A TANGLED WEB Part 8: Endgame
Chapter 19
by Charlie Nelson a.k.a. Ordinaryguy2
Updated: 1-30-2022
The main crossovers in this chapter include: The Avengers (2012); Dark Shadows (1966-1971); Doctor Who (1987-1989); Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985); Escape to Witch Mountain (1975); Fantastic Four (2005); Farscape (1999-2003); Firefly (2002-2003); Jake 2.0 (2003-2004); The Krofft Supershow 'Electra Woman and Dyna Girl' (1976); Land of the Lost (1974-1976); Lexx (1997-2002); Sapphire & Steel (1979-1982); Space: 1999 (1975-1977); Star Trek (1967); Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999); Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988-1993); Static Shock (2000-2004); Tracker (2001-2002); X-Men (2000)
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"Hurry and get off all of those slaving collars!" instructed Sapphire even as she worked to free the collar from around the throat of the unconscious Professor X and then the Invisible Woman. She turned to the young woman with the large white streak in her hair. "Who are you?" asked Sapphire.
Rogue stood before her concentrating on the invisible barrier that she created with the powers she temporarily absorbed from the Invisible Woman. "I have been known as that on occasion but for now the persona that is in control of this miraculous body is called the Doctor, though my young companion usually refers to me as the Professor," said Rogue, with a smile. "This body is that of a mutant with the amazing ability to take on, temporarily, the abilities and minds of those she came into physical contact with while leaving the persons she has touched briefly unconscious. Usually, she is the one in control unless the one she touches has a much more powerful persona than her own, such as myself." The Doctor/Rogue nodded to a strangely dressed man with his feet frozen in a block of ice. "That's my actual body over there."
"How soon until you… that is – the female's body – reverts to herself?"
Rogue considered this for a moment. The wings that she had copied from the Angel were already shrinking into her back. "Fairly soon I'd say."
Sapphire considered the Borg in the other side of the invisible barrier. "We will have to do something soon. Our fighting forces are weakened, and many are injured. We'll also have the handicap of trying to protect the wounded."
"Unless I do this," said Rogue. "Drastic measures in drastic times and all that." She/he concentrated on focusing on all the drones on the outside of the invisible barrier. Using the Invisible Woman's powers and the mind and will power of the Professor, they were able to form an invisible hand on every exposed tube and mechanical component on all of the drones he/she could see, and then suddenly pulled them off all at the same time.
"Oh my!" exclaimed Sapphire.
"Yes," agreed Rogue. "Very macabre. Unfortunately, they won't be open to that line of attack again."
"What do you mean?"
Rogue rubbed her head softly. "What do I mean? Sorry, most of the thoughts are fading away."
Sapphire looked out at the field just outside the cave and all the dead or dying Borg drones. "What a waste." Still, they had no way currently to undo what the Borg had done to them.
From the far side of the cave, Tia Malone telekinetically levitated the still form of the Thing while next to her Electra Woman moved the stunned Human Torch by using her ElectraCom on her wrist to Electra-Degravitate him. Following them came Dyna Girl, who carried the prone forms of Ant-Man and the Wasp in either hand.
"Hey, Static," called Dyna Girl. "Why do you look so shocked?"
For his answer he just pointed outside the cave opening where a large number of drones were convulsing horribly as they died.
"Static!" Cole tackled Static to the ground as more Borg drones stepped into view and began firing.
Tia telekinetically knocked one of the first drones back into one of his neighbors and then back into the cave wall. But before Tia could use her powers again, someone hit her in the head with a rock.
Jake Foley stood there with a rock in his hand.
Cole shouted. "He's still under their control!"
Electra Woman dropped the Human Torch and turned her ElectraCom towards Jake. "Electra-Force Field!"
An electric field surrounded Jake. He examined it with cold listless eyes before turning toward where Iron Man stood still as a statue. The Iron Man armor powered up and was on the attack again.
People scattered as Iron Man began firing his repulsor weaponry at them. Electra Woman had to allow Jake Foley to escape as she ducked for cover. One of the Sleestaks that had been injected by Borg nanites wrestled with Gul Dukat off on the side.
Six drones marched in past their dying comrades. One bent down to inoculate nanites into the prone form of Wolverine, but it proved to be a fatal error as the feral mutant suddenly lashed out with his Adamantium claws removing the drone's forearm.
