71 Loose Ends
Motherfucker!
Everything that could go wrong is happening right now.
Nicholas Fury stood in the control room of the helicarrier as reports came in from his agents.
Two of his best agents are MIA, Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton.
The cause? Alfred McBride who turned mindless, at least in certain ways.
It was reported that they also lost contact with countless agents and specialists that worked for SHIELD, many of them showing their concern.
But Fury's thoughts are different, he wished that was actually the case, but he knew better.
What worried him the most is the message he received not too long ago, from one of his agents.
[SHIELD Compromised, HYDRA Lives.]
The agents disappeared soon after, Nick Fury could only hope he is alive with more information. The agent is a son of a Howling Commando and is damn good at what he does.
But now to keep an eye behind his back while dealing with the Loki situation. He can't trust anyone at the moment, not that he ever did easily.
And as dangerous as HYDRA can be, Loki and his plans are more critical than any threat HYDRA can pull right now, if anything SHIELD would just shut down or detach from the US government and the United Nation's eyes.
But the problem is they were short on manpower with a certain man who turned mindless, another who lost his frisbee to the former, two agents out and a scientist whose muscles can really be of use at the moment.
But new players appeared, a queen, an archer and someone else who dressed like a bat.
The only difference is they seem to have their own objectives in the situation.
If things keep going the way they are, they might have three fronts they have to focus on; Loki, HYDRA and the World Security Council who might take drastic measures.
His bald head couldn't contain all the headaches coming from these problems.
His thoughts stopped, he looked towards his partner, Maria Hill.
"Sir…" She walked up towards him with a phone in hand and a frown on her face.
•••••••
A portal opened in Kamar-Taj, where Shadow walked out in haste heading directly towards the Ancient One.
He was here for a certain scientist/beast, but he thought he might also ask for some assistance once more.
Earlier he dropped Bruce Banner in Kamar-Taj to see if the Ancient One herself could help, which she was curious enough to do.
The Hulk's scream filled the temple when he dropped him off, distracting and gaining attention for the other sorcerers.
But it was now quiet ever since Shadow stepped onto the temple.
"Ancient On—" He paused when he arrived at his destination.
The Ancient One sat casually with her legs crossed, while in front of her, the green body of Hulk floated peacefully, something that rarely— if ever— happens when in that raging form.
"Is—is he…" He couldn't ask the question in his mind.
"He is fine." She said.
He then saw the Hulk start to change, returning to Bruce Banner.
He sighed, relieved. He should be able to return him back somewhere just on time to participate along with the avengers.
But, he had another reason for coming here.
"A situation has occurred, one I wish to ask your advice on." Shadow said with a bit of tension in his tone.
"Are you not capable of handling it yourself?" She asked without much attention to her.
"We've tried everything, he just keeps slipping and making things worse. At this point, Loki might actually succeed in his goals." He said with shame.
The Ancient One turned her head towards him, giving him her attention.
Shadow saw that it was her usual deadpan expression, but he couldn't help but feel there is disappointment in her face.
The shame he felt is deep.
When he and Green started their lessons in sorcery here under her, they couldn't help but feel pressured as the other sorcerer masters and teachers often compared them to Master Alfie McBride for some reason.
This was one of the reasons they knew Alfie was another Liver.
From what they heard, when Alfie started his lessons in Kamar-Taj in the early 1900's, he was adamant on being trained under every teacher in the temple and sanctum sanctorums.
Alfie learned all his spells and basic fighting skills from these teachers before he finally learned some spells from the Ancient One.
Apparently the Ancient One enjoyed guiding Alfie McBride, but that was probably because he never caused much trouble to the sorcerers.
Unlike Shadow and Green.
Everytime they faced difficult problems outside the temple and sanctorums, they would run to the Ancient One or the teachers for assistance.
Which stayed as shame for them.
Even now, when Hulk had fallen due to the rogue Alfie, Shadow brought him straight to the temple and asked the Ancient One for her help.
And though Alfie was— and still is— sneaky and broke a few rules within the sorcerer community, he never involved the sorcerers with his affairs outside.
He also sneaked around the library and learned most of his spells himself.
Ancient One also felt she involved herself and the sorcerers with these…fateless ones too much.
She had taken it upon herself to watch them as they learned and grew.
She saw the difference between these three.
Unlike Dominic Hall(Shadow) and Hunter Willis(Green), Alfie McBride used his capabilities to help the smaller communities of citizens around the planet one way or another.
He even established a Secret Council of his own people who observe and even maintain order in certain areas in society.
