The Masters of Evil, once feared, now divided! Enchantress is on the warpath and the only hope for these super-crooks is sanctuary only the Avengers can provide! Is this is a trick? What manner of mayhem could this bring? Get ready for a wild ride, true believers, as this unlikely coalition works to repulse Amora's-
Chapter 27: Acts of Vengenace
Leaning over the counter and incredibly focused, Connor watched as ground tea leaves were dissolved by hot water, poured slowly from a classically-designed teapot. "So what's the difference in using an electric kettle versus the older style?"
"Almost everything." T'Challa answered. "A heat-sealed ceramic tends to keep the water evenly boiled, as well as avoids any contaminants posed by modern uses of plastic and metal."
"Once again, new is not necessarily better." Connor mused, folding his hands beneath his chin as he watched T'Challa continued to prepare tea.
"The ingredients are to be treated with care, a better tea is made when the components have not been roughhoused." The Wakandan explained as he lifted a sprig of spice and carefully crushed it between two fingers, sprinkling its contents into the mug. "In Wakanda, we always use the same base but we can combine other spices to create different flavour combinations."
"I'm guessing that means a different tea each time."
"Correct. This particular recipe I am preparing is called Isiselo somphumi-mkhosi or 'drink of the warrior'. It relies on spice and bitterness for a flavour to inspire vigour in those who drink of it."
"Like hot chocolate but with chilli powder in it." Connor remarked.
"Perhaps not quite as extreme." T'Challa replied with a slight chuckle. "One particularly recipe requires crushed flowers to create Ukukhathala kukamama, 'mother's caress'. He described, using a stir stick to gently massage the forming tea.
"Ukuk-… okay, I really need to work on my Wakandan."
"A sweet and savoury combination is known as ukhetho lombingeleli, 'the priest's choice', while a simple savoury tea with an emphasis on strong ingredients is referred to as Isikhokelo sikaTata, 'father's guidance'." T'Challa continued, prepping two cups and passed one to Connor.
"Noticing a pattern with 'isi' and 'uk'. I'm sure I'll figure it out one day." Accepting his cup, Connor gave the concoction a sniff and then a quick sip. Letting it sit on his tongue, he made a face seconds later. "Wow. Okay, bitterness noted." He wheezed, not expecting the sudden kick the tea offered.
"Too much for you?" T'Challa queried with a smile, sipping normally like it was any other brew. Connor coughed.
"I mean, it's strong, but it's not, like… terrible?" He said at length, working up the guts to take another sip. He tasted it, slightly used to the spicy flavour. "Like horseradish. It works in its own way."
"An interesting comparison." T'Challa hummed.
As the two continued their little tea party, a different kind of party was unfolding elsewhere in the mansion. Hulk maintained a steady frown, arms crossed and standing as still as a statue. Across from him, Janet leaned forward against a table and returned his frown with one of her own, the two locked in a tense silence. Between them, Clint sat reclining with his phone in hand. "Forty seconds." He announced, glancing back and forth between the two. Janet pursed her lips, Hulk didn't budge. "Who's gonna give…? Forty-five." Janet began to struggle, her lids fluttering as she tried desperately to not blink. "Fifty…" Hulk never flinched. Janet was shaking, gritting her teeth and trying so hard not to-
"Ugh!" She groaned as she finally blinked.
"Fifty-two seconds, not bad." Clint mused. Hulk grinned. Janet rubbed her eyes with a frustrated growl.
"Man! I just can't win!" She complained. "How do you do it, big guy?"
"Gamma radiation doubled my muscle control." Hulk stated. Clint arched a brow.
"Huh. Not the answer I was expecting." He remarked. "Thought you'd say something like 'rah, Hulk have strong eyelids'." He mused in a mockingly deep and simple tone that made Janet snicker. The jade giant frowned.
"I don't talk like that." He growled. Before things could escalate anything further, Clint's ID card chirped, the blue triangles across the card glowing brightly in synchronous order. The face of Iron Man soon appeared on the comm channel.
"Avengers! Rendezvous in the situation room immediately. We're getting reports of the Masters of Evil creeping around the city." He ordered before winking out.
"Never a dull moment, is there?" Clint sighed.
"More like no rest for the weary." Hulk rumbled.
Elsewhere…
Asgard, the Realm Eternal, stood tall and gleaming in all its splendor. Despite the damage done during Loki's assault, slowly but surely the people recovered and the towering golden spires were rebuilt. Returning to his post, the ever-vigilant Heimdall stood stoic and strong at the gates of the Bifrost, his all-sight allowing him to watch and observe each of the nine realms in their course, including events unfolding within Asgard itself. So it came as no surprise to him when Thor made landfall from above, touching down beside him on the rainbow bridge.
"Hail, Heimdall!" He called out in greeted.
"Hail, Thor Odinson." Heimdall responded with a soldier's crispness.
"Loki's forces did much damage during the assault, but the rebuilding of Asgard goes well." Thor reported and Heimdall nodded.
"I know." He said. "I see everything, Thor. Just as I see through you. You did not come here to tell me of the rebuilding, you seek news from Midgard." He stated in a knowing tone, his sage insight unparalleled. Thor paused, remaining silent, but his expression told all. "There is still no sign of the Enchantress." Heimdall obliged him. Thor loosed a sigh.
"The Enchantress aided Loki in his war on the nine realms. She and her Executioner roam free on Earth, and Odin does nothing." The exasperation in his voice was plain, far from bitterness, wrought from a simple worry for those he called friends.