Two of the drones turned to address the new threat of Wolverine. The wounded drone stepped back and aimed its prosthetic arm at its attacker.
Wolverine leaped forward, grabbing the drone's mechanical limb, shoving it toward the other drones. When its weapon discharged, it was repelled off the other drones' protective shields. "So much for letting them kill each other," snarled Wolverine. He rolled onto his back, pulling the wounded drone on top of him, and then using his legs, Logan hurled the drone at the other two drones. This time they were at least knocked down.
Lore leapt on the fallen drones and began to tear them apart. His history with the Borg had let him know where the drones were most vulnerable. The skin that remained on his android face depicted intense rage and anger. Even Wolverine took a step back. "I wonder if that's what I look like when I get really ticked off."
Inside the cavern, the temporal agent Steel had managed to grab a hold of one of Iron Man's leg as he lifted off to begin his attack anew. The armored dupe of the Borg blasted the shape changing Maya a glancing blow while she was in one of her scalier six-legged forms. The teenage Cavalier, Eric, managed to turn his mystic shield away from the oncoming drones just in time to deflect one of Iron Man's powerful repulsor beams. "Will somebody do something about him already!" shouted Eric, as he turned back to the Borg.
Beside Eric stood the Mirror Universe version of Capt. Kirk, who fired his phaser at every opening he had. "Well, I could throw the Grand Emperor Rygel at them. He could probably bore even the Borg to death with his pompousness and speeches."
Rygel, on the other side of Eric, scowled at the audacious Human. "You are even ruder and more outrageous than Crichton! I didn't think that was possible!"
Eric was knocked back by another powerful blast against his shield. It was ticking him off. "Look! Can't we argue with each other later? Like after we miraculously survive all this!"
Kai, an undead former Divine Assassin as well as the last of the Brunnen-G, fired his brace just over Iron Man's arm and then pulled it so that it would wrap around the armored appendage instead of cutting the arm off. Pulling back on the cable connected to the brace, Kai wrapped the other end around a large boulder in order to tether Iron Man to one place.
Wolverine leapt at one of the drones about to shoot Lore, but received a shot directly in the chest himself. Looking down he could see that the blast had gone all the way through him leaving a small quarter shape hole through his midsection. "Now you're really ticking me off!" Three stun beams struck him at once and he finally fell.
Lore, seeing Wolverine fall, knocked two of the drones away, picked up the downed costumed hero and rushed away before he could process his actions.
The Professor, regaining consciousness, tried sitting up, but with his two legs still stuck in a block of ice it made it very difficult. "Oh my, anyone have a cup of tea?" He took in the battle around him. "I suppose not then." His immediate concerns were the two drones walking in his direction. "Oh, now this isn't very sporting!"
A young girl ran up to him and took his hand. "Run!"
"Now how can I do that when-" She pulled him and to his amazement his legs moved through the block of ice as if it wasn't there.
"Now run!" she commanded.
He tried but all he could muster was a clumsy stumble, still weakened from Rogue's powers. She turned to yell at him, but he managed to explain first. "This is as fast as I can muster. My legs were frozen in that ice for I don't know how long, and they need to unthaw a little before I can manage to run again."
She decided not to say anything. They were going faster than the slow stepping drones. The Borg drones fired at them, but the beams just passed through their forms as if they weren't really there. They ducked behind a large stalagmite where River Tam was sitting. "This is nuts!" exclaimed Kitty Pryde.
River drew with her finger around one of the glowing crystals embedded in the rock flow, seemingly oblivious of the battle going on around her. "The man in a can is not playing."
Thor, who was reviving faster than most of the others, was suddenly blasted back into the side of the cave where boulders and rubble fell onto him to the point of effectually burying him.
"Right!" said Shadowcat, as her eyes fell on one of her teammates that was just standing up. "Colossus! Fastball special at Iron Man!" She ran toward him as he reverted to his organic steel form. As soon as she was near him, he picked her up by her waist and threw her through the air at Iron Man who was busy trying to hit Kai while trying to shake Steel off of his leg.
Her hands phased through the armor and a surprised Steel. She grabbed onto Tony Stark's legs and then phasing him as well so that he fell out of the Iron Man armor and they both hit the ground.
Tony, half naked, seemed dazed. Shadowcat, angry now, slapped him across the face. "Not so tough without your big metal suit, are you?" she snarled.
"Kitty!" shouted Colossus.
