Avengers: Infinite Wars

by free man writer

The Clone Wars are in full swing with the galaxy divided. The Jedi lead the clone army against the infinite droid army of the Separatists. Yet a wild card enters the fray. The Avengers. From there, newer, more sinister and deadlier threats emerge and The Galaxy, no, the universe, shall never be the same again. Co-written by Jebest4781 and BulletStormX. Now in Season 4.

75. Band Of Brother Volume 2: ARC Troopers

Glad you guys liked the ending to the last arc and hope you're ready for the start to the next.

So many reviews that I wanna respond to but in doing so, in responding to certain reviewers, that may clue them in that there certain theories and ideas may come to pass.

But for now, let's keep this ball rolling.

Rate Read and Review and As Always Have Nice Day.

Avengers Infinite Wars Chapter 75: Band Of Brother Volume 2 ARC troopers

Forget everything you know.

Those were the first four words ushered to these Clone Troopers the minute their training had officially begun.

Their training to become Advanced Recon Commando Troopers.

It was a surreal thought really to consider for these Clones.

Originally, becoming an ARC trooper was almost an impossibility.

They were raised specifically for the notion of being the absolute elite of the elite in the Grand Army of the Republic.

But with the onset of the war and just how valuable these Clones were, demand for their use in the battlefield rose exponentially.

There were only a hundred ARC's to begin with but they were stretched thin almost immediately.

A hundred ARC's couldn't be on every battlefield at once.

And training them would take some time so for a brief instance, the lack of numbers were compensated by a training program that allowed Captains, Commanders and other high-ranking clone officers to undergo the intense ARC training regime.

These "graduates" included the likes of Captains Rex and Keeli, Commanders Cody, Bly, Gree, Bacara, Jet and so on.

Heroes and legends amongst the Clones by this point.

But now was the time for more of these elite soldiers to be made.

Doing it the old fashioned way before the start of the war would take too long.

So the new ARC's would be handpicked from a number of legions, corps and battalions that show the qualities that are needed to become this elite Commando.

And out of all the millions of clones, the millions of soldiers, just twelve had been selected.

The criteria to become an ARC was extremely specific and narrow yet the requirements needed were various.

The ability to think on your feet and not in a simple way. You had to be fast, decisive and instantaneous, being able to figure out a proper counter to any and all scenarios one would find themselves in.

Ingenuity on the battlefield went hand in hand with thinking on your feet. Not simply relegating yourself to every field manual thrown at you. An ARC had to concoct new strategies that would derail an enemy offensive or counter anything that was preventing them from completing their mission.

Independence was an almost obsessive specificity among the Recon Commandos, being able to not only survive but thrive in situations where a chain of command wasn't there to bark out orders. ARC's were meant to be one man armies in the most literal senses of the words, trained to the point that a hundred battle droids in front of them isn't a threat but target practice.

There was a list of other requirements but the core aspects of it were covered.

Back to the dozen selected Clone Troopers, all twelve stood in a single file line, upright and stock still.

They had been called in by their lead instructor a few minutes ago as this was to be their first official day.

The twelve troopers represented four different Clone units, being chosen by both their Clone Officers and Jedi generals.

To get the recommendation from the Jedi generals was both a boost in confidence but it also came with the internal promise of not allowing such praise to go to waste.

Their brethren and generals chose them because they represented the best of their legion.

They would be damned if they would not live up to the standard that was to be expected of them now.

From the 501st Legion was the Domino squad composed of the fours clones of Fives, Echo, Hevy and Cutup.

They had been a batch that has been together since their birth with them having only lost one of their members being Droidbait back on the Rishi moon outpost. They all carry the initials of DB on the backs of their helmets.

Right next to them was a Clone corps they had frequently worked alongside due to the relationships of both their generals and clone commanding officers.

Waxer and Boil were called the best of the 212th by Commander Cody himself but they never would have expected him to take it to the point that they would be chosen as potential ARC troopers.

Right by the orange accented troopers were the yellow marked soldiers of the 327th star corps.

Flash, Cameron and Lucky were chosen by Commander Bly and General Secura to represent their corps and they were jittery to say the least.

And rounding out the twelve were the men of the 104th or the Wolfpack as they're more known as.

Boost, Comet and Sinker were the ones selected by Wolffe and Plo Koon to be there for "Plo's Bros" as one clone trooper had put it.

Now, one may notice a bit of a disparaging number in terms of the 501st having the most representation compared to the rest though the other Clones took it in stride.

The 501st Legion was just as infamous as it was famous for perhaps having the most headstrong, reckless yet also incredibly skilled Jedi Knight leading them.

Anakin Skywalker wasn't just their leader but their hero and figurehead alongside Captain Rex, the pair having been working together since the near start of the war.

They were among the fastest to gain a reputation as one of the most elite legions in the war as they had ranked constantly in the top ten Clone battalions to see action consistently throughout the war. And in this consistency and exposure to radically different battles and scenarios, ingenuity was not only praised but encouraged. The clones of the 501st all had a rep of being the most imaginative when it came to combat, thinking of strategies most other Clones couldn't even wrap their minds around.

It became a policy of "you had to see it to believe it".

Granted, this sort of policy wasn't exclusive to just the 501st.

The 212th was equally as famous and infamous amongst the clones of the GAR since they were constantly in the thick of the action right alongside the 501st. This came in part due to the close friendship Rex and Cody shared on top the brotherly bond of their generals in Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

They had fought in many campaigns, many battles, earning their reputation among the best of the best.

Then again, the twelve here are meant to represent the best of the best.

Among them at the very least.

Such as Comet, Booster and Sinker of the 104th or more simply called the Wolfpack Battalion.

Under the leadership of esteemed Jedi Councilor Plo Koon, the 104th had earned a rather infamous rep of being exceptionally skilled, rowdy but fierce, deadly and efficient with undying loyalty to their Jedi General.

After the campaign in finding and destroying the malevolence, their numbers dwindled drastically with many months of rebuilding themselves from the ground up. The new and current crop that make up the 104th are among the greatest of the clone legions with their devotion to their Jedi General almost like an oath to be made.

Not that it isn't something that is just thrown around so lightly. After their losses against the Malevolence, General Plo made it that he would keep his troops' casualties to a minimum as possible. He implemented this by having him, Commander Wolffe and Sergeant Sinker along with Boost make the clones that came after the Malevolence underwent additional rigorous training.

They were to be far more teamwork oriented to the point where their results were closer to matching that of the famed Commando units of the GAR.

And rounding out the Clones assembled here today were Flash, Cameron and Lucky of the 327th.

Led by Jedi General Aayla Secura and Commander Bly, they are amongst the most battle hardened of the legions and corps of the GAR. Few can boast the amount of campaigns and missions they have undergone and what they have survived.

If anything, surviving and triumphing over overwhelming odds is what unites these four legions and corps and the basis as to why these dozen have been selected to represent them. They are meant to represent the standouts of their units, Clones who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

"At attention, troopers!"

In an instant, all twelve clones became rigid, snapping their heads up as a Clone Trooper in red accented armor marched into the training ground.

Behind him was another Clone though his armor was blue, large blaster in hand.

