Avenging 10 Chapter 33, a Ben 10 + Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Crossover fanfic

DISCLAIMER: I OWN THIS STORY. BUT I DO NOT OWN BEN 10 OR AVENGERS EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES. LUCK OF THE DRAW, I'M AFRAID.

Surprise everyone! Another chapter is here!

I know you must all be shocked. Wha? Two chapters in a month? What is Cap thinking?

Well, worry not, my dear readers. Things have been going pretty well for me. I've found a pretty good balance in my life between work, social, and private. Also, my passion has been re-ignited for writing this story. Thanks in no small part to a little game called Marvel Rivals.

Boy oh boy this game is fun. Not to mention this game knows exactly what gamers and Marvel fans want to see in a game like this. The maps, the characters, the lore behind the place. This is a game made by people with a clear passion for Marvel comics and as a result, my passsion is back in full swing.

So sit back and enjoy the next chapter if Avenging 10.

We finally made it people. The Asgard Arc. You've all been waiting for this. So I wont take up any more of your time. On with the show!

Chapter 33

This Hostage Earth

The sun shined brightly over the Mythical kingdom of Nornheim, an independent nation within the realm of Asgard. The skies were littered with celestial objects of various sizes, and the crystal landscape glinted in the light.

From the tallest peak sat the palace of the Queen of the Norns, Karnilla, known by many as the most powerful magic user in all the Nine Realms.

Her power and grace are legends sung throughout the halls of Asgard, so much so that few would dare to ever attempt to cross her.

Until today.

Explosions rocked the palace as mystical energy bolts tore through the crystal structure, destroying sections and sending debris to the lands below.

Within her throne room, Karnilla, the Norn Queen, erected a mystical barrier to reflect several bolts of magical energy. Behind her, several of her citizens fled in terror, but she remained to defend her home and her people.

She was a beautiful Asgardian goddess with smooth, pale skin and dark, raven hair that flowed down her back. Her eyes and lips were a deep purple shade, matching her dress and cape. She wore black leggings beneath silver armored boots, silver gauntlets on her arms and a silver headdress.

With the last of her people escaping, Karnilla dropped her shield and blasted mystical bolts from her hands into the darkness at the far end of the room. The light of her bolts faded into the darkness as if swallowed by the shadows.

She narrowed her eyes; she recognised that spell. It was a complicated spell. No mere mage could pull off such a feat. To hide oneself in darkness and snuff out any light that comes one's way.

Her attackers wished to keep themselves hidden, no doubt as a precaution, in case this assassination attempt failed, and their allegiance could not be traced back to whoever sent them.

No matter. She could easily counter this spell. Her attacker's identity and the one behind this insult will be revealed.

"You dare come here and challenge me?" Karnilla called out to her unknown attackers. "Tell your master he has made a grave mistake. No one challenges Karnilla."

Her boast echoed through the halls as her opponents remained silent. Not that it mattered. Soon, her counter spell will be ready, and she will find out who orchestrated this plot against her life.

"I am…" She gasped as a strange sensation gripped her body. Her limbs stiffened, and her body froze. Even her voice could no longer carry her words as she tried to force them out.

To her shock, her body started to turn to stone before her very eyes. How could this be? She heard no chanting, sensed no magic, nor was she doused in any form of potion. Yet her body was turning to stone.

She was so shocked that by the time she could even think about performing a counterspell, it was too late. Karnilla, Queen of the Norns, had become a statue to decorate her throne room. Her frightened expression was on display for all to see.

From behind her stepped the Grey Gargoyle. His hand caressed the now stone form of Karnilla. A smug grin on his face. After being humiliated by Thor for so long. Being able to bring down one smug Asgardian brought the stone villain great pleasure.

"Well done, mortal." A sultry voice spoke up, drawing the villains' attention.

Grey Gargoyle scowled as the darkness on the other end of the room dissipated, revealing the Enchantress and Executioner. The former waved her hand to dispel the magic she used to conceal them.

"Zemo was right. Your power is impressive. The Norn Queen is a formidable opponent, or was at least," the Enchantress complimented Grey Gargoyle as she walked up to Karnilla's stone form.

She looked up and down the statue with disdain. Seeing her former teacher in this state. Such pride and arrogance. It irked her when her power was often compared to Karnilla. She was tempted to destroy the statue there and then. However, time was not on her side.

"You flatter me, Mon Cheri", Grey Gargoyle answered with a bow. His French accent dripped with pride in his work.

Enchantress grinned with malicious intent as she stood to the side.

"Come, Skurge, let's give the Grey Gargoyle his reward. Then we should collect our prize."

Executioner immediately walked forward, his grip tightening on his axe. The Grey Gargoyle's eye widened as he realised too late what kind of reward the Seductress implied as the towering figure of the Asgardian brute loomed over him.

Within their hidden base. Zemo and the Masters of Evil waited patiently for their members to return.

Armin Zola sat in a chair, stroking one of his Doughboys like a pet. The bio-engineered organism purred from its master's affection.

Wonder Man paced across the room and joined the rest of the team. Standing next to Crimson Dynamo as they continued to wait. Next to the Armored Villain stood Chemistro, who fiddled with the controls of his alchemy gun. Beside him was Taskmaster, who stood motionless with his arms crossed as he quietly observed everything around him.

Next in line was a new face on the villainous team. He was a man in a skintight body suit that covered his entire form. The suit was black with glowing yellow lines stretched all over it, some of which were lightning bolts. A pair of white eyes could be seen in the mask, but there were no other distinguishing facial features.

He is the Living Laser. Energy being who is constantly at odds with Iron Man.

Abomination walked up behind him and crossed his arms. His brow furrowed as he glared at the man in front of the group.

The leader of the Master of Evil, Baron Zemo.

"Oh, how much longer are we supposed to wait, Zemo?" Abomination asked in an impatient tone.

The Gamma Giant did not like to be kept in the dark. Zemo summoned the Masters together and informed them that he had dispatched the Enchantress, Executioner, and Grey Gargoyle on a mission, but he did not tell them where they went or what they were doing.

So far, the only order the Purple Villain had given them was to wait for their arrival.

After thirty minutes of doing nothing but wait, the Abomination was growing irritated.

"All will be revealed soon, Abomination," Zemo responded, turning his head slightly to address the Gamma Mutant.

No sooner had he said that. A green light illuminated before him, and the blade of an axe appeared and sliced through the air, opening a portal from which Enchantress and Executioner emerged.

The Asgardian Sorceress held a small burlap sack bound at the top by a piece of string.

"The time has come, Mortals." She announced as she held up the bag. "As promised."

Green Magic swirled around the bag, levitating from her palm, and floated over to Zemo.

The Villains Leader grabbed the bag and untied the string. Reaching inside, Zemo pulled out an egg-shaped stone roughly the size of a softball. On one side of the stone was a rune symbol.

"Ah, the Norn stones you spoke of," Zemo said, examining the stone closely in awe of the magical item.

However, the other Masters were not as impressed as their leader.

"How are a bunch of rocks supposed to help us take over the world?" Chemistro demanded.

Enchantress narrowed her eyes at the mortal's ignorance. "The stones are but the first step, Chemistro."

A vague answer. One that most of the team was not satisfied with. However, none dared to question her or Zemo. So it is best they keep quiet and follow orders.

Though, there was still one question on everyone's mind. Including Baron Zemo.

"And where is Grey Gargoyle?" He asked. Having noticed his absence upon their return.

"The battle was hard fought. He did not make it." Enchantress replied offhandedly.

Zemo narrowed his eyes, not from the Asgardian Witch's lack of empathy for her fallen teammate. She has made her apathy for human life clear to all of them from the start. But from the knowledge that they are proceeding with the next stage of their plan, down one member.

The ambiguity of her statement also didn't help. But he couldn't dwell on that right now.

He turned to the rest of the team and held up the stone as it started to glow in his hand.

"Today, we become the masters of Earth."

Unknown to him, Enchantress and Executioner shared a look as the Asgardian Sorceress grinned with malevolence.

Ben Tennyson lay on his back, his eyes darting across the beige-coloured ceiling above him. A tiny dark spot in the corner managed to hold his attention several times as the Young Hero talked about his latest exploits.

A few feet away, Doc Samson quietly listened while jotting down notes on his pad.

Over the last month, the young hero has had multiple sessions with the Green-Haired Therapist. Each time, Ben lies down and talks about his past adventures as a hero, including the villains he's faced and the friends he's made.

Occasionally, Samson would ask Ben how he felt during specific situations, and Ben always answered honestly.

It was strange at first. Ben initially thought that these therapy sessions would involve Doc Samson asking him specific questions about his parents or personal information about his love life or childhood and then saying something profound that would somehow lead to an emotional epiphany, curing his trauma.

But no, all he did was sit or lie down and talk while the Doc scribbled on his notepad.

Honestly, as strange as it was, Ben did feel good after these sessions. He got all these things off his chest, talking freely about everything he'd experienced, not in a bragging way, like when he's sharing past stories with the Avengers or his other friends.

He just talked about his past adventures, not picking and choosing the important ones or embellishing specific details to make himself look better or to portray certain threats as bigger than they actually were, but simply recounting the events in an open and honest manner.

It felt really good to get it all out there. Like a weight was being lifted off his chest.

Currently, Ben was in the process of wrapping up his latest exploits.

"So, long story short, the Phoenix Force is gone, the city is saved, and everyone gets to live happily ever after." He concluded, from his spot on the couch, stretching his arms and back to relieve some of that tension. He didn't realise how long he'd been lying down until he stopped talking.

Sitting up, he reached for one of the glasses of water on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

Meanwhile, Doc Samson continued to scribble in his notepad. Nothing new at this point; it is just par for the course. The Young Hero would usually wait until he was done and asked his questions.

Eventually, the scribbling stopped, and the Gamma Therapist put down his pen before raising his eyes to the teen.

"That's quite the ordeal, Benjamin," he said in a calm and collected manner. "And what became of Ms. Frost and her children?"

"Well, believe it or not, the X-Men are actually going to give her a second chance. She's on serious probation at this point, but at least it's a start," Ben explained with a cheery tone. He was so glad Emma had been given a second chance. Despite the bad things she did, she regretted it and more than made up for it when she risked her life to save the world.

"As for the girls," Ben said, his tone shifting as he rubbed his temple reflexively as if reliving a memory. "They haven't really talked to anyone so far. Out loud, at least."

"I see," Doc Samson said, checking his notes briefly.

He rested the pad on his knee as he leaned forward.

This caused the Teen to raise an eyebrow. This was new for them.

"Well, Benjamin. We've had a couple of sessions now. Each time, I have learned a little more about you as a person and how you think and process your thoughts," Samson summarised.

Ben nodded in understanding, prompting the therapist to continue.

"From my understanding of the situation. After the loss of your family, you found yourself in this universe and flung into a conflict before joining the Avengers to further fight villains and protect the world."

"Well, yeah," Ben stated, unsure where this was going. "I mean, that's what a hero does. Help people who need it. Those villains escaped, and it's up to us to catch them. I couldn't just walk away."

"I understand, and it's very noble and selfless of you to do so. There is no denying that," Doc Samson assured him.

"But how long ago did you say your family died before coming here?" he asked.

Ben thought for a moment, hesitant to relive those memories.

"One week." He choked out. Immediately grinding to clear his throat.

"One week." Doc Samson repeated slowly. Letting the words sink into the Young Hero's mind.

"And after that, you found yourself in a new world and ended up in a conflict you had no stake in and joined a team of superheroes. Despite the fact that earlier that day, you had made the conscious choice to give up being a hero forever?"

Doc Samson watched as Ben shifted in his seat. His back hunched, his legs moved together, and his arms crossed in front of his chest. All physical signs that his guard is up. He is closing himself off in a defensive stance, indicating that the current topic is uncomfortable for him.

Unfortunately, the Gamma Therapist had to press the subject.

"What's more is that you then reveal your identity, history, and powers to a group of people you claim to have met a mere hour ago."

Ben's jaw clenched. He didn't want to admit it. But hearing it out loud did make it sound a little stupid.

He wanted to object, but Samson was not done.

"Moving on, you have made multiple claims that the Avengers are like a family to you. While I can believe that you and Miss Van Dyne certainly have a strong bond, the others, I'm afraid, do not seem to share this ideology you are claiming."

That really got his heart rate up. Ben felt his knuckles tighten as he gave the Therapist a glare.

"What do you know?" he snapped suddenly, his emotions running high. "The Avengers took me in when I had nowhere to go. They've looked out for me, fought for me, and we've taken on so many villains and saved the world side by side. They're the closest thing I have to a family."

Doc Samson didn't seem to react to Ben's outburst. As if he expected this kind of reaction.

Ben didn't notice as he was too busy fuming at the accusation. How could he say the Avengers weren't his family? The nerve. They protected him from Kang, stuck their necks out for him and trusted him with their very lives. How could that be anything else?

"Tell me, Ben." Doc Samson said in a calm and collected tone. "How often do you spend time with the Avengers outside of fighting villains or training?"

The Young Hero raised an eyebrow. "That's easy. Just last week, Janet and I hung out at the mall, and we got smoothies on the way back."

A hint of smugness appeared on his face from how easily he could answer that.

"Yes. But aside from Miss Van Dyne, who else do you spend time with in a casual setting?" Samson asked.

Ben scoffed and opened his mouth to answer, only to freeze. He was about to talk about how he hangs out with Laura all the time, Spider-Man when neither is on patrol or A-Bomb when they game online.

But none of them are Avengers. They're friends he met outside of the team. Whenever he hangs out with any of his fellow teammates, it's either during training sessions, team meetings or when he happens to run into one of them in the kitchen during meal times.

It suddenly dawned on him that outside of fighting villains, he doesn't really socialise with any of them at all.

Seeing the Teen stumped for a response, Doc Samson elaborated, "Have you ever shared a meal together? Spent a leisurely afternoon at the park? Gone to an amusement park to simply enjoy each other's company? These are common things a family does together, Ben. Aside from Wasp, it seems that your relationship with the rest of the team is merely that of work colleagues.

It was blunt and honest, but the Young Hero needed to hear the truth aloud. His stubborn nature made dancing around the issue pointless. A direct approach was necessary for him to see.

With no way to counter, Ben closed his mouth and leaned back in his chair.

"Then there's Miss Danvers," Samson said, and the room temperature dropped a few degrees. "From what you have told me, you and Miss Danvers bonded after your first meeting, growing as friends and spending time together outside the Avengers, to which you felt a growing romantic attraction to her."

Samson then picked up his notepad to check his notes. "Only to find out that her entire reason for socialising with you was all a ploy set up by Nick Fury to sway you into joining SHIELD. An act of betrayal that not many would find easy to forgive."

The young teen broke his eye contact and turned away from the therapist. He was looking for an escape.

"Yet, despite all that, you elected to pursue a romantic relationship with her. Without any clear indication that she would not betray you a second time."

Silence gripped the room. The absence of ambient sound made the clock on the wall echo with each tick.

Ben could feel Doc Samsons eyes on him even though he refused to look at him. What exactly did he expect him to say at this point? That he was right? That Ben made a mistake going out with Carol, for trusting the Avengers, for trying to move on?

Sure, he might be making a mistake. But he's known plenty of people who've made mistakes in the past. He still gave them a second chance, and they became better people.

Why wouldn't he offer Carol the same?

"What's your point?" Ben mumbled defensively.

Doc Samson leaned back in his chair. "From my analysis, Ben, the reason you haven't been able to recover from your trauma is that you haven't allowed yourself to grieve."

This made Ben look at him again. A crack in the armor.

"You lost the people you care about most: your parents, your grandfather, your cousin, your best friend, and your girlfriend. These people made up the core foundation of your emotional and social sphere. The ones you've placed the utmost trust in and whom you love unconditionally," Samson explained.

"Losing them created a void in your heart. Instead of allowing yourself time to grieve and accept this monumental loss, you have attempted to fill the void as quickly as possible."

He held up his notepad. "You thrust yourself back into the hero life, being open and honest with complete strangers in an attempt to make them trust you quickly, considering them family far too eagerly. Then you enter a romantic relationship with a woman who has shown very untrustworthy tendencies."

Samson looked up from his notepad, sat up straight, and locked eyes with Ben. Giving him a calm and sympathetic look.

"It's clear that you are afraid of losing anyone, Benjamin. The loss of your loved ones has caused you to latch onto everyone you meet and hold onto them regardless of how they act. What's more is that you seem to have completely devoted yourself to being a full-time hero, completely abandoning any notion of civilian life."

"Are you telling me that what I feel for Carol, for everyone, isn't real, and I'm just trying to force something?" Ben asked, his voice starting to crack.

Doc Samson was silent for a moment. He then leaned forward and interlocked his fingers while resting his elbows on his knees.

"I cannot speak for your own feelings, Ben," he said with utmost clarity to reassure him. "But from what I have observed in our sessions, you seem to be attempting to fill the void that your family left as quickly as possible, regardless of their previous actions."

"That's crazy," Ben dismissed defensively. "I would never try to replace my family."

"Not in a conscious manner," Samson clarified. "But from what you have described, it does seem like the relationships you have forged here line up with your previous family structure."

He glanced at his notes once more. "In an attempt to mask the pain of your loss, you have attempted to fill the void they left with equivalent proxies. A subconscious bandage to try and dull the pain. However, by trying to quickly forge these relationships before coming to terms with your loss. Your mental state cannot fully heal."

The Doctor looked the teen in the eye. Giving him his full attention.

"Tell me, Ben. Can you honestly say that your relationships in this world are as strong as the bonds you had in your old world?" Samson asked. His tone wasn't condescending. It felt encouraging, as if he was trying to reassure Ben.

The emerald Avenger considered what he had said. Upon reflection, he did seem to overestimate his relationship with the others aside from Janet. It hurt to admit, but he did have a point.

"I… I don't know." Ben said aloud.

That hurt more than he thought it would. He bowed his head and clenched his fists. His entire viewpoint shattered before him. Was anything real? Was he just kidding himself this whole time?

Doc Samson stood up, walked around the coffee table, and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder.

"I know this is hard, Ben. But don't take this to mean that what you feel isn't real. From what I have heard, many care about you, and your bonds with the other Avengers have a strong and stable foundation that can potentially grow into a family unit over time," he said in a gentle tone.

Ben raised his head to look at him as he smiled.

"But until you have given yourself time to grieve and accept this loss, I'm afraid your psyche won't be able to fully recover."

Ben let that sink in. It made sense. He did sort of jump from his family's deaths to a new universe, fight villains, and just keep fighting after that. Anytime he so much as saw a reminder of his family, he'd freeze up and relive that moment all over again.

