Just a little warning. This chapter has scenes of violence in it.
Chapter 37
Nightshade dived towards the ground just as Viper's massive jaws slammed shut where she had been only seconds ago. Smashing into the ground with her sharp claws embedding into the ground. Looking up at Viper that toward well above her. The giant serpent closed its huge jaws and looked down at her with angry yellow eyes. Getting into a battle stance Nightshade watched Viper closely. The Serpent Sister hissed down at Nightshade before she struck down towards the shapeshifting Avenger.
Waiting for the last second Nightshade leapt out of the way of the attack. Her sharp metal claws send sparks into the air as she landed on the ground. Nightshade watched as Viper with a huge chunk of road in her mouth raised her head back up. Taken a step back Nightshade's optics focused on a shape heading towards her.
The shape came clearer after a second of studying the blurry figure. The shape was tall and very slim that she thought it was a Wendigo. But it couldn't be a Wendigo. Wendigos where only in America. They didn't venture far away from their territories. The only one who had went against that was Black Horn when she had asked him to join the Guardians years ago. The figure was not a Wendigo. It was something that even she was weary of. A demon.
The demon spotted her and Viper fighting. Spotting its ally fighting a known enemy it began to stomp towards them. The closer it got the clearer that its legs where blades and they had claimed five lives already. The dead or dying bodies of civilians were trapped on the legs as it got closer to the fighting.
Nightshade looked between the demon and Viper. She needed to decide who to fight. She couldn't deal with both of them in such a small space. Looking towards Viper she watched as the large Serpent Sister prepared to strike her once again. Then she looked towards the demon that was now running towards her on its bladed legs.
"No where to run or hide now Nightshade!" laughed Viper in seeing how lost she was.
Nightshade looked up at her. "Not true!" she snapped back at Viper. She kept herself positioned so that she could easily see Viper and the demon that was getting closer to her.
"Are you blind or stupid? Can't you feel the raw power in the air? My Master has once again got his powers. He rules this world now. So you should bow down to him?!" Viper hissed at Nightshade. She narrowed her yellow eyes as she watched Nightshade looking between her and the demon that had crawled up from the Underworld to aid her master in taken out the heroes.
"Maybe I am. I wouldn't know. But I can tell you, you have been misguided!" Nightshade replied. She turned towards the demon that was almost on top of her. Shifting quickly on all four paws she moved out of the demons way just as a bladed foot slammed into the ground where she had been moments before. The demon groaned at the sudden movement from Nightshade and turned its upper body to see where she had gone to, but Nightshade was moving and shifting forms to quickly for it see where she was.
"What are you doing?" demanded Viper as she watched Nightshade dancing around the demon.
Nightshade came to a stop right behind the demon a good twenty feet from it. Then with a blast of black lightning she blasted the demons legs and the dead bodies that were skewered on it.
The demon feeling the power on its legs slowly turned around but the reaction was to slow. Its legs were taken from underneath it. It landed on the road with a loud groan. Pale faced zombies that had managed to unbalance it slowly and removed themselves from the legs and looked at the demon. With a battle cry they clambered onto its back and with fingernails and teeth they tore into its flesh. The demon hissed and cried in pain as the zombies attacked it.
Nightshade walked past the floored demon. Her metal claws scrapping the road as she walked. Her tail swinging side to side with every step she took. Her red optics focused on Viper who was shocked at what she was seeing.
"I think I just showed you. I do have a way out!" said Nightshade stopping before the giant Serpent Sister.
Viper hissed before she lunged at Nightshade. Her mouth was open wide and showed her massive fangs at her. A loud hiss was heard as the thought of killing Nightshade for Seth.
"Bad idea!" Nightshade said to herself. Blasting black lightning into Viper's open mouth. She kept the attack going until Viper dropped to the ground. Her mouth was black and still smoking from the attack. Nightshade walked past the dead Serpent Sister and with a clicking noise the zombies that were jumping on the dead demons body slummed to the ground.
/"Nightshade to any available Avengers. I just got word from a very reliable source that Seth has gotten all his powers back. We need to regroup and plan our attack against him. Meet back at the Tower!"/ Nightshade spoke into her com. in her wrist.
/"Its going to be a bit hard for that Nightshade. The villains who are helping Seth are not laying off their attacks at all!/ came Captain America's reply. The other Avengers sounding similar concerns through the com. system that the Avengers where using.
Nightshade stopped walking. /"Alright Cap I will regroup with you and then we will get to the others. The rest of you try and regroup with another. We shouldn't be alone with Seth having all his powers!"/ she told the others. She opened her wings and took to the air only to be attacked by winged demons that swopped on her. The demons where smaller than her and so were able to dodge her claws and black lightning. They forced her to land outside of the Cathedral where Seth stood waiting for the Avengers.
