Universal Chaos

Chapter 17

The consensus seemed to be that their best bet was to try to catch Thanos off guard by going on the offense and trying to hit him first. None of them really knew much about who they were facing, not enough to truly strategize. All Sutton could offer was "big", "bad", "can communicate mentally, don't ask for details".

Apparently since Sutton was momentarily "invisible" to this universe, they felt it was safe enough, and necessary, to leave the compound. Teaming up with the military was also probably a necessary move. Or at least coordinating with them. As much as that made Sutton's stomach churn she knew that numbers and more guns were at least something. It was half a step up from nothing.

Nothing.

Loki's previous taunt rang in her head as she sidled next to Steve and seethed. He was so incredibly desperate that he'd resorted to going to her for help, but the most he'd given her in advice was to use nothing against Thanos.

What was she supposed to do? Fight him with the power of positivity? Sutton didn't claim to be the brightest crayon in the box, but she wasn't stupid. She knew that by herself, using her own undeveloped ability, she wasn't a match against the incoming threat. That course of action had been thoroughly shot down. But she would have believed the trickster god to have something to offer that was a bit more clever than nothing.

Sutton rubbed at her temple and tried to knead the unhelpful thoughts away. She had to be focused, efficient. There wasn't time for her to dwell on the inactions of a person who wasn't even a real ally.

"You're being awfully quiet."

She looked up at Steve and smiled thinly. His brow was furrowed in a familiar way that was distinctly Steve.

"Sorry. Just desperately trying to think of something helpful."

"You sure it isn't because of whatever you were looking for outside?"
She broke their eye contact and her gaze flickered to the windows out at the lawn around them.

"It wasn't anything important," she said. There was movement in the room as people started to wrap up the conversation. "Where are we going?"

"You weren't listening at all, where you?"

She winced sheepishly and shook her head.

Natasha materialized beside Sutton and leaned an elbow on her shoulder. Her eyes flickered between Steve and Sutton and a ghost of a smirk flashed across her face.

"We're leaving the compound," she said. "If we want to fight, we're going to need gear and back up. Tony said NASA is predicting the space anomaly will enter earth's atmosphere somewhere around DC."

Sutton clapped her hands together once and held them closed, her lips curling up in an ironic humor.

"Well of course it is," she said. "We are in a universe with superheroes and extraterrestrial drama. It had to be either DC or New York. Maybe Tokyo. Might want to tell them to evacuate the White House."

Steve squinted.

"That's another movie reference," he said. Natasha gave him a light punch in the arm.

"Look who's catching up."

Sutton inwardly sighed as she watched people move. Clint and Sam were chatting in the corner, looking as if they were discussing what to do with Khan, if their hand gestures were any indication. Somehow Tony had convinced the Doctor to let him look over his sonic screwdriver and he turned it over in his hands as if it were something he should be interested in instead of looking excited.