The "Heroes Vs Villains" Marvel RPG - Season IV

[ElectroFlare]

Johnny had been silent as Spider-man swung behind him.

"Johnny, do you have a plan, or are you just gonna go and yell "FLAME ON!" and blast DOOM with some fire?" Spider-man asked. "We need some kind of plan or something. Let's fall back for now, I can find him later with the tracer. We can get some backup and a plan."

Cain found an abandonded house out in the middle of nowhere. This place would be fine until he decided to go back for the x-men.

And this time anyone else that got in his way would be ripped in half. Avengers, Fantastic Four, Defenders, whoever, they would not stand in his way...

[Sentry2005]

Strange arched his right eyebrow, regarding the Sentry in a new light. He mentally reviewed the spells he knew, and the items he could use. It was of course possible, he had used similar spells to aid people with multiple personality disorders, but he had never used it on a being as powerful as the Sentry, or for that matter the Void.

"Locating the Void is an easy task for one such as I, however, re-merging you with him is not something I can guarantee. Before you speak, yes it is theoretically possible. There are enchantments I know that can merge wayward parts of the spirit in a similar fashion to what you desire. I cannot guarantee anything past that. If dominant control over your body is what you desire, it is not something I can give you."

He took a heavy breath. The road before him was fraught with peril, but this would end the threat of the Void hopefully long enough for himself and the Defenders to confront Thanos. He had discovered Thanos too late, and now was forced into concocting plans such as this one. The Ancient One had always reminded him to look ahead for the possible outcomes, but in between dealing with Shuma Gorath and Dormammu, not to mention whatever interdimensional would-be conqueror from a plane of existance so horrifying that only he could confront it, that was one aspect of the Ancient One's teachings he had not yet fully grasped.

"I will be as plain as I can be, Sentry. If I merged you and the Void, you would have to fight him for control. It will be a fight that none can help you in, and one you will recieve no repreve from. Always will you have to combat that aspect of yourself, and it is a battle that not I nor any other being can aid you in, and on top of that the fate of the universe may very well rest on the outcome. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

I look around at the men standing beside me.

"Better that than the blood of innocents on my hands,"

I breath in deep.

"I understand. Let's get to work."

[LibrarianThorne]

I look around at the men standing beside me.

"Better that than the blood of innocents on my hands,"

I breath in deep.

"I understand. Let's get to work."

Strange closed his eyes. This would be a great challenge, but one that must be surmounted for victory to be possible. He would leave no room for chance against Thanos, and for that he needed the Sentry. He waved his right hand over the Amulet of Agamotto, pressing his middle and ring fingers to his palm, muttering "Sanctum Sanctorum" under his breath. It was a minor, to him, defensive spell that would protect his Sanctum against unwanted visitors.

Moments later, a shimmering golden doorway leapt from the Amulet. "Come Sentry, Surfer. We shall adjourn to my Sanctum to locate the Void."

[Electro UK]

“No.”

Oh come on Wade, you just flew all the way out to Latveria for nothing?

“Well, not for nothing, there was that hot girl’s skirt that lifted up by the brush of wind.”

Look, just do this, and you can get back to New York.

“No! Not for anything. Not even for Bea Arthur in the Slave Leia costume.”

Will you do it for a Scooby snack?

“Huh? Scooby snacks?”

You can have one if you do this.

“Oh all right. Curses, foiled by my one true weakness.”

Now just get out there and do what you do best.

“Stephen Hawkin impressions?”

Just go.

Wade stood outside Castle Doom, two piles a cut up metal beside him, Doom’s guards. “Hello? Vic? Anyone home? Uh my name’s Deadpool, I believe we have a history together. You kinda were the reason I was in a coma for a long time. I fought that made you my arch enemy. So could we duke it out? Afterwards maybe we can catch some lunch? Yes? No? Maybe? Hello?”

Just then the gates slowly began to open. Wade’s jaw dropped as Doom walked out in front of him. “What’s up Doc?”

“Leave me. Doom has no time for maniacs in costumes.”

“Hey who you calling maniac ya big bath tub?”

“Leave now or feel the full might of Doom.”

“I’ll take option C. Kick your ass all over Latveria cause I’m bored as hell.”

“Very well.” Doom brought his hand up. It started to glow.

“Neat trick! My vomit was glowing once. After that I never ate plutonium again.”

“Guards! Bring this fool down!”

“Uhm… is it too late to do my Stephen Hawkin impression?” Doom brought his hand smashing down on Wade’s head, sending him flying. Guards appeared and opened fire on Wade. “This better be the best Scooby snack I’ve ever tasted.”

He flipped up, dodging fire until he reached down once more. Doom swiped him aside easily, sending Wade over his head. “I sense a pattern developing.” Wade groaned as he hit the walls of castle Doom. He slowly peeled off of the wall and hit the ground. Trying to catch his breath, he got to his feet, only to be met by Doom’s fist round his neck.

“Insolent fool. Doom shall send you back to where you descended from.”

“Will anyone ever speak English again?” Wade asked as Doom hurled Wade over his shoulder. Deadpool flew, hitting the ground miles away from the castle. “Of course you know this means war.” He coughed getting up. He reached for his holster, ready to take another attack. “Hey! All my dangerous things are gone! How’d Doom take them all?”

Knock knock

Wade waited patiently at the door in the village, hoping that someone would answer. The door slowly opened. A scarred woman peeked round the corner. “Hi, I’m new here. I was just wondering, do you have anything sharp or dangerous that I could stab down your Lord and Master with?”

[JewishHobbit]

Herman Shultz takes a breath as the lights go out in his cell. The time has come for him to dwell on his life once more. The negative emotions surounding his lack of self worth depresses him, and he will spend the night thinking only of how he may one day change. One day, he'll be stronger, better, he'll be able to live up to the reputation that other criminals have earned. He'll be able to attain all that which he desires, some day.

Eventually his thoughts stray once more to his current condition. Gorgan's challenged him, and he couldn't back down. He doesn't know when Gorgan plans on fighting him, and he doesn't know if Gorgan plans on killing him, and that scares him. These criminals will do anything to keep their names strong, even killing other criminals whom they've faught beside in the past as allies. It'll be soon, that much Schultz knows, probably tomorrow, probably out in the jail yard. He realizes that his hands are shaking, and that his stomach is turning. He can't beat Gorgan, he knows he can't. Maybe he'll get that death that he's been wishing for after all.

[Johnny Blaze]

Rogue opened her eyes slowly.
She didn’t know how long she’d been out.It had been a restless sleep. The faces of people she’d had absorbed floated in and out of her vision. They talked to her…
As she regained consciousness all she could only think of was Warren. Had he felt so relieved and yet so angry at himself as she did right now? Had she done the right thing?

Rogue sat up slowly, painfully. Her whole body felt raw, like the skin had been sheered off and then placed back on. Her head pounded and she brought her hand up to it, closing her eyes as pain shot through her body like a million little fire ants.
It was then her modest caught up to her. She realized for the first time that she had no clothes on, the memory of slippin’ them off felt so long ago.
Her old clothes lay on a table nearby, tattered and torn, and she didn’t enjoy the prospect of putting them back on.
One of Thanos’s slaves walked up in his arms lay garments. Slowly she turned, allowing her legs to slip off the table, leaning against it for support she reached out, careful to not make physical contact and took the clothes. She quickly slipped them on, they weren’t her normal style but they’d work for now. She’d just slipped the gloves on when she realized that if Thanos had kept his part of the bargain she wouldn’t need them.

”I promised myself to him, what have I done?”

Her mind swirled, she’d promised herself to an evil being.
However her thoughts of that quickly disappeared when she felt a familiar feeling.
The feeling of flight.

Rogue let herself lift into the air a little ways, her smile growing larger as she realized what this meant.

“Ah got my powers back.”

She let herself go higher, her brown hair streaming behind her.

“ WAH- HOOOOO! Ah got my powers back!”

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v253/twylight/X-Men/flight2cleaned.jpg

She launched off from the ground like a “bat outa hell” as Logan would say.
The bliss of having her Danver powers swelled within her.. But there was something else.

She landed and touched one of Thanos slaves. Skin to skin.
Nothing happened. Her green eyes went wide as she pulled away and then something tripped in her mind, like a light switch, reaching out she touched the slave again. This time she felt herself draining him, instead of instantly pulling back she willed it to stop.
It did. Pulling her hand away she stared at it.

“Ah can turn it off…Ah can turn it OFF!”
The first thing that leaped to her mind was Gambit. However her smile faded as she turned to Thanos.
"I am glad you are pleased, my dear", said Thanos with a wicked smile.

"Now then", spoke the Titan, his expression turning deadly serious, "to honor your new alligeance, I have a mission for you. With your new control, you may access the ability of any whose personality was once locked inside your head, so it should prove relatively easy for one with your skill."

Moving to a display, Thanos activates a holographic projector, and the image of a beautiful sword appears.
"This is Excalibur, the famous sword from human legend. It is a magnificent weapon brimming with mystical power. In the proper hands, it would be a weapon of unspeakable power."
Turning to Rogue, Thanos continues, "And I want you to retrieve it for me. Being a former X-Man, you would be the only one able to get close enough to take the sword from it's current owner, Brian Braddock, in England."

After pausing for a moment to let it all sink in, Thanos continued, "During you're operation, I took the liberty and implanted a personal teleportation unit into your body. It will allow you to teleport anywhere on the planet with the speed of thought. It will also be able to link up with the hidden relays I have set up to allow you to teleport from my ship to the Earth, and back again. As I said though, this is a personal teleporter, so you will only be able to carry no more than two hundred pounds with you."

Thanos looked Rogue dead in the eye, as if peering into her soul. Looking to see if there were any thoughts of betrayal in her heart. That's what this mission was, after all. A test of her loyalties. The sword was indeed powerful, and would be a great asset to the Titan and his cause, but he did not need it. He already had his ways of dealing with mystics after all. Whether she retrieved the sword or not was not the issue here.

"You may leave for your mission as soon as possible", said the Titan to Rogue.

Yes, this was a test. And, if she betrayed him, Thanos would make sure she suffered horribly before the end.

[The Question]

Strange closed his eyes. This would be a great challenge, but one that must be surmounted for victory to be possible. He would leave no room for chance against Thanos, and for that he needed the Sentry. He waved his right hand over the Amulet of Agamotto, pressing his middle and ring fingers to his palm, muttering "Sanctum Sanctorum" under his breath. It was a minor, to him, defensive spell that would protect his Sanctum against unwanted visitors.

Moments later, a shimmering golden doorway leapt from the Amulet. "Come Sentry, Surfer. We shall adjourn to my Sanctum to locate the Void."

"Strange."

Cap, breaking his silence, steps forward.

"Things are going tobe rough going up ahead. We may be facing war. If humanity begins it's fall, I trust you'll be there to help us catch them."

[Sentry2005]

"Strange."

Cap, breaking his silence, steps forward.

"Things are going tobe rough going up ahead. We may be facing war. If humanity begins it's fall, I trust you'll be there to help us catch them."

Before I walk through the portal, I give Steve a watch.

"Steve, take this,"

Steve looks at it.

"It's a sonic watch... a silly toy that Reed made me. It emits a sonic frequency that only I can hear. If you need me, just press this button and i'll come as quickly as I can."

I take one last look at the T.V. in the room, as an advert for cheese comes on the air. Humanity is facing extinction, and they are advertising cheese. Remarkable.

"I want to help, so don't hesitate,"

[The Question]

Captain America takes the watch.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to call if you're needed."

[LibrarianThorne]

"Strange."

Cap, breaking his silence, steps forward.

"Things are going tobe rough going up ahead. We may be facing war. If humanity begins it's fall, I trust you'll be there to help us catch them."

Dr. Strange turned to Captain America, and in the light of the shimmering doorway. he looked weathered, ancient and worn, his face a maze of lines. He looked... weary.

"I assure you, Captain, no one takes the safety of this world more seriously than I. The Ancient One gave me his title, the Sorceror Supreme of Earth, and it is a title I honor. No matter what may happen, the safety of this world and its people are always my highest priority."

He strode toward Captain America, and put his hand on Cap's shoulder.

"If you ever need me or my abilities, never hesitate to call."

Strange leaned in closer to Cap, whispering in order to avoid many overhearing. He did not want to cause a panic, and he feared that the news he felt compelled to relay would do exactly that.

"Thanos is up to something. I do not know what, precisely, but I do not trust that being. His ship was safeguarded against magic, powerful enchantments I will need aid to break through. Be on guard, and I would appreciate it if you would pass word on to me, should you hear anything."

Strange smiled wanly at Cap, his exhaustion apparent. The Sorceror Supreme then turned away and walked toward the gateway. He looked at the Silver Surfer and the Sentry.

"Coming?"

[Electro UK]

Wade looked up at Castle Doom as he slipped a tic tac into his mouth, armed with a pitchfork, two kitchen knifes and a brick. “Okay, could I be more deadly?” He leapt onto the wall, pressing his legs down and bounding back off of it, sending him onto a nearby tree, that he used to once more flip off of and over Doom’s gate. He landed the other side. So far so good.

Slowly, he crept towards the main door and jarred it open. Looking inside, he spotted two sentries at their posts. “Right, time to remind myself why the hell I’m sneaking into Castle Doom late at night.” He said, sliding inside in a crouched position. “1. Deadpool was bored. 2. Deadpool got a Scooby snack. 3…. There is no 3. That’s all I got? And I still gotta eat that snack.”

He rolled under a table, just below one sentry. “Ah the old owl making sound trick. The perfect distraction.” He cupped his hands over his mouth, making the noise “KRICK!” the sentry jumped, spinning round. “Okay, note to self, learn how to make bird noises.” Wade whispered to himself as he slapped himself. The sentry peered under the table, Wade looked back into his eyes, the game was over. “Uhm… yep, definitely something wrong with this piece of stone! It’s a good thing Lord Doom called me in to look at it! I’m gonna have to go back and order the parts to fix it… see ya.”

“Intruder alert!”

“No! Not intruder alert! Bad robot!” he took a kitchen knife and plunged it into the sentries body. Well, he tried. The metal, not being sharp enough, bent. “Ah nuts.” Wade said, tossing the knife away.

“Guards! Leave us!” came a voice from the door way, Doom had entered. The guards left, bolting the doors as they went.

“Um… tic tac?” Wade offered, showing Doom the box of mints.

“Silence fool! Doom showed you mercy before, this time, Doom will not be so generous!”

“This time, Deadpool will not be so stupid. Deadpool has a pitchfork!” he produced the pitchfork and point it at Doom. “Have at you!”

Doom grabbed the end of the pitchfork, and crushed it. “Okay… take brick!” Wade hurled the brick at Doom, again, he caught it and crushed it. “…right. This hasn’t gone exactly as planned. Could I use your bathroom? I’m sure there’s some sort of window in there I can crawl out and flee from.”

Doom ran at Wade, grabbing him and slamming them both against a wall. “Ach! Good grip! You ever consider going on W.E? The Rock wouldn’t stand a chance against you, scripted or not.” He brought his fist up and tried to hit Doom down. It looked like the Ewok in Return of the Jedi, hitting the Chicken Walker’s foot.

“I heard that.”

“Hey, do you have a USB port somewhere in you?” Wade asked. “This battle could do with a little music. No? You’re not like and iPod Doom?” Doom grabbed Deadpool and threw him through a door. Sighing, Deadpool got to his feet and stumbled back into the room. “N-no one get up. It’s alright, only lost the half brain cell that I had left.”

“SHUT UP!” Doom roared.

“Sheesh! I thought Ann Robinson was bad!” Doom hurled Wade out of a window. “And you’ve got twice the brawn.” He landed on the grass outside, Doom burst through the gates, charging towards Wade. Wade was quick to act, he span his legs round, tripping Doom. “Boy, if someone had told me 16 years ago that on this day I’d be rolling around fighting Doctor Doom in a crazily sexy costume, I’d have said get bent!”

Doom raised his fists, ready the final blow. Wade grabbed his arms and tossed him into a tree. Doom exploded. “Huh? Well that’s funny. He was a robot all along? Hey maybe that goes for Ann Robinson too.”

He entered the Castle once more. “Hey I just realised. No more Doom makes me… the ruler of this Castle! Castle Deadpool! Damn that has a nice ring to it. And as my first act as leader of Latveria (I’m the leader now cause I said so) I’m going to ring my team mates in order to celebrate my new found country.”

He pressed his Fantastic Four comm and spoke in “Hey Pete, tell Johnny and co to pack your bags, you’re moving to Latveria!”

[Sentry2005]

Dr. Strange turned to Captain America, and in the light of the shimmering doorway. he looked weathered, ancient and worn, his face a maze of lines. He looked... weary.

"I assure you, Captain, no one takes the safety of this world more seriously than I. The Ancient One gave me his title, the Sorceror Supreme of Earth, and it is a title I honor. No matter what may happen, the safety of this world and its people are always my highest priority."

He strode toward Captain America, and put his hand on Cap's shoulder.

"If you ever need me or my abilities, never hesitate to call."

Strange leaned in closer to Cap, whispering in order to avoid many overhearing. He did not want to cause a panic, and he feared that the news he felt compelled to relay would do exactly that.

"Thanos is up to something. I do not know what, precisely, but I do not trust that being. His ship was safeguarded against magic, powerful enchantments I will need aid to break through. Be on guard, and I would appreciate it if you would pass word on to me, should you hear anything."

Strange smiled wanly at Cap, his exhaustion apparent. The Sorceror Supreme then turned away and walked toward the gateway. He looked at the Silver Surfer and the Sentry.

"Coming?"

I look up to Stephen.

"Yeah. Let's Go"

[LibrarianThorne]

Dr. Strange calmly walked through the golden gateway into his Sanctum Sanctorum. There, as he had requested, Clea and Wong had assembled his mystical artifacts, placing a small concealment charm over them so that they would remain hidden from non-mystical sight. Save for the Globe of Agamotto itself, which sat prominently in the center of the room. A powerful artifact of the Vishanti, the Globe could reveal anyone, anywhere in space or time. He would use its mystical powers to locate the Void, and later, Thanos. He strode confidently to the Globe and, pressing his middle and ring fingers to the palms of both his hands, began drawing upon the energy.

The shimmering, golden gateway to the Sanctum remained open expectantly, awaiting the Sentry and the Silver Surfer to stride through.

[The Question]

Cap watches as the three disapear through the gateway.

"Thanos. Wonderful."

Cap walks back to the moniter room to resume his duties.

[twylight]

"I am glad you are pleased, my dear", said Thanos with a wicked smile.

"Now then", spoke the Titan, his expression turning deadly serious, "to honor your new alligeance, I have a mission for you. With your new control, you may access the ability of any whose personality was once locked inside your head, so it should prove relatively easy for one with your skill."


Rogue stared open eyed at Thanos’s words. She tilted her head and concentrated.
“Logan”
SNIKT
Claws slide out of her hands. She stared down at them, the pain hardly noticable as she tried to grasp her mind around her new control.
She willed the power to be gone and they slide back into her, dissappearing.
She smiled.
“Ah feel like a child in a candy store..” She looked up from her hands as Thanos continued to talk.

He activated what she surmised was a holographic projector, and an image of a beautiful sword appeared.

"This is Excalibur, the famous sword from human legend. It is a magnificent weapon brimming with mystical power. In the proper hands, it would be a weapon of unspeakable power."

He turned to her.

"And I want you to retrieve it for me. Being a former X-Man, you would be the only one able to get close enough to take the sword from it's current owner, Brian Braddock, in England."


Rogue nodded.
“Don’t think about it girl. You’ve got nothing to lose. The X-Men were never able to do this for you. Besides, who’s gonna miss a little sword?”

"During you're operation, I took the liberty and implanted a personal teleportation unit into your body. It will allow you to teleport anywhere on the planet with the speed of thought. It will also be able to link up with the hidden relays I have set up to allow you to teleport from my ship to the Earth, and back again. As I said though, this is a personal teleporter, so you will only be able to carry no more than two hundred pounds with you."

Rogue looked levelly into his eyes.
“Big guy is testing me. Wouldn’t be the first time. The X-Men did it too…”

"You may leave for your mission as soon as possible", said the Titan to Rogue.

Rogue nodded.
“Momma always said, not time like the present.” She closed her eyes opening them to see herself standing in the middle of London.
She thought about the Braddock mansion and in an instat she was standing on the lawn.
She laughed, a hard laugh, similer to ones she’d had in her younger years.
Rogue walked towards the mansion, a hard glint in her green eyes.

She knocked on the door and looked out over the green lawns around the mansion.
“ Meggans done good, Ah wonder if things had been different for me, would Ah have someone who loved me like Brian loves her?” She closed her eyes as tears brimmed them.

“No, don’t go there. No one loves me, Ah’m on mah own. Like Ah was when Ah was younger.
Only this time Ah don’t have Mystique, but Ah don’t need her. Ah’ older and stronger.”
She clenched her fist.

“Rogue!” She turned at the startled voice of Brian Braddock, he stood there in his civvies, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

“Why are you here? Where’s Betsy?”

Rogue smiled beguilingly.
“Betsy’s fine as far as I know.”

She stepped forward, seeing his eyes go wide.
“Dart, Meggan must have tipped him off.”

“Sorry Shugah.” She leaned in and kissed him, draining his powers and memories off.

She let his limp body fall to the floor. Armed with the knowledge of where the Sword was she transported herself there.
She found herself standing in a large round room. The walls carved with old stories. Rogue pasued before moving, looking down at her hands.
“Amazing..Ah drained him yet, his powers haven’t taken over me.” She smiled.

Raising her eyes she stared at the sword which sat in the middle of the room.
It lay across a long thin stand, the metel work so fine it looked like spun suger.
Rogue stepped towards it pausing, her hand hovering over the hilt. The Sword seemed to throb towards her.
“It’s protected, by security.” She thought gaining the insight from Brians memories.

“It’ll summon S.H.I.E.L.D.” She paused before reaching for the sword, picking it up. It's smooth hilt seemed to fit perfectly in her hand. It throbbed in her hand as if alive.
She knew she could leave now, teleport away as fast as a thought. But she had to prove herself. To Thanos, to herself, to them.

"Ah have to show them Ah'm not some depressed, pathetic mutant."

She smiled, her head tilted down and her hair across her features.
“Ah can handle them.”

[The Question]

As Cap entered the monitor room, red lights started flashing on the console. He rushed over to it. There had been a security breach in Bradock manor.


Excalibur.


Cap hit's his comunicator.


"Atention all active Avengers! A WMD class mystical artifact is being stolen. Report back to the mansion A.S.A.P.!"

[Sparta*]

Blaze crashed into the ground besides the others. The fire that engulfed his skulled slowly faded. Suddenly skin started to mask the skull; he grew long brown hair and stubble around his chin. He lay on the floor unconscious.

"I wonder what Cain wanted" Warren thought to himself, examining the parts of the mansion that were once again destroyed.

"Man, this place can't stay standing for more then ten minutes without some psycho coming and trashing it" Warren thought walking down the halls of the mansion.

"Betsy, I need to stretch my wings out...lets go for a fly around the city" He thought. Normally Betsy answered in a split second, but today he wasn't getting any kind of response

"Thats...strange" he thought to himself "I better check her room" Warren walked up to her room, and opened the door. There was a large hole in the wall, and the room was destroyed, suggesting some kind of struggle. "NO!!" Warren screamed aloud, now realizing that Betsy didn't answer his psychic message because she was unconscious...or worse.

"If Juggernaut did this......he will pay" Warren said jumping out the hole in the third story wall. He allowed himself to fall for a bit before spreading out his wings and gliding upwards on a draft of air. He rememberd that Cain was fighting Ghostrider, so he figured following the path of destruction would lead him right to Juggernaut. Thanks to Warrens greatly enhanced vision, he could see miles into the distance.

"This must have been on hell of a fight...the path of carnage goes on for a long time" He thought. Just then he saw something off in the distance...it looked like Ghostrider...but different...he looked human now. Warren rememberd the clothes he was wearing though, and the path of destruction ended right where he was, so it had to be him. He landed next to the man, who was out cold.

"I better get him back to the X-mansion" Warren thought "He might be able to give me some answers about Betsy's dissappearence" With that he picked up the unconscious man and flew back to the mansion. He placed Ghostrider in the infirmary, and tried in vain to mentally contact Betsy until Ghostrider could give him some answers as to where Juggernaut was headed.

[LibrarianThorne]

There's that feeling again, thought Stephen Strange. He knew that there were so very many things going on, things hidden from his sight. He was no longer dealing with beings like Dormammu or Shuma Gorath, beings weak in their arrogance. No, Thanos and the Void were as craft and intelligent as they were powerful, a frankly horrifying idea. He knew he was entering the playing field late. The Titan had already begun to move his pieces, and Strange didn't yet know the game.

He sighed to himself, his hands working over the Globe of Agamotto, making mystical sigils and signs by rote memory. Regardless of what Thanos was doing, Strange could do nothing about it, not yet. He had to assemble his own forces. Unlike Captain America, he could not simply initiate contact with his teammates. Assembling the Defenders was often a long and arduous process, and it looked like this time would be especially troublesome. He hated, passionately, this part of the game. He hated it when things were out of his control, when the forces against him had begun moving before he had become aware of their presence. One misstep for the Sorceror Supreme and it placed Earth in mortal peril. One mistake could mean the deaths of everyone Stephen Strange knew and cared about.

He secretly feared that, with Thanos, he had made such a mistake.

He frowned, as the Globe began to light up, it's mystical golden energies casting a glow upon Strange's face. He couldn't dwell on that problem, just yet. He would face down Thanos when the proper time came, no sooner, and no later. He prayed that the aid of the Vishanti would be with him, for he feared what would happen when he faced Thanos of Titan in battle.

[taskmaster]

Herman Shultz takes a breath as the lights go out in his cell. The time has come for him to dwell on his life once more. The negative emotions surounding his lack of self worth depresses him, and he will spend the night thinking only of how he may one day change. One day, he'll be stronger, better, he'll be able to live up to the reputation that other criminals have earned. He'll be able to attain all that which he desires, some day.

Eventually his thoughts stray once more to his current condition. Gorgan's challenged him, and he couldn't back down. He doesn't know when Gorgan plans on fighting him, and he doesn't know if Gorgan plans on killing him, and that scares him. These criminals will do anything to keep their names strong, even killing other criminals whom they've faught beside in the past as allies. It'll be soon, that much Schultz knows, probably tomorrow, probably out in the jail yard. He realizes that his hands are shaking, and that his stomach is turning. He can't beat Gorgan, he knows he can't. Maybe he'll get that death that he's been wishing for after all.

After I found Rogue I left to find more people to help with Thanos' cause. I searched for a couple of days then found someone who could be of some help. I was watching the news and saw that The Shocker had been captured by War Machine. Most people wouldn't look at him and see any sort of talent but I've been taking failures like him in before I started my mercenary work. He could be an excellent edition to Thanos' army, he just needs some formal training and with Thanos' technology he could be incredibly powerful.

So, after seeing him in the news, I found the prison he was being held at. I've been in here for a couple of days just observing his behavior. He doesn't see any of his potential either. All the times I've seen him he's been looking like he was on the verge of suicide or he was running from Gorgan, The Scorpian, with his tail between his legs. Well, tonights the night he becomes what he always should have been.

After I take a little visit to the evidence locker, I go to his cell. I was using an image inducer so whenever I needed I could become a guard and move freely through the prison.

The lights went out in his cell. Then I became visible.

"Herman Shultz, The Shocker. I have an offer for you."

[JewishHobbit]

The lights went out in his cell. Then I became visible.

"Herman Shultz, The Shocker. I have an offer for you."

"Christ!!!"

Shultz jumps to his feet and would have run had it not been for the stone and bars that hold him. At first he thinks that his time has come. A man with a white skull for a face appears before him, Scourge has finally come to finish the job. But a second look reveals the sleakness in the man's mask, and his dress is drastically differant from Scourge's. It takes him a moment to finally recognize the man.

"Taskmaster?"

He's never met the man face to face, but his name's gotten around. Guy's pretty tough, definately not a D lister like Schultz himself. Has he come to kill him? Did Gorgan send him? His stomach turns with the possibilities.

"What's going on? What do you want?"

[SuperFerret]

There's that feeling again, thought Stephen Strange. He knew that there were so very many things going on, things hidden from his sight. He was no longer dealing with beings like Dormammu or Shuma Gorath, beings weak in their arrogance. No, Thanos and the Void were as craft and intelligent as they were powerful, a frankly horrifying idea. He knew he was entering the playing field late. The Titan had already begun to move his pieces, and Strange didn't yet know the game.

He sighed to himself, his hands working over the Globe of Agamotto, making mystical sigils and signs by rote memory. Regardless of what Thanos was doing, Strange could do nothing about it, not yet. He had to assemble his own forces. Unlike Captain America, he could not simply initiate contact with his teammates. Assembling the Defenders was often a long and arduous process, and it looked like this time would be especially troublesome. He hated, passionately, this part of the game. He hated it when things were out of his control, when the forces against him had begun moving before he had become aware of their presence. One misstep for the Sorceror Supreme and it placed Earth in mortal peril. One mistake could mean the deaths of everyone Stephen Strange knew and cared about.

He secretly feared that, with Thanos, he had made such a mistake.

He frowned, as the Globe began to light up, it's mystical golden energies casting a glow upon Strange's face. He couldn't dwell on that problem, just yet. He would face down Thanos when the proper time came, no sooner, and no later. He prayed that the aid of the Vishanti would be with him, for he feared what would happen when he faced Thanos of Titan in battle.

Stephen was deep in thought, poring over his Globe. I didn't want to disturb him, so I look to the Sentry, trying to remember him, or this Void entity, but nothing more than a nagging (as humans say) feeling of recollection. That grates against even my infinite patience.

"What is our plan of action now, Stephen?"

[LibrarianThorne]

Stephen was deep in thought, poring over his Globe. I didn't want to disturb him, so I look to the Sentry, trying to remember him, or this Void entity, but nothing more than a nagging (as humans say) feeling of recollection. That grates against even my infinite patience.

"What is our plan of action now, Stephen?"

"A very excellent question, my silvery friend. I shall use the Globe of Agamotto to locate the Void, but in order to get a precise fix on his location, I must have something of his. Sentry, since you and the Void are essentially the same being, I believe a lock of your hair would suffice."

Strange held out one of his hands expectantly,while the other continued to weave sigils and signs over the globe. Upon the face of the Globe, too, is where Strange's focus lay. He began talking again, his sight never wavering from the Globe.

"Captain America was right. I fear that very dark times indeed lay ahead, and unfortunately I am a late comer to this particular engagement. I feel dark forces gathering, like storm coulds, yet I can not sense exactly what they are. It is maddening. I have begun forming counter plans, but even these can not be solidified until I know what I'm up against, and moreover, it feels like time itself is against me. My only recourse in these dark days is reforming the Defenders, in the hopes that our collected might will be enough to stave off the encroaching darkness."

Strange looked up, his gaze piercing the Sentry.

"That's where you come in, Sentry. The Surfer and I will aid you against the Void, and I will do my best to merge the two of you. Afterwards, I had hoped that you would join us in the Defenders. I know you are loyal to Captain America and to the Avengers, but I believe your power would aid us more than it would the Avengers. You need not make a decision now. Just... think about it for a while."

Strange's gaze returned to the infinite probabilities and possibilities within the Globe of Agamotto. When he had a lock of Sentry's hair, locating the Void would be simple. Defeating the Void would be another matter entirely.

[rex26]

As Cap entered the monitor room, red lights started flashing on the console. He rushed over to it. There had been a security breach in Bradock manor.


Excalibur.


Cap hit's his comunicator.


"Atention all active Avengers! A WMD class mystical artifact is being stolen. Report back to the mansion A.S.A.P.!"

Tony activated his communicator, "Cap, this is Iron Man. I'm resetting my coordinates as we speak. Arrival time in 4 minutes 27 seconds."

[Electro UK]

"Lower down... lower... lower perfect!" Deadpool appluaded as the crane lifted the sign down onto the Castle. It read "Castle Deadpool!" The Deadpool in big blown up, colourful letters. "Guards!"

"You called Master?" a guard asked, approaching Wade.

"Yeah, could you get me some more of those imported cuban cigars Doom-- I mean I keep in my safe?"

"Of course Master." as the guard marched off, Wade began to wonder round the Castle.

"Man this place is huge. You could fit my apartment in here like 5 zillion times. I wonder if Latveria needs a Queen, maybe I should send for Jessica Alba." he took a seat on a chair. Suddenly, the chair span round the wall, showing Deadpool in a secret labratory.

"O...k... I should let Weasel in this place, he'd go nuts." he stood up, only for the room to turn dark. A hologram of Doom appeared on screen.

"Richards, I always knew you'd find this place."

"Huh? No I'm no Mr Fantastic. Though I'd sure like to be able to strech my pe--"

"But this is my final revenge. Good bye Richards! Forever!"

"Self destruct sequence activated."

"Aw nuts!" Wade cried out. "Only I could wonder into a secret lab, be mistaken for Reed Richards and then set a self destruct sequence."

"60...59..."

"A whole minute? Doom's sure generous, Reed'd easily bust outta this place in a minute." he ran to the computer and started to flick buttons.
"Okay, stop destruct. No I don't want to play pong. Stop damn you! Stop! Maybe I can pull the plug socket somewhere?" he checked round, nothing.

"Okay, plan B, get the hell outta here." he slammed his shoulder against the wall, nothing happened. "Argh! My shoulder! They don't make these brick walls like they used to. I could slamed through it with my little finger."

In the corner, he noticed a blue, glowing light. "Well, what other choice do I have than to jump into the strange blue light that could possibly cut me into little pieces?" he leapt into the light.

***

Deadpool landed on the grass. Castle Doom was nowhere in sight. He was in a park, a volcano could be seen not too far away. "I swear I've seen this somewhere before. Well, time to go on a random search. Who knows what I'll stumble across this time? Super powered monkeys? Three little super powered girls?"

"Not so fast!"

"Mojo!"

"Jojo!"

"Oh no!" Wade said, rearing his head round. "No! Nonononononono! Anything but this!"

"Curse you little brats! I shall destroy you once and for all!"

"I'm not... it can't why the hell am I in the city of Townsville!?!?! Doom! Let me out! Now! I can't bear it anymore! Someone kill me! Please!"

Squish! Deadpool was crushed by a huge metal foot. He was squased flat into the ground. He looked up to see a robot walking off. "I wonder if... no it can't work." he put his thumb in his mouth and blew as hard as he could. He soon became his normal self again. "Oh that's cool! Now I have to work out how to get out of this hell whole! Everyone's happy, I can't stand it!"

[Midnight Ice]

Bobby Drake was drinking a cold glass of water in the kitchen while he waited for Lorna to get out of the shower. He swore he heard Warren scream something, but he was in no mood to check it out. Right now all he could think of is how he will handle Doom when the time comes.

[Red]

"I wonder what Cain wanted" Warren thought to himself, examining the parts of the mansion that were once again destroyed.

"Man, this place can't stay standing for more then ten minutes without some psycho coming and trashing it" Warren thought walking down the halls of the mansion.

"Betsy, I need to stretch my wings out...lets go for a fly around the city" He thought. Normally Betsy answered in a split second, but today he wasn't getting any kind of response

"Thats...strange" he thought to himself "I better check her room" Warren walked up to her room, and opened the door. There was a large hole in the wall, and the room was destroyed, suggesting some kind of struggle. "NO!!" Warren screamed aloud, now realizing that Betsy didn't answer his psychic message because she was unconscious...or worse.

"If Juggernaut did this......he will pay" Warren said jumping out the hole in the third story wall. He allowed himself to fall for a bit before spreading out his wings and gliding upwards on a draft of air. He rememberd that Cain was fighting Ghostrider, so he figured following the path of destruction would lead him right to Juggernaut. Thanks to Warrens greatly enhanced vision, he could see miles into the distance.

"This must have been on hell of a fight...the path of carnage goes on for a long time" He thought. Just then he saw something off in the distance...it looked like Ghostrider...but different...he looked human now. Warren rememberd the clothes he was wearing though, and the path of destruction ended right where he was, so it had to be him. He landed next to the man, who was out cold.

"I better get him back to the X-mansion" Warren thought "He might be able to give me some answers about Betsy's dissappearence" With that he picked up the unconscious man and flew back to the mansion. He placed Ghostrider in the infirmary, and tried in vain to mentally contact Betsy until Ghostrider could give him some answers as to where Juggernaut was headed.

Johnny’s eyes opened. He arose from the table he laid on and looked around the empty infirmary. He slammed his fist on the table “He got away!”

[Sentry2005]

"A very excellent question, my silvery friend. I shall use the Globe of Agamotto to locate the Void, but in order to get a precise fix on his location, I must have something of his. Sentry, since you and the Void are essentially the same being, I believe a lock of your hair would suffice."

Strange held out one of his hands expectantly,while the other continued to weave sigils and signs over the globe. Upon the face of the Globe, too, is where Strange's focus lay. He began talking again, his sight never wavering from the Globe.

"Captain America was right. I fear that very dark times indeed lay ahead, and unfortunately I am a late comer to this particular engagement. I feel dark forces gathering, like storm coulds, yet I can not sense exactly what they are. It is maddening. I have begun forming counter plans, but even these can not be solidified until I know what I'm up against, and moreover, it feels like time itself is against me. My only recourse in these dark days is reforming the Defenders, in the hopes that our collected might will be enough to stave off the encroaching darkness."

