Marvel Mayhem - Avengers #4 - Something Wicked...
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Last Issue the Avengers found out that there was a double threat about to rise from the grave. In the future it was revealed that the Frightful Five was trying to rise the Grim Reaper while in the present Captain America and Iron Man were read into Operation Skeleton which concerned the Hood hiring security so he could complete the rising of Blackheart the Son of Satan. Sending out a call for arms to any hero ready to respond as the earth begins to fall into chaos.
Hydro Base, Eastern Seaboard - 21st March, 2013
Tony Stark fully clad in armour stalked the perimeter of the floating platform that held the armed security redoubt he had sunk into the ocean almost five years ago in preparation for a war that never came. All the hi-tech gear had never been used and had sat waiting as the Avengers continued to struggle into the modern age as their foes became deadlier and more devout to their causes. In the centre of the fortified bunker was a holographic world map, with real time images of a world thrown into chaos. In New York a deadly threat from the stars had landed and was tearing through an armoured Code Blue unit, across the rest of the world such as Paris, London and Manchester numerous super villains were staging a vicious attack. There was panic in San Diego as reports of an attempted assassination came in while the streets of Seattle ran red with blood as ULTIMATUM moved into the heart of the city. And at each incident heroes retaliated, responded to the threats but that would mean nothing if Blackheart broke into this world.
"We should be out there." Steve stated as he leant against a reinforced armour maintenance scanner. "The world is breaking apart."
"It is and as much as I want to help energy readings are showing that demonic energy is penetrating each of these hot zones, increasing the aggression of our enemies." Tony answered, "They would have struck by themselves eventually but with Blackheart trying to squeeze into our world they were coerced into acting more rapidly. I tried to reach Dr. Strange but he is dealing with Mephisto, it appears that both father and son have plans in motion."
"There is only an hour left before the ritual completes." Steve stated. "With so many threats I fear that nobody will come to our aid."
"Don't say nobody." A woman announced as a speck of yellow grew from the floor to reveal the feminine form of Yellow Jacket. "I got your message and while we never have been friends I heard enough to persuade me to stand with you."
"It's a start but the three of us can't take down nine of the worst criminals and Blackheart if he emerges." Tony sighed.
Then it's a good thing that there are four of us." A gravely aged voice croaked as one of the shutters opened and the red and white armoured former Avenger Stingray limped in. "I may not be an active Avenger but I still know how to fight."
"Walter what happened to your leg?" Steve asked.
"It took some damage on the way here, I managed to stop Man O War from joining the party, he was heading north up the Eastern Seaboard as if he had a pack of sharks on his tail." Walter answered. "The kid helped." He added jabbing a finger at the Falcon as he followed Stingray into the room.
"So you decided to get into the game then Sam?" Tony asked. "By the way you're fired." He added, "I don't suppose SHIELD has anyone else to spare?"
"Widow is already on site but other then that no." Sam answered, "They are taking agents off of periphery sites such as Seattle to secure the alien ship that landed in New York. They have reason to suspect that Titanium Man and a bunch of other tech criminals have been hired by the Maggia to loot the place."
"Even the six of us couldn't stop this." Tony groaned. "We need more people to throw at this problem."
"I got that covered." Sam told him, "I sent Redwing to find a guy I met in Ethiopia on my last mission."
"We can't wait that long." Steve told them, "Avengers Assemble because we are heading out. The fate of the world rests on our shoulders.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - 25th June 2023
The door to the crypt caved in as Poseidon smashed the door open and he led the two Avenger charge down the stairs into the main foyer where Omen sat, her naked body streaked in red glyphs carved into her own flesh. Without even looking up she held her hand out and shot a beam of red energy that struck the ceiling of the mausoleum and formed a red pentagram.
"On your guard Widow." Poseidon ordered, "The living dead have been awoken to stall us as the witch attempts to finish her spell." He announced as a nearly complete skeleton dropped from the ceiling armed with a cutlass and charged at the two Avengers only to be smashed to pieces as Natasha fired a round from her 'Widow's Bite'.
"Concentrate on Omen." She told her comrade as the villain's entire body lit up and she levitated off the ground, strips of mummified flesh wrapping her legs together as they snaked into the stone floor. As they watched in revulsion more skeletons and rotting corpses came crashing through the ceiling, most were unarmed but some held sabres and antique flintlocks, their bones clothed in the uniforms of the long deceased Confederate army. With a guttural chant Poseidon surged forward towards Omen striking her with the force of the tide as the army of the deceased half ran, half marched towards the Widow, those few with guns firing wildly before throwing their weapons away. Calmly Natasha waited as the first foe reached her before slamming her wrist into the skeleton's neck causing its head to fall to the floor followed by its body.
As she finished dispatching the first foe she turned gracefully to meet the second and aimed a snap kick into its rotten chest before firing a close range blast that ripped the upper torso off the body. At the moment she had the advantage but as the entire graveyard wriggled from their tombs she knew that eventually numbers would overwhelm her and there was nothing she could do to stop them, that task lay with Poseidon and his defeat of Omen.
