A/N: Alright, we are finally in Bagalia now! Frank, Alice, and Billy won't be going to prison just yet, though. Zemo still needs to have a chat with them. Oh, and the other members of the Boys are reacting to the news in varying ways. Enjoy!
Music: "Judge, Jury, and Executioner" from Dredd 2012 OST
Mega City One
2118
Becca continued pacing around the apartment, when she suddenly heard a knocking at the door. Holding out hope that it was her family, Butcher quickly made her way across the small living room, throwing open the door to find Chief Judge McGruder standing there instead.
"Chief Judge." Becca murmured in disappointment. "Where are Joe and my son?"
"That's… what I'm here to talk to you about." McGruder said grimly.
"What do you mean?" Becca furrowed her brow in confusion. "Are they hurt?"
"That's the thing- we don't know." McGruder pinched the bridge of her nose. "We were having Dredd and your son test out an upgraded Project Proteus, but we lost contact."
Becca slowly nodded, deep in thought. She knew what Proteus was; it was how she and the rest of the Boys travelled from New York in the 21st century to Mega City One during the Necropolis.
"Is it still working?" Becca asked, getting an idea.
"Yes. We're trying to determine where exactly they are."
"Good." Butcher grinned. "Send me there."
An hour later, Becca and McGruder arrived at Tek-21, briskly walking inside and making their way toward the Project Proteus lab.
"So far, all we know is that your husband and son are in a universe designated THX-192110731879." McGruder informed.
"No Earth?" Becca raised an eyebrow. McGruder stared at her curiously, and Butcher added, "During my time, a friend of mine mentioned that the multiverse is categorized by different Earths."
"Ah yes, the speedster known as the Flash." McGruder recalled, just as they entered the lab. "The problem is, there is no Earth in that universe."
"Hence why you don't know where they are." Becca realized.
"Exactly." the Chief Judge nodded. "We don't even know if you will arrive on the same planet as Dredd or Ryan."
"I'll take my chances." Becca muttered, walking over to a Tek-Judge named Irons and retrieving one of the Proteus time displacement belts.
"Very well." McGruder murmured, while Becca placed the belt around herself and walked up onto the platform. "Irons, activate the platform."
"Yes Chief Judge." Irons quickly nodded, throwing a switch. "Activating dimensional portal in 3, 2, 1…"
Becca felt herself begin to be engulfed in a familiar blue energy, as she heard McGruder say one last thing:
"Good luck."
New York
2028
Millie sat worriedly in her family's living room, with Cass right next to her. They were both worried sick for Frank… and Billy, now that they were on the run. The last either of them heard from Castle was when Cass communicated with him telepathically, where she discovered that he was in Gotham, but had allied with the serial killer and terrorist known as Alice. Truth be told, Millie thought she was dead, or at least, disappeared around the same time Batwoman was killed.
"Are you okay?" Cass asked softly, placing her hand on Kessler's shoulder. Millie looked over at her adoptive mother, and shook her head.
"Are you?" she weakly asked back. She didn't need Cass to speak to know she wasn't.
As the both of them sat on the couch, a sharp knocking was suddenly heard. Cass nearly jumped out of her seat, looking up to see the face of Grace Mallory looking through the front window. Anderson-Castle breathed a sigh of relief, quickly getting up and opening the door.
"What news?" Cass asked hopefully.
"Zemo captured him." Mallory said blankly. Millie's and Cass' eyes widened in shock, as Kessler stepped forward.
"No. No." Millie denied. "You're lying."
"She's not." Cass mumbled, reaching into Grace's mind. "Because you handed him and Billy to Zemo on a silver platter."
Millie's eyes widened further, as she shot the CIA woman a glare.
"What?!" Kessler shouted, clenching her fists in anger. "You bitch! Who could you-"
"It was the only way to avoid a world war-"
"Bullshit!" Millie roared. "That didn't stop the government start to use supes in the military-"
"Frank agreed to it, Mill." Cass revealed, still reading Mallory's mind. "The world still believes that he killed Bruce Wayne."
"But we know that's bullshit." Millie protested. "Why would he give up?"
"Because he's not." Grace spoke up, as the corners of her lips quirked up into a smile. "He somehow found out that the real Bruce Wayne is in Bagalia."
"And he's planning a rescue mission." Cass realized. "By letting himself get captured."
"Exactly." Mallory grinned. Millie attempted to smile, but returned to her worried expression.
"Is that woman from Gotham still with him?"
"Alice?" Mallory raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Zemo wanted the three of them."
"But-"
"Mill, he'll be fine." Cass said reassuringly. "After everything he's been through- Homelander, the Dark Judges, Beth Chase- Zemo has no idea what he's about to unleash."
