Hawkeye gritted his teeth, pain hammering his back. He looked around for his taser arrow. It lay a few feet away, snapped in half.
"Paul," Free Spirit called out Summoner's real name. She pushed herself to her knees, holding out a pleading hand. "Paul, don't do this."
Summoner gave her a hard stare. He slowly raised both arms.
Thick columns of dirt shot from the ground. One bore down on Hawkeye. He fought off the pain and leaped off the porch. The dirt slammed through the wood surface. Dozens of splinters shot into the air.
He rolled on the ground and came up in a crouch. Free Spirit also dodged a dirt column. Wonder Woman wasn't as fortunate. A stream of dirt slammed into her. She dug her heels into the ground, trying to push through it.
"Cap," Hawkeye said into his comm as he nocked an arrow. "We can use your help."
"We're on the way."
Captain America barely finished the sentence when Hawkeye launched his arrow. A net sprang from the tip and soared toward Summoner.
A gust of wind rose. The net twisted and tumbled over Summoner's head. It landed harmlessly on the ground.
Wonder Woman pushed her way through the dirt geyser. One step, then another, and another. It was slow going, but she closed the distance between her and Summoner.
Until the ground under her feet exploded. She tumbled through the air and crashed onto the cabin's roof. It caved in. She disappeared from sight.
Hawkeye launched a bola arrow. Again Summoner deflected it with a gust of wind.
The ground undulated. Waves of dirt rushed toward him.
"Crap." Hawkeye turned and ran. He pulled out a cable arrow and launched it. It wrapped around a nearby tree and hauled him off the ground. He looked down as the dirt tidal wave rushed beneath him.
"Dammit, Paul! Enough!" Free Spirit took a running leap at him.
Summoner caught her with a burst of wind. Free Spirit spun through the air and slammed into a tree.
Summoner turned toward Hawkeye. He lifted his Elemental Stick into the air. Hawkeye stiffened when he heard a groan and a crunch below him. The tree he clung to trembled. He looked down.
The roots tore loose from the ground. The tree wobbled and started to fall.
Hawkeye grabbed the cable and swung away. Just as he felt himself get pulled back, he let go. He relaxed his body just before he hit the ground. Hawkeye tucked, rolled and sprang to his feet. He grabbed another arrow and launched it. The tip broke apart. Half-a-dozen little pellets flew toward Summoner, each containing pepperspray.
A wall of dirt shot up next to Summoner. The pellets struck it and exploded into a yellow cloud.
The dirt wall collapsed. Summoner glared at Hawkeye.
"Traitor! How could you work for those things?"
"I'm not. They've done something to your head. Let me help -"
"Shut up!" Summoner pointed his Elemental Stick at Hawkeye. "I'm not going to listen to any more of your lies."
A huge dirt fist burst from the ground. It arced over and plunged toward Hawkeye.
He rolled left. The fist crashed into the ground. A slight tremor rippled underneath him.
The fist rose again. Hawkeye tensed, waiting for it to . . .
A loud whine filled the air. He glanced past the fist. A rounded, winged object hovered overhead.
A Quinjet!
Hawkeye smiled, grateful for the fact he had the other Avengers stationed nearby for back-up.
A large, silvery figure jumped from the Quinjet. Hawkeye watched as Colossus dropped right onto the fist. It exploded into a shower of dirt.
"Hawkeye. Are you all right?"
"For now." Hawkeye got to his feet and snatched another arrow. He spotted Wasp and Black Lightning flying toward Summoner. A whirlwind sprang up. Wasp barely dodged it. The swirling dust clipped Black Lightning. He spiraled through the air and bounced along the ground.
Wasp righted herself in mid-air and fired her stinger blasts. The bolts just missed Summoner. Geysers of dirt erupted around Wasp. One struck her. She spun head over heels into the ground.
Hawkeye launched a smoke arrow. It exploded several feet from Summoner. A black cloud hung between the Algonquian and the two Avengers.
"That should district him for a few seconds," said Hawkeye.
"That is all I need."
Colossus charged forward and disappeared in the smoke. Hawkeye moved around the cloud, another arrow at the ready. At the same time Wonder Woman flew out of the hole in the roof and dove toward Summoner. Hope rose within Hawkeye. He prayed the two strongest members of the Avengers could take down Summoner.
