Welcome to my next story based on characters created by Marvel Comics.
So I don´t own them.
This will be a more dark story with some mature content.
WARNING: There will be many – and I mean many – deaths coming in this chapter!
Hope you will still like it.
Chapter 1: The last day of heroism
It was deep dark night in New York City. Hell´s Kitchen was probably the last place in the city anyone should visit at this time. Other parts of the Big Apple were not that much safer after sunset, but Hell´s Kitchen deserved it´s name especially around midnight.
But there was one man guarding the people living here. He was their guardian devil. The man without fear. Daredevil. He was as always seen in his complete crimson costume, which only revealed his lower half of the face. On his forehead were two small horns and on his chest were two prints of the fourth letter of the alphabet flowing into each other.
This night the vigilante, whose real name was Matt Murdock, headed to a specific warehouse, where a deal was supposed to happen tonight. Something about a new weapon type that could change the already hard war on the streets to the worse. He checked with his sonar-like hearing if anyone was already in the warehouse. To his surprise he could only locate one heartbeat inside the wooden building. One heartbeat he knew too well. Without any hesitation he leaped forward and used his slingshot to swing his way to a open window. He took out the momentum by rolling when he landed, to avoid any damage.
When he was back on his feet he called for someone: "Frank? I know you´re here!"
"Come down, red.", a stern voice answered and Daredevil did as he was told.
He couldn´t see the man in front of him, but he knew that he was probably completely dressed in black Kevlar-clothes with a white skull-painting on his chest. Frank Castle alias The Punisher was a man he faced many times. A former soldier with his own, twisted version of justice who would not back down to kill criminals. But he knew which evenly twisted fate led to this man´s decision to murder the bad guys. And to some extend, both men even respected each other, considering how many times they worked together.
"What are you doing here, Frank?", DD wondered harshly.
"I could ask you the same. Guess we´re after the same guy, huh?", Punisher answered in his typical stoical manner.
"Guess so...", was the man in red saying. "I followed a trace by Turk Barrett. He told me that one of his rivals was having a bigger deal than he ever had. Whoever the supplier was, he has to be one of the big guns."
"One member of the Maggia told me the same, before I introduced him to the elevator shaft.", the black-dressed man grunted as he checked the surrounding by walking around.
Daredevil shook his head and sighed: "You´ll never stop, right?" He didn´t expected an answer, which was unimportant because he already knew it.
"It doesn´t seem that anyone will come.", Punisher remarked. "Not even the tiniest traces that somebody has been here for a very long time."
"You believe it´s a trap?", the devil said in a matter-of-fact tone and also already knew the coming answer, simply because in cases like this, both men had the same way of thinking.
"Not believe, I know it, red." The former marine pulled out a huge machine gun. "Do you sense anything?"
The masked one of both individuals focused until he commented: "No, it´s like my senses have been numbed. There is no smell, no sound, nothi- wait, I hear something!" His expression became more focused as he heard: "...some kind of crackling!"
He finished his statement as a bolt of electricity shattered a part of the roof and hit the floor in front of both vigilantes. Both stepped back and braced themselves, Daredevil holding his stick in his right hand and Punisher lifting his gun. At the point that was hit by the lightning was now standing a bald headed man. His face was covered in scars formed like bolts. His upper clothing was dark green with yellow lightnings on it and even darker green, close to black gloves. His complete lower body was covered in the same blackish-dark green except his yellow boots.
"Well, well. Look who we got here! The hornhead and the skullface. I wish it was the spider...:", Electro´s voice crackled.
"We all wish it would have been the spider. But it doesn´t matter who we get. They followed the traces, so they have to deliver our message!", a nearly noble sounding, deep male voice answered in a thick Russian accent. The man had black hair going down to his shoulders and a evenly black beard covering the face around his mouth. He wore a vest that looked like the mane of a lion and dark brown trousers, equipped with holsters that were filled with different kinds of knives. In his right hand he held a spear. "Seems your tricks really worked. The devil couldn´t sense any of us until we wanted to, Mysterio. Good work."
"I love it when someone appreciates the work of an artists. But it hadn´t been possible without your jungle potions. Mysterio speaks out his thanks, Kraven!", a man wearing a green-yellow armored suit and purple cape answered and bowed down like an actor after a drama. On his head was something that resembled some kind of fish-bowl.
Punisher and Daredevil were standing back to back in the middle of the warehouse.
"Any ideas, Frank?"
"How about shooting our way out?"
"It won´t work. Your bullets would never hit Electro. The last time I faced him I was lucky to survive and he was not even close to his current power level.", DD explained.
"So, what do we now?", Frank grunted.
