Lights flashed in the large chamber as a woman sat in the only chair in the room, her diamond skin glistening as the head-piece she wore blinked on and off intermittently. Carefully she removed the helmet and got up from her seat, her skin morphing back from hardened gem-stone to human flesh clad in tight fitting lycra top and white pants as she walked towards the door. Exiting the chamber she arrived in a large conference room and surveyed the team of mutants sitting around the main table, all waiting for her to speak.
"We know that the Phoenix is returning and that the Avengers plan to appose us over whether it should be destroyed or embraced. We will come into conflict with them, of that I am sure but that is not what I found while I searched for her." the woman announced. "I found a signal created by a mutant, one that I have seen intermittently for days."
"So who does this mystery signal belong too?" the armoured form of Colossus asked, "And are they friend or foe?"
"The signal matches that of Sage. I know that at least some of Logan's team will support the Avengers. That is why I want to scramble a team to capture her and persuade her to join us. Scott I would ask for you're permission before I do this."
"You are suggesting that we abduct her." Cyclops stated, "Emma you might have forgotten that Sage is a powerful combatant and if she chooses to stand against us, be a deadly foe."
"All the more reason to recruit her now, before she chooses that path." Emma replied, "That is not the only reason I believe we should act quickly. At current she travels with another mutant, a felon wanted for second degree murder, his name is Christopher Colchiss AKA the Melter and while he has never been an enemy to us I know that he admires the Avengers."
"This boy, would it not also be wise to recruit him as well?" Magneto asked rubbing one of his hands over his arm, "If he is mutant he might be sympathetic to our cause."
"No." Cyclops said, his voice cutting through the air like a knife grating cheese. "Emma we must be careful, if Sage is unwilling to join us and we force her to then we may alienate others who are undecided."
"So you are telling me to forget about Sage?" Emma replied.
"No, find her and convince her to join us but be careful, this could blow up in our face."
"Aren't I always?" Emma purred, "Don't worry Scott; she will join us, what possibly could keep her away."
Melissa winced as the wad of paper hit the back of her neck, she had been under such an assault for the last three hours and she was about to loose her temper. Abe wasn't helping much, he hadn't done a thing to stop Diana and Chris's attacks on her, and while he was driving, the least he could do was tell them to stop it.
"So you just put the paper in the straw." Diana said slowly holding a Burger King straw, "And blow." she added blowing through the straw, her breath sending the wad of paper splatting into Melissa's neck. "So this is something that everybody knows about."
"Yeah it's called spit-balling, I used to get a whole torrent of them fired at me when I was back at school." Chris answered, "It only serves to annoy other people but for the firer it's fun especially when you have someone who reacts easily."
"Ah spit-balling, I remember doing that back at college." Abe sighed, "And now I feel like a decrepit old man so stop it."
"Well I just feel wet." Melissa replied, "I mean my neck feels wet. Chris stop being a bad influence on Diana, she's already an evil super computer we don't have to upload a juvenile delinquent file onto her hard-drive."
"Come on its fun, are you telling me that you never did anything like this when you were young?" Chris asked as Abe stopped the car.
"When I was meant to be in high-school I was fighting the Avengers, screaming my lungs off and wrestling women twice my size." Melissa replied, "It's a miracle that I got into University."
"Why did we stop?" Diana asked as Abe slid out of the car.
"I figure that we could use a break since we barley got out of the car in Oregon." Abe announced.
"I am not going into the woods again." Melissa spat, "Oregon is all forest and full of things that bite. Plus every time we get out of the car in a random place we end up fighting super-villains."
"Name one place that happened?" Abe asked.
"Newcastle, Port Angeles and oh let's not forget the giant water bug that tried to eat us in Tacoma"
"I said name one." Abe answered, "Besides Doc Hopper found us that day not the other way round. As for the Pleasant Hill Vineyard, well I am very confident that there are no super criminals, maniacal despots or killer beasties lurking among the grapes. Plus they are offering wine tasting and there is a motel a mile down the road"
Melissa smiled, "It would be nice to do something the normal people do for a change."
