➢𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗡➢

『 Hey y'all prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control
When the rubberband starts to jam 』
―𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘯

⟶𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 7: 𝑮𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝑶𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒙𝒚⟵

-𝙼𝙰𝚈 𝟹𝟷𝚂𝚃, 𝟸𝟶𝟷𝟾-

𝚃 𝙸 𝚃 𝙰 𝙽

𝚂 𝙿 𝙰 𝙲 𝙴

Well, certainly they are on their way to a planet, just not theirs.

The Q-Ship hurdles through the atmosphere at an unstoppably fast rate, noticeably plunging downwards and that causes turbulence for all aboard.

Peter Parker says to Tony Stark, "Hey, what's going on?"

Stephen Strange affirms based on the visual in front of him, "I think we're here."

"Just where is 'here'?" Caitlyn Elizabeth moves to stand next to her uncle, dark cloak still covering the majority of her body when suddenly more turbulence kicks in, and she is forced to take hold of Stephen's arm to steady herself.

"I don't think this rig has a self-park function." Iron Man maintains, growing urgent, and he ushers Spider-Man—who is not his ward—over to the center console, "Get your hand into the steering gimbal. Close those around it."

He quickly goes to the other one. "You understand?"

"Yep. Got it."

"This was meant for one big guy, so we gotta move at the same time," Tony says, and Peter nods again.

"Okay. Okay. Ready."

"Shit." Caitlyn realizes when the ring-shaped ship is heading straight for what looks like a huge spiked structure, one that would provoke damage.

The sixteen-year-old boy vocalizes repeatedly, both hands on the steering wheel big enough for just ONE of Thanos', "We might wanna turn."

"Turn! Turn! Turn!"

Tony's mask goes on.

Caitlyn locks eyes with her uncle and a distant boom sound that soon becomes protuberant graces their ears.

Stephen makes his way to the front of the ship and extends his palms out, intelligently creating the Shield of the Seraphim around the entirety of them in protection from an impending collision that was close to unavoidable considering the situation.

In fact, it was.

The fifteen-year-old watches with wide eyes as the ship she is on reduces to about 45%  integrity, plowing through the dirt after breaking off when grazed by the same structure as earlier. She strains when the craft finally halts to a stop, nearly tipping over and causing more damage but thankfully it does not. 

Caitlyn opens her eyes yet again to see the ceiling. 

She is on the ground. Blond curly hair moves as the teenager shakes her head in order to rid of the rough sensation stemming from crashing onto a planet that definitely was not hers.

Earth. As she was still, in Space. Spacegirl . . .

Pulling herself up eventually, the corner of her eye catches Iron Man doing the same with the help of a hand that belongs to Doctor Strange, "You all right?"

Tony acknowledges the Doctor's actions as a Mystic Artist, "That was close."

"I owe you one." He pats his arm. 

Stephen with a bloodied wound on the side of his face nods.

Then out of nowhere, Peter lowers down on a web, legs folded, "Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest and I eat one of you, I'm sorry."

"What?" Caitlyn asks in utter confusion, eyeing the boy who right now closely resembles the position of a spider.

Spider-Man? He was. Unfocused? That, too ... Ugh. Boys.

Tony points at him, Stephen giving a similar look of disapproval, "I don't wanna hear another single, pop culture reference outta you for the rest of the trip." 

"You understand?"

"I'm trying to say that," Peter motions behind him, "Something is coming."

Caitlyn tilts her brow, do not tell her ... Though he is right.

Because a grenade rolls into view! All are thrown back when the space weapon fires an energy pulse, and with that three newcomers appear in the doorway inside the Q-Ship. One of them is huge and painted one color for skin.

He yells out in anger, "THANOS!"

Flinging a blade at a temporarily defenseless Caitlyn Strange, Stephen summons a mystical shield to deflect it and quickly gets in front of his niece while at the same time sending his red Cloak of Levitation toward the screaming man who is taken down by it—smothered, by it.

A fight above takes place between a being with jet boots and Iron Man, who have a brief squabble until Star-Lord pins a magnetic disk onto Tony's suit, and the man is tied to a structure.

