Chapter 9: Chapter Nine:
The Negative Zone exploded into chaos.
Jagged crystalline structures shattered as waves of energy rippled out from Kang's hand, sending shards of glowing debris cascading through the air. Eleven stumbled backward, her instincts screaming at her to run, but Wanda was there, crimson energy flaring as she raised a protective shield around them.
"Stay with me!" Wanda shouted, her voice barely audible over the deafening roar of destruction.
Carol Danvers launched herself into the air, a trail of golden energy blazing behind her as she barreled toward Kang. He raised a hand, and the air around her warped, slowing her momentum. She twisted mid-flight, unleashing a blast of photonic energy that struck his shield and sent sparks flying.
"Keep him busy!" Sam shouted, leaping into the fray with his wings extended, his shield snapping into place. He flew low, narrowly dodging a burst of energy from Kang, before hurling his shield toward him. The shield ricocheted off Kang's barrier, forcing him to take a step back.
Eleven stood frozen in the middle of the battlefield, her hands trembling as the ground beneath her cracked and splintered. The rift pulsed violently behind Kang, its tendrils of shadow stretching outward, reaching for her like skeletal hands.
"Focus, Eleven!" Wanda called, turning to face her. "We need you!"
"I can't," Eleven stammered, her voice breaking. The pressure in her mind was building, Kang's presence growing stronger with every passing second. She could feel him pulling at her, tugging at the threads of her power, unraveling her resolve.
"Yes, you can," Wanda said, her tone fierce. "He wants you to believe you're weak, but you're not. You've faced worse than this."
Eleven squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the chaos around her. She reached for her power, but it was slippery, unstable, like trying to hold water in her hands. And then she heard him.
"You don't belong here," Kang's voice echoed in her mind, calm and unyielding. "You're an anomaly, a fracture. Let me fix it."
"Get out of my head!" Eleven screamed, her voice raw with desperation. Her power surged outward, a wave of blue energy that cracked the ground and sent shards of crystal flying. The force knocked Kang back a step, his expression flickering with faint amusement.
"Good," Kang said, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "Show me what you're capable of."
"Eleven!" Peter's voice cut through her panic, and she turned to see him swinging toward her, his webbing snapping against the sharp edges of the crystalline terrain. He landed awkwardly beside her, his mask pushed halfway up his face.
"You're doing great," Peter said quickly, his tone both encouraging and slightly panicked. "Seriously. The glowing thing? Super cool. But maybe, uh, aim it at him?"
"I can't control it," Eleven said, her voice shaking.
"You don't have to control it perfectly," Peter said, crouching beside her. "Just enough to give us a chance."
Eleven looked at him, her chest heaving. Peter didn't look afraid of her, even though she could feel the energy crackling around her, threatening to break loose. His eyes were steady, earnest, like he believed in her. She wasn't sure if she believed in herself, but maybe—just maybe—she could try.
Before she could respond, Kang raised both hands, the rift behind him expanding violently. Tendrils of shadow shot outward, wrapping around Carol mid-flight and slamming her into the ground. Sam swooped in, his shield slicing through one of the tendrils, but more replaced it, coiling toward Eleven.
Wanda stepped forward, her hands blazing with crimson energy. "Not today," she muttered, sending a wave of power that shattered the nearest tendrils into ash.
"Eleven, now!" Wanda shouted, her eyes glowing with determination. "It's you or him. Choose."
Eleven's breath caught. She could feel the weight of their expectations, their hope, pressing down on her. She wasn't sure she was ready. She wasn't sure she could win. But she couldn't let them down. She couldn't let Kang win.
Clenching her fists, Eleven let the energy inside her rise, no longer fighting it but embracing it. It surged through her veins, wild and unrelenting, but this time, she didn't pull back. She focused it, shaped it, until it became an extension of herself.
The air around her grew heavy, crackling with static as blue light flared from her hands. She stepped forward, her eyes locking on Kang.
"Stay away from me," she said, her voice steady, her power blazing.
Kang tilted his head, intrigued. "Make me."
With a scream that echoed through the battlefield, Eleven unleashed her power. A massive wave of telekinetic energy shot toward Kang, colliding with his barrier in a deafening explosion of light and sound. The force sent him skidding backward, his armor sparking as cracks formed along the edges of his shield.
Carol took the opening, surging forward and delivering a devastating punch to Kang's midsection. He staggered but quickly retaliated, sending a pulse of energy that sent her crashing into the ground.
Wanda joined the fray, her crimson tendrils weaving around Kang's shield, seeking weaknesses. "Keep pushing, Eleven!" she shouted.
Eleven didn't hesitate. She stepped closer, her power building with every step. The tendrils of shadow that reached for her disintegrated as her energy burned through them. Kang's shield flickered, his control slipping as Eleven's power pressed against it.
"You can't stop this," Kang said, his voice sharper now, the calm façade cracking. "You're a part of it. You belong to me."
"No," Eleven said, her voice rising. "I don't belong to anyone!"
With one final burst of energy, she shattered Kang's shield. The impact sent him flying backward, his body colliding with the rift. The tendrils of shadow recoiled, writhing wildly as the rift began to destabilize.
"This isn't over," Kang growled, his form flickering as he was pulled into the collapsing rift. His voice echoed as he disappeared. "You can't win. You were made to lose."
The rift imploded, the resulting shockwave knocking everyone off their feet. For a moment, the battlefield was silent, the air thick with the lingering charge of energy. Eleven lay on the ground, her chest heaving, her body trembling with exhaustion.
Wanda was the first to reach her, kneeling beside her and gently helping her sit up. "You did it," Wanda said, her voice soft but firm. "He's gone."
Eleven shook her head. "He'll come back."
"Maybe," Wanda admitted. "But so will we."
Peter stumbled over, brushing debris off his suit. "Hey, uh, just so you know, that was awesome. Like, terrifying, but awesome."
Eleven managed a faint smile, the weight of her exhaustion momentarily lifting. For the first time, she felt like she belonged—like she was more than just a weapon. She was part of something bigger.
And she wasn't alone.