69. A Bane in Blue
NEW YORK CITY, 616TH EARTH
The teenage boy with short, reddish hair, dark green eyes, and a spattering of freckles over his pale skin had his eyes fixed upon the television screen of his living room. He'd been watching the news cover the same story since the night before, only taking a regular break to sleep, and was watching again as soon as the sun came up. It didn't make him happy at all. He was drawn to the footage for how angry it made him…and because it was the closest he could get.
His mother walked into the room. "You're going to be late for school," she said, calm, concerned.
The boy sighed and turned off the television. He angrily slung his backpack over his shoulder and stood up.
"Harry," his mother said gently, "I know this is difficult – "
"DIFFICULT?" Harry Osborn snapped. "DIFFICULT was when he told me I wasn't a real man. DIFFICULT was when I thought he wanted Peter Parker for a son instead of me. MORE than difficult was when I figured out he'd been using me as a cover for the Green Goblin. MORE than difficult was when I thought he DIED! But this? This is worse than all of that. He let us both think he died, and he won't even come home. He won't talk to you, he won't talk to me, and we have no idea where to even find him."
"Harry…your father…" Emily Osborn tried to seek out an explanation to give her son. She'd already run her mind ragged trying to find one for herself. "He obviously had a lot to figure out. After everything that happened…he's a little confused. I'm hoping he'll eventually see the way he left us, and he'll contact us."
"Yeah, right," Harry said on his way out the door. "Because he really wants to go back to having a son that doesn't measure up."
Tony almost slapped the paper down on the breakfast table, but then, having a second thought, he clutched it close to his chest. "Twenty bucks," he said, "for anyone who can tell me what made front page."
"New Avengers take the city by storm," Clint offered.
"Osborn becomes renowned for offering reformed criminals a second chance," Steve continued, "and they're 'surprisingly doing better than the so-called heroes of this city.'"
"The Avengers are hostile attackers who impeded justice by fighting the new Avengers in the middle of a bigger battle," Twilight supplied.
"Osborn is a peacekeeper and Yellowjacket is a murderer," Yellowjacket offered.
"Everypony's happy because Osborn is back from the dead," Rainbow Dash groaned.
"Aaaaaand I'm out one hundred and thirty bucks," Tony announced, letting the paper fall so all present at the table could see the headline.
"One hundred and thirty?" Banner asked.
"Steve gets fifty for pretty much pegging a quote word for word," Tony explained.
"Jameson," Twilight growled at the paper. "He's ALMOST worse than everything else we had to deal with on this world!"
"And you've only known about his existence for two days," Tony pointed out. "We have to deal with this 24/7."
"So what's on the menu today?" Discord asked.
"We've got an EXTRA SPECIAL competitor in this corner today!" Impossible Man replied. "LIGHTS!"
Discord clapped. The room went dark. Then a disco ball lowered itself from the roof, and rainbow strobe lights began to flicker against it.
Impossible Man shot Discord a glare. Discord shrugged with a wily grin. "Sorry. Old habits die hard."
"I'm TRYING to put across a vision here," Impossible Man sighed.
Discord clapped again, and the disco ball and strobe lights vanished. The sole spotlight returned.
Impossible Man cleared his throat before beginning the announcement: "FROM THE DEPTHS OF – oh, you know what, I already did this whole spiel in Avengers Assemble. Let's just cut to the chase!"
He and Discord both pointed to the spotlight dramatically. Beneath it, a new man shimmered into view. Sturdily built, he was clad in golden armor, topped off by a helmet with two flat prongs that protruded from it – though nothing so grandiose as Loki's helmet of choice. This man appeared mostly humanoid, but his skin was a bright sky blue, and both Discord and Impossible Man knew full well that the armor covered gills.
"PRESENTING…AAAAAATTUMA!" Impossible Man cried.
As Osborn passed Eva Ice in the halls of the helicarrier, he halted. "Agent Ice. A word?"
"I was just thinking the same thing," the false agent said, rather teasingly, before following Osborn into the weapons bay.
"Your orders went through," Osborn told Loki; the latter had reverted to his male form once the doors were closed. "Two more cells, just like the one containing Red Skull."
"Good," Loki replied. "I was hoping – "
"Why two?"
"I don't understand what you're getting at." Loki said this with a broad smile. Osborn found it unnerving.
"On one hand, three is a nice number. A logical estimate. And they say bad things come in threes," Osborn told him. "On the other hand, Red Skull showing up was a little too convenient, if you ask me. Someone who not only has a personal enemy among the Avengers, but a personal enemy in my Dark Avengers and a personal enemy in Cabal?"
"Are you implying I found him just for you to fight?" Loki replied. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Norman, I swear on Yggdrassil that I didn't talk him into the job or give him any of his weapons."
Osborn wasn't sure whether Loki was lying or just using words that could easily be loopholed. "Are there two more threats coming to test my Dark Avengers, Loki?"
"I'm not going to answer that," Loki replied. "I'm just going to let YOU think about what you and your team look like in the public eye now. As I understand it, our Red Hulk's father printed some very nice words about you. Now, am I understanding correctly that he's…difficult to impress?"
"Something tells me you know EXACTLY what Jameson is like. Something tells me you know almost everything."
"Well, I don't know how magnets work. That one's still eluding me."
Osborn couldn't think of a response for that.
"It must be quite the rush, to be New York City's new hero," Loki went on. "A far cry from what you used to do. Though I can imagine it feels good to be airborne again."
"The Green Goblin was completely different," Osborn said gruffly.
"So you really meant it when you said that was behind you?" Loki asked. "I thought that was a nice line for the cameras."
"The Goblin was a small step toward a small goal," Osborn pointed out. "As the 'Big Man of Crime,' I ruled over an underworld that operated under the infrastructure of the city. As Director Osborn, my control extends to the city's infrastructure itself, as well as that of the nation. And as you can imagine, the Green Goblin can't turn up again while Director Osborn is in power. If that happened, and Jameson even knew the slightest thing about H.A.M.M.E.R., he'd have a field day."
"I'm inclined to think he'd have a field day anyway."
"So you understand why the Goblin has to be dead and gone." After a moment, Osborn said, with the slightest of shivers, "Not to mention that being him was addicting."
"Addicting? Might I impose upon you to elaborate?"
