CH 39: Prison Break
After dinner, the mansion settled into the sort of relaxed atmosphere that only seemed to appear around holidays. Conversations drifted between groups, laughter occasionally echoed through the halls, and for the first time in weeks nobody seemed particularly concerned with saving the world. Steve, Peggy and Sharon occupied one corner of the living room, exchanging stories that somehow managed to jump between wartime memories and Christmas traditions without warning. Outside, Donna and several of the others had declared war on the snow alongside Fluffy, who appeared convinced that Christmas existed solely to provide him with an endless supply of snowbanks to dive into.
Meanwhile, Natasha, Angela, Kara and Lex had occupied a table for a game of poker.
"You know what?" Kara complained as she watched Natasha effortlessly collect another pile of chips. "If I can't use powers, why is Natasha allowed to use her spy-powered poker face?"
Natasha smiled as she gathered her winnings.
"Well, if you really want, I could let you win."
The tone she used was almost identical to the one an adult might use when offering a child a consolation prize.
Kara narrowed her eyes.
"I hate that you're acting like you're doing me a favor."
"Because I am."
"Whatever. Keep the change." Kara waved dismissively before immediately turning toward Lex. "Lex, give me more money."
Lex handed over another stack of chips without even looking surprised anymore. At this point Kara had lost enough money to buy a reasonably expensive car, though fortunately for her she was losing Lex's money rather than her own. Angela, meanwhile, remained the safest player at the table. Even Natasha occasionally allowed a hand to slip away to her simply because Angela refused to take unnecessary risks and folded the moment things looked unfavorable.
The game continued peacefully until Natasha's phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the screen and immediately stood up.
Something in her expression changed.
The relaxed amusement vanished.
The smile disappeared.
Without saying anything she stepped away from the table and answered the call.
Lex noticed it immediately.
So did Angela.
Even Kara stopped reaching for chips.
The conversation lasted less than a minute, yet by the time Natasha lowered the phone, the atmosphere around her had changed completely. When she returned to the room, she wasn't walking anymore.
She was moving with purpose.
"Steve, get ready."
The words immediately drew everyone's attention.
Natasha's gaze shifted toward Lex.
"There's been a prison break at one of the most secure facilities in the country. It involves enhanced criminals and other superpowered inmates. Are you willing to help?"
Lex didn't even need to think about it.
The answer was yes.
Still, before speaking, he consulted Raphael.
There was always a chance this was one of those situations where dangerous people had been imprisoned simply because they possessed powers.
<82.3% possess sufficient evidence to classify them as criminals. 17.1% possess enough circumstantial evidence to justify incarceration. Remaining individuals cannot be accurately classified with currently available information.>
That was good enough for him.
"Sure."
Then he turned toward Sharon.
"Your call."
The shift was almost immediate.
Until now Sharon had been laughing with Steve and Peggy, looking every bit like a daughter enjoying Christmas with her parents. Natasha had spent most of the evening seeing exactly that version of her. The moment Lex deferred to her, however, something changed.
Sharon straightened slightly.
Her expression sharpened.
The warmth didn't disappear entirely, but it moved aside to make room for something else.
Leadership.
For a brief moment Natasha was reminded uncomfortably of Steve standing in front of the Avengers before a mission.
"Natasha," Sharon said calmly, "I need everything available. Names, powers, prison schematics, current locations, likely escape routes and information on any allies already responding."
"Already working on it."
Natasha was typing before the sentence had even finished.
As everyone gathered in the meeting room, the space that had felt comfortably large only hours earlier suddenly seemed much smaller. Snow still clung to some jackets from those who had been outside, Fluffy was audibly protesting being excluded from the discussion somewhere down the hallway, and the relaxed atmosphere of Christmas evening lingered stubbornly despite the sudden emergency.
Lex waited until everyone had settled before speaking.
“Before we start, if anyone doesn't want to come, that's completely fine. I'm not forcing anybody into this.”
“Ah... then I'm leaving.” Regina immediately raised her hand. “Not much of a fighter.”
Nobody looked particularly surprised.
“Fair enough.”
Regina stood up and left without even pretending to reconsider.
“Grayfia? Gwen?” Lex asked.
Grayfia folded her hands neatly in front of herself.
“I am willing to assist if required.”
Gwen nodded as well, though she seemed slightly more hesitant.
“I'll help as long as these people are actually criminals. I've had experiences before where governments decided that dangerous and criminal were the same thing.”
“Already checked,” Lex replied. “Most are confirmed criminals.”
Then he paused before looking toward Grayfia.
“It's not required though. Completely your decision.”
Grayfia considered it for a moment before answering.
“In that case, I believe remaining here would be the better choice. An occupied residence is far less likely to attract attention than an empty one.”
Lex nodded.
That seemed reasonable enough.
The mansion itself wasn't particularly important to him, but he could easily imagine someone deciding that the home of several superpowered individuals probably contained valuable things.
