Storage Room 50, Sub Level 29 - 05:42AM, 4th September
Annihilus shot Scourge across the room with a blast of his staff, the armoured vigilante unloading the remainder of his ammunition into the alien as he slid back before slamming into a packing crate. The remaining villains had wisely headed for the hills and had left the two of them alone in the storage room to duke it out to the end. Muttering something in a language Scourge didn't understand Annihilus advanced on him slashing through his left arm as he attempted to defend himself.
"Your trespass ends here." Annihilus told him as the pair of vampires silently dropped to the ground and advanced on the pair of them.
"Justice is served." Scourge roared slashing the alien warlord across the face, blood streaming from his face. Annihilus screamed in rage and stabbed the cosmic rod into Scourge's chest and fired a bolt of energy incinerating the villain as he attempted to crawl away and extinguish the flames. Annihilus advanced again and got ready for a final strike as Blade leapt at him his sword slashing, his target turned to meet him and repelled him as Skein looped one of her tendrils around him in an attempt to immobilize him. Annihilus fired a bolt of energy causing the female blood sucker to back off hissing as Blade elegantly swept in his blade meeting the rod before being fired across the room. As Blade flew across the room Skein darted in latching onto Annihilus cheek licking the blood off before being slammed into the ground.
"Your blood is irresistible." she purred, "If you weren't so powerful we would keep you as food."
Shocked Annihilus plunged the Cosmic Rod into the Vampire Woman's skull before twisting decapitating the former Thunderbolt, a look of content on her face before she dusted leaving behind nothing but a skeletal corpse. Screeching in rage Blade leapt in kicking Annihilus to the ground before slamming his head into the ground multiple times as Scourge sprayed the Anti Coagulant Paste on his belt into the wound left behind by the Cosmic Rod before twisting the nozzle of the Cryothermic Assault Sprayer and limping closer. As he got in range Annihilus was barley holding off Blade who had zeroed onto his neck, saliva slipping down his fangs.
"Justice is Served." he growled unleashing a torrent of cold fire on the pair of combatants, the flames sterilizing the area leaving behind nothing but a pair of cold skeletons. Without even pausing to analyze what had happened he stomped off, searching for more prey on the upper floors.
Dock 17, Negative Island - 06:07AM, 4th September
The silo doors creaked open, metal grinding on metal morning sunlight illuminating the shaft, the SHIELD containment team looking up as a T-Wagon descended before landing at the end of the dock. Quickly a team of SHIELD agents suited in full riot gear exited the shuttle followed by a woman clad in the blue uniform of a SHIELD Commander.
"Director Gold the area is secure." the Commander of the guards told her, "Portal locked down before we could insert this scum into the general population," he announced as a pair of guards dragged Janissary, his hands bound forward, the villain's head bowed not daring to look in Melissa's eyes.
"Indeed," Melissa replied, not totally convinced by Janissary's attempt to look innocent. "Your dismissed Commander, my men will take over from here." she added with a wave of her hand. "As for you Mr. Assard, why don't you drop the act, humility doesn't suit you; you could easily have escaped during the power outages."
"Oh Madame Director, don't you believe that people can change?" Janissary asked slyly.
"Indeed I do." Melissa sighed, "But until we discover the cause of the disruption and the extent of damage all prisoners are heading to the maximum security area of the Raft."
"If it helps your investigation Director, I can tell you who was behind this whole thing." Janissary announced
"Really," Melissa replied looking over the criminal, "You understand that whatever you offer will not reduce your jail sentence, that this is all through your own actions."
"I do." Janissary replied.
"Fine then start talking." Melissa hissed, "And make it quick, I have more then one problem to deal with today."
Dock 10, Camp HAMMER Portal - 07:55AM, 4th September
"How long until the explosives are offline?" Abe asked Fixer as he input numerous override codes and function re-routers.
"You expect me to neutralize Osborne's work in only a few minutes." Fixer replied snidely, "It's not like he's an evil genius. Oh wait yes he is now shut up and let me work."
"Ah but you forget." Constrictor announced as he withdrew his arm from around Rachel as they sat on a work bench adjacent to the portal. "That you are also a genius who on occasion is evil."
"I prefer grumpy but what ever, now somebody hand me the temporal re-router." Fixer growled.
"Oh yes Super Grumpy Cyborg." Constrictor mocked throwing the delicate re-router to Fixer who caught it and slotted it into the work station before flicking the switch. After a minute of blue lightning flicking between the archway the jump gate was stabilized and all four of the former villains walked inside before arriving in one of the prisoner processing centres. It soon became clear that something big had gone down when the first dead guards were found, jammed into a decontamination vent.
"What the hell happened here?" Rachel asked
"Accessing security cameras." Fixer stated, "Looks like we have only a few prisoners left in the building, at least living ones. Creel is on Sub Level 2 in a mess hall, Connors is in a Medical Supply Centre on Level 6, both are in a comatose state. We have readings suggesting that Man Thing is on Sub Level 14, the rest Anti Venom, Tiger Shark and the Hobgoblin are in a guard station on Sub Level 9, seems like there holed up and ready for a frontal assault, it may be tricky to dislodge them."
"What about her?" Abe asked as Pit Viper limped up towards them, "Please you've got to get me out of here."
