Uncanny West Coast Avengers

Chapter 25: Skull and Bones- Part 3

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.

The Red Skull's Southern California Bunker-

The two mercenaries known as Crossbones and Sin looked around at the chaos that had been wrought in the Red Skull's subterranean bunker. There were bodies strewn everywhere and fires all over the place.

'I knew we should have killed Walker and that mutant witch as soon as we got the chance.' Crossbones grumbled as he stepped over one of the fallen soldiers.

'Well, you know how much my father likes to play with his prey.' Sin shrugged as she knelt down and confiscated one of the dead soldier's guns. 'I just hope that they didn't kill him.'

'I thought you hated your father.' Crossbones stated.

'Oh, I hate him.' Sin shrugged. 'I just want to be the one that kills him, not some do-gooding Super Soldier wannabe and his mutant whore.'

'Me, I just go wherever the money is.' Crossbones responded. 'As long as the pay's good, I do whatever's needed of me.'

The pair turned around when they heard the sound of somebody approaching them. It was the Red Skull. The psychotic Nazi was battered and bloody. He was leaning against the wall to keep himself upright.

'Please tell me that you managed to kill Walker and the mutant.' The Red Skull told his lackeys. 'I hope I'm not expecting too much of you to accomplish that single little task.'

'Once we heard all the commotion, we wanted to come and see if you were alright.' Crossbones explained. 'I won't be able to get my money if the guy paying me ends up dead, will I?'

'Your concern astounds me.' The Red Skull glared at his skull-masked employee. 'And Sin, I dare say that you were not concerned for my welfare.'

'Whatever gave you that idea, father?' Sin smiled with faux sweetness. 'I am nothing but loyal towards you.'

'We have to get outta here.' Crossbones advised them. 'There's no telling what sort of damage that mutant witch did to the bunker.'

'Yes, you're correct.' The Red Skull nodded in agreement. 'Hopefully, the amount of cannon fodder that I employ would have slowed them down enough so that we can catch up with them.'

The Red Skull took one of the dead soldier's guns and led Crossbones and Sin away in search of Walker and Madelyne Pryor.

Elsewhere-

Not too far away from the Red Skull's position, Walker and Maddie were fighting their way through a veritable army of soldiers in an attempt to find a way out of the subterranean complex. Walker had long since run out of ammunition for the assault rifle that he had taken from one of the dead soldiers, so he was using it as a makeshift club.

'How much further do we have to go?' Walker asked as he blocked enemy gunfire with his makeshift shield. 'I'm not sure whether this shield will be able to take much more.'

'Then why don't you come and join me in my telekinetic bubble?' Maddie offered as she cradled little Gabriel close.

'You know I prefer to look after myself.' Walker answered as he smashed a hapless soldier in the head with the butt of his gun. 'I was brought up to rely on myself.'

'Fine, be that way.' Maddie shrugged as he held out a hand and tore a door off its hinges. The redheaded mutant tossed the door over her shoulder, flattening several guards behind her.

'Not that I don't appreciate your help or anything…' Walker said. 'But… don't you think you should take it a little bit easier? Everybody knows the stories about what happens when Jean Grey loses control.'

'Oh, please!' Maddie snorted in derision at the merest idea that she was being compared with the famous X-Man. 'I've got more willpower in my whole body than that home wrecker has in her little finger. And I don't need to die all the time to prove it.'

Walker decided that it would be a good idea not to mention Jean Grey until they had escaped the bunker, and Maddie was in a better mood.

'How's Gabriel getting on?' Walker asked in an attempt to change the subject. 'It's not very often that a little kid like him ends up in a war zone.'

'Well, considering that back when he was Stryfe, war was the only thing he knew.' The redheaded mutant shrugged.

'Wait a minute…' Walker blinked in surprise. 'You mean that the little sleeping baby you're holding used to be a mutant terrorist? What happened?'

'Oh, it's a long and complicated story.' Maddie waved it off. 'I'll explain it to you if and when we get out of this mess.'

'And yet, I doubt that will ever happen…' An arrogant German-accented voice laughed behind them.

Walker and Maddie both spun around to see the Red Skull standing there pointing an assault rifle at them. Crossbones and Sin were standing either side of him.

'Give it up, Skull.' Walker told the villain. 'You've lost. Most of your soldiers are either dead or dying. Well, those that haven't seen sense and run off while they had the chance.'

'I don't need soldiers to do what I am about to do to you.' The Red Skull snarled as he slowly approached the two Avengers. 'All it will take is one quick bullet to the head. I am through messing around.'

'I think you're forgetting one thing…' Maddie chipped in. 'I'm telekinetic. I can stop the bullet before it even leaves the barrel of your gun.'

'I'd like to see you try, mutie.' Crossbones retorted as he pointed his own gun at the redhead.

'And what are you going to do about it, Flatscan?' Maddie shot back before turning to Walker with an apologetic smile. 'No offence.'

'None taken.' Walker nodded in response.

'Enough talking!' Sin growled angrily as she brought her own gun to bear. 'I am going to end this once and for… Gkt!'

The redheaded mercenary's words were cut short as a yellow gloved hand phased out through her chest.

'What the hell?' Crossbones yelled as he turned to regard the ghostly green-and-yellow figure. 'The Vision!?'

'I am afraid that I am not alone.' The synthezoid stated. 'Madelyne Pryor, John Walker, I would advise you to stand back.'

Maddie and Walker did as they were told and stepped back just as the bunker's ceiling caved in right on top of Crossbones and the Red Skull. Once the dust cleared the two Avengers saw two figures step forward. One was an green-skinned alien that was dressed like Thor and had what looked like a horse's skull for a head. The other figure was a woman dressed in a red-and-yellow outfit with shoulder-length black hair.

'Vision? Beta Ray Bill? Spider-Woman?' Walker spluttered in surprise and shock. 'What the hell are you doing here?' Spider-Woman was the one that stepped forward to explain.'

'We're your new teammates.'

TBC…

Next: Out With The Old, In With The New

If the Vision, Beta Ray Bill, and Spider-Woman are new members of the West Coast Avengers, then who are they replacing?