From above, Chromastone descended slowly, wrapped in a multicolored glow. Around him floated two figures: the unconscious body of Iron Man, still inside his scorched armor, and the defeated colossus, Terrax, unconscious, bound by thick crystalline chains that kept him suspended like a helpless prisoner.
In his hands, shining with an unbreakable blue radiance, he carried the Tesseract.
The impact on the ground was soft, but the silence that fell over the Avengers was absolute. They all stared at him.
Chromastone extended a hand, gently laying Iron Man on the ground. His deep voice, resonating with multiple overlapping echoes, spoke:
—He's fine… only unconscious.
Clint, bow still in hand, stepped forward, eyeing with suspicion the chained colossus floating behind him.
—And why the hell did you bring him with you? Why would you save that monster?
Chromastone's green eye glowed intensely, and when he replied, it wasn't just his voice that spoke: hundreds, thousands of voices joined in an ethereal chorus, the souls he carried within.
—We will not allow torment to end with death.
Every word was an echo, a roar, and a whisper at the same time.
—He will carry the weight of all of us. He will feel our last gazes. He will remember our screams. Every world, every life he stole… will live within his mind. The torment will not end—it has only just begun.
A sepulchral silence fell over the group. No one dared to interrupt.
Then, as if a veil had lifted, Chromastone's steady voice returned. His eye turned toward Thor, locking onto him.
—I trust you… he said, calmer now I trust the judgment of Asgard. That you and your father, Odin, will know how to deal with him. He must answer for what he has done. Not out of vengeance… but because that is how it must be.
Thor watched him for a long time, solemnly, with Mjolnir still in his hand. At last, he bowed his head with respect.
—I will take Terrax before the All-Father. There he will receive a just judgment, warrior. I thank you for the trust you place in me.
Chromastone nodded and spoke again.
—Tell me… what became of Loki?
The Asgardian clenched his teeth, his expression heavy with resentment that weighed more than his armor.
—I struck him down. I secured his body with beams of metal and even sealed his mouth with another bar… as a precaution. He breathed deeply, voice grave He will be taken to Asgard, and before the All-Father. But make no mistake… for what he did today in Midgard, his most likely sentence is death.
A metallic groan interrupted his words. Tony Stark, still in his damaged armor, was slowly sitting up, his voice hoarse but dripping with bitter irony.
—After all this… that's the least that could happen to him.
Clint supported him immediately, his gaze hard.
—I'm with him. Loki doesn't deserve anything else.
Then Chromastone's stony figure spoke, his single eye glowing intensely, and as he did, a multitude of echoes accompanied his voice.
—No.
They all turned to him, surprised.
—As a key figure in the invasion and the one who defeated Terrax, I request that he not be sentenced to death he added firmly, the radiance of his body vibrating with every word
Natasha arched a brow, unable to hide her incredulity.
—After everything he did? After all the chaos, the deaths, the invasion?
The lights in Chromastone's body intensified, pulsing like a living energy.
—Yes. His acts are horrible. But unlike Terrax… in Loki there is more than what is seen.
The alien's green eye turned toward Thor.
—Isn't that so?
The god of thunder lowered his gaze, silent, fists clenched.
Chromastone turned back to Natasha, his voice resonating with an echo that seemed to come from hundreds of throats.
—And you, more than anyone, know the weight of a second chance… and what it means to redeem the past.
Tony's metallic voice cut through the air.
—Well, well, that all sounds touching, but maybe you guys can chat about that later he said with a tired gesture, lifting his hand with difficulty there's a shiny little detail we're forgetting. His visor pointed directly at Chromastone's hands What do you plan to do with the cube, big guy? From what I understand… that belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Natasha, arms crossed, stepped forward to reinforce Stark's words.
—Tony's right. The Tesseract is S.H.I.E.L.D. property and must be turned over immediately.
Thor let out a dry laugh and strode forward with an imposing air, his boots striking among the rubble.
—No! his voice thundered like the storm itself That artifact does not belong to Midgard. The Tesseract is a relic of Asgard and shall be returned to where it belongs: to my father's vault, where it will remain safe from reckless hands.
Natasha clenched her jaw, ready to retort, but before she could, the roar of rotor blades filled the air.
A helicopter descended through the smoke, floodlights cutting across the scene. As the blades slowed, the side hatch opened, and from it emerged Nick Fury, his iconic coat billowing in the wind.
The director descended with firm steps, scanning each of those present until his gaze fixed on Thor.
—Though I would prefer the Tesseract return with us… he said, voice grave, weighted with tension I cannot deny your petition. Your help was vital today, and this cube, in your custody, will be as safe as possible.
Fury took another step, his single eye lingering on the fallen Terrax, still unconscious.
—The same goes for him, and Loki. Both are under your custody, Thor. You will take them to Asgard, and they will answer to your father.
Finally, the director turned to Chromastone.
His gaze was hard, inquisitive. The multicolored radiance that enveloped the stone being only made him more enigmatic.
Fury didn't speak immediately; he simply inspected him in silence, his expression a mix of caution and distrust.
Chromastone, still holding the Tesseract, turned his prismatic head toward Fury.
—And there is also Loki's staff he said gravely, drawing everyone's attention to the weapon as it floated toward them from the distance What do you plan to do with it?
Fury raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Thor.
—If it's not too much to ask… his tone firm, though tinged with pragmatism let us at least study it for a while. Believe me, if I return empty-handed, my superiors will fry me.
Thor frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the request. His hand tightened around Mjolnir's handle, and he stood in silence for a few moments before responding.
