Chamber of Odin, Asgard - 04:22AM, 29th August
Rachel sat on the floor looking up at Abe sleeping in the throne, occasionally he stirred and muttered something in a tongue she didn't understand but he didn't wake, not even when she called his name. Delphyane was sleeping too she noticed curled up in a ball but her hair remained awake occasionally nipping and fighting each other, Rachel wondered what the Gorgon dreamed of, if she could even dream at all. Absent minded she picked up one of her trick diamonds and flicked it in the air watching it burst open and shower her with streams of confetti. Sighing she stared at the door to see something quickly scuttle past on the ceiling in the hall outside before returning to peak it's head round the door before hurrying on it's way, a red and blue blur moving through the halls of Asgard.
"No." Delphyane moaned as she woke, "We have to prepare."
"Prepare for what?" Rachel asked before what felt like a rhythmic earthquake sounded and Osborne flanked by a group of thralls clad in Asgradian Armor broke through into the hallway and ran towards them. Slamming the door Delphyane notched an arrow in her bow as Rachel picked up a series of throwing knives and readied themselves for the brief scuffle before Osborne reached the sleeping Abe. Instead of the pounding on the ancient stone door, a green mist appeared instead solidifying to form the tall elegant form of the Enchantress.
"A mortal and one of Athena's cursed filth protecting a God this is the most amusing form of heresy that I have ever seen." she cackled, "Step aside while I wake Thor and end this pathetic war." Delphyane responded by letting loose an arrow, the tip slamming into the Enchantress who simply pulled out the projectile and snapped it. "Seriously you barley qualify as a demi-god, you don't have the power to take me on." she purred walking towards Rachel who threw the knives, the razor sharp blades flying around the Enchantress.
"Stay away from Abe." Rachel growled.
"You mean Thor, this Abner Jenkins has long since passed, his conscious absorbed and quashed by Asgradian Magic." the Enchantress cruelly lectured. "Now stand aside and let me see my beloved."
"No." Rachel growled as Delphyane leapt at the Enchantress's back stabbing her with a sword before being spun around and thrown at the wall, her green skin and serpentine hair transformed into human flesh and long red locks.
"I am willing to pay you for your guard services." the Enchantress replied coyly, "With your hearts desire." she added as green fog streamed around Rachel changing her appearance, the enchantress held up a mirror showing the Thunderbolt clad in the red, white and blue armor of Captain America now fitted to more feminine proportions, the Shield that Songbird had found in Asgards ruins clenched in her hands. "This is just a taster, step aside and I will tell you both where your loves reside." The human Delphyane looked at Rachel and then at the Enchantress before delivering a swift punch to the Enchantress sending her spinning. "I should have known that the Amazon wouldn't yield but you Captain, you still serve me."
"No Enchantress." Rachel said marvelling at how her voice was more commanding and powerful, "You made me into Captain America, that includes his values, Steve would be disgusted if I let you reach Thor." she answered shield-bashing the Enchantress back. Angrily the Enchantress sent a wave of energy that swept Delphyane off her feet and caused Rachel to hunker behind the shield causing her to grind back a few meters.
"You stand between my beloved, he's mine and no one else's." the Enchantress snarled, "You two have been under the spell of love, tell me you would not allow a woman access to her lover."
"I'm sure Songbird would disagree about him being your lover." Rachel replied, "Trust me when I say she is one cranky pregnant woman that you don't want to tackle with."
"A mortal lover more worthy then me." the Enchantress replied firing a bolt of lightning at Rachel who deflected the bolt with the shield she carried. "Impossible, what must I do to prove my love."
"Stop working for Loki for starters." Delphyane answered sneaking up behind the Enchantress and restraining her before whispering, "Give me what I really want of I swear I take him off the throne." The Enchantress huffed and quickly granted Delphyane's whish, the gorgon's skin returning to its natural hue, her hair alive again. Spinning the Enchantress around she stared deep into the Asgardian's eyes watching as her enemy turned to stone before quickly closing her eyes.
"How the hell?" Rachel asked
"I whished to become pure." Delphyane replied, "I became pure gorgon and turned her to stone." she added ripping part of her clothing and tying it round her eyes before opening them again, a green glare behind the strip of fabric.
"A good whish." a powerful voice announced, "And one that will not go unrewarded if we triumph this day." Rachel turned to see Abe standing, his armor under-layer transformed into Asgradian robes and ceremonial armor. "Captain you seem more feminine since our last meeting."
"Abe it's me Rachel, don't you remember I was Diamondback and you were MACH whatever number you happened to be using." Rachel told him, "Don't you remember anything?" she asked.
