Next Avengers: Assemble

Present Day

The alley was dark and quiet, until a bright flash and an illuminated portal opened. Out fell a child, she yelped as she hit the ground, dropping a strange machine to the ground, causing it to bounce. Quickly she scrambled to her feet, swiveling her eyes all around her as she searched for possible dangers, seeing none she turned back to the machine, her short lived relief dying as she saw the broken device.

She made a murmur of dismay and picked up the device, looking it before looking at the ground for pieces. Trembling she set the device down and began to adjust it, placing wires back into their components and adjusting any bent parts. She made another sound of dismay at the wires that needed to be welded. Quickly she looked around before pondering the device.

“What would Iron Maiden do?” she murmured.

Scowling she peered closer to the device, slowly she reached up and moved one of the wires and placed  one end on a broken weld area. Her hands lit up with a golden glow as she pointed a finger towards the weld.

“Iron Maiden would weld....carefully.” the girl murmured as the glow lit up her small figure. No more than 9 years old she began to weld, her masked visage scrunched in concentration and from the sudden light. She peered from piece to piece, slowly welding the device, being careful where each piece was placed and ensuring each weld held. Once the somewhat repaired device seemed performable she leaned back on her knees, wiping sweat from her brow with a gloved hand. Slowly she stood, picking up the device carefully and aiming it at an empty space.

Taking a deep breathe she hovered her finger over its trigger.

“I hope this works.” she murmured before pulling the trigger.

Instantly a blue glow appeared from its circular center, it sent out a wave of light and color in the form of a beam, stopping and spreading out several feet from the girl.

She gritted her teeth, fighting to keep the device steady as it shook in her hands. She gasped as two small figures fell from the portal, quickly she turned off the device and set it down. She ran to the two figures, who seemed to be unconscious.

“Iron Maiden.” she whispered excitedly, “Get up, we need to repair your transporter.” she whispered urgently, shaking the small figure.

She then turned her attention to the smaller figure, she gasped when she realized who it was.

“Benny!” she gasped, her eyes widening in realization. Quickly she pulled the toddler from Iron Maiden's grasp, and using the glow from her hand to illuminate them both she began to inspect him.

The small toddler lay in her arms for a moment before wriggling, his worn clothing shifting as he moved. His mousy hair covered his eyes as he moved and he made an infant wail as he began to wake, rubbing his eyes from the sudden light.

Quickly the girl shifted Benny and began to cradle him, rocking him from side to side for a moment to calm the young orphan.

“It's alright, Benny, its me, Stinger, I’ve got you.” after he calmed down Stinger turned her attention to Iron Maiden. Setting Benny down beside her she began to inspect Iron Maiden carefully.

“Iron Maiden?” she asked, the slightest trickle of concern in her voice.

She used her hand and illuminated the blue and silver metallic suit of her friend and used her other hand to feel for a clasp to her helmet. Finding one she extinguished her light and unclasped the helmet, sliding it off of her friend carefully, exposing the youthful face of a raven haired girl. The girl was younger than Stinger, no more than 7.

Stinger reached and felt for Iron Maiden's pulse only to have her hand suddenly in an iron grip.

Stinger gritted her teeth in pain before hissing at Iron Maiden.

“It's me Stinger, let go.” she managed to force out before Iron Maiden released her grip.

“Stinger?” Iron Maiden said, sitting up and rubbing her head then she made a look of panic.

“It's alright,” Stinger assured, picking up the quiet tot, “Benny is alright, we need to gather the others.” she said, her tone urgent.

Iron Maiden nodded in understanding.

Stinger then pointed towards the teleportation device.

“I managed to repair it enough to pull you and Benny through, do you think you could bring everybody else back?” she asked, clearly afraid.

Iron Maiden nodded.

“If it was functional enough to pull us out, then I can bring the others here.”

Iron Maiden then grabbed her helmet and placed it back in place before standing and approaching the device. Picking it up she scanned it and made a few small modifications before aiming it towards a wall and pulling the trigger.

Stinger quickly stood, setting Benny down, assuring him with a quick gesture and standing next to the developing portal.

Iron Maiden held the machine steady as a figure fell through, shutting it off and waiting as Stinger pulled the figure aside and began to inspect him. Then she reactivated the portal and continued on.

The next to jump through was a girl, she was dressed in warrior clothing suitable for her gender with a large sword strapped to her back. She stood and looked about, clearly confused and tense as the portal closed behind her.

“What in midguard is this dark corridor?” she boomed, her Asguardian accent clear as day.

“Arya!” Stinger called to the Asguardian.

Arya scowled but ran to Stinger and began to help her inspect the boy.

“Aye, he is in good health, no harm has come to the young Pym.” she said, her booming tone lowered.

Stinger only nodded.

“I knew that, I just needed you to move so Iron Maiden could reactivate the portal.

Arya looked at Stinger in surprise, only to look back as Iron Maiden reactivated the portal.

Iron Maiden watched as a dark youth in a cat suit hopped through the portal and he gazed about as the portal closed behind him.

“Are all safe?” he asked, moving towards Arya and Stinger.

“We're all fine.” Stinger replied, “But Anya is still missing, and Pym is unconscious.”

he only nodded and turned to Iron Maiden.

“Are you able to locate her?” he asked, his tone tense.

Iron Maiden stood still for a moment before nodding.

“I just did.” with that she reopened the portal and watched, waiting for movement.

Every eye turned towards the portal, waiting for the arrival of their final member.

Arya scowled.

“What is taking so long?” she growled.

Ha-tarie took a step in the portal's direction just as a figure leaped through the portal and landed in a crouch, trembling slightly.

“Sound off.” she said, wiping ice from her figure, her voice showing no weakness, despite the cold.

“Iron Maiden clear.” she said.

Ha-tarie stood and made a Wakandan salute.

“Black Panther clear.” he said

Stinger waved her arm.

“Stinger, Benny, and Pym clear.” she said.

Arya glared at Scarlet Arrow before grunting.

“Arya clear.” she growled.

Scarlet arrow nodded.

“Scarlet Arrow clear.” she said before turning to Iron Maiden,” Iron Maiden, where are we?”

Iron Maiden stared at the numbers on her device, looking confused.

“We're...” she frowned and looked at their surroundings, “This...can't be right.” she murmured, looking back at her machine's calculations.

Scarlet Arrow approached her.

“What is it?” she said, looking at the machine also.

Iron Maiden just shook her head, her mask opening to reveal her perplexed face.

“These coordinates say we are in New York, but...that's impossible, the buildings are standing, and there is no devastation.” she said, frowning at her device again, “My scans say there are no glitches or ruptures, so why does it have these coordinates?”

Scarlet Arrow frowned and turned to her team.

“Split into teams, this may be Ultron's doing. Stinger, Arya, search south east and south west, Ha-tarie, you will take care of Pym and Benny with Iron Maiden.”

all nodded.

Ha-tarie picked up Benny and stood next to Pym, before looking at Scarlet Arrow and Iron Maiden, who was scanning her teleporter again.

“Could it be?” Iron Maiden whispered.

Scarlet Arrow looked at her.

“We need to know before we can think of that, I don't want to lose any more hope.” with that they split and went their separate ways.

Ha-tarie looked at Iron Maiden, looking for answers.

Iron Maiden looked back at him.

“After they return from their search, let's have a search of our own.”

Ha-tarie only nodded.

“Hope is still with us.”

Iron Maiden only smiled.