Misfitverse: The Korvac Saga
Disclaimer: "I'm gonna blow up the Ark, Rene!" - Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark
Chapter 29: A Force to Reckon With, Part 6!
Klattu
On a small hidden silo underneath Klattu's south pole, a group of drones were working on a secret project ordered by Ultra-Max himself.
They were building a rocket ship. A red rocket similar to the one that Ultra-Max used to come to Klattu.
If my many encounters with many 'heroes' over the centuries had taught me anything, it's that besides the fact that they, especially that cockroach Captain Marvel, are EXTREMELY ANNOYING...and as well as that one must have an escape route. One drone squeaked, sounding reminiscent of R2-D2. Yes, my drone. Force's presence was unexpected. I never thought I'd encounter them again. But it works to my advantage. I can destroy the Avengers, as well as those equally annoying mercenaries. But in case they somehow manage to get through Mainframe's formidable defenses... One of the sensors in the wall focused on the rocket. I will be able to challenge them again...
Elsewhere in Klattu
"Uhn!" Commander America grunted as he smacked into a wall by Broadside. The orange-skinned powerhouse sauntered up to Cap, cracking her knuckles. A smile formed on her face as the Commander grunted and tried to get to his feet.
"To be honest, Commander, I actually think you might actually be pretty cute under that mask. I really don't want to have to mess that face up, in case those rumors are true." Commander America scowled as he got to his feet, a line of blood from his lip.
"Too bad I don't feel the same about you, Miss." Commander America grumbled. He noticed a shadowed figure sneak up on Broadside. When the figure stepped into the light, the Sentinel of Liberty smirked. "He may, though."
"Huh?" Broadside blinked. She turned around.
"Believe me, I am not the type to attack a female, but in your case..."
WHAM!
A mighty fist collided with Broadside's face, sending her flying into the wall next to Commander America.
"Uhn!" The orange-skinned powerhouse grunted as she fell to the ground, unconscious and with a broken nose. Commander America smiled at the figure.
"Glad you came, Herc." He nodded in appreciation. Hercules smiled and shook the Commander's hand.
"'Tis no trouble, Commander." Hercules smiled. "I had heard Mainframe was in danger, and I had to come to his aid."
"We can use all the muscle we can get. Force is here too, as you can tell."
"Aye." Hercules noted. "Mainframe had told me that he was being over-taken by Ultra-Max. I fought my way through his mighty defenses to get here. But it was no trouble for me. I am he who had faced the forces of Hades himself."
"Herc, there's something you should know." Commander America added. "The Lost Mutants have returned." Hercules blinked.
"The old mutant prophecy? It's coming true!"
"Yeah." Commander America nodded. "And one of them was from Roma Nova." Hercules's normally jovial face briefly showed great grief.
"That one does not know about what happened to the kingdom?"
"No." Commander America shook his head. Hercules nodded.
"That is good." The God of Strength sighed. "I would not want the young Nova Roman to know I failed to save their home."
Elsewhere in Klattu
"We're toast." Ray winced.
"Not yet, we're not!" Dani yelled, nocking an arrow and getting ready to fire it at the tentacles. However, the tentacles were blocked from going near her by an energy wall. "Sam!"
"Sorry, Dani. Can't take the risk." Sam explained. "You guys are too important."
"We can fight, Sam!" Dani countered angrily.
"Yeow!" Ray yelped as he dodged one tentacle, then blasted it with electricity. "You know, Tim would love this, the sick freak!"
"Yeah, I can imagine him drooling at the sight of these things." Roberto growled as he smashed another tentacle.
"No offense, Captain Marvel, but we can handle ourselves." Jennifer grinned as she leapt over a tentacle, and hit a couple more with black hex discs, causing them to rust and fall apart. "The Hellfire Club may have screwed with my head, but right now, I'm thankful I still got that training."
"Easy for you to say." Amara grumbled as she leapt behind Sam. Doug and Marie were with her. "I can't use my powers here! You're afraid of fire!" Jennifer was about to yell something in response, but she and Amara both got whacked upside the head. "OW!" They screamed in unison.
"Not. HERE." Danielle snapped. "We are fighting for our lives right now! We can't do this here and now!" Sam immediately used his Quantum Bands to gather the Lost Mutants and put them behind a shield. The tentacles kept slamming into the shield.
You cannot stop me! Ultra-Max roared. I am the ultimate life-form!
"What you are is an annoying piece of rogue binary code!" Sam grumbled.
"Once again, we're behind a shield." Dani grumbled. "You know, Jocasta went to the trouble of making this stuff for me, I think it would be nice if I went to the trouble of using it." The immortal mutant turned to Marie.
"Marie, I have a little gift for you." Sam told the French redhead. "In my cape, there's a pocket. There's a little surprise for you in it."
"For me?" Marie blinked. "I...Why? After all the things I had done under the Hellfire Club's control..." Sam smiled.
"The prophecy said you'd return one day. I thought you'd need them." Marie reached into the pocket inside Sam's cape. She slowly pulled out...
...a pack of cards. But they were not any ordinary cards. They were...
"My cards..." Marie smiled in delight as she held her cards. "You hung on to my cards?"
"I knew you'd come back, and I thought you'd like them back." Sam smiled slightly.
"Merci beaucoup. I am in your debt." Marie smiled.
"Great, Tarot got her cards back! Now can we please get out of here?" Ray yelled.
