Chapter 6 – Lightning Out Of Steel
On the Way to the Northern Land of Conquerors
The Invincible Iron Man flew across the skies, the grey armor of his dead friend, War Machine, was built for battle in mind. A gigantic Ultra-Type II Cannon was mounted on his right shoulder and a MJOLNIR-Type IV Rocket Launcher on his left, in honor of Thor and his hammer. Not only was the armor armed to the teeth but the metal that it was made of was several times thicker than the standard Iron Man armor, the Type VI.
Kuro felt…good. The armor…it made him feels like himself again, like as if his skin was back on him. Maybe all those people in the past were right; if he ever died…it would be inside the Iron Man armor, no matter the type. He had given his normal armor to Lugaan, it was faster than the War Machine suit, and he needed the speed. But Kuro…he needed the power because he would be facing a god…and not any god, but the God of War himself.
Plaza of Kings, Northern Land of Conquerors
Iron Man landed, rather harshly, on the icy ground of the plaza. The people on the plaza at first got scared of the impact but when they saw who it was…they began to cheer.
"Where is he?" Iron Man asked the inhabitants.
"There." They all pointed to the ice palace that had statues of rocks of warriors and beasts. Iron Man began walking towards the palace, he didn't know what would be waiting for him in there but he was going in nonetheless.
Once he entered the smell of death and vomit raided in the air…
The Palace of War, Northern Land of Conquerors
The lobby of the palace was no lobby…it was a torture hall. Instead of ice and stairs, the inside of the castle was stone, metal and blood. The guts and brains of several men painted the walls and floor of the hall, several torture devices also were in the hall.
There Iron Man found one single person strapped to one of these death machines…Iron Mar ran to its aid. Iron Man started ripping the straps on the man's wrists and legs.
"Hold on second…Magneto?" Iron Man asked the white haired old man.
"Iron…Iron Man…Ares he…he has killed my people…many of us." The bloodied Lord of Magnetism and Genosha said.
"What happened to Genosha?" Iron Man asked.
"Ares…he has invaded my land…my prosperous and peaceful land." Magneto said as he collapsed into the ground. "I need…rest…too weak."
"Rest here old man, luckily you weren't torn up by this maniac." Iron Man said as he left the hall and entered a bigger room. One man stood in the middle of it while another sat on the throne made of bones…
"Ah, the powerful Iron Man has arrived to meet us." Ares said. "Probably looking for my warrior maker."
"It's over Ares, you die today." Iron Man said as he walked towards Ares.
"Phobos, Deimos." Ares said. Then two heavily armed and armored young men walked towards the other man standing in the middle of the room. The Gods of Fear and Terror…sons of Ares. The other man was different all together; he had dark eyes and pale skin.
He was bald but he had a blonde goatee on his face, his right arm was armored and he had a blue belt with a golden "S" in its middle.
"S…Sentry?" Iron Man asked.
"He isn't Sentry any more, mortal; he is the God of Destruction itself, the Sentry of Evil…my champion, Kratos." Ares revealed. Sentry or rather Kratos, took out a massive sword out of his back…"Before we start the battle, I would like you to see someone."
Iron Man readied himself…
"Come in, my wench." Ares ordered. A woman with tangled chocolate colored hair, a dark blue torn dress and tanned skin came out of the room behind Ares' throne. Iron Man looked at the woman, her eyes were hidden by the long bangs of her hair…then he looked at Phobos and Deimos…they also had tanned skin, dark hair and bright blue eyes.
"By Agni's golden mace…" Iron Man said as he opened the front of his helmet, he widened his eyes…his mouth opened in awe and disgust…his bearded face said it all. "…Korra."
She didn't respond…she kept looking at ground. It looked like she hadn't aged at all…"The magic of us Olympians is relatively powerful, I am not one to use such spells but I contacted several trolls and such to cast spells to keep her lock in that age for as long as I live or need to, I need her young for I do not like old women." Ares said.
"You disgusting, bigoted and immoral son of bitch!" Iron Man said as small lightning bolts began forming around his fists.
