Marvel Mayhem: American Tyrant - Payne and Creed (#1 of 4)
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The sound of fleeing feet rang down the alleyway as the man dressed in green tattered clothing crashed through the chain link fence and tossed a fully loaded dumpster over his shoulder, the receptacle flying towards the man chasing him. Dodging to the left his pursuer had little time to react as his prey turned and lashed out, his arm elongating and wrapping around his neck, green energy arching from his body back to the figure in green.
“Uh still…don’t understand why…they call you…Troll?” The man groaned as a tendril snaked out of his wrist and stabbed into Troll, the electricity reversing as his attacker began to groan in pain. “To be honest,” He stated, the wavering in his voice receding as he pulled the energy sapping arm off him, “at this point it doesn’t matter what you call yourself.” He told the man as he slammed a foot into his face, the blow sending Troll crashing back into a wall with enough force for a shower of masonry to collapse on top of him.
“Frank Payne freeze!!” A voice yelled as the man withdrew the tendril and turned around, his hands raised above his head. “Department of Super Crime Prevention and Control!” A man wearing body armour with the letters DSCPC plastered across the chest piece yelled. “As a convicted felon you are under arrest unless you can provide adequate documentation giving you clearance to remain free.”
“Yeah I have one.” Frank groaned as the questioner and his back-up looked at each other in shock. “It’s in my back pouch pocket, is it okay if I reach for it?”
“Sure but if you try anything snake boy and you get a bullet in your head!!” The arresting officer yelled as Frank slipped a waterproof baggie out of his pouch pocket and held it out for the officer, the man taking it and running it under a scanner.
“First check is affirmative.” The officer mumbled. “Authorising body is recognised as well. All we need is to check our database for your referee’s signature and ah here we are Kyle Richmond AKA the Nighthawk.” He stated before handing Frank back the piece of paper. “We’ll handle it from here citizen, both Troll and his partner the Hag are wanted by the state.”
“What about my bounty fee?” Frank asked as he slipped his papers back in the bag. “I tracked and trapped him, and I expect the state to pay me for it.”
“Keep talking snake and we’ll pay you with a charge of interfering in a federal operation.” The officer stated as he and his men walked over to where the Troll was buried. Shaking his head Frank stalked off cursing under his breath, the capture of the Troll was a five figure payment but without proof he wasn’t going to get squat, and squat came nowhere near close enough to pay the rent of the office space he was renting. Leaving the DSCPC officer behind Frank headed back for home unaware of the figure standing in the window of the building across the street, his gaze following the bounty hunter as he walked away.
“Interesting!” The man snarled as he grinned, pointed canines sticking out of his mouth. “Very interesting indeed.”
**
Payne Investigations, New York City
Frank’s move had not improved as he marched into his office the day after Troll’s arrest, slamming the door behind him hard enough to make his secretary stick her head out from behind the magazine she was reading.
“Bad night?” She asked as Frank threw his coat on the chair slotted behind his own desk. “Stupid question right? I saw that Troll’s bounty had been rescinded by the agency just like Hag and Death Ninja’s were.”
“The annoying thing is that Troll was down and out. I have spent a lot of time and money clearing up Deathwatch’s associates after Ghost Rider took him out and have nothing to show for it. If I was in this for anything but money Val I would have joined the Avengers.” Frank hissed as he checked his phone before turning his computer off.
“Well there is one of Deathwatch’s guys left.” Val announced as she swivelled her computer screen to reveal an electronic wanted poster of a pale skinned man with fangs. “The big kahuna of the group Blackout, the agency is offering fifty thousand dollars for his capture.”
“As much as I’d like to take it Blackout is a little out of my league being half demon and all.” Frank replied as his phone chimed once and flashed a message. “We have anything else in the calendar besides overdue rent payments and blank space.”
“You’re not going to get that?” Val asked as she rotated the screen back and brought up the online calendar.
“Ah it’s just a status update regarding my daughters Tweet Face account.” Frank replied. “Some new pictures by the looks of it, I’ll check them out later.”
“You know I can’t decide what’s creepier; Blackout or the fact you stalk your daughter online.” Valerie told him as she shot Frank a coy half smile.
