Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel
The Hunt
Chapter 24: Call to arms
My name is Muramasa, I am an artificial being, created from the souls of those whom bare evil in their hearts, past, present and future. I am eternal because the evil in humanity's heart is eternal. Evil is my nature, yet I am not truly evil, I have it in me to be kind, to be merciful and to even love.
"(Sigh) now that is ten times better than what Brock can give me!"
Sin climbed out of her bed, naked after a night of passionate sex with her father's colleague. Muramasa grinned as he leant his head against the pillow. He loved watching his fellow psychotic walk away. Underneath his armour and gear he was the Nazi vision of Arian perfection, blonde hair, blue eyes and a physique that was made both to be admired in the bedroom and feared on the battlefield. But Muramasa's brutality hid a strategic mind that had grown with his many decades of reincarnation. He threw the bed sheets aside and walked towards Sin. She dressed into her combat gear and moaned as Muramasa kissed her neck.
"You're father is still in his little exile, and my apprentice hasn't broken your boyfriend out yet, there's still time for us to enjoy a little breakfast," he grinned, grasping her through her leather corset.
"Oh I am definitely in the mood for something, but its not breakfast," she laughed as she pulled the man into a passionate kiss.
Of course, that isn't love, that's…breakfast!
As Sin slept, exhausted from yet another round, Muramasa put on his armour and checked Sin's desk. He took only a small journal, one that contained Asgardian runes. After flipping through a few pages he committed them to memory and tore them out, tossing them into the fire.
Odin hides a lot of secrets and it's going to cost the world one of these days. But why settle for Earth when I could plunge the whole galaxy into chaos.
"Look at everything you're doing now, you're basically second fiddle to your brother now!"
The target of Muramasa's latest scheme was Maximus of the Inhumans. He walked around Maximus's lab, tapping his little inventions.
"He's the king of the Kree now and he has you making weapons of war he doesn't truly appreciate, everyone looks at you with disgust and distrust when you're a genius. If you wanted to you could rule over the Kree and your fellow Inhumans, hell you could take the Shiar even," he explained.
"Oh I already tried my hand at that, I lost, quite thoroughly actually, in the end I've done much better as my brother's lap dog than I ever did as king. Besides this way I can do whatever I find fun without fear of reprisal, I am the king's brother after all," Maximus laughed.
Muramasa sighed as he walked over to the window. Crystal walked towards a Kree alter, she was being given by Black Bolt to the Kree's Ronan the Accuser. A Kree soldier took his eyes away from the wedding and looked to the stars. He widened his eyes whilst Muramasa smirked, they both saw the lights of a burning vessel.
"Right on time," Muramasa grinned.
"Accuser, Lord Bolt," the soldier called to his two superiors.
"Show respect private," Medusa scolded the young man.
"Sorry queen Boltagon…whatever you guys really need to look up there," the soldier pointed to the sky.
Black Bolt narrowed his eyes as he turned to Karnak. The martial artist and strategist of the royal family widened his eyes in horror.
"AN ATTACK!" he yelled.
The burning ship exploded before it could reach the city. Deathblade emerged from the smoke, followed closely by Nova, Genis and much to the shock of the Kree soldiers, in particular the one whom first saw the ship Captain Mar-Vell himself.
"Quick and surgical strike, Genis, Nova block off access to the royal palace," Deathblade commanded his thralls like a general leading a war.
Nova fired an energy blast from her hand, creating a trench that surrounded the royal palace. Under Deathblade's control she had no reason to hold back. He landed in the middle of the ceremony, scanning the crowd and the castle with his glowing red eyes.
"Where is Maximus?" he asked.
"Who are you to attack the Kree Empire?" Ronan demanded as he drew his hammer.
"Mar-Vell!" upon his master's command the Kree hero slammed into Ronan's back.
"I can see a weakness in your form," Karnak said as he leapt towards Deathblade.
Suddenly, Deathblade slammed his knee into Karnak's face. Then he hit him with the flat side of his scythe, knocking him out. Gorgon yelled as he rushed towards the blade wielder. But Deathblade didn't even need to speak for Genis-Vell to tackle the Inhuman general, flying him into the air. Deathblade turned his head towards Black Bolt, red mist rising from his eyes.