"I created another persona to be the Goblin. That plus the Globulin treatments made me feel invincible. It got to a point where becoming the mask was all I could think about when I wasn't wearing it. At the time, it didn't bother me, but looking back on it…it's not something I want to repeat."
"Pity. I always did appreciate the Goblin. The one-liners, the shrieking bombs, the wake of destruction…"
"Well, he's dead and gone, Loki, so you can just appreciate him on your own time." Osborn turned to leave. "I have other business to attend to."
Loki let him get almost all the way to the door before asking loudly, "Have you told your son you're back in town?"
Osborn knew Loki knew the answer. He gave Loki a very dirty look indeed before leaving.
Rarity and Fluttershy entered the television room to find Wilson and Vision sitting before a device that looked like a purple cube; game controllers extended from it to each of their hands. They had begun to play a fighting-style video game on the television. Wilson was in control of a human clothed in a blue flight suit and a red helmet, while Vision maneuvered a large, bipedal, catlike creature colored white and purple. Wilson's character socked Vision's in the face, yelling "FALCON…PUUUUNCH!" in the process.
"Oh, man," Wilson remarked, "I am SO using that in the next battle."
Wilson's character claimed victory, and Wilson remarked, "You know, for a computer, I expected you to win more often."
"Imperfection is what makes humanity what it is," Vision replied. "I respect that. So I aim to be less than perfect on occasion."
"Wait. You mean you've been THROWING all these matches?" Wilson gave a great sigh.
"That looks like fun," Fluttershy broke in.
"Wanna play a round?" Wilson offered the controller to her.
"Oh, no…I never did figure out how those games worked," Fluttershy responded. "You go on ahead."
"Well, I'm glad to see you've settled in," Rarity added. "It seems as though you were just MEANT to be here!"
"I wish," Wilson sighed as he began a new match. "I still feel like the new guy, you know? It's kinda like…all the other Avengers have known each other forever, and I'm just this random fanboy that they let stay in the house. I'm not a REAL Avenger."
"Oh, I'm sure they don't think that," Fluttershy said, attempting to be soothing.
"You have only been an official Avenger for two days," Vision pointed out. "I too am new to the team. The others will have had a longer bond because of their interactions before we met. Statistically, our bond with the others should increase as we remain part of the team."
"So you're saying that the two of you feel like outsiders?" Rarity reiterated.
"Indeed," Vision confirmed, "though I know that state will eventually end."
"And I just feel like I don't belong," Wilson admitted. Lackluster, he let Vision's character blast him off the screen of the television.
"Well!" Rarity insisted. "There's only one way to fix this!"
"What?" Wilson asked, excited with curiosity.
"You must get out there and socialize!" Rarity told him. "Both of you! If you want to run in certain circles, you mustn't be afraid to approach them as though you were already part of them! Trust me. I of all ponies would know."
"She IS very popular everywhere she goes," Fluttershy confirmed. "If you want to hang out with the others more, maybe we should plan for you to do something together."
"It would be team building!" Rarity affirmed. "As a matter of fact, Clint and I have a training appointment in the arena. You two should come and practice your own moves. We can make it a group exercise! In fact, I'll call on some of the others for a group session."
"I dunno," Wilson said. "Vision might be on the same level with you and the rest of those guys, but I'd just look silly."
"The only way to get better at something is to practice," Rarity asserted, "and this would also give you the perfect opportunity to ask the pros for tips."
"Well…then let's try it!" Wilson decided. "Vison? You in?"
"I would like to participate," Vision affirmed.
"I will meet you all in the arena in fifteen minutes!" Rarity said, delighted, before striding from the room.
Attuma was first perplexed, then enraged. "WHO ARE YOU?" he roared at Discord and Impossible Man.
"We're just fans," Impossible Man answered. "Very big fans! Oh, Discord, would you be a dear and get the lights?"
Discord clapped his hands. Out came the disco ball and rainbow strobes.
Impossible Man rolled his eyes. "…You know what I meant."
"I COULDN'T resist," Discord laughed, clapping again. The disco ball and rainbow strobes were gone, and the whole room was illuminated. "Now, if I remember correctly, you harbor a certain resentment for Namor."
"Resentment doesn't BEGIN to describe it!" Attuma snarled. "He humiliated me!"
"Well, in his defense, you WERE trying to take his throne – " Impossible Man began before Discord elbowed him in the stomach. "Ow!"
"Then have we got a proposition for you!" Discord announced to Attuma. "We give you a weapon powerful enough to stand against Namor, and all you have to do is try and beat him with it. You see, he happens to be here in this very city. I couldn't tell you where, but he's practically a sitting duck."
"I LIKE this plan!" Attuma laughed.
"You're not going to question it?" Discord posed. "Ask how you got here? Who we are? Why we want you to go after Namor? Where we got this weapon that you're just going to love?"
"I don't care about such details!" Attuma replied. "All I want is to bring all that belongs to Namor under my control…and then extend my reign to the WORLD!"
Discord and Impossible Man looked to each other, then shrugged. Discord turned back to Attuma. "If you REALLY want to show them, try this on for size." A long-handled weapon shimmered into existence in his claw. It took on the form of a golden trident with a bent handle and uneven tines.
"Neptune's Trident," Discord stated. "Or so they call it here. The REAL Neptune or Poseidon or whatever they're calling him nowadays wouldn't let it fall into the hands of mortals, no matter how many of them forget him. But it is an ancient weapon of destruction from below the sea, and will give you power over ALL the waters in the…world…" Discord looked at the trident upon saying this. He reluctantly handed it to Attuma. Attuma gripped the trident and attempted to take it, but Discord didn't let go.
"Discord," Impossible Man hissed, "we need HIM to do the destroying. You can find another toy later!"
Discord gave a dramatic sigh and let go of the trident.
"Can't you control the waters anyway?" Impossible Man asked, confused.
"But it's more FUN with ancient artifacts of destruction," Discord pouted.
Attuma hoisted the trident above his head, laughing. "YOU are the fools! YOU will experience ruin at my hands! By giving me this trident, you've given me the power to destroy YOU along with this city! Enjoy your final moments, for your hour of judgment has come!" Attuma ran out the door with his prize.
Discord chuckled. "Wanna bet?" he said under his breath.