The red armored clone stood in front of the dozen clones, helmet off and eyes sharp and analytical.

There was a heavy air of tense anticipation shared among these Clones as they all easily knew just who it was that stood before them.

The legendary famed Clone Trooper Arc-77 otherwise known as Fordo.

And right behind him was Alpha-17, another famous Arc Trooper known the galaxy over by the Clones.

These two famed soldiers have participated in upwards of one hundred campaigns, missions, assaults, espionage, whichever mission you can think of, they've done it.

With Fordo, his reputation was that of a seasoned and expert soldier who has led many campaigns with and without Jedi while also soloing a number of missions on his own. Other than being among the first one hundred ARC troopers deemed fit for combat, there was a special distinction that set Fordo apart from most other Clones.

This distinction was something that was shared with one and only one other Clone in the entirety of the Grand Army of the Republic.

And those were the Jaig eye markings on his helmet.

To understand the importance of these markings, one must first know the history of which it is derived from.

The Mandalorians.

When the Clone army was first implemented by their donor Jango Fett, the Mandalorian turned Bounty Hunter brought in one hundred other bounty hunters and mercenaries to aid him in the training of the Clone Army.

Among the one hundred were seventy five Mandalorians themselves. Due to them having such a presence and influence over the Clones, many of their customs and traditions were adopted into the army.

Particularly, these traditions hold a greater degree of prominence among the ARC troopers and Commando squadrons as many were all training directly under Mandalorians like Fett and Cal Skirata.

Of these traditions were the previously mentioned Jaig Eyes that were possessed by solely two Clones in the GAR.

These markings were a representation of the brutality, genius, ingenuity, effectiveness and deadliness that one must have in order to earn this symbol.

It is a bit of great testament that shows off how truly unique and one of a kind Fordo and Rex are amongst their brothers.

Now while Alpha-17 did not possess the same markings as Fordo, he was no less more impressive and imposing as is ARC-77.

After the start of the war and with the advent of the Republic being stretched thin, the demand for ARC troopers became too much. The Republic needed more soldiers like the ARC's on the battlefield and they needed them sooner rather than later.

Which is why the Kaminoans turned to the expertise of the ARC's themselves in hopes that one or more would assist in bolstering the numbers of the specialized troopers.

In comes Alpha, the one he completely restructured and remodeled the ARC training program from the ground up.

This program was twice as ruthless and thrice as difficult than any other training program that had come before on the rainy world of Kamino.

Of those that were selected to take part in the training, all went on to become notable and distinguished figures within the War.

Names such as Captain's Rex and Keeli, Commander's Cody, Bly, Wolffe and Bacara, who all graduated and went on to garner famous reputation across the army and the galaxy itself.

Currently, the twelve clones who had been chosen by some of the aforementioned commanders and captains from before all remained rigid and at attention.

Fordo had been methodically pacing back and forth in front of them all. His eyes were sharp, analytical but also indiscernible.

He eyed each trooper quietly for a few seconds at a time without uttering a single word. Fordo just stared at them. Stared right into their very souls, metaphorically pulling it out of their bodies to measure it for himself.

Adjacent to the line of troopers was Alpha who was standing in front of them as quiet as Fordo was who continued pacing back and forth.

"Welcome to ARC training, troopers." Fordo spoke up for the first time in several minutes of tense silence. "Your new hell for the coming weeks."

Several jaws clenched up whilst others balled their fists tightly.

"Here, you will be broken, shattered and taken apart from the inside out." Fordo stated, standing in front of Cameron who remained unflinching in the presence of the legendary ARC trooper.

"The Clones that you were before will die and be remade in a new image."

He stopped at Echo who had his eyes held firm and posture at attention like the rest of his brothers.

"You have all been selected by your own Captains, Commanders and Generals as exemplary soldiers. You've proven yourselves to be resourceful and ready to act under pressure." Arc-77 went on, eyeballing Boost followed by Waxer before moving on again. "What you showed on the battlefield proves that you are all ready for the next step in your journeys as soldiers in the Grand Army of the Republic. To be shaped and molded into the best of the best. To become ARC Troopers for the Republic."

The two ARC's could feel the excitement, nervousness and anxiousness radiating from the twelve troopers. Alpha snorted derisively, a sinister smirk worming its way onto his face as the trooper was already concocting the training regimen that this dirty dozen would undertake.

They're not shinnies anymore.

Alpha kept his thoughts to himself whilst he let Fordo continue on with their introduction to the ARC trooper program.

"This will be different from what training you went through on Kamino, troopers. You went through the fire out on the field since you all left our birthplace. But now you'll all be molded into something far more than what you knew before." Fordo then stared right into the eyes of Hevy. "Many of you yearned for such a chance as this. But let me ask you, do you have the drive? To essentially become war machines? A one man fighting force?"

He was met with silence which intensified his gaze.

"I asked you a question, troopers." Fordo said aloud. "Are you ready to become one man war machines?!"

The twelve clones snapped into a salute.

"WE ARE READY SIR!" They collectively shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Are you now?" Alpha now spoke up for the first time since he and Fordo first walked in. "You think you're ready for it? We shall see. Your training starts now."

-Scene Cut-

Undergoing training for the newest batches of ARC troopers will most certainly be much different than what was done the first time around.

For one thing, they didn't have Jango Fett personally training them.

Their donator -their father- had trained the first hundred troopers to become much like himself. Even getting help from a number of Mandalorian warriors to refine these tools of war into what they've become today. Thus a good number of these clones adopted a good chunk of Mandalorian customs which could be visibly seen on their armor and mannerisms.

With Jango no longer around, whatever ARC troopers were present from the Alpha Class would teach the newer ones as best they could with a number of liberties and to fit their standards.

Yet things would begin to change, for better or worse.

Before the advent of the war, one of the many simulations and lessons the Clones from all branches had undergone was the advent of their being Jedi on the field with them. For many years, they had only heard stories about their exploits and abilities.

These tales helped bolster the training and anticipation for the day that they would eventually meet their future leaders and comrades in arms on the battlefield.

When that day came on Geonosis, many had a firsthand account of seeing Jedi charging headfirst into the battlefield and demolishing droids in an instant.

That was more than enough to earn their respect and admiration.

But then… there came what many Clones began to refer to as the shockwave of the war.

It was only a few months into the war but by that point it had been rapidly expanding to all corners of the galaxy.

There was a meeting of multiple Jedi and Clone Captains and Commanders with them discussing their next course to take in the war. It had come after securing an alliance with the Hutt cartels to allow the Republic free travels across their territories and the establishment of bases within their systems.

They had all been discussing the evasive General Grievous when it happened.

The "Shockwave".

The "disturbance in the Force" that was so powerful that every single Jedi, every single Force user felt.

Those present had never seen their Jedi Generals and Commanders in such a state.

Weak, disturbed, thrown off and even terrified.

It was a startling and disturbing sight for the Clones to see, something that had been imprinted into their minds since that day.

Not long after, a call from Naboo came and since then, there has been a growing avalanche of change across the galaxy.

The Avengers made themselves known the stars over, changing the tide of almost everything the Clones had ever known.

