The rain in the city always felt less like weather and more like a personal insult when you were already having a terrible day. Stevan was a normal guy. He was twenty-two years old, worked at a small bookstore, and lived in a tiny apartment in the city. He did not have a lot of money, but he was happy enough. He liked reading books, playing video games, and watching movies. He loved superhero movies the most. He knew everything about Marvel and DC comics. He knew all the heroes, all the villains, and all their secret powers.
It was a Tuesday afternoon, and it was raining hard. The sky was dark gray, and the wind was cold. Stevan pulled his jacket tight around his neck. He was walking home from the bookstore. His shoes were wet, and he just wanted to get home, take a warm shower, and read a good comic book.
He stopped at a crosswalk. The red hand was flashing, telling him to wait. Cars zoomed by, splashing water everywhere. Stevan looked across the street. There was a young woman holding the hand of a little boy. The boy was wearing a bright yellow raincoat and holding a small red ball.
Suddenly, the boy dropped the ball. It bounced off the sidewalk and rolled into the busy street.
Before the mother could stop him, the little boy let go of her hand and ran right into the road to get his toy.
At the exact same time, a huge delivery truck came speeding down the street. The road was very wet and slippery. The driver saw the little boy and slammed on the brakes. But it was too late. The truck's wheels locked up. The huge metal machine began to slide out of control. It was moving too fast, and it was heading right for the little boy in the yellow coat.
Stevan did not think. He did not weigh the options. He did not wonder if he was strong enough or fast enough. He just saw a little boy in danger, and his legs moved on their own.
He ran as fast as he could. His wet shoes slipped a little on the pavement, but he pushed forward. He jumped into the air, reaching out with both hands. He hit the little boy hard, pushing him out of the way of the truck. The boy rolled safely onto the sidewalk, right into his crying mother's arms.
Stevan smiled for a tiny second. He saved him.
Then, The big, flat front of the truck was right there.
There was a loud crash.
But Stevan did not feel any pain. The world just blinked out like a broken light bulb. The sound of the rain, the screaming of the tires, the yelling of the people, its all stopped. Everything went completely black and totally quiet.
____________
Stevan felt like he was floating. He could not see his hands or his feet. He had no body. He was just a soul, floating in a huge, empty darkness.
"Where am i?" he thought. His thought seemed to echo in the empty space. "..i'm dead, The truck hit me...is this after life? "
He waited to see a bright light. He waited to see angels or a dark tunnel. But there was only nothing. It was not scary, but it was very lonely.
Suddenly, a voice spoke.
It did not come from ears, because he had no ears. The voice spoke right to his soul. It was a very old voice. It sounded deep and powerful, like thunder rolling over a mountain.
"You gave your life for another," the deep voice said. "That is a very brave thing. It brings order to chaos."
"Who's there?" Stevan thought loudly. "May i know who are you?"
A tiny spark of bright gold light appeared in the dark. It grew bigger and bigger, very fast. In seconds, the black empty space was gone. Stevan was now floating in a giant room made of pure golden light. The walls were covered in strange shapes and symbols that moved and glowed. It was beautiful and a little scary.
In the middle of the golden room, something was floating.
Stevan looked closely. It was a helmet. It was made of shining, solid gold. It had a smooth face with no holes for eyes or a mouth. It had a tall fin on the top.
Stevan loved comics. He knew exactly what this was. He could not believe it.
"The Helmet of Fate," Stevan thought. "You are Nabu."
"You know my name," the voice said. The voice was coming from the golden helmet. "That is strange, but it makes things easier. Yes, I am Nabu. I am a Lord of Order."
"But you are a comic book character," Stevan said. "You are not real."
"..So that is. What is a story in one world is true in another world," Nabu said slowly. "There are many universes. A multiverse. You have left your old world. Your body is gone. But your soul is strong."
The golden room shifted. A large window made of light opened up next to the helmet. Stevan looked through the window.
He saw a city under attack. There were huge, ugly, flying metal monsters crashing into buildings. There were aliens riding flying sleds, shooting blue lasers at people.
