Marvel Mayhem: Villain's Tale #4 - Tarnished Memories
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Last Issue 8-Ball and Diamondback decided a night on the town was just what the doctor ordered for pre-marital turmoil and went to their old stomping ground Ma and Pa's Pancake Plaza; well known grazing spot for New York's Heros and Villains. Unfortunately Ma and Pa didn't do a background check on 'Clarissa' who turned out to be the pair's old teammate the Hooded Haunt. Not in the mood for pancakes the Haunt decided to do something more sinister such as ritual sacrifice. To make matters worse the 'party' was crashed by the abomination Mosquitor
One Police Plaza, Two Weeks after Pancake House Firebombing
“This is Lieutenant Von Richthofen interviewing Mr. Jeff Hagees AKA 8-Ball, about his involvement in the events that occurred within the premises of Ma and Pa’s Pancake Plaza on the 13th April 2013. He was arrested on suspicion of firebombing the restaurant a week after the attack from Empire State University Hospital. After observation in Ravencroft Asylum we believe he has been discharged ready for trial. The suspect has been advised of his rights and waved the right to an attorney.” Molly stated into the recording device on the desk and looking at the man covered with cuts. His left eye bruised and the skin on his arms burnt almost to a cinder. It wasn't the physical abnormalities that bothered her, something else was radiating out of him; she recognised them as loss and pain, it reminded her that such super criminals were in the end human just like everyone else. Turning to her recently reinstated partner who had just slipped into the room as Molly sat down in the chair opposite Jeff, who oblivious that Dallas was even there.
“Mr Hagees, can you confirm your intentions at Ma and Pa’s Pancake Plaza on the evening of the 13th April?” Molly asked as the man looked up through his one remaining good eye. “What was your plan for tonight?”
“Dinner…maybe a movie and then,” Jeff stopped, “then home, I didn't know anything about what was going on when I walked into the restaurant.”
“Were you alone?” Molly asked as he took some notes.
“No, my girlfriend was with me.” Jeff croaked, “Did you find her?”
“Girlfriend!” Dallas coughed causing Molly to shoot her an evil look and Jeff to jump a little, realising there were three in the room. “Oh come on! You dressed up as an effing pool ball! That’s the apex of lame! Only topped by those guys who dress as chickens, maybe that frog guy! No girl would touch him.”
“Does your girlfriend have a name?” Molly asked as she easily slotted into the role of good cop to counterpoint Dallas.
Jeff lowered his head “Ra…Rachel Leighton. I saw her…get taken.”
Molly raised an eyebrow “One thing at a time.” She slid a photo of some broken machinery lying on the floor of the pancake plaza. “Can you tell me what that is?”
“Mosquitor.” Jeff replied as he pushed the picture away. “But he wasn't the one casting the spell that was the Hooded Haunt.”
“Spell?” Dallas snorted, “Mosquito Man? Hooded Haunt! Jeff, can I call you Jeff? Are you seriously trying to tell us Jeff, that the urban legend on par with Keyser Soze, the bad Halloween advertising gimmick was responsible for this?”
“I’ve felt her power.” Jeff wheezed, “She’s no store gimmick you can trust me on that.”
**
Ma and Pa's Pancake Plaza, Two Weeks Earlier
Black tinted lightning met a stream of burning crimson liquid and exploded; the force of the blast incinerating the nearest tables and chairs as Mosquitor and the Hooded Haunt looked at each other before charging back into the fray once again.
“This is nuts.” Diamondback gasped as she and 8-Ball crouched behind the main counter. “Who do we root for?”
“The police! SHIELD maybe even the frigging Power Pack.” 8-Ball answered as he reached up and knocked the handset off the base and listened. “Nothing not even a dial tone, there must be some kind of interference with the fibre optics or something.”
“Those people are going to die and it’s all our fault!” Diamondback sighed as she locked into the kitchen to see the two proprietors propped on the floor as their blood slithered out towards the Maori symbol etched on the floor.
“How it this our fault?” 8-Ball asked, “We didn’t send the Hooded Haunt the ‘death card’ or whatever they are.” He added as Mosquitor’s hands caught aflame as he tried to grab the Hooded Haunt’s scythe.
“We need to stop the spell.” Diamondback told him, “Any ideas?”
“Yes because I spent seven years at Hogwarts for this kind of thing.” 8-Ball answered sarcastically, “I’m a rocket scientist not a magic man! All I can think about it energy displacement, if we can somehow alter whatever the spell runs on then maybe we can shut it down.” He added as the Hooded Haunt was hit by a lance of burning energy.
“So how do we change the energy?” Diamondback asked as the Hooded Haunt slammed her scythe into the floor, the force sending a ripple of seismic energy through the tiles that knocked Mosquitor backwards into a table full of rapidly draining businessmen.
“Heat.” 8-Ball answered, “Check the kitchen, see if there’s a blowtorch.” He ordered pulling out a set of pool balls labelled with big black ‘9’s from his bag. “Combined with these flare balls we should have a set of homemade grenades.” He added as the Hooded Haunt slashed forward and cut through Mosquitor’s head, the neck sparking as the body collapsed convulsing onto the floor.
