Episode 7 fanfic title: Graviton
(Thor's POV): Yes, I know. Ya, Blondie is here!
As I moved to save the mortal being attacked in the sky by another, I noticed that from a distance, there stood a woman who had just leaped from a flying contraption toward the ocean.
Instantly, I flew in to save her from drowning.
Her descent was rapid, a blink against the vast blue canvas.
I plunged after her, the water welcoming me like an old friend from the seas of Asgard. She was sinking fast, the mortal body ill-equipped for such depths. I reached her quickly, my arms encircling her fragile form.
When I broke the surface, cradling her in my arms, I saw the look of disbelief and relief etched on her face.
"Are you alright, mortal?" I asked with concern.
(Mia's POV):
"Are you alright, mortal?"
I stared up at the Viking-looking superhero that people call... Yup, there's no denying it, the God of Thunder was real. Like, ripped-from-the-screen, Marvel animated real.
And he was holding me.
"I... I think so," I stammered, coughing up a mouthful of saltwater, as I was placed on the concrete floor where the crates were placed, "Just... surprised is all."
More than surprised.
Utterly flabbergasted was more like it!
I'd just chucked myself out of a helicarrier with no mention of my doppelganger not being able to swim, Thor's piercing blue eyes bore into mine, his grip firm yet gentle as he steadied me on the concrete.
His brow furrowed, concern etched into his godly features. "Why would you leap from such a height, mortal? You could have perished!"
I swallowed hard, my mind racing for a believable excuse.
'Play the victim. Make it convincing. But also, I'm truly sorry for lying!'
"I—I tried to stop them," I stammered, my voice shaky. "The villains... they were escaping. I warned S.H.I.E.L.D., but they wouldn't listen! They just threw me in prison instead!"
Thor's expression darkened, his grip tightening slightly. "You sought to aid your people, and for this, you were punished?" His voice rumbled like distant thunder, a dangerous edge creeping in.
I nodded, biting my lip for added effect.
"They didn't believe me. No one ever does."
Since childhood (in my world), I've been unfairly blamed for things I didn't do. My mother was my only friend; my father and grandmother were not. They used a facade mask of kindness in order to show that we are all a "happy family," but those were lies.
The lies I told myself were the only ways to survive in my early life, but everything shifted after my 18th birthday when my mother found the strength to divorce my father and move to the city. It took her time, but she secured a place on her own.
I'll never forget saving her from a suicide attempt, nor the day she came back for me; It made me so happy that I didn't get to lie anymore. We were free and we got to fill our dreams...
And now, I'm in the world that's freaking based of a kid's TV show.
Anyways, back to the story, or shall we say, the episode.
A muscle in Thor's jaw twitched.
"This is unjust. No mortal who acts with such bravery should be treated thus." His gaze flicked upward, where Graviton's silhouette loomed against the sky, his powers wreaking havoc and trying to destroy everything around him.
'Perfect.' I thought, 'Redirect his anger.'
"You should go," I said with urgency, "He's too strong. The world needs you!" Thor hesitated, torn between aiding me and joining the battle. Finally, he gave a firm nod. "Stay here. You are safe for now." Before I could respond, he shot upward.
Mjolnir leading the way as he rocketed toward Graviton, the moment he was out of sight, I exhaled sharply, adrenaline still coursing through me. Until the thought of my USB drive came to mind, panicked I began searching around my clothes.
'Okay, damage control. Did the USB survive? Please, tell me it survived!'
I reached into my bra through my wet clothes, my fingers brushing against the small device. To my shock, it was completely dry: "What the—?" I muttered, turning it over in my palm, 'How? I'd just jumped into the ocean. Unless...Did Thor do something, or was it just dumb luck?'
After thinking it through, I comment in my thoughts: 'I'm betting it was dumb luck.' A deafening BOOM from above snapped me out of my thoughts. Graviton and Thor clashed midair, shockwaves rippling through the sky.
I needed to move—now.
I turned to bolt—only to freeze as a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Don't. Move."
