Thunderbolts #12 - Fissures
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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
The chief of police extinguished his cigarette, as the sleek Thunderhawk jet landed on the cleared carpark. Shaking his head, he checked the safety on his pistol, before signalling to his deputies to move forward to where the tail ramp was descending.
“Here comes the freak show.” One of the officers snickered, as a woman wearing a purple jumpsuit disembarked and walked towards them.
“You Cooper?” The chief asked, his accent betraying the fact he had never left the state.
“That’s Dr Cooper to you.” Valerie replied, as she looked at the hastily assembled welcome committee. “I was told that one of your men was killed by a directed-energy weapon a few hours ago? I need to see the area you found the body ASAP, any trace evidence may already be long gone since one of you idiots decided to remove the body.”
“That’s some real hurtful talk Ma’am.” The chief spluttered, before spitting a load of phlegm onto the floor. “You’d better have the balls to back up words like that.” He added, as he rested his hand on his sidearm.
“Oh I have backup alright.” Valerie answered, as Rock Python and Nightshade descended down the ramp, the former loaded up with heavy looking equipment.
“You don’t get it.” Rock Python sighed, as he barged past one of the deputies. “What he represents is unobtainable. Any relation, regardless on how well it goes is doomed from its inception.”
“The alternative you offer is to live in the future masquerading as the past.” Nightshade replied, as she gave Valerie a nod. “And I prefer to know which temporal medium I’m in at all time.”
“I’ll drop it if you can tell me your guy’s first name.” Rock Python stated, a smirk spread across his face.
“So where’s the laser?” Nightshade asked, her face barley containing the annoyance she was feeling. Hesitantly one of the deputies pointed up at the cabin, before retracting his hand as the three Thunderbolts walked past. “My guy has a title instead of a name, he’s learned unlike yours who relies on being a dashing rouge.”
“Stop it both of you!” Valerie snapped, as they reached the crime tape spread around the front of the canon. “Settle this in your own time, and remind me to hurt Melissa when we get back, for convincing me it was a good idea to take you two out on this investigation.” She added, as she ducked under the tape and examined a scorch mark on the ground. “Something with a high thermal output was fired here, the earth has literally been scorched to a cinder.” She finished, as Nightshade handed her an evidence bag and some tweezers.
“So what do we do?” Rock Python asked, as he gently set down the equipment.
“You keep an eye out for a suspect, while Nightshade and I dust for prints.” Valerie told him, “Hopefully it’s just a local lowlife and not a big bad hiding out.” She added, before opening the door and heading inside the cabin. “We’ll need the ‘lab-top’ in here.” She added, as Nightshade let out a sigh, before picking up a thick briefcase and followed her inside. Taking a deep breath, Rock Python walked over to the edge of the forested bluff, and looked out across the trees and lake. Turning back to the Thunderhawk, he watched as a man with a massively scarred face stumbled out of the woods, dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, only to be kept away from the jet by the police officers, before being smashed round the face by the nervous deputy who had pointed them towards the cabin. With a sigh, he charged in, law enforcement or not, something wasn't right about that guy.
**
Nightshade shuddered, as she left the bathroom, her hands shaking as she tried to keep hold of the preserved fingerprint she had lifted, only to drop it as Valerie came into view, holding an old fashioned bolt-action rifle.
“Relax I removed the bullets.” Valerie stated, as Nightshade bent down and picked it up, before slotting it into the print reader nestled in the open case sitting on the kitchen counter. “Hopefully we should get an ID soon.”
“Even if he didn’t kill the officer, the way he left the bathroom should be a crime.” Nightshade answered, just as the ‘lab-top’ pinged. “Wow that was quick.”
“It’s worrying, to get a hit that quickly means our perp is registered in the CSA’s database.” Valerie sighed, as she slotted a screen into the back of the case, numbers and letters dancing across the screen like a hyperactive whirlwind before coming to a standstill. “Okay the cabin’s owner is a Basil Elks AKA the Basilisk, a small time burglar before he found a power stone of extra-terrestrial origin.”
“Let me guess, he didn’t use it for constructive purposes.” Nightshade deadpanned, as she scanned the villains list of powers. “Super strength, Energy Projection, Flight and…Geokinesis, that’s not good, not when you consider we’re sitting on top of a massive magma chamber.”
“So the question is, where is Mr Elks now?” Valerie asked, before the cabin shook from the impact of something heavy being thrown against the side.
“I think he’s right outside.” Nightshade suggested, as two pin-points of light shone from a pair of crimson eyes. “And I think he knows we’re inside his house.”
**
Rock Python winced in pain, as he picked himself up after being flung into the cabin wall by the formally nervous deputy. Clicking his neck, he saw his assailant finish off the man with the scarred face, before turning his now burning red eyes on the Thunderbolt.
“You were the one who killed that deputy!” Rock Python hissed, as he flung a bolas at his attacker, only for the projectile to be intercepted mid-flight by a laser blast emanating from the officers eyes, the metal of the orbs evaporating before it even hit the ground. “And you just killed that tourist as well!!”
