THE WATCHER::

A long time ago there were many time lines and many universes. Far in the future on many of these timelines a man brought the multiverse together until fear set in and that same man merged the timelines together eliminating all possibility and probability. Now thanks to a Loki the timelines have been restored to the possibility for anything probable. One of the timelines that ended has started again. Altered slightly but it is almost on the same track unlike the multitude of other timelines.

On this earth the battle and endgame went very differently. Before Tony could get the stones onto his gauntlet, Thanos managed to use their power with enough effectiveness to kill a few heroes. Sadly on this day most of the Avengers died. Killed in action: Thor King of Asgard, T'Challa King of Wakanda (AKA Black Panther), Dr. Steven Strange (AKA Dr. Strange Sorcerer Supreme), Natasha Romanov (AKA Black Widow), and Vision. Though not all died, some after the battle disappeared: Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Wasp, Hank Pym, and Ant-Man. This one holds heroes that hold great potential and purpose. Their story begins one year after The Infinity War on Earth 569. As their world kept turning so did their stories: A man named Oberon took over Stark Enterprises with his company, Dark Star Industries; A group called the High Order had created a genetic angel; two women survived attacks on their family gaining powers that altered their lives, one has lived centuries and the other changes her form into any of the animal kingdom; two aliens are now stuck on earth following the battle. Many others have had their lives altered, some for the better and some for the worse. So let us see where their stories take us as a very special event and an unfortunate event happen on the same snowy night.

[Location: 7th Circle of Hell.]

The old man stood over the pit watching the fires and reveling in the screams of torment. Both hands, palm down on his cane he raised it and thumped it twice on the brimstone at his feet. As he did, a portal opened and out stepped a blue succubus. “Yes, Lord Mephisto?” She was met with silence as the old man or rather Lord Mephisto serving King of Hell took a deep breath and turned to meet her eyes. Quickly she went to one knee and trembled. “Forgive me my Lord.” Narrowing his eyes he took his cane in one hand and placed the end of it at her chin before raising it.

“That is better my dear Lust. It seems all the souls have not been returned to their rightful place. That idiot Tony Stark must have wished for more than just the people and souls taken to be back in their rightful places. We have souls that belong in hell back above. Not that I mind the extra havoc they could cause but…” His eyes began to glow with a red intensity. “...I WANT MY SOULS BACK!!” With that a defiant roar turned tortured yell came from below and Mephisto turned his head watching the torture of Thanos. “I will torture him for taking my souls in the first place. Funny that since he died on earth that his death bound his soul here. Along with two of his goons.” Mephisto turned back and the smile vanished. “I’ve sent Obsidian and Midnight to the Sanctum to retrieve Satan’s Tear. They are fully under my control and enhanced with the powers of the Sins but only a touch. You and Al will be going to retrieve an interesting specimen for me.” Lust nods and smirks as she gets the description of her target.

As the scene fades to black you can still hear the tortured yells of the Mad titan and the beginning cackles of Mephisto as his plans start to come to head.

[Location: New York City: Convention center, Animal Conservation fundraising Gala.]

Oberon straightened his bowtie in the small mirror inside the limo as it pulled up to the event. A fundraising gala that was raising money for displaced animals and new species that had come out of hiding when some of their natural predators had become fewer and farther between. Or at least that's what he was told but the receptionist this morning when he was told he received an invitation. Normally he didn’t go to events period but with the acquisition of Stark Enterprises he had more time to himself as the company almost ran itself as long as the board members were happy and they had been more than so after his introduction of his new formula that would make the company millions. A super lubricant for machines that could be used universally and replace oil in all machines currently. As he had become lost in thought his head of security had opened the door and Oberon turned and smiled as he exited into the cold night. What seemed like millions of cameras flashed in his face. Smiling through it he moved forward as people tried to ask him questions but his entourage kept them back. He was essentially the new Stark, though no one could truly replace the man. Everyone wanted a piece of him whether it was time, money, or his body. Women were not a problem to find if he wanted them and as a matter of fact neither were men. That was one trait that he didn’t share with Tony. He wanted more than flings but he wasn’t sure he would ever find that. Finally he reached the door and smiled then waved to everyone as he walked inside out of the cold and crowd. If anyone would have thought about it they would have noticed that Oberon’s breath didn’t plume like theirs.

Once inside he sent his entourage to access points and then smiled at the patrons of the Gala. The ballroom was littered with tables that had place settings at each. None of them had names it seemed so Oberon opted not to sit but to mingle. Grabbing a fluted glass off a tray that someone carried by him, he put on a brave face and began his mingling.

[Location: Central Park]

A portal formed in the snow ladened area then started to melt and sizzle as Lust stepped out followed by Alistar and another demon that was a last minute addition. “You two take the search to the west part of the city and I’ll take the east.” An aura of fire covered her leather covered body as her eyes started to glow with a light pink hue. Her power flooded over the two of them giving them just a touch to their minds as she had said the words. This would ensure they stayed on task hopefully, but she mainly did it to tease Al. She gave them a smirk as she jumped into the air and blasted downward with her flames propelling her into the air as her aura sustained her flight. The hunt was on…time to find an angel.

[Location: Gala fundraiser.]

Oberon had been through almost the whole room, shaking hands, making promises, and asking favors. He was already almost exhausted and he also realised it was getting a little warm. Close to time for his serum, in about an hour he would have to find somewhere quiet with no one around but for now he had one more table to go to. As he smiled and thanked the group turning to the last table only one person sat at it. As he approached a red haired woman in a long green dress rose and turned to him as another woman in a revealing black dress also got up and left the table. The revealing black dress though had nothing on the redhead’s eyes, grey as a storm front. They offset her skin, pale as cream but with a touch of rose petal red across her cheeks. An all natural beauty stared back at him as she blinked in what felt like slow motion.

As his breath caught in his throat he stammered just a bit. “He..hello miss. I umm…I am Oberon, I don’t believe I've had the pleasure Miss…?” Oberon stuck out his hand to the woman with an award winning smile on his face waiting to find out the name of the vision in front of him.

Tonight...could have gone better. 

The rhythmic scrape of worn out tennis shoes dragging the icy pavement echoed softly down the eerily quiet street. It was as if every sewer rat, petty thug, and stray drunk could sense the presence of something unnatural, something dangerous, lurking through the shadows.

The figure caught in the occasional glow of a street light wasn't human. Not entirely. It appeared to be a man with two large, bulky appendages hanging at his sides, just barely off the ground. He had the signature shamble of a classic Night of the Living Dead zombie. He was covered in blood, dressed in a frayed hoodie and hole riddled pants, with a trembling bundle tucked in his arms. One glimpse was enough to make any onlooker wonder if this was, indeed, a reanimated corpse. 

But no, unfortunately, Raphael was still very much alive.

It had started where most of his days did: a restaurant dumpster. Raph had just woken up from his most recent nap, his body demanding payment for keeping him alive. Winter was a miserable time of year for him. He couldn't sleep a whole night without food runs, lest his body fighting off the unforgiving cold run out of fuel. In this weather, it would take mere hours for him to become too weak to search. Perhaps if his diet consisted of more than burgers dug from the trash…

But tonight, even those didn't seem to be on the menu. Raph groaned with frustration at the signature smell of bleach. Restaurants in the area had begun pouring it all over their food waste to ward off the homeless scavengers such as himself. He supposed they preferred dead bodies over their precious trash being disturbed.

He moved on closer to his eventual target. Raph managed to score some fries dropped on the sidewalk on his way. It would hold him over until he found something better. For now, he had his sights set on something bigger. 

The innocuous medical facility seemed innocent enough, but Raph wasn't fooled. He'd beaten the intel out of a High Order clergy member during his last raid: this was the location of a hidden research compound. Whatever they were researching, it needed to be burned. 

He made his way inside, something he'd gotten good at in the last few years, and immediately set to work destroying anything even remotely important looking. It didn't take long for them to raise the alarms and send a swarm of guards his way. Raph didn't mind. In fact, this was his favorite part.

-

The winged hellion made his way up the corridor as smoke filled the air. He didn't have long. A door slammed up ahead of him; that was a mistake. Raph approached and all but tore the door from its hinges. He snarled into the darkened room, his wings spread just enough to block the exit for whomever was inside. He was covered in blood; some of it was his, most of it wasn't. 

In the corner by a row of computer monitors, a woman in a white coat pressed into the wall as if the shadows would conceal her. Too bad her former colleagues had given him enhanced night vision. Raph folded his wings in enough to fit through the door. The multiple fresh holes shot through them didn't seem to register. He was too pumped with adrenaline and rage. 

"Raphael!" The woman shouted, "That's your name, isn't it?" 

An angry growl was her only response as the man continued his advance. 

"Look, I never wanted anything to do with these people. They threatened me if I refused to work for them. They threatened my family. I had no choice! I couldn't let them get hurt."

"But you could let me get hurt," Raph spat coldly, "You could let all those other kids get hurt. You had a choice."