Kitty looked up. The gold and red armor was without its Human occupant but it still seemed to be on its same agenda of killing everyone. Steel was knocked off and fell onto the Thing. Kitty reached out and phased herself and Tony just in time to not be hit by one of the repulsor beams.
Shadowcat pulled Tony back to shelter. "Okay, maybe I was a little quick to blame you."
Tony brought his hand to his head. "Last thing I remember was being with the Avengers. We were facing Kang."
"Well, he got you and then evidently the Fantastic Four. What I remember last was Kang using both of your teams to fight the X-Men."
"I-I think I do remember that." He pressed his forehead again. "He brought us here to check out a temporal anomaly. And then we met some opposition."
She pulled Tony around the stalagmite where River and the Professor were waiting. "Nice boxers," commented the Professor. "I never could understand why people would buy underwear with lipstick lip prints all over them."
Shadowcat, now realizing the state of undress of her companion, let go of the billionaire's hand and stepped back. "Uh, so how do we stop the Iron Man suit?"
The Professor tapped his chin with the end of his umbrella. "Well, if we could interrupt the signal that was controlling it… No, that's no good. The Borg would just use another way to control it. It's been too effective of a tool for them."
"We could always reboot it." Tony glanced around at the chaos around him. How do I keep getting in these situations? he wondered.
Cole carried Tia toward where Sapphire was helping Rogue to get Prof. X and the Invisible Woman behind some shelter. Electra Woman and Dyna Girl provided as much cover as they could. A blast near his feet tumbled him and Tia head over heels.
"Electra Woman! My ElectraCom isn't working!" Dyna Girl pressed frantically on the large device on her wrist.
"Mine isn't responding to the controls either!"
They both looked up to see Jake Foley coming toward them.
"It's Jake. He can communicate to and manipulate computers. He's being controlled by the Borg."
In a quick movement, the vampire Barnabas Collins managed to grab Foley from behind and sink his fangs into the computer programmer's neck.
Dyna Girl shrieked. Electra Woman was about to race down to rescue Foley but instead she had to pull her sidekick to safety, not that she could blame the girl for freezing up after witnessing a brutal sight like a vampire attack.
Collins was enjoying the hot salty fluids flowing down his throat, taking the edge off his horrific hunger. The thrill was almost overwhelming each time he partook. Suddenly, he gagged and pulled away from Jake. "What-what is this?"
Foley staggered for only a moment. Then he turned to face his attacker.
Barnabas stared at the young man whose face expressed no emotion. Slowly the bite on Jake's neck ceased seeping blood as it clotted at remarkable speed. Even the edges of the bite marks seemed to be slowly resealing itself. Barnabas grabbed his stomach as something seemed to tear at his insides. The vampire staggered back but was instantly vaporized by some of the Iron Man repulsor beams which were created by solar energy absorption.
Static Shock took aim and hit Jake Foley with a long, hard stream of electricity. "Man, I hope I don't kill you, but you've got to go down."
The result of the electrical strike was that Foley fell over like a puppet with its strings cut. Similarly, the Iron Man armor flew for a few more seconds before crashing down in the rocks.
Meanwhile, the female Founder struck like a viper and wrapped herself around two of the drones before quickly slamming them together. The two remaining drones turned to shoot at her but Thor broke free from where he had been buried. Shouting in an ancient Norse language, he hurled his might hammer, Mjolnir, straight at the two remaining drones. Both were killed instantly.
"Someone go guard the front entrance to see if there are any more coming!" commanded Sapphire. Cole, Maya and Eric volunteered and headed over there.
Static Shock zapped the Sleestak bowman that had been injected with nanites so that he fell back from Gul Dukat. Then he upped the voltage to do the same thing that he had done to Jake.
"No!" said Enik.
"Be cool, claw man. I'm just trying to zap the things in his system. Hopefully, he'll be fine again."
"No! My people are more susceptible to electrical injury than Humans are."
"Geez, ok ok. Uh, does anyone else smell lobster?" He looked hesitantly over at the Sleestak on the ground. Wisps of moisture seemed to rise up from the still, slightly reddish-green body.
Dukat rose to his feat rubbing his arm where the Sleestak had held on to him. "My thanks for killing him." Quickly sensing Enik's anger as well as Static's horror, he added, "It was more merciful for him to pass quickly like this. The horrors that the Borg had planned for him in the process of assimilation is… well, you've seen what they do to those they capture." He indicated the bodies of the dead Borg drones. Some were Sleestak. Some were Human. Some were like no beings they had ever laid eyes on before.
