BOOOM!
Like thunder splitting the heavens, a golden comet streaked through the clouds, tearing across the sky at supersonic speed.
It didn't take her long. Not even halfway through her fall, Danvers had already brought forth the violent energy within her, bending it completely to her will. If her photon blasts could once be compared to a child's water toy gun, now they were more like a high-pressure fire hose.
The difference was huge, just as he had guessed. His magical sense also confirmed it, that the power radiating from her had reached an unprecedented level, flaring in warning and telling him not to take it lightly.
BOOOM.
BOOOM.
From above, Maverick's eyes followed the human comet of bright orange tearing through the clouds, each explosive boom echoing as she blasted through one sound barrier after another.
Tsk. It's like one moment she's learning to crawl, and the next, she's out running marathons.
Sigh. Whatever. Anyway, with this overpowered crazy chick as a thug, the plan's going to go off even smoother.
And why would he call her crazy? Well, because instead of slowing down after those few minutes of getting the hang of it, her objective seems to have changed — or, to be precise, she was now heading straight for him.
Heh. He chuckled, and a slow grin spread across his face as he watched her blaze upward, maybe three, even four times supersonic. Crazy… really crazy.
But his face didn't look worried in the slightest, if anything, he seemed almost eager, to see if he could take her fist.
Woooosh! BOOM!
Another deafening boom as she crossed yet another barrier. No matter how confident he was in his own cheat, he couldn't help but feel a bit envious of her.
That's Mach 6 now. How long has it been? Five minutes since she learned to fly?
Closer. Closer.
The sound of rushing air filled his ears as he watched the glowing figure swell larger in his vision, her fist drawn back and her body wrapped in blazing light.
There was no way he could take her cosmic-powered punch with his bare flesh and bones, no matter how strong the Archmage physique made him.
With that thought, he outstretched both hands. Golden runes began to form before his palms, spinning, connecting, and expanding into a massive, radiant construct — the Shield of the Seraphim. In the same instant, a Protega Maxima from the mage system layered behind it, both glowing with power as he braced for the incoming strike.
What? Was that going a bit overboard? No. This woman, in this state, could clean through spaceships like they were paper, so he wasn't taking any chances.
That said, the grin now spreading across his face belied any hint of caution.
Woosh!
BOOOOM!
The impact hit with a deafening blast. In a mere fraction of a second, cracks echoed as the Shield of the Seraphim pulsed violently, the air humming with the collision of raw magic and photon energy in a blinding explosion of light.
"Ah, hell..." Maverick muttered through clenched teeth, his coat whipping wildly around him from the sheer wind, heat, and raw power radiating from the aftermath.
Meanwhile, their collision echoed with a terrifying blast, a shrieking roar that seemed to make the sky itself scream. The broken clouds around them burst apart in every direction, exploding outward in a circular shockwave that painted the heavens gold and orange for a fleeting moment.
It was absolutely the right call to double over the shields. They held, barely, but they held. But he wasn't about to let her overpower him just like that. So in the next moment, he clicked his tongue and pumped even more magic into the barrier, and golden veins of energy raced across its surface, pulsing brighter with every heartbeat.
KRAK-BOOOOM!
And across from him, Danvers mirrored his expression, her entire body radiating molten light, her grin fierce and unrelenting like a blazing sun in front of his eyes.
"Haha. Kid, you asked for this… so let Aunty Carol give you a little lesson!"
"Crazy woman… I was only trying to help…"
KRAK-BOOOOM! KRAK-BOOOOM! KRAK-BOOOOM!
Neither side gave an inch. One grinning like a madwoman, the other, Maverick, gritting his teeth. His barriers held firm, resisting her photon storm, while the energy from both forces mixed and churned like two suns fighting for dominance.
Then… Maverick's eyes suddenly gleamed, a smirk spreading across his lips. If anyone's getting spanked, it's you. And with that thought, he released the defensive spells, both at once.
Her punch ripped through empty air, missing his face by mere inches, the heat from it vaporizing the air between them and scorching the side of his cheek. Maverick twisted, moving with perfect timing, his body turning as his arm pulled back. He channeled all his power into his fist, and with one precise swing, he drove it straight into her ribs.
Cough!
BOOOOM!
The explosion that followed shattered the sky once again. The shockwave spread outward in a roaring burst, tearing through the clouds and leaving the air trembling in its wake.
Danvers shot the opposite direction like a blazing comet, streaking across the heavens at incredible speed. Trails of golden energy and fiery mist followed her path, lighting up the atmosphere as she flew through miles in seconds. Her faint groan echoed through the wind before fading away, her glowing form shrinking into the distant horizon.
But just as Maverick exhaled the breath he'd been holding, he saw the fleeting, blazing energy—after letting out a BOOM—suddenly shoot upward, then make a sharp 90-degree turn, aiming straight at him again.
"Fuck!"
