Chapter Ten

Masters of Evil

"Lights off," Natasha said.

Steve turned off his handheld flashlight and ducked as he followed her into a large crevice in the cave wall. They huddled together in the corner, and he raised his shield out in front to protect her.

As they waited in the darkness, they heard a low growl followed by several sets of footsteps. How many? Steve thought. It was hard to tell.

Crouching next to Natasha, he was able to hear the nervousness in her breaths. To her credit, each breath came out quieter than the last. After several seconds, he couldn't hear them. He did start to hear his own breathing, which he quickly stifled.

Natasha raised the MP5 submachine gun that she had picked up back in the pyramid. She transitioned so quickly from fear to preparation, and he loved that about her.

He wanted to reach for the handgun in his side holster, so that he could help her if they had to fight. But he could feel the slant in the cave floor, and he didn't want to put his flashlight down and risk having it roll out of reach. While Natasha's MP5 had an attached flashlight underneath its barrel, he would have to use a separate hand to hold his own light.

If I didn't have to hold this shield...he thought. His greatest weapon also encumbered him, and he remembered once again how ill suited he was for her line of work.

Come to think of it, the present situation wasn't anyone's line of work. Neither of them could have predicted that they would be overrun by demonic creatures before they could even set foot inside the pyramid. It was a miracle that they had even survived that initial assault. After they were pulled inside and knocked around for a while, they managed to find a spot to hide while the demons continued to stampede outside.

Natasha insisted that they continue their mission despite the insane developments, even after they lost radio contact with the outside. Her decision had taken them deep into the pyramid, through passageways that eventually led them underground. She had chosen wisely, because the pyramid and the surrounding town came crashing down just minutes after they had entered the caves.

They were trapped down there, and they had no options but to find the enemy at the heart of the problem. Steve had thought that they would at least be rid of those demons. His wishful thinking had been proven wrong.

He tried to steel himself as the passageway outside the crevice lit up with a sinister red glow. Heavy feet pounded against the floor, sending echoes through caves. Get ready. If the enemy were to come for them, it would be up to him to push their way out.

Looking over his shield, he saw two massive red legs stomping by the crevice. The demon's arms were visible as well, and one of them held a flaming sword that was the source of the light.

It doesn't see us...Steve held off his certainty as several short, impish creatures scurried by behind it. One of them turned its head in his direction and stopped. It stood still for the next few seconds as it continued to stare into the crevice. Do something, Steve thought. Even an attack would have been preferable to the suspense of not knowing what it would do next.

Another of the little demons barked at it, and the imp turned and proceeded down the passageway. Steve held his breath, not allowing himself to lower his guard until the red glow disappeared from the walls.

"I think we're good," Natasha said.

"Let me check," Steve said as he moved out in front of her. He didn't like the idea of her going out without knowing what was out there. His shield would be the safest thing for them to stick out first.

The two of them finally made their way out into the passageway, where they stood up and stretched their weary legs. Steve looked down the cave and raised his flashlight. The light could give them away, but he would be blind without it. His only choice was to turn the light on and take whatever consequences they might face because of it.

Natasha turned her light on as well, before she lifted her MP5. "Let's go, Steve." She kept her weapon in a ready position as she led the way.

They moved deeper and deeper into the caverns with no end in sight. Several times, they had to arbitrarily pick a route when the tunnel forked into separate passages. There was no telling whether they were going in the right direction. And after more than an hour of wandering in the silent darkness, everything began to seem the same anyway. The only proof that there was anything else down there was the occasional demonic echo.

"That one sounded close," Steve said.

"It was...Over there!"

The silence was gone in an instant as Natasha fired several long bursts from her MP5. Small demons fell dead before her, piling up until the moment she ran out of bullets. Another one tackled her to the ground, but she quickly rolled on top of it.

Steve sprang forward as he saw more of them come at her from behind. He jumped and swung his shield into a demon's face as he came down on the other side of her. Spinning around, he delivered a backswing that sent another imp crashing into the wall.

He shined his light back on Natasha and saw that she was still on the floor struggling with her demon. She kept it pinned down with her left hand as she reached for the Glock in her right thigh holster. Pulling it out, she pressed its barrel against the demon's face and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

Natasha stayed on the floor, gasping for several seconds before she let go of the demon's body and holstered her pistol.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked.

"Besides the mess? Yeah." She rose to her feet and wiped the blood from her uniform before she went to retrieve the MP5.

"Thought that was your last mag."

"It was." She pulled out the weapon's locking pin and removed the flashlight from it.

Steve was already scanning the cave walls with his own light. He kept his ears open as well, listening for any threats that he couldn't see.

"We're not gonna die down here," she said.

He couldn't tell if she was trying to reassure him or herself. It didn't matter though, because his response would be the same either way. "Don't worry, Nat. I won't let anything happen to you."

Natasha looked him in the eye and gave him a half-smile. It was so small, but it was the best thing that he had seen all day.

It was gone in an instant.

"What the –" Natasha said as the rock rose up beneath her feet. She stumbled back and fell, as a sharp, curled pillar emerged in front of her. She tried to crawl away, but more pillars rose up to block her wherever she turned. The stone structures began to close around her like the fingers of an enormous hand.

