Orville: Lost in the Multiverse

chapter six: The Ultimate Sacrifice

The city was on the brink of collapse, buildings crumbling, fires raging, and the skies above still swirling with the ominous rift left by the Chitauri invasion. Despite the Avengers' relentless efforts, the alien forces kept coming. Loki's mischief and Strange Supreme's dark sorcery ensured the battle was far from over. Ed Mercer, in his Iron Orville suit, and Lucy, moving with Black Widow's agility, fought side by side as wave after wave of Chitauri pressed forward.

But then came the announcement that would shake them all.

"This is the Council of SHIELD. A nuclear missile has been authorized. Target: New York."

Tony's voice crackled over the comms, frantic and furious. "They're sending a nuke into the city!"

Ed's blood ran cold. "They're about to wipe out the entire city!"

Lucy, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts as she fought off another Chitauri soldier, looked at Ed with wide eyes. "They can't do that, Ed. We need to stop it."

Tony's voice came through again, tense with urgency. "I can't stop it! My suit's taken too much damage—I can't carry it through the portal!"

Ed stared up at the portal, his heart pounding. He knew what had to be done. With his own suit's thrusters still functional, he had the power to reach the missile and push it through the wormhole before it could detonate on Earth. The Chitauri mothership was on the other side. If he could get the nuke through the portal, it would destroy the fleet, close the rift, and save the planet.

But it would be a one-way trip.

"Ed!" Lucy's voice brought him back, her eyes wide with understanding. "You can't—"

"I have to." His voice was steady, even as the weight of his decision pressed down on him.

Before she could argue further, Ed shot into the sky, Iron Orville suit blazing as he climbed toward the missile's trajectory. Lucy watched him go, a sense of dread sinking into her chest. She knew Ed was willing to risk his life, but she wasn't ready to lose him.

Up in the skies, the missile streaked toward New York, seconds away from reaching its target. Ed rocketed forward, pushing his suit to its absolute limit. He could feel the strain in the thrusters, the power reserves rapidly depleting, but he didn't slow down. Tony's voice guided him, giving him the last coordinates to intercept the nuke.

"There it is," Tony said grimly. "You've got about 30 seconds before it detonates."

Ed grabbed onto the missile, his suit groaning under the strain. With all his strength, he steered it upward, toward the gaping portal that still poured Chitauri soldiers into the city.

"You're not winning this fight today," Ed muttered through gritted teeth as he forced the missile closer to the rift.

The portal grew larger and larger as Ed neared it, his suit fighting against the missile's weight and the intense gravitational pull of the wormhole. On the other side, the Chitauri fleet hung in space, their ships buzzing in readiness for their final assault.

With a final push, Ed hurled the missile through the portal. The moment it crossed the threshold, he disengaged and veered back toward Earth, the portal beginning to collapse behind him.

The missile detonated.

The explosion rocked the skies, sending a massive shockwave through the portal. The Chitauri fleet was obliterated in a single fiery instant, their ships disintegrating into nothing as the explosion expanded. The portal began to shrink, sealing shut as its power source was destroyed.

Ed fought to stay airborne, but the shockwave from the explosion threw him off balance. His suit's systems screamed in protest, alarms blaring in his ears as the power reserves dropped to critical levels.

He was falling.

Back on the ground, Lucy was still fighting, but her focus was entirely on the sky. She had seen the explosion, watched the portal collapse, but there was no sign of Ed.

"Come on, Ed," she whispered, her heart pounding.

Finally, she spotted a figure plummeting from the sky, fast and uncontrolled. "No, no, no!" she gasped, sprinting toward Stark Tower as Ed crashed hard into the ground.

"Ed!" Lucy slid to his side, the wreckage of his suit smoking from the impact. His face was pale, his breaths shallow, and the suit's systems were completely fried.

Tony landed nearby, his own suit battered but functional. "Is he—?"

Lucy shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "He's alive, but barely."

As the Avengers gathered around, the ground shook, and the sky darkened ominously. The air seemed to hum with dark energy.

"Where are Loki and Strange Supreme?" Steve asked, scanning the chaos around them.

A twisted chuckle echoed through the air.

Loki appeared first, stepping through a shimmering portal, a malevolent grin plastered across his face. "You really thought you could stop me?" he taunted. "Fools. The Chitauri may be gone, but this battle is far from over."

Next to him, Strange Supreme materialized, his dark robes billowing in the wind, eyes glowing with malevolent power. He looked down at Ed's broken form and then turned to the Avengers, a sneer curling his lips.

"You sacrificed so much, yet you've gained nothing," Strange Supreme hissed. "You may have delayed the inevitable, but my plans extend far beyond this city. You've won nothing."

With a flick of his wrist, Strange Supreme opened another portal, this one crackling with chaotic energy. Loki, still grinning like the Cheshire Cat, gave the Avengers a mocking bow. "Until we meet again, mortals."

Before anyone could react, the two villains stepped into the portal, vanishing in an instant.

Lucy, kneeling beside Ed, felt a rush of fury as Loki and Strange Supreme escaped. "They're gone," she muttered through clenched teeth. "But we'll find them."

Steve placed a hand on her shoulder, nodding. "We will. But right now, we need to save Ed."

Tony was already working on removing Ed's damaged suit, his face grim. "He took a massive hit from that fall. If we don't get him stabilized soon, he won't make it."

They carried Ed back to Stark Tower, urgency driving every step. Inside, Bruce Banner was already waiting, ready to do whatever he could to help. As they rushed him into the tower's med bay, Lucy couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled over her.

Ed had saved the world. But at what cost?

Hours later, Ed lay unconscious in a medical pod, surrounded by the quiet hum of machinery. His vital signs were stable, but he hadn't woken up yet. Lucy sat by his side, exhaustion etched on her face.

The Avengers gathered nearby, their battle-weary faces reflecting the weight of the day's events. They had won a victory, but it felt hollow. Loki and Strange Supreme were still out there, plotting their next move. The battle wasn't over.

But for now, they had saved New York. And Ed was alive—barely.

Lucy reached out, gently taking Ed's hand. "You did it," she whispered softly. "You saved us all."

Ed's chest rose and fell steadily, his body still healing. But there was no doubt in Lucy's mind that when he woke, they would be ready for whatever came next. Because this wasn't the end.

Loki and Strange Supreme may have disappeared, but the Avengers—and their new allies—weren't done fighting.

Not by a long shot.