"This isn't war, this is an execution, turn over Maximus and I promise none of your people will be hurt," Deathblade explained.
"Black Bolt refuses," Medusa answered for her husband.
"My armour blocks his powers from seeing us, but as soon as I leave you'll be on your own, let me make something clear though Maximus, he will kill you, it doesn't matter if he needs to fight through the whole Kree Armada, he will annihilate sin from this planet starting with you," Muramasa explained.
"Ha! Please, my brother will be done with him in a flash," Maximus grinned.
"One man Black Bolt that is all that I ask for, no one else needs to get hurt!"
"You do not need to get hurt human, fly away now," Medusa threatened as her husband narrowed his eyes.
"Let me make myself perfectly clear, if you defend him I will consider you an ENEMY!"
"NOOOO!" with but a single yell, Black Bolt released a shockwave that threw Deathblade back.
His armour cracked and some bits flew off. He crashed through several buildings before he landed on a city street. Cade walked out of the crater, half of his face was exposed and the armour had fallen off his sleeves and right leg. His eyes narrowed in fury and like a machine he targeted the Kree citizens in front of him. Sins rushed through his mind, murder, theft, the mistreatment of the white kree or the alpha primitives, it all flashed before Cade's eyes.
"Him, YOU CHOOSE HIM!" he bellowed as he swung his scythe around.
Maximus gulped as a massive energy blade cut through the buildings Deathblade had crashed through. Cade controlled the blade with his scythe and reduced its thickness as he reached Black Bolt. The king of the Inhumans still stood at the same spot he had done before, yet it cost him. The thin energy blade gently cut his throat, severing his vocal chords. Deathblade roared in anger as he flew towards the royal palace.
"You see, he will not stop," Muramasa chuckled as he patted Maximus's shoulder.
"I see, well after careful deliberation I've chosen to go with you, but one thing first…if I leave does their chances of survival increase?" Maximus asked, he bore a look of uncharacteristic concern.
"It will, come with me and you might just save your family," Muramasa grinned as he opened a portal.
"Who knew, becoming a villain again would save my family," Maximus sighed before following Muramasa into his deadly alliance.
I thrive on chaos, on blood shed and tragedy. So I naturally ally myself with those that also thrive on such things.
"I think you'll find it to be a fair deal, one of the numerous souls that inhabits my body for a handful of demons," Muramasa smirked as he presented Mephisto with a contract.
"Hmm, it looks good and with my demons doing some killing a few souls will cross over into my dimension, yes that's good, make sure Spider-man suffers as well!"
And I of course draw in the other wannabe devils.
"I think you'll find it to be a fair deal, one of the numerous souls that inhabits my body for a handful of demons," Muramasa presented Marduk Kurios with a contract.
"Hell, I'll throw in Satana too!"
Of course some of the deals don't go to plan.
"I know you seek to deceive those whom call themselves devils Muramasa," mist swirled around the throne of Hela.
Muramasa sighed as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Well at least your smart about it, wont you help me though, when your servants kill they'll be sent to your dimension and your armies strength will increase enough to oppose Odin," he explained.
Hela suddenly appeared in front of Muramasa and pulled off his helmet. She lowered her mask away from her face and smiled seductively. Muramasa grinned as the ruler of Niffleheim began to strip in front of him.
"I will provide you with the Disir and a warrior to lead them while you recover what you seek, in exchange you will provide me with a child," Hela placed her hands on Muramasa's chest and pushed him onto her throne.
"This is your realm Hela, I'm yours to command," he grinned before accepting her deal, and a kiss.
Much better than my soul hA HA HA HA HA! Anyway, I haven't forgotten the other big bads of the universe. Attuma was eager for the chance to get rid of Namor, he gave me troops and tried to attack Atlantis. But then he met an unfortunate end.
Attumma gasped, his eyes wide in horror as Deathblade impaled him on his own trident.
Dormammu and Belasco wanted ways out, once I told them what I was after they agreed to give me the artefacts I required. Then I went for someone hotter than Hela, unfortunately she was one of the only female villains I couldn't get in the sack.
"Hydra is on its last legs, as is Aim, do you really think you can ensure our rise?" Viper asked
She stood alongside Muramasa, looking out of an observation booth at a fight between Gorgon and Muramasa's apprentice. The young man, clad in full armour blocked Gorgon's katana and shuffled his feet to adjust his position.