"Wait, take this!" She scrambled to pull a small notebook out of her pocket and shove it towards him. Raph snatched it without thinking and turned it over like he expected it to have some sort of visible significance. "It'll help you. I've been taking notes on High Order activity for weeks, I was going to try to go to the police with it-"

"The police know; they've been bought out." Raph gave the pages a quick flip through to double check her story. There were lines upon lines of addresses and footnotes. She wasn't lying. 

Raph seemed to consider this for a second as smoke slowly filled the room. Finally, he stepped aside. 

"Go," He snapped at the woman, "You better hope I never see you again." 

The woman certainly didn't wait for him to change his mind. She darted past him and down the hall. Raph was behind her, but he went the other way. The smoke was getting thick; he could already feel his lungs burning. But he needed to finish his walk through, just to be sure.

He was almost out when he found what he was looking for, but hoping not to find. The small figure was huddled in the corner of a large kennel. It appeared to be a little boy with bright red skin and a spaded tail. Small horns protruded from his forehead. It seemed that angels weren't enough for the Order anymore. 

The boy yelped and cried when Raph tore the cage open and pulled him out. Raph would have tried to comfort him, but he didn’t know how. So instead, he held the small, shaking form close to him and made for the nearest exit. 

The cold air bit at his wounds. His wheezy breaths billowed steam from his mouth as he tried to take in fresh air. His body was weak from the subpar nutrition he had given it, and now it was injured, cold, and carrying cargo. What exactly was he supposed to do with this kid, anyway?

Deep down, Raph felt pity for him. He knew exactly what the poor boy had endured at the hands of those monsters. But there was nothing he could do to change the past, he could only hope to change the future. 

This neighborhood looked familiar, he realized. This was near where Dr. Strange had once lived. Even under the enormous rock that Raph lived, he had heard of the Avengers. Maybe he and his colleagues could help. 

The oddly shaped building wasn't hard to find. It didn't exactly match the surrounding infrastructure. Raph approached the front door, each step up the stairs staggered and painful. He shifted the crying child in his arms over long enough to knock loudly on the old, wooden door.

In the dimly-lit basement of an Astoria homestead, all the sounds of a metal workshop could be heard, from the scorching noise of welding to the pounding of metal, and the whirr of machinery. It had been a very long night for Kubo.

"Whew...I think MK-I is almost ready to roll!"

A young man who couldn't be much older than his early 20s raised up a welding mask, casting a blowtorch to the side. Days worth of exhaustion showed on their face, clearly Japanese in heritage. Happy with their work, however, a smile broke through on them against the odds. Taking a hard chug of bottled water, they gave a satisfied sigh, looking over their life's work.

A menacing figure of steel stood in front of the youth, its open sockets lightly pulsing red light, courtesy of the source of its power; the Kubo Generator, another new creation of its maker's design. It was far from an Arc Reactor, but it had the potency to do what was necessary; this iron-clad suit would serve as the start for a whole new hero, a guardian of the free world, which they needed now more than ever. This....

Was Project Ultraman.

"Alright, running diagnostics. R.E.G.I.S., sound off!"

"GREETINGS, ADMINISTRATOR AKIO." A harshly synthetic voice rang out from the suit, earning a grin from the one now known as Akio. The suit was one thing, but managing the A.I. present inside was an even larger task. One that, against all odds, he had managed.

"Sweet, you work! Well, tell me, how are things on the inside there?"

"ULTRAMAN RUNNING AT 100% POWER. SUIT INTEGRITY AT 100%. INTERNET CONNECTION VERIFIED." As if to prove that point, he could hear a video played from the inside of the suit...And he heard what sounded like a panicked yelp, and fearful whispers. "Uh...R.E.G.I.S., open up the suit and lets replay that, okay?" "AFFIRMATIVE."

His wonderous creation folded out before him, and with a giddy grin on his face, Kubo allowed himself to fall backwards into it, becoming encased in both a literal and figurative sense; he wasn't Akio, not anymore. Now....He was Ultraman. Sadly though, he didn't have all the time in the world to look stupid smiling at no one about his successes. There was a video to check out.

Inside, Akio saw the unbelievable. Or, y'know, it would've been if a giant purple man hadn't made half the universe disappear barely a year back. Including himself. In the video, hiding in the shrubbery, someone recorded a shocking incident; a rip in space, as a small group of, well, without better descriptors, fiendish individuals came forth. After one seemingly gave some commands, the group went their seperate ways, with two of them westbound.

"Hey, wait. That's Central Park, right?" "AFFIRMATIVE." "So the duo that's headed west...They'll be passing through here. Heh...R.E.G.I.S.?" "YES, ADMINISTRATOR?"

"We just found our first mission."

With that, Akio was fully ready to prepare to fly straight through his own basement into the skies...Before remembering the boosters were mostly dysfunctional. With a groan, he made his way out of the basement, and in the cover on night, left through his home's backdoor and onto the moon-shrouded streets of a New York night. It was time to get to work!

---

---

Another shitty year, another shitty Holiday season. The only good thing about this time was that the rich and powerful held more charity galas now than they did the rest of the year. The white haired male had secured himself a job as a server at several of them already and this one was no different. He found that taking these jobs got him much closer to these people than he ordinarily would. He could spend his time walking around catching bits of conversation and lingering if he heard anything he felt could use later. So here he was, standing around in a uniform waiting for this damn thing to start so he could really get to work.

Lev had not been paying much attention when the staff was getting briefed on what to expect for the night. He had done this before it was always the same. As long as he didn’t have an empty tray or station nobody would say much to him. His mind instead wandered to the thought of all the juicy information he could get. Of course he would have to have his sources fact check some if not all of it, but he was sure he could get enough tonight to cause a bit of chaos within the wealthy society. It wasn’t long before his attention focused back on the group of staff as they all prepped for the guests to enter. He was handed a tray of drinks, which he hadn’t been prepared for and had almost dropped them. After being scolded for being clumsy he gained his composure and was ushered into the gala area.

The area was mostly empty but it very quickly filled up. The area went from relatively silent to a roar of conversation and muffled music faster than Lev would have liked. He was used to taking jobs like this for both money and info but he never got used to the amount of people who attended these things. They were so terribly boring. Regardless as the guests filed in he had gone through a few trays of drinks but still he hadn’t found any conversations worth listening to. It was frustrating but at least he was getting paid. Not to mention he had an excuse to not be home with his folks, he couldn’t stand the holiday season. It was the one time he saw his parents and if he was being honest he didn’t enjoy them constantly asking him why he was still single. Not to mention the topic of what he did for a living was a touchy one.

It wasn’t long before an interesting character finally entered the Gala. Oberon Price, the man who had taken over Stark Industries. Now that would be a big fish to have under his thumb, or at least have some blackmail on. He expertly glided toward the male in question and stationed himself in his vicinity. He was still careful to not draw attention to himself. Trying to not make it obvious he was hovering. In the time since Oberon had entered Lev had trailed him across the entire gala, leaving only to go refill his tray and then return to where he had lost the man. Lev had almost lost him a few times in the crowd because of this. Luckily he was a decently easy man to pick out in a crowd. Not many people had the same frost white hair Oberon sported. Lev had managed to keep a decent tab on the man the whole time. It seemed he had finally stopped to talk to a woman. Maybe now Lev could get some good stuff. He hovered a little closer with his now full tray. Making a small circle around the pair. Even offering them both a drink off his tray just to give him a reason to be there. The night had been a bust so far so he was more desperate than he usually would be.

---

---

---

A cascade of long silvery white tresses shifted, shimmering like threads of moonlight as she carefully pulled a portion up to fashion into her signature bun. Diamonds twinkled like stars against her ears once revealed to the light's soft glow instead of hidden away behind a veil of white. The intense gaze of pure silver that reflected back at her from the vanity mirror while she performed this action held the truth of her years in its depths while the rest of her features showed the lie of youth. Her sun kissed skin held no wrinkles, not even a blemish unless the dapple of freckles across the bridge of her petite nose counted. The gentle curve of her jaw and the round of her cheeks had always given her a delicate impression, appearing far younger than even the age she had been stuck at for centuries. Her rosy lips tugged into a frown, dark brows furrowing together the more she took in her own appearance within the looking glass. The touch of black shadow inked against her eyelid to create a smokey effect was not needed, nor was the gloss to her lips but she had done so anyway even knowing it would be behind a mask of a mask. Perhaps she had done so to cheer herself up or make herself feel like her face was maturing? Maybe she was just wasting time and trying to find a way for her life to feel like living instead of just existing. How long had it been since someone other than herself had looked upon her true face without some kind of mask in place? When was the last time she made a friend or visited one of the only ones remaining? ’Far too long…’, was the drifted thought her mind supplied.

