Avengers: Infinite Wars

by free man writer

The Clone Wars are in full swing with the galaxy divided. The Jedi lead the clone army against the infinite droid army of the Separatists. Yet a wild card enters the fray. The Avengers. From there, newer, more sinister and deadlier threats emerge and The Galaxy, no, the universe, shall never be the same again. Co-written by Jebest4781 and BulletStormX. Now in Season 4.

55. The New Team

Alright so last chapter was undoubtedly a roller coaster of a ride and we've still got shit to take care of with Muur still running around.

Lots to do, lots to juggle around and oh so much more to set up for the future.

So a few things to quickly get out of the way.

What If…

Will I be including anything from that into this main story?

Yes and No. The idea of What If has always been a fun concept to explore in this story itself but no, nothing directly from there will appear other than likely the Watcher as his ilk have been seen in GOTG volume 2. Think more of taking ideas and concepts and recreating them into the story as we did with Muur in his absorption of other dimensional beings. So think stuff like that over story beats and direct influences.

Star Wars Visions. Also not gonna be seen in this other than perhaps their ideas.

The show itself was great overall but nothing tops that first episode cause that was *chefs kiss* a fucking masterpiece to watch. Hindsight, I feel like episode 1 should have been the last episode. It started out so strong that what came after just couldn't live up to that standard. The show itself was great overall but damn was that first episode something else.

At most, that Sith Lady we saw will appear as an Acolyte of Dooku's. Nothing more, nothing less.

Overall, there has thus far only been one MCU property within the entirety of Phase 4 that will be making its appearance in this story and that's it.

Eternals, no, No Way Home, no, Madness of the Multiverse at best will be hinted at through Strange but also no.

So yeah, overall, that's the gist of it all.

The first arc of Season 3 is about to reach its close in this chapter so let's get to it.

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.

Avengers Infinite Wars Chapter 55: The New Team

In the year 2012, a day unlike any other came to pass.

A day where the power of one hero would not be enough to stave that which had come to threaten the planet with annihilation.

On that day, six of Earth's Mightiest Heroes came together to fight off the alien army known as the Chitauri led by Loki, the God of Mischief.

Tony Stark AKA The Invincible Iron Man.

The Mighty Thor, God of Thunder.

Bruce Banner as The Incredible Hulk.

Captain America, the world's first superhero.

Natasha Romanoff, deadliest spy in the world.

And Earth's greatest marksman, Clint Barton, otherwise known as Hawkeye.

These six heroes came together in Manhattan, New York and successfully repelled an alien invasion that threatened the world itself.

Since then, the Avengers were known the world over and have been actively busy apart and together since that time.

From terrorist threats, alien dark elves wishing to bring about an eternal darkness, HYDRA resurfacing in the world to genocidal AI.

It has been a hectic set of years for these heroes and Earth itself.

And as these threats arose, so too did the number of heroes to counter these dangers.

A number of these new "enhanced" individuals went on to join the Avengers themselves.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though Earth would have its constant group of protectors at all times.

Three years after the team had first formed, the aforementioned genocidal AI was defeated and restructuring of sorts came about.

Of the original six, two chose to "retire", one was lost, another departed for a mission of his own with the last two being the ones to stay one and lead their five new teammates.

The Synthetic being known as Vision

Sam Wilson AKA the Falcon.

James Rhodey; The War Machine

Pietro Maximoff who calls himself Quicksilver

And the hex wielding twin of the speedster, Wanda Maximoff.

The team had a strong roster and less than two months after the teams reformation, their numbers grew to include two new members.

The shrinking and growing duo of Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne.

Otherwise known as Ant-Man and The Wasp.

With the addition of these two, nine heroes stood together to defend the world.

Then came the mission to a HYDRA base that made a giant Ultron robot from the scraps of the battle of Sokovia.

It went off without a hitch with the Avengers saving a nearby village and its denizens from the giant robot from stomping it into the ground.

Afterwards…

Well, they went into a HYDRA base, a power spike occurred and next thing the world knew the Avengers were gone.

Not dead, thankfully from the looks of it since there were no bodies at where they went missing.

But still.

Earth lost nine heroes in one fell swoop.

To say that there was a feeling of distress among those who knew about it would be underselling the growing level of panic that was to come.

The remaining two Avengers that were still on Earth came out of retirement in an instant to try and find out what the hell had happened whilst also resuming their position as Avengers themselves.

So Iron Man And Hawkeye, with what one would assume to be a sort of forced self-recruitment of one Hank Pym began the process of trying to discover just what happened to their lost friend and comrades.

All the while, Tony knew that just the three of them wouldn't be enough considering that one of them wasn't even an active hero.

Hank essentially took up Tony's old role of being a "consultant" to the Avengers.

Frankly, Stark wasn't even sure if that position was official or not. Felt more ceremonial if anything.

Regardless of that, Stark knew there was work to be done.

And that started with bolstering the Avengers rank in numbers.

Just the two of them plus Hank wasn't enough to keep the world safe.

Thankfully, he was Tony Stark.

Being overly prepared for these sorts of things was one of his best and worst defining traits. Ultron and Vision can attest to that.

Ever since the Avengers reformed after Sokovia and recruited two new heroes into their team a month later, Stark took a page out of Fury's playbook and began seeking out other extraordinary individuals to add to the roster of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

And he lucked out when he got not one but two promising candidates that were already making a name for themselves right in New York itself.

It didn't take long for him to discover who they were cause afterall, he was Tony Stark.

Peter Parker AKA the Amazing Spider-man.

And Matt Murdock, the Man Without Fear or Daredevil for short.

These two new heroes were the newest members Tony and Clint inducted into the Avengers.

…

…

…

And then they up and disappeared soon after as well when they were pursuing an arms dealer in Manhattan.

Not only did the duo of New York natives vanish, but apparently, the Prince of Wakanda also went with them. And he was also an enhanced, basically another super soldier who just so happens to be royalty.

To put it plainly, a headache is the politest way to describe what the current makeup of the Avengers had been going through right now.

And speaking of which…

Within the lab of Avengers HQ stood a young girl who had just entered into her late teens.

In front of her was a circular structure that could best be described as a gate of some kind.

A stargate if one speaks hyper nerd.

Of which she is one.

Shuri, Princess of Wakanda of the Golden Tribe, chief scientist and youngest child to King T'Chaka was busy analyzing the strange "gate" that Tony and Clint had brought back from the HYDRA base in Europe. The same base where nine Avengers went missing.

"Hey Meme Queen." Said a now familiar voice to her from behind. "Any luck so far?"

"You tell me Shell Head, does it look like I've gotten any work done?" Shuri shot back, not looking away from the gate.

"What it looks like is you mooching off the good graces of the Avengers without giving us a single dime of rent." Tony Stark, current "leader" of said team, remarked with a dry tone.

All he got was a tongue being flicked at him with an eyelid getting pulled down.

"Oh, oh no, the horror." Tony said in the blandest tone possible. "Such horrible faces. Oh how my life is now in ruin. God help me if you are up there from this unabashed horror."

The princess of Wakanda grumbled to herself, ignoring the smug look directed at her by the rich boy and resumed her work.

"But seriously, there really hasn't been any advancement?"

Shuri let out a sigh and shook her head.

"This technology is old." Shuri said. "That's all I can say for sure. Nearly tens of thousands of years old."

"Yeah, that's what we figured out the first time." Tony said, pacing around what he called the stargate. "Don't know if one of the writers for Stargate was a HYDRA agent and took inspiration from this hunk of junk back then."

"Funny as it is, they didn't make it." Shuri revealed. "They've just been keeping it together… though much is left to be desired."

Tony nodded. "So what, last I checked with Hank, this ring heap was ten thousand years old. Did your Vibranium magic pull out an older age?"

"Far older." Shuri confirmed. "Nearly twice that. 25,000 years to be precise."

"Lovely."

Who knew what else was on this planet of theirs that was absolutely ancient beyond known knowledge.

"I've been looking over its metals and while some can be found here on earth, a majority of it is not of this world for obvious reasons." Shuri stated. "And there's something else…"

"And that would be?"

The Princess frowned as she attempted to once again try to make sense of what was on her datapad.

"I keep picking up on the faintest of energy that I can't identify at all." The frustrated Princess stated. "I keep trying to compare it to a number of readings but I still can't-"

She was unable to finish as she let out an aggravated Shuri sound that Tony couldn't quite identify.

"Ok~ so I take it that you got nothing?" All he got was a flat look from her. "Is there anything you can work with?"

Shuri let out a slightly defeated sigh and shook her head. "A theory is the best I can give you, Stark."

"Something is better than nothing." Tony said in an encouraging manner.

Before Shuri could tell Tony her thoughts, a call was awaiting being answered.

Pulling up his phone, the billionaire saw who it was before answering.

"Hello, Maria, what do you and Fury need this time?"

From her station, Shuri saw a few expressions crossing over Stark's face.

"I'm sorry, you want us to come where? And for what exactly?"

-Scene Cut-

"Maria." Tony said, leaning in a bored fashion on the table he sat at. "Mind telling me why we're setting this up to be a talent show?"

Maria Hill, formerly an agent of SHIELD and now an employee of Stark Industries gave her employer a wry look as she set down a file for him to read.

"Fury had this gathered for ya and it only unlocks until she shows up and I allow it."

"You do know I can just hack it."

"Oh, we've taken that into account." Maria said knowingly.

"Come on Tony, could be fun." Clint remarked with a knowing grin as he reclined back in his seat, feet propped up on the table and hands behind his head.

Next to him was Shuri and the two had a bowl of popcorn in between one another.

On Tony's side sat a clearly annoyed Doctor Pym.

"This feels like a waste of time." Hank said aloud.

"You'll be eating those words you know." Maria said with an enigmatic smirk as she stood on the far end of the table next to the Princess. "Alright, send them in."

In walked several individuals garbed in rather colorful uniforms and in an instant, Tony knew what this was about.

The billionaire's head was on the table as he let out a groan of resignation. "We're really fishing from the bottom of the barrel here, aren't we?"

"Are these guys some of SHIELD's rejects?" Hank couldn't help but ask.

Hill coughed into her hand awkwardly.

"I wouldn't say that." She said, shifting her gaze away from the four seated at the table.

"That's not a no."

"So Fury sent us his rejects, then." Tony stated, sitting up and leaning back with his arms crossed in boredom. "Alright, entertain us for a bit if you would please."

What followed was a series of "auditions" for the Avengers with some holding promise… until there was something stupid that dissuaded them from even being considered.

Like being scared of holographic displays for some reason.

Yes…

Sure…

Why wouldn't the Avengers recruit someone with that type of fear?

Anyways, on with the show.

They watched as one after another, these individuals tried their damndest in impressing the Avengers with varying degrees of success.

And by success, it was really none.

One was a lasso "expert" who wrapped himself up in his own rope.

Another was a man in a frog suit who knocked himself out by jumping too high.

"TA-DA~~~~"

A young girl no older than Peter arrived in a grandiose fashion and she came with…

Squirrels.

Don't ask.

Though she was rejected, Clint tossed her an Avengers card with the title of reserve member on it. Whatever the reason may be, the archer stated that he "knows things" about her and left it at that.

"Please tell us there's someone competent in the roster." Hank said, rubbing his now aching head.

Hill looked at her datapad and frowned slightly. "There was one, but she… Fury told me she's not available."

"Why?" Tony asked.

"Hard to get in contact with her."

"Why?" Shuri now.

Hill felt her eye twitch.

"Just that she's not available."

"Why?" Chorused all three geniuses.

"I can just end this you know?"

"Please, by all means." Hank said, clearly not wanting to be here right now.

Shuri, having been entertained by all this, decided to humor the former SHIELD agent.

"Okay, if this special person ain't showing up, then who else do you have?" The Princess asked.

Maria grumbled as she held up a paper file and flipped it open.

"Ok… Miss…. Walters?"

"Here! I'm here!" Answered a more energetic female voice.

The woman who came in didn't look anything special at all. In fact, she seemed a bit more out of place than anything.

Appearance wise, she was like a mousy lawyer in a typical business suit, having her hair put up into a back bun and wore a pair of glasses. And in her possession as well was a stereotypical briefcase.

Tony exhaled a tired sigh. "Are you serious, Maria? She doesn't look special at all."

Walters looked slightly downtrodden at that comment. "But I am special. I'm a lawyer."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, ma'am." Tony stood up from his seat and walked up to the lawyer. "Look, I like your get up and you look real swanky and all but we've got a lawyer on the team that we're trying to find right now and get back. So unless you can fly or shoot lasers out your eyes, why bother? Oh and tell me, is your briefcase any special at all?"

"Come on Stark, just give her a chance." Hill spoke in a coy and mischievous fashion.

He gave Maria a suspicious glance and then got up close and personal to the lawyer. "C'mon, show me what you got."

"Ok, right." Walters exhaled in a calm fashion.

Taking off her glasses, Ms. Walters put them into a case before tossing them away. In mere moments, something felt rather off about her with just about everyone else.

In a matter of seconds, a multitude of rips and tears were loudly heard as they saw the woman start to change. Her skin went into a different hue, her tied hair became longer, her body mass got larger before condensing and her eyes turned into a fierce emerald color as they bore down onto the former playboy.

Tony Stark let out a startling high pitched girlish scream when he was deftly lifted up off the ground by his collar and held close to her.

"How's this, rich boy?" Walters asked in a far more husky and sultry voice.

Tony could only stammer and stutter in astonishment at what he was looking at.

Shuri then whistled and cheered happily at the display. "You go girl!"

Hank had his jaw on the floor whilst Clint had a wide grin in place.

"Everyone." The archer spoke up. "Meet Jennifer Walters."

Stark was still staring in wide eyed disbelief. "Any relation to-"

"Yeah, Bruce is my cousin." Jen spoke in a more confident and friendly manner than her previous meek appearance.

"How come we weren't told about this?" Hank asked, trying to wrap his mind around how this woman even existed. "Wouldn't someone like a relative of the Hulk be big news?"

"He likes to keep family away from his problems." Was Jennifer's response.

"I have a better question." Tony spoke up, still being held up by Walters. "How do you seem to know about her, Clint?"

Barton shrugged. "I can relate to a guy who wants to keep family under the radar. Less of a risk, you know?"

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"Hey, look who you're talking to."

"And look who you are talking about." Tony said, gesturing wildly at the now amused green amazon.

Before Tony knew it, he was tossed across the other side of the room, slammed against its wall and slid off of it before falling to the ground.

"Aurgh~" He groaned. "Was that really necessary?"

Jennifer looked up in thought, tapping the side of her cheek. "Not really, but I felt like it."

Stark gave her the best deadpan he was able to deliver despite his position on the floor. "You really are his cousin."

"And how did this even happen?" Shuri asked, inching her seat closer now.

The large smile shifted into a more melancholy one as she looked down at her green hand. "It's quite the story."

"We're not going anywhere." Hank said in an encouraging fashion.

"But Tony might have to go to the hospital wing."

"I'll be fine." Tony grunted. "Friday?"

"No severe damage detected."

"See?"

"Bruising on lower back-"

"I fly around in an Iron suit that has taken on Gods, I'll be fine." Tony whined almost petulantly as he stood up off the ground.

He placed both his hands on his back and arch himself back while feeling pops in his spine.

"Finally feeling your age, Stark?"

"Bite me, Pym."

"I can have an ant do that for you if you would like."

Tony just flatly stared at the man before going back over to the table and sat himself down.

"Alright She-Hulk, let's hear your tale of woe."

