"Make the helm more winged…like my father's," Odin said as he stood in front of Max, armored head to toe in will-forged constructs. It no longer bore the emerald hue; Max had changed it to Odin's liking. He had recently figured it out, though it wasn't perfect a faint green glow still lingered.
Max raised a brow at the request but complied, creating the helm. With some concentration, he bled the color out, transmuting the helm from glowing emerald into metallic chrome still shimmering faintly with green light.
He tossed it toward Odin.
The Asgardian prince caught it and placed it upon his head. He stood resplendent now in full Asgardian armor, crimson cape flowing. Odin grinned, lifted Mjolnir high, and, with a crack of thunder, hurled himself into the sky.
"Aha!" Odin laughed, circling above, savoring every moment in the armor he claimed he had seen in his dreams.
Max folded his arms, watching with a small smirk. A few hours had passed since the eight of them himself, Odin, Agamotto, Fan Fei, Firehair, Ghost Rider, Azzuri, and Nur had made their decision. Together, they would stand as Earth's first line of defense against the countless threats looming on the horizon.
Together they had become the Avengers.
Agamotto and Fan Fei were working patiently to find a way to awaken the Starbrand without violence.
He could be our Hulk, Max mused.
His eyes drifted to where Firehair and Azzuri stood near Tasi the mammoth, their faces soft with wonder at the creature's gentle presence.
CRASH.
Max turned sharply to see Ghost Rider and Nur locked in combat. Ghost blazed with fire, his skull fully revealed, while Nur's frame surged larger, his body swelling until he towered nearly nine feet tall.
"The fuck…?" Max muttered, astonished.
The two grappled, Ghost's burning fists colliding with Nur's augmented strength. Nur lifted Ghost clear off the ground, their struggle shattering stone beneath their feet.
"When the hell did you learn that?!" Max called out, wide-eyed.
Nur turned, still holding Ghost in a grapple, and flashed Max a sharp smile. "I told you I've been learning." His voice carried a note of pride, almost boyish. Then, eager as a child showing off a trick, he asked, "Well? What do you think?"
Max chuckled, shaking his head. "I think it's great, kid."
Nur was raw potential made flesh energy manipulation, matter shaping, bio-control, telepathy, telekinesis, even molecular adaptation. His physiology was already beyond human, yet he had barely begun to unlock what lay within him.
Max didn't want this young mutant to grow into the nightmare that would one day be known as Apocalypse the X-Men's greatest foe. No, he wanted to guide Nur toward something else, something greater: a protector of his kind. Perhaps an immortal mentor who, when mutants begin to rise in number, could help unify them. Not a tyrant. A shepherd. Someone who could blend Xavier's dream with Magneto's fire.
A rush of wind and a crackle of thunder drew his gaze upward. Odin descended, landing near him once more. His eyes lingered on Nur, who still grappled with Ghost.
"This En Sabah Nur," Odin said, his voice low with curiosity, "seems very powerful. He has the strength of ten Jotnar."
Max nodded. "Yes. He's just scratching the surface of what he can do."
"Perhaps I should spar with him."
Max held Odin's gaze. "Not yet, Odin."
The prince of Asgard arched a brow. "You think I would harm him? I would not. I only wish to measure him."
"I know you wouldn't hurt him," Max said evenly. "But give him time. Let him grow into it at his own pace. He's just starting to unlock what he can do. If you push him now, before he's ready…" He shook his head. "Look if you do fight, don't take it too far."
Odin's eyes softened for a moment, his pride tempered by Max's words. Then he gave a slow nod. "Very well, Grænlaðr," he murmured, then turned his gaze toward where Azzuri and Firehair stood beside Tasi. The mammoth's breath steamed in the cold air as Firehair stroked its fur. "Now that is a beautiful sight."
"Oh yeah," Max said, following his gaze.
Odin's lips curled into a grin. "A Midgardian more beautiful than any Asgardian."
Max's eyes fell on Firehair and then on Azzuri. He smirked, seizing the chance. "Didn't know you swung that way, my friend. I'm glad you told me."
Odin's brow furrowed. "What?"
"Yeah," Max continued with a straight face, then pointed toward Azzuri. "I mean, he is very handsome I get why you'd be attracted but I don't think he likes men, Odin."
