There are so many varied realities around us, some with tiny unnoticeable variations, others earth shatteringly different. In most dimensions there are certain constants, there is an entity called Death in each dimension and there was a Spider-man in every dimension until recently. Most realities have a Thor and most also have a Steve Rogers. Usually there is a Captain America though sometimes Steve is not the one to receive the formulae. This story is a tale of 'what if' that has moved to intersect the world we know. In one world a young group of recruits was tested and trained for an experimental program that hoped to transform them into super soldiers. Dr. Erskin had committed to his choice of the noblest hearted recruit but in the end the choice was decided for them by superior officers.
The greatest soldier was chosen, his name; James Logan, A.K.A., the Wolverine. He had exceeded everyone else in every endeavor and his mutant healing factor emboldened him to leap on the grenade to save lives when others fled in fear. He wasn't a bad man, and Erskin had seen his noble character so he capitulated. The Serum was enhanced to allow for his mutant regeneration factor. The experience nearly killed him but the healing factor and the serum merged in the end and the vita rays spurred growth of muscle and stature making him taller than average to match his girth. He was called Captain America by most of the world but his friends knew him as Logan or Cap. The formula was still lost and only one super soldier came out of Dr. Erskine's life's work. Steve was Logan's best friend in training camp and Logan insisted Steve deserved to have been chosen first. He took Steve into the field because it was what he wanted. He watched years later as his friend died saving many other lives and never considering his own first.
Logan was so moved by the death of Rogers that he devoted his life to justice in Steve's name, honoring his noblest friend by emulating his dream. 30 years passed and he was a member of shield under Nick Fury. Still a Captain and acting captain of his own team. Science had come so far in re-creating the super soldier process and improving our soldiers in general that Logan spearheaded the adamantium experiment on himself to increase his own potential before he would allow it to be tested on anyone else. Wolverine got his unbreakable bones and claws that could cut thru anything and he never had to lose his memory because shield ran the operation.
Stryker was the chief science officer that developed the process so he was endorsed to continue his work with the aid of shields think tank that included Doctor's Henry Pym, Hank McCoy, Bruce Banner and paid consultant Tony Stark. The same Tony Stark who was also a playboy billionaire and the top weapons designer for Shield, and the same Stark who is known to many as the sorcerer supreme of our dimension. The new super soldier program was called Weapon X because they intended to splice multiple DNA strands to a single host, making him or her into a weapon, manipulating what has come to be known as the X gene, the reason for mutation in mankind. The perfect soldier, customizable, with potentially unlimited possibilities as far as powers and abilities were concerned. Strict human rights were observed, no illegal experimentation on any unwilling subjects. A volunteer was needed to test the final result of the process after the bonding of Captain Logan went successfully.
Many people were tested to find a compatible subject. A young veteran was chosen named Wade Wilson who was dying of cancer. To receive the treatment he would also achieve a healing factor that should save his life. The world they lived in by now was quite different than the one most people know. With the country's greatest hero a known mutant since the 1940's there was very little prejudice against the mutants here. Most Americans hoped for a positive mutation in their child to give them a competing edge. Mutants were often smarter or stronger or had an ability that made them more valuable in some way so there was now a fair work act that every union or job had to allow a human to work if none were on the staff. Captain Logan led many mutants and howling commandos until America was the force to be reckoned with.
Thru the 80's and 90's Canada and Mexico joined the Union and a few Middle East countries defected and begged America's assistance. Desert Storm happened and America owned the biggest part of the Middle East, controlling the world's biggest oil supply and using greener technology. By the time every sector had its own Arc Reactor and free energy was abundant, everyone wanted America's help. Other countries followed until Russia and Israel were only territories in between the united states of Global America.
Weapon X joined the most Elite fighting group on earth, Led by Captain Logan the response team was only 4 people with Wade. Cap led and always took point with his shield and unbreakable bones. His demolitions expert is Frank Castle who was possessed some time ago by a powerful demon named Zarathos, who calls itself the Spirit of Vengeance. Whenever Frank sees a great injustice he is transformed into an unstoppable hunter, a revenant who will overcome any obstacle to enact his revenge and punish the wicked. The 4th spot is held by Raven Darkholme, current lover to Captain Logan, formerly known as Mystique, after a little weapon experimenting on herself, Raven goes by Agent Venom now and her cells have become the perfect host for the symbiotic alien, enhancing both of their abilities to new heights. In this world with science more advanced thanks to unity and peace and with mutants so well accepted, Weapon X came out much different than our world.
Dr. Peter Parker worked in his cross species radiation inspired genetics to give Wade spider senses and reflexes. The mutant experiment gave him a powerful healing factor, along with his own fighting prowess and super reflexes, and a few stolen abilities from the powers of mutant villains who had been captured. The juggernaut power was harvested and duplicated in wade and his bones were then laced with adamantium and a sword of adamantium was cyberneticaly implanted in each forearm. He has laser vision generating awesome force blasts or heat energy, and short range teleportation that works great for up to 3 miles a jump but is limited to line of sight. And the helm protects him from mental attacks of course like it did the criminal Cain Marko, although Wade has vandalized it with his own artwork. Logan often holds wade back (there is some suspicion it's because he talks too much) and would call for Weapon X as his 'doorbell' when they got to an impenetrable barrier.
There were other teams and other agents but Logan was a 200 year old veteran and his team got the dirtiest jobs done with the least collateral damage. So when there was a magneto sighting they sent the fearsome four, Logan and his Howlers vs the master of magnetism, the great Captain America against today's public enemy number one. What they found was more than anyone could have prepared for….
