Disclaimer: I dont own Marvel, and a line I have Aeon use here is copyrighted to the writers of Doctor Who and David Tennant :)
Here I am with the next chapter, a chapter that takes a look into the unique relationship between main characters Sieg and Sven. This is one of the most important chapters to Sieg's character development. Enjoy!
The Hunt
Chapter 9: Reach for the soul
It had always been said, yet Sieg had always denied it. Inside his mind he knew without a shred of doubt that Sven Reilly wasn't his father. No matter how much he wanted him to be, Sven was not the man who had stood with his mother, whom had been the first to hold him as a baby. Yet most always assumed that the bond they shared was that of a father and a son. From a distance Sieg could understand but even some of his friends began calling Sven his father. Sven Reilly was Aeon and Sieg was Aeon's apprentice, to Sieg that was the simple explanation of their relationship. But still people always assumed.
"Why have you been crying?"
Sven had posed the question to Sieg. It was during the time when Sven's physical body died and a fragment of his soul bonded with Sieg's. Back then Sieg had been younger, he knew little about the world and what its people were capable of. Sieg wiped his eyes as he walked further and further into the white void, the depths of his own soul. Aeon stood with his arms crossed, his armour hiding any shred of sympathy he might have felt.
"Why do they reject people like us?" Sieg asked.
"You'd have to be more specific Sieg," Sven said.
"The people, I save their lives but they don't change anything, do they embrace life with a new sense of purpose? Do they appreciate the good I've done?"
Sven raised his visor, a comforting smile crossing his face.
"I understand what your going through Sieg, people's views of a hero are constantly changing. Look at prime ministers and presidents; the people's view of them is changing with every decision they make. Some people end up regretting voting for them, never seeing the sense in the choices they make. Sometimes the people in charge aren't even making the right choices, or at least the choices that benefit their people," Sven explained.
He raised his arm, creating Sieg's sword. Stabbing the blade into the ground, Sven sat beside his apprentice.
"First time I went out, a person I saved accused me of being a mutant. A few days later I end up saving him again, from an ordinary human, again he cursed me."
"Then why help him all that time?" Sieg asked.
"Because it was the right thing to do, I saw someone in danger and I acted to save them. Its happening everyday Sieg, even if you don't see it its happening. Ordinary people looking to do what is right, even those with great power are not extraordinary, even a mutant can go about a normal life. It is those who stand up to do the right thing that can be considered heroic," Sven smiled as his eyes glowed a gold colour.
He waved his arm, altering the structure of the void. Sieg got off the floor and looked at the scenes he saw in wonder. As Sven had said, ordinary men and women existed across the world striving to do the right thing. In third world countries, rich men that could have looked away set up charities to provide food and clean water for those that needed it. Brave men and women would share their food to help one another survive, especially when there were children in the camp. In bigger cities like Paris, London and even New York, emergency services like the Fire Brigade and Ambulance services saved lives. Policemen maintained order in their communities, keeping the people safe by catching criminals and ensuring a safe environment. Activists saving forests and endangered species. Even people with ordinary jobs would sometimes strive to do the right thing. Mother's and father's providing for their family through hard work and no compromise. People who merely stopped to call an ambulance or even stay with a victim, urging them to hold on.
It happened every day, people taking a stand or helping someone. Ordinary men and women did it. And even those with power were still ordinary enough to help those in need. Mutants without costumes would use their powers to save lives. Breaking apart rubble with energy blasts, or even taking missile hits with their invulnerable skin. They took the bruises so that the weak beneath them didn't have to. They were either inspired by others or simply chose to act out of their own righteousness.
Heroes like the Avengers and the X-men fought and sacrificed themselves to protect. And they weren't alone, small teams and heroes that no one had heard of protected the innocent. Heroes lurked in the darkness, staying in the shadows to combat the threats that the public didn't even know existed. Vampire Hunters like Blade, demon hunters like the Ghost Riders and the Sorcerer Supremes throughout the ages. Beyond the planet there existed heroes, Guardians of the galaxy. Even the soldiers of alien empires fought to protect their home world. They defied beings like Galactus to make sure as many people got off their planets. Former heralds of Galactus like the Silver Surfer opposed him and other evils throughout the galaxy.
"You see Sieg, you're not alone, and even if the world hates them they wont give up. Even when they aren't recognised they still do the right thing. It doesn't have to be grand and it doesn't have to change anything. The fact that its been done means that for that moment they've been a hero," Sven explained as he lightly gripped Sieg's shoulders.