"Nay, but I feel Mjolnir call from many leagues away. I also feel my brothers and sisters beginning to shake off the chains of Ammora's curses and blessings. Soon Asgard will leave this plain but first I travel to New York to punish the mortal who dare wields Mjolnir. Hopefully I will be able to claim my prize before Loki does or else I feel that I should have remained in Heliopolis." Thor explained.
"Wait there is one more thing we need to do before we leave." Rachel said slyly, "If we can find him and convince him to come with us we may have an advantage in any battle with Osborne and Loki."
Battery Park, New York City - 06:30AM, 29th August
Songbird, Constrictor, Tarantula and Scorcher stepped out into the centre of Battery Park, the sun straining against Carrion's magic's to rise above the Atlantic. The trees looked withered and the grass was black and shrivelling, it was clear that there would be a hell of a fight even with a God wielding Mjolnir to remove the taint.
"Here we are, the hammer should arrive shortly boss." Constrictor announced.
"Yes I feel it coming closer, despite your lies human." Carrion hissed revealing her true form, "I no longer have use of you, and since you do not seem to give in to your base instincts you are fit only to be fodder."
"Figured you would say that." Constrictor replied giving a vicious punch to Carrion's face, "Scorcher now." he ordered. Scorcher lit her flamethrowers and pumped out a ring of fire around Carrion, "This is what you might call a trap." he taunted as Tarantula stalked into the right position and leapt stabbing a blade into the back of Frank's neck, the tip detaching as Tarantula rolled back into a position facing Scorcher as she dropped the flamethrowers and pulled the hilt of a sword from her boot before lighting the tip.
"So your all orange eyed and evil again." Scorcher said sadly, "The only cure for that is Immolation." she sneered lunging at Tarantula who deftly dodged and struck at Scorcher's hamstrings crippling her as more of Carrion's followers emerged from the tree line, "This mortals is what you would call your doom. Don't take it personally but I prefer my meat more aged. Melissa for example should be maturing nicely in her coffin, you were so close yet so far away as well." she mocked before turning to the assorted villains closing in around the two Thunderbolts, "Feast on them." she ordered as Tarantula leapt in slashing with her remaining blades only for Frank to counter slamming her with one of his long arms before supporting Scorcher as she removed a second sword, the tip blazing fiercely. As the villains surrounded them Frank looked up and smiled as an arrow of pink energy, its wings crackling with lightning grew larger and larger.
"Don't worry Juliana." he whispered, "The cavalry is on its way."
Stamford, Connecticut - 06:33AM, 29th August
The Sexton appeared outside a school house, the windows blackened and burnt as fires raged in the distance at Camp Hammond. Gingerly he stepped over the threshold and entered the blackened hulk of a building following the smell of powerful magic. Heading through the burnt halls he came across a chamber decorated with pillars each containing a tortured soul. Gently he touched the first and saw that it was carved ice and that the woman inside was frozen her body blue and shrived.
"So they sent you?" the angry voice of Penance boomed from the end of the chamber his armoured form standing like a sentinel, his body language clearly hostile as electricity danced from his fingers across the entrapped people, "I see you admiring my collection he stated, all from Camp Hammond, all six of them judged to be evil and punished accordingly."
"Why did you do this?" Sexton asked, "This is a vile misuse of the power you have."
"Behold my specimens of corruption." Penance continued, "Cold Heart she use to steal boats with her powers now her life will be stolen the same way, Badd Axe a murder and psychopath." he said indicating a headless corpse hanging across the way from Cold Heart, "Tiger Shark cruel hunter from the depths." he waved to the asphyxiating villain desperately trying to escape the steam erupting from the vent below, "Atlas former member of the Thunderbolts." he added as Atlas let out a moan as ionic radiation began to tear chunks of his flesh away, "13 Black, his luck like the others has run out." he added staring at the man drowning in the weight of pennies falling on him. "And finally the Sexton," Penance sneered, "No sins yourself but your mother has more then enough to share."
"My mother will pay for her crimes but right now she is trying to save the world so give me a break and come with me, if we don't hurry Melissa will destroy the world and everything in it." the Sexton announced, "Now surrender you power so I can transfer it to Mjolnir."
"Never." Penance growled throwing a barrage of super accelerate balls at the Sexton who span his blade and deflected the projectiles. Penance next released a wave of energy that engulfed the Sexton in a blue fog, one that he sliced through before running full tilt at Robbie. In a last ditch effort Robbie fired a chain of electricity at the Sexton who intercepted it before slamming the blade of his spade into Penance's chest drawing a tiny lightning scorched stone from his chest before letting the vigilante collapse onto the floor.
"I'm sorry for this Mr. Baldwin but your power here is over." the Sexton indicated as the captured prisoners crawled out of their cages, "You will live to regret your actions." he added, "The dead don't let murders off lightly." he added.
