Marvel Iron Age: S.H.I.E.L.D
Reprisal Part. 5
Chicago,
City Hall, several hours earlier:
"Out of Zion shall come forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Nation shall not raise sword against nation, and they shall not learn war anymore. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken." Ghede said as his finger tightened on the trigger. Alan Bryce was in his sights, going up the one hundred year old stairway to city hall. The wind was calm and his hands were steady.
He released the trigger, after a moment of hesitation. His prized objectivity failing him this time. Alan entered the building, the target was lost. He couldn't move his hands and he found himself breathing hard. “Damn it!” He picked his rifle up and walked away from the buildings edge.
A slight shift in the air made him turn around, a figure in black charged at him on a glider. He raised his rifle and fired three shots easily. The man in black evaded the shots and increased speed; slamming into, Ghede. Sending the would be assassin crashing off the roof and to the alley ten stories below.
The man in black hovered slowly, toward him. Ghede's body was a mangled and bloody mess. He checked his pulse to be sure of this man's death. He had none. But suddenly as he began to hover away the body erupted back to life. Broken ligaments healed themselves underneath the skin and Ghede roared back to life.
“That hurts a lot.” Ghede says, as he adjusts his broken neck with a loud crack. With a slight movement he launches himself into the air, tackling the man in black off his glider. His eyes are blood red and a crazed look comes in Ghede's eyes. His limbs start to ratchet and contract, claws extended from his hands and fangs grew more pronounced.
The man in black kicked him off with as much force as he could manage. Ghede slashed at him, wildly slicing through the air. The man in black was barely able to evade this assault. Ghede managed to land a blow and send the man in black flying into the wall. Leaving a visible crack in the brick.
Ghede got closer looking menacing, walking as if each movement caused extreme pain. He stopped in place, eying the man in black like a meal. “Grah!” Ghede roared as he feel to his knees. His body began to return to his original state as he collapsed and eased into unconsciousness.
The man in black stood over him, examining the man. He pulled a communicator from his belt, his glider floating undisturbed at his side. “This is, Shadow.”
“Speak, Shadow.”
“I've got a black-male, mutant unconscious at my feet. He attempted to assassinate Alan Bryce. Send note to others in the surrounding areas. Notably to his penthouse and office.”
On it.”
SHIELD transport,
over Ferrum HQ
Now:
Night had finally ascended on Chicago and Commander Holland waited for the signal from the Michigan team. Ngumi, John and Esperanza, one of Alan Bryce's “shadow's” was leading a raid on the cities power supply at a facility under the lake. Holland thought it callous to send a girl into a mission like this. “But Elizabeth isn't that much older.” he thought.
“Will your girl be able to handle it?” Holland asked, keeping a suspicious eye on Alan, who sat across from him.
“She's a little warrior that one. She'll be fine.” Alan answered with a bit of base in his tone; as if to say `mind your own business.'
Boris snorted, loud enough for, Alan to hear him in the front of the transport. “I gotta know one thing friend.”
Alan nodded. “I knew a cat with such curiosity.”
“What drives a man with everything to such action.” Boris says.
Alan stared at him for awhile, it was the kind of stare that had nothing in it as if the man in front of them was just a husk and Alan Bryce was just a shell, for something darker. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. “There was a man. He was broken, terrified of everything. He was forced to walk alone, his memories slowly died and he allowed the darkness inside.”
He opened his eyes and just looked blankly at the ceiling in an almost trance like state. “And he became something more. A monster was born.”
“Okay, you're a creepy millionaire who likes to play dark defender at night, we get it!” Elizabeth said, putting on her helmet.
Alan got over his trance like mood and smiled a warm smile at the younger agent. “I'm sorry, Ms. Maximoff. I can't seem to help it at times.”
Elizabeth paced back and forth between Holland and Alan. She was shaking her hands, working off nerves. “I'm just ready, to go. Argh! Have you heard anything from taichou?” She asked Holland.
“We wont hear anything until they've cut off the lights.” Holland answered coolly. He'd done several missions like this one during his prolonged life span. Suicide missions had lost their weight to him a long time ago. But Elizabeth was young and had only been apart of Holland's team for a short amount of time.
Elizabeth sat next to her Commander and seemed to gain a sudden boost of confidence. “We got nothing to worry about. With you around we can't fail.”
“No promises in combat, soldier.” Holland said sternly. He glanced over to her and noticed how tense she's gotten. They were over Ferrum HQ and in the heart of Chicago, where numerous gene scans could reveal her identity as a mutant. She had every right to be scared.
“You've got nothing to worry about.” Holland said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Elizabeth eased a little and looked over to Holland. “Yes, Commander.”
In the corner on Holland's eye along with Doc and Boris up front, Alan was staring at the both of them. “Yes, Alan?”
“I've just been wondering about, young Elizabeth's helmet. I haven't seen her take it off for any longer than a few seconds. It was on the entire stay at the lab as well.” He noted.
“Yeah and?” Elizabeth shouted defensively.
Power Station,
Under Lake Michigan:
Ngumi, John and Esperanza infiltrated the base. Leaving a the cramped submersible they used docked at the pier, they continued forward. The station from the outside appeared to be a large metal dome, obscured by the murky lake water. But at they discovered while inside however that the structure was a maze of corridors, paroled by combat drones that hovered around them.
The team managed to remain hidden, with the use of Ngumi's tactical cloak in her body armor. Over-clocking the cloaking field in her hard suit she managed to keep her team invisible. As long as they remained close and the suits functions didn't fry.