The glow of his eyes faded as the void returned to normal.
"I was once connected to every life form in the galaxy, for a moment I felt the heroes they could be. When I decided to save you it wasn't just because it was the right thing to do, it was because I saw what was inside you. I gave you my blood and my power to save you, so that you could continue to live on. Because even if the world rejects you, I will never stop believing in you."
Sven wiped the boy's eyes as they both smiled. The memory was a comfort for Sieg. It served as not just a reminder of his master's wisdom, but that his fight was never futile. So long as he continued to remember that, he had faith that he would never fall.
'An ordinary man can make a difference, but an ordinary man cant pull a spear out of his chest without bleeding to death,' Sieg thought.
He gripped the weapon in his chest, looking to Hyperion as he picked Karen up off the ground. A sadistic smile crossed his face as he pressed his hands against the sides of her skull. Karen screamed as Hyperion's strength threatened to crush her skull. Grasshopper had fainted from the pain of Hyperion's last attack. He wouldn't bleed to death because his wound had been cauterised. But that didn't mean Grasshopper would recover. Sieg grit his teeth together as he crawled across the floor. Hyperion softly threw Karen across the ground, smirking as the girl continued to scream from the pain.
"Pathetic," Zarda laughed.
"I expected better from the famed "Avengers", but oh wait you fools are a bunch of wannabes aren't you?" Hyperion asked. "Your either pathetic children trying to be heroes or rejects that couldn't make the big leagues. And worst of all are the wannabes, people getting famous from someone else's legacy."
Hyperion smirked as speak of the devil Jim landed on the ground. Much to Hyperion's shock however, Jim immediately got off the floor. His bones clicked as he stretched.
"Impossible," Hyperion gasped.
"Metal bones remember," Jim grinned.
Jim broke off into a run, popping his claws as he approached Hyperion. The power hungry man fired his optic blasts, hitting Jim's claws. Jim grit his teeth together as he pushed forward, deflecting the beams with his claws. The metal on his claws glowed an orange colour; they had been heated up by Hyperion's attack. Swinging his claws at the man, Jim tried to cut Hyperion's throat. But Hyperion dodged the attack and grabbed Jim's neck. He lifted the man over his shoulders and threw him down the street. Jim flew past Sofia, flying like a bullet across several blocks.
"Truly pathetic, I don't even have to break a sweat to tear you all apart," Hyperion laughed.
Suddenly, a blast slammed into Hyperion's back. He turned in anger to James, who got up off the floor and aimed the palm of his hand at the villain. Firing another energy blast, James hit Hyperion again. Hyperion quickly recovered, clapping his hand together and releasing a shockwave that threw James back, sending him flying into the wall. Sieg gripped the spear in his chest, knowing that if he didn't intervene then fast then someone would die.
A few blocks away, the Avengers were beginning to slowly restore order on the streets. Victoria Hand had pulled her Avengers out, while Dr Strange and his students carried on crowd control spells. Nico slammed her staff against the floor, creating energy bubbles that trapped the particularly violent civilians. Voo Doo's hands glowed as he waved them around, creating dust that gave the civilians hallucinations of comfort as opposed to fear. Strange himself was using his magical abilities to hold back the magic of the Beast itself. All hell would have been breaking loose if Strange hadn't held back the mind-altering effects of the Beast's power.
"Okay we're slowly getting the crowd back under control, Jarvis I need a report on the situation at the Infinite Avengers mansion," Tony explained.
"I'm sorry sir but my key to that plain of existence doesn't work," Jarvis said.
Ms Marvel looked to Iron Man in concern at that news. Spider-woman ran a hand over her hair as the wind seemingly blew. In actuality it was Warp, Aeon's speedster friend. He arrived holding She-Hulk in his arms.
"Where have you two been?" Monica Rambeau asked.
"It's a different story," Jennifer grinned.
"Okay people we're slowly getting hells kitchen back, Spider-woman, you watch our backs and make sure Hand and her people aren't watching us. Photon and Firebird, Ms Marvel and I need your help getting these kids away from this region and back to Stark Tower," Tony ordered.
"Why do we need to go to Stark Tower?" Mermaid asked.
"They're working with Hammer, they're going to set us up for capture," Watt said.
