Christian whistled lowly. "Damn, Tony. These are beast."
Christian, Temperance, Nick, Alex, Ayesha, and Tony Stark stood in the meeting room, looking at their costumes.
Christian, who had assumed the codename Auger, had a bright red costume, with black gloves and boots, a black utility belt for his knives, and a simple black mask.
Nick called himself Shield, after the man he was named for. He had an outfit similar to Scott's, with a blue mask.
Alex, who called himself Tycoon, had a black costume, with silver shoes and a silver headband, along with a silver cape.
Ayesha had a dark blue skirt with red leggings, along with a red tank top. Blue boots and a blue mask went with it.
"I know, right?" Tony beamed. "I have one for everyone. You're going to need them to go to the Savage Lands."
"So," Temperance said. "I guess we need to give the others their uniforms and leave."
"With your brand new Quinjet!" Tony said.
Temperance gasped. "Tony, you didn't!"
"I did! I know that the car I got you for your birthday didn't work out –"
"Gwen crashed it," Alex whispered to Nick.
" –So here's a jet!"
"Tony, I can't accept this," Temp said.
He looked dumbstruck. "You're a Frost."
Christian laughed. Temperance smiled. "Tony . . . thanks."
"Hey. I'd be offended if you didn't take it. Lets get the others their outfits."
Gwen smiled at her outfit – it was like a female version of her fathers, mask and all. She had taken to the name Tigress, and she extended her claws.
Claus pulled his gloves on, examining his bright blue outfit with green gloves. He was calling himself Shadowstalker. Evalyn's outfit was the same, only green with blue gloves. She had taken the codename of Mystic.
Andi examined herself in the mirror. She wore white tights with a white long sleeved spandex shirt. A gold belt looped around her waist, along with simple gold flats and a gold visor. She smiled, realizing that her codename "Legacy" was a perfect fit.
Nikki had a dark purple skirt with black tights, along with a black baby tee and a purple mask. She looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled when she saw just how hot her costume was. She was known as Aura.
Jake, on the other hand, wore just boxer-like shorts and a tight, yellow shirt with a black X on it. He phased to metal, decided he looked cool, and decided to go with his first choice in names – Siege.
Raquel wore a simple blue body suit that would shift with her elemental powers. The name on her back was "The Mistake."
Finally, Selena and 22, who really didn't like each other but were hanging out because of their similarities, entered. Selena, who was known as Brown Recluse in honor of her mentor Black Widow, wore her S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, and 22 wore what she had come in. She spun her sword around in boredom, and had a sticky note on her chest that read "Hello, my name is Your Awesomest Nightmare."
Temperance looked around at her band of X-Men, pretty satisfied with the outcome. She looked at Tony, who nodded. "All right, X-Men!" Temp called. "To the Jet!"
Alex and Gwen, who were the best pilots, took the jet up, and they were off to Antarctica.
"So what is this place?" Andi asked.
"It's a prehistoric land in the Arctic region," Temperance said. She pulled up a holographic map, and pointed. "This is where Peter and Bob's jet went off the radar. We'll start there."
"I can't believe we're actually going into the Savage Lands," Chris said.
"Wait a sec," 22 said. "Did you say the Savage Lands?"
"Yeah," he said. "So?"
"We're screwed."
"Why?" Andi frowned.
22 stood. "Because," she said. "You don't go into the Savage Lands without crashing."
As if on cue, the plane bounced, and the only one who stayed on their feet was 22.
"Everyone ok?" Alex asked. "Hold on!"
There was a crash, and the X-Men went rolling about.
Temp raised her head. "Shit. Everyone here?"
"Ouch," Gwen snapped.
"Sorry!" Claus yelped.
"Alright, everyone grab onto each other," Nikki said. "I'm going to phase us out."
A few moments later, everyone was on the ground. They looked around.
"Where do we start?" asked Jake.
"We should split up," Chris said. "Everyone take a Communicator."
"He's right," Temperance said. "Chris can take Claus, Evalyn, and Nikki. Nick can take Jake, Alex, and Ayesha. Selena can take 22 and Andi. And I'll take Gwen and Raquel."
"Good idea," Nick said. "Lets go."
The teams went their separate ways, each heading off in a different direction.
"Do you smell that?" Gwen stopped, and a growl escaped her throat.
"What is it?" Temperance asked.
"It smells funny. Like literally . . ." she giggled. "F-funny." She laughed harder, and then Raquel started laughing too. The laughter hit Temp in the head, and she shoved it back with a blast of telepathy. She shifted to diamond form, immune to any mind games.
"Temperance!"
She spun around. "Peter!" she exclaimed. "Is it you?"
"Of course," said Spider-Man. "Who else?"
"Someone is messing with them!" Temp said, with a glance at Gwen and Raquel. "And I can't read who in this form . . . Pete, what happened? Everyone is worried sick! Where's Bob?"
"It's a long story . . ." Peter looked around. "Look, we have to get out of here."
"I can't just leave them!" Temperance said, gesturing to Gwen, who was doubled over, and Raquel, who was rolling on the ground laughing.
"Temp . . ." Gwen croaked through the laughter. "Watch out!"
Temp turned back to Peter just in time to be kicked backwards by him. She jumped up. "Peter, what the hell are you doing?"