Jiang let out a long heavy sigh and shook that thought away, placing her mask on as her final step. The gaze that once stared at her was just a void now, no longer able to be seen behind the intricate designed mask that turned soft features into strong ones. This would not last long however as her form shifted in the blink of an eye. White locks of hair darkened to a chocolate brown, her skin paled into ivory, voids of darkness became chestnut brown with a touch of heterochromia as the other eye was more of a golden brown. The bolder smokey eye make-up changed to a simple cat eye, a touch of blush added to the cheeks, and a light pink to her lips while the styling of her hair turned into pigtails, a more cutesy look which was a surprising opposite of the dress she had decided to wear for the evening. The outfit made her feel powerful and able to capture the attention of those she would be playing entertainer for this evening. Was the mesh openings, sweetheart neckline, and round the neck straps a bit revealing and much? Yes, it was but when you had people distracted then they tended to lean away from flaws in the story created. Tonight, she needed to be just another flunky for someone mysterious and reclusive. It was the same song and dance she did every year when she hosted these gala events.

The charities did matter to her, they weren’t a scam but it was a risk to do such an event. It is why she took so many precautions when she did them. They were always planned and paid for by an alias account, her invites never stated a name but did provide her house symbol, they were always held in a large public space be it a convention center or hotel, the staff only dealt with her alias of that year, and no one ever got answers about their host. Jiang provided her guests with a good time, made the money that was poured into research, development, advancements, and more worth their wild even if just for a night. She would thank them properly for shouldering the financial obligations on the path to what was right. It was some of the few times she actually believed in upper class humanity even if some of the people there were just there for an alternative agenda. Her gaze turned to the clock, noticing that her time was over on getting dolled up if she wanted to be at the convention center before her guests arrived. She gracefully stood from the plush stool before the vanity, her heels clacking against the marble floor as she practically floated to the phone.

”Has the car arrived?”, she asked pointedly. “Yes, Miss Cross.” the voice on the other end of the receiver replied. ”Good. Please make sure the driver is ready to go when I arrive downstairs.”, she stated. “It will be done.” That was the last she heard before hanging up and heading to the elevator. Jiang walked with purpose through the lobby, ignoring the cold air and snowy conditions as she slid into the back of her limo with ease and waited for the show to begin. As much as luxury and the high life had its good points, she couldn’t wait to be back in her little corner of heaven which was pretty much a shitty apartment right next to a row of venders in Chinatown but it was home. ”Just one night and you can go back to slipping through the shadows. It will all be worth it.”, Jiang muttered softly under her breath. She was sure that tune would change the moment she was swarmed with cameras and the flood of questions that were on repeat from the year before.



The gala was rapidly in full swing, the once empty room filled to the brim with most of the city's elites or at least the ones that wouldn’t cause a commotion. She hardly had a moment to herself or time to enjoy the atmosphere she had worked to create as she greeted her guests, made small talk, and went over the charity event itself in practiced detail as some were hoping her ’wealthy benefactor’ and generous host would contribute to other charities or similar ones. A few she held in mind but mostly she tried to sway talk on the subject, keeping mysterious or expertly avoiding the questions without the guest realizing. At the moment, Jiang found herself in the company of a familiar face, not that the red haired woman before her knew that it was her. She couldn’t reveal anything but they fell into easy discussion, one of the more pleasant moments of the night thus far but when her eyes glanced out at a sea of people to see Oberon Price, it was clear that this conversation needed to wrap up. It wasn’t because she had business with the new owner of Stark Industries but more that she had been around long enough to know how to read people and when someone was smitten or looking for an opening. She gently excused herself, leaving the table and looking to snag another glass of champagne since she needed a bit of mental preparation to deal with any more guests. An announcement for the prepared meals would probably need to be made soon including a speech which she loathed with all her being so having a bit of liquid courage beforehand never hurt.

Her eyes narrowed as she landed on the nearest waiter, her finger tapping on her chin as she looked over the handsome man. As attractive as he was, she knew the trouble and chaos he could stir first hand though he had no idea someone in this type of crowd knew of his gifts. She had agreed to allow him on her staff mostly because she was about second chances but also since he had been highly entertaining the last time fate had them cross paths. It didn’t make her any less suspicious of him and had her wondering what his true objective was or if this really was just a normal job for him, the criminal activity being a side gig. Either way, Jiang stepped forward with purpose, planting herself between the pair getting acquainted and the waiter before her. She wrapped her fingers around the stem of the glass, looking up at him through a hooded gaze as took a sip of her newly acquired drink. ”Would you care to dance?”, she asked with a flirtatious smile. ”I know you are on the clock but I won’t tell if you don’t.”, Jiang teased playfully, hoping he took the offer because she would be ignoring ‘no’ as an answer and yanking him away next since she hardly cared if her alias looked like a fool.

Location: Hotel - Gala Fundraiser

---

Location: Outside the Gala Fundraiser Hotel

Damn if this weren't boring.

There's something to be said about the life of a mercenary from every angle. The pay, the thrill, the violence....But you're never prepared for the real part of work like this. The boredom. Patience might be a virtue, but Veronica Valstead ain't a very virtuous woman. In the shadow of this New York night, she lied in wait on a nearby rooftop, eager for her opening to strike. But that was just it; waiting.

Her Johnson for this hit was quite the interesting one though. Wouldn't give his real identity, obviously; didn't even meet in person. That was all standard fare. What ain't standard fare is paying upfront for the job AND even adding in a little bonus, which she was all to happy to exploit, tapping on the side of her STARK Holo-Glasses. She might as well have had a smartphone on her face, and this one came with some extra features, evident as she scoped the scene on the inside of the gala with X-Ray.

She might be one tough bitch, but this job did demand a bit of prep-work from her due to its....Eccentricities.

Firstly, she was after one Oberon Price; guy who ate up STARK Enterprises. Deadshot didn't have much thoughts on the man, but if someone was giving her a job to go after a man this rich and powerful, then either this was quite personal or they was looking to topple their corp. And honestly, judging from the free gear and ludicrous upfront pay, probably both. But it got weirder. While they didn't care how they got to Mr. Price, they made one demand; for his death to be gruesome and public. She quietly hoped it was some sort of publicity stunt and not a kink.

Granted, since they paid her upfront, V did have a sneaking suspicion this job was more than her benefactor was letting on. Some fucker playing 4d Chess with themselves or some dumb shit. She didn't need to know, she didn't wanna know, and she couldn't care less not knowing. It's a lot easier to focus what's in front of you.

"...Huh."

....Like a guy sporting some upgrades. The X-Ray was mostly for her to look through the walls and get a layout of the situation inside; she was able to tell guards from the damn bureaucrats in the building thanks to it, because the X-Ray wouldn't go past their body armor. What she hadn't expected, however, was to get a nice image of a skeleton covered with all kindsa gear, clearly inside his body. Vera couldn't make heads or tails of all the crap in the guy, but it wasn't good news for her. Still, better she knew now.

By now, she'd mapped out all the non-hostiles and security forces in the building, and turned off the X-Ray feature for now, having to blink a few times to chase it off. With a sigh, she got up from her crouched position, getting in a good stretch before pulling a cigar out from a small pouch on her belt, with a lighter she was just as quick to produce. A small puff of smoke pervaded the air, before slowly being pushed off into the night. Dropping it to the ground and snuffing it out with a good rub of her boot, she gave a look to the front guards of the hotel. They didn't number many, and from their posturing, she could tell they weren't prepared for anything serious. Much less her.

With a few more cracks of bone, Deadshot was all limbered up. She took up position on the rooftop, laying flat on her stomach as she produced her M110 from the careful layers of straps on her back that secured a shocking amount of gear, lining up the shot on the first guard.

Soon she'd find the right opportunity. But for now, staring down her sights, she embraced the cold bite of December, steeling her for what was to come.

Raph was taken aback by the being that answered the door. For a moment, he foolishly believed that he was in the presence of an actual angel. The man touched the child and he immediately stopped crying, and Raph felt the intense urge to trust him wholly.

But Raph was stubborn.

He snapped himself out of his daze and spoke. "This kid isn't mine," He said, as if it weren't obvious, "I found him somewhere horrible; he needs a good home."

He handed the boy off to the man that accompanied the Not Angel and he expected that to be it. Raph fully expected to turn away and limp back to the abandoned building he had been living out of recently, to lick his wounds in the bitter cold and break into his emergency food hoard. But then he was invited in. His paranoia said no, but every other fiber of his being said yes.

Raph followed the strange man, head on a swivel as he gawked at every available sight within the ornate building. This place was weird...but strangely comforting. He still didn't let his guard down. Raph had been shown this kind of treatment before; it was always temporary. The other shoe always dropped. He would beaten for trusting them, or perhaps they would come for him in the middle of the night while he slept, or maybe-

A nurse touched his shoulder to guide him into his new quarters, and Raph instantly withdrew from her. His wings spread slightly, as they tended to do when he was startled, showing off the fresh wounds and blood covered feathers. He didn't even seem phased by the agony he must be in. Raph was far too familiar with pain and suffering to let the weakness show. But his stiff, slow walk, wheezing breath, and shaking hands betrayed him. He was very vulnerable right now. Blood loss and hunger made fighting these potential foes impossible should they attack. He kept that in mind as he tentatively did as they wanted and entered the room, lest they feel the need to use force.

Raph did not want to undress here, especially when he already felt weak and exposed. He ignored the nurse when she tried to suggest he bathe and change clothes. He still had no intention of staying here tonight. The wizard had mentioned helping to heal him, and that was all he needed. A little magic fix for his wounds and that was it. Nothing else.

