Chapter V: Specter of the Past
"The one who comes is Kyliska ta Lekya. It is the name used by the Space Pirates for this ancient evil,"' Aluren's haggard hologram droned on. "But I prefer the name given to it a long time ago on Earth: the Devourer of Worlds. Galactus himself." The hologram fizzled out into static. All five heroes stood there in various levels of awe.
"I think that's it," Samus said, tinkering with another terminal.
"Galactus? Alive and in this time?" Hawkeye said in stunned disbelief.
"I am not surprised," Iron Man said. "He was, for all intensive purposes, a god."
"I know now!" Terra said suddenly. The others perked up at her exclamation. "I know what it is about Aluren that is so familiar."
"What?" Samus asked. Terra licked her lips.
"He was a member of the Empire's Magi-Tek research group. I recognize the face when I was being used by the Empire on my world."
"You sure?" Hawkeye said.
"Positive," Terra said. Cloud's eyes suddenly went wide.
"I also recognize him," the spiky haired warrior said. "He used to work for Shinra. In the Jenova research unit responsible for Sephiroth, and, ultimately, me."
"That explains why he chose the name'Jenova'," Samus said. "But how can a man like Aluren be in three places at once?"
"Maybe he wasn't," Terra said. "Call it a feeling, but I think that my world is out of sync with this timeline. Just looking around, I feel that our world was brought here for some purpose and that I, we, truly do not belong in the same time. Perhaps it is due to Aluren somehow."
"Sounds far-fetched," Iron Man said.
"I think her idea has merit," Cloud said. "I think my world is in a similar state. It would explain Aluren's presence."
"But why?" Samus asked. "What stake would he have in your worlds?" Cloud just shrugged his shoulders.
"In both cases," Iron Man said. "He seemed to be into research, as he was here. Perhaps he needed something from each of the worlds to complete something, some task."
"The Janus," Samus said. "He spoke so prominently of it. It makes sense."
"I don't know," Hawkeye said. "Galactus, long dead scientist, time travel and alternate worlds, and an invention that mirrors the Vulcan's Heart. This trip keeps getting weirder and weirder."
"Maybe now," a voice from the shadows hissed. "You have an idea of what we are up against."
"Ridley," Samus said as the winged creature walked out from the shadows., Kraid was standing behind him.
"Sorry for being late," he hissed. "We had some, uh, business to attend to."
"What do you know of this?" Samus asked.
"Only as much as you do," Ridley said. "That the Janus was a project of the late Joseph Aluren, and that it somehow ties into the Heart."
"They function identically," Iron Man said. "If I could see the Janus I could probably try to figure out why the Syndicate wants it."
"I am afraid that the Janus is already in Syndicate hands," Ridley said.
"What?" Samus exclaimed.
"We have been tracking the Syndicate for some time," Ridley hissed. "We are trying to figure out what they are planning on doing with the Janus and the Heart."
"And what of the Chosen?" Cloud asked. "What is her role in this?"
"We," Ridley paused. "Were hoping you could tell us." He looked around and spotted Terra. He flew over in a short burst and stopped in front of her. Terra just stood still, watching him. "So this is the Chosen," he said. "So delicate," he ran a claw down her cheek gently. Terra flinched a bit. "What is your name?"
"Terra," she said confidently. "And yours?"
"My name is Ridley, and this behind me is Kraid," Ridley said as Kraid bellowed softly. "We are allies."
"Temporary allies," Samus interrupted.
"Yes, temporary allies of Samus here," Ridley hissed.
"And how does Galactus fit into this?" Hawkeye asked.
"Kyliska is dead," Ridley said.
"Dead?" Iron Man exclaimed. Hawkeye went wide eyed, then relaxed.
"Then we don't have to worry about him, then," Hawkeye said.
"Not exactly," Ridley said. "There are rumors surrounding the Janus about Kyliska, and the power he left behind."
"Power?" Cloud asked.
"His technology," Iron Man said. "That makes sense. It isn't Galactus himself that we are to combat, but his technology. The Janus and the Heart would be able to, in theory power his technology."
"Plus," Samus said. "Aluren mentioned the Janus as weapon. They could also use that. Either way, this could be bad."
