A/N: Sorry, it's been a while again. I've had a bit of writer's block on this story. At this point, I'm thinking that this fic, and my other ongoing story, will be the last multi chaptered epics I write for a while. Anyway, this chapter will still have Frank, Alice, and Billy imprisoned in Bagalia, but their allies are all busting their asses to get them out.
Music: "Dream Is Collapsing" from Inception 2010 OST
Allyson looked around, finding herself in the corridors of some sort of hospital. Actually, if she was being honest, it reminded her an awful lot of Smith's Grove. Or Westin Hills…
Nelson shook her head, beginning to walk down the halls.
"Michael? Riley?" Allyson called out. "Anyone, where are you?"
"Over here!" A voice called out. Allyson turned around, hearing Lori's voice, and took off running, straight into the waiting room. There, she looked around, finding Riley, Michael, Billy, and Lori waiting for her.
"Did you find Krueger?" Nelson asked.
"No." Lori shook her head. "There's a chance he might not even be here."
Riley grimaced, looking around the hospital.
"Why'd you choose here as the dream's location?"
"Home court advantage." Lori shrugged. "A little over 20 years ago, some kids at Westin Hills defeated Freddy by using his own rules against him."
"But this doesn't look exactly like Westin Hills." Allyson frowned, looking around the waiting room. "Where's the staff desk?"
"Cobb told me to never use complete locations in dreams." Lori explained. "Only use abstract objects. A sidewalk, or a street lamp. Or the chairs in a hospital wing."
Just as she finished speaking, a bladed glove burst threw her chest, splattering Allyson's clothes with blood.
"Lori!" Riley screamed, as the arm pulled out to reveal the cackling form of Freddy Krueger.
"Aw, you think you're in control, bitch?" Freddy sneered, walking around Lori's body until he was right in front of her. "Newsflash: this is my world! And it looks like you've brought some new playmates this time!"
"No…" Lori's eyes widened with fear, as a pistol suddenly materialized in her hand. With shaking fingers, she lifted her arm up, seemingly pointing the gun at Krueger.
"Do you really think that's going to hurt me, bitch?" Freddy grinned.
"This isn't… for you…"
Lori squeezed the trigger, and a bullet tore through Riley's head. Two more shots, and Michael and Billy were somehow killed in the dream as well.
"What the fuck did you do?!" Allyson demanded, staring down at Riley.
"Saved them…"
Lori's voice trailed off, and her arm went limp, leaving Allyson alone with Freddy.
Riley gasped awake, looking around to see Michael and Billy slowly getting up from the floor as well. They looked towards the bed, seeing the briefcase was still activated, with Allyson still asleep. Stone slowly looked over her shoulder, seeing Lori having woken up as well but with a bloody hole through her chest. Hell, the wound was the exact same as the one Freddy gave her in the dream.
"What did you do?" Riley whispered, standing over her body.
"I tried to save you…" Lori murmured. "But you need to give her a kick."
"A kick?" Riley frowned. "What's a kick?"
"Anything… water, a slap…" Lori mumbled. "The dream's collapsing…"
Back in the dreamscape, Allyson glared at Freddy, balling up her fists.
"Krueger." Nelson growled. "Aren't I a bit old for you?"
Freddy let out a harsh cackle, sounding like nails being scraped along steel pipes.
"I'm willing to make an exception." the dream demon chortled. "After all, you and your fuck buddy Myers fucked up some friends of mine."
Allyson narrowed her eyes in annoyance. So her hunch was right.
"You're working with the Sisters of Death." Nelson accused. "They brought you back!"
"Not quite, bitch!" Freddy cackled. "Their children may have given me my power, but they're still trapped on Deadworld!"
"Then who?" Allyson demanded, stepping forward. "Who helped you return?"
"Now that would be telling." Freddy chuckled. Allyson felt her anger rise up, but before she took another step, they both heard a large cracking noise. Confused, Nelson looked to the side, seeing a large crack on the wall, which was going up to the ceiling.
"Uh oh…" Krueger smirked. "Looks like Lori's dream is collapsing."
"What?" Allyson widened her eyes, causing Freddy to laugh harder.
"Whenever I killed that bitch, her dream began to crumble." the dream demon grinned. "And now, you're stuck here with me!"
Riley knelt down next to Allyson, shaking her roughly. Unfortunately, that was enough to wake her, causing Stone to slap her in the face, hard.
Allyson felt as though an invisible force pushed against her face, making her fly off her feet and crash into the wall next to her.
"The Hell?" Nelson groaned, as she groggily stood back up. Freddy simply laughed, walking towards her while flicking his blades out.
"Your friends can't save you." Freddy sneered. "Welcome to my nightmare."
Riley looked up at Billy, widening her eyes.
"She's not waking up." Stone murmured, looking frantically around the bedroom. If there was something, anything, that they could use to wake Allyson up… but there was barely anything in there, aside from Lori's body, herself, Billy, and Michael-
Wait. Riley turned completely around, seeing that Myers wasn't in the room anymore. Where did Michael go?
Freddy lunged, forming his glove into claws, as Allyson sidestepped, throwing her elbow into his back and sending him crashing to the floor.
"Not bad." Krueger smirked, pausing to see bits of the ceiling collapse. "But you can't hurt me."
The dream demon lunged forward, going so fast Allyson would have mistaken him for a speedster, and impaled her in the stomach with his claws. Nelson growled in pain, but began to darkly laugh.
"You can't hurt me either." she chuckled. "Compound V is one Hell of a drug."
"No shit. Wish I got some of that." Freddy admitted, while flexing his blades inside Allyson's torso. The act made her wince in pain, but she still glared at the demon.
"But I don't have to kill you, bitch." Krueger revealed. "I just have to stall you long enough to get pulled into my world completely."
