Earth-717: Iron Maiden Vol 2
Chapter 11: Schadenfreude
Ducking under Yelena's horizontal slash, Natalia threw a straight punch with her right arm. Yelena used her free hand to catch Natalia's fist, before trying to swing her knife down into her enemy's arm. Pulling back with all her strength, Natalia threw Yelena off balance, causing her to drop her knife and fall forward, still gripping Natalia's arm.
Seizing the opportunity, Natalia drew up her knee, smashing it against Yelena's chin. More blood spurted from Yelena's jaw as Natalia kneed her a second time before throwing her to the side. Yelena was forced to barrel roll sideways to recover her footing. Natalia returned to a defensive posture as she watched the anger grow in Yelena's face.
Knowing that said anger was making her less adept in combat, Yelena took a moment to reassert herself within her mind. Clenching both of her fists, she then launched herself off of a nearby wall using her feet, straight towards Natalia for a spin kick. Natalia was able to dodge the blow, but Yelena spun around again on the floor, connecting her other leg against the side of Natalia's ribcage.
"Ugh!"
Yelena pressed her advantage, throwing several punches in quick succession. The first two struck Natalia's face, but she recovered by the third and started to block each of Yelena's attacks with her wrist gauntlets. Yelena tried for a body shot, which Natalia countered with a powerful elbow strike to Yelena's face, further punishing her jaw.
Springing back and gripping her face in pain, Yelena seemed ill prepared for another attack. Natalia put all of her weight into a forward kick, but Yelena surprised her by seizing her foot with both hands and heaving her sideways. Completely off balance, Natalia was helpless as Yelena flung her against the wall, crashing into it without any way to cushion the blow.
As Natalia slumped to the ground, Yelena snatched her knife from the floor and pointed it at her enemy. Grinning like a schoolgirl, Yelena was poised and ready to finish Natalia off.
"I'll enjoy cutting your heart out, mladshaya sestra."
Gripping her knife in her right hand, she dived down as if to plunge the knife into Natalia's chest, but was knocked away at the last second by a boosted punch from an armoured figure, who swooped in just in time.
"Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!"
Natalia's eyes widened as an unconscious Yelena collapsed to the floor, and a hovering Tasha turned to look at her. She then held out her hand, and Natalia took it. Rhodes also flew into the room, and he started assisting the military forces in fighting off the Risk Control troopers.
"Had a nice talk with sword chick?" asked Tasha, as she helped Natalia to her feet.
"Quite nice."
"Yeah. Seems like quite the charmer."
"Tasha!" shouted Rhodes.
Tasha playfully sighed.
"Back to work."
Tasha blasted off into the air. Hovering beside Rhodes, both of them fired their repulsor weapons at the line of Risk Control troopers, putting a severe dent in their numbers. The military forces tried to push forward, but another wave of Risk Control troops poured into the room from all sides. Tasha then put her back up against Rhodes'.
"Janice, you and I are going to have a little chat about your initiative, but right now . . . . let's see what your armour can do!"
Back to back, Tasha and Rhodes engaged the entire incoming force of Risk Control troops. Natalia and the military soldiers ducked as the armoured avengers took over. Laser shots, chain gun bullets, shoulder cannon shots, concussive missiles, cluster grenades and unibeam blasts all came together in a symphony of technologically advanced violence, shredding an entire platoon of enemy forces.
As the last few Risk Control troops fell down dead, Rhodes swapped out the cartridges in his chain guns. The soldiers secured the room and started to filter out into the adjacent hallways. Tasha took in a deep breath as the smoke started to clear.
"War Machine, huh? Okay . . . . I'll admit, that was definitely adequate. Solid seven out of ten, at least."
"You shower me with praise, ma'am," remarked Janice.
"Yeah, don't get used to it, ya damn egomaniac. Now, let's . . . ."
She was cut off by a loud explosion as the fighting resumed in the nearby halls.
"How many does she have?!" shouted Tasha.
"A lot," replied Rhodes. "We've got to . . . ."
Rhodes was interrupted by being struck in the back by a charged electric shot. As he was stunned by the attack, Tasha looked around to see that Yelena had revived, kicked away Natalia, and was using her grappling hook to smash through the window to the central command room. Growling in frustration, Tasha blasted off in pursuit.
Rhodes recovered, and started to go after her.
"Tasha, wait . . . ."
"You help the soldiers!" she yelled. "I got this one!"
"We still need to . . . ."
"Go!"
Rhodes grumbled, but went after the soldiers. Natalia chased after him on the ground level. Tasha flew through the shattered glass leading to the central command room, noting an empty socket in the wall where a fish tank used to be. Turning to the right, she burst into an elaborate meeting room, with a gorgeous, Brazilian mahogany table at the centre.
There was only one other exit, so Tasha rushed towards it, and blew it open with a repulsor shot. She then flew into a hallway, and saw three people standing at the end of it: Sunset, Yelena, and a single Risk Control trooper. They were all looking to the right, where they were to turn a corner. Sunset then glanced at Tasha and stopped moving.
