Disclaimer I dont own Marvel
Back with another update, with a different look at the Sentry's past as well as Sven and Cade's.
Thanks to everyone still reading, and thank you firehouse98 for your review, thats the kind of review I want to see people. I've heard debate starters are good, so I want to hear if you agree with Deathblade's philosophy, do you think he's taken it too far? Where do you think drawing the line between punishing a criminal and becoming just another murderer ends. Do you agree with Aeon and the Avengers or Deathblade? Whose side are you On? Lol!
This chapter came out a lot longer than I thought it would, enjoy
The Hunt
Chapter 14: Rivals
Many years ago
People often paint the images of great men and monsters, when in actuality both are ordinary men. Robert Reynolds history was filled with complications and even contradictions. Some would say that the Void was the Sentry's greatest foe; others would call him a manifestation of Robert Reynolds's twisted psyche. People would call him hero, or madman, even a former druggy. No one truly knows what the Sentry is, tortured hero, a sick man in need of help, or perhaps a saviour with human flaws? But Robert Reynolds is not the hero of this story, nor is he the villain. Nothing is as it seems in the life two men lead. This is the story of two young men; both from vastly different backgrounds, but both bare destinies they couldn't begin to comprehend when they were younger.
Sven Reilly is a boy with many friends. Despite the little time he has left as a human being, he enjoys every second whilst saving as many lives as possible as a hero. When he was but a child he was possessed by the spirit of an alien hero, a man that charged himself with protecting humanity from the threats created by spiritual science. His life changed when he was exposed to the alien's blood, changing his body forever. Now he wears a thick hooded jacket with gloves and jeans. It's all to cover the armour that's gradually replacing his skin. He sits with his two friends, Elizabeth "Faith" Jenkins and Kyle "Tito" Crowner.
"I don't have a wallet on me," Sven grinned, leaning back into his seat.
They were sitting together at a diner. Faith looked to Tito, who shook his head as he walked to the counter to order their food. Tito was the one with the money, he also had brains, that combined with his share of his Uncle's company Crowner Corporation enabled him to help Sven establish a network of safe houses for his super hero activities. Faith was Sven's moral support, and his closest friend.
"You know I've got to thinking, it's a good thing we broke up," Faith said.
Sven raised his eyebrows in surprise. Faith smiled, as she looked him in the eyes.
"Some girls dream of having a super hero boyfriend, or they dream of being a super hero themselves…I don't want either, I don't want to be what distracts you from the things you need to do," Faith explained.
"Your not a distraction Faith, we need something to look forward to, your that something…I mean that someone," Sven sheepishly rubbed his head.
Faith giggled as Sven blushed.
"I totally got you Sven, I don't want a super hero as a boyfriend, I want you, friend or other wise, super hero or not!" She smiled as she reached for Sven's hand.
Both teens stopped as plates were placed on their table. Tito stood over them, putting the food they ordered on the table.
"You owe me for this Sven," He said.
"Sven, are you seriously going to eat all this?" Faith asked.
Sven grinned, pulling the plates of food towards him. He ordered a cheeseburger with extra bacon and fries, an omelette stuffed with ham and mushroom and a southern fried chicken bucket. Seconds later the waiter put two milkshakes on the table, one chocolate flavoured, the other strawberry.
"He's been away from junk food for a while," Tito said.
The waiter shook his head as he walked away from the table. Sven proceeded to bite half of the burger before swallowing two chips. He stopped as his two friends stared at him.
"My "condition" is getting worse, sooner or later I wont have to eat or drink, that's why I want to enjoy everything, before my life is no longer my own…before I'm Fusion for good!" Sven lowered his head slightly, letting the words sink in.
Faith and Tito both lowered their own heads. Someday Sven would no longer physically be considered human. Suddenly, he leant across the table, kissing Faith French style. She closed her eyes, running her hands into Sven's hood, feeling the armoured plates replacing his neck. The young lady then playfully pushed Sven back, blushing heavily.
"Sven," She gasped, both embarrassed and amused by Sven's forward nature.
"You could at least get a room, plus its not really living when you're kissing the same girl over and over again," Tito explained.
"I never kissed a guy before, you up for an experiment?" Sven asked.
Faith laughed as Tito quivered. Sven gripped the back of Tito's neck, looking him in the eyes.
