Avengers Crusade: The End Is Nigh Chapter 7

Author's Note: All right I'm finally back with another chapter. This one was a pain for me to figure out, I had writer's block for a while so i want to thank everyone for being so patient. Hope you like it.

Avengers Crusade:The End Is Nigh

Chapter 7

Avengers Assemble!

Norman was truly the best at what he did, within the span of three or so days. He had promoted his heir, Harry Osborn, formerly known as the second Green Goblin into the mantle of the armored superhero the American Son, promising him redemption and a fresh start as field commander of his Dark Avengers team. Ever since he could remember, Harry had been trying to gain his father's approval but was always passed over with his father acknowledging only his best friend Peter Parker.

In recent years he had discovered his father's secret as the Green Goblin, and soon took up his identity after his father's disappearance. Blaming Spider-Man for all his trouble he began a campaign of vengeance against the Webslinger that culminated in him learning his archenemy's secret identity a fact that drove Harry into insanity and sought to destroy him once and for all. In their last battle, Harry was nearly killed battling Spider-Man falling a great distance and splitting his head open on the street below. The doctors fought valiantly and were able to save Harry's life, and the Green Goblin had seemingly lost his memory. Or at the very least his arch nemesis' identity and was seemingly back to his old self. But in time Harry would regain his memories along with that of Spidey's identity, and tensions would quickly reflare. When Spider-Man under possession of the Symbiote threw a pumpkin bomb back at Harry, and exploded in his face. Realizing that he had almost killed his best friend a second time. Peter began to realize that the Black Suit he was wearing was giving him murderous tendencies and tried to rid himself of it.

Though a tremendous struggle, he succeeded in ripping the Symbiote off of him and would ultimately bond with Eddie Brock, a fellow reporter with the Daily Bugle who was fired. And would ultimately resurface as Venom. After his final defeat Harry would have reconstructive surgery repairing the damage done by his best friend and tried to patch up their relationship, eventually the two men forgave each other in time for his father Norman to retake the mantle, and became the Green Goblin once more.

Now a year and a half past that date, Harry sought to redeem himself and had reluctantly, but with the truest intentions joined his father's side as the American Son. Since acquiring the role, his father Norman has been building him up as a media darling, and the next Great American Hero. Norman being the savvy businessman he was, promoted the hell out of the American Son making sure he became the face of his Avengers, and serving as his replacement while Norman completed his rebirth as the Iron Patriot. And would send him and Dark Avengers on frivolous missions such as busting up a drug cartel in New York and battling HYDRA and AIM for all the world to see, constantly building him up and showing his potential. Before the week was over the web was buzzing about the American Son, with children talking about him nonstop, wanting toys and eating his cereal. Working his son into an icon.

While this was going on, Norman had been grilling Captain American in his cell over his alleged role in the Russian jailbreak, which Cap thoroughly denied any involvement in. Even when both of them knew full well who was involved. That wasn't to say that he knew who exactly had framed him, and certainly didn't prevent Norman from torturing him to get him to talk; resorting to beatings, tasering and various other means of interrogation including waterboarding. But the Captain remained adamant maintaining his innocence despite his best efforts. In the midst of the torment, Osborn had forcefully taken a vial of Captain America's blood in an effort to replicate the Super Soldier serum for his own nefarious purposes. For three days he had tortured him and for three days Norman has gotten the same answer from him. Even though the Captain's resilience was immensely admirable, Norman was getting tired of it. Though he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Steve was innocent, he still reveled in the notion of breaking the Super Soldier. But now his patience has worn exceptionally thin, even with the Goblin serum still coursing through him. Norman just simply couldn't break him. He had broken lesser men before in half the time before, but Steve Rodgers was no ordinary man.