When he made it around the smoke cloud, his hope waned. Summoner had transformed his skin and stick into solid rock. He punched Colossus in the jaw. The metallic mutant reeled. Summoner then swung his stick in an arc. It struck Wonder Woman in the head. She fell to the ground and slowly pushed herself to all fours.
Summoner nailed Colossus with a sidekick. He then stood over Wonder Woman, stick raised.
Hawkeye launched his arrow. Bolas shot from the tip and wrapped around Summoner's legs. He staggered and fell.
Hawkeye had a sleeping gas arrow ready to fire when the ground shook. A huge dirt fist sprang up before him.
"You really think your stupid arrows can stop me?"
The fist fell toward Hawkeye. He jumped out of the way just as it slammed into the ground. Hawkeye replaced his sleeping gas arrow with an exploding one. He took quick aim and fired. A burst of orange and black tore apart the fist. Dirt clumps shot off in all directions.
The fist reformed.
Hawkeye dodged another blow. He spotted Summoner, free of the bolas and on his feet. So was Wonder Woman.
Summoner gave her a spinning kick to the head. Wonder Woman staggered, barely keeping her balance. Summoner grabbed her by her dark hair and threw her at the cabin. The wall exploded as she went through it.
Hawkeye dodged another blow by the dirt fist. Another. On his third dodge the fist swept up. He tried to duck, but it caught him in the side. Fiery pain pierced his ribs as he soared through the air. He hit the ground and cried out, clutching his side.
Summoner dodged a blow from Colossus. He grabbed the mutant's arm and flipped him over his shoulder. Colossus slammed down on his back. Summoner stomped on his gut twice.
Suddenly he turned around. Grimacing, Hawkeye followed Summoner's gaze. In the distance, branches shook. A high-pitched whistle screamed through the trees.
Flash!
Dirt shot up near Summoner and twisted into a cone. When it settled, Hawkeye saw Flash's head and shoulders sticking out of the dirt encasement.
"Hey! What gives?"
"I'm attuned to the elements, Flash. I sensed your footsteps the moment you left the Quinjet and was prepared."
"Did you sense us, too?"
Captain America and Dr. Mid-Nite emerged from the forest. Cap flung his shield and the red and black-clad hero threw blackout bombs. A wall of dirt formed in front of Summoner. The shield bounced off it and back to Captain America. The blackout bombs exploded against the wall, forming a cloud of darkness.
Captain America dashed forward, trying to work his way around the right side of the wall. Dr. Mid-Nite took the left side.
Hawkeye came up from behind and fired a sleeping gas arrow. Summoner glanced over his shoulder. A gust of wind sent the arrow spinning away from him . . .
And right at Dr. Mid-Nite!
The tip burst into a white cloud. Dr. Mid-Nite doubled over, hacking. He sagged to his knees, then fell on his side.
Good one, Clint. Hawkeye scowled as he stared at the unconscious Avenger.
Geysers of dirt shot out of the ground around Captain America. He avoided one after the other.
Something rumbled inside the cabin. Hawkeye thought, hoped, Wonder Woman was coming out to rejoin the fight.
Instead water gushed out the hole in the wall. It slammed into Cap and sent him tumbling across the ground.
I forgot about the plumbing. It didn't matter if it came from a lake or a faucet. If it was water, Summoner could control it.
The ground trembled. Trees uprooted and fell.
Some fell toward Hawkeye.
He sprinted and leaped, evading one tree after another. When he looked back he saw much of the ground covered by fallen trees.
Hawkeye took cover behind one of them. He watched Summoner club Colossus as he struggled to his feet. Anger shot through him. There had to be a way to nail him with an arrow. He couldn't imagine how, since Summoner could sense the very air around him.
Maybe the direct approach. If he or another Avenger got close enough to Summoner to rip that Elemental Stick from him, the fight would be over. He had to maintain contact with the stick for his powers to work.
The trouble was getting close without having the ground explode around them.
Colossus got a shot in. Summoner took a few steps back. Colossus ambled forward and nailed him with a right cross. Summoner staggered, but didn't go down. Colossus threw another punch. Summoner stepped to the side. He then launched himself at Colossus. Both men tumbled to the ground.
"We've gotta get that stick away from him."