Millie chuckled to herself, shaking her head in amusement. Maybe she shouldn't worry. After all, Frank was the one who had come face to face with Homelander three times and lived. Not to mention how he had single-handedly defeated both Judge Mortis and Judge Fear during Necropolis. So maybe… maybe Frank was going to be alright after all. But still…
"I need some time alone." Millie declared, turning to walk up to her bedroom. She was doing her damndest to try to block Cass out of her head, and couldn't quite tell if it was working. Could she read her mind right now? Or had she successfully shut her out? Either way, Cass didn't say anything, as Millie entered her bedroom and quietly shut the door, before pulling out her phone. After sifting through her contacts, Millie landed on one name in particular.
Alice Pierce.
Millie smirked to herself, remembering how she and Alice met. They were originally partnered up in the Marines, and had each other's back ever since bootcamp. They shared their stories with each other, for Millie it was when she was trapped in the Blissfield Butcher's body. For Alice, when she was tormented by an evil doll named Chucky, and subsequently trapped in a doll herself. In a way, they shared a kinship similar to Frank and Billy. The fact that she was a fan of the Punisher was just the icing on the cake.
Kessler smirked to herself, before tapping Pierce's name to initiate a call. Millie held the phone up to her ear, hearing the automated ringing, until a female voice answered.
"What's up Mill?"
"Nothing much, Alice." Millie grinned. "It's been a while."
"Sure has." Alice chuckled. "How's Cass?"
"Doing great. What about your Uncle Andy and Aunt Nica?"
"Still going strong, but they sometimes have nightmares of Chucky."
"Yeah… sorry." Millie whispered. "Have you seen the news?"
"I did." Alice's voice echoed. "I'm sorry about Frank."
"That's what I'm calling about." Millie told her. "How fast can you get to New York? I need your help… and I need our team together too."
Music: Theme song from A Nightmare On Elm Street 1984
Springwood, Ohio
Allyson, Riley, Billy, and Michael finally arrived at Westin Hills, parking at the front of the building. The supes exited their truck first, walking briskly up to the entrance, and forcefully opened the doors with their enhanced strength.
"Ready?" Allyson asked, looking up at Michael. The Shape looked down at his closest friend, tilting his head slightly, and nodded. Nelson grinned, activating the flashlight on her phone, and led herself and Myers down the halls, with Riley, and Billy following close behind. As they traversed, Allyson noticed that the darkness seemed to cast abnormal shadows, but paid them no mind. After all, why should she? She, Lenz and Michael all had Compound V running in their veins, what did they have to worry about?
Eventually, Allyson found what looked like the security office, and they all walked in, with Nelson quickly going towards the computers.
"Let's hope these weren't scrubbed." Allyson murmured, as she accessed the security footage. After rewinding back to one of the timestamps from the year 2003, Allyson played the footage of one of the patients. Despite the grainy video, Nelson could see the patient, wearing a simple gray shirt and pants, screaming and thrashing in bed, clearly having a nightmare. Allyson began to stand up, when the footage revealed something so bizarre and horrifying, she paused:
As the patient continued thrashing, four slash marks appeared out of nowhere on his face, like an invisible force attacked him.
"What the fuck?" Allyson asked out loud, looking over to Michael. The Shape merely tilted his head, joining in her confusion. What was this? Was this the doing of a supe? She knew of supes who had some form of telekinesis. Hell, the former leader of the Church of the Collective, Alastair Adana, had the power to pop anyone's head like a watermelon, and was ultimately responsible for the attack at the congressional hearing seven years ago. And yet… somehow, this didn't feel like a supe's doing. It felt more supernatural.
Nelson shook her head, moving on to patient records. Most of the people in the files were declared deceased, but two stood out. Mark Rollins, whose picture portrayed him with short black hair, and Mark Davis, sporting almost a blonde buzzcut. Mark was declared deceased, but it was his psychiatric description that caught her eye.
"Patient won't stop believing that a man named Fred Krueger murdered his brother in his sleep." Allyson read, with her eyes widening. "Patient described Krueger in detail: burnt face, striped sweater, fedora, and knives for fingers."
As Allyson continued reading, a memory sprang forth in her mind. One where she was in the hospital after being rescued by, and subsequently murdering Calvin Sartain. She had revealed to both her family and Haddonfield's sheriff that she had killed Doctor Sartain instead of Myers. Instead of arresting her, the sheriff told them all a story about a man named Frederick Krueger…
Michael looked at her curiously, and Nelson shot him a worried glance. Next to them, Riley looked uneasily at the computer. One name stood out in particular.
"Krueger." Riley widened her eyes in surprise.
"What?" Allyson frowned, turning to stare at her friend.
"Freddy Krueger." Riley gulped. "When I was still in elementary, the kids would tell stories about a man named Freddy who would visit you in your dreams. They even had a song for it: One, two, Freddy's coming for you. Three, four, better lock your door…"
Allyson involuntarily shivered, before craning her head to look back at the computer screen.
"After I killed Sartain's son, Sheriff Barker told me about Fred Krueger." Allyson mumbled. "How he was a child murderer and pedophile, and was burned to death by the victims' parents."
