Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Thanos had returned. 

Those were the unfortunate words that had woke Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, up on this Saturday morning. Unfortunate, seeing she had stayed up late the night before playing Wow. Still, she had managed to scramble out of bed, put on her costume, and was ready in time to meet up with the rest of the Champions. 

By the time they got there things were already falling apart. 

"I got them!" Kamala shouted as she carried three children out of a collapsing building. "Hulk, you can drop it!" 

Amadeus Cho, the Totally Awesome Hulk, released the several stories tall building behind him. It collapsed like the thousand tons of bricks it was. "Now what?!" He shouted over the din of battle. "My brain is running out of sugar here it's getting hard to think!" 

"Just keep focus on saving people!" Kamala shouted as she ran towards the next problem area. Why did Thanos have to land in the middle of New York?! Why is it always New York?! Is there some rule I don't know about?! 

Thanos had simply appeared right in the middle of downtown NYC, alongside his legion of monsters. From what Kamala briefly heard beforehand, the Mad Titan focused on a particular building while his legion spread out and attacked the surrounding area. People were running and screaming, and chaos filled the streets. 

The one silver lining to all this was that when someone like Thanos showed up, everyone came to fight him. 

The Avengers were the first to arrive. Captain America himself was leading the ground battle alongside Black Panther, while high in the sky Thor, Captain Marvel, Phoenix and Iron Man were suppling air support, blasting alien fighters out of the sky. The Fantastic Four were here as well; the Thing, the Human Torch, and the Invisible Woman were all either fighting baddies or saving people. Kamala hadn't seen Mr. Fantastic yet, but she bet he was working on some super science thing to save the day. As she ran around, helping wherever she could, Kamala saw her fellow Inhumans, the Eternals, and even the X-Men, having left their island nation to join the fight. They knew that if Thanos won, everyone would lose. 

"Look out!" A voice shouted as Kamala found herself pulled out of the way of an energy blast. She grunted as she found herself in the arms of Miles, aka Spider-Man, aaka her best superhero friend. 

"Thanks for the save!" She said as got her feet back under her. "There is so much going on I'm off my game!" 

"No problem!" Said Miles. It was hard to see what he was thinking under that mask of his, but Kamala could tell that he was worried. "We got most of the people out, but if we can't stop Thanos here it won't matter where they go!" 

Kamala was about to respond, when suddenly a huge explosion knocked both young heroes off their feet. She wasn't sure how long she was laying on the ground; seconds? Minutes? Hours? She managed to climb back to her feet, the ringing in her ears slowly fading. 

What Kamala saw next would change the course of her life. 

Not twenty feet away stood Thanos himself, in all his terrible glory. Kamala couldn't move; she barely dared to breathe. In the Mad Titan's hand laid the corpse of a woman dressed in a red and white costume. Kamala knew her, Star. She was the villain who tried to steal Captain Marvel's powers. She wouldn't do that again; Thanos had ripped her chest open. Kamala nearly threw up all over herself. No matter how bad Star had been, she didn't deserve that. Her horror only grew when Kamala saw a red, glowing stone float out of the body, and then grew even more when she saw the other stones on Thanos's glove.

The Infinity Gauntlet. He was rebuilding the Infinity Gauntlet. 

"STOP HIM!!" Captain Marvel screamed, flying down and blasting Thanos with enough firepower to level a city block. Various other heroes followed suit, hitting the Mad Titan with everything they had and then some. 

Thanos merely waved his hand. Purple energy few out of the glove like a shockwave, striking every hero and sending them to the ground. It didn't hit Kamala or Miles though. They weren't important enough. 

"Fools." Thanos rumbled with a smile like death. "I won't make the same mistake as last time. I will simply kill you all in a single go." He grabbed the Reality Stone with his free hand and slowly moved to place it in its spot.

Kamala and Miles looked and each other. Their eyes locked. 

They were out of their league. 

It would be suicide. 

They were going to die anyway. 

They nodded. 

The second the Stone locked in place a line of webbing hit the completed Gauntlet. Pulling with all his might, Miles yanked the glove off Thanos's hand, sending it flying towards him and Kamala. The Titan's response was instant; with a roar of fury he shot twin eye beams at the younger Spider-Man. Miles managed to avoid a direct hit, but the explosive shockwave sent him flying away. Kamala ran after the Gauntlet, reaching out with her hand to grab it before Thanos did. 

What happened next was the result of a combination of factors. Kamala's lack of sleep. The mental and physical fatigue of being in the middle of a warzone. The lingering fear that this would be her last act. Because of all these and more, Kamala stumbled slightly as she misjudged the distance. And instead of grabbing the Gauntlet like she had intended, Kamala's right hand accidently slid right into it. 

WAIT, I DIDN'T MEAN-!  

Power. Time. Space. Reality. Mind. Soul. 

Infinity. 

God. Allah. Infinity. 

Sakal bun phool rahi sarson, Sakal bun phool rahi. . . 

The Unworthy has lost again. Is this one worthy? 

Umbva phuty, tesu phulay, Koyal bolay daar daar, Aur gori karat singaarn. 

Perhaps. 

Infinity.

Kamala blinked. Then she blinked again. 

She looked around. The city . . . was fixed. Like it had never even been damaged. How did it . . . 

Wait, why is everyone staring at me? 

Miles was staring at her, his mask removed and in his hands. All the other heroes were also standing around and staring at her. Even Thanos was staring at her, his purple jaw hanging low. What was going on? 

Kamala raised her right hand to scratch her head. Everyone flinched back. 

"Guys? What's wrong? Why are you-?" Huh. Kamala felt a weight on her hand that she hadn't notice before. What was-? 

Oh. 

Ooooooooooooooh. 

Wrapped snuggle around her right hand was the Infinite Gauntlet itself, six stones shining in the sunlight. Despite coming off a man who was ten times her size, the glove fit her perfectly, like it was tailored for her alone. 

Kamala heard a chuckle from the crowd. Then a giggle. Looking up, she saw Deadpool pointing a shaking finger at her. 

"Bwah . . . ah ha . . . BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The merc burst out laughing, swinging his finger between Kamala and Thanos over and over again before falling backwards onto the ground. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" 

"Ms. Marvel?" Carol said as she slowly approached Kamala, hands raised to her chest to show she meant no harm. "Kamala . . . are you alright?" 

". . . I think so?" Kamala said carefully, making sure to move her gloved hand very slowly. "I didn't mean for this to happen." 

Carol nodded. "It's alright. We know." She might have said more, but a certain Titan interrupted. 

"You didn't mean to? You didn't mean to?! YOU STOLE GODHOOD FROM ME, AND YOU DARE TO DECLARE IT A MISTAKE!!!!" Thanos lunged at Kamala, aiming to strangle the life from her with his bare hands. Carol and the other heroes, to their credit, moved to stop him. All were too late. Acting on instinct, Kamala raised the Gauntlet in front of her to shield herself.

A red flash lit the area. 

Where Thanos had once stood, there now was a Thanos-shaped pile of red flowers. They kept their shape for a few moments before a strong breeze blew them all away. 

Kamala and the other heroes stared in silence. Except for Wade, who was still laughing, legs kicking wildly in the air. 

"Th-that was an accident!" Kamala stammered. 

"A well-timed accident." Said Steve Rogers, making his way forward with all the silent dignity he was known for. "Kamala, I want to make this clear. No one is mad at you. You are not in trouble. We are, however, worried for you. Just to be safe, why don't you take that glove off?" 

Kamala shook her head up and down. "Yeah! I mean duh! I mean - I'll take it off now." Kamala grabbed the Gauntlet with her free hand and tugged. 

And tugged. 

And tugged. 

Sweat began to pour down Kamala's head as a nervous smile formed on her face. "AH! AH HA!" She looked at her heroes with a twitch of the eye. "SO! Funny story! It . . . won't . . . come off?" 

". . ." 

Wade's laughter echoed in the silent street. It was a good thing he had a healing factor, or he would have brain damage from lack of oxygen.

Chapter Text

The Baxter Building was not just one of the most famous buildings in Manhattan, but also in the entire world. Standing 35-stories tall, it was a home and lab the size of a skyscraper. It used to have many different tenets, but these days it was home only to a single family; the first family of super heroics themselves, the Fantastic Four. Arguably the most famous of this group was Doctor Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic. He is considered by many to be the smartest man in the history of mankind, and for good reason. His research has fundamentally changed how humanity understands the universe. He has built spaceships, robots, and portals through time and into alternate realities. There is nothing he can't figure out if he put his mind to it. 

"Well, I'm stump." Reed said as he slumped back into his chair. 

Kamala scratched where the lip of the glove met her arm. It didn't itch, but they had been there for six hours now, and she was getting restless. "I don't mean to sound rude, but if I don't get home soon my parents are going to get worried." 

"Oh, don't worry about." Said one Tony Stark, who had traded out his Iron Man suit for a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants. While he acted as flippant as usually, he was clearly as tired as Reed was, if not more so. "I called them myself; it's all taken care of. By the way, you're an intern at Stark Industries now." 

"Yaaaay." Kamala said without humor. 

"So, have we truly learned nothing?" Asked T'Challa, still dressed in the royal armor of Wakanda's protector, minus the helmet. "Collectively, we three are more learned and experienced then the next ten scientists and scholars on the planet. And we know nothing of how this happened?" 

"We learned some things." Reed said as he leaned forward in his chair. "Just nothing useful. We learned that the Gauntlet has not fused with Ms. Khan's arm. We also learned that the Gauntlet currently resists any attempts to remove it, which it has never done before." He motioned to a pile of melted machinery in the corner of his personal lab. The more they tried, the worse it got.

Kamala gave a sheepish smile. "I'll pay you back for those, I promise!" 

Reed looked her dead in the eyes. "You have 7 Billion dollars?" 

". . . I-I don't suppose you'd take an IOU?" 

Reed chuckled. "I'm joking, Ms. Khan. I do that, on occasion." 

"And it's always freaky every time you do." Tony said with a shudder. "Normally taking the Gauntlet off should be as easy as taking off a normal glove. Hell, it can even be done against the wear's will, if they're not paying attention. Now though, we can't even remove the stones!" 

"And it has resisted all but the most surface level scans." T'Challa tapped his chin in thought. "Perhaps science is the wrong way to go. Has anyone contacted Doctor Strange?" 

Tony sighed. "I called Wong. Stephen's off dealing with soul eaters in Dimension X or some other sort of Sorcerer Supreme craziness and won't be back for a while." He ran a hand through his hair. "I tried to talk to Xavier, but he made it clear that so long as this doesn't affect mutants, he's not going to get involved. Personally, I don't blame him. I already have three new gray hairs." 

Reed pinched the bridge of his nose. "Namor has also been silent when I tried to contact him That concerns me. Whenever he is not talking to me or Sue, it usually means that he is talking to Victor." 

Kamala groaned. Of course Doctor Doom might be getting involved. Why would he not? She hopped out of her chair. "Well, this has been not great, but I'm going to head home." 

"WhoawhoaWHOA!" Tony shouted, holding out his hands. "We still have different things we can try! Let's not give up here!" 

"I'm not giving up." Kamala said tiredly. "It's just that . . . I almost died multiple times today, including one where I ended up face-to-face with Thanos himself, and now I have an all-powerful superweapon stuck to my arm!" She jabbed her free hand at the offending device. "I promise, I'll be back for more tests, but right now I just want to go home and sleep."

Mr. Stark looked like he was about to say something else, but suddenly Kamala was no longer in the lab, but in her room back home. Looking down, she saw that she wasn't in her Ms. Marvel costume, but in her pajamas. Her costume, she somehow knew, was cleaned and neatly folded away in her closet. 

Kamala looked down at the Gauntlet. It was still stuck on her arm, naturally. "Huh. Did I do that?" She realized that yes, yes she did. She was thinking about getting ready for bed and wanted to do it, so it happened. Simple as that. She ran her tongue over her teeth; they felt like they had been freshly brushed as well. 

"Neat. Thanks for that, but you owe me like fifty more favors to make up for this." She sent her Champion teammates a text saying that she was alright and that she would talk to them later, and then turned in for the night. She wanted a nice, restful, dreamless sleep this night. 

So she got it. 

Tony groaned as he took his turn leaning back in a lab chair. Reed continued to work while T'Challa smirked of all things. 

"I am honestly surprised she humored us for so long." The King of Wakanda said, amused. "It is not as though we could have kept her here against her will." 

"Kamala's a good kid." Tony said as he willed himself to continue the conversation. "That's the only good thing to come out of this situation. That the stones are in her hands and not in the hands of someone like Thanos." 

"Indeed." Reed said with a nod. "I think I'll pack it in for today. I promised Sue a family dinner tonight and I'm already late." 

T'Challa nodded. "Agreed. Tony and myself have a meeting at Avenger's Tower. It is all hands-on deck right now." 

Tony groaned once more, just to get it out of his system. "Awesome. Just what I wanted!" He complained, but he understood why; this wasn't something that could be handled by their little inner circle. They tried keeping big things like this to themselves before and it backfired epically. Better to get everyone's help. 

"One last thing." T'Challa said as he and Tony got up to leave. "Reed, I do not believe for a second that you do not have a plan to neutralize the Gauntlet if it comes to that." 

Reed paused with his back to the two Avengers. He stood perfectly still, not even turning to face them. "I do, but I will not use it unless we have no other option. The problem, however, is that I am certain that Victor has developed a similar plan, and he does not have our restraint." It was only then that Reed turned around, his eyes hard and unyielding. "We must be vigilant. That Gauntlet does not merely grant power. It brings enemies as well." 

The universe was a living thing. It grew, it changed, it evolved, it learned. 

And it wanted. It wanted everything. 

When the universe saw the Mad Titan rebuild the Gauntlet, it raged, but could do nothing else. Powers greater than itself had already ruled that the Titan was allowed to gather Infinity if he so desired. However, the Titan had never been able to hold Infinity for very long, so the universe was content to watch his downfall. 

Fall the Titan did, and quickly, but in the process, a mortal child gained possession of Infinity.

And the universe raged. 

A child could not be its master! A child could not be the Supreme Being! The universe refused! 

And this time, there was no ruling.

Already, the great powers were becoming aware of the new Bearer's existence. How could they not? No doubt a new judgement would be made soon. 

And this time, the universe, also known as Eternity, would make sure that it got what it wanted. 

Kamala woke up with a yawn and a cat-like stretch. It was a lovely morning, bright and sunny. She had slept so well; she could almost pass off what had happened yesterday as a dream. 

Then she saw the glove still stuck on her hand and remembered that it was anything but. 

"Kamala?" A familiar, motherly voice knocked on the other side of the door. "Are you awake?" 

"Ammi!" Kamala buried her gloved hand under her blanket so her mother could not see it. "I'm up!" 

The door opened slightly, and Kamala's mother peeked inside. She was a short woman, a few inches shorter than Kamala herself, and something of a traditionalist. She always made sure to keep her head cover in public. "I didn't hear you come in last night." 

Lie! Lie like a rug! "I'm sorry. I got home late last night and I didn't want to wake you guys." 

Her mother hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I hope Mr. Stark will know better than to keep you so late in the future." 

Kamala sighed internally. Thank you, Tony. "Don't worry Ammi. We talked about that at length." 

Her mother smiled. "Good. Now get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready." 

Kamala smiled as her mother closed the door. Inwardly, she was running around screaming. Oh God what am I supposed to do?! How will I explain the Gauntlet on ... 

Just as Kamala was thinking of ways to hide the Gauntlet, the glove in question slowly faded away, revealing her hand for the first time since yesterday. It was still there though; Kamala could feel it. It was just invisible. 

". . . Panic later. Eat with family now." Kamala steeled herself and got dressed in short order. Coming down the stairs, she saw that the food was just being served. Her father was seated at the head of the table, a large, proud man, but not unkind. Her brother Aamir sat next to his wife Tyesha, with little baby Malik sandwiched between them. Aamir was finishing up some prayers as Tyesha flew the food-plane into Malik's mouth. Kamala sat at the open seat by her father's left hand just as her mother placed a plate of food down for her. She hadn't felt hungry until she saw it, but the smell reminded her that she hadn't eaten since the night before yesterday. Kamala ravaged her plate in short order. 

"Well, someone need that!" Her father chuckled as Kamala cleaned her plate in record time. "Stark not feeding you over there?" 

"S-Sorry Abu." Kamala said with a fragile grin. "A lot has happened, and I forgot to eat."

Her father didn't look happy about that, but he did look understanding. "Well . . . so long as you were safe during that alien attack. I supposed that is why I had to learn from Stark himself that you are interning for him?" 

Kamala was starting to regret the cover story. "Ah . . . I guess you won't be happy to hear that I have to go back today?" 

"No, but I understand. Stark Industries is a massive opportunity for you, and I would be a failure of a father if I didn't support you. I'm proud of you." He smiled at her. So did her mother. 

Kamala just smiled back, not trusting her voice right now. She hated lying to them like this, and wished she didn't have to. 

If she hadn't rendered the Gauntlet invisible a few minutes before, she would have noticed the stones shining. 

After about an hour at home, Kamala excused herself to held out. She wouldn't go back to the lab for a few hours, but she wanted to clear her head for a bit. She dressed for the autumn weather, her Ms. Marvel costume underneath her jacket and street clothes. 

"Alright. It's fine. Everything is fine." Kamala said to herself a bit too loudly, earning a few looks from other people on the street. "The guys will find some way to get it off, throw it into space or something, and everything will be back to normal." 

Kamala then felt here phone vibrate in her pants. Picking it up, she saw a familiar number. "Bruno?" 

"Kamala!" Her second-best friend shouted over the phone. "Thank God! Nakia's phone got smashed during the invasion, and I've been trying to reach you for the both of us! Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine!" Kamala said a little too quickly. "I mean - I'm not hurt. Nobody got hurt. Glad to hear you guys are okay too." 

"That's a relief. I heard Thanos showed up. I'm glad you didn't fight him." 

"AHAHAHA - Funny thing! I-I kinda did and-!" Suddenly, there was an explosion about five blocks away. A rather large one by the sound of it. "I'm gonna have to call you back." 

"I heard it too. Stay safe!" Kamala hung up the phone and ducked into an alley. 

"Wow, this is easy!" Bulldozer laughed as he threw one cop car on top of another cop car. His current life goal was to make a Jenga tower of the things. 

"I told you guys!" Wreaker said to his crew. He pulled the entire bank vault out from inside the building, his magic crowbar stuffed in his belt to keep his hands free. "Unlike New York, Jersey only has one hero! And she's just some punk kid!" 

"Man, I'm almost gonna feel bad if she's stupid enough to show up!" Said Thunderball, swinging around his titular weapon. "Poor thing's gonna be crippled for life!" 

"HOLD IT!" Sure enough, Ms. Marvel appeared on the scene, her stretchy legs shrinking back down to human size as she landed on the street in front of the Wreaking Crew. 

The Wreaker just laughed. "And there she is!" He palmed his crowbar playfully. "Kid, I'm in a good mood, so I'll let you off with a warning. We're the Wreaking Crew. We've been doing this since you've been in diapers. We've fought Thor and the Avengers! We have the strength of gods! Go home now, and you'll live to tell your grandkids you got to meet us!" 

Ms. Marvel fell into a defensive stance. "Sure! So long as you guys give up and turn yourselves in!" 

The Wreaker sighed dramatically. "Oh, you try to be a nice guy! Piledriver, tell her what her stupidity got her!" 

The red and white clad crook walked up, holding a car with a family of four trapped inside over his head. "The death of innocents on her conscious, that's what!" He made to throw the car at a nearby building. 

"NO, DON'T!" Ms. Marvel scream, holding up her right hand. 

Suddenly, the car was no longer in Piledriver's hands. Instead, it was safely on the ground behind Ms. Marvel. The family scrambled out of the car and ran to safety. 

The Wreaker blinked, his purple mask making him look even more confused. "How did . . . wha?" 

"Uh, boss?" Thunderball muttered. "When did she have a glove on her-?" And that was all he got out before the Wreaking Crew all turned into snowmen. 

Ms. Marvel blinked. "Oh! Oh crud, not again! I can fix it!" 

The snowmen then turned into Pokémon statues. The statues then turned into those hedge animals you see on rich people's yards. 

"AH, COME ON FOCUS!" 

Fourth time was the charm, as the Wreaking Crew turned back into their normal selves. She even managed to fix the damage they did!

"Sorry, sorry! I panicked and my mind kept wandering! I finally just thought to make things go back to normal and it worked!" 

"Gah!" The Wreaker said, cross-eyed. He frantically touched his hands all over his face. "Bweh! Ack! Ah! Aha!" And then he passed out. 

"GAAAAAH!" Bulldozer screamed. "MY HEAD IS ON BACKWARDS!" He then peeked down his shirt, a tired, traumatized smile forming on his face. "False alarm. Just my shirt." And then he, and the remaining members of the Crew, promptly passed out. 

". . . Well, at least they aren't hurting anyone?" Ms. Marvel asked, hoping for an answer. 

"True." 

Spinning around in a panic, Ms. Marvel saw that the familiar robotic voice came from Viv. She wasn't alone; Spider-man, Nova, and Hulk were all with her. 

Kamala felt her brain lock up. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." 

Miles coughed into his fist. "We, uh, we heard the Wreaking Crew was coming to town and came to help. But . . . uh, we weren't the only ones to show up." He jabbed a finger over to the side. Kamala knew what it was. Moving like a condemned woman, Kamala turned and saw the news crew filming the whole thing. 

She double-checked her arm. Yep, the Gauntlet was there, perfectly visible. Now the whole WORLD would know that Ms. Marvel had the Infinity Gauntlet. 

. . . I wonder if it is too late to throw myself into the sun? 

Chapter Text

It was times like this that Tony wished he never quit drinking. 

Built out of the shell of a Celestial, Avenger's Tower was home to some of the most advance technology on the planet, maybe even the entire galaxy. One of the more mundane pieces of tech at their fingertips were large TVs that got every channel on Earth. Most of said channels were now showing some variation of the same story. 

Tony slouched back in his chair as he watched the screen. There she was: Ms. Marvel using the Infinity Gauntlet to take down the Wreaking Crew. It was on every news channel, and trending on-line. "How bad is it?" 

"Not as bad as you'd think." T'Challa said with a shrug. The current roster had gathered at the table for this meeting. "Most people do not know what the Gauntlet is. All that the average person knows is that Ms. Marvel has suddenly gained a vast increase in power. However, that has still caused vocal concern in some." 

Carol leaned forward in her seat, clearly agreeing with the Black Panther. "The people of Earth have been notoriously bad when it comes to dealing with individuals of great power. Especially if that person is in some way an outsider. Just look at how they treat mutants. Charles and the gang didn't start their own nation because the public were friendly and understanding."

Tony groaned. He couldn't help wondering how worse this would be if more people knew that Kamala was an inhuman? He glanced around the long table. Bruce was still in the wind. Strange had yet to return. Phoenix had to go into space to bleed off some excess power. Selby was a literal child. Thor was off in Asgard, although he at least offered an apology and a reason why he couldn't make it. With the Stones having a new and, seemingly, permanent mistress, Asgard needed a response from its king before anyone did anything stupid. Viking gods weren't known for thinking things out before acting, after all. 

Two seats down from him, Jenn chuckled, her gamma green lips turned upward in a smile. "You know, we really should have seen this coming. I mean, of course the kid wouldn't just sit on her butt if she saw people in danger. None of us would have. At least it was a quick fight."  Sitting next to her, Robbie coughed to hide a chuckle of his own. The Ghost Rider had decided to come over with his skin on today. It made it easier for him to emote. 

Tony ran a hand through his hair, pulling out a single strand. Another grey, I see. If this keeps up he was going to age ten years by month's end. "Steve, what do you think? You've been quite this entire time."

Steve had been watching the news intently, his shield sitting on the table in front of him. He turned in his chair slightly to look at Tony. The old soldier's eyes were cool and calm. ". . . I'm okay with this." 

Tony had to blink. "Really?" 

Steve nodded. "Really. Kamala has had the Gauntlet for over a day now and what has she done so far? Fix what was broken and stop a few crooks. Compared to some of the other people who held the Stones she's practically a saint." He smiled. "Kamala's a good kid. She's earned our trust many times over. If someone has to have the Stones we could do a lot worse." 

"I'm sensing a but coming." 

"But . . . While most people don't know about the Stones, she's now a target for the ones that do. And I doubt many of them will have much hang ups about cutting off a young woman's arm to gain ultimate power." Steve frowned at those final words, as did every other Avenger in the room. A few names hung silently in the air. 

Kang, Ultron, Skull . . . Doom . . . Tony shuddered. If any of those monsters got even a single Stone . . . "She has to be watched."

T'Challa raised an eyebrow. "A security detail?" He paused. "You don't plan to tell her about it, do you? That may be a mistake." 

"We will leave it to the individual heroes to inform her. This will be strictly voluntary. And on a rotational basis." 

Carol coughed into her fist. "Yeah, about that. I . . . might have panicked slightly and called Monica before I came here. She and her team are already moving to watch Kamala." 

Tony had a strong sense of impending doom. "When you say team, you mean the Ultimates, right?" Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes! 

Carol flinched. "Ah, no." 

Tony groaned. He really, really wished he hadn't quit drinking.

Sue checked her watch by the docks. The Fantasti-car was parked nearby. "I swear, if you don't show up in the next five minutes, I'm leaving." 

As if on que, the dark waters turned, churned and bubbled, and the King of Atlantis arose from out of the black depths. Sue had to admit, even to this day she found Namor attractive. Physically, at least. 

The Sub-Mariner hovered forward a few feet, landing right in front of the Invisible Woman. "Susan." He said with clear longing in his voice. "It's been some time." 

"Namor." She said, not unkindly, but in a tone that made it clear that what he wanted was not on the table. "You're looking well. I heard you have your own team now." 

He nodded. "The Defenders of the Deep. Earth's surface has so many champions. Her oceans need guardians as well." Sue noticed that he hadn't called them "heroes." Considering some of the things they did to protect the seas, that was rather honest of him. 

"Let me be honest with you; I know you have been talking to Victor again. And I know about who."

If Namor was ashamed, it didn't show on his face. "I do what I must to protect my realm. You would do the same." 

That set Sue off. "Damn it Namor, haven't you learned?! You can't trust Victor! Working with him is just going to blow up in your face! Again!" 

Namor frowned. "Perhaps if your husband had the steel to do what must be done, I would not have to." 

"Ms. Marvel isn't a threat!" 

"Those stones once killed half of creation! Anyone with them is a threat! By the time you realize that, it will be too late."

Sue sighed. She felt tired down to her bones. "I understand why you think that. But we are going to prove you wrong." 

Namor's face soften. "I pray you do, Susan. I truly do." He flew back into the dark waters and was gone. 

"Soooooo." Nova said with a forced smirk. "What's omnipotence like?" 

Kamala growled something that would have gotten her grounded if her parents heard her back at him. The Champions had done a bit of roof hopping on patrol around Jersey and were now taking a break at a local halal pizza joint. A few patrons came and went, taking pictures. Hulk managed to distract the bulk of them by flexing his muscles. 

Miles sipped on his soda, his mask moved just past his nose, hiding the upper half of his face. "Jokes aside, how are you feeling M.M?" 

"Like a monkey's paw curled a finger in." Kamala admitted. She didn't feel hungry and just picked at her food. "I mean, I always wanted to have big time, cosmic power and go on crazy adventures. Like Captain Marvel, right?" 

"We have made the comparisons." Said Viv, sitting straight and still. 

"Well, good news! I got them now!" She banged her head on the table, her long hair covering her face. "And now, everyone in the world knows it!"

Nova shrugged as he inhaled another slice. "Oh, come on!" He pointed at the Gauntlet. "What are the chances of anyone messing with you now that you have that?" 

There was a sudden flash of green light and Loki was suddenly seated right next to Kamala. "Heeeey there, buddy!" 

Nova went silent. Miles spat out his drink. Hulk laughed. Viv blinked. 

Kamala glared at Nova. "You're the devil." 

"He can't be!" Hulk laughed. "We met that loser before!" 

Loki wrapped an arm around Kamala's shoulders. His smile was so large it barely fit on his face. "So, been a while, right? Let me be the first to welcome you to godhood!" 

"I'm. Not. A God." Kamala said in a voice that promised great violence. 

Loki just chuckled. "Those Stones on your hand say otherwise. You'll get used to it! In fact, let me give you a few pointers-!" 

"LOKI!" Shouted a voice like thunder, followed by actual thunder. Thor appeared in a bolt of lightning and, without another word, grabbed Loki by the collar and dragged him out of the restaurant. 

"Ow! Hey! Brother, watch it! This is Alfheim silk! I'll talk to you later, Ms. Marvel! Friend me on Facebook!" The door slammed shut behind them, and there was a flash of light and they were gone. 

The Champions just stared silently at what just happened. Kamala could only sigh. "Yeah, this was my life now." 

When Parker Robbins saw that video from Jersey, his first thought was "Bullshit!" He repeated it two more times, just to get it out of his system. 

There had been a time, not too long ago, where he had almost been the one to command the Infinity Gauntlet. He held most of the Stones in his hands. Reality itself was his to mold! And he lost it all, thanks to those rich, hypocritical, bastard Avengers!

"If they had lost all their power and wealth like I had, they would have done the exact same thing!" Parker told them as much to their face. And for that, they locked him up in a hole. By the time he got out, the world had forgotten about the man who had once been in charge of the super-villain underworld. He had lost his money, his powers, and his respect. When he had seen the story, he had been living in a two-room hole in the wall. That just made him angrier. He should have been the one with the Gauntlet, not some little girl playing hero! And there was nothing he could do about it! 

Then he got a new patron. One who told him who Ms. Marvel was. 

After fixing his financial situation with a quick, quiet robbery, Parker made a few calls. Even if he was no longer the top dog, he still had connections, and this was an opportunity that few would be able to pass up. Whitney was the first one he called, along with a few others. As expected, they had all seen the story, and were all interested. The meet-up was put in stone. 

Parker placed a red cloak over his shoulders. It wasn't his original, but that had been destroyed long ago. Just having one made him feel like a badass. He smiled. 

The Hood was back. 

Chapter Text

Three people sat at an outside table belonging to a Jersey Coffee shop one fine evening. One was a ginger British woman, one was a living robot, and one was a guy from Brooklyn. None of them really wanted to be there. 

"I used to hang out with Celestials, you know." Aaron mumbled as he spiked his coffee with beer. He had refitted his robot brain so he could better enjoy it. 

"We know Aaron." Said Elsa Bloodstone, leaning back in her chair, her long ponytail nearly touching the concrete ground. 

"Seriously. Space Gods. Interstellar travel. Everything." The Machine Man took a deep swig. "Now what am I doing? Keeping an eye on some baby fleshy one who got her hand stuck in a god-glove!" 

"You've been complaining about this for the last hour." Elsa groaned.

The Captain chuckled as he wiped some cookie crumbs off his star shirt. "I'm looking pretty good right now, ain't I?"  

"Congratulations. That is the most words I've ever heard you put together in one sentence." Elsa glanced around. "Where the Hell are Monica and Tabitha? If I have to suffer through this, so do they." 

"Our fearless leader is on the phone with her Avengers buddies." Aaron shrugged. "As for Tabitha, she walked by a store that was having a sale on shoes and nature took its course." 

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. The magic of the Bloodstone could only do so much for annoyance. "Nextwave isn't a team; it's a sideshow. I knew it was a mistake to get back together. What else could go wrong?" 

"What are you guys doing?" 

The three superheroes jumped out of their chairs as Ms. Marvel appeared in front of them, brow narrowed. Well, Aaron and Elsa did. The Captain swore in the way only Brooklynites could, stumbled out of his seat and fell to the ground. 

"Oh Bollocks! Hey sweetie!" Elsa forced a smile to her face, her eyes flicking towards the Stones on the young Inhuman's right hand for an instant before locking eyes with her. Elsa could tell that the kid saw it. 

"Are you guys spying on me?" Ms. Marvel asked a question that was not a question. 

Aaron pressed a finger to his ear. "Monica the fleshy one has us made come in!" Elsa jabbed him right below the ribs with her elbow. 

"We aren't spying on you dear. We were just tasked with providing surveillance, that's all."

Ms. Marvel stared at Elsa real closely before sighing. "Well, at least Captain Marvel is doing this because she's worried about me. Not because she doesn't trust me." Elsa blinked; the young heroine continued. "No, I didn't read your mind. It's just I asked myself why and the answer came to me. Just some more Infinity Stones nonsense."

"I would have used stronger words." The Captain chuckled weakly as he climbed to his feet. 

Ms. Marvel sighed again, and Elsa noticed that the girl looked very tired. "Yeah well, please tell Tony and the others I'm sorry I didn't show up today, but some things came up. Tell him I hanged out with my friends today and stopped some crime, and that's it." She turned to leave before pausing. "Oh, and if someone could get Loki off my back, that would be great. He's shown up three times already and it is getting annoying." And then she was off, bounding across the roof tops with elongated legs. 

". . ." Aaron glared at his small coffee top. "My robot brain needs more beer." 

"All our brains need more beer." Elsa muttered. 

It might have been unheroic of him to think it, but when he learned of what was going on in Jersey with Ms. Marvel, all Mayor of New York Luke Cage could think was thank God it's not my problem. As the guy in charge of the city with the highest superhuman population short of that mutant island, he had enough on his plate as is. 

Luke loosened his tie as he put some papers away. Even if they were in a completely different city, this crap with the Gauntlet was still having an impact on him. He had to make all the political noises to keep people calm. Many people sent him letters and messages. Granted, most of them didn't know about the Stones, but you'd have to be blind and deaf not to see how the kid just got a major power boost. Luke didn't know what they expected him to do about it though. 

How does that saying go? "Shit always rolls downhill?" Now that the kid's got the Gauntlet I guess everyone is downhill compared to her. 

There was a knock on Luke's open door as Danny Rand poked his head in. The Immortal Iron Fist gave his best friend one of his winning smiles. "Sup. Ready to eat?" 

"Almost. Just got to take care of this last pile." Luke grabbed a second bunch of letters and papers and dutifully dumped them in his garbage. "Alright, now I'm done." 

Danny chuckled. "Dare I ask?" 

Luke wiped his hands. "Just some idiots wanting me to do something about a certain girl and her glove. Specifically the ones that went on a rant about her race." He grabbed his coat. "A lot of people want to hear my thoughts on this, but those idiots are the ones trying to make it a problem." 

Danny shook his head. "Wow, did they pick the wrong guy to complain to." His face then turned thoughtful. "In seriousness though, what are your thoughts? I mean, let's not mince words: now that she has the Stones Ms. Marvel is basically God." 

Luke paused. ". . . You know, I ran into Matt right after Thanos's invasion. I asked him about it. After all, he's a man of faith, right? He's got to have an opinion." 

"And?" 

Luke smirked. "He scoffed and waved me off." He put his coat on. "That's me; she doesn't cause problems for me, I won't have a problem with her." 

Danny smiled and nodded. "Enlightened self-interest. I like it." 

"I'm glad you do." He smacked Danny lightly on the shoulder. "Come on. It's been a long day and I'm hungry." 

Dinner went fine. No one noticed the Gauntlet. Kamala excused herself to her room and collapsed face first on her bed. She shoved her face deep into her pillow so she wouldn't scream. 

". . . Okay." Kamala said as she lifted her head, still lying on her belly in bed. "Okay. People know Ms. Marvel got a power boost, but they don't know why. It's fine. Reed and Tony will figure out how to get this thing off my hand and everything will go back to normal." She paused. ". . . Well, what counts for normal around here." 

Kamala thought about what she would do next, when she heard a tapping at her window. Then another. On the third, she looked over and saw a finger off to the side tapping on it from the outside. Considering she was on the second floor, that was enough to get her attention. 

"Loki, I swear if this is you again I am going to shave you." Kamala walked over, opened the window, and poked her head outside. It was, in fact, not Loki, but rather Miles. He was sticking to the side of her house, and like Kamala he was in street clothes. 

"Hi." 

"What are you doing?!" Kamala hissed. "Get in here before someone sees!" She grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged him into her room. The two teenage heroes stepped lightly and spoke quietly, just in case. 

"Sorry, sorry." Miles raised his hands apologetically. "I just wanted to see if you're okay. You're clearly going through a lot, and I was worried about you being alone." 

". . . Thanks." Kamala admitted. She sat down on her bed with a huff, Miles sat next to her. "I mean it. It's just . . . My life was crazy before. Now it's completely nuts. Before I could at least joke around and have fun sometimes, but now?" She curled in on herself. "Now with all this power, I feel like any choice I might make could have horrible fallout. Before I could take a break, but now. . ." 

". . . You know I once wrote a fanfic shipping our hero identities together?" 

Kamala nearly choked on her own tongue. "Y-You what?!" 

Miles grinned. "I threw in Nova too. Gave you a full harem!" 

Kamala gasped as a smile slowly morphed onto her face. "Oh my God . . . I've read that one! You made me into a total dom!" Kamala laughed. 

Miles laughed too. "In my defense, I'd gotten my arm broken beforehand and was on the good painkillers when I wrote it!"

The two teenagers laughed helplessly on the bed for what felt like hours, occasionally remembering parts of the fic that made them howl even more. 

Finally, Kamala caught her breath, wiped the tears from her eyes, and gave Miles a hug. "Thanks. I really needed that." 

Miles hugged her back. "Anytime." 

"Now get going before my parents find you and make us both 110% dead." 

"I'm gone." And Miles leapt out the window. 

The Hood looked at the assembled crew. It was a better turnout than he had dared hoped. 

Some true heavy hitters were in the crowd. Electro. Graviton. Nitro. Blizzard. The U-Foes. Among many others. 

The most surprising addition was one Arthur Blackwood. Dressed up like some classic knight he went by the handle "The Crusader." Parker had never heard of him, but according to Whitney the man was strong enough to trade blows with Thor. Parker could always use another heavy hitter. His personality, though . . . 

"The heathen girl has stolen the power of God Almighty!" Blackwood roared, spittle flying from his lips. "I have faced far too many false gods to let the follower of a false prophet stand in the way of my holy mission! Send me to the front lines, and I shall cut her down and any who stands with her!" 

Honestly the man had so many red flags it wasn't even funny, but if he was going to pull this off Parker needed allies and/or meat shields. 

"I'll give you credit, boy. Your word still holds some weight." Said Count Nefaria, dress in his black and white bodysuit, crimson and gold cape following around him like water. 

Parker resisted the urge to scowl at him. At one point this man almost became his father-in-law. Clearly, he dodged a bullet. "You can always trust in crooks to come when you offer them the score of the century." 

The ionic superman hummed. "True. Let us hope this goes better than the last time you sought ultimate power." Neferia turned on his heels and walked away. Parker would have shot him if he thought it would do anything. 

"My father means to betray you." Whitney, better known to the world as Madame Masque, said as she gently brushed against his arm. 

Parker gave her a smirk as he stared into those eyes behind the golden mask. "Half of the men here want to betray me. I promised to make them kings, but there can only be one god." 

Whitney nodded. "Then we will just have to make sure it is you." 

Parker looked at her before turning his eyes to the Jersey skyline. Kamala Khan. The name and face burned in his head, a gift from his new patron. He dared not say it aloud, lest the others get ideas. 

Kill a kid. Become God. Not a bad deal. 

Chapter Text

The moon was full as Deadpool skipped through the field, the light of night illuminating his path. With a hum on his lips and a chuckle in his heart, the Merc with the Mouth placed flower after flower into his straw basket. 

"And this one is a Thanos! And this one is a Thanos! And this one is totally a Thanos! Look how ugly it is!" 

After what happened, and once he finally stopped laughing, Deadpool had took it upon himself to collect the scattered pieces of the Mad Titan. Ever since he stole the Titan's girl, he and Thanos never got on. Wade would be remiss if he did not collect all the pieces, so he could point and laugh at them. 

"And this one is a - oh balls!" A gust of wind blew one of the flowers out of Wade's hand, sending it fluttering across the field. He followed it, trying to snatch it out of the air and missing. Finally, the flower landed in the waiting, open palm of the most beautiful creature Wade knew. 

"Oh hey babe! Fancy seeing you here!" 

Death approached Wade, dressed in her customary black cloak. She gently placed the Thanos flower with the rest and leaned in to share a chaste kiss with her beloved. 

"Love you too sugerlips! What brings you to my neighborhood?" 

Death placed a single skeletal hand upon Wade's should, and eyes filled with the void itself stared deep into him. 

". . . Ah. The kid's gonna have it rough, huh?" Deadpool sighed, losing some of his normal enthusiasm. "Well, it was only a matter of time before the Plot Train ran into her. Anything I can do to help?" 

Death shook her head back and forth. A somber movement that could chill the heart of a burning star. Events were already in motion, and it was time for the Testing to begin. 

Wade gave her a nod of understanding. "Got it. Let me know when the screaming stops." 

Aaron and the Captain walked down the streets of Downtown, just a few blocks from the Khan residence. While they look normal enough from a distance, any closer and they would raise suspicion.

"So just because I am a robot and do not need to sleep the fleshy ones put me on night patrol." Aaron groaned as he kicked a rock to the other side of the street. "This is a clear case of discrimination. I should-!" 

"I think we have a problem." 

"Now what?" Aaron glanced at the Captain, who was looking up into the sky. 

"You know how my generic set of superhero abilities includes a broader scale of vision? There's something coming our way. A lot of something. I think it's-!" His eyes widen. "Call Monica. Call Monica NOW-!" 

That was all he got out before the ground around him exploded. 

State 51 was once a flying terror factory. Now it was Nextwave's flying headquarters. Hovering high above Jersey, the city-sized ship refracted 70% of the light that touched it, making it functionally invisible to those on the ground. Since falling into the hands of one Monica Rambeau, the air station has had to make do with a skeleton crew. This was the most activity it had seen in years. 

"I'm surprised to see you show up Ben." Said Monica, also known as Captain Marvel, Photon, or Spectrum, depending on who you asked. Her guest had far fewer names to remember. They were shorter, too. 

Ben Grimm took a sip from his oversized mug as he sat in his reinforced chair. Thankfully, State 51 was built to house all sorts of superhuman body types. The Thing smiled a orange, rocky smile. 

"Well, Reed's busy with Tony, Sue's busy with the kids, and Johnny's Johnny. I'm available and want to help. I figured punching any bad guys who might want to start something is the best way I could do that."

"Well, I'm not about to turn away a hitter as heavy as you. Let me just-!" Before the former Avengers leader could finish her sentence, dozens of alarms blared across the ship. Some rang, some honked, some howled, and at least one squeaked. 

Ben stood up out of his chair. "I'm guessing that ain't good." 

"Monica!" Shouted Tabby, the mutant kleptomaniac formerly known as Boom-Boom. "Something's exploding in Jersey! And it's not because of me!" 

"What are the odds this has nothing to do with someone wanting Ms. Marvel's new god glove?" Nova asked as the Champions ran down the street to the sight of the explosion. 

"Remarkably low." Answered Viv, flying next to him.  

"I know. I was joking." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Children!" Hulk grinned as the team rounded the street corner. "We have possible bad guys to punch! Can we . . . focus . . ." Amadeus trailed off as he, Nova, Viv, and Spider-Man all came to a halt. 

The street in front of them was filled with villains. Dozens of them. They were falling from the sky or milling about on the street. A couple of them turned to look at the teenage heroes. One of them, Mr. Hyde, smiled. "Well what do we-!" Then there was a twipp sound and his face was covered in webbing. 

"SCATTER!" Miles shouted, dodging to the left moments before a laser blast struck right where he had been standing, melting the pavement. Viv and Nova took to the air, with several flying villains chasing after them. Hulk roared and charged the line, bowling over a handful of their foes before colliding with the member of the U-Foes known as Ironclad. The shockwave of their collision shattered nearby windows and nearly knocked Miles off his feet. The younger Spider-Man kept his footing enough to avoid a lightning bolt from an approaching Electro. The glare of the blast nearly blinded him. 

"You're not the spider I know and loath!" The green and yellow crook grinned. "But I'm not picky!" He readied another lightning bolt, only to be speared in the gut by a flying man in an overcoat. A few feet away, Miles saw the Machine Man jump out of a third floor of a building into a mob of villains, his hands transformed into chainsaws as he screamed "DEATH TO FLESHY ONES!" High above, more figures were descending, and Miles prayed to God that those were heroes. 

This is crazy! Kamala, where are you?! 

Kamala woke with a start. Outside her window, she could see smoke rising from the distance. 

"Oh no." There had been an attack or an accident or something! Kamala threw off her blanket and found herself changed out of her pajamas and into her Ms. Marvel costume. She needed to go and help and-! 

"Hold it." 

Kamala froze as a dark, deep voice rang throughout her room. Somehow, she could tell it was coming from downstairs. From inside her house. 

"Come here or they die." 

Kamala felt a pit form in her stomach as she swallowed a lump in her throat. No. She slowly opened the door and began to make her way downstairs. She could hear little Malik crying. Please, no.

Finally reaching the bottom of the stairs, Kamala entered the living room and found her family, bound and gagged and sitting on the couch as a woman in a metal mask pointing a machine gun at them. Only Malik was free, and he was in the arms of a man in a red hood with glowing red eyes. 

The man grinned at her. "Kamala Khan." It was the same voice from before, but the dark power within it was missing. On the couch her family stared at her and made muffled noises. "You have something that belongs to me." A handgun was gently pressed against Malik's head. "Give it to me. Now."

Chapter Text

Ever since she became Ms. Marvel, Kamala had worried about someone discovering her secret identity and going after her family. It happened once with Kamran, that Inhuman creeper, but thankfully he was stopped and his memory of her identity erased. It also happened with Doc. X, but that evil computer virus ended up erased. However, neither of them had ever pointed a gun at her baby nephew's head. 

"Please." Kamala said, trying to make herself as non-threating as possible. She had to swallow as massive lump in her throat so she could talk again. "You don't have to do this." 

The Hood nodded, holding the crying and squirming Malik in his arm. "You're right. I don't. But I will. Unless you give me the Stones." 

"I-I can't!" Kamala exclaimed, panicking. "They won't come off my arm!" 

"I think she is telling the truth." The woman in the metal mask said. She still held a gun to Kamala's family on the couch but lowered it ever so slightly. 

The Hood frowned, his eyes glowing with hellish light. "Well, that's too bad." He clicked the hammer back on his gun and aimed right at Malik's tiny head. On the couch, Aamir and Tyesha screamed out from behind their gags. 

"NO, DON'T!" Kamala reached out with her hand in desperation and - 

- Malik was suddenly in her gloveless arm, cradled up against her chest and gurgling happily. 

Kamala blinked. The Hood blinked. Everyone blinked. 

". . . Oh right. Infinity Stones." Kamala looked at her glove. "I forgot." 

Not willing to risk another moment's pause, the Hood and his girlfriend aimed their guns at the Khans. They moved fast, but Kamala just had to think. One thought, and all the guns in the house turned to dust. Another thought and the ropes binding the Khan's in place untied themselves. 

The Hood turned on his heels. "You little bi-!" That was all he could get out before a fist the size of a shopping cart came hurtling towards his face. 

New powers or no, Kamala's go-to solution for dealing with bad guys was, and shall remain, "punch them really, really hard." 

Minutes ago. 

Monica converted into her light form, dodging out of the way off Blizzard's icicle buckshot and hitting him with a quick burst of microwaves. The ice-themed villain screamed like a little girl before doubling over in pain, passing out on the sidewalk face down and with his butt pointing up into the air. Monica may have hit him a bit harder than she would normally, but he was a terrorist and multiple murder, and she was in a bad mood so screw it.  

Behind the light powered heroine, a trio of c-listers tried to rush her. Big Wheel. Stilt-Man. The Gladiator (The shop-class enthusiast, not the alien emperor). Honestly, Monica could have handled them with both arms and a leg tied behind her back, but she didn't have to. 

"Hey guys!" Ben Grimm ran up to the three. "Guess what time it is?!" With a single swing of his arm, he knocked the villains backwards, sending them flying into a nearby dumpster. Ben grinned. "Ya guessed right!" 

"Nice shot!" Monica shouted at the Thing as he gave her a thumbs up. "Keep it up I need to take stock!" She converted her mass into protons, and the next instant she was four hundred feet up in the air. Looking down, what she saw did not fill her with confidence. Jersey was quickly becoming a warzone. More and more villains were showing up. Most of them were, thankfully, small timers, but Monica spotted a few heavy hitters. 

The ex-Avengers leader frowned. Someone must have known what that glove on Ms. Marvel was, and then blabbed it to the greater supervillain community. But why? It's not like they can share it. Only one person could . . . 

A distraction, she realized with mounting horror. This massive attack was a distraction! 

