The Sanctum Sanctorum

Wong entered the private study of Stephen Strange, holding a cup of tea. The Master of the Mystic Arts hovered in the lotus position in the center of the room. His arms were out at his sides, eldritch energy surrounding his hands and his head thrown back. The crimson cape with gold trim flowed around the room despite no air current.

“Are they still at it?” asked Doctor Strange. He didn’t even open his eyes as he spoke to his loyal servant.

“I’m afraid so. The Defenders are on edge,” said Wong, and then added: “…more so than usual, that is.”

A loud crash was heard and the entire Sanctum shook with a brief tremor. Wong sighed. “I think the Hulk just broke something. Again.”

“It’s not his fault. None of them are responsible,” said Doctor Strange. “There’s a disturbance of some sort…not quite of this realm. I believe I’ve located the source.”

Strange snapped his fingers and a globe of the earth floated from his mantle, coming to rest right in front of him. He waved a hand across it and the globe spun before coming to a stop. A black beacon shone onto one spot, located in New York. Strange rubbed his goatee as he watched his spell pinpoint the source of the disturbance.

“Ground Zero,” he said with a scoff. “Of course. Whoever caused this would require a site infused with an extremely intense degree of emotion.”

“Should I try to gather—” Wong winced as he heard some rather colorful phrases that unfavorably linked the Valkyrie to a certain profession. It was followed by another loud crash and an even greater tremor. “—nevermind.”

Strange couldn’t help but grin. “If my assumptions are correct, the Defenders won’t be any use putting a stop to this. And in their present state, they’re likely to just get in the way of my preparations.”

“So what’s your plan?” asked Wong. “Can you take care of this alone?”

“Unfortunately not, I’ll need someone else for the final ingredient,” said Doctor Strange. “Someone pure of heart.”

Wong glanced towards the closed door, mentally running down the various Defenders who occupied the Sanctum Sanctorum. “Something tells me I shouldn’t even ask if any of our current guests fit that description.”

“You’re very observant, my old friend. I believe I know who will be of use. I’m going to head to the source, begin my preparations.”

Doctor Strange extended his legs and raised his arms. A portal opened before him and Wong. He hovered towards it, but gave the Asian man one final order. “Do me a favor, try to stop them from destroying the entire house.”

Once the Sorcerer Supreme entered the portal, it closed, instantly vanishing from existence. Wong heard the shouts of a verbal sparring match between Daimon Hellstrom and Kyle Richmond and sighed once again.

“Easy for you to say…”

THE SQUADRON SINISTER STRIKES!

Part IV

By Curtis Fernlund and Dino Pollard

Carol Danvers sat in her hospital bed feeling worse than she ever did during her brief period as an alcoholic. The news coverage retold the events surrounding the Squadron Sinister’s strike on the United Nations General Assembly. There was video from security and news cameras of their dramatic entrance, slaughtering security guards and several delegates in the initial assault. Trish Tilby reported that unconfirmed reports state dozens have been injured or possibly killed in the initial assault.

The video of Doctor Spectrum issuing her demands on the part of the Squadron Sinister was replayed again. The info-scroll beneath the video confirmed that the Squadron Sinister demanded the authority of all nations be ceded to her and her teammates.

Carol clenched her fists in anger, a feeling that was mixed with depression. She hated herself for being confined to a hospital bed, unable to go down there herself and engage the Squadron Sinister in battle.

The footage switched again, this time to the outside of the United Nations building. A gaping hole in the main building, created by Hyperion, was the focus of the shot. The entire building was surrounded in a forcefield of some sort, with colors that shifted with the light. A shot outside the front entrance showed men and women in blue and white SHIELD uniforms gathered out front. One of them, who had a distinctive red mustache and a bowler hat angrily shouted for the cameras to be removed, his words mostly bleeped out.

The camera panned up as a sound came from overhead. A sophisticated jet lowered from the sky, touching down on the street. The familiar, stylized A on the fin identified the craft as a Quinjet. Carol couldn’t help but smile as her teammates appeared on the scene.

“About damn time!”

