Wasp was in trouble.
Despite using her giant size and landing a few good hits on Abomination. Her lack of experience in this form soon became apparent.
At her size, her movements became slower. The increased mass made every movement feel like she was wading through a fast-flowing stream, and no matter where she moved, it was always against the current.
This allowed Abomination to easily evade a few of her attacks and deliver a devastating punch to her face, sending her toppling into the cavern wall.
Eventually, the strain on her body proved to be too much. She can only maintain her giant form for about two minutes before she must revert back.
However, after shrinking back to her wasp size, her body remained sluggish from the strain of her giant form, allowing Abomination to swiftly grab her.
Now, she was at his mercy as the Gamma Monster threatened to squeeze her into jelly.
"Say goodbye, girl." Abomination snarled.
Wasps eyes widened in fear. She was helpless in the face of this brute. If she had just taken a moment to think instead of acting emotional like always, she should have saved her trump card for later. Now, she's about to be crushed, and no one can help her.
"Please. Someone, help." She prayed in her head.
Suddenly, a shadow cast over Abomination, and a dark mass slammed down on top of him. Causing the Villain to release his grip as Wasp fell to the floor.
She gasped for air, and the pressure on her body finally ceased.
Lifting her head, she looked up to see what had happened, awe plastered across her face.
Before her stood Giant Man, anger evident on his face as his massive fist crushed Abomination beneath it.
Wasp's fears immediately evaporated. She wasn't sure how he had arrived, but she didn't care. Hank was here. He had come back to her, and that's all that mattered.
Before she could say anything, the ground rumbled as Hank's fist began to rise while Abomination used his brute strength to lift Giant Man's enlarged appendage.
However, Giant-Man was not about to let him gain an edge. This monster had hurt Janet.
Without hesitation, Giant-Man roared as he drove his left fist into Abomination, pummelling him into the ice. He then proceeded to pound him over and over again in a savage beating of pure rage, rivalling the Hulk.
Wasp was motionless as she observed the onslaught. She had never seen Hank this angry, this… violent.
She should be happy that Hank was finally cutting loose and taking down the bad guys like she had always wanted.
But now that she was finally witnessing it, seeing the man she cared about embrace the very thing he had always opposed.
It scared her.
She stepped back as Giant Man continued to wail like a savage beast. The cavern trembled, and the ice cracked as he drove Abomination deeper into the icy ground.
After what felt like hours, though it was only half a minute, Giant-Man stopped his assault and stood up. His heavy panting released a cloud of steam with each breath.
Wasp flew up to him. He glanced at her, and she froze. The two locked eyes as tension mounted.
Giant Man then gave her a warm smile. The same smile that made her heart melt. She returned it; he's still her, Hank.
A groan emanated from the crater that Giant Man just made, and the pair looked down as the dust settled. Revealing Abomination, his head was the only part of his body visible as the rest of his bulk was pummelled into the ground like a tent peg.
Giant Man turned to Wasp. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Wasp responded. Excitement returned to her voice as the intenseness of the moment made her heart beat a mile a minute.
"Hank, I can't believe you came. And…." Her eyes widened as her gaze drifted past Giant Man's head. "Oh, wait. Can I change my answer about being okay?"
Suddenly, a bright glow drew their attention as the Norn Stone unleashed a pulse of magic energy.
The pair got into fighting stances as something began to shimmer. Three Frost Giants materialised before them. Each one dwarfing Giant Man in size.
Things have only just got more complicated.
Wonder Man flew around the volcano as boulders sailed past his head. He blasted one apart, reducing it to rubble, only for the debris to change course and pelt him like bullets.
He glared at Rocks as he fired a pair of beams from his eyes.
In response, Rocks raised his arms, and a wall of stones rose from the ground in front of him, blocking the beam.
However, Wonder Man only poured more power into the attack as the rock shield glowed with heat and cracked before shattering and causing a massive explosion.
As a result, Rocks dived off the pillar to the lava pool below.
The Stone Alien reached out his right hand and twisted his wrist. The Lava responded to his command and formed a solid stone raft on which he could land.
Rocks landed on his raft, splashing lava around him. With another wave of his hand, the edges of the platform chipped away, transforming the square raft into a streamlined surfboard.
As Wonder Man appeared over the edge of the platform above him, he immediately charged up his ionic energy in both hands and unleashed a powerful, destructive beam.
Responding to his command, the lava current moved Rock out of the way of the beam. Wonder Man gave chase as Rock commanded the molten rock and rode the currents like he was in a skate park.
The sensation reminded the Young Hero of using his hoverboard, feeling nostalgic as he performed an ollie over Wonder Man's blast and maneuvered through the rock pillars, willing the currents to push him faster to stay ahead of the Energy Villain.
Wonder Man tried to keep up, but the cluster of pillars made pursuing difficult, resulting in him flying over them and tracking the Young Avenger from the air.