Fifteen minutes later, Melissa was pleased that Abe had talked her into going on the Vineyard tour as they followed the guide to the first stop on the route. It had been an age since they had done something like this, and her clad in a yellow sundress and Abe wearing jeans and a chequered shirt looked like everyone else on the tour, happy and prosperous. Tapping him on the shoulder Melissa pointed to a clearing in the vines and put a finger over her mouth, Abe nodded and together they slipped away from the main group. The grove they found themselves in was beautiful, stone benches surrounding an island with a gnarled oak-tree in the centre, vines of honeysuckle draped across everything as the buzzing of bees drowned out the sounds of the tour group.
"This is nice and cosy." Abe commented, "So what's up?"
"We need to talk about us." Melissa replied, "Abe you and I have barley talked since Port Angeles."
"Well we did discuss plans about taking down Dr. Hopper." Abe stated, "Does that count?"
"No, that was Skylark and Iridium talking." Melissa answered, "Are we still together, and are we even still friends Abe?"
"Mel I will always be you're friend but…" he trailed off as Melissa frowned.
"But I'm always going to be the person who almost killed you." Melissa finished for him. "I said I was sorry about that like a million times."
"It's not that." Abe answered, "What I saw, what I did in that nightmare, it showed me what I really am. I'm a murderer and while I've paid my time I will always be afraid that one day I might, well I figure that you know."
"Abe." Melissa said stroking his cheek, "I don't care what you have done. We always have had to take the risk and it scares the hell out of me. But this." she leaned in and kissed him, "This is the one risk that I am not afraid to take."
"You two." a commanding voice boomed from behind Melissa and Abe. "This is private property, what are you doing here." Melissa turned to see a tall well built man in a security uniform, his hand resting on his baton glaring at them. Behind him a woman dressed in the same garb stood holding a pistol and scowling at them. "I will ask you again what are you doing here."
"I invited them here." a second voice announced, this one feminine and tinted with a Hispanic accent. Melissa turned again and saw a tall woman dressed in a black lace dress, her beautiful face haunted as she stared at the guard.
"Senorita Rosa." the man spluttered, "I had no idea, I am sorry for the disturbance." he added in a sarcastic sounding voice. "Come on we have other rounds to make." he told his partner before stalking back into the rows of vines.
"Thank you." Abe told Rosa, "Why did you do that?"
"Because my husband's guards are brutal, you would have no idea what they would have done if you had disturbed the alter." Rosa replied waving at the old tree.
"Alter?" Melissa asked.
"This tree is a replica of one found south of here." Rosa explained, "My husband saw it and planted an oak here as well. The alter comprises solely of the tree and the carving on the bark. Here have a look." she offered as Melissa and Abe stepped forward. Scratched on the bark was a six legged figure wearing a headdress and holding a pair of spheres.
"Nice what is it?" Melissa asked
"The Chumash who carved the original believed it to be a star-map but George my husband reckons that the figure is a fertility icon. I was sceptical at first but ever since the tree was planted the harvests have been exceptional. It is as if no insects or blight dare step into the vineyard and that is why my husband's guards keep people away." Rosa explained, "Now you must leave now. If Isabelle and Guillermo find you here again they may not be as lenient to you as they were before."
"One question before we leave." Abe asked, "Why tell us all this?"
"Because I am afraid for my husband." Rosa explained, "Ever since the tree was planted the harvest has been good but my husband had become cruel as if something terrible gnaws at his soul." Abe sighed before grabbing Melissa's arm and pulling her out of the glade. "Sorry about this but it looks as if our actionless afternoon just got short." he told her as they passed the two guards, feigning fake smiles as they headed for the exit.
Diana sat on the edge of the bed staring at the TV as the two women fought, wrecking the house the bout just happened to take place in. Beside her Chris put his hand in the box of cereal before removing some coloured loops and chewing loudly. Cocking her head to one side Diana scratched her arm instinctively until she could feel the metal plates and wires under her synthetic skin.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure fire away." Chris replied.
"Do you ever have a growing feeling of dread gnawing at you're CPU?" Diana asked.
