Chapter 27
In under thirty minutes, the tower was completely free of black soldiers and they managed to get everything under control again.
“We need to gather everyone.” Dean said urgently, as he walked beside Steve, after locking up the last soldier. “Their Castiel is going to go nuclear and the AUers are gonna use their death ship to threaten New York and leverage us to surrender our Cas.”
“How do you know that?” Steve asked with a deep frown as he thought about all this. They hadn’t had time to properly take a break and reunite, but Steve was relieved to no end that his friends and his husband managed to come back from that other world in one piece, even if he still didn’t know all the details of what happened to them there.
“It’s exactly what I would do.” Dean announced with a deep scowl.
Steve turned to him, eyeing him carefully, before nodding as they both marched towards the elevator.
***
Meanwhile, on the AUers battleship, Dark Castiel laid on the bed in the med bay with Dark Dean by his side.
“I am sorry.” Dark Castiel muttered without looking at the other man.
“For what?” Dark Dean frowned at him in confusion.
“For being so weak.” The dark angel spat in almost disgust at his current state.
“We have managed to stabilize his deterioration.” One of the medics said nervously, trying not to look the man in the eye. “But without a transplant, he would be dead within the hour.”
“Quiet!” Dark Dean snapped harshly, making the man jump and cower back. “Get out. Now!”
The medic rushed out of the room, as the king returned his gaze back to the Dark angel.
“Don’t listen to him.” He said calmly, looking back at him as he continued confidently. “There is more strength in you, than in this entire world of pathetic heroes combined.” He took a hold of his hand, as he looked back at him in determination. “I will get you that heart.”
“Tony Stark is probably dead. There is no one to do the transplant now.” Dark Castiel said in frustration, looking away from him.
“Then we will force the Tony Stark of this world to do it.” He growled in pure anger at that. “I will force him to cut open his own friend and take his heart in his hands.”
With that, he turned and marched out of the room with purpose.
***
“Where are we on locating their battleship?”
Steve asked, eyes trained on Tony and Charlie as they all gathered in one of the intact rooms in the penthouse.
A frustrated Dean was standing next to an exhausted looking Castiel, supporting him even as the angel flat out refused to sit down and rest.
Next to them, Charles sat down on a chair, looking pained and exhausted, reaching his limits with his still adjusting legs, Erik next to him taking his hand in both of his as he watched him with concern.
Tony was staring intently at his tablet, working fiercely, ignoring how tired he was. Charlie next to him with her lap top. Sam and Natasha leaned against each other, but remained sanding despite their obvious fatigue. Everyone else stood around in the room looking wiped out but stared at Steve with attention.
Honestly, Steve himself was beyond exhausted. Physically and emotionally, but they could never relax with those last remaining doppelgangers still out there. So, they were forced to deal with this despite their fatigue.
“The data we gathered indicates it is in the vicinity of New York.” Charlie reported to Steve’s earlier question, not looking up from her lap top.
“Which also indicates that Dark Castiel isn’t long for this world.” Tony added with a deep frown on his face.
“Which means that this world isn’t long for this world.” Dean added helpfully with a frustrated look and a frown Castiel’s way, who gave him a raised, stubborn eyebrow in response.
“Well, failure is not an option.” Steve said firmly, eyeing everyone to make sure he had their full attention. “Losing is not an option. We are going to win. And we are going to show these crappy versions of us that this world is ours and it is not so easy to take.”
“Great speech, man.” Clint gave him thumbs up with a grin, as everyone straightened up, looking more alive.
“Sorry to interrupt, Captain, but we are getting a call from an unknown source.” JARVIS, who Tony just brought back online, announced.
They all stared at each other, probably all knowing who this call might be.
“Put it on, Jay.” Tony ordered as they all gathered together, just when a hologram of Dark Dean appeared in the middle of the room.
“What do you want?” Dean demanded harshly, as they all glared hard at the dark king.
“To offer a truce.” Dark Dean announced coldly, looking them down with obvious disdain on his face.
“In exchange for what?” Erik raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“We will leave this world. Peacefully.” Dark Dean started icily, eyeing Dean and Castiel with the corner of his eyes. “If you meet my one demand. Your Castiel will come with us.”
Dean and Erik pointedly pushed Castiel back when he tried to step forward, obviously to do something stupid. When the angel was about to protest, he was pulled further back by a frustrated Sam and Charles.
Steve eyed Castiel for a few seconds, before turning back to the hologram with a stubborn firm, glare.
“Here’s the difference between our world and yours.” Steve started, taking a step forward to stare down the king. “Here, we don’t abandon our friends. So, we will see you in the battlefield.”
With that, he ended the call.
A few seconds in silence, before anybody said anything.
“I could have just gone with them and ended all th-“ Castiel started in frustration, but then startled a little when every person in the room turned to glare at him sharply.
“We said you are not going anywhere, why are you so desperate to die?!” Dean shouted angrily, making Charles and Bruce flinch a little at the sharpness of his voice.
“I am not desperate to die! I am not very fond of any unnecessary death that might happen in battle, if we have an easier solution to avoid it.” Castiel snapped back, looking equally frustrated.
“Letting them carve your heart out is the easier solution now?” Tony raised an eyebrow at him, overwhelmed with Castiel’s logic.
“My life is not worth-“
“Cas? Shut up.” Steve smiled sweetly at him, with a certain dangerous edge to it, that Castiel just raised an eyebrow at, before sighing in defeat at the force of everyone’s glare.
“Fine. What is your plan then?” Castiel muttered, allowing Dean to pull him towards him in apology for his earlier outburst.
Steve trailed his eyes over his team, who was looking back at him expectantly, obviously all decided to just lean on him for now. Charles was standing up stubbornly, ignoring the fact that his legs were probably shaking from exhaustion and Erik’s glares. Castiel was pulling himself to his full height, not paying any mind to Dean’s worried looks. Tony looked exhausted, but determined. Sam and Natasha looking angry with resolve. The rest of the team seemed to be ready to do anything to end this mess.
“Alright, I have a plan. Hopefully, it will be enough.” Steve started taking a deep breath, before telling them.
***
Chaos started in New York City, as the AUers’ battleship appeared in the middle of the sky and started to shoot lasers at anything and everything. The streets filled with black soldiers, marching forward with the masked king in the lead, shooting at any passerby that was unfortunate to be in the streets at the time. People running for their lives everywhere.
The cops made a siege and started to shoot at the army, who was shooting back just as violently.
“Let them run.” Dark Castiel growled viciously, leading the battleship himself, as it flew through the city. “We will turn this city into a mausoleum.”
In the middle of the chaos, a Quinjet flew through the sky, from it jumped Team ground control, who landed right into the middle of the chaos, led by Steve.
The moment the dark king saw them, he directed the army towards them.
The team, involving Dean, Natasha, Clint, the Hulk, Hank, Logan and led by Steve, took their positions as the army marched towards them.
“Widow, Hawkeye, clear the civilians.” Steve ordered as they started to run towards the marching army. “Hulk, Beast and Logan, lower their numbers as much as you could. Righteous Man-“
“I will deal with Fucker me.” Dean finished for him with a growl, as he eyed his doppelganger.
“Hit them as hard as you can. Don’t die.”