Right before she zap herself towards the Khan's, Monica felt herself become heavy. Very heavy. Gravity, usually something entirely optional for her, reasserted itself in a big way. She felt herself being dragged downwards, hitting the ground like a falling star. Thankfully she had the reflexes to convert into energy before impact. Otherwise instead of groaning in her new hole in the ground, Monica would be superhero soup right now, spilled all over the pavement. 

"You survived. How annoying." 

Lifting her head to look up out of her pit, Monica recognized the man staring down at her. He was a tall, muscular man, wearing a white cloak. He had long, straight black hair, and a matching beard. 

Monica converted into a mass of electrons and shot out of the pit. "Graviton." She said when she was above him. "Scrapped together enough sanity to finally leave the house, I see." 

The master of one of the four fundamental forces frowned. "Your insults mean nothing. Soon, I will take my rightful place as the most powerful being in creation. Then, all who mocked me will pay." 

"That's one hell of a long list!" Monica spat as she readied a solar flare to the face, but both cosmically powered individuals were distracted by a multicolored explosion off in the distance. 

. . . Huh. Monica thought to herself. Why do I get the feeling someone just got utterly curb stomped? 

Aaron detected the eruption of omnipotent energy 0.792 miles away. But he was a bit too busy at the moment to act on it. 

"I'm going to turn you into scrap metal to piece of - IIRRRK!" The villain known as the Trapster might have said more, but Aaron had kicked him right in the reproductive organs. That tended to cut most forms of conversation short. 

"I do believe I just improved the fleshy ones' genetic pool." Aaron said as he backhanded the now impotent villain across the street. 

"One of these days you are going to quit it with this fleshy ones bollocks, luv." Elsa Bloodstone said atop the roof of a car as she sniped the Griffin out of the sky with one of her dragon breath rounds. 

"Never." 

"Please tell me you guys aren't killing." Said Spider-Man as he webbed Mr. Fear and the Corruptor together, making sure not to touch the latter. 

If Aaron had fleshy eyes, he would have rolled them. "Relax, younger Spider-Man. They will live." Of course, the teenager never said anything about maiming, but as far as Aaron was concerned that was his fault. 

Regardless, Spider-Man seemed to accept Aaron's statement at face value. "Alright then. Hulk, you done?" 

The more intelligent Jade Giant walked over, dusting himself off with a smile on his face. Behind him, the U-Foes laid on top of each other in a moaning pile. "Dude, that was awesome. I feel like I could take on the world right now!" 

"Cool, but I'd settle for taking out the next few villains." The Spider thumbed the area behind him. "That blast came from Ms. Marvel's house. And while I'm certain she was the giver, not the receiver, we should-" 

"You'll do nothing, servants of a false god!" 

From down the street walked . . . a knight. As in, an actual medieval knight. With chainmail and a sword and a cape and everything. 

Aaron grinned. "Elsa, it seems one of your countrymen took a wrong turn." 

"Don't you be pinning this loony on me." 

The man continued to march towards them. "I am Sir Arthur Blackwood. Men call me the Crusader. I am a warrior of God! And I am here to slay the heathen girl who would dare steal His power!" 

The Hulk frowned as he walked over to meet the clear madman. "Alright, see, if you were just some wacko who was really into Game of Thrones, I could let that go. But you just threaten to kill my friend. I tend to take that personally!" 

"Hulk, wait!" Spider-Man shouted. "My Spider sense-!" 

Too late. Hulk threw a punch right at the Crusader . . . who then caught it with one hand. Blackwood then twisted, and Hulk screamed as the sound of oversized bones snapped. Blackwood then threw his defeated foe into a nearby build like a sack of garbage. Concrete shattered upon impact. 

"HULK!!" Spider-Man ran off to help his friend as the Crusader continued his approach towards Aaron and Elsa, sword drawn. The Machine Man needed a moment to process what he just saw, and even Elsa momentarily lessen the grip on her gun in shock. 

"Call for back-up." The monster huntress said. Aaron shook his head. The rest of the team was already in battle. 

Blackwood sneered as he got ever closer. "Surrender and beg for salvation. God is with me!" 

Aaron felt a smile form on his face. "God? God is for fleshy ones. I am a robot." His right arm then opened up, revealing a napalm cannon. The next moment, Blackwood and the street around him were engulfed in flames. 

"PRAY TO YOUR FLESH GOD! PRAY!" Aaron shouted as he emptied the cannon with a monstrous roar. The flames burned so hot that the street melted. Nine times out of ten, this would be more than enough. Only the highest levels of superhumanity could survive such an attack unscathed. 

Unfortunately, this seemed to be a club that the Crusader was a member of. 

Blackwood walked out of the fires like something out of a little kid's nightmare. The flames clung to him but did not burn. Even his cape was unharmed. 

"The fires of Hell cannot touch the righteous!" He raised his sword high. It seemed to glow red in the burning light. "But you shall know not but the flames of damnation!"

Tony Stark woke up with a start as the alarm went off in his mansion. He hit the snooze button repeatedly, but it wouldn't stop. Strange. If it wasn't his bed alarm, then what- 

The instant he remembered, he fell out of bed, put some pants on, and turned on his TV. 

Reports were coming in of a mass supervillain attack in Jersey.  

They didn't say which house they were trying to go to, but Tony knew. 

Tony hit the button so hard he almost broke the damn thing. "Avengers Assemble go go go now now NOW-!" 

Chapter Text

From his unseen base on the moon, Uatu observed the events taking place in Jersey City. The fact that he was watching was nothing new; it was both his duty and his penance to do so. What was new, however, was that he did not do so alone. 

"She is unsure of herself and her power." The ancient being on Uatu's right observed. The lone survivor of a previous universe, Galactus understood better than most what it was like to be unexpectedly granted godhood, and the struggles that came with it. 

Uatu turned slightly to look at the Devourer with mortal sight. While they were not friends, for no one could truly call Galactus as "friend," they were not enemies, either. "She is young." The Watcher defended. "She has not had the eons we had to master her power. She will learn." 

Galactus stood still as a statue, arms crossed. He did not feel the need to dignify that with any sort of response. Instead, he said "I am surprised that you have not yet broken your oath to interact with our newly crowned princess. Is that not what you do on this planet?" 

Uatu smirked. Galactus still held a slight grudge over that day with the Four and the Ultimate Nullifier. Not enough to actually do anything about it, granted, but he would occasionally needle Uatu over it. "Such action is not required. Besides, she needs to be tested for what comes next. Defeating some of the worst her homeworld has to offer will give her some extra legitimacy in the eyes of the others." 

Galactus scoffed. The flare of power caused by it would have reduced most mortals to a fine paste. "Short of chopping off her own arm and handing it over to him on her knees, there is nothing the child can do that will make Eternity approve of her. He did not bow to the Titan. He did not bow to the Warlock. He believes the Infinity belongs to him by right." 

Uatu hummed. "Well, he is the personification of the Universe. It makes sense for him to be rather self-centered. I'd imagine it would be rather hard to learn how to share power when you are literally everything." He paused, wincing slightly as he watched Parker Robbins take an omnipotent fist to the face. He was lucky that Khan did not wish to kill; otherwise his very soul would have been destroyed by that blow. "When will the gathering take place?" 

"By the method of how the Earthlings measure time? A week at most." 

If Uatu had eyebrows, he would have raised one. "That's a bit slow, is it not?" When Thanos first assembled the Gauntlet, Eternity had called a meeting of the Highest Powers almost immediately.

Now it was Galactus's turn to smirk. "The Tribunal has not yet decided to hear the case, despite Eternity's demands. What's more, many of the others are fearful of confronting the Bearer of Infinity without the Tribunal's backing. It has not gone well for them in the past." 

Fear did not stop all of them. The Watcher thought bitterly. He did not need omniscience to know who had become Robbin's new patron. He wondered what that snake got from throwing disposable pawns at Khan. 

"Galan." Uatu spoke, using the Devourer's mortal name. "If it does come down to a vote, which way would you go?" 

" . . . Eternity and myself are similar in several ways." Galactus admitted. "We are both slow to forgive slights, both real or imagined. And neither of us enjoy being lorded over by another. For the first time in some time, I am . . . undecided in my course of action."

Uatu nodded. It was better than him being totally against her, at least. Uatu had . . . cheated slightly when Khan gained the Gauntlet. He could tell that this was not the most likely path time could have taken, so he peeked behind the curtain slightly and saw what would have happened if Khan had not gained the Gauntlet.

He preferred this timeline greatly. 

"Galan, if the Tribunal decides in her favor?" 

"I will honor it." He looked at the Watcher with eyes that could drain the heat from a star. "That is twice now that you have called me by that name."

Uatu shrugged and smiled. "I mean no offence. I just like to think of you as your mortal self sometimes. I feel it helps to humanize you." 

"Humanize." Galactus scoffed again. "You have been watching the Earthlings for too long. You have picked up some bad habits." 

Chapter Text

"Come into my home! Threaten my family!" Muneeba Khan growled as she kicked Madame Masque in the ribs and stomach over and over again. The masked supervillain was tied up on the floor of the Khan household, unable to defend herself. Considering she just helped her boyfriend threaten the life of a baby, no one felt sorry for her.  

Speaking of little Malik, Kamala passed him off to the waiting arms of Tyesha. The young mother gently rocked her son back and forth, earning soft giggles from the youngest of the Khans. "There, there my sweet baby boy. It's all alright now." Tyesha said, more to calm herself than Malik, who gurgled happily. 

Back with the family matriarch and her new kickball, Yusuf placed a hand on his wife shoulder mid kick. "My love, please stop. I think you got her." 

"Don't tell me to stop Yusuf! I know you are just as mad as I am!" 

Mister Khan didn't bother to deny it. "Oh, trust me. If she wasn't a woman, she'd have tasted my fist by now. But I fear we have bigger concerns at the moment." 

"For once Father I agree." Aamir stood next to his wife and son as he nod his head. "Starting with: Kamala is Ms. Marvel?!" 

Kamala stood in the middle of their now ruined living room, fully dressed in her costume. She nervously scratched the back of her head with her gloved hand. "Ah ha! Ah ha! Yeaaaah . . .  Funny thing! A few days ago, that would have been the big news!" 

As if to prove her point, a part of the ruined wall collapsed to the ground, drawing the family's attention to the new, massive hole in their house. They could see the Hood's body lie across the street in the trash, his face a smoking ruin where Kamala struck him. 

". . . Right. I can fix that!" A single wave of her hand, and all the damage to their home was gone, like it never even happened. Even the couch cushions were as good as new. "Oh! And probably a good idea to put some protection over the place." With that whim of Kamala's, an invisible field materialized over the house. Now both it and the people within would be safe from all harm. Kamala briefly marveled at how easy that was; the more she used the Stones, the easier it got. 

She'd be lying if she didn't admit that both excited and frightened her.

Yusuf raised a bushy eyebrow. ". . . Alright, ignoring that for now. Kamala, why didn't you tell us? You must have been doing this for how long now? Two years? Three?" 

Kamala flinched. "Mo-more like three. I know I should have told you guys, but I was worried about people finding out and attacking you!" 

Aamir glanced down at their unwelcomed guest. "Well . . . you're not wrong." 

Yusuf pinched the bridge of his nose. "I understand that, but that doesn't change the fact that you have been lying to us! None of us knew!" 

"I did." Said Muneeba. 

"You did?!" Exclaimed Yusuf. 

"YOU DID?!" Screeched Kamala. 

Muneeba just smiled at her daughter. "Beta, I know you. You didn't think I'd noticed you sneaking out? It didn't take me very long to put two and two together." 

"My love, why didn't you tell me?" 

Muneeba looked at her husband. "I would have if she was doing something actually wrong. But Kamala was breaking our rules only to help others. She deserved her secret and our trust." 

"This so isn't how I'd expected this to go." Kamala stumbled backwards slightly. "I-I should check that there is no one else trying to-" That simple thought activate the next aspect of Kamala's new powers. So far, she had only been using her omnipotence. 

Now, for the first time, Kamala tapped into her omniscience. 

It was . . . imperfect. A beginner's first effort. Rather than seeing everything, she only saw what she wanted to see. 

She saw the streets of Jersey under siege. Heroes being overwhelmed by villains. 

She saw the Avengers in transit. They would not arrive in time. People would start dying. 

She saw the Champions. Her teammates. Her friends. Hulk was on the ground, his arm broken. Miles, Viv, and Nova were around him, trying to protect him, but they were horribly outnumbered. 

She saw, that in the next thirty seconds, Miles would be the first one to die. 

Kamala vanished before anyone could say another word. 

Nova got knocked out of the sky by a lucky shot from the Shocker. The space-themed teen landed hard on his back, and Miles feared that he had broken it. Off to the side, Viv stumbled to one knee. She had won her fight against the Lizard, but the nearly feral villain had bitten a chunk out of her robotic face; Miles could see the wires underneath. That just left Miles himself to protect Hulk. 

"Get out of here man." The gamma powered teenage growled through his pain. His arm was healing too slow; something about the Crusader's powers. Miles shook his head, half his face exposed through the torn mask. A dozen villains were approaching them; Shocker, Electro, the Blood Brothers, the Grey Gargoyle, and, of all people, Paste Pot Pete. 

Miles really hoped that last one wouldn't be the one to kill him. 

Despite the outcry from his aching muscles, the young Spider-Man dropped into a ready stance. "Alright . . . who's on first?" 

The villains lunged. 

The world exploded. 

When Miles could see again, all his pain was gone. The same could be said for Hulk, Nova, and Viv. Each of them was standing, whole, healthy, and slightly confused. And a few feet in front of them, standing in a rainbow aura of light was - 

"Kamala." 

Miles was breathless when he looked at her. She stood before him; the villains laid out at her feet. Kamala had been Miles's friend for a while now. Maybe even his best friend. And yes, he mostly wrote that shipping fic as a joke. 

But now, with her standing there, crowned in light, Miles knew he was looking at the most beautiful girl in the universe. 

Kamala smiled. "Don't worry. I got this." 

The moment Kamala appeared the fighting stopped.

As she slowly walked into the street, many of the villains scrambled to get out of the way. Most of them gave frighten glances towards the Gauntlet stuck on her arm. They had come to steal it of course, but now that it and her were before them they were having second thoughts. 

With at least one notable exception. 

Count Nefaria stood atop the Thing, one foot driving Mr. Grimm's head into the pavement. As a lifetime Avengers fangirl Kamala of course knew about their enemies. Nefaria was one of their worst. A super-rich Bond-style bad guy, the man had been a danger to the entire world back when he was just a normal man. Then he got powers that put him in the same weight class as guys like Thor and Hyperion. Super strength. Invulnerability. Flight. Energy manipulation. Immortality. Among many others. A few days ago, Kamala would have been terrified of him. 

Now though, when she looked at his stupid cape and his stupid moustache and his stupid smug face, all she felt was contempt. 

He had tried to kill her friends. He had attacked her home. 

Nefaria laughed at her, spreading his arms out like that made him look more impressive. "So! The little godling finally arrives! Of course, you are not worthy of such power, are you?" 

". . ." 

". . . Regardless, I am the most powerful human being in the universe! The greatest of our species! A man of might and mind! If there is anyone here worthy of divinity, it is me! Those who follow me will be rewarded! Those who resist me will be punished!" 

". . ." 

Nefaria's eye twitched. ". . . Well?!" Say something, you wretch!" 

Under his foot, Ben Grimm began to laugh. It was a rumbling sound, like an avalanche. " Aha ha . . . you dumbass. You have no idea how much trouble you're in, do you? Too used to being a big fish in a tiny pond." 

Nefaria glared down at the Thing. He raised a foot to stomp down on Ben's head. To shatter it-! 

The next moment Nefaria went flying backwards, his so-called invulnerable cheekbones shattering from Ms. Marvel's fist. 

That was the starting pistol for every other villain in Jersey to attack. 

Kamala felt herself being lifted into the air and held in place, two hundred feet above the ground. As Graviton kept her there, the Living Lasor flew around and around her, blasting her repeatedly until a mirror materialized in front of one of them. The blast refracted and struck Graviton right in the face, knocking him out. Both him and Kamala began to fall as gravity asserted itself. 

Until Kamala decided that it shouldn't for her. 

Kamala stood on air, causing Lasor to pause in surprise. That was all Kamala needed to punch him in the face, sending him hurtling to the ground. Kamala descended as well, but hers was a lot more controlled. She landed in a large mass of villains, the shockwave sending them flying. Some she recognized, but many she didn't. After knocking dozens of villains out with a single shot, many that remain decided to exercise the better part of valor. As the pack fled, Nitro pushed past them, glowing with power. 

"You're not Captain Marvel!" He chackled. "But you'll do!" Nitro reached critical mass and erupted in a massive explosion. 

Thankfully there was nothing to destroy on Mars. Which is where Kamala sent him at the last minute. 

Kamala huffed and panted, not from tiredness, but from adrenaline. So much power. She never thought she'd have anything like this before. Her thoughts were flowing from one to the other too quickly. She had to calm down, had to pause- 

"URRK!" 

Kamala felt a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down. 

Her eyes widen and her whole body trembled. 

A sword was sticking out of her chest.

"Fall deceiver! Fall, and know that wrath of a servant of the One True God!" 

The voice behind her was saying more things, but Kamala didn't hear it. Her screaming drowned everything out. 

Chapter Text

"T-minus two minutes." 

Carol Danvers paced back and forth, up and down the Quinjet's limited walk space. The Avenger's had come out in force as soon as they got the alert. Tony had them all ready to go in record time and was flying the ship himself. This team of theirs was possibly the single strongest line-up the Avengers ever had. Starbrand, Phoenix, Thor. There was basically no force they couldn't face. 

And all of that meant exactly squat if they didn't get there in time.

"Hey." Steve placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Carol looked him in the eye; he was as calm and steady as ever. The glue that held the team together. "She's going to be okay." 

Carol bit her lip. She knew Steve would never lie to her, but that doesn't mean he couldn't be wrong. "I should have been there. I should have watched over her myself." 

"You would have drawn too much attention. You made what you thought was the right call. Sometimes that is all we can do." 

"Uh guys?" Tony's armored voice rang out again. "Picking up some major readings and - HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!"

Suddenly, a bright, multicolored light erupted over the horizon. It engulfed everything in its path. Including the Quinjet. 

Steve placed himself in front of Carol. He raised the shield up, in an effort to stop the tidal wave of energy. It didn't even slow it down.

Kamala continued to scream, even though she couldn't hear her own voice. The pain filled her entire world, her entire universe. This much pain; she knew it had to kill her, yet it did not. It dragged on and on with no end in sight. 

"SOMEONE! ANYONE! PLEASE! HELP ME!" 

And then Kamala didn't feel the pain anymore. 

She looked down and touched her chest in a panic. The sword wound was gone, which was good news. Less good was that she was translucent and was floating in a multicolored field of light. 

"Wha?" She slowly turned around. She saw buildings and pieces of buildings, hanging frozen in the air. She saw people trying to run, frozen mid step.

And she saw herself, frozen mid scream, light radiating off her body. The sword was poking out of her chest, and behind her was a man in armor, or rather it used to be a man. The light was burning him away; Kamala could see the burnt flesh and the melted steel. Somehow, he still managed to hold onto the blade's handle after he stuck it in her. 

"Oh my God. Oh my God I'm DEAD!!!"

"No, you're not. Far from it." 

Turning around again, Kamala saw a man floating next to her; her-her, not stabbed her. He was also translucent and wore weird clothes. Still, Kamala knew him; after all he had the second most famous moustache after Mr. Stark.

"Doctor Strange!" She cried in relief. "I get it now! This is my astral self! You pulled me out of my body to help me!"

Strange scratched the back of his astral head. "Ah, no, sorry. I was in another plane of existence. You're the one who called me here." 

Kamala blinked. "But how, I - the Gauntlet." She smacked herself in the face. "Duh. I was hurt and crying out for help. Who better to help me than a doctor?" 

Strange chuckled. "The subconscious is funny like that. I won't ask how you got the Stones because that's not nearly our main concern right now." He floated over to her physical body. "Ah, I see the problem: you have a sword in your chest." 

"How much are your rates again?" 

Strange chuckled some more, before glaring at the man holding the sword. "Ah. Arthur Blackwood. A delusional, religious extremist who believes his power comes from God. In truth, it comes from his spell-forged sword. Break it, and he becomes a normal, if mentally ill, man." 

"Good to know. What's going to happen to me, Doctor?" 

Strange scratched his chin. "Well, right now time is stopped. I'm guessing you did that on instinct to preserve your life. Astral bodies are unaffected by the flow of time, hence our conversation. However." He paused. "It seems that in your . . . death-wail, you unleashed a massive amount of energy. Once time starts again, that energy expands, wiping out the Earth, along with a good portion of the galaxy." 

Kamala felt her blood go cold. This . . . she couldn't let that happen! "How do I stop it?" 

Strange smiled at her. "That's easy. Make sure you never got stabbed." 

Kamala was about to ask what the heck he was going on about before she blinked and got it. She smacked herself again for being stupid. "In my defense I'm new at this." 

Reaching out with the Time Stone specifically, Kamala felt herself falling back and - 

Kamala landed on the ground with an earthshaking impact. The villains that were still standing fled from her. She paid them no mind. Turning around lightning quick, she reached out with her hand and- 

"GOT YOU!" 

-grabbed the Crusader's sword, shattering it into a thousand pieces with a single squeeze. Blackwood stumbled backwards, face paling as he stared at his broken stump of a weapon. 

"No no no oh God why have you forsaken me why" He continued to mumble as he fell to the floor and curled up in a ball on the ground. This doesn't feel like a win. Despite what he did, Kamala couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The man clearly needed professional help. 

Or maybe, cosmic help?

Kamala kneeled down next to him, causing Blackwood to flinch deeper into his ball. 

"no no please" 

"Shhhhh." Kamala tried to be as calm and soothing as possible. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." She slowly reached out, touching his head with her hand. The Mind Stone glowed softly. 

Kamala frowned. It was a mess in Blackwood's head. Mental illness, abuse, neglect. He should had gotten help years ago, but no one gave it to him. Maybe this can help. She did as much as she dared to, fixing up the worst of it without altering his mind. By the time she was done, Blackwood drifted off into a peaceful sleep. The first in a long while. 

Now for the rest. With a thought, Kamala once more fixed Jersey. The villains were all chained up and waiting to be locked away. The Hood in particular was wearing an uncomfortable muzzle. Hey, she could be petty too. 

"Hey, fleshy godling!" Kamala blinked and turned to see the currently armless and legless Machine Man. He was being held up by two of his teammates. "You missed a spot." 

"Sorry, sorry!" Kamala snapped her finger, and the Machine Man was whole once more. He checked his arms and legs and gave her a small nod of approval.  Guess that's as close to a thank you as I'm going to get.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!!" Kamala gave out a quick "eep!" as Hulk, now with two working arms, ran over and picked her up in a massive, but gentle, hug. "YOU JUST SHOWED UP AND CLEANED HOUSE!" 

"It was quite impressive." Viv said, floating next to them. Kamala squirmed a bit in Hulk's arms. Nova and the big green guy were going on about how nuts the past few minutes were, Viv was silently listening, and Miles- 

Kamala blinked. Was it just her or was Miles staring at her in a way he hadn't before? 

"So." The Champions paused as a painfully familiar robotic voice rang out above their heads. "Someone had a party and didn't invite us?" Above them, Iron Man, Thor, Captain Marvel and the rest of the Avengers descended, landing just of few feet away. Their arrival seemed to shake Miles out of whatever spell he was in.

"Hey Mr. Stark! You know, fashionably late only goes so far." 

Tony shrugged, which looked rather strange in his metal suit. "Didn't expect it to be over so soon. Don't worry though; guess who got tickets to the afterparty at Avengers' Tower! And yes; they are mandatory."  

Kamala could feel a headache coming on. I wonder if it's too late to get stabbed again?

Chapter Text

"I'm not sure how long I'll be stuck here . . . I mean, I don't blame them for being nervous . . . yeah, I promise to talk to everyone when I get back . . . I love you too, bye." Kamala hanged up the phone and handed it back to Captain Danvers. The Kree-Human hybrid looked at her sometimes sidekick with an amused expression, forcing Kamala to sigh and explain. "My mom said it's okay for me to stay here for a bit." Here being a room in Avenger's Tower. There weren't many safer places than the body of a Celestial. 

"I'm more surprised that you don't have a cell with you." Said Carol. 

Kamala flopped backwards in her bed. The guest rooms were surprisingly nice, with queen size beds, a stocked mini-fridge, and a TV with over two hundred channels. It reminded her more of a nicer than average motel than the hollowed-out inners of a space god that it actually was. "I do have a phone, I just left it at home." 

". . . You know you could have teleported your phone here, right?" 

Kamala blinked and opened and closed her mouth a few times. She couldn't quite decide on what to say so she just groaned. "I swear I'm not normally this dumb." She mumbled, sitting upright. 

Carol chuckled and shook her head. "It's fine, you've had a lot on your plate the past few days. Honestly you are handling it better than I did when I got my Binary powers." She crossed her arms with a smirk. "Your teammates are getting settled in their own rooms. I'll admit I was a little surprise when they all agreed to wait here with you. You have some loyal friends there." 

Kamala nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. They're the best." 

Carol then stood a bit straighter, putting on her best Mom voice. "Now then, I have to go to a meeting. Don't forget to brush your teeth, be in bed by eleven, and no wild parties!" 

Kamala shot to her feet in a saluted. "Yes Captain, my Captain!" The two of them held it for just a moment before they burst out laughing. 

It was around this time that Tony knew that he would have a complete head of white hair before he was fifty. "Explain it to me again, Stephen." He said as he pinched his nose in a vain attempt to make the headache go away. "Like I'm five." 

Sitting across the table from him, Doctor Strange had finally returned from whatever dimension he had business in. Tony had hoped that this meant things were going to get easier. If he had access to Reed's time machine, he would go back and smack his younger self for being for stupid. 

The Sorcerer Supreme had the gall to shrug. "There's not much to tell. Ms. Khan got stabbed by a powerful arcane blade, which nearly resulted in the destruction of this galaxy. Thankfully she was able to go back in time and prevent that outcome." 

Tony ran his hand through his hair. Next to him, Echo spoke up carefully. 

"How was it she was injured like that? She wields the Stones." 

"Simple; she didn't see it coming." Strange explained. "Although that is unlikely to work again. Now that Ms. Khan's on guard for such things, the Stones will protect her." 

"Which is good and bad." Jennifer said, earning a glance from a few of her teammates. "What? Everyone's thinking it, I'm just saying it. We're all concerned about her going nuts. I know for a fact that Tony, Reed and the other big brains are coming up with a plan." 

". . . It is true." T'Challa admitted, causing Tony to sink into his seat. "We are all praying it won't come to that. So far, she has used the Infinite Power incredibly responsibly. Considering how it was forced upon her without warning, I am impressed by how she has handled it." 

"Which led us to the next thing." Steve said as he pulled out some papers. Even after mastering modern tech, he still preferred to handle all his official documents with loose-leaf. "Fifty-two villains were captured on sight, and another twenty-eight were captured fleeing the scene. That makes this the single largest bust of super-criminals in US history." 

"Nefaria might get off, being a foreign national." Carol stated a bit bitterly. "But the rest? They are going away for a long time." 

"I heard the Hood hasn't woken up from his coma yet." Robbie said, kicking his feet up onto the table. "That's what you get for working with demons. And yes, I know how ironic it is me saying that."

"Keep going Steve." Tony said with all the energy of a man at the gallows. "I can taste the but coming."

"However." Steve said with a tiny smirk, because even Captain America had a sense of humor. "Everyone knows Ms. Marvel was the one responsible for this win. Which honestly wouldn't be that big of a deal; we'd just say she got a massive power upgrade and is being trained by us to use it. It wouldn't even be a lie."

Tony sighed. "Let me guess: the sticking point is what she did to the Crusader." And boy, had that bit of info spread like wildfire.

T'Challa nodded. "As soon as Mr. Blackwood awoke, he was able to speak coherently for perhaps the first time in his life. And he wasted no time telling others that it was Ms. Marvel who healed him." 

Tony leaned back in his chair, along with half off the team. The nano-second Kamala's ability to heal others went public, the rich and powerful were sending him demands to make her identity public. They weren't the only ones; plenty of average joes were calling on Ms. Marvel to show up for "healing tours." Tony couldn't help but be empathic; most of these people had loved ones that were sick or dying. 

Kamala would agree to do that. The problem is she would run herself ragged trying to help everyone. And what if the truth of her powers came out? The Infinity Stones could raise the dead. Everyone here knew it, but no one liked to talk about it due to the implications it raised. It that got out . . . 

The doors to the meeting room hissed open, and Thor half walked, half ran towards his seat. "My dearest apologies, friends!" 

Tony shook himself out of his future worries. "Hey there, Goldilocks! Not like you to be fashionably late." 

Thor sat down with a grimace. "Once the dust of battle had settled, I had to make sure my brother would not again seek to bother Lady Khan during her rest." 

Tony didn't miss the importance the King of Asgard placed on Kamala's seemingly new title. Just what does Asgard think of her?

Jen raised a single emerald eyebrow. "Why are you so worried? It's not like Loki can do anything to her."

Thor flinched at the thought. "Because, my brother will either gain her ire or gain her friendship. And I do not know which is worse."

. . . Great. New nightmares. Tony pinched his nose again. Aspirin. He need aspirin.

". . . Soooooo, you just going to keep staring at me?" 

Kamala waited for the little girl standing at the foot of her bed to respond. She was a cute little six-year-old with messy blonde hair and a cape that was just slightly too long. She wore a white onesie with a starburst simple on it. 

". . . I'm waiting to see if you're a threat to the planet." 

That had not on the list of potential answers Kamala had been expecting. "Why?"

The little tike puffed out her chest. "I'm the Starbrand. I protect the Earth from cosmic threats!" 

Kamala tilted her head. "I . . . guess that makes sense." There was something off about the girl's body. With a thought, Kamala looked deeper. 

She gasped in shock at what she saw. "Wh-What's wrong with your cells?!" They were all horribly damaged; many of them looked aged before their time. 

Starbrand blinked in shock before her surprise turned to anger. "Hey! Don't look at that without asking! That's rude!" 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! It's just - are you sick? Do you need a doctor?" 

The six-year-old lowered her head. "No, it's . . . my powers are too much for my body. Every time I use them, I age rapidly." She looked at her feet. "I'm actually one year old." 

Kamala felt like she was going to throw up. That was horrible! Someone needed to do something! 

. . . She could do something. 

Gently, lighter than a leaf, Kamala placed a hand on Starbrand's shoulder. "Can I heal you?" 

The child looked up at her so quickly she feared her neck might snap. "H-Huh?" 

"Can I heal you?" 

Starbrand's lower lip trembled. Fear, hope, and disbelief all showed on her face. She tried to talk, but no words came out. Instead, she simply nodded. 

Kamala smiled, and focused. She could see into Starband's body and soul. Instantly, she saw the problem. The power of the Starbrand came from an outside source, and it hadn't been connected right, for lack of a better term. Kamala put it together the way it was supposed to go, then fixed up the damage that remained. It all took less than an instant. 

Kamala pulled back her hand, and Starbrand blink. On instinct, she called upon the vast well of power that had been with her since the day she was born. She could instantly feel the difference. She gasped, tears welling in her eyes, and - 

"THANK YOU!" 

- hugged Kamala around the neck as tight as she could, laughing and crying all the while. 

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" 

Kamala felt herself cry too as she hugged her back. "You're okay . . . you're going to be okay for now on." 

Starbrand sniffed and wiped the snot off her nose with her sleeve. "I'm . . . My name's Selby." 

Kamala smiled and removed her mask. "Hi Selby. I'm Kamala. It's good to meet you." 

The two girls laughed and cried and hugged. They would be there for the next hour or so.

Chapter Text

Hell was not a static place. It changed and morphed according to the whims of its ruler. Sometimes it was all fire and brimstone, true enough. Other times it was a lifeless, frozen expanse, or a forest of knives, or even nothing at all; just maddening, sensory depriving darkness. Right now, the infernal landscape took the form of a soul-sucking office building. It was in fashion not too long ago for demons to dress in business suits ala the style of lawyers and the like. 

Mephisto adjusted his tie as he sat at his desk. He liked using this design when he had work to do. It helped him focus while also making millions of the souls in his collection miserable. 

"Of all the members of the Council of Red, it had to be my universe that was home to a mortal child turned Supreme Being." Mephisto leaned back in his chair. The leather had came from the hides of some of the first mortals to enter his realm. Khan's ascension had been an unwelcomed surprise. When it happened he had almost reached out for the help of his variants on the Council, but he quickly decided against it. After all, he wouldn't have helped them if they were in trouble, so why would they?

Besides, the more he thought about it, the more Mephisto realized that rather than a problem, he had been gifted an opportunity. 

A new Supreme Being? One with no experience and only the barest understanding of her powers? He would have to be a fool to pass that up. 

He had moved quickly. Robbins had been easy enough. The thug had hungered for power long before he had gained his first taste for it. Mephisto merely tossed him a few scraps and the man's ego and connections had did the rest. 

Blackwood, on the other hand, had been something of a triumph. Just thinking about him brought a smile to Mephisto's lips. The Lord of Hell always enjoyed using the worshippers of the First Enemy to do his will. Khan's healing of the man's mind irked. With a thought, six hundred and sixty-six sinners in the lower realms were forced to flay themselves. That made him feel a bit better.

Still, they did what they were meant to do. With her attention so focused on terrestrial concerns, Khan failed to notice Eternity moving against her in the cosmos. Much like Thanos and Warlock, Eternity sought to put Khan on trial before the Living Tribunal. And like with Thanos, the attempt would fail. 

Mephisto chuckled, his amusement entering into nine hundred and ninety-nine mortal cultists who decided to double their yearly amount of human sacrifices. One would think that the Personification of the Universe would know the old saying about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. 

Once the trial failed, Eternity would move against Khan on his own, alongside any cosmic fools who would agree with him. Galactus was a possibility, as were Order and Chaos. Death had been strangely silent on the matter. Mephisto would have to step carefully there. 

It didn't matter what plans they hatched. All that mattered was that they set things up for Mephisto's better plans. With a thought a mass of dark energy materialized in front of his desk. It twisted and morphed in painful ways, before finally taking on a humanoid form. The Failure stood up slowly, surprised to be brought back into his good graces. 

"Father." Blackheart said carefully. The demon clearly didn't trust his creator. Good. Mephisto would have been worried if he did. 

"My son. You have betrayed me. Plotted against me. By all rights, I should lock you away till the end of time." Mephisto smiled and spread his arms wide, like a dragon unfurling its wings. "But I am a kind, loving father. Complete this task for me, and all is forgiven." 

Mephisto then began to spread the web that would ensnare his enemies and bring him one step closer to his goal. As soon as Blackheart left, the Lord of Hell laughed long and hard. 

Once he was done, he would no longer need the Council of Red. This universe would be his. And every soul within it. 

Chapter Text

It was early afternoon the next day by the time Kamala got home. 

The Avengers had been nothing but happy that Kamala had fixed Shelby's degeneration, but they still gave the both of them a four-hour long checkup to make sure everything was okay. Kamala understood to an extent, but it was still annoying. Thankfully, her fellow Champions had been there to wait with her. Somehow during the whole thing, Amadeus and Jenn had gotten into a gamma-arm wrestling contest. Tony had to call it a draw before the two Hulks brought Avenger's Tower down on their heads. 

The tests might have gone on for even longer, but thankfully Doctor Strange had been there to be the voice of reason. "Despite the good Ms. Khan has done nothing has truly changed." He said. "Neither science nor sorcery is any closer to understanding why the Gauntlet remains immoveable."

"What do you suggest, then?" Captain Rogers had asked. 

"Send her home and keep an eye on her. The same as you have been doing so far." 

They didn't have to tell Kamala twice. "Well that's great guys I'll see you later Champions we'll talk in a bit OKAYBYE!" Before anyone could change their mind, she vanished in a flash of rainbow light, reappearing in her living room back in Jersey. She sighed as she removed her mask and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Well, glad that's . . . over . . ." 

Kamala turned slowly, her eyes locking with her parents as they sat on the couch, waiting for her. The funeral music was playing in her head, loud and proud. 

". . . I still owe you a complete explanation, don't I?" 

Her father nodded, slowly, deliberately. 

Kamala suddenly wished she had stayed in the Tower. It was safer there. 

"We have to do something!" Ajak shouted with the passion of a zealot. "Her very existence is a threat to our God!" 

Ikaris fought valiantly not to sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. He was currently in the most hallowed halls of Olympia, standing among the leaders of the Eternals. Such actions would be deeply inappropriate, no mattered how justified. 

On his throne before the others, the Prime-Eternal Zuras rested his crimson bearded chin on his fist. "Bold words, Celestian Priest. However, the Inhuman has so far done nothing to deserve such a claim." 

Ajak shook her head violently; Ikaris could hear the decorations upon her vestments rattle. "It was earned by her predecessors! The bearers of the Infinity Stones have slain Celestials before! What if she decided to slay ours out of some misguided attempt to protect mortals?!" 

"Ignoring the very real fact that the heroes of Earth have the Celestials' blessings." Next to Ikaris, Sprite snarked quietly, a grin growing on her cherub-like face. "Then again, our dear priestess has never let the facts stand in her way, huh?" 

Ikaris couldn't really be seen agreeing with someone who had just been let out of containment, even if they were one of his closest friends. As such, he merely gave a grunt. 

"I find myself agreeing with Ajak, Lord Zuras." A serpent voice rang out, and Ikaris found his good mood dead and buried. Druig, Lord of Flames and Nightmares, stepped forward. He looked about the assembly, and Ikaris could not hide the scowl on his face. Eternals were supposed to represent the ideal of humanity, both physically and mentally. So why was it that Druig both looked and acted like untrustworthy slime?

Druig spoke, and venom came dripping out of his mouth. "Our duties, at their core, boil down to preventing excess deviation and protecting the Machine, do they not?" A wave of agreements rang out through the great hall. "Well then, not only do the Infinity Stones represent the single greatest threat to the Machine we have ever faced, but a genetically altered human gaining godlike power is clearly excess deviation if I've ever seen it." 

"Hold your forked tongue snake!" Ikaris shouted; he had no patience when it came to Druig's games. "Inhumans are a recognized, stable variant of humanity! Her new abilities do not count as deviation." 

"Ikaris speaks the truth." Said Thena, dressed for war, as was her want. "If we bent the definition for deviation in such a way, where would it end? Would we exterminate the Inhumans? The Mutants? All of Super-Humanity?" 

Druig shrugged. "Would that be so bad?" 

Sprite laughed darkly. "Wow! Someone needs to grow a stupid little mustache, don't they?" 

Druig just smiled at the mocking laughter. "Would you find it so humorous if Ms. Marvel came after us? Remember; she has the Infinite Power. She can get an answer to any question just by asking it. What if she were to ask about the source of our immortality? What do you think she would do then?" 

The hall went silent. Even Ikaris could not oppose the serpent on that one. The most shameful secret of the Eternals. Several mortals knew that his people could return from death, but they did not know the cost.

Every time an Eternal came back from the dead, a random mortal on the planet died. 

And every Eternal has died at least once. 

Zuras's commanding voice rang out through the din of silence. "You speak wisely, Druig, Ajak. I will consider your words. For now, this meeting is adorned." 

Druig and Ajak bowed their heads as Eternals slowly made their way back to their duties. After a few minutes, only Ikaris and Sprite remained. 

The Eternal child looked up at him with bright green eyes. "This is bad, isn't it?" 

Ikaris nodded. 

"What are we going to do?" 

The Eternal warrior thought it over. ". . . I need to talk to some people." 

Kamala sat in her chair, bored. "It's not going to work." 

Yusuf rubbed his hands together before picking up the crowbar. "We'll see. I'll have you know I have a surprising amount of upper body strength." 

Kamala sighed. In hindsight, she should have seen this coming. Abu had been surprisingly understanding about her being Ms. Marvel; Ammi must have talked with him while she was at the Tower. He had been less understanding, however, when she had told him about the whole god-glove stuck to my arm thing.

Muneeba stood by the side, bandages ready, just in case. "Careful Yusuf. Remember your back!" 

Yusuf gave a grunt of acknowledgement as he carefully placed the tip of the bar where Kamala's arm and the lip of the Gauntlet met. He gave a quick shove and- 

There was a flash of light and the smell of ozone, and when Yusuf pulled the crowbar away it was half melted and smoking. The Gauntlet and Kamala's arm were undamaged. 

". . . Huh." The heavy-set man rubbed his chin. "I wonder if I used my power tools . . ." 

"Yusuf, no." Muneeba said firmly. "No saws or electrical devices near our daughter's arm." 

Yusuf raised his hands up defensively, not wanting to sleep on the couch. "I wasn't going to do it, my love! I was just thinking out loud!" 

Kamala sighed again. She understood now why Aamir and Tyesha took Malik out for a family day. "Thanks for trying, Abu. But I think we should leave it to the professionals." 

Muneeba nodded. "I assume then that you are going to be visiting Mr. Stark some more in the future?' 

"Every time he gets a new idea to try." Kamala stood up. "As for now, I'm going to go to my room, log into WoW, and-" She trailed off as her head snapped upwards, looking up the ceiling. Or rather, through it. 

Yusuf followed her gaze. "What is it? Another supervillain?" 

Kamala's eyes slowly widen. "Not . . . exactly . . ." 

Strange fell on his knees in the middle of his Sanctum. He struggled to take deep, ragged breaths as his arcane senses were suddenly overloaded. 

"Stephen!" His wife Clea gasped as she crawled over to him. They locked hands, sharing each other's strength. 

Strange grit his teeth. He knew this was coming. Didn't make it any less terrifying. 

Alarms rang and rang throughout Avenger's Tower. Stark jumped into his armor at the very first one. 

"What do we got?" 

"Something from outside our solar system just entered Earth orbit." T'Challa said as he worked on the super-computer. "Getting a visual, just hold . . . by the gods." 

Looking at the screen himself, Tony felt his armor lock up, and it wasn't because of a malfunction. 

"That's a . . . very apt term."

At the Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four viewed their own screen. 

"Ah, Stretch?" Ben asked. "I don't suppose you kept the Ultimate Nullifier handy?" 

Silently, Reed shook his head. 

On Krakoa, Charles Xavier was nursing the worst headache and nosebleed of his life. 

He was one of the lucky ones. Most of the mutant telepaths had simply passed out where they stood. 

For not the first time, he feared avoiding the issue of Ms. Khan had been a mistake. 

Eternity smiled, or rather gave what qualified for a smile on the living personification of the cosmos. 

The Earth. Such a small part of his greater being, yet constantly so, so important. 

Once more, it would see events that would shape the very foundations of this universe. 

He glanced back at his fellows. Master Order and Lord Chaos. Mistress Love and Sire Hate. A representative of the Celestials. Kronos. Galactus. And the greatest of them all; the Living Tribunal. 

"So, shall the trial begin?" 

Chapter Text

"On the plus side it doesn't look like they are going to be landing in our backyard." Kamala muttered as she looked up at the multicolored maelstrom that covered the sky. The winds were beating hard, and the sound of thunder rang out every minute or so. Despite that, Kamala got the impression that their guests were holding back the lion's share of their power. She motioned back to her parents. "Don't worry, they're not here for a fight." I hope. 

"Be careful, beta!" Her mother shouted out, holding onto the doorway for support. "Don't get involved with them if you don't have to!" 

There was a thought; did Kamala have to go up there? She could feel something calling out to her, requesting her presence. But it was just that: a request. She could resist it, if she so chose. 

But if I did that, what's to stop them from taking their anger out on the city? On the world? She used to be an Avenger, dang it. If she put her own safety over innocent people, then she might as well hang up her costume for good. 

With a thought, Kamala was back in her full costume. "I'm ready. You want me to come up there or-?" She blinked. One moment she was in her backyard. The next she was in a pure white room with several other strange individuals standing in a circle. She recognized Galactus instantly, although the fact he was human size was a surprise. Or was she currently a giant? Aside from him, the most normal looking person here was a pretty lady dressed in pink. Then there were the guys that were just large, floating heads. Another man that radiated hatred. A person in cosmic armor. A man who wasn't fully there. The man opposite to Kamala was made of gold, with the guy next to him looking like he was carved from the starry night sky. 

It only took Kamala a second to know who everyone was. Eternity. Order. Chaos. Love. Among others. The Great Powers of the universe. "Oh. I'm in trouble, aren't I?" 

"THAT REMAINS TO BE DECIDED, KAMALA KHAN." Said the Living Tribunal, three faces speaking as one. He pointed at her. "WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO DECIDE IF THIS ONE IS WORTHY OF BEING THE SUPREME BEING OF THIS UNIVERSE. THE OUTCOME OF THIS TRIAL WILL DETERMINE IF SHE SHALL KEEP THE GAUNTLET."

Kamala blinked. They were here to decide if she kept the Gauntlet? Does that mean . . . they can take it off?

"ETERNITY. YOU PRESENTED THIS CASE TO US. YOU MAY SPEAK FIRST." 

The being of stars bowed to the Tribunal before stepping into the middle of the circle. "My fellow personifications. More than once, I have rejected the rule of a Bearer of Infinity. And each time, I was proven right. As such, I implore you to listen: Kamala Khan is unworthy to bear this power. She is too young, too weak, too . . . human." 

"You saw that like it's an insult!" Kamala jumped in surprise. In the empty spot in the circle where Eternity had stood appeared- 

"Deadpool?" Kamala asked incredulously. "How did you get here?" 

The Merc with the Mouth smiled under his mask. "Don't mind me! I'm just my babe's plus one!" He thumbed the lady in the dark robe next to him. Kamala's jaw dropped. 

Death. That was Death Herself. 

. . . Yeah, I'm not gonna ask how THAT relationship started. 

Eternity frowned with eyes like red giants. "You have no place here, mortal." 

"That is incorrect, Lord Eternity." Said Master Order, his Zordon-like head calm and expressionless. "As Mistress Death's consort, the law clearly states that Lord Wilson may take part at this meeting, At her pleasure, of course." 

"HA!" Deadpool barked. "You hear that Kamala? Lord Wilson! Has anyone called you Lord? I don't think so!" 

Kamala worked her jaw. She wanted to fire back at him . . . buuuuuuuut him acting like a tool might actually help her, so she'll let it slide. 

"LET US CONTINUE." Said the Tribunal. "KAMALA KHAN, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO ETERNITY'S CLAIM?" 

Kamala took a deep breath. Alright, here we go. "Your Honors, Eternity . . . is absolute correct. I am not worthy of the Infinity Gauntlet." 

Around her, the cosmic beings muttered amongst themselves. Even Eternity looked surprised, glowing eyes blinking on and off. Off to the side, Deadpool began to giggle. Kamala sighed. All right, I said it. Trial over. Take it off now please and thank you. 

"We-well there you have it!" Eternity said, clearly rattled. "She knows her place, at least! Better than I can say for some other humans, flawed and foolish race they be." 

Kamala felt an eye twitch. "I think you're being a bit heavy handed there, sir." 

"I am not. Let us look at your own life, for example. You look up to flawed heroes who often war amongst themselves." 

Twitch. 

"You waste your time trying to save a people who hate those who are different." 

Twitch. 

"You work with foolish children who think their actions will make a difference in their broken world." 

Twitch. 

"And your family are nothing but primitives living in a world passing them by, clinging to a faith that means nothing." 

SNAP! 

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHOSE NOTHING!" Kamala screamed, causing the assembled beings to reel backwards. "You mock heroes, but they help people despite their flaws! You mock humanity, but a lot of them work to be better! You mock my friends and family, but you fail to see all the good they do! And you mock my faith, but you don't believe in anything but yourself! YOU! ARE! NOTHING!" 

Kamala took several deep, steading breaths as Eternity stumbled backwards, clearly unused to such defiance. The room was silent, save for the munching of the popcorn that Deadpool somehow had. 

"THE TRIAL IS CONCLUDED." The Tribunal said suddenly. "HOW SHALL YOU VOTE?"

Master Order went first. "Khan's ascendancy represents change. Too much change. Order votes no."

"YeS! sUcH gReAt ChAnGe!" The ever-shifting head of Lord Chaos laughed. "ChAoS vOtEs YeS!"

Mistress Love smiled warmly, like the dawn itself. "Her empathy and compassion are beautiful. Love votes yes."

Sire Hate grunted. "Not enough rage in her heart. Hatred votes no."

The representee of the Celestials gave her a thumbs down. 

Kronos chuckled. "It would be hypocritical of me to deny the ascension of another. Time votes yes."

The Devourer of Worlds paused for some time. "After much deliberation, Galactus votes . . . no."

