Hawkeye was badly hurt. The torturer had been working on Clint's fingernails, which would have an impact on his ability to use his bow.

But Clint had had enough and when the torturer came back in to gloat, Clint lured him close enough to knock the man out with a head butt, by murmuring so low the man put his head close to Clint's to hear.

Then Clint used a Houdini move to slip his shackles. Clint had studied Houdini extensively after Cap had taught him about the man.

Clint moved to the unlocked door and listened. no one was in the hall way.

He slipped out and began looking for his bow and arrows.

After notifying Symkaria of their intentions. Fury, Steel and Chase sent several Avengers: Vision, Scarlet Witch, Tigra, Hank Pym, and Quicksilver to Markovia along with the Teen Titans: Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Hawk and Dove.

Guess you don't like Iron Lad either!

coulda killed hulkling while you were doin in iron lad!
best AVENGERS fan-fiction on line!!!

Day 49: Early afternoon; in a replicated Markovia, now bordering Latveria and Symkaria, in an alternate reality.

Teddy Altman, alias Hulkling, alias Dorrek VIII, was locked in battle with Moonstone and getting his head handed to him because he was distracted with worry over his missing teammates, Wiccan and Patriot, especially Wiccan.

Kate Bishop had her hands full with Baron Zemo.

Suddenly, Moonstone knocked Hulkling back into a rift and reality and Kate Bishop was left alone with the two villains.

Jacqueline Falsworth; Spitfire, and Union Jack (Joseph Chapman) managed to thwart Morgan Le Fey in the absence of Lionheart. Congratulating each other on their victory.

It was short lived however, as Jacqueline stepped back and directly into the sudden appearance of a rift in reality.

Elsewhere, in the past of the old west, Matthew Hawk; the Two Gun Kid, was riding and rode directly into a suddenly appearing rift in reality.

Eric Williams; The Grim Reaper, stared around maliciously. He did not know where he was but he was alive. He'd been restored to his human body with the scythe created for him by the Terrible Tinkerer. Beneath him was the Jet equipped platform he used to get around.

He activated the platform and took to the sky.

He flew around the area seeing nothing but roads and farmland.

Suddenly the Living Laser approached him. After a short discussion, the Living Laser led him to where Crossbones was in a pitched firefight with what amounted to a Markovian Swat team. The Living Laser and the Grim Reaper helped Crossbones dispatch the Markovian police.

Hulkling, Spitfire and the Two Gun Kid each arrived at the same time.

However, when the Two Gun Kid arrived, he was no longer on his horse but on the jet cycle he rode during his time in the future adventuring with Hawkeye.

Hulkling suspected that here he might easily find his missing teammates and then hoped to get back to help Kate Bishop.

Spitfire was watching Two Gun Kid with bemused interest.

Hulkling introduced himself.

Spitfire jumped back a hundred meters.

The Two Gun Kid flew down but kept a respectful distance. He hadn't met the Hulk but he knew about him and that ornery critter looked an awful lot like the descriptions he'd heard about. He pulled his guns in case some fancy shooting was required.

The startled Spitfire relaxed when she learned that she wasn't dealing with the Hulk but an alien emulating the Hulk.

She turned her attention to the Two Gun Kid, who looked to her like he might be the Lone Ranger she used to hear on her radio programs so often.

"Who are you sir?"

Me Ma'am? You kin call me the Two Gun Kid, ma'am." Matt tipped his hat to her.

"You reckon you're gonna be okay with that there Hulk critter, ma'am? I hear tell he's an ornery one. It might be a mite dangerous." Matt could actually speak much more eloquently but as the Two Gun Kid he must speak as they did in Texas in the old West.

"Oh; it's quite all right, love. This gentleman has assured me he is not at all the Hulk and quite safe. Be a dear and come down to join us so that we may discuss matters, would you quite? There's a good lad."

With several reservations, Matt landed and went over to talk with them.

To the Two Gun Kid's surprise, it was not the Hulk but a young superhero who chose to emulate the Hulk and called himself the Hulkling. Spitfire appeared to be very much British aristocracy and Matt was cursing the fact that he had to seem to be a bumpkin in her eyes but he felt the need to keep up the pretense of the Two Gun Kid.

"So you are the Two Gun Kid of old West legend? How very quaint."

Matt blanched at what he perceived as condescension in Spitfire's tone.

Hulkling was totally unfamiliar with the old West as it never had interested him. He preferred fantasy books like Game of Thrones and never paid attention to the Western genre.

The three appeared to be an awkward trio. They began to discuss where they were and what might be happening to them. Matt had no idea what he'd gotten into.

Tara Markov; Terra, walked in and inspected the two new prisoners.

She looked at the Blazing Skull and made barfing gestures. She walked away from him with unconcealed contempt.

She looked at the Patriot and immediately began to vamp him. She leaned in close to him and began caressing Patriot's mask.

"I'll bet you're very handsome under this mask aren't you? Why don't we have a look see shall we?" With that Tara began to peel away Patriot's mask but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Wiccan and the Thin Man.

"That's enough. These two are our friends and they're coming with us."

Tara was all set to lash out at them when everyone was interrupted once again by the intrusion of Dr. Doom and Kang the Conqueror.

The Grim Reaper, the Living Laser and Crossbones were trying to decide what the next step should be.


They still had no idea where they were or why. All they knew was that they were in an apparently Balkan nation called Markovia and none of them had any idea there ever was a nation called Markovia.

They decided to take over a nearby home until they could sort things out.

They invaded an opulent house that the Grim Reaper liked the looks of and began terrorizing the occupants.

The Avengers and Teen Titans that were sent by Nick Fury, Sarge Steel and Cameron Chase, had landed in Symkaria to get Symkaria's cooperation in the planned incursion into Markovia to collect the Marvel heroes that were arriving there. Avoiding an international incident was preferred, especially so close to Latveria and Victor Von Doom.

None of them had any idea that Doom was allied with Kang the Conqueror.

They were met by Silver Sable and Paladin who were resisting the idea of the two groups invading Markovia.

When asked why Symkaria was opposing the Avengers and Titans entering Markovia they were told that treaty negotiations between the two countries were at a sensitive stage and Symkaria couldn't afford to upset them.

The two teams were hobbled by politics even in this new merged reality.

Hawkeye had successfully retrieved his bow, arrows and costume and was moving through the Markovia palace trying to escape. His body throbbed with pain in several places but he'd been through worse.

He noticed some things that caught his attention and followed them to a large hall where he saw his tormentor Terra, the Thin Man with some magician he didn't recognize, The Blazing Skull with another patriotic Cap type he also didn't recognize and the capper of Dr. Doom and Kang.

Hawkeye cursed under his breath.

Doom addressed Terra. "Far be it from us to interrupt your fun young lady but it appears that your little nation state has become the current focus of the latest intrigue of our new reality. We; myself and my ally Kang, wish to be on the front row of all the current drama. As our illustrious neighboring state, you surely can't begrudge us that could you my dear?"

Tara Markov was a bit foolish but she wasn't suicidal. "Sure! Sure why not? I want to see what's going to happen too. Maybe you don't know but I have someone you might be interested in held in another part of my palace. Let me send for him."

"*&%#!" Thought Hawkeye, "Where are the big guns when you need them?"