THE RETURN OF THE LADY LIBERATORS

Part II

By Curtis Fernlund

Manhattan, Avengers Island.
Moments After Last Issue…

Carol Danvers watched as the Stark Enterprises engineers maneuvered the huge generator into its housing. It took ten men to control the massive piece of equipment working the poles and cables while the crane operator eased the machinery slowly into place. They were doing a good job – what they got paid to do of course, and paid well – but Carol could not help feeling a little galled, if not useless watching them take hours to do what she could have done in minutes. Once upon a time…

Carol made a fist, flexing her fingers, still feeling the pain and weakness. It had been weeks since she had burned herself out stopping Ultron’s modified neutron bomb from destroying a sizable chunk of Colorado.* Weeks since she had had enough strength to get out of the hospital bed let alone take an active part in the Avengers. Granted, her more basic powers were returning – slowly – but her power to absorb energies was still null and void. Reed Richards, Henry McCoy, Henry Pym; all had said that odds were good that she would be back at full strength and soon, though none would commit to telling her that her energy powers would ever return. The modifications that Ultron had made on the bomb had ‘sterilized’ her, as they bluntly put it. Sterilized…

* As dramatically seen in Avengers #33

She had always been a career woman, at least before she became a Marvel; first with the USAF, then NASA, then the Avengers. She had never really thought of white picket fences or a husband. She had never wanted children, but now, knowing she could never have them…

Carol bit her lower lip and closed her eyes trying to hold back the tears.

“It will pass, Carol.”

Carol Danvers sniffled, wiping her eyes as she turned to face Ororo Monroe. The dark, African beauty stood almost half a foot taller than Carol, and despite her own fit body and golden hair she always felt just the tiniest bit inferior and awkward to the white-haired tempest. She looked up into Storm’s smiling face.

“My powers were stolen by a weapon that Forge created some time ago,”* Ororo said watching as the engineers cursed and struggled with the generator. “They returned, eventually. Until they did I relied on my other skills, as should you.”

* Uncanny X-Men #185 – mainstream – Thank you Wikipedia

“I just feel so useless,” Carol said. “And the Avengers have plenty of administrators. Hell, Hawkeye and Songbird stepped right in to fill the void, no worries.”

“Logan often spoke highly of your skills as a warrior,” Ororo said raising a hand and spiraling a breeze about the swaying generator, hoping to help stabilize it. “Not your powers. Powers do not make the hero, but rather enhance. You are a strong woman, Carol, an educated person and well adapted to life. Use what you know and stop wallowing in self pity.”

Carol Danvers stared at her friend. She had known Ororo Monroe for years and considered her close, almost a sister. There were few people that she would allow to talk to her like that, but Ororo was one of them. Carol sagged, nodding.

“You’re right,” she replied with a sigh. “I-”

“Ladies!”

Both women turned to see Clint Barton striding towards them. Another friend that Carol had known for years, since the Kree/Skrull War in fact. He had been Goliath then, and she a simple security chief with NASA when the Sentry Sinister had attacked to kidnap Captain Marvel.*

* Avengers # 91 – mainstream

“Old lead bottom wants the whole crew in the Meeting Room, ASAP. Seems the Black Widow’s come callin’ with a new hassle that’s right up the Avenger’s alley.” Carol watched the levity drain from Hawkeye as he stopped before them. “Figure if it’s something ‘Tasha can’t handle on her own, it must be some deep kemshi.”

Both Carol and Ororo fell into step alongside Hawkeye as they hurried back to the Meeting Hall. Carol remembered the old and rather intricate relationship between the Black Widow and the Avenging Archer and could hear the respect laced in his voice as he spoke of her. A good and caring man despite the front he always portrayed.

Carol’s eyes widened as they all rushed into the Meeting Hall. She had been a member of the assemblage for years but it had been some time since she had seen so many Avengers all gathered in one spot. The Iron Man and the Black Widow stood at the fore talking while others gathered here and there, more or less about the huge mahogany table with the stylized ‘A’ emblazoned in gold filigree in the center.

The still new Captain America stood off to the side speaking with the Vision, his new arm displayed proudly, holding his golden cloak. Carol wished that her own problem had been so easily fixed. Well, maybe not easily as she recalled the tales of the battle with the Mad Thinker.

Reed and Susan Richards sat at the table with Scott Lang. The two men seemed engrossed with a sheaf of blueprints and schematics that they had splayed on the tabletop, lost in discussion. The Invisible Woman seemed totally bored as Mister Fantastic conferred with the Astonishing Ant-Man, ignoring his wife. Carol wondered briefly why Reed and Susan were on the Island again, though figured it had something to do with the new generator.

