"Miss Stark, Tesseract analysis has been complete," JARVIS says mid-flight.
"Give me a run-down J," I say, as I spotted a building with 36 civilians huddled on the ground floor surrounded by 15 Chitauris. Rerouting my flight, I landed on the ground and blasted the first Chitauri on the face easily decapitating it. A Chitauri pounced on my back and stabbed me with a scepter making me grunt in pain as I feel the blade penetrate my suit and sink in my abdominal skin. Gritting my teeth in pain, I grab the scepter and pull it out, quickly latching my hands on the Chitauri's armor and throwing it forward on the pavement before hitting it with my repulsors. Chitauris started to swarm me after I created enough distraction to stray them away from the building. Quickly, I latched my powers onto fallen debris and concrete, the familiar hexagonal lines of red, blue, and green swirling. Hurling the concretes at Chitauris, I gave a spinning back heel kick to a Chitauri beside me, loudly smacking its head on the floor as I elbowed another on my left. Grunting, I punch the face and chest with my armored fist and deliver a kick to bring it down. More Chitauris started to swarm around me, with 15 turning to 20. JARVIS continued to explain how the Tesseract powered portal worked, as I painfully killed off Chitauris.
Punches traveled back and forth, alongside repulsor beams and blasts from their scepters that grazed some of my leather exposed skin, denting my armor and sinking into my skin. When multiple Chitauris started to fire their scepter, I grabbed a hold of my cape and swung it in front of my body to cover the blasts. The soft and cold material of my cape started to glow a bright blue where the blasts have hit as I planted my heel on the ground. Letting go, I started hitting the aliens again my my powers and my repulsors, as I shifted and engaged in hand to hand combat. After a while of being tossed around, I quickly found a beat into the fight and fought effortlessly with strength.
Duck. Upper cut. Left jab. Kick. Jump. Swipe. Kick. Hand. Right jab. Kick. Swipe. Dodge. Left. Left. Turn back. Kick. Elbow. Right jab. Kick. Kick. Jump. Swing. Heel kick. Hand. Elbow. Kick. Turn back. Jump. Right jab.
A Chitauri somehow managed to successfully land a punch to my body, throwing me off-balanced. My body rolled on the pavement and I groaned as I can already feel the possible bruises. How in fuck did they turn from 20 to 45?! Sitting up, I spit out the blood in my mouth and stand up, clapping my hand twice to create an energy barrier around me. The Chitauris started to attack again, as I engaged a multi-target shot using my mini projectiles. Raising my hand, I shot a beam at any incoming Chitauri, standing my ground. I spread both my arms apart slowly, adding more fire power by mixing the repulsor beams with my power. Screeches and high gasps were heard from the Chitauris in front of me, their voices mixed with my panted breaths as I feel the reactor dig into my skin with a slight burn, alongside JARVIS' continuous data vomit about the Tesseract and the portal with my mind running at adrenaline fueled speed with my dad's thoughts on the data occasionally mixing with my own.
I push through as I cut the power from the repulsors and slam my hands down, creating a dent on the concrete as my powers surged with no intent to stop. Clawing my fingers, all of the residual debris all around me rose from the ground as I changed their structures into sharp little arrowheads. Picking up the wind around me, I let the arrowheads fly and impale the Chitauris who've caused me shitloads of bruises and cuts and ignited some on fire just for the sake of revenge for one of the little shits that singed off my hair.
"Miss, I believe there are no more Chitauris," JARVIS chimed in after I've lowered my hand, with the bloody and burning arrowheads floating around me like a shield. JARVIS you sarvastic twat. The wind hasn't calmed down, as I pant and try to catch my breath, looking around me to see that in fact, there are no more Chiaturis. I sigh and stretch my arms in exhaustion.
"How many did I fight J?" I ask as I walked over towards the building to check if some of the people were hurt, only to see a mom and a little girl running towards us with at least five Chitauris on their tail.
"I believe you've successfully killed 176 Chitauris in the last twelve minutes and fifty-eight seconds, not adding the 98 you've killed whilst airborne a few minutes ago upon arrival to the battle," JARVIS answers and adds, "-and I believe five more will be added to the list if you so choose to decapitate or brutally set it on fire. Would you like me to add it to the list?" I roll my eyes at JARVIS, unamused and thankful for his attempt at lighting up the mood.
"You little shit, I regret coding attitude into your programs, do you hear me?" I quip at him, as I power on my boot jets and race towards the mother.
"As always, I believe you can not survive without me," JARVIS answers casually, as I laugh and smash my elbows on the head of the first Chitauri I laid my eyes on. From a distance, Hulk's roar was heard and lightning from the sky didn't cease, as well as the constant dread in my stomach when I feel something hurt in my body knowing it's from my dad.