"Woah, Woah, woah! Please don't put your eggs in me!" A frantic Peter Parker exclaims as he crawls away from an anxious female with antennas, locking her body in place when firing rapid webs at her figure.

He then receives a harsh blow from the flying being from earlier, the OTHER Peter gritting, "Stay down, clown."

Caitlyn Elizabeth is beyond confused and creeped out at this point, and does not engage when Star-Lord fires at Spider-Man some more but isn't able to keep up with the spider-legs coming out of his suit. An electric cord comes out and dismantles him, giving Peter Quill the opportunity to hold him hostage.

Meanwhile, Drax still tangles with the Red Cloak around him, still yelling, though this time at the cloak itself.

"Die, blanket of death!"

The katana-wielding blondie lets a grimace of pain swipe by her features when moving up to a standing position, and Stephen's right arm is her crutch when taking in the chaos around them.

The niece sighs, "This day couldn't get any weirder, could it?"

"Still holding out." Her uncle replies breathily, and they prepare for a bout.

Iron Man pulls free of the magnet, the Cloak also releasing Drax as soon as Tony arrives in a defensive position against his opponent.  A foot on his chest. Star-Lord has Spider-Man in a head-lock on the other side, a gun pointed at Peter's. 

Doctor Strange and his niece both conjure mystical shields of orange energy and stand ready at the third point in this triangle of confrontation. Mantis wobbles to her feet while tangled in webs and is behind Star-Lord.

The confrontation now commences with words. Interesting ones.

"Everybody stay where you are, chill the F out ..." Peter begins, de-masking, and from this Caitlyn suspects he is a human.

For he looks like one, but you never really know these days. Really . . .

"I'm gonna ask you this one time," the man transcends as his tone is serious, and he relays, "Where is Gamora?"

The billionaire subconsciously removes his own helmet, asking quizzically with aggression, "Yeah, I'll do you one better. Who's Gamora?"

"I'll do you one better," the strange individual from under the Ironed Man's foot chimes in, not understanding.

"Why is Gamora?"

Caitlyn flutters her eyelashes in utter bewilderment. For the second time today, she wonders to herself: What the hell.

"Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you I'm gonna french-fry this little freak." He points the gun at Peter's head.

That makes Tony turn protective, "Let's do it! You shoot my guy and I'll blast him. Let's go!"

He extends his nano-tech cannon, looking uncannily like an electric shark about to eat Drax's face and the pigmented man insists, "Do it, Quill! I can take it."

Mantis says with knowledge, hopping forward, "No, he can't take it!"

And Stephen agrees, "She's right. You can't."

"Oh yeah? You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine." Star-Lord grits his teeth, "I'll kill all four of you and beat it out of Thanos myself."

He talks to Spider-Man, aiming his gun, "Startin' with you."

"Wait, just hold on a minute. You're looking for Thanos?" Caitlyn interjects.

Her uncle finishes, trying to impose some clarity on the matter, "Let us ask you this one time, then. What master do you serve?"

"What master do I serve?" Peter is astonished.

Then is wildly sarcastic, "What am I supposed to say, 'Jesus'?"

"Could be worth it at this point." Caitlyn Elizabeth Strange rolls her eyes, and her crossed arms in annoyance are replicated by the irritated facial expression put on Tony Stark.

He looks to the side, addressing Quill,  "You're from Earth?"

"I'm not from Earth, I'm from Missouri." Peter answers.

"Oh, boy." Caitlyn groans.

"Yeah, that's on Earth, dip-shit. What are you hassling us for?"

Peter PARKER sounds a little crushed, "So, you're not with Thanos?"

Peter QUILL is indigent, "'With' Thanos?"

He repeats, incredulously with a face, "No. I'm here to kill Thanos! He took my girl—wait, who are you?"

The sixteen-year-old boy unveils his own mask, announcing knowingly, "We're the Avengers, man."

"Some of us," Caitlyn adds.

"You're the ones Thor told us about . . . " Mantis leaps forward, still tied up in webs.