Carol saw Kurt Wagner speaking with Melissa Gold in the far corner of the room. Both Nightcrawler and Songbird looked to them as they entered, whatever they were talking about cut short as Hawkeye went to join his fellow teammate from the Thunderbolts, now an Avenger in training. Kurt smiled at something Hawkeye said, then stepped away towards the table.

The final person in the room was not an Avenger, but a ‘trusted’ liaison from S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill was a smart and savvy agent in good standing and recommended by Fury in the absence of Jasper Sitwell, on assignment elsewhere, as the Avenger’s S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison, but there was just something about the woman that Carol did not like, did not trust. She was always watching, even now as she sat at the computer’s array flicking through the security monitors.

“Carol! Ororo! Great! We can get started.”

Both women turned to see Anthony Stark stepping to his reinforced chair at the ‘head’ of the wide, circular table. He smiled, telling everyone to take their seats as Natasha Romanoff took the chair at his right hand. His faceplate was up, his handsome face visible, dazzling brown eyes sparkling as he scanned the assemblage.

“This is not an official meeting,” he started, “but rather an emergency gathering as stated in the by-laws, and will be noted as such. We’ve received a request for aid from a Reserve Member in good standing and are obliged to listen and render aid as needed. That said…” Tony grinned and turned to the Black Widow. “Natasha?”

Natasha Romanoff, the Beauteous Black Widow stood at her place at the table. Carol had known the woman for years, and knew too that she had been the leader of the Avengers through a tumultuous time and was no stranger to the intricacies of decorum. Champion, super spy, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., super model – the woman had done it all. Carol was just a bit jealous.

“I had an interesting encounter last night,” she began. “Quite by coincidence I found myself allied the Spider-Man as we investigated a robbery in the Diamond District. The robbers were easily dispatched, however one of the customers in the store was more than she appeared to be. She kissed Spider-Man and apparently mesmerized him. I approached and she used some form of red energy on me to hurl me into the wall. She then disappeared in a flash of light, along with Spider-Man. I came to the Avengers because the woman seemed naggingly familiar, though her attire was not as I remembered – out of context.

“I perused the Avengers’ files and database after coming here and easily found a match for the woman within the first few minutes. She was dressed in normal, human attire, but it was definitely Amora, the Asgardian Enchantress.”

Carol listened to the low murmur of conversation that ran about the table. Hawkeye was whispering in Songbird’s ear no doubt clueing her in on one of the most powerful members of the earliest version of the original Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil.* Carol saw Reed, Sue and Scott Lang looking at the inset computer monitor in front of the trio set into the table no doubt reviewing her history. She knew that Storm and Nightcrawler knew of the Enchantress from the New Mutants and their sojourn to Asgard years ago.**For her own part, Carol was up on the files though she had never met the Immortal.

* The Enchantress and the Executioner joined Zemo in the Masters in Avengers # 7, mainstream.

** The New Mutants went to Asgard and encountered the Enchantress in New Mutants Special Edition #1.

“You’re certain, Natasha?” Tony asked, and Carol knew he had to for the records.

“I’ve only met her once, but it was not a pleasant encounter,” Romanoff replied.

“I recall,” the Vision added. “It was in Rutland, Vermont; All Hallows Eve.”

“Halloween to the rest of us, Visz,” Hawkeye spoke up. “I was there too, sportin’ my Giant Juice an’ playin’ Goliath.” Carol saw Barton give the Black Widow a glance and a tight smile. That had been a hard time between the two of them.

“Yes,” Natasha nodded. “The Enchantress had gathered myself, Madame Medusa, the Scarlet Witch and the Wasp disguised as the Valkyrie on the premise of creating a group of femme fatales to stand up against the male oppression that was in fashion at the time.”

“The Lady Liberators,” Susan Richards said with a smile. “I remember them.”

Romanoff smiled in return. “In truth, Susan, we were dupes to the Enchantress’ true plan, which was to steal a device created by one Doctor T.W. Erwin that would transport her back to Asgard from where she had been banished. With Erwin’s device she would regain her full powers and be able to exact her revenge against the Executioner who had spurned her. The Avengers were on hand – the male members at the time – for the Halloween parade in Rutland. So too were the Masters of Evil. The Avengers routed them easily, with the help of the Lady Liberators, and then we routed them.”

“Aww, we were goin’ easy on ya,” Hawkeye added. “Figured you were mind controlled or somethin’.”

