Marvel Genesis Presents: Heroes for Hire - Out of Time

 
Marvel Genesis Presents: 
 
Heroes for Hire - Chapter 1: Out of Time
 
Rating: M 

Museum of Natural History – 8:07 AM

                Mac paced impatiently about the museum floor in the Oceanic Life wing. Hayden was late. Mac was already uneasy about meeting with a certifiable nut-job, but NOT knowing where he was wasn’t helping his mood one bit. ‘Why would Misty want me to meet a crazy like Hayden in a damn museum? Because it’s public? Because he’s less likely to try killing me with so many people watching?’

                His temper was beginning to flare and attention to his surroundings suffered in turn. There were hundreds of people wading through the exhibit’s halls and it was impossible for Mac to keep track of every passerby, even with enhanced senses. Alex Hayden could literally be anywhere, even… Mac looked straight above at the huge taxidermy blue whale suspended from the ceiling. He stared long and hard at the seemingly harmless mammal, trying to catch any sign of movement. ‘Hayden is just the kind of loony who would try some “death from above” bulls***. He’s probably up there with me in his crosshairs right now…’

                “You like whales Mister?”

                Mac didn't dare break his gaze. Any distraction from finding Hayden might mean a bullet through the brain. “Um… Yeah. Sure.”

                “Did you know those big whales eat these little tiny shrimp called krill? They eat ‘em by the thousands! Just scoop ‘em right up! It’s like complete shrimpocide!”

                “That’s nice buddy.”

                “But you know what the best part about krill is? … They are delicious!”

                “What the hell are you…?” Hearing something so… idiotic was like a cold splash of reality for Mac. He slowly lowered his eyes and turned to look at his new found ‘friend’. He was immediately struck by a feeling of complete sheepishness and the sudden urge to throttle the would-be ‘tour guide’. It was Alex Hayden.

                The pedestrians whom had earlier been crowding through the exhibit were quickly making for the closest exits possible. Alex stood out like a sore thumb. A rather unpleasant sore thumb. Under a ratty ‘concealing’ trench coat Mac could see he was battle ready; wearing high-end combat armor with all the trimmings. More importantly he was obviously packing, with A LOT of firepower at his disposal. If THAT didn’t send the proper signals to avoid him at all costs, the yellow tinted visor and giant ‘X’ shaped scar over his face was a dead giveaway. To make the image even more ridiculous, Alex was holding an ice cream cone. Mint - chocolate chip.

                Mac and Alex just stood there for a few moments while the hall cleared. Not a word was exchanged. Alex had an expressionless face and every few seconds he would take a lick from his ice cream. The room became deathly quiet, and Mac knew someone would have to shatter the silence sooner or later.

                As if reading his mind, Alex tilted his head. “Meow?”

                Mac could feel a vein throb on his forehead and his left eye involuntarily twitch. ‘A grown man has just “meowed”. And not just any man, but a professional mercenary who is now under my employment.’ He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, a single thought running through his mind. ‘Misty… we are going to have words.’

                Alex began to walk a circle around Mac, giving him some needed space, but goading him nonetheless. “Were you looking for me up there? Up there on the whale?” It was clear to Mac that Alex had been watching him for a while. “What? Did you think I was gonna repel from its blowhole or something all ‘Mission Impossible’ like? Not likely big guy. I don’t even like Tom Cruise.” He paused to lick his cone again. “Talk about being a little paranoid. You sure you’re not crazy?”

                Mac replied sternly “Why are you late?”

                “Have YOU ever tried to get someplace on time while taking the subway in this town? It’s inconceivable! Inconceivable I say!”

                Mac could feel a headache coming on. “You took the subway? In full gear?”

                “Sure! I do it all the time. It’s really convenient. Plus Dorothy and I like to chat during the commute. We swap grandkid stories.”

                “Who is Dorothy?”

                “Oh, some old lady from Brooklyn.”

                Mac knew he wasn’t going to like the answer to the next question. “And you have grandkids.”

                “No, but Dorothy doesn’t know that. She’s so senile she can’t even remember her own grandkid’s names, let along mine. She’s a horrible grandmother.”

                Try as he might, Mac couldn’t come up with anything to say in response that wouldn’t just encourage him. So he decided to let it go entirely. “Well due to your commute we are now behind schedule, so we’re going to have to skip the introductions Alex and get on with the mission…”

                “Agent X.”

                Mac had to make a double-take at the abrupt interruption. “Excuse me?”

                “When I’m working you should call me Agent X. Alex Hayden is my secret civilian identity and I’d rather not get myself exposed.”

