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***
In the skies over the Atlantic.
A quinjet.
Peter Parker.
- Over and out," Cap cut the line with Nick and went into the cockpit to Natasha.
I look around the cabin, trying to take my eyes off the ring and stop thinking about my own failure.
Loki was sitting in the passenger seat, heavy high-tech handcuffs and, more importantly, a gag making him comfortable, as was Thor, standing next to him and even holding his half-brother by the shoulder. He's had enough of illusions for centuries.
But Lafeyson's gaze is still as arrogant as ever, incredibly annoying, so, to relax him, I wave the Sceptre I hold in the symbiotic tendril grown from his shoulder.
His newly furious gaze is just honey for the soul.
It helps, but not for long, and my gaze returns to the ring.
Why didn't it work, Raj?
Reserves, perhaps, Bearer?
Yes, that's where my lack of in-depth study of magic went wrong. I failed to calculate the reserves.
- Bloody ring! - In frustration, I even put a tiny spark of my bioelectricity into the artefact.
- Whoa, bright!
I turn my head and see Falcon Eye approaching.
- How are you, Clint? - I ask, trying to distract myself. I'm really worried about the archer.
- I'll live. I've been on missions before," the blond replied with a wry smile. - How are you? - asked the level six agent with concern in his voice.
- I'm fine," I turned away from Barton.
Archer only sighed.
- Look, Spidey, I don't know what the story is...still can't imagine you can teleport us, but don't try to take on too much, okay, mate?
- Sure," I nod.
Clint's words really did make me feel better. Not by much, though.
The blond clapped me comfortingly on the shoulder and walked towards the cockpit.
I sigh.
Stark isn't in the transport, because of the need to get there sooner, he's "pushing" the Quinjet as far as he can without damaging the hull of the transporter.
I rub my eyes tiredly through my mask.
Natasha's a pilot, Cap's a field commander and a true leader needed by the fledgling Avengers, Tony's trying to get us to the battlefield as quickly as possible, Clint's injured, and Thor...is Thor.
Of all these heroes, it's me who's the most useless right now....
Don't even think such idiotic thoughts, Peter! - Raj's angry voice echoed in my head. - It was you who contacted your clones and sent them after several teams of heroes, it was you who warned the Fantastic Four, and I'm sure the smartest man on Earth understood your words and went straight to Stark Tower. It was thanks to you that the city wasn't left as defenceless as it could have been, so don't start feeling sorry for yourself, but rather try to recover better!
Moral spanking works.
- Thank you, brother," I say quietly out loud.
Thor looks at me a little surprised, but it doesn't matter.
I sit down to meditate.
***
In the meantime.
Queens.
Delia was biting her nails. Peter had contacted her and warned her about the alien invasion.
- This is 3J Communication live, this is Burrow Winters with you, thank you for monitoring the invasion situation just with us," the blue-eyed blonde transmitted excitedly. - We're reporting from Manhattan, the centre of the Big Apple has been hit hardest by the invaders," the TV was on.
The picture switched abruptly from the reporter to the far side of the street, the footage showing the rampaging aliens.
Delia's fists clenched involuntarily; she wished she could put on the Red Widow costume and fly there!
- Jesus Christ," Del was snapped out of her musings by a cry from Mary, who was sitting next to her. The brown-haired girl looked at the pregnant girl and immediately calmed down. She had a more serious task - to keep her nephew or niece and his or her mother safe.
- Oh, shit, I'm sorry, MJ, I wasn't thinking, I turned on that nightmare," she reached for the remote, but Watson intercepted her hand.
- Wait, Del, suddenly... suddenly they'll show Peter," the redhead had no doubt that her favourite would be in the middle of it all.
The brown-eyed girl only squeezed Mary's hand in a gesture of support and sat down next to her.
Watson rested her head on her lover's sister's shoulder and tried to relax.
So they sat watching the broadcast until, after a dozen minutes, Felicia appeared in the living room, wearing a full Black Cat costume.