A Chitauri blasted me with a scepter as I flew to the right to dodge, and send a beam of my own to the skull-faced alien. From a distance, I can see the mother and the child cower down in fear, as the mother gripped her thighs and stomach with blood on it. Shit, she's injured. I need to finish this quickly.
Lowering myself to the ground, I spread out my hands a flurry of white spreading and hitting the Chitauris back. Lifting my hand, the colors of my familiar energy encased the Chitauris as I clenched my hand slowly denting their armor, slowly piercing their skin, and as I unclench my hands and swipe down, a mass of legs, arms, and heads lay in a heap, a pool of purple blood in its wake.
Turning my head to the mother and child, I walk quietly and bend my knees to assess her injuries, as the child gripped her mother.
"Hey sweetie," I cooed at the child in a soft tone, ghosting my now bare hands on the mother's injuries.
"What's your name?" I asked the little boy. His lips quivered as tears fell from his eyes.
"J-Jordan, my name's Jordan," he whispers. I smile at him softly.
"Come here for a second, will you?" I ask, as he stood on his legs and walked up to me. Placing my hand softly on his cheek, I press my forehead against his as an act of trust, as he closed his eyes.
"I need you to hold your mom steady for me, okay? I'm gonna fix her and I don't want her to feel any pain," I say in a hushed tone, brushing a stray tear on his cheek. "Can you do that, sweetie?" I added. When he let go, he nods bravely as he kneeled next to his mom, rubbing her head and running his hand softly in her hair.
As I placed a hand on the stomach wound, I let my powers travel through her body as I instantly feel a sting next to my own abdominal wound. As the sting worsened to a searing hot pain, the wound started to close on the mother's stomach, skin slowly patching itself up as I grit my teeth in pain and suppress my scream. I turned to her thigh wound next. As quickly as I let my powers touch her, the familiar burning sensation tore through my right thigh, as I pushed to finish the job quickly.
"You're doing good Jordan," I say quietly when I see the boy looking a little bit afraid of what's happening. He nods his head, a small and scared smile on his lips as his blue luminescent eyes glow amidst the desolation.
When I saw the last piece of skin stitch itself up, I stood up as I dismissed the scorching white hot pain that kept running through my body, as I carried the unconscious mother in my arms. Becking Jordan towards me, he grips my cape onto his hand, as we make a slow jog towards the building that housed civilians. A man opened the door and took the woman in my arms, as the boy tugged on my cape.
"Thank you for saving my mom," Jordan whispered as he wrapped his arm around me. I wrap one arm on his back and sigh, as I rubbed a thumb on his back.
"You're welcome," I say as I let go and turn to the crowd.
"Don't go out and don't go anywhere inside the higher floors," I say with a stern voice towards the civilians who nodded and took Jordan out of my arms.
"I'll leave the arrowheads to protect you in case of an emergency, keep safe and wait for the signal to come out when the fight is over," I added, as I turned to walk out the door.
"Wait! We don't know who you are," a woman says in a frantic and thankful tone. I turn back towards them, flick my visors up to see surprised civilians who recognized me, and smile softly.
"Call me Aldora," I say, flicking my visors down and walking out of the building without bothering to look at their expression. The arrowheads I created stayed on guard around the building, as I placed a protection charm on them so they can keep the civilians safe.
"JARVIS, take wheel, flight path Stark Towers," I grit out as the pain from the wounds started to settle again. As JARVIS acted co-pilot of the thrusters, I let my body tense and relax repetitively to relieve the pain, as I let my body heal itself, letting my powers snake through my body and regenerate skin cells and muscle fibers and tissues. The feeling of my skin sticking back together or my bone setting back to place, for a lack of better word, was bloody fucking uncomfortable. Pain shot up every part of my body as the stitch in my back healed itself. I can feel the deep gash on my thigh as each cell regenerated and my muscle tissues clung together as my skin closed the wound with an undeniably large scar. My stomach wounds felt the same painful process of healing, as Stark Tower neared my sight.
"Elise! Report on the scepter?" Rogers' voice patched through my com. I grunt a bit as I feel the last of my wounds heal.
"This isn't gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal," Nat added as I take control of the suit, blasting the thrusters to full capacity.
"Our biggest guns can't touch it," Cap said.
"What if it's not about guns?" Nat answered back.
"Nat's right," I confirmed her theory.
"I assume you've been listening in on JARVIS and I?" I ask Nat.
"You know it," was a reply that made me imagine her smirking.
"Sorry I couldn't get to the Tower sooner," I apologized through the comm. "There were civilians trapped in a building and Chitauris were gonna make a massacre, had to intervene."
"Oh don't worry we heard," Nat quips. I grin just slightly.
