Chapter Text
Chapter 1: C.L.A.T.
In the middle of the day, gunfire echoed on the streets of Brooklyn, while civilians fled in terror. Armed men flooded the streets with body armor over their clothing as they showed complete disregard for everyone in sight. The police struggled to contain the threat as they were forced to keep behind their squad cars for safety.
A cop covered his head when the squad car’s window shattered from the bullet fire. He grabbed his hand-held and made another effort to request backup. “Maggia are firing upon officers and civilians. Maggia are equipped with high-grade weapons. We need immediate backup.”
A youthful voice responded on the comms. “Backup inbound, Mr. Officer. Leave the Maggia to us.”
The cop questioned the responder only to see sparks of blue light gather everywhere. The blue light solidified that created a barrier to contain the Maggia to a set perimeter and ensured the safety of both civilians and the cops.
Slowly, a figure descended from the sky, wrapped in blue magic. Billy Maximoff, aka Wiccan, landed near the cops with his red cape and dark hair billowing in the wind as he stood dressed in his uniform. His eyes retained their gentle, brown irises as he kept his hands raised while he maintained his barrier spell. “Don’t mind me,” said Billy. “My job is to contain this mess. The rest of my team has this problem covered.”
Across the street, the Maggia began to rethink their strategy as Billy’s barrier meant they weren’t going to win this fight easily.
“What next, boss?” asked a Maggia member with a small scar on his face.
The man in a dark suit cocked the trigger of his gun. “Clear the area. The junior Avengers are too meddlesome to deal with.”
Green waves blurred passed the Maggia commander with a fist rapidly striking another Maggia member in the face. The Maggia member crashed into a nearby car as Tommy Maximoff, aka Speed, came into a clear view as his silver hair blew in the breeze his running created. He stood dressed in his tight, green and white uniform. “Junior Avengers? At least get our name right.” Tommy ran out of the way just as the Maggia started to shoot at the spot he stood.
Tommy reappeared as he was swinging around a nearby streetlight. “Young Avengers, assemble!”
The Maggia started to fire at the streetlight but missed as Tommy ran. The bullets barely pierced the bricks of a nearby building, but no civilians were harmed.
“Quit showboating!” A shield with the American flag painted over it slammed into another Maggia member as Eli Bradley, aka Patriot, joined the fray in his white and blue, starred uniform. He tossed his shield at another Maggia member before snapping his fingers.
Jumping from his shoulder, a tiny figure grew to adult size and tackled another Maggia member. Cassie Lang, aka Stature, dressed in her red and black uniform, smirked at the Maggia. She repelled herself from the man and shrank back down before going full-sized a second time to punch another in the face.
“Hi, boys!” said Cassie. “How are we doing today? We done terrorizing people?”
When the Maggia tried to shoot Cassie, a pair of overstretched arms emerged from a nearby alley then pummelled everyone within range. The Maggia members groaned in pain as the stretchy figure of Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, stretched over to Cassie. She was dressed in red rights with a blue shirt that went down to her thighs and bore a yellow, lightning bolt over it.
“Mr. Rogers said to spend less time with quips,” said Kamala, “and more time disarming your opponents.”
A Maggia member cocked his gun and took aim at Kamala when a large, green hand grabbed his wrist. He gulped as he looked to his left to find a hulking, green-skinned figure with blond hair standing over him. Prince Dorrek, aka Teddy Altman and Hulking, appeared in a black bodysuit with yellow lines on the sides that were sleeveless so it showed his large, green arms. used his super strength to break the gun before pulling it from the Maggia member’s hand.
Teddy easily pushed the Maggia member to the ground before going to crack his knuckles. “Here I thought the Maggia was a serious threat. These mobsters are just clowns,” said Teddy. As he was about to pounce on them, the members cowered in fear when their commander started to spring down the road.
However, before the commander could get too far, an arrow whizzed across the sky and exploded to create a rope that bound the commander. The force of the arrow caused him to fall face on the ground with a bloody nose greeting him as he looked to his right to find his attacker armed with a bow.
Kate Bishop, aka Hawkeye, toyed with another arrow as she towered over him in her purple bodysuit. “Gotta love trick arrows. They’re pretty handy in putting you Maggia goons in your place.” She touched her earpiece. “Wiccan, the threat is contained. Drop the barrier and magic some chains.
“On it, Hawkeye!”
Waves of blue light washed over the street as all the Maggia members got handcuffed.
Sighs of relief mixed with cheers greeted the Young Avengers as they gathered.
An officer holstered his gun as he went over to Eli. “Thank you, Young Avengers. You really saved our necks.”
Kamala chuckled as she got between the cop and Eli. “It was no big deal. We just did what’s expected of superheroes!”
“Either way, we really appreciate it. Now, excuse me, while we properly arrest these clowns.”
The cops dealt with the Maggia members. They stuffed the Maggia in their squad cars and got to work on conducting their report.
Meanwhile, the Young Avengers started to leave the crime scene. Tommy, Kamala, and Cassie ate up the spotlight as they took selfies and signed autographs.
Kate slung her bow back over her shoulder. “No sign of Hammerhead. But these are his men.”
“We gotta find him and soon.” Eli strapped his shield to his back. “He’s trying to turn the city into a warzone.”