He saw the Teen Hero exit the cluster of pillars into an open lava pool with no cover and moved to intercept.
However, the moment he reached the edge, Hypnotick appeared before him, phasing into view and causing the Ionic Villain to stop in his tracks. Caught off guard by the presence of this beast.
Just as he was about to regain his composure and attack the creature, Hypnotick released a cloud of red mist from the circular vents along her abdomen. She then began to rapidly beat her wings, and the red mist swirled around and formed a spiral pattern of concentric overlapping circles that continued to pulse outwards, filling his vision.
Wonder Man was confused by the creatures' actions, but he couldn't look away. His mind started going numb as he continued to gaze at the patterns until he was completely mesmerised.
"Good girl," Rocks said as he watched Hypnotick put Wonder Man into her trance.
Hypnotick's species produced a mesmerising pattern that stimulates the pleasure and reward centres of the brain, causing anyone who stares at it to see the thing they desire the most.
This allows them to subdue their prey, making it easier to catch.
Initially, the Emerald Avenger wasn't sure if her hypnotic wings would work on Wonder Man, given that his brain is made of ionic energy. But it seems that whether flesh or energy, a brain is still a brain.
Though, he wasn't sure how long it would last. Not wanting to risk a chance of escaping, Rock concentrated and reached his hands to the lava around him.
His rock body trembled and his stone teeth scraped against each other as he used his power to command the molten rock and bend it to his will.
In response, the magma surged around the pillars, and the molten rock dropped, like the sea when the tide goes out. Gathering together as Rocks raised his arms and the lava responded.
Wonder Man's eye twitched as his jaw clenched. Despite the wonderful vision he was being shown. He started to break through to reality. His senses returned to him as he cried out and unleashed a pulse of energy that knocked Hypnotick away.
The Ionic Villain shook his head and rubbed his eyes. His body pulsed as his anger radiated off him.
"That was a dirty trick," he hissed as he opened his eyes. His red eyes glowed with so much power that wisps of radiation flowed from them. "But I know that dream will never happen!"
He prepared to vaporise the Alien Hero for showing him that, only to come face to face with a lava tsunami.
A giant tidal wave of molten rock surged towards him. Atop the wave's crest, Rocks surfed, smirking with glee as he rode the wave towards him.
"Cowabunga!" he cried as the wave curved over the villain.
Wonder Man was befuddled by the odd sight before raising his arms and preparing to blast an ionic beam to slice the wave in half before it broke.
However, Rock thrust his arms forward, and a ball of lava shot from the wave, splashing across Wonder Man's face. This blinded him as he let out a surprised grunt and tried to remove the molten rock.
But as soon as he regained his sight, it was too late. The wave crashed, and Wonder Man was engulfed by the magma tsunami. Molten rock crashed down, toppling several stone pillars as the torrent surged through the volcanic crater.
Rocks surfed along the wave before leaping off his lava board and landing calmly atop one of the sturdier pillars.
"Whoo! Those waves are gnarly, dude," Rocks said in his best surfer impression, even though his gravelly voice wasn't suited for that kind of lingo.
Still, he was impressed that he managed to pull it off.
Rocks was a newer transformation, one of two new forms he hadn't really given a full test run. He got the basics of its abilities, an advanced form of geokinesis. Way more potent than Heatblast in that regard.
However, this was the first time he used his powers to this extent. Turning lava into solid stone and reverse, commanding lava at this magnetite while also keeping the volcano's structure from being compromised.
But, after having his eyes opened as Lodestar when he faced off against Magneto in New York. The Young Hero started to see the more complex forces that act on the world around him and how his aliens can tap into them.
With Lodestar, Ben couldn't just think of Magnetism as simply attracting and moving metal. Magnetic fields are so much more than that.
The same with Rocks. Manipulating and controlling rocks doesn't mean just making a rock float in the air and tossing it at his enemies. Rocks take on many forms and shapes. All he has to do is take a closer look.
A buzzing interrupted his musings as Hypnotick buzzed down to him. The predatory creature clicked its jaws as Rocks smiled and stroked her head.
"Atta girl. You did such a good job. You'll get an extra special treat when we get home." Rocks praised, earning an affectionate series of clicks and squeaks from the alien dog.
Suddenly, Rocks felt something. A strange tingling sensation at the base of his skull.
He turned to see where that tingling was coming from and saw the Norn Stone. The Mythical rock was glowing brightly, and a pulse of energy rippled out of it.
Hypnotick started to growl. Her animal instincts warning her of something coming. This aligned with Rock's hero instincts as he got into a fighting stance.
Using his power, he generated a stone club from the ground next to him, which he picked up and held aloft.
At that moment, Wonder Man burst from the lava pool and rose into the air.
The Ionic Villain glared down at the two alien shapeshifters, ready to attack them. Only to stop when he noticed their attention wasn't on him.
With a raised eyebrow, he followed their gaze and noticed the energy rippling out of the Norn Stone.
