Moon Knight and Guardian hope beyond hope that Baron Zemo's technology works. Zemo modified the Projective Electro Imager to cloak the user in a holographic disguise, to blend in with a more street-level criminal element. MK and G approach the Crime Convention warehouse with increasing apprehension. They both arrived quite early, in a better attempt to stake out the place, but apparently so did many, many others. Some are still milling about, doing their best to be unobtrusive, while others try their own best at acting nonchalant when entering the warehouse. Knowing the other Avengers are nearby lends the two some small comfort, knowing their teammates are out of sight need not mean they are out of mind.
Even with other criminals nearby, the streets seem deserted. Moon Knight and Guardian make their way to the warehouse. Upon entering, they are greeted by a well-dressed man but pudgy man with piercing eyes. The man glances at the two, then turns to the long table behind him, searching through some papers, giving our heroes each a separate blank card with a gold dot on it.
The other Avengers listen in through micro-recorders planted on their comrades, as Moon Knight and Guardian alternatively manage to slip details of the scene under their breath.
Going into the warehouse, however, they suddenly are met with hundreds of criminals of all types milling about. Although they keep to individual cliques of cliches, there are street punks, dimwit thugs, wired junkies, and urban gangsters, etc etc. All seem to be carrying similar cards-- although some have red dots, green dots, blue, etc.
Although not quite of the clique that MK and G appear as, there are a few others who are quite distinct-- they must be Marvels! A thin man in green, with aviator goggles and fin-like extensions on a green helmet... a woman dressed in brown robes-- an almost negligee-type suit over tan tights covered with a flowing brown cape... and a massive metallic-skinned man trying in vain to hide his frame with a trenchcoat and low-brimmed hat.
The man who was passing out cards begins to mingle. The hour approaches in which the reason for the crime convention. The pudgy man seems to make his way towards what appears to be a stage at the far side of the warehouse.
The Avengers (sans two undercover members) huddle together atop a roof near the "convention of crime" warehouse. Zemo, Hellcat, and the Black Knight listen to a ham radio-like device that monitors Guardian's and Moon Knight's progress via concealed microphones. Zemo tires to avert attention (with a jibe to BK) as he patches Jarvis in as well, so that he might benefit from Jarvis' resources. "So Knight, why didn't you just barge in there? Surely none of them could take you. Especially not the girl." Zemo smiles inside his suit.
Thor stands slightly removed. He takes a swallow of Scotch and then looks around. Hmmm, didn't he grab a goat under each arm before traveling to this place? Both goats seem to have disappeared.
Inside the warehouse... Guardian and MK stay in sight of each other even though they begin to drift through the crowds of criminals. Guardian stays unobtrusive but observant. Although most criminals keep their cards close the vest, in general, it seems that most colors seem to represent a stereotype the card holders might fall into. Most gangsters seem to have blue dots, although there are discernable shades of blue (purple and turquoise ones in their midst, too.) Youth gangs seem to have black or grey dots, etc. etc. Guardian winds up near the obvious costumed characters-- but can't manage to see their cards at all. Rick Jones smiles inwardly as he quips to himself "And where would the cloaked-negligee woman hide hers?"
Moon Knight also mingles about, recognizing some of the street punks and thugs and saluting with his chin in a silent "hey" greeting. He also sees his friend Eddie, and the two exchange pleasantries (which includes playfully punching each other on the left arm, repeatedly) MK notices Eddie's card (which Eddie doesn't take great pains to hide) is grey. Eddie seems just as much in the dark as MK, but is overly enthusiastic about the project.
The pudgy card-giver continues to make his way to the stage area (which includes a music stand-like podium, microphone, and speaker systems) and at the far side of the warehouse. He obviously seems to be in charge of the situation, as he chats amicably with the Maggia and Silvermane families, and even shakes hands with a few more street-level punks.
"What color is your card, man" asked Eddie. The Moon Knight merely shrugs, telling Eddie that his card is the same color as Eddie's. MK slowly makes his way over to stand closer to Guardain, who is standing close enough to gain a vantage point on the three costumed criminals.
