Where do they keep coming from? Alex lead his small group around the base, trying to find a way out. Hydra guards were at every twist and turn, trying to stop them but instead wound up being a minor annoyance. The base lights were still dim in this area, and yellow and red flashing lights were their only indication of where any exit was. They finally reached the end of one hallway and found a large blast door that looked straight from star wars.

"Wrong way," Wave sighed as she began to turn around. She stopped short when a line of guards had appeared before them. "Alex…"

He turned around and saw the unit before them. Slowly each of the other Neo-Avengers began to take notice.

"Prisoners," one of the guards began, "Go back to your cells, and you will not be harmed."

"Somehow I doubt that," Whistleblower remarked as she stood her ground. Runner remained silent, glaring at each of the guards behind their masked faces and helmets.

"Sir, we found them at the entrance to sector seven, bringing them in now." Two of the soldiers began to move forward and grabbed a pair of the cuffs each of them were forced to wear on the way to the base. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back," the leader said in a loud voice.

"What's the play Runner?" Whistleblower asked as the guards got closer.

Runner shifted his view, then allowed his lips to curl. Just then the two guards were knocked to the side after a whirling noise followed by a blue beam of energy coming from a side hall. Everyone immediately crouched on the ground wondering what just happened. The other guards were just as stunned and quickly turned to the side, but each fell down after a large metal like object bounced between each of their heads, then went right back down a hallway.

Alex slowly rose up on his feet, "But...how?"

Stepping into the main hall, Iron Man looked at the group. "Guess we're even on the rescue thing huh? Well I mean. You didn't mean to rescue us, and you were caught here, but we're all leaving none the less."

Captain America sighed at Iron Man's but turned to address the group, "you guys alright?"

Runner was stunned. They were here the whole time? "How?" he said blankly.

Thor stepped forward, "Loki tricked us and lured us into a trap. He has a new weapon, one that we were never expecting. We must leave before it finds us."

"It? What is 'it'?"

Dreadwing fell down from the rafters above them, landing on the back of a guard who was reaching for the radio. He was in his human form, but his scales covering his arms and legs were a mix between a light shade of blue and the normal steel like color. His wings had a subtle orange glow to them, and his eyes burned bright. "The guard dog. Loki isn't the only Norse God paying a little visit to our world."

"Who's the 'guard dog'?" Runner asked looking around for any kind of barking dog running at them.

"Let's hope we don't find out," Thor began, "For if we do, we won't stand a chance against it."

"Good thing I have a way out of here then." Eddy turned around and began to start off running down an adjacent hallway, "Exit is over here, let's go before it gets fortified!"

Everyone began to follow the Ghost Rider down the base again, occasionally running past guards and knocking a few over, but never daring to stop. Alex noticed that the path went from a low hanging roof to high again, and that's when they heard it. A loud roar, almost deafening shook the halls as a series of howls followed after it. He glanced over to Dreadwing, who looked like he was resisting an urge to issue his own challenge cry. "We need to leave, NOW!" He hissed as he threw his hands up in an arc. The ground before them jutted out and blocked off several different paths leading their way.

A new sense of urgency rushed everyone as they began to run as fast as they could to where Ghost Rider was leading them. Finally they neared the entrance. Runner was right in assuming it was a elevator as a long pillar was on the far end of the room with a large disc in the center surrounded by metal fencing going up before it disappeared into the ceiling. The area was immense, guards, artillery, vehicles, everything seemed to be here. "Must be the main drop off point," Cap said, "They load everything onto the platform and ship it down or up. Must connect to some sort of garage and hangar somewhere, I can't imagine taking a tank onto an elevator."

"Seems big enough for one," Iron Man brought up as they huddled behind walls and crates to prevent themselves from being seen. Several dozens of guards stood between them and their only known way out. "Not going to be easy getting past all the guards."

Dreadwing let out a low growl as he faced the hallway they came from. "Well someone come up with a plan now or we won't be able to leave." His orange eyes were fixated on something in the dark as his clawed fingers curled into fists.

"We could charge them," Iron Man shrugged.

"Yeah but look how many there are," Captain America sighed, "I don't want to risk the new recruits." He looked back to them briefly before turning forward again.

Runner quickly moved beside Iron Man, "We can handle ourselves." He allowed himself a smile, "We were formed to save you after all."

Cap clasped him on his shoulder, "Alright then. Let's see if you guys are really Avengers Material."

Jensen sighed as he sat on a crate. In a large room with nothing to do, he found counting the Hydra Logos on the wall was the most interesting thing to be. His buddy Adam was walking in front of him sighing. That makes 15. "Jeez," Jensen began, "I wonder what organization we're working for," he joked gesturing to all the logos on the wall.