United Nations Plaza

As the Avengers emerged from the Quinjet, Scott Lang was already waiting, dressed in his Ant-Man gear. He stood alongside Dum-Dum Dugan, looking over the Avengers who approached. One thing he couldn’t help notice is there were only six of them, followed by Agent Maria Hill.

“Where’s Storm?” he asked.

“Whatever took a shit in our cereal affected her a lot worse,” said Hawkeye. “Had t’ leave her behind.”

“She going to be okay?” asked Ant-Man.

“Perhaps if we can reverse the effects of whatever the Squadron Supreme has done,” said Nightcrawler.

“Those bastards said if we don’t give ‘em the world, they’ll start executin’ delegates one by one. Hyperion got pretty…graphic about how he wanted t’ do it,” said Dugan. “Meanwhile, damn media vultures won’t give us a moment’s peace.”

Iron Man focused on the forcefield, analyzing it with his armor’s scanners. “That must be Spectrum’s doing. You have any luck getting through it?”

“Think we’ve been standin’ here waitin’ for you to tell us to pull our thumbs outta our asses?” asked Dugan.

“Chill out, Dugan. We’re all a bit on edge,” said Hill.

Dugan cocked a brow. “You givin’ me orders, girlie? I dunno whose dick you s—”

Captain America stepped between Dugan and Hill. “You can stop right there, Agent.”

“Who do you think you are?” asked Dugan.

“No one, just the guy who will dislocate your jaw if I hear you disrespect another Avenger,” said Captain America.

The Vision spoke to diffuse the situation. “Corporal, what else can you tell us about Doctor Spectrum’s forcefield?”

“Only that we ain’t had a damn spot of luck gettin’ through it. Who exactly are we dealin’ with anyway? Thought most of the Squadron Sinister were takin’ dirt naps.”

“Other than Hyperion, we’ve never faced this version of the Squadron before,” said the Vision. “Doctor Spectrum, Nighthawk, the Blur—they all seem to be alternate versions of the ones we have faced.”

“They come off an assembly line or something?” asked Songbird.

“Alternate realities,” said Hawkeye. “Damn Squadron-types are like the cockroaches of the multiverse.”

“I’ve finished my scans of Spectrum’s forcefield,” said Iron Man, turning towards the rest of the group. “It’s consistent with what we know of others who have used the Power Prism. But there are other ways of getting past it.”

“What’ve you got in mind?” asked Ant-Man.

“Here’s the plan…”

Hyperion hovered in the assembly hall before the logo of the United Nations, defacing the logo with his atomic vision. “We. Are. Wasting. Time. We should just kill them now, show these pathetic meat sacks we mean business.”

“Agreed,” said Nighthawk. He stuck to the shadows, twirling a throwing blade between his fingers. “They will never relinquish control. We should end this and take what we want.”

The Blur was counting money he lifted at super-speed from the hostages. “I’m having a good time here but I’m game for anything. Just as long as we win in the end.”

“We hold. Wait until we hear either from them or the Watcher.” Doctor Spectrum looked out at the main assembly and the hostages held in check by the power of her Prism. Chains of multi-colored energy fixed them to their seats.

Invisible to all eyes, including the Squadron, was Aron the Rogue Watcher himself. He watched the events pass with an amused smile on his face. He knew the chances of the Squadron’s success were practically nil, but it didn’t matter. They had already served their purpose. But Aron noticed something interesting about to transpire and turned his gaze towards the gaping hole. He wasn’t the only one to notice, as Hyperion ceased his defacing to direct his attention at the hole.

Iron Man and Songbird hovered outside, their path blocked by the Prism’s structure. Doctor Spectrum hovered towards the barrier as well. “Have you decided to play it smart and give us what we want?”

“This is your one and only chance to surrender,” said Iron Man. “You aren’t Kenji Obatu, Nugent. Don’t think you can pose the same challenges he did.”

“Then maybe I’ll just have to show you that I’m not someone you want to fuck with, Stark,” said Doctor Spectrum. “Hyperion, start killing the hostages.”

“Finally,” said Hyperion with a grin. As he reached for one of the hostages, an arrow struck his face, unleashing a bright flash that temporarily distracted him. This was followed by the red, white and blue shield of Captain America striking him in the chest.

