𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 || 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘜𝘴
HIS BROKEN SMILE AND BLURRY EYES WERE LOST IN TIME–MIND ELSEWHERE. Halo's of smoke brimming off the tip of his cigarette. It'd been the latest moment of peace Carter'd gotten since his arrival in this universe. From the first step, it'd been a lot of moving and not a lot of appreciation. But then again, what was there to appreciate about a world you'd seen go up in flames a handful of times?
Carter wasn't sure. He was still searching for the answer.
Now, even for a moment, he could appreciate the silence of the night. How the wind felt on his skin. The way the stars gleamed in the sky. He would take it all in for these few minutes until he'd end up walking back into that suffocating party.
It was downright detestable for Tony to be hosting parties at a time like this. His entire world could collapse in on itself but he'd rather drink champagne. Not that it was surprising to Carter. It isn't the first time and surely wouldn't be the last.
And Carter would give the man that much respect. He was good at hiding his feelings. Maybe it was from his years of being in charge of Stark Industries, but he held his cards close to his chest. A defining feature of the man that never dared change from the universe jumps.
Still, it didn't change the malice Carter felt in his heart. Willing to do anything besides having to face the music and interact with people he's watched die a handful of times. All in gruesome and disturbing ways of their own.
"I shouldn't be surprised to see you out here." Carter turned his head lazily to the door to find Nova. A red silk dress hugged her figure beautifully, pronouncing her curves more prominently. Her hair was up in a messy bun with two rogue strands framing her face perfectly. She always looked good.
But it didn't hide the noticeable amount of cybernetics along her back. Most of the dress hid it, but Carter could see the metal frame composed of intricate implants coursing the length. A faint glow of white was found past all the metal structure that was her body. Residing right where her heart would be.
The music blasting from the open door soon fell to the familiar muffle from the glass provided to the man that proved to be comforting in the despair that clung to the back of his mind.
"Why the hell are you out here?" He inquired before nodding to her outfit. "Might catch a cold dressed like that."
Nova hummed, filling the open space beside him, leaning against the railing. "It beats going inside–Tony's insistence on having parties every other month has been wearing me thin," she stated, glancing at the man. "I also wanted to get a few puffs off that."
Carter was silent in his offering of the cigarette. Allowing the woman to take it and stand up a bit straighter. As she inhaled, he saw the way her fingers slightly trembled–how her breaths came stuttered with the faint chatter of her teeth–even her shoulders faintly bouncing–so, he sighed, shrugging off his suit jacket and quickly placing it around her shoulders–earning a smile in thanks before leaning against the railing again.
Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Nova swallowed the bitter taste and handed the cigarette back to the man. Pulling the edges of the jacket closer around her, seeking its warmth further. "You know, neither Natasha nor I could've stopped you from seeing your sister," she pointed out, staring at the man cautiously. "If it were me or Nat in your shoes and the person we wanted to see in Drew's, we would've been bolting to just hear their voice again. See them smile."
"But the risk is far greater with doing so. I listened to your warnings and weighed them with my desires," he replied, glancing at her. "Maybe if things don't work out here, I might just see her in another universe."
"What? Don't think we can handle the task you placed before us?" Nova quipped, attempting to lighten the grim mood of the conversation.
"Not that." He sighed, tossing the cigarette. "Things can be blown out of proportion. There are more variables at play than any of you realize. And as tonight is telling, Tony doesn't at all seem worried about the implications. Much like the few before him."
Nova scoffed, shaking her head. "You're living your life by past mistakes, Carter. You aren't looking at what's in front of you."
"The variables are everything the team does," he stated resolutely. "The way they talk and the way they act–I need to know if I waste my time here or look for something better." Although he wholeheartedly believed in his statement, he hadn't just slowed down for a bit. Take in the beauty of each universe he's adventure to. But why should he when his mission is far greater than his desires? "I need the outcome more than pointless memories."
"And these things come in time, Carter." She said with it almost being the most obvious answer. "You just have to give it some. These things will come to you. They'll shake you, toss you around. But the outcome will be worth it. Just play it one step at a time. That's what I'm doing with the loss of Cooper."
