Iron Man increased the power of his remaining Repulsor Gauntlet before firing at Blizzard melting the M4 he held. The battle was still hanging in the balance but he was certain that his forces would soon get the upper hand. As he advanced on Blizzard he smacked aside a charging Bison before towering above his foe, the icy Thunderbolt glaring up at him defiantly.
"Any last words before I throw you into the Raft?" Tony asked.
"Duck." Blizzard replied, Iron Man tilted his head before a fist smashed into the back of his head sending him spinning before he eventually slowed and blocked a second blow as Cobra, reared back for a third punch.
"Cobra if isn't it bad enough that you extorted money out of me now your going around trying to kill me." Iron Man announced blocking Cobra's third strike before grabbing the serpentine man's hand and throwing him onto his back.
"We sent you the message." Cobra hissed as he kicked out slamming his boots into Iron Man's chest. "We told you what would happen and you refused to answer."
"I sent the half a million just like you wanted." Iron Man replied as behind him Stature slammed Bush Master into Tiger Shark knocking both the villains onto the floor.
"Not that, the message about Gold, how we would reveal she had survived the explosion." Cobra answered ducking as a star tipped arrow flew past his head.
"I didn't get any message Cobra, but if you know something that I don't share and we'll talk this out like reasonable people." Tony stated.
"She told us it would work." Cobra said amusedly pointing at Melissa as she struggled to free herself from the chair she was tied too.
"Anybody want to untie me." Melissa announced as Tony squeezed his exposed hand into a fist. "I guess not." she answered as Shocker blasted Hank Pym with a close range sonic blast, the power sending the diminutive man slamming into the ground.
"Hank." Stature roared slapping away the ranks of villains at her feet. "Your going to pay for that." she added as she got ready to slam her fist down on Shocker, the Thunderbolt desperately shooting up at her in an attempt to postpone the blow. Scorcher was the only one who acted in time, side stepping past the charging Hurricane before shouldering her launcher, the rocket firing and arching up towards the massive woman. "One barbecued Giant Girl coming right up." she announced as the missile flew towards Stature's neck. Suddenly there was a flash of star-light and the rocket detonated showering the chamber with a massive wave of flame, the roof melting as great chunks of ice slammed down all amongst the combatants before engulfing the room in a grey haze.
Tanya stirred as the last horrible vision dissipated, her crushed lungs beginning to refill with oxygen. Sliding under a collapsed slab of ice, the frozen obstacle supported by the computer desks, melted and twisted by the explosion, she found her adversary Sepulchre emerging from under a loose file of frozen tiles her hands already coursing with dark energy.
"I saw what you wanted me to see." Tanya announced, "It makes no difference, I'll pay for the lives I took, but you won't be the pay-master, you won't get the satisfaction of seeing me break because I'm going to make a difference."
"Maybe you just need another taste?" Sepulchre stated slamming Tanya into the ice behind her and smothering her with dark energy. "In the end when everything has been revealed every Thunderbolt is a monster and I will not let one sit up high and tell me what to do." From off to her left there was a buzzing sound and a bolt of energy slammed into her back, dark energy bubbling back into her body. Twisting Black Mamba broke free and took a long deep breath before a fist impacted with her face as Rattler quickly covered the gap from his firing position to where she had been pinned before powering up his tail.
"Now traitor you will get the execution you've long since deserved." Rattler hissed his words barley audible over the buzzing of his tail. "And once your dead we'll kill the others who abandoned us. Diamondback, Constrictor, Boomslang and Sidewinder will al pay for leaving the Serpent Society." He released the burst of energy, the sound blasting in Tanya's head causing her brain to overload. Rattler cackled and changed the frequency to a lower tone, this one boring through her and making her eyes begin to bleed. As she begun to black out Tanya saw a block of ice explode and Tiger Shark burst out clutching a long pipe that had shattered after Scorcher's missile strike. With a single swing his makeshift weapon slashed through his tail the writhing fifth limb twisting on the floor next to Sepulchre who was beginning to stir. Tiger Shark followed up with a headbutt sending Rattler flying before helping Tanya to her feet.
"Do you know any decent guys?" he asked as Sepulchre summoned a pair of dark-force claws and leapt at his back. Black Mamba quickly spun Tiger Shark round before delivering a kick to the leaping Avenger knocking her back into the unconscious Rattler. "No," she replied, "Well there is this one guy, kind of big, cool fin on his head, do you know him?"
