AN: Hello, everyone! A just want to say a few things before the start of this chapter.
I've noticed that several of this story's readers have strong opinions on how Wyatt operates, acts, and the general way I'm handling his character.
All I want to say is that if you don't like that Wyatt is trying to be a good person and a hero who doesn't kill, then you might as well drop the story. I have written eleven chapters ahead of this one, and Wyatt/Atomic will continue being this way. He is striving to be an ideal hero. But that doesn't mean he will be perfect. He will stumble, he will fall, but he'll keep trying. That's the kind of character I want to write.
"But that's not ReAliStIc!" …I can hear some of you say.
To that, all I have to say is you're reading fan fiction of a guy who can make a bus from thin air in a world where a lot of stuff isn't realistic. Like, come on.
Another thing, Wyatt Wilkins is not some persona where I or any of you can self-insert into to live out a grand fantasy or anything like that(but you can if you wish, it's your life). He's his own character/person. He's going to make his own in-world choices and mistakes that won't always align with what the readers want.
With all that said, I know I'm not some great writer or anything like that. I'm writing this story because writing is a hobby of mine that I like to do in my free time and yes, I do use AI here and there to help me flush out more detail and to spell check my work.
Another main reason I decided to write this story was because I wanted to get back into the world of the MCU (which I once loved, until its eventual fall off, that is) and explore its stories with a new in world perspective.
For those who have been reading my story and have been finding what I have to tell enjoyable, thank you. I appreciate you taking the time out of your life to read my story, drop me some power stones, and to leave me comments.
Enough with the yap fest, let's get on with the story.
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Without hesitation, Erik flicked his wrist, and steel pillars erupted from the crumbling remains of the facility, spiraling into the sky like angry missiles. A twisted grin spread across Erik's face as he fixed his gaze on Atomic.
"If you love these humans so much… you can mourn for them," Erik sneered.
"No!" Atomic surged forward, his heart pounding, ready to launch himself into the sky, but suddenly froze. He couldn't abandon Wanda and the unconscious MRD personnel to Erik and Mystique.
"It's okay! Go!" Wanda urged, stepping forward with her hands alight with fierce, swirling red energy. "I don't understand you. I still think that these people don't deserve to be saved after everything they've done… but I know now that you're not the kind of person to turn stand back when others are in danger. Not even if they're cruel bastards. So go… I'll make sure nothing happens to them. But when this is over, you owe me!"
Atomic stared at her, a mix of appreciation and urgency in his eyes. He didn't want to leave Wanda alone with Erik and Mystique, but he hoped that her relationship with her father would steady his hand. "Thank you." He placed the floating urn down and then concentrated his power, feeling the energy electrify around him. He shot Erik a fierce glare from behind his helmet. "This isn't over."
With a thunderous blast of energy, Atomic rocketed into the sky.
Wanda watched him ascend, a tired frown etching across her face. "What am I getting myself into?" she whispered, turning her gaze to Erik and Mystique. "Listen, I don't know who you are, but you need to back off!"
"This has to be a joke," Mystique scoffed, disbelief thick in her voice. "You're willing to defend the very ones who imprisoned you? Are you mad?"
"Trust me, blue lady. No one wants to see these guys get what they deserve more than I do. But I gave Wy—Atomic my word," Wanda shot back, her eyes igniting with crackling red energy. "So, step. Back."
Erik chuckled darkly, stepping closer. His amusement evaporated when a wave of chaotic red energy slashed the ground before him, leaving a jagged gash that sizzled ominously. Wanda stood her ground, her glowing eyes locked onto his.
"Extraordinary," Erik said, his gaze fixed on Wanda's powers with a mix of awe and wonder.
"Back off, old man," Wanda warned, raising her hands, pulsing with raw power.
"Ah, how amusing. You truly don't recognize me, do you, my child?" Erik intoned, the air thick with tension. He slowly lifted his hands to his head and slid off his helmet with deliberate slowness. "To think you would forget the face of your true father."
Wanda's eyes widened in horror, disbelief crashing over her like a tidal wave. "Y-you're…"
••o••o••o••
Warrant Officer Hughes blinked in disbelief as he gazed out at the MRD facility, a ghost of its former self as its battered silhouette could be seen in the distance.