Zemo stands with the other assembled Avengers in their nearby surveillance area. Zemo half-listens to the reports given by MK and Guardian as he hears another report coming in from Jarvis. His blank, armored face plate belies no responce as he receives the information.
Thor is no planner, and he also only half-hears the planning and dickering, also because Thor's mind is elsewhere. Thor polishes off the Scotch, and then does a double-take. Wait, did those goats disappear? Frantically, the big man begins to look around. Forgetting descretion he begins to call out "Tanngrisner! Tanngjost! Where are you my liddle ones? Risner! Jost!"
As one, the other Avengers around Thor turn their heads with a violent "SSSSSSHHHHHH!!" ...because, as MK reports, the pudgy card-giver man has reached the podium.
"Gentlemen!! (And ladies...)" the man begins, "welcome one and all. My name is Dr. Kang. Thank you for being so responsive, and for having the foresight to join together, putting aside petty differences, in order to combine forces, to become a powerful, united battalion! Tonight, all you have wanted in life, be it money, power, will be yours. This city belongs to us tonight!"
A cheer raises from the crowds, mostly from the street level criminals, and the man acknowledges them and continues.
"Each of you plays an important part. Like a body has many individualized parts essential to its working, each of you will play a part in the effectiveness of the whole. That's where your cards come into play. Let all those who contain a blue card come to the front, and you will be the first team to take us all to the first step!"
Several of the criminals come forth. The group that seperates from the rest appear to be of all types-- representatives of all different stereotypes. They stand, numbering slightly over two dozen, in front of the podium, waiting to receive orders.
And suddenly the ground opens below them, and every one of them falls into darkness. Just as suddenly, the floor closes again, over the screaming of the fallen men.
The criminals react with different levels of surprise and horror, and Dr. Kang smiles softly, calming the crowd before they can react beyond gasps and shouts.
"Let me assure you, that the men who have fallen are all infiltrators. Surely a grand design such as the one we undertake will attract undercover police. There is a 2% chance that there are still other infiltrators in our midst, and a 34% chance that other surviellence is being perpetrated right now. Within 4.32 minutes, law enforcement will come sweeping down upon all of us with all the legal might they can bring with them. Listen to me, follow my instructions to the letter, and this city WILL be ours!!"
"My unique talent," Dr. Kang continues, "is to perceive time as you may perceive distance, such as witnessing a road vanishing to the horizon, hearing a bell resonate, or tasting a faint hint of spice in a favorite sauce. I have used this extrasensory perception to provide detailed plans that will allow your group to successfully complete all manners of crimes."
"I've got a unique talent as well," MK whispers into his microphone, "My bullshit detector is going crazy here."
"Helicopters in undisclosed locations will carry each group to its designated area" continued Dr. Kang. "By the time your crimes begin, it will be 4:30, and each group MUST begin at the same time. Rush hour will be beginning. Schools are being let out. Businesses are beginning to close. By the time each crime is underway, police and law enforcement will be spread so thin as to be non-existent. Success is guaranteed, my friends. The city will descend into chaos. We will control the money and means of production by nightfall. Later, we will divide the entire city as we see fit."
"Alternatively, you may stay here, in which case you will be captured by law enforcement and charged at the very *least* as accessory to the murders of two dozen policemen" concluded Dr. Kang.
The room remains silent for a breif pause as Dr. Kang stops his tirade for dramatic effect.
"In one minute, you will proceed through the color-coordinated doorways placed within this warehouse. They will lead you to your designated helicopters (at hidden locations to avoid being immediately caught) at which point the specific Crime Plans will be given to each of you. Decoy helicopters will also be dispatched, for the benefits of any eavesdropping surveillance. Memorize and follow your instructions to the letter! By striking as one we strike the entire city!"
The criminals had already begun to scatter once the color-coordinated doors revealed themselves, and soon Dr. Kang was shouting over the hustle and bustle.
"Oh, and you may have noticed that there is no gold-designated door. All gold card members must join me on the podium, join me, and my group!!"
