Four • Heroes
There was a storm brewing over New York City. The sky heavy and dark, sunlight forcing its way through thick, smoky clouds. Rain fell in bursts, showering the sidewalk for mere moments at a time before disappearing again, leaving behind glistening puddles and a warm, earthy scent. But there was something else brewing - a tempest - and it was far more destructive than any act of god.
On Tenth Avenue, traffic had slowed to a standstill. A never ending string of buses, cars and yellow taxis honked their horns as passersby stopped to watch the commotion unfold. The line stretched the length of the street, people at the back climbing out of their vehicles and hanging out of windows to try and get a look at what was happening. An accident, perhaps, roadworks or diversions. But further towards the front of the line, the sense of irritation and confusion morphed into one of fear and dread.
Walking side-by-side down the middle of the road was a group of people. A pack. In the middle was a man in a long coat, his face shadowed by a large hood, beside him walked a younger man, flickering and glitching, and a small woman with eyes gauged out and replaced by light. Behind them trailed a large creature walking slowly beside a quiet, stoic woman in a pair of leather gloves. They were ignoring the beeps and shouting onlookers as if they weren't there, as if the city belonged to them.
They stopped, standing together as the lights changed from red to green and eventually back to red, no one daring to drive past them, no one daring to cross the street. The hooded man turned his head, speaking to the younger man.
"Do it."
He nodded and raised his hands slowly, his brow furrowing with concentration before looking around, a slight smile creasing the corners of his sunken cheeks. He brought his hands down quickly, and with them, the ground began to ripple like liquid. It travelled outwards like a shockwave, making everything around them, every building, car and person explode into dust. He looked up, guiding the dust up towards the moody sky before bringing the fragments back together above their heads. Then he dropped his hands to his sides and watched as it all came crashing back down.
"That should get their attention," the hooded man said as the five of them stood calmly amongst the destruction.
*
Stephen stepped through the large front doors of the sanctum, closing them behind him with one hand, his other carrying a brown paper takeout bag. He slipped off his hood and unzipped his jacket as he made his way towards the stairs, taking them two at a time until he almost reached the top.
A sudden jolt surged through his body, knocking him forward like a powerful gust of wind. He fell against the steps, dropping the bag of food and catching himself with his free hand before looking around breathlessly at the empty staircase.
He recognised the feeling; it was malevolent, otherworldly. He was sorcerer supreme, in tune with the world like no one else; he could feel its pain, sense when it was infected by darkness, but nothing had ever brought him to his knees before.
He got up and climbed the remaining stairs, running into Wong on the landing.
"Something's happened," said Stephen.
"Dark magic, I felt it too."
They ran up to the roof, bursting through the door and hurrying to the edge, looking out at the smoke rising over the tops of building, the sound of sirens ringing in the air.
"It's the same people from the other attack," said Stephen.
"But they feel so much stronger."
"That's because they are."
They shielded their eyes and looked up at the sky, watching as a familiar aircraft soared towards the scene.
"Right on cue."
Wong turned to Stephen in panic. "We can't let them go up against these people. They're powered by darkness, able to alter the fabric of reality - the Avengers don't stand a chance."
"No, no this is good. They don't need to win. If they can just... keep them busy long enough for me to-"
"Stephen. You cannot use them as bait."
"Are we talking about the same people here? Those guys went up against Thanos, with six infinity stones in his fist, and they won."
"You believe they would have succeeded without your help?"
"I-" he stopped himself and let out a huff.
"You know the game Rock Paper Scissors?"
Stephen raised an eyebrow, looking at him sceptically from the corner of his eye. "Mhm..."
"There is a reason why paper beats rock. Rock is big and solid, it beats scissors by crushing them with sheer strength. But paper is a shapeshifter. It can manipulate its form, bend around the rock and render it useless..."
"Damn that's a good analogy, I'll be stealing that one."
"Stephen... The Avengers are the rock, these people are the paper. They need someone more powerful than any of them combined." He paused. "I think it's time you put your grievances aside."
He remained quiet, staring into the distance as the aircraft lowered itself in the midst of the chaos.
