AN: This is by far the darkest chapter I've attempted in this story, hope ya'll enjoy it.
"Whoa." Riri said aloud as soon as she and Rayshaun exited the portal that Crusader had opened for them.
"When Crusader said Imperious could create really convincing nightmares, I had my doubts ." Rayshaun muttered only loud enough so that Riri could hear as they looked around and saw they where in what appeared to be Central Park. "But this looks really... well, real." Rayshaun muttered as he reached up and snapped a small tree branch from a tree next to them, and held it to his face. "Definitely convincing." Rayshaun noted as he tossed the branch aside and the duo began walking down path that was directly behind them.
"Remember what Crusader told us to remember: 'Do not be afraid, remember what is real, and you will make it out.'" Riri recited to Rayshaun, who nodded his head silently in agreement.
"My question is, where do we find Doreen?" I mean we arrived in Central Park, but that could just be where we arrived. For all we know she could be anywhere in the city–" Rayshaun was cut off by loud cheering in the distance, followed by a voice that appeared to resonate all across the park.
"All are welcome to witness the death of the last mutants and mutates. Come witness the death of the lowly, and witness your own ascension as we spill their tainted blood–"
"That was all I needed to hear." Rayshaun said quickly as he activated his shields glider function and hopped on, while Riri activated her armors thrusters and got airborne as well.
"I hope you have a plan of attack for when we get there." Riri noted as she and Rayshaun began steadily moving towards the loud cheering.
"Main goal is to rescue Doreen. But I can't formulate a battle plan till I see what we're up against." Rayshaun said wisely as he and Riri kept flying towards their friends presumed location.
"Please tell me I'm not the only one seeing this?" Riri whispered in a horrified tone as she and Rayshaun stopped flying towards the sound of the cheering and where hiding atop a tree next to a large crowd of what appeared to be at least several hundred people, although calling them people would be generous, for they looked off to say the least. Everyone held a blunt instrument of some kind, and each where cheering or chanting something that the duo couldn't make out.
"I really wish I wasn't." Rayshaun whispered as in the center of the crowd appeared to be a stage, but not just any stage, a stage that was filled with gallows and guillotines, but that was not the most disturbing part, what made Riri and Rayshaun's blood run cold was who was on the stage: the Secret Warriors! But it soon became clear that the Secret Warriors where not going to be part of the executed, but rather they where the executioners, and that became clear as they lead a man with a sack on his head up to one of the gallows and wrapped a rope around his neck, and with a laugh they pulled the lever, and before the man fell through the floor Rayshaun and Riri averted their gaze as they couldn't stomach what was happening. However the mans death wail was resonated over the speakers, and that made Rayshaun's stomach churn and Riri opened her face plate and began dry heaving for a few seconds. Soon a woman was brought up to the guillotines and suffered an even worse fate than the man.
"I'm going to freaking murder Imperious with my bare hands!" Rayshaun hissed once his stomach stopped churning.
"Remember this isn't real–" Riri began before the evil version of Daisy brought a microphone up to her lips.
"Next is a death we are most proud of and excited to show all our people. Bring her forward..." Daisy ordered as a girl in a ragged outfit was dragged forward by the evil versions of Inferno and Mrs. Marvel and the sack was ripped off her head, revealing Doreen!
"Doreen!" Rayshaun whispered in a panicked tone.
"We've got to move, now!" Riri whispered as she began doing a weapons check on the holographic display on her wrist.
"What's the plan?" Rayshaun asked as he strapped his shield to his left arm.
"Screw a plan, lets take these bastard's down..."
When Doreen's vision returned to her, she instantly knew where she was, and her heart was beating over a million miles a minute in her throat.
"Daisy, please don't do this." Doreen whispered in a panicked tone as she eyed her former team leader.
"You hear that?" Daisy asked the crowd loudly, earning their attention. "The mutate is asking me to spare her life... what says you all?" Daisy asked the crowd in an evil tone. The crowd did not hesitate in yelling a single word.
"Death!" the crowd yelled with a blood-lust and blood thirsty tone that could not be satisfied.
"Sorry Doreen, the majority has spoken." Daisy laughed evilly as Doreen turned to face the twisted version of Rayshaun, who had his own sadistic smile on his face.
"Rayshaun, how could you do this to me, I thought... I thought we where–"
"In love... with you... ha." Rayshaun snorted. "How could I ever love a mutate, especially one who's an abomination of nature. Hold on Daisy." Rayshaun said as he walked up to Daisy and took the microphone. "Who hear things we should cut off her tail before we kill her?" Rayshaun asked the crowd in a hopeful tone, to which the crowd all roared in applause and agreement. "Daisy, you want the honors of the butchering?" Rayshaun asked his leader.
