Traveler - 23 MCU Detour (Patreon)

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Central Park, New York City, New York, USA - April 4th, 2015

A quick search of the MCU timeline on the wiki told him exactly where he should start. Killing Thanos wouldn't have much of an impact until after Civil War. There were certain people he had no intention of meeting or even being around. He could understand why Stark hadn't been friendly. A random superpowered person showing up a few times, and killing someone every time, would raise some alarms. Still, he had hoped he could be on good terms with the entire team. His time with the Asgardians had given him hope that others would be as welcoming.

There were a few moments he wanted to prevent. Case in point.

Ben swapped to a fresh set of casual clothes before he appeared in the air above the carousel with his invisibility active. Showing up in his armor would draw too much attention. Frank Castle and his family were enjoying a trip to the park. This was the day they were supposed to die in the crossfire of a gang war that was adjusted to kill the Castles as well. There was a difference between conflict that helps a person grow and letting a family be slaughtered because he liked the show.

He watched as the two gangs started converge as well as the third party slipping into position for their own reasons. Ben landed in front of the carousel to wait for the ride to stop. He dropped his invisibility as Frank stepped off the ride. The man moved to block his family from the potential threat.

"Frank Castle," Ben said. "You and your family are in danger."

"Why should I trust a word you say?" Frank's heartbeat didn't raise a beat.

"There is a sting operation to catch a drug lord about to happen," Ben explained. "Your family with get caught in the cross-fire thanks to some Cerberus soldiers that think you're the leak."

Frank went still. It wasn't fear. He was analyzing the situation, taking in the people around him, and assessing the threat.

"What do you want?" Frank asked.

"To save your family," Ben replied.

Gunfire erupted nearby. Ben moved faster than sight, catching the bullets heading their way, and dropping them.

"You lead the way, I will provide cover," Ben hovered behind them as they moved through the park.

The majority of the gunfire was concentrated in the area where the two gangs faced off. Ben still had to catch a few dozen bullets that were aimed at the family. In all honesty, the attack was sloppy. They weren't even using the same ammunition as the gangs. Any half-decent investigator would see the difference in the wounds. Not to mention the grouping that came from being a professional.

Ben moved faster than they could track as the soldiers split into smaller groups to get a clear line of fire. They stopped at the edge of the parking lot. The open expanse was a deathtrap.

"Hold hands," Ben said.

"What?" He wasn't sure who spoke.

"Hold hands," Ben repeated. "Everyone."

The family did as they were told. Ben put his hand on Frank's shoulder.

CUBE
Outside of Space and Time

The family gawked at their new surroundings. Aside from Frank. He had already scanned the area and had his family heading toward the nearest cover. The wall of silence made him stop in place.

"Where are we?" Frank asked.

Ben motioned to the space, "This is my private space. You're safe here. I'll be right back."

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Central Park, New York City, New York, USA - April 4th, 2015

Ben reappeared where he had been a moment before. He turned to face the squad of soldiers. The last time he had visited this dimension he had been mortal. Sure, he had superpowers, but he was still a mortal. Even a neophyte god was on another level. He didn't need to move, wave a hand, or look at them to exert his power. The issue being that there had to be someone watching. Likely multiple interested parties. He could put on a little show.

He blurred through the park, snagging the fourteen Cerberus squad members and carrying them by their harnesses. Touching them gave him access to their thoughts and memories. He wasn't interested in learning their life stories. It was their recent briefing that held his interest.

Ben noted the names and faces of those in charge. A sharp smile crossed his face when he discovered there was a surveillance team nearby. He wasn't sure what to do with the soldiers. They weren't evil on purpose. They were weapons that the people in charge pointed at a problem.

They could do some good elsewhere.

The Walking Dead
Central Park, New York City, New York, USA – 2054

Traveling from one dimension to another while remaining in the same space was easier than he had expected. He dropped the squad in park to fend for themselves. A squad of highly trained soldiers should have a decent chance at survival.

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Central Park, New York City, New York, USA - April 4th, 2015

He reappeared alone. Slowly, he turned to face the surveillance van nearby. The people in it were scrambling to leave. Ben seemed to vanish only to appear beside the vehicle in a blink. He grabbed the driver's side door and ripped it off the van. The driver stared at him in a mixture of rage and wonder. They pulled a gun from their belt. Ben let the empty the weapon into his chest. The rounds flattened against his body before dropping to the ground.

"Are you finished?" Ben asked.

The guy threw the gun at him. Ben raised an eyebrow. He reached into the van then tore the steering wheel out. It dropped loudly to the ground.

"Buckle up," Ben said casually.

He grabbed the edge of the van, tossed it up to shoulder height, then slipped under it. The chassis made for a much better handle. He rocketed in the air. Screams erupted from inside the vehicle. He shook his head as the driver fell out. Ben tossed the van high to grab the falling person. He held the guy in one hand while holding the vehicle in the other. They landed a little bit later on the cement piers of one of the bridges that separated the island from New Jersey.

The Walking Dead
Greenway Bridge, Hudson River, New York, USA – 2054

A rescue would have been too easy if he had stayed in the MCU. This dimension meant he didn't have to worry about containment or possible assistance. He carried the former driver by the scruff of the neck around to the back of the van. The people inside didn't sound happy. Ben ripped off the backdoors then tossed them into the Hudson just for the hell of it.

"Lady, Gentlemen," Ben greeted. "Welcome to your potential new home."

"What is that smell?" The guy he was holding asked.

