Chapter 61: Chapter 60: Savitar's escape
-------------
If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
-----
Star Labs
Afternoon
"So, I have some bad news," Barry said as he walked into the cortex, where The Avengers and Team Flash were waiting. "Alexei has the stone."
"How the hell does he have the stone!?" Clint exploded as he stalked towards Barry.
"He got the information from Lyla's secure account, he found out where she hid the stone. By the time Lyla told me where she put it, he'd already gotten his hands on it," Barry explained.
Alexei's hideout
Same time
"Where have you been?" Pietro questioned as Alexei walked in, holding the box. "And what is that?"
"I have been getting the one thing we need to free Lord Savitar," Alexei put the box on a table and opened it up so Pietro could see the stone. "The age of Lord Savitar is at hand Pietro. All thanks to you."
Star Labs
Same time
"If Alexei has the stone, he still needs to be able to open a portal to the Speed Force, right?" Wally asked.
"My guess is that's what he has Pietro for," Barry noted.
"But Speedy isn't as fast as you," Tony pointed out.
"And he doesn't have access to the Speed Force," Caitlin added.
"Which is why he took Cisco," Steve realized and Barry nodded.
"He's probably forced Cisco to make a device that will make Pietro faster and give him access to the Speed Force," Barry explained.
"Letting Savitar out and Pietro won't realize what he's done until it's too late," Bucky noted and Steve nodded.
"Which is why we have to find my brother and show him the truth before it's too late," Wanda said in a voice that left no room for argument.
"Tony, anything on facial recognition?" Barry asked as Tony looked it over one more time.
"No, nothing…wait. About ten minutes ago, Alexei was seen near a power plant ten miles outside Central City," Tony said, already looking into it. "The plant was shut down five years ago, which make last night's power surge very strange."
"Alexei knows how to avoid facial recognition. If we found him, it's because he wants us to come," Natasha warned them.
"We don't have a choice Nat. We can't let Savitar get out," Steve argued and Natasha reluctantly had to agree.
"Wanda and I will go after Pietro, try and reason with him. The rest of you, go after Alexei and Cisco," Barry ordered as they prepared to suit up.
Alexei's hideout
Not long after
"Here," Cisco sneered as he handed a device to Alexei that looked like a cross between a watch and an ankle monitor.
"And this will do as I want?" Alexei asked pointedly and the words 'if looks could kill' came to mind as Cisco glared at him hatefully.
"It will make Pietro faster and the tachyons you gave me will give him access to the Speed Force as long as he wears it. And you know that, just get on with it," Cisco sneered and Alexei smirked.
"I have to be prepared Mr. Ramon. And the other thing I asked of you?" Alexei asked.
Cisco gave him the blackest look before going over and picking up a scepter. He handed it to Alexei, who inspected it briefly.
"Remarkable. You truly have outdone yourself," Alexei said impressed before putting the scepter down.
Alexei reached inside his pocket and pulled out what at first appeared to be a small box. But Alexei put it on the floor, pushed a button and stepped back. Immediately, Vision was there, still held captive in the machine. Alexei picked up the scepter and Cisco looked away, unable to watch what would happen next.
"I am sorry for this Vision…but we all have our roles to play," Alexei said as he held the scepter up to Vision's forehead.
Vision suddenly screamed in pain before the stone in the center of his forehead flew out of Vision's forehead and into the scepter. Vision's eyes lost the light in them, quite literally, and he slumped lifelessly in the machine as the scepter glowed a bright yellow. Cisco looked back towards Vision, self-loathing filling his entire being.
Alexei then walked over to Pietro, handing him the device.
"Put that on and you know what to do," Alexei told him.
As Pietro put the device on his wrist, strapping it on, Alexei jumped in front of him, waving the scepter. A blue wave of energy emerged, knocking the arrow away from them. Pietro looked up to see Clint aiming his bow at Alexei.
"Kid, you've been played," Clint tried to tell Pietro, not taking his eyes off Alexei. "Wanda is fine."
"He's lying to you Pietro, just like they lied to her," Alexei said smoothly as he saw Pietro hesitate. "If you do not act now, then Lord Savitar will remain trapped and Wanda will remain a prisoner. Run Pietro, run!"
