Embers of the Phoenix Part 2

She lunged forward. I was surprised, expecting her to hit me as she cocked her fist back. Instead she lunged over and smashed her fist into an approaching gaurd that was coming at us spear in hand.

His armour shattered and flew away, but not before Angela grabbed the spear he held, spinning it around over her head and bringing down at the slowly approaching soldiers that surrounded the stage.

"How exactly do you plan on getting us free?" she asked as slowly we stood back to back, surrounded by spear wielding men and women.

"Can you fly?" I asked, taking a shot in the dark.

"I am an angel, of course I can fly," she replied back with a bite, "I may not have wings, but I have my talents."

"Then we fly," I replied, a gaurd twitched, ready to charge us, I waved my hand, forming a giant ring of psionic energy that exploded outwards, knocking away everyone else on the platform.

"I can't," Angela hissed, "my powers are being blocked by this," she pulled down the trimming of her white robes, showing a control chip on her neck.

"Fine," I turned, grabbing her hand, "hold on and don't let go," I turned to the crowd where I knew Johnny and Drax were hiding, "Johnny, grab Drax and fly!"

"Let go of my-" Angela began as I took off into the sky, pulling her along. Her jaw shut as we climbed higher and higher. Her hands curled around my as we flew away from the city, followed quickly behind by Johnny who was holding Drax up by the armpits.

"Peter! Canons!" Johnny cried out, motioning to the giant watchtowers along the wall.

WHOSH!

A blur of black flew past me as I matured past it. They were heavy and slow, my theory on this planet's standard of technology being very low seems to be working out as they fired solid metal canons at us, not some kind of fantastical laser.

We managed to easily evade the canons, venturing into the desert. Johnny by then caught up to me, looking at Angela who was trailing behind, "dude, what is with you and redheads?"

"Bite me," I hissed, looking around the landscape I found a range of mountains just over the horizon, "there, we stop there. I'm sure we can find some place to hide."

"Eh, I don't think I can carry Drax that long," Johnny grumbled, "don't have super strength you know."

"Right, Drax, grab my hand," I reached out. The alien did so without a moment's hesitation, it was a little jarring, given his weight, but I managed to hold him. "Go ahead and scout out a place for us to land."

"Got it," Johnny said before blasting off, soaring like a comet through the sky.

"Let go of me mortal!" Angela cried out, shaking her hand from my grip, "I demand you release me at once!"

"Not until we get somewhere safe," I replied, "and stop shaking, you might fall."

"I care not for your worries. Put me down this instant or-"

"-I can remove the slave chip," I told her, looking down as anger gave way to surprise, "I've had some experience with them, I can help."

She was silent for a moment, clearly considering it. "Fine," she said finally, now silent, no longer shaking like a leaf in the wind.

I flew us to the mountain range and Johnny sent up a flare, guidning us ot a well hidden cave whose mouth was located on the side of a very steep cliff. No way anyone was climbing up here, you could only reach this place by flying.

We landed inside and I let go of Drax and Angela, both of them rubbing their now probably sore hands. As soon as my feet touched the ground, Angela changed me, tackling me against the wall as she withdrew a broken spear tip from her robes, placing it under my neck.

"You two don't move or I'll slice his neck open," she hissed at a surprise Drax and Johnny, before turning me, her pupiless eyes boring into my soul, "who are you three and why did you help me?"

I looked down at the spear tip, "where did you even hide that? I mean, we're wearing the same kind of clothes and I can barely move."

"Answer my question, now!" she growled, pressing it deeper against my neck, deep enough to draw blood.

"My name is Peter Parker, I'm the leader of the Avengers, a galactic virtuous mercenary group. You might have heard of us."

"I have never heard of you," she spat.

I frowned, "I really need to talk to Scott about increasing our popularity."

"Why did you help me?!" she roared, pressing the spear tip harder against my neck.

"Alright, alright," I put my hands up in surrender, "I don't want to hurt you, none of us do, so mayne, lower the sharp pointy thing?" I motioned to the spear, speaking in slowly tones like one would a frightened animal.

She hesitated, looking at me and my teammates. Slowly, she removed the spear tip and stepped back, looking at us three as she slowly backed against the mouth of the cave "why did you help me?"

"We were looking for someone," I replied, "a friend," I reached into my backpack and took out the Phoenix tracker, "she gives off a very peculiar energy signature, one you can't duplicate. And when we followed it...it lead us to you."

"Clearly we have never met," Angela replied.

"Yeah...but something tells me there's more to this story than what meets the eye," I eyed the woman in white robes. She was favouring her left leg over her right, clearly she was hurt. Her eyes, creepy and pupiless they may be, were hollow, she had been deprived of sleep.

In all honesty she looked ready to collapse on the spot, the only reason she hasn't is because of adrenaline.

"So..." Johnny began, "are you really and angel?"

She turned to me, clearly pissed, "do you not think I am one?"

"Well you're certainly pretty as an angel," Johnny replied before he could stop himself. He blinked, turned to me, "don't tell Carina."

I smiled and shrugged, "don't know what you are talking about," I looked an Angela, "if you are an Angel from Heaven...what are you doing here?"

"Wait, Heaven is real?" Johnny asked.

"What I'm doing is none of your business mortal," Angela hissed.

"Well considering I just saved you life and I'm also the only one in this whole planet who can help you remove that slave chip, I suggest you answer my questions," I replied back.

"Guys, are we seriously just going to gloss over the fact Heaven is real?" Johnny asked again.

I rolled my eyes, "Johnny, dude, we have met Thor, a literal God. What's to say Heaven isn't real as well?"

"You have met the Thunderer?" Angela asked in voice of both awe and shock, "and you lived to tell the tale?"

I raised an eyebrow, "yes...why wouldn't I?"

"Considering that all Asgaurdians are heartless monsters, I would say it's a miracle you lived," Angela replied, "I may have misjudged you mortal, you are braver than you look."

"Gee thanks."

"Wait, Thor isn't a bad guy," Johnny spoke up, "I mean, he's a hero. He literally helped save our world."

"He is probably doing that to trick you," Angela hissed, "gain your trust, lower your defenses before conquering your world like his tyrant father."

"This sounds dangerous," Drax grumbled, "Peter, are you sure you can trust this Thor person?"

"With my life," I replied without a moment's hesitation, I looked over Angela, "Angela...Heaven, was it ever at war with Odin and Asgard at one point?"

"Yes," she nodded, "they were our most dangerous foes. In the end, victory was ours, but in a final move of cowardice, the tyrant Odin destroyed the branch of the Yggdrasil hyperlane, cutting us off from the rest of the universe changing us in our own planet. It took us centuries to build one again, bastards."

It came to me like a bolt of lightning. Odin, a wingless angel with red hair named Angela. The Phoenix force present inside her system. Oh my god…

"Angela," I half yelled, startling everyone, "your parents, what were their names?"

The woman looked confused, "why do you wish to know my mother's name?"

"Mother? No father?" I asked quickly.

"Angel's don't consider the male donor to have any family ties to the child," she said quickly, "they are little more than bed warmers, nothing more."

"I see, so who was your male donor?" I asked.

Angela shrugged, "my mother didn't know. It didn't matter."

I clicked my teeth in frustration, "fine, your mother...is she still alive?"

"No," Angela shook her head, "she departed from this mortal coil many a millennium ago."

Drax's eyes winded, "so how old are you?"

"I lost track," Angela shrugged, "ten thousand and some odd years old. Angels are very long lived."

I scratched my chin, "I see...your mother, did she have red hair like you?" It was a stretch, but Odin did say the last host of the Phoenix he saw had red hair like Jean.

"No, my mother had hair as black as coal," Angela narrowed her eyes, "why are you suddenly curious of my lignage?"

