Music for this Chapter:
Rob Dougan's "Furious Angels Revisited"
watch?v=Gq7ynQPssUk&list=PLD4ZwDeQz9JARiJWqZtrcInSi-HicI-F4&index=46
Just as Peggy and the others braced for the killing shot, they heard a distant roaring call to arms coming from the exit behind the destroyed thrones. Suddenly, a trident sailed out of the darkened opening. It was aimed straight at Baron Zemo.
The intended target barely ducked out of the way in time. Instead, the deadly projectile slammed into General Kadar's second of command, skewering right through him.
Right behind the thrown weapon, a volley of trident energy blasts fired at the Baron as well as Kadar's traitorous troops.
Surprised by this unexpected assault, Zemo was too busy finding cover to kill his arch-nemesis.
Using this distraction to its fullest, Peggy and the others fled from Zemo and his deadly subs. They quickly ducked behind a nearby large pile of rubble to regroup.
Suddenly, Namor and his three cousins shot into the room with several loyal guards close on their heels. Spying his foes, the Prince bellowed the loud battle cry, "Imperious Rex!"
Frustrated that his prey had gotten away, Zemo focused on the enemies that he could see. Quickly he sent one of his subs toward Namor and his cousins. Two others he sent to seek and destroy Peggy and her friends. The last two he kept stationed by his side. They would protect him from any other possible attacks should things go sideways again.
During this, Prince Namor and his allies attacked General Kadar's larger force of soldiers and the rich patrons who had sided with this disloyal cause. Because they were in close combat against their foes, the Prince and the others could not fire off any more static pulses from their tridents. Instead, they used the three-pronged trident to jab and strike at the traitors to the crown.
In no time, Namor and his allies had begun to fight their way past the smoldering royal thrones. Too intent on reaching Zemo and the General, they did not see the lone sub quickly homing in on them.
The attached machine gun swiveled towards them to fire.
Raising her head up so she could view the fray, Peggy saw what was about to happen. Though she risked being targeted, she yelled a warning, "Watch your back, Prince Namor!"
Suddenly, it fired a volley of shots at Namor's group's flanks.
The Princeling and his cousins scattered just in time, but one of their loyal guards was not as fast and got hit. The multitude of bullets impacted his body, and he was quickly cleaved in half.
Namor and the others stared aghast at the appalling brutality of the subs weapon. Quickly they snapped out of it when the General's troops instantly pressed their advantage.
"The occupants inside the subs are machines. The water will destroy them!" Peggy yelled these instructions, her voice barely reaching Namor over the fever pitch of battle.
Unfortunately, her second warning had helped the hunting subs triangulate her location. Her group darted away just as the subs fired. Using broken columns and other debris, the humans were able to hunker down closer to the ruined dais undetected. At least the subs robots were having difficulty finding them among all the wreckage, Peggy thought relieved.
Cautiously looking over towards the Prince, it appeared that he had heard her order. In moments, Namor had positioned himself under the lone sub.
Grasping the belly of the hull, Namor flexed his muscles. He bent the sub in two with his superior strength, cracking it open like an egg. Seawater instantly flooded the submersible, and the inside electronics began to spark from the deluge.
The humans cheered, and Zemo seethed.
Peggy was amazed at the strength the Prince had. The Atlantean General had been strong, but he was not near Namor's level. She wondered if anyone else in his family had such similar attributes.
A worried Zemo Junior swam to his father's side, "How can I help, Baron?"
Still disgusted that his feckless son refused to kill his archenemy, Zemo shoved him aside, "Get out of my sight. Go hide somewhere. It was all you were ever good at anyway."
Sulking, Helmut left his father's side and did as he was ordered.
His son already forgotten, Zemo once more focused on the Atlantean Prince.
Hands-on hips, Namor laughed heartily at the malfunctioning sub. He then frowned when the unharmed Man-droid swam out of the escape hatch. However, the water did not affect it at all.
The Prince glowered at Peggy, who grimaced an apologetic smile in return.
She then rounded on Howard, who held up his hands in defense, "Hey, Zemo must have fixed that little short-circuiting bug. I bet that the new robot's fake skin is completely water-tight. Not to worry, I am sure with Namor's superior strength it shouldn't be an issue."
