Disclaimer: I dont own Marvel
Here we are with another update for the Hunt along with a string of updates and postins of the spinoff tales. This Squadron Supreme will act as major antagonists in the events to come. So everyone enjoy what I like to think is the biggest fight scene I've written so far.
The Hunt
Chapter 4: Supreme Hand
They weren't the first ninjas he had faced. He had faced many ninjas from numerous clans in the past. The Dragon Clan, Shirai-Ryu, the Black Spiders, the Collective and the most deadliest of them all, the Dawn. The hand had trained daredevil, and Deathblade had learnt from simply observing fights. He always had a natural talent for hand-to-hand combat, particularly boxing. But Cade Hunter knew that it wouldn't be enough, he needed more. So he observed more fighting styles, studying and picturing the moves with his mind. They weren't perfect copies of the originals, but Deathblade's arsenal of martial arts skills became a mixture of many styles. Jujitsu, Irish Boxing, Chinese nerve strikes, wrestling throws and grapples, Aikido and Ninjutsu and traditional karate. He learnt to utilise the best points of those fighting forms, becoming deadly even without the blade.
Daredevil's ninjas rushed towards him, moving like a swarm of demons. Deathblade threw his scythe, beheading and cutting ninjas in half at the waist. He slapped his left hand to his right palm and took a bow before sliding his leg and arms into a fighting stance. Raising his hand, Deathblade grabbed a ninja's wrist. Then he slammed his free hand into the ninja's elbow, bending his arm out of place. He swung the ninja around, throwing his opponent into the surrounding ninjas. Two more ninjas rushed forward, swinging their swords. At the same time a ninja wrapped a chain around Deathblade's wrist. But Deathblade tugged on the chain, wrapping it around his arms as he pulled the ninja towards him. He also jumped and kicked the two ninjas across their heads, breaking their necks with single kicks.
"SURROUND HIM!" Daredevil yelled at his ninjas.
They rushed forward, stepping back in shock as their fellow ninja was thrown around in a circle. Deathblade overpowered the ninja wielding the Kusuri-gama, throwing the ninja around with the chain. He then ran forward, punching the ninja in the chest and grabbing the pick axe. Jumping upwards, Deathblade span in midair, swinging the axe around. The blade slashed at the ninja's, lethally cutting them. When Deathblade landed, seven ninjas crashed to the floor. He swung chain around, continuing to spin the axe attached to it. His eyes flashed as the countless assassination jobs the Hand had taken part in flashed before his eyes.
In the past he had no issue with assassins, he would always go for the employers. Assassins were weapons, the men paying them to kill were the murderers. But now as a man, Cade Hunter knew that the assassins were just as responsible for countless suffering and dead. They all deserved what was coming next. Deathblade roared as he span on the spot. He swung the Kusuri-gama as if he was doing the hammer throw, never stopping as he cut at the ninjas. When he let go, he moved again, grabbing a Hand's wrist and throwing him across the floor, tripping up several other ninjas. Then he stopped a ninjas sword with his wrist gauntlet, batting the blade aside and punching the ninja so hard that he was thrown into his allies. Deathblade turned on the spot, practically counting his enemies as they struck. He dodged several volleys of kunai and blocked sword strikes with his gauntlets. One ninja jumped over the others, swiping his knuckle claws at Cade. But the superior fighter grabbed the man's hands and delivered a crushing head butt to his nose. He then slipped the clawed gauntlets off and threw them over his shoulders, impaling two men's heads.
His hands moved swiftly, grabbing weapons out of his enemies' hands and blocking strikes. He span two katanas in his hands, beheading two ninjas. Then he cut three more, blocked two strikes and slashed another enemy across the throat. He sidestepped a strike, countered with a thrust and parried six sword thrusts. Crossing his swords together, he locked four swords in place before kicking the swords into the air. Then he jumped upwards, dodging kunai and shuriken as he grabbed one sword after another, throwing them with perfect accuracy into his targets. When he landed, he created a double-edged sword and swung the weapon in a wide circle. Seven more ninjas fell to the floor and the other Hand members stepped back in shock.
They were not the First Squadron Supreme that the Earth had faced. The Squadron's had deep histories. When the Avengers first met them they were merely creations of an omnipotent being. Then they were the heroes of another world. And the most recent group were villains against the Thunderbolts. Citizen V had actually heard rumours that a version of Hyperion was in the Prison 42. One thing was certain; any incarnation of the Squadron was deadly.
