Chapter 264: Arc Nine. Chapter Two-Hundred Fifty-Seven. Rebellious Streak

Peter could hear Dooms echoing laughter behind them as his troops spread out to secure the prison.

“Rats may scurry all they like. Doom is inevitable.” and Peter cursed to himself as he heard that smug self-satisfying laughter echoing around the corridors.

Stephen was sicker than they realised as he limply held onto Peter and Wanda, “Can you use magic to cure it?” but Stephen shook his head.

“It doesn't work like that, unfortunately,” and as he coughed there was a small amount of blood on his lips. “The toxin they used will clear, and I will be fine. Eventually.”

“Can we use Hexen? Like I did with-” but Wanda shook her head,

“The bonding process would let him share all that I am, all that you are, and it is too personal.”

“Personal enough to let him die? Let him suffer?” but Wanda just looked away embarrassed.

Stephen patted him on the shoulder, “I am fine Peter. I also have some things I would prefer to keep private, and it is just a sore throat. More importantly, we must keep moving.” Stephen began to shuffle down the corridor, with Peter offering support, and Wanda coming behind them. She was keeping a barrier of red energy across the width of the corridor, trapping the gas behind it, and with Stephen hurt, they moved slowly, back towards the mutant containment facility,

“There, can you hear that?” Peter asked and the pair shook their heads, “Fighting, and a lot of gunfire. Logan said he was going to find Steve and Natasha. Maybe that's them?”

“Captain America? And Widow? Good, with Logan we should be safe,” Wanda asked and Peter nodded, “We should head there, they were our-” but Peter shook his head.

“Not this time. Logan helped me but the other two abandoned me. I bet Logan is fighting them, not Doom.” and Wanda sighed,

“I will be glad when this is over,”

“As will we all,” and as Stephen stood a bit straighter a small yellow circle appeared on his hand, “at least my magic is coming back.”

A loudspeaker squealed as it activated, “Doom is merciful. Share the secrets of the talisman and Doom shall spare you.”

“Talisman?” and Stephen sighed,

“He took the Eye, but I had already conjured a ward onto it. A simple spell but quite unbreakable. Only I can open the casing, even if I die it won't work for anyone else.” Stephen coughed once more and as he wiped his mouth. “We need to hurry though. If we lose our allies then Doom will capture us again,” and the trio began to run down the corridor.

As they rounded the last corner the doors to the mutant containment facility had been obliterated and only twisted metal hinges remained. Even with the thick plating they were no match for whatever power had been used against them and Peter felt the whum of an energy blast as it exploded against its target.

“Go left Alex,” he heard Logan shout, and there was another whum and another explosion. The group looked past the wreckage of the doors and saw several soldiers fighting with Natasha and Steve, while Logan and another blonde square-jawed man fought against soldiers wearing the same uniform as Natasha, a black bodysuit with a red star on the front. The groups were fighting in a huge but empty hall. The floor was simple white linoleum, and with bare grey walls, Peter wondered what this room was actually used for.

“Seems we have more to deal with,” and Steven stepped forwards and swept his arms around, separating both groups, “Doom is coming,” he shouted and as the soldiers realised they were behind a barrier they stopped.

“Yeah, an’ those idiots want to blow us all to kingdom come to get him,” Logan shouted back, while Natasha raised her pistol and fired several times at the barrier between her and Stephen.

“That won’t work Miss Romanov, and yes we know you. So, a bomb?” and Steven sighed.

“Doom needs to be stopped. We have intel that the machine he uses for his power source is in the tunnels under New York. While we can dig for it, its access corridor is in Central Station.”

“And you felt a bomb was the best option? Wanda, that may be what we are looking for. To keep reality stable, Doom might have placed the stone under the streets of New York.” as he looked at the two groups. “We agree, but a bomb won’t stop his machine. We need to find it and then switch it off.” Steve gave Natasha a look and she shrugged, lowering her pistol.

“We agree, Logan, you good?” and Logan looked at him and shrugged,

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“Traitors an’ double agents, sure, might as well.”

“Hey,“ Stephen shouted, “Keep it until after Doom is defeated. We all have a stake in this. Put it all aside for now,” and Logan snarled but nodded, “Good. Then we can all relax and find this mysterious machine. Wanda, can you use a tracking spell to find any sources of magic nearby? Mine is still,“ and he held up a hand and the yellow circle spluttered after a few seconds.

“We ain’t got time for that, I can hear Dooms men commin’ now. You two, get your asses ready,” Logan shouted, and Natasha checked her pistols while Steve brushed the dirt and blood from his shield.

“Doom has no time for this petty battle. Men, sacrifice yourselves for the glory of Doom,” and as he floated into the empty hall, his men roared and ran past him, firing into the groups of men before them.

Mutant and human fought, and Peter saw the mutant Logan was with fall to a Doom Patroller with a flamethrower. Logan barely rolled out of the way as its napalm spray covered at least 10 men in choking flames. He could hear the screams, and the smell of cooking flesh was overwhelming,

Hush Peter. We will keep you safe, and his hearing and sense of smell vanished, we will protect you.

Wanda conjured a red shield as the flamethrower turned its way towards their group, and the man screamed as a cone of red energy enveloped it and pushed it back over him. His tank exploded, covering the men beside him and the walls in the sticky burning fluid and Hexen enveloped Peter in armour.

