Marvel Mayhem - The Villain's Tale #8: Spectres and Assassins
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Arriving at the Black Lodge Overrider handed 8-Ball over Spymaster for some regeneration therapy while he and Spectre formulated their next move. After a bit of brainstorming a plan was concocted and Spectre went to get aid from Spymaster but discovered a deadly secret. Before she could warn Overrider she was confronted by the Hooded Haunt who threatened to silence her and protect her own plans.
Overrider sat in the waiting room as he listened to the phone dial tone, eventually the woman on the other end picked up although there was clearly some distortion on the other end of the line. “Carla you rang?” He asked.
“Yes something’s happening down here, there are these weird tremors. The news is saying that it’s just after-effects of the bridge blowing up. A SHIELD geological team confirmed it.” Carla answered.
“Anything else?” Overrider asked as he heard Brass give three short pings.
“A few gas leaks and some electronic disturbance. The police have talked about evacuating people but…well I can't go out looking like this. I would feel a lot safer if you heroes were here.” Carla stated.
“Sure as soon as the docs check out Jeff we'll be homeward bound.” Overrider answered, cringing at the mention of the lie Rachel had told Carla, about her housemates being retired superheroes. Turning the phone off he turned to Brass and narrowed his eyes before reaching out with his powers, the room quickly being replaced by a dark sky lit by an ocean of stars, each one representing nearby technology. Heading to the brightest orb he saw Brass’s online avatar, a woman clad in bronze skin, pacing backwards and forwards on her ‘star’ of existence.
“Morgan what’s wrong?” Overrider asked as the avatar turned to face him.
“I don’t understand. I was surveying the area as per my defensive protocols demand when I picked up something strange.” Brass stated. “Three doctors armed with tools not suited for any kind of medical procedures.”
“What kind of tools?”
“One pistol flamethrower, one katana and one set of blades mounted to an armoured chassis.” Brass replied. “Should I update my database to include such things as surgical equipment?”
“They're going after Jeff!!” Overrider gasped. “Spectre come in, we have assassins in the building!” He yelled; horse breathing sounding over the headset.
“You should let him die.” Brass stated flatly. “These friends don’t bring you happiness only pain. You were happy when it was just you and me, now you hardly ever speak to me like this.”
“They are not my friends they are our friends!” Overrider stated. “Snake, Rachel and Jeff all helped me get through your deactivation; they care about you as well as me.”
“No they don’t!” Brass spat back. “I’m just hardware to them; they don’t know me like you do.” She added as Overrider began to pull away. “Please don't leave me again.” She cried as he terminated the direct technopathic connection to her memory core. “I love you.”
**
8-Ball stirred in his sleep before feeling someone touch his arm, smiling he opened his eyes and caught sight of a woman with purple hair looking down at him with a worried look on her face. “Rachel?” He murmured as his vision fogged up distorting her face and making it look as if her face was covered in a steel harness covered in bladed edges.
“Crud.” The woman hissed as she turned to her comrades guarding the door. “Underhill told us that he wouldn’t be conscious.”
“What’s the matter Grindhouse?” A man dressed in an orange jumpsuit decorated with red glowing flames asked. “You chicken? I knew Gamecock would have been a better partner then you.”
“Shut up Blaze!” Grindhouse hissed. “The Intel is bad, who knows what else the p***k who hired us left out.”
“Shut up Blaze!” Blaze parroted back immaturely.
“Enough! You are both children.” The man in green armour sighed as he drew the katana slung across his back. “I will end this foolish debate and the targets life.”
“Hold it Ghost Maker!” A commanding voice ordered from the doorway causing the three would be assassins to turn and see Overrider standing before them his hands gripped around his Desert Eagle. “And from the idiocy I overheard you’ve shacked up with some incompetents. Not good for your standings on the list, nor is killing a sleeping man.”
“And you are the Overrider.” Ghost Maker calmly replied. “You are alone and in no position to stop us from sending this one to his ancestors.”
“Maybe but my backup would disagree.” Overrider answered as Spectre phased through the floor and slammed a fist into Grindhouse the blow sending her flailing into the wall, the blades on her costume embedding her into the wall. Blaze just stood there gawking but Ghost Maker masked his surprise and lunged into a flying slash at Overrider, his opponent retreating and slamming the door in the assassin’s face.
“So how did you no I was there?” Spectre asked as she shot Blaze’s weapon out of his hands.
“Lucky guess.” Overrider replied as he reached out with his powers and ignited Ghost Maker’s jetpack sending him smashing through the ceiling. “Did you find Spymaster?”
“Nope” Spectre answered as Blaze dove to the floor in an effort to reclaim his weapon. “I…” She choked as the words were replaced with an inhuman scream that caused the air to ignite and rain burning cinders on the combatants, “I couldn't find him.”