Aielah smiled warmly as his attention went from the child to the man with wings of a dove. The nurses ensured that the child's minor wounds were taken care of. They ensured the child was bathed and tried to gather his name, but reported that they unsuccesful. Aielah made a mental note to find out later. Perhaps now was too early in the process for the child to truly trust them, and who could blame him? From the looks of it both the man and the child had gone through hell, moreso the man whose wounds were great. Aielah could tell the moment his presence touched Raph. When the nurse in charge of Raph came to Aielah, she informed him of the man's many wounds and how he had refused to undress in front of her.

"Of course. He has been through a lot. I can see it on his body. I will take care of him, you join the others in assuring the child finds rest

Aielah moved elegantly to the room that housed Raph and slipped in without missing a step.

"You sir are a very brave man. Rescuing a child and bringing him here for sanctuary. I thank you. I am Aielah. Tell me, what is your name and how did you know of this place?"

Raph sat in the uncomfortable side chair provided inside the room. He hadn't wanted to get blood on the bed. His hazel eyes lifted to meet the wizard's when he returned. Raph grunted noncommittally at his praise.

"Raphael," He said when asked his name, then paused, "Just Raph. I thought that Avengers wizard guy lived here. I figured maybe you guys would have connections; that maybe you could get that kid some help."

If only Raph had been so lucky. Perhaps if he had gotten help early enough, he wouldn't be here right now. Instead, he had endured twenty-two long years of horrific abuse, only to escape and live four more in filth and desperation. He had hoped that maybe the kid, despite his appearance, could find a semi-normal, happy life.

"Raphael. Such a powerful name," Aielah said.

He moved closer to Raph and for the first time he looked into the man's eyes. His beautiful icy white eyes peering deep into the man's captivating hazel orbs. Aielah was silent, as if searching for something deep in the man's mind. Raph was taller than he was, but thankfully he was seated and it helped. Slowly, Aielah reached out and softly touched the side of Raph's face. In an instant, whatever wounds on his face vanished, but Aielah did not lift his hand away and continued to peer into Raph's eyes.

"Archangel of healing. Your name translates to God has healed. Those are big shoes to fill. If you would remove your garments I will tell you a story and heal the wounds that I can. I hope you can make yourself comfortable as you will be staying the night and a feast is being prepared."

Aielah stepped away from Raph swiftly as his inner emotions tried to fight to surface at the mention of Dr. Strange. Nevertheless, Aielah would be transparent with Raph.

"The other of whom you speak, the great Doctor Strange, was lost to us in the great battle a year ago. I was chosen to fill the gap for now. Rest assured those who seek refuge will always have a place here, and those who wish for trouble shall also find it."

There was something about the man, as he peered into Raph's eyes, that made him want to trust his words. His subconscious was crying for help, and this wizard, or whatever he was, could offer it. And he was being pretty damn convincing, too.

Raph broke eye contact when Aielah asked him to undress. He was very clearly uncomfortable, even if he tried to hide it. But the wizard had already healed the cuts and bruises on his face, showing that he meant no harm. Raph just hated being vulnerable.

Slowly and hesitantly, he peeled his sweatshirt off and gently pulled it over his wings. Just getting the damn thing on and off was a chore. He could probably do with some zip-ups, but he couldn't be picky with what he stole from donation bins.

Raph gingerly dropped the sweatshirt down on the floor, but stopped there. His torso was, for lack of better words, impressive. He had been genetically designed to be in top physical condition, even after years of barely warding off starvation. His body wouldn't cannibalize itself for sustenance, which was great when food was readily available. When it wasn't, it meant he would quickly starve.

His torso was also battered and bruised, with at least one visible graze from a bullet. The scars and marks left on his skin told a story, and not a very nice one. The one that stuck out in particular was the brand that had been burned into his flesh years ago. Raph was already subconsciously covering it with his hand. He hated the sight of it.

Aielah turned to face Raph. He took in the taller man's build. The sheer strength he must possess to have a body with such toned muscles. Aielah approached and reached out. His hand gently touched Raph's chest. Warmth filled the room as his hand trailed over the wounds and scars until it rested atop Raph's hand.

"You will never be free until you let go of that which binds you."

Aielah slowly removed Raph's hand from the burn wound and examined it with extreme care.

"You've been through so much. Your body has battle scars of an aged warrior. When will you allow rest to become your friend?"

Aielah removed his hand from the brand and for a moment felt something begin to form for this man. This man who he didn't know, he couldn't turn away. This man had a story that he wished to hear. There was more there and yet Aielah hesitated to find out what. He moved to the man's back and closed his eyes, his hands moving intricately before pressing in between the two wings. Light engulfed the wings, healing them completely. Aielah removed his hand from Raph's back and moved around him to face him again.

"Come, a warm bath awaits. Your healing will continue tomorrow. We will try to find the child's parents with the first light of the day; however, if we cannot, we will take him as one of our own. You are welcome to stay as well. It is what Dr. Strange would have done, but for now you need a bath to ease your muscles and bring peace to your mind, if only temporarily."

Raph's heart beat rapidly under Aielah's hand. He was unsure of what to make of all this. His prior experience had taught him that this much kindness would be met with equal cruelty. He felt like he was racking up debt by accepting it.

But at the same time, something deep and instinctual craved more. He wanted kindness and warmth, and he wanted to be able to trust. He just... couldn't.

"I doubt the kid has parents," Raph said softly, "He was probably created in that lab, like I was."

Aielah beckoned him towards the bath, and Raph's feet seemed to follow without his realizing. Had the wizard enchanted him somehow? He had, but Raph didn't know that magic wasn't the culprit here.

He folded his wings in to fit inside the small but comfortable bathroom. The steamy water inside the deep tub drew his attention. Raph had never had a hot bath before. When he lived within the High Order walls, the best he got was a cold shower. Once he'd escaped, he was lucky if he could get the gas station bathroom taps to run long enough to get lukewarm. He was long overdue.

Raph didn't like to think of himself as shy, but he certainly wasn't comfortable with undressing himself around strangers. He'd had too many bad experiences in the past. But the warmth and comfort that emanated off Aielah made him think that, maybe just for now, he was safe.

He didn't meet the other man's eyes as he carefully shucked off the bloodied jeans. He had what looked suspiciously like a knife wound on his upper thigh. On the other, the old, sloppily done brands of a verse in Latin began at his hip and ended at his knee. The way it was done made one think that perhaps the artist had had to fight with his canvas.

Raph stepped into the bath and slowly lowered himself into the warm water. It was much nicer than he could have imagined it would be; like a warm hug that melted away the leftover frost and crusted blood.

Aielah did not enter the bathroom with Raph and instead opted to stand by the doorway with his eyes diverted away as the man fully undressed. Aielah waited until he was submersed in the water to grab the tattered jeans and return to grab the equally tattered shirt. A nurse appeared and handed Aielah a shirt, and jeans.

"These should fit him master," the nurse said taking the garments Aielah held that belonged to Raph.

"Do not throw those away. See if they can be cleaned. Some items are worth keeping."

The nurse bowed and retreated from the room. Aielah appeared back at the bathroom door and placed the clothes on the sink as he slowly approached Raph. He reached inside of a cabinet on the wall and retrieved shampoo and a brush.

"How long has justice been in your hand?" Aielah said as he gently sat on the edge of the tub. There was something about this man that Aielah couldn't shake and it bothered him. He dolloped shampoo in his hand and smiled warmly down at Raph. "Relax, you are safe."

Aielah's hands softly caressed Raph's head, lathering the shampoo and massaging Raph's scalp. He took the brush and ran it through Raph's hair, detanglings it from dried blood.

"Let all emotions go and free yourself." Aielah began to hum a song that he remembered from his childhood. It would soothe him. Aielah's humming could be heard throughout the Sanctum, even though he hummed gently to Raph.

It was too much. It was too much and Raph didn't know how to handle it. The amount of care he'd been shown in the last twenty minutes was more genuine than anything he'd been shown in his entire life. Maybe it was the overwhelming relief, maybe it was his desperate need for something as simple as human contact, or maybe it was the realization that this kindness did, in fact, exist, and he'd just been completely deprived of it. Whatever it was, it was too much and he couldn't hold it in anymore.

As Aielah worked his hands through Raph's feathery brown hair, getting the knots of dried blood and old dirt out, Raph's eyes began to sting. It wasn't from the shampoo. In mere seconds, his aloof exterior dissolved, and Raph was left sobbing into his hands in a bath of bloody water next to a stranger.

There it was. The emotion that Raph hid flowed and Aielah's gentle hand continued to softly wash Raph's hair until there was no more dried blood or dirt. While the man released his emotion, Aielah placed his right hand on Raph's shoulder.

"It is alright. When you are done here, there are clothes on the sink. There are towels in the cabinet on the wall and there is food. I can only imagine after all you've gone through tonight alone that you must be hungry. If you wish to talk to me after you've had your fill, come find me."