"No reason, besides, you never told us what you, an angel from heaven, is doing on a planet like this," I deflected the question.

"I am doin what all angels would do," she replied with a snort, "I was answering a prayer."

"A prayer?" I asked, shocked.

Angela nodded, "yes. The people of this land are being treated as nothing more than slaves to buy their ruler, Tyros, that bastard you kicked off the platform. He killed their previous ruler and took over with his army of followers and his abilities."

"He has powers?" Johnny asked.

Angela nodded, "yes, command over the planet. He can control the soil with his mind, which is the only reason I was captured," she growled, looking down at the robes she wore, "stupid disguise didn't help at all."

I nodded, "I see...tell me, by any chance, have you seen this woman?" I took out an SA and pulled up a picture. It was one where Wanda, Felicia, Jean and I were sitting in the couch in the London sanctum, happy and smiling. I zoomed in on Jean's face and turned to Angela.

She narrowed her eyes, "I will answer you question," I sighed in relief, but then she pulled down the helm of her robe, revealing the slave chip, "after you keep your end of the deal. Remove this thing from me this instant."

I sighed, "fine," I held up my SA and activated the debugging program I had made to conter just this kind of slavery controler.

Angela raised an eyebrow, "are you not doing anything?"

"I am," I pointed to the SA, "many of the slaves I've released had these kinds of tags. I've developed a program to disable them wirelessly. Tell me, how exactly did Tyros get this level of technology? From what I can tell it's much more advanced for the level this civilization should be capable off."

"His overlords of the Shi'ar Empire gave it to him," Angela hissed as the chip started to sting.

"Sorry, but the pain will go away soon."

"I can handle pain," she grunted.

"So," Johnny cleared his throat, "the Shi'ar Empire support him?"

Angela nodded, "yes. In exchange for their support, Tyros allows them to mine form his planets and has his own people serve as their slave labour," her teeth clicked, "bastard."

"I see," I hummed, "any chance we run into them anytime soon?"

"No," Angela grunted, "they don't bother unless it affects them. What taking so long Parker of the Avengers? I thought you have done this many times before"

"I have, It should be done...now."

There was a click as suddenly the chip on Angela's neck turned dark before falling onto the ground, dead.

"There, I kept my side of the deal," I put the SA away, now talk.

Angela adjusted her robes and smiled, "no, I haven't." And then she exploded into flames.

"What the shit?!" Johnny cried out as he and Drax backed away. I held my hands up, protecting my eyes from the heat and dust flying at me, but my focus was fully on the now transformed creature before me.

The white robes burnt off her body, yet her skin was unharmed. The flames reduced, leaving her bare, wearing armour that was so tightly bound around her body it looked to me made out of leather rather than metal.

A golden vest around her torso, leaving her midriff bare. Golden shoulder pads that ran down her arm to vambraces that sparkled silver. Around her hips was a large belt that had plates of armour coming down her thigh and along her legs were knee high metal boots, sparkling gold.

"I thank you for your help," she said with a nod, "but I have my duties to attend. I hope you find who you are looking for, Peter Parker of the Avengers," and without another word, she walked up to the cave opening and jumped.

"Wait!" Drax moved to stop her, but instead of falling down the step mountain side, the woman who claimed to be an angel, flew.

I saw her flying across the sky in a trail of ember. Embers...not flames. She wasn't the Phoenix...she was...she was her daughter?

"What now?" Johnny asked, "are we just going to...I don't know, let her go?"

"Give me a minute," I replied, walking to a large flat headed rock in the cave and sat down. I closed my eyes and began to think.

Angela, there was no doubt in my mind of who, or rather what, she was. A child of Heaven that didn't know her father? A mother who long since passed? Locked away from the world with red hair and traces of the Phoenix's power?

There was only one person who I recalled from my past who matched this description.

Aldrif Odinsdottir, lost child of Odin. In the 616 universe she was...I don't know much about her other than she is Thor's long lost sister, but in this world, if the clues are being assembled in the right manner, she could be much more important than I thought.

A child of the Phoenix… and Odin. did he know? Did he know the first woman he ever loved was pregnant? No… if he did he would have not stopped until he found her. Odin is many things, but his love for the Phoenix, that I cannot question.

I sighed, there was no point staying here. Angela wasn't the red head I was looking for and while she is...important, I think it wouldn't be a good idea to be involved any more than I am. Maybe if I see Odin next I could ask him if he knew of her...but until then, it was time to move on.

I took out the Phoenix tracker, "Sexy, ignore Angela's signature and run the program again. Is there any other signature of the Phoenix out there? Anything matching or equal to her level?"

It took a moment, but nothing happened, "I'm sorry Peter, but no. There is not a single other Phoenix force signature similar to that of Angela 's."

"What if Jean's hiding it?" Johnny asked, "what if she knows she is being hunted and is keeping her powers lower than normal?"

I sighed, "Sexy, show what happens if you display everything single touch of the Phoenix force."

The holographic map of the known universe came up and instantly a million tiny lights came on, almost dwarfing the stars themselves.

"The Phoenix is old Johnny," I shook my head, "it has been almost everywhere in the universe, twice. Our best lead was to go for the strongest signature, but now..."

"What about the flying woman?" Drax asked, "if she returns, she will surely die this time."

I shrugged, "I doubt that. She's a tough nut to crack."

"B-but shouldn't we like help or something?" Johnny asked. I looked up and raised an eyebrow, he continued, "I mean, isn't that why you made the Avengers? To stop tyranny? To help those who are oppressed?"

I sighed, "Johny, it's not that simple. Unless we are hired to act we can't. If we do then we'll be no better than the Shi'ar EMpire, coming in wherever we want and doing whatever we want."

"Fuck that," Johnny hissed, "you know we aren't like that! Come on Peter, we can help these people, don't tell me you don't want that!"

I looked at Johnny, holding his glare. Finally, I cracked a smile, "you think she's hot don't you?"

"Dude!"

I threw my hands up, "all I'm saying is I've seen how Carina looks at Felicia's butt, the girl definitely isn't straight as an arrow. And from what I understand, her species is more open about relationships than most so...you already know you would have my support in a three way relationship."

"Dude!"

"Alright, alright," I smiled, pushing myself up, "but first, we need to research. Which means," I snapped my fingers, casting the glamour charm on us three again, "we need to mingle with the population. Find out exactly what's happening...if Angela's claims are real or made up."

"You think she's lying?" Drax asked.

I shrugged, "either that or she made a mistake. Anyway, let me just contact Rocket and tell him we'll be down here awhile and to take some rest."

So after a very short exchange with the annoyed racoon, we once again traveled to the capital city. This time getting in was harder as people were more closely inspected than before, but luckily my glamour charm held up perfectly well even under the most strictest scrutiny.

I pick the pockets of a few guards and gained some of the local currency, obviously these guys didn't take galactic units. We looked around for a bit, thinking if Angela was serious she would make her move and it would be big. But it seemed the woman had since as we didn't hear anything about a red haired flying angel.

After an hour or so, we decided to find a bar, which is the best place for gossip. Liquor made for lose lips and if there's one universal constant, it was alcohol.

We stepped into the local tavern and found it almost bursting with people. It was the middle of the day from what I could tell and people were already getting drunk. While that was good for us, it said much about the poor condition of the country's workforce.

We sat down on a table far away and a server came to us quickly. It was a female, judging by the curves the robes failed to hide. She had black hair coming down to her hips and a smile as forced as the civility was in this place.

"What can I get you three?" she asked.

Drax huffed, "your finest mead."

"I'll have the same," Johnny added with a smile.

I shrugged, "water."

The waitress shot me a look, raising an eyebrow, "you come to a bar to order water?"

I shrugged, "I have a very high tolerance, any alcohol is wasted on me. Didn't want to deprive someone else of the much needed comfort."

