Boratz

49 minutes ago, leroypowell3 said:

I got plans for Facilier in the Megastory. Good use of him.

Even as a frog Gambit should be able to stop the Shadow man. 

Kind of makes me want to see the Valiant Shadowman intervene if Gambit can't do it though.

Definitely looking forward to seeing that in your megastory. I don't know why but I found Facilier to be a fun Disney villain. 

I've been wanting to do a New Orleans/,Cajun themed match for a while and these 2 were the ones I kept coming back to

Hope you all enjoy

Chapter 28: A Heist Down in the Bayou
 
The sweet aroma of beignets came out of different cafes along the French Quarter in New Orleans. Musicians played jazz along the street corners while a great many enjoyed bowls of gumbo in the patios of different restaurants. While the sun was beaming down upon the City on the Bayou and the humidity was as high as ever, it did not stop the countless visitors that roamed around the Big Easy. Local artists displayed their work for all to see while tours were being held around the city. While it was like any other day in the Crescent City, there was something rather different about one of the individuals walking along the paved streets. A tall man in purple suit and large black top hat sauntered past the different shops. His dark brown eyes gazed upon voodoo shops and museums while he walked along the pavement. While he could smell different restaurants offering up boiled crayfish, he could also smell the variety drugs and alcohol in the area. He could hear the ramblings of different street performers and hustlers from all around. 
 
This city was much different than he remembered. It was not the same place that it was when he was dragged away to the other side all those years ago. The Shadow Man stopped upon the outer reaches of Bourbon Street. He watched the countless hordes of men and women barreling through the city. The city was no longer controlled by any one man, but he could see that the greatest power within the Big Easy was still the currency of money. The man in the purple suit reached up to take off the top hat that was covering his head. He stroked his hair back and wiped the sweat from his forehead. All those years ago, his plan to take control of this city was ruined by a princess and a frog. Dr. Facilier would make sure that never happened again. His goals to take control of the Crescent City was only fueled greater during his time spent in the other side. He had much more knowledge now than he did all those years ago. 
 
His eyes looked upon a shop about vampires and then they slowly moved toward a voodoo museum. With a childish grin, the Shadow Man placed his hat back upon his head. He snatched the top of his cane and started walking toward the museum at a brisk pace. Before he was able to enter inside the doors of the museum, he heard the voice of a stranger calling out to him. After glancing over at the man, Dr. Facilier could tell that the man was nothing more than a street hustler. He tried to lay down one of his scams upon the strange man in the purple suit. Dr. Facilier smiled as he leaned in close toward the scam artist. His eyes started to glow into a fiery red as terrifying visions came upon the street hustler. After seeing unspeakable horrors, the street hustler fell back on the pavement. He crawled away as fast as he could. The scam artist quickly rose to his feet and ran as far away from the Shadow Man as he possibly could. Dr. Facilier chuckled while turning his attention back to the door of the voodoo museum. 
 
A gentle chirp from a bell rang once the man in the purple suit opened the door to the museum. While walking into the museum, a strange odor filled his nostrils while his eyes adjusted to the gently lit room. He could see voodoo dolls on display along with bottles filled with strange colored liquids. There were altars lined up with small statues and relics. Withering plants and roots were displayed alongside some of these relics while fragrances burned in small bowls. The Shadow Man scoffed while letting out a small chuckle. Despite the advertisement for this being a voodoo museum, he realized that it was nothing more than a ploy. Another hustle to get tourists off the streets and into the store to drop down some cash. While Dr. Facilier looked over the fake items that filled the room with contempt, he could not help but reflect on what used to be. The city used to have more respect for dark magic, and now it was used as gimmick. 
 
While there was no denying that he had some small ounce of respect for these opportunists, Dr. Facilier was disgusted by these individuals all the same. After his defeat all those years ago by being dragged to the other side, the Shadow Man's hatred of the city's rich and powerful only grew worse during his time in the spirit world. Over the years in the other side, he plotted his escape. Every attempt to return to his world was met with pain and failure. The Ioa spirits punished him with every attempt at escape. Every day since his defeat, the spirits tried their best to shred away what humanity there was left within the Shadow Man. Eventually, Dr. Facilier lost hope in that he would escape from the other side, but his hatred kept its hold on his humanity. As fate would have it; it seemed that just when his last ounce of hope was about to burn away, he found himself back in the world that he once knew. 
 
Despite his escape, he could still feel the power that he once had. Even standing within this shop that was nothing more than a farce, he could feel that connection that he had with the other side. His old rival, Eli La Bouff was all but a distant memory. As for Dr. Facilier, the city had completely forgotten about him. While standing in this museum, he realized that it was the spot that his Emporium once stood. It was unrecognizable now as time moved on from his reign of this area. In fact, it was a completely different building than what it was all those years ago. Facilier realized that after his banishment to the other side, the city must have tried destroying all traces of him. He grinned while looking over the worthless attempts at magical shrines. The Shadow Man soon heard a voice coming from behind a counter. He turned his attention to an older woman with what appeared to be a crown of bones on her head. Facilier could see that they were fake bones that were entwined within this crown.
 
"Did you hear me?!" The woman snapped. "You have to pay if you want to see my museum!"
 
"Do I now?" Facilier smiled while approaching the woman. “And what have you given to have such power?” Faciliar said while stretching out his arms.
 
The lights in the museum started to grow dim while the shadows inside started to move. Facilier's eyes started glowing into a fiery yellow while the fake voodoo dolls started circling around the woman. The woman frantically looked over all that was happening around her. Her mouth dropped open wide as fear started burning within her. She gazed into Facilier's eyes and could see the torment that he endured during his time in the other side. She let out a loud shriek as she fell back against a wall. It seemed as if the walls started shifting and the ceiling rose high above them. Suddenly, there was a horrifying laughter that could be heard from behind the Shadow Man. Facilier turned his heard back to see the outline of a terrifying beast. Facilier recognized this beast as a woman in his past life. He had only come across her a couple of times, but she left a lasting impressing. 
 
"Why are you playing with such filth, Facilier?" Maleficent asked while the room went back to normal.
 
During the quiet moment between the Mistress of Evil and the Shadow Man, the shop owner took the opportunity to run out of the museum.
 
"What are you doing here, Maleficent?" Facilier asked while gritting his teeth.
 
"I thought you would thank me." Maleficent smiled.
 
"For what?" Facilier asked while throwing up his hands.
 
"You would still be rotting on the other side if it was not for me." Maleficent chuckled while she circled around the Shadow Man.
 
"You... You got me out?" Facilier asked.
 
"I did." Maleficent responded.
 
"Why? What do you want?" Facilier asked.
 
"Would you believe me if I told you that I wanted to help an old friend?" Maleficent asked sarcastically.
 
"Why did you break me out?" Facilier asked with a piercing gaze.
 
"Recently, I came into the possession of the Books of the Living and of the Dead. There is something else that I am seeking." Maleficent replied as she circled around Facilier. 
 
"What is that?" Facilier asked.
 
"The bracelet of Anubis." Maleficent replied.
 
"I do not know anything about that." Facilier replied.
 
"I know, but you do have vast knowledge of the other side. You have spent much time there. I heard that the bracelet was taken there many years ago." Maleficent replied.
 
"I don't know what you would want! I can't go back there!" Facilier snapped.
 
"You have knowledge of the spirit realm. I am sure you can find a way to summon it here and unlock its power for me." Maleficent replied. 
 
"What's in it for me?" Facilier asked with a grin.
 
"You always wanted this city. I will give it to you with the armies that I have under my command." Maleficent replied.
 
"What do you have planned with all this power, Mistress?" Facilier asked.
 
"Like you, I also have friends. My friends and I are planning on changing things forever." Maleficent replied with smile.
 
"As long as your plans do not involve my city." Facilier smiled.
 
"Sounds like we have a deal." Maleficent replied.
 
Deep in the swamp,
 
Within a raggedy old treehouse on the bayou, a pot of jambalaya was cooking over a fire. Some steam rose over the cooking pot while a lightning bug flew over a counter on the upper wall. A large, elderly woman scurried around the kitchen while she was trying to find the right ingredients for her dish. Her face was covered in wrinkles and dark shades covered her eyes. Critters gathered around as the woman sang for all the visitors that she had. She laughed and danced while the jambalaya heated up. Perched on the eccentric woman's shoulder, a wide-eyed snake known as Juju guided her throughout her home. Both the eccentric woman and her small slithering companion had lived many years in this raggedy old home. Despite the many years since their encounter with Tiana and Naveen, the two continued to thrive in the swamp. Mama Odie reached for a ladle and scooped out some of the cooking jambalaya.
 
She quickly walked over to a man that was sitting at her table. This man was hunched back in a chair with his feet propped up on the table. He had a grin covering his face while his red eyes looked over the Voodoo Queen of the Bayou. As eccentric as Mama Odie was, the Voodoo Queen stopped in her track. She faced her guest and started pointing her other hand at the man. 
 
With an exasperated tone, she yelled at the man. "Remy, you bes' get your feet off my table!"
 
"Oh Mama Odie, I meant nothin' by it!" Gambit laughed.
 
"Now make yourself useful and tell me what I'm missin'!" Mama Odie ordered while shoving the ladle into the mouth of the Ragin' Cajun.
 
"Perhaps, jus' a couple hard shots of Tabasco and it will be the bee's knees!" Gambit replied while licking lips.
 
The eccentric old woman laughed as hard as ever as she hurried back to the pot of jambalaya. She grabbed the hot sauce and dripped it into the pot. "That ain't the first time that I heard that!" She continued laughing. Mama Odie then took a deep breath as Juju slithered around her shoulder. "What can I do for you, Remy? It's been a long, long time since you've visited Mama Odie!" 
 
"My cher's birthday is a coming up and Gambit needs to find her the right gift. Thought I'd come visit New Orleans for that, but I couldn't pass up a visit to you, Mama Odie." Gambit smiled while leaning forward.
 
"Always a heart breaker, Remy!" Mama Odie laughed. "You don't need a perfect gift for your cher! She loves you just the way you are!" 
 
"That maybe Mama Odie but Gambit does not want to be empty handed at her birthday!" Gambit replied. 
 
Mama Odie filled a bowl of her jambalaya for the mutant and sat down in front of him. As the two started eating, she spoke of all the ideas that Remy could do for Rogue. Suddenly, Mama Odie knocked her bowl onto the floor. She felt a darkness fall over her as her breath escaped her lungs. The Voodoo Queen of the Bayou leaned over the table while she started to shake. Gambit jumped to his feet to see what he could do to help her. The eccentric old woman stopped shaking and went quite for a moment. She then turned her head to face the Ragin' Cajun.
 
"There's somethin' foul in New Orleans! Something' this old woman has not felt in almost a century." Mama Odie said in a grave tone.
 
"What is it, Mama Odie?" Gambit asked whiling reaching for a glass of water.
 
"The Shadow Man..." Mama Odie replied while jumping to her feet. 
 
She ran over to her pot and started waving her hands around it. There were strange lights that started to pour out of the pot and fill the room around. Despite the magic the Mama Odie was displaying, Gambit stood quietly as he slowly approached the Voodoo Queen. He was not caught off guard by the power of the old woman as he had seen many strange things in his lifetime. Gambit then saw the image of a man in a large black top hat and a purple suit.
 
"That's him! The Shadow Man is back as I live and breathe!" Mama Odie proclaimed.
 
"Who is the Shadow Man?" Gambit asked.
 
"He was a voodoo man that plagued the streets of New Orleans nearly a hundred years ago. He turned some of my old and dear friends into frogs while tryin' to take over New Orleans! He was then banished to the other side!" Mama Odie exclaimed.
 
"Other side?" Gambit asked.
 
"Not a place you want to get caught up in, Remy!" Mama Odie replied as she lost her breath once again. "Oh no! Not, at all!"
 
"What is it, Mama Odie?" Gambit asked.
 
"From what my magic is tellin' me, the Shadow Man is trying to unlock a powerful artifact from the other side." Mama Odie gasped while turning to face the mutant. "Oh Remy, will you stop the Shadow Man? Steal that relic from him and get it as far as away from him as possible!"
 
"Gambit will take care of it. What is this relic?"
 
"Oh, it is very, very dangerous. Older than most of the pyramids. A bracelet that can command armies of darkness!" Mama Odie replied.
 
"Gambit will do what needs to be done. When I get back, you bes' have some bread pudding and that gift for my cher!" 
 
"Be careful, Remy, the Shadow Man is crafty and mischievous!" Mama Odie replied.
 
"Gambit has dealt with his share of crafty and mischievous!" Remy smiled.
 
Before leaving Mama Odie's house, the Voodoo Queen of the Bayou provided Gambit with a way to track the ancient bracelet. The Ragin' Cajun made his way through the thick and murky swamp. In his younger years, he had ventured out into these swamps on more than one occasion. He knew the routes and the paths to take like the back of his hand. The mutant soon could see the city up ahead. Gambit made his way through the Crescent City and headed down to the French Quarter. He could hear the jazz music playing on the streets and his eyes glanced over the many colorful clothes. Even though, he wanted to hear the musicians play and see the different people in the streets, the Ragin' Cajun had a mission that he had to see through. The magic that Mama Odie provided him with to track the bracelet led him to the water. Gambit saw a steamboat in the bay and smiled. He looked around at all the boats and chuckled. The mutant was able to jump onto a small boat and made his way to the steamboat. He climbed up to the deck and looked around.
 
Standing inside the steamboat in the murky waters surrounding the Crescent City, Dr. Facilier grinned while looking down upon the golden Bracelet of Anubis. It took all the tricks and dark magic that he could muster to conjure it from the other side. Even though he had the relic in his possession, the bracelet remained closed. He had to find a way to open it so that he could deliver it to the Mistress of Evil. Everything ounce of magic that he unleashed on the bracelet, it would not open. While continuing his attempts, he felt a presence entering onto the steamboat. His grin soon faded as a scowl began to form. The Shadow Man felt another power at work. Facilier gritted his teeth while letting out a groan. 
 
"It can't be." He muttered under his breath. "There is no way that old hag can still be alive." 
 
Facilier reached for a couple jars that he had placed on a desk. He smiled as he recognized one of the jars from so many years ago. The Shadow Man sauntered through the steamboat and soon came face to face with a man in a brown trench coat.
 
"Hmmm... You must be Remy LeBeau!" Facilier laughed.
 
"I don't think we've had the pleasure." Gambit replied with a smirk.
 
"That old hag is still alive after all these years. Huh" Facilier said shaking his head. "And she sent a mutant freak to stop me! There's no stopping me this time!"
 
"Oh, I am goin' stop you!" Gambit replied.
 
Facilier smiled as he threw the jar at Gambit. A bright smoke overcame the Ragin' Cajun as his body was transformed into that of a frog.
 
"Try stopping me now, thief! You're nothing more than a frog!" Facilier laughed as he stormed off. 
 
"What the hell?" Gambit said to himself while looking over his new body. 
 
He then heard the words of Mama Odie in his ear. She warned him of his tricks and his schemes. Despite his predicament, Gambit was going to do whatever it took to stop the Shadow Man and find a way to turn himself back to normal.
 
**********************************************
 
Dr. Facilier has turned Gambit into a frog. Gambit can still use his powers to a small extend. Can frog Gambit stop Dr. Facilier from opening the bracelet of Anubis and turn himself back to normal? Or will Dr. Facilier unlock the power of the bracelet.  

