Chapter 9
Chapter 9
New York ; 2012
The first group of heroes landed in New York. The city was besieged by alien creatures. In the center, the Avengers who were gathered with the monsters around them.
Further away from them, Supergirl, Captain America, Iron Man, Ant-Man and Professor Hulk had a view of the battle. Supergirl was tempted to participate in the battle, but remembered that she shouldn't interfere with the events of the past.
"All right, we all have our assignments," said Steve, looking around him. "Two Stones uptown, one stone, down. Stay low. Keep an eye on the clock."
He was interrupted when they saw Hulk of 2012 crush a creature with a car, demolishing it, much to Supergirl's surprise.
"That was really you?" if she exclaimed.
Bruce looked embarrassed, while Steve spoke to him:
"Feel free to smash if things along the way."
"I think it's gratuitous, but whatever." said the green giant, pulling off his shirt.
Bruce grunted slightly, making him harmless compared to the old Hulk. He knocked on a car, but didn't seem formidable. He threw a motorcycle away.
Then, Captain America turned to his companions.
"You know what to do."
"Yes, Cap," replied Supergirl, flying away.
She flew over the city of New York, making sure to go unnoticed between fights. She saw the tall Stark tower in front of her. She made her way to the building when something caught her by the cloak and threw her to the ground, landing on a car. Or someone. Someone green.
Supergirl pulled away from the car, and found herself facing an angry Hulk, who was grunting in rage.
"Hey Hulk, I'm not a bad guy," said Kryptonian, raising her arms. "I don't wanna hurt you. Let me go."
But Hulk, unaware of what she was saying, jumped up and threatened to crash into her. Supergirl pulled away in time, before the colossal body of the green monster crushed the car.
"Do I look like a Chitauri?" exclaimed Krypton's Daughter, outraged.
For any answer, Hulk growled in rage and rushed on her. He tossed his fist in the air and knocked on the kryptonian sending her against a wall. The green Goliath came back, but this time, Supergirl fought back with a powerful punch in the jaw. And she used her heat vision sending him away to her.
Hulk, raging with rage, rushed back at Supergirl, but she hit him in the chest with the force of her two fists, pushing him back against the concrete. Taking advantage of her respite, Supergirl resumed her flight to the Stark Tower.
I think I prefer him as Professor Hulk.
Morag; 2014
The Benatar landed on the dark planet of Morag. Rhodey was taking a small shuttle off the ship, while Oliver was waiting with Nat and Clint.
"I miss my island," replied the archer of Earth – 1, looking around him .
"Really?" Clint said, surprised and amused.
"No offense, but I'm not used to seeing all the amazing stuff you have in your Earth," Oliver explained. "A living cloak, a raccoon talking, a giant green…"
"I wonder what there is to see on your Earth, Queen," said Avenger. "Don't you get bored in your home?"
"Never."
"Guys, come on," said Nat interposing herself between them.
Later, the group broke up. Nat and Clint were going to take Benatar to go to Vormir, while Oliver stayed with Rhodey and Nebula. Oliver squeezed the hand of the Avenger archer.
"Good luck, and take care of yourself," he said to his new friend.
"You too, Queen, find this Stone and get out of here," Clint said.
"No problem," Oliver said with a smile.
"You guys watch each other's six," Rhodey said, when Nat and Clint boarded the ship.
Then the ship took off leaving them alone on Morag.
"The coordinates for Vormir are laid in," Nebula explained. "All they have to do is not fall out."
Soon after, Oliver looked at Rhodey and the blue humanoid.
"So, Nebula, what's the plan?" asked the archer from Earth – 1.
"We just wait around for this Quill guy to show up and then he leads us to the Power Stone, is that it?"asked War Machine.
"Let's take cover," Nebula replied neutrally. "We're not the only ones in 2014 looking for the Stones."
"Who are you talking about?" Oliver frowned.
"My father, my sister… and me"
"At a time when you were still faithful to him?"
As an answer, the bluish humanoid nodded.
"So let's not just stand around. We need to find this Stone before Thanos spots us," Oliver explained, taking out his bow.
Elsewhere, in a system far from Morag, the 2014 version of Nebula raged against intergalactic creatures. One of them was about to eliminate her when her sister Gamorra came to her rescue. She offered her hand to help her up, but the bluish creature refused.
