YEAH I KNOW! IT TOOK A WHILE FOR THIS CHAPTER! Can I stop having to explain why it takes me a while to upload now? Alright this one was a much more important chapter to get right than previous ones…..apart from the ones where Chicago gets turned to ashes.
now, ONWARD!
The War Ignites
After the events of the last week, everything seemed fine once again, as if some minor equilibrium was restored to the world. The people of New York still walked to work like always, the papers were sold from vendors and stores and the journalists kept updating the people on the latest on the Registration act.
An act that gained more and more support as it grew.
An act that had actually arrived sooner than the superhuman community thought.
This news would be reaching the ears of those affected by it most of all very soon in a way that not many would suspect.
"PARKER! GET IN HERE!" came the bellowing voice of J Jonah Jameson as the new editor called for his 'favourite' photographer.
"Yes Jonah?" Peter asked as he peeked his head through the door. The countless times that Jonah blew his oversized trumpet desensitized the young photographer to his yelling, this was just another day as far as he was concerned.
"I TOLD YOU, PARKER! I WANTED THOSE PICTURES OF SPIDERMAN YESTERDAY! WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE THIS TIME?" Jonah bellowed like a dying animal.
Scratch that, a dying animal wouldn't sound as angry.
"I'm sorry Jonah, but Carol and I have been putting wedding plans together so I've been busy" Peter replied.
"Oh yeah…I forgot you two were tying the knot….BUT IN MY PAPER THE PHOTOGRAPHERS SHOULDN'T SKIP OUT ON THEIR JOBS BECAUSE THEY MAKE GOOGLY EYES AT THE COLUMISTS! WEDDING OR NOT, I WANT THOSE SHOTS OR YOU'RE FIRED!" Jonah said, briefly breaking his screaming tantrum, only to no back into his rage state.
"Alright, I might have some shots of Spiderman in my folder, just give me a sec ok?" Peter said as he exited the room, leaving the editor in his office.
"Hm…Lucky little scamp, getting a woman like that all to himself" Jonah grumbled as he took a cigar out of his desk.
*TAP**TAP**TAP*
"What the?" Jonah questioned as the sound of glass being tapped rang through his office.
"Hello, can you hear me?" came a British accented voice, muffled as if trapped by glass.
Jonah turned to one of his windows and almost shat himself when he saw Brimstone crouched on his window ledge. His glowing red eyes, long pitch black hair, duster coat and red clawed gauntlets were unmistakably his.
The Red eyed Avenger sat there, waiting patiently for Jonah to respond, it was when he saw the editor's stunned expression that he knew the man had seen him.
"You wouldn't mind opening the window would you, mate?" Viktor asked through the glass, giving it another tap.
Jonah just sat there with the same shocked expression. Viktor's brow narrowed as he brought his clawed finger up to the glass and began to cut a hole in the window.
*SHCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!* The sound of cutting glass pierced the room as Viktor's adamantium tipped gauntlet claws sliced through the glass like butter.
With a tap of his clawed finger, Viktor pushed the newly cut glass out in the form of a hole as if he was a cat burglar or something. The large Meta-human had no trouble stepping into Jonah's office through his newly made entrance with a skip in his step, upon seeing that the glass circle hadn't been shattered, Viktor smiled.
"Ok…you have to admit…that was pretty cool" Viktor smiled behind his mask, pointing to the hole in the window.
"Hey, at least I didn't set your carpet on fire. Teleporting really sucks for stupid reasons like that, really takes my breath away when I do it too much" Viktor said, making his usual snide comments.
However Jonah was failing to see the funny side of the situation, but didn't dare want to anger the Red eyed Avenger, as it wasn't wise to anger someone that could bend steel without even trying.
"Listen, if this was because of that report we did a week ago, I had nothing to do with it…" Jonah said, trying to think up excuses to stop Viktor doing what he thought he was going to do.
"I don't read the Bugle, I look at the photos sometimes but that's about it" Viktor hand waved the comment away as he peered through the glass separating Jonah's office from the other employees at the Bugle. It seemed like quite of few of them were surprised at the presence of the Crimson eyed Avenger, a few of them, even left their seats out of pure terror, probably out of fear that he would burn the place to the ground.
"Uh…Then…Why…" Jonah asked with a stutter, but his question was so quiet that Viktor barely heard it.
"I actually read the weekly world news, it's always good for a laugh and skips all the depressing shit…even if it's one hundred percent shite" Viktor continued as he walked around Jonah's office, taking glares at the front pages hung around his office. Viktor loitered around the office before he turned his head to Jonah and walked over to him.
His metal boots clanked across the floor as he walked towards the editor, reminding Jonah of the power behind the man who was making snide remarks to his face. Viktor came to Jonah's desk and glared him in the eye, Jonah's eyes making contact with Viktor's flaming red orbs.
"I wasn't interrupting anything was I?" Viktor asked as he leaned forward, his black hair hanging over the desk.
"Uuuum….ac….actually…" Jonah began sweating buckets until thankfully the door to the office opened, standing on the other side were Peter with the folder he had promised under his arm, and behind him, Carol with a surprised and worried expression on her face.
Viktor made eye contact with Peter as the photographer looked like he was about to open his mouth. The tall Meta-human smirked behind his mask as he stood up to his full height and leaned against the desk.
"Parker! I almost didn't recognise you. Been keeping well?" Viktor smirked, playing the part as he always would.
"Um…Uh" Peter stuttered, not knowing a single thing about the situation that himself, Viktor and Carol were all in. When everyone in the office started talking about Brimstone being in Jonah's office, the two of them rushed to make sure that Viktor hadn't went berserk over something again.
"Spiderman wants to speak with you, quick sharpish!" Viktor said, standing up straight as he walked over to Peter.
"Um…I was actually just…" Peter began until Viktor leaned down, his face literally a few inches from Peter's as his burning red eyes bore holes into Peter's brown orbs.
"…What?" Viktor asked before he turned his attention to the folder in Pete's arms. Viktor snatched the folder from the web slinger's grasp and threw it at Jonah, taking pride in how he managed to fling it across the room without any of the photos falling out.