Once Grayfia departed, everyone else finally settled into their seats. Sharon moved toward the holographic display while Natasha remained beside her, already receiving information through SHIELD channels. Steve and Peggy sat together near one side of the table while Donna, Kara, Angela, Ava, Alison, Regan and Gwen occupied whatever space remained available.
Lex briefly found himself looking toward Peggy.
Why was she here?
Apparently sensing the look, Peggy raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Good.”
The answer somehow settled the issue immediately.
By the time Cortana projected the map of the Vault into the center of the room, Sharon had already shifted completely into mission mode.
As everyone settled into their seats, Sharon stepped forward and brought up a holographic map of the United States. The image quickly zoomed toward Colorado, highlighting the location of the Vault while additional windows began filling with incoming information.
“Since we don't have much time, I'll keep this brief,” Sharon began. “We have the location of the Vault, and Fury's people are forwarding everything they know about the breakout. Cortana is already analyzing satellite feeds and whatever data SHIELD can provide. Once we arrive, she'll coordinate deployments and direct everyone where they're needed most.” She paused briefly before continuing. “I've already requested transportation from Fury. He said he'll have a jet here as soon as possible.”
Before anyone else could comment, Gwen raised a hand slightly.
“Actually... that might not be necessary.”
Several heads turned toward her.
Sharon looked up from the map. “What do you mean?”
“If the destination is all we need, I can teleport everyone there.”
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Unlike some of the others, Gwen immediately understood why. Teleportation wasn't exactly uncommon in the circles she came from, but transporting an entire strike team across a continent certainly wasn't something most people considered casual.
“You can teleport all of us?” Natasha asked.
Gwen nodded. “There aren't that many people here. It shouldn't be difficult.”
That answer earned a few looks around the room.
To Gwen, almost dozen people apparently qualified as 'not that many.'
Sharon recovered first.
“Well, that certainly simplifies things.” She glanced toward the map before looking back at Gwen. “Do you need any preparation? Time to recover? Anything we should account for before moving?”
Gwen shook her head.
“No. Just tell me where we're going.”
For a moment Sharon simply stared at her before letting out a small breath.
“Right. Okay then. In that case there's no reason to wait for the jet.”
Beside the table, Kara leaned toward Donna and lowered her voice.
“You know, technically I could get there faster than teleportation.”
Donna didn't even look at her.
“And can you take everyone with you?”
Kara opened her mouth, thought about it for a second, then leaned back in her chair.
“Fine. Minor detail.”
Sharon gave everyone five minutes to prepare before departure. In truth, there wasn't much to do. Most of those present were already dressed for combat, and the few who weren't only needed a moment to gather whatever equipment they intended to bring. Peggy, however, would be remaining behind. Between the mansion's security systems, SHIELD communications, and Cortana's surveillance network, she had volunteered to coordinate operations from headquarters. Sharon suspected part of that decision came from practicality, but another part was simply Peggy's desire to stay involved and monitor events personally.
Once everyone had assembled around Gwen, the young woman's expression grew noticeably more focused. Her eyes gradually filled with a brilliant pink glow until the irises vanished entirely beneath swirling magical energy. The air around her shimmered as mana gathered in vast quantities, causing several nearby lights to flicker. Even Steve could feel something changing despite lacking any magical sensitivity of his own.
"Eo recedentia."
The words carried a strange weight as they left Gwen's lips. For an instant, a dense dome of pink energy expanded outward, swallowing the entire group. The barrier became so opaque that the world beyond vanished completely, leaving them surrounded by nothing but swirling magical light. Then, almost as suddenly as it had appeared, the dome collapsed.
The mountains of New York were gone.
Cold wind immediately swept across the group as snow-covered peaks stretched toward the horizon in every direction. Jagged ridges pierced the sky while vast blankets of white covered the landscape below. The transition had been so seamless that it took a moment for several people to fully register they were standing thousands of miles away from where they had been only seconds earlier.
"Good work, Gwen," Sharon said, offering an appreciative nod.
A faint smile crossed Gwen's face before she folded her arms behind her back, looking more pleased with the praise than she was willing to admit.
"Okay everyone, let's get this started." Sharon's voice immediately shifted back into mission mode as she looked over the assembled group. "Natasha, meet up with SHIELD and act as the liaison between us. Alison, Regan, Angela and Ava, you're with me."
Her gaze moved toward Steve. She still wasn't entirely comfortable ordering Captain America around. Regardless of timelines, alternate realities, or circumstances, the man had a habit of making people feel as though they should be following him rather than the other way around.
Fortunately, Steve seemed to recognize her hesitation.
He simply smiled.
"I'll come with you."
The response earned a small nod from Sharon before she turned her attention toward the rest of the team.
"Everyone else can fly, so take advantage of it. Start with the prisoners furthest from the Vault and work inward."
Her eyes settled briefly on Lex.
Lex immediately understood what Sharon wanted. Raising a hand, he summoned Brise beside them.
One moment the snow-covered clearing was empty. The next, a large armored vehicle sat there as though it had always belonged. The sudden appearance was enough to make Steve take a step back before he caught himself.