"I didn't ask for your help." she spat at her sister.
"And yet, you always need it." said Gamorra, remaining neutral.
She still offered her her hand, but Nebula still refused her.
"Get up. Father wants us back on the ship."
"Why?" Nebula asked.
"He's found an Infinity Stone."
Then the two warriors went to join an immense ship in the shape of a ring. Both looked at a holographic image of a planet.
"Where?" Nebula asked.
"On a planet called Morag," Gamorra said.
"Father's plan is finally in motion."
"One Stone isn't six, Nebula."
"It's a he gets all of them…"
A ray of energy emerges from nowhere behind the two warriors. And the imposing figure of Thanos emerged. He seemed to be coming back from a bloody fight. He was holding a huge two-bladed sword.
He walked to his two daughters, wiping the blood from his weapon.
"Ronan's located the Power Stone," he told Gamorra. "I'm dispatching you to his ship."
"He won't like that," said the greenish humanoid.
"His alternative is death, then" replied the Mad Titan."Ronan's obsession clouds his judgement."
Nebula rejoined Gamorra and bowed to Thanos.
"We will not fail you, Father!" She replied.
"No you won't," replied the Titan.
Nebula stood up while speaking in front of her father:
"I swear I will make you proud."
Then her left eye twinkled, and Nebula moaned in pain. She fell to the ground, then her eye shot a hologram showing James Rhodes and Oliver Queen chatting with her.
"We just wait around for this Quill guy to show up and then he leads us to the Power Stone, is that it?"Rhodey said.
"Let's take cover. We're not the only ones in 2014 looking for the Stones." Nebula's voice said.
"Who are you talking about?"said Oliver Queen, frowning.
"My father, my sister… and me"
"At a time when you were still faithful to him? So let's not just stand around. We need to find this Stone before Thanos spots us."
The image faded, Nebula put a hand on her head, moaning in pain. Gamorra, who had seen everything, was stunned.
"Who were these men?" She asked.
"I don't know… my head is splitting..." moaned the bluish humanoid.
Worried, Gamorra stood up to face Thanos, trying to find a plausible justification for Nebula's condition:
"Her synaptic drive was probably damaged in battle."
But Thanos slowly approached Nebula, and put her blade on her daughter's throat. What he had seen intrigued him.
"Bring her to my ship" he ordered in a soft voice.
New York; 2012
Supergirl joined Iron Man at the top of the Stark Tower. Thanks to her X-ray vision she could see the Avengers stop Loki. She regretted not being able to be part of it. Defeat a terrible battle that ravaged New York.
"Cap," she announced by communication."I see you with everyone else with Loki."
"Things look like they're just about wrapped up here," Iron Man added.
"Got it, I'm approaching the elevator now, answered the voice of Steve Rogers.
Supergirl flew over the building and found a discreet entrance. In a flash, she changed, wearing a black business suit, with a fake SHIELD card with the help of Natasha and tied her hair. Kara was reluctant to pretend to be a bad guy. She knew that SHIELD was infiltrated by the Hydra and had seized Loki's Scepter. The idea of having to pretend to be a henchman of a terrorist organization disgusted her, but it was a necessary evil.
She passed guards and gave them her fake card.
"Dr. Danvers, it's the Secretary who sends me," she explained, taking a dry, neutral voice.
Then, we let her go. Despite herself, she heard Tony Stark talk about Captain America's posterior, much to her exasperation.
And the voice of Ant-Man sounded:
"As far as I'm concerned, that's America's ass."
Kara rolled her eyes and spoke in a low voice:
"Guys, can we focus on the mission?"
Then Iron Man announced that the Scepter was in the hands of the agents and was in the elevator. Kara joined Captain America on one floor, right in front of the elevator.
Steve opened the doors, and both discovered Jasper Sitwell with several Hydra agents holding the briefcase containing Loki's Scepter. Sitwell seemed surprised at the sight of the arrivals.
"Captain, I thought you were coordinating search and rescue. And who are you, miss?"
"Change of plan," Steve answered, taking a seat with the agents in the elevator.
"I'm Dr. Danvers, it's the Secretary who sends me to assure him that the Scepter is in safe hands," added Kara taking place in the elevator. "So I'm going with Captain Rogers."
