Blue Shadow Virus
“Naboo, my mother’s home planet. Absolutely wonderful. But when Dr. Vindi began his experiments with the Blue Shadow Virus, everyone on the thriving world would have been killed. When my father and the Avengers went to stop him, the risks were pretty high. But none of them had any idea just how bad things would become. Even if they won.
-An excerpt from The Fight For Justice by Luke Skywalker
“Meetra?” Jobal suggested.
“No,” Anakin and Padme said together.
The couple cooking dinner together while the Nabires kept offering ideas for names.
And none of them felt quite right.
“Puja!” the little girl offered, causing her mother to laugh.
“Sweetie, it would be too confusing if your cousin had the same name as you.”
(I can speak from experience there. I have two cousins named Peter, and they’re both on my mother’s side. I have no idea how that happened.)
“Perhaps Sola?” Ruwee recommended.
“Ooh, I like that!” Sola grinned.
Padme just rolled her eyes.
“I love you, sis. But if I am having a daughter, I’m not naming her after you.”
The elder sibling shrugged.
“How about Ahsoka?” Anakin went.
His wife pondered it for a moment before shaking her head.
“I don’t think so.” Then a smile grew on her face. “She can be the godmother though?”
Her husband beamed.
“I like that idea.”
Sola’s mouth dropped as she looked at her sister in betrayal.
“Wha–why not me?!”
“Why would it be you?” Padme questioned.
“I’m your sister!” she cried out indignantly. “I have done nothing but look after you since you were born!”
“Oh, really? Nothing else?” the Senator queried with a raised eyebrow.
“So, I asked you about that. I’m still waiting for an answer by the way.”
The pregnant lady let out a loud groan or growl.
“Fine! Yes! It’s true! Now, stop asking about it!”
Sola pumped her fist into the air and let out a quiet “I knew it!”
The men and children in the room looked at the pair with confusion.
“You lost me,” Anakin said.
“Me too,” his father-in-law added.
Jobal rolled her eyes.
“Men. Always so dense.” Then she slapped her eldest’s arm. “What were you thinking, asking a question like that?”
“That the answer would be yes, and I was right.”
Padme shook her head before looking at Anakin and seeing he had a contemplating look on his face.
“What are you thinking?”
“What if we named them after the Avengers? At least as their middle names.”
“Huh. That…that doesn’t sound bad. Like Natasha.”
“Where is she, by the way? Didn’t she volunteer to serve as your security while we’re here?”
“Like you did? She’s just using it as an excuse to take a vacation. She told me she needed one, so I let her use the lake house.”
Anakin chuckled.
“Pietro’s not gonna like that.”
“I know,” she smirked. “And I can’t wait to see the look on his face.”
“Alright, let’s get to some boy names,” Jobal said eagerly.
“Avren?” Ruwee suggested.
“Hmm…no,” Anakin responded with a scrunchy face.
“Carth?” Jobal offered.
“Good name, but doesn’t feel right.”
“How about Sol?” Sola asked.
“That’s just the male version of your name. Next,” Padme deadpanned.
“Those names are too hard,” Ryoo began. “They need something softer.”
The adults blinked before considering the child’s words.
“Softer…” Anakin thought aloud.
But before they could think anymore on the matter, Padme’s com beeped. The Senator pulled it out to answer it.
“Yes?”
“This is Captain Typho, Senator. You are needed at the palace at once. A patrol has finally found some of the droids Agent Romanov warned us about.”
“I am glad to hear you live, Master K'Kruhk,” Windu said.
“A joyous occasion this is,” Yoda added with a smile.
The recently returned Jedi was standing before the Council, all of whom were happy to see him.
“Indeed, Master Yoda,” the Whiphid responded. “I see that we are a few members short,” he pointed out, noticing a few empty chairs.
“Koon, Bilaba and Peel are on the front lines and are in no position to make contact. We haven’t chosen substitutes yet,” Koth explained.
“Understandable. I have been told that the War may be drawing to a close. Is this true?”
“It is,” Kit Fisto grinned. “After my mission with Captain Rogers to capture Grievous was a success, the Republic has had the Separatist forces on the run.”
“He will be tried and likely executed,” Mundi reported cooly.
K’Kruhk nodded with a frown.
“You seem questionably upset considering what we went through,” Shaak Ti’s hologram observed.
The beastly Jedi shrugged.
“I've been almost killed several times. I'm not dead. I hold no ill will to any who did try to kill me.”
“Most wise of you,” Yoda praised. “The Jedi Way this is.”
“Now that you are back, you shall be given time to readjust. We will not send you back into the field so early.”
“I actually do not wish to return to battle at all,” K’Kruhk said, surprising them.
“And why is that?” Mace asked.
The Whiphid was silent as he thought about his answer.