-Scene Cut-

"You should have seen her Okoye, she was an absolute Marvel to look at." Shuri was practically gushing to a clearly unamused Dora Milaje general.

She was not here presently per say, just the holo-display of her from one of Shuri's Vibranium wrist beads that made it look like she was here.

"Princess Shuri." She spoke in a calm and leveled tone. "Need I remind you that King T'Chaka left you behind in hopes that you would successfully find your brother."

"I know, I know." Shuri quickly said. "And I've been busy-"

"Playing Avenger." Okoye interrupted dryly.

"I'm not playing Avenger." Shuri whined petulantly. "I've been working on this day in and day out. I'm literally feeling the burn out here."

All she got was a deadpan expression from the head of the Dora Milaje.

"Okoye~~"

The bald warrior clenched her teeth tightly whilst feeling her brow twitch. "Enough."

Okoye had a hand over her face and she let out a disgruntled sigh.

She opened her mouth to speak once more when an unexpected interruption came in to "save" Shuri from a planned lecture.

Clint poked his head into her room.

"Shuri, soups on. Made the pasta you like so much." He said. "Hey Okoye."

"Clint." She said in a respectful manner, looking back to the Princess to see that she was already gone.

The General let out an uncharacteristically annoyed growl as she tensed up and held her hands in a bent, clawing fashion.

This elicited a chuckle from the archer who stepped into the room.

"I'm so glad you find amusement in this, archer." Okoye said in annoyance.

"Give the girl a break here. She's stressed enough as it is." Barton said in defense of the Princess.

"That doesn't seem to be the case."

"Well, yeah, it is." Clint shot back. "Found her last night on the floor in front of that gate we've been studying asleep. Looked like she nearly collapsed just being there."

Okoye didn't have a response to that for a few moments as her frown was clear and present to see.

"You do realize that it's not just your prince that's missing right?" Hawkeye said, though he knew she was well aware of this. "Earth's missing a lot of its heroes and we're working our ass off to find them and bring them back. Your sister is helping speed up the process."

"Her responsibility should be finding her brother first and foremost." Okoye retorted, lightly banging her spear on the ground.

"Is it now?"

Her eyes narrowed then.

"What are you trying to say, Barton?"

Rather than respond verbally, Clint turned to walk out of the room that Shuri was using during her stay here in Avengers HQ.

"Shuri is a natural genius, that's easy to see." Clint stated. "But she's also a teenage girl. A teenage girl who comes from an advanced society that has cut itself off from the rest of the world and is experiencing it all for the first time."

"I ask you once more, archer, what are you trying to say?" Okoye was now having a more accusatory tone.

Hawkeye stared back at the woman unflinchingly, keeping a steely gaze upon her.

"I think you're expecting that once your Prince is found, you all will just retreat back into Wakanda and just close yourselves off from the rest of the World as per your status quo." He gave the Dora Milaje an expectant look. "But after everything she's gone through here, everything she will experience… Do you really think she'll want to stay isolated like she did at one point when she could be a part of the rest of the world? Maybe even your Prince will share this idea and not want to go back to a place that refuses to be a part of our planet."

Okoye didn't get a chance to answer as Hawkeye took his leave and exited the room, leaving the guard to fester in her own thoughts.

Her holo-visage remained there in the room as it took a moment to look around, seeing all the new things that Shuri has collected since her stay in the States.

She winced, shaking her head before ending the transmission.

-Scene Cut-

"Why couldn't I come with you?"

"You're grounded, remember?" Clint said plainly. "You burned down the kitchen. Again."

"I didn't burn down the kitchen, just the stove."

"And that counts as the kitchen." Barton rebuked. "Seriously, how are you this bad at cooking?"

"I am not bad at cooking!" Shuri vehemently argued. "Just inexperienced."

"There's another way of saying that. Bad at cooking."

"You just have no appreciation of my culinary arts."

"Right~~" Said the voice of Tony Stark from his end of the comms. "And those pancakes definitely didn't find themselves melted onto the ceilings of the kitchen. A real work of art."

Clint can hear Shuri make angry Shuri sounds over the line, making him chuckle in the process.

Their conversation soon came to an end as Tony reported his arrival at his destination whilst he stood before his own. He gazed up at the sign of the convenient story he stood in front of, momentarily checking the scribbled down address he had on a piece of paper he took with him.

"Always Ayala's?" Barton read aloud to himself. "Tacky."

Shoving the piece of paper in his pocket, Clint pushed the door open and entered the store.

It was like most convenient stores for the most part.

Snack aisle, medicine aisle, miscellaneous aisle and so on and so forth.

When you've seen one, you've seen them all.

"May I help you, sir?" Spoke a woman from behind the counter.

"Ah, yes, I'm here to see someone." Clint answered.

"Being who? The manager?" She asked.

"Looking for someone specific, one Hector Ayala."

The woman behind the counter paused and gave the man a strange look. "And why do you need to see him?"

Clint shrugged. "Nothing, just need to talk with him is all."

"Uh huh." The woman's eyes narrowed now.

The marksman held up both his hands and with a flick his sleeves rolled down. "I'm serious. See? Nothing to hide."

That only caused her to squint even harder than before if that was even possible until she relented.

"Hector." She said aloud.

And from the back end of the Convenient Store…

"What Awilda?" Replied a masculine voice. "I'm busy."

"Someone here to see you."

"Who?"

"How should I know?"

"You didn't ask for a name?"

"...Okay that is my bad." Awilda turned around and addressed the man beside her. "And you are?"

"Clint Barton."

"Clint Barton." Awilda immediately shouted, pausing in thought as the name sounded strangely familiar.

A response didn't come for a few seconds until…

"Come again…" Croaked out Hector.

"Clint Barton." Awilda repeated.

"Hawkeye of the Avengers." the Archer quickly added.

"Hawkeye of the… the…." Awilda slowly looked down at the man who held a pleasant smile.

She then had her head snapped over to a poster on one of the walls of the store and on it was an artistic rendition of a group the entire world knew.

There were six drawings of them in total and one of which just so happened to have said marksman standing right in front of her.

Soon enough, a man only a few years younger than Clint came up to the front counter and accompanying him was a young girl that the Avenger quickly deduced to be his daughter.

"Hector Ayala?"

The man gazed upon Hawkeye who walked up to him with an offered hand.

"Big fan of your work." Clint said, shaking the man's hand. "Mind if we talk?"

Hector could only nod in stunned silence, gesturing shakily for the archer to follow after him.

The young girl stared up at Barton as he walked by and gave her a mischievous wink as he walked behind her father.

Earlier before…

"Uh-huh.'' Tony said dryly. "So explain to me again what happened?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Replied Clint on the other end of the comm link. "All I know is that she somehow got the fire from the oven to the opposite wall and it got burned down. Even Friday wasn't able to explain what happened."

"I did not!" Shuri shot back childishly.

"Friday?"

"Sorry boss, someone meddled with the cameras."

"Someone eh?" Came the billionaires wry response as in his mind it was easy to deduce just who screwed with HQ cams. "Looks like I'll need to-"

"You've arrived at your destination, Boss."

"Oh, would you look at that?" Tony said. "Talk later Clint."

"Was just about to say, pulling up on my target now."

"I really don't like the way you said that."

"Yeah, I know. It was intentional."

Stark only rolled his eyes as he flew down to the streets of New York below, startling and stunning many passersby.

"Don't worry folks, superhero business, you know the drill." Tony said conversationally as he walked towards the building he was searching for.

He wasn't out of his typical selections in his several residences; let alone shopping for more.

Reason why Tony was here was to see a certain bartender he heard so much about.

Entering the swanky club, the Iron Avenger strolled through the many patrons within the establishment. Of course, being in his Iron Man suit, many people stopped and stared whilst phones were pulled out and videos and pictures were taken.

As he got closer to the bar, Tony spotted the man that he was here to see.

And as luck would have it, someone else that he was searching for just so happened to be seated at the bar in front of said bartender with the two of them appearing to be conversing animatedly. Well one of them was.

The man behind the bar was giving off an amused and relaxed smile which changed upon seeing the billionaire superhero.

Seeing his friends change in demeanor, he turned around to see what caught the bartender's attention and his eyes widened upon watching Tony Stark step out of his Iron Man suit.

Once at his destination, Tony fished out a crisp hundred dollar bill and placed it down.

"Top shelf please." The inventor said in a suave voice. "I hear this establishment has an excellent selection of-"

"What are you doing here?" The bartender asked with his eyes narrowed.

His friend seated in front of him eyed Tony with suspicion, awe and intrigue.

Tony took the question in stride, casually leaning upon the bar.

"Mr. Cage." Stark said conversationally. "And Mr. Rand. So glad to see you both here. Saves me the trouble with setting up a meeting with you, young sport."

"Mr. Stark." Said the young CEO. "Like my friend here asked, any reason why you're here?"

"Can't I explore some of New York's finest clubs-"

Luke Cage snorted at that. "I doubt it."

Tony looked over to the elevated platform of the bar. "Heard the local band is good."

"Don't play dumb with us, Stark." Luke said, eyes baring down at the billionaire.

"What? What's the matter with being a man of culture to sample the finer things this city has to offer me?" Tony asked in an over dramatic fashion. "I'll have you know that even with my worldly experience, Manhattan is the city that never fails to surprise. I mean, less than a few hours ago, I didn't even know this place existed. False mind you cause I knew about it a while back. Just wanted to be dramatic."

"You're rich enough to bring the entertainment to yourself." Danny countered. "You've done that before. My mom and dad have been to your parties, you know?"

"Oh yeah they were." The Iron Avenger said with a fond look before he gave his fellow rich boy a somber look. "I'm sorry about what happened to them. I know what it's like."

There was a moment of silence shared between the two billionaires until Luke Cage cleared his throat and gave Stark a pointed look.

"What?"

He didn't get a verbal answer, only a look that asked 'are you gonna tell us why you're really here or not?'.

Stark rolled his eyes at that.

"Alright. Alright." Tony conceded. "You want me to be completely honest here?"

"That would be nice."

"Okay." Tony angled and situated himself between Luke and Danny. He then spoke in the gruffest voice he could muster. "I am Luke Cage. Defender of Harlem."

Danny Rand snorted upon hearing this until Tony put his voice in a higher tone. "And I am the Iron Fist, fear me."

"I didn't say that." Danny said petulantly.

"Yeah but ya made it sound like it." Tony countered. "Heard about the spiel a while ago on the news. Very nice. Enjoyed the showmanship. Very raw and to the point. Very… me actually. Are you two fans of mine?"

"Okay, fun time's over." Tony became a bit more serious. "You think you two are the only enhanced individuals out there. Mr. Cage. Mr. Rand. You two have become part of the bigger world. You just don't know it yet."

Luke and Danny shared a look with one another.

"Uh… yeah?" Danny said. "We know that already."

"Yeah, you and your super friends got that part covered."

"Huh, and here I thought I could be as intimidating as Fury for a moment." Tony muttered out. "Probably need to work on that."

"Can you just cut the bullshit already?" Luke said with an impatient tone now. "What do you want, playboy?"

"Please God don't call me that in front of Pepper." Tony said in a faux pleading tone. "She'll think I'm falling back into my old vices."

"Is there a reason why you said that?" Asked the hero known as the Iron Fist, referring back to his rather dramatic statement on them being the only heroes in the world.

"I think you both know the answer for that."

"Perhaps, but I believe we'd both like to say it out front." Luke firmly said.

"Oh my God, take all the fun out of it, why don't you?" Tony groaned out. "Fine, I want the both of you to join the Avengers."

Both men froze upon hearing that, eyes widening as they looked at one another to confirm if they were hearing the same thing.

Danny coughed aloud, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry. Care to repeat that?"

"You know what I said." Stark said dryly.

"You wanna recruit us into your little -and I do mean that very literally- group of heroes to protect the world?" Luke asked condescendingly.

"Yes. Obviously." Tony said like it was the easiest choice in the world. "By the way, two for two albeit unintentionally."

"Excuse me?"

"So, how bout it?" Tony asked. "Wanna become global heroes that protects the world from the end on a daily basis? We've got great health insurance to cover liabilities of death and injuries. Pepper told me to tell you that."

"Yeah, you're not giving the pitch right here." Said Luke.

"Like for instance not giving the full story." Danny continued. "Why come to us all of a sudden for recruitment? Doesn't make much sense if you ask me."

After some moments of silence between the trio, an answer was soon given.

"See, here's the thing." Tony said tiredly. "Quite some time ago, a bunch of my pals went missing in Europe and we know diddly squat where they ended up at. And I don't mean off the grid, I mean like vanished, poofed, disappeared from the literal face of the Earth. I got two other guys to join and then they went missing as well. The Earth is severely, no, hilariously outgunned. I don't know what happened to Bruce and I don't know how to contact Thor unless it involves shouting into the sky for some Heimlich and I need to be substantially drunk to do something like that."

Iron Man gazed at them both with a greater degree of intensity now.

"So here's where Earth is at right now," Starks tone took a downturn for being completely serious now. "It only has two active Avengers on hand and you know that's not nearly enough to protect the world from the threats both on and off this planet. I've seen how New York is a breeding ground for individuals such as yourselves and I know the team needs people like you now more than ever. What happens when another doorway to space opens up over Manhattan and there's only two of us Avengers there to stop it."

Things slowly dawned between the two enhanced individuals, something which the inventor picked up on.

"You're getting it now, aren't you." Tony said grimly.

The duo didn't respond for a number of seconds until the younger of the two spoke first.

"You must be joking, right?" Danny asked in a low voice.

"Kid, funny things are." Stark gazed directly at him. "But safeguarding the world from the end? I was driven to doing something insanely stupid in creating a murder bot for that very task. Cap hounded my ass about it until the end and he's right. If the Earth is gonna be protected, it needs the best of the best that this planet has to offer for heroes. And newsflash, the two of you meet that criteria."

Both Danny and Luke were having a difficult time processing what's being offered here on top of what they've been told. In all honesty, in hindsight, this was way above their experience and pay grade.

"There's gonna be someone else rather than us."

"There could be, but it will take a very long time to find, track and approach them. Besides, would a man with a multibillion dollar company, self-made super suit with all the "time" in the world not be serious in going out of his way to talk to you two and offer them this chance?" Tony said with a dead serious expression. "You two and a number of others have always been on the radar, whether you knew about it or not. We just didn't want to bother you cause you two have been doing your own respective jobs. But now? Now times are desperate and we need the required help. So I'm asking you, Luke Cage, Daniel Rand, can the world rely on a few more Avengers when the time arises?"

There were moments within the lives of Luke and Danny where they respectively felt a great numbing sensation. For Luke, it was when he saw a number of close loved ones lose their lives before him, on top of when he acquired his impenetrable skin and unnatural strength. For Danny, it was when he lost his parents in that plane crash before years later when he plunged his hands into that enchanted cauldron to gain his powers.

There were many other examples of this sensation. But this moment here now joined amongst them.

In their own ways, Luke and Danny looked at Tony and gave their own nods of confirmation.

Tony's grim mood instantly vanished, now sporting a relieved and mischievous grin.

"Excellent." Said Tony. "And with that being said…"

The genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist proceeded to whirl around to the crowd and had his suit return to him.

With it amplifying his voice as well as the action of being suited up garnering the attention of all present in the club, everyone stared at the armored Avenger as he held a handout towards Luke and Danny.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Tony declared aloud and boisterously, bewildering all those present while some couldn't help but take out their phones and record what was transpiring.

"I give to you all a momentous occasion for everyone to see."

Luke groaned whilst Danny looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Is he seriously doing this here?"