Chapter 1The Quinjet touched down lightly several miles from where Erik Lenshers distinct mutant signature shone clearly on their equipment panel. He was one of the world's most powerful mutant criminals still at large regardless of how easy he might be to track.
"We are at 4 miles here Captain, probably coming into his awareness if he is searching." Raven reported calmly.
"Yeah, let's not be in the metal can when magnet butt notices we're on his turf." Wade adds flippantly.
"Captain, I can launch our polymer payload from here and toast him without having to get close." Frank Castle suggests casually.
"Satellite shows he's underground and there are other thermal signatures in the area." Raven submitted informatively.
"Just thought I'd offer, didn't really expect anyone to have an interest, why waist tax payer missiles when I got a full tank of volunteer hellfire itching for a human hating rebel gene freak…." Frank began and actually started turning red as his anger grew hotter.
"Castle!" Logan barked.
"Aye Captain?" Frank growled.
"Watch your mutant prejudices in front of the lady please." Captain America stated plainly. "Lady mutant lover doll?" He purred to her.
"Yes my Captain?" Raven purred back.
"Please overlook my friends' language, he does get excited sometimes." Logan advised her with a wink.
"Stow it you muties…." Frank chided, visibly calmer than before.
"Everyone turn over your metal, you know the drill and this isn't our first dance with this character. Satellites aren't picking up any other mutants in the area but Magnus always has some ace nearby, a trap to spring, be ready for anything." Logan said.
"What's the official report here? How did we really get wind of this guy?" Frank asked skeptically. "I saw the news report this morning before our orders even came in, a town completely destroyed? Magneto was fighting something and it was winning right up until the end. It looked like on T.V. that Erik chased it and now here we are chasing him right up to a hiding hole in the Guadalupe mountains? We do have backup coming right?"
"Um… I'm right here Frankie baby, don't be worried." Wade said comfortingly to the man with the current highest kill count on the team.
"Your skeleton is metal, you shouldn't even be here. Magneto will try to kill me with you and her with him and cut your head off in the end with the shield or something. Let me and Raven take point on this one." Frank exclaimed a little exasperatedly. "He may not be alone in there, the dame and I can get in and out faster and quieter without alerting his metal detecting e.s.p. crap."
"I was just going to suggest the same thing." Logan said with a wink and a grin. "Stark gave me a gizmo we'll be testing today that is supposed to disrupt our personal magnetic field so Magneto won't be able to toss us around like he did the first time." Logan said and presented 2 small circular devices to Raven and Frank and added; "Clip them on your belt or something that's not going to catch fire and don't sweat Miranda rights, just put him down fast and quiet. We'll be right behind you as soon as it gets loud we'll tag team and smash harder, whatever it takes this can't move far there is a resort town just on the coast to our West and a main highway a mile East."
"He will never see us coming." Raven said with an emotionless finality. Frank just nodded in agreement and then smeared black across his face and neck, preparing for a stealth operation with only leather body armor and ceramic guns. So much about being a soldier was in the steel of their weapons and Franks preferred arsenal was no less. He was a formidable mind as well as soldier though and his training included empty handed combat as well as using nearly any tool you could find to kill your enemy.
Raven was more dangerous with her biological symbiote, she could make claws that could wound and kill magneto that he couldn't bend any more than he could her hands. They both set off at a run after loading up on approved gear and securing their magnetic field disruptor's.
"Wow this is odd." Wade said casually as the two less indestructible teammates faded from sight.
"Yeah, I agree, me waiting behind, instead of just you while I'm taking point. I hate it too, Wilson but it's the better call." Logan inferred.
"No, I uh… tooted and I wasn't sure if I should mention it or not because you were all serious about your girl taking on Magneto alone. Plus you have super sniffing so obviously you smelled it first anyway so was there really a need to say it aloud? And most intrinsically baffling about the whole ordeal is could it ever be possible for me to not make a joke about breaking wind? It's me, it not suave but it's who I am and if you can't accept that sweetie we just may have to start seeing other people." Wade explained, grabbing Logan in the end with his enormous Juggernaut hands.
"If you try to hug me I'm cutting something off." Logan warned glaring at the hands gripping him. Weapon X let him go and Logan continued; "Besides we are not waiting behind. Of course this is some kind of trap; we never get the drop on someone like this when they're wounded and easy. There is a disruptor already built into the ship, we are going to stealth and scout around to the other side to see how well these things protect us and then we are coming in from the other side and bringing him to justice no matter what it takes." And the two mutant soldiers boarded their ship and Logan added as the door was closing, "and thank you for waiting until we were off the ship to crap on yourself like that, I do appreciate your thoughtfulness."
"Oh no problem chief, after I had to ride home on the outside of the ship last time, I've taught myself a new level of control. I impress even me sometimes with it and… oh no…." Wade stammered and abruptly became silent.
"Wilson!" Logan shouted vehemently after a brief pause as the craft was lifting off and swerved unsteadily and nearly crashed before Cap leveled out. "You're a dead man taco face… use you for landing gear…." He grumbled between breaths of putrid processed chimichangas. "AAHHH! I hate you so much right now!"
A quick flight around found a chimney entrance nearby to the main entrance that Logan suspected his teammates would come thru. They should see him and Wade land and know what he was up to, Logan had tremendous respect for Raven's quick wit under pressure and the Symbiote was a survivor too with senses beyond hers that she learned to use well early in their relationship. She would adapt to his plan without communicating.
"He's found a quicker entrance, that bastard!" Raven swore as she and Castle watched the craft land on a rocky slope.
"Settle down, we all knew he wasn't going to sit on his thumbs, never has and I didn't really believe he would start now." Frank advised calmly.