10 hours ago, RakaiThwei said:

Getting engagements from the readers has been very difficult and motivation to write more has been low for me, especially considering my last match up and how it got very little reaction from readers despite the number of votes for the previous contestants. 

Hey bud, yeah I'm sorry if I haven't been as engaged as of late. I have been trying to read them as they come in as well as others but it is harder to comment now. It's hard to find time anymore. I try to write my own stuff with one hand while taking care of the boy with the other. Even then, there have been things that I've tried getting posted that I haven't finished yet. 

I'm sorry you're are hurting that roadblock, bud. I've worked on matches only to feel let down by the feedback as I don't see much participation anymore. Not like the old days. I think the few comments that I may get definitely helps keep me writing. I enjoy writing, and I also enjoy seeing what all of you write. Since joining this site way back when, I was definitely inspired by your matches. Those Predator matches have always inspired to try and do better with my own stuff.

With that said, I am definitely leaning towards Mickey. While I know this is Mirage Mickey, I've been reading the Last Ronin. I can only read so much here and there before I have my attention taken away, but Mickey has quite a bit to offer. I think he can definitely take the victory away from Guile.

Hope you all enjoy 

Chapter 27: The Fragments of the Upside Down

Sitting alone at a bar, there was a man taking a large sip from a glass of whiskey. He slammed down the glass and signaled the bartender for another drink. In his other hand, he had a half-burnt cigar in between his finger. The bartender looked over the man and could not believe that he was still upright. He had lost count of how many shots that he poured for this lone individual. Everyone else would have been passed out by then or at least showed signs of being intoxicated, but this guy was just hunched over the bar. He smoked his cigar and threw back drinks as if they were water. The other customers were stumbling around a juke box that had seen better days with bottles of old stale beer in their hands. While trying to tend to his other customers, the bartender walked away from the lone individual. The lone man finished off another round of hard liquor and signaled the bartender for another drink.

As he took a puff from his cigar, the lone man was approached by a small group of men that had just entered the bar. The small group stumbled around the lone individual and surrounded him. With his dark piercing eyes, he stared down the group of men that surrounded him. He could see in their eyes that they were looking for trouble. The man's dark eyes quickly shifted back to the bartender in hopes that he would stop it before anything escalated. To his frustration the bartender was attending to some of the other patrons on the other side of the bar. The man sighed while finishing off his drink. He slammed down his drink and pushed the glass away from him. He put the cigar back in his mouth while one of the guys in the group started talking to him. At first the lone man simply ignored the words of the man. He then felt the man inch closer to him.

"Hey, you hear me? I say you got some nice boots. I bet I can guess where you got 'em!" One of the guys smiled while leaning in close.

"Look bub, I suggest you get out of my face and walk away now!" The lone man growled while keeping his eyes away from the man.

"What the hell did you just say to me?!" The guy screamed as he reached for the lone man. "You best show me respect, or I will beat the shit out of you!"

Before he could grab the lone man's arm, the lone individual spun around in his seat. He grabbed the man's arm and twisted in his hands. The lone individual slammed the man's face down against the bar. With blood running out of his nose and mouth, the man staggered back. His companions started shouting. The bleeding man pulled out a pistol while his companions joined in on pulling out concealed weapons. Each one of them were cussing and screaming while they surrounded the lone individual. The bartender screamed for them to take it outside, but his voice was drowned out by the loud ramblings of the group. With a grunt, the lone man gritted his teeth while he lifted his hands. Suddenly, the shouts from the group of men faded as long blades extended out of the hands of the lone individual. The man with the busted face looked over at his accomplices with widened eyes and then stared back at the lone man.

"You are one of those mutant freaks!" He screamed as he pointed his gun sideways at the lone man. 

If it was not for the rage that was burning in his veins, the lone individual would have chuckled. He growled as he was about to slice through the body of the thug. Before he could unleash his rage upon him, the lone individual found himself somewhere else entirely. "What the hell?" He muttered under his breath as he looked around the strange room that he found himself in. The lone man sniffed the air and slowly felt the rage subside. The blades that extended out of his hands quickly retracted back into hands. He sighed while looking around the room with his piercing dark eyes. 

"Where are you, Strange?! What do you want from me?" The man yelled out while looking around the room.

"Hello, Logan." Doctor Stephan Strange greeted as he walked into the room with three other individuals.

"What am I doing here?" Wolverine asked while gritting his teeth.

"Would you believe me if I said that I was trying to protect you?" Doctor Strange smiled.

"What? From those street thugs?!" Wolverine growled.

"They were just trying doing a harmless street hustle. I was wanting to protect you from slicing them apart." Strange said with a smirk. 

"What the hell do you want, Strange?" Wolverine asked.

"I need..." Strange replied while looking over the others. "We need your help."

Wolverine looked over the Sorcerer Supreme and then turned his attention to the other men. "Who are these guys?"

"This is Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., Jack Bauer of CTU, and Abe Sapien of the BPRD." Doctor Strange replied while gesturing at the three individuals.

"What do you want from me?" Wolverine asked.

"We believe there are dark forces at work. We don't know what or who exactly, but there have been multiple occurrences building up." Coulson replied with a calm voice. "Back in December...."

"I don’t give a shit about all of that!" Wolverine interrupted. "What do you want from me?" 

Bauer and Coulson smiled at each other while Abe simply stared at Wolverine and then looked at the others with a blank expression. Doctor Strange waved his hand through the air to form an image of the Earth. An image of another world formed next to the image of Earth. It almost appeared to be like Earth, but it was a dark warped image. 

"Back in the 1980's, there was a link formed into a parallel world that was a mirror of our own. While there were similarities, it also contained a darkness that was not meant for our world. This other world, this other dimension was called the Upside Down." Doctor Strange replied while continuing to move his hands. The images of the two worlds soon changed to that of horrifying creatures. "It took the efforts of a brave few in Hawkins, Indiana to stop this darkness. Soon after that; the Sorcerer Supreme at that time along with other sorcerers, magicians, wizards, and witches were able to sever the link between the two worlds. They not only severed the link, but they were able to cast multiple enchantments to make sure that it would be near impossible to ever create another link to that dimension."

"So, what? You want me to go there?" Wolverine asked while shaking his head. "My claws don't cut through that kind of crap." 

"Not exactly." Strange replied as he moved his fingers. An image of the infinity stones soon appeared before the lethal mutant. "After the final battle in the Infinity Wars, there were fragments of the stones that were found throughout the galaxy. While the stones themselves were given to different individuals for safe keeping, the fragments themselves proved to be unstable. As a way to make sure that they do not harm our reality, I was able to cast them into this dimension." 

"That just sounds like a recipe for trouble." Wolverine hissed.

"It created a link once again but one that could not be easily accessed by any normal being. The doorway would prevent any magical being from entering the realm and the process to travel there for anyone else would be excruciating. Most would not even survive the trip." Strange replied.

"You're wanting me to go there and retrieve the fragments of these stones?" Wolverine asked.

"Not exactly." Coulson replied with a calm smile. "There have been forces at work for some time. We do not know the who or the what, but Doctor Strange has received an alarm that something is trying to access the Upside Down. We need you to go in there and stop whoever or whatever it is trying to acquire the fragments."

"Why do you think I would help? I am not the helping type!" Wolverine replied.

"Yes, you are. You are an Avenger and an X-Men. While you have much trauma, you are still a noble man." Abe said while his hand was in front of Logan.

"Who the hell are you again, Fish Stick?" Wolverine asked. 

"Abe Sapien of th...."

"Yeah, I don't give a shit." Wolverine replied as he shook his head. "So, when do I leave?"

"I can open up a portal..." Doctor Strange replied with a sigh. "I must warn you. This will be incredibly painful."

"Yeah, yeah... It always is. Just get the damn thing open!" Wolverine growled while reaching for a cigar.

In a galaxy far, far away

Glancing down at the lightsaber that once belonged to Ezra Bridger, Galen reflected on his battle with the young Jedi. Despite all his efforts, Ezra was no match for the apprentice of Darth Vader. In his final moments, Ezra let out attack on the mind of Starkiller. Galen was almost overcome by the weight of the light. Galen unleashed all the darkness that was built up inside of him and pushed out the light from within him. With one final swing, he cut down Ezra Bridger. In his victory, he sent a transmission to Grand Admiral Thrawn. After sending the message, Galen sat back in his ship and left the planet behind. While flying through the endless abyss of space, his mind was focused on the final moments of the Jedi. He turned off his communicator while flying through the stars. The former apprentice of Darth Vader switched his ship to autopilot and laid back in his seat. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

After waking up from his sleep, Starkiller turned on his communicator once again. He received a transmission from the Grand Admiral. Thrawn congratulated him on his victory over the Jedi. He had sent new instructions to the powerful Force user. While Galen looked over his orders, he could not help but glance over at the lightsaber that once belonged to Ezra Bridger. Starkiller reached over for the hilt. After taking a hold of the hilt in his tight grip, he received a vision. It was as if he was back in that cave with Ezra. With a surge of dark force energy, Galen let out a loud scream. His ship started losing control as it spun around in multiple directions. Starkiller was able to gain control of the ship, he looked down at the lightsaber once again. Galen gritted his teeth as he picked up the fallen Jedi's hilt and threw it inside a compartment in his ship. Galen looked over the orders once again. 

Galen found the orders from the Grand Admiral to be unusual. In his past life under the teachings of Vader, he was often sent on assassinations. Thrawn had sent him coordinates to a planet far away from him. In fact, this planet was in a galaxy far away. Starkiller took a deep breath and put in the coordinates for this galaxy through his ship’s navigation panel. While traveling to this new world, he received additional instructions from the Grand Admiral. Trawn spoke of a team that he was putting together. With Galen's latest victory over Ezra Bridger, Thrawn hoped that Galen would be able to lead this team. As Galen pondered on the idea of leading this team, he received notification that he was getting close to the coordinates. Once the ship broke through the clouds, Galen searched for a place to land. As his ship opened, he was greeted by a tall slender woman. 

"You must be Galen Marek?" The woman asked.

"Who are you?" Galen asked.

"My name is Mercy Graves and I have been asked to accompany you to the portal." 

"The portal?" Galen asked.

"Yes, I trust that you have been briefed on your assignment." Mercy replied.

"Not really... Thrawn said he wants me to lead some team." Galen replied. 

Mercy sighed while rolling her eyes. "It is my understanding that you have unique abilities." 

"You could say that." Galen said as he glared at the slender woman.

"We have a specialist that has been able to tap into a technology that can open portals into other universes. Unfortunately, the portal is extremely unstable, but we believe there are powerful resources that can allow the portal to stable out and work beyond our comprehension. These resources have been locked away in a dimension that is extremely difficult to get to." Mercy said as she glanced into Galen's dark eyes. 

"I am capable of many things, but I can't travel to another dimension." Galen said with a dumbfounded expression.

"Not on your own. The portal will open the door, your power would be able to guide you and protect you in your journey to this other dimension." Mercy said with a smirk.

"Protect me? Protect me from what exactly?" Galen asked with squinted eyes. 

"The forces that locked away these resources have made it rather difficult to travel to this other dimension. They have secured it in a way that the journey would be nearly impossible for any normal man. Fortunately for us, you have a power that can protect you from their security and point you in the right direction." Mercy smiled. 

Soon, the two found themselves in a large room. Galen looked around and saw a large, armored man standing in corner. His eyes then shifted to see an armored Gen'Dai bounty hunter standing alongside what appeared to be a speeder bike. As Galen followed Mercy Graves through the building, he soon found a woman dressed in black with a cigarette in her mouth. There was another woman with blonde curly hair standing next to the woman in black. Soon Galen found himself standing before the portal device. A man with long spikey hair emerged from the shadows. He had a grin that went from ear to ear. 

"So, this is the guy that is going to travel to the Upside Down?!" Syndrome exclaimed as he started tinkering with the portal.

"He is." Mercy replied.

"Well, maybe you can have better luck than old Callaghan. During our little battle, he was able to turn on his portal. The old fool tried to trap me inside, but I was just too dang good. I threw him inside his own machine!" Syndrome boasted while looking into the dark eyes of Galen Marek. “We haven’t heard from the old man since. My guess is he got ripped apart in the portal.”

"So, you didn't create this?" Galen asked while looking over the portal device. "How do I know that it will work?"

"It will work! Trust me!" Syndrome yelled confidently.

"We can run some tests if you would like." Mercy said while glancing back at Galen.

"Let's just get this over with." Galen replied.

After starting the portal device, Syndrome stepped back to look over the schematics. Juggernaut, Durge, Jessica Priest, and Lori Quaid gathered around to see what was about to transpire. Galen gritted his teeth as he approached the portal. The former apprentice of Darth Vader stepped into the portal and immediately felt as if he was being dragged through fire. With his abilities in the Force, he was able to protect himself from the harm. Starkiller soon found himself in a world like the one that he had just left. Despite the similarities, he found that it was covered in darkness. He sensed a great power there that was ancient and vast. Despite the Force protecting him in his trip to this dimension, he did feel weakened by the journey. 

As he traveled through the dark and barren landscape, Starkiller found that the source of the power was coming from within a building covered in thick, black vines. Galen was able to break inside this building and made his way closer toward the source of the power. He soon found the room that contained the source of this power. Before he could approach the fragments of the Infinity Stones, he heard a voice from behind.

"You best keep walking, bub!" Wolverine hissed.

Starkiller stopped and turned back to face his opponent. "You do not want any part of this." Galen warned him as he glared at Wolverine.

"I sure as hell ain't going to let you get those fragments!" Wolverine yelled as the blades extended from his hands.

"Then you will die." Starkiller said as he ignited his crimson lightsaber.

*************************************

The battle takes place in the Hawkins High School of the Upside Down.

Hope you all enjoy

 Chapter 26: In the Arms of a Thief

While bullets flew overhead, Helena Shaw the puzzle box fall on the floor in the middle of the gala. She smiled as she slid across the floor and grabbed a hold of the ancient box. Her dark brown eyes looked at area above her and she saw the intense battle that was taking place between two female assassins. With a devious smile, Helena slid the key box into her pocket and sprinted out with the rest of the panicking crowd. Despite the wealth that she accumulated after selling the piece of the Crown of Bethmoora to Lex Luthor, Helena saw an opportunity and she was not going to let his slip through her fingers. Once she was far enough away from the museum, the archeologist leaned against a brick wall in a dark alleyway. She reached down into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around the small object. Helena pulled out the small relic and looked over the object with delight. 

There were Egyptian markings carved into the octagonal box. From what little she knew of the ancient language; she was able decipher that this box was a key. After moving the octagonal puzzle, the top of the box opened. It formed into what appeared to be the shape of the sun. Helena was fascinated and intrigued by the possibilities of what this key would unlock. It did not take her long to realize that whatever those assassins were fighting over must have been what this key went to.  Helena reset the puzzle box and slid it back into her pocket. She sighed while leaning against the wall. While the box itself would sell for a nice sum on the black market, it would not sell as much as the entire set. Helena knew she could not go back and retrieve the rest of the items safely. She thought about it for a moment and grinned. Helena was already well off after selling the piece of the crown to Luthor. She realized that she did not need the full set to make a decent profit from selling this puzzle box. 