Iron Man walked up to one of the terminals talking about the Janus and pressed a button. A variety of technical information lit up the screen.
"The specs for the Janus are here," Iron Man said, surprised. "It may not be the actual thing, but I can still get enough information from this to get an idea of how to stop it."
"Good," Ridley said.
"Since I am a bit out of the loop," Hawkeye said. "Can I be filled in on what exactly happened here with Galactus?" Ridley and Samus both stared at him.
"I guess I'll fill you in," Samus said. "Sometimes I forget that we have people form other times and worlds here.
"One hundred years ago," Samus began. "A deep space exploration craft sent by the Federation was sent out to explore an uncharted solar system. It was to be mankind's longest space flight in current history. The people of Earth had high hopes for them. What they got was Galactus.
"When the ship reached the solar system, they found him feasting on a world. Galactus soon saw them, and what happened next, I can only speculate as only one message was sent back to Earth: 'he is coming, the Devourer of Worlds is coming!'. Next thing they knew, Galactus was making his way to Earth and eating worlds as he went."
"I guess with Reed and the rest of the Fantastic Four long gone," Iron Man said. "Galactus figured his pact to spare Earth was nulled."
"Nice guy, huh?" Hawkeye said with a snort.
"Anyway," Samus said. "Earth mobilized to stop him, but Galactus decimated two of our fleets before he was stopped. It is not known what exactly stopped him, only that it was some experimental weapon that took him down in one shot. That was the end of Galactus."
"A weapon?" Hawkeye said.
"The Janus," Terra said softly. "It was the Janus that stopped this Galactus."
"I think that's a safe bet," Iron Man said. "Judging by Aluren's holograms and records. I'll download the Janus' specs and bring them back to base for analysis, Samus."
"Sounds good," Samus said. She looked at Ridley from behind her mask. He stared back at her. "What is your stake in this? Why do you care? By all means, you should be working with the Syndicate."
"You underestimate us again, Samus," Ridley hissed. "You mentioned before of the worlds devastated by Kyliska ta Lekya. One of them was our home world. He came, and we put up a feeble attempt to stop him, but his hunger prevailed and our world was devoured. What survivors remained had to seek a new home."
"Zebes," Samus said. Ridley nodded.
"We cannot forgive Kyliska for that, nor can we allow his legacy to destroy more lives. That is why we are doing this, despite other issues."
"I am sorry for your loss," Samus said thickly.
"Spare us your sympathy, Samus. You nearly destroyed our new world!" Ridley spat. "You would have become a new Kyliska ta Lekya!"
"And the Metroids you son of a bitch!" Samus yelled. "What about the lives you took? What about the hatchling?" She leveled her gun arm at Ridley, who took flight and hissed.
"Whoa there!" Iron Man said, stepping between the two, arms outstretched. "You can settle this later. Right now we need to work together to stop the Syndicate." Ridley and Samus both backed off. "Good. Now, Samus we will head back to your place and we'll analyze the Janus' data."
"You'll be going back," Samus said. "I won't."
"Where are you going?" Iron Man asked.
"I'm heading to Earth," she said with a shrug. "Something about Aluren bugs me and I want to dig up more stuff on him. I think a big chunk of our answers lie with him."
"I want to go with you, then," Terra said.
"No," Iron Man and Samus said in unison.
"But," Terra started, but Samus interrupted her.
"It's too risky," she said. "You'll be safer at the labs with Iron Man. Gyllin, and Cloud."
"What about me?" Hawkeye asked.
"You're coming with me," Samus said.
"Cool," Hawkeye said. "Any particular reason?"
"I'd like someone to watch my back on Earth, and I figured you'd like a glimpse of your what your home looks like in the future."
"Sounds good," Hawkeye shrugged.
"I really want to go," Terra said again. "I won't be a burden."
"Terra," Iron Man said. "You really would be safer with us." She sighed.
"Very well," she said. Cloud walked up to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a weak smile, which he returned.
"Good," Samus said. "It's settled. Hawkeye and I will go to Earth to dig up some dirt on Aluren, while Iron Man can look at the specs on the Janus."
"While we," Ridley hissed. "Will keep tabs on the Syndicate. Here," Ridley held out a small computer pad.
"What is it?" Samus asked.
