Let's get to chapter nine. Oh and did anybody see the Civil War tv spot? Awesome!
Back at the refugee camp, Strucker was in handcuffs and being escorted by Bucky and Steve. They led him to an open shipping container. "Sit." Bucky said as they forced Strucker to sit. They cut off his chains. "I'm guessing this isn't your first time in chains. What's your safeword?" Steve joked. Strucker gave Steve a death glare but Steve just laughed and left, followed shortly by Bucky and the soldiers who had came in with them. Strucker sat back, smirking.
Meanwhile, Natasha was talking to some soldiers. "Advise Secretary Blake that Strucker is in custody. We'll be moving him to a super-security prison at Fort Charles within the hour." Natasha commanded. "Yes ma'am." The soldier said. Natasha turned to face Bucky and Steve as they approached. "You two stand guard. Prisoner transfer should be here in twenty." Natasha said. "Now she trusts me to babysit." Steve muttered. tasha didn't respond, instead she put her communicator to her ear. "Rogers. Report." She said. "We haven't caught Callisto yet. We tracked her to Makeba Cliffs then her trail went cold." James said.
"Damn." Natasha swore as a team of ninjas snuck up on them. "Bobbi thinks Callisto's unique physiology will allow us to pinpoint her location. She's re-tooling her smart-comm to track Callisto's pheromones." James said. "How long?" Natasha asked.
Unknown it them, a group of Shirai Ryu were sneaking in the base. "On my order. Wound. Do not kill." Pyro ordered his team of ninjas.
"She has to write the code. We're looking at two hours." James replied. "Sergant, we don't have two hours! We need to find her location immediately!" Natasha barked. Natasha!" Steve snapped. Natasha looked at him and he titled his head, nodding angrily. Natasha took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "James, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but there isn't time. Bring your group here, we need to regroup and redeploy." Natasha said gently. "Yes Ma'am." James replied. "They're doing their best." Steve said. "I know." Natasha sighed. Bucky looked into the distance and, despite his blindness, noticed someone approaching. "General. We have a visitor." Bucky said. Natasha and Steve turned to see Pyro approaching in full ninja garb. "You two are friends, right? He tell you he was coming?" Natasha asked. "Nothing." Bucky answered. "General." Pyro greeted. "Master Allerdyce. I hadn't recieved word you were visiting." Natasha replied.
"I will have Strucker." Pyro said. "We have things to control. You can-" Natasha began to say before being cut off, "He must die." "Storm needs him. Without Strucker, we can't restore Piotr Rasputin and the other revenants. You'd leave them trapped? Like you were?" Natasha said. "Strucker concerns me only." Pyro replied. Pyro motioned to walk past her, but Natasha put her hand on his shoulder as soldiers gathered behind her, Bucky pulled out his sword, and Steve walked forward. "Don't do this John. I'll put you down." Natasha warned.
"Then we're at an impasse." Pyro replied. Pyro called out a command in Japanese and the Shrai Ryu ninjas jumped out from their hiding spots. "Strucker is mine." Pyro growled. Pyro and Natasha began to fight. Pyro was still capable of tapping into his hellish powers and brought them to full bear against the SHIELD General. Combined with his own skills, he shortly left her defeated. "I wish you no harm General Romanoff." Pyro said. Pyro headed towards the shipping container holding Strucker, his ninjas already having opened it for him. Bucky snuck up on them, though, and blasted Pyro with a telekinetic blast from Sento, lifting Pyro into the air.
"Call off your men!" Bucky commanded. Pyro's remained calm despite his incapacitation. "If you value our friendship, you will give me Strucker." Pyro said calmly. As a response, Bucky threw Pyro against the crate and the two began to exchange blows. Pyro eventually managed to knock Sento out of Bucky's hand as he rose. "Withdraw. Without Sento you are vulnerable." Pyro barked. Pyro was promptly tackled by Steve. Pyro pushed the former movie star off and the two began to exchange punches with one another. "Just like old times." Steve muttered as him and Pyro began to fight.