Aielah stood up and smiled. His hand lifted from Raph's shoulder and he slowly moved towards the doorway of the bathroom.

Raph managed to quell his outburst to a quiet whimper after a minute or so. He watched through teary eyes as Aielah left. Part of him wished he would stay, but he also appreciated the privacy to continue washing.

When he was done, he got out and dried off. Raph dressed in his new clothes, but immediately noticed the lack of wing holes in his new shirt. He didn't mention it, as he planned on fixing it himself. Fortunately, the nurse waiting on him noticed and immediately helped him cut holes in the back and work his wings through. Raph thanked her quietly.

The food offered was much more generous than Raph had imagined. It was hot, for one, fresh, and held actual nutritional value. He hoped he didn't scare the nurse away while he delved into the offering like a starved animal. Raph couldn't remember the last time he'd felt full, but he certainly managed it tonight.

He was so tired by the time he was done, it was all he could do to make it to the bed before passing out. The nurse seemed mildly amused as she pulled the blankets out from under him and tucked him in properly. She collected the many empty bowls and plates he'd left and turned the light off on her way out.

A puff of smoke filled the air around the bench on which Krotar sat. His last year trapped on this rock had been uneventful. Though he had to give one thing to this shitty backwater planet. Their tobacco was among the best in the Galaxy. It was almost criminal how this planet handled the stuff. It was almost three times as strong as what you could get legally anywhere else in the galaxy. Hell, these Terrans figured out it gives you cancer, yet keep legislation to a minimum.
Krotar was people watching. He had sat there all night, casually smoking, watching people enter this Gala. It confused him. If this was supposed to be the elite of New York, why was it held in some simple Convention Center, like some common expo. Surely with such wealthy investors, you would do something exciting. Like book out a museum, or a zoo, or a stadium. Krotar guessed it betrayed the real wealth of the organiser and clientele. They may as well rented a community hall for a couple hundred dollars, if they weren’t going to pick a suitable venue.
He didn’t really care much for the Gala, but rather was using it as bait. He figured a gathering of the the supposedly richest in New York would garner the attention of the criminal underground. He hoped to foil a super villain and take their tech. He needed a few thing to fix up his ship before he could get off this god forsaken rock. The tech he salvaged from the battlefield that stranded him on this planet proved useful, but wasn’t quite enough to get him clear of this solar system.

The cold wind bit at his exposed skin. Flicking the butt of his cigarette onto the growing pile that was amassing on the sidewalk. New York. The city that never sleeps. The perfect place for a man who can’t. Standing up, he stretched his stiffened joints. The human brain can only go so long before it simply ceases to function. The Xandarian and Kree can go a little longer, but still eventually need a break. Normally he would book into a sensory deprivation tank, but his usual parlour was closed for renovations. So, he sat on a bench on a snowy night. Shakily smoking a cigarette. Waiting for trouble.

changed

In the back if his mind Oberon was cursing himself as he didn't give his last name and she had hers, but he followed it up by taking her hand and lifting it to his lips kissing it in a gentlemanly manner. "Oh no the pleasure is all mine. Honestly you are a refreshing vision as most here are old enough to be my parents or grandparents." He laughed lightly and cursed himself silently again. Then he noticed her body language, slightly moving closer, then her skin was very warm, and was that a slight purr that almost escaped her throat? He was enthralled in the moment and smiled once again before giving a slight turn to the dance floor as they began a slow song. "I ummm...Miss Blackwood, would you do me the honor of a dance and a seat at your table if no one has claimed either beside you?" Extending his hand again with his body slightly turned to the dancefloor his heart sped up so fast that he was sure it would through the musicians' tempo off.



[Location: Outside the Sanctum.]

As luck would have it Lust had come across a building that had been raided or was in the process of being raided rather. The High Order was everywhere it seemed and Lust could bet that they had info on Angel Boy Wonder. As she landed outside of the building a woman had ran out and straight into her. The sudden shock to see a blue demon in front of her was almost enough for the woman to faint it seemed but before she was rendered unconscious Lust probed her mind lightly and found fear and images of an angel...and a demon boy? This night was getting interesting and what luck indeed. Throwing the woman to the side Lust headed inside to see if the angel was still there or if she could dig up an info on why Mephisto actually wanted him. After entering the building it was clear to her that the building would be engulfed. Finding the source of the fire and outstretched her hand absorbing the flames. After she began to rummage through the wreckage finding an intact computer, she then began to use skills she had tucked away that her dad had taught her. Once she was in it was an easy thing to find the files and her eyes widened. Angel boy was for real part angel. Interesting, the family line seemed to have celestial DNA mingled with the human. Seems the angels weren't all celebate or ken dolls as everyone is led to believe. This explained alot, cloning celestial DNA was a huge feat and Mephisto wanted that knowledge. More than likely he wanted to know how to control them. That was another reason for the relic he was trying to obtain she figured. Seems her Master had grand schemes..."I mean all he would need is the horn of Gabriel and..." She trailed off and her eyes widened further. That was his plan! Quickly she got the address of the place she would need to go next to obtain samples which would be far batter than some failed experiment with wings. "Raphael..." She chuckled darkly, should have changed his name to Michael, after all he was smiting down evil. She then got up and threw a fireball that the computer, not caring if the place finally burned or not as she walked out of the facility. Springing up she took off again trying to get a view of the angel. It was but a few minutes till she saw the target. Strangely he was at a door knocking and someone answered. This wasn't right he was supposed to be alone first of all and secondly...shit...she knew where this was and what was about to happen.

Dwarf and Midnight had been taken and tortured till they gave up and Mephisto put them back together again, filling in the cracks of their broken bodies and minds with choice pieces of the spirits of Sin. They were more deadly than at any point they had been with Thanos. Midnight crept above the skylight of the sanctum carrying a tiny Dwarf, then produced a slight claw and cut a hole in the glass. Spells and wards tried to block her entry but they all failed as the Sin of Envy power kicked in. Once the hole was made she placed Dwarf at it. "Now go and make a nice distraction for me so I can get what our Master wants." A tiny growl issued from the creature and he jumped down to the floor making a tiny impact crater into the marble floor. From there Dwarf moved quickly and saw attendants moving about as a man with wings and a demon looking child were taken to separate rooms. A man that seemed to be the head of this place went into both rooms and finally exited going off to do Hell knew what. Dwarf moved then and ran into a room that seemed to be a memorial for the late Dr. Strange. Suddenly Dwarf was filled with memories of that prick of a sorcerer and rage grew in him and as it did so did his form. He grew so large he barely fit in the room. Letting out a bellowing roar he hefted his ax and began swinging. He tore through wood and stone grabbing a hapless attendant and swallowing him whole as he burst through the room his eyes ablaze with fire and brimstone as his anger seethed from him. Wholly unintentional he was creating a great distraction and into the foyer he went. Destroying the stairs then art work and finally a picture above the mantel. It was of the sorcerer and his young apprentice who he had saved and trained. The very man who was about to find that his home had become the aftermath of a warzone.

Midnight heard the screams and the explosion of wood and metal next as Dwarf took action to make the distraction. She then melted into shadow slipping in the sanctum herself hiding as long as her ability would let her while the people of the house would surely be about to chase after Dwarf.

Lust knew her luck couldn't last as she watched the angel go inside the sanctum. She swore heavily and noticed on the roof cloaked in shadows that Midnight and Dwarf were about to make their move. There was literally nothing she could do. She had strict instructions to not interfere with the plan at the sanctum so for now she would have to wait and watch and maybe in the aftermath she could grab the angel. Landing on a roof across the street she dimmed her aura and waited in the cold for what would be her bad luck unfolding.

[Location: Central Park]

He always seemed to come here at this time of year, to the bustling city streets of New York; normally not one for the large crowds and all the noise. It had to be something about all the lights and snow that drew him out here like clockwork, though he could go without some of the music. Being out in the park was his reprieve. Closest thing to being in the wilderness as he could get to out here in the "big apple", as the locals would like to call it.

He hadn't been in the park any longer than thirty minutes when he heard it, the distinct sizzle of a portal opening in the distance. Closing his eyes and raising his nose to the sky he would draw in a deep breath, catching the faint scent of both sulfur and brimstone in the process.

Demons…, came a voice like the rumbling of rolling thunder from deep within his mind.

Draku would let out a plumy breath of annoyance at the thought of dealing with demons, Yeah… I smell 'em…, he'd think to himself rather reluctantly, I suppose I should check things out...
With an equally annoyed growl he would begin his trek across the park towards the sound of the portal, the sound of a woman giving out orders drew nearer with each step before what sounded like a roar of flames exploded into life. Not close enough to worry about... Sounds like it's fading.
With another whiff of the air he could tell that he was even closer than before, the faint smell of blood joining the previous two scents. Cold blooded killers. He'd have to watch out for these fiends.