Just as Riley was about to call out, Michael returned, carrying a large bucket of water with him.
"Will that work?" Riley asked desperately. Myers silently nodded. Sharing a look with Lenz. A silent understanding passed between them, as if they were thinking the same thing.
It has too.
Without another word, Michael stepped forward, pouring the bucket over Allyson's head and dumping the entire volume of water onto her.
As Freddy continued cackling, Allyson looked up, hearing an odd noise. It almost sounded like… a waterfall?
Suddenly, water began to burst through every crack in the wall, making Krueger's eyes widen in realization.
"No, no!"
At first, Allyson looked at the dream demon with a confused expression, until it dawned on her: someone had woken her up by pouring water on her.
Freddy began to pull his blades out of her stomach, but Allyson grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
"Oh no. You're not going anywhere." Allyson vowed, just as the cascade of ice cold water slapped against her face...
Allyson's eyes snapped open, finding herself back in Lori's bedroom, and with Krueger on top of her.
"You little bitch!" Freddy roared, painfully ripping his claws out of Nelson's body. He was about to stab again, when an arm suddenly reached out, grabbing the demon's wrist. Allyson followed the arm, seeing it was Michael who had intervened.
Myers threw Freddy off of Allyson, sending him crashing into the wall behind him. Krueger groaned, while Billy walked over and reached down, grabbing his left arm, he was soon joined by Michael, who grabbed the arm with the bladed glove, and together, the two supes ripped the demon's limbs apart, spraying the room red.
"Not my arms!" Freddy yelled, as Allyson slowly stood up, clutching her stomach. Even now, she could feel herself healing, but that didn't stop it from hurting like Hell. As she began to walk forward, Nelson looked over her shoulder, seeing Riley staring with wide eyes.
"Stay back." Allyson instructed, before turning back to Krueger.
"Why? I'm armless." Freddy asked smugly. Allyson growled in anger, remembering how Judge Death said that exact same thing before Dredd killed him.
"Who are you working for?" Nelson demanded, grabbing Freddy by his collar and throwing him to the floor. "Is it HYDRA?"
"Not anymore." Krueger grinned cruelly. "All I did was help them with some drug they called fear toxin. It ain't perfect, but it can still mimic a tiny bit of what I can do."
Allyson groaned in annoyance. She heard about "fear toxin" before. It was a narcotic, either in gas or liquid form, that was created by the Gotham City terrorist Scarecrow to make you relive your worst nightmares. And if HYDRA had gotten ahold of it…
"What do you know about Bruce Wayne?" Nelson asked. "Is he in Bagalia?"
"Baga- what?" Freddy scowled. "I don't know shit about that rich bastard! Honest!"
Allyson shook her head, before placing her boot on Krueger's temple.
"Who brought you back?" Nelson repeated, grinding her foot down and hearing small cracking noises. Freddy yelled in pain, squirming underneath the supe's heel, but she wouldn't budge.
"Okay, okay!" Freddy shouted. "No one brought me back! It's people remembering me that gives me power!"
Allyson paused, widening her eyes. After hanging around John Constantine on rare occasions, she heard about demons like this. How remembering them have them power, and the ability to return.
Nelson looked towards Michael, seeing him shift his weight to one foot. Was that nervousness? Or anxiety?
"Thank you." Allyson muttered, lifting up her boot… only to crash it back down onto Freddy's face, splattering the floor with his blood, brains, and bits of his skull. All that was left was a tattered brown fedora, now ringed with red.
Nelson let out an exasperated sigh, as she turned to look over at Lori's body.
"No." she gasped, seeing the gaping wound from the dream had carried over into the real world. Both Allyson and Riley rushed over to Lori's side, kneeling down and cradling her head in Stone's hands.
"Lori, I'm sorry-"
"Don't." Lori interrupted, spitting out a wad of blood. "Just, promise me… to bring Will back…"
Lori's arms suddenly went limp, and her eyes closed, signaling her death. Allyson squeezed her eyes shut in sadness, as she lowered the body to the floor.
"What did she mean?" Riley asked. "We can't just bring him back!"
Allyson frowned, as she stared blankly at the wall. True, they couldn't just bring Will back. Not after what Homelander did. But… what if they went back and changed what happened?
Nelson silently shook her head, and activated her earpiece. First things first; she had let Frank know they hit a dead end.
"Frank, are you there?"
Instead of hearing Castle's voice, all she heard was static.
"Damn." Nelson muttered, as she tried another contact. Thank God they were modified to communicate long distance, so to speak.
"Dredd? Becca? Can you hear me?"
Still, nothing but static, although Allyson could have sworn she heard Becca's voice, but couldn't hear exactly what she said.
"What is it?" Riley asked in a worried tone.
"None of them are responding." Allyson grumbled.
"Well, it is three AM…" Riley looked at her watch, getting an idea. "Try contacting Millie."
"Millie?" Allyson frowned. "Does she still have nightmares?"
"No, but she still wakes up at that time anyway." Riley quickly told her. Nelson slowly nodded, as she tapped her earpiece once more.
"Hey Mill, you awake?"
Music: "Aquila Natus" by Sean Householder (The Warrior Song)
New York
0300 Hours
Millie sat at the computer monitors, absently sharpening her ka-bar with a whetstone. As she heard the blade scrape across the stone, Alice walked up her, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm a bit surprised you still have that."
Millie looked up, forcing a grin, as she raised the hand that held the knife.
"Marine's best friend." Millie smirked, reciting what Frank told her years ago. "Do you still have yours?"
Alice smiled back, pulling out a small pocket knife and flicking the blade open.
"You bet I do." Pierce's eyes twinkled. "It was the first gift Uncle Andy gave to me- when I was still trapped in the doll's body."
