Marvel Knights: The Outlaws #5
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Head-Cases, Brooklyn, New York
Mentallo lead the group of costumed men into the back room of the bar, a machine consisting of chairs strapped to a generator. “As promised my Mind Control Mafia the key to rewriting even the most diehard do-gooder. If you would take your chairs we have a schedule to uphold.” He added, as five of the men took chairs. “Beetle, Slyde we’re relying on you to keep us safe should anybody end up crashing this party.”
“Got it boss.” The Beetle buzzed, as Mentallo took the last vacant chair. “Okay boys, let’s get this party started. Call your targets, I don’t need any wires crossed while we do this. I’m taking Cage, always wanted to screw up with his mind ever since he and Iron Fist shut down the racket Fixer and I were running a few years back.”
“Overider here in chair two, I’m locking down Hi-Tech’s armour.” The man dressed in red with fly eye gauntlets hissed.
“I’ve got Amazon.” The ape like form of the Mandrill grunted, as his eyes flashed red.
“Controller logging in, my tech is keeping the Phantom Rider under close control.” The man dressed in a business suit announced as he shot a look at Beetle and Slyde standing on either side of the machine.
“Crossfire zeroing in on Colleen Wing.” The man with the red lens across his eye announced.
“Mr Fear here, guess I’m taking the last one, Cygnus or something like that.” The last figure sighed as he slumped in chair six.
“Well then ladies,” Mentallo said, a smile spreading across his face, “lets dance.”
**
Trident Motors Experimental Facility, Columbus, Ohio
His eyes blood shot, Luke Cage threw a punch at Batroc, only for the master mercenary to leap back over the teammate standing behind him, his burst of agility revealing the Unicorn, his ‘third-eye’ already glowing red before firing a high-energy laser at the Hero for Hire, the force of the blast incinerating Cage’s clothes to reveal racks of muscle upon muscle.
“Spot thinks this is kind of hot.” Unicorn moaned as he licked his lips. “As such we’re turning up the thermal output.” He cackled as his third eye illuminated again as Amazon and Piranha wrestled with each other, the Ukrainian super-woman wrapping an arm around the fish-woman’s neck in an attempt to choke her to death. Discharging the energy Unicorn watched as his third-eye shut down.
“Performance issues Unicorn?” Trapster asked, as he shot a jet of glue at Cygnus and Phantom Rider, the later phasing through the projectile.
“Spot doesn’t know what happened.” Unicorn moaned as Cage slugged him in the throat, the blow sending him crashing into the conveyor belt carrying engines out the room.
“That would be due to me.” Hi-Tech stated in an almost robotic tone as he fired his rifle at the Ringer, the projectiles attached to his costume detonating in one big explosion. Groaning Keith emerged from the fireball his armour beaten and buckled, his steps bringing him into the path of Colleen Wing, her katana scything towards his neck. Jumping into action Batroc disengaged from his battle with Cygnus and slammed foot fist into Colleen, knocking her to the floor before picking her sword up.
“I will take this.” Batroc grunted, as Piranha bit down onto Amazon’s arm, the sharp-force of the attack causing her captor to let her go. “Misour Kraft are you okay mon ami?”
“I’m fine, and leap now!” The Ringer replied, as Cygnus came gliding in on her outstretched swan like wings, only for her target to leap backwards and kick her to the floor. Hissing with anger, fangs sprouting from her mouth Cygnus slashed at the Ringer with her hooked talons, only for Kraft to snap his remaining ring around her waist, electricity running up and down her body. “Anyone else think there is something off about these guys?” He asked as Colleen tried to grab his leg.
“There heroes Ringer, there is always something off about them.” Pit Viper replied, as she ducked behind some machinery to avoid a shot from the Phantom Rider, only for the bullet to phase through the equipment and stab into her arm. “Peter you’re meant to be the brains of this outfit, what’s going on here, besides us getting out ass kicked by this freak show.”
“Speak for yourself.” Piranha hissed, as Amazon got to her feet and charged her, only for Unicorn to intercept her with a flying tackle, his third eye dilating as he shot a beam directly into her skull.
“Spot says there taste like puppets.” Unicorn cackled, as Hi-Tech fired a beam of energy at the adhesive the Trapster was spraying over Luck Cage, the glue melting into a torrent of salt and water. “Spot doesn’t like puppets.” He hissed, as Cage grabbed the Trapster by the neck and punched him in the face before slamming him into the ground.
“If they are puppets then we need to cut ze strings.” Batroc stated as he slashed Hi-Tech across the back of his armoured suit with the katana he had stolen. “And we need to cut zem now!!”
**
Head-Cases, Brooklyn, New York
Mandrill screamed as he fell off of the machine, his body convulsing as his mind was unconnected from Amzaon’s body. Seconds later Overrider followed as he was unconnected as well.
“Holy…” Slyde gasped.
“We were told this would happen.” The Beetle announced as he walked over to where Crossfire was sitting, his gauntleted hands waving in-front of the villain’s face, the black targeting lens in his prosthetic eye tracking the movement. “Okay Boss Cross, my employer on the Consortium Inner Circle wants you alive, the others not so much.” He added as he unlocked Crossfire from the machine and placed him in a sitting position on the floor. “Slyde get him out of here while I lock this thing.” He added as he sent a bolt of electricity into the device. “Sorry Mentallo, your no longer part of our solution, if you’re lucky you’ll see our new world when you wake up.”
