People began following this story so, I felt bad about my lack of updating it, but I need some ideas... I currently have burnt all my brain cells...

All of the Avengers rushed out to escape the collapsing building. They nearly escaped a crashing roof beam, but appeared unscathed. A harsh wind was blowing and the sounds of a large motor could be heard from above. Looking up they saw the Arcadia hovering low to the ground. A platform opened under the ship and a bright blue-white light met them.

Stark's POV:

The light was blinding and I blinked away the tears of strain. When my eyes fully adjusted I could see a dark figure standing in front of the light. It was Harlock. As we walked closer I could see that he was standing with his arms crossed over this chest. His sword was at his side and his pistol in the holster.

"Good evening." He greeted as we reached the bottom of the platform. I could see that there was a lower deck connected to the platform and a higher one above. The roof of the ship was high and made it look even bigger inside. I could already tell that this ship was about three times larger than the SHIELD Hellicarrier. To me, this ship was astonishing. How could it fly? How much fuel did it use? Why was it made? Questions upon questions filled my head until I thought I'd get a permanent headache. The captain smirked as the Avengers walked to the end of the platform.

"What? Are you afraid to enter a Pirate's ship?" he mused.

"No. Of course not!" I replied.

"Well then, you have to answer one question correctly or you cannot board the Arcadia." Harlock said strictly.

"What is it?" Hawkeye asked.

"Why does the Arcadia sail?"

So far, all of us tried to answer the question, but we all failed. The Captain obviously did NOT sail for riches, domination, treasure, or just for fun. We were up with our last man, Steve Rodgers.

"Why does the Arcadia sail?" Harlock asked Cap.

Steve thought for a moment and then cleared his throat. "Is it freedom?" he asked. A slight smile lit its way across Harlock's face, "Yes."

Inside the Arcadia it was equally amazing as the outside, but maybe a bit more. We were led through the loading dock to the computer room. Inside, there was a massive computer that reached to the ceiling. Various screens, buttons, and lights decorated the fixture. It was very large, but not large in the fact that it was old and might be slow and way past it's time. No, it was almost brand-spankin' new. I could tell that the system was very fast and that it could complete several thousands of tasks in seconds. It also wasn't an old computer that had to be large for its time. This one was massive and well past our time in its tech. I couldn't believe such a computer or technology existed on our planet. It was astounding! We past some empty prisoner cells without bars or doors. Curious about this I asked, "Why are there no bars to keep prisoners in?"

"They're currently turned off, but the bars are a visible electric current that can burn a person to death if they touch it too long." Harlock replied. I hummed along in agreement

In the control center there were various places for a specialized person to stand in and do their individual job. The main control is what interested me. It wasn't a yoke like a plane, or a joystick. It was the type of wheel that a pirate would have on his ship. So far, there wasn't anyone else in the ship. There was an area for prisoners to be locked up in. The cells were large and had benches on the sides. The gate though, was a high powered electric current that was a visible glowing light blue color.

"So, was your ship used for anything before?" I asked. The Captain stopped walking and turned halfway.

"Before what?" there was an edge to his voice that told me to proceed the conversation with caution.

"Before you were sailing for freedom." I clarified,

"It was a heap of metal in a factory." The Captain replied sharply.

"What I am meaning to say is, was the ship used for anything other than what you are using it for now?" I said calmly. At this, the Captain turned and looked me straight in the eye.

"You don't know much about your planet do you?" he asked in a slightly smug voice. Yet, it was still sharp.

"We know what we are told and what we can find out about it, but I admit that we don't know everything." Natasha said.

"Do you know about the Homecoming War?" Harlock asked.

"The what?" Clint asked.

"The Homecoming War."