It was not long until Helena heard the multitude of emergency vehicles in the distance. She peaked out from around the corner and glanced out at the direction of the museum. There was still panic in the surrounding crowds. The young adventurer slipped off into the shadows and ran away from the chaos as fast as she could. Her hotel villa was not far from there. After returning to the hotel, she was immediately greeted by the hotel staff u der the false identity that she provided to them when she had checked in. With a grin, she returned the greetings and immediately headed up to her villa. When the elevator doors opened, she looked around her villa and let out a sigh of relief. The adventurer reached into her pocket once again to pull out the puzzle box. She looked over the artifact and then glanced over at a bottle of wine that she had sitting on a counter. 

With a large grin, she sat down the puzzle box and snatched up the bottle of wine. Helena glanced over at the different glasses sitting in the cabinet but scoffed as she shook her head. She decided that she did not need a glass while walking over toward a recliner. The adventurer sat back in the recliner and popped off the cork at the top of the bottle. She took a large sip from the bottle and leaned back in the seat. Helena closed her eyes and felt relaxed while drinking the bottle of wine. Her mind went back to those old sayings that she heard from Indy as a child. "Fortune and glory..." She obtained the fortune and now she wanted the glory. While the puzzle box was a small piece to history, she figured it would be a fine addition to someone else's collection. While thinking over the words that her godfather once said, she then thought about what Indy would do if he were there. The gruff old man that she remembered would probably want the small artifact put away in a museum that would collect dust until the end of time. She then remembered the crown piece of Bethmoora that she had sold to that mysterious man on the boat. 

While she had regrets about what she had done, the man paid her more than she could ever imagine. Despite the payment that she received, there was a lingering feeling in her chest. It was as if she had made a grave mistake in selling that crown piece. Since that fateful day, it seemed as if she heard multiple voices in her head. They were the voices of her father and Indiana telling her that she made a mistake. The voices urged her to do what was right. While she dismissed these voices as her imagination running rampant, she did often think about what they would do in that day and age. Helena took another large sip of wine before glancing back at the puzzle piece on the counter. Helena groaned as she leaned forward in her recliner. For many years, the adventurer always sought to obtain fortune. Now that she had it, she did not feel complete. She thought about the adventure that she shared with her godfather and how they fulfilled her father's dream. In that moment, she felt conflicted. 

Helena looked down at the bottle of wine and then sat it down on a table next to the recliner. Her eyes lids were growing heavy while she kept hearing Indy's voice talking in her ear. The young woman stood up and sauntered to her bed. She fell down on the mattress and laid there for a moment. While staring up at the ceiling, she thought about the regret that she had in selling that crown piece to Lex Luthor. There was a part of her that felt something was off with the billionaire. As she laid there thinking, she thought about what Indy would do. She almost chuckled once she realized Indy would probably try and go after the crown piece but Helena realized that would be impossible. There was no way of finding the billionaire, let alone what he had done with the crown piece. She then thought about the puzzle box. Helena groaned while coming to the conclusion that she could take the puzzle box to the proper authorities. She leaned over and stared at the box in the counter before drifting off to sleep.

Meanwhile,

After delivering the ancient books to the Mistress of Evil, Mercy Graves watched while Maleficent looked over the artifacts. While Luthor's assistant was expecting her to be overjoyed by the successful mission, she found herself surprised when the Dark Fairy screamed in a burning rage. Maleficent threw down the case with the ancient books and turned her attention to Mercy. Mercy staggered back and looked down at the case. She then quickly looked back up at the Mistress of Evil.

"The books were retrieved. What is the issue?" Mercy asked as confidently as she could.

"Where is the key to open the books?!" Maleficent cried out while glaring at Luthor's assistant.

Mercy looked down at the case and realized that the puzzle box must have fallen out while Jessica Priest and Fox were fighting. Luthor's assistant let out a calm and steady breath while slowly turning her attention back to the Dark Fairy.

"It will be fine. The box must have fallen out at the museum. I can send someone to retrieve it." Mercy said with a stern expression.

"That will not be necessary." Maleficent replied while walking around the room.

"While your employer and that Thrawn have been searching for candidates to join their little team, I have also been searching for recruits. I found one that may not bring much attention to herself. I will send her to retrieve the box." Maleficent said with a scowl.

"Very well. What do you need from me?" Mercy asked.

"Nothing from you." Maleficent hissed.

After Mercy Graves left, the Mistress of Evil glared down at the ancient books. While chanting words under her breath, a green smoke started to pour out from her staff. The room around her filled with this green haze as the words that she was chanting grew louder. Maleficent soon found herself in a new location. She could hear sounds from the next room. The Mistress of Evil slowly sauntered toward the sound in the next room. Her devilish eyes peered onto a blonde woman that was doing a tennis work out from a screen in the room. A scowl formed over the Dark Fairy's face as she watched over the young blonde woman. It was not long until the young blonde woman quickly lunged toward a pistol that was laying on a countertop. She pointed it at the Mistress of Evil. Maleficent's scowl turned to a fiendish smile as she circled around the young woman. 

"What are you doing here, Maleficent?" Lori asked as her pistol was still pointing at the Dark Fairy.

"I have something that I need you to acquire for me." Maleficent replied. 

"What is it?" Lori asked.

"A puzzle box." Maleficent replied as she stepped closer toward the young woman. 

"Get it yourself!" Lori snapped while laying down the pistol.

"I need someone that can get it done discreetly." Maleficent said while standing over the young woman.

"What is in it for me?" Lori asked.

"I can make it well worth your time. If you are successful, then you will have the opportunity to join a team that is being put together by my associates." Maleficent replied with a sinister smile.

"What kind a team?" Lori asked while reaching for a towel to wipe off the sweat from her face.

"Complete the job that I have for you, then I will give you more information about that team." Maleficent replied. 

"Where is this puzzle box that you want so bad?" Lori asked.

"It's in London. I have learned that it was taken by a thief that stole something else from me a while back. I want her dead!" Maleficent growled. 

"I'll get back your little box and I will make short work of your little thief too." Lori said with a smile. "Just make sure that it is well worth my time."

"See it through. I don't want to have to make an example of you like I did with Ms. Braddock." Maleficent hissed.

A look of concern fell over Lori's face as Maleficent disappeared in a flash of green smoke. She stood quietly for a moment while wiping the sweat from her face once again. The assassin soon walked over to a desk that she had in her room. After opening a drawer, she took out passports and gear that felt she would need on this assignment. The assassin made arrangements to travel to London. Maleficent had left information about her target, and Lori studied the information while getting her transportation lined up. She grinned once she realized that her target was a female archeologist from the past. Lori figured it would be an easy assignment. After arriving at the hotel where the target was staying at, Lori was able to charm her way into obtaining access to the upper villa. She manipulated the hotel staff and found herself in the elevator. 

Meanwhile, 

Helena had a dream of her father and Indy the previous night. In the dream, they pleaded with her to do what was right rather than chasing after additional fortune. Once she awoke, she bit down on her lip and thought about the adventure that she shared with her godfather once again. She glanced over at the puzzle box that was laying on the counter and groaned. She pushed herself out of the bed and walked over to the puzzle box. She reached down and scooped it off the counter. "Damnit Indy." She muttered under her breath once she realized that she had to do what was right. Helena got herself ready for the day. Once she was dressed, she slipped the puzzle box into her pocket. She realized that there may be other interested parties that would be after this relic. The adventurer sauntered over to one of her travel cases and leaned down. She took out a pistol and a small container of pepper spray. Helena looked over the gear and smiled. While she hoped she would not run into any trouble, she wanted to be prepared.

She suddenly heard the sound of the elevator door opening up. The adventurer thought it was strange as she did not order any room service that morning. In the corner of her eyes, Helena saw a blonde, curly haired woman entering her villa. Helena quickly ran behind one of the lower cabinets in the room. She took out her pistol and listened as the woman walked deeper into the room.

"Funny, I didn't order any room service." Helena joked while trying to find the right opportunity to escape.

"Don't even try to escape. If you come out now, I'll make it quick." Lori muttered while searching for her target.

"Not interested." Helena replied.

"Well, don't say I didn't try. At least I got to come to London for this assignment. You may be one of the easiest jobs that I've ever had!" Lori joked while pulling out her pistol.

"I wouldn't count on it!" Helena laughed as she reached up to grab the bottle of wine.

***************************

The battle takes place in a hotel villa. Helena can either fight or try to escape. Lori needs to kill Helena and obtain a small ancient puzzle box.

Helena is armed with a pistol and a small container of pepper spray. She also had a large glass bottle of wine.

Lori has a pistol and knife. 
 

Hope you all enjoy 

Chapter 25: The Dangers of Technology

After lengthy battle with the dangerous assassin known as Fox, Jessica Priest emerged victorious. While walking over toward the body of the fallen assassin, the deranged mercenary leaned down to pick up the case that contained the ancient books. Little did she know, the small puzzle box slipped out of the case during the battle between the two assassins. One of the guests that attended the gala swiped the puzzle box and escaped during the conflict. Jessica gazed down and blew a kiss at the corpse of Fox before sauntering away. As Priest walked out of the museum with the case in hand, she was expecting a call from Amanda Waller on what she would need to do from there. Before she could check her phone, she saw a limousine approaching her. The back of the limousine opened and a tall, slender woman emerged from the vehicle. Jessica scowled as she looked over the woman.

"Jessica Priest?" The woman asked with an expressionless face.

"Who's asking?" Priest hissed while pulling out cigarette.

"My name is Mercy Graves. My employer and his associates are very much interested in your services. They are willing to pay well beyond your typical rate." Mercy replied.

"And who is your employer?" Jessica asked.

"Lex Luthor." Mercy replied with a cold smile.

Shortly after, 

Sitting inside a prison cell, Robert Callaghan simply stared at the walls. With each passing moment, all he could think about was his daughter. During his trial, she spoke of her disgust against the actions and atrocities that he committed during his plot to enact his revenge. While he was grateful that she was rescued from that portal, he hated what had happened since then. The way that she looked at him and the words that she said against him, he found it unbearable. While sitting alone in this solitary confinement, Callaghan felt that the punishment of his daughter disowning him was far worse than these prison walls. Despite his sentence, Callaghan was determined not to lose himself inside these walls. He trained his body to become more than what it had ever been before and sought to meditate within this seclusion. The former professor at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology read as much as he could and wrote even more. Callaghan still had ideas on how to change the world.

While he had ideas on how to change the world, he figured that they would be lost within these walls. As he sat down within the confinement of his prison cell, he heard a strange buzzing noise. The robotics genius turned his head and saw a small object flying around his cell. Most individuals would have mistaken this small object for a mere insect, but Callaghan knew better. This small object was a microbot. It was much different than the ones that he created after Hiro's invention, but it was still a microbot. Callaghan reached out to grab a hold of the small machine but quickly it flew away from his grasp. The small machine then flew outside the prison cell and deep inside a lock on the prison door. Within a matter of seconds, the lock sprang open, and Callaghan slowly rose to his feet. He walked over toward the opening of his cell and glanced out into the rest of the prison. He turned his head and looked in all directions. 

While looking around, his eyes caught a glimpse of a couple more of the microbots. Callaghan watched as they started flying towards another end of the facility. The former Head of Robotics started following the small machines through the rest of the prison. From solitary confinement to the other portions of the prison, Callaghan realized that it was eerily quiet. There were no alarms or sirens going off. A strange thought entered his mind once he realized that he did not find any other guards or prisoners roaming the different sections. In fact, some of the prisoners were passed out in their cells. A strange feeling started forming in his stomach as he looked over the sleeping prisoners. As he continued walking, he saw a few of the guards were unconscious along the way. After leaning down, he felt the pulse on one of the guards. While he had a temporary moment of relief once he felt that he still had a pulse, the former professor was still overcome by questions. Callaghan soon found himself near the entrance of the prison. He stopped for a moment and turned his head back from where he came. 

There was a sense of hesitation within the former Head of Robotics. He looked back at the direction of the prison and sighed. His memories fell on his daughter while she was trapped inside that portal. Callaghan rubbed his eyes and face as he thought about his prison sentence. Part of him felt as if he should turn back and return to his cell for what he had done in the past. With the way that his daughter looked at him upon learning of his actions, Callaghan became overwhelmed with regret. He soon found himself looking upon the microbot that was flying around his face. The former Head of Robotics proceeded forward and left the prison behind him. He followed the small machine far away from the prison. There were no sirens, no flashing lights, and no guards trying to retrieve him. The brilliant scientist’s eyes widened in shock as he saw a large ship up ahead.

As he approached the ship, Callaghan stopped once he saw a large, armored figure emerging from the ship. He then heard a sound from behind and the scientist quickly turned his head back to see another metallic figure approaching. Callaghan staggered back and stumbled into a human female that was dressed all in black. The scientist fell on the ground and tried to crawl away from the trio. He started breathing heavily as his look upon the large, armored figured and metallic creature. There was an eerie silence that was soon drowned out by the laughter of the woman in black. The woman’s lips were covered in a bright red lipstick, and she had a crazed look in her dark brown eyes. Durge slowly sauntered toward the trembling scientist and reached out his hand. Callaghan glanced at Durge’s hand and then looked back up at the metallic figure. He slowly reached over and grabbed the creature’s hand. Durge helped Callaghan to his feet as he was approached by the other individuals.

“Don’t be alarmed, Doc!” Juggernaut laughed while looking down at the scientist.

“What is this?” Callaghan asked while trying to regain his composure.

“Your services are being requested.” Durge replied.

“What?” Callaghan asked with squinted eyes.

“There are some powerful individuals that are wanting to recruit you for our little team. They recruited little ol’ me recently!” Jessica Priest laughed while staring down the robotics specialist.

“I… I don’t understand.” Callaghan replied.

“Dr. Callaghan, perhaps I can better explain.” A voice called from behind the trio.

Callaghan looked past the three and saw a woman approaching. This woman had a cold expression on her face, but she seemed more approachable than the woman in black.

“My name is Mercy Graves. I am an assistant for Lex Luthor of LexCorps.” Mercy said as she stood before the robotics specialist. “This here is Durge. The larger one is Juggernaut, and that is Ms. Jessica Priest.”

“What am I being recruited for?” Callaghan asked.

“Mr. Luthor and several of his associates are interested in the microbot technology that you were able to replicate and create during the San Fransokyo incident. They are also interested in your knowledge of portal technology that was used.” Mercy replied.

“I have no interest in helping you or any of you! What I became, that cannot be undone!” Callaghan replied.

“Dr. Callaghan, Mr. Luthor is very much interested in your talents. He is aware of your past and what you have done. He is even aware that your daughter is no longer interested in having a relationship with you. While he is more than willing to offer whatever amount that you would desire, he also knows that you are not driven by money. You are driven by something else entirely. You are wanting to find redemption in making the world a better place.” Mercy replied.

“So, what? What are you asking of me?” Callaghan asked.

“We want you to replicate the microbot technology and for you to become the Yokai once again.” Mercy said as she opened a case that contained the rebuilt Yokai mask. “Then we need you to go to an island to help retrieve the remnants of the portal device that is being assembled by a dangerous individual.”

“There are others that could do that. Why me?” Callaghan asked.

“You have knowledge of robotics and technology. You also have experience with the portal technology that is being used. This individual has an island full of technology and robotics that we feel you would be better equipped to handle.” Mercy replied.

“Okay…” Callaghan shook his head and sighed. “I will work on recreating the microbots and then I will do what needs to be done. I do have a request.” Callaghan asked.

“What is that?” Mercy asked.

“I want my daughter to be taken care of for the rest of her life.” Callaghan replied.

“I am sure Mr. Luthor, and his associates will be more than willing to see that through.” Mercy replied.

