Chapter Ten: Discovery, Part Three

SNAFU'S NOTES: The reason why I'm updating this story so fast is because this chapter was already written. However, the chapter was so damn long that I had to break it up into three parts. Oh, don't worry. The following chapters detailing the Exiled Gods' run-ins with Kronika's forces will probably be split into two parts each, with the way I'm writing it.

At the same time, onboard the Helicarrier, inside the office of Steve Rogers...

"Heads up!"

Without looking up, Captain America – or rather, Steve Rogers, as he was out of uniform – caught the bagel that was thrown at him by Tony Stark.

"Sesame. You remembered," Steve noted as he took a bite. "So how was San Francisco?"

"Oh, the usual," Stark replied.

"And you didn't get arrested," Steve added with a wry grin. "I'm impressed."

Stark snorted. "As if a jail cell can hold an Avenger."

"You're still upset over Cage and Colonel Blade's actions, both in regards to the Act and in regards to Amadeus Cho." Before Tony could say anything, Steve continued. "Don't bullshit me, Tony. I've known you for many years. You have a habit of holding grudges when things don't go your way. I've told you before that you should have handled the situation with Cho a lot better rather than brand him as a criminal."

Tony sighed. "I know. Had things been different..."

"But it's too late. Cage Inc. has the boy. No use in crying over spilled milk."

"There's a lot of things that I've regret when I was Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Stark replied. "Anything come up?"

Steve looked at the TV on the opposite end of the office. "What do you make of that?"

Tony looked at the screen. It was on, the channel being that of the news, with the top story being of 'strange phenomena' in regards to mysterious twisters made of golden sand appearing all over the planet. One was in Los Angeles, another nearby in Trenton. Other locations include Paris, London, Moscow, Osaka, Kuwait City, Tehran, Ankara, Gaza, Hong Kong and Jakarta.

"It's weird," Tony admitted. "Multiple whirlwinds of golden sand appearing at random locations and later vanishing. Think it coincides with the equipment going haywire?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it did. Any damage?"

Tony shook his head. "The eggheads reported back that so far, nothing." He decided to change the subject. "How's Nova? Carol said that he was awake."

Steve nodded. "Yeah. He's bound and determined to get back to searching for the Phoenix. Aside from that flare-up onboard the H.A.M.M.E.R. Helicarrier, nothing."

He picked up the photo of Rachel showing off the Phoenix tattoo on her back. "I've showed this to Sam, and not even he knew about the tattoo."

Tony looked up. "Tattoo? What tattoo?"

Steve handed him the photo of the Phoenix tattoo. "I thought you already knew. Well, according to Rachel, the tattoo is the only way one can identify the Phoenix's vessel.

As Tony looked at the photo something clicked inside his head. "Steve...I've seen this tattoo before..."

"Really? Where?"

"Let me have your seat. I need to access the S.H.I.E.L.D. archives."

Steve complied and rose from his chair. Backing away, Tony sat down and began to type rapidly on the laptop's keys. As he continued to type, he was talking to Steve.

"Back when I was Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., I've received a tip that Jessica Jones and her kid had returned to the States from Toronto. I figured that if I'd intercepted her before she made contact with Luke and the others, then it would convince them to surrender."

Steve snorted. "Fat luck that would work. You of all people know that Luke has a nasty temper, and despite not being an active superhero, Jessica is dangerous if you threaten Danielle."

"I know...here it is," Tony said, playing the video. "The source said that Jessica was hiding in a safehouse in Union Vale. So I led a squad of Capekillers, along with Carol and Simon to what we thought was Jessica and Danielle."

Steve watched as the Capekillers made a stealth approach to the house. Stark - as Iron Man - disabled the alarms and melted the locks off the doors and entered, followed by Ms. Marvel, Wonder Man and the Capekillers. The video was from the lead Capekiller's point of view as he followed the music that was blaring from an upstairs bedroom.