*
Bruce, Rhodey, Sam, Wanda and Scott stepped out of their aircraft, forming a row just feet away from the Changed Ones. Above their heads, Peter swung through the city, dropping to the ground and landing at their side.
"Haven't you guys learned your lesson?" Sam shouted over to them.
"We learned," replied Spencer. "And this time we've come a little more prepared."
He slipped down his hood to reveal his face, the woman next to him bent her knees and ignited her hands while the monster behind them bore his teeth with a growl.
Wanda lit up her own hands in response, her eyes glowing scarlet. Scott and Rhodey flicked up their helmets as the wings on Sam's back splayed out to their full breadth.
"What do you want?" Bruce shouted. "Who are you?"
"Us?" Spencer looked around at his group, almost laughing. "We're the new Avengers!"
"Good one," said Scott with a sarcastic laugh.
"Unlike you guys, we're trying to share our gifts instead of hoarding them. Think about it; a world full superheroes."
"You guys aren't 'heroes'," Sam sneered.
"And we're all about to witness the proof... that neither are you."
The two groups charged towards each other in a mix of powerful blasts and gunfire. Bruce and the monster crashed into one another, growling and roaring, destroying everything they touched as they brawled. Wanda blocked the small woman's powers, throwing her own deep red energy back at her as Sam and Peter soared through the air above them.
The other woman stood still, calmly removing her gloves as she glared at Scott, a slight smirk on her face. He scrunched his nose, the memory of Hope writhing in pain making his blood bubble with anger. He pressed a button on his suit, shrinking down and running towards her, avoiding Spencer and Rhodey's feet as they fought above him.
"We beat 'em once, we can do it again," said Sam as he began ushering onlookers to safety.
Suddenly, Bruce's body soared through the air and crashed into a parked car. He groaned, unable to lift his head as he lay amongst the crushed metal. The monster charged at him, jumping on top of him and pounding his fists into his face until he knocked him out cold.
"Bruce!" Wanda shouted before surrounding the monster in a cloud of light and throwing him down the street.
Nearby, Scott resized behind the woman and grabbed her in a choke hold. "Hey Spider-Man, can you fashion us a pair of gloves!?"
"Sure!" Peter swung down and landed in front of them before shooting a thick layer of webbing around each of her hands. He attached her to a streetlight, saluting playfully before running off again.
Scott glanced across the street to Rhodey as he continued to fight off Spencer. He ran over to them, shrinking down and sizing up around the man's face to distract him as Rhodey opened his palm and shot him down into the ground.
Spencer began to laugh, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at the two men. "You call yourselves Avengers. But what are you without your suits?"
"Uh... awesome?" Scott replied sarcastically.
"We'll see."
They turned around to see Wheeler standing behind them. But before they could do anything, the young man had lifted his hand, causing the metal of Rhodey's suit to melt, dripping off his body like liquid silver. He dropped to his knees as his leg braces began to malfunction, rendering him useless, unable to move from the sidewalk where he lay.
Scott stared down at the puddle that was once War Machine's suit. "How the fu-"
Spencer stepped up behind him, placing his glowing hand on his helmet and smiling as it began to spark. Scott took off in a sprint, his suit changing his size every few seconds as Spencer and Wheeler chased behind.
Sam landed next to Rhodey, crouching down and helping him sit up. "What the hell happened?"
"The kid. Watch out for the kid."
Sam glanced up to see Scott running from the two men. He watched as Wheeler moved his hands, warping the ground as if it were water, reducing things to particles and stitching them back together, making the air fold in on itself like a black hole. He handed Rhodey his shield for protection before flying off towards them.
But before he could get there, Spencer had grabbed Scott, breaking his suit completely and tearing his helmet off. Wheeler disintegrated him, balling up the dust and throwing it at a wall. Scott reformed, slamming into it and falling to the ground, gasping for breath.
Peter appeared at Sam's side, hanging upside down from a road sign.
"We're losing," said Sam.
"No, we can still beat them."
"The only other person I've seen do things like this is Strange. And he's not here."
"He'll come," Peter insisted. "He will. He has to."