Maria Hill stood a few feet away, her gun trained squarely on me, just like the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Her expression was ice-cold, her stance unwavering, and I raised my hands slowly, cheerfully smiling. "Hi! Fancy meeting you here, no?"
Her finger hovered near the trigger.
"You're the only Big House escapee we haven't found," she snapped. "Losing you again would be a problem." I tilted my head, feigning innocence. "I just survived drowning. Can't I get a five-minute break?"
Maria's glare intensified, and she pressed the blaster closer to my chest. "Get in the car. Now." I sighed dramatically and shuffled toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle. As I slid into the backseat, I smirked.
"For a super-spy organization, you're really lacking in hospitality."
With that comment said and done, she slammed the door shut without a word.
Already chained, I lift them up and sigh before secretly taking out the USB drive from my bra just to inspect it with pride, "Bingo!" Then I heard sudden commotion coming from outside. I looked out the window to see a large ocean wave heading directly towards us.
Seeing Ant-Man across from me, observing the large ocean wave scene from afar, and safe inside the car, I was awestruck. I'd be shocked to learn the government had secretly imprisoned a scientist for an extended time.
However, speaking of Ant-Man, I hope he notices that his girlfriend is lifting Nick Fury and flying him to safety.
But what I'm most interested in is the fact that Tony Stark, A.K.A. Iron Man, might be a little late to join the fight.
I wonder how he is right now?
Probably stranded in the cornfield of Iowa.
---Somewhere away from the city---
Tony Stark, encased within his iconic Iron Man armor, soared through the skies, and just as he was rapidly approaching. Moving at considerable speed, the city was slowly growing larger in his view with each passing second.
When, without any warning whatsoever, the suit's onboard battery unexpectedly and catastrophically shuts down. The arc reactor, usually a beacon of unwavering power, sputtered and died, leaving Iron Man plummeting through the air.
"Whoa! Whoa! Aah!"
He landed face planted-first with a grunt, "Ah, great. I'm never going to get a taxi here." Iron Man comments before getting off the ground to stand up, and comlinks his AI for any news: "JARVIS, any news from the helicarrier?"
"/Still sinking, sir./" JARVIS announced.
Iron Man thanked him before ordering him to open remote access to the Chicago armory so he could get it. "/Remote access initiated. Activating MK VII armor now./" As he waits for his new armor to get to him, he is met by a farmer.
Who looked confused at him until Iron Man turned around, clearly noticing the sound of the tractor's engine, he met him and waved awkwardly.
"Hey, just waiting for my ride."
Back in New York...
"Yup, he's definitely fine!" I (Mia) nodded in reassurance, but the commotion outside made me roll down the car window, only to see Wasp, Ant-Man, and Nick Fury talking. In an instant, I immediately recognized the scene and quickly unlocked the car door.
Without anyone looking, I skipped my way closer to them, and listened.
"Anything you'd like to tell us, Fury?" Ant-Man questioned.
Only for Nick Fury to respond with, "Not really."
He turns to glance at the insect couple, with a serious expression written all over his face as he turns on his comlink to command his units of agents. "SHIELD command, this is Director Nick Fury. I am declaring an omega-level emergency."
He continues on, "Every SHIELD agent, every Hulkbuster unit, the U.S. Armed Forces, they are all now under my direct control."
"Wow, Nick Fury is actually worried." Wasp was surprised by the sudden change in Nick Fury. Ant-Man glanced at her, then back at Fury, curious. "Who is he?" Ant-Man asked. "Dr. Franklin Hall," Fury answered without looking at them.
But he could tell when someone was walking behind him, and he turned around to meet the couple; Whereas I hid behind the container where they stood in the shadows, "The physicist?" He widened his eyes in surprise: "No one's heard from him in years. Not since he joined SHIELD."
'Yeah, and the fact that he wanted to ask what happened is because he wants to help him. Sadly, I don't think it's wise to help someone who holds a grudge over someone for too long, trust me, it isn't pretty.'