“You know me, Master Windu. You were there when my first Master… Lilit Twoseas… was killed. The fourth precept ‘no death, only the Force’ is hard for me. When the call came for Geonosis, I obeyed. I took a battalion of clone troopers on Teyr. I lead them into battle. I led from the front, not from behind. I know no other way. The battle… did not go well for us that day,” he bowed his head remembering the lives lost. “I wanted to retreat. Save as many lives as I could. But those soldiers convinced me otherwise. Said that it didn’t matter so long as we completed our objective. That they were expendable. And I just went through the same thing on Hypori.”
The council listened to K’Kruhk with rapt attention.
“As a Jedi, I was taught to preserve life. I led these clones–no, these men–to their deaths. These were living sentient beings. What I have been asked to do is the opposite of what I was trained to do as a Jedi. It betrays everything we are meant to be as Jedi. How can you ask this?”
The others looked between the two, wondering how the conversation would go as they took in the Whiphid's words.
“It is our duty as Jedi to protect the Republic,” Mace responded after a while.
K’Kruhk shook his head.
“You are a good man and Jedi, Windu. But this is where you are flawed. You believe that freedom cannot exist without the Republic, so you are willing to do anything for it.” Windu was silent after hearing that dissection of him. “I will take my leave now, but not before asking you this one question. At what cost, Windu?” He turned to leave. “At what cost?” he finished as he stepped out of the Council Chambers. The door was about to close behind him when Fisto held it open
“Wait,” the Nautolan began. Then he pulled out a lightsaber.
“We took it back from Grievous. Regardless of your stance on the War, a Jedi should not be without his lightsaber.”
He tossed the noble weapon to its original owner who caught it. K’Kruhk looked down at his saber and smiled. He nodded to Kit in gratitude before finally leaving.
Yoda hummed before facing Mace.
“Meditate on this you shall.”
Windu nodded, accepting the task.
“There is another matter we must discuss,” Ki Adi Mundi said. “Whether or not to offer the Avenger Wanda Maximoff training.”
“Is that truly a question?” Oppo Rancicis dismissed.
“I agree, but not for the same reasons,” Fisto said. “She is an Avenger. She and her team have been nothing but helpful to our Order and the Republic.”
“She is an adult, however. An adult who has not experienced the dangers of the Dark Side. Who has not been raised in the Light,” Seasee Tiin argued.
“She has only just left the Halls of Healing after falling into a coma from that wave of the Dark Side. I doubt she has any love for it,” Adi Gallia pressed.
“But she is still susceptible to it,” Ki Adi countered.
“You supported Skywalker becoming a Knight despite his similar weakness,” Koth stated.
“Skywalker is the Chosen One. Miss Maximoff remains an unknown despite the team she is on,” he explained.
“She would be a truly great member of our Order,” Shaak thought aloud.
“She would be a vulnerability as well,” Windu pointed out.
“I vote no. She shall not be trained,” Rancisis declared. “We have these traditions for a reason.”
“But it was only a few centuries prior when we would accept adult members,” Fisto said. “I vote yes.”
“No,” Mundi spoke.
“Yes,” Adi Galia voted.
“No,” Tiin sighed after a moment.
“Yes,” Koth said.
“I am divided on this matter. As I stated early, she would make a great Jedi. But the fear surrounding such an induction is valid. I must abstain,” Shaak Ti decided.
Everyone turned to Windu.
He shook his head.
“No.”
That was the deciding vote. It didn't matter what Yoda chose. The opposition had the majority.
Wanda would not be a Jedi.
Yoda hummed in his seat.
“Decided for me the decision has been. Become a Jedi she shall not,” the Grandmaster began. “But a compromise I have.”
“What is your proposition, Master Yoda?” Mundi questioned.
“Allow her to study with Padawan Tano I suggest.”
The others blinked at that answer.
“Learn the ways of the Force she must to combat the Dark Side. Become a Jedi she need not,” he shook his head and smiled. “But be granted access to our knowledge through a Padawan would be safe.”
The Council considered this for a minute.
“That is a fair compromise,” Ti nodded. “Would this satisfy you, Master Rancisis?”
“It would,” Oppo agreed.
“Then adjourned this meeting is.”
But before they could leave, the communicator beeped.
“It’s from Naboo,” Mace noticed. “Let’s see what this is first.”
Wanda sighed, putting down the holobook she was reading.
“It’s just like home. In a bad way.”
“You’re telling me,” Pietro groaned. “The Republic is an absolute shitshow.”
“Yes, though crude, you appear to be correct, Pietro,” Vision stated.
The three were currently seated in the Jedi Temple Library, catching Wanda and Vision up on the current state of the Galaxy. Safe to say, neither were happy with what they had learned.