"No. You deserve the honors. My request though: make it slow and painful, then we'll cut her head off." Daisy requested as Rayshaun nodded his head in agreement as Daisy pulled out a very sharp and wicked looking curved knife that appeared to have dried blood on the blade and with an evil smile she handed the knife to Rayshaun, who held the knife high and got a cheer from the crowd.
"Any other requests for what we should do to her?" Daisy asked the crowd.
"I've got a suggestion." a female voice called out from the crowd. "Drop the knife!" the voice yelled as suddenly a repulser blast struck the knife melting instantly as Iron Heart flew across the stage at high speeds and slammed into Rayshaun's evil duplicate and knocked him off the stage. Daisy raised a hand and was about to unleash a shock-wave at Iron Heart until a launched projectile to the back of the head rendered her unconscious, as Patriot landed on the stage and converted his glider back into a shield and began firing more projectiles at the other evil duplicates of the Secret Warriors. While Patriot provided covering fire with his projectile weapons, Iron Heart ran up to Doreen and slung her hand over her shoulder and helped her into a standing position.
"Iron Heart, can't hold them and the crowd off at the same time!" Patriot shouted as the crowd was quickly moving towards the stage with their weapons.
"We've got Doreen, blow the horn!" Iron Heart ordered as she worked her way next to Rayshaun who pulled the golden war horn off of his belt and blew a loud blast from it, and in a flash of golden light they where pulled out, just as the crowd and the corrupt Secret Warriors where ready to pounce...
Rayshaun and Riri fell to one knee on either side of Doreen's bed as they where pulled out of the nightmare as Rayshaun ripped back the mask which covered his face and Riri popped open her face plate.
"We good?" Riri asked Rayshaun.
"I think so." Rayshaun gasped. "How is–" he never got to finish his question due to Doreen bolting upright in her bed and letting out a scream that could wake the dead.
"What the hell, what the hell!" Doreen screamed as she began crying in her bed.
"Doreen, your safe now." Riri said in a comforting tone as she put a hand on Doreen's shoulder, only for Doreen to yell even louder in panic.
"No, this isn't real!" Doreen screeched as she jumped from her bed and looked for the exit.
"Doreen stop!" Rayshaun yelled as she blocked the exit.
"You! You where going to kill me!" Doreen yelled in a scared yet accusing tone.
"Doreen, I would never betray you... Doreen I... I... I love you." Rayshaun finally blurted out how he had felt about her for months, and that made Doreen freeze.
"How do I know this is–" Doreen never finished her question as Rayshaun walked forward and planted a kiss on her lips which surprised the squirrel tailed heroine but the flutter in her heart told her this was real as she kissed Rayshaun right back. After a minute they broke off the kiss and just stared at each-other.
"That answer your question?" Rayshaun asked in a joking tone with a blush and a smile on his face, which earned a blush and a smile from Doreen.
"I think I need to feel it again, just to make sure it's real." Doreen said quickly.
"There will be time for that later, D." Riri said as she walked up to Doreen and put her hand on the older heroines shoulder, this time, Doreen just smiled brighter. a few seconds later Vixen walked out of a golden portal and Daisy bolted upright in her bed and began looking around, but she calmed down a lot quicker than Doreen did.
"Daisy, you alright?" Rayshaun asked as she walked up to his best friend, who looked at him weakly.
"I'll live." she said in a very weak tone, which caused Rayshaun to look over at Vixen, who as well had a bleak look on her face. A few seconds later another portal was opened, and Dante and America where pushed out of it, and it sealed itself back up, but Kamala did not wake up.
"Contact your father at once, we've got to get that portal open again!" Dante ordered in a panicked tone.
"I gave my communicator to Captain Marvel, I can't contact him." Vixen said quickly. "What happened in there?" Vixen asked the two Secret Warriors who had gone into Kamala's mind.
"We had to blow the horn... before we reached Kamala." America said in a low defeated tone, which earned shocked looks from everyone.
"What do you mean?" Riri asked quickly. Before Dante or America could answer the question, Captain Marvel walked into the room, a very grim expression on her face.
"Captain Marvel, we rescued Daisy and Doreen, but Kamala is still apparently trapped." Vixen explained quickly as Captain Marvel let out a heavy sigh.
"That's not the only bad news." Captain Marvel said slowly. "Vixen, your suspicions where validated... Gwen has been kidnapped... by Imperious." Captain Marvel said slowly, which earned shocked looks from everyone.
"How?" Vixen asked quickly.
"Everyone fall in, we have much to discuss..."
To Be Continued...