"You don't see what I see. He found a quicker entrance before we ever arrived and planned all along to run in first and hog all the glory. He means to take him down before we squishy people can get in harm's way. He tricked us into taking the long way around for our own safety, that condescending, under-estimating, arrogant old soldier!" Raven swore some more.
Frank considered the situation and grimaced angrily. "You're right… vengeance can't be avoided by out-running me. Magneto will be punished for the lives he has taken and …WE WILL BE THE PUNISHER!" Frank screams the end in his otherworldly voice as his flesh is consumed by the hellfire and he becomes the destroyer Zarathos' reincarnated spirit in the body of a vengeance crazed elite soldier and veteran of many, many battles, The embodiment of justice, tainted by revenge,' The Spirit of Vengeance'. The Being that was Frank Castle raises a hand and bones rise from the earth while his flaming belt buckle and chest emblem pulse, the bones move and align to create a long body motorcycle chassis. A deep breath through the gaping jaw bone of his burning skull and the Spirit spat fire at the skeletal cycle, bringing it to life like a demonic leonine beastly machine. He mounted and sped off into the tunnel entrance without a second glance for Raven.
"Men! Everyone wants to be first all the time. Fine with me, I cash my check whether or not they live. "Raven complained melodramatically as she grinned and pursued the Spirit silently and almost invisibly though not as quickly as Castle could move with his dark gifts.
The chimney above was easily navigated by the agile mutants, in short order they were both standing within the remnants of a large cathedral area of a very Egyptian looking temple structure. A massive stone edifice depicting the god Anubis, lord of the underworld, occupied the center of the room and was made with eyes that always seemed to stare right thru you. There was also an unexpected assortment of advanced machinery. The room was thousands of years old but the stone like computers were ages ahead of known technology, how did it come to be here? A deep haunting chuckle echoed out slowly, bouncing off the walls of the ruined temple around them.
"Oh no he didn't just laugh at my crimson bands of Cyttorak! These friendship bracelets will be the epitome of fashion when they see the pics of me whooping you on the whotube baby! Show yourself purple puss, let's twist!" Wade shouted defiantly in the booming voice his massive lungs produced. Logan just tensed and brought his shield up defensively.
"You're too late Captain America. Not even you and all the best agents of shield can stop me now." Came the unfamiliar haunting voice again so full of power and arrogance that Logan's claws were out instantly with the familiar metal scrape they always made. With a few scenting breath's Logan sniffed out Magneto's odor. Strange with a new taste upon it he finally pinpointed a source overhead and looked up to find him floating above and close enough to strike at them. The light shone upon him as he moved boldly forward and illuminated a dreadful change in his appearance. He wore his mind protecting helmet but his skin was different underneath, a dark leathery blue with a raised seam on his jaw and around his lips. There was now a heavy suit of body armor with a large letter A displayed on the biggest part of his breast plate.
Captain Logan recognized the armor immediately on a list shield had shared with him. This was the armor of the sleeping agent of the celestials here on earth. This was the secret hidden an entombed armor that very recently was worn by the most ancient living mutant on earth, a being known only as The Apocalypse. Now the most imperial and treacherously powerful mutant revolutionary on earth has managed to steal his armor and possibly the powers granted by the celestials to their agent; their resident destroyer here on Earth.
"Oh crap," Wade begins noticing the villain above them as Logan throws his shield with all his might hoping for a kill shot.
Magneto catches the shield barehanded and apparently with only his own strength and reflexes and grins malevolently. "You will have to do better than that-" The new Apocalypse begins when he is interrupted by the Spirit of Vengeance assaulting him with the flaming cycle as he comes in, wheel first, skipping in off the surface of the shield, bone and fire right into his un-expecting face. The bike explodes and the Spirit lands easily and turns around catching flying bone fragments that magically reform into a deadly looking flaming dual headed war mace with a spear like blade on one end and a flaming spiked skull capping the poles other end. The powerful spirit is back into an attack position and advancing without waiting for comment or orders. The Spirit never really takes orders anyway but when you turn him loose on someone, they don't usually get away.
The mangled psyche that is Frank Castle and his vengeful possessing demon combined is laughing, maniacal disturbing laughter that seems to float from across a dimensional gulf. It is beautiful in its disturbingly haunting echo but it is unnerving and often his jaw doesn't move when he laughs but the voice echoes from within the fire pouring from his mouth and hungering eyes like the demon's voice is breaching thru its otherworld prison. He is hunting and even the indestructible Captain America knows to stay out of his path.
Magneto straightens his head and they hear his neck snap back in place, even Agent Venom recognizes the instant self-repair from her position sneaking in from above. The powerful demon Zarathos senses the magnitude of the threat and screams as he fires his transformed machine gun, fueling it with otherworldly hellfire, each bullet is itself a tiny flaming skull, screaming and homing in on their target. Strengthened with the Spirits righteous hatred they have more power than any normal bullet could and they cross all barriers so there is no armor or power that can protect you, no ghost form or supernatural invulnerability. They even slow Logan's healing power tremendously; he had the misfortune to discover once.
Magnetos power is ineffective to stop the hail of bullets that peppers him across his torso and helmet. One can even be seen to pierce his neck in a small explosion of blood from the exit wound. If he felt any of them he did not show it any more than to turn his head to avoid a shot to his eyes. Logan noticed Magneto looking away and decided his eyes would be the best weak point and the best way to take him down quickly, this mutant was the most powerful kind and could destroy a city before he got a power boost by defeating Apocalypse and usurping his Celestial made power and duties. Kill shot was the only choice here and Logan mentally apologized to his idealistic memory of his best friend and fellow soldier Steve Rogers who died so many years ago but was always strongly influencing him still today.
