The City of Gold (June 1013)

It took several hours for Gambit and Natalya to learn how to fly those golden chariots but eventually they got the hang of them. The learned how to start them, take off, land and fly around to a degree. They were awkward to control but the Avani had years to learn where they only had hours and the longer they spent, the more damage these invaders could do. When it came time for them to disembark Tony came up to Serena once more as they all stood on the flight deck.

“Here, I...modified these,” he said as he added to her wrists what looked like golden bangles. “They’re the same version one’s I made for you to help you use what energy you absorb more efficiently. They are good with those spears, you can’t absorb that, let Gambit do what he does best and you back him up,” he said as he put his hands on her arms. He smiled. “Your mother and I are very proud of you Serena. And we love you, so very much,” He said then hugged her to him.

“Uh, Tony, they’ve launched another sortie,” Phil said. Tony nodded and shifted away from her. His facemask came down and then he took off into the air alone.

-----------------------------------

“I’m really diggin this look for you Natalya. I’m likin this playin dress up! You’re pretty hot in that!” he said as he touched her butt. This was neither the place or time for that but Logan was never one to worry very much about much of anything.

----------------------------------

Gambit flew...casually. He didn’t get fancy or do anything special. He just flew straight for the most part. He looked back at Serena and wondered if she was still pissed at him for what he said. He turned back to face forward. “You’re still pissed at me, aren’t you? Well, just remember our mission, that’s all I can ask,” he said.

----------------------------------

Peter had to take down 2 more soldiers and dispose of their bodies. Never in his life had he had to kill people like this. He wasn’t some agent or operative. He was Peter Parker, the ‘friendly’ neighborhood spiderman. But he certainly wasn’t that today. And he hadn’t been that since he lost Serena. He missed Willow and Ben and wondered how they were doing. He had taken one of their uniforms but he definitely didn’t look much like they did. Once he figured out how to get out of that collar, every slave he met he removed their collars and disabled their shocking mechanisms. Now, he had several alien slaves with him and they could still communicate. They all had put on uniforms that could fit them but he knew it was just a matter of time before they were caught. These people were so arrogant, so certain that what he was doing couldn’t happen that there still hadn’t been an alarm about him and his companions. The people here in this city minded their own business. Content with going about theirs and not getting involved in anything that could bring them trouble. The slaves though, once their collars were removed they seemed eager to help him.

--------------------------------

Steve came across several soldiers and other citizens who dwelled in the large city but he had no idea where he was or where he was really going. He was, for all intensive purposes, lost and he dare not speak to anyone or ask directions for fear they would take him for what he was. His white outfit appeared to give him some kind of special rank. The soldiers barely looked at him.

Serena took the bangles her father had made for her. She felt a few tears come to her eyes as she looked at him. She honestly didn't know if she was ever going to see him again. She hugged him tightly and closed her eyes and breathed in his scent and then gave him a smile before leaving to go with Gambit. She and Gambit were in one chariot while Natalya and Logan were in the other. Serena and Gambit were quiet in their chariot as Gambit flew towards the floating city. Serena was still upset over what he had said earlier and she sighed and looked at him when he brought it up.

"When have I ever flaked out on a fight or mission? I don't think that was fair to say to me Gambit."

-------------------------------------

Natalya was trying to concentrate on what she was doing. Flying this chariot was not exactly like flying a jet. Logan was starting to distract her and she pulled her butt away from his touch and glanced back at him with a little smile. "Stop it. Do you want me to crash this thing?"

-------------------------------------

Khepari slowly began to awaken and she reached out to put her arms around Captain America. However, when she reached out for the place where he should be she found his place empty. She frowned and sat up and looked around. He and his clothes were gone. She growled and got up and called for her guards.

"Find Captain America and bring him to me!"

“This is different. You’re very worried about Peter and your mother. Considering who Peter is to you, You might feel you owe him to rescue him. Those kinds of sentiments can change a persons objectivity,” he said as he flew the Chariot. It handled with agility but the controls were strange and foreign to him.