“Sure he hides a lot we'll just drop him an email before we leave.” Overrider stated giving her an odd look as Ghost Maker returned, a nasty looking meteor hammer dragging behind him. “Looks like Brass misse…” Before he could finish Ghost Maker swung the weapon in a large horizontal arc, the weighted tip knocking Overrider and Blaze out of the room and passing through Spectre. Without hesitating she opened fire only to see Ghost Maker swing the weapon again, the chain wrapping around her hands causing the shot to go wild.
“Uh s**t Intel.” Grindhouse groaned as she ripped herself off the wall, “Still while those t*****s deal with your friends I'll take care of you.” She told the sleeping 8-Ball unaware that one of his eyes was open. “Throat slice or something more interesting, ha who the f**k cares!!” She snorted.
“I do.” 8-Ball croaked as he reached out to his gear on the bedside table. “You're not Rachel.” He added as he grabbed an orange ‘5’ Ball only for Grindhouse to reach out and take the projectile, her fingers leaving long lacerations across 8-Ball’s hand.
“Hey check it out f*****s I got a souvenir.” Grindhouse announced as Ghost Maker and Blaze turned to look at her trophy just as the ‘strobe ball’ lit up, causing Ghost Maker to reach for his eyes just as Spectre retrieved her pistol and put a bullet through the assassins brain.
“Nice try!” Blaze snorted as he pistol whipped Overrider in the face as he attempted a sneak attack. “My goggles let me see through any light.” He stated as Overrider rolled out of the line of fire just as he ignited his weapons pilot light. “Time to light this place up!!” He added as Spectre ducked under a blow from Grindhouse, her failed strike releasing a wave of mini throwing knives that hammered into Blaze’s back. “Oh Cr…” He wheezed before collapsing to the floor, Grindhouse following seconds later as Spectre smacked her round the face with 8-Ball’s cue.
“Uh talk about friendly fire.” Overrider grunted as he kicked Blaze’s pistol away. “How you feeling Jeff?”
“Like I don’t want to stay here.” 8-Ball answered as he pushed himself up. “I’m mobile just about.” He added as Spectre helped him up. “Any ideas on how to get out of here?” He asked as Overrider grabbed his gear and the trio headed for the nearest lift.
“Brass is down in the garage securing transport.” Overrider announced as sickly green light erupted from the observation room and Ghost Maker came jetting towards them. Reaching out with his powers Overrider slammed the doors shut just as the assassin stabbed his katana into the compartment, the blade shattering as the lift descended. “He’s going to be a right pain in the ass I can tell.” Overrider mumbled. “But at least Blaze and Grindhouse are down, they won’t have far to go to get to a hospital I guess.” He added as the lift doors pinged open.
“I want to know who leaked I was here?” 8-Ball grunted as the trio headed towards a massive M977 Transport Truck, the crest of the Iraqi Revolutionary Guard replaced with the logo of the Black Lodge.
“Well we were working with Montenegro, Bombshell and Tick Tock but none of them knew we were heading to the Black Lodge. Carla knew you were in hospital but didn't know where until Brass detected the assassins entering the building.” Overrider announced as Spectre slid into the driving seat as the others sat in the passenger compartment and Brass locked down in the trailer. “Speak of the Devil.” Overrider stated as his phone rang. “Carla we…”
“Coming home Overrider? You shouldn't really leave your valuables unattended, who knows what could happen to them.”
“Vapour, last I heard you were de-powered.” Overrider snarled.
“Hmm true but I'm still a chemist and a U-Foe. And being a U-Foe means my family will always have my back. Isn't that right brother?” Vapour replied. Overrider heard a buzzing hissing laugh behind her and knew it belonged to X-Ray. “Check the link we just sent you.” She added before putting the phone down. Angrily Overrider uplinked to the internet through his helmet and activated the livefeed.org link. Bound to a chair was Carla, her reptilian features unable to show the panic she was feeling as Iron Clad lumbered behind her, a fridge slung over his shoulder.
“You watching mutant?” He asked, “I bet you are he snorted as the camera panned to Vapour and X-Ray, the former wearing a green leotard and gas mask, an array of grenades slung on a bandolier over her shoulder while the later glowed potently his bones charred black by radiation.
“We’ll be seeing you soon.” Vapour purred before putting the camera down and running out the building. X-Ray flexed his now nonexistent muscles before radiation consumed the camera.
“F**k!!” Overrider swore. “What happened? Ow!!” He grunted as Spectre hit the brakes. “What the hell is going on?” He grumbled before climbing into the front only to see the whole of Rhode Island glow purple before detonating in a miniature nuclear explosion.
“Is that?” 8-Ball asked as he stuck his head into the front of the vehicle. “They…they killed…my god what did they do?”
“That’s it!!” Overrider snarled. “We are going to find Rachel and then the five of us are going to make the U-Foes, the Hooded Haunt and whoever else is involved in this wish they had never heard of us!”
“I’m with you bud.” 8-Ball stated.
“Me too.” Spectre added, as something crawled under the skin of her cheek. “We're with you all the way.”
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