"Nat!" Steve ran forward and sliced his shield into the nearest pillar, taking of half of it. He was about to strike again when the ground blasted up beneath his own feet.

"Whoa!" he yelled as he flipped over and fell. Pointing up with his flashlight, he saw a big slab of rock floating before him. It hovered unsteadily, moving up and down a few inches at a time before it suddenly shot up into the air above him. Steve jumped aside as it came crashing down.

He had evaded death, but he had also dropped his flashlight. It was more than a dozen feet away and shining uselessly against the cave wall. Natasha's light had gone out as well. Even worse, he couldn't hear her.

What he did hear was the rock coming loose from the wall behind him. Steve spun around and blocked it as it flew toward his head. He wasn't fast enough to block the other three that came at him from the other directions.

Dazed by the blows, he wavered on his feet as he felt the shield slip from his arm and clang against the cave floor. It was the last thing he heard before the ceiling cracked and rained down on him.

Thor groaned as he felt the moist grass against his face. His head was pounding, and he didn't remember what had last happened to him. Sif, calling for me, he recalled. He focused, trying harder to piece together his memories. Sucked into the portal...The portal!

With a gasp, he opened his eyes. He didn't see Amora, Skurge, or the World Serpent though. Instead, he saw an empty field stretching out for miles. Beyond the field were a lake and a series of green hills leading up to a group of magnificent snow-covered mountains.

The place wasn't exactly like the one in his dream, but it was close. Had it all been a dream? he thought, still trying to collect his scattered thoughts. Am I still dreaming? Either way, he wondered if memories of his current surroundings had inspired his dream about Jane and Amora...

This must be Vanaheim. He confirmed his guess by turning his head slightly until the ruins of a familiar fortress came into view. The field that he was on had once been the site of a great battle. He knew it well from the visual history recordings that he had learned from as a child, even if he had never been to it before. He was on the homeworld of his mother's people, the Vanir.

Millennia ago, the Vanir had waged war with the Aesir of Asgard. The conflict was short but brutal, and it nearly depopulated Vanaheim. Despite that, most Vanir were willing to fight to the end and retaliate with attacks that were just as cruel as those they had endured. However, his parents defied their elders and brought sanity to the conflict. Together, they negotiated a truce that led to a lasting peace between their peoples. And in doing so, they had fallen in love.

Thor remembered his mother telling him stories about the doubt and resistance that they had faced from their families. "They told us it would never work," she had said. "That we came from two separate worlds, and that the differences were too great to overcome."

Eventually, his parents had not only proven everyone wrong but also paved the way for the integration of their peoples. The two races really weren't that different at all. Any distinction now seemed ludicrous after so many mixed marriages over the years. They were all one race of Asgardians now, and together they had built a united Asgard that was the jewel of the Nine Realms.

The story of his parents' love had touched him, even if he hadn't been quite so aware of that inspiration until now. Perhaps that was why he had taken to Earth so quickly. He liked the idea of experiencing new things, especially if it meant breaking free from the constraints of tradition. He had felt that way without consciously knowing it, even when he had seen little outside of Asgard in its most peaceful and isolated age.

The ideas rushed through his head, connecting themselves without any need for effort. It felt strange for him to come to a new understanding of himself as he lay battered and dizzy on the ground. Was this what it took for him to finally stop and reflect? It was good though, and he allowed the thoughts to keep flowing...

Asgard had grown stagnant after its great war with Jotunheim, and that stagnation permeated so much of its society. It was hard to believe that within his own lifetime, many of his people still resisted the idea of a woman straying from the home. He had helped Sif prove them wrong, and Asgard was so much richer because of that.

That was why he loved Jane so much. His attraction to her wasn't a simple craving for something new, or a boyish act of rebellion against his structured lifestyle. Jane was a woman who wanted to change her world. Someone who pursued what she wanted regardless of anyone's opposition. She was smart, passionate, and strong-willed, and she embodied the very qualities that he had always admired.

Perhaps that was why he had linked Jane to Vanaheim in his dream. He was far surer in his love now, and he knew that he wanted to see her again. If their romance were to fail, it would have to fail because of them. Not because of what others said to him. Others like...

Amora. She had dismissed Jane as a "pathetic mortal" and told him to find a woman of his "own kind." Had he repurposed her as a symbol for all of the naysayers who told him to give up on Jane? Had he imagined everything? Were his confrontations with Amora and Skurge just one extended nightmare formed from all of the fears and doubts that he had accumulated since childhood?

"Get up, Thor!" Skurge shouted. "I want you to see the blow that kills you!"

It was not just a dream, Thor thought as he began to push himself up. Everything, from Amora to the battle to his newfound realizations was very much real. If he wanted to see Jane again, he would have to prevail against Amora's forces and end the threat of the World Serpent.

Turning around, he saw Skurge standing against him with six of his elite Jotun warriors. Behind and around them lay Jormungand, still unconscious with it thousand-foot body resting in several winding clumps. It was amazing how much someone could miss just by failing to look around.

Thor extended his hand and called for Mjolnir, unsure if it was even on the same world as him. Fortunately, the hammer rose from the grass and flew to him. He must have called it through the portal right before it had closed.

"We do not always get what we want, Skurge. It is up to fate, and our skills, to decide."

Skurge grinned in return. "When last we fought, it was I who had the upper hand." With one powerful swing, he lifted his battleaxe above his head. "Attack!"