Viktor enjoyed the little things like that.
"There, work done, now come on…who is this?" Viktor asked as he pointed at Carol.
"Uh…my fiancé" Peter replied, nervously.
"…Cool, she comes too" Viktor smiled as he reached out and grabbed the two by their hands, the black haired Avenger started to drag them to the hole in the window.
"Excuse me, Jameson, I need to borrow your employees….is that a problem?" Viktor asked, emphasising his last few words with a glare that could kill.
"No, of course not, go ahead!" Jonah replied with a frightened tone. Even though he deep down cared for his employees, he didn't want this homicidal Englishman to burn the building to the ground in the blink of an eye.
"Thanks!" Viktor said with a huge grin before he swung his head to
"Ok, don't look down, K?" Viktor grinned like a maniac as he grabbed Peter and Carol and reared back to hurl them out of the window.
"Wait, WHAAAAAAA!" Peter yelled as Viktor flung him out of the broken window at full pelt.
"Wait, don't you even Daaaaaaaa…." Carol yelled just as loud as Viktor threw her with the same strength as he did with Peter.
"Don't worry, I'll bring them back with minimal damage" Viktor spoke quickly before he flew out of the window at a supersonic pace. His speed blowing the files and papers around Jonah's office into the wind.
Jonah was left in his office, staring blankly at the space where Brimstone had left a burnt trail on his carpet and a 7 foot hole in his window. The look on the editor's face was the striking image of a Guppy fish as his jaw hung wide open at the utter shock of what just happened.
The Avenger just vandalized his property, kidnapped two of his employees and acted like it was all beneath him. Not to mention this was all because that web slinging menace Spiderman wanted to talk to Parker and was probably too cowardly to come and get him himself, so instead sent his friend who he probably knew would destroy his property on purpose.
Jonah steamed and screamed within his head until finally.
He felt something inside snap.
"Ms Brent" Jonah spoke into the intercom.
"Hey sir" she replied.
"….Call my Psychiatrist…I think I'm having another breakdown"
Meanwhile a few miles away.
"What the hell were you thinking!?" Carol yelled at the Red eyed Avenger as she flew besides him in her Hero attire. Viktor was holding Peter, who was now in his Spiderman outfit by the back of his neck, almost like how a lion would hold their cubs.
"What? I had to get you two out of there somehow" Viktor replied.
"Ever heard of a Text message?" Peter asked with an annoyed tone.
"Don't get snippy with me Webby, I was there when the text was invented, and phones for that matter. Besides I didn't have time to get your attention with a text" Viktor replied, jolting Peter a bit as he flew through the skies.
"Why the urgency?" Carol asked
"Cap called in an emergency meeting, Christ knows what about. Seemed pretty important from the sound of it though" Viktor told the others.
Peter and Carol only exchanged a confused look, what could have the Captain so riled up that he would resort to making Viktor (who was still recovering from his last breakdown) fetch them from the Bugle?
If only they knew.
*Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, San Francisco
Logan was never one for breakfast, for some reason he never really bought the whole "most important meal of the day" thing like the students did. He was a grown man who was older than the mansion itself, he didn't need to subject himself to things that concerned the young sprouts in the mansion.
Then again he would swallow his pride when doing just that caused him so much grief.
"Come on, Logan, you have to eat if you want to get better" Kitty scolded the Canadian Mutant.
"I told you, Kitty, I'm fine. Just a headaches and blurry memories, that's all" Logan replied wearily as he rummaged through the fridge for a beer.
"The Professor said that your brain should have been scrambled by doing what you did. You need to recuperate, Logan, and that means breakfast" Kitty retorted as she forcefully grabbed Logan by his shoulders and steered him to sit on a chair while she got him some breakfast.
Logan sometimes hated the fact that he was so attached to some of the students at the mansion. Kitty, Rogue and Hope just to name a few could get him to do whatever they wanted without having to use much force.
For Logan, the easiest option was to shut up and swallow his pride, otherwise the shadow cat would simply keep hounding on him to get her way.
It was kind of sweet how much the girl cared about him. Confusing, but sweet.
The Canadian Mutant, while waiting for Kitty to pick something out of the fridge or cupboard to force-feed down his throat; decided to see what was on the television, so he reached for the remote and switched on the news channel.
Only to be shocked by what he saw.
'…And so in a shocking turn of events, the Super Human Registration Act is on schedule to be put into effect later this evening. The president himself has made it adamant that his special task force, F.L.A.M.E, will be playing a vital part in the future of not only the United States but of the entire world.' The female reporter on screen explained with the white house taking up a large portion of the background.
"Huh, still spouting this shit huh?" Logan pondered to himself as he continued to watch the images on screen.
'…The president has announced that the not only will F.L.A.M.E be enforcing the US armed forces, but will also become key in political interfaces between the US and Meta-human states like the Atlantis and the city of the Inhumans just outside New York city. The newly made task force is already said to have substantial financial backing from Hammer Industries, Oscorp and Roxxon Energy, while also having authority comparable to the FBI and CIA. The Law will also allow state of the art upgrades to many of the Superhuman prisons located in the country, including facilities such as the Cube and The Raft which are placed under Shield Juristiction, this leads many experts to believ that F.L.A.M.E will be working in coalition with Shield in order to make this possible, even though Shield Director Nick Fury hasn't disclosed any information on the matter. Many say that the well thought out and substantial assets to said task force puts into question how long this has been in the works, but all the president and his staff have divulged is that the task force has been in the works for years, and has only been uncovered in response to the events in Chicago' the Reporter continued.
"Hey Kitty, are you listening to this?" Logan asked his young friend as she rummaged through the cupboards for something he could stomach this early in the morning.
"Yep, unfortunately it looks like the act is going forward. The professor has just been telling everyone to stay calm, even with Eric shouting bloody murder whenever he gets the chance" Kitty explained.
"Huh, figures" Logan smirked as he turned his attention back to the television.
