Ghost Riders: Spirits of Vengeance
A tale of the AoA
by Ben Church b_church@yahoo.com
Everyone belongs to Marvel but Hotshot and Redemption.
Chapter 1
In the shadows of the city that had once been Washington DC
a small community of humans had gathered hoping for sanctuary.
Ironically, this place that had once been the capital of a nation of
humans, had been all but forgotten by the hand of Apocalypse.
"Are you sure these guys are gonna show?" Flash Thompson
asked their leader.
"Trust me." Steve Rogers said. "These guys hate Apocalypse
and his minions just as much as we do. If not more."
Felicia Hardy Thompson took her husband's hand. "Don't
worry Flash. Steve wouldn't lie to us, don't forget who he is."
Steve furrowed his brow. He had wakened from his fifty year
icy slumber into a nightmare. And he would be damned if he would let
Apocalypse get away with what he had done.
He looked at the handful of people he had gathered. Flash
Thompson, Felicia Hardy Thompson, Mary Jane Watson, Debra Whitman,
Eddie Brock, and J. Jonah Jameson. They had witnessed the
destruction of everything they held dear, and had vowed to avenge the
deaths of their friends, Ben Urich, Peter Parker and his aunt
and Uncle.
"Well they better get here soon." Brock said. "I don't like
being kept waiting."
"Well then," a voice said. "Allow me to make your wait
more interesting!" A blast of heat incinerated Brock before anyone
could react to the new arrivals.
Kletus Kasady, Silvermane, Lady Deathstrike, Otto Octavious,
Alistair Smythe, members of the cyborg terrorist group called The
Reavers.
Kletus grinned and blew the smoke from the heat cannon that
replaced his left hand. "I love the smell of flatscan fricassee in
the morning." he said.
In one smooth motion, Mary Jane removed a gun from her boot
and emptied it into Kletus' head. The grin was blasted from the
serial killer's face, along with every other feature.
"Very good." Lady Deathstrike commended her. "You avenged
the death of your friend most honorably." She reached out her arm
across the short distance between the two groups to ruffle the girl's
short red hair. And consequently, shred her head.
Mary Jane jerked back, but she needn't have bothered.
Before Deathstrike's arm could reach it's target, it was
intercepted. A fiery chain wrapped around it, and jerked her to the
side, throwing her off her feet.
Steve smiled at the unexpected assistance. "It's about time
you guys showed up!" he said.
Ghost Rider, Hotshot, Penance, Namorita. They were
a fraction of a group of humans and mutants who had sworn vengeance
for the death's of their loved ones.
Hotshot pulled a large knife from a sheath at his hip.
Mary Jane noticed that the end of the hilt was fashioned into the
shape of a skull. He also wore a skull shaped ring, as did the
others.
"So wadda ya say fearless leader? Showtime?" he asked with a
cold smile on his bearded face and a glint in his remaining eye.
"Yes," said their undead leader. "Showtime."
Penance was the first to leap to the attack. She slashed at
Deathstrike's head.
"I do not know you," Deathstrike said. "But since you truck with
these vermin..." She took a swipe at Penance but even her claws were
unable to penetrate her skin.
Hotshot was the next to attack, only seconds before Namorita
and Ghost Rider joined the battle.
"Who wants some of this?" Hotshot asked.
Silvermane's fist connected solidly with his jaw. The blow
would have shattered the bone of a normal man, but Hotshot smiled.
"I'm sorry, was that supposed to hurt?"
"Leave him to me Hotshot." Namorita called flying into
Silvermane at top speed.
"Don't worry young man." Smythe said. "You won't lack for
opponents." He backhanded Hotshot across the face, the blades on his
hand slashing his cheek.
Hotshot gritted his teeth against the pain and concentrated.
Before Smythe's eyes, the wound cauterized. While Smythe looked on,
amazed, Hotshot's knife began to glow. When it had turned white, he
swiped it across Smythe's throat. The heated blade was able to cut
deep into Smythe's thick skin.
