Aries emerged from the cave, his movements calm and deliberate. In his grasp, he held a glowing blue heart, pulsing with energy. The team stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the artifact.
"What a shame," Aries remarked, his voice devoid of remorse. "He was one of the weaker among you."
The words ignited a spark in Natasha. Without hesitation, she lunged at Aries, her fists aimed with precision. But Aries effortlessly caught her wrist mid-strike and, with a flick of his arm, hurled her into the distance.
The team, though momentarily stunned by the loss, quickly regained their composure. Determination replaced shock as they faced the man who had revealed himself as their enemy.
"Are you mortals finally going to live up to your moniker?" Aries taunted.
Arden responded swiftly, firing six shots in rapid succession. Yet, as the bullets neared Aries, they vanished, absorbed by an unseen force.
"Do you know what a gun is? It's a weapon of war," Aries mused. As he spoke, a blood-red silhouette materialized beside him a mirror image of Captain America.
"Speaking of weapons of war..."
Steve charged at the crimson doppelgänger, their shields clashing in a synchronized dance. Each move was mirrored, each strike met with an identical counter. It was as if Steve were battling his own reflection.
Observing Aries's intrigue in the duel, Tony seized the moment. Channeling the remaining power of his Arc Reactor, he unleashed a concentrated beam at Aries.
"This attack has some merit," Aries acknowledged. A small blue portal opened before him, redirecting the beam toward Captain America. Instinctively, Steve raised his shield, deflecting the energy into the crimson shadow, which dissipated instantly.
Though their numbers had dwindled, their focus shifted. Ninety Subterraneans and a lone Kronan remained. Recognizing the true threat, they turned their attention to Aries.
Hulk stood amidst the Subterraneans, a moment of clarity washing over him. The realization of the lives he had taken under manipulation fueled his rage further.
Without a word, Hulk leaped toward Aries, his fists crashing down with immense force. Aries, though momentarily staggered, met each of Hulk's subsequent blows with his own. The two titans exchanged strikes, the ground trembling beneath them.
With each punch, Aries's responses grew slower, while Hulk's fury only intensified.
"What kind of monster are you?" Aries demanded.
"Hulk is the strongest there is!" Hulk roared. He wound up for a final, devastating punch. As his fist connected, a blue portal materialized, absorbing the impact and sending is himself hurtling through it.
The battlefield fell silent. The team's resolve waned, but their determination to confront Aries remained unshaken.
Natasha activated her communicator. "Fury, I don't know how to tell you this, but they got Barton."
"You were just supposed to be at Cap's baby shower today!" Fury exclaimed.
Tony interjected solemnly, "Remember when you and my father discussed the existence of other deities if the Asgardians were real?"
"Yes," Fury replied, a hint of apprehension in his voice. "Don't tell me—"
"Aries. The Greek God of War," Tony confirmed.
As they awaited the arrival of the Quinjet, a portal opened, revealing two women. One was the mysterious figure who had previously aided Thor; the other wore caramel-colored robes.
"What happened here? Someone has Gaia's heart!" the white-haired woman exclaimed.
"The detections from the Sanctum what occurred?" the robed woman inquired.
Captain America looked up, his expression somber. "We tried, but Aries was too cunning. Everything went according to his plan."
"Assigning blame won't help," the robed woman stated. "The situation is more dire than you realize. Without the heart, the planet will wither. My best estimate is three weeks."
Arden stepped forward, hope flickering in his eyes. "Can you help?"
"Of course," she replied. Sliding a bronze two-fingered ring onto her hand, she began tracing intricate patterns in the air. Sparks ignited, forming the outline of a portal.
Storm approached, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, channeling the remnants of Gaia's power into her. The sparks shifted from crimson to a radiant blue, solidifying into a shimmering portal.
Steve's quickly set up a rig to point The Shield agents towards Natasha who seem to be gravely wounded she would survive but she certainly needed to go to a hospital.
-&&&
They arrived at the Colosseum. They climbed the worn steps of the Colosseum in silence, the wind carrying salt off the distant sea. Stone arches rose like ancient ribs against the fading light. At its center stood Aries and the Horn of Hermes cradled in his gauntlet. The golden horn shimmered with latent power.
Aries raised the horn and blew. The note was neither music nor sound, but a living vibration that rippled through the air. Every column quivered. Every heart heroic or godly skipped a beat.
From the shadows, Cry materialized: the Triethen war criminal Arden recognized. Cloaked in darkness, Cry's eyes gleamed with malignant intelligence. No sooner had he appeared than subtle ripples of doubt and anger washed over the assembled Avengers. Tony glared at Steve.
Tony, now fully Red Hawk, talons gleaming scarlet, took flight. His wings sliced through the evening air as he dove toward Cry, trading his vast stores of knowledge for primal strength. Feeling left two things in his head is knowledge of Triethen inches experience with the Chitari. With each swing of his talons the Hawk seem to learn something even in Hawk form a stark was still a Stark so it quickly adapted.
Teleportation that seem to be the ultimate counter to the strength Red Hawk bore suddenly wasn't so effective anymore. The wounds weren't what people would call regular but each wound the teleportation was slowed. Cry tried one last time too grasp at Tony's mind but it wasn't there all he saw was the vastness of space and the Chitari ship and that frightened him.
Ready in the distance Hulk did not waver. Banner's voice fell silent, and the green behemoth unleashed his rage upon the statuesque foes: crimson vestiges of war that Aries had summoned as guards. Hulk's fists struck like meteorites, shattering spectral warriors even as their master Aries watched, unflinching. And as quick as he arrived cry faded into the air like a passing thought.
On the ground, Hulk met Aries blow for blow. Each punch drove the god backward, each retaliatory swing slowed by Hulk's ever‑growing fury. Stone cracked beneath their feet. The Colosseum's ancient walls trembled. Aries, once so assured, began to falter beneath the raw force of Hulk's wrath.
"Coward!" Hulk thundered, recalling the earlier moment when Aries had hurled Natasha aside. With a roar, Hulk delivered a crushing uppercut. Aries staggered, armor dented, helm skewed.
Then, as suddenly as the fight began, Hulk drew back and laughed a deep, booming sound that echoed through the ruin. Tony landed beside him, wings folding with a soft rustle, and joined in the laughter. Two titans of strength, sharing a moment of triumph. Around them.
Aries lay on one knee, defeated but unbowed. He watched the laughter of his adversaries with something like respect. Then he rose and bowed his head to Hulk and Red Hawk.
Silence fell. The blue glow of Gaia's heart pulsed from Aries's grasp, a reminder of the greater battle yet to come.
Steve stepped forward, placing a hand on Aries's shoulder. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For showing us what we must protect."
Arden moved beside him, frost still swirling around his boots. "And for reminding us why we fight."
Aries inclined his helm one last time, then vanished in a flash of bronze light returning to whatever realm he had come from, leaving Gaia's heart secure in the heroes' care.
As night settled over the Colosseum, Hulk and Red Hawk stood side by side, two warriors bound by strength and laughter. Behind them, the others gathered, battered but unbroken. The world's fate still hung in the balance but in that moment, unity and hope shone brighter than any god's war horn.
The next great battle for reality would come. But they would face it together.
Steve remembered the route they had taken to get there before when Aries brought them and with a quick ride from Shield to the necessary start point they finally could return to peace.