"How about the simplest thing for you to do now: Dying!", another voice suggested, this time female and cunning. A woman with long blonde hair, covered in a white spandex suit with a golden diamond on her chest and a partly covered half of the face stood above them, her hands were glowing in some yellowish energy. "You two wont stand a chance against all twelve of us!"
"Did she just said 'twelve'?", Daredevil asked Punisher.
"I thought you were the one with the super-hearing out of the two of us.", was the answer.
"Oh shit!"
Punisher and Daredevil were surrounded from all sides. Twelve costumed super-villains were now standing around them, lead by the blonde villainess called Moonstone. Both men could recognize their enemies as the already introduced Moonstone, Electro, Mysterio and Kraven. But they were accompanied by Klaw, the Grim Reaper, Scorpion, Abomination and all four members of the Wrecking Crew.
"This will be a long night.", Punisher sighed.
###
The sun was rising and it´s first rays were illuminating his room. Clint Barton alias Hawkeye woke up as the light touched his face. He turned his head away from the sun and wanted to wrap his arm around his beloved wife. But instead laying besides him she was already awake and dressing up in her gear.
"Morning, babe.", he murmured in a joyful but still tired tone. The blonde woman wearing a gray body-suit with navy blue stripes on her side and yellow goggles covering her blue eyes turned around and slowly moved towards him with a bright smile: "Good morning, dork. Sorry I woke you up."
"Why are you already geared up, Bobbi?"
"Fury called me.", Bobbi Morse alias Mockingbird answered. "He said it was urgent, so I have to go."
"What´s the matter?"
"Sorry, I´m not allowed to talk to you about any information!", she smiled at him and kissed his lips.
"Hey, not long ago I was also part of SHIELD!", he playfully accused.
"That´s the thing: You were a SHIELD-Agent until you said you have enough of all this secrets and that Fury is just grumpy for not being able to watch 3D movies."
"Well, technically he really isn´t able to watch 3D movies with just one eye." Bobbi walked to the door and said, facing him: "Yeah, but you shouldn´t have told him that face-to-face. Sorry, have to go now."
"We see each other later?", Hawkeye asked still laying under his sheet.
"Of course. It will be just like any other mission. Go in, kick some bad guys, extraction. Love you, babe." She left her husband alone in his bed, where he could hear that she greeted in her hurry someone else who was already awake. His palms were now on his face as he thought about leaving the bed now and talked to himself:
"Two more minutes?" He heard two other voices also chatting in the corridor. "Well, not this time..."
A few minutes later Clint entered the kitchen of the Avengers Tower, wearing only his light blue shorts and a gray, washed out 'Johnny Cash'-shirt. When he made his way to the coffee machine he was greeted by his fellow teammates Steve Rogers alias Captain America and Carol Danvers alias Ms Marvel. Or Captain Marvel how she started to call herself recently.
"Good Morning, soldier.", the blonde man with a short military cut greeted friendly. He sat there with his white t-shirt, dark green jeans and two dog tags around his neck, holding a cup of coffee in his left hand.
"Morning, Steve. Morning, Carol.", Clint yawned.
"Not enough sleep, eh?", the blonde female, ponytail-wearing Captain of the team asked. She wore a dark blue shirt and a black sweatpants. She also held a cup of coffee in her hands.
"Well, when Bobbi and I are together for a night, sleep is not our main activity.", he impishly grinned at them. "Ugh, okay I´m outta here." Carol raised her hands and left the room. Steve had to laugh at this as he took another sip out of his cup.
"I met her when she left. Another mission?"
"Yup.", Clint answered as he searched for some pads for their coffee machine. "It´s a strange feeling not knowing anything about her missions, now that I´m officially out of SHIELD.
Tell me, Steve...", his head went back and forth as he searched pads. He held one he found in his hand and showed it the World War II veteran. "Is this one the only pad left?"
"It seems so. Where´s the problem, Clint?" Steve finished his cup.
"The problem is this one is without caffeine! Who the hell has brought coffee without caffeine into this house! What´s the sense behind that!"
Steve looked the table and shook his head smiling. Luke Cage entered the kitchen, wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans. His hand slid over his freshly shaved bald head as he greeted his teammates. When Clint finally finished his rant the Afro-American man said dryly: "I don´t see your problem, Clint..."
Clint raised his hands as he left the kitchen and cursed: "Nobody understands me! Thanks for nothing, Luke!"
"Don´t worry, Luke. Nobody understands his problem..."
"Should we tell him that Pietro used nearly all coffee-pads today?"
Both watched a still ranting Hawkeye making his way to the toilet, which was occupied.
"Better not..", Cap chuckled.