Millie chuckled, as she recounted the story Alice told her during Boot Camp. In 2013, the killer doll Chucky had transferred his soul into Alice's body. Since her soul was still in there, he quickly had his liver, Tiffany Valentine, transfer the girl's soul into the body of a discarded Good Guy doll. After escaping the serial killers, Alice eventually met Andy Barclay, and together, they freed her Aunt Nica from Harrogate Institute four years later, when Chucky attempted to kill her. Shortly after, Barclay was able to get Alice her body back, by using the same voodoo chant Chicky used on her.
When it was revealed that Harrogate was one of the many mental wards that Vought used to breed more supes, Nica was quickly tested for Compound V. Thankfully, there was a minimal amount in her, and it seemed to only give her the ability to walk. See, she was born a paraplegic, which was revealed to have been Chucky's doing, back when he was still human.
A year later, everything changed when Thanos snapped his fingers. Not only did Alice's grandmother vanish, but so did Andy's friends, Kristen De Silva, Ronald Tyler, and Kyle Simpson. Because of that, Andy closed himself off and rejoined the Marines, being placed in Cerberus Squad in 2021. As it turned out, that was the same squad that Frank Castle and Billy Russo were in. Hell of a small world.
It wasn't until the Boys revealed that Homelander killed the Avengers when Andy finally opened up to Alice and Nica again. It was hard, taking the time to heal those wounds, but Pierce had always been thankful that the truth was finally revealed. Perhaps that's why when she was offered to join Millie's team, nicknamed Hellhound Squad in honor of Cerberus, she jumped on the chance with excitement.
As Millie and Alice continued to remember the past, Kessler heard her earpiece go off, indicating someone was calling her.
"Hey Mill, you awake?"
Millie smiled, hearing Alllyson Nelson's voice.
"Sure am, Ally." Millie smirked. "What's up?"
"Last night, Frank asked Riley and I to find any information about Bruce Wayne being in Bagalia." Allyson told her. "Long story short, we found nothing but trouble, and we have no idea where Wayne is."
"Don't worry Allyson." Kessler said reassuringly. "Mallory confirmed he's in Bagalia. He let himself get captured with Billy and Alice, that criminal from Gotham."
"That would explain why he never answered when I tried to contact him… what about Joe and Becca?"
"What about them?" Millie frowned.
"They didn't respond either." Allyson explained. "Got an idea why?"
Kessler furrowed her brow in confusion, before looking at the computer monitors. 3:15 AM. Shit.
"No. I don't." Millie murmured. "I gotta go. But could you rendezvous with us in Gotham? My team and I are getting him back."
The other end went silent, until Nelson finally spoke again.
"Of course."
The other end of the earpiece went dead, and Millie looked up, seeing William and Harley join them at the computers.
"Who was that?" Pierce asked, raising an eyebrow. Millie simply smiled, putting away her ka-bar.
"My friend Allyson." Kessler told her. "Just telling me they got nothing about Wayne."
"So are we going?" William asked anxiously.
"God damned right we are." Millie nodded, as she stood up and grabbed her gear. William, Alice, and Harley grabbed their own equipment, and they all filed into a black armored truck, courtesy of Mallory.
"Everyone strapped in?" Millie joked. Her friends all chuckled, knowing full well that buckling up would be the least of their troubles all day.
"Right. Let's roll out."
"What, are we Transformers now?" Alice tilted her head in amusement.
"Yep." Millie grinned, as she drove the truck out of the hideout.
"We sure are."
Ten minutes later, Millie parked the truck on the runway strip of the JFK International Airport, where Mallory and Cass waited for them next to a Blackhawk helicopter. Kessler's eyes widened, seeing her adoptive mother standing next to Grace, and she and her team slowly got out.
"You told her?" Millie asked the Colonel, her voice stinging with betrayal.
"No, I read her mind." Cass revealed, walking forward to meet her daughter. "Millie, I know what you're going to do-"I know what you're trying to do-"
"You're not going to stop me." Millie snapped. "I'm getting Frank back, one way or another."
Cass sighed, forming her mouth into a tight line.
"I know." Anderson-Castle murmured. "That's why I won't try to stop you."
Kessler backed up, raising an eyebrow.
"But… why?"
"Because I miss Frank too." Cass smiled wryly, as she wrapped Millie in a hug. "You're a grown woman, you can make your own decisions. Just… be careful, Mill."
"Yeah." Millie smirked, returning the hug. "Don't worry… Mom. I'll get him back."
Cass and Millie broke off the embrace, with the former Judge stepping aside to allow Kessler's team to board the gunship. Just as they were about to take off, Mallory called them back.
"I'm having Val give you a three hour window once you land in Slovakia!" Grace shouted. "Find Castle, Russo, and Wayne before then! Get to the rendezvous point at the border, or else she'll be forced to leave you behind!"
"Roger!" Millie shouted back, just as the bird ascended. Kessler watched Mallory become a tiny speck on the runway, before turning around to face her team.
"We all good?"
Alice, William, and Harley all nodded.
"Good." Millie grunted, walking over and sitting in one of the Blackhawk's seats.
"Get some rest. We'll need it." she ordered, before dozing off.
Bagalia
0600 Hours
"Castle, wake the fuck up!"
Frank woke up to a splitting migraine, with pain arcing through his skull like a railroad spike.
Been years since I woke up any later than 0300. Guess these HYDRA assholes fucked me up pretty good.
Castle groaned, slowly standing up in the isolation cell and looked over to the door, where the guard had furiously slammed his baton against the metal.
"Rise and shine, douchebag." the agent sneered. "You're lucky to be alive! But apparently, Zemo doesn't want us to kill you!"
"That right?" Frank asked gruffly.
"He executed my friends for that beating you got!" the man shouted. "They should've killed you!"