They passed two other chariots and them people on them saluted them with fist to chest then a sweep of their arms. And then there was a military vehicle that fired a rocket launcher. The rocket struck one of the chariots they passed and it exploded. Gambit flinched at the noise as the vehicle crashed to the ground.

————————

“No but you look hot as hell in that getup and the prospect of more fighting makes me...well, you know,” he said with a grin. Some police fired at them but the under armor of their chariot repelled the bullets. The large, golden city looked ahead of them in the distance. It was a massive thing with gleaming towers, shining pyramids and Egyptian flair in every inch of it. It was roughly oval in shape but not smooth: there were hundreds of buildings in differing shapes and sizes. “Look, over there,” Logan said as a chariot came out of the side. “Head toward that,” Logan suggested. “Maybe we can go in there too,” he said.

————————-

Peter did not know the creatures name nor even her race but she had fought with him. She was stabbed in the chest by a guard and she breathed her last breath as she held onto his arm. Her hand clung to his as she winced at the pain. Her hand went limp just as her yellow eyes closed. The others he was with pulled at him to get moving. Finally he stood feeling horrible that a woman died this time. That made 3 of their small little band that died. But he figured that they had had enough of being slaves and the large, creature that looked like they were covered in stone had fought as a gladiator. He was very deadly and seemed to bear these soldiers more than a little ill will.

————————

Steve ran into what looked like a market square. 3 soldiers chased him across a large courtyard but he outran them. The soldiers only used the blunt end of their spears and tried to shock him with them but he managed to evade them. Obviously the queen was awake and wanted him back. He would not go back and he knew if they caught him she’d either collar him or enchant him.

————————

“Mother is many things but she would not do anything to you. She knew how I felt...feel about you Aneksi. You sound as if Khepari has something to do with your death: that can not be,” he said though it was obvious he wasn’t so certain about that. “It’s natural to continue to feel attached to your people. But it fades in time. You will give me many children and you will know only love and luxury as my Princess should,” he said as he produced a ruby and gold pendent bigger than any ruby she had ever seen. He smiled as he put it around her neck and she recalled that it was the same one that Aneksi wore in the painting of her. Omari squeezed her left breast then kissed her passionately as he rose from their bed. He moved up to a small table a poured a dark red liquid from a golden pitcher to a golden cup. He shifted back and handed it to her. The drink smelled like wine and tasted sweet and wonderful.

Serena did not like that Gambit was right in what he said. She sighed and just shook her head and said nothing. She wanted to just get into the city and end this fight once and for all. She spotted Logan and Natalya's chariot and they were heading towards an opening where a chariot had come out of. She looked at Gambit. "Follow Natalya and Logan," she suggested.

----------------------------------------

Natalya rolled her eyes but smiled at Logan's comment. Fighting could get them both sexually worked up, but now wasn't the time to indulge themselves. They needed to stay focused if they were going to pull this off. She took Logan's suggestion and headed towards the opening where they had both seen another chariot come out of. "I hope this works."

---------------------------------

Isabella accepted the cup of wine and took a sip as she considered what she should do next. Omari appeared to be on the fence about what she had said about his mother. However, he was completely devoted to Aneksi. She just needed to give him another small push to really put that doubt into his mind.

"I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that you don't believe me," she said gently as she put aside the cup of wine. She could see the suddenly torment in his eyes and continued on. "I thought you trusted me. I really don't think I want to put myself in a situation like that with your mother again," she said as she got up and started to get dressed.

“Aleksi, I’m not suggesting that I don’t believe you. But, you want me to go against my mother on a feeling? Khepari and you did not get along but that’s hardly grounds to believe she did something to you. Unless you know she has,” He asked her pointedly. “Do you know she has?” He asked. “DO you remember?” he asked.

