Soulful
by Gary Jones
Steve Rogers, Captain America, and Calvin Rankin the Mimic, who was using the shape and powers of Johnny Storm, the Human Torch of his world, faced off against three powerful vampires in the Mole Man's underground kingdom.
Deacon Frost was the leader of the vampire trio; he was dress in a smart blue suit and had a neatly trimmed grey beard.
The next vampire, who was dressed in a scruffy leather jacket and jeans, was known as Frank Drake, and it was rumoured amongst the other vampires that he was a direct descendant of the mighty Dracula himself.
The last of the vampires had been eyeing Captain America with a seething hatred, he was Lord John Falsworth and he was the Nazi agent known as Baron Blood. Dressed in the uniform of a Nazi general, he represented everything that Captain America had been created to fight.
"I known not what sort of deal you wish to offer these mortals Deacon but you will have to give it to the flaming one. Zemo denied me the kill of Captain America once before and you will not do so today."
The Baron's features twisted until they were some nightmarish cross between man and bat. His finger nails became a form of talon and Blood took a vicious swipe at the Captain.
The talons raked across Cap's chest, drawing blood but in truth he didn't feel the wounds "You'll have to do better than that," Cap spat back through gritted teeth.
His body ached not only from the months of being drained as food for the vampires, nor was it the near constant fighting that he had been involved in since being freed by the strange man black but it was also the fact that he had never completed the course of vita-ray treatment that was to have stabilised the effects of the super-soldier serum on his body.
"Pathetic meat," Blood threw another punch at Cap but this time the sentinel of liberty managed to raise his newly acquired shield to block the blow, the force of which still managed to throw him back onto the ground.
"If you think I'm going to stand still and let you guys triple team Cap," Mimic flared up, using the copied powers and form of the Human Torch to block the path of two other vampires "then you are very much mistaken," Mimic wasn't worried about Cap, he had seen the one of his world come through tougher challenges than this.
"Why my dear boy," Deacon Frost smiled, his white teeth with their enlarged incisors were stained with the blood of the Moloids that he had drained "you can be assured that neither I or my associate," Frost gestured to Frank Drake how was standing by his side "have the slightest interest in interfering."
"In fact it'd probably work out better for us if your guy won," Frank Drake pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket and placed it in his mouth, he then removed a Zippo from another pocket and tried to light it "ain't got no breath to take a drag," Drake muttered as he tossed the stogie aside.
"Like you really expect me to believe that you want us walking feedbags to come out on top," Mimic readied himself from the attack that he was sure was coming.
"Believe what you wish boy but the truth of the matter is if your friend comes out on top then we will have the beginnings of an agreement," Frost smiled and for some reason, which Mimic for the life of him could not figure out, Mimic trusted him.
"So you do not plan to offer your friends any assistance," the Mole Man stood at the back of a secluded cave at the very back of the rock chamber he called home, a last few loyal Moloids surrounded him, ready to ay down their lives to protect their lord and master from another ravaging.
"Well if they were my friends I might very well be tempted to leap into a pitched battle against vampires who want to use me like a slurpy machine," Stalker turned from the mouth of the cave where he was watching Cap's fight with Baron Blood "but its a temptation that I think I'd be able to resist," Stalker grinned underneath his mask.
"Is carrying me around in this bloody sack really necessary," the vampire known as William the Bloody, more commonly referred to as Spike, complained.
"No, no it isn't," the sack was slung over the shoulder of the grey behemoth known as Joe Fixit.
"Any chance of letting me out then," came a muffled plea from within.
"Sure there this is," Joe flung the sack heavily onto the flat surface of the building he was observing the Baxter building from "let me open it right now," he opened the mouth of the sack a small amount and the sunlight began to creep inside.
"Ok close the sack, close the sack," the vampire within began to burn at daylights touch.
"Are you sure, I really wouldn't mind letting you out," Joe taunted.