“Whatever you say, Clint. Regardless we beat the Avengers and only then did Amora exposed herself and her plans. Luckily Wanda was wary and saw through the Immortal’s façade.”*

* A rather condensed version of Avengers # 83 mainstream

“And now she has kidnapped Spider-Man?” Kurt Wagner asked looking puzzled. “To what end?”

“I have no idea,” Natasha said with a shrug. “I cannot imagine why someone as powerful as the Enchantress would need Spider-Man. I have no means on my own to deal with magic, so I sought out the Avengers to help, and maybe provide some answers.”

“And of course we’ll help, Natasha,” Stark said. “Spider-Man’s a member as well, and a friend. We’ll get him back.” Stark looked about the table, meeting everyone’s gaze. “Any suggestions, people?”

“I’ve read the files on the Enchantress,” Captain America said. Carol had grown to respect Josiah al hajj Saddiq, the man that had replaced Steve Rogers as Captain America. True, he was still green in some areas, but he was all heart and tried his best to live up to the legend that he was trying to fulfill. He was no Steve Rogers – but who was? Josiah X was Captain America now as far as Carol was concerned.

“Strong, savvy, smart, perhaps guided by her passions too much and has a magical, mystical source of power to rival Doctor Strange. What could she possibly want with the Spider-Man?”

“Hey, don’t sell the web head short… Cap.” Carol noted the hesitation in his voice as Hawkeye called Josiah ‘Cap’. There was much history between Clint Barton and Steve Rogers, and she doubted that the Avenging Archer would ever feel truly comfortable around Roger’s replacement.

“He’s been around since day two. Longer than any of us here except Reed and Sue. He’s quick and savvy and word is he’s a brain. Made that webbing of his, far as I heard.”

“Indeed.” Reed Richards nodded. “Despite his outward demeanor, Spider-Man is brilliant in chemistry and biochemistry. Perhaps that is why the Enchantress took him.”

“Well, we can speculate all day long,” Scott Lang said leaning back in his chair. He was dressed in coveralls rather than his Ant-Man uniform and Carol noticed smears of grease on his clothes. “How do we find her?”

“We can scan for her energy signature,” Stark said. “Magic’s a tricky thing, always changing and morphing, but Reed and I came up with a way, with the help of Doctor Strange, to somewhat isolate the unique spark that magic displays whenever it’s present. It’s a variable of .0085 %, but should at least get us pointed in the right general direction.”

“Too, there is her Asgardian physiology; her godhood as it were,” Reed Richards added. “She, Thor, Hercules all share a unique biology common to their race yet far different from we ‘mere mortals’. I’ve had the opportunity to examine Thor and have isolated many variables, which we can apply to our search.”

“You say that like you don’t think Thor is a god, Professor Richards.”

Carol glanced across the table at Songbird speaking up for the first time. Melissa Gold had been a villain of some degree most of her life, a hard luck case as far as she knew. Once called Screaming Mimi she had been a member of the Grapplers, a team of female wrestlers turned bad, then had hooked up with Angar the Screamer for a time, until he died. Baron Zemo had apparently seen her potential when he had recruited her for his original band of Thunderbolts, and she had actually become a force to be reckoned with under his tutelage. Hawkeye apparently saw it as well during his stint with that team, enough to bring her to the Avengers when he was asked back. As my replacement, Carol thought with a frown.

“I’ve seen many strange and awesome things and beings over the years, Songbird,” Richards replied nonchalantly, “from the Impossible Man to Galactus, to Infinity; the living embodiment of the universe. In my experience I feel I have yet to meet God.”

“Perhaps you have simply not looked in the right place yet, Herr Professor,” Nightcrawler said with a grin, rewarded with a chorus of chuckles from around the table.

“Okay, people,” Stark cut in raising his gauntleted hands for order, “before we get too off base we best get started. Reed and I will head over to Communications and start our search on the scanners. It would be nice if Spider-Man was carrying his Avengers ID, but somehow I doubt it will be that easy. After that we’ll calibrate the machines for the Enchantress. Hopefully she’s still in the Tri-State area somewhere-”

“Oh, I’m closer than that, my shining knight.”

The collective gasp was drowned out even as the Intruder Alert blared, almost deafening. Carol saw the beautiful blonde seemingly step out of thin air right behind Anthony Stark and spin him about with a hand on his shoulder. Totally unprepared, Stark literally stumbled into her arms as she pulled him close and kissed him.

“No!” the Black Widow shouted leaping up to pry the pair apart. “She’s taking him as she took Spider-Man!” Good as the Black Widow was, however, she was simply not strong enough to break the Asgardian’s grip.

