Victor Drake didn't know whether to scream, laugh, or curl into a ball. New York had officially stopped being normal. And when "normal" included reality-ripping anomalies, a multi-hued sky that seemed to breathe, and heroes whose powers defied every known law of physics, Victor decided that survival was optional—but sanity wasn't.
AETHER's first quip of the morning made Victor groan.
"Congrats, genius. You're officially on the multiverse's radar. Which is bad, by the way."
Victor muttered: "Good. I hate subtlety anyway."
---
Scene 1 – Morning Chaos Briefing
Victor was standing in the middle of the Avengers compound, or the closest thing to it. Tony Stark hovered behind holograms, muttering to himself about fragment energy readings. Spider-Man swung from ceiling to floor, looping acrobatically, occasionally bumping into Victor with a cheerful "Watch it, newbie!"
Steve Rogers, ever the serious tactician, placed a hand on Victor's shoulder.
"You've done well stabilizing fragments, but yesterday was a warm-up. Today, you'll face the real threat."
Hulk growled somewhere in the background, apparently unimpressed with all this talk. Natasha merely observed silently, her arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Real threat, huh? You mean bigger than almost killing myself yesterday?"
AETHER purred in his mind. "Oh, kid. That was the appetizer. Today's the full-course chaos buffet."
Tony waved a hand at the holograms. "There's a spike near Central Park. Massive fragment. Dark energy. And judging by the readings… something someone is coming through. Preferably, alive when it arrives."
Victor blinked. "Alive? You think I have a choice?"
Spider-Man chirped: "Kid, you've got two options: die spectacularly or survive spectacularly. Your call."
Victor sighed. "Fantastic. Picked the perfect Monday to become a multiverse magnet."
This is a perfect spot for you to add Victor's sarcastic inner thoughts, jokes about Spider-Man, or comparisons to the movies he's watched.
---
Wanda Appears
As the team prepared, reality warped again—a soft, almost melodic hum pulsed across the city. Victor felt it in his chest: a tugging, twisting energy that made his stomach churn.
From the fragment stepped a woman with crimson eyes, hair like fire, and a presence that twisted the air around her. Wanda Maximoff.
Victor froze. Oh great. Scarlet Witch. I've seen the movies. She's trouble real one.
Wanda's gaze settled on Victor. "You," she said, voice calm but cold. "You feel… different. Not like the others."
Victor stammered. "Uh… yeah, I feel… differently terrified?"
AETHER snickered. "Bold. I like it."
Wanda lifted a hand, and a shockwave of red energy swirled around her, distorting the streets. Spider-Man yelped and grabbed onto a lamppost. Tony Stark's eyes widened behind his HUD.
"Kid, stay still!" AETHER warned. "Or she'll rearrange your molecules. Permanently."
Victor froze. "I… I can do that? Rearrange molecules?"
"No," AETHER sighed. "Not you. She can. You're dinner if you move wrong."
Victor gulped. Perfect. Just what I needed—a reality-bending red energy tornado focused on me.
---
Doctor Strange Intervenes
Before Victor could panic further, a portal shimmered open nearby. A man in red robes, with the Eye of Agamotto glinting in the light, stepped through: Doctor Strange.
"Stand back," Strange said calmly, gesturing toward Wanda. "She's unstable right now. You're… an unknown variable. I can't predict what she'll do."
Victor muttered: "Unknown variable. Great, just call me Chaos 2.0."
AETHER purred in amusement. "I like your confidence… almost."
Wanda's hands glowed brighter. Victor felt the pull, reality bending at her whim. The streets warped, buildings shimmered, and even Spider-Man's webs seemed to loop in impossible directions.
Tony Stark muttered: "Kid, your job? Don't die. My job? Keep the city from going full apocalypse."
Victor's inner thoughts screamed: So… just don't die, save the city, and survive a reality witch? Yep, totally reasonable.
---
Scene 4 – Victor Attempts Control
Victor took a deep breath, focusing on AETHER. He opened the interface, seeing fragment manipulation modules, energy stabilization tools, and combat guidance.
"Okay," Victor muttered. "Let's… not blow this up."
AETHER: "Step one: focus. Step two: survive. Step three: don't humiliate me."
Victor raised his hands, streams of energy spilling out. His control was shaky, but slowly, the energy formed a protective sphere around him. Wanda's shockwave hit it… and bounced, creating a ripple that stabilized partially.
Spider-Man swung closer, eyes wide. "Kid… that's actually working. Are you… some kind of prodigy?"
Victor quipped: "Prodigy? Or incredibly lucky. You decide."
Ironman, look kid if you want to survive here you have to you know master your powers, don't do what I would do, and don't do what I wouldn't do.
Aye captain I here you, victor shouted in a starky voice
Team Coordination
Steve Rogers took the lead.
"Victor, follow my directions. Tony, help him focus. Natasha, flank him. Spider-Man, assist where needed. Hulk, don't destroy the park."
Victor swallowed. "I… uh… got it. Hopefully."
Tony sighed. "Kid, when I say stabilize, I mean actually stabilize. Don't just wave your hands like a magician in a bad show."
Victor muttered under his breath: I've been waving hands for two days, and I'm still alive. Progress.
Perfect spot for you to add inner thoughts, banter with AETHER, or humorous observations about each hero's quirks.
---
Fragment Escalates
The fragment pulsed violently, shadows spilling out. Reality itself seemed to shiver. Victor focused, feeling AETHER guiding his hands. Energy arcs formed, wrapping the fragment in shimmering light.
Suddenly, Wanda's energy surged, threatening to overwhelm Victor's barrier. Doctor Strange moved, conjuring mystic shields, hands weaving complex sigils.
Victor thought: Why does everyone have to be so competent? And me… apparently, I'm the wild card.
AETHER: "Exactly, genius. Wild card, chaos magnet, probably dinner."
Victor gritted his teeth, pushing harder. The fragment shrieked, reality bending. He stabilized it for a fraction of a second… enough for Strange to create a binding spell. Wanda faltered, energy dissipating slowly.
Spider-Man whistled. "Not bad, newbie. Not bad at all."
Victor panted. "Yeah… well… barely. But points for style?"
AETHER: "Style counts in chaos management. That's a fact. Don't let Tony hear me say that."
Post-Battle Reflection
The fragment closed. The city slowly returned to normal. Buildings shimmered back, reality snapped into place. Victor sank to the ground, exhausted.
Tony muttered: "You survived. Barely. And somehow… helped."
Victor looked around. Spider-Man gave a thumbs-up. Steve nodded approvingly. Natasha didn't flinch. Hulk… grunted. Wanda floated silently, her gaze distant. Doctor Strange adjusted the Eye of Agamotto, studying Victor like a complex puzzle.
Victor muttered: "Okay… surviving day three… that's… progress?"
AETHER: "You keep surviving, kid. Eventually, you might even learn to enjoy it."
Victor groaned. Enjoy it? I just stabilized reality, fought a reality witch, and didn't die. How is that enjoyable?
Victor barely had time to breathe when the ground shook violently. A new, massive fragment formed above the Brooklyn skyline, twisting the clouds into impossible patterns. Shadows moved within it, larger and darker than before.
Victor muttered: "Of course… someone else. Why is it always someone else?"
Spider-Man swung above him. "Lesson four, newbie: chaos never takes a day off."
AETHER whispered: "And kid… the multiverse is officially pissed. Buckle up."
Just shut up.