Avengers

"Vision! Pull up!"

The Vision was barely able to turn to his right in a corkscrew twist before a lightning bolt came flying at the position where he once was. He looked over his shoulder at Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, the love of his life.

"Thank you, Wanda."

"I can feel the energies," Wanda told him with her eyes closed. "He is near."

"Well, I think we can all figure that out," Jack of Hearts said. "Look!"

Wanda opened her eyes and Vision also turned quickly ahead of himself. In the distance the dark sky above Libya was swirling like some black hurricane and lightning shot down in streams so fast, it was almost a wall. Vision, even with his keen computer sight, could only barely make out the crater through it all.

"He knows we're coming for him!" Wanda yelled "Whoever is doing this, he's angling his powers in this direction. He knows we're here!"

"Good!" Jack yelled. "Let him come get us!"

"No, Jack," Vision said. "We need to ground ourselves. Engagement is not the reason we are here. It will be harder for him to sense our presence across the sand dunes."

The three Avengers flying high over the African country of Libya swooped down quickly and gathered together in order to catch their breath. Vision thought back to the events just an hour ago that led to him leading a small group of Avengers into this electrical minefield.

Then

He had been sitting quietly in the armchair of his room, enjoying the intricate sounds of Nina Simone's greatest music when it was rudely interrupted by the sound of the double emergency alarm. He had quickly phased through many different floors of the mansion and looked throughout the different rooms for the other members of the team.

Jack came flying up from the Comm Room and saw him. He told Vision of the emergency in Libya and that Warbird had called a meeting. Vision was down in the Comm Room seconds later after quickly phasing through a few more floors. After a while, Jack came down with Wanda.

"Lord Ka-Zar," Warbird said to the video screen. "You have our undivided attention."

Ka-Zar, King of the Savage Land, looked to be talking from a very plush building, which Vision assumed was the UN embassy in the Savage Land. It was the only thing remotely technological in the entire country and, even then, Ka-Zar had initially resisted the building since he was trying to keep the Savage Land as purely natural as possible. Ka-Zar was a funny sight in his loincloth, bare chest and quiver against the modern background of the embassy.

"I have a problem, Avengers," Ka-Zar said. "I'm sorry to bother you but this one might be a bit bigger than just the standard UN intervention."

"How big of a problem?" Warbird asked.

"Oh, about three-hundred feet."

"What?"

"Alright, see, the thing is, I've got this three hundred foot Godzilla reject running around and causing mass panic. I don't need that to happen. Especially now. The monster is hampering efforts to evacuate the Savage Land until the eruptions of the Burning Triangle cease."

"The Burning Triangle?" Vision asked. "The volcanoes? But they've been relatively stable for hundreds of years."

"Exactly," Ka-Zar smiled. "So there's something fishy going on here. Not to mention the fact that I also got an ugly little guy in dark sunglasses running around waving a big stick."

"The Mole Man?" Jan asked.

"Bingo," Ka-Zar said. "So that tells me that this monster ain't here by no accident. But how the Mole Man got to Antarctica, and why he's trying to keep people here if he's just going to die too, is beyond me. It doesn't add up."

"The Mole Man's never been the most stable person," Warbird said, her arms crossed and her face stern. "He's probably finally lost it."

"I'd hate to think you're right," Ka-Zar said. "That would make my problems a lot worse."

"The Avengers are on their way to the Savage Land now, Ka-Zar," Warbird said, turning around and walking toward the exit of the Comm Room.

"Thank you, Avengers," Ka-Zar said and the feed ended.

"Carol?" Jan asked, catching up to her. "How are we going to deal with both of these situations? We've only got seven members and, even then, Tigra and Wonder Man aren't here yet. I mean, the transmission from Libya was...horrific."

"I know, Jan." Warbird told her. "An entire civilization and one of the last bastions of nature is under attack in Antarctica. An African country is being destroyed by what their President called 'the Devil'. We're not going to be able to handle either of these at the numbers we have now. The only solution is reconnaissance."

"What?" Jack asked.

"We split up and go to Africa and Antarctica. We judge the situations there and deem which we'll need to focus on and then call in back up. Many inactive Avengers may be busy but they've always been ready to help us if we call upon them."

"So who's going where?" Wanda asked her.

"Jan and I will go to the Savage Land," Warbird said, looking at each one of the Avengers. "Vision will take Jack and Wanda to Libya. Now let's get moving. It'll take the Quinjet an hour to get to Antarctica if we stop in Africa on the way over. We don't have time to waste."