"Right." Sam nodded. "To be honest, I am reluctant to let you guys help fight this thing, but..." He glanced over at Dani, who was glaring at Sam with crossed arms. "We could use all the hands we can get."
"One problem." Amara raised her hand. "I can't use my powers. Not with Blondie here." She jerked her thumb at Jennifer.
"The little holographic fire sessions help a bit." Jennifer grumbled under her breath.
"Perhaps I can help." Marie offered with a smile, pulling out a couple of her cards. "Sword and Shield cards!" The cards glowed, and in Marie's hands, appeared a large round Spartan-style shield, and a short double-edged sword known as a Xiphos, a sword used by warriors in Ancient Greece. The smiling redhead held out the weapons to Amara. "I believe you would be familiar with these weapons, yes?"
"Yes..." Amara nodded in confusion. "I was taught to use a sword in Roma Nova. It was part of my education towards becoming the next queen." She blinked at the sword and the shield.
"Do not fear, Amara. They will not bite." Marie smiled.
"I don't know..." Amara frowned at the weapons.
"I'd take them if I were you." Dani recommended. "You can't use your powers around Jennifer, and you are familiar with a sword." The princess looked reluctantly at the weapons for a moment, and then sighed. She glared at Marie.
"If these things get me killed..."
"Not. Now. Amara." Dani warned. "Alright, Sam! Let down that forcefield! Let's do this!" Sam nodded and brought down the forcefield.
Ha! Ultra-Max crowed triumphantly. You organics had to tire at some point!
"We're just getting started, Ultra-Max!" Dani yelled, nocking an arrow! "Jennifer, give these things a bad case of bad luck!"
"With pleasure, boss!" Jennifer yelled, making a couple black disks appear in her hands. A couple tentacles raced towards her. "Hands off, boys!" She pitched the disks, and they hit their targets perfectly, causing the tentacles to rust and fall apart. One came up behind her, but was blasted with electricity. She turned and saw a smirking Ray, fists sparking.
"You should be lucky it was me saving you and not Skullfire." The electrokinetic joked. "Let's just say that he has a thing for girls and tentacles." The blonde wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"I don't want to know, do I?" Ray shook his head.
"No, ya don't." Jennifer nodded.
"Okay." She pitched a disk at a tentacle that was heading towards Ray. "By the way, it's a shame you can't keep that costume. Looks good on you."
"Yeah, Jocasta makes a mean costume." Ray smiled. "She wants to make some for all of us." Jennifer grinned.
"Sweet! I wouldn't mind something in red myself."
"Hey, butthead!" Roberto snapped at Ray as he blasted a tentacle and dodged another. "Quit flirting with the enemy!"
"It's a free universe, and she ain't the enemy anymore." Ray rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's not my fault that chicks dig my costume." The ex-Morlock burst out laughing. "What's the matter, mad that I got some sweet new duds, and you still wearing that out-of-style thing?"
"Don't make me come over there and break your teeth, man!" Roberto snarled.
"You don't scare me, jackass!" Ray retorted angrily.
"I don't need to scare you, punk!" Roberto shook his fist at the electrokinetic. Jennifer looked at Sam.
"I take it that those two do this a lot." She noted. Sam sighed as he watched Ray and Roberto engage in another one of their classic debates.
"Yeah, they do, unfortunately." The immortal mutant grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Oh, for the love of the spirits-!" Danielle growled. She angrily marched over to Roberto and Ray, raised her bow over her head, and...
WHAM! WHAM!
"OW!" The two ex-New Mutants screamed, grabbing their heads.
"That really hurt!" Roberto yelled.
"What the hell, Dani?" Ray screamed. The Cheyenne girl snarled and pointed at the tentacles.
"Morons. Focus." She warned in a tone that stated 'Do-it-again-and-I-kill-you'. She went back to fighting the tentacles. The two young mutants shrugged and went back to blasting the metal tentacles.
"Wow." Jennifer remarked. "That is just plain crazy."
"Be lucky you didn't have to live with them." Sam grunted as he used a pair of blade constructs to slice open several tentacles.
"Yah!" Amara whooped as she batted a tentacle away and slashed another one wide open with her sword. "Take that, you metal monsters!"
"Hah!" Dani batted a tentacle away with her bow, and stabbed one with her arrow. "These 31st Century arrows are great!" She fired an arrow at one tentacle, impaling its head into the wall. "I wish I could be told what they're made from."
"And I wish I could tell ya, but it'd mess up the timeline." Sam chuckled as he used a hammer construct from his Quantum Bands to flatten a couple more tentacles. God, it's been so long since I had some real fun doing this stuff! It sure does feel good to see my old friends back. It's been too long.
I WILL DESTROY YOU PATHETIC ORGANICS! A frustrated and enraged Ultra-Max screamed.
"I think we made it angry." Ray blinked.
"No, duh." Roberto mocked. "You noticed?" Ray growled, but then remembered Dani's warning glare, and decided to clam up and go back to blasting tentacles. The walls erupted as hidden laser cannons spat red-hot energy beams in all directions.
"GET DOWN!" Dani screamed. The group immediately hit the floor.
"Now what do we do?" Jennifer screamed.
"I don't know." The Cheyenne girl admitted.
Well, well, well! Looks like things are about to pick up! What insanity will happen next? Can the Avengers stop Force and save Mainframe from Ultra-Max? Can the Lost Mutants escape Ultra-Max? Will I stop asking stupid questions? Find out in the next chapter!