Even as the people around Guardian hurry this way and that to get to their doors, his Kree-enhanced senses pick up a whisper up on stage "Dr. Kang, are you sure that police will be spread so thin, no one will be able to stop us later?"
The voice seems to have come from on the stage, where another costumed character seems to have appeared out of nowhere -- a basic blue and yellow bodysuit with zig-zags like lightning striping his suit like a barber pole. The other costumed characters move to join Kang as well; the ponderously bulky metallic-skinned man, the brown and tan, cape and negligee clad woman, and the ridiculously bodysuited and aviator-goggled man.
There is still a sense of hurry in the warehouse, although practically half the criminals have disappeared through their doors. People still run here and there... and Eddie grabs MK's arm: "Hey, man, there you are! You gotta grey dot, right? Well, let's go!"
"Aww...man, I'm sorry. I was wrong. Mine's gold." MK shows him card. "Have fun out there," he smiles and pats his friend on the shoulder. Without looking back, MK heads towards the front moving towards Guardian.
On the stage inside the warehouse stands the frumpy but well-dressed Dr. Kang and the man who just appeared out of nowhere, dressed in a bodysuit with basic blue and yellow zig-zags like lightning striping his suit like a barber pole.
Just off the stage, Guardian and Moon Knight (both in disguise) join three costumed criminals:
Outside the warehouse, Black Knight soars through the air, having been lofted by Thor toward the warehouse roof. Baron Zemo yells to the others: "Watch out for gadgets from Z-Man the goggled villain! He uses plenty of gadgets and miniature zeppelins. He's also a lousy Nazi war criminal so we should get him first. Hellcat, take on Gingerbread, I don't think the rest of us would feel right hitting a woman. Be careful, they are both known as International threats!"
Zemo takes Hellcat in hand and begins to fly toward the warehouse. Then, thinking to himself that he'll have to have Jarvis clean the armor after this, Zemo tucks Thor under his free arm and flies after the thrown Knight.
"Ahhhh.... YeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!" cried the Black Knight, meanwhile thinking to himself "I just hope this cape works like a parachute, I just hope this cape works like a parachute, I just..."
Meanwhile, Dr. Kang fills the seconds before the Avengers' arrival with a bit more exposition, which also allows the rest of the criminals to flee the warehouse through the entrances to the hidden helicopters.
"Yes, Blitzkrieg," Dr. Kang answers the lightning-striped man beside him in response to a previous question, (and Kang's accent becomes much more noticeably German) "As a matter of fact, the city's resources of police and firemen will be spread so thin as a result of our 'Convention of Crime,' that no one wlll be able to prevent our ultimate plan!"
"What's more," Dr. Kang continues, addressing all the assembled super villains, "that is where you come in! There are several costumed adventurers who also would presume to stop our plans, but you will keep them all busy here, so our plans will never be stopped! Do whatever you must! Incoming in three... two... one....!"
KERRRRAAAAAAASSHHHHHH!!!!
The Black Knight crashes through the skylights of the warehouse and crumbles to the warehouse below. A bit of an ignomious entrance, but the Knight recovers in seconds, his armor absorbing most of the damage.
As he recovers, the Knight whips out his mighty sword and says: "Dr. Kang, the Black Knight has a prescription for you! Take one ebony blade and call me in twenty to life! Avengers...."
And an arrow pierces the Black Knight's armor between its arm and shoulder joints!
"... Assemble!"
And another super criminal steps out from behind the shadows in a area high above the stage. She is dressed with a teutonic/barbarian helmet and Xena-like warrior princess armor, brsitling with all types of medieval weaponry. "You are right, Herr Doktor! Everytink ees procedink precisely un schedule!"
Dr. Kang glares evily at Moon Knight and Guardian. "Blitzbrieg! Magneto! Gingerbread! Kreiger Frau! Attack the interlopers!"
"Right! We'll guard Dr. Kang!" says Guardian, hoping to allay suspicions for a second, as he leaps towards Dr. Kang.
"Fool!" spits Dr. Kang, "You fool no one by feigning allegience to me! And my perception of time itself allows me to easily block your attempts to hit me!" Even though Dr. Kang defends Guardian's attack, the villain stands at the ready, making no attack of his own...
