Destiny Arrives Read online

  "Maybe," Tony hedged, unable to look at Bruce. "But..." He couldn't. He couldn't say it out loud. The silence expanded. "Call him," Bruce urged.

  "It's not that easy," Tony admitted. Exhaustion, shame, and regret pulsed inside Tony's head. He looked back at Bruce and a tidal wave of emotion suddenly hit him as he realized just how much he'd missed his friend. "God, we haven't caught up in a spell, have we?"

  "No," Bruce said, desperate to understand.

  Tony shook his head, pushing away all that had happened since he'd last seen Bruce. The good and the bad. Things that weren't his fault and things that very much were. "The Avengers broke up. We're toast."

  "Broke up?" Bruce's mind raced. "Like a band? Like the Beatles?"

  "Cap and I fell out hard. We're not on speaking terms."

  Bruce looked at Tony and realized he still didn't get it. He felt like he was dealing with two kids who'd had a schoolyard fight. The magnitude of what they were facing was way beyond a falling-out between teammates. He had to make Tony understand that the wrath that Thanos was going to ram down on them would be far more catastrophic than some pern- fight.

  "Tony, listen to me. Thor's gone." Thor's name got caught in Bruce's throat. The grief and trauma of what he'd seen was still too raw. "Thanos is coming. It doesn't matter who you're talking to or not."

  Tony fought to process what he'd said. Then he stepped away from the heat of Bruce's gaze and reluctantly took out a flip phone and opened it. A smgle contact was listed: Steve Rogers. Tony had yet to use it, but never could he have imagined that a day like this would come. As he contemplated calling Cap, a deep rumbling moved through the Sanctum. The flip phone still open in his hand, Tony searched the Sanctum for something that would explain this growing thunderous sensation. He turned around to see if anyone else was hearing and feeling the disturbance. Tony looked back to Doctor Strange. The man's forelock of hair was blowing ever so gently, back and forth.

  "Say, Doc, you wouldn't happen to be moving your hair, would va?"

  Puzzled by the odd question. Strange looked at the man. "Not at the moment, no."

  All at once, Wong, Doctor Strange, Tony, and Bruce all gazed up to the source of the breeze: the broken window high above the foyer. The breeze began to increase m speed slightly. As they noticed this, their senses turned to the sounds of people yelling in the streets, car alarms starting to blare. Bruce backed up, absolute terror on his face. He was the only one of their number who knew exactly what was on the other end of that rumble.

  And that meant that he was burdened with understanding just how terrifying the thing outside those doors truly was.

  Tony gently opened the front door to the Sanctum, but at his touch it blew wide, crashing open past him with a wave of wmd and debris.

  Outside, the heroes found dozens of people fleeing what seemed to be a tornado in the middle of the West Village. Dust, papers, and even cars were lifted and flew through the air, obstructing views and adding to the chaos.

  Tony stood in the center of it all. And, as the pandemonium raged around him, he steeled himself and got to work, with Strange, Wong, and Bruce following close behind. Tony Stark might not have been the best at explaining prescient dreams to his fiancee, or keepmg up the lines of communication with long-lost friends, or taking social cues as to when a situation really did not call for a bit of levity, but saving people?

  That he was good at.

  Tony rushed through the throngs of people as they ran from whatever was at the root of that mysterious rumble.

  "You okay?" he asked a felled woman just as a car crashed into a lamppost a little too close for comfort.

  "Help her!" Tony barked at Banner and Wong. "Look alive!"

  "Go, go! We got it!" Bruce said, waving Tony along. Wong and Banner leaped into action as Tony put on his sunglasses, the display inside illuminated.

  "FRIDAY, what am I looking at?" Tony asked his latest computer sidekick.

  "Not sure. I'm working on it," FRIDAY answered, her calm Irish lilt belying the absolute anarchy that raged around them.

  Tony whipped around to Strange, who was following close behind. "Hey! You might want to put that Time Stone m your back pocket. Doc!"

  Strange followed Tony's gaze. His face grew grim. He snapped his arms, and golden discs formed around his wrists.

  "Might wanna use it." His voice was dark.

  All four men stopped m their tracks when the source of the panic and destruction was revealed. Hovering high above the buildings was a ring-shaped ship spinning vertically. It was not like anything on Earth. Which could only mean one thmg.