The lead Capekiller had his assault rifle primed and ready. All the while the music was getting louder, with their quarry singing to the song.

The door was open. He gave his men the order to hold. Then he swung his weapon, finger on the trigger...

...and found himself staring at the backside of a woman. No baby in sight. She was wearing only a pair of cotton shorts as she dried her hair, dancing and singing to the song that was playing.

Her back was towards the Capekiller, but there was one thing perfectly clear in the photo.

The black phoenix tattoo that covered the span of her entire back.

Only when the woman slipped on a T-shirt, did the Capekiller spoke once the song ended. "Um..."

As the woman spun around, Steve saw that it was not Jessica Jones Cage. Jessica didn't have short blond hair. Instead, the image of Cassandra Carlton Cage greeted him.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, which was followed by...

"PERVERT!"

POW.

Steve winced as a furious Cassie promptly slugged the lead Capekiller out the room. Then as she ran out of the room, she saw the other Capekillers, and proceeded to mow them down in a barrage of punches and kicks. As more Capekillers stormed the house, Jacqueline Briggs entered the fray, having emerged from a bathroom in her own tanktop and shorts.

"That guy ended up with a broken jaw," Tony noted as he rewound the video, stopping so that the Phoenix tattoo was caught in frame, clear as day.

"Not once, did Cage or Briggs use their powers," Steve noted. "That was pure skill."

"Between the both of them, they put an entire Capekiller squad in the medical bay," Tony rattled off, "cracked Ares' skull, and broke Carol's nose. Only after I had brought the both of them down, did I realize that we screwed up."

"Yeah, no kidding," Steve said, as he had seen video of the aftermath of the raid, in which her mother had called Stark, screaming her lungs out, both for trashing her private hideaway and for arresting both Cassie and Jacqui.

"STARK, YOU SON OF A BITCH! JUST WHO IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, ARRESTING MY DAUGHTER AND NIECE LIKE THEY'RE SOME TWO-BIT CRIMINALS?!"

"Now, Colonel Blade, the information that was given to me was..."

"I DON'T GIVE A HOLY HIGH FUCK WHAT SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU! YOU KNEW DAMN WELL THAT HOME BELONGED TO ME, AND YOUR ASSHOLE FRIENDS WRECKED IT! I DON'T GIVE A SHIT IF YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR OF S.H.I.E.L.D.! IF MY DAUGHTER AND NIECE ISN'T RELEASED WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR, YOU BETTER HOPE YOU HAVE ALL OF S.H.I.E.L.D. AND THE GODDAMNED MIGHTY AVENGERS PROTECTING YOU, BECAUSE I WILL FRY YOUR FUCKING ASS IN THAT FUCKING ARMOR OF YOURS! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

That was followed by Cage Incorporated's legal team, threatening to drown Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. in lawsuits unless Cassie was released.

"Director Stark, this is Robert Evans, and I represent the legal team for Cage Incorporated."

"Please, not now...I already got an earful about Cassie and Jacqui from Colonel Blade..."

"This call is to inform you that The Chairman is planning on filing suit on both yourself, the Mighty Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. itself for the wrongful arrest of both Cassandra Cage and Jacqueline Briggs, not to mention the property damage of the home owned by Colonel Sonya Blade."

"Look, it was a misunderstanding. And besides, Cassie and Jacqui aren't innocent in this mess..."

"Lieutenant Cage and Lieutenant Briggs acted in self-defense. I'm sure that the videos from the Capekillers will support that theory. And you can be certain that we will subpoena not only those files, but also those that are contained within your suit, as well as the suit itself."

"Look...If I release the girls and drop the charges of assault, will that suffice?"

"Chairman Cage promises not to pursue any legal action if the above conditions are met."

"Fine. I won't pursue any charges, and they will be released within the hour."

Tony looked at the image of Cassie's backside with the tattoo in full view. Then he looked down at the photograph in his hand. "Son of a bitch," he muttered. "The Phoenix was here all this time...under our noses..."