“He was a thief.” The officer hissed, as his skin caught alight, burning away to reveal reptilian scales underneath just as Nightshade and Valerie exited the cabin, the latter’s weapon trained on the transformed man. “You’re all thieves!!! I wanted to be away from people, away from temptation, it’s why I ran here. You’ve pushed me to this, no-one will ever get close to me every again!!” He hissed, his words causing cracks to open up in the ground with the magma underneath raising to the surface.
“Oh c**p.” Rock Python snorted, as the lava encircled them, as more cracks opened up in the ground with more magma flooding out. “Any ideas on what we do know…ow!! What was that for?” He snorted, as Nightshade jabbed a syringe into his rump, before throwing it into the lava. Turning she removed a second needle, and stabbed Valerie in the arm, before producing third.
“That is a temporary genetic enhancement,” Nightshade sighed, as she injected herself, “that makes your cells thermophillic, it should allow us to withstand the heat of the lava, at least for a short time.” She added, as Basilisk dove underground, the action causing shockwaves to radiate out from his point of entry, a few droplets of lava landing on Valerie’s chest before they dripped harmlessly off. “Looks like it works.” She added, as the lava contained to shake, before a massive serpent of living lava emerged from under the rock they were standing on, its jaws closing around them.
“If I have to burn this entire planet to keep them from stealing my power stone, so be it!” Basilisk hissed, his voice causing the lava to tremble. “But first if I can’t burn you to cinders, then I will rip you to shreds!!” He snarled, before smashing through the rock underneath the Thunderbolts, and grabbing Rock Python, his hands wrapping around his targets neck. With a wheezing grunt, Rock Python slammed his fist into Basilisk’s face, the blow causing the villain to simply squeeze harder.
“No you don’t” Valerie hissed, as she opened fire, only to see Basilisk to spin round and use his victims body as a human shield, the rapidly melting rounds splashing off Rock Python’s skin.
“No toys!” Basilisk snarled, as his eyes lit up and a laser beam lanced out and melted the handgun.
“Maybe that should apply to your Kree Powerstone too!!” Nightshade yelled, as she dived onto Rock Python, a syringe in her hand, before plunging the needle into one of Basilisk’s eyes, the sharp force trauma causing him to throw the pair of Thunderbolts away, his hands covering his damaged eye. Recovering from her initial attack, Nightshade got to her feet and slammed her fist into Basilisk’s chest causing him to double over, his hands moving to his chest, revealing a slither of green emerald behind the damaged eye. Reaching out, Nightshade pulled the gem out, only to be punched from behind by Basilisk, the force causing the emerald to drift out into the surrounding them.
“You fool!!” Basilisk hissed, as Rock Python grabbed him by the shoulders, before wrestling him to the floor. “Without my control the stone will trigger this caldera to erupt continuously, you have just doomed this planet.” He added as he attempted to slither free, only to be subdued with a swift punch to the face. Looking out towards the Powerstone, Valerie took a massive leap into the lava, her hands grasping the emerald, her body glowing a vivid green. At the same time Basilisk’s body also glowed, the scales on his body fading to reveal his human form once again.
“Valerie?” Nightshade gasped, as Valerie let low a long hiss, her eyes glowing red in sharp contrast with the green skin on her arms and face.
“So much power…” Valerie whispered, as the former Basilisk groaned slightly. “I could level the planet with a single thought, I could bring permanent peace with this…”
“Or you could save it, stop this.” Rock Python stated.
“You going to make me?” Valerie hissed, as the earth beneath the Thunderbolts cracked, and burning tendrils of flame wrapping around their legs. “No, I know I can’t keep this power.” She added softly, before waving her hand, the lava slithering back down into the ground and the cracks sealing themselves up, leaving the Thunderbolts standing on scorched but stable ground.
“Now give up the powerstone.” Nightshade ordered, her hand outstretched ready to take the gem. Shaking her head, Valerie removed the powergem, and threw it away, the emerald clattering to the floor. Taking a deep breath, Valerie fell to her knees, her scaled skin retreating, her normal form returning. “Get that thing away from me, it’s like poison and fire in my head.” She gasped, as Rock Python twisted open one of his bolas open, and then scooped up the stone with the metal halves, before twisting the top back on.
“Is there anything we can do?” Nightshade asked, as she bent down and helped Valerie to her feet.
“I just want to go home.” Valerie stated, as she looked at where the skeletal wreck of the Thunderhawk jet stood.
“So do you want to call Abe and Melissa for a ride back or shall I?” Rock Python asked, as something rustled in the brush behind him. Spinning around the three of them caught the slightest hint of a figure in red, before a blinding light engulfed the mystery watcher, leaving the place it had been standing empty.
“That was…” Nightshade gasped.
“She’s back.” Valerie hissed through gritted teeth. “The Crimson Cowl is back.”
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