  Time had run out.

  The Queens County Schools yellow bus was filled with loud teens as it crossed the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan. The students of Midtown School of Science and Technology were buzzing with excitement as they began their field trip. For Peter Parker, however, something else buzzed m him as he felt the hairs on his arm begin to rise. He quickly covered the raised hairs with his other hand and scanned the horizon for impending danger.

  This was it. He had to do something. It was like he told Mr. Stark on that first day he came to visit him. That first day when Peter had tried to lie that all those videos of Spider-Man on YouTube were digitally doctored, not real, and definitely not him. Of course, Mr. Stark hadn't believed him. He'd seen right through him.

  Mr. Stark hadn't visited Peter that day because he thought he was Spider-Man. Mr. Stark had visited Peter that day because he knew he was Spider-Man.

  In all the weirdness and outside-of-himselfness that went along with becommg Spider-Man, that one conversation with Mr. Stark had made Peter feel...okay. Normal, even. Something he never thought he'd feel again.

  Peter knew he should feel all these things without needing Mr. Stark's approval. That your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man didn't need the approval of multibillionaire. Super Hero philanthropists to help out the people on his block. But, whatever. No way. Maybe later. Because right now? Peter wanted Mr. Stark to approve of him more than anything.

  Impressing Mr. Stark had become a land of pastime for Peter m recent months. Because if he could impress Mr. Stark, then he could get called up to the big leagues and finally be one of the Avengers for real, and not just for one battle in Germany that was just against other Avengers, which was so.. .definitely not the big leagues. And if he could get to be one of the Avengers then he could finally—and officially—be of more help. Because it was like what he told Mr. Stark that very first day he came to his house: When you could do the things that Peter could, but you don't, and the bad things happen, they happen because of you. Or at least that was how it felt to Peter.

  Looking out of the bus window toward Midtown Manhattan, Peter saw the ringlike ship spinning faster and faster. He looked from the ship to the other kids on the bus to see if anyone else saw it. Nothing. Just him. As usual.

  Still looking back at the other kids on the bus, Peter reached up to the seat just in front of him where his best friend, Ned, was sitting, blissfully ignorant of any imminent danger. Hurriedly, Peter patted around the proximity of Ned, trying to get his attention. He absentmindedly tapped Ned's upper arm, then his shoulder, then his cheek, then the side of his head. At last, Ned calmly plucked his earbud out and turned to Peter to see what was up.

  "Ned, hey. I need you to cause a distraction," Peter said. His voice was urgent, borderline frantic.

  Ned looked over Peter's shoulder and saw the ringlike ship himself and immediately understood Peter's urgency.

  "Holy crap," Ned said, totally freaked out. Peter waited a few precious few seconds while Ned moved through his initial surprise. Soon enough, Ned jumped into action, providing Peter with the cover he needed. "We're all gonna die! There's a spaceship! Oh, my God!" Ned yelled, racing to the back of the bus to "get a better look" at the alien spaceship that rose high over the Manhattan skyline. The other students quickly gathered around and peered out the side of the bus where Ned was pointing. And just as Peter had aske
d of his best friend, pandemonium—and a very good distraction—ensued.

  Peter dug into his backpack and pulled out his web-shooters, slapping them onto his wrists. Spotting an emergency exit window on the other side of the bus, Peter used his web-shooter to snag the handle. With a quick tug, the latch gave way and the window opened. Peter was out of his seat, across the aisle, and out the wmdow before anyone noticed.

  As his fellow classmates continued to freak out at the sight of the otherworldly vessel, Peter heard the bus driver call for order, adding an exasperated "What's the matter with you kids? You've never seen a spaceship before?"

  Now hanging oft" the side of the bus, Peter quickly covered his face with his Spider-Man mask. Then he reached back into the bus for his backpack and, using his web-shooters, whipped away from the bus over two lanes of traffic and swung down from the Queensboro Bridge, whipping across the East River—on his way to make sure bad things happened a little less when he was around.

  Outside the Sanctum Sanctorum, the streets were getting more chaotic by the second. Tony pushed through the brutal winds caused by the ship's presence, ducking behind an open door of an abandoned vehicle. He touched the communicator in his ear and called out to his artificial intelligence system.

