James hovered over the ruins, the sunset casting a long shadow. New York was a graveyard, stray zombies shambling below.
[Sir, anomalous energy at the Statue of Liberty,] Jarvis said.
His super vision spotted purple light at the statue's base—a robed figure knelt amid complex runes.
"Survivor?" James rocketed down, landing in a second.
A disheveled man with broken glasses carved runes, muttering. "Doctor Strange?" James recognized the sorcerer.
Strange's bloodshot eyes snapped up. "Who… cough… are you?" He staggered, pointing a rotting hand. "Help me… I must fix this!"
James noted his decaying left arm, wrapped in magic. "The virus…"
"Doesn't matter!" Strange shouted, gesturing at the runes. "I can reset the timeline, but I need massive energy—your energy!"
James's eyes narrowed, sensing a trap.
Strange knelt, blood tears streaming. "Please… save Christine…"
James paused, then touched the rune circle. "What do I do?"
Hope flared in Strange's eyes. He guided James, completing the array. Golden light erupted as James poured energy in.
"It's working!" Strange laughed. "The timeline will—"
The array turned blood-red. Strange's body rotted visibly. "No… not right…" He stared at his skeletal hands. "This isn't time magic…"
"Devouring curse," James said coldly. "The virus controls you. This would've drained me."
Strange's face twisted. "Clever… but too late!"
His body exploded, black tendrils shooting out. James's magic-infused heat vision vaporized them, leveling the statue in a blast.
A charred crater remained.
[Energy readings zero,] Jarvis said. [New York's gone.]
James fell silent, questioning the system's purpose in sending him here.
His super hearing swept the globe, landing on an anomaly.
"Wakanda."
A portal opened. He emerged above Wakanda, its blue shield flickering under zombie assault. Inside, chaos raged.
Scarlet Witch floated, chaos magic warping space. Black Widow twisted unnaturally, her face decayed. Captain Marvel burned with warped energy, poised to strike.
James portaled into the palace hall, blood and decay thick in the air. Bullet casings and broken vibranium spears littered the floor.
Bang! A gunshot rang from a side hall. James flashed there.
T'Challa knelt, Black Panther suit cracked, black blood on his lips, a bite mark on his arm. Okoye, gut pierced, gripped a spear, shielding him.
Their foe: Zombie Winter Soldier, metal arm bloody, eyes red.
Bang! A bullet hit Bucky's knee, but he lunged. James appeared, snapping his neck with a grip.
T'Challa's pupils dilated. "Who… are you?"
"James Holden," he said, scanning the room.
Gwen Stacy huddled, her web-shooter broken, arm blackening. Coulson slumped, chest pierced, blood dark. Vision floated, Mind Stone dim, his body scarred but uninfected.
"You're all infected," James said.
"We know," T'Challa rasped, his suit fading.
"No cure," Vision said. "The virus is their cellular core now."
"We know," Okoye gritted, clutching her spear.
"Let us die as warriors," T'Challa stood, suit flickering.
James nodded. "The shield's failing. Wanda, Natasha, Carol are coming."
"Then keep them out," Coulson coughed, raising his gun.
Gwen stood, skin graying. "Don't let me become that."
"How do you want it?" James asked.
T'Challa's eyes burned. "Quick. Then end this."
James nodded. His eyes flared, heat vision piercing T'Challa and Okoye's hearts. They fell, painless.
Coulson smiled faintly. "Thanks." A tiny energy beam ended him.
James touched Gwen's forehead. "Sleep." A gentle gold light took her.
Vision watched. "They didn't want to be threats."
James incinerated the bodies with golden flames.
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