The training room was a frenzy.
"TO YOUR LEFT!" Clint yelled; Wilson swiped his arm outward and sent a red feather hurtling toward a target.
"ABOVE YOU! THREE!" Pinkie Pie screamed, and Clint loaded his bow, sending three arrows directly upward to peg three bullseyes.
T'Challa and Vision faced each other, noticed the bullseyes behind each other, pointed, then spun and launched Vibranium arrowheads and a laser beam, respectively.
"Am I doing this right?" Wilson asked nervously.
"You're doing great!" Steve replied. "With your wings, it's all in the wrist. Like with my shield. Try to copy how I move my arm." He drew back his shield; Wilson copied the motion. They let the shield and red projectiles fly, knocking out twin targets.
Rarity took out a sequence of linear targets against a wall. "How's THAT?" she boasted.
Clint pegged every target she'd hit in twice the speed. "At least you tried," he teased.
"WHY…YOU!" Rarity growled, steamed. "I'LL SHOW YOU – "
"BEHIND YOU!" T'Challa and Wilson yelled. Rarity spun, loosing an arrow; it hit dead center.
"HA!" Rarity crowed.
"Yaaaaaay!" Fluttershy cheered from the sidelines.
All of a sudden, the targets ceased to appear. "Hey, what gives?" Clint snapped. "We were having our best session yet!"
"We should do this more often," Steve agreed. He turned to Wilson. "Work a bit more on refining your throw. But like I said, you're doing great already."
Wilson beamed in response. Rarity nodded, satisfied.
"I'd LOVE to have more battle training parties!" Pinkie Pie chirped.
"I have intercepted a transmission from Tony Stark's ID card," J.A.R.V.I.S. announced. The audio of his calm voice switched to the transmission from Tony's card: "Avengers, assemble. We've got a problem. There's a fish-guy maniac riding a tidal wave into the bay and threatening to flood the city if somebody named 'Namor' doesn't show up. I think this is one of Reed's enemies, come to think of it. Anyway, you'd better all get up here, because this isn't gonna be pretty when he lets that wave hit…"
A monstrous wave was suspended at the edge of the bay, towering as high as any skyscraper. Passersby froze in their tracks, staring out at the waters, where the wave appeared ready to crash down at any minute, with only a simple magic spell keeping it from unleashing destruction.
Attuma stood upon the crest, holding the trident high. "COME FORTH, NAMOR!" he roared. "I KNOW YOU HIDE IN THIS CITY! I CHALLENGE YOU TO BATTLE, AND IF YOU DO NOT SHOW YOURSELF, I WILL BEGIN TO DESTROY THIS CITY, PIECE BY PIECE, UNTIL YOU DO!"
Namor could see it all. He heard the voice emitting from a large monitor connected to H.A.M.M.E.R. surveillance. He could see the wave out the window of the helicarrier.
He turned away from the window to find Osborn standing before him, suited up as the Iron Patriot, a hand out to stop Namor in his tracks.
"Let me pass, Osborn," Namor commanded.
"No," Osborn replied.
"If I do not face him, your city will die," Namor insisted. "He holds Neptune's Trident. He controls the waters."
"Let my people try and stop him," Osborn argued. "We can take him down. If we fail, then you can challenge him. But the Dark Avengers are more than capable."
Namor's facial expression betrayed his uncertainty.
"I know you have a strong sense of honor," Osborn practically snarled, "but you're going to have a stronger sense of trust that I know what I'm doing. Let my Avengers handle this, and H.A.M.M.E.R. earns another victory. If you go out there, that would be a discredit to my Avengers, and that hurts H.A.M.M.E.R. I'm sure you understand."
Namor sighed. "I wish I didn't. But I do."
"So you'll stay put."
"I will stay here. But should you fail…"
Osborn turned and stalked away. "Then I'll make sure we don't fail."
Attuma waited, but not for long. His patience ran out quickly. Perhaps Namor hadn't heard him, but he strongly doubted it. Either way, he had always planned on letting the wave crash over the city. He decided he might as well let it go.
He plunged the tines of the trident into the wave; the waters began to churn and surge. One spray of water jutted outward; he surfed it, and it carried him atop the tallest building nearby. Attuma held the trident aloft.
The wave began to collapse.
Anyone in the area with a lick of sense ran for his or her life. A cacophony of screams rose up. The wave loomed, its shadow growing, until the water crashed down.
It hit a great wall of translucent pink.
"WHAT?" Attuma roared.
The wave was being held back at the edge of the city. Twilight, in witch form, held her staff up to the air, maintaining the wall to keep the waters literally at bay. She strained her powers against the massive volume of water. Her body shook from the effort.
The other Avengers and Equestrians gathered behind her. "How long can you hold it?" Thor asked.
"Not long," Twilight grunted. "Evacuate as many as you can before this breaks!"
Steve turned to face the group. He called out, "Panther! Wasp! Yellowjacket! Vision! Ms. Marvel! Falcon! Pinkie Pie! Rarity! Rainbow Dash! Applejack! Fluttershy! You eleven spread out and evacuate as many people as you can. Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, you four are with me. We're going to get that trident away from Attuma. Everybody understand?"
"YES!" the others chorused.
"Then GO!" Steve commanded. The group split.
Twilight pushed back against the wave, shuddering. She could see a crack appearing in her plasma field. For good measure, she cast a layer of ice upon the water as well. It was thin, but it would serve as a patch.
Then she felt a sudden relief. Somebody else had taken half the load. The forcefield of plasma shimmered, and instead of pure pink that was beginning to fracture, it became a solid wall where pink and bright green swirled around each other.
Twilight looked to her right to see a familiar figure adding her own power to the wall. "Amora!" Twilight cried happily. "Thank goodness. I was just about to lose control of it!"
"Do not thank me," Amora grunted. "I am not doing this for YOU."
"But…after Surtr…" Twilight babbled.
"You must let go of this delusion that we are friends forged by fire," Amora insisted. "Once again, we have a common goal. That is all. And do not break your concentration on the wall!"
Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, and Hawkeye were making a fast track toward Attuma's vantage point when six other presences joined them. One by one, they appeared: Venom swung in from an alleyway. Bullseye's motorcycle revved up to keep pace. Daken leapt in from a side street. The Red Hulk slammed into the pavement from above. Zemo charged into the center of the fray. And in the lead, Osborn descended from above.