  "FRIDAY evac anyone south of Forty-third Street. Notify first responders."

  "Will do." came the computerized female voice. Across New York City, FRIDAY changed traffic lights to red; sent emergency notifications to all police, fire, and ambulance departments to assist with the wounded; and closed off all entrances to Southern Manhattan via bridges and tunnels.

  Strange walked boldly into the middle of the street right behind Tony. Focused and set on solving at least one of the issues facing them this morning. Strange lifted his arms toward the ship and conjured mystic bands around his wrists. He then produced a spell that encased the offending ship inside its own bubble, finally stopping the rumbling winds once and for all. The papers and detritus floated to the ground as an eerie quiet settled in around them.

  Strange lowered his arms, looked over to a reluctantly impressed Tony Stark, and winked. The roaring wind now contained, Tony had to admit that Strange had helped. But that didn't mean he had to acknowledge it. Instead, Tom- gave Strange the most chastising side-eye he could muster—hoping that one arrogant showoff disciplinmg another arrogant showoff for arrogantly showmg off wouldn't rip the space-time continuum or anything. Of course, Tony's hard look affected Strange not m the slightest. In a lot of ways. Strange and Stark were more alike than either of them would ever admit.

  Joined by Bruce and Wong, the four men began walking toward the ship, just as a beam of energy emanated down and met the ground ten yards in front of the heroes. As it faded, two figures were revealed, one slender, one enormous. Torn- sized up the duo as best he could, but found himself completely without answers. Which was almost as annoying as the whole Strange theatrics-wink thmg he'd just witnessed.

  "Hear me, and rejoice." Ebony Maw's voice cut through the settling dust as he and Cull Obsidian emerged. "You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos." Cull Obsidian added something vicious soundmg in his native tongue, which sounded more like a series of grunts and growls. As Tony grew more and more impatient. Maw continued. "Be thankful that your meaningless lives are now con—"

  "I'm sorry. Earth is closed today," Tony interjected flatly. "You better pack it up and get outta here."

  Dismissing Tony completely. Ebony Maw turned to Doctor Strange. The Time Stone was practically humming with energy around the Master of the Mystic Arts' neck.

  "Stonekeeper," Ebony Maw said. He stared intently at Dr. Strange, who arched an eyebrow at this creature's easy knowledge of him. "Does this chattering animal speak for you?"

  "Certainly not," Strange responded, stepping forward. "I speak for myself." Strange conjured the mystic bands around his wrists once more and produced two protective mandalas. "You're trespassing in this city and on this planet." Wong stepped up just behind him, his hands glowing in golden protective mandalas as well.

  "He means get lost, Squidward." Tony yelled across the expanse, still smarting from the "chattering animal" thing.

  Ebony Maw sighed m exasperation. Sensing Cull's desire for a fight, he waved his thin hand toward the quartet facing them. "He exhausts me." Cull Obsidian answered Maw in his own unintelligible language, bringing his weapon up into battle stance. "Bring me the Stone." At Ebony Maw's words. Cull Obsidian grunted in agreement, and slammed his massive hammer into the New York pavement, cracking it as if it were made of the thinnest sheet of ice.

  At the sight of the alien's approach, Tony turned to Bruce, a wry smile on his face. "Banner, you want a piece?"

  Bruce winced. "N-n-no, not really," he said sheepishly. "But when do I ever get what I want?"

  "That's right," Tony encouraged, patting his friend on the back. Banner shook it off and squeezed his eyes m concentration.

  "Okay. Push!" he grunted, summoning "the other guy."

  "Been a while. It's good to have you, buddy," Tony said.

  "Okay, shhh. Let me just...I need to concentrate here for a second." Banner's face contorted and his chest started to swell, taking on a greenish hue.

  But then the moment passed. And nothmg happened.

  Cull Obsidian was getting closer, swinging his hammer at the charred cars parked on the side of the cracked and broken street. Strange shot a look at Stark and Banner wondering just how much closer they were going to let Cull Obsidian advance before they, you know, defended themselves or, really, did anything at all.

  "Come on, come on, man!" Bruce grunted, and the transformation again started...then quickly reversed. Wong shifted uncomfortably in place, unsure whether to step in or away from whatever it was that Bruce thought he was doing.