Strange looked up, his gaze piercing the Sentry.

"That's where you come in, Sentry. The Surfer and I will aid you against the Void, and I will do my best to merge the two of you. Afterwards, I had hoped that you would join us in the Defenders. I know you are loyal to Captain America and to the Avengers, but I believe your power would aid us more than it would the Avengers. You need not make a decision now. Just... think about it for a while."

Strange's gaze returned to the infinite probabilities and possibilities within the Globe of Agamotto. When he had a lock of Sentry's hair, locating the Void would be simple. Defeating the Void would be another matter entirely.

I look to Stephen as I pass him a lock of my hair.

"Stephen, you know first and foremost I live to protect the world. Whichever group, if i'm even with one, I serve with, I do it for the benefit of the earth."

I think about what I just said.

"Oh... er, you don't know do you..."

Takes a while to remember that everyone else forgot.

"My point is, if the Avengers need me, i'm there. If the Defenders need me, I'll be there. If, for some unknown reason, the X-men needed me, I would be there. I'm not about to abandon my friends when the world is going to hell."

I smile as I put a hand on Stephen's shoulder.

"It's my sincere hope that the Defenders and Avengers will stand united in this threat."

I look around the sanctum. The ancient artifacts and mysticism of it all freak me out a tad. Magic always makes me go a little screwy. Heh. Everything makes me go a little screwy.

"But let's get to work." I turn back to face him. "We find the Void, we re-merge the two of us, and then we try to find out how all the players are interconnected..."

[Johnny Blaze]

edit

[LibrarianThorne]

Strange accepted the Sentry's hair, and he began making motions over it. The lock floated above the Globe of Agamotto, before being consumed in ethereal flame and vanishing.

Strange's eyes widened as the infinite places that the Globe could show whittled down to one. The stars vanished, replaced by a familiar street. Galaxies condensed into a familiar circular window. The darkness of space condensed into one form, wearing a dark trenchoat and black fedora.

"Oh Gods! He's here!" Strange yelled in warning. Moments later, the wall behind him exploded inwards, knocking the Sorceror Supreme to the ground. Floating in the hole he had created, was the Void.

[Sentry2005]

"Bob..."

The Void looks into me, and I look into him.

All those years, we were one. We were the same man.

Now that we are seperated, I can see more of myself in there than ever.

"Yeah, this whole trial seperation we've been doing..."

I fly straight at him and land a square punch on his jaw, sending him flying into the walls.

"...It's just not working for me."

[taskmaster]

"Christ!!!"

Shultz jumps to his feet and would have run had it not been for the stone and bars that hold him. At first he thinks that his time has come. A man with a white skull for a face appears before him, Scourge has finally come to finish the job. But a second look reveals the sleakness in the man's mask, and his dress is drastically differant from Scourge's. It takes him a moment to finally recognize the man.

"Taskmaster?"

He's never met the man face to face, but his name's gotten around. Guy's pretty tough, definately not a D lister like Schultz himself. Has he come to kill him? Did Gorgan send him? His stomach turns with the possibilities.

"What's going on? What do you want?"

"I want to give you what you want. You know you should be better than this. I'm giving you that chance, my empolyer is seeking people to aid him in an upcoming war. While you can't seem to unlock your true potiential, my employer can and with his help you'll have the strength you want. All you have to do is fight for him and be loyal to him. So, what's it going to be? Are you going to be Herman Schultz all your life,washed up locked in this cage, scared of the people who threaten you, wondering what could have been or are you going to be The Shocker? All you have to do is accept my offer."

I waited as he thought of an answer to my offer.

[ElectroFlare]

"Johnny? You want to come up with a plan to go after DOOM, or just shoot some fireballs at him? Look, this is your show, but you need me to find him now that I've got the tracer on his limo. Let's go." Spider-man said to his firey friend.

"I can imagine what is going through your head Johnny. If DOOM had even done anything to May...let's not go there. Let's just say that I want you to get him as much as you want to get him. So let's go. He went that-a-way." Spider-man said, pointing to the distance...

[SuperFerret]

"Bob..."

The Void looks into me, and I look into him.

All those years, we were one. We were the same man.

Now that we are seperated, I can see more of myself in there than ever.

"Yeah, this whole trial seperation we've been doing..."

I fly straight at him and land a square punch on his jaw, sending him flying into the walls.

"...It's just not working for me."

As the Sentry attacks the new arrival ferociously, I move to check on Stephen.

"Are you hurt?"

[LibrarianThorne]

As the Sentry attacks the new arrival ferociously, I move to check on Stephen.

"Are you hurt?"

Strange coughed, the dust in the air making it difficult for him to breathe. Had it not been for the sheilds he always had up, that blast would have killed him. Eyes watering, he looked up to behold the face of the Silver Surfer.

"Fine... I'm fine... help Sentry, subdue the Void, I've got to get Clea and Wong out of here."

Without another word, Strange levitated in the air, opening the door of his Sanctum Sanctorum and flying out. Getting Clea and Wong in the clear would be no difficult task, but if he didn't get them out the Void could use them as targets or worse, puppets. And Strange could not allow that.

[SuperFerret]

Strange coughed, the dust in the air making it difficult for him to breathe. Had it not been for the sheilds he always had up, that blast would have killed him. Eyes watering, he looked up to behold the face of the Silver Surfer.

"Fine... I'm fine... help Sentry, subdue the Void, I've got to get Clea and Wong out of here."

Without another word, Strange levitated in the air, opening the door of his Sanctum Sanctorum and flying out. Getting Clea and Wong in the clear would be no difficult task, but if he didn't get them out the Void could use them as targets or worse, puppets. And Strange could not allow that.

As Stephen is ensuring the safety of his loved ones, I leap aboard my surfboard and follow the Sentry and the Void, hoping to keep them from killing one another and from harming any bystanders in the process.

Greenwich Village will have to endure much this night.

[JewishHobbit]

"I want to give you what you want. You know you should be better than this. I'm giving you that chance, my empolyer is seeking people to aid him in an upcoming war. While you can't seem to unlock your true potiential, my employer can and with his help you'll have the strength you want. All you have to do is fight for him and be loyal to him. So, what's it going to be? Are you going to be Herman Schultz all your life,washed up locked in this cage, scared of the people who threaten you, wondering what could have been or are you going to be The Shocker? All you have to do is accept my offer."

I waited as he thought of an answer to my offer.

Schultz says nothing at first. The idea of finally becoming somebody intrigues him, but what will it cost in return? Who's backing taskmaster? He has no problem with fighting for somebody, he's taken money for such things, and an enhance in power can do things that money can't. And it'd be nice to actually shove that stinking tail down gorgon's throat, or anyone else who messes with him. If the two would have met out on the stree, where Schultz would have had more options, things may have gone slightly differant, but he has nothing to lose while rotting in this prison.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. So who'm I workin' for? How can he help me get better?"

[Sentry2005]

The Void punches me back, full force. It sends me flying.

As I sail through the sky I can see the Surfer heading towards us.

I stop myself in the air and turn to face the Void once more.

I hurtle at him, arms raised.

As I pick up speed a sonic boom erupts.

The Void see's what I am trying to do and turns my velocity against me; he dodges my attack, and as I fly past him, he gives me a hard punch in the back, sending me crashing down to the ground.

[LibrarianThorne]

Stratagems ran through Strange's mind as he flew threw his home. He could hear the sounds of the Sentry's battle with the Void, and prayed to his gods that Sentry could hold out long enough. He found Clea and Wong in his lounge, alerted by the noise.

"Stephen, what's going on?"
"Master, are you in need of our aid?"
He stopped short, his Cloak of Levitation billowing around him. "Remember that devil I don't know I mentioned earler? This would be his doing. I've got to get the both of you out of here as quickly as I can."

Just as he finished speaking, they heard a sonic boom outside, and then the crash of something hitting the ground. "There is no more time for explanations." He tried to think of where he could take them, when a thought came upon him. He rushed forward and kissed Clea, passionately.
"I'll be fine, my dear. I'm going to use the Amulet to send you and Wong to the Avengers Mansions. Tell Captain America that the Sentry, Surfer, and I are battling the Void in Greenwich Village, though I shall do my best to move us to a safer location."

With a wave of his hand, another shimmering gateway appeared in thin air. Wong and Clea stepped through, into the Avengers Mansion and to safety. At least, so Strange hoped.

No more time to spare, he flew back to his Sanctum Sanctorum. His magical artifacts lay on the ground, disturbed by the Void's appearance. Luckily, the enchantment he had used earlier had hidden them from the monster's sight. With a wave of his hand, the objects came to him. Thinking quickly, he opened up a small pocket dimension to store them in until he called for them.

Satisfied, Strange looked out on hte battle over Greenwich Village and thought about what he could do.

[Darth Wolverine]

"You have bested me once, Elisabeth Braddock, but you will not - -"

"Oh cut the trash, you power-hungry jerk, and get to the fight." Psylocke was peched on the edge of a wooden bench, flatulently examining her nails and occasionally looking up to glance an unimpressed glance at the villain that stood before her.

The aforementioned villain, the Mandarin, gritted his teeth and clenched his ring-adorned fists. "Insolence!" he shrieked, aiming his rings at the Asian mutant. "You will pay for your - - argh!" He was sent sprawling as Psylocke dealt a sharp kick to his midsection.

She positioned her hands around an imaginary sword, focused for a moment, and a phosphorescent violet blade shimmered to life. She slipped into a defensive stance, and positioned the blade in accordance with this movement. The Mandarin cursed, and threw out his right hand. The ring gripping his left index finger spurted a fiery assault. Psylocke swung the sword, batting the attack back at its owner. Another ring acted, propelling him into the air, where he released a burst of laser-like energy.

This struck his opponent on the shoulder. She rolled aside from a second blast, and narrowed her eyes; in a sudden explosion of telekinetic fury, the Mandarin was swatted from the air, and plummeted down...onto the peak of Psylocke's katana. He swore as its mutant energies tore through his senses, shattering them and sending agony pounding through his limbs. He managed to pull himself away, but Psylocke was already preparing her next assault - using her telekinesis to enhance her strength, she backhanded Mandarin across the room with a flash of lilac energy.

"It's over, Mandarin," she announced, launching herself after him and placing her sword at his throat. "Do I have to do the whole 'surrender' speech, or are you familiar with that already?" she quipped, her voice oozing self confidence.

"Oh, don't worry, my dear," the Mandarin said, a malicious smile tugging at his lips. "There's no need for a 'surrender' speech." As the last word spilled from his lips, a bolt of golden lightning slammed into Psylocke's back, volts of pure fury erupting from the heavens, controlled by a dazed Mandarin.

The mutant woman fell instantly, letting out a feral cry as she fell...into a block of ice created, ocne again, by the Mandarin. "Goodbye, Psylocke," he whispered the the encased Asian girl. "Greetings, Lady Mandarin..."

[Sentry2005]

The Void punches me back, full force. It sends me flying.

As I sail through the sky I can see the Surfer heading towards us.

I stop myself in the air and turn to face the Void once more.

I hurtle at him, arms raised.

As I pick up speed a sonic boom erupts.

The Void see's what I am trying to do and turns my velocity against me; he dodges my attack, and as I fly past him, he gives me a hard punch in the back, sending me crashing down to the ground.

That.... Hurt.

I push my self aginst the ground, lifting my body back up.

Before I can stand, the Void has plunged his knee into my back.

My face hits the concrete again.

"Bob-o, Bob-o, Bob-o... When will you stop trying to fight me?"

I reach around, grabbing his legs, and pull.

The Void wrenches abck down to the ground.

"I got a new philosophy today... it's basically, that I don't want to fight anymore."

I stand up, and turn to launch myself at him again.

He expects me to do the same move as before, but I speed up infinitely.

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

I break the sound barrier three times, and i'm punching him before he can react.

The Void hurtles back and into a building.

"I want to be best friends with you!" I yell as I launch after him again.

[Batman]

Bullseye drove the car at top speed, swerving past cars to overtake them. He couldn't see Daredevil, but odds were he was following them. That was Daredevil through and through - always getting in the way.

But he hadn't made a move, so he must not be close enough to stop them yet. And Bullseye hoped that by keeping up the pace, he could keep it that way. All the way to Grand Central Station, Bullseye kepy on glancing in the rearview mirror to check for any signs of him.

When they arrived at Grand Central Station, Bullseye jumped out of the car, taking the baby back off of Brenda so she could run faster. They sprinted into the station. They had to catch the next train to the airport - then Daredevil would never catch them.

"This is it, baby, the final hurdle," Bullseye said to Brenda as they ran, "We're so close now..."

By the time I smelled the exhaust from Bullseye's car die down,I could already tell they were making a run for it.

Or,more likely,He was making them run.

I can't let him get away.Not with two hostages.Not with a child,for godsakes.

I smell the air,trying to pick up his scent,when I realise where I am...

Grand Central Station.

"Oh God..."

He's going to try and lose me by the train.If he makes it,there's no chance in hell I'll be able to stop him.Taking that into account,I dash inside,pushing every one of my muscles to the limit,so I won't lose him.

Usually,at this time of night,not many people use the station.Some homeless people take it for refugee for the night,but otherwise it's pretty quiet.So,it shouldn't be as difficult as one would think to find Bullseye and the hostages.

Oh,sorry,I mean Bullseye,his child,and the mother of his child.But they might aswell be hostages,being with a madman like him.

And sure enough,after running through half the building,I pick up their scents,again.And if my guess is correct,they're heading towards the next train.

"BULLSEYE!!!"

He won't escape me.HE WON'T.

Using my grapnel,I swing across the rest of the station,and land infront of the entrance to the subway tunnels.I can sense three individuals heading downwards.Two are out of breath,and one is being held by one of the other two.It HAS to be them.

Jumping down,I land on the ground.Not the smartest move,considering I was very[i] close to breaking my leg,but time is a factor,here.

That's when I hear the door to one of the trains opening up,and the individuals.

"Wait!!!STOP!!!DON'T DO THIS!!!"

I can hear Bullseye telling them to get in,as he does aswell.They're almost in.I [i]can't let him get away.I have to stop that door from closing,somehow...

Taking my billyclub,I hurl it in that direction,so I can block the door with it.

*THUD*

...Oh no.I've....I didn't hit the door.I hit something else.My throw was off!

But...what did I hit?

And then...I realise I might've made a terrible mistake.A grave mistake,even.

I think...I hit one of the individuals.

Oh God...

[LibrarianThorne]

That.... Hurt.

I push my self aginst the ground, lifting my body back up.

Before I can stand, the Void has plunged his knee into my back.

My face hits the concrete again.

"Bob-o, Bob-o, Bob-o... When will you stop trying to fight me?"

I reach around, grabbing his legs, and pull.

The Void wrenches abck down to the ground.

"I got a new philosophy today... it's basically, that I don't want to fight anymore."

I stand up, and turn to launch myself at him again.

He expects me to do the same move as before, but I speed up infinitely.

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

I break the sound barrier three times, and i'm punching him before he can react.

The Void hurtles back and into a building.

"I want to be best friends with you!" I yell as I launch after him again.

The sonic booms rattled Strange's teeth as he steps out of his home. He sees the Surfer in the sky, and Sentry pummeling the Void.

"Surfer! Clear the innocents out of here! No harm must come to them!"

Strange began making mystical sigils and signs with his hands, calling forth the most powerful spell of binding in existence. The Crimson Bands of Cytorrak. Unbreakable, inescapable crimson rings. He himself had barely escaped their grasp, and he was the most powerful mage on Earth, and likely, the universe itself. It would take time to summon them at their full strength, however, it was the only way they could minimize the damage to the city and subdue the Void.

[Sparta*]

Johnny’s eyes opened. He arose from the table he laid on and looked around the empty infirmary. He slammed his fist on the table “He got away!”

"He definatley got away" Warren said behind Ghost Rider. Johnny spun around to see Archangel there in the room with him

"I've been waiting for you to wake up...I need to know some things..." Warren said walking closer to Ghost Rider.

"Did Juggernaut have anyone with him when you confronted him?" Warren said "please try and remember.....this is of the utmost importance"

"No it was just him..." Johnny replied

"While you were passing out...could you make out which direction Juggernaut was heading in? was it toward the Mansion again? Or somewhere else??" Warren said sternly "Think real hard before answering..."

OOC: Sorry for the small bunny!

[Red]

"He definatley got away" Warren said behind Ghost Rider. Johnny spun around to see Archangel there in the room with him

"I've been waiting for you to wake up...I need to know some things..." Warren said walking closer to Ghost Rider.

"Did Juggernaut have anyone with him when you confronted him?" Warren said "please try and remember.....this is of the utmost importance"

"No it was just him..." Johnny replied

"While you were passing out...could you make out which direction Juggernaut was heading in? was it toward the Mansion again? Or somewhere else??" Warren said sternly "Think real hard before answering..."

OOC: Sorry for the small bunny!

"North, he was heading North...and if i'm not needed here thats where i'm heading."

[Spider-Man9X17]

A plan for fighting Doom?

There would never be a plan for fighting Doctor Doom. Not for Johnny, anyway. You just fought, with all you had, till someone couldn't stand up. And it would never end. Never. Death itself couldn't even stop Doom and the FF. But Peter would never understand. No one would. Only the family.

Peter was a good friend, but he wasn't family.

Johnny sighed heavily, continuing to fly forward.

Only family mattered now.

[ElectroFlare]

Spider-man followed Johnny.

"Johnny, this way. He's turning." Spider-man said, swinging in a long swooping arc to show Johnny where he was heading.

"He is going directly to the x-mansion. Well, at least we've got some friends there. You wanna try and settle this before he gets there?" Spider-man asked, hoping to get some kind of response.

Keeping all the anger and pain in had nearly killed Peter Parker almost a year ago.

Spider-man didn't want the same to happen to Johnny...

[SuperFerret]

The sonic booms rattled Strange's teeth as he steps out of his home. He sees the Surfer in the sky, and Sentry pummeling the Void.

"Surfer! Clear the innocents out of here! No harm must come to them!"

Strange began making mystical sigils and signs with his hands, calling forth the most powerful spell of binding in existence. The Crimson Bands of Cytorrak. Unbreakable, inescapable crimson rings. He himself had barely escaped their grasp, and he was the most powerful mage on Earth, and likely, the universe itself. It would take time to summon them at their full strength, however, it was the only way they could minimize the damage to the city and subdue the Void.

I begin to clear all humans from the Greenwich Village area, doing my task so rapidly that most were disoriented. I wanted to step in and aid the Sentry, but even I knew that he had to finish this himself.

I just occupied myself by quelling the sonic booms before they could adversely affect the area.

[Darth Wolverine]

"Not even a challenge," the mutant formerly known as Psylocke stated as she impaled a guard on her TK sword and dealt another a chop to the neck. The sword slowly faded as its owner bounded over an infrared beam and used her telekinesis to propel her body through the maze of hidden alarms.

It didn't take her long to reach her destination. A ring was positioned in a glass case, a majestic gem seated atop the golden band in all its glory, gleaming magnificently in the silver dapples of moonlight.

"And now...for the encore," she whispered, and pressed lightly against the glass with her index finger. She slipped it across the material, her eyes closed and her body rigid and focused. She pasued for a moment, and pressed a little harder against the glass...at it's weakest point. It shattered, showering the surrounding area with glass. She grinned at this, and before tucking the ring away in her belt, took the time to pierce one of the infrared beams with one shard.

"Let them come," she muttered. "Let them face the wrath of...Lady Mandarin."

[Electro UK]

"At last! I've defeated these little brats!" Mojo Jojo said with delight, looking round and the 3 girls, unconcious on the floor. Wade staired in disbelief.

"I can't believe what I'm about to do." Mojo's robot raised its leg above the girls. "Not so fast Mojo Jojo!" Wade said, yelling from the top of the skyscraper. He let himself fall, landing on the robot's helmet.

"Who is this? Who has interrupted my evil master schemes? Who has felt it nessacery to distract my plot at its very climax? Who--"

"Stop! I just don't think I can take that right now!" he smashed a hole through the glass he began to climb in. Mojo however had a different idea.

"Head seperation!" the top of the robot rolled off of the body and smashed into the ground. Both of them climbed out. Mojo took his laser gun and twised round.

"Ugh, believe me, it's killing me to do this." Wade said, leaping over Mojo. "You're my idol, really. I've always tried to live up to you."

"Be silent! Stop talking! Cease communitcations."

"Yeah, not to likely." Wade replied, letting a fist round Mojo's face. "I'd rather slit my own throat than do this Mojo, but I just gotta get home!"

He took Mojo by the cape, and flung him off into the distance. "Well, that takes care of that... oh heck I have to do it. And so, once again the day is saved thanks to Deadpool!"

Wade laughed to himself. As he opened his eyes, he realized he was no longer in Townsville. "Dang, where am I now? The wild wild west? Can't say a west this deserted is wild." he was right. He stood in thje middle of a vast dessert, a road by his side.

"I can't see what I've got to do here, but now that I have some privacy, I'm gonna take a wh--"

"Beep! Beep!" Wade watched as an incredibly fast sound rushed past him, spinning him round several times.

"Was that... no it couldn't have been." he took a step forward onto the road, and fell. A trap had been set in the road. He looked up to see a sign reading. "Hey pal, mind getting outta my trap?"

"Oh this is just too good to be true!" Wade said, leaping out. There in front of him, stood Wyle. "Dude! This is like a dream come true! Wyle my friend! We've got a Road Runner to catch!"

[SonnyBlack]

Agent X arrives in Genosha ready to complete the hit as he gets stuck in customs.

“Welcome to Genosha Mr. Hayden, purpose of visit?”

“Um well actually I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well for one my business is a pleasure. Then again I also plan to be pleasured, but that’s my business. Also when I’m going to the bathroom, you know to do my business…

“Just go.”

…Hours later Alex sits atop a roof looking down upon his target walking through the crowd.

“Dude I know this guy but from where?”

Alex says to himself as he readies his equipment, picks up his bow and begins to aim.

“Well as I always say kill first, then there’s no reason to ask questions later.”

[Keyser Soze]

By the time I smelled the exhaust from Bullseye's car die down,I could already tell they were making a run for it.

Or,more likely,He was making them run.

I can't let him get away.Not with two hostages.Not with a child,for godsakes.

I smell the air,trying to pick up his scent,when I realise where I am...

Grand Central Station.

"Oh God..."

He's going to try and lose me by the train.If he makes it,there's no chance in hell I'll be able to stop him.Taking that into account,I dash inside,pushing every one of my muscles to the limit,so I won't lose him.

Usually,at this time of night,not many people use the station.Some homeless people take it for refugee for the night,but otherwise it's pretty quiet.So,it shouldn't be as difficult as one would think to find Bullseye and the hostages.

Oh,sorry,I mean Bullseye,his child,and the mother of his child.But they might aswell be hostages,being with a madman like him.

And sure enough,after running through half the building,I pick up their scents,again.And if my guess is correct,they're heading towards the next train.

"BULLSEYE!!!"

He won't escape me.HE WON'T.

Using my grapnel,I swing across the rest of the station,and land infront of the entrance to the subway tunnels.I can sense three individuals heading downwards.Two are out of breath,and one is being held by one of the other two.It HAS to be them.

Jumping down,I land on the ground.Not the smartest move,considering I was very[i] close to breaking my leg,but time is a factor,here.

That's when I hear the door to one of the trains opening up,and the individuals.

"Wait!!!STOP!!!DON'T DO THIS!!!"

I can hear Bullseye telling them to get in,as he does aswell.They're almost in.I [i]can't let him get away.I have to stop that door from closing,somehow...

Taking my billyclub,I hurl it in that direction,so I can block the door with it.

*THUD*

...Oh no.I've....I didn't hit the door.I hit something else.My throw was off!

But...what did I hit?

And then...I realise I might've made a terrible mistake.A grave mistake,even.

I think...I hit one of the individuals.

Oh God...

Daredevil was here. He'd heard his nemesis screaming his name, thought his luck had ran out. But somehow, somehow he'd made it. They'd made it. They were on the train. But just as the doors began to close, Daredevil's billy-club flew past him, barely missing his face. And that was it. The doors closed, and the train began to move off.

"You missed, Daredevil! HA HA! I wouldn't have missed that shot! That's while you'll never be as good as..."

Bullseye trailed off as he turned away from the door. He realised that Daredevil hadn't missed after all. Brenda was lying face down - the billy-club must have cracked her on the back of the head. Bullseye rushed to her side, kneeling beside her and hoisting her upright against his shoulder.

"Oh God, Brenda! Are you alright? A shot like that, to the back of the head, that must have...hurt."

Bullseye realised with growing horror that Brenda still hadn't opened her eyes. She wasn't speaking, wasn't moving, wasn't breathing! Oh God, she was dead!

"No! No, no, no," Bullseye whimpered to himself in a blind panic, cradling his lover in his arms, "Don't you get it, baby? We made it. We made it!"

Bullseye pulled Brenda close, hugging her and kissing her cheek. Maybe it would be like the movies, and a kiss would bring her back to life. He had to do something. She couldn't die like this. Not like this. Oh God, not like this!

Bullseye had been so close to getting away. But Daredevil had found him, and killed the woman he loved. But in the numbing haze of grief, Bullseye could not comprehend any irony in this. All he could think about was what he had said to Brenda less than an hour earlier.

"I want to live a happy life, but it won't mean a thing unless your with me."

Then Bullseye heard the sound of a child crying. For a moment, he thought to himself, what is that? Then he remembered that little Lenny, his son, Brenda's son, was still strapped to his chest. He was reaching out with his little hands, grabbing onto Brenda's sleeve.

He wanted his mother.

Sat in the middle of this heartbreaking tableau - the family, together for the last time - Bullseye suddenly felt the full impact of Brenda's death. What about Lenny? What would happen to him? And with that thought, Bullseye finally lost it.

"No, Brenda, no! Don't leave me!" he sobbed, "I can't...do this...on my own!"

And then he couldn't speak anymore. The only sounds to escape from his lungs were inarticulate, inhuman wails. Bullseye let Brenda slump to the floor, and Lenny dangle helplessly from the harness, as he held his head in his hands, his shoulders heaving under the strain of this outpouring of emotion. Anguish, heartbreak, grief, it all came out.

And through all this, the train kept moving, travelling on the road to the better future that was now doomed to never happen. After a while, Bullseye stopped crying. He was spent. He had no more tears left to give. Not for now, at least. He was going to have to leave Brenda behind. He'd have to say his final goodbyes now. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Brenda."

He felt his voice tremor as he said it. He thought it was the beginning of anothe outburst, but he held it back. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at his son, and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. Now little Lenny was smiling up at him, blissfully unaware of what had been taken away from him. Forcing a smile, Bullseye stroked the baby's head.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered soothingly, "Everything is okay."

But it wasn't okay. Brenda was dead. No, not dead. She had been murdered. Murdered by Daredevil. And if it was the last thing he did, Bullseye was going to make him pay.

[The Question]

Tony activated his communicator, "Cap, this is Iron Man. I'm resetting my coordinates as we speak. Arrival time in 4 minutes 27 seconds."

"Good."

Cap sits and awaits the others to respond. He begins to ponder the situation.

Excalibur is very powerful. We're going to need all the muscle we can get. Now who.....?


Yes. Perfect.


Cap uses the com station to call the individual he has in mund.

"Ben? It's Cap. Are you busy?"

[Duker Jay]

"Ben? It's Cap. Are you busy?"

"Busy?" Ben asks, as he continues to watch the mayhem with the Storm babies. "Naw...no more than usual...what's on yer mind, Cap'n?"

[The Question]

"A mindbogglingly powerful mystical artifact has been stolen. And by powerful, I mean 'rewrite the fabric of reality in your own image' powerful. We're going to need all the muscle we can get when we're dealing with this. You in?"

[Duker Jay]

"A mindbogglingly powerful mystical artifact has been stolen. And by powerful, I mean 'rewrite the fabric of reality in your own image' powerful. We're going to need all the muscle we can get when we're dealing with this. You in?"

Ben listened to his communicator, watching the two young children in the room...unsure which was his priority.

He looked over at Frankie Raye and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You got it, Cap." Frankie turned, somewhat surprised at Ben's choice.

"It'll be alright, kid. You can handle this here...Johnny trusts you and so do I. Give yerself some credit." Ben gives her a half smile. "'Sides...Bichead can't be too far away. Get him over here...he'll probably bring the web-head, but that's alright. Those two aren't the bratty punks they used to be...most o' the time, anyways. You guys'll figure somethin' out."

Ben heads back down the hall towards the hangar again.

Looking over his shoulder, he calls to Frankie. "I'm always only a call away, there...you know that, right? Remember, you've got this one...YOU'RE their MOM."

Ben turns back, "I wish I could stay and help but you just don't say 'No' to Cap'n America." He says this more to himself than anybody else.

[twylight]

The intercom crackled to life.

“Thank you for flying…..” the name of the airline company was drowned out by the roar of the engines as they shifted gear.

“We will be landing in just a few minutes, please fasten your seat belt, secure all loose items, turn off...”

I shut out the woman’s forcefully pleasant words. Resting my chin in my hands I look out over the airplanes wing. The sunlight reflects off the ocean below creating sparkles like brilliant diamonds.

Turning my head I can see the shore of New York.
Why was I even going there? Nothing was there for me.
I close my eyes, shutting out the harsh sun as it streams in the window.
I need to create a life for myself something away from everything else. My own identity.

I keep my eyes closed as the plane lands. The dull THUMP of the airplane tires hitting the ground and the rapid deceleration cause me to go forward in my seat.
The time seems to slip by slowly and fast, a sign of my fatigue. I watch listlessly as people file down the airplanes aisle, till I’m the last one on. Standing up I pull my bag from the overhead compartments.

“May I help you?”

I shake my head and smile at the stewardess.
“No thank you, I’ve got it.”

“Hope you had a good flight!” She says after me as I walk along the departure tunnel. My boots thumping against the hallow floor. I emerge from the tunnel into the airport gates, it’s almost like emerging from a cocoon. The noises hit me. People talking, music, intercom information, the rolling of luggage, the squeak of shoes on the vinyl floor.

I adjust the strap on my shoulder and make my way quickly through the airport, the bustling of the noise bounced against my ears. I glanced over at the security checkpoint, sending quiet encouragement to the people in line.
We all had to go through it and for what? There was a lady on the airplane with knitting needles.
I could think of a few good uses, besides knitting, for those.

I walked through the sliding door and onto the side walk. This time I was hit again by the bustling of humanity. The car fumes, the car honks, the yelling, the rumbling of engines, the warmth of the sun. I looked up at the sky, the buildings towered over us like giant, leafless trees.
Bringing my focus back to earth I hailed a taxi.

Slipping into the back seat I gave the cabbie the address.
I’d gotten an apartment before I came, bypassing all of the discomforts of apartment shopping and hotel rooms. I’d also sent over all my belongings, carrying only a duffle bag with necessities and my purse.
I leaned back in the seat and watched the scenery of the city. The concrete scenery. Downtown the traffic soon turned to deadlock. The Baxter building, The Avengers Tower, Stark Industries. Children along the side walk wore shirts emblazed with the logo of their favorite hero. Binoculars hung around their necks and cameras were clasped in their hands.

“Seems like you can’t go a day without seein’ one of those Hero types. We’ve got a Butt-load of them here. More per capita of any city anywhere else. Makes ya think don’t it?” The cabbie commented.

I glance at him before looking out the window again.

“What makes them so interested in being here?”

“Well,” The Cabbie rolled the window down and spit out it.
“Somethin’ in the air I think, might be the water. Though the people up north.” He motioned with his hand.
“They’ve got mutants up there. So I guess Super-Hero freaks are better’n them.”

I raise my eyebrow and don’t reply.
Out the window I can see the crowd churning with excitement. Twisting my neck I can see the female part of the Fantastic Four fly by. The cameras click and people wave.
Looking past the crowd I can see a newsstand on the side-walk.

SPIDER-MAN MENACE!

Reads the headlines, next to it.


AVENGERS RECEIVE MEDAL!

What makes some accepted and the others disowned?

I let the rest of the ride go on in silence. After what seems like forever he pulled up in front of a cute little apartment building. Trees dot the side walk at intervals. Paying the cabbie I slip out and watch as he drives away, before turning and looking at the building. It is tall and made out of brownstone. The double front door, glass surrounded by wood that gleams with age, sits at the top of a short flight of steps with iron worked railing on either side. Wrought Iron curls cover the doors glass.
I fumble through my purse and find the key, sticking it in the keyhole I slowly turn it.
The feeling of anticipation running through me.
Opening the door I come into little foyer, with a similar door as the first in front of me. The door unlocks with a soft ‘clack’ and I push the door open.
I find myself in a welcoming hallway; the walls are painted a navy blue, and off set the brown wooden floor. On my right are the wooden steps leading to the upper levels. I place my foot on the bottom step.

“Hello!”

I jump, not hearing the door behind me open and step down.

“You must be the new tenant.” A plump elderly lady stepped out from her door. Her hair was up in a bun on her head, strands of gray and silver hair had escaped from the confines and curled down around her plump face.

“Yes, Yes I am.” I smile and nod.

“Well, it’s just so nice to meet you. We get so worried when a new neighbor comes. You never know who’s out there. I’m Gertrude Marshall, or Trudy.” She said smiling, even standing straight she only reached my shoulders in height.
Her blue eyes sparkled with a gentle light and whatever a home felt like, I felt like I was there.

“I’m…” An animal-like shriek cut me off.

Trudy turned and looked back into her apartment.

“Streaky! Stop that!” She looked back at me. I had a perplexed look on my face.
“I’m sorry, my cat just had kittens and my other cat is bothering them…” She trailed off looking at me.

“I know you just got here, but would you like to..” She motioned towards her door
“…come it?”

“Yes.” Nothing wrong with making friends with the neighbors. I needed to create my own life after all. That would not happen if I kept to myself.

I walked into her apartment and was greeted with the smell of apple cinnamon issuing from the two crumb cakes that sat on the counter, the steam rising off of them.

“Oh yes, I just finished them…would you like some?” She asked bustling about, picking up a cat, causing me to notice them for the first time.

“Oh…This is Streaky.” She said motioned to the golden cat in her arms not allowing me to answer her question.
“That’s Shadowcat, and her litter.” She paused beaming down at the black cat lying in the basket, kittens all around her.

“Shadowcat...?” I ask as I kneel down next to the basket, the kittens looking old enough to have been weaned stood up and stretched, walking towards me.

Trudy answered from the kitchen amidst the banging of dishes.
“Yes, we..my husband and I found her in the shadows coming home one night. She was just a tiny little kitten, cold and starving. Bless her little pea pickin’ heart…So we brought her home and my husband named her Shadowcat. He always did have a bit of an imagination.” She said, her voice softening when she spoke of her husband, not lost on me.

“It’s a lovely name.”

I glance up at the wall and see pictures of her and a man, the ages varied, from middle age, to old age. The ones that seemed the most cherished were the ones of them young, the photos dim with age and the outfits vintage. The 50’s. She had blonde hair back then and he had a full crop of red hair. I glance down at the kittens which were climbing up me; they were several colors, black, yellow, one of them which seemed the most persistent was mottled, black and blown, with a splash of brown right across his nose.

I picked him up.
“Oops, I guess you’re a girl.” I set her down and scratch behind her ears.

“Here you go honey.” Trudy stood next to me, a plate and fork in hand.

“Oh! Thank you! You didn’t...” I said taking it a little shocked and ashamed at the fact I might have caused more work for the older woman.

She brushed her hand through the air before taking a seat on a blue and green floral sofa.
“No problem my dear. We get so few visitors here and it’s worthwhile to know your neighbors. You never know what they’ll be. Streaky! Stop!”

She said causing me to turn my head. The great gold cat was inching towards Shadowcat.

Trudy stood up and scooped the cat up before sitting down again.
“Sorry about that…Streaky’s neutered and I think she’s a little jealous.”

During all of this I had managed to finish off half of the large crumb cake, which tasted moist and appleish.

“Oh, would you like more?”

“No thank you, it is delicious.” I said gratefully, I hadn’t eaten anything but two bags of peanuts.

Trudy leaned back and smiled as if she was pleased. She silently stroked the cat while I finished off the cake. Standing, the kittens rolled off of me and onto the ground. I walked into the kitchen and placed the plate next to the sink.
It felt natural, I felt comfortable here, like…home…

“So what are you doing here?” She asked from the living room.

I turn quickly almost stepping on the mottled kitten which had followed me. Smiling I bend over and pick her up, she cuddles around me neck and I walk back into the living room.

“I don’t know. Living I guess.” I sat down cross legged on the floor, the kitten curled up around my neck.

She raised her eyebrow.
“Ah..” she said softly under her breath.
“Learning how to?” She asked as if I was part of a secret club.
“Do you have any family here?”

“No, I’m a onesome.”

She smiled, and then looked sad.
“Well, you can come here anytime. My door is always open.”

“I don’t have anything planned. I do need to find a job though.” I look out the window at the green leaves on the tree in front of the building.

“That…I can help you with.” She said standing up and grabbing a piece of paper and pencil.

“You can?” I ask incredulously.

“Yes, he’s my nephew. Here’s his place of work. The Alternative It’s some such newspaper. But you seem like the newspaper type. Bright, youthful, smart.” She hands me the piece of paper and sits back down.

I gaze at the words scrawled across the paper before looking at her.
“But why? You hardly know me.”