Steve frowned. "Summers was right. Hope wasn't the host. It was Cassie Cage."

"No." Steve turned to Tony. "I think the answer isn't as obvious." By this time, he pulled up three more images, and pointed them out to Steve.

The first was during the botched Union Vale raid, in which Jacqui was squaring off against one of the Capekillers. "Jacqueline Briggs."

The second was taken during Jacqui and Takeda's Fiji vacation. The Phoenix tattoo was prominent on not only Jacqui's back, but also Takeda's own. "Takahashi Takeda of the Shirai Ryu."

The final image was that of Kung Jin, naked from the waist up as he went through with his meditation exercises near the Lin Kuei Temple. As with Jacqui and Takeda, the Phoenix tattoo was clear on his back. "Kung Jin of the Lin Kuei."

"This isn't a coincidence," Steve said. "Nova was wrong. There's not one host to the Phoenix Force. There's four." He sighed. "This complicates things."

"No kidding. You think her parents know?"

"Better assume that they do. We also need to assume that Summers and the X-Men know about Cassie as well, and will most likely move in to intercept her within the next few days."

"Assemble the team?" Stark asked.

Steve nodded.

"Which ones?"

"All of them," Steve replied, just as Carol Danvers came running into the office, holding several photographs in her hands.

"Carol? What is it?" Steve asked.

"Elektra Natchios is dead," Carol panted.

"What?" both Tony and Steve said, in shock. They knew that the boss of the Hand was tough. Very tough.

Carol handed Steve the pictures. "From our contacts in Japan."

Steve and Tony both looked at the photos. Sure enough, the body of Elektra was as clear as day in the photos, Elektra looking like she had gone twelve rounds with a grizzly bear, and lost. Her throat had been slashed open, with her tongue sticking out of the open slit in her neck.

"The reason why I took so long was because I was in the bathroom throwing up," Carol explained. "Look at the second photo."

The second photo was that of her killer.

A muscular man with a goatee, looking older than Tony, standing six feet even, holding a massive, bloodied knife in one hand, while the other was stained in Elektra's blood. His chest and arms were riddled with tattoos of dragons. Tony deduced that the man had a cybernetic heart, if the glowing red orb protruding from his chest meant anything.

But the most distinguishing characteristic was his faceplate, complete with a single, infa-red eye. That, and the look of sadistic glee as he admired his handiwork.

"Recognize this guy?" Steve asked.

Tony shook his head. "First time I've seen him."

"Who is he?" Carol asked.

"To sum it up in a single word," Steve replied, "trouble."

Meanwhile, at the Fire Gardens…

An emergency meeting of the Exiled Gods and Team S-F was currently underway, with Hanzo Hasashi playing the impromptu host. The same pictures that Carol Danvers had shown to Tony Stark and Steve Rogers were also in the possession of Hanzo Hasashi, courtesy of Maria Hill, S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander and Shirai Ryu spy.

Almost immediately, Hanzo had called the others and Team S-F, summoning them to the Fire Gardens. Elena Chen and Vera Briggs both came along for the ride.

When asked why Hanzo had summoned them with such urgency, he responded by handing the photos to Sonya and Johnny, of which were in a manila folder with the Shirai Ryu crest on the front cover. The photo of Elektra's mutilated corpse greeted the blonde colonel and her husband.

Johnny looked at the photo. "Damn. Is that Elektra?" he asked.

Hanzo nodded. "She's dead."

"Son of a bitch..." Sonya swore as the old anger returned upon looking at Kano's grinning face. "Kano. He's here."

Hotaru Hasashi turned to Hanzo, puzzled. "Kano?" she asked her husband.

"Mercenary, psychopath, all-around asshole," Nightwolf explained. "If you meet a guy with an Outback accent with a faceplate and a penchant for knives, then you met Kano."

Cassie looked at her mother. "Kano? Here? You sure?"