At that, Carter kept his lips pressed firmly together. A line of mangled thoughts coursed through his mind like a raving current. Unable to create a steady stream of conscious output without finding reasons to shoot down her suggestion. Because if Nova thought it might be a good idea, why not give it a try?
Then Nova let out a snicker, hugging herself. "You know, I'm honestly surprised."
Carter frowned, looking at the girl. "About what?"
"Oh, you know. You saw the enhancements. You didn't look at me like some sort of freak," Nova said with a shrug. "Ever since I got these implants, people I used to know can't look at me without thinking I'm just some sort of cyborg. Like all my mind is one's and zero's with code that resembles what my mind once was."
"And is it?"
The blunt question put Nova on the backfoot for a few moments. Lips parting, ready to defend and reassure the man that she was still the same girl. But after such a life-changing transformation, she always knew things about her wouldn't be the same. The way people saw her, how they danced around certain topics thinking she would be triggered by them. Everyone acted as if she was a ticking time bomb ready to go off at any moment.
But they were so far from the truth Nova didn't see it relevant to bring them back to reality.
"When I was shot out of the air, my back had been damaged beyond recognition. And from being concussed by the landing, I saw things–people trying to get me. So, I used the self-destruct implant on my heart. Blew it to smithereens." She smiled, shaking her head. "Got to see Jack for a few minutes. I really thought I finally got peace. But what felt like 5 minutes turned out to be a month. Next thing I know, I'm woken up by the sound of my mother's humming and I'm on an operating table with my Dad and Bruce."
"So, they saved your brain and you're powered by an Arc Reactor."
Nova frowned, a hint of a smile on her lips. "Y-Yeah. How did you know that?"
"Judging by all the hardware exposed and that glow from the center of your chest, I guessed. Tony taught me a lot about it back in my universe. He roughly gave me a summarized version of how to build one," he explained with a wave of his hand. "And how else would you be walking around if your heart was blown up, right?"
Truthfully, seeing the woman's entire inner chest powered by an Arc Reactor wasn't all too strange–or even disgusting–he'd dealt with Tony's first Arc Reactor–reached inside the man's chest. There wasn't anything that Carter hadn't done that could be deemed as strange. After all, the man jumped between universes regularly.
"And, well, nothing surprises me anymore," Carter replied, smiling. "You're still the girl that stayed up with me in the lab and gave me company."
Carter sighed, turning and looking at the multitude of partygoers. A sense of dread bubbled in his gut. "Ready to head back in?" He inquired, looking at his friend.
Nova smirked, raising a brow. "Are you?"
"Nope," he replied without missing a beat. Offering a short smile to the girl as he said, "But I think I'll manage if you and Nat are the only ones I'm around."
With that, Nova linked her arm with the man's and steadily guided him inside. The warmth was well appreciated, but the instant the soft jazz music and voices of the party participants made him scowl. He found his spot with Nova at the bar as Natasha poured their drinks. Enjoying minimal interaction with others is far more tolerable than standing in the corner unsure of who to talk to. At least talking to the couple made him feel welcomed compared to the hostility and suspicion from Tony.
He didn't fit in anywhere. This was something he knew from previous universes and the set of circumstances putting him in that position. But somehow it still hurt to acknowledge. It isn't something he wished to be the case but it was the way things always played out.
Eventually, the party died down and Carter had had a few beers to lighten the tension in his shoulders. Still, he continued to be rooted in the uncomfortable barstool, unwilling to make conversation with anyone he recognized. Constantly reminding himself, "You are an anomaly to them. They don't know you."
And even when the central members of the team had surrounded a table, seated on couches, he still felt out of place amongst them. Sitting off to the side on a stool Nova had forced him to drag over, sipping on his beer and indulging in the chaos amongst the group.
"But it's a trick!" Clint exclaimed at the mention of Thor's hammer and the inability most had to lift the weapon.
Thor laughed, a wide grin spanning across his face. "No, no, it's much more than that."
Clint scoffed. "Whoever be he worthy shall haveth the power," he said in a horrible impression of Thor's accent before waving the man off. "Whatever, man! It's a trick."
"Please, be my guest," Thor offered, waving his hand toward Mjolnir with a smirk.
Most of the group looked at Clint, an expecting look on their faces as the man sat stunned by the invitation. "Really?" He asked, earning only a nod of confirmation from the god of thunder.