Then, he saw a man flying in a red and gold metal suit. He saw another man in a blue suit with a star on his chest throwing a shield. He saw a giant green monster smashing things.
"That is New York City," Stevan thought. "That is the Chitauri invasion. The first Avengers movie. The Battle of New York!"
"This world is in chaos," Nabu explained. "And this place is being targeted right now. I can sense Magic here, other source of power, and powerful being, but they let people fighting. There are bad people whose threatening this universe, such a someone in the stars who want to wipe out half of all life. This universe needs help. It needs a protector. It needs Doctor Fate."
The golden Helmet of Fate floated closer to Stevan.
"Stevan, I need a host," Nabu said. "I need a human body to hold my magic. Your soul is strong, brave, and good. Will you put on the helmet and take the duty? becoming my Avatar of justice?"
Stevan paused. He remembered the comic books.
"Wait," Stevan said. "If I say yes, will you take over my mind? Will I disappear? I don't want to just be a robot for you to control."
The golden helmet seemed to hum with a gentle sound.
"No," Nabu answered. "In this new universe, the rules are different. If I take total control, the human mind breaks. The magic is too heavy. We must work together. You will keep your mind, your memories, and your feelings. I will give you my power, my magic, and my knowledge. You will make the choices. But when the world needs saving, you must fight."
Stevan looked back out the window. He saw the aliens shooting at innocent people hiding in cars. He saw buildings falling down. He saw fear.
He was dead in his old world. He had nothing to go back to. But here, he could be a hero. He could actually do something amazing. He could help the Avengers save the world.
"Okay," Stevan said. He felt a strong fire in his heart. "I will do it. We will work together."
"It is decided," Nabu said.
The golden helmet flew forward. It did not hit him; it went right into his soul.
Suddenly, Stevan felt a huge rush of energy. It was hot and bright. His mind filled with secrets, ancient magic words, and the history of the stars. It was too much to hold. He felt like his head was going to explode. He felt the weight of a heavy cape on his back. He felt the cold gold of a mask covering his face.
Then, he felt himself falling. He was falling out of the golden room, falling through the sky, falling fast into a brand new life.
__________
Crash!
Stevan hit the ground hard.
He gasped for air. He was breathing again! His lungs pulled in the air, but it smelled terrible. It smelled like smoke, fire, and broken rocks.
He opened his eyes. He was lying on his back on dirty, wet ground. He was in a dark, narrow alleyway between two tall brick buildings.
Above him, the sky was completely crazy. It was a sunny day, but there was a giant, swirling black and blue hole in the sky. Huge, ugly alien ships were pouring out of the hole, dropping down on the city like a nightmare.
The noise was so loud it hurt his new ears. There were explosions, sirens, people screaming, and the weird buzzing sound of alien guns. The ground shook every few seconds. The Battle of New York was fully happening all around him.
Stevan sat up slowly. His body felt different. He felt incredibly strong. He did not feel tired or weak at all.
He looked down at his hands. They were covered in shiny, golden gloves. He wiggled his fingers. The gloves moved perfectly, like a second skin.
He looked at his clothes. He was no longer wearing his wet jeans and jacket. He was wearing a tight, dark blue suit that covered his whole body. Around his waist was a thick, glowing golden belt. On his chest hung a large, round gold necklace. He knew what it was. It was the Amulet of Anubis. It felt warm against his chest, beating like a strong, magical heart.
He reached up and touched his face. His fingers felt smooth, hard metal. The Helmet of Fate was on his head. He could not feel the air on his face, but he could see perfectly. In fact, he could see better than ever before.
When he looked around, everything had a faint glow. He could see energy. He could see lines of magic running through the ground. He could hear people's heartbeats from a street away.
'We are here,' Stevan thought in his mind.
"Yes," Nabu's voice spoke inside his head. It was calm and steady. "We have arrived. The battle has already begun. You must get up, Stevan."
Stevan stood up. As he did, a heavy, bright yellow cape moved behind him. The Cloak of Destiny. It moved without any wind, floating gently around his legs. He felt like a god. It was amazing, but it was also terrifying.
