"I am not the Johann Schmidt you knew, Captain," the figure said. "I am not the Red Skull. No, I have not been known by that name for some time." He held T'Challa up like a trophy, looking at the king with disgust.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself... I am the Black Skull."
"Cap," Tony said urgently.
But Cap was frozen, staring at the Black Skull in shock, his face pale and his grip on his shield tightening. Steve Rogers had seen many horrors in his long life, but this, this was something from his nightmares given a terrible new form.
Tony looked around quickly. Everyone was ready for battle, weapons charged and powers flaring. But he could see the uncertainty in their eyes and the confusion on his own; his mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening. The Red Skull had died, according to everything he'd read about him; he had vanished during World War II when he touched the Tesseract. Cap had witnessed it personally. And from what Cap had said in their debriefings, Schmidt had been incinerated by the Space Stone, torn apart and scattered across the cosmos.
Then again, this Black Skull had just said he was not the Schmidt Cap knew. So what the hell was he?
"Friday, what is that black goo?" Tony asked through his internal comms.
"Attempting to identify," Friday replied. Her scans ran across the symbiotic material. "Unknown organic compound. It appears to be a living organism bonded to the host. Readings suggest a carbon-based life form with properties similar to a parasite or symbiote. It demonstrates shapeshifting capabilities, enhanced strength parameters, and appears to augment the host's physical abilities by approximately 300 percent. Beyond that... I cannot determine origin or full capabilities."
"Stay alert, everyone," Tony commanded, his voice carrying over their comms. He looked at Peter specifically. "Kid, stay close to me. Don't engage alone."
"Got it, Mr. Stark," Peter replied.
"Let T'Challa go!" Cap demanded, finding his voice again despite the shock.
The Black Skull laughed, a sound both human and inhuman. He lifted the king higher. The symbiote tendrils tightened; T'Challa struggled weakly in his grasp. The Skull examined him with utter contempt, like someone holding a particularly disgusting insect.
Tony's repulsors began charging, their whine rising. Around him, everyone prepared to attack.
"This nation... this Wakanda... it is an affront to the Aryan race," the Black Skull proclaimed, his voice dripping with venom. "A blight of genetic impurity. They rose only due to the vibranium, a cosmic accident that gifted power to those unworthy of wielding it. They called themselves advanced, superior lies. The untermenschen playing at civilization while true power waited for those destined to wield it." His red eyes blazed with fanatical hatred. "And now? Now I have cleansed this place of its mongrel stain."
"You know what I like about Nazis?" Tony said, his voice cold with barely contained fury. "They always lose. Every. Single. Time."
"Let him go!" Cap shouted again, his voice harder now. "NOW!"
The Black Skull's laughter grew more malicious, more evil. "Why would I do that, Captain?"
Then, to everyone's horror, the symbiote shifted. Black tendrils around T'Challa's body writhed and coiled, then suddenly hardened, forming a razor-sharp spike.
The blade drove forward. It impaled T'Challa through the chest with a wet, terrible sound — punching through the crack in the vibranium armor, through flesh, through bone. The king's body jerked once, his eyes going wide with shock and pain. Blood sprayed, running down the black blade in crimson streams. T'Challa's struggling stopped. His body went limp in the Skull's hands.
The King of Wakanda was dead.
"NOOO!" Cap screamed as he charged.
"NOW!" Tony roared, and immediately opened fire. Repulsor beams blazed from both hands, concentrated streams of pure energy converging on the Black Skull.
Rhodes joined him instantly, his shoulder cannons unleashing everything.
Bruce fired the Hulkbuster repulsor blasts.
Strange used a spell and fired mystical bolts.
Wanda's chaos energy exploded outward as she unleashed everything she had.
Sam fired his guns along with Natasha.
Vision's forehead blazed as he attacked with a concentrated beam from the Mind Stone.
Every attack converged on the Black Skull, a coordinated assault that could have leveled a city block.