Hawkeye turned to find Free Spirit next to him.
"Trust me, the thought already occurred to me."
Free Spirit pressed her palms against the fallen tree, staring straight ahead. Summoner created another dirt hand that grabbed Colossus and threw him into the darkness. The Algonquian's skin changed from rock back to flesh. He scanned around him, stick raised, searching for more targets.
"I'm going to talk to him," said Free Spirit.
"Yeah, because that worked so well the last time."
She shot Hawkeye a harsh look, then frowned. "If anything, maybe I can distract him. Give you and the other Avengers a chance to take him down."
"You understand we're gonna have to take him down hard."
Free Spirit's face tightened. She forced herself to nod. "Just try not to do it too hard."
"We'll see."
Free Spirit sighed and jumped over the tree.
"Paul! Paul, please!"
Summoner turned toward her, teeth bared. "You!" He started to bring up his stick.
Hawkeye pulled out a taser arrow and nocked it.
"Don't, please!" Free Spirit held up her hands. "Let's just talk."
"Talk? I tried talking to you for months. I tried warning you about those energy beings. But you thought I was lying. Now you're working for them! How could you betray the human race like that?"
"I'm not working for them. I . . . I just can't see them. Maybe . . . maybe they're manipulating everyone's perception. Maybe they're hiding themselves from everyone."
Hawkeye waited for a dirt geyser or a blast of wind to knock down Free Spirit. Instead Summoner let her walk closer to him.
Good girl. Keep it up.
"Why would they do that?" Summoner demanded. "Why?"
"I don't know." Free Spirit paused. "These things, who knows where they come from? Who knows how they think or why they do what they do? Maybe . . . maybe they're not here to attack us. Maybe they want just want to establish contact with us. Paul . . . Summoner. Your powers give you control over the elements. You can sense anything in the air or in the ground or in water. You said it yourself. You're in tune with the elements. Maybe that's why they chose to reveal themselves to you."
Summoner stood still for several seconds. He lowered his stick.
Hawkeye slowly pulled back on his bow.
"You might be right," Summoner said. "Why didn't you say that before?"
Free Spirit stopped. Hawkeye sensed her tensing. Damn, just when this was starting to work.
"I guess it just took a while to figure out. But I did, and I'm telling you now."
Summoner looked away. He lowered his stick more.
Hawkeye pulled back a little more on his bow.
"They chose me," Summoner muttered. "They chose me."
"They did." She took another step closer to him.
Hawkeye carefully slid along the tree, wanting to make sure Free Spirit wasn't in his line of fire.
"I should have realized this sooner," said Free Spirit. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I made you doubt me. I'm so sorry for any grief I caused you."
She took another step forward, arms outstretched. "I love you, Paul."
Summoner stared at her. He swallowed and came toward Free Spirit. "I love you, too."
He brought up his arms to hug her.
Hawkeye zeroed in on Summoner's right hand. He took into account the Algonquian's movements, the distance between them, the breeze, the temperature, the compensation for arrow drag.
All in the span of less than a second.
Hawkeye let go of the string.
The arrow hit Summoner in the fingers of his clenched right hand. He stiffened as a sharp buzz emitted from the arrow. Soon he went into convulsions.
The Elemental Stick fell from his grasp. Free Spirit kicked it away.
Summoner let out a choking gasp and fell on his back.
Hawkeye leapt over the tree and bounded toward him. Free Spirit was already at Summoner's side, checking on him.
"His pulse and breathing are strong."
Hawkeye nodded. He then looked around. Captain America, Wasp and Black Lightning had all gotten back on their feet. Wonder Woman and Colossus joined them, still shaking off the cobwebs. The dirt mound encasing Flash collapsed, freeing him.
"Okay, that could have gone better." Flash looked at Dr. Mid-Nite, still lying unconscious on the ground.
"I guess someone's gonna have to carry him back to the Quinjet . . . not it!"
"Good work, Hawkeye." Captain America walked up to him, then turned his attention to Summoner.
"What do we do with him now?" asked Hawkeye.
"I'll contact SHIELD and tell them to prep the Helicarrier's sick bay for Summoner. Hopefully they can find out what's wrong with him."
Hawkeye looked down at Summoner. "Yeah. Hopefully."
TO BE CONTINUED