'The President promises that life will continue as normal for Meta-human citizens who abide by the new laws set by the act. Though for vigilante's both human and Meta-human, it may not be that simple…'
Logan was about to lose interest in whatever the hell the reporter was saying, it was obvious that she supported it wholeheartedly from the tone of her voice. But just as Logan was about to turn the television off, he saw something that made his blood run cold.
The insignia of F.L.A.M.E, a clawed gauntlet grasping a flame.
It was the very same insignia he had seen in the vision that Emma had gave him when she had delved into Wanda's mind.
Everything else was a blur, but there was no doubt that the insignia on the television was the exact same insignia that the Mutant had seen in the vision.
Logan, in the blink of an eye paused the image on screen and the look on his face was one of pure horror. The only thing to break the sudden silence was the voice of the brunette mutant, also presently in the room.
"Uh, Logan…are you alright?" Kitty asked with concern.
"That's it"
"What's what?"
"That's one of the images from Wanda's head"
"Wait…you remember now?"
"No, not everything, but there isn't a doubt about it…that Act is nothing but bad news" Logan said as he quickly stood up and dashed out of the room.
"Logan! Where are you going?!" Kitty shouted, racing after him. Using her ability to phase through solid objects came in handy when chasing after the Canadian Mutant.
"I've got to see, Chuck, he needs to know this!" Logan replied as he full on sprinted out of the room.
Logan had a hunch that there was more going on here than anyone else thought, a hunch that something sinister was brewing. The images he had taken from Wanda's mind still haunted him to his core, they had to mean something and they were all related somehow, the Flame Logo was the same as the one he had seen in the images.
The same images that showed everything he knew in ashes.
He hoped to god that his hunch was wrong.
*Avengers Mansion
The conference hall of the mansion was currently filled with almost every Avenger on the roster, reserve members and all. T'Challa and Namor had come back from business keeping their kingdoms stable, Thor had made an appearance, all of the Shield allied Avengers were present (100% healed of all wounds caused by Cyrus) Noh-Varr was present, War Machine was present. The only members not present were Nova, who was preoccupied with Corps business, Logan who apparently was recovering from some kind of mental strain that the X-Men didn't divulge, the Maximoff twins were also missing due to Wanda's deteriorating mental state and Piotr didn't want to leave her side and finally Vision due to the fact that his body was fried and still needed extensive repairs.
Although the fact that the entire team had been gathered wasn't very encouraging. The reserve members of the team were usually only called when there was a crisis of sorts, and the situation that the team found themselves in, was most certainly a crisis.
"THIS IS BULLSHIT!" Luke shouted at the top of his lungs as he slammed his fist into the conference table, causing the glass surface to crack under his strength. The hero for hire was wearing a black sleeveless hoodie while Iron Fist, who was sat right next to him, kept a bit of distance for fear he might get caught in his rage.
"Aye, Luke speaks truly, this is most like the excrement of cows" Thor replied with his arms cross.
"I don't….think that's what he meant Bud" Peter replied with a raised brow.
"Calm and sit down, Luke. Going crazy isn't helping anyone" Steve spoke with authority. The hero for hire huffed before he sat down and crossed his arms.
It was obvious that tensions were high. After the news hit, Steve made it a priority to gather as many of the Avengers as possible in order to counter the threat that the Registration act posed. Some Avengers like Daredevil and She-Hulk had heard about the legalisation of the act almost immediately as it was announced, while others like Spiderman and Ms Marvel needed to be alerted in order to make it in time.
"Try telling the Civilian Meta-humans that, Steve" Viktor spoke up, his feet propped up on his end of the conference table. It was totally normal for Viktor to act so laid back at the conference table, only now it was a relief to see him act like himself as opposed to annoyed that he propped his dirty boots on the table.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tigra asked with a mildly annoyed tone, she was never fond of Viktor, probably due to the whole Crow motif he had going on, and like a cat and crow they never got along. So when he had his boots on the table like it slob, it rubbed her the wrong way.
"Asking professional crime fighters to stay calm is easy as hell, but what about the Meta-humans that live life like civilians? I'm fairly sure that people that have families and children who are meta-humans won't take this standing down" Viktor replied, it was true that this could cause not only country wide but worldwide panic.
"Viktor's right, if the law gets passed then it not just us getting affected, it's the whole country and all of its people" Peter agreed with his friend.
"But since when is it our duty to oppose a law? Isn't our whole profession to obey it?" Janet asked, questioning whether they should or shouldn't take action.
"Just because a government says something is right doesn't mean it is, Wasp. Remember where was a time in this country where people with different coloured skin were considered less than human because some braindead law said so" T'Challa said, bringing up a very valid point.
"I didn't mean it like that T'Challa, I'm saying that maybe it isn't our place to question the moral values of a law we don't know inside out yet" Janet continued.
"Last I checked, even if we did, by some miracle get the law pulled, imagine the backlash with so many people supporting it, it could do more harm than good" Natasha added.
"I still don't like the idea of anyone finding out where I live, I don't want their kids throwing eggs at my house or lighting dog crap on my porch" Viktor said.
"So, what do we do about it?" Hawkeye asked.
"I say we roll up to the white house and shove the law down Jones' throat" Luke suggested, more demanded actually. It was obvious that Luke was feeling extremely enraged about this law, as it affected not only him, but his business, his wife and his daughter.
"Can I just say, just because we're partners, he doesn't speak for me" Iron Fist chipped in.
"I don't think attacking the White House is a viable option, Luke" Mockingbird replied.
"That's an understatement if I've ever heard one" Ross said.
"We don't want to start a war, plus there are other ways of handling this" War Machine reasoned.
"This is a situation that can't be handled by brute force, we have been planning how to take this law down for weeks and its obvious that the only way we are going to beat this law is by playing the politicians at their own game" Steve announced to the other Avengers. He had been speaking with Mat, Foggy and Jennifer for quite some time on ways they could theoretically fight the system and make sure the Law wouldn't get passed.
"Steve, I hate to break it to you, but by the time we get organised and ready for a debate, the law will already have been passed" Carol replied to the Star Spangled man.
"Not if we remain calm and stay united, if we refuse to go along with this law I doubt that the government would try to arrest us when we have two gods, four hulks, several Shield agents and yours truly on our team" Viktor said, earning a smile from Steve.
