Celestial Navigation

by Michael Weyer

I know, other fics going but Eternals is obviously sparking stuff so figure get this out now. Thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus for the help getting this going, it did take a bit longer than planned with delays due to holidays and other issues. Hopefully, it works, all comments welcomed.

Odd times had become a commonplace event in the lives of the Avengers. Yet somehow, Carol Danvers couldn't shake the feeling the new alert was going to be something else. It was her old paranoia but also the tension in Captain America's voice summoning her over.

She landed on the top level of Avengers Tower, letting the automatic security scanners run over her before she entered. She saw the majority of the team gathered with Natasha recently returned from being on some mission with Yelena and the less Carol knew of that, the better. Clint was also spending more time with his family, which Carol couldn't blame him for. She stepped into the Tower as she mused on how things were changing.

That included her own life as Maria was doing better while Monica was working on some secret SWORD project. At least Maria seemed in better spirits, Carol smiling remembering her friend's mocking on "I still look better than you do, girl" even with chemotherapy. That spirit did help Carol's own attitude regarding her friend's cancer fight.

She nodded to the others as she stepped into the main meeting room, seeing Bruce and Tony in particular looking concerned. "What's up? Said it was space-related?"

"Got a couple of visitors popping up a half hour ago downtown," Tony explained, dressed in a lighter suit than usual without his armor. "As in literally popping out of nowhere. Not a dimensional breach but some other form of space teleportation."

Carol was nodding as they walked through the halls of the Tower. "Any ideas who they are?"

"No, but Jennifer was already downtown and went to check them out," Steve explained, his mask off with the rest of his uniform. "She didn't report back so Thor and Jane went with to find her carousing with this guy at a bar with a few drinks in her."

Carol frowned. "Really? I know Jen loves a good time but she at least waits longer..."

"According to her...well, when she sobered up," Bruce began. "She just couldn't seem to help herself, just wanted to feel good."

Carol's frown deepened. "You think this guy behind it?"

"He tried his charm on me," Jane Foster stated, the look on her face making it clear she wasn't happy with it. "Thankfully, I resisted but I have to admit, I was halfway tempted to join them drinking."

"He's in the lockup now with Thor and Jen," Steve explained. "Him and his...friend."

"Yeah, that guy's a charmer but the troll is a bit much," Tony stated.

Carol stopped and stared at him. "Wait...troll?"

Tony nodded. "Yep. I mean, that's not a derogatory term, it's how he introduced himself." He paused as he saw Carol wince and rub at her head. "Wait...you know them?"

"Oh, do I know them," Carol muttered as she began marching at a quicker pace toward the rear rooms of the Tower. "And trust me, you're gonna wish they were enemies. It'd be a great excuse to punch them."

Jennifer Walters liked to consider herself not that imposing a figure. Sure, she was over six foot tall, head to foot green and could bench press a city bus with ease. But she would much rather be hanging at home, letting NCIS play in the background while she finished up some legal briefs.

Instead, she was standing with arms crossed, doing her best to glare at the handsome red-haired man in an odd red and white uniform, who absently lounged with his feet propped up on the table and arms crossed behind his head. His lips seemed turned into a constant smirk and he seemed unaffected by the glares of Jennifer and Thor standing nearby.

A loud burp echoed from his companion, a squat figure standing barely three and a half feet tall with pointed ears, dark curly hair and pants his only outfit. Despite not having drank anything in an hour, he somehow still seemed ridiculously drunk.

"I have apologized a few times, my green beauty," the man said in a smooth and friendly tone. "I had mistaken you for a Zehborian and had simply wanted to show you a good time."

Jennifer kept her glare up as the man's smirk wilted a bit. Thor was leaning on the table, glaring at him. "I can tell you are one of Titan," he intoned. "Although I was under the impression your kind had been wiped out long ago."

"Ah, a complex tale, Asgardian," the man replied. "Believe me, I will explain but it would go so much better over some good drinks."

The door burst open with Carol entering, shaking her head at the figure. "Eros, you asshole. Do you not remember the last time you tried your little love juice on one of my friends?"

The man's eyes lit up as he sat straight in his seat. "Carol! My dear, what a wonderful surprise!"

The troll frowned. "Whadya mean, surprise? Ya knew she was here, it's why you had us come over..."

"Quiet, Pip," the man intoned as he smoothly got to his feet, taking Carol's hand in his own and kissing it. "I must say, Danvers, you look more ravishing than ever."

Carol yanked her hand back as she looked to Jennifer and Thor. "Yes, he is always like this. He'd flirt with his own executioner."

"Twice if it was a woman, I could get her to botch the job." The man rose to his feet and bowed. "I should properly introduce myself..."

Coughing, the troll sat up. Clearing his throat (it was more like a loud belch), he began to speak in what was intended to be a booming and authoritative tone but came out rather annoying. "Yes, yes, right. Ladies and gents, behold the royal prince of Titan, brother of Thanos, the Black Roger of the cosmos, the Starfox...Prince Eros!"

Eros made a fanciful bow and his grin grew. "A pleasure. And I do mean that."

Jennifer was still glaring while Thor was frowning deeper. "Did you say...Thanos' brother?"

In a flash, Tony was entering the room, Pepper and Rhodey at his side, all three with their gauntlets armed and aimed at Eros, who was holding up his hand. "Wait, wait, I can assure you, the relation is blood only! Believe me, the rest of us from Titan barely escaped his slaughter, we had nothing to do with his madness!"

"You're brothers?" Rhodey frowned. "You guys don't even look like you're the same species!"

"Well, genetic trees for our kind are...complex and suffice to say Thanos had some...let's just say, issues regarding his background."

Thor held up a hand to the others. From his own experience, he was willing to give Starfox some leeway as he knew first-hand how it felt having a more than troublesome brother. "I assume you two know each other?"

The smile returned to Eros' face. "Oh, Carol and I enjoyed each other's company about...I'd say a decade or so ago?"

Carol rolled her eyes. "Yeah, after a few too many beers and still worry about that little trick of yours." She looked to the others. "Eros here has a little talent of enhancing pleasure center of the brain. Not mind control, just lowering inhibitions." She fixed him with a hard gaze. "Which, on this planet, can often fall under the category of a roofie."

Jennifer was letting out a growl that would do the Hulk proud, moving in with Carol holding up a hand. "Easy. I dislike it too but keep in mind, he's from a different culture, different planet. And he doesn't abuse it as others might." She went back to glaring at Eros. "But still not a fan..."

Eros brushed at his coat. "As it happens, my father agreed and has been telling me to tone it down a bit. Something about nearly messing up a treaty..."

"Yeah, sleeping with the daughter of the chief magistrate was a bad idea," Pip mused.

"Like you're one to talk," Eros noted. He leaned back in his seat. "I do have to talk to you, Carol and it involves something..important." He cleared his throat. "The Eternals."

Thor slowly nodded. "Ah...I was wondering when they'd come up."

Tony glared at him. "Is this yet another one of those things you assume we already knew about?"

"No, actually," Thor stated. "You knowing about them would have been pretty bad. However, they weren't my secret to tell."

"Maybe not before," Eros stated, his smile vanishing. "But now..." He took a deep breath. "Now, the Emergence is going to be an issue."

"Emergence?" Tony broke in. "What is this?"

Eros looked at him with concern. "Bad. Very, very bad."

"Ah. I really should have known."

"Say 'ah' one more time, I'm slapping you with a tongue depressor," Pepper snapped.

The main room of the Tower was more filled with the Avengers and several others. Dr. Strange had teleported there and along at the side was Professor Charles Xavier in his specialized levitating hover-wheelchair. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Wolverine and the Beast were with him. Reed Richards was also there, stretching his head to study the map of the cosmos projected on a holographic screen.

Eros was pacing before them as he began to speak. "This is a very long and complicated story but suffice to say, there are beings who have existed since the dawn of the universe. Celestials is the simplest name for them." He waved a hand as the screen showed a variety of figures who appeared to be armored humanoids of various colors and sizes. Given one was shown dwarfing a planet, the scale of them was obviously huge.