He's been running away from that moment since the day it happened, and he hasn't stopped running.

Until now.

"What do I have to do?" Ben asked, his eyes determined.

Doc Samson sat back in his chair to be at eye level with the teen.

"Take some time off. Away from the Avengers, away from this city and away from anything that is related to being a hero." Doc Samson prescribed.

"I'm not suggesting you cut yourself off completely. But you should at least take a break from any and all activity that is related to 'Hero Time."

Ben couldn't help but smirk at the use of his catchphrase against him.

That was a tough request, especially for him. The moment he put the Omnitrix back on, he committed himself to the hero's life, giving up any chance of being normal. He wasn't even sure what "normal" meant to him anymore.

But perhaps that could be the problem. Maybe it would be best if he took time away from it all. The Avengers, the X-Men, Spidey, Laura and… Carol.

He may never know how he truly feels about his life here unless he takes some time away from it.

"Ok." He answered.

Stinkfly flew over the city skyline. Normally, Ben would have chosen Jetray for his return trip. But, right now, he needed some time to think.

The Bug Alien was good for that. Not only was he one of his original 10 aliens when he first started as a hero. But he's also his first flyer, being one of his most useful aliens when it comes to aerial combat.

After getting aliens like Jetray, Big Chill, Astrodactyl and a few others, Stinkfly started to fall out of the rotation.

However, Ben found himself turning into an alien whenever he wanted to cruise leisurely through the clouds. The nostalgia of this form made him feel at ease and gave him the clarity he needed when making a tough decision.

Taking a break from being a hero.

That's something Ben hasn't done since he first took the watch off when he was eleven.

The concept sounded so alien to him.

Taking time off. When the world could be threatened at any point. It didn't seem like what a hero should do.

As he flew, his lower eyes scanned the city below him. Several construction sites where clean-up crews were still working after the battle with the Phoenix Force.

Ben, as Clockwork, managed to undo most of the damage to the city. But he didn't have the energy to fully restore it.

Battling a cosmic force, dying and then coming back can really take it out of a guy.

Still. All this destruction. One cosmic entity was able to take out both the Avengers and X-Men before he showed up to save them….

He shook his head. No, they would have been fine. He contributed to the fight. He wasn't the deciding factor.

A tightness formed in his chest.

Yes. They would've figured out a strategy themselves. He just happened to show up at the right time. They could've saved the world without him there.

He trusted them….

The tightness grew as he placed his clawed hand over the area. A psychological reaction from his human psyche, as technically, Stinkfly's heart is located in his lower abdomen.

Still, that uneasy feeling persisted.

But why? He trusted his team with his life. They've more than proven that when push comes to shove, they would have his back without hesitation.

Yet, when he thinks about leaving temporarily. He can't help but worry about them. What if another world-ending threat arrives, and he's not there to protect them?

… There it is again. What kind of thinking is that? He's on a team with some of the smartest and strongest beings on the planet. Beings who could cause earthquakes with their punches, who could build technology that could end the world and have saved his skin on more than one occasion.

But his mind drifted back to the Phoenix once more. The way Hulk looked when he was burnt down to the bone, the way Thor was blasted into the Earth's core. Those two together could stop it. What if something else that powerful showed up?

Suddenly, a bird chirping caught his ear, catching his attention as he turned to the direction. He only managed to catch a glimpse of a small bird disappearing into the clouds.

From the brief glance, he caught of it. It looked like a canary.

A tiny bird like that, up at this altitude. He didn't think canaries flew this high.

Anyway, that little distraction managed to derail his train of thought. Allowing the Teen to think a little clearer.

Thinking about hypotheticals like this isn't getting him anywhere. He needs to talk to the Avengers face-to-face. Hearing what they have to say about this will help with the discussion, and he can at least get their opinions about it.

Though, he's not sure how Carol is gonna take this. Bad enough, they hardly see each other due to their respective jobs keeping them apart. But now he's considering asking for more time away from her.

That's going to be one awkward conversion.

Deciding to take the scenic route home, Stinkfly took a slight detour over the East River.

Tapping the dial on his face, the bug-alien disappeared in a flash of green light. Transforming into Ripjaws.

The fish alien dove into the water. From his altitude, the fall would be fatal for a human. But for Ripjaws, his species is highly durable, so a fall from this height is nothing to him as he splashed down into the water.

With a flick of his tail, Ripjaws shot through the water like a bullet. The mirky waters of the East River made it hard to see, but his aquatic eyes cut through the mirk, allowing him to easily locate the entrance to the Quinjet's hanger.

Swimming close to the entrance, a scanner opened up, and Ripjaws stopped to show the device the Ultimatrix dial.

A beam of light washed over him as it scanned his body, locking onto the dial. The scanner flashed green, and the entrance opened up. Allowing the teen hero to swim through.

With nothing to obstruct him, Ripjaws powered through the tunnel, building his speed as he came to a bend in the tunnel. Beams of light cut through the darkness as he shot towards the surface like an arrow.

Ripjaws breached the surface of the water and sailed into the air, effortlessly flying past the Quinjet platform and landing on the ground in a three-point landing.

Tapping the dial once more, Ripjaws transformed back into Ben in a flash of green light.

The Teen Hero stretched his back and raised his arms over his head as he looked around the hanger. The two Quinjet's were parked on either side of him. Shining like new after being rebuilt again.

Ben's footsteps echoed on the metal plates as he walked towards the hanger door. He had only just stepped through into the hallway when he heard a rapid clicking sound coming from the far end.

The clicking grew louder as something approached him. The Emerald Avenger grinned as he readied himself.

From around the corner, a blue blur rushed towards him, tackling him to the ground and knocking him on his back.

Ben chuckled as he was assaulted by licks from a blue dog-like dinosaur creature.

"Ok, Zed. Ok, down, girl." Ben giggled as Zed's tongue continued to dance across his face.

He managed to pivot his head away from her before she could reach his mouth. Finally, calming down enough for him to push her off. Ben managed to get into a sitting position as he petted her head with both hands and gave her a good scratch behind her horn-like ears.

The Alien Dog purred as her tail wagged, and she leaned into his touch.

Ben smiled at her. It was nice to be greeted this way. He couldn't help but think back to his old dog he had when he was a kid. The difference a pet can make.

His hand moved down her neck before coming into contact with her collar. Ben looked at the device. Specifically the silver and red dial on the front.

The Nematrix. An alien device just like his Ultimatrix. It turns Zed into the predators of Ben's aliens. Making her the ultimate hunter.

Thankfully, that's no longer the case, and she has fully embraced Ben as her new master.

It has been difficult at the start. Zed had to remain inside the mansion and could only play outside when Ben took her to a national park away from the city.

There was no way he could take her for a simple walk to Central Park. The sight of an alien dog with him would draw some very unwanted attention.

Ben tried to see if he could set the Nematrix to turn her into an Earth animal to blend in. But the device would only accept predator species. So domestic animals like house cats and dogs were out of the question.

Though, there was another idea Ben had, but has yet to implement it.

But it's not like Zed has been bored at the mansion. She's had plenty of company to keep her entertained.

As Ben stood up, a terminal next to him started sparking. The Teen Hero turned to the wall as it sparked once more before a black liquid leaked out from it. The black liquid then formed together before launching itself at Ben. Spatting against his face before solidifying and reaping around him as it took the shape of the adorable little Mechomorph Ship.

"Ship, Ship!" the little blob chirped at him as he nuzzled against Ben's cheek.

"Hey, Buddy." Ben giggled as he petted Ship's smooth head.

The little alien has been having a field day living at the mansion. All this new tech for him to merge with was driving Tony nuts, especially when he got into his equipment.

"Ship, ship, ship." The blob told him as he bounced up and down on his shoulder.

"Really, a new one?" Ben asked. Ship answered excitedly. "Alright, let's see it."

Ship chirped once more before hopping off Ben's shoulder and bouncing a few feet in front of him.

The little alien blob suddenly started to grow. Getting larger as his liquid metal body shifted and contorted. A few seconds later, Ship transformed into a fully functioning motorcycle.

It had the same markings as Ship. The engine revved as the Ship pulled up and did a wheely from a stationary position.

Ben put his hands on his hips and smirked at the alien blob. "Finally made your way to the garage, huh? " he commented as he recognised the chopper.

It was Cap's motorcycle that Ship was copying.

Ship, being a Mechomorph, has the ability to transform into every piece of technology he's ever merged with, down to the last detail. This means he can transform into vehicles, weapons, technical devices. You name it, he can replicate it.

Unlike Ben when he turns into… The same species. He can't turn into anything he previously merged with. Due to his human mind being unable to retain the genetic memory of his alien forms. The Ultimatrix ensures that the brain chemistry of his alien forms isn't carried over to his human form.

Otherwise, Ben's human brain would be overloaded with all the knowledge that his different aliens possess.

Ben walked over to Ship and patted the living motorcycle, which hummed in response.

"Glad you've been having fun." He said.

"He's not the only one." A friendly voice called out.

Looking up, Ben smiled as Wasp flew over to him. The Fashionista grew to her standard form and wrapped Ben in a hug.

"Had a feeling you were here Ben when these two suddenly took off," Janet said in a cheerful tone.

Ben chuckled as they broke the hug, and Janet gave Zed and Ship a pat. "Yeah, sorry I didn't call. Was a little lost in my thoughts."

"Everything go ok with Doctor Samson?" Janet asked. Her expression showing concern.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Things have been going really well."

She grinned. "That's great, Ben. I'm so happy Doc Samson is helping you."

"Yeah," Ben repeated. As she started to walk down the hall, Ben thought about what Samson recommended. Now's probably as good a time as any. He would like to get everyone's opinion. But talking with Janet first might give him the confidence he needs to speak to the rest. At least she can provide some support if he starts tripping over his words.

"Um, actually Janet…" Ben started to say before Wasp spun around.

"Oh, before I forget. Tony and Panther called everyone together. Apparently, he's got some big news to share. Come on!" She said, shrinking down and grabbing Ben's sleeve to drag him along.

She pulled with such force that Ben almost fell over as she dragged him. As small as she is, she still has enough strength to carry a full-grown person while flying at her size.

So much for that idea. At least this gets everyone together. He can talk to them after Iron Man is done with his thing.

The pair made their way to the Assembly Hall. Suddenly, JARVIS spoke up from one of the terminals.

"Pardon me, Miss Van Dyne." The AI said, halting Wasp and causing her to release her grip on Ben.

"Yeah?" She asked the computer with a raised eyebrow.

"You have a visitor at the front door," JARIVS reported.

"Really? Who is it?" She asked, curious. While it isn't strange for her to have a guest. She can't recall scheduling anything at this time. She had already taken care of most of her business meetings today. So, who would be here to see her?

"I'm afraid I cannot say," JARVIS replied. This earned a confused look between the Alien Shapeshifter and Size Changing Heroine.

Why would JARIVS not want to reveal the identity of the guest?

"Why not?" She asked.

"The guest wishes to remain anonymous until you meet."

That sent up some red flags in Ben's mind. On the other hand, Janet seemed intrigued by the identity of this unknown guest.

"Alright, I'll go meet him." She said enthusiastically.

"I'll go with you," Ben said. The idea of Janet meeting some unknown guy didn't sit well with him.

"It's fine, Ben," Wasp assured him. "Go meet the others. I'll be there shortly."

"But…" The Young Avenger protested. Worry in his voice.

Janet fluttered over to him as she kissed him on the forehead.

"It's sweet that you're concerned, Ben. But I can handle this if things go south." She said. Though, his concern did not fade. "Besides, Ship will be watching my back."

The little blob chirped and bounced up and down with excitement.

Ben relaxed a little. Having Ship watch her back certainly put his mind at ease.

"Ok, Jan, I'll see you later." He said.

Wasp grinned as she fluttered down the hall, Ship closely following.

Once they were out of sight, Ben made his way to the Assembly Hall.

Wasp flew out of the Elevator and made her way to the front door. Ship bounced behind her in the adorable way he did.

She smiled at the little alien. Ever since he and Zed arrived, she had seen a whole new light enter Ben. Having something from his old world really helped improve his mental state. Not to mention, having a couple of pets in the mansion really helped make this place feel like a home.

As she approached the front door, she returned to her human size. Reaching up, she grabbed the door handle.

Ship moved close to her leg. His little body on alert in case he needs to act.

So cute.

"Now, let's see who our surprise guest is." She said as she opened the door.

Upon seeing the guest's face, her eyes widened, and her breath hitched.

His hair was a bit unkempt, and he could use a shave. But looking into his hazel-coloured eyes, she couldn't stop her heart from fluttering.

"Hey, Jan." He said as he ran his fingers through his messy hair. While also shifting in his red suit.

"Hank." Janet gasped.

Meanwhile, in the Assembly Hall, all active members aside from Wasp had gathered inside.

Tony and T'Challa stood near the table while the rest stood to one side. Thor seemed eager to hear what they had to say. Hulk had his usual scowl as he crossed his arms. Hawkeye casually fiddled with his bow. Captain America tossed and caught an apple in his hand. Ben, who had just arrived, stood with the group with a curious look while Zed sat on the floor next to him.

The Alien Dog's eyes drifted to Hawkeye's bow, and her tail started wagging. The Archer caught her eyeing it and frowned, pivoting the weapon away in a defensive manner. He wasn't about to let her use it as a chew toy again.

With everyone gathered, Iron Man started the meeting.

"Gentlemen, prepare to be amazed." He said flamboyantly.

"Okay." Captain America responded, tossing his apple again.

"Well, this is for Thor, mostly. No offence, Cap." Tony clarified.

"None taken." The Super Soldier responded casually, taking a bite of his apple.

"Wait. If this is for Thor's benefit, why are we here?" Ben asked.

"Obviously, 'cause the brainiacs want to show off how smart they are to everyone," Clint remarked in a snarky tone.

He smirked as he turned to Hulk, about to suggest he bring out Banner to complete the nerd trifecta. Only to meet the Gamma Bruiser's glare, and he immediately shut his mouth.

The tension between the Archer and Strongest Avenger since Hawkeye manipulated Hulk to become an unstoppable rage monster to battle the Phoenix. Since then, the Green Goliath hasn't spoken a word to the Archer other than grunts or glares.

It wasn't easy seeing two friends fight. Ben just hoped that they'd eventually find a way to clear the air.

Sensing the Awkward tension, Thor spoke up to bring everyone's attention back to why they were really there.

"You were saying, Iron Man?"

Tony shook his head. "Right."

The Armored Avenger pressed a few keys on the table and brought up a holographic image.

"As you know, T'Challa and I have been working on a way to get you back into Asgard. We think we've got it."

The table lit up and displayed the image of a round mechanical device with extensions at four corners, giving it a square-like appearance. With a circular core at the centre. It was a foot long in width and length.

"Ta-da!" Iron Man announced in a prideful manner.

Thor raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I do not understand how this machine can Pierce the veil between Midgard and the other realms."

To answer his question, Tony returned to the table and typed on the keyboard.

As the image changed, he explained, "What we need is a weak spot, somewhere the two planes overlap. "

The hologram displayed Tony and T'Challa's device alongside two parallel lines with an indent in the middle. After another click on the keyboard, the lines were arranged so that the indents overlapped, with the device positioned in the centre.

"In that spot, we can use the door to create a wormhole. You enter here, and you come out in Asgard."

To emphasise this point, the hologram showed an apple moving across the screen from one side of the device to the other, signifying the travel between dimensions.

Captain America briefly paused while he chewed his apple. While he wasn't a scientist like Tony. What he was saying sounded very familiar to him.

Thor, meanwhile, had a smile on his face. For the first time since his banishment from Asgard, he had hope that he may finally get to go home.

"Truly, my friends, I'm impressed." He complimented.

Tony had to bite the inside of his cheek in an attempt to keep himself from gloating. Thor, who has made his disdain for technology, not only begged him for help but now all but admitted that his tech is better than the Asgardian magic.

While his mouth was silent. His smug grin would not be contained. The moment he gets Thor back home. He's gonna rub this in the Norse God's face for the rest of his life.

"Not to rain on your parade, Tony." Captain America suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.

"But I saw a similar machine do that same kind of thing back in my day. It worked, too." The Super Soldier stated.

Tony's jaw dropped. Here he is, standing on his greatest achievement this year, only for his thunder to be stolen by a guy who couldn't figure out the difference between a TV remote and an AC controller.

A camera flash drew his eye as the Billionaire turned to see Ben, phone in hand, having just taken a picture of his stunned face. Grinning like the devil as he lowered the phone.

Tony glared at the Young Avenger. No doubt he was gonna save that picture to use at his expense.

Shaking his head, he turned back to Cap. "Where?"

Wasp was over the moon. She could hardly contain her excitement. The moment she saw Hank standing at the front door. She almost tackled him off the porch with how happy she was.

Hank is back!

She could hardly believe it. After weeks of hearing nothing from the Size Changing Hero. Finally, Hanks come back to her.

She wasted no time telling Hank all about what's been happening. Recounting the events from the Phoenix Force and the X-Men. Meeting Ben's Grandmother and the Plumbers. All while, Ship happily jumped around the pair.

Hank was caught off guard by the appearance of the small alien. But he quickly got over it as Janet continued to talk away. They were walking down the halls of the mansion, going past the many rooms towards his room.

"And get this," Janet said as she was wrapping things up. "Remember that Senator Kelly guy? Turns out he was kidnapped by Magneto and held prisoner on Genoshia the whole time."

The pair reached his door and opened it. The pair stepped inside as Janet walked over and sat on the bed.

"You'd think, after something like that. He'd be even more ticked about Mutants than he was before. But, no. Turns out, Kelly was super cool about it. Like, he knew that not all the mutants were on Magneto's side with the plan, and he actually thanked the X-Men and the Mutants that helped free him."

She kicked her legs on the side of the bed as Hank walked around her.

"I hear he's seriously planning to run for the Presidency. Can you believe it? A guy like Kelly, who's supporting mutants in the White House? I can't wait to see Magneto's face when that happens. That'll show him. Thinking humans and mutants can't get along. Isn't that funny?"

She grinned up at Hank, which he returned warmly.

"Oh, Hank. You've gotta let me introduce you to the X-Men. There's this one guy, Beast. Hank, you'll love him; he's a scientist like you, and he also doesn't like fighting. Which is great. You two can be like Science Bros and hang out in the lab."

"I am familiar with Dr McCoy and his work," Hank said in a quiet tone.

"Oh," Janet said, taken aback, only to brush it off and put her smile back on. "Well, that means that you will have plenty to talk about now that you're back."