"Show your anger, man of iron, show your hatred if you want to beat me and my gods of war." Ares said. "Attack!"
Phobos, Deimos and Kratos/Sentry attacked the Iron Man; he avoided their attacks with their magical swords. He didn't want to hurt Sentry, but he had no choice. He charged his Ultra Cannon and began shooting a hail of bullets at Phobos and Deimos, but the high caliber of bullets seemed to bounce off their armor. Kratos/Sentry seemed to ignore the bullets bouncing from his skin.
"Relent, Iron Man!" Phobos said.
"Thou cannot defeat us!" Deimos added.
Deimos struck Iron Man with his sword; the attack was so strong that it sent Iron Man flying through several walls, landing on a steel wall.
"Guh…" Iron Man said as he rubbed metal neck.
"Iron Man?" He heard a voice.
"Herc?" Iron Man asked as he saw who it was that asked.
"Free me friend!" Hercules yelled.
"On it!" Iron Man said as he destroyed the cell gate and entered Hercules holding cell. "I can't break the chains."
"They are magical; it would take another magical item to break them." Hercules informed.
"Another magical item? Phobos' sword!" Iron Man got an idea.
"What!? That's suicide!" Hercules yelled.
"Friend, I've been doing some pretty suicidal things this week…I wouldn't mind one last suicidal act." Iron Man said. "I'll be back."
Iron Man flew back outside; there the gods of war awaited him. They laughed at the mortal inside the metal suit, all except the former Sentry.
"Thou art powerless, mortal, surrender and we might kill thee…swiftly." Deimos said.
"No, brother, he be a warrior, he will not relent." Phobos said. "We might as well kill him in battle!"
"It does not matter!" Deimos yelled as he struck the solid concrete ground where Iron Man stood, he had quickly activated his propulsors and avoided the bite of Deimos' war axe.
'Gotta get Deimos off my way and get Phobo's sword…but how?' Iron Man thought as he flew across the room. He needed a way to separate the two brothers…and the corrupted Sentry.
Before Iron Man could formulate an attack plan fast enough, he was brought down by two hundred and fifty pounds of pure Olympian-Human muscle; Deimos had jumped on his back and brough him down to the ground. He quickly got him into an Olympian submission hold…"I will break you!" Deimos yelled as Phobos walked towards them.
"Give up, man of iron, I might not be the brightest knife in the crayon box but I have the strength of a million men!" Deimos boasted.
"Relent." Phobos added. Iron Man could feel his leg being ripped out of his socket…he was going to die until he heard the surprised voice of Phobos. "Impossible."
Iron Man and Deimos turned their heads towards the entryway…it was Magneto, the Lord of Magnetism.
"You all shall pay." The old mutant raised his hand and with his power used Deimos' own axe to vut his right arm in two.
"AHHH!" Deimos screamed in pain.
"DEIMOS!" Phobos and Ares screamed.
"I've been a fool for too long!" Magneto yelled as he threw the axe towards Phobos, the blunt side of the axe struck Phobos on the face bringing him down. Magneto acted quickly and magnetized Ares' blade and pointed the tip to Ares' neck.
"Grrr…" Ares lowly whispered, Korra, who stood behind Ares had fallen on her bottom in fear, her face still hidden by her hair.
"Do what you must, Shinzou." Magneto told Iron Man. "I will hold these barbarians."
"Thank you Magneto." Iron Man said as he stood back up and grabbed Phobos' sword and quickly sprinted towards the cell block where Hercules was being held.
"I have it!" Iron Man yelled at Hercules.
"Great, now cut these restrains so I may place Ares' head underneath my boot." Hercules said.
"Get in line." Iron Man responded as he struck the magical chains with the sword. It took two strikes to cut the chains and liberate the imprisoned Prince of Power. Hercules stood back up and took off the metal restrains off his wrists and then he rubbed them.
They both ran back to the throne room to find that Magneto was being attacked by the again unleashed Sentry/Kratos. Magneto was then stabbed by Kratos' sword…as he ended the old mutant's life he turned his attention to the duo.
"I'll take care of him, friend, you take on my dear relative." Hercules said.