Nightcrawler had teleported Hawkeye and Captain America into the assembly hall. The Blur moved into action, but was met in mid-stride by a teleporting Nightcrawler, who offered a “guten tag” before delivering a roundhouse kick.

Nighthawk was about to jump into the fray, but before he could, the ghostly form of the Vision hovered up from the ground, partially solidifying and staggering the masked killer.

Iron Man combined the chest-mounted repulsor beam with Songbird’s sonic constructs, striking them against the barrier. Doctor Spectrum winced as her concentration was pushed to its limit and the barrier shattered. She recovered by generating a giant axe that she swung at Songbird. But the reformed villain deflected it with her sonic wing. Songbird followed up with a battering ram that slammed Doctor Spectrum into the far wall, her own forcefield the only thing protecting her.

As Nighthawk moved in on the Vision, some unseen force struck him in the face with incredible strength. Ant-Man jumped off his flying ant’s back, growing to full size. Nighthawk drew several throwing blades and hurled them at the pair. The Vision went intangible while Ant-Man shrunk down to avoid them.

Captain America huddled behind his shield as Hyperion pounded on its unbreakable surface. Iron Man rocketed into him, tackling Hyperion. Now free from that foe, Captain America turned his shield on Nighthawk, striking him in the back.

The Blur predicted Nightcrawler’s next teleportation point and grabbed him by his tail, throwing the Avenger to the ground. He spotted Hawkeye and broke into a run towards him, but Hawkeye had already released an arrow that struck the Blur in the face. It released a black gunk that covered his eyes, leaving him blinded. Hawkeye jumped out of the way as the Blur skidded into the wall.

Doctor Spectrum had recovered from Songbird’s initial assault and now had her in a battle of wills with their respective constructs. But as Spectrum thought she was winning, she failed to notice the Vision creeping up behind her. He phased his hand into her body and solidified slightly. Doctor Spectrum cried out and spun to face the new threat. She saw the Vision hovering there and in his hands, he held a glass-like object that flashed different colors.

The Power Prism, the source of her abilities. “NO!” she screamed, but the Vision increased his form to its highest density and crushed the Prism between his palms, rendering her powerless.

Hyperion found himself facing off against all the assembled Avengers. Iron Man stepped towards him and offered him one final chance. “It’s over, we’ve got you outnumbered and outmatched.”

The alien warrior just chuckled. “Please, you worthless monkeys are no match for me.”

He hovered above them and his eyes crackled brightly. He directed his atomic vision in a wide burst towards the Avengers and the hostages. Songbird reacted at the last moment, generating a sonic shield to hold back his power. But she was straining against it with all her might and Hyperion wasn’t even close to breaking a sweat…

“What the hell is going on over there?” Carol shouted at her television screen. Since the Avengers had entered the building, there had been no further reports. She saw Iron Man and Songbird break through Spectrum’s forcefield, but no cameras were broadcasting inside.

The effects of the Humor combined with her own anxiety and feelings of helplessness nearly drove her over the edge. She threw the remote control at the television with such force, it shattered and even went through the wall.

Carol looked down at the hand which once held the remote. It was glowing. She could feel energy surging within her, levels that she hadn’t felt in some time. As she looked at her hand, the hue of her skin began to take on a reddish tint.

By the time she climbed out of bed, an aura had already begun to form around her body. Carol opened the window and jumped from the ledge. As she fell, she extended her arms and the aura grew brighter until her entire body transformed into her Binary form.

She arced back to the skies, flying above the clouds, briefly relishing the feeling of soaring through the air. But she had no time to savor it and she reached the United Nations in a matter of seconds.

Hyperion still hammered Songbird’s sonic shield with his atomic vision and the shield had begun to fade. Ms. Marvel flew to the hole in the side of the building and blasted Hyperion. He turned to face the new challenge.

“Color me surprised to find some arrogant bastard pounding on a woman half his size. You wanna pound on someone, jackass?” She beckoned for him to come with her finger. “Let’s see what you got.”