"Juggsy, make a hole please." Logan asked and Wade charged hoping to blindside the new Apocalypse while he was focused on The Spirit. Castle lunged with his spear as soon as he was within range and Magneto, seemingly oblivious of Wilson charging, grabs the flaming thrusting weapon in mid attack and swings it and the Demon wielding it 270 degrees like a golf swing, and bats him directly into Wade's flank, knocking both of them in an arc that only a rampagingHulk could match. Logan moved in for a feint to allow Raven her opportunity even though he hated to see her in harm's way, they were a team and had to trust each other. Besides the Symbiote could regenerate her from even lethal damage since they had bonded so well, everything but fire anyway.
Magneto took the bait Logan offered and tried to use his magnetic power against him finally. Logan felt the waves of force surround him and his enhanced hearing heard Dr. Starks machine whirring to life trying to perform its duty and protect against Magneto's mutant power. Logan felt himself begin to lift off the ground, his bones tingling, trying to be influenced by the most powerful mutant on earth. Dr. Stark was not only shields weapons technology expert he was also the chief advisor on occult matters, being trained by a being called the ancient one to act as a guardian of this dimensions magic, Stark is known to many entities as the Sorcerer Supreme. Logan calls him a nerd and a bookworm in a friendly familiar tone since he has been one of his guardians since Tony was a child, his father being in the same circle of friends that Steve Rogers occupied, the families and shield have always been close. Stark had science and magic powering the device Cap wore and Logan felt the power grow as the struggle reached towards a crescendo that was interrupted by Venom landing on his shoulders, surprising him and rapidly and viciously tearing out his throat.
Magneto tries to gurgle a curse as Ravens fingers become spiked tentacles, she attaches to his body and sends impaling alien claws into his eyes and mouth, scratching, poking and raking his face within the helmet. Logan saw the throat close and heal instantly as he was released and he lunged with both claws extended, already the burning Sulphur stench of The Spirits return was coming on a dreadful wind. Magneto grabbed the shoulder of Agent Venom and tried in vain to throw her to the ground as Logan impacted, piercing one clawed fist into his heart and the other in his face. Magneto tried to scream and threw out a powerful force field suddenly that threw both attackers back and caught the Demon in mid charge forcing Zarathos' agent to a dead stop. The staff had become a motorcycle again and it was destroyed as the Spirit was lifted off the ground and held by force there.
Wade appeared from nowhere with a hop and a grin, moving at full speed and with a great momentum he hit the shield hard and with a jarring force that shook us all with magneto staggering, visibly affected. The Juggernaut was also caught and lifted and held though he struggled with slightly more results than the rest. All 4 generators hummed to life suddenly, struggling against this greater manifestation of power. Each of Starks devices started emitting waves of its own and the four heroes were pushed away from each other in what became equidistant positions in the struggle of the Apocalypse versus the designs of the Sorcerer Supreme of Shield and Global America. Magneto growled and doubled his efforts as each hero struggled against the powers they were trapped between.
Castle reached and bones fragments joined the forming maelstrom as he tried to reform a weapon to lash out with. Weapon X could teleport but he only seemed to half shimmer and reappear when he tried and his ruby red force beams from his eyes were useless against the field. Wade was resorting to banging his helmed head against the barrier that held him aloft and unable to charge. Raven reached out with her symbiote and managed to grab Logan's Shield and pass it to him with much assistance from the bonded alien. Even with his super soldier strength he could not have thrown the shield against the force surrounding him. Even though the indestructible metal reacted brilliantly it could no more pierce the shield than Wade's eye blasts could.
The anti-magnetic field generator popped loudly and they were all surrounded by a bright white glare that blinded everyone. As their vision quickly returned they found themselves laying in the sand of a desert on a hot sunny day, and magneto was rapidly fading into the sun as he fled, flying where only the spirit could attempt to follow. Logan looked to Castle in concern that he would try to catch him alone and be overwhelmed and found the monster to be transforming back into his human form suddenly and possibly against his will as it looked to be a painfully dramatic struggle of a process. "Owww!" Frank shouted as he fell to his knees when it was over.
"What just happened? Situation report someone, where are we?" Logan demanded and sniffed the air.
"My satellite link is down." Raven announces calmly checking her surviving equipment.
"Off- earth?" Logan suggested "It smells a little like Arizona… but different… dirtier, I smell radiation in the air nearby, we shouldn't stay here." He decided and brushed himself off and offered a hand to Frank who declined and stood on his own power.
"We are walking out of here it looks like, not a vehicle in sight and we can't reach the Quinjet's auto pilot without the uplink. One important note you should all know… I can't transform right now." Frank added cooly as he assessed their situation.
"Why not, Magneto steal your fire?" Wade said teasingly.
"Not him, it is something about where we are now that is affecting Zarathos. Our bond is somehow weaker here, our connection… damaged. Hopefully it's just the radiation your smelling cap, either way, let's move?" Frank pressed, somehow more tolerant of Wade's prodding than the team had ever seen him before.
"Uh sure," Wilson said as he too saw the change in their longtime friend. "You want to ride on my shoulders?" Wade offered like he was talking to his 8 year old nephew.
"Shut up Wilson." Frank suggested regaining a touch of his gruff composure.
The crew began walking in the direction their leader indicated and after sometime Raven fell in beside her lover and spoke quietly and discreetly to him because only she sensed how troubled he was inside.
"What is it my beloved fuzzy bear? What do you sense that you are so afraid to share with the rest of us? What do you suspect brought us here and how?" She purred to him.
