MAXIMUM VENGEANCE

Continued from Maximum Vengeance #1 and Maximum Vengeance #2

Chapter FIVE

Sintariis entered the enormous chamber of the Kree Supreme Intelligence on Hala.  Sintariis stood silently to the side.  A technician was "feeding" new information to the Supreme Intelligence's synthetic brain.  The technician took his portable computer and left Sintariis alone with the Ruler of the Kree.

"What have you to report, Sintariis?" the cool even voice asked calmly.

"I just received word from Ronan's officer, Del-Mor.  A ship emerged from subspace near his fleet.  He says it appears to be an Avengers quinjet."

Beams of laser shot through space from the Kree battleship, the Conquest.  Iron Man sat behind the quinjet's controls.  He easily outmaneuvered the shots.  They're ship was much smaller than the battleships and was more difficult to target.  

Wasp studied a computer console, "Some of these blasts aren't coming from the Kree fleet! There is a ship hidden behind that moon.  It doesn't look like the Kree spotted them."

"It's probably space pirates." Iron Man said as he swerved the quinjet to avoid another shot.

Corbin frowned, "Why would pirates want to attack us? Why would they be this close to the largest fleet in the galaxy?" he pondered aloud.

Iron Man shook his head, "We can discuss that later!  I'm getting us out of here and back into subspace!"

With seconds, the group of Avengers had disappeared into subspace, away from the Kree fleet… but not from the pirates.

"The pirate ship has followed us into subspace!" Wasp said with alarm.

Black Knight checked the sensors and gasped, "That ship in back of us seems to be the Sanctuary II. That's Thanos' old ship."

"Then we have a problem." Iron Man replied.

Indeed they did, for they soon became captured within the Sanctuary II's tractor beam.  Iron Man turned to his crew, "Vision, Photon, and Thor, you are best suited to survive in space.  Bail out now!  Try either reach Cap's group or Goliath's."

Thor patted Iron Man on the arm, "I wish thee good luck, my ally.  We shall return for you soon I promise."

Photon shifted to her energy form and the three Avengers dived out of the quinjet into subspace.  Thor used his enchanted mallet to immediately return them to regular space.  They were well away from Ronan at this point.

"We're bringing the Avengers' shuttle aboard the docking bay." Nartissa reported to Thanos from the Sanctuary II.

Thanos nodded, "As they exit their craft, fill the docking bay with the gas through the air vent," he ordered one of his lieutenants.

"What do you mean they got away?!" Sintariis cried out.

He was still at the Supreme Intelligence's quarters.  The communications screen held an image of Ronan the Accuser.  "Don't speak to me that way again.  Just because the Master finds you useful doesn't mean you're not expendable." Ronan spat back.

"Hold your tongue, Ronan," the Supreme Intelligence said.  "When I shut down, Sintariis would replace me making him your master.  It would be wise to respect him."

Ronan shook his head with anger at the reprimand, "If Sintariis didn't want the Avengers to escape, perhaps he should go track them down.  I have my own matters to take care of. Ronan out."  The screen went blank once more.

The quinjet landed at the planet where Quasar had exiled himself, weeks ago.  Quasar and the Silver Surfer went over to meet the new arrivals.  The quinjet's door slid open and Goliath, Reed Richards, and the Thing stepped out.  The Thing carried a pile of cases and containers that was a small portion of Reed's science equipment.

"Did ja bring your whole lab with ya, Strectho!" the Thing groaned.

Reed and Goliath greeted Quasar and the Surfer as the thing put the equipment down with more moans and groans.  Goliath explained Quasar and the Surfer what the other Avengers doing, about Captain America's squad traveling to the Shi'ar throneworld to meet with Lilandra and her staff.

Reed soon had the quinjet turned into a miniature lab where he and Doctor Hank Pym, or Goliath, would be conducting their research on extracting Ego's spores from Quasar's body. The Thing and Silver Surfer would be serving as guards in the event that the Kree sent another team to fetch Quasar.  Ronan and a task force attempted that earlier and were forced to retreat upon the Silver Surfer's arrival.  