Michael said nothing, while Allyson turned back to look at Mark's face on the screen. The description of Krueger having knives for fingers would certainly explain those slash marks just appearing in the earlier footage, but Krueger was supposed to be dead, right? He couldn't just come back. But then…
Allyson suddenly shook her head in denial. She was stupid to think someone could just stay dead. If there's anything she's learned over the last ten years, after Homelander, the Dark Judges, the Sisters of Death, and Michael himself, it's that anything can happen.
Bagalia
I was surprised at how quick we arrived in Bagalia. Then again, Zemo most likely stole some Stark tech to upgrade his bird.
Zemo's private jet landed at an unremarkable airport, and Frank, Alice, and Billy were escorted down the ramp, with Helmut leading them to a sleek black limousine.
"A limo? For us?" Alice asked sarcastically. "You shouldn't have."
"You seem to believe you are prisoners here." Zemo mused, as he opened up the limo door. "You are not… yet."
"That right?" Castle asked, holding up his handcuffs. "The fuck are these then?"
"An insurance policy." Zemo told him. "For now, you are my guests. Now please, get in."
"And if we don't?" Alice challenged.
"Would you like to find out?" Zemo asked curiously, as the HYDRA agents around them brandished shock batons. Alice narrowed her eyes, glaring at the Baron, until Billy placed a shackled hand on her shoulder.
"Alice, let's just get in, okay?"
Kane glanced over at Billy, softening her gaze.
"'Alice did not dare to disobey, though she felt sure it would all come wrong, and she went on in a trembling voice'." she recited, before getting into the limo with Frank, Billy, and Zemo, who entered last and sat opposite of the three of them.
"Oeznik, take us to the citadel." Zemo instructed, looking over his shoulder at his limo driver. The older man, wearing a formal black suit and gloves, sharply nodded and began driving off, while Helmut produced a bottle of wine.
"Do any of you drink?"
Neither Russo, Alice, nor Frank said anything, and Zemo shrugged, popping the cork and pouring himself a glass.
"I'm sure you all have questions about why you're still alive."
"Let's start with how you got out of prison." Frank demanded. "Last I heard, you're supposed to be in Berlin. So what did you do? You take advantage of half the population turning to ash?"
"Intriguing conclusion, but no." Zemo smiled, just as he finished pouring the wine. "Even locked away, I still had many resources. I am a baron, after all. I simply needed to arrange a meeting with a mutual acquaintance."
Music: "Prison Break" from Falcon And The Winter Soldier OST
Berlin Correctional Facility
Eight Years Ago
Helmut Zemo sat on his bunk in solitary confinement, interlocking his fingers in patience. After pitting the Avengers against each other in 2016, Zemo had been captured and sentenced to a prison in Berlin, following a transfer from the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre. However, despite his imprisonment, Zemo still chose to keep up with the world's events. Vought International was quickly rising to compete with Stark Industries, including their own brand of superheroes, created from a variation of the super soldier serum. A mad titan named Thanos had hunted down what was known as the Infinity Stones and wiped out half of all life in the known universe. Thanos seemingly killed the remaining Avengers shortly after, while the Seven became the dominant superhero team. Other vigilantes, such as the Flash, Superman, and his cousin Supergirl, had started to appear more frequently, only to be killed off in what looked like random incidents. But Zemo knew better. No, the ones who died were most likely murdered by Homelander himself. If he had to guess, it was Homelander who slaughtered the Avengers as well, not Thanos.
In fact, that was why Zemo had arranged this meeting. See, one of those so-called "heroes", Batwoman, was found with her skull split open. Only a day or two later, Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham. Helmut had found this news interesting, if not coincidental, and decided to dig a little deeper. There, he discovered that Bruce Wayne was the Batman, and his cousin, Kate Kane, was Batwoman. After a battle with the Joker, Batman had disappeared from Gotham, with Bruce leaving soon after. How people never made the connection they were the same man still made Zemo chuckle to himself. But the most fascinating part of all this was that the Bruce Wayne that returned to Gotham was not actually Bruce himself.
As Zemo continued to think, the door suddenly opened, and a man in a blue dress shirt and black suit stepped inside. Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear.
"I see my associate has reached out to you." Helmut smiled, standing up from his bed and staring at Bruce from behind his cell's glass. "It is nice to finally meet you… Mister Elliot."
"Hush." the Wayne look alike growled lowly, while placing a finger to his lips. Helmut smirked, knowing that he had touched a raw nerve.
"What do you want, Zemo?"
"Simply put, a partnership." Zemo grinned wider, turning towards his bed and picking up a nearby book. "Machiavelli. A good read, I think."
"What is your point?" Tommy hissed out, twitching his eye in annoyance. Zemo remained silent, instead opening the book and revealing a keycard.
"I have kept this close for months now, waiting for the right moment." Helmut revealed, before closing the book quickly. "And now, you will make it so."
"What do you want me to do?" Elliot asked curiously.
"The most vulnerable piece in a system is not hardware, nor software. It is the human element." Zemo explained. "In this prison, there has to be two guards for every two prisoners. However, if two prisoners start a fight, protocol mandates four guards to respond."