The fight proved to be a close one, but Pyro pulled away as the victor in the end. "Only Strucker's death will abate my anger." Pyro said. With Steve down, Pyro once agin began to approach the container, and Bucky tried to stop him. "Pyro no. You've gained great trust with tech Shirai Ryu. Do not squander it by murdering Strucker." Bucky said. "That writhered sorcerer is the architect of my suffering." Pyro replied as one of his ninjas grabbed Bucky to restrain him.
-Flasback-
Five years ago, at tech Lin Keui temple, Pyro warily approached a table where Iceman sat. "Master Allerdyce I am happy you came." Iceman said, bowing to Pyro. "Speak your mind. I do not wish to linger here." Pyro said. Iceman motioned for Pyro to sit, but he didn't. "You wish to reform the Shirai Ryu. I wish to reform the Lin Kuei. We both seek to shed our clan's dark pasts. Dedicate them to the protection of Earthrealm." Iceman said. Iceman placed flavoring into two bowls. "Our common purpose gives us chance to put aside old rivalries. Start anew." He continued.
"You'll confess what you've long denied? That your clan's hands are soaked in Shirai Ryu blood? The blood of my family?" Pyro asked incredulously. "Our honor is strained. Please. Sit." Iceman said. Pyro scowled but sat. "After you and I were freed from Strucker's control, I sought out my clan. I hoped the rebellion from within would've squashed the Grandmaster's plans." Iceman continued. Iceman poured water from a kettle into the bowls. "But I found Vision had realized his father's plans. The Lin Kuei had been fully cyberized. I planned to kill Vision and his followers. Reform the Lin Kuei and restore our honor." Iceman said. "I am not interested in Lin Kuei policies Iceman." Pyro said.
"When I finally killed Vision, I discovered the Lin Kuei had not sacrificed its honor with tech Cyber Initiative, we had abandoned it long before." Iceman continued, handing Pyro a bowl of soup. As Pyro took the bowl of soup, he heard the sounds of an ice attack getting ready and readied himself. Pyro dodged just in time as a blast of ice destroyed the table. He rolled to his feet and faced the female Lin Kuei, Killer Frost. "There will be no peace Pyro." Killer Frost said. "Killer Frost!" Pyro looked at Iceman, "The Lin Kuei are still without honor."Pyro rushed at Killer Frost and blocked two of her punches before knocking her down with a roundhouse kick. "Master Allerdyce. Wait." Iceman cried. "For what? More treachery?" Pyro exclaimed.
They began to fight. As with all their fights, they were equally matched in strength and power, but Iceman's reluctance allowed Pyro to knock the Lin Kuei to the ground. ("Our story ends here Iceman." Pyro said, pulling his ninjato out. As Pyro goes to stab Iceman, Killer Frost runs up with an ice dagger. Pyro turned around to stab her when Iceman froze her. "What is this?" Pyro asked. "I did not bring you here for treachery. Killer Frost is strong but she lacks judgement. She cannot see the wisdom of peace. I will deal with her." Iceman said.
Pyro looked suspicious at the words but said nothing as they headed into the temple. "You spoke of Lin Kuei's lost honor?" Pyro asked, once inside the temple. "For years I had thought you had unfairly blamed the Lin Kuei for the deaths of your family and clan." Iceman said. They stopped by a table, which held the cybernetic arm and head of Vision. "But Vision's cybernetic memeories proved the truth." Iceman said. Iceman pressed a button on Vision's arm and a hologram of Strucker appeared.
"The Lin Kuei need to abide by the rules, Vision. The Grandmaster gave Apocalypse his word." Strucker said. "Apocalypse's currency is in lies, as is yours." Vision replied in the memory. "Payment is due. I exterminated the Shirai Ryu as promised." Strucker said. "John Allerdyce lives. He's your specter, Pyro." Vision replied. "I created Pyro from Allerdyce's soul AFTER he died. We observed the agreement." Strucker said. "The letter, not the spirit. We owe you nothing." Vision replied. The hologram faded and horror crossed Pyro's face at what he had just heard.
