KNOW THY ENEMY

Part I

By Kristi Manchester

Above New York City the night sky was clear and illuminated by a full silvery moon with scant few clouds to block its light. All was quiet as birds soared through the air among the clouds. The still calm night was suddenly split though by a bolt of violet energy lancing toward city. The silence broke with thunderous claps that exploded out in the wake of the streaking object. Below in the city traffic continued to move along at a steady pace and people went about their business without bothering to look up. After all this is a city of super heroes and the sound of thunder in the sky was not unheard of. None of the many people out that night truly knew how wrong they were as the blazing purple bolt slammed into the crowded street. The cars exploded outward as the street erupted in an enormous explosion of fire and asphalt. With in minutes the air in the surrounding area was filled with the sound of the sirens of emergency vehicles.

The call came in at 7:15 PM, and the ambulance driven by Jake Olsen sped around the corner toward the disaster site. His two partners, a portly man in the seat next to him and a older woman in the back prepping the equipment, listened to the radio as reports began to flood in from the disaster site.

“What exactly are we looking at Walter?” said Jake, whose concentration stayed intently on keeping his speeding vehicle on the road.

“Well…all the reports are so varied its hard to get a grasp on what’s going on…all everyone seems to agree on is that someone fired some kind of a missile from space…this sounds pretty bad…cars flipped over, a crater in the middle of the city…I hope we aren’t the only responding unit.”

The older woman moved forward to the front of the Ambulance and looked out the window as Jake turned a wide corner, and the disaster site came into view. Cars lay flipped over, burning and shredded by the force of the explosion. Fires burned in the surrounding buildings which were pockmarked with large ragged holes and pieces of cars and the road itself. The point of impact was a huge crater that spanned a wide area and was strewn with burning wreckage. There were very few bodies but that was hardly surprising due to the explosion. The Ambulance sped forward and skidded to a stop with the three emergency paramedics looking out at the devastation. Behind them came the sound of more approaching emergency vehicles and law enforcement.

“What the hell happened here?” The older woman said, looking around absolutely stunned by what she was seeing in front of her.

“No idea Janet…but we better get out there and see who we can..” Walter gasped slightly, cutting off his reply to her question as he stared out.

“What the hell is that thing?!”

Rising from inside the crater was a man with a tall Mohawk, light purple skin and a high collared cloak. He was tall and well built, with steam rising off his body. The man was unhurt and seemed unbothered by the destruction his arrival caused, he only focused on the new arrivals, walking toward them slowly.

Jake Olsen’s eyes widened as he saw who was moving toward them through the rubble. Gladiator?! By Odin’s eye what reason hath he to return to Midgard? Reaching for the door handle, he prepared to step out of the Ambulance but was stopped by Walter.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!? It could be dangerous…wait…it is dangerous!!! ” Walter said.

“Just back us up Jake, the police are here and they are far more prepared to take care of this.” Janet said as she stared out at the large man.

While Jake began to back the ambulance up and continued to try and argue that the man was not a monster but a hero, the man in question scanned over the responding units and his eyes began to glow a deep red. Jake turned back just in time as twin blasts of crimson energy cut through the air, striking the rescue vehicle. In the seconds before the ambulance exploded, the sky filled with the sound of constant thunder and was split with rippling bolts of lightning. With a laugh Gladiator studied his remaining foes, his eyes flashing once more as they released another blast of energy that cut across the forming barricade of police cruisers. Without warning as he continued to lay waste to the cities defenders a mighty hammer shot out from the wreckage of the ambulance, slamming into his chest and sent him flying through the wall of the closest skyscraper.

With Gladiator dealt with for the moment, two large strong hands burst out of the wreck and tore it open. In the freshly made opening stood a tall, heavily built man with a blood red cloak of fur draped on his shoulders. The armor he wore was sleeveless with silver disks going down his chest and over the thick silver belt around his thick waist. Around his wrists were thick leather wrapped bracers, and he wore knee high boots built to better protect his knees. Upon his head rested a winged helm and as he stepped out the clouds forming in the sky thundered in response. From the whole in the building, the hammer of the Gods, Mjolnir returned swiftly to his waiting hand. The Thunder God of Asgard had returned, Thor had arrived.

“What foul order has thou spilling the blood of so many of Midgard’s innocents Gladiator?!?” Thor cried out as he looked toward the hole where Gladiator had crashed. “Come out and face me fallen warrior! There shall be a reckoning for what thy has done this night!

