Arc Twelve. Chapter Three-Hundred Fifty-Six. The Omega Man

As the two groups made their way through the ship, they began to remove anyone that got in their way. They were at the last elevator before heading up to the command deck, and Venom wanted one last update before they started their assault.

Webb? And he felt Cap join their conversation, So what's the plan. Even if we take this ship, we’ll be overrun eventually. Six against six thousand won't cut it. Even if you do take control, we still have soldiers aboard, and they have a lot of guns.

Peter took a breath and paused, with a small grin on his face, You have the engines right?

There was a small pause, yeah, but we can't do much.

Cut all power to the ship, and seal all the doors. Trap everyone. Go onto full lockdown and give it enough power to stop us from crashing into the planet.

Webb cut in, uh, and what’ll that do?

Shut off the air, the artificial gravity, the lights, everything, power the ship down and they’ll either suffocate or freeze. they can fight that rather than us.

Shit Pete, I mean.

No, They won't listen, they won't back down. Everything is gone Flash. They are all dead, right now it's us against however many cruisers they have. The ground forces can’t fight a ship this size. Either we do this, or they win. And if they win we’re all dead.

Flash was silent, Cap won't make it.

He will, being cold isn’t an issue and as long as you and Yelena use Webb and Vonya to breathe you give him more oxygen. Stay sealed in there and kill anyone who tries anything.

He’d been getting updates from anyone telepathic, with the mind stone he could just connect himself and them together. He heard the fight with Yon, he felt everyone on Wakanda die, and it was time to stop playing. They had their chance, and they threw it away.

We’re about to take the ship, how's it going?

The rescue operation is going fine, Tony and the Legion are here, as are Scott and the New Avengers. Everyone is frightened, Peter. At least Tony is being his usual charming self and keeping the peace. Liv told him. She was heading AIMs recuse op, and with Ivan and their harnesses they were moving rubble with no issue, I think I even saw Reed and his friends. It’s not great, but it could be worse.

Maria?

Yeah, busy, talk alter, she snapped, we’re coping. Hill out.

As she heard the chatter as everyone gave Peter their reports, she lay a hand on Scott’s back.

Cyclops was flagging. He had shot down over a hundred of those bright blue bolts of energy and his eyes ached, his head was splitting and the only thing keeping him awake was the constant pressure from Vengeance behind him, and as the lead ship opened fire once more he yelled as another optic blast flared from his visor,

“Maria, I,” his legs gave way and he fell to one knee “I can't,” and as he fumbled with the clip at the side, the visor came away and he felt the wetness dripping from his eyes. 

Without missing a beat, Maria wrapped Venagence around them, coating them in the healing balm that Gwen had shown her how to make, “sorry.” was all he could mumble as she cradled him in her arms. Even with his visor off, the power leaking from them barely sparked in front of his face as he closed them.

Her eyes became wet, as Scott slowly slipped into unconsciousness. He had been fighting for hours, and each blast hurt. All she could do was keep him anchored, and draw away his pain. He deserved it. He had saved so many lives that this was the least she could do for him.

She touched her earpiece, “Fury, Scott’s down, we need to,” but she stopped. The main gun of the lead ship fired once more and a huge skyscraper-sized bolt of energy streaked towards them. It even blasted through the barrier of red energy she saw fly from Wanda. Looking down a the unconscious Scott Summers, she lifted him and whispered “I love you,” before closing her eyes and waiting for it to hit.

“Rather touching Miss Hill, but I believe premature.” she heard, and floating above her, dressed in frayed and tattered purple armour was Erik, He stretched his arms wide and the bolt curved in its path, and streaked back out of the atmosphere. “I suggest you remove yourselves from this fight. I am not going to hold back.”

As he began to float higher, she shouted, “wait. You won't survive,” and he floated back down. She could see grime and dirt covering his face, and if she didn't know better she would swear he had been crying. 

“No, I won't, but neither shall they.” and he pointed to the sky, “Sacrifices are to be made Miss Hill, and one more won't tip the scales any further.”

Mariah didn’t know what he meant but, there was one last thing she could do, “wait.” and she held out a hand, “She wants to help.” and as Erik touched her hand, Vengeance swarmed over him, and in their brief connection, she felt it.

Rage, grief, sorrow, loss but most of all rage. A quick fash told her Genosha had been targetted, as had Avalon, and both were gone. Everyone except for Erik was gone.

“A fitting name, and thank you. Now, go home, while you still have one,” and he lifted himself up, letting Vengeance cover him,

Come now, we have revenge to take, and friends to avenge

We have one last message to send through, Wanda. I am afraid, I. and he paused. Your brother was brave until the very end, and I will always be proud of you both. You are the two greatest accomplishments I ever made, even if your choice in men is less than desirable.

Father? What, when did you. Genosha?

Daughter, I love you, I am not one for long goodbyes, but. I always did.

The pair lifted themselves into the atmosphere, and while a blue shield flickered around Magneto he found it wasn't uncomfortable as Vengence fed him with clean breathable air.