“Oh, I might be old, but that’s what gives me my insight. You seemed lonely in the hallway so I invited you in.”

“How do you know what I am?”

She smiled and pointed to her eyes.
“It’s the eyes.
Now, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are on. I know you’re probably anxious to see your apartment, but would you care to watch them with me and have a little dinner?”

Her answer didn’t satisfy me, but it would have to do. Strange though, instead of wanting to see my room, I’m more that willing and even grateful for Trudy’s hospitality. I laugh spinning around until I’m facing the tv.
“I have nothing but a date with an empty apartment.”

[ElectroFlare]

Johnny wasn't talking.

Fine, Spider-man knew how to talk enough for the both of them.

"Let's just hit him now Johnny. Let's hit him with everything we've got. I'll web the wheels, stop him dead in his tracks. Then you can torch the limo. We both know DOOM is waiting for it, we might as well give it to him."

[Sparta*]

"North, he was heading North...and if i'm not needed here thats where i'm heading."

"It couldn't have been Juggernaut that took Betsy then..." Warren said...moreso thinking outloud then talking to Ghost Rider

"If she wasn't there when he fought you...and he was headed in the opposite direction of the mansion after the fight...it couldn't have been him...but then who?" Warren turned his back to Ghostrider and pondered for a few moments "I have to look for her...I can't leave her at the mercy of whatever took her..." he said

"If they could have bested Psylocke so quickly, I don't think I would stand a chance alone" Warren thought to himself

"Ghost Rider...will you help me search for my girlfriend? She is innocent and we must find her before something happens...I don't know what I would do without her..." Warren said...he didn't like to ask others for help because he has always relied so heavily on himself his whole life, but he knew behind the fiery skull facade, Ghost Rider was a hero among the best of them...and Warren was curious to learn more about this strange man-demon.

[Sentry2005]

The sonic booms rattled Strange's teeth as he steps out of his home. He sees the Surfer in the sky, and Sentry pummeling the Void.

"Surfer! Clear the innocents out of here! No harm must come to them!"

Strange began making mystical sigils and signs with his hands, calling forth the most powerful spell of binding in existence. The Crimson Bands of Cytorrak. Unbreakable, inescapable crimson rings. He himself had barely escaped their grasp, and he was the most powerful mage on Earth, and likely, the universe itself. It would take time to summon them at their full strength, however, it was the only way they could minimize the damage to the city and subdue the Void.

A fist to my face and a tooth goes flying.

I actually just lost a tooth.

If it weren't for the fact that I'm trying not to kill him, the Void would be in a world of trouble.

I HATE dentists.

I upper cut the black half of my soul, hoping to knock him back long enough for Stephen's spell to take effect.

The Surfer is clearing the people from this path of destruction.

I clench my hands togeather, and I bring down my joined hands onto the Voids back, sending him straight down.

Any time Stephen...

[Duker Jay]

It isn't long before The Thing, aboard a Fantasticar lands at the Avenger's Mansion.

Shortly thereafter, Ben finds Captain America inside.

"So...what's the job?"

[rex26]

Iron Man had been itching to get back into some action. He still felt he needed to prove himself again to his teammates. As Avenger Mansion came into sight, Tony started pumping himself up for the mission ahead. He landed on the front steps and saw a Fantasticar parked outside.

Tony came walking threw the front door, face plate still pulled down, "Yeah Cap, give us the run down."

[The Question]

"Excalibur has just been stolen from Bradock manor in England. S.H.E.I.L.D. has it marked as a WMD class mystical artifact. Someone could easily wipe out entire cities with it. Captain Britain has security systems linked directly to S.H.E.I.L.D.'s computers around the sword. When the signal went off they imediately contacted us. So, we're going to England."

[LibrarianThorne]

A fist to my face and a tooth goes flying.

I actually just lost a tooth.

If it weren't for the fact that I'm trying not to kill him, the Void would be in a world of trouble.

I HATE dentists.

I upper cut the black half of my soul, hoping to knock him back long enough for Stephen's spell to take effect.

The Surfer is clearing the people from this path of destruction.

I clench my hands togeather, and I bring down my joined hands onto the Voids back, sending him straight down.

Any time Stephen...

Cyttorak was being unusually stubborn about his power this day, so Strange was forced to call upon the other powers at his command. He felt the power of the Vishanti flow into him, augmenting the spell by orders of magnitude. Still, he could tell, it was not yet powerful enough to bind the Void for any appreciable length of time. If the Void was truly the equal of the Sentry in power, then he would have to make this spell all the more powerful. He called upon Eternity, who recognized him and granted him some of his awesome power. There, Strange thought. In his hands glowed a ball of crimson energy, so bright that it lit up the night.

"Void! This ends now! Feel the power of the Sorceror Supreme!" He threw out his hands, middle and ring fingers pressed to his palm in the manner the Ancient One had taught him, channeling the mystical energies. "Be bound in these, the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak!"

Red rings formed from the crimson ball, encasing the Void who struggled against the mystical bonds. Strange had expected power, but nothing like this. It was all he could do to maintain his concentration upon the spell, shoring it up where it weakened and funneling ever more power into it. He had not seen power like this since the last time he had fought Galactus. Sweat began dripping down his face.

"Sentry! I know not how long I can hold him! Take him down now!"

[Red]

"It couldn't have been Juggernaut that took Betsy then..." Warren said...moreso thinking outloud then talking to Ghost Rider

"If she wasn't there when he fought you...and he was headed in the opposite direction of the mansion after the fight...it couldn't have been him...but then who?" Warren turned his back to Ghostrider and pondered for a few moments "I have to look for her...I can't leave her at the mercy of whatever took her..." he said

"If they could have bested Psylocke so quickly, I don't think I would stand a chance alone" Warren thought to himself

"Ghost Rider...will you help me search for my girlfriend? She is innocent and we must find her before something happens...I don't know what I would do without her..." Warren said...he didn't like to ask others for help because he has always relied so heavily on himself his whole life, but he knew behind the fiery skull facade, Ghost Rider was a hero among the best of them...and Warren was curious to learn more about this strange man-demon.

Johnny clenched his gloved fist; he was never one for helping the little guy. But from the kid’s urgency this didn’t seem like something small time.

“Alright wings, I’ll help find your girl.”

[Sentry2005]

Cyttorak was being unusually stubborn about his power this day, so Strange was forced to call upon the other powers at his command. He felt the power of the Vishanti flow into him, augmenting the spell by orders of magnitude. Still, he could tell, it was not yet powerful enough to bind the Void for any appreciable length of time. If the Void was truly the equal of the Sentry in power, then he would have to make this spell all the more powerful. He called upon Eternity, who recognized him and granted him some of his awesome power. There, Strange thought. In his hands glowed a ball of crimson energy, so bright that it lit up the night.

"Void! This ends now! Feel the power of the Sorceror Supreme!" He threw out his hands, middle and ring fingers pressed to his palm in the manner the Ancient One had taught him, channeling the mystical energies. "Be bound in these, the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak!"

Red rings formed from the crimson ball, encasing the Void who struggled against the mystical bonds. Strange had expected power, but nothing like this. It was all he could do to maintain his concentration upon the spell, shoring it up where it weakened and funneling ever more power into it. He had not seen power like this since the last time he had fought Galactus. Sweat began dripping down his face.

"Sentry! I know not how long I can hold him! Take him down now!"

"With Pleasure,"

I fly straight towards the Void.

Arms raised, fists clenched.

All of my power channeled into this one punch.

The power of countless exploding stars.



KRA-KOOOOOOOM!!!



A blast of pure light blinds me and everyone in the immediate area for just one moment.

Then the world comes back into focus.

On the ground, Cytorak binds around him, is a man.

A normal man.

He looks like me, but with brown eyes and black hair.

His suit is a pitch black replica of mine, with silver highlights.

A black mist is fading from him, draining up into the sky.

The Void is out for the count.

Now it's time for the tricky bit...

[LibrarianThorne]

"With Pleasure,"

I fly straight towards the Void.

Arms raised, fists clenched.

All of my power channeled into this one punch.

The power of countless exploding stars.



KRA-KOOOOOOOM!!!



A blast of pure light blinds me and everyone in the immediate area for just one moment.

Then the world comes back into focus.

On the ground, Cytorak binds around him, is a man.

A normal man.

He looks like me, but with brown eyes and black hair.

His suit is a pitch black replica of mine, with silver highlights.

A black mist is fading from him, draining up into the sky.

The Void is out for the count.

Now it's time for the tricky bit...

Strange stood for a moment, willing the bands around the Void to exist, until he finally sensed no struggle from the Void. With a sigh, he dropped his hands, and the bands disappeared in a flash of crimson. Overcome, Strange dropped to one knee. Calling upon all that mystical power had exhausted him, and he still had work to do.

It had taken power beyond reason to contain the Void. What would it cost to merge he and the Sentry together?

"Surfer, how fare the innocents?"

[Duker Jay]

"Excalibur has just been stolen from Bradock manor in England. S.H.E.I.L.D. has it marked as a WMD class mystical artifact. Someone could easily wipe out entire cities with it. Captain Britain has security systems linked directly to S.H.E.I.L.D.'s computers around the sword. When the signal went off they imediately contacted us. So, we're going to England."

"We got any idea who took it or we going in there blind?" Ben really didn't mind either way but he was experienced enough to know there was an advantage to gain...perhaps.

[The Question]

"None. All we know is that whoever it was is either smart enough to sneak past Brian Bradock or strong enough to take him out. Either way, I expect whoever it is to be a very dangerous oponent. The three of us will head to England. Wanda, Crystal, and Hank will stay here and hold down the fort."

[Duker Jay]

"Sounds like a plan...let's get outta here."

Ben started towards the Quinjet. He didn't deal with Brian Braddock very often but he knew enough about Captain Britain to respect anyone who was strong enough to take him out. If someone had done that, it would take all that he, Captain America and Iron Man had to stop that person.

"Back to the superhero game..."

[rex26]

"None. All we know is that whoever it was is either smart enough to sneak past Brian Bradock or strong enough to take him out. Either way, I expect whoever it is to be a very dangerous oponent. The three of us will head to England. Wanda, Crystal, and Hank will stay here and hold down the fort."

"I've already set the Quinjet's coordinates to Bradock manor."

"Back to the superhero game..."

Tony looked over to the ever loving blue-eyed Thing, "You and me both big guy."

[taskmaster]

Schultz says nothing at first. The idea of finally becoming somebody intrigues him, but what will it cost in return? Who's backing taskmaster? He has no problem with fighting for somebody, he's taken money for such things, and an enhance in power can do things that money can't. And it'd be nice to actually shove that stinking tail down gorgon's throat, or anyone else who messes with him. If the two would have met out on the stree, where Schultz would have had more options, things may have gone slightly differant, but he has nothing to lose while rotting in this prison.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. So who'm I workin' for? How can he help me get better?"

"All your questions will be answered but first we have to get you out of here."

I toss him his costume. He looks at it and smirks. He gets more confident, realizing that this is the moment his life will change, for the better.

"Come on, we don't have all day. Alright we can get out of here without anyone noticing or you can destory that wall and tell the world that The Shocker is back. What's it going to be?"

Honestly I've be waiting to use the new powers Thanos has given me since I got off of that operating table. Taking out the president was strictly business, but this, this was going to be fun.

[JewishHobbit]

"All your questions will be answered but first we have to get you out of here."

I toss him his costume. He looks at it and smirks. He gets more confident, realizing that this is the moment his life will change, for the better.

"Come on, we don't have all day. Alright we can get out of here without anyone noticing or you can destory that wall and tell the world that The Shocker is back. What's it going to be?"

Honestly I've be waiting to use the new powers Thanos has given me since I got off of that operating table. Taking out the president was strictly business, but this, this was going to be fun.

VVVZZZZAAAAAKKKKKKKk

The wall cracks before crumbling before them, the Taskmaster, and the Shocker. Herman Schultz smiles from within the padded yellow suit. The Shocker is back. They run through the hole in the wall as the alarms begin to sound. His first instinct is to run, but he fights against it. He needs to prove to himself that he's not the slouch that he believes he is, and he needs to do it here and now. The two of them begin to run toward the cell door that leaves this part of the prison, when Shocker stops suddenly. The Taskmaster continues on, but Shocker turns and slowly walks toward a cell.

"Schultz!" comes Max Gorgon's voice from within the cell. He stands from his bed and runs toward the bars, "Hey, get me out of here, man."

Shocker smiles from within the padded suit. He says nothing.

"Come on, man. You know I was just messin' with ya' earlier. We're buds, partners. Let me out, come on."

Without a word, the Shocker raises his arm and a distortion of air, dressed in a slightly blue aura, flashes and Gorgon's head snaps back. The man falls to the ground with a cry.

"Give me a call in ten to twenty."

He then turns to see that the Taskmaster has almost reached the door. He begins to follow after again when Taskmaster turns to face him.

"Guards are coming."

Shocker's heart begins to beat quickly, but then he take Taskmaster's voice into account. The man sounds almost excited.

"All right then. Let them come."

[taskmaster]

"I like the way you think." I say as I jump up to the second floor of prison cells. I want to see what The Shocker can bring to the table. The gaurds are kind enough to give us a till the count of three. On two, Shocker hits the doors with a blast from his gauntlets and takes out four gaurds. More rush in from the hole Shocker made.

I jump down quickly, elbowing one of the guards, breaking their collor bone. I take his gun and shoot another guard in the foot, rubber bullets, like I suspected. I unload the six remaining bullets and hit eight guards. I check on The Shocker and see that he's holding his own. Then I let loose.

Using the martial arts I learned from Thanos, nine guards drop before me in an instant. The upgrades that Thanos has given to me, allow me to do things that no other human could do. All those years of fighting people with superhuman powers and I've never felt like one of them. That's all changed now. I take out two small blades I had by my ankles and go to work. I look over to Shocker and see him taking on more guards, letting everyone in that prison know not to mess with him.

[JewishHobbit]

Shocker holds a guard's neck while sending vibrations through his system until blood runs from his nose. He lets go as he tries to catch his breath. He can't believe he's doing this! He's a loser, he's a chump, he's...... doing really well in a fight. Maybe it's Taskmaster's influence, or maybe it's the thought of wanting to impress his new employer before he somehow makes him better. Who knows.

The guards seem to be focusing more around Taskmaster than him, they know who the Shocker is after all. Schultz shoots one more vibration at a guard that approaches him, forcing him to fall, then he looks around. You know, a lot of these guys can rot in here for all he cares, but maybe a few more escapees can help in the confusion. Not that Taskmaster needs it,.. but it's sure make him feel better. Shocker runs from cell to cell, seeing who's in them. He passes the prisoner's who's been rough to him during his stay, but they haven't been all bad. He comes to a cell and looks through the window. Inside he sees a very heavy man. The Blob,.. he's always been a decent guy.

"Today's your lucky day tubbo."

He holds onto the handle of the door and begins to vibrate it. Soon the hinges of the door snap and the door falls open.

"What the?"

"Hey, Dukes. You got yourself a free ride outa here. You can thank me later."

The Blob walks out of the cell and looks down the hallway.

"What gives?"

"Nothing gives. Just help with the guards and when you're out of here you can go your own way."

The Blob looks down toward Taskmaster's fight,.. the guards continually pooring in. He smiles with a hardy chuckle as he begins to make his way toward the fight.

Shocker continues to move along the cells and opens a few more doors, sending them into the fight to add to the security confusion. Tombstone, Vermin, Jigsaw, one of the Wrecking Crew (he can never tell them apart). After a short while he looks at the building confusion as the battle is extending through the whole hallway, and soon onto the second level.

"Well that should help get all the focus off of us."

He then rushes forward while shocking a guard who runs toward him. He then suddenly finds himself on the ground. A guard had dove for his legs and had taken him down. He turns and shocks the man in the head, forcing him to release. He makes his way back toward Taskmaster,... who now seems to be really enjoying himself.

[Electro UK]

Wade looked out from behind the rock. "Okay Wyle, bird seed? Check. 1000 ton anvile to drop on that pesky birds head? Check. Rope to pull anvile onto pesky bird's head? Check."

Deadpool readied the rope as Wyle peered out, a menacing grin on his face. It wasn't long until they heard the speed coming towards them. "Okay get ready. If this goes to plan I'm home sweet home in... castle Doom. Well... I'll be back in the real world."

The Road Runner came up above a hill, speeding his way towards the seed. Catching the pile of food on the ground, it came to a fast hault making him vibrate. He began to peck away. Wade tugged on the rope, nothing happened. He tugged harder, still nothing. The Road Runner had had enough, he looked up, and went on his way again.

"Damn it!" Wade cried, watching the Runner speed off. "Why didn't that work? Wyle, hold this." he handed Wyle the rope and walked over to the seed. He popped a few in his mouth. "Hmm... not bad, could use a little salt."

WHAM! "Okay... I should have seen that coming." Wade said, crawling out from under the anvil.

***

"Haha! We got him this time!" Wade leapt down from the catapult. Road Runner was in sight, a huge boulder in the sling shot. "Let er rip Wyle!" Wyle tugged on the rope, the sling shot flew, but the rock never left its place. It whamed down on top of Wade. Deadpool coughed as he crawled out from underneath the rock. "I sense a pattern developing."

***

"Okay, no boulders in sight, I'm pretty safe." Wade said, looking behind. He looked back through the bush, still holding his end of the rope. Wyle was the other side, in another bush. "Simple, we trip him. Okay here he comes." Deadpool and Wyle pulled on their ends, making the rope tight.

The Road Runner sped towards them, he connected with the rope, but didn't trip, instead he kept running, carrying Wyle and Deadpool along with him. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Wade cried as he was dragged along the ground. Road Runner began the rear round a corner, the force of it flung Wyle and Wade off of the cliff. "Well thank god that pain ride is over." Wade said to Wyle.

Wyle wasn't so sure. He pointed down. Wade looked, the height beneath them was emmense. "Hold me." Wyle and Deadpool grabbed each other, and then fell. Whack.

***

Wade fell over, tired, bandaged and bruised. "That's it, I give up. We've painted fake road signs, planted poisoned seeds, forced him to watch all the pokemon movies, it's just not happening. Here he comes." he pulled himself up as the Road Runner approached. Bang! The bird fell on the floor, Wade blew the smoke from his gun, and put it back in his holster.

"Thank god. The nightmare is over. Well, Wyle, I'd say its been fun but, it really hasn't." And with that, he faded away.

***

Slowly, Deadpool opened one eye. The lab, he was home. "THANK GOD! I love you evil labrotory! I love the ground! I love this death ray! I love these dangerous chemicals! I love reality!" he burst out of the lab, the smile on his face faded, when he noticed the 4 Doombots surrounding him.

"Ah. Guys, hello. I was um... just finding my way out."

Seconds later, Deadpool leapt through the gates, a huge display of laser beams following him. "Man I miss Wyle." he said, stumbeling to his feet, running for his life. "Screw an archenemy! I wanna go home!"

[Electro UK]

James landed back in his apartment. "Aw man, what a day. Juggernaut? Never expected to go up against him." He poured himself a drink and sat down. Crime fighting was hard. Not that he didn't expect it to be, but not this hard.

He put a bag of ice on his head and layed back. "Maybe I could get a partner, like Power Man and Iron Fist. Sure would be nice to take a little weight off my back."

[twylight]

I flop on the bed in my apartment, the time glowing green from my alarm clock. 7:00pm
This wasn’t the life I wanted; I didn’t want life at all. I didn’t deserve it.
Trudy had seemed surprised that I’d known so many of the Jeopardy Trivia questions, surprised and pleased. She’d invited me back for the next nights round.

I sighed rolling on my stomach. I’d walked past everything in my new apartment. I should look. Pushing myself off the bed I walked back into the living area. It was all very new and stylish and had been decorated in a casual vintage way. The living room, dining room and kitchen all flowed into each other without losing any intimacy. Boxes lined one of the walls. I’d had all but two pairs of clothes sent over before me as well as all of my important belongings and my important belongings. Walking over to the boxes I weeded through them…clothes...clothes…books…ah…I pulled out two boxes and set them on top of the white enameled kitchen table, before walking over to close the blinds.
I was on the top floor in a little corner apartment.
Making sure all the windows were closed I took the boxes into my room and put them on the bed. The weight caused them to sink slightly into the soft bed.
Walking to the window I brought the blinds open, looking at the fire escape.
Perfect.
Closing the windows I went back to the bed and sat down on it cross legged.
Pulling one of the boxes towards me I pull out a flip open a knife, running the blade along the tape.
Pushing the flaps aside I pull out a wooden box which is only a little smaller than the cardboard one. Pushing the cardboard box on the floor I set the wooden one in front of me and open it up.

Two guns lay nestled there in their foam cradles. Gently pulling them out, I pick the foam up and study the clips that lay packaged under it.
This was going to be a long night.
I flip on the tv for background noise, and flick through the channels hoping to land on an interesting channel.

“Spider-Man..”

*flick*

“Four, four people clad in..”

*flick*

“Spider-Ma..”

*flick*

“…venger Iron Ma..”

*flick*

“Spider..”

*flick*

“Captain Amer…”

*flick*

“Spi..”

*flick*

This town has too many heroes.

10:00pm
It’s New York and in this area the sounds of the city have faded, however the glow from the city reflects into the sky.
It’s time for me to start scouting. I’d slipped into a cat suit and turned all the lights off in my apartment. Standing in front of the window I pull a mask up and over my mouth and nose, before sliding the window up.
A few leaps and I’m on top of the building. The cool night air brushes my hair away from my face.
I’m going to need to get a hair net and covering. But later, tonight I’m not on any mission. Tonight I’m just looking a casual observer of a town more than well-endowed with super-heroes.

I jumped from roof to roof, my agility helping me. I should spend some money on cord.
Hat and cord. Check.

I went from roof to roof all night, stopping at the harbor, on top of a warehouse, to gaze over the water.
The sun was starting to cast a very faint glow on the horizon and that was my cue.
I was glad I didn’t have to rescue anyone in the night.
I’m not even sure if this was what I wanted with my life.
I’m not sure of anything.

One thing I do know.

If you have no one to live for, you can live for anything.
I just have to find the anything.

[Spider-Man9X17]

"No, I want to see what he wants there," Johnny said, watching as the school came into view.

[ElectroFlare]

"What could he want with the X-men anyway? There's nothing there for him that he can't get in Latveria." Spider-man said and clung to a wall. DOOM's limo pulled right up to the institute.

"You're right though. Hanging back is a good idea until we know what's up. And its not like they're helpless in there. They've got a whole bunch of powerhouses in there. I'd like to see Bobby put DOOM on ice." Spider-man chuckled a bit at his own corny joke...

[The Question]

"I've already set the Quinjet's coordinates to Bradock manor."



Tony looked over to the ever loving blue-eyed Thing, "You and me both big guy."


"Let's go. Tony, I want you to push the quinjet to it's max. We may break a few air traffic laws, but this is a serious emergency."

Captain America boards the quinjet with the others.

[Duker Jay]

Within minutes, the Quinjet is racing through the sky, high above the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

There is only the low hum of the engines as three passengers sit quietly.

For Ben Grimm's part, he is thinking about what lies ahead. He and his fellow heroes are going into the situation almost blind. They don't know WHO they'll face or how many. And for these three, it doesn't matter...they'll do what they have to.

Ben's mind wanders slightly to thoughts of what was happening at the Baxter Building when he left. "I sure hope everybody's alright back there."

[Spider-Man9X17]

"I'd like to see Bobby put DOOM on ice."

Johnny cringed at the irony in Spidey's remark. Peter had no idea about Bobby and Latveria. Johnny still didn't know too much, but like it or not, he was about to find out.

[Electro UK]

"New York! New York! It's a heck of a town!" Wade shouted with delight as he felt the sunlight on his face once more. "I never thought I'd say this, but thank the lord for a civillised place like this." he began to skip along the road.

"Good morning birds! Good morning sun! Good morning hooker! Wait... is that a guy?"

***

Wade Entered the baxter building not too long later. "Hello? You guys home? I brought you Latverian presents! Who wants a Doombot shoulder piece? Chest plate? Well you ain't getting the crotch! That part belongs to me!"

He grabbed and drink and slouched onto the couch, turning the T.V. on. "AHHHHHHH! GET IT AWAY!" Wade screamed as he ran in terror of the T.V., showing the the Road Runner movie. Slowly, he reached for the remote and tried to pull it towards him. Flicking the channel over, he sighed with relief.

He took his costume off and sat down. "Man, what an emotional rollercoaster! I need a hug." BANG! A huge explosion made Wade fall off. He looked outside to see smoke rising from a building. "It's morphing time! Deadpoolsauras!" pulling on his mask, Wade leapt out of the window.

"Arrggh! I immeadiately regret this decision!" Wade screamed from the massive height. He hit the ground hard. The Rhino exploded out of a wall from the building, looking down at the deranged form of Deadpool. Seconds later, Wade pulled himself off of the ground. "I'm okay! Just a little dead! But dead's my middle name. Well... actually it's the 1st part of my fake name."

He reached for his gun, only to notice his arm hanging loosely out of shape. "Oh... um... guess that'll need a little more time to heal. Wanna play a game of tag while we're waiting?"

Rhino just looked on down at Wade, confused. "Really? No? Strip poker? Guess I'd win though, seeing as you'd be stripped in one go. Not that I wanna see you naked... I mean I... can I start over?" he got to his feet, his arm now healed.

"Stop evil dooer! Dooer? That right? I'll look it up later. I've come to put an end to your evil ways!" he leapt at Rhino, flinging both his arms round his waist and pulling himself tight.

"Uhm... are you hugging me?"

"No... I'm crushing you with me mighty strenght!"

"Pretty sure you're hugging me."

"I can see there's no fooling you." Deadpool let go, and stood in front of Rhino, awkwardly. "So that was pretty girly... we should do something manly now."

"Like this?" Rhino asked, pulling his arm back and smashing it into Wade. Deadpool flew into a nearby truck.

"Screw it... put mascara on me... I don't wanna be manly." he crawled out of the damaged truck and layed on street. "Ok Wade, time to use those quick wits of yours. Think, think, think, think, ah screw it I can't be bothered with this right now." he got to his feet. "Say, listen, I've kinda had one of those on/off days, think we could just go back to our hideouts, zoos whatever and just call it a day? Cause I kinda got this thing with the... oh brother." Wade collapsed on the floor.

[Electro UK]

James flicked the T.V. off in a hurry. Prison breaks? And he thought Juggernaut was bad. "Armour up!" he yelled. The metal surrounded him. James was back in his coffin, his death trap. "Jets full power."

He sped out of his window, not giving himself time to think. "Gotta get there! Gotta stop this now! Rhino, Shocker, all those guys I put away could be out already." He could see the prison already. "Get in and take em down, unleash everthing you've got."

BAM!

War Machine burst through the walls, opening out huge amounts of fire on a crowd of prisoners. He bowled through them, fists first. "Gotta make it count! Hit and run!" Snap! A hand grabbed his leg, he looked back to see Tombstone giving him one hell of a grin as he reeled him in.

"Oh god no! Don't let this be it! All I wanna do is help people don't let this be--" his thoughts were distracted as he was buried under a pile of prisoners.

"Get off of me!" he tried to scream. "Boots, full power!" his jets screeched on, throwing him out of the pile. "That's more like it!" he said with relief, zooming away from the chasing crowd. He sped out of the corridoor, shooting the ceiling. The ruble blocked off the door. It'd keep em for a while, until he figured out what to do. Then he noticed another, not in prison uniform, but in costume. James had seen him before. What was his name? Something Master. Well, whatever, he was just one guy. James could take him.

"Alright scum bag, I imagine I have you to thank for this. Can't wait to put you in one of these pretty little cells, break it off from the building, and drop you from a huge height."

[Sparta*]

Johnny clenched his gloved fist; he was never one for helping the little guy. But from the kid’s urgency this didn’t seem like something small time.

“Alright wings, I’ll help find your girl.”

"Great! Thank you" Warren said "We don't have anytime to waste...let's get moving" He said as the two walked out of the infirmary and took the elevator to the main floor of the X-mansion. They walked outside

"Alright, I know this might tarnish your whole 'spirit of vengeance' routine, but you don't have your cycle, and we'll cover more ground from the air, so grab on to my arm" Archangel said. He leapt into the air but before he could fly off he saw a limo approaching miles down the road. He squinted and looked inside

"Doom......" He said "I guess he's finally coming to get what he wants from Bobby...I hope it's nothing too serious..." Warren thought "I was going to ask Bobby for help finding Psylocke, but it looks like he's about to have his hands full...I want to stay here incase Doom pulls something, but I can't leave Betsy alone to suffer"

"Are we going or what wings?" Ghost Rider said

"Uh-ye-yea, sorry" Warren said, being startled back into attentiveness. Archangel began to fly off "Be careful Bobby......."

"Let's find your hell cycle first so we can cover more ground" Archangel said. "I remember seeing it off in the distance when I found you knocked out...hang on tight...I can fly pretty fast" Warren said speeding towards the hell cycle as fast as his wings could take them. In moments they reached the hell Cycle...it was a little beaten up but still very driveable

"This is your stop big guy" Warren said lowering him to the ground "I bet you missed this thing huh?"

Ghost Rider nodded

"Wait...I hear something...." Warren said

"I can't hear anything Archangel...what are you hearing?" Ghost Rider said

"My senses were greatly enhanced by Apoc-.....I have heightened senses...I can see better then any eagle, and hear better then a dog...and right now I hear siryns...we have to check it out immediatley" Warren said taking to the air again. Ghost Rider revved the hell cycle to life and followed him from the ground.

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Honey, I'm home," Hawkeye yelled sarcastically as he exited the elevator into the upper floors of the mansion. Everything was strangely quiet.

"Hello? Anyone?"

"They all left. Something overseas," Wanda said as Clint entered the living room. He leaned over the couch and pecked her on the cheek.

"They tried to get you on the line, but your comm was off."

"More like smashed. Anywho...," Clint jumped over the back of the couch, landing beside his fiance, "it'll be nice to spend some quiet time together."

[SuperFerret]

Strange stood for a moment, willing the bands around the Void to exist, until he finally sensed no struggle from the Void. With a sigh, he dropped his hands, and the bands disappeared in a flash of crimson. Overcome, Strange dropped to one knee. Calling upon all that mystical power had exhausted him, and he still had work to do.

It had taken power beyond reason to contain the Void. What would it cost to merge he and the Sentry together?

"Surfer, how fare the innocents?"

"Mostly safe, even I was too slow to save some of those who were in danger's path at the beginning of this battle."

[taskmaster]

James flicked the T.V. off in a hurry. Prison breaks? And he thought Juggernaut was bad. "Armour up!" he yelled. The metal surrounded him. James was back in his coffin, his death trap. "Jets full power."

He sped out of his window, not giving himself time to think. "Gotta get there! Gotta stop this now! Rhino, Shocker, all those guys I put away could be out already." He could see the prison already. "Get in and take em down, unleash everthing you've got."

BAM!

War Machine burst through the walls, opening out huge amounts of fire on a crowd of prisoners. He bowled through them, fists first. "Gotta make it count! Hit and run!" Snap! A hand grabbed his leg, he looked back to see Tombstone giving him one hell of a grin as he reeled him in.

"Oh god no! Don't let this be it! All I wanna do is help people don't let this be--" his thoughts were distracted as he was buried under a pile of prisoners.

"Get off of me!" he tried to scream. "Boots, full power!" his jets screeched on, throwing him out of the pile. "That's more like it!" he said with relief, zooming away from the chasing crowd. He sped out of the corridoor, shooting the ceiling. The ruble blocked off the door. It'd keep em for a while, until he figured out what to do. Then he noticed another, not in prison uniform, but in costume. James had seen him before. What was his name? Something Master. Well, whatever, he was just one guy. James could take him.

"Alright scum bag, I imagine I have you to thank for this. Can't wait to put you in one of these pretty little cells, break it off from the building, and drop you from a huge height."

Good, finally a 'hero' has shown up. I was starting to get bored with killing these guards. I use the teleportation device Thanos had given me and appear behind my attacker.

" War Machine right, Iron Man rip-off. Not exactly smart coming in hear without a plan, you could get hurt. Now, as for you putting me in one of these cells, it's not going to happen. But I don't mind heights."

I teleport again on to War Machine's back. Then call out to Shocker.

"You've got things under control here, right. Next time you see War Machine hit him with all you've got."

Then I take both of us several hundred stories up. Once we start free falling I hit him with a flurry of punches and kicks. He feels everyone of them. My increased strength has allowed me to be able to do things like this. I'm fighting a man in a suit of armor thousands of feet in the air. Now I truly believe I can master any task.

"What's the matter. That all you've got?"

[Red]

"Great! Thank you" Warren said "We don't have anytime to waste...let's get moving" He said as the two walked out of the infirmary and took the elevator to the main floor of the X-mansion. They walked outside

"Alright, I know this might tarnish your whole 'spirit of vengeance' routine, but you don't have your cycle, and we'll cover more ground from the air, so grab on to my arm" Archangel said. He leapt into the air but before he could fly off he saw a limo approaching miles down the road. He squinted and looked inside

"Doom......" He said "I guess he's finally coming to get what he wants from Bobby...I hope it's nothing too serious..." Warren thought "I was going to ask Bobby for help finding Psylocke, but it looks like he's about to have his hands full...I want to stay here incase Doom pulls something, but I can't leave Betsy alone to suffer"

"Are we going or what wings?" Ghost Rider said

"Uh-ye-yea, sorry" Warren said, being startled back into attentiveness. Archangel began to fly off "Be careful Bobby......."

"Let's find your hell cycle first so we can cover more ground" Archangel said. "I remember seeing it off in the distance when I found you knocked out...hang on tight...I can fly pretty fast" Warren said speeding towards the hell cycle as fast as his wings could take them. In moments they reached the hell Cycle...it was a little beaten up but still very driveable

"This is your stop big guy" Warren said lowering him to the ground "I bet you missed this thing huh?"

Ghost Rider nodded

"Wait...I hear something...." Warren said

"I can't hear anything Archangel...what are you hearing?" Ghost Rider said

"My senses were greatly enhanced by Apoc-.....I have heightened senses...I can see better then any eagle, and hear better then a dog...and right now I hear siryns...we have to check it out immediatley" Warren said taking to the air again. Ghost Rider revved the hell cycle to life and followed him from the ground.

"Hear better than a dog you say... mutants" Johnny muttered under breath. "You just better be able to fly like a bird, coz i'm not giving you a ride."

[Electro UK]

"Stop! I-Argh!" War Machine cried as the Taskmaster pummeled him. How can this be? This really hurt! "Get off o--ow!" plus he wasn't giving him one chance to speak. "Side cannon! Target and fire!" the small laser hit Taskmaster's stomach. Not much damage, but it gave James a chance.

He reached up, grabbing the maniacs wrist. "Jets on!" Taskmaster fell below James, dangeling. "So long punk!" he flung Taskmaster round and round, finally letting him go. He flew into a nearby wall.

War Machine realised that probably wasn't the end of him. He readied himself, fists, lasers, rockets, all there. He wasn't going to let this creep get away with this. Every prisoner was going to get back in there cells. Avengers or not, while he was there, no one was getting out, starting with this guy. "What's the matter, that all you got?" he mocked, immatating Taskmaster's last words

[JewishHobbit]

Shocker stares wide-eyed as Taskmaster disappears with War Machine. He's in a mix of emotion at the sight of the hero. He grows very nervous, as he really doesn't want to fight a super guy, because he knows how that always ends. The second emotion is anger, as it was War Machine himself who put him in this place to begin with. He's already figured out that he can't do much against this guy alone, or even with an idiot like Gorgon at his side,... but maybe if Taskmaster keeps him busy he can launch a surprise attack. He'll have to wait for an opening, or just let Tasky do what he does best alone.

"Arrgghh!"

"Sorry, bout that quilty," comes Blob's voice.

He had thrown several guards, and one hit Shocker from the side and now pins him to the ground. Cursing, Shocker vibrates the guard until he shakes off of him and onto the floor. He stands just in time to see several guards running toward him. He looks around and sees a few things he can use. As they draw near he fires a blast off at a fire extinguisher on the wall. It explodes and covers two of the guards with the cooling foam while the metal container slams into the head of the third, who goes down. Shocker then blasts one of the two white-covered guards to the ground. The one left walking draws near, but receives a simple punch to the jaw, dropping him.

Shocker shakes his hand and begins to move along the wall toward the door. If Blob and the rest have these guards distracted and Taskmaster's busy with War Machine,... he might as well try to slip out the front door while no one's looking and wait for Tasky there.

[taskmaster]

"No, not nearly."

I un-holster my twin .45's and fire a couple of rounds at War Machine. They're not going to do any damage, but they do their job, distraction. While he's busy deciding what his next move is going to be, I shoot two of the people that were working in the building he threw me into. Straight shots, went through clean without hitting any vital organs but he doesn't know that.

"So, what's it going to be, save their lives or catch me? While you figure out what you're going to, I'm going to be leaving, I've got more important business to take care of."

I shoot a nearby window and jump out, landing on a nearby roof-top. It won't be long until he figures out they're going to be okay and starts hunting for me again.

[LibrarianThorne]

"Mostly safe, even I was too slow to save some of those who were in danger's path at the beginning of this battle."

"Damnation."