"I suspect for Amora, exile on Midgard is punishment enough." Heimdall surmised, tightening his grip on his axe.
"I am not concerned for Amora," Thor stated, taking a few steps down the bridge, "but for the people of Earth who may face her wrath. The Avengers will stand against-" His rant was abruptly interupted as a brilliant flash of heated red light erupted behind him. With a shout, Heimdall fell to his knees, the tufts of his furred cloak singed as dark sooty smudges marred his once clean flesh. "Heimdall!" Thor cried out, racing to his side and taking a knee. With gasping grunts, the warden picked himself up, breathing heavily as faint images wrought from the all-sight crossed his vision.
"Odin… O-Odin must be warned…" He whispered, turning his gaze to meet Thor's. In his eyes there glimmered an emotion that shocked Thor, an emotion seemingly foreign to Heimdall: fear. "The Seal has been broken." His mouth opened but no sound came out and Thor slumped back in disbelief. Panic clawed at his heart, fear and terror threatened to take hold of him.
There was only one Seal Thor knew of. To know of its breaking filled the thunder god with dread.
Midgard would have to wait. Far more dire matters required his presence.
"Avengers… Earth is in your hands." He whispered to the cosmos.
Later that night…
Scattered sightings of various members of the Masters led the Avengers to split up and search for their quarry in separate locations. Captain America led Hawkeye, Hulk and Black Panther to a warehouse in the city's shipping yards; the last-known whereabouts of Arthur Parks, the Living Laser. Treating the ambush with the precision of a military strike, Captain America had all options covered as Hulk broke down the warehouse doors to allow him and the other three inside. Panther and Hawkeye covered their flanks. "Clear." The Wakandan stated.
"Clear… I think." Hawkeye added as he lowered his bow, quirking a brow in confusion. Hulk strode in, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the warehouse.
"Hmph. That's disappointing." He rumbled.
"You're gonna wanna see this, Cap." Hawkeye stated, waving him over. Steve drew close, pausing before the frozen column of energy containing a vague humanoid outline within it.
"That's the Living Laser?" Cap asked aloud with a cock of his head. "What happened to him?"
"He appears to have been frozen in his light form." Panther answered, close enough to touch the energy mass and watch the substance mould to his hand like gelatine.
"So, what? Someone took him down for us?" Hulk questioned.
"That's fantastic!" Hawkeye chortled. "We've been tracking the Masters of Evil for, what, weeks now?"
"The obvious questions are who did this and why?" Panther intoned. Hawkeye rolled his eyes.
"You are so ungrateful. This is a good thing!" He countered. Cap's ID card beeped and Steve quickly raised the device as a familiar face appeared before him.
"Go ahead, Iron Man."
"I've got good news. We've found Chemisro." Tony stated.
"Did he put up a fight?" Cap wondered.
"Uh… not exactly." The billionaire trailed off.
Iron Man had taken Wasp and Cybernaut to pursue a sighting of Chemistro on the outskirts of the metro district. Now joined by several members of New York's finest, they paused before a very statuesque Chemistro, whose body glittered like gold in the bright moonlight…
Because it was gold. Chemistro had been turned into gold, seemingly by his own element gun.
Frozen with arms raised, Wasp zipped in closer for a better look at the villain. "I'm keeping him." She announced after a moment.
"Can you tell if it's twenty-four karat? Maybe there's a pawnshop open late…" Cybernaut trailed off, studying the trapped villain for himself. Iron Man raked over Chemistro with his scanners, picking up normal heartrate, temperature and other organic functions that were still active despite the solid gold casing.
"Sorry you two, but I don't think it's legal to sell human beings." He announced after a time.
"Wait, you mean he's alive under all that?" Cybernaut queried.
"'Fraid so."
"Aw…" Wasp bemoaned, shoulder sagging as she hovered next to Connor.
"Bummer." The technopath sighed, crossing his arms. "Could've made some serious bank pawning him off." Iron Man chuckled and returned to his comms.
"Chemistro's been turned to gold, Cap. As far as I can tell he's still alive, but he was down before we even got here." He explained.
"This is great! We're gonna wrap this up in no time." Hawkeye remarked from the other end.
"Something similar happened with Laser. He's been frozen in mid-state, half-energy and half-corporeal." Cap reported.
"Huh. Sounds like someone other than us has got it out for the Masters." Tony mused.
"Yeah, but who? There's not exactly a lot of other heroes in New York," Wasp proffered, "well, except maybe that devil-guy in Hell's Kitchen. And that guy with the guns. And that guy in white. And also the guy who swings from rooftops… what's his name again? Spider… boy?"
"Spider-Man." Cybernaut corrected. "I mean, I've read the stories about those ones. Turning a villain into a golden statue doesn't really sound like his or the Daredevil's or the Punisher's schtick. The other guy, Moon Knight? Maybe. Don't know much about him." But Connor was wrong.
What the Avengers could not have possibly known was that the Masters of Evil were in the middle of a civil war…
At a very different warehouse a state over in New Jersey, one being used as the secret lair of mad scientist Arnim Zola, the man in question stood alone with his technology. But he knew he was far from it.
"Enchantress, please. I know you are there." He bellowed to the shadows. As if on cue, stepping forth from the darkened corners of his lair, Amora and Skurge revealed themselves. Having seen better days, Skurge was deprived of his blood axe, wielding a pair of repeating rifles he had taken from a former Master's treasure trove of stashed weapons. He looked no-less formidable, however, his imposing size and massive limbs easily capable of tearing Zola's mechanoid body apart if he so chose.