Adam let out a small laugh, "Yeah, guess it's suppose to appeal to the narcissistic big heads that built this place." A slight shimmer drew his attention to a pile of wooden crates near the hallway. "Hey Jen, you see that?" He heard a groan from behind him, "No I'm serious I swear there was…"

He turned around and saw he had been knocked out with a redhead sitting where he just was. "You might want to turn your attention that way," she grinned as a large metal shield hit the side of his head sending him flying in the opposite direction as the other Hydra Agents finally took notice of the escaped prisoners, and began to take cover behind several boxes and fire back. Hawkeye however was already in the rafters, and launched a concussive arrow at one group. He hit a remote detonator and the boxes burst, sending weapon parts, rations, and knocked out agents in all directions. Soon enough everyone began to launch into the fight, Captain America using his shield, Runner engaging in hand to hand combat, Wave and Whistleblower each tag teaming with their abilities, and Thor hammering people with Mjolnir. The only two not fighting were Bruce, who was asked to stay back upon much protest, and surprisingly Dreadwing. Something's wrong. He wouldn't miss a fight. Alex had thought, but when he heard the howl again he knew what he was waiting for.

He was in another vision. This one was slightly different though. It wasn't like he was watching it from the sidelines, it felt like he was in the vision. The fields were green, and the town was small, and crudely built. The men had on hats with buckles, and the women wore brown and black dresses. He wasn't one of them. He was tied to a wooden pole, hands bound behind with rope and situated above some hay and logs of wood. The village people weren't going about their daily business. No, they all stood in watch, angry at him, or whoever it was he was seeing the vision through. "Margery of No Man and No Family," one of them began, "You have been found guilty of witchcraft and associating with the devil. Your head grows his horns, and you can change to be him whenever you so please, destroying what you like." The man held a torch in his right hand, "Have you any last words?"

Allen didn't talk, but the person he was possessing did. "Well not really," he could feel himself smile, "So much for a small quiet town to visit. Next time I come to this country I'll remember not to visit Salem."

"There will be no 'next time'. You will burn for your sins, and you will burn in hell."

Allen, or as he was in the memory Margery shrugged, "If you say so. Looks like you're the one burning, but with rage. Not me."

The man had had enough and placed the torch on some of the hay scattered around the wooden post. It didn't burn. Am I not feeling it because I'm not here? Or is she not feeling it either?

Several minutes past and he could tell everything was burning around him. The fire was burning the wooden post, the hay, and the ropes all in a giant blaze. Is she...like me? A small chuckle made his vision shift, and now he was his own entity viewing the event. He could see who Margery was now, a woman in her late twenties with long red hair down to her shoulders, and a very imposing grin despite her seemingly frail appearance. Her His human form however slowly faded away as the ropes were cut, and the fires were quickly diminished. The towns people gasped, and Allen realised that their half-dragon forms were exactly alike, but hers was slightly taller. "Thanks for the boost," Margery said as he let out a pained cry. She hunched over and fell onto her knees, her body began to shake and convulse. The sound of bones snapping made some people turn away in horror, as others were calling out 'devil' and 'demon' and 'apostate'. Her steel like scales shimmered, and along his chest, neck and stomach they began to slowly glow red, but even after the glow vanished the scales remained the new color. Her wings folded, and the thin membrane between the bones on his wings began to turn from a tan like leather to an almost transparent light red. Her back arched, and several spikes jutted out of his spine, trailing from her upper back down to her tail where they shifted around the end, forming a mace, club, and sword like edges before shiting back under his scales. On his back however they remained. Her claws were sharper, and he looked at everyone. "Well I guess I should say thank you for the pick me up, but it's time I leave." With one flap of her wings she flew up into the air and disappeared into the clouds. Allen looked around him at the people staring up the sky. He turned to see what they were looking at but all of a sudden everyone looked like he was in a funhouse mirror maze just before the vision shattered.

Dreadwing growled as he made another rock wall in the hallway reinforcing the first wall he put. "Why didn't it work when it should have?" He moved his hands upwards and a third layer was added. I absorbed the fire, why didn't I change? He looked over a ghost rider, the flaming head of his burning several Hydra agents as his dog ran rampant. Maybe it was because I was weak and drained, or maybe his fire isn't the type I'm looking for.

The ground began to shake. "Dreadwing don't bring down this place, we're still in it!" Runner shouted as he began to fight the last remnants of guards.

Thor glanced over, "No. That's not the dragon." He looked at Dreadwing who held his hands outward, using everything he had to hold the hallway. "Ragnarok," he spat.

"What's ragnarok?"

There was another howl, and the walls each broke and a large figure sent Dreadwing flying to the opposite wall. A large black wolf stood in the middle of the area now, snarling at the joint Avengers group.

