Chapter 16: Lasts?
Baron Mordo looks out from the Bleeker Street loft. Across the way, Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum sits. A gentle St. Nicholas Day snow falls outside the open window, and the villain sees his "smoky" breath like a dragon's.
Around Baron Mordo, the Lethal Legion languidly looks on. Each, except Black Talon, wears an Amulet of Damballah dangling from the neck. Like yokes, the necklaces link the Lethal Legion to their liege Black Talon. And, loyalty binds Black Talon to his mentor Baron Mordo who also manipulated his mentee into becoming a Judas.
Such was necessary. The moment that the Lethal Legion arrived in Massachusetts (magically from the Northwest Territories), Grim Reaper and Man-Ape attempted killing each other.
The Wakandan wonder was in Worcester watching the news of the Visigoth battle. He wondered how She-Hulk had escaped Enforcer and if Spider-Woman had helped her do it. It irked him that the Web-Lady had excluded him from the heroes' activities. So, like any small person, M'Baku told himself certain things to make himself feel better. He understood that munificent Marvels do not always want a Man-Ape in their mix. Ghekre's earthly representative might prove too awesome for them, and the heroes would likely betray the White Gorilla's avatar, outlier and outlaw that he is. So-called "heroes" squelch extraordinary men's machinations all of the time. They are petty in that way.
The ten o'clock news continued. Boston anchor Roger Browne promised footage of a metahuman fight from Vienna—after an ad break. On television, attractive Elsa Bloodstone encouraged people to visit Bloodstone Curios in Boston. Then, Frost International advertised that its assembly line was now hiring. The television's light illuminated M'Baku's heavy eyes as he rested on the hotel bed. The Allan Hotel was quiet this early Thanksgiving morn.
Suddenly, sparks flew in the dead of night. A dazzling nimbus filled the room and, in it, four phantastic forms flitted like will-o-the-wisps. The phantoms surrounded M'Baku on the bed. The warrior swiftly rose ready for conflict. However, fair Nekra materialized from the magnificent light, and her firm hands gently pushed M'Baku back to the mattress. The White Gorilla gazed at the albino black woman, and the Wakandan wondered how the witch had arrived. Normally, she knew no translocation magic. Then, M'Baku noticed Baron Mordo standing there.
Then, he noticed that the Priestess of Hate had pinned him firmly to the bed as though the vamp would make a virgin sacrifice. Next, Man-Ape noticed Grim Reaper to his right raising his namesake blade. Apparently, Eric intended to pay back M'Baku for killing him hence, and Williams' woman Nekra intended to help. With great reflexes, a huge hand grabbed the descending scythe's handle. A long arm catapulted Grim Reaper toward the room's window. Williams crashed through four stories above ground. Nekra snarled. M'Baku swung his prehensile feet upward. He cinched them solidly about her cranium. Powerful legs launched Nekra through the plaster wall into the adjacent hotel room. Fortunately, no one occupied it this holiday weekend.
Still, the Lethal Legion was disturbing the peace, and Baron Mordo knew it. "Quit with the commotion," commanded Baron Mordo, "You'll bring cops and maybe costumes."
"Don't care," Man-Ape easily curled the king-size mattress from his bed. He swatted the sorcerer with it. Karl cracked the room door upon impact.
"Calm down, M'Baku," Black Talon touched his buddy's back.
"Yeah, cool it so that I can kill you, traitor," Grim Reaper called from the window. Williams left hand latched to the ledge when his body broke the glass.
"I shall compromise, Brother Barone," Man-Ape stated stepping toward Grim Reaper, "I shall calmly kill Mr. Williams here."
Unexpectedly, a flying sofa walloped M'Baku. Nekra hurled it from the side. Man-Ape roared with rage. His raised fists fractured the ceiling with a royal ruckus.
"Aaaah!" Baron Mordo shouted, "You a**holes are all too f***ing loud!" Karl glowered greatly. Teeth gritted, Mordo mumbled fervidly under his breath.
Instantly, the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak silenced and seized three trouble-makers. Glowing gags muzzled big mouths. Unearthly energies immobilized a Man-Ape, and mystic manacles manifested upon him. From nowhere, numinous binding bound Nekra and reeled the wrapped witch to the vexed wizard. From Baron Mordo, a fiendish fetter found Grim Reaper and roped his neck like a noose. In no time, Baron Mordo levitated the unruly Lethal Legionnaires before him. Whistling, the evil sorcerer shook his head.
A mile away, sirens split the chilly midnight responding to the recent racket. One could hear them through the "opened" window.
Black Talon unbound approached Baron Mordo. Samuel queried Karl, "What now?"
The malevolent magus asked, "Are you my faithful disciple?"
"More like your mentee, Mordo," the voodoo priest answered, "The loas guide my life."