Suddenly a woman with long, raven-black hair, wearing a dark red pullover and blue jeans rushed into the kitchen. It was Jessica Drew, also known as Spider-Woman.
She had a worried and sad expression on her face, saying in a British accent:
"Cap, you have to watch this..."
###
"-witnessing a hateful act of sadism and cruelty. The two individuals known as the costumed vigilantes Daredevil and Punisher have been found slaughtered in the most gruesome thinkable way. Both men were tied around flag poles, her chests cut open and leaving their interior hanging out and partly dropping on the streets. On the wall, written in their blood were the words 'No more heroes, New World Order'.
What does this mean for the other costumed heroes? Are the people still save? Can the Avengers or X-Men still protect us-"
Cap shut down the TV. The members of his team that were sitting in the living room were emotionally shattered. The green-yellow and red-faced android Vision had to calm down the completely in red dressed Wanda Maximoff, who started to tear up and cry after seeing the report.
Luke stood in the door and lowered his head. He considered Daredevil a really good friend and companion, so this was especially hard for him. Carol and Jessica were sitting speechless on the sofa. Carol leaned her body forward and stared at the floor, while Jessica had her right hand covering her mouth and fought her own tears. Hawkeye just stood behind both of them and bit his lips, forcing himself to calm down before he would snap.
"Okay, soldiers.", Steve finally spoke up. "We lost two brave men who were fighting for the good cause. Both had their own methods...partly some I would never approve of, but they did it for the same we do it: to protect the innocent. Matt and Frank were great heroes and friends in their own ways. They were not exactly what you would call 'easy-going', but they were always by our side when they were needed. And now they´re dead and the people are afraid to leave their houses. We can´t let that happen. If nobody feels save anymore or heroes are getting killed, the evil men and women we fight against win. And I personally don´t want this 'New World Order'. So let´s give both their heroes funeral and do what we´re named for: Avenge them!"
"You heard the man. Gear up!", Carol said as she stood up and left the room. Steve walked towards Luke and rested his left hand on his shoulder: "I know you and Matt have been friends-"
"Don´t worry about me, Rogers. He knew his time would come sooner or later. He wouldn´t like it if we would give up just because some maniacs tore him apart. But he did not deserve that...nobody does..."
Tony Stark entered the room and looked worried at Wanda, Vision and Jessica who passed him.
"I saw the news. Terrible! We have to find out who killed them. This is the only thing we can do for both now."
Steve nodded and wanted to say something, but suddenly his communicator interrupted him.
"Yes?", he answered it.
"Cap! You guys have to get to the Times Square. Immediately!", the male voice on the other end yelled.
"Peter! What´s going on?"
"Well, it seems that we kinda have a super-villain tea party. And all inhabitants of the Raft have been welcomed here. Iron Fist, Quicksilver, Firestar, me and some others are getting our asses kicked. Even some SHIELD-Agents came to help. Black Widow, Coulson, Quake and Mockingbird are still fighting, but we already lost May and Dugan.", the voice said saddened, with some fighting noises in the background.
"We´re on our way, Peter. Stand your ground, son." He ended the talk on the communicator and looked at the goatee wearing in his expensive suit Tony: "Spider-Man and many others are under attack at the Times Square. Avengers Assemble!"
###
"Oh, man. That was not part of the contract!", Spider-Man quipped, wearing his typical red-blue spandex suit with white eye lenses, webbing pattern in the red parts of his costume and a small black spider on his chest and a big red one on his back.
"What contract?", the red-haired Black Widow, wearing her trademark skintight black suit and her golden arm gauntlets equipped with bullets and other types of ammunition. Her golden belt had a red hourglass-logo on it.
"The contract you sign when you become a costumed super-hero! There was not mentioned that this mess is happening!", Spidey answered.
Both spider-themed heroes were taking cover behind a crashed bus and leading civilians into safety. As far as there was still anything like safety.
Widow somewhat grunted: "You´re making jokes? Right now?"
"That´s how I deal with it. It´s not like I think anything about this is funny, it´s definitely not, but this how I deal with it if I don´t want to lose my sanity." He shoot a web-line into the face of one villain wearing a dark blue-silver armor and holding boomerangs in his hands, while kicking another villainess wearing a dark gray-metallic orange armor still revealing her face and brown hair and using some kind of blue glowing stick as a weapon, into the next car.
"As long as you are still helpful, I´m fine with it. Who were those?"
"Boomerang and Joystick. No heavy-hitters, but the less bad guys, the better will be our situation."
Widow looked out of her cover and shot two times. A groan was heard as she came back and said:
"I think I got Blizzard and Trapster. Don´t think they´ll make any trouble so soon."