**
One Police Plaza, Two Weeks after Pancake House Firebombing
Dallas rolled her eyes as Jeff finished his account of the opening skirmish within the restaurant. As far as she was concerned even though ‘8-Ball’ hadn’t been part of the assault on the restaurant he had got what he deserved for his past criminal acts.
“So do we know who sent the robot?” Molly asked as Jeff rubbed his eyes.
“The same person who sent the Haunt.” Jeff told her, “It was a setup; somehow they knew where we would be and slotted their two timetables together. The Haunt wanted us there to see her triumph and whoever created Mosquitor wanted us dead.”
“So what are you psychic?” Dallas snorted, “Are you a magic eight ball? How in God’s name could you know that?”
“Because they told us.” Jeff groaned, “The voice was familiar but not one I could place, it told us that we were examples, ones that would herald the Dawning Sun.”
“Dawning Sun?” Molly repeated writing it down. “Have you heard of it before?”
“No?” Jeff answered, “And then there was the choice, the one the Haunt and the Voice left us, left me. I wouldn't wish that on anybody detectives, not even my worst enemy.”
“What choice?” snapped Dallas.
Molly shot her a look, “Go on.”
“I won’t…can’t talk about it.” Jeff wheezed through tear. “I lost her! Lost my fiancé that day and for all I know she’s dead or worse…”
Dallas walked over and slammed her hands into the table, the noise and vibrations causing Jeff to look up at her. “I have effing had it with you Jeff! You are pathetic! Not even a real super villain! You are the only witness in an attempted…god knows what! I’m most happy to pin on you if you don’t effing well stop crying and talking about your imaginary girlfriend!”
“Rachel is not imaginary!” Jeff snarled back as he got to his feet, his chair flying backwards. “And you’d better give me some respect!”
Dallas took a step back as Molly got up from the table as a precaution. Jeff let rip, “I sacrificed my fiancé to save a room full of strangers tonight! I’m a criminal I know that! But I’m not some moron Mr Hyde or that retard Man Bull! I don’t like seeing innocent people getting hurt. You want to know what happened in that restaurant detective? I’ll tell you but don’t ever, EVER, talk about my fiancé like that ever again!”
**
Ma and Pa's Pancake Plaza, Two Weeks Earlier
“A robot?!” Diamondback gasped as she returned from the kitchen. “It was a robot?” She asked as the Hooded Haunt turned to face them. “Oh crud!” She sighed as the villainess opened her cloak and released a swarm of biting flies at the pair, the insects ripping open their skin before forcing them apart.
“Well it looks like your façade is over.” The Hooded Haunt croaked at the remains of Mosquitor, “This plan was for you to take the mortals while I finished my ritual.”
“Yes. A shame it failed but I still have faith in your ability to end their lives.” A recorded voice boomed from the robotic body. “Now deal with them before the police arrive. With this body destroyed the EM jammed is now offline and it won’t be long before we have more players then this game can handle.”
“Hmm.” The Hooded Haunt purred as she walked over to 8-Ball, the flies rolling out the way. “Abbot wishes for me to play by his rules like a trained dog but I have other mechanisations beyond the ones he has seen. This ritual is near completion, shutting it down won’t stop the summoning but will save the lives of the mouth breathing cretins who dine here.”
“Then shut it down!” Diamondback screeched as the flies swarmed back to the Haunt’s cloak. “You don’t need to kill them.”
“True, but I like being cruel.” The Hooded Haunt stated. “As you correctly surmised the burning of the blood will shut down the spell but,” she hissed before waving her hand slowly at Diamondback, cool blue chains wrapping around her wrists and knees, “By saving them then the chains of Aphrodite claim your love, dooming her to an eternity of servitude as one of the goddess’s hetaira. You would call them prostitutes although that analogy is only partially correct.”
“And if I save Rachel the rest of the diners die.” 8-Ball surmised. “No contest now who do I break the chain?”
“Jeff wait!” Diamondback gasped. “You must save the others. You can’t sacrifice them for me.” She added as she struggled to ignite the blowtorch.
“The hell I can!” 8-Ball swore as he turned to the Hooded Haunt, “Anti Chain spell now.”
“Jeff please it’s not worth it.” Diamondback called as she dropped the blowtorch on the floor. “Please be the kind, passionate man I fell in love with.”
“I…I love you.” 8-Ball sighed as he walked over and kissed her on the forehead. “And I will find you.”
“I know you will.” Diamondback sighed as 8-Ball picked up the blow torch and ignited the set of ‘flare balls’ slung across his shoulder before throwing them at the Hooded Haunt, the improvised incendiaries detonating mid flight in a shower of rainbow coloured sparks, the rivers of blood on the floor withdrawing back towards their hosts. 8-Ball didn’t turn to look back at Rachel even when the smell of rosehip and honey washed over him as she was dragged screaming into whatever hell the Hooded Haunt had arranged for her. He just sat down against the counter his head in his hands as the sirens all around the building got louder and louder.
**
One Police Plaza, Two Weeks after Pancake House Firebombing
Dallas looked at Jeff in disbelief, shaking her head. “Jeff…wow! I…don’t…that story…I don’t believe an effing word!”
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