"I've always been able to depend on you Tito, you're my greatest ally and my closest friend, I may ask for a lot from you, but know that if there's ever anything you need I wont hesitate to help!" Sven explained.
Tito sighed, a small shine in his eyes. He removed his foggy glasses, patting his friend's shoulder.
"Thank you Sven," He said.
"Now give us a kiss," Sven grinned.
"Stop that!" Tito laughed as he slapped Sven's cheek.
The three friends burst into a chorus of laughter. Sven Reilly was a man who would one day become something less than human, but he would always have friends there for him.
Cade Hunter on the other hand was a very different man. He wouldn't lose his physical humanity because he contained his armour within his bone marrow. The armour held back his spiritual energy, preventing it from exploding if his anger ever reached its peak. He looked as human as any man could be, dirty blonde hair and a body toned by years of training. Cade stood at a boxing gym, letting his frustrations out on a bag. Other men trained around him and Cade sensed their crimes. But they were petty, nothing he ever had to worry about. He saw pick pockets, men that committed internet fraud one people that could always get their money back through insurance, even men and women having affairs in the gym were nothing that Cade wasted his time on. Murderers were his priority, and today he saw no murderers.
"Hey, Rocky," One of the amateur boxers approaches him.
He didn't completely understand why the guy called him Rocky. He knew he wouldn't look anything like Stallone when he was older, sure he did have a boxers build, but he was more of a middle weight fighter. Cade turned to the boxer, rubbing the side of the bag.
"You come in here a lot and we see you hitting that bag, fancy a try in the ring?" The Boxer asked.
"No thank you," Cade said.
"You got the right build for it kid, come on how's about one fight?"
"I said no thank you," Cade's voice took on a more hostile tone.
"We bet you a hundred bucks you cant beat my friend in the ring!"
The man's challenge however caught Cade's attention. He turned around, giving the bag a final hit before moving to the ring. His opponent was taller and was just as bulky as he was. Cade climbed into the ring, putting on the black boxing gloves he was given. Shifting his knees into a stance, Cade looked up at his opponent. There was no significant sin in this man's soul; his manager was the hustler. The man swung his arm around and Cade ducked, dodging the right swing. He shifted around the fighter, stepping back towards the ropes. The boxer swung around and punched at Cade's gut. Fighting through the pain, Cade took several jabs to his defence before pulling his face back. He narrowly dodged the fighter's right cross, but he managed to achieve his objective. The fighter was open to an attack. Cade delivered a swift and brutal uppercut to the man's chin. Following through with his attack, Cade punched the man twice in the gut, causing him to moan as his face moved to the right. Cade then slammed his left fist into the man's cheek, hitting him towards the ropes.
"COME ON KID PUT THE DEFENCE UP!" The manager yelled.
Cade backed away from the boxer as he went on the defensive. He moved his hand, beckoning the boxer to come at him. Putting his arms together, Cade blocked several punches before twisting his body around, dodging punches that the boxer tried to manoeuvre around his defence. Cade delivered a jab to his opponent's side, then leant his head back and dodged a right cross. Again he dealt an uppercut to the boxers chin, throwing his head back. Following through with the attack, Cade punched the boxer in the face, then in the gut. He finished up with an uppercut that threw the boxer to the floor. Ripping away the straps on his gloves, Cade threw them aside as the boxer's friends crowded around the unconscious man.
"That kids making his way to the big leagues, there's no way an amateur could have beaten him, you hustled me," The manager growled.
"You made the bet first, I'm sure these nice people here would love to know that your not a man of your word," Cade said, motioning to the people around the fighter.
The manager grit his teeth together, letting out a string of curses as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a fifty dollar bill, a twenty, two tens and two fives. Putting the bills in Cade's hand, the old man walked away, cursing as he reached his office. Cade put the money in his pocket and began collecting his stuff. No one moved to congratulate him or even speak with him. He lived a life very different from Sven Reilly's.
Another man lived a life that was completely different from Sven Reilly's and Cade Hunter's. His name was Robert Reynolds and forget everything you have heard in the past, this was his life. Robert Reynolds gained his powers after he consumed what he at first thought was a simple drug. It turned out to be a formula capable of giving someone immense power. Reynolds sought out more of the drug and eventually became the Sentry. Other heroes know him now as a great man, a man that represents courage, integrity and hope. But they don't know that inside he is also the Void. The Void was a force born from the aspect of Robert's darkest desires, his addiction to the drugs that ruined his life before he ever became a super hero. Today he fights crime as the Sentry; whilst also desperately seeking more of the drug that empowers him.