"That's exactly what I was going to say, Viktor. Right now we are the face of Meta-humans all across the world, if we stay united and fight this law we can convince the government that we aren't going to go along with their plans" Steve said, earning nods of approval from many of the team.
Peter looked around at his many fellow Avengers and could plainly see that many of them didn't seem swayed by Steve's point of view. Ross and Rhodes for example were military through and through, and it was obvious that they weren't comfortable with denying the government they served.
"The best option we have is to stay united and use the system against the law, Foggy, Matt and Jennifer can help us take this case to the Supreme Court and with time a patience we can eventually beat it" Steve suggested.
"I don't think that will work, Steve" came a voice from the entrance to the conference room. There stood the other half of the Avengers' leaders, Tony Stark, wearing his MK45 iron man suit, a much more advanced and streamlined looking suit than most of his others.
"Tony? I didn't notice you there" Steve commented on the sudden appearance of the Iron Avenger.
"Where have you been, Stark?" Viktor asked curiously at the absence of one of the team's core members.
"Sorry I took so long, I've had a lot on my plate recently" Tony said as he put his helmet down on the table, remaining standing.
"True, the public have been going rapid recently, I mean on my way here I thought the press were going to rip my limo to shreds" T'Challa replied.
"You have a limo?" Viktor asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He IS a king, Vik" Janet replied.
"I'm serious here guys, I've been mulling it over for a while now. I've been looking over all the variables, crunched the numbers with Reed and trying to discern the best possible outcome after everything that's happened" Tony said as he took a seat and clasped his armoured hands together. "Even though this situation is perhaps the most confusing and most difficult challenge we have faced, after everything we have been through, I could only come to one conclusion"
"We have to accept this act" Tony spoke finally letting his decision be heard.
Everything went silent in the blink of an eye
So silent
You could hear a pin drop in the dead silence that was left when the words left the Iron Avenger's mouth. It didn't take long for one of the outspoken individuals present to break the silence.
"Uuum, I'm sorry Tony, there must be something wrong with my ears but….did you just say we should 'not' fight the act?" Hawkeye spoke out first, running a hand through his hair.
"You aren't being mind controlled are you?" Peter asked.
"This isn't a joke. Despite what you might think, this act could change everything for the better" Tony replied, his belief in the effectiveness of the act remaining strong.
"You do realize you are asking us to go out there and tell everyone that hates us at the moment, who we are and where we live?" Viktor asked, emphasising the 'hate' part of his point. Tony simply nodded in response, the English Pyrokinetic simply crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair "As if I didn't have enough of a bullseye painted on my head"
It was a well-known fact that all of the Avengers present were highly educated and self-respecting individuals, not a bunch of yes men and women that agreed blindly to everything someone with authority said. Ever since the founding of the Avengers they were like a democracy, they would vote, express their opinions, most times it wouldn't end well when members like Banner, Thor and even Viktor thought that actions spoke louder than words.
But nevertheless, they always respected each other's opinions, opinions that always had some level of thought and reason put into it. Unfortunately, this was not a situation that could be solved with a vote, lines would have to be split, this was something that had to be agreed on by all parties otherwise the consequences would be severe.
"I think Stark has a point, maybe it's time things changed around here. We can't all be cowboys and outlaws for the rest of our lives" Ross made his opinion heard.
"Funny, I've been around for nine and a half centuries and I don't see any problems with it" Viktor replied.
"Did you forget about Chicago or do you need a reminder?" Ross asked leaning forward, not breaking eye contact with Viktor.
"I don't know, were you there?" Viktor replied, fully knowing that Ross was never present at the tragedy at Chicago.
"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Ross lost his temper, his skin turning the slightest bit red.
"I'll speak to you however I like, boy!" Viktor growled, his eyes burning brighter and his gauntlet claws bared.
"Settle down! We don't want you two turning this mansion into a war zone!" Steve ordered his teammates to stop their bickering. Ross respected Steve's rank and settled down, while Viktor plain respected the star spangled man and followed his lead without question.
"Now, Tony, please. You can't be serious about supporting this?" Steve questioned, doubt and confusion riddling his face.
"I am, Steve. I went to the President himself, he even gave me all the documents and files of what they were planning to do. This act is for the better, trust me" Tony explained.
"Really? Did you read the part about revealing our secret identities to whoever has a seat in government?" Steve asked.
"That's a minor sacrifice we have to be willing to make, Steve. We've made larger sacrifices before" Tony replied.
"That's easy for you to say, Tony. Everyone already knows who you are" Falcon spoke up.
"Yeah, and unlike you we don't have billion dollar security systems to ensure the safety of ourselves and family" Luke spoke up, his parental instincts kicking in.
"Be that as it may, the law doesn't have that many drawbacks. It amounts to the same as going from an amateur to a professional, we all made the step from solo acts to a team, this is simply the next logical step" Tony further explained.
As the arguing and debating went on between the Avengers, it was getting clearer and clearer that a line a being drawn down the centre of the team. With many of the Avengers obviously opposing the idea of such an act, while others seeming fine with the very idea. Then again there exceptions even to this rule as Namor, T'Challa and Thor seemed as if they had given up trying to rationalize a side while Peter and Carol were silent throughout the arguing.
"Stark has a point, we have a duty to the people we protect, they always come first" Rhodey argued, taking Tony's side.
"We can't protect anyone if we can't protect our lives, Rhodes" Bobbi retorted.
"You're a Shield Agent Morse, I'm sure you have enough security as it is" Tigra replied.
"Not all of us want the Government taking over our lives" Banner replied, starting to get riled.
Peter and Carol were both mentally debating with themselves on whether this act was the right decision or not. Their pending union did nothing to help as their future would inevitably be shaped by this act, meaning the next hour would shape the future of not only their relationship, but whatever family they would have.
"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Tony snapped at the arguing Avengers.
"Yeah, because accepting this act is Bullshit!" Luke yelled, slamming his hand on the table.
