Author's Note: For those of you asking, yes, Janet's new Wasp costume is based on her all-black one. Although I suppose if you want a proper visual representation, now's a good time to mention I have a discord server where I can interact with my readers! Invite link is overon my user profile. Hopefully I'll see you there!
A trip to Wakanda! With Black Panther working hard to repair his relationship with the Avengers, an infusion of Vibranium will bring Captain America's iconic shield back to full functionality! But they are plagued by a villain of powerful proportions! Something darkly familiar lurks around this being, true believers-
Chapter 39: Behold… The Vision!
Roanoke, Alberta, Canada…
Alarms filled the Weapon X facility. Flashing red lights filled every darkened hall as a voice over a loudspeaker called out, "Warning! Intruder alert! This is not a drill! We are under attack!" Armed soldiers clad head-to-toe in high-tech armor and carrying advanced assault weaponry moved to respond, the clatter of their footfalls adding to the cacophony.
"This is the Professor. Team One, hold position inside the spillway." The voice of Truett Hudson ordered over their comms. "Team Two, lock down the mining facility. No one gets in or out." Those outside took up ready positions, bracing against walls as they surveyed a heavily-armored door before them. They advanced slowly, powering up red-dot sights. Their comms continued to filter voices in from the other side of the door.
"This is Colcord. Defense systems in place, but I can't see-… no… wait. There! Right there!" Nothing could be heard from their vantage point, only over their radios could they hear the sound of a team within losing their battle. Indistinct screaming, the staccato of repetitive gunfire, it all cut to static before long. An eerie silence hung in the air as the teams approached the door, drawing closer and prepare to continue where their comrades had evidently failed.
They remain still as stone, waiting for their orders. Suddenly, the sound of metal being touched prompted one of them to look behind… and there he saw it. An unearthly, inhuman vision!
"Behind us!" He called out, wasting no time opening fire as his comrades soon did likewise. "Weapons free!" Together, as one, they unleashed the fury of their weapons upon the intruder, filling the room with a hail of superheated lead that would have killed any man.
All save one, who stalks alone the steel caverns, heedless of the thunderous bullet-storm… because it does not touch him!
Priming an underslung attachment, the leader lobbed a grenade that detonated at the feet of their foe, filling the room with smoke and flame as their ears tingled from the thunderous explosion. "Hold fire!" One called out, believing their quarry to be dispatched.
But to their shock and horror, he was untouched and advanced from the smoke towards them.
The gunfire was renewed, but proved utterly futile. Then, silently, effortlessly… like some great, vengeful bird of prey… he swooped upon the Weapon X soldiers and decimated their ranks. Bodies were flung across the room by strong-armed hands caring little for the tolerances of flesh and bone. One by one he dealt with them until only he was left standing. Striding forward with the same ghostly ease by which he entered, the doors parted before him to reveal a vast container full of swirling, churning liquid metal.
"Progress update. Current location: Weapon X facility. Status: all opposition neutralized. Priority objective: obtained. Adamantium." He stated aloud in a monotone voice. "Proceeding to next objective: Avengers Mansion."
Meanwhile, halfway around the world…
A bright mid-morning sun shone brilliantly upon the nation of Wakanda. The distant caw of wild birds and the subtle trill of foreign insects gave the environment an untamed feel, even within more populated centres.
The nation's capitol was abuzz with activity. Civilians and passer-bys stopped to look in wonderment at a royal retinue striding down their streets. In the lead was King T'Challa, clad in his complete Black Panther garb, and with him were his faithful Dora Milaje. Behind him walked several of Wakanda's pre-eminent scientists, and with them a few members of the mighty Avengers; Thor, Captain America, Cybernaut, and Hawkeye.
Between them hovered a device that contained the shards of Captain America's once-mighty shield, destroyed by Loki during the battle for Asgard that seemed like a lifetime ago.
"I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this. Do you really think you can do it, though? Repair my shield?" Cap wondered.
"Well, your shield is unique, Captain. But we Wakandans do know a thing or two about manipulating Vibranium." T'Challa humorously replied.
"Right." Steve softly chuckled. "Sorry, it's just… that shield and I have been through a lot. And, honestly, it's one of the few things I have left." He admitted. "That and the Avengers… which is another reason I'm here, T'Challa." He added, ready to broach the subject. "The Avengers are at a critical juncture. We need you back."
"And who is leading the Avengers? Iron Man? He abandoned you all in your hour of need." Black Panther countered. "A team cannot exist without trust."
"Really?" Hawkeye remarked, grabbing T'Challa by the shoulder and turning him around. The Dora Milaje reacted defensively. "That's pretty funny coming from you." He stated accusingly. Cybernaut quickly made to pull him back.
"Easy, Clint. We're not here to start another fight." He urged.
"I'm not starting anything. Only continuing what 'his highness' started when he turned his back on us." Clint replied, shooting Panther a glare.
"I think it's safe to say that the Skrull invasion hit us all pretty hard." Captain America cut in. "And Tony? He's just working through some of his issues."
"Lord knows we've all got 'em." Connor muttered.
"Bottom line is the world needs the Avengers. Not only to keep the world safe, but to give the people a symbol, something they can believe in. We have to show the world they can trust us again."
"And that's why you're asking Mister Disappearing-Act to rejoin?" Hawkeye questioned.
"What do you say, soldier?" Cap asked, looking directly at Panther.
"My responsibilities are to Wakanda." T'Challa responded. "I will repair your shield as a gesture to a friend, but that is as far as it goes." With that, he turned and continued on, leaving the Avengers to dwell on his answer.
"Ain't that just ducky…" Connor grumbled.
"As I said once before, friend Cybernaut; broken friendships will take much longer to heal." Thor mused, laying a beefy hand on his shoulder.
"Don't I know it, Thor." The technopath affirmed with a sigh.