Though the mention of the Asgardian registers with Tony as he inquires, "You know Thor?"

"Yeah." Star-Lord makes a distressed face, as he starts to describe the man, "Tall guy, not that good-looking, needed saving."

An inaccurate description some would say. 

Peter Parker would say. He says it all with his face.

"Where is he now?" Stephen asks with a fist still held up, and the Guardians of the Galaxy proceed to inform them that it is far from here.

Too far to be called for backup, and so was anyone else in range . . . Because nobody was nearby in Space.

On the planet called Titan.

The home of the Mad Titan.

✧✧✧

"What in the crap happened here?" A fifteen-year-old blonde child asks as her black boots trek through the rubble, the planet besides the marks left by the Q-Ship looking completely ransacked.

Destroyed.

Peter Quill, Star-Lord, holds up a device that measures the planet's tilt, "It's eight degrees off its axis. Gravitational pull is all over the place."

In the background of all this, the antenna female called Mantis jumps on a particular spot with low gravity and Peter Parker watches her. Caitlyn Strange shortly joins him and he looks back at her, puzzled. Confused. 

She gives him a real-life grimacing face emoji, feeling the exact same way.

About all of this. Still.

You would think she is not surprised, and she isn't ... mostly, more so by the nuance of foolishness these 'Guardians Of the Galaxy' give off. Like a vibe of the utmost crazy shit ever. Though then she reminds herself that they are a group of space warriors, people who operate up her naturally—her and Stephen fight mystical threats like Dormammu—and for that, the fifteen-year-old has some respect for the ones who know this territory much better.

That territory being ahem, SPACE. That they are still stuck in, and guessing by the destination they just landed, where Thanos is coming—SHIT. 

Caitlyn threatens to tighten the grip on her sword belt, the teenager now hastily pacing around the planet Titan until the voice belonging to Stark reels her in, talks of developing a plan. 

Caitlyn does not look in the direction of her uncle.

"Yeah, we got one advantage. He's coming to us." Iron Man says to both Spider-Man and Strange's niece, before drawing them in even more, "We'll use it."

"All right, I have a plan. Or at least the beginnings of one."

"Great. Care to share?"

Tony nods his head, "Would love to, Beach Head."

Caitlyn Strange bobs her own blonde locks up and down, still irritated with the nickname(s), though prepares to listen.

"It's pretty simple. We draw him in," Star-Lord comes closer, the goatee-bearded man explaining, "pin him down, get what we need."

"Definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just want the gauntlet."

He gets cut off by the shirtless man yawning.

"Are you yawning?!"

Drax exhales mid-yawn, Mantis staring oddly into his mouth while also mimicking a stance of much innocence, and Caitlyn finds herself crossing her arms together yet again—yeah, refer back to what she said earlier. Fools.

Tony is offended, "In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?"

The man glances back at him, saying with complete and total seriousness, "I stopped listening after you said, 'We need a plan.'"

"Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page." Iron Man dismisses, Caitlyn's pale blue irises giving the being one last look before circling back.

And their leader confirms, "See, 'not winging it', isn't exactly what they do."

"Uh, what exactly is it that they do?" Peter points in befuddlement and Caitlyn would like to know as well.

"Kick names. Take ass." Mantis states proudly in the most non-intimidating way possible, like a little puppy with big dark eyes—antennas because that is a thing—and Drax backs her up.

"Yeah, that's right."

The phrase is incorrect. 

Peter, Caitlyn, and Tony just wear looks of tiredness in response.

"All right," Stark recovers from an expression of deep hopelessness, "just get over here, please. Mr. Lord, can you get your folks to . . . circle up?"

Quill repeats, amused, "'Mr. Lord.' Star-Lord is fine."

He then motions to his people, who obediently circle up as the process of working together collectively begins.

Well, tries to begin.

"We gotta coalesce." Tony is firm in his belief, "'Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude ..."

The red-haired man cuts him off, "Dude, don't call us plucky. We don't know what it means."

Caitlyn snuffs her boot into the ground, dust coming up from underneath, "That's a shocker."

