Chapter 37: Last Bastille

Months have gone by uneventful since the Helicarrier debacle. Climbing out from under a large machine placed in the temples reactor room, Tonya finds herself being stared at by Ethen and Pikapool.

Frowning she asks. ''What?''

Totally serious Ethen asks, giving her a hand. ''Is it done?''

''Should be all done.'' States Tonya nodding, while showing a bright smile, as she takes Ethens hand and is lifted up.

Jumping up and placing a kiss on Tonya's forehead, Pikapool shouts. ''Hurray! Finally, I can bench watch Game of Thrones again! I wonder what happened to the Mountain...''

''Oh, please. Ned Stark is clearly the main character...'' Comments Ethen, having only seen the first two episodes that were on Natashas iPod. ''... Somehow I even like Jamie Lannister.''

Seeing Ethen and Wade once again start reading out, Tonya already gets a headache, so she pleads. ''Boys... Not again... Boys, please not now!''

Frowning Pikapool says. ''Oh, come on that prince charming bands his sister!''

Seeing Carol and Natasha walk by, Tonya flees the reactor room. Having spent most of the time in that room and with Ethen and Wade, she is happy to talk to another woman for once.

''... I prefer warm colors for my place...'' States Natasha as Tonya catches up to them. ''... Oh, hi Tonya where you finally able to finish that project of yours?''

''Yes, it is finally done. By using the advanced...'' Seeing Natasha and Carols empty faces, Tonya shortens her answer to. ''... We have internet and our communication devices should be working from now on.''

''Great, that can be a great strategic advantage for us since allies like Fury can finally contact us.'' States Carol ever the soldier.

Looking equally happy but for a totally different reason, Natasha states. ''Great! It is only too bad, that no delivery service ever will be able to deliver here.''

Smirking Carol tells Natasha. ''You know shopping can be an addiction!''

''Says the one who still has stuff from the 90s!'' Shoots Natasha instantly back.

Wanting to stop both women from fighting, Tonya suddenly gets a message from Pepper. -''Tonya, we need your help. Nicola Fury is assembling the Revengers to stop Thor's brother Loki.''-

Seeing Tonya's frozen expression Carol asks her. ''Everything okay?''

''No, Pepper called. I have to go back to my Universe...''

-----

Half an hour later, everybody assembles inside the gate room to see Tonya off.

Looking concerned, Ethen asks her as Pikapool connects the Multiverse Gate with her Universe. ''Are you sure you don't want or need my help?''

Smiling up at her lover, Tonya gives him a deep kiss before telling him. ''You supporting me is already enough. A girl some times has to fight her battles alone.''

Seeing Tonya return to her Universe, Ethen murmers. ''That doesn't mean she has to.''

Turning around, Ethen looks at his remaining woman, asking. ''... So how about a trip to my universe?''

Jumping up, Pikapool shouts. ''Buh. GoT marathon!''

Shaking her head, Carol states. ''Don't look at me. I still have to unpack my stuff!''

Hearing Carol's answer, Ethen frown upon seeing Natasha check her cellphone. ''Nat?''

''Steve sent me a message just now...'' Natasha tells him, looking up from her cellphone. ''... Seems like the Avengers are taking on the last Hydra outpost in search for Lokis chapter.''

''Do you want to go?...'' Ethen asks her, receiving an emphatic nod. ''... Wanna I go with you?''

Showing a bright smile, before hugging and kissing Ethen, Natasha says. ''Yes.''

''Good, good. Finally, we dwarves can show off once again!..'' Comments Brokk having a big smile on his face.

Interrupting his brother, Sindri explains. ''We have been working on a suit for Miss Romanov...'' Leading Ethen and Natasha into their Forge, the dwarf presents to them a mostly white catsuit with some armor parts here and there. '''... This is a Nyx Stealthsuit or hostile environment suit developed specifically for a spy, we call it 'Dark Star Armor'. It contains an augmentation dedicated to maintaining a cloaking field indefinitely, gives its wearer a maximum of mobility while also maintaining maximum protection.''

-----

While Natasha puts on her new suit, the Avengers are already in the process of infiltrating a HYDRA base in Sokovia.

Seeing his castle taken over by the heroes, Strucker gives out some last orders. ''I am going to surrender. You will delete everything. If we give the Avengers the weapons, they may not look too far into what we've been...''

Frowning Dr. List asks him. ''The twins?''

Shaking his head Strucker tells him. ''They are not ready to take on...''

''No, no. I mean...'' The list stops talking as he points to where the twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were standing but are now gone. ''... The Twins.''