“I had hoped that technologically advanced societies such as this one would have moved past the social-economic problems facing Earth. It is saddening to see I was wrong,” Vision frowned.
“And then there’s this Sith Lord who’s apparently in charge of everything. What are we even gonna do about that?” Pietro questioned. He looked to see his sister was lost in thought with a frown on her face and her head hung slightly. “Wanda?”
“It was him.”
“What?”
“The wave of the Dark Side that sent me into a coma.” Then she looked up to face them with an intense gaze. “It was him.”
They shared a look before Pietro placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She nodded.
“It was like… like I was being dragged down, drowning in a sea and being crushed.”
Vision frowned and tapped his finger against the holobook he was holding.
“I experienced the wave as well. It was not pleasant.”
“How did it feel for you?” Wanda perked up.
“It was as if I lost the ability to see. As if a shadow was enveloping me.”
“How are we even gonna fight these people?” Wanda sighed.
Pietro opened his mouth to give a response, but Viz beat him to it.
“I do not know. But I can intuit that so long as we are there for each other, we will stay strong.”
Wanda smiled at him.
“You know just what to say.”
Vision smiled back.
Pietro’s eyes darted between the pair as they continued to lock eyes.
What the fuck is going on here? the male Sokovia mentally asked.
“I hope I am not interrupting your research,” a new voice spoke. The trio turned to see Obi Wan marching toward them.
“Obi-Wan/Master Kenobi,” the three greeted.
“Mr. and Ms. Maximoff, Vision,” the Jedi greeted. “How go your studies?”
Wanda groaned and hung her head back.
“This place is a mess.”
“Well… you’re not wrong,” Kenobi conceded, stroking his beard with a frown.
“There something you need, Obi-Wan?” Pietro asked his comrade, cutting right to the point.
“Yes, actually,” Obi-Wan nodded. “The local defenses on Naboo have found a Separatist lab that may contain a dangerous weapon. Ahsoka and I are being dispatched to eliminate it and keep the planet safe.”
“And you want us to accompany you,” Viz surmised.
“Indeed.”
“Naboo? Isn’t that Padme’s planet?” Pietro questioned.
“Yes.” Then the Jedi sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “And apparently Anakin is already there.”
The male Maximoff quirked a brow.
“He is?”
“Yes. The Council gave him a meditative retreat and he chose to spend it as the Senator’s security. Agent Romanov is there as well.”
“What?” the trio questioned.
Kenobi gave them a puzzled look.
“You were not aware of this?”
“She said she was on another mission!” Pietro exclaimed. “You mean to tell me that she was taking a vacation!”
Wanda had a shocked look. Then she hung her head back again and let out a guffaw. Viz couldn’t help but chuckle with her.
“Unbelievable,” the speedster grumbled. “Here I am stuck training and reading while she’s getting some sun! Or a massage!”
“I was supposed to be getting some sun, or a massage,” Widow frowned. “Now I’m stuck finding a lab that definitely has a mad scientist and a weapon of mass destruction.”
“I hear ya,” Anakin sighed.
He was piloting a Nubian shuttle the pair were using to get deeper into the swamp. After Padme had made the connection that the beatle and mud on the droids indicated that the lab was in the Easter Swamp, the two immediately volunteered for the reconnaissance. They came across a farmer who informed them that water was poisoned, so the duo flew down the river.
And they were quite annoyed that they had to do this in the first place.
“When I worked for SHIELD, I only had one day off a year.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. And two years in a row, I had to be called in because the Hulk went loose, smashing a car that was struck by lightning. It happened both times!”
“… You’re… You’re kidding, right?”
“No,” she crossed her arms. “It was a one in a million chance, and it happened twice.”
“Ouch.”
“What about you? What were your plans?”
“I was gonna work on 3PO and R2,” he said. It wasn’t a lie. He was planning on doing that. But it was a misdirection from the fact that he had been hoping to spend the rest of the day with his wife.
“Uh huh,” Romanov went.
The redhead didn’t believe him. In fact, she’d had a suspicion that had been growing since The Malevolence on just what the dynamic was between the Jedi Knight and their Senator friend.
Oh, and it was just delicious.
If she were right, that is. She needed more proof before believing such theories.
“We’re here,” he said as their ship landed.
The two walked out of the shuttle and into the swamp.
“Keep your eyes open. Look for anything out of the ordinary,” Anakin said.
Unbeknownst to them, a scope rose up from the ground and saw the pair.
“You know, the two of us haven’t been on too many missions together. This is only our third,” Natasha noted.
“Huh, you’re right.” He looked around for a moment before turning to the Avenger. “So, what made you do it? Freeing the Hutts’ slaves.”
Romanov hesitated.
“Let’s just say I can relate. Why do you ask?”
