Beyond

Black

"So now we all know each others identies." Gwen smiled shrugging her shoulders. "Are you sure you're okay Flash?"

"Yeah, I feel amazing." Flash grinned from where he was currently doing a handstand. "Whatever this black-goo thing is it's making me feel awesome."

"We should probably figure out what it is and how it saved your life, just to be on the safe side." Miles reminded, glancing towards Lance.

"Yeah, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I mean it saved my life." Flash shrugged . "And now I could be a superhero if I wanted to be."

"Only because we were there to save you." Gwen reminded. "You would have died if Lance's lion hadn't activated the black goop, or at least that's what we think happened."

"And Lance thanks for that." Flash smiled, then it dropped. "Lance?"

"Huh?" Lance flinched looking their way.

"I was saying thanks for your lions help back there. But you've been really weird lately." Flash explained as he sat next to him. "Are you okay?"

Lance sighed and closed his eyes. "I've got five extra voices in my head and an alien that keeps slipping through my fingers and you nearly died, no I am not okay."

"An alien? You're tracking an alien?" Miles asked sounding mildly excited.

Lance smiled, of course they would choose to focus on that. "Yeah. I don't know who it is yet or how they got here but I'm going to find them."

Gwen tilted her head like he was reading him again, she probably was. "Have you not been sleeping well?"

"Between the nightmares and all this." Lance shrugged.

"Nightmares?"

Lance's eyes flickered open. "Have you ever had a dream that feels so real but... somehow it doesn't sit right, like it makes sense but it makes too much sense."

"You think it's a lie?" Miles frowned. "But they're just dreams."

Lance blinked. "Just dreams?"

"Yeah, unless I'm missing something."

Lance's eyes shifted across the floor. "That's possible."

"Come on, let's get you home, you nearly fainted twice in the space of a few moments." Gwen decided, lightly punching Lance's arm. "Then we can talk, if you feel up to it."

"Talking sounds good." Lance smiled as Blue appeared at his side. "You guys want a lift?"

"This is so cool." Flash grinned as Blue leaned down to let them in.

"She is cool." Lance agreed. "Hey Blue, can you take us to the tower?"

Blue purred softly, the feeling reaching Lance's chest and releasing some of the anxiety there.

"Thanks." He whispered.

"We've never really discussed the fact that you're from an alternate universe." Miles said as they arrived in the cockpit. "How did you end up here?"

"In my universe there's a alien species called Galran's and they own most of the universe. One Galran, who might not be a Galran, attacked me and Blue." Lance grumbled. "She messed with Blue's teleportation and when we made a jump we ended up here."

"That's how you vanished yesterday." Flash realised. "You teleported, which means it works again. Are you going to leave?"

Lance tapped on the controls then gave the three a side-eye. "I don't know." He whispered. "I can't go back yet, Blue isn't strong enough and... I have my reasons for waiting around."

"So you said you were the last of the paladins, what happened to the others?" Miles frowned.

"Haggar killed them." Lance replied with a frown.

Blue grumbled something as she came to a stop. The cockpit shifted lowering so they could exit.

"So you're alone?"

"Yeah, and in order to damage Blue she had to charge her ship and to do that she chose to drain earth." Lance whispered eyes locked onto the glowing lines of Blue's control panel. "She destroyed everything."

"Lance, I'm so sorry." Gwen said as she squeezed his shoulder. "We didn't know-"

"You weren't meant to know." Lance admitted meeting her gaze with a smile. "Initially I didn't think I would be here long, I thought it was a dream but..."

"But?"

Lance laughed slightly. "With the pain, the kidnapping, the being poisoned and Blue constantly roaring in my head I kinda figured out it wasn't a dream."

Gwen grimaced. "You've been poisoned?"

Lance hummed. "It was not enjoyable. Natasha was really angry. And I don't really blame her."

"How have you not died?" Flash frowned.

"I don't know, the universe seems to hate me so much that it won't just eliminate me." Lance grinned. "Come on, I'll show you around the tower."

"As in Avengers tower?" Miles breathed eyes shining with excitement.

Lance laughed again.

Lance knew the Avengers were out, they were at a meeting with Fury so he had a chance to show the three teens around the areas he knew the others wouldn't mind.

They ended up in his room with Green's plants still swamping the place.

Every time Lance cut one back or got rid of one Green felt the need to fill the space.

It made it almost homely.

"So, what's it like living with the Avengers?" Flash asked as he ducked under a plant.

"Like living with paladins but with more solid ground." Lance joked, Gwen rolled her eyes at him and Miles gently punched his arm. "It's really nice, I... They're like another family to me."

"What was it like in space?" Gwen asked as she sat down.

Lance sighed. "Imagine going on holiday and then you can't get back, half the people start to hate you even though you've never met them and the other half think you're a hero sent to save them all."

"Sounds exhausting." Miles chuckled.

"Sounds like being a celebrity." Flash interjected.

"Yeah, I guess." Lance shrugged. "Now I have a question, how are you feeling Flash?"

"Like I said earlier, if you were listening. I feel great." Flash grinned. "This thing is so cool."

"You were literally dead for about a minute." Lance frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Flash nodded. "Most definitely."

Lance smiled.

"Excuse me sir, but the Avengers are having a confrontation with Abomination and the Wrecking crew. Captain Rogers was wondering if you would help them in this battle." Jarvis interrupted.

"You guys wanna help save the Avengers?" Lance asked as he hopped to his feet.

"Yeah!"