"Yes, leave me in the sack, I don't bloody care," a sigh of relief came from within as the sack was closed, swiftly followed by a string of expletives as Fixit swung it harshly onto his back once again.
"Phoenix is still inside gibbering to herself in Russian," Sue Storm, the young woman known as the Human Torch, walked out through the access door and onto the roof, ending up standing next to Joe "So how's Spike doing."
"He was just telling me how much he was enjoying his sack," Fixit grinned broadly "think Phoenix is going to be up for this, I don' wanna end up having to carry all the slack."
"Somehow I don't believe you and despite her babbling, I do think she'll be ok," Sue looked across at the building that on her world didn't exist "I don't think this building will be as hard to hit Four Freedoms Plaza, I mean time seems to be out of whack on this world but from the outside it doesn't look as if Reed has done anything to the building."
Captain America crouched and swung a leg out at Baron Blood, who leapt swiftly over and attempted to land a knee but Cap rolled and landed a kick in the vampire's gut, while the blow staggered Blood he just laughed it off.
"What were you trying to do American, wind me," Blood delivered a kick to Cap that sent him skidding back into a wall, the shield slipping from his grasp "I'm a vampire you fool, I don't need to breath."
"Now why don't you just be a good boy and roll over and die," Blood said as he stalked toward, baring his fangs ready to drink the super-soldiers blood.
"Roll over and die?" Cap spoke as he spat out blood, his fingers reaching for the shield "that is something no American will ever do to your kind Nazi."
Cap sprang to his feet, shrugging off the pain that was building behind his eyes, and threw the shield with all his strength. The symbol that had inspired so many flew with uncanny accuracy, its edge serving the vampires head, afterward hitting a stalagmite and rebounding back into Cap's grasp.
"Now that could come in handy," Cap said with surprise, just before he passed out.
"So we ready to go in," Phoenix asked as she joined the others on the roof.
"Just hanging on for you babe," Fixit said without removing his eyes from the Baxter Building "now if Sue will just let me off my vamp in a bag, we can get going."
"Sorry but he's played fair with us so you don't get to kill him," Sue looked up at Joe and smiled "but that doesn't mean you can't hurt him a bit."
Fixit grinned again and began to swing the sack Spike was held in around and around, it was spinning faster than the eye could see before Fixit let it go.
The Sack quickly disappeared from view, leaving Fixit booming with laughter "Now let's get in there, crush some skulls and pull that idiot Stalker out."
"We did great there didn't we guys," Stalker exclaimed as he bounded over to where Mimic was helping the weakened Cap to his feet "whoa, what the f$ are they still doing here," Stalker skidded to a halt as he noticed Frost and Drake standing in the shadows.
"They claim to have something of value to offer us," Mimic replied with distain in his voice "so why don't you run off and hide before I kill you myself."
"I'd like to see you try copycat," Stalker mocked.
"I'd be more then happy to," Mimic leant Cap up against a rocky outcropped and walked slowly toward Stalker, his flame building in intensity as he did so.
"Would you children care to finish your squabbles another time," Deacon Frost walked out of the shadow, shielding his eyes from the glare of Mimic's flame "despite being immortal, Mr. Drake and myself do not have time to waste."
"Great now I'm being given lessons on my manners by the undead," Stalker complained. Mimic stopped walking toward him but didn't lower the flames covering his body.
"If you are being lectured on manners, it is because you need to be," Frost sneered at Stalker.
"Yeah man, I know zombies with better personalities than you," Drake said as he joined Frost "and they're all 'brains, eat brains, uurrgghh', you know all that kind of shit…what."
Cap, Mimic, Stalker and even Deacon Frost looked at Drake with amazement at his ramble.
"Anyway," Frost continued "many of the high ranking vampires are unhappy, both with the current ruler and the situation with the humans, they miss the days of the hunt and lack the resources to hunt something other than humans," Frost gestured over to the bodies of several Moloids.