"No, I don't, but does anyone else?" Clint asked. Everyone shook their heads quietly and murmured no. With that Harlock sighed loudly and began his story: (People who watched the 2013 Captain Harlock movie can skip this part)

Long ago, the people of Earth were too many for the planet to hold and their hearts too full of adventure. Since there wasn't any room or areas to explore with all the large cities and countries, an organization was formed to help solve these situations. They called themselves the Gaia Coalition. They worked for a few years to try to fulfill both desires. After many ideas and attempts, the solution was to expand human kind throughout the Universe. Various airships and vessels were made for the journey. Many of the ships were equipped with weapons in case anything was to happen along the way, because it is common sense to be armed if one is to explore something unknown. Everything went well and the people were settled on the select planets. Most of these were very far from Earth. They were not the ones that are in the Sun's solar system. People loved peacefully on those planets for about fifty years, but after that, things began to change. Some of the planets had dangers that killed many people and continued to do so. Some examples are: monsters and poisonous gases that got through the airtight walls and doors. Many of the remaining people that had moved to the other planets told their children about Earth and stores had been passed down. With that, many of the people wanted to return "Home". So, they talked to the Gaia Coalition if they could come home. The organization was still based on Earth and the answer was an affirmative. So, all the planets packed up their things and got back into the airships and traveled back to Earth. Everything was going well until all the ships arrived at Earth. Everyone realized that they all wouldn't fit on the planet together. So, the Gaia Coalition said that everyone should go back to their planets, but everyone refused until the organization forced them back with warships, but as I told you, all the airships were equipped with weapons, and a large war broke out. They all wanted to fight to see who would get the planet and to stop the organization from keeping the planet Earth to themselves. I took command of this ship the Arcadia and was in the Homecoming War. I hated the fact that the Gaia Coalition kept the planet to themselves. So I went into the Sanctified Zone and destroyed the organization, but that was only the headquarters. Other smaller versions of the organization were all over the Universe. So if they wouldn't let the other citizens have Earth they won't either. To make this happen, I attacked the Earth with Dark Matter. This would destroy the planet and consume it entirely, but not many people saw this happen. I was alone commanding my ship, the crew had abandoned me. I was left alone. My ship and I immortalized by the Dark Matter. Not to long after that, about 100 years later, someone showed me that Earth was still alive and that there was hope for the better future I had dreamed of. Years later, the Gaia Coalition fell apart and humans secretly began returning to the planet.

"This really happened?" I asked. I couldn't believe such a thing could happen. I mean seriously, his ship is way ahead in its technology. How could this be from the past?

"Yes, but it seems like the world has forgotten." Harlock sighed, "The war that began the new era of humans."

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked. The captain sighed and looked at me in the eye, "I had come here to check this world's condition and see if it is still worthy of life."

"Worthy of life?" Hawkeye asked, confusion on his face.

"Yes." Harlock replied.

"What were you going to do if it wasn't?" Natasha asked suspiciously.

"Destroy it."

"Destroy it?!" I exclaimed in surprise. Somehow I found this fitting for the "Space Pirate", but at the same time, unfitting. Besides, how would he destroy planet Earth with such a small ship? I mean it's larger than SHIELD's Helicarrier and amazing, but it just couldn't do it…unless…he had a secret weapon of MASS DESTRUCTOIN! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

(Insert Joseph Joestar yelling his famous "Ohh Nooooooo!")

"H-how would you do that?" I asked. Harlock looked at me for a loooong time before he sighed and opened his mouth, "In the universe that we are part of, there are exactly 100 areas or points that are arranged like a clock. For a long time, this has been called the Genesis Clock. I have planted detonators on each of these points and once they are ignited, the universe that we know will cease to exist."

"You can't be serious. You mean to end human kind?" Banner said in shocked awe.

"You forget the name of the clock. Genesis. Beginning. It will destroy humans as they are now, but they will rise again in an age to be known as the Post-Apocalyptic Age.*"

"So, is human kind worthy of living?" Cap asked quietly.

"Seeing the way I was treated when I arrived, I am not sure, but you all seem different than the machine I met at the beginning of my visit. You act like you're fighting for the life of your planet and its people. Even though, you all are criticized by the ones you save." Harlock said thoughtfully. "As you know, there is a machine creating itself only for the end of mankind. I cannot allow it to rise. I have to be the one to destroy mankind, as a human and I know this machine is what you are getting ready to fight against. What I mean is, that I would like to assist you in this battle."

So, I'm trying to work on a massive crossover right now, and I have some pretty tough classes this year. So, I'm not sure on how this story is going to go...advice is appreciated!

*a little reference to Fist of the North Star… ;)