His bones like his resolve wouldn't break or yield even when beaten senseless with his own shield. Slashing his chest and arms with its razor edge, bludgeoning him across the face with his own weapon. Still the Captain wouldn't bend, wouldn't falter in the least. All he ever got from him was that defiant glare, and the simple answers 'no' 'I'm not responsible'. Norman was at his wits end with the Captain and knew he had to resort to drastic measures. It wasn't about whether he was guilty or innocent anymore it was the principle he had to break Steve Rodgers. He'd ram him through with the Goblin Glider if he had to; any means was necessary. This. Is. War. Finally at fever pitch with himself Norman resorted to the most gruesome means of torture imaginable setting a small orange tank of gasoline on the table before the Captain.

Steve narrowed his eyes behind his mask back at Norman as the man before him stood on the cusp of homicidal madness. His eyes narrowed into slits, his nostrils flared and lips curled into a scowl that would break glass. In a heating vent in the back corner of the ceiling the Avenger known as Ant-Man was crouched down in the shadows behind the air vent watching the exchange. The pint-sized Avenger touched the side of his helmet, as his eyes lit up.

"Tony it's me, I found Cap. Norman is interrogating him and he's using some really draconian methods on him." whispered Hank.

"How's he faring?" Tony asked from the repaired command center.

"The man's a rock, he hasn't given Norman anything but the truth. But it looks as if Osborn himself is starting to crack. Tony he has a tank of gas." He relayed through the council. Iron Man's eyes widened in shock as he looked back at the monitor.

"Orders?" he asked as Tony narrowed his eyes.

"Get him out of there." he said.

"You got it." Ant-Man said and used his psionic helmet to summon any insects that were onboard the Helicarrier.

In a break room a few doors down the hall a small collection of tiny black ants crawled off a counter near a half eaten sandwich and scurried down the hallway in a line where two guards stood stationed outside the interrogation room. The ants crawled underneath the metal door and into the interrogation chamber where Osborn stood with his back to the door. At that same moment a small yellow hornet flew through the air duct where Ant-Man was and flew out the vent as he gave it a thumbs up. The ants soon crawled up the back of his pant leg while Norman had his attention on Cap and his hand firmly grasping the handle of the gas container. The ants hurried there pace crawling up the back of his blazer while the hornet buzzed overhead with Norman paying no heed, with only Steve noticing it over Osborn's shoulder. The ants made their journey up to the back of the Director's collar and stood poised on the dark fabric awaiting Ant-Man's word, with the hornet also in place. Norman unscrewed the cap while giving Cap the deadliest glare he could muster, seemingly intent on setting the Captain ablaze. Ant-Man gave the order a tiny computerized buzz through the mouthpiece and the insects struck biting the back of his neck together.

"Agh!" the Director yelled clapping the back of his neck while the hornet stung his hand simultaneously.

Ant-Man dropped through the vent still in his miniscule form and hit Norman with all his might, delivering a man sized punch in the face throwing him into the wall. The guards outside heard the commotion and hit the keypad while inside Ant-Man continued hitting Director Osborn who couldn't see his attacker. The director retaliated hitting nothing but air as Ant-Man raced across his arm with a haymaker between the eyes. The door opened as Osborn was thrown to the ground but all they saw was the still handcuffed Steve Rodgers, before Ant-Man leaped at them and attacked. The two guards fired their laser pistols but were helpless against the tiny Avenger who laid waste to them in a couple seconds. When the battle was over he returned to his regular size in a flash of black and yellow energy bubbles standing opposite Cap.

"Need a hand?" he joked.

"Am I glad to see you." Steve said as Hank went over to help him seeing that he had his hands cuffed behind his back to the chair.

"Let me get you out of there. There should be something I can pick this with." Hank said as Steve simply broke his handcuffs.

"Or you could do that." he added as he stood up and snapped off the remnants. And put his full weight on his legs before doubling over against the table to which Ant-Man caught him.

"Easy Cap." He told him and put his arm over his shoulder.

"Boy he really did a number on you didn't he?" Hank asked.

"I've had worse." Steve told him.

"Heh. Yeah, I'm sure." He scoffed and helped him to the door picking up his shield along the way.

The pair shrunk down and rode out on the hornet's back before Norman and his men could come to.

'Tony I have Cap, we're on our way out." Ant-Man said into his helmet.