Sometime later,

Nothing seemed to work. All the tests and experiments came back with unfavorable results. Buddy Pine looked over all the schematics and data with disdain. With his zero-point energy ray technology, he obliterated the computer that was in front of him. Several of his henchmen came to see what was taking place, but the psychotic genius screamed at the top of his lunges that he did not want to be disturbed. A couple veins started to bulge from his forehead while a couple lines of sweat started to drip down his face. Then like the flip of a switch, he started to giggle. Despite the several setbacks that he had with the transportation technology; his other goals were going as planned. He looked over the screens regarding the Omnidroid models and then he glanced over a list of nations that would be willing to purchase the dangerous technology. He leaned back in his chair and thought about his plans to finally enact his revenge against Mr. Incredible. 

Despite the humiliation and rejection that he faced all those years ago from his idol, Buddy became something more. He was going to show that world that he was far superior than any superhero known to man. Syndrome was going to not only humiliate Mr. Incredible, he was going to destroy everything about him. His plans soon shifted slightly once he heard about the San Fransokyo incident with the teleportation device. He could not begin to fathom what he could accomplish with that kind of power at his disposal. Syndrome started walking around his room and pressed a button on his wrist. One of the walls in his office started to rise up and from underneath it revealed a display. The psychotic genius stood before the display with a look of satisfaction. The display was a collection of belongings from the superheroes that were lured to this island and slaughtered by his Ommidroids. With each one of these fallen heroes, Syndrome was able to modify his machines to become more capable of facing off against other superpowered individuals.

The doors of his office opened and Syndrome's silver haired assistant walked into the room. Buddy rolled his eyes and groaned while turning his attention to Mirage. 

"What did I say about not wanting to be disturbed?" Syndrome asked.

"There's been a perimeter breach." Mirage responded while handing off a tablet to Syndrome.

As he looked over the screen, the deranged genius started to grit his teeth. "Who could it be?" He muttered while trying to looking over the different security footage in the area.

"Something is blocking the transmission in the area." Mirage said as she stared at Syndrome.

"Hmmm... Get the Omnidroids in the area and send out a couple squads. I want whatever came here to be put down." Syndrome said while pushing the tablet into Mirage's chest.

"Understood." Mirage replied while turning around to walk out of the office.

"Oh, and Mirage..." Syndrome said before his silver haired assistant could leave the room.

"Yes sir?" Mirage replied.

"I want you to go out there as well." Syndrome smiled.

After several of his henchmen and Omnidroids left the base, Syndrome walked into his laboratory. With cameras and sensors down throughout the island, the psychotic criminal started suiting up in his gear. He looked at his reflection up and down in the mirror. Syndrome grinned as he prepared his suit for battle. He stepped back and heard a noise within his laboratory. With a steady breath, he started walking around the room and looked around in all directions. While walking passed different pieces of machines that he was testing, Buddy saw a dark figure standing in front of the teleportation device. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped as he slowly approached the dark figure.

"Well now, how did you get past my security?" Synrdome asked while circling around the figure.

"Your calibrations are off. It is a wonder how you even managed to secure these fragments of my device." Yokai grumbled as he looked over the computer.

"Wait, you're the Dr. Robert Callaghan?!" Syndrome exclaimed as he smiled and stepped back in disbelief. "Your work in robotics is groundbreaking. I applied for your program years ago but I... "

"I personally rejected your application." Yokai said without flinching.

"What?" Syndrome asked with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You had the intellect but you were unstable. Emotionally too immature for my program. It does not seem like much as changed." Yokai replied.

"Ha." Syndrome chuckled while his grin quickly faded. "You should talk. You almost destroyed half of San Fransokyo. And for what? Your little daughter."

"Do not mention my daughter!" Yokai snapped as he glared back at Syndrome.

"You are a washed-up old man who lost his daughter. You were the past. I am the present and I am the future!" Syndrome screamed as he pointed one of his gauntlets at Yokai.

"That was a mistake!" Yokai growled as the room started to fill with microbots.

***********************

The battle takes place in Syndrome's lab. 

Yokai - is armed with over a million microbots.

Syndrome has his suit with zero-point energy rays, rocket boots, and there are some prototype Ominidroids in the lab. 

Hope you all enjoy 

Chapter 24: Hell Hath No Fury Like an Assassin's Scorn

Shortly after meeting with Homelander, the Director of ARGUS knew that she had to take additional precautions for the relics that were uncovered in Egypt. While she had multiple teams of specialists working on the books that were recovered from deep beneath the sand, they were nowhere close to uncovering the secrets held within them. To prevent these ancient books from falling into the hands of her adversaries, she started to contemplate what her next move could be. After contacting one of her subordinates at ARGUS to search for operatives in the area, she was given a name. Before getting back in her car, the Director of ARGUS looked over the information that was sent to her phone. She scoffed and sighed while rubbing her hand against her face. The name of the operative in the area was Jessica Priest. While Priest proved to be an asset for some of Waller's more questionable operations, she also displayed sadistic personality traits.

With much disdain, Waller dialed the number to Jessica Priest. She soon remembered that Priest was already on a mission to take out a potential threat at a secured compound. Despite Priest already having an assignment, Amanda knew that she was the closest person to the ARGUS facility in Egypt. While Priest would be no match for Juggernaut or this other unknown enemy, she could at least get the books before they arrived. The phone rang for several minutes while Waller squeezed into the back of her car. She nodded at the driver to proceed forward while the Director of ARGUS leaned back against her seat. It took a while before she heard Priest answer the call. Waller could hear something the background and realized that Priest was in the middle of a job. Waller shook her head once she heard the loud laughter of Jessica Priest followed by rapid gun fire. It took several moments before everything went quiet. She then heard Priest take a couple deep breaths before acknowledging Amanda Waller.

"It is a little early to be contacting me, Waller. You just sent me this assignment." Jessica Priest muttered. 

"I have a new assignment for you." Amanda responded coldly.

"Huh, I hope it is somewhere with a view." Priest joked followed by the sound of gun fire.

"I am sending you the information now. It is a simple mission but time sensitive. You will be retrieving a couple items from a nearby ARGUS facility." Waller responded.

"Sounds boring and a little beneath me." Priest scoffed.

"You are the closest asset that we have. These are your orders." Waller replied.

"Since I am being pulled off this current job, my usual rate will be a bit higher." Priest said.

"You'll get your money, but just get it done!" Waller growled.

"Sure thing, Waller!" Priest chuckled.

 After the call disconnected, Jessica looked over the bodies of the men that she had taken out. While looking at the barricaded building that her original target was locked inside of, the sadistic assassin blew a kiss before walking away. As she was walking away, Jessica reached into a pouch and pulled out a cigarette. She lit up the cigarette and placed it between her bright red lips. The assassin left a trail of bodies behind as she left the area. Once she got back to her humvee, the assassin threw the cigarette butt on the ground. She glanced back at the battle zone and smirked once she saw the rising smoke that filled the skies above. Priest got into the vehicle and sped away. She plugged the coordinates into her GPS and looked over the details of the mission. Priest shook her head in annoyance once she realized that all she would be doing was retrieving a couple ancient books from the facility. While Waller emphasized the importance of the mission and that time was of the essence, Priest still felt that this was beneath her. 

Once she pulled up to the compound, she looked over the facility with disgust. The appearance of a power plant was not subtle as this facility was literally in the middle of the dessert. Priest stepped out of her humvee and was met by multiple ARGUS personnel. The trained assassin showed her identification and was led through the facility. She could tell that with all the armed individuals, this facility must have contained some vital secrets that Waller held close to her chest. Priest was led into a room deep beneath the facility itself. The air was still, and the temperature dropped considerably once she entered the room. There were statues and artifacts lined up through the room with different machines analyzing each one. The assassin then saw a man scurrying around a table. Jessica took out a cigarette and placed it between her lips. She lit up the cigarette before approaching the table. Sitting upon the table, she saw what appeared to be two books. One was a black book made of pure obsidian while the other was covered in gold. In between the two books laid a small box. Before she could step closer toward the books, she heard the frantic yells of the scurrying man.

"Put that out!" He demanded while pointing at the cigarette in Jessica's mouth.

"The last person that told me to put out my cigarette, I skinned them alive." Jessica replied while taking a puff from her cigarette.

"These books are highly valuable objects as old as the great pyramids, perhaps even older. They cannot be contaminated with those disgusting things!" The man yelled with piercing eyes.

"Very well." Jessica smiled while dropping the cigarette on the ground beneath her. She stepped on the butt of the cigarette while giving a devilish smile at the man. "Are you ready to get out of here, doc?" 

"No! No, there is too much to do! These books do not need to leave this place, these grounds are sacred. Waller should know this! She should know that these books are not supposed to leave these grounds!" The man said while walking around frantically once again.

"Look, I have my orders to get these books out of here. Now, I can shoot you in the kneecaps and take them, or you can help!" Jessica replied.

"This land is sacred. I don't think it is wise to take them away from this place!" The man muttered. "No living being of this world is worthy enough to take these books from this land."

"Unfortunately, I've heard that the thing that is coming may not even be from this world. Consider this a final warning. Either you help me get these books and that little box thing out of here, or I will hurt you really, really bad." Jessica replied with a smile.

"Very well." The man said as he took out a container. He gently placed the books in the container along with the puzzle box. 

His hands shook as he handed the case to the assassin. Jessica smiled as she looked down at the case. She was slightly curious why these books were so vital to Amanda Waller but as long as she got paid, she was not going to ask too many questions. Jessica reached down toward her holster and took out her pistol. She aimed it at the man. The frantic man stumbled back as he raised his hands up in the air.

"Wh... What are you doing?" The man stuttered.

"You annoyed me." Jessica smiled before squeezing the trigger back. 

The bullet pierced through the man's throat. He immediately dropped to the ground and started squirming around. Jessica started to giggle while she watched him struggling for life. She then looked at her watch and sighed. The sadistic assassin rolled her eyes and looked down at the ARGUS researcher.

"I'd love to stay, but I got a mission to complete." Jessica said before leaving the researcher there to bleed out. 

Jessica Priest left the facility and placed the container in the back of her humvee. She sped off into the dessert with a trail of dust and sand behind her. On a tablet that was connected to her humvee, she received an alert. The assassin pressed the screen and saw that the facility was being attacked. With the books safely in her possession and far away from the attack, a demented smile formed over Jessica's bright red lips. Waller had given her orders to take the books to a museum in London. The assassin started to make arrangements to head to the London while speeding through the dessert. 

Battered and beaten,

The leader of the Seven had never taken this much pain in his entire life. Despite his best efforts, nothing worked against the Juggernaut. Marko was far stronger than anything or anyone Homelander had ever faced. All Homelander's attacked appeared to bounce off Cain Marko without any effect. The Supe unleashed a powerful blast from his eyes and Juggernaut simply laughed as he grabbed Homelander and threw him through several walls of the ARGUS facility. The leader of the Seven struggled to get to his feet. Before he could regain his composure, the Juggernaut unleashed a powerful blow against the top of Homelander's head. The facility shook and the ground cracked beneath the Super as he fell to his knees. Marko then unleashed a series of powerful punches that caused the leader of the Seven sink into the ground. Homelander cried and screamed as Juggernaut continued his devastating attacks. Tears ran down the cheeks of the humiliated Supe as he started to sob. Through the humiliation, the leader of the Seven started to search for a way to escape from the Juggernaut’s wrath. 

Homelander unleashed as much power as he could muster from his eyes. After blowing a hole into the ceiling, the leader of the Seven flew as fast as he could away from the Juggernaut. Marko laughed as he watched the Supe fly away in complete terror. The Juggernaut smashed through a wall and made his way down into the lower levels of the ARGUS facility. Once he arrived in the lower level, he found himself surrounded by ancient artifacts. He then saw Durge in the corner of his eyes. Marko sauntered past the artifacts and walked up to Durge. They saw a lifeless body in a pool of blood. Juggernaut looked around then gave a piercing glare at the bounty hunter.

"Where are the books?" Juggernaut asked.

"Not here." Durge replied while lifting his arm. He pressed a couple buttons on his wrist computer. A message was sent to Grand Admiral Thrawn. "Someone must have taken them before we arrived." Durge growled while staring at something on the ground.

The bounty hunter leaned down to pick up the cigarette butt that Jessica Priest was smoking earlier. He saw the stain of lipstick covering the cigarette butt. The bounty hunter then received a message from the Grand Admiral. While he was expecting orders to track down the books, he was surprised that Thrawn ordered them to stand down. Durge looked over at Marko and shook his head. Thrawn advised them to be leave the facility and await further orders. 

Meanwhile,

Luthor waited until Thrawn finished sending the transmission to the powerful beings. Unsure of what the Chiss had planned he stood up and sauntered over toward a cabinet that had an assortment of drinks. The billionaire poured himself a glass of a strong liquor before walking over toward the Chiss Imperial.

"Why did you have them stand down?" Lex asked as his dark eyes glared into Thrawn's red eyes.

"I want to see what this Amanda Waller is going to do. Durge attacked her prison and then this facility in Egypt. Rather than calling in the full force of their military or one of these teams of superheroes, she sends this Homelander to confront the Juggernaut. The books were taken away before their arrival but not by a large military force. It appears to have been taken by a small group or rather a single individual. The facility was not even evacuated which may signify that she did not want too many questions to be asked."  Thrawn replied.

"You figured she was going to move the books before Durge and Juggernaut arrived?" Lex said while shaking his head. "Why did you not send word to Durge and Juggernaut beforehand."

"I know that those two will be able to get away from Egypt without any issues. This is more of a test for a new recruit that I have in mind." Thrawn said with widened red eyes.

"Who?" Lex asked.

"A human assassin by the name of Fox. Her profile is extensive and what interests me is the mention that she can curve a bullet." Thrawn replied while looking over a transmission that he had sent earlier. "I have already sent her the mission to retrieve the books."

Back on Earth,

After completing a complex assignment, Fox found herself back in one of her apartments in England. At first, she thought she could take some time for herself. It was early in the morning and the assassin had heated up a pot of coffee while turning on the television. Fox watched in the corner of her eyes while reports came in surrounding the death of the mob boss that she had taken out the night before. The assassin took a sip of her coffee before sitting down in front of her computer. Before she could plan out her day of relaxation, she noticed an unusual alert on her computer. Knowing the security that she had built into her computer, Fox decided to see what the message had entailed. The assassin sighed once she realized that it was for a job. Fox leaned back in her chair and bit down on her lip. While reluctant at first, she saw the job was paying out more than all her previous of couple assignments combined.

With much curiosity, the assassin figured that the assignment would entail taking out a significant political leader or a warlord. While looking over the details, she found herself surprised by the details of the job. It was not an assassination but rather a retrieval of a couple ancient artifacts. Fox leaned back in her chair for a moment and rubbed her hand against her face. She took a small sip from her coffee and leaned forward to look over the details of the mission once again. Fox saw that these artifacts were stolen by a government operative out of Egypt and that Intel pointed to her taking the ancient items to London. The deadly assassin smiled as she believed that this could be a simple job in which the reward would be greater than most she had come across. After finishing reading the assignment details, she accepted the mission. 