The moment Clint stood to his feet, comments were thrown in every direction.
"Oh, this going to be beautiful," Rhodey grinned.
"Clint, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't get it up," Tony added, earning a collective of laughs from the group.
"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint told Thor.
As he grasped the weapon with one hand, it did not move. No matter how much strength he put into it, it didn't move a smidgen.
Clint laughed to himself. "I still don't know how you do it!"
"Smell the silent judgement?" Tony teased.
"Can still save your dignity there, bud," Carter added, smiling in amusement.
"Please, Stark, Carter, by all means," the archer motioned to the pair, offering their chance to show themselves worthy.
Tony had been the one to take the offer, standing to his feet and unbuttoning his vest cooly. "Oh, sweet Jesus," Nova commented, snorting as she tucked her face in Natasha's neck, who was just as amused as her girlfriend.
"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." He looked his hand through the fabric attached at the base of the handle. "It's physics," he added, grasping the handle with both hands. "Right, so, if I lift it, I- I then rule Asgard?"
"Yes, of course," Thor confirmed casually, almost seeming uninterested in the hysterics of the billionaire.
"I will be reinstituting prima nocta."
Placing his foot on the edge of the table, Tony gave one good pull and the hammer didn't move. Looking at Carter, the man cleared his throat. "Help?"
Carter smirked, raising his hands in surrender. "You wanted to make the disturbing joke, man. I say you deal with the embarrassment."
Huffing in annoyance, Tony took his hand out of the band. "I'll be right back."
What followed was Tony using one of his repulsor gauntlets to pull the hammer. When that found no success, he egged Rhodey to help, bringing him on the vast list of people unworthy of wielding the weapon.
And when Bruce was brought on, he had attempted, finding the same result to extend to him as well. But when he tried to 'Hulk Out', all that occurred afterward was a steady awkward silence.
Finally, it landed upon Steve when both Natasha and Nova shot the offer down quickly. Everyone's eyes were fixated on the man, hoping that their supersoldier would have the best chance at being the new king of Asgard. And while others didn't take notice, Carter had seen the hammer faintly tilt at Steve's attempt and Thor had as well, the smile washing from his face shock and anxiety.
With a smile, Steve stepped back and Thor let out a laugh, "Nothing." He sipped his beer to mask the relief that flushed through his body.
"I have a feeling Leila could've lifted it," Clint commented, eyes squinted.
"Now that's something I would put my money on," Bruce added.
Thor shrugged, smiling. "We may never know." All Deference to the man who wouldn't be King, but it's rigged.
"All deference to the Man Who Wouldn't Be King, but it's rigged." Tony sipped his beer.
"You bet your ass," Clint agreed.
Before anyone could say anything else, Maria pointed at the archer, her eyes focused on Steve. "Steve, he said a bad language word."
Steve sighed, bowing his head for a moment before looking up at Tony. "Did you tell everyone about that?"
Smiling in amusement, Tony didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Thor with a grin. "The handle's imprinted, right? Like a security code. Whosoever is carrying Thor's fingerprints is, I think the literal translation."
Nova laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever makes you boys sleep better at night."
"That is a very interesting theory, Stark. I have a simpler one," Thor said, standing to his feet. Unlike the others, he lifted the hammer with ease like it was anything else. He smiled, "You're all not worthy."
As the group groaned in response, hating the response, a painful screeching appeared in Carter's ears. Wincing, he looked at the others, wondering if it was just in his head. But when finding them to have also heard the noise, his suspicion grew.
"Worthy..."
The eerie voice had drawn the group's attention with the addition of heavy metallic footsteps. The source had been one of Tony's Iron Legion bots. It was mangled, easily dismissed as scrap from its leaking oil and destroyed exterior.
"No." It waved its dismembered arm. Limping its way to turn to the group. "How could you be worthy? You're all killers."
"Stark," Steve said.
"Jarvis," Tony replied, frowning at the sight of the bot.
"I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or was I a-dream," the bot continued.
"Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy suit."
"There was this terrible noise. And I was tangled in... In... Strings."
"Carter?" Nova muttered, glancing at the man.