I mentally said to myself and continued to listen again.
"What happened to him?" Ant-Man asked with concern as he automatically removed his helmet.
Nick Fury quickly shut him down, "That's classified."
All of a sudden, a loud crack of thunder echoed throughout the dark, cloudy sky.
"Really?" Wasp walks over, "Because I think it's about to get unclassified pretty quickly."
As the three of them stood together to look up to see the weather change, I decided to come out and reveal myself: "It is."
They all turned to look at me, surprised.
"Mia? You're alive?" Wasp questioned.
I shrugged, "Hey, what can I say? I got bored." I grinned, hoping my nonchalant attitude would diffuse the tension. It kinda did. Fury just narrowed his eyes at me: "What are you doing here?" he asked, "Shouldn't you be in custody with Maria Hill?"
"Technically, I was," I countered, gesturing behind me. "But after the ocean wave, your agents had other priorities." I winked, then leaned in, "You should really train them to hold their positions."
Ant-Man couldn't help but feel surprised, relieved, and most of all, concerned, so did Wasp, but what I found hilarious is Nick Fury's reaction: "How did you get out? I tried to find you in your cell, but you disappeared without a trace. I thought you were dead."
I showed a cheeky smile.
"First, Ant-Man, I'm not dead. I escaped like the rest. Plus," I glance at Nick Fury, "that's classified~," I said, mimicking Fury. He didn't look amused, but there was a hint of frustration bubbling from within him.
Just then, we all hear a loud grunt coming from above, only to see Thor still fighting Graviton from a distance, and I heard Wasp saying: "I can't just stand here and watch this." She starts, "We have to do something. If Thor can't stop him, he'll come into the city."
Damn, I love her determination!
"Don't you think I know that, Wasp?" Nick Fury said, sounding almost annoyed.
Ant-Man tries to comfort his girlfriend by placing a hand on her shoulder, "Jan..." "We're talking millions of people. I'm not going to let that happen." And sure enough, Wasp shrinks and begins to fly out of here.
"Jan. Jan, wait!"
Just like in the episode, she went to help Thor.
"And~ she left." I stroll over to Ant-Man and comment, "Better help her before she gets hurt." With just those simple words, he goes after her. Leaving the Director Nick Fury standing next to me, the only thing that screamed in my head was to run.
*Scene changes to a time skip where Nick Fury, Mia, and Ant-Man had witnessed Wasp getting defeated by Graviton*
"Anything better to do other than stand here?" I sighed, almost tiredly.
"Always this straightforward and insulting someone like that?" he questioned coldly.
I smirked. "Only when they're botching an arrest, and doing a bad job at protecting the city."
Nick Fury says nothing and looks back at Graviton, who is now fighting Iron Man.
'OMG! About time!' I thought excitedly and annoyed at how usually late this version of Iron Man is in the show, 'He's always late...but then again, Tony does have a tendency to show up at the right time.'
Watching him and Wasp fight the crazy physicist villain, I realized many of these characters need character development. I continue to stare and analyze the scene above me as I try to figure out a way on how to give a boost of early confidence for Ant-Man and Nick Fury to help them.
"What are Graviton's upper limits?" He suddenly asked.
Fury answered: "We've studied him for years, and as far as we could tell, he doesn't have any." 'As far as I'm concerned, I think it's high time I join the dialogue, "What do you think you're going to do, Pym? Talk him down?" I question him with a hint of amusement in my tone of voice.
"No, it's too late for that."
Sure enough, Hank presses his right utility belt where he immediately transforms himself into giant size that I couldn't help but yell out a curse: "HOLY SHIT!?!" I said, just in time to fangirl at this scene before me, "He's so HUGE! QUICK, I NEED A PICTURE OF THIS!"
"There's no time for pictures right now, Ms. Lightwood!" Fury exclaimed angrily, "Lives are at stake here! Unless you want to go back to the ditch where you belong!"
His words stung, but I refused to show it.
