Masquerade of Marvel: Chaos Reborn

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: "Echoes of the Trickster"



Jake Carter—Masquerade—lay sprawled on the sagging couch of the SHIELD safehouse, the cracked ceiling staring back like a judgmental sky. The Mask rested in his hand, its green surface cool against his palm, pulsing faintly as if it had a heartbeat. Natasha Romanoff's scent—gunpowder, leather, jasmine—lingered on his skin, her parting kiss still burning on his lips. Hours ago, she'd pinned him to this very couch, her body a storm of strength and heat, and he'd spilled into her with a rush that felt like the Mask laughing through him. Now she was gone, slipped into the night like a shadow, leaving him with a grin and a spark in his gut—a seed, maybe, planted in the chaos.

The Mask's voice slithered into his mind, raspy and smug: "First notch on the belt, kid. She's a firecracker—gonna make a hell of a kid. Ready for round two?" Jake bolted upright, nearly dropping the damn thing. "Wait, what? Kid?" His voice cracked, the human part of him panicking while the Mask's influence snickered. "Oh, yeah. Chaos seeds chaos. You're building something big—bigger than you know." He stared at the Mask, its grin wider than physics should allow. This wasn't just a power trip—it was a legacy, and he'd barely started.

Before he could spiral further, the safehouse door exploded inward, wood splintering like dry bones. Jake yelped, tumbling off the couch as a figure strode through the dust—tall, lean, clad in green and gold, horns curving from a sleek helmet. Loki, God of Mischief, his emerald cape swirling like a living thing, eyes glinting with malice and recognition. "Well, well," Loki drawled, voice smooth as silk and sharp as a dagger. "I'd know that stench of chaos anywhere. My old toy's found a new fool to wear it."

Jake scrambled to his feet, clutching the Mask. "Loki? As in Thor's Loki? What the hell do you want?" His heart hammered, but the Mask's energy buzzed under his skin, urging him to fight—or flirt. Loki's lips curled. "That mask is mine, mortal. I forged it from Yggdrasil's heart, laced it with chaos to spite my father. You're a gnat playing with a god's weapon—hand it over, or I'll peel it from your corpse."

The Mask cackled in Jake's head: "He's pissed 'cause I ditched him. Let's give him a show." Jake grinned, reckless and wild, and slapped the Mask on. Green light erupted, his body spinning into the zoot-suited whirlwind of Masquerade. "Sorry, horn-head," he quipped, voice a cartoonish growl, "finder's keepers. How about a dance instead?" His arm stretched like rubber, snagging a chair and hurling it at Loki's face. The god sidestepped, smirking, and flicked his wrist—golden daggers materialized, streaking toward Jake.

He dodged, body bending like a Looney Tunes character, and retaliated with a giant mallet conjured from nowhere, slamming it into the floor. The safehouse shook, plaster raining down, but Loki vanished in a shimmer, reappearing behind him. "Pathetic," Loki sneered, a blast of emerald energy knocking Jake through the wall into the street. Hell's Kitchen sprawled before him—grimy, alive, neon signs buzzing in the night. Pedestrians screamed, scattering as Jake hit the pavement, rolling to his feet with a laugh. "That all you got, trickster?"

Loki advanced, but a new sound cut the air—a crackle of red energy, sharp and wild. A woman descended from the rooftops, crimson coat billowing, hands wreathed in scarlet mist. Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, her dark eyes blazing with curiosity and warning. "What chaos is this?" she demanded, voice thick with an Eastern European lilt. Her gaze flicked between Jake and Loki, power humming around her like a storm.

"Wanda freakin' Maximoff!" Jake whooped, dodging another of Loki's blasts. "Big fan—love the hex stuff. Wanna team up and spank this clown?" The Mask's charisma pulsed, and Wanda's lips twitched, caught off guard. Loki snarled, "Stay out of this, witch. The Mask is mine." He hurled a wave of illusions—dozens of Lokis charging at once—but Wanda's hands flared, red tendrils shredding the fakes. "I sense its power," she said, eyeing Jake. "Chaos like mine, but… wilder. Who are you?"