"Dread yes but no CPU in this chassis." Chris replied, "What's troubling you?"
"This." Diana replied kissing him on the lips. Immediately Chris started moaning and the pair of them thudded onto the bed, both aggressively fighting to take control of the situation. Diana purred in pleasure as somebody tapped her on the shoulder, opening her eyes she saw Chris sitting next to her.
"You zoned out there." Chris announced as Diana rubbed her eyes. "What's up?"
"I was running a simulation." Diana replied, "It's nothing more then data presentation modules, trivial really."
"Okay then." Chris stated, "You sure you're okay?"
"I do have a question." Diana announced, "The title said one girl in the entire world ECT ect. So why were there two Slayers?"
"Cliff notes is Buffy died for a minute." Abe said as he stood in the door, "Kendra was called but then killed so then we got Faith who is evil. Sorry to barge in on the geek fest but we've got work to do, meet me and Mel next door, we may have something evil to deal with."
Forty minutes later the Thunderbolts were still sitting around the map of the vineyard spread across the coffee table as well as various images and mug shots. Abe looked around the room at his comrades; Diana looked pre-occupied, Chris look confused and Melissa looked as if she was going to throw something at him. Abe desperately hopped that at least one of them would understand the information he had discovered.
"Pretend I didn't understand a word of what you just told me." Chris finally said. "Run over it again."
"Melissa and I found an alter set up around the base of an oak tree with this image scratched on the trunk." Abe sighed pointing to a hand drawn image of the creature as well as photographs of the original. "We were unsure what it was so we put it up on the internet labelled as 'What does this mean?' and we got a result from DrOccult63-110."
"That is Dr Strange's forum ID and his opinion is one we can trust." Melissa added. "Diana verified that this information came straight out of Avengers Mansion."
"He called the creature the Scorpion Tree, a creature apposed to a Parthenon known as the Manidoog who were worshiped by the native Chumash people among others. From what we have seen and from what little information exists on the internet about this thing I can tell you that the creature makes deals. In the case of Pleasant Hills it fertilizes the soil as long as the landowner makes sacrifices in its name. The tree was planted five years ago according to records and cross-referencing that with missing persons, five people who used to work at the vineyard are now missing and presumed dead."
"Okay Evil Tree and/or Scorpion running the show at the Vineyard. I got that part but then you mention somebody called the Commeasure." Chris replied, "That is where I get lost."
"The Commeasure is a flamboyant arms dealer who appeared just under five years ago." Melissa explained. "He trades with everyone and I mean everyone. For example he sold six T-90 tanks to the Angolan Army last year. Luckily SHIELD broke up the deal but there are rumours that he's supplying American Super Villain tech to rouge nations and terrorist groups such as RAID as well as acting as a middle man between AIM and Hydra."
"And this fits in how?" Chris asked
"Because George Jimenez the owner of Pleasant Hills is moonlighting as the Commeasure. He's got a lot of money and most of it doesn't come from the overpriced bottles of wine he is selling." Abe announced. "That and we ran into two familiar faces earlier today; Isabella and Guillermo Flores or as they are more widely known as Whiplash and Backlash, the pair of them were members of the Thunderbolts during the Grandmaster escapade and both are considered dangerous felons by Interpol."
"So Evil Tree, Mob Boss and kinky S&M Villains, does that more or less cover it?"
"Pretty much." Melissa answered. "So I guess we torch the tree?"
"Not sure." Abe replied, "It is a god of sorts I doubt that something that simple would work, still we won't find out here, the last tour finishes in ten minutes. When everything closes Mel will fly us in and we will have a look at the Scorpion Tree in more detail."
The sun was still high in the sky as Melissa flew into the vineyard and dropped the rest of the team down by the Scorpion Tree. It hadn't been a stealthy incursion but it had been fast and that was always good. Despite being early autumn it was a cold evening and she began to regret her choice of costume as she perched on top of the tree keeping an eye out for any guards. Down below her Abe was chipping off the bark around the symbol with a combat knife as Chris and Diana watched him intently.