"Wait a second, their heart rates are normal, these people actually want to help us," Ray said.
"Wow looks like we've got a Kid Daredevil in the making here," Tony grinned underneath his helmet.
"Kid Daredevil huh," Ray rubbed his chin, intrigued by the idea.
Ben Urich continued to watch the fight between Daredevil and the heroes. The possessed defender of Hells Kitchen breathed fire from his mouth, burning off Luke Cage's shirt. Black Tarantula jumped out of the way as Daredevil threw a car straight onto Wolverine. As Daredevil yelled, more hellfire gushed out of his mouth. Aeon ran forward, the flames bouncing off his armour as he attacked the Beast again. But utilising Daredevil's own fighting skills, the Beast knocked Aeon to the ground. He then grabbed the hero's leg and threw him at Iron Fist. Letting out a cackle, the Beast stomped towards Luke Cage, grabbing a chain off the ground.
"To even think of opposing me was foolish, there is nothing left of Matt Murdock, NOTHING!" The Beast laughed.
He swung the chain towards Luke, only for a yellow blast to fly into his shoulder. Knocked back slightly, the Beast looked towards where the blast had come from. Energy glowed in Zack's hand as he accessed the spirit of an energy manipulator. He threw the energy balls forward, only for the Beast to dodge the blasts. The Beast then grabbed Zack by his neck, lifting him off the ground before slamming him against a lamppost.
"Zack," Aeon gasped.
Daredevil again slammed Zack head first against the lamppost. Aeon ran forward, diving straight towards the Beast. The Beast suddenly threw Zack into Aeon, sending them both rolling across the dirt. Black Tarantula curiously raised his eyebrows as he heard the roar of an engine. A grin crept across the Beast's mouth as he watched the gold motorcycle speed towards him. Albion opened the hatches on his motorcycle, revealing several swords. He slid one blade out and charged straight towards Daredevil. But the Beast threw his arm out, clothes lining the armoured man straight off his bike.
"Pathetic, was that all you had to stop me?" The beast asked.
"Actually, my secret weapons right behind you," Lazlo grinned underneath his helmet.
The Beast turned around and narrowed his eyes as he looked at his next opponent, Foggy Nelson.
Darkness, that was all he could see now. A terrible accident had robbed him of his site. He was a simple kid taking a short cut towards his house through an OsCorp factory. But then the alien's struck the city and shrapnel from an explosive cut open a chemical barrel. The boy had accidentally ran into the path of the barrel as the chemicals sprayed out. His eyes had been scarred to the point where he couldn't see anymore. But something strange happened, he lost his site but somehow his other senses were amplified. He could hear the doctors speaking outside, the visitors coming and going, even the surgery going on in the OR. The stench of the morphine drips, the medications and nurses make up, he could even smell the paint and glue on the wallpaper. Even eating was difficult for him now because of the amplified taste. Not even the bed could offer him comfort, as he felt the springs of the mattress.
His name was Ray Conner and unlike Matt Murdock he had no one to guide him. No memory of a mother that ran away, no father who never compromised. Ray Conner was alone with nothing to inspire him. Lying in his bed, bandages wrapped around his eyes, Ray cringed in pain, as the door to his room opened and then slammed shut. The boom of the door echoed inside his eardrums, as if someone was pounding them again and again. Whoever his guest was walked around the room before stopping at his bed. Ray could hear that the man was big, either he was fat or he had cobias amounts of muscle like a wrestler or a martial artist.
"I see you haven't drank your juice, the kitchen staff wont be happy," The man said.
"Who are you?" Ray asked.
"Someone who understands what its like to have great power. That's what you've got Ray, great power and incredible potential. But sitting here that potential is clearly wasted, it pains me to see you like this."
"Nurse, there's someone in my room!" Ray called out.
Suddenly, Ray yelled as a stick of some kind struck his head. He felt the pain amplified by his powers. But for a moment he suspected that the man was going to hit him, as if he could hear and feel the stick coming towards him. The man curiously hummed and Ray could hear him rub the blood off the stick. He bought his finger closer towards Ray's nose and Ray shivered, as he smelt the unpleasant stench.
"Don't worry Ray, when I'm through with you the smell of blood wont even faze you. Your senses give you great power, but only if you are given the training to use those senses."
"Who are you?" Ray asked.
"Someone who knows how to use your senses in a fight, for now simply call me…stick!" The man laughed as he slapped the stick against his hand.