"Zombies," Ben replied. "There are a lot of them in the city. It's been years and they're still hanging around."

"Zombies?" The guy asked. "Like Night of the Living Dead?"

"Exactly," Ben answered cheerfully. "Glad someone knows what I'm talking about."

"Why did you bring us here?" The woman asked.

Ben narrowed his eyes, "Samantha Reyes? I didn't think you were the type to be so close to the action." He shrugged. "It does make my life easier. Care to tell me where Ray Schoonover and William Rawlins are currently located?"

"Who?" Reyes asked.

Her heartbeat didn't increase. She was genuinely confused.

"Hm," Ben tapped his chin in thought. "Now I'm in a bit of a pickle. I thought you were working with them to kill Castle."

"Who?" Reyes asked again.

"It turns out you're just horrible at your job," Ben shook his head. "Fine, Ray Schoonover is Blackwood. Don't worry about him. He won't be alive for long."

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Hudson River, New York City, New York, USA - April 4th, 2015

Ben left them on the pier before vanishing once more.

CUBE
Outside of Space and Time

The Castle family were currently poking around his stuff. He couldn't blame them; there wasn't anything else to do.

"Sorry about the wait," Ben said.

Frank, of course, had found the guns he had used in the Mojave. Ben looked at the Service Rifle the other man held.

"Careful with that," Ben said. "It means a lot to me."

"Why would a superhero need a gun?" Frank asked.

Ben smiled, "I wasn't always a superhero."

"Could I be one?" Junior asked.

"No," Frank and his wife said in unison.

"Things are calm for now," Ben said. "As calm as New York can be. I can take you back now. I would suggest you take a vacation somewhere outside of the city. Maybe some friends out of state?" He motioned to the stacks of cash. "Grab some, fly first class, take a family vacation. My treat. Using your credit cards or bank accounts would lead them right to you. Cash is the best option. I have some people I need to visit before it's safe for you to come back to the city."

"I can help," Frank said.

"I know," Ben nodded. "They are going to come after you. That means they are coming after your family to hit you where it hurts. I don't know how long it will take to get this handled. Your family needs you to protect them." Ben paused. "You could take a vacation in another world if you would like."

"Another world?" Frank asked.

Ben nodded, "A different Earth. One without superheroes or people hunting you. It would give me time to clean things up. The choice is yours, but I'm not taking you home until I've finished."

"I don't appreciate being held captive," Frank growled.

Ben sighed, "I get it. You're a man of action. May I speak to you in private?"

Frank looked off to the side silently asking where they could talk privately here. Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He hadn't done anything like this before, but he was pretty sure he could manipulate the Cube now. A section of the floor rose taking shape into a room a little bigger than a two-car garage. He opened his eyes then walked to the new addition.

"How did you do that?" Frank asked. "What else can you do here?"

Ben shrugged, "I'm still learning." He paused. "Does anyone need to use the restroom? Are you hungry? Tired? I forgot that people needed to do that."

"I need to use the restroom," One of the kids said.

"Everyone hold hands," Ben said. "I'll take you somewhere you can handle your business."

They did. Frank tried to stare him down the entire time. Ben did not doubt that he would have been incredibly intimidated if he wasn't a god. The guy was intense. Well, it wasn't every day that a superpowered being appeared claiming to be there to save your family then whisk you off to some strange cube.

NBC Sitcom Dimension
Central Perk, New York City, New York, USA - 2015

The group appeared on the street outside of the café. Ben led them inside while Frank scanned the area for threats. It didn't escape him that the other man had snagged one of the easily concealed guns from the stash. Ben wasn't going to hold it against him.

He chose the NBC dimension for its location in New York while being disconnected from the greater Marvel/Disney IPs. They wouldn't accidentally come across the plot of their lives or discover the identities of the various heroes in the world here. NBC had access to NBC properties

Ben suppressed a smile at the sight of Gunther behind the counter. He was older, obviously, but appeared to be in good health.

"Excuse me," Ben said as he walked over to the counter. "Is there a table big enough for five people?"

Gunther gave a forlorn look at the couch area that the group used to frequent. The 'reserved' sign was still on the table though it looked like it hadn't been moved in some time. Ben scanned the area to see a decently sized flat-top with enough chairs.

"We'll take that one," Ben pointed at it before Gunther answered.

The Castle family were obviously confused but joined him all the same. Frank took a spot that would allow him to keep the front door and windows in his line of sight.

"This doesn't look like another world," Mrs. Castle stated.

"Same world, different dimension," Ben explained. "Ask anyone here. The only superheroes here are in the movies." He motioned to the counter. "Get anything you want. You'll need to buy something to stay here." He put a stack of cash on the table. "Spend that day here, go see a movie, or something."

"We still need to have that conversation," Frank said in a tone that offered no space for negotiation.

Ben nodded, "In truth it's a short story. Your family was meant to die today. You would survive then go on a crusade to punish everyone involved. Somewhere along the way that transformed into you spreading your attention to all organized crime in the city." He paused to let the words sink in. "I didn't want you to lose your family. Unfortunately, saving you today isn't enough. They will come after you again until they succeed because they think you are a leak."

"Who?" Frank growled.

"A couple of old associates of yours," Ben answered. "Ray Schoonover and William Rawlins. They were running drugs into the US via dead soldiers being sent back. Someone found out. They think it was you and want to silence it."

Frank went silent as his brain kicked into overdrive. His family watched the conversation in stunned silence.

"Go grab a coffee, hot cocoa, or something," Ben motioned to the money. "I need to introduce myself to a couple of people."