AN: Here is the climax for Journey Of The Vixen my good friends, I hope you all love reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
"It seems Ms. Johnson, and Ms. Starlight have called you out, Wraith." Imperious mused as he sat on his throne talking to his lead general through his holographic projector.
"That is not worrisome at all, master. Natalie must have survived her wounds, and told them about my location, which I had planned for." Wraith said with an evil smile from his kneeling position. "They think luring me to a location of their choosing will even the playing field, but in reality it will only lead to their capture, and then the final two pieces of the puzzle will be in place." Wraith said in a satisfied tone.
"I sense you want to accept their challenge?" Imperious quizzed Wraith.
"Master, do I have your permission to fight them?" Wraith asked in a rare humble tone.
"Permission granted." Imperious answered without any hesitation. "Be warned though my general, fighting them without reinforcements could be your downfall. They have nothing left to loose outside of their own lives, and once you have nothing left to loose, you will fight with a fury that is a sight to behold." Imperious said wisely.
"I assure you, I will be bringing two-thirds of my forces with me... so that they can watch the end of the Secret Warriors, and begin the end of this world." Wraith assured his master, to which Imperious nodded his head in agreement.
"Bring the captured Secret Warriors to the battlefield–"
"I rarely question your wisdom, but wouldn't it be easier to just leave them here, so that they'll not be able to interfere in this battle?" Wraith asked in a confused tone.
"You have spoken wisely. While it is true that it would be easier, they deserve to see their remaining two allies defeated, for they are good warriors, and they deserve an honorable death... that being to die together. Remember Wraith, everything is under control..."
-Later-
"Vixen, no matter what happens, I just want you to know–" Daisy was silenced by Vixen raising a hand to silence the older girl.
"I know Daisy. If we die today, we'll die with our hands around the throat of our enemies, and I'll see you in Heaven." Vixen said with a calm and comforting smile as the two warriors could be found waiting in a clearing in Central Park, awaiting for the arrival of their enemy.
Their patience was soon rewarded as a few hundred feet away, a black portal materialized out of thin air and a familiar purple and black armor wearing skeletal warrior emerged from the portal, he was soon followed by what seemed to be hundreds of either skeletal, or un-dead looking warriors.
"Hello, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Starlight." Wraith greeted them in an almost sincere tone.
"'Sup Wraith?" Vixen greeted in her one almost sincere tone. "We told you to come alone, Wraith." Vixens said smoothly as she eyed all of Wraith's forces.
"I might have not come alone, but I do come bearing gifts." Wraith said smoothly as more portals opened and the seven captured and chained Secret Warriors fell from the portals into kneeling positions, although Daisy and Vixen could tell they where forced into those positions. "Need I also not forget." Wraith said smoothly as the teams respective Blessed Weapons that Crusader had gifted the rest of the team with fell to the ground through another portal. "As you see, your friends only have minor cuts and bruises, and I have their blessed weapons. I'll give you once chance–"
"I'd rather die than be Imperious's mindless puppet." Vixen said before Wraith could even finish, a sentiment echoed by Daisy as she raised her blessed katana.
"Then you have sealed your whole teams fate." Wraith began in an evil, yet smooth tone. "My master is of the opinion that you nine warriors deserve to die a warriors death, which is more than I believe you deserve–"
"Your nothing but a slave yourself Wraith, and I'm ashamed it took me this long to realize that." Vixen mocked Wraith, who's cocky smile turned into a scowl. "You might be Imperious's lead general, but you'll always at the end of the day be nothing but Imperious's bitch." Vixen mocked with her own cocky and taunting grin.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you Vixen, just as I enjoyed killing your entire race!" Wraith hissed in an offended tone, and it was clear that Vixen's insult had gotten under his non-existent skin.
"Maybe you'll kill me, maybe you'll kill us all." Vixen admitted bluntly. "Or maybe we'll just kill you instead... yea, I think I like that option better." Vixen taunted again.
"Fight us alone like a true warrior Wraith." Daisy ordered the evil general. "I'll make you an offer you cant refuse Wraith: beat us, and we'll surrender to you, however if we win, you not only return our friends, but you leave this dimension entirely. Prove to us that you not only deserve your title as Imperious's lead general, but that you are the superior warrior." Daisy challenged as she readied her katana while Vixen summoned The Blade Of Heaven and stabbed it into the ground.