"Cry me a river." The Punisher snorted. The guard growled, unlocking the door and roughly grabbing Frank's arm.
"You try anything, I'll fucking kill you." the agent vowed. "I don't give a shit what Zemo says."
Frank let out a low grumble, as the guard walked him through the cellblock and towards the prison yard. The moment he stepped outside, the guard stopped escorting Castle, prompting him to walk over to the far corner of the yard. With nothing else to do but wait, Frank sat on the ground, laying his back on the dirt, and began his daily exercise of situps.
"One… two… three…"
Can barely do shit in here. Might as well keep in shape while figuring out how to get out.
0630 Hours
Half an hour later, Billy and Alice arrived in the prison yard, with Kane holding a book underneath her arm. Russo scanned the area, seeing Frank doing sit-ups in the corner next to an empty table, and began walking toward him.
"You coming?" Billy looked over his shoulder at Alice. Kane grinned, quickly catching up to him, as they approached Castle.
"I'll be at the table." Alice told Russo, winking while placing her free hand on his shoulder while he continued walking towards his best friend. Billy slowly nodded, and Alice let go, practically skipping over to the corner table.
"Four hundred ninety eight...four hundred ninety nine…"
Billy looked down, seeing Frank count to five hundred, and subsequently took a break.
"How you been, Frankie?" Russo asked, trying to make light of their situation.
"Been shit, Bill." Frank grunted, as he absently looked over to Alice. If he squinted his eyes, he could just barely read her book title as Alice In Wonderland.
"They let her have that?" Castle asked aloud, cocking an eyebrow.
"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are." Billy shrugged. "Really, I'm more surprised this place has a library to begin with."
"More proof this ain't what it seems." The Punisher muttered.
"What do you mean?" Russo frowned. "Plenty of prisons have libraries."
"I mean the prisoners, Bill." Frank explained. "This is supposed to be a safe haven for supervillains and pieces of shit, yeah? So why are we seeing supes in the cells right next to us?"
Billy's face fell, as a light bulb went off in his head. There was something nagging at the back of his head ever since he got here, and remembering Zemo's words to them in the limo hit him like an L-train.
Superheroes cannot be allowed to exist. The same can be said for their counterparts.
"He wants to get rid of all superpowered individuals." Billy realized. Castle grimly nodded, staring at the ground. Zemo had outright told them that while they were all in the limo. Why didn't he see it before?
Russo grimaced, as he turned his gaze towards Alice, who was still reading her book. Frank followed his eyesight, realizing he was looking at Kane, and sighed.
"You got feelings for her, right Russo?"
Billy whipped his head back towards Castle, raising an eyebrow.
"Is it that obvious?"
"We're brothers, Bill." Frank murmured. "I don't have to be a psychic like Cass to know it."
Billy pursed his lips together, staring at the ground.
"I can't help it." Russo murmured. "I know, she's a murderer and a terrorist, but…"
Castle made a rumbling noise in his throat, as he looked up at his best friend.
"I get it." Frank told him. "You guys made a connection, yeah?"
"Right." Billy nodded. "When we were in her hideout, I told her about my doppelgänger and Beth. Turns out she had a similar experience eight years ago."
"She had a doppelgänger too?" Frank raised an eyebrow incredulously, seeing Russo nod.
"She told me hers was the opposite of what she is." Billy revealed. "Kind, compassionate… good…"
"Like how yours was the opposite of you, right?" Frank interjected. Upon seeing his friend look away, Castle added, "You know you won't turn into him, right Bill? You know I won't let that happen."
Still, Billy remained silent, causing Castle to switch subjects.
"Look Russo, if you do got feelings for her, you gotta tell her, yeah?" Frank told him. "Don't make the same mistakes I did, or it might be too late."
This time, Billy did look back at Frank, squinting his eyes in confusion.
"What are you talking about? You and Cass are married."
Castle sighed, looking at the yard's ground.
"I realized early on I had feelings for her." Frank revealed. "They really started before I left for Mega City One with the rest of the Boys. It wasn't until Judge Fear nearly killed me that finally got me to tell Cass, and she had to be the one to do it first."
Billy stepped back in shock, since Frank had never told him the details on how he and Cassandra fell in love. Castle slowly nodded, averting his gaze to stare at the prison walls.
"Yeah… don't wait to tell her." Frank murmured. "You might not realize when it's too late."
"I'm a bit surprised you're encouraging me." Billy frowned. "I thought you'd sooner kill her…"
Frank slowly nodding, as he continued to stare at the wall.
Not sure why I am either. Maybe it's because I've worked with Myers and Lenz, who've done worse. Maybe that's why I've gone soft over the years.
While Frank continued his thousand yard stare, Billy looked over to Alice, just in time to see a HYDRA agent March over to her and snatch the book out of her hands. march over and snatch the book out of her hands.
"What're you reading, bitch?" the agent sneered, glancing at the cover. "This supposed to be your biography?"
Alice glared at the agent, as she jumped up from the table. As she reached out, the guard slapped her in the face with the book, causing blood to flow from her nose, and making her hiss in pain.
"HEY!"
The HYDRA agent turned around, just in time to see Russo and Frank storm over to him.
"Oh good, Castle's here." the guard chortled, as Frank stared him down while Billy helped Alice get back up. "If you think you're gonna take me out like you did to Declan, think again. We got choke shields now to prevent that shit."
The agent wore a shit eating grin, while pointing up to a guard tower with a line guard.
"And we got snipers out here watching our backs, in case you try anything stupid." the guard continued, pulling out his shock baton.
"I dare you to try anything, you piece of-"
Frank smashed his forehead into the guard's, splitting the man's lip, before spinning him around and putting his arms around the back of his head in a headlock.