But for the Clones, it presented them with an unexpected opportunity.

To broaden their horizons of combat, knowledge, battle tactics and overall demeanor towards the war.

Many of the Avengers actually have a decent amount of not only combat experience but military service in particular.

Individuals such as Captain Steve Rogers, Lieutenant Sam Wilson and Colonel James Rhodes all have backgrounds of extensive military service and experience. All of which they had compiled and gave out to the Grand Army of the Republic.

New starfighter formations, attack patterns and strategies soon spread across the army. Many battles where the Republic were on the ropes suddenly were overturned in their favor thanks to these new means of warfare.

Then there was the hand-to-hand combat, the variety of fighting styles brought up from the Avengers' home planet that was now being taught to the entire Clone Army.

Apparently, ARC troopers who got their hands on these fighting styles got the grasp of them relatively quickly and soon integrated them into their own methods of combat.

And now it was going to be taught to them.

While a number of these troopers were personally taught by the Avengers on the off-time, it could be debated if it'll greatly affect their ARC training in varying degrees.

It may or may not matter in the long run.

"Alright." Alpha walked forward as he faced many on the training mats. "Let's see who wants to go first."

"First, sir?" Echo spoke up in confusion.

The ARC trooper was instantly in the 501st troopers' face. "That's right. First. Who wants to be the first one to have their ass thrown to the ground. Training starts now. We have a war to win and the more time spent wasted here is less time spent turning clankers to scrap metal."

The twelve clones all visibly gulped as Alpha moved back and forth down the line like a predator just waiting to pounce.

Gritting his teeth and his gut screaming he's gonna regret this, the Clone with the tattoo of five on the side of his temple stepped out from the line.

"Ah~ So there are those among you who have some smidge of bravery." Alpha's smile became sinister, eliciting a cold sweat from the Clone but he refused to back down.

"I'm ready, sir." Fives declared resolutely.

"Alright then." Alpha gestured to him to stand in front of him.

Fives walked forward and before he could even blink he was suddenly face first to the training mats.

The Clones all blinked, having not even realized what had just happened.

"That's it?" Alpha's tone conveyed clear disappointment, letting go of the arm he used as leverage to hold Fives down.

Fives got back up to his feet, coughing into his hand.

"You caught me off guard, sir."

Alpha raised a disbelieving brow. "Did I now? Alright then. Try for it again, Shiny."

Fives eye twitched at being called that but he shook it off and got into a boxing type stance, right hand on level with his cheek and left fist raised to hover just below his eyes.

There was a beat of silence until he swung his fist forward.

"WHAA-"

*THUD*

Once more, Fives was swiftly thrown to the ground.

"Judo." Alpha said, standing up with a cocky smirk as he stared down at the stunned Clone. "Not the same as Sambo but works well enough. Gotta thank those Avengers for that."

"The art of using your own enemies' momentum against them." Fordo tacked on, taking center stage again. "One of the many new forms of CQC you will all be undergoing. I understand that you have all been exposed to some of these fighting styles. But for obvious reasons, the war has been keeping you busy despite the training you've put in."

"That changes today." Alpha stated. "Now, who's next?"

What proceeded was what was simply an ass thrashing of the highest caliber.

Each trooper who stepped forward, who had their turn, was beaten so thoroughly that after either their second or third try, they were unable to move again.

Fordo and Alpha decimated them in mere seconds with few being able to last long enough for them to even do five moves or more.

"Hmph, pitiful." Alpha said disparagingly. "You all have a lot to live up to. Your superior officers sung your praises but it appears that you leave a lot to be desired."

They all grumbled yet had no power to verbally fight back.

Fordo regarded them all with a fierce gaze.

"We are a force to be reckoned with. We constantly have the galaxy's attention, now more than ever. We ain't no ragtag band of mercenaries. We are troopers. ARC Troopers. So don't pretend to be like us. You will be like us. We will have you all know how true troopers fight."

Though they were exhausted, the twelve Clones forcibly got back up to their feet and managed a salute.

"Yes sir!" Was the collective shout, the two ARC's nodding in approval.

"Alright then." Alpha said. "Again."

The Clones were divided up this time and were placed in groups of three with constantly rotating opponents.

"Even on a battlefield, you will seldom face an opponent the same way twice." Fordo said, walking around the twelve and observing them with keen eyes. "Each enemy that you face, the time, circumstance, situation, setting, all of it will be different."

"We will sharpen our minds to its limit." Alpha added on, casually kicking Hevy's foot into a more stronger stance. "Every situation you come across should be met with two dozen different solutions. The moments of one way are far and few between."

"Never underestimate how badly things can go." Fordo then glanced at Boost and Sinker. "Of course, some of you are well aware of this by now."

After some amount of time on the training mats, Alpha and Forgo decided to end the present session by having the inductees standing in attention.

Alpha then glanced to the side towards one of the present troopers.

"Your CQC is sloppy, Comet. You've earned extra time on the mats today."

Said trooper only nodded, accepting the bit of punishment.

"Everyone else, get to your next class."

As the Clones left their brother behind, they all shared a quick conversation between themselves.

"Kriff, I've never been thrown that hard before." Fives immediately bemoaned.

Cutup couldn't help but snort derisively. "Yeah, and our General is Anakin Skywalker."

"Least he holds back." Hevy grumbled, rotating his sore shoulder.

"Be thankful it wasn't like Geonosis." Waxer remarked, removing his helmet to rub his bruised head. "Those landings were atrocious."

It was then that Echo nudged Hevy who winced.

"Argh." He groaned dramatically. "What was that for?"

"You always wanted to be an ARC trooper." Echo pointed out, a half-smirk half deadpan stare. "Everything you thought it would be?"

"I'll give my answer once I figure out how to last 30 seconds with the Commanders." Hevy grunted, nursing his side that got throttled by Fordo.

The next class of theirs was going to a simulation course.

It was similar to what they went through on their normal training back in Kamino, yet appearances were deceiving.

In truth, many things were tossed in to throw off everyone taking part. It was completely random on each round for the ARC trooper inductees.

They had to think more outside of the box when they were literally inside of it.

Domino Squad were able to handle that part easily, given they had the reminders quite a lot through several past missions. Other squads followed suit when asking for advice instead of shutting themselves off from the rest.

After all, they were brothers.

Over the course of the next few weeks, day in and day out, it was just training.

Training their bodies, their minds, communications, instincts.

All of them were put through the ringer with their skills and abilities being sharpened to their highest point.

It was beyond grueling.

They would systematically get broken down every single day, have themselves be healed intentionally slow, just to make sure their bodies accustomed themselves to the pain. Alpha stated that an ARC that can't operate under pain is no ARC at all.

Despite it all, they began to feel it.

They felt themselves become sharper, quicker, more lethal and stronger.

With every sparring session, the dozen troopers began to see multiple means of defeating an enemy before they were able to finish the first swing.

When put in firefights, Domino Squad showed to be the most creative in those situations, harkening back to their time when they were still just cadets before being stationed at the Rishi moon base.

Waxer and Boil appeared to be the most tactically sound, showing an aptitude for strategy down to the precise detail on who goes where and when things are executed.