"You want me to start a riot." Tommy realized. "Why should I help you?"
"Because I can give you what you want." Zemo grinned. "You help me escape, and I will help you find the real Bruce Wayne."
Tommy Elliot's lips curled into a sinister grin, and without a word, left Zemo's cell. The fake Wayne walked out into the cafeteria, tossing a rolled up piece of paper onto a table next to two prisoners. One of the inmates, a bald man with a black goattee, snatched up the paper, and unfolded it to read a startling message.
He will kill you tonight. Kill him first.
The bald inmate looked across from him, glaring at a man with dreadlocks, and lunged forward, grabbing him by the throat. Tommy smirked, leaving the cafeteria, just as the brawl began to escalate.
Back in his cell, Helmut patiently waited for ten minutes, until the alarms suddenly went off. Wearing a shit-eating grin, he quickly pulled the keycard from his book, unlocking his cell door, and walking out into the hallway, towards a bathroom.
"Stop! Stop at once!"
Zemo heard a guard behind him, yelling in German, but he paid it no mind, continuing towards the restroom. It wasn't until he was standing in the middle of a stall, when he turned around to see the guard holding his baton out at him. Helmut placed his hands up, pretending to surrender, as the guard stepped closer.
"What the fuck were you doing-"
Zemo suddenly reached out, grabbing the baton and smashing his elbow into the guard's face, making him stumble back. As the man gasped in pain, Helmut slammed the baton into his head so hard, his neck twisted to the side in an audible crack!
The guard crumpled to the ground, and Zemo dragged his body into the nearest stall, swapping his prison uniform for the guard's as quickly as possible, before donning a security hat just for good measure. With his disguise ready, Zemo stepped out of the bathroom, walked through the cafeteria as the riot progressed, and slipped past armored guards with riot shields. Just for good measure, Helmut pulled the fire alarm on his way out, ensuring his escape would go unnoticed and using his keycard to go through several locked doors.
An hour later, Zemo walked into a garage filled with old fashioned sports cars and automobiles. Standing next to a sleek black Mercedes was Tommy, running his hand along the hood.
"Thank you for arriving." Helmut smiled, opening up an automobile door to find a long black trench coat with a fur collar. Next to it was a purple ski mask, with lined grooves running down the entire face.
"That's our first move? Grand theft auto?" Tommy raised an eyebrow. "I could have done this with Batman's car."
"These are mine." Zemo revealed, grabbing the coat and mask. "Collected by my family through generations."
"You said you were going to help me find Wayne." Elliot growled impatiently. "How?"
Zemo smirked, as he shed the prison guard's uniform to wear the fur collar coat. Once he finished, he opened up the Mercedes' car doors, inviting Tommy to sit.
"Simple. We use our combined resources."
Twenty minutes later, Zemo parked the Mercedes on an airport runway, right next to a private jet. As he and Elliot got out of the vehicle, an older man in a dark suit walked down the plane's ramp, graciously smiling at Helmut.
"So all this time, you've been rich?" Tommy asked, widening his eyes in surprise.
"I am a baron, Thomas." Zemo revealed, walking over to the older man. "My family was royalty before the Avengers destroyed my country."
"So why didn't you use that to get out of prison?"
"I was playing, as some people call, the long game." Zemo shrugged, just as the older man stopped in front of him.
"Hello, Oeznik."
"Welcome, gentlemen." Oeznik greeted in his native Sokovian language.
"Good to see you old friend." Zemo genuinely smiled, as the two kissed each other on the cheeks. Tommy rolled his eyes, while the three of them boarded the plane.
"Where to, sir?" Oeznik asked.
"Sokovia." Zemo answered, sitting down in the first seat. Tommy, however, remained standing, folding his arms in annoyance.
"Bruce Wayne won't be at that crater."
"I never said he would." Helmut countered.
"Then why are we going to that shithole?!" Elliot roared. The baron sighed, looking out the window.
"When I saw the Avengers in action, I realized something." Zemo murmured. "People like them, these superheroes… we put them on pedestals. They become symbols, icons. And once that happens, we forget their flaws. From there… cities fly, innocents die, wars are fought."
"But the Avengers are dead." Tommy frowned. "Thanos killed them."
"Perhaps he did, or perhaps Homelander lied." Zemo shrugged. "But this is not just about the Avengers. The Seven, Superman, the Flash… people praise them for stopping the mugger or the rapist, but ignore the victims. Superheroes cannot be allowed to exist."
The baron took a deep breath, before turning to face Tommy again.
"We will rebuild Sokovia into a proud nation again. One for people like us." Zemo smirked. "In that time, we will find Bruce Wayne… or he will come to us."
"Works for me." Tommy grinned, opting to finally sit in the chair across from Helmut, just as Oeznik returned with refreshments.
Present
"Where's Bruce?" Alice blurted out, lunging towards the Sokovian. The only thing stopping her from strangling their captor was Russo reaching over holding her back.