He laughed, “No wonder Peter is so formidable.” 

We were born whole, and we were born to take revenge on those who would hurt our family,

Good, as as the Earth began a blue ball beneath them Eric sighted one of the smaller cruisers.

His voice boomed through every spectrum, from radio to microwave, 

“WE ARE MAGENTO. WE ARE VENGEANCE. AND FOR YOUR CRIMES. WE GIVE YOU DEATH!”

And as he stretched out his hand the ship at the far end began to buckle and creak. He could see the gas escaping as its bulkhead began to split and soon the crew were vented out into space. Magento didn't care, and even when the guns began to fire at his position, he raised his other hand and a bright blue shield erupted around him, scattering the energy,

Hmph, read a book, he had once sorted in derision at Peter's suggestion, but after some gentle persuasion from Charles, he did.

High school physics was his first stop, and soon he learned about magnetism and its relationship with the atoms and molecules in the world. From there, he learned about the different forces, and their uses, different types of energy and the particles that produced them, and the frequencies and wavelengths that made up the electromagnetic spectrum.

And he mastered them all.

Flying was simple once he gained control over the Earth's electromagnetic shield, and making another one was easier still. Avalon was one of his proudest moments, and that changed once they took it. He swallowed his anger, at these invaders, and planned another venture, one away from the earth, away from its petty politics and one he would not relinquish.

He was on his way to talk to Charles when the first beams struck. He had felt the increase and the disturbance in the magnetic shield but had put it down to sunspot activity. His own shield barely came into life as the ground erupted beneath him and the buildings were vapourised.

He had searched for hours, using his ability to sense even the smallest fragment of iron in someone's blood, and eventually, he found the survivors.

Huddled in a danger room were five students, the door fused shut by the heat. Badly dehydrated it was all he could do to leave them somewhere safe, before heading into New York. He tuned in and listened to the radio broadcasts, and collapsed in a heap. It wasn't just some act of revenge against Augments, but an invasion. A brutal alien dictatorship came to claim his home. They dared to claim him, and as he clenched a fist in anger, he rose. 

No more, he would suffer their idiocy no more, and freeing himself of the final mortal restraint. If they wanted weapons, if they wanted war he would give them one. He would give them death.

Erik, what the hell are you doing? He heard in his head, surprisingly, yeah I know got your helmet on, but with Vengeance and another few things I can get past that,

Magento chuckled, I am helping, now quiet while I concentrate.

They had been arrogant and destroyed all the satellites in the area, but in leaving them scattered and broken, all they had done was arm the angriest man on the planet. He rose up, raising his arms and a clod of debris followed him, 

Flicking his wrist he sent it flying around the globe, gathering velocity and sending it crashing into the end ship. With its hull torn and the lesser alloys inside exposed, they didn’t stand a chance.

He clenched a fist and the end cruise crushed, exploded and send debris flying everywhere, which Magneto used his power to whip into a long stream of particulates, sending them high enough into the atmosphere to accelerate their already high velocity and guiding them around the planet to pepper the next in line cruiser, filling its hull full of holes. With each ship he destroyed, the column of debris became thicker and wider,

Are you on the middle largest ship, Magento asked,

Uh yeah, Erik, you have to stop, I know we can't survive in space and Vengeance can only recycle your air for so long.

No matter, as long as we can save some, then we die knowing we did our part.

I know, and I’m sorry. We, we heard.

Magneto snarled, you know nothing, you weren't there, you were playing and laughing while they died, and now, these invaders will die, I suggest you leave that ship, Peter. Wanda will be sad enough with Pietro. 

Magneto paused and took a deep breath, no, he had a mission, he was not angry at the boy, only the invaders must suffer.

Do not contact me again. I have work to do. Magneto stated and Peter felt the link between them cut out.

“Dammit” Peter swore, “we need to get to weapon control. Erik is out there,” and the ship shuddered, “Anyone?”

“Venom, the guns fired, they were targetting Magneto.” Webb answered, “we have control of the engine room, we can only monitor power levels though,”

Shit, Peter swore again, “Did he make it? Can you get a view outside the ship?”

Magento swore, he guided the cloud around and smashed it through the smaller ships, puncturing their hulls, as the main ship's fighters locked onto him, his shield sparked as their missiles detonated too far away to harm him.

He laughed, “You will have to do much better than that.” and as he guided the cloud around, he broke off a small part of it and surrounded himself with debris. Even a cloud of this size was nothing to his powers now.

He felt insulted as another Kree fighter approached him, and as he send the cloud towards it, several missiles exploded, scattering it briefly, “You need to” but an explosion behind him threw him forwards, and his shield flared red as he skimmed the Earths atmosphere, he was shunted once more as the first fighter drove itself forward and exploded against his shield, driving him back, and as the main cannon of the Kree battle cruiser flared into life, his powers were no match.

“Uh, sorry, he didn't. He threw that big cloud of parts at the ship and they fired the main gun while a  couple of fighters distracted him. I'm sorry,” Webb replied

Venom clenched a fist, “not as sorry as they are going to be.”