Once again, Thor had to defend himself. But this time he would have to do it alone. Sif and the Warriors Three would not be there to save him if he failed to see an incoming attack. It was imperative that he keep himself from being surrounded. Knowing that, he smacked the first Jotun away but he backpedaled as the others came at him.

"Look at you!" Skurge yelled. "Falling back like a coward!"

Stay focused, Thor thought. It was crucial that he avoid being distracted by his enemy's words, even if his pride began to rise from within. He would stick to his plan, for now.

"Keep running! It won't help!"

"Come at your peril!" Thor yelled back. Giving in to the rage would be so easy...He parried the icy blade of another Frost Giant and swung fast to knock him aside. Looking up, he saw another Jotun descending upon him. Thor jumped back a split second before the giant's ice-covered fist slammed into the ground where he had stood.

Skurge was already charging him before he landed fifteen feet away. Thor crouched as he came down to duck his foe's axe. Knowing that the weapon could be employed in a circular motion, he leaped again to avoid it as Skurge flowed into a low sweeping slash.

"Amora told me about that girl of yours. What was her name again? Ah, yes. Jane."

"Do not speak her name, villain!" With his anger surging, he raised Mjolnir to the sky and called down a stream of lightning. The electricity built inside his hammer. Seeing it light up, he screamed before he lowered the weapon to unleash the lightning on Skurge.

Two of his enemy's loyal soldiers ran in front to take the brunt of the attack. They shook in place for several seconds before their smoking bodies staggered and collapsed.

Skurge sent back a wave of flame from his axe before they even hit the ground.

Having just exerted himself, Thor was unprepared for the counterattack. "Ah!" he yelled as he raised an arm over his face. The fire burned him, and the sudden pain made him lose control of his body. Mjolnir flew from his hand as he flailed. He heard it flop down into the dirt some distance away, right before he himself fell.

A wave of ice washed over the ground and froze his lower body as he tried to get up.

"You're finished," Skurge said. "Earth and then Asgard will soon be ours."

"If Amora is on Earth, then she has surely heard of the Avengers. They will stop her, even if I fall!"

"We have allies on Earth as well, you fool!"

The remaining Jotuns approached Thor with their palms pointing down at him. Closing to near arm's reach, they began to freeze blast the rest of his body.

Not like this, he thought. He went numb, helpless against the overwhelming cold.

Need to get up, Steve thought. Can't let them take us. He tried to move his arms but found that they were chained against a wall. It was too late.

His arms were especially sore, since he had been hanging limply from his restraints. How long have I been here? Steve opened his eyes just a crack, and he saw a smoothly paved stone floor under a yellow light. Looking around, he was able to see Natasha chained up to his right. However, the rest of the room was dark and hidden in shadows. All he saw were the stairs in the corner of the room. He did hear several people around him though.

As he listened to them, Steve chose not to give any indication that he was awake. Hopefully, they would speak freely in his presence.

"I have long dreamed to see this," a man said with a German accent. His voice was soft but poised, in a way that thinly veiled a menacing edge. It was strangely familiar, though the person it reminded Steve of couldn't possibly be alive. "You have truly outdone yourself again."

"Yes, you should thank me," a woman replied. "It seems as if I'm the only one getting things done around here."

"How so? Am I not the one who designed the portal generator? Did my men not acquire the scepter?"

"Well at least you've done that much. First, you dropped poor Skurge on Vanaheim. Then you opened a portal to Muspelheim of all places. If my magic hadn't led them away, we'd all be food for Fire Demons."

"Hmm," the man said in acknowledgment. "I'll admit that my machine has been...flawed in some respects. It is not easy to replicate your people's technology on Earth."

"You said you could do it."

"And I will. My men are repairing the machine as we speak. But for now, let's enjoy the company of our new guests."

"As you wish, Zemo."

No, Steve thought as he opened his mouth and almost gasped. It can't be. He was suddenly alert and on edge. There was no hiding the fact that he was awake now.

"Heh, I think he heard you," another man said. "Looks like he's seen a ghost."

"I can assure you, Captain," the German said. "I am very much alive."

Steve looked up, and he was stunned in recognition of his old wartime enemy.

Zemo's entire body was covered in a dark purple suit. Not one bit of his skin was showing, but the form fitting costume still showed off his strong athletic build. He wore a shining gold band around his head like a crown, and his gloves, belt, and boots were gold as well.

However, the most distinctive piece of Zemo's outfit was the purple mask that concealed his entire head and face except for his eyes. That mask seemed a bit different from the way Steve remembered it. It was now pulled so tightly around Zemo's face that it was easy to see the contours of his eye sockets, nose, and mouth. There seemed to be something holding it against his face. Disturbingly, the mask now seemed to be a part of him.

Even so, he still approached with a familiar air of confidence. He stood straight up, with his chest puffed out and his arms folded behind his back. There was an energy pistol on his belt, as well as a broadsword with an elegantly crafted golden hand guard. Zemo had always carried himself with style. If anything, he had grown even more poised after becoming too hated to show his own face.

"Who the hell are you?" Natasha asked.

"I am Heinrich, Twelfth Baron Zemo of Germany. Senior scientist of the Third Reich and future Emperor of Earth."

"That's quite a mouthful, Heinrich," Steve said. "Always one to drop a title."

