Welcome back to Ashes of Midnight. Last time, Cynder got an upgrade to the Hunter's Armor from the new Forge. Afterwards though, Bruce Banner had managed to track the unique gamma signature Lilith and Malefor are giving off to a warehouse. Teaming with Blade and Captain Marvel, Cynder sets off. So, what awaits in the warehouse? Read on to discover...
(Our scene opens up on the rooftop of a warehouse, the very same one that Bruce Banner pointed out matched the backwards gamma signature Lilith and Malefor give off. And soon, from a portal to Limbo emerge Cynder, Captain Marvel, and Blade)
Captain Marvel: (Shivering) Is Limbo always that cold?
Blade: You get used to it after a while.
Cynder: (Seeing a green and violet glow through a rooftop window) Guess we can't exactly call this place abandoned anymore.
(With that, the trio looks in and beneath them spot Doctor Faustus working on... well we're not exactly sure what it is, but it definitely involves a floating sphere, and a lot of powerful energy.)
Captain Marvel: (Into her comm unit) You seeing this, Bruce? All sorts of weird going on down there.
Bruce Banner: (Via the comm unit) Johann Fennhoff. That hack. Heard he was dead. Well, I should say I hoped he was dead.
Blade: Sadly not. Goes by Faustus now I hear. Became HYDRA's resident mad scientist.
Cynder: Really lives up to the name then. Though I'm guessing he's more Marlowe's version of Faustus than Goethe's.
(At this point, both Blade and Captain Marvel, and presumably Bruce Banner if we could see him, are looking at Cynder in absolute befuddlement)
Cynder: What? I read the classics. Don't look so stunned.
Blade: Getting off that weird tangent, what do you think he's up to?
Cynder: Can't say for certain, beyond technosorcery. There's something magic in those crates. I can feel it from here.
Captain Marvel: Well can you "feel" the gamma radiation? That's some pretty serious HYDRA tech down there.
Cynder: Hence the technosorcery remark, Carol. Try paying attention next time.
Bruce Banner: Gamma and magic? Together? Interesting...
Captain Marvel: We're going to need your science brain on this one, Bruce.
Bruce Banner: We need to approach this one carefully. Combining those two forces is an explosive situation in the best case scenario. So think scalpel rather than hammer
(While Bruce Banner rambles on, Captain Marvel literally picks up the entire window and chucks it aside)
Captain Marvel: Yeah, I don't do stealth.
(And now Doctor Faustus has seen them, then without even turning to his men, he gives a single order)
Doctor Faustus: Kill them.
(His order given, the trio on the rooftop is swarmed by HYDRA soldiers, rifles pointed straight at the trio)
Cynder: (Facepalms) Why did I let you come along?
(Undoubtedly regretting letting Captain Marvel come along, Cynder leads her and Blade into battle against the HYDRA soldiers, and before long have them beaten, before turning their attention to Doctor Faustus, who now turns to address his men on a lower level of the building)
Doctor Faustus: Go! Now! Quickly!
HYDRA Soldier: Go, go, go!
(Now we see exactly what Doctor Faustus is trying to do. Several pieces of the equipment are already loaded into trucks that are being prepped to get out of Dodge as we speak. And sure enough, they do, just as Cynder, Blade, and Captain Marvel crash the party)
Doctor Faustus: Ah, the perfect opportunity to field test the device. Mother and The Master will be pleased.
(Doctor Faustus hits a few buttons on his keyboard, activating the orb device, which turns out to be some kind of homing weapon, locking in on Cynder. Captain Marvel sees it and moves to intercept)
Captain Marvel: Watch out!
(With no hesitation, Captain Marvel intercepts the device, only for it to explode in a fury of gamma and magic. But the explosion doesn't do very much, as Captain Marvel manages to absorb all of the energy before turning towards Doctor Faustus, prompting him to run while calling on more HYDRA soldiers)
Doctor Faustus: Get her!
(As he flees, more goons fill the room, and just as the ones on the rooftop were, this group is dispatched quickly, but Doctor Faustus manages to escape, leaving the trio to review what he's left behind, in particular, a glowing pyramid looking artifact sitting atop a crate)
Captain Marvel: Any idea what this thing is?
Blade: Villain crate, full of villain stuff.
Cynder: Hold on. (Looking at the pyramid) This may sound weird, but... I think I can read these symbols. Or, rather, The Hunter can and they're telling me the translation.
Captain Marvel: So what's it say?
Cynder: Let me see. (Examines the object) Remember, this is a rough translation. (Points out the symbols as they're translated) "Barrier", "Almighty", "gods and demons"...
Captain Marvel: So, spooky villain crate.
Cynder: A containment vessel most likely. For something incredibly powerful. We need to be careful. (Looking to Captain Marvel) Especially you, Ms. Rips-Off-Entire-Windows.
Blade: Got it. Don't cross the streams.
Captain Marvel: Let's get this back to The Abbey and see what's being contained for ourselves.
(And as Captain Marvel slams shut the back of the truck containing this thing, our scene ends for today)
And that looks like a good spot to end for tonight. So, Doctor Faustus was messing with some incredibly powerful nonsense. And while he managed to escape, it looks like the good guys managed to secure at least part of it. But therein lies the question. If these objects are meant to contain something? Just what exactly are they containing? And really, do we even want to know? Tune in next time to hopefully start finding out! Same time... same channel!