"Great," Iron Man muttered. Louder, he snapped, "What are YOU all doing here?"
"The same thing you're doing," Osborn argued. "Stopping Attuma."
"Though half your team appears to be missing," Zemo pointed out, almost tauntingly. "As well as the…how did Jameson put it? Witch women."
"They are evacuating the city," Thor explained. "Clearing the area that is about to be flooded of all civilians."
"The people - !" the Red Hulk gasped. He veered from the group.
"WHERE are you going?" Zemo barked at him.
"To save them!" the Red Hulk insisted.
"He is weak," Venom hissed.
"While you call each other weak for trying to help out the actual people in danger," Iron Man snapped, "we're going to take down a supervillain. Try to stay out of our way."
"If you stay out of ours," Osborn retorted.
At the base of the skyscraper where Attuma waited, the group split, each going his separate way.
Further away, Wasp and Pinkie Pie sped down the streets. "EVERYPONY RUN!" Pinkie Pie screeched. "THERE'S A FLOOD COMING!"
Many people had already gotten the idea and were headed as fast as they could away from the towering water. In Pinkie and Wasp's path, an aircraft suddenly descended: a jet thin enough to fit onto a city street, but long enough to hold many. A hatch opened at its base, and a stairway ejected from it.
Wasp and Pinkie exchanged looks before barreling up the stairs and into the jet. Finding it empty, they ran to the cockpit. There, Black Widow was seated at the controls.
"Widow!" Wasp gasped.
"No time," Black Widow snapped. "Get everybody you can onto the jets. We're gonna carry the people out of the flood radius."
"There's more than one?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"One wouldn't hold everyone in the flood radius," Black Widow pointed out. "Mockingbird, Quake, and Coulson should be landing behind me right now. Now get everyone headed toward the jets!"
"Have you got a radio installed in that?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"WHY?" Black Widow nearly roared, wishing Pinkie and Wasp would just begin helping her save lives.
"If everypony hears loud and happy music coming from the jets," Pinkie suggested, "they'll know where to go!"
"It would lighten the mood if you cranked some dance tunes," Wasp agreed.
"All right," Black Widow groaned. "Now just GO!"
Wasp and Pinkie Pie ran from the jet. Black Widow switched the jet's radio to the first music frequency she could find, turning up the volume so the music radiated through the aircraft. She fired a quick communication to the other three jets: "Turn your radios to frequency 80. Wasp and Pinkie Pie suggested it as a measure to calm the people." She then waited, sighing as she heard the unfortunately fitting lyrics blare forth: "Evacuate the dancefloor! I'm infected by the sound!"
"HEY EVERYPONY!" Pinkie Pie cried as the other three jets landed behind Black Widow's vessel. "These jets are gonna get you outta here before the wave comes down! Plus, there's gonna be a dance party! You've all gotta get onboard RIGHT NOW! Single file, please!"
Wasp drew her ID card. "Panther! Yellowjacket! Falcon! Ms. Marvel! Vision! We've got S.H.I.E.L.D. or whatever Osborn's calling it now jets on Excelsior Boulevard. Get as many people as you can there, okay?"
"Copy," Ms. Marvel responded.
The people began to crowd onto the jet piloted by Black Widow, wondering why their rescue carrier was blasting "Stop, this beat is killing me! Hey, Mr. DJ, we can burn this place down to the ground!" while still being drawn to the music, a semblance of happiness and respite amongst panic.
"That way, everypony!" Applejack yelled, pointing down the direction in which the aircraft lay. "Y'all are gonna be safe there!"
"Emergency vehicles have been deployed," Black Panther added.
Attuma still had the trident trained on the wave, urging it to surge. Amora and Twilight's spell was strong; the swirling green and pink wall held fast.
He didn't notice that at that moment, the Hulk was charging him across the rooftop, intending to tackle him. He also didn't notice the black web Venom had flung at him. He didn't have to notice either. The web wrapped around the Hulk, causing the green man to stumble and hit the rooftop hard so that it shook, getting Attuma's attention.
"IDIOT!" Venom yelled from his vantage point, gripping a nearby wall.
"Out of my way, pest!" Attuma yelled, pointing the trident. The wave would do its own work via gravity. He could focus elsewhere. From far below, water shot upward out of a sewer grate at an intense speed, smacking into Venom and knocking him off the wall. Attuma turned the trident upon the Hulk; the water bent itself and washed the Hulk off the roof.
Venom flung a web strand upward; it attached to a wall, and he dangled, saving himself. The Hulk crashed directly into the pavement below, unmoving.
"HULK!" Captain America cried in a panic, rushing to his side.
The Hulk grunted, stirring. "Get these things off me," he growled.
Captain America severed the black web strands with the edge of his shield.
"You know, that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gotten in the way," Daken pointed out.
"Stay out of this," Captain America warned him.
"No," Daken countered. "I don't think I will." He marched directly up to Captain America. "You're a handsome one, you know. Everyone always talks about pretty boy Thor, but they always overlook the fact that you have nice eyes."
Captain America didn't know about Daken's power of pheromones, but he felt them seeping through him, and therefore found himself struck with a feeling of attraction he couldn't quite explain. His heart rate accelerated. He blushed at the compliment. "Um…thank you," he said softly.
Daken was by then close enough to stroke Captain America's exposed cheek with his index finger; he did so. Captain America blushed and sweated. "As fun as an old-fashioned struggle is with a guy like you," Daken said, "this would go a lot smoother if we both put in the effort, don't you think?"
"I…I agree with that," Captain America said nervously.
"So how about I go knock down Attuma, and you wait here for me?"
"For you…yes. I'll wait."
"Don't stand me up now."
"I wouldn't."
"Good." Daken turned and ran, leaving Captain America frozen in his tracks.
"What was that?" the Hulk asked.
"I promised him I wouldn't move," Captain America answered, sounding positively lovestruck.
The Hulk growled in frustration.
Daken didn't get far. Another sewer grate opened up, and a jet of water blasted out toward him. He ducked it, only to be caught in the blast of another grate.
Thor soared high into the sky. The clouds darkened. He raised Mjolnir.