But this new Squadron Sinister were purely creations of one man. Each member had his or her own deep history of crime, murder and greed. Their Hyperion was a pig, a formerly fat and struggling wannabe crime lord. This Nighthawk had been a vigilante failing to make a difference in the community; he had been dismissed as a thug with a gun. Power Princess was a former prostitute who wanted to dominate all men as they had dominated her. They all had their histories, but none of that mattered to Sieg. He had just one thing to say about them:
"TAKE THEM DOWN!" Sieg yelled.
He slammed his sword into Hyperion's arm, yelling as the blade grinded against the man's skin. X-23 rushed towards Power Princess, slashing the woman's armour. Her Adamantium claws did scratch the chest plate, but Power Princess herself was far powerful. She grabbed Laura by her neck and threw her like a rag doll. Golden Archer fired multiple volleys of arrows at the Avengers. One hit Guardian in the chest, leaving him open to an energy blast from Spectrum. Sofia created a burst of wind, throwing the arrows back. But Lady Lark unleashed her sonic scream, causing Sofia to cover her ears and scream in agony.
"God this is so fun," Whizzer said as he ran across the district.
The speedster punched Grasshopper and threw Tigra, sending her stumbling into X-23. Whizzer ran so fast that Dust's sand form was thrown from side to side by the gale force winds. Nighthawk fired bullets from his wrist guards, trying to hit his midair target. Citizen V used his glider to its full advantage, dodging the explosive bullets. He deflected a blast fired by Moon glow, diverting it into Spectrum. Tigra then jumped at Arcanna, slashing at the witch with her claws. Arcanna raised her hand, knocking Tigra away with a blast. Grasshopper jumped into the air and shook the ground as he landed. Whizzer stumbled, revealing himself to Dust. Sooraya flew into Whizzer, hitting him like a hammer. She solidified her sand form, appearing before the speedster like a giant of sand. Sofia and Laura looked at their friend in shock at her sudden sand like appearance before she slammed her fist into Whizzer, sending him flying into his Skrull teammate.
"That's new Sooraya," Sofia pointed out.
"It is, our more proactive approach has helped me to think of more creative methods of using my powers," Sooraya explained.
The Skrull stretched his arm, grabbing Sofia by the head and swinging her around. Whizzer smirked before spinning his arm around, creating a vortex that split Sooraya's sand form apart. X-23 tried to attack Power Princess again, but an arrow flew into her thigh. Golden Archer then fired another arrow, hitting Laura's wrist. Hyperion slammed his fist into Sieg's sword, shattering the blade and sending him flying through a wall. Sieg crashed through three walls before falling in a heap with several barrels he had struck. By the time he recovered, Hyperion was already in front of him. Sieg moved just in time, rolling out of the way of Hyperion's heat vision. The superman like fighter then took a deep breath, blowing Sieg into the air.
"Leave him alone bully," Guardian said.
"You sound like a pussy!" Spectrum taunted.
Spectrum flew after Guardian, intercepting him before he could attack Hyperion. The energy wielder hit the energy absorber in the side, sending him flying into another area of the district. Michael quickly recovered and fired a blast, one that Spectrum returned. The two blasts collided; creating a miniature explosion that tore apart half repaired buildings. Cortez laughed as the fight reached the streets. Spectrum and Guardian were firing blasts that tore whole chunks off of buildings while Sieg was deflecting optic blasts with his sword. Hyperion landed in front of Sieg and smirked as the boy continually struck him with his sword. The sword fell to pieces and Hyperion grabbed Sieg by his neck.
"God I thought you'd be a challenge," Hyperion said before throwing Sieg aside.
Sieg rolled across the floor, stopping at the edge of an occupied street. He looked to the civilians, widening his eyes as they stared at him and Hyperion.
"RUN ALL OF YOU RUN!" Sieg yelled.