Sonya handed the photo of Elektra's corpse to her elder daughter and her team. "That's his calling card. His 'necktie.'"

"Elektra had nothing to do with us," Johnny said. "Why did Kano off her?"

"A valid question, Johnny," Subzero replied, "but one that is lost to the bigger picture. If Kano is here, then Kronika is not far behind."

"Even worse," Jax interjected, breaking his silence, "is the possibility of Kano joining up with Kronika, if it means getting payback on us."

"You sure about that?" Jin asked, breaking his silence.

"I sure as hell would," Jax replied. "Sonya did screw Kano over, and coming from experience, Kano has a long memory when it comes to those who screw him over or betray him."

"More than likely, he's probably sore about what we did to the S-F mainframe," Cassie said.

"But Kano's the least of our problems," Takeda said. "If Uncle Jax is right, then we gotta be ready for Kronika when she comes."

"Fortunately," interjected Nightwolf, "her powers in this realm are quite limited...for the moment. You all are aware of the past phenomena taking place across the globe?"

"The really freaky sand twisters? Yeah. We noticed, Aunt Sky," Jacqui confirmed. Then, she frowned. "Was that Kronika's doing?"

The Matokan goddess nodded. "Afraid so, Jacqueline. Kronika tried to merge Earthrealm with this one. She was only partially successful. And we all know the reason why."

"Kitana and the others," Vera whispered, eyes widening in horror.

Nightwolf nodded. "Your kids now have a huge target on their backs. We can't let Kronika or the Revenants get a hold of them."

"So what do we do with them?" Jax posed. "House arrest?"

"No." Everyone turned to Kuai Liang. Seeing that he had their attention, the God of Ice continued to speak. "For the moment, we'll keep them close. Kano is not the only person Kronika has rallied to her cause, so we must be on our guard, and touch base should anyone from Earthrealm or Outworld raise arms against us."

"And there's the nuclear option," Sonya said. "The Phoenix Force."

"Oh. Right." Nightwolf frowned. "But wouldn't that alert the Avengers and the X-Men?"

"Regarding the Avengers, they already know about Cassandra and her team being the hosts," Hanzo interjected. "My spy within the organization has notified me of their discovery along with sending me the photos of Kano and Electra."

"Well, this day just went from bad to FUBAR in a hurry," Sonya grumbled.

"I think it's safe to say that we can expect the Avengers and quite possibly, the X-Men, to come calling," Johnny said. "If Rogers and Stark know about Cassie and her team, then we gotta assume that Summers and Xavier know as well." After a beat, he asked, "Think it's time to come clean about our past in Earthrealm? Save us the headache of Kano and whoever Kronika has on her payroll blab it out?"

"First things first, we deal with the Avengers and the X-Men, Johnny," Kuai said. "Right now, we're the only thing standing between Cassandra and her team."

"That, and there's nothing worse than a God protecting their children," Jax added.

"So we'll play it by the seat of our pants," Sonya said, looking at Johnny. "It's been working so far. Keep an eye on Kitana and the kids. And if Kronika or whoever decides to show up, notify the others immediately and go into lockdown. After that, maybe we can convince Stark and Xavier the bigger picture."

Hanzo sighed. "Sixteen years. I feel like even with all that time, it wasn't enough."

"We'll make do, Hanzo," Jax said. "We always do."

At the same time, back in Utopia...

While the Exiled Gods were holding their emergency meeting inside the Fire Gardens, a second one was taking place on the artificial island of Utopia. Hope Summers and Illyana Rasputin had barged into the Headmaster's Office, and dropped the bomb on Scott and Emma. Almost immediately, Scott called his most trusted lieutenants: Piotr Rasputin, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Erik Lensherr.

The cowl and visor was removed, leaving Scott in his pair of red-tinted shades. Once everyone was settled in, Cyclops got straight to the point. "We got confirmation as to the identity of the Phoenix's vessels."