"Well, look who it is."
Tasha flew closer, but hovered in place about ten metres away.
"It's over, Sunset!"
"Not yet, it isn't."
Sunset then turned to Yelena.
"Go," she ordered. "Get to the shuttle. I'll handle this."
Yelena nodded and ran off around the corner. Sunset then turned to Tasha and held her hands together in front of her. Tasha lowered herself to the ground and opened her face plate.
"I'm leaving this place, Tasha," said Sunset. "I'm sorry that I won't be taking you with me, but unforeseen circumstances have forced me to be pragmatic."
"And how exactly are you getting away? You think one of your tinker toy soldiers can stop me?"
"Yes."
Sunset then pushed a button on the side of the trooper's helmet, retracting the mask section to reveal the face.
Tasha's heart stopped.
"Happy."
Happy's skin was bleached, with his pupils completely gone. Streaks of aquamarine flooded out from them, like tears that were painted on. His breathing was uncanny; regimented to the point of being utterly mechanical. She could not believe what was standing before her, but also unequivocally knew that it was true.
Happy was dead.
Giggling to herself, Sunset then turned and calmly walked around the corner, as Tasha fell to her knees. Happy did not move, emptily staring at the air where Tasha's head used to be. As Tasha looked back into what was left of his eyes, she remembered all the memories they had shared.
The bountiful times they had at clubs.
"Dancin' up a hurricane, Tash."
"Not yet, I'm not! Not til you're out here with me!"
"I . . . . I don't really do that well at . . . ."
"Get over here, dammit!"
A drunken adventure at a drive-thru.
"Get me a Whopper. Tell the guy I want a Whopper."
"Tash, it's Wendy's."
"I WANT A WHOPPER! I DON'T CARE WHAT PLACE IT IS!"
Obadiah Stane's doctoral thesis defense.
"He has this. No revisions. Ten bucks on it."
"You want me to bet against him? What if he finds out?"
"Ah, Oby can take it. Come on, ten bucks."
"But I think he'll be fine!"
"Betting ain't about what you think. It's about who bets on the winner first. Come on."
"I hate you."
"I know."
Their conversation just a couple days prior.
"You're welcome."
"Thanks, bud."
"Who always gets you whatever you need, huh? Me! I'm an enabler, I tell ya."
"You're so good to me."
"I know. What do I get for it?"
"A very tidy salary. Competitive benefits package. Free room and board. My eternal friendship?"
"Eh. Guess we're even then."
"Thanks, Happy. You do help. A lot."
"It's what I'm here for."
By the end of this, Tasha was bawling into her hands, the cold metal numbing her unguarded face. Happy had still not moved. She then stood back up, with both of her cheeks drenched in tears.
"Ma'am . . . ."
Tasha ignored Janice, and walked up to Happy. She placed both of her hands on either side of his face. For a full minute she just looked into his dead, vacant stare.
"Happy . . . ."
No response.
"Happy . . . . please . . . ."
No response.
"Say something . . . . anything . . . ."
No response.
"Just . . . . just call me Tash. Just once. Please . . . ."
Tasha's eyes gushed as she pressed her forehead against Happy's.
"Please . . . . j-just . . . . just once . . . ."
The pain was too great for Tasha to keep her eyes open. She then took a step back, and looked him over. He was but a statue. Her friend was long since gone, his mind eaten away by Sunset's invention.
"Ma'am . . . ."
Janice was again ignored. Swallowing both her saliva and her pain, Tasha pressed the button on the side of his helmet, and the mask covered his face again.
He was just another Risk Control trooper.
Just another life Sunset had stolen without a second thought.
Still, Tasha could not bear to gaze at him any longer. She closed her eyes and turned her face away as she aimed her repulsor at his head. She continued to uncontrollably sob as she held her hand in place. After a few moments, she realized she could not do it.
"Ma'am . . . ."
This third time, Janice was not ignored.
"Janice . . . ."
"Allow me."
"W-What?"
"If you cannot do it, I understand. So . . . . allow me."
Tasha took a moment to consider her offer, before lowering her head again and nodding. After a couple seconds, the repulsor fired without Tasha activating it. Once it was done, she immediately flared up with untold fury and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance, the likes of which she had never felt before. She had previously been angered, frustrated, and even at times, infuriated.
But now, she was enraged.
Blasting into the air, Tasha relentlessly rocketed down the hallway. Clenching her jaw and her fists at the same time, she turned multiple times until she could see the emergency evacuation hangar. The open window of the hangar overlooked the other side of the Colorado mountain range. A large AIM shuttle was being boarded by a handful of stragglers, amongst them Sunset and two Risk Control troopers.
She then saw that Stane was with them, standing between the two troopers.
"OBADIAH!"