He jumped at Hyperion, creating another sword and slamming it into the superman's chest. Hyperion laughed as the sword shattered. He flicked Sieg's shoulder, sending him flying into the side of a bus. Sieg shook his head as he got up off the floor. His vision blurred as he looked up, seeing children in the bus. Guardian and Prism both yelled as they crashed into one of the buildings, their energy disintegrating the grass. They rolled across the floor, throwing each other through the half rebuilt walls. The Skrull Skymax threw Sofia into Tigra, knocking her away from Lady Lark. Citizen V jumped off his glider, landing and kicking Golden Archer across the head. He ran towards Nighthawk, slamming his sword into the vigilante's gauntlet.
"You seriously think you can stop us, how pathetic!" Power Princess laughed.
"We're not done yet," Grasshopper growled as he slammed his leg into Skymax.
Sofia threw her hands forward, slamming the wind into Lady Lark's sonic scream. X-23 pulled herself off the wall, tearing at her own skin to break the arrows. She yelled as Moon glow hit her with an energy blast. Wind Dancer continued her aerial fight with Lady lark, trying to get the best of her sonic scream with wind. Tigra ran across the floor before jumping at Power Princess. She scratched the woman across the cheek, then dodged one of her crushing punches. Power Princess growled before Tigra jumped over her, slashing her across the back. Moon Glow fired several more blasts at X-23 before putting her hands together. She manipulated the static energy in her hands, creating a much bigger blast of pink energy. Then she threw her hands forward, firing a blast that threw X-23 across the floor.
"You bit off more than you could chew boy," Hyperion said as he floated towards Sieg.
Sieg coughed and gargled as Hyperion picked him up by his neck. Spectrum created a hammer from his energy and sent Guardian flying away from the field. Dust intensified her sandstorm, knocking Whizzer and Golden Archer across the field. Golden Archer yelled in agony as he felt the solidified sand grind against his face. Guardian tackled Spectrum, punching the man across the face with a charged fist. Citizen V dodged a punch from Nighthawk and struck back with his leg, kicking the man across the head. Grasshopper fired a miniature rocket into Skymax's chest, throwing the Skrull back.
"The team you put together looked good from the side, but really it's just a band of rejects. But your playing with the big boys now boy!" Hyperion laughed as Sieg widened his eyes.
Images of the Stamford disaster flashed before his eyes. He gripped Hyperion's wrist tightly as his eyes began to take on a gold colour.
"Leave him alone!"
Hyperion threw Sieg against the bus and looked towards where the voice had come from. Standing in front of Hyperion was a small brown haired boy. A moment passed before Hyperion began laughing.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be kid? Who are you to tell me to stop huh? I'll tell you, your just a little kid who should run off back to mommy, how old are you eight?" Hyperion asked.
"I'm fourteen thank you very much," The boy growled.
"God I'm so powerful it isn't even funny, what can you do kid?"
"I can kick your ass!"
Again Hyperion hysterically laughed, his eyes glowing as he prepared his heat vision.
"Any last words kid, come on just one," Hyperion taunted.
The boy smirked before a single word left his lips.
"Prime!"
The glass shattered around the heroes as Hyperion was sent flying out of the city. He stopped, his eyes wide in horror at the bruise on his cheek. Sieg looked up and gasped at what he saw. Standing before him, with fists on his hips was another hero. He had brown hair and muscles thicker than you could imagine. His costume consisted of blue gloves and trousers with red boots. A red "P" was emblazed on his gold chest plate.
"Who are you?" Sieg asked.
"Didn't you hear the word I spoke, if I say it again I'll be out of the fight, I'm here to help so that's that. We'll talk later all right buddy?" The hero asked before dashing into the air.
Sieg got up off the floor and went over what had happened. A small brown haired boy spoke a single word and transformed into a gargantuan hero. He was Prime, an obscure hero who had disappeared until reappearing during the alien invasion. Sieg grabbed the hilt of his sword, recreating the blade and hovering into the air. Suddenly, a bottle crashed into the back of his head. He clutched his head, looking in anger at where it had come from. A civilian had foolishly stepped out of the crowd; ready to judge a matter he didn't understand.
"Idiots like you are the reason this city's a mess, why don't you super humans just die?" The man asked.