"Okay Miss keep your hands where we can see them." Rachel ordered, "We're going to cuff you and then take you to the Raft for medical assessment." she explained as Fixer walked up and cuffed the super-villainess. As they turned to lead Pit Viper out of the prison Abe's Armor beeped, causing Pit Viper to tense up.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"That was Mel, she wants us to check out a breach on level 0, seems like there is receiving additional negative energy in-put, she has ordered this place to be scuttled, for use of a better word." Abe told the others, "SHIELD Holding Team we have a meta prisoner on Sub Level 10, Corridor 19 ready for pick up." he called through the armour's comm. link. "Don't worry Miss, you'll soon be out of here."
"Thank You." Pit Viper hissed, "You don't know how much I'm looking forward to getting out of here."
Mount Hope Cemetery, Maine - 22:31PM, 4th September
Avalon flashed into view, blue mist radiating from around her and the agent she had brought with her. Confidently she strode into the graveyard, her partner following, heading for the ancient heart of the cemetery where the runes of summoning were marked, where her hands gathered to discuss their plans. Stepping into the seeming deserted circle there was a flash of light as the glamour rippled, swallowing her and her agent as they vanished from all eyes, both human and electronic, save those already inside.
"Did you get it?" Scourge growled as he cradled a massive chain-gun on his knee."
"Shouldn't you be more respectful?" The Hood asked, "She's the one in charge after all." she chided, "Welcome back Mistress."
"Your concern for the chain of command is most uplifting Miss. Watson." Avalon announced, "And yes my agent was successful." she told the others, "Scourge bring out the prisoner and inform the others to gather in the mausoleum for the ceremony that will keep me hidden until I am ready to step on this Earth."
"Yes Maam." Scourge grunted heading around the back of one of the small mausoleum before dragging a Polynesian man, his naked body bleeding, his skin covered with cuts and burns."
"Now you will tell us what we want to know." Avalon announced.
"Never witch, my lord Tangaroa's bindings forbid me from revealing his mark and quite rightly so, evil such as you must be removed from our world." he said through gritted teeth. Avalon clicked her fingers and the figure stood forward, his footsteps slamming down with each steps his tentacles took. "Doctor if you will do the honours." Avalon asked. Removing a vial from his belt Doctor Octavius uncorked the end and removed a flap of skin before pressing it against the man's forehead. In an instant the skin revealed an image of a swallow with long trailing leaf like tails sailing over a garden of Kelp, the fronds waving as if to catch the bird.
"You have been very helpful." Avalon announced snapping her finger, moments later Scourge had grabbed the prisoner and with a sickening clicking sound the Polynesian was dead. "Now let's get cooking," she instructed her servants, "Soon I will rise…"
"…And you will kill us all save for the worthy, they will be saved." Scourge, Doctor Octavius and The Hood announced. "And in that death a new world will be born."
New Zealand Rainforest, North Island - 13:11PM, 22nd April, 1602AD
There was a flash and the four escaped criminals fell to the forest floor, the crash as they fell to the floor muffled by the leaf litter, their curses less so.
"No I'm too pretty to be a half Unicorn, half Iron Clad, half Chemistro monster." Deadpool wailed, "Wait I'm me, huh no horrible amalgamation monster's created this time travel trip. "Good work team." he added covertly snatching the amulet away from Iron Clad.
"Where the hell are we?" Unicorn asked
"Can't you read?" Deadpool asked, "Impurest Cheese wrote it down five lines above us." he announced, "Now my precious where shall we go next." he purred rubbing the amulet.
"Wait why do you get to keep the amulet?" Iron Clad asked, "It was mine in the first place, Atum gave it to me in Duat."
"Oh like your worthy of it." Tate snapped, "I need it to find my son, Wade give it to me."
Stressed by the decision Deadpool fired a burst from the G36 sticking out of his bag, which had magically reappeared on his shoulder, "Quite all of you, it turns out that we have a real life, bona fide working Time Machine, am I right."
"Yeah now give it." Iron Clad ordered
"No." Deadpool said moving the amulet away from the former Avenger's grasp, "Am I right in thinking that this thing travels into the past."
"Probably, that's what Time Machines do." David Tenant announced sticking his head out of the TARDIS, "You know you could just use mine."
"Thanks but no thanks." Deadpool said absently shooting the TARDIS with the G36 causing the Doctor to fall to the floor with a thump. Shaking his head Deadpool saw that a massive bird lay on the floor, convulsing in pain from the bullet wound. "Cool Moa, well I guess that proved my point."
"Now give me the Time Machine." Tate snarled as she fired a quick burst of defoliant at Wade, the gabby mercenary ducking under the blow, the jet of chemicals swatting a Herst's Eagle out of the sky as it swept down on the stricken Moa.
"But I have my one brilliant idea a chapter coming up." Deadpool whinged, "Listen guys hear me out."
"Okay Wilson but if we disagree then you give us the Time Machine." the Unicorn growled.
"Yeah sure." Deadpool answered, "Listen what if I had a plan to make us the most respected, most well loved people on the planet."
"I'd say your full of crap." Iron Clad mused
"Well trust me," Deadpool announced, "If we flunk we can just use the time machine to go back and go our separate ways."
"And where are we going?" Unicorn asked.
"Follow me through time and/or space," Deadpool stated, "and find out."