"I didn't mean to- I used the same amount of power on Jake and he's just stunned." It was one of his worst fears come true. He'd actually killed someone. Well, actually the creature was green, scaly, had a singular wide horn on its head, lobster-like claws for hands, large dark bug-eyes, but it was generally humanoid in shape and used a bow and arrow. Still, he most likely was sentient. To make it worse, before the cyborgs did something to him, it had also been a possible ally.
"I suppose it is excusable," said Enik reluctantly.
"I'll-I'll be more careful with powers around your people. I promise," said the sickened Static Shock. Enik, being somewhat empathic could tell that the young man was truly troubled by the death he had caused. Therefore, Enik decided to drop the subject of the death. The young man was powerful and would be more useful in fighting to free the Sleestak population from the Borg.
The remaining three Sleestak bowmen surrounded their fallen comrade. "Leave us," said Enik. "We will prepare his body. Go tend to your own wounded. We will be ready to go on when you are."
Dukat guided Static Shock away with a hand on his shoulder. Seeing Capt. Kirk heading toward him, he sent the teenage hero ahead to check on his friends.
"We can't let that woman lead us!" snarled Kirk.
The female Founder flowed up from the floor. "In my studies of solid life forms I found that the female is more often deadlier than the male."
"In animals, perhaps," commented Gul Dukat. "However, with the more evolved, sentient species I think the males have proven to be just as deadly, if not surpassing."
"You Cardassians are tricky with your words." She turned to examine the activities around them. Those that had been stunned by Kang's control collars were starting a stir, and those around them were helping them get up and filling them in on what has been going on.
Lore walked over. With half of his synthetic face covering off, including several other areas of his android body, Lore looked a mess. "I had a strange experience."
"Did one of the drones get to you?" asked Dukat, his finger tightening ever so slightly on his phaser trigger.
"No, nothing like that," he said, as he did a visual scan on the open tears to his artificial skin and pulling out small rocks in some areas. "At one point in the battle I did a remarkable thing. A Human came to my defense and fell after being shot. The strange part was that I immediately came to his rescue and carried him to safety."
Kirk seemed confused. "How is that strange?"
"I didn't intend to do it. I just found myself automatically responding to his endangerment."
"Perhaps it was just a latent sub-protocol hidden in your system by your creator," suggested the Cardassian.
"Perhaps," considered Lore. "Our father, our creator, Dr. Soong had surprised both my brother and I with hidden subroutines like that."
The female Changeling turned to look at the others hurrying about. "Perhaps it is this place." Her eyes came to rest on Mr. Fantastic who was now awake and stretching over to where his wife was just now starting to stir. "I, too, felt something strange as I was battling the blue stretching one there. Never have I heard of a solid that was so…malleable in form. As we thrashed about struggling against each other it was almost as if he was one of my people, but we could not merge no matter how hard I pushed against him. I found the experience to be…"
"Frustrating?" suggested Dukat.
She shook her head. "No. I think the term is… kinky."
Kirk perked up. "Ok, you've got my attention. Do we get any details?"
Dukat coughed slightly as Steel walked over.
"We need to get everyone over for a conference," Steel announced, his suit was torn and disheveled to the point that it was literally tatters in places.
"We will be there in a moment," responded the Cardassian. He pointed to Jake Foley who was being helped over to where everyone was congregating. "Is he going to be a problem again?"
Steel glanced at Jake. "Electra Woman assures me that the micro-machines in Jake's body that the Borg used to overtake him have been destroyed by Static Shock. We are going to have a few other people scan him as well just to make sure. As for Iron Man, the man who wears the armor, he is modifying it so that it won't be compromised in that fashion again either."
As Steel walked away Kirk turned to his companions. "What do we do about leadership?"
The Changeling watched as Sapphire talked to those gathered around her. "I suggest we allow the lady Sapphire to lead for now. From what I hear we both have a similar objective."
"And it will free us to other objectives during the battle," said Dukat, before Kirk could object. "Their attention will be focuses on whoever the leader is, so it would be difficult for the leader to slip away during the fight."
Reluctantly, the bloodthirsty Kirk agreed, and they went to meet their allies.
To be Continued!
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Original AuThOr'S NoTeS: 2/27/2008
Okay, I know I said I'd have the big battle scene with the Master at this time, but I just had to conclude this part first. I'm working on it now.