"I need you to make more, the world needs you to make more," The Sentry said, looking down at the Professor that first created the formula.
The Professor was not proud of his creation. In fact, Robert Reynolds terrified him. He kneeled, as if he was in the presence of the god, not praying, but begging.
"The power that you have gained is not one to be taken lightly Reynolds, when you came to me years ago I first thought of you as a blessing. Now I see that your actions are not without consequences. I could not perfect the formula and fix its primary flaw…" The Professor lowered his head slightly as he took a deep breath. "True the formula enhances everything about the person taking it, but that also includes the negatives, weakness becomes strength, intelligence becomes genius, but there are bad qualities that are also taken much further…this woman you spoke to me about, Lindy, your attraction has turned into obsession, you see her as someone you can spend your life with…"
"SHUT UP!" Reynolds yelled.
His eyes took on black tone as he lifted the Professor off the ground.
"You will not mention Lindy's name, I love her more than you can believe, she will come to love me," He said.
"But she does not fully understand the life you lead, in time she will learn of the harsh reality and the responsibility the wife of a hero must bare. That is not all, everything bad becomes evil when the formula is taken, addiction turns into dependence, obsession. Yes you have achieved Reynolds, but you have also done great evil…for every good thing you do, an opposite to that action is performed days, hours, even seconds after you have committed an action that is deemed "good"."
"I have little time for your "interesting" theory Professor, do you job and make the formula!" Reynolds growled.
He threw the Professor to the ground, floating towards the door.
"No!" The Professor said.
The Sentry stopped, slowly turning to face the Professor with a look of pure anger.
"I am intelligent enough to create the formula myself, but you are more familiar with it, would you abandon the formula and leave it in the hands of an amateur?" Sentry asked.
"I would leave this world with absolute faith in the other heroes, they may see you as a hero now, but they'll learn one day that you are as far from being a hero as one can get," The Professor explained.
Robert Reynolds grit his teeth together, his anger fading as his Sentry persona won the day. He flew out of the Professor's office, choosing to let the man live.
Sven walked with Faith and Tito across the ESU campus. Tito was studying some kind of scientific degree (Sven could never remember what exactly) while Faith was studying to be a social worker. Sven himself wasn't studying anything; he didn't really the point considering the life he now led. Similarly Cade Hunter never studied anything higher than a high school diploma. He was currently walking into ESU for a different reason. His time in the criminal underworld had alerted him to a drug-dealing ring circulating around ESU. Someone on Campus was dealing a very powerful and dangerous drug. He walked with his hood down, his eyes seeing all the sins these students had committed. There was nothing for him to worry about; they had either cheated in a test or on their partner. Cade came to a stop as he saw Sven and his friends walking across Campus. He pulled the hood further over his head as he headed in the direction they were going.
"Hey look up there, it's the Sentry!"
Cade and Sven both looked into the sky, watching as the Sentry flew over the area. The hero wore his standard yellow suit with the blue gloves, cape and mask. He smiled as he waved down at the people. Cade rubbed his head, his vision blurring slightly.
'What the hell was that?' he wondered.
He'd crossed paths with some "superheroes" in the past and his vision wouldn't often reveal them to be evil. But he had never come across a super human that could actually confuse his "sin-vision" as Sven had once called it. He focused his attention back on the building that Sven walked into. Whoever was responsible for the distribution of this "drug" was in there.
"So Tito, who exactly is this guy your studying under?" Sven asked.
"He's a very intelligent man, apparently he used do for the government but that fell through, a lot of the students are saying that there was some lab accident that cost him his research and development position, but that's just gossip," Tito explained.
"I've met him a few times, he seems like a good person," Faith said.
"Hold on guys, I need to do a little business," Sven gestured to the bathroom.
"Nice," Tito muttered, shaking his head slightly.
Sven walked into the bathroom, stepping into one of the bathrooms. As he did his "business" he noticed the sounds coming from the cubicle next to him. He narrowed his eyes as a syringe rolled into his cubicle.
"Incredible," the man in the cubicle gasped.
Sven zipped up his trousers and pressed his head against the cubicle wall. Whoever was in there had just taken several shots and was trying, unsuccessfully to put his belt back around his waist. Suddenly, the wall crashed open and a red energy hand grabbed the man riding out his high.