"Fetch three Amulets of Damballah then. I need this trio under control," Baron Mordo replied, "We are going to Greenwich Village."
Black Talon was silent a second. He sunk his chin and scowled. He sighed, ""We are going after Dr. Strange, aren't we?"
In the present, Talon trepidatiously takes in the scene. Like zombies, the other Lethal Legion stands gawking at him. Through the amulets, he guides their every movement as though Samuel plays a game of Simon says. He can manipulate them like puppets, utterly controlling their motor skills. He can offer back some agency and simply utter orders, which they must do by Damballah's dominion.
Black Talon feels guilty. And, gripped Grim Reaper occasionally gives him a look that could kill, and massive M'Baku often makes an ominous grunt. But, Black Talon knows that Baron Mordo is no one to cross and that a man does owe him big for the return of his arm. Barone must give the Baron a hand—even if it means being a bastard to his fellow Lethal Legionnaires.
Stroking stiff Nekra's cheek, Baron Mordo coos, "Manhattan has such lovely sights."
"Do you mean Ms. Sinclair? When you molest my comely comrade like that, I can see why she becomes the Priestess of Hate," Black Talon comments.
"No," Karl clarifies, "I mean the Sanctum Sanctorum across the way. Soon, it will be mine."
For the past thirteen days, the sinister sorcerer has prepared a powerful hex to disperse the Sanctum Sanctorum's protection spells. Without defenses, the original Defender should not stand a chance against the Lethal Legion. Once the wards are cast off, the Legion will launch itself upon Strange's lair. The fierce quartet will sack the Sanctum and assassinate the Master of the Mystic Arts. Dr. Strange does not even seem to have detected the imminent assault.
Unexpectedly, Black Talon takes Baron Mordo's shoulder. The aspiring Sorcerer Supreme startles.
"Sorry," Samuel says, "Are we attacking soon?"
Mordo removes the houngan's molesting hand. "We are attacking currently," he comments, "I shall break the abode's bulwarks. You will besiege Strange's house. The situation should be four against one, but there will be also a servant named Wong, if I'm not wrong. I shall join you shortly after incursion."
Sans further ado, Baron Mordo puts the whammy on the loft wall. The apartment building's exterior explodes outward over narrow Bleeker Street. Grim Reaper under Nekra's arm and Black Talon upon Man-Ape's back, the Lethal Legion bound fearsomely forward from the awful blast. Amazingly, the detonation's dangerous debris just disappears into the gently falling snow—as though by magic.
The Legion lands in the suddenly-halted traffic before their target. Before 177 Bleeker Street, the Defenders stand, to the Legion's great surprise. Dr. Stephen Strange stands center. On his right, Silver Surfer stands shimmering with astonishing power. Near Stephen's left, Namor, the Sub-Mariner, stands smugly considering the slack-jawed supervillains. Over Strange's shoulder, She-Hulk stands staring down Grim Reaper and associates.
Eric Williams wonders, "How'd you know that we were coming?"
Stephen Strange speaks, "Never piss-off the Mandrill, man. To use the vernacular."
Jen Walters explicates, "Jerome Beechman keeps ever an eye on you, obsessed with Nekra as he is. Mandrill managed to hear of your Canadian incursion at the Ice Box. Genius that he is, Mandrill anticipated your next move thanks to Mordo, obsessed with Stephen as he is."
Dr. Strange adds, "For the past two weeks, I surveilled you felons remotely via the Orb of Agamotto. Finally, today, you four fools made your move, so I forgathered three friends of my own. We tend to reunite whenever a potential catastrophe places Earth in peril. Baron Mordo's mischief might qualify."
"We are the original Defenders," Silver Surfer schools.
"Yeah, we know. Don't patronize us," Black Talon retorts.
"We are the original Defenders," She-Hulk tutors, "Except, I am a substitute for my cousin."
"Yeah, I see that," Black Talon balks, "Your grasp of the obvious is astounding. Don't patronize us."
"Okay, howabout we pound you guys instead?" She-Hulk stomps a stupendous step and shakes the street and the Lethal Legion upon it.
In an instant, Silver Surfer shoots himself at Grim Reaper. The Surfer swipes Reaper away like a whatnot and sails skyward. Immediately, the two are in the stratosphere high over the Atlantic. Surfer deftly descends eastward. Quickly, supersonic travel shreds the costume from Eric Williams' person. Grim Reaper raises his signature scythe threateningly. Silver Surfer taps his finger upon Williams' wicked weapon, and the "dangerous" device simply melts over Madrid. Abruptly, Silver Surfer stops and releases routed Reaper. The smoking, streaking supervillain plummets like arrogant Icarus into the Aegean Sea.