- Are you serious? - Del frowned.
Hardy, however, was only looking at Mary.
- 'I know, I know what you're going to say,' the thief began to say as she approached the sofa. - Going there is dangerous, too risky, I would be much more useful if I stayed and, kept you safe, - at the end of her sentence Cat knelt down and put her palm on her girlfriend's belly.
- Yes and yes again!" the Parker twin interjected.
- But I have to go in there, to cover .
- ...our boy," MJ finished for Hardy.
- Yeah," the blonde nodded.
- Go, Fey, but come back alive," Mary let go of her girlfriend, squeezing her palms tightly one last time.
- I love you, - the blonde kissed the redhead with all passion, - and you too, - Hardy kissed the girl's stomach.
- Do you still insist on having twins? - The green-eyed girl asked with a smile.
- You can take it as a hint from my purring Cat Sense," the superheroine winked. - Well, I hope Spidey won't mind me taking his Jetpack?
Black Cat raced back up to the first floor and, five minutes later, only the noise of the jet engines receding signalled her departure.
- Idiot," Delia whispered, glancing at MJ, who looked downcast. - Carrot, don't worry, everything will be fine.
Mary's response was only to snuggle against the shawl, resting her forehead against her shoulder.
'I'm going to be the best aunt in the galaxy for sure,' Del thought, stroking MJ's quietly sobbing head reassuringly.
***
At this time.
Hell's Kitchen.
There was chaos everywhere. Every block over, micro-fires erupted in high-rise buildings, caused by explosions from alien grenades or volleys of their plasma weapons.
The Celie-1 chariot flew between the buildings, but suddenly the landing party encountered an obstacle.
A taut thread appeared abruptly between the buildings. It was quite strong and thick.
The pilot of the chariot did not have time to react and was the first to hit the thread, after him the other crew members were pushed off the chariot and all of them started to fall down.
- Bring in the new batch, people! - shouted Reilly, from the wall.
- Accepted, Spider," Iron Fist replied, striking with his Qi fist, right in the back of the falling alien.
Cage, on the other hand, was more patient and began beating the invaders only after they had fallen, clearly breaking one body part or another.
The defenders were making their way South, towards the Centre, Fury reports that's where the main influx of aliens was.
Jessica had split from the team two blocks ago, deciding to stay behind and guard the orphanage the Defenders had wrestled from the aliens that had surrounded it earlier.
- More are coming," Daredevil warned, running across the roof.
After his words, several aerial planes appeared from around the corner.
Scarlet Spider jumped away from the wall towards the flying enemies and fired a double shock web. He managed to blind one of the pilots of the cannoners, and took the device out of the trajectory, than Stenolaz provoked the collision of two flying objects.
The wrecked transports were swept up, the sharpness in the corroded metal killed almost the entire crew of ten Chitauri, and the whole mess of burning metal crashed into the brick wall of an apartment block.
Ben's conscience prickled. There could have been people in the house. In a way he felt sorry for the aliens too, for they were alive, but that impulse was smothered in an instant. Before, their brethren had mercilessly destroyed the city and killed civilians.
No. There was no room for sentimentality now. Reilly could only hope that the residents of the house had evacuated in time and he would surely return to help rebuild when they were victorious. At this point, it was far more important how many enemies were downed than the integrity of the buildings.
- Scarlet Spider, don't get distracted! - Murdock shouted to the blond man, who was lost in his own thoughts.
- Yes!" Reilly nodded, clinging to the corner of the roof.
Their battle was in full swing.
***
Blackbird's flight deck.
Cain sat in the comfortable chair and nervously clenched his fingers tightly between each other. However, it didn't help much and he unconsciously stomped his foot.
Most of the Xmen sitting next to him were squinting at him strangely and were fairly relaxed. Except for Gina.