"Sexton." Robbie growled, "You think you're a hero but know this, the stain of your mother, the stain of Kephi will always weigh you down until you drown in the sins and evil she carries. I curse you Gravedigger." he bellowed as he angrily made a grab for the Sexton who easily parried the blow, "I curse you." Robbie screamed as the Sexton teleported away and his former victims closed in, anger clear in their eyes.
Battery Park, New York City - 06:40AM, 29th August
With a rumble of thunder Songbird landed swinging Mjolnir, turning to face her Carrion glared as Tarantula and the Absorbing Man picked over the bleeding bodies of Constrictor and Scorcher, ripping off chunks of flesh while the two Thunderbolts were still alive. Staring each other down, the Taskmaster and his team landed, as Songbird and Carrion circled each other waiting for the other to make the first move.
Carrion smiled as she sniffed and hissed for Melissa's ears only, "Do it, strike me down."
"No," a voice from the crowd called as Shocker appeared wheezing and spluttering, "No Melissa don't do it."
"Quiet Mortal." Carrion screeched, "My most trusted servant, he thinks only of my safety."
"Melissa don't use the hammer if you do something bad will happen." Shocker replied.
"Strike me down, kill me." Carrion purred.
"I can't do it." Melissa replied, "I can't risk it creature."
"Then maybe the death of your lover will change you mind." Carrion sneered, "He lies dead, his body locked with the woman you trusted to keep him safe. I killed him, I turned her against you, I am your shadow and your darkness." Melissa gritted her teeth and raised Mjolnir ready to strike only for the lightning to spark across her body leaving her smoking form flopping on the floor. The crowd gasped as Mjolnir struck the ground, no one daring to breath as the armoured form of Norman Osborne appeared.
"For treason against the state and for being on my 'list of people who need a serious killing' I sentence you to a swift execution. So says Loki lord of Asgard." Norman announced, "Also I believe Norman is getting an erection just thinking about what I'm going to do to you, after Spiderman you're the person he hates most." Loki said the visor pulling back revealing Norman Osborne's face twisting and moulding itself into that of Loki, the Iron Patriot Armor changing into Loki's traditional garb, a long horned helmet topping his long dark hair. Grabbing Mjolnir he raised it above Melissa's head before something flew through the air knocking the hammer out of his hand.
"Who dares?" Loki bellowed.
Stepping out of the darkness the Sexton emerged as his spade flew back to his hand, "I dare." he replied firing streams of lightning straight at the Trickster who convulsed in pain. Crawling through the grass Melissa found Mjolnir, a tiny black stone embedded into the head of the weapon, slotting the gem inside, lightning coursed through her hands her uniform changing from blue fabric to golden armor.
"My love behind you." Carrion screamed as Melissa swung the hammer ready for an executing head smash. Loki twisted and watched as Mjolnir flew out of Melissa's hands up into the grasp of the person he despised much.
"Abe." Melissa gasped
"Thor." Loki spat.
"Aye Loki and now I finally deal with you once and for all." Thor rumbled as Delphyane and Rachel appeared in a flash of light behind him, "You and your demon consort have no rite to Midgard."
"You challenge both of us to ritual combat." Loki laughed, "You can't destroy both of us at the same time." he added as a roughly hewn arena raised out of the ground. "The rules of Odin state that you need a partner equal to my own."
"And I have no equal." Carrion mused.
"Aye but you have taken the form of one before you and she is here. I will take the mortal thief as my partner and you will keep your form fixed." Thor threatened Carrion as Melissa stepped foreword her golden armor gleaming as torches lit the arena.
"To the death." she asked Thor.
"Aye to the death." Thor answered
"I can't believe your Abe." Melissa gasped.
"I am not your lover mortal, now concentrate." Thor commanded placing Mjolnir on the ground, "Remove your weapon." he said indicating Melissa Sonic Harness as Loki stabbed his sword into the ground and took a massive Axe from the wall, it's head featuring a massive ruby, the gem glittering like an evil eye.
"What's going on?" Melissa asked as Carrion plucked a pair of sickles off the wall the blades glowing blue as she touched them.
"We choose a weapon for this conflict." Thor instructed taking a pole axe, a flag with the runes of Asgard hanging down the shaft. Pensively Melissa looked around and found no weapons lying around.
"There are no more weapons." she hissed.
"There is no more time." Thor said angrily as he rushed forward towards Loki, the axes clashing off each other, the two gods exchanging blows. Stepping forward Carrion pulled the sickles into a crossed position before leaping at Melissa screaming as she flew at the unarmed target standing stoically before her.
Will Melissa survive her stay in the Asgardian Combat Arena? Will Thor triumph over Loki and claim Mjolnir? And will Diamondback deploy her secret weapon in time to save the day? Find out in the Finale of Thunderbolts: Fall of Midgard