"Try to understand," Eros continued. "They are beings of power and might that we can barely comprehend. Thus, try not to judge too harshly what they do. In a way, they're just surviving like any other being."

"What is it they do?" Captain America asked.

Eros took a deep breath. "As you can imagine, birthing a creature like this is...complicated. The Celestials find a planet that seems prepared to support populated life. They place deep inside it a seed that festers within its core. A world can go millennia unaware of it at all." The hologram showed a planet with a small dot dropped from space into its surface. The shockwaves caused everything from tidal waves to earthquakes before finally settling down.

"As time goes on," Eros continued. "The population of the planet creates more energy which is drawn deep into the seed. It may take millennia but eventually, once the life force of the world is at its peak...the seed, for lack of a better word, hatches."

As they watched, the holographic planet seemed to shake with fires bursting out from within. What appeared to be a hand crashed out from the center of the globe and into the night sky. Then, the entire planet exploded, the remains scattering as a massive armored figure stood before them.

"Holy shit," Scott Lang whispered, his face paled. "Everyone on the world..."

"Dies," Eros confirmed. "And I know, it's wrong. However, remember, the Celestials do not do this out of evil or malice. They move on, to craft new worlds, new solar systems, home to worlds that are not seeded. A newborn Celestial may be responsible for the latter existence of billions, even trillions, of beings."

"And that excuses wiping an entire planet out?" Susan Storm snapped. "Their peoples, culture, history, all of it rendered meaningless because they've been nothing but a cosmic incubator?"

Eros took a breath. "I understand your anger. Believe me, we weren't happy when the people of Titan found the truth."

"Thanos," Strange announced. As everyone looked at him, he raised an eyebrow. "When we talked on Titan, he kept hinting he had another motive for doing all this." He looked to Eros. "He figured it out, didn't he?"

Eros nodded. "How, we have no idea. But yes, he knew. He figured by slaughtering half the population of Titan, it would cut down the energy needed for the Emergence, maybe even halt it." He sighed. "But he went too far. He ended up rendering the planet lifeless, which, ironically, achieved his goal of silencing the Celestial seed in its womb."

It was Tony who put it together first. "And you're telling us this...because there's one deep inside Earth, right?"

Eros confirmed his fear with a nod. "It could have been resting in your Earth's core for millions of years. Time is nothing to these Celestials. It's possible it could have been birthed years before but various cataclysms delayed it. Sadly, the rise of technology has allowed things to stabilize and thus it could be birthed at any time."

Carol shook her head. "Damn...I mean, I knew about the Celestials, heard stories about them on various worlds. Always wondered how they came to be, but never guessed this."

Jane looked to Thor. "You didn't know about this?"

He gaped at her. "You think I wouldn't have mentioned knowing about this planet home to one of those things?" He glowered. "Perhaps it's yet another item my father never deigned to share with me..."

"Ironically," Eros went on. "Thanos' 'snapping' was a good thing for planets like Earth. Losing half the populace instantly lowered the energy levels needed for an Emergence, it might have taken centuries to build up more." He looked at the humans with a sardonic expression. "Then you all had to bring them all back with a massive energy surge..."

"Yes, sue us for trying to restore the planet and not care about a threat we had no idea existed," Tony sarcastically said.

Eros waved a hand. "Right, right, moving on. An issue for the Celestials was the realization that the inhabitants of these worlds might end up accidentally destroying themselves. It's happened on a few worlds and other planets had the apex predators attacking the populace." He tapped a key as the screen now showcased some monstrous figures who appeared to be inhuman demons. Some were four-legged beasts, others with wings, appearing a mix of vicious predators and dinosaurs. "So, they crafted the Deviants, beasts meant to handle this..."

"Let me take a wild guess," Wolverine piped up, sucking on his cigar. "The damn things went wild."

Eros nodded in confirmation. "So to control the now mutated Deviants, the Celestials crafted the Eternals, beings of immense power intended to wipe out the Deviants and ensure evolution progressed. A select group of them have been on your planet for...oh, about seven thousand years or so."

The image shifted again to show a pack of humanoids, looking like various races and genders, in a variety of costumes, fighting the Deviants with ease in what appeared to be an ancient village. One was running in a blur even Quicksilver could barely track. Another was firing beams of energy from his eyes while a companion did the same from his hands. A beautiful woman was using energy-based blades to slice apart a Deviant while others handled the rest.

"I've run into a few of them over the millennia," Thor intoned. "Much like with us Asgardians, they never take part in human affairs. In their case, it's to ensure a world evolves properly. Introduce the wrong technology at the wrong time and we can see what happens."

Tony had to begrudge that point. "Okay, so, you're saying Earth is hosting a baby space monster and any moment now, it can hatch?"

"Hey, at least you guys are being let in on it," a loud and obnoxious voice cut through the air. "Seriously, how many times do the X-Men books act like they're the only folks who can stop the end of the world?"

Everyone turned to see a man covered in a strange red and black costume saunter in, swords and a variety of weapons attached to him. "Wade," Wolverine moaned. "How did you get here?"

"Canon explanation is personal teleporter," Deadpool stated. "Real, of course, is been too long since I made a cameo and the writer is really dragging his feet getting Infinity Crisis 2 going so have to pop up! And yeah, it's annoying he has to start a new one with so many left behind on updates. Some crap about..." He lifted up his hands to make quotation motions with his fingers. "'Actual paying jobs have to take priority over free time and don't want to rush chapters' stuff. Or just writer's block but hey, he gets to work newer stuff into them!"

He looked to Reed and nodded. "Hey, sorry, haven't seen the Thing, we're doing a hypothetical recast so he looks like John Cena now, right? Cause the Armie Hammer bit really hasn't aged well..."

Reed frowned. "What are-"

"Oh, don't start, it just encourages him," Cyclops half-begged with the rest of the X-Men agreeing.

Deadpool looked at the map and nodded. "Wow, nice, was curious how this would work in without the five-year time jump thing but this looks okay." He looked to Captain America. "And at least you're avoiding the Joe Biden comparison memes." His gaze fell to the Falcon. "Sucks you lose the shield, dude but then, that outfit of yours, not sure you pulled it off."

"Wade," Xavier cut in. "We are debating a serious issue here..."

"What better time for me to come on in!" Deadpool said. "I'll just be over here." He moved to the side, leaning on the wall next to She-Hulk, who he couldn't help checking out. "Nice."

"Ah, I guess," Jennifer said with a shrug. "Personally, still think it's better I look like Angie Harmon than Tatiana Maslany but guess up to the reader. At least the origins look a little better than the show."

Somehow, the eyes of Deadpool's mask managed to blink. "Ex-queeze me?"

Jennifer checked her nails. "Too bad Peter's busy but then the writer's got to be happy that Spider-Verse tale he was planning got delayed after all. I mean, who knew the movies were actually going to be able to pull that off?"

She became aware of Deadpool staring at her, his open jaw evident even with his mask. "What the shit?!" he yelled. "You..." He waved a hand outward at thin air. "You know they're out there?!"

Jennifer frowned. "Um, yeah?"

"You...you..." Deadpool shook his head. "No way, uh-huh, not doing this! Self-awareness this is a fanfic crossover and fourth-wall-breaking is my trademarked shtick!"

"Au contraire, my friend!" Jennifer held up a finger. "Sensational She-Hulk #1 hit in May of 1989. New Mutants #98 was February 1991. Ergo, I was doing the whole fourth-wall break thing over a year and a half before your first appearance." She leaned in. "And, might I add, you weren't even doing it for another decade or so."

"What are you, a lawyer?" Deadpool paused. "Oh, yeah, right." He shook his head. "But nope, we can't both be doing this! We keep this up and it causes a fracture in reality to the point of madness! Like casting Tom Holland in an Uncharted movie when we all know the only choice for a live-action Nate Drake is Nathan Fillion!"

Jen winced. "Yeah, like Pete and all but can't buy him for that."