“The Daredevil guy’s intel was pretty accurate,” said Teddy. “Maybe we should ask again if he knows where Hammerhead is held up. We’ve been fighting Maggia goons all spring and still haven’t found his nest.”
Billy nodded. “I could get us a location if you’d just let me use a locator spell.”
“You’ve never met Hammerhead so the spell wouldn’t work, remember?” said Eli. “Plus, Steve says we can’t rely on your magic to solve all our problems. Somethings are better done the old fashioned way.”
“Fine,” said Billy. “Then I guess we can try to set up a meeting with Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Not that I know how to contact him. He likes being mysterious.”
Kate smirked. “Then we talk with Jessica Jones. She knows where to find him.”
“The P.I.” said Teddy.
“She’s a powered person too, remember,” said Kate. “And she’s part of that Defenders team with Daredevil, the Iron Fist, and Luke Cage.”
“Can you handle that?” asked Eli.
Kate nodded.
The crowd’s cheering got louder as Tommy, Cassie, and Kamala stopped giving them attention.
Tommy gulped as he grabbed onto Billy’s arm. “Maybe you should magic us back to base. For survivors of a terrorist attack, these people are really pushy.”
Billy chuckled. “Alright. I’ll open a one-way portal to Chetaeu Young Avengers!”
Without using a Sling Ring, Billy effortlessly opened a portal to their base. They jumped inside the vortex of orange magic and it quickly closed behind them before anyone could say or do anything to stop their departure.
*~*
The cheering at Young Avengers’ headquarters got louder as the team celebrated their latest victory over the Maggia. Stacks of pizza and bottles of sparkling cider were scattered about the kitchen to celebrate their joyous moment.
A much older Steve Rogers watched the team celebrate from the balcony of the headquarters. He had a cup of cider dangling from his hands as he noticed how happy the team appeared as they averted another tragedy. And while he could rest easier knowing that the Young Avengers were protecting the city, he still couldn’t help but to worry over them as well as the threat the Maggia posed as they were no longer operating from the shadows.
Eli climbed upstairs and soon stood beside Steve. “We still found no sign of Hammerhead. Or any intel that might narrow down our search.”
“But the Maggia attacks are getting bolder,” said Steve. “That means we’re backing them into a corner. It also means they’re going to be fighting their damnest to make sure you don’t stop whatever they’re up to.”
“Then shouldn’t we make Billy do more fieldwork?” asked Eli. “I get the logic behind having him in a defensive position to minimize civilian harm. But if a powerhouse like him were fighting Maggia then surely Hammerhead would show himself.”
Steve nodded. “However, we’d be putting Billy in greater danger. Remember what happened with Wanda and the Sokovia Accords? I don’t want to put Billy through the same trauma...especially given how quickly his powers have grown since last year.”
“You’re right.” Eli took a sip from his cup of cider while watching everyone else party from the balcony. They watched as Kamala stretched her arm over Tommy’s shoulder to steal his pizza while Kate distracted him
Eli and Steve chuckled as Tommy started to chase Kamala around the room.
“It’s been a year and yet so little has changed,” said Eli. “They’re still the same hot messes they were when we met at the compound.”
Steve smirked. “Yes, but you’ve grown a lot as a team. You’re a well-oiled machine now. I can’t even think of a reason for me sticking around.”
Eli’s eyes widened as he reached to touch Steve’s arm. “What! You’re not thinking of leaving us, are you?”
“Not today or tomorrow,” said Steve, “but soon. There isn’t much reason for me to stick around. I’ve taught you everything I know and you’re finally starting to grow into your own. You don’t need me.”
“Maybe, but.” Eli sighed. “It won’t be the same without you.”
Steve patted Eli on the back. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave until after we’ve dealt with Hammerhead.”
Back on the first floor, the team continued their celebration as they were completely unaware of Steve’s plan to retire once more.
Billy and Teddy sat on the couch as they watched the news report on the Young Avengers’ “brilliant” victory over the Maggia’s attack. The report went on to discuss the total amount of Maggia members locked away, but also showed a guest report from J. Jonah Jameson who had his own opinion.
“The Maggia are a major threat to the city that cannot be ignored.” Jameson was an older man who went bald years ago and was one of the most (in)famous reporters in the city with a nasty grudge against Spider-Man. For the most part, Jameson treated the Young Avengers kindly since they had the official Avengers seal of approval unlike Spider-Man did for his early career, but that shoe could easily drop. “However, I cannot help but worry about what the Young Avengers are doing to the city. The Maggia is an international, criminal syndicate, while the Young Avengers barely look like they finished high school. How can we trust that they won’t bring us more harm?”
“So you think the Young Avengers should cease their ‘war’ with the Maggia?” asked another reporter.
“I’m not sure,” said Jameson, “but they are children. And children are prone to making mistakes.”
Cassie changed the channel before this debate could continue. She collapsed onto the sofa across from Billy and Teddy. “At least Jameson isn’t calling us menaces to society.”
Teddy groaned as he wrapped his arm around Billy. “Is he right though? Are we doing more harm than good?”
“The same thing would be happening if it was the cops or other Avengers,” said Billy. “The Maggia are mobsters. And mobsters do not like threats to the status quo.”
“He’s right!” Kamala jumped onto the sofa to sit next to Cassie. “We just learned about Al Capone and the Prohibition mobsters. They were all willing to fight to the death to protect their profits, and they didn’t care who got dragged into the chaos. If you’re on the side of the law, then you’re their enemy.”