"Aw, cripes, this isn't starting well at all!" mumbles the Black Knight. " Can't have this sticking out of me, makes me look daft, don't it?" And BK lops the arrow at the stem with his mighty sword. "Just have to dig it out after I finish kicking all your asses!"
Although he heads for Doctor Kang, Kreiger Frau swings down from the rafters above the stage, using a conveniently handy support rope, to cut him off!
"Und now I shall finish vat my arrows haff started!" shouts Kreiger Frau.
"Oh, what the hell! Came-bleeding-lot, die you Nazi bastard!" retorts the Sable Swordsman. The ebony blade slashes Kreiger Frau, paying her back blood-for-blood for BK's own injury. Kreiger Frau slashes back in barbaric ferocity, but her frenzied attack is adeptly parried by the Ebony Blade.
Nearby, with a great lunge, Moon Knight hauls off and sucker punches Blitzkrieg! Blitzkreig is caught flatfooted by the sudden savagrey, but shrugs off the minor blow, remaining well in the game, returning two punches with hyper-speed.
"Stay back from Dr. Kang, boy!" shouts the metallic-skinned Magneto. "Or witness the power of my magnetic aura!" M pushes both hands in front of him, and Guardian feels himself pushed backwards by an intense force which slams him into the wall on the far side of the stage...
"Such a pathetic knight," remarks Zepplin Man, "but I must say, nice helmet!' Z-Man effortlessly flies into the air, and taking two pellets from pockets within his costume, allows each to inflate with a soft CHSSS! CHSSS! Transformed into mini-zepplins, Z-man lobs them at the Black Knight, and they fly directly towards him!
They collide directly into the 'nice helmet'! The mini-zepplins explode in a flash of blinding light, temporarily robbing BK of sight!
"And you," the fur-caped woman shouts at Moon Knight, "know that if you attack one of us, you attack all! So warns the winsome witch, Gingerbread!" And with several gestures, a spiral of flame encircles Moon Knight-- imprisoning him and not allowing for any movement!
The battle is almost over as quickly as it began... until Zemo crashes through the roof, with Thor and Hellcat in tow! They land, battle ready, taking some of the villains by surprise!
Hellcat concentrates, a stream of eldritch energy pouring from her fingers towards the Teutonic maiden attacking Black Knight. "Take that, hausfrau!"
Zemo notes with some disappointment that Hellcat attacked the wrong woman. Admittedly, the wrong woman didn't appear until after Guardian and MK's reconnaissance, but still...
Hellcat notices Zemo's reaction and scowls in return. Her Irish accent thickens, as it usually does when she's angry. "The Black Knight has arrows sticking out of him, Heinrich!" spits Hellcat, "Which of these women would you rather not hit, eh?"
"Are you sure you want me to answer that?" Zemo chuckles at his little joke. Hellcat mumbles something inaudible under her breath and resumes her assault on Kreiger Frau.
The eldritch blast, having accumulated, lances forth from Hellcat and onto Krieger Frau! The "warrior woman" facing the Black Knight, however, only bats an eye at the annoying blast, keeping her attention focused on the battle she's involoved in. Hellcat's momentarily taken back-- never before has she encountered a willpower so high to shrug off the effects of her eldritch blast!
Kreiger Frau watches the Black Knight as he sways slightly, his off hand going to his temple as his eyes squinch up!
"By crikey, not now you bloody..." he mutters to himself.
BK: "Oh you bloody well will not! I can't afford to be chivalrous with this lot!" His mind his own... for now... the Black Knight continues an attack with an awesome blow into her side (especially awesome considering BK is still blinded from Z-man's attack).
"AARRGGHH!! You... you... verdamnt streusendorf!" screams das Kreiger Frau. Although she now seems crippled over, she parries with her own sword through BK as well, with BK's blindness making him an easy target...
At the same time, Thor, attacks the hulking metallic-skinned man dressed in a trenchcoat by breaking free of Zemo's grasp at a safe distance from the ground and attempting to fall on top of him like a hammer hitting a nail!
CLLAANNGG!!