Strage stood unsteadily, and then used a breathing exercise the Ancient One had taught him to calm down and regain some of his energy. He gazed upon the still figure of the Void, who looked almost exactly like a negative image of the Sentry. Astounding.

"Sentry, the choice is yours. Do you still wish to go forward with the rejoining?"

[JewishHobbit]

Shocker runs through the doorways, trying to make his way outside of the prison. He's come accross a few guards and took them out, but now he's getting annoyed. Every door is lock, and though he can open them by vibrating the lock until it breaks, it takes too much time. He now approaches another locked door.

"Great."

He begins to work on the lock.

"Freeze! Stop right there."

Shocker looks over to find a lone guard with a gun held out.

"Wonderful. Listen, I don't want to kill anybody. Turn back now and I'll let you go."

The guard's nervous, but he's got balls. "Maybe if it was one of those other guys, but I've read all about you. You I can take."

Shocker snears,.. he's being insulted by simple jail guards now? This is just rediculous.

The two stare at one another without a movement.

"I said stop."

A moment passes as Shocker stares. Then he quickly turns and raises his arms to fire at the guard. The guard gets a shot fired before SHocker can, and the villain slams back into the door with a sudden pain shooting through his shoulder. Another shot is fired, but the guard is scared now and it hits Shocker's leg. The villain's angry and gets a blast off that throws the guard down the corridor.

"Freakin'... I can't believe I got shot,.. twice. Arrghh!"

He tries to stand but feels the pain throbbing through his leg. Ignore it,... he has to get out of here. He looks through a small door and sees that there are several locked doors along the way. He swears. He then looks down and sees the guard lying on the ground, and so he limps toward him while holding his shoulder tightly. He looks over the man and finds keys on his belt. He then goes to the door and tries to unlock it. The keys do not work due to the fact that he's already messed up the lock. He swears again. He vibrates the lock a while longer until it breaks and he can open the door. This is the last pain he has as the keys work wonderfully in the rest of the locks. He limps his way through the prison with no more distractions. He comes accross two guards by the enterance and takes them out before they could see him. He then goes through the front door, happy to be out of this place.

"FREEZE! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!"

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Before him, before the building, is parked seven police cars. Fourteen officers are lined behind them with guns drawn and aimed at his head. A helecopter flies overhead.

[taskmaster]

I hear sirens and look down to see Shocker, in a bit of trouble. Nothing I can't handle. I guess I'll have to take out War Machine later. I probably should have been back to Thanos' ship by now anyway.

I jump down and pull out a granade. I wave to the pilot of the helicopter, then toss the granade in. The helicopter blows as I land. Before any of the cop know what's going on, I sliced off four of their arms. One of them comes from behind be and aims his gun at the back of my hand. I toss my sword in the air, catch it so the blade is facing him. I drive it through his stomach and upward through the back of his neck. I disarm a gaurd coming on my left side and jump over him. I fire his weapon and hit him in the heart, it goes through and hits another guard in his shoulder.

I look up and see that War Machine is flying towards us. I finished off the last gaurd, grab my sword and yell to the Shultz.

"Shocker, come on, it's time to go."

[Electro UK]

"STOP IT!" James roared, slamming into Taskmaster. "You worthless piece of s***, I'm gonna snap your neck!" how could he do this? Innocent men, he was just stabbing them down at will. What monster was this? He slammed both his fists down onto Taskmaster's body, grabbing his sword and flinging it aside.

"You sicko! You're gonna pay for every innocent you've killed today." What stung most was not that Taskmaster had killed these people, it was that James couldn't help them now. He couldn't help them ever again, they were gone. He felt so helpless. The only thing he could do was to fight until there wasn't a breath left in his body. Taskmaster was going to die.

[taskmaster]

"How many times have I heard that? This is just business, I get paid to do a job and you're not going to get in the way of that."

I headbutt him and gain enough of an opening to kick him off of me. I could continue but Shocker needed to prove himself.

"Shocker, little help here."

[JewishHobbit]

His heart races. His leg and shoulder aches, but he has to do something. His shocks didn't do a whole lot against War Machine before, barely even budged him, so he has to think of something else. War Machine's back is to him and so now is his chance. He limps forward while looking around him. Then he finds something that can be of use. In the process of the battle, a phone poll had fallen and its cords now whip around like snakes. They are nearby and an idea runs through shocker's mind. He runs over toward it, careful not to get hit. When the post is between he and Taskmaster and War Machine, he amps his gloves to the full capacity they can dish out. This'll drain them, but hopefully it'll do the trick.

He catches Taskmaster's eye, and then he lets his gloves rip. A large surge of vibratory air explodes from them and slams into the fallen phone poll. This sends the poll and all four exposed and wisping cords flying directly at War Machine and the Taskmaster. Lets see what this kind of voltage would do to a man surounded by metal.

[taskmaster]

Nice move, couldn't have done it better myself. War Machine turns toward the telephone pole, taking his eyes off of me, big mistake. I kick him in the back of the knee. He's turns his head toward me, so I give him a hard right hand. Then I grab his arm and throw him into the telephone pole. He lights up like a christmas tree. He'll survive, if the tech in his suit is even close to Iron Man's but he won't be able to chase after us.

I walk over to the Shocker and check on him, two bullet wounds, nothing permenant.

"Come on, we should be leaving." I say as I grab his shoulder, the one without a bullet wound. In the next instance we're in Thanos' ship.

[Electro UK]

"Argh! No-- don't!" James cried in pain ashe hit the ground. "Come back here! You can't get away with this! I won't let you!" he could barely move, tiny beads of tears began to show in his eyes. "Move damnit! Gotta move!"

Rain began to pour and War Machine dragged himself along the floor. "Get back here! You can't run!" failed, he had failed. He was surrounded by it. The bodies of innocent men, all because he couldn't act in time. He roared in frustration as he slmmed his fist on the ground.

What kind of a hero was he? Spider-man would have stopped them, Taskmaster had murdered many before he'd been able to reach him, and he wasn't suffering for it, he'd escaped, he'd won. "I'm just trying to help people! So why was he aloud to do this?" he roared out to himself.

Hot, he was so hot in that iron prison. Moving was a huge task, this mask, this weight that he was carrying made it hard to breath, even if it was keeping him alive. Slowly, he reached for the helmet, crying in pain as he tore it off. The rain felt so soothing. It cooled him in his frustration.

How dare they. They had no right. They'd done wrong things in their lives and they were free men. Their victims spread beside him. They deserved better. "Damage critical, power offline for repairs."

"What? No! Power on! I can still stop them! They're out there somewhere! Power on! I-ah god!" his body felt like it had erupted with pain. Now even the suit was abandoning him. Breathing became hard. "POWER ON!" no signs of life. "No n--I have to stop them, I can't go yet, not until they're punished. I can't go ye--" WHACK!

James lay limp as Tombstone kicked his body round. "Well looky what we have here. A hostage."

[Midnight Ice]

Bobby sat alone in the main living room in the X-Mansion. He looked at the window to see Warren fly off with Ghost Rider.

"I wonder where they are off to?"

Bobby also sees a limo approaching the X-Mansion...

[Sentry2005]

Strange stood for a moment, willing the bands around the Void to exist, until he finally sensed no struggle from the Void. With a sigh, he dropped his hands, and the bands disappeared in a flash of crimson. Overcome, Strange dropped to one knee. Calling upon all that mystical power had exhausted him, and he still had work to do.

It had taken power beyond reason to contain the Void. What would it cost to merge he and the Sentry together?

"Surfer, how fare the innocents?"

"Not to sound insensitive Stephen, but if we don't do this now we won't be able to take him down again... I don't have the strength in me..."

I look down at the shadow version of myself.

It's times like this I wonder where CLOC went.

Once this is done, all of this, the war, the merging, everything... I think it'll be time to find him.

"Stephen, I know you're tired, but take whats left of my strength. It should be enough to recharge you, but we do this now, or else there'll be no stopping him!"

[LibrarianThorne]

"Not to sound insensitive Stephen, but if we don't do this now we won't be able to take him down again... I don't have the strength in me..."

I look down at the shadow version of myself.

It's times like this I wonder where CLOC went.

Once this is done, all of this, the war, the merging, everything... I think it'll be time to find him.

"Stephen, I know you're tired, but take whats left of my strength. It should be enough to recharge you, but we do this now, or else there'll be no stopping him!"

Strange looked to the Sentry. He did not know why but it felt... worrisome to see the Sentry affected so.

"I am fine, Sentry, you need not worry about me." A lie, of course, but what must be done must be done.

"I will need you to lie, as still as you can, next to the Void. Surfer, I want you watching the Void for any movement. If you see him so much as twitch, hit him as hard as you can. I am taking no chances, not here."

Strange closed his eyes, and began channeling the mystical forces necessary. He funneled the ambient mystical energy in the area into the Eye of Agamotto, which opened and cast a golden light on both the Sentry and the Void.

"By powers mundane and powers finite, let these two become one. By the powers of those above and below, let these two become one. By the Vishanti three, let these two become one. By the powers of Agamotto, Hoggoth, and Oshtur, let these two become one. By the power of the Tribunal, judge of all, let these two become one!"

A flash of light enveloped the forms of the Sentry and the Void. The spell was complete, and the two beings were being merged. It was now up to the Sentry to finish the job. This was the most hazardous part of the spell. The two beings would have to battle for control of the single body, whichever emerged victorious would be the controlling essence of the merged form. If Sentry failed here, Strange did not know if he had the powers to stop the Void a second time.

[Sentry2005]

Strange looked to the Sentry. He did not know why but it felt... worrisome to see the Sentry affected so.

"I am fine, Sentry, you need not worry about me." A lie, of course, but what must be done must be done.

"I will need you to lie, as still as you can, next to the Void. Surfer, I want you watching the Void for any movement. If you see him so much as twitch, hit him as hard as you can. I am taking no chances, not here."

Strange closed his eyes, and began channeling the mystical forces necessary. He funneled the ambient mystical energy in the area into the Eye of Agamotto, which opened and cast a golden light on both the Sentry and the Void.

"By powers mundane and powers finite, let these two become one. By the powers of those above and below, let these two become one. By the Vishanti three, let these two become one. By the powers of Agamotto, Hoggoth, and Oshtur, let these two become one. By the power of the Tribunal, judge of all, let these two become one!"

A flash of light enveloped the forms of the Sentry and the Void. The spell was complete, and the two beings were being merged. It was now up to the Sentry to finish the job. This was the most hazardous part of the spell. The two beings would have to battle for control of the single body, whichever emerged victorious would be the controlling essence of the merged form. If Sentry failed here, Strange did not know if he had the powers to stop the Void a second time.

This is the most messed up thing... EVER!

Shut up.

No YOU shut up!

Oh that's real mature, you're arguing with yourself.

And sarcasm is such a high form of wit.

Oh, oh, i'm sorry, did I offend you with my use of sarcasm. Heaven forbid I offend The Void.

You're above this Bob. We're above this... Why do you keep yelling at me?

What?

You're yelling.

No i'm not.

Alright, alright, no need to SHOUT!

What is wrong with you?

Can't you feel it?

I can't feel anything, since you raped my memories.

I didn't. You did.

What?

Think about it.

I'd prefer not to.

Which is why you created me.

I NEVER created you!

I'm your fail safe.

Shut up.

When the world comes crashing down, you turn to me. Because I remember what you forgot.

Shut up.

I'm your memories, the memories you wripped from your mind in order to let the world forget.

Shut up.

You took that serum. And it gave you powers that a God would wish for. Powers that the lord on high would crave for.

Not listening...

And with those powers, you went insane. You tried to do good, but at the same time you made me. A manifestation of your darkest desires. And everytime you helped someone, I killed someone.

No.

For every little girl you pulled out of a burning building, I took her home and did unspeakable things...

SHUT UP!

You saved a dog, I disected it.

SHUT THE HELL UP!

It's the rules of the universe. For every action, a reaction must occur.

Explain.

You are a hero, and so the universe created a villain.

But you're me.

Yes. The second rule of the universe. Energy cannot be destroyed, only... changed.

I don't understand.

You're desires were no longer compatable with your role as a hero. Well thats what you told yourself. And so they were merged into me. I am the opposite of you.

And now we're seperated?

We were always seperate, but we were linked by the boy... by Robert.

I'm Robert.

No, togeather, we're Robert. Seperate, we're the Void and the Sentry. Haven't you wondered why you haven't turned back into Bob since you've been back?

Because I didn't need to...

Because you can't. Robert died. We survived. Thats the deal I made.

But now we're being re-merged...

Won't bring him back. He's dead. We'll be something new. Something different.

People fear what is different.

People fear.

What's that supposed to mean?

You know what it means. People are afraid of anything and everything. The world spins at ludicrous speeds as it travels across the solar system. But they like to believe it's still, because anything more is just disturbing.

They won't fear us Void. We'll be a force for good.

Yay! Goody gum drops... just what I always wanted.

Not your choice. I'm the one calling the shots here.

We'll be powerful you know. Twice the power we were before. No one could stand in our way.

True, but we're a hero, and heroes don't conquer the world...

We save it.

You're getting the idea.

This is going to be so much fun...

Wait, you said that before! What do you mean...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A flash of light.

And i'm reborn.

My cape is silver, my costume black. The emblem on my chest is golden.

I'm the Sentry.

Golden Guardian of Good.

And this, yes this, is going to be so much fun...

[JewishHobbit]

Nice move, couldn't have done it better myself. War Machine turns toward the telephone pole, taking his eyes off of me, big mistake. I kick him in the back of the knee. He's turns his head toward me, so I give him a hard right hand. Then I grab his arm and throw him into the telephone pole. He lights up like a christmas tree. He'll survive, if the tech in his suit is even close to Iron Man's but he won't be able to chase after us.

I walk over to the Shocker and check on him, two bullet wounds, nothing permenant.

"Come on, we should be leaving." I say as I grab his shoulder, the one without a bullet wound. In the next instance we're in Thanos' ship.

Shocker looks around, unfamiliar with his suroundings. Something about this place is alien, foreign. He has no idea where he is, but it's like nothing he's ever seen before.

"Exactly who are you working for again?"

[LibrarianThorne]

This is the most messed up thing... EVER!

Shut up.

No YOU shut up!

Oh that's real mature, you're arguing with yourself.

And sarcasm is such a high form of wit.

Oh, oh, i'm sorry, did I offend you with my use of sarcasm. Heaven forbid I offend The Void.

You're above this Bob. We're above this... Why do you keep yelling at me?

What?

You're yelling.

No i'm not.

Alright, alright, no need to SHOUT!

What is wrong with you?

Can't you feel it?

I can't feel anything, since you raped my memories.

I didn't. You did.

What?

Think about it.

I'd prefer not to.

Which is why you created me.

I NEVER created you!

I'm your fail safe.

Shut up.

When the world comes crashing down, you turn to me. Because I remember what you forgot.

Shut up.

I'm your memories, the memories you wripped from your mind in order to let the world forget.

Shut up.

You took that serum. And it gave you powers that a God would wish for. Powers that the lord on high would crave for.

Not listening...

And with those powers, you went insane. You tried to do good, but at the same time you made me. A manifestation of your darkest desires. And everytime you helped someone, I killed someone.

No.

For every little girl you pulled out of a burning building, I took her home and did unspeakable things...

SHUT UP!

You saved a dog, I disected it.

SHUT THE HELL UP!

It's the rules of the universe. For every action, a reaction must occur.

Explain.

You are a hero, and so the universe created a villain.

But you're me.

Yes. The second rule of the universe. Energy cannot be destroyed, only... changed.

I don't understand.

You're desires were no longer compatable with your role as a hero. Well thats what you told yourself. And so they were merged into me. I am the opposite of you.

And now we're seperated?

We were always seperate, but we were linked by the boy... by Robert.

I'm Robert.

No, togeather, we're Robert. Seperate, we're the Void and the Sentry. Haven't you wondered why you haven't turned back into Bob since you've been back?

Because I didn't need to...

Because you can't. Robert died. We survived. Thats the deal I made.

But now we're being re-merged...

Won't bring him back. He's dead. We'll be something new. Something different.

People fear what is different.

People fear.

What's that supposed to mean?

You know what it means. People are afraid of anything and everything. The world spins at ludicrous speeds as it travels across the solar system. But they like to believe it's still, because anything more is just disturbing.

They won't fear us Void. We'll be a force for good.

Yay! Goody gum drops... just what I always wanted.

Not your choice. I'm the one calling the shots here.

We'll be powerful you know. Twice the power we were before. No one could stand in our way.

True, but we're a hero, and heroes don't conquer the world...

We save it.

You're getting the idea.

This is going to be so much fun...

Wait, you said that before! What do you mean...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

A flash of light.

And i'm reborn.

My cape is silver, my costume black. The emblem on my chest is golden.

I'm the Sentry.

Golden Guardian of Good.

And this, yes this, is going to be so much fun...

Strange stood still, surveying the... being standing before him. He was, for the first time in a great long while, unsure of what to do next. The being before him was neithe Sentry nor Void, that much he could tell. He'd never seen anything like this with a spell of merging. Usually, the dominant personality would be the one who would be physically present after the merge. This was... an unexpected development.

The Surfer still hovered above the scene, which leant some modicum of strength to Strange's thoughts.

He put his hands on his hips and arched his left eyebrow. "You who were the Sentry and the Void, who are you now?"

[Sentry2005]

Strange stood still, surveying the... being standing before him. He was, for the first time in a great long while, unsure of what to do next. The being before him was neithe Sentry nor Void, that much he could tell. He'd never seen anything like this with a spell of merging. Usually, the dominant personality would be the one who would be physically present after the merge. This was... an unexpected development.

The Surfer still hovered above the scene, which leant some modicum of strength to Strange's thoughts.

He put his hands on his hips and arched his left eyebrow. "You who were the Sentry and the Void, who are you now?"

"The Sentry,"

I look at the man part of me called friend, while the other half despised his use of the black magics.

"Not the same Sentry you knew, but you may call me Sentry,"

I turn and survey the world. I can see for miles. I can see the death i've caused fighting myself.

Part of me hates it.

Part of me loves it more than anything.

I breath. Feelings in check.

"I find my emotions are unpredictable... I can't seem to focus on what is wrong and what is right..."

My skin feels like it is itching.

I'm two opposing natures of one man fused togeather.

I'm a perversion of this world.

"I must... go... I will return... SOON!"

I rocket up to the sky, and into the greater world of space...

[LibrarianThorne]

"The Sentry,"

I look at the man part of me called friend, while the other half despised his use of the black magics.

"Not the same Sentry you knew, but you may call me Sentry,"

I turn and survey the world. I can see for miles. I can see the death i've caused fighting myself.

Part of me hates it.

Part of me loves it more than anything.

I breath. Feelings in check.

"I find my emotions are unpredictable... I can't seem to focus on what is wrong and what is right..."

My skin feels like it is itching.

I'm two opposing natures of one man fused togeather.

I'm a perversion of this world.

"I must... go... I will return... SOON!"

I rocket up to the sky, and into the greater world of space...

Strange frowned. He had not accounted for this particular eventuality when concocting his plans. Who knew what this new Sentry would do or be? If he was evil, that evil fell to Strange to correct, for it was Strange's magic that allowed the being to exist and it would be by Strange's magic undone. If it was evil.

He hoped it would be good. He looked to his home, the front facade destroyed by the Void. A wave of his hand, a small exertion of power, and it was repaired as if the damage done to it had never happened. His shoulders slumped, he walked into his home, his Sanctum Sanctorum.

He had many things to consider, many thoughts and plans to mull over. Darkness was growing in the world and he had to find the source, the cause of it all. If he didn't, what kind of doom would befall his planet?

[twylight]

“Meow….Meeeoooowwww”

“Ugh..”

I open my eyes shielding them against the sun.
Last time I get an eastern facing bedroom. I’ll have to move the bed today.

“Meow….Meeeoooowwww”

“What the…” I stood up and stretched my body feeling limber from the night before.
I look at the clock.

9:00am
Hmm…two hours of sleep not bad.

“Meow….Meeeoooowwww”

Sighing I walk to the door. Opening it I look down a small mottled kitten sat upon a newspaper. I instantly recognize it as the one from Trudy’s.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Leaning over I pull the newspaper out from under the cat, causing it to tumble onto the hardwood floor.

“Meow”

“Shush!”Straightening up I glance down at the date on the paper and sigh, looking back down at the kitten.

“You’re one lucky cat. If this had been something from Early Edition I would have killed you.”

The kitten tilted her head, staring up at me with large green eyes and let out a plea:

