Chereads / The Nexus New York / Chapter 22 - A New Mission, A Growing Mess

Chapter 22 - A New Mission, A Growing Mess

The Avengers' quarters were abuzz with a quiet intensity as Harley paced back and forth. Logan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, silently watching him, while Deadpool sprawled across a chair, his mask rolled halfway up as he munched on an apple he had "borrowed" from the kitchen. Doctor Strange stood near the holographic display, pulling up multiversal diagrams that only he seemed to understand.

"Alright, so we have the world's grumpiest wizard," Deadpool began, pointing at Strange, "a couple of tired heroes who survived the Snap," he gestured to Steve and Natasha, "a feral teddy bear," he thumbed toward Logan, "and me, the MVP. Oh, and Harley—our cosmic oopsie-daisy."

"Can you shut up for five seconds?" Logan growled.

Deadpool grinned. "I can. But will I? That's the real question."

Harley ignored them, turning to Strange. "So, where do we start? I mean, if the multiverse is falling apart because of me, what's the first step to fixing it?"

Strange steepled his fingers, his expression serious. "The most immediate disruptions occurred when you interacted with key events in the timelines. We need to identify the most critical anomalies and start repairing them before the damage spreads further."

Natasha spoke up. "And how exactly do we do that? It's not like we can just rewind time and undo everything."

Strange held up the TVA's timepad. "This will help. It allows us to navigate the multiverse and pinpoint specific events that need correcting. But it's not perfect. The more we use it, the more strain we risk putting on the timelines."

Deadpool leaned forward, his eyes glinting with mischief. "So, what you're saying is, every time we use that thing, it's like shaking a soda can? Oh, this is going to be fun."

Steve shot him a look. "This isn't a game, Wilson."

"Speak for yourself, Captain Tightpants," Deadpool quipped. "Every multiverse I've been to is like a bonus level in a video game. Harley's the confused protagonist, Logan's the grumpy tank, and me? I'm the quirky, lovable rogue everyone remembers after the credits roll."

"Focus," Strange snapped, clearly losing patience.

Harley sighed. "Okay, so what's the first anomaly? Where are we going?"

Strange waved his hand, and the holographic display shifted, showing a chaotic swirl of timelines converging. "There's a significant rupture on the timeline of Earth-3941. It appears to be tied to an event involving…" He paused, his gaze narrowing. "...Ultron."

Steve stiffened. "Ultron? We destroyed him years ago."

"Not in that timeline," Strange said. "In Earth-3941, Ultron succeeded in his plans, creating a world where humanity is all but extinct. Something you did, Harley, caused that timeline to spiral further out of control. We need to fix it."

Harley's stomach churned. "Great. So now I'm responsible for Ultron 2.0 taking over the world? This just keeps getting better."

Deadpool clapped him on the back. "Cheer up, buddy. At least it's not Zombie Ultron. Yet."

Logan stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Enough talk. Let's move."

Strange activated the timepad, opening a glowing portal in the center of the room. Its swirling energy bathed the group in an eerie light.

"Once we're there, stay focused," Strange warned. "We can't afford any distractions."

Deadpool stepped forward, raising a hand. "Quick question: if we die in this timeline, do we stay dead, or is it more of a 'respawn at the last checkpoint' situation? Just asking for a friend."

Steve shook his head. "Let's just make sure it doesn't come to that."

As they prepared to step through the portal, Harley hesitated, glancing back at Natasha. "You're not coming with us?"

Natasha shook her head. "We'll stay here and coordinate. If you get in trouble, we'll figure out a way to help."

Harley nodded, swallowing his nerves as he turned back to the portal.

"Alright," he muttered. "Let's fix this."

Deadpool leaned in close, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "For the record, this is exactly how every season finale of Doctor Who starts. Just saying."

With that, the group stepped into the portal, leaving the safety of the Avengers' quarters behind. As the swirling vortex enveloped them, Harley couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of an even bigger mess.

And Deadpool, of course, couldn't resist a final quip as they vanished. "Next stop: apocalypse central! Woohoo!"