72 Into The Wood— Light

Like fate had it out to be, the Avengers positioned themselves near the Stark tower fighting against the chiurari's flying around.

Thor who had a bit of a scuffle with Loki just moments ago has also taken it upon himself to spark some aliens.

But what he didn't do, is grab the key to stopping the portal, the scepter.

*FIZZZZZZZ*

On the balcony of Stark's tower, a portal opened and to no one's witness or surprise, Deathstroke walked out casually.

He chuckled as he grabbed the scepter and walked into the tower straight to the bar before pouring himself a drink from Tony's collection.

"What a time to be alive." He looked out the broken window that Tony flung out of and saw the city-wide party occurring. "I should finish things up quickly."

*FIIIIIZZZZZ*

He summoned a portal before walking through it while swinging the scepter around.

••••••••••••

"Aghhh!"

Hunter Willis(Green) groaned as he awakened.

A voice in his head spoke.

"FUCK!!!" Hunter bellowed out with anger.

"Easy."

He turned to the side and saw his longtime companion, Dominic Hall(Shadow).

"Dom!!"

Hunter noticed Dom was stripped to his underwear, no gear or weapons to be used and was tied up securely with chains.

He looked down on himself only to notice he was in the same situation.

"You just lost a count?" Dom questioned as his head low, the veins in his head bulged from the pain he was in.

An expression of terror appeared on Hunter's face as if to confirm Dom's question. "I'm on my last strike, Dom."

"I am in the same situation, Hunter." Dom said.

Their advantage of being able to revive in most circumstances turned null, they were left with their last strike before death truly reached them.

He backtracked on how he ended up in this situation, and a face appeared on his face.

"I will fucking kill him." Hunter made an oath against Alfred McBride.

"That's if we have a chance of getting away, or else we'll really die at this rate." Don said without much hope.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Don't tell me you're giving in." Hunter scowled.

"From what I know —what we know— Alfie McBride does not let his enemies go if he can help it. The best case scenario is if we simply die from his hand, quickly."

Hunter looked towards his friend, shocked at his behavior considering he always thought of ways out of difficult situations rather than letting it consume him.

"What did he do to you?" He asked Dom.

"Nothing too crazy, simply a mentally disruptive spell…" Dom chuckled. "How did Strange say it? A simple spell but quite effective."

"Shit!" Hunter cursed.

There is good and bad news.

The good news? Alfie didn't cast the spell on him so he should have free thoughts.

The bad news? Dominic Hall's thoughts and emotions are strained. His thoughts on escaping or finding a way out of the situation won't be logical nor reliable. The same goes for his emotions on hope or motive.

The spell was something forbidden to learn, and they never turned their curiosities towards the forbidden section of the library.

Alfie McBride was different though, to him it didn't apply, Why would it be in the library if it was forbidden? That's his take on it.

Hunter who was also feeling weak without strength moved his arms attempting to free himself of the chains, but he couldn't do much, he started casting basic spells to see if he could move the chains off him.

"Where are we?" He looked around the desert area, though there isn't anything he can use to pinpoint exactly where they were.

"Not on earth." Dom responded.

"What?!"

"Look up."

Hunter tilted his eyes to the sky and saw the sun —Suns— in the sky.

"Holy shit."

His attention quickly turned towards the chains, he summoned an eldritch construct, a saw blade to be specific, where it cut through one of the chains freeing one of his hands.

"I got it!" He said confidently.

He proceeded to cut the rest of the chains before he stood up, though weakly.

"Alright, let's get you out of those." Hunter turned towards Dominic.

"It's okay, Hunter." Dom said.

"Oh shut up." Hunter proceeded, he thought it was the spell doing all that negative talking.

But Dom's next words shook him.

"He would just chain me again, so I'd rather not." Dom signaled behind Hunter.

"SHIII—"

*Thwack*

Hunter was thrown back onto the rock they were chained against as Deathstroke stood before them.