Hank stopped as he looked down at her with a crestfallen expression. Something Janet noticed immediately, even though she tried to ignore it. It was a feeling deep down that she fought so hard to deny.

"Janet…" Hank started to say, and her chest tightened. "I'm not coming back. I only came back because of what happened. I wanted to make sure that you're ok."

While that part did make her heart race. Janet's cheerful demeanour dropped. Ever since Ultron, Hank had dropped off the radar.

She knew that he needed time to come to terms with it. But that didn't stop her from worrying. Last she heard from Hank after he left, he had gone to his lab in San Francisco.

When he showed up, she was sure he had finally worked through everything and was ready to come back to h… to the team.

"Hank, when I was fighting that thing the entire time, I wished you were there. Please, come back." She practically begged him.

Hank felt her hands tighten on his. But he bowed his head and pulled it away. "I'm sorry, Jan."

But Wasp wasn't done trying. "It wasn't your fault, Hank. You couldn't have known what would happen with Ultron."

The Scientist clenched his fists as he turned away from her. "You don't understand, Jan. I should have. After all, my mind was the basis for Ultron's."

Pain emanated from his tone. She could see it in his eyes and his appearance. From how messy his suit looked. He wasn't taking care of it. It reminded her too much of Ben and how he looked when he first came to their world. She hated seeing him like that.

"This is not your fault. You are not Ultron." She said, cupping his cheek in her hand. "You stopped him, and everything worked out. We're going to be okay, Hank."

She looked into his eyes. "Please, stay."

Hank and Janet silently gazed into each other's eyes. Emotions poured from them as she leaned in close, inching towards his face, and her eyes started to close.

Only for Hank to turn his head and place his hands on her shoulders, halting her advance.

"Jan, the whole time I've been with the Avengers, I've been betraying everything I believe in. I embraced violence and then created something worse. I created a robot that almost ended all life on Earth. That's about as far from okay as I can imagine," he said, bitterness filling his words as he gently pushed her away.

Janet bowed her head in embarrassment for what she tried to do. Her chest tightened with each word he said. Afraid that he would blame her for dragging him into this life. Not that she blamed him. She was the one who insisted that they use their powers for more than just his science experiments. But she could never have seen any of this coming.

She heard Hank walk past her before stopping at the door.

"It was good to see you again, Jan. I'm glad you're safe." He said.

She didn't turn around. The sound of his Pym Particle belt activating was heard, followed by the buzzing of ant wings, and he was gone.

Leaving her alone and fighting back tears. Why? Why couldn't she stop him from leaving? Why can't he see how much she needs him?

She felt something rub against her leg, and she looked down to see Ship nuzzling her.

"Ship." The little alien said in an attempt to comfort her.

She smiled down at him. He really is such a sweetheart.

Suddenly, her comms activated on her ID card.
"Wasp, we need you in the Assembly Room. You're gonna want to hear this." Iron Man said.

Janet quickly cleared her throat and wiped away her tears. "I'm on my way." She answered.

Time to put on a brave face.

When Wasp and Ship joined the others. They sat around the meeting table with Captain America standing.

With everyone assembled, the Super Soldier began.

"The day that I was frozen in ice. The Howling Commandos, Bucky and I had infiltrated a Hydra base in Norway. Rumour was that the red skull had some kind of doomsday weapon there. But what we found was beyond anything we'd ever seen." Cap explained.

"The Skull had a machine similar to yours and he was pulling monsters through it into our world."

Captain America went on to describe the various creatures he saw. Creatures from myths and legends that most people would have heard about in fairy tales or cartoons.

Ben listened with interest. He'd only heard about the Red Skull from Cap. Apparently, he was the leader of Hydra during the war and Cap's arch-enemy. Looking at a picture of him, Ben could see that the guy's choice of codename was pretty literal. His face was an actual red skull with shrunken eyes and no nose. Apparently, it was due to some horrible disfigurement.

Either way, it certainly upped this villain's creep factor.

Back to the meeting. Cap continued to explain the Red Skull's experiments.

"He was enslaving them, putting collars on the creatures. He was creating an army to take over the world. And if Bucky and I hadn't stopped him…" He trailed off as the memories of his former partner came rushing back.

The others could see it in his eyes. After all, the same day that Cap was frozen in the ice. Was also the same day where he watched his partner and best friend die right in front of him.

"But you did, Captain." Thor spoke up, drawing his attention. "And from your tale, it would seem that this Red Skull did indeed open a portal to the Asgardian realms. The creatures you describe. They are familiar to me."

Iron Man then started typing on the keyboard. "Hang on, I've got satellite images coming in on the Hydra base." He said as he punched in the coordinates that Cap provided.

One upside of Captain America's stories is that he spared no detail. No matter how minor. Usually, it's what causes many of his stories to be so long and boring.

But in this case, it was essential. As Tony pulled up a satellite image of the location.

"JARVIS, trace the energy coming from that location." T'Challa ordered, his eyes narrowing at the hologram.

A filter was placed over the area, and the Avengers saw what appeared to be glowing yellow lines spreading out from the Castle's location.

Zooming out, the lines looked like the outline of a border on a map. With three yellow lines all connecting at the castle's location.

Iron Man's eyes widened with excitement. "This spot. This is what I was talking about. This is a point where two planes are overlapping like a dimensional fault line."

After he punched in a few keys, the image zoomed out even further, showing the entire Earth.

Ben looked in awe as the holographic image displayed the dimensional fault lines of the entire planet. The Yellow lines spread out all over the globe and are interconnected at several points across the surface.

From his count. He could see eight spots where the fault lines crossed over, including the one in Norway. One in Russia, one in Alaska, one in Australia, one in the States, one in Brazil, one in Chile, and the last one in Europe.

"Fancy," Janet said, equally impressed by what she saw. The glum aura she projected earlier had evaporated entirely.

"So, what are we looking at?" Hawkeye asked.

"Ley lines." The Wakandan King answered. "Veins of magic that run through our world, connecting it to others. Or, as Iron Man would say, paths of other-dimensional energy that reveal weak spots between the dimensions."

Iron Man shot the Black Panther a glare. The Wakandan never wasted an opportunity to take potshots at him or his tech. While he didn't make eye contact, T'Challa had a slight smirk as he continued.

"In this case, there are eight, not counting Earth."

"One for each realm." Thor realised, connecting the dots. "It is said the Nine Realms are interconnected by Yggdrasil, the tree of life."

"Big tree." Hulk commented.

Iron Man rolled his eyes. Again, with the magic mumbo jumbo. "Call it whatever you want. This is how we're gonna get you home."

As Ben looked, he couldn't help but wonder. Could this be how he ended up in this world? Sure, these Lay Lines showed all the spots that connected Earth to Thor's mystical home. But were there more? Could there be ones that link this world to his?

He was about to ask Tony about it when an alarm suddenly went off, and the Holographic globe started flashing red warning lights. Coincidently, they were at each of the Lay Lines.

"Alert, dimensional energy flares in progress." JARVIS announced.

"Something's affecting the energy at each of the locations." Iron Man elaborated.

"No way, that's a coincidence," Ben stated. The others agreed. They were just talking about these dimensional fault lines, and suddenly, they started flaring up.

Something is going on at those sites.

Thor narrowed his eyes and immediately started marching to the door.

"Thor, wait." Captain America ordered.

"Nay. If the threat we face is Asgardian, I will not allow it to put Midgard in jeopardy again, " the Asgardian said. While he currently desires to return home, if evil forces from his world threaten this one, he will not hesitate to defend the Earth from them.

Iron Man smirked. "Well, we Mortals certainly appreciate that. But you're on a team, remember? Eight locations, eight Avengers. Whatever's going on, we'll deal with it together."

The team stood together. All with looks of confidence and determination on their faces.

Thor couldn't help but smile. Truly, he was fortunate to have met these mortals. Whose spirits rival those of the finest warriors of Asgard.

As they started to devise a plan of attack, Wasp's eyes drifted to the open doorway. There, she saw the shadow of someone wearing a helmet that looked like an ant's head. The shadow shifted out of sight, and her expression dropped.

Quickly, she shook her head. This wasn't the time to worry about that. Worlds in trouble, and she needed to focus.

With that, the Avengers quickly divided themselves among the eight locations. Once everything was decided, they started heading towards either the hanger or upper levels.

Cap walked by Ben and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, Son."

Ben smiled. "Thanks, Cap."

The Super Soldier returned the grin, only for Zed to start growling at him.

Ben sighed and shook his head. For some reason, Zed didn't seem to like the Super Soldier. He couldn't figure out why. He thought she'd love Cap. He's got a giant frisbee on his arm; he should be her favourite.

But every time the Super Soldier approached her, she would growl, bark, or move away from him. It's possible she didn't like his scent or something else.

Hopefully, one day, she'll be able to accept Captain America and all his Star-Spangled charm.

But today wasn't that day.

Zed barked at Cap, forcing him to back away and remove his hand from Ben. The alien dog immediately moved between them, standing protectively in front of Ben.

"Hey, Zed. Down, girl. It's Cap. He's friendly," Ben tried to placate the alien dog, but to no avail. "Sorry, Cap."

The Super Soldier shook his head. "No, it's fine. It seems I will need to work to earn her trust. But it's good to see how loyal she is."

With one last smile, Cap left the room, heading towards the hangar. Ben and Zed soon followed.

As they headed out. Hawkeye walked beside Hulk with a cocky grin.

"Hey, Big Green. Bet I solve the problem at my spot before you do." He challenged with complete confidence.

Hulk said nothing as he continued to march, completely ignoring the Archer.

Hawkeye slowed down for a second before rushing to catch up and try again. "Ok, how about I make this interesting? Winner gets the loser to do any one thing they want. No takes backs, and he has to do it."

That has to work. Hulk would never pass up an opportunity like this. Especially if it means the possibility of humiliating him. That should make them square.

Hulk grunted and still refused to acknowledge him.

Hawkeye stopped and watched him go in disbelief. He couldn't believe how hard Hulk was holding onto this. Sure, he made him lose control. But that was to help save the world. Can he not see that? Plus, Hulk was saying earlier that he wanted to fight the Flaming bird. So, if anything, he should be thanking Hawkeye for giving him a fighting chance.

Clenching his fists so tightly they started shaking, Hawkeye glared at the Gamma Brute with frustration.

"Oh, come on, Jade Jaws!" He yelled down the hall. "How many times do I have to apologise before you let this go?"

Hulk stopped in his tracks. For the first time since the battle with the Phoenix Force. He finally acknowledged the Archer's words.

Hawkeye blinked in surprise.

The Gamma Giant turned his head to look at him out of the corner of his eye. The tranquil rage emanating from those eyes sent chills up his spine.

"Once would have been nice." Hulk growled.

"Huh?" Hawkeye responded, confused.

Hulk turned a little more, allowing the Archer to see both eyes. Doubling the intensity.

"What are you talking about?" Hawkeye questioned, still confused. "I said I was sorry."

"No. You didn't." Hulk growled.

The Pressure in that hallway increased as Hawkeye took a tentative step back.

The Gamma Giant narrowed his eyes. "You asked if we were good… But you never once said that you were sorry."

The Archer was stunned. No way. He definitely said it. He had to. Thinking back, Clint recalled all his encounters with the Hulk after the fight. He remembers acting casual with the Green Brute. Engaging in their usual banter after every mission.

Sure, Hulk made it clear he was sore about what he did. But that sort of thing should be water under the bridge for them. He recalled asking if they were good, and Hulk responded with his usual grunt.

The more he thought, the more he realised. He tried to act as if nothing happened. That what he did to the Hulk was no big deal. Par for the course. Attempted to move on like it was a regular thing for them. He did everything he could think of to go back to the way things were. Save for one…

He never apologised.

"Hulk, I…" Hawkeye started to say.

"Save it." Hulk snapped, shutting him up. "I get it now. This is just how you are."

The Green Goliath turned away. "So long as you win. Doesn't matter who you hurt. Even your friends. After all, Red Lady did it to you, and you forgave her. Shoulda guessed you'd do the same thing."

With that. He stomped around the corner. Leaving Hawkeye to reflect on those words.

The Archer bowed his head in shame. He was right. All this time with the Avengers, and deep down, part of him is still a SHIELD agent.

He remembered how he felt when Widow betrayed him for her mission. He acknowledged that it was a smart play in the long run. But that didn't change how he felt. Being locked up like a criminal, his friends turning their backs on him, being used as a pawn in a much larger game.

He hated being treated like that. Yet, when it all came down to it, he did the exact same thing. Using Hulk as a pawn for the greater good.

At that moment, the Purple Archer made a vow. When this is all over, he will make things right.

His resolve now set, Hawkeye secured his bow and quiver and marched forward.

With their assigned missions, the Avengers moved out. Wasp and Cap loaded up in the Quinjets and took off to their respective locations.

Black Panther loaded up in the Jet-Stream Cruiser, a small one-man aerial vehicle shaped like an arrow. It had a single cockpit that required the pilot to lie down to fly it, featuring an open tinted window to cover the pilot and one repulsor tech jet, all sporting the Quinjet colours of red and silver.

Hawkeye left, using his Sky Cycle.

Hulk, Thor and Iron Man didn't need vehicles as they could fly, or in Hulk's case jump, to their destinations.

Leaving Ben and his means. Usually, Ben would simply turn into Jetray or XLR8 and rush to his destination. However, doing so uses the watch's power, and if things turn bad, he prefers to have a full charge.

With all the other vehicles in use, it would seem he didn't have a choice. Fortunately for him, he did have an option.

"Ok, Ship. Time to fly." Ben ordered.

"Ship, Ship!" The alien blob said excitedly as it jumped into the air and transformed.

Turning into a large, box-shaped spacecraft, it features long wings ending in square-shaped stabilisers that are the same height as the craft's body. Multiple weapons of various shapes and sizes are located along the base of the wings and under the cockpit. Enough of an arsenal to blow a city off the map.

Ship took this form when the Forever Knights, villains from his old world, kidnap him and try to use him as a weapon in their war against alien life.

However, that plan failed, and now the ship has a handy battle mode and means of transport for Ben.

Something he is quite thankful for. With the ship around, Ben can travel much more efficiently without wasting the Ultimatrix's power supply.

The ship lands in front of him and lowers the ramp. Just as the teen is about to step on, he feels a tug on his leg.

Looking down, he sees Zed frantically pulling at his pant leg with her teeth, whimpering as she does.

"Aww, Zed," Ben says in a sympathetic tone as he kneels down to pet the alien dog.

He initially intended to leave her at the mansion while he went on the mission. But as he thinks about it, no one else would be home, and it's hardly fair to leave her behind and take Ship with him. Especially since with Nemitrix, she can handle herself in a fight.

"Alright, come on." He said, gesturing for her to follow.

Zed barked in joy as she bounded up the ramp inside Ship, with Ben quickly following.

Once inside, Ben took his seat in the pilot chair and Zed jumped up in the co-pilot seat.

The ship immediately adjusted the chair so that it was comfortable for Zed, and Ben took the controls. The engines hummed to life, and the alien spacecraft rocketed into the upper atmosphere.

As everyone left in their respective vehicles, Iron Man opened up comms with all of them.

"Stay in radio contact. If you find anything, call it in." He ordered. "Avengers, assem… well, actually, avengers, dissemble."

With that, he activated his thrusters and blasted into the sky.

As Iron Man cut off the transmission, Ben couldn't help but feel uneasy. Hearing Iron Man say it really cemented the fact that the team was really separated. Spread out across different parts of the world. So far from each other.

If any of them get into trouble, it'll be hard for him to get there to back them up.

The Teen immediately shook his head. No, this is good. Splitting up like this is a good way for Ben to show his trust in his teammates. They can handle themselves. He just needs to have a bit of faith.

The Enchantress stood motionless with her eyes closed as if she were in some kind of trance.

Suddenly, she sharply inhaled, and a grin curled her rosy lips. Her eyes opened with a sultry sideways glance.

"They are coming," she reported. "You can finally earn your reward, Zemo. For if you and your team succeed today, Midgard will be yours, as promised."

The Masked Demon moved next to her, eyes fixed ahead as he gazed at the Norn Stone floating before them.

Everything was coming together—the entire reason they formed this team. Months of planning and observing, all for this very moment.

The Asgardian Sorceress has delivered everything she promised and more. Not only will this signify the end of the Avengers, but it will soon mark the dawn of a new age, with him as the ruler.

"You need not worry, Enchantress. I know their strengths and weaknesses now. I know the Avengers better than they know themselves," Baron Zemo reassured her, confidence knowing no bounds.

Wasp groaned as she set the Quinjet down at her location. Despite her best efforts, she drew the short straw and ended up with the Alaska destination. She wouldn't have minded as much if the area was a bit further south.

But, nope. She got the spot smack dab in the middle of Glacier territory. Miles of frozen wasteland stretched as far as the eye could see.

The terrain was so uneven that it took the Quinjet a while to find a safe landing spot.

That being said, there is one upside to her being here: she gets to show off her new winter gear.

For the occasion, Wasp designed a new winter coat that wasn't too puffy and incorporated the best thermal lining she could get her hands on. This wasn't too hard for her; she's been in the fashion industry long enough to know all the trade secrets for sourcing the fabrics you need.

In keeping with the theme, she made the collar puffy, similar to the fuzz around the neck of a Hornet. While she usually designs her costume inspired by Potter Wasps, Janet felt a new design would keep things fresh.

Certainly better than letting it gather dust with the rest of her costumes. So many different styles and designs she created and Tony says she can't wear any other than the suit she wore when the Avengers formed.

She understands branding and marketing values, but come on. Wearing the same outfit for more than a week is so tacky.

At least now she has a reason to switch it up. Primarily black, she has a thermal layer underneath, with a soft insulated layer in the middle, and finally a waterproof outer layer to ensure that even a high-flying hero like herself can stay warm and stylish without looking like a marshmallow.

Flying out of the Quinjet, Wasp made her way down an icy crevasse. It was quite a drop and certainly not a place you could navigate without serious climbing gear or superpowers.

Eventually, she reached a cavern at the bottom. A strange glow illuminated the area. Tracking the light source, she discovered what looked like a peculiar stone. It was egg-shaped and slightly bigger than her, a few centimetres at most. With a symbol carved into it.

Activating her comms, Wasp flew closer to the stone.

"Guys, I think I've got something. Some kind of glowy, magic-looking rock. Hang on." She said as she fluttered closer to it.

The glow felt warm. Likely radiates some kind of magic. She reached out her hand to touch it.

Suddenly, something dropped down from the roof and landed next to her. The impact kicked up snow and knocked the Tiny Heroine back.