"You've done your homework I see." Smythe croaked. His voice
became raspy, but no blood flowed from the wound. "But it will take
a bit more than that to stop me."
"Oh, there's plenty more where that came from.
"You know why Apocalypse tolerates you do you not?" Namorita
taunted Silvermane. "You and your companions are no longer human."
"All the better!" he cackled. "Humans are weak!"
"Well," Ghost Rider said to Octavious. "I guess that just
leaves it between you, and us.
Behind him, Steve and his friends came to stand with him.
"This won't take long." Octavious said, his many arms
spreading around him.
"I agree." Rogers said. He threw off his cloak. Beneath it
he wore the red, white and blue uniform that no one had seen for
fifty years. He pulled on his cowl and hefted his shield, now with a
sharp jagged edge. "This won't take long at all.
Unable to harm Penance, Deathstrike felt panic rising in her throat.
"Okay, I'm bored now." With a flurry of slashes Penance ripped Lady
Deathstrike to shreds.
"You cannot beat me whelp." Silvermane cackled. "You're
strong, but you will tire. Whereas I just keep going and going."
"Then I will just have to beat you quickly Old Man." She
leapt into the air and delivered five kicks to his face, disorienting
him. Then she picked up a huge piece of a building that had once been
the Washington Monument and held it above her head.
"A bit of wisdom to take into your next life Old Man. Never
underestimate your opponent." With that, she crushed him.
"I hate impasses don't you?" Hotshot asked. "What say we end
this?"
"Agreed."
Hotshot sent a blast of heat from his hand, incinerating
Smythe's head. But incredibly, he did not fall. His arm swung at
incredible speed at Hotshot's head.
Across the way, Namorita saw this. Summoning up speed she did
not know she had, she shot across the street.
Hotshot expected to feel the blades on Smythe's arms bite
into his head. But instead he saw a blur across his vision, and
suddenly Smythe's arm lay twitching on the ground. Hotshot watched
idly as Namorita tore Smythe apart.
"You finished?"
Namorita took a deep breath, trying to force down the terror
and fury she'd suddenly felt at seeing Hotshot in danger. It
appeared that she could no longer deny her feelings for him. But now
was not the time.
The battle had raged for several minutes. Octavious' eight
tentacular arms were able to hold off most attacks, and it was all
Jameson, and Mary Jane could do to avoid being captured by them.
Flash and his wife Felicia were able to more skillfully dodge the
flailing tentacles. Flash was a natural athlete, and Felicia had
been trained by her father for agility, among other things.
"This is getting us nowhere!" Jameson growled. His gun was
nearly empty and he wasn't as young as he used to be. "None of my
shots are getting through! Aaaahhg!" One of Octavious' arms struck
him, sending him flying.
Mary Jane fired, but the bullet ricocheted off of Otto's
arm.
"I am forced to agree with Jameson." Ghost Rider said. When
another shot from Flash failed to even scratch Octavius' arms, he
added, "Remind me to get you people some decent guns!"
A sudden blast of heat melted the tip of one of the arms.
Octavious recoiled in pain. "Auug! Who dares?"
"Are we late for the party?" Hotshot called. He, Namorita
and Penance joined the battle.
An arm wrapped around Namorita's waist, but she ripped it
off. Octavious' face twisted in agony as Penance's claws tore
through another while Hotshot finished off the one he'd started on.
"Three down, five to go!" Cap said. He threw his shield,
slicing off three more. "Oops, my mistake. Two to go."
Octavious was obviously in great pain, but he refused to
yield.
"You've been holding back America." he groaned.
Painfully, Jameson got to his feet with the help of Mary
Jane. "Let's finish off this scum." He leveled is rifle and fired.
This time the shot got through. Octavious' body fell to the ground
with a thump.
"Well," Penance said. "Who's hungry?"
To be continued...
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