Sinker, Boost and Comet have displayed almost unbreakable defensive strategies both in firefights and hand-to-hand combat that is at times, almost impossible to get through.

Flash, Cameron and Lucky were the most proficient, however, in taking on the many forms of martial arts that they were taught. Particularly wushu, krav maga, sambo, Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. They had gotten a grasp of the fundamentals on how each style functions and from there simply began to excel.

Each trooper found their niche, their specialty and under Fordo and Alpha's training, they began to flourish.

What were snarky and "spiteful" comments soon became goads of "can you do better?" or "I know there's more in you. Now let it out."

Whenever there was a derisive and insulting criticism, it was met with an increased aggression and focus in proving their trainers wrong.

Time went on where the training became much more intense. Their ARC trooper instructors truly wanted them to be at their absolute best at the end of their training regime and beyond. And no one would blame them.

Each and every trooper saw themselves changing.

They began to view everything they already knew in a completely different light.

And it was from there that they would truly earn the titles of Advanced Recon Commandos.

-Scene Cut-

Eventually, they knew that their training would come to an end.

That everything they had been being prepared for would need to be tested.

And that time had arrived.

This was it.

Their "graduation" mission.

They were assigned to what will soon be known as the Battle of Muunilinst.

Their objective was simple: take the capital city.

They needed to hamper the Banking Clans, due to their uncovered involvement in siding more towards the Separatists than being neutral as many were led to believe. And if they take the city, then droid production would be hampered considerably.

Yet there was a particular requirement for them all to pass: near radio silence.

It would only be used sparingly, in case a number of factors may have tapped into their comms as a prime example.

This factor would rather seem unorthodox, given ARC troopers were rather "bombastic" on their assigned missions. Such a trait is more appropriate for commandos.

Yet given recent times, things needed to change and be improved upon.

While a main Republic force would focus towards the front, this part of the graduating class would infiltrate the city and take it from within.

In spite of Ultrons attack upon the galaxy, the tension and war was still ongoing between the Separatists and the Republic.

There were still ongoing deployments across the galaxy that had yet to be settled and a number of systems on both sides would rather things be settled sooner than later. The threat of Ultron was that effective of a shock for people on both sides wanting to end their war or at least have an armistice.

Right now was one of those battles where the goal was to end the battle as quickly as possible.

The group of future ARC troopers were all huddled inside an LAAT gunship that was flying low, towards the city of Harnaidan.

"Approaching target." The pilot of the gunship reported.

"Roger that." Was all Fordo said.

He looked behind him and nodded.

Each trooper soon began suiting up and readying their weapons.

Rifles were loaded.

Pistols holstered.

Rocket launchers shouldered.

Jetpacks primed and readied.

HUD's activated.

Jamming signal initiated.

The gunship flew straight into the empty streets of the Muunilinst city capital with nary a disturbance.

Now, they knew that jamming signals would only get them so far. They can be undetected by radar.

But a pair of working eyes?

Well…

*BOOM*

Suddenly their craft took a severe hit. A rocket hit the underside of their tail, causing them to make an abrupt crash landing. The pilot did everything he could to keep it as steady, yet things were happening so fast.

Upon the crash, their craft toppled over to its side, skidding over for about a minute until it came to a near halted stop.

Miraculously, everyone survived.

Fordo was the first to pop out and do a brief survey of the area before raising one hand and holding it outward, silently commanding everyone to get out.

He gestured for Fives, Hevy, Waxer, Flash, Cameron and Comet to come out with him first.

They jumped out of the gunship, making sure to land low to the ground with Fordo holding his hand out horizontally and they stayed there. He walked forward, Westar blaster pistol up and finger on the trigger.

The ARC knew that enemies were somewhere nearby. They always were.

There was a beat of silence.

Some of the Clones were taking a moment to inspect the downed gunship and confirmed the pilot had died in the crash.

It was at the very moment when the last of them got out when they began being fired upon by the enemy.

Cutup, Flash and Booster were knocked down from some hits, but they kept on firing. Their recently upgraded armor was meant to be more resistant to blaster fire so they were thankful that they got their new sets.

Still hurt though. Fellow troopers dragged them out of the fire and back towards the crashed ship.

Alpha soon patted the backs of Hevy and Boil and gestured to two spots in the middle of all the blaster fire.

The pair nodded and with their commanding officer, ran right into the middle of the firefight to keep a majority of the blaster fire on them.

While the trio of clones kept firing from cover, their ARC trooper instructor held up his hand and did a sweeping motion for one of the inductees to use a scanner and locate some of the larger groupings of their attackers.

Echo ran in with his scanner and began analyzing the concentrated clusters of droids shooting at them. It took some moments for the one trooper to locate them, where they resided at several buildings on their high raised sections.

Once giving the silent directions, Waxer and Boost rushed in, armed with rocket launchers and fired upon their hidden attackers.

The rockets flew all about, a number of droids sought to take them out before reaching their mark. Some were successful while the rest weren't with additional rockets that went off right after.

Explosions went off left and right, seemingly not stopping until the droids stopped firing and were only scrap metal amongst the wreckage.

Taking stock of the situation, the fourteen saw that the droids were no longer firing upon them, either having fled or were destroyed in their entirety.

With a satisfied nod, Alpha gestured for them to keep moving forward.

Fordo held up two fingers to where his eyes were and pointed up.

Fives quietly nodded and separated from the group along with Lucky and Sinker.

The rest of them began their trek through the silent and all but abandoned city.

Going through alleyway through alleyway. Sticking to the shadows and hugging the walls. Checking their corners at the sudden surrounding sounds.

No words were exchanged. Just quick hand gestures to convey the "all clear" signal after every passing street or corner.

Fordo abruptly held up a fist at the head of the group, the team stopping until he held out all five fingers.

They split themselves accordingly, standing behind the ARC trooper on his left and right.

Alpha went up to his comrade and held up his index and middle finger before turning it upside down.

Fordo inclined his head forward slightly and listened to the sound of a distant hum in the distance.

He nodded.

Moments later, an AAT Tank rounded the corner and stopped upon seeing them until it began firing its main cannon.

The Clones scattered with Alpha-17 raising his hand to do a quick spin of it that ended with him pointing up.

A moment later, two ropes from above came down.

Fives and Lucky rappelled down the ropes whilst Sinker flew by with his jetpack.

The 104th troopers flew past the main cannon and tossed in a thermal detonator that destroyed the large barrel.

Lucky fired a shot into the hatch of the tank which allowed Fives to jump right into the interior.

The 327th trooper jumped off the tank just as several blaster bolts burst out from the inside with Fives popping out seconds later.

The two ran from the tank just as it fell to the ground and exploded.

With this minor obstacle taken care of, they proceeded further.

Alpha deployed a recon droid in the midst of their walk through the silent city. It floated through the capital until it located the current objective within the city.

An anti-aircraft cannon situated on a far off building. This would be their first objective in order to help take the city. Once it's taken care of, it'll be easier for the army beyond the city walls to get in and take control of Muunilinst.

They hastily made their way to the building without getting spotted. It was a tall structure, one with few means of climbing by hand.