Logan roared as Nathan died, and he threw himself towards doom. Doom simply laughed and a beam of energy stuck Logan squarely in the chest. “Insignificant animal, You pose no threat to Doom,” but Logan simply roared louder and ignored his smoking and burning flesh. As the beam penetrated through him, and Doom laughed, Logan lept, only to be caught by Doom with a thick Gauntleted hand. “You are nothing to Doom,” and raising a hand he blasted Logan in the face, burning away his features and then throwing him back towards the others fighting, 

“Surrender, and Doom shall spare you. Reveal to us the secrets of the talisman and Doom shall reward you,” but Wanda replied for them, a bolt of red energy streaked towards Doom and a yellow ward flared as it struck him in the chest. “Interfering worm. You shall pay for your insolence.” and Doom’s own armoured hand began to conjure a yellow disk.

The purple armoured Warhawk had been standing at the back, aiming carefully with his bow, and with each arrow, another enemy soldier would die. 

As Red Widow watched her comrades die she snarled and ran at him, sliding forwards and sweeping at his legs. Warhawk lifted his foot to avoid it, and brought it down on her thigh, as she rolled he pulled an arrow and fired, driving it into the thick back of the leg. Snarling in pain she snapped the arrow off, and spun, lifting herself up on her hands and kicking down. Bringing his bow up to entangle her legs she was lifted and spun around, but as she twirled she brought the snapped arrow up and stabbed him in the groin, pulled her legs down and brought him to the floor and as he lay trapped under her thigh, stabbed the arrow into his throat. Pulled it out and drove it through his eye socket, pushing it as far as it would go.

In the carnage, a scruffy long-haired man, with a red, white, and blue uniform stood before Steve. Taking down his mask, Steve could only stare at him. He knew that face, images of friendly jokes, and late-night drinking flashed in his mind. The Red Room had tried its best to suppress his emotions, to drive out the once-proud American and as he stared it all rushed back. 

Steven looked over at his one-time friend, “Bucky?” and the baby faced man nodded, “Fuck you” and a dot of red appeared on his forehead. As he lifted a hand, staring incredulously at the smoking pistol in Steve’s hand he slumped forwards and Steve threw the gun to one side, “I never liked you anyway.”

Re-entering the fray, Steve drew his combat knife and sliced open the back of a soldier trying to strangle Natasha, “You good?” and coughing and grasping at her neck she gave him a thumbs up. He moved to the next but hesitated as a flamethrower-wielding soldier sprayed Logan with napalm before grabbing the man, twisting his neck and taking the long-barrelled gun from him, turning it and spraying Doom Patrollers until the tank ran dry. He tossed the gun to one side, when a barely covered skeleton stabbed him through the chest, wheezing “I told you never turn your back on me,” and Steve slumped. Natasha screamed and as Logan lifted his other clawed hand to stab Steve again she fired, catching him in the head he stumbled backwards, tearing his first hand free. Steven slumped forwards and lay over the dead body of his one-time friend.

Natasha leapt forwards and drove her knife into the eye socket of Logan, whose skin was slowly recovering the bones showing through, As he pulled out the knife Natasha took another one from her waist and the pair began to fight. Logan was slower but as Natasha scored line after line across his naked chest it didn't matter. She brought the knife round and rather than avoid it Logan stepped forwards and it punctured his chest and he stabbed both claws into Natasha’s chest, ripping up and letting her fall down, spewing blood and coughing her last as the trio lay tougher in death. Logan stared at the trio, and undoing a locket from his pants he dropped it onto Steve’s body, “Peggy hopes you burn in hell.” and he rejoined the fight against Dooms minions.

“We don't have time for this,'' Stephen muttered, watching as Wanda did her best to contain as many soldiers as possible while Doom worked on his incantation. Just as he was about to release the spell, Wanda dropped her barrier and Hexen flew towards Doom, striking him and sending the sorcerer flying. A sliver of energy flew from his hands and while Wanda created her shield it grazed her arm and she went down, screaming in pain. Hexen stared as blood pooled around Wanda and as he turned to stare at the laughing Doom his maw split and he hissed at the president. 

Time? And Stephen knew what he needed to do. When a Sorcerer Supreme was anointed, the first thing they swore was to never use the power of the Eye for personal reasons. But watching the soldiers fighting and Doom sparring against Hexen he knew he had no choice, “Peter. I need my talisman.” he shouted and Hexen raised an arm in agreement.

“Doom is not afraid of a simple creature such as yourself. We studied the woman and-” but Hexen had sprung forwards, kicking his legs out from under him, sending tendrils which sparked and scored across his armour. As Doom struggled to get to his feet a portion of symbskin shed from Peter's arm and flowed over the armour, seeking any space it could slip into.

Stephen watched as Doom shuddered and twisted, fighting the symbiote in his armour as it pulled at him. His helmet began to turn, slowly at first but then with a loud snap the helmet was now backwards and as Hexen flowed back to Peter he hissed,

“No one threatens my Wanda,” Hexen tore at the chest plate, and once the talisman, a small golden ball, was found he tossed it over to Stephen who tied it around his neck. 

“No time,” he snorted and as he weaved an arcane symbol the eye opened and Stephen directed its energy to the fighting soldiers. As the green energy touched each of them they turned to dust, and even Logan, who raised a hand to speak was obliterated, and soon the trio were alone.

“We need to find the machine,” Stephen said, and Hexen's mask slipped back,

“It's not a machine, it's a bunker,“ and as he held up a hand a yellow circle spun over it and with a shimmer the once empty room filled with a solid brick wall. Hexen had taken more from Doom than just his life, the first victim of an angry Symbiote after more than just revenge. Peter moved and after applying a code, the door hissed and opened.

Helping Wanda to her feet, and applying some biogel Hexen told him would help her heal. Wanda smiled at him and taking his hand, Hexen, Stephen, and Wanda entered, unsure of what they would find.

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