“Oh defiantly me.” Frank replied as he scratched his chin. “You know with a little freelance help from one of those wizard types I may be able to capture Blackout. I’ll have to check the rolodex of course but we may just get some money for this one.”
“The rolodex can wait,” Val told him as she got to her feet, “we have a brunch appointment with the guy currently supplying our cash flow. Apparently we’re meeting in some pancake place out in Soho.”
“I don’t mind,” Frank stated before giving a shot almost pained laugh, “just as long as he doesn’t expect us to pay.”
**
Ma and Pa’s Pancake Plaza, New York
Frank and Val thought their benefactor Kyle Richmond was too well dressed for the meeting, not that they minded especially when the millionaire had offered to foot the bill for the brunch. Despite the dire situation that Payne Investigations was in Kyle seemed happy enough, even going as far to flirt with the woman dressed like an urban cowgirl at the next table.
“So Jaime I’ll call you later.” Kyle told the woman before turning back to Frank. “So you’re telling me you reckon it’s the same guy who’s been picking up your captures. You know you are legally allowed to ask for his name and badge number.”
“I would but he keeps throwing the word ‘obstruction’ around which kind of makes me jumpy.” Frank admitted as the waitress brought over another cup of coffee to him.
“Yeah and you’re sure it’s not the fact that you drink like ten cups of red-eye a day.” Val mumbled as she pushed half an uneaten pancake around her plate.
“Well if only I knew a couple of investigators who could check that out.” Kyle announced sarcastically as he turned his head and winked at Jaime as she and the Indian woman she was drinking with left.
“You know that she’s a super criminal right?” Frank asked Kyle. “Hangs around with 8-Ball and calls herself Spectre.”
“Get out of here really?” Kyle asked as he and Frank stared at Jaime’s ass as she walked out of the dinner.
“In a bid to get the conversation back onto more work related matters,” Val gasped as she resisted the urge to flick the remains of her brunch at her college, “you couldn’t connect Frank with a sorcerer, preferably one who works for free. We’re planning to bring in Blackout and we’re a little lacking in the magic area.”
“I know some people who might help.” Kyle replied as Frank’s phone began to ring. “I’ll get someone to help you.” He added as Frank put his phone to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Hello Frank.” The voice on the other end of the line snarled causing Frank’s face to turn pale.
“Victor what do you want and more importantly how did you get this number?” Frank asked as he watched Val shrug to Kyle.
“It’s amazing what you can share on Tweet Face. Those pictures your daughter took for example. Little Mia has really grown into a beautiful woman; it would be a shame if I had to remove her face because her daddy is a turncoat.” Victor growled over the phone. “Look at you, the Constrictor working as a scum sucking bounty hunter turning in his own kind for loose change.”
“Yeah but I was on this side first.” Frank told Victor before wishing he hadn’t said those words as a woman’s scream could be heard over the phone. “Mia!!! You monster what have you…”
“Nothing yet.” Victor reassured her. “She was just some hooker I picked up last night. At least I can pick people up, I saw your failure with Troll last night, and I feel so sad that we used to be partners.”
“What do you want?” Frank said slowly through gritted teeth.
“The Eagle, you remember our time in Europe as part of the Fatal Four, he’s in town and looking to sell that worthless piece of rock we were trying to steal the last time we partnered up.” Victor growled. “Think about it we owe this snob a lot of pain, and if your not man enough to do it then that pain transfers to you and your daughter.”
“Listen Victor, if I find that you’ve hurt, touched or even breathed on Mia I will kill you.” Frank hissed in his most menacing tones. “And I just said that in front of a bunch of witnesses, so have no doubt I will keep my word. Now where are you?”
“Oh don’t worry.” Victor answered as he traced a circle on the window of Payne Investigations with a long hooked fingernail. “I’ll see you at work.” He added before walking away, the body of the ripped open woman left propped up against the door.
“Frank what was that?” Kyle asked, concern spreading across his face. “You’re in trouble aren’t you?”
“Kyle you can’t help me.” Frank replied softly.
“But I want…” Before he could finish Frank slugged Kyle in the face before grabbing him by the shoulders and slamming him into the table and stalking away. “Send the bill to the b****d who thinks he can save everyone.”
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