Even as the other Avengers started to move, as Carol rose she saw the Enchantress release Iron-Man who clattered to the floor at her Prada clad heels. Carol thought it odd that the woman was dressed in a stylish gray business suit rather than one of her usual Asgardian ensembles that she had seen in the computer files.

“He’s already taken, girl,” the Enchantress laughed. “And I see you’ve decided to not heed my advice. Go back to sleep.”

Carol had not even seen the Asgardian move, the backhand as it flashed at the Black Widow. Natasha was ready however and ducked the blow just as swiftly and lashed out with a knuckle blow to the woman’s kidney. Carol knew that the punch would have at least taken down a normal human, leaving them pissing blood for days if not crippling, but the Enchantress simply sniffed in contempt, looking offended that she had been touched.

She saw the Enchantress’ left fist crackle with scarlet energy then, and her body seemed to waver for a moment like distant heat shimmering on a desert highway.

“Force field,” the Invisible Woman said, and of course she would know. The warning was confirmed though as Captain America’s near indestructible shield bounced off the air about the Immortal and went careening about the room, finally back to Josiah X’s hand and remarkably without hitting anyone else. The man was getting good.

Even as the Avengers began to surge forward to stop the woman Carol heard Hawkeye shouting over the claxon of alarms: “Group up! Delta: 3A!”

Carol saw Scott Lang speed backwards out of the line of fire riding the coasters of his chair. He had been on hand for his technical expertise today and not in his Ant-Man garb, thus more liability than help in the fight to come. Thankfully he hit the button on the computer’s console to kill the alarm.

Carol knew that the command Hawkeye had given was to implement a rescue/assault. Normally she would fly up and above, prepared to do either should the opportunity arise. Still weakened and with her powers on the mend however she simply backed out of the way hoping to give the others room to move in the suddenly cramped Meeting Room. If she could get to Tony and drag him off to safety she would. Otherwise she could only clench her fists and impotently watch.

She saw the Vision pale and swiftly drop through the floor, a receding ghost. Captain America had moved into position between the Enchantress and Lang, his shield up defensively. Songbird and Mister Fantastic had both moved to cover the two exits; Melissa emanating a pink wall from her carapace to block the door, Richards doing likewise by expanding and densing out his very body. It seemed a pointless maneuver seeing as how the Enchantress could teleport, but it was part of Hawkeye’s command.

For his part, he had leapt upon the tabletop and drawn an arrow, which was now aimed at the Enchantress’ heart. The shaft carried a head that was oblong and spiked, no doubt something nasty created by the Black Panther or Stark to use in Hawkeye’s arsenal as they had crafted most of his arrowheads.

Carol felt the static in the air as Storm moved in front of her. Ororo was a powerful mutant, a Weather Witch to some, but Carol knew that against the Asgardian most of her abilities would be next to useless. The Asgardian could survive the depths of space if she was anything like Thor, and Ororo was hindered by the confines of the room as well, so could not cut loose.

And all of that in the space of a heartbeat. The new Avengers had not been together that long, but already moved in unison like a well-oiled machine. Carol saw a flash from across the room even as her heart skipped another beat and a cloud of foul smelling smoke rising to fill the void of Nightcrawler’s disappearance. In the midst of the cloud she saw Susan Richards concentrating though her face was twisted in disgust caught in the stench of brimstone; an after effect of the dimension that Kurt Wagner stepped through when teleporting.

“What?” Carol heard the Enchantress gasp in confusion. Still off balance and in the arch of her backhand she seemed to stagger as though something had bumped into her; something invisible.

She saw the Black Widow whip her leg out and around, hooking her foot behind the Enchantress’ slim ankle and sweeping the Immortal off of her feet. Some laws of physics apparently applied to Asgardians as well as more common folk.

Even as the Enchantress toppled, Carol saw Kurt Wagner reappear, crouching over the dazed form of Tony Stark, the Black Widow scuttling back and away. The cloying smoke swirled about him as he grabbed hold of the Golden Avenger’s armor, luckily powered down and not secured with its retro-shield that would have shocked Wagner into unconsciousness. Oddly the smoke did not rise or dissipate, rather becoming trapped and thickening as though caught in a transparent dome; or an invisible force field. Another flash flickered through the darkening cloud and Carol knew that Nightcrawler was gone with the Iron-Man, teleported to safety.

Even as the Enchantress hit the floor Carol saw two ghostly, yellow-gloved hands slide up through her body. There was a look of confusion on her face as Amora stared at the hands for a moment, watching them solidify slightly. Confusion turned to anguish quickly as the Enchantress screamed, though incredibly remained conscious.