Spencer walked up to the woman as she struggled to free herself from the streetlight. He grabbed the webbing in his fists and tore it away, directing her towards Bruce. She walked up to him as he lay on the car and placed a hand on the side of his face, watching as the huge, green creature gritted his teeth and let out an agonising roar.
"Sorry to break it to you, kid," Sam continued. "But I don't see any wizards flying in to save the day!"
Wanda had gained control of her opponent, pinning her to the ground with her power and piling heavy rubble on top of her. But behind her, the monster was closing in, running towards her and bearing his sharp teeth.
Sam soared down, kicking him in the side of the head. The pair rolled together across the floor, eventually stopping with the monster on top of him. He raised his hands, wishing he'd kept his shield as large, heavy fists began to rain down on him.
"No..." Peter muttered as he watched on.
He bounced across the street in an attempt to help. But before he could get there, he felt a force dragging him away. Wheeler. He pulled him into the side of a building, merging his body with brick until he was stuck, moulded into the wall like cement. He let out a scream as he tried to free himself, but it was solid, leaving him with no choice but to watch on as the monster delivered a blow to Sam's face, knocking him out cold.
Wanda suddenly realised she was the last one standing. It was a heavy feeling, like the fate of the world sat within her two glowing fists. The group had come together, all five of them approaching her slowly as she backed away, glancing around at her teammates scattered around the destroyed street.
"You know, your gifts are not unlike Neo's here." Spencer gestured to the woman beside him as she conjured a large ball of light between her palms. "It's a shame, that you would use it for glory and admiration, yet let those who admire you die when the second snap-"
"The second snap is bullshit and you know it," she interrupted angrily. "Whatever did this to you, it wants destruction and it's using you to fulfil that."
Spencer jerked his head back as if he were in pain, the light beneath his skin pulsating and travelling through his veins like blood. He groaned as he regained control, his eyes falling on Wanda again. "The entity didn't like that..."
Her eyes widened as they began to charge towards her. She armed herself with her power as she braced for impact. But suddenly, in the air between her and the Changed Ones, there was a spark.
The spark began to swirl, multiplying and growing larger until it was so big and bright that it made her opponents stop in their tracks.
Peter watched on, punching the air with his one free hand and cheering. "Yes! I knew he'd come!"
Scott dug himself from the rubble, peering over and narrowing his eyes in confusion. "That's not Strange..."
She was dressed casually, in a cardigan, long skirt and heavy lace-up boots. It was as if she had been plucked unexpectedly from a shopping mall, accidentally stumbled into a war zone. But her eyes were bewitched, yellow light pouring from her hands and travelling up her arms. She was exactly where she needed to be.
She walked slowly and calmly out of the portal, seemingly unconcerned by the group in front of her, undisturbed by the devastation surrounding them. She held up her palms and shot a blast of energy that sent them all flying backwards. It was so strong that the ground shook, but still she continued to approach them at the same steady pace.
Neo was the quickest to her feet, jumping up and snarling as she charged towards her with fists of light. But with the turn of her wrist, Juno sent her soaring into the side of a building, as if she were flicking away a piece of lint that had landed on her shoulder.
Spencer stared at her with wide eyes. It was the first time his confidence had wavered, as if a glint of his former self had broken through the facade. He composed himself quickly, reaching out his hand to draw her closer to him. But she had predicted his attack, wrapping his arm in a cloud of yellow energy and dragging him back to his knees. She used her other hand to tear a large slab of concrete from the sidewalk before launching it at him. It broke as it hit him, burying him beneath the rubble.
Neo had climbed down from the building, running back towards her at full speed and throwing balls of light. But a forcefield formed around her, shielding her from each blow.
Wheeler closed his eyes and dematerialised, reappearing moments later at her side. He moved his arms, creating a vacuous black hole and attempting to pull her into it. But before it got to her, something stopped it. He looked up to see a man descending from the sky, with flecks of silver in his hair and a long red cloak on his back. He shifted his attention to him, turning the buildings around them to liquid and sending it towards him like a tidal wave. He watched as Stephen curled his hands, turning his wave into a cloud of glittering specks that fluttered up into the sky like stars.