"Crap the Symbol can't be removed, the tree grows the bark back within seconds of me changing it." Abe cursed. "Chris you're up, try melting the tree, see if you can set the thing aflame." he ordered as he walked back to the bench.
"Okay let's burn this mother." Chris swore as he walked over and placed both hands on the tree. Seconds later the tree shook and creaked before sprouting leaves on the ends of its barren limbs. Chris spat before giving the tree a punch his anger visible at his apparent failure.
"Symbol still there?" Abe asked, "Back off Melter, Diana do you have any ideas?"
"One and it's noisy." Diana replied morphing the skin on her left arm into a bladed chain.
"I can spread a sound dampening field over the area." Melissa suggested hopping down from her perch. "Make it quick though, lights just went on up at the mansion house and the Flores's just came out the front door followed by Jimenez."
"Okay go." Abe ordered as Melissa spread a glowing blue aura around the tree muffling the sound as Diana started her arm mounted saw. Slamming the tree she started to cut through the trunk, sparks and sawdust flying as the blade dug into the trunk before stopping with a dull thud, ebony sap leaking over her hand. Withdrawing she watched with fascination as the sap coalesced and formed into a big black scorpion, bladed claws and barbed tail ready to strike. Quickly flicking it away Diana sighed the Scorpion Tree had already healed from the wound she had created and while it was still sitting harmlessly in front of them she felt something evil was emanating from the tree.
"So we call it a draw." Melissa suggested as Diana itched at the remaining sap that had leaked onto her hand. "Scorpion Tree - 0, Thunderbolts - 0."
"More like Scorpion Tree - 1, Thunderbolts - 0." Abe corrected her, "All we did was make it grow and that can't be good. Mel can you create a hard sound guillotine and slice the thing in two."
"Possibly but the real question is will it work?" Melissa answered, "And we are out of time we have hostiles arriving in three, two, and one." With a thud Chris, Abe and Melissa were thrown back away from the tree leaving Diana still standing. Silhouetted against the grape vines stood the feminine form of Emma Frost walked forward, her body contrasting with the gleaming steel of Colossus clad in his Juggernaut Armor stood behind her.
"Tut tut tut." Emma said shaking her finger at the sprawled Thunderbolts, "Desecrating a tree, what lethal felons you must be."
"You don't understand." Chris yelled, "The tree is evil."
"Enough I'm not here to listen to common criminals excuses." Emma snapped before locking eyes with Diana. "Sage we have to leave now."
"Sage, her name is Diana." Abe replied getting to his feet. Snarling Colossus took a few steps toward him and locked eyes with him.
"I feel like running you down punk." Colossus snarled, "Let's see how much protection that armor provides."
"Enough Pieter we only came for Teresa." Emma ordered. "Sage we are you're kin, you're friends, you know us."
"She's not Sage, she's a bio-organic computer from another dimension." Abe told her, not taking his eyes off of Colossus. "Get that through you're rock solid head sister and either help us destroy the tree or leave us alone."
"I am not you're sister criminal." Emma spat lashing out with her powers and sending Abe collapsing holding his head, "Cerebra identified that girl as Lady Teresa an alias of the former X-Man Sage. Power scans confirm this to be true."
"Her a lady please she was spitting wads of paper at the back of my head a few hours ago." Melissa snorted.
"Her actions mean nothing." Emma snapped, "Pieter grab her and let's go." she ordered as Colossus pushed Abe over and went to grab Diana only to be slapped away from the woman he was attempting to abduct.
"All of you are desecraters of the holy temple." Diana boomed in a voice that was not her own. "As the mouthpiece of the Scorpion Goddess I sentence all of you to oblivion." On her last word thick woody roots sprung from her back and snaked towards the assorted Thunderbolts and X-Men as a foul smile creped across Diana's face.
Thunderbolts #13
It's the Thunderbolts vs. the Extinction Team. Or possibly the Extinction Team vs. The Commeasure and his Forces. Maybe the Commeasure vs. the Thunderbolts? Whatever the case will the Abe and company be able to rescue Diana from the Scorpion Tree before the X-Men do? Find out as the Curse of the Scorpion Tree continues next issue.