As the energy continued to ripple out, the lava pool seemed to glow brighter than normal. Giving everyone an uneasy feeling.
Rocks eyes drifted to the surface of the lava. His stone brow furrowed as he saw something moving.
Then, it materialised like a phantom, a being appeared on the lava surface. It was humanoid, standing eight feet tall with broad shoulders, goatlike legs, two clawed toes on each foot and three taloned fingers on its hands. It wore a type of red armour that resembled that worn by a gladiator. It had a pair of horns on its head and glowing yellow eyes.
Most prominently, this being looks to be completely made of fire and rock. Honestly, the creature resembles Heatblast in such a way that they could be mistaken for distant cousins.
The creature let out an unholy roar as others of its kind emerged from the magma. Demonic Fire Beings that wielded weapons composed of solid fire.
Hypnotic growled as she turned back into Crabdozer. While Rocks turned his attention to Wonder Man.
The Ionic Being had a look of surprise as he backed away from the demonic creatures in fear.
All the proof Rocks needed to conclude that Wonder Man had no idea this was going to happen. Meaning these things aren't here to back him up.
Given that these things appeared after the stone glowed and they are on a magical lay line that is likely connected to one of the Nine Realms of the World Tree. These "Fire Demons" are beings from one of those worlds.
If those things are here, then it can only mean that creatures from other Asgardian realms are being pulled into the world at the different locations.
He didn't have time to mull over those details as the Fire Demons' bodies glowed and wings, wreathed in fire, burst from their backs, and they took to the sky. Charging right at him with bloodthirsty intent.
Rocks narrowed his eyes and raised his club. Then, he charged the Demon lines with Crabdozer right behind him.
Back in the Amazon, Hawkeye and Chemistro watched as the mystical energy rippled from the Norn Stone. Causing the trees around them to illuminate.
"What's going on?" Chemistro asked.
Hawkeye raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Isn't this your plan, genius?"
Chemistro shot him a look, only to swing his gun around as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.
Hawkeye did the same as he noticed the branch beneath him glow.
Suddenly, dozens of tiny lights burst from the bark of the tree, flowing around him like a swarm of insects. One of them flew close to the Archer's face, and Hawkeye saw that they weren't bugs; they were tiny, glowing fairy creatures with butterfly-like wings and tiny humanoid bodies resembling beautiful women.
Chemistro aimed his gun as he tracked the shadows moving through the trees.
One of them finally emerged from the shadows, and his jaw dropped.
Emerging from the shadows was a tall, humanoid being with light skin and silver hair tied into a braid. He wore light armor with a mix of gold and green, wielding spears and bows, along with long, pointy ears.
Elves. Real-life elves.
More of them emerged along the tree line, none of them looking happy.
Captain America groaned as he looked up at Taskmaster. The Mercenary raised his sword, aiming the hilt at the Super Soldier's forehead to knock him out.
Suddenly, he felt a chill run up his spine. Eerie whispers filled his ears as he turned to spot where the sound was coming from.
"What is this?" Taskmaster asked, drawing his gun. He checked the area. Captain America didn't have any backup. And he already took care of any security or groundskeepers from interrupting them. So who else could be here?
Captain America managed to find some strength to push himself up.
As he did, he also heard the whispers as he and Taskmaster searched for the source.
Just then, they saw the mist move in an unnatural way. Gathering together and taking shape. Before they knew it, the fog had become the haunting figures of ghosts. Humanoid from the waist up, but smoky trails where their legs should be. Their bodies were transparent noncorporeal masses, and they were all clad in different garb. Some wore armour, while others dressed in ancient clothing.
The Ghosts moaned as they advanced on the pair, causing Taskmaster to step back in fear and raise his weapon in an attempt to fend off the undead spirits.
Captain America forced himself to his feet and retrieved his shield. He stood by Taskmaster, ready to face this unknown enemy.
In the graveyard. Crimson Dynamo and Black Panther continued to duel.
With the Super Villains' new sonic weapon, the tides had turned in the fight. Black Panther's enhanced senses were vulnerable to the weapon's sound waves, overloading the suit with vibrations.
He started to feel heat on his skin, and this was not a good sign. While Vibranium can absorb vibrational energy, there is still a limit to how much it can take.
Panther designed the Panther Habit to withstand an extraordinary amount of energy—far beyond what any previous king has encountered or any device in Wakanda's current arsenal. However, he never expected someone to have a device that could push his suit to the limit like this.
In order to regain the advantage, he needed to disable that weapon. Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. As Crimson Dynamo pointed out, he had not made any major adjustments or alterations to the Habit since joining the Avengers. Having assumed that the perfection of the suit would be adequate in dealing with the escaped villains.
He couldn't help but be reminded of his father. He always told him and his siblings. "Just because something works does not mean it cannot be improved."
Oh, how he wished he had taken his father's words to heart in this moment.
Suddenly, Dynamo stopped his attack as his armor detected something.