Metal claws crunched the ground as Nightshade landed before Seth. Snapping at a couple of demons who were brave enough to stick around. One winged demon was caught in her jaws and with a savage bite she bite down.
"Nightshade so glad you could join me!" Seth said as the possessed Iron Man landed behind him. The other two Serpent Sisters appeared beside him to. The look of grief on their faces was clear for the death of their sister.
"It wasn't like I had any other choice in the matter!" Nightshade responded back as she stabbed her claws into the back of a demon. The demon cried out in pain before going limp. The sound of insect wings beating caused her to look up to see Kabuterimon landing and Izzy dropping down from his head. The next sound was that of a series of transforming. Galvatron, Optimus Prime and Megatron stood beside her. Slowly but surely the other Avengers were brought to Seth.
Seth pulled back his lips and showed his teeth. His allies stood behind him all ready for the coming fight against all the Avengers who stood across from them. "I am so glad that you are all here to see my triumphant after so long. Especially you Imhotep!" Seth pointed out Imhotep who growled back at him. "Now I am going to see if we can not keep everything civil or if we are going to have to fight. So I am going to leave it up to you. So either stand down and be given a high ranking position in the new world that I am going to create or you can die today in the old world that will be forgotten. So choose and choose wisely!" Seth told all the gathered Avengers.
There was silence as all the Avengers stared at Seth. The power was radiating off of him. They knew that this was a fight that they had to win. They couldn't allow Seth to take over the world like every other supervillain tried and had failed.
"If we choose to side with you will you give the Decepticons all the energy resources that we need to revitalise Cybertron?" Megatron asked. The Decepticon leader walked past Megatron and Optimus Prime. Galvatron growled as he watched this dimensions version of him walk towards Seth and his allies. Optimus only watched on showing no emotions to what he was thinking. Nightshade also growled as Megatron walked past her.
Seth looked up at the Decepticons leader with a knowing smirk. "Of course. I will give you all that you need to kick start your world once again. Leatherback has informed me of the war for Cybertron and the results of it from your planet. But of course I expect to be paid back!" Seth responded to Megatron. He looked past Megatron's leg to the other Cybertronians who were sided with the Avengers and gave them a smirk.
Galvatron would have attacked Megatron if Optimus didn't hold him back. The scrapping of metal against metal was so loud.
Megatron moved to stand on Seth's side. "I know where I am standing!" he said.
Seth looked back at the other Avengers. All of them were anger at Megatron from going against them. "Anyone else?" Seth asked the Avengers.
Captain America walked up towards Seth. The leader of the Avengers showed no emotion as he walked towards Seth. The other Avengers shouted their concerns for their leader siding with Seth after one of their own had been corrupted by one of his generals. Captain Steve Rogers stopped in front of Seth. His shield strapped on his wrist ready for either to be used or to be strapped back on his back.
"Captain Rogers I always knew you were a smart man. This move proves just that. Come and join us!" Seth said to Captain America. He opened his arms out as if he was preparing to hug the supersoldier.
The supersoldier didn't make a move. He just stared at Seth. Then in a quick motion to quick for even Seth and all his powers to predict he flung his shield at the Chaos God. His shield smashed into Seth's face. The force from which caused him to take a step back from the force. A clawed hand was up at his snout to stop the blood that was dripping from the wound in his nose. The shield returned to Captain America.
"Avengers Assemble!"
"No they are mine!" Seth snapped at his followers when he saw them lunge forward. Summoning his sword and a shield of his own that were gold he stepped forward. He was prepared to fight Earth's mightiest heroes. "So Avengers! Show me what Earth's mightiest heroes can do!" he growled at them.
All Avengers took battle stances.
The Hulk let out a roar before charging at Seth. The green giant that was the powerhouse of the Avengers watched as Seth seemed to slow time down before dropping his weapons. The next thing that the Chaos God done that the Hulk was not ready for was he was lunging his own punch towards him. Seth's fist connected with Hulk's body and with a shockwave from the impact Hulk was flung backwards and into Edward. The two green skinned heroes were in the ground knocked out from the attack.
"Did he just do that?" Wasp asked in total shock. She had shrunk down to her small size and was glad that she the size of an insect when she saw what Seth had done to the Hulk and Edward.
"That's not possible! There is no way that he has the strength to push the Hulk backwards with such force. Even for a God!" Hank responded. He to was also in total disbelief at what he had just seen.
