Disclaimer: As always, I don't own this charachres - War Machine and his crew, Pete Wisdom, The West Coast Avengers ir the Dark Avengers. and i'm doing nothing to get money from this piece of literature....
spoiler alert: War Machine issue #8-10
before to begin, just a couple of notes: first of all, I'm sorry if I didn't post on the usual date, but I've been quite busy with work; besides, I had all these chapters already written, but then I decided that I somehow found more apporpriate post it before the Messiah War mini.second: it's something I forgot to put at the end of the last chapter, the final issue of the Vampire Nation Story Arc; in that part, I put a brand new character, Lucien. I wanted to remeber you all that he was mentioned for the first time in BLACKDRAGON ANNUAL 01 - DAYS OF PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE , and, later, in the AU Au Rise of the Phoenix; looks like he survived the experience, and now is waiting to get his revenge at the side of his "spouse", Baroness Blood, poor Kennet Falsowrth's ex-wife... (yeah, I know, sometimes I can be a bit of a nerd, but when i put that down for the last time, it was the same day I red a collection of old Tomb of Dracula stories...) anyway... here we go again.... read, review, and have fun!
EPISODE 27: THE WAR MACHINE PROTOCOLS
Somewhere in London.
Drin, Drin, Drin. For many times, the telephone in the living of the two-room small and Spartan attic rings, and, a second before the answer machine could start, anyone who is on the other side of the line hangs up; the first time, he even doesn't pay attention, or care about, too taken by the moment and the view. And by the need of sleep, after the war with the vampires and, then, 10 days spend hunting down a bunch of renegade evil fairies under Oberon's orders, in company of his team and of his fairy princess ex-wife (something that his actual girlfriend didn't enjoy at all- but the feeling, he saw, was quite mutual, as Think seems to not hate her, maybe, because he'd seen that the only person she is able to hate is him, but she absolutely doesn't like his precious Chris at all). Besides, Chris never sleeps, almost never, at least- and it's not because she doesn't want to. She isn't the kind of scientist that decides to not have any sleep because she wants to save humanity or solve everything – she keeps repeating himself that sleep deprivation is like getting drunk, for the brain cells- she doesn't sleep too much simply because she have continuous nightmares, she often isn't even able to fall asleep at all, and this sort of things all the way. So, if for once she is sleeping, and sleeping so peacefully that she is even smiling looking like a satisfied child (something she was the night before, satisfied, he mentally says at himself, not a child, definitely not a child), no one should dare to interrupt her dream. Besides… besides, she needs it, more now than ever before. Finding out she was in part magical didn't exactly helped her cause, resulting only in her getting focused not only on science but on magic too… last time he checked on her, she was reading a grimoire, Trying to cover it…), and he doesn't know what to do . She has had got nightmares, a brand new kind of – he suspects he could start to remember the slaughtering of her parents, although Xavier cleared her minds when she was just 4- , and, once awakened, she asked him to not talk about it, to not ask her any questions. She has been pretty clear about the fact that she isn't ready to talk about it, to discuss about whatever happened, and he is ready. He is ready to wait for her, as she did with him many times…besides, it's not like he told her everything about his work, about what he did in the past, even about everything he does right now… and he can only look at her, smiling. Fully awakened and smiling like a drunken idiot, lying down on his right side, an arm under his head like a pillow, he looks at her, tempted by the idea of kissing her (not on the lips, he is not that rude to kiss a sleeping woman on the lips, something she couldn't answer to; he'd rather prefer to kiss her neck, her naked shoulders, her naked back, her whole still naked body…) and asking her to… enjoy his company again. But as soon as he is close to her scapula, he grins, smiling, and comes back to his side of the king-size bed.
Drin, Drin, Drin. He looks in direction of the damn thing again, tempted by idea of going to answer just to get the chance of telling the sick SOB what he thinks of him and his calling at just 7 in the morning, but, again, as soon as the answer machine is starting, the call is closed.
"Mmmmm… - she says as the room is still black, no light from the outside or coming from the shutters, muttering it aloud and yawning as he decides it's time to make his move on her, since she is now awake, and so, no regrets – quite the good morning you're giving me…" she says, with that half hated-half loved light of malice in her eyes, as he keeps kissing her neck, dipping down towards her abdomen, one hand at her back and one in her hair, while she is still stretching them towards the ceiling, but ready to put them in his black hair.
"Ehy, I didn't want to wake you up, but since you're already awake… - he grins on her skin, making her shiver and laughing – I suggest we take advantage of the situation and of the day-off…"
Drin, Drin, Drin.
"It's the third time it's ringing…- she says to force him to let her go, an annoyed expression that disappears as soon as he start to tickle her stomach – ok, ok, I got it… if they want something, they'll leave a message…"
" See that you don't care at all about it like I do…- He says, as he is going to fight back for what they both deserve, not carrying about the damn pieces of furniture, that stops for few seconds just to start again after even less. –damn! Now those damn bloody idiots are gonna hear me!- he says, as he jumps out of the bed and, running half-naked for the apartment with just a pair of black tight boxers on, and, once taken the cordless in his hands, starts to cursing at whoever is at the other side- Who the hell is there? I don't want anything, I don't buy anything, I don't want to change my contracts… just let me the bloody hell alone! And I swear that if I…"
'bout time someone answered, I was fearing to have to stay here all morning calling the same number… -the male at the other side pauses, like to think about what he has to say and how to say it, like he was uncomfortable –So, listen, I know she is there. May I talk with her?
"Barton, right? Clint Barton, the Avenger…." He says as he is walking in direction of the room, where she is putting on one of his shirts closing it with a tie as belt. He recognized the man once he heard his voice, he's met him once, in New York, and it has been mutual hate, mostly on Clint's side, then on his one, but just because the man hated him first.
