The courtyard of Kamar-Taj was quiet, save for the whispering wind that moved through the prayer flags and the soft hum of distant portals flickering open and closed. The air carried a strange mix of peace and tension—the calm before an inevitable storm. I sat alone on the temple steps, watching the faint shimmer of the protective barrier that surrounded the ancient sanctuary.
Kamala had already told the Masters everything—from the fall of the Raft to the chaos in orbit. The news about Banner… or rather, what he had become… lingered in my thoughts like a splinter. The "Infinity Hulk." A being who had absorbed the raw energy of the Infinity Stones to stabilize the planet from collapse. Banner had sacrificed his humanity to save the Earth, and now, his monstrous form guarded that power—refusing to let anyone, good or evil, touch it.
I leaned back, staring up at the shifting skies above the monastery. So… that's how it is.
The Nova Corps was gone to prevent us from getting this world help.
If I wanted to fix this mess, there was only one way—use the Infinity Stones' energy to reverse the infection, to cleanse the Earth of its rot. But Hulk stood in the way, and Wanda Maximoff… she was coming too. She wanted that same power—not to save the world, but to rule it.
A three-way collision. Me against the strongest the world had left.
It wasn't about whether I'd survive—I would. But the fight would be brutal, enough to shatter what remained of this dying planet.
I was still lost in thought when I heard a soft, familiar voice behind me.
"I was looking around for you."
I turned slightly, and there she was—Kate Bishop. Her hair was tied back, her bow slung over her shoulder, and her usual sharp wit replaced by something quieter and heavier. She walked over and sat beside me on the stone steps. For a moment, she didn't say anything. She just looked out over the glowing wards of Kamar-Taj, her fingers tracing the cracks on her quiver.
"Rintrah told me," she said finally. "He said Wanda's on the move. That she's going to attack Hulk… take the Infinity Stone energy for herself."
I didn't reply right away, just listened.
"They asked me to fight with them," she continued, voice barely above a whisper.
I turned to her. "And what did you say?"
Kate gave a small, bitter laugh. "Nothing. I didn't say a damn thing."
Silence again. The kind that makes you aware of your heartbeat. She finally turned toward me, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "Alastor, you're the only miracle worker I've seen in this apocalypse. You show up, you fight gods, zombies, and whatever else crawls out of hell like it's just another Tuesday. So… can I ask you something?"
I nodded. "You can ask me anything."
Her eyes locked with mine—tired, desperate, but burning with that stubborn spark that had always made her different. "Can you save us from this hellhole?" she asked softly. "Please. I'm starting to get attached to these people. Kamala, Yelena, and even that smug bastard Zemo. I don't want to lose anyone anymore."
Her voice broke, and her eyes began to glisten. "Please… can you do anything?"
I sighed, a long breath escaping me. Without thinking, I reached out and gently wiped away the tear that had escaped down her cheek. Her skin was cold against my fingertips—not from fear, but exhaustion. The kind that came from fighting too long with no end in sight.
"I have a plan," I said at last, my voice calm but certain.
Kate blinked, leaning closer. "You… do?"
I nodded slowly. "If it works, you'll all get to go back to your normal, ordinary lives. No more zombies. No more running. Just… peace."
For a heartbeat, her face lit up with something like hope—fragile, beautiful, and fleeting. "What's the plan?" she asked.
I smiled faintly, leaning back against the steps. "That," I said, "is a secret."
Kate groaned softly, half-laughing through the lingering wetness in her eyes. "Seriously? You're doing the mysterious hero thing again?"
"Wouldn't be me otherwise," I said with a shrug.
She shook her head, but a small smile curved her lips. "You're impossible."
"Maybe," I replied quietly. "But I'm also your best chance."
~~~