Cassie nodded. “So we keep fighting. And hopefully, we can catch Hammerhead soon. When he gets arrested then the Maggia lose control over New York.”
Teddy trusted that they knew best. Even though he was getting a handle on life on Earth and the norms of Earthlings, he still couldn’t help but worry.
Meanwhile, Tommy and Kate were left alone in the back of the headquarters, away from prying eyes. They shared a box of pizza and a bottle of cider that they took turns sipping from.
Kate leaned her head on Tommy’s shoulder as she finished the crust. “What do you have planned for tonight?”
Tommy took another sip from the bottle. “Nothing. Why? Do you want to meet up at your place?”
“If you’re not busy,” said Kate. “I could use a good back massage.”
Tommy smirked as he moved his hand to Kate’s waist.
While they weren’t exactly dating, they were a thing. It started a couple of months ago when they started their crusade against the Maggia. And it was mostly just an intimate relationship, not a romantic one like Billy and Teddy’s. Not that Tommy was complaining. He enjoyed spending time with Kate and she seemed to really like him, at least physically.
Still, Tommy couldn’t help but wonder if Kate expected more from him or if this was just meant to be a fling.
Kate leaned to grab another slice from the box. “You down? Or should I take care of myself?”
“Oh, I’ll be there. Trust me.” Tommy leaned in to kiss Kate.
*~*
With the party over, Billy and Teddy were the first to leave the headquarters as today was their date night. Of course, Tommy mocked them for having a scheduled date night like an old couple, but it didn’t bother them.
They walked hand-in-hand together down the streets of Brooklyn towards the sushi restaurant that Teddy’s been dying on trying. One thing that Teddy’s learned since arriving on Earth was that he loved sushi almost as much as he loved pizza.
“How are Talos and Soren?” Billy walked closely beside Teddy to keep from bumping into other pedestrians.
“Fine.” Teddy squeezed onto Billy’s hand. He shifted into his Earthling form before leaving headquarters so instead of seeing a bulky, green-skinned alien, pedestrians saw a thick, bronze-skinned man. “They’re doing fine. They’re adjusting to life on Earth about as quickly as I am. And the other Skrulls are doing fine living with the Asgardians. I’m surprised how well-behaved everyone is.”
Billy chuckled. “That’s a good thing though, right?”
Teddy nodded. “Of course, but I just can’t help but worry. Carol keeps bringing more refugees to Earth and while we’ve blended in so far, I just can’t help but worry when Earthlings realize that shape-shifting aliens live amongst them.”
“True. Earthlings aren’t known for being the most tolerant people.” They arrived at the restaurant to find a long line outside. Billy spoke with the attendant about their reservations and would be seated soon.
When he went back to Teddy, Billy could see that there was something off. Teddy was retreating into his shell a lot more lately and it didn’t go unnoticed by Billy. Teddy spent more time silent than usual and wasn’t quite as affection as before, which worried Billy considerably since Teddy’s withdrawal happened after they started having sex. Billy wasn’t blaming them for being intimate for Teddy’s change in behavior, but he couldn’t help but feel that at least on an emotional level that there was a connection.
Billy went over to the bench and sat beside Teddy. He laced their fingers together then kissed Teddy on the cheek. “We’ll be seated in a minute.” Billy traced his thumb against Teddy’s palm. “Are you okay? You look sad.”
Teddy shook his head. “I’m fine. Everything’s good. I guess I’m just a little tired.”
“Okay.” Billy wasn’t convinced that it was as simple as exhaustion. However, he didn’t want to dig deeper, at least not yet, since he didn’t want to risk upsetting Teddy.
*~*
Loki stood on a nearby rooftop and still appeared just as youthful as he did a year ago. He didn’t appear to grow even an inch. And yet his youthful appearance didn’t stop him from watching Billy and Teddy as they parted ways with the end of their date. He chuckled to himself when he saw the concerned expression on Billy’s face.
“Oh, dear sweet, Billy, you’re so worried about your precious space prince when you should be more concerned for yourself.” Loki channeled green magic through his hand. Loki spent the better part of a year spying on Billy, watching as his power grew, and studying to find all his weaknesses. “And now to exploit that weakness. I can’t keep her waiting any longer or else she’ll fry me.”
Loki snuffed the green fire out. He started to skip along the rooftop to formulate the best means of getting Billy to do what was needed. “I’ll have to be crafty to get to this boy. It wouldn’t be too hard to invade his sleep now that Nightmare is still licking his wounds.” Loki rubbed his chin then snapped his fingers. “Ah ha! Yes, he’s so worried for his little boyfriend that planting seeds of doubt in his dreams would be within my limits.”
A heavy groan escaped from Loki’s lips. “This wouldn’t be so difficult if Mother hadn’t trapped me in this tiny body. And yet she expects me to break my back to carry out her agenda.”
“Do I hear you correctly, Loki? Are you questioning Mother’s wisdom?”
Loki gulped as he spun back around.
A fiery figure stood behind him with the anguished screams of the damned escaping as Mother projected an image of herself to the mortal realm. The fiery form of Mother stepped closer to Loki. The flames of damnation made his skin boil as he tried to step away, but knew he couldn’t escape her presence.