"Ktoh… who is there? Show yourselves!" Crimson Dynamo shouted, aiming his weapons into the mists.
Black Panther could also sense something was out there. His mask lenses filtered through the different spectrums before detecting something mystical.
From behind the gravestone appeared several black, smoky figures. Their appearance was all too familiar to the Black Panther.
Dark Elves. Or at least the spirits of them that Malekith attempted to summon during their battle with the Casket of Ancient Winters.
Black Panther wondered which realm his intersecting lay line would lead to. Apparently, this location is connected to Svartalfheim. While an answer to his question would have been satisfying, the increasing threat overruled that joy.
Now, he must face a new enemy, who is immune to everything except iron. Something he is sorely lacking.
Back in Norway, Thor watched as Enchantress and Zemo stood before the Norn Stone.
The Asgardian Witch continued the spell to break down the walls between realms, all while Zemo looked on, seemingly oblivious to his role in all this.
"Do not trust the enchantress, Zemo," Thor warned the Masked Demon. "Whatever she promised you is a lie. To her, mortals are nothing. They are beneath Asgardians. Not equals to be bargained with."
While Thor isn't clear about Amora's intentions, he spoke no lie regarding how she treats mortals. Her alliance with Zemo is merely a means to an end for her. Whatever plan Zemo thinks she has, it will not end with him ruling the world.
The Purple Villain chuckled, much to Thor's confusion. Zemo then reached into his belt and removed a device.
"Do you really believe that I ever trusted her?" he responded as he walked behind the Enchantress.
He then placed the device, a golden collar with a circular buckle and a green light on it, around her neck and snapped it shut.
Enchantress let out a surprised gasp as she tried to remove the collar. Even though she was near Thor's and most Asgardians' strength, she still outclassed humans and could bend metal with her bare hands.
But this device refused to yield to her attempts.
"You dare?" She hissed as she gave up trying to remove the device and turned her anger on Zemo.
In response, the Masked Villain raised a remote-like device and pressed a button that activated the collar on her neck. The green light illuminated, and Enchantress froze. Her arms lowered to her side as her eyes went blank.
Zemo smiled. The mind-control collar worked perfectly. He had pulled up the designs Red Skull had used back during the war when he attempted to create an army of Asgardian monsters. He had to make some serious adjustments for them to work on someone like the Asgardian Witch. But his efforts paid off, as she was now under his complete control.
He walked over to her. Leaned close to her ear. "Now, Enchantress, continue your spell. But when the armies of Asgard come to Earth, I want them under my control."
Like a good little pet, Enchantress obeyed. She turned around and walked back to the portal. Raised her arms and performed her spell.
Thor's eyes widened. To be able to create something to break the will of someone like the Enchantress. This Zemo is far more dangerous than he initially believed.
Meanwhile, back in the States, everything seemed peaceful within the National Park. The battle between Hulk and Skurg the Executioner was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly, the waters of the calm lake erupted, and the Executioner was sent flying into the sky. His eyes shut tight, seemingly knocked unconscious as his body flew limply over the mountain range.
Shortly after, Hulk emerged from the water, his body soaked and slightly waterlogged. The Executioner's axe was in his right hand as he stomped onto the island with the Norn Stone.
The Gamma Giant grunted as he looked toward where he had hurled the Asgardian.
"Huh, lightweight," he mocked.
No sooner had he stepped onto the island than the waters suddenly erupted, revealing what looked like people made of water swirling around the blue liquid.
Without hesitation, Hulk gripped the magic axe with both hands as he prepared to confront this new enemy.
In Slovakia, ghosts surrounded Taskmaster and Captain America as the pair stood back to back.
Their respective weapons proved to be ineffective against the spirits as they closed in on them.
"Stand firm, soldier," Cap ordered. "We'll get through this if we work together."
Taskmaster chuckled. "A touching sentiment, Captain. But this is above my pay grade."
With that, the Mercenary kicked the Super Soldier in the back, sending him flying into the ghost swarm. He pulled out his bow, fired a grapple arrow, and pulled himself out of the courtyard.
Captain America tossed his shield, causing it to disperse, along with a few other ghosts, allowing him to slip through and find an opening.
Once he regained his footing, he glared up at the Mercenary who stood atop of the castle walls, looking down at him.
"No hard feelings. But I value my life more than others." Taskmaster stated in a casual tone. Before turning around and jumping off the other side.
Leaving Captain America alone to face these creatures.
Back with Black Panther. The arrival of the Dark Elves caused Crimson Dynamo to panic.
The Armored Villain unleashed every weapon in his arsenal to try and combat the creatures. Each one as ineffective as the last.
He was so frightened that he defaulted back to shouting in Russian, begging the creatures to stay away from him.
But, in his panicked state, he failed to notice Black Panther sneaking up behind him.
While his weapons did not harm the creatures, they did hold them back long enough for him to get close.