"Well I wasn't expecting that," Sven said.
Gold and black armour surrounded Sven as he turned into his Fusion form. The sharp, curved helmet covered his face as his eyes glowed blue through the eyeholes. He dived through the hole in the wall, grabbing the drug takers attacker.
"Cade, drug users seem pretty low on the priority for "punishing evil"," Sven said.
"You don't understand Sven, things aren't as they appear," Cade said.
He created two energy blades, using them to force Sven back. Cade then focused his attention back on the drug user. He was now on the floor, his body twitching as he went into some kind of seizure.
"That guy needs a hospital!" Sven said as he took a few steps towards the man.
"SVEN WAIT!" Cade yelled.
Red tentacles suddenly shot out of the man's body, grabbing Sven. He yelled as the tentacles cut through his armour. The drug user's eyes changed into black voids as he got up off the floor. He laughed as his body began to expand. More and more tentacles burst out of his body before it "exploded", replaced by a creature of pure energy. Sven altered the shape of his armour, creating wrist blades he used to cut the tentacles around him. Suddenly, more tentacles shot out at him, throwing him straight out of the building and onto campus.
"Oh my god, what's going on?" Faith asked.
"Exactly as I feared!"
Tito and Faith turned to the teacher standing at the doorway. The Professor fixed his gaze on the energy creature facing the hooded boy.
"With every action there is an opposite, while he keeps the formula to himself "it" gives it away," The Professor said.
"Professor, what are you talking about? What's this "it" you keep mentioning?" Tito asked.
"I don't fully understand it myself, is it death, evil incarnate, the devil or perhaps even god itself? The only name there is for this force is the "Void!" The Professor explained.
His eyes met Cade's, the latter's eyes glowing red.
"You," Cade growled, "This is your fault!"
Cade raised his arms, creating three energy shields, one for himself and two for Sven's friends. He took in the Professor's repentant expression as the energy creature exploded. The ground of ESU shook, as the science building was torn open. Sven got up off the floor, shaking the dust off his head as he looked to the science building. He rose to his feet, the lines on his armour glowing as he accessed his Fusion powers.
"I see," He said.
There were people on campus with great power, power beyond his own. While Cade sensed evil, Sven sensed power. He turned to one group sitting in the trees. They all had puncture marks on their skin, giving away the fact that they had recently taken drugs.
"EVERYONE! MOVE AWAY FROM THIS AREA NOW!" Sven yelled.
But his warnings came too late as the people "infected" with this power detonated.
Robert Reynolds had been plucking up the courage to ask Lindy out when he heard the ground shake. He snuck out of the student union bar and pulled open his shirt, revealing the costume underneath. Flying into the air, the Sentry looked over the carnage that had spread across the campus. He then looked in horror at the creatures rising from the craters.
"No, this cant be," Reynolds gasped.
The creatures rose from the craters, revealing the shadowy tentacles spouting from their backs. Reynolds gripped his cheeks, shaking with terror as he saw a man in a trench coat standing before him.
"Yes Reynolds, it can be, this was all your doing, you wanted to keep the Professor's formula for yourself. Its better to share Reynolds, everything that is about to happen, is your fault!" The Void grinned before he disappeared.
One by one the creatures roared, shooting out blasts of energy that threw the clouds aside. Sven got up off the floor, looking at his surroundings in horror. The Void creatures spread their tentacles across Campus. They grabbed and consumed students and teachers alike, creating a path of death and destruction across ESU. He crossed his arms together, bracing himself as the tentacles rushed towards him. The tentacles slammed into Sven, throwing him across the university grounds. One of the tentacles threw Sven into the air, and then another slammed him head first into the ground. A crack ran across Sven's helmet as he rolled onto his back. He widened his eyes, seeing hundreds of the Void tentacles lingering over him.
"COME ON!" He yelled.
The tentacles flew downwards like collapsing pillars. Suddenly, a red energy wave flew into the tentacles, cutting each one apart. Sven rolled to his feet and looked to where the blast had come from. Cade stood with an energy blade surrounding his arm. His armour gradually seeped out of his skin, like wire covering his body the armour shaped itself over his entire being. The armour he wore in the past was very different from the one he would wear in the future. His armour was red with no visor to cover his eyes and nose. A tail like object extended from his back, sweeping dust off the floor as it waved around.
