When Wyatt finally delivered the news to Serena—that he had tracked down and imprisoned the men who had taken her father away—a charged silence enveloped them.
The moment his words settled in her mind, Wyatt could see her face shift from incredulity to a torrent of emotions, and he felt a pang of sympathy as she crumpled into his arms, tears spilling down her cheeks like rain on parched earth.
Wyatt held her close throughout it all, his heart aching alongside her, as they lingered in that embrace who knows how long. Eventually, he could feel the tremors of her sorrow subsiding, and he tried to offer words of comfort to help calm her.
Nearby, Lucille and Daniel LaRusso exchanged glances, their expressions a complex mix of grief and relief. The air felt heavy with the implications of the revelation, but a quiet satisfaction began to blossom among them: justice had been served for Luigi, and for all those who had suffered at the hands of those cruel men.
Once Serena gathered enough strength to stand with her own strength, she took Wyatt by the hand and led him to the tranquil expanse of Hansen Dam Recreation Area.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden glow that enveloped the landscape like a soft blanket, while the evening breeze whispered through the leaves overhead. As they walked side by side along the winding trails, almost an hour slipped away without the exchange of a single word.
Wyatt worried when Serena didn't press him for details about the confrontation with Maksimilian and Reznov; she was not ready to delve into the realm of horror that those names conjured.
Instead, she found a fragile peace in knowing that these men were finally locked away, their nefarious influences extinguished forever.
When they finally reached the shoreline of Hansen Dam Lake, Serena paused to drink in the idyllic scene before her. The water shimmered beneath the dying light of the sun, casting a radiant glow that danced across the surface like a field of stars awakening to the twilight.
Shades of deep orange and soft pink painted the sky, causing Serena to smile faintly. Standing there, breathless and entranced, she felt the burdens of the past begin to lift, if only for a moment, as she embraced the sense of closure that this beautiful sunset symbolized.
"…Are you going to be okay?" Wyatt asked, his face almost free of the injuries Reznov had inflicted. Only a few bandages remained.
"I don't know," Serena replied. "I'm glad those... men are gone. I really am. And I have you to thank for that. But… I still miss him. I miss my Dad. Life here is nice. I've made so many friends, and Daniel and Aunt Lucille have been incredibly supportive... Still, I can't forget that night, no matter how hard I try."
Wyatt nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Serena leaned in, resting her head against him.
"I know… I can't either," Wyatt said. "But we have to try to move on and live our lives. I that know Luigi wouldn't want you to dwell on the past. He'd want you to go out, have fun, and create new memories."
"What about you? Atomic is always in the news, saving people and stopping natural disasters. When do you take the time to be Wyatt and live your life?" Serena asked. "I get it. I know you've done a lot of good, and the world is a better one with you in it... But I worry that you're forgetting to take care of yourself. Just look at your face; you have those bags under your eyes again."
Wyatt groaned as Serena playfully pulled at his cheeks, a faint smile on her face. He let her do as she pleased, as long as it helped her smile again.
"I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I…" Wyatt paused, the memory of him beating Reznov's face repeatedly flashed in his mind. "I… did something I regret. I know I shouldn't let it affect me, but it does. I'm struggling to move past it."
Nodding, Serena pulled away and walked over to the lake. She bent down, picked up a pebble, and threw it across the water's surface.
Wyatt watched as the pebble skipped before plopping into the lake. He appreciated that she didn't try to delve into what had happened. He wasn't sure he was ready to talk about that.
"Have you ever thought about stopping?" Serena asked, throwing another rock. "You could... stop being Atomic and just be Wyatt. You've done more than enough, more than anyone. Don't you ever think about using your powers just for yourself?"
Deciding to join her, Wyatt started skimming stones as well. "Sometimes… but I can't do that. My powers are a gift, a responsibility. If I don't use them to help when I know I can, it feels like all the terrible things that could happen would be on me."
"That's… that's too much, Wyatt. You're only 17. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let people like Tony Stark and all those other heroes popping up all over the world worry about that," Serena said, gripping the rock in her hand. "I don't… I don't want to lose you, too."
Wyatt looked down at the small rock in his hand, a frown forming on his face. No matter how much he longed for a carefree life, free of worries or crime fighting, he was already too entrenched in his mission to stop. He felt a deep sense of responsibility. His powers weren't meant for selfish use; they were meant for something greater.