                “…Right. Like I was saying we’ve got to get the recruitments underway. So let’s get moving Agent X.” Mac turned towards the exit and began scanning over the first dossier in Misty’s file. It was labeled ‘Cable’.

                “So who’s our first target?”

                Mac noticed a slight change in Hayden’s tone, but decided not to think much of it. “A guy named Christopher Charleston. He’s referred to himself as ‘Cable’ since he showed up a year back. Claims he’s from the future. Something about altering history to prevent an apocalyptic future or some jazz. Domestic terrorist. He blew up some corporate buildings and assassinated some CEOs and a Senator. All of which were proven to be corrupt and known for under-table dealings. That’s probably why there hasn’t been a stronger public outcry to catch him.”

                “So he’s like that Connors guy? From the movie? I like ‘em already!”

                Mac continued to read through the file. “I don’t know if I buy the whole ‘from the future’ crap, but he is outfitted with some seriously advanced cybernetics. Excellent marksman. He’s demonstrated a superb handle of military tactics and eluded every special forces unit sent to take him down.” He paused for just a second as he re-read a paragraph. “Says here he’s been kinda quiet for the last three months. No fancy hits. No big explosions. He seems to be taking out local lowlifes these days. Drug dealers and mob types.”

                The two exited the building and stopped at the curb. Alex was just finishing off the cone and attempting to talk though a mouthful of ice cream. “So what’s the plan then boss?”

                “According to these notes, Misty had Elsa Bloodstone track him. Looks like she found him holed up in Woodhaven. So we go to Woodhaven.”

                “In Queens? Hey, we can catch the 10:15! It’ll take us right over there!

                Mac wanted to punch him. Hard. “No! We are NOT taking the subway! I’ve got a better ride lined up.”

                “A Vespa?”

                Mac grinned “Not exactly.” Mac pulled a phone from his front pocket and starting dialing in a number. 

Woodhaven, Queens – 10:23 AM

                The chopper touched down on Atlantic Blvd. Mac might have insisted the pilot land on a rooftop or in a park somewhere, but these were hardly normal circumstances and the pilot was hardly normal to begin with. Besides, he trusted the kid. However he would never admit that to Amadeus Cho.

                Alex pulled the muffs off his ears as the helicopter’s engines slowed. “Ok, ok, that was much cooler then the subway. I knew I picked right when I signed up with you guys! Although I NEVER thought I’d ever find myself in the backseat of a heli with a baby on the stick. That’s just crazy!”

                The Asian teenage pilot turned his head around to leer back at Alex. “Maybe if you don’t like my flying you should have taken the subway!” Maybe it was the fact a child would talk back to an armed mercenary, or perhaps that such a fearsome glare came from a five-foot-nothing pipsqueak but Hayden quietly and quickly slipped out the side portal without so much as a whimper.

                Mac smirked and unbuckled his safety harness. “You certainly know how to ensure repeat business Cho.”

                Cho popped his neck to the left side and then quickly to the right. “I got to keep you b****es in line! Let you know whose boss.” He tilted his head back and laughed, clearly attempting to sound menacing. Mac was unimpressed, but decided to let the kid have his fun. “Just be back in forty-five minutes. We’ll be bringing one more with us. And he may be unconscious.”

                Cho nodded and throttled up the engines as soon as Mac disembarked. Both Mac and Alex watched at the helicopter lifted into the sky and peeled out southbound. Alex was mumbling under his breath.

                “Problems Agent X?” Mac inquired mockingly.

                “Just wishing I hadn’t given up kid-killing for Lent.”

                Mac wasn't sure if Alex was joking or not, and the thought was rather unnerving. However, there was a more important matter to attend to and Cho was never late for a pickup. They had forty five minutes to find Cable, recruit or capture him, and get back. “Ok, now we just got to find where this Charleston guy’s hideout is. But where to start?”

                Hayden pulled a large combat pistol from its holster and examined the barrel. “I’d wait for the explosions. There are always explosions.”

                Before Mac could comment on how idiotic Alex’s statement was, there was the unmistakable sound of an explosion less than a block away. The street rumbled under their feet a second later, and Alex just smiled knowingly. “See? Told you.”

                At that moment Mac was not about to argue the point, but he was certainly going to follow up on THAT coincidence later. Right now he needed to hurry. “Agent X, take the high road and see if you can’t get a better view of what’s going on.” Alex nodded and almost elegantly scaled an emergency ladder bolted to the side of the nearest building. He made it to the roof in a matter of seconds and disappeared over the threshold. Mac began to sprint down the road towards the explosion. It would be just his luck if Cable were dead already.