Odin blinked, confused, as Max burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter. The Asgardian finally realized the jest and let out a booming laugh of his own, though he shook his head. "You make fun of me, Grænlaðr. But watch as I charm the fiery bird."
"Oh please," Max said, still chuckling. "I've seen you 'charm' plenty of women. None of them have ended well."
Odin straightened his shoulders in mock offense, then lifted Mjolnir slightly. "Watch me." With a swagger in his step, he began walking toward Firehair and Azzuri.
Max watched as Odin neared the duo. Something came over him he did not know what, he grinned mischievously, creating a green rope construct at Odin's ankle. As Odin strutted towards firehair, his foot snagged he stumbled forward and crashed into the snowy ground with a grunt.
Max laughed so hard he nearly fell himself. Firehair covered her mouth with a hand, her shoulders shaking with quiet amusement; even the stoic Azzuri chuckled.
Odin rose slowly, brushing snow from his cape, his eye fixed on Max with fiery indignation.
"Grænlaðr."
Then he charged at him.
Max was preparing to fly when Fan Fei appeared, stopping Odin's charge with a look.
"We are ready. It is time to awaken our sleeping guest."
=======
Agamotto floated the bed into the courtyard, the olive-skinned, broad-shouldered man lying motionless upon it.
The Starbrand. Power of a sun caged in human flesh.
Agamotto's hands glimmered with runes as he guided the bed down. "He has slept since the day you struck him down, Lantern," he said quietly. "I have woven spells to still hunger, to dull thirst. But even without my aid… I suspect the Brand would have kept him."
Max stepped forward, hands on his hips, eyes studying the man. "So what did you and Fan learn?"
"His mind is scarred. I felt… sorrow. Deep sorrow. He has lost someone… someone he loved, not long ago," Fan said, her eyes on the man on the bed.
Max frowned. "So, when he wakes, is he going to stay calm—or are we about to have a round two?"
Agamotto looked at them all, his expression grave. "He will not wake wild; I am certain of it. But power like this… one cannot be too cautious."
Odin rested Mjolnir on his shoulder. "Then let us wake him. Enough waiting."
"If the power is as you described, perhaps this new pack of ours could use such a man," Azzuri said.
"Let's see if he can control it." Max turned to Agamotto and gave him a nod to proceed.
The Sorcerer Supreme hesitated, his hand lingering above the sleeper's brow. His voice dropped low: "It's best we are prepared for the worst."
And they were.
Fan Fei's fists ignited, burning with golden chi. Firehair rose from the ground, her body half-engulfed in flame, her eyes glowing molten white. Azzuri fell into a stance, every muscle coiled to strike. En Sabah Nur's body began to swell, his height doubling. Ghost Rider's skull flared with fire, flames spilling from his jaw as he took the chain made of bones in his hand.
Odin adjusted his construct armor, Mjolnir in hand, ready to hurl it if the worst happened.
Agamotto's hands glowed as he wove the spell, runes circling in delicate, careful patterns before settling across the man's brow.
"Awake."
For a long, tense moment, nothing happened. Then the man stirred. His chest rose, his fingers twitched, and his eyes fluttered open.
Every warrior in the courtyard braced. Odin's grip on Mjolnir tightened. Firehair's flames flared higher. Azzuri bent his knees, ready to pounce. Nur loomed, increasing his size once more. Fan Fei's fists glowed bright with chi, and Ghost Rider's chains rattled as he shifted.
Even Max felt his fingers twitch, emerald energy already pooling at his knuckles.
The man's gaze wandered, unfocused. His skin kept its natural olive tone. He made no move to rise. For a moment, the tension eased.
Odin even let out a laugh. "Ha! It worked!" he bellowed.
But then it happened.
The mark blazed across the man's chest, the Starbrand erupting in searing light. His veins darkened, his skin flushing crimson as if fire itself ran through his blood.
"Shit…put him back to sleep!" Max barked, raising a shield.
Agamotto's eyes went wide. He reached out, runes spilling from his fingertips. Fan Fei rushed forward, placing her glowing palms against the man's sternum, chi flooding into him. Together, their power pressed down, smothering the awakening.
The man convulsed, let out a sound halfway between a groan and a roar then slumped. The glow dimmed. His chest rose and fell again, steady.
Agamotto lowered his hands, shoulders sagging. He gave a sheepish cough. "All right… that did not work."
