As Morgan, BB, and Ereshkigal followed behind Gambit and Rogue, Morgan's mind raced with thoughts of the little girl in her arms. The girl who now bore the name Karen Fujimaru, had chosen the appearance of herself and Ritsuka as her parents. But the question lingered in Morgan's heart—was it the right choice to save her?
Morgan's thoughts drifted back to the past, to the fairies she had once known. Innocent on the surface, but often harboring a nature that could turn dangerous, even cruel. Was Karen any different? The little girl had the potential to cause great harm, as evidenced by the chaos Red Skull had wrought with her power. If there was a darkness at her core, much like those fairies, could they truly guide her to a better path? Or were they simply nurturing another potential disaster?
Suddenly, Karen started to cry in Morgan's arms, her small body trembling as tears streamed down her face. The three women exchanged worried glances, unsure of how to comfort the child. Ereshkigal leaned in, her voice soft and soothing, while BB stood to the side, clearly out of her depth.
Morgan gently rocked Karen, asking, "Why are you crying?"
Karen looked up at Morgan, her tear-filled eyes filled with fear and sorrow. "I'm scared… I'm crying for Mister Ritsuka Fujimaru and you, Morgan. When I used both of you as a model to create this appearance, I accidentally saw your memories. Why are your lives so sad and full of pain? Why did you have to suffer so much?"
Morgan and Ereshkigal were taken aback by Karen's insight. Despite her childlike appearance, she had grasped the depth of the tragedies both Ritsuka and Morgan had endured. The memories of Ritsuka's long, arduous journey through countless battles, and Morgan's own struggles, had all been seen by this little girl.
Ereshkigal knelt beside Karen, her hand gently resting on the girl's head. "Ritsuka… he always said that no matter how difficult the journey, we keep moving forward. We endure the pain so that others don't have to. That's what he's always taught us, and that's what we live by. Just seeing his memories or watching him you don't understand. Spend time with him, little girl. He will definitely change others I mean who are able to change even evil guys."
Morgan nodded, her heart softening as she listened to Ereshkigal's words. She agreed with Ritsuka in her heart; Karen was innocent, and she needed guidance, not rejection. "From now on, I am your mother, and Ritsuka is your father. Your name is Karen Fujimaru, our daughter."
Karen's tears began to subside, and she looked up at Ereshkigal and BB with wide eyes. "Does that mean I should call Ereshkigal and BB stepmothers?"
Ereshkigal's face turned bright red, and she stammered, trying to find the right words. After a deep breath, she managed to say, "Wait.... deep breath..... I suppose… you could say that." she felt critical hit to her heart because of cute face and words of Karen. Well she is okay as she loved Ritsuka fujimaru.
BB, on the other hand, put on a smug smile and crossed her arms. "BB is not just any ordinary stepmother, though! I'm Ritsuka-senpai's kouhai and his official girlfriend! I mean for now in this world. I'm frist." Karen nodded at BB's words, although it was clear she didn't fully understand the odd terminology BB was throwing around.
As they continued walking, they reached the battlefield where the Hydra agents and X-Men were still engaged in fierce combat. The chaos of the battle raged on, but now they stood together as a family, bound by more than just the circumstances of the fight.
***
The battlefield was a cacophony of destruction, filled with the sounds of clashing metal, energy blasts, and pained cries. In the midst of it all, Iron Man and Wolverine were locked in a brutal struggle against a cosmic-powered Bucky Barnes, who moved with a deadly precision that belied his blank expression.
Tony Stark's mind was a whirlwind of anger and pain, memories of his parents' deaths flashing through his thoughts like wildfire. Every strike he landed on Bucky was fueled by a deep, searing need for revenge. His repulsors glowed with a fierce intensity as he aimed them directly at Bucky's chest.
Across from him, Logan was just as consumed by his own fury. The man before him wasn't just another Hydra operative—he was the reason Logan's family had been torn apart. The memory of his wife and daughter, either hostage or worse, subjected to Hydra's cruel experiments, drove Logan's claws to tear into Bucky with savage ferocity.
But for all his power, Bucky was losing ground. Tony's relentless assault finally destroyed Bucky's mechanical arm, sending sparks flying as the metal crumpled under the force of Tony's strikes. At the same moment, Logan's adamantium claws sliced clean through Bucky's remaining arm, severing it with a swift, brutal motion.