Which is what their grappling guns were for.

After some minutes, they reached the top where they began firing upon the droids stationed to guard and operate the weapon. It was quick and precise, both from blaster fire and a few rockets they had on hand.

With the droids all taken care of, the troopers quickly planted bombs all over the cannon. It was enough to tear it all apart.

Once ascending higher onto the connecting building, they set off the explosion once away from the upcoming blast zone.

Hevy, who was amongst them, practically shed a tear on how beautiful it was.

Their operation was a success and they were able to greatly turn the tide of the battle. Yet despite gaining a foothold onto the capital, it wasn't over yet.

As this was going on…

"Those guns are destroying our forward positions. The Republic is breaking through."

Inside of the enemy command center, a number of Muunilinsts were barking out a number of orders and giving out status reports from the nearby holotable.

"It'll be much more difficult now with our cannon at the base of the tower having been destroyed."

"Their range is greater than we thought."

"It must be their artillery!"

"What are we going to do? What are we going to do?"

"I don't know why Dooku sent his bounty hunter here, but he should've made an impact of defending this city-"

Explosions occurred overhead, causing the present Muunilinsts to cower in fright.

The "bounty hunter" that the Muun spoke so angrily towards slowly turned his body, head inclined low. He was a large, imposing figure with multiple armor pieces that each showed a weapon that was either attached or hidden in one way shape or form.

He was silent for a few seconds until letting out a huff.

"It's not the army you need to be worried about." The mercenary gruffly stated, holding up a blaster rifle.

"What are you-"

*BOOOOM*

The entrance to the room filled with Muun and droids was blown open.

Just before anyone in the room was able to react, an explosion came from above, glass falling down to the ground.

Propelling downward and rushing inside from both entry points were the ARC trooper class as they fired at the assembly of Muun and droids with the smoke and partial debris covering them. Their descension increased as the droids fell down one by one. Upon making their landing and disconnecting from their cables, the clones were soon greeted with half a dozen Droidekas.

Acting quickly before the rolling droids flared up their shields, Fives, Waxer, Lucky and Comet all rushed in and slid across the floor. They either threw or slapped an explosive towards the Droidekas, landing on their head or other part of the body. From there they began firing upon the other rollers as the explosions went off within the barriers. And the remaining Droidekas were soon taken out when the clones came up to their blind sides and slipped past their barriers to quickly take them out.

It was all over in a matter of seconds. The precise movement and attack pattern overwhelmed the droids stationed in the room with all the Muun taking cover from it all.

Alpha gestured for Domino squad to cover the other doorways with the rest of the Clones now surrounding several Muuns who were quivering in fear.

"Control room secure." Waxer announced with Fordo nodding towards him.

The red accented ARC then walked up to the head Muun male who fell to his knees.

"Mercy, I beg you, I am merely a banker." Groveled the Muun.

"The only thing you have to offer, banker," Fordo spat out as if that word was poison to his mouth, "is your unconditional surrender."

Whilst the Muun all begged for mercy, the Clones all froze upon hearing a demented, gargling laugh.

It was then did the clones finally take note of another presence in the control center.

Out from the shadows stepped a large, heavily armored humanoid that was armored from head to toe.

An armor set that has become all too familiar for these Clones, especially those of the 501st.

"Hello meat." Said Durge the Gen'Dai Bounty Hunter.

It didn't take much for alarms to be raised amongst the Republic forces.

"Oh FUCK, it's him!" Hevy yelled, turning his chain gun on the Gen'Dai who began convulsing and expanding.

Immediately, blaster fire immediately flew through the air and collided against the enlarged bounty hunter.

"Don't get spooked people! Focus!" Fordo chastised the inductees.

Despite how much bravado and defiance many bore at this time, the clone regimen were rightfully afraid against this monstrosity. He was a beast who had proven himself to be more than a match for powerhouses like War Machine and Master Jedi such as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

And it appeared that Durge was well aware of their thoughts on the matter as he took several steps forward despite the hail of blaster fire.

"No Avengers and Jedi to save you this time."

"Like we need them." Alpha coldly declared, switching from his usual DC15s blaster rifle to the DC15A. He began unloading the much stronger rifle with Boil, Booster, Sinker and Cutup all quickly joining him.

Fives, Echo, Waxer and Comet started running around the Gen'Dai whilst Cameron, Flash and Lucky kept their distances in preparing rocket launchers. Hevy stood in front of them along with Fordo, the pair repeatedly firing at the bounty hunter who was starting to show clear agitation from being fired at from all sides.

Much as they kept the fire up, it was clear to see that they were only pissing off the Gen'Dai more than they were hurting him.

Most clones wished they did have an Avenger or Jedi amongst them now. Yet as much as this desire strongly washed over them, they shoved such a notion aside. They all needed to prove themselves after all their training. Showing they can truly stand side by side with them.

And this instance was a true test of that notion.

"We need to tear him apart." Fives shouted out in the middle of the blaster fire. "He'll just regenerate at every chance he gets."

"I'm open to suggestions." Boil said aloud.

"Incoming!" Waxer yelled, his group of Clones trying to dodge the oncoming elongated limb that was thrown in their direction.

Several clones were knocked aside and collided against any nearby or far off walls and debris. While some appeared down for the count from the impact, others soon got back up to fight once more.

Alpha appeared unperturbed by the pandemonium, ducking at the last second to avoid getting slammed into the wall behind him.

From behind, the ARC pulled out what could only be described to be a bowie vibroblade and quickly severed the limb in two.

"GRAH." Durge roared, recoiling in pain whilst glaring murderously beneath his helmet. "Pathetic little Clone."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Alpha said dismissively, goading the Gen'Dai to make a move which he did.

Barreling towards the ARC trooper, he failed to realize that he had exposed his internal body beneath his armor as he was now bulging outward in size, getting ready to strike.

Fordo made a rapid chopping gesture and the clones of the 327th all fired their rocket launchers at the same time.

The rockets dug into the flesh of the bounty hunter and blew up moments later.

Neither clone let up the assault, unloading every payload at their disposal in hopes of finishing off the Gen'Dai.

Yet it proved for naught as Durge simply healed and began rampaging.

He grabbed onto Flash, the Clone crying out in pain and threw him across the room.

Sinker utilized his jetpack to fly up to try to catch him but ended up getting taken down to the ground, the two clones crashing hard on the floor.

Echo was then swatted aside, hitting the wall hard, falling to the ground and not moving afterwards.

Durge then made a beeline for Fordo until a multitude of cables were abruptly wrapped around him. It came from both the ARC inductees and the miraculous arrival of more Clone Troopers who had rushed in from the ongoing battle outside the main control room and city itself.

"Hold him down." Alpha ordered, every Clone tugging hard on the cables that ensnared the bounty hunter who was thrashing around to escape.

Most skidded and lost their footing throughout the process. Despite falling down, the troopers still pulled back with everything they've got.

It was then that Fordo held up an arm and fired out a small wire from his gauntlets.

It attached itself to the armored head of Durge and a second later began electrocuting their opponent. He writhed and roared throughout this, causing him to retaliate moments later.