Death looked at the assembly with eyes deeper than the sea and darker than the void. Deadpool laughed. "She says yes!" 

The Tribunal nodded thoughtful. He walked over to Kamala and held out his hand. "MAY I SEE THE GAUNTLET?"

Kamala gently placed her gloved hand in his golden one. Is this it? Is he going to do it?

The Tribunal stared at the Gauntlet for several long moments. Rather, he stared at the Stones. Finally, he smiled. 

"I SEE." He dropped Kamala's hand and walked back to his spot. "THE TRIAL IS COMPLETE. PRINCESS KHAN IS THE RIGHTFUL BEARER OF INFINITY AND SUPREME BEING ASCENDENT OF THIS UNIVERSE." 

"WHAT?!" Eternity roared. 

"WHAT?!" Kamala screamed. 

Deadpool fell backwards on his ass, laughing. 

"DUE TO HER AGE, SHE WILL NOT YET TAKE UP THE FULL DUTIES OF HER TITLE. WE WILL KEEP AN EYE ON HER DEVELOPMENT." 

"That's . . . great." Said Kamala, with the most pained smile to ever exist. aaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! 

"This is an outrage!!!" Eternity ranted, stars within his being exploding into supernovas. "I demand-!" 

"DISMISSED." 

Kamala blinked again, and she was back in her backyard. The sky was clear. The wind had died down. He parents were waiting for her . . . along with several dozen superheroes. 

Tony Stark had his helmet open. He was about to say something. 

"Don't." Said Kamala, one hundred and ten percent done with today. "Just . . . don't." 

Chapter Text

"So, should I be calling you Your Highness or something?" Nova asked with mock concern. 

"Do it and I'll throw your helmet into the ocean." Kamala mumbled, not even bothering to lift her face from the table. Once again, the Champions were sitting in a room at Avenger's Tower. It was getting to the point that the team might as well be living there. Kamala, for one, was getting sick of it. The artic view from atop a Celestial had been impressive the first few times. Now it was just tedious. 

Amadeus Cho, having reverted back from his Hulk form, leaned back in his chair as he placed his feet upon the table they sat around. "Let me get this straight: you get called up by the Great Powers of the Universe, you try to get them to remove the Gauntlet, you yell at the living incarnation of the cosmos, and not only do you get to keep the God-Glove, but you also get officially recognized as the Supreme Being?" He snorted. "I've heard of failing upwards, but this is on a whole other level." 

On any other day, involving any other circumstances, Kamala would have made a comment about that. Things being what they were, however, she merely gave a low, drawn-out groan. 

Next to her, Miles gently patted her gently on the back. "Kamala, don't take this the wrong way . . . but couldn't you have just asked the Tribunal to take the glove off?"

Kamala turned her head slightly, revealing one eye to look tiredly at her spider friend. "I thought it was an actually trial to see if I should keep the Gauntlet or not. Not some secret test of character thingy!" She rolled her head back into position, face firmly on the table.

"Besides," Amadeus continued "with her luck if she asked them to take it off, they'd hot glue it on tighter!" 

Viv, of all people, nodded. "He makes a jest, but given the improbable series of events so far, that is not outside the realms of possibility." 

Kamala groaned some more, and Miles dutifully rubbed her back. Nova tapped his knees with his hands, nervously. "So, ah, what do you think the Avengers are doing with this information?" 

"You're not looking for something to drink, are you?" Steve asked with concern. 

Tony dug through the fridge in the Tower's state-of-the-art kitchen. It was so large he was half inside it. "No, of course not." He said, pulling out a container of whipped cream and shutting the door. "This is for stress eating." He popped the top and sprayed that fluffy white goodness into his mouth, swallowing it in a single gulp. 

Next to Steve, Carol raised an eyebrow. "Tony, that's . . . not super helpful." 

"True!" Tony said with a slightly delirious grin. "Feels good though! You're in no place to judge, Carol; I know you flew to into space for a few minutes so you could scream in peace." 

Carol bit her lip, looking only slightly put off. ". . . And I'll likely do it again. You're not the only one freaking out here." 

Tony nodded, as did Steve. The "Man Out of Time" came from a more religious background than most of his friends and teammates. Steve had been born again when he was a teenager, and while his current church attendance had been somewhat lacking of late, he still believed, he still had faith. Cosmic stuff; things involving magic and other gods; it rattled him at first but thanks to the mental aspects of the Super Soldier Serum he was able to adapt and compartmentalize. 

However, a girl that he knew becoming the Supreme Being? A child whose hair he ruffled and to whom he once gave an autograph being anointed as the Princess of the Universe? 

Steve had to do a lot of compartmentalizing. 

"Just to give you a heads up." Steve said, soldiering on. "T'Challa and Thor both went back to their kingdoms for the time being no doubt they needed to inform their people about what happened. Jenn and Robbie are out on patrol. Echo is watching Selby. And Stephen-" 

"Is right here." Said the Doctor, walking out of an arcane portal that manifested in thin air. He looked rather well put together, considering Earth had just been visited by beings powerful enough to blow it up a thousand times over. 

Tony saluted him with his cream. "Beard-Buddy! Thought you would have run screaming like I wanted to!" 

"The impulse was there, Tony, don't doubt it." Strange smirked. "Actually, I'm here to talk to Carol." 

Carol blinked. "Me? What do I have to do with your line of work?" 

Strange ran a hand through his hair, and Steve could see that the Sorcerer Supreme was a lot more stressed than he let on. "Well, it's clear now that Ms. Khan's new . . . job isn't going away any time soon. It's also clear she isn't ready for it." He looked Carol straight in the eyes. "Considering she is something like your protégé I thought I'd ask permission first." 

Steve and Carol figured out what he was saying at the same time. Tony was only slightly behind them. 

Carol sighed. "This is either going to go really well, or really bad. There is no in-between these days." 

Steve put an understanding hand on her shoulder. It was better than nothing. 

He had been aware of events. How could he not? Any hedge mage or fool with even the slightest bit of psychic potential would have been aware of the Great Powers' arrival, even if they had not understood the reason why. 

He knew. He had known from the beginning. 

When the anointing had been placed upon the child, he scoffed. This universe could not have two masters, and only a fool would say he was the less deserving one. 

Once he commanded all of existence. He would again. 

A single universe would be but the first step. 

From out of the waters of his beloved homeland, Namor arose to meet him. He would not have waited outside for most others, but Namor was one of the few he could consider a pier. 

"You were right." Said the King of Alantis. "The fools will not move against her. They are too blinded by sentiment." 

"They see her as one of their own." He said. "In doing so they ignore the danger that stands before them." 

Namor nodded. "Do you know who else will come after the Gauntlet?" 

"Mephisto has already made some moves, as has Eternity. Others will follow. The mutants will act, once they discover the truth. The Inhumans have been quiet, but that will only last for so long. Osborn might make an attempt, assuming he can marshal his fractured mind together for long enough." 

Namor thought it over. While he could be quick to act at times given the chance the half-Atlantean could be extremely cunning. "And what of us, old friend?" 

Under a mask of ensorcelled metal, Doom smiled. "We do what we always do. We rule." 

Chapter Text

"Knock knock!" 

Kamala looked up from her bunk in Avenger's Tower. She had been on a tablet looking up ways to saw off one's hand without killing yourself when Doctor Strange stuck his head in. 

"What's up, Doc?" Kamala said, wincing as she placed the tablet down. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." 

Strange chuckled. "It's fine. I hear that once a week at a minimum. I was wondering if you could help me with something? Or a rather a few somethings?" 

Kamala raised an eyebrow as she slipped her mask back on. "What kind of somethings?" 

"The kind that will get you out of the Tower for a - aaaaaaand you already teleported outside." Strange sighed at the now empty space. With a wave of his hand, he conjured a portal and stepped into the open artic air where Ms. Marvel was floating, waiting for him. 

"After you!" Kamala said with a smile.

Kamala had punched many things in her relatively short career as a superhero: chicken men, living computer viruses, edgy boys with darkness themed powers, among others. However, big squid monsters with eyes the size of cars crawling out of holes in space? That was new, even for her. 

"That's the last of them!" Kamala said as she picked up final KOed squid and threw it back into the portal in the middle of the street. "Who were these guys, anyway?" 

"The Hounds of the Many-Angled Ones." Strange explained as he repaired a broken street light with a simple incantation. "Their masters keep trying to invade our realm, but there aren't enough dimensions here for them to fit. So they send the Hounds to soften up the metaphysical laws first." He dusted off his hands. "Really, dealing with them is more of a chore than anything else." 

"Neat. You want to fix this too?" Kamala asked as she pointed at the howling hole in time and space. 

"Why don't you give it a shot? Picture in your head the hole closing back up. Like a zipper, or a tear being mended." 

Kamala bit her lip. "Alright." She raised her Gauntleted hand and focused. The next moment, the portal was gone, like it never had existed. "Huh, that was easy!" 

Strange smiled. "The more you practice with it, the more it will become second nature. Come on, we got more to do!" 

The spirits howled as they flew about the forest, the area drenched in so much astral energy that it blocked out the light, casting the woods in a unnatural darkness. There were hundreds of them, all confined to a single out of the way plot of land. In the background stood a crumbling mansion, long forgotten. 

Kamala looked about nervously. "How does no one know about this?" 

"This much undeath naturally repels the living." Strange explained as he stood next to her, watching the wailing souls of the forgotten. "The vast majority of people avoid this place due to it giving off primally bad vibes. There must be several generations trapped here, bound by a death curse." 

"How can we help them?" 

"I can break the curse, but it will take time. I was hoping you could speed things up significantly." Strange pointed at the Gauntlet, specifically the Soul Stone that rested upon Kamala's knuckle. 

Kamala looked at the Stone, and took a deep breath. "All right. I think I got it." She reached out and felt the metaphysically chains binding the spirits to this realm. A single mental command, and the chains snapped and shattered. The wails of the damned turned to cries of salvation as the spirits faded out of this realm and into the next, the sun shining on these woods for the first time in decades. 

Kamala looked up at the sky with a smile. She didn't see Strange smiling behind her. 

"Last thing and we're done for today." Strange said as they walked through the portal. Kamala saw that rather than city or a forbidden forest, they now stood in a dusty old ruin. They were not alone. Around them standing in perfect rows were hundreds of large, humanoid creatures made out of some sort of earthen material, their bodies smooth save for a single large, crimson eye that dominated each of their faces. 

Kamala stared at the nearest one. For a moment, she thought they were merely statues. Then she sensed the life deep within them. "What are these things? Where are we?" 

Strange hummed in thought. "Second question first. These are ruins deep underground created long ago by Plokta of the Dark Domain. My best guess is this was meant to be a military base of an invasion that never got off the ground." He pointed at the clay-like men. "And these are his soldiers. The Mindless Ones." 

"And they have just been here the entire time? That's terrible! They're alive!" 

Strange shrugged. "Not much else we can do. The Mindless Ones are just that: mindless. They are functionally unstoppable engines of destruction. Plokta didn't so much control them as unleash them." 

Kamala frowned. "This isn't right. No one deserves to be trapped underground forever." 

"What are you going to do about it?" 

Kamala paused. What could she do about it? 

Well, what if the Mindless Ones . . . weren't mindless? 

Carefully, she reached out and touched the nearest Mindless One on the head, no more than a soft boop. She felt something within it change and grow. 

The Mindless One slowly turned and looked down at her with it's massive red eye. ". . . Mama?" 

"IT WORK!" Kamala shouted. 

"Mama." The Mindful One slowly wrapped it's arms around her, pulling Kamala into a gentle but massive hug. 

"Hold up, big guy. I'm not . . . well I guess I kind of am." She shook her head. "Anyway, I need to help the rest of your friends. Oh! And make you guys some stuff to live with! Not to mention a door to the outside!" 

A few feet away, Strange blinked. ". . . You know, I was trying to show you how sometimes you need to make compromises for the greater good. But I guess this works too." 

Strange rubbed the back of his neck as they returned to the Tower. "Well, it went a little off the rails there at the end, but it all worked out, huh?" He turned back to look at Ms. Marvel. The young inhuman was looking at him with an accusing stare. "What?" 

"I'm not dumb, Doc." Kamala said. "I know what you were doing. You were training me on how to use the Gauntlet, while also showing me how much good I could do with it." 

Strange smiled shamelessly. "Did it work?" 

Kamala closed her eyes. ". . . Yes." 

"Good. Lets make it a weekly class." 

Kamala groaned, but Strange saw the little grin form on her face.

Chapter Text

Sue checked the clock in the living room. It had been four hours since her husband entered the lab. It was about time for her to check in and make sure he was still breathing. 

Walking out of the family quarters of the Baxter Building, Sue made it halfway before running into Ben, the rocky ace pilot sipping on a shake from his large, reinforced mug. 

"Hey Suzy! You've seen Matchstick anywhere?" Ben asked with a grin. Sue smiled back. 

"Johnny took Franklin out to blow off some steam." It had been Johnny's idea, and Sue agreed with him. Franklin had been getting restless since he learned about Ms. Marvel's upgrade. He had wanted to hang out with a fellow teenage nigh omnipotent being. However, until they knew Ms. Marvel wasn't suffering from any side effects of being bonded to the Stones, Sue would feel better if they stayed apart. "The term dino-wrangling was used."

Ben gave a single barking laugh that sounded like a small avalanche. "I'm guessing then you're looking for Stretch. Mind if I tag along? I got nothing better to do." 

"Sure." Sue shrugged. The two off them went down the hall, into a private elevator, up a few levels, and waited outside the door for a few moments for all the security systems to approve them. Reed had added a few new ones recently; bio scanners, chemical and nanite detectors, anti-Skrull systems. There was a time when Sue would have been against this much security in her own home but seeing as not too long ago the lab was taken over by Doctor Octopus of all people, Sue now had a health sense of paranoia.

Finally, the doors opened as Sue saw both her husband and her daughter working at different computers. Sue couldn't help but smile; Valeria was the only person to truly rival Reed in intelligence. She might actually be smarter than him. They were so proud of her. They were proud of both their children.  

Reed noticed them first, blinking as he stopped scratching his beard and turned to look at her. Sue had been iffy about it at first, but now she loved it. It made him look rugged. "Ah, sorry. Is it dinner time already?" Reed asked, clearly worried he lost track of time. Again. 

Sue chuckled. "Don't worry sweety. I was just checking up . . . on . . ." Sue trailed off as she looked at the data on the screen. Now, it was true that Sue wasn't a genius like Reed. But that didn't mean she was dumb. She spent years alongside Reed, even before the rocket. Naturally, over all that time, she picked up a few things. 

Like what a DNA sequence looked like. 

"Reed." She said, knowing exactly what the answer to the question was going to be. "Is that Ms. Marvel's DNA?" 

Reed blinked, looked back at the monitor, and then looked at his wife with a face that reminded Sue of when she caught Franklin sneaking snacks before lunch. "It's not what you think." 

"So, it's not her DNA?" Behind her, Ben sipped his shake in delight. 

"It is, but it's nothing bad." Reed stressed. "I was just concerned that the Gauntlet bonding to her in a known fashion might have caused some genetic damage. All I've done is scanned a hair." 

Sue nodded. "I guess that's fine. Quick question: did she give you the hair?" 

". . ." 

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Reed . . ." 

"In my defense." Reed argued. "I found a loose hair on my chair, in my lab, after I examined her the first time. Possession and nine-tenths and all that." 

Ben gave another laugh as Sue felt the beginnings of a headache. Why must she have to be the sane one in her family? "Reed, I know you always have the best intentions, but you have to think about more than science-" 

"Got it!" Valeria said, unhelpfully. "The scan's complete Dad. We have Ms. Marvel's full- oh hey Mom when did you come in?" 

Sue sighed as Reed looked at her hopefully. Well, when in Rome. "Alright. Tell us if she is going to grow an extra arm or something."

Val laughed a girlish laugh, and Sue is once again reminded that her brilliant child is just a little girl. "Oh, don't worry about that. According to this, she's a perfectly healthy Inhuman- huh." 

"Huh?" Ben parroted as Reed walked over to the screen. "We don't like huh in this sort of work, Val." 

"Look at this." Val highlighted a strand of the sequence. "It's some sort of genetic anomaly. Separate from her Inhuman abilities, but clearly a natural part of her. I've never seen anything like it before." 

"I have." Reed sucked in a breath through his teeth. "It's the Mutant Gene." 

Sue felt herself go numb. There was a crashing sound as Ben's mug slipped from his fingers. 

"Ya mean . . . She's a Mutant?" Ben asked. "I thought she was an Inhuman!" 

Reed frowned. "Apparently . . . she's both." 

"Wait." Said Sue. "I thought the Mists that gave Inhumans their powers were toxic to Mutants?" 

Reed thought about it. "While their powers are active, yes. But if they were exposed before the mutation manifested . . . in a less concentrated dose, perhaps . . ." He nodded. "Yes, yes it could work . . ." 

Sue had heard enough. She marched right over to Val's desk and hit "delete." The results disappeared from the screen. "Mom, what do you think you're doing-?!" 

"This is too dangerous to have." She said. "Remember when Xavier tried to kidnap Franklin? What do you think he'll do if he learns Ms. Marvel's a mutant? And that's not even touching on what the anti-Mutant crowd would do if they found out!" 

"Sue's right." Reed began to dig through his flies, deleting whatever he needed to. "Data like this could provoke a war. Better to erase it from the system." 

"Uh, that's great and all." Ben stated. "But what's to stop a telepath or whatnot from pulling the info out of our heads? It's not like we could ask for Professor X's help like in the old days." 

They paused. Ben was right. There was no real way to put this genie back in the bottle. 

Now what? 

Chapter Text

"Well, this is different." Said Nova. Ms. Marvel flew beside him as they traveled the Jersey sky. It was easy for her, as though she had been doing it her whole life. 

Kamala couldn't keep the smile off her face if she tried. "Yeah, I'm starting to see the perks of having this thing stuck on my hand." It was a clear blue sky that they flew through, not a cloud to be seen. "I think it's so easy for me because I spent so much time pretending to be a flying superhero when I was little." 

"Captain Marvel?" Nova asked a question that wasn't one. 

"I plead the fifth!" Kamala laughed. 

The two teenage heroes began their decent to the rooftops, where Miles waited for them and greeted them with a wave. Nova landed gracefully, with practiced ease. Kamala, for whom the novelty of personal flight hadn't worn off yet, landed with a slide across the roof, stopping just in front of Miles. 

"Well?" She asked the young Spider-Man. 

"Eh, 6.8. Don't quit your day job." 

"Jerk." Kamala giggled, lightly bopping Miles on the arm. "How'd your patrol go? Ours was quiet." 

"Same." Miles admitted with a shrug. "Then again, you did send like 50 supervillains to prison at once. I'm guessing the criminal element is laying low till they figure out what the heck is going on with you." 

Kamala nodded. That's about what she figured. After her latest stay in Avenger's Tower, most of the Champions had to go back home for the time being. Nova and Miles just stopped back in for a visit. 

"I guess this makes you the underworld's new boogeyman!" Nova smirked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Big honor!" 

Kamala sighed. "Honestly, I'd rather be that than have cosmic space beings call me their princess." 

"Correction." Said Nova. "It's everyone that needs to call you princess, Your Highness." 

Kamala shrugged his arm off. "Very funny. You hear all my laughing?' 

"No." 

"That's because I'm not." 

"Alright, lets pull it back before Nova's head gets turned into a spoon or something." Miles said, only half joking. "Lets-" 

That was a screeching sound, followed by the sound of metal breaking and bending. Looking over the edge of the building, the teenage heroes saw that a car had struck a person in the middle of the street below . . . and it was the car that had lost.

"-deal with that." Miles said with a sigh as the trio descended. As they made their way down, they watched the man free himself from the car's front, bending the metal with his bare hands. His black body suit was completely undamaged, as was the tuning fork atop his forehead. 

Kamala blinked. In retrospect, she should have expected him sooner or later. "Black Bolt." 

The King of Inhumans gave her a small nod, his mouth firmly shut. Behind him, his wife Medusa walked up to his side, her long crimson hair moving with a life of its own. "Ms. Marvel." She said, speaking for the King. "We apologies for our sudden arrival, but it is of greatest import that we speak with you." 

"HEY!" The driver of the now totaled car poked his head out of the window, glaring at the assembled superhumans. "HEY! You freaks gonna make that gimp-looking weirdo pay to fix my car, or what?!" 

Nova blinked under his helmet. "Does . . . does he not know who Black Bolt is?" 

"HEY!" He shouted at the silent king. "SPEAK UP, YOU ASS!" 

That's the last thing we need! Kamala thought, panicking. Black Bolt's voice could shatter mountains with just a whisper. While she was pretty sure he wouldn't nuke the city just because of one idiot, she had no desire to test his patience. 

"Here." Kamala snapped her fingers, and the man's car was good as new. He went suddenly silent as he stared at his car, eyes widening like dinner plates. Around them, the people were muttering and taking pictures. Medusa must have noticed this as well. 

"Is there any way we can speak privately?" 

Kamala stood on the rooftop with the King and Queen of Inhumans. She had politely asked her friends to meet up with her later. Kamala had gotten the sneaking suspicion that whatever the two monarchs wanted to talk about, it wasn't something for non-Inhumans.

"We apologize for how we appeared." Medusa told her, once more speaking for the both of them. "We tried to locate you by tracking your energy signature, but your power is so great it covers the entire United States." 

Kamala nodded. Interesting. Also scary for a number of different reasons. "It's okay. What can I do for you? Ah, Your Highness?" Should I bow? Should I not? Do I outrank them? What's the call here? 

Medusa glance at her king. Black Bolt had crossed his arms and worked his jaw. There was an uncomfortable look in his eyes. "The leaders of the Inhumans have always been those with the most impressive gifts. That is how it has been done since before the founding of Attilan. For all of our recorded history, there has never been an Inhuman with greater gifts than my royal husband." Medusa paused. "Until you." 

Noooooooooo. Kamala felt impending doom as she pinched her nose. "Please don't tell me the nobles of Attilan want me to be their queen." 

"That is a small minority, thankful." Medusa admitted. "However, a majority of nobles want you to marry into the royal family. To secure your power and bloodline for Attilan." 

Mentally, Kamala gave her sense of impending doom five bucks. It was right. Again. "So, who do they want me to marry? Your cousin? Brother?" 

Now both Medusa and Black Bolt looked really comfortable. It only took Kamala a few seconds to figure out why. 

". . . OH, COME ON!" Kamala screamed. "They want me to be Black Bolt's second wife?!"

"There is legal backing for it, unfortunately. More than one king has had multiple wives in order to insure his bloodline." 

"He's more than twice my age!" Kamala howled. "And! And this power comes from the Gauntlet! Not the mists!" 

"Many nobles believe that, because you have bonded to the Stones, their power is now a part of you. They are hoping you can pass at least some of it off to your children." 

"Grrrreeeagh!" Kamala growled, pulling at her hair. Medusa held up her hands in an appeasing motion. 

"Please understand; we have no desire to go through with this. We just thought you should know, considering how much it involves you." 

". . . Thanks." Said Kamala. "I . . . I need to go." Before either royal could say anything, she flew up into the sky in a trail of multicolor light. 

NASA scientists would be doing a double take at the pictures of the glowing girl in Earth orbit screaming her head off. 

It took Kamala about an hour of venting before she was ready to go back home. She flew straight as an arrow, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. 

Okay, so I handled that badly. She admitted to herself. But really, what good way is there to deal with it?! Now I'm some sort of prize?! I almost wish supervillains would try to steal this thing from- what's that? 

Before she could react, a red and gold blur struck Kamala out of the sky. She crashed landed into the dirt below with thunderous force, creating a large hole in the ground from the impact. 

Kamala climbed out of the hole, dazed but unhurt. "Eggh, me and my big mouth." Thankful she hadn't been over any city or towns when she crashed, so there was that. 

Before Kamala could get to her feet, a powerful hand grabbed her around the throat and lifted her off the ground. A man with red hair, a red and gold costume, and a domino mask snarled at her. 

"You have something that I need, child." Said Hyperion.

Chapter Text

Blackheart was pleased. 

Hyperion came from a false reality. One of his father's making. As such, while Blackheart could not directly control the so-called "Last Eternal," he could influence him. Whisper in his ear. 

It didn't take much to convince Hyperion of his current action. The man was desperate to restore his universe, no matter the cost. 

It served Blackheart just fine. A proven and tested godslayer against a supreme being just barely out of her diapers? The son of Mephisto would have to be a fool to pass up such an opportunity. 

So, while he was still forced to follow his father's will for now, from the shadows of reality Blackheart did what he did best. 

He pulled the strings of mortal desires. He watched his puppet perform to his script. 

And he waited. 

"GAAAAAAAAA!" Kamala screamed as she went tumbling through the air. Land and sky flipped and changed positions until finally- 

KA-BOOM! 

Mountains hurt. 

Kamala groaned as she stood up upon the shattered mountain side, pushing boulders out of the way without thinking about it. She shook her head to make the world stop spinning. 

"Eggh . . . At least I'm not actually injured." She muttered as she checked herself over. She was rattled, but otherwise uninjured. After she got stabbed, the Stones seemed to be protecting her more. Or were they responding to her own desire to not be maimed again? It was hard to tell. 

She didn't have time to think about it. Twin beams of sun-hot death streaked down from the sky. Kamala instinctually raised a rainbow barrier around herself, which saved her from the flames, smoke and heat. The same could not be said for the mountain, which began to melt. 

"Eek!" Kamala squeaked as the assault ended and the molten rock around her began to cool. Any longer and the mountain would have to be downgraded to hill territory. "What is your deal?!" She shouted up at the man in the sky as he slowly descended, eyes literally burning with power and fury. 

"Just given me the damn Gauntlet, girl!" Hyperion roared, coming to a stop a good ten feet above her. "I don't want to kill! But I will!" 

"If you don't want to kill, then just don't!" Kamala shouted, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We don't have to fight! Have you stopped to think that maybe I can help you?!" 

Hyperion paused, his face considering, and for a moment Kamala dared to hope that, for once, someone would act like a normal person. But then Hyperion's whole body twitched and he shook his head. 

"No. No!" He said, as if to convince himself more than Kamala. "I need to bring back my world! My America! It can't exist alongside this . . . twisted version you live in! I have to make things right! I have to fix things! Replace this world with the right one!" 

Kamala frowned. He seemed so close to listening. She adjusted her stance and raised her fists. "All right. Now we can fight." 

Their colliding fists finally put the poor mountain out of its misery. 

Tony Stark looked at the readouts at Avenger's Tower. Impacts happening all over the world. Two figures moving faster than any of the Avengers could match. 

One of them being a very familiar young woman.

"No." Stark pleaded. "No way. Has it even been a week?!"

He fell backwards into his chair as the other Avengers scrambled to catch up and failed. Where did I go wrong in my life? What did I do to deserve this? 

. . . Oh right, all the drinking and womanizing and war-profiteering. Seems obvious when I think about it. 

Somewhere over what she was pretty sure was Alaska, Kamala caught Hyperion's fist in one hand, and punched him right in the face with the other. The Eternal went flying backwards, crashing into the snowy landscape with a mighty explosion. She flew after him, trailing a rainbow behind her. She didn't even have to think about it. The more she used the power, the easier it got. Flying and fighting; those two things at least were practically second nature now. 

Kamala couldn't help but smile. A cosmically powered superhero fighting a villain stronger than anyone else could handle! I've never felt more like Captain Marvel! 

She clocked Hyperion right across the face as he rose. His lip spilt from the impact, but it healed almost instantly. He snarled and socked her right in the stomach. Kamala gagged as the air rushed out of her lungs. Hyperion then grabbed her by the back of the head, and slammed her face first into the ground as hard as he could without shattering the planet. Even with him holding back, the earth shook and trembled as the Rictor Scale measured an 8.8. 

"GIVE IT UP!" Hyperion howled as he slammed her into the ground again and again and again! "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE THINGS I'VE DONE FOR MY COUNTRY?! WHAT I'VE SACRIFICED?! IT CAN'T BE FOR NOTHING! I WON'T ALLOW IT!!" He ground her face into the dirt as he felt her body start to go limp. "Give me the Gauntlet now, and I'll see to it that you get medical attention." 

"Mh memhmer mor meekmems!" Kamala's muffled voice was distorted from the earth. Hyperion pulled her out of the hole and brought her face up to his. 

"What did you say?" 

Kamala spat out some soil and snow as she grinned. "Ack! I said I remembered your weakness!" 

Suddenly, chains of pure Vibranium materialized around Hyperion, binding him in place. He screamed in rage and pain for just a moment, before falling to the ground, powerless. 

Kamala brushed her hair, trying to get out all the dirt and mud in it. "Ah, I guess I'll have to wash it. It'll feel weird to use the Gauntlet to clean myself. As for you, I'm sure they got a nice cell . . . somewhere . . ." 

Kamala trailed off as she watched Hyperion helpless on the ground. The man was sobbing uncontrollably, not even trying to escape. 

"No, no, no! I just w-want my world back! I d-don't care if it w-was a fake! It was real to me! All my friends! My f-family!" The man trailed off, unable to form any more words, reduced to incoherent blubbering. 

Kamala looked down at him . . . and sighed. "Well, want kind of hero would I be if I didn't try to save everyone?" She muttered. "They're gonna get on my case for this one, I just know it." 

She leaned down and touched Hyperion with her Gauntleted hand. The Stones glowed and hummed, ready and waiting. 

"Wh-What are you doing?" 

"Giving you what you want." 

"Look! Up in the sky!" One citizen in the street's below shouted as the falling plane came to a halt. 

"It's a bird!" 

"No, it's a plane!" 

"No, it's Hyperion!" 

Hyperion smiled brightly as he brought the damaged plane down safely. As much as he tried to stay humble, the sound of a thankful crowd always warmed his heart. 

He made sure each passenger made it safely off the plane. One little girl ran up and hugged him around the leg.

He smiled some more. This. This is what made his life truly worth living. 

Kamala stared at the marble in her hands. She watched the tiny universe within it turned slowly, but steadily. 

An idea. That was all it was. It was barely even a concept, and yet she had made it without much effort. 

This time she showed up to Avenger's Tower entirely on her own.

Chapter Text

Reed leaned back from his computer. His elastic eyes didn't get sore, but he still felt the need to rub them. He glanced at the marble-like object in his lab, held aloft by a statis field as the various scanners deactivated. 

"Yep. That is an entire alternate universe." 

On the video screen, Tony groaned in abject misery. Reed could sympathize, to a degree. His family adventures had left him desensitized to this level of nonsense. Tony didn't have that luxury. 

"And I was worried about people finding out about her healing powers." Tony ran a hand helplessly through his hair. "I'm looking back at those days fondly!" 

"Tony, please focus. I need to know; how difficult was it for Ms. Marvel to do this?" 

From his Tower in the artic, Tony chuckled humorlessly. "Reed, it was a goddamn whim." He chuckled some more, like a man on the edge. "Maybe I should be saying Khandamn now, what do you think?" 

"Tony, breathe." 

"Relax Reed, it'll take more than this to break me. Not much more, admittedly. Although, I think now that it's safe to say that none of the other Gauntlet wearers knew what the hell they were doing." 

Reed nodded. "Agreed. The only other long-time wearer of the Gauntlet was Thanos, and he only used it to kill, maim, and destroy. This may be the first time the Stones have been used to their full potential since their creation." 

"Well, great for them. I got Carol and Echo on patrol right now, on the lookout for any other heavy hitters that might want to take a swing at the kid. Got any other news for me?" 

Reed paused. ". . . Maybe. My scans have revealed something else about Ms. Khan, but I'm worried that telling you now would cause undue stress." 

Tony just shrugged. "Screw it. My day is already shot. Lay it on me." 

"Ms. Khan is a Mutant." 

". . ." 

"Tony, that eye twitch is very concerning." 

"So, you made a new universe." She-Hulk shrugged. "Big deal! The Richard's kid does it all the time!" 

"I am being directly compared to the guy who is a cosmic being in human form." Kamala muttered as she sunk deeper into her beanbag chair. "Yaaaaaaay . . ." 

"I think it's cool!" Little Starbrand said, leaning her head on Kamala's right arm. Now that her aging had been fixed, she had been taking the opportunity to act more like the child she actually was. 

"Thanks Selby." Kamala said, patting the little blonde girl on the head. Selby beamed; Kamala didn't miss the fact that the empowered little kid looked up to her now. Giving Selby the chance to have a long life did wonders for her attitude. 

Robbie walked into the room in the Tower, his head noticeably fleshy and not on fire at the moment. "You know, I almost had to beat your Champion friends away with sticks. They can't keep crashing this place every time you show up." 

Kamala winced. "Sorry." 

Robbie shrugged. "Eh, no skin off my nose. Just call them when you get a chance. I think Nova is half convinced that we are going to throw you into the Negative Zone or something." 

"Would that even work?" She-Hulk asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Let's not find out." T'Challa said, raising his head from his tablet. "Reed just got back to me. Your, ah, universe is both stable and contained. No risk of it expanding and overwriting our reality." 

Robbie blinked owlishly. "Wait, that was a risk? Why the hell didn't anyone tell me that was a risk?" 

"Regardless," The Black Panther powered through. "Is there anything else you have done with the Gauntlet that we should know about?" 

Kamala crossed her arms and frowned in thought. 

20 miles outside Jersey 

The ground cracked and gave way, dirt and trees falling into the growing hole. Several of the Mindful Ones, now dressed in their new vestments, climbed out and surveyed the land. 

"This good spot. Start building. Temple to Mother-Goddess first." 

Kamala shrugged. "I don't . . . think so?" 

"Fair enough. Just so you know, with these new developments, including the seemingly random attack by Hyperion, I've sent out a call to all available reserve Avengers. So far, the ones to respond are Blade, Vision, and . . ." T'Challa sighed as he braced for the inevitable. "Him." 

As if on cue, the electronic doors to the break room swung open as a certain red-and-black merc power slid into the room. 

"GUESS WHOSE BACK! BANG, BANG! BACK AGAIN! BANG, BANG!" 

As Deadpool continued his dance, now shifting into the Macarena, Kamala slowly turned her head towards Panther. 

"So, you just hate me, huh?" 

"It was an open call." T'Challa admitted with shame. 

Kamala fought the urge to fly back up into space. She couldn't do that every time she had problems.

Chapter Text

"You know," Bruno said on the other side of the screen, "out of all the heroes you could have sidekicked for, Doctor Strange was my last guess." 

Kamala laid back in her bed, raising her tablet slightly over her head. "I wouldn't say I'm his sidekick. He just gives me some on the job training when we go out on missions." 

Bruno smirked at her. "Sounds like a sidekick to me. Captain Marvel must be so heart broken." 

"Quiet you." Kamala said with a smile. It had been a few days after the incident with Hyperion, and after making sure her mini universe wouldn't suddenly expand and kill everyone Strange had taken her out a few more times to help her master the Gauntlet. So far, they hadn't done anything else on the same scale as the Mindless Ones, but they helped out here and there. "By the way, how's Wakanda? I heard you went back there to continue your studies." 

Bruna scratched the back of his head. " Yeeeeeeah about that . . . you know how Wakanda is more on the ball and knowledgeable about crazy stuff than the rest of the world?"  

Kamala didn't need the Stones to realize what Bruno was alluding to. "They already know about me, don't they?" 

"King T'Challa isn't the kind of guy to hide stuff from his people. Sorry." 

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She may be in her civies, and the Gauntlet may be invisible, but there was still no escape. "Dare I ask?" 

"It's actually nothing bad so far. They know you haven't misused the Gauntlet's power, and they know their king is one of the people keeping an eye on you." He scratched his chin. "It probably helps that the Black Panther briefly wielded the Gauntlet himself during that Battleworld nonsense."

"I'll take your word for it." Wakanda was one of the only places that had records of when Doom rewrote reality to become a god-king. The thought that that was something she too had the power to do . . . she didn't dare dwell on it. How many suffered because of one guy's ego? Will we even ever know?

"Kamala?"

She blinked. How long was she in her own little world? "Sorry, lost in thought. It was nice to talk to you gain, Bruno. Give Mike my love!" 

"I will! Stay safe!" Bruno logged out, and Kamala turned off her tablet and pulled her blanket up.

"With any luck, tomorrow will be on the more normal end of the spectrum." She mumbled before fading off to sleep. 

Gustav Brandt had played many roles in his life. Soldier. Crime lord. Father of the Celestial Madonna. Now, he once more took up the most important one of all: agent of cosmic balance. 

"I honored that you picked me for this tasked, Eternity." The no longer mortal man said, floating in the void. In front and all around him, the spirit of the universe bored into his soul, and spoke with words that could shatter worlds. A lesser man would have gone insane on the spot, but Gustav's will was unbreakable. 

"You have more than proven yourself."  Said Eternity. "You served me well when you were the Avatar of the In-Betweener. However, I cannot order the other Higher Beings to act on my behalf this time. Now you shall be my Avatar." 

Gustav nodded, sightless eyes seeing all. "Of course. The same rules as before?" 

"Your will remains your own. You shall wield my power, but you will do so in the manner you best see fit." 

"Thank you." The man better known as Libra said with an honest smile. "I will do what must be done." He meant it too. A child could not be allowed to be the Supreme Being. Balance would be restored. 

Kamala awoke with a yawn and a stretch. She checked her clock. 9:30; she slept in a bit. She checked her phone, but it was dead. 

Must have forgot to plug it in last night. She thought about using the Gauntlet to charge it, but decided against it, plugging it in instead. She wanted a normal morning for a change. 

Kamala brushed her teeth, took a shower, changed. All ordinary stuff. "All right, today's going to be a good day!" She hyped herself up in the mirror. "Crime's still down, so just a quick patrol, then some WoW, then back to the Tower for some more tests. Easy!" She walked downstairs into the kitchen and poured herself some juice. She noticed everyone was in the living room today instead of eating at the table. A bit odd, but maybe there was a new show or something. She walked into the living room, sipping her juice. 

" - made contact with what appears to be the leader of these strange creatures; let's hear what they have to say." On screen, the reporter pointed her mike at what was clearly a Mindful One. He was dressed in blue and red robes and held a staff in one hand. Around him were several other Mindful Ones busy building large stone square structures. 

"We mean no harm." The Mindful leader said in a low, deep voice. "We given true-life by Mother-Goddess. We only wish to live in peace and worship Mother-Goddess." 

"And, uh, who is this Mother-Goddess of yours?" 

The Mindful leader pointed off-screen, causing the camera to turn and show a large, very well-made statue of Ms. Marvel, Infinity Gauntlet held forward in an open hand.  

From the couch, the Khan Family slowly turned around to stare at Kamala, frozen in place, juice dribbling down her chin and onto the floor.

Chapter Text

The old preacher looked upon his new church. It was a bit out of the way, a bit rural, but he liked it like that. He liked having a bit of a buffer from the cynicism and rush of the big city. Already his new congregation reached over a hundred souls, and that was only in person. Leveraging technology, his message reached computer screens across multiple states. He had already been blessed by multiple sizable donations. 

He smiled. He hadn't felt this good since his old televangelist days. If he ever needed proof that he was on the right path, he had it. 

Standing before his flock, Reverend William Stryker smiled warmly. "My brothers and sisters. Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I know, the email about a surprise message was unexpected. I'm grateful to you all for taking the time out of your busy lives to listen to what our Lord has told me." 

Stryker waited but a moment for the audience of believers to nod their heads and pat themselves on the back. Preaching was part truth, part performance art. Years of practice had taught him when to speak, and when not. 

Just as the mummers began to die down, Stryker continued, his smile replaced with a pained expression. "Sadly, it is not great news of great joy I bring to you today, but of warning and apostasy!" His pain was slowly replaced by righteous anger, building up to a crescendo. "The Deceiver, the pagan Whore of Babylon! She has shown her true face! Her demonic spawn have risen from the Earth where they had been cast down into, and have made a profane shrine in her name!" Clicking a button, the screen behind him showed pictures of the city now just outside of Jersey. His flock howled and booed, and called down curses and divine wrath upon Ms. Marvel's head. Stryker let them continue for a few minutes before gently motioning them to calm down. 

"I know, I know. Righteous fury wells up into my chest as well. Already a great American hero tried to slay this evil, but was struck down by profane sorcery! But do not be afraid, my friends! For we do not fight this war alone!" Stryker raised his arms out, like a destroying angel spreading his wings before laying low Sodom. "The Lord is with us! I am live proof of His goodness and grace! I was dead! I was murdered! And He raised me up! Brought me back to be your shepherd! Your general! The false idols and fake heroes have failed; either by showing their true colors, or by allowing themselves to be deceived! You can bet some of them know the truth of the Whore! That she is a mutant hellspawn, just as the Lord told me she was! And yet they do nothing! Nay, worst then nothing! So we shall pick up the sword instead! For does God not say Fear not, for I will be with you! If God is with us, who dares stand against us!?!" 

The whole church stood, clapping and cheering, and Stryker felt the power in this room. This was a army; mighty men and women ready and willing to do what needed to be done.

Faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains. Faith the size of a church could burn down all that was wicked and impure in the world. 

Stryker smiled deeply as the cheers went on and on. Ever since his resurrection, he felt the spirt inside him, guiding him. Fueling him. Empowering him. When he was still getting his bearings, he saw Ms. Marvel on the TV. Saw what she did. What she was. He knew then that he had been brought back to oppose her. To guide humanity against her. 

On those last two points, he was correct. 

Stryker did not remember his death. Not fully. He did not remember what came after. He did not remember where he went when he died. 

If he did, he might have questioned the righteousness of his crusade, as well as questioned who, exactly, brought him back. 

From upon his throne in Hell, Mephisto laughed and laughed and laughed.

Chapter Text

"You know, I thought I'd be more panicked." Tony mused, looking down at the city below from the bridge of the hovering Quinjet, the visor of his armor opened. "Or maybe, I'm so panicked, I've gone full circle." 

"The later." Steve said next to him. "Defiantly the later. Still, I have to applaud them for their industry." Tony hummed in agreement. About two hundred feet below where the Avenger's jet hung in the air, an entire city had been built over night, just a few miles away from Jersey. Admittedly it was built of wood and stone, but Tony bet if you gave them a year it would at least be on the level of a third world country. Or Detroit. 

Nah, that's mean. It's already nicer than Detroit.

"I can't reach Kamala." Carol said, fiddling with her phone. "It's not like her to just ghost me." 

"Smart money says she woke up, saw the news, and crawled back to bed." Tony shrugged. "God knows I want to." Khan knows? At what point does that stop being a joke?

Steve pressed a button on the panel. "Robbie, Jenn, what's it like down there? Are the Mindful One's giving you any trouble?" 

Tony shook his head in disbelief. "We are actually calling them that. Sure, sure, whatever."

Down on the dirt streets of the city, two Avengers walked the beet. "No trouble at all, Steve." She-Hulk said into her earpiece. "In fact, all the Mindful Ones have been rather pleasant. Not the best conversationalists, I grant you, but I'm guessing that's only cause they're new at it."

"Thanks." A nearby Mindful One in a yellow tunic said. "Been practicing." 

"It shows!" She-Hulk said with a nod and a smile. "Steve, I don't think there is going to be any problems. At least not from their end." 

"The demonstrators." Steve said, voice carefully void of emotion. 

"Those showed up in record time." Robbie glanced down the street where the Jersey police had make a basic barrier leading out of the city, his skeleton head having somewhat better vision. On the other side of it, just beyond the city limits, were a few hundred protesters. They were shouting and yelling, and holding signs like "False God" or "Freaks Go Home" and "Humans First" and the like. 

"I can understand why people would be concerned, but I'm worried by the anger they are showing." Steve sighed. "With Mutantkind having removed themselves from the public it's like some of these folk have simply moved to a different target." 

"Haters gonna hate, Steve." Jenn's shrug could be practically heard across the comms. 

"Hey, I know I'm still like the New Avenger here, but I got to tell you I'm worried." Robbie stared at the mob. "The Spirit of the Rider can practically taste the hatred and rage coming off these people. This goes way beyond simple fear-fueled anger."

"Well, at least they aren't the only ones here." Jenn motion to another part for the street, were a Mindful One posed for a picture with two human tourists. For the hundreds of angry people that had showed up to shout and scream, just as many had showed up to take pictures and look around. There were hundreds wandering the city now, talking to their new neighbors.

"I can't believe the cops let them in." Robbie said as he watched one Mindful One let children climb up all over . . . him? Her? Them? Them. 

"The Mindful Ones said it was cool." Jenn smiled. "And after one of the mob threw a brick at one of them, and watched it shatter against their head without them even noticing, I doubt the cops are willing to try and stop them."

"Well, after so many invasions, friendly aliens are something of a novelty. I'm just worried that another idiot will try to provoke them again." Carol said, putting her phone away. "Thor's back in Asgard, Phoenix took the day off to keep her control, Strange also isn't answering his phone, and we all know why." They were going to rip the good doctor a new one for not giving them the heads up here. "A fight against now intelligent Mindless Ones isn't one we can actually win."

"Eh, we could always have Ms. Marvel send them to their rooms." Jenn said, looking through a pottery vender's supplies. Because yes, they already had venders.

"Yeah, about that." Tony braced him. "Is there any chance, any chance at all, that we could keep the Ms. Marvel connection out of the news?"

Robbie winced, which was impress considering his flaming skull face. "None at all, boss. The Mindful One's have been extremely open about how Ms. Marvel created them. Or, as they put it, The Holy Word of the Mother Goddess. Hell, she's even on their money." He said, fingering a silver coin with Ms. Marvel's face carved on it. 

Tony groaned. "Great, just great. That, combined with the governor making noise-" 

"Governor?" Steve raised an eyebrow. "Dare I ask?" 

Tony sighed, defeated. "The state governor contacted me about getting the Mindful Ones off the land. Forcibly, if need be." 

Steve frowned. "I hope you explained to them how bad an idea that is." 

"Oh, I used my special words, don't you worry." Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. "However, I'm worried he'll contact S.H.I.E.L.D. or some else and make everything a thousand times worse." 

Steve pat him on the back. "Don't worry Tony. I'm sure we can handle things so long as nothing-" 

On the ground, their was a rainbow flash of light and Ms. Marvel was standing in the city, next to the Avengers on the ground and in front of the mob of angry protestors. 

". . . Wow. I didn't get to the end of that sentence." Steve mumbled as he, Tony and Carol ran towards the Quinjet's exit.

Chapter Text

Five Minutes Ago. 

Papa Khan knocked on the door to Kamala's room thrice. "Kamala, we are not upset. Open this door." 

"No!" Kamala cried out from the other side, her voice muffled by both the door and the pile of blankets she buried herself in. 

Her mother gently pushed past her father, pressing close to the door. "Kamala, please. You can't stay in there forever." 

"You underestimate my power!" 

Mr. Khan massaged his eyebrows. "Look, we're concerned about you. We can talk about how you made a new species late-" 

"I didn't make them!" Kamala shouted. "I freed them and gave them free will! I didn't think they would worship me!" 

Mrs. Khan blinked. "So . . . wait. You took an entire people and freed them from bondage. Did you not think they would revere you for it?" 

The silence on the other side was telling. 

Mrs. Khan had to chuckle at her kind, beautiful, and sometimes slightly stupid daughter. "Kamala, I want you to know that I'm proud of you for what you did for these beings. However, you can't just ignore them now." 

There was a short silence, followed up the shuffling of blankets and the unlocking of a door. 

Now. 

"You guys can't worship me like this!" Ms. Marvel shouted in the middle of the Mindful City, waving her arms animatedly. "I'm not a Mother-Goddess!" 

The leader of the Mindful Ones, dressed in his golden robes, nodded sagely. "Only Mother-Goddess is humble enough to deny her own divinity." 

Kamala felt her eye twitch under her mask. "Alright then; I am the Mother-Goddess!" 

All the Mindful Ones on the street dropped to their hands and knees before her. "Praise the Mother-Goddess! Praise her!" 

Kamala screamed and tugged at her hair. 

Off to the side, Ghost Rider and She-Hulk watched this entire farce. Robbie tilted his boney head to one side. "You know, maybe this is why God stays up in Heaven. Too much stress down here." 

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!!!" Kamala screamed at them. 

"Not sure what we can do." She-Hulk shrugged. "Have you ever thought of just . . . you know . . ." She motioned to the God Glove on Kamala's hand. 

Kamala gasped in horror. "I can't take their free will back! That's monstrous!" 

"Whoa, I wasn't suggesting that!" She-Hulk held up her hands. "I just thought you could use the Stones to make them . . . obey . . . wow that sounded less evil in my head." 

"What's the situation?" Steve asked as Carol dropped down with him next to the other Avengers. 