Bucky collapsed to his knees, armless and still as a statue, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He didn't scream, didn't beg for mercy—he simply stared ahead, his mind trapped in the Hydra-induced brainwash that had turned him into nothing more than a weapon.
Tony and Logan both stood over him, their chests heaving with exertion. The adrenaline coursing through Tony's veins pushed him forward, and he raised his hand, preparing to unleash a final blast to end Bucky's life. But before he could fire, a wall of intense, dark flames erupted between him and Bucky, knocking Tony to the ground with a force that left him momentarily stunned.
As the flames receded, Tony looked up to see Edmond Dantès, the Avenger of Vengeance, standing between him and Bucky. His crimson eyes burned with a fury that matched the fires he commanded, his presence a grim reminder of the consequences of a vengeful path. Standing beside him was Da Vinci Rider, her eyes filled not with anger, but with disappointment. They killed Taskmaster and came to stop them.
"Tony…" Da Vinci's voice was calm, yet there was an undeniable edge to it. "You've disappointed me. I thought you were better than this, but here you are, on the brink of becoming the very thing you despise. What about the talk 'I'm going to change'"
Tony's face twisted in anger as he struggled to stand. "He killed my parents, Da Vinci. This is different. I can't just—"
"You can't just what?" Dantès cut him off, his tone harsh and unforgiving. "Take vengeance? Take a life in cold blood with your hands just because you taste Vengeance or feel satisfied? How hypocritical of you, Stark. You've taken lives before, knowingly or unknowingly. So why should this be any different?"
Logan, who had been silent, turned to face Da Vinci, but before he could speak, she addressed him as well. "And you, Logan. Instead of searching for your family, or helping your fellow mutants, you're here, trying to kill a man who's been used and discarded like a tool by Hydra. How foolish."
Her words struck Logan like a blow, and he found himself unable to meet her gaze. The rage that had consumed him moments ago ebbed away, leaving behind only a deep sense of shame. He knew she was right—he had let his anger control him, and in doing so, he had lost sight of what truly mattered.
Dantès stepped forward, his gaze never leaving Tony's. "You both need to understand this. The path of vengeance is a dark one. I've walked it myself, and I can tell you that it leads to nothing but emptiness and despair. If you continue down this road, you'll become no better than the ones you seek to destroy."
Tony clenched his fists, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. Part of him still burned with the desire to end Bucky's life, to finally avenge his parents. But another part—the part that had always wanted to be a better man, to save lives rather than take them—began to resurface, spurred on by Da Vinci's words.
Da Vinci knelt beside Bucky, who had fallen unconscious from the battle. The cosmic energy that had once surged through him was slowly dissipating, leaving his body weak and frail. She gently touched his face, her expression softening as she spoke. "This fight was pointless. Bucky Barnes isn't your enemy—he's a victim. Hydra controlled him, used him as a weapon. Killing him won't bring back your loved ones, and it won't make the pain go away."
Da Vinci checked up his wounds. And she started first aid.
Logan stared at Bucky's broken form, and for the first time, he felt a pang of empathy for the man. He knew all too well the horrors of brainwashing, of being used against one's will. The anger that had driven him here faded, replaced by a deep sorrow for what Bucky had endured.
Tony, too, felt the weight of her words. The anger that had clouded his judgment began to dissipate, and he was left with a hollow feeling in his chest. He still hated what Bucky had done, but he couldn't deny the truth—Bucky had been a pawn, a tool for Hydra's twisted schemes.
"I… I'm sorry," Tony finally muttered, his voice heavy with regret.
Logan nodded, the ferocity gone from his eyes. "Yeah… me too."
Da Vinci stood up, turning to face them both with a gentle smile. "Then let's end this. Not with more bloodshed, but with understanding. We'll find a way to help Bucky, and in doing so, maybe you'll find some peace as well."
As they all stood in the aftermath of the battle, the weight of their actions hung heavily in the air. But with Da Vinci and Dantès words guided them, there was a chance to move forward—perhaps not to forget, but to heal.
