Death Fury: Love is an odd thing I guess. Thanks.
Sport21: She has a decision to make. Thanks.
Chapter 33: The Battle Plan
(Arthur's camp, 1000 years or so ago, several days later)
Over the past several days, the king's army, the Knights of the Round Table, and the trio of time travelers had been preparing for their upcoming battle with Doom and his allies. The training they went through was tough and vigorous. Gawain trained with the time traveling trio with great focus and intensity, but Lancelot was somewhere unknown. However, no one knew what the king himself was doing. They had not seen him leave his tent…ever. Today, however, the king had called for the knights and the trio to join in his council as they prepared for the upcoming battle. They were heading to the king's camp right now.
(So the king wants us to meet with him for the big battle plan…this should be fun.)
"So how do you think his 'highness' is going to be? We didn't exactly part ways on good terms." Peter grunted.
"Perhaps after talking with the knights he's calmed down." Steve said.
"Yeah right." Logan scoffed.
"Come on you two, we're almost there." Steve said as they approached the king's tent.
The guardsmen at the entrance of the king's tent stepped aside for the trio to enter. The trio nodded…well…Peter & Steve nodded to them, then entered. Arthur sat on his throne at the head of the table, all the knights, including Lancelot, the old generals who were in the tent when the trio first met Arthur, and even Guinevere were in there. The trio bowed to the queen, who smiled and curtsied to them. They then stood up to their full heights. The three then turned to the king. Arthur had mostly healed from the beating Logan had dealt him when they first met.
"So…has everyone arrived?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, my lord." Gawain stated.
"Good, let us begin." Arthur said.
"Hold on, why are you all of a sudden not calling for our heads on a platter?" Logan growled.
"An old friend gave me wise council…I was a fool, and I need to remedy that." The king said, turning to look at Lancelot.
"Thank you, my lord." The knight said, bowing.
(This is a good change.)
"Let us begin this council meeting." Arthur said, standing up from his throne.
"My lord, still no sign of the Saxons. They still have no come to avenge their fallen." One of the generals stated.
"Hmm…peculiar…" The king said, rubbing his bearded chin.
"Maybe they were just men that they decided they didn't need." Logan grunted.
"Possibly just arrow fodder whom they did not care to lose?" Gawain added.
"Doubtful…if Doom had them hunt for you…he would want to hear from them…but since there have been no Saxon soldiers come here…he must have something special planned." Steve stated.
(Why do I have a bad feeling about this?)
"Knowing that egomaniac, he probably thinks we're no threat…now with what: magic, advanced technology, his elite guard, Taskmaster, and the Saxon army." Logan growled.
"What is the warrior speak of?" Arthur asked.
"Our enemy is not a humble one, he underestimates all that oppose him." Steve explained.
The others, except Peter & Steve, contemplated the meaning of their words. They remembered how Doo had acted while 'facing' them.
"This is good. If Doom has thus such arrogance, that is his weakness." Arthur said.
"Yes, but what can we do? We could not defeat the man with the skull mask." Gawain argued.
"Taskmaster. *Growls* I'll deal with him." Logan snarled, cracking his knuckles.
"I don't think he'll focus on you. He wants me, he wishes to kill me." Peter stated.
"Why? What has thou done to him? Speak dear boy." Guinevere asked.
"I've…sort of embarrassed him on a number of occasions." Peter answered.
"*Giggles* Well dear boy, you should be the one to fight him. Since you have beaten him so many times, you must thou defeat him." Guinevere chuckled.
(Heh heh…oh boy…)
"No, we cannot send Peter to fight Taskmaster alone." Steve said.
"I imagine Doom will have him by his side. Just because we are 'beneath him'." Logan growled sarcastically.
The others murmured, contemplating the mutant's words.
"We shall take on the sorcerer and this…Taskmaster…the hunters, myself, and Sir Lancelot shall. But first, we must free Merlin." Arthur said.
"And?..." Peter grunted.
"…And Morgan le Fay…" Arthur sighed.
"But if that's so…what about the Saxon army?" Gawain asked.
"We shall all be seen leading the army. But once the battle begins, we shall sneak into the castle. Sir Gawain, have some horses ready for their escape." Arthur answered.
"Let the three of us deal with the ones standing guard over them." Steve said.