Thor lands hard on the villain-- almost too hard! This guy's hide is tough, and Thor feels like he has met a rock troll of the toughest caliber!
Guardian, pinned to the wall by Magneto's flexing aura, slumps to the stage, free from Magneto's control. Hurt, Rick looks for anything non-ferrous nearby. Picking up the podium Dr. Kang had spoken from, Guardian throws it at Magneto, narrowly missing and casting it into the warehouse!
Dr. Kang simply hangs back, hands raised for defense.
Moon Knight, surrounded by Gingerbread's magical fire, quips, "Winsome witch? What's next, are you going to tell me I'll surely perish?" But truth to be told, Moon Knight is stymied-- singing his arm on the fire, he can't bring himself to break free! Blitzkrieg has no such compunctions, however, and rapidly jabs his hands through the "bars" of the fiery cage!
Gingerbread turns next toward Guardian, gesturing with wildly pointing fingers... "And now you, you little troublemaker, you! Magneto didn't want you to be going anywhere!" The wooden boards of the stage tremble, and then bend, morphing into a wooden coffin that begins to surround Guardian!
Elsewhere, Zemo fires his new laser-based blasters at Z-Man. Z-man cries in pain and dips a bit in his flight. Recovering, Zepplin Man recognizes Zemo almost immediately. "Baron Zemo!? Comrade, it is I, Zepplin Man! Your partner and friend! Why do you fire upon me? Let me tell you about the great vision we have to inspire us! Just like old times, nein?"
Twisting, Guardian vainly tries to escape the warping boards... only to have the wood close in around him! Guardian is engulfed in darkness as the newly-formed coffin swallows him up!
"Why you little... that's it, i want my eyesight back, I want to be able to cherish the sight of you lying in a bloody heap!" shouts the Black Knight. Thankfully, Black Knight's vision begins to clear, and is improving rapidly.
In any case, BK tries to smite the bitch, landing a glancing blow. Krieger Frau seems to enjoy the crisscross of scars across her skin, and doesn't seem to mind one more wound! Any other warrior should have been down before now! With a battle cry, Krieger Frau slashes the Knight again...
Straining his muscles to the fullest, and grunting like a wounded warthog, Thor attempts to grab the metal man and hoist him high over his head and fling him hard to the ground using his own weight against him.
"De harder dey come; de bigger dey fall!" Thor screams.
In a brilliant wrestling move, Thor piledrives Magneto to the floor! Woomp! Magneto grunts. "Ugh, I think I felt something there. But if that's the best ya got, I'm afraid it's just not good 'nuff!" In speed belying his bulk, Magneto slugs Thor with his massive fist!
Blasting light, Moon Knight misses the elusive Blitzkrieg. "Ha! You can never hope to stop us! It's too late now! You should have joined Dr. Kang while you had the chance!" Blitzkrieg continues to jab Moon Knight through the bars of the fiery cage! Luckily, Moon Knight resists the blows landing on his body, but stands frustrated like a sitting, well, standing duck!
Zemo blasts Z-Man with his new weapon. "My family would never have anything to do with your kind!!"
"AaarrrggH! Enough! I cannot beleive the rumors are true! The Zemo family divorcing the Vision of the Third Reich!? But here I see you with that mercenary Black Knight! The warrior Thor! Why, you three were single-handedly responsible for German victory in countless missions back in the day!" screa,s Z-Man.
"Ah," he continues, as he activates two more mini-zeppelins, "I see it now! You want the world for yourselves! If you are not behind our Vision, you are against us all! We will not surrender the world without a fight!"
Zeppelin Man's mini-zepps fly straight toward Baron Zemo, and they explode in front of his faceplate, spreading a think white paste all over Zemo's helmet and shoulders, cutting off sight!
"The Knight's on the ropes, and my blasts have no effect on this woman!" cries out Hellcat. "Zemo! Ignore the blimp and take care of her!"
... and instead sets her sights on the winsome Gingerbread!