“Henh, your funeral, bitch,” said Hyperion. “I’ll enjoy violating your corpse after I break your damn neck!”

“Tough talk, let’s see you back it up.”

Hyperion flew at her, knocking them both back by several feet. The two powerhouses grappled in mid-air. Carol could already feel her Binary powers quickly beginning to deplete and she realized she may have overestimated her capabilities.

“Let’s see you take on this!” Hyperion fired a dose of his atomic vision into Ms. Marvel’s face. But rather than the desired effect, it only seemed to empower her more, granting her more energy.

Her aura brightened and Ms. Marvel gripped Hyperion’s shirt, pulling him up higher and above the East River. As he still struggled against her, she was able to keep a solid grip on him and once she was sure they were a safe distance away, she positioned herself so she was beneath him. Carol channeled all her energies into one final, powerful bust of massive energy, engulfing the two of them and sending Hyperion into the stratosphere.

Carol hovered briefly in the air, but her aura crackled and faded. Her powers were lost once more and she fell towards the river, barely conscious. She felt no fear, though, relieved that she didn’t see her end lying in a hospital bed, feeling sorry for herself. Rather, she went out fighting.

But this was not her day to die. Cold, metal hands gripped her naked body, clutching her from certain death. She opened her eyes and saw the expressionless faceplate of Iron Man looking down at her with the glowing LED lights that served as his eyes.

“This is getting to be a habit. If we keep meeting like this, people will start to talk,” he said.

Carol smiled. “I think you’re just using it as an excuse to see me naked.”

“You might be right,” said Iron Man. He carried her back towards the United Nations. As he approached, Songbird met him in the air and took hold of Carol in an opaque sonic bubble to keep her body hidden from tabloid photographers. The three returned to the scene where Dugan and Hill were affixing manacles to the remaining members of the Squadron.

“You think you’ve won?” asked Spectrum.

“Shaddup ‘fore I make an exception about hitting a woman,” said Dugan.

“You haven’t won anything,” continued Spectrum. “The damage is already done and soon, New York will tear itself apart.”

“Keep it up and see what happens, bitch!” spat Dugan.

“Hold on,” said Ant-Man. “What are you talking about, Nugent?”

Doctor Spectrum smiled beneath her mask. “Oh, you’ll see. You’ll see real soon.”

Ant-Man wrapped his hands around her neck, pulling her away from Dugan. He tightened his grip, staring at her through the inhuman eyes of his helmet. “What the hell did you do, dammit?”

“Ant-Man, please,” said the Vision, laying a hand on his teammate’s shoulder.

Ant-Man looked at his enemy, helpless before him and gasping for breath. He abruptly released her. The Vision looked at Dugan. “Please remove her from the scene, Corporal.”

“I-I don’t know what came over me…” said Ant-Man.

“Whatever the Squadron did, it’s obviously still happening,” said the Vision. “Aggression levels are still at an all-time high.”

{I believe I can offer a solution.}

The Avengers all looked between each other as they felt a new presence in the area. The ghostly form of Doctor Strange appeared before them. {I have need of your assistance at Ground Zero. I believe there you will find the answers you seek.}

Iron Man, the Vision and Ant-Man took flight under their own abilities. Songbird carried the rest of the Avengers on a sonic platform. When the team arrived at the sight that was once the location of the World Trade Center, they saw nothing out of the ordinary. But then, the image changed before their eyes and Doctor Strange hovered above the sight. They all lowered into the center of Ground Zero.

“I had to cast a glamour to avoid prying eyes,” he explained. “There is the source of the disturbance. The Cambium Rod has sent out corruption cross the city. If something is not done about it soon, the entropy will spread across the globe.”

“So we just pull that thing out?” asked Hawkeye as he stepped forward. “Piece a’cake.”

“Not so fast,” said Doctor Strange. “The rod’s entropy will spread to whomever it touches. Only one pure of heart and soul is capable of removing it safely.”

“Right, that’s me,” said Hawkeye.

“With your recent past? Right,” said Iron Man.

“Somethin’ tellin’ me one-night stands and building weapons of mass destruction while chuggin’ whiskey by the bottle isn’t exactly pure, either,” said Hawkeye.

