AN: Story's Shadow and I are back. Hope ya'll enjoy.
-Imperious' Throne Room-
"I was afraid that certain outstanding circumstances would bring us to this point, Stalker." Imperious said lowly in his deep voice.
"'Certain outstanding circumstances,' I'm afraid I don't entirely master." Stalker apologized in a low tone.
"Remember how I looked into the future and saw where Vulpine's quest would lead?" Imperious quizzed his apprentice.
Stalker nodded his head silently in response to his masters question.
"It was in that same look into the future that I saw the return of old hatreds being revived, those old hatreds being the return of Metatron, Cassandra and Jacob. I also saw Vulpine twisting the truth about these three noble warriors, into well crafted lies meant to further indoctrinate Vixen, and use her and the Secret Warriors to extinguish the flames of the past which fuel the dying, hidden truth." Imperious informed the alien samurai.
Stalker lowered his head and began rubbing his chin in silent contemplation as he mulled over what his emperor had just told him.
"It seems though however... that the opposite effect has taken place, which is unfortunate... and must be corrected immediately." Imperious muttered lowly.
Stalker though had heard the growl which despite being well hidden, was present in his masters usually calm and smooth demeanor.
"If I may be so bold, my lord?" Stalker asked almost reluctantly.
Imperious gave a small hand gesture, giving his apprentice permission to proceed forward.
"While unfortunate circumstances might be leading Vulpine down this path at this particular moment, these same circumstances could be very quickly turned to your favor my lord. Vulpine's resurfaced emotions and feelings present an opportunity to truly test his loyalty to you and your empires eternal throne..." Stalker suggested in a very enticing tone.
Imperious lowered his head into his closed right hand and silently contemplated what his apprentice had suggested.
"Again you prove why you are my apprentice Stalker." Imperious said upon lifting his head after making a silent decision. "Even though I am the last of my kind, I will never forget my races' only unforgivable sins... treachery... and betrayal... To my kind, these two capital sins could be punished immediately... with the punishment always being laid down by the one who was betrayed." Imperious said in a smooth and almost nostalgic tone as he remembered his peoples ways, before the fires of war snuffed out all life, leaving it's sole survivor to carry on their legacy.
"What is your judgement my lord?" Stalker asked quickly.
"My judgement will be cast only when I'm certain without any doubt that Vulpine will stand against me." Imperious said before pausing to take a breath. "It is often said that the hardest battle to win is the one within yourself... prepare yourself Vulpine. For your first trial will be upon you sooner than you could even comprehend." Imperious said smoothly as he nodded his head, as if agreeing with himself.
Stalker bowed to his lord, showing his loyalty and agreement to his master and his plan.
"What will become of the fox of war should he fail your trials my lord.?" Stalker asked.
Imperious was silent for a few short seconds before answering.
"The treacherous fox shall face judgement from his masters avenging angel." Imperious answered in a firm and convicted tone.
Stalker couldn't help but smile at the mere though. He hoped for Vulpine's sake that the fox didn't fail his emperors trials, or else Vulpine would die again, and there would be no returning this time...
-Meanwhile: Secret Warriors' Base, Practice Room-
Iron Heart, typed some commands into the control panel at beyond the practice area. Inferno held the ax unsteadily in his hands.
"Don't get me wrong, these weapons are awesome...but why are we wasting these on the training bots we normally curb stomp?"
Patriot held the spear in his right hand as he practiced jabbing with it while he held his shield to guard himself while the spear's length was against it.
"Vixen's dad gave us these weapons for a reason. And Cap always says you need to practice with the tools you have at your disposal. And other than that fight against those skeleton soldiers, we need more training time with these."
Quake moved one hand across the blade of the katana.
"And with the magic we're up against, it's possible we may be forced to rely on these weapons alone."
Inferno nodded then grinned.
"I gotta admit, I wish we'd started using these earlier."
Some of the others chuckled.
Vulpine's gaze was on the weapon Vixen held in her hands. The blade was magnificent, its glow was like that of the sun. He could even feel the aura of power from a distance. Never in his life had he'd ever looked upon something of such craftsmanship. The magic within he suspected was laced within the blades perhaps with runes.
Squirrel Girl approached Vulpine.
"Pretty cool blade, huh?"
"What? Oh, right. Apologies. Yea, it's a fascinating weapon."
Squirrel Girl raised an eyebrow at him then laughed, lightly punching him on the arm.