"Alice, don't." Billy murmured. "Killing him will just make it harder."
"Entertaining logic." Zemo smirked. "But, I'll indulge you. While you murdered Thomas Elliot when he was posing as Wayne, I possess the real one. He is safe with me, at my citadel."
At least he admits Wayne is alive and here. Just gotta figure out how to get to the citadel.
"As I was saying, you are not my prisoners, nor do I want to kill you, Francis." Zemo revealed, pausing to take off his mask, revealing his combed brown hair, and sipped his wine. "I believe we can benefit from working with each other."
"Yeah, why do you think that, Zemo?" Frank asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because we want the same thing." Helmut declared. "We both believe that superheroes should not thrive in this world."
"That right?"
"Yes, Francis." Zemo nodded, continuing to drink his wine. "I destroyed the Avengers because of what they did to Sokovia. What they did to my family. You destroyed the Seven for the same reasons."
"And you think we can work together." Frank scoffed.
"Put it this way, Francis… if you and William Russo join me, I will release Bruce Wayne."
I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider that offer. Pretending to join HYDRA in order to get to Wayne? But something kept nagging at the back of my head, telling me no. It kept asking, why did Zemo only offer that to myself and Billy-
"Wait-" Billy furrowed his brow, turning to glance at Alice. "You mentioned only Frank and me. What about Alice?"
"As I said, superheroes cannot exist. The same can be said for their counterparts." Helmut shrugged. "Ultron did as much damage to Sokovia as the Avengers. And Miss Kane… she is a criminal and domestic terrorist from Gotham-"
"And what are you, huh? What are you?" Frank snarled, leaning forward. "You are nothing like me, Zemo. You are nothing. The people I killed, I stood in front of them, not you. You're a coward. You hid behind those bombs and manipulated the Avengers into fighting each other. You killed the goddamn king of Wakanda, asshole. You're nothing but shit off my shoe, you-"
Zemo lashed out, punching Frank squarely in the face. Castle growled, about to retaliate, but the limo suddenly stopped, and the doors were opened. Two HYDRA agents pulled Billy and Alice out, while a woman with long brown hair, wearing a black robe with a sword on her back, yanked Castle out.
"Tatiana." Alice gasped, recognizing the woman.
"You know this bitch?" Billy asked, staring at Tatiana in confusion.
"She should." the assassin smirked at Alice. "I was the one who trained her."
"Aw, are you getting sentimental, dear Tatiana?" Alice asked mockingly.
"Stupid girl." Tatiana snarled. "Once the three of you have outlived your usefulness, I will personally execute you in front of Safiyah."
"Should've known the two of you would work with him." Alice muttered, glaring over at Baron Zemo, who had just gotten out of the limo.
"Apologies, Francis." Helmut told Castle. "I didn't mean to be so brash. However, I had high hopes we could see eye to eye."
"Keep dreaming, asshole." Frank sneered. Zemo sighed, nodding to Tatiana, and Frank, Billy, and Alice were spun around to face a large prison structure.
"As you wish, Mister Castle." Helmut said begrudgingly, as the three captives were ushered forward. "I hope you will come around… in time."
Frank, Alice, and Billy were led inside the prison, where they were brought to the front desk. Next to one of the guards was a bald man, wearing a long black coat and gloves, and HYDRA symbols on the shoulders. The shirt he wore underneath was a dark tan, while his belt buckle was also shaped like the organization's insignia.
"Welcome, new inmates!" the man exclaimed gleefully, in a thick German accent. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am William Boss, the warden of this prison."
Boss... William... why does that name sound familiar?
"Weren't you that prick from Texas?" Frank groaned, remembering the name Bill Boss from the papers, years ago. "The one who ran the George H W Bush Penitentiary?"
"Ah, are you a fan?" William grinned sinisterly.
"No." Castle narrowed his eyes. "Not really a fan of attaching one's mouth to another's asshole."
Boss narrowed his eyes, forming his hand into a fist and punching Frank in the jaw.
"Enough." Tatiana snapped, glaring at the warden. "Zemo demanded them not to be harmed."
William rolled his eyes, while the guards produced clean white prison uniforms.
"Strip down!" Boss ordered.
"Here?" Frank raised an eyebrow.
"Strip!" Boss ordered, flashing a cruel smile. Seeing no other options, Frank, Alice, and Billy peeled off their clothes in front of everyone, before covering their naked bodies with the white uniforms.
Colored white so they know we're fresh fish. Frank thought to himself, as they were dragged from the front and towards the holding cells. While they were being dragged down the cellblock, three more HYDRA agents joined the two others already carrying Frank, Billy, and Alice away, with Tatiana and Bill Boss walking behind everyone to make sure they wouldn't try anything.