Alas, all hopes of the Atlantean Prince making short work on the robot were dashed when Zemo pressed a series of buttons on the gauntlet.
In seconds the broken sub detonated.
The explosion was massive, and the blast sent Namor flying backward, slamming him into a column. The impact against the coral pillar was so hard that it snapped it in two. Stunned, the Prince collapsed onto the floor. Now on all fours, he shook his head, trying to clear it.
General Kadar squinted his steely gaze at the dazed Princeling and sneered. He began to swim towards Namor to deal the final blow, but Zemo yelled, "Let me handle the Prince, General Kadar. What better royal to use when making an example to the Atlantean masses?"
Reluctantly nodding, the General admitted, "Yes, his public death to all could be beneficial to our cause. Many are outraged that he is next in line to the throne." He then focused on his troops, "With Namor dealt with, now is our chance, men. It is time we destroy this ridiculous monarchy once and for all. Crush them completely."
The remaining troops and disloyal Atlantean nobility shouted in support. Forgetting his injured ribs, the General joined his followers in charging toward Namor's cousins and their trusted guards.
Left behind, Zemo quickly punched new orders into his gauntlet. The two subs that had been trying to locate Peggy and her group now turned towards the stunned Namor.
Fearing for the Prince, Peggy glanced over to Namor's cousins and their loyal guards. The Atlantean General and his soldiers inundated them. It appeared that they were barely holding their own and would be no help to save Namor.
Realizing that the royal Atlantean was still too disorientated to retreat, Peggy made a quick decision, "I need to go help him."
"And what of us?" Howard countered angrily.
Grimly, Peggy realized that she could not do this on her own. After an exhale, she smiled, "Alright, I need all of you to get that gauntlet away from Zemo. Howard, you are then to shut off the Man-droids."
Pleased she entrusted them to help, Howard tipped an imaginary cap at her.
"Just please stay safe," she added worriedly.
"You got it, pal," Howard answered for her friends, who all nodded in solidarity with him.
After one last look of trepidation at them, Peggy swam towards the Prince. She could not imagine losing any of them due to her orders.
While she did this, her friends began using the larger piles of debris throughout the chamber to sneak toward the Baron's back. Thankfully, Zemo was too intent on the gauntlet's dials and switches to notice their cautious approach. It would only take seconds to train the two subs guarding him on the smaller group and annihilate them.
Seeing how close the two subs were getting to the defenseless Prince, Peggy pushed herself to swim faster. But she would not make it. Desperate, she yelled the command, "Snap out of it, Prince Namor! Zemo's targeting your flanks."
Groggy, Namor noticed the frantically swimming Peggy heading his way. Trying to focus, he blurrily saw that the two subs had maneuvered on either side of him.
Then their mechanical appendages reached out and grabbed onto the Prince's arms. They then began pulling away, so Namor was stretched tight between them.
Distantly, Peggy heard the General's roar of laughter, "Yes, pull that pale crab apart to get to his meaty center!"
As the subs drew further back, an enraged Namor snapped out of his stupor. He began to flex his arms, drawing the two subs back towards him. But Zemo was ready.
Suddenly the metal arms pulsed with static electricity, and the Atlantean Prince cried out in pain. The massive jolts of power instantly weakened Namor, and in moments he hung limp in their grasp.
Desperate, Peggy saw that one of the royal guard's discarded trident weapons rested on the seafloor. She swooped in and scooped it up. Then, recalling how the General had set his to kill Dmitri, she twisted the device's shaft all the way to the left.
Swimming closer to one of the subs, she aimed the trident at its mechanical arm. Instantly she fired, striking where it connected to the sub. The blast weakened the metal, and she shot again. Now she was near enough to feel the heat coming off the glowing spot of energy. She had thought it would dissolve the metal, but perhaps that only occurred to flesh and not anything else.
At this range, she knew a third blast from the trident would shear off the mechanical arm. She was about to fire once more when the Man-droid that had been freed from the earlier destroyed sub was suddenly in her path. He grabbed the trident, and they briefly tussled over it.