"SJ...Julia..." Pyro murmured to himself, bowing his head in shame. "Had I known my clan's complicity with the Shirai Ryu's extinction, our history would be different." Iceman said. "I killed your sister because I thought...she-" Pyro said. "Strucker is responsible for Simmons' death." Iceman said.
A fire took over Pyro's eyes. "Vision was wrong. There is a price to be paid, and Strucker will pay for it." Pyro said before saluting to Iceman. Iceman saluted back and the two former rivals bowed to each other.
-End Flashback-
Back at the refugee camp, Strucker was being dragged out by two of Pyro's ninjas while Steve, Natasha, and Bucky watched helplessly. "Unbind him." Pyro ordered his men as the forced Strucker onto his knees. His men complied and unbound Strucker. "Pyro, we can-" Strucker began to say before Pyro backhanded him. "MY NAME IS JOHN ALLERDYCE!" Pyro yelled, grabbing Strucker by the scruff of the neck.
"You killed my wife! My daughter! And then you burrowed your way into my head! Misguided my VENGENCE! COST ME THE ONE CHANCE TO HAVE THEM RESTORED!" Pyro yelled. "Your family...I-" Strucker began. "Quiet sorcerer! Nothing can help you now! You killed my family! You killed SJ and Julia and now I will kill you!" Pyro roared as he hauled Strucker to his feet. They began to fight. At his weakest and with no help, Strucker suffered the beating of his life. Nothing he can do subdued the rage of John Allerdyce, who relentlessly pounded him again and again. The one-sided battle ended with Strucker on the ground.
"At last. You feel my pain." Pyro said. As Strucker struggled to stand, Pyro kicked him in the face and sent him back down before slamming his head into the dirt and punching him more. "Pyro stop!" Natasha yelled as a portal opened. Pyro looked up as Callisto stepped out of the portal. "Strucker!" Callisto exclaimed. Pyro started towards her with his sword unsheathed.
Callisto parried his blows with her stingers, but he managed to cut one off. Callisto then stabbed him in the chest and sent him off to the side while she rushed to Strucker's side. "Amulet..." Strucker gasped out. Callisto pulled it out but a chained kunai impaled Strucker in the chest before he could take it. "GET OVER HERE!" Pyro yelled, pulling Strucker back to his side. "No!" Callisto yelled as Pyro yanked Strucker into a sitting position.
Strucker held his hands out towards the amulet and began to chant in the Netherrealm tongue. As Pyro brought his sword down to cut off Strucker's head, he finished the spell and Callisto tossed him the amulet. An instant later, Strucker's head was sliced clean off. "Blood for blood, your debt is payed." Pyro said. Pyro threw down the headless corpse and Apocalypse's amulet landed on the ground, rolling to a stop.
The amulet erupted in a burst of purple energy and hellish fire, Apocalypse's form barely visible within. "Oh s*it!" Steve breathed. "Free us! Now!" Natasha barked at the ninjas. Realizing everything has gone to hell, the ninjas comply and free them as the amulet stops releasing energy and Callisto picked it up.
"Apocalypse." Callisto breathed. Behind him, Pyro rushed at Apocalypse. Apocalypse spun around and blasted him down and unconscious. Natasha, Steve, Bucky, and the Shirai Ryu ninjas rushed at him, but they received the same treatment Pyro had. "This One greets Lord Apocalypse." Callisto said.
"Strucker chose his servants well. He was wise to restore me in Earthrealm; behind their defenses." Apocalypse said. "Strucker decieved them. He knew they would bring him here." Callisto said. They looked at the sorcerer's dead body. "A pity he did not live to see his work completed." Apocalypse said. Steve began to wake up, groaning as he did. Apocalypse turned to look at him. "There will be no surprises from you, Mister Rogers." Apocalypse said before ordering Callisto to grab him. Another portal opened, bringing forth the revenants. "Praise be to Lord Apocalypse." Piotr said. "Let us be on our way." Apocalype said. "There is an Earthrealm force in Netherrealm" Piotr said. "I am aware. They will be neutralized." Apocalypse said.
Insert goodbye-I already used this joke.