Elsewhere…
It was late at night and Avengers Mansion was mostly quiet, save for some partial activity in the main floor library, where Janet Van Dyne and a visiting Jane Foster were engaged in a girls-night-out and enjoying a horror flick. The night's special? Tales of the Zombie, an old black-and-white film about Simon Garth; a man turned into a walking corpse thanks to a voodoo ritual.
"NO! NO! NO! I can't look!" Janet shrieked as the zombie menaced a young woman. Despit her claims, her eyes remained glued to the screen as she munched on popcorn she had recently spilled in her fright.
"I know this is almost impossible for you to do, but could you please sit still?" Jane wondered in mild frustration from beside her, attempting to bandage the heroine's wounded right arm.
"What do you want? It's a scary movie!" Janet retorted.
"Jan, this isn't a slumber party. I'm here to treat your injuries." Jane persisted. "And whatever critic claimed this was the 'fantastic, fear-filled screamiere of the horror genre' had to be high on something." She added, taking a quick sip from her soda before continuing her work.
"Whatever. You only came over because you want to see him." Janet teased. Jane's eyes promptly widened.
"I… don't know what you're talking about!" She refuted, although was blushing madly.
"Really tall, long blonde hair, winged helmet." The heroine described, relentless in her efforts. "You certainly have been over here a lot since Thor's come back." She commented, nudging the poor Paramedic with an elbow and a cat-like grin.
"Not listening." An embarrassed Jane murmured in reply. Jan let it alone for a few minutes, munching on more popcorn and focusing on the movie. Then Jane leaned over. "Does he ever talk about me?" She asked in a whisper.
"Hmm…" Jan hummed thoughtfully, purposely drawing out her response in a torturous way.
"Jan, please!" Jane begged and the heroine relented.
"Yeah. He does. Sometimes. He's mostly concerned with Earth getting back to normal after the Skrulls." She described.
"Just 'sometimes'?" Jane's shoulder drooped and she whimpered. "Was kinda hoping he'd be talking about me a bit more." She said with a sigh.
"I used to know what that was like." Janet grumbled.
"You and Hank still on the outs." Jane queried. At that, the heroine pressed her palms into her eyes, threw back her head and groaned.
"We're…" She paused, trying to find the right words. "We've pretty much broken up. I haven't seen or spoken to him since he cleaned out his lab and left the Mansion."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Jane sympathized, patting her shoulder.
"It's all Hank's fault. Him and his stupid obsession with stupid science…" Janet grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Well, there's plenty of fish in the sea. Maybe it's time you looked for someone who isn't obsessed with science." Jane suggested, and it wasn't the first time such a suggestion had been offered up.
"I wouldn't even know where to begin." Janet replied, seemingly entertaining the thought more than she had the last time Carol had brought it up. Jane started to think, her focus quickly drifting to individuals close at hand.
"There's plenty of single guys on the team, right? How about… Captain America?" She offered. Janet wrinkled her nose.
"Ew. He's, like, a hundred years old." She retorted.
"Hawkeye?"
"Eh, too immature."
"Black Panther?"
"Too detached… actually, I hope the guys have better luck convincing him to rejoin the team than we did the last time we were in Wakanda."
"Iron Man?"
"Ew, no! Jane, he's the team leader! And he's too rich… and busy… and full of himself." Janet huffed. The idea of dating a team member was becoming less appealing by the suggestion. "Oooo, I could try dating Thor…" She proffered with a smug wiggle of her eyebrows. Jane frowned.
"Just because I know how to treat your injuries doesn't mean I can't cause a few myself." She threatened, Janet giggling in response.
"Kidding! I'm just kidding…" She quickly stated, still happy she'd gotten a rise out of her. Jane returned back to guessing.
"Cybernaut? Come on, surely he's fine. He's pretty normal, grounded, I mean he has crazy-cool mutant powers and he likes pop-culture stuff like you do." Jane proffered. The mention of her technopathic teammate caused Janet to clam up for a moment. Memories of his warm body pressed against hers, she even bit her lip involuntarily remembering those slightly-soaked pectorals. Her hand reached up and two fingers caressed the part of her cheek he'd kissed, where phantom tingles lingered. "Jan?" Jane queried for the third time. Suddenly realizing what was afoot, she smiled devilishly. "Oh I think I hit the jackpot." Janet curled up tightly.
"Not listening…" She murmured, nearly whimpering as she blushed madly. Her eyes shifted back to the screen, watching as the zombie's hands reached menacingly for an unseen innocent.
Then all of a sudden, a pair of hands reached out through the screen itself!
Recoiling with gasps of shock, the two women were startled by the appearance of a man materializing from the wall within the library. So startled where they that their combined momentum tipped the couch over and sent them clambering for safety away from the figure.
"Subject: Captain America's shield. It is not on these premises." He stated aloud.
"Jane, get behind me." Jan suddenly ordered as she shrank down, her clothes falling away as she was left in her new Wasp costume. The man identified her.
"Subject: Wasp. You will tell me the shield's current location." He ordered. Wasp hovered in place for a moment, surprised by his knowing her name.
"What? Who are you?" She demanded.
"I am my master's vision of the future." He told her. "You have ten seconds to respond or I will terminate your existence." He threatened.
"I'll tell you this, Mister 'Vision'. Nobody breaks into Avenger's Mansion and gets away with it." Wasp retorted, charging her bio-stings.
"Time has expired." 'Vision' stated.
"Expire this!" Zipping ahead, the heroine rained down a barrage of stings across him, Vision not reacting and seemingly unaffected by their electric properties. Then, with calculated reflexes, he snapped out a hand and trapped Wasp within his fist. A speechless Jane watched helpless as the heroine shrieked from within.
"I will repeat the interrogative. Where is the location of Captain America's shield? Tell me or be destroyed." Vision coldly threatened, opening his hand to reveal a winded Jan within.
"Not… gonna happen." She responded defiantly. Snapping his fist shut, Vision smashed his hand against the wall, the concussive vibrations hitting Wasp like close-range stun grenade.
