The road to New York was long and grueling. It took nearly five hours before the bus finally rolled into the Big Apple. They arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, and as they stepped out onto the busy platform, they were immediately struck by the difference.
New York felt alive in a way Boston hadn't. A river of people flowed around them—men and women of every background and color, rushing through the terminal with briefcases in hand, phones pressed to their ears. Teenagers zipped by on skateboards, weaving through the crowds until police officers shouted after them, trying to chase them off.
The air was thick, almost suffocating. Especially for Hal. The storm of emotions swirling around him hit like a freight train—flashes of anger, sorrow, joy, hope. It was like being frozen and burned at the same time, like being smothered under invisible boulders. There were brighter sensations, too: a radiant warmth from a laughing couple nearby, a brisk, refreshing coolness from a group of tourists, and the occasional ticklish flutter of excitement from strangers chasing dreams. After months of traveling alongside traumatized kids, Hal had learned to endure the onslaught.
The group huddled together in a quiet corner, stretching sore legs after the cramped ride.
"Alright, I'll go find tickets for the next bus upstate," Roberto said, adjusting the hoodie over his head. "You guys wait here."
Without waiting for a reply, he pushed his way into the crowd.
Hal turned to Illyana, who was glancing around the terminal with a skeptical look.
"First time in New York?" Hal asked. "What do you think?"
Illyana shrugged, unimpressed. "Busy. I don't like it."
Hal chuckled. "Yeah, me neither."
He glanced at Rahne, catching the tense frown on her face. She wasn't taking in the sights—she was focused on a pair of uniformed officers posted near the main entrance. They weren't just chatting; their eyes were scanning the crowd, hands twitching toward radios clipped to their shoulders.
Rahne leaned in and whispered, "I think someone's suspicious. Those officers... they're not just regular cops."
Hal's stomach sank.
"What do we do?" Dani whispered, her voice tight with panic.
"Move," Hal said quietly, scanning the station before pointing to a cluster of chairs near the restrooms. "Over there. Stay low."
He caught Sam's eye and jerked his head toward the new spot. Sam nodded, rounding up the girls and leading them quickly but casually toward the safer corner.
Meanwhile, Hal slipped away toward Roberto, who was arguing with a station staff member at the ticket counter. He caught the tail end of the conversation as he approached.
"I can't refund it?" Roberto asked, frustrated. He clutched a stack of tickets in one hand. "I told the guy earlier I needed a bus to the Avengers Compound. He said you had that route."
"Sorry, kid," the staff member replied with a shrug. "It's sold out. You've gotta book that one at least a week in advance."
"What?" Roberto's brow furrowed. "It's a destination. How can it be sold out for a whole week?"
"It's not a destination, it's a tour," the staff member sighed, sounding like he'd explained it a hundred times today. "I gave you the next best thing. You can catch a taxi from Bloomington to the compound."
"Oh. Alright. Thanks." Roberto nodded, turning away—only to find Hal standing right behind him, his face tense.
"Where are the others? What's wrong?" Roberto asked.
Hal grabbed his arm and pulled him toward a quieter corner. "Someone's watching us. It's only a matter of time before they alert whoever's after us."
"Ah, shit," Roberto muttered, glancing at the tickets in his hand. "I already bought these. What do we do?"
"First, we get back to the others."
They weaved through the crowd and regrouped. The tension in the air was thick as Rahne immediately spoke up.
"He reported us," she said, voice low. "The cops. I heard him on his radio."
"What do we do now?" Sam asked, panic creeping into his voice. "We can't just get on that bus—they're gonna be waitin' for us."
"We don't have much of a choice," Roberto muttered grimly.
All eyes turned to Hal. He was staring at the ground, tapping his foot rapidly, thinking fast. Then he stopped, lifting his head.
"We ditch the bus," Hal said firmly. "How much money do we have left?"
"Forty bucks," Roberto replied.
"Good enough. We grab a taxi. Head as far north as forty bucks will take us."
"And after that?" Roberto asked.
Hal looked up, calm and steady now. "I'll take it from there."
"What do you mean?" Dani asked, frowning. "Take it how?"
"I'll make a bubble around us and fly the rest of the way. Unless one of you wants to fly yourselves?" Hal looked at Roberto and Sam, but both of them quickly shook their heads.
"So it's settled?" Hal asked.
"Like we have a choice," Dani muttered.
"Alright then," Hal said, his voice low and urgent. "Let's move."
They plunged into the thick crowd, weaving their way toward the exit. The air outside was even dirtier than inside—heavy with exhaust fumes and the buzz of city life. They hit the sidewalk and immediately began scanning for a taxi.
It didn't take long. A yellow cab sat parked at the curb, its driver reading a newspaper. Hal knocked on the window, and the man lazily rolled it down.
"For forty bucks, how far north can you take us?" Hal asked.
The man squinted at them. "Uh… Bronx, maybe Hudson Hill?"
"Fine. Take us there." Hal gestured to the others. "All six of us."