Suddenly, a loud crash came from the front of the alley.
Stevan looked up. A small alien flying sled had been hit by a piece of flying rock. It spun out of control and crashed into a dumpster right at the entrance of Stevan's alley.
The driver of the sled was dead, but two alien soldiers jumped off the back. They were Chitauri. They looked awful. They had pale, gray, scaly skin, no noses, and black metal armor fused to their bodies. They held long, silver rifles that glowed with purple energy.
The two aliens shook their heads, recovering from the crash. Then, they looked down the alley. They saw Stevan.
A man in a bright blue and gold suit with a glowing cape was hard to miss.
The aliens hissed. It sounded like angry snakes. They did not care who he was. He was not one of them, so he was an enemy. They raised their glowing rifles and pointed them right at Stevan.
Stevan's human heart started to beat very fast. He was just a bookstore clerk! He had never been in a real fight in his life, let alone a war with aliens. Panic started to rise in his chest.
"Do not be afraid," Nabu said smoothly in his mind. "Fear is the enemy of order. You have the power. Use it. Lift your hand and push the magic out."
Stevan took a deep breath. He had to trust Nabu. He had to trust himself.
He raised his right hand, pointing his golden glove at the two aliens.
The aliens pulled the triggers on their rifles. Two hot, bright purple blasts of energy shot out of the guns, flying straight at Stevan's chest.
Stevan did not run. He stood his ground. He imagined a wall. A solid, unbreakable wall of light.
Bam! Bam!
The purple lasers did not hit him. Less than a foot in front of Stevan's hand, a giant, shining gold circle appeared in the air. The circle was filled with ancient symbols. It was a magic shield. The alien lasers hit the gold shield and bounced off, splashing against the brick walls of the alley like water.
Stevan stared at his hand. He did not even feel the hit. It was so easy.
The two Chitauri aliens looked at each other in confusion. They had never seen magic like this. They raised their guns to shoot again.
"My turn," Stevan said softly.
His voice was incredible. When he spoke, it sounded like two voices talking at the exact same time. It was Stevan's young, normal voice mixed with Nabu's deep, ancient, god-like voice. It echoed loudly in the small alleyway.
Stevan pushed his right hand forward and closed his fist.
The golden shield in front of him suddenly changed. It turned into two long, sharp spears made of pure yellow light.
With a simple flick of his wrist, Stevan sent the magic spears flying forward. They moved faster than bullets.
Whoosh!
The golden light hit the two aliens right in their chests. The magic was too strong. The aliens were thrown backward by the blast. They hit the street outside the alley and did not get back up. The golden light faded away.
Stevan stood in the alley, his hand still raised. He was breathing heavily. He had just fought aliens. He had just used real magic.
"I did it," he whispered, listening to his cool, echoing voice.
"That was a simple spell," Nabu said. "You did well for your first time. But the danger is not over. The city is full of chaos. We must show ourselves. We must join the fight."
___________
Stevan walk slowly toward the end of the alley. His yellow cape dragged softly behind him.
He stepped out of the shadows and into the main street.
The sight was horrible. It looked like the end of the world. Cars were flipped over and burning. The windows of all the shops and banks were shattered. Papers and trash were blowing everywhere. People were hiding behind cars, crying and holding each other.
Above, the sky was full of Chitauri sleds zooming between the tall skyscrapers.
Then, Stevan heard a terrible, deep roaring sound. It sounded like a whale, but made of grinding metal.
He looked up and saw it. Coming around a tall glass building was a Leviathan. It was a giant, flying, armored space-whale. It swam through the air, smashing the sides of buildings. Pieces of glass and concrete rained down on the streets below.
Suddenly, a streak of red and gold zipped past the giant monster. It was Iron Man. Tony Stark was shooting little rockets at the monster, trying to get its attention.
"He's leading it away from the people," Stevan said.
Farther down the street, Stevan saw a group of aliens cornering some police officers. The police were shooting their normal guns, but the bullets just bounced off the alien armor.