"I know where we are. I don't know exactly when or what else it might be that makes this place different but this isn't the Monument Valley we remember." He said in a low tone.
"I thought I recognized this place." Raven returned in a similarly low voice.
"I also smell nuclear fallout and Asgardian magic." Logan said bluntly. "There was a great battle nearby, could have been decades ago though, nothing fresh and no smoke now so…." He trailed off, his heightened smell only lent to the mystery of their whereabouts.
"The how… I think Starks machine malfunctioned and shorted and maybe the backlash warped us here somehow. I've seen my share of wormholes and magic portals, this wasn't exactly teleportation but it felt similar. Let's find a transport and a communication device and get in touch with headquarters, we will need help finding that bastard again and next time let's not be so easy on the guy please?" Logan requested rhetorically.
"Did you say communication device?" Wade asked politely. "Hold on Cindy, I will have to call you back" He rumbled more quietly from his spot ahead in line. "End call." He announced to his phones A.I.. Wade opened his helmet revealing his disfigured face underneath briefly as he scooped out his cell phone from its holder inside. "The battery is getting low so try to be quick, I think I almost had her talked into a private pizza party at my place. I've had a signal since we got here I don't know why you didn't just ask."
"Wade, look up the term counter-productive when you get a free minute please." Logan said struggling to stay calm as he passed the smartphone to Raven.
"Oh I already know that one Jimmy, I hear Planned Parenthood can help you and the little lady with that if you two are really serious about trying." Wade offered in a friendly and supportive manner. Logan's claws extended suddenly and Frank put a hand on his chest to restrain him.
"Look!" Castle said fervently. "We have to undo whatever this is and fast, please! Wade, grow up for a second and help dammit!" Frank pleaded and both men saw the panic at the edges of his eyes and knew there was something disturbing him deeply about whatever it was that Captain America also sensed was different about this place.
"Hello, Agent Venom reporting, Shield i.d. number Niner-oh, four, five, one, seven alpha. I need to speak to the director or an acting coordinator please." Raven said after getting a response on a memorized landline number.
After a short pause she was asked to repeat her identification again and Raven reported in that; "Situation unknown, request pickup." She knew as well as any the multitude of mind affecting meta-humans that could cause confusion and cloud senses. Shield had ways to get thru any of that. Temporal displacement was detectable and whatever other variables could have thrown them off course would be found and corrected. Shield was the hub of all science and advancement on earth. At least it was known to be on her earth.
"There is something wrong guy's." Raven said bleakly.
"We have to walk to Reno?" Wade Wilson asked hopefully.
"I just got off the phone with Director Maria Hill." Raven said in a tone that could have described the coming Armageddon. "She informed me Agent Venom was male, and my I.D. number belongs to another Avenger entirely."
"What does that even mean?" Logan growled.
"Wait, the same Maria Hill that Captains' for the Pole Cat's?" Frank asked with a broadening grin.
"It's called the 'Femme Fatale' her team decided on Frank." Raven corrected.
"It means we are not in Kansas and our shapeshifter may not be the real Dorothy." Supplied the juggernaut.
"Yeah, I think you're actually pretty close to right on that this time Wade." Frank said surprisingly agreeing with his budding enemy.
"So how long have we been gone?" Logan asked the Spirits human avatar.
"Well here, no one is looking for us because this isn't where we are from. Not when, this is other dimensional slash alternate reality stuff. Avenger numbers never duplicate, I learned that in the academy first day." Frank explained.
"That's not possible." Logan declared.
"Makes sense though." Raven added thoughtfully.
"Of course it does." Frank Castle assured her.
"Our dimension was sealed off from the rest, our reality was closed against intruders and escapees. It has been this way for years."
"Zarathos always navigated the barrier without much grief." Frank remarked.
"Like my connection with Cyttorak? Chemical or not I can feel the big guy urging me to break stuff. Most of my playlists have secret hidden messages from the demi-god to my subconscious. Always the same thing destroy everything and what survives shall worship at my feet. Or am I confusing him with that disturbing dandruff commercial?" Wade orates erratically.
"That is why you get stuck waiting on the bus so much Wilson. There is something seriously wrong with you, besides your complexion." Logan asserted.
"Hey when I was dying and I signed up to try this Weapon X stuff to begin with, I would have been honored to be Captain America's bus driver. …Now that I've seen how you shed in the shower I have to draw the line at maid responsibilities, it's not sanitary and frankly it's not healthy, you should definitely get checked out." Wade said in a friendly baritone.
"Our ride is here!" Raven piped in from nearby where she had walked away from the idiocy.
The crew watched the familiar Quinjet design touchdown with its state of the art V.T.O.L. technology. The door opened and several armed Shield agents were visible inside, they seemed cautious not hostile as a man quickly approached, a large black man that Logan instantly recognized.
"Luke Cage!" Called the Captain.
"And you're supposed to be Captain America right? You look more like Wolverine… or super buffed up Wolverine anyway. I know the Juggernaut when I see him and he is a wanted man around here. And you, miss, look like Raven Darkholme, another wanted felon and international terrorist." Luke states.
"What about me?" Frank asks Luke, a man he has met and spoken with many times.
"You are Frank Castle, the Punisher. You are a vigilante serial killer who has evaded capture for years while you single handedly reduced crime everywhere you went." Luke told him matter-of-factly.
"Ever seen this before?" Frank asked him as he stepped forward into the shadow of their craft and his skin glowed with demonic fire as the outline of the spirits flaming skull could be seen hiding within.
Luke Caged pulled the shades off his face with a look of stunned disbelief and recognition as he nodded his reply and swallowed reluctantly. "That is the Ghost Rider." He said uncomfortably.