Once he was within range, Black Panther leapt onto the armor. After analysing the suit's layout, he deduced that the device Dynamo used to jam the Avengers' communications was just behind his neck.
With one fluid motion, Panther slashed with his claws, shattering Crimson Dynamos' glass dome completely and severing the jamming device.
With his dome gone and head exposed, Crimson Dynamos was vulnerable to the Dark Elves.
His fear fully taking over, the Russian Villain activated his thrusters and blasted into the sky. Aiming to get as far away from these monsters as he could.
As Black Panther watched him ascend, the snarls of the Dark Elves drew his attention, and he saw dozens of them surrounding the area where he stood.
The Wakandan King prepared for their attack.
However, they didn't. In fact, they wouldn't get any closer to where he stood.
Black Panther was confused. While Vibranium could injure them, it was equivalent to a paper cut. Not nearly enough to inflict a grievous wound on them. Yet, they kept their distance as if he were on fire.
Looking down, The Cat Hero kicked some of the rubble aside. The pebbles cracked as they rolled down the pile before a metallic clang was heard.
Reaching down, Black Panther removed a slab from a tombstone and uncovered a rusty metal gate.
The Dark Elves instantly backed away in fear at the sight of it.
A reaction that could only mean one thing.
This gate is made of Iron.
Smirking under his cowl, Black Panther reached down and ripped off a pair of bars from the gate. His enhanced strength allowed him to easily bend the bars as he wrapped them around his forearms. He did the same to his legs before fashioning a pair of knuckle dusters from the metal on each hand.
The Black Panther stood tall over the mass of Dark Elves as he raised his makeshift weapons before leaping into the fray.
A Fire Demon screeched before being smacked in the head by Rock's club. The stone weapon shattered as the Demon was sent flying back into the lava pit.
More Demons flew up at him, but the Alien Hero sent an avalanche of boulders down on them, knocking them away.
He had no time to recuperate as another Fire Demon rammed into him from behind, sending Rock tumbling to the ground.
The Alien Avenger groaned as he looked up at the Demon. It formed a flaming sword in its hand and prepared to stab him with it.
Suddenly, Crabdozer appeared out of nowhere and chomped down on the flaming monster. She thrashed around with it in her jaws before one last crunch finished the beast off, and she swallowed it whole.
Since this predator feeds on Heatblast's kind, a Fire Demon should go down the same way for her.
The pair had been fighting these creatures for a while now, but for everyone they took out, more just kept coming.
A few seconds later, another swarm of Fire Demons flew at them.
The two Shapeshifters prepared to meet them, only for a Purple Ionic beam to vaporise the bunch.
"What is this? What's happening?" Wonder Man asked as he flew over them.
"You're asking me?" Rocks responded befuddled. "I thought this was Zemo's plan?"
Wonder Man clenched his hands as he tried to rationalise the situation.
"Zemo, he… He wouldn't want this. He just wants to take over the world," he stated, though his tone lacked any confidence.
Rocks looked at him sceptically. "Dude, Zemo is insane. How have you not picked that up?"
More Fire Demons arrived as Crabdozer charged to fend them off, allowing Rocks to keep talking.
"Think about it, Simon. At the rate things are going, do you really think there's gonna be a world left to rule?" the hero asked.
Wonder Man seemed to consider his words as Rocks stepped closer and held out his hand.
"Not like us. Help us, and we can help you."
Wonder Man looked down at the hand; this time, he really looked like he was considering it.
A roar from the other end of the platform tore the stone alien's attention away from Wonder Man as Crabdozer was knocked back by the Flaming Beasts.
Tapping the dial on his chest, Rocks transformed in a green light.
"CHROMASTONE!" he cried.
"Okay, Simon. Give me a charge, and we can send these hard-boiled freaks back to he…." He trailed off when he turned back to Wonder Man and saw he was gone.
Confused, the alien teen looked around, wondering where he had wandered off to. He only had to look up to see Wonder Man flying into the distance.
His purple light faded away, leaving the alien hero high and dry.
"Jerk," Chromastone grumbled.
But he couldn't focus on that; he had a world to save.
Rushing forward, he blasted a pair of energy beams from his arms, destroying several Fire Demons with ease.
When he first fought them, it was clear that fire would not work on these guys. Just like Heatblast, they feed off it. He considered using Big Chill or Water Hazard to combat them, but the intense heat they give off would create a thick steam cloud that would only obstruct his vision.
Crabdozer can handle herself; the fire won't affect her tough body. So he doesn't have to worry about…
Suddenly, Crabdozer let out a cry of pain, cutting off his train of thought.
Chromastone saw Crabdozer stumbling around with several Fire Demons on her back. Their flaming swords and spears stabbed into her body. He also noticed several other weapons sticking out of her, and molten blood leaked from her wounds.
Rage burned in his eyes as he charged forward.
"Get away from my dog!" he roared as he blasted forward at blinding speed.
