MTL NOVEL Chapter 52: Chapter 52: "Family Fight and Steady Resolve"
The alley's shadowed stillness carried a faint hum of pulsing green as Jake stood firm, the Mask a quiet weight in his pocket, his hands steadying the four-year-old clinging to his side. Jen flanked him, her green silhouette glowing faintly in the dim streetlight, fists clenched and ready, a presence he didn't lean on but couldn't ignore. Jade stood at his left, her green skin shimmering with a steady glow, her stance solid, eyes locked on Proxima Midnight ahead. The younger sisters huddled close eight-year-old watchful in his right arm, five-year-old fragile against his chest, seven-year-old gripping his leg chaos-streaks pulsing faintly on their skin, sparks he'd ignited and now guided. "Resolve," he muttered, voice low, the word grounding him, his kids, Jen's kids, lights he'd sparked and now led.
Flatbush's quiet stretched thin, the air thick with tension, green tendrils curling faint across Church Avenue, brownstones looming like silent witnesses beyond the alley's mouth. Proxima Midnight stood poised, her spear glinting cold in the sodium glow, her lips curling into a sneer, Cull Obsidian hulking behind her, hammer raised, a dark mass blotting the shadows. Jade's glow pulsed stronger, her voice cutting through, steady with Jen's grit, his fire simmering beneath, "they're waiting, watching us, what's next?"
He tilted his head, listening, the hum of their green syncing with his own not wild, just steady Proxima's spear twitching, Cull's hammer shifting, the Black Order's intent sharp in the stillness. "Next," he said, voice rough but firm, glancing at Jade, then the girls Jade solid, her sisters fragile his kids, his echoes his purpose. "We move it, aim it, together. You're my lights, I'm your guide let's push 'em back." Jen stepped closer, her heat brushing them, her fists glowing brighter, her voice low, "they're ours, Jake, let's show 'em."
Proxima lunged spear slicing the air Jake shifted, lifting the eight-year-old higher her glow pulsing soft Jade's hands flared green tendrils threading swift meeting the spear tip twisting it aside not breaking just redirecting Proxima's snarl cutting through "weaklings" her voice cold Cull roared hammer swinging Jen surged her fists slamming into the blow metal clanging her strength holding Jake's voice steady "Jade, now" guiding not rushing just there Jade's glow pulsed stronger tendrils curling wrapping Cull's arm pulling slow not snapping just binding.
The five-year-old stirred her voice a whisper "push" her glow pulsing faint threading with Jade's tendrils tightening Cull stumbling Jake nodding slow the weight settling Jade and her sisters his kids not just chaos a hum he'd sparked and now tuned reaching out guiding Jade's hand lifting the seven-year-old her glow pulsing soft threading with the others tendrils curling Proxima's spear slashing Jake twisting the four-year-old's voice faint "hold" her glow pulsing threading steady not wild just there tendrils weaving catching the spear holding firm.
Jen grunted her fists slamming Cull's hammer pushing him back her voice low "keep it steady, Jake" her strength cutting through Jade's tendrils pulsed wrapping tighter Cull roaring Proxima twisting her spear slipping Jake's voice firm "together" guiding not rushing just there Jade's glow threading with her sisters' tendrils curling pushing slow not breaking just moving Proxima's snarl faltering Cull stumbling Jen's fists glowing her strength steady Jake nodding slow the weight settling Jade and her sisters his kids not just chaos a hum he'd sparked and now tuned Jen's steel his fire guiding without haste just there.
Proxima stepped back her spear retracting her voice low "this isn't over" Cull growled hammer dragging Jake's voice steady "it is tonight" Jade's tendrils pulsed pushing firm not wild just there her sisters' glow threading holding not breaking just steady Jen's fists unclenching her heat brushing them her smile faint "they're ours" Proxima's eyes narrowed cold retreating Cull lumbering back the Black Order fading shadows swallowing them Flatbush's quiet stretching the alley pulsing with green his kids his chaos simmering low.
Jade's glow softened her hand brushing his her voice steady "we held 'em" Jen's grit finding rhythm her sisters shifting the eight-year-old whispering "held" her voice fragile the five-year-old echoing "pushed" her voice softer the four-year-old murmuring "together" her voice faint the seven-year-old adding "strong" Jen's warmth his spark Jake exhaled the weight settling Jade and her sisters his kids not just chaos a hum he'd sparked and now tuned reaching out guiding Jade's hand lifting her sisters small fragile her glow fading quiet now his chaos hers steadying under their touch Jade beside him Jen at his side his kids his why "Yeah," he said voice rough but steady meeting their gazes "we pushed 'em back together you're my lights I'm your guide."
Jen's hand rested on his shoulder solid her voice low "you led 'em, Jake" her smile steady grit cutting through Jade's eyes flicked to him "they're waiting watching what's next?" Flatbush's quiet stretched the gym a sanctuary of dim ruin his kids his chaos simmering low She-Hulk's strength grit cutting through the world trembled under his legacy Thanos loomed SHIELD hunted the X-Men watched he gripped the Mask grinning sharp Jade beside him her sisters in his arms his kids his why "Next, we stand together time to guide the fight."
Flatbush's stillness held the alley pulsing with green his kids his chaos simmering low She-Hulk's strength grit cutting through the world trembled under his legacy Thanos loomed SHIELD hunted the X-Men watched he gripped the Mask grinning sharp Jade beside him her sisters in his arms his kids his why "Time to guide the light."