Once she headed to the location in London, the assassin found herself outside a large museum. Fox looked over the architecture of the building and gazed upon the statues. While looking over the building, she made a mental note of the numbers of windows and exits. She then drove around the building. Fox was able to disable the power to the museum while she prepared herself to enter the building. She gathered her weapons and gear from the trunk of her car. The assassin snuck into the museum and used a tracker to move deeper into the building. There was a gala being held that night in the lower level. While the gala was taking place, Fox was able to break into the secured area where the books were being held. After knocking out a couple of the guards, Fox looked over the ancient books. Her brown eyes gazed upon the gold and black books as well as a small box. She quickly slid the books and the strange small box into a case and put them into a bag. As Fox was making her way out of the museum and over the gala, she heard the alarms starting to sound.

Suddenly, a woman standing over a balcony with two machine guns started shooting off over the crowds. Fox slid for cover and immediately drew one of her weapons. Lights started flashing on and off as she heard the party goers scream from down below. She then heard the voice of the deranged woman that had held the machine guns. 

"Is that you, Fox?!" Jessica Priest screamed out while starting to chuckle.

"Jessica Priest? I didn't know you were working as a security guard!" Fox yelled while holstering her pistol. The assassin then steadily pulled out a machine gun and glanced around at her surroundings.

"What can I say? I just love old relics. So, why don't you do us both a favor and come out so I can kill you quickly. I'm ready to call it a night!" Priest screamed while shooting in Fox's direction.

"I'm going to walk out that front door but not before putting a bullet between your eyes." Fox said with a smile while she became familiar with her surroundings.

"You don't have the guts to kill me!" Jessica Priest hissed.

**********************************

The battle takes place in a ballroom of a museum. There are several innocent bystanders that were attending a gala that are also trying to escape the chaos. 

Jessica Priest has two machine guns and a small pistol concealed to her thigh.

Fox has a machine gun, pistol, and a sawed-off double barrel shotgun.

Hope you all enjoy

Chapter 23: The Path of Destruction

The Gen'Dai bounty hunter was somewhat impressed by his opponents. The UniSol operatives had worked together to face the deadly hunter. As smoke filled the room around, the bounty hunter took on multiple blasts from the operatives. Durge found that they were stronger and fast than the other guards that he had come across in this prison. He found that they were harder to take down. With a massive explosion from the thermal detonator, two of the UniSol operatives were killed instantly. After the smoke cleared, Durge glanced out and saw that the portion of the facility had taken much damage. There were cracks in the walls and the door to the elevator shaft had been blown apart. The bounty hunter found himself facing off against the final two UniSol operatives, Luc Deveroux and Andrew Scott. He fired off multiple shots from his blasters at the two soldiers. Deveroux and Scott were able to take cover as they continued trying to take down the intruder. Durge stumbled back from taking the impact of their different attacks.
 

Despite the combined efforts of the remaining UniSol operatives, the Gen’Dai bounty hunter did not seem fazed by their attacks. Andrew Scott picked up a shotgun off the floor and started making his way closer toward the intruder. He unloaded multiple shots into the chest of the Gen’Dai hunter while making his way closer toward the intruder. Durge staggered back but did not take on any damage from the weapon. He reached down for his flail and smacked his attacker across the chest. Andrew Scott went flying back into the opening of the elevator shaft. Before Durge could go see down the shaft, he felt a force hitting him in the back. Luc Deveroux unleashed a powerful kick across the back of the intruder. He then reached down to his holster and drew his pistol. The Universal Soldier unloaded his clip into the deadly bounty hunter. Deveroux then unleashed another power kicked across the bounty hunter’s face.

After seeing that the bounty hunter was still on his feet, the Universal Soldier dived to the floor. He scooped up a weapon from one of the fallen guards and immediately started firing on the bounty hunter once again. Growing tired of his opponent, Durge drew his blaster and shot it into the chest of Luc Deveroux. The Universal Soldier fell back on the ground and then tried to crawl away from the deadly hunter. Durge walked over toward the UniSol operative and lifted his spike flail high in the air. He swung it down and crushed the skull of the Universal Soldier. After killing Deveroux, the deadly hunter then made his way to the chamber that the prisoner was contained in. After looking over the code name of X65, Durge was able to disable to the containment shield. He watched as a massive block of ice started to quickly thaw and an enormous figure appeared before him.

The prisoner had a massive metal skullcap helmet that covered his face. He stumbled out of the containment cell and stood before the Gen’Dai hunter. Before the prisoner could say anything to the one that rescued him from his imprisonment, he heard a shotgun blast. Durge and the massive prisoner turned their attention to the UniSol operative that had climbed out of the elevator shaft. Andrew Scott’s face was covered in ash and cut up from his battle with the deadly bounty hunter. He pumped the weapon once again and shot it off at the prisoner. The blast simply bounced off the massive prisoner as he looked down at where the blast impacted his body. He then glanced at Durge before turning his attention to the Universal Soldier.  The massive prisoner almost chuckled as he stormed over toward the UniSol operative. He towered over Andrew Scott as he started to reach down at the former deranged soldier.

“Don’t you know who I am? I’m the Juggernaut, bitch!” The prison screamed as he grabbed ahold of the Universal Soldier.

Without any effort, Juggernaut ripped Andrew Scott in half. After throwing away the remains of the UniSol operative, he turned his attention back toward the Gen’Dai hunter.  “Who are you supposed to be?” Juggernaut growled as he glared down at Durge.

“I was sent to break you out. I have some friends that are very much interested in having you join our team.” Durge replied.

“Who are your friends?” Juggernaut asked.

“You will have a chance to meet them, but we need to go!” Durge replied.

While Juggernaut and the bounty hunter made their way out of the prison, they faced multiple guards. A wide variety of machines and weapons tried to stop the two deadly individuals. Despite the best efforts from the remaining guards and all the weapons that they tried to throw at them, it was not use. Durge and Juggernaut broke out of the heavily secured facility. After walking out into the frozen wasteland, Durge started pressing some buttons on his wrist. Juggernaut looked in all directions and asked if the bounty hunter had a way out of there. The Gen’Dai hunter glanced back at the Juggernaut and simply said, “Patience.”

“I don’t do patience!” Juggernaut yelled as he saw beams of light appearing down from the sky.

Juggernaut watched as Durge’s ship landed on the ground before them. The bounty hunter loaded up his speeder into the ship and gestured for the massive prisoner to join him on the ship. A smirked formed across Juggernaut’s cheeks as he walked into the back of the ship. Durge sat down behind the controls and flew off into the cold night sky. He sent a message to Grand Admiral Thrawn about the mission’s success and started searching for a place to land. The deadly hunter figured that the Chiss Imperial would send him another mission before they departed this green and blue planet. Durge noticed an incoming transmission. He glanced back at the Juggernaut and then looked back down at the flashing red light that signaled the transmission. The bounty hunter pressed a button on his wrist and the faded image of a hologram formed between him and Juggernaut. Both of them stared at the image of the Chiss Imperial as he gazed back at them with a look of satisfaction.

"Cain Marko, I have heard the many stories surrounding your abilities." Thrawn said as his red eyes looked over the muscled giant.

"They are all true! I am the Juggernaut!" Marko boasted with a large smile that formed under his metal helmet. "Why did you break me out?"

"I am putting together a team to help with the interests of my allies. I need an unstoppable force and I hear that is you." Thrawn replied with a calm voice. 

"What's in it for me?" Juggernaut asked while gritting his teeth.

"My allies and I have unlimited resources from across the universe. We are sure we can accommodate even an unstoppable force such as yourself." Trawn said confidently.

"What do you want me to do?" Juggernaut asked. 

"There is a place in Egypt that I need you to travel to and retrieve a pair of books for me." Thrawn said while preparing to brief the two on their newest mission.

Outside the Vought International Tower,

Amanda Waller scowled while looking at the tower. She had a bad taste in her mouth as the doors opened wide for her. After providing her credentials, she was escorted to the elevator. While the elevator ascended up the multiple floors, she started to have an uneasy feeling in the put of her stomach. She thought about the incident at the prison and the questions that would be asked if word had gotten out about Juggernaut's escape. The Director of ARGUS knew that she could tell a convincing lie that would fool most government agencies, but someone like Nick Fury would be much harder to fool. She could not rely on most of her resources due to the power level that Cain Marko possessed. As the elevator doors opened, Waller saw the portrait for the Seven hanging on the wall in front of her. She shook her head once her eyes looked over the image of Homelander standing over the rest of the Seven. 

"Amanda, what do I owe the pleasure?!" Homelander exclaimed as his arms stretched out. 

"I need your help." Amanda muttered while trying not to choke on her words.

"Oh Amanda, that must have been so hard for you to say." Homelander said with boastful smile. "Could I interest you in a steak? The cooks here can make a pretty mean filet and they can whipbit up for you!"

"No!" Waller snapped while throwing a folder down on the table in front of Homelander.

Homelander barely looked down at the folder before looking away. He picked up a large glass of milk and took a sip of it before letting out a sigh. "Amanda, I did not think something with your figure would pass up on a free meal but it looks like I was wrong. I should warn you, I'm not a fan of reading." The leader of the Seven said with a sickening smile.

"Several days ago, a powerful criminal was broken out of a highly secret maximum-security prison. Our intel has shown that he is heading for an ARGUS compound in Egypt. He has already destroyed multiple facilities in the area." Waller replied with a cold gaze.

"Hmmm, what's the name of this prisoner?" Homelander asked.

"Cain Marko... He goes by Juggernaut." Waller replied.

"Huh, Juggernaut? Sounds like a sex toy for a middle-aged Karen!" Homelander said while reaching for the folder. After looking over the photo of Cain Marko, Homelander nodded his head with an awkward expression. "Kind of looks like an oversized vibrator." 

"I need your help to stop him." Waller said with a scowl.

"My help? Why not call those douchebag Avengers or the little pricks in the Justice League? I know! What about your Suicide Squad?" Homelander mocked while circling around the Director of ARGUS.

"This needs to be off record." Waller replied.

"And you think the Seven will help with off record?" Homelander asked with squinted eyes.

"Not the Seven. Just you." Waller replied with piercing eyes.

"Amanda, I am touched. Hmmm. Well, I did just free up my calendar recently but sadly I don't work for free." Homelander smiled. 

"What do you want?" Waller asked 

"Oh, just a little bit of this and that. Uhhh what is it that I want? I have just about everything because I am everything. Except there is one little thing that I don't have." Homelander said as he started to pace back and forth.

"What is it, Homelander?!" Amanda hissed while gritting her teeth.

"A piece of that jolly green kryptonite. It is a hell of a thing to come by." Homelander smiled. 

"Why?" Waller asked.

"So, if that Prick of Tomorrow tries to ever get in my way then I can show the entire world that even Superman can be broken." Homelander replied.

"Consider it done." Amanda scoffed. 

"Good deal. I hate to leave you here, but I have a giant sex toy to stop!" Homelander boasted before leaving the Director of ARGUS behind in the Seven's conference room. 

After flying across the world, the leader of the Seven found himself in Egypt. He followed the coordinates to the ARGUS compound. From the outside, it almost appeared to be a power plant. Homelander smiled as he looked around at the surrounding dessert. A power plant in the middle of sand and dust. He thought that Amanda was not very subtle in where she established this facility. Homelander then figured that there must have been a reason that the Director of ARGUS chose this specific spot to establish a compound. As Homelander walked past multiple ARGUS soldiers, he was told to wait outside by one of the men. The leader of the Seven rolled his eyes and unleashed a powerful beam from his eyes. He blew apart the guard with ease before walking into the facility. He saw a name, "Hamunaptra" written on a file in one of the rooms. Before the leader of the Seven could look deeper into the facility, he heard a noise that rattled throughout the compound. Sirens and flashing lights soon followed. Homelander lifted his head and sighed.

Homelander slowly made his way toward the commotion. He listened as gunshots rang out followed by screams of the ARGUS guards. The leader of the Seven smiled at the sight of the carnage before coming around a corner. He then saw the image of the two assailants. Homelander looked over the two and immediately recognized Cain Marko from the file that was given to him by Amanda Waller. This Juggernaut seemed much bigger than he was anticipating but he still had that weird looking metal helmet that covered his face. The other individual had an armor that covered his entire body. He carried weapons that did not seem to be from this world and while he was not as large as the Juggernaut, he did seem to be taller than people of Earth. Homelander looked over the destruction without any expression then turned his attention back to the two assailants. A large smile formed across the leader of the Seven's face as he stood up tall and put out his chest. 

"I suppose that you two would not surrender here and now. I just got this suit dry cleaned and I'd hate to get it dirty again." Homelander said with a boastful tone.

"Get the book. I'll handle this blonde prick!" Juggernaut told Durge.

"No need for name calling you oversized vibrator." Homelander smiled as his eyes started to turn into a fiery red color.

"I am going to rip you head off and shove it up your ass!" Juggernaut screamed.

*******************************

The battle takes place in an ARGUS facility that is disguised as a power plant in the Egyptian dessert. Can Homelander either defeat Juggernaut or at least knock him out? Or will Juggernaut defeat the leader of the Seven?

Hope you all enjoy 

Chapter 22: The Siege on Super Max Prison

While being escorted through the Chimaera, Lex Luthor glanced over at the assortment of troopers along the way. They all had the same time of armor and gear, but he could tell that there was something off about them. The gear was either worn or tattered, and some of their armor appeared to be tied together with a strange red fabric. He had heard rumors that many of these troopers were killed in action and were brought back through the magic of the Night Sisters. The billionaire did not think much of it as he approached Thrawn's training room. As he walked in, he could hear the sounds of a training droid battling it out with the Chiss Imperial. The Grand Admiral was drenched in sweat while sparing with the machine. Once Luthor made himself known, the Heir to the Empire said a word that immediately shut down the training droid. The red eyes of the Chiss locked onto the well-dressed billionaire as he reached down to pick up a towel. 

The Grand Admiral wiped the sweat away from his face while greeting his fellow Council member. He excused himself while he signaled for his protege, Eli Vanto, to keep Luthor company. Luthor and the young seasoned Imperial did not speak much while Thrawn went to clean himself up from his training session. Luthor admired Thrawn from the stories that he had heard about the Chiss. The Grand Admiral was a highly skilled tactician and strategist who had proven himself time and time again with his abilities. Along with his desire for knowledge, the Chiss warrior also dedicated himself to his physical training. After the doors to Thrawn's room opened, Luthor looked up to see the blue skinned officer emerging from his personal quarters. The Grand Admiral had changed into his Imperial uniform and stood before the billionaire. Despite the ragged Night Troopers that he had passed along the way, Thrawn's uniform was in pristine condition. 

"I hope that your journey to this galaxy was pleasant." Thrawn said with an emotionless tone as his red eyes stared at Luthor.

"It was fine." Lex responded while looking over the training room. "Is our meeting going to take place in here or are we going elsewhere?" Luthor asked while gesturing at the training equipment.

"We will be meeting in the study." Thrawn replied while turning to walk out of the training room.

Lex followed the Grand Admiral into Thrawn's study room. Luthor looked over the countless artifacts that the Chiss had collected over the years. While many of Thrawn's visitors would take time to look over the history that the Grand Admiral collected and studied over the years, Lex immediately took a seat in front of the Chiss Imperial.

"Have you received word from the Boglodite?" Thrawn asked with narrowed eyes.

"Boris was able to obtain half of the Beskar supply that was stowed away on that cargo vessel. When he went to return for the rest of it, he found a lone Mandalorian. He engaged her in combat until other Mandalorians arrived. Boris escaped after being surrounded." Lex replied as he crossed his fingers. 

"And what of the one that he fought with?" Thrawn asked.