Tony could see that he wasn't going to be swaying a lot of the team to his side of the cause, but Cap was the other half of the leadership caste; if they didn't listen to Tony, they would listen to him.
"Cap, please. You're the face of America, the people need to believe this act can work for the better" Tony pleaded with the First Avenger.
"I'm sorry, Tony. I really am, but this act is against everything I believe in" Steve replied as calmly as he could.
"How? How is it? This act is about protecting the people!"
"It's about the government finally putting us on a leash! How long before they start military enlistment? How long before they start telling us who the bad guys are!?" Steve argued.
"We can't throw the future away just because of what 'Might' happen, Steve"
"I won't do this, Tony. I have seen terrible things happen to good people because of a mislead government….never again" Steve said stepping away from Tony while picking up his shield.
"I won't stand aside and let the government get their way, regardless of what a majority says…some of the most terrible things imaginable were seen as 'necessary' by the masses" Steve announced in a proud voice.
"Are you willing to do that, Cap? Become a fugitive?" Wasp asked with concern.
"The people that know right from wrong will see what I am, I won't let some words written by a bureaucrat on a scrap of paper define who and what I am" Cao replied.
"Well, I've heard of worse reasons to tell the government to go to hell" Luke said standing up from his seat before walking over to Cap.
"I'm with ya Cap" Luke said with a grin, earning one from Cap in response.
"Me too, it's a two for one deal with us, Cap" Iron Fist said walking over to his partner.
Falcon stood up and walked over to Cap, holding out his hand, which Cap accepted "I'll follow you to hell and back if need be" Falcon said, remaining Steve's most faithful and loyal ally in this situation.
"You guys can't be serious?! Do you realize what you are doing here?" Tony questioned the sanity of his teammates.
"Picking a side, Stark" Hawkeye said as he stood up with Mockingbird at his side.
"This isn't a war, if you oppose the law you'll be arrested, it's that simple" Tony tried his best to reason with his fellow Avengers.
"They can't arrest all of us, Tony" Bobbi replied.
Tony couldn't believe this was happening, all of the people whom he thought would see reason were standing up as if taking arms against the very order that they fought so hard to protect. The Iron Avenger looked to the other Avengers sat at the table, many of whom seemed like they were still deciding upon what side they would take.
At that moment, War Machine stood from his seat and walked up to Tony, placing his armoured hand on his shoulder "You know me, Tony. I'm with you till the end" Rhodey spoke with utter surety.
"I'm a soldier first and foremost, Stark. I'll serve my country however I can" Ross said, saluting his soon to be commander.
"Order is the way of the Kree people, consider me at your service, Iron Man" Noh-Varr said, joining the others beside Tony.
"I cannot believe this! You people are so concerned with Sides that you don't see the greater problem?!" T'Challa questioned out loud, questioning both Steve's and Tony's sanity.
"That's what I've been telling him, T'Challa. We have to support this law!" Tony retorted.
"This Law is a petty excuse, a shroud of something sinister, Iron Man. And if neither of you are able to see it, then I will have little more to do with you" T'Challa announced as he rose from his seat. The Black Panther flourished his cape as he began to leave the hall.
"T'Challa, you can't leave! You'll be arrested!" Tigra called to her fellow cat themed hero.
"I can leave, unless your government is stupid enough to wage war with Wakanda. I doubt the idiots that passed this law are suicidal on top of that!" the Wakandan king announced without looking back, it was barely a few seconds until the Black Panther had vanished from the halls of the Avenger's mansion, not to return anytime soon.
"Consider the same from Atlantis, I was foolish to think that Land Dwellers could see reason in a time such as this" Namor announced with the same kingly tone that T'Challa had mustered up.
"Aye, Asgard will have no part in this War, I am the defender of this realm, not a weapon for your government to use as they see fit" Thor announced with power evident in his voice.
"Thor, If you are the defender of this realm then you should agree to this act" Ross replied.
"I am the defender of Midgard, Not of the United States alone. When I am needed I shall return, but not as a living weapon for any mortal!" Thor replied angrily. Whenever the Thunder god got angry it was never wise to be within range, he was after all in the top 3 of the strongest beings on the planet.
The Asgardian prince turned after picking Mjolnir from the table, as he was about to bid his fellow Avenger farewell he took his Avengers ID card from his belt and held it up for all to see. "Consider this, Thy resignation" he uttered before crushing it to dust in his hands.
"Well….you managed to get the God of Thunder to leave the team, well done, Tony" Bill Foster said before he rose from his seat and joined Steve and the others that opposed the act.
Viktor could never have predicted something like this to happen among the team. He defiantly expected some tension to rise once the act came into play, but he didn't expect the team that he had come to consider as a family to tear itself apart. The thought of taking a side sickened him just as much as the act did, he didn't wish to fight his friends; he had been through that hell when he went crazy in Genosha.
He didn't want to go through that brand of hell ever again.
As Viktor pondered on his course of action, Wonder Man, Tigra and She-Hulk had all rose from their seats and joined Tony and his registration supporting Avengers.
"You have to see that this won't end well, Steve. This act was made to save lives" Tony reasoned as best he could.
"At the cost of all our freedoms, sorry Tony, but there are better ways" Steve replied.
Bruce, Betty and Hercules all rose from their seats and joined the Captain as he was finishing his point. The General looked to his daughter in shock as she had chosen to join the Captain over him "Betty, what are you doing?" Ross asked in shock.
"I'm not doing it, dad. You've hunted Bruce for years and only recently did you see it was wrong, well now you are doing it all over again. I won't support this for as long as I live" Betty explained holding her husband's hand tightly.
"Unless you haven't noticed, Betty. Bruce has went on a few rampages of his own" Wasp said, standing up.
"No offence, Bruce. But we don't want to keep bringing down our friends, this act changes that" Hank added, standing beside his wife before they stood beside Tony and the others that supported the act.
This only left 5 Avengers.
Peter Parker
Viktor Harrigan
Carol Danvers
Jessica Drew
And Laura Kinney
These five were the closest in terms of friendship when it came to the bond between teammates. And the silence surrounding them was like waiting for the axe to drop, who would pick which side?