"Let's see what we can do to this one," and she lets loose with another eldritch blast in Gingerbread's direction. Gingerbread cries out in pain as the magical energy zaps her! "Ah! Oh! O---kay, cheap hussy! Let's see if you give as good as you get!" From her fingers, a similar shaped and colored bolt as Hellcat's leaps from Gingerbread toward Patsy... Zzaapp!
Grunting, Guardian pushes hard against the coffin he's been entrapped inside. He speaks to himself words of encouragement "C'mon Rick - all the pain of being Kree-ed has to be worth SOMETHING. Don't need to be rescued. C'mon. Break....OUT!" Psyching himself up until finally.... Keeeerrr-AAAASSSSHHH! Wood splinters and explodes, causing Guardian to collapse to his knees. He looks around at the stage around him. Bursting from the coffin felt less like breaking wood against his hand as it did.... popping a bubble. As a matter of fact, the stage area around Guardain seems wholly intact. The "coffin" looked like it was twisted from the very stage, but the stage seems untouched. There are bits of debris about, but no mass seems to be missing from the stage proper.
His sight recovered, the Black Knight stands in bloody battle with Krieger Frau, and it's hard to tell which one is winning. "Not your everyday hausfrau, are ya Gretel? But if you're expecting chivalry, well you've got the wrong Black knight, Eva!"
"Ah, shute up und fight, spritzelwiesner!" is the only half-grunted reply.
Cold sweat breaks out on BK's brow, never has he been this close to defeat, and all from a woman! he has wasted too much time and energy with pointless banter, time to get back down to the real business!
And this new found determination acts on his body much as it did on his will and he feels some small bit of strength flowing back into his limbs, even at the same moment as his vision clears up to reveal the leering visage of the uber-frau before him, looking to slay him and lay havoc to the city! But that must not be, his pride if nothing else will not permit it! And so BK steels himself for what must be the final moments of this terrible clash.
He looks for an opening... And strikes!
Another slash, and another scar for the hemophiliac, who lashes out with her own sword thrust and matches BK's hit slash for slash.
Gingerbread yells, pointing at Hellcat "Blitzkrieg! Stop wasting time with the street punk! My witchfire seems to be keeping him sufficiently at bay! Bring down that woman!" Blitzkrieg responds with speed, letting loose one blow to Moon Knight still stuck in the rings of fire, then zooming over to sucker-punch Hellcat before she can even focus on his speed-blurred form. Hellcat nevertheless dodges the attack with effortless and seemless motion.
"Vaz ist das....? Never has anyone anticipated my speed-punch!" exclaimed the surprised Blitzkreig.
Gingerbread continues her rant, "... and I'll see about this one! If that magic bolt caused the witch pain, just *imagine* what it will do to her companion!"
Gingerbread throws her hand at Guardian, and an eldritch bolt, similar to the last one, launches from her hand at Guardian, who convulses in agaony.
Thor is kneeling, arms outstretched, whispering....
Magneto gets up from where he uppercutted Thor's dogpile. Swaggering over, he can't believe his good fortune.
"An old man!," he half-laughs, "They team up with an old man?! They expect an old man to stand up against someone who can absorb the very power of the earth's magnetic poles!?" With that, he gives another roundhouse to the prone Thor, but Thor never bats an eye as he dodges without interrupting his whispering...
"Whaaa? Come on, old man! Die already!" commanded Magneto.
Zemo lets fly a blast from his laser pistol to no effect; not even his armor systems can compensate for having a goo-occluded face-plate. Zepplin Man flies lazy circles around Zemo, taunting him, "Oh, please, Baron. You may have been able to fool these others and even your own son, but you cannot fool me, your old friend. In fact, I'm kind of sad that you haven't included me in your latest schemes. I might even be a bit.. PUT OUT!" With that, he pulls out two more mini-zeppelins and charges them, placing them on the back of Zemo's armor, and they send out large quantities of arcing electricity!
The Black knight growls in pain and annoyance! Never before has he faced an opponent so formidable, and a woman at that! It's almost erotic, if only she weren't a Nazi cow... But a Nazi cow she is and so she must fall! BK gnashes his teeth and with a roar lashes out against the bitch again!
