Marvel Mayhem: Heroes for Hire: Miami Vice #3 (of 6)
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Marty stood in the arrivals terminal of Miami International Airport holding the sign marked ‘Hero’ in thick red pen as the flight from New York landed. Most people gave him odd looks, but then again he was wearing a thick trench coat and a panama hat to hide his fury features. Misty had summoned help and thankfully the fake ‘Agent Doggett’ had been true to his word and her account was firmly out of the red. Bored of holding the sign aloft Marty was about to lower it when a towering red headed woman dressed in flared trousers and a close cut tank top walked through the doors arrogantly pushing other travellers out the way.
“Oh you've got to be kidding me.” She swore as she walked over to Marty, towering over him with her Amazonian physique. “Misty Knight’s toady I assume.”
“Assistant not toady.” Marty stated nervously before tapping the earpiece he wore. “Misty the first one arrived.”
“Thanks Toady.” Misty joked over the headset as Marty handed the woman a head set. “Thundra how was your flight?”
“Terrible they made me pay for two seats.” Thundra answered. “Now point me at something I can punch.” She added as a middle aged dark skinned man dressed in a business suit and walking with a cane trotted over with an airport official pushing a trolley after him.
“The Knight Party I assume?” The man asked. “Broad Back there kind of gives you away.” He added as he slipped the official a twenty dollar bill for his trouble. “Hook me up please son.” He told Marty as he held out a second ear-piece. “Hello Misty you there?”
“Curtis, thanks for coming. I hope Stark won’t mind that I borrowed you.”
“Ah I’m mostly autonomous at work anyway.” Curtis answered. “Could use a place to change though.”
“If you and Thundra head to Conference Room C you should find some privacy.” Misty announced. “Thundra if you can take Mr Carr’s equipment I’d be most appreciative.”
“I am not some pack mule to be ordered around, send your Lackey to do it!” Thundra spat.
“Fine but you'll have to be the welcome wagon.” Misty stated before hearing an ear splitting wave of curses come down the headset. “I thought as much.” She stated as Thundra picked up Curtis’s bags and the man himself and headed towards the conference rooms in the hotel annexed to the terminal building. Marty watched them leave before turning around to see a pink haired Japanese teenager with thick headphones about to take a photo of him.
<“Say banana Monkey Boy!”> The teenager said, the flash blinding him. <“Misty Knight’s furry I assume?> She asked in Japanese. Marty cocked his head; he didn't understand a word she was saying.
“She wants to know if you are with Misty Knight.” A bespectacled man wearing thick jeans and a T-Shirt told Marty. “I’m Mitty, I owe Misty a favour.” He added.
“Err yes.” Marty answered before handing out the last earpieces.
“Great everyone’s here.” Misty announced. “We are in Conference Room C Mitty and Cherry Blossom can you lay off the Japanese for now.” She ordered as Marty whipped his brow and led the way to the conference room, the last two heroes for hire following after him.”
**
The lounge of the upmarket Florida mansion was splattered with enough blood to drown an Olympic swimmer or at least that’s what it seemed like to the Answer as the watched Barracuda line up the dead gang members who worked as part of Hecate’s Crime Syndicate. Most were of African origin save for one man, the boss a Greek Man wearing nothing but boardshorts and the mystic tattoos etched on his body. His position was a blessing and a curse; he was alive but after the Hood arrived he would be begging for death fairly swiftly.
“We bagged one of Hecate’s Black Tongue enforcers.” The Answer stated down the phone. “Grab your bags the launch pad you requested is ready for use.” He added. Seconds later the room tinted red, even more so then it already was and The Hood appeared flanked by at least six costumed criminals. “Welcome to Miami boss.” The Answer stated before gesturing to the bound Black Tongue. “A housewarming gift just for you.” He added.
“Good work both of you.” The Hood stated, “We need to act fast, give me the location of one of Hecate’s headquarters and I'll send a statement that she can’t ignore.”
“Uh the Crossroads Casino is a good target.” The Answer announced. “Barracuda scoped it out; it’s where we learned of this place.” The Hood smiled before turning to Batroc and his brigade. “Burn it to the ground, kill everyone who stands in your way.” He ordered causing Batroc to nod slightly as the Hood turned to face the other two criminals he had brought from New York. “The people you requested Answer.” He stated.
“Clay you got the dossier right.” He asked the man dressed in leather pants and a hunting jacket over a wife beater. “Find the one called Epitaph and radio in when you do. As for you Lizzy.” He added turning to the woman dressed in a nurse’s uniform. “Go visit the hospital, I know a lady who needs your loving touch.” He finished as the woman flashed him a cruel smile. “Let the Invasion begin.”
**
“Alright first I want to thank you for coming.” Misty stated across the skype link to the conference room from the laptop she had brought with the newly deposited quarter of a million in her bank account. “We have long odds going into this operation. You all know about the Hood, how he was empowered first by Dormammu and more recently the demon Blackheart. There is another player in the city though, the lady of the crossroads a local crime boss. After some questioning Cloak and Dagger were able to determine that one of her key assets is the Crossroads Casino so it’s a logical place to start our operation.”