"He most certainly is."

"Luke Cage and Danny Rand, your two newest Avengers!" Iron Man proclaimed aloud to all those present and to the world at large.

"Yeah, he did seriously just do that." Luke said, wanting to hide away but unable to as people began whooping and cheering whilst videos and pictures were taken.

"Good grief."

"Sweet Christmas."

"Good grief?" Repeated the Iron Avenger in amusement. "Going into a little Peanuts there, huh? And Sweet Christmas? That's certainly a new one. Definitely using that."

"That's my line, Stark." Luke dryly stated. "I basically patented the term."

"Sure, let's see that in the legal office."

"You can technically make it a shirt if ya want, Luke." Danny said, humming with approval at the idea.

"Danny… just… please…"

Tony chuckled in amusement as he basically zoomed out of the Harlem establishment to make his way back to the Avenger's Tower.

In another part of New York, a certain Private Investigator was having her work cut out for her this time around.

"Ok, ok, ok, can all of you just slow down for a minute." Spoke an irritated woman with a black denim jacket as she grabbed her cup filled with alcohol and took a sip of it. "Now, let's dial it back and start at the beginning. Go."

In front of the Private Investigator stood three people.

One man in his late 20's or early 30's and a blond woman who appeared to be in the same age range.

Next to them was a much older lady in her 40's though she appeared younger than her age would say.

The first to speak was the blond woman.

"Ok, a while back, our friend and partner went missing somewhere in Manhattan." She said slowly.

"Partner as in business partner or romantic-"

"Business." The blonde's companion clarified.

"Noted. Carry on."

"See, a while back we were approached by Tony Stark."

The Detective was certainly surprised by this piece of information but opted to remain silent as the blond woman let on.

"He had a business proposition of sorts for our law firm and normally Matt wouldn't really opt to accept those sorts of things but…" The man of the trio became sullen, sagging his shoulders with his friend placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The private eye grimaced and looked over to the other lady in the group.

"And what's your story?"

"My nephew… he was approached by Stark in regards to an internship at his company." The woman said with a slightly broken tone. "He went along with him for a few weeks but then he too went missing."

"It took us a while but we managed to locate and contact Ms. Parker here since we had seen her nephew Peter meet our friend Matt once before they went missing." The slightly pudgy man stated.

"Got any photos?"

Those from the law firm handed over a standard picture of Matt Murdock. Granted it would be a tad difficult on a full one without the red shades but given the fact he was blind was something to consider.

As for the nephew…

"He's your nephew?" Jessica Jones inquired. "How old are you?"

"Like it or not, he's related to my late husband's side of the family. And my late brother-in-law had Peter when he and his wife were in their early years of college." Ms. Parker said defensively aggressive.

"Okay. Okay." Jessica said apologetically. "Touchy subject aside…"

Outside of the typical questioning of their likes, dislikes, usual haunts and typical traits, there wasn't that much going for Matt Murdock and Peter Parker.

Yes there can be a factor to consider both missing persons had more about them than presented to the Private Investigator. It sometimes makes her work much harder if she didn't get everything right away and had to learn them in an unfortunate manner.

Asides from this, there were two things these people had in common.

One was that in their own right, they were a little pleasing on the eyes. Either one of them could be an interesting surprise for her in the sheets if that were to happen. Granted the Parker kid would need to be older or she needed to miraculously become younger for things to be appropriate like that to occur.

The other was that both sets of clientele had one very peculiar similarity with their cases, all involving Tony Stark of Stark Industries.

Jones leaned back in her seat as she mulled over everything that had been presented to her.

She momentarily glanced out one of the windows to her back and far off in the distance, the private eye spotted the emblazoned A on the building that was dubbed the Avengers Tower.

It would be so easy as to simply fly up to that place and investigate it outright but…

This was the Avengers she was thinking about.

Not some run of the mill street thug or gang that she can rough up with little to no effort.

"So… let me recap this, if you'll allow me." Jones spoke up, garnering the attention of the three clients before her. "Your friend *Pointed at the two lawyers* and your nephew *points at May* are connected to Tony Stark, the Iron Man and you want me to investigate him?"

"It's not that we think he's a criminal… a war criminal anymore." Foggy Nelson said with a worried look. "It's just that he came to us and soon after, our friend and Ms. Parker's nephew went missing."

"Uh-huh." Jessica then had her eyes narrowed at them. "Any other small details I'm missing here. Cause it feels like I'm missing some pieces of the puzzle right now."

While the aunt is innocent enough, the way the two law firm co-workers were a tad sketchy after her remark.

"Look…" Karen Page said aloud. "Just… please… he's our friend. She's his nephew. Please, can you figure out what happened to them?"

"We'll pay you double." Foggy added in.

Racking her fingers through her dark hair, Jessica exhaled a sigh. "I get it. I know what it's like to worry for someone. So I'll take on your cases."

May looked at the investigator with a grateful smile, a small tear trailing down her eye. As for Karen and Foggy, they were rather relieved as some weight was lifted off their shoulders.

"Thank you Ms. Jones." May said with complete gratitude that caused Jessica to squirm.

She wasn't used to such positive emotions being directed at her.

Jessica could only murmur that she would do her job and was thoroughly surprised by May placing a comforting hand over hers and squeezing it in a motherly fashion. She bade them all goodbye and departed from the apartment turned office.

When Karen and Foggy went to get out of the office, Jessica called out for them.

"Now the depressed aunt is not here. Tell me what's really going on."

-Scene Cut-

"So you're telling me he already came to the both of you?" Jessica Jones asked as she walked down the streets of Manhattan with Luke Cage and Danny Rand. "How does he even know about you two?"

"Well, I didn't exactly go out of my way to make my identity a secret." Luke admitted with a shrug.

"And all rich folk know one another." Danny answered.

"That's some illuminati type shit right there."

"But he did know about us and didn't bother us until now." Luke stated. "And Jess? If he knows about us, he definitely knows about you too."

The investigator was silent at that statement as the thought had crossed her mind when she had met up with the two soon to be Avengers.

Part of this revelation came to her when her best friend and foster sister, Trish, quickly called her about something that was quickly trending on social media. While she would ignore such a thing, Jessica had to double check to see if Trish wasn't joking at all.

While she was meeting with her two sets of clients, Luke and Danny were publicly inducted into the Avengers over at Harlem. And this made her contact Luke rather quickly for a meet up.

Speaking of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, she had learned that her two friends had not been the only new recruits that had been added to the ranks of the team.

A few days ago, her intimidation tactic worked a little bit too much on the law firm co-workers who came to her for help in locating their missing friend.

Turns out their wayward blind lawyer was the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. That was both crazy and not as crazy as she thought due to her line of work and the world she inhabits right now. And as it turned out, he too became an Avenger before his disappearance.

So he was an Avenger and from what Luke and Danny told her, the Avengers were severely understaffed it seems.

The individuals that comprised the team after the events of Sokovia had apparently gone missing and this "theory" holds credence as multiple new networks in the past few weeks have become aware of the Avengers' overall absence from the public eye.

It was easy to surmise why Stark and Barton would be going around seeking out other enhanced individuals to join up with them.

Earth is severely under protected as Cage and Rand had told her, echoing what Stark had told them.

That left the following questions: where does Peter fit in all this and what else wasn't being told to them?

While it would be easy to wrap up the case with Foggy and Karen, same can't be said for May Parker.

Jessica could only deduce that since this revolves around the aspect of the Avengers, Peter Parker must be someone with a special set of abilities that caught the eye of Iron Man.

Honestly, it was the only logical explanation in an illogical case.

Either he was some up and coming masked hero, became someone "in the chair" or some up and coming inventor placed at some black site. That last one might be a bit of a stretch as May Parker was adamant she had a "good boy".

Then again, if he was indeed recruited into the ranks of the Avengers, he might be more than just a "good boy".

"Even if we got the invitation, I doubt Stark and his ragtag group will fully take us in."

"You sure about that?"

"We essentially got an interview, but we need to perform well on the audition to make the cut."

"What's this, theatre school or something?" Jessica joked aloud.

"No, I'm thinking more like a businessman." Came Danny's response.

"Guys." Luke cut off their little rambling with a slightly annoyed tone. "We gotta figure out what to do next. I know we "agreed" to this whole Avengers gig but we have no idea what that entails."

Danny found himself shrugging. "World ending events?"

"That's reassuring." Jessica deadpanned.

"What?" Danny said defensively. "That's what they've been doing, right?"

"But we ain't never done nothin like that in our lives." Luke pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but… they didn't do that themselves at one point." Rand said with a contemplative frown. "We've been fighting criminals and gang leaders for the most part. We've had our share of people who can match us in a fight. But think of how things could change if we all became Avengers."

"If there are club jackets, I'm taking a pass." Jones remarked.

Luke however gave his friend an intent gaze. "You seem really on board with this."

"Yes, I am." Danny declared unashamedly. "Think about it, Luke. If you're an Avenger, who in their right mind in Harlem wants to even consider messing with a hero that protects the planet, not just some small corner of the world."

Cage was silent whilst Rand turned to Jessica.

"And with you Jess, you can finally pay for your bills consistently."

Luke snorted aloud whilst Jessica appeared unamused.

"I say it's just putting a damn target on your back." Jones snarked. "Some up and comer may try to come to your home and make a name for themselves by attacking you and your loved ones. Well, more than usual."

"I don't need the reminder." Cage grumbled.

Jessica then eyed the young CEO. "I don't know about you, Rand, but I don't recall you had a cape and cowl when you decided to crack down on those secret ninja society schmucks."

"I didn't… exactly…"

"And with what Stark did on you, he basically exposed you. If people didn't know what you did in your free time, they'll start questioning it now."

"Well…" Luke rubbed his bald head. "You do remember I basically outed myself to all of New York this year."

"And I kinda didn't hide my nightly activities." Danny added.

Jessica groaned aloud. "Oh my god, you two, are you not getting what I'm saying? The whole world knows your names and faces. Pretty sure they'll know everything about you soon enough."

"We know already." Luke said with a sigh. "We accepted that choice after Tony came to us."

Jones could only shake her head.

"Regardless, Stark did a piss poor job in informing Murdock's friends and Parker's aunt of the present issue."

Before the trio could speak any further, they stopped upon hearing the sound of screams coming from the distance. A moment later, they heard the telltale signs of car crashes and glass shattering that came the same direction of the screams.

"Do you guys hear that?" Luke asked though he knew the question was pointless as they broke into a run towards the screaming.

"Sounds like trouble."

"Gee, you think?"

The trio then took off to find the source of the problem. Not knowing their lives will change even further than before.

-Scene Cut-

Hector Ayala once had a simple life.

Or so he would like to think.

Being a convenient store owner was one thing, being a wrestler was another.

But becoming a vigilante superhero who has now been asked to become an Avenger?

This felt rather too much to process or handle for a single father.

"So an Avenger seriously came up to recruit you?"

Hector sighed aloud, turning to his good friend who walked beside him. "Yes, Jack."

"Who was it?" Asked the cop. "Tell me it was the hot one."

"No, it wasn't Black Widow. It was Hawkeye."

Jack let out a wistful sigh. "Shame."

Hector rolled his eyes before feeling his arm being tugged.

"Are you really going to be working there, papa?" Ava Ayala, his only daughter asked in an innocent tone, pointing ahead to the Avengers tower.

He gave her a loving smile before gazing up at the building with an anxious look. "More or less."

"Will we see your wrestling matches anymore?"

The father chortled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and hugging her close. "We'll see about that. Nothing is really decided."

"Still." Jack murmured, eyeing the tower. "An Avenger… are you sure about this Hector? That's some big shoes to fill."

"I know that but… think about it like this." Hector said. "If I do truly become an Avenger, then I could have a lot more legitimacy to use when patrolling Bronx. Think about it. An Avenger keeping our hometown safe."

"True, but it may cut off more time from your family. Let alone the fact they'll be heavily worried if you're gone longer than intended."

Hector found himself in deep thought. "Yeah, I considered that as well but…"

"That's a lot buts coming out of your mouth today." Jack remarked, eliciting a giggle out of Hectors' daughter.

Ayala snorted at his daughter's reaction before looking back at his cop friend.

"Barton told me he has a family as well. And so did another team member of his, someone called Ant-Man."

"Ant-man?" Jack repeated, laughing aloud. "There's seriously an Avenger called Ant-man?"

"Yeah and he's apparently a father, like me."

Jack's amused expression fell away as it became a bit more serious now. "Sounds convenient."

Hector blinked at the change in mood. "What?"

"Just that he used those things to convince you."

"It is a convincing argument." Hector admitted. "If a guy with no powers with a bow and arrow and an Ant guy can be Avengers and fathers, who says I can't."

Jack was silent for a few moments as he thought about what his friend said.

"Look… Hector…" Jack said slowly. "It's not like I'm against this, I'm all for it actually. You being an Avenger would be insane and crazy and make your family proud. But I'm also looking at the logistics of it all. This is some big time world type shi- stuff. You're my brother, Mi Hermano. I just want you to consider all your options."

The Wrestler/Hero gave his close friend an understanding and strained smile.

He was glad to see such concern and it was valid on many counts.

This was a serious decision and not to be taken lightly.

It was at this point did several things occur at once.

First was seeing a number of civilians running away from somewhere or something.

Second was the unnatural beastly sound emanating in the air.

Third came the sound of people getting hurt, destruction and chaos less than a few blocks ahead.

This got Hector to react accordingly.

In an instant he picked Ava up and promptly placed her in his friends' arms.

"Hector, what-"

The wrestler said, already moving in the direction of where the sounds of fear and panic were coming from.

"Jack, get Ava to safety."

"But-"

"Just do it!"

Without a second wasted, Hector took off, leaving his daughter behind to scream out of worry.

"PAPA!" Ava called out to her father in fear, tears already streaming down her face as Jack turned to run.

"I'm sorry, Ava." The Cop whispered into the girl's ear.

Running to an alley, Hector started pulling off articles of clothing to reveal his White Tiger attire underneath. And from around his neck, the mystical amulet started to glow.

-Scene Cut-

Tony Stark stood within the main meeting room of the Avengers and to say that it was packed would be putting it mildly.

Whereas this morning there were only four Avengers occupying this room now there were over a dozen.

There was himself along with Clint, Shuri and Jennifer being joined by Hank and Maria.

Then there were the four scouted recruits of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Danny Rand and Hector Ayala.

And now there were four sorcerers, a man from the past that knew his father personally that wasn't named Steve Rogers and a drifter who apparently had the spirit of a vengeance demon inside him.

So suffice to say…

Yeah, he didn't have any proper words to convey just how he felt about this bizarre and crazy situation.

Earth apparently has wizards now.

Or they always had them.

Many were just unaware.

Boy was that an eye opener.

Many of the enhanced heroes got hit with some serious vertigo when they came out of the living Escher painting that was the "mirror dimension".

Oh, did Tony talk about the fact that there was indeed a multiverse?

Other realities on top of their own.

This day just kept on getting better and crazier and crazier and better. And better is a term used somewhat loosely.

He felt a bit of a migraine coming on but he had to brush that aside as he had a more pressing matter on hand.

Hearing a slight cough next to him, Stark glanced down at a seated Barton who shot him a look that said 'well, get on with it'.

Tony silently sent a message back of his own and asked 'why do I have to do it?'.

Clint simply "responded" with a face that yelled 'cause it's you we're talking about here. You love this sort of thing so just do it already'.

Stark rolled his eyes and clapped his metal hands together, garnering everyone's undivided attention. "So boys and girls, we all had fun in our outing together. I'd like to give an A for effort and a D for overall lack of teamwork. Still, good job everyone."