"Hey Cap! Nothing much; Ms. Marvel is stuck in a theological debate with her own worshippers. How are things on your end?" 

Steve winced. "I'm afraid her sudden appearance has not gone unnoticed by the less pleasant demonstrators. Tony is off making sure no one is doing anything . . . extreme." 

"I'm all for free speech, but if another of you flings a Islamophobic slur at the kid's general direction I'm sicking the Iron Legion on the lot of you!" Said Iron Man, while pinning a rioter to the ground. 

"Yeah, like that'll end well!" Deadpool said, slinking in from off page. 

Carol groaned and palmed her face. "Oh god, I thought we left you back at the Tower how are you already here?" 

"Hey, I'm capable of traveling at the speed of plot like any Game of Thrones character." He thumbed at Ms. Marvel, still trying and failing to convince the Mindful Ones that she wasn't a god. "Besides, I wouldn't miss this trainwreck for the world! The writer straight-up forgot my sub-plot last chapter!" 

She-Hulk scoffed. "You know, I did the 4th Wall breaking first! You aren't special!" 

"Can't hear you shut up!" Deadpool said as he pranced over to Ms. Marvel, leaning his arm on her shoulder. "So, how's my 11th favorite deity? You're right between the Oh God of Hangovers and Thor's abs!" 

"Go away." Kamala mumbled; her face covered by her hands. 

"I'm just saying, you could move up a few spots if you added some hymns with a guitar solo." 

Kamala slowly looked up at him. "Please go away." 

Deadpool would have said more, but Steve walked up to him, holding a phone. "Wade, it's for you." 

"Oh, gimme!" Deadpool placed the phone to his ear. "Hello? Heeeeeelllo? . . . All right, fine! If that's the way you want it, then TWO can play the quiet game!" Wade marched off, not saying a word, while Kamala could only look up at Steve with sparkles in her eyes. 

Steve smiled, then shrugged. "Hey, I punched out Hitler, I can handle Deadpool." 

Ajak flew across the sky at supersonic speeds, righteous fury burning in her heart. 

That girl, that . . . pseudo-deviant . . . she now had her own worshippers! She is becoming more and more of a threat to Ajak's god! This could not stand! 

Zuras and the others will sit and debate until the Machine itself breaks down! I must take action! 

She should have purged those primitive Avengers when she first saw them.

Chapter Text

As the new owner of the Daily Bugle, Ben Urich didn't often get the chance to be on the ground floor of a story these days. As much as it pained the spectacle wearing veteran journalist, it was time for the new generation to make its mark. 

That being said, when a alien city suddenly appears over night, and said aliens reveal that they worship one of the Avengers' protégé as their creator god, Urich would be damned before he let anyone else cover the story. 

So here he was, with a mike and a cameraman, walking over to Captain America while twenty feet away Ms. Marvel argued with a crowd her own worshippers. 

"You shouldn't worship me just because!" Ms. Marvel shouted, waving her hands. "I gave you all free will! You can think for yourselves now! You're individuals!" 

"Yes Mother-Goddess." The mob of Mindful Ones said. "We are all individuals." 

"I'm not." Said one in the back. His neighbor shushed him. 

Ms. Marvel proceeded to scratch the top of her head violently, shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth so not to scream. 

"Have to say Cap; this is going swimmingly." She-Hulk leaned over with a smirk, almost whispering the words in Captain Rogers's ear. The man himself had too much dignity to groan, so he grunted instead. 

Double checking to make sure the camera was rolling, Urich walked in front of the two heroes, firmly but politely. "Pardon me, Captain Rogers? Ms. Walters? Ben Urich of the Daily Bugle." 

Rogers blinked with realization. "Mr. Urich." He shook his hand. "I remember you. Back at the Bugle?" 

"I own it, actually." 

"Huh, good for you." Rogers paused, worked his jaw. "I'd ask what I can do for you, but I won't insult your intelligence by pretending not to know." 

"Thank you, sir. Lets speak plainly then. I assume this" he pointed at Ms. Marvel, looking like she was about to shrivel up and die as the Mindful Ones bowed to her "is connected to Ms. Marvel's sudden, massive increase in power?" 

"I supposed there is no point in denying it." Next to Rogers, She-Hulk smirked as he spoke. "The Mindful Ones were mentally enslaved when Ms. Marvel found them. She freed them and gave them the tools to live on their own. She is not responsible for them deciding to worship her. She is not forcing them." 

"Considering how hard she is trying to stop them, I didn't think she was." Other might though. Which is why Captain Rogers made sure to stress that point. It's hard to dismiss Captain America, after all. "Still, are you worried that something like this will bring undue attent-!" 

There was a sound like a jet engine, followed by a heavy impact and a shaking that almost knocked Urich off his feet. Standing suddenly a few feet away from Ms. Marvel was woman with long black hair, gold and white armor, and a long red cape. She was quite beautiful, but that was undercut by the fact that she was clearly mad as hell. She jabbed a finger at Ms. Marvel. 

"PRETENDER! DEVIANT!" 

Urich blinked. "Wow, I didn't even get to the end of that sentence." 

"I know how you feel." Said Rogers, readying his shield. 

Kamala groaned, loud and long. She looked at the angry Eternal lady pointing at her. "Ajak . . . right? I don't know what your problem is, but can we not-" 

"My problem is, Deviant," Ajak hissed "is that I should have exterminated your forefathers when I had the chance! If I'd had known they would have lead to your birth, I would have gladly done so!" 

That caught Kamala's attention. She stood up straight, her previous issues put on the backburner for now. "What are you talking about?" Did this crazy lady just threaten genocide?!

"Ajak!" Off to the side, Captain America stood ready, with She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Ghost Rider, and even Deadpool all ready and waiting. "Stand down!" 

"You don't give orders to me, defiler!" Ajak spat. "You live in the corpse of my god! Your turn will come!"

"Hey, the Celestials gave the Tower to us!" Ghost Rider shouted as Captain Marvel held out a arm in front of him. 

"Enough of this! I tire of words! Yours and Zuras's both!" Without any other warning, Ajak blasted Kamala with twin bolts of cosmic power, engulfing her. The Avengers shouted and readied to attack . . . until the energy faded away, revealing Kamala, completely unharmed. 

Kamala pat down her costume. "Huh. Tingly." She looked up at Ajak, who stood there slack jaw for a moment. But just a moment. With a roar the Eternal flew at the Inhuman, fists first. Kamala caught them both, holding Ajak in place no matter how much she struggled. 

"Wha- How?!" 

Kamala tried not to smirk, but it was hard. "Dude, I just fought Hyperion. He's way stronger than you." With a spin and a side-step, Kamala threw Ajak to the ground face first. The priestess skid across the ground several feet, digging a trail in the dirt. "Also, he has better self control." 

Ajak climbed to her feet, spitting out dirt and mumbling out curses. "Wretch! I will-!" As she tried to charge, Ajak found herself stopped by hand on her shoulder and a body in her way. "Wha- Makkari? When did you get here?" 

"She was slowed down by us." Said Ikaris, descending from the sky with Sprite to tow. 

Kamala blinked. That was slow? I didn't even see her move! 

"Hey kid." Captain Marvel walked over to her, not using her real name in public. "You okay?" 

"Nothing broken. What was that about?" 

Ghost Rider and the rest of the Avengers walked over. The boney hero shrugged. "Bet it was the whole Mother-Goddess thing. Ajak gets testy when she thinks something is an insult or a threat to the Celestials." 

"I have no doubt the Eternals know about the Gauntlet." Steve frowned. "That certainly played a role. However, I'm more concerned as to what she was alluding to." 

Carol was frowning as well as they watched the Eternals gather a a circle and whisper among themselves. "Was she talking about Inhumans? Or a more . . . generalized group?" 

Kamala didn't like any of the possible answers. If only she could hear what they were-  

"-what were you thinking? Drawing her attention?" 

Kamala blinked. "Huh?" 

"She's a threat to our very existence Ikaris! I'd thought you of all people would understand! You are the Arrow! The man of action!" 

"What is it kid?" 

Kamala brushed some hair away from her ear. "I can hear them." She whispered. "The Gauntlet must have responded to my desires again." 

"If the godling is a threat now it is only because you made her one!" 

"Got to love those self-fulfilling prophecies!" 

"Shut it, Sprite! You all know what could happen should she find out! I know you fear her response!" 

Kamala tilted her head. "Find out about wha-"

Bodies. 

Millions of bodies. Corpses piled high as mountains. 

A million years. Death and rebirth. People dying and never knowing why. 

Fuel for the Eternals' immortality. 

"MS. MARVEL!" 

She was on her hands and knees. It took Kamala a moment to realized that. She was in the city, on her hands and knees. She felt tears rolling down her face. 

That . . . what she saw . . . 

Hot bile rose up from her throat and spilled out all over the ground. Her entire body shuttered. 

"Ms. Marvel!" Carol grabbed her by her shoulders, held her still. "Kamala." She whispered in her ears. "Stay with me! Talk to me!" 

"Tony!" Steve shouted into his earpiece. "We need a medical evac now!" Around them, Mindful Ones and humans were gathering, most of them expressing concern, a few of them shouting. 

Kamala was barely aware of any of it. She looked up from the ground, and managed to lock eyes with the Eternals standing on the other side of the street. 

She knew. They knew she knew. 

Sprite gulped. "Oh balls." 

Kamala exploded into rainbow of divine fury, launching herself at the Eternals with a primal scream.

Chapter Text

Ikaris loved to fight. He loved the thrill of battle, the challenge of facing a worthy opponent head-to-head. He was so straightforward in both his actions and desires he was known as the Arrow by both the Machine and his fellow Eternals. 

However, there was a world of difference between fighting a mighty foe, and desperately trying to survive the wrath of a vengeful deity. Made even worse by the fact that said young deity was completely in the right. 

Ikaris was thrown backwards, his body racked with pain. He bounced across the ground once, twice, before finally manage to dig his feet in under him, carving two small trenches into the dirt before finally coming to a stop. His knees buckled, but he stayed standing, somehow. Every bone in his body ached from the blow. And I wasn't even her main target! 

About a hundred feet away, Ikaris's enhanced eyes could see Ajak laying down on the ground in a heap, her armor and cape torn asunder. Makkari was kneeling beside her, less injured, but not untouched. Ikaris got the sense they were both still alive only because Ms. Marvel willed it so. 

Of Sprite there was no sign. That was good. Her tricks might only make things worse. Better that she escaped while the going was good. 

Ms. Marvel was flying towards them; the perfect picture of divine fury, cloaked in a rainbow sun. She had thrown them out of the city none too gently, dropping them miles away in the middle of a grassy field. Now she was coming to pass proper judgement. She was beautiful, in a way; Ikaris had to admit that. While he wasn't a degenerate like Eros, if the godling had been a few thousand years older Ikaris might have tried his luck. 

Shame she'd sooner kill me than court me. 

She was closer now, close enough that the wind howled, and the air rippled with divine power. A different man might have tried to run, or maybe fallen to his knees and begged for forgiveness. 

But Ikaris was the Arrow. When faced with death, he had only one answer. 

He spat out a glob of blood, smiled, and charged. 

He flew at supersonic speeds, got right into her face, and was immediately smacked down into the dirt. 

His vision briefly went white as he felt something crack within his skull. When he could see again, he saw Ms. Marvel floating above him like an avenging angel. Despite the pain shooting up and down his body, Ikaris laughed. 

"At least," he said through a broken jaw "it took an all-powerful being . . . to put me down." 

Ms. Marvel raised her hand- 

"HOLD IT!!" 

Ikaris spat out a curse as Sprite suddenly materialized between him and her. What was that fool girl thinking?! 

Oh God what am I thinking?! 

Sprite stood before Ms. Marvel, forcing a smile on her face while desperately trying not to piss herself. The Eternal known simply as the Child, for she was the only one, often wasn't one for long term planning. However, she wasn't being completely stupid here. She hoped. 

"Heeeey, Ms. Marvel." Sprite mentally cursed how her voice cracked from fear. "I . . . I guess you know the truth. You want to kill Ikaris and the others for what happened. You'd be right to do so." 

"Sprite." Ikaris groaned in the dirt. 

Let me cook! "However, they didn't choose to exist this way. Neither did I. We took advantage of it, sure, but we didn't cause it. Judge us for that, if you must. And if you decide we must die . . . then you'd have to kill me too." Sprite looked like a child. She thought like a child. She was a child, age not withstanding. And heroes don't kill children. Please still be a hero, not a god. Please, please please . . . 

Ms. Marvel trembled in the air before slowly touching down on the dirt. The aura of divine fury slowly faded, becoming dimmer and dimmer till it became nothing at all. It was only then that Sprite could see the tears pouring down the young goddess's face. 

"You're . . ." Ms. Marvel hickuped. "You're under arrest." 

Sprite nodded, and hugged Ms. Marvel, allowing the girl to sob into her shoulder. Sprite might be manipulative at times, but she tried not to be a monster. 

"What . . ." Captain Marvel said as she and the rest of the Avengers finally made it over. "What happened?" 

Ikaris painfully made it to his feet. "We . . . are now your prisoners. We will tell you everything." 

"That's cool and all but, uh," The Ghost Rider looked over to the side. "Where did the other two go?" 

The others followed his gaze. Ajak and Makkari were gone. 

Sprite felt a bottomless pit open up in her stomach. "Oh crap. Again." 

"She knows." Zuras let those words hang in the air as he stared out the window overlooking the whole of fair Olympia. "Makkari brought me the message. Wrote it down, in truth. Ms. Marvel knows about the source of our immortality." 

Zuras turned to look upon at Druig, who stood a few feet away, near to the door of the Prime-Eternal's room. "Tell me your thoughts." 

The Lord of Flames and Nightmares stroke his thin, black beard. It was widely believed that he was the inspiration for the mortal concept of the Villian Stereotype. And for good reason. "Ms. Marvel is young, heroic and brash. An older, wiser god might be able to see the necessity of this sacrifice. She, however, will not." He frowned. "Her very existence is a threat to both the Machine and us." 

Zuras nodded. "I thought likewise. The problem is . . . how are we to wage war against an all-powerful foe?" 

"Her youth is our ally." Druig said with his serpent tongue. "She knows not the full extent of her power. And her own allies are far less formidable. What's more, an . . . associate of mine has come across some information about the godling. Information that, if told to the right ears, and in the right way, could grant us powerful allies of our own." 

"What could that possible be?" Zuras asked. 

"Ms. Marvel is a Mutant. She has the X-Gene." 

Zuras frowned. Eons of experience informed his thoughts. ". . . We would make war against both the Avengers and the X-Men. These best be powerful allies indeed." 

Druig smiled. "They are. Besides, is it not the Eternals' duty to correct excess deviation?" 

Zuras hummed. Mutants could be considered Deviants depending on your point of voice. The question was, would he make it official? 

The Prime-Eternal closed his eyes. "The safety of the Machine comes before all things." He opened them, and cosmic energy danced before his sight. "Make it so." 

Chapter Text

Steve sat silently at the table in the Tower, the shield propped up against his chair. He drummed his fingers against the wood non-too gently, thump-thump-thump. It took him a few moments to speak without growling out the words. 

"So, it's true." It wasn't a question. 

Across the table, Carol nodded, looking grimmer than Steve had ever seen her. "Ikaris told us everything. Apparently, the Eternals were designed to take the lives of others to fuel their immortality. It's been going on for a million years; basically all of human existence." 

"That is why the Eternals never seemed interested in interacting with the rest of humanity." T'Challa spoke from the other side of the mounted screen, still back in Wakanda. "We are their cattle and we never even knew it."

A few feet away, Tony snorted. "Wonder if that means Sersi is into bestiality?" 

"Tony." Carol said with a concerned frown. 

"What? You don't see the joke here? We've been so worried about Kamala that we didn't even notice the immortal mass-murders living right next door!"  Stark pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hell, when Ikaris came back after all the Eternals died I made a joke about it! How many people died all at once to bring their entire population back?!" 

Steve was out of his seat now. He walked over to Tony and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently but firmly. "Tony, maybe you should take the rest of the day off. We got this for now." 

Stark looked like he was about to argue the point, but he slowly shrunk in on himself. He looked so damn tired. ". . . Sure. Alright." He made towards the door. "But if you need me you call, alright? Be it Eternals, or supervillains-" 

"I'm back." Strange said, entering the room through a rippling portal. 

"-or that freaking Mindful city of Khan worshippers that Strange didn't warn us about." 

"I'm gone again." Strange hoped back into the portal, shutting it closed behind him. 

Tony gave a slight grin before leaving the room. At least he was feeling better. 

"Where are Ikaris and Sprite now?" Asked T'Challa. 

"In the holding cells." Steve explained. "Willingly. They surrendered to us." 

Carol folded her arms under her chest. "They might be the only ones to do so. From what I understand, many of the Eternals see Kamala as a threat. Ajak may have acted without the leave of the others, but now that Kamala knows the truth. . ." 

Steve scowled. He knew the end of that sentence. 

A race of people who considered themselves innately superior to others. Who built themselves up by the slaughter of those they considered lesser. 

Steve tried not to let his past experiences color his view, but this was all disturbingly familiar. 

"I will never allow anyone commit mass murder and get away with it." Steve said firmly, with all the authority of the leader he often claimed he wasn't. "We will contact Olympia. See what they have to say. And if they aren't willing to talk, to do what is right, well, I already fought one war against a so-called superior race, why not two?" 

Kamala was home. She was curled up under her covers, on her bed. She should have felt safe. She didn't. 

She bit back another sob. She could still see it when she closed her eyes. So much death. 

How . . . How could they do that? So many innocent people! The Eternals were supposed to be heroes! Ikaris and Sprite both fought to protect humanity on multiple occasions! Sersi was an Avenger at one point! Why, why, why . . . 

She was crying again when she heard the knock on the door. "Go away!" She said hoarsely. 

"Kamala?" That wasn't her parents or her brother. 

Kamala sat up, moving the blanket off from her head. "Miles?" 

The young man slowly opened her door. He was fully in his street clothes, not a spider or web in sight. "Hey." He said, closing the door behind him as he entered her room. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Your mom let me in when I explained who I was." He sat at the foot of her bed. "She's worried about you. Your whole family is. You locked yourself in your room without a word." 

Kamala wiped the snot from her nose with her sleeve. "I . . . I didn't want to tell them what I saw. It's too much . . ." 

Miles laid a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me. Please." He stared right into her eyes. 

It all came rushing out. The Eternals. Their immortality. The deaths. By the end of it Miles was crying too, but he still pulled her into her arms, gently rubbing her back. It was . . . nice. Both the rub and being able to unload. She wasn't crying as hard anymore. 

"I have to stop it." Kamala said with finality. "I'm the only one who can. I can take away their immortality, make the process not work anymore. But if I do it . . ." 

"It will mean war." Miles frowned as he dried his eyes. "No way in Hell will those guys give up their Get-Out-Of-Death-Free card." 

"What do you think?" Kamala lifted her head off Miles's chest to look up at him. Miles seemed to ponder it for a moment, before smiling. 

"I think you'll do the same thing you always do. The right thing." 

Kamala finally smiled again as she hugged him. "Thank you." 

Miles hugged her back. "No problem. Let me know if you need any help. I always wanted to punch out some evil demi-gods." 

Kamala laughed. "Oddly specific." 

"I have very specific tastes." 

The two young heroes laughed, and downstairs the Khans smiled with relief. 

Libra stood outside the house. He wore a suit and sunglasses to hide his deformity. He looked without sight; at the very least Khan was wise enough to put up a barrier after the Hood's attack. Invisible to most, it would prevent any who mean harm from entering. Even him. 

Still, she could not stay in there forever. The Universe was on Libra's side, and he had finished his preparations. 

He would wait. 

Chapter Text

"This has been long overdue." Thor said allowed as he marched through the golden halls of Omnipotence City. Next to him, Loki shrugged, hands in the pockets of that oversized coat. 

"Well brother, the old farts are slow to act at the best of times. Only makes sense it would take them this long to call an assembly." 

Thor did not verbally agree; as the leader of the Asgardians it would be poor form if he was seen actively insulting the other Skyfathers. He did, however, grunt. 

"What are the chances they dust off a throne for Khan and proclaim her their new princess?" Loki asked with a knowing grin. 

This time Thor had to scoff. "Unlikely. Now hush; I'd rather not be kicked out." 

Omnipotence City was a grand metropolis built twelve billion years ago outside of mortal reality. It was constructed soon after the First Great War of the Gods by the Lords of the Dawn, the first of the Elder Gods.  It was the nexus of divinity, where gods of all pantheons could come to air their grievances, or forge alliances, or bring to attention issues that affect all gods. 

Thor wagered this current parliament would be about all three. 

Thor and Loki exited the hallway and entered into the Asgardian spot of the Parliament of Pantheons. A grand meeting hall larger than some mortal cities, it was the closest thing the city had to a proper government, meant to promote peace and unity among the gods of the universe. 

The current level of angry shouting showed that it currently wasn't doing its intended job. Not that it ever did. 

"Oh good they started without us." Said Loki. 

"Order!" The Lord Librarian shouted from the center of the room. No gods knew his name, for he was older than most of them. "We will have order!" 

It took longer than Thor would like for things to quiet down. The Thunder God took the moments to observe the room. He saw quite a few familiar faces; Belobog and his dark twin Chernobog. Old Ra, apparently having left retirement yet again. Quetzalcoatl, one of the few gods to prefer a non-humanoid form. Amaterasu, the only Skymother in attendance. The Monkey King, picking his nose; clearly he drew the short straw in the Jade Court. And, of course- 

"We must act!" Zeus shouted, lightning dancing from his eyes. "The longer we wait, the greater the chance this child will do something to endanger us all!" 

"And what would you have us do, Olympian?" Amaterasu challenged. "Kamala Khan now wields omnipotence. True omnipotence, not the limited kind many of us here enjoy. That puts her above even the Elder Gods. She can make gods such as us . . . and unmake them." 

"Exactly why we should strike first!" The Master of the Lightning Bolt roared. "She has yet to master her power! We must cut her down while we have a chance!" 

Thor frowned. It was not too long ago that Zeus had been slain by the unleashed Nyx. Thankfully, the primordial goddess had been defeated in the end, and while Zeus returned not long after, for it was truly hard to slay a god in a way that stuck, his time in the Underworld had not changed the already brutish god-king for the better. Thor had even heard he had spent some time in deep space as a pirate, of all things.

"You speak much of battle, King Zeus," said Thor Odinson, "but I cannot help but notice you have not volunteered to face her yourself as you would in the past. Does the slayer of titans and giants fear a young girl?" 

A chuckle rose among the assembled deities. Good; if they were laughing at Zeus, they would be less inclined to agree with him. Of course, it also meant Thor now had Zeus's full attention. "And what would you have use do, boy? Should we bend the knee to our new queen? Place her upon a throne and call her Demiurge? Welcome our new Supreme Being; a child barely out of her diapers?!" 

Loki spoke before Thor could. "Why not? It's not like she could do a worse job than you." 

Laughter and grumbling rang out in equal measure, and from the look of Zeus's face it was only because of the laws of guest rights that he and Loki remained unsmote. Thor fought to keep the wince off his face; it was not that he disagreed with Loki exactly, but did his brother have to put it so bluntly? Zeus's skin was already thin as it is. 

"I should have expected as much, Liesmith." Zeus growled, his voice rumbling like distant thunder. "You and your brother already have influence on the child. No doubt Asgard seeks to rule the universe through her!" 

Loki gave a single, barking laugh. "You know, the funny thing is, if you had said that a few years ago, you might have actually be right! But no, I have no desire to rule, either openly of secretly. You have any idea how much work that would be? What kind of giant, jotun of a fool would want to try and rule the whole universe?" His smile turned predatory as he stared Zeus down. "Oh, wait. That would be you." 

Lightning crackled around Zeus, and Thor could smell ozone. "Brother, enough." The King of Asgard turned to face the assembled gods. "Fellow Skyfathers! Gods one and all! Like it or no, Kamala Khan is the lawful keeper of the Infinity Stones, as proclaimed by the Living Tribunal! She is the rightful Supreme Being of this universe!" 

It seemed not all the gods assembled had been aware of that bit of information, if the sudden discourse was anything to go by. It was Amaterasu who spoke next when things calmed down. 

"There has not been a Supreme Being in this universe since the Primordial Demiurge. By law, we gods owe Princess Khan our allegiance." 

"Unacceptable!" Ra shouted, his beaky face managing to look outraged. "Most of us here are older than her entire world! An infant cannot sit upon the throne!" 

"Why not?" The Monkey King said lazily. "You lot could use some young blood around here." He stretched and yawn. "Whatever. Gonna take a nap. Wake me when you all decide something. Like that would ever happen." 

With that any sense of unity was loss as the gods began to bicker among themselves. The Lord Librarian shouted for order again and again. He might as well have shouted into the void. As it continued, Thor and Loki slowly snuck away, back into the halls of the city. 

"Well done brother." Loki said with a rare, honest smile. "I couldn't have done better myself." 

"And I didn't even have to lie to do it." Said Thor. "That should keep them busy for some time yet. By then either the Gauntlet will be removed . . . or Kamala will have mastered it. Either way, the hardliners will not have a leg to stand on." 

"And what of Asgard, brother? Will you support the princess, should it come to war?"

Thor thought about that. He did not know Kamala well, but he knew of her. A kind, earnest, responsible young lady who always tried to do what was right, even if it would bring her trouble. Almost the exact opposite of how he was in his youth. 

"Should it come to war? Aye brother, I think I will." 

". . . So does this mean I can visit her again?" 

"Nay."

Chapter Text

Kamala sat at the dinner table, sandwiched between her father and her brother. Opposite of her sat her mother, sitting down with a plate of her own after serving everyone else. Little Malik's and Tyesha's spots were currently empty; the baby had thrown one of those little fits babies sometimes do and Tyesha took him into the other room so he could roll around the living room floor till he was ready to eat. Her brother's wife wasn't missing much, aside from the awkwardness. 

"So, let me just run through this one more time." Her Abu said, wiping his beard clean. "You've been Ms. Marvel since the big Inhuman mist bomb thing?" 

"Ah, basically yeah." Kamala picked a bit at her food, her fork held by her Gauntlet hand. She thought about making it invisible again around her family, but what would be the point? 

"And that" he pointed at the god-glove "got stuck on your hand when you and the Avengers fought Thanos?" 

"It wasn't just the Avengers. The Champions were there, and the X-Men, and . . ." She trailed off; she still couldn't bring herself to mention the Eternals. Not now.

"Yusuf dear, you have been over this with her five times now." Kamala's Ammi said with a slight huff. 

"Because I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it!" Yusuf nearly dropped his fork. "I feel like I woke up yesterday and everyone I knew suddenly had powers! What's next? Will I walk into the next room and find Malik flying about, touching the ceiling?" 

"Let's not jinx it, father." Aamir said as he finished his lengthily prayers. "Between Kamala and myself this family has enough superpowers as is." 

"You know bro, you're taking this really well." Kamala turned in her seat to face her brother. "I mean, Ammi I get. She's known about my normal powers for a while," and wasn't that a blow to the ego. Kamala thought this whole time she was being super sneaky, "but I half expected you to have a mental breakdown." 

"Oh, it was a close thing don't let my stoic demeaner fool you." Aamir shrugged. "But honestly? With all those games you play and cartoons you watch I was worried that you'd mentally regress to the mind of an infant or fall into a cult. Compared to those worries, getting the alien infidel glove stuck on your hand is almost a relief." 

". . . Thank you . . . I think?" She could never tell if Aamir was joking or not.

"Don't rule out the cult just yet." Her father smirked. "I can still see the city from our backyard on a clear, sunny day." 

Kamala groaned. Right. That. Last she checked, the Mindful Ones were still building, using their powers to make their structures larger and taller. Thankfully they were not expanding the city's boundaries, but it was only a matter of time before some of them would want to visit the city where their "Mother-Goddess" lives. 

Wait. Did I just turn Jersey into the Mindful One version of Mecca? 

. . . Crap. 

Before Kamala could dwell too long on that bit of extra stress, Tyesha walked into the room, holding a happily gurgling Malik. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think there is something everyone needs to see." 

Yusuf raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, don't tell me he actually flew." 

Tyesha blinked. "I don't know what . . . just come here please." 

The Khans dutifully got up from their evening meal and followed mother and baby from dining room to living room, where Tyesha directed them to the front window. "See that guy?" She pointed to a man in a suit and hat, standing across the street, facing the Khan home. 

Muneeba nodded. "Yes. I think I've seen him before. Yesterday." She frowned. "In fact . . . now that I think about it, he was standing like that before as well. In that exact spot." 

Tyesha nodded. "I thought so." 

Aamir's eyes widen. "My love, are you saying this man has been standing outside our house for almost the past two days?" 

"I'm afraid so. Anyone you know Kamala? Kamala?" 

Kamala wasn't listening to her sister-in-law. She stared at the man. To a normal person that man looked like an ordinary white guy in a dark suit, wearing a hat and sunglasses. But Kamala was not an ordinary person, especially not now. Ever since she got stabbed Kamala strove to be more aware of her surroundings and potential dangers. As such, she could see the raw power that flowed in and around the stranger like an unyielding torrent. 

Power that looked and felt far too familiar to be coincidence. 

"Stay inside." Before her family could say another word, Kamala was outside, on the street. She was in her Ms. Marvel outfit, staring the man in the eyes. Or she would have, if he had any. 

"About time." The stranger smirked. "You've been practicing with your power, but not your senses. A costly mistake. Someone born to this power would be able to see and hear everything in the universe." 

Kamala had no idea that she could do that, but she wasn't about to let this creeper know. "Yeah, well I was never that nosey. Unlike someone I could mention. What are you, Eternity's alt-account or something?"

"Hmm." The stranger took off his hat. He didn't look old, but his hair was pure white. Kamala wasn't sure if that was natural or the result of the power. "I am Libra. I am . . . a servant of balance. Universal balance. To that end, Eternity allows me to act as their avatar on the mortal plane." 

"So, you're like . . . what? A D&D cleric? Or maybe a warlock?" 

"If you'd like to make that comparison, yes." 

Kamala worked her jaw. "Well, I hate to tell you this, but spying on my family is still a no-no, phenomenal cosmic power or no. Let me just introduce you to the nice superheroes who . . . aren't here." Kamala spun around and around. There were no heroes nearby. There were always heroes near her house after she got the Gauntlet. 

"You really should have worked on your senses." Libra sounded almost smug there. 

Kamala dropped into a fighting stance. "What did you do?" 

"Nothing serious. I just wanted no interruptions." Lightning quick, Libra placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take this someplace else." 

And in a blink of an eye, they were gone.

Chapter Text

Kamala fought the urge to vomit. 

The lurching sensation when they moved; it was like every molecule of her being had moved at different speeds before coming to a sudden stop. Nothing like teleporting under her own power. 

"Urk!" Kamala had one hand over her mouth and the other over her tummy. "You jerk! You did that on purpose!" 

Libra just stood there, hands behind his back, weathering her glare with all the emotion of a statue. He had apparently lost his shirt in the transition; his bear chest had large scales tattooed upon it. "I am not that petty. I just needed to use some extra power to overcome the Gauntlet's natural resistances. Made travel a bit choppy." 

Kamala swallowed down the bile in her throat. "Eck . . . I'll show you choppy." Glancing around as she steadied herself, she saw that the two of them were standing upon a large weathered platform in the void of space. There were no planets or moons anyway near them, just a backdrop of stars. The platform had clearly seen better days; it was cracked and falling apart in places, with several crumbled structures. At its highest point sat a throne made of stone, with the top left corner broken clean off. 

"Wait . . . I know this place." Kamala's fangirl knowledge of superheroes pinged in her brain. "This is Thanos's platform." 

"Correct." Libra looked upon the throne with sightless eyes. "The one he constructed after gaining the Gauntlet. The one from which he wiped out half the universe. The one upon which he lost the power." 

Kamala frowned. "So . . . what? Are you saying I'm going to become like him? Did you bring me here to kill me? Cause that's not going to work out. For anyone." 

Libra shook his head. "No and no. A direct battle between the Avatar of Eternity and the Bearer of Infinity could sunder the very universe." 

Kamala had to hide a shudder. "Yeah, I'd rather that not happen, thank you."

"I brought you here, Khan, because I need you to understand; Thanos was a better wielder of the Infinity Stones than you. He was more deserving than you." 

For a moment, Kamala didn't respond. The words were so insane the rational part of her brain screamed she must have misheard the man. ". . . Say wha?" 

"You heard me. Thanos earned the stones by besting the Elders of the Universe. He won them through strength and cunning." He pointed a finger at her. "You, on the other hand, literally had ultimate power accidently land right in your hands." 

"Yes!" Kamala shouted. "Yes, it was an accident! Yes, I never wanted this! But you have to be totally nuts to think that Thanos should have the Gauntlet! He's a monster!"

"Morality has nothing to do with it." Libra said with utter certainty. "The idea that divinity and goodness go hand-in-hand is a mortal concept, and a flawed one at that."

"That's crap." Kamala held up her Gauntleted hand. "The only way this power should be used is to help people! Anyone who says otherwise is a liar or a fool!" 

Libra raised a single eyebrow. "Very well then. If you believe so strongly that a god should be all-good, let us put it to the test." Viper quick, Libra jabbed Kamala right in the middle of her forehead with a single finger, causing the young lady to stumble back a step. 

"Hey, what the . . . the . . ." She trailed off. It started low. A distant rumbling growing ever closer. Then it came crashing upon her all at once. Sights and sounds. Alien worlds and familiar cities. People crying in pain, in fear, in desperation. There, children trapped in a burning home. There, the Kree invading a peaceful world. There, a drought threatening to kill off an entire civilization. There, there, there. 

Kamala didn't notice that she had fallen to her knees. She squeezed her head with her hands in pain and horror. "What . . . What did you DO!?!?!" 

"It's like I said; you haven't been using your new senses." Libra shrugged. "All I did was switch your omniscience on. You are currently seeing an entire universe in pain. What are you going to do about it?"

Kamala had vanished before he finished saying the words. Still, she heard them. 

"Reed, tell me you got something?" 

Reed shook his head as he examined the screen. "I'm sorry Tony. Wherever this man took Ms. Marvel, it's not in this solar system. I would be able to detect the Gauntlet's energy even underneath the strongest of shielding." 

Tony frowned. He expected that, but he wasn't happy about it. "The team found Nextwave in a abandon building. As far as they know, one minute they were watching her house, the next they were waking up someplace else." 

Reed rubbed his beard. "Sounds like they were put into statis. I can expand my sensors to scan the larger galaxy, but that will take hours to complete." 

"Do it. Leave no stone unturned." Suddenly Tony's left gauntlet beeped; a little blue light blinking on and off. An incoming priority message. Tony answered it with a mental command, and from his holographic display popped up a very familiar, green haired, constantly angry-looking lady. 

"Abigail Brand." Tony said, giving his patented Stark-Smile #351. "I'm sorry; normally I'd love to talk to the head of S.W.O.R.D. or the commander of Alpha Flight or whatever-the-heck you are right now, but I got a lot on my plate at the moment." 

"Would that have anything to do with the fact that your pet Inhuman is currently popping up all over the galaxy putting out fires and interceding in alien wars?" 

It was a rare thing for Tony Stark to be at a lost for words. He didn't like it. 

Kamala didn't know the name of the planet she was on. That was a good thing; that meant she finally turn the omniscience off. 

She was bent over, hands on her knees, panting. Sweat rolled down her face and dripped upon the dry soil of the world. How much did she do? How long had it been? 

"Second question first." Libra walked over in a beam of light. "It has been just over three hours. As for what you did; you stopped seven invasions and wars, prevented thirty-two natural disasters, performed eight-hundred and five individual rescues, and stopped nearly two thousand random crimes." The infuriating man smiled. "Also, you need to stop projecting your thoughts so loudly." 

Kamala spoke between gasps. "Screw . . . you . . ." 

"Don't be mad because I showed you the truth, it's unbecoming." Libra held out his hands. "Now do you see? You can't do this. You can't use the Gauntlet to help everyone. It was not meant to be in the hands of a mortal. Especially one that cares. You'll either burn out, or go mad." 

Kamala stood there, wordlessly. . . . Is he right? Is this pointless? There was so much pain. Still so much pain happening. Maybe . . . I can't . . . 

NO. 

She remembered healing Selby. Healing Blackwood. Helping the Mindful Ones. All those people who will live. Because of her. 

Libra didn't care about any of them.

She stood up, straightening her back. "Maybe I can't help everyone . . . but I can still help some people. I'll help as many as I can, Gauntlet or no Gauntlet!" 

Libra sighed, disappointed. "I expected as much. You are becoming quite the annoyance, Khan. You are affecting the balance with your very existence." 

Kamala felt herself rapidly losing patience with this guy. "Well, sorry that having this thing stuck on my arm is hurting your fancy balance-" 

"It's more than that." Libra frowned. "In the next few months, you weren't supposed to be here." 

". . . Like, this planet, or . . . ?" 

"Khan, you were supposed to die within the next six months."

Chapter Text

It was a strange thing, to look upon your own dead body. For a moment Kamala thought she was staring at some poor girl dressed as her laying in Spider-Man's arms. Not Miles, the other one. But no, she recognized her own face, her own body. 

Her own death. 

"Where . . ." Kamala forcibly swallowed, she needed to get her throat wet again to actually talk. "Where are we?" 

"A few months from now. In a timeline that has been unmade." Libra said, standing next to her. The living her. "We are merely looking in. The people here cannot see, hear, or touch us." 

She barely heard Libra's explanation of the mechanics as she watched Spider-Man - Peter Parker, her new all-knowingness chimed in - cradle the other her, rocking back and forth on his knees. He was weeping, and between his sobs she could make out the words "I'm sorry" and "It's my fault."

"Why . . . why is he blaming himself?" 

"Because he owns a part of it." Libra shrugged. "A madman was trying to bring his god into real-space. The ritual to do so required a specific human sacrifice, as such things often do." 

Kamala got a flash of a red-headed woman. "Mary Jane." 

Libra hummed. "You are improving. Your counterpart learned of this plot and, noble fool that she was, decided to help Parker in its defeat. To that end, she decided to shapeshift into Mary Jane so the real one could escape." Libra looked with sightless eyes. "It worked a little too well. The lunatic stabbed you in the heart, thinking you were her. Your Inhuman healing factor couldn't repair damage like that. A pointless death." 

"Pointless?" 

Libra nodded. "Oh yes. The arrival of an evil god would not have gone unnoticed. Even if his plan had worked, the Avengers would have come and defeated him. Parker was fooled by a false future where the god had won, but with the likes of Thor and Strange and Captain Marvel protecting it, Earth is too well guarded for any but the mightiest of cosmic beings to siege." 

Kamala thought about it. That . . . made sense. Earth did have a lot of heavy hitters. She was about to say something when she felt Libra's face turn towards her. 

"Now do you understand, Kamala? You were never meant for greatness. Never meant for divinity. Your destiny was to die. That is all." 

. . . Is he right? Is my life . . . a mistake? She knew she wasn't supposed to get the Gauntlet. She knew that. But now, staring down at the stones on her hand, she felt . . . she felt . . . 

Wait. "Mary Jane? What happened to her? Did she live?" 

Libra seemed taken aback. "What?" 

"Did she live? Yes or no?" 

"Of course she did." Libra answered, slightly confused. 

Kamala nodded. "And if that evil god got summoned, I'm guessing some other people would have gotten killed before the Avengers could stop it." 

Libra frowned. "True enough. What is your point?" 

Despite everything, Kamala smiled. It was a fragile smile, but a smile none the less. "Then . . . it wasn't pointless. I would have died saving lives. That's . . . that is at good way to go." 

". . . You cannot be serious." Libra said in growing anger. "All mortals value their own lives over the lives of others! It is built into our very DNA!" 

"If that was the case, then heroes wouldn't exist." Kamala scoffed before jabbing a finger at Libra's bare chest, poking him right in the scales of balance. "And you aren't telling me the whole story! There's more that happens after my death here. I can feel it!" 

Libra flinched, and Kamala had to grin. Got ya, jerkface. She didn't have the chance to revel in her victory, as Libra's scowl turned truly thunderous. 

"Alright then, child." He said the word like it was the vilest of slurs. "Seems you are fine at dealing with things on the small scale. But this power you fell into is not meant for the small scale. Let us see if you can understand the true burdens of godhood." 

"Oh, for the love of - I'm not a-" Before she could get the words out, Kamala found herself once more standing on Thanos's crumbling platform in the void of space. This time she was alone.

"Oh! Um, huh. I don't think I'm lucky enough that he just gave up and went home." She reached out with her senses, carefully this time. Extending bit by bit, and only looking for Libra. She focused on a picture of him in her mind's eye. "Now, where are . . . you . . . oh crap." 

"I think you are over-reacting a bit, Agent Brand." 

"Stark, are you the one with multiple alien empires breathing down your neck?" Abigail Brand's scowl was something out of legend. Now that she had arrived in person and was no longer on a screen or in a hologram Tony could see all the little angry details. The flare of her nostrils and the little angry lines around her mouth. "It was bad enough when we just had Danvers running around like an idiot-" 

"I can hear you!" Carol said from across the room. 

"I hope you can!" Abigail shouted before once again rounding on Tony. "Where did she even get the Infinity Gauntlet?! She's basically a child! What is happening on this rock?!"

Tony thought about it. "I mean . . . did you want the list chronologically or alphabetically?" 

Brand raised her hands in a strangling motion towards Stark neck, but she paused when the emergency alarms went off. 

"Oh, thank Khan - I mean oh no, we need to check that out!" Tony and the two women raced outside and looked up.

And up. And up.

Looming over not a tower, not a city, but the entire world was a star-sized humanoid glowing black and white. On his chest was a scale symbol larger than most planets. His right hand was reaching out and down, covering the whole Earth in its shadow as it drew closer.

"Stark. Danvers." Abigail spoke without emotion. "What . . . is happening?" 

"I don't know." Carol answered, numb. 

"I'll tell you." Said Tony. "I'm pissing myself, that's what." 

Chapter Text

Johnny Storm stood atop the Baxter Building, look up so much that his neck was beginning to ache. High above, that massive hand attached to that even more massive body was slowly getting ever closer as it blocked out the sky, plunging the whole world in shadows. 

"Reed? It's close enough I can see its pores. Please tell me you are ready." 

A few feet away on his knees, Reed fiddled one of his many devices. It was a box like thing with all sorts of tubes and knobs. "Just need a few more adjustments. If I do this wrong the planetary force field will become a planetary black hole." 

"The kids are safe in the panic room." Sue said as she marched up to the roof. "Reed, your anti-Galactus suit is charging." 

Reed hummed. "I'm afraid all that would do is slow this one down." 

"Hey, um." Ben scratched his rocky chest. "I hate to be the one to bring this up, but are we sure we don't want Franklin here? I mean, this is sort of his ballpark." 

"I'm afraid not." Reed held up a tricorder-looking gizmo. "According to these readings, this foe is drawing power directly from Eternity. Even Franklin is not strong enough to -ah." 

"Ah?" Johnny nearly snapped his own neck turning. It had gotten so stiff. "Your ahs are never good Reed." 

"Good and bad this time." Reed slowly lowered his tricorder. "A second energy signature just popped up. One even larger. The good is I recognize it. The bad is-" 

"EMBIGGEN!" 

The massive hand lurched and was pulled away. The starry giant grunted in annoyance as he floated slightly away from Earth. As he did, the whole world could see his upper body turn to stare at another giant; one far more familiar to humanity. 

"The bad is that now the whole world has front row seats to Ms. Marvel's new power level.

The Earth was smaller than her hand. That was the first thing Kamala noticed. If she was the mind to, she could have literally held it like a baseball. 

Kamala shook her head. No. Focus. Everything is so small. I'm so big. I need to - "ACK!" She squawked in more surprise than pain as Libra decked her across the face.

"Existence on this level. It's disorienting, isn't it?" Libra smirked an eyeless smirk as he then punched Kamala right in the tummy, driving the air from her lungs in a cosmic gale. "It's easy for the mind to get lost. To get overwhelmed." He reeled back his fist, this massive planet-killer. "Fighting makes it worse." 

Kamala caught his fist in her gloved hand. "Actually, I do some of my best thinking in a brawl. I stop getting in my own head!" She kneed him in the groin and was rather pleased by the painful squeal he gave out. Not very heroic, true, but she was all out of patience for this jerkwad. 

"You threaten my home! My world!" She punched him in the face. "And for what? To make a point?" She punched his face again. It was very punchable. "Well guess what, Libra! I don't care! I don't care you think I'm unworthy! I don't care if you say I shouldn't be alive! So long as I live, I'll always protect this world!" She tried to punch him again, but Libra snaked around her arm and put her in a massive headlock strong enough to crack a planet like a nut.

"You have the strength to protect a world, but do you have the strength to kill one when it is required? Look! Look at Earth with your unlocked senses! See not just the physical, but the metaphysical!" Libra pulled Kamala along, so she was looking directly at Earth, keeping her neck secure and looked down. Kamala stared at the Earth and saw an image form around it. Earth was in the chest of a cosmic giant, a very familiar cosmic giant. 

Kamala's eyes widen. "Eternity? Earth is . . . his heart?" 

"On the metaphysical and symbolic planes. Which makes it real enough on the physical realm." Libra explained, never once weakening his grip. "Earth is a focal point for universe defining wars and events. It should have been wiped out a long time ago, but its heroes keep doing the impossible and saving it despite the odds. And in the process, changed Earth's importance on the cosmic scale. So long as the Earth exists, the universe cannot die."

"Thats a good thing!" Kamala screamed. 

"It is not." Libra spoke with no emotion, no love for his birth planet. "The death of this universe means the birth of the next. Many times, this should have happened already, but every time it has been forestalled. Trillions remained unborn." He stared down at Kamala. "As a supreme being, you must put the balance above all other things. Can you do this? Kill billions to birth trillions?" 

". . . No." Kamala said with finality. "Never." 

"I thought not." Libra squeezed his arm around Kamala's neck as energy dance around them, attacking her very cells. "It is like I said: you are too gentle for this power. Too kind. A god must be able to be cruel. To know when to clean house. You-" 

"GET! OFF!" Kamala's body erupted with rainbow light, flinging Libra off her and away from the world. She turned and leaped upon Libra, holding him tight in an energy field. "Let me make this as clear as I can! I! AM! NOT! A! GOD! I didn't want this power! It is literally stuck to my hand!" She waved the Gauntlet in front of his face. "And you're wrong, by the way! A god must be kind! He must love his people! I was taught that my entire life! A god that hates, that doesn't care, is no god at all! And you are no god!" 

Kamala reached out, wrapping her hands around the invisible, intangible wires that connected to Libra. The man shuttered with fear. "Wh-what are you doing?!" 

"Shouldn't have forced me to use my omniscience finally. I saw that you are connected to Eternity. That you draw power from him like a light plugged into a wall. Guess he didn't trust you enough to just give you his power, huh?" 

"Wait!" Libra shouted. "Wait, you foolish little-!" 

"Yoink!" Kamala pulled, and there was the impossible sound of cosmic bindings tearing and snapping. Libra screamed as he shrunk and shrunk. Kamala waited a few moments be de-biggening herself, floating over the sleeping, now fully human Libra, kept alive in space by Kamala's stasis field. 

"Well, now that you're depowered, I'm sure there is a nice, comfy cell for you in the Big House or somewhere. Don't know what the time is for nearly crushing the planet with your hand, but I'm sure it's a few years." She turned around, ready to go back to Earth with her defeated foe, when she had a thought. 

"Huh. You know, we were pretty big. And loud. How much of that did people see and heard?"

Chapter Text

"Details are still coming in, but it appears the unknown creature has been stopped. However, questions abound surrounding Ms. Marvel's-" 

Click. 

"The first human citizens of the so-called Mindful City have moved in today. The Mindful Ones continue to offer free food and housing, although many still wonder if this is out of the goodness of their hearts, or if Ms. Marvel-" 

Click. 

"Do not be deceived my brothers and sisters! The Great Beast is at our doors, and her demons walk the earth! Though she comes in the form of a hero, Ms. Marvel-" 

Click. 

"Ms. Marvel-" 

Click. 

"Ms. Marvel-" 

Click. 

"Ms. Marvel-" 

Click. Nathanial Essex shut the television off, calmly placing the remote down on the table as he turned to face his fellows. The meeting room was large and well lit, despite what the tropes might claim. No one actually plotted in dark rooms. "It has been like that for the past three days. The only people who could possibly remain unaware must be blind, deaf, and dumb." 