Captain America suddenly jumped down from a crashed bus. He threw his round, star-spangled shield. It bounced off three aliens, knocking them down, and caught it as it flew back to his hand. He punched another alien in the face. But there were too many of them. More aliens were climbing down the sides of the buildings like bugs.
"The Avengers need help," Stevan thought. "They are doing their best, but there are too many of them."
"You are the master of magic," Nabu reminded him. "You can control the battlefield. You must bring balance back to this city."
"How do I fly?" Stevan asked in his mind.
"You do not need to walk like a normal man anymore. Tell the cloak what to do. Believe you can fly, and you will."
Stevan closed his eyes for a second behind the golden mask. He focused on the Amulet of Anubis glowing on his chest. He felt the magic spread through his blood. He thought about going up.
He opened his eyes.
His feet lifted off the ground. It was completely silent and smooth. Gravity just stopped working on him. The bright yellow cape flared out behind him, catching the magical energy.
He floated one foot in the air, then two feet, then ten. He rose above the burning cars.
People hiding on the street stopped crying for a moment. They looked up. They saw a man dressed in bright blue and shiny gold, with a helmet that covered his face, floating in the air.
"Look!" a little girl pointed from behind a police car.
Stevan looked down at them. He raised his hands. He cast a simple spell Nabu showed him. A soft, warm golden light washed over the hiding people. It was a spell of calm. The magic touched their minds, taking away their terrible fear. The people stopped shaking. They felt safe.
Stevan turned his head toward the battle down the street. Captain America was getting surrounded by ten Chitauri soldiers.
Stevan held his arms out to his sides. His body glowed with bright, intense yellow light. He looked like a small, golden sun floating in the middle of New York City.
He flew forward. He did not fly like Iron Man, who used noisy rocket boots. Stevan flew like a ghost, fast and totally silent. He zoomed down the street toward Captain America.
The aliens saw him coming. They stopped attacking Captain America and aimed their guns at the glowing golden man flying at them.
They fired twenty purple lasers at once.
Stevan did not even slow down. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. A massive, bubble-shaped shield of golden magic exploded outward. The laser blasts hit the bubble and dissolved into harmless smoke.
Stevan stopped flying right above the group of aliens. He looked down at them through the cold, smooth eyes of his helmet.
"Leave this place," Stevan's dual-voice echoed loudly over the noise of the battle. It was a command that shook the windows of the buildings.
The aliens hissed and aimed their guns up again.
"Have it your way," Stevan said.
He uncrossed his arms and threw his hands down toward the street.
Two giant beams of pure golden magical energy blasted out of his glowing gloves. They hit the ground right in the middle of the alien group.
BOOM!
The magic exploded outward like a golden wave. It did not hurt the buildings or the cars, but it swept the Chitauri off their feet. The magical wave washed over them, short-circuiting their armor and their weapons. All ten aliens fell to the ground, totally knocked out.
The street was suddenly quiet for a few seconds.
Captain America, who had been kneeling behind his shield, slowly stood up. He was covered in dirt and breathing hard. He looked at the unconscious aliens on the ground, and then he looked up.
He saw Stevan floating gently down to the street. Stevan's boots touched the pavement without making a sound. His bright yellow cape settled behind him.
Steve Rogers, Captain America, stared at the newcomer. He had seen a lot of weird things today. He had seen a Norse God with a magic hammer, and a giant green rage monster. But this guy was new.
"I don't think you're with the bad guys," Captain America said, keeping a tight grip on his shield. He looked at Stevan's golden helmet. "Who are you?"
Stevan stood tall. He felt the power of Nabu inside him, but he also felt like himself. He was Stevan, the bookstore clerk, but he was also something much greater now. He was a hero in his favorite universe.
He looked at Captain America, his childhood hero, right in the eyes through the golden mask.
"I am a friend," Stevan said, his voice echoing with deep, magical power. "And I am here to help you restore order to this city. You can call me Doctor Fate."
High above them, another giant Leviathan roared in the sky. The battle was far from over. More aliens were pouring out of the portal.
But Stevan smiled behind his mask. He was not afraid anymore. He raised his hands, golden magic sparking between his fingers, ready to show this universe what true magic looked like.