A ways west, M'Baku nearly cannonballs into New York Harbor. She-Hulk has knocked him all the way to Battery Park with an incredible uppercut. The leaping Lady Liberator lands at once beside him. She yanks him upright by the chest hair.
"This is for killing the Terror," Shulkie's solid left lands.
"This is for all of the trouble that followed," the Avenger fires fists at will.
Incensed She-Hulk makes short work of strapping Man-Ape. Like the Manassa Mauler, the puissant pugilist makes mincemeat of her foe. When done pummeling, the powerhouse punts the vanquished into the Atlantic as M'Baku once did limp Laslo Pevely.
A minute previous, on Bleeker Street, Dr. Strange floats over the thoroughfare until he alights before Black Talon. "So, houngan, how's tricks?" Stephen says.
With sleight of hand, Black Talon brandishes a bone blade and stabs at Strange. "Abracadabra," the marvelous mage makes the shiv disappear into cold, thin air.
Amused, the Sorcerer Supreme asks, "Would you like to try your magic on me? Attempt some mesmerism perhaps?"
"Howabout reverse resurrection?" the death-dealer unsheathes his machete. He swings.
Strange catches the incoming arm and palmstrikes Samuel squarely in the nose. Wong has taught him kung-fu well. With two hands, he twists Talon's limb and dislodges the weapon. Valkyrie has taught him wrestling well. Wincing, the wrongdoer wrests his wrist from Strange.
Stephen steps back, "Say, what's that behind your ear?" He roundhouse kicks his foe in the head.
Talon swipes wildly with razor-tipped gloves. "Presto!" the prestidigitator produces a playing card, "Guess the card."
"What?" Black Talon is baffled.
"Clubs!" Strange conjures a bat and conks Barone's cranium and bops his beak.
Knot on his head and nasal blood dribbling, the necromancer calls it a day. "No mas. I surrender," Samuel sits his posterior on the snowy sidewalk and shakes his head.
Sixty seconds earlier, Namor kneads Nekra's noggin in a harsh headlock. She knees his back and nips his forearm. Annoyed, he nabs her throat and throws her far northward. The wicked wench lands in Washington Square Park, cratering cold dirt. Pursuing, Sub-Mariner nosedives Nekra there, forcing her form farther into the frozen soil. Furious, the femme fatale flails Namor's face and flips herself to her feet. Foaming at the mouth, she screams and scowls scarily. With a dislodged lamppost, the Lord of the Seven Seas lashes the last Lethal Legionnaire and launches her like a peculiar golf ball all the way to the next green on the Manhattan map—Union Square Park. She sails straight down narrow University Place for seven blocks through the wintry weather. Then, her durable body damages treetops and dents more earth. Prince Namor pursues with steel still in hand. His odd "iron" puts the problem-maker to Union Square's subway entrance. There, the swooning supervillain spills and somersaults down the steep stairs. Sub-Mariner strides casually after. The Avenging Son shall finish his adversary before awestruck onlookers admiring the Emperor of the Deep's prowess. He tosses the ponderous post carelessly aside. He smirks in anticipation of his victory.
However, Nekra is not at the bottom of the steps when Namor looks down for her. Sub-Mariner sighs. He supposes that royal feet must descend into the subway's dingy realm. The disdainful Defender deigns to descend into dirty, rank, dusky depths disagreeable to Prince Namor.
At the steps' nadir, Nekra's right hook spins Sub-Mariner full around. Her subsequent haymaker punches Poseidon half-way to the sewers. The original Invader imprints deep into a concrete wall. Nekra's knuckles bleed and bloat on her broken hand, but she grins with great gratification. The supervillain sprints for the station platform. Ms. Sinclair catches a train, and the lethal lady lasts for another day.
Back on Bleeker Street, Baron Mordo is momentarily dazed after his big spell banishing the Sanctum Sanctorum's defenses. The Baron takes a brief breather before joining the Lethal Legion in their audible battle outside. He hopes that his commandeered comrades are kicking the Sorcerer Supreme's ass, and those of any allies.
Abruptly, Hellcat spooks Mordo when she susurrates sharply. "Karl, I should knock you halfway to Europe," the Cat hisses at Karl's ear.
Startled Baron Mordo spins around, throwing a sloppy errant elbow. Scrapper Patsy chops the wizard's throat to hinder any spellcasting. Walker's kick nearly knocks the baddie from the blown-out loft. It nearly sends him tumbling into open space as he did her.
Hellcat grins, "I should to kick you halfway to Europe. And, my friend can take you the rest of the way."
From nowhere, Devil-Slayer seizes Baron Mordo and drags the scoundrel (by the cape) into his Shadow-Cloak. "You know, Greenland is always a cool place, especially in December," the superman states, "Let's take you to the North Pole for St. Nick's Day."
And, they are gone.