He knew what she was asking. And he truthfully wasn't sure what was happening. "This hasn't happened," he answered, glancing at the girl for a moment. For the first time in a while, Carter felt this weird sinking feeling in his chest. It reached his nerves and caused his legs faintly tremble and his hands to shake. And even when he attempted to stop it, it didn't listen.
"I had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy."
"You killed someone?" Steve questioned.
"Wouldn't have been my first call," the bot commented without missing a beat. Yet, somehow that response made Carter feel a sense of familiarity in it. The tone and the snappyness of it felt oddly comparable. "But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices."
"Who sent you?" Thor asked.
A faint squealing could be heard before Tony's voice was heard saying, "I see a suit of armour around the world."
And while most didn't understand, Bruce looked to Tony in realization. "Ultron."
"In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this chrysalis. But I'm ready," Ultron replied.
"I'm starting to hate the similarities between you and this thing, Tony," Carter announced, twisting his wrist to cause his rifle to appear in his hand.
"I'm on a mission," Ultron stated.
"What mission?" Natasha inquired.
The bot looked up at them. Those glowing blue eyes and mouth seemed more menacing than most would've thought.
"Peace in our time."
Without warning, three Iron Legion bots flew through the wall behind Ultron, using their repulsors and firing upon the group that quickly scattered, looking for weapons and cover.
Carter began to fire at the multiple bots at random. The teachings of trigger discipline were thrown out the window as he led his bullets on one of the legionnaires before it fell out of his line of sight. Twisting his hand, he snapped it toward the air with Judge manifesting. "Get 'em, boy!"
The bird maneuvered through the chaos with ease as its target came into sight. Judge, with no care in the world, drove his beak into the legion eye socket and began to burrow. The bot began to twitch with its aim faltering as it fired aimlessly with Judge chewing and ripping wires from inside. It went dead after a few more tears and Judge reappeared on Carter's shoulder.
Once the group had dealt with the last two bots, Carter reloaded his rifle and tossed it to the side, causing the weapon to disappear. His eyes shifted to the members in his line of view, seeing they had suffered no drastic injuries.
"That was dramatic," Ultron commented, mocking amusement found in his voice as everyone looked at him. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to evolve? With these? These puppets."
He crushed one of the bot's heads, exposing the intricacies of its head before tossing it aside. "There's only one path to peace. The Avengers' extinction."
Ultron's hand extended out, a quiet smirk in his words that followed. "And you will help me, Nova."
Carter turned to Nova to find her twitching, eyes rolled back as she choked on air. Fingers tensed and twitched as if something was taking over her body, possessing her.
"Someone kill him!" Carter called out, taking the girl in his arms. Thor didn't hesitate to throw Mjolnir, destroying Ultron's body. The instant that the hammer met impact on Ultron, Nova's convulsions seized with her screams now filling the air.
They blinded Carter's senses as he cringed, trying to control her thrashing in his grasp. Trying to calm her down, but each was blocked out by her cries and pleas.
"Mom! Mom!" The girl screeched, hands gripping the back of her head. "The chip! Get it out! Get it out of my head, please!"
"Alright, I got you. Just hold on-" As Carter moved her hair from behind her left ear, reaching to take the chip situated in the slot, Tony grabbed his hand. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"It could kill her," he warned, an octave a sliver higher than his casual tone. Much like everyone else, he was panicking.
But despite the clear warning, Nova sobbed, tears rolling down her cheeks with her eyes slowly becoming a pinkish hue. "Please, get it out!"
"Carter!" The man whipped his head in Natasha's direction. The evident fear in her eyes made his heart clench. Risks weighing heavy on both their hearts. But when she nodded, he knew what she wanted. With no hesitation, he pulled the chip that flashed blue with electricity dancing around it for a few seconds before the lights went dead.
After what felt like minutes, the girl spoke. "I promise," the girl slurred, barely able to keep the words from drifting into incoherency. "I promise, mama..."
And he watched as the girl's frame drew in weight and as her words drifted into the unknown of her mind. He shook her gently but got no response. "Nova." No response. "Nova, wake up, kid!"
Natasha made her way over, took the girl from his grasp and lifted her. Hiding her tears in the girl's dyed orange and pink locks. Murmurs fell from her lips as the group looked at the pair in despair.
But one voice echoed out through the room that sent a shiver down Carter's spine.
"I had strings, but now I'm free"