nextgenerationmarvel | Defenders

They weren't supposed to be a real team. That had been the deal. They'd come together when they were needed, but nothing more than that. And that had happened a couple of times. Dawn was still pretty much a mess, still utterly confused by the voice in her head, about the powers and skills it gave her, but she had to admit, they'd managed to do some good as well. Maybe even saved the world.

But they definitely weren't supposed to have been a real team.

And yet that's what they'd had to become.

First, it had been the Ultron-Kang invasion of New York City. That had pretty much been an all hands on deck operation for the heroes of NYC. Even if, she felt, the Avengers had gotten a bad rap from it.

But as more supernatural threads had begun to arise, more threats to the city in general too, they'd been forced to step up their game. Just like the FF and the X-Men, everyone was having to do more of their share. But it had become increasingly apparent something had stirred up the supernatural world.

The pieces of an artifact called the Evil Eye had been scattered across the Earth. And someone or something was after it. In fact, it seemed like the whole supernatural world was after it. Vampires, werewolves, demons, monsters...

There were six pieces. They had two of them, and they'd failed to prevent a coven of vampires from getting a third. And that still left three pieces out there to be found...

Vesper, at least, had set them up with something of a headquarters, so they could meet and plan.

Dawn was working on her swordwork. Even with a Valkyrie in her head guiding her actions, she wanted it to become more natural. She still felt torn between the instincts the soul fused to her was providing, and her own natural inclination to panic.

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Liza had approached carefully, using her ability to sense demonic activity to check the building and area surrounding it. "Seeing" a real demonic threat had gotten a lot harder lately, with the uptick in activity. She quietly walked up the stairs.

"Watch the sword, Warrior Princess. I like my head still attached."

Dawn made a surprised noise, dropping the sword and letting it tumble clumsily from her hands.

"Sorry," she said.

This is why Vesper came in from the roof. Less getting beheaded that way. He saw the two Defenders and paused. Then he leaned against the wall and hoped he didn't go through it.

The building needed some renovations still. He wasn't sure which walls were done and which ones were going to eat him.

"No big thing. Mom always told me never sneak up on someone with a sword."

Liza walked out into the middle of the room.

"Nice place. It could use some more lighting. Maybe a microwave and a coffee maker. And some high level magical wards or protection runes."

"Probably a good idea," Dawn agreed.

She picked up her sword, sheathing it in the scabbard on her back. This undid the transformation into Valkyrie, dropping her about a foot in height and returning her clothes to normal.

"Any leads on the next piece?"

The costumed vigilante shook his head. "Nothing in the part of the streets I patrol in. Outside of the occasional make babies with female demons cults."

He pushed off the wall and almost put his elbow through it. Definitely needed some contractors in soon.

"If we can get Sofia's attention maybe she can put some wards, runes, or whatever up."

"Nothing definite. There's a lot, and I mean a whole lot of demon trails out there, so many crossing each other that it's hard to follow just one. They might be doing that on purpose. Or maybe they're just all excited. I dunno."

Liza eyed the rickety wall.

"Wards. And maybe a contractor. Does Sofia do drywall?"

"All this stuff is still pretty much Greek to me," Dawn said. "Or would that be Norse? Sorry. Bad joke."

He chuckled dryly. "I know more about contractors than magical anything. Contractors are coming but somebody else has to provide supernatural knowledge."

Though he certainly freaked out less than the sometimes sword-wielding librarian.

"Don't look at me!"

Liza felt they were definitely looking at her.

"I mean, I know some dem... something about demons, sure. But I don't know that much about magic."

A voice deep inside her head whispered to her.

But I do.

Give her a break. She's still pretty new at this.

"I just wish this mission of ours felt a little more... safe? Not evil? I don't know. But even if we're keeping it out of somebody worse's hands, nothing called the Evil Eye could possibly be good."

Vesper may have been quirking an eyebrow, but neither woman would be able to tell with his mask on. He liked the mystery that way.

"We'll see who does when the others show up here. Hopefully. I'm as mundane as this group gets, and even what I do normally isn't safe. At least demons haven't noticeably infested drug-running gangs." It would have to be very noticeable for him to catch it. He thought the ignorance was bliss.

"Little-E evil is what you do with it. Fire can burn your city down, but it can also cook your food and keep you warm. And sometimes people and things can be both at the same time. I don't know exactly what this Evil Eye is supposed to do... and we should keep trying to find out, for sure. But I do know that we need to be really, really careful about who gets a hold of the whole thing."

Liza quirked an eyebrow back at Vesper's eyebrow that she hadn't seen.

"That you know of."

Dawn nodded slightly. "Okay, point," she agreed. "I've been doing some internet research on it, but most of it comes from very old sources, and the translations aren't always the most reliable."

Vesper glanced at Liza. "I'll send you in when I do."

He looked over at Dawn. "Anything you want for researching here? Outside of a fast interest connection."

"Gee, thanks. Demon infestation problem? Send the cat in! Demons are just big, scary, interdimensional mice after all..."

Liza muttered, and kicked a pile of old insulation near the wall, sending a small rat scurrying towards Vesper.

"Look! There's one now!"

"Vast internet connection would be good," Dawn agreed. "I'll make you a list on the rest."

She let out a very girlish shriek though, when the rat scurried by.

Defenders - 6 Months Later

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