Uncanny Avengers (3rd series) #7

'I try to keep my “visits” brief. It's easy to do when you're the fastest man on the planet' Pietro Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver thinks to himself as he speeds down an alleyway and onto a street, where cars drive past, and civilians go about their business – while a woman wearing red speaks to someone on her mobile phone and walks down the street. Quicksilver stares at her. It's Wanda. He wants to speak to her so badly, but he settles for seeing her in a blur. For his sister, he is an old wound that has not healed. Wanda finishes her call, and Quicksilver vanishes.

'I thought we agreed not to see one another again, brother' Jericho Drumm a.k.a. Doctor Voodoo remarks to his ghostly brother, Daniel, as they stand in a dank swamp. 'We did' Daniel responds. Jericho asks his brother to forgive his surprise, but that after months of quiet, he has summoned him to the Swamps of Ogun, a place of terrible power that he didn't know his brother could access. 'I'm asking for your help' Daniel responds. 'Oh? Have you finally decided to let go of this life and move on to the next journey?' Jericho asks. 'Quite the opposite' Daniel responds, announcing that he wants to return to the land of the living, as walking the paths of the undead has made him weary. 'Daniel, please -' Jericho begins, but Daniel interrupts him, declaring that he wants to taste again, and smell again, and touch. 'Enough!' Jericho shouts.

'I cannot return you to life, brother. You've been dead for too long' Jericho exclaims through gritted teeth. Jericho calms himself and tells his brother that he agrees something must be done, that his endless walkabout needs to end. 'Let me help you to the other side' Jericho offers. Creates with red glowing eyes watch from the shadows of the swamp as Daniel remarks that it is ashamed he is not an Avenger, for perhaps then Jericho might break his precious rules of life and death. Jericho looks away as he tells Daniel that when he saved Quicksilver in Boston, his soul cord had not yet been cut – that was different. He warns Daniel  that he could compel him to walk to the Land of the Dead. 'You could try. But I know that your spells have been failing lately' Daniel remarks. Jericho turns and walks away from his brother, admitting that magic is becoming more unreliable, but it is still more trustworthy than his brother. He then disappears through a portal.

In a helicopter above Manhattan, 'If i'm going to trust my life to this team, then it's going to be a well-trained unit' Nathan Summers a.k.a. Cable declares as he sits next to Rogue in the chopper. He turns to Emily Guerrero a.k.a. Synapse who sits opposite them and asks her to run it again. 'Fine, but I keep telling you, I can't read minds, Cable' Synapse replies. 'Not yet. Run it again' Cable tells her. Syanpse turns to Rogue and asks her what her name is. 'Tony Stark' rogue responds. 'An obvious lie' Cable points out, before asking Synapse to describe what her senses are telling her, and to be precise. Synapse tells Cable that this isn't going to make any sense – but she faintly smells strawberries. 'Oh, it's probably just brain damage from undergoing Terrigenesis' Synapse mutters. Cable smiles as he informs Synapse that she is experiencing Synesthesia, the seemingly random rewiring of the senses. He explains that when her brain detects the physiological reaction of a liar, she smells strawberries.

Cable tells Synapse to ask Rogue another question, and this time she will reply with the truth. 'Are you an Avengers?' Synapse asks. 'Yes' Rogue responds. Synapse reports that the truth smells like the sea – no, seaweed. 'I thought I was going crazy' Synapse adds, before asking Cable how this is supposed to make her a better Avenger. 'I'm making you a better soldier by making you a living lie detector' Cable explains. Cable tells Synapse that she could potentially rewrite what they understand about neurology, as the body has physiological reactions to lying, and she is attuned to those reactions. He adds that he isc compiling a list of ways her gifts can be used tactically. Suddenly, Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool appears and tells Cable that his little science club will have to wait, as they are almost to the kill-dozer emergency in Connecticut. Synapse looks at Deadpool's clothing and asks him why he is dressed like he is in “Caddyshack”.

'Cause when I'm ordered to put boots on the ground in Connecticut, I don't %$^& around' Deadpool responds as he climbs out onto the side of the chopper, hanging by a rope ladder, he starts firing a gun at a armored vehicle on the road below that pushes past two police cars. 'Virginia is for lovers, New Jersey is for eggplant parm and Connecticut... is where you go to die' Deadpool declares as he manages to shoot one of the wheels out under the vehicle. Rogue flies out of the chopper and remarks that she misses when Logan was the brawler on the team – he wasn't afraid of Connecticut. 'Maybe he should have been. He might be less dead right now' Deadpool calls back. 'That's not a civilian vehicle, Belle?' Cable asks his computer system, who reports that she is detecting depleted uranium ammo, meaning it is government issue. 'I'll clear the road in front of this maniac!' Rogue reports as she flies ahead of the vehicle, while Cable instructs the pilot to get him two miles down the road, and fast.