For a male his size, he moved with exceptional stealth at little to no effort and in the snow at that; closing in on the area and spotting what he could only assume what he was searching for, These are the demons?
He took in their appearances with a raised brow and the look of someone who was deep in thought, Nose don't lie, I guess…
He'd lean casually up against the nearest tree keeping an eye on them from the distance he was at and in the cover of the added darkness from the trees around him, reaching into his coat's inner pocket he would procure himself an all black pre-rolled marijuana cigarette. With a snap of his fingers he brought an emerald green flame to life atop the tip of his thumb and lit the joint with a heavy drag, extinguishing the flame with a flick of his wrist, and prepared to tail the two at any moment.

---

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---

Not a few moments after Lev had managed to post up in an area near Oberon and the other woman, he was approached by a woman who took a drink from his tray, which was normal enough but she seemed to linger for longer than normal before asking him if he wanted to dance. Usually it was much later when the stray, drunk rich witches asked him to dance. This early on was a new one. His eyes glanced over her body instinctively, she was more attractive than most of the women who made passes at him so that was a relief. After a moment of looking her over he shook his head.

“I apologize ma’am but I am on the clock and if I was being honest would rather not get yelled at by the boss.” His thick accent was prominent as he attempted to politely refuse her offer. He was doing more than one job at the moment. He was desperate to get some dirt on anyone, and as much as he might want to, he had to refuse the woman in front of him. “Perhaps if I get a break before you take your leave I will come find you.” He risked a cheeky wink before giving her a polite bow of his head and moving to attempt to get closer to Price and the woman.

Jiang had to place a hand to her lips as she actually had to stifle a laugh that wanted to bubble up at his statement. He was certainly just as amusing as when they first met, trying to refuse her invitation in worry of her own wrath since he clearly didn’t realize he was speaking to his so-called “boss”. It was obviously an excuse which would have perfectly worked for anyone else in this room but luck seemed to be on her side for this one. She placed her empty glass back on the tray, smiling at the wink and polite bow, saying nothing as if she was accepting the rejection with flying colors. The moment he went to move however, she swiftly placed herself back into his path before taking hold of his wrist with one hand while she gracefully removed the tray from him with her other.

Jiang took both of them in the opposite direction, gently yanking him so he had to turn around and follow or risk falling. Her enhanced strength was sometimes a blessing, making it easy to keep him along with her if he tried to resist. ”Isn’t it a fortunate turn of events then, that I am the one that hired you this evening.”, Jiang happily stated as they walked towards the dance floor, briefly pausing to pass the tray over to another waiter to handle before continuing towards their destination. She stopped once they were on the dance floor, turning to face him as her hand slid from his wrist up to his shoulder and leaned up to his ear just a breath away. ”Consider yourself on break.”, she whispered with a small smirk on her lips, tilting away so she could give him a wink just as he had done to her.

Lev thought he had managed to get free of the women but she had placed herself squarely between him and his path, in a fluid, graceful movement that he had not predicted. She gripped his wrist and he attempted to pull backward but the woman was much stronger than he had anticipated. He had to hold back his shock as she expertly pulled him away from where he was heading and managed to not spill the drinks he was holding. Even he wasn’t skilled enough to do that and he had wielded plenty of those trays in his life. “Um, this is really not..” He didn’t even get his full sentence out before hse interrupted him, informing the young male that she was his boss. The confusion on his face was no longer hidden but it quickly morphed into a sly smirk. “Well then who would I be to deny you a dance.” He slid one hand into hers and the other onto her waist.

It wasn’t what he had intended, but if this was the individual that had hired him, surely he could take the time to dance with her. Maybe he could get some juicy details from her. “I must say, you are impressively graceful.” He said as, in an attempt to even the playing field, he converted some of his own energy to give him a bit more strength. Attempting to seize control of the dance. His smirk was ever present as his gaze moved past the woman dancing with him to Price and the women he was speaking to, moving toward the dance floor. Perfect. He took his opportunity to attempt to steer their dance closer to the other two.

”You flatter me. I’m just glad I could impress.”, Jiang answered, a playful smirk teasing her own lips while they exchanged polite banter. She felt the shift in strength under her fingertips in the way his hold on her hand subtly changed before the control of their dancing passed from her leading to him. He surprised her with that action, a flutter of excitement at the opportunity for a challenge and someone that could match her without needing to be gentle. He easily steered them through the dance floor while she got over her initial delighted surprise but she didn’t see the reason why they were venturing a large length of the dance floor until she spotted the pair. A spark of annoyance flared at the fact he was trying to still get what he wanted, whatever that may be from the pair but she was also frustrated that Oberon had asked Ash for a dance, after all the work she put in to separate her current dance partner from them. Jiang decided to wait for the next turn when the pair was to her back, taking that moment to use a bit more of her strength as the hand on his shoulder shoved forward as she forced herself to take the lead again to move them in the opposite direction. ”It seems that your attention is elsewhere, perhaps I should take the lead?”, she questioned innocently even though she had already done just that.

Lev wasn’t stupid. It was clear at this point this woman was intentionally steering him away from his target. His eyes narrowed a bit, eyes moving from the woman to Price and then back to the woman. ”Oh no need ma’am I am an excellent dancer.” He summoned a little more strength and took the lead once more. Though this time he seemed to continue her path away from Price and his woman. ”How rude of me. I never introduced myself. Lev Vasiliev, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” It was clear she knew more than she was letting on, why else would she have pulled him away from the pair. Maybe she was a better target for the time being. He knew she would be careful not to reveal too much but he could draw his own conclusions based on what she did give him. They were both dancing around the fact that both were clearly using enhanced strength to control the situation, quite literally. He could entertain this woman for a bit. She couldn’t take up all his time could she? Oberon was easy enough to spot in a crowd. In the meantime this was entertaining enough.

”So I have noticed.”, she answered, the power to lead slipping away from her without missing a beat but this time, he did not shift their direction. It seemed she finally had his attention, though she could practically see the gears turning behind those blue eyes. Jiang knew she had to be careful, play the game they had started without showing her full hand. For now, he was matching her strength but that didn’t mean it would continue and it was likely he could be stronger than her. ”The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Vasiliev. I should apologize as well for my lack of introduction. Lydia Cross, how do you do?”, Jiang smiled, giving her alias name and preparing for anything he might throw at her. Lev was just as entertaining as the first time though it was a pity his companion from then was unknown and so far, not present. It had truly been twice as good to see them fighting but dancing and playing nice was far more enjoyable than dodging explosions.

It seemed his theory was correct, as long as he didn’t move toward Price she didn’t attempt to take the lead from him. Fine, he could play her game. ”So might I ask, what on earth made a woman of your power and beauty want to ask a lowly waiter such as myself to dance?” He pulled her a little closer and spun them in time to the music. He was glad he had taken the time to learn how to dance. Though it came in handy once in a blue moon it was still a nice skill to have. Though he would be lying if he said any other time had been nearly this entertaining. He clocked a few confused looks from the other waiters as he danced with this woman, but he was having too much fun to care. At least the night wasn’t a total bust as of now.

She raised a brow at his question, wondering if he was really that oblivious or trying to search out her personality. Sure, she had done so to keep him away from the pair across the room but there were clear reasons why she would want to without the given situation. ”Is that truly how you view yourself? As lowly? I see a very attractive individual in a room full of old fat cats with too much time on their hands and trying to work their own agendas. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few here that have my respect and actually care but those are few and far between. I have no illusions about that but sometimes you have to do things you don’t enjoy for the greater good. I asked you to dance because I wanted to, simple as that.”, Jiang answered as truthfully as possible. She knew that this probably looked strange to most but she really couldn’t find it in herself to care, taking a moment to just enjoy herself and be entertained because no doubt her partner would want to escape her company eventually. It would look strange to stop him for too long after all.

He was visibly taken back by her question. Is that how he saw himself? He took a moment to think about it, but didn’t linger for too long. ”Hm, well most of these fat cats, as you call them, would view someone like me as lowley, below them on the social totem pole, so to speak. Personally I think quite highly of myself.” He looked past her to the other guests of the party for a brief moment, before returning to gaze at her with a small sly smirk on his face. ”I am flattered that someone of your beauty finds me attractive, but plenty of the wait staff happen to be lookers. So why me in particular? Am I really the fairest of them all?” He moved to whisper that last sentence in her ear. It was at this point that he pumped himself with just a bit more energy and shifted them back toward Oberon, testing to see if she could overpower him at this point. He was playing with her, seeing how far he could go before she was no longer able to over power him. At this point this woman was far more interesting than the rich genius. He sincerely had no more interest in him, but he wanted to see how far this woman would go.

She brushed off his flattery, her appearance not meaning much since it really wasn’t her own and sure there were other attractive waiters but that hardly mattered. Jiang gasped softly, not expecting the whisper in her ear on the last sentence or the extra boost in strength. Their direction changed into a very familiar one but she didn’t have much more strength to give though. However, she was used to fighting those that were bigger and stronger. It wasn’t always about using brute strength against another…sometimes, it was about using your wits to overcome and outdo a stronger opponent. Her gaze locked with his in a defiant and determined look before hooked her leg behind one of his ankles to make sure he tripped due to his momentum. Jiang didn’t let him fall though, catching Lev into a dip with a sly smirk as she leaned close before whispering, ”If you are the fairest of them all, does that make me Prince Charming?”