"Could have gone better." Barton remarked, looking at the four robed individuals. "So then… mind telling us what you're all about?"

"Did we not prior to our first encounter?" Mordo rhetorically asked.

"That was a rushed meeting and you know it." Clint rebuked. "Now, talk 'cause what we all just went through sure as hell wasn't in any Avengers instructions manual that we're all familiar with."

Tony held an analytical gaze at the six odd group of individuals that had been brought into the Avengers HQ.

Doctor Stephen Strange, Karl Mordo, Wong, Celeste Morne, Robbie Reyes and he still couldn't believe that he was looking at Bucky Barnes.

He was well aware of the WWII veterans history, both good and bad and the fact that Steve had been searching for his friend for some time now after SHIELD's downfall.

For him to just fall into his lap on top of being a part of an apparent magic cult…

Well, Tony can't say it's not a boring place to wind up at.

"Magic exists." Hank Pym murmured aloud. "Jesus, the Quantum realm was one thing but this?"

"Bruce sure as hell would be having a field day if he were here." Jennifer remarked.

"Baba always spoke of the ancestral plane but I wonder if he ever experienced anything like that before." Shuri said more to herself than the group.

"Only knew a small portion of the metaphysical iceberg but seeing what we saw clearly blew things out of proportion." Commented Hector.

"Welcome to my world." Stephen Strange wryly remarked.

"Alright, so let's rewind here." Luke spoke up, standing up out of his seat. "You guys… are all wizards or something?"

"Sorcerers." Mordo corrected.

"They are." Bucky added in, thumbing at the four magic users. "Me and Robbie here are… special cases."

"That kinda applies to us all." Danny quipped.

"... Fair point."

Luke went on, ignoring the comments. "And what we all saw was something you call the Mirror Dimension, yes?"

The magic users all nodded.

"Mind giving us a better layout with what happened earlier?" Cage requested. "We only got a cliff notes back at that place over at Bleecker Street."

Mordo was the first to speak. "We were fighting against an individual known as Kaecilius and his zealot followers who were fighting for an extra dimensional entity called Dormammu. As we had told our four newest members of our order, whilst you Avengers protect the world from physical dangers, we safeguard the Earth from mystical ones."

"But it spilled out into the real world in case you didn't notice." Jessica couldn't help but say.

"Quite spectacularly, mind you." Wong said. "But it has since been contained."

"And this door man guy?" She Hulk warily asked.

"He's been taken care of." Strange stated with absolute certainty. "He won't be bothering us ever again."

"You couldn't kill him?" Tony asked.

"How can I?" Strange retorted. "He's an entity that rules over his own universe. I don't have the power to take him out."

"So what did you do?" Danny asked, leaning forward with clear interest.

Strange's shoulders went up and down. "I made a bargain."

"That's not cryptic at all." Walters murmured aloud.

"Dormammu isn't a being who can be killed so easily if at all." Wong stated firmly. "He is a being beyond our universe, beyond time itself. There are perhaps ways of indeed defeating him but they are beyond our understanding and capabilities."

"That doesn't really reassure us." Jones wryly said.

"Look," Strange said patiently. "Just know that the threat of Dormammu has been dealt with. We don't need to worry about him at this time. Suffice to say, the world is safe… for now."

"For now?" Said several of the assembled heroes.

"We have a… loose end that needs to be resolved." Bucky said in an enigmatic fashion.

"Ok, look Manchurian candidate, that's not really helping at all." Stark said with a roll of his eyes. "Can ya just tell us straight?"

"Do you recall the strange creatures that were attacking New York?" Mordo asked the group straight away, having all either nod or murmur that they did indeed.

They fought the damn things after all.

"Those monstrosities are called Rakghoul." Karl said. "And they are not of this Earth."

"Aliens?" Barton said with a disgruntled look, Stark sharing the sentiment as he let out an annoyed groan.

"Are they by any chance related to the Chitauri?" The billionaire asked.

"No, they're not." Morne said with certainty.

"Are you sure?" Tony's voice was laced with humor now. "They may have bigger chompers than the Chitauri but they do look as ugly as them."

The Jedi Shadow chortled at the comment and shook her head.

"So what are they then?" Shuri asked.

"And we want the full story." Clint chimed in. "None of that abridged shit."

"Are you sure?" Bucky asked dryly. "We've got enough for a few seasons of TV to fill."

"The medium sized version then." Danny said, getting nods of agreement from the rest of the group.

"They are alien in nature, but they are no way related to Chitauri." Celeste began.

"Side note." Turning to Tony, Bucky asked the billionaire a question. "I just gotta ask, but why have you been assuming everything "alien" being related to them? Sounds rather biased if you ask me."

"Until you fly through a wormhole in space and see an alien armada coming straight for Earth, then come talk to me." Stark shot back, effectively silencing the Winter Soldier.

"Can we not right now?" Clint spoke up, shooting an annoyed look at the two that several others mirrored. "Continue, please."

Celeste nodded and went on to give a brief overview of her story.

She gave small explanations of the Jedi, the Sith, the Force, the history of conflict between both orders and the many wars that they had between them. She brought up several topics as to what she remembered last in the goings on of what she called the Mandalorian Wars and how she wound up in a sarcophagus that kept her in stasis for an unknown period of time.

The only time frame that she had to go on was Bucky's 70 yearlong sleep cycles.

"So what does all that have to do with these ghoul bastards?" Jones asked, a bit impatiently.

"I'm getting there." Morne said calmly. "When the wars were going on, I came across a Talisman that exuded power from the Force. We were at war with the Mandalorians and we needed any advantage we were able to scrounge up to stop their advance."

"And you just took it?" Hector said in disbelief.

"Have you ever fought in a war, Mr. Ayala?" The Jedi turned Sorcerer rhetorically asked with a hard gaze directed at him. "Few of you here have and even fewer understand what happens when only the drastic choices are the ones available to you."

Many winced upon hearing that and several individuals such as Tony, Bucky, Clint and Mordo all held solemn and jaded expressions.

"To sum things up, we learned our enemy had a weapon which sought to turn the tide. I and several others infiltrated the ship carrying it and took it, not knowing what it was until it was too late."

"Scenario as old as time." Barton murmured.

Celeste was silent for a moment, hand hovering over her neck as she felt a phantom weight of the talisman that had plagued her life for so long.

"What we found was something known as the Muur Talisman. The progenitor of the Rakghoul plague." Morne said in a low voice. "The Rakghoul originated as a virus created through Sith sorcery."

"Sorcery?" Luke repeated. "Like what you guys do?"

Celeste shook her head. "No, this was a different understanding and interpretation of magic so to speak. It was a more raw and primal version of it as it was an early point in our history in our understanding of the Force."

"This sounds more like genetic restructuring." Hank said aloud. "Something I have seen others in my field try to tamper with. Mostly in my time in SHIELD."

"Not everything originates through science." Robbie Reyes spoke up for the first time in a while. "How do you explain me?"

"And don't bring the Asgardians into it as they're complicated as hell." Tony grumbled aloud.

Pym gazed upon the drifter with an open mouth before promptly shutting it and looking back towards Celeste.

"Alright, can we please stop getting off topic?" Hector said aloud now. "I need to go home after this cause my sister and friend are waiting on me and I gotta tuck my daughter in bed."

"Right, right, my apologies. I'll start with who the creator of the plague is. His name is Karness Muur," said Celeste. "He is an ancient Sith who's spirit possessed a Talisman of his making that kept his spirit alive for thousands of years. A means of seeking immortality and gaining ultimate power. Muur poured all his ambition, hatred and malice into this talisman before sealing his own spirit within."

"So he's Sauron then." Danny, Hector, Shuri and Tony all said at the same time.

"Yeah." Wong and Bucky said in sync with grins threatening to split their faces.

"Oh my God, are you all children?" Jessica asked aloud.

"Can't deny I had the same thought." Hank admitted aloud, an amused and fond look in his eyes.

"Anyways." Morne said with a slight exasperated chuckle. "Muur lived on in his talisman for centuries, waiting for when he would rise-"

"I get it, to take over the world."

"... More like the galaxy, but yes."

"Galaxy." Stark muttered with a shake of his head. "Only goes up from here."

Morne went on. "When I found him, he latched onto me and I became his host and vessel for a time. I retained my consciousness but the corruption of the Dark Side was all consuming. I had unleashed the Rakghoul Plague a number of times until I begged my friends to seal me away. Fast forward to… I don't know how many years, Bucky found me and freed me from my stasis pod. I would explain more about the Force and the feeling I had here but that's for another time. Suffice to say, the two of us traveled around the world to find a way to help one another."

"Help one another how?"

"Me with my brainwashing by HYDRA and her with the evil, mass murdering spirit trapped in her necklace." Bucky stated.

"Sweet Christmas." Luke remarked with a shake of his head. "That statement feels a lot darker than it should be."

"That's because it is." Barnes said

Celeste sighed. "Bucky."

"Ahem, right, sorry babe."

"Babe?" Said several of the others.

"Oh my god, is this high school?" Hank said with a raised voice. "Ms. Morne, please, can you finish your story?"

"And just shrink it down." Clint said. "We'll hear the full story later."

Morne nodded rapidly. "Yes, yes. Ok, so uh… cliff notes, yeah, that'll work. Bucky and I travelled throughout Europe, met Odin-"

"What?!"

"-put a spell on my Talisman to keep Muur sealed tight, made it to Kamar-Taj, met the Ancient One, we got the talisman removed and now I'm a Sorcerer and Muur is loose on the world."

Silence prevailed in the room as a whole as everyone stared at the Jedi.

"Well that was disappointingly short." Shuri grumped out.

"So how did Muur escape or… wait was he still in his trinket you keep talking about?" Rand inquired.

Mordo nodded at the martial arts master. "A traitor amongst our ranks took the talisman without knowing the implications of doing so. Muur took possession of one of the followers of this traitor and fled to a location we were unaware of until recently."

"So wait, that other guy we saw with the emo eyeliner band," Barton spoke up. "Was that person we more or less saw in that pocket dimension supposed to be Muur, an illusion or was it just a meat puppet?"

"That was indeed Muur." Morne confirmed.

"I take it he used some sort of dark magic type needs to bring himself back to "life", yes?" the Princess of Wakanda asked with a poignant look directed at the sorcerers.

Wong nodded.

"Through unnatural means, Muur revived himself to become flesh and bone once more." Wong said and with a flourish of his hands created an ethereal image of the Sith Lord in question. "He delved into the unstable and dangerous practice of absorption. Karness summoned forth creatures and entities from other realms and dimensions, volatile ones at that. With the magic that he understood and of the student he took possession of, Muur absorbed an unknown amount of these trans-dimensional beings into his body. A grave and dangerous ritual."

"What, is it like… ripping him apart from the inside?" Hector tentatively asked.

"In a manner of speaking/Like you wouldn't believe." Wong and Morne said at the same time.

"His body is not meant to hold so many creatures like that in a single vessel." Mordo stated.

"And he recently tried his hand at Dormammu." Strange said in a grave tone. "God knows the state that he's in now."

"We need to find this cabrón and scorch him alive." Robbie said in an emphatic fashion. "Otherwise, a lot of people are gonna die."

"His Talisman has been taken care of." Morne revealed. "I destroyed it back in Hong Kong so the source of the Rakghoul plague is gone. And his means of using it to escape death is no longer an option."

"There's some form of good news." Bucky muttered.

"So any ideas as to where he may have gone?" Clint asked, now completely focused on the task at hand. "Any sorta magic trick you can whip up to locate him?"

"If only it were simple." Mordo said. "A novice he may be, Muur appears to be able to cloud his presence here and Earth and keep a low profile that makes him difficult to track.

"I take it you'll be needing our assistance with this endeavor."

"It may help speed things along… if you had a means of somehow tracking him."

"Maybe Shuri and I can whip something up." Hank said, rising to his feet. "Even if you call what you do magic, there is some science behind it. It's all a form of energy. And energy can be traced, analyzed and located."

"I shall be staying here to assist you." Wong declared. "It is best we coordinate with all our strength and fight in a united front. Muur is a ticking time bomb of deadly dimensional energy. Wherever he strikes, catastrophe is sure to follow."

"Right then." Stark said. "Another possible world ending event on our hands just after dealing with one 24 hours ago. Typical Tuesday, right guys?"

"I hate how that's more reality than a joke now." Clint said. "You guys spoke of three Sanctums, yes?"

The sorcerers nodded.

"Good." the Archer proclaimed. "There's enough of us here to divide up and be on standby in these Sanctums. Soon as we catch a whiff of this psycho Sith, we all converge on the Sanctum closest to him."

He got statements and nods of agreement as the large group began dispersing.

As the others made the means of departing in their own, respective fashions; Jessica Jones spoke to Tony Stark.

"Before we go anywhere, I gotta ask you a few questions." She said, standing before him in a manner that conveyed she had no intentions of going anywhere until she got what she came for.

The billionaire blinked in confusion before complying with the request. "Shoot."

"Mind telling us what you know with your wayward members?" Jessica started off. "Some progress reports would be nice."

Tony shrugged. "Don't see why not-"

"Not to mention the whereabouts of Peter Parker."

Tony's expression morphed into one of surprise before he became more solemn.

"And why exactly do you want to know about Peter Parker?"

"Your reaction says it all and it shouldn't come as a surprise that you know him."

"And why are you asking about him in particular?"

"Cause I'm actually hired by his aunt to find him." Jones revealed, halting any thoughts of counters Tony had in their tracks. "She along with Foggy Nelson and Karen Page came to me asking me to figure out what in the hell happened to their friend and nephew respectively. They all point to you. So talk."

A number of eyes landed on Iron Man, waiting to see how he'd answer.

"So tell me now and we can get this over with. Or I can do this the fun way and beat it out of you. Regardless, I will get my answers."

"You really wanna do this here?" Stark stepped forward and got right in Jones' face. "There are more serious problems that we have to deal with right now. I don't have time for this in case you're unaware."

"Just tell me what I want to know."

"It may be your job but it's not your right to know who Peter is."

Jessica's face turned into one of bristling rage. "You better not have done something that would have hurt the kid."

"I'd rather die than let that happen." Stark shot back. "Besides, what happened to Mr. Murdock and Mr. Parker is something princess kitchen fire over there-"

"Hey!"

"-also has a stake in."

"Is it that hard for you to just tell me what I'm here for."

"Is it that hard for you to read the room and remember that there's a freakshow on the loose threatening the world? I want to know what happened to our missing members as much as anyone else but that doesn't mean I sideline protecting the Earth. It's an unfortunate flaw that my girlfriend loves to point out at every chance that she gets."

Both adults glared heatedly at one another for a number of seconds until Jessica scoffed and backed away.

"Alright, fine Stark, you win this time." Jones conceded. "Got more serious shit on our plate so we'll take care of it.. Sooner or later, though, I will drag your ass to those three and you will spill the truth to them."

"Looking forward to seeing you try."

"I don't try. I do."

-Scene Cut-

The large group of fourteen heroes were soon divided up amongst the three rebuilt Sanctums of the Mystic order.

Tony, Shuri, Strange, Luke, Jessica and Danny remained in New York.

Bucky, Celeste, Hector and Mordo were sent to London.

Wong, Walters, Robbie and Clint resided in Hong Kong.

The Sorcerers opted to open up sling ring portals between all the Sanctums as a means of being able to travel between the three of them with ease and to keep in contact with one another.