"Exactly! Or they turn you into that stupid Savage Shulkie thing, imagine how that'll suck!"

"True. Again, might be different, already a few touches altered."

"And that's assuming he doesn't hit another months-long delay on this shit!"

Jennifer waved a hand. "This was a fun little bit that will no doubt play into things later but for now, we'd better get the story on track."

"Ah, right, I am curious how he does some continuity fixing here." The two settled back to watch.

As if nothing had happened, Eros continued. "As I said, most of Titan's populace was wiped out but a few thousand managed to escape the destruction. We've been wandering the universe for a while but hopefully are settling into a new home. We've also been reaching to try to find some fellow Eternals which is what led me to discovering this world."

"What about the Deviants?" Captain America asked. "Are they still a problem?"

"As far as I know, they were wiped out," Eros stated. "However, there is a sense some might be alive, perhaps frozen in one of your ice ages. Should they thaw out, it can be...problematic."

Tony tapped a finger to his chin. "So we find these immortal super-powered figures, get them to help us figure out how to stop this space alien from hatching and I so hope that ends up being the weirdest sentence I get to utter this week."

"Ten to one, it won't be," Jennifer muttered.

Without warning, a rumbling shook the building, alerting everyone. A beeping from the watch on his arm got Reed's attention while Xavier narrowed his eyes. "That was...not localized. It seemed to originate somewhere in the Pacific and then widespread throughout the world."

"I can confirm," Xavier said, his brow furrowing more. "The tremors of that could be felt globally."

Eros' face was wrapped in concern. "It's possible that might have been, for the lack of a better word, labor pains." He set his jaw. "So finding the Eternals may be the first step to ensuring this world's survival."

"Fine," Cap stated. "Where do we start?"

London

"So...are you a sorcerer?"

The woman known as Sylvia Sersi started. She was a strikingly beautiful woman with Asian features and lush black hair, wearing a dark suit setting her off well. She blinked at the handsome bearded man by her side. "I beg your pardon?"

Dane Whitman shrugged, his simple jeans and jacket with dark shirt fitting his athletic frame. "I'm just wondering. I mean, I saw you earlier today, when that block was dropping at that student in the quake. You just touched it and it turned to dust." To anyone else, they appeared just another couple in London on their way home from a theater show.

"You must have been imagining it," she tried to brush it off only for Dane to stand before her, his handsome face set. "Sersi...Sprite has been telling me things..." He nodded at the red-haired girl who appeared to be about twelve years old, yet carried herself with the air of someone far older. She was standing a few yards behind them, giving the pair some room while she looked at shop windows.

Sersi rolled her eyes. "Sprite is a child."

"Is she?" Dane intoned. "Because she's always struck me as older than that. Not to mention how she keeps dropping stories of the past far more interesting than any history book." He shrugged at her look. "Sersi...listen...I get it, you have some secrets. Trust me, I can understand."

"Can you?" she asked, her smile fading. "Who I am, Dane...what I am...you may not understand it."

"Sersi, look at the world these days. Half the population vanishes and comes back. We have super-heroes and villains fighting it out, mutants and magicians." He came closer, his face warm. "Whoever you are...it doesn't matter. I just want to know the truth."

She sighed deeply. "My truth is...very complicated."

"Believe me, I can relate. It turns out my family history is a lot more...complex than I knew." Dane stepped closer to Sersi, putting his arms on her shoulders. "Again, I understand it's difficult but whatever it is...I want to know."

Sersi was opening her mouth when the street rumbled. Both of them frowned, wondering if it was another of the earthquakes. Before they could do more, a figure bounded from a nearby rooftop to land before them. He rose up, showing himself to be a powerfully built and muscular man, his handsome face covered by a bushy beard. His outfit was strange, looking like a masculine skirt with a dark green and gold single strap over his nearly bare chest leading to the gold belt around his waist.

Sersi's eyes widened in shock. "You?" she whispered.

The man nodded to her. "My lady," he said in a deep voice. "It has been, what, 600 years?"

Dane's eyes gleamed. "I knew it, I knew you were a witch!"

"I'm not a witch!"

"No?" The man grunted with amusement. "Dear mortal, where do you think the inspiration for the legend of Circe came from?"

Sersi rolled her eyes. "That was not me! That was Sprite having fun and you know it!"

"Regardless," the man continued. "We need to talk, Sersi. You and your family..."

Before he could go further, a loud howling sound cut through the air. Looking up, the trio saw a pack of creatures bound across a rooftop and launch themselves at them. Instinctively, Sersi waved her arms, the ground before her seeming to warp and then form into spikes. One of the creatures, a grey-skinned demonic monster with sharp claws, landed on it before it could stop.

As Sersi backed up, the bearded man moved in, launching a fist into the beaked face of one creature. It snarled but came at him, slashing at the man with its claws. He managed to hold it back before launching a fist of his own which sent the creature sailing into a nearby car.

"Sprite!" Sersi was calling out. Nodding, the red-haired girl dodged a strike from one of the creatures. She waved her own hands and suddenly a dozen versions of her appeared around them.

Dane was completely baffled at all this but still trying to throw himself into the conflict, racing at one of the demons only to get knocked back by a tail. Sersi called out "Dane!" as she tried to transform a nearby fire hydrant into some sort of weapon.

A whistling sound ripped through the air as a hammer smashed into a demon. Jane landed on the ground with Thor at her side, pulling out Stormbreaker. He stopped in place as he stared in disbelief at the bearded man. "Oh, no..."

The man broke into a grin. "Ho, Thor! It's been a long time since we last clashed, eh?"

Thor closed his eyes as if in pain. "Hercules...What are you doing here?"

Jane stared at the man, then at Thor in shock. "Wait...as in..."

"Yes, the Hercules," Thor sighed. He shook his head. "Why are you here?"

"It's between me and the lady," Hercules nodded toward Sersi, who had her hands raised. "It's best not to get in my way, Asgardian."

Thor growled at him as he stepped forward. "Mind yourself, Hercules. I'm the King of Asgard now."

Hercules let out a loud chortle. "You? King?" He shook his head. "Please. It does not matter your station, Thor, you never could defeat me."

"Times change," Thor intoned, Stormbreaker crackling with lightning. Jane was still thrown by this but did her best, hoisting Mjolnir and ready to use it if she had to.

Hercules waved a hand at him. "Thor, this is not a concern for you or your band of mortals. My father just wants a chat with Sersi and her little pack on things. And given the current state of Asgard, you're hardly in a position to stop us."

Thor glared at him. "I don't know how often you've visited Earth, Hercules but the days of just taking a woman when she doesn't want to go are long gone."

Hercules grunted. "Damn, Thor. You've gone native, haven't you?" He looked to Jane, his lips turning into a smirk. "Mayhap, my lady, you would be more open to one who can appreciate your beauty better? I can promise such wonders..."

Thor was growling now, his eyes crackling with electricity as he hefted up Stormbreaker. "Hercules...I swear, if you touch her..."

"I can handle myself," Jane informed her lover. She looked over her shoulder to see Sersi starting to move back with Sprite. "We have to get to them."

Before Thor could reply, Hercules was moving with amazing speed. He smashed a fist into Thor's face to drive him back, then grabbed him by the throat to slam him so hard into the ground that it left an indentation in the pavement. Jane swung out with Mjolnir but Hercules managed to dodge it before blasting her with a blow. "Be sure, I don't enjoy striking fair maidens," he intoned. "But I've fought enough women to know when it's best not to hold back."

Jane winced at the blow before shaking her head. "Fine. I agree." She held up the hammer, letting it collect a batch of lightning, then fired it out at Hercules. He gasped as it struck him but, to her surprise, managed to stand his ground, gritting his teeth. "My father...throws lightning...as well, my lady...I learned...how to handle it...a long time ago."

He slammed both hands onto the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked Jane off her feet. Hercules looked into the street to see a dozen versions of Sersi, Dane and Sprite each running in various directions. He smirked as he bounded forward, taking a huge leap that allowed him to land right in front of one startled trio.