The streak of red, blue, and silver-white flashed out of the corner of his eye. Panicking, Thor realized that bringing down lightning upon Attuma would also strike Osborn. And as much as he distrusted Osborn, Osborn was, for this moment, an ally. The hammer was quickly brought down. The clouds dissipated. Thor twirled Mjolnir round and round before letting it fly at Attuma, which he believed to be a safer alternative.
Everything came together in the wrong way. Osborn made a direct course toward Attuma, stretching out his palms to fire twin beams at Attuma. The beams never left his hands. Attuma pointed the trident, and a jet of water rocketed upward. Osborn saw it coming, rolling in the air to avoid it by a hair's breadth.
And careening directly into the path of Mjolnir so that the hammer struck him hard in the back. Osborn gave out a cry. There was a sizzle of circuitry. As Osborn began to fall, he reached out for the edge of the rooftop. He was too far away. He plummeted.
Thor reached him in mid-fall, throwing his arms around Osborn's waist. "Norman!" he cried out, lowering Osborn to the ground safely. He attempted to lay the Iron Patriot down on his back, but Osborn twisted about so that his feet landed on the ground; he refused to be handicapped.
"Norman Osborn," Thor said worriedly, "I truly am sorry. I had meant to avoid hurting you! Are you injured – "
"Save it," Osborn growled. "Stay out of my way, thunderer." He shoved Thor away and broke into a run.
From another rooftop, Zemo watched Attuma. He waited until Attuma's back was turned to him, the aquatic man's attention focused on diverting the sewer water to those already attempting attacks on him. The moment was perfect. He drew back his arm. He let the shield fly.
It would have continued on a direct course to Attuma if it weren't for Iron Man. Appearing from almost nowhere, Iron Man zoomed into the path of the shield, catching it with both hands and throwing it directly back in one smooth motion.
Zemo put up a hand and stopped the shield a half inch before his face.
"Oooooops," Iron Man taunted.
"Are you attempting to get us all killed, Iron Man?" Zemo asked angrily.
"Here's the thing," Iron Man told him. "You pissed off Captain America. You know, my friend? Maybe I can put up with Osborn taking the win on this one, but NOT you."
Iron Man's statement was unfortunately punctuated with a jet of sewer water that knocked him out of the air. Zemo, startled by this, ran to find a new vantage point, his mind burning with rage at what he could only perceive as impudence in Iron Man.
Bullseye's motorcycle screeched to a halt. He strung his bow, letting loose a triad of arrows. They arced upward, directly toward Attuma…and were cut out of the sky by another arrow, splintering in midair and falling uselessly. Stunned, Bullseye looked up to see Hawkeye perched on a ledge.
"Hey, what's that they say about payback?" Hawkeye teased. "Oh, right. It's a bitch."
"You're a FUCKING idiot," Bullseye replied.
And to prove his point, blasts of sewer water erupted from the street and slammed into both of them.
As the people of the neighborhood were herded onto the H.A.M.M.E.R. jets ("Still the night, kill the lights, feel it under your skin!"), those who had been escorting them convened on Excelsior Boulevard. Wasp and Pinkie Pie waved to Yellowjacket, to Black Panther and Applejack, to Falcon and Fluttershy, to Vision and Rarity, to Ms. Marvel and Rainbow Dash…and then to the Red Hulk, leading a crowd.
"What are YOU doing here?" Ms. Marvel snapped at him.
"I couldn't let them drown!" the Red Hulk replied.
"It's okay, it's okay!" Pinkie Pie cried. "Just get everybody onto the jets!"
The last of the civilians crowded onboard. Pinkie, Wasp, Falcon, and Fluttershy boarded Black Widow's craft; Black Panther, Ms. Marvel, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack boarded Quake's; Vision and Rarity boarded Mockingbird's, and Yellowjacket and the Red Hulk boarded Coulson's.
"This is Black Widow. I'm taking off," Black Widow relayed.
"Copy," Quake replied. "This is Quake, preparing for liftoff."
"Mockingbird, lifting off," Mockingbird added.
The fourth voice: "Copy that. Coulson taking off."
The four jets rose in unison.
"C'MON, EVERYPONY!" Pinkie Pie encouraged, running up and down the aisle. "Sing along! Wrap it up, you can't stop, 'cause it feels like an overdoooooose!"
"Feels like an overdose!" Wasp chimed in.
Most stared at the two of them blankly. Then, from the back, one voice: "Evacuate the dancefloor…"
Unsure, a second: "I'm…infected by the sound?"
"STOP, THIS BEAT IS KILLING ME!" Falcon broke out.
As more and more voices chimed in, smiles breaking out among those evacuated, Pinkie Pie cried out, "YEAH! That's it!"
From the cockpit, Black Widow rolled her eyes, keeping a steady distance above the city and watching the wave.
The energy wall of bright green and pink began to fissure. Hairline cracks ran through it. Twilight felt the force of the water pressing against her energy, hard. She knew that Amora was feeling it too.
"Cast a shield around yourself," Amora grunted.
"Why?" Twilight asked.
"Because I know you don't want to die."
The wall fractured. Twilight quickly refocused her energies, forming a ball of aura around herself.
The wall shattered.
The waters burst forth, flooding the neighborhood, washing Twilight's aura sphere away. Through it, Twilight saw little else besides swirling water. A flash of green; most likely Amora in a similar protective enchantment. It was hard to tell, as Twilight was going head over heels, over and over.
The waters surged, washing over Attuma's attackers. He directed the trident so that tendrils of water swept over each of them: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Hawkeye, Osborn, Zemo, Bullseye, Daken, Venom. They disappeared beneath the waves, and Attuma laughed triumphantly.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pinkie Pie shrieked, seeing what had happened from a window.
"We have to do something!" Falcon cried.
"WIDOW!" Wasp yelled up to the cockpit. "Can you drop us off over Attuma?"
"On it." Black Widow steered the jet toward Attuma as quickly as she could. "Get ready." She flipped on the radio connection to the other jets. "This is Black Widow. I'm about to deposit Wasp, Pinkie Pie, Falcon, and Fluttershy over Attuma. Do whatever you want with that information."
In the few seconds it took to pilot the jet toward Attuma, Pinkie Pie was able to start leading a group breakdown of the song chorus: "NOW GUESS WHO'S BACK, WITH A BRAND NEW TRACK! THEY GOT EVERYBODY IN THE CLUB GOIN' MAAAAD!"