"All I want is Zemo." Amora stated, her voice low and venomous. "Tell me where he is and you may live through this." She offered. Zola scoffed.
"Unlikely. I was monitoring both Chemistro and the Living Laser when you made them similar offers, you see." He retorted. "And the Grey Gargoyle's fate was always rather suspect." Skurge drew close, pressing a rifle barrel right into the telemonitor comprising Zola's torso.
"Tell me where he is or you will learn the Grey Gargoyle's fate firsthand!" Amora growled, clearly done playing games. Frowning, Zola backed away, the observation cam mounted atop his body flashing briefly.
"I think not." He stated flatly. Suddenly, erupting from the floor, the Echantress and her Executioner were absorbed by a fast-moving liquid substance. It was thick and difficult to move past, especially once it formed a perfect sphere around the two Asgardians and consumed them whole. The liquid took on a humanoid form, Zola allowing himself a pleased smirk as he took in the sight of his latest success; a new and improved version of Doughboy.
He patted his creation on the head, a rumble of contentment to resounding from the monstrous entity. But it's expression soon turned to one of pain and anguish, Doughboy roaring in pain as its body began to stiffen and crack, dough-like skin hardening to a stone-like texture. Zola backed away, only to be suddenly flung from his feet as Doughboy exploded and showered him with bits of broken stone. The verdant glow of Amora's magicks caught Zola's gaze, the blonde emerging from the haze with a less than pleased look on her face.
"That was a fatal mistake, you pathetic freak…" She growled, advancing towards the downed scientist.
From above, various security cameras caught the downfall of Arnim Zola, his pitched screams and the images of his undoing reaching another secret lair. From his safe position, Baron Zemo grimly witnessed the scene, flanked by the only surviving members of the Masters still by his side. He was the only calm one in the room, Crimson Dynamo, Abomination, Wonder Man and Cobalt deeply shaken by the feed.
"This isn't good, Zemo." The betokinetic stated softly.
"No. It is not." The Baron agreed.
Later…
"I'm just saying, who cares who did it." Hawkeye said as the rest of Cap's team left the Quinjet and returned to the warmth of the Mansion. "The Living Laser's down, he's locked up in Forty-Two. Mission accomplished." His enthusiasm was not quite as infectious as Clint had hoped for, Captain America remaining unconvinced.
"JARVIS, what's Iron Man's ETA?" He queried aloud.
"Iron Man, Wasp and Cybernaut have diverted to a warehouse in New Jersey." JARVIS intoned. "Responding to a Code Blue in prog-" The AI's voice suddenly faltered, fizzling out as static filled the comm waves.
"JARVIS?" Cap remained unanswered as JARVIS fell silent.
"This is never a good thing." Hawkeye mused, drawing his bow.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Iron Man's team was experiencing some déjà vu. "Boy, someone's on a spree tonight." Wasp determined as she studied the body of Arnim Zola, suspended from the ceiling using the remains of Doughboy.
"That's three members of the Masters of Evil in one night." Cybernaut counted.
"Yeah… the pattern's pretty obvious." Tony determined, triggering his comms. "Cap, come in. We found Arnim Zola, although it looks like someone else found him first." Silence ensued and Tony refreshed the comm frequency. "Cap?" Still nothing, the soldier's crisp responsiveness was notably absent. "Something's wrong, my comms aren't working." He announced to the pair.
"Hang on." Cybernaut offered, fingertips pressing against the Mark IX armor. Within moments his senses reached out and intertwined with those of the Iron Man armor, running telepathic diagnostics as his technopathic abilities allowed him to reach further and do more than any experienced programmer or technician ever could. Within moments, he had an answer. "JARVIS' sensor array has gone down. Someone crashed things from the Mansion itself." He stated, concern creeping into his voice. Tony audibly sighed.
"This again…"
The group of four quickly ascended to the Mansion's street-level floors, fanning out in search of yet another home-invader. It wasn't the first time the Mansion had been raided, attacked, assaulted, or besieged by villains seeking vengeful recompense, and Captain America had a feeling they were in for yet another incursion. He led them onwards, Hawkeye's bow taut with a fitted arrow ready to be loosed, Black Panther moving gracefully like a cat but with every muscle tense as he prepared to pounce at the first sign of trouble.
They moved in tandem, not wanting to be separated and picked off like last time. Hawkeye took point, carefully rounding a corner when something caught his eye. Honed instincts had him moving and ready within half a second. "Freeze!" He called out as the rest joined him. Sure enough, he had found and targeted four unwelcome guests, yet Baron Zemo stood calmly by as did Wonder Man, Cobalt and Abomination.
"Avengers, I require your… assistance." Zemo stated. Cap's eyes narrowed. No goading, no boasts, no audacious claims… Zemo definitely wasn't acting like himself.
Hulk wasted no time launching himself at Abomination, tackling the gamma monster and landing blow after blow. Panther and Cap closed the distance as Hawkeye loosed three arrows in quick succession, only to have each one blasted out of the air by Wonder Man's ionic eye-beams. Cobalt pulled up pieces of the Mansion's foundation, forming stony knuckles around his fists as Cap and Panther flanked the remaining three. "Avengers, please!" Wonder Man called out. "We're not here to fight! Just… please listen to what Zemo has to say." He implored them. Hawkeye quirked a brow and lowered his bow as Panther and Cap stood at ease.
"You are the aggressors here," the German scoffed, "your monster attacked my monster." Cap fixed his purple features with a glower for a moment before turning to the jade giant.