"Stop! Please, don't hurt her!" Jane cried. "They took the shield to Africa, to Wakanda!" Vision stayed quiet and still, processing the information. "Now let her go." Jane begged. Opening his hand, an unconscious Wasp fell to the floor, and Jane stooped to tend to her as Vision turned to leave.
"Obtain Adamantium: complete. Obtain Captain America's shield: in progress. Obtain Vibranium: pending." Vision listed off as he returned to the wall he emerged from and promptly phased his hand through the solid material. Within, he gripped one of the solid-wood support beams. "Overriding protocol: terminate all opposition." With strength unheard of, he tore out the support beam, causing a sudden collapse of the wall and ceiling without a means to keep it upright. Jane dove to cover Janet's minuscule body as debris collapsed upon her.
Meanwhile, Vision phased through the many floors of the Mansion and made his way to the Quinjet hangar, floating down from above like a colourfully eerie spectre. "Added objective. Progress update: obtain transportation with access codes for Wakandan Air Defences."
Back in Wakanda…
In an open field, Avengers and scientists gathered atop a hover platform, one that had been outfitted with all manner of scientific equipment. One by one the scientists took the pieces of Cap's shields and moved them into a suspension column, where they began to take shape once again.
"The pieces of the shield must be held in place with absolute precision." T'Challa explained as he manned a keyboard. "The computer will calculate and maintain the needed proximity. It already has the exact density requirements to match your shield's original tensile strength."
"You seem to know more about it than I do." Captain America mused.
"The Vibranium in your shield came from these very mines." The king explained, pointing to the vast mountain behind them. "My father, King T'Chaka, sent it as a gift to President Roosevelt many years ago. And we have full knowledge of Doctor Myron MacLain's work and his experimental iron alloy." He added. "When all is ready, we will use a powerful sonic beam to fuse the shield together on a sub-atomic level."
"Oh neat, utilizing the naturally-occurring vibrational properties. Cool." Cybernaut mused.
"A forge without heat or fire. Impressive." Thor concurred.
"Wakandan science has many innovations that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, or worlds, as the case may be." T'Challa replied, to Thor and not Connor.
"Yeah… some of the scenery is certainly impressive…" Hawkeye mused, eyeing up one of the Dora Milaje on the platform. "But why are we out here in this mud pit to fix the old man's shield?"
"The Wakandan laboratories are off-limits to outsiders. We are here for your convenience." Came the reply.
"Oh, yeah, you're all about convenience, aren't you, T'Challa?" The archer said snippily. Hearing his tone, T'Challa turned slowly.
"If there is something you wish to say, Hawkeye, perhaps you should simply come out and say it." He stated directly.
"Don't take him too seriously, Panther. He's probably just in a mood." Cybernaut quickly proffered. And without a word, the man turned back to his task.
"I was talking to your man, W'Kabi," Hawkeye pressed, shoving past Cybernaut, "and he told me this was the arena where anybody could challenge to become king of Wakanda in trial by combat."
"Your point?" T'Challa asked dismissively.
"I got to thinking… I'd make a good king, because I stand by my friends. I don't just cut and run at the first sign of trouble. I think I should be king of Wakanda." Hawkeye said boldly.
"Oh brother…" Connor groaned, facepalming.
"The old ways existed so that a king would be chosen that was strong enough to defend the people." T'Challa countered without looking. "But the old ways were ineffective and misused."
"Yeah? I hear the challenge thing is still on the books."
"Clint, please… let's not do this." Connor insisted, grabbing his arm.
"Why are you defending him? You two became friends and what'd he do? Turn his back on you the first chance he could." Clint retorted while shaking him off.
"It's not like that, and that's not what I-" He was cut off as the archer deftly fitted an arrow into his bowstring, drew and took aim right at T'Challa's back.
"And I've got him dead to rights." He declared. "So I guess that makes me-OOF!" Hawkeye was suddenly interrupted by a spear striking him in the jaw, the Dora Milaje moving to intervene and knocking him out cold with one hit.
"He neglected to actually issue the proper challenge." T'Challa remarked as Clint hit the floor in a heap.
"I was gonna say. That's not how you do it." Connor mused, hands on his hips and eyeing the fallen archer.
"By your tone, I presume you know the proper way to issue such a challenge." Thor queried.
"Well… yeah. I did some research… and was taught a few things." The technopath admitted.
"Care to enlighten us?" Cap asked. Connor shot a nervous glance at T'Challa, watching but saying nothing.
"Eh… I'm not gonna say it. I'll probably get it right and then be forced to fight him." He decided.
"You could just yield." Cap suggested.
"Wakanda's tribal laws are a bit harsher, don't exactly offer much of an allowance for that." Connor explained, glancing back at T'Challa who wordlessly returned to his work. 'Nor do they allow for friendships to be made whole, it seems.' He thought to himself.
A lift suddenly brought a member of Wakanda's defence force up to the platform. "My king, a Quinjet has passed through our defences and is preparing to land." He announced. The Avengers promptly shared puzzled looks.
"Quinjet? We're not expecting anyone." Cybernaut commented. Cap reached for his ID card.
"Approaching Quinjet, report in." He commanded, receiving silence in return.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." The technopath muttered.
"We should investigate." Steve determined.
"What of Hawkeye?" Thor inquired.
"Let him nap, he needs to cool off." Connor replied. "I'm sure we can handle this."
Joined by T'Challa, the Avengers formed a boarding party with Wakandan soldiers as well as more members of the Dora Milaje and awaited for the Quinjet to land. It did so in a very orderly manner, very precise and focused with no fuss or flamboyance whatsoever. Even the landing ramp opened up to reveal simple nothingness, no sign of any rambunctious raiders or gleefully villainous ne'er-do-wells.
"Anything, Cybernaut?" Cap queried. The technopath swept over the craft with his senses, reading every program and line of code in search of abnormalities.
"It's… almost as if it flew here on autopilot." He answered at length. The Asgardian stepped forward, making to board. "Be careful, Thor. It could be a trap." Cybernaut cautioned.