"It's go time!" Iron Man yelled as he flew towards Ares' position.
"Come on, cupcake, take me!" Hercules taunted the Sentry/Kratos beast. The champion of war roared as his skin turned from pale silver to a darker shade of grey and rushed towards the Son of Zeus.
"Ares!" Iron Man screamed as he readied a potent punch which was going to land on Ares' face.
"Iron Man!" Ares screamed back as he jumped towards the iron avenger, he's massive body rivaled that of the Hulk's, and made Iron Man look tiny in comparison. Iron Man blocked the edge of Ares' sword with his metal gauntlets but the sword had severely cracked them.
"Damn!" Iron Man yelled as he was punched away.
Hercules and Sentry/Kratos held their ground, the ground around them cracking, the area around them becoming dense and heavy. Hercules could not believe it but a dark presence was beginning to form on the champion of war's back…it looked even more grotesque than Mephisto's minions.
Iron Man couldn't beat Ares; he was flying away from his reach. He launched his MJOLNIR type missile at the God of War, but that only seemed to irate him even further.
"THY HURT MY SONS! I SHALL HAVE THOU HEAD ON MY TROPHY CASE AND HAVE YOUR INTESTINES EATEN BY MY DOGS OF WAR!" Ares shouted as he tried to grab Iron Man's smaller frame. Ares' red eyes and bulky body only seemed to give Iron Man more reasons not to engage this guy in hand-to-hand combat.
Nothing made on this planet would hurt a man like this…a man-god. Nothing made by man…that's it! But would he be worthy?
'Thor! I know that you are still out there, I know that you can hear me, allow me to wield your hammer so I can defeat Ares, allow me to change places with you only for just a moment!' Iron Man thought out loud. 'THOR!'
Hammer Falls, Land of The Spider
The hammer that rested inside the crater began to shake. The skeletons around it began to disintegrate, Mjolnir shined once more.
It levitated in the air and then flew into the sky faster than light itself…
The Palace of War, Northern Land of Conquerors
Ares had successfully pinned Iron Man on the ground with one hand, Iron Man couldn't free himself, and Ares is too strong.
"Avatar, watch how I squash his brains in, watch as how extinguish this mortal's puny life." Ares said as he laughed. Korra could hardly watch…she couldn't bend and her will had been taken away from her by Ares long ago, she was powerless.
"You will not do that…" Iron Man said.
"Why not huh?" Ares taunted.
"Because an old friend is going to take my place in this brawl." Iron Man said.
"What friend?" Ares asked confusedly.
Then something smashed through the massive walls of the palace, and slammed into the ground next to Iron Man's hand.
"The God of Thunder." Iron Man responded as he grabbed the handle of Mjolnir. Once he did, lightning and light engulfed the room, stopping Hercules and Sentry/Kratos from fighting and mometarilly blinding Ares.
"AGH!" Ares yelled as he rubbed his eyes, and then he looked again.
Instead of seeing a small mortal inside a metal suit, Ares now looked at someone beyond anything in this realm.
"Ares! Thor shall have word with thee." The Mighty Thor had returned, he had swapped places with Iron Man for the moment.
"My eyes must be deceiving me!" Ares yelled.
"Thor…no, it can't be." Hercules said.
"T..h..o..r…?" Sentry/Kratos asked.
"My…" Korra could barely speak as she once again looked at the shining and representation of good that was Thor. His golden aura engulfed the room, the son of the Earth and Heaven had returned.
"IT CAN'T BE!" Ares shouted as he rushed at the resuscitated Thor.
"Nay, it can." Thor said as he easily grasped Ares by the throat. "Too much has happen since my apparent death…but I will tell thee something, God of War."
Thor's bright cerulean eyes looked at Ares' soul… "Thou hath done great evil to this world along with thy allies, Ares, and more importantly thy have taken the purity of one that I hold very dear…there can be only one punishment to that." Thor smacked Ares away, he landed on the wall.
"No…no!" Ares pleaded.