Now to explain myself. Barnabas Collins was a true vampire and the energy that Iron Man would use to recharge himself on many occasions is that of solar energy. A repulsor beam would be made out of a lot of concentrated solar energy and that would be very, very bad for a vampire. Plus, all the fighting after this will be taken place outside with the sun up. Barnabas would not be much help to the rest of the team outside.
As for Jake Foley, well, I had to find a way to make him no longer a threat to the team via Borg takeover. I could have flat out kill him like I did Barnabas, but that seemed to easy. I almost went that route, but I decided to keep him on and remove the nanite problem.
As for Lore, yes, something happened to him, which is why he went out of his way to save Wolverine. The reason for that I'm not saying just yet. But you can try and guess.
Next time we meet Q2's group will be in the great battle, but whose side will they be on?
ChArAcTeR InDeX FoR ThE ChApTeR:
Ant-Man / Lang, Scott (Paul Rudd) – from the movies Ant-Man (2015)
Cavalier / Eric (voiced by Don Most) – from the cartoon Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985)
Cole / Daggon (Adrian Paul) – from the TV series Tracker (2001-2002)
Collins, Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) – from the TV series Dark Shadows (1966-1971)
Colossus / Rasputin, Piotr 'Peter' (Daniel Cudmore) – from the movies X-2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Crichton, John (Ben Browder) – from the TV series Farscape (1999-2003) (mentioned only)
Doctor, The 7th / Professor, The (Sylvester McCoy) – from the TV series Doctor Who (1987-1989)
Dukat, Gul (Marc Alaimo) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
Dyna Girl / Judy (Judy Strangis) – from the TV series The Krofft Supershow 'Electra Woman and Dyna Girl' (1976)
Electra Woman / Hall, Lori (Deidre Hall) – from the TV series The Krofft Supershow 'Electra Woman and Dyna Girl' (1976)
Enik (Walker Edmiston) – from the TV series Land of the Lost (1974-1976)
Foley, Jake (Christopher Gorham) – from the TV series Jake 2.0 (2003-2004)
Founder / Changeling / female shapeshifter (Salome Jens) – from the TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1994-1999)
Human Torch / Storm, Johnny (Chris Evans) – from the movies Fantastic Four (2005), 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Invisible Woman / Storm, Sue (Jessica Alba) – from the movies Fantastic Four (2005), 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Iron Man / Stark, Tony (Robert Downey, Jr.) – from the movies Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Kai (Michael McManus) – from the TV series Lexx (1997-2002)
Kang the Conqueror – from Marvel Comics Avengers #8 (1964)
Kirk, Mirror Universe Capt. James T. (William Shatner) – from the TV series Star Trek (1967)
Lore (Brent Spiner) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988-1993)
Malone, Tia (Kim Richards) – from the movie Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), Return from Witch Mountain (1978)
Maya (Catherine Schell) – from the TV series Space: 1999 (1975-1977)
Mister Fantastic / Richards, Reed (Ioan Gruffudd) – from the movies Fantastic Four (2005), 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Professor X / Xavier, Prof. Charles (Patrick Stewart) – from the movie X-Men (2000), X-2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Rogue / Marie (Anna Paquin) – from the movies X-Men (2000), X-2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Rygel XVI, Dominar (Jonathan Hardy) – from the TV series Farscape (1999-2003)
Sapphire (Joanna Lumley) – from the TV series Sapphire & Steel (1979-1982)
Shadowcat / Pryde, Kitty (Katie Stuart) – from the movies X-Men (2000), X-2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Sleestak / Altrusians – from the TV series Land of the Lost (1974-1976)
Soong, Dr. Noonien (Brent Spiner) – from the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990, 1993) (mentioned only)
Static Shock (voiced by Phil LaMarr) – from the cartoon Static Shock (2000-2004)
Steel (David McCallum) – from the TV series Sapphire & Steel (1979-1982)
Tam, River (Summer Glau) – from the TV series Firefly (2002-2003)
Thing / Grimm, Ben (Michael Chiklis) – from the movies Fantastic Four (2005), 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – from the movies Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Wasp / van Dyne, Hope (Evangeline Lilly) – from the movies Ant-Man (2015)
Wolverine / Logan / Howlett, James (Hugh Jackman) – from the movie X-Men (2000), X-2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The Wolverine (2013)