"She survived. Mandalore was able to retrieve the remaining supply of Beskar." Lex replied.

"That is unfortunate but I suppose this was never truly about the Beskar." Thrawn said while his eyes turned away from the billionaire.

"The Animal still proved himself. He was able to obtain half of the cargo and fought the warrior to a standstill. From my understanding of these Mandalorians, that is no easy feat." Lex said with a smug smile.

"You still feel that he can be of some use to us?" Thrawn asked as his red eyes shifted back toward Luthor.

"I think he still has potential." Luthor replied. "Have you heard anything from the potential candidate that you sent to retrieve the final piece of the crown?"

"The operative was able to obtain the piece. He was able to escape the island but sustained minor damage to his ship from the kaiju that rules over the island. He is in the process of repairing his ship." Thrawn said while leaning back in his chair.

"Did he mention what happened to the assassin that I hired for the job?" Lex asked.

"He indicated that both Storm Shadow and Bullseye had both fought each other to the brink of death." Thrawn responded. "The operative left them both there as he had no use for either one."

"That is unfortunate, but we now have the keys to taking control of the Golden Army." Lex said as he rose from his chair. 

"Precisely. The time will soon come when we make ourselves known to the universe." Thrawn said as he watched Luthor circle around the room.

"There will still be forces that will oppose us." Lex said as he looked over the artifacts. "History has proven that time and time again."

"That is why the Council is seeking to build our armies and gather these weapons. When the opposition presents itself, there will be nothing that they can do to stop us." Thrawn said as he stood up from his chair.

"I agree but even in obtaining this Crown of Bethmoora. It proved to be a struggle. With the loss of Deathstroke and Bullseye, I imagine there will be many more casualties on this path to victory." Lex replied while his eyes fell on the contents inside a glass case.

"The losses of Deathstroke and Bullseye were unfortunate but it did allow us to see the flaws in our growing empire. It also presented some rather intriguing opportunities." Thrawn replied with a cold smile. 

"What kind of opportunities?" Lex asked while looking back at Thrawn.

"The kaiju and titans are truly remarkable beings. From what I have seen, they have proven to be a remarkable threat for many worlds." Thrawn replied.

"They cannot be controlled. Many have tried and every one of them has failed." Lex said as he rolled his eyes.

"But they can be unleashed and that will be a frightening reality for our enemies." Thrawn responded.

"Are you proposing in trying to acquire this Kong and unleashing him on our enemies?" Lex asked.

"Not at all. The Great Ape has proven that he will protect humanity. I am simply proposing finding other kaiju to use when the time comes. That is not where our focus is now. We have more recruiting to do." Thrawn replied with a blank stare.

"What do you have in mind?" Lex asked.

"I have learned that there is a prison on Earth that holds a great many powerful individuals. There is one that I am quite intrigued by. Since the operative that I sent to retrieve the final piece of the crown has yet to leave Earth, I sent orders for him to break out this prisoner. Perhaps they can even obtain the Books that the Council desires as well." Thrawn responded.

"Who is the prisoner?" Lex asked.

Thrawn handed a data pad to the billionaire and watched as Luthor's dark eyes looked over the screen. "Durge has been given the location of this facility and the layout of the prison. I trust that he will be able to break him out." Thrawn replied.

"That will definitely cause quite the frenzy but I believe that this will be a great addition to the strike team." Lex replied with a half-smile.  

Back on Earth,

After delivering the final piece of the Crown of Bethmoora to the Mistress of Evil, Durge looked over the damages to his ship. Despite his ship only being grazed by the King of Skull Island, his ship sustained significant damage. He knew he would not be able to travel off this planet before repairing his ship. While searching for materials and supplies that he could use for the repairs, Durge noticed that he had an alert going off on his communication device that was inserted in his arm. The Gen'Dai bounty hunter looked the flashing red light on his communicator and pressed down on the button. A small, faded blue hologram formed on his wrist. The dangerous hunter looked over hologram and tilted his head. He recognized the man as the one who hired him for this job. 

"What job do you have for me now, Grand Admiral?" Durge asked with a chilling voice.

"There is a prison on the northern hemisphere of the planet that you are located on. I am sending you the coordinates. I am also sending you information for an inmate that I want you to break out and recruit for your new team." Thrawn responded with an emotionless voice.

While looking over the schematics of the prison and the information on the inmate, Durge turned his head back to the small hologram of Thrawn. "How certain are you that this inmate, X65, is going to being willing to join the team?" 

"I am quite confident that he will join the ranks once he is freed from his prison." Thrawn replied.

"Consider it done." Durge hissed while looking over the prison's defenses.

After receiving his orders, the dangerous bounty hunter gathered his weapons. While loading the weapons on his speeder, the hunter plugged in the coordinates into the data pad. Durge hopped onto the speeder and sped off into the horizon. He knew from reviewing the schematics of this prison, he would have to hit it hard and fast. 

Flying over the frozen terrain,

A heavily armored chopper prepared to land upon a helicopter pad. Several armed men that were covered in winter gear stood outside to guard the chopper as it prepared for descent. The chopper landed on the helicopter pad, and the pad immediately started to lower itself down into the underground facility beneath the frozen terrain. The armed guards immediately retreated back into the facility as the helicopter pad disappeared from view. The warden of the prison stood alongside several of his prison staff as the chopper doors opened wide. Multiple agents stepped out of the chopper and greeted the warden.

"HI, I am Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., this is Jack Bauer of C.T.U., and this is Abe Sapien of B.P.R.D." Agent Coulson said while looking at the warden.

"It is nice to meet you, fellas but I can assure you that there is no reason that you needed to come. This facility is heavily secured and I've never had any issues." The warden replied. 

"We can assure you that we are here to simply observe and become more aware of this facility." Coulson said with a small smile.

"Right..." The warden responded as he waved his hand at the rest of the facility. "This facility was created by ARGUS. Amanda Waller found that there were some beings on this planet that are far too dangerous to be kept in Belle Reve or even the Raft. These individuals and creatures have been deemed a danger to even Ms. Waller's Task Force X. So, she created this facility that is surrounded by a frozen wasteland. We have never had an issue since its inception." 

"Any issues with the inmates or riots?" Jack asked with piercing eyes.

"None that are of concern, Mr. Bauer." The warden smiled. "The inmates that are not placed in heavy containment are monitored every moment of the day. Most of our guards are former military but our advanced security unit consists of UniSol operatives."

"What?" Jack asked with a look of disbelief. 

"Reanimated soldiers that are enhanced with strength, speed, and superior healing abilities." Abe said as he looked over the warden.

"How is that even right?" Jack asked. 

"Because they are not in any jurisdiction." Coulson said with a blank expression. "That's why Waller chose this frozen wasteland "

"I'm not here to argue ethics. We do what we have to do to keep these dangers within these walls. The UniSol operatives have proven to be an asset when dealing with any potential unpleasant situations from within these walls." The warden replied. 

Once Agent Coulson, Bauer and Abe collected all the information that they need, they boarded their chopper. The helicopter pad started to rise up into the world above. The propellers spun to life as the chopper lifted high over the frozen wasteland. Jack and Coulson were both deeply disturbed by what they had discovered about the prison. Abe looked over at the two men and tried to find the right words to say but realized that there was nothing he could say to relieve the situation. They sat in silence as the chopper disappeared from view. The agents were going to present their findings to Nick Fury and other high ranking government officials. Despite the efforts, they knew that Waller had complete control over the prison itself. 

The warden sat back in his office and sent a message to Amanda Waller about the recent visit. He was confident that the Director of ARGUS would make sure that they would not receive any more unwanted visits from any other additional government agencies. As he sat back in his desk, his assistant came to him with some news. The warden saw that his assistant appeared distressed as he approached his desk. The warden rubbed his face with the palm of his hand and leaned back in his chair. 

"Sir, there has been a perimeter breach in sector 4. The radar shows that something is coming in at a high rate of speed." The assistant said while handing a tablet over to the warden.

"There is no one foolish on this planet that would even dare try to attack this place!" The warden growled as he looked over the blurred images from what the radar was able to capture.

"Unless it is not from this planet." The assistant muttered.

"Get the UniSols ready and prepared. I am confident that whatever it is will not even make it past the barrier." The warden said confidently.

Suddenly, an explosion shook the upper level of the prison facility. Most of the guards swarmed to face what had caused the explosion. A flood of dark smoke filled the air as a speeder hovered down into the facility. With a metallic lance, the attacker was able to cut down the responding guards with ease. The deadly bounty hunter jumped off of his speeder and started to make his way through the heavily secured prison. Red lights started to flash as a siren started to pour through the prison. The hunter realized that he would have little time before additional outside forces would respond. 

As Durge made his way toward the target that he was supposed to free, he came across a group of soldiers. The Gen'Dai bounty hunter realized that these operatives were different than the ones that he cut down so easily during his initial assault. While they were not battle droids, they also did not seem fully human. These soldiers did not carrier the same emotions as most humans. They were all armed from head to toe with an assortment of heavy weapons. Durge looked over these enhanced soldiers and felt that they may present a worthy enough challenge. He took out his blasters and prepared himself for battle.

*****************************

The battle takes place in a prison facility under the Artic circle. The UniSol soldiers consist of 4 members from the original movie. Can the Universal Soldiers stop Durge from unleashing the prisoner that he is after or will Durge accomplish his mission?

Durge is armed with two blasters, a blaster rifle, a wrist mounted flame thrower, a thermal grenade, and a spiked flail.

The UniSol soldiers consist of
    - Luc Devereux, who is armed with a machine gun, submachine gun, pistol, grenade and baton.
    - Andrew Scott is armed with a machine gun, submachine gun, pistol, grenade, smoke bomb, and combat knife.
    -  GR55 is armed with a machine gun, small shotgun, pistol, knife and an electrical baton
    - GR86 is armed with a machine gun, a small a shotgun two pistols, and a smoke bomb.
 

Hope you all enjoy

Chapter 21: Shattered Armor

Hope you all enjoy 

Chapter 20: Changing of the Tide

In a galaxy far, far away; Cobra's efforts against the New Republic were falling short with every battle. After Cobra Commander's defeat at the hands of Grand Admiral Thrawn, he was determined to find a way to defeat the Heir to the Empire as well as achieving absolute victory in this galaxy. With each passing day, Cobra Commander grew increasingly dissatisfied with his troops. While he saw some success early on in this war, he knew that he had to find a way to turn the tide of this war. The tyrannical leader looked over battle plans and data schematics gathered from his many sources throughout the cosmos. In a fit of rage, he through his computer off the desk. Cobra Commander slammed his fists down against his desk and started to scream out on fury. He heard the doors opening behind him and the Commander turned his head to see the Baroness walking into the room with a data pad. The female operative had a smile plastered across her face as she leaned over the Commander's desk.

"Did I catch you at a bad time, Commander?" She asked with that same smile.

"What do you want, Baroness?" Cobra Commander groaned. 

"Tomax and Xamot have obtained some rather interesting news." Baroness replied.

"If it is not about ways to stop the New Republic or the pesky Guardians of the Galaxy, then I do not want to hear it!" Cobra Commander snapped.

"What about find a way to get ahead of your blue skinned buddy?" Baroness replied with a seductive voice. "Oh, what was his name? That's right, Thrawn."

"It is not wise to mock me, Baroness!" Cobra Commander growled as he glared upon his female operative.

"Apparently, Thrawn is not working alone. The remnants of the Empire have some rather peculiar allies." The Baroness replied.

"Who are these allies?" Cobra Commander asked.

"Just different factions from all across the universe!" Baroness chuckled while circling around Cobra Commander. "That is not the interesting part though."

"What is it?!" Cobra Commander hissed as his patience was fleeting. 

"They are searching for the last crown piece of Bethmoora." Baroness replied.

"What?" The Commander said while looking away from the female operative. "I thought that was only a legend."

"They have something planned. They are building armies and stock piling weapons from all around the universe." Baroness said while looking at the Commander. "You want to obtain power, then I think we need to get to that piece before they do."

"I agree." Cobra Commander replied. "Get Storm Shadow. I need someone that will get the job done."

On a forest planet in the Outer Rim, Storm Shadow looked over the bodies of several fallen New Republic officers. The highly skilled assassin wiped blood off of one of his katana blades while looking down at a senator that he was sent to capture. While trembling and shaking with fear, the senator tried to plead with the lone assassin. Storm Shadow brought the shaking political leader to his feet and led him through his outpost. They walked past a trail of bodies that proved to be no match for the skilled ninja. As they came near to exit of the outpost, rays of sunlight started shining through the entrance. The senator made several more attempts to plead and negotiate with the warrior, but Storm Shadow continued on with his mission. After walking out of the outpost, a single shot rang out from the tree line. The senator's head flopped back as a bullet pierced through his skull. 

Storm Shadow quickly drew one of his katana blades once again as the senator's lifeless body dropped to the ground. His dark eyes scanned the surrounding forest in search of the shooter. The skilled ninja let out a disappointed sigh as he put away his blade. Storm Shadow gazed down upon the senator's body and shook his head in annoyance. A sense of frustration had overtaken the assassin as he started walking back to his ship. He heard footsteps from within the trees but paid them no mind. As his ship's door opened, the warrior put away his weapons and gear. After putting away his weapons, he could hear the sniper closing in on him. Storm Shadow could hear the twigs snap and the breathes that were taken by this shooter. The deadly assassin was not afraid and did not feel threatened by this particular sniper. After the senator was killed, the skilled ninja was able to identify the sniper in one of the surrounding trees.

"No need for theatrics, Baroness!" Storm Shadow growled while getting his ship ready for departure.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Baroness smiled while walking out of the trees.

"Why send me to kidnap that pig if you were just going to kill him?" Storm Shadow asked with frustration.

"That senator was never going to be of much use to us anyway. This outpost was not much of anything in the grand scheme of things." Baroness replied while looking around the forests.

"So, you wasted my time?" Storm Shadow hissed.

"Not necessarily... The Commander has another mission for you. One that will bring you back to Earth." Baroness replied with a chilling smirk.

"What is it?" Storm Shadow asked.

"We need you to get a small golden piece from a princess. An elvish princess to be exact." Baroness said while reaching in bag for a data pad.

"Where can I find this princess?" Storm Shadow asked.

"This data pad should lead you right to her." Baroness said while handing the device to the assassin. "I'd be careful though, there are other interested parties in search of this golden piece."

Storm Shadow took the data pad from the female Cobra operative and looked over it for a short moment. He then climbed into his ship and gazed down at the Baroness. "This better not be another wasted mission!" He bellowed while sitting back in the ship.

"Don't worry Storm Shadow, your talents will not be wasted if you can get this done." Baroness replied. 

"I will see it through to the end." Storm Shadow said as the doors of his ship closed. 

Baroness stepped back and watched as Storm Shadow disappeared into the sky. Breaking out of the atmosphere, Storm Shadow set his coordinates back for Earth. He knew the journey across the different galaxies would be long but it would give him time to look over the data pad that Baroness provided for him. The dangerous assassin wanted to study his target and make sure that there would be no surprises. While looking over the data pad; he saw that his target was the daughter of Balor, the elvish King of Bethmoora, and she was also the sister of a warrior prince known as Nuada. The data pad did not contain any other information regarding Nuada and her potential skill set. Storm Shadow gritted his once he saw that Prince Nuada had already been apprehended by the vigilante known as Spider-Man. The Cobra assassin did not care for surprises and did not want to be tangled up in a battle with the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. After reading that Nuala escaped on a luxury cruise, the ninja laid down the data pad.  

