5th Column Comics: Peacekeeper #15
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Repun-Kamuy Humanity Services Desalinization Plant 0041
Doors shift, and emergency floor lighting blinks on and off as I pursue Nate Lime through the bowels of the desalination plant, before finally the way ahead in barred and he turns to face me, his skin gleaming blue under the glow of the lights.
“If I must destroy you, before I can cleanse this city, so be it.” He hisses, his voice grating off the walls as tiny purple flames spark from around his lips. With a roar he charges me, his fists burning as he swings and misses, as I leap under his blow, and slam my tonfas into his knee caps. Collapsing his body pools on the floor, before a myriad of liquid metal hands grab at me. Struggling I buck off a few but succumb to sheer weight of numbers, as Nate’s body reforms.
“Torres do it now!!” I yell, my voice accompanied by a siren as vents in the wall open up, their nozzles glowing blue.
“Thermal Extraction Online.” A computerised voice announces, as the vents fire streams of gas coolant into the room, the sudden drop in temperature causing the hands holding me to solidify and crack.
“Keep going!!” I yell, as Nate slams me in the chest, the explosive blow sending me skidding backwards. Almost immediately he elongates his arm and punches me in the same point, knocking me back even further. But as he goes to withdraw his limb he realises his mistake, the lengthened molecules have solidified, meaning in essence he’s lost an arm. Hissing with rage, Nate collapses his form and flows along the arm before reforming in-front of me, his arm now stretched out his back.
“You think a little cold will stop me?” He asks, as he snorts a jet of purple flame out of his nostrils onto my ballistic vest, the fibres inside catching alight forcing me to shuck it like a snake crawling out of her skin. Seconds later it strikes me how cold it is inside the chamber, as the vents on the wall continue to pump out more coolant.
“Oh I don’t know.” I answer, as I dodge another fireball snorted at me before removing my riot grenade launcher from my belt. Opening fire, I almost curse as Nate forms a metallic shield with one of his arms, my projectile bouncing off and to the side before exploding harmlessly. Taking advantage of my miss, my opponent slithers towards me again, his whole form burning with purple flame.
“Temperature Levels are now at Zero Degrees Celsius, all unprotected personnel are required to leave the chamber.” The computerised voice tells me, as I feint left, my façade working as Nate lunges for me only to miss as I leap right, and fire another grenade for my launcher and fire, the projectile slamming through the caesium body of Nate Lime, and out the other side, his form collapsing in two pools of liquid metal. With a scream he reforms again, but this time something is wrong, half his body has solidified and as a result, his new body is that of a man incomplete, huge gaping holes now present in his metallic flesh.
“Give up now, don’t destroy yourself it’s not worth it.” I order, as Nate blinks with one eye, before forming a blade with the one mostly intact hand he has.
“Win or lose, I will destroy myself!!” Nate hisses as he slashes towards me, causing me to dodge left only to slip on the puddle of frozen metal and slam headfirst into the floor. Getting up, I take a few breaths and get to my feet, just as Nate spins around, his blade aimed at my neck. Turning I see it coming slowly towards me, and hold my head up high as his remaining arm solidifies. Spinning away, I bring my tonfa down on what should be the wrist, and watch the hand split in two, the rest of the arm retracting back to its owner.
“You’ve lost.” I wheeze, my breath now thick and foggy from the cold.
“Then I will make sure you die with me!!” Nate snarls, as purple flame darts through his malformed body, as he collapsed and surges towards me like a serpent of liquid metal, his mouth frozen open in a scream of rage. Dropping into a crouch, I reach other to the shattered caesium blade as he slithers towards me, before striking straight at his heart, the blade slashing Nate in half and sending his head smashing into the floor. Writhing for a few seconds, the body freezes in situ, with the head following suite almost immediately after. Collapsing to my knees, I look around for a camera or anything that could be used to signal Torres that it’s over. And while I don’t see anything, I do hear the sound of the vents shutting down and thundering footsteps just outside the door.
“Hostile is secure.” A voice grunts, as the door slides open and a squad of men in CBTF armour enter, their weapons aimed at the pieces of Nate Lime scattered around the chamber. “What are your orders Sir?”
“Contain Lime, leave her here, she’s of no value.” Another voice announces, as I blackout. “Get the cover story ready, the director wants no loose ends.”
**
St Jude’s Memorial Hospital
Waking up in hospitals is not a new experience for me, although it is one I have never got fully used to. Carefully I remove the thermal blanket wrapped around me, and reach out for the medical chart at the base of my bed. Giving it a quick scan I conclude that the doctors and nurses, despite my expectations, have correctly seen to my early onset hyperthermia. Relaxing back in bed, I switch on the TV, it should be time for the news, and with what I’ve done earlier today, and I should be the main headline.
“The subject of these leaks were confirmed, earlier today to be true, during a press release by a spokesman from the Carrier and Blight Task Force. Later in the programme we will be speaking without panel of experts on what to expect from ‘the Response’ who were unveiled earlier today.” The anchor-woman announces, as the screen behind her changes to show stills from Nate Lime’s ransom video. “It can also be confirmed, that the terrorist, Nate Lime, who made a threat against this city, was apprehended by CBTF agent shortly before the press release of the Response. A statement has yet to be issued but it is thought that at least one member of the team was involved in the…”
I turn off the TV and throw the remote away in disgust, Pfeiffer and his little boy-band are the last thing I need added to the equation. I give the rookies ten days before they explode under the pressure, and when they do I will be there, ready and willing to capitalize on their failure...in spades.
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