"Pardon me but that's not our concern," Cap moved to stand next to Stalker and Mimic.
"No but what if I were to tell you that," Frost pulled an envelope out of his pocket "that within this, there is way to hand the united states back to humanity."
Stalker threw his head back in laughter "I'd say you're talking absolute shi…"
"Let him finish," Cap cut Stalker off "but I'm guessing there is a catch isn't there."
"Quite right Captain," Frost smiled "inside this envelope is a page from an ancient mystical tome called the Darkhold, the spell written on it is capable of returning the infected human and the demon vampires would be given back their souls."
"But let me guess you've altered the spell so you would be safe?" Mimic quizzed.
"Quite right, the spell has been changed so only those vampires of a more mystical nature would be spared."
"So why haven't you cast this spell yourself," Cap asked.
"Because to complete it you would need an object called the Orb of Thesula, and the only existing one is contained within the private quarters of the ruling vampire."
"Why don't you get undressed and come to bed Angelus," Darla purred in her most seductive voice, she could see that he was not paying attention to her however, despite her best efforts "why do you keep that awful thing about my love," Darla draped herself seductively over her lover Angelus as he sat at the end of their black satin sheet covered bed.
"Because it reminds me that I have to be vigilant against my enemies," Angelus stood up from the end of the bed and gently, almost reverently, place the Orb of Thesula back safely in the bullet proof glass case that protected it "if I had just been one minute later," he whispered as he closed and locked the cabinet door.
"And never ask me a question again," Angelus delivered a powerful backhand to Darla's cheek.
"I know you like it rough lover," Darla practically flew off the bed, delivering a powerful kick to Angelus' guy which caused him to fall to the floor, lying on his back "but that's ok, so do I," she grinned as he straddled her lover's chest, wiping a small drop of dark red blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Must be why we're so good for each other," Angelus pulled Darla down to him by the hair, their lips were mere fractions from each others when an alarm began to sound.
"There are time I really hate being in charge," Angelus slowly ran his eyes up the supple naked form of his lover "but there have been compensations."
He flexed his chest throwing Darla from him "get dressed," he said as he walked out of the bedroom.
Angelus swiftly moved through the private apartment he kept atop the Baxter Building and when he walked through its front door into the corridor outside, he was confronted by a rush of activity.
"You," he reached out a hand and grabbed one of the guard's by the throat, pulling him to his face "what is going on?"
"Three intruders sir," the guard managed to chock through his crushed throat "a big grey one and a woman made of metal are tearing up the loading bay, another one made of flame is stopping reinforcements getting in."
"Damn," Angelus squeezed and the guard's head came off "made by an infection, what else can you expect," Angelus said dismissively as the guard's body crumpled to ash.
"Wish the Avengers'd let me cut loose like this," Fixit dug his huge grey hands into the tarmac of the Baxter Buildings loading bay and tore out two massive chunks, throwing them at the remaining guards who were on the gantries.
"How ya hanging over there kid," Fixit called over to Sue Storm who was blocking the entrances to the loading bay with her flame.
I'm doing great so far," the flame covered teen shouted back "but I heard one of them say that they are going to get protective suits, so one of you guys should probably start checking out the cells up there."
"I will do it," Phoenix spoke matter of fact tone, switched to her human form and used her telekinetic powers to flung herself up onto the gantry above, once there she switch back to her steel form and began to tear the nearest door off "not in there," she said coldly as she moved onto the next door.
"So do you really think we can trust Frost," Mimic asked Cap, the form of Johnny Storm given over to his own.
"I have no idea Mimic but at this point we have no real choice," Cap was at the head of the trio as they walked through the rock tunnel that the vampire Avalanche had craved through into the Mole Man's kingdom.
"Let's just hope it comes out into that abandoned warehouse like he said it would and not into another blood factory," Stalker said as he followed at the rear "you know you could really turn back into Torch and give us a little light more light than these glow rocks of the Mole Man's give off you know."