Steve and Tony both knew the bonds between the five, they were the closest any Avengers got without being married for an extended amount of time. Viktor and Peter were best friends, Jessica and Carol had been friends for longer than Peter had been an Avenger, Laura was one of the few people alive that Viktor wholly trusted, and finally the bond between Carol and Peter spoke for itself.
The division that was being drawn was still lingering in the minds of the 5 that were still sat at the table. The first ones to stand up were surprisingly Peter and Carol, whom both looked as if they had made up their minds, even though they hadn't verbally conversed to the knowledge of the other Avengers.
The two held onto each other's hands as they were ready to make their choice together, but as the two Avengers thought that their choices lead to the same place, something unexpected and dreaded happened.
They had moved to the opposite directions.
Peter expected Carol to come with him to Steve's side and oppose the law that threatened their freedoms.
While Carol had expected Peter to join Tony and the Avengers that supported the act. She had thought that Peter was smart enough to see the problems with opposing a major act such as this.
"Peter, what…what are you doing?" Carol asked, confusion and fear lining her voice.
"I was about to ask the same thing" Peter replied, just as confused and afraid as his Fiancé.
The tension left from this development was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The two engaged Avengers could only imagine what the other was thinking, they had to stay together, and neither of them knew what they would do in this situation.
They were never prepared for the law to come between them.
"I'm a soldier, Pete. Always have been, I can't oppose this" Carol spoke heavily
"You know what this could do to not just us, but to the world Carol. This could start a war" Peter replied, hoping to talk some sense into the love of his life.
"I don't want to live in a world where our family and loved ones are ostracised because they are different. This law could prevent any of that from happening"
"I don't want any of my enemies knowing exactly who I am, so they could hurt the ones I love to get to me" Peter replied.
"The Government can stop that from happening, Peter. The way we do things have to change sooner or later" Carol replied, hoping to god that Peter would listen.
"I know for a fact that they can't, Carol. The government don't know the extent of what people like Goblin or Doc Ock can do. They can't protect us from people like that"
The argument between the two lovers was getting out of hand and with each passing moment it became more and more evident that the two weren't going to find a common ground due to their different outlooks and upbringings. The two didn't even realize that this law was tearing them apart.
Carol wanted to have a secure environment for her and Peter when they started a family, but her military upbringing and stubborn attitude wouldn't allow her to disobey her government when it came down to it.
Peter never trusted the System, the government were always making decisions that constantly affected his friends and his life as a Hero. For so long the authorities and people that obeyed the system were the ones hunting him down for doing the right thing, the government very rarely made decisions that would help the people without benefiting them in some way.
It was glaringly obvious that this could only end in tears.
"I never wanted this to happen, I never wanted some law telling us how we should protect people. I never wanted this dam thing to come between us!" Peter couldn't help but yell.
"It doesn't have to, we have a responsibility to do what's right, and you always told me 'with great power comes great responsibility' I never fully understood that until now. This law is exactly that, Peter, the responsibility to do the right thing with our powers" Carol replied.
"This isn't what my Uncle meant, when he told me those words he wanted me to take responsibility myself, not to become a weapon for people that don't understand the meaning of those words or the cost of being what we are!"
"This Law could keep whatever Family we have safe, Peter!"
"Or it could destroy it! I don't want to go through what happened to Gwen again, because some bureaucrat wants to see who I am!"
"You say you don't want this to tear us apart! But why are so dead set on being on another side?!"
"This is bigger than you or me, Carol! This law could destroy everything we hold dear!"
"But I love you!"
…
"You said…that we would always be together, Peter. You said you wouldn't leave me" Carol said with tears appearing in her eyes as she recalled that one night where the lights were out and he lit those two candles.
He was her light
He said he would never leave her
But here he was
Picking another side
And he never noticed that
He had let go of her hand
Carol looked down, teary eyed to see that in the arguing that Peter had let go of her hand. She never expected him to act like this after all his reassuring words over how he would never leave her alone and that they would always be together.
"You promised me…" Carol said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Carol….but I can't do this….I swore to myself that I wouldn't let myself become a weapon…you don't have to do this either…"Peter said, trying his very best to try and stay strong and composed…but deep down he was being torn to shreds. He never wanted to see Carol cry and he sure as hell never wanted her to cry because of a choice he made.
Nevertheless he could turn his back on everything that Uncle Ben and Aunt May had raised him to be, betraying their teachings now would be just as bad as betraying them. Not only that, but this law opposed everything that he believed in as his time as Spiderman. He wore the mask because he had a duty to everyone that couldn't; he was more than just a man that swung around on webs and beat up criminals, he was a symbol of hope to the people that he saved, this law would give him a face and the symbol of Spiderman would be destroyed forever.
He couldn't…even for her
No matter how much it hurt him
"I can't stop this, Pete. I have a duty…" Carol said, trying not to let the tears flow from her eyes.
The two could look the other in the eyes, they both felt betrayed by both their feelings and their moral standpoints, it was a feeling that would leave a deep pain within their hearts for a long time to come. Slowly but surely the two went their now separate ways and joined the Avengers that they deemed on the right path.
Jess was against the Act deep inside, but seeing those tears well in her best friend's eyes, she couldn't leave her alone or abandon her to the pain of being torn from the man that would have become her husband.
Jess gave Steve a nod as if trying to convey that she was sorry, deep down the Star Spangled man understood Spiderwoman's actions and chose not to hold it against her; even if he was now on a different side from them, he still cared for them as friends.
Even with his mask on Peter's sadness and dread at what he had just done could be felt in his aura; he could barely register what this law had done to his and Carol's relationship as reality, all those words of love and faith he had given her as this law brewed in the shadows had been all turned into shallow promises.
Within the span of a few minutes this law had torn the team in half, forced three of the most influential members to quit and finally it had ripped a couple that had such love for each other apart in a display of sadness and betrayl.
As if the law couldn't do anymore damage, everyone realized that as of this moment, the second oldest person in the room still hadn't spoken a word since the divide began.
Then all heads turned to Viktor.