Yeah, that's me. I need to talk with Chris. Her number somehow results inactive, and I thought it was a bit inappropriate to call at work- he can hear he is grinning evilly, that, deep down, he'd like to ruin his life.-I thought she could be by you, since she continues to find somehow you irresistible
"How did you get this number, by the way? It's private and secure and…"
Black Widow, the soviet super-spy. I used to date her. She dates a mate of mine, these days. And found quite nice our girl's company. Dated her brother, too.
"Yeah, sure, whatever…- he says as he enters in the room-wait a sec, how does it happen that she has my number, exactly?"
Apparently, she had to poison a couple of your fellow MI6 to put her hands on it…
"Oh My, I'm flattered. The Black Widow thinks I'm worthy a couple of homicides." He says, sarcastic, smirking, trying to imagine Barton's face in his head.
"Pete, sweetheart, stop to act like a 5 years old with super-powers and gimme that damn phone…"
You aren't, the princess is – Clint points out, stone cold, trying to not let the anger win him –you're not even worthy a single hair of our baby girl...
"DON'T YOU DARE TO CALL HER YOUR BABY GIRL EVER AGAIN!-he shouts at him, and, a second later, he throws the object at her before to go to make some decent coffee – SAY HI BY ME TO THE MAN WHO HATES ME JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENS THAT I WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT!"
"he doesn't mean it – she says as she starts to look outside the window: no rain today, a miracle – he knows that you hate him just because he has sex with me, like you do to everyone else who happens to sleep with me" she sarcastically grins, almost laughing at him, smiling, making fun of him.
Hi, Chris, I'm happy to hear from you, me too
"Sorry, you're right, I've been too rude. – she pauses, getting serous and going to seat on the bed again – how are you? Did you already married Bobbi again? Or you decided that you had to wait more than 10 days this time?- she pauses again, as she hears him muttering something at his wife – sorry Clint, how are you? For real, I mean." she finally asks, honest.
I've been better –he says – what happened to your number? Security reasons?
"Oh, yeah, sorry for it… I cancelled it… after I destroyed the whole place…- she pauses again, knowing how he red the information that she is by Pete (or maybe he is in silence just because she confessed him she destroyed by herself her place) – it's not like we're living together, because we aren't. I just preferred to come here instead that to my apartment at the headquarter. I just had the worst weeks of my whole life, and today it's my first day off… I wasn't that much into being awakened by simulations and exercitations."
I don't want to know any of it, Chris, so, please, don't go all "I'm so desperately in love with Pete Wisdom" with me …
"I'm no longer a teen , and, besides, I've been married. What do you think I did with my husband?"
until he was your husband, I was kind of cool with the whole thing, but if Mr. Greatest Spy of the planet after Fury doesn't have the intention of making you an honest to god woman…
"old, fatherly and prude. Didn't know you had it in you, Barton. Not someone who slept with Moonstone while she was still Moonstone – she grins, then comes back to be serious – but I doubt you called to know about my sexual life. So, what's happening?"
well, you see, I was thinking…well, technically, we were thinking… Bobbi and I… you have to see the facts, and consider the consequences, and, once see what's worse, I'm pretty sure that you'll agree with us… well, not really with us. I'm not ok with it, but Bobbi is, and until it's quite legal, I'm with her. Besides, it's more about me making my point and proving her I'm right about it. It, and everything, and once you'll see I'm right about it, I'm sure you'll reconsider… .
"Split your gut, Barton. I'd like to hear how you'll end the sentence before my funeral."
Do you still have that powers of control over technology?
"I hope you didn't call just for this reason.. – she pauses, frustrated - sure."
Then, I think you should come here for few days. We could need your particular… abilities.
"Osborn? About time you decided to put him down, but, do you already have a plan or…"
No, definitely not. I mean, it's not Osborn we're talking about here. And, listen, I'm not even cool with this, but Bobbi keeps saying it's the only thing to do and..
"Barton, be direct. What's happening?"
Rhodey. He got.. mad, according to the others. And we… they think we have to stop him. Being Rhodey we're talking about, I keep telling them that, if he did it, it was because it was the right and the only thing to do, but they keep saying he become a genocidal maniac.
"We, like in the Avengers?"
The west coast. Rhode's old friends. He founded the group with us, and Bobbi, Tigra and Simon see it like it's our duty to stop him
"I wasn't one. Why do you want me in? because I think I understood you want me in.."
First, you know him. Second, you control technologies. you'd be our wild card.
"Third, I can't enter in the USA, or Osborn will put me under arrest."
Forth, like you can't do something about it.-He pauses –Chris, I know you have never been an Avenger, not really, at least. And I know we've been through as many ups and downs as no one on this damn planet…but you know Jim. He was Tony's best friend. He was his body-guard. He has been your one, too, for what I can remember. You know him. He is your friend.