Suddenly a blur whizzed it´s way to their side. It was their teammate Quicksilver holding a little girl in his arms. He put her on the floor and pointed towards a restaurant where some people hid themselves. "Go there, it´s safe!" She ran and he talked to his fellow heroes: "We can´t do it any longer. SHIELD´s making more losses than our enemies. We lost another agent..."
"Who?", Widow asked worried.
"Quartermain..."
"Damn!", she exclaimed furious.
"But that´s not all! Morse is hurt and Coulson is bringing her into safety. But we lost all contact, so they have to walk through the buildings, to stay unnoticed. They told me to inform you about it."
Widow was shaking in anger. She hated it when something bad happened to any other agent. Her thought was to run to them and get Bobbi, the wife of her closest friend into safety. But she couldn´t leave her fellow heroes alone against these villains. Spidey somehow could see her struggle and said: "Pietro! You get her to Bobbi and Phil. Then you´ll return here. Don´t worry, Natasha, we will make it."
"Thank you, Spider-Man.", she answered grateful and Pietro did as commanded.
The speedster left not a second ago as the bus they were hiding behind for their team-talk was lifted into the air.
The reason was a colossal behemoth, wearing a dark red and brownish armor with a bowl-shaped helmet that still showed his eyes and mouth.
"Long time, no see, web-head!", the man shouted as he held the vehicle over his head.
"It would have been better if it had stayed that way, Juggernaut!", the hero quipped and took the villains vision by webbing his eyes. This didn´t bother the monolith of a man that much as he leashed out, ready to hammer the vehicle on the spider´s head.
"I gonna squash you-"
"Please, don´t say it..."
"LIKE A BUG!", Juggernaut shouted as he slammed the bus on the floor. Spider-Man somersaulted himself away and remarked: "Ech...he said it..." He placed himself on a lamppost, but he had no time to breath as his spider-sense warned him from incoming missiles. He escaped them and saw that his new attacker was wearing a much bulkier version of Tony Stark´s armor. But his red color was much darker and instead of gold it was more a gray tone. The visor was also different shaped and black. On his chest was a yellow-glowing star. "Stand still, Spider-Man, so that I can easily crush you!"
"'Easily crush you!'", the web-slinger mocked his thick Russian accent. "You guys are soooo poetic, I love it." Now Juggernaut freed himself from the web and walked towards the hero. But before anything could have done by him, he was smashed into the ground by a huge green blur, hitting him like a meteor.
"Bug-Man is friend of Hulk! Hulk smash stupid Juggernaut!", the jade giant, only wearing dark blue shorts yelled.
The armored Russian, called Crimson Dynamo was also put to the ground by heavy blasts.
When Spidey looked up he could eye Captain Marvel hovering above him. She snarled towards the Dynamo: "I agree with our green friend. But I won´t be that polite." Her eyes started to glow in the same yellow light as her fists as she rushed towards the tin man and hammered him into the next wall, scattering parts of his armor and knocking him out.
On the other side of the Times Square were a few more heroes and villains fighting. A young man wearing a dark blue and white suit with a dark headpiece revealing his face and brown hair, having a yellow star on his chest and a dark blue cape, was fighting together with a young woman in the same age, wearing yellow-orange spandex with red gloves and boots. Her upper half of the face was covered by a red domino-mask and her bright red hair was also visible. Her body was surrounded by an flaming aura.
"Seems like the Avengers finally arrived, Angelica!", the man said.
"I see it, Vance...", she answered as she shot a flaming blast at a man dressed in a red and white armor of a knight during the crusade of the middle age. "Let´s hope our chances will get better now." Vance Astrovik alias Justice and Angelica Jones alias Firestar were assaulted from all sides. Both remembered some of their opponents from the files they saw, back in their days as members of the Avengers. Villains like Blackout, who could control dark force or the monkey-looking Mandrill were just two of the individuals. Another man Angelica identified as the literally man-eating, rat-like Vermin tried to jump at her, but he was suddenly hit midair by Captain America´s shield.
"Cap! Good to see you!", Justice exclaimed, throwing Mandrill with his telekinesis into a window.
"Listen, soldiers! This is not a sole incident! Wolverine called me on our way to you and said that Utopia is also under attack. And SHIELD had to report the loss of three helicarriers by different HYDRA groups. Even the contact to SWORD and Alpha Flight was lost, which could only mean that they also have been assaulted!"
Spider-Man, who joined them asked: "Are you saying this all is an coordinated attack?"
"Yes, Spider-Man. The deaths of Daredevil and Punisher were probably some kind of sick and twisted mind games to mentally weak us. And now they start a world-wide attack.", Iron Man, who was flying over them said.