"I can see into your soul boy, why Muramasa chose you I'll never know," Gorgon said as he kicked the young man in the chest.
Muramasa's apprentice created a pole arm in midair and swung off it, launching himself at Gorgon. He slammed his sword against Gorgon's and kicked out the man's feet. Gorgon fell to the floor and Muramasa's apprentice swung his sword downwards.
"NO BOY!" Muramasa yelled.
The young man's helmet sparked and he stepped back, obeying the order like a puppet.
"He is improving," Viper noted.
"Yes, I'm fairly sure he'll be able to contend with Sieg," Muramasa chuckled.
"Are you manipulating them into a confrontation?" Viper asked.
"Of course, after all its about time they met one another, plus the boy wants to punish the X-men and what better way to punish them then to put them through the good old guilt trip," the armoured man explained.
"Yes, these pathetic heroes are always affected by their consciences," Viper huffed.
"Exactly, but to think of that as the advantage we have over them is foolish, you have your ideals, draw on them for power, once the Tesseract is mine I guarantee the world of corporate government will be over," Muramasa said.
"I will give you a contingent of troopers, Aim will do the same, Gorgon and Modok will join you," Viper said.
Muramasa grinned as he looked to his apprentice. The young man offered Gorgon his hand, only to swiftly punch him in the chest.
Viper gave me resources too. Cosmic beings like Mephisto are easy to find, obscure individuals not so much. Thanks to her I was able to track down Barney Barton, my Toxic Doxie Doctor Covington (yes I slept with her). And someone to get rid of Deathblade for me. But if you think that was the extent of my recruitment drive your wrong. I have another friend and we have a mutual goal. He provided me with the means to traverse different realities, all under the Exiles noses.
"Eminem, great to see you," Muramasa opened his arms as he emerged from a portal, followed shortly after by his apprentice.
"Stop calling me that!"
My business partner in this reality is one Wesley Gibson, otherwise known as the Killer. He is the leader of a Fraternity that took over the world by making the heroes forget they were heroes. One giant Sentry conspiracy, and the Fraternity did well for themselves, but Wesley's problem is that he's too ambitious.
"So when and where do you want us?" Wesley said as he put on his black mask and goggles.
"Is this the bulk of your forces?" Muramasa asked.
"Fuck yeah, every member of the Fraternity is ready to dump this hell hole and help you conquer that hero infested world in all out war," Wesley's partner Fox walked around Muramasa's apprentice, licking her lips as she admired how the suit clung to his muscles.
"Good, because I need you all to be right here," Muramasa grinned.
"What?" Killer growled.
"Exactly what I said, you aren't recruits, you're training dummies for my Apprentice to test his skills on," Muramasa said.
Muramasa's apprentice assumed a fighting stance, summoning a sword into his left hand.
To make a long explanation short, the Eminem look alike who got played by James McCavoy (brilliant actor) in a film that really had no connection to the comic whatsoever got ass kicked. He and his fraternity of super villains whom haven't fought heroes in decades were torn apart by my apprentice, my warrior of anger and hatred.
Wesley crawled across the floor, past the ripped open body of Fox and his other fellow super villains. He looked up at the apprentice, soaked in the blood of his victims and experienced true fear since he left his life as a depressed office worker behind.
"Have mercy, PLEEEASE!" he begged as the apprentice raised his sword.
"Just one second," Muramasa said as he took out a phone and photographed Wesley. "Ah perfect, you see that Wesley? That's what your face looks like when you're about TO GET STABBED TO DEATH!"
"NO!"
The Apprentice yelled as he stabbed Wesley again and again. Wesley's body still twitched as the Apprentice stepped away from his mangled remains.
"You are fulfilling your destiny…my apprentice!"
Sorry, I can't resist the Star Wars gag; I even use Palpatines voice too! BEST VILLAIN EVER!
I know what you're thinking, this idea wouldn't work. Well you're wrong, it will work because it hasn't been tried yet. We only ever gathered during a moment of crisis, when we were pushed to the brink, that's the only time we've ever worked together. Well I'm sick of it, groups like the X-men, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four only fight their battles, their 'problems' when its all connected. Thinking like that only leads to more people dying.
