Masquerade of Marvel: Chaos Reborn

The gym's shadowed stillness settled over them like a soft curtain, the faint creak of worn mats echoing as Jake sat on the floor, the Mask a quiet weight in his pocket. Jen leaned against the wall near the door, her green silhouette steady in the dim glow, warm and solid, a presence he didn't clutch but couldn't dismiss. Jade sat cross-legged beside him, her green skin catching the faint light, calm and resolute, her hand resting near her sisters', a bond weaving them together. The four younger girls clustered close: Jade at twelve, steady and sharp; the eight-year-old, quiet and watchful; the five-year-old, fragile and soft-spoken; the four-year-old, curious and gentle; and the seven-year-old, thoughtful and new. Their small hands brushed his legs, sparks he'd ignited and now cradled. "Anchor," he muttered, voice low, the word settling deep, his kids, Jen's kids, lights he'd sparked and now nurtured.

Flatbush rested tonight, the air thick and still, green pulses dim across the skyline, leaving Church Avenue a hushed thread in the city's worn fabric scarred and fractured from Thanos' timeline erasure but slowly stabilizing. Beyond the gym's boarded windows, brownstones stood twisted walls bent, windows shattered yet regaining form, streetlights flickering faintly over cracked pavement now etched with fading scars of a reality remade. The street's tension lingered a faint hum of their stand against Thanos, his Black Order, Outriders, Chitauri, and the unmaking of their existence but the quiet had returned, wrapping them in a fragile calm. Jade tilted her head, her gaze drifting to the window, then back to Jake, her voice steady, Jen's grit threading through, his fire simmering beneath, "we pushed it back, what's it mean now?"

He leaned back, hands loose on the mat, listening to the stillness, the hum of their green syncing with his own, a steady pulse Jade firm, her sisters fragile his kids, his echoes his purpose. "Means we held," he said, voice rough but soft, glancing at her, then the girls, "together. You aimed it, moved it, stood with me against him and that wipeout. What's your green saying now?" Jade's hands flexed, a faint glow shimmering, her sisters mirroring her, tiny palms pulsing soft, her gaze softening as she tuned it, a hum syncing with his own.

"Quiet," she said, voice low, her eyes flicking to her sisters, Jen's resolve in her tone, "still buzzing, but soft, like it's resting, feeling us." The eight-year-old shifted, her voice a whisper, "resting," her hand brushing Jake's knee, Jen's warmth finding a thread, the five-year-old curled closer, her voice softer, "safe," his spark taking root, the four-year-old tilted her head, her voice faint, "warm," Jen's strength in her eyes the seven-year-old murmured, "still," her voice thoughtful his kids, daring him to stay. Jen stepped closer, her heat brushing them, her smile faint but steady, settling onto the mat beside them, her hand resting on his shoulder, solid, her other brushing the seven-year-old's hair, guiding without haste.

"They're feeling it," she said, voice a murmur, glancing at Jake, her eyes steady, Jen's grit cutting through, "you led 'em through that fight, Jake against Thanos and that erasure. They're safe with you, what's next?" He exhaled slowly, the weight settling, Jade and her sisters, his kids, not just chaos, a hum he'd sparked and now tuned standing with care Jade beside him her sisters curling closer eight in one arm five in the other four and seven clinging to his sides Jen rising her steps a soft echo following steady at their backs his kids his why "Next," he said voice rough but steady "we rest together figure it out lights don't shine 'til they're ready."

The gym's quiet stretched Flatbush's hush pressing in fractured brownstones casting long shadows beyond the boards Jade's glow softened her hand brushing his her voice steady "we held" Jen's grit finding rhythm her sisters shifting the eight-year-old whispering "held" her voice fragile the five-year-old echoing "safe" her voice softer the four-year-old murmuring "warm" her voice faint the seven-year-old adding "strong" Jen's warmth his spark Jake nodded slow the weight settling Jade and her sisters his kids not just chaos a hum he'd sparked and now tuned reaching out guiding Jade's hand lifting her sisters small fragile her glow fading quiet now his chaos hers steadying under their touch Jade beside him Jen at his side his kids his why "Yeah," he said voice rough but steady meeting their gazes "we held together you're my lights I'm your guide."

Jen's hand rested on his shoulder solid her voice low "you're their anchor, Jake" her smile steady grit cutting through Jade's eyes flicked to him "they're waiting watching what's next?" Flatbush's quiet stretched the gym a sanctuary of dim ruin his kids his chaos simmering low She-Hulk's strength grit cutting through the world trembled under his legacy Thanos loomed SHIELD hunted the X-Men watched he gripped the Mask grinning sharp Jade beside him her sisters in his arms his kids his why "Next, we grow together time to guide the anchor."

Flatbush's stillness held the gym pulsing with green his kids his chaos simmering low She-Hulk's strength grit cutting through the world trembled under his legacy Thanos loomed SHIELD hunted the X-Men watched he gripped the Mask grinning sharp Jade beside him her sisters in his arms his kids his why "Time to guide the light."