"Like I don't know it well enough. Did I ever tell you about that time, when I still pretended I didn't have powers, and some Iron Man enemy of C class tried to abduct me? Rhodey was there, we were visiting one of the subsidiaries of Stark Enterprises, he injured himself to protect me. that's just one of the things I owe him – she says, as she looks at what she could put on – but I owe him more, for what I did to him." She adds, almost a whisper, closed eyes, tears coming down, as she remembers the past months, what happened the previous year…When everybody sees nothing but a disaster, Tony Stark sees an Opportunity. And Christine Johnson sees improvements. . Jim told them that day, in Santo Marco, when they found him. He was almost smiling, probably, he was trying to laugh, but only God knows how right he was: Tony, Reed, even Pym, they were the geniuses, able to create everything from the air, from zero, but in her field, she was a goddess: she could see the bugs in the systems, see how can they be improved, how they could work better, the iterations with bigger or smaller system, or, simply, with other ones; that was the reason behind Jim's new cybernetic body. She had been the one to suggest the use of no recent Starktech, preferring to play with was left of Stane's work – with few improvements, like she did with everything – with an add of few of her recent works, the ones not only Tony didn't know about, but that he was never going to find out about or go commercial. But the truth, is that she knows she has to do it. They always knew what could happen to Jim's mind, after the implants, and now it happened. It's not just about power and responsibility and duty, but about something she has to do because it's her fault. She and Tony created the problem, and now it's up to her to solve it.
So?
"I'm coming"
2 days later, 37,2 miles from The Mangacara National Forest, Arizona.
"Look, I'm not going to question your authority here, whoever of you is in charge now – Chris, dressed with her MI 13 outfit, is sitting in the air, crossed legs, at the back of Bobbi and Clint, inside the ship they "borrowed" from Bobbi's old friends from her spy days – but… c'mon, it's Rhodey we're talking about! he has always been mr "right thing to do"… I'm sure you are just making it look worse than it is."
"he let a polar bear eat a Roxxon executive" Bobbi says
"who exterminated a village" Clint clarifies.
"maybe it wasn't exactly the right thing to do, but technically speaking, I'd not call him a homicidal maniac just for this"
"he gunned down 26 soldiers in Santo Marco!"
"each one of them responsible of genocide."
Santo Marco. Like it rang a bell inside her brain, she remains in silence for few second, eyes wild-open "You don't know what happened in Santo Marco. I'm sure that, whatever it was, he had his reasons." Sure, the cybernetic implants weren't doing any psychic damage… did she really think it was true? Or was it just her way of trying to let the remorse go, like it wasn't her fault he was killing dozens?
"what about tearing down an Indian reservation and destroying a u.s. army base?"
"And he didn't kill a single person, for what I know"
"you should be the rational one, you're supposed to agree with me"
"I was supposed to be on the other side of the Ocean, at a pub with my co-workers celebrating the last capture of some magical and bad creature, arguing with Pete about how I hate his ex-wife, and then making out with my hot British boyfriend and have a great night, not here for some unknown reasons."
"the reason you're here is because Rhodey is a homicidal maniac"
"Bobbi, It's Jim we're talking about! Every single person on this ship knows him from millions of years! Good Lord, he founded the West Coast Avengers with us! "
"The reason it's up to us to stop him"
"the reason I shouldn't be here, since I've never really been an Avenger…. – she closes her eyes, like to concentrate herself, a small red light visible in her contacts -I've got a reading. Visual contact in 10 seconds"
"And now I'll show you that… - Clint, in his Ronin "costume", stops to talk, putting an hand on his eyes to not look at the show, while Bobbi smirks half-satisfied by the revelation she has been right – nuts…" In front of them, War Machine is tearing apart a plane.
"Tigra is thinking about his friends, Simon will distract him. Don't let him see you, with your techno-telepathic powers you should be our only wild… card – Bobbi pauses, and looks at Jim ending Simon "Wonder Man" extremely easily – EMP arrows and be ready. Try to take him by surprise, see what you can do. We're not going to let him kill thousands."
"I'd hold that EMP arrow. If it goes off here, both the ships will be dropped."
"Then, we're lucky I don't need a EMP to shout you down…" As Jim Turns, red eyes, flying in her costume, surrounded by a scarlet aura, Chris looks at him, serious and cold.
Christine "Chris" Antoinette Stark-Johnson, a.k.a. Blackdragon, currently member of the British Intelligence. Formerly part of the Initiative, and of the X-Men. Powers: telepathy, telekinesis, low-level empathy, technarc.
"Your team is with us, don't try anything…"
"I know it, Clint."
"What do you…-Chris looks at him while the man she helped to create shows Clint his palm, a red light and a vibration just her can feel coming from the repulse rays – oh no….. Jim, don't you dare to…!"
She can't even end the sentence, that a "wave" starts from War Machine's fist; she doesn't need to hear the order given by the system, although she does, because she knows and understands what's going on, she doesn't even have to remember that she has been the one to build the implants. She has already live that, she has witnesses something similar… last time, it was just few months before… she has been an X-Man long enough to recognize the use of magnetic abilities, and she remembers quite well that even magneto used that trick… disassembling both the ships. She has to admit, he has been smart with this one, because he just accomplished not one but two objectives: he is keeping them busy, and he is using his "powers" to assimilate and integrate components of both the ships – more in particular, the jets – in his armor.
War machine Magnetic field engaging….assimilation in progress… tech assimilation complete
"People, help here, please?" Bobbi calls at voice, as everyone is falling from the sky.
"I can't believe I'm saying it, but they were right, you're just a maniac!" Chris says, almost a cry, tears of rage and closed fists, as she stops to follow him and makes a quick manoeuvre, like diving to follow them and stop everyone and what is left of their 2 jets, thinking that it's mostly her fault and Tony's what's happening.
"Clint's already taking care of him – Simon calls her from behind, as he starts to fly at her side and takes Tigra and Bobbi on his back, while Chris makes levitate Miss Endo and Mr. Jacobs, both "helpers" to Rhodey, and, at the same time, accompanies a pile of debris, compressed into a giant ball fro the occasion, to the soil.
"they're talking - she says as she notices that Clint is now flying on Rhodey's back. – talking about… Ultimo? Wasn't it some kind of killer alien robot?"
