Music is "Lockdown" by Steve Jablonsky from the Transformers: Age of Extinction OST.

Picture is "Well, Hello There, Tall, Green, and Handsome" by unknown.

· ~ · ~ · ~ ·

"There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war except it's ending."

- Abraham Lincoln

· ~ · ~ · ~ ·

CHAPTER TEN

{Third Person P.O.V.}

It's late at night, and the Tower has done anything but settle down. Erik Selvig, Professor Mortimer from Glory's world, and Jane Foster are looking over data, the Next Gen. Mutants are training in the gymnasium, and the super spies, Bucky, Nat, and Clint, are trying to decipher encrypted lines from a new HYDRA base in Canada as the bustling ground of dozens of scientists and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents hurry along their nightly tasks.

Clint Barton props his feet up on the desk, despite Nat's constant swatting his feet down. "I'm bored. Can't we take out some Russian mobsters or something? I do that on my downtime."

"You need a hobby, Clint," Nat replies, not taking her eyes off the screen.

"Or a girlfriend," Bucky whispers.

"Oh, you didn't hear? I'm married."

"Lucky you. A dog then."

Clint purses his lips, thinking. "That's a great idea, Barnes. The kids will love that. Laura, not so much." Clint turns to glance at his empty coffee cup. "Aww, coffee."

"Go fill us up," Nat asks, handing him the coffee pitcher. "We all know how you get without your coffee."

Bucky laughs as Clint scowls at the redhead and walks over to the small coffee dispenser. While refilling it, he sees a small red light on the back of Erik Selvig's head. Without thinking, a natural reflex, Clint yells, "Sniper!" He tackles Selvig to the ground.

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

Three bullets pierce the glass of the Avenger's Tower at once, none of them finding their intended target. "Everyone, to the bunker!" Natasha shouts, waving people around her to the basement. The bunker was intended to survive an atomic bomb if need be. "Avengers, with me!"

"Where's Steve? And the others?" Clint asks, pulling his bow from the table and loading it with a boomerang arrow.

"Steve is in his office, Wanda is with Vision on the next floor, Strange is with Clea at the Sanctum Sanctorum, the Next Gen. Mutants are training in the gym, and Scott is with Hope and his little girl, Cassie," Bucky replies, dodging more enemy fire. "Where the hell are Glory and Pietro?"

"They're out of town," Clint says, firing back at the unknown assailants. "At Glory's parent's house."

"Thank God they're out of harms way," Bucky says, fearing for his new friends.

"Sure wish the little bastard was here," Clint says under his breath.

The firing stops, much to the spies surprise. As the room clears out, and the quietness settles in, a deep and carnal fear starts to find it's way through the trio. "Anyone else have a really bad feeling about this?" Bucky asks to no one in particular.

"This isn't over yet," Nat says, cocking her guns with more rounds. "Of that you can be damn sure."

"We need backup," Clint whispers.

"This is Magneto," Wanda says in a low voice as she and Vision enter the room, with Steve trailing behind. "I can hear his Brotherhood's thoughts. Magneto, Polaris, Toad, Pyro, Avalanche, White Queen, Lorelei, Astra, and Lady Mastermind. They are all here."

"I concur with Wanda," Vision echoes. "They are shielded by White Queen, but I can make out only that they wish to see this place leveled and the Next Gen. Mutants recruited to the Brotherhood of Evil."

"You know, it's not a great business approach to call yourselves the 'Brotherhood of Evil'," Clint mumbles. "What do we do, Cap?"

"We await your orders, Sir," Vision adds, looking to their leader for the plan.

Steve bites his lower lip, thinking, looking around the room for inspiration. "Wanda, start shielding our thoughts. Vision, you help her, but make sure you stay away from Magento. Something tells me he'd love to get a hold of an android partly made of metal." Steve turns to the trio of spies. "Find the Next Gen. Mutants. Get them to safety in the bunker. Lock them in and meet me back here."

"Aye, Captain," Nat says. "Move out, people."

Steve starts to walk towards the conference room, but Bucky grabs his arm as he passes. "What are you planning?" Bucky asks bluntly.

"I'm going to try to call Tony," he whispers. "Despite our differences, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Maria Hill, Falcon, War Machine, they are the best backup there is. I might try the Xavier Institute as well."

"What then?" Bucky presses.

"Then... then I try to take out some modern mutant Nazis," he smirks, using the WWII reference Bucky understands best.