The crystal alien swiftly punched one demon off her before blasting the other two.
He then unleashed a powerful beam that sliced through several stone pillars, sending them crashing down on the Fire Demon swarm.
With them dealt with for the time being, Chromastone focused on Crabdozer.
The poor girl whimpered as magma-like blood leaked from the wounds inflicted by the flaming weapons.
Chromastone was confused. Crabdozer should be immune to fire attacks; her home planet is a star, and Heatblast's fire has no effect on her.
So how come these fireweapons were able to injure her?
Reaching up, Chromastone grabbed one of the fire spears and absorbed it. Dissipating the weapon. As he felt the energy enter him, he suddenly realised. This wasn't ordinary fire. These were mystical flames.
The Fire Demons are magical beings, so their fire is also magically charged. It does not behave the same way as normal fire, which is how Crabdozer could be harmed by them.
He quickly absorbed the rest of the weapons as Crabdozer collapsed, weakened by her injuries.
"Hey, girl. It's ok." Chromastone cooed at her as he petted her head. "You are such a good, brave girl."
Crabdozer purred at the prase and nuzzled him. Causing him to smile.
Then he looked at her seriously. "But, now it's time to go. It's no longer safe for you here, girl. I need you to go and join Ship. Wait for me until I come back."
Crabdozer immediately roared in protest as she tried to stand up, not wanting to leave him behind. But she was already so weak, she couldn't stand.
"I know you wanna help, Zed. But you've done enough." He told her. It pained him to see her like this. But he couldn't bear to see her get hurt anymore.
"Go Zed. That's an order. Go!" He barked at her.
Crabdozer reluctantly obeyed. Turning into Hypnotick and allowing the heat from the volcano to carry her to the edge.
With her out of harm's way. Chromastone turned back to the Fire Demons. They finally broke through the rock pillars and amassed on the far end of the platform. Branishing their flaming weapons and scratching like mindless beasts.
Chromastone stood tall as multicoloured energy surrounded his hands.
"Okay, you Heatblast knockoffs. I hope you enjoyed your visit, " he said, raising his arms. The energy around his hands formed into a pair of crystal swords.
The Crystal Alien spun his weapons in each hand and got into a fighting stance.
"But now I'm gonna send you back to Hell where you belong." With that, he let out a battle cry and flew towards the Demons.
The Fire Demons responded and charged at him. Chromastone swung his blades, cutting down the first couple of Fire Demons. One managed to block his blade with its own. Only for Chromastone's sword to absorb its fire sword, allowing him to slice it in half and dissolve it into a pile of ash.
Normally, Chromastone would do anything he could to avoid killing his opponents. But these things, he could feel their energy. They were like magical constructs. Their bodies were like batteries, drawing power from wherever they came from.
He could see the flow of energy from them. All originating from the same source.
It was like Charmcaster's Rock Golems. He could smash these things as much as he wants.
As he cut through another batch of Fire Demons, the communicator on his Ultimatrix blinked to life.
"Anyone listening? We got a big problem here."
Chromastone's eyes widened. That was Hanks's voice. What was he doing? Was he with Janet? So many questions flooded his mind.
Elsewhere in the Amazon, Hawkeye finally got the drop on Chemistro.
He fired a putty arrow into the villain's hand, pinning it to the trunk of a tree. Then he shot a second arrow into his Alchemy Gun, destroying it and splashing chemicals onto Chemistro's mask.
Immediately, the chemical villain started freaking out as he frantically dropped his weapon and used his free hand to remove his mask. This revealed an African American with short black hair and a soul patch.
"Ah! Hey, hey, help me! Get this armor off me. This stuff is dangerous," he said in a panic as he stripped off sections of his suit that were contaminated by the chemicals.
"No kidding," Hawkeye sarcastically responded, firing another arrow at the villain just as he removed the last piece of his contaminated suit.
The arrow impacted, and Chemistro was trapped in high-density polymer foam. Chemistro could only look annoyed as Hawkeye revelled in his victory.
With the villain contained, the archer pulled out his ID card and activated his comms.
"Uh, does anyone know how to stop this, whatever it is? There's an elf here giving me a dirty look," Hawkeye stated, glancing next to him where, true to his word, an elf was giving him the stink eye.
He wasn't attacking him, which might be a good thing. He didn't know. He just knew that a few of these guys were around the trees, and he didn't want to tick any of them off.
Iron Man grunted as Living Laser blasted him again with a powerful beam of energy.
The Armored Avenger finally turned the tables on the Energy Villain by analyzing his attack patterns.
With that information, Iron Man calibrated his shields to activate in the areas that Laser would strike, thereby reducing damage and the strain on the shields.
However, that still didn't solve the problem of the villain's speed.
That was until Iron Man came up with a crazy idea. He just hoped he lived long enough to gloat about it later.
He looked up as Living Laser prepared to charge at him again. The moment his body glowed, Iron Man raised his hands in front of him and aimed his palms.
