MTL NOVEL Chapter 54: Chapter 54: "Street Pulse and Family Reach"
The gym's shadowed stillness carried a faint creak of rusted weights as Jake stood, brushing dust from his jeans, the Mask a quiet weight in his pocket. Jen leaned against the wall near the door, her green silhouette steady in the dim glow, warm and solid, a presence he didn't clutch but couldn't overlook. Jade rose beside him, her green skin catching the faint light, calm and sure, her hand hovering near her sisters', a bond weaving them together. The four younger girls clustered close: Jade at twelve, steady and sharp; the eight-year-old, quiet and watchful; the five-year-old, fragile and soft-spoken; the four-year-old, curious and gentle; and the seven-year-old, thoughtful and new. Their small hands brushed his legs, sparks he'd ignited and now guided. "Reach," he muttered, voice low, the word settling firm, his kids, Jen's kids, lights he'd sparked and now led.
Flatbush rested tonight, the air thick and still, green pulses dim across the skyline, leaving Church Avenue a hushed thread in the city's worn fabric. Beyond the gym's boarded windows, brownstones stood silent, their stoops bare, streetlights spilling soft pools of light over cracked pavement. Jade tilted her head, catching a sound a low hum threading through the quiet, not chaos, not a clash, just a murmur pulsing beneath the stillness, steady and growing. "Hear that?" she said, voice steady, Jen's grit in her tone, his fire simmering beneath, her eyes flicking to the window, then back to him, daring him to move.
He tilted his head, listening, the hum pulsing faint then stronger, weaving through the night, not a storm, just a steady thrum tugging at the calm. "Yeah," he said, voice rough but soft, glancing at her, then the girls Jade firm, her sisters fragile his kids, his echoes his purpose. "Something's out there, moving up. What's your green telling you?" Jade's hands flexed, a faint glow shimmering, her sisters mirroring her, tiny palms pulsing soft, her gaze narrowing as she tuned it, a hum syncing with his own.
"Buzzing," she said, voice low, her eyes flicking to the street, Jen's resolve threading through, "close now, rising slow, like it's waiting, stirring deeper." The eight-year-old shifted, her voice a whisper, "rising," her hand brushing Jake's knee, Jen's strength finding a thread, the five-year-old curled closer, her voice softer, "deep," his spark taking root, the four-year-old tilted her head, her voice faint, "stirring," Jen's warmth in her eyes the seven-year-old murmured, "close," her voice thoughtful his kids, daring him to reach. Jen stepped closer, her heat brushing them, her smile faint but steady, settling beside them, her hand resting on his shoulder, solid, her other brushing the seven-year-old's hair, guiding without haste.
"They're sensing it," she said, voice a murmur, glancing at Jake, her eyes steady, Jen's grit cutting through, "something's stirring, tugging at 'em. You're guiding, show 'em how." He exhaled slowly, the weight settling, Jade and her sisters, his kids, not just chaos, a hum he'd sparked and now tuned standing with care Jade beside him her sisters in his arms eight in one five in the other four and seven clinging to his sides Jen rising her steps a soft echo following steady at their backs his kids his why "Alright," he said voice rough but steady "let's find it move it together what's it waiting for?"
They stepped onto Church Avenue, Flatbush's quiet stretching, brownstones casting long shadows, the gym's glow fading behind them. Jade matched his stride, her sisters curling closer small hands brushing his chest Jen's steps a quiet rhythm, the hum pulsing louder, weaving through the block, drawing them toward a cracked manhole cover mid-street green tendrils curling faint from its edge, pulsing stronger, alive, stirring beneath then a shadow flickered swift silent Proxima Midnight emerged her spear glinting cold Cull Obsidian loomed behind hammer raised Thanos' Black Order stalking soft hunting and now a third figure Ebony Maw slipped from the dark his voice a low hiss "your chaos ends" eyes fixed cold calculating.
Jake stopped crouching shielding the girls Jade beside him her green glow pulsing syncing with her sisters' eight reaching out five brushing his chest four and seven tilting their heads Jen stepping forward her heat brushing them her fists clenching solid her eyes flicking to Proxima Jen's resolve guiding his spark "Feel it?" he said voice low meeting Jade's gaze Jen's steel in her eyes his wildness daring him to stand her sisters watching Jen's eyes steady guiding without haste just there Maw's fingers twitching Cull's hammer shifting Proxima's spear poised.
Jade's glow steadied "yeah" voice low Jen's grit finding rhythm "feels off sharp like it's hunting waiting stirring up." The eight-year-old whispered "hunting" her voice fragile Jen's warmth threading through the five-year-old echoed "sharp" her voice softer his spark taking hold the four-year-old murmured "fast" her voice faint the seven-year-old added "cold" Jen's strength his chaos Jake nodded slow the weight settling Jade and her sisters his kids not just chaos an echo a hum he'd sparked and now tuned reaching out guiding Jade's hand lifting her sisters standing moving slow guiding Jade beside him Jen at his side his kids his why "We push it aim it together you're my lights I'm your guide."
Proxima lunged spear slicing Jake shifted lifting the eight-year-old her glow pulsing Jade's hands flared green tendrils threading swift meeting the spear twisting it Maw's voice hissed "futile" his fingers curling air tightening Cull roared hammer swinging Jen surged her fists slamming the blow metal clanging her strength holding Jake's voice steady "Jade now" guiding moving slow just there Jade's glow pulsed tendrils curling wrapping Cull's arm pulling Maw's grip faltering Proxima's spear slashing Jake twisting the four-year-old's voice faint "hold" her glow threading holding the seven-year-old's glow joining Maw stumbling Jen's fists glowing pushing Cull back Jake's voice firm "together" guiding Jen's steel his fire Jade's tendrils pulsing pushing the Black Order retreating shadows swallowing them Flatbush's quiet stretching the alley pulsing green his kids his chaos simmering low.
Jen's hand rested on his shoulder solid her voice low "you held 'em, Jake" her smile steady Jade's eyes flicked to him "we pushed 'em" her voice steady Jen's grit his fire the eight-year-old whispered "held" the five-year-old echoed "safe" the four-year-old murmured "together" the seven-year-old added "strong" Jake exhaled the weight settling Jade and her sisters his kids not just chaos a hum he'd sparked "Next we stand together time to guide the roots."
Flatbush's stillness held his kids his chaos simmering low She-Hulk's grit 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."