“Dear sweet, Loki,” said Mother, “you best not be plotting against me. Otherwise, I’ll destroy you.”
“Of course not, Mother.” Loki gave Mother an uneasy smile. “I would never turn my back on you. Your love...and rage...knows no bounds.”
Even with her fiery appearance, Mother appeared to smile as she stepped away from Loki. “Good. Now, do not fail me, my little trickster. Bring me William Maximoff, and soon. I’ve been kept waiting for far too long.”
The fiery form of Mother vanished as she could no longer sustain her projection.
While Mother’s power was limited on places like Midgar that didn’t leave Loki at ease. He knew that he couldn’t escape Mother even if he tried. So long as she continued to hold that piece of him.
“You will have the boy, Mother,” said Loki, “but only after I’m through with him.”
Green flames swallowed Loki as he too vanished from sight.
*~*
Morning the next day, Cassie and Kamala joined Kate at her apartment in Queens. The apartment was larger than most since the Bishop family could easily afford a more extravagant place. However, Kate didn’t go too crazy with the size or the decor as she kept things relatively simple.
They sat in the living room with Kate pouring everyone a cup of tea.
Kate curled into her big, blue chair as she brought the tea to her face. “So Cassie, when are you going to tell the guys about your college plans? You do realize they’ll notice something’s up when you aren’t joining Billy and Tommy at NYU.”
Cassie hid a smirk as she added some honey to her tea. “I know. It’s just...I don’t want to make it sound like I’m quitting the team when I tell them I’m going to Berkley.”
“But isn’t that kind of what you’re doing?” Kamala started to blow at her tea. “The reason you’re staying in San Francisco is that you want to keep working with your dad and Hope. Unless you’re going to make Billy portal you to the city whenever they need your help. All this continental teleporting is taxing for someone even as powerful as him.”
“Yeah, yeah. You don’t have to guilt me, Kamala.” Cassie sighed before leaving her tea on the end table. “I’ll tell them after we stop Hammerhead. Or...if we don’t stop him by the end of July, then I’ll tell them.”
Kate shrugged. “That gives you about six weeks to break the news to them. Kinda reasonable.”
Kamala pulled the blanket from the sofa and wrapped it around herself. “I’m sure they’ll be able to handle all the change happening. Should I tell them that I’m leaving the team before you do?”
“Go for it,” said Kate. “We never expected you to stay on the team forever since it’s so difficult to guard your secret identity and finding excuses to travel to the city because of your family.”
Kamala tugged on the blanket. She wasn’t sure if she could take that as empathy or a lowkey diss. But it was Kate so she had to mean the best of intentions. “Yeah, I guess I’m going to be stuck in Jersey for a while longer. At least for two more years. Once I’m eighteen, my family can’t stop me from doing whatever I want.”
“That’s right!” Cassie raised her cup to Kamala.
Kate raised her cup too when there was a loud knock at the door. Kate placed her tea on the table and went to the front door with the knocking only getting louder.
“Who’s banging on the door like they own the place?” asked Cassie.
Kate ran to the door as it got louder. “Just leave it to me.” She unlocked the door before pulling it open. She stayed close to the doorway. “You could’ve called first.”
Leaning against the door frame, a dark-haired woman in an old, leather jacket rolled her eyes. She held a manila envelope up to Kate. “That isn’t my style.” She turned so Kate could get a better look at her face.
Jessica Jones, the alcoholic private investigation of Alias Investigations and part-time superhero, was not one for small talk as she got bored with most people easily, although, she found herself able to tolerate Kate more so than others. “Do you want the file or no? I’m happy to go about my day since you already paid me for my work.”
Kate snatched the envelope out of Jessica’s hand. “Is this all of it?”
Jessica nodded. “I’ve exhausted every loose end in the city, and the trail leads to Los Angeles. I haven’t gone any further for obvious reasons.”
“Thanks, Ms. Jones. I guess this means our business is done.”
Jessica smirked. She peaked over Kate’s shoulder to see that Cassie and Kamala's heads were peaking around the corner to overhear them. She leaned in closer to Kate and spoke with a whisper to protect Kate’s privacy. “Listen. I dealt with the dead-mom thing too, and it doesn’t end well. You might be better off not knowing and just appreciate everything in your life now.” Jessica pulled back as she dug her hands into her pockets. “Especially the speedster. Keep sucking face with him instead of going down this rabbit hole.”
Kate glared at Jessica. “How did you find out about Tommy?”
“I make it a point to investigate my clients too. I’ve been bitten in the ass too many times to take any chances, even from an Avenger.” Jessica waved goodbye. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Bishop.”
Kate closed the door then turned to find Cassie and Kamala watching closely. “How much of that did you hear?”
“That your dating Tommy?” said Kamala.
“And that you hired Jessica Jones to do some P.I. work for you?” said Cassie.
Kate groaned as this was not how she pictured things going. “I’m not dating Tommy. It’s just a casual thing.” She led them back to the living room and tossed the envelope onto the table. “As for Jones, I had her investigate my mother’s death. I’ve been looking over the records and things just aren’t lining up. Since I can’t do the investigation myself, I paid Jones to do it.”
Cassie and Kamala sat back on the couch and drank their tea.
“So…” Cassie coughed a little. “Since your mom’s trail leads to L.A., does that mean you’re going to leave too?”
