Chapter 48: The Scourge Legion
Although he wasn't entirely certain about the situation on the other side, he suspected the attackers were likely HYDRA. Only they, armed with gene-suppressant serums, could have subdued so many mutants at once.
As soon as Garus emerged from the portal, he immediately deployed his mech, the Fel Reaver. Rising slowly from the building's rooftop, the mech took to the skies.
"Mom, look! It's Iron Man!" a young boy exclaimed, tugging at his mother's arm.
The swift-flying mech trailed flames as it disappeared over the horizon. Below, the New Yorkers assumed it was Tony Stark, as they were accustomed to seeing Iron Man in action and weren't overly surprised.
For the citizens of New York, having superheroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man protecting their city was a source of pride. Other cities didn't have crime-fighting guardians like these.
In the midst of the battle, Wanda stood her ground, single-handedly holding back an advancing army. Her immense power left Stryker deeply shaken.
His mind was consumed with thoughts of mutant abilities. While General Ross pursued Super Soldier Serum to enhance his soldiers, Stryker believed that super-powered soldiers were the future of warfare.
Raising his hand, Stryker signaled his troops to cease their attack. He addressed Wanda: "Young lady, there's no need for us to waste time here. If you surrender now, I can guarantee your safety, as well as that of your companion."
Believing the two remaining mutants were all that was left, Stryker assumed the others had been killed.
Panting heavily, Wanda glanced at Logan beside her and replied, "Impossible. You and HYDRA are in this together. In your hands, there's no such thing as safety."
Wanda's hatred for Baron Zemo burned intensely. If she ever saw that man again, she swore she'd kill him.
"HYDRA?" Stryker frowned in confusion. Wasn't HYDRA dismantled after World War II?
"Wanda!" At that moment, Pietro arrived at the academy. Surveying the destruction, he saw that the only intact area was around Wanda, while the rest of the campus lay in ruins.
"Why did you come back? Leave now!"
Carrying Logan, Pietro urged, "Wanda, let's go. The students are safe."
Wanda nodded. Just as she lowered her protective barrier and turned to leave, the collapsing remains of a building overhead gave way, plummeting towards them.
"Pietro!" Wanda unleashed her chaos magic, managing to shield the three of them just in time before they were buried under the rubble.
"What a pity," Stryker murmured, looking at the now-destroyed building. Regrettably, he had hoped to recruit them for his super-soldier project.
As he prepared to send his troops to inspect the rubble, Senator Kelly arrived with a squad of men.
"General Stryker, leave the rest to me," Kelly said.
Stryker frowned but relented. "Fine, but the mutants' bodies are ours to handle."
Surrounded by Stryker's forces, Kelly had no choice but to temporarily agree. As for retrieving Experiment Ten, he had his own plans.
Flying over Westchester, Garus' eyes widened as he saw the woods below teeming with troops, including sonic tanks he had previously sold to General Ross.
"Military forces? How did they find this place?"
Surveying the scene, he estimated there were thousands of soldiers encircling the academy, which was now a heap of rubble.
"Could they all be dead?" The thought ignited a burning rage within him. No matter who was responsible, he vowed to leave no one alive.
"Activate the Fel Cannons!"
The weapons on Garus' mech began charging. Before anyone on the ground noticed, a barrage of Fel energy rained down. Green infernal flames engulfed the forest, and agonized screams filled the air.
"General, get down!"
Stryker's adjutant pulled him down just as a green Fel fireball scorched past, incinerating a nearby soldier into ash.
From the sky, Garus recognized Stryker and paused. "That guy looks familiar… Oh, that's Logan's nemesis, Colonel Stryker."
"Shoot him down!" Stryker roared, enraged.
Weapons trained on Garus unleashed a hail of fire. Unfamiliar with his mech's controls, Garus was hit, forcing him to crash to the ground.
Frustrated, he dismissed the mech and decided to rely on his own powers.
Drawing Frostmourne, Garus unleashed the souls trapped within. Spectral wails echoed as the spirits burrowed into the ground. Moments later, an undead army clawed its way to the surface.
These were no mindless ghouls. Formed from the souls of fallen HYDRA soldiers, mercenaries from AIM, and Fel-infused entities, they were Garus' new Scourge Legion.
Panic swept through the ranks of Stryker's soldiers as undead hands broke through the soil and grotesque, decaying faces emerged.
"What the hell is this?" Terrified, the troops were thrown into disarray as the undead began attacking, biting and clawing at anything living.
Even Stryker was stunned. The resurrection of the dead defied all scientific explanation.
Meanwhile, Senator Kelly, preparing to search for Experiment Ten, noticed the chaos and saw the events transmitted to Baron Zemo's base.
"Damn it, it's him again," Zemo growled. The man responsible for rescuing the mutants from his base had now revealed even more terrifying powers.
As the battle between the living and the undead raged, Garus rushed toward the academy to search for any survivors.
In another dimension, within the infernal depths of Mephisto's hell, a skeletal general reported to the demon lord seated on his fiery throne.
"Lord Mephisto, our ghouls in the mortal realm have been significantly depleted. It seems a mortal mage has summoned them."
"How many?" Mephisto asked, his fiery eyes narrowing.
"Two thousand three hundred fifty-six ghouls, corresponding to the recent loss of mortal souls."
The flames of Mephisto's eyes flared. "Without my permission, someone dares to claim my ghouls and souls? How bold."
Yet, Mephisto hesitated. His powers in the mortal realm were limited. Even handling a Ghost Rider had proven challenging, and now a new necromancer had emerged.
"Order my followers to complete the summoning array. I must channel more of my power into the mortal world," Mephisto commanded.
To him, Earth's souls were his property, and he wouldn't allow anyone to infringe upon what he deemed his. Still, he knew better than to provoke the Creator of Death—a being even he dared not challenge.
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