Turning back, Sieg ignored the insults spouted by the people who Prime had actually saved. They were all the same; they tried to judge a matter that they didn't understand. So Sieg ignored them as he flew back to help his teammates. Prime flew into Hyperion, punching the man straight across the face. The sheer force of the punch released a shockwave that knocked their team members back. Hyperion fired a heat vision blast at Prime, who easily dodged the blast. He clapped his hands together, releasing a concussive force that threw Hyperion back. Citizen V blocked a swipe from Nighthawk and punched the man back. X-23 put her claws together, deflecting one of Moonglow's blasts. Dust changed to Sand Form and threw Golden Archer and Whizzer into Lady Lark. Tigra rolled and dodged a punch thrown by Power Princess. She then slashed Power Princess's helmet, splitting the armour in half.
"Just who the hell are you people huh?" Spectrum asked as he and Guardian exchanged fire.
"Oh man…too…much…energy, my mind cant cope you see…OH NO I CANT STOP MYSELF!" Guardian screamed.
Spectrum raised his hands as Guardian gave off more and more energy. Michael clutched his throat before charging towards Spectrum, his voice singing a song that caused Spectrum to widen his eyes.
"Our worlds about to break, Tormented and attacked, Lost and when we wake, There's no way to go back, I'm standing on my own, But now I'm not alone,"
"WOULD YOU STOP SINGING THAT SONG!" Spectrum yelled.
"BAD CITY RULES! AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!" Guardian declared as he tackled Spectrum.
Prime punched Hyperion once, then twice, then a third time and with the fourth strike he sent the man careening into the ground. Sieg hovered across the ground, his sword glowing as he targeted Hyperion. Power Princes swung her fist at Tigra, but the long time Avengers flipped backwards. Tigra jumped over Grasshopper and they both switched opponents, kicking the two villains in the chest. X-23 lunged at Moonglow, causing her to immediately fly into Sofia's wind dance. The witch was sent flying, landing on Lady Lark as she tried to get up off the floor. Citizen V slashed Nighthawk across the chest and then slammed his foot into the man's face, shattering his goggles and knocking him to the floor.
"I have had it with you Hyperion!" Sieg growled.
Hyperion glared at Sieg before the young man slashed him across the cheek. He looked at his blood in shock as Sieg landed behind him.
"Its over Hyperion," Prime said.
"Oh trust me punk its just beginning," Hyperion smirked.
Suddenly, one by one each member of the Squadron disappeared. Hyperion waved as he faded from sight. Sieg yelled and threw his sword into the ground. He walked to X-23 and sharply grabbed her shoulders.
"Pick up their scent and point us in the right direction," He ordered.
Laura nodded her head while Sofia grabbed Sieg's arm.
"Calm down Sieg," She said.
"Don't ever tell me to calm down, that man was willing to kill those people. If we don't track them down then they'll carry out whatever plot Cortez has got," Sieg explained.
"Cortez was here then? Good, that means I'm on the right track!" Citizen V said.
"We're on the right track too," Tigra said.
Grasshopper nodded, then looked to Guardian in confusion as he passed out on the floor. Dust reappeared beside him, clicking her fingers in front of his eyes as he slowly woke up. Tigra crossed her arms in disapproval, not just by how young the team was but the presence of Michael Pointer. He was obviously the most unstable "hero" here. Citizen V typed commands into his wrist computer, landing his glider.
"So what was it besides fate that bought us all here?" Prime asked.
"We want to stop Cortez, Tigra thinks he can lead her to the Hood," Grasshopper began.
"He's a criminal and I want him stopped," Sieg growled.
"Cortez was a leading researcher in Osborn's "Project Replacement"" Citizen V added.
"Project replacement, what's that?" Wind Dancer asked.
Before Watkins could speak however a woman suddenly landed in the middle of the group. She let out a smile as she looked at the assembled heroes and the carnage that had been caused by their fight. Then he eyes turned to Sieg and her smile deepened. Sieg narrowed his eyes at the girl, an action Sofia shared out of jealousy. The girl was naked, but her red skin had black web markings.
"So you guys are after Cortez too huh? It's meant to be then," The girl smiled as she swayed her hips.
"Who are you and what do you know?" Sieg demanded.
"The Direct approach, I love that, Call Me Arachnophillia, I was a test subject of Osborn's project replacement. As you can guess it was a project intended to create replacements for the worlds heroes," Arachnophillia explained.
For a moment the girl hugged her arms, lowering her head as if she was showing a more vulnerable side. Sieg ignored the shift, not trusting the girl as far as he would throw her. And judging from her sensual smile she'd latch on as soon as he tried to grab her.
