From The Ashes - 008

Chapter 008 – Terror

[2012]

Frowning deeply under his helmet, Stark looked at the energy storm above them, which consisted of blue arcs of pure energy given off by the Tesseract as well as streaks of blue fire that most likely came from the stranger.

He wasn't sure what was happening but the energy readings of his suit informed him that whatever was going on had the potential to raze the whole block if they couldn't get it under control.

Acting rashly though could make things much worse, so when he saw that Thor was readying his hammer again was about to just jump back onto the roof, he quickly stopped him.

“Wait! We don't know what's going, if you interfere rashly and this blows up, none of us will get out of this alive!”

“If we do nothing that man or creature, or whatever he is, might just take the Tesseract or worse. He might have saved you but that doesn't mean that he has no ulterior motive.”, Thor replied before adding gravely, “We cannot allow the Tesseract to be taken away, especially not by a being of unknown origin!”

“Whatever he is, I don't think he had any ill intent towards us.”, Natasha interjected, a serious look on her face as she looked at the energy storm.

She hadn't fallen unconscious like the Professor had after being attacked since she was more robust and well trained, which meant that she knew how to minize the damage taken through a fall while being less susceptible to injury thanks to her enhancements.

Stark had just grabbed her while jumping from the roof as the distance to the large terrace on which they were standing at the moment was still quite a significant one.

“That man could have easily killed us, especially the Professor. I think he just wants the Tesseract.”, she added, which wasn't really helping in calming down and stopping the Asgardian from acting rashly.

“Let me fly up and see what's going on first. We can't risk this thing blowing up in our face.”, Tony stated decisively while he saw Rogers and Barton arrive through the elevator through his visor.

Though just as he was prepared to activate his thrusters, the cosmic energy storm retracted and a shockwave of fire erupted and dyed the sky in an unnatural blue glow.

Feeling the whole building shake for a moment while countless windows shattered and cracked, stones, pieces of concrete, and metal shards flying everywhere, Stark managed to shield the female Agent beside him even if he was a bit unsteady on his feet for a moment before immediately flying up to see what was going on after the shockwaves had passed.

Thor beside him also made a leap up the roof while the other three seem to run toward the stairs that led up.

Landing at the edge, Tony could see that the roof looked as if a bomb had gone off, though it was thankfully still intact for the most part even if the concrete was exposed and cracked in some places, the steel grid inside keeping it all together.

Though as his gaze fell on the being who was responsible for all this, he couldn't quite help but be surprised.

Blue translucent flames flickering on his body, his shirt basically nonexistent any longer, the black haired man didn't seem injured in the slightest while the veins on his body seemed to be glowing with potent energy.

The Tesseract though was nowhere to be seen, which caused Thor to call out angrily: “State your name, stranger! What have you done to the Tesseract?!”

The man though didn't seem to care about the raging Asgardian god, who was already spinning his hammer, as he just took two steps forward before crouching down and grabing a shard of metal that was most likely part of the destroyed apparatus that had enabled Loki to open a stable portal.

And just as Stark thought that a fight would break out any moment, energy already gathering in the replusor node in his hands, the stranger stabbed his own chest with the shard, dragging it through his flesh with nothing but a frown and gritted teeth.

Rogers and the others also caught sight of this scene when they came through the battered entrace that led to the roof.

Shocked, Stark watched on quietly as the man ripped out the metal shard and pressed his other hand into his wound, a small blue glowing object falling into his sight while he did so.

The sound of something hard scraping against the stranger's ribs fell into Stark's ears through the sensitive noise detectors of his armor while the man pushed the object deeper into his bleeding wound. And it made an unpleasant shiver go down his spine while his suit also caught the shocked whisper of Barton.

“What the actual fuck … “

It seemed like even a well-trained veteran SHIELD Agent couldn't help but let his manners slip and curse at this rather morbid scene while Thor also seemed to have forgotten his anger for a moment.

Raising to his feet again, blood running down his side before a flash of blue fire just erased his wound, the man finally opened his mouth and was about to speak when a roar sounded out, along with an air-breaking and crashing sound.

*SWOSH* *CRACK*

The whole roof shook as the small green giant landed on it, cracking the concrete further as well as seriously damaging the integrity of the roof.

“Banner, stop!”, Steve was the first to react as he stepped forward and shouted, even though it was to no avail.

The green goliath didn't care and just lunged at the stranger, his giant hands ready to tear him to shreds. The expected scene though didn't occur as the stranger reacted faster than any of them.

*SWHISH*

His arms and legs gaining a lightless black colour, a ripple of fire and wind was blasted outwards as he moved towards the Hulk with incredible speed that even Tony's suit could barely catch sight of.

Diving under his arms and stepping on his knee, before grabbing onto his shoulder and appearing behind the rage-fuelled gamma beast like a specter, the stranger attacked Banner's head with a crushing blow from both his blackened elbow and knee, pounding the incomparably hard skull from two sides without any hesitation or restraint.

*BOOM*

His attack held such power that a visible shockwave was fired out that pushed all of them back.

*CRASH*

And the next thing that fell into their eyes was a sight that none of them would probably forget anytime soon as the hulking green body of Banner just collapsed in front of them, knocked out cold with a single strike from the stranger, blood running down his nose and ears as he shrank and transformed back.

His breath getting stuck in his throat, Stark's movement froze similar to his temporary teammates as real terror surged in his heart.

The stranger though just stared at them with calm grey eyes, their depths holding within them a faint blue light, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm after he lightly landed on his feet, his limbs having already returned to their original colour.

“My name is Noah. Noah Hatahle.”, he stated with a glance at Thor, “And the Tesseract is no more.”

The pressure that accompanied the calm gaze and simple words after what they had just witnessed was near-overwhelming though.