"Hulk, stand down." He ordered. Pausing his assault to recognize the order, Hulk landed one final blow that planted Abomination's face in the floor.
"Now I'll stand down." He rumbled, dusting off his hands.
"Someone is attacking your team, Zemo." Panther stated pointedly.
"Yes, it would seem that Amora the Enchantress has declared war on me."
"Why, Zemo?" Cap demanded. Zemo paused, questioning the usefulness of revealing the spat that had unfolded between them after the Avengers had been teleported across the nine realms.
"She's chosen to blame me for the failure of her little scheme, and is now eliminating my team one by one trying to find me." He told them instead. Pondering his words, the team was interrupted when the rooftop skylight shattered above them, bringing with it the arrival of Iron Man, Cybernaut and Wasp.
"It's over, Zemo!" Iron Man announced, priming his repulsors as Cybernaut formed his batons. "The Avengers-…" Tony paused, trailing off as he realized his team hadn't actually engaged Zemo or his cronies. "Okay, the Avengers are just standing there." He realized to his dismay. "Guys, any particular reason you aren't 'avenging'?" He wondered.
"Heinrich here says he's giving up." Hawkeye stated and, much to Tony's surprise, Zemo nodded in affirmation.
"In exchange for your aid in dealing with the Enchantress' wrath, we will surrender." He confirmed.
"Surrender? Didn't think that word was in your vocabulary." Cybernaut remarked, warily eyeing Cobalt.
"Desperate times calls for desperate measures. I saw what that witch did to Chemistro and the others. I'm not gonna stick around to find out what she wants to do to me." The betokinetic retorted.
"I dunno, think you'd look mighty cute after she turns you into a frog." Cybernaut sniped as he relaxed his posture. Cobalt made to advance, but Zemo held up his hand, warding off any potential hostilities.
"When does Thor arrive? We need him." He demanded.
"Well I've got some bad news for you, Zemo." Cap trailed off, Zemo frowning at the implications. "Thor's gone."
"What do you mean, gone?! Only Thor can possibly withstand the Enchantress' magic!" He raged. Zemo started pacing, fretting over possible results of this mishap. None of them bode well for his wellbeing. Tony sighed.
"Why are we even discussing this? We should just blast them." He stated in exasperation. Zemo whirled on him.
"Your incompetence is unfortunate, Stark. We do not have much time. Zola gave the Enchantress a location. I've sent Crimson Dynamo to delay her, but she will make him talk and come here next." His certainty was shocking. Tony was aghast.
"You sent Dynamo to die?" While there was no love lost between them, such callousness caught Tony off guard.
"That's what a team is for, yes?" Zemo calmly and coldly responded. "But you should not be concerned with my affairs, Iron Man. Without Thor, you have no defence against her magic." At that, Tony scoffed and crossed his arms in defiance.
"Don't be so sure, Zemo. I've been analyzing Asgardian magic for months now." He responded with absolute surety. "I can neutralize it."
"Really?" Wasp and Hawkeye wondered in unison.
"In theory." Black Panther and Cybernaut answered simultaneously.
"If the Enchantress is really coming after you, Zemo, we can use you as bait. Lure her into a trap, a kind of 'magic dampener'. She'll be powerless and then we can take her out. And, unfortunately, save you." Tony explained. Zemo paused, tapping his purple-clad chin in thought.
"Do I have your word?" He wondered at length.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Iron Man half-heartedly answered.
"Not yours, Stark." Zemo bit back, turning around and facing a different Avenger. "His." Captain America's brow furrowed. He could tell Zemo was desperate for this, to see him bend a knee to his whim, to protect the enemy he long since swore to put away for life. Now he had no choice and his grim expression brought Baron Zemo silent glee.
"You have my word." Cap growled after a moment.
"Well, if that's out of the way… team? A word?" The Avengers huddled together as the other Masters crowded around Zemo, heroes and villains occasionally shooting untrusting looks back and forth as they conversed amongst themselves. "You're gonna make me stick to that, aren't you?" Iron Man wondered of Cap who shot him a simple, bemused look.
"Look, we all know Zemo's not gonna surrender. We have to expect a double-cross here." Hawkeye stated and the others nodded in agreement.
"From Zemo, sure. I dunno about Mark. Never seen him shaken like this before." Cybernaut mused, crossing his arms.
"Shaken? He sounded as gravelly as ever." Wasp remarked as she sat perched on Iron Man's shoulder.
"Yeah but I've worked with him enough to know his tells. I can hear it in his voice, see it in his posture. He's afraid of Enchantress and, as much as he hates me and the rest of you, he's banking on this to work." Connor sagely described. Panther nodded in slow agreement.
"Wonder Man seems equally disturbed. Perhaps you are right about them, Connor, regardless of Zemo's duplicity." T'Challa concurred.
"Alright, so we don't trust Zemo. That doesn't mean I'm alright with having the others as loose as they are." Tony determined.
"We should just smash 'em." Hulk rumbled as he cracked his knuckles.
"Nice plan. How long did it take you to come up with that one, genius?" Hawkeye teased, snark rife in his voice.
"I can smash you too, Cupid." Hulk growled, leaning frighteningly close to the archer.
"We can all agree that the Enchantress must be dealt with, no matter how much we desire for the Masters of Evil to sort out their own affairs." Panther cut in before things could escalate and Iron Man nodded.
"Agreed. Panther, Cybernaut, start setting up the trap." He ordered. "Hulk, you, Cap and Wasp keep an eye on the Masters."