"Thy ask mercy when thou have negated such to others…guess what, I AM THE GOD OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, I AM THE GUARDIAN OF MIDGARD, AND THE SON OF ODIN! THY PUNISHMENT SHALL BE TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE PAIN THAT THOU HAVE CAUSED TO THE INNOCENT MORTALS OF THIS REALM!" Thor held Mjolnir high in the air, and allowed his divine power to take effect.
"NO MORE ART THOU AN IMMORTAL! NO MORE AT THOU A GOD, BY THE POWER OF ODIN, ZEUS AND THOR, I SENTENCE THEE TO FOREVER LIVE INPRISONED IN TARTARUS!" Thor then opened a massive portal that began sucking Ares and his sons in it.
"No! No!" Ares screamed as he was sucked into the portal, and then it closed…leaving the God of War to a fate worse than death.
Then Sentry began to feel like himself…the spell casted by Ares beginning to disappear. "I…I am myself once more."
"Sentry…" Hercules said.
Sentry then noticed that his skin was pale…the spell casted by Ares had drained his life force greatly. Sentry looked at Hercules and then fell on the ground.
"Sentry!" Hercules yelled as he rushed to the Sentry's side, Thor did too. Korra felt…out of place.
"I…I am sorry." Sentry said with a low and weak voice. "This evil…within…me…and Ares…I am sorry."
"Thou should not be sorry…" Hercules said.
"Sorry…" Sentry said as he closed his eyes.
"He's dead…" Hercules said.
Thor kneeled next to Sentry's unmoving body; he placed his index finger on Sentry's forehead.
"Rise brother rise, pass Valhalla's gates, here great warriors await. Reborn from thy steel all thy wounds be healed. From the Earth to the sky now son of Odin rise…take place among the kings for thy soul shall never die." Thor finished saying his prayer.
"Thor…how…?" Hercules tried to ask.
"My friend, gods never truly die." Thor said as he placed his hand on Herc's shoulder smiling. "But…I must return to be by my father's side until a worthy mortal can lift this hammer for the man I am replacing must return to be himself." Thor revealed.
"Thor!" Korra yelled as she ran to Thor and hugged him. Hecules smiled at the scene.
"My Avatar…I must ask for thy forgiveness for I have allowed such evils to happen to thee…for allowing Ares to deflower thee." Thor said as tears began run down his immortal face.
"Thor...I love you." Korra said as she kissed Thor.
Hercules lifted Sentry's body when he saw a still breathing Magneto on the ground.
"Magnus." Hercules said as he spotted the dying mutant.
"Hercules…listen to me…" Magneto tried to say, Hercules crouched to hear him. "I have done…so much…just for the safety of my own…but I've been a fool. I ask you…ask you to take care of them, to lead them where I have failed. I ask this to you…"
"I promise." Hercules said. Magneto smiled as he breathes his last breath and died happy. Hercules will keep that promise, for he has always known that Magneto was not a bad guy…but misguided.
"Don't go." Korra said to Thor.
"I have to, but I promise thee that I shall return to thee." Thor allowed the hammer to strike the ground. "One day a worthy man shall reclaim Mjolnir and allow me to be with thee…"
Thor was then engulfed in light and he was replaced with Iron Man.
"Whoa…" Iron Man said as he re-appeared. "Korra?"
"Kuro, is good to see you gain." Korra said as she wiped the tears off her eyes.
Iron Man took his helmet off…the stench of dried blood hit him hard.
"Korra…we better get out of this place." Iron Man said.
"Yeah…" Korra responded as she followed Iron Man out. "Wait."
Korra then looked at the hammer of the gods which was still on the ground. She grasped it and lifted it with ease. "I won't leave him."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Iron Man said.
Plaza of Kings, Northern Land of Conquerors
They came out, the people cheered their liberators. They had been freed from Ares and his henchmen.
"People of the Northern Water Tribe, you are all now free!" Iron Man yelled. The crowd cheered even louder…
The sunlight hit Korra's tan skin; she hadn't seen the Sun for so long…she looked at her hand. She had lighted a small flame on her palm, she could still bend. Was it because of the Sun or because…
"Thor…" Korra whispered.