He freed his arm and soon grasped the wire. The Gen'Dai soon yanked the ARC trooper towards him whilst ripping it off his person. Fordo fell to the ground near the bounty hunter with Durge lunging forward.

ARC-77 spun around, blaster raised to fire at the bounty hunter but unfortunately for him, he was quickly ensnared by Durge and was seemingly swallowed whole by the litany of muscle and organic mass.

"Commander!" Cutup yelled.

"Bastard." Boil shouted, firing his blaster rifle with Durge not even regarding the bolts striking his exposed flesh.

He only laughed maniacally, looking around at all the Clones that were surrounding him as if he were a kid in a candy shop.

"So many Clones, so many ways to kill you all."

"Geez, he really is generic." Fives couldn't help but say.

"Not the time for that, Fives." Lucky admonished. "He can actually back up such claims."

"I know it's just that the Avengers were right." He said with a shake of his head. "Bad guys really do love monologuing."

"He's weak to electricity and fire from what I remember." Cutup said through all the commotion. "Colonel Rhodes used that against him."

"You heard the man." Cameron said aloud to the rest of the troopers. "Shock 'im."

With Durge more exposed, a number of clones instantly fired off taser lines and activated them. The ancient bounty hunter spasmed from the electrical currents running through his body. His roars echoed throughout the chamber.

With the Gen'Dai seemingly weakened, any available clones whipped out any fiery arsenal on their person, either controlled explosives or anything to set their opponent ablaze.

This served to only infuriate the Bounty Hunter who simply began flailing his elongated arms about like a madman.

Whilst the ARC troopers and their inductees had the wherewithal and training to avoid these limbs, the other standard clones were not so fortunate. Durge killed them in droves before refocusing his attention on the fourteen troopers who first arrived here.

Some were knocked out, one had been eaten and the rest remained standing defiantly with their weapons raised.

He ran towards them, smacking and killing any other Clone in his path.

Just as he reached Alpha-17, quite suddenly, did Durge begin to lurch and halt his manslaughter.

Reason why was simple…

He was starting to expand and not in his own violation.

The Gen'Dai looked down at his rapidly expanding and pulsing body as it proceeded to explode.

From the center of his body came visible distortions in the air with a loud ringing sound bouncing off the walls of the room. In the middle of it all was an alive Commander Fordo.

Collapsing onto the ground, the ARC trooper could be seen with scorched, dented and shrapnel riddled armor. His visor was practically ruined as well. This was all due to the assault the clones did towards Durge with Fordo still inside. Asides from that, he was covered with the liquid and meaty remains of the Gen'Dai.

"Holy Kriff!" Sinker commented, sitting up to see their commanding officer alive and well when they thought he had been killed by the bounty hunter.

Alpha however seemed not all that surprised at his fellow ARC trooper having survived such a gruesome ordeal.

"You alright, Fordo?" Alpha asked, hand offered to the red accented Clone who grasped his hand and was pulled up to his feet.

"I'm fine." Fordo remarked, nodding in appreciation at the ARC trooper whilst flicking off the gunk that he was now covered with. "Just never expected to deal with that mess."

"Clearly, sir." Fives said. "How'd you even get out of there?"

Fordo held up a sphere he held in his hand. "A special sonic concoction made by the Avengers. Like a soundwave grenade. Spider-man, Ant-Man and Wasp made these little beauties. They've been handing them out to the Commanders and Captains of each legion."

"Whoa~~~" Hevy's eyes shone beneath his helmet. "Does that mean we can get something like that too?"

"You'll just have to ask them first."

A number of clones nodded before going over to check on their fallen comrades.

During this, the ARC troopers soon approached the cowering Muun with the red ascended one staring down at him.

"Now, where were we?" Asked Fordo. "Ah, yes, I believe you were surrendering."

The Banker only felt utter defeat, now more than ever.

Alpha soon activated his comms and gave out a report to the entirety of the Republic forces.

"The IG Banking Clan has surrendered. The day is ours."

He could imagine the resounding cheers throughout the capital as the battle has finally come to an end.

Unbeknownst to everyone in the room, the remains of Durge began to slither away and recover, vowing to fight the clones again another day.

-Scene Cut-

To be an ARC Trooper was one of intense training, complete and utter dedication and being the best of the best of the best.

That's what they had been told when they first began their training as ARC troopers.

They were the first twelve ordinary troopers who had been selected from their legions to represent them in this training regimen to become ARC's. There was a pressure that was there from the get-go.

A pressure that they had not only matched but exceeded.

Now, did they pass with flying colors?

No, of course not.

But Commander Fordo had stated that in war, there were no guarantees and few times of pure perfection.

And even perfection has flaws.

What mattered was this.

They had all passed.

They had all been promoted and granted the title of Advanced Recon Commandos.

These twelve troopers would be returning to their corps and battalions with their heads held high and pride in their chest for not letting down their officers who put their names in for this program.

And they wouldn't be the only ones as others in the large assembly of the program became ARC troopers.

Others would come in due time. They were just the first batch.

The dirty dozen, as one of the Avengers called it.

Must be some kind of movie reference again.

Despite the fact that they had officially "graduated", there were still several other missions that they had to do.

One being suspicious activity in the Hutt system. The suspicious activity has something to do with the disappearance of a Jedi Master and high ranking Republic Admiral.

Apparently, this was actually not the first instance of a Jedi and high ranking official going missing. This was just the first time that it correlated with Ultron.

They must have missed something whilst they were away in their training.

And if that wasn't enough, around the same time, they received this ancient Jedi distress call which they rerouted back to the Jedi Order.

While some Jedi and Avengers would investigate this odd anomaly, a team of ARC troopers will go out with more experienced Avengers suited for espionage. Infiltrating and extracting whatever hostages they could find while investigating the suspicious activity.

In the recon leading up to this mission, ARC Troopers Fordo and Alpha had reported that they had located a base of some kind with multiple capital ships taken from all over the galaxy functioning as a defense fleet.

This mission would require more than just a few Avengers, Jedi, and ARC troopers.

They required an extra "oomph" if you would call it that.

And that would come surprisingly from the Kaminoans who offered a new batch of Clone Troopers who were more than suited for these types of high risk high reward missions.

So the objectives were soon set.

Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi with Commander Ahsoka Tano would go with Spider-man, Vision and Black Panther to investigate the mysterious Jedi distress Beacon whilst linking up with Commander Cody and Captain Rex.

All the while, Captain America with Black Widow, Ant-man and the Wasp would pair themselves with Aayla Secura and Quinlan Vos, being joined by Barriss Offee as their healer.

With them would be Commander Bly, Cameron, Flash and Lucky plus Delta squad and the new unit that was being assigned with them to infiltrate this base Ultron has created to rescue the Jedi that had been captured including anyone else they may find.

And scene.

But before we close this out.

Something that I've been meaning to do for quite a while now.

Enjoy.

-Omake-

It was a big gathering.

Like a really, really big one.

And if they weren't present here, they were all watching from barracks, other Venators and so on.

The Avengers had brought together practically everyone they knew, almost the entire Jedi order, the Clone army and a number of politicians they were on friendly terms with had been brought together.