"Sweetheart," I said, letting my bangs shadow my eyes, "you're wasting your breath."
I felt his anger behind me. "Ms. Lightwood—" I cut him off, stepping close until I was in his face, my dark brown eyes meeting his.
"Don't, Ms. Lightwood' me, Fury. I know you. You're just a stubborn old man who doesn't fix his own messes, and if you want to do something, do it now! Because otherwise, we all die." The moment I said those words, Nick Fury stood frozen in silence, comprehension slowly dawning on him.
Ant-Man, on the other hand, was thrown clear of Graviton's attack that it gave the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. a boost to wake up and call his old friend out. "This is between us, Hall." He continues, "Do whatever you want with me, but no one else has to get hurt."
"No," Graviton declines, "you wanted me to create a supersoldier, but I've become so much more. I'm beyond human now. I'm going to crush you and show the world their new master's power. Destroying the city will be a good demonstration."
I glared at him, breaking the silence with a shout. "You could've done it!"
"What?" He finally paid attention.
Smirking, I said, "If you weren't so full of the high and mighty bullshit, you would've done it already. Why is it that villains never pose a real challenge?" I cocked my hip. "Confusing, isn't it?" Graviton's rage visibly spiked.
Who turned his full attention to me, energy crackling around him.
"Insolent little brat... You dare mock me? I am a god!"
I rolled my eyes and stood, the gesture as impactful as a presidential address, though met with considerably less enthusiasm. "Yeah, yeah, heard it all before. 'God,' 'Master,' blah, blah, blah. You're about as original as a rerun on cable."
Fury was tense beside me, probably thinking I was insane for provoking a guy who could squeeze the gravitational living hell out of me. All of a sudden, instead of just Nick Fury getting taken, I too was taken from the ground.
"Ngh! Agh!" I squirmed, struggling to breathe in his Jedi vice-like grip.
Graviton smirked evilly, and Nick Fury also struggled, "Goodbye, Nick Fury. HA!"
That's when I suddenly realized something was off about him, and in that moment, I recognized the little electric wire sticking out of Fury's neck: "NO!" As soon as he squeezed Fury out, an explosion began, as it reveals to him that he was just a robot.
'...Figure as much, Nick Fury is always prepared for any possible death attempts being placed by him.' I let out a sigh of relief, but then Graviton suddenly squeezed me with such force that it was clear he was venting his anger on me: "Gah! H-Hey! Let me go!"
"Where is he?!?" Graviton yelled.
To which I wince in pain and squirm under his grip by replying with: "If I knew when, ngh, I would've told you, asshole!" "Then you shall watch me destroy the entire world before your own eyes."
I readied myself, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.
"You think destroying the world proves anything? It only shows how weak you are. A real god wouldn't stoop to such petty tactics!" As Graviton and I float toward the city, his grip tightens that he takes the liberty of wrapping a lampost around me in a neatly roped fashion.
It was really uncomfortable for me, and this seemed more extreme than what the movies showed. However, I took a glance at Graviton, centering himself in the middle of the road, where I saw his glowing eyes and hands lifting everything around him with gravitational powers.
Suddenly, Graviton pulled me closer, and his expression shifted slightly. "You think you're clever?" he snarled. Just as he was about to destroy everything, "Everyone is witnessing the power I possess, everything will belong to me!"
I deadpanned at his villainous words while struggling to break free from the lamppost that was tied around me, but I failed. In the distance, I could see cities filled with crumbling buildings and windows shattering everywhere, panic spreading like wildfire.
"You're going to destroy innocent lives," I loudly tell him, "You might think that makes you a god, but it makes you a monster!"
I couldn't quite grasp what unfolded after I spoke those words, but suddenly, everything around me blurred into a whirlwind of confusion. A searing pain radiated from my cheek, and it felt as if the entire city trembled in response.
In that instant, I was stunned—my breath caught in my throat as I turned to see the source of this shocking sensation. A hand, swift and forceful, had slapped across my face, leaving me bewildered and gasping for understanding amidst the chaos.