"Vessels?" Erik repeated. "There's two of them?"

Cyclops nodded. "Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs."

Emma blinked. "You're joking, right? Those two are the hosts to the Phoenix Force?"

"They both got the tattoos on their backs," Hope confirmed.

"And I sensed their power. It was faint, but it's definitely there," Magik concurred.

"Rogers did say that the host to the Phoenix can be identified by the tattoo on their backs," Cyclops murmured, remembering the near-confrontation with the Avengers Commander three years earlier.

'The Phoenix was here this entire time,' Cyclops thought. 'Under our noses.'

"What are you thinking, Scott?" Erik asked.

"He's thinking that Cassie and Jacqui as the Phoenix's chosen vessels might be the proverbial game-changer for our people," Emma said, reading his thoughts, and ignoring the scowl that was sent her way. "The power which can turn the tide."

"How?" asked Namor.

"Power," Cyclops clarified. "True power to put the world back on track."

"Now you're sounding an awful lot like me," Erik noted.

"What had happened to our people...it was...unnatural," Cyclops said. "Ninety-nine percent of us stripped of our powers, and there's less than two hundred of our kind left. We're an endangered species when we were supposed to be the next step of human evolution."

Cyclops stood up and turned to the window. "There has to be a reason why the Phoenix keeps coming back to us. Here...looking for something. Why does it always come back here?"

"It brings with it death and destruction," Magik said.

"And rebirth," Hope said. "Always rebirth."

Cyclops nodded. "The last time we dealt with the Phoenix Force...we were young and foolish, Illyana. Now, we're..."

"...still young and foolish," Namor snorted.

"It's been three years, Scott," Emma said. "What would you have Cassie and Jacqui do?"

"We train them both," Cyclops replied. "All of us. We prepare the both of them."

"And what if we can't?" Erik asked. "What if the Phoenix is not to be trained?"

Cyclops turned around. "We can do it."

"Some people would call that hubris, Scott," Xavier's voice said from the doorway. "I taught you better than that. Although this newest revelation has surprised me as well."

"I told him, Scott," Emma said as Xavier entered the room. "We need Xavier's opinion on this."

"I've known Cassandra and Jacqueline ever since they were both children," Xavier said. "You yourself are friends with both women. I agree with you Scott on the Phoenix being a force of rebirth. But the situation has changed. If we know that the girls are the hosts to the Phoenix, then you can be certain that Captain America and the Avengers also know of this development."

"Which means we'll end up fighting friends," Colossus rumbled. "Just like the Civil War, only worse."

"No. It won't come to that, Peter," Xavier said. He turned to Cyclops and Emma. "Scott. Emma. The both of you will seek out Cassie. Try to convince her to bring both herself and Jacqui to our side. If she refuses, don't force her..." He turned to Emma. "And please...don't antagonize her."

"Only if she provokes me first," Emma muttered.

"What about you, Charles?" Erik asked.

"I'll talk with Colonel Blade," Xavier said. "As Cassandra and Jacqueline are both subordinate to her, she may be more forthcoming, which can work to our advantage."

"I'll come with you, Charles," Erik said. "You always have a knack of getting yourself in trouble."

"Their parents shouldn't have hidden it from us," Cyclops said. "Not when there's so much at stake."

"It's exactly why they hid it from us," Erik defended. "They were protecting their children." He looked at the clock. "It's late. We'll go and talk with Colonel Blade in the morning." He turned to Hope and Magik. "Tomorrow, go to the Briggs homestead and speak with Colonel Briggs. I think Jade would be less likely to attack a friendly face."

Hope and Magik both nodded.

At the same time, onboard the Helicarrier...

Steve Rogers looked at the gathered Avengers that had answered his summons from the entryway to the briefing room. From the look of things, nearly everyone was present, from Spider-Man to Iron Man. Even Thor, who had made the trip from Asgard for this meeting. Logan was also present, as was Nova and Commander Maria Hill. Only T'Challa and Storm were absent, as they were on an inspection tour of their embassies.