"Hey, blonde girl . . . " Star-Lord addresses the fifteen-year-old, having heard her snarky comments from before, and truly expresses his annoyance in so, "You mind keeping the remarks to a minimum?"

She puts on a fake front, nodding in genuine agreement, "Oh, yeah. Sure thing, I'll tone it down a bit."

"Thank you."

Caitlyn Strange overcompensates, "-Not."

A heavy sigh emerges from Star-Lord. She couldn't help it. She was satirical. This is how she copes with stuff ...

"Let's talk about this plan of yours," Star-Lord tells Iron Man next.

"I think it's good. Except, it sucks."

"So let me do the plan and that way, it might be really good."

His subordinate chimes in, "Tell them about the dance-off to save the universe."

"What dance-off?" Tony asks.

"It's not a . . . it's not . . .  it's nothing." Peter Quill corrects, slightly flushed, though the reference to modern pop culture hits Peter before Caitlyn. 

Naturally, "Like in Footloose the movie?" 

"Exactly like Footloose." Star-Lord is suddenly excited, stepping closer to the two kids and asking, "Is it still the greatest movie in history?"

Spider-Man shuts him down, "It never was."

And Caitlyn subtly nods in agreement, though in truth never actually seeing it . . . Quill squints his eyes.

"Don't encourage this, you two," Tony walks over to the sixteen and fifteen-year-old he was currently 'babysitting', "We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here."

Peter fires back, "Flash Gordon? By the way, that's a compliment."

"Don't forget, I'm half-human." He points at the three Earthlings in front of him, "So that 50% of me that's stupid? That's 100% you."

Caitlyn's mouth gapes open.

"Your math is blowing my mind," Stark replies but soon is interrupted.

By the chick with the antennas, "Excuse me . . . "

Caitlyn's meek smile falters at what she refers to, and the female directs everyone's attention over to Stephen, "But does your uncle often do that?"

Her skin runs cold, face churning in realization. She is the only one that knows what is going on.

"Strange, we all right?" Tony calls out.

Caitlyn treks forward.

Stephen is levitating in a position only done by individuals currently using the magic of the Mystic Arts, or, the power from the Time Stone. His body in the air sits in a criss-cross format, the Eye of Agamotto glowing as the cage remains open with a green aura flowing out.

He is seeing into the future.

The fifteen-year-old credits him for his intelligence but also knows this is a heavy burden. His eyes are closed, and his head is jerking rapidly from side to side, the motion blurring, but resembling that he is looking for something. Looking for a way to win.

Panting noises seep through his lips and heavy breathing takes over when he finally snaps out of it, and Stephen lets out a mild yell when falling to the floor.

Tony catches him halfway, reassuring the shaken male "You're back. You're all right."

But his niece is more prominent in calming him down, "Uncle Stephen."

"Lynn . . . " He searches blindly for her while recovering, and Caitlyn meets him halfway when linking their hands together tightly—his still shaking as always.

Once he is settled, Peter demands to know, "Hey, what was that?"

The teenage girl explains to everyone, "He went forward in time to view all possible outcomes."

"How many did you see?" The other Peter asks.

Causing Stephen to squint, "14,000,605."

Tony tilts his head, "How many did we win?" 

And Doctor Strange looks at him for a few moments, intently.

Before declaring ghostly, "One."

Caitlyn lifts her head up, astonished.

One. Only, one . . . Oh no. Only one win?

Out of 14 million . . .

Well, so much for having hope.

https://youtu.be/xirk18P889U

✧✧✧

A plan has been devised. Originally suggested by Tony but ultimately created by Peter (Quill), and while others prepare to go into hiding for it, Caitlyn Elizabeth Strange stays right next to her uncle—who still portrays unsettling antics from his previous visions.

One's of the future.

She speaks in a gravelly tone to him, asking, "What do we need to do in order to win?"

"If I tell you," The uncle breathes in response, shaking his bleeding head, "it won't happen."

The girl shakes her head as she bites down on her lip, inciting the mere truth of the matter, "That's a heavy weight to carry."