"That bastard Osborn, even in death he continues to be a blight," Sieg said.
"So are we going to be a team? Prime asked.
"I don't think so, look Sieg I can appreciate your intensions but look at the damage we've done, this should be left to professionals and qualified heroes. A lot of you people aren't even registered." Tigra explained.
"Wake up, registration means nothing anymore," Arachnophillia glared at the Avenger.
"Registration is now more important than ever," Tigra snarled back.
"Great team, a cat out to get revenge, a crazy chick with a crush, a crazier guy who sings songs by bands who got famous from a cartoon and the rejects," Citizen V muttered as he motioned to Grasshopper and Prime.
"Really, who are you then?" Prime asked with a smirk.
Grasshopper laughed while Sieg shook his head.
"Enough of the joking around, do you all want to help or not?" Sieg asked.
"I'm in, I've got a personal score to settle with Cortez," Citizen V said.
"Me too, I'm with you sexy!" Arachnophillia cooed.
"I'm always eager to make a difference," Prime said.
Sieg nodded his head at them, a silent thank you for their help. He then turned to Grasshopper and Tigra. Both Avengers sighed before offering him hands to shake. Much like the Avengers before them, fate had bought them together and they had a clear mission. Avenge themselves and the people who Cortez had hurt. X-23 sniffed and examined the area Cortez had been working in before pointing the team in the right direction. Grasshopper jumped with Tigra in his arms, an action that made him particularly nervous. Citizen V flew on his glider alongside Wind Dancer, Dust and Prime. Guardian carried X-23, while Arachnophillia web swung close to Sieg.
Deathblade dragged his swords across the ground as he slashed at the Hand Ninjas. He jumped from one rooftop to another, making his way through hells kitchen. The army of ninjas followed behind him, launching Kunai and Shurikens. Their target jumped down into an alleyway, looking at two civilians crowded round a bin. His eyes let out a red glow as he saw:
"Wasn't this food reserved for that kid's charity?" One of the men asked, putting his sack of goods onto the floor.
"Its not like they need it," His partner muttered.
"Hey, that foods for the kids," A woman said, walking towards their camp.
"Back off bitch we got more need for this than your pampered punks."
"There's a salvation army store just a few blocks away, they can give you food. This stuff isnt just for the kids in the city its also for families outside of the city," The woman explained.
But the men ignored her and lifted the bags onto their shoulders. She tried to grab one of the bags, but one of the men swung around and punched her across the face. It wasn't a slap or a simple knock, it was a full on punch that put the smaller woman's jaw out of place. His partner then took a knife out of his pocket and touched the woman's cheek with the blade.
"If you even think of calling we'll know where to look, survival of the fittest baby!"
They weren't murderers but they were scum. The two of them had threatened and stolen from charities more than once and had even hit women. But there was one thing he couldn't forgive, stealing from children. That was why he hacked them down without hesitation or remorse. He then turned to the ninjas, throwing one of the swords.
The sword went straight through a ninja's head and Deathblade immediately ran forward. He ran across the wall and kicked three ninjas down. Then he blocked several sword strikes before stabbing his sword into a ninja's head. He jerked the sword, tearing it through the skull and stabbing another ninja in the gut. Grabbing the ninja's sword, Deathblade slashed two more ninjas before jumping from one wall to another. He travelled back to the rooftops, splitting a ninja archer in half. Then jumped off of the roof, avoiding several arrows. Landing on the streets below, Deathblade looked up as Daredevil watched over him. The hand ninja threw his hand forward, commanding more ninjas to join the fray.
A mass of ninjas ran towards Deathblade, thrusting their swords forward. Deathblade blocked the blades and stepped backwards, parrying multiple swipes. A sword grinded against his shoulder, but he promptly slashed the attacker across the neck. Then he dodged another sword, again killing the attacker. Deathblade threw the swords aside and created another scythe from his unique energy. He swung the scythe in a wide arc, forcing the ninjas to step back. They all stood with their weapons ready as Deathblade held out his scythe. Nobody moved as Deathblade stared them all down. He was counting his opponents, only just realising that the battle was fairer than he first thought. At first he thought they lacked the numbers, then he realised there were more Hand ninjas then he thought. They must have moved to New York, into the fortress they had built. Shadowland was either a symbol of fear to control the masses or a symbol to dominate them. Control and domination were two different things.
