Sorry for the wait. I was busy. No, not fighting aliens in 'Spess'. That's MAGO5's job.
Northern Ireland
Rain poured against the bare head of Nathan Garrett as he made his way through the tall wooden doors of an ancient castle. Clenched in one hand was a drenched folder, containing enough knowledge to create a deadly force capable of destroying the world three times over. Clenched in the other hand was a jagged black sword, coated in dried blood, and more powerful than anything found in any folder. His bucket helmet hung by a leather strap around his neck, bobbing gently with every step he took.
The hall of the castle was empty and bare. The floor was cluttered with nothing but dust and cobwebs. But behind the emptiness, Nathan Garrett knew what was going on; he could feel the minute vibrations in his feet. A faint scent of oil and coolant filled the air, guiding him to the secret passage built into the corner of the room. With a swift kick to the bottom-most stone, the passage slowly opened, revealing a dark, twisting staircase. Hearing the nigh silent whirring of machinery, Garrett began his descent.
As he traversed the narrow stairway, his head ached, and his thoughts repeated one word.
Obey.
Each time the word repeated in his mind, his sword pulsed faintly. It would get so intense, that it practically vibrated. As it did so, Garrett could feel tendrils wrapping themselves around his mind, digging into the annals of his conscious, and controlling his every move. Free will wasn't an option any more. Everything he did was controlled.
He reached the bottom of the stairs, which opened up into a long, darkened corridor. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling, and rats scurried underfoot. But Garrett pressed on, ignoring the vermin. The hallway ended in a rusted iron door, which opened with relative ease under Garrett’s augmented strength.
Inside was alien. Wiring and pipes ran along the walls like tentacles, and monitors were hung on every corner of the large room. The floor was covered in metal plates, and littered with machinery and bits of scrap metal. Everything in sight was bathed in a sickly green light, emanating from rows of buzzing lights screwed into the cavern’s ceiling. In one side of the room was a workbench, with secret SHIELD files scattered about, and in the furthest corner of the room was a vacant stable. Beside the stable, a tiny cavern opened up, leading further underground.
Down.
Garrett listened to his thoughts and continued, passing the empty stable. He followed a series of wires and pipes down the thin cavern, and soon the deafening sound of industrial machines filled his ears. The cavern widened immensely, revealing massive conveyer lines and production vaults. They were producing shells, resembling bipeds in design, and lining them up along one side of the cavern. Garrett deduced there were no less than two hundred shells already produced, with hundreds more well on the way.
“So, Black Knight, you return… With the plans in hand, I trust?”
Garrett turned to the voice, and, though the figure was concealed by shadows, Garrett knew exactly who he was facing. His heart raced as he trembled in his boots at the mere thought of being so close to someone so powerful. With a shaking hand, he handed over the files. Swiftly, a gaunt gloved hand shot out and snatched the files away before retreating to the darkness. After the faint sound of pages being turned, the voice resumed,
“Very good. The artificial intelligence algorithm is the final key. You have played your part well, Black Knight. You are prepared for your last task?”
Garrett pulled his bucket helmet over his head and fastened it securely.
“Aye. Thine Avengers shall be dealt with, my leader.”
The silence on the Helicarrier’s deck was impermeable. Not a soul had said a word in nearly five minutes, and everyone was beginning to feel the awkwardness of the situation. Rainbow Dash shuffled from hoof to hoof, having no idea what to do. She watched as several of the soldiers had gone inside the carrier, shaking their heads and muttering how ‘Stark’s lost it’. Fury continued to stare off into space, or occasionally throw an intense glare at Tony Stark.
But out of everyone, it was Rainbow Dash who suffered the most. She had always loved being the center of attention, and as the fastest flier in Equestria, that wasn’t hard to do. But being the center of attention while the crowd points guns at you is a little more nerve-wracking. She was visibly shaking out of anxiety when Nick Fury finally broke the never-ending silence.
“Stark, a word?” he motioned off to the side with his one good eye.