"Coordinates to our base of operations," Ridley said. "I suggest we meet there in two days in order to exchange information and come up with a plan of action."
Samus walked up to Ridley and hesitantly took the pad.
"I don't like this either Samus," Ridley hissed.
"But it needs to be done," Samus said when she took the pad. "Whether we like it or not."
"Agreed. Kraid, let's go," Ridley said as he flew off. Kraid bellowed and lumbered behind him.
"I suggest we leave ourselves," Samus said. "This place is starting to give me the creeps."
The garden was peaceful, with the sun out and the sky clear. A few puffy clouds dotted the blue backdrop. Trees grew sporadically among patches of well-organized flowering plants – many of which Dr. Doom had never seen before. He walked along a cobblestone path to the center of the garden. It was a large, circular cobblestone courtyard lined with trees and benches surrounding the perimeter. Birds could be heard in the trees above.
Kneeling next to a small patch of flowers was Magius. He was wearing plain, dirt-spattered clothes as he tended to his garden. Gardening tools sat next to him. Only a few feet away was a young woman wearing navy blue pants and a matching shirt. Her bronzed skin accented her blonde hair perfectly, and she fixed Doom with a stare from her hazel eyes.
"Your men failed to capture the Chosen," Magius said bluntly as Doom approached him.
"Your men were there as well, Magius," Doom said, not hiding his irritation.
"You promised me results, Doom," Magius said, looking up from his gardening. "And I fail to see them."
"Perhaps you need to learn patience," Doom said.
"I will not tolerate that kind of insubordination from you, Doom," Magius said icily. Then he smiled. "But admire your boldness. Not many people have the nerve to stand up to me.
"There is an opportunity," Magius continued. "For us to bolster our position in this cosmic game we are playing." Doom just stared at Magius from behind his mask. "I have word that the Chosen is with your friend Iron Man currently."
"He is not my friend," Doom said.
"Yes, of course," Magius said. The woman continued to stare at Doom. "But, anyway, I want you to retrieve the Chosen and take Iron Man and Samus out of the picture. Is that clear?"
"Yes," Doom said bitterly. "It will be taken care of."
"See that it is," Magius said. Doom left wordlessly, leaving Magius to tend to his garden.
Samus' ship landed in the forest clearing near Gryphon labs amidst a glowing sunset, with only the faint specks of the first stars of the night sky barely visible. Iron Man, Cloud, and Terra exited the ship, and saw Gyllin standing outside leaning on his cane, waiting for them. The ship promptly took off after a few seconds, and blasted off into the orange-black sky.
"Samus tells me you have some interesting news," Gyllin said dryly.
"That," Iron Man said. "Would be an understatement."
"We have a lot to discuss, then," Gyllin said as he turned and walked towards the doors of the lab. They opened with a hiss, and the four figures walked inside. Iron Man took the time it took for them to walk from the doors to the computer room in the back to fill Gyllin briefly on what they had found.
"So this is the Chosen," Gyllin said, squinting at Terra. "Lovely little thing, aren't you? My name is Gyllin."
"Terra," she said.
"And you?" Gyllin asked Cloud.
"Cloud," the spiky haired warrior said.
"Interesting," Gyllin muttered to himself. "And what of this 'Janus'?" He asked Iron Man.
"I don't know much," Iron Man said. "I have the files in my armor's computer, and I plan on analyzing them here."
"Sounds good," Gyllin said. "You have free reign of my labs, Mr. Stark. I'll make sure Cloud and Terra are settled in here. Just holler if you need anything."
"I will," Tony said. "Thank you, Gyllin."
"Just the fact that Tony Stark is here in my lab is thanks enough," Gyllin said with a broad smile. "But you are welcome anyway."
Tony laughed as he watched Gyllin escort Terra and Cloud out of the room. He plugged his armor into the main computer, and downloaded the Janus' files. He then took off his helmet and sighed. This could take a while he thought to himself. Maybe I'll have Gyllin bring me a pot or two of coffee. Tony then went to analyzing the details of Aluren's last invention.
"Here you are," Gyllin offered a plate of warm sandwiches which consisted of a slab of warm meat between two slices of bread. "I'm sure you're starving."
"Thank you," Terra said, taking a sandwich. Cloud did the same. Gyllin sat down with them, and grabbed one for himself.
