While the Avengers discuss searching for him, Hawkeye and the Thunderbolts find the abandoned Dominius base out in Arizona as Hawkeye recalls its history with Lucifer. Songbird returns to the surface only to see the Avengers, who believe the Thunderbolts have captured and Hawkeye and a battle ensues between the two sides. Scarlet Witch comes across Hawkeye and he eventually puts a stop to the fighting, revealing he wanted to see how his new team would do.

Dominex has awakened thanks to the fight and incapacitates both sides as Captain America and Hawkeye were arguing about the legitimacy of the Thunderbolts. With the air force unsuccessful, the Thunderbolts, thanks to Moonstone, manage to get inside Dominex but are sealed inside as it reveals its plan to head for the Murray Fracture Zone and self-destruct, which would cause a chain of natural disasters that would destroy the planet.

The Avengers arrive on the scene as Dominex continues to self-repair against the internal attacks of the Thunderbolts. Hawkeye instructs Moonstone to feign being possessed by Dominus in order to trick Dominex into temporarily stopping his assault. The Avengers hesitate to send Mach-1 the internal specs for fear that the Thunderbolts could use Dominus for their own means but Hank Pym sends the data and Dominus is destroyed.

Captain America isn't sure about Hawkeye's plan but the Avengers watch the Thunderbolts take off with him, hoping for the best.

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