"JARVIS, begin energy absorption," he ordered as Laser transformed into pure energy.
The Energy Villain collided with Iron Man, absorbing him into the suit.
The Armored Billionaire groaned in pain as his systems malfunctioned from the overwhelming influx of energy.
"Energy release, now!" he cried out.
With every ounce of strength left, Iron Man aimed his chest toward the sky and fired a powerful Unibeam of yellow energy.
Living Laser screamed as he was blasted into Earth's atmosphere.
Iron Man collapsed, his faceplate retracting as he gasped for air.
Pro: He won the fight. Con: That hurt like crazy. Pro: His armor is fully charged and still functional. Con: His body feels like it ran a marathon.
Still, he was glad to be rid of the villain for the time being. He figured Living Laser would drift around Earth's atmosphere for a few days before coming back down.
That was one problem solved. Now, to tackle another pressing issue.
"Thor? Thor, any tips on turning off a magic rock?" Iron Man asked while activating his communicator.
He figured that whatever had been jamming them before was finally taken out since he started hearing everyone else over the comms. Hopefully, Thor could shed some light on how to stop all of this.
"I've never slain an Asgardian before," Zemo said sadistically, allowing the tip of his blade to scrape against the floor as he walked towards the Prince of Thunder.
The Masked Demon looked up at him. "I'm looking forward to it."
Even though the mask hid his facial expressions, Thor could still sense the look of the villain's gaze.
It is a look he had only seen once before. From when he faced the Fenris Wolf.
The eyes of a hungry predator. One that did not do so in order to survive. But due to an insatiable hunger for carnage and destruction.
In all his years, Thor never thought he would ever see a mortal with those eyes. This man, this Zemo. He was no man. He was a Demon.
He raised his blade and pointed it at Thor's throat.
As he did, Thor turned his eyes to Mjolnir. The mystic hammer was still entrapped by Amora's magic dome.
While her power is virtually unmatched in all the Nine Realms, the Enchantress's spells require her to concentrate in order to maintain their strength.
With her concentration under the veil of Zemo's control. Her mind is cloudy, her emotions twisted, and her spirit is crying out for freedom.
Opening his palm, Thor called his hammer. Mjolnir scraped across the floor, coming to a stop at the dome.
His hand shook as he felt the tension as if trying to pull in a fishing net.
But, as he predicted, the Enchantress's magic has weakened as the dome vanishes and the Hammer is freed.
On his command, Mjolnir flew into Zemo's back. It knocked the villain over, sending his sword clattering to the ground as he landed face-first on the floor.
Mjolnir then flew to Thor's awaiting hand as he gripped the Magic Mallet by its straps. He spun the hammer and generated a powerful arc of lightning that shocked the Enchantress.
The Asgardian Witch screamed as her concentration broke along with her spell, freeing Thor.
Zemo quickly got to his feet and drew his gun, firing a mystical energy bolt.
Thor easily batted the blast, sending it back at Zemo, hitting him in the stomach and knocking him down.
At the same time, the Enchantress regained her senses. Thor's lightning had fried the circuitry of Zemo's control collar, thereby freeing her from his control. Reaching up, she used a spell to shatter it.
With Zemo down, Thor quickly pulled out his ID Card and contacted the others.
"Avengers, no matter the cost, you must destroy the stones. The fate of the world depends on it." He stated with utmost urgency.
Around the world, the Avengers heard the Thunderer's voice loud and clear.
In Slovakia, Captain America raised his shield above the Norn Stone with both hands and brought the patriotic symbol down on it.
In Australia, Iron Man aimed his palm at the stone and fired a high-powered repulsor beam at it.
In West Virginia, Hulk swung the Executioner's axe into the magic stone.
In the Amazon, Hawkeye aimed his bow at his Norn Stone and fired an explosive arrow at it.
In Chile, Black Panther fought his way through a crowd of Dark Elves as he drew a Vibranium dagger and stabbed the magic stone.
In Alaska, Giant-Man held off a Frost Giant as it tried to crush him under its foot while Wasp flew towards the Stone, her hands glowing with yellow energy.
In Russia, Chromastone blocked a Fire Demon's sword with his crystal sword while aiming his free hand at the Mystical Stone and fired an energy beam.
Thor raised Mjolnir and swung it around. Charging up mystical lighting as, he glared at the Norn Stone.
Enchantress raised her head and looked at Thor. Seeing what he was about to do, her eyes widened in shock and fear.
"No. No!" she cried, leaping forward and reaching out to Thor in a panicked attempt to stop him.
But it was too late.
Thor hurled his mighty hammer into the Norn Stone. Shattering it with a single blow.
Magic Energy erupted from the stone, blanketing the area with its light.
Across the world, the blue beams dissipated, and the skies cleared.
Peace had returned to the world as it continued to spin as if nothing happened.