Luke Cage and Spider-Woman were now in the middle of the battle, too. The latter one asked: "How is this even possible? Who could coordinate such masses of men and women, all with their own ego? And do even so many villains exist?"
"If you think about it, Jess.", Captain Marvel said per communicator, because she fought the bald-headed and winged Vulture, the insect-like armor wearing Beetle and the a man with a lion´s head and eagle´s wings called Griffin high in the air. "For one of us, Avenger or not, there are at least ten super-villains!"
"She´s right, I once fought the Sinister Twelve!", Spidey said dry. He dodged with a backwards bow a hit by a armored villain called Whiplash, who got one of Spider-Woman´s bio-energy bolts in his purple mask, revealing nothing but his greenish ponytail. "But that still doesn´t answer who is their leader and what their plan is!" Behind her back the armored Goldbug aimed with his pistol at her, but his attack got stopped by Jessica´s male counterpart as he webbed his gun and punched his helmet into pieces. "Now we´re even.", Spidey said.
"And considering they have a plan: I think their only plan is to kill us. All of us!"
Iron Man landed to their side and asked: "Do you both know where Clint is?"
###
The archer, wearing a complete black sleeveless costume with a purple triangle on his chest and dark purple sunglasses was running towards the building his old friend Quicksilver told him to go, if he wants to see his wife. On his way to it, several villains tried to attack him, but he had an arrow for each of them. One man he identified as Powderkeg was unlucky enough to get one of these things into his eye. But Clint couldn´t care less. When he heard that Bobbi was hurt, he knew he wanted to be by her side.
He finally arrived at the building, which was a skyscraper under construction. On the floor he found some drops of blood. "Oh, shit. Please Bobbi, hold on. I know you can make it. You have always been more tough than me.", he talked to himself. Following the trail of blood and many stairs later he finally heard some voices. Two female and one male. All three of them were very well known to him. "Bobbi!", he yelled.
"Clint?", was one female voice asking. It was really her, weaken by her blood loss, but she had been already patched up by her companions, Natasha Romanov alias Black Widow and Phil Coulson.
Clint and Bobbi ran into each other´s arms and embraced their hug. But suddenly the pain of her wound brought them into reality.
"I told you not to run, Bobbi.", Natasha said calmly as she looked after the wound.
"I´m fine, Nat. It´s not my first rodeo." Clint didn´t left her side and asked: "Who did this? Who hurt you?"
Phil spoke up in his polite manner: "It was a former agent of us. Jason Macendale."
"But now he wears a burning pumpkin head and calls himself Jack O´Lantern...", Natatsha finished, helping her teammate up on her feet. Both women and the man in a gray suit were heading to the next stairway when Hawkeye asked: "Where are you going? If you go up there you´ll become a easy target. I saw flying guys like the Griffin or that old grandpa Spidey mostly faces.
"Lola is up there. We will fly Agent Morse into safety.", Phil answered calmly.
"What the hell is a 'Lola'?"
"My flying car, Mr. Barton. Two months away from SHIELD and you forgot everything from our equipment?", the gray suited man wondered.
###
Jack O´Lantern was a bizarre sight. Considering that men in green armors and flying on gliders, or in his case a motorized brush like witches in fairy tales have, have been something that most New Yorkers have become used to, thanks to several men that Spider-Man fought in his years as a hero. But Jack was more bizarre thanks to his helmet that looked like a Halloween pumpkin on fire. But this couldn´t save him as a moon-shaped shuriken hit him through the helmet and his corpse dropped on a parking car.
"Nice shot, Moon Knight.", Daniel Rand said, wearing his green spandex suit, showing his dragon tattoo on his chest, and his trademark yellow bandana. His fist, glowing in energy, thanks to his channeled chi, broke the jaw of a red-haired woman named Man-Killer. This technique earned him many years ago the mantle of 'Iron Fist'.
The man he talked to was Marc Spector, a former mercenary and now avatar of the Egyptian sun god Khonshu. He wore a complete white suit, covering every inch of his body. His belt was equipped with several moon-shaped weapons. His chest had a moon symbol on it. He also wore a white cape with a cowl. He buried his fists in the bodies of several other costumed men and women like the Shocker or White Rabbit.
Both men were very well trained in different kinds of martial arts. But they still could use some help. "Where´s Nova? He was here a few minutes ago!", Iron Fist complained.
Suddenly some kind of belching sound ripped them out of their actions and something metallic hit the floor in front of them. Danny realized that the metal object was nothing less than Nova´s helmet, covered in his own blood.
"If it comforts you...", a shrieking, skin-crawling voice snarled psychotic. "He was delicious!"