Currently, in the room with the many windows that led to other parts of Earth in the New York Sanctum, two portals were open that led to the other two Sanctums.

"This is just freaky." Luke remarked, looking back and forth between the portals that were instant doorways to London and Hong Kong.

With him was Danny and Jessica and in the London portal stood Hector and in the Hong Kong one was Clint and Jennifer.

"I know I've seen some crazy shit in my line of work," Clint commented, eyeing the ever spinning edges of the portal he was in front of. "But this is a whole new ball game of crazy."

"Welcome to the new normal, I guess." Jennifer murmured, unsure of all this herself.

"I don't like this new normal. Can't we go back to the old one?"

"Too late. That train took off quite some time ago." Luke said. "Since 2012 after you Avengers up and changed everything."

"You do realize you're a part of that change." Clint countered.

"Don't remind us." Jones said, bottle of whiskey in hand.

"How do you drink all that?" Hector found himself asking. "My Abuelita didn't even drink like you do."

Jones coughed slightly from her last swig, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "I drink to forget, but I always remember."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"That is just… severely depressing." Rand dryly stated.

"Welcome to the real world kid."

"I lost my mom and dad in a plane accident and saw them die." Danny deadpanned. "I've already seen how screwed up the world already is."

"And yet, you're still a chipper pain in the ass."

"Lay off already Jess." Luke spoke up with an unamused gaze directed at her. "I know you're all pissed off at being and your job on Stark but we're here for a more serious matter."

Jones rolled her eyes though opted not to answer, instead taking another drink.

"So, Ms. Walters," Danny said, looking towards the gamma radiated amazon.

"You can just call me Jennifer, Danny." She-Hulk said kindly.

"Right, Jennifer." Rand said with a smile. "I've been wondering and I don't wanna come across as rude but-"

"How can I retain myself without going all Hulk out like my cousin is usually known for?" Jennifer asked the question for him before he was able to ask.

"Yeah." Danny said in surprise. "How'd you know I'd ask that?"

"Because I often wonder that same question every day." Jen said with a contemplative look. "But if I were to guess, I had a… different upbringing from Bruce."

"Meaning…"

"Sadly, I had a better childhood than him."

She was met with silence for a few seconds.

"What… what does that mean?" Hector warily asked for the group.

"Let's just say that… Well, you guys all know the story of Captain America, right?"

She got nods from the group.

"That's part of the equation with how the Hulk came to be." Jennifer revealed. "It was Brucey's attempt at replicating what they did to Steve since the formula has been attempted in replicating it for decades. Granted the military kept a number of specifics hidden from him and Betty Ross to make the project successful, thus…"

"Yeah we get it. But you said "part". Not to mention his upbringing."

"I was getting to that." Jen said calmly. "Well… a story that I heard that I'm sure you guys may have heard of as well, though I'm not entirely sure, is what the super soldier serum does to people who get it. How good becomes great and bad becomes worse. For Bruce, it went both ways."

"How does that apply to the Hulk?" Danny asked in confusion. "I mean, even if some people see him as a monster, he is still an Avenger. He's a hero."

Walters gave the young martial artist a beaming smile. "I'm happy to hear that. I only wish more people saw it that way."

"So what's this about his upbringing that matters to the Hulk?" Jessica asked, voice more downplayed and somber.

Jennifer had a faraway look in her eyes with a sad smile. "I remember him telling me about how he believes the Hulk came to be. To sum things up, the Hulk began as a result of a split personality that manifested from an abusive father due to him thinking his genius was a monstrosity and unnatural as a young child. And that super soldier experiment finally got it to awaken and manifest into the being we all know today."

"What?" Was the collective response from the group.

"How'd he get to that conclusion?" Cage asked in utter bewilderment.

"It's what he remembers before and after he transforms." Jen said. "He talks about all the memories that flash through his mind and every time he went and became the Other Guy, he always pictured his father standing over him. His shadow always cast over him since the time he could crawl. Also didn't help the fact he witnessed his mother's murder by his father's hand, who tried protecting him one day."

Overall, the group was quiet as the grave as they processed the tale they had just heard.

It was hard honestly to put into words knowing the kind of trauma an Avenger, a hero of Earth endured and his superhero persona being a manifestation of such a thing. No one ever came without some sort of baggage in their lives.

When one takes a moment to think about it, that's all the Avengers seemed to be composed of.

Individuals who in one way or another had been damaged and jaded by life with them shouldering this burden.

Eventually, Jessica Jones spoke first and her words succinctly summarized the shared mood of the group.

"Well… fuck."

Walters let out a derisive snort. "Yeah. Fuck."

In another part of the New York Sanctum, Strange, Shuri and Stark stood around a newly installed holo table and surrounding the table via portals were Mordo, Robbie, Celeste, Wong and Bucky.

"He is more than likely to be somewhere in China." Wong said, voice leveled and calm. "Celeste encountered him in Hong Kong when Dormammu nearly breached our world and took it into the Dark Dimension."

"I sensed a disturbance, a change in him when I last laid eyes upon him." Celeste spoke in a deadly serious tone. "The same power that Kaecilius and his Zealots drew upon from Dormammu… Karness somehow got it as well. But I fear something went terribly wrong."

"Great, more ominous undertones." Tony quipped. "Alright, lay it on us. What do you think happened?"

Celeste contemplated on the question as she thought back to Hong Kong and the last time she saw Muur.

"He had captured one of Kaecilius's zealots and he tried to absorb the power she had from the Dark Dimension." The Jedi recalled, visualizing the memory in her mind. "Because of that, on top of his unorthodox means of growing stronger, he developed a hunger. Not just for power, but Dormammu's in particular."

"So what happened to him when he got this Zealot?" Shuri inquired.

Celeste hummed in thought. "Hard to tell. It was rather chaotic when it happened. I can only assume the possibilities."

"Right. But what happened when he went for the main course?"

"He was screaming and talking about his soul being burned or something like that." Morne revealed. "Right after I destroyed his talisman."

Robbie let out a derisive snort. "I take it he got too much that he bargained for."

"It backfired considerably. It was as if he was starting to erode." The Jedi said.

"And now he's out there, a ticking time bomb of dimensional energy threatening to explode and unleash all he has pent up upon the world." Strange said, tone dour. "Not to mention having all those entities ready to break out at a moment's notice."

"Are they sentient?" Tony asked.

"Very." Mordo grimly stated. "And undoubtedly furious in being forcibly contained within a vessel and reality not of their own choosing."

"Muur will die, inevitably." Wong said, tone devoid of emotion. "He'll try to delay his demise as much as possible. Not caring who or what will pay his price."

"Then what can we do to find him?" Bucky Barnes inquired for the group as a whole.

"You guys mentioned you specialize in this magic crap, right?" Tony asked in a rhetorical fashion. "So doesn't that mean you guys have some kind of method in tracking him?"

"The magical energy you spoke of is not of this reality." Shuri added on. "So start with something like that."

"I tried tracking him earlier." Robbie stated surprising the group slightly. "No luck. He's either keeping his powers suppressed, found another way of keeping himself hidden or… something else. The first one is almost impossible. Guy like that with that much power would be impossible not to track. So it's either he's hiding in a place we can't detect or the something else."

"And what would this something else be?" Stark asked.

Reyes shrugged. "It's some magic bullshit. Not something fully understood."

Tony and Shuri shared a look and started working through the holotable.

"Got something to share, you two?" Karl asked, gesturing for them to do so.

Shuri brought out a holo-display of the coloring of the magical energy the sorcerers use. "I haven't had a lot of time in studying the magic you all use but there are some certainties I've been able to deduce. Like most, if not nearly all things, they radiate energy. We just need to find the proper signal, wavelength, or anything out of the ordinary."

Strange squinted slightly and looked over to Mordo and Wong.

"Got any ideas?"

The green robed Master frowned and crossed his arms in thought.

"I believe we are all in agreement that he is likely still in the Asian territories." Karl said with certainty. "Going to any of the other Sanctums would have alerted us in an instant considering how alert we all are right now."

"He fled away from the Hong Kong Sanctum in the midst of our battle against Kaecilius and his zealots whilst Stephen utilized the Eye of Agamotto in reverting the disaster that nearly claimed our world." Wong spoke next. "The perfect cover for his escape."

Celeste stared long and hard at the energy projection Shuri still had on display when her eyes widened slightly.

"It's all energy." Morne whispered to herself, remembering the voice of the Ancient One when she first learned of the greater aspect of the Force that she had yet to tap into.

The Power Cosmic.

The Force as she knows and understands it is only a small fraction of what this all-encompassing universal power is.

But therein lay the connection.

Like in her many lessons back in the Jedi Temples on Coruscant and Ossus, the Force is all connecting.

It surrounds all life, penetrates it and binds it together.

Just as the Power Cosmic is supposed to be.

And like Muur, she can tap into this power.

"Ok." She said to herself, gaining everyone's attention.

Closing her eyes, she opened herself and reached out to the Force.

"Cele-" Strange spoke up when Bucky held his hand up for him to stop, the super soldier staring intently at his girlfriend.

She felt herself relax and in a word "unlocked" her body and she felt the familiar sensation that was the Force begin to flow through her being.

Only this time… it was far, far more powerful.

Morne nearly gasped at the feeling, letting out a strangled exhale as she attempted to steady herself.

This…

This was unbelievable.

Was this the Power Cosmic, the full aspect of the Fo-

Celeste shook her head and remembered why she was doing this.

She needed to focus.

To find Muur.

He was once a part of her. So with or without the talisman, she knew if she concentrated, she would be able to locate that deranged Sith Lord.

The rest of her friends and allies all silently watched and the two most unfamiliar with magic at this time had their eyes widened slightly as a wind from seemingly nowhere kicked up around them and began swirling around Celeste.

"What's she doing?" Tony asked.

"Finding our missing Sith Lord." Bucky said with complete confidence.

Celeste had her eyes still closed in all this when-

*GASP*

She jolted slightly and nearly fell over had it not been for her lover being by her side.

"Hey, I got you." He spoke in a reassuring voice.

She looked up at him, smiling widely before looking back to the others with her smile growing with a degree of confidence.

"What did you have for us?" Strange asked straight away.

"Some good news, for starters. I may have found the general location Muur's presently at." Said the Jedi Shadow. "I saw… a vision. A remote village away from major areas. Deep within a forest by the looks of it."

"Smart, in a sense." Mordo muttered, nodding to himself. "A place as isolated as this village you're describing…"

"Sooner or later, Muur will leave and reach those places." Strange declared. "We need to corner him there and take him out. Go in fast before he takes off and we'd be searching all over again."

Unanimous nods were delivered as Tony sent the message for everyone to quickly get ready to regroup for departure.

Stark's helmet quickly snapped itself over his head. "Grab your torches and pitchforks, people, we've got a Frankenstein's monster to hunt."

-Scene Cut-

A sling-ring portal appeared from the outskirts of the village Celeste located in her search.

From there, out stepped fourteen individuals, marching out with a purpose.

Though they all halted in their tracks upon seeing the sight that lay before them.

"Dios Mio." Whispered Hector.

Houses burnt, destroyed, on fire, in rubble and all sorts of other ways one would use to describe destruction.

But above all else, the true horror lay in the shapes strewn about the ground.

Dried husks of human beings.

Corpses.

Corpses of the men, women and children Muur had killed and…

"What happened to them?" Danny asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Muur happened." Celeste said with a snarl.

Wong stepped forward and crouched down to the nearest corpse.

A young child.

He closed his eyes momentarily, reciting a small prayer for her or him as he couldn't identify what gender they were. All he knew was that they had their life stolen from them.

Clapping his hands together, he proceeded to hover them from the head to the toes of the body.

"As I feared." Wong said. "He drained them of everything. Life essence and soul."

"Why do this?" Shuri couldn't help but ask.

Celeste glared ahead of them all. "Hunger, for one. And I bet he's trying to regain what strength he lost back in Hong Kong."

"But to go this far." Luke uttered out softly.

Tony's visage was as grim as the rest beneath his helmet. "Friday?"

"No signs of life detected boss." His suits AI said apologetically.

Stark's fists clenched tightly upon hearing that, his suit whirring with power.

The group began to walk forward, Hawkeye quickly instructing them to split into two groups to cover more ground.

Tony led with Strange, Robbie, Celeste, Bucky, Wong and Jones.

Clint had Shuri, Danny, Luke, Jennifer, Mordo and Hector.

Both groups were on full alert, lightly twitching at the occasional sound of ash, wood and pebbles beneath their feet.

Barton was in front of his group when he paused and looked around.

"Seems to be clear." He murmured. "Though maybe that's cause we can't see what we're looking for."

This was heard by the rest of the team through the earpieces that had been distributed amongst them.

"Are we too late? Did Muur leave already?" Rand asked.

"Unlikely." Robbie said, eyes aglow with hellfire.

"Then where is he?" Luke asked, peeking around a burnt down house, flinching at the sight of a mother husk clutching onto her children.

"Are you sure he's here?" Hector inquired, specifically toward one person in the team.

Celeste opened her mouth to respond when she paused, sensing something.

"No. He's here." Morne said absolute conviction. "I can feel his presence."

"Are you sure?" Jones asked quietly.

"It's hard not to be able to pick up on an asshole that lived inside your head for a time."

"That's not creepy or depressing at all." Jennifer remarked, sadly reminiscing about someone else who filled her nightmares for a time as well.

As they kept moving through the desolate village, an eerie wind began to blow through.

This went unnoticed by them all.

Clint inspected another corpse when he heard a slight stumble followed by a Wakandan curse.

He glanced over at Shuri who kicked away a piece of wood in aggravation.

She appeared rather startled and a bit distraught.

Wordlessly, the veteran Avenger walked right over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The Princess of Wakanda jolted at the sudden contact though instantly sagged in relief when she saw who it was.

"Hey." He said in a low voice. "You alright?"

"Wh-what?"

"Come on, stay focused." Barton said, leaning forward slightly. "You got this. We're here, you've been training. You're ready for this."

Shuri opened and closed her mouth for a few moments until she shakily nodded and shot the archer an appreciative smile.

The two resumed their walk when the entire team halted in their tracks when the light breeze became a billowing wind.

A glowing wind that made its way into all the corpses on the ground.

Everyone froze as they watched this transpire.

…

…

...

The corpses from all around started to twitch. Before long, they started to quake-

"AH!"

*KABOOM*

"What the hell?" Came several shouts, all looking at the startled Princess.

"What was that for?!" Luke practically exclaimed.

"What do you mean? What, you've never seen any zombie films? You don't just stand there and do nothing." Shuri quickly argued, hoping her action would be justified.

*KABOOM*

The Avengers all jolted again and turned to see Iron Man firing his repulsor beams at the convulsing, twitching and now dead rising corpses of the villagers.

Several components popped out from Tony's suit and dozens of miniature missiles were launched forward.

In a matter of seconds, all the corpses were swiftly destroyed.

"Alright." Tony said with a satisfied tone. "That takes care of them at least."

"Seriously?" Shuri whined. "I fire off and I get yelled at. He does it and no one says a thing."

"Well you did give him the idea." Danny argued. "So… nice work?"

Shuri gave the martial artist an unamused look.

"Ok, horrible as that was," Walters now spoke. "Wasn't that a bit too easy?"

She was met with a collective groan from several of the Avengers.

"Now you've gone and done it." Robbie said as skin began flaking and burning off from his head.

"Here we goAAAH!" Hector felt something grab his ankle and he looked down to see a rotten hand coming out from the ground.

He yanked his leg bag and stomped on it, breaking the arm with a sickening crunch.