Now

Vision, Wanda and Jack had been dropped off near the center of the storm. Vision tried to keep his thoughts on the situation and not Wanda or Wonder Man.

The three of them started running over the barren desert around them, trying to get to the crater as soon as possible and stop whatever was causing this destruction. Soon, they could see it.

"I'm going to take a closer look!" Jack yelled to them and he flew off.

"Careful, Jack!" Vision called. "Do not engage this man until other Avengers arrive and we've assessed the situation!"

Jack was far away by then but still gave a thumbs-up signaling his understanding. Vision turned to Wanda. She was shaking and hex energy was visibly flowing from her. Vision rushed to her.

"Wanda?!" Vision grabbed her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Wanda told him through closed eyes. "I don't need your help."

Wanda shook him off but as she did, she fell to the ground and knelt upon the sand.

"Stay here," Vision said. "You might not want to tell me what's going on but I'm not going to let you continue on in your state."

"Vision!" Wanda looked up at him with a growl but she lowered her head after she was done. "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling this man's anger. It's like...raw power. It's so...overwhelming."

"It is a man then?" Vision asked.

"Yes," Wanda looked up at him. "A man with immense power. And he's not happy."

Suddenly, there was bright flash from directly in front of them and it was accompanied by a sound that could have been mistaken for a thunderclap created by Thor himself. Vision and Wanda fell into each other as the sound wave hit and Vision tried to shield Wanda from the flying sand with his cape. They were knocked back twenty feet.

The light faded and Vision saw a figure in the sky. It was falling. It was bright. It was humanoid. It was Jack.

Jack landed fifty feet behind them. Wanda and Vision rushed up to their fallen comrade and saw he was smoking like a hot coal.

"It was like...a demon..." Jack mumbled through a harsh voice.

"Don't try and move, Jack," Wanda knelt beside him. "We can get you help but we need to know what you saw."

"I just saw a figure...all in black," Jack muttered but his voice was becoming less and less audible with every word. "It was all I could do to put up a shield in time. Heh…some good that did."

Jack's eyes rolled into the back of his head and for a moment Wanda thought the worst. Vision was there, however, and was quick to put a finger to Jack's pulse.

"He's still alive," Vision said to her. "His Zero Energy will heal him quickly. We need to make sure this man does not spread his wrath to the surrounding populated areas."

"He downed Jack like he was a fly, Vision!" Wanda looked up at him with wide eyes., "How can we expect to handle something like this?!"

"Lord Ka-Zar?"

Kevin Plunder turned to see a man in a suit and glasses rushing up to him. Kevin had been just about out of the UN foreign embassy to go back and help his countrymen. They had kept him there for almost an hour after he had contacted the Avengers. Kevin was now in a hurry.

"The Lord is busy at the moment!" Shanna yelled behind them. "You may take it up with him when the lives of countless citizens are not at stake!"

Ka-Zar chuckled at his wife. There was a reason she was called the 'She-Devil'. But Ka-Zar stopped and gave his wife a look anyway.

"Shanna."

"What?! We do not have time to talk! We've already wasted enough time talking!"

"I want to hear him out," Ka-Zar said slowly. "I'm sure it's worth my time."

Ka-Zar turned back to the man expectantly. The man coughed and then looked down at the floor and away from Shanna's cold stare.

"Lord Ka-Zar," the man began. "There is a member of the Avengers here to see you."

"What?" Ka-Zar asked frowning. "Already?"

"Apparently so," the man told him. "We're not so sure though so we're holding him in security until we can verify his membership."

"Bring him to me," Ka-Zar said simply. "I need all the help I can get and especially from anyone remotely connected to the Avengers."

"Kevin!" Shanna looked at him in an appalled way that only a wife can pull off. "He could be any manner of outsider! You would put the life of your citizens in the--"

"Shanna," Ka-Zar put his hand over his wife's mouth. "I appreciate your concern and on any other day I would agree with you. But, right now, I am in sort of a fix. I need the help of the Avengers. No matter what form they take."

"Lord Ka-Zar of the Savage Land!"

Ka-Zar could feel Shanna giving him the I-told-you-so look before he even turned around to see who was calling him. The voice had a cheery arrogance to it that wasn't healthy and Ka-Zar knew in an instant that he would be sorry.

He turned around and looked at the man who had called him. The man facing Ka-Zar was of medium height and build and had short, close-cropped blond, curly hair. The man was clad in a crimson body suit and mask. On his back, a baby blue cape sat, and in the middle of his chest was a white, bold 'I'. Ka-Zar was almost afraid to ask the obvious question. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Mister Immortal is here to save your day!"