Bucky smirks. "Be careful, kid. Keep your head on straight, and don't go in swinging. I'll join you as soon as we find those kids."

Steve nods, smiling slightly. "You too, Buck."

The lights go out. The Tower is silent and deadly so. "Okay, there goes part A of my plan," Steve mumbles. He turns to Bucky. "Come with me. Nat and Clint can take care of the kids."

Bucky nods. "You and I have some magnetic ass to kick."

· ~ · ~ · ~ ·

{Meanwhile...}

Clint and Natasha take silent steps through the dark corridors. The Tower has never been this desolate. At the very least, there's Friday to talk to. They round several corners to get to the gymnasium, which is oddly silent as well. "Do you think they're still inside?" Clint asks, bow still aimed at the dark unknown.

"Protocol mandates that they stay put if something like this happens."

"They're kids. They're idiots."

"Clint, you're an adult and you're still an idiot."

"Touchè, but true." He walks up to the cracked open gymnasium door. Only a small light shines through, just enough for Nat and Clint to see one another. "On my count," he signs to Natasha in sign language. "One... two..."

On three, Clint and Nat burst into the dimly lit building, to find a wall of fire surrounding them and screams from the new recruits. "Morgana!" Nat shouts. "It's me! It's Nat!"

Morgana lowers her shaking hands and the fire decimates. "Sorry, Nat! I just... it got so dark. I freaked out."

"What the fuck is going on?" Vlad curses in a loud whisper. "One second we're training and the next the lights are out, we're locked inside the gym and Cole had to tell the lock to pry itself open, and Morgana almost fried our S.O.s!"

"It's Magneto," Clint replies, still alert. "He's invaded. We're not sure what's going on, but we need to get you to safety. We're going to the bunker."

"Are they rest of the Avengers there?" Cole asks.

"Where is Glory?" Vlad asks, terrified for his little sister.

"She's safe, Drac," Clint replies. "I flew her myself to her parents house earlier this evening. She's safe and away."

"Her parents...?" Vlad wonders to himself. "Why wouldn't she tell me about that? That's a huge deal for her!"

"Maybe because you've been a dick lately."

Vlad flinches at Clint's remark, but doesn't say anything to the contrary.

"No, we're going to defend you and find out why Magneto and his Brotherhood are here," Nat replies, bringing the conversation back to where it should be.

"Then we're staying, too," Vlad states, crossing his arms as his large bat-like wings spread from his shoulder blades.

"Captain's orders are to go to the bunker."

"But we can help!" Katie retorts excitedly. "I can freeze people now! And Cole is learning how to command people with writing, not just inanimate objects. Vlad can confuse them with his vampy fog, and Morgana can blind and fry them. Not to mention that Roran can trap them in anything. He's getting so strong with building things. He can fight Magneto's ability to control metal-"

"-Kids, I approve of your zeal. Hell, I envy it sometimes," Clint says, praising them. Katie smiles her huge grin and puffs up slightly. "But this is no gymnasium. This is no training session with the Avengers. This is Magneto, one of the first mutants... ever. His Brotherhood will not follow our rules. They won't be merciful. We need you to live to fight another day."

"Live to fight another day? With who? You'll all die!" Katie whimpers. Being only fifteen, the youngest of the supers at the Tower, she especially is terrified to lose her new family.

"What about Professor Charles Xavier?" Cole asks. "Can't we contact him?"

"Or Iron Man?" Vlad suggests.

"The power's been cut. So have all our communications. Trust me, I've tried."

"We don't have time to argue about this!" Natasha says. "Get to the bunker, or I'll make you."

"You'll make us?" Vlad laughs.

"Dude, that's Black Widow," Cole whispers. "Have you even tried to fight her? Just do what she says. They'll call us if they need us, right Widow?"

Nat nods. "Now, go."

The Next Gen. Mutants and the spies carefully make their way back to the bunker area, but right before they can enter the building, Vlad spreads his large wings and takes off, flying high in the air and heading south. "Vladamir Penrose-Spencer!" Katie almost shouts, before Nat puts a hand over her mouth.

"Nothing we can do now," Nat whispers. "Get in the bunker." As soon as the bunker door closes and locks, the spies start to walk away, back towards Steve and Bucky.

About half way to the main room, the spies hear a loud cracking, almost as if the building is being uprooted. "What the hell?" Clint shouts, looking around for the source of the sound.