The Avengers then faced whichever corpses weren't destroyed by Stark and Shuri as they were joined by others rising up from the ground.

More and more dead started to quake before unnatural sounds emanated off their forms. In mere moments, sounds of bones snapping, breaking and carving could be heard among other things.

"Oh hell."

Before their eyes, the dead started to convert into alien monstrosities.

"Rakghoul." Celeste shouted.

As this began, the assembled Avengers started to fire off at the reanimated masses.

"More Rakghoul?" Iron Man said, blasting away at any and all he saw.

"I thought he couldn't make more without his talisman." Jones shouted, punting one away into a tree.

"After absorbing all that power, must come naturally to him by now." Celeste said, igniting her lightsaber.

"So he's basically cheating." Clint quipped, jabbing an arrow into the eye of a ghoul before Shuri quickly finished it off.

"Magic is always cheating." Wong said, conjuring forth the Wand of Watoomb.

"Aren't you the same guy who told me not to mess with the natural order of things?" Strange wryly asked.

"Doesn't mean I'm unaware."

The former surgeon sighed in mock exasperation. "Such hypocrisy here."

"Can we focus please?" Hawkeye said, notching an arrow back and firing it directly into the mouth of a winged Rakghoul.

A moment later, it blew up.

"Jesus." Luke said with a wince. "What other kinds of arrows you got in there?"

"One's more dangerous than that one."

As soon as he said that the trees surrounding the village began to violently sway and shake about.

And from the trees came the sound of shrieks, roars and growls that came from all sides.

Within his suit, Tony saw his HUD gave him a visual of the surrounding forest and what was moving around in there.

"Ah shit." He said aloud. "They've got us surrounded."

"Form up." Hawkeye ordered instantly. "Back to back, watch each other's sixes."

"Time for some unwarranted protection spells." Strange said, looking to his fellow magic users and they all clapped their hands together and threw them outward.

Multiple eldritch symbols, runes and marks all flew out from their hands and began surrounding the collection of heroes.

"What's this?" Jennifer asked, holding up her hand with orange-yellow ethereal armor of some kind materializing around her.

"Protection spell. I doubt any of you with much exposure will want to refrain yourself from going all out." Strange quickly answered.

"Appreciate the gesture." Luke said, grabbing a Rakghoul by its neck and slamming its head down to the ground with all his might.

"Alright then Avengers," Iron Man said, flying up into the air. "Time to work for a living."

As soon as he said that the seemingly endless swarm of Rakghoul descended upon the fourteen heroes.

All ran straight for the assembled team as they all prepared themselves for what was undoubtedly going to be a long fight.

The swarm came in close and like that, the battle was underway.

Iron Man was joined in the air by Strange and Jones as he fired off multiple repulsor rays, missiles, lasers or just diving in headfirst to fight off the beasts.

Jones for the most part flew about, punching, kicking, bashing and punting any Rakghoul she encountered.

Strange continually casted a litany of spells, searing eldritch whips, energy blades, disks and shields as he fought off the swarm.

Danny Rand called upon his power and had both his fists glowing with power.

He knew that this was an instance that restraint was not to be so he had to unleash the full power of the Iron Fist. Every punch he delivered sent out small yellow shockwaves that either sent a ghoul flying back or had his fist go right through them.

Luke was using his invulnerable skin and super strength to bash and beat down the Rakghouls, occasionally using their bodies as blunt weapons to give him and the team space to work with.

Celeste's lightsaber and magical blade served her well in being a hailstorm of movement that sliced apart the seemingly unending swarm of enemies.

She Hulk was simply plowing through any and all that got in her way and that was as simple as that. Even though she wasn't as rage fueled with her motions as her cousin usually was, she was still no less powerful and the way she fought her way through the endless wave of Rakghouls proved it.

Shuri and Hector teamed up and were exchanging a series of blows on their opponents. Black defended white and vice versa as they spun and twirled around each other.

Hawkeye went back and forth between melee and long ranged combat, Bucky covering his back whenever he had to notch an arrow into his bow.

Ghost Rider was just a path of unrestrained fire that burnt through any ghoul unfortunate enough to be a target.

Mordo and Wong played on the offensive and defensive, weaving themselves in and around the team to either protect a teammate, beat back several Rakghoul or utilize a support spell or portal for one of the others to use.

Overall…

"Well now." Iron Man said aloud, voice brimming with approval as he flew overhead. "Gotta admit, lovin' what I'm seein' right now."

"Gloat later." Strange said, though even he couldn't help but smirk at what was happening.

Like history before, like poetry, it was happening once again.

A day unlike any other that would require that a group of remarkable people would come together.

Come together to fight the battles that no one else could.

-Scene Cut-

Muur slowly opened his eyes, his irises glowing a reddish white color with wisps flowing out from the corners.

They have come…

The ones that would impede on his hunger.

Karness Muur… was no longer what he once was.

Thousands of years ago, he was once a proud member of the Jedi order.

For a time, Karness adhered to the tenants of the Jedi and upheld the belief and practice in the Light Side of the Force.

Then he found himself conflicted and questioning the limited teachings of his order. He wished, no, wanted to know more about the Force.

The aspects that had been prohibited.

The study of the Dark Side of the Force.

He, along with a number of other Jedi, wanted to learn and understand the Dark Side as their ancestors once did but that practice was strictly forbidden.

So came the schism.

Otherwise known as the hundred-year darkness.

Jedi fought against Jedi, Master against student, student against master.

Brother against brother.

In the end his side lost and they were promptly exiled from the known galaxy.

It was strange…

For the past few days, in his ravenous hunger, all Muur could think about were the old days.

Really… This was the only thing that allowed Muur to keep any sort of semblance of his former self.

By this point, he wasn't really Karness. He was just a piece of his mind floating within the confines of his own body as it feasted on any living being it came across. Nostalgia was a comfort he now looked forward to if he wasn't trying to reign control of his very being.

What he was doing was barely control. He was just holding back what would eventually consume even his own consciousness.

It was so bizarre to feel conscious and unconscious at the same time.

The Sith Lord was well aware of his action but he felt so numb and hollow. And eternal emptiness with a radiating, endless hunger.

In a sad way, during the brief moments that he was able to retain some form of his true self, Muur admitted to himself in his folly.

He shouldn't have sought Dormammu's power. As a consequence, he can no longer seek further knowledge of the Force- nay the true secrets of the Universe after his mind was blown open ever since he woke up in this new galaxy.

New paths, new possibilities to grow stronger. He wasted the opportunities when he sadly became too greedy for his own good.

All he could do now was delay the inevitable.

No longer did he have his precious talisman to help him evade death in its truest form. No longer will he be a spirit after he perishes like before. For the next time he dies will be the very last of his existence.

Now he was an odd shadow of his former self.

Instead of feasting on knowledge, he had to feast on not just literal power but lives as well.

He felt nothing…

Nothing but utter misery and pain.

The body he inhabited was almost mindless by this point, running on instinct.

It just wanted to consume life itself.

And the things floating around inside said body were equally as ravenous as this body was.

They simply feasted on any and all that were absorbed into this conglomerate of other worldly entities.

'Who… who was I again…?'

The question drifted through the mindscape.

It was something that kept on repeating itself constantly in these past few days.

'My name…. What is my name?'

He jolted in alarm. Karness watched as serpent like dragons flew by, roaring at him before soaring off into the distance.

Damn these blasted entities he housed! Damn that… Jedi… who was that Jedi again?

Muur forcibly strained himself in this fleeting moment of him retaining who he once was to recall the name of the Jedi he hated so much.

Who was she again?

It started with a C-

Celeste!

Yes, her!

Muur felt the familiar sensation of rage towards Celeste and her companions.

They made him resort to this madness, to this prison, to this-

The Sith Lord freezes, eyes widening as he felt something.

A presence that Muur was all too familiar with, even in this frazzled and unhinged state of mind.

"Morne…" Karness managed out and wordlessly, the demented Sith raised his hand and expunged a shockwave of magic.

He knew the Rakghoul would have already engaged those that had just arrived here by the time he would have arrived.

After all, even with the enhancement of all these entities inside, they played a role in creating the Rakghoul now. Their influences were always clear to see so he always had to work in allowing just enough of their power to come out without losing himself.

Or by this point, what was left of himself.

So Muur took to slowly walking towards the deserted village he had just finished slaughtering. That strange voice and energy he detected beyond that bamboo forest ahead of him can wait.

All the while…

She-Hulk ran forward and kicked a Rakghoul right of White Tiger who had been struggling to get it off of him.

"You alright?" Walters asked, her offered hand being immediately accepted by Hector whom she helped stand back up.

"Hijo De Puta!" Ayala panted out. "What the hell happened to all our momentum? Weren't we kicking these things ass's a minute ago?"

"They're changing up." Hawkeye noted, firing an arrow at flying Rakghoul that had its wings blown off and was finished off by Shuri.

"Wait." Luke grunted, punching back a Rakghoul that looked more lizard-like in appearance. "We've seen this sorta thing before. Back in Manhattan when we first ran into these freakos, remember?"

"Then what's causing them to mutate and change like this?" Iron Man asked aloud, rapidly firing at multiple Rakghouls that were all making a beeline towards him.

They all had different additions to their bodies being horns, wings, tentacles, tails and other limbs can only be assumed to have use in killing or maiming.

"Wong." Bucky called out in a grunt as his robotic arm ripped the head off a Rakghoul. "Mordo, you guys are more experienced in this than us. What's your take?"

Mordo whipped the Staff of the Living Tribunal forward and had it wrap around the neck of a ghoul with Ghost Riders fire chain around the waist. The two tugged with all their might and split the Sithspawn in three.

"These creatures are being affected by power not of this reality." Mordo stated for all to hear.

"The entities within Muur." Wong now spoke. "They're influencing these creatures' transformations."

"Well how do we deal with that then?" Jessica asked, narrowly dodging a particularly large jawed Rakghoul from biting her head off.

"We find Muur and…" Celeste paused, both in thought and in making sure she wasn't whacked by a spiked tail.

"We find Muur and what?" Luke asked, throwing a ghoul in the direction of Danny who bashed it down with his chi enhanced fists.

"I'm not sure." Morne admitted sheepishly.

"Dios Mio." Rider and Hector said at the same time.

"Hey, leave me alone, I didn't study something like this." Celeste retorted peevishly.

"Maybe we can pull some of those creatures out of Muur." Strange said aloud. "Some could even assist us."

"Depends on the entities in question." Wong quickly added.

Strange however was resolute. "It's worth a try, if we get the opening."

"But there's still all those malicious spirits trapped inside." Celeste reminded them all. "How do we deal with them? They could escape from Muur's body after we take him down and wreak havoc on the world."

"Don't worry." Ghost Rider's demonic voice echoed out in the area. "Leave Muur to me when we get the chance."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Uh."

"Let's just go with that." Iron Man declared, firing off missiles that blew up dozens of Rakghouls surrounding him. "I think we should stop questioning everything at face value by this point."

"Agreed." Came the universal reply from all the rest of the heroes.

The fighting dragged on with Rakghoul now becoming lesser but far more deadlier.

Newer, twisted, deformed and even more mutated versions of the Ghouls began to appear. They sported mixed appearances from multiple species types and were now coming in with abilities that they had not had before.

Some crackled with electricity, others spat globs of acid whilst a group could breathe fire.

They now resembled beasts of unadulterated chaos as time went on.

The team was starting to feel a growing sense of exhaustion as the weaker Rakghouls were being replaced by their stronger variants.

With a crash and quake, a number of the assembled team turned to the source. There they saw Muur in a recently made crater, who twitched as his body shifted every few moments.

Multiple pairs of wings of varying appearances were visible to see on his back on top of his skin color constantly changing from orangish to black to green with multiple eyes opening and closing around his face.

"Ew~" The ladies all said at once upon seeing that.

"Yeah, that was disgusting." Iron Man said in agreement.

Crazed eyes of the eldritch Sith landed on the Jedi amongst them as recognition marred his features.

"You…" His voice was virtually unrecognizable to Celeste with the sound of a thousand other voices talking at once. "I remember you…"

"Huh. Is old age finally getting to you, Muur?"

The revived yet deteriorating Sith snarled in response.

"You…"

"Is you all you can say now?" Tony quipped. "Talk about Alzheimer's hitting ya fast."

Muur let out another growl which degenerated into a warbling mess. Opening his mouth, claw tentacles shot out and fired off lightning from their tips.

"WAAAH!"

"Sweet Christmas, that is disturbing to look at."

Mordo and Strange immediately shot forward to erect a barrier around them to block the torrent of lightning that arched around the entire shield.

Ghost Rider was the first to engage, running straight for the deranged Sith Lord with his inflamed axe in one hand and his fiery chain in the other.

Muur's head violently twitches, the tentacles receding back into his mouth as he looked to face the oncoming Spirit of Vengeance.

The Sith felt the collective of spirits within him radiate pure terror and instinctively his arm shot out. It morphed into multiple squid like tentacles that bashed Rider away.

Strange, Wong and Mordo unleashed a power beam of magic energy that struck Muur in the chest.

The being simply held his hand out a moment later and wrapped his fingers around the beam and forcibly "took" the energy that the three sorcerers were using, morphed it into a ball and swallowed it whole.

"Oh c'mon." Stephen complained.

Muur stepped forward only to incline his head back from the blue lightsaber of Morne.

As she went for another swing, the Jedi was greeted with the unpleasant and terrifying sight of the thing that was once Muur casually grabbing her saber.

She stared in wide eyed horror as Karness slowly regarded her.

Without even realizing what she was doing, Celeste raised her other hand and horizontally crossed it over her face.

She conjured an eldritch dagger and slashed it at Muur who flinched at the scratch he had on his cheek though it healed fairly quickly.

"Really?" Morne couldn't help but whine out. "That's not-OOF!"

She was promptly roughly smacked away by the Sith, her being caught by her lover.

"My hero." Celeste managed out despite her pain.

"Stand back everyone." Hector suddenly said, standing before the whole team with a green aura exuding off of him.

"Hector?" Jennifer said aloud in confusion.

Ayala glared at Muur beneath his white helm and reared his glowing fist back and struck the ground.

The area around him cracked with the green aura that surrounded him bursting off his body.

Rather than simply expanding in all directions, the aura concentrated itself in the direction of Karness.

It rocketed forward and in the midst of its small journey to the Sith, the green energy visibly transformed before their eyes.

Several green and black translucent tigers appeared before them all and pounced upon Muur who tried swatting them away but they stayed on him.

"WHOA~~! He can do that?!" Danny exclaimed in awe and shock.

"Huh, neat." Strange remarked.

"Incredible." Shuri said in awe.

With a roar of agonizing pain, a powerful blast emanated from the Sith, dispelling the green tigers. From it, a tidal wave of eldritch tentacles rammed towards the group, crashing into them and sent them flying away. Most performed aerial recoveries, some performed their own landing strategies while the rest merely crashed elsewhere; either at wayward homes or occasional trees.

"Jennifer." Wong called out to the gamma enhanced amazon.

"Yeah?"

"Dive." He said, summoning a portal.

"Dive?"

"Dive." He reiterated once, gesturing his head to the portal.

Jen took a second longer until something clicked in her mind.

Running to the conjured portal, the incredible She-Hulk dived right through. She appeared far above the village, high in the air and Jen plummeted downward with her fists held in front of her. From her descent, she went faster with her fists aimed at the mutated Sith. Yet before she met her target, another portal got into her path.

Said portal was aimed right next to Muur, causing the Hulk's cousin to collide onto his side.