"Clint put him down with Thor, back in the days" Bobbi says, looking like lost in some deep thought, as the 2 fliers fly side by side.
"As he was supposed to be – Endo says, as an holographic image appears from a bracelet – but a smart director from some agency decided it was the perfect place to implement a privatization scheme"
Reginald "Reggie" Gunderson. Assistant Director, U.S. Agency for alien quarantine and technology. Kill Number: 132
"What's a kill number?" Tigra says, like she really doesn't know the answer.
"It's a numeric representation generated by Rhodey's databanks of the amount of willful deaths and destruction a person has generated during his life" The Asian woman explains, as the picture of the man disappears.
"And that's how Rhodey knows who he has to take in" Tigra is like ending the sentence, like she seriously believes it, again. Because she doesn't know what's happening, not the whole story.
"It's how he knows who he has to kill – Chris coldly says, as she has been hit by this fact, by the realisation that she, indeed, helped in creating this situation – he is thinking in the most rational way, like a machine, a computer. One single death to avoid thousands of deaths."
"Great" Tigra says, as Bobbi looks at Chris, in silence, realising that she seems to agree with him.
"and it gets worse – the Asian woman keeps explaining them the situation – Ultimo's brain has been divided into 3 parts: the neural net, the memory banks and the emotional core. They gave them to different private companies for research and development, and right now, the C.E.O. of Stark Solutions is inside that jet, opening a briefcase containing Ultimo's reactivated Neural Net, and drinking it."
"The C.E.O. of… - Chris says as she hears Rhodey telling Clint the samest things, shocked and like in terror - tell me you are not sure of it… it can't be!"
"Sweetie, if you want us to believe Tony Stark is about to unleash the universe's most deathly robot monster…" Simon says, almost smirking, not buying it.
"It's not about Tony they're talking about" Chris tries to explain, still terrorized by the plague the events are taking.
"Chris, Stark Solutions has just two CEOs, you and Tony, and since you are here, according to their data, it has to be Tony the one who's…"
"You are one of the CEOs of Stark Solutions?"
"Have you ever heard about newspapers, Miss Endo? I'm Christine Stark, Tony's my brother – she tries to sound wounded - We gave up. We were forced to sell everything after the invasion. During his reign of SHIELD, Tony used governmental founds to rebuilt few Stark properties. In order to pay our debts, we had to sell out everything."
"Tony's no longer CEO? But we thought he was the one we were after!"
"No, it's not Tony, it's…"
As she says so, she and Simon leave them on the soil, and, once heard an explosion, fly in direction of what's remaining of the plane, remaining for just half, what's now under Jim's care.
"What the hell is going on?" Clint, now on the soil with the group, is looking at a man who can only be Tony, who, reached the spoil, starts to release from a wound on his chest some kind of liquid metal that soon envelopes him completely, integrating even everything metallic and electronic around themselves…
"I think we're seeing an Ultimo coming to life - Endo tries to explain. – but if we're lucky, our men are already destroying the emotional core and the data… - she pauses as she listens to a message in her inter-com and hears Ultimo screaming in agony, with Tony voice, something that destroy both Chris and Rhodey – banks. Beth and Jake destroyed their parts, but we're not clear yet."
"Suzi, Tony is still there. my armor absorb tech, I can try to extract the neural net without hurting him."
"there are no good possibilities of doing it, Rhodey, besides, you're made mostly of metal and if he touches you…"
As they are talking about it, Ultimo finally absorbs the last part of metal in sight for miles, and, like there was nothing at all, flies away, followed by Jim.
"no more, Tony! We've taken out the other parts of Ultimo's brain, now you have to fight what's inside of you! I know you can do it!"
"Stop to call him Tony! That thing isn't my brother!" she cries in rage, like one of the mythical banshee of the legends, her eyes shining and blazing like in a violet fire, as she joins at maximum speed Jim
"Chris, I know Tony, I think we could try to reach him and…"
"Oh, poor Rhodey – Ultimo says laughing with all his energy – oh, no, no, no… the little mutant bastard is right… you're not talking to Tony – he pauses, showing an evilly smile of satisfaction – you're talking to Morgan."
"Morgan? Is that what Tony's sister was trying to tell us?" Suzi says through the comm.
"Morgan Stark. Tony and Christine Stark's cousin. A jealous conniver who tried to steal his cousins' fortune multiple times through hijinks with well known criminals.
"Oh, please. The plural? Christine's not my cousin, she is not even a real Stark…. You and I, Rhodey, are a lot alike, we're always been second stringers, especially to Tony. He had the glory, and we got the scrap of his glory he remembered to toss us. But that girl? – he grins, as he hits Jim with heat-vision - that girl's not worthy my time… when the bitch won the Nobel, nobody knew her, she was just "Tony Stark's little adopted sister". Maybe I'm not smarter than Tony, but, as sure as hell, I'm better than that damn freak."
"We're here to help, Morgan. Let us."
"Maybe you are , Jim, but, you see, Morgan and I - she says as, still in the air, flies as quicker as she can in Morgan's direction, hitting "it" with a punch, amplified thousands of times by her telekinesis – have never been in touch! – as she lands on the soil, falling on her knees, scratches on her face, she keeps looking at him, rabid eyes, as she concentrates her telekinetic powers to try to contain him, or to try to send him away, not knowing exactly what could be better. – if it hurt, I want you to know that it was because you dared to call me freak… next time, I'd suggest a mirror first, "cousin" dear".
