's foundation. Looking over his shoulder, he saw HYDRA soldiers grappling onto the rooftop. It didn't take a genius to know that they saw him take the Cosmic Cube from A.I.M. Speaking of the latter, some of their drones are flying into view.
"Bad news is that I have a HYDRA and A.I.M. on my ass!" Hawkeye exclaimed as he picks up the briefcase and started running. "Any assistance will be thankful!"
And so, Hawkeye ran on the rooftops with HYDRA and A.I.M. in pursuit. Some of their comrades got smart enough to rush ahead and attempt to cut him off. That didn't mean he couldn't defend himself.
Reaching over his head, he unsheathed a katana he kept on his back with his quiver. With one hand, he slashed a HYDRA soldier in the legs while stabbing an A.I.M. Synthoid in its power core. He didn't break a sweat as he continued to run from his pursuers. With the briefcase, he smashed it into the heads of HYDRA and A.I.M. goons trying to seize it. Plus, the side of A.I.M. is that they wanted this Cosmic Cube protected from anything, making it extremely useful as a blunt weapon.
Wanting to get some breathing room, Hawkeye threw the case into the air. It didn't take him a split second to draw his bow while everyone is looking up. The first arrow he drew had a spheroid tip. He shot it into the air, where it sent out an electromagnetic pulse. The drones flying above fell to the ground when they shut down, most of them smashing into pieces upon impact. He leaped up as he drew a second arrow, which beeped in tandem, and shot it at the ground beneath him. It released an energy wave at a 360 degree that incapacitated the surrounding enemies. Hawkeye landed and caught the briefcase with one hand.
"Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that I've taken down several thugs who were chasing me," Hawkeye said into the comms. "I would like to take up my backup request and instead ask for a Quinjet for extraction."
The hairs on his neck stood on end. Reflexively, he moved just in time to dodge a beam of psionic energy. Dropping the briefcase, Hawkeye rolled on the ground and drew his bow, and nocked an arrow at a man sitting on a hovering chair picked up the briefcase. His limbs are covered in purple armor plating. His head, however, is the biggest feature of them all. Around it is a purple headband with a glowing red piece at the center. The purple archer recognized him on sight from previous battles.
"I take it back. I'm going to need that backup"
"As you should, Clint Barton!" the Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, also known as M.O.D.O.K., replied. "Do you have any idea what you were holding?"
"Why don't you use that big head of yours to enlighten me?" Hawkeye rhetorically asked as he fired the arrow. It separated into smaller arrows that flew to attack M.O.D.O.K. The only thing they hit was a force field that surrounded the big-headed scientist.
"You really think I wouldn't see that coming?" M.O.D.O.K. asked smugly. "I have calculated a thousand ways to destroy you!"
"Just testing the waters," Hawkeye said as he shot an arrow directly at the big head. The arrow exploded upon impact with the barrier. But this one emitted a bright flash that blinded M.O.D.O.K. who dropped the case. Quickly, Hawkeye scooped it up and took off running. It was tempting to take advantage of his vulnerability, but he needs to get the Cosmic Cube out of here.
Unfortunately, he didn't get very far. The moment he landed on the streets, the ground in front of him exploded. The briefcase left his hand, and he felt his back hit the asphalt. The blast made his ears ring and his vision becoming blurry. AS he sat back up, his vision cleared to show him being surrounded by A.I.M. forces. Beekeepers, Synthoids, the whole shebang is there.
"You have no idea what you could've done!" M.O.D.O.K. yelled angrily as he reclaims the briefcase. "The Cosmic Cube is the key to humanity's salvation! No more crime! No more villains! No more fallible heroes! Only a reality where world peace is achieved!"
"Why do I get the feeling that A.I.M. has a different definition of world peace?" Hawkeye snarked.
"If we must tear down reality to build a new world, so be it!" M.O.D.O.K. declares with as the A.I.M. force raised their weapons. Hawkeye hadn't recovered in time to draw an arrow as they fired.
Just before the energy bolts could reach them, a blue shield sprag up in front of the archer. It intercepted the bolts like an immovable wall. Then, a barrage of missiles flew towards them and exploded among the A.I.M. forces. Most of it blew the limbs off the Synthoids while the explosions sent the Beekeepers into confusion. While the smoke began to clear, another player landed in front of the barrier with a clanging of metal.
It at first appeared to be an automaton made up of gold-titanium alloy with a hot rod red. With a whir of motors, it stood up taller than Hawkeye. Two glowing eyes looked up, glaring at the forces of A.I.M. before it. On its chest piece is a glowing core. But the archer knew for a fact that it is no machine. Its movements are too lifelike to be considered robotic. He is a man in armor.