"The Spirit of Vengeance." Frank corrected him and Luke just nodded in agreement.
"I have met both the Punisher and the …Spirit. Never have I seen them combined." Cage finally managed to say. "Of course I never thought I would see Frank Castle in a Shield uniform either unless he was hired to kill Nick Fury."
"So we are obviously not from here, let's get back to H.Q. and see if we can get started on finding the way back home." Frank told him coolly. "Meanwhile, there's a bigger issue happening now concerning the criminal we were pursuing when we got zapped to wherever here is. He got away and I am putting things mildly when I say we may have just unleashed the Apocalypse on your world."
"Everybody on the bus!" Luke said. "And no funny business Juggsy, I'll be watching you." He added threateningly.
"No funny business? You obviously don't know me that well. Comedy is the armor that hides all my fragile inner feelings, I can't be not funny it's when I'm gut wrenching hilarious that I am hurting the most." Wade rumbled from within his helmet.
"Whoa… wait a minute." Luke said and paused in mid stride. "Why does your Juggernaut sound more like a Deadpool and not Mr. Marko or that X kid Pete? Is that Wade Wilson in there?!"
"You mean I am famous here too?" Wade cried hopefully holding both hands up together beside his face and smiling broadly.
"You could say that." Luke seemed reluctant to bring the big guy onboard for a moment then finally nodded and said "Let's go people. I don't get paid to answer questions anyway, let's get you all back to the office and the people that can."
"Thank you." Logan told him sincerely. The Luke Cage he knew was a good man, tough as hell but dependable and trustworthy. This one appeared to be the same character and his sense of smell told him this guy was little different than the one he met. This guy smelled more like everything else he has encountered so far, more radioactive and 'dirty' but still the same man underneath that he trained in the Academy years ago, hand selecting Luke for rapid advancement and officer training because of his wit and integrity.
"I'm back on line Captain." Raven said and displayed the small computer like tracker/ communicator she carried on her arm.
"What do you have?" He prodded her as they sat together on the aircraft.
"Their computers are all messed up here, there is not one central hub to access like our Shield Global system Stark helped design. The government has a bunch of different intelligence branches and each has to be accessed individually, it's idiotic. None I see have a mutant tracker like ours except for a private party upstate." Raven summarizes as she hacks into this Shields system with her decryption device designed by the famous Tony Stark.
"Find out what you can about the private party, we may have to change course." Logan says regretfully and stands to approach Cage.
"What's on your mind?" Luke asks as he stands and crosses his arms in Logan's path.
"We need to find a way to track the threat." Logan says bluntly in what Raven calls his 'bossy' voice.
"We got a procedure to follow." Luke Cage says firmly, not the least bit intimidated by the broad shouldered hero in the star spangled outfit. "When we get back to base the people in charge will sort out the truth and we can decide where to go from there."
"That sounds like a typical Luke Cage thing to say, always following protocol and following the leader. That's crap and you know I'm right. The real Luke does what's right and to hell with anyone that tries to order him differently. There is a real threat; a powerful mutant with the power of the celestials has just popped into your dimension. We got to find him and fast before he can reload or gather reinforcements." Captain Logan says emotionally.
"What do you want me to do?!" Luke says incredulously. "I got a job to do and you're coming in to base first so I don't have to take responsibility for whatever you think you gotta do."
"What's the target Raven?" Logan asked over his shoulder over the sound of the engines.
"Westchester, Sir. Greymalkin Lane to be precise- and you get one guess on the street address." Raven said seriously.
"…Xavier." Logan said and looked her in the eye for the confirmation. She had seen his name, it was a different dimension but the people apparently were inherently the same. "I would rather fight Cerebus again than talk him out of a favor."
"Charles Xavier is who you're looking for?" Cage asks curiously. "He passed away a while back, sorry to be the one to tell you."
"Who is operating the device there then?" Raven asks him.
"The device? Are you talking about the mutant detector Cerebro thing?" Cage responds.
"Cerebro, yes. It works only for a skilled telepath right?" Logan asks him.
"I don't know exactly, I'm not a mutant. I mean I met the guys, worked together occasionally. We fought some too though, so I never had a key to the mansion. Never asked for one either. They always seemed to try and handle the mutant business, and we dealt with the aliens and non-mutant baddies. I mean there weren't any written guidelines, everybody was trying to save the day and protect the innocent." Luke rambled.
"Who is the telepath in charge of Xavier's Academy?" Logan interrupted him.
"The telepath…? The redhead I guess, you know the cute young one? I hope it's not the pink haired kid, that guy is a douche." Cage replied
Raven looked and saw a pain in Logans eye's at the mention of the red head. The spot she filled belonged to his former girlfriend and what may have been 'the one' for poor long lived James Logan. A powerful telepath and telkinetic as well as the avatar of a powerful entity called the phoenix. Logan was the one that had to kill her when she succumbed to the dark side and gave in to her base emotions. Raven heard the story from Frank when she joined the team, to hear him tell it all the wounds healed but his heart will never be whole again.
"We need to get them looking for this guy." Logan said insistently.
Frank stood up, gripping a hanging lanyard for stability and Luke turned to keep both men in front of him.
"Just stay calm guys." Luke said persuasively. "Don't shake the boat too much this isn't a very big plane. You don't want to take a chance on not landing safely.
"I have what I need here sir." Raven told him, sensing his thoughts.
"Tell Maria Hill we will be tracking him, if she gets any info just call." Logan tells Luke squarely, looking him eye to eye. Frank moves toward the front of the craft and a bay of parachutes secured to the wall.
"You're not thinking straight you oversized wolverine. Y'all do not want to poke the hornets' nest today." Luke warns him sternly.