---
Some time earlier
Inside Maria's property, Maria, Fury, Coulson, Isabella, and Talos sat in the living room, hashing out their roles for when Ronan's fleet arrived. While the heavy hitters would hold off the attacks, the rest would mostly monitor—but they were well aware it wasn't going to be as easy as it sounds.
"Ricky said he'd have Uncle Ali and some of his people stationed with us too. We'll be inside Uncle Ali's magical construct, and with the barrier up, we can record everything from all angles…" Isabella said, glancing around and tapping her finger on the table.
"I still can't believe I'd be stuck directing a movie. I'm a Level Six agent, ya know. I should be on a fighter jet, blasting the alien bastards. All that kid's fault. The director forced me to follow orders."
Maria arched an eyebrow from across the couch. "Can you even fly a jet?"
"I…" Fury opened his mouth, closed it, and muttered, "not the point."
"You know, we could take the Quinjet." Talos leaned forward, a subtle gesture toward Maria punctuating his words. "Lady, if you're as good a pilot as you say you are… we could really make a difference..."
After learning that Earth would be raising its full force—at least eight unfathomable beings as strong as Maverick, someone the green alien from their very first meeting had considered demigod-level—Talos was now confident they could, at the very least, drive Ronan's fleet back to where it came from.
"I say we do as Mr. High Councilor said. Just sit this one out, sir," Coulson said, fixing his tie and looking at Fury, his boss.
And then, all of a sudden, BOOOM! They all heard a deafening sound from outside and jumped in alert.
"I think it's coming from above…"
With solemn expressions, everyone moved toward the door and stepped outside into the yard.
"What in the goddamn—" Fury muttered in his typical language, "is happening now?"
Their heads tilted all the way back, and high above, somewhere within the blanket of clouds, they saw a massive crater-like formation, and at its center, a blazing star.
Fury's gaze stayed fixed on the blazing point, and his brow creased, lips pressing into a thin line. "Didn't the kid say he was taking Danvers out for a... little, training session?"
And just as he uttered, they all saw that same blazing point suddenly get veered sideways like a rocket, slicing through the clouds and bursting them apart in its wake.
BOOOM! And seconds later, a deafening crack, sharp as a gunshot, rolled through the air and reached their eardrums.
Then, just as suddenly, they watched the blasted-away blaze of light come to an abrupt stop.
"My god… are they… fighting? Is that what's causing this?" Maria voiced what everyone was already thinking.
But no one made any comment, too awed—or too terrified—by what they were seeing. Their eyes tracked the blazing point streaking across the sky again, making a sudden, sharp 90-degree turn, streaking even faster before slamming head-on—bright orange against dark gray.
They separated, gained some distance, and crashed into each other again.
And again. Once, twice, thrice... they zigzagged, twisted, and collided in bursts of light and thunder.
Boom!
Boom!
Each impact split the heavens apart like craters in the sky, then the two streaks would spiral around and clash — like a furious, dazzling dance of destruction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Within minutes, the blanket of white clouds overhead looked like Swiss cheese, full of holes punched clean through.
"At this rate, they'll set off alarms across the whole damn country," Fury muttered. "Or did the kid's—what's it called—wand, ward, whatever—cover the whole city this time and not just this property? 'Cause if not, every goddamn newspaper will have this on the front page tomorrow."
But before anyone could answer, a voice — rough and composed, but at the same time unfamiliar — drifted from behind them.
"You are absolutely correct, boy from Muggle America. Our dear Speaker seems to be showing a rather casual ignorance for the sacred Secrecy Act."
Click. Click.
Everyone snapped their heads toward the sound, while Fury and Talos instinctively had their guns leveled.
It was a group of elaborately dressed figures, standing not far away, and except may be Isabella, none of them had the faintest clue who they were at first.
At the front was clearly the leader: a middle-aged man in blue robes draped over a sharp suit, a gray half-top hat on his head, and a neatly trimmed silver beard. To his right stood a woman in a sleek mix of modern and traditional attire, her pointed hat giving her a commanding look. Beside her, a shorter man with a goatee and round glasses wore a robe over a suit, like a scholar ready for action.
To the supposed leader's left stood a tall, battle-hardened man. His reinforced tactical coat was lined with glowing patterns, and he had only one natural eye — the other a prosthetic that pulsed faintly blue. A jagged scar ran across his cheek, and his missing arm had been replaced by a metallic prosthetic that hummed quietly, intricate glowing lines tracing its surface. From a glance, he was exactly the kind of guy you didn't want to mess with.
Next to him were two more figures, cloaked in dark robes pulled over their heads like hoodies. Their faces were hidden, and the way the robes draped over them gave off an eerie aura that made the air itself hum.
Fury's jaw tightened at the sight, and the words left his mouth before his brain caught up. "Which one of you assholes just called me a boy?"
By the time he processed it, his eyes widened in recognition. Standing before him was someone he knew from S.H.I.E.L.D. records — the Chief Warlock, they said. Albus… goddamn… Dumbledore.
—————————
Author's Note:
🔥 Drop those Power Stones! 🔥
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