"This place is amazing," Terra said before taking a bite of the sandwich. Her eyes widened as she chewed the sandwich. Cloud tentatively took a bit of his while Gyllin was busy devouring his. "This is excellent Gyllin!" Terra exclaimed.
"It is," Cloud said, finishing the last of his sandwich. He quickly reached for another. "What is it?"
"I don't know exactly," Gyllin said. Terra and Cloud glanced at each other, and then back to Gyllin. "All I know is that it is some kind of large rodent that likes to sit in mud. I found one wandering around the labs many years ago and wondered if it were good to eat, so I shot it and ate it. It turned out pretty good."
"Yes," Terra said hesitantly. Cloud just shrugged and finished his sandwich.
"I also brought some water to drink. I'm afraid I don't have anything fancy around here, as I can't tolerate much else in my old age."
"Water is fine, thank you," Cloud said as he reached for a glass, and quickly drank it.
"So what do you do Gyllin?" Terra asked.
"I'm just an inventor," he said.
"What do you invent?" Cloud asked.
"Things," Gyllin said. "Many things. Most of which don't work, some of which do."
"Did you design the suits that Samus and Tony wear?" She asked. Gyllin laughed a bit.
"I wish! Samus' suit is a Stark Enterprises design with some Chozo technology thrown in, while Tony built the Iron Man armor himself."
"He built it himself," Cloud said.
"That's amazing!" Terra exclaimed.
"Tony Stark is quite an inventor! Possibly the greatest Earth ever churned out," Gyllin said. He paused and smiled. "I keep forgetting that Samus said you come from a world far away from Earth and that you may not know some things. Here, I'll take those if you're done," Gyllin walked up, and grabbed the empty glasses and the empty sandwich plate. "I'm going to go check up on Tony and see how he's doing. Just let me know if you need anything."
"Thank you, Gyllin," Terra said with a smile.
"You're welcome, young lady," Gyllin said as he walked out of the room.
"How's it going?" Gyllin asked Tony as he walked up to the computer.
"Slow," Tony said. "These specs are very detailed, but I know most of it because they are exactly like the Heart's. It doesn't make any sense. How can they be exactly the same if there aren't any records of the Heart ever being made?"
"Coincidence," Gyllin shrugged. "Don't sweat it."
Silence. Gyllin stood watching Tony pour restlessly over the computer screen. Every once and a while, Tony would rub his tired, puffy eyes.
"You need sleep," Gyllin said.
"I know," Tony said. "But sleep is a luxury that I do not have right now. I need to know everything about the Janus I can so we can destroy it before the Syndicate can use it."
"Yeah, but you're not going to come up with anything while you're tired. You'll end up making mistakes. Trust me, I know," Gyllin said, pointing to his head. "I have had many things go wrong when I was tired, and the best thing, I found out, was to sleep on it and get a fresh start in the morning. This can wait a few hours, Tony."
"Gyllin, can I ask you something?"
"You already have," Gyllin said dryly. "But sure."
"Why did you become an inventor? Did you want fame, fortune? Did you want to change the world? Or were you thrust into due to a family legacy?" Tony asked wearily. Gyllin sighed and took a moment before speaking.
"I wanted to make people's lives easer and get paid big bucks to do it," he said. "What I ended up doing, however, is a different story."
"How so?"
"When I graduated with my phD, I was flat broke. I didn't have the finances to do what I wanted, so I started out teaching while inventing stuff on the side. I was young, and an activist of sorts. I believed that mankind was destined for greater things, and worked to give it to them." He paused again.
"In fact," he said. "Joseph Aluren was a contemporary of mine."
"You knew Aluren?" Tony asked, shocked.
"No, he was a contemporary. I met him once and we exchanged a few words, and that was it. However, he was impressed with my work, and offered me position on his Jenova project – which you saw first hand. I turned it down, though, as his heart was in the right place, but the pocketbook wasn't. There was another, more lucrative project that I had been offered, but it pained me to take it."
"Military," Tony said. Gyllin nodded.