They even sent out the invite to the Guardians of the Galaxy, given Peter Quill's iffy knowledge of the series back from Earth.

It was quite a sight to be sure.

"Ok, so what is this about?" Anakin questioned, seated next to Ahsoka, Rex and Padme with all eyes on the twelve Avengers standing in front of the large crowd.

Peter Parker spoke first, clearing his throat aloud.

"Ahem." He raised his arms in a sweeping, grandiose fashion. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I bid you all welcome. Welcome to what will be the greatest experiences of your lives."

There were murmurs and whispers of confusion whilst Scott Lang now stepped forward.

"What you are all about to see is considered the greatest film trilogy that has ever been made." Ant-Man said with a feeling of pride emanating from him.

"Wait, all this is for a film?" Ahsoka asked in bemusement.

"It's not just a film." Sam Wilson said with a fierce gaze. "It's an experience. A religion to some."

"With good reason." Steve Rogers said, nodding his head along to Sam's proclamation.

"What are we even watching?" Kenobi asked, now greatly curious to what this film will be.

"The Lord of the Rings." Pietro Maximoff proudly revealed. "The greatest movie ever."

"It's a trilogy." Rhodey pointed out in amusement.

"No, it's not a trilogy." Pietro shook his head. "Like Sam said. Experience."

James snorted. "Right."

"Come on you guys." Natasha spoke up. "Wanna get it going already."

"Gotta ask, but how long are these films?" Ahsoka asked Peter who sat himself between her and Barriss.

"Theatrical or extended?"

Ahsoka tilted her head at that. "...Excuse me?"

Scott scratched the back of his head in response. "Yeah, there's a thing with most film guidelines with running times. So depending on how long a film is, they get cut to fit a required time constraint."

"Why?" Asked Skywalker.

"A number of excuses like a person being bored, getting tired, etc. etc." Hope Van Dyne answered this time. "Yet a lot of people would actually consider having a longer movie, depending on how it is. Thus the director's cut or extended additions would have everything put back in as best as possible."

"Right… so repeating my earlier question…"

"Theatrical for all three together would be a little over nine hours while extended is close to twelve hours." Vision revealed.

"Damn. Hopefully it'll be worth it." Fives commented.

"Don't worry, we'll have intermissions in between each film. We're not forcing you all to truly sit through all the films without a break." Sam Assured.

"Just so long as there's no conflict happening to interrupt this then I'm game."

"Alright folks, here we go." Peter said and the screen soon began to play the film.

The opening narration was quick to capture the attention of all in attendance with many Jedi staring intently at Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor.

Everyone was soon enraptured by the opening war scene, the last alliance of men and elves that stood strong against the endless horde of Orcs and Goblins that served Sauron.

It was quite easy to see how quickly the audience had gotten swept up in it all.

The grandeur of the battle.

The fear of Sauron's presence and power.

Isildur severing the One Ring from the Dark Lord only to become corrupted and taken by it once in Mount Doom where it was forged.

It was quite a hard scene to watch for the Jedi in particular. This corruption was a bit too familiar for their tastes.

The Jedi in attendance were then confused on the next instance of Isildur wearing the One Ring on a thin chain around his neck.

Questions silently arose on why the King of Man didn't destroy the ring in the first place. Yet could understand -in part- of the power being too tempting to throw away.

Suffice to say, it led to the man's downfall.

There was a noticeable chill when they briefly saw Gollum before it mellowed out with the introduction of the peace loving Hobbits and the Wizard Gandalf the Gray.

Padme ended up yearning to be a part of these simple festivities yet the film had other plans.

They watched the hold it had over the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins before he somehow, unexpectedly, though with clear hesitation managed to let the Ring go.

Soon enough, the audience watched as Frodo Baggins with his trusted friend and gardener Samwise Gamgee embarked on the journey to get the Ring out of the Shire lest they draw in those that would seek to take it back to their master.

As they had left the Shire, Gandalf went to consult with his friend and fellow councilman, Saruman the White.

Though the sight as to who it was that Saruman looked like was met with quite a reaction.

"Wait, wait, wait…. Is… is that…. Is that Count Dooku?!" Anakin practically exclaimed with a lot of Jedi murmuring in disbelief.

"Much as he looks like it, it's not him." Romanoff said with a shake of her head.

"But… but that is Count Dooku, is it not?" Obi-Wan said in clear astonishment.

"Yeah, but this is his doppelganger back on earth." Lang waved it off. "Christopher Lee is his name and is a famous and beloved actor."

"A badass one at that." Sam tacked on.

"Do we wanna know?"

"It'll be distracting to talk about at this time."

They quieted down just in time to see Saruman showing his true colors and betraying Gandalf as they soon clashed.

Even a fictional character portrayed by Dooku's counterpart could fall to darkness.

But they watched on, getting more and more engrossed in the story.

Next thing they knew were back to the Hobbits, where they were soon joined with Merry and Pippin all before their near confrontation with a Black Rider, a terrifying Ringwraith.

An up close and personal look of a being such as Sauron's Nazgul could perhaps make any Sith and Dark Side user to consider baring a more menacing attire.

Unbeknownst to many, the secret lord of the Sith contemplated such thoughts while comparing attires of ancient Dark Force users of ages long passed.

Things then transitioned to the Hobbits getting to the Prancing Pony Inn and meeting with the Dúnedain Ranger called Strider.

Watching the effects of what wearing the One Ring was like.

Surviving an encounter with Nazgul whilst Frodo was injured.

All this eventually culminated in reaching the realm of the Elves that was called Rivendell.

The meeting that was called between all free races of Middle Earth to decide the fate of the ring.

It eventually devolved into what all political meetings would end up being. A shouting match between who could yell the loudest to get their point across.

But all that changed, a surprise to the audience to be sure when Frodo Baggins, the one who brought the Ring and wished to be rid of it, volunteered to take the Ring into Mount Doom to destroy it.

With that, the Fellowship of the Ring was formed.

The Hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.

The Wizard Gandalf The Gray.

Aragorn, heir to Gondor with Boromir, the son of Gondor's Steward.

Legolas of the Woodland realms.

And last but not least, Gimli of Erebor.

Their departure from Rivendell was easy at first, yet the journey would be long and arduous but they would see it done.

Hearing this… something about it, the simplicity of it, the brotherhood forged by purpose beyond the individual began resonating with that of the Clones.

As the film went on, they learned more of the World, specifically when they made it to the Mines of Moria.

How once a well-respected and praised home to many dwarves now became a tomb, all because they dug too deep for wealth and material for their respected craft.

Their fight for survival, after the "fool of a Took" messed things up, due to his curiosity on a dead body. Once they were in the clear, they all fled in hopes of escaping the Mines.

They almost made it until they were now face to face with something terrible.

Of course, many a jaw dropped upon seeing just what it was that was dwelled within the Mines; the one which the Dwarves awakened in the first place that led to their demise.

"What in every God's name is that?!" Many asked upon the sight of the Balrog of Morgoth.

The shadowy monstrosity towered over them all, flames exuding from its eyes and mouth, trudging forward after the Fellowship.

