The tension on the New York street finally snapped like an overstretched rubber band.
Steve Rogers moved first, his shield raised as he charged forward. "Let's take them down!"
Logan met him head-on with a feral roar, his claws slashing through the air. The metallic clang of adamantium against vibranium echoed like thunder. Sparks flew as the two warriors clashed, each matching the other blow for blow.
Deadpool, of course, couldn't help himself. "Ooooh, Cap versus Claws! I'd sell tickets to this, but I'm already in it!" He cartwheeled into the fray, pulling out his katanas.
Iron Man's repulsors fired, forcing Deadpool to flip aside. "You are really asking for it!" Tony shouted, targeting the mercenary with precision blasts.
Deadpool deflected one blast with his swords—only to get hit by another. His torso sizzled as a hole burned straight through his costume. "Rude!" he cried, looking down at the smoking crater. "This was my good suit!"
Meanwhile, Harley found himself ducking and weaving through the chaos. Falcon swooped low, attempting to snatch the timepad from his hands. Harley barely managed to dodge. "I don't want to fight!" he shouted, stumbling back.
Falcon shot him a skeptical glance. "Then maybe hand over whatever's causing this mess!"
From the sidelines, Black Widow and T'Challa sprang into action. Natasha's expert kicks sent Deadpool tumbling, while T'Challa lunged at Logan, his vibranium claws clashing against Wolverine's adamantium ones in a brutal exchange of blows.
Harley, feeling utterly out of his depth, tried to call out. "Guys, can we not fight the Avengers?!"
Deadpool ducked another blast from Iron Man and shouted back, "Speak for yourself! I've got 'fight a billionaire in a metal suit' on my bucket list!"
Just as things seemed ready to spiral completely out of control, the air on the battlefield changed. A strange, glowing orange circle began forming mid-air, its sparks crackling with arcane energy.
A calm, authoritative voice echoed through the chaos. "Enough."
The orange portal expanded, and from it stepped Doctor Stephen Strange, clad in his flowing Cloak of Levitation. His hands moved in precise, deliberate gestures, and glowing mandalas of magic formed around them.
The battlefield froze, all eyes turning to the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Uh, okay, who invited Gandalf?" Deadpool quipped, sheathing his swords.
Strange arched an eyebrow at him. "That's… not even the right franchise." With a flick of his wrist, he cast a binding spell, golden tendrils of magic wrapping around Deadpool and pinning his arms to his sides.
"Hey!" Deadpool protested. "Non-consensual bondage is a no-no, mister wizard!"
Iron Man lowered his repulsors, his scanners focused on Strange. "Doctor Strange. I was wondering when you'd show up. Care to explain what's going on?"
Strange surveyed the scene, his sharp eyes taking in Harley, Deadpool, and Logan. "These three have disrupted the timeline in ways that could have catastrophic consequences. I'm here to prevent further damage."
Logan growled, shaking off a blow from T'Challa as the two disengaged. "We didn't ask for any of this."
"Perhaps not," Strange said, his tone cold. "But your actions have consequences nonetheless."
Harley, still clutching the timepad, stepped forward hesitantly. "Wait—you're Doctor Strange? You can help us, right? We're just trying to get home."
Strange regarded him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "That device you're holding—where did you get it?"
Deadpool piped up despite being magically restrained. "Oh, that old thing? We borrowed it from a bunch of time cops. They weren't using it anymore… because they're dead. Totally unrelated!"
Strange's eyes narrowed. "You've been meddling with the Time Variance Authority?"
Falcon, still hovering above, chimed in. "What's the TVA, and why does it sound like something we should already know about?"
Strange sighed, clearly displeased with the situation. "The TVA oversees the integrity of the multiverse. These three have disrupted their authority, and now the timeline is unraveling."
Harley felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. "Unraveling? Like… 'multiverse collapsing' unraveling?"
Strange nodded grimly. "Exactly." He turned to the Avengers. "This fight needs to stop. If they've truly disrupted the timeline, every second counts."
Tony lowered his repulsors but didn't power down. "Fine. But if this wizard act doesn't pan out, I'm blasting them into next week."
Strange ignored him, focusing instead on Harley. "You're coming with me. All of you." He waved his hand, and the portal began to reform, its orange glow illuminating the street.
Deadpool, still bound by Strange's spell, grinned beneath his mask. "Oh good, a field trip! Do we get snacks? Because I'm starving."
Logan glared at him. "Shut up, Wade."
The portal grew brighter, its pull almost magnetic. "Step through," Strange commanded. "We don't have time to waste."
Harley hesitated, looking back at the Avengers. "Uh… sorry about all this?"
Steve's expression softened slightly. "If you're really trying to fix this, we'll stand down. For now."
Harley nodded, then followed Strange into the portal, Deadpool and Logan close behind.
As the portal closed, the street fell silent, leaving the Avengers standing in the aftermath.
"Do you trust him?" Natasha asked, glancing at Tony.
"Strange?" Tony replied, his faceplate snapping shut. "Not one bit. But I trust that he hates chaos even more than we do."