Tony went without protest. As Rainbow watched her new metal friend leave, her nervousness began to wane. No one was on deck, and she finally got a good look around; it distracted her from her outlandish situation. The sight was incredible. She had seen airships before, but nothing like this. It was massive, and it was powerful, and-
Rainbow’s attention shifted to the open door on one side of the deck. Thoughts swam through her head about the endless adventures and possibilities that lay below deck. Without thinking, she trotted through the door and into the endless catacombs of the metal monster.
“Captain, Fury wanted you on the deck now!”
The crackling of the intercom quickened Steve Rogers’ pace as he fastened the straps on his suit. The patriotic red-white-and-blue shone brightly in the stark grey of the Helicarrier’s interior as Captain Rogers sprinted to the top deck. His signature Vibranium shield rest on his back, ready to be used at any second.
“Ma’am, what’s the situation on deck?” he asked into his communicator as he ran past security guards and tech officers.
“No idea, Cap. Haven’t heard anything from up top for about five minutes now.” The voice responded in his ear. “Could be anything, so be careful.”
“Will do.” Steve replied, vaulting over a few random crates blocking the hallway. Because, you know, crates are known to do that.
The super-soldier’s mouth went dry as he contemplated what he would be facing. Before his emergence in the new world, situations were simple; Nazis. They were the root of his problems. But now that he lived in ‘the future’, things were a bit more complicated. Not only were there Jihadists and Communists, but he had the whole ‘Interdimensional Alien War Fleet’ to think about. Between that, the rag-tag team of superheroes and the colossal technology gap, there wasn’t much left to surprise the new-age soldier.
He turned the final corner, ready to begin his ascent to the top deck when his foot landed on something with the consistency of a marshmallow. He tripped and went head over heels, unable to catch himself on the bare walls. His face connected squarely with the bottom-most stair, followed by a painful groan.
He opened one clenched eye and faced his ‘aggressor’. The cyan mass was lying on the ground, her wings and legs outstretched. Her equine face looked up at Steve with a nervous smile, hoping he wasn’t hurt too much. She chuckled,
“You alright? Looked like you banged your head pretty hard.”
Steve stared at her, wide-eyed, “Yeah. Maybe a little too hard…”
Steve rose slowly, grasping the stair’s railing to keep his balance. He locked his gaze with the pony as he withdrew his shield and placed it in front of him. Rainbow didn’t even notice, and continued on as if nothing had happened.
“Can you help me out?” she asked, rocking on her hooves in anticipation.
Steve narrowed his eyes. He didn’t trust her. She came out of nowhere, immediately after an emergency on deck, and acted as if nothing had happened. Not only that, but the fact that she was a talking pegasus didn’t help her much.
“I just wanted to know if there’s any food around her. I’m starved!” she explained, rubbing her stomach with her hoof for emphasis.
“Who are you?” Steve finally asked.
Rainbow smirked, and hovered in the air gracefully, “I’m Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in all-“
Light bombarded the two as the door to the deck swung open. Nick Fury stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at the two. Without saying a word, he made his way down, slowly shaking his head. When he reached the bottom, he placed himself in front of the hovering Rainbow Dash.
“Stark tells me you’re fast.”
His voice sent another shiver of excitement down Rainbow’s spine. It was like nothing she had ever heard before. It was majestic, in a way, with such mountainous force. But it also chilled her very soul. There was no doubt in Rainbow’s mind; his voice alone has killed more men than can be counted.
Rainbow shrugged, “He’s not wrong.” She said almost inaudibly, too frightened by his demeanor to respond with her trademarked cockiness.
Fury shook his head, “He also tells me that you’re not dangerous. Can I trust him?”
Rainbow gulped and nodded her head.
“Good. Does that mean I can trust you too?”
Again, she nodded. Fury patted her on the shoulder, “Good. Now, what’s your name?” he asked nicely, but without a smile.
She stammered under his colossal figure, trying to get the words out, but to no avail.
“Her name’s Rainbow Dash, sir.” Steve said from behind Fury.
“Thank you, Cap. Go ahead and meet me in the bridge; I’ll be there in a minute.”