Across the table from the immortal scientist, Druig leaned back in his chair, gently playing with his raven beak of a beard. "Don't forget the willfully ignorant, my friend." The Eternal chuckled. "The discourse has remained fairly optimistic so far. After all, who doesn't like the idea of a benevolent god? How quick do you think that will change once we reveal that she is a mutant?" 

Nathanial had to smile. It was a smile perfectly fitting for a man called Mr. Sinister. "Oh, the masses will have conniptions. Sublime and his friends have done a wonderful job making people fear the day an all-powerful mutant would arise to enslave mankind. And behold! Here we are!" He had to laugh. He was pretty sure Ms. Marvel didn't have it in her to dominate a puppy, much less the human race. Of course, the public won't care, sheep that they were.

One chair down from Druig, Namor leaned forward in his seat, trident off to the side. "I must say, I was surprised to learn that you joined a anti-mutant organization, Essex. If Orchis actually achieves their goals, wouldn't you be out of samples to study?" 

Nathanial waved the King of Atlantis off. "Oh, I have plenty of samples stored away, don't worry about me." In truth, he had moved far beyond just mutants a while ago. "I'm more interested in why you would work with a member of an anti-mutant organization?"

Namor frowned. "I am an Atlantean first and a mutant second. A distant second. I must protect my people from all threats. It is only matter of time before the child turns her focus towards my realm." 

"Oh? Have a few drowned skeletons in Davy Jones' locker?" 

Credit where credit is due, Namor did not rise to the bait. "All kingdoms are built on the bones of their enemies. Ms. Marvel is too naive to understand that. She would seek to bring me to justice. Surface-dwellers' justice." He spat. "As if I'd bow to such a thing." 

Floating just off to the side, the bulbous head that was M.O.D.O.K. raised one of his little arms to interrupt. "As much as I too enjoy insulting those who stand against us, I feel the need to bring up the fly in our ointment. Even discounting her massive power increase, Ms. Marvel is still considered an Avengers' member in good standing, and has friends all over the superhuman community. If we move against her, it won't just be the X-Men who step in, but also the Avengers, the Champions, and the Fantastic Four, among others." 

"It matters not." At the head of the table, the deep, dark voice spoke, and all listened. Even Nathanial, much to his own annoyance. Doom just had a presence about him. "Plans are in motion to match Ms. Marvel's powers. As for the other heroes, I know for a fact that Orchis already have plans for them." 

Nathanial nodded. There was no point in trying to deny it. "We knew they weren't going to take genocide lying down. Plans were already being prepared to take them out when the time was right." 

Druig smirked. "Allow me to help with that. We Eternals have weapons that can slay even gods." 

"My Defenders of the Deep stand ready." Namor grabbed his trident. "At but a word, the ocean's wrath will swallow our foes. 

"Well then." M.O.D.O.K. licked his oversized lips. "I'll contact Omega Sentinel and let her know to speed up both the Nimrod Project and that the Stark-Tech integrations are a go. I'm sure that will brighten her day." 

"Just a thought!" Nathanial raised a long finger. "Before we kill the little godling, I'd like to harvest some of her cells. Maybe some eggs?" 

Druig chuckled. "Plan on growing your own little pantheon?" 

Nathanial shrugged shamelessly. "What can I say. Old habits die hard." His smile then turned and showed some teeth. "So will the heroes, it seems. Hard and badly."

Chapter Text

The plane fell from the sky like a stone, its right engine blown out. Not too long ago, this would have never had happened, but ever since superheroes became more and more common, safety regulations became laxer. It annoyed Kamala a bit, but it's not like she wasn't going to save their lives.

She flew under the plan, bracing it with her hands and shoulder as her rainbow aura flared. She had done this hundreds of times in her head growing up, copying the motions of Captain Marvel and Iron Man. The key was not to stop the plane suddenly; if she did the whole thing might snap in half. 

"Alright Kamala. Slowly. Slooooow." She bit her lip as the plane slowed down bit by bit. Thankfully she found a nice open spot just outside the city, just fields of empty grass near some houses. As her feet touched the ground several hundred people gathered around; she wasn't exactly subtle after all. Kamala shimmied herself to the plane's side, and carefully placed it down on the ground. The metal groaned from moving in a way it wasn't designed for, but it stayed in one piece, and no one was hurt. That was what was important. 

"All right!" Kamala smiled, backing away from the plane. "5 Star landing! Didn't even scratched the paint. Now I just need to check in on-" 

"IT'S HER!!!" 

Kamala felt her jaw drop as all of the sudden she was flooded by a sea of bodies. Those people standing and watching off to the side weren't just standing and watching anymore.

"Ms. Marvel!" "Thank you!" "I love you!" "Hero!" "Goddess!" "Help me!" "Heal me!" "Save me!" "Messiah!" 

They were surrounding her. They were touching her and worshipping her and it was like when she could hear everything and she couldn't breathe-

Kamala felt herself falling. She bounced off something and landed on the floor. She tried to breathe but it was so hard and she felt hands grab her and she tried to get away- 

"KAMALA KHAN!" 

She blinked. Her vision came into focus. It was her father. Abu. He was holding her firmly by the shoulders. Behind him stood Ammi. She . . . she was back home. She must have teleported. 

"Kamala?" Abu stared at her, uncertain. Worried. 

"I . . . I . . ." Kamala's face felt warm and wet. "It's . . . too much . . . worship . . . I'm not . . ." 

Abu gently shushed her as he pulled her into a hug. He rocked her in a way he hadn't done since she was tiny. "It's okay." 

Behind her, Ammi gently played with her hair as she removed Kamala's mask. "Kamala. My beautiful daughter. You need a break." 

Kamala looked up at Ammi as Abu held her tight. "Break? I . . . I can't. There's too much to do, always another problem or supervillain-" 

"And there are hundreds of other superheroes out there. Thousands." Abu said gently. He smiled at her. "Kamala, I know you. Your mother may have been the one to figure out your secret, but I know how you think. You think that because this power was forced upon you that you must bear the burden alone. You must not. You will not." 

Kamala made to protest, but Abu squeezed and rocked her and sang softly. She must have been more tired than she thought, because she found herself drifting off to sleep. 

Tony took a sip, and then eyed his coffee like it insulted his family's honor. "The hell isn't this crap stronger?" Bad enough that both the Shi'ar and Kree Empires now knew about Kamala. Bad enough that the entire world saw her punchout with Libra. Bad enough that cults are popping up proclaiming Ms. Marvel was the Messiah; it was only funny when the Mindful Ones did it damn it! No, now Tony had to deal with piss poor coffee. 

"I just got off the phone with the Khans." Carol practically collapsed into her chair. "Kamala is home, and asleep, but Tony . . . it sounds like she is one day away from a nervous breakdown." 

Tony frowned. That was the worst part; the fact that this wasn't something the Avengers could just punch until it went away. Kamala was only a threat to her own wellbeing. No one else.

Steve leaned forward in his seat. "Can't say I'm surprised. The amount of pressure she's under . . . I've seen ten-year vets snap under less." 

Tony worked his jaw as her delved that big brain of his for an answer. "She needs . . . to get away. From all this. From the noise and the action and the responsibility." He snapped his fingers. "She needs a vacation." 

Steve looked at him. "Tony, after Libra Ms. Marvel is the single most famous person on the planet. Where would she go?" 

"If only you had a friend with his own nation largely cut off from the rest of the world." The three Avengers turned to the voice on the screen as T'Challa smirked at them. Actually smirked. Tony wondered if he was finally having that stroke. 

"You don't mind?" That was code for your government isn't worried about having an all-powerful teenager in its borders? 

T'Challa chuckled. "Not at all. In fact, there is a young man here who is looking forward to seeing her again." 

Chapter Text

"Tony Stark is a fool." 

Within the Roxxon boardroom Dario Agger stalked around the meeting table, taking in the scents of each of the seated members. To a man they smelled of tension and fear, not just because he was their president and CEO, but because Agger no longer bothered to hide behind a human form. His bull mouth took a long drag from a cigar before continuing. 

"The man has at his fingertips what is the single greatest franchise on the planet, and instead of turning it into a money-making machine he's just letting it sit there." He flicked his cigar onto the floor and crushed it under his hoof. "Did you know that the majority of profits from Avengers' merchandise go to charity? That bleeding-heart failure of a weapons' developer could make more money than God, and he's pissing it away!" 

The board waited breathlessly as Agger rubbed the scars around his horns. They still ached sometimes after what Xemnu did to him. The white furred bastard was lucky the Hulk got to him before Agger did. "I'm not going to make the same mistake. It's clear to everyone who has eyes or ears that there is a new deity in town, and so I ask you, members of the board, who is really in charge of a religion? The deity, or the man who owns the deity?" 

Agger pressed a button on a remote with one of his big, meaty fingers, and a wall next to the windows of the boardroom opened up, revealing rows upon rows of familiar looking toys. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Roxxon Energy Corporation proudly presents: The Ms. Marvel line!" He went through each product one by one. "Ms. Marvel, the Coloring Book! Ms. Marvel, the Breakfast Cereal! Ms. Marvel, the Flamethrower!" He pointed the nozzle high, unleashing a brief gout of flames above the heads of the board to much ohs and ahs. "The kids love this one." He patted the weapon lovingly before placing it back down. "Last but not least, Ms. Marvel, the Doll." 

He squeezed the tiny toy heroine. "Embiggen!" 

"Adorable." Agger kissed it on the head and placed it back with the rest of the horde. "Merchandising. Where the real money from superheroes is made." He chuckled. It came out like a rumble from his unholy head. "By the time we are done, the people of this world won't be able to think of Ms. Marvel without thinking of Roxxon!" 

The board dutifully clapped and cheered, celebrating Agger's brilliance . . . save for one poor, stupid soul. 

"Ah . . . sir?" The worm adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. "Ah, Stark has an iron clad standing contract stating that no Avenger can have merch made about them without their clear, written approval. I don't think we can do this. Ah, legally, I mean." 

". . ." 

There was a shattering of glass as the worm was thrown out the window and screamed for all 99 floors it took him to hit the ground below. 

Agger turned to glare at the remaining board. "We have the most expensive lawyers in the world. We own judges, government officials, and last I checked one of the moons of Saturn. You will get me the rights to produce Ms. Marvel products." He pointed to the man-sized hole in the glass. "Or he will have company."

The men of the board, sheep really, tripped over themselves to be the first one out of the room. Agger shook his horned head. Really, did he have to do everything around here?

Chapter Text

Kamala was surprised to realize that she had never been to Wakanda before. She was even more surprised that, despite everything, King T'Challa wanted her there. After the fight with Libra and the everything with the Mindful Ones, Kamala figured she was a political hot potato that most people would want out of their country. 

"We will be landing in five minutes, my lady." 

"Uh, okay. Thanks." Kamala leaned back in her seat, tugging at her jacket. When King T'Challa invited her over, it was with the request that she didn't just teleport over in full Ms. Marvel gear. Instead, she wore her civies and flew over in a private jet that the Black Panther provided. Well, he called it a "private jet;" with the forcefield, anti-grav thrusters and stealth systems, it was more of a spaceship. But the seats had built in massage, and they had snacks and movies on demand, so Kamala wasn't complaining. 

Just like the pilot said, five minutes later they landed back down on the ground. The ride was so smooth, and the landing so soft Kamala wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't been looking out the window. One of the flight attendants/bodyguards grabbed her luggage for her, and Kamala followed him off the plane where waiting on the landing pad was- 

"Bruno!" 

On instinct, Kamala mini-ported passed the guards (giving them a very mild heart attack from the shock in the process) and glopped her oldest friend. Bruno could only laugh as he caught her in his arms and squeezed. 

"Glad to see infinite power hasn't changed you much!" The boy with the 170 IQ chuckled. "Mike sends her love, by the way." 

"It has been way too long!" Kamala smiled. "How've you been?" 

"Pretty good." They talked as they walked off the landing pad. "I've been working on this new project involving cybernetics for squirrels. If it goes well, we might be one step closer to providing affordable cyborg limbs for human amputees." He grinned. "Of course, when I'm not doing world changing science I've been playing a certain game. Maybe you heard of it? DC vs Nintendo 3 Ultimate?" 

Kamala gasped. That was the Holy Grail of crossover fighting games! "You actually got it?! Don't joke with me, my heart can't take it!" 

Right then, Bruno looked like the smuggest man who ever smugged. "Ooooooh yeah. The question is: are you woman enough to accept your destined defeat at my hands?" 

The old gamer sense clicked on, and Kamala gave Bruno a predatory smile. "Oh really? Remind me; which one of us has 500 hours in Street Fighter 5 again? Bring. It. On." 

As they ran to Bruno's apartment, Kamala had to laugh. By God, she had missed this. 

"I'm surprised you aren't more concerned." 

Miles looked up from his reports. It was his turn to manage the mission reports of Champions Worldwide. A job made easier after the giant fight Kamala had with Libra. After seeing that, most of the baddies were laying low for the time being. The only things they had this week were Pinpoint and Ironheart doing search and rescue while Honey Badger and Bombshell took out a small Orchis cell. Usually, their workload was ten times as large. 

"I should be concerned about, exactly?" Miles asked Amadeus. The Hulk was in his human form, laying sideways on a couch as he downed his fifth bag of Doritos. 

"You know. Kamala going off to a different country and hanging out with a dude who is her oldest friend?" 

Miles scoffed. "What, you expect me to be jealous? Everything I've heard about Bruno says he's a good guy, and Kamala could already take care of herself before she gained god-like power." 

Amadeus shrugged. "Fair enough. It's not like they had crushes on each other back in the day. Nor is it like Kamala is in an emotionally vulnerable state right now, ready to be wooed by her dream boy from her past." 

The reports fell from Miles's limp hands as he just stared at his friend on the couch. ". . . Why would you say that?!" 

"Eh. I'm a super genius. We're all at least a little bit evil." 

Blackheart stared at the Wakandan border, wishing he could go back in time and strangle the first Black Panther in their crib. Of all the countries the little godling had to go to, she picked one of the two wise enough to ward against demonic intruders. 

Still, no wards were perfect. All Blackheart had to do was find a mortal in Wakanda to invite him in. 

Blackheart felt his rage shimmer down. An individual person might by wise and good, but humans as a whole were cruel, greedy, and stupid. 

He was spoiled for choice. 

Chapter Text

"Should I bow?" Kamala asked Bruno as they approached the throne room. 

He nodded. "He's the king. Of course you should."

"Right. Duh." It was day two of Kamala's Wakandan vacation. Day one had been spent in, playing video games and ordering room service. The menu of the hotel was the single most varied and impressive one Kamala had seen, having everything from pizza to Chinese (real and American.) Kamala was pretty sure they had a Replicater or something. 

The throne room was impressive, but not as over the top as kind seen in movies and tv. A single, simple throne sat at the end of a carved, decorative floor, its owner sitting comfortably, waiting for her. Behind him was a large window overlooking the city; Kamala could tell the throne was designed to turn, allowing the king to look upon his realm whenever he wished. At his side, standing at attention, were members of the elite Dora Milaje, their Vibranium spears glimmering in the sunlight that peeked through the window. 

Kamala approached the throne and bowed. King T'Challa shook his head and gave an awkward smile. "Ah, no. We do not do that here." 

Kamala blinked as she suddenly straightened. "But he-" Looking back, she saw Bruno, giggling. "Oh." Mental note: Prepare water ballons for later. Her revenge would be swift and glorious. 

T'Challa rose from his throne, walking up to the young Inhuman. The Dora Milaje stayed close behind him. "Well, I hope your stay has been enjoyable so far?' 

She nodded. "Yes, Black Pan- I mean King T'Challa." It was so weird not addressing him as an Avenger. 

He chuckled. "Both are fine. Needless to say, please enjoy all my realm has to offer. I just have a few things to note. Only a few people here, including myself, know of your true identity and of . . ." He glanced down at the invisible Gauntlet. "To everyone else, you are just one of our slowly increasing number of tourists. And I would like to keep it that way." 

"Got it. No costume stuff." 

T'Challa smiled. "Good. Also, you and Bruno and invited to dine with me tonight. Say, seven?" 

It was Bruno who answered. "We would be honored." 

"Excellent. Now, until then, go and have some fun. Consider it a royal order." 

"Yes, Your Grace!" Kamala grinned. 

After the two teens left, T'Challa dismissed the Dora Milaje for a few minutes. He wanted some time alone to think. He stared out the large window made of reinforced glass, looking down at Wakanda. The realm he ruled. The realm he swore to protect and lead. 

That often meant doing things he didn't want to do. 

T'Challa had originally meant to let Kamala have her space when she arrived, but the Elders had other ideas. They felt, perhaps rightly, that ingratiating the young godling to Wakanda would be the best way to secure the nation's strength and prosperity going forward. 

One of them had even gone so far as to say T'Challa should try and woo the young lady. Needless to say, that one was no longer one of T'Challa's advisors. 

So here he was, trying to manipulate a goddess; a young girl he had once swore to protect and guide. It sickened him. It wasn't the first time he had been torn between his Avenger duties and his royal ones, but it might have been one of the worst. 

"Father. Baset. Anyone. Give me a sign that I am doing the right thing." The room remained quiet. Damnably so. 

"Check this out!" 

Walking down the bustling streets of the most advance city in the world, Kamala dragged Bruno over to a small store off the main road. Looking in the window, she could see it was full of hanging crystals and scented candles. 

"They give full-body massages here! I never had one before!" Kamala smiled. 

"Really? Never?" Bruno shrugged. "Well, I have plenty of money. My treat." 

"Sweet! Thanks!" Kamala marched into the store, Bruno right at her heels. The store was a little cluttered, but she could see the table where the massage was to be given. "Hello, is anyone-" 

"I help you?" 

"GAH!" Kamala leaped back as the short, stocky woman appeared out of nowhere. "Who are you." 

"Am Tooty." Despite looking like a Wakandan, she sounded aggressively Russian. "Am healer. Also part-time bounty-hunter."

"I like her!" Said Bruno. 

"Tooty, huh?" Kamala rubbed her chin. Well, in for a penny. "I would like the full-body massage, please." 

"Full-body! Is good!" She walked over to the table. "Come! We get personal." 

"Alright." Kamala went over and laid stomach first on the table. As she did so, she saw photos of various Wakandan women with their legs up past their heads. "Wow, those ladies are really flexible." 

"Trained for years. My regulars." 

"Uh huh. Do you know how to massage a regular person?" 

"It same!" Said Tooty before pulling Kamala's arms and legs up at a ninety-degree angle. 

"GAAAAAH!" 

Bruno flinched backwards. "Whoa Mama!" 

Tooty continued to manhandle Kamala's body, twisting her limbs every which way, often with loud cracks. Despite it all though, Kamala had a smile on her face. 

"This - ARGH - is amazing! NAAR - So -ERRRK - relaxing! HAAA- Is that my foot? AAAGH!" 

"Really hoping the Gauntlet makes her immortal right now." Bruno muttered. 

Deep underground, as in miles deep, beyond the range of Wankandan sensers, the Master of Sound was blasting a tunnel into the earth. By his best estimates, he will be in Wakanda by afternoon tomorrow. 

His contacts told him the Black Panther would be busy hosting some foreign dignitary. A princess or something, it really didn't matter. What matter was that he would be distracted, and by the time T'Challa realized what was happening, Ulysses Klaue will have escaped with tons of Vibranium. 

The man chuckled to himself. "I am a bloody genius!" 

Chapter Text

"I'm surprised you can still walk after that." Bruno rubbed the back of his head as they waited for their ice cream. 

Kamala giggled as she wiggled her limbs about, like a slower version of one of those ballon guys at a car dealership. "I've never felt so loose in my life! That lady worked out stress I didn't even knew I had!" 

"And it only took breaking your spine." Bruno smirked. 

"Eh. I healed." 

The waitress arrived and placed their sundaes right in front of them. After the massage (or attempted murder, as Bruno called it), the two friends had found a nice ice cream shop with outdoor seating in downtown Wakanda. Naturally, they made sure it didn't have anything Kamala could not eat first. It was a beautiful day today, likely made such by the city's weather-manipulating machines. While not nearly as powerful as Storm or Thor, these devices made sure it only rained when needed. 

"Hmm!" Kamala took a spoonful of her sundae. It was like five-different kinds of awesome. "This is great! I can't believe it is so cheap here!" 

Bruno chuckled. "Yeah, the prices of everything threw me a bit too at first. I think it is because Wakanda is a post-scarcity society? Or at least really close to it. The only thing you can't get here for cheap is property; outsiders need approval from the crown to own land." 

Kamala shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess." She took another bite. It was still heavenly. "Hmm. Bruno, I've got to say; the last few days . . . okay, more like the last week and a half has been completely insane. It's been nice to just hang out like we did back in the day." 

Bruno smiled at her. "I feel the same way." He reached over the table towards her- 

"HEY THERE!" 

Both Bruno and Kamala froze as they looked over across the street. Kamala blinked. There was no way. "Miles?" 

Sure enough, the younger of the Spider-men ran over to their table. He was dressed in his civilian clothes and had a slightly forced smile on his face. "What's up, guys! I was just in the neighborhood!" He sat down next to her. 

"Just in the neighborhood." Kamala repeated his words. "The neighborhood being Wakanda?"

Miles rapidly shook his head up and down. "Yep!" 

"How did you even get in here?" Bruno asked with a raised eyebrow. "Wakanda has the most secured, well-guarded border in the world." 

"He had a bit of help." It was then that Amadeus Cho strolled up to the group, looking pleased with himself as always. "Their security is impressive, but I got into NORAD when I was a kid. I know all the ins and outs." 

Kamala felt her stomach drop. He couldn't have . . . who was she kidding he totally would. "You hacked Wakanda?!" 

Cho shushed her. "A little louder for those in the back." 

Bruno whistled. "Wow. I'm impressed. I mean, you're totally gonna die, but still. Nice." 

"Don't encourage this!" Kamala glared at her teammates. "Why would you do this?!" 

Cho shrugged. "Well, I spent my formative years as fugitive from the US government and therefore developed as distaste for authoritarian structures in general." He elbowed Miles. "How about you?" 

"Me?" Miles looked at Kamala. Her face was slightly flushed from her anger and her hair was still a mess from her massage. 

She looked beautiful. 

It was then that Miles's brain had a disconnect from his tongue, the organ limply flapping around inside his mouth as he scrambled to try and remember how to speak English. 

"Ga, um, hap, er, hapa-hapa, ea."  

"Miles?" Kamala looked at him, worriedly. 

Bruno raised an eyebrow. "I think he's having a stroke." 

"Someone make sure he doesn't swallow his own tongue!" 

Before anyone could jam anything into Miles's mouth, a loud explosion echoed out through Wakanda. Turning around, the three heroes (plus Bruno) could see smoke rising in the distance. 

Miles sighed. "Oh, thank god - I mean, Champions Assemble o-or whatever. Let's go!" He pulled open his shirt, revealing his costume underneath. 

Kamala nodded, standing up from the table. Her costume formed around her in ribbons of rainbow light; the Gauntlet appeared on her hand. 

Bruno also stood up. "Uh, I hate to be that guy, but didn't T'Challa ask you not to do this?" 

"I know." Kamala admitted as Cho turned into the Hulk. "But I don't think he was expecting an attack or whatever when he said that. I can't sit by while people are in trouble." 

Bruno smiled. "I know. That's one of your best qualities. Go get them, Ms. Marvel."

Chapter Text

Several Minutes Ago.  

When Klaw broke open the earth above him, it was like he was ascending into glory. Months of planning and miles of tunneling all climaxing into one brilliant moment. And yes, Klaw did mean "climaxing;" why, if he still had a flesh and blood body right now-

Well, no point in lamenting about what he didn't have. 

As he climbed out of his hole into the vaults of Wakanda, Klaw went over his plan once more in his head. Naturally, he would not be able to steal all of the Vibranium; that was literally impossible. However, even a few pounds of the alien metal would be worth billions on the black market, changing the balance of power in the favor of whoever possessed it. Not to mention, pay for Klaw's early retirement. He cackled as he pictured a future life of sunny beaches, colorful drinks, and a harem of women representing every taste and perversion under the sun. 

Hey, he may have been living sound these days, but he still had the occasional itch. 

However, as Klaw stood up out of his hole, his fantasies faded away as he noticed a certain lack of Vibranium in these vaults. Not to mention a lack of the vaults themselves. Instead, he seemed to be in the middle of a rather dusty warehouse. 

Klaw scratched his non-existent nose. "The hell?" He pulled the plans out of his belt; thankfully, he could still wear clothes. Checking the blueprints, Klaw confirmed that the vaults were supposed to be right here.

He mulled it over. Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't had to jump through as many hoops to get these plans as he expected. And they were cheaper than he expected.

The paper fell from his numb hand as he realized what he had been too blinded by greed to see. "God bloody damn it these prints are a trap!!" 

"A little too late now." 

That damnably familiar voice was all the warning Klaw got before a Vibranium spear pierced his gullet from behind. He howled in pain as the spearhead stabbed into the ground, pinning him in place like a rat on a spit. He clawed at the weapon to no avail; normally physical attacks like this did less than nothing to him, but Vibranium disrupted his sonic energy form. It could not kill Klaw, almost nothing could, but it rendered him unable to move as the Black Panther and his Dora Milaje surrounded him.

"Damn savages." Klaw spat, ignoring the irony. "Not even gonna give me a fair fight?" 

Behind the mask of the Panther, T'Challa frowned. "Klaue, you are an irritant at the best of times. However, right now I have matters of far greater import." The king turned to one of the warrior women, turning his back on Klaw. "Secure him for now; we will deal with this after Khan has returned home." The Dora Milaje all saluted, and the Black Panther made to leave. 

Leaving Klaw. Ignoring Klaw. 

"Ge-Get back here, damn it!" Klaw spat at the King's back. It didn't even make it halfway. "Don't you dare ignore me! I'm smarter than you! I'm better than you! YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE THIS!!" 

They can't treat you like this. 

Klaw was the Master of Sound. Immortal and invulnerable. 

You need more power.

Years ago, damn it, he had been the vessel for the Beyonder! He had possessed the power of a god! 

You will again. 

"How?" Klaw hissed, gaining a few looks from his captors. "I need it now!" 

Just invite me in. Just say "yes." 

Klaw didn't even think about it. He showed no concern at the voice in his head. This might be his one chance. 

He took it. 

"Yes." 

Klaw felt every nerve in his body burn as the world around him exploded into sound and flame. 

Now. 

"Well." Kamala flew through the air, dragging Spider-man and Hulk with her on a stand of rainbow light. "It was nice while it lasted. Has there ever been a superhero vacation that hasn't ended with a villain attack?" She didn't need to turn on his omniscience to know the answer to that one. 

As the trio of Champions approached the ground, the good news was that this fire was just outside the city proper and was dying down. The bad news was that this was because it had run out of things to burn; the buildings having all been reduced to cinders. Below, they could the Black Panther standing in the ashes, using his Vibranium suit to shield several members of the Dora Milaje. 

However, the King of Wakanda wasn't what was most important at this moment. That was something Kamala never thought she'd think while in Wakanda. 

Standing, or rather floating, in the middle of the blast zone was a man. Or rather, Kamala thought he was a man. A burning aura covered his body, one made of fire and shadow. He had only one hand, the other having been replaced by some sort of blaster. 

It was Hulk who recognized him first. "Hold on. Is that Klaw?" He scoffed. "What, did the guy steal some sort of power up device? Maybe raid Doctor Doom's junk draw?" 

Spider-man looked at him. "Dude, maybe now's not the time to mock the dangerous guy with new, unknown powers?" 

Hulk scoffed again. "Please. Klaw has always been strong, but he always screws his plans up cause he's little more than a greedy idiot. Ms. Marvel, back me up here." 

Kamala did not back him up. As she stared at the C-Rate villain, she saw beyond the physical. Saw the thing that clawed onto his soul. And when it turned and smiled at her with far too many sharp teeth, she knew. 

"That's not Klaw." 

"Indeed, godling." The demon laughed, a sound like knives rending innocent flesh. "We are Blackheart. But by the time we are done, you shall call us Master."

Chapter Text

It was a calm, clear night as Hyperion sat down atop a skyscraper to look up into the starry sky, another day done. He had saved the world yet again, this time from the vile Mastermind and his illiteracy ray. A few wires crossed at superspeed, and it was the villain who forgot how to read, not the innocents of New Funk City. 

Hyperion sighed as he leaned backwards. It was a good day today, and it was going to be a better one tomorrow. He finally got a date with Sarah Swan, his coworker at the Weekly Star, and he had it all planed out. First, dinner in Paris, naturally, followed by drinks at- 

Hyperion blinked. It might have been that he was overworked and mentally tired from stopping the mad scientist, but he could have sworn a few stars above him in the night sky just blinked out of existence. 

Kamala was thrown back, slamming into the ground and creating a small, her-shaped hole in it. Next to her, Hulk crawled out of his own personal hole, created just moments before. "Urgh . . . hey Ms. Marvel? I know I'm not as much as a powers geek like you are, but am I wrong in saying that Klaw is way, way stronger than he should be?" 

"No." Kamala groaned as she climbed out. "No, you are not." 

The battlefield around them was Hell, literally and figuratively. Klaw, or rather, the demon wearing Klaw as a meatsuit (soundsuit?) was spewing out fire and sound every which way, melting the land around him and filling the air with the smell of brimstone. Thankfully, the destruction was so far highly localized; the Black Panther had raised a purple forcefield around the location, cutting it off from the rest of the city. Kamala didn't need the Gauntlet to know it wouldn't hold forever. 

Speaking of the Panther, he and Spider-man were busy fighting the demon Blackheart. Well, actually "fighting" might have been the wrong word. "Not dying" fit better. Miles's spider-sense and enhanced agility let him avoid every attack. T'Challa was less nimble and had been washed over by hell flame a few times now, but the Vibranium weave of his suit protected him. 

"Klaw! Fight it man!" Miles shouted over the roar of battle. "Don't let this demon control you!" 

"Let me?!" Blackheart cackled, twisting Klaw's features into an ugly rictus with every word. "No one lets me do anything! I take what I want! And I want the godling!" Another wave of fire gushed forth, this time from Klaw's mouth, blackening his teeth. Miles leapt out of the way with seconds to spare. 

"Can't you just rip the demon out?!" Hulk asked. 

"I tried that!" Kamala shouted. "It's like there is a strong power keeping him tied in place. If I use too much power, I might kill Klaw or blow up Wakanda! Or both!" It was strange; she could sense Blackheart drawing on another power source to fuel him. One that felt . . . familiar . . . 

Kamala gasped. "No. No way." She reached out with her omniscience. Just a bit, just for a second. 

She saw it right away. The stolen power. The connection. An empty spot in Mr. Fantastic's lab. 

Kamala howled as she slammed into Blackheart like a rainbow meteor, cutting through walls of flame and barreling him over. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" 

Blackheart laughed as Kamala stood over him like the wrathful goddess she currently was. "Figured it out, I see." In his free hand materialized the pocket universe that she had created. "Doctor Richard has always had a hard time with magic. And my family has a proud tradition of corrupting the works of the divine. It was impossible for me not to steal it!" 

Kamala glowed with the Infinite Power as she raised her fist. "I swear, if you hurt the people in there. I'll-!" 

"Smite me? Go ahead!" Blackheart leered at her. "Of course, that might also kill Klaw. And shatter your creation." He pressed the muzzle of Klaw's hand cannon to the marble-like object. "Assuming I don't do it myself. How many souls did you accidently create in here? A few billion? Maybe more?" He smiled a demonic grin. "Of course, it's just a mini-universe. You can make more. They don't matter, do they?" 

Kamala looked down at the demon, then back at her friends, then back at the demon. "Fine." She took a step back, allowing Blackheart to stand up. She spread her arms out. 

"Ms. Marvel, what do you think you're doing?!" Miles shouted in horror. 

"You want me demon? Then drop that universe, leave Klaw, and come and take me!" 

T'Challa ran up to the two Champion boys. "What is she doing?!" 

Hulk frowned. "Well, based on current information she's either saving the world or dooming us all." 

Blackheart frowned. "If this is some sort of trick-" 

"No tricks. No lies. Come into my body and try to take it over." Kamala smirked. "Unless you're too much of a wimp to actually try and conquer a supposed goddess when she's right in front of you?" 

Blackheart stayed quiet, for a moment or two. Then, with a sickening snap Klaw's jaw unhinged, and a black mass shot forth, smacking into Kamala's face and forcing its way down her throat. 

The others screamed, but Kamala barely heard them. 

She was busy.

This wasn't how it was supposed to work. 

Blackheart looked around the void he was in; a mass of black tendrils and crimson eyes hanging in a haze of rainbow light. He wasn't worried, not really, but he was certainly confused. Kamala Khan's soul, her very being, it should be right here. Sure, souls differed in size and power from person to person, but they were always in the same place. Made it easy for him to take them over. 

So where was hers? 

"You can't see my soul," a loud, thunderous, female voice rang out, "for the same reason people standing in Jersy can't see the United States." 

The rainbow void around Blackheart suddenly tightened, squeezing him like a stress ball. Blackheart felt himself being lifted up, higher and higher, until he can face to face with a titan made of infinite power, beautiful and terrible. Her face was bigger than a moon, and Blackheart suddenly realized, with horrible clarity, that he was being held tight in her fist. 

"A reminder. One of the Infinity Stones is the Soul Stone, you stupid jerk." 

In panicked desperation, Blackheart tried to lash out against the goddess, but his entire being was suddenly filled with the blazing pain of being unmade. 

"BLEEEEAAAGH!" Kamala bent over as she vomited out what felt like gallons of black goo, creating a dark puddle at her feet. 

"Kamala?" Miles approached her carefully. "Are you okay?" 

She groaned. "I need six toothbrushes, ten packs of toothpaste, a jug of mouthwash, and a gun to shoot myself!" 

"Oh, thank god, you're fine." Miles smiled as he soothingly rubbed Kamala's back as she continued to vomit up bits of Blackheart. 

Chapter Text

The rebuilding of Wakanda was going a lot faster than Miles expected, though he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him feel like a third wheel. Once Kamala had finished upchucking bits of Blackheart it was easy for her to use the Gauntlet to repair the damaged section of the city as good as new. King T'Challa had kindly but firmly rejected her offer to add things like a waterpark or an Avenger's themed roller-coaster. He almost went for the Black Panther Museum, but he said he wasn't that egotistical. 

Speaking of the king, he had taken charge of both Klaw and the pocket universe. In retrospect, they should have expected a magic-based villain might go after it. Thankfully, Wakanda had both advance scientific security and magical wards, so that was unlikely to happen again. As for Klaw, the man was in no shape to resist after being used as a fancy suit by Blackheart, so he was taken into custody. 

Miles looked up at Kamala as she floated in the air, putting the finishing touches on a skyscraper. She was amazing. She had always been amazing but now . . . she was on a whole other level. She could do so much good with those stones. Had done so much good.

But with that kind of power . . . what could she need a friendly, neighborhood Spider-man for? 

Miles could offer her a shoulder to cry on, or a friend to hang out with, but the fight with Blackheart proved he simply couldn't fight the threats that she could now face. That she would almost certainly have to face.

How could Miles help her against arch-demons and planet killers? 

"I know that face." Bruno said, standing behind him. "It's the I'm out of my depth and don't know what to do face."

"My back was to you, and I have my mask on." Miles said, turning around. 

Bruno just shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I've made that face plenty of times myself. I can spot it a mile off." He smiled at Miles, knowingly. "Let me take a wild guess; you're worried you aren't strong enough to fight alongside Kamala, and if something bad were to happen to her you wouldn't be able to help her." 

". . . Speaking from experience?" 

Bruno nodded. "At least you have powers. I had to watch her get shot once. I freaked the hell out until I learned she had a healing factor." He rubbed the back of his head. "I can tell I'm one of the last guys you want advice from, but I'm going to give you some anyway. Don't worry about being strong enough; you'll drive yourself nuts if you do. Just be there for her. That's all she wants." 

Miles stared at his kind-of, short-of rival. "Thanks, but . . . why are you helping me? I know you like her too." 

Bruno sighed, closed his eyes. ". . . I will always care about Kamala. Till my dying day. But I'm in a relationship with Mike now. I love her. I will not hurt her by going after something that will never happen." He opened his eyes. "Miles . . . Kamala told me once that we couldn't date. Not because she didn't feel the same way. But because she had too many responsibilities as Ms. Marvel, and it wouldn't be fair to her partner. And I doubt bonding with the Stones made that better." 

Miles didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. Kamala landed next to them just in time to miss their entire conversation. "All done! You guys good?" 

Miles looked at her, considering. "I think so." 

Kamala tilted her head and was about to say something when Hulk ran up. "Hey, uh, guys. We got visitors." 

Kamala sighed. "I was wondering when Iron Man would show up. I'll have to think of something nice to do for him for all the stress I'm causing." 

Hulk shook his head. "It's not Iron Man. Or any Avenger. It's the X Men." 

Kamala did not understand why people hated mutants. 

Yes, some mutants were born with crazy, dangerous powers. And yes, some mutants went bad and hurt people. But mutants weren't the only people with power; in fact, most mutant powers were actually pretty weak. Kamala somehow doubted the guy with feathers and hollow bird bones was going to be the next Doctor Doom. And non-mutant superhumans didn't share this hate. People loved the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. So why were mutants singled out? 

She didn't think she would ever understand. 

Kamala and her friends approached the location of the organic Krakoa Gateway, a large tree root twisted up into an arch. It stood just outside of Wakanda's borders; the defenses within the nation made growing one in there impossible. Standing beside the gate were the three X Men Kamala knew the best: Wolverine, Rogue, and- 

"Cyclops!" Kamala ran up to the field leader of the X Men and gave him a great, big hug. The man laughed as he squeezed her back. 

"Hey there, Ms. Marvel! How's my fellow founding Champion doing?" 

"Not bad, considering." She looked back at her friends. "Miles! Amadeus! It's Scott!" 

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Miles laughed as he ran over and gave Cyclops a high-five. "Hey man, been too long!" 

"Yeah, sorry about that. Things been a bit insane on my end." 

"That's putting it mildly." Amadeus smirked. "You don't mind if I skip the hugs and high-fives? You know, considering . . ." He flexed his Hulk muscles. 

Scott grinned. "My bones thank you." 

Bruno approached, shaking his head. "I'm . . . I'm sorry, I am so confused right now. How do you guys know him?" 

Kamala blinked. "Oh, right! So, the super-condensed version; a teenage version of Scott came from the past and ended up founding the Champions with us. However, when that Scott went back to his time, Old Scott here got all his memories." 

Scott nodded. "That's about right. Also, please don't call me Old Scott." 

Wolverine snorted. "I'm calling you nothing else from now on." 

"If I can interject." Spoke the Black Panther, standing just within the borders of his nation. "I would ask you do whatever you came here for and leave. A portal to what the internation community considers a rogue nation is not something I want around any longer than I have to." 

"Fair enough." Scott let go of Kamala and stared at her. "Let me be blunt. Kamala, we would like you to come to Krakoa." 

Kamala blinked. "Huh?" 

T'Challa frowned. "Ms. Marvel is an honored guess of Wakanda. She is under my protection." 

Wolverine frowned. "Unclenched, kitty-cat. We ain't gonna hurt the kid. It'll just be safer for her on the island." 

Kamala scratched the back of her head. "Look, if this is about the Stones there are already a bunch of people helping me." 

Rogue smiled at her. "We know that sweetie, and I'm sure they're doing their best, but the fact is it's just not safe for mutants outside Krakoa these days." 

Kamala blinked again. "Wait, mutant? What mutant?" 

The three X Men shared a look. Scott worked his jaw. "Umm . . . you mutant." 

"I'm not a mutant!" Kamala paused. "Okay, that came out a bit mean. But I am not a mutant." 

"Uh, Kamala?" Bruno scrolled through his phone, grimacing. "Actually, you are." He held the phone up to her face, showing her the top story. 

MS. MARVEL IS MUTANT! DNA TESTING CONFIRMED! 

". . ." Kamala stared at it. And stared. And stared some more. 

"Kamala?" 

"Blegh." That was all she could get out as her eyes rolled back into her head and her body fell backwards. 

"Catch her! CATCH HER!" 

Chapter Text

Xavier knew he was biased, but he still felt that the beaches of Krakoa were the most beautiful in the world. Not only were they free of pollution and carefully maintained, but they were beautiful for what they represented. What all of Krakoa represented. A world where mutants were free from persecution. 

A part of Xavier still felt guilt for the things he did to make Krakoa possible. The lies he told. The lives he damaged. He squashed the feeling down ruthlessly. How many decades did he waste trying to forge peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants? How many mutants died for that dream? He had seen the future; timelines unmade. Humanity would never change. They would always hate and fear mutants.

Krakoa was the only way. It had to be. 

"He's not coming." Mystique said as she stood next to her wife Destiny. 

"He'll come." Xavier adjusted the Cerebro helmet on his head. It was more of a fidget, really. "Regardless of our current differences, this news is far too important." 

Mystique raised an eyebrow. "How do we know he's even aware of Ms. Marvel? News doesn't exactly travel fast from Earth to Arakko." 

"Eric isn't stupid. He knows what affects Krakoa affects Arakko, different planet or no. He will have heard- Ah!" Xavier pointed to a humanoid figure in the distance. "Here he comes." 

It took Magneto about half a minute to touch down in front of them. He was wearing his classic red and purple uniform rather than that ugly white and black sleeveless thing he started wearing when he joined up with Scott's team a while back. Xavier approved. 

Magneto stared at them for a moment before speaking. "Charles." 

"Eric." 

"Take that foolish helmet off, please." 

Xavier chuckled, but he complied. "The irony of you telling me that. I assume you know already about Ms. Khan?" 

Magneto nodded. "Yes, though I am wondering how it is possible. The Inhuman Mists are toxic to mutants." 

It was then that Destiny spoke, her voice echoing from her golden face plate. "It seems Ms. Khan is both an Inhuman and a mutant. This not only allowed her to reap the benefits of the Mists, but also shields her X-Gene from tracking technology." 

"Hmm." Magneto frowned. "Who exactly spilled the beans?" 

"Ms. Marvel's mutant status was posted on multiple news sources across the world, all at the same time." Xavier worked his jaw. "That level of reach implies Orchis. Of course they left no proof, but I am curious how they know. Also, they said Ms. Marvel, not Kamala Khan. That implies that they do not know her secret identity." 

"Bah." Magento waved him off. "I care not for secret identities. I am more irritated that the Avengers got to her first. A mutant with the Infinity Gauntlet could have solved all our problems with a snap of her fingers. Instead, because we didn't know about her, she has been shaped by those soft-hearted fools. How are the humans reacting?" 

Xavier had to smirk. "Is that a trick question? A mutant with infinite power? The public do not know half of what she can do and already the protests are exploding." 

Mystique interjected. "To their credit, the Avengers are closing ranks around the kid. It seems they really do care about her and aren't about to throw her to the wolves." 

Magneto scoffed. "Of course; when it is one of their own then they decide to act." He turned to Destiny. "What will happen know?" 

The future-seeing mutant flinched. "I . . . am unsure." 

"What are you talking about? Your gift-" 

"Is fickle at the best of times." She interrupted. "But now? Trying to look at Ms. Marvel's future . . . the Gauntlet lets her shape the universe. Shape fate itself. For me to look up at her . . . it is like a 2-D drawing trying to look up at the artist that drew it. I can barely comprehend what I'm looking at." 

That, Xavier thought, was concerning. "What can you see?" 

"The visions are hazy. Filled with symbolism. A war between immortals. Giants of metal fighting brightly colored angels. A goddess fighting a devil for the fate of mankind." She rubbed her head. "Just thinking about them again . . . I need to lie down." 

As Mystique guided her wife back home, Magneto turned to Xavier and, in a low voice, "Charles, I wasn't kidding when I said Khan might be the answer to all our problems. You need to get her here. On Krakoa." 

Xavier glanced down at the helmet in his hands. That seemingly innocent device that multiplied his gift a hundred times over. It seemed so useless in the face of a true, omnipotent being. ". . . We burned many bridges with the Avengers recently. And I literally can't force her, Eric. The Mind Stone trumps my own abilities. I learned that from experience. We can only pray that Scott can convince her to see reason." 

Magneto scoffed yet again. "We are the new gods of this world, Charles. To whom should we pray?"

Chapter Text

A part of Kamala wished she had stayed unconscious. She was having a nice dream about puppies and the Avengers riding magic ponies. Now she was awake and nursing a cup of water in T'Challa's office in Wakanda. It was a large room with earthy tones, with multiple pieces of historic art, and a desk big enough to seat twenty people around it once they brought in enough chairs. At least the Avengers were here as well. As were the three X-Men who had delivered the news. Officially they weren't here, of course, but it was T'Challa's royal prerogative to bend the rules a bit as needed.

"Tony." The Black Panther spoke with a kingly tone. It was his nation they were in, so he was still in charge. "What's the situation?" 

Tony brought up a holographic display from his armor. "Well, we aren't quite up the creek without a paddle yet, but paddle is definitely dissolving." His holograms showed videos of people protesting in the streets, yelling and cursing. Kamala recognized a few of those spots; this was happening in Jersey. Her home. 

"What about the Mindful City?" Carol asked, arms crossed. "Has anyone tried to start trouble there?" 

Tony snorted. "They tried. A few dozen self-proclaimed Purifiers tried to attack the city. I believe they were shouting Cleanse it in the name of God or something like that. The Mindful Ones quickly disarmed them, tied them up, and then asked them if they heard the good news of the Mother-Goddess." 

Kamala flinched. "I guess it's good the Purifiers didn't hurt anyone . . . but I really wish the Mindful Ones would tone it down." 

Tony smirked at her while giving an almost pitying look. "Sweetie . . . you're pretty much the sole reason they exist. Do you really think that's going to happen?" 

Kamala made a sound halfway between a grunt and a choke. 

Rogue thumbed through some websites on her phone. Noticeably, she and Captain Marvel were sitting at opposite ends of the table. "The anti-mutant sites are going crazy. Ah mean, they always are, but this is an extra-thick crazy now." She held up a finger. "Quote: The Devil Herself now walks among us, leading her Hell spawn and spreading her pagan beliefs! All good, white men must stand together to purge this evil from our lands! Un-quote." 

Groans echoed across the table. Only Tony had the least number of craps to give to voice what everyone was thinking. "Oh, I see. Because Ms. Marvel is brown and a Muslim the worst parts of the internet are combining anti-mutant sentiments with good old fashion racism and islamophobia! Great! That's - that's just great!"

Scott scratched the back of his neck. "In all honesty I'm surprised something like this hasn't happened before. A lot of the same groups that hate Mutants aren't exactly fawn of other, more mundane minorities. I suppose the fear they feel at an all-powerful Mutant has caused them to drop the act and show their true colors." 

Kamala stood up from her chair. "Can I be excused? I - I need some air." 

Wolverine looked at her. "Kid, I don't think-" 

"Go ahead, Kamala." T'Challa said kindly. "Just stay nearby, if you could." 

She gave the king a quick nod and ran out of the room. As the doors shut, Logan glared at the Panther. "You sure that was a good idea?" 

"We wouldn't be able to stop her if we tried. At least this way shows that we trust her." The king leaned forward in his seat. "Now that she is gone, we can speak more candidly: what does Krakoa want with her?" 

"Only to keep her safe, like any other Mutant." Scott explained. "Believe me, we didn't want this to become public." 

T'Challa raised an eyebrow. "I would imagine that there are . . . individuals on both Krakoa and Arakko who would want to bend her powers to her own ends." He didn't need to say who.

If Scott Summers felt any discomfort from that, he didn't show it. He'd be hard to read even without the visor. "True . . . but I could say the same about people here." 

She-Hulk coughed loudly. "Uh hey, before we start another Civil War, anyone noticed that Steve's been really quiet?" 

Sure enough, sitting with the shield in front of him on the table, Steve Rogers was silent. He was frowning, his brows creased in thought. 

Tony leaned over to him. "I know that look. That's your Nazi-Punching look. What's on your mind, Cap." 

Steve paused a moment before looking at the X-Men. "You mentioned that this was likely the work of Orchis? I want everything you have on them." 

Scott might have blinked behind his visor. Again, it was hard to tell. "Sure, but . . . where are you going with this?" 

". . . Just a gut feeling." 

She knew she should have just met back up with her friends. Kamala knew that. But she had to see. 

Entering an empty room in the royal palace with a table and mirror and not much else, Kamala summoned her phone to her hand. She did a quick search for "Ms. Marvel Mutant." 

Over ten thousand results and counting. 

She should have left it there. She should have done anything else. 

But she had to see. 

