Anomaly

Nine • Villain

"Doesn't feel that way."

Juno sat in another room, still captive inside the cell. Her ears pricked when she heard a commotion echo through the sanctum; the sound of explosions and crumbling brick, shouting and weapons firing. She stood up, trying to focus herself into Stephen's mind, but there were too many people - too many thoughts overlapping each other and blending in one loud jumble.

Wong rushed into the room, his eyes were wide but his face creased with confusion when he saw her behind the safety of the glowing bars.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"I thought it was you," he said.

"Not this time."

He turned to leave, making his way towards the chaos.

"Wong, wait!"

He stopped and spun back around.

"Let me out."

"I can't."

"Please. Whatever's going on out there, I can help."

"I'm sorry, Juno. No."

He tried to walk away again. This time, she reached out her hand and pulled him towards her through the air until he was close enough for her to touch him. She gripped his arm and watched as a stream of light trailed up beneath his skin and cast over his eyes. It made her think of Loki, the memories that weren't her own; the sceptre connecting with people's chests, their eyes turning blue.

"Let me out," she said again.

Wong looked around, dazed and bewildered, before doing exactly as he was told. He took a step back and moved his arms, casting a spell that turned the bright orange bars a deep grey. Then they were gone, disintegrated like ash.

The fight had burst through the front of the sanctum, leaving a large, crumbling hole where the doors once stood. The Avengers had spilled out onto the street. Each one fighting to get around the barrier that Stephen had conjured.

Scott Lang shrunk himself down and sprinted towards the building, so small that as he looked up, Stephen's magic was like a galaxy above his head. He got inside the sanctum and returned to normal size, but he stopped in his tracks, almost skidding on his heels when a woman appeared in front of him.

"Ant Man, right?" she said.

"You must be Juno," he replied.

She nodded, tilting her head slightly to one side. "Sorry about this."

His eyes widened as she held out her palm and sent a blast into his chest. He soared backwards through the air, through the gaping hole in the wall until he landed hard on the road outside.

He lay on his back and removed his helmet, gasping for the air that had been knocked from his lungs. Everyone halted, turning slowly to see Juno emerging from the building, fists clenched, glowing, angry.

They charged for her.

To her left, Sam and Rhodey were flying towards her as Peter swung above their heads. She turned her fingers, manipulating Peter and making him shoot at the two men and yank them back. The three of them crashed to the ground in a tangle of web, she lifted them in a ball of light and threw them into a building across the street. The wall crumbled, windows smashed as the people inside began to scream.