The psychopath who ate the missing hero lashed out with red tendrils which became razor-sharp at his mental command. Iron Fist was still in shock and couldn´t react at the right time, but Moon Knight put him out of harm´s way, only to pay the price by himself. With no chance to recover from the first shock, the second one came around and Iron Fist had to witness how another long time companion got impaled.
"Oops, wrong guy...but I was always a man of second chances. HAHAHA!"
Danny remembered the man in front of him from stories that Spider-Man has told him. His name was Cletus Kassidy, but he prefers his taken name Carnage. Even before he bonded with the alien symbiote, granting him all of his powers he was a known serial killer.
He couldn´t count on more helpful hands, because everyone was involved in his or her own battle. So he had to fight, no matter what the cost will be. His chi was channeled into his deadly fists as he snarled: "Give it another try! But this time you better not miss me!"
Carnage burst out in high-pitched laughter: "How cute. Pajama-boy is getting serious."
Both men rushed towards each other and were ready for their possible last fight!
###
Captain Marvel was fighting high in the air. She could already get rid the old man who looked exactly like the animal he named himself after, the Vulture. Thanks to her he crashed into a wall and lost his consciousness. But her two other attackers, Beetle and Griffin were still fighting her. The armored one of these individuals shot his blasters and rockets at her, but Carol absorbed every hit. She used the energy she had gathered and shot it as a mighty photon-blast at the Beetle, who crashed into the street, knocked out.
The Griffin now grabbed her with his white furred paws and tried to bite her head, but she used her arm to keep his bestial jaws away. "Damn, you could really use a pepper mint.", she remarked as she grabbed his blonde lion-mane and pulled him off her. He recovered mid-air and sent himself with his mighty wings towards her.
"You don´t give up, this has to be said. But in all honesty..." The blonde heroine dodged his tackle and grabbed his tail. "You´re definitely not my type. Too much hair."
She swung him into a water container on the roof of the closest building. "And I appreciate good teeth and less bad breath."
The blonde woman, wearing a mostly blue uniform with red shoulders, gloves and boots and having a yellow star on her chest was still floating when she was hit in the back.
"Hello, Carol! Missed me?", the cunning female voice said.
"Sofen!", Carol shouted at her old nemesis, the former psychologist Karla Sofen, now called Moonstone. She punched the blonde villainess´s chin and kicked her stomach. Moonstone answered by clapping both of her hands on Carol´s ears. She lost all her focus and balance, which made her drop from the sky, several hundred feet down. Her body crashed into the street, nearly into a construction-side a few inches away.
"Who is your boss, Karla? Who coordinates all of you? What´s your plan?", Carol gasped, still struggling with her balance.
"Wow, wow. Hold it, Ms Marvel. Oh, wait you prefer Captain now. Don´t you think your old name is good enough anymore?", Moonstone mocked her enemy.
"Answer...the questions...", the blonde heroine said as she collapsed. Her eardrum must be damaged, she thought.
"Who do you think would be powerful, brilliant and insane enough to come up with such a plan? I would say it´s obvious that only Victor Von Doom could come up with this idea.", the white-golden villainess said in a still mocking tone.
"Doom?" Carol was still on the floor and Moonstone stepped on her. "This really surprises you?"
The heroine tried to stand up, but Karla´s foot pushed her back on the asphalt. She had to ask it: "What´s his goal?"
"Another question with an obvious answer.", her enemy said bored. "To kill you! All of you! But don´t worry, your death will be special."
"Special? What do you mean?"Carol grabbed her enemy´s foot and threw her into the concrete.
Her fists started glowing again and she was ready to hit Karla, but suddenly she stopped. She wasn´t able to move her body. "Turn around, darling.", a male voice with British accent said caring.
Her body did as she was told, but not on Carol´s own will. When she faced the man she was in shock. He wore a classy, expensive suit, that had the same uncommon color as his skin. Carol heard of the Purple Man, or Kilgrave how he was called more frequently.
"Don´t worry, darling. It will only hurt a bit, I promise.", he reassured softly and his right hand went slowly and caring through her shoulder long hair, until he caressed gently her cheek. She was disgusted by the touch of this creepy pervert, but wasn´t able to do something against it. Now his hand reached out for the zipper of her costume. "Only one tiny peek.", his voice stated excited, but still calm. The zipper was now slowly revealing her cleavage, but suddenly another hand stopped his actions.
"Stop it, Kilgrave! That´s not part of the plan!", the crackling voice stated. It was Electro. And he was not alone. He was accompanied by a bigger man, wearing a yellow containment suit with some kind of gas mask. His lenses were shining in a strange green light. It was Chen Lu, the Radioactive Man.