"I shall show the utmost vigilance, my friend." Thor promised, ascending up the boarding ramp. He scanned the darkened interior as Captain America and Cybernaut reached the foot of the ramp. "It is empty. There is no one here." He stated, turning around… and missing the figure phasing through the wall. Catching a flash of yellow, he whirled to find a red-faced man clad in a costume of gold and green, who suddenly thrust a gloved hand into his body. It passed through armor and flesh like it wasn't even there, and Thor cried out as his heart was forcibly slowed.
Tumbling backwards head over heels, he came to a halt at the foot of the boarding ramp where Cap and Cybernaut were quick to tend to him, glancing up to see a menacing shape standing against the darkness…
as Vision emerged from within.
Steve wasted no time lunging ahead and executing a dropkick, only to find himself rebuffed by Vision's super-dense form. He went sailing overhead as Cybernaut charged up his plasma casters, only to pause as his senses began revealing things to him. "I… I can sense you." He realized much to his surprise. Despite Vision's humanoid appearance, the technopath could read and understand a vast amount of data coming off him. Vision seemed equally surprised. Connor made his move, shooting ahead and wrapping his hands around Vision's head. "I don't know what your game is, but you hurt Thor. And that's a no-no." He had hoped to take control of its programming and force it to surrender, which would hopefully result in some answers to boot.
But Vision was on a mission and would not be deterred. As the technopath attempted to interface with his programming, he drew on the power of the unfiltered sun shining down on them and Vision blasted Cybernaut with a beam of mixed infrared-microwave radiation from the gem on his forehead. His shields reacted instantly, which kept him protected but he was also sent flying away. "Priority shift: Vibranium in sight. Obtain Vibranium." Vision stated, moving once more.
Black Panther moved to intercept, leaping into the fray only to pass clear through Vision. He turned around in surprise, only to find his foe waiting with outstretched hand. He threw the Wakandan as if he were nothing, bowling over his Dora Milaje in the process. The Wakandan soldiers opened fire on him, their bullets passing harmlessly through Vision as he took flight, floating through their midst (much to the shock of everyone) and gaining speed as he made to disappear into the jungle.
"Wakandans, defend your kingdom! Find the intruder and stop him!" T'Challa ordered, picking himself up as he led his people in hot pursuit. Cybernaut and Captain America quickly helped a revived Thor to his feet, the Asgardian groaning as he flexed his chest to abate the lingering pain.
"Easy, soldier." Cap urged.
"I will be, Captain. Especially once I smite this foul villain." Thor promised, gripping Mjolnir tight.
"No," Cybernaut cut in, "it's not a man. That thing…"
"What is it, Cybernaut?" Cap pried.
"Metal endoskeleton… synthetic plastic-carbon polymer body… It's a… a synthezoid." The technopath revealed.
"You use an unfamiliar term." Thor noted.
"It's like a robotic human. An android." Connor elaborated.
"What was that beam it used?" Cap inquired, having seen the crimson ray that blasted him off.
"Some sort of focusing crystal. He's absorbing energy and channeling it." Connor answered, having glimpsed the combat hardware within.
"How did it disappear like that?" Steve questioned.
"I… don't know. I need to get in touch with his programming again."
"If it's after Vibranium, there's a good chance you'll get another chance." The Captain determined, watching T'Challa's company move off after their foe. "Come on. We need to help track him down."
The Wakandans knew every inch of the jungle, trained to be experts in surviving their native lands. There were no better trackers or hunters who could surpass their skills.
But Vision had every technological advantage possible.
Using thermal imaging scanners, he picked out the Wakandans with ease amid the foliage. "Obstacle: potential interference. Resolution: neutralize opposition." His course of action determined, he ran combat routines as he planned his method of attack. Utilizing his intangibility to his advantage, Vision phased in and out of the area as he took down the warriors one by one. Even their Vibranium-tipped weaponry did little against him, instantly vaporized the moment they left their hands by his solar beam.
When covert efforts failed, brute strength prevailed. Altering his density to be tougher and heftier, Vision dished out one-ton punches and threw the Wakandans into one another as if they were toys. Truly he was the ultimate war machine, deadly in every way. Not even Cybernaut could keep track of his rapid movements. "It's like he's everywhere at once!"
Suddenly, the Vision appeared in their midst, snatching Captain America by the throat and hurling him into Black Panther. Cybernaut swing with his batons only to have Vision parry each both with the moves of a capable martial artists. Sensing combat subroutines, Connor attempted to wreak havoc with his magnets only to discover a disheartening truth, "You've had your endoskeleton demagnetized!"
"Correct." Vision stated, increasing the density of his fist to deliver a hard blow to the chest that knocked Cybernaut back into the mess of his colleagues. They got up and tried again, but nothing worked. Connor's plasma rounds passed clean through him, Captain America was choked out and T'Challa was thrown away with one hand as if he weighed nothing at all. Then, Vision unleashed his solar beam and cut through the trees around them, a clean circle splitting all the foliage in two and causing a sudden collapse atop the heroes.
The three disappeared from view under the avalanche of logs, leaving only Thor to come swooping in from above with Mjolnir ready to smite. Vision moved with split-second reflexes, the hammer hitting the ground as Thor missed. Vision struck back grabbing the Asgardian and smashing him into tree stumps and the ground repeatedly before hurling him into the air. The synthezoid continued on his way, only to suddenly stop as his sensors read severe and sudden atmospheric changes…
The clouds darker in seconds, lightning crackled and flashed brilliantly back and forth while thunder boomed overhead. In the eye of the storm, Thor raised Mjolnir high. "Enough of this game!" He bellowed, charging his hammer.
Nearby, the tress moved and flung themselves over as Cybernaut's shields expanded to repulse them all. He helped Cap and Panther to their feet before spotting Thor's lightshow up above. "Looks like we're in for one-point-twenty-one gigawatts of action." He remarked.
"Wakandans, clear the jungle!" T'Challa ordered and the recovering team moves to obey… not a moment too soon.