Steve saluted before heading down the tight hallway towards the bridge. As soon as he was gone, Fury squinted his one good eye at Rainbow. He grimaced,
“Listen, I don’t care what or who you are. I’ve got a situation on my hands, and I don’t care what you do, just don’t mess it up. There’s a lot more at stake than you can imagine, and it’s all on me. Understood?”
At this point, Rainbow had sunk to the ground, trying to hide herself under her mane.
I guess this is how Fluttershy feels… she thought to herself as she peeked out from beneath a few strands of hair. Silently, she confirmed her understanding. Fury stormed off down the hall, leaving Rainbow alone. After he had left her sight, he shouted back,
“Follow the blue line to the bridge.”
Rainbow waited a few seconds before looking around. Sure enough, painted into the grey floor, was a solid blue line. Keeping her muzzle inches away from it at all times, she began to trot towards the bridge.
“Really, I thought you’d be excited.” Tony Stark said as his Iron Man suit peeled away from him. He faced Steve Rogers as it did so, and stared at him with mild amusement.
“Why should I be? As far as I’m concerned, and as long as she’s as harmless as you say she is, she’s no different than any other guest.” He replied, arms crossed.
“Come on, Cap, she’s way better! She’s fast, cocky, and has a good sense of humor. She’s just like another me!”
Steve shuddered visibly. “Please don’t say that…” In truth, there was almost nothing that could scare Captain America. He could stand before Hitler himself and not show signs of cowardice. But the only thing that could keep him in a state of fear was another of him.
The automated robotic arms took away the final pieces of the Iron Man suit, leaving Tony standing in the middle of the room, wearing his normal casual clothes. Following Steve out the door, they continued towards the bridge.
“All I’m wondering is how she got here? Where’s she from?” Steve asked.
“Don’t know. And to be honest, I don’t care.”
“Come on, you’re saying you’re not even a little curious?”
Tony shook his head, “The only thing I’m curious about is how she’ll fit into the team.”
Steve stopped in his tracks. “You really think that Fury’s going to let her in? He’s not really the type to tolerate… well, horses, I guess.”
“Ponies.” Tony corrected, “And I don’t care if he tolerates them or not, she’s going to join. When I first saw her, she was saving a kid from a burning car.”
“That’s nice, but it’s not really the basis for-“
“Steve, she was standing in the fire.” Tony interrupted, losing his limited patience, “Like, in the fire! She didn’t get burned, either. I don’t even think she noticed. What if she can’t get hurt?”
Steve shrugged, unsure how to respond.
“Think about it; what if she can’t get hurt?” Tony repeated, “Aside from Thor and the Hulk, none of us are invincible. Thor’s almost never here anyway, and the green guy isn’t a particularly nice guy. With her, the only thing we’d have to worry about is running out of sugarcubes.”
Steve mulled it over in his head for a long time before finally saying, “I think we should get back to Fury before he loses it again.”
“Fine. But this conversation isn’t over.”
Rainbow Dash continued following the blue line. It seemed to go on forever. With her head so close to the ground, focusing solely on the blue line, she didn’t even notice the dozens of technical workers that stared at her as she passed. On one occasion, they had dropped an entire toolbox, scattering wrenches, hammers and fusion cutters everywhere in an enormous racket. Rainbow hadn’t noticed.
As she walked, Rainbow thought about how her friends would react to her situation. Of all the ponies, Twilight would probably feel most at home. With her technical insight, she would be right at home in the belly of the scientific behemoth. She imagined how aghast Rarity would have been, observing an entirely gray scene. She rolled her eyes at the thought of Fluttershy venturing through the strange land; or at least trying to. And she didn’t even dare her mind to think about Pinkie.
Rainbow noticed tears forming in her eyes, and violently shook them away. She had been caught off guard.
Stop it! You’ll see your friends, eventually…
She listened to her mind, even though she knew it was wrong.