The black haired Avenger was holding his face in his armoured hands, no one could tell if he was ashamed of his fellow teammates, filled with sorrow for the parting of his best friend and his fiancé or whether he was being torn inside out by the concept of becoming enemies with the people he considered family.
Laura had already made her decision by this point, she of course favoured Steve's side of the argument as like her father she never trusted the government or suited bureaucrats as they were the ones that created her in the first place. Suited businessmen were the ones who made the decision to create cloned mutants like Laura, it was always the politicians or the bureaucrats that made her go on those assassination missions and lead her to losing her humanity bit by bit.
But at the end of the day she still valued Viktor's opinion in all of this. Unlike her, Viktor could go either way in terms of sides.
Viktor had a deep rooted respect for Steve and of course was best friends with Peter.
But Tony and Hank Pym could offer him government help in tracking down Cyrus and getting his answers.
Viktor was never one to trust politics
But he was still ridden with guilt over his actions in Chicago
So far, his absolute silence didn't exactly fill anyone with confidence, especially after witnessing Carol and Peter separate.
Finally, the Avenger known as Brimstone spoke.
"…I….I can't" Viktor almost whispered.
Tony and Steve couldn't tell what Viktor was opposing, but when he took his hands away from his face and stood up, everyone could tell he was going to make himself perfectly clear.
"I can't do this…I can't support this law, but I refuse to fight my friends" Viktor spoke very clearly as he turned and began to walk out of the room.
Just as he was about to leave the people that he had come to think of as a second family, Tony spoke out "Viktor…you can't just leave" Viktor only replied with "Yes I can Tony….and I will"
"I can't support this law and become a weapon…I've been there before, but I won't fight the people I love…I thought for one second that we could fight this thing together, but it's obvious to me that it won't happen…I'm sorry….goodbye" Viktor said with regret and sadness filling his voice.
Just as Laura was about to reach out and beg him to stay….Ross had to open his trap.
"You know, this shouldn't have been a surprise coming from a coward like you!" Ross near shouted at Viktor who froze on the stairs out of the conference room.
"I won't support your act, Ross. No matter what you say" Viktor replied simply.
"Oh I'm not talking about that! At least Rogers and the others have the balls to oppose, but here you are running away like a gutless coward!" Ross said, trying to anger Viktor even more.
"What the hell are you doing Ross!?" Tony said through gritted teeth at the stupidity of what Ross was doing, was he trying to start a fight with Viktor?
"I won't give in to your petty insults, Ross. I have made my decision" Viktor said, his nerves and patience wearing very thin.
"I guess that's the kind of thinking that got your family killed"
…
…
…
"….What….did you just say?" Viktor growled deeply.
Callus looked back and forth between Viktor and Ross with his small glowing red eyes, no one could tell what the hell the Crow was thinking at any time, but it was obvious that the bird was nervous, even with the lack of facial expressions.
Anyone looking at Viktor hands would have noticed his Gauntlets glowing white hot with heat; heat that was melting the metallic banisters of the stairway like butter. The rage filling Viktor was without equal, no one ever brought up that event negatively with him, friends or not anyone that badmouthed his family and their deaths deserved a savage beating.
"I said that it's your fault they're dead" Ross replied.
"You say…one more word about them….and I swear to god…" Viktor growled, his voice beginning to distort and his eyes burning brighter.
"You'll what? Kill me? Like those people in Chicago?" Ross questioned the black haired Avenger. Everyone present knew what this was leading to, and it wasn't going to be pretty, by any means.
"We all know this is your fault, Harrigan. If not for you this would never have happened, everyone here is thinking it, I'm just saying it" Ross replied.
Peter was about to lunge at Ross, the Wall Crawler wasn't going to let the General put all that guilt on his best friend again. It was enough of an issue in itself to get Viktor back into his old state of mind again and to stop him blaming himself.
But Laura stopped Peter before he got close enough to attack the Red Hulk. Peter questioned Laura's reasons for doing so, but when he got a good look at Viktor, he could see why.
That wasn't guilt in Viktor's red eyes, it wasn't sadness or pain….it was rage.
Callus' body started to glow red as the crow's legs began to join with Viktor's shoulder.
"So go ahead and leave….you cowardly, murderous son of a bi…."
*OUTSIDE
"We still have yet to confirm the Avengers' standpoint on the registration act, but with the departure of The Black Panther, Namor and Thor it is very likely that the team has chosen to oppose the act with such a negative reaction" one news reporter announced among the crowds of news crews all gathered outside the Mansion.
"Even though the leaders of the Avengers haven't commented upon the registration, it can be assumed that the Earth's mightiest heroes will choose to oppose the act in force"
"All we can do is wait and pray that the Avengers do what they feel is best for the American people"
*KRAKOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
Just as the last reporter finished their sentence, a fiery explosion destroyed the roof of the Avengers mansion and a Rune covered Brimstone and the Red Hulk were sent flying out of the roof, exchanging punches grappling each other as Viktor sent them plummeting into the ground.
Pieces of the Mansion's lawn were sent flying as Viktor made a crater in the ground with Ross' body, but the British Avenger didn't stop at making a crater and began unloading relentless machine gun punches into the Red Hulk's face.
"SAY IT AGAIN! I DARE YOU! I DARE YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Viktor roared as the Red Hulk's face began to bleed under the ferocity and animalistic rage behind his onslaught.
Just as it seemed that Viktor had Ross beaten, a blur of black and red energy sped into him and knocked him off of the Red Behemoth. It was only when Wonder Man had Viktor up against the main gate that the other Avengers began to pour out of the mansion.
"Don't make me do this, Brimstone!" Wonder man warned as he held Viktor by the collar of his coat.
"No offence, W. but you couldn't stop me if you tried!" Viktor replied as his runes shone brighter. The Black haired Avenger grabbed Simon by the scruff of his neck and hurled him through the gate, the crowd had managed to disperse so that Wonder Man didn't go crashing into whatever poor civilian was in the way.
"Now, where was I?" Viktor cracked his armoured knuckles as he approached Ross, who was slowly rising from the crater he lay in.
"Come on, Boy. I got enough gas in the tank for three of you!" Ross roared as he readied himself.
