Masquerade of Marvel: Chaos Reborn

The gym's shadowed stillness carried a faint creak of worn mats as Jake stood, the Mask a quiet weight in his pocket, his hands brushing the shoulders of the newest girl small, green-skinned, seven years old with eyes sharp like his own. Jen lingered near the door, her green silhouette steady in the dim light, warm and solid, a presence he didn't clutch but couldn't ignore. Jade stood beside him, her green skin catching the faint glow, calm and sure, her hand resting near her sisters' a bond weaving them together. The four girls clustered close: Jade at twelve, steady and sharp; the eight-year-old, quiet and watchful; the five-year-old, fragile and soft-spoken; and the four-year-old, curious and new, all with chaos-streaks faded from their skin. Their hands brushed his legs, sparks he'd ignited and now held. "Stand," he muttered, voice low, the word tasting firm, his kids, Jen's kids, lights he'd sparked and now guided.

Flatbush rested tonight, the air thick and still, green pulses dim across the skyline, leaving Church Avenue a hushed thread in the city's worn fabric. Beyond the gym's boarded windows, brownstones stood silent, their stoops empty, streetlights spilling soft pools of light over cracked pavement. Jade tilted her head, catching a sound a faint rustle slicing through the quiet, not chaos, not a hum, just a whisper threading the silence, sharp and swift. "Hear that?" she said, voice steady, Jen's grit in her tone, his fire simmering beneath, her eyes flicking to the window, then back to him, daring him to move.

He tilted his head, listening, the rustle pulsing faint then sharp, weaving through the night, not a rumble, just a swift whisper cutting the stillness. "Yeah," he said, voice rough but soft, glancing at her, then the girls Jade firm, her sisters fragile his kids, his echoes his purpose. "Something's out there, moving fast. What's your green telling you?" Jade's hands flexed, a faint glow shimmering, her sisters mirroring her, tiny palms pulsing soft, her gaze narrowing as she tuned it, a hum syncing with his own.

"Buzzing," she said, voice low, her eyes flicking to the door, Jen's resolve threading through, "close now, sharp, like it's hunting, waiting." The eight-year-old shifted, her voice a whisper, "hunting," her hand brushing Jake's knee, Jen's strength finding a thread, the five-year-old curled closer, her voice softer, "close," his spark taking root, the four-year-old tilted her head, her voice faint, "fast," Jen's warmth in her eyes his kids, daring him to stand. Jen stepped closer, her heat brushing them, her smile gone, settling beside them, her hand resting on his shoulder, solid, her other brushing the five-year-old's hair, guiding without haste.

"They're sensing it," she said, voice a murmur, glancing at Jake, her eyes steady, Jen's grit cutting through, "something's out there, stalking 'em. You're guiding, show 'em how." He exhaled slowly, the weight settling, Jade and her sisters, his kids, not just chaos, a hum he'd sparked and now tuned, standing with care, Jade beside him, her sisters in his arms eight in one, five in the other, four and seven clinging to his sides Jen rising, her steps a soft echo, following, steady at their backs his kids, his why.

They stepped onto Church Avenue, Flatbush's quiet stretching, brownstones casting long shadows, the gym's glow fading behind them. Jade matched his stride, her sisters curling closer small hands brushing his chest Jen's steps a quiet rhythm, the rustle pulsing sharper, weaving through the block, drawing them toward a narrow alley then a shadow flickered swift, silent Proxima Midnight emerged, her spear gleaming in the streetlight's glow, eyes fixed on them, cold and predatory Cull Obsidian loomed behind, his hammer a dark bulk Thanos' Black Order, stalking soft, hunting.

Jake stopped, crouching, shielding the girls Jade beside him her green glow pulsing, syncing with her sisters' eight reaching out, five brushing his chest, four and seven tilting their heads Jen stepping forward her heat brushing them her fists clenching solid her eyes flicking to Proxima Jen's resolve guiding his spark "Feel it?" he said voice low meeting Jade's gaze Jen's steel in her eyes his wildness daring him to stand her sisters watching Jen's eyes steady guiding without haste just there.

Jade's glow steadied, "yeah," she said voice low Jen's grit finding rhythm "feels off, sharp, like it's waiting hunting us." The eight-year-old whispered, "close," her voice fragile Jen's warmth threading through the five-year-old echoed, "sharp," her voice softer his spark taking hold the four-year-old murmured, "fast," her voice faint the seven-year-old added, "cold," Jen's strength his chaos Jake nodded slow the weight settling Jade and her sisters his kids not just chaos an echo a hum he'd sparked and now tuned reaching out guiding Jade's hand easing her grip standing moving slow guiding Jade beside him her sisters in his arms Jen at his side his kids his why.

Proxima's spear twitched her lips curling "your lineage ends," she said voice low cold Cull shifting his hammer rising Jake's voice cut through "not tonight" rough but steady Jade's glow pulsed stronger threading soft not wild just there her sisters' glow syncing pulsing faint Jen stepping forward her fists glowing Jen's steel his fire "Stay close," he said voice low meeting their gazes "we move it aim it together you're my lights I'm your guide."

Flatbush's quiet stretched the gym a sanctuary of dim ruin the alley pulsing with green his kids his chaos simmering low She-Hulk's strength grit cutting through the Black Order stalking the world trembled under his legacy Thanos loomed SHIELD hunted the X-Men watched he gripped the Mask grinning sharp Jade beside him her sisters in his arms his kids his why "Time to guide the fight."