Baron Zemo's Lair. - Chapter Nine

Baron Zemo's Lair

Chapter Nine
Sunday, 04-Jul-1999 15:23:06
24.64.71.35 writes:

Return to the Parodyverse, Chapter Nine. CoS

The Man Who Wasn’t There smiled grimly as he exited the Zemo Tube. “Ah. Those Who Sit Above. I see. Apparently, the time has come for our discussion.” Four mysterious, cosmic beings approached him. The wisest of them nodded his head decisively. “Indeed. The time of judgement is at hand. You know what must happen. You know what you must do. “

The Man Who Wasn’t There bowed to the beings who controlled all, and returned to Earth. Two decades ago… he’d been sent there. His job is rather simple, rather frighteningly simple. He must judge the fate of humanity.

Baron Zemo couldn’t believe the idiocy of the surviving denizens of the Parodyverse. He was alive… alive, and more powerful than he’d ever been. He had a plan, an ultimate plan, and nothing would stand in his way. “The Dark Knight was right; the element of surprise really is effective. I’ll need to make a note of that over his monument.” Zemo continued on his path to Atlantis…propelled via a rather unusual source of flight.

Banjooo was depressed. Losing your entire kingdom would tend to have that effect on you. Which was why he’d taken up living with Fin Fang Foom, who watched over the former King of the Sea Monkeys. Banjooo’s emotions were killing him inside… and Foom could only try and help as much as he could. Usually, Foom did a lot of physical care and labor for Banjooo… but circumstances would seem to dictate otherwise.

Baron Zemo smashed into the emotionally battered heroes’ lair, hidden deep within Atlantis. Foom squinted at the object Zemo had in his hand… and couldn’t believe what he saw. This disbelief didn’t help him at all; Zemo unleashed a massive uppercut on the dragon’s jaw, using the weapon to its fullest extent and causing the shape-shifter to visit the ionosphere.

Zemo smiled villainously then tapped the familiar object into his palm repeatedly. “I really must thank Donar for the use of his splendid weapon; whenever I decide to find out what happened to him, that is…”

Banjooo stammered, “I…I…I know what yuh-you’re planning, and, uh, I…I…I…wuh-won’t stand fuh-for it. I…I…I… am guh-gonna tuh-take you duh-down…”

An angry Makulan dragon re-entered the fray, hitting the Mjalcom-carrying Zemo in the stomach with the concussion force of an Armageddon-causing comet. Mjalcom™ allowed Zemo to roll with the force, causing the dragon to bounce off like a thirty-ton rubber ball. Banjooo quickly erected Atlantis’ forcefields, and prayed for minimal damage.

The battle was swift, intense, and rather short. Zemo stood over the fallen, seemingly unconscious dragon, set down Mjalcom™ and pulled down a very important, two-handed switch. Zemo laughed triumphantly. “Let’s see those pathetic bastards in Parodiopolis survive a hydrogen bomb…” As Zemo’s laughter faded, he mentally thanked the foolishness of Sersi; who’d allowed him to gain control of the world’s most important, and only hydrogen bomb. “I’d like to thank all the little, gullible, people for such an important… and foolish… contribution.” A gulf of flame encircled Zemo.

A battered, nearly dead Fin Fang Foom stood in front of him. “You don’t have Mjalcom anymore, Zemo… and, hell, if I can’t stop you from taking out Parodiopolis, then I can sure as HELL take YOU out.”

Zemo gulped… but realized that his plan had come to fruition. And none could stop him. As Foom readied himself to cave Zemo’s skull in, Zemo smiled. “Do your worst, dragon… it’s of little consequence now.”

The Man Who Wasn’t There returned to the location of Those Who Sit In Shadow. The wisest of them looked as if a terrible burden had been lifted from his shoulders. And when he spoke, it was as if whole galaxies shook in fear of his terrible anger. “We have already decided judgement. Humanity shall perish; they are unworthy to live.”

The most potentially powerful of them agreed. “Indeed. Though I shape worlds, Earth must die. Humanity has become a disease… and we shall be their cure.”

The other two individuals Who Sat In Shadow were less important than those who spoke. Their function was to be jury… and the other’s was to be a pleasure to the jury. And ravens encircled the wisest one, attracted to his years of hidden pain and cumulative rage. The Terrible One’s betrayal had caused his friend, a magnificent world shaper, harm. So it was only right that his forces struck back. With no fear of reprisal, no mercy, and hard and fast. None would survive. For none deserved to survive.

The Man Who Wasn’t There approached the other beings, mentally preparing himself for the transformation into the Avatar: the destroyer of everything humanity held dear.

The wisest being in the universe mentally visited two graves. These were graves that contained beings he’d created… beings that had died early in the war. A knight of darkness and a being of disgruntled, evil creativity. He wished himself peace. And with that bit of farewell accomplished, the wisest being in the universe joined the Others Who Sat In Shadow and began the ritual that would change The Man Who Wasn’t There.

He removed his hood, and a terrible light, born of negative emotion, slowly tiptoed its way into the room. The room grew hazy, and full of red as evil as that of the most vengeful demons. And humanity's destruction was begun...

by the Chronicler of Stories