"With Ultimo's mind connected with myself, I could have been special. I was going to be smart… well, I'm already smart, but smarter than him… I wanted to think like Ultimo, you know? But there's a problem. I'm not thinking like him – he grins, as, bigger than the plane, he keeps firing at Rhodey with heat-vision – I didn't acquire his processing abilities, but also his programming…. I've become him – he grins, laughing like an evil creature – I'm him. He wanted to destroy every single living creature he encountered, but, man, he was so limited…"
"What do you say about punches?" Wonder-man hits him in the back of his head, causing the solid metal to loose consistence for just mere seconds, buying them just few instants to continuing the evacuate.
"Oh, it was Ultimo's Mo, too, but, can you image how long it can take to kill manually every single creature of the planet? So, I've developed a brand new plan for him… us, I mean….and I've brought it almost to the point of execution…."
"Not today, not until I'm here" as Rhodey says so, he hits Ultimo in the same way the "robot" did before, trespassing him.
"look, look, look…. Looks like you already know how to make Summers envious, Jim... – she pauses, grinning, a she contains Ultimo behind a shield - didn't know you had this asset."
"Oh, please, Christine dear… you and your talking… although I've to admit that your combined efforts are quite impressive. Futile and unnecessary, but still impressive – he says, without smirking, a sad expression and a sad tone as well, as Morgan's body starts to emerge from the metal, offering Jim his hands – I'm a jerk, not am killer, Jim. And now, thanks to you, you've taken out not only the reflexes… but the brutal killing spirit as well."
"I'm glad you understood our point, Morgan – he says taking the hand and helping him out the metal – now come out of there."
"Jim, I'm not sure it's a good idea. He is a viper, who knows… she tells him through her cyber-telepathy, like it was not a mental projection, but a radio transmission.
"You know, without that part of him, I'm unable to pull the trigger – he says, smirking, as liquid metal starts to leaves his body just to take over Jim's one, removing almost the entire system net and bringing it to the new its owner – so I guess I'll have to take it from you."
Told you it was a bad idea and that you didn't have to trust him, but, do we really want to listen to Christine? Oh, no, she can just calculate thousands of scenarios pro seconds, who cares what she says!
Armor compromised. Neural net reached.
"Goodbye, people!"
Ultimo construct self- destructing
"What the… - Jim says as, as naked as a cyborg can be, still in the air, parts of metal tissue on him, looks at the exploding and laughing creature that just choose self-destruction for some unknown reason – Morgan!"
Miss Endo? Can you read me? - Chris says as, far from the explosion, projected who knows where from the blast of energy, tries to contact someone, just to have the confirmation she isn't mad, as she skims over the black gem of what looks like a middle-age bracelet, but is, instead, an only piece of high technology, making it shine in red light as her eyes do in the same instant.-please, tell me I'm hearing it wrong… Ultimo didn't reach the emotional core of Rhodey, did he?
Your attention. I'm ultimo, an AI programmed to eradicate all the existence on Earth. I've generated a process that will convert any vegetation into living metal. Within 2 weeks, the process will have spread over the entire planet. Without the photosynthesis, the oxygen cycle will cease and you'll suffocate. Of course, what will be left of you, because the majority of the population will starve to death as the food chain collapses. Who know, maybe you'll impale yourself and bleed to death. It doesn't matter how you die. Actually, I don't care at all, what I care about is that you'll finally be dead.
Please, tell me my cousin isn't possessing Jim…. "Bloody…. – she says as she joins Jim in front of an elder couple, who's going to be "assimilated" by the technologic vegetation, just before a wave of liquid metal could bring them down, stopped by Rhodey's flame-thrower and Chris' telekinetic purple shield – I'd not be so sure of myself in you, cousin"
"This bought you few minutes, folks, but I'd run away from the grass…" once done, he immediately runs away again, up in the sky, followed by Chris at maximum speed.
"Jim, where the hell do you think you are going? You can't stop him alone! Jim! – she cries in the air and in the net, as she tries to reach him – Jim, stop, there he is again…. Hell…"
Last thing: before you die, you have to know why I'm doing this, why I have to. Jim Rhodes, War Machine, hoping to stop me, destroyed my memory databanks and my emotional core. In order to survive and accomplish my mission, I had to borrow his. I've become part of him, I've seen everything he has – Morgan-Ultimo continues, as he let himself be seen on the net, TVs, and heard by radio – I'm going to show you. – as he says that, he shows them all the images recorded into Jim's mind, all the bad the world could offer: homicides, abandons, rapes, genocides, hate crimes, racism, natural disasters, incest, abuses, tortures… - this is what you people have done with your life. You can't have anymore.
[[separate them with a missile, damn!]] "What the… who's there?" as she hears a broadcasting communication between Hando and someone else, Chris isn't sure of what's she is listening to, or who's on the other side. She almost closes her eyes, a hand against her right temple, like to increase the concentration and the amount of power. [[We can't do that, we'd kill them both, I'm not going to…]] [[well, you know what? That's something I'm good at!]] as she hears the last part of the conversation, she is illuminated, and can't believe she wasn't even able to add 2 and 2 together… but, maybe, what enlightens her the most is the energy wave that sends her on the dead grass, in pieces, once the propulsion ray had got enough energy to hit Jim and hit him hard, and, without considering who's out of the game – Tony and Pepper – there's just one other person on the planet with that fire-power…
Osborn, idiot, you're just going to kill them both! How can you be so blind that you don't get it?
"Oh, please, C'mon, Miss Stark… I can be crazy, and maybe even evil… but stupid? You and Rhodes hurt my feelings!"
"as long as I was connected with him, I could still negotiate with him. I could talk him out of this!"
"First, Ultimo's an IT, not a HIM, jackass – as they keep fighting Not so distant from the land, Rhodey starts "assimilating" all the technology and the mechanic present around them, including cars, trucks and bulldozers – second, if you think you can negotiate with someone who has as objective "destroying all life on the planet", you're crazier than me."