Cobra's spy satellites were able to track the luxury cruise to the South China Seas. From there, everything had gone dark. Communication was lost with the massive ship and radar could no longer trace it on any device. From what little intel gathered by other Cobra intelligence operatives, the elvish princess was able to escape the ship after it had gone dark. The intelligence operatives had ideas as to where she escaped to, but Storm Shadow figured that it be best to fly over the surrounding ocean. He knew that there would be other interested parties in search for the princess, and time would be of the essence. He leaned back against his seat and looked out at the passing stars and started to meditate. The ship was on autopilot as it was traveling back to his home world. 

After arriving in Earth's atmosphere, Storm Shadow flew over the last known coordinates of Princess Nuala. The luxury cruise had already sunk beneath the seas. As he flew over the deep blue sea, he got readings of an island nearby that did not show up on any known maps. Once the assassin gazed out the windows, he could only see thick fog up ahead. Storm Shadow started to reflect on a story that he was told as a child about an island surrounded by fog. It was an island lost in time and hidden from the world. There were many, including the deadly ninja, that believed that island was nothing more than a myth. After flying into the fog, Storm Shadow could see the outline of the mysterious island that was lost in time. Despite a heavy turbulence that his ship was facing and the radar having issues, Storm Shadow was able keep his ship under control. He flew the ship over the trees and found a clearing on the east side of the island to land safely. 

After landing his ship, the deadly assassin gathered his weapons and gear. From within the surrounding forests, he could hear the unsettling sounds of the dangerous creatures that resided on the island. The ground shook beneath him with the stomping sounds of giant creatures battling it out for rule over the mystical island. Storm Shadow knew that he would face a great many threats during his mission to find the elvish princess. As Storm Shadow made his way through the thick and dense forest, he could sense that he was being watched. After making his way to a cliff, he used his binoculars to look over the surrounding areas. The deadly assassin then saw his target running into the woods. A grin formed across his cheeks while he prepared himself to chase the female elf. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a sniper rifle echoing throughout the woods. Storm Shadow watched as Nuala collapsed on the ground. Despite the pain and agony, the wounded princess was able to crawl underneath a fallen tree for cover. 

Storm Shadow then made his way down to the clearing. He heard a menacing laughter from within the trees. The dangerous assassin then saw the sniper emerge from around the same fallen tree that Nuala had crawled to. The ninja recognized the sniper from his previous dealings on Earth. This sniper was known throughout the world as Bullseye. The hit man had a deranged smile on his face as he dragged the injured princess across the ground. Bullseye then chucked as he ripped the crown piece from Nuala's belt. He stumbled back and glared at Storm Shadow. Nuala was able to break free from Bullseye's grasp but she was far too weak move any further away from the deranged hit man. Storm Shadow glanced down at the wounded elf and then turned his attention back to Bullseye. With the wound that she received from the rifle, Storm Shadow knew that it was only a matter of moments before Nuala would pass away. Despite her impending death, the deadly warrior had his sights set on the final piece of the crown. 

"Luthor said I might expect some fun! He never mentioned that I might see you!" Bullseye exclaimed with that same deranged smile. 

"I will give you one opportunity to drop the crown piece and leave now!" Storm Shadow hissed as he sharply pointed at Bullseye.

"Nah.... I don't think I will!" Bullseye smiled as he reached for one of his throwing knives. "In fact, I will kill you for free. It's been a while since I've killed myself a ninja."

"Then so be it!" Storm Shadow as he quickly drew his katanas.

***********************************

Storm Shadow is armed with two katanas, bow & arrows, and ninja stars.

Bullseye has a hunting rifle, a pistol, throwing knives, and ninja stars. 

Hope you all enjoy 

1948

Shortly after the devastation of World War II, Japan was still in a state of healing. Countless lives were lost in the horrors of the war and with the emergence of atomic weapons, an era of rebuilding began. It was not long after the war that the country had found a new horror arise from the depths of the sea. This threat brought tragedy to an already hurting country that was in a state of healing and rebuilding. Thousands of lives were lost in the initial attack and many more were reported missing. It took a great effort from the weary citizens of Japan to rise up and put an end to the threat that had become known across Japan as Gojira. It was an event that became known as Minus One in Japan. In the months following the creature's defeat, a worldwide effort came about to aid the hurting people and country. Several countries from around the world gathered to help Japan in the devastating aftermath of Gojira's brutal rampage. 

After Gojira's defeat, there was an effort to study the origins of the beast on Odo Island,  where the creature was first discovered. Many of the island's natives came up with the name Gojira after tales that were passed down to them from a time long forgotten. The name had spread to countries across the globe and had been translated into the name of Godzilla. While some leaders sought to study the origins of the beast in hopes of harnessing its power, there were many that simply wanted to find ways to prevent any future tragedies that may arise if another beast rose to the surface. After the rise of Godzilla and the introduction to the atomic era, the world was in an age of frightening discoveries. Many feared that Godzilla was the harbinger for things to come in the unimaginable and uncertain age of atomic weapons. With the growing uncertainty, many leaders started to prepare for the unknown.

The malicious groups that sought to harness this unimaginable power for their own interests had begun their efforts in the broken cities in Japan. As a means of trying to prevent any of this power from falling into the wrong hands, intelligence agencies from around the world had sent operatives to the devastated cities in the guise of relief efforts. These humanitarian efforts proved beneficial for the struggling people of Japan. In a time and place when the country was struggling to regain a sense of normalcy after the bombings. The suffering in Japan only worsened with the arrival of Godzilla. Many lives were lost and several homes were destroyed. There were countless families that were torn apart and left broken. Children were left to wander the devastation after being orphaned by the horrors that had occurred. There were widows that stayed up night after night in search of their loved ones that were lost in the creature's rampage. The country needed healing and it needed something that many had forgotten after the tragedies that had occurred. The people needed hope. 

In the early months of the year, a plane had descended from the sky above. It was plane that carried different groups from around the world to help bring aid to the healing country of Japan. One of the individuals on this plane was an intelligence officer by the name of Peggy Carter. She was accompanied by Howard Stark's assistant, Edwin Jarvis. They were tasked by the SSR to work covertly in the relief operations in Tokyo. Peggy was hesitant at first but she received word from a source that a former rival of hers that was once affiliated with Leviathan had been seen in Japan. After this rival's escape from SSR custody, Agent Carter was determined to stop her once and for all. As the plane landed, Peggy glanced over at Jarvis, who was tinkering with a device that Howard had invented. Before they left, Howard had said that he was working on a device that would be able to help with translating the language. A smirk formed across Carter's bright red lips after she saw the frustration on Jarvis' face. 

Before Peggy could say anything, she heard a familiar voice from inside the plane's cabin. Carter forced a smile as she saw Angie Martinelli walk up to them. The aspiring actress had said that they were about to land soon. Before Peggy could respond, Angie was told to find her seat so they could prepare for the landing. Carter was slightly nervous about her friend being there. She had heard Angie volunteered for one of the relief efforts back in the states and somehow, she was one of the ladies selected to go to Tokyo to help out with the humanitarian work. Angie was convinced that it would help bring a certain level of sympathy to her so that she could use it in her pursuits on Broadway. The intelligence officer felt that Stark had something to do with her being on this trip. Peggy leaned back in her seat as the wheels of the plane touched down on the runway.

After the plane landed, Angie and the others in her nonprofit group were led away on a bus to go to where they would be staying. Agent Carter and Jarvis were getting situated outside the airport. While Jarvis was getting his luggage loaded up in the back of a car, Peggy noticed a small hooded figure run into the back of him. The figure then ran off into the street. A smile formed over Peggy's bright red lips as she tossed her bag into Jarvis' hands. Before Jarvis could respond, he saw Peggy darting off into the streets. He grumbled something under his breath while laying down Peggy's bag. He stumbled back and felt the back of his pocket. "Oh, bugger!" He exclaimed once her realized that his wallet was missing. Jarvis glanced back at the direction of the running Carter. He soon lost sight of her in the crowd. Jarvis did his best to regain his composure as he was soon met by their contact in Tokyo.

While pursuing the small thief that stole Jarvis' wallet, Peggy could tell that they was young. The thief was only a child. Despite Peggy being taller and faster, the child knew the area. The thief had probably done this several times before and was accustom to all the routes to take. As Peggy quickly scoped out the area, she formulated an idea to intercept the small thief. Peggy slid over the hood of a car and ran through an alleyway. She turned a corner and charged toward an opening. Soon she came face to face with the small thief. The small child fell back on the pavement and looked up at the foreigner. Peggy reached down and ripped off the piece of cloth that was covering the thief's face. Carter's dark brown eyes widened as she saw the face of the child. The child was no older than 10 or 11 years old. She was glaring up at the foreigner as she tried to crawl away. Peggy grabbed the young girl and kept her from escaping. Carter brought her to her feet and gently pinned her against a brick wall in the alleyway.

"Where are you parents?" Peggy asked as she snatched Jarvis' wallet from the young girl's hands. 

The young girl started to mutter something in her native language that Peggy could not understand. From the tone in her voice, Carter knew that it was something derogatory. Before Peggy could respond, she heard a voice from behind. "That was not a nice thing to say." A male voice said. Peggy turned back and saw Jarvis standing next to a young man. Peggy presumed it was their contact. Soon the young man and the small girl started talking to one another in their native language. They were arguing back and forth while Peggy stood back to hand Jarvis his wallet. As the young thief and the SSR contact continued their heated exchange, Agent Carter and Jarvis stood next to one another.

"This is our contact." Jarvis grinned as he gestured at the young man.

"I presumed as much." Peggy replied with a smirk. "How did you find me?"

"Mr. Stark put a tracking device in my wallet. I do not believe this is what he had in mind when he created it." Jarvis replied. 

The bickering between young man and the small thief finally stopped. While holding the child by the arm, the young man turned his attention to Jarvis and Agent Carter.

"Who is she?" Carter asked.

"Just one of the many orphans that this country has after everything that has happened. Her father was a soldier. During the war, he left and never returned. Her mother was a nurse and she died during Godzilla's rampage. She has been on her own ever since." The contact replied.

"That was over a year ago!" Jarvis exclaimed.

"It is why she does what she does. She has learned to survive on her own. Many of these orphans have." The contact replied. 

"She must come with us!" Jarvis said with a concerned look.

"Mr. Jarvis, we can't. We are here for a mission." Agent Carter replied. 

"We have to help her. She is only a child." Jarvis pleaded. 

"Do not let what happened to Ana cloud your judgment. We have a mission!" Agent Carter snapped.

"Agent Carter, please, this has nothing to do with that. This is a child. She has nothing. She has no one. We can help. The penthouse that Mr. Stark rented us is more than accommodating for us and her." Jarvis argued. 

"Very well, but she is your responsibility." Agent Carter relented. 

"What is the child's name?" Jarvis asked their contact.

"Her name is Sutefani." The contact replied. 

Days became weeks and weeks became months as their work in Tokyo had begun. During that time, Sutefani had grown close with Jarvis. There were even pleasant moments that were shared between her and Peggy. Jarvis could not help but laugh at one moment when the young girl had taken some of Agent Carter's make up and lipstick to out on her own face. While Carter continued to work on finding Dottie Underwood, she even started to have a soft spot forming for the young child. As time had passed, Peggy started to care deeply for the child. One day, Sutefani had left the penthouse to venture out into the streets. Jarvis saw that Peggy was worried as they could not locate the young girl.

"Don't tell me that the mighty Agent Carter has grown to care for the child." Jarvis grinned.

"I never fancied myself a mother. It never crossed my mind. During the war, it seemed it was always the next mission or the next battle. Even with the SSR, it was always the next assignment. There is something about her, she has a courage and a resilience that I've only seen once before." Peggy replied. 

"In Steve Rodgers?" Jarvis asked.

Peggy nodded and then looked off for a moment. "Perhaps if things had been different and I had the right partner, then maybe..." Peggy said before going quiet.

Before Jarvis could respond, Sutefani and their contact walked into the penthouse. Peggy let out a sigh of relief as she turned her head away from the child. The young girl saw Peggy turn away and ran over toward Jarvis.

"I think I have a lead on your target." The contact said as he stepped closer toward Agent Carter.

"What is it?" Peggy asked.

"There is a facility near the coast. One of my associates spotted a female that matched her description entering the facility." The contact replied. 

Peggy nodded before walking toward her room. "We will head there in 30 minutes. I need to get ready." Peggy said while she was walking toward her room, her eyes locked onto Sutefani. She wanted to say something, but she could not find the right words. Agent Carter turned her attention to Jarvis and nodded at him. Jarvis knew that he was going to stay behind to look after the girl. After Peggy got prepared for the mission, she headed out with the contact. The young girl ran up to Peggy and wrapped her arms around the SSR agent's waist. Peggy sighed while putting one of her arms around the child. 

"I will be back. I promise." Peggy said softly while walking out the door. 

As they drove through Tokyo, Peggy saw the pain in the people's faces. In the months that she had been here, she saw the devastation. It reminded her of the war and the tragedies that it had caused. While they were heading toward their destination, Agent Carter could not help but think about Sutefani. The bombs and Godzilla brought this much pain to her home. She knew that if Dottie Underwood and her associates were truly trying to harness this power, than there would be worldwide chaos. Peggy also realized that this power was not even worthy of humanity. She could not even allow her own allies to obtain this destructive force of nature. Peggy could see that the sun had begun to set and she could also see the ocean in the horizon. The contact assured her that they were close to the facility. Peggy took a steady breath while leaning back against her seat. 

They drove along the coast and Carter could see several boats departing from the facility. As they got near a secluded area, the contact stopped the vehicle a short distance away. While heading up to a vantage point, Peggy could see what appeared to be explosives being loaded onto the different boats that were leaving the facility. Several theories formed in her mind as to what they were being used for. Hidden in the night, Peggy and the contact were able to sneak into the facility. They were able to quietly evade detection as they made their way through the different corridors. Agent Carter and the contact soon found themselves inside what appeared to be a research room. The SSR Agent saw several documents scattered over a desk. Peggy reached down and started looking through the different papers. She cussed under her breath as a small gasp escaped her bright red lips. Carter opened up a bag and slid the documents inside.

The documents contained information for the same organization that Dotty Underwood was working for. This organization was conducting research near Odo Island and its surrounding underwater caves. They were using explosives to try locate other species similar to Godzilla. In the documents, it appeared as if the organization was able to locate one and trap it within the facility. The research and testing that was being conducted was sickening. From the moment the creature was captured to now, it had grown exponentially. The code name for the creature in the files was listed under Zillo. It was described as a beast. Peggy could not imagine what Dotty's allies had planned for the Zillo Beast. She could not even imagine what her own allies would have planned for such a creature. She knew it would only be a matter of time before the creature was used as a weapon of war and more devastation would occur. Agent Carter looked up at the contact. A look of concern had overtaken him.

"We have to destroy it." He muttered frantically. "We have to....."

The sound of a single gunshot filled the room. A blood stain formed over the contact's chest while he went silent. His eyes widened as he looked down at the blood on his chest. He slowly looked back up at Agent Carter before collapsing on the floor. Peggy immediately dived behind one of the metal desks. She drew out her pistol and looked over at her contact. His chest was no rising or lowering, and a pool of dark red blood formed under his body. From where he was shot, the bullet penetrated his heart. Agent Carter knew that he was gone.

"Oh Peg, is that you?!" Dottie yelled with a sinister smile. 