"Such a waste. I would have a lot of fun with her.", Kilgrave´s voice sneered disappointed. Carol was thankful that he was not allowed to play with her. She knew too well from Luke´s wife Jessica Jones what this bastard is able to think of. But still not being able to move and surrounded by four super-villains wasn´t that much better.
Again the Purple Man spoke up: "Now you have to absorb everything that will hit you. Be a good girl."
Moonstone´s light-energy, Electro´s name-giving electricity and Radioactive Man´s radiation hit her all at once. Under normal circumstances this wouldn´t be a big problem. But when her body would start to overload, she could become a human bomb. All her friends were now in a much bigger predicament than they already were in. A burning pain raced through her veins, letting her scream in agony.
"It seems to work, Chen.", Moonstone said.
"Don´t stop, Karla. The same goes for you, Max. Give everything you have!", the green-glowing man said.
Electro simply smiled and absorbed all the electricity in the buildings around him, being able to shot more lightnings at Captain Marvel. Her screams were getting louder and louder.
"When do I have to let her get into the middle of the battlefield?", Kilgrave asked, bored by the drama in front of his eyes.
In all her pain she now realized what her 'special death' was supposed to be like. They wanted her to be the bomb that kills all of the other heroes. Her thoughts raced. She thought about all her closest friends that would die by her, if they hadn´t already fallen on the battlefield. Her best friend Jess, who had been with her every time she needed someone. Or Steve, who was always some kind of older brother to her. Peter, who was sometimes annoying but one of the best and loyal friends anyone could ask for. Wanda, even if they had troubles in the past, but over the last months their friendship strengthen again.
"Okay, Kilgrave. Let her walk slowly to the others.", Moonstone commanded.
"Why walk? She can fly!", the perverted but well-dressed Britain wondered.
"Yes, but it´ll just make sure she won´t lose anything of the energy when she uses her flying powers.", Captain Marvel´s nemesis explained.
"You heard the lady, darling. Go slowly back to your friends.", the strangely skinned man remarked without joy.
"Don´t use so much power now, we don´t want her to explode when we are still around.", Lu pointed out. The radiated Chinese scientist walked forward, still using his powers to slowly overload his opponent. But suddenly he got struck by something from behind.
Carol saw the her two favorite arachnids coming to help her.
"SPIDER-MAN!", Electro yelled furious.
"And don´t forget my better looking counterpart. The amazing Spider-Woman!", the male arachnid said.
"Go away from my friend!", Spider-Woman grunted through her clinched teeth.
Moonstone attacked the raven-haired heroine and commanded Radioactive Man: "You and Kilgrave continue! Rush it, if necessary! Electro, you will get your revenge now!"
"Oh yeah!", the man said with sparkling eyes as he shot bolts in the direction of his long-time hated enemy.
"I could easily control them too, Ms. Sofen.", the Purple Man said.
"But there would be no fun in it!", Moonstone smiled.
"All of you are allowed to have fun, but I have to do a job...", Kilgrave said disappointed.
"Jeez, Max, Max...what happened with us? I thought we had something special. And now you cheat on me with another super-hero? I can understand why you chose her, but why couldn´t you make it a official break-up? At least a text message would´ve been nice..", Spider-Man rambled.
"Oh, I will be so happy when the mouth of you shuts up FOREVER!", the living bolt cried out, shooting a giant wave of electricity at his opponent, who had trouble dodging the masses of lighting coming at him, even with his spider-sense. Jess alias Spider-Woman was in similar trouble against Moonstone, who made herself untouchable when the heroine attacked and using her light-energy to torment her. "Well, well, little spider. You and your 'brother' are still to late." She looked from Jess, who was now in Karla´s grip towards Carol, who still got radiated by Chen and couldn´t break Kilgrave´s mind control.
Jess´ bio-energy hit the blonde woman´s face and she rushed to her friend. She tackled Kilgrave unconscious.
At the same time Spider-Man lured Electro to a hydrant and opened it. "Need a drink?", he quipped as his enemy was hit by the liquid. "All these years and he still falls for that."
"HA, IT´S TOO LATE!", Moonstone´s voice cackled joyful.
Spider-Man looked to his friends and saw Carol changing. He swung towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. But he quickly had to take them off her as her body emitted flames. Even her skin became dark red and her eyes changed to white glowing light.
"Peter- I can´t stop it anymore- it hurts." Saying that her expression was worried would be an understatement. "You and Jess- please go- safe yourself-" Flaming tears came out of her eyes as she went to the sky in high-speed. She could hear Jess calling her name, crying.