Leaving the wreckage behind, Thor strode toward the wall he had launched the mighty Gladiator through. His hammer clenched in his hand was wrapped in rippling lines of electricity and thunder continued to crack above in response to the god’s anger. Standing before the hole he had helped create, Thor stared into the darkness in front of him before he was distracted by the sounds of the uninjured people coming out of the near buildings and from cars to see the disaster scene. The police moved forward to try and back them away from Thor who also attempted to keep the innocent civilians from getting to close.

While the Thunder God’s attention was diverted the man known as Gladiator came flying out from the hole at a tremendous speed and slammed fists first into Thor’s back, knocking his winged helmet off. He was driven through the wreckage of the ambulance and into the police car barricade. Unleashing a punishing combo of super speed punches on Thor, Gladiator crushed him further into the torn car and formed a new crater in the street. With a mighty backhanded strike with Mjolnir the mighty Thor sent the attacking Gladiator flying into the air.

“Back ye craven dog!!! Attacking whilst thy opponent’s back is turned…Have you no honor!?!” Thor shouted as he stood up slowly.

“Honor is for fools thunder god, fools who cannot handle the truth of battle.” said Gladiator with a derisive laugh, his eyes already glowing fiercely.

With only a few seconds to think, Thor looked around and ordered any civilians and police officers nearby to gather around him. As the twin blasts tore through the air at them Thor raised his hammer rippling with lightning into the air and with a thunderous crack, blue energy flowed out into a shield. The blasts of heat washed over the barrier, its intensity increasing with every second. Around the blast radius the street began to bubble and metal wreckage started to melt slowly, faster after mere moments and whatever trees that still stood burst into flame.

Behind Thor’s shield the police cars suddenly began to explode, gas tanks bursting from the intense heat. After a minute of a constant barrage Gladiator ceased his attack and hovered in place with his arms crossed and a victorious smirk on his face. With the air cleared of all but the fire and smoke the glowing blue shield was easy to see and once the attack completely ended dissipated. The thunder god Thor and the people he had protected were safe and clearly unharmed.

Realizing that another attack like that would be even more devastating Thor launched a counter attack of his own in the form of a thrown hammer. Remembering this move from before, Gladiator knocked the hammer to the side toward the building he had smashed into but did not expect the second attack as Thor launched himself quickly after the hammer. The god of thunder’s fist rammed into Gladiators chest sending him up and the two powerful men began to grapple in the air. Thor’s mind was already racing: I have only sixty seconds to recall my hammer but before I am able I must make sure that this vagabond is dealt with!

With his weight Thor brought the leader of the Shiar’s Imperial Guard crashing to the ground with an incredible boom. Standing within the crater again, both warriors began to go punch for punch with each impact pushing the other back slightly each time. With every punch thrown the ground seemed to shake and time continued to tick away for the Mighty Thor.

“I hath had enow!!! Let us put an end to this contest!” Thor shouted out.

With seconds remaining Thor kicked the alien warrior away and reached his hand out to summon his hammer back. Return Mjolnir did, tearing through the building it had been knocked into and back to the thunder god’s hand. He looked to the rising form of the Gladiator and stalked forward toward his enemy. Gladiator rose to his feet and with in an instant launched his own attack, beginning the melee once more. With Thor’s hammer returned, the battle was more violent and each hammer strike brought with it the cracking of thunder. Thor began to lay into Gladiator with devastating blows, each strike knocked the Shiar warrior back a step. Though obviously hurt the leader of the guard fought back fiercely and relentlessly. Seeing now that the battle would not end swiftly enough through arms Thor raised his hammer up and with a flash the sky filled once again with black thunderhead clouds, lightning cutting through them.

“Though thou be strong and battle hardy, you face the unrivaled power of the God of Thunder! Let me show thee why all tremble before my might!!!” Thor cried out, his hammer glowing brighter electricity energy.

The smell of ionized air filled the area and without warning a huge lightning bolt struck Gladiator, wrapping his body in a constant barrage of electricity. For a mere minute the attack went on and when it ended Gladiator barely still standing but a change had happened during attack, his purple skin was shifting in places to a olive green and his chin was ridged and wider. The changes flickered for a moment before shifting back to the normal chiseled appearance of the Gladiator. Seeing the change Thor’s eyes glowed a brilliant blue and he rose off the ground slowly with his hammer held in both hands above him.

“I see now through your disguise foul trickster! Thee are naught but a base shape shifter who must be shown the error of his ways!” Thor said, thunder cracking in response to his words.

“Your power is meaningless to one as powerful as I, you simple-minded little god.” Gladiator responded, clearly weakened but still on his feet.