Juno turned to Stephen and gave him a slight nod. He nodded back, before continuing to fight the young man, the pair slipping in and out of dimensions, using time and space as weapons and battlegrounds.
Juno sensed something behind her, turning her head ever so slightly until she could see a large, dark creature bounding towards her. She whipped around and caught him with her light, pulling him to the ground and dragging him behind her as she walked. His body was scraping the uneven floor as he wrestled against her power, thrashing his legs and growling as his head knocked against uneven bricks and exposed pipes. But still, she kept dragging him, like a hunter returning home with their prey.
On one side of her, Neo was approaching. On the other, the quiet, angry woman. Ahead of her, Spencer had freed himself from the concrete, rising to his feet and rolling his shoulders. She extended her arm and lifted him into the air, before multiplying herself into three. She sent one version of herself running towards Neo while the other turned to face the woman with a raised eyebrow. She let go of the monster before curving her fingers to bend pipes around his wrists, legs and neck, pinning him to ground. But her eyes never left Spencer as he hung helplessly in the air above her.
She pulled him down, drawing him close to her and placing a hand on the side of his head. Behind his eyes, she could see his memories; his childhood, his happiness, his sorrow. She saw a dark basement and a heavy black cloud, a malevolent whispering pouring from its tendrils. She let out a soft gasp and threw him down the street, watching him crash down on top of the monster who lay trapped beneath her makeshift shackles.
Suddenly, she felt the woman's hand on her shoulder. But instead of crumbling in excruciating pain, she turned to look at her, shaking her head as if to simply say 'no'. The woman's eyes glazed over with a blue light as she stood motionless just inches from her face, her hand still resting on her shoulder. Juno shrugged it off and turned around, focusing on Neo as she battled with the two multiples. She turned back to the woman, speaking to her without words and watching as she followed her orders, running towards her friend and grabbing her by the arms. Neo let out a blood curdling scream and dropped to her knees, writhing in pain beneath the other woman's touch.
Spencer's eyes widened in fear. He crawled away, leaving the monster trapped on the ground in the middle of the street. He slunk behind a damaged car, waiting a moment before continuing his escape. He ran through a broken building, throwing up his hood to hide his face, blending in with the crowds of terrified civilians until he was gone.
The sky above them tore apart, and through the hole fell Stephen, pulling Wheeler behind him by a string of orange light. He swung him around and threw him to the ground, leaving him winded, his form glitching with exhaustion. Juno lifted him from the ground, forcing his hands by his sides to stop him from using his powers. With her other hand, she dragged the two women towards him until the three of them where piled together on top of the monster.
She took a deep breath, furrowing her brow as she bent her knees and raised her arms, sending a blast of light straight towards them. Stephen stood nearby, holding his breath as he watched a thick, black sludge begin to rise out of them. She took another breath as she focused her energy, draining the dark power as if she were extracting it from their pores.
It travelled down the streams of light, changing yellow to black as it went. With every drop she pulled from them, it got closer to her, but she couldn't stop until she was sure it was out of them completely. Stephen clenched his fists, waiting for the right moment, his eyes never leaving the veins of black as they inched closer towards her.
The four people fell in a slump and Juno's eyes widened as the dark energy soared towards her. But just before it reached her, Stephen caught it with an incantation, trapping it inside a cylinder of light. She breathed out slowly, her eyes fading back to their calm, golden hue. She turned to him and nodded, this time with a grateful smile. He nodded back.
Wanda stumbled across the rubble, mouth open, eyes wide. The concrete crumbled around Peter, setting him free as Scott sat beside him, while Rhodey watched on and Sam began to stir.
Juno glanced around at each of them. "You're welcome," she said plainly before turning around and walking with Stephen through another portal.
The rest of them remained still, stuck in place with utter bewilderment as the portal closed, leaving behind nothing but smoke and silence.
"That was freaking awesome!" Peter shouted.
*
There was a rumbling outside that made the artefacts rattle inside their glass display cases. Stephen stood up and walked through the sanctum, almost making it to the door before there was a pounding on the other side.