There was something though; Carol had seen her body waver, rippling almost. It was the same type of effect she had witnessed countless times in Skrulls when they shifted form. What that meant in the Enchantress she did not know, and before she could think about it further another scream split the air, this one from outside…

“Nein!”

“Kurt!” Ororo shouted, moving towards the door that Songbird was guarding. Carol saw Gold bite her lip and glance at Hawkeye, not wanting to break formation and deviate from his plan. “Move,” Storm ordered, but before Songbird could reply Hawkeye cut in:

“Do it, Mel,” he snapped, his gaze never wavering from the Enchantress, his aim steady and true. “Go with her! Cap… Reed! You too. We got this.”

Carol watched as Songbird dropped her shield in favor of her solid sound wings and shot through the doorway, Storm, Captain America and Mister Fantastic swiftly following in her wake. Carol ached to follow but knew that outside Storm would be in her element and she would only hinder her friend’s abilities.

“Vision!” Hawkeye yelled. “Again!”

The Enchantress screamed again as the Vision’s golden gloves darkened. Her body writhed in agony and her head lolled from side to side but still the woman would not go unconscious. As the woman’s screamed reached its crescendo however, Hawkeye barked another order:

“Now, Susan!”

“On it.”

Carol’s gaze flicked between the Invisible Woman and the Enchantress, and at first saw no change. Then she saw the Immortal’s eyes widen in surprise, her mouth gaping as she gasped for breath and Carol understood. It was a tactic that had stopped the Hulk many times, and apparently worked just as well on immortals. Though she could survive the rigors of space, probably the blazing heat of a volcano and even arms solidifying inside of her she still had to breathe. Susan Richards had encased Amora’s head in a dwindling force field cutting off her oxygen.

“Vision! Again!”

The Enchantress’ scream was silent this time as tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. For one breathless moment she seemed almost to push past the pain trying to rise away from the Vision’s hands. Finally though, with a final spasm she fell limp and still to the floor.

Hawkeye did not shift his aim as he glanced at the Invisible Woman. “Can you hold her, Sue?” he asked even as the Vision rose out of the floor and solidified over the fallen Asgardian.

“I can keep her airless,” Sue nodded, “and hold her tight, but there’s no guarantee that she won’t wake up and teleport away. Nightcrawler I can fend against. I have no idea how her magic works though.”

“We have cells that will hold her,” Maria Hill said stepping forward with the Black Widow. In the excitement of the battle Carol had forgotten that the S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison was even in the room. She had her gun drawn and poised at the ready as she looked down at the Enchantress, though Carol knew the standard issue Needler would have been useless. Still it was good to see the woman ready to help.

“Stark had a variety of holding cells built at no small expense given the number of villains that have already attacked the island. One was constructed with teleporters in mind, with a forcefield designed that held Nightcrawler. “ Hill shrugged, holstering her gun. “But like you said, magic’s another story.

“It’ll have to do,” Hawkeye said as he jumped down from the table moving towards the door. “Scott, go with Sue and set it up. You too, Hill. Contact Fury and get someone here to transport her to the Vault. Vision, Carol, you’re with me. Let’s see what – “

But even before Hawkeye could finish his statement, the unconscious form of Captain America came hurtling through the doorway…

Outside…

Melissa Gold did not have a clue as to what was going on beyond that the Avengers Island was under assault… by friends!

She had soared skyward as soon as she had exited the short hallway from the Meeting Room, trying to get a bird’s eye view of the situation. Even as she had gained altitude however she had seen Nightcrawler slumped and unconscious over the equally limp body of Iron-Man. What puzzled her though was that there was not a single villain in sight. Rather, it was Quicksilver, a fellow Avenger that stood over the unconscious pair.

Songbird had immediately sensed the change in the air as the breeze coming off of New York Harbor strengthened, the humidity thickening as clouds began to form, swirl and darken. Storm swooped up into the air, riding the winds and veering away from Songbird. Melissa saw that her eyes were glowing white as she gathered the elements about her. It was then, while distracted that something slammed into her.

Songbird flailed as she struggled to regain her flight. Luckily Hawkeye and Zemo both had literally beaten into her the necessity of keeping her own forcefield up in battle as whatever had struck her from behind would have taken her right out of the fight. She had been struck hard and felt the ache in her back as she twisted, arcing up again and in control of her flight even as she saw the Sub-Mariner swooping in a wide arch of his own, the tiny wings on his ankles swiftly propelling him back towards her.

“What the hell,” Melissa whispered, baffled as another Avenger seemed to be attacking them, more specifically her! Melissa shifted her path, diving as the Sub-Mariner neared and shot past her. She had seen the dull look on his face, the vacant, uncomprehending gaze and suddenly Melissa understood.