Wasp managed to catch herself in the air as she looked back at the spot, her eyes wide with fear as the snow cloud settled and she identified who it was.

Emerging from the mist stood the hulking form of the Abomination, his green scales reflecting the light off the stone, and his massive frame easily dwarfing hers.

"If you've got any last words for your friends, now's the time," the Gamma Monster snarled at her.

Fear gripped her heart as the Abomination loomed over her.

"Anyone want to switch spots?" she squeaked out.

Iron Man arrived at his location. Kings Canyon, Northern Territory, Australia. The energy signature he was tracking led him down into a deep cave system near the bottom of one of the canyon walls.

Flying down, he eventually located the source of the energy signature. Just as Janet described. A glowing magic rock. The Mineral composition, he couldn't make heads or tails of. His scanners couldn't get a reading on anything other than this thing was radiating some serious power. Made the energy source in his heart look like a triple-A battery.

Suddenly, her comms went out, and Iron Man grew concerned.

"Jan repeat. What's happening?" Iron Man ordered.

At first, all he got was static. The ID comms were receiving some kind of interference. So Iron Man switched to his armour communicators and boosted the signal.

Suddenly, her voice came through loud and clear.

"It's a trap! Abomination is here!" The sound of fighting and her screams echoed before the transmission was cut off.

Panic filled Iron Man's body. "Wasp, get out of there! Wasp!"

No answer. He had no clue whether she heard him or not. The fact that he had to boost his signal to receive her meant that the others hadn't received her transmission, meaning he was the only one aware of her situation.

"Magical energy source located. Warning, pulse in progress," JARVIS reported.

Iron Man looked to the stone. If Abomination is at one of the sites, then the other Masters of Evil are likely involved in this, and these stones are part of their plan.

Well, not on his watch. If he could just grab this stone, he could blast out of here and get to Wasp before Abomination could hurt her. He knew the Masters' roster and had upgraded his armor since their last encounter. He was more than prepared for anything they…

The moment he reached for the stone, something blasted into his armor at astonishing speed, sending him flying as he cried out in pain.

Iron Man was hurled across the cave and smashed against the wall, falling down in a heap.

Getting to his feet, Iron Man saw a streak of light shoot across the cavern at such high speeds that his armor could hardly register it.

Suddenly, it came to a stop, allowing the Armored Avenger to see his attacker.

His eyes narrowed as he recognized the culprit.

"Laser!" He shouted.

"That's Living Laser, Iron Man." The energy Villain corrected. "Living, as in something you're not going to be in about five seconds."

Iron Man glared at the villain. Living Laser, aka Arthur Parks. A scientist who worked with laser technology. Until he grew greedy and decided to use his laser technology to become a criminal. An accident after his first battle against Iron Man caused his entire body to be turned into photons. As a result, he has to use that suit to remain solid. In typical villain fashion, he blamed Iron Man for his current state and vowed revenge on him ever since.

"You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this." Living Laser stated as his body glowed with yellow energy and he shot towards Iron Man.

Meanwhile, Wasp narrowly avoided Abomination's massive fist. The Gamma Monster punched the side of the cavern, cracking the solid ice wall and causing a minor tremor.

Despite his impressive strength, his body wasn't built for agility or dexterity. As a result, Wasp easily danced around his strikes as he tried to swat her like a fly at a picnic.

This allowed Wasp to overcome her initial shock and regain her usual vigour. She berated herself for being frightened by him, considering her last major fight had involved facing a cosmic entity from outer space.

A big, lumbering, muscle-brained doofus like Abomination is nothing compared to that.

"I don't know if you heard him, but Iron Man recommended you run." She threatened, raising her fists with stinger energy radiating from them.

Abomination responded by attempted to swat her in between his hands. Only for Wasp to immediately dodge around his bulky paws and zap him with her stingers.

Wasp was no fool. She knew that the hide of this Gamma Brute was too thick for her little blasts to do anything substantial. But, through her training and experience, she knows that even the toughest armor, has a soft spot.

Flying around his arms, the Winsome Avenger flew right next to the villain's right ear and blasted a powerful stinger blast into the ear canal.

Abomination grunted in pain as he clutched his ear, allowing Wasp to fly around and blast him right in the eye.

The Gamma Villain roared in annoyance as he flailed his arms around to try and hit the tiny heroine. But Wasp easily avoided every strike.

"You're done, do you hear me? There's no escape for you!" Abomination roared as he continued his rampage.

She smirked. Her opponent was frustrated and off balance, the perfect state as she dived to the ground, building speed, and shot towards his right leg, aiming for the joint behind the knee. Wasp charged and flew as fast as she could before spinning in the air and landing a flying kick right in the soft tissue.

While Wasp is not a scientist, she's hung around with them enough and is a well-educated woman in her own right. She understands the rules of the Square-Cube Law and the Theory of Relativity.

So, a woman of her size and weight, shrunken down to the size of a wasp and moving at accelerated speeds, would be able to hit with enough force to buckle the knee of an unsuspecting Gamma Mutant, knocking him off balance as she shoots for his head, grabs his left earlobe, and yanks him to the ground.

Abomination looked up at the ceiling, stunned. He had just been knocked over by someone many consider the weakest member of the Avengers. This cannot be happening.

Wasp fluttered over his face, looking down at him with a smug expression.

"Wow. That's embarrassing. Big Ol' Abomination got knocked down by little old me. I doubt anyone will take you seriously when they hear about this."

Abomination gritted his fangs and roared like a wild animal, launching himself to his feet. The Gamma Monster raised his arms and clapped his hands together, generating a powerful seismic clap that blasted Wasp away.

The Spiš Castle is situated at the peak of the hills in Slovakia. The castle ruins have stood for many generations and are one of the largest castles in the country, a historic site that has withstood the test of time.

Had he not come here for a specific purpose, Captain America would have spent hours admiring the history and architecture of this historic site.

But the Sentinel of Liberty had a mission to complete. As he walked through the stone structure, he eventually made his way into an open courtyard. At the centre stood a glowing stone.

He cautiously approached the mystical artifact, head on a swivel for any surprises.

Suddenly, his ears picked up the flick of a bowstring, and he swiftly dodged to the right. An arrow narrowly grazed his shoulder, cutting the fabric of his uniform.

The arrow struck the ground and detonated. Captain America dashed forward as more trick arrows rained down on him, cratering the courtyard as he avoided the explosive projectiles.

Cap soon found himself against the wall as another arrow came flying at him. Seeing the sculpture next to him, Captain America raised his shield and let the arrow strike him. The detonation rocked the ancient structure, but the Super Soldier stood firm.

While he knew that the grass and dirt of the courtyard could be replaced, the priceless historic artifacts that are part of this country's history and culture were irreplaceable.

So, if he could help it, he would not allow these items to be destroyed.

"Impressive." A voice called out from the other end of the courtyard.

Captain America lowered his shield to see Taskmaster standing atop the wall. A bow in his hand and his sword and shield strapped to his back.

"I expect nothing less from Captain America." The Mercenary called out.

Captain America narrowed his eyes. "Taskmaster. You're ability to copy skills is exaggerated. Hawkeye does not miss."

"If I wanted to hit you, I would have." Taskmaster retorted tossing the bow aside and drawing his sword and shield.

"What is Zemo planning?" The Sentinel of Liberty demanded.

Taskmaster chuckled. "As if I would tell you. All you should be worried about now it my blade going through your heart."

He launched himself at Captain America, sword raised as he brought it down in a wide arch.

The Super Soldier raised his shield and the two weapons collided.

Deep in the Amazon Rainforest, Hawkeye moved through the trees. His bow in hand and an arrow in his quiver.

He'd flown all the way to South America. But instead of heading to the party central of Rio de Janeiro, he's sweating his butt off in the stinking jungle. He liked the tropics, but only when it's by a beach with a cool drink in his hands. Not in a place where the bugs are as big as his head.

Next thing he knows, he finds a stupid rock and is now fighting some random villain. All things considered, it was a plus in his book. At least he gets to hit someone.

Only problem is. He has no clue who this guy is.

"Paste pot Pete?" Hawkeye asked as he ran across a tree branch before a stream of green liquid splashed on it. Melting it through like acid, causing it to snap and the Purple Archer had to leap off it and grab a nearby vine. Swinging like Tarzan to another tree as he took cover.

"No, wait, you're the Hypno-Hustler. Am I right?" Hawkeye guessed as he drew two arrows and fired them at his opponent.

The trick arrow flew through the air, only to be disintegrated by a pair of acid streams.

"How can you not remember who I am? You punched me in the face!" Chemistro yelled in frustration. Messing with the controls of his alchemy gun.

"That doesn't really narrow it down, pal." Hawkeye quipped as he readied his bow.

Chemistro narrowed his eyes as he aimed his alchemy gun at the Archer. "Maybe this will jog your memory!"

He pulled the trigger and fired a stream of liquid at the base of the tree Hawkeye was perched in.

Believing it was another stream of acid, Hawkeye attempted to jump to another perch. Only for his feet feeling sluggish. As if something was weighing his feet down.

Glancing down at his feet, Hawkeye's jaw dropped as he saw his feet sinking into the tree's bark. Looking around, he saw the rest of the tree was essentially melting. Branches drooped and elongated, and leaves stretched like ice cream in the hot sun.

From the looks of it, the normally solid tree was behaving just like…

"Tar," Chemistro announced in a cocky manner. "I chemically transmuted the tree's properties into tar. Remember me know, Hawkeye?"

Yeah, he did. Took him a while. But this finally clicked for the World's Greatest Marksman. Chemistro, genius chemist who invented a weapon capable of turning matter into any other kind of matter. Dude could turn water into gold. Or in this case, a tree into tar.

Now he was trapped, and he needed to think of a way out of this before his molecules got reorganised.

Mist flowed over the broken and toppled gravestones as Black Panther strolled through the site. The only light source, came from the radiating energy of the stone floating at the centre.

He had arrived in Chile a few minutes ago and his senses were on high alert.

This site had been built upon the Lay Lines of mystical energy between this world and the next. To build a gravesite upon such a place. He could not fault the people, for they knew not where they laid their dead to rest.

Not wishing to disturb the souls any more than they have. The Wakandan King elected to complete this task as quickly as possible. Or at least move the inevitable conflict to a different location.

No sooner had he stepped more than two meters from the rock a pair of missiles rained down on him.

The Black Panther swiftly dodged the projectiles as the detonated on the ground.

Panther perched atop one of the stones. Praying to Bast that the spirits will forgive him for this trespass.

Thrusters roared as Crimson Dynamo flew down from the sky. Landing between the Stone and the Cat-Themed Hero.

"I can only assume the other masters of evil have been dispatched to the remaining six locations." Black Panther theorised in a calm manner.

"Very clever, Wakandan." Dynamo responded as he stomped towards him menacingly.

The Wakandan King narrowed his eyes. Crimson Dynamo is a formidable foe. But he had more pressing matters on his mind.

"What interest does Zemo have in Asgard?" He asked, hoping to get some information out of the villain.

"It is of no concern to you. I did not come to exchange words with you, Avenger," the Russian villain responded.

Translation: He had no idea. Baron Zemo was keeping the others in the dark. But for what purpose?

"Whatever Zemo is planning, it seems that he is not utilising your abilities to the fullest," Black Panther said, standing up and walking toward the armored villain. "A man of your intellect is surely wasted engaging in such activities, such as interference."

Crimson Dynamo paused as if considering what the cat-themed hero was saying.

Black Panther continued to walk forward with his right arm outstretched in a beckoning gesture while his left hand was tucked behind his back.

"Come, let us discuss this like rational men," Panther offered, his left-hand opening and claws extending.

Executioner waited patiently next to his Norn Stone.

The Asgardian brute gripped the handle of his axe as it rested in the soft soil of the little island that was situated in the centre of a lake in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, West Virginia, USA.

The Executioner's eyes remained closed as he prepared for the coming battle.

The boom of an impact in the distance opened his eyes, and the sound of an incoming object fast approaching filled his ears.

The ground shook on the island's far end, kicking up a dust cloud as his opponent finally arrived.

Pulling his axe from the earth, Executioner turned to see the Hulk emerge from the dust cloud.

Hulk said nothing as he punched his fist into his hand, cracking his knuckles. In response Executioner grinned as he twirled his axe in his hands.

The two brutes wasted no time as they charged at each other. Green fists and magic axe raised to their zenith as they collided on the battlefield.

Ben looked out of the window over the beautiful landscape of Russia. He was flying over an area he couldn't pronounce. But, it read as Kamchatka Krai. Snow-covered fields stretched out far and wide as picture-perfect scenery.

Ahead of him was the solitary volcano, Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Again, a name he had no chance of pronouncing. But it was still a magnificent sight to behold.

Directing Ship, they flew towards the smoking peak.

Cutting through the ash cloud, Ben started to see the glow of the lava below.

As they grew closer, Ship started to shake wildly, and he suddenly shouted in protest.

"SHIP!" Pain emanated from his voice as Ben yanked back on the controls and gained some altitude.

"Aww, Sorry, buddy. I forgot you don't like the heat." Ben apologised as he patted the Alien Blob.

He scolded himself for forgetting. Metal and lava do not mix well. Especially for a creature made of living metal.

Circling around, Ben decided to have Ship land near the peak. As close to the crater as possible without the heat bothering him.

Ben and Zed disembarked as Ship turned back into his normal form.

The Alien Avenger kneeled and gave the little blob a pat.

"Thanks for the lift, little buddy. Zed and I will take it from here. Stay here and keep watch in case anything happens."

"Ship, ship." Ship protested. Clearly not wanting to be left behind.

"Sorry, Ship. But you can't take the heat. I promise we won't be long." He gave the little alien a warm smile. "I'll be right back."

Ship did his equivalent of pouting as he lowered his head, but he gave Ben one last nuzzle before letting Ben and Zed go.

The pair walked to the edge of the Volcanos crater.

Immediately, the Teen Hero started sweating like a pig. The heat was so intense that Ben automatically moved to remove his jacket.

Holding off, the Emerald Avenger activated the Ultimatrix, turned to the alien he needed, and slammed the dial down.

"Heatblast!"

He let out a sigh of relief as the discomfort from the heat vanished completely. The Alien's natural biology made temperatures like this easy to tolerate.

In fact, to Heatblast, the lava pools looked good enough to swim in. He had never considered such an activity before, but it's certainly something he would try one day.

But, it'll have to wait as he has a mission to complete.

Zed barked as her Nemitrix glowed. Red light emanated from her body as she morphed into the giant rock-like rhino beetle creature she had previously used to fight against the Hulk during their fight.

A creature known as Crabdozer is the Natural predator of Pyronites, Heatblast's race. These creatures naturally roam their home world, which is an actual star and can ride on solar flares.

So, plunging into an active volcano is nothing to her in this form.

Heatblast patted Crabdozer's rocky hide. "Stay sharp and wait for my signal, OK? " he ordered.

Crabdozer grunted in acknowledgement.

With that, Heatblast blasted fire from his hands and feet and flew down into the volcanic vent. Crabdozer used her powerful legs to dig into the side of the vent and climbed down the wall like a crab.

As he flew closer to the Magma, Heatblast saw several pillars of rock of various heights and widths jutting out of the magma. The Fire Alien weaved through the stone towers as he searched for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

Eventually, he caught a glimpse of something glowing out of the corner of his eye.

Not very difficult, since the magma radiated plenty of light for him to see everything clearly. While the intense heat would distort the air so much that a normal human would find it hard to make out anything. For Heatblast, he could see everything clear as day.

So, it made it easy for him to spot the purple glowing form of Wonder Man. Standing atop one of the platforms, close to the Magma's surface.

The Ionic Villain stood motionless. Behind him a glowing rock.

Heatblast immediately shot towards the energy being. Landing on the edge of the island.

"I'm warning you, Avenger, back off." Wonder Man warned. "I don't want to fight you, but I can't let you have the stone."

Heatblast considered his next move. From what he understood, Wonder Man isn't really a bad guy.

He was just someone who got involved with the wrong people and now he's trapped in a situation with no way to escape.

"Hey there. Simon right? Simon Williams?" Heatblast greeted in a friendly manner.

"Don't come any closer." Wonder Man warned again. His body glowed with ionic energy.

"Hey, it's cool, Dude. We don't have to fight. How about we just talk?" The Fire Alien offered.

Wonder Man gritted his teeth. "If you're looking for information about Zemo's plan, you can forget it. It's nothing you can stop."

Heatblast raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Who said anything about Zemo? I didn't."

Wonder Man blinked and clicked his teeth in frustration. The more he talked to him, the clearer it became to the Young Hero that this guy did not want to be here. Blurting out Zemo's involvement like that is not something a supervillain would normally do. At least, not the smart ones.

Heatblast took one step towards the Ionic being. "Look, I don't wanna fight you either. So why don't we just get out of here? You can hold the rock if you want, and we can talk things out?"

Wonder Man turned his head away. "You don't understand." He hissed. His voice straining and his body tensing. Like he was fighting against something.

The Firey Alien raised an eyebrow as he took another step forward. "What? I don't understand what? That Zemo and the other Masters are keeping you alive?"

The Ionic Being raised his head. A surprised look on his face.

Heatblast smirked. That certainly got his attention. It's something T'Challa and Hank theorised when Wonder Man showed up with the Masters of Evil when they first attacked the mansion.

From what Ben remembered, the others said that Wonder Man's body was unstable when he first transformed. Which resulted in his body falling apart and eventually evaporating into nothing.

The Avengers tried to save him, but his body disintegrated before they could. Leaving Iron Man to lament his failure.

So when Wonder Man showed up alive and well with the Masters of Evil. The Avengers best and brightest figured that they must be doing something to keep Wonder Man alive. Using that as leverage to make him fight for them.

"I'm right, aren't I." Heatblast stated, moving closer to him.

Again, Wonder Man strained his body and grimaced.

"If you know that, then you understand why I have to stop you." He said in a desperate tone. "If I don't do what they say, they'll end me with just a snap of their fingers."

He bowed his head dejectedly. Wonder Man dug himself into a hole that he couldn't see a way out of. His life was literally in the hands of a psychotic witch that could snuff him out at any moment. Whether he fails his mission or she simply feels like it.

He's only alive because they think he's useful. The moment his use runs out. It's curtains for him. Simon was already on the edge the moment Zemo brought Living Laser onto the team. A living energy being like him who can also move at light speed and shoot lasers.

Wonder Man figures it's only a matter of time before they realise they don't need him anymore and snap him out of existence.

If he wants to live. He has to prove his worth.

"What if I could cure you?"