He is a fellow Avenger.
"Mind if I cut in, Mister Potato Head?" An autotune voice spoke through external speakers. He looked at Hawkeye. "Oh…and your welcome."
"You just love making an entrance do you, Stark?" Hawkeye said with a roll of his eyes.
Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, didn't reply as he charged forward. An armored fist punched a Beekeeper in the gut and sent him flying. There was a high-pitched whine as Iron Man fired a blue beam of energy at another Beekeeper. He spun around and fired a dual blast at two more beekeepers. The Beekeepers returned fire, the energy bolt hitting the armor with little to no noticeable damage.
Taking off from the ground, he began making short work of the A.I.M. aerial troops. He socked an aero beekeeper in the jaw and blasted a drone to pieces with a repulsor. Iron Man crossed his hands as two red beams shot out. Spinning in the air, the lasers sliced up several more drones that attempted to swarm him in midair. Meanwhile, M.O.D.O.K. was making his getaway.
"You should be thankful for the work we put our hands through!" M.O.D.O.K. yells before he flies away.
"Those tiny hands of yours can't save anything," the armored Avenger retorts as he flew after him. The thrusters in his hands and feet breaking the sound barrier. "That'll take a real genius. Like me."
The two of them flew through the city engaged in a supersonic dogfight. They both exchanged whatever their arsenals could offer them. Missiles, lasers, energy blasts, even a clash between buzzsaw and energy blade. Neither of them showed any sign of stopping the game of cat and mouse.
Finally, M.O.D.O.K's headband glowed as he turned around and fired a beam of psionic energy at his foe. The armored Avenger did a barrel roll as he evaded the stream of energy and never losing his speed. Grunting in frustration, M.O.D.O.K. opted for a change in tactic and tried to ram him with his barrier up.
"Wow. You're actually using your head for once," Tony quipped as he deftly dodged the reckless attack. "Why don't we help you out? J.A.R.V.I.S., focus power to the Unibeam."
"At once sir," came an A.I. voice. Stark crosses his arms in an 'X as his arc reactor core glowed brightly. Baring his chest, a powerful beam of energy shot out. It hit the back of the still charging M.O.D.O.K., with the forcefield protecting him from most of the damage. But the force of the attack added more momentum. M.O.D.O.K. crashed into the ground and bounced off like a pinball. The briefcase fell from his grip as he finally landed in the middle of a public park, the fall breaking it open. The Cosmic Cube was exposed for all the world to see.
"UNGH! Curse you Stark!" M.O.D.O.K. curses as he struggled to get back up. Iron Man landed on the ground with an air of swagger. Both were several feet away from the Cosmic Cube.
"You should leave saving the world to the heroes M.O.D.O.K.," Tony said. "Given your record, I think it's better if the Cosmic Cube is in better hands than yours."
"On that, I can agree, Herr Stark."
Two pairs of eyes whipped around to see the Red Skull standing with Luger P08 in his hand. Standing next to him is Baron Von Strucker, with his Satan Claw giving off an ominous glow. Behind them are a contingent of HYDRA forces with their weapons aimed at them. Tony could pick out a few familiar faces of their best agents.
"Hey, Skull face. I see you still didn't get the memo that World War ii is over," Tony greeted sarcastically. "Then again…from what I hear, you guys appear easy to fool. Didn't you learn anything from the Atomic Bomb?"
"We paid a huge sum for the Cosmic Cube!" Strucker snarls as he started forward. "These A.I.M. Schwein pulled a fast one on us!"
"One they will pay dearly for I assure you, mein Freund" Red Skull said, raising a hand to block Strucker. He turned to M.O.D.O.K. "Despite your duplicity, you have my thanks M.O.D.O.K. Soon, HYDRA will reign supreme over the world. A shame you will not be there to see it."
"The Cosmic Cube is the property of A.I.M.!" M.O.D.O.K. yells as a purple light filled the air around him. When it died out, a squadron of A.I.M. forces appeared. From behind Iron Man, more A.I.M. forces teleported with heavy-looking weapons trained on him. A couple of Beekeepers attempted to help their leader up, but he waved them off. With a grunt of effort, his body rights itself and hovered in place. He glared at the HYDRA soldiers.
"It was our intelligence that led to its creation! We will decide how reality is changed!"
"We were the ones who funded your operation!" Strucker shouted back while raising his luger. "Its power belongs to HYDRA!"
"May I offer a suggestion?" Tony asked, causing everyone to focus their attention on him. "How does nobody get the Cosmic Cube and you all go to prison? You can spend all your time learning how to not turn a city into a war zone?"