Tony Stark stood beside him. "You left out some things in your briefing with the President," he whispered.

"I know," Steve whispered back. "Inferno Squad's already dangerous, their parents even more so. Could you imagine the reaction from the President or the Joint Chiefs if I told them the identities of the Phoenix's hosts, let alone who their parents are? Colonels Blade and Briggs are loyal to the country, but we can't force them to choose between their duty and their children. And that's not going into what Grandmasters Hasashi and Liang would do."

"Hmm...fair point," Stark admitted. "So how are we going to do this?"

Steve didn't answer that. Instead, he entered the briefing room. Tony sighed and followed close behind.

Steve began the meeting without preamble. "Avengers...I wish I had a better reason to gather all of you here. As always, everything is at the highest level of secrecy. I am counting on your discretion, as always."

"You called us all here, so what's the rub, Cap?" Ben Grimm asked.

"First, off, Elektra Natchios is dead," Iron Man said. "Murdered."

Luke Cage and Iron Fist both looked at Daredevil. He showed no emotion, but Iron Fist knew that Matt Murdock was upset. Despite how their relationship had ended, there was still mutual respect for the sai-wielding woman.

"Any idea as to who killed her?" Luke asked.

Cap shook his head. "We got a good picture," he said, posting the photograph of the man in question.

Doctor Strange's eyes narrowed slightly. He had a perfectly good idea as to who was Elekra's killer. After all, he was also one of several people who knew the truth surrounding Nightwolf and the other Exiled Gods, but kept silent. He also knew of the prophecy surrounding them and their children, but also remained silent.

"Don't know him," Hawkeye said. "A new player?"

"Seems that way," Iron Man replied. "But that's not the only reason as to why you are all here. There has been a development in regards to the Phoenix Force."

"At ease," Cap ordered, silencing the whispers and mutterings of the group. "As you know, three years ago, the Phoenix Force has made landfall. Since then, nothing. But now, we have confirmed the Phoenix's chosen vessel and its current location."

The gathered Avengers shared worried looks on their faces.

"Where, exactly?" Spidey asked.

"San Francisco," Stark replied.

Of course the Avengers knew that San Francisco was the home of Utopia. "So Summers was hiding the Phoenix all along?" Hawkeye asked. "Pretty ballsy on his end."

"No," Iron Man replied. "Summers or Xavier does not hold the Phoenix. The persons in question does have ties to Xavier, as she is a mutant telepath. But it's...complicated."

"Complicated how?" Luke Cage asked.

Cap leaned forward and punches in several keys. Seconds later, four dossiers appears on screen, complete with their profiles and four photographs of the vessels in question. Complicated was an understatement, as the Avengers knew who they were solely by their reputation alone.

The first two images were Army photos of Cassie and Jacqui, both looking sharp in their formal military uniforms. The third was of Takeda, in his normal Shirai Ryu combat uniform, and Kung Jin, in his old Shaolin robes, but colored blue in some places, signifying his ties to the Lin Kuei.

"Oboy," Spidey said after a long pause, "'complicated' is a complete understatement."

"Team S-F is the pride and joy of the Army Rangers' Inferno Squad," Steve explained. "Each member is an Omega-level mutant with a secondary ability. As all four had spent time at the Xavier Institute in the past, that means that all four have ties to Xavier and the X-Men. Together as a unit, they can be unstoppable. But even separate, are they still a threat."

"First off, we have the squad leader, Cassandra Carlton Cage," Tony said, bringing up Cassie's Army dossier. "Master markswoman, pyromaniac and part-time model. What makes her even more dangerous is her romantic involvement with Alexander Aaron, and by extension, the Greek Pantheon. Ares told me that both Cassie and Alex are now engaged."

Groans were heard throughout the gathered Avengers.