Krieger Frau, smiling in the blood-misted battle, looks suddenly pained at BK's latest blow. It's only a momentary surprise, tho, as the barbarianess smiles again, throwing her last bit of energy into her own blow... but BK parries backward, allowing Krieger Frau to drop ignomiously to the floor without connecting with the Knight. "You think your silly toys are a match for a Zemo!!" cries Zemo, his external sensors finally giving him a decent firing solution. The lased blast envelopes Z-Man, who screams in agony "ARRRGGG! Wha--? You still hit me? Impossible!"
"As for whatever 'Plans' you think I have in coming here, I wouldn't include a buffoon like you in *any* plans, and our ideologies are more different than your little mind can comprehend!" continues Zemo.
"Bah! Let's see whose 'little toys' are the most silly, eh?" shouted Z-Man, "Zemo-ray, meet my Acid Zeppelin!" With that, Z-Man lets loose a mini-zepplin, with kamikaze-accuracy, explodes into Zemo's gun, releasing its acid and causing the gun to smoke and sizzle. Z-Man continues, "And I'll play along in your little game, for now. A snake may molt its skin, or even remain still within the grass to allow its camoflauge to be effective. I know, however, that a snake remains a snake."
Hellcat, who performed a near-impossible dodge of Blitzkrieg's blinding attack, shouts, "Anticipate this, speedfreak!" A moment's concentration and a blinding stream of light bursts forth from Patsy's hands, shooting towards the mercurial German!
"My... my... eyes!" cries out Blitzkrieg... hesitantly, the speedster slows. "I can't... can't see! Must not... run! Too dangerous, but.... !"
Groggy from from the near-crippling bolt fired by Gingerbread, Guardian stuggles to his feet, mumbling..."Good...but not good enough", and launches himself towards the woman! With a flying kick, Gingerbread recoils from the hard hit to her stomach, sprawling to the ground.
Gingerbread looks hard at Guardian, trying to assess... something... "Gah," she spits, "Stay down, dammit!" She lets loose another eldritch-like bolt from a magic wand she is suddenly holding... And this time, Guardian does indeed go down-- hard!
The god of thunder finishes his whisperings, still on his knees before the hulking Magneto. " I thank you kinsman. I pray you show this pretender who believes himself to be a force of nature the folly of his ways."
Suddenly, a bright flash of light fills the entire warehouse as a thick beam of lightning arcs from the sky, crashing through the warehouse and enveloping the villain known as Magneto! Magneto spasms as tremendous amounts of electricity course around him, and with a resounding KRRAAKA THOOOOOOM! of thunder, the lightning disappears as quickly as it came.
Magneto, smoking, his trenchcoat and costume in tatters, sways slightly back and forth... "Now that," he coughs, "was a RUSH!" He collaspes to one knee, breathing hard, and holding his head in a massive hand, obviously drained if not totally down.
Thor calmly rises to his feet.
Everyone had stopped their particular battles, watching (or in the case of Zemo and Blitzkrieg, listening to) the dramatic display. Everyone takes a deep breath, until another voice fills the air...
"ENOUGH!"
A trapdoor rises from before the stage (the same trapdoor that earlier sent dozens of undercover policemen to their deaths) on it, stands Dr. Kang and one other. A tall, dramatically imposing and well-built man, dressed in a Nazi-style uniform and complete with closely shaved blonde hair. The man stands atop a long retangular crate, easily 15 feet long. As their entrance via the rising platform comes to a halt, making them even with the warehouse floor, he eyes each character in the scene:
The man takes his cue from Dr. Kang, "Yes, Doktor! I have been able to carry out my part of my master plan more quickly than any have anticipated. Soon, the world will be as it should-- ruled by the rightful and fitting leaders-- ruled by me, the Vision! The Vision of the Third Reich!"
The Vision commands everyone's attention. "Listen to me, heroes! This is your last chance! Join with me, now, as my lieutenants, just as these others have! Join now, or I give the word to strike you all down with no mercy! Within this box I stand upon, is the greatest power mankind has ever harnessed. It will ensure that my plan is successful. Do I share the secret with you, or will you be destroyed?"