"As much as I would like to fight you today Sven, right now we have bigger concerns," Cade said.
"Where are Faith and Tito?"
"They're safe!"
Sven sighed in relief before turning to the Void creatures. He dropped into a fighting stance while Cade brandished his energy sword. Both armoured beings rushed forward. Cade slashed any tentacle that approached him, while Sven jumped over them, utilising acrobatic skills he had spent months perfecting. He walked on top of one of the tentacles, charging straight towards one of the Void creatures. With a yell he pulled his fist back and slammed it into the creature's face. Cade hovered off the ground, moving between the Void tentacles as he approached two of the creatures. Creating two energy blades, he cut the two creatures down the middle, and stabbed a third with the tail on his back. He landed on the floor, sliding until he was back to back with Sven. They both watched as the creatures recovered from the damages.
"We should fuse Cade, our chances of survival will go up if we share our powers!" Sven said.
Cade shook his head before rushing towards one of the shadow creatures. He swung his arms around, cutting the creature in half. But as soon as Cade tried to follow through with a second strike, the creature suddenly regenerated. Opening its mouth, the creature shot out a blast of dark energy, hitting Cade head on. The energy of the blast shattered the armour on Cade's chest. He rolled across the floor, smoke rising from his chest.
"CADE!" Sven yelled.
Cade threw off his helmet, creating a scythe from what was left of his armour. He stood ready as the Void creatures hovered towards him.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? DO IIIIT!"Cade roared as the creatures of the Void leapt towards him.
Now
The gathered heroes listened to the Sentry's story. It was one that was very different than what Carina showed Deathblade. While Robert Reynolds covered up his part in the threat that the heroes had long forgotten, Carina revealed to Deathblade exactly what had happened that day, including Robert Reynolds real relationship with the Professor that created the Sentry formula. Cade rubbed the side of his helmet, sighing with a mix of disappointment and relief.
"So that explains the gap in my memory, I didn't remember any of this until you told me, but why tell me now Carina?" Cade asked.
"So you know exactly who the Sentry is and what he did to you and your rival that day, what he did to all the heroes. Right now he is lying in order to carry on the charade of a hero. Robert Reynolds is a desperate man, he wants to be a hero, but at the same time he cannot escape the trap of the Void. For every good deed Reynolds performs, the Void will do the opposite, one life taken in exchange for one life saved, even a whole world destroyed for one world saved," Carina explained.
"A force that simply is for the sake of being it, many might call that true evil!"
"Indeed, there is a dark side to Robert Reynolds, though he achieves good, he also induces great suffering, one might say that his choice to be a hero is as evil as my choice to be a killer," Kraven the Hunter said, spinning his dagger on the ground.
"The difference Kravinoff is that Reynolds intentions have always been good, he's been influenced by a desire to help, not some vaunted "honour" like yours," The Scott Lang Ant-Man scowled at the resurrected Hunter.
"None of us should make the mistake of knowing exactly what motivates Reynolds, despite all my power I can not peer into a person's very soul," Mar-Vell said, looking to Deathblade.
"Yes, what do you see Cade Hunter?" Carina asked.
"I must be in front of Reynolds in order to see the darkest depths of his soul," Cade said.
"But you already have faced him Cade Hunter, your experience of looking into Reynolds's soul is still in the depths of your mind, I can restore it!" Carina explained.
Deathblade lowered his head slightly as Carina drifted towards him. He heard the concern in her voice and saw the momentary affection in her eyes.
"The process, will it affect my concentration on the mind control agent of the Technarch virus?" Cade asked.
"That all depends on your own will Cade Hunter, but you must know of all evils if you are to fight it, see for yourself whether the Sentry is evil!"
Carina touched the sides of Cade's helmet. She changed to her energy form as she warped the "spell" that had been cast on him years ago. The energy over Carina's body passed over Cade. He gasped, his eyes growing wide as images rushed through his mind. He felt a storm of feelings and sensations he had thought he had never felt before. But more importantly, he remembered what happened.
Then
"DO IIIIT!"Cade roared.
The Void creatures jumped towards him, pouncing like animals would towards their prey. Lightning suddenly crashed down onto the ground, throwing the creatures and Cade away from one another. Sven looked to the sky and smiled beneath his helmet as he heard the battle cry of the world's mightiest heroes:
"AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!" Steve Rogers yelled.