"What about us?" Hawkeye queried,
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Tony admitted, "but we're gonna go save the Crimson Dynamo."
The northern hemisphere…
Despite his status as a mortal man using technology deemed primitive by Asgardians, the Crimson Dynamo was giving Enchantress and Skurge a run for their money. Missiles, gatling cannons and plasma casters tore up the icy ground as Enchantress used her magicks to construct multiple barricades capable of withstanding a few barrages.
With a new ranged edge, Skurge was capable of landing high-powered shots to open up chinks in Dynamo's armor, which Enchantress quickly exploited with her magical abilities. She turned the very ground against him, a hand made of ice trapping his armor in a crushing grip. Struggling hard, Dynamo snapped up his arm-mounted rocket launchers only to have them destroyed by Skurge's rifles.
Slumping against his bonds, Vanko was in trouble as the Asgardian pair advanced on him. "I have only one question for you, Crimson Dynamo," Amora stated, "and I believe you already know what that question is."
"Is it 'Where can I get green arm-warmers on Earth?' Because I'd be worried about that if I were you!" Hawkeye joked as he dove down from above, loosing a trio of explosive arrows as Iron struck with a volley of repulsor blasts. The armored Avenger crashed into Skurge, bowling him over as Amora warded off most of Hawkeye's arrows… save one that struck the ground and detonated with enough concussive force to throw her off her feet.
Iron Man made to punch Skurge, only for the massive bruiser to grab his fist in one-hand, Skurge grinning as possibilities opened up to him. What he failed to anticipate was the Mark IX's new point-defence protocols; a series of subroutines capable of defending Tony at close range. In this case, ambient ARC reactor energy powered up microconductors located throughout the suit, generating a burst of high-intensity voltage that even the Asgardian could feel.
"This is none of your concern, Avengers!" Amora shouted as she unleashed magical bolts against Hawkeye. "Stay out of-" Abruptly, she paused, a sudden thought coming to her. Why else would a pair of Avengers be here when she was attacking a member of the Masters of Evil? "Zemo." She realized with a cunning smirk. "He's gone to you for help, hasn't he?" The roar of jet boosters drowned her out as Iron Man trained his repulsors on her next.
"I'm giving you one chance. Surrender." He stated firmly. But Amora merely chuckled.
"Pathetic." She scoffed. "Do you think you aren't on my list too, Iron Man?" Flexing her powers, a vibrant green energy consumed the landscape as Amora transformed shards of ice into a floating island suspended above the two Avengers. With a mere flick of her wrist, a hailstorm of shards rained down from above, trapping both Iron Man and Hawkeye before they had a chance to move and burying them under an impromptu avalanche…
"I have my doubts about Stark tech. But knowing you're working on it? Ugh." Cobalt grumbled.
"Well why don't you stand off to one side like some high and mighty union boss to make this project look all official. Always need guys leaning on shovels instead of using them." Cybernaut quipped bitterly. He did his best to ignore his former colleague and ran his hand across the upper circuit panels as he plugged in some ether cables. "Panther, the relays are running at eighty-percent optimization. There a reason for that?" He queried as his senses notified him of the issue.
"I have yet to install the secondary motherboard." Black Panther replied as he made several adjustments from the other side of the emitter.
"Okay, when you do let me know so I can get the projector wired up properly." Cybernaut replied, stooping down to run some pre-checks on the components they had already installed. "We need everything from the ground up working perfectly before we even think about synching the antenna." Panther nodded in agreement.
"Wakandan science must be so much different from ours if you're capable of using technology against actual magic." Wonder Man commented as he watched the two work.
"It is not just Wakandan methods, Simon Williams. Asgardian magic is in many ways a science of its own," Panther explained, "another form of energy manipulation. This device can shut down the Enchantress' connection to that energy."
"I'll believe it when I see it." Cobalt huffed.
"Think it will work?" Wonder Man pressed.
"I do." Panther state with sincerity. "Just as I believe the Avengers can help you, Wonder Man. You need not be under Zemo's control." He paused, continuing to work as he waited for Wonder Man to reply. "Cybernaut, I'm ready for a full diagnostic check." He announced after a moment.
"Starting now." Connor answered, dropping to one knee as he touched the device and let his mind work its way through each system and subroutine, testing the connections and mechanics they had in place.
"This isn't about Zemo. Stark destroyed my life." Wonder Man muttered bitterly.
"Tony Stark has found a way to hold your energy form together." Black Panther suddenly revealed, turning around to give the ionized superhuman his full attention. "He has found a cure for you." The news took Simon by surprise, his expression revealing as much.
"What…?"
"Zemo is an evil man, Simon Williams. I do not believe that you are." Panther stated softly, almost comfortingly. "We both know that Zemo is not going to surrender. Tell me, what do you think he is going to do?" Simon stayed silent, the answer seemingly so obvious he didn't have to voice it. They were both thinking it.
"Does it matter?" Cobalt interrupted. "Zemo may be off the rails, but we can figure out his angle once that witch has been dealt with."
"Perhaps. But I expect you to side with him when his moment comes, Markus Moran." Black Panther replied. "And when you do, I will show you the same hostility I will show Zemo." Cobalt scoffed.
"You think you know me so well, don't you?" He retorted.
"Cybernaut has spent a great deal of time explaining you to me." Panther stated simply. The betokinetic huffed.
"He doesn't know me at all. Neither do you."