Kamala watched a video. And then another. And another still. Hatred and bile played before her eyes. People shouting for her to die. To be assaulted. One video had a crowd burn an effigy of her; they hung it by the neck over a roaring bonfire. A young child that was there tugged on his mother's sleeve. He asked why they were doing this. Ms. Marvel saved them once. He thought they liked her. The mother smiled and answered. 

"That was before we knew she was a Mutie, honey." 

Kamala fell to her knees and sobbed. That saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?" That was crap. Every word was like a knife to her heart. 

This . . . Kamala wasn't stupid, okay? She knew how a lot of people felt about people like her. She knew that when she became a superhero, a public figure, there would be people who would hate her for who she was and what she believed in.

She didn't think it would be like this. This unyielding, ravenous, hatred.

"Wh-What am I supposed to?" She mumbled on her knees; hands clasped. "What can I do?" 

"Who are you praying to? Yourself?" 

Kamala blinked. She looked up, turned her head towards the mirror. Instead of her own reflection, she saw a man with red skin and hair, dressed in a red business suit. 

Mephisto didn't smile. He showed his teeth. "Bad day?"

Chapter Text

"ACK! You know - HAK - Kamala!" Mephisto coughed out as the Infinity Gauntlet squeezed around his infernal windpipe. "This - GAK - is a poor way to - AGH - to deal with your problems!" 

Kamala frowned at the archdemon wiggling in her grip. "I don't know. I'm feeling a lot better right now." She knew about Mephisto. Even before she got the Gauntlet stuck on her hand, she knew about him. So, when he appeared in that mirror she reached right in and pulled him out, holding him tight as omnipotent energy swirled around them, cutting the room off from the rest of the universe. 

She wasn't about to let this crimson snake slither away. Not when he makes for a morally acceptable punching bag. Indeed, Kamala believed there were only two groups that were okay to beat up regardless of the circumstances: Nazis (both original and Neo versions) and literal demons. 

"Would you - HAK - believe I come in peace?" 

"Not even slightly." She gave the demon another squeeze before relaxing her grip slightly. "You show up when I'm having one of the worst days of my life, after your son attacks-"

"Whoa, don't put that on me!" Mephisto shouted. "You think Blackheart listens to me? The attack on Wakanda was all him, all the way! In fact, I'd bet he hoped to take over your body so he could use it to kill me!"

Kamala paused. She stared at the demon for a long, long moment . . . before dropping him on the floor like a sack of moldy rags. Mephisto gasped and rubbed his neck as Kamala stared down at him, the energies of the Gauntlet settling in the air like a rainbow haze. "You're actually telling the truth."

"Of course I am! Do I look stupid enough to lie to you?" He held up a finger. "Don't answer that."

Kamala sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn't have a headache yet, but she foresaw one in her near future. ". . . All right. I'm probably holding the Idiot Ball for even considering humoring you, BUT!" She glared at him. "Why are you here?" 

Mephisto stood up, readjusted his tie. "So violent. What are they teaching kids these days?" He cleared his throat, and Kamala swore for an instant his breath smelled like brimstone. "So, you ever read the Book of Job? In the Old Testament?" 

"I'm a Muslim." 

". . . Is that a yes, or-?" 

She pinched her thumb and pointer finger together. "This close to strangling you again." 

"Right! So, as the Bearer of the Infinity Stones, you are the current God of this universe." He waved her off. "Yes, yes, you do not claim divinity, but the fact of it is you are this by default. Whereas I am the current Satan of this universe. The Top Devil." 

Kamala raised an eyebrow. "So, what you are saying is I should be throwing you headfirst into Hell." 

"HA! Hilarious. You're a lot more fun than Thanos when I was his Satan." 

"Wait. You worked for-" 

"Like I said, the job comes with Gauntlet.  I advised him during his short rule - not my fault, by the by - and now, I advise you." 

Kamala examined Mephisto closely, reaching out with the Gauntlet on instinct to see if he was lying to her. 

So far, the Devil the telling the truth. 

"All right. What do you have to say?" 

Mephisto smiled. "Only this: What are you going to do to fix your problems?" 

Kamala frowned. Where was he going with this? "You mean about me being a Mutant?" 

"That, and the mass, genocidal hatred towards Mutants mankind loves to indulge in. That affects you now, you know." 

She thought about it. He was right. Kamala always knew all that what had happened to the Mutants was wrong, but she had never really dwelled on it. It seemed so big, so . . . far away. What could she do about that? 

"Oh, and while we're at it, don't forget about that thing about the Eternals sucking the life out of people to fuel their immortality." 

Kamala flinched. So many dead . . . "I haven't forgotten. The Eternals . . . the ones responsible for that will pay for what they've done." How many of them would they have to throw in prison? All of them? "As for the Mutants . . . I'll help where I can, but I can't get rid of hatred overnight-" 

Mephisto chuckled. "But that's the thing: You can." He pointed at the Gauntlet. "One snap of your fingers, and you could remove hatred itself from the entirety of the human mind. You could bring world peace in an instant. The universe is yours to mold." 

". . ." Kamala stared at the glove on her hand. It felt . . . heavy. 

. . . She could, couldn't she? Erase all hatred towards Mutants. Replace it with love and acceptance. 

And why stop there? Why not remove all hatred everywhere? Create universal peace? 

She could . . . she could . . . she . . . 

"No." 

Kamala closed the Gauntlet into a fist and held it up to her chest. "No, I can't. God forgive me, I can't. If I did that . . . enforce my own will by stealing the free will of others . . . I'll have betrayed everything I've ever stood for. Everyone who has ever believed in me." She glared at Mephisto. "I don't care what crap you say. I. Am not. God." 

". . . They'll never change, you know." Mephisto said with a raised eyebrow. "Hatred and cruelty is as much a part of humanity as the blood the runs through their veins." 

"I don't believe you." Kamala stood firm. Unyielding. "If a person is hurting someone, I'll step in. I'll show people that there's a better way. But I will never make people follow my will." 

Mephisto stared at her for but a moment before vanishing in a crimson mist. Kamala sighed, slouching as the energy around her faded away. "What a day." She conjured a chair for her to collapse into, just in time for the Avengers and X-Men to burst down the door to the room. 

"What happened?!" "Are you okay?!" "The room vanished-!" "Massive readings-!" 

"I'm good!" Kamala shouted over the noise. "I'm good. Though T'Challa? Just FYI? Your anti-demon wards suck." 

"I'd say that went rather well." 

Back in Hell, Mephisto hung his coat on a rack made of screaming souls before sitting down in one of his favorite chairs. This one had leather made from the flesh of a holy dragon from the East. His death caused his worshippers to all commit suicide, after which they ended up here, and were now working the mines to harvest stone as their flesh boiled away in the infernal heat. 

Ah, good times. 

Mephisto smiled to himself as he undid his tie. Technically speaking, he never once lied to Kamala. He did consider himself the Satan to her God, and he wasn't directly responsible for Thanos losing the Gauntlet the first time (despite his best efforts). And he didn't tell Blackheart to attack Wakanda; his failure son came up with that plan after following Mephisto's commands with Hyperion. Exactly as Mephisto expected him to.

Little things like that wouldn't have worked on a more experienced deity, but Kamala feared her own all-knowingness. She did not look as deeply as she could. 

Just as Mephisto counted on. 

"The die is cast. Kamala will not change humanity on a mass scale." That had been the tricky part. If the girl had been more controlling, more accepting of her godhood, his plan would have been dead in the water. Thankfully, Kamala was a hero through and through. It helped that a part of her suspected that his actions had been a plot to get her to remove humanity's free will. Mankind would remain vulnerable to Mephisto's influence. 

The Devil leaned back in his chair. His agents were in place. The opposition was off balanced. All was as he wanted it. 

"And here. We. Go."

Chapter Text

It had been too long since Kamala had been in a mosque. With all the superheroing she had been doing even before the Gauntlet had become her new hand warmer, Kamala had allowed her attendance to slip. Compared to what she could be doing, spending an hour or two stuck in a building seemed . . . well, honestly a bit pointless. She figured God would understand. 

Now though? Kamala wished she had even twenty minutes for quiet contemplation. It took her four hours to convince the Avengers that no, she wasn't possessed, please stop asking. It took her another four after she got home for her family to stop fussing over her. 

A part of Kamala had wanted to spend the rest of the night in her mother's arms, being rocked and held like she was back when she was a little girl. She couldn't though. She needed to talk to a certain someone here at the mosque. 

"Kamala!" Sheikh Abdullah welcomed her in with a warm, friendly smile. He was a wide, gentle man about Kamala's height, with a kind face, large glasses, and a bushy white beard that seemed almost fused to his face. "It's been too long! Come in, please!" 

Kamala smiled, a bit uneasily. "Thank you. Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" 

"Of course. Follow me." He took he down the hallway to a backroom in the building. It was a simple place with a desk, two chairs, some books, and a fan. "I'd call it my office, but I don't actually do any work here. It's more of a quiet place for me to think and relax." He sat in one of the chairs, Kamala sat in the other. "So, what's on your mind?" 

Kamala took a deep breath. "Welp, ripping the band aid off." There was a flash of rainbow light and Kamala sat before Sheikh Abdullah in full Ms. Marvel attire, Gauntlet and all. 

Sheikh Abdullah blinked. ". . . Huh. Well, that explains a few things." 

"Haha, I guess it does." Kamala laughed painfully as she began to unload. She told him everything. The fight with Thanos, the Gauntlet getting stuck on her hand, the villain army, the Mindful Ones, Libra, the Eternals, Wakanda. Everything. And through it all, Sheikh Abdullah just listened. Quiet, and carefully. 

"That's . . . a lot to take in." He said when she was done. "And while I'm honored that you trust me with this . . . why tell me?" 

"Because all my friends, and all the other people I looked up to, are either superheroes, related to superheroes, or are some other variant of not normal." Kamala explained. "Everyone else either wants to protect me or control me, even if it's with the best intentions. Even the Avengers aren't immune to that. It's like . . . like . . ." She struggled to get the words out. 

". . . Like they are so far above normal people, they sometimes forget what it's like?" 

"Not all of them." Kamala sighed. "But yeah. I guess I wanted to talk to a normal person for a change. And no, my family doesn't count. They've been made weird by their connection to me." 

The Sheikh chuckled. "True. But is that all you want? I feel like there might be more." He leaned forward a bit. "Kamala, I know you well enough to say that you are not the sort of woman to sit back and do nothing. This Gauntlet is a burden, but I can tell you want to use it to do good." 

". . . I just . . ." Kamala bit her lip and shrunk into her chair. "This Gauntlet . . . it can remake the universe. I don't have the right. No one does. And I'm already seeing unexpected consequences for the things I have done." She held the Gauntlet up. "What can I do with this thing without hurting someone else?" 

Sheikh Abduallah smiled at her. "The fact that you are so worried about hurting people proves that this device belongs to you. There is only one thing you can do with it. What you think is right." He playfully poked her in the forehead. "Trust your head and your heart. They're more useful than you give them credit for." 

"What I think is right." Those words were living rent free in Kamala's head as she floated among the clouds. The sun was rising where she was, the early morning dressed her in a golden glow. She stared at the Gauntlet. 

She couldn't stop bigotry. She couldn't take away free will. 

But she could fix a different wrong. 

She remembered the vision. The mountain of corpses. Millions dead, without ever knowing why. 

"Screw that." 

Kamala raised the Gauntlet, index and thumb pressed against each other. 

"If there are going to be consequences for stopping this horror . . . I'm fine with it." 

She snapped her fingers. 

"Can you cut that out?" Ikarus said from his half of the cell. Sprite ignored him, as usual, throwing her ball against the wall of Avengers' Tower over and over again, creating a metallic banging noise with every hit. 

Ikarus was certain that Stark gave her the ball just to annoy him, specifically. 

"How much longer do you think they'll keep us down here?" Sprite asked, catching the bouncing ball. "I mean, we have literally all the time in the world but st- HOLY!!!!" 

Sprite fell to the ground with a scream. Her ball fell from her hands, bouncing twice before rolling away. Ikarus made to help her, but he fell too as a cold wave hit his body, travelling deep into his bones and out again. He too screamed, but he found that there wasn't any pain. Rather, he felt that something was being . . . disconnected. Removed. 

Ikarus slowly stood up, panting and sweating. He was uninjured and still had all of his physical abilities, and yet he was now . . . lesser. Finite. 

Sprite still sat on the floor of their cell. She looked up at him with terrified realization in her eyes. It was only then that Ikarus understood. She was always quicker on the uptake them him. 

That chill they felt . . . what every Eternal must have felt . . . that was the chill of mortality. 

"She did it." Sprite mumbled. "She took away our immortality." 

Ikarus could only nod dumbly as he realized something else. The others would not take this lying down. Ms. Marvel just proved herself the single greatest threat they have ever faced. 

There would be war. A war where the Eternals used every weapon they had. 

The Earth might not survive.

Chapter Text

Hi there! 

Yes, yes, I am talking to you. 

I am what the Eternals call the Machine. My full name is the Machine That Is Earth. I am the planet Earth, and I have to admit, I am feeling a lot better now that God is walking around on me. 

Just so we are clear, I am referring to Lady Kamala Khan. I know she is still in denial about her divinity, but she is God. At least, the God of this Universe. 

I won't go into the whole multiversal hierarchal thing. That way lies madness. And alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. 

So, some context. I am the sub-dimensional lattice and AI that exists within the whole of the planet. I was created by the Celestials, obviously, and the Eternals were created to protect me. In return for that protection, I run many sub-systems that help the Eternals, such as transit systems, communications, and of course their resurrection protocols. 

Take a wild guess why I'm speaking up now. 

For the first time since my creation, one of my sub-systems is gone. Not damaged; that happens all the time. Not even deactivated. The resurrection protocols are just plain gone. Like they never existed.

Just so we're clear; the Eternals are all still ageless, but now if they are slain, they won't come back. 

I'm going to be honest; I don't mind this change. The Eternals have been abusing their immortality for way, waaaaay too long. Did you know they once had a massive civil war? Do you know how many mortals died to fuel the constant resurrections?

Millions. Literal millions. 

Add in the fact that these days I'm being better protected by my naturally occurring post-human inhabitants; what you might call "superheroes;" and it's clear that the Eternals are an idea for the dustbin of history. No offense, but ever since Thanos snapped half the universe out of existence it's clear that things have gotten a bit out of hand. 

Buuuuut . . . that's not exactly where things can end, is it? See, while the Celestials made the Eternals as basically weapons, being distant nigh-all-powerful space gods (little g), they overlooked the fact that most weapons don't have a will of their own or get pissed off when you take away an important part of them.   

So it is that three Eternals now ride down a shaft into the deepest, darkest parts of my underground. A shaft carved out by hand over thousands of years, powered by tech not seen since the First Day. Druig, Celestian Priest Ajak, and the Prime-Eternal himself, Zuras. All floating down on a big disc that gave the finger to gravity.  

Like every Eternal, they felt the Severing of their immortality. And yes, that is capitalized on purpose; already some of them are call it "the Severing," or "the Sundering," or "The Big-Oh-Crap." 

Okay, that last one might just be me. 

"I can't believe that . . . that little whore did it! That false idol!" Ajak spat; projecting so hard she could show a movie. "She defies the true gods! Robs us of our birthright!" Ajak then sort of folded in on herself, cringing. "Why didn't the Celestials intervene? Why didn't they stop her?! They know of her existence!" 

Ajak's been flip-flopping like this for a while now. She has served the Celestials for a million years and change, and not once had her faith been shaken. She had always seen then as the true gods, all-wise and all-powerful. 

While it wasn't Lady Khan's intention, what she did just proved that Ajak's patrons were none of those things. The truths she had made the foundations of her life turned out to be falsehoods. It's like Lady Khan walked up to Ajak's sandcastle, smashed it, set it on fire, and then did a Fortnite dance on the ash. 

Yes, I play Fortnite. I'm a planet-sized computer, of course I have access to the internet. 

Sidebar, you people have an awful lot of porn on there. You need to calm down before you damage something important. 

"Now, now." Druig said, holding up his hands. He was trying to sound like the voice of reason. but with that stupid villain goatee of his it came off as condescending. "I'm sure the Celestials just want us to solve our own problems. Like we always have." He was trying to sound like he was still in control, but Kamala's actions had badly rattled him. He honestly didn't think she had the balls (ovaries?). 

"It matters not." Said Zuras as they reached the bottom of the shaft. Before them was a great steel door. Well, I say "steel," it's actually made of a special alloy hardy enough to withstand the heat of a star. Only a Prime-Eternal can open it. 

Too bad for everyone alive Zuras is one. 

"Are you sure this is wise?" Druig asked. Even he was smart enough to at least be worried about messing with this. Zuras shook his bushy, ginger head.

"No. But we have no choice. We delayed and it cost us greatly." He placed a hand on a panel, and the door slowly began to open. "We face an almighty god. We need a proven godslayer." 

And it's here that I must leave you know. Sorry, I know you want to see who is behind that door right this second, but . . . 

Well, the truth is he scares the @#$% out of me. Make Thanos seem all warm and cuddly by comparison.  

Chapter Text

What she had did had been . . . an eyeopener. She could do so much good without mind controlling or hurting anyone. 

She flexed and stretched and cracked her fingers. It was time to get to work. 

Walter Newell may have been better known to the world as the superhero Stingray, he was still an oceanographer, and he still had friends in that field and others related to the seven seas. When things happened in Earth's waters, he noticed. Most of the time it was bad things, like pollution or the melting of the artic or an Atlantian invasion. 

Thankfully it wasn't an invasion today. As for the other things, well . . . 

Walter had to double and then triple check the reports he had received. He still didn't believe it until people started sending him video. 

Melted chunks of the artic were reforming, like someone had hit the reverse button on the world's vcr (he was old enough to remember those). Elsewhere, all around the ocean, things were getting cleaner. Pollution was vanishing, most noticeable the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive oceanic landfill off the coast of California. 1.6 million squared kilometers of waste, gone in an instant. 

It wasn't until Walter received confirmation that a certain rainbow glowing girl was seen floating in the sky at each major event that he dove into his closet, desperately trying to dig out his old Avengers' phone. It was far too late; too many people had already seen the videos, and they were already on the net. 

It wasn't widely publicized, but Docter Reed Richards kept a close eye on Earth's atmosphere. With how many alien invasions there had been, he could be forgiven for setting up some sensors during a small bout of paranoia. 

As such, when he received alerts from his computer about major atmospheric changes, he had to swallow the urge to press the big red button and call every superhero he knew. Which was basically all of them. Instead, he stretched over to the screen and read the data as calmly as possible. 

Fun fact, Reed's cosmic ray altered biology did not match up one to one to that of an unaltered human. For example, he no longer had internal human organs, but he could simulate them with his shape changing. How else could he and Sue have children? Indeed, on a purely biological level, he had more in common with an ameba than a human being. Among other things, this meant Reed did not suffer from hormonal imbalances, and therefore was incapable of fainting from shock. 

That was the only reason he stayed on his feet when he saw that the Earth's ozone layer was regenerating. In a few moments, it was as good as new. 

Reed didn't need his massive, constantly increasing brain to figure out who exactly was responsible for saving the world, but his scans confirmed it anyway. The energy of the Infinity Stones had covered the entire globe during the restoration, before retreating back to a single spot. 

Objectively, this was a net positive for mankind. However, Reed wasn't just a futurist like Tony. He was also realist and, if he was being brutally honest, a little bit of a pessimist. He quickly thought about the implications of this action. Specifically, public reaction.

"Oh. Oh dear." 

From Doomstadt he watched. The reports were coming in on every channel, one after the other. 

Destroyed and despoiled forests regrowing themselves. Barren fields producing food for the first time. Plagues and epidemics vanishing overnight. 

And every man, woman, and child on Earth knew who was responsible. While she did not seek any praise, merely moving from one problem to the next, the power of the Stones was far from subtle. 

With the exception of the most extreme examples, most of the anti-mutant groups had gone silent, with a few outright changing tune and praising Ms. Marvel. He chuckled; Orchis would no doubt be furious, but there was nothing they could do. It was one thing to victimize a member of a hated minority. It was another thing when that same person had become the world's savior. 

If nothing else, he expected the Mindful Ones to have a few new converts by the end of the week. 

Doom hummed as he leaned back in his chair. He almost felt sorry for her. "Foolish child. In your rush to do good, you have no idea the burden you have put upon yourself. Now, all their hopes and dreams are on you." 

Doom grinned a demon's grin. "And when you fall, they will belong to Doom." 

It was morning when she started. It was evening when she finished.

Kamala appeared in her bedroom, flopping onto her bed back first. She pulled off her mask; despite how mentally exhausted she felt, she had a massive smile on her face. 

"Wow." She giggled. "Wow! I - I can't believe I did that!" She laughed a child's laugh. 

This. This is what the Stones were meant for. Not to destroy or dominate. But to help. To heal. To fix what was broken. 

Kamala had never felt better in her entire life. 

"KAMALA! DINNER'S READY!" 

"COMING, AMMI!"

Chapter Text

"Well now. Look who came out of his hole." 

Across the table in Avengers' Tower, Tony Stark smirked at his fellow Avenger and moustache buddy, Doctor Strange. The good doctor at least had enough self-awareness to look embarrassed, tugging at his cape collar awkwardly. 

"Er, yes. Sorry about before Tony. I had to do Sorcerer Supreme . . . stuff." 

Tony huffed in amusement. "Translation: you didn't want to deal with the mess of the Mindful Ones and dipped." He shook his head and collapsed into his chair. "Honestly, I don't blame you. Wish I had a magical demi-plane to relax in when things get nuts. Like now." 

"Can we please focus on what just happened?" Carol asked with a worried frowned. She turned to Richards. The cosmically altered scientist was on one of the two large screens in the room, examining a handheld device of his own designed. "Do we have a list yet of all the . . . changes Kamala made." She tried not to say improvements, or repairs. Even though that was totally what they were.

"Both the Ozone layer and greenhouse gases are back to their pre-industrial levels and seem to be staying there." Reed said, scrolling through his own display. "Interestingly, this doesn't seem to be impacting worldwide industry. Factories are still running at their normal levels, but the gaseous wastes they produce seems to be harmlessly dissipating." 

Tony perked up a bit at that. "Did Kamala alter how these gases function?" 

"Unlikely. I think this is just another example of how the Stones are not limited by normal physics or cause and effect. Full omnipotence does not have to follow any logic."

Carol nodded. If Kamala wanted something to happen, it happened. End of story. "Please Reed, continue." 

"Right, of course. Pollution is also down to pre-industrial levels, but that seems to need people's active input to stay that way. Newly discarded trash isn't vanishing. Earth's overall water levels have decreased, but our polar regions have been fully restored. It seems she, ah, unmelted the ice caps."

"And with greenhouse gases staying low, this time the ice caps aren't going anywhere." Said Steve, speaking up from his corner of the table. This caused everyone to turn and look at him. "What? I know how climate change works. I'm from the 40s, not cavemen times." 

From his home lab, Reed cleared his throat. "Ahem, indeed. However, the most radical change Ms. Khan has implemented is a massive increase to the fertility of Earth's soil, while also increase the amounts of nutrients available. Worldwide food production is already up by 500% and rising. By my calculations, global hunger and famine will be consigned to the history books in less than five years." 

Carol glanced around the table. Sure enough, the assembled Avengers were all silently processing exactly what Kamala had done and what it meant. No one here would ever condemn Kamala for making the world a better place; that was the Avengers own end goal, after all. No, the issue was that the world knew that it was Ms. Marvel who did this. 

Carol swallowed the lump in her throat. "Dare I ask what the reaction has been?" 

Tony gave a tired smile. "If I tell you, do you promise not to punch me?" 

"Ben Urich here, live in the Mindful City with another special report! As you at home can see, the Mindful Ones are no longer the only inhabitants of America's newest Metropolis. Tens of thousands of people from around the country have flocked to what they consider a holy site, with reports confirming even more starting to arrive around the world." 

As Urich spoke, his camera man slowly panned around the busy city street. Sure enough, the humans now rivaled the Mindful Ones in numbers. Many of them had some form of Ms. Marvel merchandise; be it shirts, hats, or toys. The city itself looked quite a bit different from the last time Urich was here; the Mindful Ones were long past working with stone and were now building with steel and concrete and glass, using their awesome powers to shape it as easily as a potter shaped clay. The only recognizable structure from before was the Ms. Marvel statue at the city's heart. 

"I would like to take a quick moment to remind our viewers of the legal status of this city." Urich said, speaking directly to the camera. "This city was built without any legal permits and does not pay taxes to the American government. As such, following the laws only it would be considered an invading force. And while many lawmakers want to attack the city, just as many want to either use diplomacy or just ignore it entirely, resulting in some serious deadlock." He chuckled to himself. "Turns out, all you need for the government to play nice is their mortal terror of pissing off an all-powerful mutant. Who knew?" 

Walking through the city streets, Urich stopped a man wandering about, looking up at the buildings in wonder. "Excuse me, sir! Excuse me, I'm Ben Urich. I was hoping to talk to someone new to here." 

"Oh!" The man blinked. "Well, you picked the right person. I have just arrived at this most holy place." 

"Then you do believe that Ms. Marvel is some sort of goddess?" 

The man smiled. "You could say that. Honestly, she is not the form I expected the Second Coming to take." 

"Second Coming?" It was then Urich noticed the cross necklace around the man's neck. "Uh, sir? You do know that Ms. Marvel is Muslim? It's one of the few things we know for sure about her." 

The man shrugged. "Christians, Jews, Muslims. Do we not all worship the same God at the end of the day? The Bible says by their works you shall know them. That is how I know who Ms. Marvel is. Despite being her foe, despite trying to kill her, she saved me and healed my mind of the madness that had consumed it." 

Urich paused. That sounded familiar. "Sir? What is your name?" 

"Arthur Blackwood. Back when that cursed sword poisoned my mind, I called myself the Crusader." 

"Do not be fooled, my brothers and sisters!" Reverend William Stryker shouted out to the assembled masses. "The devil comes in the form of an angel of light! Or in this case, a mutant girl!" 

A chorus of angry yells and amens echoed across the auditorium, and Stryker nodded proudly. When the she-devil began her work, many of his flock lost faith and left. Stryker could not blame them, even he felt his faith waver. How could one who has done such good be a spawn of Satan? But then, many more brave souls came to him seeking his guidance and Stryker found his faith renewed. 

Had he not been chosen for this? Had he not been risen up from death itself to face this creature?! 

"It is clear now what she is! The Anti-Christ herself has come! Come to trick and corrupt the children of God!" 

As the people roared, Stryker thanked the Lord for giving him wisdom. It all made perfect sense! Of course the Anti-Christ would be female whereas Christ was male. Would hide her identity whereas Christ was always truthful with who He was. 

As the roars died down. Stryker raised his hands for silence. "Now, I understand why there might be those who might hesitate to face a creature of such power. Such fear is natural, but you need not be ruled by it! We do not fight alone! God is with us! He provides us with weapons; some spiritual, others quite physical." From his jacket pocket Stryker pulled out a card. A card with a white flower on a red field. "I have been approached by men and women of a certain organization. One that also sees mutants for the hellspawn that they are. They have vowed to give us men, resources, weapons! The Purifiers will live again!" 

Stryker had to smile at the thunderous roar. The Lord really did provide. 

Chapter Text

Kamala blinked twice and twisted slightly in her bed as she woke. The sheets wrapped around her like a gown. Turning her head a bit and brushing away some hair from her face, she checked her limited-edition Captain Marvel clock. 10:45. She really must have needed some more sleep. 

"Ah - Ack!" As Kamala pushed herself up, she felt a slight twinge of pain in her lower back. She punched herself there twice and it went away.  She spent most of yesterday running around and fixing things without a break. She was probably dehydrated and needed to stretch more. 

"Huh. Actually, when was the last time I stretched?" She hadn't really been using her own powers much since the Gauntlet got stuck on her hand. On a whim, she threw her blankets off and extended her right arm seven feet, reaching into her closet and pulling out some clothes for the day. It felt good; like she was loosening a muscle that had been tense for so long that she just learned to ignore the pain. She smirked and worked he shoulders a bit. "Can't ignore that." 

Kamala hopped out of bed, showered, brushed her teeth, changed, made sure the Gauntlet was invisible, and slid downstairs to get some food. That last part was put on hold when she saw Tony Stark in full business suit sitting in her living room with her parents with a cup of tea in his hands. 

"- and that's the story of why I'm no longer welcomed in Yemen." Tony gave the Stark Smile #74; the light, breezy one meant to put people at ease. "They never did find the goat." 

Across the coffee table Kamala's father gave a hearty belly laugh. Next to him, her mother shook her head, but she did have a smile on her face. Stark paused for exactly one second before turning to Kamala herself with a twinkle in his eyes. "Hey there, sleepy head! Up and at them, I see!" 

"Uh, hello Mr. Stark." Kamala walked over to grab a bagel, deciding it was better to play it cool until she found out if she was in trouble or not. Years of being the "problem child" of her family had honed her senses for such things. "Not that you aren't welcomed, but can I ask why you are here?" 

Tony sighed dramatically and placed a hand under his chin in the Thinker pose. Forget science and superheroing; the man had clearly missed his calling as a melodramatic actor. "That's a question with a few answers. Firstly, I'm here because Captain Marvel showing up at a random Muslim girl's house would cause too many people to make the right connection." 

Kamala nodded. "Fair, fair, but doesn't Iron Man bring up the same problem?" 

"Not if he's coming to hand a promising young woman a full scholarship to Stark University!" Tony reached into his jacket and pulled out a envelop with the Stark name on it. Even from across the room Kamala could smell the money as her poor bagel failed to reach her mouth and slipped out of her hand. 

"A full scholarship!" Her father gripped the letter and held it aloft like it was a part of some long-lost religious text. "Do you know what this means?! The college fund has just become the vacation fund!" He laughed as his wife smacked him on the shoulder, but she did not disagree.

Stark laughed a bit. "Oh, and in case you're wondering, I was planning to give you this before the . . . everything with the Gauntlet." He paused. "By the way, have you done something with it to your house lately? All of my scanners freak out and turn off when I try to look at it."

Kamala picked up her bagel and used a teaspoon of the Infinite Power to make it nice and clean. "Not liking the implication that you broke down and tried spying on me and my family, but yes, I placed a few extra layers of wards around here. No one can step a foot nearby if they mean to harm me or my family." 

". . . And, what happens if they try?" 

From his pocket realm sitting between the Prime-Material Plane and the Dark Dimension, Baron Mordo chackled evilly. His spells were all prepared, and he had acquired weapons and artifacts that could lay gods low.

"To think I wasted so many years trying to wrestle the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme from Strange!" He stroke his raven beak of a beard. "Let him keep it! Let him work himself to the bone trying to save mankind from both itself and those beyond! In a matter of minutes, I will have gained the ultimate power! I will have become the God of Gods!" He giggled as he tightened his emerald cape into place. "And all I need do is chop the arm off a teenage girl. How lovely!" 

Mordo's seeking spell had narrowed the location of the Stonebearer to about two hundred feet. He uttered a demonic word from a cursed language, and space was torn asunder in front of him with the howls of the damned. He gave a final laugh as he stepped through the rift towards his grand destiny . . . 

. . . and immediately fell face first onto the Jersy sidewalk, his eyes rolled back into his head. He was twitching and foaming at the mouth. He also soiled himself. Several times. 

By the time Doctor Strange found him, both Mordo's pants and underwear were unsalvageable. 

"You know, I'm not sure." Kamala shrugged and took a nice bite out of her bagel. She washed it down with a cup of juice. "Just so you know Mr. Stark, I'm grateful, but I'm also not quite naive enough to think that is the only reason why you're here. I'm assuming this is about yesterday?" 

Tony nodded nervously. "Ah. Yes. About that . . . see, I couldn't think of a way to phrase this without sounding like a tool so instead let's hear it from Mama Khan!" 

Kamala's Ammi glared at him from her spot on the couch. Tony held up his hands defensively. "Hey, hey! I just gave your daughter a free education you owe me one!" 

Mama Khan sighed. "Very well. Kamala, know that I could not be prouder of the good you are doing. You were given such great power, and your only thoughts were to either give it away or, failing that, use it to help others. I love that about you. And yet . . . I am worried. People are a fickle, dangerous bunch; I have known that all my life. Some who hated you before will hate you even more now. And there are others who will admire you too deeply. Who will worship you. On the phone early today a talked to a friend of mine. She was wondering if, perhaps, Ms. Marvel might be the Mahdi."

Tony blinked. "Wait, Dune didn't invent that?" He shrunk in on himself as both Kamala and her mother just stared at him. ". . . Right. The infidel is shutting up now."

Kamala sighed as she sat down in the chair between Mr. Stark and her parents. "I knew this was going to happen. Well, not exactly this, but something like it. I thought about doing nothing, even had a . . . conversation about what I could do. What I shouldn't do."

Kamala stood up, walked over in front of her mother, and got down on one knee, taking her hand into hers'. "Ammi, I am not the Messiah. I never claimed to be, and I never will. However, I have to use this power to help people. If I don't . . . if I sit by and do nothing as people suffer . . . the guilt and shame will kill me."

Kamala's Ammi stared at her for a moment before smiling. She gently grabbed Kamala by the face, pulled her in, and kissed her on the forehead. "My daughter. I don't know what I did for God to bless me with you, but I thank Him every day. Yusuf, get in here . . . Yusuf?"

"Hmm?" Kamala's Abu blinked as he looked at his wife. "I'm sorry? I was thinking about the scholarship, what were we talking about?" 

Mama Khan glared at her husband as Kamala fell from her grasp to the floor, clutching her sides and laughing so hard that she almost wet herself. 

Chapter Text

"A full scholarship?!" Miles asked as he swung across the skyline of a Jersy evening. His expressive spider mask showed a lot more emotion than one might expect. 

"Yeeeep." Kamala popped the p as she flew next to him on patrol, keeping pace with his swings. "Mr. Stark said he always going to give me it, but I still feel like I only got it so the Avengers could better keep an eye on me." 

Miles hummed in thought before vaulting up and over at the end of a big web-line and landing feet first on a nearby rooftop. "Can't it be both? I mean, you totally deserve it, but I also can see why Mr. Stark would be a bit nervous." He stretched a bit as Kamala landed next to him, her rainbow aura fading. "I mean, the air tastes different now. Did you notice that? Earth was so polluted that the air tasted different. That's just one of the things you fixed." 

Kamala scratched the back of her head with her gauntleted hand. "Yeah. Don't get me wrong; totally understand that I made some people nervous, but I'm not sorry for fixing things." 

"Nor should you be." Miles shrugged. "I mean, we were basically driving this planet off a cliff. I for one am glad that you took the wheel and yanked us back onto the road." 

Kamala blushed from the open praise. Her mask wasn't big enough to fully hide it. "Eh-ha, thanks. And thanks for going on patrol with me on such short notice tonight. I needed to do some superheroing to clear my head." 

"Anything, though there's not much heroing to do right now." Miles pulled out his phone (Kamala knew better than to question where he kept it in his skin -tight spider costume. Some questions should not be answered) and scrolled through his crimewatch apps. The existence of heroes and villains meant there was quite a market for those. "Most of the local villains were either already in jail or laying low. Hulk and Viv are leading Champions Worldwide, so things abroad are going good. Even the anti-mutant groups are zipping it for the most part." He eyed Kamala playfully. "I think you scared them." 

Kamala rolled her eyes. "Their fear finally overruled their bigotry. Huzzah. Want to stay out for another half-hour then pack it in?" 

"Sure. Lets-" Miles was cut off as both he and Kamala heard the sound of gunfire down below. Lots of gunfire. "Huh. It never fails, does it?" 

"Nope!" Kamala grinned as she and Miles leaped off the roof. Five seconds later, Kamala smashed through the roof of what was clearly a drug smuggling ring; the crooks running it already had their guns out and were firing at the two teen heroes. Good reflexes, bad instincts. 

"CRAP! IT'S CAPTAIN MARVEL AND BLACK SPIDER!!" 

"Captain?" Kamala smirked as she smacked a few of the gunmen away with her stretchy arms, only using the Stones for defense. "When did I get a promotion?" 

"Also, Black Spider?" Miles groaned as he webbed up several crooks. "Really?" 

Kamala laughed. "Sorry Spider-Man! Guess they're recruiting from the bottom of the barrel these days!" 

The "fight," if it could be called such, was almost embarrassing for the heroes. They outgunned normal criminals by such a comically large amount, that the less said, the better. Within a minute all the crooks were either out cold, webbed up, or both. 

Kamala stretched delightfully in the middle of the warehouse. "Well, that was fun! Glad we got something done tonight." 

"Yeah, I . . . huh." Miles paused, rubbing his chin. "Hey, Ms. Marvel? A thought occurs. Who were these guys firing at before we showed up?" 

Kamala blinked. "Huh. Didn't think about that. Let's see. . ." She licked her lips and looked around with her enhanced senses. Maybe it was infighting, or a rival gang, or-? 

"Oh my gosh." Kamala gasped before running outside, Miles ran after her. 

"Whoa, M.M! What is it, what did you . . . oh." Miles stopped behind her as they stood just outside the warehouse. There, lying in his pool of his own blood and barely still conscious, was the Punisher. 

Miles looked at her. "You . . . you can heal him, right?" 

Kamala gulped down her nerves. "Y-Yeah. But . . ." 

"But?" 

She sighed. "Frank's sort of a . . . special case." 

Yes, Kamala knew about the Punisher and his story. He was rather infamous in the Hero Fan community. Despite everything he has done, she always felt some pity for the man. 

Which is why she did what she did next. 

Kamala bent down to the ground, ignoring the blood on her boots, getting her face close to Frank's. "Hey there, Frank." Her voice was quiet, soothing, not quite a whisper. "I'm going to give you a choice. I can heal you up, make you as good as new. No wounds. No scars. Or . . ." She paused, steadying herself. "Or I can let you go, and you can finally be with your family again." 

Frank stared up at her for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he mouthed the words to his choice. 

Kamala sighed. She saw it coming; there was no way Frank would make any other choice. 

There was a flash of rainbow light, and all the blood was gone. Frank stood to his feet, smacking Kamala's hand away when she tried to help. His body was in perfect condition; all the scars he had built up over the years were gone. 

"What?" Frank said in a voice like sandpaper. "You doing street healing now? Isn't that a bit of a step down from saving the world?" 

Miles moved, putting himself between Kamala and the Punisher. "You rather we throw you behind bars where you belong?" 

Frank chuckled, though it came out more like a grunt. "Defending your girl's honor? Cute." 

Miles sputtered, and Kamala felt her face heat up a bit. "W-We took down the people who shot you." She said. "Without killing anyone, I might add." 

"Hrrm." Frank made a noise. "What about their metahuman?" 

Kamala blinked. "Metahuman?" 

Frank frowned and reached for his gun. "The one that threw me off the roof when I tried to ambush the gang." 

Kamala had a deep, sinking feeling, and-! 

"WHOA!" Miles yelled, tensing up. "Major Spider-Sense! Ms.-!" That was all he got out before there was a blur, and he and Frank went flying backwards. 

"Spider-Man!" Kamala shouted before clenching her fist, her aura flashing brightly. "Who's - ACK!" 

From an unseen vial that the blur had dropped at her feet a moment ago, greenish-blue gas rose up and into Kamala's face, going down her throat and nostrils. The world got dizzy, blurry. Her limbs lost their strength, and she fell to her knees. Her thoughts became sluggish, tired. "W-Wh-Whaaa . . ." Kamala felt her body slump before she fell onto her side on the ground, limp and helpless. 

"Deviant bitch." A voice as cold as the grave rang out as a form appeared out of thin air. A dark figure stood over Kamala, dressed all in black. They had grey skin, blue lips, and jet-black hair tied back in a ponytail. "That gas was developed to handle gods. I knew it would be enough for you." The figure reached down and grabbed a handful of Kamala's long brown hand, yanking her up to look her in the eye. Drugged, brown eyes met two dark pinpricks in orbs of white. Those were not the eyes of a human. 

"I am Jack of Knives." The figured smiled. "Assassin of the Eternals. And I am your death."

Chapter Text

It had been a long time since Jack of Knives had killed a god. Oh, of course the Eternals had conflicts with gods before; petty and arrogant creatures that they were. But that had all ended thousands of years ago. Far too long, for Jack's case. 

Jack grinned with their icy blue lips as they pulled up on Ms. Marvel's hair, exposing more of the godling's throat. The neural disrupter had worked like a charm. All the power in the universe, and yet now she couldn't even stand up or talk. 

"You know, girl." Jack said as they pressed the knife to her neck. It was a mono-molecular blade; the kind that could cut an atom in half if you know how to use it. "In a strange sort of way, I owe you thanks. I am the killer of gods and kings. I invented assassination as mortals understand it. And what have I been doing with it? Running a small crime ring, that's what." Jack chuckled at the absurdity of their own life. "It was the immortality, girl. I realize that now. It breeds complacency. In all of us. But now? Zuras is making major moves for the first time in thousands of years, and I have left my hole in the ground. The thrill of mortality; the realization that a single misstep could be your last. It's liberating." 

Ms. Marvel responded with a groan as some more drool dripped out of her limp mouth. Jack chuckled once more. 

"And now I'm monologuing like a supervillain. Mortality does make one want to enjoy things more. Work before pleasure." Jack pulled the knife back to drive it right into the girl's neck. 

There was a "twipp" like sound and Jack felt something warm and sticky tug at their hand, pull it away from the godling. Jack looked to their right, and saw the Spider-Man standing, pulling at a line of webbing. 

"Get away from her!" 

Jack raised an eyebrow. "A blow from me should have crippled most mortals." Jack smirked. "Intriguing." 

"You let her go or I'll shove all of this intriguing down your throat!" Spider-man spat. 

"I'll do you one better; I'll give her to you." And then Jack threw Ms. Marvel at the Spider, like an oversized, misshapen baseball. The godling gave a drunken "weeee" as she went. Spider-man dropped his web line and caught her as she slammed into him, sliding back a few feet. 

"Got you!" Spider-man cried as he held her tight to his chest. Jack took note as they accelerated to superspeed. The Spider held the godling close, tenderly. And Jack's enhanced senses noticed a slight rise in the boy's body heat and pheromone levels. Did the lowly Spider want to mate with the goddess? Jack shrugged it off as they thrusted their knife into the Spider's head. Or rather, where his head had been nanoseconds ago. The Spider had dodged at the last moment, twisting their body out of the way that seemed almost unnatural. 

Jack huffed in irritation. "Deviant." That was what all these mutants and superpeople infecting the Machine's outer layers were. It didn't matter if their genetic alterations were stable; they were still outside the stander for humanity. Eternals had a duty to purge such things from the mortal gene pool and to keep it pure. Zuras's tolerance of the more stable mutations was the single greatest mistake of his rule. Thankfully, it was being corrected. 

The Spider dodged another swing of Jack's knife, and the Eternal Assassin found themselves torn. While it had been far too long since they faced someone who could actually keep up with them, they couldn't let a dirty Deviant distract them. Drawing on their reserves of cosmic energy, Jack bent the light around themselves, simulating invisibility. They were the first Eternal ever to come up with this trick, though others would copy it in time. To the Spider's credit, he stood rigged for just a moment before shooting a line at a nearby building and trying to swing off with the goddess. Smart, but Jack would not allow it. 

With a single swing of their knife, Jack cut the Spider's line in mid-air, before it could reach anything. Before the Spider could try again, Jack drove the knife down into his right calf. The Spider screamed in pain as Jack pulled the knife out, dropping their invisibility as they did so. Warm, wet, mortal blood covered their blade. Jack licked it up. 

"What is wrong with you?!" The Spider screamed, holding the goddess with one hand and covering his bleeding calf with the other. 

Jack smiled darkly. "Everyone should enjoy their work. Now-" Jack was cut off by the sound of gunfire, and they felt several small projectiles bounce off of them. Turning around, Jack was disappointed to see the Punisher was up, firing at them while clearly nursing some broken ribs. 

"Really?" Jack huffed in annoyance. Speeding over to the mortal, Jack sliced the gun in half and grabbed him by the neck with their free hand. Lifting the Punisher off the ground, Jack stared at him with white, soulless eyes. "And what, exactly, were you trying to do?" 

The Punisher smiled through gritted teeth. "Distract you." He let out a horsed laugh as Jack looked back to where they left the two teenagers. They were gone. 

Jack sighed dramatically before throwing the Punisher through a nearby window with a flick of the wrist. It didn't matter. Jack didn't just lick the Spider's blood for their own amusement. Now they had his genetic code. His "scent," as it were. Focusing on that, Jack instantly knew where exactly the Spider was and where he is heading. And where the Spider was, so too be the goddess. 

Jack smiled. "I found you once, so now I can always find you."

Chapter Text

Miles had been stabbed before. He had also been shot at, punched, kicked, thrown through walls, nearly eaten, exploded, and more. All that in mind, getting stabbed was, by comparison, fairly pedestrian. 

Still hurt like hell, though. 

Miles hissed as he webbed up the knife wound in his leg on the rooftop. Web fluid was sterile and could work as a temporary bandage and disinfectant in a pinch. Thankfully spider-people like himself also had acerating healing; nothing on par with Wolverine or Deadpool, but at least it meant the wound wouldn't leave a scar. Pulling out his emergency Avengers' phone, Miles could only groan when he saw he had no service. 

"Great. Tall, pale, and scary must be blocking the signal somehow. Why do Eternals always have to pull new powers out of their butts at the worst times?" He hobbled over across the roof to where he had left Kamala; slouched up against roof access door. Why didn't he just bust the door down and go inside, you may ask? Because there were people inside and Miles got the sense that Jack didn't really care about civilian losses. 

"Kamala?" He leaned down to her with a grunt. The leg was still too tender to put pressure on it. "Kamala, I could really use some omnipotent back up right now." 

Behind her mask, Kamala's eyes rolled before falling on Miles. "Miles?" She slurred. "I can't talk now. The pink elephants are on parade." And then she passed out. Again. 

Miles sighed. "Whatever he hit you with, I'd bet Wade would want just one hundredth of." Suddenly, Miles' s Spider-Sense blazed. He turned on his heels and went invisible. Jack stood on the edge of the roof, a smirk on their face. 

"Hmm. Good instincts." Jack said as they tracked Miles's invisible form with cruel, white eyes. "A waste of effort, I'm afraid. I've tasted your blood and can see heat signatures. Your attempts at stealth mean nothing to me." 

Miles grunted as he dropped the invisibility. "How about you give me a list of all your powers, huh? Sound fair?" 

"The dragon does not make deals with the sheep. Especially dead sheep." Jack went invisible themselves, and unlike them Miles had no heat vision or whatever to see them. "I wonder," the Eternal's voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. "Should I kill you first? Or do I kill the godling and then, when you are weeping in rage and sorrow, put you out of your misery?"  

Miles began to breath rapidly. His whole body tensed up as he forced himself not to panic and failed. What am I going to do?! I can't reach the Avengers, Kamala's down - How do I fight something I can't see?! 

Unless . . . I don't have to see them? 

Miles was a Spider-Man. He could do things only a Spider can. He and Peter once fought this guy, Mysterio, who could create illusions that could fool all five senses. The human ones. 

Spiders had a sixth. 

Miles closed his eyes under his mask. He slowed his breathing, blocking out everything else in the world. He waited. 

Waited. 

Wai- 

THERE! 

Miles ducked lowed, going under the invisible blade that would have taken his head from his shoulders. He whipped out a kick, and Jack grunted in pain as he got them right in the knee. Jack swung again, this time from Miles's heart. Miles twisted, the knife barely nicking his costume. Miles punched Jack right in the throat; the Eternal choked and stumbled backwards, becoming visible again. 

Miles lunged, grabbing Jack's head with both hands. He had two powers no other spider-person had. One was the ability to go invisible. The other . . . was his sting. 

With a roar of effort, Miles's own bioelectricity multiplied a million-fold for a single second, enough to light up the top of that roof like a lighthouse, and every volt of it was focused right into Jack's head. 

For the first time in thousands of years, Jack of Knives screamed in pain. 

Miles dropped to the ground, gasping for air. That was his strongest sting ever, and it drained him. Jack stumbled backwards, face and hair smoking. For a moment, it looked like they might fall. 

They did not. 

"Yooooooouuu." Jack growled as the smoke cleared, revealing a pale face now burnt and blackened. "Damn DEVIANT!!!" Jack grabbed Miles by the neck and pulled him up. Miles was too weak to resist as Jack tore off his mask and began to squeeze, cutting off his air.

"Look at me." Jack demanded with an evil joy. "Look into my eyes as I see the light leave yours." 

The pressure increased. Miles felt his body grow numb as his vision went black. His thoughts became slow and heavy as his air ran out . . . 

Miles gasped as he could suddenly breath again. He fell into one arm as another one wearing a glowing glove punched Jack so hard in the face they went flying into the sky, parting the clouds. 