Deadpool lands on the roof of the armored vehicle, 'Let's see who's having a five star escape from Liberty City!' Deadpool leans over and looks into the front window, 'Uh, you guys aren't going to believe this, but, well, there's no easy way to say it – it's the Wrecker again!' Deadpool exclaims. 'YOU AGAIN!' Wrecker shouts, wide-eyed as he sees Deadpool staring down at him. 'Gotcha!' Rogue calls out as she swoops down and grabs a bikie, whose bike is suddenly hit by Wrecker's car. 'My bike!' the bikie calls out. 'Oh, you're so welcome' Rogue mutters as she flies him to safety. 'How do I know this is even real? How do I know it's not another trick? I'm not still in Pleasant Hill, am I?' Wrecker asks. The wheels thump and screech, and Wrecker looks concerned. 'Aw crap' he mutters. 'Don't stop!' someone in the back of the vehicle calls out. 'Lady, listen – I ain't got a choice. The car's braking. They done something! I HATE THE AVENGERS!' Wrecker shouts as the vehicle is out of his control.

'And I hate the New Mutants, or whoever these guys are!' Wrecker adds as he sees Cable, Synapse and Doctor Voodoo ahead of him. 'CABLE! CABLE?' Synapse shouts as the vehicle moves closer to them, but Cable explains that he stomped the brakes with telekinesis. 'Dive!' Doctor Voodoo caalls out as the vehicle moves closer to them, until Rogue flies down, 'I got ya! She exclaims as punches the vehicle, flipping it over the chopper. 'Fore!' Deadpool shouts as he is thrown through the air, 'YeaaaOW!' Deadpool shouts as he lands on his back several feet away, the vehicle flipped upside down lands several feet away. 'I hate Connecticut' Deadpool mutters as he sits up, rubbing his head. 'How long as it been since I trashed Avengers Mansion?' Wrecker asks as he climbs out of the upturned vehicle. 'I dunno – a couple of weeks?' Deadpool asks as he walks over to where Cable, Synapse, Rogue and Doctor Voodoo have gathered. 'No! Jim's been inside alone!' Wrecker exclaims. 'Weren't you supposed to be looking through the Underworld for the Red Skull for me?' Deadpool asks.

'I CAN DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE' Wrecker snarls. 'I promised him I'd keep him safe' Wrecker adds. 'Keep who safe?' Rogue asks. Doctor Voodoo tells the others that he understands now – Wrecker wanted to be sent back to prison because he was helping someone inside survive. 'Yeah, Jim Curry. He's a buddy that once saved my life' Wrecker explains. Doctor Voodoo realizes that Wrecker trashed Avengers Mansion for a quick return ticket, only he wasn't returned to jail, he was sent someplace else. 'I'm sorry to tell you this...but your friend is dead. His spirit is with us now' Doctor Voodoo informs Wrecker, as Jim Curry's ghost appears next to him. Doctor Voodoo reports that Jim Curry is grateful that Wrecker helped him, and wants  him to know that he is blameless in his death. 'DAMMIT!' Wrecker shouts as Jim's ghost vanishes. Wrecker leaps to his feet and lunges at Deadpool, slamming his fist into his face he asks 'Why'd you have to send me to Pleasant Hill? Why couldn't you just send me back to jail?'

Rogue asks Wrecker what he is talking about, and as Deadpool rubs his face, Wrecker explains that SHIELD has got a secret prison, but it hasn't got any bars – it's like a magic jail, like the Matrix, and he had a job doing home restoration. 'THEY MADE ME FORGET WHO I WAS!' Wrecker snarls. Cable turns to Synapse 'Well?' he asks. Synapse reports that Wrecker is telling the truth as he knows it, before revealing that she is sensing another nervous system hiding inside the truck. 'Maybe you don't believe me, but you'll believe her' Wrecker declares as someone in a SHIELD uniform emerges from the upturned truck. 'That's more or less the elevator pitch. Wrecker's telling the truth' she announces. 'And why should we believe you?' Cable asks. 'cause I'm Maria Hill. It's my prison and I almost became a permanent resident' Maria announces. Several SHIELD drones appear, and one of them calls out 'Attention Avengers. This is SHIELD. Stand away from the escapees'.