"Please, stay." Deathstroke said plainly.

"Alfie!" Hunter roared angrily. "I will fucking kill you, you won't get away with this, even if you're brainfucked!"

Deathstroke didn't speak, chains appeared on his hand before he effortlessly wrapped it around Hunter and knocked him out.

With the scepter in hand he moved towards Dominic, but instead of the scepter, he raised his arms before undoing the spell he put on Dominic.

"You're good." Dom stated. "You had us running around to get you but in the end, here we are chained while you stand before us."

"It wasn't hard, I thought I might finally have some challenges. But it was more inconvenient than anything else." Deathstroke smirked under the mask.

Dom's eyes stayed steady on the war hero in front of him, and a question arose in his head before spoken. "Were you really under Loki's influence?"

He had doubts.

Deathstroke moved his hand towards his mask before finally taking it off, a smirk donned on his lips, and his eyes as clear from any influence fron Loki, the Mind stone or any drugs and alcohol.

"Why?"

Dom asked.

Not out of anger but just curiosity. If Alfie was sane the whole time, why would he go through the trouble of fucking with them or the situation.

"What would make you wanna play stupid at this critical time?"

Alfie made himself comfortable, sitting on a rock before he pointed towards Dominic and Hunter. "You two."

"What?!"

"You are right and wrong about one thing though, at first I wasn't in control, but that hold the Mind stone had on me slowly weakened after some time. I suspect it could be because the infinity stones don't have much influence on us considering we are not from this universe.

It was frustrating getting caught by the trickster, but after I realized how the influence was weakening, I thought I could use this chance…" Alfie smiled victoriously even though he didn't finish his sentence.

"…what chance?" Don asked again, he had a bad feeling about this.

Alfie's smile widened even more.

"You see, when I woke up from the ice I didn't expect that I was the only player in this universe, maybe I should have noticed with how Selena suddenly showed up without any memories of her character in any of Marvel's history, but you two showing up, I now have enough information to pinpoint who are like us."

Just like Dominic and Hunter, Selena was pulled into this world and got herself involved in this world's conflicts.

Just as Alfie has decided to get involved with Steve and everything in this world.

If there are any more like them, then it would be pretty easy to find them trying to play the game. Unless they are smart enough to stay out of view and do their own things.

Dominic frowned. "So what now, you planning on getting rid of us?"

"I am." Alfie said straightforwardly.

"Then how will you explain our disappearance?! What about Selena Gord, will you kill the mother of your child as well?!"

"You forget, Shadow. I'm not in my right mind." Alfie chuckled. Even if anyone were to find that Alfie had any involvement in Dominic and Hunter's death, then it would be under the influence…UTI in other terms.

"And what if we were put in this world for a purpose? An enemy that even this universe couldn't handle?" Dominic changed tactics, looking for a chance for their survival.

"Bullshitt. And even if there is, so what? This world is different from ours, there are always threats looming and napping, but they have everything they need, the brains and the brawns to face them. And if not, then everything will just die out, it's part of life.

But us…we have no real purpose here, we woke up and learned of our situation before we decided to get to where we are now, no real struggle like the rest of the avengers, we just happen to want to play hero—except me, not a hero. So what's the point of us being here…" Alfie turned towards Dominic. "What's the point of you being here? Don't get me wrong, I have no purpose either but I'm having fun, you idiots, I have no idea what you're up to so it's better to get rid of you now.

Unless there is something, because unlike you two I've been on Ice for a while…what have you guys discovered so far?" Alfie didn't hold much thought about their discoveries.

And it confirmed it when Dominic stayed silent but kept his stare on Alfie.

"…I didn't think so."

"Well then, let's get started."

"What are you gonna do?!" Dominic trembled from what could possibly be done to him.

"Well, I wanna see how much the infinity stones can affect us…"

"If you kill me, then you won't know anything about your daughter…" Dominic tested the waters.