"Roger that Ant-Man. By the way you didn't have to have any evidence of Norman working him over do you?" Iron Man asked.

"As a matter of fact I do, I downloaded the footage into my helmet. We should be out no problem." Hank told him.

"Excellent I have a few friends that'd be interested in seeing that footage. Get out of there as fast as you can. We'll give you backup if needed." Iron Man replied.

No sooner had he uttered those words the alarm sounded, activated by none other than the revived Director Osborn. While his own men came to standing their boss with they're weapons drawn, while a horde of HAMMER troopers stormed the hallway as Ant-Man and Cap flitted by them infront of a trooper's visor. The trooper's jaw dropped upon seeing the little men riding the hornet and screamed startling his teammates who tried to gauge the threat before trooper announced where they were and started firing.

At the mansion Tony kept close watch on the situation but had no visual of what was happening and stood with his hands firmly against the council as he listened.

"Ant-Man, Hank what's going on out there?" he asked through Ant-Man's helmet with them dodging laser fire every which way, until the hornet's wing was struck. The insect went down as Ant-Man and Captain America jumped off and returned to full size to fight the guards head on.

Upon returning to his natural size Cap decked the first man he could get his hands on in the face before flinging his shield at the other nearby troopers. While his partner Ant-Man also went on the defensive plowing into three Hammer commandos making one of them eat his fist and tackling the other two with a forearm to the midsection. While Cap dispatched the remaining troopers as his shield returned to him and made their escape. At that same time Norman came rushing down the hall chastising his men.

"What do I pay you idiots for? Get them!" the director yelled. Cap caught sight of him from the corner of his eye and hurled his shield back at the director in retaliation for his torture.

The mighty discus slammed into his torso knocking Osborn flat on his back with the two guards beside him still standing. The shield came back around striking the one on the left in the back and skipped across the floor and ricocheted against the wall next to it before returning to him.

"Idiots! I have to do everything myself!" Osborn snarled as the remaining guard helped him up and promptly threw him off, hitting a small cylindrical detonation trigger in his hand. Setting off a series of explosions in the hallway as Cap and Ant-Man escaped.

The director grit his teeth and hit the trigger a second time activating a series of suits of armor, about five or six that were silver with Arc Reactors in their chests and ignited their foot rockets flying towards the source of the command along with a seventh armor that was jade green and also sported an arc reactor and was also fired up and quickly joined its compatriots. The squadron quickly traversed the Helicarrier and landed at their location on the other side of the hallway where Cap and Ant-Man stopped dead in their tracks. The silver suits of armor stood over six feet tall, and were heavily modeled after Iron Man's armor but with less ascetic feel, housing a circular Arc Reactor in the middle of their chest, and sported rectangular shaped heads with a single circular beam for eyes, and semi muscular appearance, with rectangular plates resembling abdominals. The robots glared back at the pair as Norman and his men cutting off their only other exit.

The director smiled and chuckled a bit as he approached them flanked by two of his guards.

"I was hoping to keep this project a secret from you a little while longer. You like them?" he asked with his hands behind his back. The pair got into fighting stance until a thought struck Ant-Man, and a smirk appeared on his face.

"You realize what this means don't you Osborn? By releasing these things on us, you've basically implicated yourself showing that you're responsible for the breakout." Ant-Man told him. The director raised his eyebrows at the scientist.

"There's only one other man that was able to thoroughly replicate Arc Reactor technology. And that's how I know you're behind it." Ant-Man grinned. Norman's face twisted into an insane scowl with murder in his eyes as the robots repulsor gauntlets powered up.

"Kill them!" he yelled as the Iron Mongers opened fire on Ant-Man and Cap.