Every pair of eyes turned to him at once, their expressions flat with annoyance.
"All is not for naught," Fan Fei said.
"Why's that?" Max asked.
"I was able to establish a mental link stronger than before," she said firmly. "Before, I could only look at the surface. But now I've formed a bond. I can use my chi to speak with him truly speak. Perhaps I can guide him, calm him."
Max exhaled, relief softening his features. "Good. Do that."
Max would rather not go another ten rounds with the Starbrand. Yes, he could win faster with the others here, especially Firehair and Odin but a fight like that might have killed the man for good.
Agamotto inclined his head and raised the bed once more, levitating the slumbering man back toward the room. Fan Fei followed, now planning to take the lead.
=======
As Fan Fei and Agamotto continued their work on the Starbrand, Max and the others decided to do some friendly sparring they had nothing better to do, after all.
He was in the midst of a battle with Firehair, holding his shield high, emerald light bracing against the torrent of flame she hurled at him. The cosmic fire licked and bent, but the shield held. Max knew if she pushed harder, she could break it and overpower him.
He darted forward, his constructs shifting and striking, always pressing the advantage. Firehair was strong, yes, but Max was more versatile. He could adapt faster than raw power could overwhelm him.
Below, Nur, Azzuri, Ghost, and Odin watched the clash. Odin cupped his hands around his mouth and roared up at the sky, "My lady! Show that fool Grænlaðr the true fire of the Phoenix!"
Max caught Firehair's smile at the request as she unleashed a barrage of cosmic flames toward him. His mind reeled as a sudden telepathic push pressed against his thoughts. For a moment, his vision wavered. But Jade had already countered it, and he shook it off, flying through the wall of fire with armor forming around him.
He was about to close the distance when Jade's voice rang in his mind.
"Max. A large fleet of ships just entered the atmosphere."
Max froze mid-strike. Firehair blinked, puzzled, lowering her stance as Max hovered still.
"Kree?" he asked.
"Yes," Jade confirmed. "Most of them are coming from the Moon. Wait—" Her tone sharpened. "More signatures detected: from North America… and another group from Australia."
Max cursed under his breath. Emerald energy flared around him as he created thousands of small drones, scattering them like fireflies into the sky. "Jade, track them. I want to know where every single one of those ships is headed."
Firehair descended toward him. "What is it, Lantern?"
"Trouble," Max said grimly. "Tell the others to get back to the house. We may be about to be invaded by the Kree."
Her eyes widened, then hardened. She tilted her head skyward, eyes flaring gold-white. "I can feel them," she murmured, voice edged with fire. Then, with a rush of flame, she turned and streaked downward toward the others.
Max stayed aloft for a beat longer before he wheeled back toward Agamotto's home.
=======
The newly formed Avengers stood before the screen construct created by Max. On it were a world map and six glowing points pulsing in different regions.
"Six major population centers: Indraprastha, Dwaraka, Gandhara, Lianzhu, Taosi, Uruk… and Ebla."
Max had visited most of the population centers on the planet over the last three years, and he knew these were the largest.
Drone footage streamed in ships descending. From them came blue-skinned warriors, and something else: figures that looked human but with empty eyes and feral movements. Some were bloated and towering, others twisted with elongated limbs, still others deceptively normal.
"They dare!" Odin bellowed, his voice shaking the stone walls. "The Kree dare lay siege to Midgard!"
Firehair's eyes blazed gold as she rose slightly into the air. "Let us not linger. We must go now."
Max didn't hesitate to take the lead. "Yes… we need to split up." The screen flared brighter, highlighting each city as he spoke.
"Agamotto, Azzuri—you go to Indraprastham; it's the largest." The Sorcerer Supreme inclined his head gravely, while the Panther gave a sharp nod.
"Firehair, Odin—Gandhara and Taosi are yours." They exchanged a glance and, without a word, took to the air.
"Fan Fei—you go to Lianzhu." Her hands glowed faintly as she bowed.
"Ghost—Ebla." The Rider adjusted the chains at his side, fire smoldering faintly in his sockets.
"Nur—Dwaraka. The city is already protected by its ruler, the avatar of Vishnu. You will provide support." On the emerald screen, they could see Krishna holding the line against the attack. Nur's lips curled into a grin. "I'll be more than happy to join him."
Max raised his hand and created longship constructs. "These will take you to the cities."