"You can't do this, Dotty!" Agent Carter screamed.

"Why is that, Peg? It's not right for the world?" Dottie mocked. 

"You've seen what these things can do. This power is not worthy of any nation." Agent Carter argued. 

"It is pretty devestating, isn't it? But, I was hired to see this through. Even if that means putting a bullet between those gorgeous brown eyes of yours and wiping countries off the map!" Dottie laughed as she jumped around the desk.

Dottie's skin almost went cold once she realized that Peggy was not there. Dottie stood back and heard a sound from behind her. She realized that the SSR Agent had gotten the drop on her. Peggy aimed her pistol as the assassin. She knew that one little mistake and this ruthless assassin could escape once again. Dottie dropped her pistol on the floor and slowly turned around to face her enemy. A cold grin formed across Dottie's pale cheeks. 

"You captured me again!" She bellowed while raising her hands up in the air. 

"Not this time." Agent Carter hissed while preparing to execute the assassin. 

Dottie lunged to the side, but Peggy was able to get off a shot. The assassin darted out of the room and ran down the long hallway. Peggy steadily walked out of the room with her gun drawn. As she walked into the hallway, she noticed drops of blood leading down the corridors. The SSR Agent followed the drops of blood down the long, dark hallway. The farther she walked, the more blood there was on the floors. Agent Carter soon found that the blood led into a control room. The SSR Agent slowly sauntered into the room and found several machines scattered through the room. Peggy then saw Dottie leaning against one of the machines. There was blood running down her legs as she had one of her hands on a lever. The assassin grinned as she struggled for air.

"Huh." Dottie chuckled as she started couching up blood. "You got me, Pegs."

With what strength she had left, the assassin pulled down the lever before Peggy could react. Peggy shot Dottie twice in the chest and watched as the assassin's lifeless body fell back on the floor. While standing over the assassin's body, Agent Carter heard alarms ringing throughout the facility. She walked over and peered out of a window. There were flashing lights surrounding a section of the facility and what appeared to be a large paddock opening wide into the night.

"Oh, no." She muttered under her breath. A dark outline emerged from the large paddock. Peggy could see the night light up with gunfire as several guards tried to take down this enormous dark figure. Peggy then watch as the creature unleashed its rage on its attackers. She then saw it head off into the night. Peggy soon realized that this Zillo Beast was heading in the direction of Tokyo. "Jarvis! Sutefani!" Peggy yelled as she started running toward the exit. The SSR Agent had to get back to Tokyo as quickly as possible. She had to make sure that Jarvis and Sutefani were safe. Peggy ran as fast she could back to the vehicle. The engine of the jeep roared to life as she sped off on the dark road. 

Agent Carter followed the trail of destruction down the long dark road. She could see glimpses of power lines ripped apart and dozens of tree completely uprooted. It almost appeared as if a tornado had touched down on the world and set path of destruction toward Tokyo. The SSR Agent drove past vehicles that were smashed beyond recognition. As she sped into the outskirts of Tokyo, she could hear the sirens blaring through the streets. While many were trying to evacuate, Peggy was trying to make her way to the penthouse that they were staying at. She was able evade debris that had been thrown down onto the streets and drive around parts of parts of buildings that had been knocked over from the Zillo Beast's rampage. Peggy soon found that a bus had blocked her path. The SSR Agent was about to put the jeep in reverse, but one of the individuals on the bus caught her attention. Agent Carter almost went silent as she saw Angie and several others trapped on the bus.

Peggy jumped out of the jeep to see if she could help those on the bus escape. Angie had seen Peggy through the window. A sense of relief fell over her as she said, "English." Before Agent Carter could reach the bus, the bus was knocked away into a building by the rage filled Zillo Beast. Peggy fell back on the ground and watched in horror as the building had turned into a fiery inferno. She watched as the Zillo Beast continued to move throughout the city. Peggy quickly got to her feet and started running toward the direction of the penthouse. In her heart, she mourned for her friend but she knew there was no time to waste. She had to rescue Jarvis and Sutefani. She could not lose them too. After finally reaching the penthouse, Peggy was relieved to see that it was still intact. She then saw that a large piece of debris had fallen against entrance of the  penthouse. The SSR Agent grabbed a large metal pipe and was able to pry away the debris. Agent Carter broke the door open and saw that Jarvis and Sutefani were alive inside the penthouse. They were trying to escape before the door became impossible to open.

Carter led them outside into the streets. As they were making their way through the rubble and debris, something caused them to stop. Jarvis went completely silent as Sutefani held onto Peggy's arm as tight as she could. The Zillo Beast was standing before them. There was no where to run and no where to hide from the giant beast. Suddenly, the ground started to shake beneath them as a stomping sound could be heard through the chaos. Peggy could feel Sutefani's grip grow tighter as her body started to tremble. A chill ran down the young girl's spine as her skin went cold. Before she could say a world, a thunderous roar had shattered through the city. The three turned their heads to see the great terror that had wreaked havoc on Japan the previous year. From the depths of the sea, they realized that Godzilla had returned once again. The Great monster had come to face off against the Zillo Beast to claim the title as King of the Monsters.

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Godzilla - this is the version seen in Godzilla Minus One

Zillo Beast - this is the version seen in Clone Wars.

Hope you all enjoy

Chapter 19:  The Battle for Skull Island

With each Earth-shattering punch, the ground around the battle shook. Kong unleashed a deafening roar as he beat the large arachnid into submission. The giant spider tried to flee from the King of Skull Island, but it was no use. The Great Ape smashed the thick tree that he was holding into the arachnid's body. With all his strength, Kumonga was able to knock Kong away from him. Kumonga lunged at the Great Ape with his stinger ready to pierce through Kong's flesh. The King of Skull Island broke the tree against the giant arachnid. The thick tree split in half after it collided with the large spider. Kong grabbed Kumonga's legs and dragged him across the ground. The Great Ape flipped the spider on its back and ripped the stinger from its body. Kumonga cried out in agony as Kong stabbed the stinger into one of his eyes. The Great Ape then pounded the giant arachnid more several times with his powerful fists.

A sudden cry from the trees caused Kong to stop his rampage against Kumonga. Kong looked down into the forest and his dark eyes fell upon that pale woman that he had encountered before. Kong stepped away from the broken body of the giant arachnid and continued to look upon the Elvish princess. He could see that she appeared to be in distress from the sight of the battle. The Great Ape stumbled back and sighed. That rage that had burned within him had faded away once again. He had defeated the enemy that threatened his kingdom, but the elf woman that brought him inner peace had become overwhelmed with the violence that she had witnessed. Rather than pound his chest in triumph, the King of Skull Island wandered off over the trees. The natives of Skull Island surrounded the body of Kumonga and started singing praises for their protector. Despite the songs and the praises, Kong headed back to his mountain. He sat down against the mountain and thought about the Elvish woman.

Hours had passed and the sun started to set over the island once again. Kong's eyes became heavy as darkness fell upon the Great Ape. His mind slowly drifted off to sleep while another day had passed on the island of legend. In his dreams, the King of Skull Island could see the princess standing before him. There was no longer a look of distress upon her but she was smiling at the Island's protector. The Great Ape felt calm while staring down upon the elvish princess. A short moment of peace fell upon the guardian of Skull Island. Suddenly, Kong was overcome with images throughout his life. He saw grotesque images of lifeless bodies piled around him as his dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Images of skullcrawlers appeared all around him along with the vicious Kraken. Kong heard the dreadful screeches of Ebirah and was caught in the webs of the terrifying Kumonga. The Great Ape then saw his island overrun with all the enemies that he had faced in his lifetime. 

Kong's eyes shot open as he lunged forward into the night. The King of Skull Island smashed his fist against the ground and he felt the world shake around him. Enormous cracks formed underneath his fist as the giant ape let out a powerful growl. His nerves started to calm once he realized that it was only a dream. The Great Ape sighed while stumbling back. He looked up into the night sky and looked over the countless stars shining down upon him. Before he could lay back against the mountain, Kong sensed a soothing presence nearby. The Great Ape looked down and saw a small pale figure emerging from the trees below. Illuminated by the stars, Kong could see the elvish princess looking up at him. He could see that she no was longer afraid. Kong slowly leaned down and put out his finger. Nuala reached out and rested her hand against the Great Ape's massive finger. Despite seeing a lifetime of battles and heartache, Nuala could see the good in the Island's protector. She knew that Kong sought peace for this island.  She also knew that as protector and guardian of the island, he had to be the warrior that he was brought up to be. 

Nuala laid down close to the Great Ape. With the moon shining bright over their heads, Nuala felt safe with Kong. She did not say a word to Kong as a smile formed across her cheeks. Despite the many dangers that lurked in the forests of Skull Island, Nuala fell asleep next to the colossal ape. Kong gazed down upon the small creature. He let out a steady breath while leaning back against the mountain. His eyes turned to the world around them. The Mighty King kept watch over the world and felt as if he was able to rest easy. He knew that this small elf was going to be more than a simple visitor on his island. There was a connection between the beauty and the beast that he had not felt in a long time. This small princess was something that he desperately longed for. She was a friend. While he felt it was his purpose to protect the natives and the many Island's creatures from any harms that had presented themselves, Kong felt something inside of him to keep Nuala safe at all costs.

Kong's eyes started to close once again. As he drifted off to sleep, the nightmares were no more. On that night, there were no nightmares. There were no painful memories or dreams that haunted the Mighty King through the night. Kong slept peacefully through the night with Princess Nuala close to his side. The Great Ape not only felt peace within him, he felt a sense of hope for the days ahead. While a great many dangers continued to lurk within the forests,  they were kept at bay during this night. Despite many sounds thar lingered in the thick forest, most were drowned out by the powerful snoring that came from the Mighty Kong. As dawn approached, the powerful snoring soon started to cease. 

The early sun brought a new day to Skull Island. Kong slowly opened his eyes and he rubbed his face. His pupils started adjust to the early morning light while he stretched out his arms. He looked down and saw that the princess was nowhere in sight. King Kong immediately jumped to his feet and looked around in all directions. He then heard a strange sound coming from the other end of the island. The Mighty King then started running toward the strange sound. With groans and grunts, the Great Ape was determined to find the source of the strange sound since he believed that could be where Nuala was taken to. He saw the beach up ahead and lunged out onto the sand. In the distance, Kong saw a giant metal ship within the ocean. He then turned his head and saw a group of humans staring up at the mighty ape. Within the group, he noticed Princess Nuala talking to one of the humans. She looked up at Kong and nodded. Kong sighed as he stepped back into the forest. He knew that Nuala was saying her goodbyes to the latest visitors of Skull Island. With a rumble in his stomach, the Great Ape started to search for breakfast. 

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"You can come with us! There is plenty of room." Milo said with an awkward smile while looking into the yellow eyes of the elvish princess.

"My destiny is not in Atlantis, Milo Thatch. I feel safe here." Nuala replied with a warm smile. 

"Safe? With a giant monkey and creatures the size of skyscrapers?" Sweet asked sarcastically.

"There are dangers here, but I feel safe with Kong. He will not bring me harm." Nuala replied. 

"Well, that sounds good. It was definitely nice meeting you, Princess." Sweet said with a large grin.

Sweet and several of the other crew members loaded up on a small raft. Milo stayed behind for a moment and rubbed the back of his head. He gave off an awkward laugh while looking into Nuala's eyes.

"The offer is always open. I'm sure Atlantis will be a safe place for you." Milo said.

"You have a great destiny ahead of you, Milo, but mine has led me here." Nuala replied.

"Come on, Mulan, there might be another princess for you to find." Vinny said while brushing passed Milo.

Milo looked over at the crew and then glanced back at Nuala. Nuala nodded and started to step back into the trees. Milo smiled and then goodbye. He turned to join the others in the raft. He got into the raft and they started heading toward the Ulysses. Nuala watched as they disappeared into the sea and then headed back toward the village. Many thoughts raced through her mind as she walked through the thick wilderness. One of the lingering thoughts that kept coming back to her was her brother. She knew that his allies would come searching for her and the last piece of the crown. While she thought about destroying it, she could not bring herself to do so. This piece of the crown was the last thing that she had from her father. She felt optimistic that the many dangers that lurked on the island would bring her a sense of security from the threats of the outside world. As she continued to walk through the jungle, she heard cries from up ahead.

Nuala started running as fast as she could. Through the trees, she could see a woman and child in distress. The child was the same girl that she had met on the beach upon her arrival on Skull Island. As Nuala made her way toward the mother and child, she then saw a towering figure standing over the trees. The colossal beast lunged forward and grabbed the mother with its mouth. The child screamed as she saw her mother being eaten alive by the beast. Nuala ran as fast as she could toward the girl. She grabbed the young girl and pulled her into the trees as fast she could. Nuala dragged the girl through the forest while the girl stared back at the beast. After disappearing into the jungles of Skull Island, Nuala stopped to allow them to rest. She could see that the girl was almost pale and her skin had become cold. She was shivering while sweat started to pour down her face. Nuala placed the palm of her hand on the girl's forehead. 

Nuala saw what had taken place earlier that morning. The girl and her family had gone to the beach to try and catch some fish. While her father had shot a couple of fish with his arrows, the ground started to shake. The water started to rise and that same beast had emerged from the sea. The girl's father had thrown a spear at the towering beast before being devoured. The girl's mother had grabbed the young girl and quickly ran off into the woods. The rhedosaurus followed the two through the island. Along the way, the creature had become cut up by the trees which caused its blood to spill down upon the mother and child. Nuala soon realized that there was a disease within the blood of the ancient beast that had infected the young girl. Tears formed in Nuala's eyes as she realized that the young girl was about to pass away. With Nuala being an elf, she was immune to this ancient disease but the humans on the island were in grave danger. 

As the young girl passed away, Nuala raced to find the King of Skull Island. She ran up to a riverbed and saw Kong eating on whatbappeared to be a large squid like creature. Kong almost smiled while looking down at the elvish princess. Before Nuala could yell out, she heard the thunderous roars of the rhedosaurus approaching them. Kong's head perked up while he saw the ancient beast emerging from the forest. The Great Ape threw down what was left of his breakfast and rose to his feet. Rhedosaurus unleashed a blood curdling roar that echoed through the trees while Kong pounded on his chest. He roared back in defiance as he stood before the rhedosaurus. The ancient beast that had been frozen in time realized that this Great Ape was the king of this island. As the rhedosaurus dug his feet into the ground, it lunged at the Mighty Kong. The ancient beast not only wanted to defeat the Great Ape, it wanted to take control of Skull Island. 

Meanwhile, Nuala ran through the forest as fast as she could. She needed to warn the village about the dangers of the creature's blood. As she ran, she saw something that caused her to stop in her tracks. She saw a metal ship quietly flying above the trees. Nuala's heart sank once she realized that her brother's allies had found the island of myth. With Kong in a battle for the throne of Skull Island, Nuala feared that a new darkness had found its way on the island and no one would be safe...

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The battle takes place on Skull Island next one of the large rivers that flow through the island. There are large trees, boulders and wrecked ships nearby. Both King Kong and Rhedosaurus are at full strength.

King Kong - this him between Kong Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong. A little bit after the events of the Skull Island animated series. 

Rhedosaurus is the version from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

On 2/18/2024 at 4:54 PM, leroypowell3 said:

Love the story. Please keep it going.

Kong wins for sure. 

Thank you so much! That means a lot! One of the biggest inspirations for this story/arc has been your mega story.