Ant-Man shrank as a wall of white raced towards them and Steve blocked the torrent of energy with his shield, and sent him skidding back into Norman and his goons. The HAMMER director remained where he was as he watched Rodgers stand up to the awesome combined blast of six Iron Mongers' repulsor blasts, while Ant-Man dove underneath the HAMMER drones and grew to giant size, towering over them in a flash of black and yellow. His helmet splitting in half and receding revealing a scarlet cowl with silver cable antennas and a blue fielding filling out the black ant head logo on his chest as he transformed into Giant-Man filling the enormous hallway with his size. Outside the Helicarrier started to dip in the rear due to the sudden shift in weight with Giant-Man smashing the HAMMER drones under his fists like they were toys. The beams subsided upon their destruction with Giant-Man returning to his regular size once the danger had passed. And his Ant-Man helmet returning signaling the transformation back.

"Dark Avengers, Emergency Alpha return to the Helicarrier at once. Thunderbolts teleport to the Helicarrier immediately Emergency Alpha." Norman ordered through a communication device in his sleeve cuff.

"What about the boy?" Hawkeye asked through the comlink.

"Absolutely not, send him elsewhere. Have him read books to children I don't care, just keep him away from the Helicarrier." Norman ordered.

"You got it boss." Hawkeye answered.

"What about US Agent?" he added.

"Send him up here as well. I have a feeling that we'll be needing him." the director replied.

"We'll be there as fast as we can." Hawkeye replied through the device before signing off. The director narrowed his eyes surveyed the heroes escape and spoke once more into his cuff.

"Maverick activate Iron Goblin armor system." He ordered.

In a holding bay a jade green exoarmor came on line with flashing yellow eyes, and a diamond shaped arc reactor in its chest stirred as the system was activated, with a deep male AI voice addressing him.

"Iron Goblin armor system activated. Sending to your location." Maverick said as the armor took off on autopilot.

As troopers scrambled to contain them, Director Osborn removed his blazer, undoing his tie and unbuttoned his shirt pulling it off revealing black form fitting spandex with purple luminescent lines, and a port for an arc reactor similar to the one Tony wore beneath his armor and proceeded forward as the Iron Goblin armor raced to intercept him, as he took off his pants. The armor broke through a wall, rolling back its head and splitting open its chest cavity as Norman continued towards the suit. Crawling inside the armor, the chest compartment sealed back up as the helmet and faceplate descended showing a demonic Green Goblin style mask, and large a large crescent flare along the back of the helmet completing his transformation.

"Its time I put an end to this little fiasco once and for all." he said underneath his mask and raced after them.

On the far side of the hallway Ant-Man was already hailing his teammates through his ID card with Cap shielding them from laser fire from behind.

"Iron Man its gone south, we need backup!" he yelled into his card.

"We're on the way." Tony said closing his mask.

"Avengers, Cap and Ant-Man are on the Helicarrier and need help." He instructed the others through his mask.

"We're on it." Clint said through his comlink and was on his Sky Cycle racing up towards the Helicarrier joined by Wasp, Thor and Hulk with Iron Man himself rocketing out of the mansion. And were soon joined by the Black Panther in a Quinjet.

"I'll provide cover fire for you and the others." Panther said inside the cockpit to Iron Man.

"Let's bring our boys home." Tony stated as the team scrambled with Hulk grabbing hold of the Quinjet and leading the charge while the team split up and started firing. While the Hulk launched off the back of the Quinjet and landed on the Helicarrier with a monstrous thud.

Inside the alarms sounded as the Hulk started tearing open the roof of the hull while the Quinjet fired its lasers off the broadside. The Hulk soon breached the shell ripping through it like tissue paper and dropped in on some unsuspecting troopers and was quickly joined by his teammates while Black Panther continued his assault from the Quinjet. In the main hallway Captain America and Ant-Man ran afoul of the Dark Avengers who arrived on the ship moments later with Dark Hawkeye leveling an arrow at the pair, along with Dark Wolverine popping his claws. And Venom, Sentry, Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel standing getting into fighting stance.

"Think we can take em?" Hank asked.

"They don't pose a threat to us." Cap answered undoubtedly.

"Pretty tough talk for a relic and a sissy man scientist." Wolverine shot back. Cap narrowed his eyes as his raised his shield up to his chest.

"I've taken down worse things than you." the super soldier replied.