The entry hatch opened. Wasp, Falcon, Fluttershy, and Pinkie leapt from it. Wasp shrank to her preferred combat size, Falcon readied his red feathers, Fluttershy drew her katana, and Pinkie Pie just cannonballed into the waters, continuing, "SO EVERYBODY IN THE BACK GET YOUR BACK UP OFF THE WALL AND JUST SHAKE THAT TAIIIIL!" She hit the waters with a SPLASH.
Fluttershy dove directly downward, charging Attuma, while Falcon loosed a rain of red projectiles. Attuma blocked the red feathers with the shaft of the trident, then spun around, locking the shaft against Fluttershy's blade as she landed. A wave surged up, taking both Fluttershy and Falcon down.
Pinkie Pie surfaced: "EVERYPONY IN THE CLUB!" Her pistols materialized. "EVACUATE THE DANCEFLOOR!" She began to shoot to the beat. "EVERYPONY IN THE CLUB!" The first twelve shots ran out, and she swapped for more. "I'M INFECTED BY THE SOUND!"
The first few shots struck Attuma as Wasp flew in behind his head, seeking a crack in his armor she could exploit. As it were, his armor was impenetrable by bio-stingers.
First, Attuma sent the waters containing Pinkie Pie into a whirlpool that sucked her under. Wasp cried out, beginning a course to fly to her, to see if she was all right; Attuma slapped Wasp with the back of his hand, sending her flying right into the spinning waters.
"Deploying Vision and Rarity," Mockingbird relayed.
Vision flew down from the jet, training his laser directly upon Attuma. Rarity loaded her bow, letting an arrow fly as she fell.
A geyser of water shot up, enveloping both of them and bringing them down. "WHO'S NEXT?" Attuma roared, raising the trident. The waters around him began to surge violently.
"Deploying Yellowjacket and Red Hulk," Coulson relayed.
The Red Hulk landed hard on the rooftop, cracking it slightly. Yellowjacket wasn't far behind.
Attuma swung the trident like a club. A surge of water reached out from the flood and grabbed onto it, forming a great mace-like ball around the tines. This slammed into the Red Hulk, throwing him off the roof and into the churning waters. Yellowjacket began to grow, as much as he estimated he could without breaking the building; Attuma dismissed the water mace and just jabbed the trident's tines into Yellowjacket's enlarged thigh. Crying out in pain, Yellowjacket stumbled into the flood.
"Deploying Ms. Marvel, Rainbow Dash, Black Panther, and Applejack," Quake relayed.
Rainbow Dash zoomed down first, sword drawn. Attuma raised the trident to aim at her, but she pulled sharply upward, so sharply that a sonic rainboom flared, knocking Attuma off balance. Ms. Marvel slammed Attuma with golden plasma, sending him flat on his back. His grip on the trident held firm.
Applejack and Black Panther landed on the roof then, and Applejack, in the Mahou Shoujo state, cracked her whip, letting its final attack take hold. It wound round and round Attuma. Black Panther charged forward, grabbing the shaft of the trident.
Bound as he was, Attuma still had his hands on the trident, and he and Black Panther became locked in a tug of war. Attuma kicked both feet up, into Black Panther's stomach, knocking him away and reclaiming his hold on the trident.
Ms. Marvel sent another blast. From behind her, Rainbow Dash swung her sword, adding a wave of rainbow energy to the golden plasma burst. The energy knocked Attuma into the waves.
Rainbow Dash and Ms. Marvel landed next to Black Panther and Applejack on the roof. "Do you think we got him?" Rainbow Dash asked.
A great geyser of water rocketed upward. Attuma, unbound, rode atop it, holding the trident high. "FOOLS!" he screamed.
A wave washed over the roof. The four were swept away.
Twilight surfaced, breaking the bubble she'd cast around herself. She looked to where Attuma stood. A quick glance around alerted her to the fact that none of her allies seemed to be around. That worried her. A solution came to mind. She wondered, perhaps, if it was too much.
But it was also, perhaps, the only way. She had used up a lot of power holding back the wave. She had enough energy for a smaller enchantment to be pulled off successfully. And one would be able to serve her purposes.
Amora also surfaced, some distance behind, rising to hover over the water's surface. She watched as Twilight's wand materialized in her hand, and Twilight struggled to swim against the raging waters to the rooftop. She prepared to go after Twilight, to stop her.
"Let her go," a voice sounded.
Amora turned to see Osborn hovering behind her. "I had thought Mjolnir would make your armor defunct," she pointed out.
"I recovered," Osborn replied. "Don't stop that one until I tell you to."
"Why?"
"Because she's on her own against Attuma. She'll either fail…or do something incredibly damaging."
Twilight flicked her wand at Attuma. Attuma barely had time to look down and see her doing such a thing before Twilight cried out, "IMPERIO!"
Attuma's eyes glazed over. He stared straight ahead as Twilight broke into his mind. The waters calmed around him as his concentration broke.
"Is she…" Amora began.
But as soon as the surging waves receded, a gloved hand burst from the waters and grabbed Amora's wrist, pulling her down underwater. Panicked, she rose again; the hand had an iron grip, and when she erupted from the water's surface, she took its owner up with her.
She wasn't surprised to look down and see Zemo locking his hand around her arm. "MUST you?" she growled.
"Would you rather I drown?" he retorted teasingly.
"Yes," Amora hissed. "Let go."
"I don't suppose I need remind you that it is the opportunists who survive," Zemo stated casually as he relinquished his hold on Amora and tread water. Behind him, the Red Hulk surfaced, holding Bullseye in his right arm and Daken in the left.
"Good boy," Daken purred to John. "You can let go now. Thanks for the ride. They weren't kidding when they said you were big and impressive, you know."
"I'd never let you go," the Red Hulk replied, his sultry voice proving that he was heavily under the influence of Daken's pheromones.
"Give me a bloody break," Bullseye groaned at the display.
Venom broke through the surface, completing the outfit. All eyes turned toward Twilight and Attuma.
"To answer the question you were about to ask," Osborn told Amora, "it looks like she IS controlling his mind. And I'm recording every minute of it. When I say go, go."
