MARVEL: TOAA

"Listen, kid," Tony Stark began, gesturing at Reina with an exasperated tone. "That thing in your arms might look like a baby, but for all we know, it could be some ancient, evil entity. I have reason to believe it's connected to that black void creature. So if you don't move away, I won't hesitate to fire."

The Avengers had been briefed by Natasha Romanoff about John Lang's supposed telepathic abilities, and they found it hard to believe that a newborn could exhibit such advanced mental powers. To them, the only plausible explanation was possession—John Lang was housing the spirit of some malevolent force, with Ravion acting as its guardian.

"Wow!" John Lang, the infant, made a frustrated noise, clearly upset at Tony's accusations. However, with the Avengers protected by an electromagnetic field that shielded their minds, his telepathic abilities couldn't reach them.

Tony pointed dramatically at the baby. "Did you see that? Baring his tiny teeth at us! I bet he's cursing, 'I'll destroy you all!' Born villain material, no doubt."

Reina had had enough. "That's enough!" she shouted angrily, cutting off Tony's mocking tirade. "You all look more like villains than heroes right now. John Lang is not some creepy monster, and Ravion—he has feelings. He's my friend."

She hesitated, then added, "Sure, sometimes Ravion's a bit confusing, and John Lang pretending to be all-knowing is annoying, but they've never harmed me. I know they mean well."

Reina gestured at the damaged shelter around them. "And look what you've done! You barged in, destroyed our home, and act like the bad guys you claim to fight against."

Tony scoffed, crossing his arms. "So now we're the bad guys? Really?"

The Avengers had been through a harrowing ordeal over the past few days. Although they had managed to save most of the passengers from the cruise ship and fend off the black void entity, the aftermath had left them in dire straits. Supplies were running dangerously low, and everyone was on edge. Tony, in particular, was feeling the strain, his billionaire playboy lifestyle reduced to something resembling survivalist desperation. Reina's accusations felt like salt in the wound.

"Tony, calm down," Steve Rogers interjected, trying to defuse the situation. But Tony had already stepped forward, his patience snapping.

"Reina, move aside," Ravion commanded gently but firmly, using his telekinesis to pull her out of harm's way. The hulking robot braced himself as Tony launched a repulsor-powered kick directly at him.

Seeing Tony engage, Thor and Steve had little choice but to follow suit, reluctantly joining the fight to subdue Ravion. Despite their coordinated efforts, they held back, avoiding large-scale energy attacks to protect Reina and John Lang, who were still nearby.

Ravion, though powerful, was not a skilled combatant. While he could replicate the abilities of mutants and other enhanced beings, he lacked the finesse to effectively counter the combined attacks of the Avengers. Thor's Mjolnir, Steve's vibranium shield, and Tony's repulsor blasts gradually began to wear him down.

"That's enough!" A voice rang out, stopping the fight. It was John Lang, who had sought Reina's permission to temporarily share her consciousness. With a wave of Reina's hand, under John Lang's control, a carefully crafted table flew through the air, forcing the Avengers to step back.

Using Reina's voice, John Lang declared, "You call yourselves heroes? Look at what you've done! This entire mess—thousands of lives lost—happened because of your self-righteous meddling. Ravion only wanted to protect a handful of children, to give them a chance to grow up safely. Now you've taken them away, unharmed. What more do you want? To pin the blame on us? Label us as villains so you can stroke your egos and cover up your own mistakes?"

John Lang's words struck a chord. Thor looked down, visibly ashamed.

Breaking the tense silence, Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, arrived, bow in hand. "What's going on here? Did I miss something?"

Tony muttered under his breath, "This is all Thor's fault."

The remark cut Thor deeply. "Yes, it is my fault," he admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. "I shouldn't have lost control. I shouldn't have provoked Banner..." His voice trailed off, haunted by the consequences of his actions. Thor had tried calling on Heimdall for guidance, but the silence from Asgard only deepened his regret.

Captain America and Hawkeye didn't step in to defend him. Thor's reckless actions had cost them dearly, especially Clint, who had lost his family in the chaos. No one was ready to absolve him just yet.

Meanwhile, John Lang processed Thor's admission. He hadn't seen Bruce Banner or the Hulk during the Avengers' rescue operations. Was it possible that the Hulk had been consumed by the void entity? Not even all Hulks are spared by the chaos that lies beyond, John Lang mused grimly.

"Get out of my home," John Lang said coldly through Reina. "You've done enough damage here."

As John Lang's consciousness left Reina, Steve stepped forward. "Wait—we just need some information."

But Ravion had heard enough. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, unleashing a burst of telekinesis and a powerful gust of wind that sent the unprepared Avengers flying out of the shelter.

For all their combined might, Ravion was holding back. His true power was far greater.

"Ravion, was that wrong?" the robot asked John Lang, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"No, Ravion, you were right," John Lang replied through telepathy. "But it won't be long before they come crawling back, asking for shelter. And by then, those kids' hearts might not be as pure."

John Lang knew the truth of human nature. The Avengers had likely saved many people, but in the scarcity of the void, desperation would bring out the worst in those survivors. On a ship filled with wealthy elites, the darkness of human greed and selfishness would inevitably surface. The children Ravion had tried so hard to protect would soon be surrounded by this darkness, their innocence eroded.

Poor Ravion. His first attempt at a noble deed had ended in failure.

The once-warm little shelter he had built with care was now in ruins.

"It's hard being a parent," Ravion sighed, his mechanical tone carrying a hint of sadness. For all his independence, his understanding of human emotions was still rudimentary, an outline of affection without depth.

"I'm not leaving," Reina said firmly, grabbing Ravion's cold, metallic fingers. Standing on tiptoe to reach him, she added, "You may be cold, but your gentleness can melt anything."

In just three days, Ravion had shown her more warmth than she had known in her life. It was a fleeting connection, but it was enough to make her choose to stay.