Thor blanketed the jungle with dozens of lightning strikes, thunder roaring overhead as he ripped through the terrain with a deadly thunderstorm. Through it all, Vision moved calmly onwards, seemingly ignorant of the thunderbolts pounding the ground around him and even remained heedless of the trees falling down as they passed through his intangible form…
If not even the god of thunder could stop him, what could?!
The thunderstorm ended and Vision was nowhere to be seen. Thor descended from above, the jungle now pockmarked by craters from his furious lightning strikes. The Wakandans and his fellow Avengers were waiting by one, looking a little beat-up after their previous encounter with the Vision. "There is no sign of him." He announced. "I cannot see the felon from above."
"Connor, any insights?" Captain America inquired.
"I'm getting a faint signal moving northeast. But what the heck are we supposed to do when we get our hands on him?" He asked. "He brushed off lightning bolts that did… well, that!" He added, pointing to the smoking crater beside them.
"One step at a time, soldier. First we find this synthezoid." Cap replied.
"We will search the Vibranium mine." Panther stated, leading them on. "When there is this kind of trouble in Wakanda, it is always about the Vibranium."
Back at the Mansion…
Jane came to with a groan, struggling under the weight of debris piled atop her prone form. Her memories came back piece by piece… Vision… attacked Janet… dropped the room on top of them…
"Jan?" She wondered, coughing as dust coated her tongue and eyes. "Jan!" She called out, looking to see the unconscious heroine prone on the floor beside her. Still shrunken down, the paramedic currently dwarfed her. "Oh, how do I even administer CPR…?" She wondered worriedly, shifting her position to try and get a better angle. "Come on, Jan… stay with me, please…"
True to T'Challa's word, the Vision was indeed moving on the Vibranium mine. With effortless ease he dispatched the guards at the entrance and made his way deeper into the mind, hellbent on completing his mission. With a single touch he powered up the sophisticated mine cart controls, summoning one of the trains to his location along with an empty cart waiting to be filled with mined Vibranium. His arms gestured and machinery respond to his motions. "Progress update: objective completed. Vibranium ore obtained." He stated aloud. "Remaining objective: acquisition of precise alloy mixture in shield composition." Vision began walking, the loaded train following his beckoning hand. Then, he was brought to a sudden stop.
"Controlling machines without the controls? Now that's just identity theft." Cybernaut remarked as he, Captain America, Black Panther and Thor stood between Vision and the exit. The synthezoid's gaze narrowed, his scanners sweeping over the lot.
"Subject: Rogers, Steven. AKA Captain America. I require your shield. You will tell me its location." He commanded.
"My shield? Is that what youre after?" Steve questioned. "That's not gonna happen."
"Accessing programming… attempting to analyze your continued defiance." Vision murmured.
"Analyze this!" Connor snapped, reaching out with his powers and creating a small feedback loop that Vision reacted sharply to, as if suddenly experiencing a sharp and direct headache.
"Your resistance… is illogical." He stated, after purging the program. "You have already seen that you cannot withstand me."
"Enough talk, villain!" Thor interrupted, surging ahead and ready to swing Mjolnir as hard as he could. But Vision's solar jewel glowed bright and a crimson beam promptly bowled the Asgardian over as Captain America and Black Panther pounced. T'Challa passed through his intangible body while Steve was promptly backhanded into a side wall. Then Vision disappeared through the floor, just in time to narrowly miss a swinging Mjolnir that crushed the ground where he had stood. He reappeared behind them.
"You have already lost, and yet you fight." He observed.
"Not fight. Just biding our time." Captain America replied. At once, Vision suddenly felt something go awry within his systems. He attempted to move his feet, only to find the servomotors in his legs unresponsive.
"Error. Unfamiliar virus attempting subroutine lockout." He grunted out, struggling to adapt.
"Hey! Watch who you call a 'virus'!" Connor griped as he used his powers to undermine the technology Vision was not actively focused on. Cap and Thor moved to take advanatge, only for Vision to startlingly unlock his hip joints and spin his toros 360 degrees around, clobbering the two Avengers with spinning punches. While turned around, he blasted Cybernaut in the face with his solar beam… but failed to notice Black Panther on the attack.
Warnings ripped across his HUD as a Vibranium dagger cut through his right arm, splitting open to the green of his costume to reveal metal beneath. Panther pressed his advantage, drawing two more weapons and rushing to engage. Vision backed off, phasing through the wall behind him and disappearing from sight. T'Challa paused, scanning the area… and was not expecting Vision to reappear beneath him and land a powerful uppercut that knocked him flat on his back. The synthezoid picked up one of his Vibranium daggers, as if to keep it.
"Hey! Terminator-wannabe! Put his Vibranium back!" Vision turned to identify the voice, a pair of plasma rounds passing through his intangible form. Cybernaut was back on his feet, challenging him. His optic sensors analyzed his biometrics.
"Subject: Peterson, Connor J. AKA Cybernaut. You appear vexed by my actions. But this is not yours to have a say over." He stated in observation.
"Maybe not. But the king is a friend of mine…" Connor retorted while forming his batons, "you mess with the Black Panther, you mess with Cybernaut too." He charged ahead, heedless of his own safety and began spinning his batons around to pummel Vision with the equivalent of blunt sawblades. Triggering his intangibility circuits, Vision let both arms phase through him before he reached out a hand and grabbed Connor's shield projector, overloading it and causing a burst of sparks to erupt from the belt as the device stuttered into shutdown. Then he blasted him right in the chest with a solar beam before moving to tend to his Vibranium-loaded minecarts. Thor and Cap were back on their feet, but Vision had a plan of his own in mind.
Overloading the directional controls, Vision sent the train hurtling towards Captain America while forcing Thor to bat the incoming vehicles aside with Mjolnir as Vision processed his new direction. "Search criteria: subject: shield location." Using the interconnected network, he interphased with the scanning system to search for anything related to Captain America' shield. He soon had his answer, thanks to the deivces hooked up to said-weapon. "Resolution: Wakandan Arena of Kings." He determined. A sudden thunderbolt struck the ground near his feet and Vision turned to see Thor on his feet and ready to throwdown.