  "Where's your guy?" Tony asked just as the green hue disappeared from Banner's neck once more, marking the dismal end of any chance at producmg the "other guy" and taking on Cull Obsidian with brute strength. Exasperated, and wondermg why right now was when he was findmg out just how much his friend had changed in the years since they'd seen each other, Tony waited for a response.

  Bruce looked embarrassed. "I don't know. We've sorta been having a thing."

  Strange and Wong readied themselves for battle as Tony stepped closer to Banner, trying to hide his frustration as he "playfully" punched his shoulder. Stark's pep talk quickly turned into more of a menacing threat as Cull Obsidian stomped ever closer. "It's no time for a thing. That's the thing right there," he said, pointing at the oncoming Cull. "Let's go."

  "I know that. I just—" Banner strained again, but nothing happened.

  Strange turned around and gave Stark a very pointed look. A laser stare that was a lovely combination of disappointment and irritation, bordering on downright repulsed indignation. Tony looked from the rightfully annoyed Strange back to his huffing and puffing—and still very much not a Hulk—friend.

  Tony leaned m and muttered, "Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards."

  Blushmg, Bruce implored, "I'm sorry. I...Either I can't or he won't, or like, I don't—"

  "Hey, okay, stand down," Tony said, wrapping a conciliatory arm around Bruce. Stark then lovingly pushed Banner closer to Wong, safely delivering his friend behind Wong's protective mandalas. He motioned to Bruce. "Keep an eye on him. Thank you."

  "I have him," Wong said, stepping m front of Bruce protectively.

  "Dang it," Banner bit out, confused and frustrated at why this was happening and, more importantly, that it meant he couldn't help his friends against what he knew were the deadliest foes they'd ever faced.

  As Cull launched his gigantic body mto a run, Tony patted Bruce on the back and stepped forward. He pulled at two cords, one on either side of his vest. Suddenly, his clothing tightened to a black bodysuit, the RT glowing in the center.

  As Cull Obsidian approached, Tony, in turn, advanced to meet the behemoth. He tapped the RT, and millions of tiny part
icles spilled out and started to form a sleek version of the Iron Man armor around Tony's body.

  Seeing that this was going to be an actual fight, Cull Obsidian raised his hammer as he charged and swung it down hard. Without stopping. Iron Man raised his arm and a triangular shield formed to block the blow. With a mighty clang, hammer hit shield, and stopped the alien's advancement. Cull Obsidian stepped back, dazed by the force of the hit.

  Suddenly, two sets of curv ed metal arcs extended from Iron Man's back, emanating blue light, aimed at Cull Obsidian. The moment they locked mto place, missiles launched from each and rocketed straight at the foe, blasting him back straight at Ebony Maw. Maw gave a slight wave and used his telekinesis to swiftly brush the massive Cull Obsidian to the side, barreling his "beloved" sibling into the side of an abandoned car.

  "Where'd that come from?" Bruce asked, gaping in awe at all of his friend's new toys. Iron Man glanced back, pleased to finally have something to show off in front of Strange and Wong.

  "It's nanotech. You like it? A little something I—" Tony was cut off by Ebony Maw, whose powers used the rubble of the street below him to lift Iron Man up, sending him high in the air.

  Ebony Maw had one focus. One job. To get the Time Stone and bring it to Thanos. Everything else was a distraction. With another wave of his hand, Maw sent an uprooted tree flying toward Wong and Banner, looking to get Strange on his own. Wong acted quickly and put up a mystical barrier around them. The tree dissolved as it hit the shield.

  Unable to ensure Brace's continued safety. Strange realized he had to get Banner as far away from the battle as he could. He turned back to Bruce, whipped his arm in a circle, and opened a portal behind the scientist.

  "Doctor Banner," Strange advised, his voice cool and collected. "If the rest of your green friend won't be joinmg us..."

  Without finishing his sentence, Strange sent Bruce through the portal.. .where Banner found himself falling from five feet above the ground smack in the middle of Washington Square Park, two blocks away. Bruce landed with an unceremonious thud on the ground. He quickly dodged the back half of a cab that had accidentally flown through the portal behind him, and was now sliced in two as the ported closed behind him.