"Ha!" Wraith snorted as he walked towards them. "I've always been the better warrior." Wraith said in his own challenging tone as he with one slow yet fluid motion unsheathed his pure black bladed battle sword. "Come for me Daisy Johnson and Vixen Starlight!" Wraith yelled in a challenging tone as he surprisingly charged at the two warriors in front of him.
Daisy and Vixen raised their respect blades as Wraith quickly covered this distance in a matter of seconds and slashed at Daisy, to which she parried his sword with her katana. Vixen tried to do a leg sweep as Wraith and Daisy struggled for dominance with their enchanted weapons. Wraith smiled as he had anticipated the move and back-flipped to avoid the attack. However in going airborne, he had just fallen for something Daisy had been waiting for, as she dropped her Katana and unleashed a seismic wave that covered the distance between them in the blink of an eye and struck Wraith just as he landed back on his feet, and a result made him go sailing back through the air again and crash into a tree.
"Clever girl!" Wraith complimented as he quickly got back unto his feet. "But not clever enough." Wraith hissed lowly as he raised his hand and suddenly the whole battle field went pitch black, as Daisy and Vixen could not only not see Wraith, but they couldn't even see each-other. Vixen's eyes began to glow yellow as she activated her aura magic, and she quickly spotted Wraith's black and purple aura moving towards Daisy's golden aura. Vixen planted her sword into the ground and pulled her bow out of her backpack, notched an arrow with lighting speed and let the arrow fly. Her aim was true as the arrow implanted itself into Wraith's skeletal shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards and let out a hiss of pain as the battlefield returned to normal upon his injury.
"Bitch!" Wraith hissed as he quickly removed the arrow, which dripped with his purple blood. "I'm surprised you didn't shoot at me with a soul arrow Vixen, afraid of the consequences if you miss?" Wraith hissed in annoyance. In response Daisy had rushed forward and slashed Wraith across his breast-plate with her katana, causing a line on the armor as Wraith kicked Daisy in the gut with such force that it knocked the wind from of her lungs as she dropped her katana and also dropped to her knees as Wraith raised his sword.
Vixen quickly grabbed The Blade Of Heaven and using her aura magic threw the sword like it was a boomerang at Wraith just as his sword was about to slice through Daisy's neck. The two swords met for a second or two as Vixen's sword prevented Wraith from inducing the killing blow as it made Wraith stumble backwards a bit. Daisy used that opportunity to quickly rise to her feet and deliver a jumping roundhouse to Wraith's skeletal face, which caused the general to fly through the air and fall on his ass. Daisy then followed up by picking her katana back up and putting the blade an inch from Wraith's throat.
"You have lost!" Daisy hissed as Vixen ran up to her friend with her respective sword.
"Kill them!" Wraith laughed as suddenly war cries could be heard as dozens of Wraith's soldiers ran forward and joined the battle as Wraith crawled backwards and away from Daisy as one of his skeletal warriors raised a serrated blade and swung it at Daisy. Daisy easily parried the attack and ran the minion through with her blade, instantly turning him to dust.
"We're really going to be outnumbered as more of them join the fight!" Vixen noted as she reduced four un-dead soldier with one swing of The Blade Of Heaven.
"Don't worry, I got this." Daisy said with a cocky smile as she impaled her blade into the ground and unleashed her seismic powers, creating a fissure that snaked it's way towards the minions. Some of them where to slow to react as they fell into the deep crack in the earth, while others managed to avoid Daisy's surprise attack.
"Nice move!" Vixen said as she used her aura to launch a wave of yellow flames at several more soldiers, reducing them as well to ashes.
"I'm just getting started!" Daisy said with that still confident smile as she again used her powers to raise a wall of stone all around the battlefield, entrapping Wraith and his soldiers, as well as Vixen and Daisy herself inside a stone walled battlefield.
"You and your minions are trapped with us now, Wraith. There is nowhere to run!" Daisy mocked her skeletal enemy, and to her non-surprise Wraith began to laugh.
"I could easily open a portal if I wanted to escape. So you are actually trapped with us!" Wraith laughed as even more of his soldiers joined the battle. Daisy and Vixen now fought back to back as their enemies where forming a circle around them, and to make matters worse, the circle was closing in by the second.