Lev had not been expecting her reaction to him changing directions. His own moment was his downfall, literally. The woman had managed to get her leg around his and trip him, though she expertly caught him in a dip. His heart rate quickened when he thought he was going to hit the floor however when the initial shock of the move wore off he wore a shit eating grin on his face. ”Oh, you are good. But I don’t play the damsel in distress roll.” He quickly righted himself and regained his composure, once again taking the lead. Quickly deciding to get some form of revenge for what had just happened he promptly moved to twirl her in a circle in front of him. Moving away from Price once more. “So tell me Miss, why are you so intent on keeping me away from Oberon Price? Worried I’ll steal him away from his woman with my natural good looks? Want to keep me to yourself perhaps?” He decided to let her know he knew what she was doing, while simultaneously lessening the energy he was using to give himself strength. He was now back to his resting strength. He knew like this she could easily take control back but he hoped that this gesture made her more inclined to give him a straight answer, though he doubted that was the case.

She laughed gently at his comment, letting him take the lead once again and setting the tone of their dance. If he wanted her to twirl then she did, bending and moving like a reed in the wind. It was the least she could do for giving him such a shock. ”Why not both? It could also be neither. Perhaps, I know the look of a man who wishes to make a beginning with someone and simply want to give him as much of a chance to do so without prying eyes, judging ears, or interruptions. Maybe, I find your company agreeable and enjoy a good challenge that has very little to do with Mr. Price at this point.”, Jiang answered in probably the most honest way she could. She felt his strength lessen, knowing she could force his hand but this time she was the one to copy his level of power instead of the other way around. ”I might just be waiting, to see what move you make next….”, she added.

---

"Couldn't you have worn something nicer?"

Boris was holding the backseat door open to let the bickering man out. "Mr. Osborn, you don't pay me to dress nice." He said extending his hand out to help, but Mr. Osborn ignored it and promptly pulled himself out on his own. With his back to Boris he pulled out a cigarette and searched his pockets for a lighter. "No, I pay you to drive me around and look intimidating." Boris noticed and quickly opened the car door to grab a lighter from the glove compartment. He tapped the lighter on Mr. Osborn's shoulder who continued "not to look lazy in jeans and a cheap hoodie." He grabbed the lighter and lit his cigarette, inhaling the smoke. Boris looked down at his hoodie with a blank stare "this was 30 dollars". The man threw the lighter back for Boris to catch as he began walking toward the Gala Fundraiser Hotel. "I'll have a talk with Spencer about this..."

Boris watched the man walk away, rolled his eyes and sighed. Ever since he materialized after the blip, he had to get by with doing odd jobs like this, sometimes hired for security, a bodyguard, or a chauffeur, all for his size. His friend Spencer, one of the only people who still talk to him after he's been fired from the police force, was kind enough to let Boris step in for him while he was away. Something he might not do again if the rich asshole doesn't get drunk enough tonight. He was angry enough that there was no more parking left in the hotel's parking lot, and Boris had to park out on the street infront of the gala, but now apparently his clothes weren't up to code. "At least for security they give me a uniform... what, was I supposed to buy a tux out of my own pocket for this?" he said to himself, in Russian.

He leaned back on the car and pulled out a cigarette of his own, but did not light it. He used to like smoking, but ever since he was injected with the serum, his sense of smell heightened, and the appeal of cigarettes has dropped entirely - their smell being too strong. He tried to sniff toward the gala, but anything he could pick up was overpowered by expensive perfumes, and champagne. He put the cigarette to his mouth and pretended to smoke it as he looked around the building, people watching as men and women in fancy attire came in and out of it.

He put his cigarette back in his hand when for just a moment, he thought he saw something; a slight movement on the rooftop visible from where he was standing, hidden in the lightlessness of night. He continued his stare, trying to see it again.

Location: Hotel - Gala Fundraiser

---

As Lust starts to walk away Alistar grins watching her hips sway as he says to Rex “Damn I love to see her leave, so bub where shall we look for this birdman?” looking around he would get his bearings and say “Looks like we are back in New York.”

"DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF RIGHT NOW?!" He'd scoff disgustedly, "WE'RE BACK IN NEW YORK! FUCK THAT BIRD!" He'd shoulder check his brother as he leapt passed him to dangle from a tree, "We could go home and get fucked up, get our dicks wet and THEEEEN WE COULD RUN AROUND AND GET THEM SLAY BELLS RANGLING!"

“True brother we have been gone awhile, what was i thinking” laughing he says “She has a way of messing with my mind, but i dont care shes worth it. First we go fuck some of the bitches and collect our money these pleeb humans owe us. I’ve missed The Bloodbath. It's been too long. Hell is fun but it's just not the same, and when we are done we use the police that's in our pocket to run searches for a birdman, someone or one of the cameras had to have seen something.” looking around at the cars nearby he says “shall we borrow one of these cars or shall we call our limo driver to come get us?”

Rex would give him a look of complete disdain before responding, "Dude, are you fucking serious right now?" He'd shake his head in disappointment, "Why would we need a ride when I could just…" He'd hold his arms out in a T pose and walk backwards into the shadows, a smirk plastered across his face, "See you there?" His disembodied voice echoing hauntingly from the shadows.

“You son of a bitch wait…. Never mind then i guess.”closing his eyes he would do the hand sign for teleportation jutsu, upon entering his hotel The Tower of Sin, he would yell for Rex “HEY ASSHOLE I’M HOME.” and heads downstairs after collecting the money going to their underground club.

Rex would already be seated upon his throne of a chair at the back of the club by the time Alistar finally got there, a woman in his lap and at each side showering him in affection. He'd point to his non-existent watch as soon as he and Alistar would lock eyes. Regardless of his urge to blow off the mission, they really had to find this angel. As little as he cared for dealing with The Nine Hells, a job was a job. He just wasn't in a rush to finish it. It was fucking New York, that's a lot of ground to cover even with his ability to shadow step.

As Alistar tosses a case at Rex’s feet he looks to the two beautiful ladies on his lap and asks them “Have you lovely ladies ever heard of a birdman sighting here in town? No gossip about anything like that between the working girls?”

[color=FD1C03]"Did you just refer to these delectable treats as whores?" Rex would grin, looking at the case at his feet, "Now that's not very kind." he'd laugh, the three women scoffing in offense and all attempting to voice their displeasure at the same time. Snapping his fingers the women would immediately quite down, "Mind answering the poor fool?" he'd ask them, laughter still upon his breath.

“Wooow Rex! I'm hurt! You know this suit wasn't cheap.” he would say grinning back at him.

The woman in his lap would roll her eyes as she began to explain that they hadn't heard of no bird man in New York City, "What are you stupid, stupid?" She'd ask with so much attitude that her D's were poppin with T's.

Gritting his teeth he threw one of his daggers by her face chopping off a good portion of hair “DON’T TAKE THAT FUCKING TONE WITH ME! I can have your ass working a street corner RIGHT FUCKING NOW!” Taking a deep breath he would collect himself “Now is there anything going on tonight? Like parties?”

"Why the fuck would parties be important when it comes to finding something like an angel? I swear you don't think about the shit that comes out of your mouth," he'd point up near his head, "or where the fuck you're throwing those knives. Next time, I pump you full of blessings. Follow?"

“I wasn’t aiming for you. Now let me rephrase the question, HAVE you heard of anything interesting happening around town? Anything at all?”

It was one of the other two women that decided to speak this time, the one closest to the thrown knife to be exact, "Um, actually," she'd say timidly, "there is. It's been the talk of the town for some time now! It's this big fancy gala that they're having for animal conservation!" She'd scramble to her feet and pull her phone from her mini clutch, "Here look."

Smiling he walks over to her and looks at her phone, getting the address saying “Thank you darling it looks like we have so where to go Rex. Our invitation must've gotten lost in the mail, I mean we are two of if not thee richest business owners in town.” looking at Rex he sighs “But you might want to change into…"

"SOMETHING FANCY?!?!?!?!?!" Rex would retort with growing anger, "What the fuck is wrong with my fit, G?"

“I mean come on Rex, you look like a common thug. No offense

Rex would snarl, snapping his fingers once again; his clothing dissipating into a puff of black smoke, and shoving the female in his lap, off and onto the floor as he stood up, "I'll show you common thug, prick." He'd say almost ironically as his member swayed intimidatingly between them, before snapping his fingers once again. With that, the same wisps of smoke began to reform around him, "Get the lead out, asshole…" He'd growl, the shadows within the club seemingly creeping towards him and forming a blackened ink-like blot beneath his feet, "We've a party to crash."

With another one of his trademark grins, Alistar would step into the shadows at his brother's feet, "It won’t be a party until we arrive, brother.”

The pair would suddenly begin to sink beneath the blackened surface, the shadows of the club springing back to their rightful positions as the tops of their heads submerged. One moment, darkness, the next they were appearing within the confines of a vehicle that was parked in front of a dazzling hotel. "Ew... " Rex would mutter at the sight before spotting the male outside the car, "OYE ASSHOLE! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! THE VIPS HAVE ARRIVED!"