Arthur rubbed his beard, then nodded.
"I must speak to the men…but we must first have everyone prepared for battle." Arthur said.
"As thou commands…my king." Sir Lancelot said, bowing.
The others, except for the trio, bowed with him too.
(A few weeks later)
The men of Camelot's army stood in a field not far from the camp, a hill in front of them. They murmured, having been called to hear their king's words. The sun rose in the sky as a figure did as well, but the golden armor he wore practically blinded the army as it sparkled in the sunlight. The men saw their king as the gleaming armor, his helmet shaped on either side in the style of a great dragon's wings whilst around his face were in the shape of a dragon's fangs. The gorget fits firmly around his neck. His breastplate has the emblem of a great white dragon circling around itself, with its wings spread out and its mouth opened baring its fangs, and its clawed hands & feet positioned like they're clasping something. A white cape flows behind him, latched to his back. The pauldrons sits firmly on him like a vest. Where the rerebraces and vambraces would be are gold scale armor, literally in the style of scales. The couters are locked tightly on his elbows. His gauntlets are latched firmly on his arms and hands, the fingertips in the shape of a dragon's claws. The king's tasset is wrapped around his waist, and on the sides covers the cuisses. The poleyns are fit firmly, as are the greaves & sabatons. Around his waist is the leather belt with the sheathed sword in his scabbard, and on the other side is another scabbard with a sheathed golden sword. The army bowed to their king. The Knights of the Round Table came to stand behind him on his left side. Behind him on his right came the trio, in their new gear.
(We look awesome guys! Heh Ha!)
Captain America had helmet shaped similar to his, except on either side are the stylizations of an eagle's wings. Where a gorget would be is just chainmail. However, his breastplate is made of pure steel, but with a white star in the center. His silver pauldrons fits comfortably on him, a star directly above either of his shoulders. His silver rerebraces and vambraces are attached to the couters firmly. He is wearing his gloves instead of gauntlets, as well as firmly fitted chainmail. The man's silver tasset fits firmly, and like Arthur's, covers part of his steel cuisses. The poleyns, greaves, and sabatons are fit comfortably yet firmly. A leather belt is attached to his waist, the longsword given to him is sheathed in a scabbard. His shield is being held by his left hand. wolverine had a helmet shaped similar to his mask, except it was a dark gray in color with no visor. There is no gorget, just chainmail in its place. Where his pauldrons would be are splint armor. He has a breastplate, but is just plain steel with no unique emblem or sigil. He has simple vambraces, couters, and rerebraces. His gauntlets have three holes in them to allow for his claws to be extruded out, should Wolverine decide to use them. His tasset, cuisses, poleyns, greaves, and sabatons are the same as the knights. He held his battle axe in his hands. Spider-Man had something similar to that of Spyder Knight, but not with the same coloring. His helmet is basically the same, like the gorget too, as is the breastplate, except the black spider emblem is the same as his suit's…but larger. His pauldrons are plain like the knights. Spidey's rerebraces, couters, and vambraces are the same as Cap's. He has part of a gauntlet, but where his hand would be are actually the 'gauntlet' parts of his suit. This is 'similar' for where the sabatons would be. Spidey is actually wearing his costume under his armor. The part gauntlet is rather thin, but has an extra layer of chainmail underneath it. His tasset, cuisses, poleyns, and greaves are similar to Cap's. The armor that covers his limbs is thinner than the others to give him more mobility, but has chainmail underneath them, like his part gauntlets. He also has a leather belt is around his waits, and on either side is a scabbard with a sheathed shortsword in them.
(I forgot to mention they're kind of uncomfortable.)
"Men of Camelot! Today I stand before you, not as your king…but as a man just like all of you! We have been exiled from our home: our rightful place in this world! The vile sorcerer, Doom, and his army have for too long had our home in his clutches! Well I say: No More! It is time we take the fight to them and reclaim our home! Before you, stand great warriors, ready to face those same enemies! We shall no longer hide from them! We will do what is right! We shall take back what is ours!" The king proclaimed, and at the last sentence he unsheathed his sword and raised it in the air, gleaming in the sky 'against' the sun.
The soldiers got to their feet, unsheathed their weapons, raised them in the air, and cheered with passion at their king's encouraging words.
To be continued…