Outside the tower wall.
Natasha Romanoff fired her grappling line and slipped inside, silent as a shadow.
She took in the chaos—metal, thunder, rage colliding in a storm—and then her eyes locked onto the center of the hall.
The Mind Stone scepter.
It was embedded in the device labeled "Ultron X," bathing the room in an eerie blue glow.
This had to end.
Across the hall, Lorelei watched the men tearing each other apart for her sake, a sick, satisfied smile curling her lips.
"Yes… this is how it should be…"
"All that's left… is the helmet."
She staggered toward the console. The helmet—wired directly to the Mind Stone—waited there, cold and gleaming.
The final step to ruling the world.
Her fingers brushed the metal.
And then—
Click.
Every light in the hall went out at once.
All indicators powered by external energy died instantly.
"Zzz—whumm—"
Ultron X let out a dying, mechanical whine… and shut down.
The power was gone.
More precisely—the Avengers Tower's Arc Reactor main supply had been cut.
"Well done, Shadow!"
From the hidden safe room, Pepper Potts pumped her fist, eyes blazing.
"What's happening?!" Lorelei shrieked, success ripped from her grasp at the final second.
"Now!"
In the darkness, a black silhouette burst forward.
Natasha Romanoff had been waiting for this moment.
She ignored the men brawling like gods and monsters. Her target was singular.
The Mind Stone.
Her grappling gun fired.
Clack!
The alloy hook locked perfectly around the scepter's hilt.
"Reel!"
The motor screamed. The Mind Stone was ripped free from its cradle.
Natasha caught it, didn't hesitate for a heartbeat, and sprinted straight through the opposite window.
"Later, boys!"
She spread her glide-wings midair and vanished into the night.
Emergency power kicked in. Lights flared back to life.
Lorelei snapped, staring at the empty console, then screamed at the men still fighting.
"No! Bring it back to me!"
"Whoever retrieves the scepter—whoever does—will be my prince!"
The effect was instant.
Tony Stark, Thor, and Clint Barton all froze at the same time.
They exchanged looks.
Killing intent turned into raw, competitive fire.
"She's mine!" Tony snarled first.
"FRIDAY! Full power to thrusters!"
Mark 43 erupted forward like a missile.
"Dream on, tin man!" Thor bellowed.
Weaponless but unstoppable, he grabbed a hovering drone, mounted it like a horse, and roared:
"Fly, metal beast!"
"And I'm not missing out!"
Barton leapt onto another drone, manually hijacking its controls.
"Run—Hulk not finished!!"
Hulk stomped in frustration as everyone took to the air.
He took two steps back, then kicked the tower's edge with all his strength.
BOOM!
A corner of the building collapsed.
Using the recoil, Hulk launched himself like a green artillery shell after them.
…
The night sky over New York exploded into madness.
Natasha weaved through skyscrapers, her jet glider screaming as she dove between steel canyons.
She glanced back—and her scalp went numb.
Behind her chased an entire Avengers armada.
She couldn't fly straight. She dropped altitude, used buildings as cover, pulled violent evasive maneuvers.
Behind her, Tony Stark had lost all restraint.
For the scepter.
For the Queen's love.
"All units—fire! Shoot her down!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Micro-missiles tore through city streets.
Cars flipped. Streetlights exploded. Civilians screamed and scattered.
Hulk bounded from rooftop to rooftop, shattering windows with every landing.
Thor, riding a smoking drone, smashed through billboards and neon signs midair.
Midtown Manhattan looked like it was being invaded all over again.
Sirens wailed—but the police were helpless.
"Mr. Mayor! Explosions on Fifth Avenue!"
"Times Square traffic has collapsed!"
"Reports say Iron Man is chasing Black Widow—Thor and Hulk are demolishing buildings!"
"Missiles everywhere!"
The mayor clutched the phone, tearing at his hair as explosions boomed outside.
"What did New York do to deserve this?! The Chitauri wrecked us once! The Dark Elves wrecked us again! Now the Avengers are wrecking us too?! Is this city cursed?!"
His secretary handed him another phone with shaking hands.
"Sir… the police chief says they can't contain the situation…"
"Contain it how?! With pistols against the Hulk?!"
The mayor snatched the phone away, inhaled deeply, then dialed a number he'd sworn never to call unless the world was ending.
Beep—
"Welcome to Vought Hero Emergency Services," a sweet voice answered.
"Please select your crisis: A. Alien invasion, B. Terrorist attack, C. Supervillain incident, D. Other."
"D! D! D!!" the mayor screamed.
"I want the most expensive package—the damn 'Justice from the Sky' one! I don't care what it costs! Send Homelander! Get him here now and stop those lunatics!!"
"Understood. Location confirmed: Manhattan, New York. Order accepted. The Seven are en route. Please stay on the line—and prepare your checkbook."
…
High above the city, Natasha was at her limit.
Her glider's left wing smoked after taking a pulse hit from Tony.
"Damn it… rabid dogs…"
She looked up—Thor had already landed ahead on a rooftop, arms spread to intercept.
Behind her, Tony and the Iron Legion closed in.
No escape.
"So this is it."
Natasha gritted her teeth, adjusting her posture, preparing to dive into the Hudson.
Then—
Whisss—
An arrow sliced in from the side.
Clint Barton.
The world's deadliest aim.
The shaft pierced the glider's joint cleanly.
Crack!
The wings disintegrated.
"Ah—!!"
Natasha fell like a broken kite, slamming onto a rooftop thirty floors down, rolling hard before stopping.
She still clutched the Mind Stone scepter.
"Cough… cough…"
She tried to stand—agony lanced through her left leg.
Broken.
"Give me the scepter, Natasha," Tony said, hovering above, repulsors aimed.
"Don't make me do this the ugly way."
Thud.
Thor landed nearby.
Barton followed, bow drawn, arrow aimed at her heart.
"Hand it over, Nat," he said coldly.
She leaned against the railing, gripping the scepter, disappointment heavy in her voice.
"You're all… beyond saving."
She drew her Glock—
Whiss!
Barton released.
The arrow flew for her wrist.
She recoiled—
And Tony fired.
BOOM!
The rooftop beneath her feet exploded.
She lost her balance.
Fell backward.
Thirty stories.
Free fall.
Wind screamed past her ears.
Weightlessness swallowed her whole.
She looked up—at her former teammates, at the shrinking night sky.
"So… this is how it ends."
She closed her eyes.
Then—
Whoooosh—
A gust of wind.
The pain never came.
Instead, she landed in something solid. Warm.
A faint citrus scent—shower gel.
She opened her eyes.
Under neon light, his face was impossibly sharp and calm.
Perfect blond hair.
Blue eyes filled with steady reassurance.
Strong arms holding her like gravity itself had decided to be kind.
"Sorry," he said with an easy smile.
"I'm late."
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T/N:
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