'Excellent.' Wraith mused to himself as Daisy and Vixen had unintentionally taken their eyes off of him, and he had now decided it was time to end this foolish battle. He casually began walking towards them, his sword in his right hand.
"Daisy you have anymore tricks up your sleeve?" Vixen asked as she reduced another soldier to ashes.
"Brace yourself–" Daisy was cut off by a sword appearing through her right shoulder, causing her to scream in pain as the blade was twisted and then removed rapidly, causing blood to pour from the wound.
"No!" Vixen screamed as she lunged at Wraith with her blade, only for several of Wraith's soldiers to suddenly jump into the air as well and slam into Vixen, and then disarm her with their sheer numbers. They then forced Vixen into a kneeling position right next to Daisy who also was being held in a kneeling position.
"Oh how the high and mighty have fallen from grace." Wraith mocked as he now had his sword inches from Daisy's throat. "Now you are the ones who are beaten. Now as you and the other Secret Warriors die, so to shall this world." Wraith laughed, which made his soldiers start laughing and jeering. Suddenly Wraith's face morphed from victory, into contemplating. Wraith then raised his hands and the soldier restraining Daisy suddenly let her go, the same could not be said for Vixen. "Daisy Johnson, I will only give you this opportunity, as you are the leader of the Secret Warriors. My master wanted Gwen Stacey on his side, but since she refused our most generous offer, I now will make you an offer: join me and bow before the Dragon Emperor, and your life as well as the Secret Warriors lives... minus Vixen, will be spared." Wraith offered in an actual sincere tone.
"Daisy, don't!" Gwen yelled, finally breaking the silence of the other Secret Warriors who had only been watching the battle in fear, and hope of victory.
"Don't give in Daisy!" Kamala and Dante yelled at the same time. Doreen nodded her head in agreement while Rayshaun and Riri began trying to run at Wraith alongside America, but all three where held in place by their enchanted bonds. Daisy looked to her left and saw Vixen, who despite being held in a forced kneeling position, still had her crazy defiant smile from earlier, and that made Daisy smile as well as she suddenly remembered and old movie quote.
"Never give up, never surrender!" Daisy yelled as she suddenly bolted upright into a combat stance and ignoring the pain in her shoulder she grabbed her katana, went airborne as she front-flipped over Wraith and ran over to the seven captured Secret Warriors, raised her Katana, and sliced the middle of the chain that kept them from joining the fight. The blessed weapon easily cut through the cursed chains as the metal hissed and steamed, but then broke, freeing the rest of the Secret Warriors.
"No!" Wraith shouted as the shock and surprise of Daisy's attack quickly wore off, and he now pointed at the rest of the team. "Take no prisoners!" Wraith growled as the rest of the Secret Warriors quickly armed themselves with their respective blessed weapons.
Dante was the first to join the fight as he unleashed a stream of fire from his left hand that incarcerated several soldiers, while slicing another's head off with his battle axe.
Kamala enlarged her fists and swatted an entire row of soldiers to the side, where they where quickly webbed to the ground by Gwen, who raised her blessed crossbow and fired a bolt at three soldiers, two smaller bolts breaking from the main one, striking all three and turning them to ashes. Kamala then followed up by enlarging herself as she raised her kusarigma and threw it at a charging soldier. Her aim was true as the blade impaled itself into the soldiers chest, reducing him to ashes as well as she quickly grabbed her blade again, and swung it at a soldier who had tried to sneak up on her.
Suddenly a missile struck that soldiers behind the one who tried to rush at Kamala, courtesy of Rayshaun's shield as he raised his warrior spear and threw it with all of his might at the charging soldiers. His aim was true at the spear soared through at least ten minions before implanting itself into the ground.
America rushed forward and slammed a fist into the ground, creating a star shaped crater in the ground that knocked several soldiers off balance as she raised her dual wield daggers and threw them at two soldiers, easily reducing them ashes as she quickly withdrew them from where they had indented themselves as she blocked a slash from an enemy sword with her one dagger. Suddenly an arrow struck the soldier that America had been dueling, courtesy of Doreen and her enchanted bow. A soldier raised his sword as he had managed to sneak up behind Doreen, but a repulser blast to the face, followed by an impaling from Riri's naginata quickly removed him from the equation. Soon the Secret Warriors found themselves against much more favorable odds as they moved forward as a team towards Wraith who was currently battling two on one against Daisy and Vixen.