"Sure I could," Mimic replied, fed up with the amount of whining Stalker had been doing since they entered the tunnel "but as there seems to be a smell of gas, probably from a ruptured gas line, it might give us a little more light than you were looking for."
"Well getting blown up would put a bit of crimp in my day," Stalker sighed "well could you at least become a hot chick again if I have to follow you, a nice ass was second on my list."
"God, anything to shut you up," Mimic concentrated, his form shifted and in seconds he had become a duplicate of Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch "and considering that I am still naked, I would consider it a personal favour if you would keep quite for the rest of this reality."
"Holy…sorry," Stalker quickly cut himself off as he followed close behind Mimic, never once taking his eyes off the duplicated rear of the Scarlet Witch.
"Can't I trust you idiots to even look after my private stock," Angelus walked through a group of guards who were standing in front of the flame barrier.
"But sire we can't get through without being killed," protested one guard he had a little more courage than the others.
"Let's test that out then shall we?" Angelus gave the guard a quick, unexpected shove straight into the flame barrier.
"What do you know he was right," Angelus smirked as the guard just disintegrated "now where the hell are the anti-fire suits," he yelled.
"I'll check now sire," all the remaining guards said in unison before running off and fleeing away.
"I'm going to enjoy killing whoever is behind this," Angelus snarled as he stared into the flames, making out the three figures moving beyond.
"So the Orb of thingy is at the top of that," Stalker said as his group looked at the Baxter Building.
"Frost said it was being held in the penthouse," Mimic said while still in the form of Wanda Maximoff, arms crossed over her chest and turning away from Stalker whose eyes were getting a little too friendly.
"We should be able to use what ever is going on at the front of the building to sneak up," Cap turned to Stalker "do you think you can use that webbing of yours to get up there."
"Should be able to," Stalker shrugged "gibe me the damn spell and I'll give it a go," Stalker held out his hand and Cap placed the envelope with the Darkhold spell into his grasp.
"If I pull this off I expect to be able to cop a feel of those," Stalker pointed at Mimic's duplicate of the Scarlet Witch's chest "I ain't into looking and not touching," Stalker extended his right arms and fired off a web toward the Baxter Building.
"Thank god he's gone, Mimic said as he shifted back into his real form "he hasn't really done anything but he gives me the creeps."
"I know what you mean Cap replied "I used to get the same vibe off some of the other candidates for the super-soldier program, I'd hate to have thought what would have happened if they had gotten the serum instead of me."
"At last," Angelus said as he threw his hands into the air "give me that damn suit, I'm going through first," he snatched the closest of the protective suits and quickly pulled it on "lets do this," he paused for just a moment as he looked at the mass of flames in front of him but it was only for a moment because he soon just jumped straight through.
"What the…" Sue shouted out as a figure bursting through the flames slammed right into her.
"Joe I think we have the beginning of a problem," Sue managed to fly from the grasp of the vampire who had just come through her flame barrier and whom was swiftly being followed through by others.
"Not a problem hothead Joe said as he strode toward the growing group of vampires "just means more heads for me to crack."
"God I hate playing hero," Stalker grumbled as he kicked in the glass patio door that led to the penthouse bedroom "whoa spot of déjà vu there."
Stalker spotted the Orb in the glass case exactly where Frost has said it would be "let's get this over and done with," he grumbled.
"And just who are you to enter a lady's bed chamber uninvited," Darla walked from the en-suite bathroom, a white towel covering her wet body "are you one of the problems that my Angelus went to take care of."
Stalker's eyes moved quickly between the Orb and Darla's long slender legs "decisions, decisions," he sighed "look darling as much I'd enjoy…well to enjoy you, I really have to do the superhero bit, it's a pain I know but don't worry I'll get to you eventually."
Stalker turned away but found that Darla leapt straight onto his back and attempted to bite his neck.