Alfie raised an eyebrow, wondering if this man was an idiot.

"I am not talking about the one you had with Selena…"

"…"

•••••••••••

"This will be dangerous, love. But it can also benefit you, show the world who the Princess of Deliosa is and earn their love."

"As you say, mother!" Alina nodded as she ran besides her mother, in front of an army of women wearing shiny armor and weapons.

"Rona, you stay with Alina and "back" her up." She said before turning to her other two queensguard. "Erza and Tora, you two will split up with the rest and spread out in the city, focus on rescue when necessary, but other than that, strike these ugly bastards down."

*Throosh*

They all saluted, not questioning her commands. Until someone spoke out.

"What about you, mother? What will you do?" Alina asked.

"I will head straight to our allies, while you all make sure you do your part, fabulously." Selena said.

She had seen the MIA avengers return not too long ago thanks to Raven tech, meaning Shado had succeeded in bringing them back. The Hulk also jumped around like his usual self.

But she thought that if Alfie is still active UTI, if Green and Shadow hasn't already straightened him up—which she hold no hope for them—then the best place for her is around the avengers or Loki if he shows up again.

Or so she thought.

*Whooosh*

A wave of chiutaris flew in the air, making their way towards their group.

"Ahhh!!"

The Amazons shouted in unison, ready for a fight, but there was no need.

"Erza." Selena called out.

"Yes."

The expressionless warrioress stepped forward with her spear, to which she raised and threw with all her strength.

*STROOOOoosh*

The spear stabbed through two of the lead chiutaris before landing on one of their aircrafts, exploding in waves before many of the chiutaris were blown or burned off.

A few were able to avoid it and started firing at the Amazons, to which they easily shielded from.

Erza jumped on a car before making her way towards a coming chiutari aircraft, but someone beat her to it.

"I've got it!" Alina shouted.

She herself jumped towards a lamp post before jumping over an aircraft with acrobatic flips as her sword slashed around, effortlessly dismembering the chiutaris limbs.

"Next!" Alina beamed in excitement.

She landed on the falling and pilot-less aircraft before jumping towards another, her shining sword already cutting through the few chiutaris left.

"I'm not sure who she takes after." Rona commented near Selena. "No DNA test needed for her."

Alina was a young beauty, but her skills and movements reflect her mother's while her personality switches to a certain man when she battles.

"Quite a disappointment if this is everything you ugly things are capable of." Alina mocked as she jumped around the aircrafts riding and dicing.

"Many similarities show between me and the fool of a father, but—" Selena watched her daughter move about.

*THROOSH*

"Erza!! Don't take my prey!!" Alina complained towards Erza who smirked after taking a few out on her own.

"Too slow, child."

*FIIIIZZZZZ*

The sudden opening of a portal caught everyone's attention.

"Alina!!" Selena immediately called for her to stay behind her.

As her daughter landed and stood beside her, Selena kept her eyes on the widening portal.

"Agghh!!"

When it grew big enough, they saw a man in fitted green stumbling out as if being chased.

"SELENA!!" Green shouted for her as he limped towards her. "Hel—

*CHIIK*

"NOOO!!"

Green—now headless— fell onto the ground, unmoving.

Behind the body, and the potel that vanished, stood Deathstroke.

"Father!"

"AAGGHHHHHHH!!"

Selena zoomed past everyone with all her strength, and with her sword clashing against Deathstroke's own katana before it flew off leaving him unarmed.

"Gaaah!!"

*THOOMP*

Selena brought her fist down on Deathstroke's mask, denting it and sending him back to crash on the sidewalks.

"Mother!" Alina shouted in shock, she never saw her mother that angry.

Selena appeared near the groaning Deathstroke before she removed the dented and destroyed mask.

"Se…selena?" Alfie with blood and sweat covering his face thought out loud in confusion.

Keep scrolling…

To another dimension.