Young Masters of Evil book II part 5: Betrayals
Title: Young Masters of Evil book II part 5: Betrayals
Author: fullmetal_cute
Fandom: Young Avengers
Table/Prompt: Table 2/88. Blood
Character/Pairing: Our Heroes and Our Villains, though which is which is open to some debate.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1359
Summary: In which Our Heroes are in peril, and Kang gloats.
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: I own very little. Closing in on the end of Young Masters of Evil here.
<.<
>.>
To be honest, I think this would have worked better in comic format, but since I can’t draw…
Every part of Billy ached, from the roots of his hair to the soles of his feet, and it felt like his head was trapped in a vice that was slowly being squeezed tighter and tighter. “Oh God…”
“Well it’s about time.”
Billy’s head snapped up, his eyes opened wide. The lights had come back on while he was unconscious, and he was tied to a rolling desk chair that swiveled slightly thanks to his sudden movement. He could see Kate just on the edge of his vision, blood running down her face from a gash in her scalp, with Excavator standing behind the chair she was tied to.
“This wouldn’t have been any fun if you weren’t awake.”
Billy looked desperately around for Teddy, but he could only see Kate and Tommy, both of them bound hand and foot, and with a gag stuffed into Tommy’s mouth. The speedster’s eyes were burning with rage, and it looked like he was vibrating slightly, but every time he started picking up speed, the ex-mutant Preview would touch him, and he’d just freeze for a few moments. Billy was feeling the exact same way as his doppelganger. He jerked violently, causing the chair to swing all the way around, and finally saw Cassie. She was propped up on the couch, unconscious and with a metal collar around her neck. It gleamed dully in the light.
Taking up the rest of the couch was the Lokispawn, idly flipping through an old Avengers issue, and leaning forward, over the back of the couch, was Iron Lad. He smiled and said, “Hello, Billy.”
“Nate,” Billy said, barely managing to get the name past his tongue, which felt thick and heavy in his mouth.
“Not Nate,” he corrected, wagging his finger in a playful gesture that didn’t match the madness that seemed to be radiating off him like heat off pavement in the summer.
The Lokispawn smirked, crossing one leg over the other. “And all becomes clear, doesn’t it?” she purred.
Kang straightened up, still smiling. “This,” he said, “is almost perfect. All we need is my armor…”
“Life isn’t perfect, boss,” Lokispawn sighed, turning a page. This was clearly a discussion they had had many times before. “We’ll get him soon enough. For now, I say we enjoy what we do have.”
“How could you do this to us? We’re your friends!” Billy asked, not even bothering to keep the pain of this betrayal from his voice. “What did you do with Teddy?” He groaned, the pain in his head growing worse as he attempted to do any kind of spell. “How did you get in here?”
“That reminds me,” the Lokispawn said, running her tongue over her teeth slowly. “I have got to find out what brand of toothpaste he uses. Very tasty.”
“I’ll kill you,” Billy hissed.
The Lokispawn yawned dramatically, and Kang laughed. “I cannot believe I ever thought you all could help me beat… well, me. You’ve been taken out by a bunch of lackeys and someone I didn’t even think was goon enough to be a Young Avenger.” He stroked the Lokispawn’s hair in a gesture that was almost affectionate. “Did you know she was on the Vision’s list? And now…” Kang came around the couch, hands clasped behind his back, “she’s going to be the only one on that list left alive.”
The Lokispawn finally closed the comic book, tossing it away with a flick of her wrist, and followed Kang, her hand resting on the pommel of a wicked looking knife stuck in her belt.
“No more Young Avengers to grow up to become Avengers. It’s going to be glorious, Billy.” Kang made a contented noise, smiling beatifically. “I wish you could see it, but I promised my minion that she’d get to kill you. She really doesn’t like you.”
“There are people I hate more,” the Lokispawn said, stepping forward, “but you’re number four on my hate list.” She drew out the knife she’d been fondling, holding it out for Billy to see. “Supposedly, this knife belonged to a Sorcerer Supreme in Greenland, several centuries back. Story goes that it’s actually an incomplete Soul Sword, and enchanted so that it can cut through anything. Protection spells… bone… geases… armor…” She pressed the knife to Billy’s cheek, making him hiss in pain as blood poured from a fresh cut.
On the up side, for Billy, the pain cleared both the cobwebs and the headache. The Lokispawn continued to smirk, an expression Billy fully intended to blast off her face in a few moments. “I just have one last thing to say.” She turned her back on Billy, who was already building up one hell of a spell to throw.
“You’re number two on my list, Kang.”