"The Federation paid me quite well to build weapons. Weapons that could send hundreds upon thousands of troops screaming to the abyss. I even developed weapons that could bombard whole planets without having to set foot on them. Thankfully, those never panned out. The bottom line was, I had my money, but I didn't feel like I was making a difference. I retired and started Gryphon Labs. Unfortunately, I've been a failure ever since."
"I wouldn't say that," Tony said. "You built Samus' time machine. And I'm sure, you've built many things that can be useful."
"Yeah," Gyllin said.
Tony looked at the aged scientist in front of him and sighed inwardly. He tried to shake off the image of himself eventually standing in Gyllin's position.
"I know the desire to be remembered," Tony said after a while. "It seems like no matter how hard I try to design something to help mankind, something goes wrong while my weapons, such as the armor, linger. Is history going to remember me as an arms dealer, a weapon designer? Or will I make a difference?"
"You know," Gyllin said. "Some minds will argue that the betterment of mankind does lie in weapons. We can use them to keep us safe from those that will harm us, and that can allow us to live in peaceful times. You will be remembered for great things, Tony Stark," Gyllin said. "You may not think so, but you will achieve some great things in your life."
"Thank you," Tony said.
"No, thank you," Gyllin said with a smile. "Now, go get some sleep."
"All right," Tony nodded.
After a few hours of sleep, Tony was out of his Iron Man armor, sipping a fresh cup of coffee, and back at the computer. He felt much better and rested. The Janus made much more sense now, and he felt like he finally had a connection to the arcane device. That is when he found the answers he was looking for.
"Gyllin," Tony said. "Come take a look at this."
The aged scientist walked up drinking coffee out of a 'Star Trek' mug, and stopped in front of the terminal. His eyes widened as he finished absorbing the information on the screen.
"My God," Gyllin said wordlessly.
"Exactly," Tony said in a hushed voice. "Get Terra and Cloud in here, they need to see this." Gyllin just nodded and ran off. .
Moments later, Cloud, Terra, and Gyllin all arrived at the computer terminal.
"What is it?" Terra asked.
"I have uncovered the secrets of the Janus," Iron Man said. All three looked at him wide-eyed.
"The Janus, as previously stated, is nearly identical in function to the Vulcan's Heart, so I decided to skip over the technical specs and research other files on the Janus. That is when I discovered this in a carefully encrypted file," Iron Man pressed a button and specs of the Janus came up, but with words and letters in an unfamiliar language. Terra gasped.
"You recognize it Terra?" Iron Man asked.
"Yes," she said breathlessly. "It is the language of Espers."
"Espers?" Cloud said.
"Beings of magic from my world. I am," Terra paused. "Was, half-Esper. When Kefka was defeated on my world, the Espers disappeared, so the half of me that was Esper also died. Until recently. I have felt that part of me resurface, and that is why I think the Syndicate is after me."
"You said that you remember seeing Aluren on your world," Iron Man said. "Could there be a connection there?"
"I think so," Terra said. "Aluren worked in the Magi-Tek research lab."
"I've heard you use that term before," Iron Man said. "What exactly is 'Magi-Tek'?"
"Technology fueled by magic. However, the Empire also conducted research on Espers, converting them into a battery of sorts called Magicite."
"Magicite?" Gyllin asked. "It mentions that here," Gyllin said, squinting at the screen. In small letters written in English, the word 'Magicite' was written, as well as another term.
"Materia?" Cloud said. "How is that possible?"
"I take it that that is from your world," Iron Man said. Cloud nodded.
"It is a material meant to give the bearer enhanced abilities," Cloud said. "I was trained to use Materia."
"Do you have any?" Iron Man asked.
"No," Cloud said. "Not anymore."
"So the Janus uses Materia and Magicite as power?" Gyllin asked.
"Ask Terra," Iron Man said. "She can read the writing." Terra nodded and looked at the monitor.
"I can't understand all the details, but that looks like what they are used for," she said. "It is like the Empire's projects all over again."
"What capabilities does Magicite have as power sources?" Iron Man asked.
"Tremendous," Terra said. "However, they do wear out."
"Then that is where the Materia come in," Cloud said. "To keep the Magicite, and these Espers alive."
"That is what I was afraid of," Iron Man said. "Here is what I found a few minutes ago, but until now, the full gravity of the plans was not visible." He switched to the next screen. This one showed the Janus working as a sleek, dome shaped device one minute, and then as a cannon the next. It fired a blast of energy at a small planet, showing all the life on the planet die.