Thor immediately threw his hammer at the giant wolf who recoiled, and let out another loud howl, "Fenrir!" Once Thor said who it was everyone took the hint and began to run towards the elevator.

The giant wolf walked forward, each step covering more ground than any of them could cover. He swept one of his claws and sent several crates hurtling towards them. "Heads up!"

Each turned and began to move side to side, avoiding the heavy metal and wooden crates.

They all moved into the large circular disc that transported supplies up and down the elevator shaft, "Where's Dreadwing?" Twilight asked looking around.

The large wolf charged once more, but was knocked down, shaking the whole base. Dreadwing stood between them and the great wolf, and finally issued a loud challenging roar.

Fenrir replied in earnest, matching his volume with both his howl and his roar. "Hati, Skoll! Sokn!"

"It can talk?!"

"We need to leave now!"

"Too late," Thor uttered regrettably as two more howls were heard. Two more wolves, slightly smaller than Fenrir but still impressive, began to charge at the group. Whistleblower immediately took a step out, and began to use her sonic pitches to disorient the different wolves, who stumbled slightly before charging forward again. "Dragon, can you keep them off us?"

Dreadwing swinged his tail at one of the wolves, knocking him back to where Fenrir stood, but the other used the advantage to slip past him.

"Skoll, Sokn!"

The still charging wolf howled and shifted his charge. Now he went right for Whistleblower. Dreadwing snarled, issuing a challenge but it didn't seem to matter. He flapped his wings and flew towards the two, trying to intercept the wolf before it got to close.

"Veronica run!" Wave tried to run out to save her but Alex intervened, grabbing her by the side and holding her back. Dreadwing finally caught up and was at pace with the wolf, and turned into him to force him to change direction. By the time he had slammed Skadi, the wolf's paw already had extended out and sent Whistleblower into a crate. Dreadwing could smell the metallic scent she was leaking now and glanced over, noting huge gash marks on her body. Runner couldn't hold Wave back and longer as she pushed herself free and quickly ran over, with everyone else after her. Even Dreadwing found a new rage growing inside of him as he slowly paced in front of the wolf pack and placed himself between the three giants and the wounded girl. He glanced back noticing how quickly her life was leaking out of her.

"Eddy," Dreadwing began, "I want all the fire you can give me." He looked forward again, seeing the three wolves beginning to circle them.

"Are you crazy?" Ghost Rider shouted.

"Don't try to kill me, I just need to absorb the fire."

"This is a bad idea," he began, "How you going to get out?"

"I'm still working it out. Way I see it, someone has to get out, and someone has to keep them occupied."

He slowly nodded his flaming skull and held out his hands, "You better be right about this." Fire began to gather in his hands, and he unleashed a constant current at the dragon. Everyone watched as some asked for him to stop, but Twilight held them back. Dreadwing let out a roar as the flames began to travel up and around his body, his scales shimmering as he could feel himself changing. He felt stronger, and even grew slightly. His wings folded and shifted, his claws dug into the ground leaving long claw marks.

Dreadwing looked at Fenrir directly, each the same size. I can fight him now, but not with the others at the same time. "More!" Eddy gave a nod and yelled, the fire began to move around Dreadwing even more, keeping a blaze around him. He could feel his cuts being healed, and his energy restored.

Eddy finally fell back and reverted back to a normal person. He watched the flames engulf Dreadwing leaving only his silhouette, and then the flames burst outward. He was bigger now, his wings were longer with a small set of claws on each, "Everyone get on the lift and leave, I'll take care of these pups." Dreadwing roared a challenge again, much more powerful than before. They all nodded, Captain America picking up Whistleblower while Hawkeye and Blackwidow each used what they could to try and put pressure on her wounds. "You're going to pay for that," he growled as he dug his claws in the metal ground again, "I'll show you a real ragnarok"

"Oh I'm sure you can try." It was Loki's voice on the loud speaker, "My sons will gladly show you who the alpha is."

Dreadwing growled, his eyes burning orange with rage and his new found strength, "I'm willing to risk it. Are you?" he snarled at the wolves.

Fenrir took a step forward, "What do you see when you look around?" His voice was deep, and was like he was talking through gritted teeth while growling.

"A failed experiment, and a God who needs to be put back down."

Fenrir's spine chilling laughter filled the room, "When I look around," he began, looking past him and to his friends who just closed the metal gate to the lift, "All I see, are SHEEP!" He roared charging forward and going to move past him. Both wolves followed soon after him.

Dreadwing charged back, and the two collided heads, pushing against each other. Out the corner of his eyes he could see Skoll and Hati moving past him, "Not again!" He flared his wings and swept them forward, catching each of the two on the new claws he had on his wings and driving the sharp edges in, pushing them back.