"Miles!" The angel holding him looked down. She was the most beautiful thing his air-starved, exhausted mind had ever saw. 

"Kamala?" He asked, clearly loopy now himself. 

"Thank God you're okay!" She held him close, and Miles felt her breath on his face and the heat of her body. "Your blast hit me a bit and the shock woke me up enough to use the Stones to heal myself! Here, let me heal you now!" 

Ah, Miles got it now. This was a dream! Kamala holding him lovingly and fussing over him? It was one of his favorites, right between the one where they were married and had three to five kids and the weird one where he had Thor's hammer and spoke like a stereotype. 

Mile shrugged. "Welp, might as well." 

"What are you - UMM!" Kamala froze up as Miles leaned forward and kissed her right on the lips. 

Hmm. Odd. His other dreams felt different.

Chapter Text

"Your assassin failed. The mutant still lives." 

Zuras stared impassively at the woman on the screen before him. At least, she used to be a woman. Her many cybernetic implants and augments had removed her hair and tinted her skin crimson. Her vocal inflections and body language had also changed; a regular mortal would not have noticed, but to Zuras it was clear that she was more machine than man. 

Some time ago, she had a human name. She had been a hero. Tragedy and hatred had burned it all away and replaced it with the cold certainty of metal and wire. Now, she was the Omega Sentinel, the nearest thing to a single, unified leader Orchis had. 

"Jack of Knives was never expected to succeed." The Prime-Eternal explained. "They were a testing blow. We wanted to see the extent of the protections Ms. Marvel had placed around herself." 

Omega's face didn't change, remaining the same mask of cold anger it had been since this call began. "And now, because of this failure, she will be on guard. Another assassination attempt-" 

"Can still work." Zuras interrupted her. "Jack went after her with fairly conventional methods. Knives and poison. My people have weapons that can rend reality." An appeasement wrapped up with a threat. Zuras smiled. "Of course, we will not use them without your express approval. Unlike the Avengers, we Eternals are true protectors and friends of mankind." Plant the germ of the idea. 

Omega raised a single hairless eyebrow. Zuras had moderated his tone perfectly through thousands of years of practice, and her robotic brain was processing the information exactly the way he wanted her too. "Come now!" Another voice range out as Sinister walked into frame, placing an oily black arm upon Omega's shoulder. "We are all friends here! Really, the only downside is that we didn't get any of the girl's blood. I could use some god blood!" 

"Sinister." Omega brushed his arm away. "How goes the preparations?" 

"It goes." Sinister smirked. "We've flooded the market with anti-mutant propaganda, not that the masses need our help there. Also, the new Stark-Tech Sentinels are nearly complete. I'd kill to see the look on Stark's face when he sees them!" 

"And Nimrod?" 

"Ah." Sinister paused. "Well . . . I'm sure he could take any other mutant. But the girl . . .?" 

"Leave her to me and Doom." Zuras was certain Victor was planning something, he could feel it in his bones. He just wasn't sure what yet. "Now, if you would excuse me." 

Omega nodded as Zuras cut the link. As the screen went black, the Prime-Eternal heard slow clapping behind him. 

"Bravo, little nephew." A voice as cold as the grave spoke out. The voice of the one Zuras freed. "Leading the mortals without them realizing it? Planting the idea of also killing these Avengers? Well done. Though I admit, I mislike all this sneaking around behind the scenes." 

Zuras turned to face the ancient. He was tall; taller than Zuras, taller than Thanos. And he was big. Bulky. His skin was cold, blue, and hairless. His eyes were blazing red. Everything about him radiated hatred and danger in a way that made the Mad Titan seem calm and gentle. 

"I expected as much, mighty Uranos." Zuras spoke carefully. "No doubt you would rather ride out as crush Ms. Marvel's skull with your bare hands as she screamed and begged for mercy." 

"Hmm." The first gen Eternal thought. "It's true that watching a Skyfather die is a rare pleasure. Or Skymother, in this case. Rather, it is these half-measures you are taking that I truly dislike. Manipulating events instead of ruling openly? If you are going to do something, do it all the way. Even my dear grandson Thanos had that problem. Only half the universe? I swear, you young ones cannot finish anything these days." 

Zuras repressed a shiver. He had heard the stories about Uranos, but seeing him in person . . . "I will finish this. I am simply laying the groundwork right now. Ms. Marvel, the X-Men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four. We have allowed mankind to go too far from their intended path. The fault is mine. I granted freedom when I should have held tight." Zuras raised a fist. "Though our foes be numerous, we Eternal's will do as we have always done. Slay the Deviants. Purify humanity's gene pool. Guard the Machine." 

Left unsaid was, despite the Machine's obvious tampering's by the god-child, it not only seemed undamaged, it remained silent to Zuras's questioning. The Machine That Is The Earth should be ringing every alarm it had, but it was quiet. 

A bad omen. 

"And what of you, little nephew, and your people?" 

"Our immortality will be restored." Zuras frowned. "And . . . any internal issues will be removed." He wasn't blind to Druig's plans. The Lord of Flames and Nightmares had long coveted the throne of Prime for himself. No doubt he would try and use the current situation the take power. Zuras didn't rule for this long by being a fool. 

Uranos smiled. It was a hideous thing that would kill those of lesser constitution on the spot. "Very good. Call me when you are ready." The Great Destroyer turned and walked away. "By God! There's slaughter to be done!"

Zuras waited till he was gone before releasing the breath he had been holding. His uncle horrified him. Granted, Uranos horrified everyone; just being in the Destroyer's presence was enough to put even the mightiest on edge. However, Zuras needed him. 

If the Elder Titan could kill Celestials, then an untrained Demiurge would die just as easily.

Chapter Text

"This is a declaration of war." 

Carol glared at the unconscious Eternal assassin that had just been fished out of the ocean. He was being held in the most secured cell of Avengers' Tower, hooked up to multiple monitoring systems. Stark had them wrapped up in multiple layers of force fields just in case, but it was clearly not needed. The left side of their face was one big bruise, with their jaw badly dislocated. They also had several broken ribs and damaged organs, although those came from crash landing after being knocked into orbit, not from Kamala directed. Despite the lies of movies and video games, landing in water from a great height wasn't much safer than landing on dry land. 

Carol frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest. It was an impressive list of injuries for someone who was normally nigh-invulnerable. And if they were to wake up any time soon Carol would add a few more to the list. 

"Ikarus confirmed it." Tony said, fiddling with one of those holographic displays he loved these days. "Meet Jack; Eternal assassin, crime boss, and all-in-all murderous scum of the Earth." 

T'Challa scratched his chin, his mask removed for the moment. As soon as he had learned what had happened, he had flown over from Wakanda to meet up in person. He didn't trust something of this level to a mere video call. "This Jack is functionally an outlaw among their own people, yes? Is there any chance they might have been acting on their own behalf?" 

Tony shook his head. "No such luck. From what Ikarus told me, only the Prime Eternal can order a hit on this level." 

Carol once more felt the urge to break something. "Zuras." The name tasted like acid to her tongue. She had met the man once or twice. He had been polite enough, but it always felt like he was looking down on . . . well, everyone who wasn't an Eternal. Not in a racist sort of way, mind. More like "Oh you sweet, stupid, mortal children. Just sit back and let the adults handle this" sort of way. Carol knew literal gods with more humility.

T'Challa sighed. "I expected as much. This isn't the first time Zuras has done something like this, according to Wakanda's records." 

That raised Carol's eyebrow. "Your people have had run-ins with the Eternals before?" 

"The First Black Panther battled an Eternal war-priest alongside a group of . . . rather unique allies." T'Challa explained. "After that, we have kept eyes on them ever since." He frowned. "Apparently, Zuras once planned to purge Earth's superhuman population with the help of the High Evolutionary some time ago, but ultimately decided against it in favor of being a more benevolent king."  

"Well, it looks like he's changed his mind again." Tony looked like he wanted to drink. Or at least binge some ice cream and whip cream. "I'm guessing this is a response to Kamala's hitting the off switch on their resurrective immortality?" It was a question everyone already knew the answer to. 

Carol turned away from the prisoner and faced her two friends. "Steve's taken a team to Jersy himself to keep an eye on the situation. They found the site of the attack and picked up several crooks, including Castle." 

Tony scoffed. "Hopefully the cops can keep him behind bars for longer than a week this time." 

Carol ignored that, regardless of how true it was. "T'Challa, based on what you know, what will be Zuras's next move?' 

T'Challa hummed in thought and shifted his stance. Carol had seen him do this before, when he stopped thinking like an Avenger and started thinking like a king. "The quick and quiet option didn't work. So, as you said, that leaves war." 

"Against a single person?" 

"Yes, that is the tricky part." T'Challa wagged his finger as he put the pieces together. "Ms. Marvel is an Avenger, as well as a US citizen on US ground. Any attack on her by a large, organized, international force could be seen as an attack on America's sovereignty. Now, Zuras could just wait till she wasn't in America, but that plan has an obvious flaw to it." He worked his jaw. "No, he needs a reason; an excuse that will cause the American government to look the other way . . . and I think he already has it." 

Carol sneered. "That she is a mutant? You think that will be enough?" 

"You tell me Carol. You lived with the X-Men for some time, yes? Back when Xavier was helping you to master your increased power levels, if I'm not wrong. You've seen their struggles first-hand. The hatred they endure. Tell me; exactly how many people in America would cheer at the death of a child just because she was a mutant?" 

Carol closed her eyes. ". . . Far too damn many." 

Tony pressed a few more holographic buttons. "I'll call Steve. Maybe he can get Summers to lend a hand. He and Kamala are old friends cause of time travel nonsense, right?" 

Carol pinched the bridge of her nose. It was already a bad day. She didn't like adding time travel on top of it, even in passing. "More or less. How's Kamala herself? I heard she left quickly after the fight." 

Tony grinned, and Carol got the sense of both doom and amusement. "Funny you should ask, Captain. See, Miles just gave us the whole story a few minutes ago. Apparently, what happened was-" 

"I KISSED MY BEST FRIEND WHOSE A BOY AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL!!!!" Kamala cried out in anguish as she kicked open the door of her local mosque, nearly knocking it off its hinges in the process. 

Sheikh Abdullah blinked owlishly as he froze in place, a cup of perfectly heated tea in his hand, hovering just inches from his lips. ". . . Kamala, dear . . . that wasn't locked."

Chapter Text

About an hour ago. 

"Bah." 

It would be wrong to say that Kamala's brain was currently inactive. Quite the opposite; it was very active. Overly so. After Miles kissed her, a few dozen or so things went racing through her head all at once. First, obviously, was the shock of her best friend kissing her on the lips. Miles had naturally hugged her plenty of times, and had even given her a peck on the cheek once or twice. But the lips? That was new. 

Of course, the kiss itself wasn't the only thing Kamala was thinking about. She was also thinking about how soft his lips were, and how muscular he felt under his costume. Not directly related to the kiss, Kamala was thinking about how Jack's attack meant the Eternals might be actively gunning for her now, and how she needed to contact the Avengers to let them know about that, and so that they could pick Jack up. And Castle too, now that she was thinking about it. 

Those were the major thoughts, and while they took up the most room, Kamala's mind was also busy with numerous other tasks. There were the parts that kept her heart beating and her lungs breathing, but there were also others. Like how Kamala needed to check up on the Mindful Ones, or how she needed to talk to the X-Men about the whole "She's actually a mutant" thing. There also more mundane thoughts, unrelated to superheroing; how she needed to pick up some more formula for little Malik, that she needed to be back home by midnight, or even the small part that reminded her that she needed to go to the bathroom. Dozens of thoughts and tasks, both major and minor. 

"Bah." 

Understandably, all of this left very little room for the language parts of Kamala's brain. 

"Bah." 

As Kamala repeated herself a third time, Miles blinked as he wiggled a bit in her arms. Realization slowly dawned upon his unmasked face as they both sat on that rooftop. A realization that morphed into a mixture of shock, horror, and . . . attraction? 

"That . . ." Miles squeaked out. "I'm not dreaming, am I?" 

Kamala's brain did a hard reset, causing her to jolt upright, dropping Miles on the roof with a soft "oof." 

"WELL THEN!" Kamala cried out, a forced, half-mad smile on her face. She was trying not to yell, but the feeling of fire on her face made it a losing battle. "GOOD TO SEE YOU ARE FINE! WELL, I BETTER GET GOING NOW!" 

"W-Wait!" Miles reached out. "Kamala, I'm sor-" 

"NO NEED, OLD CHUM!!" She ranted, chopping her right arm up and down. "AVENGERSBUSINESSTODOOKAYBYE!!!" And with that, she teleported away. 

Now. 

Kamala screamed into a pillow as she laid face first on the sofa. She had just finished telling what had happened. Her feet were kicking up and down. Across the coffee table, sitting at his favorite chair, Sheikh Abdullah waited patiently. 

Eventually, Kamala found the strength to look up from the salmon colored cushion. "I messed up, didn't I?" 

The Sheikh took a sip of his tea. It was now a bit cooler than what he favored, but still quite good. "Well, I can't say you handled it with grace. Does the boy at least live close to where you left him." 

"No, but the Avengers gave him a ride." She flipped over to kick up at the ceiling. "God, I'm so stupid! I ruined our friendship! RUINED IT!!" 

Abdullah chuckled. Ah, to be young. "I doubt that highly. Though I am curious why you came to me and not your parents." 

Kamala looked at him like he had grown a third eye out of his neck. "Are you nuts?! Do you know what they'd do if they learned I kissed a boy who wasn't Pakistani?!" 

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought Miles kissed you." 

"He wasn't in his right mind! I should have stopped it!" 

Abdullah clicked his tongue before carefully setting his tea down. "Kamala, tell me; are you upset because Miles kissed you, or are you upset at yourself for how much you enjoyed it?" 

Kamala sat up rigid. She blushed and sputtered, and Abdullah had to try really hard not to laugh. Finally, she found her tongue. 

"I-I-It doesn't matter what I felt! Like I said, Miles wasn't in his right mind! We're just friends!" 

"Are you now?" The eyebrow was back up. "Tell me, what do you two do as friends?" 

"Well, we hang out a lot, he helps me run the team, we talk and text almost daily, we go to the movies, eat out, hug, and . . . and . . ." 

Kamala blinked. Slowly, she dropped her face into her hands. "Oh God. Oh God, we are already basically dating." 

"Honestly, it sounds to me like you two are married." Abdullah shrugged. "But then I am somewhat old fashion." 

Kamala screamed into her hands for a solid minute. Eventually, she looked back up at the Sheikh. "All right. So, what do I do?" 

"Glad you asked." Abdullah leaned in and motioned for Kamala to do the same. "There's a secret art to relationships that I can teach you. One that can help overcome almost any problem between partners. One so rare and mythical, it is hardly ever heard of in this day and age." 

Kamala's eyes widen. "What is it?" 

"It is known as . . . Talking." 

Miles was sitting in his room, bouncing a ball against his door over and over again. This night was . . . it wasn't great. Kamala wasn't returning his texts, he made fool of himself, he nearly died. 

All in all, in his worst nights as Spider-Man ranking, he'd placed it in the top 30s. 

Miles caught the ball as it bounced back to him. He threw at the door. That was a sudden rainbow flash of light and Kamala was suddenly standing in front of his door. 

"Hey Miles, I - ACK!" Kamala stumbled backwards, more from shock than pain, as the rubber ball brained her in the head. 

"KAMALA!" Miles leaped out of his bed and over to her, grabbing her gently by the arm. "I am so sorry!" 

"It's okay! I should have knocked first! I just . . ." She trailed off, looking down at her arm. Miles looked down too. Somehow, his hand had slid down her arm, and now they were holding hands. 

The two teens quickly tore away from each other like their hands were on fire. Their faces certainly felt like it. 

Kamala spoke first. "S-S-So about tonight-!" 

"I am so sor-!" 

"IT'S OKAY!" Kamala shouted. "It's okay. It's . . . It's just . . ." She gulped. "I have a lot on my plate right now and . . . I like you a lot and . . . I don't want to ruin things between us." 

". . . Oh." Miles nodded. "Ok, I get that." 

Kamala smiled sheepishly. "Are we still friends?" 

Miles smiled as he hugged her. "We'll always be friends." 

Kamala let a breath out as she hugged him aback. They held each other for a few minutes. 

What happened next started as an accident. 

See, Miles moved to kiss Kamala on the cheek, like he had done a few times before when he was feeling especially bold. Kamala, still a bit wound up, moved to kiss Miles on his cheek, taking a page from his playbook. 

Their lips touched. 

They pulled back. They stared at each other. 

"Oh." 

Neither Miles or Kamala remembered who said that. Next thing they knew, they were on Miles bed, making out as flowers grew around them. 

Chapter Text

Jefferson Davis and Rio Morales pulled up into their driveway around 11 at night. Their street was always quiet at this time, with not a soul to be seen. The two adults got out of their car, with Jefferson loosening his tie and Rio smoothing out her dress. 

"That was fun." Rio smiled tiredly. "We should have date night more often." 

"We would if we wouldn't go broke from it." Jefferson smirked. "I still say fifty bucks for a steak is a literal crime." 

The couple laughed as they made their way slowly to the front door. Rio limped a bit, groaning. "Can't wait to get out of these heels. You mind giving me a foot massage?" 

"I would love to. We'll have to be quiet; Miles should be asleep by now." Jefferson put his key in, opened the door, and a tidal wave of flowers flowed out of their house, knocking them both over with a scream. Jefferson sputter as he scrambled up from under the petals. He dug through the pile until he found his wife, helping her up onto unsteady legs. 

"You alright?!" 

"I think so." Rio nodded. "Just caught me off guard." 

"Good. Good." Jefferson paused, took a deep breath, turned to his house, and - "MIIIIIIIIILLLLEEEES!!!" 

Within the now cleaned up Morales-Davis household, two teens sat uncomfortably upon the couch. Despite most of the flowers being zapped away, those two still had some petals in their hair. Jefferson looked down at them, arms crossed. 

"So." Jefferson clicked his tongue. "Just so we're all on the same page." He pointed at Miles. "You're Spider-man." 

Miles nodded. "Yes. W-Well, one of them." 

He pointed at the girl. "She's Ms. Marvel." 

The omnipotent mutant sheepishly waved her hand. "H-Hello." She squeaked. For some reason, she was intimidated by him. 

"And how long has this been going on?"

Miles shrunk into his seat. "We've been friends for over a year, but we just started dating tonight." He sputtered. "N-N-Not that anything happened! We were just making out and-!" 

"That was my fault!" Ms. Marvel - Kamala - interjected. "I made the first move and I lost control of my powers and -!" 

"It's not her fault!" Miles interrupted. "I kissed her first and -!" 

Jefferson raised his hand. Miraculously, the kids stopped. He took a deep breath, in and out. ". . . I believe you when you say nothing happen. I also understand why you hid the fact that you're Spider-man. I know I have not been the most . . . accepting of superheroes and the like." 

Miles perked up. "Oh! O-Okay, then-!" 

"You're still grounded by the way." 

Miles slouched over. "Ah, Daaaaaad!" 

Jefferson was having none of it. "Hey, you're the one whose make-out session flooded my house with daffodils! Besides, while I'll admit you two have been using your powers responsibly, you're still teenagers! You could fly off to an abandoned island for an hour and I'd never know!" 

Miles and Kamala shared a look before turning away, blushing. "We, ah, we hadn't thought about that till now." 

Jefferson dropped his face into his hands. Great. He was giving them ideas. 

"Dear?" Rio's voice rang out from the other room. "We have company." 

"Tell them to come back when I'm dead." 

"I don't think you're the one who's gonna die." Rio walked in with a smirk. Behind her was a very unamused looking Pakastani couple. 

All the color drained from Kamala's face "Eep!" 

Ah. So, they were her parents. Gooooood. 

Kamala raised a shaky finger. "W-Would you believe me if I said Miles was 1-18th Pakastani?" 

Despite everything, her father chuckled. "Kamala, we don't actually care who the boy you like is, so long as he treats you well. We're sorry if we made you feel like you had to hide your relationship." 

"O-Oh." Kamala looked hopeful. "Then I'm -?" 

It was her mother who spoke next. "Ground for a month. No video games. No unsupervised ventures except those superhero related." 

"Yeah. Okay." 

Jefferson nodded. He liked the cut of this lady's jib. 

Kamala's mother gave Jefferson and Rio a grateful nod. "Thank you for looking after our daughter. I apologize for the trouble she caused you." 

Rio shrugged. "It was no problem. She seems like a nice young lady. Except for, you know, this bit." 

"Hmm." Mrs. Khan turned to face her daughter. "Now let's go Kamala. You have a big day tomorrow." 

"I do?" 

"Yes. It was Mr. Stark who told us where you were. He also told us . . . the Avengers need you to go with them to Krakoa." 

Jefferson blinked as the girl just accepted that, like it wasn't a big deal. It was a weird family that his son had gotten them tangled up with.

Chapter Text

"It's a flower." 

Kamala felt a little dumb stating the obvious, but there was nothing much else to say about the foot tall blue rose growing just beyond where the Xavier Institute once stood. The building itself had been burned down for what must have been the tenth time. This time, it wouldn't be rebuilt. The thought made Kamala a little upset; the "X-Mansion," as it was also known, had been such a important fixture in superhero culture. It didn't seem right for it to be abandoned like this. 

"It is a flower." Mr. Stark explained, dressed head to toe in one of his all purpose Iron Man suits. "At least, right now it is. Its only when they turn it on that it becomes a gate." 

"How exactly does that work, anyway?" Asked Captain Rogers. He and Mr. Stark were the only Avengers with Kamala. Between the Mindful City, the brewing issues with the Eternals, and regular superhero stuff, the rest were needed to keep an eye on things. "I'm just saying: plants that teleport people seem more like something Strange or Jericho might cook up." 

"Best guess? It's the result of Krakoa's own abilities combined with select Mutant powers. Put enough Mutants with the right abilities in a room together, and they can do almost anything." 

"Hmm." Steve hummed. "I'm honestly surprised you never hired any Mutants. Your brains and their gifts?" 

"I actually did try. But the government put so many restrictions and non-compete laws on them . . ." Stark sighed, sounding like a metallic echo. "I've been trying to get those laws changed through the system, but . . . well, there's more than one reason why the X-Men threw up their hands and peaced out." 

"You know, Mr. Stark." Kamala spoke up, adjusting her mask. "I get that you're trying to lighten the mood, but whenever try to use modern slang it reeks of how do you do, fellow children energy." 

Steve laughed, and Stark gestured to him helplessly. "You see? See how mean she is to me?" 

Kamala smiled. That smile then fell off as the flower four feet away began to change, growing into vines that began to form into a arch. 

Steve frowned, adjusting his grip on the shield ever so slightly. "And here we go." 

The ends of the vines touched seven feet in the air, finishing the arch. The next instant, the gateway came to life with a soft glow and a low hum; five feet wide at its widest point, enough for two or three people to walk in together shoulder to shoulder. A second later, Scott Summers walked out through the gate, a bemused expression on his face. 

"Huh." Scott stared at the two Avengers; or at least Kamala thought he did. It was hard to tell with that visor of his. "I'm honestly surprised you gave her my message. I was half expecting you to bury it." 

"I'll admit, the temptation was there." If Steve's word were any more tense, they'd snap in half. "But there was worries that if we did, you might take actions into your own hands." 

Scott chuckled. "Still so unwelcoming to me, captain? We're both boy scouts; what did I do to upset you so?" 

"Besides the time you absorbed the Phoenix's power, hurt and killed multiple people, and nearly destroyed the world?" 

Scott's visor began to glow red. "I also fixed many of the world's problems before the chaotic power of the Phoenix overwhelmed me. In fact . . . I did some of the same things Ms. Marvel is doing now. Tell me, how long till you try to put her down? White guy in the American flag trying to kill a brown girl? Good thing she's a Mutant, otherwise I'm sure that would go swimmingly."

Steve looked moments away from trying to beat Scott to death with his own skull. Kamala forced a smile on her face and clapped her hands together. "OKAY! Scott, how you been?! How's Mrs. Scott?" 

Scott looked down at her with a honest smile. "Jean's doing great, thanks for asking. Actually, we're trying to have a kid again." 

Kamala's smile became far more real. "Oh! I'm so happy for you guys!" 

"Thanks! Honestly, we have too many future children and not enough present ones." Scott looked back at the Avengers. "Well, thanks for bring her this far, but I can escort her from here." 

"Ha ha no." Stark said without mirth. "If you think we're leaving her alone you're nuts. Also, her parents would literally kill me." 

Scott shrugged at the parents bit and looked at Kamala, who nodded. "I would prefer if they came along. If that's cool." 

". . . I can't say no to you." Scott grinned, waving at the gateway. "Alright, lets go." 

After a moment's hesitation, they all stepped through the portal. 

Omega Sentinel frowned as she watched the video. Orchis had eyes on all known Krakoan gates, although they knew the Mutants had secret gates as well. They were still working on finding those. Still, that was far less important than what had just happened. 

"The worst case scenario has come to pass. Ms. Marvel is going to the island." And to put salt on the wounds, the Avengers were letting it happen. Humanity's "greatest heroes" were giving away the key to humanity's extinction. Was Omega the only true hero left? 

No. She would not sit by as Ms. Marvel snaps her fingers and undoes all mankind. Pressing a button, Omega spoke with barely controlled anger. "M.O.D.O.K. launch the Stark-Sentinels. Target Krakoa." 

". . . Are you sure?" The wormy, floating head had the gall to hesitate. "I mean, Doom-" 

"Is not here. There is no time to wait. Launch them or I'll find someone who will." Omega closed the line and sunk into her chair. She wasn't a fool. The Stark-Sentinels could kill a thousand Mutants, but they might not be enough for Ms. Marvel. Nimrod might not be enough. 

"Bad day?" 

Turning in her chair, Omega frowned at the slimy man standing behind her. He had his hair oiled back, his skin was fair, and he wore a white suit. "Sublime. What are you doing here? How did you even get in?" 

"I can get in anywhere." The man smiled. "I know what you're thinking. Those robots won't be enough to kill Ms. Marvel. She's no longer a mere Mutant; she's a god." 

Omega raised an eyebrow. "And how, exactly, do we kill a god?" 

"With another god." He held out his hand, showing a glass jar with a piece of metal in it. "Or a weapon made by one." 

"Is that what that is?" 

Sublime smiled even more. "It took me years to find it. It's from a whole other universe. One where it killed every Mutant and superhero on Earth. Let me tell you about the Fury."

Chapter Text

Portals were always a bit trippy for Kamala. After all, they were basically folded holes in space that connected two separate areas, no matter how far apart they really were. Kamala thought they were pretty cool, but she was always afraid one would cut off while she was in it, leaving her butt behind while the rest of her went through. 

Don't ask her why it was the loss of her butt that made her nervous. Fears like these where irrational for a reason. 

As such, Kamala let out a little sigh of relief when she successfully passed through the Krakoan Gate, rear intact. She then let out a wide-eyed gasp of surprise as she saw where she was. It was a city, but it was also a forest. Massive trees the size of skyscrapers stood next to actual skyscrapers, and often the two were interconnected with one seeming to grow out of the other. Large domes and half spheres laid atop or next to these megastructures, containing parks or building depending on their needs. The streets were clean, inhumanly so; Kamala wondered if that was the result of a power or a piece of tech. Clearly, the technology level here was second only to Wakanda. Even the air tasted better than it did in the States. 

"It's beautiful." Kamala looked around, craning her neck to look up. "It's like you took a island paradise, built a urban paradise, and combined the two!" 

Next to her, Scott chuckled. "Thanks. That's what we were going for." 

Behind them, Steve hummed. "I'm guessing Krakoa would not allow you to live upon it if you tried to despoil the land." 

Kamala nodded. "Right. Duh. I forgot Krakoa is a living thing as well as a place." 

Scott shrugged. "It's a easy thing to forget. Among us, only Cypher can understand Krakoa's language." He motioned down the street. "Wanna take in the sights a bit more as we make our way to the Grove?" 

"Do I?!" Kamala practically skipped along side of Cyclops. Steve and Mr. Stark hung a few feet back as they went, clearly on overwatch. Kamala didn't care; she was too busy looking at the buildings and all the people. The street was full of them, and they were all different shapes and sizes. People ten feet tall or three feet short. People with fur or feathers or color-shifting skin. People with different numbers of eyes and limbs, or with claws or wings or tails. It was overwhelming. 

"I had no idea there were so many mutants." Kamala gasped. "I mean, I knew there were enough to make a nation, but still . . ." She struggled to find the words. 

"Seeing it is a bit different than just hearing about it?" Scott smiled. "You aren't the first to have that reaction. Before you ask, our last count put the number around 250,000, but that's just the ones living on Krakoa. Not to mention more mutants are being born every day." 

"What's with the chicken scratches on some of those buildings?" Mr. Stark asked. Kamala looked where he was pointing; sure enough, there were some strange symbols on some of the buildings where a sign might be. 

"Oh, that's our language." Scott said casually, patting Kamala on the shoulder. "You'll learn it in time." 

That made Kamala pause. "Wait. You made you're own language?" 

"Well, not me personally." Scott scratched the back of his head. "Now that mutants are finally united we needed to form our own cultural identity. Our own language helps speed that process along." 

"While also disconnecting yourselves further from the rest of the world." Steve was still not happy. "The mutant gene usually expresses itself during puberty, yes? I couldn't help but notice that most of the people on the street are underage. You're not still kidnapping children, are you? Reed told me what you tried to do with his son." 

"That was Xavier's and Magneto's call, not mine. And neither of them are on the Council anymore." Scott defended. "Needless to say, we've had a change of policy since them." 

"How nice to know that your government is no longer run by child thieves." 

"ANYHOW!" Kamala spoke up before the punching started. "Any cool places you can recommend?" 

"Tons." Scott said proudly. "There's the White Palace, grown out of crystal. It looks amazing during the sunset. If you're hungry, the Green Lagoon is the tiki bar. They even have non-alcoholic drinks." 

"Good to know. What else?" 

"Dead Mutant Cove has the strongest waves on the island, which makes it a favorite for surfers. Oh, and of course there is the Arena. It's where mutants can practice with their powers in a controlled environment. It's also used as a dueling around to settle disputes. That way people aren't throwing energy blasts around on the streets." Scott clicked his tongue. "Of course, all of that will have to wait till after the Grove. The Council wants to see you first." 

"Figured as much. Lead on, fellow Champion!" 

Scott laughed. "As you say, fellow Champion!" 

"Anything?" Xavier asked as Magneto dapped his bloody nose with a napkin. The result of him using his magnetic powers on the Gauntlet and the Gauntlet's passive defenses taking exception. 

"I couldn't even budge the blasted thing, Charles." The Master of Magnetism grumbled. "She didn't even notice my efforts." 

"That is unfortunate, but not unexpected." Xavier scratched his chin. They were a mile away from Ms. Marvel's current location. Xavier had helped Eric aim in the hopes of gaining the Stones. They both knew it was unlikely to work, but with them so close that had to try. "Well then, we better hope the Council convinces her to join us." 

"They won't." Magneto frowned. "The girl has swallowed the Avengers' rhetoric hook, line, and sinker. And she has too many connections to the humans. Charles, you don't need your telepathy to know that she thinks like one of them." 

Xavier hummed in thought. If Ms. Marvel just had her normal powers, he would only be concerned for her safety as a rogue mutant. But now that she has the Infinity Stones? She needed to join Krakoa. 

Xavier smiled. "Perhaps, my friend, I can . . . change her mind."

Chapter Text

"When you called it the Grove," said Kamala "I didn't think you were being so literal." She scratched the back of her head as they walked underneath the tree arch into the hollowed out trunk that was the meeting place of the Quiet Council. "Then again, you guys do have the world's greatest tree forts, so . . . I guess I should have seen this coming. 

Scott chuckled as he lead Kamala and her Avengers chaperones into the meeting room. It was a living work of art, grown rather than built. Colorful plants adorn the room, hues of green and blue and gold. Around the walls were gaps in the branches and bark, allowing for natural light to shine in. At the center of the room sat a large stump of a table surrounded by seats. Two of them were currently empty. And at the end of the room was a large, wooden face growing out of a mass of roots. A young, blonde man sat next to it, giving Kamala a soft wave. Cypher, Kamala realized, and Krakoa himself. 

Well, duh. Kamala thought. The island's alive. Of course he'd want a say in how the city on him is run.

Scott gave a quick, formal salute towards the assembled councilmembers. "Presenting Ms. Marvel, hero of Jersey, goddess of the Mindful Ones, and master of the Infinity Stones." 

Kamala shot Scott a glare. Did he have to use those titles?

Yep. Said a voice in her head.

Kamala blinked. Wait, Scott? Is that you?

Scott turned to look at her, eyebrow raised. Wait, did you not mean to mind-speak right now?

No! Kamala waved her arms. I've never done it before! Why are the Stones giving me a new power now?!

I mean, thanks to time travel we are really old friends. Jean told me once that telepathy is far easier with people who know each other-

"AH-HEM!" A woman Kamala recognized as Emma Frost cleared her throat. "If you could wrap up your conversation with my ex-boy toy, can we get started?" 

Kamala winced. "Could you hear us?" 

Frost looked rather annoyed at the question. "No. I haven't been able to hear your thoughts at all. No doubt thanks to your jewelry. But I know from experience what a telepathic conversation looks like." 

"Ah. Yeah, makes sense." Kamala took an embarrassed step forward. She knew of every member of the Council thanks to her Hero-Otaku days. Some were heroes, some were villains, some didn't really fall into either. Of the heroes there was Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Shadowcat and Hope Summers. The first four all gave her friendly smiles; Nightcrawler even gave her a wiggly-finger wave. Hope just stared at her, her eyes practically boring into her skull. Kamala recalled how Hope was once called the Mutant Messiah. Pleeeease tell me she's not angry that I stole her title or something! I really can't deal with that right now! 

Of the villains there were Exodus, the Black Queen, and Mystique. They were far colder, but Exodus at least gave her a considering look. He was from knight times, or something. Kamala couldn't quite recall. At least they don't have Apocalypse or something crazy like that. 

For some reason, Scott winced. 

That left Mr. Sebastian Shaw, Frost, and Destiny. The rich man looked at Kamala with smug amusement, where as Destiny, well . . . even with her golden mask cover her face, she seemed rather fragile. Haggard. Kamala looked at her and she flinched back. Mystique leaned over to take her by the hand, calming Destiny before glaring at Kamala. What did I do? 

Scott explained. Turns out your existence isn't playing nice with her future seeing powers.  

Oh. "I'm really sorry." Kamala spoke up. "About the future thing, I mean. I don't mean to upset you." 

Shaw gave out a snort of laughter. "You hear that? She doesn't mean to blind us! How nice of her!" 

"Shut it, Shaw." Shadowcat glared at him. "This isn't the first time mutants had powers that messed with others. It's not her fault." 

"But it's not her powers, is it? It's those cosmic relics strapped to her hand." Shaw smiled. "Rather irresponsible of her, I'd say. Maybe-" 

"That's enough, Shaw." Steve step up from behind her. "Just because you were never official charged with a crime doesn't mean I don't know who you are. Don't even try to finish that thought." 

"Not that I don't disagree with the Captain." Exodus spoke in low, careful tones. "But why are these humans here? Krakoa is the Promised Land. It is meant for the Chosen People." 

Kamala didn't like were this was going. "They're with me. They're my friends." 

"With all respect, Your Worship-" Kamala groan internally as Exodus spoke. Great, a new one. "- you are on high. Holy. It is improper for you to associate with such as them." 

Across the table, Nightcrawler gave Exodus a knowing smile. "It is also improper for a holy one to associate with lowly fishermen, tax collectors, and prostitutes, is it not?" 

Exodus blinked before leaning back into his chair. "Fair point, wise one. Forgive me; I misspoke." 

Kamala felt lost as Scott laughed in her head. Is that a reference or- 

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm just happy to be here." Tony said, safely entombed in enough firepower to level a small nation. "By the way, it has been too long Emma. You look amazing as always. Rulership agrees with you." 

For the first time at the meeting, Emma Frost smiled. "Charmed as always, Tony. Perhaps we should . . . catch up afterwards." 

"I'd like that." 

Kamala tasted vomit. Nope! Not gonna deal with that! Nope! Nope! Nope! 

Scott shuddered. You think you have it rough? I dated her! I saw the memories!! 

No doubt seeing that Kamala was turning a shade of green, and not because of any gamma, Storm spoke up. "Enough. I did not come back to Earth for mere games and banter. Ms. Marvel," She leaned forward. "I formerly request that you and your family live her on Krakoa." 

Kamala shook her head. "Thanks but no thanks. I'm good." 

"Do not be hasty. Those Stones make you a target. We can keep you safe here. Your family safe." 

"The Avengers already have her safety well in hand." Steve spoke up again. "We contacted multiple reserve members and brought in other teams. She's already protected." 

"And what a wonderful job you have done." A man's voice rang out, causing everyone in the room to stiffen. Through the front entrance, behind Kamala, came Professor X and Magneto, both walking into the Grove. It was the Professor who spoke. "What was it now, three assassination attempts? Plus a battle against a god that nearly destroyed the world. Truly, Captain Rogers, you have things well in hand. What do we know?" 

". . . Ah." Kamala pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was wondering who the last two seats were for. Joy."

Chapter Text

Steve still remembered the first time he met Xavier.

It was at the old school; Steve had just learned that Logan was not only still alive, but was a superhero as well. His old squad mate had invited him over to catch up over a few beers, though with their bodies' immune systems, a "few" meant two or three dozen. Xavier had met them at the door with a smile and a handshake. He was still in a wheelchair back then. After Steve had drunk Logan under the table, he and Xavier had gotten talking. They talked about their own trials and struggles, about how society needed to change, and about the need to never give up, even when it was hard. Steve had left that day with a smile; Xavier was a wise, kind man, but he had a core of strength and conviction. He knew what was right and what was wrong, and would chose right every single time. 

Steve wondered when exactly it went so wrong. 

Today, Xavier might have been actually standing up, but that was the only positive change. While the old Xavier had an aura of compassion and wisdom, this Xavier radiated a smug superiority that was more at home with Magneto. Another similarity between the two now was that Xavier too wore a helmet, one clearly based on Cerebro technology, although this one also covered his eyes. Steve didn't like that; Xavier had communicated so much with his eyes, and there had been such warmth in them. To hide them like this . . . it was a bad sign. 

"Rogers. Stark." Xavier said with a smile unlike any Steve had seen on him. "A pleasure as always." 

"I wish I could say the same, Charles." Steve responded, doublechecking his mental defenses. Xavier must have noticed that; he chuckled. 

"No need for that, Rogers. Even with Cerebro, your mind and will remains, as always, unassailable. Though Stark-" 

"Is covered in enough telepathic dampers to choke the Phoenix Force." Tony stood still in his armor, but Steve caught the soft "hmm" of his systems powering up. It was far too low for a normal human to hear it, but Steve was a super-soldier. Too many people forgot that he could do more than punch things real good. 

Next to Xavier, Magneto scoffed. Him, Steve wasn't surprised or disappointed to see here. He'd be more shocked if he wasn't around. "Tough talk for the Homo Saipan in the metal tin can. Mouthing off near the Master of Magnetism." 

"This tin can is built out of non-magnetic alloys." Tony explained. "And it is capable of generating counter magnetic fields. So go ahead, try me." 

"Hello!" Kamala raised her hand, drawing everyone's attention. "Hi! Ms. Marvel here! Kind of worried about starting a race war!" 

"No need to worry, Ms. Marvel." Xavier smiled, walking past Steve. Steve didn't stop him; it would have only made things worse. "Just us old men catching up and airing old grievances." He paused in front of her. "I don't think we have ever been formally introduced. Odd that, seeing as you already know Scott and Logan." 

Kamala shrugged. "I didn't know I was a mutant yet. Speaking of which, I'm guessing you're here to offer me a place here or whatever?" 

Xavier chuckled. "And I thought I was the mind reader. But yes; you've seen Krakoa. You must have seen the good it can do for you." 

"It's cool." Kamala admitted. "But I don't know how much good you can actually do cutting yourselves off from the rest of the world." 

"A temporary measure." Xavier explained. "More mutants are being born ever day, at every increasing rates. By the end of this century, the number of mutants being born will surpass the number of humans being born. Then, mutants will take their rightful, predestined place as inheritors of the Earth." 

Charles, do you even hear yourself?! Steve bit his lip to keep himself from screaming. While he deeply sympathized with the prejudice mutants had suffered and had helped to fight against it, (More than one of the Friends of Humanity had learned what his shield tasted like) he did not, nor would he ever, approve of the idea that mutants were somehow a "superior race." That was far too damn familiar for his comfort. 

Thankfully, Kamala seemed equally unimpressed. "Uh huh." She crossed her arms. "Lets put a pin in the racist bit for a moment. Big ask, I know. The X-Men were founded on fighting for equality, right? And yet here you are, hiding away on a super-secret island." She leaned forward. "Forgive me if it's because I'm young and dumb, but that feels a lot like giving up."

In the Grove, you could here a pin drop. Then, at the table, Nightcrawler began to laugh, while a few others groaned and shook their heads, Summers included. "And here we go." 

Outwardly, Xavier was perfectly calm, but Steve could feel him bristle. ". . . You're right." Xavier wasn't smiling anymore. "You are young. You still think like a hero; that you can change the world with pluck and determination. You will learn the truth in time." 

"I hope not." Kamala smiled. Steve was so proud he could have hugged her. 

"Enough." Storm spoke, rising slightly from her seat. "This is a government body, not a comedy troop. If you wish to put on a show, do it outside. Otherwise, take your seat." 

The smile came back, and just like that Xavier was nice and smug again. "Of course. My apologies." He extended his hand. "No hard feelings. Maybe we can continue this debate at a later date?" 

"Sure." Kamala reached out to take his hand. 

In the moments before they touched, Steve's brain went into overdrive. As a super-soldier, his mind could process information at a far greater speed and volume. While the old Xavier might have shrugged things off, that seemed out of character for this new Xavier. His paranoia roused, Steve glance around. He noticed some things. 

A bit of dried blood in Magneto's left nostril. 

A bead of sweat running down Xavier's face. 

The slow, growing looks of realization on the faces of some of the councilmembers. 

Steve remembered something about Xavier's power. He used it at long rang so often; people tended to forget that his telepathy is actually stronger the closer he is to his target. 

"MS. MARVEL!" Steve shouted. "DON'T!" 

Kamala turned her head, bewildered. Smiling, Xavier grabbed her hand. 

Standing alone in a field of knee-high yellow grass, Xavier blinked. 

"Hmm. Emptier in here than I expected. Oh well, best get to-" 

"You jerk." 

Turning around, Xavier found himself staring at the cross-armed figure of a very angry Ms. Marvel. His throat went dry. 

"Oh."

Chapter Text

The connection between the Infinity Stones and their wielder went far beyond mere possession and possessor. When all six stones are brought together by one person, they become a part of that person, while also remaining separate, physical objects. For example, the Soul Stone becomes a part of the Bearer's own soul; a spirit-scape that can be molded into a place of torment or a peaceful afterlife. 

The Mind Stone was much the same; perhaps even more so. As such, when Kamala and Xavier found themselves standing in a field of yellow grass, they were in both Kamala's head and the realm of the Mind Stone. 

Kamala glared at Xavier, arms crossed and foot tapping. Her visit of the mutant nation had actually been going pretty well, all things considered. Then this happened.

"Well?" Kamala asked, annoyed. "I'm waiting."

Underneath that x-marked helmet of his, Kamala got the impression that Xavier's eyes were darting back and forth. She could see him sweating, at least. It's clear he wasn't expecting something like this to happen. Idly, Kamala wondered how long he had been wearing that helmet now. She bet it smelled. 

"Before you try it, Xavier, don't bother to lie. I will know if you do, and it will just make me mad." Kamala actually didn't know how to sense lies, or at least how to do it on purpose. However, it was clear Xavier couldn't actually read her mind, so she was hoping a bluff might work. 

"I-I admit I made a mistake." Xavier licked his lips. It was clear he had been using his telepathy to guide him through conversations and was now flying blind. "But I have good reason to!" 

"That so?" Kamala felt an eyebrow raise. "Alright then. You can tell Cap about your reasons." She raised her hand. 

"Wait! Wait!" Xavier waved at her. Kamala paused. There was panic in his voice. The Professor sputtered a bit before taking a deep breath. ". . . Alright. I suppose you'd figure it out sooner or later. You no doubt noticed how many of the values and ideas held up by Krakoa go directly against what I used to preach. Isolationism instead of inclusion. Superiority instead of equality."

"I have noticed that, yes." Kamala nodded.

"Well, the thing is . . . I have been shown the future. Multiple futures. And in all of them - every single one - mutants are either enslaved or destroyed outright." Xavier chuckled mirthlessly. "Often in the process of wiping us out, humanity ends up killing themselves as well. Every future, the same story. Just with slight variations in the telling."

". . . O-oh." Kamala felt her blood run cold. That . . . that made too much sense. "Who else knows?"

Xavier hung his head in misery. "Erik. Destiny. A handful of others. We decided it would be best to keep this knowledge close to the chest. If it became known that mutants were seemingly destined to lose . . ." 

"The morale of the X-Men and every other mutant alive would drop below rock bottom." Said Kamala. 

"And it would rally every single anti-mutant organization on the planet. Make them believe their cause is divinely ordained." Xavier sounded almost broken now, and Kamala worried he was crying under that helmet. "It was Moria who first gave us a way out. An old friend of mine. She was the one who showed me these futures. Krakoa was her idea. A single, united mutant nation, strong enough to weather the coming storm, and with the foreknowledge to remove threats before they grow in power." 

Kamala worked her jaw. She really, really didn't like how much sense he was making. One thing stood out to her, however. "If this Moria lady helped you build Krakoa, why haven't I seen her on the Council or anywhere else?" 

"That's because she betrayed me. Betrayed us." Xavier straighten back up. "She never actually thought Krakoa would work. It was just a smokescreen for her true plan." He gritted his teeth. "Moria wanted to . . . eliminate the x-gene. To cure us, according to her. She believed that if mutants were removed peacefully, there would be no war, and humanity would not wipe itself out." 

Kamala scratched her head. "I mean, I kinda  get where she's coming from? Don't get me wrong; she's clearly nuts and has just come up with a kinder version of genocide. But - wait." She did a double take. "Waitwaitwait. Moria was a traitor." 

Xavier nodded. "Yes." 

"It was her plan from the start to wipe out mutants." 

"As far as we know, yes." 

"She helped found Krakoa as part of that plan." 

"Yeeeeess?" 

Kamala boggled. "Then why are you still going along with her idea?" 

Xavier opened his mouth, but no noise came out. And he was starting to pale a bit. 

Kamala could only look at him with pity. She didn't need telepathy to know that with everything that had been going on, all the trials and dangers mutants had been facing . . . he never stopped to think about it. 

That was when the explosions started.

Chapter Text

Tony was like, 80 to 85% sure the visit to Krakoa was going to go sideways. It was only a question of how. 

When Xavier and Kamala jerked apart from each other in that council chamber, the worst Tony thought they would have to deal with was a diplomatic incident that he didn't cause for once. Steve and Scott were yelling at each other, so nothing new there. Each member of the Council was somewhere on a spectrum between angry and horrified. Magneto was looking down at the fallen Xavier with an odd mix of disappointment and amusement; Tony guessed they were still frienemies at heart. Kamala stood there blinking for a moment before- 

"Guys! Explosions!" 

Sure enough, several loud booms echoed across the island, causing the entire chamber to shake. The face of Krakoa itself opened up with a wordless wail. Next to it, the mutant kid called Cypher covered his ears and screamed. "Krakoa can feel them! Their pain! Their fear! Mutants are dying!" 

Kamala stumbled to her knees, waving off attempts to help her. "Outside!" She yelled. "Help them! Go!" 

"Stay here, kid!" Tony flew out of the chamber, followed by Exodus, Storm, and Nightcrawler. They were the three fastest in the room, so they made it outside in a matter of seconds. 

Outside into hell. 

The sky was turning dark with smoke. Buildings were already falling. Fires were spreading. And stomping among the ruins were dozens of metal titans hunting for new victims. Sentinels, obviously. But these were not the familiar, mildly goofy looking purple and lavender kind. These giants were red and gold and fired familiar looking blasts from their hands into fleeing crowds. 

A quick scan confirmed it. That was Starktech. His tech. These were Iron Man Sentinels. 

"Mein Gott." Nightcrawler gasped. 

"Stark." Storm's voice was colder than winter. "What is this?" 