The scum in the cells hiss and sing to me as I go by, letting me know what they've got planned. I've put enough of their brothers and sisters in the ground down all these years, so the way they see it, payback's way past due-
Wait a minute. Frank looked from side to side, peering into the cells for a few moments. Victor Zsasz, with his body covered in tally marks. A man with a bald head, sporting a scar over his left eye and having a tattoo of a scorpion on his neck, who Frank remembered was a former drug runner named Mac Gargan. An overweight man with a huge mane of black hair and thick black beard to match, which Frank vaguely remembered seeing his patient file from Smith's Grove shortly after Homelander's defeat. Some of these prisoners were criminals, just like Zemo. Why were they placed in here?
"Hey Castle-"
Warden Boss had approached Frank and elbowed him in the ribs, before directing him to look up towards the end of the cell block. Leaning against the concrete wall was a tall African American man, having a bald head, a thin mustache, and a bit of stubble on his chin. Unfortunately, Frank knew exactly who it was.
"You see that spear chucking ape over there?" the warden sneered. "Vought wanted him to be in charge of those monkeys in Wakanda. Shame it didn't take, I would've loved to see him go."
Nubian Prince. Never actually met him before. Heard he got sent to Baltimore shortly before Homelander killed its mayor.
"He ended up killing some cunt by buttfucking her too hard. Guess that's what Compound V will do to ya down there." Boss bellowed with laughter. "He is hands down, the most dangerous jungle bunny we got in here, and I'm never wrong, got that? He's the crazy golliwog Zemo will send after you once he realizes you can't be reasoned with."
Frank narrowed his eyes, but remained calm. He had to think straight, find a way to get out of here, and get Wayne.
"And you-" Boss continued, looking over at Alice. "Pretty little whore, stuck in here. Irresistible to a nigger like him. He'll use your blood for lube, and once he's done, you'll be needing a fucking wheelchair. Assuming you're still breathing, that is."
For a moment, Alice stood there, stunned at what Boss just said, before smashing her elbow into his face. The warden groaned, while Frank and Billy both fought off their own agents with a flurry of kicks and headbutts, as Tatiana strode forward.
"Enough-"
Alice jumped up and kicked her former teacher in the chest, sending them both sprawling to the floor. Meanwhile, Frank wrestled one of the agents' baton away from him and rushed towards Nubian Prince, slamming the steel bar atop his head. The supe growled in pain, dropping to his knees, and Frank raised the baton above his head.
"Fuck, stop him-" one of the guards exclaimed, but it was too late. Castle swung the baton down with all his might, hitting Nubian Prince's head so hard, not only did the blunt weapon splinter in half, but his skull also partially caved in, with blood gushing from the wound.
Tatiana, Bill Boss, the HYDRA agents, Billy, and Alice stared at Frank with stunned expressions, as Castle threw away the pieces of the baton at the exact same moment Prince's body fell to the floor with a mighty thud. What the Punisher said next made Billy and Alice smirk in amusement.
"Tell him to send the next most dangerous asshole."
The HYDRA agents quickly recovered from their shock, and after taking out the rest of their batons, rushed towards Castle. Two guards shoved Frank to the ground, beginning to mercilessly beat him, while the rest forcibly restrained Alice and Billy. Tatiana stared at the three of them with nothing but contempt, before pulling her sword out and pointing it at Alice's throat.
"Uh uh. Careful." Alice grinned mockingly. "Your master Zemo made it clear he still wants us alive."
Tatiana growled in annoyance, before smashing the butt of her sword against Alice's temple, knocking herself out cold. Before Billy could say anything, the assassin knocked him out with an elbow to the face.
"Take them to solitary." Tatiana muttered, turning towards Frank Castle and stomping on his face. The HYDRA agents nodded, carrying the prisoners away, while Tatiana turned on her heel to exit the prison, with Boss closely following.
Music: "Dream Attack" from Nightmare On Elm Street 1984 OST
Springwood
Allyson opened her eyes, looking around to find herself in a boiler room, bathed in crimson light. The supe frowned, staring down at her hands in confusion. How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was her, Michael, Riley, and Billy renting out two rooms at a motel in Springwood for the night. They were planning on waking up early and heading back to Haddonfield as quick as possible. So what happened?
While Allyson continued pondering, a sinister cackle suddenly echoed throughout the boiler room, causing her to whip her head around to see a man wearing a red and green striped sweater, walking along the catwalk. His burnt head wore an old fedora, and instead of a right hand, he sported a metal glove, with razor sharp knives for fingers.
"Well, well... so you're that little bitch who's been running around with the gimp." the man sneered in a voice that sounded like a deep rattle. Allyson narrowed her eyes, remembering who this man was.
"Krueger." Allyson muttered, as he made his way down the catwalk.
"In the flesh." Freddy smirked, performing a mock bow. "Welcome to my world, bitch!"
"What do you want?" Nelson asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, nothing much." Krueger shrugged, while brandishing his claws. "I just want more children to play with!"
Freddy lunged forward, slashing at Allyson's chest with his bladed glove. Nelson had just enough time to back away, but not before Krueger cut four marks across her body. Allyson grit her teeth, more in irritation than pain before punching Freddy so hard, her fist went right through his stomach.