“Meow”

~~~~~~~~

I took a quick shower while the kitten drank the milk I’d given her.
I was surprised I even had that.
Milk and eggs were all that I found in my refrigerator. I’d have to go shopping today, and tomorrow I’d call that guy at the paper.
I poured myself a glass of milk, a towel around my wet hair.
What was his name? P...something….

“meow”

“Sorry, that’s all I’ve got.” I said shaking the empty milk carton.
“I’m sure Trudy knows you’re gone. I’ll drop you off on my way out. Wish I’d gotten her phone number…”
That’s when it dawned on me. She didn’t even know my name. Odd, I don’t think it mattered to her. She seemed, lonely, but how could a woman like that ever be lonely?
Something she had said…
“It’s the eyes” What did that mean, there’s something there. Someday I’ll have to ask her.

Minutes later I was knocking on her door. She swung it open.

“There you are!” She said her arms out as if to embrace someone.

The kitten and I looked at each other, wondering who she was talking about. She put her arm around me and drew me in.
“My, you slept late.”

“I brought back...”

“Oh, Thank you dear, I opened the door for the paper this morning and she slipped right out. I figured she’d go to your room. She was so taken with you yesterday. Oh, come in and have a cup of coffee.”

“Oh, I don’t..” She ushered me to the kitchen table and had me sit down.

“Tea?”

I skipped the words and shook my head. There was just no hope of finishing a sentence around this lady.

“Ah, a Cocoa drinker.” She nodded as if she understood.
“That’s all I drank most of my life. Then after Joe died well,” She let out a slight laugh.
“I guess I converted.”

“When did he die?” I asked carefully. The kitten curled up on my lap.

“Last year.” She placed the cups on the counter and poured cocoa into them which she’d been busy preparing.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“No, don’t be, he had a good run. He was a reporter, you know a newspaper man. One of the old school kind who snapped his own pictures and wrote his own stories.” She set the cup full of cocoa in front of me.

I looked at her as she sipped her cup.
She was lonely, she was…like me. Lonely and trying to find her way, she was without the person that made her, who she was.
Was I destined to be like that?
No, that’s why I came to New York in the first place.
I had history here, but not enough to stop me from making a new life for myself.
I smiled at her and sipped my cocoa.

“You know..” She set her cup down.
“She’s taken quite a shine to you.” She motioned to the kitten in my lap.
“Why don’t you keep her?”

“I’m not really a cat person.”

“Nonsense! She loves you. Cats are very intelligent you know. They wouldn’t be where they weren’t wanted. Unless it’s a black cat of course.”

I looked at her sharply, before looking back down at the kitten on my lap. Running my hand over her soft fur I smile.

“Maybe...maybe she’s just what I need..” I look up and smile at Trudy an thought coming to mind.

“Would you like to go shopping with me?”

Trudy’s smile lit the room.

[Batman]

Daredevil was here. He'd heard his nemesis screaming his name, thought his luck had ran out. But somehow, somehow he'd made it. They'd made it. They were on the train. But just as the doors began to close, Daredevil's billy-club flew past him, barely missing his face. And that was it. The doors closed, and the train began to move off.

"You missed, Daredevil! HA HA! I wouldn't have missed that shot! That's while you'll never be as good as..."

Bullseye trailed off as he turned away from the door. He realised that Daredevil hadn't missed after all. Brenda was lying face down - the billy-club must have cracked her on the back of the head. Bullseye rushed to her side, kneeling beside her and hoisting her upright against his shoulder.

"Oh God, Brenda! Are you alright? A shot like that, to the back of the head, that must have...hurt."

Bullseye realised with growing horror that Brenda still hadn't opened her eyes. She wasn't speaking, wasn't moving, wasn't breathing! Oh God, she was dead!

"No! No, no, no," Bullseye whimpered to himself in a blind panic, cradling his lover in his arms, "Don't you get it, baby? We made it. We made it!"

Bullseye pulled Brenda close, hugging her and kissing her cheek. Maybe it would be like the movies, and a kiss would bring her back to life. He had to do something. She couldn't die like this. Not like this. Oh God, not like this!

Bullseye had been so close to getting away. But Daredevil had found him, and killed the woman he loved. But in the numbing haze of grief, Bullseye could not comprehend any irony in this. All he could think about was what he had said to Brenda less than an hour earlier.

"I want to live a happy life, but it won't mean a thing unless your with me."

Then Bullseye heard the sound of a child crying. For a moment, he thought to himself, what is that? Then he remembered that little Lenny, his son, Brenda's son, was still strapped to his chest. He was reaching out with his little hands, grabbing onto Brenda's sleeve.

He wanted his mother.

Sat in the middle of this heartbreaking tableau - the family, together for the last time - Bullseye suddenly felt the full impact of Brenda's death. What about Lenny? What would happen to him? And with that thought, Bullseye finally lost it.

"No, Brenda, no! Don't leave me!" he sobbed, "I can't...do this...on my own!"

And then he couldn't speak anymore. The only sounds to escape from his lungs were inarticulate, inhuman wails. Bullseye let Brenda slump to the floor, and Lenny dangle helplessly from the harness, as he held his head in his hands, his shoulders heaving under the strain of this outpouring of emotion. Anguish, heartbreak, grief, it all came out.

And through all this, the train kept moving, travelling on the road to the better future that was now doomed to never happen. After a while, Bullseye stopped crying. He was spent. He had no more tears left to give. Not for now, at least. He was going to have to leave Brenda behind. He'd have to say his final goodbyes now. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Brenda."

He felt his voice tremor as he said it. He thought it was the beginning of anothe outburst, but he held it back. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at his son, and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. Now little Lenny was smiling up at him, blissfully unaware of what had been taken away from him. Forcing a smile, Bullseye stroked the baby's head.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered soothingly, "Everything is okay."

But it wasn't okay. Brenda was dead. No, not dead. She had been murdered. Murdered by Daredevil. And if it was the last thing he did, Bullseye was going to make him pay.

I...I don't...I can't...

I dropped to my knees,as the sound of the train finally faded.

I...I missed.No...That isn't what bothers me.It's the fact that...I...I k...

I can't even say it,let alone think it.It's unimaginable.I know I've made mistakes in the past...but this...

My mistake was fatal.It was FATAL.

I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF AN INNOCENT PERSON.

I can't...even...

Then,I notice something.I feel lightheaded.I...I'm losing breath...what's....happening...?...

The last thing I remember is closing my eyes,and falling to the ground.I'd say everything went dark...but to a man like me,everything is darkness...

- - -

I wake up to the same,foul smell of exhaust that I had smelled when I came down here.It's exhaust from the train.The train that left...

I fainted.Oh,for godsakes...To even THINK...

I get up.My legs don't seem to want to respond,but I eventually force it.If that smell is still there,then I haven't been out for long.I need to leave...there's nothing I can do,now...

With a silent sigh,to myself,I turn around,and push a button on my remaining billy club,turning it into my walking cane.It's...silent.So I'll have to make my way out of here like the blind man I am...

- - -

It's dawn.I can sense it.The sounds of people's snooring coming to a halt,the heat of the sun starting to rise,the smell of the coffee being made...Not to mention the sound of the Clocktower...which,ultimately confirms my suspicion.

I've been walking across rooftops for the last three hours.I don't know what I'm doing.There is no purpose in this...but...I keep walking.

I've...murdered someone.

No.I didn't murder Bullseye's girlfriend.It was an accident.But...maybe,If I had let them get away,it was one I could've avoided?

NO.The woman would've been dead either way.Bullseye,no matter what anyone believes,is a murderer.It's his hobby...His thrill...his..talent.He'll always be a murderer.But...I can't help but hate myself for what happened.

I've just ruined the life of an infant.Now all he has IS Bullseye.At least with the woman,He had some hope of being raised with decentcy.But now?I can't even imagine him being an adult...if he makes it that far.

As I jump to another rooftop,I sense a building infront of me.It's...familiar.

And why shouldn't it be?It's the only place I've ever gone where I can be completely safe.

It's been awhile...

Taking my billy club,I shoot at the top of it,and swing to it.The Cross.The top of the Church.The home of God...

Maybe it's time I asked for forgiveness.Actual forgiveness...Not excuses.

http://www.wrathoftherunt.com/wotr/Wizardcon03/Daredevil-quesada.jpg

Forgive me father,for I have sinned...

[ElectroFlare]

"I'm gonna get back at those x-men sooner or later." Cain thought to himself, settled into an abandonded house in the countryside.

"But I don't want to deal with the Avengers and the rest of the super-heroes of the world. It'd be better if I took off from the rest of the heroes, one by one maybe."

"And the first one I want is the runt. Where is he?"

[LibrarianThorne]

Strange sat in one of the large chairs in his Sanctum Sanctorum. Clea and Wong had returned, and he had explained to them what had happened. They had known him well enough to leave him to his contemplations.

The Sentry was an X factor, an X factor that he had created. He knew merging had peen a poor idea, but he felt like he was backed into a corner. It was maddening, for he could sense great evils beginning to close in on the world but yet could do nothing about them. He could not pinpoint the source of this feeling of dread that hounded him and had hounded him for months.

He felt a sharp pain in his head, like a knife being driven into his skull, and then he saw. Images, flashes, premonitions of what is to be. In moments, he knew what he was seeing, but he did not know precisely. He saw New York, in rubble and flame. A flash, and the corpses of the Avengers. Another flash, and he saw himself shackled by magical restraints and bereft of his powers. Another flash, and this time he saw the world as flame and darkness overtook it, then spread out and began conquering the universe. Then, in one final flash, he saw the source of it. He saw a head wreathed in flame, and a man with a blue face.

When he awoke, he was on the floor of his Sanctum Sanctorum. There, he felt the ministrations of Wong as he tended to his master.
"Stephen, are you all right?"
Dr. Strange groaned. "That entirely depends on your definition of 'all right', Wong."
Strange's mind raced. He knew what he had seen. The head wreathed in flame was Dormammu, but the other troubled him. It was Kang, or at least a Kang, that much he was certain. But what did his appearance mean?

[Sentry2005]

It's an odd sensation.

Space.

Floating in orbit around Mars, and the thing that comes to mind is that this is an odd sensation.

I wrap my cape around me and lie still.

People say space is cold. It isn't, it's sort of luke warm. Well to me at least.

It's the feeling you get after you take your socks off, but all over your body.

Odd.

I look into the furthest reaches of space.

It's dark here.

I close my mind and look inwards.

It's dark here too.

I fear for the Earth.

The Void. He's dead. So's the Sentry.

What am I?

WHO am I?

I look out to space once more. It's there I must go to find the peace I seek.

I unwrap myself from the cape, and shoot off, out of the solar system.

I will find peace. I will be complete.

[Duker Jay]

The Quinjet comes into view above Braddock manner…hovering for a few seconds before landing on the front lawn.

Captain America races out followed closely by Iron Man and The Thing. Running to the front door, they find Brian Braddock unconscious and being attended to.

“She’s inside…” one of the staff points down the hall. “There’s a room in the basement…where we keep the valuables.”

“I’ve got a technical readout of the structure…I can take us their. This way.” Iron Man now leads the way through the building, the other two heroes following closely.

“Did he jus’ say ‘she’…we fightin’ a girl, here?” The Thing asks. No one answers.

--

It takes a few minutes for the small group to wind its way to the basement. Along the way, there were some doors that had to be broken through for the sake of time.

When the team finally reached the room they were looking for, they found something they didn’t expect.

There, standing in the middle of the room, holding the ancient mystical artifact was Rogue…of the X-Men.

“Are you kiddin’ me, right now?” Ben Grimm stood…dumbfounded. “One of them X-brats did this? I remenber when they were mostly good guys.”

“You!” Captain America stepped up, pointing directly at Rogue. “That’s not yours…you’ll have to put it back and come with us.”

[SonnyBlack]

Days later Alex still sits upon the rooftop with the bow and arrow in his hand. Scratching his head he thinks to himself Man this kid takes long to post. That’s it the bunny is coming out!

I continue to stalk my target from rooftop to rooftop, now I know how hypesters feel when they see a girl they like. Normally I’d just take a shot into the crowd but the prospect of being pwned by some twelve year old for hitting mommy stops me, damn mutants. Just then my target makes his way into a store as I try and keep up.

Magneto’s Superhuman Store: For all your human killing apparel.

“Man even I find that to be cliché.”

Walking through the store I see my target sitting on a chair trying on helmets.

“No you imbecile I’m a size 8, take it back.”

Reaching in my jacket I pull out the bow and begin to aim as I pull back on the bow.

“Ah the bow and arrow excellent choice sir shall I ring it up for you?”

Letting go of the bow the shot hits the target in the shoulder as he yells out in pain.

“Aw great.”

Before I could even pull out another arrow the chair smacks me in the face sending me flying backwards. Sitting up there are these little dolls all around me and when I look up there he is floating above me with shiny metal objects floating with him.

http://mutanthigh.com/coppermine/albums/gallery/thumb_magneto5.jpg

“I knew it would only be a short time before the council tried to kill me yet again, but to send someone so weak.”

“Dude I knew I knew you from somewhere! X-Men Legends 2 right? Come on say one of your lines.”

Imitating Magento

"How typically feeble, or Perhaps you don’t know who I’ am, actually that one would be true except for now. Man you’re the coolest its too bad I’m going to have to kill ya!"

[The Question]

The Quinjet comes into view above Braddock manner…hovering for a few seconds before landing on the front lawn.

Captain America races out followed closely by Iron Man and The Thing. Running to the front door, they find Brian Braddock unconscious and being attended to.

“She’s inside…” one of the staff points down the hall. “There’s a room in the basement…where we keep the valuables.”

“I’ve got a technical readout of the structure…I can take us their. This way.” Iron Man now leads the way through the building, the other two heroes following closely.

“Did he jus’ say ‘she’…we fightin’ a girl, here?” The Thing asks. No one answers.

--

It takes a few minutes for the small group to wind its way to the basement. Along the way, there were some doors that had to be broken through for the sake of time.

When the team finally reached the room they were looking for, they found something they didn’t expect.

There, standing in the middle of the room, holding the ancient mystical artifact was Rogue…of the X-Men.

“Are you kiddin’ me, right now?” Ben Grimm stood…dumbfounded. “One of them X-brats did this? I remenber when they were mostly good guys.”

“You!” Captain America stepped up, pointing directly at Rogue. “That’s not yours…you’ll have to put it back and come with us.”

Cap stares sternly at Rogue.

"Just put the sword down. We don't want a fight."

This doesn't make sense, Captain America thought. I've seen her before. She's one of Xaiver's.

"Please. This could get very ugly very fast if we start making stupid descisions here."

[twylight]

“Are you kiddin’ me, right now?” Ben Grimm stood…dumbfounded. “One of them X-brats did this? I remenber when they were mostly good guys.”

Rogue turned at the voice, a smile lacking warmth spread across her face and she tilted her chin up defiantly.

"'Mostly', bein' the keyword there, rock man." SHe remembered the Thing..she'd absorbed him once, to let him feel human agains. How could she forget that pain.
She quickly pushed such thoughts from her head.
"No time to go soft girl."

“You!” Captain America stepped up, pointing directly at Rogue. “That’s not yours…you’ll have to put it back and come with us.”

“If it was mine, Ah wouldn’t be here now would AH?”

"Just put the sword down. We don't want a fight."

"Please. This could get very ugly very fast if we start making stupid descisions here."


Rogue smirked.
“See? Ah think a fight is just what ya want, and the only ones Ah see making stupid decisions here is ya’ll.”

She took glee in the chance to try her new powers out in battle. She was now permanently connected with her Danver powers again.

She called up Shiro and blasted fire at them.

[The Question]

"Wonderful."

Cap raises his sheild to defend himself. The heat is intense, but the sheild (as always) holds.

"Ben, try to disarm her! Iron Man, reverse the polarity on your repulsor rays at try to snatch the sword from her!"



I really should have brought more people, Cap thinks to himself.

[Duker Jay]

"Ben, try to disarm her! Iron Man, reverse the polarity on your repulsor rays at try to snatch the sword from her!"

"Ya don't have to tell ME twice." Ben rushed through the heat, winding up his right arm. When he reached Rogue, he took his swing...knowing that he couldn't hold anything back...

[Sparta*]

"Hear better than a dog you say... mutants" Johnny muttered under breath. "You just better be able to fly like a bird, coz i'm not giving you a ride."

<Archangel>

"You've seen how I can fly" Warren replied "Now lets stop wasting time...follow me from the ground and i'll lead us to the sirens"

Some time later they saw where the sirens were coming from. There, to Archangel's horror, was Psylocke standing in a pile of broken glass...but it wasn't her...she looked different. Warren flew down and landed right beside her "What are you doing Betsy?!" Warren said "Why are you here? What happened to you?"

[twylight]

"Ya don't have to tell ME twice." Ben rushed through the heat, winding up his right arm. When he reached Rogue, he took his swing...knowing that he couldn't hold anything back...

Thing's slug caught Rogue in her stomach, causing her to fly against the other wall. She ran her hand along her stomach before standing up from the indented wall.

She started at him for a second, before her eyes glowed red and a bolt of energy emerged.

"Ya'll have to try harder." SHe moved her gaze from the Thing to Iron Man and Captain America. Red energy flowing from her eyes.

[Duker Jay]

(OOC: I'm assuming that's a Cyclops-like optic blast...)

The red bolt hit Ben square in the chest knocking him back. He ground to a halt on the stone floor.

"Somethin's different about this one...I don't remember this much control..." Ben brought himself to his knees, he was still feeling the effects of the blast.

He watched as Rogue turned to Captain America and Iron Man.

"Wotta revoltin' development this is," he picked up a large piece of stone. "I wasn't no quarterback, but I'm bettin' I still hit ya."

The Thing hurled the rock towards Rogue, hoping to slow her down and give himself a chance.

[The Question]

Cap begins to run out of the way as the beam nears him. He then jumps up onto the snand where the sword once was, launches himself off of it, and throws his sheild at Rogue.

[MaskedManJRK]

I stood inside the Slab, sniffing around (literary) for what seemed to be the thousendth time.

Taskmaster. The name's been practically the bane of my existence for the past few weeks. Ever since he invaded the X-Mansion and destroyed it for what's most likely the hundreth time and the capping the frickin' PRESIDENT, I've been on his ass like a stubborn toliet paper on his shoe.

But the bastard seems to be two steps ahead of me. In the exact spot on which I'm standing, it seems as though he just...disapeared into thin air. I'd guess teleportation, but I'm not getting the type of scent those give off. But, I sense something faint...I've smelled it before, but rarely, when we faced off against guys like the...I could never pronounce the name...those guys that started the Phoenix stuff.

...The son of a b***h. He's teamed up with someone on the cosmic level.

Luckily for us, there are only a few big cosmic level baddies. This is too kids stuff for Galactus, but perhaps he's getting a new Herald? Maybe it's Thanos, out to conquer us yet again? Hell, it could be those Negative Zone guys, for all I know.

We'll have to get the big cosmic guys' attention for this. Strange, Surfer (espically if it's Galactus), that Quasar guy, whoever.

Suddenly, my comm rings. I press onto it.

"Logan here."

"Logan-San, I'm a represenitive of the...what your country would call Child Protective Services. You are the legal guardian of a Amiko, correct?"

"Adopted father, actually. What about her? Is she hurt?"

"Thankfully, no. But, she's in a heap of trouble. Are you able to make it to Tokyo?"

"Yeah, I'll be there by tomorrow. Just, I have to ask, what kind of trouble?"

"Let me put it to you this way, I'm sure you've heard about the...disiplineary reputation of Japan. If she's seen as guilty, she will face full punishment. Until tomorrow, Logan-San."

Silence. I practically run to the Quinjet and take off back to the Tower. I'll get out of this costume, get some real clothes on, get on a plane, and be to Japan in about a few days (counting the lost time).

Amiko, what have you done...?

[taskmaster]

Shocker looks around, unfamiliar with his suroundings. Something about this place is alien, foreign. He has no idea where he is, but it's like nothing he's ever seen before.

"Exactly who are you working for again?"

"I don't know exactly where he is. But I know that you'll be meeting him soon."

Shocker seemed just as surprised by the ship as I was the first time I saw it. I contacted Commander Drexxen who told us that Thanos would meet us shortly.

[taskmaster]

Shocker looks around, unfamiliar with his suroundings. Something about this place is alien, foreign. He has no idea where he is, but it's like nothing he's ever seen before.

"Exactly who are you working for again?"

"I don't know exactly where he is. But I know that you'll be meeting him soon."

Shocker seemed just as surprised by the ship as I was the first time I saw it. I contact Commander Drexxen who tells us that Thanos will meet us shortly.

[LibrarianThorne]

OOC: Whoops.

[Electro UK]

OOC: You're free to post OOC posts in the OOC thread! :p

IC:

Wade woke up on the street floor, Rhino was gone. "Ah damnit, I wanted that Rhino horn, ivary sells well these days." he hit his Fantastic Four comm "Yo! Where the hell is everyone?"

[Red]

<Archangel>

"You've seen how I can fly" Warren replied "Now lets stop wasting time...follow me from the ground and i'll lead us to the sirens"

Some time later they saw where the sirens were coming from. There, to Archangel's horror, was Psylocke standing in a pile of broken glass...but it wasn't her...she looked different. Warren flew down and landed right beside her "What are you doing Betsy?!" Warren said "Why are you here? What dgfghappened to you?"

Blaze grinded to a halt he dismounted from his motorcycle and looked down at Warren trying to wake psylocke in vain, then around the surrounding area.

“She’s out cold kid and whoever did this wasn’t some two bit mugger, were talking someone powerful.”

“Got any ideas?” Answered Archangel.

“It wasn’t a brawler, looks they were using energy blasts of some kind.” Blaze pointed to the scorch marks on the ground. “Whatever happened wasn’t too long ago he may still be around. We’ve got to find this guy before he hurts anyone else”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“Look around wings there’s an ambulance just over there she’s going to be fine, but if we don’t stop this guy some others may not be so lucky. And as much as I don’t want to admit it I need your help, you can scout from the sky and I can’t. Johnny’s face suddenly became engulfed in fire and his skin slowly singed away. The face of the Ghost Rider returned.

“So what’s it to be kid?”

[Johnny Blaze]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/HypsterJB/Thanos18.jpg

Thanos stood in his personal chamber, staring out into the black void of space through a large window. It was a beautiful sight. The Titan definitely admired the grandness of it all. Looking out into the black, Thanos could see the distant speck of light that was the planet, Saturn. Orbiting the gas giant was where the cosmic odyssey that was his life started, the moon, Titan. It was centuries ago that Thanos left that miserable little rock, but it seemed like only yesterday.
His father, Alars, and mother, Sui-san, were wise and just rulers. And they had such high hopes for their two sons...but, unlike his goodly brother Eros, Thanos was ever the outcast. Then, during his adult years, he eventually attracted the attention of Death herself. In that visit, Thanos fell in love with her manifestation, and began performing sick experiments on his fellow Titans. After his experiments killed some of his fellows, his father Mentor had no choice but to banish him from Titan forever.
This angered Thanos, and the Titan disappeared to the Galactic-Rim where he honed his dark skills among the worst scum the universe had to offer. Eventually, his hate would make him return to Titan almost a century later. Launching an space bombardment on his homeworld, Thanos nearly wiped the entire Titan race out. Out of thirty-five thousand Titans, only one-hundred survived. Among the dead was his mother, Sui-san. But instead of finishing them off, Thanos mysteriously departed. Why? Nobody knows.
Not even Thanos.

"It seems as though it were only yesterday", the Titan whispers to himself as he stares at the bright dot that is Saturn.

Suddenly the intercom in the Titan's chamber comes to life, "Sir, your agent, Taskmaster, has returned with another Earthling."

Thanos continued to stare out into space, seemingly oblivious to the message.

"Sir?"

"I heard you, Commander", replies the Titan, "Have an escort bring them to my throne room. I shall meet them there."

"As you wish, my Lord."

Thanos took one more look out into the blackness of space and sighed deeply. Turning around and walking away, the Titan left the room and started down the personal hallway to his throne room.
Entering the room, Thanos took his customary seat on the great and grim throne and waited for his agent to arrive with his newest soldier.

Very soon it would be time to draw the final curtain of this new act in the play that is Thanos' life. And the anticipation did excite the Titan, for this act was something new. He had never tried the conquering game in such a mundane way and in this scale before.
He was eager to see how it all would end.

[Spider-Man9X17]

Hawkeye looked over the holographic globe. Tracking indicated the Avengers were in Europe.

"Huh," he said to himself, strapping on another quiver. "I've always wanted to drive on the wrong side of the road."

Clint shut down the globe and turned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. computer, seeing if he could get any more info before he headed out. Surprisingly, there was nothing about any superhuman activity in Europe. Something else though, almost a side not at the bottom of the screen, caught his eye.

Magneto had escaped. Whereabouts were now unknown.

Hawkeye's blood boiled. He really had no doubt where Eric would have headed, or what he was planning. And his plans always involved two other people. Pietro and Wanda.

It was bad enough the Magneto was going to be his father in law. Bad enough he was going to be his child's grandfather. But he'd be damned if that creep would ever get Wanda and the baby ever again. He'd die again before he would ever let that happen.

"Jarvis, I'm putting the mansion on full alert. Call in the reserves."

[twylight]

(OOC: I'm assuming that's a Cyclops-like optic blast...)

The red bolt hit Ben square in the chest knocking him back. He ground to a halt on the stone floor.

"Somethin's different about this one...I don't remember this much control..." Ben brought himself to his knees, he was still feeling the effects of the blast.

He watched as Rogue turned to Captain America and Iron Man.

"Wotta revoltin' development this is," he picked up a large piece of stone. "I wasn't no quarterback, but I'm bettin' I still hit ya."

The Thing hurled the rock towards Rogue, hoping to slow her down and give himself a chance.


Rogue brought her right arm up and organic steel plates emerged along it. She hit the rock aside as it came at her.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of red and blue. Bringing the sword up she blocked the shield with it. The shield clanged to the side and lodged itself into the right wall.

She did it wordlessly. There was no need for words.
"Ah don't even feel as if it's a challenge." she clenched and unclenched her fists.

[Duker Jay]

The Thing stood in disbelief. He hadn't realized just how formidable Rogue would be as an opponent.

"Well...look's like Mama Grimm's baby boy'll have to bring his A-game..."

Ben charged at Rogue with surprising quickness and tackled her before she had a chance to react. He sent them both tumbling over suits of armour and other valuables before coming to rest on top of her. He put his hand on the sword, trying to wrestle it from her grip.

"Let it go, lady...I ain't messin' around!"

[Keyser Soze]

Daredevil was here. He'd heard his nemesis screaming his name, thought his luck had ran out. But somehow, somehow he'd made it. They'd made it. They were on the train. But just as the doors began to close, Daredevil's billy-club flew past him, barely missing his face. And that was it. The doors closed, and the train began to move off.

"You missed, Daredevil! HA HA! I wouldn't have missed that shot! That's while you'll never be as good as..."

Bullseye trailed off as he turned away from the door. He realised that Daredevil hadn't missed after all. Brenda was lying face down - the billy-club must have cracked her on the back of the head. Bullseye rushed to her side, kneeling beside her and hoisting her upright against his shoulder.

"Oh God, Brenda! Are you alright? A shot like that, to the back of the head, that must have...hurt."

Bullseye realised with growing horror that Brenda still hadn't opened her eyes. She wasn't speaking, wasn't moving, wasn't breathing! Oh God, she was dead!

"No! No, no, no," Bullseye whimpered to himself in a blind panic, cradling his lover in his arms, "Don't you get it, baby? We made it. We made it!"

Bullseye pulled Brenda close, hugging her and kissing her cheek. Maybe it would be like the movies, and a kiss would bring her back to life. He had to do something. She couldn't die like this. Not like this. Oh God, not like this!

Bullseye had been so close to getting away. But Daredevil had found him, and killed the woman he loved. But in the numbing haze of grief, Bullseye could not comprehend any irony in this. All he could think about was what he had said to Brenda less than an hour earlier.

"I want to live a happy life, but it won't mean a thing unless your with me."

Then Bullseye heard the sound of a child crying. For a moment, he thought to himself, what is that? Then he remembered that little Lenny, his son, Brenda's son, was still strapped to his chest. He was reaching out with his little hands, grabbing onto Brenda's sleeve.

He wanted his mother.

Sat in the middle of this heartbreaking tableau - the family, together for the last time - Bullseye suddenly felt the full impact of Brenda's death. What about Lenny? What would happen to him? And with that thought, Bullseye finally lost it.

"No, Brenda, no! Don't leave me!" he sobbed, "I can't...do this...on my own!"

And then he couldn't speak anymore. The only sounds to escape from his lungs were inarticulate, inhuman wails. Bullseye let Brenda slump to the floor, and Lenny dangle helplessly from the harness, as he held his head in his hands, his shoulders heaving under the strain of this outpouring of emotion. Anguish, heartbreak, grief, it all came out.

And through all this, the train kept moving, travelling on the road to the better future that was now doomed to never happen. After a while, Bullseye stopped crying. He was spent. He had no more tears left to give. Not for now, at least. He was going to have to leave Brenda behind. He'd have to say his final goodbyes now. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Brenda."

He felt his voice tremor as he said it. He thought it was the beginning of anothe outburst, but he held it back. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at his son, and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. Now little Lenny was smiling up at him, blissfully unaware of what had been taken away from him. Forcing a smile, Bullseye stroked the baby's head.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered soothingly, "Everything is okay."

But it wasn't okay. Brenda was dead. No, not dead. She had been murdered. Murdered by Daredevil. And if it was the last thing he did, Bullseye was going to make him pay.

Bullseye had taken the train to the airport. But he hadn't flown to Italy. He'd stayed in New York for a while, laying low, trying his best to look after Lenny. The first few days had been like a trance, a haze of pain and misery. But you can only grieve so much. Then, then there's no choice but to...just get on with it.

So, Bullseye had sorted out his accounts, got his money routed back to his varous accounts in American banks. He wasn't leaving the country. Not without Brenda. Instead, he had travelled to Idaho, to pay a visit to an old friend.

He rang the doorbell, with Lenny cradled in his arms. A few seconds later, a girl of around 8 years old opened the door.

"Hello," she said sweetly.

"Hey," Bullseye replied, "Is your daddy home?"

Just as he asked the question, her father appeared at the door. As soon as he caught sight of Bullseye, the man's eyes widened.

"Do you want to talk outside, Lester?" Bullseye asked, walking down the front path and stopping by the picket fence.

Lester. Bullseye's brother. He looked like an older, chubbier version of the world's greatest assassin, only with now-balding hair. He had nothing to do with his younger sibling. They'd been split up by social services, sent to different foster homes, when Bullseye was still a kid. Now, Lester had a wife, three kids, and sold cars for a living.

"What are you doing here?" asked Lester, after closing the front door behind him.

"What, no hug, Lester?" chuckled Bullseye, "It's been a while, after all."

"I'm not in the mood for games," Lester sighed, rubbing his hand over his face, "Just tell me why you're here, and why you have a baby with you."

Bullseye hesitated. He realised he was going to have to tell the whole story to his brother. He looked away from Lester, his lip beginning to tremble. Lester cautiously approached him, putting his hand on his shoulder. Bullseye held back the tears. He's cried enough already. Pulling himself together, Bullseye calmly told his brother all about Brenda and Lenny.

...

"You want me to take him?" asked Lester, "How can I handle looking after a fourth kid?"

The two brothers were now sitting in Lester's back garden. Bullseye had explained the situation, and revealed why he had travelled to Idaho. All things considered, Lester had took it quite well.

"It's just for a little while," answered Bullseye, "I just need to get my head straight, get a few things sorted out. It's better for Lenny to be with a family right now."

There was a long pause.

"Please," Bullseye whispered.

"Okay, I'll look after him," Lester sighed, "God, Helen ain't gonna be happy about this."

Bullseye stood up, looking down at his son lovingly.

"Don't worry, kiddo," he said soothingly, running his finger along the baby's cheek, "I'll be coming back for you."

Slowly, reluctantly, Bullseye handed his child over to his brother. Lester would be able to look after him, give him a good home.

"Nice talkin' to you again, Lester," Bullseye choked out, unable to make eye contact with his brother, "I'll see you soon."

And with that, Bullseye rushed out of the garden, away from his brother's home. He didn't look back once.

It's just for a little while. I'll be coming back for you. I'll see you soon.

Liar.

[Electro UK]

"God does anyone even read my posts anymore?" Deadpool wondered to himself as he turned off his communicator. "I'm mean, I'm all out of ideas for fricking arcs! I've gotta do something until me and Agent X hook up."

He flicked on the T.V. "We're calling out to anyone who can help at this prison riot, please come."

"Hot diggety! Is that right? Isn't it hot diggedy? I'll look it up when I get back. Bodyslide by 2!" and then Wade was out in the pouring rain. "Thanks for telling me the weather conditions urgant news cast!" he hopped over the prison wall.

[JewishHobbit]

Shocker walks behind Taskmaster as the odd looking fellow leads them through this place taken from a star war film. Herman Schultz cannot help but to survay his suroundings as he is led through this place. He's never seen anything like it, and he's starting to wonder where it comes from. It's obviously not of this world, so that means that this guy must be an alien or something, maybe from another dimension.

Shocker starts to go through his head, wondering who this guy could be. It could be Galactus. Shocker's never actually met the guy, but he's heard of him, and he remembers a time when the Fantastic Four took him out quite some time ago. Who was that senator guy that Spider-Man fought a year or two ago, back when Earth became some kind of alien prison? He never did find out what that was all about. He runs any alien or other demention tyrant that he's ever heard myth of, but it isn't a long list. He has no idea who he's about to see.

"The master will see you now," the odd looking creature says as it bows and waves for them to continue down a long well-lit corridor.

Shocker looks to Taskmaster, who continues moving without hesitation. He follows suit and makes sure to lifts his chin, in attempts to look less frightened than he really is. He takes a deep breath as the hall comes to a door, which opens. The two men enter through the door, and Shocker is amazed at the view of space that the room opens to him.

"Welcome."

Shocker looks to the man before him. The man is large and intimidating, and rather ugly.

"And you are?"

Herman Schultz doesn't get out of Earth's atmosphere much.

[Electro UK]

"I can't believe we captured Iron Man!" Tombstone said, laughing to the other villains.

"I'm not Iron Man!" James cried out in anger.

"Oh really? What the hell are you then? His twin brother?"

"Any second now, the real Iron Man's gonna burst through that wall ad kick your butt. At least I hope, is anyone coming?"

"One thing I gotta ask, seeing as you're gonna die, what's your real name? Tell me and I won't torture you."

"I'm not fricking Iron Man! I'm War Machine!"

"Hey cool name! Can I have it when you're dead? Hwahaha!"

"OH COOL IRON MAN!" Wade shouted with excitement as he jumped through the door. "How the hell did you guys capture Iron Man?"

"I'm not... IRON MAN!"

"Sure you're not Tony, sure you're not." Wade winked as James buried his hands in his face. Tombstone looked Deadpool up and down.

"How come you got your costume on Wilson? They keepin em around here?"

"What? No? Hey I'm not a cell mate! I'm a good guy!"

The villains fell silent for a second, looking at Wade, then they burst out into laughter. "Ya crack me up Wilson! Ya really do!"

"No really! I'm and Avenger and a member of the Fantastic Four! I've been one for 2 seasons!"

"Seasons?"

"Oh nevermind. I probably would have got a presidential pardon if the president hadn't been killed... and then killed again... and then killed again."

"You serious?"

"Yeah, first it was me, then Magn--"

"No about bein a good guy ya idiot!"

"Well, I'm gonna have to kick your butt to prove it!"

"All right boys, let's have im!" Sandman and Vulture got to their feet.

"Why do I always have to fight Spider-man villains?"

Cause I don't know any other villains.

"Mole Man."

You really wanna fight Mole Man?

"Point taken."

The three began to advance on Wade. "Psst, Iron Man, can you help me out?"

"I'm not--oh for crying out loud."

"Since when were you black anyway? Well, I suppose you're ment to be Tony Stark's bodyguard." Tombstone pounced, Wade ducked under, planting his fist in his stomach.

As Tombstone hit the ground, Wade flipped over Vulture, who turned for a punch. He hit Wade on the chest. "Seriously, that all you got Vulch? I got a drink at home that packs a better punch than you."

WUSH! Deadpool was blown over by Sandman. "Mayday! Mayday! We're going down! Hey, where's my bucket and spade?"

"Shut up!" Sandman cried as he held Wade down.

"Let me move damnit! I get all fidgety and I really need to take a dum--"

"Repairs made, power online." Whack! Sandman was carried through the wall by War Machine.

"Hey! Iron Man's back!" Wade said, knocking Vulture down. "I wonder if he'll let me have a go on his armour later..." he dodged Tombstone as James flew back in, taking the punch instead.

"Hey this isn't right, haven't you been reading New Avengers? Iron Man clearly would have killed everyone by now."

"Shut up and help me with the rest of these prisoners!"

[twylight]

The Thing stood in disbelief. He hadn't realized just how formidable Rogue would be as an opponent.

"Well...look's like Mama Grimm's baby boy'll have to bring his A-game..."

Ben charged at Rogue with surprising quickness and tackled her before she had a chance to react. He sent them both tumbling over suits of armour and other valuables before coming to rest on top of her. He put his hand on the sword, trying to wrestle it from her grip.

"Let it go, lady...I ain't messin' around!"


"UFH"

The air escaped from her lungs as the Thing tackled her.
Armor and other valuables flew into the air and clanged to the floor behind them. They stopped, his heavy form on her own feminine figure.
he gave him a sideways look and smiled as he put his hand on the sword.

"Do you charm all the ladies like this?

Normally ya give them a date and dinner then ya get rough." She said in her southern drawl. If any of her old teammates had been there they would have noticed the lack of softness in the accent. It's hard edges pierced the air.

"Let's find out!" She reached her hand up to touch his face.

[twylight]

“Meow…”

“UGH! Are you going to do that every morning?” I placed a pillow on my head. Trudy had helped me pick out a kitty litter box and other feline essentials yesterday on my shopping trip.

“Meow?”

That time it was more of a question and I arched my back looking over the side of the bed, down at the as of yet un-named little kitten. She sat there primly and brought her paw up and gave it a lick.

“You’re a real Diva. You know that?” I look at the time.
6:30 am.

I toss a pillow on the floor next to the kitten, expecting her to start away. She just continued to lick and looked up at me.

“Gutsy too. Listen to me, I’m talking to a cat.” I sat up and got out of bed.
In the bathroom I splash some water on my face before heading into the living area and start my morning exercises. I’d skipped yesterday and there was no reason too today.
Half an hour later I jumped in the shower, feed the kitten and got dressed.
Feeding myself on eggs from my newly stocked refrigerator.

I pour myself some milk and looked around the room. I hadn’t unpacked at all.
I look at the boxes in the corner and sigh.
I might as well get situated. I open all of them, separating them into piles. The ones containing wooden boxes I set in my room, the small majority of the rest I leave in the living room. Unpacking those first I pull out framed pictures, lamps and my other personal belongings.
I hang the pictures on the wall tastefully and gaze at them.
My own personal pictures of European landmarks; Notre Dame in the fog, streets of Prague in the rain and Moscow towers covered in snow.

I cut and fold the empty boxes and collapse on one of the large leather club chairs. The whole room had a warm cozy feel with the furniture echoing conservative styles from the 40’s and 50’s. My own belongings lent it an international feel.

I got up and head for my bedroom and take the cardboard boxes off the wooden ones. Cutting and folding them like the others I stack them in a pile as I look around to room. Pushing the wooden boxes into the middle of the room I run my hand over the walls, knocking at intervals till I find the sound I want.

I grab my purse and run out my door and out the building, hailing a taxi.
I needed supplies. I came back and hour later and a few hundred dollars poorer.

“My, what are you up to young lady?” I turned at the sound of Trudy’s voice.

I smile.

“Just making a house a home!” I reply and scamper up the stairs. Reaching my room I open the door and place my supplies on the floor in my bedroom.
With the drop cloth, plaster, saw, wood, nails, hammer, and paint all around me I got to work.

Hours later I turned off the vacuum and surveyed the clean area. No one could tell I’d created a nice hieaway in the wall behind my headboard. I put the vacuum away and then ran my hand over the newly completed hidey hole, as I called it. Childish yes, but it rhymed. I pushed slightly and it popped and slide open smoothly. I start to unload the boxes and put them in there before pulling the bed over it. I straighten up and look at the time. It isn’t too late. I grab my coat and head for the door.

I step out onto the quiet street; the lights from the city create a glow all around. The night air is chilly but not freezing and in some places there’s a soft breeze. I walk, my footsteps making a dull ‘thud’ sound on the ground.

I make my way to the Subway and take a seat. The bright florescent lights are a far departure from the soft lights of the night.
I take a seat on the cold plastic bench and watch the people around me. The young couple in the corner making out. The girl with her pink ipod and backpack. An older man reads the newspaper. Over in the opposite corner a man poses with a deer’s head while his friend snaps pictures. *

I want to watch these people. We come to a stop and more people come on. An old Jewish lady with a bag of food and a young man in gym clothes holding a basketball.
I was surprised by the amount of traffic at this time of night.

I let my mind wander as I sit there, a fly on the wall. Watching as people cycle in and out of the subway car.

After 3 stops the couple in the corner are still going at it and I find myself wishing I was the girl. How self-pitying I am, I don’t want a boyfriend. I just want to belong and in some way she does. She belongs with him and she knows it.
I don’t belong anywhere. I lean the back of my head against the back of the bench and stare at the white ceiling.

“…gers..I mean how can you not like them?”

I pull my head up and look around the car. A group of three young men are sitting in the corner, each of them with a newspaper or magazine in hand. All of them with headlines pertaining to Super-Heroes.

“I still think that Spider-Man is misunderstood.” The same boy continued.