"What's this I hear about high tolerance?" asked a loud voice as a heavy hand slapped my shoulder. I looked up and found a man with a large beard and balding head. I saw traces of mead in his beard, knotting it up in places.

"Gregor, you need to sit back down," the waitress huffed, "I don't want to kick you like last week, but if you behave like this to all our customers I can't have you here anymore."

"Oh come on lass, I'm just saying hello," the man laughed, his voice booming. He turned to me, "what say you lad? Fancy a drinking contest?"

I raised an eyebrow, "excuse me?"

"Drinking contest!" he laughed, "never had one? Don't blame you, look young enough to be a milk drinker."

The waitress sighed, "ignore him. He's just trying to trick you into paying his tab. He does this every time he can't pay."

I smiled, perfect chance to gain some reputation and get someone drunk enough to talk, "alright, I'm in."

"Oh God help me," the woman threw her hands up in annoyance, "oye! Yoru! Gregor's doing it again!"

"That a boy!" Gregor smiled as he pulled up a chair and sat across from me, between Johnny and Drax, "the loser has to pay the whole tab!"

I shrugged, "fine. Waitress, bring us two pitches."

The woman sighed, whispering, "I hope your rich." She came back later with two giant pitches and two mugs for Drax and Johnny.

"Peter, make us proud," Drax said proudly, "I will not follow a man who cannot hold his own in a drinking contest!"

"Be gentle with him," Johnny said, tapping my shoulder.

Gregor smiled, grabbed his pitch of ale, "your friends have a lot of confidence in you boy!"

I smirked, "I know," I reached up and pulled the pitcher to me, "on the count of three?"

"Please, allow me," the man smiled, "one, two, three!" He raised his pitcher and began chugging a drink. He was halfway done when I spoke up.

"Done," I burped, smashing the pitcher onto the table, "another!"

The waitress and the small crowd around us was in shock. Gregor himself choked a little before gathering himself and finishing the pitcher. But by then the next round had come and I already had mine in hand, drinking it down in earnest.

For the next seven rounds I lead while Gregor struggled to catch up. The man wasn't without his moments, one time he even took the lead on my during the third round, but by the sixth pitcher of mead he had fallen behind again. And by the seventh...well.

Boom!

He collapsed off his chair, mumbling words that I couldn't make out. I stood up, chugging the last of the pitcher before smashing the drink into the ground, shattered the clay container and yelling, "who's next?!"

The drinking continued well into twilight. Wagers were made and people kept losing. I drank so many people under the table even Drax grew worried for my liver. But I felt fine, which was both a curse and a gift. Damn my heightened tolerance.

By then Gregor had woken up from his drunken comma and face to face with the dark reality, his tab. He tried to sneak off paying, but the waitress was very convincing, threatening to ban him forever.

I honestly thought he would be angry at me, but after paying the tab, he went right back to sharing a drink, laughing all the while.

"Fifteen years, and no one once beat me! You have some balls on you after all huh kids?!" he roared with laughter, the small crowd we had no gathered joining in.

"Yes well, that is my curse," I shrugged, looking to Johnny and nodding.

"So," Johnny spoke up, "did anyone catching that execution?"

Suddenly, the mod changed. Everyone was silent, a few ever looked like they sobered up from being in an inebriated state just a few seconds ago. Gregor and the older ones looked around, after a moment they leaned in and whispered.

"You need to be quite with your lips boy," he hissed, "if the guards were here they would have our heads for even talking about this."

Johnny flinched, "s-sorry."

Gregor sighed, "can't blame you for being curious...damn shame what happened."

"The woman escaping?" Drax asked.

"No, her failing," Gregor hissed as slowly it became obvious everyone gathered there seemed to share the same opinion.

"Tyros is a monster, isn't he," I stated, "if that woman from Heaven killed him we could have been free."

Gregor nodded, "aye, you speak true boy. Damn shame she had failed. We would have crowned her a miracle is she had won, a hero to the people she would have been."

"The guards were the reason she lost," one man said, "I heard she had Tyros by the neck, only lost because of the numbers."

"But what if she did win?" Johnny asked, "I mean, who would rule in Tyros place? What if the guy who comes next is just as bad?"

"Were you dropped on the head boy?" Gregor hissed, "everyone knows the next in line would be the late king's daughter Washi. The woman was raped and forced to marry her rapist. She is sure to hate Tyros as much as we do. If she became queen...I can only imagine what would happen next."

"Yes...if only," I raised my drink and sipped it. It seems I had a chance.

Night time:

"Spread out! Lord Tyros wants them found and in chains!" a guard cried out as he sent several men down the alleyways, hoping to catch the mysterious strangers that had saved the would be assassin from before.

They marched down an abandoned alley, searching every household and street. When they were done, the lid of a nearby still trash bucket was lifted as Angela climbed out.

She hated hiding like a rat, like a thief. But she had to. Her weapons were lost, she needed to get them back. She felt naked without them and until she did, she would lose again to Tyros's powers.

Managing to sneak her way past the guards, Angela made her way to the royal palace. The castle looked dangerous, looming overhead with the shadow of night bathing it's features with only the random torches of fire displaying portions of its majesty.

The castle was pressed against several buildings in the city, climbing onto the roof of one close by building Angela leaped across the wall, using her embers to glide down into the castle's garden.

She rolled and quickly hide behind some bushes. The empty night sky covered her in darkness, she waited, holding her breath as several guards pass by. Looking around, she found a balcony directly above her though which she could enter.

A small window of opportunity presented itself and she took it. Slipping behind a passing patrol, Angela leaped, using her embers to fly into the balcony and land in a kneel.

She snuck inside and came upon a long hallway, decorated with a red carpet and statues of Tyros. She snarled, but restrained herself from spitting on the monster's image. Suddenly, the clicking of guards shoes was heard approaching her, Angela looked around and quickly leaped into the nearest door and slipped inside.

She carefully shut the door behind her and looked into the room she was in. It was a trophy room of sorts, grand is design with several items of note put up on pedestals with beams of light bathing them.

The trophy room, it seemed the Fates were smiling on her that day. Angela walked in and looked around, finding several grouse trophies kept inside with plaques explaining what they were and their importance.

The first was the mummified head of the previous ruler, displayed in a jar of green liquid. Next was the blood stained sheets of Tysons bed, the blood being the proof of Tyros claiming the virginity of the previous king's only daughter, who was now his wife.

Angela's anger and hatred only grew as she saw each sadistic trophy tyro had collected. Just as she debated about burning this whole room to the ground, she suddenly spotted something in the middle of the room, her very own weapons put on a rack for display.

She reached down and carefully picked up first the ribbons curled around the trophy case. They were white and gold, warm to the touch. The first gift her adoptive mother had ever given to her. So connected was she to them, that her blood boiled at the very idea of anyone else touching them sav her.

Taking the several feet long ribbons, she securely tied them around her arms. With a faint smile she turned to the others. The Blades of Ichor, two brown handles, containing within them golden liquid metal that took the shape of any bladed weapon. And Xiphos, the Sword of the Stars, a legendary blade she earned through many trials and tribulations.

She reached out to claim them, only for the ground to suddenly explode upwards and a wall of stone come over the trophy case.

"You are a simple prey," the emerging voice of Tyros called out behind her. Angela turned slowly, and there he was, standing with a small army of guards behind him, all with their weapons drawn. "Did you even stop to consider I was expecting you?"

Angela growled as she stood up, "I didn't think you were that smart."

Tyros smirked, "but where are you friends? Abandoned you have they?"

"I need no friends," Angela spat out, throwing her arms forward, releasing the ribbons around her arms. They flew like snakes, slicing across the necks of several surprised guards, bathing the ground with their blood.

