Avengers: Damnation

Massive Darkness

"Destroy the barrier, sorcerer!" Thor demanded. He turned away from the retreating enemies, his rage spilling out in the form of static electricity racing between his fingertips and up and down his body. His eyes crackled menacingly as he closed the distance between himself and Strange.

"What the hell do you think I've been trying to do?" Strange fired back. "This is very black magic we're dealing with."

"Thor!" Lumen shouted before flickering between him and Strange. He placed his hands on Thor's chest, noting the way it expanded and contracted as Thor drew deep, enraged breaths. "I need you to try to stay calm. Please."

Thor looked down into Lumen's pleading face and softened a bit. "We have to get in there."

Behind them the armies continued their clash. But the absolute pandemonium could not compare with the storm in Thor's heart. Lumen felt it so profoundly and fresh tears welled in his eyes. "There has to be a way in," he cried as he buried his face in Thor's chest.

"Traditional spells aren't working," Strange explained to the others as they crowded around.

"What about you, Nightstar?" Power Princess asked. "Your powers are of this realm. Surely you can demolish this enchanted barrier."

Frustrated tears fell down Nightstar's cheeks and he averted his eyes from everyone else's. "I don't know how," he said in a tremulous voice.

Lumen felt the combination of fear, helplessness, and worthlessness radiating off of his new friend. Gently, he broke away from Thor and pulled Nightstar into an embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Dean," he cried on Lumen's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Listen to me," Lumen said, taking Nightstar's face in his hands. "You are more powerful than you know. You're capable of things you can't even begin to fathom. I know that."

"I don't know enough about my powers," Nightstar muttered. "I'm fucking useless..."

"Taylor, quit it..."

"...I'm so sorry..."

"Taylor..."

"Whatever happens now is all my fucking fault..."

Lumen slapped Nightstar across the face, halting the stream of self-deprecation.

"Oh, shit," Iron Man muttered under his breath.

"Did you just...slap me?" Nightstar asked as Hyperion moved to stand behind him. Thor closed in as well.

"You're mad, aren't you?" Lumen asked.

"You know I'm mad," Nightstar barked. "You can read emotions!"

"Sometimes the motivation for our powers isn't the need to save someone. Sometimes it's because we're fucking pissed. Just like you are right now," Lumen thundered. "You've got all this anger and self-loathing that isn't serving anyone right now. So fucking put it to good use! Or...you can prove that mean little voice in your head right."

Nightstar's fists we're clenched, a purple and black aura rolling off of them. Suddenly his eyes shifted to black and his body began to levitate off of the ground. The heroes moved aside and watched as the dark forces the hero was capable of wielding began to swirl around and within him. Like a dark network of silken ribbons, sweeping tendrils of magic moved around Nightstar. Hyperion stared at his fiancé in a mixture of concern and pride as he continued to float up off of the ground. The air around him, hot and thick, charged up with his power.

"I hope this works," Aegis murmured from beside Lumen.

Lumen remained silent, his entire focus upon Nightstar. Though all eyes were on the wielder of dark magic, Lumen was no less involved in the process. While Nightstar channeled the power, Lumen maintained an emotional connection to him, feeding his rage with his own. Generating a positive feedback loop, he continued to feed Nightstar's anger. And only Nightstar was aware. He cast his gaze downward at Lumen, dark eyes meeting light ones. A storm of magic was quickly obfuscating the young hero, but just before he grew lost in the haze, Lumen winked at him. Nightstar winked back.

You can do this, Lumen mouthed.

Nightstar nodded. And then was lost to the storm.

And then an eruption of power broke free of his aura. The thick beam shot out of the murky, purple darkness. Multiple smaller beams swirled around the great lance of power as it displaced the air around it and quickly met the barrier in a head-on collision. As the beam of dark magic made contact, it gradually dispersed across the barrier. Then, after several tense seconds, a very sharp and audible sound- like glass shattering- filled the space around the heroes. Then, with one great rush of triumph, the barrier busted apart and dispersed across the hot air.

"He fucking did it!" Valkyrie cried out, lifting her sword in the air.

The magic fell apart and Nightstar plummeted from the air and into Hyperion's waiting arms.

"You're amazing," Hyperion whispered as he kissed him.

Nightstar looked over at Lumen and dazedly gave him a thumbs up.

"Damn, Goosey," Iron Man said as he tapped Lumen's shoulder. "You're one hell of a life coach, man."

"Come on," Thor shouted before sprinting to the entrance. "It is time to end this!"