Zemo chuckled. "Please, Captain. Do not be jealous of the fact that I was born better than you." He stopped and looked Steve in the eye, clearly hoping to get a reaction from him. Steve stared back but didn't give him the satisfaction.

"You were far happier believing I was dead," Zemo said. "Trust me, the feeling is mutual. The only regret I had was that I was not the one who killed you."

"How'd you survive?"

"It was a matter of applying my knowledge. With the end of the war, I had all the time in the world."

"And after all that time, you're still hung up on revenge?"

"Do you know what you did to me?!" Zemo yelled as he suddenly lost his composure. "You remember our final battle, don't you? How you splashed my face with a chemical weapon and left me for dead?"

"You mean your chemical weapon? What's the matter, Zemo? Don't like the taste of your own medicine?"

"It's easy for you to be self-righteous," Zemo said as he reached in and pulled Steve's mask off. "Look at you, a paragon of Aryan perfection. You can take off your mask, Captain. I can't!" He ran his hand down his own cheek as he seethed. "Those chemicals hardened this cloth and fused it to my face. Because of you, I have to stick a tube in my arm just to eat!"

Zemo clenched his fist and took several deep breaths as he composed himself again. "But enough with our past. I look to the future now."

"A future with you on top of the world?" Steve asked. "You're not the first guy with that crazy dream."

"Watch your mouth, boy. I hold all the cards here." Zemo stopped and motioned for someone in the shadows, who handed Steve's vibranium shield to him. He took it and slipped it on to his left arm, before he posed with it raised across his chest. "Everything I want, I can take. Down here, I am king."

"You're only a master of evil."

"Hmm, I rather like that title. 'Evil' is merely what people call the things they are unwilling to do to succeed. My mastery, however, is evidenced by my achievements. Successes which have drawn other brilliant minds to my fold."

Several strange but familiar men came out from the darkness around him. "I believe you know my associates. Bruno Horgan, Nathan Garrett, and Dr. Chen Lu."

"We know all about them," Steve said.

"But what of the lovely enchantress who brought you here?"

Hearing footsteps, Steve turned to his left. His eyes widened as he saw a tall, beautiful blonde stepping into the light. "Amore?" he asked in disbelief. It didn't make sense, but there she was wearing the same black cocktail dress and high heels that she had worn back at the hotel bar in Rome.

"Surprised to see me?" she asked. The Italian accent was gone, replaced by a haughty voice that sounded vaguely English. She smiled as she came near, before she stopped in front of him and put her right hand on her hip.

"How could you turn on us?" Steve asked.

"She was never on our side," Natasha said before she turned and glared at the woman. "I knew I didn't like you. Even before you told us your stupid codename."

"By the way, the name's Amora," she said with a smirk. "And you have no idea what I am." She raised her left hand and pointed down at herself. Her body shined bright green for an instant, before her clothes were replaced with a green dress and boots.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Steve asked.

Amora threw her head back and laughed. "No. And that is why I am unlike any woman you have ever met." She turned and looked at Natasha. "I know why you hate me, Agent Romanoff. It is because I can so easily take what your heart desires."

She walked up to Steve and reached up to touch the side of his face. "Isn't that right, Steve?" Her thumb caressed his cheek, before she lifted his head and leaned in.

So beautiful, Steve thought as he began to feel lightheaded. He thought he saw a flash of green light from her eyes, but the thought drifted away as he caught sight of her full, puckered lips.

There's no need for us to fight, he heard in his head. Join me. We can be together.

Yes, Steve thought as he closed his eyes and felt her lips press against his. You're everything I want...Something about those words rang false to him. Amora wasn't everything to him. He felt nothing for her like he had for Peggy or even Natasha.

His eyes opened and he was suddenly aware of how strange it was as Amora continued to kiss him. He pulled back, before he swung his head to push her away.

"How dare you!" Amora said as she stumbled back. She raised her arm and backhanded him.

His head snapped to the side, and he felt the blood fly from his mouth before he even saw it. Amora was right about one thing: she was unlike any woman he had ever met. There weren't many women, or even men, who could hit as hard as she had.

"Steve!" Natasha yelled. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said as he watched some more of his blood drip onto the floor. "Better, now that she's not all over me." With some effort, he raised his head and looked up at Amora. "I can see inside you. And it ain't pretty."

Amora sneered at him, and he half expected her to hit him again. She didn't though, choosing to calm herself as Zemo had. "The Baron wanted to kill you, but I convinced him that you could be turned. Unfortunately, you seem determined to die."

"I'd rather die than follow you."

"Well you can keep following her and die anyway," she said as she turned to Natasha. "After you stumbled on our facility in Rome, we had Dr. Chen stir up a diversion in Korea."

"You were gonna kill a few million just to keep SHIELD off your trail," Natasha said.

"Why not?" Amora replied before she turned back to Steve. "We hoped you would go there and die together. All it took was a few words, and you were willing to follow her like a stupid, lovestruck little boy."

Steve turned to his right. He and Natasha looked at each other, seeing the concern in each other's eyes.

"He really does care for her," Zemo said. He chuckled and walked over to Natasha. "You've lost friends during the war," he said to Steve as he drew his sword and raised it to her neck. Natasha recoiled from it, breathing heavily as he pushed its tip against her skin. "I wonder how you'll handle losing another."