"Oh, c'mon "Normy dear" – Chris says hitting him from the back, as he was going to do with Rhodes, with a telekinetic blast of pure energy, as solid as it was a giant bullet, while Jim hits him on the face with a part of a bulldozer – you don't think you can call my cousin an "it" and go away, right? Morgan is a bastard – she says as she keeps him on the soil, the strong pressure of the telekinetic force-field that causes her to sweat and bleed – but is my bastard. Besides, I think you've been around us long enough to understand that sometimes machines are people, too" she ends the sentence, grinning, while still suffering for the pressure and how hard he is fighting to come back on his legs.
"You, Osborn… on the other side…" iron patriot system control offline. Breach of iron patriot helmet.
Looks like it's finally time we serve that plate of "Justice is better served hot", isn't it? As she mentally says so to Osborn, standing in front of him, a grin of satisfaction, Chris manifests on her right arm a blade of purple-violet light, as solid as it was true: a psy-sword, her psy-sword. With this one, I can't miss your brain. And, believe me, a psyco-cynetic lobotomy is worse than a physical one. There's no turning back with what I'm going to do with you.
"Here it comes your window of opportunity, my children… - he says as he faces them, especially her, who seems to prevaricate, as she has tears in her almost closed black eyes, tight teeth, as he, grinning, smirking, an evil expression, a victorious expression on, keeps looking at her in the eyes, while still on the soil, like knowing her too well iron patriot system control back on-line – And here it goes. You could have killed me, the both of you. But our little Christine, although tries her best to look like the toughest girl on Earth, is too innocent and sweet to commit murder so easily… she even considers all human life too precious, to be able to kill someone, even meme, and you, Rhodes… you run the numbers, studied my history, and you've found out that, every single time I've killed…. I was either temporary and certifiably insane…"
Norman Osborn, alias the Iron Patriot, Alias the Green Goblin. Killer of Gwen Stacy
"Or I was serving my country. It must be rough to find out that the person you hate the most in the world is actually the best protection the world can have."
Killer of the Skrull queen Veranke and of Terry Kidder. Kill number: 67. Termination Unauthorized.
"The best protector this world can has? – she shouts at high voice, her eyes as red as flames, already few inches from the soil, a rabid grin in place of her features, as she blasts him mentally, sending him against the metal forest - let's see how sweet and innocent I can get around you, Osborn!"
"Black, enough of this! I'm not going to let you do this! And for what concerns your theory….it's really interesting how high you think of yourself!" as he ends the sentence, Jim focuses on his newfound optic blast and hits Osborn, again and again, while his "enemy" keeps coming back for more.
"Oh, please, you two… you're not eve…." As he says so, even unable to end his sentence, someone hits him again, again at the back, making his "comeback" on his feet hard.
"Maybe they're too sweet for you, but we aren't."
"I see that you finally get to use your emp arrow, Clint."
Clint Francis Barton, formerly known as Hawkeye, currently as Ronin. Simon Williams, alias Wonder-Man
"And you should see the vibranium one… although I think you'll soon do. – as he says so, Clint, once again on the soil after a ride on Simon's back, points his arch at the armoured former criminal on the soil – he ruined hundreds of lives, he is worse than the men you gave to the bears last year. We'll say he was possessed by Ultimo, no one will ever known…"
"Wait, Clint" as she, still standing, says so, Clint's reached by Jim, who takes his bow and arrow.
"Listen to her and be patient…. Since it seems it's going to happen for real."
"that bastard son of a motherfucker! Ultimo's reforming! – Chris says mad, trying to shield at least them from the liquid wave – he wants to explode to send spores past the flames barricade!"
"Simon, you and Clint can expand the evacuation radius up to 3 miles"
"No orders for me, boss?" Chris says grinning, still facing Osborn.
"You should watch that piece of trash and do something about it, princess"
"Don't tempt me, Clint."
"read my mind, sweetheart. I've got an idea."
As he says so, Chris just smirks.
"I'm dying to kill you all, you know that, right? –Osborn closes firmly his teeth, like he was some kind of rabid animal - once my armor will be fully charged again I'll… - as he says so, even unable to end the sentence, as he previously did with other machines, Jim incorporates the Iron Patriot armor into his one, letting it firing and blasting at what used to be Morgan, and, meanwhile, Chris goes at his back, hands on his temples, eyes shining of fire and starlight – in case you were wondering, you're not gonna get a presidential pardon for this!"
"Rhodey – Susie says at the comm.-link – you're not going to hurt or even neutralize ultimo this way. It turned liquid and.."
Who said anything about destructing Ultimo's physical self? Rhodey's gonna do what he started, sweetie.
"nnnngg….ahhhhhh!" Rhodes screams as in agony, when he enters in physical contact with Ultimo, as Chris tightens her teeth to avoid to do the same, still connected to him.
"what the hell are you doing?"
"Rhodes is… bonding …with… Ultimo neural… net" she says, uneasy, not daring to use her telepathy for a different use of what she doing right now.
"You remember that the first time he did it, Ultimo had been set off?"
"That's why… I'm amplifying… Rhodes' connection to… him… so Ultimo could get… what we want him to see… and we think that… once seen the… whole picture….- as she says so, her eyes shines more, and, from Jim's mind through her own to Ultimo's neural net, she sees faces. Moments. Memory. Hopes. All coming from Jim's mind – everyone… he saved. Everyone …who saved him. Everyone he loved and who loved him." so many faces. Faces she knows. Faces she used to know. Faces she used to trust. Tony. Clint. Tasha. Bobbi. Happy and Pepper… as she sees these faces – the faces she used to know in her "old life", a single tears, silent, escapes her eyes, making her loose for less than a millisecond concentration.