"Fuck!" the agent screamed, as Castle threw them both to the ground.
"Get this piece of shit off me!"
Alice and Billy looked up, seeing the guard in the tower trying to get a clear shot.
"Negative, you're in the way-"
"I don't give a fuck, shoot him!" the same guard screamed, just as two more agents rushed towards them. Russo and Alice noticed this, and once they got close enough, Billy clotheslined one of them in the neck, while Alice slapped him in the face with her book. Meanwhile, Frank's hand found his guard's discarded baton, and after activating the shocked tip, forced the blunt weapon into his mouth and down his throat. The guard gagged, as he felt himself get electrocuted with a thousand volts, and was fried from within.
Castle breathed heavily, standing up and looking over to Alice and Billy, just in time to see six more HYDRA agents charging towards them.
"Down on the ground, all of you!" one of the guards shouted. Alice rolled her eyes, as she, Billy, and Frank all knelt down, their hands placed behind their heads.
"Sorry." Frank said dryly. "He dared me."
That was the last straw for the guards, causing one of them to smash his baton into his face, making him collapse into unconsciousness.
"That's enough!"
Billy and Alice looked up, seeing Warden Boss marching towards them.
"Since Mister Castle did not accept Zemo's… generous offer, he wants us to break him into submission." Boss curled his lips into a cold smile.
"Take him to Enigma!"
The guards picked up Frank and dragged him away, much to Alice's horror. Enigma… it can't be…
"What?" Billy asked in confusion, seeing her expression. Alice slowly turned her head towards him, her eyes widening further. "Who's Enigma?"
"She's a hypnotist from Gotham." Alice whispered. "She's going to screw with Frank's head!"
"Yes she will." Boss nodded in excitement. "A shame I won't be able to see it."
Before Russo or Alice could ask what he meant, the warden barked to the guards, "Put the bitch in an isolation chamber! I want to have some fun with her before her therapy!"
Alice felt herself seize up in fear, as the guards grabbed her and forced her to stand up.
"No, no!" she screamed as she was being dragged away. widened her eyes even more, as two more guards picked her up by her arms.
"No! Let me go!" Alice yelled, struggling against the agents' grips. She had an idea what Boss was implying, and if she was right…
Alice began hyperventilating, while the guards dragged her away. The entire time, she was looking over her shoulder, seeing the guards taking both Frank and Billy away from the prison yard. For a moment, she and Russo locked eyes with each other, but then it was gone, and Alice was forced down a hallway and into the darkness.
0745 Hours
Billy was carelessly thrown into his prison cell, where he quickly turned around and grabbed the bars.
"What are you doing to Alice?" Russo asked frantically. "What are you doing to Frank?!"
"I wouldn't worry about them." one of the guards muttered coldly. "By the time their little activities are done, they'll both be wishing they were dead."
Billy glared at the HYDRA agents, as the two men cruelly laughed and walked off, leaving him in the cell to ponder how to get out. He only hoped he could reach Frank and Alice in time.
0800 Hours
The HYDRA agents dragged Alice through the cellblock, opening up the door to an isolation chamber and roughly throwing her in. As Kane tried to stand up, one of the guards activated his stun baton and pressed the tip into her neck, causing electricity to dance through her body. Alice gasped from the pain, crumpling to the floor and writhing in agony, just as Warden Boss entered the darkened cell.
"Eyes, for eyes. Teeth… for teeth." Bill grinned sadistically. "On your knees, whore."
Alice glared up at the warden, trying hard to visually portray her rage and disgust.
"Go to Hell." Kane snarled, spitting in Boss' face. The warden reeled back, growling animalistically, as Alice got up and rammed her head into his.
"You bitch!" Bill roared, pulling out a taser and pressing the electrified tip against her neck. Alice gasped in literal shock, while Boss delivered a backhand that made her fall to the floor and spit out a wad of blood.
"I'm the warden! I deserve respect!" Bill shouted, watching Alice try to back up, grimacing in pain. "On your fucking knees!"
Alice continued backing scooting away on the floor, so Boss stomped over to her, grabbing her shoulder and partially ripping her jumpsuit.
"Fighting will only make it last longer." Bill grinned, as he used his other hand to undo his belt. "But that's fine with me-"
"Warden!"
Boss looked over his shoulder, and Alice looked up, to see Tatiana standing in the doorway.
"What do you think you're doing?" the assassin demanded, as Boss straightened up.
"I was going to show her why she should respect me." Bill sneered. Tatiana narrowed her eyes, as she stepped forward.
"I know what you were going to do." she hissed, pulling out an ornate dagger. "Need I remind you that Zemo wants no harm to come to them? That includes no raping."
"I don't give a shit what that cocksucker wants." Boss scoffed. "And I don't care what you or your carpet munching master want either, cunt."
Tatiana glared at Boss for several seconds, before suddenly driving the dagger through his neck. Bill's eyes widened, as blood began to dribble out of his mouth, and Tatiana yanked the blade out, watching his body fall unceremoniously next to Alice.
"Get up." Tatiana ordered, grabbing Alice by the arm and pulling her to her feet.
"What, you're my savior now?" Alice asked sarcastically, as she was led down the cellblock once more.
"Safiyah would like to have a word with you." Tatiana muttered begrudgingly. "For your betrayal on Coryana, she will see you pay dearly."
"Well first, she'll have to see me, won't she?" Alice snarked. Her only response was a slap to the face, prompting her to stay silent for the rest of their "walk".
0830 hours
Frank's eyes fluttered open, staring up at the sterile prison lights shining upon him. Castle groaned, attempting to move, but found he couldn't. Wearing a frown on his face, Frank looked down to see his arms and legs were tied down with several straps, confining him to a hospital bed.