Twilight struggled with Attuma's mental barriers. He didn't have a very complex mind, but he had a strong will. "Drop it," she whispered out loud to make the thought clearer in her own head. "Let it go. Put it down. Put it away."
Attuma's grip on the trident loosened.
"DROP IT," Twilight said, louder, through gritted teeth. "PUT IT DOWN!"
Attuma's hands let go of the trident completely. It splashed into the waters, sinking.
Twilight took a moment to think about what to order Attuma to do next. Suddenly, a hand slapped the wrist of her wand hand, causing her to lower the wand and break contact. Attuma shook his head, regaining his bearings.
Acting upon Osborn's command, Amora screamed at Twilight, "WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?"
"It was the only way to get him to stop," Twilight said softly.
"By violating his mind?" Amora growled. "Is that what you do to EVERYONE who wrongs you?"
"No…" Twilight replied, eyes moistening with tears.
"They will hate you," Amora seethed. "Once they know THIS is your power. You see how they treat the green monster! What will they do to you?"
Watching the scene unfold, Osborn nodded. "Dark Avengers. Let's finish this."
Attuma's mind had cleared. His eyes scanned the immediate area for the trident, but it soon came to him that it was beneath the waves. He gave a great roar of anguish to the sky.
Before he could do anything, before any of the Dark Avengers could make a move, a voice boomed: "IMPERIOUS REX!"
A wave of water snatched up Attuma's body, turning into a swirling column of water that bound him at its center, rising like a pillar. All eyes turned to see who had spoken. Namor stood atop the roof where Attuma had commanded the waters, holding a trident of his own. Not one so powerful as Neptune's, but powerful nonetheless.
"You've already harmed enough people today, Attuma," Namor stated angrily.
Attuma struggled against the watery bonds, but could not escape them. To make absolutely sure he was finished, Venom launched a black web that wrapped around him.
Namor nodded toward Osborn. "He is yours."
"If you'll help us escort him into custody," Osborn replied. "After all, we aren't in a position to move the waters."
Namor nodded. "Let us go."
"Amora," Osborn said sharply.
Amora glared at Twilight before turning to leave with the others; the Dark Avengers and Namor crossed the waters with Attuma in tow.
Once the group was out of earshot, Osborn told Namor, "Once we have him locked up, I'm going to dispatch a crew to clean up the damage of the area, drain the waters, and recover that trident."
Twilight stood alone on the rooftop, trembling, pensive. One by one, around her, her allies surfaced from the waters.
Rainbow Dash and Ms. Marvel rocketed upward, breaking the surface and arcing into the sky. Vision carried Rarity up into the air before setting her down where she could tread water; she rewarded him with a simple "Thank you, dear." Black Panther grasped the edge of the roof and hauled himself onto it, carrying Applejack with him. Pinkie Pie broke the surface with a dramatic gasp, gently cradling the tiny Wasp in both hands. Fluttershy and Falcon paddled up out of the water and went airborne, gasping for breath in unison. Thor emerged on his own, shaking his golden locks free of water. The Hulk clambered onto the rooftop with Hawkeye clinging tightly to him. Yellowjacket, at his tallest, just raised his head.
The last to come into view were Iron Man and Captain America. The former emerged from the waters with arms wrapped around the other; Captain America coughed and sputtered.
"You okay there?" Iron Man asked.
"Yes," Captain America muttered. "Fine, I'm fine."
"Almost looked like you were gonna drown down there, you know."
"I might have," Captain America admitted. "Guess I owe you one."
"Nah, this one's on me. Got your back, after all."
"Did we do it?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. "Did we win?"
"Or did the NEW Avengers win?" the Hulk growled.
"Twilight?" Applejack asked. "You okay there?"
"…No," Twilight answered.
The whole story came spilling out of her, and when it was done, Thor approached her, looked directly into her eyes, and said, "You did the best you could have done. We could not have asked for more."
Doom strode into the Cabal conference room to see Loki already seated, staring at him from across the table. "You wished to speak to me," Doom stated.
"Yes," Loki confirmed. "I brought you a little gift. A souvenir from the battlefield, if you will."
Doom neared the table to see Neptune's Trident lain across it. "Control over the waters?"
"I had thought you might prefer it over what we originally agreed upon putting in your possession," Loki explained. "After all. What we had planned would only have given you power over space and matter. The ability to lay waste to worlds, have them at your feet if their people did not accept you. But then again, that was your plan with ME. In light of recent events, I simply feel you might find this more…relevant."
Doom knew exactly what Loki meant. "I have no need for this paltry weapon," he said with contempt. "I desire more than control over the oceans."
"Oh, is that so? Because it's what you seem to be going for. You say you have no love for something this paltry, and yet you're always in the company of Namor."
"Namor is not PALTRY."
"Perhaps through eyes blinded by lust…"
"Jealousy is unbecoming on you, Loki."
"Actually, I tend to think of green as my color." Loki grinned. "You and I began this, Victor. It was keeping in contact with you that kept me more or less sane during my sentence of punishment between my first takeover of Asgard and my dealings with Thanos. Stay with me, take up the weapon you were meant to have since you proposed the idea of H.A.M.M.E.R. to me, and you will have the reward you were looking for. But if you'd rather turn your back on me, I suppose I should warn you that I can do much worse to you than kiss a young wizard."
"You think you can harm me?" Doom asked. "You would be nowhere without my guidance."
"Have you already forgotten that I was the one who figured out how Thanos fit into our little scheme in the first place? I believe it is you who would be nowhere without me."
Doom responded by reaching out and grasping the trident's shaft with his gauntleted hands. He then snapped it in two. There was a great pulsation of energy throughout the room; then it settled and the trident was left powerless.
"I will not be tempted by scrap metal," Doom stated.
"Then don't," Loki warned.
"Nor will I be made a fool of," Doom continued. "You have my loyalty. And you know better than to risk it." He turned and stalked from the room.
Loki couldn't help but doubt those words, and the emotion inspired in him was one he hated to entertain.
"YOU CAN'T HOLD ME IN HERE! YOU HEAR ME? ONE DAY YOU WILL ALL RUE THIS DAY! YOU WILL ALL REGRET CROSSING ATTUMAAAAAAA!"