Wonder Man's eyes snapped open as he looked at the Alien Shapeshifter in shock.

"What?" He asked, flabbergasted.

The Fire Alien shrugged. "I mean, I can't guarantee it. But…" He pointed to the Ultimatrix dial on his chest.

"My watch can do more than just turn me into aliens. It can also fix genetic damage in any being, " the Alien Hero explained. If there's any part of you that still has human cells, then it's possible the watch could fix it and turn you back to human."

Wonder Man was speechless. Could it really be true? But why would an Avenger offer to help him?

"No. No, you're lying." He responded, raising his hand. "You can't fix me. No one can."

"Can't know unless we try." Heatblast countered. "And even if my watch can't help. Maybe one of my aliens can."

Wonder Man seemed to consider the offer. The chance of him being human, free from Zemo's control. Finally, getting his life back.

The offer seemed too good to be true….

"Nice try. Hero." Wonder Man whispered as his eyes glowed. "But no one can help me now."

The Alien Avengers instincts kicked into high gear. He raised his hands just as Wonder Man fired crimson energy beams from his eyes.

Heatblast countered with a concentrated beam of fire from his palms. The two beams collided, resulting in an explosion that knocked them both back.

Focusing his power, Heatblast generated a flaming comet under his feet and rode it through the air like a skateboard.

Circling around, he saw Wonder Man flying towards him, his right fist cocked back.

Heatblast only just managed to raise his arms to shield himself before Wonder Man punched him with enough force to send shockwaves throughout the volcanic vent.

The Fire Alien sailed through the air before crashing into one of the stone pillars, cratering it.

Stars filled his head, along with a throbbing pain in his arms.

Once he could form a coherent thought, confusion was the first thing that entered his mind.

He didn't understand. He almost had him. Why would he…

Heatblast's train of thought was interrupted by a purple glow as Wonder Man fired a beam of ionic energy at him.

The Fire Alien swiftly rocketed out of the way as the beam destroyed the pillar, sending the rocks crumbling into the lava pit below.

As the Ionic Being turned to aim another blast at him. Heatblast's eyes narrowed. The time for talking is officially over. It's clear that Simon didn't want to be saved right now. Dude believes he's trapped and so dug his heels in.

In other words, he's got to kick his butt to save him. A method of heroics that the Young Avenger didn't mind partaking in. Combines the best parts of hero work.

Raising his hand and focusing. Heatblast channelled the heat energy into the falling boulders. Causing them to glow as veins of molten rock appeared across their surfaces.

A swipe of his hand sent the rocks flying at Wonder Man, responding to his will.

The Ionic Being was caught off guard by the sudden rain of flaming boulders, like a miniature meteorite storm. They pelted his body, knocking him down and sending him flying toward the pool of molten rock below.

He managed to catch himself in the air before hitting the lava. Not that it would harm him; his energy form was immune to the effects of extreme temperature.

Wonder Man glared up at Heatblast, who crossed his arms and grinned smugly at him.

"What's so funny?" Wonder Man asked, slightly miffed.

"Oh, just... ever seen that old movie with the big shark?" the Fire Alien replied.

Wonder Man tilted his head in confusion. "What are you…?"

Suddenly, the lava below him erupted, and Crabdozer launched herself out of the molten rock like a shark, her massive jaws clamping onto his abdomen.

Wonder Man only just managed to let out a surprised yelp before Crabdozer dragged him under the lava's surface.

With the Ionic being distracted, Heatblast took this opportunity to go after the stone. Whatever these things are, they're important to Zemo's plan. The other Masters of Evil are likely at each of the different locations. Meaning they're all fighting the villains as well.

Unlike him, they don't have any backup. So, his best course of action is to grab the stone and head to the nearest Avenger to back them up.

Locating the stone, Heatblast blasted towards it. Stretching out his hand, he reached for the magic rock.

Only for Crabdozer to slam into him, knocking him off course as both of them went screaming into a rock pillar. Smashing right through it and landing atop a neighbouring platform.

Heatblast groaned as he rolled over and raised his head.

His eyes widened in shock as he saw Wonder Man. Now several stories tall, looming over them.

"You should have listened when you had the chance." Wonder Man's voice boomed across the cavern as he raised his giant fist.

Thor flew towards an old, crumbling building. He could not recall his last visit to Norway. He remembered the times when he would come to Midgard to make merry with mortals and engage in glorious battles.

He recalled the temples the mortals erected in his honour and the prayers he would hear and answer. Such a simple age, he thought—a time when the complexities of existence and time were but frivolous worries, as he lived life for glory and battle.

The Thunderer chuckled at his youth. Truly, he was as thick-headed as his father claimed. Thankfully, he had moved on from being a careless glory-seeker and now aimed to ensure the safeguard of the mortal realm.

Thor flew through an opening in the old building. As he descended, he glimpsed various scientific machines. They all matched Captain America's descriptions exactly. One of the many things Thor liked and respected about the super-soldier's method of storytelling was his immaculate attention to detail.

Truly, had the scribes of Asgard kept such meticulous records, there would be no argument about how past events played out.

Landing in the centre of the room. Thor saw a device in the centre of the room. A cylindrical base with a glass case. Within a glowing rock with a rune carved into it. Thor immediately recognised that stone, and he pulled out his ID card.

"Avengers, I believe I have found the source of the disturbances detected by Iron Man's computer. It is a Norn stone, an artifact of Asgardian magic created by Asgard's most powerful sorceress."

"You insult me, Odinson." The seductive voice of the Enchantress suddenly spoke out.

Thor immediately got on the defensive. Raising his hammer to strike his opponent. Searching for where she may strike.

A circle of green smoke formed at the far end of the room and quickly fell to the floor. Revealing Enchantress and Baron Zemo. With the green mist emanating from the former's hands.

"Karnilla's power is nothing compared to mine." She boasted with pride.

Zemo then raised a communications device to his ear. "Dynamo, shut down the Avengers' communications."

Almost immediately, the ID card started to emit a static sound before shutting off.

Even someone as technologically challenged as Thor can understand that the device has been rendered useless.

Putting it down, Thor glared at the Emerald Sorceress. "What is the meaning of this, enchantress? Why have you brought the Norn stones to Midgard?" He questioned.

"Midgard was once the centre of the nine realms." She explained. "I am going to make it the middle realm once again. The stones are going to tear down the walls between Asgard and Earth."

Thor's eyes narrowed. This plan. It is far too excentric to have been concocted by her. Nor could this have been Zemo's scheme. A mortal such as he would have no knowledge of the Norn Stones nor how to effectively use them.

Enchantress had to have informed Zemo of their existence. But for what purpose?

These are answers he intended to gain as he stomped towards the Enchantress.

In response, Baron Zemo drew his gun and aimed It at the Thunderer's chest.

Thor smirked at the display. For a foe that Captain America deemed to be a serious threat with a cunning mind. To attempt to use such a pitiful mortal weapon against the Odinson is a laughable jest.

"You are more of a fool than I originally thought, Zemo, if you think that…"

Zemo pulled the trigger, and a green energy beam blasted from the barrel, striking the Prince of Thunder in the chest. Pain coursed through his body as Thor was sent flying back.

Thor was shocked. The weapon actually hurt him. He reached his hand to where he was shot and saw that his clothing had been scorched. Pain throbbed from the wound as he touched it delicately.

It took a moment for Thor to register. That power he felt. It was magic. Asgardian magic.

Turning his gaze to the Masked Demon's weapon, Thor noticed a small glowing green crystal attached to the base of the barrel.

"You are correct, Asgardian." Zemo said, correctly deducing Thor's train of thought. "Not only was Dear Amora kind enough to supply me with the Norn Stones. But also enchant my weapons. Allowing a *mere* mortal like me to take the head of the God of Thunder."

To punctuate his point, Zemo holstered his pistol and drew his sword. The blade glowed with mystical energy as he brandished the blade.

Thor gritted his teeth in anger as he raised his hammer.

"You wish to test your metal, Mortal. Then have at thee!" Thor cried as he and Zemo charged one another. Swinging their respective weapons as they clashed against each other.

"What do you mean all communications are down? Why?" Iron Man yelled as his armor took another hit from Living Laser. Knocking him down.

"External interference," JARVIS responded before another impact made his head rattle.

The armor's integrity was still holding together, but it wouldn't last. Living Laser was striking his suit at near-light speed, making each impact hurt like hell.

Thankfully, it was only near light speed. While Laser could convert himself into light energy and move at light speed, he hadn't fully mastered his powers and, therefore, had to come out of his light form to strike Iron Man. This slowed his velocity and reduced the impact force.

Had Living Laser actually hit him while travelling at light speed, given his weight as a 185-pound man travelling at a velocity of precisely 299,792,458 meters per second and travelling a distance from anywhere inside this cavern ranging between 6 to 50 feet, by his calculations, he'd be hitting Iron Man with a force of over 4 quintillion pounds. Enough to paint this entire cave system with his armor and organs.

So, thank his lucky stars that Living Laser had lousy aim.

Still, that didn't mean that his slower punches were any softer.

Each impact had the force of a howitzer shell, sending him flying with each strike.

He tried to retaliate with his repulsors, but Laser was just too fast. His tracking system couldn't lock onto the light villain, nor could he activate his shields in time to block an attack.

The shields drained too much power. If he kept them active, he'd run out of juice. But they were too slow to bring up before a hit.

"Having fun yet?" Living Laser asked rhetorically.

Another flash of light and he punched Iron Man in the faceplate, sending him flying into the cavern walls.

The Armored Avenger groaned as he dislodged himself and blasted his repulsor rays.

Living Laser easily dodged the blue beams as he shot towards the Billionaire at blinding speeds. Striking him from behind and sending him crashing into a rock platform.

Breathing heavily, Iron Man steadied himself, his HUD flashing warnings. That last hit definitely compromised the armor's integrity. Another hit to the back would completely destroy the suit, leaving him vulnerable.

"What are you even doing here, Parks? What is it you're after?" Iron Man asked, trying to stall for some time as he worked on a plan.

"Zemo wants something." Living Laser responded offhandedly. "Don't know what, don't care, because I'm doing exactly what I want, turning you into a smoking pile of ash."

Iron Man sneered. That wasn't much, but it'd have to be enough. Deactivating his external speakers, he spoke to his AI. "JARVIS, analyse his fight patterns."

"Analysing." The AI responded as he prepared for another round.

Wasp was not doing well. Despite her best efforts, she still wasn't a match for Abomination's brute strength.

Once again, on the ground with Abomination looming over her.

"You're useless, bug. You know that, right?" The Gamma Monster said as he tried to crush her under his foot.

The Size Changing Heroine quickly flew away to dodge it. But Abomination didn't let up. He pursued her like a hungry predator. Swinging his massive fists, each time they came close to her, she would dodge, but the force behind each blow would cause a gust of wind that caused her to falter.

Despite his brutish nature, Abomination wasn't an idiot. He knew his fists couldn't hit her while she was at her current size. But, what he could do was get inside her head. Make her slip up and allow him to finish her.

"Even the guys with no powers, with the shield and the bow, even they'd put up more of a fight. You? You're nothing." He snarled as he drove her into a corner.

With her mobility limited, Abomination smirked as he had her cornered. She is certainly rattled by his words. The knowledge that she is the weakest of all the Avengers would cloud her judgment. Allowing him to take advantage of that insecurity.

Cocking back his fist, he launched a powerful right hook at the Insect themed Heroine.

However, Abomination's plan to shake the Winsome Wasps' confidence failed spectacularly. The Size Changer swiftly dodged his fist at the last moment, causing his forearm to embed itself deep into the ice wall.

Abomination grunted in frustration as he tried to free his trapped limb. His position made it hard to get any leverage to free himself.

With her opponent trapped, Wasp flew up to a clump of ice above the Gamma Villain.

She noticed the area growing weaker the more Abomination shook the cavern. Cracks spread across the frozen surface until it was just one nudge away from collapsing.

Something she planned for during the whole fight.

This guy called her weak. Thinks she's nothing.

"Maybe so," She responded as her hands glowed with yellow energy. "but I'm still gonna kick your sorry hide."

Letting out a battle cry, Wasp blasted the ice with her stingers. The structure gave way and unleashed an avalanche of snow and ice that rained down on Abomination. Burying him under tons of frozen rubble.

When the snow settled, all that remained was a pile of ice.

Wasp flew down and landed atop of the ice mound. Hands on her hips as she stood triumphantly.

"Hehe, I should of brought my camera." She mussed as she thought about what the others' expressions would be when she tells them what happened. "No one's ever gonna believe…"

Suddenly, Abomination's paw sprung from beneath her feet. The Size-Changing Heroine was enveloped by his massive fist, trapping her as the Gamma Villain pulled himself from his icy prison.

The Gamma Brute glared down at Wasp with an annoyed expression. But, quickly smirked as he revelled in the fact that he finally caught her.

Loosening his grip slightly, he allowed Wasp's head to poke out of his fist while he still had a tight hold on her to keep the Insect Heroine from escaping.

Her panicked expression delighted him. The realisation of how helpless she really is.

He enjoyed it so much that he couldn't help but pour salt in the wound.

"When I'm done with you. I'll crush that bug-loving boyfriend of yours. Then I'll tear that Alien Shapeshifter limb from limb." He laughed at the thought of getting his revenge on those two.

Wasp froze as dark shadows fell over her eyes. Did this guy seriously threaten Hank and Ben in front of her? This monster thinks he can just threaten the man she loves and her little brother and get away with it?

Abomination laughed so much that he didn't notice the pressure building in his hands.

Wasp's eyes glowed blue, and her body followed suit as she started to grow.

By the time the Gamma Mutant noticed the change, it was too late. Wasp burst from the Abomination's scaley paw, and he stepped back in shock as she grew larger and larger till her shadow cast over him.

In a matter of seconds, the Wonderful Wasp grew 50 feet tall. She glared at the Gamma Villain as she punched her fist into her palm threateningly.

"Buddy, you just made a BIG mistake!" She said severely. "You wanna mess with Ant-Man and my little bro? You gotta go through me first!"

Abomination was still frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what he was seeing as Wasp raised her right foot and brought it down atop his head.

Meanwhile, Hulk and Executioner continued to brawl at the lake. The Gamma Giant reeled his head back to avoid the Asgardian's enchanted axe from taking his head off. With the blade just cutting a few strands of his hair.

In retaliation, Hulk threw a series of blows to the Executioner. Punching him in the face and attempting to follow with a blow to the gut. Only for the Asgardian brute to sidestep the Gamma Hero and counter with his own haymaker to Hulks face.

The blow knocked Hulk off his feet and sent him splashing into the shallow waters.

Dazed for a second, the cool water quickly cleared his mind as his eyes opened in time to see Executioner standing over him, axe raised above his head as he swung it down at his chest.

Hulk swiftly rolled out of the way to avoid the attack. Getting to his feet, Hulk grabbed a nearby log and swung it at the Villain.

The Asgardian Warrior easily countered the Gamma Brutes attack, slicing the log with one fluid motion. His centuries worth of combat experience shined through as he rammed the hilt of his axe into Hulk's stomach, causing him to double over and once again take aim for his neck.

What he didn't expect was Hulk jerking his head up in a sharp motion. The back of his head connected with Executioner's chin, stunning the Brute and making him stumble back.

Hulk immediately tackled the Executioner, grabbing him by the back of his collar and pants, lifted him over his head and hurled the Asgardian Villain across the lake.

Executioner bounced across the top of the water like a skipping stone before sinking into the lake.

A break in the fight allowed Hulk to take a deep breath. While he was enjoying the battle. It was starting to wear him down. Unlike his fights with Thor, Executioner was strong, but not on the same as the Prince of Thunder. He made up for that with his fighting skills. Keeping Hulk on his toes and having more close shaves than he cared to admit.

It was starting to tick him off.

His moment of respite was brought to a close when Executioner rose from the water. The Asgardian raised his axe over his head and brought it down into the ground.

A surge of water erupted from his strike. The wave flowed over Hulk, who braced himself for the tidal surge.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet started to shake. Before Hulk could even begin to understand what was happening, the ground split in half. Parting like the Dead Sea, the chasm opened up beneath him, sucking Hulk down into the watery depths.

As Hulk sank, he looked up to see Executioner swimming after him. Axe at the ready as their fight continued.

Heatblast formed a ball of fire in his hands. He focused his power as he condensed the heat as much as possible before unleashing a concentrated inferno at the giant Wonder Man.

The Ionic Villain responded by firing a purple beam of energy from his left hand. Its size and power equalled that of Heatblast's as the beams struggled to overpower each other.

Meanwhile, Crabdozer had scaled the rock pillar to Wonder Man's right and leapt off it, opening her jaws and aiming at his face.

Wonder Man quickly raised his right arm to defend himself. Her jaws clamped down, but Wonder Man showed no sign of pain as he waved his arm and sent Crabdozer flying across the cavern towards the wall.

Acting fast, Heatblast put his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud, high-pitched whistle.

Crabdozer's eyes widened as her Nemitrix glowed. Immediately, her body changed. She shifted into a large insectoid creature resembling a bee or moth. It was purplish-grey, had sharp fangs, four legs, two sharp teeth, a dual stinger on her tail, two antennae on her head, and four wings.

This creature is Hypnotick, a predator of Big Chill's species.

Before she hit the wall, Hypnotick went intangible and phased into the rocks. She phased out next to him as he patted her head.

Being from the same planet as Big Chill, Hypnotick is immune to extreme temperatures the same as Big Chill, so the heat from the volcano has no effect on her.

Which is really handy as she doesn't have to be limited to one form in a single environment.

But it still won't be enough to take on Wonder Man.

"This isn't going well, huh girl?" Heatblast asked rhetorically.

The Alien Avenger knew the Ionic Being was tough. He was able to take on Iron Man, Giant-Man and Captain America all at once. Ripping through Iron Man's armor, including the Hulkbuster suit, with ease before his body broke down.

Then there's the location of their fight. An active volcano like this limits Ben's transformation choices. Most of his aliens aren't able to survive in a place like this, and those who can have a different problem to deal with.

He can't just go all out to fight Wonder Man. Doing so risks destabilising the Volcano and causing an eruption, which can result in molten rocks being flung to nearby towns and settlements or an ash cloud causing a volcanic winter that could spread across most of the continent or neighbouring countries.

So far, Heatblast had been his best choice. Given his control over fire, heat, and limited terra kinesis, it is one of his most versatile forms and a serious powerhouse. He should have the home-field advantage here.

However, Wonder Man is just as versatile. Maybe even more so. Considering he's a being completely made of energy. A varied powerset, energy projection, flight, super speed, super strength, size increase and a seemingly bottomless stamina reserve.