He threw his shield, hitting on of the Shadow creatures across the neck. Hawkeye flew over the area on his hover bike, firing explosive arrows that drew the creature's attention away from civilians. Quicksilver then ran in, grabbing the civilians and rushing them out of the area. He slid to a halt as his sister the Scarlet Witch was flown in by Thor.
"Be careful Wanda," Pietro said.
"Stop babying me brother," Wanda said.
She clapped her hands together, creating two auras around her hands. Throwing her hands forward, she fired her hex bolts. As soon as the bolts hit the shadow creatures, they screamed in unison.
"We've found a weakness, Wanda hit them hard and fast," Cap said.
Wanda nodded her head as she prepared to fire another Hex Bolt. One of the Void creatures hovered off the floor, glaring at Wanda. The creature stabbed its tentacles into the soil, running them through the ground. Sven looked towards Wanda and Thor as the dark tentacles burst out behind them.
"WANDA!" Quicksilver yelled.
He ran as fast as he could. But just as he reached Wanda, the tentacles struck. They crashed down on the three Avengers, erasing them as if they hadn't existed. Cap and Hawkeye looked at the scene in shock, and then turned their eyes to the Sentry. Robert Reynolds had remained paralysed in fear. Cade looked up at the golden clothed hero and squeezed his fists in anger.
"YOU! YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED THIS!"Cade yelled.
"Cade, what are you talking about?" Sven asked.
"I can see into his very soul Sven, that mans only motivation was addiction. He's addicted to this life, he doesn't want it to end and he's willing to risk worldwide destruction at the hands of the darkness inside him just so he can carry on his charade as a hero,"Cade explained.
"No, that's not true," The Sentry said.
"I'm the one person here you cant lie to,"Cade growled.
"Sentry, is this true? Did this all happen because of you?" Captain America asked, gesturing to the destruction around him.
"Cap, we need to call in some of the reserves, those creatures are heading towards the city!" Hawkeye said.
"We don't have time to point fingers, we need to work together, Sentry if your power caused this then you can end it, join your powers with mine and we can warp reality to advert the destruction as well as bring back the people killed," Sven explained.
"I cant, if I stop this then the Void's response will be catastrophic, it'll be something we can not stop!" Reynolds said.
"You weren't consumed by indecision or inaction when you forced an old man to produce more of your wonder drug, and what was it for? It was for your addiction, you were addicted to the feeling that formula gave you," Cade explained.
"Whatever you guys are going to do, you'd better do it quickly!" Hawkeye said.
He flew into the city, watching the Void creatures cut through the buildings. Swooping his bike downwards, the Avenger tried to reach two civilians. Though he managed to grab them, one of the creatures burst out of the ground, swallowing Hawkeye and the people he tried to save. Cap widened his eyes as Hawkeye's radio crackled.
"What can be done?" Cap asked.
"Sentry, please fuse with me, that way we can utilise your abilities in ways you never would have imagined," Sven said.
"The Professor did compare you to god, if that's the case then join with Sven and bring these dead people back!" Cade said.
"REYNOLDS STOP BEING INDECISIVE AND DO THE RIGHT THING!" Cap yelled.
Finally the Sentry flew down to Sven, offering him his hand. Sven grabbed the Sentry's hand without hesitation. The markings of his armour glowed a yellow colour, as Reynolds became a being of pure energy. Sven's look of anticipation turned to one of horror as the Sentry smirked; his yellow form had changed to a black shadow.
"No…AAAAGH!" Sven yelled in pain as his Fusion with the Void took full effect.
In a flash of light, Cade and Cap were both thrown back. Cade looked through the dust flying into him, his face overcome with concern for Sven's safety. As the dust passed, Cade's worst fears were imagined. Instead of a gold and blue armoured being stood a being twisted into two forms. One half of his body portrayed the chaos of the Void, red and purple energy flowing, crackling together to form clawed appendages, horns and tentacles. The other half, the left half was a being in black and silver armour identical in structure to Sven's. But this armour had a bat like wing on the shoulder and a silver knight visor covering Sven's now glowing red eyes.
"Chaos and evil are two parts of the same equation!" Fusion whispered in a mix of the Void and Sven's voice.