With a snarl of rage, the Lokispawn drove the knife into the breastplate of Kang’s armor, flinging out her other hand and shouting a spell that dissolved the bonds holding Billy to the chair. Kang let out a bestial roar and blasted the demi-goddess, sending her crashing into Billy and causing them both to go flying across the room.
Another roar answered Kang’s, from elsewhere in the Lair, and Billy felt a savage smile spread across his face.
“Teddy.”
That was when everything descended into chaos.
***
“I always knew you were a treacherous bitch,” Kristoff sneered, pulling Mina off of Billy by the hair.
“I am Lokispawn,” she spat. “Such is my nature.”
“What you are is dead.” Kristoff raised a flaming fist, ready to smash it into Mina’s face. Both were perfectly happy to ignore Billy, who had decided that Kang was more in need of being dealt with at the moment.
“Wrong.”
That was the only warning Kristoff got before TakNuke blasted him into the wall, causing the boy to take some of Mina’s hair with her. The Chinese boy was at Mina’s side in an instant, supporting her as she swayed unsteadily and gingerly touched her scalp.
“I think he took a chunk of my hair with him,” she groaned. “Where’s Jessie?”
“Teleported away the moment you freed the Young Avengers,” Tak said, clearly disappointed in the former mutant’s desertion.
“Surprise, surprise.”
“What do we do now?” Tak asked.
“We keep Kristoff contained, and we let the Young Avengers deal with Kang.”
***
So far, Excavator had managed to keep out of the fray. The Lokispawn and TakNuke were dealing with Kristoff, Fix-It was keeping Speed occupied, Preview had already made a run for it, and everyone else who was in any shape to do so was throwing everything they had at Kang.
That left him and the still unconscious Statue.
He picked her up off the couch, moving away from the center of chaos until he was sure that neither of them were in any immediate danger.
[He should never have attacked my friends.]
***
The speedster had abandoned the fight with Fix-It in favor of rushing to the aid of the archer, and the time had come for Paul to really make a decision.
At the moment, the decision was proving surprisingly easy. It was all about the math.
If he stuck by Kang, he would be severely outnumbered, especially since Mina and Tak had apparently switched sides.
Of course, if he went against Kang, and Kang still won, the time traveler would probably use him for spare parts, but... once again, he was back to the numbers.
So his choice was clear.
“Hey, Kang! Eat me!”
Seconds later, Tommy was showered with bits of boy robot as Kang casually blasted his head off.
Author: fullmetal_cute
Fandom: Young Avengers
Table/Prompt: Table 2/88. Blood
Character/Pairing: Our Heroes and Our Villains, though which is which is open to some debate.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1359
Summary: In which Our Heroes are in peril, and Kang gloats.
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: I own very little. Closing in on the end of Young Masters of Evil here.
<.<
>.>
To be honest, I think this would have worked better in comic format, but since I can’t draw…
Every part of Billy ached, from the roots of his hair to the soles of his feet, and it felt like his head was trapped in a vice that was slowly being squeezed tighter and tighter. “Oh God…”
“Well it’s about time.”
Billy’s head snapped up, his eyes opened wide. The lights had come back on while he was unconscious, and he was tied to a rolling desk chair that swiveled slightly thanks to his sudden movement. He could see Kate just on the edge of his vision, blood running down her face from a gash in her scalp, with Excavator standing behind the chair she was tied to.
“This wouldn’t have been any fun if you weren’t awake.”
Billy looked desperately around for Teddy, but he could only see Kate and Tommy, both of them bound hand and foot, and with a gag stuffed into Tommy’s mouth. The speedster’s eyes were burning with rage, and it looked like he was vibrating slightly, but every time he started picking up speed, the ex-mutant Preview would touch him, and he’d just freeze for a few moments. Billy was feeling the exact same way as his doppelganger. He jerked violently, causing the chair to swing all the way around, and finally saw Cassie. She was propped up on the couch, unconscious and with a metal collar around her neck. It gleamed dully in the light.
Taking up the rest of the couch was the Lokispawn, idly flipping through an old Avengers issue, and leaning forward, over the back of the couch, was Iron Lad. He smiled and said, “Hello, Billy.”
“Nate,” Billy said, barely managing to get the name past his tongue, which felt thick and heavy in his mouth.
“Not Nate,” he corrected, wagging his finger in a playful gesture that didn’t match the madness that seemed to be radiating off him like heat off pavement in the summer.
The Lokispawn smirked, crossing one leg over the other. “And all becomes clear, doesn’t it?” she purred.
Kang straightened up, still smiling. “This,” he said, “is almost perfect. All we need is my armor…”
“Life isn’t perfect, boss,” Lokispawn sighed, turning a page. This was clearly a discussion they had had many times before. “We’ll get him soon enough. For now, I say we enjoy what we do have.”