"Well, catch a ride Romanoff, I'm gonna need your hands for this one," I smirk as I rounded Stark Tower to land on the balcony garden.
"Oh, don't worry Stark, I got a ride," she says as static took over, telling me she's offline for the time being.
Landing quietly on my feet, I see an unconscious Doctor Selvig with a bloody forehead. As I assessed the Tesseract and the contraption that held it, I place my open palm on it, grazing the material as I wince at the harshness of the power that flowed carelessly under my fingertips.
I hear a gasp behind me, and I turn to see Doctor Selvig trying to stand up amidst a dazed look and pained expression. I rush over to help him, as he stared at me, still out of breath. Pebbles clung to his shirt and skin, as he looked around, mortified.
"It's okay, it's not your fault, you were controlled," I say in a quiet whisper as he shook his head, mumbling incoherent words.
"No, I-I knew what I built," his voice came out weak. Sirens and screams surrounded the city as the smell of ash and fire flared in my nostrils.
"I- I was aware of what I was doing and I wanted it and I-I- oh God," was the pained and guilty response of Doctor Selvig, as I shook my head and made him look at me.
"It isn't your fault," I say firmly. "You were used and what you wanted was knowledge, and Loki, the scepter granted you that knowledge and turned your desire to something twisted and unimaginable and you were aware but your perspective and conclusion was shrouded by your lust and desires," my voice came out strong and comforting, surprising me.
"Miss Stark," came JARVIS' voice, almost weak and unsure.
"What's up J?" I asked, concerned as Doctor Selvig took a minute to sit down.
"I believe that World Council has ordered for a nuclear strike," JARVIS paused. "And they are targeting the Island of Manhattan."
"What?" I ask in a yell, as panic started to shake my body.
"Director Fury is on the line with the Council and putting up a fight, but the Council is unswayed," JARVIS added. I curse under my breath and started to run possible outcomes of the nuclear strike.
Manhattan can become a nuclear waste land.
Possible obliteration of Manhattan and the people.
Oh God, the number of deaths that's gonna be on the list.
Tears started to form in my eyes as I tried to suppress a cry. God, this isn't the time. This isn't the time.
An explosion rocked me out of my stupor as I rush to the balcony to see Loki smash onto the penthouse balcony, the Chitauri chariot exploding into smitherins, knocking out multiple letters from the STARK sign. A loud rustling sound from in from behind made me turn back, repulsors on the ready.
"Oh God, don't scare me like that," I say in a silent breath, gasping out a sigh as I lower my arms. Natasha was bent on his knees, gasping quietly, a hand clutching the side of her stomach. A loud roar from below was heard, and assuming I'm right, I think the Hulk had just crashed our penthouse with a temperamental Loki in his wake. And of course, from the silent but violent shake of the ground, and the footage I'm seeing of the penthouse on my HUD, I assume Loki's having a great time.
"J, alert me if they send out that nuke, you get me? You know the drill should I be unavailable," I say quietly beneath my breath. "Keep me posted on dad and the others, access all available cameras in the city, run diagnostics on city damage and mortality rate of the civilian population," I added, as determination coursed through me like an open river.
I make a slight jog towards Natasha, helping her up. She looked battered and bruised, as she gave me a quizzical look about how I looked unscathed. I snort at her and pull her up as we walk towards the Tesseract.
"Yeah, don't assume I didn't go through hell," was my quick answer before she can open her mouth.
"Gained fatal wounds, my back stitch ripped open, got shot in the stomach, healed a woman and gained a deep shot in my thigh and stomach again," I informed her as she sent me an incredulous look.
"The healing process wasn't easy either, felt my cells, muscle, and skin regenerate and stitch itself back together."
"Oh God that's fucked up," Natasha says, almost yelling. I shrug non-committally.
"Used to it by now."
"Well, you shouldn't have to be," was her answer and I brushed her off.
"The scepter," Doctor Selvig says from behind us. Natasha stared at the electric blue of the Tesseract, vibrating and pulsing with energy and life; and if you looked hard enough you can almost see the small flecks of space and stars in the colors.
"Loki's scepter," I clarified for Nat. Selvig nodded as I helped him up. The wind blew my hazel singed hair, as Natasha's blew so perfectly and I would've made a whine about her hair but I was too busy being fucked over that nuke and this portal.
"The energy-" Doctor Selvig wheezed a bit, as if out of breath or not knowing how to phase the information.
"The Tesseract can fight, you can't protect it against yourself," Selvig added.
"It's not your fault, you didn't know what you were doing," Natasha says soflty, an almost sympathetic gaze held towards Selvig.
"Actually I think I did," Selvig says out of breath, gently prying himself off of me as he stood up straight. Natasha looked confused.