Synapse looks at Cable and asks him how she is reading both truth and deception from Maria Hill. 'I expect nothing less from a spymaster' Cable frowns. Maria turns to Rogue and tells her that in case the Avengers are on the fence about helping her, they should know that there is a place waiting for all of them in Pleasant Hill. 'Why doesn't that suurprise me?' Rogue replies, frowning. Maria informs Rogue that if she lets the SHIELD drones take her back, they are all in a lot of trouble. 'Thanks for the assist. We'll take it from here, Avengers' one of the drones states. The heroes look at the approaching drones and Cable asks Rogue what it is going to be. 'Take 'em down' Rogue replies. 'I kept this warm for you from the last time' Deadpool informs Wrecker as he pulls a crowbar from the golfbag he carries on his back. 'Barbara' the Wrecker utters, looking at the crowbar. As SHIELD officers stand near the Avengers, Doctor Voodoo asks 'Are we seriously about to do what I think we're about to do?'

'AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!' Wrecker shouts as he leaps at one of the drones, and Rogue flies to another, 'Shut yo' mouth!' Rogue snaps. 'What? You let Deadpool say it' Wrecker points out. 'He's earned it' Rogue tells him. Inside one of the drones, a SHIELD agent sees Rogue and asks her what she is doing. 'I should ask you the same!' Rogue responds. 'One Guantanamo isn't enough for our government?' Rogue asks as she smashes through the drone's control booth. 'You're making a huge mistake!' the SHIELD agent warns her. 'Doesn't feel like it' Rogue replies as she pulls the agent from the drone. 'And you wonder why we don't trust you people?' another SHIELD agent asks as Synapse dodges his punch. 'No, I don't wonder' Synapse replies, grabbing the agent by his throat. 'And I don't care. Now sleep' Synapse declares as she uses her powers to put the agent to sleep.

'Get to the choppa!' Deadpool shouts as he and the other Avengers, Wrecker and Maria Hill rush to the chopper once the SHIELD agents and drones are defeated. 'I've always wanted to say that' Deadpool remarks, while Doctor Voodoo tells the others that this isn't right, as Steve Rogers wants them to set an example – and he doesn't want kids to see them fighting cops and think that is the smart wat to change the world. 'Voodoo – if there's a secret prison for people with powers, then this is the right move' Synapse exclaims, and Deadpool points out that if they are wrong, Rogers will understand their motives. 'And if not, he's still old – we can take him. I think' Deadpool adds. As they reach the chopper, Cable admits that he thought joining an Avengers team would bore the piss out of him – but grins as he tells the others that this has been fun.

As the chopper takes off, Wrecker thanks the Avengers for believing him, and asks them what their next move is. 'About twenty feet down' Deadpool replies as he shoves Wrecker out of the chopper. 'That's for slugging me – and don't forget – you took my money!' Deadpool calls out, while suggesting Wrecker stay out of jail so he can find him some leads on the Red Skull. Wrecker lands on the roof of a nearby car, destroying the car upon impact. 'I help you and this is how you pay me back? I'll wreck you all!' the Wrecker warns the Avengers.

Synapse asks if she missed something – 'Are we paying informants now?' she enquires. 'I don't want to know' Rogue remarks, pointing out that that way she won't have to lie to Rogers. 'At this rate, in a few months, we'll be a team of villains' Doctor Voodoo suggests. Deadpool tells the others that he doesn't want to brag, but he has bought way worse dudes than the Wrecker. Rogue instructs someone to get the Torch and Quicksilver on the line and have them meet up with them.

Shortly, 'Why are we in Pleasant Hill, Connecticut?' Quicksilver asks as he stands on a hillside, while Johnny Storm the Human Torch hovers above him. Deadpool, Cable, Doctor Voodoo, Synapse and Maria Hill walk up the hil ltowards them, while Rogue flies above them. 'Did someone chear on their golf score?' Johnny asks. 'Beat you to the joke, Johnny. And I committed' Deadpool declares. 'You mean you should be committeed' Johnny  replies. Maria Hill looks down to the town below, and points out her home, informing Cable that is where everyone with powers has been living. 'What are you saying? Who else is down there?' Cable enquires. 'Oh, no' Maria utters, looking up. 'You guys hear that?' Deadpool asks. The others look up, and see a chopper moving towards them 'Hey, it's the All-New, All-Cradle-Robbing Avengers!' Deapdool exclaims, before asking who is flying the chopper. 'Is that another Maria Hill?' someone asks as they see Maria at the controls – and an instant later, the Maria piloting the chopper fires a beam of energy that washes over the avengers Unity Squad!