“Nah, you can’t trust him, he’s a vigilante. The Avengers are a condoned group. They operate with the full knowledge and cooperation of New York’s Finest.” The second noted as he pointed to something in the paper.

“He might be a vigilante but he’s never hurt anyone. He looks out for the everyday people. The Avengers might save the world. But to a fellow in Brooklyn, the world is his daughter Spider-Man saved from a rape.” The first contested.

“Last I heard Spider-Man was running with the Fantastic Four.” The third interjected.

“That tells you something about how he ranks the ‘everyday man.’ You know that the Fantastic Four are as sanctioned as the Avengers. Spider-Man hung up his vigilante day’s to actually serve a purpose in the world.” The second jeered.

The first boy looked down at the paper in his hand.
“Spider-Man is a man for the masses, sure he might get hung up in global event’s but his heart is still with the 9-5 man and woman.”

I close my eyes again, no I shouldn’t entertain thoughts like that.
I’m not a hero, yet if someone was truly in need I’d help them.
Wouldn’t I?

I would.




* Apologies to Equint77

[Spider-Man9X17]

"So we got a deal. As soon as Doom leaves, you get ahold of me and let me know what happened."

Johnny floated beside a terrece at Xavier's School. Kitty Pryde stood on the balcony, looking none too happy.

"OK. I still don't like this though."

"Neither do I, kid. But this is for Bobby's own good. The two of us have done some stupid things in the past, but I'm afraid he's way in over his head."

Kitty hung her head.

"Everything'll be ok. I promise." With that, Johnny took off into the sky. When he was a safe distance from the school, he flipped open his commlink.

"Frankie? Frankie, you gettin this?"

"Johnny Storm, where the hell are you?"

"Had some errands to run. Why?"

"You get back here this instant. The babies, they're, something,...fire..."

Johnny cringed. He was dreading this moment.

"Listen, the babies will be fine. I'm kinda working on that now. Where are Craig and Wade?"

"Craig quit because of your little bowling ball stunt, and Wade ran off a few hours ago."

"OK, when he gets back, tell him he's fired. I'll be home in a little while. Love you."

Johnny flipped off the comm and turned to Peter.

"We have some old friends to visit."

[ElectroFlare]

Spider-man watched the limo and the institute.
"Alright Johnny, I'm right behind you." Spider-man said, swinging after Johnny...


Cain stomped out of the abandonded house. There was no more reason for him to be there.

He was truly unstoppable now, but that didn't mean he was unbeatable. Maybe he could use a little help the next time he fought the x-men.

A little trip to Fort Knox might fund this adventure.

"Here I come..."

[Duker Jay]

"Let's find out!" She reached her hand up to touch his face.

As Rogue's hand touched Ben's face, he immediately felt the drain. All strength left from him arms and, within seconds, he had gone limp and slumped to the ground.

The Thing lay there, unconscious and not moving. A mass of orange rock.

[Electro UK]

"You know, I never thought riding a man would be so much fun. Permission to shout YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW!" Wade asked War Machine as he grabbed onto his back.

"Permission denied." James replied. The ride back to New York was swift, War Machine dropped Deadpool off near the Baxter Building.

"So this was nice, we should do it again sometime." he watched James fly off before hitting his Fantastic Four comm. "Alright guys you listen and listen good, I'm gonna make sure you reply this time. How? Oh you guessed it, Size 7 font! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

[The Question]

(OOC: sorry to bunny Rex, but I've got to move this along)

"Got it!"

Having finished the modifications to his rays, Iron Man begins the magnetic pull. Meanwhile, while Rogue is distracted with The Thing, Cap rushes at her and strikes the hand holding the sword with his sheild.

"Give up. Now."

[Spider-Man9X17]

A security bot appeared on the screen in front of Wade.

"Security clearances for Wilson, Wade have been revoked. Access denied. Message two: All available personal summoned immediately to Avengers Mansion. Message three: Personal items will be returned in five....four...three...two...one..."

A mass of dirty underwear, old lingere, empty beer cans, and an assortment of adult items rained down on Wade from above, polluting the sidewalk and spilling out onto the street. And somewhere high above, deep inside the Baxter Building, Frankie Raye-Storm was laughing.

[ElectroFlare]

The Avengers beacon began going off on Spider-man and Johnny's belts.

"I forgot I had this thing." Spider-man said, noticing his FF com on the belt as well. It was turned off.

"Well, that does a lot of good." Spider-man thought to himself.

"The message originates from the Baxter Building. Good thing we're going that way." Spider-man said, turning to shoot a web. He leapt off towards the Baxter Building in a way that only Spider-man could...

[ElectroFlare]

"The past few days have seen strange turn of events. Marko Cain, the Juggernaut, was once an enemy to all that is good. Not too long ago, he saw the error of his ways and has been seen aiding known heroes. None of the witnesses could confirm with absolute certainty that it was indeed the juggernaut, but due to his absence of evil acts it is assumed that he has reformed himself.

"Until a few weeks ago when he caused major property damage in the US and Europe. Xaviar's Institute for Gifted Children was recently attacked by the Juggernaut for reasons unknown. He has last been spotted leaving an abandonded farmhouse, moving with incredible speed. It is unknown where he is heading, or what his intentions are. He should be considered extremely dangerous." The news reporter said as she spoke into her microphone, interrupting all TV montiers in NYC.

"Shut up lady!" Cain shouted as he smashed the camera in between his hands, ending the broadcast. "My business is my business, understand?" Cain said, dropping the ruined camera. The woman nodded out of fear and Cain stomped off, continuing his journey to Fort Knox...

[twylight]

Rogue stood up and forced the Things personality and memories down.
"It's so easy...


Now to prove to Thanos I'm loyal."


She raised the sword only to have it stop mid-way.

"Got it!"

SHe turned to see Iron Man.

"He must have used magnets of some kind."



"Let's see how well you do!"


She called up Magnetic power and blasted him, sending him across the room, as Captain America hit the hand holding the sword.

"Give up. Now."

She managed to hold onto the sword.

"Why should Ah listen to a man who wears spandex and fish scales?" She grabbed his throat using her power along with the power she'd gotten from the thing. She lifted him into the air and threw him to the side.

Raising the sword in both hands she say.

"Hail Thanos."

With that she plunged it into the Things chest.

And something within her snapped.

OOC: Sorry Q for the bunny...but Duker and I had this planned.

[The Question]

Cap slams into the wall. As he begins to get up, he hears Rogue speak.

"Hail Thanos."

"Thanos?"

Suddenly, Rogue stabs Ben in the chest with the sword.

"BEN!!!!"

Without even thinking, Cap lunges at Rogue.

[Duker Jay]

Everything for Ben Grimm is still. He lays in a semi-conscious state, eyes closed, unable to move.

Through his dreams, he can hear the sound of fighting...voices of friend and foe.

Until suddenly, he is jolted fully awake. The sensation in his chest is something he has never felt before. He looks down, surprised to find the ancient sword, Excalibur, lodged there.

The sword gives off a faint sort of glow and The Thing grabs at it, alarmed. He can't pull it out.

Getting to his feet, Ben looks around...

"Wotta...revoltin'...develo..." he trails off, losing strength and once again collapsing of the ground.

The sword continues to glow.

[Darth Wolverine]

Blaze grinded to a halt he dismounted from his motorcycle and looked down at Warren trying to wake psylocke in vain, then around the surrounding area.

“She’s out cold kid and whoever did this wasn’t some two bit mugger, were talking someone powerful.”

“Got any ideas?” Answered Archangel.

“It wasn’t a brawler, looks they were using energy blasts of some kind.” Blaze pointed to the scorch marks on the ground. “Whatever happened wasn’t too long ago he may still be around. We’ve got to find this guy before he hurts anyone else”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“Look around wings there’s an ambulance just over there she’s going to be fine, but if we don’t stop this guy some others may not be so lucky. And as much as I don’t want to admit it I need your help, you can scout from the sky and I can’t. Johnny’s face suddenly became engulfed in fire and his skin slowly singed away. The face of the Ghost Rider returned.

“So what’s it to be kid?”

Lady Mandarin snapped awake suddenly, and allowed a sly grin to mar her features as she set eyes upon Warren once again. "Hello, Archangel." She strode up to her partner and reached for his cheek...only for a psychic blade to shoot from her wrist and strike his temple. She followed up the assault with a sharp kick to the chest, and sweeped his feet out from under him.
Looking expectantly to Johnny, she taunted, "What's the matter, freak? Not in an 'avenging' mood?"

[twylight]

Rogue steps back, her eyes wide.

"What have Ah.."

Her thought is cut off as she feels a body slam into her. She hits the floor hard and glimpses The Thing standing up. He tries to pull the now glowing sword from it's lodging in his chest. However it doesn't budge and Rogue's eyes grow bigger as she forget's the man holding her down. She had various measn to escape, however the shock of her actions and the sight of a sword in a...stone... caused her to pause.

OOC: Q I just remembered..:eek: does this ruin your thing?

[Johnny Blaze]

Shocker walks behind Taskmaster as the odd looking fellow leads them through this place taken from a star war film. Herman Schultz cannot help but to survay his suroundings as he is led through this place. He's never seen anything like it, and he's starting to wonder where it comes from. It's obviously not of this world, so that means that this guy must be an alien or something, maybe from another dimension.

Shocker starts to go through his head, wondering who this guy could be. It could be Galactus. Shocker's never actually met the guy, but he's heard of him, and he remembers a time when the Fantastic Four took him out quite some time ago. Who was that senator guy that Spider-Man fought a year or two ago, back when Earth became some kind of alien prison? He never did find out what that was all about. He runs any alien or other demention tyrant that he's ever heard myth of, but it isn't a long list. He has no idea who he's about to see.

"The master will see you now," the odd looking creature says as it bows and waves for them to continue down a long well-lit corridor.

Shocker looks to Taskmaster, who continues moving without hesitation. He follows suit and makes sure to lifts his chin, in attempts to look less frightened than he really is. He takes a deep breath as the hall comes to a door, which opens. The two men enter through the door, and Shocker is amazed at the view of space that the room opens to him.

"Welcome."

Shocker looks to the man before him. The man is large and intimidating, and rather ugly.

"And you are?"

Herman Schultz doesn't get out of Earth's atmosphere much. Thanos smiled and laughed deeply at the question. It had been centuries since he'd actually met someone who didn't know who he was, even if they only heard his name.

"My dear Mr. Schultz...I am your salvation."

Thanos rose from the ebony throne and he continued, "Herman Schultz, the Shocker. Always having ideas of grandeur, but always falling short of reaching them. You've always had visions of power, but you were never able to become a true threat to the hero community."

Thanos moved to stand right in front of the smaller in scale Shocker, crossing his hands behind his back.
"I can help you realize your dreams. I can give you the power you want, and, in turn, you will get the respect you so sorely deserve. All I ask in return is that you swear allegiance to me, and fight for me when the time comes."

Thanos paused as he stared intently into the eyes of Herman Schultz, a cosmic fire burning in the Titan's black orbs.
"What say you?"

[JewishHobbit]

Thanos paused as he stared intently into the eyes of Herman Schultz, a cosmic fire burning in the Titan's black orbs.
"What say you?"

Shocker squints as he listens to Thanos speak. Can he really give him the respect he's always dreamt of? How? He knows he's a nobody, and it's almost driven him to suicide on several occasions, but now this guy claims to be able to fix it? He wonders what this guy may ask of him later, but Schultz has never been one to care of what he's asked. If it somehow helps him become more than just a loser and a hero's floormat,.. what can it hurt?

"Yeah sure, okay. If you can actually help me become a big name then what kind of fool would I have to be to refuse that? So what do you want me to do?"

A small warning rings off in the back of Shocker's mind, but he's never been the most intelligent of people, and above all things the Shockers longed for power and respect, and Thanos is offering both. How could he possibly pass up this opertunity?

[LibrarianThorne]

Kang and Dormammu. Dormammu and Kang. What linked them? What purpose would an alliance of those two serve?

Both wanted to conquer this realm and this time. Strange had thought Kang too self-important and arrogant to even consider an alliance with anyone, much less the dread Dormammu. What could be the thread linking them?

As he sat and pondered in the Sanctum Sanctorum, he could feel things shift and change around him. A white vortex replaced the familiar surroundings of the Sanctum. He found himself seated in a familiar chair (a rather comfortable chair he enjoyed, one he'd picked up on a trip to China some years ago), surrounded by a white, expansive nothingness.

He raised an eyebrow. A spell had penetrated the mystical wards surrounding the Sanctum Sanctorum, that much was blatant. He had an idea who had done it, as well, for there was but one mage he had ever encountered who was at the least his mystical equal. He felt two presences emerge behind him, and steepled his fingers.

"Kang, Dormammu, I expect you'll tell me what this is all about?"
"Of course we will, Strange," spoke Kang. "This is about the Earth, and our conquest of it."
"Indeed, old foe, you do realize it was only a matter of time before the two of us, to whom time is but a malleable, arbitrary substance, would encounter the other?"
Strange stood, mentally preparing himself. Remarkably, gathering his artifacts now seemed like an inspired bit of forethought. They still hid in the pocket dimension within the Cloak of Levitation, their awesome magical power hidden from Kang and Dormammu's suspicions. "Of course I figured contact between the two of you was inevitable, but I doubted an alliance," Strange said as he rose from his chair and faced his two opponents. Kang, as ever, exuded confidence and all powerful arrogance, Dormammu standing behind him, head still wreathed in flame. "To be perfectly honest, I had hoped one of you would deal with the other. I find the games you and I play, Dormammu, to be wearisome. And you, Kang, should know that your engagements with the Avengers will always lead to defeat. That is your fated purpose."
"You seek to rile my anger, sorceror. A laudable attempt, but doomed to failure. The Earth, from the beginning of time, to the end of it, will belong to Kang the Conqueror."
"And what part do you play in this little tyrant's plans of conquest, Dormammu?"
"My part is my own, as is my knowledge, Strange. You know that."
"My ally in this matter knows his role to play, Sorceror Supreme. The only piece left to fall into place is you. Hence our appearances before you."
"Interesting. Are you planning on revealing your plot to conquer the world now, or when I'm over some poorly contrived death trap?"
Kang and Dormammu both smirked.
"You know us both better than that, Strange. Your role is merely to ensure that our conquest may occur. In that, we wish you luck."

[batnkevlar]

Days later Alex still sits upon the rooftop with the bow and arrow in his hand. Scratching his head he thinks to himself Man this kid takes long to post. That’s it the bunny is coming out!

I continue to stalk my target from rooftop to rooftop, now I know how hypesters feel when they see a girl they like. Normally I’d just take a shot into the crowd but the prospect of being pwned by some twelve year old for hitting mommy stops me, damn mutants. Just then my target makes his way into a store as I try and keep up.

Magneto’s Superhuman Store: For all your human killing apparel.

“Man even I find that to be cliché.”

Walking through the store I see my target sitting on a chair trying on helmets.

“No you imbecile I’m a size 8, take it back.”

Reaching in my jacket I pull out the bow and begin to aim as I pull back on the bow.

“Ah the bow and arrow excellent choice sir shall I ring it up for you?”

Letting go of the bow the shot hits the target in the shoulder as he yells out in pain.

“Aw great.”

Before I could even pull out another arrow the chair smacks me in the face sending me flying backwards. Sitting up there are these little dolls all around me and when I look up there he is floating above me with shiny metal objects floating with him.

http://mutanthigh.com/coppermine/albums/gallery/thumb_magneto5.jpg

“I knew it would only be a short time before the council tried to kill me yet again, but to send someone so weak.”

“Dude I knew I knew you from somewhere! X-Men Legends 2 right? Come on say one of your lines.”

Imitating Magento

"How typically feeble, or Perhaps you don’t know who I’ am, actually that one would be true except for now. Man you’re the coolest its too bad I’m going to have to kill ya!"

I see the boy and I pull out the arrow from my shoulder.

"Kill me? Not even Apocalypse can kill me!"

I then wrap his bow around his body.

"Shut up you fool. No one's supposed to know I am here. If you don't, I'll split you in half with your own bow."

[SonnyBlack]

I see the boy and I pull out the arrow from my shoulder.

"Kill me? Not even Apocalypse can kill me!"

I then wrap his bow around his body.

"Shut up you fool. No one's supposed to know I am here. If you don't, I'll split you in half with your own bow."
“Apocalypse? Oh he was easy all you had to do was shut down the machine and hit him with ranged attacks, hell even Toad could have beaten him.”

Alex says while breaking the wooden bow in half while Magneto stood floating with a smug look on his face. Taking out the wooden sword he had concealing Alex leaps at Magneto only to be greeted by a display table. Getting to his feet he is hit with several knifes and other assorted metal objects. Alex hears the thud of his arm hitting the floor as the metal objects make there way around only this time aimed at his feet. He drops to the floor to see his foot lying beside him.

“Is it too late to forget I saw you?”

“You should have run when you had the chance.”

“That’s the spirit, sign my foot?”

Just then an explosion goes off as the building shakes.

“The Council.”

“Ding, Ding, Ding…what do we have for him…a nice wooden dagger.”

X throws the dagger at Eric’s face as Magneto instinctively puts him arm in the way to block it. The building now on fire is on the verge of collapse as the room begins to fill with smoke. Pulling the dagger from his arm Magento gives Alex a hard look.

“The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on fire!”

“You will help me or you will die.”

“Okay, okay just get me outta here.”

Eric lifts X and makes his way out the back door of the Building. Several painful hours later Alex gives Magneto all the information he is looking for on the council.

“You have proved very useful indeed Alex, I’ll be in touch.”

…days later

“Home sweet home.”

[RightBauer56]

WTF mate?

[SonnyBlack]

^----Dumbass

[Johnny Blaze]

Shocker squints as he listens to Thanos speak. Can he really give him the respect he's always dreamt of? How? He knows he's a nobody, and it's almost driven him to suicide on several occasions, but now this guy claims to be able to fix it? He wonders what this guy may ask of him later, but Schultz has never been one to care of what he's asked. If it somehow helps him become more than just a loser and a hero's floormat,.. what can it hurt?

"Yeah sure, okay. If you can actually help me become a big name then what kind of fool would I have to be to refuse that? So what do you want me to do?"

A small warning rings off in the back of Shocker's mind, but he's never been the most intelligent of people, and above all things the Shockers longed for power and respect, and Thanos is offering both. How could he possibly pass up this opertunity?
"A wise decision, Shocker", says Thanos with a devious smile as he presses a button on his gauntlet.
"As for what I want you to do, that is simple enough. All you must do is fight for me when the time comes."

A side door slides open and two robots come out carrying a suit.
"And now, for my end of the bargain", says Thanos as the robots bring the suit right up to the Titan.
"Now, I know that your suit deals with vibrations, but it is a crude thing."

"This creation", Thanos says as he motions to the suit the robots brought in, "will allow you to affect the very molecules of substances with vibratory power. You will be more powerful than you ever have imagined."

[JewishHobbit]

Shocker steps forward and looks at the suit that the robot now holds. It's very similar in pattern and the quilted appearance is still present. It's a little more sleak than he's use to though. It's a new thing, but close enough to where people will still recognize him as the Shocker.

"On a molecular level huh? That'll take some practice getting use to, and I have a good idea as to where to try it out."

He takes the suit from the robot and looks around.

"I guess you have ways of getting ahold of me when you need me, but until then, how do I get back home?"

[Johnny Blaze]

Shocker steps forward and looks at the suit that the robot now holds. It's very similar in pattern and the quilted appearance is still present. It's a little more sleak than he's use to though. It's a new thing, but close enough to where people will still recognize him as the Shocker.

"On a molecular level huh? That'll take some practice getting use to, and I have a good idea as to where to try it out."

He takes the suit from the robot and looks around.

"I guess you have ways of getting ahold of me when you need me, but until then, how do I get back home?" "Why, very easily", Thanos says as he nods to one of the robots.
I syringe springs from the robot's hand and it injects it's contents into Schultz's neck before he could protest it at all.
"Do not worry. My servant has injected you with a personal teleportation device. It will take a few minutes to do so, but it will soon connect itself to your brain. Thus it will allow you to teleport anywhere on the planet you wish so long you picture it in your mind. It will also allow you to teleport to and from my ship and the Earth by linking up with the relays I have in place. Remember though, this is a personal transporter, so it will only work on yourself and, at the most, one other. Provided they are not too heavy of course."

Thanos began to walk out of the throne room, "Try on the suit to get a feel for it, and return to your planet at your liesure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have meetings that require my personal attention."

The Titan left the room through the great, main doors, leaving behind Taskmaster, Shocker, and his two robot servants to keep an eye on his two soldiers.

The time for his invasion was close. In just another Earth week, his forces should begin their initial attacks. Thanos smiled in anticipation. He had been preparing for this game for a long time now, and it was finally about to begin.

[Spider-Man9X17]

"So, when did this happen?"

"I can't get any dates out of anyone. All other information is on a need to know basis."

"And they don't think we need to know?"

Hawkeye looked over at Quicksilver.

"They don't trust you Pietro. You or Wanda. For all you've, for all the sacrifices you've made, to S.H.I.E.L.D., you're still Magneto's children."

"Do you really think he'll come after us?"

"Eventually, yes. Doesn't he always. It's just now, now their's another factor. He's had to have heard of the pregnancy. do you really think he'll standby for too long without trying to contact his grandchild. You of all people should understand. You fathered one of his grandchildren. Doesn't it haunt you in the night, the fears that he'll come for her?"

Pietro sighed, hanging his head low without saying a word. The silence was enough though, speaking volumes to Hawkeye.

[twylight]

I woke up refreshed the next morning. A date was set for me to be interviewed for the secretarial position at the place, and today was the day. A quick shower and breakfast and I was out the door leaving the kitten to it’s own amusement.
Another half an hour later and I was standing outside of The Alternative. A small brass plaque hung next to the door and confirmed the address Trudy had given me.
I’d called yesterday afternoon and asked for an interview, apparently they needed a secretary. I had no idea what that entailed, but I could find my way around a computer and I looked up “filing” on Google.
I was desperate for a job, one that didn’t have me asking: “Would you like fries with that?”
I’d picked a skirt suit to interview in. It was a light sky blue with a small frill at the bottom, my hair was lose but drawn back and I’d placed a little tan cap on my head. I had to show some personality Trudy had said. It had caused me to wonder what kind of a Newspaper this was.
I walked in, only to be greeted with the bustle of a newsroom.
“HANK! I need those pictures now!”

“Will someone get down to..”

“This is a front page article!”

“News flash there’s a Spider-Man sighting…”

“Fantastic Four update..Mr. Immortal left!”

“PICTURES! DEVELOPED! NOW!”

I froze. It was noise and seemed to be alive with human energy.
I smiled, I liked it. There was an empty desk to my right, with just a cubical wall dividing the ‘entry’ from the newsroom.
A woman with dark hair and round rim glasses came around the cubicle wall, her arms full of files and papers.

“I want it right now! Right NOW!” She called over her shoulder, her short brown hair brushed the lower part of her jaw, where it tucked it’s self under. She looked my age.
She dropped the files and papers on the already cluttered desk with a “thump” and started to sift through them.

“Excuse me..?”

She glanced up and pushed her glasses up on her nose, seeing me she straightened up. Her clothes were casual, dress slacks and a pretty blouse, that she managed to wear without seeming old and outdated.

“Oh, Hi, can I help you?”

“I’m here for an interview with..”

“Oh Yes,” She cut me off.
“This way.” She motioned me to follow her as she started into the busy room behind the cubicle wall.

“Sorry it’s so busy, this is deadline day. I’m Beth Braswell, it’s nice to meet you. I’m an intern here, i.e. the coffee girl, the mail girl and everything else in between.” She said dodging people and desks, picking up papers as they flew off desks and returning them to their owners, as she spoke. She was in perfect synch with the movements and busyness of the room.

I, on the other hand bounced from desk to desk, bumping into people and stepping on papers.

We’d reached the far end of the room along which were three doors with windows next to them. Two of the rooms were meeting rooms, as I could see through the windows, the middle one which we were in front of was a mystery to me. The blinds were down and Beth placed her hand on the knob she winked and opened the door.



A short time later I lean against the door and sigh, staring over the busy room that seemed to seethe with people. It reminded me of an ant hill.

It had been the quickest interview ever.
We’d introduced ourselves and he’d asked me why I wanted the job.

“I want to try something out of retail and fast food.”

He’d nodded and looked at my resumé..or lack of it. I’d managed to forge some things on there, as well as my High School diploma.

“Well, you seem to be competent. You know the computer, write dictated letters, make copies, how to file, make coffee?”

I nodded along as he went, stopping at the last one.

“Well..I can learn.”

“Well, it’s easy.” He looked at me before continuing.
“We’re an up and coming paper in New York. Partly because I keep it small. Not huge. Beth is a little overworked and she needs some help.” He paused

“Typical workday is 7:00 to 5:00 depending on the day, you might get home early, you might get home late. You can start tomorrow.”

The phone had rang and I’d gotten up in shock and left. I opened the door and leaned against it.

“So, you got it.” I turned and looked at Beth she stood next to me her arms full.

“How do you know?” I asked taking some of the files she had in her arms.

She smiled.
“Because no one ever looks that shocked when he turns them down.” She pointed to the desk nearest the door.
“That one’s yours.” She said passing it as she walked to the front of the office.

“What exactly am I supposed to do?” I asked over the dim as I followed her.

We reached the front and she let the files down on her desk next to her previous pile.
She leaned her elbow on them and looked at me. Her brown eyes steady.
“You, are now a glorified Secretary.”

I gave her a “and..?” look.

“Meaning, you work like a secretary, you get paid like a secretary, but you everything in between and for everyone. A reporter wants an interview but doesn’t have time to call?” She pointed at me “You.”

“I thought reporters did their own stuff.”

“They do.” She turned and sifted through the new pile taking stuff out.
“But here things are different, sort of. Sometimes they need some help. That would be you.” She smiled.
“If I were you I’d go shopping, get a massage and maybe a manicure and hair cut. Because after tomorrow your life isn’t your own.”

I wonder what I got myself into.

“Beth! How do I put the bottle in the water cooler?” A voice called from the other room.

Beth rolled her eyes and smiled.
“See what you have to look forward to?” She walked towards the room.
“I’ll see ya tomorrow!”

“Bright eyed and bushy tailed!” I replied before slipping out the door onto the mercifully quiet street.

[Keyser Soze]

Bullseye had taken the train to the airport. But he hadn't flown to Italy. He'd stayed in New York for a while, laying low, trying his best to look after Lenny. The first few days had been like a trance, a haze of pain and misery. But you can only grieve so much. Then, then there's no choice but to...just get on with it.

So, Bullseye had sorted out his accounts, got his money routed back to his varous accounts in American banks. He wasn't leaving the country. Not without Brenda. Instead, he had travelled to Idaho, to pay a visit to an old friend.

He rang the doorbell, with Lenny cradled in his arms. A few seconds later, a girl of around 8 years old opened the door.

"Hello," she said sweetly.

"Hey," Bullseye replied, "Is your daddy home?"

Just as he asked the question, her father appeared at the door. As soon as he caught sight of Bullseye, the man's eyes widened.

"Do you want to talk outside, Lester?" Bullseye asked, walking down the front path and stopping by the picket fence.

Lester. Bullseye's brother. He looked like an older, chubbier version of the world's greatest assassin, only with now-balding hair. He had nothing to do with his younger sibling. They'd been split up by social services, sent to different foster homes, when Bullseye was still a kid. Now, Lester had a wife, three kids, and sold cars for a living.

"What are you doing here?" asked Lester, after closing the front door behind him.

"What, no hug, Lester?" chuckled Bullseye, "It's been a while, after all."

"I'm not in the mood for games," Lester sighed, rubbing his hand over his face, "Just tell me why you're here, and why you have a baby with you."

Bullseye hesitated. He realised he was going to have to tell the whole story to his brother. He looked away from Lester, his lip beginning to tremble. Lester cautiously approached him, putting his hand on his shoulder. Bullseye held back the tears. He's cried enough already. Pulling himself together, Bullseye calmly told his brother all about Brenda and Lenny.

...

"You want me to take him?" asked Lester, "How can I handle looking after a fourth kid?"

The two brothers were now sitting in Lester's back garden. Bullseye had explained the situation, and revealed why he had travelled to Idaho. All things considered, Lester had took it quite well.

"It's just for a little while," answered Bullseye, "I just need to get my head straight, get a few things sorted out. It's better for Lenny to be with a family right now."

There was a long pause.

"Please," Bullseye whispered.

"Okay, I'll look after him," Lester sighed, "God, Helen ain't gonna be happy about this."

Bullseye stood up, looking down at his son lovingly.

"Don't worry, kiddo," he said soothingly, running his finger along the baby's cheek, "I'll be coming back for you."

Slowly, reluctantly, Bullseye handed his child over to his brother. Lester would be able to look after him, give him a good home.

"Nice talkin' to you again, Lester," Bullseye choked out, unable to make eye contact with his brother, "I'll see you soon."

And with that, Bullseye rushed out of the garden, away from his brother's home. He didn't look back once.

It's just for a little while. I'll be coming back for you. I'll see you soon.

Liar.

Bullseye was back in New York City. He was slumped in some bar he didn't know, fully intending to drink himself to oblivion. He was wearing a skull-cap, hiding the scar on his forehead. He was blending in with all the other losers. He thought about how he had been on his way to a better life, and how Daredevil had taken it all away from him. Oh, Bullseye was going to make him pay. He was going to make him bleed and scream and...

"No," Bullseye said aloud.

Things couldn't go back to the way they used to be, could they? He had a son now, he had to think about him. No, no, he didn't. Not anynore. That's why he'd handed the kid over to his brother. So all he'd have to think about was himself. That was the way he'd always liked it before.

"Hey," a voice said from behind him, "You're in my seat, punk."

Bullseye slowly turned round to face the burly biker standing behind him. He looked along the bar. Every other seat was empty.

"I'm just here to have a drink, pal," Bullseye replied, "So you stay outta my way and I'll stay out of yours."

The biker grabbed Bullseye by the collar, pulling him up out of his seat. A few other guys - huddled around the pool table - cheered in approval.

"Didn't you hear me, chump? I said you're in my..."

Before he could finish, Bullseye snapped his head forward, connecting with a headbutt square on the biker's nose. The guy fell to the floor like a dead weight as Bullseye brushed himself off. But then all the guys who'd been playing pool charged at him. They all came at him at once, forcing him to the ground with punches and kicks.

"Oh for God's sake, Earl," a woman shouted from one of the booths, "Can't you morons leave the poor guy alone?"

The bartender leaned over the bar, looking down at Bullseye.

"You hit one of my regulars, son," he said, "So I'm afraid these gentlemen are going to have to show you the door."

The biker, now back on his feet, gave Bullseye a kick in the gut. Then, they all hauled Bullseye to his feet and tossed him out of the bar, letting the door close behind them.

Bullseye rolled onto his back, and lay on the ground looking up at the sky, blocked out by giant storm clouds overhead. Was this what his life was going to be now? Getting thrown out of bars like some schmuck? No thanks. Bullseye was more than just a nobody. As the first few raindrops hit his head, he remembered something Deadpool had said. "You can't escape who you are."

"Wade," Bullseye said to himself as he dragged himself to his feet, "For once in your life, you may just be right."

He walked back into the bar. But now he was even walking differently. That old cockiness was back, that arrogant look back on his face. The guys in the bar all turned to face him, staring stupidly at him for a few moments before beginning to approach him. They stopped when Bullseye pulled off his skull cap. Their eyes widening with horror as they realised just who they'd pissed off. Bullseye pulled a dart out the dartboard, twirling it idly in his hand.

"Last orders, gents," he said, before throwing the dart right through the biker's left eye.

In the time it took for everyone in the bar to come rushing outside into the rain, Bullseye had already killed another two people - one guy with a pool cue, and the bartender with an 8-ball. And now they all ran for their lives, as fast as their legs could carry them.

Then, slowly walking out, Bullseye stood outside the bar, looking around the now-abandoned street. The rain was now in a downpour, and Bullseye was getting soaked, but he didn't care. A look of triumph filled his eyes. He was back, baby. And there was going to be hell to pay.

"If I see a single person out here," Bullseye shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'll kill them!"

Just then, he heard a whimper behind him. He spotted a woman, the woman who had shouted out earlier, cowering in the street corner amongst some trashcans. Bullseye grinned, picking up a shard of broken glass from a bottle someone had dropped and walking towards her.

"Please, please don't kill me," she begged, tears in her eyes, "I...I'm pregant."

Bullseye hesitated for a moment. For a fleeting moment, he saw the face of Brenda. Could Bullseye really go full circle, burying all the humanity within him that had just begun to resurface?

"I'm sorry, toots," Bullseye said, "But sometimes, bad things happen to good people. It's a cruel, cruel world."

Bulseye swung the shard of glass out of hands, watched it spin downwards and slit the woman's throat. As Bullseye watched her bleed to death, the rain running down his face like a river of silent tears, he saw his last chance of salvation fading away. Time to go back to doing what he was good at.

"Bullseye..."

[The Question]

Rogue steps back, her eyes wide.

"What have Ah.."

Her thought is cut off as she feels a body slam into her. She hits the floor hard and glimpses The Thing standing up. He tries to pull the now glowing sword from it's lodging in his chest. However it doesn't budge and Rogue's eyes grow bigger as she forget's the man holding her down. She had various measn to escape, however the shock of her actions and the sight of a sword in a...stone... caused her to pause.

OOC: Q I just remembered..:eek: does this ruin your thing?



Captain America grabs ahold of the sword, trying to pull it from Ben's chest while trying to grab it from Rogue at the same time.

"Leave him ALONE!"

[Electro UK]

Wade sat up. "Perfect. I'm randomly kicked outta the FF (team must be gone cause Johnny killed himself... one can only hope) and I've just had a pile of underwear land on me... these must be Johnny's skid marks... great."

***

"Well, this'll have to do for now." Wade said as he unlocked the door to a crummy little apartment. "From the Baxter Building to here, life just gets better and better." he threw his keys on the table, it collapsed on impact. "...and better."

Later that night, Wade was stuck in front of the T.V. "Look out Homer! That bucket is about to fall on your head! Splash!"

"Damn its true, they've lost it! Maybe Family Guy's on, that's still got at least 3 seasons before it gets rubbish... Friends season 6? Damn, a season too late."

Ring ring!

"Oh good, something to pull me away from this world of non pornographic television. Hello?"

"Uh is this Deadpool?" Wade put the phone down on the couch and walked into his room.

"Hello? I heard this was the number if I had... special needs?"

"This is Deadpool." Wade said, returning with his mask on.

"Yes, I need a job done, a certain object that takes great intrest in me to be stolen."

"This isn't the dominus objecta thing is it? Cause that Bossum Buddies arc was a painful 4 issues arc and I..."

"No no, this is something simple. It's simply a suitcase that's contents hold great intrest to me."

"Those contents would be..."

"None of your buisness. There are others after this suitcase too Mr Deadpool, I need you to obtain it quickly. Therefore, I have hired someone to work with you."

"Look I hate to sound all "I don't like partners" but... I don't like partners!"

"It is essential, your reward will be handsome."

"Okay okay, just tell me who the guy is and I'll do my best not to kill him during the mission... oh you gotta be ****ing me!"

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Is everybody here?"

"All but Masters Storm and Parker, and that interesting Deadpool fellow."

Johnny and Peter had been M.I.A. all day, but Clint had almost forgotten about Wade. He was gonna need that sick son of a b**ch for this one.

"Deadpool, this is Hawkeye. Come in. C'mon Wade, don't be screwin' with me right now."

-

"You guys HAVE to come home. Can you really say that this, all of this, is better than what you had? Can you really sit here in peace knowing Victor is just a few miles away?"

"Johnny, we gave you our answer. We're sorry, but that part of our lives is behind us now."

"You're a real treat, you know that Reed. You drag us along on that God forsaken rocket, you do this," Johnny flamed his hand on, " to us, to poor Ben, run us around on life and death missions in other universes, and then get my children kidnapped by a man I wouldn't even know if I hadn't have met you, kidnapped as part of your personal fued, and you decide to hang it up on me. On us. Oops, sorry, my bad. I quit. I've looked up to you as a father most of my adult life, and now you do this. Fine."

Johnny ripped the "4" emblem off of his chest, and let it drop to the ground.

"The Fantastic Four are done. Have a nice life, Reed."

Johnny turned to Peter.

"Let's go, man. Nothing more to do here."

[SonnyBlack]

Alex sat up. "Perfect. I'm kicked outta Genosha (Council must be pissed that Magneto’s still alive) and I just remember I never got to see the end of that E true Hollywood story."

***

"Well, this'll have to do for now." Alex said as he unlocked the door to a crummy little apartment. "From the Council Building to here, life just gets better and better." he threw his keys on the table, it collapsed on impact. "...and better."

Later that night, Alex was stuck in front of the T.V. "Look out Homer! That bucket is about to fall on your head! Splash!"

"Damn its true, they've lost it! Maybe Family Guy's on, that's still got at least 3 seasons before it gets rubbish... Friends season 6? Damn, a season too late."

Ring ring!

"Oh good, something to pull me away from this world of non pornographic television. Hello?"

"Uh is this Agent X?" Alex put the phone down on the couch and walked into his room."

"Hello? I heard this was the number if I had... special needs?"

"This is X." Alex said, returning with his goggles on.

"Yes, I need a job done, a certain object that takes great interest in me to be stolen."

"This isn't the dominus objecta thing is it? Cause that Bossum Buddies arc was a painful 4 issues arc and I..."

"No, no this is something simple. It's simply a suitcase that's contents hold great interest to me."

"Those contents would be..."

"None of your business. There are others after this suitcase too Mr. X, I need you to obtain it quickly. Therefore, I have hired someone to work with you."

"Look I hate to sound all "I don't like partners" but... I don't like partners!

"It is essential, your reward will be handsome."

…Hanging up the phone I somehow feel dirty

[SonnyBlack]

The pickup was at Grand Central station in some random storage lockers. Surveying the area he could several policeman and men in trench coats with their earpieces hanging out. I always did like the run and gun style…bump.

“Hey watch it A$$...”

“OoO Tough guy why don't you come here and say hello to my little friend.”

“Yea I bet he is little.”

Turning around both Wade and Alex are shocked to see each other.

“You.”

“You.”

Immediately both reach for their guns and begin to blast away. Each taking multiple shots from the other as Alex stops to reload, Wade takes out his blade. Alex reaches to his back with one hand and continues firing with the other. Wade leaps toward Alex and with one swift move he sends Alex’s hand flying. As Wade brings the sword around Alex unloads a shotgun to the shoulder of Wade nearly taking his arm off. At this time the policemen are heavily firing on both men as they overturn a bench and hide under it.

“Aren’t you one of them?”

“Yea how’d you guess is it the way they’re making me into Swiss cheese?”

“Oh don’t even pretend like I didn’t see you on the news in your Boy Scouts and Brownies Fantastic Four outfit you Martha Stewart loving momma’s boy.”

[Electro UK]

"Shut up." Wade said grabbing Alex. "I surrender, I send you this one as a sacrifice!" he tossed Alex over the table. "He has vital information on all of America's Most Wanted! But he won't give in easily, I suggest you use your most painful forms of torture on him!"

Alex blasted away the cops, Wade got to his feet. "If you must know the FF kicked me out, I figure Johnny found the pics of his wife I was storing under the toilet." he drew his sword as Alex got to his feet. "Now you gonna let us get on with this job then go back to hating each other?"

"Personally I'd prefer it if I just made a swing out of your intestines now... stop that god I hate you."

"Freeze! You're surrounded by heavily armed men on all sides of this building! You cannot escape!" said a S.W.A.T. leader bursting through the door.

"Oh for the love of..." Wade groaned flipping over the team.

"I hope you're happy now! If you hadn't bumped into me we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Shut up."

[SonnyBlack]

"Shut up." Wade said grabbing Alex. "I surrender, I send you this one as a sacrifice!" he tossed Alex over the table. "He has vital information on all of America's Most Wanted! But he won't give in easily, I suggest you use your most painful forms of torture on him!"

Alex blasted away the cops, Wade got to his feet. "If you must know the FF kicked me out, I figure Johnny found the pics of his wife I was storing under the toilet." he drew his sword as Alex got to his feet. "Now you gonna let us get on with this job then go back to hating each other?"

"Personally I'd prefer it if I just made a swing out of your intestines now... stop that god I hate you."

"Freeze! You're surrounded by heavily armed men on all sides of this building! You cannot escape!" said a S.W.A.T. leader bursting through the door.

"Oh for the love of..." Wade groaned flipping over the team.

"I hope you're happy now! If you hadn't bumped into me we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Shut up."
Alex now hiding by a phone booth continues to fire on the police. Reaching over Alex picks up the phone and begins to dial.

“Hello police the police are shooting at me!”

“What they say?”

“They put me on hold.”

Police continue to storm the building, as both men get desperate.

“My little buttercup has the sweetest smile.”

“Would you like to change your long distance provider?”

“Stand perfectly still their vision is based on movement.”

“Look if this is about that girlscout she said she was eighteen and she also had those yummy girlscout cookies, seriously how could I say no?”

"Giddity Giddity, Giddity Goo."

As much as I hated him we needed to work together if we ever planned to get outta this mess. We both looked at each other and nodded our heads in understanding what needed to be done. Reaching for our grenades we both had our eyes on the train tracks not to far from us. Pulling the pin my heart starting racing as I toss it and begin to run.

"Our Father which art in Heaven"

[Electro UK]