The Enchantress had taken the Atlantean just as the Black Widow had described Spider-Man’s abduction. Quicksilver too, and probably Stark as well. But when and why, she wondered even as something snagged her ankle and started to drag at her flight.

Looking down she saw the Spider-Man trailing along in her wake, riding a long strand of his silken webbing. Dammit, she thought as she struggled, trying to break free of the webbing that bound her ankles together, quickly realizing that that was not going to happen. She concentrated then, her voice shifting octaves and a solid sound sword appeared slicing futilely at the gossamer strands.

What the hell is that stuff made of, she thought as she concentrated on sharpening the blade, applying more pressure. Sweat dotted her brow as the clouds thickened, blotting out the sun. Lightning tore through the darkness, thunder booming instantly in the glare, blinding her with the glowing silhouette of Spider-Man blotting her vision.

Storm was apparently attacking Quicksilver with the speed of lightning, though her assault had left Melissa at a momentary disadvantage. She let the sword vanish as she shot straight up. She could still feel Spider-Man’s weight slowing her, but she hoped the maneuver would throw off the Sub-Mariner’s pursuit long enough for her sight to clear.

Blinking tears she slowly, hazily could see enough to swoop back towards the ground. Her eyes widened as she saw that Spider-Man was swiftly climbing the line attached to her ankles, getting closer and contorting in a swing that was bringing him within arm’s reach. Melissa tried to veer off, to pull out of her dive even as she saw the web-slinger flick his wrist.

Webbing spewed forth, covering her face, blinding her again and clogging her open mouth, gagging her! Panic washed through her as Songbird’s voice cut off. She could barely breathe let alone ‘sing’, and worse, now she was plummeting towards the ground at breakneck speed…

Josiah X dashed through the doorway just as Storm leaped into the sky riding on a wind that seemingly rose from nowhere. He quickly jumped to the side and into a defensive crouch to allow the flowing form of Mister Fantastic to emerge unhindered. He had been an Avenger only a short time compared to others, and Captain America only a bit longer and he had to admit that he was still a little in awe of the abilities of his companions.

But he was a soldier, and Allah had seen fit to grant him powers of his own for HIS purpose. HE had guided Stephen Rogers to him, given him the mantle of Captain America and the weight of his fabled shield to bear. He would not fail; Rogers, Allah or himself.

Quickly beneath the darkening skies he scanned the battlefield. He vaguely saw the blur of the mutant Quicksilver as he vanished, too fast to be seen. Josiah knitted his brow in momentary confusion even as instinct made him shift his shield higher. He heard more than felt the impact of the mutant’s fist as it bounced off of the shield, then felt the blow that struck him in the back, then the ribs, the chin…

Captain America leaped up and away, somersaulting through the air and sweeping out his arms as he twisted to get his feet under him again. Rolling as he landed he spun on the shield, lashing out with a scissors kick and was rewarded to see Quicksilver appear and flail as momentum carried him, tripped.

The mutant hit the ground several yards away, tumbling a bit over the grass but quickly rolled to his feet even as Josiah X sprang to his own. He had briefly hoped that the fall would have ended the fight, perhaps against a tree, but the mutant had been well trained and seasoned for years; first as one of Magneto’s original Brotherhood of ‘Evil’ Mutants, and then by Steve Rogers himself in the second band of Avengers.

Even as Quicksilver turned lightning flashed lighting up the area. Thunder slammed down as the mutant blinked, his hands automatically going to his eyes, though too late. Thankfully the lightning had struck behind Josiah and he saw his opportunity. Cocking his arm back, Captain America flung his shield…

Only to have it caught… by Wonderman?

Another of the West Coast based Avengers, and he had seemingly appeared from nowhere. Josiah X had of course read the man’s files, learning of his ‘death’ and resurrection by Allah’s hand. He knew too that Simon Williams was one of the strongest men on the planet, and apparently swift as well.

Captain America watched in momentary despair as the Avenger stared momentarily at the shield in his hand, then slipped his arm through the straps. This was not good.

And suddenly Quicksilver was in front of him, his fists near invisible as he pummeled away. Caught off guard Josiah tried to defend against the lightning fast assault, but it was like trying to fend against a flurry of hailstones striking with the size and force of baseballs.