“How could you do this to us? We’re your friends!” Billy asked, not even bothering to keep the pain of this betrayal from his voice. “What did you do with Teddy?” He groaned, the pain in his head growing worse as he attempted to do any kind of spell. “How did you get in here?”
“That reminds me,” the Lokispawn said, running her tongue over her teeth slowly. “I have got to find out what brand of toothpaste he uses. Very tasty.”
“I’ll kill you,” Billy hissed.
The Lokispawn yawned dramatically, and Kang laughed. “I cannot believe I ever thought you all could help me beat… well, me. You’ve been taken out by a bunch of lackeys and someone I didn’t even think was goon enough to be a Young Avenger.” He stroked the Lokispawn’s hair in a gesture that was almost affectionate. “Did you know she was on the Vision’s list? And now…” Kang came around the couch, hands clasped behind his back, “she’s going to be the only one on that list left alive.”
The Lokispawn finally closed the comic book, tossing it away with a flick of her wrist, and followed Kang, her hand resting on the pommel of a wicked looking knife stuck in her belt.
“No more Young Avengers to grow up to become Avengers. It’s going to be glorious, Billy.” Kang made a contented noise, smiling beatifically. “I wish you could see it, but I promised my minion that she’d get to kill you. She really doesn’t like you.”
“There are people I hate more,” the Lokispawn said, stepping forward, “but you’re number four on my hate list.” She drew out the knife she’d been fondling, holding it out for Billy to see. “Supposedly, this knife belonged to a Sorcerer Supreme in Greenland, several centuries back. Story goes that it’s actually an incomplete Soul Sword, and enchanted so that it can cut through anything. Protection spells… bone… geases… armor…” She pressed the knife to Billy’s cheek, making him hiss in pain as blood poured from a fresh cut.
On the up side, for Billy, the pain cleared both the cobwebs and the headache. The Lokispawn continued to smirk, an expression Billy fully intended to blast off her face in a few moments. “I just have one last thing to say.” She turned her back on Billy, who was already building up one hell of a spell to throw.
“You’re number two on my list, Kang.”
With a snarl of rage, the Lokispawn drove the knife into the breastplate of Kang’s armor, flinging out her other hand and shouting a spell that dissolved the bonds holding Billy to the chair. Kang let out a bestial roar and blasted the demi-goddess, sending her crashing into Billy and causing them both to go flying across the room.
Another roar answered Kang’s, from elsewhere in the Lair, and Billy felt a savage smile spread across his face.
“Teddy.”
That was when everything descended into chaos.
***
“I always knew you were a treacherous bitch,” Kristoff sneered, pulling Mina off of Billy by the hair.
“I am Lokispawn,” she spat. “Such is my nature.”
“What you are is dead.” Kristoff raised a flaming fist, ready to smash it into Mina’s face. Both were perfectly happy to ignore Billy, who had decided that Kang was more in need of being dealt with at the moment.
“Wrong.”
That was the only warning Kristoff got before TakNuke blasted him into the wall, causing the boy to take some of Mina’s hair with her. The Chinese boy was at Mina’s side in an instant, supporting her as she swayed unsteadily and gingerly touched her scalp.
“I think he took a chunk of my hair with him,” she groaned. “Where’s Jessie?”
“Teleported away the moment you freed the Young Avengers,” Tak said, clearly disappointed in the former mutant’s desertion.
“Surprise, surprise.”
“What do we do now?” Tak asked.
“We keep Kristoff contained, and we let the Young Avengers deal with Kang.”
***
So far, Excavator had managed to keep out of the fray. The Lokispawn and TakNuke were dealing with Kristoff, Fix-It was keeping Speed occupied, Preview had already made a run for it, and everyone else who was in any shape to do so was throwing everything they had at Kang.
That left him and the still unconscious Statue.
He picked her up off the couch, moving away from the center of chaos until he was sure that neither of them were in any immediate danger.
[He should never have attacked my friends.]
***
The speedster had abandoned the fight with Fix-It in favor of rushing to the aid of the archer, and the time had come for Paul to really make a decision.
At the moment, the decision was proving surprisingly easy. It was all about the math.
If he stuck by Kang, he would be severely outnumbered, especially since Mina and Tak had apparently switched sides.
Of course, if he went against Kang, and Kang still won, the time traveler would probably use him for spare parts, but... once again, he was back to the numbers.
So his choice was clear.
“Hey, Kang! Eat me!”
Seconds later, Tommy was showered with bits of boy robot as Kang casually blasted his head off.