Meanwhile, in an elevator en route to the sublevel, Captain America kept a very close eye on Zemo, even if he did so begrudgingly. "Iron Man would betray me." The German mused. "All of them would gladly let the Enchantress have her vengeance against me if it suited their needs." He determined with a rueful laugh. "But not you, not the noble Captain America." He surmised, casting a glance at the supersoldier's grim expression and near-emotionless eyes. "Isn't that right?" He wondered in a taunting tone. Cap didn't say a word, merely waiting until the built-in comms unit displayed Black Panther's visage.
"We are ready for Zemo, Captain." He announced.
"We're on our way." Cap stated in a low tone, the first words he'd spoken the entire ride down. Zemo tolerated his silence and emerged in-step with Captain America, approaching Black Panther and the device. Cybernaut's gaze flicked back and forth. The ratio of Masters to Avengers was still equal and he stood ready to move just in case.
"Impress me, Wakandan." Zemo stated bluntly.
"The plan is simple." Panther began. "When the Enchantress finds you here, I will activate the pwoer dampeners from the observation room-"
"No. Not you." Zemo cut in. "Captain America will." Cybernaut and Panther exchanged looks, but said nothing further as alarms began to sound.
"Warning! Intruder alert!" JARVIS stated.
"So it begins…" Zemo mused.
Up above and by the Mansion's front door, Hulk, Abomination and Wasp stood ready for action. "The last thing I thought I'd be doing tonight was babysitting supervillains. I've got class tomorrow and I'm staying up late to watch your sorry butts!" Janet complained.
"Trust me. I'd rather be anywhere but here." Abomination growled. A sudden knock at the door drew their attention, Hulk and Abomination squaring off as Wasp flew over to open it. Chemistro stumbled in, out of breath and afraid. He only stopped when Wasp hovered before his face.
"Wait, weren't you made of gold an hour ago?" She questioned.
"Please… Avengers… you have to help! Th-They're right behind me!" The villain responded between ragged gulps of air. As if on cue, a rocket erupted from beyond the property wall, streaking straight for the front door.
With a gasp, Wasp darted out of the way as Chemistro hit the deck, the explosion powerful enough to still send him flying through the air and knock the two gamma giants off their feet. Shaking her head, Wasp recovered her senses as she dropped down next to Chemistro who groaned in mild pain. Helping him to his feet, she grew to normal size and began to escort him deeper into the Mansion, just as Skurge emerged from the haze and set himself upon Hulk and Abomination, his rifles fully armed with two magazines each.
Quickly making her way down, Wasp emerged from the elevator with Chemistro to the surprise of the six preparing the device. "Wasp? What's going on?" Cybernaut wondered. She was supposed to be at her post upstairs… "Wait, is that Chemistro? Isn't he supposed to be all shiny and gold?"
"It's Executioner. The Hulk and Abomination are fighting him upstairs," Wasp hurriedly explained, "he was chasing Chemistro." The crew exchanged speculative glances, distant rumbles from above confirming at least one side of the story.
Black Panther, however, made use of his infused eyepieces to see beyond what they could. High-functioning scanners peeled away layers of trickery and deceit, revealing the truth hidden beneath the magic.
"That is not Chemistro!" He cried out, stunning them all. It certainly looked like the real deal. But clueing in and acting quicker than everyone else, Cybernaut reached out with his magnets and grasped the villain by his costume. He struggled, sounding more and more irate with each passing second as Wasp backed off in surprise.
"You forgot about the magnetic compounds of his outfit… Enchantress!" Cybernaut snapped. Chemistro's hands began to glow and it wasn't long until a flare of green energy blinded them all, stunning Cybernaut long enough for Chemistro to be freed before his disguise fell away in an emerald mist.
Amora the Enchantress was revealed to them, her hands ablaze with power and her long golden hair spread wide like the circlet of a harbinger of doom. "It's over, Zemo!" She screeched. "Now you pay… Now you all pay!" Stretching her hands out, a flurry of magic bolts had the team scattering. She struck Black Panther first, taking him down with an energized array that rendered him unconscious. Wasp was next to fall, the pint-sized heroine blasted out of the air and hitting the ground hard as she was knocked out cold.
Charging ahead, Cybernaut triggered his protective shield just in time to ward off an emerald beam. "Hey, look at that! Got the frequency oscillator just right!" He marveled with pride. Summoning his irons and snapping them into a staff, he leapt forward and brought them crashing into a force field that warded him off.
"Did you really think you could stop me with mere sticks?" Enchantress sneered.
"I got news for you, lady! These sticks beat Loki black and blue." Connor retorted, pushing hard. He caught note of the slight twitch in her eyes. "Yeah, that's right. After we beat you, we beat him too!" He promised. Enchantress responded with a shout and a beam of magical energy that overloaded his shield and planted him against the wall, taking him down.
Wonder Man attacked with ionic energy blasts that were promptly absorbed and redirected by Amora's magicks before she transformed the floor into a semi-fluid construct that moved at her will, pinning Wonder Man to the ceiling with the column.
Taking advantage, Cobalt plucked concrete from the floor's foundation and sent a hailstorm of shards hurling in Amora's direction. Whirling around, the Enchantress summoned a vortex to absorb each piece before spitting back out in a barrage of fiery energy bolts that peppered Cobalt until he fell. "Did you really think the Avengers would fare any better than your worms?" Amora demanded as she turned on the lone Zemo. With hands behind his back, he appeared annoyingly calm.
