AXIS: Thunderbolts #15 - Breaking Point

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Thunderbolts #15 - Breaking Point

For more information on characters click here for the character list thus far

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Burton Canyon, Colorado

“You’re going to have plenty of company very soon.”

Those words caused Abe’s blood to boil, he didn’t like Creel but right now he was a better man then Scourge was, and with a scream he opened fire, deadly live-fire streaking towards the two villains. With a grunt Titania hefted Creel in-front of her and Scourge, his wooden body acting as a shield.

“Nice try Jenkins.” Scourge hissed, as Titania threw her husband down to the floor. “Now you get to see my guns!!” He snarled, as he produced a seven barreled shotgun from his armour, and opened fire, the blast sending Abe staggering backwards a good three feet. “As for the rest of…you.” Scourge continued, as he fired again, the blast being deflected by a hastily erected sonic barrier, “…sit down and wait your turn!” He ordered as he lifted his leg, and an extendable foot shot out slamming into the barrier and then into Songbird’s chest.

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“That’s enough!!” A voice boomed, as something heavy slammed Titania and Scourge from behind, the pair of villains hitting the deck face-first. “Thanks for the copper jacket Jenkins, it stopped me from being burnt alive.” The voice announced, as the Absorbing Man slammed a foot down into Titania’s back as she tried to get up.

“I’m going to rip you apart!!” Titania screamed, as Scourge got up into a sitting position, a synthetic throwing diamond clenched in his hand, only for a solid steel ball to knock the ad-hoc projectile to the floor.

“Nope.” Rock Python replied, as he swung a second bolas at Scourge, the vigilante summoning another weapon from his armour, only to have it knocked away before he could use it.

“Pathetic, even with your toys your nothing but a failure!!” Titania hissed, as she bucked the Absorbing Man off her back, and charged towards the Thunderbolts, her blow being met by a wave of sonic chains strong enough to keep her bound.

“Now who’s pathetic?” Scourge snapped back, as he got to his feet and removed his bo-staff, the weapon spinning defensively in his hands. With a smirk he slammed his staff down, and a thick grey-green smoke oozed out. Coughing and chocking, the assorted Thunderbolts opened fire, but none of their projectiles, despite slashing through the fog, hit their mark.

“He’s gone?” Melissa asked, as she gathered the fog together and encased it in a sonic bottle. “But he didn’t take Tita…” She stopped as Atlas moaned, causing the team to look at him, and the figure standing on the giant’s cheek, a pistol pointed at his neck. Grinning Scourge pulled the trigger, and a bullet lanced into Erik’s skull, blood gushing out. Leaping off, Scourge brandished his gun at the rest of the team, as Titania sapped the chains binding her.

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“Who wants to join Mr. Josten next?” Scourge asked, only to be answered by Rock Python surging forwards, the bullets ricocheting off his stone hard skin, before the pair collided and slammed into the base of a slide. Before any of the others could help him, Titania struck, dashing forward and slamming Abe and Melissa into each other, with the later falling unconscious.

“You’re next doctor!” Titania snarled, as she advanced on Nightshade, a malicious smile on her face. “We’ve a lot of lost ground to catch up on after our last session.” She added, as Nightshade stood defiantly in-front of Atlas.

“No appointment, no session.” Nightshade growled, as Creel recovered and threw his ball and chain, the impact staggering Titania, and causing her to spin round snarling, her eyes wide with rage.

“We still have some unfinished proceedings to deal with!!” Creel grunted, as his ball and chain returned to him. With a scream Titania, leapt at him, the pair trading punches and kicks as Nightshade looked on wide eyed, before turning to look at Erik.

“Okay so you have a head wound, admittedly one I could park a small car in, but hopefully this should work.” Nightshade gasped, as she removed a small disc from her belt and laid it on Erik’s chest, energy coursing into his body. “Ion Pump online, that gives my two minutes to remove the slug before the ionic charge cauterizes the wound.” She added, as she pulled out a pair of forceps and walked over to Erik’s head, the bullet shining under the eerie light of the ionic charge surging through Atlas’s body. With a deep breath she reached inside and plucked the projectile out, and dropped it on the floor. “Got it, it’s now all down to you Erik.” She whispered, as she watched the ongoing batte occurring around her.

**

Rock Python rained blow after blow on Scourge’s helmet, each punch cracking the surface slightly, before he was pushed off by the vigilante, who then limped ten steps away from his attacker, before falling to his knees.

“Why are you attacking us?!” Rock Python asked, as he struggled to his feet. “Why do you hate us so much?”

“I don’t, but I follow orders, if I don’t then she wins!!” Scourge grunted as he turned to face Rock Python, a crack in his helmet revealing a forest green eyes set against porcelain white skin as a few pink hairs crept into view. “Creel isn’t the only one who turned, my employers have confirmed that the X-Men and possibly the Avengers were affected by the same inversion energy wave. That showed us that even people set in their ways could change, and made us worry about the corruption inside the CSA spreading to you and your teammates.”

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“Who is she?”

“The one manipulating things from the side-lines.” Scourge hissed.

“You mean someone like the Crimson Cowl.” Rock Python asked, his words causing Scourge’s eyes to go wide, before narrowing with suspicion.

“You have just earned a reprieve.” He stated, before he vanished in a blinding flash of light, the caused Rock Python to rub his eyes, in a vain attempt to readjust them to the twilight around him.

“You haven’t.” He moaned, “I just can’t believe it’s you behind that mask.”