###
Several minutes before: The three current and the only ex-agent of SHIELD were finally on the roof of the building under construction. Black Widow could see the battlefield the Times Square had become. She saw Iron Man caught in the name-giving weapons of his old enemy Whiplash, Captain America and Scarlet Witch were struggling against a being of pure energy she knew as the Living Laser. Quicksilver was having a race against Whirlwind, moving in a green tornado and wearing a huge green helmet with two horns on it. Hulk was still in his brawl with the Juggernaut. She also saw Luke Cage fighting Carnage. On the concrete between them laid the bloody mask of Iron Fist. There was so much happening. Too much to catch it in one peek.
Hawkeye supported Mockingbird as they reached Phil´s red cabriolet he named Lola. Lola was no ordinary car. With a button 'she' was able to fly and had many hidden weapons in 'her' interior.
Bobbi placed herself on the seat on the right. Clint looked to Phil and Natasha and said with a nod:
"Thank you for taking care of her."
"Well, it´s not like we had to force her.", Widow said playfully with a smile towards Mockingbird, who simply shrugged and said somewhat defeated but still honest: "Thank you.."
"We will return to the Times Square and help the others. You two go to the coordinates I gave you. This is a secret SHIELD facility HYDRA and the villains haven´t found...yet. You should be safe there and medics will take much more professional care of Agent Morse´s injuries.", Coulson said friendly.
"Alright. And you have no problem that we´ll have to leave you alone?", Hawkeye said with a bad conscience.
"Go, Clint. We´ll do it!", Nat said as she already walked back to the stairway. Phil was on her tail as Clint and Bobbi took off.
"We have to hurry, Coulson. We lost many more in the time we lost here."
"No kidding!"
Suddenly they heard heavy screams. Screams of pain and agony.
"What was that?", Bobbi asked, still hovering together with her husband over the building.
"We lost another one...", Clint remarked saddened. Without any warning a flying woman covered in flames passed them. She looked at them in shock and fear, shouting: "NO! FLEE!"
From the roof of the building Widow and Coulson could witness everything, the red-haired agent even recognized the voice: "Carol?"
A bright light forced both agents to close their eyes. Heat was felt everywhere. Sounds of rustling concrete and crashing metal rang in their ears. A flying piece of metal even hit the former Russian spy and current Avenger in her face. Blood was running down the right side of her face and especially her eye was badly hurt.
"Agent Romanov! Are you okay?" She could barely hear Phil.
"Clint and Bobbi...are they..."
"Dead...both of them...", his defeated voice explained.
###
Captain America and Scarlet Witch got rid of the Living Laser. But they were now under attack by Boomerang, Joystick and Crimson Dynamo, who was less mobile thanks to the damage Captain Marvel did to his armor. These three villains were not a big problem for these two, especially for Wanda who simply tossed them away with her telekinesis. "Good work, Wanda!", Cap said.
"Do you expect anything less from me, Steve?", she answered, which made him smile a bit.
A giant explosion only one street away caught their attention. They saw how a skyscraper still under construction got partly destroyed by it. On the street beneath it they eyed both arachnid Avengers, fighting Moonstone and Radioactive Man, with a knocked out Electro on the left and a unconscious Purple Man on the right.
Before anything was done Cap suddenly felt a burning pain in his left shoulder. Wanda yelled his name and tried to help him on his feet. His wound was heavenly bleeding.
"Stand up, Captain. You do not wish to die on your knees, do you?", a strange metallic voice said, filled with arrogance.
Cap and Wanda looked from where the voice came. They saw five individuals standing there.
One was female, green hair that covered the left half of her face, wearing a green HYDRA-uniform.
A male one was big and bald-headed, having a crane in his hand and wearing a white jacket and and purple pants. He was dressed like he had a business meeting or was ready for a visit of the opera.
A much taller male was gray-skinned with blue stripes on his head and blue lips. His armor was also blue with some silver stripes. The fourth individual was not human. It was a robot with a insect-like looking head. Red glowing light came out it´s eyes and mouth. The last one, the one who talked to both Avengers wore a gray armor that covered his whole body. Covering the torso of his armor was a green garment with a green cape and cowl.
Steve could name them all: Ophelia Sarkissian alias Madame Hydra or Viper, Wilson Fisk alias Kingpin, En Sabah Nuhr alias Apocalypse, the former A.I. Ultron and the last one was Doctor Doom, ruler of Latveria:
"But the rest of the world will kneel before DOOM!"
###
The first chapter ends here.
This was just the beginning of a huge story.
The next following chapters won´t be that...let´s say gory. For now.
Like I said in the intro: This will be a bit darker story, for which I took many sources as inspiration.
Feel free to review.
Until next time.