When his mind had been touched by the Miracle Girl's telepathic wave, with an obvious question about the clone's anxieties, Spider had simply opened his mind to her and relayed to her the pictures of the battles that he, in turn, had received from Peter not long ago. Perhaps his older brother had even unknowingly broadcast what he had seen through their Sense.
So the telepath was just as shocked.
Parker offered to show the redhead what he had seen to all the X-Men, but she refused, arguing that mutants were better able to perceive what was going on when they met him face to face, and unnecessary warnings would only make them nervous, just like the two of them, especially the younger ones. Probably all of them except Logan.
Cain decided to trust Grey, after all, she had known her mates much longer.
The clone himself had known them for less time and didn't argue.
- We're getting closer," Cyclops' voice was loud and pitched.
Parker didn't particularly like Summers, if only because he was, in a sense, his rival, given the brown man's romantic interest (Cain decided to leave the question of whether Gina could see his emotions for her in his thoughts for later).
Still, the clone couldn't argue with the fact that Syke was a natural leader, having trained with the X-Men in the Danger Room often enough to be convinced of that.
- All right, boys, whatever we're up against out there, just watch each other's backs," Logan said, pulling on the hood of his suit. - Don't worry about me, you know what I'm like in the heat of battle," Howlett grinned as he lowered the plane ramp in advance.
- That's right, a real berserker," Kurt whispered in Kitty's ear, which made the girl laugh.
Logan heard him too, however, and growled warningly, causing Night Snake to hide behind Bobby.
- I'll still have your back," Storm muttered, walking over to Wolverine.
- 'Thank you, my Mistress of the Elements,' Jimmy pulled the mulatto woman closer to him by the waist and kissed her soundly before breaking the distance and jumping out of the plane, unleashing his claws.
Everyone else could only hear his belligerent scream.
- 'Idiot,' Thunderstorm shook her head with a smile, flying out following her lover.
Scott took the remaining X-Men straight to the nearest rooftop of a multi-story building.
The mutants and Cain left the Blackbird's cockpit and were immediately confronted with a picture of the devastation going on in the Big Apple.
The Chitauri mothership flew past and the roar of the living alien flying machine left the X-Men numb.
- Split into groups, stay close together and cover the others," Summers began to say, trying to shake off the stupor of both his teammates and himself. - Gina, create a telepathic communication channel, Kurt, Kitty and Bobby you are the first squad, Remy, Anna-Maria and Peter, you are the second, Gina, Cain, you are with me and remember, civilians are the priority, - Cyclops decided to finish the fiery speech of the ideal leader with a powerful shot of his ruby beam, which pierced through the head ship of the aliens, - go!
- Aye, Commander," Drake replied, covering himself in ice and beginning to glide on his own element.
Wagner placed his palms on Ghost Cat's shoulders and teleported them away.
Rogue swept Gambit under her arms and took off, while Colossus jumped off the roof, aiming for an alien gunboat flying by.
Gina picked up her squad members with her telekinesis.
Cain, on the other hand, frowned in concentration, they were getting one of the hottest battlefields in the world.
***
At this time.
Atlantic.
Peter Parker.
I open my eyes, feeling my magical powers replenishing.
- Tony, hurry back to the quinjet, I'll open the gangway," I say into the general communication channel.
- What, why? - Stark is indignantly indignant.
- What are you up to, Spider? - Cap asked in an orderly tone.
- I'll explain everything when our genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist is on board the ship, - I answer a little irritated. - By the way, Tony, when you arrive, give Thor one of our communicators, because he's looking at me like...very incomprehensible," I cut off the communication channel before the brunet started pouring out his righteous indignation at me.
He would have started.
I wave my hand at the really confused-looking Odinson and go to the cabin.
All the shield men are waiting there, and if Steve hadn't been sitting in the chair, they'd be crowding in like sardines in a barrel.
- So what are you up to? - Nat asked, looking at me through the rear-view mirror (what's it for in an aeroplane?!).
- Waiting for Iron," I answered, looking away and trying to concentrate on my inner magical core, concentrating my power.