From that day on, Ray was put through training that not only taught him how to control his senses, but to fight with those senses as well. He was taught Judo throws, Ninjutsu, Aikido and countless forms of fighting that involved gymnastics and the environment. By tapping a stick against an object, Ray would know what his surroundings were like. He read brail books that precisely described objects like weapons and machines. It was all part of his training to be a better Daredevil than Matt Murdock.
As far as Foggy Nelson was concerned, there was only one person capable of being Daredevil. Matt Murdock was a one of a kind man. He was a good lawyer, friend and overall a good man. Yes he had special senses, but in the end it came down to Matt's will. He learnt brail, studied martial arts and adapted to a life without sight. Despite all the hardships he had endured, the lovers he had lost he still strove for justice. But above all that he employed compassion with his duties as a lawyer. It was a day before the alien invasion, a normal day at the office for Foggy. Matt was running his hand over a possible job they could take.
"Aaron Morales, Fifty five years old, used to be a con but he served time and got a job working at a hotdog vendor. He stands accused of assisting a cat burglar with a similar MO to him. I think we should take this case Foggy!" Matt explained.
"Really? How much does this Morales guy earn?" Foggy asked.
"I know its not necessarily a big pay day, but Morales paid his debt to society. I spoke with the guy myself…"
"Wait a second Matt, have you taken a job without consulting me?"
"The guys trying to repair his relationship with his brother and every chance he gets he visits his Nephew, a school teacher down at ESU…"
"Matt I get it, he's a good guy that's been wrongfully accused, but here's the thing, he's not going to get us big money. Unless of course he's still connected then in that case go ahead," Foggy explained.
"This is out chance to help someone Foggy, Morales was given a second chance, lets make sure he keeps that second chance."
Matt Murdock was always looking to do good. Even when the whole world was against him, even when the pressure of dead lovers and wives was getting to him he never gave up. Whatever was standing before Foggy now was just wearing Matt's body. This creature had taken advantage of all the suffering Matt had endured and used it to turn a good man into a true devil.
"Matt, I know you're in there," Foggy said.
Suddenly, the Beast grabbed Foggy's neck, lifting him off the ground.
"PATHETIC LITTLE PIG! YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME!" The Beast roared.
Foggy coughed as the Beast tightened its grip on his neck. He looked at Matt with a pleading expression as tears formed in his eyes.
"Matt please…its me…Foggy…I know this…this isn't you…you're better than this! You're my friend! You're Matt Murdock!"
The words pierced Matt Murdock's soul as a glimmer of his personality came to the surface.
"Foggy," he whispered.
"NOW!" Lazlo yelled.
The Beast turned around and widening his eyes as Iron Fist rushed towards him. Danny jumped forward and slammed his glowing fist into the Beast's chest. The blow sent the Beast sliding backwards, blood gushing from his mouth. But despite the power behind the punch, the Beast simply laughed.
"Is that all you have left Iron Fist? He asked, "Did you really think the last of your pathetic Chi energy would be enough to defeat me?"
Iron Fist clapped his hands together, light surging in the palm of his hands. The light crackled, spreading around as Danny separated his hands.
"The Blow wasn't meant to harm you, it was meant to heal," He grinned.
"What? NO!" The Beast yelled.
He fell to his knees, his veins throbbing as he spat out blood. The Beast yelled in agony, his voice slowly fading as Matt came to the surface.
"I can't hold it back for long…one of you has to kill me! PLEASE KILL ME!" He yelled.
He felt someone grip his head as the whole world went silent.
Sieg pulled at the spear in his chest, letting out a yelp of pain as a drop of blood shot onto the floor. He groaned as he let go of the spear. The whole situation was hopeless, considering his powers had been unstable ever since Aeon cut the spiritual link off. His eyes began to take on a red tone as his teeth sharpened. But Sieg shook his head, throwing aside the corrupt form that haunted him. There had to be a way to save his friends without compromise, there just had to be. Sieg looked to his friends, all of them had unique powers and two of them could heal from virtually any injury. If there was just a shred of Aeon's power still within him, then Sieg would use that power to fuse his soul with either Laura's or Jim's soul. But he just had to find that slither of the power Aeon had given him.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" James yelled as he fired an energy blast at Hyperion.