Agamotto, Azzuri, Fan Fei, Ghost, and Nur climbed aboard, and Max willed them away to their destinations.
He turned back to the screen, eyes falling on Uruk. Emerald aura surged around him as he launched into the sky to stop the invasion.
=======
Max streaked down from the upper atmosphere. Space fell away behind him as he dove toward the land between the rivers, the cradle of civilization.
"Jade," he said, eyes narrowing, "any ships in orbit?"
Her voice was calm and efficient in his mind. "Yes, Max. One large vessel parked in the Moon's orbit, making its way toward the planet. Heavy shielding."
Max grinned. "Good. When we're done here, we're paying it a visit."
The city of Uruk sprawled below him. Smoke curled into the air. Screams rose from the streets. Strange shapes darted through the alleys twisted proto-Inhumans, their bodies warped into monstrous forms rampaging through the populace.
Max's eyes narrowed. "Not on my watch."
He extended a hand. Emerald light streaked outward, forming a storm of missile constructs that screamed toward the ground. The first salvo struck the Kree ships clustered outside the gates; they exploded, rocking the surroundings. The second wave rained down on the advancing Kree infantry and their proto-Inhuman horde. The blasts tore through ranks of blue soldiers, and the warped humans were caught in it as well, destroyed.
Max descended, his landing sending a shockwave across the stones of Uruk's wall. The proto-Inhumans turned toward him, shrieking, their eyes empty, their bodies jerking unnaturally.
They rushed him in a wave acid spitters, leapers with grotesque limbs, clawed brutes frothing with mindless rage.
Max only raised his hands.A pulse of emerald light detonated outward, blasting the swarm in every direction. Bodies flew like rag dolls, slammed against walls, torn apart midair, reduced to smears of ash and bone under the raw force of the blast.
Without a pause, Max strode into the city.
Within the streets, the horror was worse families huddled in fear, homes ablaze, more proto-Inhumans killing mindlessly.
Max thought quickly as dozens of hoplite constructs formed around the civilians, shields raised in tight formation to protect them from the monsters. The emerald soldiers moved as one, their phalanx impenetrable.
Kree soldiers opened fire with rifles, but Max casually waved a hand; emerald barriers soaked up the energy blasts before snapping back to send the volleys exploding in their faces.
One twisted proto-Inhuman leapt at him, limbs stretching unnaturally to drag him down. Max flexed, the air around him hardening into blades of light that severed the limbs mid-swing. Another spat acid Max conjured a dome to catch it, then redirected the sizzling liquid back at the creature, dissolving it into sludge.
A third tried to claw into his mind with a telepathic shriek, but Jade swatted the mental intrusion aside like an insect.
"Too easy," he muttered.
He raised his hand again, emerald light shaping into a massive cannon. He fired; the beam struck only the Kree and the nearby proto-Inhumans, turning them to ash.
The Kree had vastly underestimated their chances, Max thought as he crushed the last proto-Inhuman with a giant fist construct, its body breaking apart under the pressure.
"Alert: Kree vessel en route to the sanctuary. Estimated arrival—30 seconds."
Max froze. What? His mind raced.
Wait… this…this was a diversion.
He looked around at the carnage the proto-Inhumans, the Kree. All of this? Just to split us up and…
Then it hit him.
"Oh no…" Max whispered. They want the Starbrand.
The Kree were after the Starbrand.
Max cursed under his breath. He thought about warning the others but then it dawned on him: they hadn't even set up any means of communication yet.
His stomach twisted. That's some piss-poor leadership, Max, he told himself bitterly. First thing after this, we fix that.
There was no more time.
Max launched into the sky, the rivers and desert blurring below him.
He could not let the Kree take the Starbrand.
.
.
.
Zeydra stood inside the mountain home of the Sorcerer, her eyes fixed on the flickering holo-screens stretched before her. They showed nothing but disaster. Her warriors, her soldiers, the human experiments she had been so proud of all of them were being cut down, burned, shattered, and ripped apart.
She was glad she had changed her original plan from a full assault to a feint meant to lure them away. She had done this because she believed the Starbrand would become active if she attacked its location directly.
The new plan had worked in only one respect: they had lured away most of the enemy, scattering them across the globe. But killing them? Crushing them? That part was failing spectacularly.