She followed the blue line until her head hit the solid metal door with a ‘Clang!’. She stared at it for a few moments longer before it slid open with a hiss. She was presented with a room, containing only a large V-shaped table. She recognized the red-white-and-blue guy sitting at the table. Beside him were two others; a muscular man wearing a black jacket and sunglasses, and another bearded man of less-than-intimidating demeanor. Her spirits soared when she noticed the blue triangle glowing underneath the man’s shirt. She trotted happily over to the non-metal-man.
Stark stood up, pointing at Rainbow.
“See that, Clint? She’s the one I was talking about.” He said to the third man, who stared at Rainbow. It was difficult to gauge his emotion behind his sunglasses, but Rainbow safely assumed he was in shock. That was a common emotion that humans felt when they first met her.
The one named ‘Clint’ only silently chuckled before casting his gaze elsewhere; primarily to the unadorned grey wall. Tony patted the chair next to him, beckoning Rainbow over.
As soon as Rainbow planted her haunches onto the chair, a second door slid open, and Nick Fury strode in, joined by a second man. Rainbow dared not make eye contact with him, lest the fabric of her very being be torn asunder by his mere image.
“I see we’re all here.” He said to the group, “And that we’ve gained one extra.” He finished with his one-eyed gaze on the pegasus.
“Yes, sir.” Steve said, only to break the silence that was sure to follow.
“Well then, let’s get started. First off, this is our new field agent.” He extended his arm to the man in the suit behind him. “Agent Benjamin Poindexter. He’ll be accompanying you.”
The rain had ceased, and a fog crept in as the Black Knight stepped outside. Irish fields of green stretched out into the fog surrounding the castle. It felt peaceful, but he wasn’t fooled by the looks. He knew that this was the staging point for the end of the world.
The Black Knight whistled sharply into the wind before planning his attack. His extensive mind had become a master of strategy, rivaled only by Captain America himself. Considering the living legend would be one of his upcoming opponents, he took every precaution to make sure his plan would succeed. His arsenal was lined up behind him; electric axes, mechanical crossbows, and a medieval flail with taser-like appendages lay on the moist grass. But most importantly, his lance.
It was really a technological wonder. The ten foot lance was built with almost unlimited capabilities. A small flamethrower was built into the tip, as well as a liquid nitrogen launcher to freeze enemies in their tracks. It was capable of shooting electrically charged rounds, and steel-fiber nets. In a sense, it was an unstoppable weapon.
His attention shifted as the sound of beating wings filled the air. The Black Knight smiled underneath his helmet as a familiar whinny greeted his ears, followed by the black shape of his winged steed. The genetically engineered pegasus landed heavily in front of The Black Knight. Though it still resembled a horse, genetic modification had taken its toll. Its face had been twisted into a horrific guise, almost resembling a dragon in nature. Razor sharp spines protruded from where its mane should have been, and a scaled tail swished back and forth behind it. But the most prominent feature were the leathery black wings resting at its sides.
“Elendil…” The Black Knight said, stroking the horse’s black muzzle, “Today, we ride into the throes of battle one final time. Ready thine self, friend, for tonight we die deaths fit for kings.”
Elendil bowed its horrific head, and lowered itself, so the Black Knight could mount himself on the saddle. As soon as he was situated, Elendil took flight, circling around the castle, and waiting for the Avengers to arrive.
“So we’re just checking out a castle?” Clint Barton asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Seems a little easy…” Steve pondered.
“Are you sure this is the right place? We’ve got the same signs in Latveria.” Stark explained, pointing out the signs of radiation emanating from Northern Ireland.
“How does this work?” Rainbow asked, pointing to the computer monitor in front of her. She craned her head around, trying to grasp the concept of the electronic device. Stark reached over and guided her hoof to the screen, gently tapping it. Rainbow beamed as the monitor reacted to her hoof, and proceeded to scroll through as many things as possible.
Fury rubbed his temples, “It’s sketchy at best, but it’s our best lead.”
“Remind me, who is it that we’re worried about?”
Fury clicked a few buttons on his end of the table, and a database emerged on each of their computer monitors.
“Nathaniel Garrett. Genetic engineer, and descendent of Sir Percy of Scandia. He used to work in the genetic science department for Oscorp, but I guess lately he’s taken up villainy as his main hobby.” Fury explained as walls of text flowed past their monitors.
