Continued from here part 1
E.A.D. training facility 2197
Melody O'Neil had been here for 6 months every day thus far had been the same. She was trying to climb her way up and out of a long tunnel. As she approached the last ten foot stretch the voice of Scalphunter was piped in as he sang, "The itsy, bitsy spider crawls up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out."
A high pressure blast of water came down on cue blasting her back down the tunnel. As she hit bottom Scalphunter's voice continued, "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again."
She looked back up the tunnel then to the half eaten rats off to the side as her stomach growled. She dropped down to eat like an animal. Her clothing was shredded, what was left laid over her covered in old blood stains and mold from the constant dampness of the hole. As she picked up a bit of near rotting rat meat a slot opened in a near by door. She picked up the scent of fresh roast beef wafting in as Scalphunter asked for the last time,"Who's your god?"
She looked on the rat then back to the door, "Scalphunter is my god."
The assassin chuckled, "That a girl. Now your training can start."
The door swung open and Scalphunter walked away as Melody practically leapt on the half eaten roast beef sandwich he'd left on a table. He looked back, "You can eat and walk."
She meekly followed behind as he merrily whistled a tune.
***
Dodge City, Kansas, Now.
Walker and Tiffany seemed to slap David and Curtis on the back of the head in unison. Walker looked to 7, "What do you think it wants?"
7 shrugged, "The Man-T...."
He shot David and Curtis an annoyed look as they began to giggle again. He sighed, "The creature is supposed to be the guardian of something called the Nexus of all reality, I assume its important."
The creature stood and walked over staring down on Curtis who seemed transfixed as the Man-Thing placed a hand on his chest. Suddenly Curtis seemed at ease, "He knows where we can find the Prince. He's gonna take us there."
Tiffany looked to him, "How do you know?"
Curtis shrugged, "I just kinda do."
7 seemed suspicious, "Why would he?"
"A ghost asked him to."
David sighed, "Well, ghosts were bound to show up eventually."
***
The Vault
Suddenly the group found themselves standing around 5 containers filled with green mist. Someone from behind shouted, "Freeze."
They turned to see several Shield agents with guns trained on them. Walker raised her hands and stepped up, "I'm Agent Elisabeth Walker, we're on official business."
The agent in charge looked skeptical, "I'll have to clear this."
Tiffany looked to David, "Did the cat guy do this?"
7 glared down, "Once again, I'm fully capable of speaking and understanding what you're saying. And no, I didn't."
Curtis pointed to Man-Thing, "He did it."
The agent marched up to Walker, "You have no clearance to be here."
David stepped between them and pointed to 7 and Man-Thing, "We just need the guy in the cans, if you want to stop us talk to them."
The agent looked to 7 and the swamp creature and his hands shook a bit before trying to act confident, "Whatever..its one less thing I gotta deal with."
7 then quickly broke the code lock and the green mist shot out and took the form of a man. The Prince of Orphans fell over into 7's arms. As the Creed put him over his shoulders suddenly the group found themselves in Dodge City again.
***
Farmington, New Mexico
Red Widow and Balain set down next to the truck Curtis and Tiffany had left behind. The pixies then fluttered over to the middle of a street. Red Widow walked toward them and one seemed to whisper in her ear. She turned to the General, "They teleported from here."
Balain sighed, "So the trail is cold?"
Red Widow had a bit of a grin, "Its a unique signature."
Most of the pixes gathered in a pocket of Red Widow's robe but one fluttered over to sit on Balain's shoulder. They then began to glow. The light expanded and teleported Balain and Red Widow away.
***
Dodge City
The group sat around a fire as Curtis looked on the catatonic Prince, "I don't see how he's gonna help anyone."
7 held a scanning device over him. Curtis looked over curious, "What's that?"
"A field body scanner, I picked it up while working with the Kree."
He looked over the readings, "There doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with him. He's been trapped in those tanks for god know's how long, can't be good on the mind."
Curtis sighed, "Wish the swamp guy would have stuck around. Maybe he could have used some mojo on him."