She controlled them telepathically, waving an orchestra of death. But slowly the soldier's grew her petty attacks, managing to block her whip's with their shields, until Tyros himself stepped in.

"Enough," he growled as two large stone fists sprang out of the ground, grabbing Angela's ribbons and pinning them against the ground. "Grab her and don't let go."

Angela roared, pulling her ribbons free, shattering the stone constructs. The guards charged, and the first one to get close, felt the fury of an Angel's fist against his skull, breaking it open and sending him flying back into a wall, the back of his head shattered open.

"ARGH!" she roared, embers flaring alive around her, cloaking her in flames as she pounded away at the guards trying, and failing, to restrain her.

Tyros clicked his teeth, "enough of this."

A shadow came over Angela, she turned, just in time to see a whole wall to her left leap at her. It ploughed mercilessly through the soldiers and hit her with the force of a freight train, sending her flying through the trophy room walls and into the corridor outside.

Angela rolled across the floor, growling as the pain from the collision. She looked up just in time to see Tyros walk out, his men right behind him. She got to her feet, just as several slabs of stone rose up from the ground at flew at her.

Angela's ribbons flew out, wrapping around the slabs and throwing it at the oncoming soldiers. She clicked her teeth, her weapons were left behind, she was powerless without them. She was going to be cornered and captured, again. She needed to move, now.

She hated to run from a fight but the numbers weren't with her. She turned and ran, "stop her!" Tyros roared, they chased after her, but Angela was faster.

She came across several guards in her path, but they were few and she sliced through them like a hot knife through butter. Her ribbons were bathed in blood, but with a gentle flick, the crimson material came sliding right off.

She ran through the corridors until she reached the vast open grounds of the castle gardens. The garden were huge, with several pathways leading around a small hill on top of which rested a fountain with sparkling water running down.

"We have you woman," Angela tired and there stood Tyros and his small army of guards. They quickly moved, surrounded Angela, forcing her up the hill in the garden.

"This time, I'll have them cut your arms and legs," Tyros growled. Angela sent her whips after his neck, but a wall of stone protected him from harm, "silly bird, don't you know stone crushes ribbons and embers?"

Angela jumped, flying away in a trail of embers, but before she could leave an arrow from the bow of a gaurd came flying at her, plunging into her shoulder. Blood oozed out and the second her concentration broke, she began falling.

She reached out desperately to the air, but the ground was coming quick. And in the last moment, a flash of fire came behind her, grabbing her body and holding it tightly in a pair of arms that were aflame.

"What in Heaven's name?!" she cried out, turning to the man whose arms she was in.

"Hey! Thought we'd find you here," the one she remembered called Johnny smirked.

"What are you doing here Avenger? I thought you had left?" Angela asked as Johnny brought her down near the entrance to the gardens, where Peter, the green one and a woman stood in wait.

As soon as Johnny landed Angela pushed off him and stood on her own two feet. The three men Angela recognized, but not the woman. She was dressed in robes of purple and gold, a crown in the shape of blades around her head and jewels adorning her body. She stood tall and proud with sharp features and hair so smooth and shining they reflected the lights of torches around the castle.

Tyros stepped forward, "wife? What is the meaning of this?"

The woman's eyes hardened, "I am not your wife. I am your whore and you are a rapist to me and a plague unto my people. A tumor upon the very soul of Birj, so you will be removed, by force."

"And who is that will remove me?" Tyros laughed, looking at the three men surrounding her, "those three...strangers?"

"They are called the Avengers," the woman said proudly, "guardians of the innocent, deliveries of justice and the ones I called to end your reign."

Tyros looked at the three men, and then threw his head back and laughed, "them?! Those three are the ones who you gamble this little rebellion on?! Guards! Kill them all."

"Johnny, draw a line," Peter spoke plainly. Johnny threw one hand forward and shot a fire boltd, carving a line in the stone path. Peter stepped forward and in front of Angela's very own eyes the clothes he wore began to change.

Gone were the plain white and brown robes, in its place was black and red suit with a black spider motif on the front and back. He looked older than she gave credit for, eyes aged much more than the body.

"The next person to cross that line, dies," Peter said, before pointing at Tyros, "expect you. You we've been paid to bring in alive."

Tyros smirked, "you need an army for that boy."

A mask appeared over his face, red with black lines running down with big white leaf shaped lens for eyes, "well then, it's a good thing I am an army," he charged, right behind him were his teammates.

He leaped over the line of fire and aimed directly for Tyros. The guards that got in his ways were sent flying away by these red hands made out of energy, flinging them across the garden. The ones who crossed the line of fire to attack the queen came face to face with Drax's knives who cut them down, of Johnny's flames which, while didn't burn them alive, did seem to send them scream in terror.

Angela got up to help, flinching from the pain of the arrow. "Please, don't get up," the queen replied as she came to Angela's side. Worry was written all over her face, "you have done enough my angel."

Angela reached around to the arrow inside her body and with one motions pulled the wretched thing out.

"Ergh!" Angela cried in pain, even as her wounds slowly closed up.

"Careful," the queen replied, "can you stand?"

Angela nodded as did just that. She then looked to the woman, "it was you, wasn't it? It was your prayers which I heard."

The Queen smiled, "yes. It was. And you came, just like you said you would in my dreams."

"I...I didn't do anything," Angela replied, turning to the men cleaving apart Tyro's army, "they did."

"Aye, and you brought them here, did you not?" to which Angela couldn't argue.

She watched as the guards were mowed down, Drax and Johnny made short work of people, but it was a battle against Tyros that drew Angela's eye.

The guards around Tyros was being beaten across the garden by Parker, flying away thanks to those red hands. When he reached Tyros himself the man quickly put up a giant stone barrier between him and Parker, but that didn't deter the man.

He cocked back his fist and threw it forward, an aura of red energy surrounding it. Flesh met stone, and in an explosion of bright red light;

BOOM!

The stone wall shattered. Leaping through the hole he made Parker grabbed Tyros by the collar with one hand and raised him into the air. Suddenly spears of stone came flying out the ground, all aiming for his neck, and that's when Angela saw the man move.

He first threw Tyros away and then bending in such a way Angela didn't think was possible. He managed to duck and swirl away from the rock spears, leaping away and landing before Tyros, who was slowly getting back to his feet.

The master of rock then played his hidden Ace, the reason Angela lost to him. The ground itself leaped up and covered the tyrant from head to toe, armouring him up with pebbles and rocks that swiftly hardened, creating a golem where the mortal once stood.

Angela's embers were useless against his armour, her blades unable to cut deeply enough and her ribbons nothing more than paper. Even her legendary blade was rendered moot as the surface was too well done, too well protected.

Seeing the form, even the queen began to look worried, biting her lip nervously. Tyros roared, "I shall have your skull as my drinking cup boy!"

And then, lightning seemed to come alive inside the garden as bolt of blue light bathed the ground. Angela covered her eyes, and when she opened them, Parker's fist was inches from Tyros' mouth.

KRAKOOM!

There was an explosion of thunder and Tyros was sent flying upwards into the stars itself. With one leap the man in red and black followed behind, a blur of lightning trailing as he flew upwards.

Angela watched as the man began knocking Tyros around in the air, chunks of the ground was chipped away from his armour. Lightning zipped across the sky, flashing from one corner to another, Tyros was being smacked around like a ball.

Boom!

He was sent flying through a watchtower.

Boom!

He was brought against the walls of the castle and his head was dragged along the walls, breaking them apart with his skull.

Boom!

He was launched once more into the sky as slowly the leader of the Avengers grew a specter of a giant hammer around his body. It grew larger and larger as the red hammer began to take the shape of the mythical Mjoner.

When Tyros came down, Parker swung his hammer, hitting him and sending him out into the city, into one of the markets in the heart of the capital.

BOOM!