**
Trident Motors Experimental Facility, Columbus, Ohio
Colleen Wing shook her head as her mind cleared, looking around the room she saw High-Tech and Amazon lying on the floor, their eyes flickering as their minds reset from the trauma they had suffered. Meanwhile Luke and the others were still crossing swords with a group of villains in the warehouse they had been paid to guard. And then she noticed that her katana was in the hands of Batroc the Leaper, her family legacy defiled with every stroke and slash he made as he fought Cygnus.
“Batroc look out that samurai chick is back online.” The Trapster warned, as Unicorn and Luke Cage traded punches, the former cackling every time he was hit. “Guess we hadn’t disconnected her as well as we thought.” He added.
Leaping at Batroc, Colleen landed a series of swift kicks and punches on Batroc, her foe blocking with his own feet and the stolen blade. With each blow, Colleen calculated where Batroc was going to block next, and as she threw her next punch Batroc blocked with the bottom of his foot giving her an opening. Taking the chance Colleen snatched her sword away, and slammed the hilt into ze Leaper’s face, the blow sending him staggering backwards. Raising her blade into a defensive stance, Colleen suddenly felt talons rip down her back as Cygnus struck, it was only then when the Trapster’s comment about ‘disconnecting’ made sense, her teammates weren’t themselves. Spinning round and ducking under Cygnus’s follow-up-attack she watched Luke swat at Pit Viper as she shot at him from range, his movements slower almost robotic in their execution.
“Spot still can’t get a read on the other puppets.” Unicorn grunted, as he shot down the Phantom Rider’s bullets, the energy forcing the phased round to snap back into the tangible plain of existence.
“Yeah and the guys we did knock out are coming round.” The Ringer yelled, as Amazon and Hi-Tech begun to pick themselves off the floor. “We’re either going to have to book or finish this quickly.” He added, just as Cygnus sunk her fangs into Piranha’s neck before coughing and choking at the cold blood running over her lips.
“Then we need to finish zis.” Batroc stated. “Madame Pit Viper, Misour Ringer go we will deal with these heroes.” Disengaging Pit Viper and Ringer headed deeper into the factory as the remaining villains rallied around Batroc as the Heroes for Hire closed in on them.
**
Following the conveyor belt back through the factory the pair of villains arrived at a reinforced door covered with radiation warning stickers, its windows tinted blue. Blasting the computerised lock with her pistol, Pit Viper pulled the door open and stepped into the airlock followed by the Ringer who closed the door behind them. Seconds later the other door opened up to reveal a tube draining a thick blue fluid from the specimen inside, the flow, viscosity and radiation level measured by multiple technicians dressed in hazmat suits.
“Uhm I’m not going to lose some swimmers by coming in here right?” The Ringer asked, his voice causing the technicians to turn round, their faces hidden behind the reflective plastic visor of their suits.
“You are not allowed in here.” One of the technicians grunted before noticing Pit Viper’s pistol pointed at him. “And uh no, no it won’t.” He added, as one of the other technicians reached for an alarm button mounted on the wall. Taking a shot, Pit Viper sent a bullet through the man, before throwing a second gun to the Ringer.
“We’re here to inspect the source.” Pit Viper hissed, just as the air-lock door swung open and the rest of the team arrived in the chamber, with the Trapster sealing the door behind them with what was left of his glue guns. “What is it?”
“The Consortium will kill us.” The technician gulped. “The source will kill us too, last time he got out we had to flood the chamber with nerve-gas to get him under control. Five of my friends died…” He stopped as a laser lanced through his body, a miniature fire burning inside his hazmat suit.
“Spot likes the taste of turkey.” Unicorn stated, as the sound of heavy fists banging against the airlock door echoed through the chamber. “They taste far better than the puppets, even after all their strings have been cut.”
“Open the specimen tank now!” The Trapster snarled, as the remaining technicians shot each other worried looks. Shaking their heads two of the technicians walked over to the control console and typed something into the keyboard, before turning two keys at the same time. With a hiss, the sample tube opened revealing a long haired man dressed in a blue jumpsuit with an attached cape, his body pierced with tubes siphoning his blood along to the assembly line. “Holy…that is Graviton!!” The Trapster gasped, as the tubes crumpled under the awakening powers of the man’s power.
“We were using his blood to lighten the Titanomech shells we were producing so we could add additional armour and weapons to the chassis.” One of the technicians gasped as Graviton lowered himself to the floor and stepped out of the tube. Looking around the room he picked up all of the remaining technicians and crushed their bodies’ together, blood showering down onto the floor and across his liberators.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t crush you!” Graviton boomed.
“Because Misour Graviton we are enemies of ze men who locked you in ere.” Batroc announced. “So are ze men and women behind zat door, knock zem out and leave. Do zat and we will call it even.” He added. “After zat we don’t care.”
“Deal.” Graviton snarled through gritted teeth as the entire room shook, all the equipment smashing through the windows followed by the airlock door and the Heroes for Hire. Seconds later the walls buckled and the pipe filled with blood began to collapse.
“Farwell Doctor Hall,” The Trapster sated as his team of villains headed towards the exit, “we’re out of here.” He added, as Graviton nodded, just as the walls of the factory began to lift off of their foundations, followed by the engines destined for either the Dreadnaughts or Titanomechs, before everything imploded in on itself. “We need to talk to Argent, that’s the second time he’s led us into a trap. It is time for a face to face.”
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