“Do we know anything about the Lady?” Curtis asked as he slipped an armoured bracer onto his crippled leg before pulling a reinforced helmet down over his face that matched the blue Hi-Tech exoskeleton he now wore.
“Virtually nothing and she wants to keep it like that.” Misty replied. “From now on we use hero names only, no slip ups I don't want anybody’s family being targeted for revenge attacks. Humbug you drew the short straw so you have first shift at guarding Colleen, Cloak will teleport you over once the meetings done.”
“Hopefully it'll be quiet but if not I have my tapes.” Mitty answered as he hefted a rucksack onto his back.
“Speaking of weapons, Cherry Blossom what were you able to smuggle in?” Misty asked as the teenager kept poking Marty in the arm in an attempt to see if his fur was real.
“Nothing but my barrettes, couldn't risk airport security stopping me.” She answered, “I need to re-stock, any ideas on where I can find a good meteor hammer?” She asked as Marty slapped her hand away.
“The ‘Lady’ and her forces use swords and antique weaponry, mostly Mediterranean stuff that they buy from a weapons dealer in the harbour. There should be something suitable there, take the Gibbon with you for back up just in case.” Misty stated as Cherry slapped him back before the pair descended into a frenzied slap fight. “Children if you've quite finished can I get on with the briefing.”
“Yes.” Marty and Cherry Blossom moaned in unison. Misty rolled her eyes. “Everyone else will hit the Casino with me. Cloak will be acting as our logistics guy and he and Dagger will drop in whenever they're needed.” She added. “Okay that’s it, once again I'm honoured you chose to stand with me, I’m proud to call you my Heroes for Hire.” She added before shutting down the skype link.
Swinging the chair to face Colleen’s comatose body she smiled before stroking her chin. “ Colleen I'll keep you safe, because…because you're the person I admire most, because you are like a sister to me. I have to go but I know they'll keep you safe.” She added as Cloak materialised in the corner of the private room and Humbug slipped out onto the floor. “There’s a list of known threats in the area.” She stated throwing a folder of printed out wanted posters. “Once we're done at the casino somebody will come to relieve you.”
“Hey it’s okay.” Humbug answered. “God it’s hard to see her like this.” He added before removing a tape player from his bag. “I just hope…hope that it hasn't…it doesn't you know.”
“Me too.” Misty told him before stepping into Cloak, the pair teleporting away as Humbug sat down on the chair next to the bed.
**
Five figures stood around the glowing pentagram etched on the floor with Hecate taking the north point. “It’s time, speak your name and bring forth your offering.” She commanded. “I Hecate, Matron Goddess of Witchcraft bring the bones of the beast ready for rebirth.” Her heads stated before throwing a pile of dusty bones into the middle of the pentagram.
“I Ai Apaec, Chimera God of the Moche bring forth the breath of the forest ready to stir the long dead beast.” The hideous creature complete with a spider’s body, man’s torso and snakes for hair hissed as he added a stream of bat’s wings to the bones already laid on the ground from the pentagram’s west point.
“I Hine-ata-uira, Maori Goddess of the night summon the spirit, may the dead once again rise.” An ochre skinned woman with burning yellow furnaces for eyes hissed before placing a stone urn in the centre of the bones and wings.
“I Nephtys gift the blood of a tainted mortal.” The woman clutching the long handled scythe stated. “May her blood slack the beasts thirst as he is reborn.” She added before clicking her fingers and sending the woman dressed in nothing but a purple bikini top and thong walking into the pentagram. “I hope the deal you made with Aphrodite is worth it.” She added as Hine tossed the woman a barbed stingray spine.
“My dead Hooded Haunt, the process involved in creating a hetaira revolves bleeding the sin out of a body.” Hecate lectured as the woman cut herself with the spine, the movement sending thick black blood leaking onto the pile of offerings, the room shaking. “And since we require the taint to raise Camazotz from his grave then everyone wins. Except of course the mortal, bound to serve that fat excuse of a goddess, I almost pity her.”
“Don’t the mortal Rachel Leighton will get what she deserves.” The Hooded Haunt answered before clicking her fingers and sending Rachel walking back to the outside of the pentagram. As she did the ingredients whirled around before exploding in a dark explosion, the light extinguished by the force save for the gleam of the pentagram, the light revealing a massive creature stretching out, ready to escape it’s bonds.
“Camazotz, you have risen.” The first head of Hecate hissed.
“Who do you serve?” The second asked.
“Hun Came.” The creature hissed, its words causing the light of the pentagram to flicker.
“Good.” Hecate answered, “You know what we expect of you.” She added, “Hunt down the heroes,” A single head stated as the light finally died. “and consume them.”
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