"The idea sounds good on paper but quite frankly we're too invested in Utopia to turn back now, we have a good thing going here," Cyclops explained.
Sieg stood in front of the X-men leader; it was before his own abilities were awakened by Aeon. Bitterness filled his eyes as Cyclops rejected his idea.
"We'll help when it's clear you need it Sieg," Jean said diplomatically.
"Really, I say he should move into Utopia, I know a certain girl whom would like to see him again," Emma retorted.
"Don't start this again Emma, Sieg is his own man!"
"Really, because he seems to be following the outdated ideals of a man whom like you refused to stay dead!"
"A man whose best friend you're having erotic fantasies about whilst sleeping with Namor!"
"Don't read my mind!"
"You project them into my head, along with a few other inappropriate images."
"Does seeing your husband naked really disturb you?"
Jean snarled at Emma as she smirked. Cyclops rubbed his face with the palm of his hand and looked to Sieg.
"The students like you Sieg, they trust you and look up to you, tell Laura and Sofia to come back, they're mutants they should be with their own kind," he explained.
"Oh get over yourself Mr Summers, at some point your gonna have to get it through your head that this Utopia idea is further isolation, a direct contradiction of what Xavier's trying to teach. As for Laurie and Sofia, they are with their own kind when they walk across the street, they were Americans long before they were Utopians!"
"Actually X-23 swore allegiance to Weapon X and Sofia was Brazilian," Emma smirked.
"The point still stands Sieg, there are too few mutants left, we need everyone to protect Hope when she comes back!" Cyclops diplomatically touched Sieg's shoulder.
Sieg sighed as he turned and shoved Cyclops aside.
"Sooner or later you people are going to have to start realising that your human, just like everyone else on the planet and your…'mutant problems' affected others as well!"
I was bitter, angry, I wanted to punch Cyclops across the face for his stubbornness. It didn't, hell it still doesn't matter to me whether mutants exist or not. They say genocide was committed, that they became endangered. But that's not true, people just lost their powers, not everyone died because of it. For some losing their powers was a gift, others…a wake up call.
"Whatever happened to not needing your powers to make a difference?" Sieg asked Sofia when they returned to their headquarters.
They had just fought the copy of Krakoa. She had regained her mutant powers and had begun packing up her old New Warrior's gear.
"Working with the New Warriors taught me that you didn't need powers to still be a hero, there we were, a bunch of no bodies, former mutants fighting to save lives. It was funny really, a lot of those guys were from the old Omega gang, Quire's little riot squad that got high on kick and ended up getting Celeste's sister killed," Sofia explained as she removed her gloves.
"And what about you?" Sieg asked.
"Me, I realised that I did more good as a New Warriors then I ever did as an X-men recruit, that I never would have done half the things I did if I stayed at the mansion."
"But you got your powers back, I can't help but feel that that's a contradiction of the lesson you learnt," Sieg said.
"I learnt that lesson, but I took the power because I needed it, it doesn't define me. I'm human Sieg, that's what I am, not mutant, human!" she said firmly.
That made me smile, to know that Sofia was ready and willing to be human, to be a hero! Unfortunately some people weren't so willing; some people needed a little push.
Shiro Yoshida leant against a wall in an alleyway in Tokyo. Sieg stood in front of him in his civilian clothes.
"Why did you come here? If its about revenge it was the X-men who suffered more for Apocalypses attack," the Japanese hero explained as he tilted the liquid from his saki battle down his mouth.
"I came here because you've always rejected joining the X-men, but what would you say if I told you I didn't want to go to Utopia, that I wanted you to join me in putting together a proactive, even revolutionary group of heroes?" Sieg asked.
"I would say you're not the first to try, and from your eyes I see you are affected by the same bitterness I feel, my honour is lost, why do you have the same eyes as me boy, what have you lost?"
Sieg lowered his head for a moment before taking the bottle from Shiro. He looked at the saki for a moment and was tempted to drink it despite Tokyo's law on age.