"Well, guess there's some fight in you, Allyson."
"You don't scare me." Allyson replied defiantly, as the cuts on her chest began to heal.
"Maybe not." Freddy smiled wickedly. "But I think he does."
"At that moment, Allyson heard somebody land behind her, and upon turning around, saw a man in a blue suit, with a cape stylized after the American flag. In an instant, Allyson clenched up, widening her eyes in fear and backing away.
"Homelander." Nelson gasped. "No... no... you're dead-"
"I'm the world's greatest superhero." the Homelander smirked, as his eyes began to glow red. "I can do whatever the fuck I want."
Laser beams suddenly shot out of Homelander's eyes, striking Allyson directly in the chest. The supe screamed in pain, feeling her flesh burn away, when-
Allyson woke up, feeling sweat pouring down her face. Her eyes darted around, seeing that she was back in the motel room, laying on the bed, with Michael sitting in a chair across from her. She sighed in relief, about to fall back onto the bed, when she suddenly felt a burning sensation. Confused, Nelson looked down, lifting up her black shirt to see scorch marks in the area where her heart was. It was already rapidly healing, but it was still there.
Nelson's eyes widened, realizing that the footage from Westin Hills was true. Freddy Krueger had somehow survived being burned to death, and had the ability to kill people in their dreams. Worse still, this wasn't a normal supervillain who had Compound V in their veins. Whatever Krueger was, Allyson could bet that it was supernatural.
"Oh shit..."
Bagalia
"And he surrendered?" Zemo asked incredulously, taking off his mask and leaning forward from his desk. In front of him, Tatiana stood in the middle of his office, giving a curt nod. Next to her was Safiyah, wearing a displeased look on her face, while leaning against the wall was Warden Boss, clearly bored.
"Your HYDRA agents beat him to the ground. He didn't even try to fight back." Tatiana reported. "I had them all put in solitary confinement. But I do not understand why you wish for them to be left alive."
"Because Mister Castle can be valuable, one way or another." Zemo smirked.
"What about that whore with them?" Boss asked, grinning evilly. "I think she would make a great pet."
"None of them are to be harmed for now." Zemo said sternly. "Let me make this clear, William. You are only here because of your contributions to Vought, and by extension, HYDRA. You transferred prisoners to Arkham Asylum so that Doctor Matthew Butler could experiment on them with Compound V. In return, you were ensured a reliable security of your prison."
"You forgot to mention the retard you gave me." Boss muttered.
"You are referring to Dwight Butler, Matthew's younger brother." Zemo sighed. "Shooting him in the head was your mess. Creating a... human centipede with your inmates caused an even bigger one. Be grateful HYDRA got ahold of you before law enforcement did. Or worse, Homelander."
Just as Zemo finished speaking, the door opened, and in walked Jonathan Cartwright, his face more burned up.
"Ah, Mister Cartwright. I trust your trip back was pleasant?"
"Not as pleasant as when I get my hands on the bastard who did this." Mouse growled, pointing to the extra burns. "And once I'm done with him, I'm gonna kill Alice for what the bitch did to me!"
"Patience, Jonathan." Helmut grinned. "They can still prove useful, if they refuse to join HYDRA."
Safiyah turned her head and glared at the Baron, crossing her arms in irritation.
"We had a deal, Zemo." Safiyah reminded him. "The Many Arms of Death offers its services to you and HYDRA, and in return, Jonathan and I will personally exact our revenge on Alice for her betrayal."
"Our deal was that I help locate Alice." Zemo countered with a sly smile. "When I came to you, all those years ago, I gave you a way to escape your prison on Coryana. You took it, and in exchange, I promised to find her, and I have. Now I assure you, you and Mister Cartwright will have your vengeance, but only after my plan is fully realized."
"Plan?" Jonathan frowned, looking around the room. While Boss' face was contorted in confusion as well, Safiyah and Tatiana wore blank expressions to what Helmut had said. "What plan? We already have them all here!"
Zemo simply grinned, reaching across his desk and placing his mask back over his head.
"You'll come to find out... in time."
Coryana
Seven Years Ago
Baron Zemo and Tommy Elliot felt their jet land on a remote island in the Mediterranean sea, with Helmut looking out a window to see a bridge made of rocks and dirt, leading to a stone castle. Elliot, still looking like Bruce Wayne, stood up from his seat, just as Oeznik exited the jet's cockpit.
"Will either of you require anything else?"
"No, old friend." Zemo smiled, standing up and patting his butler on the shoulder. Oeznik slowly nodded, watching Helmut and Tommy leave the jet, before opting to rest in one of the now vacant chairs.
Zemo and Tommy made their way across the bridge, towards the castle. No sooner did the reach the other side did a dozen men and women in white robes walk toward them, led by a black haired woman wearing a violet colored garb. Next to her was a woman dressed in all black, with a sword strapped to her backside.
"Ah, Safiyah Sohail." Zemo greeted with a smile. "It is good to finally meet you."
