From The Ashes - 009

[A/N: There were some questions about what kind of path Noah is going to walk, i.e. being a loner, a member of the Avengers, or something entirely different. I can't really answer that definitively as I haven't worked out much of the plot yet but I think it will be a mix of them all.

Noah is very much a free spirit as after his experiences in the Army, he doesn't want to be under anyone's command again, so he won't ever take 'orders' from Fury or the Captain.

He is however not opposed to lending a hand when necessary as he doesn't have any concrete plans or ambitions for his future besides looking to strengthen himself. There isn't this inner urge to explore the Universe inside him that Elijah feels, so as long as he is on Earth, he naturally wouldn't want it to be destroyed.

He is somewhat similar to Thor in this aspect, as he doesn't mind fighting with the Avengers but he doesn't necessarily share their views or lets himself be dragged along for every little squabble.

First and foremost though, Noah has to find his own path in this new world after he accepted the chance that has been given to him. And along this path, he will find someone that can make him whole again.]

Chapter 009 – Conclusion

[2012]

Once again, there was silence on the deck of the Helicarrier but unlike before, when it was quiet bewilderment that had caused it due to the sudden appearance of the flaming avian, and more importantly, the intentions that had led it there, this one was filled with graveness and tension.

Fury wasn't any different in this aspect as the images were clear enough for them to see exactly how the stranger had taken down the Hulk with a single devastating blow.

Having seen and experienced firsthand the destruction an unleashed Banner could cause, so much so that even a living god couldn't put a stop to it, his initial trepidation had turned into anxiousness and real fear as he started to seriously doubt that the Avengers had what it took to take down someone who could stop Banner with such overwhelming ease.

In the back of his mind, he also couldn't help but curse his luck.

Loki had already given him a headache and made him anxious as the Asgardian had proven how much of a danger he was by having turned his agents into his puppets and having called upon an army that had laid waste to half of New York, playing with them and smashing their efforts at every turn.

But this monstrous 'man', even if he was alone without an army or some kind of ingenious plan, seemed much more dangerous than Thor's brother, simply on the account of his overwhelming strength.

…

I wasn't sure what had happened exactly, or rather, I had no explanation for it.

The moment that I had struck the Tesseract with a Haki-infused blow, having fully intended to crush the cosmic object with my hands under the enhancement of a raging tide of spiritual energy, the cube had just disintegrated into fine dust while the Space Stone had fallen into my hands serenely, having been wholly unaffected by the earth-shattering blow that I had unleashed.

Instead, from one moment to another, a connection had been forged between the sentient cosmic ingot and my mind, the destructive arcs of blue energy that had wreaked havoc in my body had turned into streams of baptizing and nourishing cosmic vitality that enhanced my physique even further.

As such, I wasn't sure what or how it had happened but I knew that I had just 'tamed' an Infinity Stone.

Having no intention to part with the stone but having no gear at hand to place it onto, I had naturally chosen to hide the cosmic object in the safest place that I could find without losing access to its power, which was without a doubt inside my own body.

The following 'clash' with Banner, on the other hand, had been rather anticlimactic and had held no surprises as the green rage-fuelled alter-ego hadn't been able to withstand my physical strength in combination with my Armament Haki, nor had his sudden attack caught me off guard due to my Observation Haki warning me of his approach.

I had used a burst of Emission to enhance my strike further, the shockwave having a devastating effect on his brain.

There wasn't any doubt in my mind that anyone else would have died after suffering such a strike but given the astonishing healing powers that Banner possessed in this form, he survived the blow, even though he fell unconscious and returned to his human form, his wounds healed.

I hadn't used Internal Destruction though, as it wasn't a technique that Marco was particularly proficient in, something that I planned to change in the coming days. After all, if I could use it, one finger alone would have been enough to stop the Hulk.

The destructive power and precision of Internal Destruction were many times greater than Emission, and it most certainly was an ability that I wanted in my repertoire.

"My name is Noah. Noah Hatahle.", I voiced out, finally introducing myself to the Avengers.

My father had been half-Navajo while my mother had been French, they had met and fallen in love when my father had visited some relatives in France as a young man. And while I had inherited my father's name, my looks I had from my mother.

"And the Tesseract is no more.", I stated while glancing at Thor, knowing that he was the only one that really had a 'need' for the cosmic cube.

…

Looking back at the black-haired man, their gazes clashing for a moment, for the first time in many many years, Thor consciously reined in his temper as he realized that his hammer might not be able to help him solve the problem before him.

He could sense the absolutely menacing aura that was hidden inside the figure of the one that called himself 'Noah'. It smelled of lethal danger and mercilessness. The man's presence had nothing human as far as his divine eyes could tell.

And even if the Asgardian Prince hated to admit it, just looking at the unconscious Banner, returned to his human form after having been struck down by the stranger, he knew that he might not escape unscathed from a battle with the man.

In fact, he even thought that it was very likely that he would lose even with Mjölnir by his side. Not that he would admit such a thing out loud.

Still, looking at his exhausted and injured temporary battle companions, Thor knew that even if he could somehow emerge victorious, it was likely that none of them would survive while he battled it out with the stranger.

More disturbing though was the fact that such a clash would be absolutely foolish if he could not get his hands on the Tesseract in the end, which he desperately needed to reignite the Bifrost.

"You destroyed it?", he questioned darkly, suppressed anger lacing his words.

Opening his palms, Thor watched as 'Noah' created a pair of small portals above them as he answered calmly, seemingly unbothered by his anger: "I did. And I took its powers for myself."

His thoughts coming to a full halt, the Asgardian Prince's eyes couldn't help but widen a fraction, finding himself at a loss.

Naturally, he wasn't an idiot and recalled that the stranger had pushed some strange object into his chest but even if that was the core of the Tesseract, obtaining it now seemed almost impossible as the stranger didn't even have to face him in battle anymore.

He could simply use the Tesseract's power to disappear without anyone being able to stop him.

On the other hand, if the man was willing to help him get back home and use his newly-gained power to reignite the Bifrost, it would still solve Asgard's current crisis without fail.

The question that remained though was a difficult one to answer: Was the stranger willing to help?

“You don't plan to bring another army here and invade Earth now, do you?”, Stark interjected, his arms raised and aimed at 'Noah', his question spoken with a half-serious tone that caused them all to tense up a bit.

Turning towards the armored man, the stranger stated with a light shake of his head: “I have no interest in bringing harm to this planet or its population, nor do I want to rule it. I aim to empower myself but not at the cost of innocent lives.”

Lowering his hammer, Thor's frown eased up slightly as he saw glimpses of a chance to end this matter peacefully and without any more bloodshed.

“Maybe we should have a talk then.”, the Captain suggested while looking at the obviously dangerous individual before them.

Nodding, 'Noah' seemingly agreed as he answered: "We will but later. For now, there are still other things that require my attention, and yours."

And with that, the stranger vanished into a cloud of blue smoke.