Anakin paused, wondering how to say it.
“Same.”
The two shared a frown. They didn’t say much, but the unspoken message was pretty clear.
They were both slaves.
After a moment of silence they continued their search. When Anakin took a step forward there was a metallic thud.
Skywalker kneeled down and wiped away the mud to see exactly what they were looking for.
“A hatch,” he notified his companion.
Natasha pulled out her communicator.
“Captain Typho, I think standing over the lab. I’m gonna need a geo-scan of coordinates SP127.”
The Jedi pulled out his lightsaber.
“I’ll have it open in a second.”
Suddenly, there was a whirring noise and plasters cocking all around them. They looked up to see they were surrounded by battle droids.
“Freeze. Hold it right there.”
Anakin raised his weapon, ready to ignite the blade.
Then Natasha pushed his arm down.
“Let them take us,” she whispered.
“What?!” he quietly exclaimed.
“It’s an old move of mine. Catch and release. We can learn more this way.”
He stared at her for a few seconds. Then he put his saber away.
“Alright. I trust you.”
A few minutes later, the two were tied up and sat down in the lab itself. Off the side there was what looked to be a massive fridge filled with hundreds of vials.
And there were lots of droids as well. Nothing new.
The man who appeared to be the scientist walked up to them. He was a bald alien with gray skin and a maroon mask over his eyes.
Or that was more skin. Natasha didn’t know or care.
He held up a pair of glasses and inspected them.
“Wonderful specimens,” he spoke with a familiar accent. “What are life-forms like you doing in a swamp like this?”
German accent? That’s one point for a mad scientist, Romanov thought.
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Anakin glared.
“Thanks to the support of my compassionate friends in the Separatist Alliance, I am creating life!” he boasted.
The two quirked each quirked a brow.
“A demonstration is in order.” Dr. Vindi marched to the fridge and pulled out a vial. “Allow me to present the return of the infamous blue shadow virus!”
“And that is…?” Natasha deadpanned.
“The blue shadow virus?” Skywalker questioned with an edge in his voice. “I thought that deadly disease was extinct.”
“Yes, it was wiped from the Galaxy generations ago, but I have given it life once again.”
“You poisoned the Gungan water,” Romanov said flatly.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yes!” he shouted gleefully.
Yep, he’s a mad scientist.
“Unfortunately, the blue shadow virus in its natural form thrives only in water.” Then he walked over to a pedestal with machinery above it. “Until I improved upon that weakness.”
The two exchanged wary glances.
Vindi moved to a lever and pulled it. Electricity shot from the machinery and made contact with the vial. Nat and Anakin closed their eyes to shield them from the brightness.
The doctor cackled as the lightning died down.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Your eyes do not deceive you.” They looked to see the blue liquid had now taken a gaseous form. “I have perfected an airborne strain of the blue shadow virus”
A small droid that looked like a rabbit walked over to Vindi carrying what looked like a bomb.
“This is the last of the bombs, Doctor.”
“I’m well aware it is the last!” he yelled, snatching the bomb. “You think I’d lose count?!” He picked up the vial and placed it into the bomb. “The virus in its gaseous forms, combined with these bombs, will release the blue shadow virus back into the galaxy, more potent than ever before,” he grinned.
“Are you out of your kriffing mind?!” Anakin shouted. “It’s a deadly disease! No life-forms are immune to it. It was almost as bad as the Rakghoul Plague. That was it was eradicated.”
“You mean murdered!” Vindi challenged. “Take this away,” he handed the bomb to the droid. “Meanwhile, as we speak, thousands and thousands of so-called superior life-forms are spreading their disease of war throughout the Galaxy. Perhaps they are the ones who should be eradicated?”
Great, now he’s giving me Ultron flashbacks.
A gunship landed in the hangar of the Theed Palace. Out stepped Wanda, Pietro, Vision, R2, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan.
Kenobi took a moment to examine the old place. This was where he faced Darth Maul. And just in the other room is where his Master died.
Putting such thoughts aside, he marched to meet with Typho and Padme. With them were C-3PO and a Gungan woman.
“Obi-Wan. Avengers. Thank goodness you’re here,” Padme greeted, relief being shown on her face.
“Where are Anakin and Natasha?” Pietro asked his friend straight away.
“We lost contact with them after they went to search for the lab,” Typho explained.
R2 beeped in worry, causing Ahsoka to pat his head in comfort.
“You let them go?” Wanda questioned.
“Master Anakin and Ms. Romanov can be very hard to stop once they have made up their minds,” 3PO argued.
The new arrivals shrugged. It was a good point.
“This is Peppi Bow,” Typho gestured to the Gungan woman. “She was the last person to see them. They sent her here to safety.”
“Theysa looking for the sick-maker.”