"You won't lose me. I'm not that easy to kill," Wyatt joked, a flash of light enveloping the rock. "Besides, I made a promise to Luigi at his funeral that I would always protect you. So no matter what, I won't die—at least not until I ensure you live a long and happy life."
In the rocks place, a picture of Luigi and Serena appeared in an elegant wooden frame. The photo captured the two of them laughing as they painted Luigi's restaurant. Wyatt held out the picture to Serena, who accepted it with a small smile, tears starting to flow down her face.
"Thank you, Wyatt," Serena said, hugging him tightly while holding the picture frame. "Thank you."
Wyatt smiled and embraced her warmly. "You're welcome. That's what I'm here for. Now then, Daniel mentioned recently that there's someone at your new school who's been trying to catch your eye. Want to talk about her?"
Serena laughed as she wiped her tears on Wyatt's hoodie, eliciting a groan from the young hero.
••o••o••o••
Puente Antiguo, New Mexico
Driving through the quiet expanse of the night in a custom van equipped with cutting-edge technology, astrophysicist Jane Foster tapped rhythmically on her laptop keyboard.
Beside her, Erik Selvig wore a patient expression, though the weariness etched on his face showed that his patience was wearing thin. In the driver's seat, Darcy Lewis gazed out at the starlit sky, her detached demeanor reflecting her boredom as she struggled to stay awake.
After what felt like an eternity of typing, Jane finally shut off the van's bright lights, plunging them into a blanket of darkness. With an eager leap, she popped open the sunroof, clambering out with Erik trailing her like a reluctant shadow.
He looked at her with a mix of concern and exasperation, the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought the urge to express just how tired he was. Yet, he couldn't help but be drawn to the vast expanse of the night sky, its stars twinkling like distant dreams.
"Wait for it," Jane said, excitement crackling in her voice, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Can I turn on the radio?" Darcy interjected, pressing her hands against her face in a futile attempt to ward off sleep, her voice tinged with irritation.
Jane frowned, her focus unwavering. "No."
"Jane, you can't keep doing this," Erik sighed deeply, glancing over at her as they waited in the oppressive silence, the weight of anticipation hanging thick in the air. His eyes reflected a mix of concern and weariness, particularly as the seconds dragged by without any sign of the phenomenon she had promised.
Undeterred by the quiet that enveloped them, Jane climbed back inside the van, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she immersed herself in her work once again. "The last 17 occurrences have been predictable to the last second. I know it'll happen," she asserted, flipping through the well-worn pages of her notebook filled with data, sketches, and graphs collected over years of research.
"Jane… you're an astrophysicist, not some storm chaser," Erik said, his voice a blend of concern and disbelief.
"I'm telling you there's a connection between these atmospheric disturbances and my research!" Jane insisted, passion infusing her words as she rifled through her notes, her determination evident. "Erik, I wouldn't have asked you to fly all the way out here if I wasn't absolutely sure of my findings."
Meanwhile, Darcy continued to stare up at the heavens, her eyelids heavy with fatigue. Suddenly, something in the night sky captured her attention—a flicker of light moved through the stars, an anomaly among the familiar constellations that prompted her to blink in surprise.
"Jane? I think you might want to see this," Darcy uttered as she watched the once dark sky dance with brilliant colors and thunder.
"What is that?" Jane said as she and Erik stepped out of the sunroof once more.
"I thought you said it was a subtle aurora!" Erik said as he examined the intricate lines among the stars.
Not willing to let this opportunity go, Jane jumped back inside the van and grabbed Darcy's arm. "Go! Get closer."
"Right. Good one," Darcy said as she tried to ignore the near-fanatical look in her mentor's eyes.
"Go!" Jane yelled, and Darcy, against her better judgment, stomped on the gas pedal.
The van jolted forward, its worn wheels kicking up a flurry of dust as Darcy pressed the accelerator. She raced after the mesmerizing spectacle before her—a swirling mass of vibrant colors and pulsating lights that seemed to beckon her closer. As she grew closer, a deafening crack of thunder shattered through the night.
In an instant, a tornado dropped from the sky, an ominous column of chaos churned violently as it descended, creating a thunderous roar rivaling the storm itself.
The air crackled with energy as the cyclone ripped into the earth, sending torrents of dust and debris swirling skyward in a frenzy. The very ground trembled under its power, filling the atmosphere with the acrid smell of scorched earth and wild winds.