"Baron Helmut Zemo." Safiyah replied, eyeing both him and Tommy. "How did you find Coryana?"
"As you inferred, I am a Baron." Zemo pointed out. "It was merely a matter of pinpointing geographical coordinates in the Mediterranean, coupled with the fact that Hamilton Dynamics formerly had a defense system set up in this area."
Safiyah narrowed her eyes in annoyance, turning to look at Elliot.
"You look like Bruce Wayne, but you are not him."
Tommy took a step back, widening his eyes in surprise.
"How did you know?"
"Because I have been watching both you and Alice ever since you escaped that asylum in Gotham." the woman dressed in black announced. "I know that stupid little girl gave you a new face to wear."
"Sorry, who are you?" Tommy asked arrogantly, staring at the woman with a raised eyebrow.
"Tatiana, my personal bodyguard." Safiyah answered, before turning back to Zemo. "Why are you here?"
Zemo smiled, placing his hands behind his back and stepping forward.
"I would like to offer an alliance." Helmut offered. "I know that this island has become your prison ever since Catherine Hamilton cut you off. I can give you a means to leave, but I require something in return."
"Which is?" Safiyah tilted her head in curiousity.
"Your loyalty." Helmut said calmly. "As it turns out, escaping from prison does not go unnoticed, particularly from the nation of Wakanda."
"Because you murdered their king at the United Nations five years ago." Safiyah remembered. "You want the Many Arms of Death as your personal guard against the Dora Milaje."
"Precisely." Zemo grinned. "They shouldn't be too much of a threat, given you are but a splinter faction of the League of Assassins. Even you, Miss Sohail, were trained by Ra's Al Ghul himself."
Safiyah took a deep breath, looking past Zemo towards his jet in the distance.
"Walk with me." Sohail suddenly ordered, turning on her heel and marching back towards the castle. Zemo and Tommy followed after her, flanked by Tatiana and the Many Arms, where they all made their way into a courtyard of sorts. Inside the yard, leaning against a pillar, was a man with long brown hair, with half his face heavily burnt. Upon seeing Tommy, the burnt man slowly made his way towards them, looking Elliot up and down.
"I know Alice made you a new face, but I didn't expect her to make you Bruce Wayne." the man sneered.
"Good to see you too." Tommy wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"This is Jonathan Cartwright." Safiyah revealed. "Tatiana found him in Gotham's sewers last year. According to him, he had been poisoned by Alice."
"Yet here you are." Zemo murmured, staring at Cartwright with curiosity. "During your imprisonment at Arkham Asylum, you were no doubt experimented on with Compound V."
"Unfortunately." Jonathan muttered. "I didn't even know that poisons wouldn't affect me until Alice tried to kill me."
"Jonathan and I share a common enemy." Safiyah continued. "We both want Alice to suffer for her treachery. But we will need your assistance to find her."
Zemo smirked, shaking his head slightly.
"Quid Pro Quo, Miss Sohail." Zemo chuckled. "I offered you an escape from this island, and in return, you would protect me from the Dora Milaje. Now you are asking for a new favor."
"What are you asking?" Safiyah inquired.
"You already know that my friend here is not Bruce Wayne." Zemo pointed towards Elliot. "However, I have plans concerning himself and the new country I am developing. Plans that I cannot risk the real Wayne with sabotaging."
"You want us to find and kill the real Bruce Wayne." Tatiana guessed.
"Not kill." Zemo shook his head. "I merely want to capture him for now."
Safiyah, Tatiana, and Cartwright looked at Helmut uneasily, as he held out his hand to the queen of Coryana.
"Do we have a deal?"
A/N: Aaaand, now Frank and friends are in prison. So, I lied a little bit, I am taking some bits and pieces from the MAX one shot called "The Cell". Not too much though, since that was about Castle allowing himself to get locked up so he could kill mob bosses with ties to his family. Obviously, that doesn't work in this story.
I'm still not sure whether I want Freddy Krueger to be directly working with Zemo and HYDRA, but I will have him connected to a past villain from this series. It'll be explained later.
That beginning scene with Becca Butcher is the last scene of Mega City One that will be featured in this story for a while. For those who have been reading my concurrent story The Law And The Way, you'll already know I'm keeping those narratives as separate as possible, given the setting of the story.
That phone call Millie has is going to lead directly into the next chapter. I know I haven't really shown Kessler when she was doing operations in the Marine Corps, so this is my way of somewhat rectifying it. The character she was talking to will also lead into a bigger reveal.
The character Bill Boss is from the third Human Centipede. I binged all three films over a couple days, and I decided to use him for this story. There won't be any centipede experiments, just the warden's incredibly racist and sexist attitude in order to keep some grittiness from The Cell storyline (I'm talking actual sexism and racism, not the kind people throw around like candy these days).
Finally, I mentioned the Dora Milaje being after Zemo because at the time, I rewatched the third and fourth episodes of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. They will make a physical appearance later in the story, albeit breifly.
Until then, stay safe out there.