Pushing through the thick mist the Thunderbolts commandeered Thunder Hawk descended into the goblin market. Thanks to the advanced gun-sights and HAMMER's decision to mine the whole area with radiation markers, the flight was easy and the helicopter touched down only fifty meters away from the well. Stepping out of the Thunder Hawk's troop bay Delphyane scanned the area before signalling to the others that the area was clear of hostiles. A through scan showed that the area was thankfully deserted with no sign on Melissa or any of the fell creatures she commanded. As they headed to the well Delphyane screamed in pain as something burnt into her back, flailing her arms she threw the burning piece of parchment onto the floor.
"Are you okay?" Robbie asked as she crouched on the floor while Magneto levitated a flask of water over to her.
"I will be, I'm surprised that none of Songbird's monsters heard that." she replied, "There's nothing alive in this camp apart from us." she added.
Rachel gingerly picked up the parchment before stating, "It's cool."
"Is that the Mappa Mundi fragment?" Magneto asked, "I thought that Melissa took it when she left us to fall to our deaths."
"Lucky I stole it then." Delphyane replied, "What I want to know is why it burnt me?"
"There are new symbols next to the well." Rachel answered, "But it's in Norse and I can't read it."
"None of us can, but I might know somebody who can." Abe stated, "Magneto I will need you to turn the Thunder Hawk into a tower over the well."
After a lot of work by Magneto, the tower was completed to Abe's specifications, and he sat down huffing and puffing, he would be glad to get back to a world where his powers worked to the their full extent.
"Here we go." Abe commented as part of his armor lit up and displayed a 3D holographic map, "Okay locate source and contact sub-routine 89-034." he told his armor. Seconds later the map wavered and transformed into Fixer.
"Abe thank god, I've been trying to contact you since you left for Mt Whitney." Fixer replied, "Where have you been for the last five weeks?"
"We've been gone for five weeks." Rachel said sadly.
"Fixer is your tech-pack compromised?" Abe asked.
"No, Osborne just chucked it into a big warehouse; he didn't even try and decrypt the file inside." Fixer reported. "Abe a lot's happened since we last talked."
"A lot's happened here too." Abe replied
"Is it true?" Fixer asked, "That Melissa has…I can't even describe the carnage that she left in Connecticut."
"It's true Melissa has joined the crappy side of the force." Robbie told him, "What did she do?" he asked.
"She led an army that pretty much destroyed a battalion of HAMMER troops and the insurrectionists that they were fighting. Osborne has made her enemy number 1 and has put a million dollar reward on her head. And on yours he believes that you helped her."
"But we didn't help her, hell she threw us off a cliff." Rachel complained.
"What happened after that?" Magneto asked trying to steer the conversation back on course.
"She vanished, some guy called the Sexton attempted a banishing spell but credible sightings have been announced in Quebec, San Francisco, Asgard and Tacoma. It's almost like she's ricocheting around America and she's killing people as she does." Fixer explained
"How are HAMMER covering it up?" Abe asked
"There calling her Carrion, treating her like a very dangerous criminal. They can't reveal who it is or it would de-credit Osborne's own Songbird."
"We have to leave." Kraven announced
"I here it too." Delphyane added. "Abe hurry up this is not a good place to stand."
"Okay Fix we need to wrap this up but first," he asked, "I need a translation of this document." as Rachel showed the hologram the Mappa Mundi and the new inscription it now bore.
"This is a rough translation but it says; Under Starless Skies none will leave, not the cruellest hunter or most holiest god, the doors to Midgard remain closed until thrown open when she comes to take the most sacred breath."
"It's a warning," Magneto said sadly, "It says that until the gates are open we won't be leaving through this well."
"Oh that's just great." Rachel complained, "Well at least it can't get worse." she added
"Everyone get away from the well." Kraven growled so fiercely that everyone did what he said.
"What is it?" Rachel asked.
"You jinxed it." Kraven answered as the well began to spark and splutter emitting a thick pink mist, "It's about to get worse."
In a massive explosion bodies flew out of the well propelled by the energy, through the twilight Abe saw that they were Dark Elves and Goblin. The majority ricocheted off the tower, their forms exploding as they came in contact with the metal structure. From deep in the well an inhuman scream could be heard as a pink meteorite smashed through the tower before collapsing onto the floor revealing Melissa her form even more stunning then before. It was clearly obvious that she had become taller her form now had super-model proportions as the woad symbols on her arms, face and legs glowed a cool blue. Her ears were now sylvan almost elf like and her head supported bony horns, thrust up like daggers, which poked out of her blood red hair. Even her clothes had changed from her classic Songbird uniform to a revealing leather bodice with long leather skirt backed with a dark cape that gave her the impression she had wings.
"You." she growled, her voice had changed become regal and seductive, "What do you want?"
"We want to help you Melissa." Abe announced still mesmerised at the beautiful creature she had changed into.
"Melissa's not home she is just carrion I'm forced to squat in until my own body is ready." Melissa hissed.