The Silver Surfer would frequently take trips outside the planet's atmosphere, on his gleaming surfboard, to scan for any signs of the Kree's presence.  Quasar would give tissue samples and blood samples to the doctors for their experimentation.  The Thing spent his time walking around complaining and muttering things.

Across the universe that same moment, another quinjet was given clearance to land at the royal palace located at the Shi'ar throneworld.   Lilandra and her bodyguard Gladiator welcomed Captain America's team of Avengers into the palace.  

"I appreciate this, Captain." Lilandra greeted.

Sintariis walked briskly down the corridor of the Supreme Intelligence's palace.  Sintariis stepped into his private corridors and locked the door.  His hand reached for the control panel on the wall and the room lit up.  

Sintariis nearly suffered a heart attack when he saw who was standing before him.  A Skrull in a purple and black uniform.

"I'll call security this instant!" Sintariis threatened.

The Skrull shook his head, "No you won't."

The Skrull raised his hand.  It held a blaster.  Sintariis instantly shifted to his warrior form and lunged at the intruder.  The Skrull fired a single shot that vaporized Sintariis in midair.  The Skrull's body then began to change shape.  It was molded into an exact copy of Sintariis.

"So this is what it feels like to be scum." the Skrull mused.  Phase One of his mission was complete…

Chapter SIX

On the Shi'ar throneworld, Lilandra led Captain America's team of Avengers into the palace conference room.  They sat down around the table. Captain America and Lilandra sat at the ends of the table, Starfox, Warbird, Hercules, Jack of Hearts, and Hawkeye were seated at the sides while Gladiator stood in the doorway.

"I'm sure that you're well aware of the Kree fleet's movement under Ronan the Accuser's command."

Captain America nodded, "Commander Corbin informed us earlier before we left Earth."

Gladiator walked over to a star chart on the wall that showed the current position Ronan's fleet.  "He has already wiped out one hundred and seventeen of our colonies throughout the galaxy.  He took no prisoners," Gladiator said.

"We believe Ronan is not acting on orders from the Supreme Intelligence.  He has hundreds of ships under his command, we think he may be trying to become ruler of the Kree himself."
Lilandra then passed various reports around the table for the Avengers to look through, concerning the Kree and Ronan.  "A civil war could erupt," said Warbird.

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Hawkeye asked, "Then they would stop worrying about invadin' the universe."

Captain America shook his head, "Ronan has entire Kree army behind him.  There's no doubt that he'd win the conflict.  He'd have even more power then more obsessed with conquering the universe.  A civil war will only be worse."

Hawkeye interrupted, "Speakin' of the situation gittin' worse, we haven't heard from Iron Man's team lately.  They were supposed to tell us what they were up to."

"Hawkeye's right," Captain America told his allies, "I'm sure it's nothing, though.  They were just going to monitor Ronan's position and progress."

While Earth's Mightiest Heroes were off in space a percentage of them were still on Earth at the Avengers' Mansion.  U.S. Agent was put in command of this group.  They were to watch for signs of any alien presence on Earth.  So far not much has happened.

U.S. Agent sat at the kitchen table, with Spider-Woman and Falcon, when Triathlon ran into the room urgently.  "Our radar picked something up in orbit.  It looks like a Kree scout ship!" he reported, "They jettisoned something from it.  It landed here in New York!"

U.S. Agent shot out of his chair, "Let's roll, Avengers!"

The tall robotic Kree Sentry stood in the middle of the four -lane, car filled street.  Most people left their cars and scattered in various directions with panic and alarm.  The giant robot scanned the perimeter.  He was sent to take note of the planet's defenses.

The Avengers quinjet landed twenty feet away in a clearing.  U.S. Agent stormed out of the open hatch, followed by Quicksilver, Tigra, Triathlon, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, and Black Widow.  Spider-Woman stayed at the mansion at the communications room.

"I knew those Kree would come to Earth soon!" Falcon said.

"I am Kree Sentry #795, 568, 070.  You are to stand down and allow me to fulfill my status report of this planet, which shall soon become a part of the Kree Empire."