The remaining shield agents are well aware of the growing tension and brandish their weapons at the four extra dimensional teammates.
"You might want to get a grip on something son." Frank advises several men nearby threatening him with high tech rifles. Raven is unbuckled and on the edge of her seat with arms and legs crossed.
"Don't you worry old friend, I'm not going to poke you." Logan insisted as everyone else moved around him. Weapon X stood up and charged the wall in front of him. Everyone else onboard panicked at the risk of sudden decompression and dropped their weapons to grab anything tied down as the behemoth breached the hull. Frank took the opportunity to get a shoulder thru a parachute and grabbed two rifles that hit the floor and were lifted off the ground as the cabin depressurized violently. They were very high up and moving very fast and Frank was battered the most by the ordeal as he was sucked out and exposed to the frigidly high altitude.
Raven extended several tentacles of her other, grabbing Logan's shield and the handguns that were confiscated from her when they boarded. The symbiote formed itself around her protectively and guided her safely thru the hole, providing her with the air she needed and keeping her warm.
Luke tried to grab Logan as the breach occurred and Logan batted his swing aside and let himself be carried away. Luke missed his grip and struck some cargo that was tied down, dislodging some of it and managing a precarious hold that slipped twice before he fell again to the hole in the ship and clung to the outside watching his quarry escape.
"Dang it." Luke lamented and shook his head as he let go.
Wade landed first with all the grace of a boulder. Besides his healing factor, the Juggernaut power makes him nearly indestructible and he doesn't even pause for a breath as he climbs out of his crater and brushes off before breaking into a wacky touchdown dance. Raven uses the symbiote to form a kind of glider that slows her fall as much as any parachute and allows her to steer. She gets the shield to Logan and follows him down. Cap uses the shield to angle his descent, one arm extended in front of him like he can fly. Raven can't help but to admire her lover and his calm courage even in a deadfall he is confident he can handle whatever he comes up against. Logan can see and smell the water in the distance below now and aims straight for it. Just before impact he turns the shield and folds himself inside it's diameter as much as possible to allow it to absorb the force of the hit. The rest is a testament to how tough he is as he surfaces 30 yards away and swimming briskly to shore as Raven lands and waits for him. They embrace as he clears the water and kiss passionately just as Frank Castle descends onto the beach nearby and let's his parachute fall and cover the happy lovers. Wilson is jogging up the path, turns out he tops out around 30 miles an hour with his combined powers and superior leg strength.
"What did I miss?" He asks as he eyeballs the writhing form under the parachute.
"Leave 'em be." Frank advised him.
"But=" Wade began and was struck suddenly by a large falling black man. Luke Cage had seen the opportunity to angle his fall and intentionally struck Weapon X hard and drove him into the ground into a new crater. As the dust was clearing the claws came out and sliced open the parachute as Captain America sprung out ready for action, shield at the ready on his left arm and claws out on the right. The symbiote was shifting and shaped into it's armored combat form around Raven, an image of Shields symbol the 'Iron Eagle' on her chest. Frank had both rifles ready as he watched the dust settle and waited for a sign of movement.
After several agonizingly slow seconds Luke Cage's hand appeared at the lip of the crater and he pulled himself up and out of the hole.
"Now don't say I didn't give all of you a fair chance to surrender," Luke began condescendingly before a massive Juggernaut paw grabbed his whole head in one palm and pulled him backward into the hole again. Several grunts and elbows flying about appeared and there was a thudding noise as both strongmen assaulted each other with the power of a landslide behind every punch.
Wade's head popped out of the hole and he had one finger raised as he held Luke down with his free hand and asked the group;" Pardon me, does anyone have any Grey Poupon?"
Luke wrestled free and grabbed Wilson by the face mask pulling him back into the hole for some more jarring blows to his helm. Logan stood and relaxed somewhat as he looked questioningly to his lover. She shrugged at him and mentally moved the alien off her face so James could see her smile. "Let's let them play. This is the first time this Luke Cage has sparred with this Wade Wilson. I wonder if either could get the other to say uncle?"
"I'm curious if this worlds' Wade Wilson is as broken as ours. We could swap them out when no one's looking and bring back a sane one, Fury would give us medals." Logan replied calmly ignoring the titanic struggle happening beside him. Frank walked over to Raven and Logan when he saw them talking and asked; "Should we help?" as he motioned to the strongmen just as Luke swung Wade into a heavy body slam with an overhead arc, still gripping his mouth and eye holes in the large helm his power generated to protect against mental assaults.
"Help which one? I'm rooting for Luke Cage to be honest. I don't think he has a chance but I'm cheering for him nonetheless. Why don't you two scout our west and northwest points, sure y'all saw the buildings and the trailer park on the way down, secure transport and come back, we need room for 5 and I'm not sitting between those two." Logan insists thumbing over his shoulder where Luke was being dragged backwards back into the hole as Wade just grinned devilishly at the other man's tenacity. The two serious agents took off at a run to their intended destinations and Logan approached the crater coolly.
"Alright, I surrender." Logan announced loudly. James drove his shield into the ground in front of him as both fighters paused to gawk at the interruption. "One condition though." He adds.
"Of course there is a condition. And then in the end y'all try to escape anyway." Cage challenged.
"We could have hijacked your ship. We should have because of the urgency but we are not the bad guys. We are going to stop this guy and save your whole world. This is what we do, trust me. First we are going to Westchester to get a bead on the guy then we are hunting him down. You are coming with us, when we get to Greymalkin you can call headquarters and let them know where he is and where they can come find us and tell them to bring some backup. That's the deal, take it or leave it." Logan offers in his commanding tone. Luke could see the Captain America he knew then, the leader, the valorous self- sacrificing hero who would do anything to defend the people and protect their freedoms. "I would like your help, Luke I know I can count on you when it gets tough to do the right thing."