Kate sighed. “I don’t know.”
“And if this thing between you and Tommy is so casual,” said Kamala, “are you going to tell him when you tell everyone else that you’re thinking about leaving.”
Kate sighed again as she reached for her tea. “I don’t know.”
*~*
That night, Eli and Tommy were suited up as they stood on the rooftop of a building across the street from a warehouse. They kept to the shadows as best as they could while spying on the occupants with a pair of high-powered, Stark binoculars. They spotted a few armed guards on the rooftop of the building, but luckily they didn’t spot them.
Tommy kept low as the white on his uniform made him easy enough to spot even from across the street. “I guess Daredevil’s intel was on the money. They all look like Maggia goons.”
Eli nodded. “And here you were saying that we didn’t need Daredevil’s help.”
“Fine, I was wrong. Happy?” Tommy groaned then spied on the neighboring rooftops. “But we haven’t found the crown jewel yet. I’m not seeing Hammerhead anywhere, but it looks like the warehouse is the only one occupied. Everything else looks empty. Should I sprint into the building and knock everyone out?”
“No, that probably isn’t a good idea. Given how much trouble we’ve caused the Maggia, it wouldn’t surprise me if they have some type of tech that can detect a speedster.”
Tommy shrugged as he could picture that happening. “With the investments the Maggia made in upgrading their gear that wouldn’t surprise me.” He started to stroke his chin to help him concentrate. They needed to come up with a plan to get the jump on the Maggia. “What if I only go on the rooftop. If I clear the roof then we can sneak in and we’ll still have our exit.”
Eli adjusted the settings to the binoculars to pick up any other type of sensors in the area. “It doesn’t look like there’s any tech on the roof, and there are only three guards. You’ll need to act really fast toー”
A green blur flashed passed Eli and raced across the street. Before Eli had the chance to blink, the three guards were knocked out and disarmed with Tommy reappearing beside him.
“Ready to go run?” asked Tommy as he stood them up and grabbed Eli’s shoulder.
Eli barely had enough time to grab his shield and hold his breath as he braced himself for the superspeed trip. He found that not breathing helped to keep him from throwing up whenever Tommy ran them anywhere.
In a millisecond, they were on the rooftop of the building with the green sparks fading from Tommy’s body. Eli took a deep breath to get his bearings together. “Good job,” said Eli. “Now, let’s get the drop on the Maggia.”
Tommy patted Eli on the back. “I love having bro-adventures with you. It’s a great way to spend a night.”
“I enjoy hanging out with you too, Tommy.” Eli stole keys from one of the unconscious guardsmen to unlock the rooftop door. “However, I’d prefer it if we went to a bar, a shooting range, or anywhere that doesn't involve us getting killed by the mafia.”
“Let’s set up a bro-date for tomorrow.”
Eli and Tommy went silent as they slipped inside the warehouse. They kept close with Eli reminding Tommy not to run ahead since they didn’t know what type of gear the Maggia was working with now.
They cautiously descended downstairs until they found a swarm of Maggia goons gathered in the building, examining hundreds of crates.
Tommy exhaled softly as he resisted the urge to whistle. He got as close as they could without alerting anyone, and luckily his goggles functioned almost as well as binoculars. “Damn! Those crates are loaded with weapons. I’m seeing guns, ammo, and bombs.”
“I think that means we found a Maggia storehouse then.” Eli unstrapped his shield and brought it to his chest. “And given how many goons are here that means we’re in for a fight. We better call the others for backup.”
“Already sent the call.”
Tommy and Eli walked towards the rail to get a closer look when they found a sharply dressed man step out of a car that just entered the warehouse.
The man tugged on the coat of his dark, perfectly-tailored suit. He walked over to one of the crates and examined its contents for himself. “Are these the best that we can get?”
“It’s everything that A.I.M. was willing to sell us, Mr. H,” said pale-skinned Maggia member. “It’s good tech, sir. It can do some serious damage to powered people. Even the Avengers would think twice before attacking the Maggia.”
Eli leaned towards Tommy and whispered, “That’s Hammerhead.”
“Good.” Hammerhead grabbed one of the guns. He found an ammo cartridge and loaded it up. “This will help us eliminate the Bratty Avengers.”
“But, boss, I thought you were against killing kids?”
Hammerhead smirked. “I’ll make an exception for those brats. Arm up, men! Go out and raise some hell so we can lure the Young Avengers out and kill them.”
Tommy leaned over to Eli. “Should we jump them now or?”
Eli nodded as he sprang to his feet. “Focus on disarming them, while I distract Hammerhead. Hopefully, we can hold down the fort until backup arrives.”
They were about to leave when Tommy’s foot bumped into a discarded piece of metal that made a loud clank when it landed on the ground. Tommy bit his tongue and Eli groaned as they were both aware that they were heard.
“It’s them!” shouted a Maggia goon. “The Young Avengers are here.”
“Kill em!” shouted Hammerhead.
Tommy grabbed onto Eli and raced them to safety on the ground floor as a few Maggia members began to shoot at the higher floor. As the gunfire continued to rain in that direction, Tommy raced them into a secluded corner on the ground floor just outside of sight.
Eli managed not to throw up and he took a deep breath. “Updated plan. We clear out as many of these goons as we can until backup shows.”
“On it!”