"You will taste my lightning!" Thor roared, rearing back Mjolnir to deliver another charge.
"Thunderer, wait!" T'Challa called out, rushing in to grab his arm. "The Vibranium and your lightning will not mix." Thor stayed his attack, moving into formation alongside the other three as the four Avengers cornered Vision. Then he was gone. Then he appeared behind them. His ethereal abilities unnerved them all.
Triggering his solar beam, Vision cut into the roof of the tunnel above them, destabilizing the Vibranium hanging above them. Chunks of raw ore began to come apart, falling in piles from above and trapping the heroes in a sudden avalanche of rock and ore. Disappearing under the pile as a cloud of dust began to rise, Vision guided a sole-surviving minecart that was loaded with Vibranium out into the open, where his guidance systems recalculated to take him to the Arena of Kings…
It was a worryingly-long amount of time later, but Wasp finally came to with a cough and a groan. As her blue eyes fluttered open, Jane breathed a sigh of relief. "You had me worried there."
"Me too…" Janet coughed, glancing around at their debris-filled surroundings. She began to remember what had transpired and immediately sprang into action. "Cap! We've gotta warn Cap!" She declared, growing to normal size.
"Never a slow moment for you hero-types is there?" Jane questioned as Wasp pulled out her ID card.
"You'd better get used to it, especially if you're gonna date Thor." The heroine remarked, smirking as her friend blushed. "Cap, can you hear me? Is anybody there?" She asked, as her card displayed static. "Thor? Black Panther? Connor? Anyone?" Now she was getting worried, with no way of knowing her friends were buried underneath a pile of Vibranium.
Then, movement and a cough could be heard followed by Cybernaut's masked face appearing on her ID card. "Jan?" He rasped.
"Connor! Thank goodness." She breathed. "I was starting to worry."
"Ah, well… you know." He replied between coughs. "Ugh. Dust is thick."
"You've got to warn Cap, there's-"
"Let me guess; a synthezoid dressed in green and yellow headed our way? Yeah, we've met." He interjected. "Dropped a roof on our heads." Janet stifled a gasp and partially covered her mouth.
"Are you okay?"
"Rebooted my shields at the last second. I'm okay but I've gotta find the others." He answered.
"Look this… 'synthezoid'… 'Vision', he wanted to know where Cap's shield was. You've got to warn Cap!"
"We already know. He's here for the shield and Vibranium." Connor responded. "Bad combination, that. One of Earth's rarest minerals and and indestructible weapon? Not good." Jane's eyes suddenly widened.
"Oh! He said something about Adamantium, too! Before he caved us in." She quickly added.
"What was that?" Connor asked, unable to see or properly hear her.
"Jane, Jane Foster, she said he said something about Adamantium." Wasp explained. Connor crunched up his brow, pondering all three of those elements.
"Adamantium… Cap's shield… Vibranium… oh no!" He suddenly realized with a panicked gasp.
"What? What is it?" Janet pried.
"The only reason he'd want those two metals and Cap's shield is so he could replicate it's indestructible nature!" He stated. Jan understood and her eyes also went wide.
"That's… oh no, that's a worst-nightmare kinda thing!"
"But isn't it in pieces right now? Not that indestructible is it?" Jane asked.
"It took an otherworldly god of mischief imbued with a power as old as the universe to break it." Connor replied. Jane mulled that over.
"…Okay, pretty indestructible after all." She determined. Connor looked back to his teammate.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Jan. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He asked, concerned.
"Nothing I can't walk off. But do me a favour and hit him once for me, alright?" She asked.
"With pleasure." He responded with a determined grin. "I'm gonna get the others on their feet. Tell Hawkeye what you told me, he's our last line of defence right now." He tasked.
"On it." Janet clicked off and began switching frequencies.
"Hmm…" Jane hummed thoughtfully.
"What?"
"Kinda cute how he was worried about you." She mused with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Janet blushed.
"Not listening…" she ground out.
Vision had made his way down from the mountain and had arrived at the Arena. His prize was in sight; Captain America's shield hovering within a suspension ray and ripe for the taking. Once it was in his possession, his mission would be complete and he could return with the Vibranium in tow.
He was suddenly stopped when he felt a pair of objects pass through his body.
His mission halted once more, Vision turned to see a conscious Hawkeye with an arrow primed and trained on him. "Hi there." He greeted cheekily, smirking as he took aim and let loose. The electro-arrow passed through Vision and struck a statue behind him. That didn't deter the archer in the slightest, who rushed ahead and loosed three more arrows in quick succession. Vision retaliated with his solar beam, atomizing all three arrows one after another. Realizing the trouble he was in, Hawkeye started moving and dodging incoming crimson bolts as they struck the perimeter of the Arena. He returned fire with explosive arrows, engulfing Vision in smoke and flame.
But not even those could subdue the synthezoid, much to his dismay.
Now Hawkeye was on a full-blown defensive, sprinting away from Vision's solar bolts and firing off a few arrows as tactically as he good. One of his explosives struck a carved statue behind the synthezoid, destabilizing it and dropping the massive stone slab atop him. Vision disappeared completely. "You've outdone yourself once again, Clint." He remarked, patting himself on the back. He brought out his ID card. "Wasp, Hawkeye."
"Clint, you good?" Janet asked.
"Always. I found your 'Vision' guy. Just dropped a big rock on him," he announced in reply, only to suddenly see Vision emerge from the stone, intangible and otherwise untouched, "…and it didn't do anything to him at all." He grumbled. "Great." Vision was quick to fire off another solar beam, this one striking Hawkeye's bow and reducing it to dust. Shocked by his bow being corporeal one minute and atoms the next, Hawkeye fixed Vision with a furious look. "Oh, you're going to pay for that!" He struck with a lunge kick, passing clean through the synthezoid. Then he tried multiple punches and kicks, each one passing through the intangible Vision.