"SHUT UP!"
With those words, I didn't talk back and watched him.
As I watched Graviton lift everything around him, the sound faded away. I slowly closed my eyes, letting my head hang as if I were unconscious. In reality, I was overwhelmed by the pain of revisiting the memories of my doppelgänger's past once again.
One memory stood out: a moment when she was bullied by one of the orphans.
It ended quickly, though, when suddenly a hammer flew through the air toward Graviton. I nearly lost my balance, but thankfully, thanks to Graviton, I managed to stay on the tight lamp post around me.
"I recommend you stay down, mortal, and release the woman," Thor warned him.
Graviton only chuckles darkly at that, "You think you can stop me." He rises from the ground, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, and then he begins to address Thor: "I've beaten you before. I can do it again."
His words are clear and deliberate, conveying the seriousness of the situation while ensuring that his message is understood. All of a sudden, someone blasted him from above, "Aah!" He screamed in pain, whereas I was finally released and dropped.
"Help!" For a moment, there was nothing but the rush of wind in my ears, the sickening sensation of freefall twisting my stomach. I braced for impact—
Then, strong metal arms caught me mid-air.
My eyes flew open, and I was met with the gleaming gold-and-red faceplate of Iron Man. The arc reactor glowed brightly in his chest, casting a faint blue light over me.
"Whoa there, Sleeping Beauty," Tony Stark's voice crackled through the suit's speakers, smooth and laced with that trademark Stark charm, "You might wanna work on your landing strategy." I blinked up at him, momentarily stunned.
'Holy crap.' I thought, 'Tony Stark just saved me. Like for real! What?'
His helmet tilted slightly, as if studying me. "You good? No broken bones, internal bleeding, sudden urge to kiss your dashing rescuer?"
I snapped out of my daze, cheeks heating.
"Uh—yeah. I mean, no! I mean—" I huffed, flustered. "Just put me down somewhere safe, please."
Tony chuckled, "Alright, alright. No need to panic. Though, for the record, this is the part where you say, 'Thank you, Tony, you're my hero.'"
I rolled my eyes in a deadpan expression, but a small, involuntary smile tugged at my lips, "Yeah, yeah. Thank you, Tony. Now, can we not hover in the middle of a warzone?" "Fair point." He descended smoothly, setting me down on a relatively stable piece of rubble.
The moment my feet touched the ground, I wobbled slightly, still shaky from the near-death experience. Tony's grip lingered for half a second longer than necessary, making sure I was steady before pulling away.
I swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was.
The suit was imposing, but up close, I could see the human behind the armor—the way his shoulders moved, the faintest hint of his smirk beneath the faceplate. Not gonna lie, he looks way better than the live-action movies.
"Stay here," Tony said, his tone shifting from playful to serious, "Things are about to get messy."
I nodded quickly: "Right. Yeah. Go—go do your thing." He gave me a mock salute before the repulsors in his palms flared to life. "Try not to miss me too much." And with that, he shot back into the sky, joining Thor in the fight against Graviton.
I exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to my chest.
My heart was pounding, which I believe was probably just the adrenaline from almost dying; I then rushed over to the warzone but not too close, as I watched Iron Man weave through the chaos, dodging debris and firing repulsor blasts at Graviton.
I couldn't shake the weird flutter in my stomach.
Nope. Not thinking about that.
I forced my attention back to the battle. Graviton was stronger than ever, his gravitational waves tearing through the city. Thor and Tony were holding their own, but it wasn't enough.
"You really should listen to the man." Iron Man stood next to Thor as they both looked down at where Graviton had landed. Suddenly—BOOM! A massive shockwave erupted as Ant-Man, now in his giant-sized form, slammed his foot into the ground to stop Graviton from moving.
The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the street, rattling the ground beneath me.
"You're sick, Franklin. You need help."
Ant-Man's voice echoed, trying to reason with him, when Wasp finally swoops in to point her light beams at Graviton, "Or possibly more zapping." She threatens with a grin of confidence.