The robot's superior strength had him swinging Peggy effortlessly around. Feeling her grip slip, she could not stop her hands from sliding off. She then went hurtling backward and nearly slammed into the stunned Namor. But before she crashed into him, she twisted around enough so that she could grab onto his hard muscular torso instead.
When the Man-droid aimed the trident at her, she quickly ducked behind the dazed Namor. She hoped the robot's orders still stood at keeping the Atlantean Prince alive.
Evaluating where her hiding place was, the Man-droid began to swim around to shoot her. Peggy knew that she would have nowhere to hide once it was in range.
Glancing past the Man-droid, Peggy saw Howard and the others creeping closer toward the Baron's back.
Unfortunately, they were still too far away to grab the gauntlet. It seemed that there was nothing to stop the determined robot from killing her.
Desperate, Peggy demanded in Namor's ear, "You must wake up, Princeling. They are challenging your family and your honor!" She hoped that by using his arrogance to goad him, he would react accordingly. Unlike others who shared such similar traits, at least Namor could back up his avenging pride.
Her urgings worked, and a furious Namor snapped back to consciousness. Just as the Man-droid darted in to kill Peggy, Namor roared and kicked it hard in the chest. The force of the blow had the robot tumbling off into the distance.
Emboldened, Namor began to fight back against the subs that he was still pulled taut between. But the submersibles were strong and would not give an inch.
In the distance, Peggy saw Zemo growl in frustration. Quickly he began to punch in a command to zap Namor again. But before he could order the subs to send another stunning energy pulse, Howard and the others were upon him.
Peggy cheered.
Barely fending off their attack, a frantic Baron punched some buttons on the gauntlet. Instantly, one of the Man-droids exited the closest subs airlock and rushed to his aid.
The robot grabbed Howard and Jarvis and knocked their heads together. It then brushed the dazed men away with one sweeping gesture.
Spinning around, the Man-droid shoved Dmitri aside.
While it was busy, Zdenka surged towards Zemo. But with lightning-fast reflexes, the robot swung at her. She ducked and retreated. Seeing his chance, Dmitri advanced, but the robot would not let him near his master either.
When a determined Howard and Jarvis tried to grab the gauntlet, the robot once more interceded.
With no weapon to fight back with, the four circled the Baron and his creation, always on the lookout for an opening.
Thankfully the lone sub still protecting Zemo could not fire, or their master would get hit as well. He was also prevented from activating the subs pulling on Namor to shock the Atlantean again.
While this was going on, the General took a break from the battle to mock the Prince, "Pale crab, you are a disservice to your family's royal blood."
Insulted, the Prince's anger energized him. With an outraged roar, Namor ripped the weakened mechanical arm off the sub's nose. Prying the enlarged claw off his bicep, he flung it away.
With a snarl, he grabbed the metallic arm of the one still holding his other limb tight. Using his amazing strength, Namor swung that sub into the other. The devastating collision damaged both badly enough to disable them, and they sunk to rest on the floor.
Seeing that more of his prized subs had been ruined, Zemo screamed in fury at the General, "Stop antagonizing him!"
Still seething, Namor turned to face the robots that had just evacuated the damaged subs.
Peggy tugged on the Atlantean Prince's arm. Until her friends could somehow deactivate the gauntlet, she knew Zemo would rather destroy his creations than lose to her. True to form, she saw an outraged Zemo angrily punching buttons on his gauntlet.
Concerned, Peggy ordered, "Namor, we must swim away before he blows those damaged subs up."
The enraged Namor began to shrug out of her hold, but then his superior hearing overheard the Baron growl, "I will not be denied."
Realizing the implications, Namor suddenly grabbed Peggy. He then hurled her away to safety just as Zemo detonated both wrecked subs.
This time, the explosion was enormous. The concussive blast bounced outwards, and its powerful shock wave knocked the Atlantean Prince out cold.
Having been thrown far enough away from the explosion, Peggy quickly looked around for Namor. She spotted him not too far off, his body floating lifelessly.
Desperate, Peggy swam over to him and began to pull him to safety. Though Namor's cousins were leading the loyal troops to victory, there was still danger throughout the chamber. She would need help to protect the Prince from those that meant him harm.
She yelled beseechingly, "Dorma, Namora, Byrrah, Namor needs you!"