On other side The battlefield was shifting as the X-Men pressed their advantage against the weakening Hydra agents. Cyclops, ever the strategist, surveyed the scene with a keen eye. His team was gaining the upper hand, and it was time to make a critical decision.
"Keep the pressure on them!" Cyclops commanded, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "We're almost through!"
Jean Grey, standing beside him, focused her telepathic abilities to scan the broader battlefield. Her mind touched the chaotic swirl of energy where Magneto, Karna, and Juggernaut were locked in battle with Sebastian Shaw. The clash of their powers was intense, almost blinding to her psychic senses.
"Scott, we need to decide whether to intervene in that fight," Jean said, her tone serious. "But... it's risky. The power they're throwing around could obliterate anyone who gets too close."
Cyclops glanced over to the fight, watching as the three titans clashed with Shaw, their combined might shaking the very ground beneath them. "They're handling it. If we step in, we might just get in the way—and I'm not willing to lose anyone to that."
Jean nodded in agreement. "They're fighting like monsters... We'll let them handle it. Our priority is mopping up the rest of Hydra's forces."
At the center of the battlefield, Magneto, Karna, and Juggernaut fought with unmatched ferocity against the cosmic-powered Sebastian Shaw. Shaw, a formidable foe even without the cosmic energy coursing through him, was pushed to his limits by the relentless assault.
Karna, with his divine heritage and unmatched strategic mind, directed their efforts. "Magneto, his power grows with every blow. We must find a way to exhaust him without letting him absorb too much energy."
Magneto, ever the master of metal and magnetism, nodded. "Understood. Juggernaut, keep him occupied. I'll restrain him."
Juggernaut, with a wild grin, charged at Shaw. "You don't have to tell me twice! Let's see how tough you really are, Shaw!"
As Juggernaut engaged Shaw in a brutal exchange, Magneto manipulated the metallic debris around them, hurling sharp fragments and beams with deadly precision. Shaw, momentarily distracted by the onslaught, failed to notice Karna as he prepared his divine spear, Vasavi Shakti. With a mighty throw, Karna unleashed a blazing torrent of energy that forced Shaw back, weakening his cosmic defenses.
Shaw staggered, his cosmic power visibly waning as the energy sustaining him began to flicker. Realizing that his defeat was imminent, Shaw attempted to flee, his body surging with the last vestiges of cosmic energy. But Magneto was quicker, lifting Shaw into the air with his magnetic powers and holding him in place.
"You can't run, Shaw. Not from me," Magneto said, his voice cold and unyielding. "Tell me, why do you harbor such hatred for mutants?"
Shaw, even in defeat, managed a dark, mocking laugh. "Hatred? No, Erik, you misunderstand. It's not hate... it's regret. I saw potential in your kind. Regret that I couldn't mold your children into the perfect weapons for Hydra. Imagine what they could've been under my control. Luck denied me that... so I'll see you in hell."
Magneto's eyes flashed with anger, the air around them crackling with magnetic force. "Then I'll send you there myself." With a final twist of his power, Magneto crushed Shaw, ending his life in a merciless instant.
As the dust settled, Karna approached Magneto, his expression as calm as ever. "The battle is won. We have done what needed to be done," he stated, his voice carrying a tone of finality.
Juggernaut, cracking his knuckles, looked down at Shaw's remains. "Glad that's over. But damn, handsome boy, you know how to handle yourself. Not bad for a ... well, whatever you are."
Magneto, still tense from the confrontation, looked at his allies. "We worked well together, despite our differences... It would good to have you but I suppose it won't happen"
"Yes, I'm working for Mas-_ Ritsuka fujimaru"
He then turned to Karna, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "You're quite skilled at fighting as a group. Do you often fight alongside others?"
Karna nodded, his thoughts briefly turning to the greater conflicts that lay ahead. "Yes, I've had good experience fighting with allies in the past, just as we did now. Unity in purpose makes us stronger."
Magneto and Juggernaut exchanged a look of surprise and respect, acknowledging Karna's prowess and the unexpected camaraderie that had formed between them.
With the cosmic threat of Sebastian Shaw neutralized, the trio turned and began their return to the others. The war was far from over, but they had secured a critical victory—a victory forged through cooperation and the shared strength of their unique abilities.