This puts Heatblast at a huge disadvantage. He's fighting with an arm and a leg tied behind his back.

He and Hypnotick quickly dodge another blast from Wonder Man. The Fire Alien and Ghost Bug fly towards the lavas surface, with Heatblast skimming the surface. Hypnotick flutters over to another pillar and perches on the rock face.

Taking cover for a second, Heatblast tried to think up a strategy. What alien could he possibly use to gain the advantage without awakening the Volcano?

His eyes drifted to the boulders that fell into the magma, splashing molten rock on the side of the rock wall. He watched as the lava dripped and cooled, solidifying into rock.

That's when it clicked in his head.

He messed up. Heatblast doesn't have the home-field advantage here because this environment isn't Heatblast's home.

The Fire Aliens home planet is a Star. A literal Sun in space. Comprised of plasma and burning gas. Not magma and molten rock.

So, for a true home-field advantage. There's only one alien for the job.

Tapping the Ultimatrix dial, Heatblast transformed in a flash of green light.

The flash alerted Wonder Man, who turned his attention to the source. He quickly moved over to the area and found his opponent.

Only to find something he hasn't seen before.

It was a humanoid alien whose body consisted entirely of symmetrically formed yellow-lime stone. His stone is darker in some areas: between his shoulders and forearms, from his lower torso down to his knees, and on his palms. He also has two darker-coloured spikes coming out of each arm. He has smaller spikes on his legs, and his hands have three fingers, the middle one being larger and spade-shaped. He wears theUltimatrix symbol on his chest.

Wonder Man's eyes narrowed. "Finally changed form, huh? Zemo said you would. Though he said, you'd go for your walking furnace one."

The Alien Avengers eyes narrowed. So Zemo predicted he would come here? Meaning, that Wonder Man being his opponent really was intentional. Put one of the Masters of Evils powerhouses in an area that would clip his wings.

This was a pretty smart plan that certainly would have worked if Zemo had known about all of Ben's aliens, not just the ones Ben showed on the news or used against him.

"Sorry to disappoint." The Alien Hero replied. "While NRG couldn't make an appearance today. This guy will make a good substitute. Trust me…"

He then raised his right hand, and the rock pillar next to Wonder Man started to shake.

The Ionic Villain turned his attention to the stone tower as it cracked and crumbled. However, instead of falling down, the rocks reshaped themselves. Forming together and transforming into a giant hand.

Focusing, the Shapeshifting Hero clenched his fist, and the giant hand followed his actions as he cocked back his fist and struck forth. The Stone Hand responded and punched Wonder Man in the face, sending him stumbling into the side of the cavern.

The Alien Hero smirked. "This guy ROCKS!"

The alien known as Rocks chuckled at the pun and commanded the stone around him. He could feel his connection to every mineral that made up this Volcano's structure, from the solid sedimentary that layered atop each other as it grew to the magma that flowed beneath the very surface.

He smirked as Wonder Man regained his footing, aimed his arm at the Stone Alien and fired a beam of ionic energy at him.

Rocks turned and dashed towards the edge of the platform and jumped off just as the beam sliced the top of the spire. The Alien Teen focused his power and summoned a rock platform from the pillar, which he landed on.

A wave of his hand and, several more platforms appeared from the rocks as he jumped from platform to platform. Reaching out with his left hand, he summoned several boulders from the walls which floated in the air on his command.

Rocks then punched his arm forward, and the floating boulders launched at Wonder Man at the speed of a missile. Striking his body with enough force to knock him back again.

The Alien Avenger punched his stoney fist into his palm. "Round two, Grapefruit."

Wonder Man gritted his teeth before letting out a battle cry as he launched himself at Rocks. His fist raised above his head, and Rocks summoned a pillar of rock from beneath his feet that launched him into the air to meet his enemy.

Back in Norway, Thor raised Mjolnir to block Zemo's sword. The two weapons clashed, generating a spark of mystical energy.

Thor gritted his teeth in frustration. Baron Zemo's skill with his blade matched Captain America's skill with his shield. He struck with the speed and ferocity of a demon.

Combine that with the mystical energy that Enchantress has imbued the blade with, and you have a warrior who is able to fight on par with the Prince of Asgard.

"Iron Man did exactly as I knew he would, the fool." Zemo boasted as he parried Thor's hammer. "He divided the Avengers. And while they may have defeated my masters of evil as a team, individually, they will fall."

He raised his sword above his head and swung it down in a long arch. Thor held Mjolnir with both hands and raised it to block the sword's blade on his handle.

An awkward move to perform with a weapon like Mjolnir. With the handle being as short as it is, using it as a parrying weapon is not an easy feat. Usually, the Warhammer would knock away any opponent or shatter any weapon that went against it.

It was not meant for a duel such as this. Any other warrior would be unable to wield the weapon with such proficiency.

But Thor is unlike any other warrior. He skilfully blocked and parried each of Zemo's strikes as Zemo attempted to disarm the Asgardian, only for Thor to kick him in the gut and send him flying.

"Think to test your strength against mine, Mortal?" Thor challenged as he held his hammer aloft.

Zemo slid across the floor but remained on his feet as he brandished his blade. Seemingly revelling in this fight.

"I have no need to, because your defeat was planned before you even arrived," Zemo stated.

Suddenly, a green beam struck Thor in the back. The Enchantress smiled as she fired her mystical beam. The Prince of Thunder quickly tried to counter her spell by raising Mjolnir into the beam and generating his own magic aura. Blue mystical lightning formed around the hammer, creating a barrier that partially blocked the Sorceress's beam.

With a mighty yell, Thor released a pulse of energy that dispelled the Enchantress's beam. He then slammed Mjolnir into the ground and unleashed a blast of lightning that flowed across the floor toward the Asgardian witch.

The Enchantress responded by raising a dome of magical energy to defend herself and repel the Thunderer's lightning.

However, with his back turned, Thor was left wide open as Zemo pulled his sidearm and blasted Thor in the back with a mystical beam.

Pain coursed through his body as he felt his body tense up from the magic. Thor fell forward, Mjolnir falling from his hand and bouncing a few feet ahead of him.

Groggily, Thor tried to reach for the Mighty Weapon. Only for Enchantress's green boot to stomp on his hand. Digging the sharp, high heel into his skin, causing even more pain.

Enchantress looked down on him with disappointment. "Fool. You had your chance to escape this. But you turned your back on me."

She waved her hands, and mystical rings appeared around his body, restraining him and lifting him up. She also placed a dome shield around Mjolnir for extra insurance.

Thor glared at her. She was referring to when she saved him from Ultron.

When Ultron went rogue and tried to kill the Avengers, Thor was almost killed by the malevolent machine. However, the Enchantress intervened at the last moment, using her magic to whisk him away to a realm where she kept him under her charm until he could break free.

She had promised to spare him from the pain of what was to come.

It would seem this was the plan she was referring to.

"For your arrogance, Midgard will pay the price." She finished before turning to the Norn Stone.

Enchantress raised her right hand and aimed it at the mystical rock. Her magic flowed into the Norn Stone, causing it to glow brightly.

Around the world, Avengers and Masters of Evil continued to brawl against each other.

Each side focused on the other, all while oblivious to the Norn Stones as they glowed brighter and brighter.

Suddenly, a bright beam of blue energy blasted into the sky. Cutting through the upper atmosphere and going into space.

Eight beams erupt from Earth's atmosphere. The Mystical energy then starts to swirl and bend, with whisps of energy flowing out of each beam as the cosmic constellations begin to align and take shape.

While it was impossible to see from planet's side. Out in deep space, a wandering spacecraft might be able to make out the formation of a large tree.

In South America, Hawkeye launched several trick arrows into the canopy above Chemistro. The arrowheads burst, and acid burned through the trunks, causing branches to rain down on the Alchemy Villain.

Chemistro aimed his Alchemy Gun and fired a stream of liquid into the falling branches. The chemical substance immediately turned the branches into steam, providing him with cover.

Hawkeye narrowed his eyes as he notched another arrow and fired it into the mist. Just before it entered the cloud, the tip exploded and unleashed a large net over the smoke screen.

Suddenly, the mist cloud turned into a solid rock shelter, with gaps around the base as the net landed harmlessly atop of it.

Chemistro then fired his alchemy gun again, turning the grass beneath Hawkeye's perch into a white gas cloud that quickly rose to his level.

With Hawkeye quickly firing a grapple arrow, he swung away from the rising gas. Based on the coloration and density, he recognised that it was likely to tear gas. But he wasn't about to risk inhaling toxic chemicals on a whim.

Landing on another branch, Hawkeye notched another arrow and prepared to continue the fight.

Black Panther tossed several of his daggers at the Crimson Dynamo. The Russian villain grabbed a nearby headstone and used it as a shield before transforming one of his hands into a Gatling gun and firing a barrage of energy bolts at the cat-themed hero.

The Wakandan quickly flipped over debris and sought cover from the attack. But Dynamo wasn't about to let up as the metal hatches along his shoulders opened up and launched a salvo of missiles at him.

"Coward! Come and face me like a man!" Crimson Dynamo taunted as he transformed his other hand and took aim.

Black Panther took cover, combined two of his daggers, and turned them into a spear.

"You wish to face each other as civilised men, yet you engage in combat," Black Panther replied in a mocking tone.

"It is how Men settle differences, Da? Fighting as equals and not cowering behind a shield." The Armored Villain stated.

Panther glanced behind his cover and surveyed the surroundings. "Yet, it is you who hides behind armor."

Dynamos' eyes narrowed behind his visor. "Do not think me a fool, Wakandan. I know that suit of yours is more than ceremonial garb."

He adjusted his scanners and eventually locked onto a strong vibrational energy signature. The Russian villain smirked as his suit stomped forward towards the source.

"Weaving Vibranium into the fabric. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? You people pride yourselves on having superior technology and an advanced civilisation. Yet you hoard it all for yourselves." He closed in on the vibrational source.

"Because you fear that if you do share with the world, you would soon realise that your only advantage is your precious resource. And the rest of the world would quickly leave you behind."

He locked onto the signal and primed his weapons. Throughout this entire fight, he's been attacking Black Panther relentlessly, striking the vibranium suit and forcing the special metal to absorb the kinetic energy of his attacks.

The Panther's suit could shield him from all sensors, making it nearly impossible to track him. But after studying the Wakandan King's suit for so long, Crimson Dynamo discovered that vibranium emits a unique energy signature whenever it absorbs too much energy.

Now, he finally has a lock on the Panther's suit, meaning there's nowhere he can hide from him.

Activating his thrusters, Dynamo darted around the Panther's cover and opened fire, blanketing the area with his ordnance.

However, when the dust cleared, all that remained was a vibranium spear sticking out of the ground, its shaft glowing with vibraniums energy.

Crimson Dynamo's eyes widened in realisation, but it was too late. Black Panther leapt down from above and struck the armored villain's glass dome, cracking the glass before flipping behind him, slashing the armor's back, and leaving deep claw marks as Dynamo cried out of pain and fell forward.

Black Panther stood over the villain. "Perhaps you are correct, Dynamo. But I do not believe I have anything to fear from you."

Crimson Dynamo started to rise. His dome was cracked, and his suit's outer shell was damaged. But it remained functional.

"Do not underestimate me so easily, King," Crimson Dynamo spat as he stood up and faced the Wakandan King, side on. "Even Stark had enough sense to never let his guard down around me."

Black Panther narrowed his eyes as he got into a fighting stance. "You would be wise to understand. I am not Iron Man."

With a burst of speed, Black Panther rushed the Armored Villain, aiming to take out the hydraulic systems on the Dynamo's right leg before taking out his arm.

Crimson Dynamo smirked as he transformed the arm facing away from the Panther into a new weapon.

The moment Black Panther leapt, Crimson Dynamo aimed his arm at the Wakandan King, revealing a familiar weapon shaped like a satellite dish.

The cannon unleashed a powerful sonic wave at point-blank range to Black Panther's face.

"ARGH!" Black Panther screamed as he clutched his ears, the sonic blast forcing him back.

The pain, the sensation, the weapon. Panther recognised it all. It was the same design as the Klaw's sonic cannon. But greatly enhanced.

Crimson Dynamo chuckled as he continued to fire his sound waves. "You are right, Wakandan. You are no Iron Man. He would have assumed that I had upgraded my armour since our last battle and planned for it. You, on the other hand. You think you are always superior."

Black Panther continued to scream and writhe in pain. Suddenly, the sonic waves stopped, only for Dynamo's metal boot to slam down on top of him, pinning the Panther to the ground.

"How does it feel, King? To be under the foot of someone you deemed inferior."

The pain still rang in his ears. But the Black Panther could make out some of Dynamo's dialect. Although he made adjustments to improve sound absorption to counter Klaw's weapon, he failed to consider that someone else might get their hands on his design and enhance it.

Now, like a fool, he has fallen for the villain's trap as Dynamo pressed down, crushing him into the dirt.

Meanwhile, Captain America and Taskmaster continued to duel each other.

The Super Soldier thought he'd gained the advantage when he managed to disarm Taskmaster of his sword.

That proved to be false, as it only increased the mercenaries' efficiency by allowing them to focus on shield combat, mimicking each other's moves blow for blow.

The pair backflipped to opposite ends of the field and proceeded to throw their respective shields at each other.

A metallic clang echoed across the open courtyard as the metal discs collided and caused both to clatter on the ground.

"So predictable," Taskmaster stated, shaking his head in disappointment.

"You should respect your elders, son. You might learn something," Captain America bantered.

He then jumped forward and performed a spin kick, which Taskmaster easily avoided. Captain America pressed his attack with a series of punches and jabs, but the Copycat villain effortlessly blocked each one.

"I already know everything I need from you, Captain," Taskmaster replied as he parried the Super Soldier's right hook and struck him in the chest with an open palm, his fingers curving in like claws.

"I've been studying the fighting moves of all the Avengers." He ran on all fours like Black Panther and began using the Wakandan panther fighting style.

Captain America went on the defensive as he moved to block Taskmaster's strikes; he had many training sessions with Black Panther, so he knew his fighting style well.

The mercenary can mimic his moves perfectly, even imitating the feint that Panther does when he's about to perform a leg sweep.

Leaping over the attack, Cap attempted to punch Taskmaster in the face, only for the mercenary to switch up his fighting style, pivoting out of the way and judo-throwing the Sentinel of Liberty over his head.

"But the one I've been paying attention to the most has been Tennyson." He stated as he charged forward and performed his own spin kick, which Cap dodged, only to follow up with an elbow strike to his face and finally grabbing onto his head, flipping over his body and then tossing Captain America onto the floor with a loud thud.

Even with the pain throbbing in his body, he recognised that move. The Flying Ophiuchus Supplex. One of the moves that Rath uses in fights. The elbow strike as well, that was Kickin Hawk's move when incorporating his elbow blades.

Fortunately for him. He's fought every one of those forms and knows their moves off by heart.

Taskmaster switched fighting style again. This time incorporating an agile, acrobatic combat style, just like Spidermonkey.

The moment that Taskmaster got in range, Captain America dodged under his right hook and delivered an uppercut to the Copycat Villain's jaw before finishing with a double palm strike to Taskmaster's abdomen.

Taskmaster performed a backwards flip to gain some distance. Panting heavily as he touched his chest. A look of surprise on his face. Been a while since he was caught off guard like that.

"Ok, nice. Kenpo, Taekwondo and jujitsu." He complimented. Listing off the fighting styles he witnessed Cap use.

He clenched his fist and got into a fighting stance. "My turn."

The pair engaged in another brawl. Taskmaster displays several different fighting styles, switching between them with ease: karate, Krav Maga, Savate, kung fu, and Aikido, to name a few.

Eventually, Taskmaster managed to get Cap in a headlock. Restraining his arms and holding him in place.

"Zemo has some big plans for you, Captain," Taskmaster said as he restrained him. "But for me, you're just a stepping stone for me to get the Tennyson device."

Out of the corner of his eye, Captain America noticed his shield sitting a few feet from him.

"You'll find that's easier said than done." Captain America stated before headbutting Taskmaster in the face. Stunning him enough to release his grip and clutch his face.

With his body free, Captain America rushed to his shield. Scooping it up with one hand and tucking it under his arm as he ran up the wall until his momentum ran out before he pivoted and tossed his shield at full force.

Taskmaster performed a butterfly twist to avoid the shield as it sailed under him. The patriotic weapon bounced off the stone walls and started to return to its master.

The Mercenary landed on the ground in a three-point landing; his left arm stretched out as the shield passed over it. As it did, Taskmaster subtly opened his palm, and his fingers lightly brushed the inside edge of the shield before it returned to Captain America's awaiting hand.

No sooner had he caught the metal disc, Captain America immediately noticed something was off. That shield has been his closest companion for many years during the war. It's a part of himself, an extension of his body. He knows every part of that shield better than anyone.

So when he caught it in his hand, he immediately noticed that the weight was off.

Flipping it over, he noticed a small black device attached to the underside of the shield.

Before he could even attempt to figure out what it was, a burst of electricity surged from the device, shocking the Super Soldier.

Taskmaster grinned as he released his thumb from the device in his hand. The electrical surge stopped, and Captain America collapsed. His body was numb from the shock as his nervous system was completely stunned.

His mind was fuzzy as he could feel his consciousness drifting. But he fought against it and forced his eyes to stay open.

As he did, he saw Taskmaster walking towards him, and his chuckle echoed in his ears.

"I'm faster than you think, Captain." The Mercenary gloated. He then knelt down to look the Super Soldier in the eye. "Not only do I know your fighting style. I know exactly when you are going to throw your shield…. And that you always catch it."

Wasp was in trouble.

Despite using her giant size and landing a few good hits on Abomination. Her lack of experience in this form soon became apparent.

At her size, her movements became slower. The increased mass made every movement feel like she was wading through a fast-flowing stream, and no matter where she moved, it was always against the current.

This allowed Abomination to easily evade a few of her attacks and deliver a devastating punch to her face, sending her toppling into the cavern wall.

Eventually, the strain on her body proved to be too much. She can only maintain her giant form for about two minutes before she must revert back.

However, after shrinking back to her wasp size, her body remained sluggish from the strain of her giant form, allowing Abomination to swiftly grab her.

Now, she was at his mercy as the Gamma Monster threatened to squeeze her into jelly.

"Say goodbye, girl." Abomination snarled.

Wasps eyes widened in fear. She was helpless in the face of this brute. If she had just taken a moment to think instead of acting emotional like always, she should have saved her trump card for later. Now, she's about to be crushed, and no one can help her.

