Welcome back to Ashes of Midnight. Last time, after going through Faustus' journal, Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange uncovered a secret smuggler's tunnel running from the Sanctum Sanctorum. Cynder and Blade head out to take it down. But before they leave, Caretaker attempts to talk to Cynder about last night and the possibility of having to kill Spyro and Wanda to free them from enemy control, but Cynder's having none of it. All the while everybody is warning Caretaker about not staying on Cynder's bad side. But we'll end up covering that later. Right now, there's smugglers to take out. So how's that going to go? Read on to discover...
(Our scene picks up on what looks like a construction yard. Though in reality, it's a HYDRA occult smuggling hold, where Blade and Cynder step out of a Limbo portal into the scene. As they enter, a bunch of HYDRA goons are supervising something being loaded out of the ground.)
Blade: Certainly is a big hole.
Cynder: (Observing the load) Big haul for HYDRA
Blade: Guess we finally figured out how they've been smuggling artifacts out of the Sanctum.
Cynder: Then there must be a way to smuggle ourselves inside.
Blade: Leave this to me.
(With that, Blade leaps down and stabs a HYDRA goon in the head taking him out before anyone notices.)
Cynder: Finally, somebody who appreciates stealth.
Blade: I'm a vampire, we invented stealth.
Cynder: I thought you were a dhampir.
Blade: (Realizes she's got him there) Technically correct.
Cynder: But vampire's close enough for government work.
(At this point though, their cover is blown and HYDRA goons rush out of the woodwork to take them down)
Cynder: Guess we're doing this Carol's way then.
(The HYDRA goons may be numerous, but they fall just as quickly as they come, soon leaving Cynder and Blade alone to work, with Cynder crouching over the hole)
Cynder: Where do you think it goes?
Blade: Down.
(Wasting no time, Blade leaps into the hole, prompting Cynder to just chuckle at how deadpan Blade is)
Cynder: Guess that works.
(Cynder then leaps into the hole, and pretty soon the duo is down in what looks like an old subway tunnel)
Cynder: HYDRA's been pretty busy since we last saw them.
Blade: Whatever the hell they're doing down here, it smells... wicked...
(The duo turns the corner and discovers what looks like living tendrils on the wall, and soon enough they open, letting HYDRA goons out with more artifacts)
Cynder: Venom's handywork, no doubt. So I'd be cautious, Eddie could be anywhere around here.
(And sure enough, Fallen Venom's laughter fills the tunnels)
Blade: Looks like he's closer than we thought.
(No sooner has he said that than Fallen Venom appears, crawling on the ceiling)
Fallen Venom: We serve our Mother. We serve the Master. We await the arrival of the Midnight Sun. And we EAT INTERLOPERS AND THEIR LITTLE BRAINS!
(Now Fallen Venom comes down from the ceiling and prepares for battle)
Cynder: Here we go again.
(Now the battle against Fallen Venom commences. He's pretty easy to beat back now, but the range of the symbiote's tendrils is far reaching, and soon enough, he's got Blade tied down)
Blade: Kid if you're going to do something, now's the time!
Caretaker: (Via the comm system) Purge that creature, now! It's the only way to...
Cynder: Get off of my frequency!
(Cynder leaps in to the fray. The Hunter in her mind summons his swords, as if to reinforce that death if Venom's only salvation)
Cynder: Screw you, Hunter. I'm doing this my way!
(Wasting no time, Cynder infuses her Aether into the blades and stabs Fallen Venom in the chest.)
Blade: (Shocked that she'd even do that) Damn.
(As Cynder's Aether infused blades pierce through Fallen Venom, Cynder senses something, something she was hoping for but didn't expect.)
Cynder: Light... in... the darkness...
(Now Lilith and Malefor's voices start appearing in Cynder's head)
Lilith: Come to me, child...
Malefor: Reclaim your place at my side!
Cynder: (Fighting them off) Can't... give... in...
(Cynder's fighting with all she's got now, Blade has broken free of his confines, but then, a crack appears on The Hunter's collar around Cynder's neck, a purple one, as Malefor speaks)
Malefor: You will not stop me!
Lilith: (Quietly) You must stop him...
(And in that moment, the energy overwhelms Cynder, who goes flying off of Fallen Venom, letting out a cry of agony as light emits from her, blinding everyone as the scene ends)
And that looks like a good spot to end for now. A bit of a cliffhanger to leave on this week. Was Cynder's Aether infused stabbing enough to free Venom from Lilith and Malefor's claws? And to top it off, are Lilith and Malefor even on the same page? Because she seems to be asking Cynder to stop him. More on that as things go on. So, what awaits when the light clears? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!