To his credit he managed more from luck than skill to block a few of the blows, but there were simply too many, too quickly to fend them all. He was soon staggering back, his body jerking in every direction with the multitude of impacts. And then he sensed he was almost flying, sailing back as darkness swept over him…

Reed Richards cursed silently as he saw Captain America fly back through the doorway and into the building that housed the main Meeting Room. He had to hope that Hawkeye’s team had managed to subdue the Enchantress and were also able to divert Captain America’s momentum before he suffered injury. Richards also wished that he could have stretched to catch his fellow Avenger, but his own attention was preoccupied by an encounter of his own.

And a perplexing quandary it was. Obviously the Enchantress had ensorcelled Black Bolt and the Black Panther along with the other four men, and most probably Tony Stark as well, though the Armored Avenger was still unmoving on the ground so that was open to speculation. The nagging question was when she had managed to capture Blackagar, T’Challa and Namor. Even as he quandared however he recalled Susan mentioning the Inhuman monarch addressing the United Nations General Assembly, through Medusa’s translations of course, and he could only imagine that both Namor and T’Challa had been on hand for support as both men had done the same in similar circumstance. That settled, Richards was able to focus his thoughts on the more pressing matter of trying to defeat his friends without harming them.

He had little to fear from either opponent. Granted, Black Bolt was among the most powerful of the Marvels, but having battled an enraged Thing many times over the years he knew how to deal with brute strength. He had willed his body sufficiently pliant to resist the Inhuman’s strongest blows and had swiftly wrapped the monarch within his stretched form, simultaneously robbing him of his ability to fly as well as hampering his vast strength. Also, and despite the Enchantress’ magical enslavement, Richards considered it highly unlikely that Blackagar would implement his most devastating power; the amplified sonic wave generated by his speech. He had witnessed first hand the results of Black Bolt’s merest whisper and knew that should he speak here and now he could easily level most of Avengers Island and quite possibly part of Manhattan just a mile distant. Richards knew too the will power of his long time friend to keep that ability in check, however the Enchantress’ magic had defeated that will to enslave him so as a precaution he had swept his elasticized arm up and over the Inhuman’s mouth.

The Black Panther was another dilemma entirely. T’Challa was swift to react and strong in his own right as well as deftly agile. Add to that he was one of the most intelligent men in the world in a league with Doom, Stark and of course Richards himself. The Enchantress had captured his will as easily as she had the others apparently, though Richards could tell that the mind controlled had slowed T’Challa’s response time only a fraction. Despite his best efforts the King of Wakanda managed to elude the capture of Mister Fantastic’s elongated left arm, perhaps due to being forced to divide his attention between the two opponents.

Still Richards persisted, expanding his eyes slightly to enlarge the area of his peripheral vision as the Panther tried to stay behind him, or at least opposite Black Bolt. An excellent tactic, though not unexpected. Still he could see that T’Challa was tiring, as was Richards. The humidity level was oppressive as Storm manipulated the environment and all three men were perspiring with their efforts, most evident on the Panther’s nearly naked dark skin as he had shed the encumbering robes of state that he had been wearing at the outset of the conflict. Richards could feel the air charging with static again as Storm compounded her mutant energies for another electrical discharge to be focused on Wonderman.

Movement overhead caught his attention and Richards glanced skyward to see Songbird plummeting down towards them and a probably fatal impact with the island. Without pause he stretched towards her, ignoring the Panther for the moment as his pliable body expanded, stretching outwards in every direction and thickening. He could feel Black Bolt struggling and kept his hold even as he spied the Sub-Mariner hurtling towards him just a few yards behind Songbird. He saw too that her face was enmeshed in webbing and deduced that Spider-Man had managed to sufficiently muffle her voice and thus eliminate her abilities. That theory was supported by the fact that Spider-Man was drifting on the winds far overhead via a parachute created from those self-same webs.

“Ooof!” Despite his preparations, Richards still felt the impact as Songbird plowed into his body expanded to pillow-like softness. Momentum carried them both earthward now, and quickly, and despite the pliancy of his form he still felt the impact as they crashed to earth.

He could feel Blackagar struggling still, thankfully yet ensnared even as the Panther bounded off of him in a futile attempt to render Richards unconscious. Songbird was moving in the billowing pile of his body, uninjured hopefully as Richards started to contract to a more offensive state.

It was then that the Sub-Mariner slammed into him!

It was also then that Blackagar ceased struggling. With his peripheral vision expanded to approximately 200 degrees he could easily see the prongs of the fork above Black Bolts eyes crackling as it absorbed the building electricity saturating the air.

And as lightning struck and thunder boomed Reed Richards screamed as the electrical discharge coursed through his body, the lightning meant for Wonderman diverted into him by Blackagar. His only consolation as darkness encroached over his consciousness was Namor’s muffled yell of anguish echoing his own.