“Ahsoka, accompany the Gungan. See what you can find,” Kenobi ordered.
“You got it, Master Kenobi.”
Ahsoka then left with Peppi.
“I’ll go with them,” Wanda volunteered.
“Very well,” Obi-Wan nodded.
“Stay safe,” her brother said.
“I should be saying that to you,” she responded as she flicked his forehead.
“Why have you not sent someone to search for them?” Vision queried.
“Considering the latest developments, we thought it would be best to wait for you,” Typho answered.
“What latest developments?” Kenobi asked.
The Nubians shared a concerned look before leading the group to the security control room. There was a holotable with a droid head in the center.
“We did a robo-lobotomy on the battle droids and came up with this piece of memory.”
A hologram of the mad doctor lit up.
“Who’s that?” Pietro asked.
“Dr. Nuvo Vindi. The senior medic for the Perma families. He disappeared ten years ago,” Typho explained.
“Good news, my soulless automaton friends. We now have enough of the blue shadow virus to start filing the bombs.”
“He said ‘bombs’,” 3PO said.
R2 blipped with a shared concern.
“We only need to send one bomb to each key star system. Work quickly, I want them ready to deliver-”
The recording ended there.
“Chemical warfare,” Vision grimaced.
“Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me,” the Sokovian cursed.
“If those bombs get delivered, we’ll be facing a galaxy-wide plague. The War will be the least of our worries,” Kenobi said.
“We have some good news,” Padme said. “Anakin and Nat found the lab. They sent of the coordinates before they disappeared. We managed to get a geo-scan of the area.”
A hologram of the lab was shown.
“It’s enormous,” Obi-Wan noted.
“How did they even build it without you guys noticing?” Maximoff questioned.
“We don’t know,” Typho answered honestly. “We’re looking into it. But for now, it looks like there are three entry points: here, here, and here.” He highlighted each area he identified. “This appears to be the main lab.”
“And the bombs?” Viz asked.
“There seems to be an above-average amount of radiation in this area. It’s likely where they’re being assembled.”
“If Anakin and Nataha have alerted them to our presence in any way…” Kenobi began.
“Please be careful about what you do,” Padme begged. “If you are reckless, then they or everyone on the planet will get killed.”
I can’t lose them. Not my family. Not my new friend. And not the father of my child.
“It may be a risk we have to take, Senator,” Vision said with a frown. “Doctor Vindi and those bombs must not leave the lab.”
“What happens if one of those bombs goes off in the attack?” Pietro asked, not liking where this was going.
“Better to have one planet infected than the entire Galaxy,” Obi-Wan explained.
“Dis da the ship belonging to them,” Peppi said as they arrived in the swamp on her nerf.
“So where are they?” Ahsoka asked.
The three of them hopped off their ride and searched the area.
“Their tracks end here,” Wanda observed.
Suddenly, Peppi was lifted up by a scope rising from the ground. Wanda and Ahsoka hid in its blind spots while the Gungan tried to stay balanced.
“Peppi, it’s a scope. Don’t let them see you,” the Padawan stressed.
After a bit of avoiding being seen, the two tackled Peppi off the scope and hid behind the roots of a large tree.
The scope lowered after only seeing the nerf.
Back at the Palace, Pietro and Padme were anxiously pacing across the hangar. Only he wasn’t really pacing so much as dashing back and forth with his super speed.
“Where are they?” the Senator asked rhetorically.
“Patience, Padme. They’ll be here in a moment,” Kenobi offered.
Pietro stopped dashing.
“We don’t have a moment!” he exclaimed.
“You seem a bit on edge,” the Jedi noted. Vision nodded in agreement.
“Really? Well, let’s see. There’s a good chance we’re gonna kill everybody on an entire planet, and leave it in the same mess as my home country. That also includes me and my friends. So, yeah, I'm a bit on edge! Why aren’t either of you?!”
“I’m better at hiding it,” Kenobi sassed with a smirk.
“As am I,” Vision added with his own grin.
Pietro let out a long suffering sigh while Padme let a small smile form on her face.
“Master Kenobi, are you there?” Ahsoka asked through Kenobi’s comm.
“Did you find them?” Padme immediately asked.
“Negative. But we’re pretty sure they’re inside the lab.”
“This whole area is wired with pressure sensors,” Wanda added. “There’s no way to get in without being detected.”
“But we’re more than happy to-”
“Do not attempt to get inside,” Kenobi ordered.
“That goes for you too, sis,” Pietro added.
“We need you to detonate a bunker bomb at the south end of the facility. It should cause a nice distraction and seal off the bomb area while we come in through the hatches.”
“You can count on us,” the Padawan beamed.
“Rex and his men will be there to assist you the rest of the way,” Vision informed the pair before the transmission ended.