"Whah... where did that come from?"
Steve immediately regretted asking. At this point he had watched people teleport across continents, met a daughter from another timeline, and spent Christmas with a rejuvenated Peggy Carter. A vehicle appearing out of nowhere probably shouldn't have been the thing that surprised him.
Lex glanced at him.
"Storage ability."
Steve considered that for a moment before nodding.
"Honestly, that's one of the less weird things I've seen today.”
Within minutes, Sharon's team was departing on Brise while the remaining members launched themselves into the sky.
Lex headed toward one section of the search area while Kara accelerated in another direction, her body cutting through the air like a missile. Several of the escaped prisoners lacked powers suitable for long-distance travel, but somehow they had managed to secure vehicles and had already put significant distance between themselves and the Vault.
Catching them proved almost laughably easy.
Transporting them back proved considerably less convenient.
After apprehending the third group in less than ten minutes, Kara finally sighed and crossed her arms as she floated above a snow-covered roadway.
"Cortana, can you send the SHIELD retrieval teams here?"
"Already dispatching units," Cortana replied through her communicator.
"Great."
Rather than wasting time personally escorting every captured fugitive back to containment, Kara simply remained on site to ensure none of them attempted another escape while waiting for pickup.
Elsewhere, Donna and Gwen had moved toward a different section of the mountain range. According to Cortana's projections, several prisoners had fled in that direction, making it the most efficient route to investigate.
As they flew over another snow-covered ridge, Gwen suddenly felt something brush against her senses.
The sensation was faint.
Subtle enough that she almost dismissed it.
Almost.
Her expression tightened as she instinctively slowed down, causing Donna to glance toward her.
"What is it?"
Gwen didn't answer immediately.
The presence had vanished as quickly as it appeared.
For a moment she wondered whether it had been residual energy left behind by one of the escaped inmates. Then another pulse reached her.
Stronger this time.
Much stronger.
Dozens of smaller signatures accompanied it, layered beneath the primary source like tangled threads woven together into a single knot. Some carried traces of enchanted artifacts. Others radiated corruption so unpleasant that Gwen's instincts immediately recoiled from them.
"Something's down there."
Donna followed her gaze as Gwen altered course.
The source led them toward a cluster of enormous rock formations protruding from the mountainside. Massive stone pillars rose from the snow like ancient monuments, creating a natural shelter hidden between them. The location was difficult to spot from above and even harder to observe from a distance, making it an ideal place for anyone hoping to avoid unwanted attention.
As they approached, the magical disturbance became increasingly obvious.
Gwen could barely believe what she was sensing.
It felt as though dozens of different supernatural forces had been forcibly crammed together into one location. Enchantments tangled with curses. Sacred energies collided with darker powers. Ancient magic mixed with artifacts originating from entirely different traditions. The resulting chaos distorted the ambient mana itself, creating turbulent currents that swirled throughout the area like an invisible storm.
Carefully descending toward the edge of the formation, Gwen and Donna finally gained a clear view of what lay hidden between the towering stone pillars.
Two figures stood within the clearing.
One of them knelt in the snow.
Crimson lines spread outward beneath his hands, crawling across the frozen ground in ever-expanding patterns. The glowing markings intertwined into an enormous magical circle whose complexity became more apparent with every passing second. Ancient runes connected to unfamiliar symbols. Entire sections appeared to belong to completely different magical systems, yet somehow they had all been woven together into a functioning whole. Energy continuously flowed through the network, causing sections of the ritual to brighten and shift as though the circle itself were alive.
Several meters away stood another shadowy individual.
His tall frame was wrapped in a dark coat that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Wisps of unnatural darkness drifted around him like living smoke, occasionally spilling across the snow before dissolving into nothingness. Unlike the ritualist, he wasn't paying attention to the circle at all. His posture remained tense and alert as he scanned the surrounding mountains, constantly watching ridgelines and valleys for approaching threats.
The darkness surrounding him immediately drew Gwen's attention.
Magic.
Not merely magical energy.
Actual living darkness manipulated into physical form.
Between the two men lay an enormous heap of objects that looked as though someone had emptied a dozen supernatural vaults into a single pile. Ancient weapons rested beside shattered relics. Broken staves lay tangled among rusted jewelry, cracked talismans, strange bones, fragments of statues, and countless other artifacts that Gwen couldn't immediately identify. Every single item radiated power.
Some emitted faint magical glows.
Others leaked corrupted energy into the air.
Several appeared actively hostile to reality itself.
The sheer concentration of supernatural power gathered in one location was enough to make Gwen's skin crawl.
Her expression hardened.
She still couldn't determine exactly what Hood was attempting to accomplish, but at this point the details hardly mattered. The amount of energy being collected alone was enough to trigger every warning instinct she possessed. Whatever ritual was underway, it was dangerous, it was large in scale, and from the look of the glowing circle spreading across the clearing, it was already far closer to completion than she was comfortable with.
Exchanging a glance with Donna, Gwen focused her attention back on the two figures below.
"We need to stop them now.”