Stane turned his head in surprise, as did Sunset. Knowing that another friend was in her enemy's clutches, Tasha yelled as she boosted forward into the hangar. Her seemingly unfettered momentum was then shattered as she was tackled in the side by Anya, nearly being crushed in the process. Stane's eyes widened and he instinctively reached out, but Sunset turned to glare at him.
"Get him inside!"
The Risk Control troopers shoved Stane into the shuttle. Sunset looked back at Anya, who had tumbled to the ground with Tasha in her grasp.
"This time, finish her! She's not worth trying to capture anymore."
Sunset then clambered on to the shuttle as the loading bay door latched up. The shuttle took off and flew out the open hangar window. Anya chuckled to herself as she smashed Tasha's body against the wall.
"Ugh!"
Anya then let go of Tasha and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying across the hangar. She landed on her chest and grunted in pain. Anya took a couple steps towards her fallen foe, equipping her rotating laser hand cannons.
"We have fought twice now, Iron Maiden," said Anya. "And you've never been able to beat me. What makes you think you can win?"
Her elbows and knees wobbling, Tasha pushed herself up.
"S-Sure, I-I haven't beaten you . . . . but you haven't killed me yet, either. And this time, I have something you don't."
"What would that be?"
Tasha drew in a deep breath as she prepared to call out.
"RHODEY!"
Within a a few seconds, Rhodes burst through the wall of the hangar, charging right at Anya. She was completely bewildered by the attack, and did not put up any defenses as she was blasted with three shots: one from his shoulder cannon and one from each hand repulsor. The triple attack knocked her over. Rhodes flew over to Tasha as she stood up.
"You rang?"
"You wanna prove yourself in that thing?" asked Tasha. "Help me take this bitch down."
"Tasha Stark . . . . asking for help?"
"Yeah. I am. You said it yourself . . . . I can't do it all alone. So, you and me. How about it?"
Rhodes smiled, feeling relieved.
"Anytime."
"Then let's do it!"
Anya picked herself off the ground as Tasha and Rhodes flew towards her. Shouting in anger, she activated her rotating hand cannons and started firing wildly into the air. Tasha and Rhodes flew around her shots before returning with lasers of their own.
"Call yourself War Machine?" asked Tasha. "Then do some damage!"
Rhodes got behind Anya and fired shoulder cannon blasts at the backs of both of her knees. Anya fell forward onto her hands, and Tasha launched a musculature servo charged uppercut on her facial dome. Anya's internal form was rocked by the repeated blows, but she managed to stop herself from being staggered.
Swiping away Rhodes with a backhand, she then brought down a hammer fist with her other hand, which Tasha dodged by jumping to the side. Tasha then fired several repulsor shots at Anya from the front, but they were deflected by the armour. Anya then seized her with both hands, and started to try and crush her between her palms.
Anya then squealed as she was blasted from behind by a unibeam blast from Rhodes. Tasha shouted and fired a unibeam blast of her own. The two powerful beams striking her at once led Anya to drop Tasha and fall again to her knees. Before Tasha or Rhodes could attack again, Anya furiously punched the floor with a charged fist, which sent a shockwave reverberating throughout the room, knocking both heroes to the ground.
The entire floor was jostled by the shockwave, and a couple of crates near the edge of the hangar window fell out. Tasha saw this, and looking back at Anya for a moment, she then turned to Rhodes.
"Rhodey! Shoot a missile at that corner!" she ordered, pointing at a nearby ceiling corner.
"Why?"
"Just do it!"
Rhodes aimed his rocket, and Tasha aimed one of her own at the corner adjacent to it. Anya looked at them in confusion as they fired their rockets simultaneously. The multiple explosions destabilized the entire hangar, and the floor was suddenly on a forty-five degree angle. Looking side to side, Anya wobbled and then started to tumble downwards, unable to compensate for her weight.
Tasha and Rhodes both started hovering and looked down as Anya desperately struggled. She tried to dig her large, stubby fingers into the floor, but was only able to maintain grip with one hand. The rest of the crates fell out of the hangar window. As Anya looked down at them, she felt fear for the first time since being placed inside her indestructible armour.
She tried to activate her booster jets, but they were only meant for brief flights, and she was unable to keep herself balanced before being forced to grab hold of the floor again. She then looked up at both Tasha and Rhodes, who were staring down at her from the safety of their hovering positions. Anya tried to give a look of pleading, but knew that they could not see it from behind her visor.
Glaring at Anya, Tasha then activated another wrist rocket, aiming straight at her. Rhodes followed suit.
"Ready?" asked Tasha.
"Yeah," said Rhodes.
"Hey, Anastasia!"
Anya frowned at Tasha, but otherwise did not respond, for she knew that nothing could save her now.
"Do svidaniya."
Tasha and Rhodes both fired their rockets, and Anya screamed as they struck her at the same time. The twin explosions blew her away, and she helplessly fell backwards and out the back of the hangar. She crashed repeatedly against the mountains, tumbling down for thousands of metres, until she was lost in a crevice of ice and snow.