"Yes." Zemo said, simply and smugly. "Activate the dampeners, Captain." In the rush, Cap had retreated to the observation room to stand by the controls for the dampener. He stood there, watching things unfold, but didn't lift a finger to trigger Zemo's salvation. Amora advanced and the Baron grew afraid. "Now, Captain!" He ordered, tone rising to a desperate pitch. He started backing away as Amora drew closer and yet no action was taken by Captain America. "Captain!" Zemo shouted frightfully as he felt his back touch the wall. Amora smirked, raising a hand as she conjured her deadliest spell. Zemo sighed. "Disappointing." Reaching into his side satchel, he plucked out a small, smooth stone and held it out to protect himself. The very sight of it caused Amora to gasp in shock.
In his hand was a Norn stone. The ninth and final one, with the other eight destroyed by the Avengers.
She did her best to conceal her emotions behind a face of stonewalled cold cruelty, but the fear crept into her voice. "Your life was forfeit the moment you betrayed me, Zemo!" She threatened. "But what you do now… you jeopardize all the nine realms!" She knew the truth behind the Norn stones, their power merely a guard to a far graver purpose. "By using the last Norn stone, you risk breaking down the walls to Muspelheim itself! Even Loki dared not use it!"
"This stone can protect me from your magic, that's all that matters." Zemo stated calmly. Amora's eye twitched.
"You fool! You place your worthless wellbeing above the fate of the realms! I should have killed you long before when the chance was readily available to me!" She snarled. At that moment, Wonder Man broke free of his restraints just as Hulk and Skurge came crashing through the roof, their brawl spanning the near entirety of the mansion. "Executioner! I need you!" Amora called out. His duty summoned, Skurge was quick to kick Hulk off of him, only to grab the gamma giant by his hands and send him hurtling into Wonder Man, the two crashing down walls and breaking into the observation room where they bowled over Captain America.
Zemo was now entirely out of options and he knew that Amora was forcing his hand. "Give me the Norn stone, Zemo!" She demanded.
"My pleasure," he answered, a simple thought all that was required to activate the stone's power. A sizzling bolt of magick erupted forth, striking not Amora but Skurge as he stood between them. Such raw power was enough to bring the Executioner to his knees before he collapsed to the ground in an unconscious heap. Amora moved quickly past him, slapping the Norn stone out of Zemo's hand before she hoisted him up by the neck with a strength surprising given her feminine stature.
"None may touch me and live-!" She growled, interrupted quite suddenly by an arrow that struck the side of her head and unleashed an electric shock that forced her to drop the Baron. hawkeye dropped down from behind, with Iron Man and Crimson Dynamo at his side.
"Touch." He remarked with a smirk, fitting another arrow into his bowstring. Tearing the device from her head, Amora unleashed a paralyzing power wave with a snarl that caught the archer and dropped him on the floor in a heap.
"JARVIS, active the dampening field now." Tony calmly ordered, his AI doing as told as the room was bathed in a blue glow. The effects were immediate, Amora's magicks fading from her hands as she was deprived of her power.
"No… no! What have you done?!" She cried.
"I turned off your magic," Iron Man stated, "just come along quietly, I don't wanna have to hurt you." He offered. Amora looked around, a recovered Hulk, Captain America and Wonder Man joined Dynamo, Zemo and Iron Man in surrounding her. Without her magic, she was next to useless against such foes.
"Well… I do." Zemo suddenly announced. "Dynamo! Wonder Man! Destroy the Avengers!" He ordered. Vanko acted immediately, unleashing his gatling cannons on Captain America and Iron Man as he took Hulk down with a pair of missiles. With the heroes occupied, Zemo advanced on Amora, drawing his fencing sabre.
"Good bye, Amora! And good riddance!" He vowed. But, all of a sudden, his weapon was shot from his hand.
"Enough, Zemo!" Simon shouted. "I'm not going to stand by and watch any more. I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else because I'm afraid!" He pronounced, advancing on Zemo with his ionic fields ablaze.
But then, a stray missile from Crimson Dynamo, bouncing of Captain America's shield, struck the generator and destroyed it.
The shockwave of thermal energy rolled through the room, knocking Zemo to the ground. At once, Amora found her powers restored and summoned the Norn stone into her grasp intending to deprive Zemo of his leverage before she killed him. "No! Stop her!" Iron Man cried, the heroes taking action and sprinting towards her. At once, Wonder Man made to act, wresting the stone from her grasp and clasping it between both hands.
"No! Don't!" She cried out, pure fear shooting through her body as Simon generated a powerful ionic burst.
A massive shockwave of power and blinding light filled the room as he destroyed the final Norn stone…
Zemo was the first to come around, picking himself up just barely as he surveyed the heaps of heroes and villains laying unconscious around the room. Of them all, two were missing; Wonder Man and Enchantress, and one them was even on his feet, looming over Zemo.
"You… You would have let the Enchantress destroy me…" He whispered weakly, still recovering. "You have changed, Captain." He noted pointedly. Captain America's eyes narrowed.
"You have no idea who I am." He stated with a growl, knocking Zemo out again with a quick boot to the face. The Baron slumped over and Cap took a step backwards. He turned at the sounds of more stirring and watched as Cobalt sat up on his knees. He had seen the entire interaction and made a noise of disapproval.
"He knows." He said simply.
"He doesn't. He only thinks he knows." Cap responded. "There isn't a single human who knows the truth."
"Make sure it stays that way." Cobalt answered, slowly moving back to a position on the floor. "I will be captured along with the other Masters, to ensure they believe Markus Moran has been dealt with. That is all that matters now. Maintaining the illusion…"
Elsewhere in the universe…
"Nay…" Thor gasped, taking stock of the carnage before him. They stood in Nidavellir, the home realm of the dwarves. He expected to see busy craftsmen bustling around, repairing the damage done by Loki's forces as they restored the splendor of their home.