"people…what a show you gave me.- Morgan's face leaves, in part, the molecular structure of Ultimo, as Chris keeps looking around herself with Jim's eyes, with a smile – but I wanted to tell you that it was useless. Ultimo saw the tragic stories behind all the pretty pictures you just showed us. Your memories aren't going to convince him of anything. Besides- he continues, as his smile turns into what looks more like a maniac laughter – my dear "cousin" here lost concentration, while helping you. It was less than a millisecond, but, girl, let me tell you this, your life was tragic! Can't believe you went through that much evil in your time… I mean, you survived a genocide! What's better than this to convince Ultimo to destroy us all?" as eh says so, still grinning, he comes back to where he was before, the "brain" of the alien robot.
"Bloody bastard I can't believe that he won at my own game! I can't believe that with Morgan at his side he could be that powerful! I even didn't see it coming!"
"I think I told you it was bullshit. Now, what's your plan? Sending him a hallmark card?"
"Hey, your new plan is even more interesting that the other one. I mean, if we're lucky enough, we'll not even have to…- she says grinning.- I can't interface directly to Ultimo, and, besides, as Morgan put it, I went through too much of hell; it means that the only one in close proximity to our friendly neighbourhood alien robot who could interface with it… it's you!- as she says so, both Rhodey with his "magnetic abilities" and Chris with her telekinesis throw him against the neural net – please, why did you think I was sparing your life? I'm not that nice of a person, you know?"
"Wait, no, you can seriously think to put me inside that thing! – Norman, helmet off, shouts at them, as Ultimo starts to interface with the red-haired middle-age man – it's ridiculous, you know me, Stark! You and your friend can't really want to let that thing inside my head!"
"Thought you liked being planet's last hope, Normie…" she grins again, satisfied, whishing everyone on the planet to see this going on. Too bad she can't broadcast it right now.
"Well, pardon me, but I thought that being planet's last hope meant blowing everything up!"
"I don't like to do it, Osborn, and I even like less the fact that you're the one who's getting the job done – Chris says as she does what she did before with Rhodes – but you are a human being. It means, that, very, very deep down, you've been human at heart, once. I want you to remember that moment, and I want you to show Ultimo how it was, how it felt. And be thankful that I prefer to save the world than killing you by making your brain forget how to breath" that'd be nice, she thinks between herself, since it's how Tony's dying. It'd be appropriate, a good comeback.
"Dammit… all right, all right" as he says so, he closes his eyes like to concentrate better, and he looks inside himself, in search of something, and, finally he finds it, he finds it and she shows it to Ultimo, making it feeling the sensation thousands times more… an hospital bed. A young and beautiful woman. The sensation of having your baby in your arms for the very first time. The baby you wanted, you desired, the smile on your face, the tears in your eyes.
"You old softie… can't believe you really did it… it's a clean state, it's rebooting, overwriting its original programming… and it's releasing Morgan!"
"Yeah, and I'd like to not let Tony know of it… you're not going to tell him, Chris, right? You know that deep down I've always loved you and…"
"Stark, why don't you make us all a favour and shout up? –Norman tells him, grinning, a maniac light in his eyes, laughing like it was the Green Goblin to do it, as he blasts out of his way both Chris, still at his back, and Jim, sending them to the soil, and, slowly, makes his way towards the freshly-generated sphere of liquid metal, what remains of Ultimo - and now, it's time for Ultimo to come to Daddy… and for me to check "making the planet's greatest alien weapon worship me like a god" off of my to-do-list… - Osborn pauses, as he puts back his iron patriot helmet, his voice mechanical again – along with "kill James Rhodes" and "take care of Christine Stark"…"
As Morgan, first time in his life, his helping his cousin Christine "Chris" Antoinette Stark-Johnson, codenamed Blackdragon, to stand on her own, while Endo and Dr. Sandoval try to se if there's something wrong with Rhodes, Chris knows too well that, under that mask, he is grinning like a maniac, having maybe the same laughter that he had when he was the Green Goblin.
"Rhodey, can you hear me?" "Rhodey!"
"He is having a…. ischemic stroke. The system's gone to hypo-perfusion, the blackout's to blame.-Chris' eyes turn red as, once on her feet, turns herself between Osborn and Rhodey on the soil, keeping doing this same very action, a serious expression on her features – guess I had to kill you when I had my "open window", then." As she says so, a brunch of HAMMER soldiers come to them, pointing guns and everything else, as, annoyed and mad, she finds herself divided between the possibility of 1)fighting them – which could lead to her winning or her dying , or 2)surround herself and hoping in mercy for her and the others; and, as he keeps grinning under that helmet, Chris, worlds' greatest feminine mind, decides for the second one, as she, closed eyes, lifts her hands.
"Good Choice, dr. Stark – he keeps grinning – relax, I'm not gonna kill your former body-guard. I could let him die, but I don't want to. Well, at least until I've duplicated that machine interface of his. Ice him… and arrest the girl."
"Osborn, I'd like to tell you two things: arresting an intelligence agent of a friend country, supported by the Government of the country she is resident in, you're violating… well, many things. I know, technically I had to be in England to avoid capture, but I'm pretty sure that there's something I can rely on to avoid arrest even here, and, second… the stroke simulation is terminated, which means that the dismantling and re-assembling process of your precious armoured transport and the weaponry of your funny little soldiers can begin- her hands still up in the sky, Chris grins, maliciously, as, her eyes shining again, she send son the floor the agents who were trying to arrest her, while Rhodey transform into a bigger and more lethal version of himself – I'd run in you, Normie dear, if you whish to not be assimilated and remain alive."