And then it stopped right in front of him as a red barrier materialized, hexagonal patterns forming a shield. Every attack hit the barrier and dissipated harmlessly.
The Black Skull stood behind his shield, still holding T'Challa's corpse, laughing with mad triumph.
"Is that all?" he mocked.
The red barrier collapsed. The Black Skull casually threw T'Challa's corpse away like discarded trash. The king's body hit the ground with a sickening thud.
"Hey, guys, look!" Peter said urgently, pointing to their left.
A red portal was opening, similar to Strange's amber gateways, but this one swirled with crimson energy.
From it, three figures walked out.
The first was a man with a powerful build, broad shoulders, and thick arms. His long dark hair was swept back, complemented by a thick beard. He wore armor with scaled plating. A heavy fur mantle rested across his shoulders, giving him an almost kingly look, and a furry cape draped behind him.
The second figure was smaller but no less threatening. His frame was stocky and powerful, with broad shoulders and thick arms covered in hair. His face was twisted into a permanent snarl, teeth bared and sharp, animalistic. Wild, spiked hair swept back in jagged tufts. He wore a suit that was black with bold red patterns across the chest and legs.
The last one looked the most dangerous, the one that made Peter's spider-sense scream at him to get out of here, to run, to hide. He was towering, nearly nine feet tall. His body was massive and heavily muscled. His skin was a muted bluish gray, almost metallic. A deep blue cloak draped from his shoulders and flowed down his sides. He wore armor of deep blue as well, its chest piece marked by a glowing central panel. His face was stern, lined with deep grooves. Both eyes gleamed with a harsh blue glow that seemed to look through everything.
"Ah, Sadurang! Good timing," the Black Skull said to the man leading them, the one Tony, Strange, and Wanda immediately recognized as the portal's creator.
"Who the hell are they?" Widow muttered, her weapons still trained forward.
"Why do I get the feeling this was a trap?" Falcon said, his wings spreading defensively.
"Because it was," Rhodes replied.
"Yeah, it definitely was," Bruce agreed from inside the Hulkbuster.
The Black Skull looked at the Avengers and spread his arms theatrically. "Ah, forgive my manners. Allow me to introduce you to my... acquaintances." He gestured to each in turn. "Sadurang, master of the mystic arts. Berserker well, he needs no further explanation. And Apocalypse, ruler of..."
"Really creative names there, guys," Tony quipped, interrupting the grand introduction. "Did you workshop those or just go with the first thing that came to mind?"
"I am going to enjoy killing you," Berserker snarled, saliva dripping from his sharp teeth.
Apocalypse, who had been silent until now, spoke. "There are no mutants here," he said, looking at the Black Skull. His glowing eyes then shifted to the Avengers. "This world is weak. We should leave as soon as we complete our objective."
"Yeah, you should!" Tony agreed immediately. "Great idea. We support that decision 100 percent."
"Absolutely," Bruce chimed in nervously.
"Please do," Falcon added.
"We won't stop you," Rhodes said.
"Yeah, just... go," Peter said.
Sadurang grinned. "Oh, we will." His eyes locked onto Strange. "But first..."
Sadurang moved with exceptional speed, red energy crackling around his hands as he headed straight for Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme's hands immediately began weaving defensive patterns as the two mystics dueled, bending reality around them while they exchanged spells and counterspells.
Cap didn't hesitate. He went after the Black Skull. Falcon and Wanda flanked him, Sam's wings carrying him high while Wanda used her chaos energy.
That left Apocalypse and Berserker facing Vision, Tony, Rhodes, Natasha, Peter, and Bruce in the Hulkbuster six against two.
=======
Cap jumped high, his super soldier strength propelling him upward as he brought his shield down toward the Black Skull's head. Above him, Falcon shot from the sky. Wanda attacked with her chaos magic, red energy spiraling toward the Skull from the side, creating a coordinated three pronged assault.
The Black Skull toyed with them.