She had often seen Cat Grant command everyone, she had no problem imitating her in her strict way of asking everything. She had a desire to bang all these fake spy agents, but did everything to stay calm and neutral. Then the elevator started again. An agent turned to Steve.
"Hey Cap," he greeted.
"Rumlow," Captain answered, still in a neutral tone.
Kara could hear the agents putting their hands on their weapons. It was obvious that they had suspicions, it was necessary to quickly find a solution before it degenerated.
"Captain Rogers and I got orders," Kryptonian explained."From the Secretary. We're gonna be running point on the scepter."
Sitwell turned to them, looking lost.
"Doctor, I don't understand."
"We've just had an alien invasion," Kara added in a neutral tone. "It would be unfortunate if Loki's Scepter falls into the hands of anyone."
"We got word there may be an attempt to steal it," Steve added. "So you have to give it to us."
"Sorry, Cap, doctor," said Agent Rumlow."I can't give you the scepter."
"I'm gonna have to call the Director," Sitwell said, taking out a phone.
Out of ideas, Kara didn't know what to do. Alex had told her one day that she was a bad liar. If she saw her play a mean. Kara clenched her fists, ready for a clash. But to her surprise, Captain remained calm.
"That's okay," he replied. "Trust me!"
Then he whispered in Sitwell's ear:
"Hail Hydra!"
In spite of herself, Kara hastened to add in a low voice, but loud enough for all the agents to hear:
"Hail Hydra!"
All looked at them with surprise. Kara was disgusted with herself, but did everything to stay calm and serene.
Finally, Captain America and Kara came out of the elevator with the Scepter in the hands of the Avenger. Once away from the agents, both smiled at having succeeded.
"Nice to finally be able to take off that horrible suit," Kara whispered to Steve. "I'll see where Tony and Scott are."
Then Kara disappeared in super-speed, got rid of her businesswoman outfit, took her Supergirl suit and left the building flying.
She descended quietly to the front of the building and saw Tony Stark disguised as a SWAT man taking a briefcase away from a group of men. Krypton's Daughter watched with her x-rays and saw the Tesseract in the crate. They had succeeded.
But as Tony was leaving, Hulk jumped out of nowhere, mad with rage, throwing the billionaire away with the briefcase that opened in shock, knocking the bluish cube to the ground.
To Supergirl's horror, she saw Loki pick it up. In super-speed, she hurried back to the reception room, but Loki had taken the Space Stone and disappeared through a portal. The Tesseract was gone!
Supergirl, disappointed and furious, left the building flying without being seen, and returned to a deserted alley, and spoke by radio communication.
"Cap, we've a problem! The Tesseract disappeared with Loki! We lost it! Cap? Steve, it's Supergirl, can you hear me?"
In the space; 2014
Aboard the gigantic ship was Thanos with his children. Ebony Maw was analyzing Nebula's memory through a machine planted on the head of the bluish humanoid.
"Run diagnostics," Thanos ordered. "Show me her memory file."
Maw consulted his machine and said:
"Sire, the file appears entangled. It was a memory, but not hers. There's another consciousness sharing her network...another Nebula."
Thanos and Gamorra seemed surprised.
"Impossible," said the Mad Titan.
"This duplicate carries a time stamp from nine years in the future," Maw continued, who was as surprised as they were.
"Where is this other Nebula?" asked Thanos.
"In our solar system, on Morag."
"Can you access her?"
"Yes, the two are linked."
"Search the duplicate's memories for Infinity Stones."
Immediately, Nebula's eye brought up a hologram showing the Avengers chatting in a room of their compound.
"… and these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history."said the voice of Bruce Banner.
"Our history," Tony Stark corrected."So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in."
"Which means we have to pick our targets," added Clint Barton, standing against a wall.
"Freeze image," said Thanos, who was watching everyone in the hologram.
"Terrans," exclaimed Gamorra.
"Avengers," said the Mad Titan."Unruly wretches. What's that reflection?" (He pointed to something in the picture.) "Amplify this, Maw!"
Maw zoomed the holographic image and everyone could see the silhouette of Nebula, to the surprise of Gamorra.
"I don't understand. Two Nebulas." exclaimed this one.
"No, the same Nebula," Thanos replied neutrally. "From two different times. (He turned to Maw.) Set course for Morag. Scan the duplicate's memories. I want to see everything."