"Its because he has all his powers back and more!" Imhotep spoke up. The Mummy was staring at Seth as he rolled his shoulders and waited for the next Avenger to strike. "We must get the Book of the Dead back and get to his Temple in Egypt!" he told Captain America.
Captain America looked at Nightshade. "We get the Book of the Dead!" he said.
"But how do we get past him and then them to get the Book of the Dead in Stark's hands?" Nightshade asked looking back at Seth who was like a new villain all together. In the past he had been like a businessman who hid all of his moves very close to his chest. Now he was pacing backwards and forwards showing that he was ready for the fight. She looked back at Captain America.
Captain America also looked towards Seth. "We keep him off balance. Keep attacking him right after each other and don't give him time to react. Wasp and Ant-Man they will shrink down and get the Book from Stark and get it away from here!" he told her. He looked towards the two sizechanger Avengers who had returned to normal human sizes. The two of them nodded their heads with Wasp giving him a thumbs up. The two insect themed Avengers shrunk down to their smallest sizes and vanished from sight.
Nightshade sighed, "Its the best plan that we have! Its the only plan that we have!"
Captain America and Nightshade both straightened up and looked back towards Seth. Seth was know standing still but there was a bored look on his face as he waited for the Avengers to make their move.
"Avengers attack Seth!" Rogers ordered the Avengers. With that he flung his shield towards Seth.
Seth was ready for the attack and brought up his own shield. Cap's shield bounched off of Seth's shield and back towards Captain America who caught it. Seth marched towards Captain America with the intent to kill him when lightning smashed into him. He looked up to see Thor's hammer heading towards him. Seth was focused on fending off Thor's hammer that he didn't see two rockets heading towards him.
The rockets smashed into him with a very explosion that caused anyone close to the explosion to be forced backwards. Mjolnir smacked into him next before returning to Thor who caught his hammer.
Nightshade in her tiger form ran into the fireball and with extended claws slashed at Seth. The claws came across his armour. They didn't get to his flesh but at least they caused damage to his flesh. She was followed by Black Panther who slashed at him with his own Vibranium claws. Both of them got out of the way to allow the next Avenger to strike.
This kept going on. The Avengers kept attacking Seth to the point that he was not able to react to each attack that was coming his way. He was now focusing on using shielding magic to protect him until he could sense an opening from their attacks. So far the Avengers were showing great teamwork skills, even with the brand new members who had joined to stop him. It was getting to the point that he thought that the Avengers were actual going to win, but so were they. They were beginning to let up in their attacks. Spaces were appearing in between the attacks and he used that to plan his next attack.
Black Panther was about to attack him when he saw an opening. Yellow eyes narrowed as he dropped his shield and grabbed Black Panther by his arm. Snarling in the King of Wakanda's ear he broke the limb even through the armour that was designed to keep the king safe in battle. King T'Challa cried out in pain as he held his broken arm close to his body.
Moving fast he went through all the Avengers. He forced Kabuterimon to Dedigivolve back to Tentomon. With a spell he trapped both him and Izzy along with Wanda and Vision in a magic spell that froze them in time. Optimus and Galvatron were trapped in their vehicle modes and stuck in place. With an extension of his time spell he trapped the other Avengers in the bubble apart from Captain America.
Captain America was punched in the guts and doubled over on the ground. His shield lay only meters away from him. It was covered in stretches and dents from the fight against Seth. The shield was picked up by Seth who examined the weapon closely before giving it to Python who took the weapon with a bow. The Serpent Sister stepped back to her only surviving sister, Cobra.
Seth walked back towards Captain America and grabbed his head. He forced the supersoldier to look up at him. "You have failed Captain America. I gave you a chance to save yourself and your planet. You choose to stand in my way and so you will be punished!" he told the Captain. He released his head with a shove and walked away from him. "But I will be a good ruler. I shall allow Black Panther to remain king of Wakanda. Thor you shall return to Asguard and stay there. As for Nightshade and Galvatron you are both exiled from Earth. The rest of you will be imprisoned, separately where you can not plot against me!" Seth told the Avengers who even though where trapped in the time spell they could hear what he was telling them.
"I have won and you have all failed!" he said.
"Not so fast Seth!" shouted Wasp. She had resized and had appeared behind Seth. "You are finished and will spend the rest of your life locked away!" she shouted at him as she shrunk down again.
Seth rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers. Wasp was once again in her human size and on the ground looking up at Seth.
"Nice try, trying to get the Book of the Dead away from Stark!" he said as Stark handed him the Book. The golden book that had caused all this look innocently enough. It looked like any other book, expect it was made out of gold. It didn't look like it could give an Ancient Egyptian God great power. But it had. The Avengers had lost because of it.