"Let's put that to the test shall we?" the mutant grinned and lunged at them. Ant-Man shrunk as Cap hurled his shield the mutant deflected it with his arm as he lunged toward Cap with the super solider punching him out.

The shield ricocheted off the wall overhead as Venom and the other Dark Avengers came at him. Ant-Man blew back up to normal size and then past it clotheslining the lot of them. Wolverine recovered almost immediately incensed at the Captain, baring his teeth and lashed out at him. Captain America jumped back as the Avenger's claws came with inches of his chest with the shield striking him in the back of the head and Steve clobbered him with a devastating uppercut punch that sent him flying back.

While at the same time Giant-Man was holding off the other Dark Avengers on his own before receiving full powered golden blasts from Sentry and Ms. Marvel that sent him flying down the hallway into a wall with Venom lashing out at Cap. The patriot blocked the symbiote's attacks with his shield, as his ink like coagulant flew past his shield out of his arms and around the super soldier's throat throwing him into the ceiling choking the sentinel of liberty. The monster grinned as he squeezed the life out of him until a bright blue energy blast ripped through his torso, sheering off a large section of his left side showing human flesh underneath. The creature through its white patch like eyes glared up the hallway at his attacker with Iron Man standing across from him with a repulsor gauntlet raised to him.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd put him down." He advised and was joined by the other Avengers.

But the faux Spider-Man ignored him and squeezed the life out of Rogers even more and Iron Man fired an even stronger blast. The symbiote threw Captain America like a ragdoll at the other Avengers before webbing them up as one and hurling them across the hallway through his line with only Thor and Wasp free as they raced towards him. Venom slammed the Avengers into a wall damaging it before sending the team back at Thor and Wasp. Thor charged up his hammer and sent a lightning blast at the monster before the Avengers crashed into him, even though it meant electrocuting the other Avengers as well. Wasp went on the offensive in her miniscule size and blasted Venom point blank in the face. Black goo splatted from his forehead as a result and Thor took on the other Dark Avengers specifically Captain Marvel and the Sentry simultaneously while Wasp continued blasting Venom. Before setting her sites on Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye. The Asgardian made short work of Captain Marvel despite his advanced weapon throwing the young Kree off while taking a more solid battle against the Sentry.

An explosion erupted off the lower left side of the Helicarrier, smoke and fire billowed out as the Sentry and Thor emerged and took their battle outside further crippling the Helicarrier. The skies turned dark as a fork of lightning descended from the void into Thor's hammer and lashed out at the golden guardian. The Sentry threw up his hands catching Mjolnir and was seemingly immune to the lightning as it coursed through his body. Thor's eyes widened in shock as the Sentry's eyes glowed with lightning arcing throughout him and punched the thunder god in the face knocking him back into the Helicarrier and the airship took a tumble turning sideways as smoke continued to billow from its hull. Laying in the crumpled shell outside the Helicarrier, Thor looked up and saw the Sentry lay claim to his lightning turning it from white to gold with his eyes shining and long blonde hair billowing upwards as a golden aura started to encompass his body.

The Sentry stretched out his arms as he started to power up and Thor could only watch firing a full powered blast at the Thunder God blowing up the tail section of the airship. Consuming the rear of the Helicarrier in a massive fireball and was the ship's death knell as the Helicarrier went into a barrel roll and headed into the city. From the ship's cockpit pilots struggled in vain to correct the trajectory with alarms sounding and the windshield cracking as the airship freefell into New York. With the tail of the flying fortress gone, Thor was knocked unconscious into the harbor, while the Sentry looked on in shock at the damage he wrought, and the sheer cataclysm he had unleashed.

With Thor indisposed and the other Avengers unable to escape and aid the falling airship, the responsibility fell solely on the Sentry's shoulders. And bolted down towards the nose of the ship grabbing it with both hands and attempted to pull the Helicarrier out of its death dive. The Helicarrier stabilized with a sudden jolt but was still falling as Iron Man went out to investigate to see the Sentry holding the airship up by himself, his fingertips pierced the outer shell using all his strength to keep it from crashing.

