The moon hung heavy in the night sky, casting a cold, pale light over the war-torn waters of the Atlantic.
The sound of crashing waves was distant, swallowed by the muffled hum of the sleek Quinjet that cut through the air like a shadow.
'This turned out to be more complicated than I thought,' Peter inwardly sighed.
He glanced back at the rest of the team, sprawled across the cabin. The Young Avengers were gearing up for what promised to be a high-stakes mission: tracking down and exposing a saboteur threatening to ignite a war between Talokan and Wakanda.
Miles Morales leaned against the wall, his suit's webbing shifting as he fidgeted. "Are we really doing this?" he asked, eyes flicking over the others. "Sneaking into enemy territory to steal intel? Feels like we're going rogue here."
"We don't have a choice," Laura X-23 replied, her voice low but firm. "The world's hanging by a thread. If we don't stop this, no one will."
Peter Parker was already flipping through a holographic display, adjusting his web-shooters with precision. "Don't worry, Miles. It's just like a high-school field trip, but with a lot more high-tech gadgets and super-powered people. What could go wrong?"
Anna cracked a grin, her posture confident, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes. "Yeah, right. Except this trip is to prevent a potential war. No big deal."
David's smirk was laced with amusement. "That's the spirit. Now, let's keep it tight. We're dealing with an Atlantean extremist who wants to make waves—literal and political. Xib'alb'a, an Atleantean extremist is the one pulling the strings according to my investigation, and we need proof."
Kamala Khan, her ever-optimistic presence glowing, stood up, stretching her arms. "So, we break in, grab the tech, and save the day. Got it. How hard can it be?"
Pietro Maximoff, whose sharp eyes never stopped moving, crossed his arms. "I'll be quick," he muttered. "Just don't make me stay underwater too long. You know how I feel about fish."
"We get in, we get out," Tony said, standing up. "Trust your instincts, stay in contact, and remember—no heroics. We're a team."
The Quinjet dropped low over the shimmering waters, its stealth technology ensuring they remained unseen by Wakandan patrols below. They had to move fast, and every second counted.
As the Quinjet touched down silently on a secluded outcrop of rock, the team disembarked. The wind howled in the distance, but their mission was clear. Miles and Laura were the first to move, their senses heightened, as they scanned the area for any signs of Xib'alb'a's operations.
"I've got a tech signature," Miles muttered, his eyes glowing as his spider-sense honed in on the faint disturbance in the air. He tapped his wrist, pulling up a map of their surroundings. "We're close. The signal's coming from the ruins. Just beyond the cliffside."
Peter, gave a thumbs-up. "Nice! Let's make sure the world doesn't end while we're here, yeah?"
"Stay alert," Peter's voice cut through the air, sharp and instructive. "We don't know what we're walking into."
Cecilia Reyes, her force fields flickering around her, nodded. "Everyone's got their role. If anything goes sideways, I'll be ready."
The team moved like shadows through the overgrown ruins, their every step calculated. But the deeper they went, the more oppressive the air became. Xib'alb'a's tech was unlike anything they had ever seen—arcane in its design but advanced beyond their time.
Anna's superhuman strength propelled her forward, clearing obstacles with ease, her senses attuned to the vibrations of the Earth beneath them. "It's down here," she said, voice carrying an air of certainty. "Something's pulsing beneath."
As they descended further into the underground complex, the walls hummed with energy. Suddenly, a door slid open, revealing a vast chamber filled with glowing Atlantean technology. And there, standing at the center, was their target: Xib'alb'a, the rogue Atlantean extremist.
The moment Peter's eyes landed on him, the tension in the air shifted.
Xib'alb'a's eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, his grin wide and menacing. "Ah, the little heroes arrive. I've been waiting for you."
"Waiting for us, huh?" Peter's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You must be really bored to be here alone, plotting the fall of two nations. But don't worry. We've got you covered."
Xib'alb'a smirked. "You think you can stop me? I've already set the stage. Talokan will rise from the depths. Wakanda will fall. And the world will know my name."
The Young Avengers didn't hesitate. Pietro moved in a blur, attempting to catch Xib'alb'a off guard, but the Atlantean was faster, evading the strike with inhuman agility.
"Not so fast!" Xib'alb'a's voice boomed, his hands crackling with energy. He launched a wave of water and energy at the team, sending them sprawling.
Kamala, grew in size, her fists crashing down with a thunderous punch that sent a shockwave through the chamber. "You're not going to flood this place without a fight!"
Xib'alb'a smirked and twisted his hands, manipulating the water around him into deadly projectiles. "You think I'll be defeated so easily?"
Ironheart's voice cut through the chaos, her suit glowing with power. "We need the proof! Miles, Laura—go for the data!"
Without missing a beat, Miles shot a web to the central console, his hands flying over the alien tech, decrypting the data in seconds. "Got it! This is the proof we need!"
Laura, her eyes steely with determination, struck Xib'alb'a from the side, her claws flashing as she moved in for the kill. The Atlantean's face twisted with rage as he conjured a barrier of water, deflecting her strike.
"Is that all you have?" Xib'alb'a sneered, energy crackling around him.
Pietro, with his lightning-fast reflexes, circled around, knocking Xib'alb'a's guard down, forcing him to stumble.
The rogue extremist lashed out, but before he could react, Anna slammed into him with the full force of her strength, sending him crashing into the walls of the chamber.
"Enough!" Xib'alb'a roared, his power surging. The chamber began to collapse around them, Atlantean tech unraveling in a massive explosion of energy.
As the ceiling cracked and began to collapse, the team's survival instincts kicked in. Ironheart created a force field around them, shielding them from the debris.
But Xib'alb'a wasn't finished yet—he began to call on the depths of the ocean to surge, the pressure of the water threatening to drown them.
"Let's leave!" Peter shouted through the comms. "We've got what we need—now let's get out!"
But before they could escape, Xib'alb'a made one final move. With a snap of his fingers, he sent a wave of pressure so intense that it shook the very foundations of the chamber.
The Young Avengers staggered but they held on and they fought back with everything they had.
"I'm not done yet!" Xib'alb'a screamed.
The water crashed against them, but it wasn't enough. The chamber began to collapse completely, and the team made a run for it, barely escaping the final blast of the doomed complex.
As the water and debris settled, the young heroes stood victorious, breaths heavy, but their mission was complete. They had the proof. The saboteur had been exposed.
And the war that could have destroyed everything? It had been stopped, for now.
---
To be continued...
Support me if you can in Patreon.com/marvelstark