Those HYDRA fucks really knocked me out good. Next thing I know, I was strapped to a gurney, looking up at the ceiling. No Billy, no Alice with me. I was on my own.
Before Frank could continue struggling against his bonds, the cell door opened up to reveal a woman with long black hair, hearing a dark green overcoat and holding a cane. Frank raised an eyebrow, noticing the head of the cane was shaped like a curved golden question mark.
Everything cleared up in a matter of seconds. That gimmick cane, her name being Enigma… she's the daughter of that one other prick from Gotham. Riddler, I think his name was.
"Welcome, Mister Castle." Enigma greeted. "I've heard plenty about you. I cannot wait to pick your brain and discover what drives you."
Frank snorted, rolling his eyes at the doctor. Enigma tilted her head in confusion, as Castle opened his mouth to speak.
"Good luck, asshole." The Punisher told him. "I've faced much worse than you."
"But have you faced yourself?" Enigma prodded. "Asked yourself why you do this?", as she pulled out a device with a disc shaped light. "By the time I'm through, you will serve Baron Zemo."
Frank scoffed, glaring at the woman, as the light began flashing.
"Let's start with your family." Enigma told him. "Why do you do this? For the ones you love? Or was it because of something else?"
Oh for fuck's sake. I've already been through this shit with Beth Chase. She couldn't break me for long, so what chance does this Enigma have-
Castle was about to laugh in reponse, but he suddenly found himself staring intently at the light, almost in obsession.
Ah, shit.
0845 Hours
Alice was dragged into a private chamber of the prison lit by at least a dozen candles, with two chairs before a table of food. In one of the seats was Safiyah, while Tatiana forcibly pushed Kane into the other.
"Thank you, Tatiana." Safiyah smiled warmly, though her eyes betrayed her anger. "You may leave us."
"You can't be serious." Tatiana protested. "After what she did?!"
"Your concern for me is touching, but I assure you, Alice is no threat to me." Sohail told her bodyguard, before glancing to Kane. "Are you?"
Alice narrowed her eyes, as she stifled a laugh.
"I guess that depends on where this is going." she muttered, looking down at the table. "One last meal before the slaughter?"
Safiyah raised an eyebrow, as her lips curled into an amused smile. Meanwhile, Tatiana quietly left the room.
"I convinced Zemo to arrange your capture." Safiyah revealed. "He was content to just barter with Grace Mallory to take Frank Castle. Your former friend Cartwright would have also loved to kill you, but I talked them into bringing you along. Do you really think I'd have gone through that trouble just to end your life?"
"Uh, yeah, that way you get a front row seat to the show." Alice said sarcastically. "So if it's all the same to you, I'll take my poison in pills."
Safiyah tilted her head to the side, before taking a crystal decanter and pouring wine into a goblet.
"I asked Helmut to have these imported from Coryana." Sohail said softly. "Makes me remember home."
"I'm sorry, but if there's a point to all this, could you got on with it?" Alice interrupted. "You can't have had all this set up inside the prison just for a friendly chat."
Safiyah huffed, setting down the goblet and looked up at Kane.
"I'm not the one who started this fight Alice. But I will end it." Sohail vowed. "I never forgot what you did ten years ago. I revealed the island's greatest secret, and you stabbed me in the back."
Coryana
2018
Alice walked out onto the balcony of Safiyah's castle, seeing the older woman looking out towards a field of flowers.
"I was told there'd be wine." Alice said dryly. "I don't really see the need for an army, seeing as how you have no crime here, and everyone walks around with a plastic smile. It's like ancient Pleasantville here."
Safiyah smiled slightly, as she nodded toward the field. Kane quinted, just now noticing they appeared to be roses.
"This is why we need an army." Sohail told her. "You've seen these roses, have you not?"
"How can't I?" Alice snarked. "They're pretty much all over the damn place."
"They're called the Desert Rose." Safiyah informed. "Such a delicate flower… and can be one of the deadliest weapons in the wrong hands."
"What do you mean?" Alice frowned. Safiyah simply smiled, as her finger glided over the banister.
"Thousands of years ago, explorers discovered what is now known as the Lazarus Pits." Safiyah explained. "The waters can heal any wound, restore one's youth, drive out poisons from the body, and even bring the dead back to life. There are many pits around the world; Nanda Parbat, Kandahar… even here."
"What does this have to do with the roses?" Alice asked in confusion. Again, Safiyah smiled, while turning towards her pupil.
"Did I ever tell you the history of the Many Arms of Death?" Sohail asked. Once Alice shook her head, she continued.
"I was originally a member of the League of Assassins, and wife of the great Ra's Al Ghul." Safiyah revealed. "I gave him a beautiful daughter, and in return, he gave me this island, as well as a sizable amount of the League's members."
Alice's eyes widened, having heard of the League before. Mostly in stories told to her from her parents, but she never imagined they were real.
"And… the Desert Rose…" her voice trailed off.
"These roses are a product of the pit beneath the ground we walk on." Safiyah confirmed. "The flowers have soaked in their properties, and are now extensions of the pit itself. It was my husband's final gift to me, and it is my responsibility to protect it."
"Hence the army." Alice guessed.
"Yes. Hence the army." Safiyah nodded. "On occasion, word of a mystical flower on a far away island reaches unwanted attention. If outsiders come to take it, then we have nothing."
Safiyah paused for a moment, looking out towards the roses. Alice raised an eyebrow, almost feeling a sense of… dread, coming from the woman.
"What is it?" Alice asked, looking out towards the fields as well. Safiyah sighed, shaking her head.
"I have lived for over one hundred years." Safiyah murmured. "My husband, even longer… former husband, before the Green Arrow murdered him. I have spent decades defending this island from outsiders, wanting to steal Coryana's greatest secret, but now…"
"You're not sure if you can anymore." Alice realized. Safiyah turned back towards Kane, gazing at her with worry.
