Orville: Lost in the Multiverse

chapter eleven: the rescue plan

The Avengers Tower was eerily quiet in the early morning hours. The sun had just begun to rise, casting long shadows over the city below, but inside the tower, no one was resting. Lucy sat at the center table, her fingers tapping restlessly against the surface as her eyes darted back and forth between Tony, Steve, and Bruce. They had spent the entire night devising a plan, and time was running out.

They knew one thing for sure: Strange Supreme had Ed, and they were likely using Loki's scepter to break him—turn him into something dark, something they could control. The thought made Lucy's stomach churn. She had fought beside Ed long enough to know that his will was strong, but even the strongest minds had their limits. She couldn't shake the fear gnawing at her insides.

Tony was furiously working at a holographic console, pulling up every scan and trace they could find. "JARVIS, increase the search radius. We need to find a magical signature, anything that stands out."

"Already on it, sir," JARVIS's calm voice responded. "However, the presence of powerful magical cloaking is hindering our efforts."

Steve stood by the window, staring out into the city as if searching for answers beyond the skyline. His fists were clenched, his jaw set in frustration. "We don't have time to wait for a breakthrough. We need to find them now. Ed doesn't have long."

Bruce, pacing the floor, spoke up, his voice tense. "Even if we find him, we're not dealing with just magic here. Loki's scepter is dangerous. The moment they get a strong enough hold on Ed, they'll use him against us. And if he's compromised—"

"We'll lose him," Lucy finished the thought, her voice tight. "No. We can't lose him."

Tony shot a glance at her. "We won't. But we need to be smart about this. We go in blind, and we'll walk into a trap."

Thor, standing near the far wall with Mjölnir in hand, finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant. "Loki will not hesitate to use the scepter's power to corrupt Captain Mercer's soul. But there are ways to counter its influence. We must act quickly, but with care."

Lucy swallowed hard. She could feel the tension in the room, the weight of what was at stake pressing down on them. Her mind kept flashing back to Ed—alone, fighting off the worst kind of darkness, and possibly losing. She refused to let that happen.

"We need someone who understands magic better than us," Natasha said suddenly, stepping into the room. She had been quietly listening, her face unreadable but sharp with focus. "Doctor Strange."

Steve nodded. "He'd know how to counter this kind of magic."

Tony grunted in agreement. "I'm already trying to get in contact with him, but he's off-grid at the moment. For now, we're on our own."

Lucy couldn't stand the thought of sitting around waiting any longer. "We don't have time to wait. There's got to be a way to track them. If they're using Loki's scepter, we should be able to trace the energy signature, right?"

Tony leaned over the hologram, pulling up schematics and readings. "It's tricky. The scepter's magic is cloaked, but I can try something... hang on." He tapped a few more buttons, rerouting energy scans through alternate filters. After a tense few moments, a faint signal appeared on the screen, blinking slowly. "There. It's faint, but it's something."

Lucy's heart leapt. "Where is it?"

"Looks like an abandoned Hydra base," Tony said grimly. "They're holed up on the outskirts of the city, deep underground. That's why it's been so hard to find them."

Steve turned from the window, his expression hard. "Then we move now. We can't let them break Ed."

"We're going to need a plan," Bruce reminded them, his voice cautious. "We go charging in, and we'll be facing both Loki and Strange Supreme head-on."

Lucy's determination flared. "Then we outsmart them. We don't go through the front door. We go underground, quietly. We distract them long enough to get to Ed, and we break him free of whatever hold they have before they can fully turn him."

Thor raised Mjölnir, his eyes glinting with battle-ready intensity. "Loki's treachery will not stand. I will fight by your side."

Tony stood from the console, suiting up in his armor with a flash of light and metal. "Let's get to work, people. We have a captain to save."

Underground Base of Hydra

Ed's mind was a battlefield. The scepter's dark energy pulsed inside him like a venomous heartbeat, each pulse pushing him closer to the brink of madness. He fought against the visions, the twisted images of his friends betraying him, of his crew dying because of his failures. He knew they weren't real, but the scepter's power made them feel real.

Strange Supreme stood at the edge of the room, watching Ed's internal struggle with cold fascination. Loki paced back and forth, clearly growing impatient.

"We've given him enough time," Loki hissed, his eyes flashing with frustration. "The scepter should have turned him by now."

Strange Supreme's voice was calm, detached. "Captain Mercer's mind is stronger than we anticipated. But his resistance is weakening. He'll break soon."

Loki's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Good. When he does, he'll lead the Avengers to their doom."

Ed's head snapped up, his body trembling with the effort of resisting. "You... won't... win."

Loki sauntered over to Ed, leaning in with a mocking grin. "Oh, but we already have, Captain. Soon, you'll see the truth. You'll see that your friends have left you behind, that you've been fighting for a cause that doesn't care about you."

Ed clenched his fists, his knuckles white. He could feel the darkness clawing at him, but he wasn't ready to give in—not yet.

Just as Loki raised the scepter again, preparing for another mental assault, the walls of the underground chamber shuddered with a deafening explosion. Loki's eyes snapped up, his grin faltering. "What is this?"

Before anyone could react, Tony's voice echoed through the chamber. "Knock, knock!"

The ceiling burst open as Iron Man shot through, his repulsors blazing. Behind him, Thor landed with a thunderous crash, Mjölnir spinning in his hand. Steve and Natasha followed, shields up and weapons drawn, while Lucy darted through the shadows, her eyes locked on Ed.

"Get them!" Loki roared, brandishing the scepter.

Strange Supreme lifted his hands, dark magic crackling from his fingers, ready to defend their position. But the Avengers were ready.

Lucy broke off from the group, her sole focus on Ed. Her heart raced as she saw him, still bound by the magical chains, his face pale and drawn, but his eyes still burning with defiance.

"Ed!" she shouted, ducking under a blast of energy from Strange Supreme. "Hold on!"

Ed's head snapped toward her voice, a faint smile breaking through the haze. "Lucy..."

She reached his side, her hands moving swiftly to break the restraints, but the magical bonds held fast.

"They won't let me go that easily," Ed rasped.

Lucy's eyes flickered with determination. "Then we'll make them."

The battle around them raged on. Thor and Loki clashed in a storm of lightning and magic, while Tony and Steve kept Strange Supreme occupied. But time was running out. The scepter's influence still lingered, and if they didn't free Ed soon, he would be lost to its dark power.

Lucy gritted her teeth and fought to break through the magic holding him down. "You've got to fight it, Ed. I know you can."

Ed, his mind still clouded by the scepter, met her gaze. "It's not that easy..."

Lucy placed her hands on his shoulders, her voice fierce. "You are stronger than they think. We need you. I need you."

Ed's eyes flickered, the darkness wavering. He could feel her words breaking through the fog, anchoring him to the truth.

In that moment, the magical chains binding him weakened, and with one final surge of will, Ed broke free.

The battle wasn't over yet—but Ed Mercer was back, and together with Lucy and the Avengers, they were ready to finish this fight.