"Puughh what is your clothing made from," Darla spat before being flipped off by Stalker.
"You know babe I was going to go easy on you but now I'll show you what a bite is really all about," Stalker pulled off his mask and grinned, revealing his enlarged incisors "I may not be able to wall crawl but I did get a little venom," before Darla could react, Stalker dragged her up by her hair and sank his teeth into her neck.
Almost immediately she began to spasm and Stalker just let her fall to the floor.
Leaving her there he walked over to the case and shattered it with one blow "now lets get this done," Stalker pulled the envelope with the spell in it from the waistband of his costume, pulled out the page inside and then grabbed the Orb.
"Ok here goes. Quod perditum est, invenietur.
Te implor, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte.
Nici mort, nici al fiintei. Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul la el.
Asa sa fie! Asa sa fie!
Acum!
Acum!"
The orb glowed for a moment and then a burst of light filled the rooms like a liquid before vanishing.
"Well that was weird," Stalker tossed the orb, which now seemed to be duller than when he first picked it up.
"Soul soul soul," Darla muttered as Stalker stood over her "I have a soul," through the pain of Stalker's venom she began to cry.
"Well now as we have a few minutes spare and things downstairs seem to be quietening down, lets have a little fun," Stalker pulled on his mask, picked up Darla and threw her on the bed "and I'm glad that spell worked because it makes it more fun for me when women can emotionally hurt, after all the physical pain goes away but I like them to remember me."
"I am afraid that Stalker is not contained in any of the cells and all of the people within seem to be in a highly dangerous physical condition," Phoenix stood next to Fixit and Sue, both of which were looking at the vampires who were on the floor moaning.
"Anyone got an idea of what happened," Fixit asked as he kicked the nearest vamp to him.
"Where I am, who are all you people," Angelus sat against a wall, the mask of his suit torn off in a panic.
"I'm not sure but that guy doesn't even know who he is, I'm thinking Wanda or Jennifer at the mall must have put a psychic whammy on all these guys," Sue kept her flame up "best of all these fire proof suits seem to be made of unstable molecules, I think I just found myself a new costume," Sue said as she felt the fabric of the suit nearest to her.
Sue searched around the people on the floor for someone near her size, when she found one she quickly stripped the guy and pulled on the suit, which was all black with enlarged dark blue shoulder pieces "well it does work," Sue flamed on and the costume didn't burn.
"Hey, Phoenix are you ok," Sue asked the cosmic being who was holding her hand in her hands.
"I feel strange like I am in two places at one and I sense something is about to happen."
As soon as Phoenix finished talking all the Lost in the loading bay, Stalker in the penthouse and Cap and Mimic, were swallowed by purple energy portals.
"It is done, the spell has been used," in a dark crypt underneath a disused Church Deacon Frost and Frank Drake stood, charms strategically placed to protect them from the spell.
"Now only we two remain," Drake smiled as he tried to drag on a cigar again, only to throw it away in disappointment.
"Only we two for now but soon he will arise again and take his rightful place as master of this world," Frost ran his hand across the lid of a stone coffin, removing the dust and showing the name 'Vlad Dracul.'
"Is everything ok Professor," In a small Salem Centre coffee shop, Phoenix sat across from the founder of the X-Men, taking a moment to relax after they had spent a busy day shopping to get Phoenix a new wardrobe.
"Quite," Professor Xavier responded, rubbing his temples with two fingers of each hand "It was really quite odd but for just a moment there is seemed that you were in two places at once, it was quite an odd sensation but it has passed. Now what about that new hair style you wanted."
Well there you have it, the end to the first arc of Lost, hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it.
I decided to send Phoenix home in this issue because she is currently appearing in the pages of X-Men over at the X-Verse Imprint, if you're a fan I hope you'll head across and follow her adventures there.
Come back next time to see the little adventure that I like to call "Not Another Shameless Tie-In."