"Sounds familiar." Tiger Shark replied grinning as the pair turned to see more Thunderbolts, Avengers and members of the Serpent Society breaking free of the ice that covered the room. Shocker popped up next to Stature who was beginning to shrink down, looking around he saw a toppled chair with a woman tied to it and worse a massive snake like monster heading towards her. With a swift blast he sent Shield Nose reeling before reaching Melissa quickly snapping the rope and helping her up. "You know boss, if you wanted to play bondage fun you could at least wait for Abe." he joked as Shield Nose advanced before throwing a punch at Shocker, the Thunderbolt ducking under the blow before delivering an energized punch to the snake man's face.
"Shocker be careful. "Melissa announced, "Their civilians infected by the Serpent Society." she lectured looking around the room at the carnage caused by the battle royale, "Find the Snake Charmer and knock him out and they'll come to their senses."
"On it boss." Shocker stated as Melissa ran towards the far end of the unlocked weapon's rack. Iron Man watched and turned to Orion who was busy locked in close combat with Vantage. "Orion take out the runner." Tony ordered as Orion pushed Dallas back before quickly stringing an arrow just as Melissa reached her destination. The projectile flew straight and true as its target reached for a black piece of metal, a red gem set in the centre before placing it over her head. With a flash the arrow detonated, not on human flesh but on a dome of pink energy, as Melissa stood inside her eyes sparking pink before leaping into the fray and tackling Tony before beginning to pummel his armor with sonic enhanced fists.
"Melissa," Tony wheezed as she slammed a fist into his face, "Stop I only had your best intrests at heart."
"Heart?" Melissa replied, "Funny I believe that you traded yours for a mini reactor." she replied. Tony caught her next blow as the Hurricane came charging towards them at full speed. "Liam," he called, "Take her out of here." he ordered as the Avenger intercepted Melissa and ran out the room, the G-Force whistling as Melissa summoned a sonic shield to reduce the speed's effect on her.
Orion turned looking for his next target when something struck him from behind. Turning he saw Boa flexing the massive barbed arms before slashing at him again, dropping the bow he quickly unsheathed a short sword flecked with stars meeting the bone studded blow.
"Fell Beast I implore you to surrender, no creature can best Orion the Hunter." he ordered, Boa responded with a hiss and swung again her third swipe countered before being repulsed, the serpentine woman stumbling. "I warned you monster now face my wrath." Orion yelled lifting his sword for a strike only to find his arms immobilized as whip like appendages wrapped around his hands.
"Not so fast Prince of Hunters." Coach Whip purred, "First you have to deal with me." she added as Boa got to her feet and got ready for a lethal strike, "Go ahead dear take you best shot, kill the insolent Avenger." she ordered as Scorcher and Vantage charged toward the execution.
"Come on Girls that's not how you treat a man." Scorcher appealed as Vantage leapt over Orion's head and slammed her staff into Boa's skull. "Let me show you." she added removing Coach Whip's Visor and throwing it away before dropping a flash bang grenade. The bomb detonated in a flare of light causing Coach Whip to recoil her sensitive eyes blinded before she slipped on a patch of ice knocking herself unconscious as she hit the floor.
"Saved by a maiden." Orion snorted, "I am shamed, by your conquest I shall reclaim my valour." he yelled throwing a punch at Scorcher, the lithe Thunderbolt ducking before delivering a knee to the Avenger's groin. "Consider yourself conquered." Scorcher announced as Vantage delivered a shock to Boa keeping her immobilized. The battle was beginning to die down as the Avengers and Thunderbolts gained the upper hand against their snake like foes, the two sides occasional fighting among themselves once the Serpent Society Members they had been double teaming had fallen.
Melissa extended sonic wings in an attempt to slow down Hurricane's charge but if anything the speeding Avenger was increasing, the air flaps doing nothing to stall him. Desperately Melissa decided to do the opposite of creating wings and focused in the path in front of her creating a sonic corridor funnelling Hurricane down the path she chose before leading him to a dead end, concrete reinforced by energy. Bracing herself she felt the impact crack her back before falling to the floor, she had survived and despite the pain managed to stand as Hurricane wobbled, the crash disorientating him before she pushed him over and securing him with sonic restraints.
"Talk about being a crash test dummy," she moaned, "I have a new found respect for air bags." she added rubbing her head. As she walked past Hurricane a blast stunned her and she fell back staggering as Tony Stark flew into her knocking her back into the concrete road block.