The middle of the market place was leveled to a crater. The guards still standing were shocked into stillness, none of them moved, none breathed.

"Oh shit! He's doing his hammer of God thing!" Johnny cried out as he came down and picked up Drax, flying me to the Queen and Angela, landing and then dropped to a crouch. Drax followed him and he looked up at two women still standing, "you really should be ducking."

Angela looked upwards and saw the giant hammer sparkle with electricity. Parker was floating above the crater Tyros made, he held it up and then turned it upside down, before letting go. The hammer dropped faster and faster, it's momentum pushing a rush of wind aside as lightning crackled around its body.

"Get down!" Angela cried as she grabbed the Queen and pulled her away, protecting the woman with her body.

KRAKOOM!

It was the sound of lightning striking the ground a dozen times over. The very ground shook as suddenly people in the city began to scream.

Angela looked up, the Queen as safe, holding onto Angela's side for dear life. Slowly they rose, looking at the level market.

"We need to get there," the queen replied, turning to Angela, "please."

Angela nodded as she lifted the queen into the air, flying away from the castle at the marketplace, Johnny and Drax right behind them.

A large crowd was already forming around the smoking crater. Hoards of people had come out to see what was going on, what had caused all the noise they had heard. The queen and her escorts landed at the edge of the crater, immediately everyone knew something was going to happen, something to change the fate of their world.

The smoke slowly cleared away, and out of the dust walked a figure, Parker, and on his shoulders was an unctuous Tyros, bleeding from so many places he looked drenched in blood and so many broken bones something creaked with every step Parker took.

People gasped, both in awe, terror, and utter disbelief. Some feared the man was here to kill them all, somehow still being able to move despite being so broken. But no, the monster didn't stir and all eyes turned to the one holding him on his shoulders.

Parker dropped the unctuous and defeated tyrant at the feet of the Queen. He bowed, "my queen. It is done...our payment?"

Angela looked shocked, "payment?"

"One that I will give gladly," the queen walked forward, taking off the crown on top of her head. She stepped over her husband's beaten and destroyed body, bowing before Parker, presenting the crown to him, "as agreed per our contract. The crown."

"What?!" Angela cried out, "you are doing this to become king of this planet?!"

Parker however didn't look offended, in fact he snorted, "I'm already the king of a planet, heck, I'm the king of a solar system. I did this, for the crown. Johnny?" He tossed the crown to the blonde, who caught it easily.

"Let's light this puppy up!" Johnny smiled as his hands exploded into flames, startling the people around. Slowly the golden crown began to heat up, one could see smoke rising up, tearing Johnny's eyes, but he didn't stop. He kept going until the crown began to melt, turning into liquid which was poured onto the ground.

The Queen stepped forward, everyone's eyes were looking at her, Peter, Drax, Johnny and Angela. Confused, hopeful, excited.

What now? What could be enough to lift the air of utter terror that was life for these people for the last decade? What could possible explain what was next? What could she say?

"My people," she said, "we are free."

The people roared in joy. Apparently, that was enough.

Late into the night with Peter:

"Bah! This one really can't get drunk!" Gregor cried out as I slammed down another pitcher of liquor. Everyone laughed with him, the now fully drunk man swinging an arm around me, "so you're an alien are you boy?"

I smiled, "I am sorry for deceiving you."

"Hahaha! Think nothing of it my boy!" Gregor laughed, "if it meant saving our sorry hides, you can device us all a hundred times over!"

The bar exploded in laughter as everyone chimed in, giving me their thanks. Just then Johnny came through the crowd, "Pete! We got something."

"Ah! Our second saviour! The man of flames!" gregor cried, "you here to drink too boy?!"

"Tempting, but not right now," Johnny turned to me, "Pete, quickly?"

"Drax?"

Johnny sighed, looking to one corner of the tavern where said man was snoring on a table, pitchers of mead spread out all around him.

I rolled my eyes and nodded as we got up and left. It took awhile for me to leave as I had to make my way through dozens of grateful people who all thought now was the best time to say their piece. Many was just pilot and said thank you, but others felt it needed I listen to them ramble on about why I should have killed Tyros or something like that.

Leaving the tavern however didn't change the enjoyable atmosphere at all as the entire city was awake and celebrating. The streets were littered with lanterns as parents woke up their children from their sleep to celebrate.

The streets were once again alive with food and drinks flowing freely. People walked hand in hand as brothers and sisters, laughing and talking into the night.

It almost makes me wish I could stay for a bit longer. Alas, work called. Johnny and I took off into the sky, flying in the direction of the castle.

"What's this about?" I asked Johnny.

"The Queen said something important came up," he replied, "insisted you come."

We landed in the courtyard and were escorted inside. A gaurd guided us to the dining room, when the doors opened, we stopped in our tracks.

Angela was sitting at the head of the table, and on her lap was the Queen, running her fingers through Angela's hair and sealing her lips on the angel's own. We could hear their moans all the way from across the room, Johnny's jaw dropped while the gaurd just seemed to blush.

"So I guess the threesome idea is not going to work out huh?" I learned to Johnny and whispered.

"Dude!" Johnny cried out, startling Angela and Queen enough to break them out of their heated session.

"Ah, you're here," the Queen said, quickly standing up and straightening her gown. She turned to the gaurd, "you may leave."

The gaurd bowed and quickly left. I smiled, "we could come some other time. I know how exciting a victory can be for one's sex life."

"Thank you, but no, this is urgent," the Queen said as she motioned us three to follow as she took us into the castle's many corridors. We reached a flight of stairs leading down into the castle's bowls, and after four flights, we finally reached a dark and depressing level that had no windows and smelled of blood, feces and something else I couldn't identify.

"The dungeons?" I asked as we passed through an iron gate surrounded by several guards that bowed as we went in.

"Yes," the Queen replied as she crushed her nose, "it was filled with those who opposed my former husband's rule. I've set them all free, there is only one person kept here at this time."

We stood at a jail cell and bathed under the faint light of the torch hanging across from hall, was Tyros' beaten and broken form, kneeling in the middle of the cell. He was chained with the very chains he used to keep Angela at bay, I even spotted a control chip on his neck.

He looked up, beaten and broken, but his eyes promsied murder and death to those he looked at. "My Queen bitch, her whore, her dogs."

"Spider," I pointed at my chest, "or did you not see the giant fucking embelm?"

"Is that your name? Spider?" Tyros asked.

I nodded, "it is. As far as you're concerned."

"Well then Spider, I promise you now...your death, will be at my hands," he spat.

"Get in line," I smirked.

"Why didn't you just, I don't know, execute him?" Johnny asked the Queen.

"Because that would be too easy," the Queen replied, turning to us, "our laws have a punishment for ones like him, monsters, bastard, enemy to the planet. He is to be sent into exile, far away from the city, forced to live out the rest of his days in loneliness."

"That would just allow him to regain his strength and come back even stronger," Angela objected, "kill him now and get it over with."

The Queen shook her head, "no.. he will suffer and he will live...live with the shame he has...but I will not send him somewhere on the planet, you are right when you say he will come back for vengeance. No...I will send him into the stars, the Shi'ar gave us a ship to be used for emergency reasons. That will be his tomb...but that is not why I brought you here."

"Then why?" I asked, turning to the queen.

She turned to me, "I hear your mercenary group is powerful, is it not?"

I nodded, "we are, yes."

"Good, then I wish to hire you, permanently," the Queen added.

I raised an eyebrow, "listen, no offence, but I cannot afford to put aside resources for permanent protection for just one planet. We need every ship we have and every member we have."

"I heard you are mortal enemies with the Shi'ar Empire, yes?"

I shrugged, "I wouldn't say mortal, they just don't like us very much is all..."

