Battery Park, New York - 6:44AM, 29th August
Melissa dodged and weaved in the makeshift arena slipping around and over Carrion's strikes. She was tired, while she was putting up a good front her opponent was ramping up the frequency and aggressiveness of her strikes, soon she would draw blood and every breath after that would be a gift. Running along the edge of the arena Melissa headed for the Loki-Thor fight slipping under the legs of the latter before delivering a mule kick to Loki's groin sending him sprawling and giving her to grab the axe he was using. Putting a single hand on the haft she screamed in pain her hand smoking as Loki charged in attempting to gore her with the horns of his helmet. Barley escaping Melissa watched as Carrion spring-boarded off Thor's back to bring an overhead slash as the god was gored by his half brother.
"Melissa." Rachel called as she, Chen, Shocker and the Sexton appeared on the steps of the arena, "Hang in there and we'll see what we can do to help."
"By all means Mortals join the fight." Loki sneered as the arena shifted pushing the four Thunderbolts into the centre. Fog quickly filled one end and Cutthroat, Shockwave, Hijacker and Bloodshed all four of them supporting mutated features and big orange eyes that glowed amber. Quickly they sprung of the Thunderbolts not bothering to utilize any tactics just heading straight for the kill. With a quick flick Rachel knocked Cutthroat's blade out of his hand, the sword spinning over to wear Melissa was backing away from Carrion. Quickly she grabbed the sword and slashed heading for the offensive driving the demon back as Thor slammed Loki with the rear of his axe sending him spinning away.
"Your love of the mortals has blinded you brother." Loki snarled, "They destroyed our home, killed our family." he continued slashing back cutting Thor's pole-axe in half.
"Aye and you led them their, mortals are easily tricked, Asgardian less so." Thor answered as Bloodshed ran at him slashing with the blades extending from his armor as Loki pirouetted around and slashed from behind. Jumping over the attacking thrall Thor watched as Bloodshed impaled Loki, the god's axe in his head.
"Another ally perhaps." Loki grunted as he slammed his hand into Bloodshed's face. In an instance the mercenary was replaced by the floating corpse of Moonstone, her power stone sticking out of her left eye. "This one is a much better skin." Loki commented as he kissed Karla transferring his essence from Osborne to Moonstone. "She's a manipulator like me."
"Where am I?" Osborne croaked before looking angrily up at Loki, "You?" he said, his voice a mix of anger and surprise. Thor looked down at the confused man before spinning on the corpse of Karla that drifted out of reach from the axe swipe. Turning his back Osborne picked up the axe Loki had summoned and struck at Thor's back embedding the head in his spine.
"What?" Thor asked
"Trickery brother, even Asgardian never see treachery coming." Osborne said with Loki's voice clicking his fingers, quickly Karla transformed back into Bloodshed who roared and stabbed Thor through his shoulders pining him to the wall. "You don't get to die yet." Loki hissed, "first you will see the death of the lover of the mortal shell you wear." he said spitting in Thor's face before advancing on Melissa who was fighting Hijacker who fired wild shots at her before charging on all fours in a frenzied attempt to reach her. Sidestepping the charging thrall Melissa saw Loki advance and charged him as Rachel removed a flare gun off her belt and fired, a red rocket blazing against the sky. Loki swung his axe slashing Melissa across the chest knocking her to the floor.
"Your about to die Mortal, then your lover and then your world." Loki sneered stepping on Melissa's policed sword, his heel melting the blade. "Who will rescue you now?"
"Norman Osborne." Melissa replied, Loki cackled in amusement and Melissa laughed to before lunging knocking the god onto his back so he could look up to see the figure of his host's nemesis crouched on the top of the arena.
"So Norman did you miss me?" Spiderman asked before spinning off into the city.
"No, No, NO!" Loki yelled before a familiar cackle so different and more menacing then his previous laugh left his lips.
"Spiderman is alive." Osborne cackled, "We must re-double our efforts to kill him."
"Osborne." Melissa said as Osborne's features returned overriding Loki's handsome visage.
"Songbird, do us a favour and help us catch Spiderman or I'll throw you off a…" he grunted as Melissa smacked him in the face before rolling him across the floor. "Norman Osborne as Director of SHIELD I am authorized to take you into custody for multiple war-crimes. You have the right to… oh hell you know the rest." she muttered before watching as Chen punched Bloodshed off of Thor before he was dragged back by Carrion who had slammed her sickles into his legs.
"Chen." Melissa yelled, picking up Loki's axe she threw the massive weapons slashing the demon through the arms freeing the Radioactive Man as Rachel delivered a shield bash to Cutthroat's face. Eyes sparking Carrion screamed and ran at Melissa bodily slamming her to the floor before biting her on the shoulder, blue light spreading into the wound as Carrion's skin flickered blue. "Not this time." Melissa said angrily pushing Mystique off of her. The blue mist coalesced and flew around the arena before becoming a massive cloud sucking the essence out of the populous of New York.
"Gold, you will pay, you will be mine again." Carrion yelled her amorphous form wavering and shifting with every word. Dive-bombing the arena Carrion headed straight for Melissa only to slam into a solid obstacle in the form of the Sexton's spade.
"Not this time Necromancer, your skills are not enough to contain me." Carrion hissed as she oozed around the spade.