As he rose up, Hercules chuckled to Sprite. "All these centuries, and you still can't remember every illusion needs a shadow, Sprite." At her startled look, he laughed louder. "Honestly, Sprite, I'm not as thick-headed as people believe I am."

Dane moved forward to punch Hercules in the face, gasping at the pain in his fist. Hercules looked at him and shook his head as he grabbed Dane by the shirt. "You are brave, mortal. I commend you on that. But this is far, far beyond you." He tossed the man aside, sending him flying toward a nearby bus. On reflex, Sersi waved her hands and the bus' frame seemed to shift into a gelatin substance that caught Dane before he could hit the heavy metal.

There was a flash of light as Captain Marvel flew downward, firing blasts of energy at Hercules. She landed beside Sersi, nodding at her. "Hi, good to..." She paused, frowning as she studied Sersi's face. "Wait...have we met before? You look really familiar..."

"I think I would remember," Sersi dryly intoned. Before she could speak further, there was a roaring sound as Carol turned to take a punch from Hercules that sent her knocking back against Sersi.

Hearing a sound behind him, Hercules turned to see Thor racing toward him with Stormbreaker, Jane right behind him. Hercules reached into the pouch by his bag to produce what looked for all the world like a small glowing thunderbolt. He tossed it onto the ground to endure a blast of light. When it faded, he and the Eternals were gone.

"Dammit," Thor growled. "That Olympian..." He let out a series of curses making Jane realize she was better off still learning Asgardian.

She sighed as she took his arm. "Come on, we have to talk to the rest, see how they're going on with the other Eternals." Thor nodded as he slammed Stormbreaker into the ground, his own flash of lightning teleporting him and Jane away to leave behind a very jarred Dane Whitman.

"It makes sense now."

Wanda turned to her brother, Pietro, frowning. "What?"

Her brother nodded to the figure on the soundstage in Mumbai, doing a wild song and dance routine in a garish costume. The cameras were rolling as the pair observed the movie being filmed. The Vision was beside them, shifting his appearance to his "human" guise which Pietro was still getting used to.

Pietro waved at the main dancer. "Four generations of a Bollywood 'acting dynasty' who all happen to look exactly the same? Amazing he got away with it this long."

"Perhaps those Superpeople aren't that off about using glasses as a disguise," Wanda mused.

"Hmmm..." Pietro nodded. "So...dinner this weekend?"

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Pietro, how does a man who can learn skills in minutes still not be able to cook for himself?"

"I try!" he protested. "Problem is, cooking at superspeed...well, it doesn't always work out as well as it sounds."

"You burned another oven again, didn't you?"

"Besides," Pietro went on without answering. "With my metabolism, it's hard to keep up with what I need..."

"You still need your own place," Wanda said. "Stop dropping by ours all the time."

The Vision raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know better, Pietro, I'd say you were dedicated to ensuring that Wanda and I don't have that much alone time."

"I'm sure it's your imagination," the speedster said too quickly (even for him).

Their attention was caught by the director calling out and the scene ended. Coming through the crowd of actors, the handsome man in the outlandish costume beamed. "Ah, I knew I had fans but some Avengers? That's amazing!"

"Kingo," Wanda began. "We're here about you and your people."

The man's expression barely faltered. "My people? Well, I do have my PR department, you might have to go through my agent but be warned, he does take my safety very personally..."

"Sir," the Vision interrupted. "Do we strike you as people who would be showing up here if we didn't know already exactly who you truly were?"

Kingo was silent for a moment before nodding, his face becoming somber. "No...no, I suppose you are not at that." He took them in and sighed. "I'm going to have to suspend production, aren't I?"

"Let's just say giving your team a break for a bit is probably best," Wanda dryly stated.

Kinjo pursed his lips. "I really do want to stay out of this sort of thing. I mean, look at what I have." He spread his hands. "I use our stories for films, I get to tell the world of what we are without them realizing it's history. I'm doing a service, when you get down to it."

Pietro smirked. "And the fact it makes you amazingly rich doesn't factor into it?"

Kingo shrugged. "Well, there are benefits. Shockingly, saving up money over the course of centuries isn't as easy as it sounds when financial markets and currency keep changing." He winced. "I've still got coins and bills for countries that don't even exist anymore piled up..."

Wanda was about to speak more when a rumble cut through the studio. Before anyone could react, a pack of the same strange creatures as in London tore through the ceiling. Kingo was moving forward, holding up his hands with his fingers glowing before firing off bursts of energy to drive them back.

In a blur, Quicksilver was rushing the actors and crew out of the building. Wanda waved her hands, pulling several cameras to throw at the creatures while the Vision altered his appearance to his natural state, firing off a beam from the diamond on his head.

As the group went on the attack, a blur suddenly swept through the studio, one even faster than Quicksilver. It smashed several of the creatures back before pausing to reveal a handsome man with curly red hair clad in red shorts and a white cape over his bare torso, with a winged helmet on his head and winged sandals.

Kinjo's eyes widened. "Hermes?"

"Before you even consider fleeing, Eternal," the man spoke in a booming voice. "Just consider that Makkari couldn't outrun me. You have no chance."

Quicksilver was moving in a flash, racing as fast as he could at the figure. Usually, when he moved, the world around him seemed to freeze in place. It was like being in a world of statues with only him in motion.

This was why it was so jarring to see Hermes calmly turn his head to face him as if he was just another person and smirk. "I'm always happy to see a follower, even an unwitting one. But my mission has to come first and sadly, you're too slow for me."

To Wanda and the Vision, it was over in less than an eyeblink. One moment Pietro was standing in place, the other he was smashed against a wall and grasping his battered knees. Hermes merely smirked again. "What...you did not see that coming?"

Gritting his teeth in pain as he felt his legs heal quickly, Pietro had to reflect on how yes, that did sound rather annoying now that he heard it out loud.

Kinjo was aiming at Hermes' back but that same strange blur whipped around the room. In another eyeblink, the creatures were also cleared out, leaving only the three Avengers behind.

Wanda was at Pietro's side to help him up as he winced, rubbing his legs. "What was that?" he moaned.

"Somehow believing it's becoming a far more complex situation than we anticipated." As always, the Vision nicely underphrased the situation.

"I'm sorry...as in...the Olympus?"

Tony Stark was gaping through the screen on his private jet as he took in Thor and Jane back in Avengers Tower. "As in, the Greek Gods? Like the ones Wonder Woman was talking about?"

"No," Thor stated. "These are not the same. If anything, they're worse."

Tony rubbed his face. "Thor, once again, you keep forgetting to mention this stuff..."

"Stark, you still can't wrap your head around Asgard, you think I was going to start bringing in other pantheons?" Thor snapped. "Besides, I didn't think they'd be a factor. They stopped interfering in Earth affairs millennia ago, even before we did. We haven't had contact with them for centuries. They didn't step in against Thanos, I never anticipated they'd suddenly show up like this."

Tony tapped his fingers on the table of the jet as Pepper, clad in her usual business attire, brought them a pair of drinks. "Okay...I'm not going to start the whole 'are they really gods' thing right now. Let's just focus on why they're after these Eternals guys."

"Hercules mentioned something about Zeus wanting to see them," Thor explained. "As for why...I couldn't begin to say. As difficult as my father could be, Zeus is far worse. The myths of his anger and mood swings aren't that far off the mark. If anything, the myths downplay his worse traits."

Tony rubbed his temples. "Great...so now we got the freaking Greek Gods messing things up." He downed the drink Pepper offered him. "All right, I had to handle this meeting with Ross who remains oh so wonderfully charming as ever but convinced him to let us and the rest handle this. Reed's working on something by the water that might be tied into this and the rest are trying to get to these other Eternals. Hopefully, we can reach them first."

Thor didn't seem sure. "Stark, we're dealing with the Olympians. Believe me, no matter the head start you may have, it's not going to be enough."

"You're so wonderful at assurances, you know that?"

"Stop smirking."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not smirking, this is my natural expression."