The lift began to whirl and the metal platform began to rise. "I smell your fear," the great wolf snarled, "Out of my way! My prey await."

"First you need to get past me!" Dreadwing broke the deadlock by lifting his head up, then quickly bringing it back under the giant wolf smashing his chest and pushing him back. Fenrir slid backwards as Hati and Skoll both changed their tactics. Hati jumped on Dreadwings right side, trying to scratch claw and bite at his hide while Skoll jumped on his neck, doing the same. He roared in response, swinging his neck side to side to shake them off as Fenrir began his charge once more. He slammed into the dragon and sent him against the wall. "I," he clawed his face, "will," he slashes his side, "break," he bit down onto his neck and tossed him aside, "you!"

Dreadwing slid on the ground a few feet, and glanced at the elevator. It was finally out of view. Good they're safe. Each of the wolves began to circle around him now, each with red stained teeth and claws. "You can kill me. But you can't kill me."I still need more power. I need that favor now!

The ancient voice he heard at the X-Men's mansion called to him again. "You are not ready for such power. To use it now will cause your entire being to change. This is how your ancestors have fallen in times past." Another vision of a dragon appeared in his mind, forming out of the fires engulfing his body.

I'll pay any price to save everyone. I need the power of the earth.

"I will grant you this use once. But it will come at a cost. You have shown bravery, and honor. You will only get one pass. The next time you do this, the consequences will be much more costly."

He closed his eyes, and felt something. "I have been on this earth for as long as you have, and each life I was in, I learned something new. How to survive, how to fight. In each life I learned something new." He took a breath, "You want to see what I just learned in this life?" The ground began to shake, gradually at first but then it increased. "You think you're the end of the world?"

"I am death incarnate," the giant wolf said, "I am the fated end of the world, I'm the one who will fight Odin and win, then devour this world. I AM Ragnarok! The earth will shatter in my wake," he snarled again, "What chance does a puny lizard like you have against me?"

"Chance? I have every chance," Dreadwing laughed, "The ground doesn't move at your whim, it heaves at my torment," he began to move closer, "I will destroy you, Skoll, Hati, and anyone else that tries to destroy it." He snarled and the ground began to shake more violently, the rafters starting to fall around them. "I am the one who defended this world from all you pretenders. You think you're attacking me hurts?" The ground around him began to shift around, and rocks began to tumble into place as plates began to drag against the ground around him. They latched onto his legs, shoulders, wings, jaw, and tails covering them completely, forming longer, larger, and much sharper spikes. They circled around his claws, adding to the already immense damage they can inflict on the wolves "It only makes me more angry, my hatred burns through the cavernous depths." The rock began to situate on him, locking in place and briefly catching on fire. His scales shifted, going from their normal steel color to now a deep, dark red. "You want to fight me? Then come fight me." He flared his wings, his eyes glowing intensely. They seemed to burn with his own rage as he violently clawed the ground.

Both sides exchanged howls and roars before they all charged.

Dreadwing once again butted heads with Fenrir, each trying to push each other while snapping their jaws and scratching at each other. Fenrir backed off, and Hati charged again but was met only with Dreadwings spiked tail, cutting his head and sending him to the side. The ground shook with each step they took, and deep claw marks were left every time they moved. "You can not defeat me, lizard. I am a God!" Fenrir slowly began to grow in size, reaching the full height of the base, almost a third taller than Dreadwing. "You think you can defeat me?!" He bellowed.

"It was never about beating you," Dreadwing snarled as he dug his claws into the ground, fire spewing out beneath them as his eyes began to glow. "It was about delaying you." Fenrir roared realizing the fight was all a distraction. His own eyes began to glow, his mouth glowing red, and the ground starting to shake more violently. Dreadwing roared, and began to focus. The grooves he began to leave in the base began to leak lava into the complex, and he could sense it now.

"Let's see which of us is truly stronger!" Fenrir was howling, the earth beginning to heave around him, "Your Ragnarok," as he spoke, the earth around his claws tore open, fire soon engulfing his body, "Or my Cataclysm!"

The ground underneath them both erupted at the same time. The mountain shook, and the base began to collapse around them, but neither of the titans backed down. Skoll and Hati whimpered and began to run off, but Fenrir remained howling, determined to overpower his dragon adversary. Dreadwing was letting out his own roar as the flames snaked around his body, engulfing him in the fires of the earth as more of the base fell around him, and the ground cracked open all around them now. Explosions rocked the area as the magnitude increased. The whole world would feel this earthquake. They each released all the energy they had, and used it in one final head on collision at each other. But it all stopped when the base fell apart, and the mountain collapsed in on itself.