"Either way...I wish to suside from the Shi'ar Empire, they are as cold and calculating as my former husband," she spat the title, eyeing the man who just smirked, "but we will require protection from their certain retribution...as such, I was hoping-"

"-I'm sorry...but now," I shook my head, "I cannot..."

She sighed, "I thought so..."

"Ah, I don't want to sound rude, but why exactly did you have to bring us here for this?" Johnny asked yeeing the dirty dungeons, "I mean, couldn't you have just told us all this in the nice clean dining area upstairs?"

"Because of the second reward I promised the Spider," the Queen as she opened the door, "do with him as you will. But remember, no killing."

I nodded, "won't be an issue," I stepped inside and took out a small cloth swab I managed to find in the city streets. Using it I took several different DNA samples from Tyros, who, while didn't seem bothered, did look confused.

I put the samples away and turned to the queen, "I have them, thank you."

"That is all?" the queen asked in surprise, "are you sure you don't require an arm or a limb for your experiment to work?"

I chuckled, "I'm not a mad man. Just a curious one. Thank you for this Queen Nyxa, it will help me greatly."

"I'm sure," she ordered the door shut and lead us out the dungeons, "how long will you be staying?"

"We'll leave by tomorrow afternoon," I replied, "our ships will be here by then."

"Ships?" the Queen asked.

I nodded, "I originally thought there was going to be a large fight...guess I was wrong."

"You should probably tell them not to come," Johnny spoke up.

I smiled, "no, let them. Even if we didn't find Jean, it would do will to have a break once in a while. And since the entire city seems like they won't stop partying for a week or so I think it would be nice to let everyone have some fun."

Angela looked at me with narrowed eyes, "so you are bringing an army here?"

I nodded, "something like that."

"I will need to make arrangements for food and drinks," the Queen replied, "this will take a lot of resources."

"Don't worry, we have goods to compensate you nicely...do you take galactic units?"

Dawn:

It was a wild night for most people, Johnny ended up passing out drunk while I had to go and find Drax, who was in an alleyway also passed out.

But that was the night, now, as the star rose on the horizon, I looked down from the palace balcony and smiled as slowly the partying died down a little. Many were asleep already, but there was no mistake that they fully intended to get back to celebrating the moment they woke up.

But now things were finally getting quite. I took a deep breath and let it out, sipping the warm mead in my hand I sighed. The alcohol felt very much like warm coco, since it didn't really affect me physically or mentaly.

"Have you ever stopped drinking?" a voice called out behind me. I turned to see Angela there, looking disgusted at the liquor in my hand, "such a vile thing."

"You don't like liquor?" I asked, surprised.

"Distasteful," she spat, joining me at the balcony ledge, "in Heaven we have no need for such things."

"So you have never tasted it?" I asked.

"Clearly not," she huffed.

The daughter of Odin has never drunk liquor. That might big the biggest insult ever done to the god's name. I held out my cup, "here. Try it."

"No," she glared.

"It's very good," I replied, "the Queen herself picked it out."

Angela narrowed her eyes, she reached out slowly and took the offered drink. She sniffed it and flinched, "it smells."

"It does, trust me, you get used to it," I smiled.

She sighed, closing her eyes and tasting the drink like a child would medicine, ready to spit it out at a moments notice. But the moment the liquor hit her though, her eyes shoot open as a sound of pleasant surprise rang out her mouth.

"That is...amazing!" Angela cried out, quickly finishing the drink, wiping away the foam on her lips, "ten thousand years! How have I not tasted this before?!"

I chuckled, "you tell me," I leaned forward and looked at the city, "tell me...how does Heaven look?"

Angela leaned forward, "well...it's...indescribable. It has clouds and high mountains. It's cities are golden, the steps are...golden. It's statues are..."

"Golden?" I snorted, looking at her suit, "guess that's where you got your taste in clothing."

Angela shrugged, "who doesn't like gold?"

I raised my hand, "think it's kind of tacky."

"Tacky?"

"Dull looking, makes you want to puke," I shrugged, "prefer vibranium silver. Or Uru grey."

Angea's eyes widened in recognition at the last metal's name, "uru? Like the legendary metal of the drawers of Nivedellvir?"

I nodded, "exactly."

"How did you even look at such a legendary metal?"

"Well, for a time I was one of the people forging it," I shrugged, much to Angela's look of awe, "it wasn't easy, but I managed to get the dwarves to finally take me in and keeps me under an apprenticeship. Took six months, but I learnt everything I needed."

"Impossible, they wouldn't just give out their secrets with such ease!" Angela cried out.

I nodded, "they didn't. I traded them a secret of mine in exchange for training me."

"What secret?" Angeal asked.

I stood up and allowed my suit to morph, transforming into a collection of clothing, like formal suits, tracks, shorts before coming back to my normal suit, "it can transform into several different kinds of suits and is virtually unbreakable."

"By god," Angela whispered, reaching out and feeling the suit, "it feels like fabric."

"It's meant to, here, try and cut it," I had the suit increase the element of my right arm, forming a lengthened arm of cloth. Angela looked unsure, but at my insistence she took out the sword strapped to her back and brought it down.

She tried slicing and sawing the fabric, my not a single tear was made. "Amazing," Angela whispered in awe, "nothing has ever been uncut by the legendary Sword of Stars. What magic is this?"

"It's not magic, it's science," I smiled, looking out into the city once more, "sigh...picture perfect morning, I just know something's going to ruin this..."

"Picture?" Angela asked, "you mean a painting?"

"Kind off...wait, you don't know what a picture is?"

Angela shrugged, "Heaven is devoid of a lot of mortal instruments."

"Well," I took out my SA and turned on the camera, turning it to us, "this is a camera."

"Incredible," she replied, touching the tech with amusement, "it feels so real."

I smiled, snapping a photo, and showing it to her, "here, this is a photo."

Angela took the SA and looked at in amazement, "this is fascinating. Does it...do anything?"

"No," I shrugged, "you just look at it to remember what yo've taken. I have many pictures saved of my family and friends."

"Interesting," Angela replied, passing me back the SA, "so many fascinating things you mortals invent..."

"I gather angels don't like to leave Heaven?" I asked, putting away the SA.

"No, we do not," she shook her head, "I believe I am the first in five thousand years to do so."

"I see… Angela...what will you be doing now?"

"Now?" she hummed, "I suppose I will stay here for a while, make sure Tyros doesn't escape before being blasted into space, before leaving."

"Back to Heaven?" I asked.

Angela hesitated, "yes...back to Heaven."

I eyed her, "because, you know...I'm always looking out for capable people for my team. We could use someone like you, an avenging angel."

Angela turned to me, surprised, "you...wish for me to join your team?"

I shrugged, "if you want. We could always use people who want to do good. There are too many people out there who are vile, we however...we protect the little guy. So? What do you say?"

Angela was hesitant, "I-"

KRAKOOM!

I snapped my head to the sky, it was the sound of the sound barrier being broken and sure enough, several burning glowing objects were falling down from the sky. And just above the atmosphere, we could see the image of a giant silver gleaming warship present over the planet.

"Shi'ar," I whispered, recognizing the make of the war ship immediately. I turned to Angela, "wake up the Queen, we need to move, now."

Angela didn't much like taking orders but I didn't really care, rushing off to find Johnny and Drax. I grabbed them both and douse them with water. They awoke screaming and yelling, but I shut them up with a single warning, "the Shi'ar are here."

We met with the Queen, who advised us to not start a war just yet as we didn't know what the Shi'ar wanted, hoping that she could her way out of this one. I didn't have much faith in that idea, but I promised to hold.

I contacted my own approaching fleet and told them to expect a fight but stay on standby, and in ten short minutes I, Johnny, Drax, the Queen, Angela and several dozen of the castle guards were waiting on the outskirts of the city, where the ships from the Shi'ar warships had hailed us to meet.