Zeydra's jaw clenched as the screens cycled her soldiers screaming as a pale woman cloaked in flames incinerated them in waves. A human woman… with this much power. She hadn't expected that. And there were others eight of them now, not three. Eight who fought like armies unto themselves.
She had chosen carefully when assembling this force. She hadn't brought her ten most prized experiments. Those she had left behind, ordered to be moved from the Garden to their main base on this planet's Moon. She had brought only one, the strongest Veylak with her. Enough, she had thought if only one of them stayed behind. And now, watching the holo-screens, she realized with cold certainty: even Veylak might not be enough.
"Get the Starbrand aboard. Now," she commanded her men.
They hurried to obey, sealing the unconscious olive-skinned human in a pod and taking him inside.
She boarded the ship after they loaded the pod. But before she reached the command deck, an alert rang out.
"My lady! The anomaly, the green one, is closing in! Twenty seconds!"
Her blood ran cold.
On the screen, she saw it: a streak of emerald light cutting through the horizon, growing larger with every moment. The damned anomaly.
Her pulse hammered in her chest. Fear clawed at her throat. She almost faltered, almost let it show until she remembered who she was. She had been an Accuser once. Kree High Justice. She was no trembling coward.
She turned and sprinted toward the aft pod-bay doors. Veylak followed. She stopped at the still-open doors as the ship began to lift off.
"How long for the cannon to prime?" she asked. Her flagship was in orbit, and it carried one of the most powerful orbital cannons in the Kree Empire.
"Thirty seconds, my lady," came the response.
"Use your power," Zeydra commanded. "Slow him down!"
Veylak raised both hands. The very air warped around him as he unleashed a crushing force of gravity at the emerald man hurtling toward them. The hull groaned under the pressure.
Her officers stared at the displays in disbelief.
"My lady he isn't slowing!" one cried. "Veylak has hit him with thirty thousand gravs!"
"Increase it!" she snapped.
"Eighty thousand…!" the officer stammered. "Still coming!"
"More!"
"One hundred and twenty… two hundred… half a million!" Sweat dripped down the Kree's blue skin as the numbers climbed. "He's slowing but only a fraction!"
Zeydra's throat tightened. The emerald glow was closer now larger. Too large.
"Full power!" she screamed. "Shut off the regulators! Release everything!"
"My lady, that might—!" another warned.
"I said DO IT!"
Zeydra heard locks disengage on Veylak's suit as he roared, his body contorting as he channeled raw, unrestrained gravity.
The readings spiked wildly.
"One million… five million… ten million gravs!" the officer shouted, his voice breaking. "It's climbing!"
And still, on the forward viewscreen, the emerald streak pressed closer—slowed, yes, but never stopped. The Green Lantern pushed against the crushing weight of a collapsing star.
What in the name of Hala are you?
"Veylak everything you have!" she screamed.
Her officers' faces were pale as they watched the readings spike.
"One hundred million gravs!" one shouted.
She watched as the emerald streak faltered he stopped dead in the sky, then his body began tumbling downward.
Zeydra's lips curled into a snarl. "The cannon …is it primed?"
"Yes, my lady!"
"Fire it now!"
From orbit, her flagship obeyed. The void split open as a spear of blinding white light lanced down toward the planet. The mountain range below vanished in brilliance, the sky itself igniting.
KRRRAAASHHHHHH-BOOOOOOOOOM!
The shockwave rattled her ship even as they climbed higher into the atmosphere.
Zeydra leaned over the railing, chest heaving, eyes alight with triumph. "Scan for life signs," she hissed. "I want confirmation."
There was no response from the officers.
"Well? Answer me!" she roared.
At last, one stammered, "My lady… there are… there are still signs of life."
The blood drained from Zeydra's face. "What?"
"The anomaly… it endures," he said, voice trembling. "He… still lives."
Zeydra's nails dug into her palms. Fear a foreign, hated sensation crept into her chest. She shoved it down with fury.
"Then I need it," she whispered, eyes wild. "The Starbrand. With its power I'll kill him no, it. All of them!"
Her voice rose to a scream. "Set a course back to the base!"
Zeydra had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She felt she had made enemies of forces beyond her comprehension.
A part of her feared even the Starbrand wouldn't be enough.
.
.
You can read up to chapter 45 here
p.a.t.r.eon.com/Illusiveone (check the chapter summary i have it there as well)