The cousins left the others to mop up the remaining traitors and hurried over to assist the human.
Sickened that the soldiers were losing, Zemo spat, "Where are those brave Atlantean warriors that I had heard so much about."
Ignoring his taunts, the General focused on a new objective. Peggy's cries for help had also alerted him.
With his possible win diminishing by the seconds, the General raced towards the vulnerable Namor. This was his chance. He was determined to pound the vulnerable Princeling into a pulp.
Peggy saw the Atlantean General heading their way. As the cousins worked on trying to awaken the Prince, she asked the female Dorma, "You must have your cousin's superior strength too, do something."
One of the male cousins, Byrrah, she thought, grinned mirthlessly, "Actually, that is all him. No other Atlantean has such power."
Peggy was surprised. Being stronger than his people made her speculate that Namor was probably a mutant, which was an interesting prospect in itself. If they got out of this mess alive, she would certainly ask the Prince a few pertinent questions.
Dorma snapped Peggy out of her musings, "We can revive our cousin, but that means you must stall General Kadar."
"I'll try," Peggy replied wearily. She had no idea what she could do. Then she spotted the first freed Man-droid with the trident, rushing at her determinedly. Then, with an idea in mind, she quickly made a beeline to meet the General head on. She figured he might as well join her little impromptu party.
This had the added benefit that the robot would not fire at her. There was too much risk of accidentally hitting the General. Well, she hoped that was the case. Thankfully, the robot did not shoot, but it continued to close in on her in pursuit.
The General laughed when he saw Peggy almost upon him, "Foolish hu-man, what do you hope to accomplish? You cannot best me."
"No, but it can." And she ducked just as the Man-droid swung the trident at her head. Instead of connecting against hers, the golden weapon cracked across the General's face. The fierce strike was so hard that it snapped the weapon in two.
The force of the blow also broke the General's nose. With blue blood streaming from it, the reeling Atlantean bellowed at Zemo, "Get your machine under control, surface-dweller!"
Grinning at his plight, Peggy dodged the Man-droid's attempt to grab her. From then on, she kept the General between her and it. She might get out of this alive if she could stall both long enough for Namor to recuperate.
When the General suddenly lunged at her, she dove just out of his reach. As he did this, the robot also had the same intent. Thunk! Both of their heads collided with a resounding crack.
The General groaned and rubbed his throbbing temple. Peggy silently cheered when she saw the large knot develop on his blue forehead. Surprisingly, the Man-droid had a dent in its head, too. Using this chance to escape, Peggy swam back toward the cousins.
Shaking his head to clear it, the General growled and shoved the robot out of his way. They both then charged after Peggy's retreating form.
Peggy knew that they were too fast for her to outdistance. They were nearly upon her when a conscious Namor was suddenly in her path. Grasping her arm, he pulled Peggy aside quickly.
Just before the General and the Man-droid could reach them, the Prince forcibly clapped his hands together hard. The resounding impact caused a massive concussive wave. It was strong enough to propel Peggy's two pursuers' tumbling away.
Nodding his gratitude, Namor gently pushed Peggy back, "Thank you, surface-dweller, err, Peggy. I will take over now."
Getting out of his way, Peggy watched as the Prince turned to confront the enraged General. She did not spy the dented Man-droid nearby, and she hoped it was floating somewhere too damaged to fight anymore.
She glanced over at the Baron and saw that her friends continued to engage the Man-droid, but they still could not get near enough to Zemo. Perhaps they needed one more player to tip the odds in their favor, she thought with a grin. With that in mind, she began to swim towards them.
Taking a chance, she turned her head. Behind her, she watched as the older Atlantean General came in fast at Namor, his fist extended like a missile to strike down the Prince.
Easily dodging it, Namor's eyes tracked the General as he began to circle the defiant royal Atlantean slowly.
Sneering at Namor, the General mocked, "Are you sure you do not want to hide behind that female hu-man again, Princeling? Maybe you should. At least she was somewhat of a challenge."
Though outraged over this insult, Namor was still willing to give him a chance. But barely, "Only because you have served my family well for all these years will I allow you to change your traitorous ways, General Kadar."