"At ease," Steve barked out. Silence ensued. "I don't like it anymore than you do. If things do go south, then that means we have to deal with Ares and his family. Hopefully, we can accomplish our mission without any violence."

"Next up, is the Number Two of the group, Jacqueline Sonya Briggs," Tony continued as he pulled up Jacqui's dossier. "The muscle of the group, and Cassie's childhood friend. Won the gold in kickboxing, but her side career was cut short when she lost both arms while on assignment. Now, she has on a pair of bionic implants, designed by Kitana Kahn herself. Basically, she's a walking lightning rod."

"Next up, is Takahashi Takeda," Steve continued as Tony pulled up Takeda's dossier. "The strongest of the four telepaths, and the Shirai Ryu liaison. Trained up by the Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu himself. Stealth expert and master swordsman. Lost his eye in the same mission where Lieutenant Briggs lost both her arms. Speaking of Lieutenant Briggs, it's confirmed that not only are the both of them are a couple, but also engaged. Interestingly enough, it was Jacqueline's father who trained him in how to use his terrakinesis."

"And finally, we have Kung Jin," Tony said, pulling up Jin's file. "Team S-F's resident archer and tracker. Lifelong member of the Lin Kuei. Like Takeda, he was also trained by the sect's leader, Kuai Liang. Mentored by Johnny Cage in learning how to control his aerokinesis. Has plenty of ladies chasing after him, but is playing for the other team. His cousin, Kung Lao Liang, is the Grandmaster's honorary nephew."

Steve punched in several keys of his own. Images of the Phoenix tattoos on their backs were shown; still images, yet clear as day, alongside with a picture of Rachel Summers' own tattoo. "According to Rachel Summers, the chosen vessel has this tattoo on her back," the First Avenger explained.

"So we know that Team S-F's the hosts. But snatchin' em' up is outta the question," Luke Cage said, arms folded. "It won't go over well with their parents, and honestly, I wouldn't blame em'."

Tony brought up several video files, showing the Exiled Gods in action.

Jax, Johnny and Sonya, fighting the Green Goblin in Manhattan...

...Hanzo Hasashi in a duel to the death against Gorgon...

...Kuai Liang freezing and shattering HYDRA goons, leaving nothing but frozen chunks of meat...

...and Nightwolf, armed with her tomahawks, raining down beams of light on a hit squad sent by The Hand.

"Special Operations Detachment Inferno. Cage Incorporated. The Shirai Ryu. And the Lin Kuei," Steve continued, with the various insignia of the respective factions flashing front and center, followed by their respective dossiers. "Herein, lies the problem. There's Team S-F. And then there are their parents. Omega-level mutants, just like their children, and even more dangerous."

Tony pulled up the footage from the HYDRA facility, in which the Exiled Gods wreaked havoc on the soldiers and scientists there. This was followed by footage from the Siege of New Asgard, in which the Exiled Gods had fought, bringing the fight to Norman Osborn and H.A.M.M.E.R. (Think that one scene in Age of Ultron when the Avengers, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch fend off a horde of Ultron copies in Sokovia, only replace the Ultron clones with those of H.A.M.M.E.R. forces)

"When I say that they're dangerous, that's not hyperbole," Steve said. "Yes, that even includes Johnny Cage."

"Chairman of Cage Incorporated, first mutant billionaire to have built his business from the ground up," Tony continued on. "Retired martial arts champion. Mutant with the power of aerokinesis. His blades are sharp enough to sever even the molecules. Pretty gruesome."

"And there's his wife, Sonya A. Blade," Red Hulk said. "X.O. of Inferno Squad and military liaison to Cage Incorporated. Worked her way up from a grunt to become the X.O. of Inferno Squad. Highly decorated. Very tough."

"You know her, Ross?" Iron Fist asked.

"We're acquainted," was the reply. "Colonel Blade answers to Jackson Briggs. Considered to be the strongest mutant on the planet with his terrakinesis. Both he and Sonya are the darlings of the Army, and the poster children of what the Army can do for mutants. His wife, Vera, is human and works at a hospital."