The green missile was a powerful blow to the Sith who fell to the ground.

Less than a second later, the vessel convulsed and from his back burst a winged, horned demon that appeared to be attempting to escape from the body.

"Hostile or-"

"Hostile, definitely hostile." Mordo yelled in clarification.

"Patty Cake." Luke shouted towards Danny, the bald man holding up both hands with his palm facing Iron Fist.

Normally, Rand would be hesitant in this regard as the two would wind up flying away from one another.

But these weren't normal times.

Danny performed a corkscrew spin over a Rakghoul that tried to tackle him and slammed his glowing right fist into his friend's palm.

The results were profound as a shockwave went off and stunned the demonic creature that was still trying to get out of the Sith's body.

A second later, a fiery chain made its way around the creature. Though rather than its neck, the molten metal wrapped itself all around the head of the demon.

The hellfire began burning the dimensional creature with a small opening making itself visible for the owner of the chain to see.

Ghost Rider leapt forward, his axe in a blaze of fire and swiftly brought it down into the head of the demon.

The demon twitched about for a few seconds.

It then keeled over and as it fell, disintegrated into ash.

"That was overkill." Jones commented from the side.

The red dot eyes momentarily looked over at her.

"Would you rather prefer I didn't?"

Jessica thought about it then shook her head. "Nope."

The two were then promptly struck by a snake tail that protruded out from Muur's lower back as the Sith Lord got back to his feet.

His eyes were ablaze with uncontrollable hunger and rage, throwing out both hands that had black lightning infused with blue fire shoot out at them all.

The four sorcerers were quick in calling forth shields for the whole team as the fire-lightning reigned down upon them all.

They were protected for the most part yet the visible signs of cracks appearing on the shields were unsettling to say the least.

"Hey guys." Luke called out to the sorcerers. "How about we do another portal repeat?"

"Coming right up." Strange said with Mordo and Celeste all summoning portals that practically surrounded Muur.

The team went on the offensive.

Jumping through the portal closest to him Danny charged forward with his fists blaze in yellow energies. From the opposite side, Ayala did the same as his hands glowed green.

At the last possible second, the Sith noticed their coming attack but wasn't quick enough to defend or evade the blows.

Both sets of fists struck his body, resulting in shockwave blasts, leaving Muur stunned for several moments.

"Keep hitting him! Don't let him have a moment to think!" Roared the Iron Fist.

The Sith was soon knocked off the ground in two fronts. The first was through a powerful lariat, courtesy of Luke on his upper half. The other was done through Jessica striking his lower half from the other side with a flying tackle.

While airborne, he was continually struck on many fronts before Muur's body ever had the chance to land on the ground; let alone responding accordingly.

Danny came in for a punch which was then followed up by Shuri unleashing a sonic Vibranium soundwave.

As he flew through the air, his face was grabbed by Bucky's metallic hand who proceeded to throw him in the direction of an emerald tiger, courtesy of Hector.

It clawed him down to the ground and as Muur attempted to stand, he felt his back nearly break as She-Hulk had leapt up high into the air in the midst of these combo attacks and delivered her contribution in the form of her two knees crashing down onto the man's spine.

Jen was abruptly blown back from an explosion of magic energy by Muur who rose to his hand and unleashed another shockwave as the heroes ran at him.

They were all flung back though Celeste managed to recover quickly.

She sprinted at full speed towards her age-old enemy, her lightsaber being magically enhanced as she cut through many tentacles sent her way.

"Has Celeste watched anything from Japan yet?" Tony abruptly found himself asking.

Several heroes who were close by looked at him strangely.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Luke asked in bewilderment.

"So I'll take that as a no." Stark said, more to himself than the others. "Good, don't want our Stargirl to be traumatized by that just yet."

Celeste reached Muur and he met her saber with one of his own that he materialized.

The duo engaged in a brief duel that Bucky joined in on a moment later.

Muur was holding them back without much trouble but he detected movement around him and the other Avengers were moving in to attack him.

Karness hissed in rage, swatting aside Celeste's saber and grabbed both of his opponents and threw them towards the heroes running to join them.

Iron Man then flew up above and thrust his chest out.

His glowing centerpiece that was his arc reactor in his suit buzzed with energy until he fired off the pent up power within for a resulting Uni-beam.

It was thick with energy as it struck Muur who stumbled back with his hands raised.

Karness was about to do a repeat of this like he did earlier and moved to grasp the Uni-beam when the sorcerers soon joined Tony in delivering additional beams of energy onto their foe.

Muur visibly flinched in pain and stumbled back as he was buffeted by the combined efforts of Iron Man and the Sorcerers. He was thus forced to defend himself from the offending beams from all sides.

A second later, Shuri joined in with her Wakandan greaves and Ghost Rider with a torrent of hellfire.

Hawkeye was firing explosive arrows from afar that kept blinding Muur from the sparks and explosions that kept going off around his face.

With a resisting roar, the Sith sent out a shockwave to knock his nearby opponents back. He then fired off Force lightning from one hand and a powerful beam from the other. As they more or less missed their targets, they were redirected through conjured portals which had his attacks hit him instead.

Muur fell to the ground on his knees as the assault was relentless.

He was twitched, spasming and convulsing as the dimensional creatures within him were screaming to be released. His body spasmed more and more, energy crackling as his frustrations grew.

No longer taking it anymore, the mutated Sith released everything he could muster under his control.

"WHY WON'T YOU ALL DIE ALREADY!?"

A shockwave exploded out from Muur's body with several of the entities managing to escape.

The Avengers didn't have time to react to the newly escaped detainees as all were blown back by Muur's power.

Karness screeched in an unrecognizable fashion, shooting forward to grab the Avenger closest to him.

Shuri.

The Princess of Wakanda gasped in pain and fear as Muur appeared right before her and had his hand around her neck.

"HEY!"

Hawkeye fired off a multitude of arrows that blew up around him, making sure they were aimed away from Shuri's vicinity.

He ran right at Karness, ducking beneath a swipe of the Sith's arm and pulled out an arrow with a special metallic tip.

Spinning it about in his hand, Clint proceeded to stab Muur right in his eye.

"AURGH!"

Muur let go of Shuri who was swiftly grabbed by Clint and they double backed away from the thrashing, Demonic Sith Lord.

"Take him down now." Mordo yelled, using his Vaulting Boots of Volthoom to get in close and bash Muur with the Staff of the Living Tribunal.

The whole team went on the attack at once.

Luke and Jessica delivered powerful uppercuts that sent Muur flying through a portal above him that Wong Summoned.

Rather than appearing higher, Karness fell through a portal that was only a few feet off the ground.

Just before touching the ground, White Tiger went in for a double legged dropkick to the Sith's chest that sent him flying right into the spinning kick of Jennifer.

His head flew out to the side and was then smashed down hard by Bucky's metal arm.

Muur didn't have a chance to breathe as he felt two eldritch whips quickly ensnared his arms.

The Sith was about to try to break free when an arrow that was shot at him burst into an electrified net that wrapped itself around him. It began shocking him repeatedly as Stephen and Wong hefted the deformed entity up and over them with Celeste leaping up to give him a lightsaber slash right on his chest.

Just before he hit the ground, Shuri fired off her gauntlets that painfully kept him airborne for the final blow of this fourteen-pronged attack by Iron Man.

Three fists to the face with one final Uni-beam sent the Sith flying back and crashing into a large rock that collapsed on top of him.

Before the others could rush in or think ahead on a plan, the piece of earth exploded.

"Kill you." Muur whispered though his insane voice was heard by all. "Kill you ALL!"

Muur unleashed a powerful burst of dimensional energy, a multitude of limbs of the many creatures he had trapped within him sprouting out of his body. From this, various attacks went all at once from the mutated Sith.

The protection spells everyone had on them started to wane more and more. Further cracks appeared as time went on.

"I shall consume this entire world." The demented Sith Lord's voice was heard for miles on end. "All will be mine to devour and consume. Endless power! Endless expanse! I AM THE SITH LORD WHO HAS ATTAINED IMMORTALITY!"

What followed was a series of attempts to bring the Sith Lord down who was now using his full power with an unrestrained madness.

The Avengers attacked as one again.

Danny went for a punch but was caught and thrown away.

Jessica delivered a fly by kick with Jen going in for a series of punches.

Her fists were caught and she got a magic infused headbutt that sent her sprawling.

White Tiger leapt in with his claws out, digging into the flesh of Muur.

Muur grabbed his left hand and slammed him into the ground hard before kicking him away into Shuri.

Explosions went off around Muur, courtesy of Hawkeye continually firing arrows at him.

Bucky ran in to deliver a wicked haymaker with his robot arm and shot the Sith point blank in the face with his side piece.

Diving from above, Celeste brought down her lightsaber and cleaved through Muur right in the middle. His body stitched back together as the Sith used the Force to push them away.

He spun round to grab Mordo's extended staff and pulled him in.

Karl felt pain explode in his chest as he was clotheslined by Muur.

He would have fallen to the ground had it not been for Wong summoning a portal beneath the green robed master to get him to safety.

Muur twitched and fell to his knees momentarily as Vibranium sound waves assaulted his eardrums.

Shuri was running around the Sith Lord, giving Jessica and She Hulk the chance to try to get a few more hits in.

They were unable to reach him as he had his snake tail strike them back.

Sharp quills and feathers formed from the tips of his hands and he shot them at Shuri.

The Princess let out a cry of pain as she fell to ground, clutching her leg that had a sharpened quill jutting out.

Muur pounced at her only to be roped in by Ghost Rider who pulled him back and then was tackled down to the ground by Tony.

Iron Man was thrown off a second later though Muur didn't have time to get up with a green ethereal tiger pouncing on him to keep him there.

Karness developed draconic features and breathed out fire to burn the tiger away and spun around to give himself a buffer zone between him and the Avengers.

Though in this attack, the Sith forgot about the one member with a fire immunity who ran right through the flames and swung his axe straight at his midsection.

Muur screeched in pain and agony at the axe in his chest and punched Rider away with all his might.

He pulled the axe out his chest and threw it on the ground.

No sooner did he do that did Iron Fist come in for a powerful punch yet the victory was short lived.

The blow Danny received to the gut overwhelmed his pain receptors and the next blow to the face knocked him out.

"DANNY!" Luke shouted, running at full speed towards him as Muur raised a clawed hand with the intent to kill the young billionaire.

Luke made it just in time and used his own arms to defend him and Danny.

The protector of Harlem let out a shout of pain and shock as he felt the clawed hands digging into his "impenetrable" skin.

Jessica then flew in and struck Muur with her elbow though she was smashed hard in the face, sending her hurtling to the ground.

Luke took the chance to get Danny out of there whilst the rest of the Avengers resumed their offensive.

Wong called forth the Wand of Watoomb and with a diagonal swipe sent a curved arch of razor sharp wind towards the Sith.

Muur threw his arms and hissed as they were cut open.

His arms, rather than healing or having blood pour out, had something else come out.

More interdimensional entities that were trying to get out.

Mordo, Strange and Celeste threw out their energy whips (the Tribunal Staff for Karl) and had them wrap around the other reality creatures.

The dimensional creatures thrashed about, trying to escape their bonds when those which held them in place were replaced with the Rider's whip which started to burn right through them.

"We can't keep pulling out one after another." Strange declared.

"Should we assume that by this point, everything inside that freak show is hostile?" Hawkeye asked aloud.

"Honestly, that seems to be the more reasonable choice." Celeste answered.

"Well alright then." Iron Man said, firing two fully powered repulse beams towards the Sith.

In an act of brilliant improvisation, Strange shot a spell towards both beams and in a flash, the beams all multiplied a hundred fold.

Muur was barraged on all sides by a seemingly endless stream of repulsor beams with him being visibly damaged and worn down.

"Go, go, bring him down." Hawkeye nearly shouted, firing several explosive arrows.

Luke tossed a large boulder, White Tiger unleashed more ethereal Tigers, Jones began throwing large branches and trees, She-Hulk clapped her hands together for a shockwave and the Sorcerers fired off multiple spells. Despite her injured leg, Shuri managed to sit up and fired more blasts from her Vibranium gauntlets.

This continuous onslaught continued until Muur roared aloud, completely transforming now.

Powerful magic exploded out from around and his size was noticeably different.

Multiple limbs appeared on his back with his face becoming a deformed face of horns and eyes.

"Ok, that's real ugly." Clint commented.

"What does it take to kill this bastard already?" Jennifer shouted in growing frustration.

"We need an opening for Robbie." Celeste called out. "If he can get close to him, Robbie can take out Muur and all those inside of him at once."

"And how is he supposed to do that?" Jones asked.

"Don't question it, just try to restrain him." Mordo stated only to get struck by Muur.

"Mordo!" Wong shouted, running over to the downed sorcerer.

"Strange." Iron Man called out to him as he raised his hands. "Think you can make me hit him on all sides again?"

"Is that question of the rhetorical variety?" Strange retorted, hands surrounded by eldritch symbols.

Tony fired and like before, Stephen shot a replicating spell that multiplied the beams.

Muur however was ready for it this time around and conjured shields that blocked the beams.

Though he was keeping them back, the endless light of the beams made it difficult for Karness to see.

Needing to assist Robbie in finishing things off, Bucky gave the Rider a look of acknowledgement before he charged forward towards Muur. As the man was distracted from keeping his shielding up, his attention would be heavily towards them rather than everything else.

It was all he needed.

Just one moment or two and Muur will be done.

Weaving through the destruction, Bucky pushed his legs to the limit to find one spot to get in. After several moments once getting within several feet, he found the opening. Sweeping towards his backend side, the Winter Soldier leapt and tackled his upper body.

Grasping at a pair of wings, Bucky pulled and tugged and with all his might, ripped the wings right off his back.

The Sith roared in pain, just long enough for him to pull down his shielding's to assault the very man who dared lay his hands on him.

This proved to be his downfall as Muur was then assaulted on all sides by all.

Luke with a quick lariat.

Jones with a fly by kick.

She-Hulk landed a flying knee.

Clint fired another explosive arrow.

Shuri's Vibranium gauntlet rattled his ear drums.

Tony unleashed a concentrated laser.

Hector delivered a green enhanced dropkick.

Strange trapped the legs with rocky tendrils.

Celeste then came in for the last string of attacks.

Her lightsaber was enhanced by magic and began to cut away the multitude of limbs that the Sith had.

Karness, in a last ditch effort, expunged a powerful shockwave that sent all the heroes flying back and onto the ground.

"Kill…." Muur rasped out, completely deranged and insane. "You…. ALL! KILL… YOU… A-"

The Sith Lord suddenly found himself being unable to move. He tugged himself forward a number of times only to be met with the same result.

And what was this burning sensation?

Karness Muur blinked as he looked down at the molten-fiery chain wrapped around his body, rendering him immobile.

The Sith Lord looked back with his eyes widening in growing terror at just who caught him now.

"Nowhere left to run."

Muur used what strength he could muster to throw the Ghost Rider away. As he saw him sail away, he was harshly knocked to the ground.

Trying to rise, he was kept down to the earth when he was blasted by both the sorcerers and Iron Man. Underneath his form, a giant, eldritch magic circle appeared to help restrain the mutated Sith.

Ethereal chains appeared around his ensnared limbs. The other heroes quickly went to their own chains and pulled with all their might to further immobilize their opponent. These individuals struggled with their muscles straining with their present actions.

With a thud not far away, the Rider returned as he stalked towards Muur at a quick pace. Once near his target, the Spirit of Vengeance stepped over him before getting in close and personal.