The last hour they wondered through out the base seeming to get no further to their goal. The station was mysteriously undermanned. Ngumi knew well that drones can be hacked into and automated defenses over-written. Something wasn't right.
“I'm taking us out of cloak.” Ngumi said pressing the button on the neck of her suit. A drone stopped in front of the group. John readied his rifle, Ngumi quickly signaled him to hold fire.
“This isn't right.” Esperanza said, her voice muffled under her mask.
The station rocked and shuddered. Ngumi held on the wall for support, the ground began to give way. 'I see a door up ahead!” John shouted with a sense of elated joy. The door he spoke of was on the far side of the corridor, and seemed impossible to get to as the steel floor began to crumble.
“Wait!” Esperanza yelled. It was too late. John ran for it. The ground gave, and the team fell into what seemed like darkness with no end. The light from the rest of the base quickly fading.
SHIELD transport,
over Ferrum HQ:
“It's a dampener, isn't it?” Alan questioned. He stood up to further examine the device. Holland quickly got between the two of them, holding a hand on, Alan's chest.
“Back off!” Holland growled.
Alan raised his hands. “I meant no disrespect. Just an observation.”
Holland didn't buy it. Alan just stared at him blankly in the same trance like look he had on before. Both men looked at each other like a predator would look at another for encroaching on it's territory. Before, Holland could react, Alan grabbed his arm and launched his face into the metal panel behind him. In on fluid motion, Alan tossed a syringe into, Elizabeth's neck and opened the transports hatch. Waving as he jumped out.
Holland clutched his bloody nose as he tended to, Elizabeth. “Damn him!” He said pulling the needle from her neck. Her breathing was erratic and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Holland in a panic held, the agent tight and rocked her and whispered,”You'll be fine, Elizabeth. Just hang on.”
“Doc, we're abandoning the mission, get us to the safe house!” Holland ordered.
“Can't, boss man! The ships controls are going ape sh—!” The old man yelled. “The instruments aren't responding!”
Boris shoot up and hunched over. “Commander!”
Holland looked down at, Elizabeth. A magnificent blue aura illuminated the inside. The whole transport began to shake violently. She began to float out of his arms and the sound of twisting metal echoed inside the transport's metal shell. “Elizabeth?”
Power Station,
Under Lake Michigan:
Thinking quickly, Esperanza shoot a line from her left wrist guard, making a slight Clank as it stuck to the ceiling that seemed high above them now. She swung to her side grabbing, Ngumi first. “Hang on!” She barked. Ngumi grasped onto the girls shoulders as she shot another line at John. The line strung around his waist and the rest of them dangled in place.
“Argh!” Esperanza screamed, the combined weight of Ngumi and John being too much for her small body.
Ngumi looked down at John, he was safe. “I'm letting go.”
“The hell you are.” The shadow protested. “I gotta get you two out of here.”
Ngumi didn't argue with her. She released her grip and continued into the dark below. “No!” Esperanza and John said at the same time.
A loud cackle broke through the darkness. Light flashed and revealed a much larger chamber. Ngumi and John were safe, much to Esperanza's relief and confusion. They picked themselves off the floor. Above them was a large energized dome. Inside was a man who seemed to be in extreme agony. A glass cylinder enveloped lower body, while his shackles covered his hands and floated in the air. The dome seemed to be siphoning him some how.
They are surrounded by catwalks, that seemed to trap them. They are not alone down here. They are surrounded by feral looking men. A dozen of them at the least. They had long blondish hair and had jagged claws and fangs. They roared and didn't seem to have a mined of their own. The collars around their necks were familiar to, Ngumi. “John?” She said with a hand on the hilt of her sword.
“Yeah, Yeah.” He said drawing two pistols from the holsters on his sides. “We've got uglies.”
Esperanza pulled a silver rod from her belt that extended into a staff. “What are these things?” She said in a surprisingly calm manner.
“These are, Creed's darling.” John said sardonically. “Two hundred pounds of ugly and claws, they've all got healing factors.”
“And they look like they haven't seen the light of day in a while.” Ngumi unsheathed her sword, making a threatening snikt noise that sent the, Creed's off the edge. They all jumped over the railing upon the team. The three of them were ready for battle.
Chicago above ground,
one mile from Ferrum HQ:
A blue light could be seen from half way across the city, lighting up the night's sky. It was coming from Ferrum's head quarters. The scientists at the lab told, Ghede the man in black would be there. And it seemed that was a popular place to be. Iron Army set a thirty mile perimeter around the building and evacuating the citizenry as a precaution. No one got in or out.
Ghede slipped through, however. The scent of burning metal and smoke grew more intense as he got closer. The scent of war. He knew it well, it brought him in, it's allure was intoxicating. What ever was ahead, he journeyed to meet it unarmed. A risk that didn't concern him. The sky roared like thunder as iron soldiers flew into the battle ahead.
Ghede couldn't hide it, his body shook from excitement. Adrenaline pumping through his veins. He looked to the sky, the moon was veiled in this pale blue light. He went forth to meet it. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
“Hey you can't be here!” A voice said from behind him. He turned his head. There were two police officers, carrying pulse rifles and armed with mass accelerator pistols. “This isn't the best place for you now!”
He turned around and walked toward the men. “Stop, right there!” They ordered, holding their rifles at him.
Something in Ghede stirred and he continued closer, ignoring the warning shot one of the officers gave. “This isn't the best place for anyone right now.”
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