"Please. Someone, help." She prayed in her head.

Suddenly, a shadow cast over Abomination, and a dark mass slammed down on top of him. Causing the Villain to release his grip as Wasp fell to the floor.

She gasped for air, and the pressure on her body finally ceased.

Lifting her head, she looked up to see what had happened, awe plastered across her face.

Before her stood Giant Man, anger evident on his face as his massive fist crushed Abomination beneath it.

Wasp's fears immediately evaporated. She wasn't sure how he had arrived, but she didn't care. Hank was here. He had come back to her, and that's all that mattered.

Before she could say anything, the ground rumbled as Hank's fist began to rise while Abomination used his brute strength to lift Giant Man's enlarged appendage.

However, Giant-Man was not about to let him gain an edge. This monster had hurt Janet.

Without hesitation, Giant-Man roared as he drove his left fist into Abomination, pummelling him into the ice. He then proceeded to pound him over and over again in a savage beating of pure rage, rivalling the Hulk.

Wasp was motionless as she observed the onslaught. She had never seen Hank this angry, this… violent.

She should be happy that Hank was finally cutting loose and taking down the bad guys like she had always wanted.

But now that she was finally witnessing it, seeing the man she cared about embrace the very thing he had always opposed.

It scared her.

She stepped back as Giant Man continued to wail like a savage beast. The cavern trembled, and the ice cracked as he drove Abomination deeper into the icy ground.

After what felt like hours, though it was only half a minute, Giant-Man stopped his assault and stood up. His heavy panting released a cloud of steam with each breath.

Wasp flew up to him. He glanced at her, and she froze. The two locked eyes as tension mounted.

Giant Man then gave her a warm smile. The same smile that made her heart melt. She returned it; he's still her, Hank.

A groan emanated from the crater that Giant Man just made, and the pair looked down as the dust settled. Revealing Abomination, his head was the only part of his body visible as the rest of his bulk was pummelled into the ground like a tent peg.

Giant Man turned to Wasp. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Wasp responded. Excitement returned to her voice as the intenseness of the moment made her heart beat a mile a minute.

"Hank, I can't believe you came. And…." Her eyes widened as her gaze drifted past Giant Man's head. "Oh, wait. Can I change my answer about being okay?"

Suddenly, a bright glow drew their attention as the Norn Stone unleashed a pulse of magic energy.

The pair got into fighting stances as something began to shimmer. Three Frost Giants materialised before them. Each one dwarfing Giant Man in size.

Things have only just got more complicated.

Wonder Man flew around the volcano as boulders sailed past his head. He blasted one apart, reducing it to rubble, only for the debris to change course and pelt him like bullets.

He glared at Rocks as he fired a pair of beams from his eyes.

In response, Rocks raised his arms, and a wall of stones rose from the ground in front of him, blocking the beam.

However, Wonder Man only poured more power into the attack as the rock shield glowed with heat and cracked before shattering and causing a massive explosion.

As a result, Rocks dived off the pillar to the lava pool below.

The Stone Alien reached out his right hand and twisted his wrist. The Lava responded to his command and formed a solid stone raft on which he could land.

Rocks landed on his raft, splashing lava around him. With another wave of his hand, the edges of the platform chipped away, transforming the square raft into a streamlined surfboard.

As Wonder Man appeared over the edge of the platform above him, he immediately charged up his ionic energy in both hands and unleashed a powerful, destructive beam.

Responding to his command, the lava current moved Rock out of the way of the beam. Wonder Man gave chase as Rock commanded the molten rock and rode the currents like he was in a skate park.

The sensation reminded the Young Hero of using his hoverboard, feeling nostalgic as he performed an ollie over Wonder Man's blast and maneuvered through the rock pillars, willing the currents to push him faster to stay ahead of the Energy Villain.

Wonder Man tried to keep up, but the cluster of pillars made pursuing difficult, resulting in him flying over them and tracking the Young Avenger from the air.

He saw the Teen Hero exit the cluster of pillars into an open lava pool with no cover and moved to intercept.

However, the moment he reached the edge, Hypnotick appeared before him, phasing into view and causing the Ionic Villain to stop in his tracks. Caught off guard by the presence of this beast.

Just as he was about to regain his composure and attack the creature, Hypnotick released a cloud of red mist from the circular vents along her abdomen. She then began to rapidly beat her wings, and the red mist swirled around and formed a spiral pattern of concentric overlapping circles that continued to pulse outwards, filling his vision.

Wonder Man was confused by the creatures' actions, but he couldn't look away. His mind started going numb as he continued to gaze at the patterns until he was completely mesmerised.

"Good girl," Rocks said as he watched Hypnotick put Wonder Man into her trance.

Hypnotick's species produced a mesmerising pattern that stimulates the pleasure and reward centres of the brain, causing anyone who stares at it to see the thing they desire the most.

This allows them to subdue their prey, making it easier to catch.

Initially, the Emerald Avenger wasn't sure if her hypnotic wings would work on Wonder Man, given that his brain is made of ionic energy. But it seems that whether flesh or energy, a brain is still a brain.

Though, he wasn't sure how long it would last. Not wanting to risk a chance of escaping, Rock concentrated and reached his hands to the lava around him.

His rock body trembled and his stone teeth scraped against each other as he used his power to command the molten rock and bend it to his will.

In response, the magma surged around the pillars, and the molten rock dropped, like the sea when the tide goes out. Gathering together as Rocks raised his arms and the lava responded.

Wonder Man's eye twitched as his jaw clenched. Despite the wonderful vision he was being shown. He started to break through to reality. His senses returned to him as he cried out and unleashed a pulse of energy that knocked Hypnotick away.

The Ionic Villain shook his head and rubbed his eyes. His body pulsed as his anger radiated off him.

"That was a dirty trick," he hissed as he opened his eyes. His red eyes glowed with so much power that wisps of radiation flowed from them. "But I know that dream will never happen!"

He prepared to vaporise the Alien Hero for showing him that, only to come face to face with a lava tsunami.

A giant tidal wave of molten rock surged towards him. Atop the wave's crest, Rocks surfed, smirking with glee as he rode the wave towards him.

"Cowabunga!" he cried as the wave curved over the villain.

Wonder Man was befuddled by the odd sight before raising his arms and preparing to blast an ionic beam to slice the wave in half before it broke.

However, Rock thrust his arms forward, and a ball of lava shot from the wave, splashing across Wonder Man's face. This blinded him as he let out a surprised grunt and tried to remove the molten rock.

But as soon as he regained his sight, it was too late. The wave crashed, and Wonder Man was engulfed by the magma tsunami. Molten rock crashed down, toppling several stone pillars as the torrent surged through the volcanic crater.

Rocks surfed along the wave before leaping off his lava board and landing calmly atop one of the sturdier pillars.

"Whoo! Those waves are gnarly, dude," Rocks said in his best surfer impression, even though his gravelly voice wasn't suited for that kind of lingo.

Still, he was impressed that he managed to pull it off.

Rocks was a newer transformation, one of two new forms he hadn't really given a full test run. He got the basics of its abilities, an advanced form of geokinesis. Way more potent than Heatblast in that regard.

However, this was the first time he used his powers to this extent. Turning lava into solid stone and reverse, commanding lava at this magnetite while also keeping the volcano's structure from being compromised.

But, after having his eyes opened as Lodestar when he faced off against Magneto in New York. The Young Hero started to see the more complex forces that act on the world around him and how his aliens can tap into them.

With Lodestar, Ben couldn't just think of Magnetism as simply attracting and moving metal. Magnetic fields are so much more than that.

The same with Rocks. Manipulating and controlling rocks doesn't mean just making a rock float in the air and tossing it at his enemies. Rocks take on many forms and shapes. All he has to do is take a closer look.

A buzzing interrupted his musings as Hypnotick buzzed down to him. The predatory creature clicked its jaws as Rocks smiled and stroked her head.

"Atta girl. You did such a good job. You'll get an extra special treat when we get home." Rocks praised, earning an affectionate series of clicks and squeaks from the alien dog.

Suddenly, Rocks felt something. A strange tingling sensation at the base of his skull.

He turned to see where that tingling was coming from and saw the Norn Stone. The Mythical rock was glowing brightly, and a pulse of energy rippled out of it.

Hypnotick started to growl. Her animal instincts warning her of something coming. This aligned with Rock's hero instincts as he got into a fighting stance.

Using his power, he generated a stone club from the ground next to him, which he picked up and held aloft.

At that moment, Wonder Man burst from the lava pool and rose into the air.

The Ionic Villain glared down at the two alien shapeshifters, ready to attack them. Only to stop when he noticed their attention wasn't on him.

With a raised eyebrow, he followed their gaze and noticed the energy rippling out of the Norn Stone.

As the energy continued to ripple out, the lava pool seemed to glow brighter than normal. Giving everyone an uneasy feeling.

Rocks eyes drifted to the surface of the lava. His stone brow furrowed as he saw something moving.

Then, it materialised like a phantom, a being appeared on the lava surface. It was humanoid, standing eight feet tall with broad shoulders, goatlike legs, two clawed toes on each foot and three taloned fingers on its hands. It wore a type of red armour that resembled that worn by a gladiator. It had a pair of horns on its head and glowing yellow eyes.

Most prominently, this being looks to be completely made of fire and rock. Honestly, the creature resembles Heatblast in such a way that they could be mistaken for distant cousins.

The creature let out an unholy roar as others of its kind emerged from the magma. Demonic Fire Beings that wielded weapons composed of solid fire.

Hypnotic growled as she turned back into Crabdozer. While Rocks turned his attention to Wonder Man.

The Ionic Being had a look of surprise as he backed away from the demonic creatures in fear.

All the proof Rocks needed to conclude that Wonder Man had no idea this was going to happen. Meaning these things aren't here to back him up.

Given that these things appeared after the stone glowed and they are on a magical lay line that is likely connected to one of the Nine Realms of the World Tree. These "Fire Demons" are beings from one of those worlds.

If those things are here, then it can only mean that creatures from other Asgardian realms are being pulled into the world at the different locations.

He didn't have time to mull over those details as the Fire Demons' bodies glowed and wings, wreathed in fire, burst from their backs, and they took to the sky. Charging right at him with bloodthirsty intent.

Rocks narrowed his eyes and raised his club. Then, he charged the Demon lines with Crabdozer right behind him.

Back in the Amazon, Hawkeye and Chemistro watched as the mystical energy rippled from the Norn Stone. Causing the trees around them to illuminate.

"What's going on?" Chemistro asked.

Hawkeye raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Isn't this your plan, genius?"

Chemistro shot him a look, only to swing his gun around as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

Hawkeye did the same as he noticed the branch beneath him glow.

Suddenly, dozens of tiny lights burst from the bark of the tree, flowing around him like a swarm of insects. One of them flew close to the Archer's face, and Hawkeye saw that they weren't bugs; they were tiny, glowing fairy creatures with butterfly-like wings and tiny humanoid bodies resembling beautiful women.

Chemistro aimed his gun as he tracked the shadows moving through the trees.

One of them finally emerged from the shadows, and his jaw dropped.

Emerging from the shadows was a tall, humanoid being with light skin and silver hair tied into a braid. He wore light armor with a mix of gold and green, wielding spears and bows, along with long, pointy ears.

Elves. Real-life elves.

More of them emerged along the tree line, none of them looking happy.

Captain America groaned as he looked up at Taskmaster. The Mercenary raised his sword, aiming the hilt at the Super Soldier's forehead to knock him out.

Suddenly, he felt a chill run up his spine. Eerie whispers filled his ears as he turned to spot where the sound was coming from.

"What is this?" Taskmaster asked, drawing his gun. He checked the area. Captain America didn't have any backup. And he already took care of any security or groundskeepers from interrupting them. So who else could be here?

Captain America managed to find some strength to push himself up.

As he did, he also heard the whispers as he and Taskmaster searched for the source.

Just then, they saw the mist move in an unnatural way. Gathering together and taking shape. Before they knew it, the fog had become the haunting figures of ghosts. Humanoid from the waist up, but smoky trails where their legs should be. Their bodies were transparent noncorporeal masses, and they were all clad in different garb. Some wore armour, while others dressed in ancient clothing.

The Ghosts moaned as they advanced on the pair, causing Taskmaster to step back in fear and raise his weapon in an attempt to fend off the undead spirits.

Captain America forced himself to his feet and retrieved his shield. He stood by Taskmaster, ready to face this unknown enemy.

In the graveyard. Crimson Dynamo and Black Panther continued to duel.

With the Super Villains' new sonic weapon, the tides had turned in the fight. Black Panther's enhanced senses were vulnerable to the weapon's sound waves, overloading the suit with vibrations.

He started to feel heat on his skin, and this was not a good sign. While Vibranium can absorb vibrational energy, there is still a limit to how much it can take.

Panther designed the Panther Habit to withstand an extraordinary amount of energy—far beyond what any previous king has encountered or any device in Wakanda's current arsenal. However, he never expected someone to have a device that could push his suit to the limit like this.

In order to regain the advantage, he needed to disable that weapon. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. As Crimson Dynamo pointed out, he had not made any major adjustments or alterations to the Habit since joining the Avengers. Having assumed that the perfection of the suit would be adequate in dealing with the escaped villains.

He couldn't help but be reminded of his father. He always told him and his siblings. "Just because something works does not mean it cannot be improved."

Oh, how he wished he had taken his father's words to heart in this moment.

Suddenly, Dynamo stopped his attack as his armor detected something.

"Ktoh… who is there? Show yourselves!" Crimson Dynamo shouted, aiming his weapons into the mists.

Black Panther could also sense something was out there. His mask lenses filtered through the different spectrums before detecting something mystical.

From behind the gravestone appeared several black, smoky figures. Their appearance was all too familiar to the Black Panther.

Dark Elves. Or at least the spirits of them that Malekith attempted to summon during their battle with the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Black Panther wondered which realm his intersecting lay line would lead to. Apparently, this location is connected to Svartalfheim. While an answer to his question would have been satisfying, the increasing threat overruled that joy.

Now, he must face a new enemy, who is immune to everything except iron. Something he is sorely lacking.

Back in Norway, Thor watched as Enchantress and Zemo stood before the Norn Stone.

The Asgardian Witch continued the spell to break down the walls between realms, all while Zemo looked on, seemingly oblivious to his role in all this.

"Do not trust the enchantress, Zemo," Thor warned the Masked Demon. "Whatever she promised you is a lie. To her, mortals are nothing. They are beneath Asgardians. Not equals to be bargained with."

While Thor isn't clear about Amora's intentions, he spoke no lie regarding how she treats mortals. Her alliance with Zemo is merely a means to an end for her. Whatever plan Zemo thinks she has, it will not end with him ruling the world.

The Purple Villain chuckled, much to Thor's confusion. Zemo then reached into his belt and removed a device.

"Do you really believe that I ever trusted her?" he responded as he walked behind the Enchantress.

He then placed the device, a golden collar with a circular buckle and a green light on it, around her neck and snapped it shut.

Enchantress let out a surprised gasp as she tried to remove the collar. Even though she was near Thor's and most Asgardians' strength, she still outclassed humans and could bend metal with her bare hands.

But this device refused to yield to her attempts.

"You dare?" She hissed as she gave up trying to remove the device and turned her anger on Zemo.

In response, the Masked Villain raised a remote-like device and pressed a button that activated the collar on her neck. The green light illuminated, and Enchantress froze. Her arms lowered to her side as her eyes went blank.

Zemo smiled. The mind-control collar worked perfectly. He had pulled up the designs Red Skull had used back during the war when he attempted to create an army of Asgardian monsters. He had to make some serious adjustments for them to work on someone like the Asgardian Witch. But his efforts paid off, as she was now under his complete control.

He walked over to her. Leaned close to her ear. "Now, Enchantress, continue your spell. But when the armies of Asgard come to Earth, I want them under my control."

Like a good little pet, Enchantress obeyed. She turned around and walked back to the portal. Raised her arms and performed her spell.

Thor's eyes widened. To be able to create something to break the will of someone like the Enchantress. This Zemo is far more dangerous than he initially believed.

Meanwhile, back in the States, everything seemed peaceful within the National Park. The battle between Hulk and Skurg the Executioner was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, the waters of the calm lake erupted, and the Executioner was sent flying into the sky. His eyes shut tight, seemingly knocked unconscious as his body flew limply over the mountain range.

Shortly after, Hulk emerged from the water, his body soaked and slightly waterlogged. The Executioner's axe was in his right hand as he stomped onto the island with the Norn Stone.

The Gamma Giant grunted as he looked toward where he had hurled the Asgardian.

"Huh, lightweight," he mocked.

No sooner had he stepped onto the island than the waters suddenly erupted, revealing what looked like people made of water swirling around the blue liquid.

Without hesitation, Hulk gripped the magic axe with both hands as he prepared to confront this new enemy.

In Slovakia, ghosts surrounded Taskmaster and Captain America as the pair stood back to back.

Their respective weapons proved to be ineffective against the spirits as they closed in on them.

"Stand firm, soldier," Cap ordered. "We'll get through this if we work together."

Taskmaster chuckled. "A touching sentiment, Captain. But this is above my pay grade."

With that, the Mercenary kicked the Super Soldier in the back, sending him flying into the ghost swarm. He pulled out his bow, fired a grapple arrow, and pulled himself out of the courtyard.

Captain America tossed his shield, causing it to disperse, along with a few other ghosts, allowing him to slip through and find an opening.

Once he regained his footing, he glared up at the Mercenary who stood atop of the castle walls, looking down at him.

"No hard feelings. But I value my life more than others." Taskmaster stated in a casual tone. Before turning around and jumping off the other side.

Leaving Captain America alone to face these creatures.

Back with Black Panther. The arrival of the Dark Elves caused Crimson Dynamo to panic.

The Armored Villain unleashed every weapon in his arsenal to try and combat the creatures. Each one as ineffective as the last.

He was so frightened that he defaulted back to shouting in Russian, begging the creatures to stay away from him.

But, in his panicked state, he failed to notice Black Panther sneaking up behind him.

While his weapons did not harm the creatures, they did hold them back long enough for him to get close.

Once he was within range, Black Panther leapt onto the armor. After analysing the suit's layout, he deduced that the device Dynamo used to jam the Avengers' communications was just behind his neck.

With one fluid motion, Panther slashed with his claws, shattering Crimson Dynamos' glass dome completely and severing the jamming device.

With his dome gone and head exposed, Crimson Dynamos was vulnerable to the Dark Elves.

His fear fully taking over, the Russian Villain activated his thrusters and blasted into the sky. Aiming to get as far away from these monsters as he could.