Hyperion shrugged the blast off as he picked Karen up by her hair. He motioned to Zarda, whom grinned as she flew at James. She slammed her knee into his stomach, causing him to vomit out blood. Then she flicked his forehead, knocking him to the ground. Hyperion sniffed Karen's neck, sighing in awe at her perfume.
"She's a beauty, nowhere near your level of course," Hyperion grinned as Zarda approached him.
"Of course, after all she is but a mere mortal," Zarda said.
She gripped Karen's chin, throwing her back to the ground. As Hyperion and Zarda began kissing, Sieg tried to use this distraction to his advantage.
'I've got to picture my soul as one of a whole river, all of the soul's are linked, constantly crossing paths, got to merge those souls with my own like Aeon does' Sieg concentrated as hard as he could.
A sudden scream caught his attention. Karen screamed as Zarda stepped on her shoulder. Sieg lost his focus, moving forward but falling to his knees.
'I'm going about this all wrong, I cant think of just copying Aeon's power I've got to think of using his power. A power I inherited!' Sieg thought as he faced the task again.
Darkness was all he could see. His whole world became dominated by smells and sounds on one fateful day. But now he felt as hopeless as a child. He wasn't a man without fear anymore, hell he wasn't even a man. Even though he couldn't see he still felt the fear of the darkness. Despite once claiming to be without fear, his deepest fear was being alone.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" He asked.
His voice echoed in the darkness.
"Please, its…so dark, and I'm all alone…" The child trembled as he hugged his arms.
Even though he couldn't see he could still hear the bitter words of his mother.
"Don't come crying to me," She said.
"Mom?"
"Don't call me that. I don't want you, I never did!" She spat.
He could hear the chain around her neck she was gripping her cross.
"You've the devil in you Matthew, why do you think I left you with that violent alcoholic? That's your penance."
Her voice faded and Matt smelt the sting of alcohol. He heard the ruffle of a paper bag against glass as the presence of his mother disappeared.
"Forget about her kid, she's long gone," A slurred voice spoke to him.
Matt could feel his father looking down on him. His stance was aggressive and his voice reflected his pity.
"Too bad, what happened to you. And I had such high hopes…but since you lost your sight? Honestly son, what are you good for?" Jack Murdock asked.
"Dad…please don't say that," Matt cried.
"Fixer wants me to throw the big fight, says they'll kill you and me both if I don't…but I figure, maybe that's for the best. With the way things are now, I'm better off dead…and I'm taking you with me!"
"That's the biggest load of crap I ever heard!"
Matt Murdock widened his eyes as he heard the stranger's voice echo in the darkness. He could feel the warmth of the light shining on the stranger's body. Aeon looked down at Matt Murdock's spirit, as he expected he had been reduced to the state of a child. He put a comforting hand on the child's shoulder and Sven couldn't help but be reminded of the times he comforted Sieg.
"Matt Murdock, you know deep inside you that your father loved you. He never gave up especially when you wouldn't. The words may not have been spoken, but your souls promised one another that you would never give up. Yes he may have drank, yes he might have driven your mother away, but Jack Murdock was a good man at his soul. This is your body Murdock, drive the Beast back, destroy it forever!" Aeon growled as he helped the boy up.
Gone was the boy, replaced by the man Jack Murdock wanted his son to be. Aeon flexed his fingers, creating a katana blade from his own armour. He fitted the sword into Matt's hands, patting his shoulder for encouragement. Matt Murdock slowly drew the sword. Gone was the lawyer, a regular man weighed down by fear. In his place was a man without fear, the Daredevil. And like a man without fear he stood firm as he stabbed the blade into his chest. A smile crossed Matt Murdock's face as he felt the darkness disappear. Behind him, the spirit of the Beast stood with the tip of the sword imbedded in its chest.
"Impossible, I am the Beast of the Hand, entire civilisations have crumbled under my power!" The Beast ranted as his form began to fade.
"Yeah well, you never met a man without fear until now!" Daredevil growled as he pulled the sword out of his chest.
He gasped as fresh air rushed down his nose. The sound of people gathering around him practically pounded his eardrums. Overcoming the pain as always, Matt smiled as he felt Foggy's thick fingers grip his shoulder.
"Your back," Foggy laughed.
"I had a good guide, where is he?" Matt asked.
"Dealing with Hammer!"