"you seriously think that, Stark? That your friend here – he says still laughing like the maniac he is – could assimilate me?" he keeps repeating it, along with "nobody can assimilate the Iron Patriot" as he fires at Jim with everything he has.
"But I'm pretty sure we can hit you. Jim with the brute force of the physique, and me – Chris says as, in the same instant, Jim hits Osborn in the chest and she does the same, in the very same point, with a solid construct of kinetic energy – with one of my trick! Whoa, not that bad at all… and it felt so damn right! I think that I'll quit analysis for a while…"
"Now we just have to free the baby… I hope that Suzi will be able to teach him the difference between right and wrong, away from Osborn…so that he'll not have neither one nor two lethal weapons today."
"I told you he was just on up-and up saving the world, I told you!"
Clint Grins, happy and satisfied; deep down, he seems more happy about the fact that he was right, that the fact that he was right about his friend.
"You should have told us form the beginning, Rhodey"
"you red my mind"
"Yeah, well, but, using the words of Wisdom, after we got "our collective asses kicked". Like you don't know – she smiles evilly – how I hate ruined costumes"
"Glad that you are all happy, then, and I hope you'll be too, after I'd told what I'm really up to. I need you to evacuate the civilians out of the way, and then, whoever's up for it, can help the rest of my team to finish the real job."
"The real job? What hell is about the real job? I thought that your job was to avoid Ultimo from rising again from his ashes…- Clint and Bobbi turn to look at her, him surprised, her laughing a little, while the mutant is simply annoyed – hey, I haven't gone through his whole mind!"
"You stay out of this" Rhodey states, facing her with his red orbs.
"Rhodey, I don't like being ordered around, especially now, besides I could always help you. Osborn will soon be back, and if I can hack into his system, I can try to shout it down and if I'm lucky enough, place a old nice Trojan so that his entire net would end in…"
"no –he states again, closer to her, the most serious look she has ever seen on him - that's the reason Tony send you away Chris. It wasn't about protecting yourself. You can take care of yourself pretty good, when you want. This is about protecting the entire super-hero community of the world. Do you really believe that, if he knew that you are in danger, on some kind of life-or-death situation, Tony wouldn't come back to get you at any cost? Damn you, Chris! If Osborn will gain access to you, it will be like him having access to the SHRA databank! That's the reason you should not have come back and come closer to a wanted man!"
(later)
"Good way to cover everybody's escape, but what he thinks he will do to save his own can?" 32 minutes later, the Iron Patriot armour is finally full of juice again, and Osborn is hitting Rhodey, and bad. He is hitting him so bad that he can't even re-assemble himself.
"He is out of tricks, Morgan- Parnell says in front of the black-dressed Starks – Osborn's jamming the pulse range of the magno-lock. It will take him 3 hours to field a new range so that he could start re-assimilating more tech"
"It's insensate! It's… it's a suicide! I'm not gonna stay here while Osborn's killing him!-Chris says, tears in her eyes, ready to flight away in direction of her friend. – it's the least I can do for him!" it's not only that she owns him big time, it's that she feels guilty, and she hates it. She hates feeling guilty for having saved his life in Santo Marco. She hates herself because she is the one to blame for his transformation. She is the one to blame for what's happening today.
"Chris, no, he can't put his hands on you, he'll use you to reach Tony and the SHRA databank. I can't let you do this… and I cant let you call Bet, Glenda. I'm sorry, but there's not going to be another day. I'm a soldier, doing his job… and you'll follow my orders."
San Francisco, later that night
Chris walks inside what used to be Pete's old private hideout-apartment when he led X-Force, keeping looking at the TV screen, like hoping to see something that could help her feel better, like the fact that her brother is still alive somewhere out there, that Osborn is no more a problem, that her parents' killer is really dead, or maybe she whish she could see a frame on same news of a girl that resembles her but is older… her sister. Alive but who knows where. Or dead. Killed by the vampires, maybe (they still said she was the last one of her kind, didn't they?)… everything to feel better, after what happened today. She failed Rhodey, she failed the Avengers (and Clint dared to ask hr why she wasn't going to follow them). It0s dark inside. Inside herself. Ultimo was right, she starts to think, there's nothing right in this bloody world. And one of her best friends got arrested for this. And, probably, will be death on few hours.
"I'm impressed. You almost took me off-guard- she leaves the sofa where she was watching the news and stands, turning to look at the man and the 3 girls who just entered in her apartment, hoping to not let her know it. – so, what's Scott Summers doing here?" she says, a little annoyed, cold, at crossed arms.
"I could ask you the same, Chris – he grins, going to see at the round table in the room, making himself at home, since he even dares to show her the seat she should take at his side – after all, you are in San Francisco, holy city of mutankind. When the cuckoos told me you were here, I supposed you were back"
"I just stopped by. I couldn't fly to London in the shape I was, I'm here just to rest. If I'd be back – she talks, asking herself why she feels the sudden urge to explain herself to Summers – I'd be at the headquarter."
"I don't think you should be there with us" he coldly tells her, but with a shadow that looks too much like a grin printed on his lips.
"So – she almost laughs – you're here to tell me that I'm no longer allowed around the X-men? That's fun, Summers, really. I'm so flattered that I don't know what to say"
But Scott, putting on the table a white box he had with himself shows right on her face a bracelet first, keeping it in his right hand, and, then, reveals the content of said box.
"You're not going to be at the headquarter because the reason I'm here it's because I want you in my X-Force. I need you to save our future."
You know me, so you know I'm here waiting for you to R&R... and next time.... chasing Bishop!