Deathblade ran and jumped towards Shadowland, landing on one of the roofs of the Japanese style Fortress. Daredevil was already there, with more ninjas behind him. Unbeknownst to the ninjas others were watching the imminent fight. Not only were there citizen watching, the brave few that moved back into Hells Kitchen but two heroes as well. Luke Cage and Iron Fist watched the scene unfold, rooting for their old friend Matt Murdock. Daredevil squeezed his hands into fists before running forward. Deathblade swung around, slashing two ninjas that tried to sneak up on him. He tried to turn around, but Daredevil dealt a quick punch to his waist. Deathblade stepped back, swinging his scythe. Daredevil's radar sense alerted him and he flipped back, narrowly dodging the blade.
James Crowner and Tony Stark both cancelled their meeting together. Instead they watched the fight, both men utilising camera robots they had built. Gloria and Karen stood behind James, the former leaning against his chair as she kept her eyes on Deathblade. The armoured man threw his scythe into the air dropped into a stance similar to a boxer. Daredevil returned the challenge, throwing a punch straight into Deathblade's face. The force of the punch threw Deathblade's head back, but he quickly recovered to block the second. He then counter attacked, punching Matt in the side. Murdock quickly delivered a fist to Deathblade's chest, pushing him back slightly.
Luke Cage moved his head from side to side, following the movements of the fighters as if he was watching a real boxing match. They shortly abandoned punches and ran straight towards each other. Daredevil slid out his wrist blades and slashed Deathblade's arm. His opponents grabbed his arm, flipping him over his shoulder. Matt slid across the roof, ending just at the edge of the building. He jumped over Deathblade, slamming his knees into the man's head and grabbing his arm. Using his weight to gain the advantage, Matt toppled Deathblade to the ground and they both rolled down the roof. The crowd gasped as they fell, but much to their shock Deathblade hovered in midair while Daredevil rolled and landed on the streets like the height was nothing. His eyes gave off a red glow as he chuckled sinisterly.
"I see, your not Matt Murdock are you?" Deathblade asked.
"Daredevil's" horns seemed to extend as he took out his club. He fired the grappling hook, zipping onto the rooftop Deathblade landed on. The Hand ninjas and Daredevil's lieutenants soon landed behind him. Deathblade looked to the ninjas, they were killers as always. But Black Tarantula was different; he had the power to do good not just with his strength but with his healing abilities as well. He had a criminal upbringing and had been a criminal for some time. But Deathblade saw his intentions, in a sense his true self. White Tiger however was a different story; she was Hand to the core, a murderer who needs to be stopped. Deathblade turned to the Hand's leader, the Beast of the Hand in the body of a man without fear. James leant forward as he watched Deathblade create another scythe. The man's eyes changed from red to yellow as he spoke a single word.
"Assemble!"
Chaos, that was the ultimate downfall of society. That was everything Cortez wanted to fight, contrary to what he and Osborn did. A controlled order needed to be created, heroes controlled or replaced and the people offered a limited form of freedom. That was his ultimate goal, a new world order through Project Replacement. New heroes, new governments and new boundaries for society. Neo Cortez sat with a satisfied smile on his face as one of his men gave him the latest results from the lab.
"Excellent," He said.
The latest recruits for the Squadron had been finished. Blue Eagle's shield and mace would need to be finished but his wings were perfect. Amphibian wouldn't last long away from water, but she was as tough as Namor. Nuke's energy was unstable, but the suit he wore acted as both a container and a weapon he could use to unleash the energy. Even with Arachnophillia gone, Cortez knew that he had enough super heroes to take over. His mystery employer had assisted his research, while he covered his tracks with the help of Arcanna Jones.
"Oh Arcanna, I need more wine," Cortez called out.
She walked into the room, holding a tray with a wine bottle and glass. Cortez had no explanation for her sudden appearance. But when she had appeared in America a few days ago he knew that she had to be his. Her DNA was not only the basis for Moonglow but her mind was the first test subject for Behavioural Modification. The process was flawless; Arcanna acted in the role Neo wanted her to act. She did however go against the order to dress in a maid's outfit. But Cortez later developed a fondness for the woman's uniform. She wore a green shirt that exposed her cleavage and left her legs exposed, and a white jacket.