"But mine are demon." Thor yelled, his wounds bleeding profusely. With one last effort he grabbed Mjolnir and slammed the hammer into Carrion, the demonic cloud popping before exploding into a fine snow that covered the arena. Falling to the floor Thor wheezed and looked up, "It will be a fine day in Midgard today." he commented before closing his eyes.
"No you don't get to die." Melissa screamed as she ran towards him, as she reached the dying god Osborne rose to his feet and drove Cutthroat's sword through Melissa pinning her to Thor.
"That's just business." Osborne stated, "Although I have really wanted to do this for a long time Director." the last word almost like a poison in his mouth, "Know let's get down to the business of hunting Parker shall we Shocker." he asked the Thunderbolt. Shocker looked down before covertly setting his gauntlets to level 10, looking up he stared Osborne in the eye before delivering a knock-out punch that split the reformed Iron Patriot Armor in two and sent Osborne flying twenty feet before slamming into the arena wall knocking him out for good.
"I have no words." he muttered, "Somebody get a medic before we loose them." he yelled as Rachel and Chen reached the bodies in the middle of the field, their blood pooling together a contented smile on both their faces.
Unknown Time and Place
Melissa sat next to Abe on the hill her hair flowing in the breeze as he plucked an apple from the tree they sat under and handed her one.
"I've missed you Mel." he told her.
"Me too." she replied, "So is this Valhalla or Heaven or what because the last two times I died looked nothing like this."
"I don't know." Abe replied, "Maybe it's somewhere between life and death." he mused.
"It's beautiful." Melissa admitted, "I never want to leave, because when I do you won't be there."
"I'm sorry Mel, Rachel and Delphyane thought they were doing what was for the best. I guess we won in the end." Abe stated before lying down on the grass looking up at the stars. Melissa followed suit before seeing a figure fly out of the sky and hover over them.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" the woman asked.
"Why is it that Karla somehow finds a way to spoil everything?" Melissa asked, "Go away Karla." she added weakly
"I swear that your both sane, but Thor knows I have my doubts ocassionly." Karla replied, "I can't go away because I'm stuck here, what with my corpse having no brain. You two are dying in the real world, you don't belong in this Middle Earth fantasy."
"Shut up Karla, we've done our time." Abe muttered.
"Really when has Thor ever been that pessimistic?" Karla asked, "Listen to me Chen is cauterizing your wounds." she said poking Abe, "And Shocker is defibulating you." she added turning the finger on Melissa, "Trust me you don't want to stay here."
"But there is no Abe out there?" Melissa replied as her chest tickled. Opening her eyes she saw Shocker and Rachel peering at her, the formers gauntlets smoking. "No send me back you basterds Melissa." cried sending a salvo of sonic daggers into her own chest before blacking out again. She was back on the hill and Abe and Karla were still there. "You this is some kind of trick." Melissa said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Melissa go away." Karla ordered, "You don't need to be here, you're the director of SHIELD or HAMMER what every you decide, the public needs you and Asgard needs Abe."
"No I can't let them take him." Melissa sobbed pushing Karla out the way and hugging Abe, "Please Abe don't leave me." Abe smiled and kissed her on the cheek before passionately on the lips, "I'm going Melissa, just remember that I love you for ever. I would stay with you for ever if I could but not like this." he replied sadly before fading out of existence.
"No." Melissa screamed, the scream tearing parts of the hill up and sending the apple tree wilting. Karla grabbed her by the shoulders and hugged her until she stopped.
"I always hated you Melissa." Karla said, "But now I think I'm going the other way and I need to do one thing." she suggested, "I need you to do one more thing just so I can finally be redeemed."
Battery Park Evacuation Site, New York - 07:17AM 29th August
"What's that?" Melissa asked as Karla locked lips and kissed. Melissa opened her eyes to see a ventilator around her mouth and nose as she was lifted by SHIELD agents onto a stretcher. "Abe." she moaned as his final words echoed around his head. Breathing softly she sat up and looked to the East as the sun poked it's head over the horizon in earnest while Zeus Shuttles and Blackhawk Helicopters airlifted a number of people; mostly SHIELD agents and allied meta-humans but also some villains who had surrendered voluntarily to a range of locations. Getting up from the stretcher Melissa staggered over to where Constrictor and Scorcher were being loaded onto a Blackhawk. Constrictor gave her thumbs up and Scorcher nodded as Shocker wandered past passing Tarantula a blanket before both of them saluted. At the centre of the arena Rachel sat with Delphyane who had taken off her blind-fold, her vision cured as Thor stood proud looking up at the sky.
"Thor." Melissa tried to call but to no avail, her sonic harness removed to prevent any more suicide attacks. The god didn't notice her and looked intently as a dark haired woman descended and kissed him passionately.
"Lord Thor it's time, we have decided to leave Midgard for the moment at least." the woman told him.
"Aye lady Sif it is time." Thor answered. Melissa ran at the pair tears sobbing as she reached them the gods vanished and she fell to her knees. Sobbing she felt a hand on her shoulder, she looked up and smiled as Rachel stared at the couple before handing Melissa her harness.
"How," she croaked
"Divine Intervention." the voice replied, "If you want it." he sated
"It will come." she finished, "Nothing stops us, not today." she continued hugging the man. Abe hugged her back and looked up at Thor and nodded, the god returned the nod before vanishing in a clap of thunder that shone white against the sky.