"Your jests never cease to amuse me, Herr Stark," Red Skull said with a dark chuckle. He stepped forward to gesture to the people all around. "As well as your continued fantasy that your armor makes you invincible. Do you honestly believe that you can defeat all of us?"
Rather than feel disturbed, Tony grew a smile from behind the faceplate. "I'm aware of my own Achilles heel, thank you very much mein fuhrer. But do you know what the best part of being an Avenger is?"
Three small discs attached themselves to three unsuspecting Beekeepers. The discs sent electrical shocks coursing into them, tasering them. They fell to the ground as the Black Widow drops the cloak to make her presence known. A shield hits a Beekeeper and ricochets off several more before returning to the hand of Captain America.
They weren't the only ones to arrive. Descending with a flash of lightning that shocked five drones, Thor landed on the ground with Mjolnir sparking. Not too far behind him is the Hulk, the jade giant's landing causing a bigger boom that knocked away six Beekeepers much to thunder god's chagrin. Ms. Marvel came rushing in followed by Hawkeye shooting a shock arrow into a drone. This wasn't all of them as the others are helping with evacuation until S.H.I.E.L.D. arrives, but it was enough to take them down.
"When one of us faces a threat that cannot be dealt with alone, we assemble," Tony finished.
"Right, you are Tony," Captain America said, hefting his shield and giving the villains a hard glare. "Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Make no mistake…nobody is getting their hands on the Cosmic Cube."
"An admirable declaration, Herr Rogers," Red Skull said bemused. "But if I recall correctly, you and the allies never backed out of a fight. So why should we?"
"My calculations have already decided the outcome of this battle," M.O.D.O.K. said. "It shall end in victory for A.I.M."
"You people must answer for turning this city into a warzone," Thor declares as he brandishes Mjolnir. "If you wish to end this with fighting, then so be it! I'm more than eager to punish you!"
While the teams are having their standoff, something is happening with the Cosmic Cube. Its glow was growing with intensity. The sound of breaking glass was heard as a spiderweb crack appeared on the surface. As it continued to glow brightly, more cracks appeared.
"Umm…guys?" Ms. Marvel said. She was the only one who seemed to notice the Cube's odd behavior. "Is the Cosmic Cube supposed to be doing that?"
"My scanners are detecting a buildup of cosmic energy!" Iron Man declared. His armors HUD displayed a warning signal. "The energy is becoming unstable! Have you ever heard of finishing anything M.O.D.O.K.? It's a very simple thought process."
"It was ninety-six complete!" M.O.D.O.K. said in a panicky voice. "HYDRA shot down its transport before it could be completed! There was only a sixty percent chance of this event happening…how could this happen?"
"Doesn't matter!" Iron Man snapped. "You better pray to everything holy about science that you didn't put too much cosmic energy into that cube, because that could blow this city sky-high or tear a hole in reality itself!"
That didn't sit well with everyone, especially Ms. Marvel. The girl is sweating bullets with fear gripping her heart. She had friends and family in Jersey City. She will be devastated if they died.
"What do we do?" Ms. Marvel yelled out. At that point, the Cosmic Cube cracked again, this time, leaking out a ray of light.
"It's about to come apart!" Captain America shouted. "Everybody get away from the Cube!"
The Avengers turned around to either run or fly away. Even the Red Skull seemed to recognize the danger and ordered his forces to retreat. A.I.M. is also getting ready to teleport away from the blast site.
They weren't fast enough. The Cosmic Cube finally cracked, broke into fragments, and released all the energy contained within it. The area is enveloped in light, catching hero and villain alike. The light was so bright it could be seen from Manhattan. As quick as it appeared, the light died out. The Park was still there. Not a single blade of grass or tree leaf was missing. The briefcase that once held the Cosmic Cube was still there. The object in question wasn't there though.
Just like the Avengers and the villains.
[~][~]
Greetings and Bienvenu readers. This fic is something that I've been dying to do ever since my first failure for a Marvel/Fire Emblem crossover. But we all believe in the courage to try again, don't we? Special thanks to TheBobcat18, for without his help, this wouldn't be possible.
As you can probably guess, Start the Fire is a fresh start. Before you ask, I'm doing the same thing as my fic, 'Remnant's Mightiest Heroes'. The Marvel continuity side will be a mixture of several others just to practice my creativity. Please expect all sorts of surprises to come your way.
One more thing before we conclude this chapter. I'm sure we're all tired of the same song and dance involving like the protagonist waking up in a field and helping the Shepherds fend off the Brigands from Southtown. Let me be clear that won't be the case with this fic. This will be told from an entirely new perspective and a new tale will be spun. So assume that the Fire Emblem protagonists are following the script for now.
Let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy it!
Until next time.