Summoning up his trident Poseidon watched as Omen cut herself free and held out her hand, the long handled scythe flying into her grasp, its blade glowing red as his own weapon lit up with a cool blue light. Around them the dead groaned and collapsed under the Widow's blows but that didn't matter, for now it was just the two of them locked in a wordless sense of preparation, each waiting for the other to strike. With a wicked smile Omen moved first and summoned an orb of crackling energy, in less then a second Poseidon took action as he fired streams of lightning only to see his foe send the orb into the fray, and attract his attack towards it until all the lightning had been absorbed. With a whoosh the orb flew towards Poseidon and he braced himself for the impact before slamming his trident onto the floor, a wall of water forming between him and the enemy, her spell smacking onto the protective stream and vaporizing it into a curtain of steam.
"Very clever Nephatys, concealing a Lightning Seed as an offensive weapon in an attempt to fool me." Poseidon snorted as the steam circled him before flying towards Omen and binding her in a smoking embrace, her flesh sizzling as it pressed in closer to her. "But you face a power that you can't quell daughter of the Duat."
"And you are too cocky Olympian." Omen purred. "The lesson of humility is one I have never forgotten; sometimes you have to know when to kneel." She added getting to her knees and watching as her skin melted off to reveal a gaunt woman hidden underneath. With an inhuman screech the remains of her disguise transformed into a swarm of giant scarabs and scorpions formed of living gold, the animated invertebrates scuttling towards Poseidon. Flipping his trident so the prongs were facing down the Avenger stabbed his weapon into the stone and watched as the moisture in the rock expanded before forming a swirling maelstrom in the centre of the battlefield that sucked in Omen's insect foot-soldiers.
"You strike through deception." Poseidon grunted, "You are too afraid to fight me directly as you have placed a lot of your power into the spell. With your abilities retarded you can only unleash a fraction of your real power."
"A fraction is all I need." Omen hissed as she swung her scythe, a glowing crescent of energy flying out of the weapon and heading towards Poseidon. With a dry laugh the Avenger reached out and grabbed the energy field and tore it in half with very little effort. It was only after he had dispatched the summon when he looked down and saw that his hands were wrapped in gauze that slithered up his arm under its own ominous power. Looking over he saw Omen binding herself in the same living tape until she was completely bound, her body glowing red under the wrappings. "But you are right a fraction of my power is not enough so I will use some of yours to help me complete the ancient rites of Charon and send the man buried here to a final death."
"Wait you are trying to do what?" Poseidon gasped as the wrappings slithered up over his face.
Copp's Hill Burial Ground, Boston - 21st March, 2013
Rain poured down over the trees and headstones as lightning flashed over the graveyard, the energy discharge radiating from a hole dug in the centre of the field of the dead as both enslaved human workers and risen corpses laboured to increase the radius of the hellish pit. In the centre of the hole shadows could be seen moving across the earth as the head overseer hovered above the deepest point, his body suspended in the beam of light.
"Anyone have any idea what those creepy shadows are." One of the small assembly of costumed individuals standing on the top of the pit asked. "I tried to light one of them up last time I did a fly over but even my strongest photon blast revealed nothing."
"They are the bewaker, demons too weak to bring their physical form with them." A woman dressed in grey lycra, the shoulders emblazoned with swastikas explained. "We should expect many to emerge alongside Black Heart. When he has been torn free from Hell's Womb we have been instructed to force the bewaker, degen and veldheer that will follow him out back to where they came from."
"How do you know so much about demons Warrior Woman?" Another of the guards asked as he held a length of chain in his hands.
"Because unlike you Absorbing Man I was hired to use my brain as well as my brawn." Warrior Woman answered, "But to answer your question my beloved and I were part of a team that travelled here to awaken a fell creature in 1945, the magic required were never completed and resulted in Hitler's death before we could channel the spirit of victory into him."
"Good thing too." A man dressed like a tiger purred, "We really didn't need Adolf wining the war."
"Don't think I have forgotten the part you played in our defeat Flying Tiger. Once this is over I will make you suffer for allying against us." Warrior Woman snapped.
"So we are just glorified demon hunters?" Whirlwind asked, "I was hoping to break some bones."
"You may just get that chance." The Mauler told him, "Masque and I fought the Avengers a few hours ago. They might turn up here in which case we'll be digging two more graves for them."
"Where is Masque?" The Absorbing Man asked, "She's disappeared as has that worm the Constrictor."
"Probably just shacking up, Frank's been on the level after his brief stint as a hero." The Laser told the others, his voice crackling as a bolt of lightning landed within a few meters of the pit edge, the jolt of energy striking one of the living workers and burning him to a cinder. As he died his spirit tried to fly out of the pit only to be dragged down into the centre of the wretched hole and suspended in the beam of energy, a screaming face lost in the sea of trapped souls.
"Let the dear Captain come with all his Avengers." Warrior Woman snarled as she turned to Whirlwind, "Their presence will serve our employers purpose well, their deaths will trigger the ascension of the hell lord and will permanently spell the end of this heroic age.
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