What they found instead was death and destruction.
Nidavellir burned, ashes filled the air, the charred skeletons of dwarven warriors lined the floors like such grotesque decor. Wicked, jagged spears stood adorned with blackened skulls and Thor swore he heard ambient screams as he stood in the aftermath of a bloody war. Standing with him, Baldur's torch illuminated the desolation even further, revealing the total destruction spread across the entire realm. "What could have done this to Nidavellir?" He whispered. Seldom was it that Thor was ever afraid or shaken by things he saw. But such brutality, such wanton violence, this was more than the thunder god could accept. "Father what has happened here? Where is Eitri, the Dwarf King?" He asked in a breathless whisper. Odin did not respond, moving on through the debris and sea of corpses with a singular destination in mind. Thor could tell his father was driven and paused with Baldur as they watched more move with such strong purpose. "Where is he going?" He wondered. Ever sage and mindful, Baldur the Brave knew of Nidavellir's dark secret. Eitri and his kin entrusted with a charge so potent the fate of the universe hinged upon their decisions.
"Twilight…" He whispered in reply. Thor knew the name and he dared wish it not so. It was whispered only in the darkest of legends told around fires by the bravest of folk. They followed the Allfather towards a massive gate, broken and left to ruin by the same hellish forces that had razed Nidavellir. Smoke lingered in the air, Thor and Baldur's eyes watering as they pushed through soot and bones that reached ankle deep. Baldur lifted his torch high, the light reflecting off deep grooves carven purposefully into what remained of the gateway. "The seal of Bor's sons… but what magick could break it?" Baldur questioned. Thor read the ancient inscriptions, written in what the people of Midgard called 'Old Norse', and knew of whom they spoke.
Vili and Ve Borson, Odin's brothers and the sons of Asgard's former king; Bor Burison. His uncles, long-since dead before his birth.
Odin stepped closer and pressed his hand to the charred metal, his hand coming away blackened as his eyes grew dim and sorrowful. "Oh, Vili. Oh, Ve. Would that we had never journeyed to that cursed land…" He whispered in lament. "And yet, have I not guarded the eternal flame, lo, these many eons? Does it not, even now, reside safe within the walls of Asgard?" He wondered aloud. His hand curled into a fist, the Allfather forced to come to grips with the dark reality facing him.
"And yet… safe no longer!"
Moving on, Odin entered the shattered passageway as Thor and Baldur pursued, passing through a narrow tunnel that opened up into a large cavernous room. Seemingly untouched by the same vile forces that struck down the dwarf-kind, Thor spied first a narrow bridge and then the yawning chasm it spanned. They drew closer and began to cross the bridge, Thor and Baldur taking in the range sights proffered to them. Only then did Thor make a sudden connection as he studied the shape of the chasm. "Nay…" he gasped.
It was no chasm, but merely a mould. A mould for a sword.
It was empty and Odin paused as they took in its silent enormity. "Father… this means…" Baldur trailed off.
"Aye, my sons. Deadly Surtur has at last breached the walls of Muspelheim, shattering them where they were weakest in the heart of the burning galaxy. A galaxy he destroyed to create the forge wherein he might remake the Twilight sword of doom." Odin stated. For the first time in a very long age, Thor felt afraid.
"If he is free, then…" Odin nodded, his eyes narrowed.
"We are one step closer… to Ragnarok!"
Later…
"As horrible as that went, we didn't do too bad." Tony surmised, entering the library with damp hair and having exchanged his Iron Man armor for a bathrobe. The rest of the Avengers sat waiting for him; Hawkeye reloading his quiver, Hulk, Cap and Cybernaut sitting quietly as Wasp perched on the technopath's shoulder while Black Panther paced. "We got Zemo, Abomination, Cobalt and Dynamo. Executioner's locked up too. The Masters of Evil are pretty much done."
"And we're alive. There's that." Clint remarked.
"Because of Wonder Man." T'Challa stated. "With the Norn stone's power, the Enchantress may very well have been unstoppable. Wonder Man's sacrifice saved us all."
"Think we could grant him posthumous Avengers status? Stepping up to the plate like that, that's being a hero." Connor inquired.
"I'll think it over." Tony mused, checking his face in a nearby mirror. "You think she's gone for good? Enchantress, I mean." The team had nothing to say, everyone silently evaluating her abilities and the probability of her survival in their own minds. Tony turned after a moment, seeing the looks on each of his teammates. "Yeah. Me neither." He agreed.
Elsewhere…
The stench of brimstone was strong, the heat of fire intense, the acrid smoke of burning everything was everywhere. Amora came to with a gasp, finding herself surrounded by an inferno that stretched far beyond what even her eyes could see. She sat up, genuinely frightened.
"Amora the Enchantress…" A deep voice called out to her. A rush of flame revealed a pair of eyes, dark as onyx and yet as piercing as Gungnir.
"No. No no no no no no no…" Amora whimpered as she gazed into the face of fire and death, the face of the end of all things… the face only Asgardians fear.
"You serve me now." He stated, leaving no room for debate. The ground beneath her began to shift and tremble and Amora looked up to see giant fingers closing around her. She screams were cut off as her eyes beheld a terrifying truth, the Enchantress brought face to face with a horror that haunted the nightmares of even the bravest warriors…
Surtur had returned.