"Don't you touch her, you bastard!" Steve yelled. "Your fight's with me!"

Zemo just pressed his sword in a little more. Natasha squirmed as blood trickled down her neck. "Hold still, my dear. I wouldn't want to cut you."

"No! Natasha!" Steve yanked at his chains in desperation, but they held firm.

"Look at him move!" Horgan yelled. Garrett and Chen laughed out loud with him.

Can't let this happen, Steve thought. He screamed as he threw his body forward. The chains broke, and he found himself on the floor.

Natasha's jaw dropped as she saw Steve break free from his chains. He snapped up a moment later and lunged at Zemo, tackling him away from her. Zemo's sword fell and clanged on the floor, as the two of them began to wrestle. No, Steve, she wanted to say. Don't be stupid.

Steve punched Zemo in the face, before he grabbed his shield and took it back. He slipped it on in a second and pressed his attack. Fighting with an intensity that defied all of Natasha's expectations, he pummeled Zemo again and again. "You've killed too many! I won't let you kill again!" Steve rammed his shield into his foe, pushing him into a backward stumble. Before Zemo could recover, Steve pulled back his fist and delivered a right cross that sent him spinning into the air.

The Baron fell and rolled on the ground. He was disoriented by the blow, and he moaned as he tried and failed to get up.

"It's over, Zemo!"

Natasha looked at Amora as she raised her eyebrows and turned to Steve. She, like everyone else there, realized that Zemo was at his mercy.

Steve charged in to finish his enemy for good. But as he leaped up, Amora raised her hand and stopped him in mid-air. Surprised, he waved his arms and legs for several seconds as she laughed.

Dr. Chen ran forward and drove his massive, irradiated fist into him.

"Ugh!" Steve yelled as he flew back twenty feet. The soft armor on his stomach sizzled as he bounced along the floor. He quickly rolled to his feet and raised his shield right before Horgan fired a concentrated heat blast at him. Steve stood up and clenched his teeth as he valiantly pushed his way to his opponent.

"He doesn't know how to quit!" Horgan yelled as his blast began to wither.

"Then let's teach him a lesson!" Garrett said. He drew his sword and moved to Steve's left flank, slicing him in the thigh as he ran past.

"Ah!" Steve screamed. The agony showed on his face as he fell to his knees. Garrett slashed him again in the back to send him flat on the floor.

"Steve!" Natasha yelled. Now she was the one futilely yanking at her chains. She watched in horror as Horgan and Chen rushed in to join Garrett. They were a pack of vicious cowards, eager to gang up on someone that none of them could beat alone. Chen lifted Steve up off the floor and restrained his arms as the other two laid into him with their fists.

Help him, Natasha thought. She still had a lock pick hidden inside her cheek, and it wouldn't be impossible for her to slip it out and use it on her chains. However, it was tactically unwise to join him. Steve was already badly hurt, and she wasn't strong enough to save him while fighting off five super powered enemies by herself. Her best bet was to wait and hope that they wouldn't kill him. It broke her heart to do so, but she had to stand by and watch the beating continue.

As injured as he was, Steve just wouldn't give up. Kicking out with both legs, he managed to knock Horgan and Garrett away. As he came back down on his feet, he bent forward and threw Chen over his shoulder.

No way, Natasha thought. Steve had been able to free himself, and there was no one between him and the stairs. It was possible for him to escape. Run, Steve. Run!

He didn't though. "I'm coming!" he yelled as he turned back for her.

"No, don't!"

Garrett grabbed him from behind as he closed to within several feet of her. "Let's go, hero!" His mechanical armor whirred as he yanked back and slammed Steve down on the floor. Chen grabbed his face and immediately began to drag him away.

He doesn't deserve this, Natasha thought as she watched them resume their attack. She wanted to look away, but she forced herself to watch the consequences of her decision. This was more red on her ledger. All she ever did was hurt people...

Zemo got up and released a bloodcurdling scream that stopped everyone cold. The other villains turned around as he leaped to his feet and charged forward like a madman. Pushing his way past the others, he jumped on top of Steve and began to kick and stomp at him.

"Get up, damn you!" Zemo yelled. "Get up and fight me!" He had fully discarded his cool and collected facade, laying bare his vicious nature for all to see. Zemo put his weight into his stomps, practically jumping up and down on Steve's body. He was clearly trying, not just to hurt Steve but also to reclaim any image of superiority that he may have lost.

Steve tried to put his arms up as the blows kept coming. He was taking the punishment as well as any man could be expected to, holding out and refusing to scream. But even Captain America had his limits. After one too many kicks, he curled up and finally began to wail in pain.

"What a pussy!" Horgan said.

Steve's anguished voice was too much for Natasha to bear. She squinted, as she felt a rare urge to cry. "Stop it!" she shouted. "Please! That's enough!"

To her surprise, Zemo actually did. He looked at Natasha, before he straightened himself and used one foot to turn Steve face up. "How pathetic that you rely on the protection of a woman. I'd spit on you if I could." With that, he retrieved his sword and walked toward the stairs with Amora. "Let me know when you're able to give me a proper fight."

The other villains picked Steve's battered body off the floor and chained him to the wall again.

I'm sorry, Natasha thought as she saw him hanging next to her, unconscious and barely alive.