Then came the showdown between the Balrog and Gandalf.

Brief as it was, the sheer spectacle of it had everyone on the edge of their seats.

The flames that the Balrog conjured around itself, summoning a fiery sword that Gandalf deflected; all before it shifted into a menacing whip.

For the Avengers, it was an amusing sight to be sure at seeing all around them wince and cheer on the Wizard. Especially when he began a chant, calling upon the higher powers to fuel him with power to defeat the Balrog. In the end, the wizard broke the bridge and had the menacing creature plummet towards the endless abyss.

"This is the greatest thing I've ever seen." One of the Clones said, sounding as though he was out of breath.

'Oh you sweet summer child.' Was the collective thought of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Yet not everything can go smoothly.

When they thought everything was well and done, the rug was metaphorically pulled right under them.

For the Balrogs whip ensnared Gandalf and pulled him off the bridge.

"NO!" Cried many audience members.

With the Fellowship watching on in horror of their most powerful member falling to his demise, they were forced to flee with a heavy heart.

Oh and the film didn't end there, even if many thought otherwise.

The troupe eventually made it to safer grounds in a forest governed by another councilmember, Lady Galadriel; the Lady of Light in the land of Lothlórien.

Many Jedi soon compared her to a fallen member of theirs, Master Fay, who was so pure and considered the strongest in living memory.

But what stunned them into silence was the hidden darkness that the Lady of Light possessed. What she would become if she were to ever wield the One Ring for herself.

It was a rather sobering thing to see really, for the Jedi.

The idea that even the best of them could fall to the Dark Side is a rather frightening idea to consider.

But they returned their attention to the film, watching as the Fellowship prepared for their departure while being given gifts and provisions for their journey.

"That Lembas bread sounds really useful." Cody commented.

"Shame we don't have such a thing in real life." Rex remarked.

"Not yet at least."

They resumed watching, getting more sucked into the world as they saw the two large statues that Aragorn referred to as his kin.

"This world seems very expansive." Obi-Wan commented.

"You have no idea." Matt remarked.

The Jedi Master looked at the lawyer a bit hesitant as though he was unsure if he should ask this next question.

"I don't wish to come across as rude, Matthew but I must ask. How are you-"

"I still remember reading the books before I became blind. I still recall how they went visually. And the sounds help in painting the picture for the movie." Matt said. "That and Tolkien, the creator of this universe, is very descriptive with everything he speaks of in his books. He's a true genius."

"Oh? Then you must send them to me when you have the time."

"We already did." Matt revealed. "Just check your datapad when you have the time."

The two fell silent as they resumed their watch of the films.

Boromir's brief fall to temptation when assaulting Frodo in hopes of possessing the One Ring. This would cause Frodo to flee in fright and him becoming lost to everyone else.

And yet Aragorn found him.

The moment of temptation was perhaps seen by many, yet they could see the Ranger's test of character prevailed over the One Ring calling out to him.

This small moment of Frodo trusting Man was ruined when the Orcs appeared and attacked.

Everything was chaotic on the surprise attack with the remaining Fellowship members fighting to survive.

Yet they saw yet another tragedy unfold before them with Boromir sacrificing himself as a means of redemption for his earlier actions.

And with his dying breath, him accepting Aragorn as his king; despite the ranger not wanting to originally take his ancestral throne in the first place.

After Boromir's funeral procession, the Ranger, Elf and Dwarf go one way to rescue Merry and Pippin -who were taken by the Orcs- while Frodo and Sam head to Mordor in fulfilling their goal of destroying the One Ring.

And with that, the first film of the trilogy came to an end.

"Well damn…." Anakin was practically slumping in his seat. "That was-"

"Amazing." Ahsoka finished for him, many Jedi and Clones murmuring in agreement.

"And there's still two more of these?"

"At least we're having a break now before the next one."

"Hmmm, an astonishing piece this was." Yoda spoke up. "Excited I am for the next one, yes."

The entire audience was abuzz with chatter, excitedly talking about the entire film.

"Goooooood." Peter said with smug satisfaction. "More converts for the greatest franchise of all time."

"How much money do you think we could make if we show this off to the rest of the galaxy?" Sam asked, the other Avengers becoming contemplative.

"Wouldn't that violate copyright laws or something?" Wanda pointed out.

"On Earth." T'Challa mused to himself. "However this is space and we have not already exploited the cultures of our home planet for our own benefit."

"Yeah, but that's to have some kind of income for ourselves without being freeloaders for the Jedi." Scott countered. "Maybe Tap and Karen can make an estimate for us."

"Why not myself?" Vision queried.

"That's too easy." Nat said. "Just sit back and relax, Viz. For now, we've got film distribution to think about."

"I'm surprised you don't sound all that guilty about it." Aayla spoke up, clearly amused by what she was hearing.

"If we have a chance to spread the good word of J.R.R. Tolkien, then it is our solemn duty to do so." Steve Rogers declared in absolute seriousness.

"Yeah, what Cap said." Peter said with a laugh, throwing his arm around Cap's shoulder.

"Never would have thought you would have that in ya, Cap." Sam said, chortling at the Captain.

"It's Tolkien." Steve said. "I met the guy back in 44 and had him sign my copy of the Hobbit."

He still remembered the moment back then when both he and Bucky had their copies signed. It was a wonderful time for them both.

The nerdier members of the Avengers had their eyes practically bulge out.

"WHAT?!" Scott, Peter and Pietro exploded from their seats.

"And where would this be located?"

"Earth, obviously."

"But where exactly?"

Steve said nothing, only wearing the smug smile on his face as he left the flabbergasted teammates alone.

AN

Now that that's out of the way.

This is a response shared between me and Jeb

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER!

WOEOIGAHAOUOAJGOAHGOAHEHGHEIGHGIEIHGIHGHABIABOUBEOT

Literally, as we were writing this chapter, the new trailer for Love and Thunder came out and who did we see?

GORR THE GOD BUTCHER! WOOOOOOOOOO

Jebest4781: Christian Bale looks fantastic and menacing. And we got to see the All-Black Necro sword, the true one! Not the one Hela apparently had in the MCU. Really gonna wonder how that'll be translated, especially with the extended Marvel lore.

FMW: Honestly, that entire trailer was a blast but MAN I cannot wait to see Gorr cause he is one of, if not my favorite Thor Villains. Choosing Loki is honestly cheating so Gorr is my favorite and the fact that we're getting him is so awesome.

Jeb: July cannot come any closer. But asides from that, we were originally contemplating to release this-this Wednesday due to it being the 45th anniversary of Star Wars, but we couldn't wait any longer. Not to mention this Friday is Obi-Wan!

FMW: Yeah, so we figured let's just get this out of the way sooner than later. So yeah, Thor's new trailer was a blast, glad we got around to doing the LOTR Omake I've been dying to make, part one of three of course, Star Wars week is the week of this chapter and we have now started the next Arc of this season, the Citadel. Hope you guys are ready for some… twisted shit. Way, way, way worse than what was shown in the cartoon. Remember, we've made it clear, this Citadel is run by Ultron. Expect some fucked shit to appear.

Until next time folks.

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