"So many sins, so many souls to BURN!" Ghost Rider said, grasping the sides of Muur's face with his boney flaming hands burning the Sith's skin. "Your soul -in particular- is stained by the blood of the innocent."

Muur's eyes began glowing a reddish-orange hue with his mouth widening as he slowly began to whimper.

"FEEL THEIR PAIN!"

And like that, Muur felt himself plummeting face first into his psyche, into his past.

And what he was met with was pain that was indescribable.

He saw and he felt the agonizing torture, the sadistic cruelty, the vile actions and evil deeds he had committed against life itself.

It wasn't done just once but several times over in rapid succession as the heat within him grew exponentially.

Karness saw them all.

Every poor soul he ever killed, every unfortunate individual he ever experimented on.

And then came the actions he had done when he had possessed Celeste. He could literally feel his bones and muscles breaking apart and reshaping themselves only to do it all again whenever someone was infected with the Rakghoul plague.

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, then came the sins of the interdimensional entities he had absorbed.

There were things he couldn't process at all, only registering glimpses. The shred scraps could've dwarfed a number of his own; especially with the pieces of the tentacled monstrosity he consumed.

All this went on within the confines of the Sith's body, mind and soul.

The Avengers only watched in enraptured attention as the man was screaming with fire coming from his mouth and eyes.

From his body came the entities he had inside and as they exited his body, hellfire engulfed their bodies and burned them away into ethereal ashes and were blown away in the wind.

The unnatural, agonizing wail could be heard for miles. It seemed to last for hours, but in reality it was less than a minute.

Karness at long last ceased his screaming and had fallen to his knees. The man had reverted back to what he once looked like as the dead face of the Sith looked up upon his killer.

Ghost Rider gazed down with his fiery eyes until he slowly reverted back into that of Robbie Reyes.

Muur's regular eyes were replaced with a molten, burnt surface and his skin tone slowly turned into an ashen white hue.

From any onlooker remotely close, they can see flecks of ash starting to come off Muur's body. By the second, more and more fell and was swept through the coming breeze. Before long, Muur's form started to collapse into nothingness.

His dusty remains were blown away by a light breeze and left nothing behind.

Karness Muur.

One of the first ever true Dark Lords of the Sith, a Sith that has survived for thousands of years -even as a Force spirit- was dead at last.

A strangled and disbelieving calm befell the Avengers as they realized what they had done.

The silent moment was cut off by the sound of a loud groan and all looked to Luke helping a now conscious Danny Rand up to his feet.

"What… What happened?" Iron Fist asked, looking around as they were no longer fighting. "Did we win?"

"We wouldn't be having this conversation otherwise." Cage remarked with a wide grin now on his face, patting his friend on the back.

"Phew." Iron Man exhaled, helmet reclining back to reveal a slightly battered but grinning face. "Well, I guess that's a win for the Avengers, right? Think this calls for a celebration."

"We can go celebrate later, Stark." Mordo stated. "We need to inform the local government of this travesty."

"How's about you guys do that." Tony said, pointing to the Sorcerers. "And I start making preparations for a victory party, huh? That sound good?"

Before any further remark could be done, he felt Jones tightly grasp his arm. Brief sounds of metal groaning can be heard.

"Come on." She said drably. "We got a distraught Aunt to talk with. Along with a pair of lawyer buddies."

"Oh my God, we're on another continent. Can't it wait?"

"Business before pleasure."

"We just saved the world!"

"Yeah, come on Jess, lay off him." Danny said with a laugh.

"I want a party." Shuri piped up. "We saved the world right?"

As this bickering and banter went on, Celeste Morne stood over the spot as to where Muur drew his last breath.

She gazetted down on some ashes of the Sith that remained and found a strange numbing sensation.

The Jedi always wanted him gone for the longest time. Many of her thoughts and worries revolved around him and his blasted talisman.

Morne reached out through the Force and felt nothing. She didn't sense his presence. His soul, his Force signature was good and dead.

"He's finally gone." Celeste breathed out.

She soon felt Bucky's right hand intertwining his fingers with her left hand. She then grasped it hard.

Now that both were truly gone, the Jedi Shadow didn't know what to do with her overall purpose in life.

Perhaps with Bucky by her side, she can find a new one.

"You alright?" She heard him softly ask.

Celeste slowly looked up at him and smiled lovingly at the man who had been with her since she first awoke on this planet.

"Yes." Morne whispered, leaning against her lover. "I'm alright."

-Scene Cut-

"We still good with that deal with Gargan?"

"Yeah, we're all good to go on this end, Adrian."

Adrian Toomes nodded in approval as he walked around the desk that belonged to his friend and associate Phineas Mason, or as he's known to the crew they work with, The Tinkerer.

"Anyone else we're supposed to have for this evening?" Toomes asked, inspecting a piece of alien tech that belonged to the alien race known as the Chitauri.

"Uh…" Mason picked up a clip board and flipped over a few papers. "Yeah, we got this *he narrowed his eyes* Baron Zamo? No, Zemo that wants to meet with us. And apparently he isn't alone."

"Really a Baron? Like a legitimate one and not a gang leader wanting a fancy name?"

"The former."

"Gonna wonder why some "noble" will want business with us."

Mason only shrugged. "All I know is that he's willing to pay a handsome sum."

That got Toomes' interest. "By handsome sum you mean…"

Phineas opted to show the amount rather than tell him.

Adrian nearly choked on what he was looking at.

"This was just the down payment to get some samples and our "audience"." Tinkerer remarked with a wide grin.

"Holy…" Toomes stared at the clipboard in disbelief. "This can't be-"

"Oh yeah." Mason surprised Adrian by lifting up a rather large briefcase and placing it down. He opened it up and revealed a huge sum of cash that nearly stopped Toomes' heart.

This looked like it was enough to fund a small army.

"Set up a meeting with this Baron Zemo." Toomes then smiled. "Depending on how this goes, we may be set for a very long time."

Elsewhere, a middle aged European sat alone at a cafe with him on a phone call.

His expression was stoic and unreadable, not even regarding the younger African American that sat down in front of him.

"You this Zemo guy who called me here?" The younger man asked in a rude tone.

Zemo didn't even regard the man, still listening to whoever it was on the phone before he pressed the disconnect button and faced the person seated in front of him.

"Apologies, Mr. Stevens." Zemo spoke in a soft, controlled voice. "I was busy speaking with other… associates of mine. Glad that you were able to make it."

Erik Stevens, otherwise known as Killmonger, regarded the Baron that sat before him with a wary eye.

"So what do you want?" Erik asked with a distrustful look.

"A business proposition."

"Does it look like I run a business?"

Zemo stared at Killmonger before letting out a small laugh. "My boy, all men are businessmen in one way shape or form. It's a matter of what and how they conduct said business."

Withdrawing a laptop from a briefcase, Zemo opened it up. He then handed a pair of Bluetooth earbuds to Killmonger.

"What's this for?"

"You'll see."

Skeptically looking at the items, Eric placed them into his ears as he heard a voice in some European accent.

"I believe you may be familiar with several of these individuals."

Erik looked down at the screen, not regarding the voice at first as he believed it was Zemo and blinked upon seeing-

"David North?" Erik spoke aloud in surprise. "I thought that bastard was dead."

"Quite alive I might say." Zemo stated. "Goes by a new callsign in the underground. Agent Zero."

Stevens had his eyes narrowed at the Baron before looking back down at the laptop.

It showed a quick series of videos displaying Agent Zero's combat effectiveness and lethality as an assassin.

"And here is another person I know, who goes by the call sign Maverick."

A photo appeared showing a man -Christopher Nord- who doesn't seem all that special at first. But like before, his fighting prowess was rather extraordinary that seemed to rival Agent Zero given what's being shown through another series of videos.

"This here is an old associate and friend of mine." Zemo spoke. "Christopher Nord and I have worked together on a number of operations in the past before my country was blown apart in the sky."

Erik stared at the Baron now with a scrutinizing expression when realization dawned on him.

"You're Sokovian."

"One of the last of my people." Zemo said in a dead voice.

"Don't let him fool you." An accented voice said with a dark chuckle through the Bluetooth earbud. "My old friend himself spoke of the failed state in which Sokovia had become."

Killmonger jolted slightly in his seat, looking up at Zemo to see he was not the one who had spoken to him.

"Alright, who is this?" Said Erik, regarding the voice he was hearing.

The screen then went black as green lights started to appear. For some moments, Erik thought it was some fancy screensaver resembling a Matrix concept.

That wasn't the case at all as the lights formed a digitized face.

"Greetings, Erik Stevens." The accented voice said. "You may not know me but I know of you."

"Who are you?" Stevens asked, tensing up.

"I was once a man like yourself until my body could no longer reside on this mortal plain." The voice said. "My body could not be saved, but my mind was able to be salvaged. Broken apart in two to be used for the means of HYDRA's endgame."

"HYDRA's dead, fool." Erik retorted. "Died two years ago when Captain Rogers and his friends exposed you clowns."

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

"And what exactly are you? Some sort of HYDRA AI?"

"In a way, yes. The first this world has ever seen, even from the shadows."

"Arnim Zola." Zemo revealed. "He was once HYDRA's top scientist during the second World War until he was recruited by SHIELD."

Killmonger was processing what he had just been told.

"And how'd you get him?"

"From a Siberian bunker. But that's not important now. What is important is this meeting right here."

Killmonger was a bit at a loss as to these two individuals, instead opting to resume watching the laptop which was now displaying a man in an almost all white suit with a pistol in both hands.

"Charlie Custer." Zemo said. "I know him by his ridiculous name of Fantomex."

Erik snorted when the screen shifted again and this time, Killmongers' eyes widened drastically.

"Who in the fu-"

"Emile Blonsky." Zemo revealed. "Those that contain him call him an Abomination. A name that has stuck with him. Fought against the Hulk in Harlem many years ago. Ever since, he's been blacklisted by the American government and military as an utter failure. And he's been on the run ever since, sharing the same shoes Dr. Bruce Banner has worn for far longer."

Erik looked back and forth between Zemo and the laptop he held that now showed separate displays of the four individuals the Baron and Zola had shown him.

"Is there a point of showing me these people?"

"Them and more." Zemo began. "The purpose you seek answers for is simple in a way. I seek to Liberate this world from the injustices done towards many."

Erik glared in annoyance now. "That suppose to mean some stupid ideological bullshit?"

"You don't seem to understand, my friend." Zemo spoke candidly. "I know you have more on your shoulders then you are willing to reveal. It's why I sought you out."

"Oh, surprise me."

Armin Zola's voice then spoke into Erik's ear. "You Erik Stevens are not entirely American. You are half-Wakandan and third in line to it's throne."

Killmonger was surprised before glaring at the AI. "How do you know that?"

"Phone calls from your father and translations from the 1990's I still have in my database." Zola revealed. "I am a being of pure data, Mr. Stevens. I have long since been aware of your existence. My programming requires… Insight for individuals like yourselves."

Erik clenched his fists tightly as he gazed intently upon Zemo who held a calm demeanor.

"What do you want?" Erik gritted out.

"The same thing that you do." Was Zemo's answer. "You seek vengeance. Not just for your father, but for your people. Your ancestors."

"Oh yeah?" Erik scoffed. "And what the hell do they have to do with that bullshit? You tell me now or I'll soon kill you and your German program of yours."

"First off, I'm Swiss. Second, it doesn't take much to know from your physiological file. And after consulting with my associate, we came to an ample conclusion to your motives." Spoke the HYDRA AI.

"Revenge… can be a dangerous tool if not focused and directed properly. It may backfire and destroy you if you are not careful enough."

"I know what I want and who I am after." Killmonger darkly refuted.

"But it is a short sighted and fool's errand that will fall apart sooner than later." Helmut Zemo said with a shake of his head.

"What the hell do you know?!" Erik's voice raised an octave. "What the hell have you lost?!"

The clicking of a pistol was heard and Killmonger froze as he now stared down a darker and more deadlier expression from Zemo.

"Do not mistake my charity out of the kindness of my heart." Zemo's tone conveyed a warning. "I have lost more than you care to believe. And I recognize a man on the path to self-destruction."

Killmonger silently sat there with a heated glare that clashed with Zemo's cold one.

Eventually, he heard the click of Zemo's gun and the man shifted to hide the pistol away.

"Instead of going down that path, tread on another." Zola spoke up.

"Oh yeah? And what dumbass path would that be?"

"We know, in a sense, where your cousin and his companions went." Said the AI. "Stark and his Avengers are nowhere close to finding a source to their whereabouts, given they are no longer on Earth. They could perhaps be dead or lost forever for all we know. Because of their abrupt departure, we surmise your plans for vengeance have more or less been derailed."

"The man who killed your father still lives, Erik." Zemo stated. "You still have a chance to get your revenge if you are willing to accept our aid."

Erik was silent for the most part until he stared up at Zemo again.

"And what's your stake in all this?" Erik asked with Zemo leaning back into his seat.

"I knew I couldn't kill them. More powerful people than me have tried. But an idea came to me. United, the Avengers are basically impossible to kill, let alone defeat. Shattered, they are easier to be rid of." The Baron's voice shifted into a more sinister tone. "An empire that is beaten and falls from an outside force can rebuild itself better and stronger. But an empire that crumbles within itself. That's dead."

"Very poetic." Killmonger said with a roll of his eyes. "But you still didn't answer my question. I can understand the Tron knock off. But why do you want to kill the Avengers, Baron?"

"I have my reasons as you do yours." Zemo said enigmatically. "All you need to know is that we are on the same page in wanting revenge against those that have wronged us."

"And what'd they do, kill your family?"

The way he saw Zemo's jaw clench up made Killmonger grin.

"Well whaddya know, they did, didn't they?" Erik said with a dark laugh. "And what'd you and your kin do to get them to do that."

"Absolutely nothing." Zemo said, voice broken. "The Avengers… in their displays of heroics and bullheaded paranoia created a being that wished to bring about the end of all life on this planet. They succeeded in averting this disaster but… instead of staying to help the survivors, they fled to their ivory tower to celebrate. It took me two days to find the bodies of my family, crushed beneath the weight of the Avengers' failures."

Killmonger didn't know how to respond to that as he thought back to the day he found his father dead in their home.

He thought of the man that killed his father, his own brother and the nation of Wakanda that hoarded itself and its innovations away from the rest of the world that always fought against itself.

By this point, Erik already knew his answer now.

"When do we start?"

AN

Well fuck, another long one. Jeb and I have been on a roll of sorts with all this Marvel content with Let There be Carnage and What If being absolutely bonkers.

The Ultron two parter was fucking insane and while Let There Be Carnage was a bit of a letdown, that ending credit scenes basically saves the whole movie.

Jebest4781: Do wish they kept the Gamora and Space Tony episode in What If Season 1. But given the news, that episode was bumped to Season 2 due to Covid. Really wish it was in the intended season to make the two parter finale a whole lot stronger. They had all this set up with all of the presented cast and call backs, and yet without the Gamora episode made things feel quite off when she made her appearance as a member of the Watcher's Guardians of the Multiverse.

FMW: Can't get everything at once sometimes but ah well. What we did get was real fun stuff and there are certain episodes that deserve to be longer honestly but overall, What If was a fun time. Dark for the most part with how many heroes died, but fun all the same. So anyway, first arc of season 3 is officially done. Next stop, we're returning to the Star Wars galaxy in a unique arc that J and I had planned out extensively for and we hope you guys enjoy it cause we sure as hell had a lot of fun creating it.

So anywho, this was a blast, great first arc and season 3 is underway.

Rate Read and Review and as Always Have Nice Day.