Namor could only watch for a few seconds as Attuma pounded his fists against the glass of his cell and cried out revenge. Then he found himself with an urgent need to leave the prison room. The door that separated the holding cell's room from the main hallway almost blocked out the sound of Attuma's cries. Almost.
He crossed paths with Osborn. "Funny," Osborn remarked to Namor. "I'd have thought you'd take this opportunity to assert your victory."
"It doesn't seem as sweet as I had thought," Namor informed him. "Though I am glad to see him locked away, where he can destroy nothing else."
"Don't tell me you're developing a conscience over your own archrival."
"I…just have to prepare for the summit," Namor stated before storming away.
Osborn was suddenly aware of one of the other prison rooms' doors opening, and another scream sounding as the portal between prison and hallway was made – but this time, instead of anger, it sounded like terror. And definitely belonged to Red Skull.
Osborn turned to see the door closing behind Blackheart. "What were you doing?" Osborn snapped.
"Just helping our enemy feel more comfortable," Blackheart answered casually. "Settling him in."
"Were you…torturing him?"
"Physically? No. The glass gets in the way."
"You're using your demonic powers to get inside his mind," Osborn deduced.
"I do what I can."
"You're going to STOP torturing the prisoners," Osborn seethed, "starting NOW."
"I find it amusing that you think you can boss me around. Do you want to think about what you've just done for a second? How stupid it is to threaten the son of a Devil?"
Osborn glared. "Well, if I can't stop you, I at least beg you to never let this leave confidential circles. No one outside Cabal. We're about to launch an entire publicity campaign around the fact that one of the Avengers' new magical allies has the power to violate the mind of anyone in New York City. If we look as dangerous as or more dangerous than her in that regard, the credibility I've worked so hard on building for my Dark Avengers will be gone, and so will the credibility of H.A.M.M.E.R. Is that clear?"
Blackheart nodded. "As crystal." His expression and demeanor did not change. Osborn wasn't sure whether or not the point had actually hit home. But threatening a demon was as dangerous as it was pointless, and Osborn knew that Blackheart recognized H.A.M.M.E.R. as his only ride to…whatever it was he wanted. Loki and Doom seemed to have a better handle on the demon's motives than he did. Knowing that response was as good as it would get, Osborn turned and walked away.
The summit was packed with politicians. This wasn't H.A.M.M.E.R. business – neither cloak nor dagger. This was public, televised, raw truth for the masses.
Namor entered the room, and the cameras all pointed at him. Microphones were aimed toward him. He heard a voice announce him: "Namor, king of Atlantis, here to discuss American-Atlantean relations."
A small cheer went up as people recognized the man who had rescued them from Attuma in their darkest hour. Looking around, Namor found one familiar face: Emma Frost. The summit had won her a chance to speak up for the mutant demographic. Two birds, one stone.
A podium waited. Namor approached it. And then he began to speak.
Some time after the summit, Frost found Crouch in a cloistered office of the helicarrier, gingerly tapping keys on a computer.
"I take it you're new to this," she remarked.
"These machines weren't the preferred method where I come from," Crouch admitted, smiling at her. "Or at least, within my culture. I'm beginning to see why. They're frustrating to say the least."
"Once you're raised learning how to use one," Frost told him, "you get used to it. You forget that it might seem strange to someone on the outside or that there's another way."
After a slight silence, Crouch remarked, "I get a feeling you're talking about something else."
"This Cabal we're part of," Frost answered. "I joined in order to improve mutant relations with the humans. And if that means I have to make a violent strike, I will."
"How did the summit go, by the way?"
"I got in a few good words. The vision Osborn says he wants seems to be working. But is that really what he wants? Or are we just playing his, Loki's, and Doom's game so they get what they want?"
"Of course we are," Crouch told her. "But if we get them what they want, they get us what we want."
"And you're sure the price for this won't be too high?"
"Short of my own death, there's no price too high for what I want," Crouch admitted. "And I've already walked through Hell, so that might be a moot point anyway."
"You know how we're exploiting the failures of the Avengers in order to build up our own Avengers, Crouch?"
"Yes…"
"If this falls through. If people end up figuring out that Osborn, Doom, and Loki are just making their way toward a power grab. That will discredit my work and Namor's in the same way. There will be no going back."
"There is one solution to this."
"What?"
"If they win, and if they do grab power, it WILL leave a space for your goals. Their world will be your ideal world."
"So you're saying…"
"Make sure they win," Crouch asserted.
Chapter 69
· I hope you enjoyed this quick glimpse into the reaction of Harry Osborn, because he's not going to be relevant again for a while. And I left Emily alive not only because SSM dictates it, but if I didn't have Emily, I didn't know who would assume custody of Harry.
· Yes, I know. The timeline of "Avengers Assemble" hasn't happened at all. Impy knows about the fourth wall, though.
· Without spoiling too much, I will say that some of the inter-villain interactions are based on canon Dark Reign developments for the sake of giving credit.
· Yes, Wilson and Vision are playing Smash Bros. I didn't refer to their characters by name because it will make their introductions much more relevant when the Mane Six encounter Captain Falcon and Mewtwo in canon…
· I kind of went back and forth between making Attuma a complete dumbass and a complete badass.
· I sort of gave my own spin to Neptune's Trident from Avengers Assemble. I'm pretty sure the AA version is supposed to be the trident that belonged to the actual god, but that messes with my canon here, and besides…I feel like the REAL trident of Neptune/Poseidon would be WAY too powerful.
· Forgive my flagrant Cascada. I couldn't resist.
· I teased everyone's swear license to get the banter I wanted. I have been assured that since they have their roots in comics where cursing is totally in character, I can do this.
· "Excelsior Boulevard" is a street name I made up with reference to Stan Lee. I couldn't have used a real street because, unfortunately, I have no idea where Avengers Mansion is in NYC, and therefore wouldn't know which bay would be closest…yeah, sorry for my lack of NYC knowledge.
· Let's play a game called FIND THE SHIP TEASES!
· Actually having Namor deal the coup de grace was a last minute decision to move forward the agenda of improving Atlantean-American relationships.
· From what I gather, between his own superhuman abilities and the powers of his armor, Doom SHOULD be able to break metal poles in half.
· I didn't detail the summit because I don't really know how political stuff like that goes down. Sorry. Your imagination will have to fill in.