As for Dominic and Hunter? They only ever move if it benefits their companies or families.
There is a difference here.
The Ancient One waved her hands where a portal appeared with two unconscious people in tow.
"That's!!" Shadow saw Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton laying in front of him.
He and Green tried but they couldn't find these two agents, at least not on earth which they assumed Alfie portaled them to another dimension or sorts.
"They were sent to their deaths, lucky for them I foresaw it. They have places to be, apprentice Dominic Hall. Take them, or else time will truly not be on our side." She said.
"Thank you!" Shadow said gratefully
He took Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton in tow before portaling to certain areas in the city in seclusion, close enough to Tony Stark's tower.
He made sure they were near enough to wake before he disappeared and appeared on top of a roof.
"With this, it might bring things back to normal." He muttered.
He then brought his hand to his ears to communicate with Green and Selena, but…
*Chuuuk*
"Aaghhhh!!! Kughh—"
He looked down towards his chest, a sword, more specifically a katana, poked out from his chest.
He turned his head to look back and see who he thought it would be.
"How heroic, you just saved the day. All that's left is the fall of the hero, except no one will know of your fall."
•••••••
A ravenjet landed near Selena and Green, as the hatch opened they could see Alina, Randall along with his two best and young agents Xander and Normani.
"Mother!" Alina called out as she approached Selena hugging her.
"The bastard is still on the loose, Selena. Don't turn away from this." Green almost growled out towards her.
Selena turned towards him with a disappointed expression. "You have made it clear that you have no way of finding him, let alone capturing him. All this time you have wasted time while he runs around causing chaos.
I have many things to take care of, I have no time to spare with you idiots." She said before she boarded Raven's jet before they flew off leaving an angered Green.
"Shame, he was quite a genius." Randall commented as he watched Green's figure through a window.
"There are plenty of geniuses, it does not mean they are not stupid." Selena stated, though she didn't think much of this Green or Shadow, they never did much but use the knowledge they have, but she could say the same for her and Alfie. "Are your preparations ready?"
"They have been ready since decades before, Selena. As ready as we can be at least, what of your warriors?" Randall asked.
"They will arrive soon enough to assist the city, this will give us enough admiration from the public."
"And what about the government? What will they say about your army being on American soil after this?…if we happen to survive and win this invasion." He asked again, with doubt in his heart.
"I have thought it through, though Alfie breaking my sister, Caterina, out of imprisonment might give more trouble than necessary."
"Very well, it wouldn't be too much trouble. I will have Regina Johnson, our member of the Congress and World Security Council, give you some aid." Randall said with confidence.
As the head of the secret council that has members in every "good" and "bad" factions in the nations, it had its perks.
"Some would consider that corruption, Randall." She smirked.
"If by corruption, you mean leveling out the bad from winning and keeping the people from greedy harm, then yes, Queen Selena, we are by all means corrupted." He smirked in return.
The Secret Council, which Alfie started with Randall at the helm, is a group that would respond in case shitt don't go as planned and protect the smaller people who solely wish to live their lives.
No one knows of this group nor how big it is, but given how long Randall and his members have stayed alive for decades, they have their hands deep in many nations and organizations.
*WHOOOOMP*
*THROOOOOSH*
The ravenjet they rode shook slightly as a muffled shockwave spread through the city.
"The portal." Selena frowned as she looked towards the beam opening the portal just on top of Manhattan.
"WHAT IS THAT?!"
"MOTHER, LOOK!!"
"So it starts." Randall said, but he had hoped this was all just a joke.
Alina, Xander and Normani, who didn't expect this, looked upon the opening portal in shock.
"Sir.." Xander turned towards Randall, a heavy feeling pressed on his chest.
"Call the board for a meeting, we will do what we can." He responded before turning to Selena.
•••••••••
Green stood on a rooftop looking towards the portal with a sigh.
"Shadow, come in." He called out onto his comms.
...
No answer came.
"Shadow, are you there?"
....
"Dom!!" Green started to worry, Shadow always answered his calls, especially in times like these.
"Shitt!!"
He pulled out the locator screen on his arm, intending to locate his companion.
"Where the hell are yo—"
*CHIIIK*
"Kugh!!"
He looked down towards his chest to see a kunai embedded onto his chest.
He looked to where that weapon came from—
*Whoosh*
A metal chain suddenly wrapped around his neck before it squeezed.
His eyes widened in shock and fear.
Not far from him, a portal opened, where Deathstroke held the other end of the chain.
*THROOSH*
"GET OVER HERE!!"