“Come on, we better hurry,” the speedster said.
Three gunships landed before them and they went to hop on.
“Make sure they come back safely, Obi-Wan,” Padme pleaded with her old friend.
“Anakin and Natasha may be lost, Padme,” the Jedi frowned deeply. “We can’t risk the mission trying to rescue them.”
“Now, hang on,” Pietro cut in. “That was before you had me. I can get them out no problem.” Then he smirked at her. “Of course, that means you will owe me three times now.”
“No, only twice,” she said with an eye roll. But she couldn’t help her grateful smile.
“Agree to disagree.”
Anakin and Natasha sat together, still tied up. Vindi had left the room for a minute, thank the Force, so they had some time away from his incessant boasting. Sure, the droids were still guarding them, but they were silent about it.
“So,” the Black Widow began. “What do you wanna talk about?”
Skywalker snorted. Then he thought about it for a moment.
“Tell me about the other Avengers. The ones I haven’t met.”
“Where to start? We told you about how Thor is a god?”
“Yeah. God of Thunder, right?”
“Yep. He’s loud, a bit boastful, and powerful. But underneath it all he’s just a big softie.”
“Huh. What about Iron Man?”
“Tony’s a guy who pretends to care less than he actually does. He tells jokes at the worst times, and yet he’s always serious when you need him to be. He’s one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, but he has a habit of making bad decisions. But becoming Iron Man was one of the best decisions he ever made.”
“Sounds like a handful.”
“Just wait until I tell you about Bruce.”
“Right. The guy then turns into a giant and strong rage monster.”
“No, the Hulk is more than that,” she shook her head. “He’s not so bad once you get him to calm down.” A frown formed on her face. “Wherever those two are at, I hope they’re okay.”
His face soured at her expression.
“You’ll see him again. I know it.”
She gave him a small smile in gratitude.
“And then there’s Clint.”
“They one with a bow and arrow? Don’t really see how… useful that is.”
Romanov actually laughed.
Hard.
And long.
“It is hilarious how right and yet so wrong you are.”
“Guess I’ll need to see it,” he shrugged.
“I guess you will. Aside from combat though, I think you two would really hit it off. He should be finally enjoying retirement with his family right about now.”
“He has a family?”
“Yep. A lovely wife and three little monsters. One of which he named after me.”
“What are their names?”
“Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel. Traitor.” She grumbled the last part.
Unbeknownst to the spy, one of those names caught his attention.
Lila. Huh. That’s a nice name. It’s pretty soft…
He perked up a little.
Soft. Yeah. ‘L’ names. That’s not a bad idea.
Back at the Palace of Theed, Padme was having a similar train of thought.
‘L’ names seem like a good direction, the Senator considered.
“So, should we break out and storm the base?” Natasha asked.
“I thought you’d never ask,” he grinned.
He used the Force, and pulled their weapons from the droids’ arms. He caught his saber and turned it on, cutting through their bonds instantly.
The pair shot up and cut or shocked their way through the droids.
“Why do the bad guys always keep our weapons where we can easily reach them?” Widow questioned.
“I don’t think we’ll ever know.”
Ahsoka and Wanda scanned the area before them while Peppi comforted her nerf.
“I’m gonna levitate this grenade to that spot over there and detonate it,” the Jedi told the Avenger.
She held said grenade up and was about to use it when Wanda gently lowered her arm.
“Wait. I’ve been wanting to try something new with my powers. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to give it a go.”
Tano thought it over for a moment before grinning at Maximoff.
“Sure. May as well see what the big deal is about you anyway.”
Wanda smirked at the Togruta. Then she raised her hands together and psionic energy began to pour from them. It started to form a ball that increased in size with every bit of new energy. When it became too big to have next to them, Maximoff moved it above them. It was the size of a boulder now and was hovering over the spot Ahsoka had chosen. Then she swiftly brought her arms down and, like a meteor, the red ball of energy crashed into the area.
The results were perfect as the spot exploded and the base shook. The three had to shield their eyes from the brightness. Once it cleared though, Ahsoka just stared at the sight.
“Woah.”
“Huh. That was bigger than I expected.”
“Bigger?!”
The three looked up to see gunships flying overhead.
“Time to move,” Wanda said.
“Mesa come too,” Peppi volunteered.
“No. Stay here and make sure no one escapes,” Ahsoka told the Gungan.
“Hmph. Okeday,” she conceded.
The clones were propelling down into the hole Wanda had made. Seeing this, the pair ran over and dived in to join them.
Ahsoka used her lightsaber to deflect blasts heading for her men, while Wanda used her powers to crush the droids and hurl their pieces at the others.
Elsewhere, the other gunships bombed the two remaining entrances. The clones, Obi-Wan and the two Avengers with him dived into the lab. They landed and raised their weapons to find…
…Nothing?