Pietro pushed the button and sped off, feeling the speed rushing through him. Alexei smirked before turning to Clint.
"You shouldn't have come alone," Alexei said and was surprised when Clint smirked.
"I didn't."
Suddenly, the roof of the building had a hole in in it as Tony flew in, making his way over to Cisco as Sam followed in after him. Natasha, Bucky, and Steve then jumped out of the shadows, Bucky aiming a rifle at Alexei while Natasha and Steve aimed pistols at him.
"Am I glad to see you guys," Cisco said relieved as Tony began using a torch in his suit to cut through the power dampening collar around his neck. "But Pietro-"
"Don't worry, Allen and Wanda are on it," Natasha said, not taking her eyes of Alexei as she spotted what he was holding. "Is it me or is that-"
"Loki's scepter? Yes," Alexei said smugly as he gestured with his head towards Vision and the machine that held him. "Vision was not too happy to give up the stone but he had little choice in the matter."
"You're gonna pay for what you've done Alexei," Steve said and Alexei smirked.
"You're focusing all your attention on me when you should be focusing on the poor, misguided fool who will bring about your destruction," Alexei told them.
Outside, Pietro was running around, trying to open up a portal to the Speed Force. As he was running, he saw Barry sped up behind him but, to his satisfaction, he saw that Barry couldn't keep up with him.
"Pietro, you need to stop!" Barry tried to warn him.
"Shut up!" Pietro snarled, speeding up and leaving Barry in the dust.
As he sped up, a blue portal opened up and, to Barry's horror, Pietro threw the stone.
"No!" Barry cried out, speeding towards it.
Barry was only seconds behind it, desperately trying to grab it before it went into the portal. But he missed it by a hair and it went into the blue portal. Immediately, something seemed to spike as lightning seemed to shoot out of the sides of the portal. Barry backed up in horror, knowing he had failed.
"What did you do?" Barry asked in horror.
"I saved my sister," Pietro said firmly.
"No, you didn't," Wanda said as she walked onto the scene.
"Wanda?" Pietro asked in shock.
Wanda then waved her hand and the ground came up around Pietro, trapping his arms and legs in stone casings.
"Stay put. You've done enough damage," Wanda snapped as Pietro looked at her swollen stomach, realizing that Clint had been right.
Inside the building, Tony finished cutting through Cisco's collar as they heard the sound of what appeared to be lightning.
"What is that?" Tony asked as Alexei chuckled.
"Lord Savitar is coming," Alexei said and they stiffed. "And I will be there to greet him."
Alexei tapped the hilt of the scepter on the floor and The Avengers and Cisco were all thrown back by a wave of blue energy. They landed on their backs, painfully, and as they sat up, they realized Alexei had fled.
Outside, Barry and Wanda could only watch in horror as Savitar jumped out of the portal, landing on his knees. The portal close behind him as Savitar took it all in.
"The ground…the air…I'm free!" Savitar roared as he got to his feet.
"Lord Savitar, at least we meet," Alexei said as he walked forward, bowing before him, presenting the scepter to him. "Your weapon, my master."
"In a moment," Savitar said as he got to his feet, looking over at Pietro. "I must thank you Pietro. It was you who freed me. A shame it was all based on a lie. We could have done great things together."
"You lied to me," Pietro said as he looked at Alexei betrayed, who only smirked as he got to his feet.
"You saw what you wanted to see. Not that surprising, given your childhood. But still, you ignored your instincts and better judgment. This is your doing Pietro, not mine," Alexei told him coldly as the other Avengers and Cisco joined them outside, seeing Savitar.
"Savitar I presume?" Steve said and Savitar laughed.
"Your time is at end Captain. Soon, you will all fall by my hand. I'm the one enemy you cannot defeat!" Savitar ranted.
"What do you want? Who are you?!" Barry sneered.
Savitar merely laughed before getting on his knees and bending forward. His armor bent back, opening up, revealing a man inside. As the man stepped out, everyone stared in absolute shock, none more so than Barry and Cisco.
"Like, I told you, I'm the one enemy you cannot defeat. I know everything every about you. Your strengths, your weaknesses. I know every move you will make before you make it. Because I was there…when I was you Barry," Savitar said, a smirk crossing the face of Barry Allen.
-------------
If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Darkphoenix11
-----