"Boy? I suppose I'll have to take you across my knee and show you who the boy really is" Viktor growled, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. It was in the blink of an eye that Viktor ploughed into Ross, tackling him to the ground in a flurry of punches and kicks.
Steve took this moment as an opportunity for him and the others to escape their predicament "Hawkeye! Give us some cover!" the Captain ordered. Clint quickly locked and drew a smokescreen arrow in order to provide the Anti-Reg Avengers with a much needed means of escape.
As ordered, the Agent of Shield let his arrow loose into the midst of the Pro-Reg Avengers and in a flash of white the mansion and the surrounding area was filled with thick white smog that was so dense it could be cut with a knife. Even with their enhanced senses of sight, hearing and smell, many of the superhuman Avengers wouldn't be able to see for the next few moments that were needed for Cap and the others to escape.
"Avengers, Scatter!" Steve ordered, thrusting his shield into the air in his signature pose.
Between the Smokey haze left behind by Hawkeye, the mess that Viktor and Ross were making and the crowds of civilians freaking out, it was near impossible for Tony to coordinate his teammates to handle the situation.
"Wasp, War Machine help out Red Hulk, Widow, Noh-Varr get that crowd under control, everyone else stop Cap from getting away!" Tony ordered his fellow Avengers.
The absolute chaos of the situation was only getting worse when the Pro Reg Avengers began to fire energy blasts and projectiles at the escaping Anti-Reg, the screams and shouts of the panicked civilians in the background and the fiery roars of Viktor as he and Ross clashed made the situation all the more chaotic.
Peter and the other Pro-Reg Avengers hurried to a nearby manhole which Luke promptly ripped away from the ground so that the others could quickly make their getaway while Bruce and Hercules covered their escape, using their omega level superhuman strength to fight away the pursuing Pro-Reg Avengers.
"Brimstone! Come on! Get your ass over here!" Peter shouted to Viktor who had just round housed Ross into a nearby news van.
"You go! I'll catch up!" Viktor replied as he swatted at Wasp as she flew around his face, firing stinger blasts in order distract him.
"How the hell are you going to do that?"
"Never mind, just go!" Viktor shouted as War Machine came up from behind and put him in a headlock.
"Come on Laura, we gotta go!" Peter shouted through gritted teeth, grabbing the Mutant by the arms and almost pushing her into the open manhole.
During the scuffle, Peter and Carol locked eyes from afar, even behind the mask Carol could tell her fiancé's emotions. The tears in her eyes spoke for themselves as the man she loved with all her heart could do nothing more than take one final look at her before escaping with the others.
Carol with her superhuman hearing however managed to pick up on Peter's last words to her.
"….I'm sorry…..I love you"
Carol couldn't' take it, she could go after him, not like this.
The anti-reg Avengers disappeared into the sewers leaving nothing but a hole in the ground and one pissed off Englishman for the Pro Avengers to deal with.
"Brimstone! Give it up, your outnumbered and surrounded!" Tony said pointing his charged up palm at the black haired Avenger.
Viktor was surrounded at all sides by his former allies, all with their weapons or energy charged fists pointed at him.
"Oh, Tony, Tony Tony. You should have learned by now…I can go whenever I want" Viktor chuckled before he raised his fists in an X motion. His runes began glowing brighter and brighter, that's when Tony realized what he was doing.
"Stop him! Quick!" Tony shouted, but before the other Avengers could fire their energy blasts, Viktor downright disappeared into a veil of flames that left nought but a scorch mark in the ground.
"Goddamit!" Ross shouted in anger.
Tony couldn't believe what had just transpired within the last few minutes. People that he thought would have sided with him had went from allies to enemies within the blink of an eye, and what was worse was the crying he heard from behind him.
Carol had broken down, on her knees with her hands on her face. The sound of crying didn't exactly inspire confidence in the other Avengers as the usually composed and respectable Ms Marvel had been reduced to a mess.
Jess knelt down beside her friend and tried her best to comfort her, though the only person that could possibly make a difference would be a certain wall crawler.
"Ms Marvel, I…" Tony began until Jess swatted his hand away "Don't even dare Tony, Don't you even dare!" Jess scowled with a threatening tone. Tony could tell that Jess blamed him for this, he was the one that put them in this situation after all.
Tony could only hope that he had made the right decision.
Meanwhile on a rooftop about twenty blocks away, two figures had finished watching the events play out.
The one that stood out the most was the silver haired samurai himself, Cyrus. While the other, clearly female in body type was wearing a black armoured suit, accented by a black coat like Cyrus'. Her eyes were red just like Cyrus' and like him, she had a very bizarre hair colour of light blue.
While Cyrus was standing with his arms crossed, the female was knelt down and staring through the scope of a very high tech looking sniper rifle.
"Well….that escalated quickly" the female said, looking through the scope of her rifle.
"It always does" Cyrus spoke with his eyes narrowed.
"….God it would be so easy wouldn't it?" the female said as she hovered the crosshairs over the exposed face of Iron Man.
The female contemplated firing if not for Cyrus placing the blade of his katana between her eye and the scope.
"Not ahead of schedule…we have a long way to go" Cyrus warned as he sheathed his katana.
"Besides…the play has only begun" Cyrus grinned widely.
The Flames of War had been lit.
OKAY THANK GOD THIS CHAPTER IS DONE!
Good god this was a difficult one to write, seeing as every other Civil War source material never shows the separation it was fucking hard to come up with a proper scenario so I took a note from RebornDarkPhoenix (If you are offended I'm sorry dude, I tried going in so many other directions that either didn't fit the rest of the story, lead to a dead end or simply sucked when I read them out loud)
If I didn't get this one done soon I would probably never finish it, SO THANK GOD ITS COMPLETE!
P.S I may edit this and add changes later if ideas come into my head
No question for this chapter, omg I know what a shocker, but this chapter has taken a fucking toll on me, and I'm just in a bad mood since I felt it started to drag.
I promise, next chapter will be awesome! I intend on giving the next chapter as much imagination I can muster so HORAH!
Dakkaman777 signing out :)