Cade dropped his scythe, cursing as Fusion began walking forward. The Sven Reilly that Cade wished was his friend was gone, the Void had awakened his corrupt form.
Now
Hawkeye was shocked to hear that he had died once before the confrontation with Korvac. He looked to Mockingbird, who was equally as shocked. The Sentry had left out the fact that he had been threatening the Professor. He instead remarked how the Professor had made multiple formulas in an attempt to create a team of Sentries. But in Reynolds's version of events the Void had acted through the other "sentries", turning them into crazed creatures. He had spent the past hour explaining to the gathered heroes what the Void had done to the city.
"Wait a second, shouldn't everyone remember this, if half of the city was destroyed then wouldn't every news channel on the country have reported that?" Nico Minoru asked.
"Another chapter in the Sentry's complicated history, he does all these things that we just conveniently forgot, why exactly should we have forgotten this Reynolds? Wouldn't it have been better for us to have remembered what this Cade Hunter guy was like before he launched his "destroy all evil" campaign?" Luke Cage asked, stepping up to the Sentry.
"I have known you for a while Robert and I can tell that you are omitting the details of your encounter with the two rivals," Dr Strange said.
The Sentry lowered his head.
"I'm getting to that, I'm trying to remind you guys just how powerful the Void is, and how much power both the rivals hold back," Robert said as he turned to Victoria Hand. "The Void and Aeon's fusion wasn't the climax of the battle, it didn't end there."
While the Sentry continued the story, the rebel Avengers remained sceptical. Jessica Jones remembered Ms Marvel calling the Sentry a basket case, while Luke never did fully trust the man. He had conveniently appeared and revealed a whole history "forgotten" by the world. Now he was relaying another chapter of that history.
Then
Fusion walked towards Cade, dragging the claw and tendrils of the Void across the floor.
"The Void is simply raw chaos, though it still leads to suffering, suffering of others is the reward evil seeks, true suffering!" The Corrupt Fusion explained.
He opened the palms of his left hand, aiming it straight at Cade.
"Your not Sven, that is why I do not kill you, because you are not Sven himself," Cade said.
"Yet you would not hesitate to kill Reynolds, the Void is a part of him as I am a part of Sven, your desire to kill Reynolds and not Reilly is hypocritical…"
"You only say that because you think it hurts me, you will say anything to hurt others, that's how I know that you aren't Sven. Because I can see into peoples souls and when I look at Sven I see everything that I should be," Cade explained.
"It doesn't matter, your life is empty, meaningless in the grand scheme of things…Die!"
Cade widened his eyes, never seeing the blast coming. He only saw Cap standing in front of him. The Avenger's shield shattered as he fell to the floor.
"Don't give up…on either of them!" Cap whispered before his wounds got the better of him.
Cade gasped, grabbing Cap as he fell to the floor. He shook the man's body, trying to wake him up. But he was too late all the Avengers were dead. Right now, Cade Hunter was the only person around whom could be considered an Avenger.
"Never give up," He whispered.
He closed his eyes, allowing the red energy he pent up inside to overcome him, replacing his armour. In place of his scythe he created a shield. Throwing the shield forward, Cade cut the Void's tendrils. As the Void half of Fusion's body screamed, Cade ran at his corrupt rival. He threw his fist forward, only for Fusion to block the strike with his left hand. Cade quickly followed through with a left hook, striking Fusion across the face. He recovered and elbowed Cade in the cheek. Cade felt his teeth go loose and his jaw shake slightly out of place. The Void recovered from Cade's attack and tried to swing its claw at Cade. But some invisible force held it back. The Void then realised that Fusion's corrupt form was holding him back.
"Wait, I can help you, why are you stopping me?" The Void asked.
"You are a creature that craves life, I deny you that life," Fusion said.
"That's right Void, your little plan to destroy the world has failed!" Cade said.
He took a punch to the face, stumbling back as blood dripped from his cut lip. Cade let out a vicious yell as he slammed his fist straight into Fusion's face, shattering the visor of his helmet. Sven's eyes changed to a gold colour as he slowly regained control of his body. The Void screamed as its form began to shrink. Sven's body was surrounded by gold energy, the power of the Sentry. Blonde hair popped out of the back of his helmet as his bat like wing changed into a blue cloak. An S symbol appeared over his chest, whilst blue arm guards and blue boots appeared over his limbs.