"What?" Cloud exclaimed and Terra gasped.
"This is just a simulation," Iron Man said. "The Janus, like its namesake, has a pair of uses: as a source of peaceful power, and as a weapon of massive devastation. However, since you pointed out that it is powered by living beings, it just doesn't kill things, it sucks their energy out of them, and stores it in the Janus, thus furthering its power generating capability."
"Allowing it to kill more things," Cloud said. Iron Man just nodded.
"I can see how this could destroy Galactus now," Iron Man said. "And why Aluren feared it so much."
"Hmmm," Gyllin said.
"What?" Iron Man asked.
"If I am reading this right," the old scientist said. "Then Aluren states that the Janus becomes very unstable as it absorbs life. He states the need for a 'channel', someone of 'intense spiritual energy to guide the flow of energy'." They all glanced at Terra.
"I guess I know where I come in now," Terra said.
"He needs you to control the energy," Iron Man said.
"To do what?" Gyllin asked. "To destroy planets?"
"No," Cloud said. "To revive this Galactus." They all just stared at him. "Think about it. Tony, you said that the Janus absorbs energy, right? Well, somewhere in there is Galactus. I think the Syndicate thinks they can use Terra to revive Galactus, and, maybe, control him somehow."
Tony swallowed hard, but remained silent. In the distant silence, the sound of the doors being forced open could be heard.
"Are you sure this will work?" Clint asked for the tenth time. The two walked towards the Federation Archives building, which was, ironically, the old UN building. Clint wore a pair of faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Around him, the bustling metropolis of futuristic New York hummed with activity. Most of the old buildings were preserved with a healthy smattering of new, more streamlined ones. Flying cars were even common – a fact that made Clint smile amusingly to himself as none matched the design presented at the summit.
"Yes," Samus said with a sigh for the tenth time. She wore a pair of jeans and a white tank top. Her brown hair was tied tightly behind her.
"Sorry," Clint said. "I just feel a little – uncomfortable- is all."
"Look, Clint," Samus said. "I know how you feel. I don't like the idea of walking around without my armor, but we don't want to draw attention to ourselves with the Syndicate on our tail. It will be okay. Try to relax a bit, all right?"
"Yeah. Relax," Clint said.
A pair of guards outside the UN building turned Archives stopped Samus and Clint. They wore heavy body armor with helmets that left only their mouths and chins visible. Some strange looking rifles were held neutrally in their hands. Samus showed them her identification, and they promptly let them in with a salute.
Clint whistled as they walked inside.
"This place hasn't changed much," he said.
"That's because it was preserved as a historical landmark after the UN was disbanded."
"When was that?" Clint asked.
"When the Federation was formed. They deemed the UN as irrelevant and unnecessary," Samus said.
"It took them that long to figure that out?" Clint said with a broad smile.
"Yeah," Samus said with a slight grin. They walked passed a series of rooms, and went to a heavy door at the end of a long hallway. A solitary guard stood there, and trained his weapon on them as they walked up. Samus flashed her ID again, and the guard let them in.
The door opened to a small hallway wrapping around a room with large windows. Clint looked into the room and saw stacks of cabinets and neatly arranged desks with computers. No windows opened up to the outside.
"What is this place?" Clint asked.
"The 'official' records of the Federation," Samus said. "Where the government keeps records that normal people don't know exist. This is our best shot at finding what we need to know about Aluren."
"As well as the truth about Roswell, who shot JFK, and the true location of Elvis, right?" Clint asked. Samus just glared at him. "Anyway, how does a bounty hunter gain access to a place like this?"
"Save the Federation's ass a few dozen times, and you make a few contacts," Samus shrugged as she walked up to the door of the central room, slid her ID card, and walked through the now open door. Clint followed closely behind her, the door shutting with a hiss.
Samus walked up to a computer, sat down, and begin to type.
"Make yourself comfortable," Samus said motioning to a chair. "We'll be here for a while." Clint pulled up a plain, cushioned metal chair, and sat next to Samus. "By the way, Clint," Samus said hesitantly. "Tony told me about you taking out Enchantress for me back on Terra's world. I want to thank you."