As usual, Yelena had that smirk on her face as she and Natasha made their way through the streets of New York. The blonde-haired former Black Widow was in a lighter suit than usual although she still insisted on wearing that annoying jacket. Behind them, Captain America and the Falcon seemed a bit bemused taking in the pair.

"I'm saying, I know you enjoy being back in the field," Natasha said. "Just don't have to be smug you were onto this already."

"My fault you're all still behind the times?" Yelena remarked as she chewed on the hot pretzel she'd purchased earlier. "That Doctor mentioned something about these Eternals, just been looking into them a bit more."

"Right, along with all these other threats that you still won't explain."

"Natasha, you know as well as I do that when you shine a spotlight on something, it just drives it further into the darkness," Yelena stated, still munching on her drink. "Some of these forces are far more connected and powerful than you think, smashing them apart isn't like Hydra."

"Yet you let SHIELD know about them?"

"They understand the shadows better. You used to, poser."

Steve and Sam were both observing Yelena. "I'm surprised, Nat," Sam stated. "You didn't mention her."

"We weren't really close for a while," Natasha dryly stated. "And Yelena is a free spirit."

The blonde smirked through a mouthful of pretzel. "She's just covering for how soft she's gotten."

"I haven't gotten soft!"

"Whatever you say, poser." Yelena dropped the pretzel wrapper into a trash can as the group made their way down the street. Steve was looking at the building with a deep frown.

"You're sure this is the right spot?" he asked. He observed the modest apartment building on the lower East Side of Manhattan, not the sort of place one might expect to find a supposedly powerful warrior.

A loud eruption of flame exploded from a window above. A figure flew outward, spinning about as he floated in mid-air. His eyes flared as he fired off beams of energy as the demonic creature lunging out at him.

"Reasonably certain," Yelena dryly stated. They watched as the man twisted about, punching one demon before firing his eye beams at another. Sam extended his wings, leaping to fly up into the air and tackle one of the demons himself.

The figure he realized was Ikaris seemed startled but nodded as he punched another monster. "Been looking for you," Sam stated.

"I had suspected," Ikaris responded. He was twisting to blast another of the creatures back while Sam flew to avoid another's attacks. "Any idea just what the hell these things are, anyway?" Sam asked.

"They seem like Deviants," Ikaris responded. "Which is confusing given we assumed they were all destroyed." He punched another of the monsters as he fired his beams at a third.

As the creatures attacked, another figure dropped to the street below. She was a strikingly beautiful woman with armor that reminded Cap of Wonder Woman, only more form-fitting. Her long hair was in a ponytail while she had a bow with an arrow nocked and firing in amazing speed at the creatures above.

"Let me guess," Natasha dryly stated. "Artemis, the Greek Goddess of the Hunt."

She threw a knowing smirk. "Indeed. You seem to take that in stride."

"We're becoming more open," Cap dryly said, his shield up. "If you're here for Ikaris, we need him more."

Artemis sighed. "Captain, I respect you as a warrior but this is between Olympus and these…upstarts. It is not a conflict for you mortals."

"Funny, I don't remember you gods stepping into, oh, anything in the last few thousand years," Yelena dryly stated.

"We've made the mistake of interfering in human affairs before," Artemis replied. "The Trojan War ring a bell?" Her hands tightened on the bow. "But for now, we need to handle these Eternals and we are far better equipped for it than you."

Her words were cut off as she spun around to fire an arrow at Ikaris, who had landed behind her. He easily caught it as he glared at her before trying to fly at her. Artemis blocked a blow with surprising strength before punching him in the face.

Cap was tossing his shield at another of the creatures as the Olympian and the Eternal went at it. Artemis was slammed against a wall with Ikaris about to punch her when an object streaked through the air to hit him in the upper right shoulder. It simply bounced off his skin, causing him to frown as he looked over his shoulder at the source.

Standing in the middle of the street was a young woman who appeared to be in her late teens. She had long black hair framing an attractive face while clad in a purple outfit that struck Natasha as oddly familiar with a quiver of arrows attached to her back. Her face was covered by a domino mask and in her hands, she held a bow with another arrow already notched in it.

The woman was blinking at Ikaris. "Um…okay…usually, arrows stick into people when they hit but guess you've got super skin, that would have been viable information earlier…"

Ikaris' eyes lit up and Cap ran forward, raising his shield to intercept the blast of energy from them. It wasn't strong, meaning Ikaris only intended to stun the woman, not kill her but it was still best to avoid the attack with Cap pushed against a car by the force of the beams.

The woman was blinking in amazement at him. "Oh…wow…Captain America, this is so cool, I mean it, huge fan, sir."

"Thank you, Miss…."

"Um…actually working on the name. I was thinking maybe Hawk-Shot or something or maybe Hawk-related. Because Hawkeye is just the coolest ever and want to honor him and have you seen him lately because I am worried this is a trademark, is it, I can't-"

"Miss," Cap cut her off. "Your name?"

"Kate Bishop," she said without hesitation. She then blanched. "Okay, need to work on the secret identity thing."

Natasha was coming up to take in the young woman. "Wait…are you telling me…Clint has a fangirl?"

"He saved my life during the alien invasion years back," Kate responded. "I just…always looked up to him, trained to be like him, just want to honor him."

"By dressing like this?"

"Hey, I designed this outfit myself!"

"And that's supposed to sway us?"

"She could use pointers," Yelena mused. "Still, she might have skills. If nothing else, she can be good cannon fodder if an Olympian comes at us again."

Kae blinked at her. "Um...what?"

Yelena waved her hands. "Sorry, I was raised to accept that tact only existed as a concept."

Natasha appeared to still be having trouble wrapping her head around this. "I mean…still..are you even 20?"

"Yes," Kate immediately answered.

Natasha arched an eyebrow. "As in you one day will be?"

"…Yes."

"Excuse me, hate to interrupt but can I get some help here?" Steve had been trying to grab Artemis from behind in a chokehold but the Olympian seemed to barely even acknowledge him as she hammered away at Ikaris.

Kate was reaching for another arrow from her quiver, aiming it carefully. Natasha was opening her mouth to yell a warning when Kate let it fly, the arrow streaking out to strike at Artemis' wrist just as she was lifting up her own bow. It knocked it away and Natasha had to blink in amazement at just how good a shot Kate actually was.

Artemis seemed annoyed but nonetheless kept up her punching of Ikaris as the others moved in. A rumbling of thunder echoed with Steve hoping it was Thor. Instead, he saw Artemis smirking as she wrapped a hand around Ikaris' throat. In a flash of light and loud roar, the pair were gone.

Both Natasha and Yelena cursed in Russian before turning to Steve. "Back to the Tower?" Natasha asked.

Steve nodded. "Yes, we do need to regroup." He looked over at Kate. "And you, young lady, need to get home."

"Really?" she almost pouted. "I mean, just had my first ever super-hero team up, I'd love to help more!"

"Now."

Kate pouted further as Natasha sighed. "We say no, you're just going to show up at the front door of the Tower, aren't you?"

Kate had a light smile that actually made Yelena laugh out loud. Natasha rolled her eyes as it struck her this kid and Clint had a lot in common.

The young-looking man absently flipped through the pages of the book as he sat in the cool room. It may have been humid in the jungle outside but he didn't seem to mind as he read the large volume in his hands. He paused as his attention was caught by the sounds outside. Or rather, the lack of them.

Carefully placing the book down, the man walked out of the small hut and into the clearing of the village before him. There were a few other houses set up with nearly thirty people gathered. Usually, they were working from farming to studying or cooking but right now, they stood stock-still and facing him. It was a pose the man was used to. Except this time, it wasn't because of him.

Sitting before him in his wheelchair was Charles Xavier. Behind him stood Jean Grey, her lush red hair framing her attractive face, dressed in a green and yellow uniform. Xavier's face was calm as he spoke. "Druig, I presume."

"I am," the man answered in a calm voice as he came down the steps. He looked around the clearing, his brow furrowing. "Only you two? Smart."