“It’s quiet in here, sir,” a clone informed Pietro.
“Looks like Ahsoka and Wanda’s distraction is working.”
Then he dashed down the hall to find their captured friends.
“Forward! Come on!” Rex ordered, blasters blazing as they charged against the Separatist forces. Ahsoka and Wanda lead the way as they cut and tore through the automatons.
Three Droidekas rolled their way and opened fire on the group.
“Get behind me!” Maximoff ordered as she raised a shield of red energy.
Elsewhere, a small droid was strolling through the halls carrying one of the bombs. Then it saw two droids fall to the ground and clones march past their corpses.
The little guy immediately hopped the other way.
Pietro arrived at the main lab to see a blue blade cutting through it. It then fell over to reveal Anakin and Natasha standing over it perfectly fine.
“Oh, you guys broke yourselves out?”
“Yes,” Anakin answered.
“And you didn’t need me to run all the way over here?”
“Nope,” the redhead said simply.
“Oh. Well, could you lie and tell Padme that I saved you?”
The pair just deadpanned at him.
“Thought as much,” the Sokovian sighed. “Where’s the space nazi doctor?”
“He’s probably heading for an escape ship,” Skywalker guessed.
Quicksilver perked up.
“Oh? So there’s still a chance for Padme to owe me a third time?”
“Do you want me to increase your training?” Romanov asked.
Maximoff seemed to shrivel up like a dried fruit.
“No.”
“Then shut up.”
The clones and Ahsoka struggled to land a hit against the Droidekas.
“We can’t get through their shields,” Rex told the Padawan.
Suddenly, a yellow laser cut through the ceiling above the rolling death balls and it caved in, crushing the machines.
Wanda sent out a push with her powers and blew the dust away. They looked on to see Obi-Wan standing above the rubble with a smirk.
“Need some help?” he asked.
“Oh, so good to see you, Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka smiled.
“Where’s Viz?” Wanda wondered.
The android himself phased through the ceiling, causing a few of the men to recoil in shock.
“Right here.”
Wanda did her signature head tilt.
“Couldn’t you have just flown through the hole?”
He turned around to examine the hole he had made.
“I suppose so, yes,” he admitted a bit sheepishly.
The woman in red rolled her eyes fondly.
Rex nodded as received a message through his helmet.
“The lab is secure, General.”
“Good. Hopefully Pietro has reached Anakin and Natasha by now.”
They started running down the halls when a few more droids opened fire on them.
“We’ll deal with the droids,” Ahsoka decided. Wanda nodded and raised her glowing hands.
“We’ll get the bombs,” Kenobi said as he and Vision left.
“Wanna see who can take out the most droids?” the young Jedi challenged.
“You're on,” Maximoff grinned.
The others ran down the hall and found a room filled with shelves of the bombs.
“Well, looks like the bomb room,” one of the bomb squad troopers observed.
“Yes, and luckily they appear inactive,” Obi-Wan sighed.
This was when the most recent evidence for the existence of jinxes made itself known. All the bombs lit up and began counting down.
“I spoke too soon. Get these deactivated now,” the Jedi ordered urgently.
The clones nodded and got to work. To their surprise, Vision picked up a bomb, examined it for a second, and pressed a finger to it. The bomb immediately shut down.
“I do believe I can be of service here.”
“Master?” they heard through the comms.
“Anakin, I’m glad to hear your voice. But I’m guessing you and the men have not caught the doctor.”
“We’re working on it. Do you have the bombs?”
“I’m working on it. Dr. Vindi has remotely activated the bombs. They’re counting down.”
“Well, this is just perfect,” he heard Natasha say on the other end.
“And on top of that, one of them seems to be missing!”
“It’s down here somewhere.”
Pietro sped from another hall and ran along with Anakin and Natasha.
“Nothing in the west end.”
“Then check the east end,” Romanov sassed.
“Understood,” he said before dashing away.
“Ahsoka, we’ve got another situation,” Skywalker spoke into his comm. “Send all the clones to search the facility. We’ve got a mis-”
He stopped upon seeing that his apprentice was now directly in front of him.
“Master?” she questioned.
“We’ve got a missing bomb in the hands of a small droid, and a trigger happy mad doctor on the loose.”
“Split up. Find that droid,” Romanov ordered.
Elsewhere, the very droid they were speaking of marched into a garden room.
Skywalker, Ahsoka, the Maximoffs and the clones ran down the hall to see a few droids guarding what looked to be the hangar.
The heroes cut through the droids like paper and Wanda used her powers to rip open the door.
Dr. Vindi stood before them wearing breathing equipment and carrying a triangular case filled with vials of the virus.