The ship that landed first was decorated with gold and crafted to look more like a pleasure vehicle rather than one of wars. Following behind it were several small personal attack ships that had canoons on each side with the sigil of the Shi'ar Empire on the front.

"Shit, it's her," the Queen whispered.

I turned, "you know who's coming?"

"Yes...Lilandra Neramani," the Queen hissed, "the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Guard and...sister to the Emperor D'Ken."

My eyes widened, I turned to the royal craft which landed and opened, a ramp coming forth. The single flyer ships landed and the soldiers quickly came out, weapons in hand, standing on either side with their swords knocked above.

"Presenting Lilandra Neramani, Grand Admiral of the Imperial Gaurd, the Wise, the Young, the Bold. Sister to our great Emperor and God Mother to our Prince!" one soldier called out as out of the royal ship stepped out a woman dressed in silver white.

Her clothes hugged her body closely, I'm sensing a trend in galactic clothing here, and around her neck was a cape. On the woman's head was a headcasing in the shape of a triangle with cuts all along the edges, resembling that of a feather. She had fair white skin and dark circles around her eyes.

The woman was smaller than the soldiers around her, but she gave off an aura of command and power that none would dare cross. She walked ahead, the soldiers converging on her position. But just then, I felt my spidey senses go off.

I threw my hands forward and summoned a shield of psionic energy before me, just as a yellow beam of raw power came flying at me from above.

"What the shit?!" Johnny cried out as the very ground below us shook. I growled, keeping my concentration until Lilandra cried out.

"Who dares?!" Angela hissed, drawing her sword out.

"Don't escalate the situation," I hissed, "stay by the Queen's side in case you need to evacuate."

"Vulcan! Enough of this!" Lilandra roared. The beam ended and I looked up from where it originated, finding the Crown Prince Vulcan slowly flying down.

"Aunty, this is him, the one who broke our trap for Corvair and took the people of Sinthose," Vulcan growled as he looked down in fury, his eyes glowing yellow, "the leader of the so-called Avengers. The Spider."

I smirked, dropping my shield and turning to Angela, "see, I told you I'm famous."

Vulcan growled, ready to fight, but Lilandra put her hand up in warning, "attack again without my permission and I will have you put under house arrest nephew. Do you understand?"

Vulcan clicked his teeht, but nodded, "I do," he landed besides his aunt and glared at me, I have to say, if I didn't know he was related to Scott before, that stupid glare would have given him away.

The Queen stepped forward and bowed, "Grand Admiral Lilandra, it is an honour."

"I am sure, Queen Nyxa," the woman smiled kindly before turning to us, "The Spider, I assume?"

I nodded, smiling carefree, "indeed, and may I say, anyone calling you aunty is just a crime. When one calls a woman an aunt, one would image someone old and frail, not something as… vibrant as you."

"Oh, a charmer are you?" Lilandra chuckled, Vulcan growled.

"Grand Admiral," the Queen stepped forward, "may I ask what you are doing here on our humble planet? Usually, the Grand Admiral wouldn't bother with any that isn't important."

"And you believe you are not important?" the Admiral asked with a smile.

"We are hardly the Empire's top priority, are we?" the Queen challenged.

"True...but when we receive a distress signal from anyone of our loyal subject, we tend to investigate."

The Queen's body went rigid, "a-a distress signal?"

Lilandra nodded, "yes, every ruler of our common wealth is given a personal communication device that they keep hidden. When in danger, they may use it and we will come to aid them...I assume by your look your husband hasn't told you about this?"

"No, he did not," Nyxa said with barely hidden rage.

"Enough of this," Vulcan stepped forward, approaching the Queen, to which I stepped between him and the former. He stopped, looking up at my taller form and growled, "where is King Tyros."

I turned to the Queen, "you want to get this one?" I didn't know if she wanted to lie or tell the truth, so best let her decide.

The Queen took a breath before speaking, "he is dead." So that's how she wants to play this.

"What?! How?!" Vulcan cried out.

I turned to him, "I killed him."

"What?!"

"Under my orders," the Queen added.

Lilandra stepped forward, patting her nephew's shoulder and taking he aside. She looked to the Queen, "Queen Nyxa, may I ask why you did such a thing?"

Nyxa turned from the Admiral and to her city, "tell me Admiral Lilandra...have you ever been to my world before?"

"No, I haven't had the pleasure."

"Then let me explain," she pointed to the wall, "back then, before Tyros, we had no walls. We had need of them for we had no enemies. But after he murdered my father, raped me and took me as his whore come wife, we've had war, famine and all kinds of horrors visited upon this land. So if the question why really a question? He raped me, he murdered my father, he destroyed my land."

"You cannot just murder a subject of the Shi'ar Empier and expect no reprecussions," Lilandra replied softly.

"I did not think so, but tell me something, under the rule of Tyros, did you not experience a reduction on resources being shipped?" the Queen asked, I could smell the fear rolling off her person, this was a gamble and a dangerous one at that.

"Yes, there was a sixty percent reduction in your shipping," Lilandra said, a small smile forming on her face as she understood what was happening.

"The reason for this is simple," Nyxa continued, "Tyros was a monster who cared not for his alliance with you and holding his end of the bargain, I am not the same. Give me three years and the production rate will return to normal, seven and they will improve."

"So you want us to just ignore you murdering your own husband?!" Vulcan cried out.

Nyxa narrowed her eyes, "he has never been my husband. He has always been my nightmare," she turned to Lilandra, "the Shi'ar Empire prides itself in not governing its colonies, believing them to be capable of doing so on their own. I ask you only keep your doctrine in this matter and I promise you, this will benefit you in the long run."

Lilandra smiled, Vulcan looked pissed. "Aunty you cannot be seriously considering this proposal!" he hissed.

"I am," she replied, "it benefits us and keeps us in good standing...plus what's done is done, interfering now will just cause unneeded problems."

"Thank you, Andrimal Lilandra," the Queen bowed, "a thousand thank yous."

"I don't need your thanks, just keep your promise to bring production back up to par," Lilandra replied, her eyes narrowing, "I will be keeping my eye on you, remember that."

"That I will," Nyxa replied, sighing in relief.

"Now...what to do about you," Lilandra turned to me.

I smiled, "I'm flattered, but I have a lover."

"Several," Johnny snorted in what was clear jealousy. I smirked, to which he flipped me off.

"I'm sure that would be eventful, but a courtship is not what I see in your future," Lilandra continued, not phased in the slightest by my words, which was new for me, "did you know you are currently the Shi'ar Emperi's eighth most wanted criminal?"

I blinked, "eighth?"

"Yes," she nodded, "for the crimes of kidnapping of a royal offical and murder of several dozen soilders."

"In my defence, they came after us," I held up my hands.

"Nevertheless, you will be coming with us," Lilandra said, otioning to her men.

"Over our dead bodies," Johnny came forward, exploding into flames causing the whole of the Shi'ar army to back away several feet in shock. Johnny looked surprised, "ah, something I said?"

"Flames?!" Vulcan cried out, "a child of the damn bird?!"

"No, I don't think he is Ember born," Lilandra hissed.

"Only one way to find out," Vulcan cried, he snapped his fingers and immediately a soldier walked out of line and took out a red sphere from his armour.

I immediately knew what it was, the Shi'ar had a form of tracking the Phoenix, they must have built a proto type of some sort. I needed to stop them from using it. I reached out with my mind and summoned the sphere out of Vulcan's hand and into my before he could turn it on.

"My my, what's this? A red ball?" I held up the sphere looking it over, "charming little thing isn't it?"

"Give that back, now!" Vulcan cried, his eyes growing bright with power, raising into the air for a moment and hovering above, "you don't know what you hold you bastard."