"I…I lost some good friends, some I know I could have saved, others got killed because of me, because I couldn't control the darkness inside me. That and I simply lost my faith, in heroes, even in my own guardian, I claim honour by pleasing him but his path I don't know if I can continue believing in it. I'm not proposing the same old idea Shiro, I'm proposing a solution to certain problems the others ignore. I want to find the body of Laurie Collins, I want to avenge Captain America's death, I want to stop Apocalypse's future resurrections because we all know he'll be back. What I want is to fight evil and regain the honour I've lost and I think deep down you do too."
The young man tipped the bottle and emptied it onto the floor.
"The pair of us wont do that by sitting in an alley feeling sorry for ourselves, or sitting in a mansion or an island waiting for the bad things to happen," Sieg said.
I was still bitter, still approaching people in the wrong way. Tough love didn't work on everyone!
Snowbird threw Sieg into a pile of snow. He rose from the snow, glaring at the blonde haired woman with fury in his eyes.
"You pursue me, after its quite clear that you now work with the very man who killed Alpha Flight? I don't know if you are arrogant or foolish boy but know I will never work in any group that has him on it," Snowbird explained.
"You think I want you to get on with him? You think I'm putting together a team for chuckles….GET OVER YOURSELF!" Sieg roared.
Stupid and angry, I didn't believe in anyone, not even my own friends.
Satana gripped the sides of Sieg's head, smiling as she bought her lips towards his.
"SIEG NO!" Weapon Omega yelled, firing a blast into Satana's back.
Recovering from her hypnosis, Sieg struck her with the pommel of his sword.
"Do you think I couldn't recover in time? Focus on helping the others Michael," Sieg said.
Taking it out on others, sometimes the right people!
Sieg yelled as he jumped into a pile of AIM troopers. He cut their suits open with his sword and knocked them out with quick kicks. Sofia blew them away with her wind and Michael fired an energy blast, knocking several of the agents through a wall. The team walked into the Aim lab and found something they never expected. A man was strapped to a chair; multiple wires on the ceiling were attached to a helmet on his head.
"Who or what is that?" Guardian asked.
"I think its Hyperion," Sieg said.
He was Hyperion, but the Hyperion built by the government. Mark Milton claimed to be from another Earth, his planet side and he was sent to Earth to be raised by a man he called 'The Father' whom taught him key values that shaped him into a force for good alongside that world's Squadron Supreme.
"Truth without compromise. Thought without error. All things for the betterment of the whole!"
Hyperion sat in Sieg's HQ, looking at the young hero and the team he had put together. Mark Milton could see the electrons orbiting nuclei, he could see the parts that made the whole. The energy inside Guardian, the copied cells that made X-23 a clone, Sofia's mutant gene and the subtle connection between humanity. But when he looked at Sieg he saw something different.
"You possess a power that is not of this world, a power that dwells deep within your very soul, yet it is chaotic, intemperate, you do not yet possess the wisdom to utilise the full potential of this power you possess. I can see the electrical reactions inside your brain, the subtle sweat pouring from your glands, you are afraid," Hyperion explained as he looked at Sieg.
"I'm not afraid of anything," Sieg retorted.
"I can see that you are lying, you are angry, but not with my captors."
"AIM has been around for too long, something needs to be done to stop them permanently," Sieg growled.
"I see, you are tired, of the old ways yes?" Hyperion asked.
"I'm…I'm tired of people dying, people we can stop from dying. We have these powers, this authority and yet we do nothing," the young man slammed his fist into the table.
"You are wrong, we can not save everyone, we can not stop all evil…I come from a world where the Squadron was the sole authority, our world was called a Utopia, yet the people feared us…Father said it didn't matter, that we would save them no matter what…but there must be limits, even for people like us, especially for people like us!"
Hyperion's words reminded me of something Aeon taught me. He didn't swear allegiance to a nation or a government but an ideal, he couldn't get involved in problems like war and politics because he believed it wasn't his place. He believed that no super human should be given absolute authority, that people must sometimes save themselves.
"What happened to bring you here?" Sofia asked.
"My Earth had reached the pinnacle of its societal evolution, we were ready to expand to the stars, to take our place in the universe. But something happened we didn't expect," Hyperion lowered his head as he spoke. "Another Earth appeared beside ours, gravity forced the two earths together, creating storms that destroyed whole cities, my team mates were all killed trying to reach outer space, only I survived. I tried to push the two Earth's away from one another, but my efforts weren't enough, the galaxy imploded and I was left floating in emptiness, AIM was carrying out experiments across dimensions, they pulled me out and used their science to imprison me, they were composing a way to control my mind. But you have saved me because you have gone against your old ways, tell me, how far will you go before you fall?"