"We're glad I'm the one carrying it, then."

Caitlyn's voice lowers, "I'm not."

The noticeably softer tone relayed by her results in Stephen picking his gaze up, looking at his rock-solid-of-a-demeanor niece, and is aware of that strong manner threatening to come undone. The strung-up confidence. 

She expresses her uneasiness and capitulation, swallowing with a scratchy throat, "We're supposed to do things together, you know? Live together. Die together . . . "

Stephen rubs his thumb over her hand as he comforts her, "We will."

"Whatever it takes."

Another shaky breath escapes her lips before Caitlyn exhales and lays her head on his shoulder while she still can, and while a Battle on Titan is in full preparation, so is one back on Earth.

A Battle in Wakanda . . .

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Outside the administrative building, the one currently being used as Shuri's Lab when closely examining the robotic makeup that is Vision, are not only Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes keeping guard—but Dani Rockland and Ania Udaku as well. 

The two girls have been catching up, somewhat with appropriation to the current cycle of events occurring, and through it all there is able to be a moment. 

Just one, when the Princess can sense an instant switch in demeanor from the enhanced teenager. The pain that is being kept hidden.

Under much turmoil.

"Is everything all right?"

Dani blinks away from a thought-induced trance, answering simply as she gives off a weird look, "I'm fine. Why?"

Ania takes a step closer on the rooftop, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier feet away from them, and the sixteen-year-old tries her best not to pry.

However is incapable of avoiding a spark of annoyance that arises from the thirteen-year-old girl as she explains, "You seem to be acting different since the last time we saw each other."

Dani scoffs, "Yeah, well, the world's on fire."

"Even if it is, you don't usually act like this... " The White Cat's gentle words of wisdom and insight only irk Agent Rockland more.

She scowls, lashing out instead of giving in to the foreseen emotions surging through her, "You don't know me as well as you may think, Ania, okay? So don't try and pretend that you do."

"...I'm just trying to help."

"Well, I don't need it, so stop." 

The Princess feels the literal bite of cold-heartedness on Dani's last word, her tongue, and it worries her nonetheless. 

Because having been in a position before, when her father died and came back to life, Ania believes that dark feelings like that only lead to bad things—for people to do bad things. 

Whatever it was, the Battle Of Wakanda ahead, or Steve... The sixteen-year-old from experience knows that those emotions need to be dealt with head-on. Straightforwardly, so that one can move on.

She has good intentions and always does, but Danielle unfortunately is not susceptible to them. Not anymore.

From anyone.

The Black Panther's daughter clears her throat, "Look, I've been in a similar situation before... with my Dad, and the best thing you can take away from this is that sometimes... Some lessons are meant to be learned independently."

"On your own, without any guidance, just your own mind and whoever you meet along the way."

Dani is silent a moment, some of Ania's speech actually sinking in. 

Though the rest dissolves away. 

Is replaced, immensely, by the hate, anger, and bitterness that continuously poisons the heart of a naturally very sweet girl—she is on the verge of breaking down. She is very unhappy with herself.

Her tooth sinks into her bottom lip, drawing blood. 

It quivers. Dani is in pain.

The other teenager reaches to gently touch her shoulder.

Dani flinches.

"I really wish," her voice tremors in all but any weaknesses, instead rising fury, and this catches the attention of the others atop the roof—Sam and Bucky turning around.

"That everyone, could just leave me alone."

Dani's sea-foam green eyes are glossily sharp as she perseveres, "I am fine."

"I'm fine."

"I'm fine."

There is silence after that.

An agony that is entirely physical and different courses through her. 

Dani keels over in reaction.

Ania is at her side in an instant, looking her over for any injuries, and the thirteen-year-old shakes her head.

Extending her spine and gazing upwards to the sky, the enhanced girl containing abilities of an Infinity Stone herself clarifies the reasoning for a sudden trilling from them—telling her ... warning her.

"Something's coming."

"They're here."

https://youtu.be/bsnZHpS_ArU

❀☽✧  ❀☽✧  ❀☽✧