"I'm assuming it's a manner by which you can track the energy given off the Phoenix force, yes?" I asked, much to Vulcan's surprise and Lilandra's curiosity. I sent a mental prod to Angela's mind, "Do not use your powers no matter the reason."

Angela's eyes winded, turning to me. I sent her a glare before turning back to the Shi'ars.

"Save yourself some time," I said, tossing the ball to Lilandra, "Johnny isn't a child of the Phoenix, his powers are from cosmic radiation."

"That maybe, but we'll check for ourselves," Lilandra replied as she held the sphere before Johnny, only for it to stay the same, unchanged. Vulcan sighed in relief, Lilandra nodded, "you were speaking the truth, he isn't an Ember...but," her eyes shifted to Angela, she turned to orb to her and almost at once, the red turned into a shade of indigo so thick I could barely see light coming out of it, "she is."

I cursed, she must have seen the exchange I had with Angela. Vulcan exploded forward with a roar at Angela. She had her sword out and ready to fight back, but seconds before they did, I leaped at Vulcan, my foot firmly planted to the side of his head.

Bang!

He went rolling away. I landed before Angela, my stingers popping out, "no one touches her."

"Interfer and I will be forced to take drastic measures," Lilandra replied coldly. She turned to Nyxa, who looked as confused as everyone else, "you have a choice your majesty, continue to harbor this abomination, and it will be your planet that is forfeit."

"I-I-"

"What is happening?" Angela asked, growling in fury, "I have not done anything to offend you in any manner so why do you attack me?"

"Your very existence is a crime," Vulcan hissed as he got back up, his hands glowing yellow with energy, "and your death is the only possible atonement."

"My existence?!"

"Your mother," Lilandra replied simply, "was the Phoenix. You are her Ember. A monstrous reflection of the Cosmic entity of destruction. We cannot kill it, but we can kill you."

"My mother was what?!" Angela cried out.

"Jean's her mom?!" Johnny cried out.

"Different Phoenix host," I hissed.

Lilandra turned to me, "you seem to know a lot about Embers and the Phoenix Spider...tell me, why do you defend this thing if you are aware of her potential?"

"The Phoenix is a being of rebirth, not death," I replied, "Angela isn't a monster, if anything she is the flame that burns the monsters. And she will not be hurt while I stand."

"That can be arranged," Vulcan growled as he charged forward. He came sent a blast of energy at my head, a simple shield blocked it. He then charged in with a glowing fist of energy, throwing it at my head.

He had power, but no form. Slipping into his defence I grabbed him by the extended arm and pulled forward, throwing him into the ground.

He cried in rage, coming back up to fight. I weaved and ducked under hsi fists. Jumped over or blocked his energy blasts. I waited for the right moment, and when he tried to cast out energy with both his hands, I had him.

I sent out a web blast, covering his hands in webbing and binding them together. The moment of surprise was enough for me to leap forward with a kick, charging it with a fraction of Thor's power.

Lightning surge as it hit him like an iron pole. I saw the saliva in his mouth explode out as he was sent flying away, crashing through a scout ship causing it to explode in a ball of flames.

"Soldiers, take him down," Lilandra replied as the men with guns all pointed at us and fired. But before I threw up my own shield, one of red magic came around Queen Nyxa and the others, guarding them from the hial of blasts.

I smiled and looked behind, and floating directly above us was the Milano, Wanda and Carol, flying down as the ship landed right behind us. The doors opened the moment it landed and out poured my team, Scott leading the charge.

"Took you all long enough," I smiled as they lined up beside me.

"Yeah well, space traffic," Scott shrugged, turning to Gabrille who had burnt off my webbing in rage, "Well isn't this nice."

"You've been gone two days and you're already picking a fight with a galactic evil empire?" Wanda asked in annoyance as she and Carol floated above us, "must be a new record."

"Yes well," I smiled, looking up to see the two of our war ships come and corner the single on the Shi'ar had brought. I turned to Lilandra, "I think we just officially outclassed you, yes?"

Lilandra moved back as her soldiers formed a barricade between her and us. She narrowed her eyes, "you don't know what you are doing boy. Hurt us in any form and you will learn to regret it."

"You have one warship, I have two," I pointed to the ships above the atmosphere, "you really think you're in any position to threaten me?"

"I do," she replied as she took out a silver medallion with a red gem in the center, "if I press this button, an armada will arrive on this planet in the next hour. A hundred ships at the very least, all armed to kill and destroy this planet and follow you to the end of the Universe. Can you defeat that?"

Her heartbeat was steady, I couldn't detect any lies. I turned to Logan and Jessica, they confirmed she wasn't lying.

"Fine," I replied, "then leave. We won't follow."

"No," Lilandra hissed, "not without her," she pointed to Angela.

"That's not an option," I hissed.

"Peter, something you need to share?" Felicia asked.

"Long story," I replied.

"If you do not give her," Lilandra began, "then this planet will suffer the consequences."

Angela's eyes winded as the Queen gasped, "no! You can't!"

"So what will it be Ember?" Lilandra asked, ignoring the Queen's pleas, "are you willing to let the planet die for your sake? As is your nature? Or are willing to be better...to do something of value with your life?"

Angela stood stunned, her fists shaking in anger and a tiny hint of fear. I was about to speak for her and deny Lilandra, but then Angela spoke, "if I do, then this planet will not be hurt?"

My eyes widened in shock, "Angela..."

"No, it will not," Lilanda replied, "it will be protected by us as it always was. This I swear in my name."

"Then I will come," Angela nodded as she walked forward, putting her blade away as immediately the soldiers surrounded her, pinning her to the ground and placing a collar on her neck that seemed to spark to life the moment it was put in place.

Angela was lifted into the air and carried by her arms to Lilandra's ship. "No! What is to happen to her?!" Queen Nyxa asked, crying her eyes out at the state of her saviour.

"She will be dealt with, like all the Embers before her," Lilandra replied as she turned and walked away, "come Vulcan, it's to go."

"At once, aunty," Vulcan growled, eyeing me and Scott before walking away.

"Wait!" Scott cried out, but Vulcan ignored him.

"Parker," Angela spoke, looking at me, "your offer was kind...but it seems fate has other plans for me."

I felt a slight spike in anger, watching her sacrefice herself and allow the Empeir to march her to what was sure to be her death. Like Jean did...like I allowed to happen once before.

But I did nothing, billions of lives were at stake, I knew I couldn't act rashly. Just like before….I was too weak. My army too small...the enemy, powerful in ways I haven't even tried being.

We watched the Shi'ar get into their ship and leave, warping off into hyperspace.

"Peter, what just happened?" Wanda asked as we all gathered together.

"Angela held the signature of the Phoenix Force I detected," I replied, "she is...an Ember, a child of the Phoenix, to the previous host I would wager. One the Phoenix had before Jean."

"So...she's like a mini-Phoenix?" Rocket grunted, rolling his eyes.

I shrugged, "I suppose."

"What do we do now?" Scott asked, "are we just going to let them take her? They'll kill her."

"I know," I reached into my bag of storage and pulled out the Phoenix Tracker, "with this I can find her whenever they take her, but..."

"But?" Jessica prompted.

I stopped myself, "if we do this...it'll be throwing a stone at a fragile relationship. They will come after us with everything they have and...I don't think we can do this on our own."

"So we're just going to let her get dissected and killed?!" Carol asked.

"I never said that!" I hissed, "but...we can't do this alone...we'll need help… an army that can rival or at least intimidate the Shi'ar. One that won't draw attention and blame to us."

"Who did you have in mind?" Felicia asked.

I turned to her, and sighed, "Thor...or more specifically, his father."

"Why would that miserable one-eyed bastard want to help us?" Wanda asked.

"Because...Angela is his daughter."

"What the fuck?!" Johnny cried.