Panic surged through Darcy's veins as she locked eyes on the twisting vortex, its whirlwind of destruction looming ominously. Without thinking, she slammed the brake pedal down with all her might, the van screeching to a halt as it skidded precariously across the dirt-strewn ground.
Dust billowed in her wake, obscuring everyone's view and enveloping the van in a thick, choking cloud as the storm raged on, nature's fury painting the sky with chaos and danger.
"What are you doing?!" Jane asked as she tried to record the wild phenomenon in front of her.
"I am not dying for six college credits!" Darcy yelled as she held up her hands, refusing to drive any further for her crazy mentor.
Jane turned back to the roiling tornado, her heart racing with a mix of exhilaration and fear. She inched closer to Darcy, the tension palpable in the cramped space of the van.
With a determined shift, her leg pressed down on the gas pedal, while her fingers gripped the steering wheel with a fierce intensity. The van surged forward, plowing through swirling clouds of debris as flashes of lightning illuminated the chaotic scene outside.
As they barreled toward the monstrous vortex, Darcy and Erik exchanged anxious glances, trying to maintain a facade of calm amid the whirlwind of dirt and chaos that enveloped them. The van's interior throbbed with both the engine's hum and the storm's distant roar.
"Jane! Stop this!" Erik yelled.
In her reckless excitement, Jane lost track of her speed. Suddenly, a shadowy figure materialized in the midst of the swirling tempest—a fleeting glimpse that sent a jolt of panic through her.
Before she could react, a thunderous clang reverberated through the van, shaking its very frame. Jane's heart dropped as she realized she had inadvertently struck what she thought was a person caught in the eye of the supernatural storm.
"…I think that was legally your fault," Darcy muttered as everyone exited the van.
"Get the first aid kit!" Jane said as she ran up to the man on the ground. He wasn't moving. "Do me a favor and don't be dead."
"Whoa. Does he need CPR? Because I totally know CPR!" Darcy exclaimed, her voice a mix of concern and excitement.
With a first aid kit clutched tightly in her hands, Darcy dashed over to the unconscious man, her breath catching as she took in the sight of his appearance as he was sprawled on the ground.
He was strikingly handsome, with long, golden locks cascading down to frame his chiseled face. His impeccably maintained beard added a rugged charm to his well-defined features, highlighting his strong cheekbones and perfectly sculpted jawline. Beneath the fitted shirt that clung to his torso, muscles rippled with the promise of strength, making it hard for Darcy to focus on anything else.
"Where did he come from?" Jane asked, ignoring Darcy's comment and prolonged staring session.
"Hey, man. You all right?" Darcy asked the unconscious man, only to squeak when he stood up as if a van hadn't just struck him.
"Hammer? …hammer?" The man muttered as he walked around in a daze.
"Yeah, we can tell you're hammered. It's pretty obvious." Darcy said as she eyed the man warily, no longer distracted by his appearance.
"Oh, my God. Erik, look at this! We have to move quickly before everything changes." Seeing that the man was at least alive, Jane refocused on her work and examined the significant, intricate markings on the ground.
"Jane, we have to take him to the hospital," Eric said as he shook his head at Jane's dismissal of the man she had run over.
"Father!" The man yelled up to the heavens, his face scrunched in anger. "Heimdall! I know you can hear me! Open the Bifrost!"
"See? He's fine," Jane said as she snapped several pictures on her phone.
"You. What realm is this? Alfheim? Nornheim?" the man asked, turning to Erik, Jane, and Darcy, his body tight with hidden aggression.
"…New Mexico?" Darcy said carefully and took out her taser from her pouch.
"You dare threaten me, Thor, with so puny a weapon-" Thor said, but immediately began to spasm as Darcy shot him with her taser. As his last convulsion ended, Thor fell to the ground. Truly unconscious.
This earned shocked looks from Eric and Jane.
"What? He was freaking me out!" Darcy said as she motioned to Thor.
Erik let out an exasperated groan, his patience wearing thin as he dealt with the two eccentric women beside him, their frantic chatter filling the air with tension.
He grabbed Thor's arm, dragging him toward the battered van. The engine roared to life as Erik threw the door open, carefully assisting Thor into the back seat with Darcy's help, anxiety clawing at his chest.
As they sped away, tires screeching against the dirt, they were blissfully unaware of a brilliant, fiery object streaking through the night sky.
It hurtled downwards with a brilliant flash, crashing to earth several kilometers away, the earth shuddering slightly under its impact, leaving only the faintest echo of its descent behind.