“Hawkeye is correct,” said the Vision. “Ant-Man and Songbird have dark pasts as well.”

“So we’re back on that again? I thought being on the Avengers, I’d start to get some acknowledgment for changing,” said Songbird.

“Hey, I’ve been reformed longer than you,” said Ant-Man.

“I am simply being logical,” said the Vision. “Captain America has some skeletons in his closet as well.”

“That was a long time ago,” said Captain America.

“And Ms. Marvel’s past alcoholism also marks her as incapable,” said the Vision.

“You think you’re the one, Vizh?” asked Carol. “You’re not even human, how can you be pure of heart and soul?”

The Vision nodded. “Unfortunately, you are right.”

“There’s only one who’s capable,” said Doctor Strange, fixing his gaze on one Avenger in particular. All eyes turned towards him as well. Nightcrawler looked between all of them.

“Me?” he asked.

“You are the one here who is truly pure of heart and soul, therefore you must be the one to remove the rod,” said Doctor Strange.

Nightcrawler slowly walked towards the rod, its blackness spreading out like a cancer. He looked at Doctor Strange, who was busy mumbling incantations. Nightcrawler reached out for the rod and gripped it. As he made contact, he screamed. He could feel it seeping into him, but it was slow. He pulled on the rod. There was resistance, but slowly it came free.

The rod flew from his hand as he yanked it out. Strange glanced at it and extended his hands. The rod halted in the air and began to vibrate before shattering. The Sorcerer Supreme hovered above the Avengers.

“My work here is done.”

He vanished into a portal, leaving the Avengers to wonder just what had happened.

Aron the Rogue Watcher smiled at the sight of the Avengers, confused and aimless as they tried to make sense of what just happened. They would never truly know. At least not until the end, and by then it would be too late.

A spark of scarlet and Aron turned his attention away to other pressing matters.

She’s not needed…

Jacob Fury ignored the voice of the Key as he approached the containment chamber. He licked his lips, eyes wide as he pressed against the reinforced crystalline glass, staring at the scarlet-haired beauty within.

“Virgo…” he whispered, watching as the lithe body shuddered and shook, jolting awake. Verdant eyes flickered open as her lungs filled with oxygen. She thrashed slightly, churning the fluid of generation, her head darting about in panic and confusion. She pressed her hands to the glass and Fury did the same, feeling the connection.

She’s a distraction.

“Shut up,” Fury hissed, his eyes shifting to the monitor boards, noting green lights and arrows bobbing in the affirmative. She would live, thank God.

He felt the Key rumbling in his grip, churning, crackling with energy. He rolled it in his fingers and clutched it tighter, bringing it up. “You want me,” he said coldly. “I want her. You will allow this, or you will have nothing. You need me…”

Energy crackled about his fist, but then quickly subsided. The Key went dead even as the machinery chimed and Virgo stood in her chamber, life-giving fluids draining away. Fury watched as she ripped traces and leads from her skin, her naked body shimmering in the queer light of the chamber, her dark gaze settling on him as the container finally slid open.

“Virgo…” said Scorpio as he stared up at the woman, her body tense and alert, her eyes scanning the room, finally settling on him. She was breathing hard, fire crackling in her green eyes as she took in the scene before her.

“Jacob…” she hissed, sneering down at him and Scorpio offered up his hand. She stared at it a moment, then took it, grasping firmly as she stepped from the machinery.

“Come, my love.” He helped her step down, wrapping her shivering, naked form in a fire blanket, holdling her close.

“We have a world to conquer.”

Amora stepped up to the burned and blackened form that was Hyperion. She could feel the man’s strength, his determination as his body fought to mend itself of the damage done. A glazed eye popped open in the blackened flesh, glaring at her. The blade she carried in her arms pulsed with approval. She reached out, touching the devastated creature and felt the intimate spark. This was the one…

“You’ll do,” she said, presenting the axe to her recipient, pressing the handle into the gnarled, blackened hand. She heard the creature grunt, trying to speak as lightning crackled over the charred husk, making it writhe in agony.

Amora stepped back, smiling, watching as her Executioner was reborn…