"That guy can't really expect us to step aside does he?" Triathlon asked.

U.S. Agent shrugged, "It doesn't matter.  Avengers, take that thing down!"

The Avengers charged forward.  The Sentry swatted them aside like they were nothing.  U.S. Agent drew his energy baton and sliced it at the Sentry's steel leg.  It made only a small chip, which was barely visible.  The robot's leg lashed out, sending U.S. Agent through the air and into a parked pick-up truck.  

The response to the Sentry's demand was a Hex blast from the Scarlet Witch.  The ground beneath the Sentry began to crumble.  It finally caved in!  The Sentry dropped into the hole as smoke poured out from it.  The Scarlet Witch did the same maneuver once more, this time the ground collapsed onto the Sentry, burying it.

Just as the Avengers cheered, a giant fist ripped through the pile of rubble and grasped the Scarlet Witch. She cried out in surprise as the Sentry pulled itself back up through the hole in the street and rose to its feet.  Now the Scarlet Witch was much closer to the robot's circuits. She attempted another hex.  Sparks burst out from the Sentry's chest plate.  It let go of her, letting her drop to the street below.

Quicksilver ran forward and caught his sister.  More sparks rained down around them. Quicksilver took the Scarlet Witch away from the area.  The Sentry was now permanently damaged.  

The Black Widow fired a blast at the thing's loosened chest plate.  It came off, behind it was rows of wires and spinning gears.  She sent out another series of shots.  The open chest plate's contents erupted into flames.  The Sentry dropped to its knees, then fell backwards so that lay in the street in heap of scrap metal.

"Good job, Natasha!" Falcon exclaimed.

The Avengers' relief faded when they saw the Kree scout ship coming in from the sky.  It fired a shot that destroyed the Avengers quinjet.  The scout ship landed near the burning pile of debris.  A squad of Kree rushed out from their ship.  Upon the captain's order they all shifted to their warrior forms and charged the Avengers.

"These guys look a little gruesome," Triathlon noted.

"That's because they are."  U.S. Agent replied as he erected his energy shield and baton.

The first Kree lunged forward at them, U.S. Agent swung his baton, striking the warrior across the face.  Black Widow took another down with her sting. Falcon flew through them, knocking them down, as Triathlon punched and kicked at them.  Quicksilver plowed through the alien hordes at his fastest speed.  

Tigra jumped up a delivered a powerful kick to one warrior's neck.  She chopped another in the face.

One warrior tackled the Scarlet Witch and was moving its jaws closer to her neck, its fangs pointed out.  U.S. Agent smashed his baton over the warriors head from behind.  He rolled over unconscious.  U.S. Agent helped the Scarlet Witch to her feet.

"Retreat!" the Kree captain's voice ordered.

Those who were conscious marched back to the scout ship.  As the ship took off, the Black Widow fired a blast at its hull.  The Kree shuttle lurched to the side and continued on.  It soon disappeared in the sky.

"Good work today, people." U.S. Agent complimented.

Triathlon looked over to the debris that was once their quinjet.  "We'd better call a cab."

One hour later, the Kree scout ship returned to the Conquest's shuttle- bay. The Kree captain slowly walked to Ronan's quarters.  He knew he'd have to face the Accuser's wrath for his failure.  

Ronan allowed the captain to enter.  "Sir, I have-" he stammered.

"Failed me as well as the Kree Empire." Ronan finished.  "Yes, I know."

"Please, sir, the Avengers showed up.  We didn't expect them."

"That is not a reasonable excuse.  You and your men were equipped with a Sentry.  That alone should have been more than enough to squash the humans.  I think it was poor leadership that botched the mission.  The penalty is death." Ronan answered.

"Surely the Supreme Intelligence doesn't allow you to kill Kree Captains!" he managed to say.

Ronan nodded, "You're right he doesn't."

Then, Ronan raised his mallet.  A single shot went off.  The captain crumpled to the floor, a smoldering hole in his forehead.

Thank you for reading this chapter of this new sequel to Marvel's Maximum Security!  Please send comments below or e-mail cpufeedback@yahoo.com

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