"Masquerade," he grinned, stretching his neck to dodge a dagger, "chaos incarnate and your new best friend." He spun, conjuring a cartoon anvil and dropping it on Loki's head. The god staggered, cursing in Old Norse, and Wanda blasted him back with a hex bolt, sending him crashing into a dumpster. Loki vanished in a flash of green, his voice echoing: "This isn't over, mortal. That Mask will be mine."

The street fell silent, save for the distant wail of sirens. Wanda turned to Jake, her energy fading but her stare piercing. "You're no mutant," she said, stepping closer, "but you're no god either. What are you?" Up close, she was stunning—dark hair framing sharp features, her coat hugging a body that radiated power and grace. The Mask purred: "Oh, she's tasty. Chaos meets chaos—grab her." Jake swallowed, human nerves clashing with the Mask's hunger. "Just a guy with a crazy face, lady. Saved Black Widow earlier, now dodging Loki. You?"

Her eyes softened, intrigued. "I felt your chaos from blocks away. It's… familiar." She reached out, fingers brushing the Mask, and a jolt sparked between them—red and green energy clashing, then melding. Jake's pulse raced, the Mask amplifying his want into a tidal wave. "Familiar, huh? Wanna compare notes over coffee—or something stronger?" His wink hit like a sledgehammer, and Wanda's breath hitched, a flush creeping up her neck.

Minutes later, they were in a dimly lit bar nearby—neon flickering, jukebox crooning Sinatra. Wanda sipped a vodka, her coat draped over a stool, revealing a black top and jeans that clung to her curves. Jake, Mask off but its energy lingering, leaned closer. "So, chaos twins, huh? Your hexes, my… whatever this is." He tapped the Mask, now on the table, grinning at her. She smirked, "My power comes from pain, loss. Yours feels… free. Dangerous."

"Danger's my middle name," he teased, and the Mask's pull tightened the air. Their banter sharpened—her wit matching his quips—until her hand brushed his, intentional this time. The bar faded, and they were stumbling into a back room, her lips on his, fierce and searching.

Her kiss was chaos itself—hot, desperate, tasting of vodka and something primal. Wanda shoved him against the wall, her strength surprising without magic, hands tearing at his shirt. Buttons popped, and he yanked her top off, revealing pale skin and a black bra that barely contained her. Her breath hitched as his hands roamed—up her spine, tracing scars, then lower, gripping her hips. "You're madness," she growled, nails raking his chest, drawing red lines that stung and thrilled.

"Madness loves company," he shot back, lifting her. Her legs wrapped around him, jeans tight against his hands, and they crashed onto a table, bottles shattering. He peeled her jeans down, baring toned thighs and a flicker of red lace, and she arched into him, moaning as his mouth found her neck, her breasts, teasing until she trembled. Her hands freed him from his pants, and when he entered her—slow, then deep—her cry was raw, unfiltered, red energy sparking around them.

The Mask flared, heightening everything—the heat of her core, the pulse of her magic syncing with his chaos, the slick rhythm as she moved with him. The room warped—walls bending, lights strobing—as she rode him, fierce and unrelenting, her hair wild, eyes glowing faintly red. She climaxed with a shudder, hexes flaring, cracking the table beneath them, and he followed, spilling into her with a rush that made the Mask cackle, green sparks dancing in her gaze. A seed took root, chaos merging with chaos, and they collapsed, panting, her weight atop him a perfect storm.

Wanda traced a scar on his chest, smirking faintly. "You're trouble, Masquerade. More than Loki." "Trouble's my game," he grinned, savoring her heat against him. She pulled away, dressing with a grace that belied the chaos they'd wrought, and tossed him a look—half-warning, half-promise. "We'll meet again. Your chaos calls to mine." She vanished in a swirl of red, leaving him with the Mask, its voice smug: "Two down, kid. Who's next?"

Jake sat up, the bar quiet again, sirens closer now. Loki's threat loomed, Wanda's touch lingered, and Natasha's seed might already be growing. The 616 universe was waking to his chaos—Spider-Man could swing by, the X-Men might sniff him out, or SHIELD could hunt him next. He slapped the Mask back on, grinning wide. "Let's keep the party going."


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