"Relax, dude. We're about to get some killer weapon practice in."
"Yes, of course. I'm just marveled by the sword."
Squirrel Girl patted him on the back and walked off, getting herself into position with her bow.
Quake turned to Ghost-Spider, who groaned as she clutched her head with one hand.
"God these headaches are killing me. They come at the worst of times...they can't be a coincidence."
"I'm suspecting that as well. Maybe the doctors missed something in their tests?"
Patriot walked over to stand beside them.
"Maybe that hit from the Wolf guy, maybe it caused some internal damage? Perhaps it's only gotten worse?"
Quake rubbed her chin.
"It's possible that hit would've already caused some damage...or maybe since we're dealing with magic users...maybe something like a curse?"
Ghost-Spider groaned slightly.
"But if that were the case, wouldn't my spider-sense be going haywire?"
"Possibly, we just don't know enough about this magic."
Patriot sighed.
"If only we could arrest those three and question them. But that's easier said than done."
America held her daggers, stepping on either foot in place.
"Man these babies are beautiful. I really need my own weapon...weapons."
Quake looked over to Iron Heart who finished putting in the final commands then took hold of her naginata. She walked over to stand by Ms. Marvel, who swirled the bladed parts of her kusarigma.
"Perfect weapons for someone who can stretch their body around."
She giggled as she watched them twirl. Quake walked over to her.
"Remember, these aren't toys."
She looked over her reflection in the shining steel.
"How you use them is a reflection of yourself."
Ms. Marvel chuckled.
"Been reading up on samurai philosophy?"
Quake's serious visage shifted to slight embarrassment.
"Maybe a little."
Many of the other Secret Warriors laughed.
Iron Heart readied her naginata.
"The bots should be ready in just a moment. They're programmed to look and fight like the skeletons we just fought."
Inferno grinned.
"Sweet."
A group of a few dozen bots shifted into the form of the skeleton warriors that the group fought earlier. Quake spoke to her team.
"Remember, be serious. It can't be all jokes in a fight."
Some of the others nodded.
The bots charged and so did the young heroes.
Inferno shouted as he slashed with his ax, cutting a bot's head off. He grinned widely.
"Awesome!"
He rushed forward and shouted, slashing his ax down and into a bot's 'chest'. As it fell he turned at another and chopped it down with his ax. He slashed at another and slashed through the bot's sword. Then he brought the ax up and chopped it down and cut the bot's head in half.
Patriot blocked the strikes from a bot's sword with his shield. He slammed his shield to the side, knocking the blade out of the bot's hands before her stabbed with his spear. The bladed end punctured through the head. The young hero then pulled the spear back, which took the bot's head off. He rolled under the slash from another bot with a sword but he lost his grip on the spear.
"No!"
He grunted as he blocked another sword slash then pushed up his shield with both hands then rolled over to the spear. Patriot took up the spear in his free hand and then stabbed it through the bot's rib-cage.
Quake grunted as she blocked the a sword strike from a bot, trying to find an angle to attack. She ducked under a horizontal slash then side stepped a stab. But the bot pushed forward, jabbing. Quake blocked with the katana as she stepped to the side, but she lost her grip on the sword. The bot used its shield to toss the blade away. The young hero frowned as she evaded to the side, the bot's sword missing by a few inches.
"I knew we needed more practice!"
She rushed over to where the katana laid, but a bot jumped in her way. It slashed at her with a sickle blade, but Quake slid under the strike and picked up her weapon. The young heroine quickly got to her feet and slashed with the katana. It cut through the bot's neck and took its head off.
Squirrel Girl grinned as she fired off arrows at the different skeletons and each arrow hit its mark. She turned to see Vulpine dodging the strikes from a skeleton's sword. The young heroine took aim and fired. The arrow lodged itself in the bot's skull. Vulpine turned and saw SG waving at him.
The Fox slowly nodded then took up the fallen bot's sword and looked for his next target. SG raised an eyebrow at this.
Ms. Marvel moved her upper body around the stabs and slashes from a bot's ax. She slashed out with her weapon. It cut through the bot's neck but the blade got close to Iron Heart as she stabbed with her naginata. The armored heroine cut off a bot's head before she pulled the blade back to block the stabs from another bot's spear.
Iron Heart saw the kusarigma coming and gasped as she ducked under the blade. Ms. Marvel gasped. As she pulled her weapon back a bot charged her. Its shield slammed into her legs and the young Inhuman shouted as she dropped to the ground. Her weapons fell at her side. The bot rushed over to where Ms. Marvel's head laid.