"No problem, Samus," Clint said. "I didn't really want to see you vape Tony there."
Samus laughed.
"Tony was right," she said. "You are handy to have around." She paused. "I am…sorry," she said, turning away.
"For what?" Clint asked.
"For treating like you were an incompetent boob," Samus said.
"Apology accepted," Clint said with a raised eyebrow. Samus just nodded and went to furiously typing on the computer. After a few hours, Clint was pacing the room, and a small alarm beeped from Samus' communicator.
"What's that?" Clint asked.
"It's Tony," Samus said worriedly. "He's in trouble. We've got to go."
"Then download what you need and," Clint paused.
"What?" Samus asked.
"We have company," Clint said as he saw four soldiers in black uniforms running down the hall, guns at the ready.
Iron Man stood there, facing the intruder with a hard expression. What shock there was now faded into logical reasoning. It all made sense now. Why had he not seen it before? To his left stood Cloud and Terra. Cloud had his sword ready. Gyllin was on Iron Man's right, standing his ground firmly.
And in front of him, clad in his own suit of armor and garbed in his traditional green cloak was Victor Von Doom himself. The tyrant of Latveria moved with a measured pace as he glared at Iron Man and his colleagues from behind his own metal mask. He held no visible weapons, but in Tony's long history with Doom, that meant nothing.
"Ah, Iron Man," Doom said as he approached. "What an unpleasant surprise it is to find you here."
"I would like to say the same," Iron Man replied. "But I could smell your rank odor the moment we stepped into this mess." What is his role in all of this? He wondered.
"Bravo for the stellar comeback, Iron Man," Doom said sarcastically. "I don't really wish to parley with you here, so I will be taking the Chosen now. Please make this easy for yourselves, and step down."
Iron Man quickly trained his repulsers on Doom, while Cloud stepped in front of Terra.
"You will have to go through me if you want her," Cloud said with a growl.
"You wish to challenge Doom, little man?" Doom said. Then he laughed, clenching a metal fist. "This should make a grand sport!"
"I don't care who you are," Terra's soft voice came from behind Cloud. "But we outnumber you three to one. I wouldn't make such bold threats if I were you."
"Face it chrome dome, you won't be taking the Chosen today," Iron Man said, unflinching.
Doom snorted in contempt. "Did you honestly expect me to travel alone Iron Man? I thought you knew better than that." Behind him, the shapes of Wrecker and Enchantress emerged from the shadows. Enchantress smiled seductively with her arms crossed, while Wrecker was hitting the palm of his hand with his crowbar.
"We will have the Chosen Iron – ugh!" Doom's tirade was over with a repulser volley from Iron Man.
"I could never stand listening to you Doom – you talk too much," Iron Man said. Wrecker then charged towards Terra, and met with the flat of Cloud's blade upside his head. Wrecker reeled back from the blow as Cloud brought his sword back, and slashed Wrecker across the chest. The big man was surprised to see that he was actually bleeding from Cloud's blade.
"You'll pay for that runt!" He growled as he lunged at Cloud with a fist. The blow caught Cloud in the face, sending him to the ground with a thud.
Iron Man stood over Doom, repulsers pointed at Doom's face.
"All right Doom," Iron Man asked. "What is your game here? What did the Syndicate promise you?"
"I thought you hated hearing me talk, Iron Man," Doom said as he held his hand out and blasted Iron Man back into some equipment. The blow made his head ring.
"Stop right there!" Gyllin said, cane at the ready. "No one destroys my lab while I stand!"
"Suit yourself," Doom shrugged as he got up. He pulled out a small gun from his armor and pointed it at Gyllin.
What are thinking Gyllin? Iron Man thought as he kicked his boot jets into gear.
He crashed into Doom as Doom fired. The shot went slightly off, and only hit Gyllin in the shoulder. However, the blow was enough to knock the old man unconscious next to the main computer terminal. Doom and Iron Man crashed into the opposite wall, and into more junk.
Wrecker walked up to Cloud laughing. Cloud saw him, but his head swam, and his vision blurred. He tried to lift his sword, but somehow was compelled not to.
You really don't want to get up now do you? A soft female voice cooed in his head. Hand us the Chosen, and anything you want will be yours.