Within Avengers Mansion, back in New York. The Assembly Table activated as it displayed a holographic image of the globe with each of the Lay Line locations displayed.
"All magical activity has subsided. Threat level, zero." JARVIS stated.
The hologram then listed all the Avengers. However, each one of them had a red X over their image followed by an Error sign.
"Connection to Iron Man armour lost. Connection to Avengers ID cards lost. Connection to Ultimatrix lost. Avengers bio-signatures not found."
Over and over, the A.I. attempted to contact and locate any of the Avengers. It used every single form of scanning and tracking it could utilize. Each time, it came up empty.
Across the entire planet Earth. The Avengers had simply vanished.
In Russia, at the summit of the volcano, Zed whimpered as she paced back and forth at the edge overlooking the vent.
Ship also paced alongside her, calling out into the empty chasm.
The Alien Blob then shapeshifted, transforming into a box-shaped device with a slight dish on the top. The dish's antenna started blinking as if transmitting a signal, searching for something.
Meanwhile, Zed whimpered and whined as she continued to pace. Sniffing the ground before her as she tried to pick up a scent.
But it seemed she couldn't find anything as she eventually sat down and howled into the air.
The two alien pets. Crying for their master, whom they could no longer sense.
"What an unexpected surprise." A voice echoed in Thor's ears.
Groggily, the Prince of Thunder opened his eyes. His vision blurry.
His memories returned to him. He remembers the fight with Zemo and Enchantress, destroying the Norn Stone. Finally, he remembered the blinding light as the stone's energy was released.
Thor moved his arm, and his hand slid across the smooth floor.
This feeling. It was not the metal plating of the base where he was fighting. It was smooth marble.
Raising his head and pushing himself up. Thors long golden hair flowed freely over his head, his helmet had come off, and he looked down at the floor.
The texture and the markings, he knew them. He knew them all too well. He played on these floors as a child.
This is Asgard. His home. Thor was finally home.
The floor, he recognised, was located in the Throne room.
But that voice he heard. That wasn't his father's voice.
That voice was…
Raising his head, his gaze travelled along the floor. Ahead of him lay his helmet and Mjolnir, a few feet before him. However, the Thunder God ignored those items as his gaze continued upwards until his eyes lay on the throne of Asgard.
More specifically, to whom was sitting on that throne.
"Nay." Thor gasped. His eyes widened in shock. It wasn't possible.
Sitting on the throne of Asgard was not the All-Father Odin. It was a man with pale skin, long raven hair tied into a ponytail, poison green eyes, and three black lines that stretched from the base of his eyes across his cheeks to his ears.
He wore green and gold clothing. Green cloth covered his upper arms to the elbow and legs just past the calves. He had gold-scaled armor on his chest, with golden fabric draping over the top and covering his shoulders. His gloves and boots were also gold, and gold trimming adorned the bell bottoms of his pants.
A golden helmet covered his head, featuring a pair of long curved horns protruding from the front, curving around like the horns of a goat.
The man grinned maniacally as he clasped his hands together.
"Welcome home, Brother." Greeted Loki, God of Mischief.
He let out an evil laugh from his seat.
As Ruler of Asgard…
And there we have it. The final arc of seson 1 has begun!
I hope you have all enjoyed reading this latest chapter. I certainly had a lot of fun writing it.
A few things to go over. One, the locations. The show didn't really do a good job at clarifying where the Avengers went around the world. I did my best to go off the globe in the show as best I could. But for some, I had to improvise. Still, it was fun to come up with some fun destinations for our favorite heroes to visit.
Next are the matchups. Well, given that Ben's in the picture, I had to use the Volcano location that went unused in the show. Now I understand that there was an in-universe reason for why that location wasnt used. I understand that. And Im sure many of you have already figured out where Ben is gonna be sent in the next chapter. But, trust me, I have a plan and it's all gonna work out.
(Same can be said for Ship and Zed being here during the Skrull Invasion. I know I got a bit of criticism for that. But, Im gonna ask you guys to trust me here. You should know by now that I have a plan for this stuff. Have a little faith.)
Now I really tried to expand and shake things up for the fights. Some were more creative than others. But then there are some that just worked in the show, and there really wasn't much I could add to it. Hulk and Executioners fight being one of them. I really couldnt add much to that fight. Both are pretty straight forward brawlers and their fight was the briefest in the show, so I didn't think it needed to be changed.
Also, yes Rocks is canon to my story. I added his Terrakenisis powers cause I thought it would be a nice addition rather than him just "making earthquakes" Bens already got an Earthquake alien with Armodrillo. I wanted Rocks to have his own thing. And yes, other aliens like Squidstrictor will also make their debut as well. To look forward to that.
As always you are all free to PM me with ideas and suggestions or if you just want to have a simple chat. As I mentioned, Im playing Marvel Rivals, so perhaps I'll see a few of you out there.
Thanks for all your support guys and Ill catch you in the next chapter.
Until next time, CaptainRex75 out!