Alex now hiding by a phone booth continues to fire on the police. Reaching over Alex picks up the phone and begins to dial.

“Hello police the police are shooting at me!”

“What they say?”

“They put me on hold.”

Police continue to storm the building, as both men get desperate.

“My little buttercup has the sweetest smile.”

“Would you like to change your long distance provider?”

“Stand perfectly still their vision is based on movement.”

“Look if this is about that girlscout she said she was eighteen and she also had those yummy girlscout cookies, seriously how could I say no?”

"Giddity Giddity, Giddity Goo."

As much as I hated him we needed to work together if we ever planned to get outta this mess. We both looked at each other and nodded our heads in understanding what needed to be done. Reaching for our grenades we both had our eyes on the train tracks not to far from us. Pulling the pin my heart starting racing as I toss it and begin to run.

"Our Father which art in Heaven"

"It's who art in heaven dumbass!" Wade said.

"Shut up, there are different versions." Alex said throwing his grenade. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Wade starred blankly at Alex as he looked down at Wade's hand. Wade looked down. "Oh right! Yeah grenade! I better--" KABOOM! Wade and Alex were hurled back, a train streamed past, they soarded through the side and landed in the cargo.

"You idiot! How did you not lose your arm?"

"Oh yeah, I'll lose my arm, I'd like to see how Electro UK writes me then!"

I can edit.

"Shutting up."

[ElectroFlare]

Spider-man was torn.

Johnny was a good friend of his, leader of the Avengers and the new Fantastic Four.

"Reed, can't you do something?" Spider-man asked.

"I'm sorry, but we just can't anymore. We've done what we've had to do. I apologize for Johnny, I didn't mean for it to happen this way. But with the way the world has been recently, Sue and I just can't justify returning to that life."

"Johnny's right. I'm sorry Reed. We'll just go our seperate ways." Spider-man said, at the same time commanding his suit to eliminate the FF emblem from his chest. The very suit that Reed had designed himself, based off of the symbiote that created Venom.

Spider-man turned to follow Johnny...

[JewishHobbit]

Shocker watches Thanos as he leaves the room. Once gone, he looks to Taskmaster and the robots.

"Alright, well."

Shocker then strips his cell clothes and drapes his new costume. He can feel the new circutry in it and wonders what all it can do. He places with the new gauntlets and finds several new buttons and notices other features about it that he can work with but motions of his wrists. He looks over the costume and finds other features on the belt and on the inside of his boots. it seems he can controle the vibrations in more places than just the gloves now,... that'll come in handy.

"Now for a test subject."

Shocker looks over to one of the two robots and calls to it. Coming closely, the robot stops just shy of him and awaits a command. Shocker feels a slight trigger within his boot and trips it. The ground beneath his feet suddenly begins to shake. He quickly switches it off. He smiles. That was just an ounce of the vibration he can issue from the boot,.. what would happen if he did it full power?

Shocker's eyes then raise and he looks to the robot before him. He quickly lifts his arm and releases a small vibration from his gauntlet, and what he sees surprises him. The robot suddenly shoots back in many pieces, as every screw and bolt, and alien machinery suddenly vibrates and breaks loose. Within a second the robot lies in a pile of debris, sparks flying from the reckage. Shocker's eyes are wide. He couldn't do that before, and that wasn't even a fraction of the power his glove could have released. If that was the glove, what does the rest of these features do?

Shocker then looks to the Taskmaster, who seems to be studying him.

"Well, Tasky, thanks for the invite, the party's been a blast!

Then with but a smile, the Shocker is gone.

[SonnyBlack]

"It's who art in heaven dumbass!" Wade said.

"Shut up, there are different versions." Alex said throwing his grenade. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Wade starred blankly at Alex as he looked down at Wade's hand. Wade looked down. "Oh right! Yeah grenade! I better--" KABOOM! Wade and Alex were hurled back, a train streamed past, they soarded through the side and landed in the cargo.

"You idiot! How did you not lose your arm?"

"Oh yeah, I'll lose my arm, I'd like to see how Electro UK writes me then!"

I can edit.

"Shutting up."
Looking back they could se the police flashlights in the tunnel as they both let out a sigh of relief.

“Alright where were we?”

“I believe we were at the part where I was going to kill you.”

Both reach for their cliché Rambo look-alike knife.

“Kill me in a dream you better wake up and apologize.”

“Quoting Reservoir dogs real original.”

“Oh please have you looked in the mirror? Slade Wilson …oops ugh… I mean Wade Wilson. Real original Marvel, man I can’t believe they didn’t get sued.”

“Haha, and you were made from me that’s even worse!”

“You know what I never…Hey Shutup!”

Circling each other they lock eyes as both anticipate the first move. Wade then lunges at Alex with a straight jab knife first as Alex just gets out of the way. With a quick side step maneuver Alex is able to counter with a knife to the back of Wade. As Alex pulls the knife out of Wade got his already in the stomach of Alex. Pushing off from each other they begin inspecting their wounds.

“Well this isn’t working out too well.”

“I think I got an idea.”

…Hours late the two sit drunk at a bar waiting to have whatever body parts missing replaced.

“I’m telling you all you got to do is get Reed drunk and when he’s too drunk to know what’s what BAM! You got your chance to ask him what we all wanna know… is Sue blonde…down there.”

“If it’s shaven how would we know it just isn’t invisible?”

Alex stares blankly.

“Alright enough Wade I say we settle this with an old fashion Merc competition so name your stakes.”

[twylight]

I had locked myself in my apartment and set up a makeshift workstation in my room.
Mechanisms lay across the desk, screws, metal, wires. I bend over the device tweaking it to my liking and for my use.
I doubted I’d need it but a person could never be too careful. After the interview at The Alternative I’d come home and worked at it tirelessly. The kitten had played around with a ball I’d bought her. She’d hop on my lap now and then and seemed careful to not disturb my work.
The shadows of evening had started to fall, cuing my next move.
Quickly dressing myself in my black cat suit I grabbed a pair of gauntlets and slipped them on my wrists. The design was timeless and was shamelessly filched throughout the ages. I’d also gotten a hat to tuck my hair up under, which I did.
I slip my lower face mask on, it covers my face from the nose down, made of light fabric it allows me the freedom of breathing unhindered and keeps my identity a secret.
I slip out the window after making sure no one was present. Reaching the roof I leap across to the other buildings, until I reach the closest business district. Crouching I pause at the sound of broken glass hitting pavement. I leap to the roof closest to the noise and peer over the edge.
I observe the scene below. One man with a bat, another next to him, both watching and waiting for the man climbing in through the now broken pawn shop window. Broken glass shimmers on the ground around them, the light from the street lamps reflecting off of them.

I wage an internal war watching their movements. I didn’t come here to become a hero, only to observe, yet I can’t not stop this.
I can’t. I set my jaw and leap off the roof, twisting in flight till I’m facing them. Landing in a crouch I stare up at them as they spin around, surprised at my arrival.
I stand and study them in silence as they silently stare back at me.
One steps forward.

“Yo! This is our job so ****-off!”

“What makes you thing I want in on this job?”

“What? You some kinda supah-hero?”

“No, call me a concerned citizen and the local cliché monitor.”

The look at me, and I can tell their trying to decide if I’m a threat.

“You know three is truly a crowd.”
That did it. I smile as the two outside the store charge for me. One swinging a bat and the other swinging a fist.
I kick the one with the fist in the stomach, the sweet spot, and turn to the other not bothering to watch for the vomit show.

“AHHH!” He swings the bat for me and I catch it in my hand, pulling it away from him and tossing it to the side. I bring my knee up to hit his crouch and then give him a swift chop to the neck. He collapses with a dull ‘thump.’

I look up at the man crouching in the store. Judging by his composure I assume he doesn’t need any persuasion like his friends did. I smile under my mask and lifting my arm send a cable out from the gauntlets. I feel it attach it’s self to the wall and I grasp it allowing it to retract. As I raise into the air I give the first man a chop on the neck as he rises from his vomiting, sending him to the ground again.

Somersaulting onto the roof I run off a few roof’s before stopping and catch my breath. Not from exertion but from shock. I can’t believe I just did that. I wasn’t supposed to, it wasn’t part of whatever plan I had.
The last thing I wanted to do was step on the local hero’s toes or seem to be muscling in on their ‘territory.’ I promise myself that this was a one time deal. No one would know, what I did was hardly enough to incite any kind of publicity.
Straightening the cap on my head I run off to home.
Never again.

[Spider-Man9X17]

Johnny felt betrayed. A shiver ran over his flamed up body as his stomach churned. He wanted to cry, to scream, to just keep hitting something until he couldn't anymore. But he held his composure. He had to. He had a family to worry about, and couldn't rick going loony now. Poor Frankie. He had hardly payed any attention to her since he got back. Now the babies were starting to react to Doom's spells, and he was out flying around, looking for trouble.

No more. If Reed wanted nothing to do with the Fantastic Four, nothing to do with the team he had created, why should Johnny? Reed got to live a normal happy life with his wife and kids, guilt free, when the accident, the team, everything was his fault. Why should Johnny shoulder a burden he never wanted?

So, that was it. It was that easy? Johnny looked down over the sprawling country side. The towers of the concrete jungle could just be seen in the distance. A jungle that he no longer had to worry about. Nobody elses problems thrown on his lap. No more ignoring his family to save total strangers. The Human Torch would soon be something for the history books. From now on, Johnny Storm would have things his way.

[Keyser Soze]

Bullseye was back in costume, and damn, it felt good to be back. He had parked the bus in a quiet side street. Less chance of being interrupted here. He didn't wany anybody interfere with him making his message.

This message was aimed at one person. The man who had ruined any chance he had of redemption. The man who had killed the woman he loved. The Man Without Fear.

"I wonder how he's gonna feel with even more deaths on his head," Bullseye said to himself, starting the engine and driving away in the bus.

But he left something behind. All the passengers who had been on the bus when he'd killed the driver and hijacked it. All 22 of them. All dead. And now, their bodies were arranged on the middle of the road, spelling out a single word. A single message:

DAREDEVIL

[Electro UK]

"50 gold pieces and not a penny less!" Wade said. Alex kept staring. "Alright let me see what I've got in my wallet." he jumbled around, looking up, he asked. "Eh... would a 15 year old condom be good?"

"I... I don't think it'd work if that's what you're asking." Alex replied.

Wade laid a $20 on the table. "Okay I'm low on cash, I think I was so desperate my last job was a pizza delivery."

[Midnight Ice]

OOC: Ok, I can't wait on Doom to come to the mansion anymore, sorry.

IC: Bobby sat in the kitchen. What am I doing, Warren just ran off without telling me, something must be wrong. I better go find him. I better also leave a note for Lorna so she knows where I went when she wakes up from her nap.

Bobby leaves the notes and slides off in the direction he saw Warren and Ghost Rider go.

[ElectroFlare]

"You can't stop me!" Cain shouted as military forced attempted to do exactly that.

Fort knox was heavily protected, and Cain's trip had brought some attention down upon himself. The military had headed him off, and now they were met with their target.

The Unstoppable Juggernaut.

Cain laughed and side-swiped a tank, tipping it over. He then ripped the tread from it, and snapped it like a whip at the approaching infantry.

They were nothing to him...

Spider-man swung throughout NYC, unsure of where to go, what to do.

The Fantastic Four was a disaster. Immortal had disappeared, Johnny quit, and Deadpool...well Deadpool was Deadpool.

That left Spider-man.

Spider-man turned towards his avengers beacon, maybe that would turn up some light. It had been activated.

"I guess I'm going to the Avengers Mansion...or maybe or I should just go solo again?" Spider-man thought to himself as he swung towards the mansion.

Teams weren't really his thing anyway. Was it time again for Spider-man to be alone?

He landed on the side of the building, contemplating that thought and crawled into a window...

OOC:Hawkeye, are you still in the building? I lost track...

[JewishHobbit]

Shocker appears in the place where he had last been before Taskmaster had taken him. He now stand outside of the prison where he had been staying for several weeks.

"Wow, what a trip." He says. He sees the mess that he and Taskmaster had left, and he can see that the prisoners have taken charge of much of the prison. There are many police cars outlining the building, who are now in the process of cleaning up the previous cars that were wrecked when he and Taskmaster had escaped and battled War Machine. Shocker takes a breath and begins to march forward. Time to test out this suit.

Several of the officers turn and see the man in the quilted suit approaching them. They draw their guns and yell for him to freeze, to which Shocker stops with hesitation.

"Hold it right there!"

Shocker shakes his head and slightly smiles. The cops continue to bark orders, none of which he obeys. He simply stares at them until the ground begins to shake beneath their feet. It starts with a low tremble, but quickly begins to esculate. The cars begin to shake and vibrate as cops begin to fall and roll on the rumbling ground.

Shocker smiles and begins to walk forward, his suit automatically compensating for the quake that he is creating. To his left a fissure opens cause a car to slip partially into it. Shocker smiles and amps the power. The fissure opens more and the car falls into it. He begins to laugh.

"Stop it!" screams an officer, now pointing an unbalanced gun toward him.

Shocker looks to him and watches as the man pulls the trigger. Normally that would have been all it took for the villain to fall over dead, but this is not the normal Shocker. The bullet leaves the gun, but suddenly reflects from Shocker and digs deep into an officer to Shocker's left. He had began to vibrate the molecules around him, creating a type of field that circles him. When the bullet hit the field it vibrated and ricocheted to the left, into Shocker's intended target. He smiles again. He then begins to sprint toward the guard, who now lets several more rounds of ammo loose, all of which fly in differant directions. Shocker grabs the man's gun and begins to vibrate it until it falls about at its very seems, smoke rising from the parts that seem to have melted, though no heat resognate from the item. He then grabs the man's arm and hair and lets a vibration loose that sends the man flying backwards into the pavment in siesures.

The earthquake that he had created continues and when he turns to look, he sees that many of the cars have fallen into fissures and that the officers are now running for their lives. Shocker watches as gasoline runs, and he walks to it and vibrates it, forcing it to move in a line. He closes his eyes as he feels where the gas is moving, through the vibrations he omits. Several minutes later the gasoline rounds the oposite end of the building, having circled the prison at a very quick pace. When the gasoline reaches its own tail end, becoming a circle embracing the prison. Shocker walks to the door of the prison and turns. He sees a car and begins to vibrate it until it is as if he could grab it with his vibrations. He then begins to sweep it back and forth accross the ground until a spark ignites within the gasoline and a sudden exposion ensues, and the gasoline erupts in a wall of flames running all around the prison. Shocker smiles,.. now it's time to do what he came here to do. It's time to earn some respect.

[Spider-Man9X17]

"You know where he's at. It's no secret. You can take him out now. End this before it starts."

Hawkeye sat at the conference table, looking over the news briefs on Magneto. He was in Genosha. He had to be. Nobody could touch him there. Not legally, anyway. But Hawkeye had the means. Did he want to cross the line, though.

His thoughts were interuppted by the perimeter alert. Somebody was coming in the mansion through an upstairs window.

"Go time," he told himself, knocking his bow.

[ElectroFlare]

"I wonder what they'll make of the new costume?" Spider-man thought to himself as he walked to the door. "Well, it could be worse. It could be red and gold." Spider-man laughed at the thought. He would never wear such a horrible color scheme. Sorry Tony, but the ironman style just wasn't right for Spider-man.

"Is anyone even here?" Spider-man thought as his spider-sense tingled. Something was approaching. Not overly dangerous, but more subtle. Something that could become dangerous to Spider-man...or someone...

[twylight]

Captain America grabs ahold of the sword, trying to pull it from Ben's chest while trying to grab it from Rogue at the same time.

"Leave him ALONE!"


Rogue felt her hand grow numb.

"What the...."

The sword seemed to pulsate with light, cascading over the heroes and villain.
It bounced against the walls before falling to the ground and dispersing as further pulsations followed the first.

Rogue felt her self get head, her eyes closed and darkness seeped into her vision as she passed out.

[The Question]

A wave of energy passes over them, and Cap loses consciousness.


When he awakens, he finds himself in a white space of sorts. He looks around, and sees a very strange sight.

Dozens of people standing around the white space. Most looked like they were just arising from a daze. Each one of them looked like either Cap, Tony, Ben, or Rogue. And yet, somehow, all of them were different. And they all looked as confused as Cap was.

And, in the very center of the white space, glowing and hovering mid air, was Excalibur.

"Things just keep getting better and better."

After a few seconds of tense silence, everyone rushes towards the sword. Cap isn't sure if he can trust these other versions of himself and the others, and so he fights his way through the mob to get to the sword. His main concern, though, is getting there before the other versions of Rogue. He jumps over an alternate Tony who seems to be wearing a suped up 15th century suit of Spanish armor while dodging a blow from a much larger (and much greener) Ben. A Rogue with glowing red eyes tries to strike Cap with a staff, but instead hits another Cap holding a gun. Finally, as Cap nears the sword, he jumps up towards it. Another Cap, wearing a military jacket with a darker version of Cap's uniform underneath and no mask, grabs onto Cap's leg, but not before Cap grabs the hilt of the sword.

"Get us back home now!"

There's a bright flash that engulfs everyone in the white space. Cap feels his body go numb as it's torn apart by the torrent of energies. He screams in pain as.....




Suddenly, everything is as it was. Rougue is on the gound, unconscious, and Tony is lying down with his suit disabled. Cap looks around, very confused. He feels a sharp pain in his head, and takes off his helmet to rub his temples. Suddenly, he realizes something.

"...B..Ben!"

He rushes to Ben's side.

"Are you alright?"

[Duker Jay]

OOC: I’m just assuming the sword isn’t in the Ben’s chest anymore.

Ben opened his eyes. Looking up, he saw Steve Roger’s face. The last thing he remembered, he had a sword lodged in his chest. Realizing that the sword was gone, he brought his hand to his chest to check the damage. He felt nothing and something at the same time. While there was no visible damage left, something was different…he felt flesh.

“Are you alright?”

“I…I…I think so…yeah. I’m feeling pretty good, here.” Ben Grimm sat up. Not the Ben Grimm who became the ‘Idol of Millions’ as the ‘Ever-lovin’, blue-eyed Thing’ but rather, the self-assured former test pilot and astronaut. No super-strength, no rocky hide…just a man.

This wasn’t the first time Ben had reverted from his “Thing” appearance, always returning to it eventually, either by choice or by fate.

He stood up, in the middle of a scattering of orange rubble and having to keep hold of his uniform, which was now grossly oversized. His head spun a little, but for the most part, Ben felt good.

“What happened, Cap? I blacked out, there…we win or what?”

[The Question]

"Yeah. Some sort of dimensional...thing happened (I'm not to sure exactly what), and the next thing I knew I was holding the sword, and everyone else was on the ground. Sword must have caused. It also is probably why you're looking the way you are right now. C'mon. Help me get Rogue and Tony to the quinjet. Once we get back stateside, we can have Strane and Rich...I mean Reed take a look at you. See exactly how the sword effected you. First, there are some power dampeners in the quinjet. We should get one on Rogue so she doesn't escape. Could you go get them while I gaurd sleeping beuty here?"

[Batman]

I open my eyes as the isolation chamber opens.The air starts to move in on my face.The smell of exhaust and fumes from the morning traffic fill my nose.As I sit up,I can hear the sounds of the city filling up my hearing.

It's day.And,unfortunatley,I didn't sleep.Again.

This is the third time this week.I wasn't out as Daredevil all night.I couldn't stomach it.I don't know if that makes me weak,or my career is finally catching up with me...but...I couldn't do what was needed.

Not after what happened...

I still can't get over it.I've confessed as both Daredevil and Matt Murdock.I should be over this.I should move on with my life.None of this grieving is going to bring that woman back,or fix my mistake.

...My mistake.My fault.It was all my fault.If I hadn't-

No...I...need to try and get that out of my head.It's beginning to interfere in my life,and my job.Both jobs.Even if it was my fault,I still have a life that I need to get back to.There's work to be done,and I have to attend to it.

Even if I did intentionally kill an innocent person.

Suddenly,I realise I've been thinking about it so much that it's actually blocked out my senses.And then,for the first time in a long time...I really do feel blind.

- - -

I walk into the office.I can already smell Foggy's supply of donuts that he bought at the local deli,down the street.

...

Wait a minute.Something isn't right.Those are the ones from yesterday.

As the realisation hits me,I sense someone coming towards me,from the back hallway.It's...

"...Foggy?"

He slows down,a little.But,He's out of breath.Something's caught his attention,then.That,or he's decided to take up exercising.Which,somehow,I doubt.I can sense his head looking up at me.

"Matt,You Gotta Hear This."

I raise an eyebrow,as he leads me into the back room.Inside,I can hear a television playing.And the voice is that of a news reporter of whom I've heard before.Something's on the news?

"Listen."

'-uthorities were horrified at the scene in eastern Manhattan,today,when several reports were taken into the police department,concerning a grim incident in our own backyard.Twenty two bodies were discovered lying on the corner of Miller and Everest streets earlier this morning,after a bus was seen leaving the area.Though there are few suspects in the crime,at this hour,witnesses report that a message was displayed through the bodies alignment.Due to regulations,we cannot show you the bodies,but the message has been confirmed as one word.'

As if that weren't enough,My eyes widen once I hear it.

'Daredevil.'

...

Oh my god.

He...It's...It was Bullseye.It had to be.Twenty two bodies,the message,the deaths...the motive...it really isn't that difficult to figure it out.And no one hates me as much as he does.Especially now,If he really did love that woman.

...He did it because of me.Even if I'm wrong about who did it,which I highly doubt,It's my fault.The message was intended for me,obviously.And the way it was done...All of those people...all dead,just to spell out my name...

"Isn't that one of the sickest things you've ever heard?"

I turn my head,slightly.I'm sweating.

It was my fault...Mine...

"Y-Yes...Sick.Pretty sick,Foggy."

Foggy looks at me.

"Hey Matt,You okay?You don't look so well..."

I turn my head away.

"Yes,I'm...fine.Do you have the files I requested for the Dodson case?"

"They're in your office.You sure you're okay?"

I turn my head towards his direction.

"Honestly...I don't know anymore..."

I walk out,leaving Foggy with the news report.

I could break my cane in half,right now.How DARE he use me to commit such a sick act...That inhuman,immoral son of a...

I stop.

Can I really blame him,though?I killed the woman he loved.I know how he feels,in some ways.When Elektra died,There was so much I wanted to do to him.So many ways I wanted to make him pay.

And now,He's going to try and do the reversal.I'm not going to allow it.I won't.

He wants to kill me?Fine.He can try that.

But when he kills innocent people just to get my attention,that's where I draw the line.I won't stand for this.Those people will get justice.Every one of them.Bullseye isn't going to get away with this.There's isn't a chance in hell.

Sleep well today,Bullseye.Catch all the sleep you can get.Because tonight,this is coming to an end,before it begins.

Tonight...The Devil gets his due.

[twylight]

Darkness swam in front of Rogue eyes, slowly it parted, but instead of revealing light it revealed an even darker shade of black. So black it made the darkness it was parting look white.

She looked around she was standing in a space so large and vast it seemed to strech on to infinity.

"Ain't this a bit of a tight spot." She commented, expecting her voice to echo. Instead it fell flat, as if she was in a tiny little room.

"Rogue..what are you doin'?" A voice asked questioningly.

Rogue spun around, her head turning in all directions.

"Who are you! Where are you?"

Silence followed, but in it Rogue felt as if who ever had spoken was silent in thought.

"I'm here."

Rogue turned and saw a Woman come fron the black rip in the darkness. The black seeped from behind her and cast a glow causing Rogue to cover her eyes from the glare.

"Who are you?" She asked again, her voice slightly shaky.

The woman's lips were turned up like a small smile, however it bore the look of sadness.
Rogue blinked and looked at the woman.
She was nothing more than 30 years old and her face bore resemblance to Rogue’s own however her hair was blonde.

“Momma?” Rogue asked, the resemblance to her mother was terrifying. The woman stepped closer, her face not moving from it’s slight, sad smile. Now that she was closer Rogue could see a very faint outline of white hair, running along the top of the womans temple.

“You have a long way ta go, an’ you must leave now.” The woman spoke, a soft southern accent barely perceptible in her voice.
She placed her hand on Rogues shoulder and gave her a small push.

“Wait who…”


“……. them while I guard sleeping beauty here?"


Rogue flickered her eyes open, her mind confused.
“No..this was supposed ta make it all better.” Her mind was paralyzed for a moment as she took in what had just happened, turning her head slightly her green eyes went wide.
The Thing stood there as Ben Grimm. Something Rogue had only seen once when she’d sucked the former member of the Fantastic Four powers. She closed her eyes.

“Ah don’t want to fight.” She thought to what Thanos had said about the teleporter. Thinking about where she wanted to go she opened her eyes. Only to find herself laying on a metal floor. Sitting up she recognized the design as the interior of Thanos’ Ship.

[twylight]

“AH! There you are! I was almost afraid you wouldn’t come.” Beth greets me as I enter the office, 15 minute early.

I hold out the pink box balanced in my left hand.
“I bring peace offerings.”

She laughs and I immediately decide I like her laugh. It’s light, breezy and makes you feel instantly welcoming.

She motions me to follow her. Walking into the semi-empty newsroom, she points me towards a little mini-kitchenette in the front right corner.

“There’s the snack area. Here let me.” She takes the box and walks over, setting it on the counter. Allowing me time to add stability to the other box I balanced.

She returned to me.
“Desk stuff I’m guessing?” She asks as we walk back to my desk.
“Don’t worry about the pens and pencils. The accountants sink in a substantial part of our profits into bulk pen and pencil purchases.”

I set the box down on my desk.

“Empty this time of morning.” I said starting to unpack it.

“Hmm…not really, It’ll be pretty calm today.”


Three hours later I yelled over the talking:
“’Pretty calm’ you said!”

Beth winked at me as she sat a pile of files on my desk.

“Okay, I had to fib a little. By the way the donuts were a hit and you’re the new office sweetheart.”

I sigh, the huge amount of introductions had caused my mind to be jumbled even before the real jobs had started.
She smiled encouragingly

“Oh, yes. Would you like to go to lunch with me today? We’ll go dutch?” She asked.

“Yes, I’d like that.” I nod as one of the reporters I’d been introduced to earlier come’s up, Mark I think.

“Beth, do you have that file on…”
Beth rolled her eyes and skittered away.

I stood up and walked to the coffee area pouring myself a glass.

Two of the men walk into the little area, I recognize them as John and Todd.

“Hey, thanks for the donuts!” Todd says as John adds his thanks.

I nod and smile.
“No problem!” I turn to leave.

“Hey guys!” Another reporter hurry’s up.

Todd turns. “Bill, what is it? You got a story?”

Bill shakes his head.
“Got a lead.”

John turns. “So spill.”

I stand there in the corner fenced in by the men. I wasn’t too small, and I had enough strength to push past however the excitement of a new story or lead was too much for me to leave. My ears perk.

Bill grabs a cup of water.
“I was down at the precinct and overheard some guy’s they brought in at midnight. Turns out a woman in black caught them stealing from a pawn shop up on...”

“Wait...” Todd cut in.
“You’re telling me this…is it a hero?”

Bill shrugs trying to act calm and my heart stops. They’ve heard about me...it was me they were talking about…
“The police brushed it off as a concerned citizen, but these guy’s say...she was strong…really strong. She had these things on her wrist that shot out cables. Not something a normal ‘citizen’ would have.”

John shrugs.
“It’s New York, who know’s what ‘normal’ is around here.”

That got a chuckle from them all.

“So, did you give it to Phil?” Todd asks.

Bill nods and rocks back on his heels.
“Yep, it’s out of my hair, say..”

“Excuse me gentlemen.” I try to say lightly.

“Oh..hey..”
“Sorry about..”
“I’ll move..”

I smile and squeeze past them catching their comments as I walk away.

“Best lookin’ girl I’ve ever seen.” That must be about me. I smile slightly, thought it does little to abate the fear in my chest.

“So you think this ‘Midnight Mistress’ will strike again?”

“HA! Nice one.”

“Sheesh..it’s like our very own Batman…except a fema…..” His voice faded from my hearing.

I made my way quickly to my desk, my head felt light as if it had detached while still staying attached.
Beth came by.
“You okay? You look a little pale.”

I shake my head.
“No, I’m fine...” She smiles and bobs away.

I sigh and rest my head in my hands an exasperated look on my face.
“…Just…fine..”

[The Question]

Darkness swam in front of Rogue eyes, slowly it parted, but instead of revealing light it revealed an even darker shade of black. So black it made the darkness it was parting look white.

She looked around she was standing in a space so large and vast it seemed to strech on to infinity.

"Ain't this a bit of a tight spot." She commented, expecting her voice to echo. Instead it fell flat, as if she was in a tiny little room.

"Rogue..what are you doin'?" A voice asked questioningly.

Rogue spun around, her head turning in all directions.

"Who are you! Where are you?"

Silence followed, but in it Rogue felt as if who ever had spoken was silent in thought.

"I'm here."

Rogue turned and saw a Woman come fron the black rip in the darkness. The black seeped from behind her and cast a glow causing Rogue to cover her eyes from the glare.

"Who are you?" She asked again, her voice slightly shaky.

The woman's lips were turned up like a small smile, however it bore the look of sadness.
Rogue blinked and looked at the woman.
She was nothing more than 30 years old and her face bore resemblance to Rogue’s own however her hair was blonde.

“Momma?” Rogue asked, the resemblance to her mother was terrifying. The woman stepped closer, her face not moving from it’s slight, sad smile. Now that she was closer Rogue could see a very faint outline of white hair, running along the top of the womans temple.

“You have a long way ta go, an’ you must leave now.” The woman spoke, a soft southern accent barely perceptible in her voice.
She placed her hand on Rogues shoulder and gave her a small push.

“Wait who…”


“……. them while I guard sleeping beauty here?"


Rogue flickered her eyes open, her mind confused.
“No..this was supposed ta make it all better.” Her mind was paralyzed for a moment as she took in what had just happened, turning her head slightly her green eyes went wide.
The Thing stood there as Ben Grimm. Something Rogue had only seen once when she’d sucked the former member of the Fantastic Four powers. She closed her eyes.

“Ah don’t want to fight.” She thought to what Thanos had said about the teleporter. Thinking about where she wanted to go she opened her eyes. Only to find herself laying on a metal floor. Sitting up she recognized the design as the interior of Thanos’ Ship.


Cap spins around as Rogue flashes away.

"Wonderful."

Cap turns back to Ben.

"Help me carry Tony back to the quinjet. When we get back stateside, we can contact Xaivier and tell him what his 'children' have been doing after hours."

[Duker Jay]

"Awright...just give me a sec, here..." Ben's head swam a little.

Shortly afterwards, the three heroes emerged from the large mansion, making there way to the Quinjet and heading back home.

[The Question]

Cap opens the door to the quinjet, and turns to Ben.

"Care to take a crack at flying this thing?"

[Duker Jay]

"Did ya ferget who you were talkin' to, Cap'n?" Ben smugly sits down at the controls. "Let's get outta here...but first, let me see if Stark's got any spare clothes lyin' around this thing."

After finding some appropriate clothing, Ben sits down again at the main console. "I watched ol' Tin Can on the way over...this'll be a breeze."

Soon, the Quinjet is rocketing across the sky.

[The Question]

Cap sits back in his seat. A stern look apears across his face, as he begions to think.


Things are going to get much worse for the heroes of Earth in the coming days. Of this, Stephen Rogers was certain.

[Johnny Blaze]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/HypsterJB/Thanos17.gif

Having been monitoring her activities on the planet, Thanos was fully aware that Rogue had teleported back to his worldship. Using his own teleportational skill, Thanos appears outside the door to the room where Rogue is located.
Pausing a moment to allow her time to get to her feet and shake off proverbial cobwebs from her encounter with the heroes, Thanos walks in the room.

"I see that you have returned to me, child. And where is the legendary sword, Excalibur?" Thanos asked, knowing full well what happened. The Titan wanted to see what she would say though. The final part of her test.

[SonnyBlack]

"50 gold pieces and not a penny less!" Wade said. Alex kept staring. "Alright let me see what I've got in my wallet." he jumbled around, looking up, he asked. "Eh... would a 15 year old condom be good?"

"I... I don't think it'd work if that's what you're asking." Alex replied.

Wade laid a $20 on the table. "Okay I'm low on cash, I think I was so desperate my last job was a pizza delivery."
Alex looks at Wade with a stunned look on his face.

“Look at yourself your pathetic man! What happened to the Wade I hated who was only in this for the money and the chicks… or the dudes… hell I don’t know you that well. Now look at you, all you got to your name is twenty bucks and a condom. It’s downright Un-American it is!”

“For a major dill weed you got a point.”

Wade puts his hand to his head in obvious contemplation.

“Your like the neutered version of Wade Wilson.”

Wade gives Alex a devious smile as he tosses a dagger into X’s neck. Alex just sits back in his chair and smiles.

“Whoever messes with the Avengers and Fantastic Four more gets the other person as their slave for a week!”

Taking the dagger out of his neck Alex scribbles something down on paper and passes it to Wade.

“Your on spandex boy.”

Coming up on the Deadpool & Agent X comedy hour:

"How Wade got his groove back."

[twylight]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/HypsterJB/Thanos17.gif

Having been monitoring her activities on the planet, Thanos was fully aware that Rogue had teleported back to his worldship. Using his own teleportational skill, Thanos appears outside the door to the room where Rogue is located.
Pausing a moment to allow her time to get to her feet and shake off proverbial cobwebs from her encounter with the heroes, Thanos walks in the room.

"I see that you have returned to me, child. And where is the legendary sword, Excalibur?" Thanos asked, knowing full well what happened. The Titan wanted to see what she would say though. The final part of her test.


Rogue's mind started and she quelled the fear she felt in her chest.
Bringing her chin up she stood up straight, and answered.

"Ah didn't retrieve the sword. However the Fantastic Four member The Thing did revert to human form."
She added trying to hint at the use of one less super-hero.

She knew she'd be lucky to get out of this alive. But if he went to all this work, would he kill her over a single failed test?

[Electro UK]

Alex looks at Wade with a stunned look on his face.

“Look at yourself your pathetic man! What happened to the Wade I hated who was only in this for the money and the chicks… or the dudes… hell I don’t know you that well. Now look at you, all you got to your name is twenty bucks and a condom. It’s downright Un-American it is!”

“For a major dill weed you got a point.”

Wade puts his hand to his head in obvious contemplation.

“Your like the neutered version of Wade Wilson.”

Wade gives Alex a devious smile as he tosses a dagger into X’s neck. Alex just sits back in his chair and smiles.

“Whoever messes with the Avengers and Fantastic Four more gets the other person as their slave for a week!”

Taking the dagger out of his neck Alex scribbles something down on paper and passes it to Wade.

“Your on spandex boy.”

Coming up on the Deadpool & Agent X comedy hour:

"How Wade got his groove back."

"What the hell is he on about!?!?"

I don't know, maybe there is someone out there who watches more T.V. than you.

"Bah! I doubt his television watching powers!"

Whatever.

"I accept your challenge good sir! And now, like the morning residing into night, I take my leave!" blasting a hole through the wall, Wade leapt off of the train. Getting up he brushed himself off. "Damnit! He stole me $20!"

***

"Ha! This plan cannot fail!" Wade said to himself, "I spent hours trying to catch a Road runner, catching a Hawkeye should be easy! He trips up over a wire... then I role him up in a carpet and throw him off a bridge! hehehehe!"

You know Wade, Alex is right, you have lost your groove, I'll see ya later.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Check the OOC thread, see if The Spot's still availble.

"I'll be good."

***

"Is this better?" Wade asked poiting at the giant boulder hanging in front of the Avengers door way. "Some one opens it and blam!"

Well... its not the most well thought out of plans... don't even tell me how you got that boulder up there.

Click! "Oh good! Here comes must first victim! PleasebeHawkeyePleasebeHawkeyePleasebeHawkeye."

"Wade? What the hell? I haven't seen you in--"

"Get outta the way Wally!" Wade dived for the kid, pushing him out of the way and getting squashed himself. "They bury dead Avengers in their front lawn? "Hawkeye! Long time no see... what the hell?"

[SonnyBlack]

As Alex leaves the bar his cell phone begins to ring.

"This is Magneto the time has come."

Sorry Wade looks like we'll have to pick things up some other time.

"I'm listening."

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Wade, you dumbass. Get the hell in here before the neighbors call the cops. Swear to God I'm getting you a shock collar."

Hawkeye walked back into the mansion as Spider-Man came in through the window.

"We have doors," Hawkeye snapped, irritated a bit that Peter set off the alarms. Still though, he was glad some more back-up had arrived.

"Listen, man. Just ignore me. Where's Johnny?"

[Spider-Man9X17]

A decade of his life had been spent here. In this buildng, with this team. Ten years, and now they were over.

Johnny threw the final switch, and the power went out in the top floor of the Baxter Building. Everything had been sealed off, locked up, dismantled, and powered down. The tenant and business floors were still running, but nobody need to be up here. Not anymore. Johnny scribbled a final note to Ben as the last blast door locked into place, letting him know what was going on, and to lock the place up again after he retrieved any personal items. Frankie was down int he garage, getting the kids buckled into their cars seats as Johnny taped the note to the door.

And that was it. The final nail had been pounded into the Fantastic Four's coffin. Johnny wiped a single tear from his eye before getting on the elevator.

"You ready sweetie?" Frankie asked as Johnny emerged in the parking garage.

"Yeah," he sighed, getting into the car. Frankie got into the passenger's side and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. Johnny didn't say a word as he put the car into gear and pulled out. Within the hour New York, and the life he had lived, were just a distant memory.

[ElectroFlare]

"I'm not sure where he went. We went to talk to Reed and Sue, and Johnny just flew off. I don't know where he went, but for all I know he felt like getting a Reeses candy bar." Spider-man said, knowing that it was more then just that.

"He didn't say anything to me as he left, but thing's are pretty crazy. After that whole DOOM episode, things have been crazy."

"What's happening on the front line? The pres got killed again, is that where Cap is?"

[ElectroFlare]

"You are nothing to me!" Cain shouted as he kicked the door down. Literally.

He then collasped a wall on top those who were chasing him, attempting to stop him. The military, security, they were nothing. They could not stop him.

Then Cain saw it.

It would finance his next attack on the X-mansion.

The gold of Fort Knox...

[Electro UK]

"I'm not sure where he went. We went to talk to Reed and Sue, and Johnny just flew off. I don't know where he went, but for all I know he felt like getting a Reeses candy bar." Spider-man said, knowing that it was more then just that.

"He didn't say anything to me as he left, but thing's are pretty crazy. After that whole DOOM episode, things have been crazy."

"What's happening on the front line? The pres got killed again, is that where Cap is?"

"Waitaminute!" Wade blurted out. "What's all this about Johnny? And the pres is dead again? Let me see here... I killed him in season 1, Magneto killed him in season 2 (but I was in a coma so I don't know that of course) and he's died just now? Damn! We gotta head back to season 3 and finish him off!"

Spider-man and Hawkeye looked at Wade blankly. "...so Johnny's missing?"

[ElectroFlare]

"Waitaminute!" Wade blurted out. "What's all this about Johnny? And the pres is dead again? Let me see here... I killed him in season 1, Magneto killed him in season 2 (but I was in a coma so I don't know that of course) and he's died just now? Damn! We gotta head back to season 3 and finish him off!"

Spider-man and Hawkeye looked at Wade blankly. "...so Johnny's missing?"

"Yeah, Johnny's missing and the pres is dead." Spider-man sighed.

"I think the CIA must have some kind of prez dispenser ready for when the President is killed. Imagine a guy walking out of a big Tweety bird head." Spider-man laughed.

Just then the TV flashed images of the Juggernaut tearing apart Fort Knox.

"Uh...Hawk? I think we've got a mission..."

[The Question]

After a few hours of flight, the quinjet touches down in Manhatten. Cap steps off, carrying the still imobile Iron Man.

"Don't worry, Tony. Your suit's systems should kick back in soon."

He turns to Ben.

"Like I said earlyer, you should probably have Reed and Strange take a look at you. See what's what. I'll take ol' shellhead back to the lab to fix his suit back up."

Cap goes through the hallways to Tony's and Hank's lab, and sets him down. Stark speaks to him, his voice muffled by the mask he wears.

"Okay. Steve. You're going to have to pry the suit open by hand. The hydrolic locks are off, so you should be able to do it yourself. Get one of the metal pics on the table to find the seam."

Cap picks up the metal pic, and with some effort prys the suit open. Tony gets out, gasping at the fresh air.

"God, I could barely breath in there."

"You really should ventalate that thing more. C'mon, I'll fix you a burbon on the rocks."

As Cap turns to the door, Stark stops him.

"....Steve, I'm a recovering alchoholic. You know that."

Cap turns back to him.

".....right. Sorry. Long day. Mind seems to be slipping in my old age."

"I understand. I'll stay here and work on my suit for a while. Then I'm going home to catch a few days worth of sleep. God, the past few days have been a mess."

"Yes. But we'll do what we always do. Persevere. I'll get back to the monitor room now."

Cap heads to the monitor room, and turns on all the newsfeeds. He sees reports in a hundred different languages about the assasination of the president, and the implication of the Chinese. He sits back, and begins absorbing all the information in front of him.

And then he smiles.

He sits forward, and taps into the CIA and S.H.E.I.L.D. compuers. He types in his security clearance, and begins to download data onto a disc, as a plan begins to formulate in his mind.

[Duker Jay]

"Like I said earlier, you should probably have Reed and Strange take a look at you. See what's what. I'll take ol' shellhead back to the lab to fix his suit back up."

“Ol’ shellhead?” Ben asked, under his breath. “Since when does Captain America talk like that?”

Ben activated his communicator. Within minutes, a Fantasticar had arrived and was speeding him back to the Baxter Building. He felt good. He had always relished the times when he had reverted to his human form, freed of the rocky form of his superheroic alter ego. This time was just the latest in a long list of “cures” he had experienced over the years.

“Wonder how long it’ll stick this time…” Ben had learned in his years in the superhero life that nothing was guaranteed and, usually, nothing lasted forever…especially the good things.

--