Their attention is drawn back to the bunker area. "Clint, what is the bunker made of?"

Clint swallows. "A Vibranium and Adimantium alloy."

"Oh no," Nat whispers. "Metal."

"We are idiots."

The earth crumbles beneath half of the Avengers Tower as the magnetic forces pull the bunker up from it's hiding place. The walls are collapsing around the spies, and they dive for cover, running for their lives. "Run, Tasha! Run!" Not turning back, they head for the roof of the east wing, the opposite side of the bunker.

Now floating in the air and rising, a male figure is floating a couple hundred yards above, his arms stretched out to hold the invisible force around the bunker full of astronomers, biologists, physicists, doctors, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, mechanics, inventors, and the Next Gen. Mutants. The dark, ominous sky clouds his invasion, making it impossible for the spies to do anything to help.

Clint reaches over to grasp Natasha's hand. "Okay, this looks bad."

She replies, "It feels worse."

· ~ · ~ · ~ ·

{Meanwhile...}

Wanda and Vision go to their magic room, from which they can project their psychic abilities as far as they are able. The room was built solely for them, and Doctor Strange of course, by the Sorcerer Supreme himself. He believed that, since there are three powers of the mind in the Avengers and more will be on their way, he should build a room where the powers of the psyche are amplified by crystals, amulets, sigils, and words of magic.

Wanda and Vision had made it a daily practice to meditate, and for her to read from Doctor Strange's books of magic, and practice her abilities. For Vision, it was more of reading the minds of people around him, learning how the human mind works, and seeing how skilled he could become at manipulating them. Though he hated such a thought of controlling his friends, he knew there would be a time where he may need to have control over his enemy.

Right now, with the chaos around them, Wanda finds it extremely hard to focus her mind on the task at hand. "What if Pietro is not safe?" she thinks to herself. "What if Glory is hurt? What of their twins?"

"Wanda," Vision says, telepathically. "Calm your mind. They are safe. I can sense their minds, not read, but sense. They are safe, my love. I promise this."

Wanda takes Vision's less-than-human-temperature hands in her small, pale ones. "I am sorry, my love. My mind is a twister. A raging storm. I do not know if I am capable of calming the hurricane."

Vision takes his hand and strokes her cheek, as he often does, for he may have sneaked a peak into Wanda's mind once or twice, knowing she adores such an affectionate action. "Pietro is a strong man, and Glory a strong woman. They are capable of defending themselves."

Wanda nods slightly, closing her eyes and leaning into Vision's touch. "What of us? What of the New Avengers? What if this is all Stark's doing?"

Vision sighs. "Having a past life of sorts as J.A.R.V.I.S., I spent many years almost raising Tony Stark. He is capable of many things, and makes many mistakes, but I do not believe his actions could be so cruel. Not knowingly." Vision leans in and places a small kiss to Wanda's third eye, another action she adores. "Do not fear, my love. I will protect you and the New Avengers until my past breath. Ultron may have been my father, but I have come to love each of you in a different way, and you most of all. I did not even know I was capable of such emotion."

Wanda leans up and kisses her love on the lips. "I believe you, Visi. Thank you, for your kind words have calmed my mind, as they always do."

He smiles and reaches down for their hands to be conjoined once more. "You have a similar affect on me, Ms. Maximoff. Now, shall we do as the good Captain ord-?"

Vision is cut off, his body clenching up, almost uncontrollably. His arms go to his sides, and his both metal and flesh frame is tense. "Vision?" Wanda asks aloud, worried. "Vision what is wrong?"

The room around them starts to shake, the roof caving in. Wanda runs for cover in the next, tugging Vision after her, but he remains as still as a statue. "Vision, hurry! Come, please!" But nothing happens. "Vision!"

"Wanda..." the android whispers, in a pained voice, through their telepathic connection. "Wanda... I'm sorry."

Before she can even scream, "No!", Vision is pulled out the glass window behind him by a young woman with bright green locks. Her clenched fists have a hold on the artificial life form that the Scarlet Witch loves so dearly, and her own sister has him in her grasp.

"Vision!" Wanda cries at the top of her lungs, her arms stretching out for him as the room starts to glow red with her rage.

With a scream that could level mountains, and a magical power that can alter reality, Wanda Maximoff falls to the ground.

And the whole Avenger's Tower is incinerated around her.

END CHAPTER TEN