"The world has changed further than I had ever thought possible. The outsiders I have defended this island from have been mortal." Sohail whispered. "Superhumans, aliens… if one of them finds us, I fear we would be powerless to stop them."
Safiyah stopped speaking, as she looked down at the floor. Alice herself said nothing in return, as she glanced over toward the rose field, a sly smile playing on her lips.
Bagalia
Present
0900 Hours
"Did you think me so easily to forget?" Safiyah asked. "I took you in, despite Tatiana's objections. I had her train you to become a warrior, to claw your way out of the proverbial hole you dug yourself in, and you betrayed me. You stole one of the Desert Roses, before burning the rest of them. Now there is nothing left of Coryana. Your destruction was thorough and complete. You managed to raze nine villages on the island as well, so you can add that to your ledger."
"Well, it's like a wise woman told me: 'It's not worth sending a message if it's not loud'." Alice coldly smirked, pretending to be the same remoseless killer she once was by repeating the words Safiyah had told her years ago. Sohail deeply exhaled, continuing to glare at the younger woman.
"Indeed. After all, you were my best student." Safiyah said begrudgingly. "But at the end of the day, your just a child who throws tantrums. Because of you, the secrets of the Desert Rose were exposed to the world. Tell me, do you know whatever happened to Mary Hamilton's blood, after Natalia Knight removed a large quantity from her body?"
"I suppose that the GCPD or the Crows got ahold of them." Alice shrugged. Safiyah narrowed her eyes, clenching her fists.
"No." Safiyah's voice raised slightly. "Rather, Vought was able to get their hands on it. It was your doing that they were able to perfect their modified Compound V serum, which, combined with otherwise unstable harvested DNA of non-V metahumans, would grant their adult patients with the superpowers they specifically desired, without the risk of killing them, or the need to inject infants."
Alice widened her eyes, realizing the domino effect of what she had done. As her mask finally broke, a small grin formed on Safiyah's face.
"I believe one of their first patients for the revised serum was another former member of the League… Beth Chase." Safiyah smirked. "Coincidentally, just months ago she tormented Frank Castle and William Russo. Now, how do you think they will react if I tell them that your actions led to her creation-"
"Enough." Alice snapped, taking several steps forward and resting her hands on the chair in front of her. "What do you want?"
"I want you to rejoin the Many Arms of Death." Safiyah told her. "The only reason I was able to have you brought here alive is because Zemo got Castle. Like you for Cartwright, I would have preferred him to be killed, rather than brought here."
"Why?" Alice scoffed. "What did Frank ever do to you?"
"Not to me… to my daughter." Safiyah murmured. "Beth Chase murdered my Talia, but it was Frank Castle who let it slip that she had allied with him. If he hadn't exposed her… then my daughter would still be alive today."
"So that's what this is about." Alice rolled her eyes. "Mouse wants me dead, and you want Frank dead. But neither of us are, because you and Zemo want us for your own armies."
"Precisely." Safiyah nodded. "Call it an uneasy alliance with the Baron. As of now, we have mutual interests. What benefits him benefits me, albeit for differing reasons."
"What about Billy?" Alice asked. "Why did you have him brought in?"
"Call it a fortunate accident." Safiyah sighed casually. "Helmut saw his potential to join HYDRA, being the head of his own security company, but because of the obvious feelings you two have for each other, I believe he can also provide… leverage."
Alice's eyes suddenly flared up in anger, as she leapt over the table and grabbed Safiyah by the throat, sending them both falling to the floor.
"If you touch him, you bitch-"
Safiyah kicked Alice's legs out from under her, making her grip loosen, delivered a brutal headbutt that forced the younger woman off her. Kane groaned, holding her head, as the door opened, revealing Tatiana and Mouse.
"I see that threats aren't good enough." Safiyah said coolly. "Very well. Jonathan is more than happy to break you mentally for what you did to him."
Cartwright smiled cruelly, as he and Tatiana grabbed Alice by her arms and dragged her away.
"What does that mean?" Alice asked frantically, as she stared up at Mouse. "What are you going to do?!"
Music: "Rampage" from Punisher Season 1 OST
0930 Hours
"Don't fight it, Mister Castle. Tell me what you see."
Frank looked around, finding himself back in Kandahar, as he and Russo were caught in a firefight. At their feet was Schoonover, his arm blown off, with Goodwin killed from a stray bullet.
"I'm… I'm in Kandahar." Castle murmured reluctantly. "Bill's with me."
Amidst the gunfire, Enigma's voice cut through Frank's thoughts like a knife through butter.
"Kandahar. Is this where your final mission in Operation Cerberus took place?"
"Yeah." Frank felt himself nod, as his body involuntarily ran into the Insurgent compound.
"What were you doing there?"
"We were sent to take out a high valued target." Frank answered, as he watched himself kill scores of Muj within the darkened building. "We got ambushed, with no air support, and the evac was crawling with bogies."
"And you elected to go in alone to clear it, according to the official report." Enigma's voice echoed. "What happened in there?"
Frank watched, like seeing through someone else's eyes, as he pulled out his ka bar and stabbed one of the Insurgents in the head with his ka bar, before picking up a rock and bashing another's head in.
"I was… I was trapped." Frank murmured. "No backup. Little to no ammunition. I was exhausted, and feeling like someone would get the drop on me."
"Yet somehow you were able to make it to the landing zone and get your squad out of there." Enigma recounted. "How? Did you have outside help?"
"No… yes." Frank immediately changed his mind. "The Sisters reached out to me."
"The Sisters? Who are the Sisters?"
"The Sisters of Death." Frank elaborated. "They gave me the strength needed to push on and get my brothers out of there."