                ***

                He wasn't used to someone getting the drop on him. Ever since he arrived in the twenty-first century most of the special ops units sent to take him in had been rank amateurs at best. Nowhere near the caliber of soldiers he grew up fighting against. The few random mercenaries he had encountered were even more pathetic. He almost felt sorry for how easily they were dispatched. Almost.

                Cable took a cautious glance around the edge of wall he was using as cover. She was still out there. Typhoid Mary. Occasionally she’d fire off a few rounds to keep him pinned, but she was no great marksman. More immediate was the fact she wasn’t advancing. ‘Is she waiting for something? Someone?’ He quickly dismissed the notion. If she wasn’t acting alone the initial assault would have been stronger. Plus, the last time he encountered Mary she indiscriminately killed off her compatriots while trying to tag him with ordinance. It was doubtful many would be lining up to work with her again after that news got out. Still possible though; she did somehow get inside the perimeter without triggering a single alarm. That was no small feat and she was no tech.

                He waited for a break in her scatter-fire and returned with three quick shots from his rifle. The first two shots Mary managed to dodge, but the second hit her shoulder cleanly. Despite his aim, the solid slug pinged harmlessly off the body armor she wore, though the impact appeared to stagger her a bit. She quickly regained her footing and didn’t even bother to seek cover. “Is that the best you got future-man?!? If so I think we should cut to the chase!”

                Cable dived back behind cover. He needed to get to his cache. He needed a weapon that could punch her armor. And he needed to do it fast. Taking her on now would probably be suicidal and considering her new hardware, she clearly had the advantage in mobility. The gaping hole in the building’s side she had left after the initial onslaught was proof enough he was seriously outgunned. The cache was in the basement and he was currently on the second floor, with Typhoid Mary being a major roadblock. To anyone else, the situation might seem hopeless. However, Cable had survived though must worse than this.

                “What are you waiting for?!? We’ve done this dance before Mary! Bring it on b****!” From behind the wall he heard the sound of a propulsion system flare to life. ‘Perfect.’ She had taken the bait. He grabbed a hand grenade from his belt and pulled the pin out with his teeth. In one fluid motion he broke cover, surging across the broken flooring. He threw the grenade towards the fractured hole just as the helmet of her armored suit came into view over the edge. The execution was flawless. Cable burst through a side door just as the grenade detonated. Mary was blindly charging in at such speeds that she couldn’t have seen what was coming, let alone react. The force of the blast threw her out of the ruin the way she came.

                ‘That should buy me a few minutes.’ Cable knew that grenade would shake her, maybe even stun her, but it wasn’t enough to take her down. He still needed to get to the cache fast. He rushed down the stairwell, past the first floor and down to the basement. Initial attack had knocked out the building’s power and the keyed lock would not be operational. ‘Not a problem.’ Cable let loose a concentrated burst from his rife, blowing the lock off completely. He kicked in the door and the emergency generator lights blinked on as he entered the room.

                “Hello babies. Daddy’s home.”

                The room contained possibly more firepower then some third-world countries. The walls were bursting with guns; both modern and some undoubtedly from Cable’s home timeline. He knew exactly the weapon he needed for this job and quickly retrieved the ridiculously bulky laser carbine from one of the numerous racks.

                “Where are you, you cheap-shotting bastard?!?”

                Mary was back on her feet it would seem. From the sound of her heavy-footed steps he gauged she was right above him. ‘I’ll have to play this nice and quietly. Try to line it up and finish this with a single shot…”

                “Who the f*** are you?”

                Cable paused. ‘More company? This day just gets better and better.’ He quietly made for the stairs, traversing each step as fit it was a minefield. For such as large individual he was quite adept at the finer points of stealth. He had to be, considering where he had come from. Upon reaching the ground floor he found himself suitable cover from where he could assess the situation undetected.

                “I’m here for Cable. I assume by the armored underwear, so are you.”

                A very tall and brutish looking man stood at the street’s edge, cautiously making his way into the ruin. He was older; well past his prime but still quite the imposing figure. He wasn’t armored, and Cable didn’t see any sort of firearm or weapon on him. ‘Who the hell is THIS old man? He’s gonna get himself killed.”

                “Back the f*** off ya old geezer! Cable is MINE! Get in my way and you’re dead. You hear me?!? DEAD!”

                Typhoid Mary pointed a wrist-mounted gun at the intruder. Cable knew she wouldn’t hesitate to blow his head off. That was her style. More than likely she would just shoot him in the back the moment he turned to leave. Cable flicked a switch on his carbine and it began to hum softly as the power cell charged.