Instead of answering, Thor looked down upon his foe and with blue energy rippling from his eyes he summoned down a more extreme barrage of lightning upon him. Three bolts of lightning struck the being who was no longer Gladiator, shredding through the air and washing over him. Under such an attack even someone of Gladiators power could not stand up to it and fell over defeated. Smoke rose from his fallen foe and Thor finally ended the attack, landing on his feet once again. Walking slowly toward the downed false Gladiator, Thor studied his enemy with a raised brow for a moment. The shape shifter was now half imperial guard captain and half of another alien known as a Skrull. Though it was hurt badly the Skrull’s eyes began to glow again and it was already recovering it’s strength. Deciding not to take chances and his anger growing from the stubbornness of his foe, Thor began to slam his hammer down upon his enemy over and over again. Each strike pushed him deeper into the ground and was accompanied with a loud crack of the ground giving in.

“Now foul miscreant…you will tell me why you have come to Midgard and what you seek to do here…and you will do so with haste. Lest you wish to taste more of Mjolnir’s might.” Thor said, looking down upon the badly injured and fully changed Skrull.

“You may…have stopped…stopped me thunder god…but…but…” The Skrull said, coughing harshly a moment later. Thick dark blood running out from the corner of his mouth and the alien coughed a number of times before continuing. ” You will…never stop my brothers…”

Thor scowled as his patience with his alien foe was growing very thin. He wrapped his free hand around the Skrull’s throat and hoisted him up in the air. The thunder god’s icy blue eyes crackling with electricity as lightning began to shred through the air once more. The muscles in his hand spasmed and it tightened while he slammed the alien into wreckage.

“This has gone on long enow! Tell me what I wish to know or thou shall truly understand the wraith of the god of thunder!!!” Thor yelled. “Why hath thou come to fair Midgard!?! What deviltry hath thy begun!”

“You wish…wish to know…why I have come Asgardian? I have come…to usher in your destruction…you and all you hold dear…” the unknown skrull said, sneering down at the son of Odin. ” You have no idea…of the scope of our plan…in fact, there is nothing you can do…Go to the base of the top of the mountain closest to the city…I wish you to know what comes.”

With that said the alien reached down turned a dial on his belt, his eyes flashing. ” Go to your death thunder god!!!” With that said the buckle of the belt glowed fiercely and a blast of extreme heat exploded out. It incinerated the skrull and launched Thor back into the building behind him. After a moment the son of Odin rose up to his feet and looked over the area around him. The blast had only made the previous damage worse but had also cleared much of it away. Thor’s eyes glazed brighter and gripped his hammer tighter in response to what he sees.

“To the mountain’s peak I will go…for there will be a reckoning for what has transpired on this night…This I swear!!!” He shouted out into the night.

Trusting the police and emergency workers to take care of the situation at hand, Thor walked out into the center of the street. Twirling the hammer above his head after he had recovered his helmet, he looked skyward and threw the might Mjolnir. Keeping a grip on the leather loop he was pulled after the hammer and soared through the air toward his destination.

Arriving a short time later at the closest mountain to the city, Thor landed on a ledge close to the peak itself. Hanging his hammer from his belt he looked up at the craggy rock wall of the mountain. Thinking it best to approach in a more stealthy manner, Thor leaped up and with his great strength gained a decent grip on the rock. With his hand holds secure and mountain being covered in decent enough foot holds he began scaling the wall quickly but quietly. As he moved up the mountain he noticed the rock giving way to spots of a metallic substance and the closer he came to the peak the more he felt an electric aura.

Shortly after he began to climb he reached the peaks ledge and was greeted with an unexpected sight. Before him the mountain peak stood a short distance away, crushed in half it seemed as the area immediately around him was flattened and pocked with metallic spots. Walking forward Thor approached the indented remains of the peak itself. His blue eyes scanning it slowly before he saw the dividing line that showed a rock coated set of large doors. He moved closer to them and ran his hand over the surface to make sure that his eyes were not failing him. Finding no means of opening the doors he took Mjolnir up and drew his arm back to strike. Suddenly without warning an explosive bolt of lightning struck the god of thunder enveloping him in brilliant blue energy. His cloak was shredded and his armor split and tore under the onslaught. Within moments the attack ceased and Thor dropped to one knee for a moment.

“I’m sorry Thor but I can’t let you do that.” said an all to familiar voice.

Turning as he stood, Thor looked up at his foe that hovered above him. The enemy was a tall well built man with long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail and a well-trimmed beard. He wore a dark brown vest jacket over a uniform very similar to Thor’s own but he wore a thick leather belt with a large T at it’s center. In his fingerless gloved hand he held a mace that looked akin to the mighty Mjolnir and glowed with a blue aura. Thor knew whom he faced now and the disbelief on his face and his eyes was evident.

“Thunderstrike…Eric…how can this be?!” Thor exclaimed.