—The scepter cannot remain in Midgard permanently. It is too dangerous. But… he exhaled with resignation I can leave it under your custody for a time, Fury. I will reclaim it when necessary.
Chromastone nodded, and with an elegant gesture, his hands lit up. Pure diamond crystals sprouted from his body, forming a translucent sphere around the Tesseract. With a subtle motion, he levitated it until it floated before Thor.
—Let it remain safe.
Fury was still watching Chromastone's body, an energy reader in his pocket quietly gathering data.
—So… if I understood right, you took all the energy this Terrax guy had and… drained him dry?
Chromastone nodded.
—He fed his cosmic power source with thousands of civilizations. I took his energy and, consequently, the source that fueled it. It was difficult, but I secured his cooperation to end this.
Fury stepped closer, standing near Thor and Captain America, all while studying the stone being.
—And? What do you plan to do with all that power now?
His green eye flickered with the intensity of a thousand thoughts. At last, he spoke aloud.
—All these people… for so long they were used as fuel, reduced to weapons, to screams, to pain. But they are not. They are not tools, they are not weapons, they are not power. They are lives. And lives must not be used as Terrax did. They must be free. They must move on and leave this world behind. That is what's right.
—We are grateful… for your help, young one whispered an ancient voice, heavy with serenity.
—But we are not so unreasonable added another, with a hint of grace.
—It is the least we can do. Let us show you gratitude… the lives lost cannot be returned, but… material destruction is something we can handle continued a third, firm, as if speaking for all.
He began to ascend, rising above the city.
From Chromastone's body burst a multicolored light that spread across all Manhattan.
Auroras of green, blue, purple, and gold danced across the sky of New York, stretching like divine veils that covered every building, every street, every ruin.
And wherever that light touched, destruction was undone.Cracks in the asphalt closed like scars healed in seconds.Collapsed buildings rose again, stone by stone, glass by glass, restored in a heartbeat.Shattered cars regained their original form, twisted steel snapping back into place as if time reversed.Dust and smoke vanished, replaced by clean, bright air, as the city rebuilt itself before everyone's astonished eyes.
The Avengers, Fury, and every survivor stared at the sky in disbelief. No one spoke a word. They only witnessed the miracle.
Each fragment rebuilt carried with it the echo of a voice:
—For all we suffered… we return a piece of hope.
—For every tear shed… we plant life where there was pain.
—For all that was lost… we give at least a spark of future.
From the heavens, Chromastone shone like a beacon, his single eye blazing like a green star in the midst of that symphony of lights.
He was not a god, not a conqueror. He was the conduit of thousands of lives who, before departing, left behind their final mark.
An act of creation instead of destruction.
The Avengers watched with their hearts tight. Thor pressed his hammer against his chest in solemn respect.
Natasha, for the first time in a long while, could not hide a shiver.
Steve inhaled deeply, letting out a murmur:
—I've never… seen anything like it.
Hulk, who had kept his distance, watching silently, felt the colors embrace him. Their warmth calmed him, his mind at peace, his body slowly shrinking.
As for Tony, he was lying down, watching the display, his body aching too much to think deeply about what he was seeing.
When the last wave of light finished sweeping across the city, the auroras lingered in the sky a few moments more, a farewell. The multitude of voices resonated one last time from Chromastone.
—Lives do not return… but the world can go on. Now, at last… we are at peace.
With those words, the energy slowly began to dissipate. The auroras faded upward, vanishing into the horizon, leaving New York restored, alive again, as if the invasion had never taken place.
At the height of it all, Chromastone still shone… one last time, like a constellation born on Earth.
After a few seconds, he returned to the ground.
Steve, helmet in hand, stepped forward until he stood before the group and in front of the young man.
His lips curved into a tired but sincere smile.
—In my time… after a great victory, I used to sit down and eat with my squad. He looked around at the group And I wondered if you'd all want to do the same. Then he looked at Chromastone Of course, you're invited. I'd love to talk with you.
Steve walked right up to the alien and extended his hand for a handshake.
—I haven't introduced myself. I'm Steve Rogers, from Brooklyn. He smiled as he introduced himself
Chromastone froze for a moment as he stared at the Captain's hand.
After a few seconds, with a faint smile, he extended his own hand in a firm handshake.
BEEP!... BEEP!... BEEP!
A red glow engulfed them for a few seconds.
Where once stood a multicolored stone being two meters tall, now there was a small, scrawny young man with a cracked helmet, holding Steve's hand.
—Legion, I'm from… around here.
Watching everything, Nick Fury rubbed his chin, his thoughts… a mystery.
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HOW ARE YOU DOING? THIS PART HAS ENDED, NOW YOU WILL SEE THE REPERCUSSIONS, THE MEDIA, AND SOME BEINGS WITNESSING THE SURPRISING DEFEAT OF TERRAX.
I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MOVE FORWARD FROM HERE. AFTER ALL, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW HOW THE STORY SHOULD PROGRESS, WITH SO MANY VARIABLES I FEAR SOMETHING MIGHT SLIP BY.
FOR NOW, FOR ONE OR TWO CHAPTERS, WE'LL SEE WHAT I MENTIONED. AFTER THAT, THERE ARE TWO PATHS. THE ORDER WON'T CHANGE THE OUTCOME, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHICH ONE YOU'D RATHER SEE FIRST: THE X-MEN? OR STREET-LEVEL HEROES?
EACH OF THESE HAS A LITTLE SURPRISE. I'LL LEAVE TWO COMMENTS WITH THESE OPTIONS. BASED ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF LIKES, I'LL GO DOWN THAT PATH. KEEP IN MIND I'LL BE TELLING BOTH VERSIONS, IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
TAKE CARE, GUYS :)