Within minutes, Ben Grimm arrived home. He stepped out of the Fantasticar where it landed in the plaza in front of the Baxter Building. Ben wanted to make sure as many people as possible saw that he was back to normal, if only for the moment.

Ben greeted a few people going through the lobby, pleased to get more than a few smiles from passing women.

“There’s somethin’ I missed…”

Ben stepped into the elevator and it quickly whisked him to the upper floors of the building. Once there, he got out and was greeted by a hand-written note on the door. It was from Johnny explaining the final dissolution of the Fantastic Four. Ben gave it little more than a second look as he pulled it down.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ll be back…they’ll all be back.” He reassured himself. “But, take yer time, kid…you earned yerself some quality time away.”

[Johnny Blaze]

Rogue's mind started and she quelled the fear she felt in her chest.
Bringing her chin up she stood up straight, and answered.

"Ah didn't retrieve the sword. However the Fantastic Four member The Thing did revert to human form."
She added trying to hint at the use of one less super-hero.

She knew she'd be lucky to get out of this alive. But if he went to all this work, would he kill her over a single failed test?
Thanos stood there with a emotionless look upon his face for a moment before answering, "Do not worry, Rogue. You performed well, given the circumstances."
Thanos turned his gaze towards the door, and an humanoid guard walked into the room armed and dressed in the body armor of a soldier in Thanos' army.
"Guard, you will escort the young woman hear to her quarters."

"Yes, my Lord", said the guard with a low bow.

Thanos turned back to Rogue, "You have proven yourself to my cause today, Rogue. Thus, a room has been prepared for you in the officer's barracks. You may take your leave there and wait for the time when I call on you again."

[twylight]

Thanos stood there with a emotionless look upon his face for a moment before answering, "Do not worry, Rogue. You performed well, given the circumstances."
Thanos turned his gaze towards the door, and an humanoid guard walked into the room armed and dressed in the body armor of a soldier in Thanos' army.
"Guard, you will escort the young woman hear to her quarters."

"Yes, my Lord", said the guard with a low bow.

Thanos turned back to Rogue, "You have proven yourself to my cause today, Rogue. Thus, a room has been prepared for you in the officer's barracks. You may take your leave there and wait for the time when I call on you again."

Rogue gave a slight bow and followed them deep in thought.

Her every muscle crying as if to go home.

Home..there was no home for her anymore. She'd gone back to her roots as a villianess and that was the way it was going to stay.

[twylight]

I stop and knock on Trudy’s door on my way home. She opens it smiling.

“Hello honey! How was the first day?” She guides me inside.

I sigh and take a seat.

It was okay. I’m just tired.” I sigh and contort my face into an overly dramatic exasperated look.
She smiles.

“Busy isn’t it? I never figured how Joe did it.” She bustled into the kitchen.

“Would you like to stay for dinner? I’m making crab cakes!”

“Hmm..sounds delicious. But I wouldn’t want to cause you any extra work.”

“Oh no problem...no problem… I like to have company.”

I play with the kittens while she finishes preparing dinner and comes and sits in the rocking chair.

“Oh!” She starts to stand as if she forgot something.

I hurry and spring to my feet.

“What is it? Can I get it for you?”

She refuses and I insist until she finally sits back down.

“It’s my crocheting over on the record cabinet.”

I look acround confused until she points.
“There dear.”

I pick it up and hand it to her before turning back and running my hand over the art deco style woodwork.

“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Isn’t it though? It was a wedding gift to me from my aunt and uncle.”

I let out a low whistle.
“Does it still work?”

“Oh my yes!” she said as if I was crazy. Trudy stood up and walked over, opening the cabinet with ease and displaying the vintage 1950’s record player.
“We had to get a new record player..” She smiles as if at a fond memory.

I kneel down and look at the records.

She smiles as she watches me, before bending over and pulling one out.

“Here, I think you’ll like this one.” She brushes some dust off it’s near perfect sleeve and places it on the turntable. Her fingers delicately picking up and resting the needle in the right place.

It starts to spin, the black going from harsh plastic to a velvet soft look in it’s spinning. It’s scratchy for a second before the music starts to whisper from the speakers, gradually getting louder.

Trudy smiles and starts humming.

“What is it?” I ask after a while.

She looks at me as if I’m there for the first time.
“It’s ‘That Old Black Magic.’ My favorite song, Joe and I dance to it at our wedding.”

Suddenly a female voice filtered over the music, a slow velvet voice, piercing at times in its clearness, but one of beauty and grace.

That old black magic
Has me in it’s spell
That old black magic
That you weave so well.”

I stare at the record going round and round. It was so simple, a technology from a simpler time, a purer time, when heroes were heroes and villains were villains. Nothing clouding the middle.

“You look like a small child.”

I turn at Trudy’s voice, realizing my eyes must be wide in wonder.

I laugh.
“Sorry, it’s just such pretty music.”

“DING”

“Oh that’s the timer.” She hurried away to the kitchen and I leaned against the counter watching her as she moved around the Kitchen. The music stopped for a second and then went into a bouncier number. And I tapped my foot to the beat.

Trudy saw it and smiled.
“Dancy, isn’t it?”

I nod.

“Well, when my Nephew comes back we’ll have to take you dancing! We go every Wednesday night.”

I tilt my head.
“Why didn’t you go this last Wednesday?”

“I don’t go when he isn’t here. How would I look if I walked in without an escort.” She joked casing me to smile.

“Go sit down so we can have dinner. Wheel of Fortune comes on in a bit.”

[Midnight Ice]

Iceman continues to glide until he sees Arcangel and Ghost Rider in the distance.

"Whats up guys?"

[The Question]

Cao had called his editor and told him that he had a personal crisis to deal with, and that he and the writer had talked and he was able to draw the next few issues in advance. Currently, he sits at a computer, looking over the data disk he took from S.H.E.I.L.D.'s files. He knows what his next course of action must be.

He checks S.H.E.I.L.D.'s data banks as to the last known whereabouts of Bruce Banner.

[Duker Jay]

Ben searched the closet, looking for clothes appropriate for his normalized size. He was digging through some boxes he had stored when he came across an old t-shirt and a pair of pants.

"These'll do."

Captain America's words kept running through Ben's mind. He knew the smartest thing to do would be getting checked out by someone, and if Reed were still around, he'd probably already have him hooked up to some machine to give him a full check-up. But Reed wasn't here, and Ben looked forward to a normal afternoon...blending in with everyone else...enjoying a regular afternoon out downtown.

"It can wait." he thought to himself. "'Sides, if it's only 'round fer a limited time, I'll jus' make the best of it."

Gathering up a few other things, Ben left the apartment and boarded the elevator, heading for street level.

--

Soon, Ben was pushing himself out through the doors in the main lobby and crossing the plaza of the Baxter Building where he quickly disappeared into the sea of fellow pedestrians.

[SonnyBlack]

Alex listened in as Eric (what he now told Alex to call him) told him about the special job he had for him. With Genosha now under the control of Magneto he was looking to settle some ties and Alex was the one to help him. Now for the first time Alex felt what it was to work for something other then money now he knew what it meant to fight for a purpose.

“There can be no mistakes Alex.”

“Don’t worry I’ll just do it like my life depended on it, as a matter of fact now that I think about it I’m sure it does.”

“You do catch on quickly don’t you?”

“And I could ride my bike really fast!”

“I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you.”

“Really?!? Cuz.”

…click

Agent X begins to look over blueprints, photos, and other info on the job as he prepares himself knowing there could be no mistakes.

“Don’t worry Eric I won't let you down.”

[JewishHobbit]

The shocker walks. The prison behind him lies in rubble, prisoners lie in heaps. He has a smile on his face. He had entered bravely, and with each guard that feel, with each escaped prisoner that he rendered unconscious... his confidense grew. Finally, he came to the prisoners who decided to run the prison... Hammerhead, Tombstone, others who normally hated each other. Gorgan was there in his Scorpian suit. He walk right in their midst and challenged them. They attacked and he had created a vibratory field around himself and it shot everyone away. He expanded the field and pressed them into the walls. A few went unconsious at that time, including Gorgan the wuss. Those who could take the pressure attacked again, and one by one the Shocker used his new toys to take them out. It lasted but only fifteen minutes, and the biggest names of the prison were lying at his feet.

He left the prison and vibrated the walls on the way, feeling the molecules in their structures. He splintered all metal frames and liquified the pipes. The prison fell in a heap, and the shocker walks, a smile beneath his mask. Herman Schultz has come into his own, and he will never be mocked again. The Shocker is here, let all fear him.

[twylight]

I slip out the window later that night, thought this time I don’t wear any black. I just wanted to bypass having Trudy ask where I was going. I smile thinking about her. During dinner she’d insisted she give me cooking lessons.

“Cooking is what draws the men..not just looks. Why do you think Joe Married me?” She’d winked as she said it.

I thought she was probably the most pretty elderly woman I’d ever seen. Though my fondness for her might make me bias. I pull the coller of my jacket up. Spring in New York was nothing like spring in Paris. It was still chilly out, not even cold enough to wear a jacket, but I’d decided on a walk down by the river.
The water called for me. I walk quickly the cars passing on my left, their lights illumination me and casting a long shadow before whizzing by leaving me again dark against the black backdrop of buildings.

I reach the bridge and lean against the guard rail. My hands pressed against it, the cool metal shows through in the areas the paint has chipped or peeled away, showing different paint colors.
I lean over and look down at the inky black water. It rolls under the bridge offering an inviting warmth, beckoning to me. Daring me to jump and inviting me to stop living. I look back up towards the Skyline of New York. The lights twinkle, like twinkle lights at Christmas. The glow from the city reflects into the totally clear night sky, obscuring the natural light of the moon and stars.

I lean back, my hands gripping the metal rail, my hair blows back behind me as the gentle breeze of the night caresses it.

No stars.

I can’t see the stars, only the artificial light of a city full of people and heroes.

[The Question]

A Quinjet lands just outside of Jersey City.

Captain America steps out, dressed in civilian clothes.

He's looking for a fugitive.

Bruce Banner.

Knowing Bruce's lack of finances, he's likely to be hiding out in a shelter somehwere. Knowing Bruce's need to study his condition, he'll find a place nearby some kind of reaserch facility.

There aren't many high tech labs in the empty feilds that are south Jersey, so Bruce has himself at a conflict. He either leaves towards a less populated area of the state, which both takes him further away from the scene of his last rampage and keeps the potential loss of life if one of his less than friendly personalities gets set off again to a minimum, or stays in a big city where there's a better chance of finding a cure for himself and a better chance of people dying if he looses his cool.

Bruce would probably think that if he can find a cure for himself now, then the potential damage he could cause in the future is lessened. He knows that curing himself of his powers is the only option he has left.

He's tried to tame his psychosis with therapy several times, and while it has worked for a breif period on occasion, it always fails. The only chance he's got left to keep his inner demons at bay is to take away their method of wreaking havoc. What's more dangerous? Your run of the mill psychopath, or a psychopath who can tear apart an armored tank with his bear hands when he's pissed off?

Cap decides to work of the assumption that he's in or nearby the city. He heads into the city, finds a phone booth, and finds the phone book inside it.

Now, I know what you're thinking, and Cap isn't here to take Banner to jail. Cap knows that Bruce can't help his condition, and that not all of his personalities are bad. He knows that some of them can be of much help to Cap's plans for the coming days.

Cap finds five reaserch facilities in the phone book that deal with biology. He writes them down, and then goes to find if there are any homeless shelters nearby them.

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Yeah, Johnny's missing and the pres is dead." Spider-man sighed.

"I think the CIA must have some kind of prez dispenser ready for when the President is killed. Imagine a guy walking out of a big Tweety bird head." Spider-man laughed.

Just then the TV flashed images of the Juggernaut tearing apart Fort Knox.

"Uh...Hawk? I think we've got a mission..."

Hawkeye sighed. He didn't want to deal with this. Not now. And especially Juggernuat. Marko, one of Magneto's lackies for God knows how long. Clint smelled a possible set up, and he wasn't going to bite.

He turned to Peter.

"The X-Men should handle this one, but if you wanna lead an attack, go ahead. We have business at hand here though and we can't leave the mansion unattended."

The edge in his voice sent shivers down Clint's spine. He hated waiting, knowing someone was about to go after him, and he was powerless to stop it. Powerless, prime for the picking.

He closed his eyes. The heroes were falling apart. He felt it in his soul. The Fantastic Four were gone, the Avengers were spread to thin across the globe, with virtually no backing. S.H.I.E.L.D. was crummbling under the ever growing uncertainty in the US government.

Was this it? After all this time, all the nail biting finishes and all the glorious triumphs. Had time finally run out?

[ElectroFlare]

"Sorry Hawk, but someone has got to do something. He just ripped a tank in half." Spider-man said, turning to leave.

"Is there anyone else here?" Spider-man asked as a second thought. He may not be able to stop Juggy by himself.

He turned to see Wade jumping up and down, waving his arms and shouting pick me, pick me.

"Is there anyone else here?" Spider-man asked.

[Keyser Soze]

Central Station. Bullseye had always been fascinated by the place. On occasions, he'd came in and just sat on one of the benches, watching everyone. All those people, living their meaningless little lives, blissfully unaware of the killer in their midst. But now, now Bullseye hated the place with a passion. Now, he associated it with cruel twists of fate, and distant chances of redemption mercilessly snatched away.

It was here that Daredevil had murdered the woman Bullseye loved. He could have been somewhere in Italy right now, living in peaceful retirement with Brenda and his son. But now, he had nobody. Nobody but Daredevil. And maybe that was how it was supposed to be. The two of them, locked in an eternal struggle. Everything - and everyone - else was just background noise.

And now that battle had brought them back here, to the one place that Bullseye associated with his own weakness. Soon, it would be the place where he would take back the power stolen from him. He was never going to feel helpless again. The more Bullseye thought about it, the more he liked the idea of it. The poetry of it.

"I know you're looking for me, Devil," Bullseye said to himself, "And you know where I am. Well, you will do, once you think about it. But maybe I should do somethin' to make you hurry up."

Bullseye was up in the rafters of Central Station, looking down at everyone. All those people, living their meaningless little lives, blissfully unaware of the killer in their midst. Bullseye armed the sniper rifle he'd brought with him. He aimed at a man sitting on a bench, reading the paper. He'd be the first of many.

He had killed about 4 people by the time anyone took notice. They were all too wrapped up in their meaningless little lives...

[The Question]

Cap quietly walks through the doors of the shelter. This is the fifth one he's checked tonight. The stench of urin and body odor over takes him momentairily, but he regains his composure. This is definately the kind of place where Bruce would hide out.

He shifts through the rooms, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Finally, he spots a frail, lanky man sitting on a bed.

Fits the description well enough.

Cap finds an empty bed a few rows down from the man, lies down, and pulls his baseball cap down. Out of the corner of his eye, he looks at the man.

He's much more pale, looks rather mal nourished, is bald and is wearing a beard. But it does look like Bruce.

After a few moments of waiting, Cap gets up and walks towards the man.

"Before you get yourself into a fuss, Banner, I'm not here to arrest you. I'm here to talk."

[SonnyBlack]

Alex stands on the top of the Avengers Mansion bypasser in hand as he begins to crack the security code.

“I just hope I don’t run into those pesky heroes.”

The bypasser lights up as Alex begins punching the code in.

“Lets see there’s Iron Man he hasn’t been around for like two seasons now. Hulk, I think he was here for the beginning of the season but he’s gone. Thor (Scratching his head) you know I actually don’t remember anyone ever playing him.”

Making his way around the building Alex hears the T.V. going in the living room he stops as he sees his target.

“Ugh it's Déjà vu all over again.”

E True Hollywood story: Before Madonna, Before Britney there was Barbie, the first AMERICAN ****.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ee/Top_barbie45th.jpg/300px-Top_barbie45th.jpg
Please continue.

Ken- Well after our first child was born I thought things would be different, I thought she’d be different.

But things didn’t change did they?

Ken- The drugs had really taken over her life at this point. Every morning she woke up the only thing she could think about is how she could score some rock.

Tell us about the night that she went out and didn’t come home.

Ken- It was a Sunday night around ten o’clock when she left the house. She told me she just had to run to the store to pick up some cigarettes as she ran out. By one with her still not home I knew there could be only one explanation so I made my way to the sewers. When I got there everyone was passed out on glue and spray paint as that horrible smell filled the room.

“How awful.”

Ken- Not seeing Barbie I noticed one of the doors locked and I just knew she was behind it. Before I could open the door Donatello approaches me and is like what you think your doing? After several minutes of physically assaulting me he took me in one of the rooms.

Ken breaks out in heavy tears.

Then as I lay there on the floor he took out his staff and began to shove it up my…

Alex taking out his tranq gun he sends one shot to the neck of the unsuspecting Wanda.

…Several hours later Alex is talking on his cell

“Heeeeey Mr. L.”

“What happened?”

“The first rule of Project Mayhem is you do not ask questions.”

“Idiot.”

“Okay I got her.”

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Fine," Hawkeye said, seeing no one answer Spidey's call. "Give me a minute and we'll go take care of this."
He walked down the hall and up the stairs, making his way to the bedroom.

"Wanda, hun? We got trouble, so Petey and I have to run. Umm, something's happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. and some prisoners, so things may get crazy around here..."

Hawkeye paused. Everything was silent. He pressed his ear to the door, wondering if Wanda was sleeping. Still no sound, nothing at all.

"Wanda?" Clint pushed the door open. The room was pitch black, but he could feel a distinct breeze flowing from the direction of the window. Security protocol should have kept all windows shut.

Clint flipped the light on. The room was empty. Wanda was gone.

Clint's heart dropped to his stomach as he ran to the window. No one in sight.

"Mother of God."

Hawkeye turned and ran from the room, darting to the stairs. By the time he made it back to the main hallway, all the alarms had been activated, filling the air with their ear piercing squeal.

"Right under your nose. He got into your house right under your nose."

A pretty decent reserve force had gathered in the War Room as an exhausted Clint barged in.

"Call the team back. Anyone and everyone who's ever been a part of this team goes on alert now. I want complete lockdown of the compound and all unnessential communication frequencies blacked out. I need any and all intel on Genosha, and somebody find me Nick Fury now."

"Whoa whoa whoa there buddy. What's the big emergency? You're acting like its the end of the world," Hank interuppted.

"Wanda's been kidnapped."

[ElectroFlare]

Wanda kidnapped? Who would do that?

Oh yeah, only the metal-bending freak who couldn't stand that she became an avenger.

"Hawk, I understand that you have to take care of that. I'll go after the Juggernaut, I'm sure some x-men might show up to. Take care of her." Spider-man said and leapt out the window, swinging away at top speed. As he was swinging, he spotted some x-men in the distance.

"Bobby! You guys know about Juggs tearing up Fort Knox? We should probably do something." Spider-man shouted as he approached...

"HAHAHAHA!" Cain laughed as he stomped away from Fort Knox, security and military forces subdued. Sure, there would be more, but he could handle them.

The Unstoppable Juggernaut could do anything! He'd just robbed Fort Knox!

[kang604]

(Im going off of what people have told me is going on in the RPG. If for some reason what I've done is inaccurate just let me know and I will edit. In the meantime when I have time I will go back and read up on what is going on in detail)

Colonel Nicholas J. Fury sighed and grimaced at the immense amount of paperwork now amassing itself on his desk. The current conflict had left him swamped in paper pushing bull***** that Fury didn't have the time or inclination for. Bags began to form under his eyes and the lack of sleep had made it harder and harder for him to concentrate. Even with the world's foremost military organization and an almost unlimited string of resources at his whim, Nick Fury was after all, only human. He could only do so much.

And right now, he was reaching his breaking point.

The SHIELD helicarrier had taken position just off the coast of Portugal, trying to stay as central to the dilemma between China and the US as possible. Fury had ordered strike forces at strategic locations along the coast of China, ready to move in if war erupted. But he still wondered if that would be enough. Could SHIELD really prevent an all out war between 2 of the world's most powerful militaries? He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration as he made his way to the main control room of the helicarrier.

"Private," Fury barked, cigar hanging from his mouth. " I want a full update on our situation. And get me Captain America. He and I need to have a little chat"

[Hyper Venom]

Cap quietly walks through the doors of the shelter. This is the fifth one he's checked tonight. The stench of urin and body odor over takes him momentairily, but he regains his composure. This is definately the kind of place where Bruce would hide out.

He shifts through the rooms, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Finally, he spots a frail, lanky man sitting on a bed.

Fits the description well enough.

Cap finds an empty bed a few rows down from the man, lies down, and pulls his baseball cap down. Out of the corner of his eye, he looks at the man.

He's much more pale, looks rather mal nourished, is bald and is wearing a beard. But it does look like Bruce.

After a few moments of waiting, Cap gets up and walks towards the man.

"Before you get yourself into a fuss, Banner, I'm not here to arrest you. I'm here to talk."

"You're going to have to define 'talk' for me. Most people I've spoken to lately have been trying to 'talk' to me with missile launchers."

Bruce sat up and stared directly into the Captain's eyes.

"And even if you wanted to arrest me, I wouldn't blame you," he said as a tear rolled down his cheek.

[The Question]

"I'm here to offer you a deal, Bruce. I'm assuming you've seen what's been happening. War's on the horizon, it seems. The Avengers could use someone like you in the coming days. And besides, if there is a war, the government will want every resource it has. And dropping you on a city is just as effecting and far less expensive than an arial raid. They'll come for you. They'll try and use you. And I don't want to see that happen any more than you do. I have contacts with the government. I have contacts with alot of governments. I could try and get you an official pardon for any crimes you may have commited as The Hulk. And, I can do my best to get you the best medical care and psychological counciling there is. I can help you beat your inner demons. But for right now, I can set you up with a place to stay and means to inhibit your mutation. Isn't a permament cure, but It'll keep you from being any more dangerous than any normal person with multiple personality disorder if you start to change. And like I said, there may come a time when 'hulk smash' is going to be necesairy for the greater good."

Captain America stands up and looks down at Bruce.

"So. What do you say?"

[Hyper Venom]

"I'm here to offer you a deal, Bruce. I'm assuming you've seen what's been happening. War's on the horizon, it seems. The Avengers could use someone like you in the coming days. And besides, if there is a war, the government will want every resource it has. And dropping you on a city is just as effecting and far less expensive than an arial raid. They'll come for you. They'll try and use you. And I don't want to see that happen any more than you do. I have contacts with the government. I have contacts with alot of governments. I could try and get you an official pardon for any crimes you may have commited as The Hulk. And, I can do my best to get you the best medical care and psychological counciling there is. I can help you beat your inner demons. But for right now, I can set you up with a place to stay and means to inhibit your mutation. Isn't a permament cure, but It'll keep you from being any more dangerous than any normal person with multiple personality disorder if you start to change. And like I said, there may come a time when 'hulk smash' is going to be necesairy for the greater good."

Captain America stands up and looks down at Bruce.

"So. What do you say?"

Bruce thought over what Captain America had said. This could be the opportunity he needed. Maybe they could provide the cure.

But then...maybe he'd just be a pawn. They would study him like a lab rat...then what would he do?

Bruce continued to stare at the Captain. Then, after a moment of thought, he arose and shook the man's hand.

"I accept. Thank you, Captain."

[Midnight Ice]

"Hey Spidey! Glad to see you. I know about Juggs. Why don't you come with us to stop him?"

[The Question]

Bruce thought over what Captain America had said. This could be the opportunity he needed. Maybe they could provide the cure.

But then...maybe he'd just be a pawn. They would study him like a lab rat...then what would he do?

Bruce continued to stare at the Captain. Then, after a moment of thought, he arose and shook the man's hand.

"I accept. Thank you, Captain."


Cap smiles.

"Come on."

Cap leads Bruce out the door and towards the quinjet.

[ElectroFlare]

"Hey Spidey! Glad to see you. I know about Juggs. Why don't you come with us to stop him?"

"Stop the unstoppable Juggernaut? Sure, why not?" Spider-man said. "He was last seen at Fort Knox, walking away with as much as he could carry. Let's go." Spider-man said, pointing over his shoulder towards Fort Knox...

[Midnight Ice]

"Stop the unstoppable Juggernaut? Sure, why not?" Spider-man said. "He was last seen at Fort Knox, walking away with as much as he could carry. Let's go." Spider-man said, pointing over his shoulder towards Fort Knox...

Bobby stares at Spider-Man with a confused look."You do know that Fort Knox is in Kentucky, right? Since we are in New York, why don't we take the blackbird? That will get us to him in no time, unless you really want to web-sling all the way there, it your call, buddy." Bobby says with a smile.

[kang604]

CASTLE DOOM, LATVERIA

The compound was a blur of activity. Latverian military and civil officers bustled about the castle, getting things into preperation.

Lord Victor Von Doom was returning home.

Outside the castle, it was nearing dusk. The sun began to fall as an entourage of jets and helicopters landed on the airstrip.One jet in particular, carried the most brilliant and ruthless monarch the world had ever seen.

Dr. Doom stepped out of his transport, dark green robes flowing about him and what was left of the sunshine gleeming off his armor. He always seemed to feel a sigh of relief once stepping onto Latverian soil. This was his home, the home he had created with a firm but fair fist. He had breathed new life into this country and had single handedly raised it from the dead. Wherever he was, whatever mission he had to embark on, he always felt more at ease in his native nation.

As he made his way to his throne room, a Latverian deputy briefed him on the current state of the country: economic standing, civil disputes and whatnot. Victor was still fuming over SHIELD and the pathetic Nick Fury's raid of his prison, but for the moment he was willing to let that pass.

In laymans terms, Dr. Doom had bigger fish to fry.

Once the immediate civil issues were dealt with, Victor dismissed his officers from the throne room. He needed some time alone. What would be the next course of action? Big things were headed this way, and Doom would not stand by and watch. He was, in his own eyes, a god among insects. It was only right that he take his place at the forefront of every major global issue.

Dr. Victor Von Doom sat on this throne, iron fist clenched, ready to act on anything that headed his way...

(*Thanos* wink wink heres your chance :P)

[twylight]

“See ya on Monday!” I call waving to Beth as she goes the opposite direction away from The Alternatives building.

“Don’t forget! Sunday at 4!” She calls waving back before turning, reminding me of the movie date we’d set.

I straighten my purse and walk towards the bank my first stop before I go home.
Home, oddly I thought of Trudy when I thought of home. Home was Trudy’s house.
The crowd is thick because it’s Friday, and Friday night. Youths hang out looking through windows. I pause at the window of a comic bookstore and smile. A little boy of about 7 has his face and hands compressed against the glass. Small little billows of steam appear and disappear under his nose on the glass as he breathes in and out.
I look to see where he’s looking. He’s got his eyes trained on one of two things. A Spider-Man picture and a comic book with Superman’s form across the front.
I shake my head smiling.
To be young and innocent. Was I ever innocent? Sadness comes over me, yet I push it down as I always do. I promised myself no depressing thoughts.

I look down to check the time. Colliding with something hard.
I let out a gasp, “Oh I am so sorry” Before even looking up but when I do I practically leap back. A woman in a tan dress suit is smiling at me genuinely. Her long green hair done up nicely setting off her green skin.

“No problem” She continues on her way leaving me speechless in her wake.

I’m hopeless I just bumped into the She-Hulk! I shake my head and briefly wish I was back on the ‘continent.’

I emerge an hour later from the bank, disgusted and annoyed.

The voice of the female teller on my ears.
“I’m sorry you’ll have to come back on Monday at noon. We don’t…” I push her synthetic sounding voice from my head.

I walk to my building and knock on Trudy’s door before opening it.

“Hey Trudy!” I call. She peeks her head from the Kitchen.

“Just in time! I have it all set up for your lesson.”

I almost forgot tonight I was making dinner.
I place my purse on the table and join her in the kitchen.

“I ‘ve got an apron for you.” She says. I smile hoping it’s not some weird thing from the dollar store. Instead she opens a drawer and pulls out a vintage apron from the 1940’s. It’s navy blue fabric white dots is shaped and sewn into a sleek retro style. I slip it over my head and tie it behind me and look down brushing my hand over my toned stomach and hips. It looks classy and covers my whole front.

Trudy smiles.
“That one was my mothers.”

I look up.
“Oh Trudy. I can’t wear this..I’ll end up burning it.”

She laughed.
“Well, it soon became my own when I was younger because Mommo always prefered the older style and she insisted that this one was too ‘modern’ for her.” Her eyes got a distant look to them.

“Anyway you wear it and keep it.”

I open my mouth to protest and she holds up a finger.

“No. Now let’s see where should we start?” She rolled her sleeves up.

[SuperFerret]

The Past

I stand over him, triumphant.

"Let's face it." I say to him as he lies on the floor, too weak to move, "People like you 'n' me...we're better off dead. The world's too hard for us, We bruise too easily. We bleed to much."

I explain to him that we're poison to those around us, I make sure to use his first name when I address him, because I want to reinforce the fact that I won, and because I'm speaking to a dear friend.

"After all, isn't it time the two of us found a little peace."

Niether of us will leave this doomed building alive, and I want him to know it. Then I hear a voice that sends a chill through my spine. She calls my name first, my real name.

"I've got your son with me and we're coming up." She's on the stairs, "Do you hear me?"

"THEY'RE IN THE HOUSE!"

"What?!" he croaks, struggling to stand.

"What have I done? Oh, dear God--What have I done?!"

"You've gotta get them...out of here!" his voice is weak, yet strong at the same time, I hate him for it, "I can barely move...but you..."

I try to argue, but, even lying prone, he defeats me.

"...right now...you're the only hero we've got!"

And then I'm off, flying down the stairs, grabbing her and my son up in my arms, and hurtling out of the building. I see the night sky again, and I feel good. For once, I feel like I'm somebody.

"I DID IT!" I yell, "I-it's all right! You're both safe now! No bomb's going to--"

She's terrified when I tell her that the building is about to explode. And then she accuses me of leaving him, her husband, in there to die.

"Yes!" I reply, then, "No!"

"I...I don't know!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Then it happens all so fast. I'm back in the building, gathering my fallen foe in my arms, and flying him to safety.

WHOOOM!

The building explodes, and where we were both supposed to die, we both survive. His wife tearfully thanks me, and offers to hand me my son, who she's cradling in her arms.

I begin to feel weak. I fall down, and he's at my side. I blame myself for this, he tells me that they're calling an ambulance.

"I did it, just the way you would've done it. A real hero."

"Why'd you come back for me?" he asks.

"Hey... what else could I do?"

The world's getting darker. Is this it?

"You're my best friend."

I don't remember anything else.

[SuperFerret]

Today.

Something's different.

Why did I dream that? Was it a dream?

I sit up. I'm sitting in a bed in a mostly dark room, some rays of sunlight shine through the venetian blinds that hung over the only window in the room. Aside from the bed, the only other object in the room was a rickety looking table in the far corner. There was also a closed door near the table, I could see movement on the other side by watching the light coming from under the door, and I could hear some muffled voices as well.

Where am I?

And more importantly, I think, scratching the heavy beard on my chin, WHO am I?

[Electro UK]

Bobby and Spider-man were silent for a second or two. They could here a faint sound in the distance. Thwip!

"That sounds like my... oh no he didn't." Peter said turning round.

"Incoming!" Wade yelled as he flew into Peter's back. Wade brushed himself off as he got to his feet. "Uh Spider-man, is it ok if I borrow your spare webshooters? Cause I kinda already did." he gave Peter and innocent look.

"So... we're off to stop Juggernaut eh? Coulda sworn I met this guy twice already today-- oh no, X-mansion was War Machine, my mistake."

[SuperFerret]

The door opens, and a figure is silhouetted in the light that pours into the room. I bring my hand up to shield my eyes. The figure approaches.

"You're awake. Good." the figure says in an old woman's voice. She was, in fact, an older lady, and she carried a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of water, which was obviously for me.

"Thank you." I say as she hands me the food. "Where am I?"

"This is my home," she replied, "don't you remember? You were in the homeless shelter I volunteer at, and I offered to take you in because you didn't have a place to stay."

"Yes, I remember now, you said I reminded you of your son."

She nodded, "That's why I helped you, I couldn't bear to see another young man's life ended the way Stephen's had been." She looked so miserable all of a sudden.

"How did he die?" I asked suddenly, and I instantly regretted it.

"It was a drug overdose, two years ago." she looked up at me and forced a smile, "I'm sorry, sometimes it just sneaks up on me there. You've never touched those dirty pills ever, have you?"

"Not that I remember." Have I?

[Duker Jay]

Ben Grimm couldn't help but smile as he strolled along the bustling streets of downtown Manhattan. It was a beautiful day out and he felt good...normal.
Before he knew it, Ben found himself in his old stomping grounds. Turning the corner onto Yancy Street, he looked at the dilapidated buildings. This was where he grew up and the neighbourhood was now falling apart. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for not doing more for the old community.
Ben passed an alley and heard a commotion from within. Stepping in to investigate, he soon came across a group of three men cornering a girl. The girl was screaming for help as her attackers closed in.
(OOC: Man, that happens a lot, doesn’t it? There’s always a gang of street thugs somewhere, terrorizing a single, defenseless girl…)
“Is there a problem here, fellas?” Ben Grimm’s voice hadn’t lost any of its growl. “Or are you jus’ gonna leave nicely?”
The men spun around. They were each holding some sort of weapon.
“Keep moving, man…you’re gonna get yerself hurt."
“Is ‘at right?”
“I ain’t joking…get outta here.”
Ben Grimm smiled. “I don’t think so…”
One of the men attacks, he’s holding a baseball bat, but not for long. Ben easily disarms him and throws him into the wall. Seeing this, the other two turn their full attentions to the newly-arrived meddler. As they start to advance on Ben, the frightened (and grateful) lady takes this opportunity to escape. She runs off down the alley without looking back.
“That’s gonna cost you, punk…” one of the thugs looks menacingly at Ben.
As the man lunges towards him, Ben ducks and comes up with an elbow to the other man’s jaw and he drops. But, before Ben can react, the second thug slices at him with a knife. The blade cuts Ben across the abdomen and a steady stream of blood starts to soak his t-shirt. Ben drops to his knees, holding his stomach and his attacker stands over him.
“Toldja…”
Ben’s mind races with panic; fear and anxiety gripping his chest. He is hurt, in a way that he hasn’t been for quite some time. He finds himself unable to think straight as his head fills with conflicting emotions.
There is something different in Ben’s mind. He was not used to the fear. He had been the indestructible Thing for so long that he almost forgot what it was like to fear for your life.
Soon, there are no cohesive thoughts and Ben groans in agony as a pressure grows in his head. His whole body shakes with tortured energy. His skin starts to expand and split, as something pushes from below.
Before their eyes, the street thugs see the man they downed, transform into something greater.
Ben’s body grows and, within seconds, it is the unmistakable visage of the Thing that looks up at the men.
“Oh s@#%! It’s him…” one thug yells to the other. “Let’s go!”
They bolt, leaving Ben alone.
Inside his head it is cloudy. He cannot think straight. Seeing his hands, Ben panics anew. Unable to handle the shock, Ben cries out. “UUNNGHHH!”
Now, consumed by fear, he runs too.
Ben runs out of the alley and into the street, where a passing car hits the brakes a second too late and hit’s The Thing full-on. Although unhurt, Ben’s fear grows. He let’s out another agonizing scream and continues his flight. He runs through the wall of a nearby building, almost bringing the entire structure down. The stunned driver sits, collecting himself and listening to the heavy footfalls as The Thing leaves.

[Johnny Blaze]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a330/HypsterJB/Thanos9.jpg

"All systems are ready, my Lord", said the technician as he operated the device, "the relays are in place...we're ready to begin broadcast."

"Good...leave the room. I shall handle things from here."

"As you wish, my Lord", said the technician with a low bow before leaving the room.

Thanos walked up to the console and began putting in his own personal defense programs in order to make sure the transmission will be safe from being monitored.
Once all was in order, the Titan activated a small droid and moved onto the large platform in the room. The droid moved to the control panel, and, when the Titan was ready, activated the holographic imaging device.

As soon as the machine was activated, Thanos' holographic figure appeared in the throne room of the Latverian monarch, Victor Von Doom. The time for invasion was drawing near, and he had wanted to speak with the only human he respected before it began. Either to talk Doom into allying with him, or to tell him that he would leave Latveria alone if Doom stayed out of his affairs.

"Greetings, Victor Von Doom, Lord of Latveria. I believe it is time we had a talk."

[The Question]

After a few moments of flying, the quinjet touches down outside of Cap's large penthouse in Manhatten.

"Okay, Bruce. You can stay at my place for a while. We have some restraints in the quinjet designed to cancel out genetic mutations responsible for super human abilities. Not a premament cure, but it should keep you from causing any damage for the time being."

[Spider-Man9X17]

"Hawkeye! Where do you think you're going?"

Hawkeye turned as Quicksilver walkied into the hangar. Not offerign up an answer, he opened the ramp to a Quinjet and began to walk up.

"So this is how you treat friends. You turn your backs on them. You are not the only one involved in this. This is my father, and my sister. If anyone has a right to hunt down Magneto, it's me."

Hawkeye still didn't answer. He sat down in the pilots seat and began to warm up the jet.

"So, you think a diamond ring and a bastard child give you the right to do what no other man can?"

That did it. Hawkeye snapped. In one fluid motion, he was up and Quicksilver was on the ground.

"Go to Hell, Pietro. Just because your on our side now doesn't mean I won't put an arrow in your heart. What the hell do you care about any of your family. Or anyone at all. You'll side with anyone at the drop of a hat just to get your own way."

Quicksilver smiled.

"Good. So the intensity still is there. Maybe you'll survive this thing after all."

"What?"

Quicksilver stood up and dusted himself off.

"Do you really think you could catch me off guard. You have to be ready for Magnus. Your mind and body must be focused on the fight, not on the girl. You need to fire in your eyes."

"You're an a**hole."

Hawkeye sat back down and buckled in. Quicksilver followed suit.

"I swear to God, though, if you try and stab me in the back on this..."

Outside, the lawn opened up as the Quinjet took flight.

[kang604]

Victor was slightly startled by the sudden image of Thanos in his throne room. His first reaction was one defensive... but a few seconds later and Doom realized that if the Mad Titan had wanted to kill him, he would have done it already.

No, this confrontation was of an entirely different nature. One that Doom knew may work to his benefit.

After easing himself down from the initial suprise, Victor took a moment to analyze the situation. Thanos, The Mad Titan, one of the most powerful beings in the cosmos had appeared in his throne room to "chat". Alas, he was the most feared and powerful individual on the planet, but Victor Von Doom knew that Thanos could easily eradicate him given the chance. It would be wise to tread cautiously, he thought.

" Thanos of Titan. Your presence here alarms me but Doom has no doubt that the business you wish to discuss is of significant importance. To what do I owe the honor?"

[Johnny Blaze]

"I know you are a busy man, Doom, so I will get right to the point. The winds of change are blowing. The Earth will soon know war unlike any it has ever seen", said Thanos as his projection moved to stand closer to Doom.

"My forces are preparing for the invasion of this planet. The Earth shall be the next planetoid to fall into my growing galactic empire."

Thanos paused before continuing, allowing for what he has said to sink in, "You may be asking yourself why I am sharing this critical information with you. The reason is simple. You are one of the few beings on this planet that I have a respect for. So, I am offering you an alliance that would be beneficial to us both."

[ElectroFlare]

"Wade...it's bad enough that you have a horrible imitation of my original costume, now you have to steal my web shooters?" Spider-man sighed, rubbing his head.

"Bobby, you're right...web slinging to kentucky may be a little slower then the blackbird. Lead the way." Spider-man said...

[Hyper Venom]

After a few moments of flying, the quinjet touches down outside of Cap's large penthouse in Manhatten.

"Okay, Bruce. You can stay at my place for a while. We have some restraints in the quinjet designed to cancel out genetic mutations responsible for super human abilities. Not a premament cure, but it should keep you from causing any damage for the time being."


Bruce stepped out of the quinjet and stared up at the penthouse. To call it huge would be an understatement. Bruce removed his glasses and wiped them, staring at the ground as he did so.

"Listen Captain, not that I'm not grateful or anything, but...what if this doesn't work? What if we never find a permanent cure for my...condition? I've spent the last few years in search of this miracle cure, and I've found nothing. Do we have a backup plan in case it...you know...gets worse?"

Bruce cleared his throat and continued to stare at the ground. The last thing he wanted to do was make Captain America aware of Nightmare Hulk.

[The Question]

"Well, Bruce, then we'd have to lock you up. But I'll be damned if I let that happen. Don't worry. We've got the best on call. We'll beat this. I promise. Now....."

Cap reaches into the back of the quinjet, walks out, and hands a small collar to Bruce.

"Put this on. It's a genetic inhibitor. The kind they used on Mutant slaves back when that was legal in Genosia. If you start to transform, I'll press a button and the collar will shock you with a radiation frequency that will stun your mutated genes."