Tommy raced out first and started to pummel everyone he could. He ran across the warehouse to do all the damage he could but found that most of the Maggia were wearing thicker body armor that insulated them from the damage of his speed punches
Eli jumped over a pile of crates to give a dark-haired, Maggia member a dropkick. He raised his shield to provide him with enough protection from the gunfire as he tackled another Maggia member.
Green blurs flickered across the warehouse as Tommy switched things up. He focused on ripping the guns out of the hands of the Maggia since his punches weren’t that effective.
As those two did their best against the Maggia, Hammerhead went back to his car and lit himself a cigar as he watched the show.
*~*
Things weren’t looking good for Eli and Tommy. They were only barely holding their own against the Maggia as they were better prepared than in previous fights. Tommy found loopholes as he targeted the Maggia members who didn’t have the body armor and disarmed the rest, while Eli did his best to knock out everyone he could so that he could get closer to Hammerhead. But the deck was stacked against them as it seemed that two more Maggia goons would appear for every one that got knocked out.
Eli rolled over a create and swung his leg to kick a gun out of a scrawnier, Maggia member’s hand. He slammed his shield across the guy’s face before diving behind more crates as bullets sailed in his direction.
Tommy ran quickly enough to avoid the bullets but was starting to get tired as the Maggia weren’t going down as easily as he expected.
Tommy raced to the crates where Eli ducked for cover. “Things aren’t looking good. Should we retreat?”
“It looks like we have no other choice.” Eli pulled his head lower as a bullet landed uncomfortably close to his head. “I’m not liking these odds. And without backup, we’re screwed.”
Tommy grabbed onto Eli’s shoulder as he prepared to race them to safety when he felt a spark over his head. He looked up with a big grin spreading across his face as help finally arrived.
A swirling, orange portal opened above them with a blue, force field descending from the portal and soon drew the Maggia’s attention. The rest of the team appeared all suited up for battle with Billy using the force field to provide necessary cover from the bullets. Even with the protection though, Billy was biting his lip as the bullets proved more powerful than he was used to and could potentially pierce his barrier if he wasn’t careful.
The barrier touched the ground with Kate drawing an arrow from her quiver.
“Wiccan, give me a tiny opening.” Kate took aim in the direction that most of the Maggia were shooting from. Billy dropped the barrier just enough for Kate to fire an explosive arrow that generated a small explosion that forced the Maggia to take a more defensive position.
With the immediate threat over, Billy dropped the rest of the barrier.
Teddy took this as his chance to grab Kamala and fly them up. His green wings took them to the second floor with Kamala preparing to jump.
“Let me go, Hulkling!”
“You got it, Ms. Marvel. I hope the Maggia like a powerbomb!”
Kamala fell to the ground but stretched her body around to take the shape of a giant ball. She crashed on top of several Maggia members before reshaping her body to its normal form and got the jump on the remaining Maggia in the area.
Teddy retracted his wings and crashed onto a bulkier, Maggia member that was about as tall as he was in his Skrull form. His feet slammed into the torso of the Maggia member and sent him crashing into a pile of crates.
Meanwhile, Cassie slid across a crate before shrinking. The two, Maggia members blinked in surprise as they lost sight of her only for her to group back to normal size and punch them in the face.
“When will they ever learn?” Cassie shrank back down just as someone tried to punch her. She grew back to normal size to kick the Maggia member in the back.
With the rest of the team assembled, Eli took command of their situation as Tommy ran to join the fight. “I want everyone to be careful,” said Eli. “Speed and I found out that some of those crates contain explosives. So Hawkeye and Wiccan, go easy on making things go boom!”
Across from them, Kate rolled on the ground before dragging her bow against the leg of a Maggia goon to trip him. She grabbed an arrow and made sure to avoid the incendiary ones as she chose a simple stun arrow to shock an incoming Maggia member. “Noted. Anything else worth knowing, Patriot?”
“Hammerhead is here.” Eli jumped from his hiding spot and looked to find Hammerhead getting back to his car to make a retreat. “He’s in that car. Don’t let him escape!”
“Count on me!” Cassie jumped over a crate and crouched low to fire a piercing, laser blast from the gauntlets on her wrists. The lasers pierced the tires, which ensured Hammerhead wouldn’t escape so easily. “Wasp stingers are a major upgrade. Thank you, Hank.”
“Great job, Stature!” Eli said through their comms. “Now, Wiccan, secure us an escape route.”
Billy landed on a spot away from most of the fighting. “Will do!” Sparks of blue magic gathered around him as he pushed the crates away. He found a door that he easily blew off its hinges as they now had an easy escape route. Now, he could redirect his focus back on the fight since he needn’t worry about holding back since there weren't any civilians in the area.
Meanwhile, Tommy ran up behind Cassie and grabbed her just as Hammerhead ripped the car door off its hinges and threw it in her general direction.
Hammerhead growled as he tossed his cigar to the ground. “Meddlesome, brats. I’ll finish you myself!” He grabbed a gun and began to shoot at anyone he could without any regard that he might shoot his own henchmen.
Eli tossed his shield at Hammerhead’s head without any concern for injury since Hammerhead had an adamantium plate in his head. The contact with the shield caused Hammerhead to turn his attention to Eli. Before he could pull the trigger though Billy slid nearby and grabbed the gun with bands of sparkling, blue magic.
