From The Ashes - 006 (Patreon)

Chapter 006 – Decision

[2012]

Staring up at the blazing creature in the sky, Natasha couldn't suppress the awe that rose in her heart.

The incredible beauty and inhuman majesty of the phoenix caused her to be shocked greatly when even her teammate, a veritable god from the myths, only had her surprised for a bit.

There was just a difference between a being that was so obviously not human and a human with seemingly godly powers.

The former just naturally inspired awe and trepidation while the latter made it seem as if there was this sense of familiarity, even though she wouldn't go so far as to call it kinship.

Thor was obviously not human but the fact that he looked like one made him much less threatening and intimidating than the fiery being above her.

There was just something terrifying about being stared at by a colossal firebird, that caused her breath to get stuck in her throat for a moment.

Though when the blue fire that made up the body of the blazing avian dispersed all of a sudden and the figure of a man appeared, her shock magnified several times as her eyes widened in incomprehension.

The man just fell out of the sky and with a loud crash, he landed on the same rooftop as her in a kneeling position, the force of his descent turning into a shockwave that blasted away the small stones beneath him.

Natasha found it hard to calm herself as she gazed at the stranger while he rose to his feet, and when she finally saw him stand upright, she couldn't quite hide her astonishment.

Wild coal-black locks framing an angular face with eyes the color of grey sapphires and a five o'clock shadow on his cheeks, the stranger gazed at her calmly, his ripped clothes unable to hide his perfect physique.

The man was tall and slim but his muscles obviously held explosive strength within, looking as if they had been carved by a master sculptor while the same could be said for his facial features.

Even if what she had just witnessed told her that the man in front of her and the blazing avian were one and the same, she found it hard to wrap her mind around this fact even after all the things that she had witnessed.

The next moment though, her shock turned into fear as the gorgeous stranger's gaze shifted to the machine with the Tesseract that stood just beside her, a chill crawling down her back.

…

Landing on the rooftop, I spent only a few moments gazing at the stunning redhead, her curvy figure perfectly visible with the skin-tight suit that she was wearing, before I turned my head to look at the Tesseract.

My thoughts spun fast as I felt Stark and the others approaching quickly through the Extraordinary Perception granted to me by the spiritual energy enhancing my mind, knowing that I only had a few seconds to make a decision.

I obviously knew that the Tesseract was just a disguise i.e. container, that held the Space Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, within. The stone being one of six ingots that were basically manifestations of the laws that governed this reality, thus naturally had my attention.

Having arrived in the MCU, or at least a Universe that seemed like the MCU or more accurately, Earth-199999, the value of the stone and the power it represented were not lost on me, especially so since I had already decided to strive to reach the peak of personal strength as to not suffer at the whims of a higher power.

I was also very clear on the fact that the chances to get my hands on an Infinity Stone were very limited while this chance right now was one with comparatively fewer risks and much fewer hurdles to overcome.

Because, even though I knew where the Time, Power, Reality, Soul, and Mind Stone were, getting my hands on the first four was unlikely and dependent on various factors that I had no influence on.

After all, I wasn't delusional enough to think that I could deal with the Ancient One, nor did I have any idea on how to get to Morag or Vormir in any reasonable time frame, while the Reality Stone was hidden so deeply that even Odin had no idea where to look.

The Soul Stone also required the sacrifice of a loved one, the mere thought of which though caused near-uncontainable rage to rise up in my heart, as such, even if given the chance, I would not try to get my hands on it directly.

The Mind Stone was problematic on its own though.

I was aware of the fact that the scepter in the redheaded spy's hands was likewise just a carrier for that particular Infinity Stone but taking it from her would cause massive changes in the timeline, which was rather problematic.

I had just arrived in this world, and I certainly didn't need unexpected events popping up left and right, especially so since my knowledge of the MCU wasn't that detailed in the first place.

None of the Avengers understood yet that the scepter was as special as the Tesseract, so they would most likely just hand it to the Hydra Agents that had infiltrated SHIELD, which would ultimately steer the plot in the direction of Ultron's creation after the twins awakened their latent powers.

The Tesseract though wouldn't immediately change the plot even though it would prevent Thor from easily leaving Earth with Loki in tow. Still, there obviously existed other methods for him to return, so I wasn't too worried about that.

Taking an Infinity Stone would have consequences in any case and these were some that I could accept relatively easily.

And while I wasn't oblivious to the fact that putting my hands on the Tesseract could end very badly, remembering clearly what had happened to Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull, I hoped that since I didn't plan to use it as a weapon of mass destruction, it wouldn't reject and banish me to some lifeless world.

Having made up my mind nearly instantly, I didn't hesitate as I moved towards the cube, my actions not escaping the female Agent's eyes, who turned from shocked to deadly vigilant while pointing the blade of the scepter at me and blocking my path.

“I don't know what or who you are but I suggest you don't come closer.”, the beautiful killer voiced out gravely.

Snorting lightly, I didn't stop my approach nor did I answer, I just swung out my arm, transforming it into a huge flaming wing in the process, which swept the buxom redhead off her feet and flung her a few meters away.

"Stop! You don't understand the forces you are dealing with!", Erik Selvig called out too as he also stepped in my way, which was rather brave considering the circumstances.

The result was the same though as he found himself thrown backward, the fall knocking him unconscious while my healing flame made sure that he wouldn't suffer any lasting injuries. Natasha though didn't enjoy the same treatment as she wasn't just an innocent bystander but a combatant, so the unspoken rules in a confrontation were different.

Stepping in front of the machine just as Stark and Thor landed on the roof, I coated my hand in a dark layer of Armament to protect myself from the exothermic energy that the Tesseract was still giving off after having just been activated to open a portal.

I was already readying myself to turn into a phoenix and take off at the fastest speed possible, though the moment that I touched the cube, I knew that I had miscalculated.

…

Seeing the stranger that had just moments before been a giant blazing phoenix, reaching out and grabbing the Tesseract after obviously having knocked Erik unconscious, Thor's wrath nearly boiled over.

Though before he could pull back his hand and let the man have a taste of his hammer, a change occurred.

“ARGH-!”, a deep cry echoed out as blue arcs of cosmic energy erupted from the cube and struck the stranger's chest, an immense shockwave accompanying the eruption that whipped up a blueish storm.

Not caring about the Tesseract anymore, Thor lunged forward and grabbed the unconscious Erik before jumping down the roof to the terrace below, to ensure that no harm came to his mortal friend.

Stark wasn't far behind with the female fighter on his shoulder.

The god of thunder's face was a dark mask of anger and dismay as he looked up and saw the energy storm getting more and more intense.

He had initially thought that retrieving the Tesseract would be an easy matter with his power but to the proud Asgardian Prince's growing frustration, things had long since gone beyond his control.