---------------------------------

Natalya found a way in. At the base there were large ports that allowed ships to come and go. She guided the ship in just barely scratching the back right corner as she had to make a tight turn. Once she did that it felt as if the chariot’s control was taken from her. It was powered down and moved magnetically onto a large conveyor skid that opened up into a massive area where people got on and off chariots. There were soldiers and slaves and others here as well going about their business.No one seemed to pay much attention to them at all. She saw Gambit and Serena coming not far after them.

The first thing she noticed was that they spoke a language she could not understand. Logan didn’t either but acting arrogant seemed to help them get past a soldier who had spoken to them. He looked important and looked angry when they just stepped away from him. They were in enemy territory for certain sure and there seemed to be alot of soldiers watching. FOr what she couldn’t know. Their were computer monitors every so often and small holoprojectors. When they passed by them they saw Steve’s face up on it as it rotated around. There were words associated with it but it was clearly a warning. And then Peter’s face came up and she saw his head and neck. His neck had one of those slave collars on it. There were other aliens with collars as well in the rotating warning.

"Aneksi" looked at Omari. "I never said it was a feeling," she said gently. She was walking a fine line here and she had to hope that Omari took the bait. It was her only hope.

------------------------

Natalya did not understand the language that they spoke, but she acted like she did and rather arrogant as well. Natalya knew from years of working as a spy that you had to act like you belonged in order to make people believe that you truly did belong. Serena and Gambit moved right with them as they stepped past the soldier. There were a lot of soldiers and Serena felt a little nervous being on enemy territory like this. However, she never once showed her nervousness. She just kept on walking.

As they walked they took notice of the holoprojectors. At first, they took no notice of it...until Steve and Peter's faces suddenly appeared. They could not understand the warning, but they guessed that it meant that they had escaped and were being hunted. At least that meant that they were alive...for now.

"I don't see anything about Mom," Serena whispered. She hoped that meant she was alright, although she was still clearly being held somewhere.

Omari winced at Isabella’s words as if she had physically hurt him and he stepped away from her. As he did someone knocked on the door and as he permitted entry Ain, one of his Lieutenants came in. She bowed and saluted him. “My Prince, there is a group of slave in the Western quarter. They’ve killed several of my men and their numbers are growing with any slave that they run across. “They appear to be led by this...mutant,” she said. Omari switched into tactical mode and took a moment to think about the situation.

“Evacuate the area and set up a culling zone just beyond the Western city border. Use the crew weapons. Bring the mutant to me when you have him,” He said.

“My Prince, there is the other...the one the Queen has taken as her consort. After she laid with him he escaped her apartments,” she said. “We’ve seen him but he continues to elude us. We search for him still,” he said.

“Where was he last seen?” He asked. “In the Gray market Prince Omari,” she said. “Yes..this ‘Captain America, ofcourse it would be him,” he said. “He will not hurt the people, pull your soldiers out and seal off the market square,” he said. “It will be done my Prince,” she said then quickly departed.

Omari knew that Isabella was found with these mutants and he looked at her for any sign of concern on her face for them. He studied her as he stroked his chin in thought. He might be able to use her to help capture these interlopers.

Isabella kept her face neutral as Ain spoke about Peter and Steve. She knew that she couldn't give herself away here. She was in a position to potentially help them and she needed to maintain Omari's trust. They were at least no longer being held captive, but they weren't out of danger. "Aneksi" walked over to Omari after Ain had left and gently placed her hand upon his cheek as she looked into his eyes.

"I love you...I always have."

Omari was about to break into a fit of kissing her once again in hopes that it might lead to more considering that she only wore a sheet but he decided that she might be able to help him.

“I know you know this mutant...perhaps both of them. They are killing and hurting our soldiers. One of them, this Captain America is in the Gray Market. WIll you help us find him? If you do I will promise he will not be...permanently damaged,” he said as he looked at her. Just as she seemed to be testing his loyalty, he decided that he would test hers in this.

"Aneksi" looked at Omari. Isabella was smart enough to know when she was being tested. She needed to do this, otherwise what she had been building would crumble. She hoped that doing this wouldn't come back to bite her.

"Of course I will help you find him."