His last coherent thought was of Songbird, hoping that his rubbery form was enough to insulate her from permanent harm…

Storm sailed higher staying well away from the Spider-Man and hopefully out of range of his webbing. With a slight flicker of her fingers she redirected the winds, sending his parasail out towards the waters of New York Harbor, dismayed slightly as he leapt to the ground at the last moment, landing gracefully in a crouch.

Still for the moment she was the only one airborne, thus giving her a moment to catch her breath and survey the situation. Her fellow Avengers were all down, though she had not seen what had happened to Captain America. He was nowhere in sight however, and as Wonderman held his shield, she surmised that he had been beaten as well. And now she was alone, at least until the others defeated the Enchantress. If they could defeat her.

Ororo watched as the ensorcelled heroes regrouped and gathered their wits, such as they were able. She could see that their movements were sluggish, but they had still proven able to defeat the others and stymie her best attempts. She had seen Namor amongst their numbers and had forgone the squall that she had been forming, opting instead for the humid heat of a desert thunderstorm, which had apparently weakened the Atlantean to some degree. Her lightning strikes however had been ineffectual. The first staggering Wonderman, but doing little else except to blind Songbird and Quicksilver. That mistake had left Songbird easy prey for Spider-Man.

The second bolt had been an even worse misjudgment. Black Bolt had diverted the energy into Mister Fantastic, the electrical discharge enough to eliminate him and Songbird as well as the Sub-Mariner. And now the men were all gathered below, oddly, simply watching her. It was as though they had lost direction as they milled about, not even bothering to extricate their comrade from the folds of Reed Richard’s body. Odd indeed…

Storm blinked as something flitted through the air, nearly invisible even to her sight. It struck Black Bolt squarely in the face and suddenly his head was encased in some strange shell-like, metallic hood. He staggered back with the impact and Ororo saw that an arrow jutted from the mask as his head whipped about, his hands clawing at the structure.

She saw the ephemeral form of the Vision pass quickly though Quicksilver, the mutant writhing momentarily before falling to the ground. Spider-Man leaped up and away as the android moved towards him and the element of surprise was lost. Storm saw the Vision land and solidify as he strode towards Wonderman.

She rode the winds, directing them to take her down as she saw Hawkeye and Carol Danvers spill out of the doorway, each stepping to an opposite side. Hawkeye loosed another shaft at Black Bolt even as Carol sprang forward trying to tackle T’Challa. She was not fully recovered however, and though she seemed to soar far in her leap, the Panther easily eluded her, flipping up and away and delivering a back kick that drove Ms. Marvel into the ground.

Hawkeye’s shaft however was more successful as it struck Black Bolt squarely in the chest. It erupted in a flurry of metal bands that wrapped about the Inhuman almost head to toe, trapping his arms awkwardly as he continued to claw at the hood about his head. Storm hoped that the bands were strong enough to contain the Inhuman’s vaunted strength as he toppled to the ground even as she landed.

Hawkeye was drawing another shaft as Spider-Man spewed webbing about the archer, pinning him helplessly to the wall directly behind him. She heard Hawkeye curse as he struggled futilely, and Ororo knew that he would not break free any time soon.

Knowing Spider-Man’s speed she quickly redirected the winds towards him, gathering their strength. As expected he leapt up, trying to avoid the danger as though he sensed the attack coming, but Ororo had been prepared and caught the web-slinger in a tightly woven, miniature cyclone. She watched as the Spider-Man struggled, his body twisting in ways that a normal human’s could not, trying to right himself and regain some purchase. He fired his webbing as she had hoped and it too was caught up in the concise spiraling winds, actually wrapping about the hero in his swirling struggles; binding him.

Still he struggled to break free. Ororo did not know if he was strong enough to break his own webbing, but she suspected that his spider-like abilities allowed him to ignore the clinging effects. With regret, she gestured and directed the cyclone into the wall with a driving, gale force wind. She had to slam him three times before he finally slumped into unconsciousness.

She turned in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of the diamond hard Vision hammering on Captain America’s shield held by Wonderman. Then her vision was blocked by the Black Panther’s fist as it slammed into her cheek.

Ororo staggered back against the wall between the trapped Hawkeye and the fallen Spider-Man. She hit hard as stars seemed to explode in her vision, her dwindling sight graying around the edges, tunneling. She could hear Hawkeye shouting, but he seemed so distant as she blinked, shaking her head. She saw the Panther before her sheened in sweat, his magnificent body rippling with well-honed muscles.

“T’Challa…” she whispered even as his fist slammed into her face and blackness swallowed her…

To Be Continued…