"Do it Sven, hurry and save the world," Cade sighed as he fell to his knees, exhausted from the fighting.
"The Sun is a source of destruction when it explodes, but a source of life when it shines!" Sven said.
Jumping into the sky, Sven curled into a ball, as the light around his body grew brighter. He let out a yell, spreading his arms out and enveloping the area in the light.
"My god, all that power," He gasped.
The light grew in intensity, forcing Cade to put a hand to his eyes. He blinked and the whole world went dark. Seconds passed and Cade awoke to the sound of screeching tires and car horns. Petrol fumes and garbage stung his nostrils as he analysed his surroundings. Cade rubbed his head in confusion as he walked out of the alleyway. What had just happened? Likewise, Sven awoke in his loft with an equal sense of confusion. He walked out of his room, his confusion quickly fading as he saw one of his roommates laid out on the sofas. Kyle and Rick were inseparable and had obviously been out on another night out.
"Next time, drinks are on me guys," Sven said, putting fresh blankets over the two men.
He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was forgetting something, but it didn't matter. Everything was as it should be.
Everything was indeed as it should be. Everyone that had died was back from the dead, except the Professor, who not even Reynolds could locate. Robert sat in his watchtower, his dog sniffing his feet while the robot CLOC floated out of the wall.
"Master Reynolds, the record you requested to be deleted has been removed from the archives," The robot stated.
"Thank you CLOC, please record and then delete this conversation when I leave the room…" Reynolds took a deep breath as he prepared himself for confession. "When I fused with Aeon I felt my power increase to levels beyond what I originally thought possible, not even the Void knew that I could do such things, bringing back the dead, reversing damage as if I was warping reality itself. But Deathblade was a threat, he knew everything about me by just looking at me, I must stay away from him, otherwise he'll remember and tell everyone my secrets. That's why I erased everyone's memory, I can't give up this life yet!" Reynolds explained.
He got off his chair, pacing about the room.
"Aeon and Deathblade are fierce rivals, but as allies then there is nothing they cant accomplish…the Void knows this, today looks like a victory for me over the Void, but I cant shake the feeling of what he said."
Reynolds eyes took on a black colour as the Void manifested:
"You and I weren't the only things separated from Sven Reilly when the fusion ended!" He smirked.
Now
"Ever since that day I began doing as much Intel gathering as I could on those two, in case they turned out to be a threat like the Void. Tony and his Illuminate assisted me with this," Sentry explained, removing the recording device from his belt.
He clicked a button, revealing various images to the assembled heroes. Some showed different holographic images of the numerous armour forms Sven and Cade had taken over the years. Other images included details of their origins, hospital reports from the times Cade was beaten by his father, birth certificates, photos etc. A brief transcript of their origins appeared, including a photo of Sven meeting an alien when he was but a small child. Dr Strange raised his eyebrows in surprise slightly as he saw Sven in his armour, holding a baby with silver hair. He didn't remember the Illuminate doing this "information gathering" with the Sentry. But he did remember Tony and Xavier once mentioning Sieg and his connection to Sven.
"Wait, there are still inconsistencies with your story Reynolds," Dr Strange said.
"You would know much about inconsistencies wouldn't you Stephen Strange?"
Reynolds froze as the heroes turned their attention to the man standing down the street. Deathblade stood, tapping his scythe against the ground as he looked at the superior force before him. The only back up he had with him was Carina; the other members of his resurrected "Avengers" were carrying out the tasks he assigned them. His eyes turned from the Sentry to Dr Strange and Strange could tell that the man had an odd smirk hidden behind his helmet.
"After all Strange, according to you Chaos Magic doesn't exist, or does it?"
Strange widened his eyes for a moment before he put a hand to his head. He had just remembered something very important!
Next Chapter 15: What's a sidekick?
What has Strange remembered? You'll have to wait to find out for next chapter focuses on Sieg as he and his Avengers come face to face with Iron Man, who reveals to Sieg the Illuminates old interest in him. Meanwhile Sven and Zack face off against Nighthawk and Redbird.
Fans of Marvel might remember an odd inconsistency, something fixed with a good old fashioned retcon, of Dr Strange stating in Disassembled that Chaos Magic doesnt exist, yet being present when Chaos Magic has been used. I'm not trying to bash the creaters, I'm just utilising something they have given me to tell a good story. All secrets and Deathblade's next target will be revealed in time :)