“Leaving so soon, Dr. Vindi?” Anakin smirked.
“You didn’t even say goodbye,” Romanov added.
“You are running out of time,” Vindi grinned, showing the group his timer. “Catch.”
He then threw several vials into the air.
The heroes immediately turned their attention to the dangerous objects. Anakin dove off to the side to catch one. Ahsoka and Wanda raised their wands to gently levitate a few vials with their respective powers. Quicksilver used his speed to race for the one that went into the hallway.
As this went on, Vindi moved to the platform his shuttle was on and it began to rise. The clone fired a few blasts in his direction.
“Don’t shoot!” Anakin ordered. “If he drops one of those vials, we’re all dead.”
“Guys, I have good news. I found the last bomb,” Romanov reported through the comms.
“That’s music to my ears,” Ahsoka said.
“What about the droid?” Wanda asked.
With Natasha, she took a glance and the little robot rabbit. There was a smoking hole in its head.
“Taken care of.”
Obi-Wan finally joined them and leaped up to the platform. He managed to get his arms onto the thing. Vindi shot at him a few times, all of which he dodged. Then the mad scientist threw three vials at the ground.
Kenobi immediately jumped ship and caught two of them as he fell. Once he was on the ground he snatched the last one.
On the surface, the ground beneath Peppi began to split open, so she ran across to the real dirt.
After a few successful jumps, Anakin landed on the platform and pointed his saber at the crazed alien. Pietro then ran up the walls and arrived next to him.
“You’re under arrest, Dr. Vindi,” the Jedi glared.
Vindi huffed and threw his blaster to the floor.
The platform finally stopped at the surface. Vindi grinned and pulled out another vial. Then he started laughing like the mad man he was.
However, his laughter was cut short when something whirled past him, and he looked down to see that the vial and case were gone.
He turned in horror to see Maximoff holding the case.
“You didn’t see that coming?” he smirked.
Suddenly, Peppi rushed in and started beating Vindi with her staff. He fell to the ground with a groan.
The timer on his wrist began to beep loudly.
Anakin put his blade to the crazy man’s face.
“Yes, the bomb’s going off and we’re all going to die!” he laughed. “Yeah, yeah, yeah! Die!”
The timer turned dark, going to zero…
…And nothing happened.
“Oops. What happened?”
“Deactivated,” one of the bomb troopers said as he pulled his pliers away from the bomb. The other clones, Natasha and Vision looked at it in relief. “Plenty of time to spare.”
“Well,” Skywalker grinned at the doctor. “Looks like you’re-”
“What the Hell?” Pietro questioned, looking at Vindi.
“What is it?”
“Anakin, look at his face.”
The Jedi took a moment to do so, and was puzzled by what he saw.
One of the spots where Peppi had hit him seemed to have torn through Vindi’s skin. But instead of flesh and blood there was… machinery? In fact, the doctor seemed to have gone still.
Anakin used the Force to remove the oxygen helmet and reached for his skin. Then he began to peel it off. Underneath it all was a now deactivated droid.
“Okay, what the fuck?” Pietro questioned.
Dr. Vindi glared at the screen as he watched the Jedi and Avengers defeat him.
“You insolent life-forms!” he cursed at the screen.
“Oh, I agree,” a voice spoke from behind him. Vindi turned around to see his new master standing in the shadows. “They truly are a nuisance. Though the Maximoff are alright.”
“It appears you were right, my Lord. They would have beaten me,” the doctor sighed.
“I told you they would. But that does not matter. Your drone worked perfectly. And with you here, we can move forward with our plans for your virus. Though it won’t be until much later until we can use it.”
“What shall we do in the meantime?”
“I still need to mass my forces, but don’t worry. I have a plan in store for how to gain all the resources I require. Then we shall give the Galaxy a show of strength. Completely flip the board in this game of chess.”
“Chess, my Lord?”
“Oh, apologies. I meant to say dejarik,” he corrected. “I just need one more piece of the puzzle before I can move forward with Phase Two.”
“Are you quite certain we will not be found here?”
His master laughed. Though unlike most, this one was strangely warbled.
“No one in the Galaxy has visited this planet in a few thousand years. We are completely safe.” He then turned to reveal a pair of glowing red eyes and mouth. “The Jedi and Avengers will be heading to Ryloth next. They will be successful in this endeavor.”
Vindi’s eyes widened.
“But that means they will capture Wat Tambor!”
His master stepped into the light, revealing a body completely made of metal. There were various patches of red light at the joints. He stood tall at about eight feet. But the most defining characteristic was face. For his face could actually morph into expressions. And right now he was grinning.
“I know. In fact, I’m counting on it.”
“Very well. As you say, my Lord,” Vindi bowed.
His master waved the comment off.
“Nuvo, please. Call me Ultron.