Billy ripped the gun out of Hammerhead’s hands, surprising him long enough for Eli to get a few jabs. Hammerhead shrugged the attack off then punched Eli to the ground before setting his sights onto Billy. Hammerhead rushed towards Billy before he could create a spell to stop him.
Hammerhead tackled Billy then grabbed him by the cape before he could fall and effortlessly tossed him towards the broken down car.
Billy crashed onto the front hood with his back smashing against the windshield. He groaned as he tried to roll off the hood and get back on his feet.
“Wiccan!”
Teddy flew towards Hammerhead and threw a few punches at him. Teddy could hit hard enough to stun Hammerhead, but the damage only served to slow Hammerhead down, not actually defeat him.
Hammerhead recovered quickly enough and threw some heavy punches at Teddy that hurt almost as much as Commander Kl’rt’s punches.
Teddy dropped to the ground, holding onto his ribs. Hammerhead grabbed the car door he tossed at Cassie and moved to slam it into Teddy.
“Time to die, green boy.” Hammerhead chuckled as he watched Teddy panic while catching glimpses of the other Young Avengers struggling.
For all the good they did as a team in derailing the Maggia’s plans for the city, this moment was where they were starting to lose. The team was losing momentum as they soon overwhelmed in their fight against the Maggia.
However, before Hammerhead could strike Teddy, Billy got off the hood.
Billy managed to land on his feet with his vision slightly blurry from the hits he took. He saw enough though to know that his friends were in serious danger and he needed to act quickly to save them.
“I’m the team powerhouse. I have to save them. StopTheMaggia. StopTheMaggia.” Billy touched his head as he felt a nasty headache brewing. For a moment, he had a flashback of Teddy, Tommy, and the rest of their friends getting swarmed by the Skrull Radicals. Then he remembered the harm Yon-Rogg and the rest of Starforce did before Jen went all She-Hulk on them.
Instead of feeling rage or even fear, Billy felt only pain from his headache and he started to scream. “STOPTHEMAGGIA!” Some of the lightbulbs shattered as did the windows in the car and building. Lightning shot out from Billy’s body and struck every Maggia member in the warehouse. While visually terrifying, the lightning blasts were rather low voltage so it didn’t kill anyone.
However, the gruesome sight of Maggia members dropping to the floor, screaming in pain was rather terrifying to the rest of the Young Avengers.
Several bolts of lightning struck Hammerhead with the metal plate in his head and the car door he held served as a massive conductor. Hammerhead howled as he dropped the door and fell to his knees before finally slumping to the ground, unconscious.
Teddy looked over Hammerhead’s body to see Billy’s spell fading out. Billy closed his eyes and plummeted forward as he dropped to the floor. “Wiccan!” Teddy jumped to his feet to run over to Billy to find that he was still breathing but was unconscious like everyone in the Maggia.
Tommy ran over to them with the green sparks flickered around him as he dropped to his knees. “Wiccan isn’t looking good. We need to get him out of here.”
“Do that,” said Eli. “We’ll make sure the Maggia get booked before they wake up.”
Tommy scooped Billy into his arms without any protest from Teddy before running out of there to take Billy back to headquarters.
Meanwhile, Eli made the call to the police with the deafening sounds of police sirens echoing across the street. All while the Maggia remained unconscious for however long Billy’s spell would last.
*~*
Back at their headquarters, the team gathered to debrief Steve on everything that happened with Hammerhead and the Maggia. However, Teddy and Billy were absent now as Teddy relocated a barely conscious Billy to the Sanctum Sanctorum so that Doctor Strange could examine him.
Steve buried his face into his hands as he listened to Eli's explanation. “The only good thing is that Hammerhead is on his way to the Raft now.” Steve stepped away from the monitors to sit on a nearby chair. He gave a deep sigh. “We’re lucky that didn’t end in a bigger disaster.”
“We were expecting the worst though,” said Kate. “It wasn’t like we were fighting some street-level punks. It was the Maggia. They weren’t going down peacefully.”
“I know. I know.” Steve sighed once more. “It just...it’s just starting to hit me the danger I’m putting you through.”
Tommy chuckled. “Come on, Mr. Rogers. We fought the Kree and Skrull soldiers. I think we can handle a criminal syndicate.”
Cassie shook her head as she took a seat in the lounge. “Except...we almost didn’t. We were swarmed and would’ve gotten our asses beat, if not killed if it wasn’t for Billy.”
Tommy went silent as he thought about Billy’s current condition.
“I never seen Billy’s powers act so funky,” said Kamala. “Are we sure he’s okay? Should we go check on him too?”
“Billy will be fine. He has Teddy,” said Eli. “Besides, Strange will let us know if there’s something seriously wrong with him.” Eli unstrapped his shield and tossed it onto the table. His fingers grazed against the collar of his shirt as he started to unbutton it. “He has to be,” he whispered.
Steve nodded before rising from his chair. “That’s enough for tonight. You all should go home and get some rest, you deserve it for taking down the Maggia. We’ll reconvene in tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
“Got it.”
Tommy agreed before walking over to Kamala. “Let me know when you’re ready so I can run you home.”
“Thank, Tommy.” Kamala grabbed her duffle bag and ran into the locker room to change into her civilian clothes.
Everyone else went into the locker rooms and started to undress out of their uniforms too, while Steve was left alone to his thoughts.