**

Titania kneed Creel in the groin, before grabbing her stunned husband under the arms and slamming him head first into the ground. With a snort of rage, Creel kicked out, his metal foot colliding with his wife’s knee, the blow sending her staggering back two paces.

“So you really think you can play hero?!” Titania groaned, as the Absorbing Man got to his feet, and swung his ball and chain at her, the super strong villainess deflecting the attack with a punch that caused her knuckles to crack.

“I’m willing to try.” Creel stated proudly. “It’s not too late Mary, we’ve always been a team, and we can be now.”

“One problem, I’m not falling for whatever crazy head voodoo those traitors used on you!!” Titania roared, as she slammed her foot into the ground so hard, that it cracked, clods of dirt spraying Creel’s metallic body. “You used to think like that, too bad you forgot.” She added slyly, before Creel head-butted her in the chest, the blow winding Titania for only a few seconds, and opening him up to her brutal counter attack. With a primal scream, she lifted him up and then snapped his neck back, a crescendo of snapping bone and screeching metal. “You two are next!” She hissed, as she slammed her foot own on Creel’s neck, before advancing on Nightshade and Atlas.

“How could you do that!?” Nightshade yelled, her voice causing Titania to stop in her tracks. “You loved him!! I was there at you’re wedding, you said you’d take him in sickness and in health!!”

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“Well he’s not sick, he’s dead to me!!” Titania roared, as she lunged forwards towards Nightshade, only for her target to duck to reveal a massive fist ready to meet the charging villainess. With a grunt, Atlas slammed into Titania, knocking her backwards into the road, and a parked car.

“You’re the one who’s sick.” Erik mused, as he shrunk down to his normal size and got to his feet. “Thanks Doc.” He added, as Creel and Songbird both got to their feet, and joined them. “What happened to Scourge?”

“Gone…” Rock Python stated, as he walked over, “…he err, he teleported away.” He added sheepishly as a search-light lit up the group, and a helicopter emblazoned with a SHIELD crest parked on the road. Seconds later the rear ramp dropped down, and a wizened figure walking with the aid of a stick emerged.

“Captain.” Melissa stated briskly, as she walked over to the old man.

“It’s Steve now Melissa, I’m not Captain America anymore.” The old man wheezed, as Titania stirred, before picking up the car she had crashed into and threw it at the frail newcomer. With a grunt Creel intercepted it one handed, and tossed it back, the blow sending Titania spinning away, until she landed face first on the tarmac. “I’m here because I need you son.” Rogers continued, as he put a hand on the Absorbing Man’s shoulder.

“Me? But why…”

“Because the world is off its Axis, and we need everyone who was there when everything changed to make it right again.” Rogers explained, “As for the rest of you, I need you to be ready to step up if we fail. But time is not on our side, we need to go now.” He added, as Creel helped him back into the helicopter.

“Wait!” Abe called, as he walked over to the Absorbing Man and handed him a lightning bolt shaped disc. “When you get back, if you still want to be a hero, this will help us find you.”

“Thanks Jenkins, but I have the feeling that the Carl Creel coming back won’t want to be a hero.” Creel told him, before looking at the rest of the Thunderbolts. “So I just want you guys to know that I think you’ll make it, and that some small part of me will be proud of you when I do.” He added as he stepped onto the helicopter, the crew door closing behind him. Seconds later the helicopter took off, and thundered east towards the rising sun, leaving the Thunderbolts standing in the shadows.

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#2  Edited By ImpurestCheese
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Claymore1998

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Awesome stuff.

Keep up the good work.

^_^

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Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Nice dialogue, action is good as usual. Possibly the best issue you've ever wrote. d(^_^)

Oh, and that emoticon means thumbs up, hehe.

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#5  Edited By ImpurestCheese

@dboyrules2011: Thanks for the comments, it means a lot. And looks who next week's bad guy is...

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#6  Edited By Straight-Fire
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#7  Edited By ImpurestCheese
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#8  Edited By Straight-Fire
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#9  Edited By ImpurestCheese
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deactivated-097092725

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You've managed to make me feel bad for Creel. That's incredible, trust me. You didn't hold back in the fighting, and it was brutal. Well done.

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#11  Edited By ImpurestCheese

@ms-lola: Thanks, the plan was to cultivate some sympathy for Creel so it looks like it works. As for brutal fights...well Abe and Valerie have one coming up as a former Thunderbolt returns hotter and angrier then ever.

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find it bump.

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stumpy49er

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@impurestcheese: Nice arc. Really good end. Great fight.

Boomerang is up next? Yes. Him and Abe have great animosity. Back in the Sinister Syndicate days. Can't wait to read (must sleep 1st)

Hmmm.. green eyes, pink hair, Rock Python knows her..

Rachel Leighton?

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#14  Edited By ImpurestCheese

@stumpy49er: Yeah Boomerang is one of the Tertiary Antagonists, two other villains are leading the charge. And yes Boomerang and Abe hate each other, especially since Boomer tried to murder MACH VII in Superior Foes.

Diamondback as Scourge...that's ridiculous ;-), Diamondback has fought Scourge on multiple occasions, that would be as likely as any Captain America character being Scourge, like D-Man, or Nuke, or Vagabond...or Nomad oh

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@impurestcheese: Mhm. If I'm right I want a No-Prize.

Then again, I am about 7 or 8 issues behind on this, so maybe it's too late for that coveted No-Prize.

Catching up though.

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#16  Edited By ImpurestCheese