Ghost-Spider grunted as she fired a bolt, which lodged into the bot's head. She winced as she gripped her head. Squirrel Girl looked over to her then fired an arrow.
"Ghost! You ok?!"
Ghost-Spider groaned.
"Just these blasted headaches!"
The spider heroine grunted as she took aim and fired a bolt. It landed in one of the two bots that rushed at America.
"Thanks Ghost!"
America grunted as she moved around the stabs and slashes from the other bot. Its sword came close to striking her a few times. But the young heroine grunted as she rolled under another slash before she moved to behind the bot. She stabbed both daggers into the bot's head then pulled them out.
She kicked a star hole then jumped into it. Another such hole burst appeared above another bot. America shouted as she dropped down and stabbed both daggers down into another bot's back just below the neck. Another bot charged her. The heroine grunted as she was pushed back and tried to bring up her daggers, but the bot bashed them aside with its shield.
"Not so fast!"
Inferno chuckled as he rushed forward and chopped down with his ax, it cut into the shield and through the arm the bot that was holding it up. He then pulled the ax back and chopped off the bot's head. He grinned at the ax.
"I love this thing."
America turned to see a bot charging Inferno.
"Behind you!"
Inferno quickly turned and slashed with his ax. But the bot slammed its mace against the handle of the ax. The weapon fell from Inferno's grip before the bot slammed its shield against him. The young Inhuman grunted as he hit the floor.
Iron Heart flew towards them and stabbed with her naginata. The blade burst through the bot's ribcage and sent it falling to the floor. She helped up both America and Inferno.
"You two ok?"
They both responded in unison.
"Fine."
They looked over to see Vulpine dueling with another bot. The Fox grunted as he slashed at the bot, cutting off its hand before slashing back the other way with the blade he took. It took off the bot's head and sent it flying. Vulpine grunted as he dodged the stabs from another bot's spear before he grabbed the handle and cut the spear in half. He then lunged forward, stabbing the blade through the bot's ribcage.
Inferno's eyes widened a little.
"Wow."
They looked over to see Vixen, who chopped the Holy blade through a bot. It cut it in half. Ms. Marvel, who had gotten back onto her feet turned to see this after cutting through another bot.
"Why didn't it turn to ashes?"
"The blade only does that to evil entities."
"Ah, good to know."
Vixen turned and brought up the blade and blocked the strike from another bot. The bot's blade was cut in two before itself was dealt the same blow as the Fox slashed the Holy weapon through it. The Fox grunted as she rushed another bot, cutting it in half as it rushed at Quake. Quake's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the heavenly weapon cutting through the bot with such ease. Quake turned to Vixen.
"I'm really glad you're on our side."
Vixen grinned at her before they both turned to see the others dispatch the last of the bots. Many of them were gasping for air, chests heaving. Quake grunted as she looked to the group. Inferno sighed.
"You were right, we have a lot of work to do."
Quake nodded.
"We've only begun to use these weapons, we can't play around with them. We'll need to do daily weapons' practice to get a hold on them. Here, in a confined space we've learned we're not as good with these weapons as we thought. We need to work at this."
The others nodded.
Vixen, Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, and Inferno left.
Vulpine placed the blade he'd taken with the broken and cut up pieces of the bots. Quake, Ghost-Spider, and Patriot watched him leave. Ghost-Spider sighed.
"Finally, the headaches are gone...I hope."
Quake rubbed her chin.
"We'll need to get you checked by the doctors again. We can't have you in the field if you're vulnerable like this."
"I did ok, today."
"Perhaps, but we shouldn't take the risk."
Patriot put one hand on Ghost-Spider's shoulder.
"We just want to make sure you're safe. Whatever's going on, it's affecting your ability to fight."
Quake turned in the direction where the others left.
"Something fishy's going on...I just can't put my finger on it."
"You don't think-"
"No...I don't know what...but something's messing with her spider sense and it keeps happening only at certain times...I just can't figure out what."
Ghost-Spider sighed.
"I don't know about you guys, but after that messy training session, I need some food and a nap."
Patriot chuckled.
"Fair enough."
Quake didn't respond verbally, she simply nodded. She didn't have a spider sense, she just had this feeling something was happening that none of them could detect...yet.
To Be Continued...
The trials have begun, what lies in the future for Vulpine is truly hanging in the balance... as well as Vixen and the Secret Warriors