Everyone believed that I was going to fall, that I was going to be like the evil I was trying to stop.
"You will fight your adopted father's true son, you will fall," Destiny told me.
"Even before the timeline changed, I saw in her journal your future Sieg…a dictatorship, the eradication of all mutants save one and only your daughter left to oppose you," Vargas looked into Destiny's journals and even he said that my destiny was bound by the timeline.
And of course we all know Iron Lad's excuse. But here's something you didn't know, that I didn't reveal beforehand. The woman who claimed to 'know stuff' had been in the present; watching events happen and she claimed I was going to fall too, because she had lived in that future.
She was attractive, even though an 'M' brand similar to Bishop's had been put through her eye. Her blonde hair flowed, free of the pigtails she used as a child. She wore the X symbol on her belt and orange and black jacket and her signature striped socks underneath her cargo trousers. But she had clearly matured, emphasised not only by her small black shirt but also by her face. She had a bitter wisdom in her eyes no member of X-Factor had seen before.
"Destiny knows it, Vargas knows it, Blindfold will know it soon as well…you are going to turn evil Sieg, and the events coming are what will define you," Layla explained.
"People keep telling me this, that's your future not mine," Sieg said.
"It will happen Sieg, I've seen the end results of your anger, mass extinction, enslavement across the stars. You become an evil greater than anything ever seen before, I know this Sieg!"
"Kill me then if you're so certain," the young man growled.
"I want to, believe me I want to," Layla narrowed her eyes at Sieg, revealing her electrical gauntlets.
"Then why don't you?" Sieg asked.
"Because your presence is still necessary, you were a hero before you became the ultimate evil," Layla sighed.
"So that's it, my destiny is written in the timeline, it can't be avoided, don't make me laugh it hasn't happened yet."
"It has happened, I lived through it!"
"WELL IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME!" Sieg yelled.
There she was, the hottest but most annoying woman I had ever met telling me my destiny was set that she would kill me before the precise moment I fell. I ignored her and threw myself into fights.
"WHAT THE HELL DOES IT TAKE TO IMPRISON YOU GUYS!" Sieg yelled as he slammed his sword into Wrecker's crowbar.
"Sieg wait for us," Wind Dancer said as she blew Pile driver aside.
In my attempts at recruiting heroes.
"Well look who thinks he can become the saviour of all man kind, if the world's depending on you then I pity it mate," Kid Briton smirked as he pressed his foot against Sieg's shoulder.
"You can't…just look away," Sieg groaned before Briton pushed him onto the dirt.
"Wait it go Brian," Apex said, caressing Briton's cheek.
"Sieg, we're wasting our time here," Guardian said.
In all the wrong places.
"Our loyalty is to Russia," Red Guardian said.
"I'm not asking you to swear allegiance to anything, I'm asking you to help protect the world's interests not America's," Sieg argued.
"Russian barely has enough super heroes, we need to stay here to protect it," Darkstar said.
And only occasionally in the right places.
"I don't get into the super hero game much, I suppose I'd better use my buddy here for something and it sounds like what you have in mind could work," Juston said.
"Destroy," his Sentinel nodded its head.
I even tried looking in outer space, for the heroes in the stars that could help me.
"I know you haven't been at this long, I thought I could teach you what I know, it might even help in your Imperial guard career," Sieg said to the New Smasher.
"Actually Subguardians don't get called on much, there's already a Smasher on the guard and there hasn't been a great crisis since Karabai's conquest," Izzy explained.
"I'd be willing to go if Izzy is, we've been combing space lately for any sign of the Enigma Force. There were sightings on Earth but I don't know whether its true," Xanders explained.
"It apparently possessed a brain dead woman, she's in Avengers custody, or at least she hasn't flown off Earth yet," Sieg said.
"We're ready to help when you need it Sieg, but right now we need some time to get…our houses in order is the term you humans use right?" Xanders asked.
"Something like that, but are you sure this is how you want to do this? Being part of something is a lot better than being alone," Sieg explained.