- Okay, I'm here, what's up?
I was brought out of my little zen by Tony's voice.
- I hope you closed the gangway. - I turn to the brunette.
By the way, Thor is looming not too far behind Stark, but he doesn't come any closer, obviously keeping a close eye on his brother.
- Of course, I'm not an idiot," Gun-Man crosses his arms over his chest in frustration.
- Then hold on tight and watch the destruction of your world built on scientific scepticism, - I can't help but tease my teammate. - Natasha, take the plane straight into the portal, - I warn my mentor and raise my hands.
I close my eyes, concentrate and twist my palms, concentrating the power in the desire to open the portal, as I have done dozens of times before.
I feel the magic drain away, so immersed am I.
- In the name of Isaac Asimov and Sir Arthur C. Clarke," I hear Tony say.
I open my eyes and can't hold back a smile.
In the orange-gold ring I see the scenery of my native and beloved New York.
- Everybody get ready! - Romanova commanded, tilting the steering wheel, accelerating the quinjet, which was already flying almost at the limit.
Clint was even twisting, and he would have flown out of the cockpit, if not for the Widow's warning.
I don't know if Mum was afraid the spatial window wouldn't last long or what, but we were through the portal in seconds.
And yet our flying machine belly-flopped through the roof of a block of flats. Thus, the bird, which was already on its last breath, made its last flight.
However, we, the whole team, calmly leave the plane, and Thor brings out Loki, who actually tried to escape, taking advantage of the commotion, for which he received an additional punch in the face from the older man, which obviously did not make him a big handsome man.
Rogers walked to the edge of the roof and looked off into the distance.
- You missed a little, Spidey," the blond man said.
And it's true, I was aiming for downtown Manhattan, at the Stark Tower, but we ended up on the East Side, near the Daily Bugle office.
- Not fully recovered, Steve, sorry," I spread my arms out, "but it's better than nothing, right?
- You're doing great," the Living Legend praised me, looking at the panorama of the city and stopping at a blue crater two dozen kilometres away. - The enemy is wreaking havoc, and we've been delayed in capturing the culprit," Steve said, putting his foot on the roof. - Fury said that the concept of the Avengers is a squad of heroes who must act where others are powerless, but we weren't there to stop the invasion of our home, but moments like this teach us to be better, to grow above ourselves and get closer to the ideal of those who are called Avengers," Rogers turned to us. - The enemy is strong, and there are many of them, but that will make us fight even more fiercely. If we can't save Earth, we'll avenge it. Together.
It wasn't a man standing on that roof with me right now. It was an idea, an embodiment of hope, an inspirational Living Legend. A true example of a leader I was willing to follow. Someone I would like to look up to and perhaps one day stand beside in the ability to inspire such unlikeable people.
- Iron Man, you're on aerial reconnaissance, see if you can figure out how to bring those big bastards down from the sky," Rogers pointed behind his back. - Falcon Eye, take the most convenient point and give the gunboats hell. Black Widow, you're with me, we'll cover the civilians. Thor, bring thunder and lightning down on them, Spider-Man.
- Wait, Cap," I wanted to know what our fearless leader had in mind for me, but I had to interrupt him, "I have to go to Greenwich.
- Why? - Steve wondered.
- If I'm lucky, I'll bring an ally to the battlefield who is as powerful as our Thunderer," I nodded at Odinson.
- Well, all right," Cap exhales. - Is the plan clear?
- As clear as a sunny day in Malibu, Captain," Tony saluted, preparing to take off.
- You want a lift? - Clint asked, laying out his bow.
- Hang on, Robin Hood," replied the Gun Man, closing the faceplate of his helmet.
- I will be glad to join you in a glorious battle, my friends," Thor said, raising his hammer above his head.
Loki only rolled his eyes at his brother's bravado.
Natasha and I just nodded.
- All right," Steve turned towards Manhattan. - Avengers, to battle!