"Stay down Melissa, I promise to make this quick." he told her charging up his Uni-Beam.
"And I'll promise that I'm going to scream." Melissa announced letting loose a hyper-sonic scream the noise bouncing off the buildings and amplifying the blast so it could be heard across the entire city until she ran out of puff."
"Are you finished?" Tony asked
"You are." Melissa announced, Tony chuckled and summoned the blast before hearing something land behind him. Turning off the beam he spun round to see MACH VI standing there his blasters levelled at the Iron Man Armour's Head.
"Come on Abe you can't match suits with me." Tony joked, "Your weapons and armor is so primitive next to mine."
"Which is why I'm using my suits power to record this as well as you threatening the Director of SHIELD." Abe announced.
"And I can shut down that feed in…wait, your transmitting live." Tony spluttered, "This is going out live."
"I suggest you help the Director up, apologize and fly off with your Avengers before SHIELD arrives and takes you to the raft." Abe ordered, "Of course with your lawyers you'd be out in hours but those would be some uncomfortable hours."
"Sepulchre it's Tony, tell the others we're leaving and remember to pick us up before you leave." Tony ordered before turning to Melissa, "this is not over Gold you will live to regret this." he added threateningly before a raven shaped blob of darkness swept down and carried him and Hurricane away out of the city.
"Thanks for the save." Melissa told Abe as his visor lifted up to reveal his face, "But you do realize you transported me here in the first place."
"I'm sorry about that." Abe replied, "But on the plus side the Military Oversight Committee is transferring power back to you. That and I've convinced them to give you a day off to recover from your ordeal." Melissa smiled before asking, "Do you have the day off?"
"If the Director see's fit to give me one." he answered his grin telling a hundred words. "Don't you have a nest of snakes to deal with?" he asked. Melissa nodded and swooped down back towards the wrecked shop front of Ms. Marvellous, Abe in tow and the sounds of sirens two minutes behind them. Landing in the club she saw that the fight had spilled out into the main room and that the majority of the Serpent Society was either restrained or out cold. Only Bushmaster had escaped, the rest were going nowhere but the Raft."
"Got the Snake Charmer like you asked boss." Shocker announced as he pushed a thin Indian looking man to the front, "Once he went down half their number turned on Cobra and threw the fight squarely in our favour." Melissa looked over and saw her fellow captives huddled in the corner still trapped in their serpentine bodies.
"Don't worry," she told them, "Cobra had antidote where we were being held and my blood contains a sample that can be cultivated for your use. It may take some time but I assure you SHIELD will keep you safe until the condition is reversed."
"Thank you Director." Abel replied as he led the fellow infected prisoners out to the first of the troop transports decorated with a big red cross. Melissa stopped Sita before pulling her aside briefly. "Did you find your brother?" she asked.
"He's over there." Sita answered pointing at the Snake Charmer being led away by SHIELD Agents. "Please be gentle with him, he's not a bad person." she pleaded. Melissa nodded but didn't say anything else as she headed towards the Medical Truck and hopefully to an effective antidote to remove the quite literal scales under her eyes.
"What about us?" Bison asked, "The house is trashed where the hell are we going to live?"
"There's rooms in Avengers Tower, I can house you there until the Mansion is rebuilt, but let it be known that I'm proud of all of you today." Melissa replied as the trucks began to pull away and a Zeus Shuttle descended over the river ready to take the team to their temporary accommodation.
An hour later Scorcher stepped out of her room, having enjoyed a long and warming shower. The whole night had been long and tiring and Melissa had ensured that bar any world threatening incidents that the team could have tomorrow or more correctly today, as the clock reached two in the morning, to relax and recuperate. Shaking the towel off her head Scorcher sat on the bed and laid her head on the silk pillows before feeling something lumpy under the cushions. Placing her hand under them she pulled out an elegant dark wooden box with a card attached to it with the words, "For your service." on it. Opening the box she saw the crystal that she had stolen from the Marblehead AIM facility resting on a velvet inlay. Smiling she put the lid back on the box and slipped it inside her combat armor. Soon she would have her powers back and then Melissa and the other villains she had corrupted to become do-gooders would truly learn the power of fire.
Next Issue - Thunderbolts - #12
Blizzard has a Date, Black Mamba's out for Revenge and Shocker faces his worst nightmare; working with Spiderman