Increasing the density of his fists, Vision struck Hawkeye with a massive two-handed punch that sent him flying across the Arena until he smacked into the steps leading to the throne. With him subdued, Vision returned to his course of action. "Objectives: obtain Adamantium: complete. Obtain Vibranium ore: complete. Opposition: neutralized. Mission objectives: obtained. Probability of success: ninety-nine-point-nine-nine-nine percent." He stated aloud, moving on Captain America's shield.
Behind him, Thor, Black Panther, Cap and Cybernaut arrived on the scene, free from the attempted entombing in the Vibranium mine. "Only two options, folks; either this ends really well or really badly." Cybernaut noted. "But we have to stop him."
"If you can corrupt his computers again, that should give us an opening." Steve surmised.
"Aye. No matter how powerful he is, he is only a machine… and machines can be destroyed." Thor concurred. Black Panther studied the machinery and began to form a plan.
"Slow him down. I need only a moment." He tasked. The three Avengers broke into a run, making a beeline for Vision to subvert T'Challa's own efforts. Captain America executed a leaping lunge kick that would make any gymnast jealous, only to pass clean through Vision and tumble over the edge of the platform.
"Hey! Red-face! Didn't your motherboard teach you it's not nice to steal?" Cybernaut quipped as he unleashed a hail of his irons. Again, Vision turned intangible, metal ricocheting off the floor. Thor struck with a mighty shout, hammering his chest with Mjolnir only to meet a surface that was equally dense. Vision threw him off with a backhand as Captain America attempted to grap him in a chokehold only to be snagged by the next and thrown off the platform. "Thor! Hit him with a lightning bolt!" Cybernaut shouted. The Asgardian promptly thrusted Mjolnir out, a bolt of white lightning striking Vision dead in the chest. Electricity rippled outwards and his arms began to steam and shudder, his body trembling as electricity flooded through him.
"Error. Error. Electrical overload detected. Im-possible…" Vision ground out, staggering back.
"The machination falters! How did you know, Cybernaut?" an impressed Thor queried.
"Just a little trick I learned. I'll explain later." The technopath replied, interrupted when a bolt of solar energy bowled Thor over. He turned his focus back to Vision, letting his mutant senses intertwine with the technology within the synthezoid.
"Analysis: I am too advanced for you to overcome, Connor J. Peterson. Your abilities are singular, mine are infinite." Vision stated.
"Only my mother gets to use my full name!" The technopath retorted, focusing harder as he attempted to shut down Vision's secondary systems. 'If only I could get a proper fix on thos intagibility circuits!'
"Mission status: opposition ineffective." Vision began to advance on Cap's shield, his movement slowed by Connor's efforts to compromise his systems. Glancing out the corner of his eye, the technopath noticed T'Challa ready at the controls.
"You want that shield so bad? Have it!" He called out, throwing out his arm as a magnetic pull unexpectedly thrust Vision's hand into the suspension field…
And at the same time, T'Challa pulled a lever.
Raw Vibranium energy came cascading down, engulfing the better part of Vision's arm. The synthezoid loosed a pained grunt as high-frequency vibrations tore apart his external composition, revealing a skeletal arm made of metal underneath. "Catastrophic system failure. Density controls offline." He announced as he hurriedly withdrew his arm. As he did, one of Connor's irons slipped out and was pulled back into the technopath's hold.
"You created your own weakness within him! Thou art a cunning warrior, son of Peter!" Thor praised.
"Being all intangible like that gave me an idea. I'm just glad it worked." Connor answered, using his magnets to tug on something else. From Vision's other arm, another iron exploded out from underneath his metallic skin and Connor quickly formed his batons.
Meanwhile, the Vibranium fused the shards of Cap's shield together into one perfect whole, reforming the legendary and iconic weapon Loki had shattered what felt like a lifetime ago.
"Captain!" With a shout, Panther kicked the shield out of the energy field, simultaneously knocking Vision off in the process. Leaping into the air, Steve caught his renewed shield and slipped it over his arm.
"You want my shield? Here it is!" He bellowed, slamming into Vision and knocking him over with a flash of red, white and blue. The tables had turned, the Avengers were on the upswing now! "Thor, Cybernaut, Hawkeye, Panther, hit him with everting you've got! Now!" Cap shouted.
Thor and Cybernaut struck first, unleashing bolts of lightning and beams of plasma that sent Vision careening into one of the statues surrounding the Arena, a gaping hole torn open in his chest. "Damage levels increasing… probability of mission success: seventy-eight percent." The synthezoid stuttered out. "Attempting to repair density systems." Suddenly, Hawkeye threw a pair of arrows that struck Vision in his opened cavity, unleashing powerful high-voltage shocks that dropped him to his knees. "Probability of success: fifty-four percent." Black Panther darted in and unleashed a sweep of Vibranium daggers, riddling Vision with multiple cuts and stabs that further battered his ragged form. "Twenty-ngh! Twenty-two percent… thirteen percent." Cybernaut made another pass, forming his staff and swinging hard to bash Vision in the face, tearing off a portion of his 'skin' to reveal a mechanical skull beneath. "Zero-point-three-five percent." Vision groaned as he slammed back into the same carving. "Aborting mission. Withdrawing." Captain America charged in, hurling his shield with enough force that Vision would be bisected if the shield made impact. The synthezoid looked up… with a frightened look in his eyes. "Density controls online. Abort."
With barely a second to spare, he phased into the carving just before Cap's shield was imbedded in the stone.