Time skip~
*Scene changes to everyone trying to fight off Gavitron's gravity abilities near the crates of containers*
Once I arrived at the location where Ant-Man, Wasp, Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man were all struggling to get up, while Gavitron was wreaking havoc by using a collection of containers. I decided that this time, I wouldn't interfere like before, so I chose to hide behind the other crates.
Sadly, the minute that I did so, I was met with a white gloved hand over my mouth from behind me, where I was just about to scream until I looked up to see it was Nick Fury. The Real one. Who looked really pissed.
"Now, where do you think you're going?" He coldly questions me.
*Scene changes to Mia being chained properly this time, while standing alongside Nick Fury, and Maria Hill as he then lets her hear the superheroes defend the Hulk.*
"Freeze!" I watched a SHIELD agent point a missile, ready to attack the superheroes on command, "Step away from the Hulk. He's a fugitive from the Cube." He announced through the speaker that Iron Man steps up and directly threatens them.
Which surprised the Hulk, as shown in the episode 5, "You want the Hulk, you go through me." He then adds, "The Hulk saved us all. He's a hero. As sure as any of us." I stayed on the sidelines with Nick Fury until he came up to call off his agents.
"Stand down." He said, Maria Hill follows him as did I, since I was with us, acutely aware of the superhero's eyes on me: "We've got bigger problems than the Hulk, losing all across the country. Maybe the world by now."
"How did this happen, Fury?" Iron Man asked.
He stayed silent for a moment before he spoke again, "I don't know, but we can find out together." 'Classic Fury. You really going for "come work for me" bullshit? Psh, waste of time if you ask me.' I sarcastically thought with an eye roll.
"Come work for me. As a SHIELD agent, you can make a real difference." Nick Fury finished his offer.
'Yup, called it!' I mentally exclaimed. Ant-Man, tiring of the nonsense, furrowed his brow with a serious expression: "No, this is your fault, isn't it? SHIELD created Graviton. Whatever you had Hall doing, it changed him. You kept it under wraps, and this happened."
Tension filled the air around us.
"And the fact that you took a citizen who has been experimented without any authorization whatsoever—"
I cut in to correct him: "Correction, I was offered money to do it, and I accepted it."
"Offered money that led to her death," Ant-Man retorted back at me with disbelief, but I just shrugged it off. I mean, he wasn't wrong, but what choice did I or in this case, Mia, the real one, was gonna do, say no to free money after escaping the orphanage and potentially earn powers?
Nah.
"Luckily for you, Fury. She survived. Regardless," he continued, shooting daggers at Fury, "You're responsible for this mess."
No one said a word.
"Fury's right." Iron Man finally said.
Leaving a confused reaction for Wasp. "What?" She asked, "You of all people are going to work for SHIELD?"
Annoyed, she crossed her arms, but Iron Man turned to her and rejected the idea but suggesting something else, "No, he's right about us making a difference together." He continues, "One-on-one, we can each take down a villain or two, but 74 None of us can do it alone. Together, we have a chance. What we did here can change things."
"True," I murmured.
Nick Fury glanced at me with a glare, as well as Maria Hill, and I jumped, surprised he'd heard. They both refocused on Iron Man's speech, "The world needs us, but not as SHIELD agents. As a team on our own. Together we can avenge the wrongs caused by all these villains."
"We can be Avengers," Wasp suggested with a smile.
Everyone agreed, including the Hulk: "Huh, good name."
"It suits you guys." I smiled, they all smiled at me, and only then did a SHIELD agent come up to Nick Fury with a tablet that shows the schematics of the time, when, and how the prison break happened: "Director Fury, we have the security footage online."
I couldn't help but peek from behind and see it in awe.
"Graviton didn't wake until after the supervillain prison shut down. He couldn't have been responsible."
Nick Fury looks away, and I look up at him, "And if he wasn't, who was?"
And just like in the episode, the Avengers were born.