Once more, Steve began to worry if it was right to put the team in such danger, but he had to remind himself that danger would find them and his purpose was to prepare them for a world where they had to face these threats alone.
*~*
Magic boiled in a crowded chamber as Teddy reverted to his Earthling disguise since his Skrull form was too large to avoid bumping into all the caged artifacts.
Billy was placed on top of a wooden table with Doctor Stephen Strange and Wong, dressed in their pajamas, surrounding him. Billy was unconscious now as his body was too exhausted from the battle against the Maggia to remain conscious. Webs of orange light fluttered from their hands and Billy floated above the table as they spent the better part of an hour working to heal Billy as well as diagnosis what happened.
“Any clue what the prognosis is, doc?” asked Teddy.
Doctor Strange continued to wave his hands over Billy before finally pulling back. “It’s mostly just exhaustion,” said Strange.
“But? I can feel a but coming.”
“But.” Doctor Strange paused for a moment to look over at Wong then waved his hands over to him.
Wong snapped his fingers to release his magic. The spell faded and Billy gently floated back to the table. “This isn’t from casting too many spells or an overly complex spell.” Wong patted his shirt as he walked around the table to get closer to Teddy for a moment. “Billy’s situation is a bit more peculiar than that. His exhaustion is more...a mystical growth spurt.”
Teddy furrowed his eyebrows. “A mystical growth spurt? What is that supposed to mean?”
“In simplest terms.” Strange walked over to Teddy too. “Billy’s magic is growing too fast for his body to keep up. Even the most basic of spells will exhaust him now until either his body adjusts or his powers stop growing.”
“Is there anything we can do to help him?”
Doctor Strange shrugged. “Aside from getting him to stop using his magic? There really isn’t anything that can be done. The only thing we can do for Billy is to let him rest.”
A soft yawn echoed in the chamber as Billy pulled himself upright and rubbed his tired eyes. He blinked a couple of times before noticing that he was in the Sanctum. “Um...what did I miss?”
“A few things.” Wong clapped his hands together. “I’ll get us some tea.”
“I’ll help.” Doctor Strange left to join Wong in the kitchen.
Teddy stumbled over to the table and knelt beside Billy. He kissed Billy before brushing their foreheads together. “You really need to stop making yourself a martyr.”
Billy ran his gloved hand against Teddy’s chin. “I’ll be okay. I just...used too much magic. That’s all.”
“Strange says it’s more complicated than that. Your powers are growing too fast for your body to keep up.” Teddy fought the urge to cry, but his misty eyes didn’t go unnoticed. “Try not to use your powers for a while. At least until you’re finally feeling like your normal self again.”
“Okay.” Billy leaned up to kiss Teddy on the lips. “I’ll take it easy.”
Teddy leaned over to hug Billy as they stayed silent until Doctor Strange and Wong returned with tea.
*~*
It wasn’t long until Teddy and Billy left the Sanctum. They only stayed there for about another hour to give Billy enough time to drink his tea and recover his strength. Doctor Strange portalled them out of the Sanctum and back to Billy’s house so that he didn’t overexert himself.
Billy and Teddy jumped through the portal and landed in the living room.
Once inside, Teddy shifted back into his Skrull form then went into the kitchen to pour Billy a glass of water. As for Billy, he sat on the couch and wrapped himself in a blanket.
“Where’s your mom?” Teddy handed the water over.
“Doing some magic stuff. Another witch was being attacked so she left to help them.” Billy took a sip of water. “She should be back tomorrow.”
Teddy sat beside Billy. “Good. I hate to leave you alone since there’s no sign of Tommy either.”
Billy leaned his head onto Teddy’s shoulder. “Well, you can spend the night with me. I could use a cuddle buddy.”
“Of course you do.” Teddy kissed Billy’s forehead. “I can’t tonight though. Talos and Soren are expecting me home. Maybe I can tomorrow night.”
Billy frowned. “Fine. Abandon me in my time of need.” He started to fake cough. “Not like I’m sick.”
Teddy frowned too as he squeezed onto Billy’s free hand. “Don’t joke about that. Aside from the team, you’re all that I have. You and the team...you’re the closest thing I have to family.”
Billy placed the water onto the table then scooted closer to Teddy. “What about Talos and Soren? Don’t you consider them family?”
“I want to, but they spend more time treating me like a prince than a person. Carol’s really good about treating me like a person, but she’s never around.” Teddy sighed. “Really makes me wonder how life would be different if either of my moms were still alive.”
“Is that why you’ve been so depressed lately?” Billy squeezed onto Teddy’s hands. “You’ve been thinking about your moms?”
Teddy nodded. “I guess so...for the first time in my life, I don’t have Skrull Radicals or Kree soldiers chasing me down. That means I can spend more time thinking about my past, present, and future. It terrifies me.”
Billy adjusted himself to sit on Teddy’s lap. He wrapped his arms around Teddy’s thick neck and leaned in to kiss him. “No matter what happens, Teddy, you have me.”
Teddy gave a soft smile as he moved his hands onto Billy’s hips. “Thanks, Billy. I needed to hear that."
The two shared another kiss as Billy finally knew what was bothering Teddy and started to think about a way to help him. And one idea did come to mind, but it required breaking a promise to Teddy.
Billy was going to summon the spirits of Teddy’s parents.