"What are you doing?" Tony asked.

"I can't hold this thing up for long. Get everyone off! I'll guide it into the ocean." The Sentry told him.

Iron Man hovered without saying anything and flew back inside while the Sentry summoned his golden aura and acted as a human propulsion system with a tiny stream of light being visible in the distance. Inside Iron Man warned the Avengers along with all the HAMMER agents telling them to abandon ship. The agents took him at his word and scrambled for the escape pods, while others more stubbornly refused to leave. Outside the Sentry fought valiantly to guide the ship away from Manhattan and into the harbor which he managed to do a little at a time, it wasn't until the Hulk leaped out of the hole he originally created in the roof throwing the Sentry's balance off a bit before reaching a rooftop and then slamming into the Helicarrier altering its trajectory greatly and allowing it to crash land into the ocean with the Sentry still attached.

The Avengers stood on the shore after watching the ship crash, while Norman Osborn hovered overhead in his Iron Goblin armor scolding at the scene and flew off.

"Do you think he's all right?" Wasp asked about the Sentry.

"I don't know." Cap answered with Iron Man hovering just over his shoulder and set down beside him, opening his mask.

"He did all he could to save us, even though he caused it." Tony said solemnly.

"I guess…not all of Norman's lackeys were evil then." Wasp sadly replied.

"You think the other Dark Avengers got out?" Hawkeye asked.

"I told everyone I could find to go, so I imagine they escaped as well." Tony told him. It was then Wasp noticed someone missing.

"Hey has anyone seen Hulk?" she asked.

"Yeah and where's Thor?" Hawkeye added.

A couple yards out the seawater bubbled and ruptured as the Hulk emerged dragging the Sentry out of the ocean by his cape and carried him to shore. The Sentry had been knocked unconscious as Hulk laid him out on the shore and smashed his chest causing the Sentry to choke violently. A hundred yards out Thor resurfaced floating on his back injured. Wasp was the first one to see him and flew out to his side.

"Thor! Thor are you all right?" she asked flying over him.

Jan knelt on his chest in her tiny form and started doing compression as the thunder god started to choke and came to seeing the wee Wasp on his chest.

"Aye…" he groaned as her eyes lit up and smiled.

"Come on let's get you out of here." She said grabbing a section of his cape and attempted to guide him out while Thor swam.

The thunder god made it to shore a moment later as Wasp got off and returned to her normal size hugging the Asgardian.

"So what do we do with him?" Hawkeye asked looking down at the Sentry.

That evening the Sentry was in custody as local news reported on the story as Harry Osborn watched in shock while visiting his ex-wife and son in their apartment, with the image of the downed Helicarrier plastered across the screen. A woman his age with long blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a white two-button blouse over a flower dress came out of the kitchen and saw the news report

"Harry is everything all right?" Liz Allen asked snapping her ex-husband out of his shock as he looked back at her.

"Uh yeah, everything's all right." he lied and switched the channel over to Mister Rogers Neighborhood for his young son to watch. And gently rubbed the toddler's head before getting up.

Across the city as Oscorp Tower, the Dark Avengers regrouped under Norman still wearing his Iron Goblin costume and were teleported out of the tower to Thunderbolts Mountain in Colorado. Arriving at his backup fortress, Norman's secondary team soon found the Alpha team standing in their midst as Black Widow, US Agent, Swordsman, Nuke and Songbird looked at them with questioning glances. Black Widow narrowed her eyes at them.

"Who are these people?" she demanded. The Dark Avengers stood in silence as they each glared back at Norman's lesser team.

"I'm afraid there's been a change in plans." Norman said cryptically.

Author's Note: Got quite a few things taken care of in this chapter. A few plot devices have more or less been swept up and Captain America is finally out. So what'd you guys think of this chapter? I think this took me about three days to do, and I think it was worth it. Don't you? Also I apologize for the plot dump early on in the chapter, I've wanted to explain Harry and Peter's complex relationship and basically show that they've known each others' secret identities for a while now. Let me know what you think.

Please review,