"It was suggested we bring more," Xavier said in a calm voice. "But given your abilities, we felt Jean and I the best choices."

Druig cocked his head as he took Xavier in. "Hmmm...I had wondered just how strong your mental defenses were. I'm used to controlling people with ease but you...you would be quite the challenge." His lips turned upward. "I miss a challenge."

Jean seemed ready to move but Xavier held up a hand. "We did not come here for a fight. We are here because the Olympians are targeting your people and we believe you may be next."

Druig took that in before shrugging. "I'm fine here, thank you for the visit."

"We're trying to help you, jackass," Jean snapped.

Druig smirked at her. "My dear, your teacher's mental defenses are strong but yours..." The smile thinned. "Something is...different about you. More than any other mutant."

"We can discuss that later," Xavier said, hiding his wariness of the man's words. "For the good of the people here, it's best you come with us."

Druig sighed. "Human, I have retreated from the world for a reason. And the last thing I want is to be part of some family reunion."

Xavier was opening his mouth when suddenly, the people around him seemed to stiffen. Guns were raised up and aimed at Druig along with a variety of other weapons. Druig looked to Xavier, scowling. "This meant to intimidate me?"

Xavier was looking around in confusion. "This is not me."

"If it was me, they'd be pointing at you."

"It's me." The trio turned to see a flash of light revealing what was quite possibly the most stunningly beautiful woman imaginable. Her lush red hair fell in curls around her, framing a face of sheer perfection with a light smile on her lips and was clad in a purple dress clinging to every inch of her curvaceous body.

Druig's lips twitched upward. "Aphrodite. Now, you being in on this little hunt is a surprise."

"True," she said in a voice as lush and perfect as her body as she sauntered forward. "I'm a lover, not a fighter. But when Father Zeus orders, even I have to comply."

Druig's lips pursed. "Hmmm...I don't suppose I could convince you to abandon this for some...personal time?"

"Tempting," Aphrodite said and seemed to mean it "But business before pleasure." She nodded to the crowd of people. "You know I dislike these crass methods, Druig but surrender now or this goes poorly for them."

Druig raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps you're overestimated how much I care about them. They're human, Aphrodite. Like you, we don't connect too much to those who pass by in an eyeblink."

Aphrodite let out a light laugh. "Oh, Druig. I love it when you try to play as if you're so much colder than you truly are. But I know the truth. You care for them more than you admit. And you'd hate me making them kill each other for love."

She paused, craning her head over to look at Xavier. "Mortal, I commend your bravery trying to access my mind but know it's a futile gesture." Her eyes narrowed. "And might go hard for you."

Jean was stepping forward, raising a hand. A large cart nearby floated upward and then threw itself at Aphrodite. She winced as it struck her but otherwise held her ground well as she furrowed her own brow. Jean gasped as a wave of psychic energy hit her, compelling her to do whatever Aphrodite said. She grit her teeth as she held her hands out, raising another cart up.

Aphrodite seemed surprised at Jean's reaction as she cocked her head. "A resistor to my charms? Rare but then I have other methods at my disposal." She snapped her fingers and as one the figures around them aimed their guns and began firing. Jean leapt before the Professor, holding up her hands to create a field to block the bullets.

Druig was moving forward, his eyes glowing brightly. Aphrodite matched his gaze with her own, smirking. "Dominance is easy, Druig. Seduction...that's always been a far better method of control." With that, she grabbed him to pull him into a long kiss. He stiffened before sinking into it and they were still kissing when a flash of lighting carried them away.

As soon as they vanished, the crowd suddenly blinked in confusion, dropping weapons with no idea what had happened. Jean lowered her hands, allowing the bullets in the air to drop to the ground. She turned to look at Xavier. "We need to talk to the rest of the team quickly."

"Yes, we do." Even as he spoke, Xavier couldn't shake the question in his mind of just what it was about Jean that made a goddess give pause.

The heat of the Australian Outback didn't mean much to the quartet walking across it. Sif and Balder were more than used to harsh elements even as they wore their classic Asgardian armor. Likewise, Wolverine didn't mind it too much while She-Hulk was looking downright comfortable in her purple and white suit.

"So, what are we looking at?" Wolverine asked as he took a drag on his cigar.

"Uncertain," Sif stated. "Gilgamesh was a rough sort but that was a few thousand years ago. Hopefully, he's mellowed."

"It's Thana I'm worried about," Balder stated. "She's quite possibly the best fighter I've ever known."

Sif stopped her walk and turned to him, arching an eyebrow. "Oh? Really?"

To his credit, Balder barely blanched. "Sif, as much as I care for you, I do have to be honest. And honestly, have you ever once beaten her?"

Sif's nostrils flared but she controlled herself. "I was taking it easy on her the first time, I didn't realize how skilled she was."

"Ah. And what's the excuse for the other six times?"

"Five and a half, one was clearly a draw."

"Of course it was."

She-Hulk smirked. "Someone's sleeping on the couch for the next year..."

The Asgardians glared at her before continuing their march toward the nondescript ranch. They could see a burly man with a physique not unlike the Hulk working by a large outdoor stove. He paused to see the visitors before returning to his work with what appeared to be a large cake of some sort. "Sif," he intoned in a gruff voice. "Balder. It's been a long time."

"It has," Sif stated in a calm voice. "It's good to see you again, Gilgamesh."

The man kept at his cooking, making sure some pots were boiling right. "Sorry about the Warriors Three. And Asgard. You lot may have been a bit stuffy but you weren't bad for some fun."

"We're here on an important matter," Sif stated. "The Olympians are after you and your people."

Gilgamesh paused by the fires before continuing his cooking. "I can handle them."

"They've already gotten Sersi, Ikaris and the rest," Balder informed him. "They're serious on this, Gilgamesh." He looked around. "Where is she?"

Gilgamesh was silent for a moment before nodding behind him. Sif and Balder exchanged looks before Sif walked around the main ranch house. She saw a figure kneeling behind a tree, a strikingly beautiful woman with long hair so blonde it was nearly white and in a lovely white dress. She was drawing on a small tablet with chalk, a serene expression on her gorgeous face. For some odd reason, she briefly reminded Sif of Circe but she brushed it off.

"Thana?" Sif softly began in a calm tone. The woman turned to stare at her and Sif was struck by how the woman she remembered as the mightiest warrior she'd faced had an expression not unlike a child. "It's Sif...Lady Sif? Of Asgard? Do you remember me?"

Thana cocked her head, studying Sif carefully. "Sif..." she softly said.

"Yes, Sif," the Asgardian repeated in a measured voice as she stepped forward. "Do you recall?"

In a flash, Thana was on her feet, her hands waving as a solid spear and shield formed from thin air. Sif cursed as she lifted up her own shield to block the first strike, then tried to fight back. Thana was still the fierce warrior she remembered, although she seemed more distracted than the last time Sif faced her. Nonetheless, she had to move quickly, blocking the woman's strikes while reminding herself not to hurt her too badly.

Footsteps raced up at Gilgamesh, Balder, She-Hulk and Wolverine arrived to see them sparring. She-Hulk moved in but Balder grabbed her arm. "No. Trust me, getting in between them never goes well."

Thana spun again to thrust out her speared weapon with Sif leaning back so it barely grazed inches from her neck. She was moving to knock the spear back and leaned in, her sword moving to Thana's throat. She stopped it barely an inch from piercing the skin. Thana had already moved the tip of her spear toward Sif's heart but stopped herself.

The two stood there, frozen in the odd tableau before Thana's lips curled upward, a spark of her old personality returning. "You've improved. Somewhat."

Sif backed up, lowering her weapons. "Good to see you again."

"I have my good days and my bad ones," the Eternal replied in a calm voice. She glanced to the others. "This is about Olympus, isn't it?"

Sif was surprised. "How did you know?"

Thana let out a long sigh. "Sins of the past, Sif...the sins my family doesn't even know we committed. They're finally coming to roost."