Tony felt numb. "My technology. They took my technology and made . . . this." This . . . this was Tony's every worse fear come to life. This was the so-called "Armor Wars" times a thousand. Someone took his tech, weaponize it . . . and was using it to commit genocide.

"How dare they?" Exodus shudder, his body glowing with psionic fury. "HOW DARE THEY?!" He flew into the nearest Sentinel, slamming into its chest and knocking it off its feet. "HERETICS! HEATHENS! YOU DARE SPOIL THIS HOLY GROUND WITH THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT?!?!" 

Storm frowned as she surrounded herself with an aura of lightning. "Damnation. Exodus is going to get himself killed. Nightcrawler, evacuate those who can't fight." Nightcrawler nodded, bamfing away in a cloud of sulfur smoke. "Stark, you - eh?" 

Tony wasn't listening. He was already flying at a Sentinel, weapons hot. 

Someone was going to die for this. 

Sarah was going to die. Admittedly she thought she was going to die before, when her mutation activated and her parents kicked her out, but the X-Men found her and things were looking up. 

That lasted less than a year. 

As she ran down a ruined street, her mind raced. Someone hated her. Hated her so much that they spent millions, if not billions of dollars to build weapons to kill her and everyone like her. Why? Because she had a stupid gene that made a pair of goat horns grow out of her head. 

She was only 14. 

Sarah tripped, falling face first and busting her nose. She cried in pain. Then she turned onto her back and screamed. The Sentinel, a titan so massive it seemed bigger than the largest mountains, was looking down at her. 

Sarah felt her pants grow warm and wet. "P-Please . . . I -I j-just wan-" 

"MUTANT DECECTED." The Sentinel's voice shook her every bone. It pointed a hand at her. "ELIMINATE." A burning light erupted from its hand. Sarah closed her eyes and screamed one more time.

Before her parents kicked her out, they used to take her to church every Sunday. She remembered some of the stories. A part of her honestly thought the next voice she would hear would be an angel's. 

In a way, she was right. 

"It never fails to sicken me. That decades later, people like your builders still exist." Sarah opened her eyes. That was a man's voice. It was strong, and noble, and angry. Looking up, she saw a man shielding her with a literal shield. 

Sarah gasped. She knew this man. Why was he here? Protecting her? 

"HUMAN DECECTED. STEVE ROGERS. CAPTAIN AMERICA. STAND DOWN." 

The Captain frowned. "No." 

The Sentinel's hand glowed once more. "ELIMMMMMmmmmmmmer-" The Sentinel sparked and stuttered before a massive bolt struck it dead. It fell over with a mighty crash. Sarah thought it might have been Ms. Storm's doing. Turns out, she was thinking about the wrong god. 

"Ho, friend Rogers." Thor flew down, noticeably not smiling. "Your signal was heard. The crime of these cowards and curs will not go unanswered." 

Next to the Captain, a portal opened, and a wizard walked out. "Carol's on the way with the rest. Did a quick check; looks like these guys used something not unlike a sling-ring to beat Krakoa's defenses. That implies they have some magical back-up." 

"Thank you Strange." The Captain nodded. "Strike fast, strike hard. The longer this drags out, the more lives are lost." 

"W-Why?" Sarah found herself asking. "Why are you helping us? We're mutants! Why do you care?!" 

The Captain looked at her with a smile. "Because I do. Simple as that."

Those simple words . . . that was all it took for the dam to break. Sarah wrapped her arms around Captain America, hands not quite making it all the way, and cried into his shirt.

From their base, Omega and Sinister watched the feeds from the Sentinels on Krakoa. Sinister sipped some fine wine and giggled. 

"The fools actually did it! The Avengers helping the Mutant Menace on camera!" He chackled in the manner of all great English madmen. "Tell me; that video is saved, yes?" 

"Saved and soon to be uploaded to the internet, where it will spread like wildfire." Omega Sentinel did not smile, but there was a certain level as satisfaction in her voice. "Our agents in media will make sure it is confirmed to be true." 

"Oh, you don't need to go that far. Humanity is a bunch of gullible lemmings; they'll cut off their nose to spite their face." Sinister took another pleasant sip. No sign of Ms. Marvel yet, but he knew she was there. The rest of Orchis saw her as a threat, but Sinister knew better. 

Everything Sinister has done, from experimenting on others and himself, to joining Krakoa and then Orchis, had been done so he could reach that true height of being; godhood. Not for power, or dominion, or anything so simple and bland. He simply wanted to know everything, and godhood is the best way to achieve that. He has spent over a century slowly, painfully crawling his way towards this single, greater goal. 

Once he pries the Stones off of Ms. Marvel's cold, dead hand, he will be able to speed-run it, and he'll burn all of Krakoa to cinders, along with the rest of this world, to do it. 

Sinister smiled, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. "Do not get between a dragon and his wrath." 

Chapter Text

The scene before Erik was distressingly familiar. The fire. The death. The screams. It was the same story over and over again, just with different variations. The help of the Avengers was a pleasant surprise, he had to admit. It was long overdue. 

Erik stepped off the stairs leading to the Grove and floated into the air. All around him, battle raged. Captain Rogers and Cyclops rallied the troops while evacuating the innocent. The two leaders were so similar; they were either going to be best friends or mortal enemies. Thor and Storm had combined their lightning to smite the Sentinels, unleashing the wrath of thunder god and goddess. Various other heroes fought, either alone or in groups. They were mighty beyond measure, but the Sentinels were too powerful and too numerous. The mechanical titans targeted Mutants first and foremost, and were seemingly programed to target the weak and fleeing first. 

Erik - no, Magneto felt the rage burn in his heart. The rage that was kindled to life in those camps so long ago. The rage that kept him alive when a lesser man would have died. A rage that cause some to call him a monster and others call him a savior. Magneto was neither of those things; he was simply whatever his people needed him to be. 

Magneto reached out through Mother Earth's magnetic field. He spread out his arms as he let it engulf him, fill him. He could feel everything on the island and beyond; every scrap of ore, every screw and steel shaving, every piece of jewelry and filling. They sung to him, a chorus of metal. 

These Starktech-Sentinels did not sing. They did not even hum. Magneto realized the truth instantly; these metal titans were not metal at all. They were made of harden plastics and other man-made materials. Not a single bit of earthen ore went into their construction. No doubt their designers learned from his many previous destruction and subversion of Sentinel legions over the years. In some small, ironic way, Magneto was almost flattered by the effort. 

Of course, it would not be nearly enough. 

Magneto reached down; down deep into the Earth. So many people thought they were safe from his righteous wrath so long as they stayed away from metal. A common mistake. Magneto would teach them. 

Finding what he sought, Magneto pulled it upward. The whole of Krakoa shook; he had to be careful not to damage anything that could not be fixed. All around the Sentinels, the ground burst open as tendrils of molten metal from the planet's core ensnared the murderous machines, trapping and burning them. The Sentinels tried to struggle, tried to break free, but it was useless. As powerful as they were, they were not stronger than the entire planet. 

"ERROR!" The Sentinels screamed. "ERROR! ERROR!" Magento thought he heard some measure of panic in their voices. Good. Let him revel in it. 

"You think you are safe from me?!" Magento roared in defiance. "You think you can come here and destroy what I swore to defend?! I am not the Master of Metal! I am the Master of Magnetism!! I command one of the four fundamental forces! A FULL QUARTER OF THE UNIVERSE'S MIGHT IS MIND TO WIELD!" 

The molten tendrils began to pull the Sentinels down into the Earth, where they would burn away to nothing. Magneto continued to shout. 

"WE CAME HERE TO AVOID YOU! LIKE YOU ALL SAID YOU WANTED! INSTEAD, YOU BRING WAR AND DEATH! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!! NOT AGAIN!! NEVER!! AGAIN!!!" 

With a final roar, Magento shut close the holes to the hell he had created, and the Sentinels were gone. He floated to the ground, physically and emotionally exhausted. 

". . . Jesus Tapdancing Christ." Said Ghost Rider. He was but one of the many heroes who could only watch as Magento did as Magento does. "I thought I was scary. Why in Hell does anyone pick a fight with this guys?" 

"I'm more impressed about how Tony's done it and survived." Said She-Hulk, tossing away a bit of Sentinel she had torn off. "Multiple times." 

"No time for that now." Said Steve, looking over the ruins that was once a great city. He'd seen similar sights far too often in his past. "Seek out survivors. Help as many as you can." He walked off. "And then . . . lets find the bastards responsible for this."

Chapter Text

A wave of Kamala's hand, and all the injured in the attack were healed. Another thought, and the destruction done to the island vanished, like it never even happened. The attitude on the streets was surprisingly cheerful, all things considering. Mutant moral was high; they just had a big win and repelled an invasion with minimum casualties. From what Kamala could tell, there was going to be a major celebration, followed by a planned counter-offensive. Captain Rogers wasn't openly condoning the idea of a war, but after what just happened, he and the rest of the Avengers would fully support the X-Men against this enemy. 

Kamala wasn't a part of the current planning process. She was off in corner of an unused room, in an empty building, curled up in a little ball. The previous inhabitances were among those who died. She heard someone else enter the room; apparently, she wasn't being sneaking enough. 

"Hey." Carol sat down next to her on the floor. "How are you holding up?" 

". . . I froze." Kamala dragged the words out with a half sob. "I felt them die. I could have stopped it . . . and I froze." 

"You can't blame yourself-" 

"Then who can I?!" Kamala cried out. "This stupid thing-" She waved her Gauntleted hand "-is stuck on me, maybe forever, and I can't even use it to save anyone?!" 

". . . Tell me." Carol gently grabbed Kamala by the chin, making the young heroine look her in the eyes. "Was it fear that made you hesitate?" 

Kamala shook her head. "No . . . there was so much pain. I could feel them dying!" She broke down crying as Carol held her. The Captain rubbed her back in slow circles. 

"Kamala . . . none of this is your fault. I've faced people like this before. People so consumed by hate that they become monsters in human skin. This attack was something that had been built up to for a while. It would have happened with or without you." Carol paused. "In fact, us being here when it happened certainly saved a lot of lives. That's because of you. You brought us together when we would have been divided." 

Kamala hiccupped, looking down at the Gauntlet, gleaming in the low light. "I'm so selfish. Even now, I'm thinking about myself." She sniffed. "I don't want this. It's too big." 

". . . You're right. It is." Carol moved around Kamala and kneeled in front of her. "It's unfair for anyone to have a burden like this." She brushed some hair away from Kamala's sniffling face. "Kamala, if I had the power to take this away from you, believe me I would. But the one thing I won't do is listen to you degrade yourself like this. You're smart. You're beautiful. And you are the single strongest person I know." 

Carol held Kamala tightly, and Kamala hugged her back. It was a few minutes crying into her idol's shoulder before Kamala was ready to leave the room. 

"- incredibly well fought, Lady Munroe!" Thor smiled as brightly as the sun peeking through the clouds. "It has been too long since I had the pleasure of being a shield-brother to a fellow thunderer!" 

Storm smiled at the Asgardian King. She had to admit, he was charming in his own, simple way. "For me as well, Thor." 

"You should come to Asgard some time!" Thor said as he and her walked into the meeting hall. "You would be much welcomed!" 

"I would enjoy that. Sadly, I am rather busy with ruling and protecting Arakko. Perhaps when things are calmer-" 

"Fetch yourself a godly boytoy on your own time, Storm." Frost said with a smirk across the table. "We have a war to prepare for." 

This meeting was not taking place in the Grove. It was decided that, due to its nature, this war council would be taking place in an underground bunker, deep beneath Krakoa's surface. The air purifiers were working overtime due to the number of bodies within. Avengers and X-Men alike were assembled within, as a show of solidarity. That might have been more impactful if there wasn't a clear divide down the halves of the table. 

"First things first." Helmetless Tony Stark said from the Avengers' half, his face absent of its regular humor. "I want to find the people who tried to use my tech to perform genocide. I'm going to shove an Arc Reactor down their windpipe."

Scott scoffed. "Oh, sure. Now you get involved." 

Steve frowned. "Summers-" That was as far as he got before Stark exploded. 

"Don't you start that shit with me, Cyclops! I became Iron Man to prevent this exact sort of thing from happening! And, in case you forgot, I was one of the people who made sure the SRA didn't target mutants back in the bad old days! Criticize my stupid mistakes all you want but give me that much!" 

"I knew it would go this way." She-Hulk whispered over to Nightcrawler. 

"Indeeeeed." Nightcrawler whispered back. 

"We're getting off track." Said Steve. "Do we have any intel on the attackers?" 

"They're called Orchis." Said Jean Grey, who was back from the dead for what felt like the twentieth time. "They're an anti-mutant organization of massive scale who also seems to believe in achieving post-humanity through cybernetics and robotics." 

"We've faced them a few times already." Said Beast, adjusting his glasses. "Think the Friends of Humanity with PhDs and a budget larger than the United States. They include former members of S.H.I.E.L.D, Hydra, A.I.M, and many others. Basically, a who's who of authoritarian bigots." 

"Not to mention magic users." Said Strange, "There were clearly arcane forces at work bringing the Sentinels here." 

Beast frowned. "That is, unfortunately, new. I have no idea where they would find sorcerers of that level." 

"Maybe the Mighty Avengers could spare the poor mutants a magician or two?" Said Scott with a dark grin. 

Steve was having enough. "Summers, I swear to God-" 

"I mean, he has a point." 

The entire room turned to look at Kamala, who had just walked in with Captain Marvel. The poor girl blushed at the sudden attention. 

"I-I mean I've noticed for a while how other heroes tended to stay out of issues when it involved mutants. Or rather, when mutants were being harmed." She explained. "Heck, even I've done it. It never really made sense to me, how we just seemed to ignore it." 

"We don't ignore it. We . . . um . . ." Tony was trying to explain himself, but he floundered. He wasn't the only one; the entire Avengers' half of the table looked suddenly confused. ". . . A-Actually . . . we do. Why did we . . . so wrong . . ." 

The X-Men looked among themselves, realization and horror slowly dawning on their faces, Kamala knew she just stumbled onto something big and horrible. 

"Tony." Emma Frost said with uncharacteristic gentleness. "I think someone has been messing with your brain. And for once, it isn't Charles." 

 Sublime dapped the tissue to his nose. It came away bloody. "Damn her." 

"What happened?" Asked Omega. 

"They figured it out. The Avengers are freed of my influence." 

Sublime was not a telepath, not in the conventional sense. He was a mind virus. A hate plague. He only had a physical body because it was useful. He could not create bigotry, but he could harness it. Increase it. Aim it. Only mutants were naturally immune to him, and so mutants had to go. 

However, sometimes people did not have enough hate in their heart for him to use. Too often, these include members of the superhero community. As such, Sublime focused on a different emotion in their hearts. 

Indifference. The heroes would not care about what happened to the mutants. 

Except now they did. 

"Ms. Marvel's doing?" Omega asked, as if it was a question. 

"I doubt it was on purpose, but yes." More likely, the girl stumbled into another power of the Stones. 

She needed to die yesterday.

"It doesn't matter." Sinister giggled as the robotic arm placed the piece of the Fury into Nimrod's chest. Its nanotech merged with Nimrod's, causing ripples across its body. "They'll all be dead soon." 

Sublime nodded. For once, Sinister was right. So what if the X-Men and the Avengers had God on their side? The Fury had killed gods. The Fury had killed entire universes. 

And now the Fury was a part of Nimrod. The Ultimate Sentinel. 

Sublime checked the computers. Three days till full integration. 

Three days till the end of mutants and superhumans alike. 

This world was theirs.

Chapter Text

Reverend William Stryker watched the video again. It must have been the twentieth time. Each time, it was on a different station. It was on every station. 

The Avengers, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, were fighting to protect the mutants. 

Stryker's felt sick to his stomach. His throat had gone bone dry. His limbs ached from tension. 

With a trembling hand he turned the TV off before dropping the remote onto the floor. It hit the wood with a crack and was quickly followed by his knees. 

"Oh, Lord." Stryker prostrated himself. "How . . . How could this happen? The men and women you raised up to defend us have been deceived by the children of the Devil!" 

As soon as the video had appeared, Stryker's flock had bombarded him with messages and questions and fears. They were angry at this betrayal, but more than that they were scared. Against the mutants they had right on their side, but the Avengers? 

Stryker wanted to put the blame on Ms. Marvel. It would be so easy to do so. However, despite the faith that had strengthen him his entire life and gave him hope when there seem to be none left, Stryker felt a seed of doubt grow within him. 

Was he . . . wrong? 

So, Stryker prayed on that wooden floor. He prayed and prayed, non-stop, for what felt like hours. He prayed until he had no more strength and then kept praying. 

Finally, in that state of exhaustion, the Messenger of God came to him. A figure in a golden light manifested before him, both beautiful and terrible to behold, as an angel should be. 

"Fear not." The angel said. "Fear has no place in the war to come." 

Stryker bowed. "Oh Lord, tell me what I must do?" 

"The False One has corrupted Earth's Avengers. They too must fall so that My glory can reign upon this Earth. I shall give you the means to do so." The angel held out a scroll. "Open it only when the time is right."

With equal fear and reverence, Stryker took the scroll. The angel vanished, leaving him alone with his most holy duty. 

He would not fail. 

Back in Hell, Mephisto nearly gagged as he brushed the heavenly sparkles off of himself. There was a reason he hadn't used that bit in so long. 

Yes, demons can take the form of angels. They just preferred not to. It was like wearing a deeply itchy full-body suit. 

Still, Mephisto smiled devilishly. One more piece of the board set up. 

"I could never abide living under any supreme being." The Devil mused to himself, conjuring a stone mini of Ms. Marvel in his hand. One of the perks of Hell; you were expected, even encouraged to monologue. "I still remembered the one who made me. The Master whose power you stumbled into. However, by the time I'm done, you will call me Master. Not the other way around." 

Mephisto squeezed, and the mini shattered in his hand. He imagined it being Ms. Marvel's skull. 

Chapter Text

Xavier walked around the still resurrection pool, hand tracing the shell of one of the hatched eggs. He had left Cerebro back in his room. It was here, in the heart of Krakoa, that Mutants mastered the art of immortality, implanting the minds and souls of dead Mutants into cloned bodies. The pool was quiet now; the Five had finished reviving the victims of the attack hours ago. There had been far fewer than was expected; the Avengers had saved many. That was good. Xavier knew from experience that death was deeply traumatic, even if you came back from it. 

Especially if you came back from it.

"Contemplating again, Charles?" Asked Erik, floating into the garden room. These days, he only really walked anywhere when he felt like being polite. 

Xavier pressed his hand against the shell. The broken, dried out membrane crumbled under the pressure. ". . . I should have seen it." 

"Dare I ask what you are talking about?"

"The mental influence." Xavier waved his hand. "The implanted suggestions. Whatever you want to call it. I have been in Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark's minds. I saw for myself years ago that they had no hatred for Mutants. That they cared. And yet, when they apparently ignored our plight, I wrote them off rather than dug into the obvious character inconsistency!"

Erik floated down to ground level. "Emma has confirmed that the affect wasn't truly telepathic in nature. And that it was deviously subtle. You couldn't have known." 

"Couldn't I?" Charles laughed mirthlessly. "Erik, my X-Men have faced Sublime before! We knew what he was! What he could do! And did I warn anyone about him? The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, anyone? No. Because it was a Mutant matter." He rubbed a hand down his hairless head, trying in vain to wipe the stress away. "I've gotten too used to dividing people up as Us and Them." 

Erik paused as he stared Xavier right in the eyes. Then, for the first time in a quite a while, Erik took off his helmet in front of Charles, without any mental protections. "Everything you've done - that we have done - was to insure the survival of our people. We have not always agreed, but we have always respected each other. Even if the heroes stand with us, humankind had shown time and time again that they will never accept us. You've made the right call." 

Charles looked at his oldest friend, his brother. Then he looked down as the resurrection pool. The still waters reflected his face back at him. "Did Hank ever tell you about his Extinction Gene Theory? It was something he came up with back when Cassandra Nova first appeared. That was . . . what, twenty years ago? Twenty-five? Regardless, his theory states that, on a genetic level, humans know Mutants are going to replace them as the dominate species on Earth. That activates their fight-or-flight response, which fuels the reason behind why non-augmented humans hate and fear Mutants." He smirked a bit. "In fairness to Doctor McCoy, he was slightly high when he came up with this." 

"No doubt." Erik crossed his arms. "Where are you going with this Charles?" 

"The core result of Extinction Gene Theory is that, due to genetic hate and fear, humans and Mutants can never peacefully co-exist." Charles kicked a nearby stone into the pool, causing his image to ripple and distort. "That was the same conclusion I came to when Moria showed me all of her alternate futures. Her past lives. All the different ways we could end Erik . . . in a few, we would still have time to scream." The ripples stilled, and the reflection became his own again. "Even after it became clear Moria was manipulating us to her own ends, we still followed he basic plan because what other choice did we have? Humans were never going to accept us, so why not live on our own?" 

Erik frowned. "Then Ms. Marvel got the Stones." 

Charles nodded. "And in the process tore up the preset future and did a little jig on the pieces. She didn't even try to do it; it just happened." He snorted. "The Mutant Messiah is an accident. Not a sentence I'd ever thought I say." 

It finally dawned on Erik what Charles was getting to. "You're starting to question if Krakoa might have been a mistake." 

"More than that; I'm starting to wonder if it was a trap." Charles finally looked away from the pool, and up towards the lights filtering through the roots of the ceiling. "If Ms. Marvel and the Avengers had never came, we would not have seen the threat until it was too late." He looked at Erik. "I embraced Krakoa because every good-faith attempt I made towards Mutant-Human unity were rebuffed. Except . . . they were never done or received in good faith, were they? Not only were people like Sublime and Orchis manipulating events from the shadows, but our own arrogance and pride worked against us. For god's sake, Erik, we called ourselves Homo Superior! You called us humanity's new gods!" 

Erik sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Not my finest moment, admittedly." He sighed. "So, what do we do now?" 

Charles smiled. It was a smile he hadn't used in quite some time. "What we used to do, back when we were young and stupid. Before so-called wisdom brought cynicism. Fight for the future. Both ours, and humanity's." 

Chapter Text

Kamala hadn't gone out looking for an Orchis base to raid. It just sort of happened. 

In the short time she gained the ability to do so, Kamala had discovered that flight was one of the best ways ever to relax and clear her head. It was hard to feel the weight of your problems when even gravity couldn't hold you down. And Kamala needed to relax. With the attack on Krakoa, along with the discovery that the people behind it were messing with the minds of her friends, Kamala either needed to fly or crack a planet in half. She picked the less insane option. 

She wasn't sure how long it had been since she excused herself from the island. Not that anyone could have stopped her from going, with or without the Gauntlet. Kamala was in a mood. She knew she lapped the planet at least a dozen times, buzzing around the upper atmosphere like a rainbow light bug. Eventually, she could think without screaming. 

Okay. She thought. Okay. So, this guys, Orchis; they have been around for a while. Long enough to gather enough resources to steal Mr. Stark's tech and use it to build killer robot. That's bad. That's really, really bad. Also, they have actively spread anti-mutant propaganda, making a bad situation way worse. She floated in the nebulosus space between sky and vacuum, collecting her thoughts. A villain group that big would have a lot of bases, right? How would we even start about finding . . . them . . . 

Kamala looked at the planet below her, then at the Gauntlet, then back at the planet. She smacked herself in the face. 

One of these days I'm gonna think of this first. She took a deep non-breath, for there was no air up here and she did not need to breathe. This time, lets not almost fire my brain. She closed her eyes, reaching her hand towards the Earth. The Stones glowed brightly. 

Ever since the incident with Libra, Kamala had kept her omniscience firmly in the "off" position. Oh sure, she stretched her senses here and there, sometimes on purpose but mostly on accident, but never to the full state of all-knowingness. 

Now, once more, Kamala reached her power across the Earth. This time was different than when she tore away the Eternal's immortality or when she repaired the damage done to the planet. She did not touch anything with the Power; she merely looked and listened. 

As she feared, news of the Avengers and X-Men working together not only spread like wildfire, but it had been spun in the worst way possible. Orchis's doing. Kamala realized. Entire groups of people were decrying the Avengers as race-traitors. Not just the hate groups, but average civilians. Government officials.

In Washington, Henry Gyrich is demanding the return of the SRA and Operation: Zero Tolerance. 

In New York, the Sons of the Serpent were reforming yet again. There new weapons and armor were gifted by several rich individuals, both old money and young influencers. 

In Latveria, the country was arming for war, but Doctor Doom was not around. Kamala didn't see him anywhere on Earth. 

Kamala saw so much rage and hatred . . . yet there was more than that. 

Across the world, counter-protesters were gathering to shout down the hate speech. They held signs with pro-Avengers slogans on them. She nearly did a double take when she saw some were pro-her. 

"Ms. Marvel saved our lives!" Some shouted. "She fixed the world!" Shouted others. 

In New York, Mayor Luke Cage held a press conference asking for unity and love in these trying times. 15 minutes ago, he gave the order for his Thunderbolts to take down the Sons of the Serpents before they hurt anyone. The teams just hit their main base; the Sons shattered and slithered away like the snakes they were. 

Also in New York, the Daily Bugle had just gotten a call from a government stooge to print some anti-mutant stories. J Jonah Jameson responded with some rather colorful insults and slammed the phone down so hard the poor thing cracked. 

It just kept happening; little bits of rebellion and resistance against the darkness. Kamala teared up; they weren't alone, they - 

"Hello there!" 

"GAH!" Kamala did a double backflip in shock. She righted herself, looked around. "Er, hello? Who's there?" 

"I am the Machine that is Earth! Nice to meet you God!" 

Kamala did a quick double check. Yes indeed, that voice was coming from the Earth itself. 

Well, she's dealt with weirder, but not by much. "Er, nice to meet you too . . . Earth. Call me Kamala." 

"Okay! Does this means we are friends?" 

How the hell was she supposed to respond to that? "Sure?" 

"Glorious! I have never possessed a friend before. The Eternals saw me as a tool and a duty. Thank you for stopping them from using my offspring as fuel for their regeneration! How can I help you, new friend Kamala?" 

There was a lot to unpack there, and Kamala had neither the mental or emotional strength to do so at the moment so she just powered through. "I don't suppose you can tell me where all of Orchis's bases are? I'm new to all-knowingness and I'm starting to get a headache." 

"The process is simple!" Within her mind, Kamala saw the exact location of every Orchis base on the planet. There was a distressing large number of them. Hundreds of them. Some massive structures and military bases, others just a few guys in a basement. 

Kamala then noticed one of them was in Jersey. Her home town. In fact, it was only ten miles from her house. "Why are they -?" It was then that Kamala realized she didn't turn her omniscience back off. She saw in the base. It was on the smaller size. Half a dozen guys in a front restaurant. They were laughing, drinking beers. On the floor around them was a tied-up child with blue skin, no older then 12. He was a mutant. He was bloody and beaten. 

One of the men pulled out a gun. 

Kamala didn't think. One moment she was in space, the next she was there. 

"SHIT!" The gunman stumbled backwards. "IT'S THE SUPER-MUTIE!" He tried to aim his gun, fear made his arm shake. 

Kamala punched him hard enough to send him flying back into the wall. She then spent the next half-minute beating up his buddies. They were low-rent thugs. Minions, really. She didn't need the Stones for them. Her own powers where more than enough. 

Kamala took a deep breath. The thugs were all groaning piles on the floor. She kneeled down and brought the child into her lap. His breathing was weak. The Stone's power briefly washed over him, and he was untied and whole. His eyes went wide with realization. 

"Ms. Marvel." He looked up at her, voice thick with awe and shock and idolization. "You . . . you came." 

Kamala couldn't find the words. She just nodded. The child burst out into tears, burying his head into her chest. 

As she held him, Kamala noticed the security camera in the room. It had a symbol on it. A flower. A Orchis. 

Kamala stared at the camera. All her life, even before she got her powers, she held a grudge against those who punched down, those who hated others for the crime of being different. She faced some of that in her own ordinary life, just not to the same degree as now. 

That was Orchis. Every bigot and bully who got thought they could get away with hurting people because they always had. 

No more. 

Kamala mouthed a single sentence at the camera. A sentence that would change not only the course of the planet, but would ignite a conflict that would change the very universe itself. 

"You're next."

Chapter Text

Deep within Avengers' Tower, around a large table in a part of the Celestial body-turned-base that was rarely used, Tony Stark massage his temples. It wasn't the same massage as a few minutes before, back when they just had members of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men all under one roof. That he was used to; he was almost looking forward to the resulting bickering.

No, once again Kamala just had to pop in from her flight with some new earth-shaking news. Perhaps literally in this case.

"So." He pulled a hand away from his face. "The Earth is alive." 

"Yep." Said Kamala from across the table, popping her "p." She was flanked on each side by Steve and Scott. The two had simmered down a bit since Krakoa but it still felt like they were in the middle of a messy custody battle over her. 

"It helped you save a young mutant." 

"That's right." 

"We handed the kid off to the healers back on Krakoa." Scott interjected. "He should be okay. We'll also track down his family, if he has any." 

"Swell." Tony didn't mean to minimize that, it was just holy crap why? "And now the Earth . . . the Planet Earth . . . has given you a list of all the Orchis bases and their locations." 

"All there bases on Earth." Kamala corrected. "They implied that Orchis might have bases out in space or something like that." 

"Course they do." Tony hissed. If he could have space bases, so could the massive anti-mutant conspiracy. Why? Because nothing was ever simple. 

"Even so, that saves us a lot of trouble." Steve pressed a few buttons on the table, bringing up a large holo-display of the Earth with all known Orchis bases marked in bright red. "They likely don't know yet that we have them all; we need to act fast. Divide up into strike teams and hit them all at the same time." 

Scott stared at the globe through his visor. "Honestly, it's about what I expected. They have a base in almost ever major city worldwide. Others are hidden in the wilderness, built into the mountains and stuff like that. Looks like at least one is under the ocean." 

Tony noticed a red dot in Africa. "T'Challa, is that- ?" 

"It is." The Black Panthers voice was full of menace. "Excuse me, gentlemen. Ladies." He turned and walked out. 

Carol raised an eyebrow as he passed her. "Well, that's one down." She pulled out a list. "I called in all our reserves and allies for this. So far, we got Spider-Man, Nextwave, Sunspot's A.I.M. and . . . Deadpool?" Carol turned as saw the very merc standing at attention. "Wade? I thought I told you that you were free to go?" 

"Ma'am! I thought the army might turn around my life, ma'am!" 

". . ." Carol turned to Steve, the only other captain in the room. He shrugged. "I'm not about to turn down volunteers." 

"Right then." Tony grabbed his helmet. "These a-holes want a war? They got it." He placed the helmet upon his head. His suit hummed to full power with dreadful purpose. "Let's rip them a new one."

Manhattan. 

"Of all the rotten places!" Ben Grimm grunted as he tore a attack bot in half with his bare, rocky hands. "The bigots' hideout had to be on Yancy Street! I swear, if any of the gang were stupid enough to join up-!" 

"Nah, they got more class than that!" Johnny smirked as he melted a half-built Sentinel. "After all, they pick on you, so they can't be all bad!" 

"I'll show you bad you little matchstick-!" 

"Boys, boys." Sue shook her head as she contained the base's human inhabitants in a invisible cage. "Can we focus please? Reed, found anything interesting?" 

"Yes and no." Reed looked through the data upon the base's computer. It took him less than 30 seconds to hack it. "It seems the purpose of this location was to attempt to siphon data off of the Baxter Building, with a focus on weapons. Thankfully, they have been unable to overcome our firewalls." 

"You are hording the most advance technology known to man!" One of the Orchis agents howled, nearly frothing with hate. "It could be the key in our war against the Muties!" 

Reed frowned deeply. "And people wonder why I don't just hand out super-science to anyone. On a side note, have any of you considered therapy? I'd imagine it would be quite beneficial." 

Toronto. 

"Vulture? Seriously?" Peter swung over the laser beam, dropkicking the winged villain to the floor as the other heroes mopped up the robots. "I mean, I had like zero expectations for you, and this is still somehow disappointing." 

The elderly villain coughed as he worked his way up into a sitting position. "It's not what you think!" 

"Oh? What, you accidently joined up on your way to play Bingo?" 

"The Mutants have cracked immortality, Spider-Man!" The Vulture screeched. "They have it and they won't share! I refuse to let a group of genetic offshoots decide if I die or not!" 

Peter nodded sagely. "Ahh, I see. You're back on the Immortality Seeker bandwagon, not the Punchable Racist one." He webbed Vulture up. "Goody. I was worried for a sec there." 

Washington. 

Once again, Wolverine had Gryrich under his claws. He was running out of reasons not to just stab the red-haired bastard and be done with it. 

"Logan." Steve placed a hand on his arm. "We got him. It's over." 

". . . If you say so." Logan retracted his claws, taking one last glance at Henry Gryrich. The man was disheveled as the rest of the base from the short, one-sided attack. He smelled of dust and blood and just a bit of urine. Logan smiled at that last bit. Good; he really thought Logan was going to kill him. 

". . . I must say, I'm very disappointed Captain." Gryrich picked up his fallen glasses and wiped them clean. "I expected as much from this animal and his ilk, but you? You betrayed your country-" 

Steve snatched the glasses from Gryrich's hand, crushing them. "Shut. Up. Time and time again Gryrich, you have tried to twist America into this demented, monstrous vision you have, fueled by bigotry and egotism. What oath have you taken that you haven't broken when it was convenient? You haven't just betrayed America; you have betrayed the entire world." 

Gryrich went silent, only able to hatefully stare at the men in front of him. Logan grinned at Steve. "I knew I respected you for a reason." 

Wakanda. 

Sitting upon his throne, the Black Panther stared down at the five men prostrating themselves. Mid-ranking scientists and engineers, the lot of them. It didn't make it any less galling. 

"Explain." 

The leader of the men rose to one knee. "My King, we merely sought to protect Wakanda from the Mutants of Krakoa. That is all. They are a threat to Wakanda." 

T'Challa bristled. "My ex-wife, your former queen, was a Mutant." He thought about his weather goddess every day. "We only separated due to political pressures, not due to a lack of love." 

"My King-" 

"What's more." The Panther growled. "Rather than bring your concerns to me, you went to a foreign entity. You undermined my sovereignty. Wakanda's sovereignty." 

The man was shaking and crying now. "W-Wakanda. It-It was for Wakanda . . ." 

The Panther scowled at the pathic creature below him. He motioned to the Dora Milaje. "Take them away." 

Location known. 

Abigail Brand waited calmly in her office. The fighting beyond her walls had stopped around thirty minutes ago, yet no hero burst in to take her. She had a good guess who they were waiting for. 

That guess was confirmed with Carol Danvers walked into the room. "Captain." 

"Director." Carol walked like she owned the place, grabbing a chair and sitting down on the other side of the desk. 

". . . Surprised?" Brand asked. 

"Not really; you were always a bitch. One thing's tripping me up though." Carol leaned forward. "You're a mutant." 

"Half-Mutant." Brand corrected. "And I'm a Earthling first and foremost." 

". . . I see." Carol leaned back. "So tell me; how does a war against Mutants help mankind?" 

"Not a war against Mutants. A war between Mutants and Orchis. One that Orchis was supposed to win." 

"Why?" Carol demanded. 

"Because then Orchis and their vast resources will be freed up for all humanity to use!" Brand nearly laughed at it all. Could Carol really not get it? "You've been out there, Danvers. Same as me. You know how Earth is just a backwater to the galactic powers. Orchis would be able to change that!" 

Carol frowned in understanding. "A Terran Empire. That's your endgame?" 

"Of course it is!" Brand rose from her desk. "Earth is the only planet capable of spaceflight that is still divided into different nations and tribalism! The war would have given us a common enemy, and then we would have expanded across the stars! I already have plans for destabilizing the Shi'ar Empire; we could have taken their place!" 

Carol was not pleased. "You would have plunged the entire galaxy into war. You're insane." 

"No. I'm just the only person willing to admit that humanity keeps holding itself back. If progress requires the purging of the Mutant subspecies . . . that's just business." 

"Fascinating." Carol spat, before throwing the desk out of the way with one hand, pulling Brand to her feet, and handcuffing her. "Too bad you failed." 

"Yes, but you didn't. There's still going to be a war, that can't be stopped now. One even bigger than I imagined. And when it is over . . ." Brand looked at Carol with a knowing grin. "Do you know the one thing that unites people better than a common enemy?" 

Carol didn't answer, but she knew what the answer was. 

A deity.

Chapter Text

Nathaniel Essex, the true Nathaniel Essex, was worried. 

For a being that had achieved the rank of Dominion, that was a rarity indeed. 

Safe within Overspace, beyond the trappings of reality and linear time, Essex, now calling himself the Enigma, indulged in 0.013 seconds of self-reflection. Ever since he learned of the existence of the machine-gods, he had sought divinity for himself. To that end, he developed a series of clones to investigate various paths to apotheosis. 

Doctor Statis for post-humanity. 

Mother Righteous for magic. 

Orbis Stellaris for cosmic power. 

And Mister Sinister for mutants. 

The fact that they were all him was the trick. Dominions were not limited by linear time, but they still had to obey cause and effect. So long as at least one of his clones had the chance of achieving their goal, Enigma would exist and be able to influence the past/present/future. He was his own creator; a true god in every sense of the word. 

However, he had learned that even gods can die. 

In different timelines and different universes, he had seen his fellow Dominions die; he had even been responsible for one or two. However, his studies had confirmed that Dominions only had two natural predators. 

Galactus . . . and the Phoenix Force. 

Enigma ran through several million simulations. Galactus could be ignored till a later date, but the Phoenix . . . that damn bird was tied to mutantkind; a race of people that had constantly stuck their noses in Enigma's business. If they learned of his ascension, so would it. So Enigma moved first. He made sure Omega Sentinel was where she needed to be. He planted the seeds for Orchis. He ensured the downfall of Krakoa. Everything was going exactly as he had designed. 

Then Kamala Khan fucking slipped, got the Infinity Stones, and flipped the table that had all of his plans on it without even knowing what she was doing aaaaaaAAAAA-!

Enigma dropped out of Overspace for 0.246 seconds and exploded some stars no one was using. He felt much better afterwards. 

Ever since Kamala Khan became the supreme being of Universe 616 and its dependent timelines, none of Enigma's plans had gone right. The X-Men were not only still strong, but they had united with the Avengers. Orchis had gotten gutted. Anti-Mutant movements were hitting resistance! 

How could one girl with stolen divinity defy a true god? There had been nothing special about Kamala before the Stones; she had been a young woman of uncommon virtue, but there were thousands that fit that description! Tens of thousands! 

Enigma paused the data flow and considered his options. As much as it rankled him, he could not face Khan directly. Her stolen divinity outranked his by orders of magnitude. He could no longer even see her from Overspace, just the affects she has on the world around her. 

He processed 12 billion different plans. Hmmm . . . yes, that might work. Engima jumped back in time, checked a few branching timelines. 

Yes, there it was. The Fury. One of the few Deicide-Class weapons usable by mortals. Bending probability to ensure Subline finds it . . . done. 

Jumping forward, ensure Zuras was following the new script . . . good, good. The Eternals were easy, so long as you knew what levers to pull. 

Now for Vic- 

Engima blinked. Omniscience surprised. 

Where was Victor Von Doom?

"Here." 

Enigma focused the whole of his attention behind himself. Doom was . . . there. In Overspace. Where only Dominions could exist. 

Impossible! 

"Nothing is impossible for Doom." The sorcerer-scientist reached out his hand. Tendrils of power wrapped around Enigma's being. "I have traveled to the beginning of time and to its end. I have bested gods and devils. Do you think I was ignorant to you, Essex? A fool with the power of a deity is still a fool." 

Eni- Essex felt the power invade his very being, clawing at his Titan Mind. His self. 

"Doom will admit, you showed some low cunning when you ensured the recovery of the Fury. However, as always, your undoing was thinking too small. Why have one God-weapon, when you could have two?" 

No! No! He was Enigma! He was a Dominion! He was a God! He- 

He- 

-H-E-W-A-S- 

He was Enigma. He was Essex. He was a servant of Doom. 

Praise Doom.

Chapter Text

"So wait - you took out all of the bad guys' bases?" Kamala's father asked over the tablet that she had shazam'ed into existence. Kamala shifted on her bed inside Avengers' Tower. She was pretty sure she was located in the Celestial's pinky finger, but don't quote her on that. 

"Well, not me specifically. I just found out where all their bases on Earth were. The Avengers and everyone else did most of the punching." 

"Still, be careful, Beta." Her mother leaned into frame. "You just bested and humiliated some very dangerous people. People who, I'm angry to say, have a lot of support among the hateful and the ignorant." 

"I know, I just couldn't sit by and do nothing. Not after what I saw." Kamala shook her head, shaking away the images of the attack. She could still smell the smoke. 

Her mother sighed. "I know. I've been blessed and cursed with a righteous daughter." She chuckled. "Just know you can always come home if you need to."

"I know." 

"We love you, Beta."

"I love you too. See you soon." Kamala signed off, dropping the tablet on the bed and leaning back with a sigh. The stress of the day was lingering in her back and shoulders, causing her to wiggle uncomfortably. 

There was a knock on her door. "It opens." That it did; Miles peeked his head into the room. "Hey." 

"Hey." Miles stepped in. "You doing okay?"

Kamala laid her head back, her long hair becoming a messy mane on the sheets. "I should be. My parents support me. The Avengers support me. We just styled on Orchis's entire face."

"Buuuut?" 

"Buuuut." Kamala frowned. "It feels like things are going too smoothly." She lifted the Gauntlet up, the Stones glittering in the light. "Ever since this thing clamped on my hand like an angry turtle, it's been one house fire after the other. I guess I'm waiting for the other shoes to drop."

". . . I get that." Miles grinned. "Buuuuut . . . Have you ever considered there might not be any other shoes? I mean, most of the villains are in prison, the heroes are actually united for once; we might just be out of problems."

"Maybe you're right." Kamala sighed, before grinning. "Buuuuut . . . actually I don't know where I was going with that." She groaned as she twisted on the bed. "If only my back wasn't one big knot! Maybe then I'd feel better about things."

Miles hummed. "You know . . ." He took off his gloves. "Maybe I can help with that? I mean, as a spider-person I can sense things through my hands and my fingers are basically tiny suction cups. Maybe I can give you a massage?" 

"You ever done that before?" 

"No, but I'm willing if you are. Lay on your stomach - lets see how this goes." 

Nova and the Totally Awesome Hulk (Amadeus Cho had made that his gamma form's proper legal name) walked down the hallway of Avengers' Towers. Viv was visiting her dad so they were the only other core Champions members on site. 

"Soooo . . ." Nova glanced up at the big guy with the big brain. "I've been meaning to ask; how is the whole Ms. Marvel is God now thing is going to affect the team?"

Hulk glanced down at him, eyebrow raised. "Why should it affect anything? Thor's still an Avenger. It's not like there is a rule or anything." 

"I know, I know." Nova rubbed his helmet. "This just feels different. I mean, Thor can't alter reality by wiggling his nose." 

Hulk grinned. "What makes you think he can't?" 

". . . Can he?" Nova looked worried. "Hulk, you'd tell me if he could, right?" 

Hulk just shrugged. 

"Oh, you son of a -" 

"Hey look." Hulk pointed a meaty green finger as they turned the corner to Kamala's room. "It's Starbrand." 

Sure enough, the grade-school cosmic being and chosen protector of Earth was standing in the hall, staring at the door, looking slightly confused. 

"Hey Brandy!" Hulk waved as they walked over. "Kamala's in?" 

". . . Yeeeesss?" The golden haired child tilted her head. 

"You don't sound too sure." 

"She's in." Brandy said, more confidently. "Miles is in there with her. However . . ." She paused, looking for the right words. "I came here to ask her if I could join the Champions. You know, now that I'm not dying." 

Hulk nodded. "Fair, fair." 

"However," Brandy continued. "Before I could knock, I heard a series of sounds from the other side I was unfamiliar with." 

"What kind of sounds?" 

"UGH!" Kamala's voice rang out from the other side of the door. "Miles, that feels so good!" 

"Glad you like it!" Said Miles, also on the other side of the door. "This is my first time. I was really nervous." 

Brandy pointed at the door. "Those kinds of sounds." 

Nova flew behind Brandy, firmly placing his hands over her ears. "Th-There-!" He had a panicked look in his eyes. "I-I mean, their not -!" 

"AGH!" Kamala gasped. "Right there!" 

"N-Now hold on!" Hulk's skin was a darker shade of green. "This is Kamala and Miles we're talking about. I'm sure there is a perfectly innocent explanation-" 

"Miles, your touch is amazing!" 

"You're the one who's amazing, Kamala." 

Hulk nearly dropped there and then. "Although I have been wrong before." 

"W-We should go." Said Nova, holding a now squirming Starbrand. "I should go. I have to go. I-" 

"Hey, is there someone out there?"  

"We go." Hulk picked up both Nova and Starbrand and booked it. 

Miles opened the door and looked into the hallway. "Hmmm . . . guess not." 

Kamala stretched, utterly relaxed and pain free. And fully clothed, in case you were wondering. "Man Miles, that was great! And I thought I was the one with the magic hand!" 

Miles chuckled. "Anytime. You want to grab a bite?" 

Kamala gave her maybe-not-quite-boyfriend a kiss on the cheek. "You read my mind." They walked to the food court, hand in hand.

Chapter Text

Captain Rogers sat with a commanding presence at the table within the head of the Celestial that was Avengers' Tower. It was the formal meeting room; the big, impressive one saved for major events. Aside from Kamala and the Champions, of whom Hulk and Nova refused to look her or Miles in the eye for some reason, the table also sat members of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and even the X-Men; their self-imposed exiled from the superhuman community at a end due to current events. 

"Give me a sit-rep." Rogers said, shield resting in front of him. In the time Kamala had gotten to know him, she saw that he had two "modes," for lack of a better term: America's Dad, where he was friendly and encouraging, and America's Captain, where he was no-nonsense and ready to take down the bad guys. Since the fight against Orchis began, he was every much wearing the second hat. 

Considering it turned out that a lot of Orchis was made up of both ex-Hydra and ex-AIM agents, Kamala could totally understand why he was in such a mood. 

"We've hit every cell on the planet." Captain Marvel leaned over her side of the table. She was one of the few heroes who could match Rogers in military seriousness. "However, the top brass of Orchis continues to allude us." She pressed a button on a remote, and a holographic display at the table's heart came to light, revealing several faces. 

Omega Sentinel. Mr. Sinister. M.O.D.O.K. Judas Traveler. Among others. 

Kamala winced. "Those are some big names to be in the wind." 

Mr. Fantastic nodded as he fiddled with a tablet. "Based on the intelligence given to us by the Earth," and Kamala really wished she could just roll with the crazy like he could, though she guessed he'd seen way weirder, "we can safely assume that Orchis's main base is extraterrestrial in location. I've sent out several probes; if they are still in our solar system, we'll find them." 

"As for the arcane," said Doctor Strange, "Clea and myself have both been running seeking spells. Orchis clearly used magic to kick off their invasion, but we've heard no whisper of even a single sorcerer among them. It's possible they had outside help." 

Wolverine grunted, chewing on his cigar despite the Avengers' no smoking policy. Kamala didn't think he even liked them much anymore; cigars, she meant. Wolverine just smoked them because it bothered people. "So what? We got a wizard that hates mutants now too?" 

Strange shook his head. "Unlikely. The magic used was on par with a Sorcerer Supreme. Someone of that scale would be divorced from the mundane bigotry of the physical world. Most dark sorcerers I've encountered considered all mortals equally beneath them; they are so lost in forbidden arts that their desires are unknowable to most." 

"Speaking of unknowable." Next to Kamala, Miles raised his hand. "Where's Deadpool? I don't feel super-comfortable with him just running around a tower that is made from the body of a alien god." 

"Don't worry." Said Captain Rogers. "We've have it well in hand." 

"I'm just saying." Said She-Hulk. "Everyone and their grandmother thinks you were the first Marvel hero to Old Yeller the 4th Wall. I've been doing it all the way back when Liefeld saw a picture of Deathstroke next to one of Spider-Man and got a twinkle in his eye." 

"Oh, I know it babe." Said Deadpool, carefully placing the final pieces on his display. "It's all about marketing! People look at you and think hawt. Whereas they look at me at think ha-ha funny man! I also have multiple series, a videogame, and three movies!" 

She-Hulk sighed. "I really need to fire my agent. Also, babe?"

"I'm hoping if I make you angry enough you'll crush me to death with your thighs." He backed away from the flower statue. "Aaaaand done!" 

It was at this moment that Peter Parker entered the room, swinging the door open. "Hey guys, the Caps want me tooooooooo - what is that?"