7 shrugged, "Maybe he didn't have the ability."
As David sat on a rock his wallet fell from his pocket. Tiffany grabbed it and noticed a picture had fallen out. She handed it to David, "I recognized Fiddler Back, who are the others?"
David had a bitter sweet smile as he looked on the picture, "Ah, the slingers. That's what we called ourselves. The big man is Danny, you know Dennis, then there's Syn, Ed and Mel."
Tiffany nodded, "Let me guess, one of those girls is an ex?"
"Nah, the girls were into each other. Mel and Syn were damn near inseparable back then. They were just really good friends. Then Ed and Syn went and died on us, Mel just kind of disappeared. Dennis and Danny are still runners for the resistance, but I haven't seen them in a couple years."
Tiffany noticed the hint of a tear welling up, "How'd they die?"
David shrugged and wiped his eye, "Run went bad. Loosing Syn crushed Mel."
***
Just outside Dodge City
Balain and Red Widow appeared in a flash of light. Balain looked to the pixie on her shoulder, "How'd they do that?"
"Pixies can track and copy energy signatures."
Balain was unnerved by her tone of voice, "So is the creepiness a side effect of your power or is that just a personality thing?"
Red Widow ignored her as she followed the pixies into the city.
***
The group went silent as 7 sniffed the air. David started to turn but was his hard by something. He looked up surprised to see the small fairy like creature. It then struck again as two others grabbed his shoulders and took him into the air. They hurled him through a window into a crumbling old building.
7 roared but was cut off as three of the creatures attacked him. One slammed into his face while another hit him hard in the ribs. He fell back a step then the three snatched him up and hurled him through a wall.
Balain landed behind Curtis as he looked on the Red Widow.
David was in a large room of the old building trying in vain to swat down the pixies as 7 was launched up through the floor. As he landed David shouted, "Are we seriously getting our asses kicked by fairies?"
One struck 7 in the face knocking out a tooth. As 7 spat out the tooth he looked to David and threw up his hands before trying to regain his bearings.
Balain threw an easily dodged punch at Curtis who stuck back sending her to the ground. Red Widow moved toward him but Walker tackled her. Widow caught her and flipped her to the ground as Raven moved in. She kicked Widow in the chest sending her to the ground.
Walker tried to press the attack but Widow swept her legs sending her crashing to the ground. Tiffany stood behind her with her gun to the back of Widow's head. The assassin turned grabbing the gun before driving the butt of it into Tiffany's gut and then punching her in the face.
Walker suddenly drove an elbow into Widow's gut while Raven drove her forearm into the assassin's throat. Before she hit the ground she caught her self and flipped back to her feet. Tiffany went for her gun but a psionic blade cut through it.
Widow then kicked Raven in chest and punched Walker in the head. She then raised the psionic blade again and swung down. Walker managed to stop the blade with her knife. Widow noticed the energy around the blade, "Mutant."
Walker stood ready to strike, "And you're Wimple's pet."
Her eyes filled with rage as she glared at the agent, "You do not call him that."
She charged toward Walker. Walker barley managed to block. Widow then head butted her and turned to deliver a round house kick to her knees sending her down. Walker blocked caught Widow's arm stopping the psionic blade an inch from her face.
In the building David was now enraged, "Enough of this."
The symbiote shot out tendrils catching the 3 attacking pixes. One turned from 7 and shot out a blast of energy that knocked David outside. 7 noted that the pixie had to rest for a moment after the blast. The 3 pixies freed from David's tendrils turned on the Creed who roared, "I am not being killed by fairies."
Balain was on the defensive as Curtis picked apart her armor, "I hate doing this, this armor looks really sweet."
Balain nodded, "You can stop anytime, I won't mind."
She then fired a quick repulser shot causing Curtis to jump back to avoid it. As he readied to come at her a pixie dropped something into Balain's hand. It had a picture of Scalphunter pointing to the button on the device with the words,'Push and watch what happens' written on the side.
(To be continued)
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