"And these… Sisters, they cursed you." Enigma concluded. "Would you say that this is when you truly became the Punisher?"
Frank hesitated for a moment, before feeling himself nod.
"Yeah."
"You do realize that a father passes more than his name to his children?" Enigma asked. "Your violence begats violence. Would you want your surrogate daughters, Millie Kessler and Riley Stone, to go down this path?"
Frank felt his anger rise up, as he attempted to fight against the hypnosis.
"You leave them out of this, asshole-"
"Answer the question, Mister Castle." Enigma said more sternly. "Do you see that your unfocused violence cascades out and hurts those around you? Would you want this curse to be passed on to your children?"
Frank let out a deflated sigh, and felt himself shaking his head. Despite having already heard this before, first with the Dark Judges, then Beth Chase, he never really stopped to think about the effect he would have on either Riley or Millie.
"No. I don't."
"Then you have to break this curse." Enigma told him. "Let go of the Punisher, before your daughters continue the cycle of violence-"
Frank, don't listen to this drokker!
Castle frowned, hearing his wife's voice, as he tried his best to think internally, instead of speak.
"Cass? That you?"
Yes, it's me. Cassandra said softly, and Frank could swear she was smiling, despite not being visible.
"How are you doing this?" Frank asked worriedly. "You here in Bagalia too?"
No, I'm still in New York. You should see the equipment Mallory snagged from ARGUS to help me with this. Cass chuckled. But you can't give in. I've seen you face Judge Fear, and you bounced back from Bendix. I know you're stronger than this.
Frank felt himself nod, as a grin broke on his face.
"Yeah… thanks Cass."
1000 Hours
Frank's eyes snapped open, as he glared up at Enigma.
"No." the woman gasped, widening her eyes in fear. "This wasn't supposed to happen-"
Castle's hands suddenly shot upward, tearing the straps apart and grabbing Enigma by her throat.
"You will never break me, got that?" Frank growled lowly. "You're not gonna turn me into Zemo's puppet. This is who I always was."
As Frank continued strangling the doctor, two HYDRA agents burst through the door, slamming their batons into his head and knocking him out cold.
"I couldn't break him." Enigma murmured, rubbing her neck. She looked up at the guards, before nudging her head to the door.
"Take him back to solitary. I will have to inform Zemo that Frank Castle could not be turned."
The agents wordlessly nodded, as they picked up Castle by the shoulders and dragged him out of the room, leaving Enigma alone to gather her bearings.
1015 Hours
Alice continued struggling against the combined strength of Tatiana and Mouse, who dragged her into what looked like a patient's room with a long white gurney waiting for her. Right next to the gurney was a silver tank, a tube and oxygen mask attached to the side, with a crude image of an upside down bat symbol and angry looking eyes on the front.
"No… No!" Alice shouted, realizing what was about to happen. Tatiana forced her to lay on the gurney, while Mouse secured her arms and legs to immobilize her.
"You remember the Fear Toxin?" Cartwright grinned wickedly. "How I made you inhale it?"
"Mouse, please!" Alice begged. "Don't do this!"
"You don't control me anymore." Mouse sneered, as he placed the oxygen mask over Alice's face. A moment later, he turned the valve on the tank, and a brown colored gas surged through the tube and into Alice's mouth.
"My only regret is that I won't be here to see you squirm." Jonathan smirked, as he and Tatiana left the room. Alice started to hyperventilate, even before the effects of the fear toxin hit her, as her eyes rolled back into her head. The last time this happened, she hallucinated Jonathan's cruel grandmother, Mabel Cartwright. The Queen of Hearts. Now, she wondered what she'd see under the influence of the gas...
1045
Baron Zemo paced angrily in his office, while Safiyah, Mouse, Tatiana, and now Enigma stood patiently.
"Repeat what you told me Doctor Rhyme." Helmut ordered, turning to glance at Enigma. The doctor slowly nodded, as she stared past Zemo.
"I tried, and failed, to break Castle." she confessed. "His mind was too strong, and he nearly killed me. Before he was taken away, he promised he would never be your puppet."
Zemo's rage flared, as he suddenly lifted a gun to point at Enigma's head and squeezed the trigger. A deafening gunshot echoed throughout the office, as Doctor Rhyme's blood splattered across the bookshelf behind her. Helmut closed his eyes, sighing in frustration, and turned to Safiyah.
"What about Alice?"
"She didn't take my deal either." Sohail reported. "Not even when I threatened Billy Russo. She's currently inhaling that vile fear gas as we speak."
"Very well." Zemo sighed, walking over to his desk and sitting down. "Tatiana, inform the guards that all three of them will be executed tomorrow. Death by hanging."
Tatiana nodded, as she and Safiyah turned to leave, while Mouse stayed behind.
"You said I could kill her." Cartwright snarled.
"No, I said you would have your revenge." Zemo countered, as ghost of a smile formed on his face. "I never said how you would get it."
Mouse narrowed his eyes, before turning on his heel to leave as well. As he stormed out of the office, he didn't notice Zemo's smile growing wider, as he began to think of his final plan for Bagalia.
A/N: I was originally going to include Alice's hallucinations, but then I realized the chapter was already long enough. So I'm saving it for the next chapter. Also, I changed a ton of the history of Coryana, what with the Desert Rose being connected to the Lazarus Pits and Safiyah being Ra's Al Ghul's wife and the mother of Talia, but I think it fits. That also opened up the opportunity to give Safiyah and Tatiana to have a bone to pick with Frank Castle, not just Alice, and ultimately connect Alice back to the larger saga regarding Vought's experiments on adult patients during the first story.
Anyway, the next chapter will be heavy on the hallucinations and flashbacks. It should also be the final chapter that takes place in Bagalia. Until then, take care everyone.