"There's a safety protocol to cut the power source," I clarified. "Loki's scepter... It was made with almost the same material as the Tesseract. Since the Cube can protect itself... The only thing that can shut it down is itself. It's independent, in a sense," I added. Gazing at the Tesseract. I let my fingertips run through the base of the flurry of blue, the energy clinging to my fingers, pulling me in but electrocuting me after realizing... Who I am.
"You are a part of all of them. Each individual is you, and you are their embodiment, no matter your mortal body. You are... One." Sage's voice rang in my head. "We needed it to keep you alive."
"You could've let me die."
"Your death... It would tip the balance too much. Your inexistence would create unexplainable universes of waste, of horror, and war."
"Those exist even with me here."
"They would take over and desolation would rage in the universe, the planets, the cities, and other life forms."
"You're saying I'm your deterrent?"
"I'm saying... You are a hero before you were even born."
"Now that's amusing."
"Dear, everything amuses you."
"Solid burn."
I turn towards Natasha, and give her a stern stare. "We need that scepter."
"I'm looking right at it," Selvig says as he casts a glance below, and there it is, the scepter lying there, blue orb pulsating with energy.
Natasha locks eyes with me, lightly gripping my arm. "There's something you're not telling me." I sigh and take her hand in mine.
"Promise me something?" I asked her in a quiet tone. She nods, squeezing my hand as I squeeze back.
"You do what's right." Breathe. "No matter what, do everything you can to protect these people... My dad, and the people I care about." Breathe. "We close that portal. You close that portal. Do you understand?"
Natasha gave me a confused and almost terrified look. "What... I don't understand," she whispers, eyes flitting down and towards me again, her green cat-like eyes shining with little flecks of blue.
"Promise me," I say, not knowing what else to say. Even in her confused state, she nods anyway and brings me in for a hug. I hug back, tighter, and for a few more seconds, I let go.
"You think you can get that scepter?" I ask her as I take a look at the algorithms and protocol codes that Doctor Selvig had on his computer. Natasha hums a quick approval, as she jogged down the balcony garden's stairs. As I scan the codes, I quickly made a quick input and log on, editing a few codes and saving the edit as the contraption made a slight hiss and crackle, the blue flurry of electricity and power that embraced the Tesseract slow down into a calm wave. I give a nod towards Doctor Selvig, as he nods back in recognition.
For a few seconds, I assess the data on my HUD. Iron Man Arc Reactor Capacity: 46%. Thrusters: 56%. Suit Damage: 23%. Tony Stark: Bruised, slight abbrasion on stomach skin, bleeding eyebrow, and slight sprain on left wrist.
"I believe Mister Stark has used 'The Tale of Jonah' as a role model for a battle strategy," JARVIS interrupted as I groan.
"Dad? Did you just let yourself be swallowed by a Leviathan to blow its guts?" I ask through the comm, as I see a vivid picture of the Leviathan's inside through the footage JARVIS provided me, which quickly shifted into a building's wall, a slight flurry of glasses and cement floor. I wince, as I realized that dad got thrown off-balance, only for it to change to a sudden push backwards as incoming Chitauris shot him. Spreading another round of invisible energy, I let myself tap into each of their minds, the scene shifting from Clint who tilts his head sideways after smashing through a window, of Hulk being outnumbered by the chariots, to Thor doing his best to fight, to Rogers who threw his shield aimlessly in attempt to reduce their number, to civilians who cowered in fear at the sight of the monsters that lay before them.
Pulling out quickly, I vomit near a flower plant, my insides churning as nausea washed over me. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and stand up in a daze. The hopelessness. The fear. The courage. Everything. All of it welled up inside me in a storm of flittering emotions.
"Miss Stark?" JARVIS' voice was quiet. I hum quietly in recognition.
"The Councilwoman has initiated the strike, Director Fury's commands have been overridden," was his next words, cold and almost grave. I sigh and turn towards Natasha who slowly jogged up the steps, scepter in hand. She gave me a look, and I jerk my head towards Selvig. She nods in understanding and goes to Selvig for insructions.
"Stark! You hear me?" Fury's voice crackled to life in my comms. "There is a missile headed for the city!" Came his frantic voice. I quickly say a silent prayer and turn away from Natasha and Selvig.
"How long?" Dad asked in a frantic manner. I know you dad.
"You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play.
He is.
"To lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
He'd just cut the wire.
No matter what you say, you are my father, Tony Stark. And I know you, like the back of my hand. Like every inch of my bones. I know you. And I'm sorry to say this, but I'm too much like you.
"JARVIS, before I go offline, initiate Protocol 13-HTAED. You know what to do."
"Miss Stark?"
"If this is goodbye, then thank you... For everything JARVIS."
"It has been my pleasure, Elise."