While Foggy, Black Tarantula and Iron Fist helped Matt, Aeon stood facing Victoria Hand. Luke, Wolverine and Lazlo stood by his side, a few seconds passed before Iron Man landed beside them. Hand stood with a full squad of Hammer agents behind her. They aimed their rifles at the heroes.
"The registration act is still active, most of you are wanted and all this chaos was caused by Murdock. You all need to take the fall, especially considering the level of threat that's now taken residence at your base," Hand explained.
"Threat? Residence? Oh you mean the intruder at the Infinite Avengers mansion. The truth is we've actually lost contact with Pym's team," Tony said.
"We're not going to let you take Matt," Luke growled.
"So you expect the whole world to buy that Murdock was possessed? Maybe he was possessed but he still needs to pay for what happened," Hand said.
"Miss Hand there are forces at work here that you and especially the "public" cant even begin to understand! Hell they'll never understand it; if you want to get to Murdock then you might as well come at us now. Cause we're not handing him over!" Aeon explained as he dropped into a fighting stance.
"Enough!" Matt said as he limped towards the crowd.
The Avengers turned to Daredevil in shock as he approached the Hammer troopers. He crossed his wrists together, with Foggy by his side for support. Hand looked at the two men in confusion.
"I trust my client will be given a fair trial," Foggy said.
"Matt what are you doing?" Iron Fist asked.
Murdock turned to the heroes, ripping away his mask.
"I am somewhat to blame for what happened here. While nobody died people were still hurt, even you guys have injuries, all brought on by me. If I run away then not only does it give people something else to debate, but it'll be me spitting on everything the Justice system's supposed to stand for," Matt explained as he turned to the Hammer forces. "The Beast took advantage of my insecurities, my failures and above all my pride. I foolishly thought I could turn the Hand into a force for good. To some degree I still believe that somehow the Hand can reform, but I'm not the one to do it. I'm turning myself in Commander Hand, no struggle, no bullets necessary. But if you truly aren't like your predecessor I expect you to give me a fair trial so that the people can judge me for themselves."
Aeon lowered his arms, realising what Matt's game was. He wasn't punishing himself; he was proving in one move that the Avengers were righteous. By putting himself in front of the people he would prove that he wasn't above the law. It was a noble goal, but Aeon knew for a fact that Hand wouldn't be that easy to sway. Sven had nothing against the woman, but he knew good leadership when he saw it. Victoria Hand was intelligent and her heart was in the right place, but she wasn't up for leading an international organisation.
"Agent Chang, put Murdock and his lawyer into a transport, the rest of you stand firm. Murdock isn't the only one who needs to be judged, your all under arrest," Hand said.
Aeon sighed, once again his opinion had been proven correct. He walked forward, waving his hand downwards as Zack looked to him in concern. The armoured man raised his hands, making his way to Hand's side.
"Your not up to this, when are you going to realise that?" He asked.
From the corner of his eye he spotted Ben Urich hiding with his camera crew. This whole exchange was still being recorded. That would work in Sven and the Avenger's favour.
"I'm not Norman Osborn…Sven Reilly, I'm trying to separate the real heroes from the potential heroes," Hand said.
Aeon widened his eyes slightly; Hand knew his real name. His eyes then narrowed at the woman as he walked past her.
"You know I'm not like Osborn Hand so stop testing me. My power is beyond the understanding of a narrow mind. I could bring an end to your "reign" as Supreme Commander with a single word!"
"You saved the planet from the alien invasion, protected Westchester and Utopia and countless other things that haven't been revealed to the public. But not even you can defy the will of the American people," Hand explained.
'But I can at least make them doubt their decision,' Sven thought. "You're right, not a single word…six words," Sven said as he crossed his arms. "Yep that's right, six little words, six words, six very simple words, a phrase consisting of six words!"
"Stop that," Hand snapped.
Tony and the other Avengers tried to hide their smiles as Sven walked over to the troopers. He leaned towards one trooper and whispered six words into his ear.
"Don't you think she looks tired?"
Aeon did a two-fingered salute as he casually walked back to the Avengers. The Hammer troopers lowered their rifles as Hand looked towards them.
"What did he say?" She asked. "Aeon, Sven Reilly what did you say?"
Aeon grabbed hold of Ms Marvel's hands as the heroes flew away from Hell's kitchen. Victoria Hand stood in shock, curious over what the young man had said. Despite the situation, Ben Urich laughed hysterically.
"Please tell me the camera got that," He said to Derek.