"Ugh," Darcy said as she strained under the weight of a rocket launcher and backpack full of supplies and ammunition. "Why are you down here again?"

"Because I know the most about these portal machines," Jane replied. She swung her flashlight as she entered another cave section. This one was wide open, with stalactites and stalagmites all around them on the ceiling and floor. The cavern was silent, except for their echoing footsteps and the dripping of water in the darkness. Feeling nervous, she reached for the handgun that Hill had given her.

She could see the light emanating from Stark's repulsors as he flew ahead, taking point for the rest of the group. Agents Hill and Barton were closer, and they were busy watching the flanks. Hill had a light fixed on her assault rifle, and Barton was similarly equipped with one on his bow.

"And why am I here?" Darcy asked.

"Because Hill wants someone to carry the gear."

"Oh, that's right. I'm just a mule."

"Hey," Banner said as he walked up from behind. "I can take some of that."

"Forget it, Doctor," Hill said. "We can't risk putting live explosives on you. If you're gonna Hulk out, you need to do it with a clear head."

Darcy groaned. "I hate you."

Flapping sounds in the distance drew Jane's attention away from her grumbling. "You hear that?" Jane asked as she turned around.

"Yeah," Banner said as he stopped as well. "I have a bad feeling about this."

The sounds grew louder, and the echoes made it hard to tell what direction they were coming from. Jane saw the flashlight trembling in her hand as she turned about in search of the threat.

A flock of winged demons swept over the group. "Let go of me!" Banner yelled as several of them seized him by the arms. They took flight again, carrying him away into the darkness.

"Bruce!" Jane screamed. She drew her pistol and pointed in his direction, but he was already gone.

"He's better off than us!" Hill said. She and Barton backed up against each other and opened fire.

"Crap!" Darcy yelled as a demon fell down in front of her. She stumbled back, and the weight of her gear brought her crashing to the ground.

Scared out of her mind, Jane fired away at two demons as they landed near her friend. This was her first time shooting a gun, and she kept pulling back the trigger until they both went down.

More demons landed behind her. Jane turned around to fire again, but she heard nothing but clicks. Shoot! she thought, as if she could will another bullet out. Shoot! She was so dead...

"Incoming!" Stark yelled.

Jane fell forward as he flew over her and barreled through the demons.

Landing nearby, he punched another one before he began to blast away with his repulsors. "Relax. You look like you're about to freak out."

The sounds of repulsors and bullets began to die down as Jane went to help Darcy up. Soon, the cave floor was littered with dead demons.

Everyone regrouped, with Stark hovering overhead. "That wasn't so hard," he said. "Wonder how much fun Bruce is having."

Loud stomps suddenly came from across the cavern, which lit up red. The cave floor trembled, and several stalactites fell and shattered around them.

"Looks like they saved the best for last," Barton said as he reached for another arrow.

A massive demon soon stepped into view and roared. Built like a tank, it was more than twenty-five feet tall despite its hunchbacked posture. Its skin was dark red, but it glowed from the heat within its body. The demon's arms were long, and its clawed hands almost reached the ground.

Most horrifying of all was its face. It was wide with an elongated snout, ending in a mouth filled with sharp teeth and flanked by a pair of tusks. There were three eyes on each side the face, which shined bright yellow as if they were lights.

Opening its mouth, it released a jet of flame in their direction.

"Move!" Hill yelled.

Jane's legs jolted into the air as Stark grabbed her and Darcy. He flew fifteen feet to the side and dropped them there before he turned to engage the demon. As she pushed herself up, Jane coughed from the smoke around her. "Darcy, your backpack!"

"Yeah, Jane. I'm on fire!" Darcy flailed her arms and dumped the pack on the ground.

Jane hurried to remove the rockets from it, hoping that they wouldn't blow up in her face. With the heavy bag of ammo in hand, she ran for cover behind a boulder while Darcy followed with the launcher. Explosions were thundering throughout the cave. Nervously, Jane peeked out to see how the others were doing.

Barton launched an arrow, which exploded harmlessly on the creature's chest. He reached for his quiver again, but Agent Hill tackled him away before he could get another arrow. Good thing too, since the demon's open mouth came down a second later.

"Chew on this," Stark said as he hovered over in front of it. His right forearm opened up to deploy a missile.

The demon simply caught the weapon and crushed it within its fist.

"Uh oh," Stark said, right before the demon snatched him out of the air. It reached up and slammed him into the ceiling, before it hurled him back down into a patch of stalagmites.

Agent Hill fired several bursts of gunfire as she backed up and tried to find cover. Another stream of flames came down, and she jumped to narrowly avoid it. She landed on her chest, staring up at Jane and Darcy. "Help us!" she yelled.

Behind her, Jane could see Barton flying against the cave wall. Moments later, the demon grabbed Hill by the leg and dragged her up.

"Do something or we are all going to die down here!" She dangled helplessly while the demon opened its mouth to consume her.

"The rockets," Jane said as she grabbed Darcy and turned her around. She quickly opened the bag and pulled one out before she stepped aside. As Darcy went out and aimed the launcher, Jane got behind her to shove the rocket in. "It won't fit!"

"Other side!" Hill yelled.

Stark flew up for the save. He got off a single repulsor blast before the demon smacked him away.