"You're her, Verity, Songbird's daughter." Abe replied blankly
"Ah did daddy figure it out, oh wait she chose to have me all by her lonesome." Melissa taunted, "Well she didn't choose she was chosen by me, does it make you jealous that I get to touch her, know her in ways you couldn't even dream of."
"No it doesn't." Abe answered, "All I see is some parasite using a good woman's body to live out its fantasy."
"Oh but haven't you heard." Melissa replied creating a pair of sonic sickles, "I'm here to kill you all." Slashing at him at incredible speeds the Thunderbolts watched horror-stricken as Melissa sank the blades into Abe's chest, blood gushing over her face.
"You bitch." Rachel yelled throwing a salvo of throwing diamonds at Melissa, the projectiles bouncing off her targets skin. Melissa released the sickles and turned to look at Rachel, her eyes burning with rage. Suddenly she felt the metal of the destroyed tower crawl around her wrapping her arms together as Magneto pulled her sonic harness away and crushed it before tossing it down the well.
"Abe hang on." Rachel called hovering over him, "We're going to get help."
"Move out the way," Kraven ordered before examining the wound, "There's nothing I can do."
"He can't die." Rachel cried, "Abe listen you're not allowed to die." By now the others were crouching by him but the looks on their faces were gaunt, wracked with sorrow and pain.
"Sorrow my chosen beverage." Melissa sighed her face smug, obviously pleased with what she had just accomplished.
"Shut up or I'll put an arrow in your head." Delphyane hissed stringing her bow.
"No let her talk, she never loved Abe, if she ever did she wouldn't have done this." Magneto told her waving his hand over Abe as he coughed and spluttered while Rachel desperately tried to hold back the flow of blood.
"What do you know of love." Melissa hissed.
"I know enough to assume you never loved him." Magneto retorted
"He asked me to marry him in Miami." Melissa screeched, "I loved him more then I loved anyone else." her eyes suddenly stopped glowing amber returning to a forest green. "I loved him, I dare any of you to say anything different.
"If you do love him, then save him, use the powers you were given." Magneto offered, the rest of the Thunderbolts stared at Melissa, the crown like protrusions retracting into her skull and her ears becoming rounded, human ears. Magneto released her and they also saw that she had returned back to her normal size although the woad patterns continued to glow. Melissa strode over and pressed her body against Abe's kissing him passionately the woad patterns engulfing both of them in a deep blue light that lit up the entire market place. Rachel watched as Melissa stood up, an identical wound on her chest as blood trickled down her corset.
"I always loved you." Melissa told Abe as he got to his feet, his body uninjured even the severed nerve endings healed. "Always." she added as she toppled over backwards into the well a sweet song of hope and life echoing around the well. Closing her eyes Melissa saw a brutal figure with dark blue skin and a necklace of skull and then nothing.
Up above Abe rushed to the edge of the well before being repelled backwards by a concussive blast, the structure obviously ready not to let him leave. He felt a mixture of pride and shame, he had tricked Melissa into almost killing him and his gambit had worked but at the cost of her own life. At least at the end she was herself again and he knew that he loved her. He remembered asking her the question in Miami as they waited in the Quinn Jet for Osborne to make his move on the Ocean King and her response. They had been happy, she had been happy more so then he had seen her for a long time. It seemed that the accursed forest was ready to destroy everything good in a person but now Abe was done letting it get the metaphorical last laugh, he would lead the Thunderbolts out of this dread place even if he had to burn every single tree down.
"Should we leave a marker?" Robbie asked walking over to Abe's sprawled form, "She was herself at the end wasn't she?"
"I say we leave something," Magneto added. Abe saw that he had a tear in his eye, "she was a friend and leader worthy of this at least"
"Magneto's right." Rachel commented, "We should honour her for what she was not what she became."
"Eric." Magneto told her before turning to Robbie, "Robbie I never meant to hurt you."
"Why the change of heart?" Robbie asked.
"I want you to know before we leave this place."
"You figured out how to leave." Delphyane said excitedly causing the others to angrily stare at her. "What?" she asked, "Sane non evil Melissa would want us to leave as soon as possible."
"It's obvious, the only way to leave this place is with a sacred breath." Magneto explained
"And that is?" Robbie asked impatiently.
"The Last Breath." Magneto told him, "We're never going to leave this forest alive."
Wow not even half way through and Fall of Midgard apparently just got even more depressing. For know I'm taking a break in writing this fanon piece, not due to the depressing nature of this story but because the next part contains spoilers for the upcoming titles; Dark Avengers: The Asgard Offensive, Inner Circle: Last Days of the Hood, The Initiative: Storm Front, Task Force HAMMER: Line of Fire and Antman: Return of the Paladin. As such I will be writing all these stories at the same time continuing chronologically until I reach the final Epilogue for the section I call Osborne 1: Loki 0-Asgard strikes back. Again thanks for reading this far and as always continue to submit any questions or comments you have about this or any other fanon story I have written.
Impurest Cheese