The symbiote moved like living liquid, forming shields where Cap's attack would land, deflecting bullets with hardened tendrils, absorbing Wanda's energy like a sponge. Whatever he needed, the alien organism provided.
When Wanda's attacks finally managed to wrap around the symbiote, trying to pin him down with her power, the Black Skull simply laughed.
"Oh, little witch," he said mockingly, the symbiote pulsing as it absorbed her power, feeding on it. "I have worn this magnificent creature for years. I know every trick, every capability." He lashed out with a tendril that shot toward her like a spear. Wanda barely dodged, the black spike passing inches from her head. "You think your parlor tricks frighten me?"
Cap rolled as he landed, immediately launching into a combination, jab, cross, uppercut. The last punch connected with the Skull's jaw, sending him stumbling back several steps.
Cap threw his shield in the same motion, the vibranium disc spinning toward the Skull's chest.
The Black Skull caught it with one hand, examining it with interest. "Ah, yes. I lost the one I took from you back in my world. This will be a good replacement." He threw it back at Cap.
Steve caught it, absorbing the impact.
"You should shut the hell up!" Falcon shouted from above, diving in close with his wings folded for a precision strike, boots aimed at the Skull's head.
The Black Skull moved fast. Symbiote tendrils exploded upward, wrapping around Falcon's wings. Then they ripped, tearing through composite material like it was paper. Sam screamed as the wings tore away from his harness, sending him spinning out of control. He fell hard, hitting the ground with a painful thud that knocked the wind from his lungs.
"Sam!" Cap shouted, turning toward his friend.
The Black Skull moved in a blur, grabbing Falcon by the throat and lifting him. "Pathetic," he sneered, then threw Sam away.
Wanda reacted instantly, catching Falcon mid flight and cushioning his landing, setting him down safely.
"One down," the Black Skull laughed, his attention returning to Cap and Wanda.
A massive explosion erupted above them as Sadurang and Strange battled across the sky, flying around the battlefield and exchanging spells.
"Impressive," Sadurang said. He formed a crimson dragon construct that roared and lunged at Strange. "The Vishanti have chosen well. But you are young, sorcerer. You lack the experience and knowledge I possess."
"Age isn't everything!" Strange countered, his own spell forming golden chains that materialized around the dragon, trying to bind it. The two mystical constructs clashed, exploding in fire that rained sparks across the battlefield.
They spiraled through the air, shields forming and breaking, portals opening and closing, each sorcerer testing the other's limits and probing for weaknesses.
They passed through the area where Vision, Tony, Rhodes, Natasha, Peter, and Bruce were attacking Apocalypse and Berserker.
Peter and Natasha went after Berserker, who was rabid in his attacks with adamantium claws. Natasha tried to sneak around the mutant to find blind spots, while Peter fought him hand to hand, using the AI in his suit and his new metal spider-arms to match the berserker's ferocity.
Tony, Vision, Rhodes, and Bruce in the Hulkbuster focused on Apocalypse and were being toyed with.
The ancient mutant didn't even move from his spot. He simply stood there, arms crossed, waving away their attacks like annoying insects.
Repulsor beams hit him and he swatted them aside like flies, the energy dissipating harmlessly. Rhodes' missiles exploded against his skin; he didn't even flinch; his armor absorbed the impact without a scratch. Bruce fired the Hulkbuster's massive repulsor cannon Apocalypse caught the beam with one hand and redirected it into the sky.
Vision observed from above, not attacking yet, his mind trying to find a weakness, a pattern, anything exploitable.
War Machine lunged at him, and this time Apocalypse moved. His hand shot out, his powers activating. The War Machine armor began to crumple, folding in on itself like aluminum foil. Rhodes screamed as the suit compressed around him.
"RHODEY!" Tony yelled, banking hard toward his friend. "Friday, status!"
"Colonel Rhodes is unconscious," Friday reported grimly. "Severe internal injuries. The suit's integrity is at 23 percent and falling."