Stopping in front of Namor, the General spat, "I will never surrender to you, pale crab. At least I am a pure Atlantean. You have no right to the throne any more than your new hu-man pets."
Gritting his teeth, Namor replied arrogantly, "Fine. Then let us finish this, General."
They traded blows, and though Namor was stronger, he seemed to be holding back. However, it was still a quick fight, and after just a few strikes, the dazed General was already beaten black and bluer.
Swooping in, Namor grabbed the General by the edge of his polished blue armor. Shaking the wounded Atlantean General, he demanded, "You know I am superior to you, Kadar. Now say it."
Still, the General would never admit such a thing. Instead, he defiantly wiped the blue blood from his lips, "You will never be worthy of my respect, half-breed."
Suddenly, there was a supportive yell as General Kadar's reinforcements swarmed into the chamber from the outside. The General grinned mirthlessly as his backup soldiers converged toward him.
Smiling at Namor, the General laughed, "You might have freakish strength, but I have the superior numbers." The General called loudly over his shoulder to the surplus of troops, "To me, my loyal Atlantean brethren!"
Her forward progress now blocked by this influx of warriors, Peggy dived out of their way. Thankfully, the rushing soldiers deemed her insignificant and ignored her. With trepidation, she hoped that Namor's strength would be enough to defeat such a large amount of troops.
In moments those loyal soldiers were at their General's side. They sneered as they primed their tridents. These fighters had no qualms about using their deadly weapons against the Atlantean Prince.
Namor nodded at this challenge and swam forward to meet the tempestuous group head-on. Easily dodging the lethal weapons blasts, he slammed into the soldiers, scattering them like bowling pins.
Arrogantly chiding the turncoats, the Prince decreed, "Being traitors to the crown, all of you will suffer under my wrath."
Shaking her head in frustration, Peggy thought Namor seemed more intent on making them feel his fury than finishing the fight quickly. She wondered if the Prince was paying them back for all their veiled insults over the years.
Finding her way no longer impassable, Peggy swam hurriedly towards her friends.
Closing in on her goal, she saw that a surviving Man-droid from one of the destroyed subs was slowly swimming back to Baron Zemo. This automaton was badly damaged from the blast. Both legs were crushed, but it still doggedly made its way back to its master.
But even impaired, the robot would still be difficult to fight when it joined its creator's side. Knowing that it would tip the scales further in Zemo's favor, Peggy now concentrated on overtaking it to reach the Baron first.
Thankfully for some perverse reason, Zemo was not using the last manned sub to fire at her. She then saw that the Man-droid with the dented forehead was gaining on her from behind.
Determined, she continued. Using the thought of punching Zemo square in the jaw helped give her a boost of energy.
In moments she had passed the badly damaged Man-droid. Frantically, it tried to grab her churning legs, but she moved too fast to be caught.
While her friends continued to try to circumvent the robot guarding Zemo, Peggy was now near enough to hear their grumbles of frustration.
During all this, Howard had somehow procured a trident. But the Man-droid kept intercepting the blast every time he shot at Zemo with the weapon. Even on its most lethal setting, the energy strike only singed the robot's clothing. So, not only was the new robot's fake skin completely water-tight, it seemed that it was now resistant to all electrical charges.
But none of that mattered anymore. Peggy was almost upon Zemo. She was so close that she could see the smirk plastered on that bastard's face. The SSR Agent vowed that she was going to make him eat that toothy grin.
Sneering, Zemo spat, "You do not know when to quit, Agent Carter."
Determined, she pushed herself harder and growled, "Not as long as there is a breath in my body."
His grin became malevolent, "Why don't we test that theory, fraulein."
Her fingers were just inches away from his face when the dent-headed Man-droid reached her. Yanking on her foot, it pulled her backward and away from Zemo. Before she could kick free, the robot spun her around and held her in an intimate embrace.
She struggled and fought, but its tight hold was iron and unwavering.
"Now let's see how much you like drowning," Zemo stated methodically, almost as if she was a lab rat.
After a few twists of gauntlets dials, the Man-droid reached up and ripped off her mask. Her means of survival drifted down and then scuttled away to hide behind some debris.
Staring into the eyes of her mechanized enemy, a horrified Peggy found herself unable to breathe.