"I'll follow you to the school at least; they call it the Jean Grey School now, a place for mutant kids. Those guys should be able to back up your story if you're not lying." Luke said. The other agents were returning now with some new wheels. Raven was driving a large heavy duty 4 door truck and Frank was on a motorcycle, a very shiny chrome and black leather that matched his leather clothing and modified vest. Frank always wore his black Kevlar bulletproof vest with the large white skull across the whole torso.
Logan offered a hand to help Luke out of the crater, which he took and Cap easily lifted his weight to help him to his feet. They both walked toward the truck together and Wade held a hand up and out towards their backs. He waived it with a pitiful look in his eyes.
"Uh, guys? Don't forget your friendly neighborhood unstoppable weapon X…." He scowls a little as he is completely blown off. "Fine then, first gas station we stop at I'm eating everything on the roller grill. See who's ignoring me after that."
Frank stays on the motorcycle and Logan notices he is growing more uneasy as time goes on. They cover many miles over the next several hours and Raven announces as they get close to familiar territory; "I sent a message ahead earlier to warn them, it seems like they have some form of A.I. that intercepted and passed it on to the boss… anyway, we are expected and they are already searching for a match to the specs I sent them."
"Great," Logan replies, "maybe they will have some dinner ready."
"Who texted back?" Luke inquired curiously from the back seat.
"Ororo Munroe." Raven replied and half grinned at Logan. He grinned back, Ororo was another one he trained personally many many years ago, now she led her own enforcer team and their child was in the top of her class nearing the end of her first year at the academy. She was the 2nd of 3 children James Logan had been blessed with. His first child was an older woman now and a coordinator and longstanding agent at Shield. His third child, Steve Rogers Logan, is 7 now and being raised by his court appointed guardian, Charles Xavier. Steve's mother was Jean Grey and it was foretold the son would share an affinity for the phoenix and needed to be trained by a man like Xavier who could teach mental defense and iron will. Logan had just lost his wife months after the boy was born and he wasn't in an emotional state to argue with them. James immersed himself in his work and buried his inequities in duty and self-sacrifice, just as he had done since the real Steve Rogers passed away.
They were admitted into the gates and they marveled at how perfectly identical it was to the academy all of them had visited. The circular drive brought them right to the front steps and everyone dismounted as a small group of 4 came down to meet and greet them. Logan pulled his mask off as they approached and everyone froze when they saw who stood before them.
On this world Wolverine died and his body was trapped in adamantium. Xavier's mansion was Logan's home and everyone who was a friend to the house knew Logan and cared for him in some way, even if they didn't get along all the time. On the steps 3 of the 4 were his dearest friends from both worlds and all of them felt they were seeing a ghost. Wolverine in Captain Americas official Shield uniform was a shock and they realized as they got closer how much larger this Logan was than the one they knew. Before him stood the X-men Storm, Colossus, Magik, and a very old Logan brought here from an alternate future.
Then Weapon X squeezed out of the truck and everyone recognized the juggernaut armor and Deadpool's symbol vandalized on the helm.
"What…?" Asked Ororo.
"Don't tell me, I've got something on my face right" Wade said into their surprised faces and wiped at the helm where his nose should be. "Is it a dangler? I can't see anything with this muffin top helmet on."
"Why does he sound so much like the annoying one with the swords?" Piotr asked with concern.
"Surprise Pete, I brought my swords, so glad of you to ask." Wade announced with a grin and a steel on steel sound echoed as he extended both blades from his forearms. "They do know me here Logan, hey y'all how famous am I exactly, like movie star celebrity or just hot topic?"
Storm struck him with lightning, arcing dramatically between both raised blades like an electric tuning fork he saluted the heavens and jerked in the flow of voltage from the sky thru him to get to the ground. The lightning stopped after a couple of long seconds of pain and Wade stood there swaying gently from side to side and smoking violently out of his armor and helm. He put hands on his hips and stammered in a funny voice; "Why for you bury me in the cold, cold ground…?" Then Wade leaned to far back and hit the ground with a thud that set off a few car alarms close by.
"What the heck Storm!?" Cage questioned her excitedly.
"It's alright." Logan interrupted, "He has that effect on everyone. …Don't you Wilson."
"Now that you mention it…." Wade said rising up to his elbows, singed but otherwise unscathed. "It does seem like everyone is trying to kill me all the time."
"And you just keep coming back don't ya." Logan grumbled.
Storm could see the man she knew. She also had plenty of experience with clones and alternate selves and killer metamorphs, including Raven Darkholme's alternate self who had been an enemy of the X-men's objectives forever. She wanted to trust him and more than anything grab him and hug him and hold him once more for old times' sake. But Ororo Munroe wasn't that quick to let her guard down. Just like the one he knew she was stoic and reserved on the outside, all business and tactical thinking no matter how she felt inside.
You called us?" Storm indicated Raven with her communicator dominating one forearm still.
"I did." Raven replied, she could feel the distrust as their attention turned to her.
"We have problems tracking both the being's you mentioned normally, however with the specs you provided in the communique we were able to get a ping on the magnetic flux his movement left behind." Storm reported.
"And?" Logan asked, prompting her to continue.
"We know where he is hiding." She said although Logan sensed she was reluctant to disclose everything she knew.
"We are going after him; we could use your help." Logan told her plainly.
"…Come in." Storm replied after a moment's consideration. "We can discuss it at least."