"I have an idea."

Wanda looked up at Vision. He could see the sweat on her face.

"I need you to stop these storms."

"I can't do that," Wanda told him with force.

"You can do that."

"Vision," Wanda said as she stood from kneeling over Jack and got close to his face. "I don't know what you think I'm capable of but I can't stop something like this. I would have thought that maybe you'd know me a bit better."

Vision was quiet for a second but then his face furled into a look that showed more anger than Wanda's. He got closer to her.

"I know you better than anyone, Wanda," he said fiercely. "Even you. These storms are not natural. They are the offshoot of strong kinetic energy discharges into the clouds of the sky. I can only assume that this man we are trying to stop is giving off this kinetic energy. You must lower the probability of the kinetic energy reaching the sky. I know you can do it. Trust me."

Wanda backed away from Vision a few steps. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"What are you going to do?"

"I am going to lower my density and make my way through the sand and into the crater. Hopefully, my density will be low enough so the kinetic energy passes through me. I don't think he'll be able to detect me if I do so."

"Be careful." Wanda opened her eyes and looked at him for a brief second before closing them again.

Vision watched Wanda arch her back and throw her hands to the sky before he slipped quietly into the sand beneath his feet.

"What?" Mr. Immortal asked.

Ka-Zar was looking at him like someone would the bearded lady at the circus. Shanna was grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll be outside, your highness," Shanna laughed at Ka-Zar and then walked off gracefully.

"You don't look like any Avenger I've ever seen," Ka-Zar told him.

"Well, I was with one our...less conspicuous branches," Mr. Immortal explained. "We were based out of West Haven...Indiana."

"Wait a minute," Ka-Zar wrinkled his eyes at him. "I do know you. You're one of those Midwest Avengers. Those Lightning Rods, right?"

"Well," Mr. Immortal coughed. "Actually, it's the Great Lakes Avengers but..."

"Listen," Ka-Zar walked over to him and put his hand on Mr. Immortal's shoulder. "Thanks, but no thanks. Leave this up to the more experienced, okay?"

Shanna came running back into the embassy at a breakneck pace. She stopped in front of Ka-Zar, her eyes wide and mouth gasping for air.

"Ka-Zar!" she shouted. "You need to come quick! The monster is making its way here!"

"What?" Ka-Zar yelled and he turned, not giving Mr. Immortal anymore thought, and ran out.

Mr. Immortal was left standing with his fists on his hips.

The first thing Wanda noticed as she began to lower the probability fields around her was how easy it was. Making the kinetic energy turn into heat before it reached the sky was not a hard task at all. That told Wanda that this was wild energy all around her. It wasn't controlled by anyone. So, the storms that were causing chaos all over Libya were merely an offshoot of this man's power. Quickly, the storms began to calm and dissipate. She hoped Vision was okay.

Vision had flowed silently through the sand, only occasionally lifting his head to see how close he was to the crater. Soon, he was in. He noticed that Wanda had actually brought the storms to a stop and the sky was almost blue again. He saw the figure in the distance. Vision moved swiftly under him. He quickly raised himself out of the sand and turned his density hard as diamond and grabbed the man's neck.

It was Black Bolt, King of the Inhumans. Vision took his hand from Black Bolt's neck.

"Black Bolt!" Vision said. "What is the--?"

Before Vision could finish, he saw the antennae on Black Bolt's forehead begin to crackle with blue energy and then Vision felt the heat of a strong energy blast. Then Vision felt himself lifted from the ground and into the sky. Even in his diamond form, Black Bolt had swatted him away.

Wanda saw that the storms were gone and she opened her eyes. Turning toward the crater, she saw two figures in the sky. One was colorful and the other black. She recognized Vision. Wanda raised herself in the air and flew to the two figures.

It took a few seconds to realize that it was Black Bolt. She stopped and hovered in the air, watching, her mind racing. Black Bolt could destroy worlds with his power and universes with his voice. She had to think of something. He looked like he was killing Vision.

Black Bolt was killing him; Vision could feel it. Black Bolt had grabbed Vision by the neck in much the same way Vision had attacked Black Bolt earlier. Vision couldn't speak. All he could do was watch the snarl on Black Bolt's face get deeper and darker. But not for long. It was starting to get blurry. Blurry and then it was black. Just like him.

Black Bolt dropped Vision and turned his eyes to Wanda. She could feel his anger just from his stare. She looked down and saw Vision hit the sand.

"Black Bolt!" Wanda called to him. "Please, stop! Don't you recognize me? I'm your daughter-in-law, Wanda! Please, I don't want this to continue!"