                Being in the crosshairs of a sociopath did not detour the stranger. “Look lady, I can tell you are on the wrong side of crazy, but I have business with Cable. I’ve got a hunch you’re more interested in making him very dead, so we’re at a bit of an impasse. I’m going to give you to the count of three. By the end of that count you can either make like a tree or you’re going to have a very bad day. One…”

                Cable could not believe his ears. ‘What are you trying to accomplish here old man? Do you WANT to die?’ Cable was more curious then actually concerned about the stranger. At this point the tactical option was to retreat and regroup, letting these two have it out. However curiosity did get the better of his judgment from time to time. He checked a gauge on the carbine. It was ready to rock and roll.

                “Two…”

                Typhoid Mary burst into laughter. “Who the hell do you think you are? You come waltzing in here, ruin MY party, and then tell me you run or we’ll have trouble?!? You’re good for a laugh, but I think that’s all you’re good for. Time to die…”

                The stranger began to mouth the inevitable ‘three’ as Cable broke from cover. He swung the carbine around and locked it on Mary. “Hey Mary! GTFO!” He pulled back the hair-trigger and a solid burst of raw energy flared from the barrel. Typhoid Mary had turned towards her attacker and the shot hit her square in the chest. The force jettisoned her through two intact walls and a good hundred feet from the building. She landed on the blacktop unconscious; her body’s impact creating a sizable crater. Her armor sizzled where the shot connected and most of the chest plating had disintegrated.

                Cable didn’t take a second to revel in his victory and immediately turned his weapon on the stranger. “As you can imagine, I’ve had my fill of uninvited guests for today. So I’d suggest you tell me quickly who the hell you are and what you want with me, old man.

                “My name is Mac Gargan, and I’m here to…”

                Suddenly there was a crash though the ceiling just behind Cable. Before the dust could clear he found himself with a combat pistol firmly pressed to the side of his temple. “Check that out! I totally got the drop on you! Oh, and you may want to stop pointing that gun at my boss.” Cable reluctantly dropped the carbine to the floor.

                “ALEX! What the f*** are you doing?”

                Alex Hayden looked almost hurt at the jarring words as he peered over at Mac. “Aww, come on! I was all in position to take out the robotech-wannabe chick! I was gonna be like ‘BOOM! Headshot’! Then you were doing the countdown, and then this guy steals my thunder, and… and…!”

                “Enough of this.” Cable spun around with lightening reflexes unheard of for an average human and grabbed the pistol. He simultaneously thrust his open palm into Alex’s elbow; the added strength of his cybernetic prosthesis breaking it inwards. Cable wrenched the pistol from Alex’s grasp and followed with a sweep to his legs, bringing the mercenary to the floor. Before Mac could fully comprehend what had happened, Cable stood with the combat pistol aimed directly at Alex’s head.

                Alex winced in pain as he clutched his broken arm to his chest. “Dude! You broke my arm, man. Is that how you say ‘Hi, nice to meet ya.’ where you’re from? No wonder you got a fake metal arm.”

                “You’re lucky that’s all I did. And if someone doesn’t start explaining what’s going on you’re gonna be breathing through a new hole in your head.”

                Mac was quick to try and regain control of the situation. “We’re here to recruit you Christopher. I want you on my team.”

                Cable gave Mac the oddest look a combined disbelief and utter confusion he had ever seen. “What?”

                Mac took a deep breath. “A business associate and I are putting a team together. A professional meta-human mercenary group. Nothing shady. Strictly legitimate. Super heroes for hire, if you will. And I’ve heard good things about you Cable. You’re tough as nails and an unmatched soldier. I want you to lead my team.”

                Cable smirked “You’re kidding right? You and joker-boy here think you can get me to sign up by pointing a gun at me?”

                “Alex is an idiot, but he has is uses. I’m being straight with you. What do you say?”

                “IF I thought this was a good idea, and I don’t, what’s in it for me?”

                “Besides a huge signing bonus? You come work for me and I’m sure we’ll find something or someone who might be able to send you home.” Mac took a few steps over rubble towards Cable and offered out his hand. “Sound like a deal?”

                Cable looked at Mac’s hand and then down at Alex. Hayden was nodding his head vigorously. Cable looked back at Mac and, after a few seconds, took his hand and gave it a solid shake. “Ok, you’ve got a deal. I’ll lead your team and in exchange you help me find a way back to my own time.”

                Mac grinned “Perfect. Welcome aboard Cable. Now let’s get out of here before the fuzz shows up. We still have two more recruits to track down.”    

End Chapter 1  

@nomadicxnightmare: Great chapter! You made Cable such a b@d@$$ character. Nice job. Can't wait for the next chapter!  

 

 

This