Before Sif could question her, a familiar rumbling cut through the air. Both women were alert with Balder also removing his sword as they all turned to see a blast of lightning strike the ground. When it faded, it showed Hercules in his suit and an impassive expression. Next to him was a heavily muscled and bearded figure dressed in elaborate dark armor, a helmet with a classic Greek tassel atop it on his head. He clutched a huge ax in his hands while also wearing a variety of weapons from swords and daggers to a crossbow and even some modern assault rifles.

Balder let out an Asgardian curse as he took the pair in. "This...is not good."

"What?" She-Hulk asked, although she was positive she wouldn't like the answer.

"Hercules is one thing," Balder stated. "But him and Ares on the same side? That does not bode well."

Hercules stepped forward. "I'll make this simple."

"That fits for you," Sif couldn't help throwing in.

Glaring at her, Hercules went on. "Let us have Thana and Gilgamesh and-"

Before he could go on, Thana was leaping forward, her spear flying toward him. Before she could land, Ares was blocking the shot with one of his own swords. The two danced about, trading strikes with Sif racing to aid Thana. Barely reacting to her, Ares pulled out another sword to block her strikes as they continued to duel.

Gilgamesh was moving to block Hercules' punch and launch one of his own, a blow that echoed for yards. Hercules grunted before striking back as the pair went at it hard. Wolverine clenched his fists, his claws popping out as he moved to strike at Hercules. With deceptive speed, the Olympian dodged it and launched a backhand slap that sent Wolverine flying back.

She-Hulk leapt in to punch him in the face. "Sorry, Herc. I know in canon we had a little thing going but have to be ignoring that now!" She launched another punch before he struck her back, wincing at the shot.

Thana and Ares continued to share blows as Gilgamesh punched Hercules again. The God of War smirked at her before blocking one of her blows. "You used to be much more effective, Thana. I suppose your time lost in your mind is holding you back."

Thana snarled as she smashed a fist at his jaw and lunged again with her spear. Ares blocked it to grab her, smashing his head against hers to stun her. Without looking, he threw his sword outward with Balder barely able to avoid it flying behind. Wolverine was rising only for the sword to impale him against a nearby tree. He snarled in pain as he tried to pull himself off of it, his healing factor already working on the damage.

Hercules grabbed She-Hulk's wrists, smirking. "Ah, another time, my lovely, and we could have some wonderful fun." He pulled her into an impulsive kiss, then threw her over his back to land right onto Balder and Sif.

Hercules saw Gilgamesh coming at him, dodging the punch to grab his arm and land a series of blows onto his chest and face. Gilgamesh punched back as She-Hulk realized she was watching two of the greatest fighters of myth brawling it out before her.

Ares smirked. "Getting slow, half-breed? I always knew your human heritage held you back."

Hercules glared at him. "Just because I agree with Zeus on this does not drop my loathing of you, Ares!"

"Believe me, when this is over, so is our truce," Ares fired back.

"Any chance we get lucky and they kill each other?" She-Hulk asked. She sighed at the shakes of the head Balder and Sif made.

Hercules grabbed Gilgamesh by the wrists to hold him tightly. He nodded to Ares, who was using yet another sword to block Thana's blows. Looking up, Hercules called out. "Father!"

With that blast of lightning that knocked everyone else back, the quartet vanished. She-Hulk moved to help pry the sword out of Wolverine's body, wincing as she saw it thrust through his torso. "That hurts, right?"

"I heal," he grunted.

Balder helped Sif to her feet and shook his head at where the group had vanished. "I don't understand this. I know the Olympians had their issues over the centuries but to be this forward against the Eternals..."

Sif nodded. "There's something bigger going on here. I don't what yet but it can't be good."

"So, um...you're calling Thor for the teleport trick right?" She-Hulk called out. "Because I'm really not looking forward to hiking home."

New York

Tony was looking at the large holographic map when the doors opened to show Scott and Hope entering, both looking tired out. "What happened?"

"We tracked the address to that Phastos guy," Scott explained, setting his helmet on a table. "And yes, weird some ultra inventive immortal genius lives in the suburbs. Anyway, we got there and we heard some fuss inside..."

"This has a depressingly familiar ring of familiarity about it," Tony muttered.

Hope took up the story. "We barely got inside when we saw him being abducted by a woman, gorgeous, dark-hair, looked more like a suit than robes..."

"Athena." They turned as Thor entered with Jane, Sif and Balder behind him. "It makes sense to send the Goddess of Wisdom after the inventor."

"Dammit," Tony muttered. He looked at Thor. "No clue how to find them?"

"Olympus isn't like Asgard," Sif explained. "They kept themselves blocked off to us except by invitation."

"Not that they were ever that inviting," Balder noted.

Thor rubbed his face. "And Hercules...I knew that man could be brash but something must have happened to get him this close back to Zeus' graces. And especially willing to work with Ares."

The rest of the team were entering with Kate Bishop looking around in wonder. "We need to reorganize," Captain America stated. "Xavier is trying some mental scans but no luck yet, he says that these Olympians are just beyond his power to scan for."

"Reed checked in on those quakes," Tony said, adjusting the scanner to show a spot over the Pacific Ocean. "He's got his team searching for more."

"We still need answers on what's happening." Cap turned to Kate. "And you, young lady, need to get home."

Kate did her best not to openly whine. "But I really want to help!"

"And I appreciate it," Steve assured her in a gentle tone. "But this is a serious matter, we can't have someone as untrained as you in the way." He put a hand to her shoulder. "If you're serious about this...we can talk about it later. But, for now, please go home."

As Kate sighed, Natasha stepped forward, offering her a card. "Here. You strike me as someone with the resources to get there fast."

Kate looked at the address and her eyes widened. "Wait...as in...Hawkeye's address?!" She looked up, her goofy smile returning. "You're telling me...to go...to Hawkeye?"

Natasha nodded. "If you're going to get training, it might as well be from him." Her lips curled into a slightly wicked smile. "Let him know this is a...thank you from Budapest."

"Oh, wow, thank you!" Kate moved to hug her tightly, which threw Natasha. With a grin, she almost literally skipped out of the room and toward the elevator.

Yelena smirked. "I believe I'll accompany her. To make sure she gets there all right. Besides, been wanting to meet this Clint for a while."

"Yelena," Natasha said in a warning tone. "He's a friend, take it easy on him."

Yelena smirked. "You think I can't handle him?"

"Him? Maybe. His wife? That's another story."

Yelena chuckled again as she walked out to follow Kate. Turning to Natasha, Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "You're really going to hand her off to Clint?"

Natasha shrugged. "She's going to keep doing this no matter what, I can see that. At least Clint can help her out, make sure she doesn't get herself killed." She smiled. "Besides, I'm overdue for annoying him."

"Ah, it's okay," Jennifer said. "It'll work out fine."

"You really think so?'

"Sure! This was a much more organic way to have her enter things rather than just pop up out of nowhere in the next Counterpart Conferences chapter. Besides, the Yelena/Kate banter was a fan favorite bit, be nice to see it on a road trip story."

Natasha gave her a quizzical look as the group focused on the hologram. "So," the Beast announced. "We've got Olympians and that's still weird to say, Eternals and some big space beast threatening to hatch our planet. Any guesses what to do next?"

"Listen."

Everyone spun to see a stunningly beautiful woman with exotic features and long dark hair standing before them. Eros' face broke into a smile. "Ajax," he softly said. "I've read the stories but to meet you..."

"And you, Eros," Ajax said with a soft smile as she stepped into the room. She wore a simple pair of jeans and jacket over a red blouse, yet exuded an aura of power around her. "I had long hoped we could meet some of our...cousins, for lack of a better term." Her smile faded. "I simply wish it were not under these circumstances."

Thor stepped forward. "Why does Olympus want you?" he began without preamble.

Ajax took a deep breath. "Because Zeus discovered the truth of our people. The truth I've hidden from the rest of them, for their own good." Seeing their stares, she sighed. "They believe we come from a distant world and Earth is our first home. The reality is that each of us was...constructed by the Sentinels millennia ago. And Earth is not the first world we have overseen until an Emergence."