"I was with the Nova Corps for a while Sieg, I carried out my destiny, now I'm with Isabel," Xanders smiled as he wrapped his arm around Smasher's waist.
But still, whenever I didn't have anything to do, the fear of the future always haunted me, what people expected from me, what they feared in me. That fear gave way to my darker power, to my corruption.
"RAAAAAARGH!"
Sieg stood on the surface of an undeveloped planet, yelling his heart out. His crystal tail swept across the landscape, creating energy waves that cut trees and mountains into ribbons. When he burnt out his power he collapsed onto the ground.
I thought I was going to die, it was a better fate than the future that I supposedly couldn't avoid. But once again, he saved me!
"I'm not giving up on you, never," Aeon said as he picked Sven up off the floor.
Sieg suddenly woke up and found himself on a medical table of some kind. He looked at his surroundings and saw the inside of a futuristic medical bay. The door in front of him opened and a blonde haired man entered, followed by a green skinned woman, Darkhawk and Moondragon.
"Good to see you awake," the blonde haired man said.
"Where am I?" Sieg asked.
"Guardians of the galaxy HQ, Peter Quill's star ship," Darkhawk said, motioning to the blonde haired man.
"You're Star Lord? I thought you had brown hair and wore a black uniform," Sieg said.
"Yeah I thought you did have brown hair," the green skinned woman said.
Star Lord simply shrugged his shoulders. Sieg looked over Gamora's shoulder and spotted Quasar and Phyla-Vell.
"Are you guys the Guardians?" Sieg asked.
"We are, although recently we've been employed by that Aeon guy, he says to take you home buddy," Star Lord said.
"Why were you out this far in space anyway?" Quasar asked.
"I was trying to find Galactus," Sieg said.
"What, why?" Dark hawk asked.
"I…I wanted to kill him, to stop him from killing people, even if it meant destroying myself," Sieg lowered his head slightly.
"So you were willing to sacrifice your life, for what? Your ideals or your fears of the future?" Major Victory asked as he emerged from the hallway.
"I was sick of it, all these galactic entities say that Galactus is an important part of 'nature', yet whenever people are shown why they conveniently forget and he goes back to destroying entire planets and civilisations well I'M SICK OF IT!" Sieg yelled.
"You think you're the only one who feels that way? Well your not, we're all frustrated about it, but we don't go off on a self destructive vendetta," Darkhawk explained.
"You've got friends to depend on and they depend on you in turn, nothing will be gained from you getting yourself killed fighting someone way out of your league," Gamora said.
"I know that, but I cant just stand by and do nothing," Sieg said.
"Then focus on Earth first and then move to the stars," Quasar said.
Sieg sighed as he stood off the table and walked out of the medical bay. He stood on the observation deck, looking out at the stars.
"Are you okay?" Darkhawk asked as he and Quasar entered.
"No I'm not, I want to do something to stop the evil and protect the weak," Sieg sighed.
"But where do you draw the line? Who protects the weak from the person who protects the weak?" Quasar asked.
"I get it, the word is spreading isn't it? People are saying that I'm a time bomb, that I'm going to wipe out the world one day."
"You think we believe that shit? You pulled your weight during the invasion, no body doubts you," Darkhawk said.
"Of course they doubt me, everybody looks at me, watches me…they're suspicious of me as if I was Osborn!"
"There's one person who has absolute faith in you," Quasar said.
"Absolute faith, then why did he run away and leave you guys to send me back home?" Sieg asked.
"So he could find Galactus himself and draw him away from the world he targeted!"
Sieg looked out of the window and saw a red flash replace one of the stars.
Then the mess with Deathblade and the Squadron started. I was tempted, wounded, thrown against the dirt. For a moment I did feel like being the tyrant Layla accused me of becoming. But then Aeon saved my life again and showed me who I really was. Yet still there was the future and what everyone was telling me. Then something happened I didn't expect. I met with Steve Rogers and he clarified Iron Lad's story.
Sieg landed in the wasteland Washington had become. He cautiously summoned his sword as a laser trembled over his chest.
"Stand down Natasha," Fury said to Romanoff as the pair emerged from what was left of the Lincoln memorial.
"I came as soon as Michael contacted me," Sieg said.
"He's in here Sieg, come on in and he can tell you what he saw," Michael Van Patrick said.