That said, Pietro Maximoff aka Quiksilver speeds through the forest and knocking down Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye. '' You didn't see that coming?''

That said, the young man zooms off before Clint can shoot him with an arrow. Unable to hit his target, Barton gets shot himself and falls to ground instantaneously.

Exactly at that time, Natasha and Ethen arrive via the Multiverse Gate. Seeing her friend wounded, Natasha screams. ''Clint!''

Having a problem with too much input at first, Ethen focuses his senses on the familiar sound of a Speedster. Having been friends with Wally West in his own timeline, Ethen can easily spot Pietro Maximoff as he knocks down Steve by simply speeding past him.

-Interresting.- Ethen thinks as he hears Rogers tell the other Avengers. ''We have an enhanced in the field.''

Using her communicator, Natasha tells the rest. ''Clint's hit!...''

Going over to where Clint is lying down on his back, she says to Ethen. ''... Could you deal with that bunker?...'' Sees the Hulk simply run into said bunker, the states. ''...Never mind.''

Seeing the Hulk in action Ethen asks Natasha. ''You sure that this guy is one of us, the good guys?''

Smiling at him proudly, Natasha tells him. ''Yes, he is. Now go and help Stark!''

Letting the rest deal with the Speedster, Ethen catches up to Stark as that one is entering the HYDRA base. Shielding Stark from the bullets some soldiers are firing at Stark tells some others not shooting. ''Guys, stop, we gotta talk about this...'' Shooting down all the soldiers shooting and not shooting at him using his repulsors. ''Good talk.''

Seeing Tony being so reckless with human lives, Ethen asks him. ''You didn't have to kill them all.''

Ignoring Ethen, Stark finds List and knocks him out, before stepping out of his Iron Man armor.

''Sentry mode...'' Tony tells his suit, before turning to Ethen. ''... What are you doing here?'' That said, he walks over to the computers, placing some scanners on them.

''Natasha, she wanted to help, so I tacked along.''

''Okay, JARVIS. You know I want it all. Make sure you copy Hill at HQ...'' Tony tells his AI before turning to Ethen asking. ''... The two of you... An item now?...'' Turning back around, Tony once again goes back to ignoring Ethen telling himself. ''... Come on, I know you're hiding more than files... Hey, J, give me an IR scan of the room, real quick.

Frustrated by Tony's antics and glad, that his Tonya is different, Ethen tells him. ''The wall to your left... It is steel reinforcement and a corridor is behind it.''

Walking over to the wall, Tony whispers. ''Please be a secret door, please be a secret door, please be a secret door...'' Whit a simple push the wall opens up. ''... Yay! What were we talking about?''

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While Tony and Ethen enter the secret passageway, Betty Ross finds the Hulk. ''Hey, big guy. The sun's getting really low...''

As Hulk scowls at her, Betty kneels down in front of him and puts out her hand. Touching her hand and as she strokes his hand back slowly Hulk starts to calm down. He stumbles away and changes into Bruce Banner.

''You are not Mark Ruffalo, but Edward Norton...'' States a certain fat yellow mouse eating popcorn. ''... #NotMyHulk!... Oh, hi Liv, loved your work in Armageddon!''

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Back at the HYDRA base, Ethen hears Steve over Tony's headphone. ''Guys, I got Strucker.''

Smiling smug, Tony tells Steve. ''Yeah, I got... something bigger.''

Stepping out of the secret passageway Stark finds a room with recovered artifacts from the Battle of New York, including a gigantic Chitauri leviathan and some of his Iron Man scrapped armor. Looking around, Tony spots the scepter as Ethen steps into the room.

''Thor, I got eyes on the prize,'' Tony tells Thor, as Wanda Maximoff suddenly creeps up behind him, using her powers on him. Spotting the young woman, Ethen instantly knows that something is wrong.

Seeing Stark looking dazed, he realizes that the woman used her mind powers on him. As the Speedster suddenly appears next to the woman, Ethen retrieves a modified version of the dampening collar Hunter used on Carol from his storage space.

As Wanda and Pietro watch Tony grab the scepter, Piero asks his sister. ''We're just gonna let them take it?''

Wanda smiles to herself as Tony takes the scepter. Her smile suddenly stiffens, as she feels cold steel close around her neck.

''Got you!...'' States Ethen, having taken the girl hostage, while wanting to grab the Speedster, who narrowly avoids his grasp, zooming away in an instant. Being able to follow with his eyes, but not grasp his target Ethen complains. ''... Good, I hate Speedsters!''