Eros' face blanched. "Damn," he whispered. "I'd hoped the stories there were false but...they're not, are they?"

Ajax shook her head. "No. The Celestials have us oversee a world until the Emergence. It's usually over a few thousand years, sometimes longer or shorter. Once it's done, the memories of the others are wiped away so they're "reborn" for the next planet to being the cycle anew."

"Except yours," Jane coolly suggested.

Ajax nodded. "Yes. Which is not a gift, I can assure you. Not when I bear the weight of watching one civilization after another wiped out in an Emergence. To see our thousands of years of efforts protecting them, in the end, being for naught." She shook her head. "I carry that burden so they do not need to. The others are unaware but still the worries of a breaking of the block which can cause...problems."

Sif's eyes widened in understanding. "Thana. That's why she snapped like she did. She remembered."

"Not all of it," Ajax confirmed. "But enough to affect her. It's what led to our breaking."

"You never told them?" Pepper snapped. "That they were supposed to be helping global genocide?"

Ajax wiped at her face. "I was going to. I decided this time...this planet...you people don't deserve this fate. Not after you saved the universe from Thanos. For all your many flaws...there's a greatness to you that deserves a chance to grow. I was going to try and reach out to them, I told Ikaris first but before I get to the others, Olympus interfered. How Zeus found out about us I have no idea but it has to do with the truth of what we are. And what we do."

"So what's Zeus' play?" Tony asked. "Is he trying to stop the Emergence?"

"The Emergence..." Ajax let out a light chuckle lacking mirth. "The Emergence, Stark, is the least of our problems. Right now, there is a race, Stark. A race to get to this planet and its power before it's too late."

"What race?" Carol pressed. "Who else wants this planet?"

Ajax looked at her and then at Eros. "You two have been across this universe. So you might know...of the one being in this cosmos that even a Celestial might fear."

Carol's face went white as Eros' eyes widened in horror. "It...it's real?" Carol whispered. "I thought that was just some...horror story races used to scare each other."

Ajax shook her head. "No. He's real. And he's coming. Which means even if the Emergence can be stopped...it might not be enough to save this planet."

The Avengers had no idea what was being discussed yet every one of them felt absolute fear merely at the implication of the Eternals' words.

"Damn, I really should have paid more attention to nature documentaries," Johnny Storm stated as he gazed out the viewscreen of the craft making its way through the depths of the Pacific Ocean. It was an offshoot of the Avengers' Quinjets only specialized for deeper water and notable for the stylized "4" on the sides.

Before him, Reed Richards handled the controls with Ben Grimm at his side. Despite his size and rocky hands, the Thing was able to handle the craft well as the large lights on it illuminated the ocean floor. "We coming any closer to this signal, Stretcho?" he grumbled in his deep voice. "Ain't a fan being this tight underwater."

"I can relate," Bruce Banner confessed from his station near some consoles. He wore a lighter suit than usual as he adjusted some controls. Susan Storm was at his side, helping him with the scanning over the area. "Really glad I didn't load up on the caffeine before this trip."

Reed was looking over the scanner in front of him. "I believe we are close...the source of the quakes isn't too far off. It's just tricky finding the right energy signature but I believe we can close in soon."

Johnny watched as they flew past the wreckage of a World War II cruiser nearby. "Man, Reed, get this going for treasure hunts and you could clean up!"

Susan rolled her eyes, used to her brother's antics. "I'm still not sure how much we can do with some cosmic being, Reed. Not to mention if one of those Olympians show up."

"Yeah, isn't one of them some sea god?" Johnny intoned. "Poseidon?"

Ben snorted. "What, you read myths, matchstick?"

"Nah, he just had a Universal Studios attraction."

Reed sighed. "They're not gods, Johnny. They're like Thor, amazingly powerful alien beings who perhaps coopted the Greek superstitions or maybe even were the inspiration for them."

Bruce chuckled. "Good thing Thor and his group aren't here. Trust me, they take that sort of thing a little personally."

Before Reed could reply, a beeping sound came from the scanner in front of Ben. He leaned in to look at it, his face cut into a frown. "What the...Stretcho, we got incoming!"

Reed frowned. "That's odd...there shouldn't be that much large marine life this deep down..."

"Stretcho, I don't think it's Nemo and his friends!" Ben pulled back on the controls just in time to avoid a pair of torpedo-like objects sailing past them. The others let out yelps as the objects streaked past them. Ben managed to settle the craft in time for them to see the nearly fifty figures who had appeared before them.

"What the..." Johnny gasped. "Dude...are those...what I think they are?"

The majority of the figures bore blue skin and aquatic features, several with visible gills at their throats. They almost all wore complex armor with a variety of weapons, several spears glowing with power.

Floating before them all was a strikingly handsome dark-haired man, his skin much paler and looking like a regular human save for his pointed ears and what looked like small wings at his feet. He wore a mostly dark blue suit, the vest part opened to show much of his muscular chest with a bright golden belt around his waist. Conch shells hung around his neck as his deep blue eyes gazed coldly at the craft.

He spoke, his voice managing to carry underwater toward them, filled with a regal arrogance that came from a place of utter confidence. "In the name of Namor the First, ruler of Atlantis...you surface-dwellers have intruded upon our lands for the last time."

"Last? When was the first?" Johnny blurted.

Reed coughed before activating a speaker at the front of the sub. "Sir...Namor, was it? We are merely explorers, we have no interest in your lands and-"

The figure lifted his spear to call out "Imperius Rex!" As one, the soldiers began to swim toward the sub, their weapons crackling with power. Seeing the forces coming at them, the Thing could utter only one thing.

"Whatta revoltin' development this is!"

Dane burst into his apartment so quickly, he nearly knocked the hinges off the door lock. He raced to his study, pulling a long box out of a hiding place under the bed. He placed it onto the nearby table before pausing. Taking a deep breath, Dane flipped open the latches and slowly raised the box's lid.

Inside it was a long sword that was nearly pure black. It seemed to pulse with a strange power, the hilt curved and Dane could swear he heard something echoing in the air as he stared at it. He didn't want to do this. He truly didn't but if Sersi was in trouble, then he needed to. Taking a deep breath, he reached forward, his hand gripping the sword's hilt. He slowly drew it out, letting it shimmer in the light as he held it in his hands. He studied it, feeling the power within it as the voices seemed to grow larger in his mind and the darkness within the Ebony Blade growing.

A deep sigh echoed behind him and Dane whirled to see a handsome man with short dark hair, wearing a dark suit and a look of sadness on his face.

"I was really hoping I'd get here before you did that," Merlin stated with true regret in his voice.

In the skyways of space, a figure stood on a strange platform. It looked as if it was a statue sculpted from pure silver, motionless and one would expect it to be some sort of strange random object.

Then its eyes opened, solid silver. The board it was on began to move of its own violation. As it moved, its eyes focused far beyond what any creature could, finding the bluish orb in the far distance it had been seeking.

With its purpose decided, the silver figure atop the smooth board flew through space, targeting the planet Earth with the purpose that had brought doom to countless worlds before it.

And far behind the figure, a ship beyond the science of any race in the universe began to follow its path while its sole occupant felt a twinge of eagerness to sate its never-ending hunger….

So, as I said, longer than expected but hopefully you see why mixing a lot of elements in. I know, a few things may be shifted but felt additions of Kate were fun and set up a wider picture of this new MCU. Again, the movies may shift things but hopefully still capture the spirit as I hope not too long a delay before update.

Also tossing in bits like Carol reacting to Sersi looking like Minerva and the Thana/Circe thing. And Merlin meeting Dane links to the history of the Ebony Blade in the comics.

Oh and for the "castings?" Having just caught Amazon's Reacher series, Alan Richtson definitely could make Hercules work. And I hold Luke Evans would be perfect for the MCU Namor. The rest of the Olympians can be a bit more up in the air although obviously, Russell Crowe is Zeus.

All comments welcomed to hopefully see enough interest to continue.