Together with Thor and Hawkeye, they moved to investigate, searching for a sign that Vision could not have gotten far in his damaged state. Cybernaut hung back, standing with Black Panther. "Man, that guy is something else. Literally has an escape plan built into himself." He remarked. T'Challa stayed silent and Connor heaved a sigh. The silence and non-verbal stuff was getting to him, his nerves frayed. He'd gotten nothing but an apparent cold shoulder from T'Challa since his arrival, and it was wearing on him. "Look… you still don't trust me, I get it. Some days I can't help but look at Cap and do a double-take, wonder if it's really him." He stated aloud, finally mustering the courage to broach the subject. "I don't know what I have to do to earn it, but-"
"It is not you who is the problem, Connor." T'Challa cut in. "I saw what happened in Washington. You were outnumbered, betrayed, and yet you stood and kept fighting. You never backed down… as I did. Even now, against this 'Vision', you have stood with me and treated me as an equal whereas I have only shown you mistrust." He said quietly, speaking with a voice filled with regret. "The day I joined the Avengers, I declared that Wakanda needed to broaden its relations with others, that it needed to become part of the rest of the world again. But what did I do when the world that Wakanda is apart of came under attack? I hid within the borders of my kingdom and withdrew my help. As Hawkeye said, I 'cut and ran at the first sign of trouble'. You stayed on the frontlines, you fought the Skrulls… and I, in my shame, did not stand with you. I am… unworthy to be called your friend. And barely worthy to be called a king." He confessed. "I have remained silent towards you this day, simply because I did not know what to say to a man who is clearly better than me."
Connor was stunned. That was not what he was expecting to hear from T'Challa. But it also gave him great relief to know that his mind had changed since his last visit to Wakanda in order to dispatch the invading Skrull scouting party. Now it fell to him to respond.
He laid a hand on the king's shoulder before offering his hand. "You're my equal. No matter what." He said. T'Challa looked to his hand, pondering his response.
"I am still plagued by a guilt wrought from my departure." He murmured.
"You're a king, your duty is to your people, I get that. Wakanda ngonaphakade." Connor replied. Hearing his native tongue, spoken quiet fluently, suddenly piqued T'Challa's interest.
"Your Wakandan is coming along very well." He noted.
"It got real quiet in the Mansion when it came down to just four of us left. Had a lot of time to just read and practice." The technopath remarked. His hand remained offered. "Apology accepted. But you knew I'd do that anyway."
"Actually… I did not." T'Challa confessed as he shook it. "I have underestimated you… my friend." Connor smiled.
"Glad to have you back, buddy." The other three Avengers returned to them.
"Your plan was sound, Black Panther. Well done." Thor complimented.
"A plan that could not have worked in the absence of my teammates… my fellow Avengers." Black Panther responded.
"Hmm, I like the sound of that." Cap mused.
"Me too." Hawkeye agreed. Suddenly, he threw out a punch that Panther deftly blocked and turned into a submission hold, bending his arm around his back. "Alright, T'Challa, alright!" Hawkeye grunted as pain shot up his arm. "I guess you can still be king of Wakanda." Connor chuckled.
"I'd say all's well that ends well… at least as well as things can end with a synthezoid on the loose…" He trailed off, his gaze drifting towards the chipped statue Vision had disappeared through. A nagging thought plagued him, something that had been building up over the course of each battle with Vision. There was something about him… something he couldn't shake…
"What is it, Connor?" Captain America asked, and the technopath turned to find all eyes on him.
"The programs and coding used in that synthezoid, I… I swear I've felt it before." He admitted.
"What do you mean 'before'?" Hawkeye pressed.
"Like I've sensed it, dealt with it, encountered it once before. But I just… I just can't put my finger on where…" He explained.
"You're certain?" Captain America pried.
"Positive." Cybernaut answered, a serious look in his eyes to match the tone of his voice. "Someway, somehow, we've encountered something like him before." He determined. "And mark my words, if he's tried to face us once before, he's going to do so again."
Back at Avengers Mansion…
Freed from the rubble courtesy of Janet's giant form, she and Jane Foster sat down to take turns tending to each other's injuries. Currently, the heroine was bandaging a cut on the paramedic's arm. "Jane, I know you're a paramedic and all, and you're totally fearless which is so awesome, but… just so you know… dating a superhero? Comes with a lot of complications." She stated.
"Speaking from experience?" Jane queried.
"More like speaking from what I've seen. It could be really bad for your health." Janet explained as she finished wrapping a tensor in place.
"I appreciate you looking out for me, Jan, but I also think I'm old enough to know what I'm getting into." Jane replied. Janet, for her part, was impressed. Jane had just dealt with a super-scary android that had buried her under rubble and she still seemed as determined as ever to pursue her course of action.
"Maybe you're more fearless than I thought." She mused with a grin.
"Besides, you're not exactly the person to give that kind of relationship advice. Pretty sure you've been rough and tumble with Cybernaut more times than I have with Thor." Jane teased.
"Ugh! You and Carol and Sue!" Janet huffed. Jane quirked a brow.
"You mean this is the third time you've heard this?" She realized. "Ever wonder if that might mean something?" She pried. Her friend remained silent, curling up and hugging her knees to her chin.
Deep down, Janet was starting to wonder if that did mean something…
Elsewhere…
A ragged, beaten-up Vision returned to his master's secret hideaway far from all possible Avengers activity. He strode across a metal floor, dragging one leg behind him and gradual knelt in submission.
"I am returned… but my mission was a failure." He reported, static flickering across his voice thanks to a damaged vocoder. "The Avengers prevented me from completing my final objectives." His master seemingly took no notice, busy interfacing with the machinery around them. The hideaway was a technological marvel, complete with such advanced machinery the likes of which would be deemed impossible by anyone who merely heard about it.
"I designed you to be my perfect vision of destruction… and yet you allowed the Avengers to prevail." He mused and Vision could hear the abject dislike in his voice. "Your failure is disappointing. But it matters little." His master continued, crossing in front of him over to a production machine… where the mould for a humanoid body sat waiting to be filled. "The raw Adamantium you acquired is ready for bonding. Soon, I will be indestructible…" He muttered, triggering the machine in preparation for its use. Servomotors hummed, readouts beeped, lights powered up… and revealed a silvery android body topped by a head modeled after an ant's head.
"…and no one will stop me!" Ultron declared.