"Peter is otherwise preoccupied," he said. "But I'm sure I can help you with something." His form shifted. His head was covered with a heavy helmet, and he wore green and yellow. Temperance stepped back.
"Loki!" She snarled. "I thought the score was settled!" She dodged a kick to the head, lashing out with her fist. Loki stepped aside easily. Temp faked left and went right, tripping Loki. "What have you done with Spider-Man and The Sentry?"
"Care to find out?" mocked the God, teleporting behind Temp and grabbing her arms. Losing concentration, she shifted back to normal, and Loki blocked her mind, preventing her from shifting back. He twisted her arms hard behind her back, and she cried out.
"Hey," 22 said as she walked through the woods. "Does this place give you that 'Creepy Death Trap Vibe?'"
"Slightly," Andi said. She looked around. "I've got goosebumps."
"Why?" Selena rolled her eyes. "Nothing bad's happening."
With that, a great hissing noise came from the trees, and several human-like creatures dropped from the trees.
"Mutates," 22 said. "Nice going, S.H.I.E.L.D."
Selena was already loading her gun. 22 had her swords in front of her, and Andi's hand rested on her visor.
"Wait a minute," Andi said. "Hear that?"
There was several shots, and the Mutates fell like rocks. A man ran out from the woods. "Everyone alright?"
"Fine," Selena said. "Who are you?"
He had cropped white hair, and a large portion of his body seemed to be mechanical.
"Name's Cable," he said, reloading. He looked at Andi. "You're Andrea?"
"How do you know my name?"
"Because," Cable said, propping his gun on his shoulder. "You're my sister."
Nick jumped over a log and looked around the clearing. "This is too weird. We haven't heard anything from the others, and it's dead quiet. Something gotta happen soon."
"I think it just did," Alex said, pointing at the sky. "Either I'm seeing things, or there's a big, purple bird coming at us."
"That's not just any giant purple bird!" Ayesha said. "Look out!"
The three of them dodged. The bird landed, and they realized it was a young woman with purple hair and bird wings.
"Deathbird!" Ayesha said.
"Who?" Nick asked.
"She's Empress Lilandra's sister!" Alex said. "From the Shi'ar Empire. What's she doing here?"
Nicks leg was suddenly shooting pain. He felt himself on the ground, and saw a razor-sharp whip wrapped around his leg.
"Let him go!" Ayesha yelled, jumping from tree to tree until she was on Deathbirds back.
"Stupid monkey!" screamed the alien. "Get off of me! Alright, alright, I surrender! White flag!"
Ayesha jumped off her, and Deathbird ruffled her feathers. "Hmph. No need to get huffy."
"Why did you attack us?" Alex demanded.
"I thought you were mutates!" Deathbird sneered. "Disgusting creatures."
"What are you doing here?"
"Some of my loyals have gone missing. The signs pointed to here. There are fellons all over this place. HYDRA, Ymir, the Mandarin, Loki, Typhoid Mary . . ."
"Wait," Alex said. "Did you say Loki?"
Chris pushed Nikita out of the way just as a tree fell. They were running from the Mutates, who were destroying the forest in the process. Claus and Evalyn were teleporting them into the air and dropping them, but there were too many. There was a sudden blur, and all of the mutates were suddenly on the ground, unconscious or dead.
Chris sighed in relief and looked at their savior – she has white-blond hair, and was wearing a white and blue futuristic suit, and she had tattoos curling down her cheek bones.
"Thanks," Chris breathed.
"No problem," she said, helping him up. She smiled. "You must be Christian. I'm Luna."
"Oh," Chris said. "Pietro's kid, right?"
"Right. What are you doing here?"
"Looking for the Avengers. You?"
She shook her head. "Deathbird is lose here. The Shi'ar empire sent me to find her."
"Christian!"
Chris looked to his left, where Alex was approaching. His face was grim. "Christian," he repeated. "Loki's here."
Chirs's eyes widened. "Oh my God. Temp."
Temperance had twisted from the Mischief Gods grip, and though her mind was still blocked, she summoned enough strength to throw a mental blast at him.
Loki knocked it away easily. "This battle is pointless!" he called. "There's no defeating me."
Temperance was weakened by her last mental blast, and Loki knocked her aside easily with a jolt of power.
No! Temperance thought. No, it can't end like this, not with him, please God not with him . . .
There was a snarl, and something barreled into Loki. Temperance gained a slight amount of energy back, and pushed herself back a few feet.
The thing that had thrown itself into Loki was large, hairy, and snarling. At first Temperance thought it was her father, but this – man? – was taller. Loki scrambled back and teleported himself away.
Standing, Temperance's savior slowly looked at her. He had pointed, cat like fangs, and long claws extending from his fingers. His eyes glowed as he looked at Temperance.
"Are you alright?" He asked gruffly.
She nodded, in shock. She knew who this was.
"Well . . . good, then."
"Temp!" Christian was running towards them. He collapsed next to Temperance, gathering her in his arms. "God, are you okay? What did he do?"
"I don't know," Temperance said. "He, he just showed up. I was surprised, and I just . . . I . . . I . . ." She buried her head in her brothers shoulder and cried.
"The hell are you?" Andi asked, looking at the furry man.
"His name is Sabretooth," Gwen said, standing and regaining her breath.
At the name, 22 drew her gun and pointed it at him, Jake phased into metal, and Christian put his hand on his knife.
"Stop," Gwen said. "He just saved Temps life."