"Anything?" Cloud whispered to himself as he looked towards Terra. Anything the voice replied.
"Back off bitch!" Terra shouted as she blasted Enchantress with a blast of lightning, and Cloud's mind and vision returned enough to see Wrecker's crowbar bearing down on him. Cloud rolled out of the way, leapt to his feet and stuck his sword into Wrecker's shoulder, causing him to cry out and drop the crowbar. Wrecker brought his other hand back, and smashed Cloud in the face again.
Cloud reeled a bit, but held steady despite the blood pouring from his nose. His head pounded. Another blow like that could knock him down for good.
"You silly little girl," Enchantress said with a laugh as Terra's lightning spell hit her. "I grew up with Thor. Do you think a little lightning is going to hurt me?"
"Maybe not," Terra said in a steady voice. "But maybe this will," she said as she unleashed a powerful burst that was the Flare spell. Enchantress held her ground as the flames started to push her back.
Enchantress countered with a magic blast of her own, causing Terra to flinch and release her control over the spell. Terra stepped back, and Enchantress stepped forward. Terra was breathing hard now, her power was waning, and she felt dizzy, weak. Enchantress kept coming, kept pushing. Then she saw Cloud fighting Wrecker blow for blow, and Gyllin's still form on the ground, and the tangled mass of metal that was Doom and Iron Man. She saw that, and steeled herself. She felt the long forgotten power rise in her, and she let it go in a burst of fury.
Enchantress' eyes widened in shock as Terra's blast caught her, and sent her flying back. Terra just stood there, dazed, breathing hard.
Doom held both of Iron Man's hands with his own, trying to keep the repulsers angled away from him. Iron Man pushed downward, trying to get a shot in at Doom.
"Give up Doom?" Iron Man asked.
"Never," Doom sneered as Enchantress flew overhead, knocked back by Terra's blast. Iron Man and Doom gave up struggling for a brief second as both saw Terra standing there. Doom grinned to himself, and took advantage of this distraction.
He released a jolt of electricity that shot through Iron Man, and left the armored Avenger with fried circuitry. Doom threw Iron Man to the ground as he got up. Iron Man was breathing hard as he tried to get up, but his armor's systems were temporarily down. All he could do was watch. Damn it Doom!
"You are coming with us," Doom said as he shot a dart that stuck Terra in the neck. She promptly fell to the ground.
"Terra!" Cloud yelled as Wrecker knocked him to the ground. Cloud hit with a thud, and Doom walked slowly up to Terra.
"So much power, yet so fragile," Doom said. Terra's breathing was labored, and she was barely aware of the situation around her. Her eyes were just slits as they tried to stay open. She saw Wrecker, staggering from multiple sword wounds, and Cloud trying to get back up from behind him. Then, she saw Gyllin stir.
Iron Man saw the scientist stir as well, and saw the old man crawl towards a terminal. What are you doing? Iron Man thought.
"No one," Gyllin said between breaths. "Destroys my lab," another breath. "But me." He pressed a button, and the alarms blared.
"Self destruct in one minute," a mechanical voice said.
"See you in Hell, Doom!" Gyllin yelled.
"Grab her and go!" Doom ordered Wrecker, but Cloud was up, and he swung his sword to where caught Wrecker upside the head and sent him reeling. In one fluid arc, Cloud brought his sword down against Doom.
The lord of Latveria managed a step back, but the sword scraped against his armor. He glared at the spiky haired warrior from behind his mask, and Cloud's eyes met his. The sword stroke caused some minor damage to Doom's support systems.
"Forget the girl," Doom growled as he stepped back. "She's not important. Let's just leave them here to meet their maker. See you all in Hades!" Doom said as he ran off with Wrecker and Enchantress in tow.
Cloud collapsed next to Terra as Gyllin staggered up.
"We have to move now!" Gyllin yelled. No one replied.
"Thirty seconds to self destruct," the mechanical voice said.
Iron Man started to lift himself up as his armor's power returned. But his armor was still weak, and he would not be able to make it outside in time. He winced. Samus, Clint forgive me. I have failed.
No you haven't. Not yet. A mysterious voice inside of his head said to him, and a warm pink light surrounded him as he lost consciousness.