To him, the once a formidable stronghold of cutting-edge technology and research development, now lay in ruin, a haunting wasteland of blackened debris and swirling plumes of thick, acrid smoke.
In response to the facility's emergency call, Hughes and his squadron had been scrambled to respond. But as he surveyed the ruin, he realized too late that their mission had changed. It was no longer one of providing air support, but to salvage whatever remained. At best, he prayed that the inevitable casualties would be low.
"Hughes… do you see that? Down in front of the facility?" Warrant Officer Melendez exclaimed, pointing urgently.
Hughes squinted, focusing on two vividly colored figures in red engaged in a fierce standoff: a blue-skinned woman beside one of them, and behind the other in white—a young girl and several unconscious facility personnel at their backs. "What the hell is going on?" Hughes muttered.
His heart sank as massive chunks of the facility broke free from their foundations, hanging eerily in the air for a fleeting moment. It was as if they were caught in an unseen grasp, poised in suspense before they plummeted toward their helicopters with terrifying velocity, like lethal projectiles unleashed.
"Shit! Evasive maneuvers!" Hughes barked, yanking the controls to veer his chopper aside, followed by his squadron in synchronized urgency.
But one helicopter failed to move in time under the immense pressure of the chaos. A bone-chilling explosion erupted behind them, a deafening roar that seemed to split the very air.
A massive steel beam, propelled by some invisible force, had sliced through the rear of Warrant Officer Haydlen's aircraft, tearing off the tail with a ferocity that made it appear fragile, like it was crafted from mere paper. The shockwave reverberated through the cockpit as the pilot struggled to maintain control.
"Shit! I'm hit! I'm hit!" Haydlen and his copilot yelled, panic-stricken as the helicopter spiraled uncontrollably toward the ground, trailing flames like a comet of doom.
The remaining pilots in the air were powerless, forced to hear the horrific cries as their comrades plummeted into oblivion.
Then, out of nowhere, a red and white blur streaked past them—faster than the eye could see.
"What the hell was that?!" Melendez shouted, watching in disbelief as the blur barreled toward their falling ally.
Atomic rocketed through the air and grasped the tumbling helicopter's fuselage with the grace of a guardian angel. He assessed the frantic pilots within, noting the missing tail but understanding that simply fixing it wouldn't save the aircraft. He could stop the helicopter from falling and fix its tail, but he was short on time.
"Hold on!" Atomic thought, adrenaline surging through him as he quickly undid the access hatch on top of the helicopter.
With a swift motion, he secured both pilots within protective spheres and leaped away from the doomed aircraft.
The helicopter crashed behind them in a spectacular explosion, debris spraying across the sky like a fiery flower in bloom.
"You two alright?" Atomic asked, his voice steady amidst the chaos.
"Uh… yeah?" Haydlen stammered, still shaken but alive, while his co-pilot nodded vigorously.
"Good. Now brace yourselves!" Atomic shouted as he landed them safely on the ground.
Without missing a beat, he rocketed back into the tumultuous fray. The scene before him was a whirlwind of chaos—the remnants of the MRD facility loomed ominously, their jagged edges glinting as they began to rise like a grotesque titan made of steel.
Rising into the sky, steel projectiles, sharp and menacing, tore free from the monstrous mass, their trajectories aimed directly at the helicopter squadron, cutting through the smoky air with a deadly intent.
"Eve, connect me with the pilots," Atomic instructed as he raced through the air, his heart pounding.
"Connection secured," Eve, his AI companion, confirmed.
"Listen, you need to turn these helicopters around. You're all in serious danger if you keep flying this way!" Atomic called out, urgency dripping from his voice.
"What the hell? Who are you? Are you the reason for this?!" Hughes shot back through the comms, distrust simmering in his words.
"Now is not the time for questions! Turn around, NOW!" Atomic yelled, his eyes darting to the chaotic scene above him.
"Hold on, Hughes! I recognize him! It's Atomic! He's some kind of superhero! My kids talk about him all the time," Warrant Officer Gibbs interjected, his recognition breaking through the panic. "What the hell are you doing out here in Nevada?"