Krotar was just about to start on chain smoking his fourth packet of Marlboro Reds, when something caught his eye. He blinked as his HUD zoomed in on a butler looking man came out the front door. The alien found this man odd. Not for the many number of reasons he found humans odd. Rather his system was picking up that the man had some serious tech on him. It couldn’t pin down exactly what it was, but it definitely picked something up. This piqued the alien’s interest.
Placing the cigarette packet back in his jacket pocket, he stood up. A wave of lightheadedness washed over him as the nicotine caught up to him. He had to place a hand back out to steady himself by leaning on the bench. Taking a moment to steady himself he pushed back up. He looked down and straightened his jacket so it was less obvious he had two large handguns strapped to the side of his body. Having opted to wear his universal blasters in dual shoulder holsters today.

Slow, careful, measured steps led Krotar forward. His gait betraying his purpose. He focused on his breathing. Feeling the cool air enter through his nose, and enter his lungs. His body warming the air before expelling it. As he drew closer, his system was able to read more from the man seemingly overflowing with tech. Not that anyone else would know just how much that man had within him.
He quickened his pace to question the man. Drawing closer to him. Nanites? Was his HUD correct? Krotar was sure Earth hadn’t reached that level of advanced tech yet.

The sound of tires screeching filled the street as Krotar was hit by a car. Distracted by investigating this man, he had failed to watch for traffic. The alien had stepped right out in front of a 2013 Honda Civic. His body crumpled as he rolled up the bonnet of the car and smashed into the windshield. The car slammed one the brakes and slid to a halt. Krotar splayed out on the front of the car.

Oberon Price and Ashlyn Blackwood

Ash was so surprised that the man was still there, and not having run a mile at her odd behaviour, that she just stood there staring. After a moment of awkward silence she realised he was waiting on her answer. 

The redness in her cheeks grew and she cursed her long, very long, time since she'd last dated. She felt like a teenager again and it was not a pleasant feeling. Mentally pulling herself together, she smiled and nodded. 

"I warn you that I'm out of practise." She said dryly. "But if you're willing to risk the safety of your feet then who am I to argue? Lead on." 

Oberon smiled and gave a light hearted chuckle. "You might not be the only one out of practice here." As he said it he recalled the last time he had been to one of these things. Six years ago when everyone disappeared. He had just met Wilson Fisk, the supposed KingPin of crime, and then danced with a woman who had a very...energetic personality. Turns out he had danced with Electro, having taken her down the following week for trying to take over where Fisk left off. 

Lost in a thought he shook himself out of it as Ashlyn came up and he took her hand leading them to the dance floor. Being a gentleman he bowed before her then took her hand extending it with his outward. He then placed his other hand on her waist instead of mid back so they could have space to talk then led them in just a simple back and forth slow dance. "So I have to admit that I know almost everyone else here except you. Blackwood? Is that English?" Oberon asked as he looked around slightly keeping his head of security on eye. 

Relieved he had taken the lead and set an easy pace for her to follow, Ash allowed herself to relax a little. She'd never liked events like these and the many functions she'd been forced to attend in her youth had only reinforced that. Add to that the fact that she had to be constantly in control of her animal nature meant she rarely relaxed. 

But although she could not let her guard down completely she felt strangely comfortable around this man. She didn't understand why but right then she didn't care. She wanted to enjoy it, she knew it wouldn't last, and wanted to make the most of it. Her expressive grey eyes had darkened during her thoughts but they brightened again when her smile returned. 

"Yes. My family is the esteemed noble Blackwood House, friend of the British monarchy for centuries." Her tone was very obviously sarcastic. "They're filthy rich so you don't need to worry that I'm after your money." Her eyes automatically scanned the room regularly while she talked. 

"I actually work for a living as well. Makes me the black sheep of the family. Especially since I chose a career that isn't appropriate for the daughter of an Earl." She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "What about you? A man known for his technological prowess. What brings you to an animal conservation fundraiser?"

His face had taken on a puzzled when she had mentioned his money and not worrying about it till he realized she was being sarcastic. "Oh umm no if anything that father of yours should worry about what I would want with his rich daughter who also happens to be stunning." It spilled out of his mouth before he thought about what he said. But he cleared his throat and continued without too much of a pause. 

"Hoesntly I'm here because there are laws taking care of the people who have been displaced but not the animals. People can bounce back but whole ecosystems were thrown off thanks to Thanos. People can rebuild and that's why I'm here to help rebuild. Though I admit I don't know hardly anything of how to fix any of this, I hope my money can go into the hands of someone who can." He smiled genuinely and looked into her eyes.

"You work too? So do I, I'm not comfortable sitting around collecting money. Personally I like to keep my hands and mind busy. What is it you do anyway?" The song continued as he slowly spun them around the room amongst the other party goers all the while slightly moving closer to her.

Ash felt herself redden again. This was ridiculous! She'd been complimented before and it hadn't phased her. But he said it with such genuine honesty that it meant more than the casual compliments she usually received. 

"If you keep charming me I might have to stake my claim on you." She said only half joking. "But seriously, I'm a Clinical Animal Behaviourist. Basically a psychologist for animals. I currently work in welfare and conservation at the Bronx Zoo. I admire what you're doing, not many have thought past the human tragedy caused by Thanos." 

"You're a developer of technology aren't you? I've been impressed by some of the technology that's been used to help the environment in recent years." Without being aware of it Ash responded to his body language moving closer to him. 

"You smell amazing." She said and then laughed self consciously. "I said that out loud didn't I?" 

Normally he never felt flushed at all with his cool skin but this time he felt heat. "I think you did." He managed to get out before he miss stepped a little, almost falling forward but played it off as a dip just as the song was coming to a close. Taking a deep breath through his nose he took in her scent as he brought her back up and close to him. "Don't worry though. You do too." Suddenly there was clapping and he realized that they were the only two left on the dancefloor. Moving so that he could see her face, "Looks like we are the center of attention. How about we go take a seat and finish talking there?" Still keeping her hand in his he led them off the dancefloor and away from the spotlight to the table where he offered her the seat she had sat in before.

Ash glanced around and grinned when she saw he was right. She allowed him to guide her back to the table. When they were both seated she met his gaze, her grey eyes direct. "I'm sorry I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable. My brother often reminds me that I can be somewhat...odd." It was just then that she caught the thoughts of geese flying nearby.

A Geese lowers its head in greeting,a young bird struggling to fly, the sun rising and setting incredibly fast, a cold,cold wind 

Ash's mind automatically translated the images into words she understood.

We greet you, Chosen of the Mother. We are late in our journey to the warm lands as our young were born late and took time to strengthen. The journey is long and cold. We ask that you give us your blessing.

For a moment the party faded away and Ash frowned. She did not like it when the animals treated her as some kind of deity but she would not refuse if it gave them the strength to finish their migration.

She sent back images of the sun warming their wings, of the air lightening their bodies. She heard their thanks and then they were gone, flying to warmer climes. She came back to her surroundings and smiled ruefully. "As I said. I can be odd." She found herself holding her breath hoping that this wouldn't drive him away. 

He gazed back at her and smiled. “Honestly no you aren’t odd. If I may be so bold it is refreshing to have someone be so direct and informal. I deal with uptight business people all day and usually the only person to be straight with me is my head of security but even then he has to watch all my comings and goings so even that is filtered through a formal manner.” Though then he thought of James who had grown to be a good friend, still a person he worked with though and carried his own set of issues that Oberon had to be careful with. For a second it had seemed that they were both lost in thought and then she mentioned being odd again. “Trust me you really aren’t.” He said as he took her hand again.

“Oh you asked what I do. Well the term is biotech and chemical chemical engineer. I have a degree in both actually. I kinda like Stark used to be, rest his soul, in the way he would create and innovate within his own company. Though that is about all I shared with the man.” As he stopped he caught her eyes again hoping he wouldn’t see her inner self groaning as he talked about himself yet again.

Ash noted his body language, she could read even the minute signals people gave off all the time without realising it, she suddenly realised that in his own way he was lonely. Like her he seemed not to have anyone he could truly be himself with. Almost without thought she reached out and squeezed his hand.   

She held it for a moment and then sat back and listened in fascination as he began to explain more about what he did. She was not creative or innovative with engineering or chemistry and knew little about them but she was interested nonetheless. 

"I didn't know Stark personally, I met him once briefly at a gala similar to this, but we exchanged nothing more than pleasantries. But his company did a lot of good and I'm glad you're continuing on his legacy." She hesitated then said. "Perhaps you could show me some of your work sometime? Unless it's classified." She smiled.

His face lit up as she asked to see his work sometime. It had been a very long time since anyone had shown interest. Ever since his mom… “I’d be delighted to do so. It’s my work that I can show you so that wont be a problem for me. I have several projects underway actually. Even one that is going to be announced soon.” He beamed as he sat back then checked his watch. Looking around he said “It should almost be time for dinner then the show after. If you'd rather skip the show, we could go back to my place. The lab is there and I could give you a…”