"Next up, is Hanzo Hasashi," Iron Fist said. "Shirai Ryu grandmaster. Code-named Scorpion for his uncanny abilities with the kunai. He is also known as the 'Jigoku no kami,' or God of Hellfire. Given what I've seen of his pyrokinesis, I'd say that hits the hammer on the head. He also has clashed with The Hand in the past, even credited with killing Gorgon."

"There's Kuai Liang, the Lin Kuei boss," Winter Soldier said. "Goes by the name of Subzero. I know the man, as we worked together in solving a strange case involving missing children, among those being part of his clan. His cryokinesis is even more powerful than that of Iceman's. That, and he has a bad habit of ripping off heads with their spines attached."

"He and I also have history as well," Thor rumbled. "A bad call of judgment on my end. I mistook the Grandmaster for a Frost Giant."

"And finally, there's Nightwolf," Strange said. "Real name is Black Sky. Matokan shaman and master sorceress. Works as a doctor with her own practice in South Dakota. She also mentored Jade Briggs, as did I and also, Magik. Her mutant abilities are similar to Dazzler, as she can produce and manipulate light, which makes her a double threat. No matter how this plays out...if this goes bad, then we may have a fight on out hands."

"I know," Cap said. "Some mutants see the Phoenix as something of good fortune. But I'm not willing to take that risk. I'm hoping that reason and logic will prevail."

"Either that or Cyclops with either blast you out of the city or we risk the ire of their parents," Ms. Marvel said.

"In regards to the X-Men, we should at least be prepared for a full-scale attack...and be pleasantly surprised if there isn't one," Red Hulk said. "And if it does come to blows, you do realize that we will be fighting friends. People we admire. But we're trying to stop the end of the world. Everything that we've fought for will count for nothing unless we do this."

"Ragnarok on Earth," Thor rumbled.

"Exactly," Steve said, "but it's something that we all want to avoid. Since we all have some past dealings with Team S-F, Inferno Squad, and both the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu, I think it would be best if we go with a diplomatic approach." Steve turned to Ms. Marvel. "Carol, I want both you and Wanda to go to S-F Desert Command and speak with Colonel Blade." When Carol balked over this, Cap raised a hand. "I know there's bad blood between the two of you over Julia, but you know her better than anyone else here. We need her on our side."

Carol slowly nodded.

"I'll go with them," Red Hulk growled. "I know Colonel Blade and she respects me. I'll ensure that violence does not ensue with either woman."

Tony turned to Luke. "Luke, since both you and Rhodey are on good terms with Jax, the both of you will go and talk to him. As both he and Sonya rotate weekend duty, he should be at his homestead."

Both men nodded.

"I'll come as well." Everyone present turned to Doctor Strange. "Jade will be hesitant to act aggressively if I am present. Jade may be a prodigy in the mystic arts, but her skills are still second to mine."

Steve nodded in the affirmative. "Danny. You had past dealings with Hanzo Hasashi. Take Matt with you to the Fire Gardens and speak with Grandmaster Hasashi in regards to his ward. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail."

"Speaking of cooler heads," the Winter Soldier interjected, "let me deal with Grandmaster Liang, Steve. I know where the Lin Kuei Temple is and he knows me to the point that he won't attack me on sight."

"You do that, Bucky," Steve agreed. He then added, "Take Thor and Clint with you. You may need the muscle in case things go bad."

"What about you?" Tony asked Steve. "What are you going to do?"

Steve sighed. "I'll talk to Cassie myself. Tell her the situation, and hope she comes to us willingly. She respects me enough not to attack me on sight. You deal with her father. In the meantime, let T'Challa know about the recent developments."

To the gathered Avengers, Steve asked, "Any questions or objections?"

Silence. There were none.

Steve sighed. "We leave in fifteen minutes. Take care of anything you need before then. Avengers...assemble."