They quickly joined the battle and formed a circle around Wraith, who's attitude has shifted from confident, to panic and desperation. He had lost most of his soldiers, and this battle had quickly turned against him.
"Surrender Wraith, and you'll stand judgement before my father, Crusader, and madam Elise!" Vixen ordered as she raised The Blade Of Heaven just as the rest of the Secret Warriors raised their respective blessed weapons.
"As cliche as this may sound Wraith, you won many battles, but you have lost the war!" Daisy hissed angrily.
"You might have tortured us emotionally, but you will not have any of us!" Kamala spat.
"Seems your not the only master strategist." Rayshaun mocked.
"You took so much pleasure in wearing us down, how does it feel to know you've lost?!" Dante jeered.
"I've been wanted to kick your ass since we met at the hospital!" America smirked as she raised her daggers.
"I lost my best friend once, but I will not let your attack on her go unpunished!" Riri growled.
"You might know my worst fears, but now we'll see yours!" Doreen taunted Wraith.
"You corrupted my very memory of Kevin, the only man I ever loved, and for that there will be no forgiveness!" Gwen cried angrily at Wraith. Wraith thought about all he had just heard, before deciding to address only Daisy and Vixen.
"Oh Daisy Johnson, your life is still in the Dragon Emperor's iron clutches. This battle may be lost, but the war will rage on. As for you Vixen Starlight, my master will return and finish what he started, and when he does, your death will come... soon enough!" Wraith hissed as he prepared a desperation attack as he lunged at Daisy with his sword, which caught the Secret Warriors off guard for a split second as Wraith slashed his sword forward towards Daisy's chest.
Vixen reacted quicker than anyone as she blocked Wraith's sword and pushed him backwards as she pressed her advantage. She then raised The Blade Of Heaven and brought it down on Wraith's sword, and due to the angle it caused the black bladed battle sword to shatter like glass into pieces. Gwen's spider-sense tingled slightly as the sword fell into pieces, but nothing happened after the pieces landed on the battle torn ground, causing her to think maybe it had tingled because she had been caught off guard by the attack.
"Master, save me!" Wraith cried out as he fell unto his back and looked at the sky for an answer... his response was dead silence as Vixen reared back The Blade Of Heaven and drove it into Wraith's chest and out his back, nailing him to the ground. Wraith looked down at the blue and green bladed sword that was buried into his chest as he knew he had received his death wound, with a sadistic smile at Vixen he uttered nine last words, "You have no idea what you have just unleashed..." Wraith laughed as suddenly his body began twitching uncontrollably as the dark magic that had been infused into his body was released as the last of his life left him. With the sound of a scream Wraith's body began glowing purple, and Daisy had a feeling she knew what that meant, she quickly formed a stone barricade between Vixen, herself and the rest of the Secret Warriors, shielding them as Wraith' body suddenly exploded due to the magic's being released. A few seconds later the explosion resided and all that remained of the once mighty general was a pile of purple ashes.
"Did we just... do it?" Gwen asked as they eyed the purple ashes of Wraith.
"I think we just did." Daisy answered with a smile, a sentiment mirroring the faces of all the Secret Warriors and Vixen.
"My people have been avenged, and may now rest in peace." Vixen said lowly as she said a silent prayer asking God to allow her people to rest in peace now that their conqueror had been slain.
Gwen who had heard what Vixen mumbled, nodded her head silently as she was proud of herself for not dishonoring Kevin's memory in joining Imperious, Wraith would tempt her no longer. However Wraith's last words, combined with her spider-sense being triggered when Wraith's sword had been shattered, left her with an uneasy feeling... but there would be time to ponder that later, for a few seconds later, Captain Marvel landed on the battle field.
"You mind telling me what happened here, agent Johnson?" Captain Marvel asked in proud tone that indicated she already knew the answer.
"We won." Daisy said proudly...
To Be Continued...
AN: This chapter was a ton of fun to write, I envisioned everything as I was writing it. Please tell me, did I redeem myself for Endgame's weak climax? Only a handful of chapters remain, until then, Nobel Six over and out.