"Ah Miss Jones my wonder, whatever would I do without you?" Cortez asked as he cupped the woman's face.
Arcanna showed no resistance as Neo pushed their lips together. His bodyguard turned away from the sight. Neo Cortez was both arrogant and in his bodyguard's opinion disgusting. Even more so than Norman Osborn. Cortez stopped kissing his slave as another individual entered the room. He picked up the file Cortez had composed, reading the report and smiling. There was more work to be done. Soon everything would be ready. The whole world would change the instant the plan took affect. Not just new heroes but a new world order.
Hyperion rubbed the bruise on his cheek. Cortez's promise of power didn't seem to live up to his previous expectations. He had been a weak man in the past. But that all changed when Cortez approached him, promising to give him the power to have whatever he wanted. Hyperion smirked; soon he would take everything. After all he was the most powerful and it was only right that he'd be treated like the god he had become. He stayed sitting down and looked at the nurse as if she was food. And living up to his previous pig like reputation he gave her a callous order:
"You, strip for me," Hyperion said.
"What, but sir I just treat the wounds," The woman said.
"Are you rejecting Hyperion young lady?" Power Princess asked as she walked into the room.
The nurse looked between the two beings before putting on a brave face.
"This isn't what I was hired for," She said.
Her final defiance cost her everything as Hyperion fried her with her eyebeams. Cortez cringed at the sight, but smirked as Power Princess rested on Hyperion's lap.
"No one says no to god," Hyperion said.
"Exactly, in time, everyone will worship us as they should," Power Princess whispered as she gripped Hyperion's chin.
Cortez sighed as his benefactor shut the screen down. The man clearly didn't share Cortez's disgusting tastes. Cortez flinched and stepped back in fear as his benefactors companion looked at him. He couldn't see what was beyond the young man's helmet, but clearly the boy's master knew what he was thinking. The benefactor put his hand on his young charges shoulder, pulling him away from any fight he would start. Cortez sighed in relief before putting the screen back on in Power Princess and Hyperion's quarters. He leant back into his chair, soon the true plan would begin.
Tony Stark made his way to his armour lab; as soon as he stepped onto the podium his armour went through its activation sequence. Though he didn't have Extremist anymore, Tony still controlled his armour through remote. Plus this armour was just as effective as Extremist. The gold and yellow plates attached themselves to Tony's suit, along with the Arc Reactor on the chest and the smaller glowing reactors on every other part of the armour. He bought up holographic screens, releasing a distress wave to assemble the Avengers. Jake Olson was suddenly surrounded by a tornado, changing into the God of Thunder Thor. Jessica Drew pulled on her mask and flew out of her window. Carol Danvers rushed to the roof of her apartment, her regular clothes changing to her Ms Marvel Uniform. Noh-Varr, The Protector looked at his communicator for a moment before flying out of the desert. She-Hulk put on her new uniform and left her lover in bed, answering the call as so many others did. Tony put on his helmet, the eyes glowing as the Iron Man armour fully activated.
Sven and the orphans watched as Iron Man flew out of Stark Tower. Aeon could sense that Deathblade's fight with the Hand was getting far more serious. If the Avengers had gotten involved then things must be bad.
"Are you going to go?" Zack asked.
"I should, things have gotten bad and they might need help. But that doesn't mean I'm going to leave you guys here," Aeon explained.
"You mean your taking us with you?"
"Yep, but listen carefully kids, we're only going to watch the fight. If things are too chaotic we'll get out of there."
Zack nodded his head, then rubbed it in confusion as Sven began walking.
"Wait, aren't you going to fly us there or something?" He asked.
"Oh I cant fly, come on guys it'll be a long walk!"
"Its not like we've got anything better to do," Ray said.
Sven would have smiled if he could. The kids followed him; it would be a long walk but it was surely worth it. For Zack it would be his first taste of a real fight. Aeon however had a different agenda; he needed to talk to his rival again. It would be their first talk in several years. But Sven had utter faith that some how Cade Hunter was still the man he respected.
Next Chapter 5: Assemble
Thats it, next chapter will be big as Tony Stark's Avengers face off against Deathblade and his own breed of Avenger. Also Cortez furthers his plans as the ranks of the Squadron grow, but who is hiding in the shadows.