Sieg walked into the memorial and saw someone who made him gasp. Kneeling to what was once the Lincoln statue was Steve Rogers, the first Captain America. He turned to Sieg and smiled warmly.
"Good to meet you son, Michael's told me all about you," Steve said.
Sieg shook Steve's hand without question, in awe like any fan of the star spangled champion.
"But, how?" Sieg as at a loss for words, but he was able to ask the question that haunted his mind.
"Michael told me how you wanted him to find me, he did, but I freed myself. The Red Skull had trapped me in the Timestream, forcing me to see every event in my life, I didn't just see my past, I saw a future too," Steve explained.
"A future?"
"I saw it, felt it even, Kang said it was going to happen and that you knew it was going to happen, that you knew what you were heading into. Michael told me what you went through during Karabai's invasion, and I've got personal experience that Sven Reilly believes in you, if he was willing to risk his life like that then alone tells me you're someone worth giving the benefit of the doubt," Steve patted Sieg's shoulder.
Sieg widened his eyes slightly as Steve smiled at him.
"I don't live my life by the certainty of a time travellers vision, there are many possibilities, now this future may have happened in another world. But this is our world; the future hasn't been decided yet. This is your life Sieg, no one else can tell you how to live it, make your choices but understand that you have a responsibility, that your choices have consequences, ultimately you decide your future, nobody else son," Steve explained.
Layla told me what my power could create. Steve told me what my future could be. My father showed me who I was and my friends showed me my path. I knew what I had to do, step it up, move with more certainty. Keep fighting until the fight is done.
Sieg stood in front of the Asgardians.
"Help me to help Thor, he's fought for Midgard all his life, there's a war coming and it's a chance for the warriors of Asgard to prove themselves the greatest heroes in history," he explained.
Settle old rivalries!
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO!" Sieg yelled as he landed between Hulk and Ross. "The whole world is going to hell and you two are out here arguing? Your both heroes in your own way, right now someone worse than you two think the other is, is out there, please…I need your help otherwise good people will die!"
And of course gathering the friends I made along the way.
Sieg nodded to Prime as he left to find his Ultraforce teammates. He however picked up his phone and began calling those he gathered.
I know who I am, I am the son of Sven Reilly, I am who he has raised me to be. I decide my future, no one else.
All of the pieces are now in place, my forces are moving and the heroes are distracted. There's just one insignificant group in my way.
Squirrel Girl sighed as she and her teammates walked through Project Pegasus. Iron Man had assigned them to protect the artefacts there. The armoured Avenger himself had come to bolster their ranks. He had asked for Mr Immortal to go to the head of security's office. The other team members rushed to the office after the emergency alarm had been triggered. Squirrel girl gasped in horror as the team burst through the wall. The floor was stained with blood and bone, a severed gloved hand crawled across the floor and the split remains of Mr Immortal's head had been splat against the wall.
"Oh my god," Flatman muttered.
Iron Man crouched beside the left half of Mr Immortal's head. Craig's eye stared at Iron man in fear, darting between the armoured Avenger and his team mates.
"Craig, don't worry buddy we'll figure out some way to put you back together," Doorman said.
"Mr Immortal should be fine, he is immortal after all," Tony sighed.
"What happened here Mr Stark?" Squirrel girl asked.
"Looks like somebody sliced Mr Immortal into little pieces, so many pieces I calculate it'll take him a decade to reform, of course with his heart at the centre of the sun I doubt his body will ever move again," Iron man explained.
"How do you know his heart is at the centre of the sun?" Bertha asked.
"There's no time to worry about the details, you've been infiltrated, some body slipped through security under disguise!"
"But how do you know…"
'Iron man' suddenly turned around, firing an energy beam from his wrist that ripped through Squirrel Girl's chest. Mr Immortal's eye grew wide as his other teammates gasped. Squirrel Girl fell to the floor, her eyes frozen in shock. The rest of the team turned to Iron Man as his body flickered. His armour changed, replaced by spandex and armoured padding, and a long flowing cloak. Muramasa grinned as he engaged his energy blade, the same blade he had used to cut apart Mr Immortal and teleport his heart away.
"Lets face it, we all knew you'd be the next to die," he said before leaping into action.
Next Chapter 25: Trial