The cabbie blinked, glancing at the tiny back seat. "Whoa, whoa, I can only squeeze maybe four back there, tops."
"We'll make it work." Hal grabbed the crumpled bills from Roberto and offered them out. "Deal?"
The driver sighed. "I dunno what you kids are up to, but yeah, sure. Ain't had a fare all day anyway. Go on, pile in."
Without waiting, they crammed into the taxi, bags and all. Hal squeezed into the front passenger seat with Roberto, while Sam, Illyana, Dani, and Rahne crammed into the back—Rahne ending up on Dani's lap.
"Go!" Hal urged.
"Relax, kid," the cabbie said with a grumble, shifting into drive. "Kids these days, I swear..."
The taxi merged into Manhattan's messy traffic. Hal glanced back and saw two cops emerging from the station, scanning the streets.
"Are we safe?" Dani asked, unable to turn around with Rahne squished on her lap.
"For now," Hal said.
The driver caught their tense expressions in the rearview mirror. "Someone chasin' you? I ain't lookin' for no trouble, alright?"
"It's fine, sir. Just some weirdos," Dani said quickly.
The driver snorted. "Ah, creeps. Good riddance then, if you ask me!"
The taxi picked up speed, weaving through traffic as they left Manhattan behind. The city slowly fell away in the rearview mirror—and for now, they were still free from chase.
—
After nearly fifty minutes, the taxi rolled into a quiet neighborhood in the Bronx. The streets were rough and cracked, making the final stretch of the ride bumpy. Eventually, the cab pulled up at a small, dimly lit intersection, the sharp crack of the handbrake cutting through the silence.
Without wasting a second, Hal and the others spilled out of the cab into the chilly evening air.
"You kids gonna be alright out here?" the driver called out, leaning over his seat. "It's cold—and it's only gonna get worse. Fall's almost over."
"We'll be fine, sir. Thanks for the ride," Hal said, offering a nod.
"Alright then. Stay safe!" the driver replied, rolling up the window and pulling away, the cab's taillights shrinking into the distance until they disappeared completely.
The group stood alone under the cold, clouded sky. Dani hugged herself tightly, her breath visible in the air. "So now what?" she asked, teeth chattering. "You're just gonna bubble us up and fly? It's freezing—and we're gonna be even colder up there."
Hal exhaled slowly, scanning the neighborhood one last time. "The compound isn't too far from here. We're on a clock, Dani. If it gets bad, Roberto can warm us up."
Everyone turned to look at Roberto, who let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Fine. Just hurry up already."
Hal nodded. He stepped back a few paces and clenched his fists. A soft hum filled the air as a glowing green bubble materialized around the group, lifting them gently off the cracked pavement.
"Whoa!" Dani yelped, arms flailing for balance. "Hey—careful!"
Hal didn't answer. Instead, green energy flared around him as he lifted himself into the air, floating just above the ground. He turned his gaze northward, towards the distant treetops, and slowly ascended, guiding the bubble along with him.
The ground fell away beneath them, the buildings shrinking into miniature models below. Dani clung tighter to her jacket, gulping as they reached nearly three hundred feet in the air.
Hal steadied the bubble and floated alongside it. "Everyone alright in there?"
"I-It's f-freezing!" Dani stammered, hugging herself even tighter.
Roberto raised his palm, summoning a ball of crackling plasma. Instantly, the warmth spread through the bubble, making the cold a little more bearable. Rahne, shivering beside Dani, partially shifted into her wolf form, thin fur creeping up her arms and face for extra insulation.
Hal hovered closer to the bubble, locking eyes with Roberto and Sam. "Remember what I told you last night?"
Both nodded solemnly.
"If something goes wrong…" Hal hesitated, then finished, "I'm counting on you."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned north and set off, the bubble gliding along behind him. He moved carefully—not too fast, just enough to cut across the sky without tossing the others around.
Inside the bubble, Sam leaned back against the glowing wall, watching the world pass below. The city lights faded behind them, replaced by the dark silhouettes of trees and winding roads. Roberto's fireball flickered warmly at their center, casting long, comforting shadows as they left the suburbs behind and crossed into the thick forests of upstate New York.
"So... after this, we'll be safe then, aye?" Rahne asked softly, her voice barely carrying over the wind.
"Ain't no guarantees," Sam said. "But we're talkin' 'bout Captain America. If anybody's gonna help, it's him."
"What if he doesn't?" Dani asked, fidgeting nervously.
"Stop worrying," Roberto said with a wave of his hand. "It'll be fine."
"We should have a backup plan, though," Dani insisted. "Just in case."
"I know a place," Illyana said suddenly, her voice calm as she hugged her knees and stared down at the endless forest below.
Hal, floating just outside the bubble, blinked in surprise. "You do? Don't tell me it's Limbo."
"No," Illyana said bluntly. "I'm the Sorcerer Supreme of Limbo. If this so-called Captain America won't take us, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth will."
"A what now?" Roberto raised an eyebrow. "Sorcerer Supreme? What's that supposed to be?"