Apocalypse dropped the crumpled armor dismissively.
Tony's vision went red with rage. He flew in close, nanomachines flowing and forming a massive hammer construct. "FUCK YOU!" he shouted.
Apocalypse caught the hammer with one hand, his expression unchanged. "Pathetic."
He threw Tony across the battlefield like a ragdoll. The armored Avenger tumbled through the air, smashing through rubble before crashing hard.
Bruce charged in with the Hulkbuster, throwing a massive punch.
Apocalypse caught the fist, then twisted. The entire arm of the Hulkbuster tore away with a shriek of metal. He threw Bruce aside as well, the massive suit tumbling end over end.
At this moment Vision finally attacked, flying through the air at high speed, the Mind Stone blazing as he fired a concentrated beam.
Apocalypse moved. He dodged, faster than his massive frame should allow, the beam carving through empty space. Vision followed up with rapid strikes, using his density manipulation to make his fists diamond hard.
Apocalypse dodged each one, his celestial-enhanced senses tracking Vision's movements with ease.
On the other side of the battlefield, Berserker fought Peter with savage glee. His adamantium claws clashed against the Iron Spider's arms, sparks flying with each impact.
Peter swung around him, using his agility and spider-sense to avoid the lethal strikes, trying to find an opening. His spider-sense screamed with every near miss; the danger was constant and overwhelming.
"Come on, bug!" Berserker snarled, saliva dripping from his sharp teeth. "Let me see what you taste like!"
Natasha saw her opening. While Berserker was focused on Peter, she attacked from behind, her Widow's Bites crackling with electricity as she struck at the exposed flesh at the back of his neck.
Berserker spun faster than she could react.
An adamantium claw punched through her stomach.
"NAT!" Bruce shouted from where he lay in the damaged Hulkbuster.
Berserker pulled his claw out and threw her aside, blood coating his hand. Natasha hit the ground hard, gasping, red spreading across her suit.
"Who's next?" Berserker laughed, licking the blood from his claws.
Bruce got up, the damaged Hulkbuster groaning. He charged at Berserker, the massive suit's remaining arm cocked back for a devastating punch.
Berserker met him head on, adamantium claws extended. He slashed with savage precision, his claws carving through the Hulkbuster's armor plating like it was cardboard. Sparks flew as he tore into systems, ripped through hydraulics, and shredded internals.
But Bruce managed to position himself, angling the suit's chest. "EAT THIS!" he shouted, and fired the Arc Reactor's emergency blast, a concentrated beam of pure energy at point-blank range.
Peter webbed the Berserker simultaneously, wrapping around the mutant's arms and legs and holding him in place for just a second longer.
The blast hit Berserker full in the face.
The explosion was deafening. When the light faded, they saw, to their relief, that Berserker's entire face had been blown off; they could see the bloody skull beneath, muscle and bone exposed, one eye socket empty.
"Fuck," Bruce muttered, backing away.
But as they watched, the flesh began to grow back: muscle tissue knitting together, skin crawling across bone, the eye regenerating in its socket. In seconds, Berserker's face was whole again.
"Okay, that's just rude!" Peter said.
Nearby, Vision had fully engaged Apocalypse, and the battle had escalated dramatically. Both were now flying through the air, attacking each other with concentrated energy blasts. Vision phased in and out of tangibility, firing beams from the Mind Stone while Apocalypse responded with molecular-manipulation blasts that warped reality around them.
"Ah," Apocalypse said, his glowing eyes fixed on Vision's forehead. "An Infinity Stone. Now this is interesting."
On the ground, Tony, Peter, Sam, Bruce, and Natasha who was being helped up by Peter all regrouped. Tony's nanomachines flowed over Natasha's wound, forming a temporary seal to stop the bleeding.
"Okay," Tony said, breathing hard, his HUD showing red damage warnings everywhere. "We are in big trouble."