"Other side!"

Oh right, Jane thought as she turned and went to load the rocket from the front. She was no military expert, and the stress was making it nearly impossible for her to think. With shaking hands, she managed to push the end of the rocket into the launcher.

Darcy pulled the trigger, and the projectile burst forth leaving a trail of smoke. Jane watched nervously, doubting that it would even find its mark.

Instead, it flew straight into the demon's mouth. The creature's head exploded, and it wavered for several moments before it came crashing down.

"Whoa," Darcy said. "I did not expect that."

"Don't worry guys," Stark said as he climbed out from under a pile of rubble. "I'm okay."

"Speak for yourself," Hill replied. She leaned against a boulder and held her head, before she walked over to retrieve her rifle. "Took you two long enough," she said as she walked past Jane and Darcy.

"Hey," Darcy said. "We did better than the rest of you."

"Yeah, rub it in," Clint said. He sat against the cave wall, gasping and trying to catch his breath. God. I'm useless down here. His injuries weren't too bad, but he needed a minute. Instead of getting up, he waited as everyone gathered around him instead.

"No offense, Hill," Stark said as he flew down several feet away. "But I think it's time I took charge."

"This is a SHIELD mission," she said as she loaded another magazine.

"It's a SHIELD mission until it gets out of hand. Then it's a job for the Avengers. You know, 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes'?"

"Look around," Hill said. "You see any Avengers here?"

"Hello," Clint said as he raised his hand. "Forgetting someone?" He wasn't going to be ignored again if he could help it.

Hill sighed and sat down. "No, Barton. You don't count."

"What do you mean I don't count?"

"Agent Romanoff never included you when she was scouting for the Initiative. You just happened to be in New York."

You have got to be kidding me, Clint thought as he lowered his head. Something like this would have usually made him mad. But he was too exhausted, with far bigger problems going on. He'd be happy just to see Natasha alive again...

Stark reached down and placed a metal hand on his shoulder. "You're an Avenger in my book, Legolas."

"Stop calling me that."

"Would you prefer Katniss?"

"The hell's a Katniss?'

"Wow," Darcy muttered. "Someone's out of touch."

"I'm not a movie person, okay?" Clint said, hearing a hint of defensiveness in his voice. She was right though. Maybe he needed less alone time at the shooting range, and a little more time learning to deal with people. God knew he wasn't the friendliest person around. It would be something for him to think about, if he survived to have that luxury.

"Pepper made me watch it with her on date night," Stark said. "I thought it'd be a stupid teenager movie, but it was surprisingly good."

Hill snorted as she got up. "You guys are nuts," she said, shaking her head as she began to walk away. "I need a vacation."

Natasha watched the guard in the corner of her eye as he walked over to Steve.

"So this is Captain America." He giggled as he lifted Steve's chin, before he dropped it and slapped the side of his face. "Doesn't look like much."

Another tough guy, Natasha thought. Her hand tightened into a fist, and she wanted to twist his neck. It would all come in good time though. The man wasn't very big, but he had an M4 carbine and that much had to be respected. Feigning weakness would be her best hope for liberation.

"You on the other hand," the guard said as he turned to her with a salacious look on his face. "I hope the Baron doesn't kill you. It would be such a waste."

"Water..." Natasha said as she hung from the chains.

"Say please."

"Please..."

"Say pretty please."

Natasha dropped her head and moaned. Just a little closer, she thought, listening as the guard laughed and came up to her.

"Say it for –"

She kicked him hard in the stomach, before she snapped up and wrapped her legs around his neck. The man gagged as she squeezed him like a vise, before she swung him down and ended him with an abrupt twist.

Alone with Steve for the first time in more than an hour, she finally had time to slip her lock pick out and use it. She quickly freed herself and picked the rifle up, wrapping its sling around her shoulder.

"Steve," Natasha whispered. He didn't reply.

The Super Soldier Serum would heal his body. However, his wounds were serious and it would take him far longer than an hour to recover. He needed more time - but they had waited inside the prison for long enough. Natasha had to find out what Zemo and Amora were up to.

Had she done things by the book, she would have just left Steve there. Natasha could not find it in herself to do that though. She had compromised herself enough, and Steve deserved so much more than that.

"Come on," she said as she picked the locks on his restraints. The cuffs came loose, and he fell flat on the floor by her feet. She crouched right down at his side, concerned by his lack of movement. "Please. Get up."

He stirred, and his bruised and bloodied face tilted in her direction. It took him several moments to crack open his eyes. "Leave me."

"You came back for me, Steve. I'm not just gonna ditch you now."

Steve closed his eyes for a second as his face contorted with pain. With great effort, he raised his right hand to her face. As it slid down her cheek, Natasha reached up with her own hand to hold it in place. "Thank you," he said. "You're an angel."

No I'm not, she thought. She didn't say it out loud though, allowing him to hold on to that image of her. He would need every bit of support if he were to escape.

"Alright, work with me. I'm gonna get you outta here." She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and got a firm hold of him, before she used both legs to lift him up. Together, they went to the stairs and began to make their way up.

Steve was almost a foot taller and twice her weight. It wasn't easy to move with him leaning on her, but she did the best she could.

After climbing up the stairs, they walked down the grated walkway to a door in the corner of the prison. Natasha pushed a button there, and the door thankfully slid open for them.