"We did, he said "don't you think she looks tired" but what's the significance of those words?" Derek asked.
"I once did a piece in London, around the time they were introducing a new actor for this TV show they did. David Tennant was the actor's name, anyway when I go the free time I actually sat down and watched his first episode. In it the Prime minister pulled a pretty asshole move, so David says he can bring an end to her regime with six words. "Don't you think she looks tired" never laughed so hard in my life when they showed the fallout. Can't wait to see whether this turns out like that Doctor Who episode," Ben chuckled.
"Doctor Who?"
"I'd recommend it, David Tennant isn't the actor any more but old episodes are pretty easy to get a hold of," Ben said as he and his crew walked away.
They casually walked away from the scene, discussing the English TV show and the headline they would run tomorrow. As the Avengers flew away from the area, Zack flew beside Aeon and smiled. Aeon nodded his head at the boy, ruffling his hair. He then looked to Ms Marvel, who had been smiling at him since they left. It was a smile he would have returned if he could.
'The first part of the plan is about to begin, stay safe Sieg, we need you as well,' Sven thought as the Avengers made their way to Stark Tower.
Sieg felt a renewed sense of purpose as he gripped the spear in his chest. It was if he felt the thoughts of his teacher from miles away. Gripping the spear, Sieg slowly closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.
'I've got to accept who I am, the person I've become because of him," Sieg's thoughts focused on his master.
Aeon, Sven Reilly had been the one that saved his life. Sven Reilly was the one who shared blood in order to save him. It was Sven Reilly who taught him valuable lessons. He taught him how to overcome his insecurities. Sven Reilly comforted him when he cried and renewed his confidence when he doubted himself. It was Sven Reilly who believed in him and cared for him with an unconditional love. Sven Reilly had taken on the role of a father.
'No, he didn't just take the role,' Sieg thought as he began pulling the spear out of his chest.
Hyperion, Zarda and Sieg's friends looked towards him in shock as he began pulling the spear. Blood sprayed onto the floor and tears rolled down his eyes. He screamed in pain, pure agony like never before. The memories of countless times Sven had helped him flashed before his eyes.
'That's it, Aeon, Sven Reilly is my father, the only father I've ever needed!'
Glowing markings appeared over his body as he pulled the spear deeper and deeper out of his chest. He remembered the happiness he felt when Sven taught him.
"I gave you my blood and my power to save you, so that you could continue to live on. Because even if the world rejects you, I will never stop believing in you."
'Sven Reilly is my father and I'm his son, that's what our bond is!'
Finally he pulled the spear from his chest, the wound immediately sealing as Sieg fused his soul with X-23's. Laura felt a part of herself was with Sieg, healing his wounds. Sieg yelled as he threw his hand forward, fusing with Sofia's soul and using her powers. The wind blew Karen out of Hyperion's grip. Sieg siphoned the spirits of both Sofia and Sooraya as he surrounded Hyperion and Zarda with a sand storm. Pieces of rubble and glass flew off the buildings as Hyperion and Zarda were lifted off the ground. Sand flew in their eyes, stopping them from seeing where they were going. Sieg lifted the villain's into the air as energy surrounded his body. He siphoned off of Michael's built up energy, the power of his soul itself.
'I am Aeon's son, because I feel that sense of pride for him, this gift you gave me Sven…father, it wasn't wasted!' Sieg thought as he threw his hands forward.
He unleashed an energy blast identical to the ones Guardian fired. As the wind passed, the energy slammed into Zarda and Hyperion's limp forms. Sieg yelled, throwing more power into the blast. The sheer force of the blast sent Hyperion and his lover flying beyond the city limits. Sieg breathed heavily as the markings across his body stopped glowing. A prideful smile crossed his face as he walked towards Karen. He offered the girl his hand and she gladly accepted.
"Karen right?" Sieg asked.
Karen nodded her head as Sieg helped her off the floor.
"You were really brave back there," He said.
"I take after my father," Karen chuckled.
"So do I," Sieg smiled.
Karen smiled with Sieg as the others began walking towards them. But Karen's smile turned to sheer shock as Sieg collapsed face first into the ground.
"SIEG!"
Next Chapter 10: Pride
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter
Next time we take a break from all the fighting as the Avengers mourn the passing of one of their own. PLus Sven goes to Crowner tower with Zack to check Sieg's condition. Through all this Cade moves onto the next phase of his plan with Carina's help.