"You don't know?" Illyana asked, genuinely confused.
Everyone else exchanged blank looks. Even Hal looked a little exasperated.
"Wait, seriously?" he said. "Doctor Strange?"
"Doctor who?" Roberto said, frowning. "Weird name. How was I supposed to know that?"
"He tried to fight off the invasion a few years ago," Hal explained. "Here in New York. With Tony Stark, Dr. Banner, Spider-Man... before, you know, the Snap."
"Oh, you mean the wizard guy who hung around with Tony Stark?" Sam said, snapping his fingers.
"What?" Roberto turned to him. "You know that?"
"Not really." Sam shrugged. "I just saw it on the news once. He's the guy with the red cape, right? Or maybe the Asian dude? I don't know which one's Doctor Strange."
"It's the white guy," Hal said, deadpan.
Dani squinted at Hal, suspicious. "Hold on. How do you know all this? You're not, like... some secret Sorcerer Supreme of another dimension, are you?"
Everyone, even Illyana, stared at him now.
Hal opened his mouth to answer—but then he froze, his eyes catching something in the distance. He pointed quickly. "Hey, look! The compound!"
Instantly, the tension broke as everyone turned to follow his gaze. Below them, illuminated by scattered floodlights, was a collection of buildings surrounded by high walls and barbed wire. Above the largest building, the Avengers logo gleamed proudly.
"I can't believe it..." Dani breathed. "The Avengers. I always dreamed of meeting them."
But just as the excitement began to build, Hal caught something else out of the corner of his eye—a glint of white moving fast against the dark sky. He squinted, trying to make it out.
It wasn't just a dot. It was a person—no, not a person. An armor.
An Iron Man suit.
Without warning, streaks of light blue energy tore through the air like lightning. One bolt struck Hal directly—absorbed harmlessly into his glowing body—but the others smashed into the green construct bubble. The impact shattered it instantly, breaking Hal's concentration.
The group plummeted toward the ground, falling fast, the rush of air roaring in their ears.
Hal's eyes widened in panic. Without hesitation, he dove after them, green energy surging around his hands. He caught nearly all of them, wrapping them again in a hastily-formed shield just in time to land them safely on a flat patch of grass near the Hudson River.
The one he missed—Illyana—opened a portal mid-fall and stepped out calmly beside them a moment later, entirely unfazed.
"What the hell was that?!" Roberto gasped, heart pounding.
Hal didn't answer. He was already staring up, searching for their attacker. The white speck from earlier was approaching fast—and now, Hal could see it clearly.
An Iron Man suit. No, not just a suit. Something else.
Recognition—and confusion—flashed across Hal's face. "Wait, what?! Why is he here?!"
The figure landed heavily before them, repulsors whining. It raised its hands, the whir of charging energy filling the cold night air.
"Stand down," a cold, robotic voice ordered. "You are classified as escapees. Surrender immediately to avoid further harm."
Dani's eyes widened in horror. "Is that Vision?! I thought he was dead!"
Hal stared hard. No—this wasn't the Vision he remembered. The figure was different: synthetic arms reinforced with visible repulsors, legs rebuilt for flight. He's just a hollow shell—a vibranium armor drone, repurposed.
"Rahne." Hal spoke quickly, his voice sharp. "Listen. Run to the compound. Find the Avengers. Get help. Now."
"But that's Vision!" Roberto argued. "He's one of them!"
"No!" Hal snapped. "That's not Vision. Just trust me! Rahne, go!"
Terrified but trusting, Rahne nodded. In an instant, she shifted into her wolf form, leaving away her clothing, bolting toward the distant compound.
The synthetic Vision's head twitched slightly, tracking her.
"Subject resisting. Override: lethal force authorized."
A flash of blue repulsor fire erupted from its palms, aiming straight at Rahne.
Hal threw up a barrier just in time—the blast slammed against it, making the barrier shake but otherwise healthy. The force startled Rahne, making her glance back, but she kept running, faster now.
"Don't stop!" Hal shouted. "Run!"
Illyana grinned wickedly, summoning her Soulsword in a burst of white-blue light. Nearby, Hal spotted armored vehicles speeding down the road—S.W.O.R.D. agents closing in.
"Combat engagement this close to the Avengers Compound," Hal muttered under his breath. "They're insane."
The Vision-drone shifted its attention back to Hal, scanning him with a mechanical whine. It raised its arms again.
Another blast fired—Hal met it head-on, absorbing the energy into his body. Orange light pulsed through him, mixing with the green and a faint tinge of red. Power flared at his fists and eyes.
"Roberto, Sam," Hal growled, the air around him crackling with energy, "protect Dani. Handle the agents coming in."
Then he turned to Illyana.
Illyana's grin widened, her Soulsword gleaming. "Not running this time?"
"No," Hal said, crouching into a fighting stance. His voice dropped low and lethal. "We're taking down this abomination. On my signal..."
With a blast of green and orange energy, Hal rocketed forward, barreling straight toward the Vision-drone.
"To me!" he roared.