She walked with Steve through the doorway, and she almost dropped him when she saw what was outside. They were on a platform hundreds of feet up, inside a tremendous cavern that stretched for more than a mile to both her left and her right.

Looking down, Natasha saw that their platform was set into the side of a conical stone structure. It looked like a stalagmite, but it was more massive than any skyscraper on Earth. Staircases and walkways spiraled around it, connecting more platforms as well as numerous saucer-shaped metal structures.

Those buildings reminded her of UFOs, even though they appeared firmly set into the rock. Each of them had rings of windows, from which bright yellow light shined out.

Turning to her left, she saw a similar stone tower several hundred feet away. Multiple bridges connected the two towers to each other, as well as to the nearest wall of the cavern. Along the wall, she could see more walkways and structures.

Most of the cavern floor in the distance appeared to be rough, sloping stone. However, an area of several hundred yards around the towers had been paved flat. Many small, futuristic-looking buildings stood down there.

Dim blue lights shined down from various parts of the ceiling. They made it possible to see, but they also gave the place a dark, haunting atmosphere.

"It's an entire city," Steve said.

"I wonder who built it." If she had to guess, they were in an abandoned alien colony built by ancient wormhole travelers. The city's inhabitants must have seemed like gods to the natives on the surface. No wonder they had built a temple above and guarded the caves for thousands of years.

Hearing the flapping of wings, Natasha took Steve and stepped back through the doorway to hide inside. Seconds later, Nathan Garrett flew by on his horse.

"Let's see what he's up to," she said.

They went out on the platform and moved to a walkway in the direction that Garrett had flown.

"You can let go," Steve said.

Natasha looked him in the eye, before she eased him toward the railing of the walkway. Steve took hold of it and began to walk beside her under his own power. They followed Garrett and watched as he landed on a platform above them.

"This horse you've given me is magnificent. I've never ridden a finer steed."

"The other realms are home to creatures you wouldn't imagine," Amora said as she took Loki's scepter from him. "And with this scepter, we shall control of the most powerful one of all. That is if your machine is ready, Zemo."

Zemo looked up from a portal generator at the edge of the platform, which he had been working on with Horgan and Chen Lu. "Yes, it is. Spread word to the troops, Garrett. The time has come at last."

"We have to stop them," Steve said.

But how? Natasha thought, before she raised her assault rifle. Aiming through its scope, she tried to get a clear shot at Zemo. She and Steve didn't have a prayer of defeating their enemies. However, she could take out the leader and the one person who knew the most about the portal generator. Killing Zemo could possibly buy enough time for SHIELD to do something about this.

Her hopes were dashed as a bright beam of energy blasted down on the walkway.

"Run!" Steve yelled.

The two of them scrambled back to the platform as the heat ray followed behind. As Natasha jumped back on, she heard the walkway creak and collapse behind her. The platform didn't last much longer as the beam melted through its supports.

"Hold on!" she yelled as she grabbed the railing.

The platform tilted down, before it broke free and fell. "Whoa!" she yelled as it slid and bounced down the side of the tower. Fortunately, it was slanted enough that they didn't just plummet straight down to their deaths. Their platform smashed through a saucer building, before it bounced and came crashing down on the ground below.

"We're...alive," Steve said, gasping as he rolled over and clutched his ribs.

"Not for long," Zemo said.

Natasha looked up and saw him standing on a small floating platform with Amora. Green energy shined from her hand and from the platform, as if she was levitating it. Zemo stood proudly with his sword and Steve's shield, as numerous men and robots rallied around him.

"Yeah..." Tony said as he looked down at the city from the cavern wall. "This looks bad."

Hill lowered her binoculars and turned to him. "There are hundreds of men down there. Dozens of Dreadnoughts."

"And some guy about to kill our friends," Barton said as he turned around as well.

Tony could see that Barton was pissed and ready to kill, even without his facial biometric scanners telling him so.

Darcy suddenly leaned over the edge with her rocket launcher. "I got this."

"No, Darcy!" Jane squirmed and pulled her back.

"Sit tight," Tony said. "We'll take care of this." He turned to Barton, who nocked an arrow and gave him an affirmative nod.

"Don't you do it, Stark," Hill said as she pointed at him.

"Don't do what?" He grabbed Barton around the waist and blasted off toward the city.

"Sir," JARVIS said. "I strongly advise you turn around before it's –"

"Too late?" Tony said as he landed near his teammates. Letting go of Barton, he raised his arms and opened the laser weapons on his wrists. "Alright, who wants to try their luck?"

A hot blonde looked down and smiled at him. "Oh, we won't need any."

Agent Romanoff turned and stared at Tony with her mouth wide open.

"Yeah, glad to see you too," Tony said.

"Clint? Stark? What the hell are you doing?!"

"Saving you!" Barton said as he nervously turned about with his arrow drawn.

"Thanks, guys." Captain Rogers said. "But..."

"Shouldn't you have brought us up, instead of bringing Clint down?" Romanoff asked.

"I was about to make the same suggestion," JARVIS said.

"Everyone's a critic," Tony said. He watched as his HUD lit up with too many threats to count.

This is it! The big confrontation you've been waiting for! Come back as the Avengers fight for survival in...

Chapter 11: Battle Worthy