From The Ashes - 005 (Patreon)

[A/N: I decided to write a few more chapters until the aftermath of the Invasion and such is cleared up for this story. It should still take less than a week before I switch back to 'The Wanderer'. Enjoy!]

Chapter 005 – Questions

[2012]

Was it easy catching a missile in midair? Well, since I had never done something like this, at any time in the past if someone had asked me this question, I would have argued that it was absolutely impossible.

But at this point in time, things were different.

Decades of fighting against people that were more monsters than they were human, had made Marco a combatant that hardly had any equal.

And his experience and unbelievable skill were now my experience and skill.

The way he moved through the air akin to a flaming bolt of lightning, the sheer control that he had not only over his own body but also the well of blue fire within him, I could only marvel at his abilities as I let myself be guided by the instincts that been gifted to me.

My perception having been enhanced by spiritual energy, I had noticed Stark's approach and had realized that he wouldn't make it.

And since I had no desire to try and withstand a nuclear strike at almost point blank, I knew what I had to do.

Arguably, my motives didn't seem entirely selfish as I also refused to sit by and watch as millions possibly died. Though I wasn't sure if this sentiment was a remnant of my training as a soldier, basic human decency, or if some part of me just rationalized the act of saving myself to sound nobler.

I knew that she would argue that this was just who I was, that my kind heart wouldn't allow me to ignore the suffering of innocents.

She had always seen the best in me, and like a bright light that banished the darkness within me, she also made me try to be the best version of myself.

Without her though, I had struggled to even find the will to live up to this ideal.

Once again, things were different now though as I had chosen this new chance to give it my all one last time so that when I finally followed her into the afterlife, I could do so without regrets.

In a blaze, I appeared beside Stark in my hybrid form and took hold of him and the missile with my powerful talons, a storm of fire erupting from my wings to push me forward with breakneck speed and give me the necessary momentum to correct their course and drag the heavy missile towards the portal.

I let go of Stark after just a few moments, having made sure that he wouldn't kill himself by frontally crashing into a building made out of steel and concrete at its core.

From the movies alone, I had a rather mixed opinion of him as I had never enjoyed his arrogance, which had often proved to be a major detriment, not only for himself but others as well, Ultron being the best example.

But he still had my respect for the effort that he put into bettering himself and being a positive force in the world, whatever that meant.

Thus, saving him was a no-brainer.

My shoulder-length black hair whipped around my face as I tore through the sky and approached the portal, determination burning bright in my grey eyes.

I wasn't sure if I could survive a trip into the void of the cosmos but I had every intention to try.

A moment later, my flaming form disappeared through the dark portal that had been opened by the Space Stone.

…

His gaze fixed on Stark and the missile, Steve had seen that things didn't look good as the man's suit seemed to have been damaged.

Having called out to Stark in warning, urging him to pull up, his words faded out as he looked on shocked due to the sudden appearance of the flaming entity that saved them all from being obliterated by the nuclear warhead.

Unable to react to the developments before him, he saw the being clad in blue fire drag the missile through the portal without hesitation.

Steve only came to himself a few long moments later when all the Chitauri around them suddenly started to drop to the ground, losing any signs of life from one moment to another.

"Captain!", the redheaded female SHIELD Agent called out to him, reminding him that he was still in command and that the danger hadn't passed yet.

Gritting his teeth, he replied with a heavy tone: “Close it.”

"Wait!", Stark protested, having landed on the terrace of the Stark Tower after the flaming being had let go of him, "He might make it, we have to wait!"

“No.”, Steve stated decisively, “We can't risk anything more dangerous coming through that portal. Close it, now!”

He wasn't purposely cruel or uncaring with his decision, he just knew that the chance that they had to close the portal was too precious to give up. The potential danger that could arrive on Earth through it, was simply beyond them to even fathom.

As a soldier, he knew that sometimes sacrifices were required to win a war, however painful they may be.

And while Steve didn't even know what that being was that had just saved them all, that didn't diminish the respect and gratitude in his heart, nor the faint sorrow at having to do what was necessary to end this battle.

Natasha followed his command and finally cut off the energy source of the portal, which made it shrink rapidly as it collapsed in on itself.

Though just before it closed completely, a figure fell through it.

…

I wasn't sure that anyone that hadn't experienced it could comprehend the agonizing pain that I felt when entered the cosmic void beyond the portal.

The simple absence of oxygen and the near vacuum caused my blood vessels to rupture and my lungs to cry out in sharp burning pain.

Weren't it for Marco's incredible physique that I had just gained and the protection of spiritual energy that was flowing around my body, I might have even died directly.

Not being a normal human anymore, thankfully saved me as I forced myself to stay conscious while guiding the missile to its target before letting go and transforming into my phoenix form.

Immediately, I gained some breathing space as my phoenix form was only partly corporal which made it less susceptible to this terrible environment while I almost instantly recovered from my injuries.

I still took damage though as I simply wasn't strong enough to survive in such an environment for longer periods of time even as a mythical bird. Things might have been different if I had been a true phoenix, instead of just having part of its powers.

Certainly, they would be different if I was the Marvel equivalent of a phoenix, namely the Phoenix Force.

I wasn't though, so all I could think was to retreat from this harmful environment as soon as possible, especially so after I saw the missile detonating behind me.

Exerting as much strength as I could, fire erupted from my form as I flew back to the rapidly shrinking portal, passing through it just as closed up.

My mind though was already in somewhat of a haze due to the lack of oxygen and general exhaustion, and I lost my hold over the phoenix form for a moment as I turned back into a human while crashing toward the ground.

Though as breath after breath of life-giving air surged into my lungs, my consciousness awakened with full force and my body erupted with a storm of blue fire, my two flaming wings causing gales as I stopped my descent forcefully.

“CYAA!”, I cried out in defiance while in my phoenix form, declaring my return as my blazing eyes fell onto the contraption on the roof of the Stark Tower.

…

Looking at the images of the city that was displayed on the many monitors, the atmosphere on the deck of the Helicarrier was strangely subtly as quiet disbelief and bewilderment filled the minds of the agents.

Despite the fact that the nuclear strike had been prevented and the portal had been closed, there was no cheering. Instead, there were filled with unease, not knowing if the battle was truly over yet.

Even Fury himself wasn't sure how to react after the flaming avian had saved not only Stark but the entire city before returning in such an imposing matter.

Questions burned in his mind as he thirsted for answers, the most pressing of which was the identity of the 'phoenix'.