Cap and Wanda were still fighting the Black Skull, barely holding their own. Sadurang was battling Strange across the sky, red and amber magic painting the air. Vision was fighting Apocalypse in an aerial duel of cosmic proportions. The Berserker was down for now, but even from here they could see his wounds healing.
Then, as if they did not have enough on their plate already, the sky suddenly turned stormy. Dark clouds gathered with unnatural speed, swirling overhead. Lightning flickered, and thunder rolled across the ruined city.
"Oh great, what now?" Tony muttered, looking up.
"Mr. Stark, I think this is good for us!" Peter said excitedly, pointing as they saw the telltale rainbow light of the Bifrost strike down nearby.
Out of it came Stormbreaker. The enchanted axe flew through the air and struck Berserker first, catching the feral mutant in the middle of his healing. The impact sent him flying backward with a howl of pain and rage, tumbling across the scorched earth. Then Stormbreaker curved through the air impossibly fast and slammed into Apocalypse's chest midflight, interrupting his battle with Vision and sending the mutant crashing to the ground.
The axe spun toward Sadurang, forcing the crimson sorcerer to break off his attack on Strange and hastily create defensive shields. Finally, it struck the Black Skull, the symbiote screeching as Asgardian lightning coursed through it and caused the alien being to writhe in agony.
Stormbreaker returned, spinning through the air back to where the Bifrost had struck.
Thor caught it one-handed, lightning crackling around his entire body as he stepped out of the Bifrost's fading light.
Beside him stood Rocket Raccoon, his massive guns already raised, and Groot, ready for battle.
"Aha! You are all in trouble now!" Bruce shouted from inside the damaged Hulkbuster, relief flooding through him at the sight of his friend.
"THOR!" Peter shouted, his voice rising an octave with pure excitement.
"BRING ME THANOS!" Thor bellowed.
"He's not here!" Tony shouted back. "But we do have bigger problems!"
Thor's eyes swept across the battlefield, taking in the four assailants and the devastation they had caused. His expression darkened. "I see. You must be the Mad Titan's servants, then."
"Oh, they do look like the type," Rocket said, contempt dripping from his voice as his guns tracked between targets.
"I am Groot," Groot rumbled, his tone suggesting imminent and enthusiastic violence.
Thor raised Stormbreaker high and lightning gathered in the stormy sky above, building toward a devastating strike when a new voice interrupted, smooth, cultured, and utterly confident.
"I assure you, we are not servants to my grand-nephew."
Tony's sensors tracked the new arrival. "Oh great, what now?" he muttered.
A figure descended from the sky, drawing every eye. His body was thick with muscle and covered in blue skin. His head was smooth and bald, his face stern but curled into a small, cruel smirk. He wore armor with thick plates across his collar and shoulders. Power radiated from him like heat from a furnace, making the air shimmer.
Beside him flew another figure in a monstrous suit of armor. Dark silver and iron-black plating covered every surface, each edge honed like a blade. The helm resembled a predator's skull, and four red eyes glowed from within the slitted visor like burning coals. A pulsing red core in its chest burned with infernal light.
"Am I late?" Uranos asked with a smile as he looked down at the battlefield.
The armored figure looked directly at Tony and said in a mechanical voice, "No, we are just in time, it seems."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
A maniacal laugh echoed across the battlefield, the cackle of a madman completely removed from sanity. A figure descended on a glider wreathed in green hellfire. The rider's skull blazed with sickly green flames, the bone blackened and charred. Chains wrapped around its body, and it wore the tattered remains of a Goblin suit.
"PETER! PETER!" it shrieked with glee, the flaming skull turning toward Spider-Man. "And to think I went searching for you… here you are!" It laughed again, the sound making everyone's skin crawl.
Peter froze. "Uh, Mr. Stark? How does that thing know my name?!"
Tony stared at the seven opponents now assembled around them.
He was out of his depth here.
They were in serious trouble.
.
.
You can read up to chapter 61
p.a.t.r.eon.com/Illusiveone (check the chapter summary i have it there as well)