As Black Panther watched him ascend, the snarls of the Dark Elves drew his attention, and he saw dozens of them surrounding the area where he stood.

The Wakandan King prepared for their attack.

However, they didn't. In fact, they wouldn't get any closer to where he stood.

Black Panther was confused. While Vibranium could injure them, it was equivalent to a paper cut. Not nearly enough to inflict a grievous wound on them. Yet, they kept their distance as if he were on fire.

Looking down, The Cat Hero kicked some of the rubble aside. The pebbles cracked as they rolled down the pile before a metallic clang was heard.

Reaching down, Black Panther removed a slab from a tombstone and uncovered a rusty metal gate.

The Dark Elves instantly backed away in fear at the sight of it.

A reaction that could only mean one thing.

This gate is made of Iron.

Smirking under his cowl, Black Panther reached down and ripped off a pair of bars from the gate. His enhanced strength allowed him to easily bend the bars as he wrapped them around his forearms. He did the same to his legs before fashioning a pair of knuckle dusters from the metal on each hand.

The Black Panther stood tall over the mass of Dark Elves as he raised his makeshift weapons before leaping into the fray.

A Fire Demon screeched before being smacked in the head by Rock's club. The stone weapon shattered as the Demon was sent flying back into the lava pit.

More Demons flew up at him, but the Alien Hero sent an avalanche of boulders down on them, knocking them away.

He had no time to recuperate as another Fire Demon rammed into him from behind, sending Rock tumbling to the ground.

The Alien Avenger groaned as he looked up at the Demon. It formed a flaming sword in its hand and prepared to stab him with it.

Suddenly, Crabdozer appeared out of nowhere and chomped down on the flaming monster. She thrashed around with it in her jaws before one last crunch finished the beast off, and she swallowed it whole.

Since this predator feeds on Heatblast's kind, a Fire Demon should go down the same way for her.

The pair had been fighting these creatures for a while now, but for everyone they took out, more just kept coming.

A few seconds later, another swarm of Fire Demons flew at them.

The two Shapeshifters prepared to meet them, only for a Purple Ionic beam to vaporise the bunch.

"What is this? What's happening?" Wonder Man asked as he flew over them.

"You're asking me?" Rocks responded befuddled. "I thought this was Zemo's plan?"

Wonder Man clenched his hands as he tried to rationalise the situation.

"Zemo, he… He wouldn't want this. He just wants to take over the world," he stated, though his tone lacked any confidence.

Rocks looked at him sceptically. "Dude, Zemo is insane. How have you not picked that up?"

More Fire Demons arrived as Crabdozer charged to fend them off, allowing Rocks to keep talking.

"Think about it, Simon. At the rate things are going, do you really think there's gonna be a world left to rule?" the hero asked.

Wonder Man seemed to consider his words as Rocks stepped closer and held out his hand.

"Not like us. Help us, and we can help you."

Wonder Man looked down at the hand; this time, he really looked like he was considering it.

A roar from the other end of the platform tore the stone alien's attention away from Wonder Man as Crabdozer was knocked back by the Flaming Beasts.

Tapping the dial on his chest, Rocks transformed in a green light.

"CHROMASTONE!" he cried.

"Okay, Simon. Give me a charge, and we can send these hard-boiled freaks back to he…." He trailed off when he turned back to Wonder Man and saw he was gone.

Confused, the alien teen looked around, wondering where he had wandered off to. He only had to look up to see Wonder Man flying into the distance.

His purple light faded away, leaving the alien hero high and dry.

"Jerk," Chromastone grumbled.

But he couldn't focus on that; he had a world to save.

Rushing forward, he blasted a pair of energy beams from his arms, destroying several Fire Demons with ease.

When he first fought them, it was clear that fire would not work on these guys. Just like Heatblast, they feed off it. He considered using Big Chill or Water Hazard to combat them, but the intense heat they give off would create a thick steam cloud that would only obstruct his vision.

Crabdozer can handle herself; the fire won't affect her tough body. So he doesn't have to worry about…

Suddenly, Crabdozer let out a cry of pain, cutting off his train of thought.

Chromastone saw Crabdozer stumbling around with several Fire Demons on her back. Their flaming swords and spears stabbed into her body. He also noticed several other weapons sticking out of her, and molten blood leaked from her wounds.

Rage burned in his eyes as he charged forward.

"Get away from my dog!" he roared as he blasted forward at blinding speed.

The crystal alien swiftly punched one demon off her before blasting the other two.

He then unleashed a powerful beam that sliced through several stone pillars, sending them crashing down on the Fire Demon swarm.

With them dealt with for the time being, Chromastone focused on Crabdozer.

The poor girl whimpered as magma-like blood leaked from the wounds inflicted by the flaming weapons.

Chromastone was confused. Crabdozer should be immune to fire attacks; her home planet is a star, and Heatblast's fire has no effect on her.

So how come these fireweapons were able to injure her?

Reaching up, Chromastone grabbed one of the fire spears and absorbed it. Dissipating the weapon. As he felt the energy enter him, he suddenly realised. This wasn't ordinary fire. These were mystical flames.

The Fire Demons are magical beings, so their fire is also magically charged. It does not behave the same way as normal fire, which is how Crabdozer could be harmed by them.

He quickly absorbed the rest of the weapons as Crabdozer collapsed, weakened by her injuries.

"Hey, girl. It's ok." Chromastone cooed at her as he petted her head. "You are such a good, brave girl."

Crabdozer purred at the prase and nuzzled him. Causing him to smile.

Then he looked at her seriously. "But, now it's time to go. It's no longer safe for you here, girl. I need you to go and join Ship. Wait for me until I come back."

Crabdozer immediately roared in protest as she tried to stand up, not wanting to leave him behind. But she was already so weak, she couldn't stand.

"I know you wanna help, Zed. But you've done enough." He told her. It pained him to see her like this. But he couldn't bear to see her get hurt anymore.

"Go Zed. That's an order. Go!" He barked at her.

Crabdozer reluctantly obeyed. Turning into Hypnotick and allowing the heat from the volcano to carry her to the edge.

With her out of harm's way. Chromastone turned back to the Fire Demons. They finally broke through the rock pillars and amassed on the far end of the platform. Branishing their flaming weapons and scratching like mindless beasts.

Chromastone stood tall as multicoloured energy surrounded his hands.

"Okay, you Heatblast knockoffs. I hope you enjoyed your visit, " he said, raising his arms. The energy around his hands formed into a pair of crystal swords.

The Crystal Alien spun his weapons in each hand and got into a fighting stance.

"But now I'm gonna send you back to Hell where you belong." With that, he let out a battle cry and flew towards the Demons.

The Fire Demons responded and charged at him. Chromastone swung his blades, cutting down the first couple of Fire Demons. One managed to block his blade with its own. Only for Chromastone's sword to absorb its fire sword, allowing him to slice it in half and dissolve it into a pile of ash.

Normally, Chromastone would do anything he could to avoid killing his opponents. But these things, he could feel their energy. They were like magical constructs. Their bodies were like batteries, drawing power from wherever they came from.

He could see the flow of energy from them. All originating from the same source.

It was like Charmcaster's Rock Golems. He could smash these things as much as he wants.

As he cut through another batch of Fire Demons, the communicator on his Ultimatrix blinked to life.

"Anyone listening? We got a big problem here."

Chromastone's eyes widened. That was Hanks's voice. What was he doing? Was he with Janet? So many questions flooded his mind.

Elsewhere in the Amazon, Hawkeye finally got the drop on Chemistro.

He fired a putty arrow into the villain's hand, pinning it to the trunk of a tree. Then he shot a second arrow into his Alchemy Gun, destroying it and splashing chemicals onto Chemistro's mask.

Immediately, the chemical villain started freaking out as he frantically dropped his weapon and used his free hand to remove his mask. This revealed an African American with short black hair and a soul patch.

"Ah! Hey, hey, help me! Get this armor off me. This stuff is dangerous," he said in a panic as he stripped off sections of his suit that were contaminated by the chemicals.

"No kidding," Hawkeye sarcastically responded, firing another arrow at the villain just as he removed the last piece of his contaminated suit.

The arrow impacted, and Chemistro was trapped in high-density polymer foam. Chemistro could only look annoyed as Hawkeye revelled in his victory.

With the villain contained, the archer pulled out his ID card and activated his comms.

"Uh, does anyone know how to stop this, whatever it is? There's an elf here giving me a dirty look," Hawkeye stated, glancing next to him where, true to his word, an elf was giving him the stink eye.

He wasn't attacking him, which might be a good thing. He didn't know. He just knew that a few of these guys were around the trees, and he didn't want to tick any of them off.

Iron Man grunted as Living Laser blasted him again with a powerful beam of energy.

The Armored Avenger finally turned the tables on the Energy Villain by analyzing his attack patterns.

With that information, Iron Man calibrated his shields to activate in the areas that Laser would strike, thereby reducing damage and the strain on the shields.

However, that still didn't solve the problem of the villain's speed.

That was until Iron Man came up with a crazy idea. He just hoped he lived long enough to gloat about it later.

He looked up as Living Laser prepared to charge at him again. The moment his body glowed, Iron Man raised his hands in front of him and aimed his palms.

"JARVIS, begin energy absorption," he ordered as Laser transformed into pure energy.

The Energy Villain collided with Iron Man, absorbing him into the suit.

The Armored Billionaire groaned in pain as his systems malfunctioned from the overwhelming influx of energy.
"Energy release, now!" he cried out.

With every ounce of strength left, Iron Man aimed his chest toward the sky and fired a powerful Unibeam of yellow energy.

Living Laser screamed as he was blasted into Earth's atmosphere.

Iron Man collapsed, his faceplate retracting as he gasped for air.

Pro: He won the fight. Con: That hurt like crazy. Pro: His armor is fully charged and still functional. Con: His body feels like it ran a marathon.

Still, he was glad to be rid of the villain for the time being. He figured Living Laser would drift around Earth's atmosphere for a few days before coming back down.

That was one problem solved. Now, to tackle another pressing issue.

"Thor? Thor, any tips on turning off a magic rock?" Iron Man asked while activating his communicator.

He figured that whatever had been jamming them before was finally taken out since he started hearing everyone else over the comms. Hopefully, Thor could shed some light on how to stop all of this.

"I've never slain an Asgardian before," Zemo said sadistically, allowing the tip of his blade to scrape against the floor as he walked towards the Prince of Thunder.

The Masked Demon looked up at him. "I'm looking forward to it."

Even though the mask hid his facial expressions, Thor could still sense the look of the villain's gaze.

It is a look he had only seen once before. From when he faced the Fenris Wolf.

The eyes of a hungry predator. One that did not do so in order to survive. But due to an insatiable hunger for carnage and destruction.

In all his years, Thor never thought he would ever see a mortal with those eyes. This man, this Zemo. He was no man. He was a Demon.

He raised his blade and pointed it at Thor's throat.

As he did, Thor turned his eyes to Mjolnir. The mystic hammer was still entrapped by Amora's magic dome.

While her power is virtually unmatched in all the Nine Realms, the Enchantress's spells require her to concentrate in order to maintain their strength.

With her concentration under the veil of Zemo's control. Her mind is cloudy, her emotions twisted, and her spirit is crying out for freedom.

Opening his palm, Thor called his hammer. Mjolnir scraped across the floor, coming to a stop at the dome.

His hand shook as he felt the tension as if trying to pull in a fishing net.

But, as he predicted, the Enchantress's magic has weakened as the dome vanishes and the Hammer is freed.

On his command, Mjolnir flew into Zemo's back. It knocked the villain over, sending his sword clattering to the ground as he landed face-first on the floor.

Mjolnir then flew to Thor's awaiting hand as he gripped the Magic Mallet by its straps. He spun the hammer and generated a powerful arc of lightning that shocked the Enchantress.

The Asgardian Witch screamed as her concentration broke along with her spell, freeing Thor.

Zemo quickly got to his feet and drew his gun, firing a mystical energy bolt.

Thor easily batted the blast, sending it back at Zemo, hitting him in the stomach and knocking him down.

At the same time, the Enchantress regained her senses. Thor's lightning had fried the circuitry of Zemo's control collar, thereby freeing her from his control. Reaching up, she used a spell to shatter it.

With Zemo down, Thor quickly pulled out his ID Card and contacted the others.

"Avengers, no matter the cost, you must destroy the stones. The fate of the world depends on it." He stated with utmost urgency.

Around the world, the Avengers heard the Thunderer's voice loud and clear.

In Slovakia, Captain America raised his shield above the Norn Stone with both hands and brought the patriotic symbol down on it.

In Australia, Iron Man aimed his palm at the stone and fired a high-powered repulsor beam at it.

In West Virginia, Hulk swung the Executioner's axe into the magic stone.

In the Amazon, Hawkeye aimed his bow at his Norn Stone and fired an explosive arrow at it.

In Chile, Black Panther fought his way through a crowd of Dark Elves as he drew a Vibranium dagger and stabbed the magic stone.

In Alaska, Giant-Man held off a Frost Giant as it tried to crush him under its foot while Wasp flew towards the Stone, her hands glowing with yellow energy.

In Russia, Chromastone blocked a Fire Demon's sword with his crystal sword while aiming his free hand at the Mystical Stone and fired an energy beam.

Thor raised Mjolnir and swung it around. Charging up mystical lighting as, he glared at the Norn Stone.

Enchantress raised her head and looked at Thor. Seeing what he was about to do, her eyes widened in shock and fear.

"No. No!" she cried, leaping forward and reaching out to Thor in a panicked attempt to stop him.

But it was too late.

Thor hurled his mighty hammer into the Norn Stone. Shattering it with a single blow.

Magic Energy erupted from the stone, blanketing the area with its light.

Across the world, the blue beams dissipated, and the skies cleared.

Peace had returned to the world as it continued to spin as if nothing happened.

Within Avengers Mansion, back in New York. The Assembly Table activated as it displayed a holographic image of the globe with each of the Lay Line locations displayed.

"All magical activity has subsided. Threat level, zero." JARVIS stated.

The hologram then listed all the Avengers. However, each one of them had a red X over their image followed by an Error sign.

"Connection to Iron Man armour lost. Connection to Avengers ID cards lost. Connection to Ultimatrix lost. Avengers bio-signatures not found."

Over and over, the A.I. attempted to contact and locate any of the Avengers. It used every single form of scanning and tracking it could utilize. Each time, it came up empty.

Across the entire planet Earth. The Avengers had simply vanished.

In Russia, at the summit of the volcano, Zed whimpered as she paced back and forth at the edge overlooking the vent.

Ship also paced alongside her, calling out into the empty chasm.

The Alien Blob then shapeshifted, transforming into a box-shaped device with a slight dish on the top. The dish's antenna started blinking as if transmitting a signal, searching for something.

Meanwhile, Zed whimpered and whined as she continued to pace. Sniffing the ground before her as she tried to pick up a scent.

But it seemed she couldn't find anything as she eventually sat down and howled into the air.

The two alien pets. Crying for their master, whom they could no longer sense.

"What an unexpected surprise." A voice echoed in Thor's ears.

Groggily, the Prince of Thunder opened his eyes. His vision blurry.

His memories returned to him. He remembers the fight with Zemo and Enchantress, destroying the Norn Stone. Finally, he remembered the blinding light as the stone's energy was released.

Thor moved his arm, and his hand slid across the smooth floor.

This feeling. It was not the metal plating of the base where he was fighting. It was smooth marble.

Raising his head and pushing himself up. Thors long golden hair flowed freely over his head, his helmet had come off, and he looked down at the floor.

The texture and the markings, he knew them. He knew them all too well. He played on these floors as a child.

This is Asgard. His home. Thor was finally home.

The floor, he recognised, was located in the Throne room.

But that voice he heard. That wasn't his father's voice.

That voice was…

Raising his head, his gaze travelled along the floor. Ahead of him lay his helmet and Mjolnir, a few feet before him. However, the Thunder God ignored those items as his gaze continued upwards until his eyes lay on the throne of Asgard.

More specifically, to whom was sitting on that throne.

"Nay." Thor gasped. His eyes widened in shock. It wasn't possible.

Sitting on the throne of Asgard was not the All-Father Odin. It was a man with pale skin, long raven hair tied into a ponytail, poison green eyes, and three black lines that stretched from the base of his eyes across his cheeks to his ears.

He wore green and gold clothing. Green cloth covered his upper arms to the elbow and legs just past the calves. He had gold-scaled armor on his chest, with golden fabric draping over the top and covering his shoulders. His gloves and boots were also gold, and gold trimming adorned the bell bottoms of his pants.

A golden helmet covered his head, featuring a pair of long curved horns protruding from the front, curving around like the horns of a goat.

The man grinned maniacally as he clasped his hands together.

"Welcome home, Brother." Greeted Loki, God of Mischief.

He let out an evil laugh from his seat.

As Ruler of Asgard…

And there we have it. The final arc of seson 1 has begun!

I hope you have all enjoyed reading this latest chapter. I certainly had a lot of fun writing it.

A few things to go over. One, the locations. The show didn't really do a good job at clarifying where the Avengers went around the world. I did my best to go off the globe in the show as best I could. But for some, I had to improvise. Still, it was fun to come up with some fun destinations for our favorite heroes to visit.

Next are the matchups. Well, given that Ben's in the picture, I had to use the Volcano location that went unused in the show. Now I understand that there was an in-universe reason for why that location wasnt used. I understand that. And Im sure many of you have already figured out where Ben is gonna be sent in the next chapter. But, trust me, I have a plan and it's all gonna work out.

(Same can be said for Ship and Zed being here during the Skrull Invasion. I know I got a bit of criticism for that. But, Im gonna ask you guys to trust me here. You should know by now that I have a plan for this stuff. Have a little faith.)

Now I really tried to expand and shake things up for the fights. Some were more creative than others. But then there are some that just worked in the show, and there really wasn't much I could add to it. Hulk and Executioners fight being one of them. I really couldnt add much to that fight. Both are pretty straight forward brawlers and their fight was the briefest in the show, so I didn't think it needed to be changed.

Also, yes Rocks is canon to my story. I added his Terrakenisis powers cause I thought it would be a nice addition rather than him just "making earthquakes" Bens already got an Earthquake alien with Armodrillo. I wanted Rocks to have his own thing. And yes, other aliens like Squidstrictor will also make their debut as well. To look forward to that.

As always you are all free to PM me with ideas and suggestions or if you just want to have a simple chat. As I mentioned, Im playing Marvel Rivals, so perhaps I'll see a few of you out there.

Thanks for all your support guys and Ill catch you in the next chapter.

Until next time, CaptainRex75 out!