He opened it to see the Avengers' aircraft parked unceremoniously in the middle of Bleecker street. He eyed the people in front of him, the bruises and cuts, the damaged suits, grime-covered skin.
"Just let us in," Wanda sighed, too exhausted to argue.
He stepped aside and ushered them in, walking them to a living room with large, plush couches.
Wanda, Scott and Peter sank down into them, while Sam remained standing despite his swollen face.
"Where are the others?" asked Stephen.
"Bruce can barely move, Rhodey can't walk, Hope is still recovering back at HQ. So it's just us," said Wanda quietly.
"And the... other people?"
"We handed them over to a secure facility ran by ex-shield guys. They'll try to get answers out of them, run some tests."
"Good."
"Alright, cut the small talk crap," Sam interjected before stepping towards Stephen. "Where is she?"
Soft footsteps echoed behind them. They turned to see Juno standing in the archway, arms folded across her chest.
Wanda sat up straight. "I-I don't understand how this is possible. We watched her go into that machine; Bruce and I stayed behind, we saw the explosion."
"She wasn't in the explosion," Stephen replied.
"Plot twist," said Juno.
"Right!?" Peter added.
Scott nudged him. "Shush."
Sam took another step closer to Stephen, his bruised jaw clenched. "How?"
He sighed and began pacing back and forth. "I stopped time. I went in and I took her out before the stone was completely destroyed."
"Why would you do that?" asked Wanda.
He paused for a moment. "I... after I left her alone with you, I looked into the future. I saw-"
"What?" Sam scoffed. "You saw the two of you all cosied up living happily ever after together?"
"Actually, I saw her save your asses," he snapped.
"Once again, you are welcome," Juno added as she walked into the room and sat down.
"You're a fugitive. An enemy of the state."
"She saved our lives, Sam," said Wanda.
"I didn't know when it would be," Stephen continued. "I didn't know how or why. All I saw were two possible realities; in the one where she was dead, we all died too. In the one where she was alive... well, you saw for yourself today."
"How the tables have turned," said Juno.
He swivelled around and looked down at her. "Can you stop? I'm trying to defend you here."
"So... what? You're like a crime-fighting duo now?" asked Scott. "Y'know, Ant Man and the Wasp, Doctor Strange and... The Anomaly?"
"The Anomaly," she nodded. "I like it."
"This is the first time she's seen battle in two years," said Stephen. "I refused to use her as a weapon back then and I won't now."
"Unless necessary," she added.
"Unless absolutely, unequivocally necessary."
"So you've been here this whole time?" asked Peter.
"I've been living in Kamar-Taj," she replied. "The sorcerers have been teaching me to control the influence of the stone."
Sam shook his head in disbelief. "So for the last two years we thought you were dead, when really you were off in some temple learning magic tricks?"
"Call it anger management," she replied, her tone prickly as she looked right at him.
He let out a slight laugh. "So we're just supposed to forget about everything that happened?"
"Look, I feel guilty every day about what happened. But it wasn't me, it was the stone. I've spent every day since then making sure that what happened will never happen again. That's all I can do. I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life apologising for something that I wasn't in control of."
"Oh well then, if you're sorry then I guess that means you're off the hook," he replied sarcastically.
"Huh..." she stood up. "So when someone gets shot, do you blame the gun or the person who pulled the trigger?"
He didn't respond.
"I was the gun," she finished.
"Is that what you tell yourself?"
"It's one of the mantras they taught me in Kamar-Taj, when I was so overwhelmed with guilt that I could barely function. So maybe you should take it up with them. I'm sure they'd love to hear you trying to unravel all the work they did to help me."
"So you're just walking around with an infinity stone in your neck and we're supposed to believe with a little meditation and positive thinking that-"
"Oh no, it's all still there. I just got really good at keeping it tucked away." She took a step towards him. "I could let it out if you'd like...?"
"Alright, let's take a second to calm down," said Stephen as he raised his hands.
"I'm calm," she replied. "But if you don't mind, all of that 'saving your lives' stuff kinda took it out of me. So I'm gonna go lie down."
They watched as she left the room, their eyes slowly falling back on Stephen. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"You guys should uh... probably move your plane before you get a ticket."