Black Bolt turned to her direction and his face changed from anger to confusion.

"Wanda? Why are the Avengers attacking me now? Are you aiding them?"

Wanda was taken aback. Never had Black Bolt spoke before. But, he wasn't speaking. He was talking to her in her mind.

"We were responding to the panic these storms have caused to this country! We never meant you any harm! And when you attacked our teammate, we thought..."

"Teammate? The flying man? I...I didn't know he was an Avenger...I thought he was working with this army that attacked me...working with Graviton. I have made a terrible mistake."

Black Bolt began to sink closer to the ground and Wanda moved closer to him. Soon, Wanda felt the energy around her disappear completely and the sky and the land around them turned back to normal. Then Wanda saw the crater and the hundreds of slain men surrounding it. Black Bolt had not been aware of what he had been doing, Wanda was sure, but this...

Vision began to stir a few yards from them. Wanda let out a sigh and turned back to Black Bolt.

"What's this about Graviton?"

Just then, Wanda felt a breeze fly past her, accompanied by a familiar blue streak. Only a split second later, Black Bolt was flying backward to the ground. Before Wanda could shout, Black Bolt had been hit another three times. Quicksilver had arrived.

"Mr. Gyrich, we are aware of the current situations in both Africa and Antarctica. We do not believe that it is appropriate for the Avengers to act until the final roster has been submitted for approval."

Gyrich stood from his seat at the UN Security Council.

"That's unacceptable. The very reason the Avengers were put on the UN council was so they could respond to threats on a world level, not just the United States. To restrict them as though they were--"

"Mr. Gyrich!" the United States ambassador interrupted. "You vacated your position as head of the United States Super-Human Activities Commission to become one of the Avengers liaisons to the United Nations. Part of this job instructs you to cooperate with the Security Council."

"I am aware of that, sir," Gyrich said. "But I believe that simultaneous threats such as--"

"We've read the current roster of Avengers, Mr. Gyrich." the representative of China said, "It consists of a former mutant terrorist, a robot who has tried to kill the Avengers, a criminal turned movie star, an alcoholic, a fashion designer, a man with unbalanced powers and a woman who likes to fight crime in a bikini. Are we supposed to believe that these are Earth's Mightiest Heroes?"

Gyrich was silent for a moment before looking back up at the council.

"Yes," Gyrich said with almost a grin. "And right now, they're saving the world, whether you like it or not."

All Wanda could see of her brother was the blue streaks of his uniform, his fists as they landed on Black Bolt's face and the anger that accompanied him.

"Don't...touch...my...sister!" Quicksilver shouted.

Black Bolt was backing away one step at a time and trying to shield himself from the flurry of fists that bombarded him.

"Pietro!" Wanda shouted. "No! Stop! You don't know what you're doing!"

Wanda saw the antennae on Black Bolt's forehead flash and glow with life. Black Bolt's bloody face turned to monstrous anger. Quicksilver may have been able to punch close at to the speed of sound but it was one punch too many. Black Bolt caught Quicksilver's fists and began to squeeze. Quicksilver began to moan and he fell to his knees.

"You dare...strike me?!" Black Bolt echoed throughout Quicksilver's mind. "You of all people! My son! My daughter's husband!"

"Black Bolt! Stop!" Wanda yelled, running up to them.

Black Bolt continued squeezing Quicksilver's hands and piercing him with his eyes.

"You are a fool! Unless we act now, Quicksilver, your daughter is dead!"

Ka-Zar leapt over the balcony railing of the embassy and ran out of the gates. UN troops were swarming all around him as he heard the footsteps of the monster get closer and closer.

"Shanna!" Ka-Zar said to his wife, "I need you to help evacuate the building! Make sure these people and our people are safely away from here. I need to distract the monster."

Shanna opened her mouth to protest but Ka-Zar was already long gone. In the distance, Ka-Zar could see the monster. Soon, it marched it' way through the trees and came face to face with the king of the Savage Land.

"Ka-Zar!"

He turned and saw the Mole Man laughing at him from his right, twenty yards away.

"I told you that no one was getting out of the Savage Land! Then you had to go and alert those pesky Avengers! Tsk-tsk! Say goodbye to your embassy and your life, Lord Ka-Zar!"

Ka-Zar turned from the Mole Man and back to the enraged reptilian beast that bounded toward him and he realized the Mole Man spoke the truth. His eyes widened as he saw the giant pointed teeth of the monster gleam in the sunlight and open to engulf him.

To Be Continued...

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