Before Atomic could utter a word, the very foundations of the entire MRD facility erupted into the sky in a cataclysmic display of fury, twisting steel beams and razor-sharp metal shards shooting skyward like furious harbingers of destruction, arcing toward them with lethal intent.
And there, soaring above the chaotic maelstrom, hovered Erik Lehnserr, a dark and ominous figure with a deep, charred mark seared across his chest.
Atomic's heart raced, knowing he had to act quickly. The lives of the helicopter pilots remained at stake, and in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but worry about Wanda and the personnel left behind in the rubble of the facility.
With a determined roar and fierce power surging through him, he dove toward the oncoming storm, ready to confront the Master of Magnetism.
••o••o••o••
"Y-you're…" Wanda's eyes widened, disbelief mingling with the growing fury coursing through her veins. A soft gasp escaped her lips, quickly morphing into an explosive rage as her eyes ignited with a seething red glow. "You're the good-for-nothing bastard who abandoned me!"
Of all the responses Erik could have anticipated, he never expected to hear such devastating words.
Before he could muster a reply, a violent surge of chaotic red energy crashed through the air, hitting him like a freight train and sending the master of magnetism flying several meters back, pain ricocheting through his body.
"What?!" Mystique's confusion turned to horror as she turned around, only to be met by Erik's staggering form struggling to rise from the wreckage. Her shock quickly turned to agony when another wave of energy flung her into a nearby pile of debris, knocking her out cold.
"What do you think you're doing, you petulant child?!" Erik's voice rumbled, a low growl echoing with authority as he levitated his helmet back into place. Hovering above the scene with a stormy glare fixed on his face, he declared, "I am your father! How dare you—"
"My father is Matej Burian! You're just a genetic donor; don't you dare assume the title of my 'father' after abandoning me and my mother!" Wanda screamed, her fury radiating as her body unexpectedly lifted off the ground.
Power surged within her as she extended her arms, a torrent of chaotic magic swirling and crackling around. With a shrill scream, she unleashed a colossal wave of energy toward Erik.
No longer caught off guard, Erik reacted with instinctual precision, conjuring a massive steel wall to shield himself from the incoming onslaught. But to his astonishment, Wanda's attack pushed against his barrier with almost primal force.
Incredible! Such raw power! Erik's mind raced, the potential of her abilities igniting a mixture of pride and dread within him. Yet, he realized the truth—she was untrained, her power an untamed beast full of potential.
Exhaustion washed over Wanda, beads of sweat cascading down her face as she struggled to maintain her concentration. With her energy spent, she descended to the ground and collapsed to one knee, her limbs trembling as the weight of her unleashed magic threatened to overwhelm her. None of her enforced training sessions by the MRD facility had prepared her for such level of power.
"D-did… did I really do that?" Wanda whispered, disbelief creeping into her voice as she tried to gather herself, fixing her gaze on Erik. There was a fire in her eyes, but her knees buckled beneath her, the effort of standing draining her strength.
After regaining his composure, Erik inspected the damage to his suit—a charred testament to Wanda's violent power. Though it remained intact, he could feel the toll it had taken. His gaze shifted back to Wanda, her defiance flickering like a dying candle amidst the chaos surrounding them.
"You're on your last legs, girl. Why are you still defending those animals?" Erik asked, his voice tense as Wanda clung to the remnants of her resolve.
"Even in this state… I'll protect them," she gasped, her body unsteady and swaying dangerously close to the ground. "I gave my word."
Erik's heart twisted; her loyalty was as infuriating as it was admirable. Taking in her weakened form, he shook his head, the weight of their shared blood settling heavily on his shoulders. "Remember this, Wanda," he warned, his voice low and resonating with deep intensity. "You are my daughter. And I will return for you. Whether you want me to or not."
Wanda's glare pierced through the haze of exhaustion, a spark of defiance flaring within her as Erik ascended, retreating into the darkening sky, the entire MRD facility floating behind him.
As the shadows of his figure vanished from her sight, Wanda fell to her knees, surrendering to the weariness that enveloped her. She crumpled to her side, her eyelids fluttering, fighting a losing battle against the encroaching darkness.
"Yeah… you better run… you deadbeat," she whispered right as exhaustion lulled her to sleep.