“And you’re thinking he’s not working alone?” Steve asked, never taking his eyes off the screen.
“Someone like Garrett wouldn’t willingly turn to such drastic action by himself. No, I think he’s working with someone. The main question is, who?”
“That’s what we’ll find out.” Tony said, before rising. “When do we leave?”
“We’re warming up a chopper for you right now. Suit up.”
Steve and Clint Barton stood and saluted to Nick Fury before exiting the room, leaving behind Tony and Rainbow Dash.
“Stark, I don’t want any screwing around on this one, got it? Try to be professional.”
Stark waved his hand, “Please, you’re talking to the essence of professionalism here.”
“I’m serious Stark. One screw up, and I’ll have you’re suit turned into a microwave.”
“I’ll take a note of that.”
Tony turned to leave, drawing Rainbow’s attention away from her monitor. She hopped off her chair to join him, but was stopped as Fury spoke up behind her.
“Not you. I’ve called in someone to take a look at you.”
She raised an eyebrow in his direction, “Take a look at me?”
“No offense, but I’m not taking my eye off you until I found out just what you are. So I called someone in. He may not know a lot about ‘time-travelling ponies’, but he’s a smart man.”
Rainbow huffed. “Why can’t I go with them? The Tony guy trusts me.”
Fury scoffed, “Stark would trust a squirrel if he thought it would get him attention. I’m sending Agent Poindexter in your place.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes over-dramatically, “Fine… What am I supposed to do until your guy shows up?”
Fury shrugged as he left the room, “You seem to like that computer a lot.”
Six hours later
The four men sat silently in the chopper as it began its descent to their target. Making their way through the dense fog had set them on edge. Clint Barton fidgeted with some arrows, and Captain Rogers rotated his shield in his hands. The only man who seemed calm in the situation was Agent Poindexter, who sat with his eyes closed, completely still.
Of them all, it was Tony Stark who seemed the least collected.
“Guys, do you think she’s doing alright?” he asked, followed by a collective groan from the rest of the group.
“Jesus, Stark, give it a rest!” Clint exclaimed, “That’s the fourth time you’ve asked…”
“Yeah, Tony, she’s fine. Stop asking.”
Tony shook his head as he shifted his helmet in his hands. “I’m just saying, I feel as if I owe some kind of responsibility for her. You know, like a...”
“Father?” Clint deadpanned.
“I was going to say debt.”
“Guys, I don’t know how you normally do this,” Agent Poindexter softly spoke, “but aren’t we supposed to go over a plan or something?”
His voice was small, and shy. The group had to strain their ears to hear him, and even then it was difficult.
“He’s right. Stark, when we land, I want-“
Something hit the front of the chopper, instantly killing the pilots. The four men were thrown around, crashing into the walls of the chopper. Beacons blared in their ears, almost drowning out the sound of Tony’s cannons as they charged and fired at the chopper’s rear entrance. It exploded, rocking them with yet another explosion.
Clint was the first out, initiating a rolling dive out of the falling chopper before deploying his parachute. He disappeared into the night. Next, Steve reached out and pulled Agent Poindexter to him, before following Clint into the darkness.
Stark faltered, trying to get a foothold in the tumbling chopper. It was difficult, considering it would alternate between being upright and upside down every other second. Just when he thought it was over, Stark got a clear view of the sky out the back entrance. Silhouetted against the dull grey sky was an all-too familiar shape. Its black wings blotted out the sky as it rode in all its grace and majesty. It was enough to distract Stark long enough.
The chopper crashed into the ground, taking Tony Stark with it.
Double Author's Note. Sorry for this chapter sucking so much. I sorta just wrote it in a couple hours after eating an entire pizza all by myself. But now that I'm back in the swing of things, I'll try to get into a regular schedule.
Also, I've concluded that, though it may by very similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is my own universe that I created. Hence why Oscorp and Benjamin Poindexter are in here, despite neither of them appearing in the canon universe. Just to clear things up. Kthxbai.