Disclaimer: Anyone or anything you recognize the name from a Marvel comic book, does not belong to me. I have no money, sue if you want you can't get blood from a stone. Any likeness of people you recognize, I may know them as well and they know I have no money and they can't get anything from me.
The Devil's Project
By
NoHaven
Ibarra, Ecuador; 16 years ago
Deep within the dark jungle near Ibarra sits a large estate uncommon for the poor area of the country. The estate is the home to Angelo Carlos de la Rosa, a man who made his money through drugs and is now seeking to extend his power to the political realm, a believer in Socialism he is perceived a great threat to the United State sphere of influence.
Outside the whitewashed walls of "de Casa de Diablo" as it is known to local, is thick jungle growth, it is this jungle that makes De la Rosa believe that his house is even more secure than it really is, as no man could move through this dense of jungle growth without being detected by his security force. This belief would prove fatal.
As sitting in the jungle watching De La Rosa and his men are seven members of a secret elite squad trained by the United States government, and they have found their target. Now they are moving in to complete the tasks that they were sent to accomplish.
"Flicker, move around to the south wall, Red Line, move to the east wall, Barrage, west wall, Mayhem, north wall and gate; set up your kill zones, Mayhem, anything comes out that gate you make sure its dead before it takes two steps understand?"
"Comprendo, jefe." Came the reply in forced Spanish by Mayhem.
"Air Time, you and Flatbed are the support, it gets hairy you dump fire down on that place and get us out of here." The commander whispered to the two young men in his vicinity.
"You got it, Archlight." The young man known as Flatbed replied casually.
"Alright on my mark everyone, lets make this quick." Was the simple statement by the rugged young commander Archlight. "Flatbed, get me in there, south west corner." He said to the young man, not even making eye contact.
Just then in the darkness of the Jungle a small hole appeared to form in the darkness, it looked like crude oil spilling over ocean water, deep black and sliding over itself roughly six feet in height. Archlight stepped into it without any sense of trepidation. Just as he was stepping into the portal in the jungle roughly two hundred yards away his body was reemerging from a portal of the exact qualities on the lawn of the southwest corner of the compound. As he was finished exiting the portal it slid closed as it had opened with no sound or light, he crouched looking for the guards. Seeing no one he quickly moved towards the main house. His body a dark form sliding across the manicured laws, he was draped in jet black government issued fatigues, his face and hands blackened with burnt cork, a soft field had covered his head and cast a shadow over the only part of his body not camouflaged, his crystal blue eyes. Reaching the house he quickly shimmied up the drainpipe on the corner of the house to the second floor wraparound porch. Sliding against the house in a crouched position he peered carefully through a window at his target, he was alone in his bedroom. Positioning himself behind a chair so that he could see the guards coming and his target he lifted his handset to his mouth and carefully whispered his command. "Red Line, time for the fireworks."
Without a reply over the radio the young man known as Red Line went to work, hoisting his weapon, a .50 caliber sniper rifle to his shoulder, he took his aim on a predetermined target on the east lawn, a black Mercedes Benz coupe. With a light tug on the trigger the huge gun burped out its explosive round, hurtling towards the Mercedes at a phenomenal speed, it found its mark in the gas tank of the car. The car erupted in a bright crimson flash, flipping into the air like a toy car flung by a child, is steel frame sheering apart sending pieces of hot steel tumbling into the house, its shockwave blowing out the windows of the house. As the car was twisting in mid air, Red Line with the adeptness and speed unseen by any of even the most heavily drilled special forces soldiers, pulled the huge round from the chamber, inserted a new round and took aim on his second target a guard on the porch on the east side scrambling to his employers quarters, the round felling him instantaneously as the bullet pierced his chest tearing through his heart before imbedding itself in the wall in front of him. He was already finding his new target.
Explosions and gunfire of the unseen assassins were now lighting the compound, as guards scrambled they were felled one by one with brutal efficiency, with single shots emanating from the rifles of three snipers. Mayhem was ensuring that no one could exit the gate by launching a small rocket at it striking a jeep that was racing up the drive way, it burst into flames and tumbled to the gate effectively blocking any exit. As the chaos erupted across the compound, the final assassin Archlight crashed through the window of De La Rosa's bedroom, hitting the floor already on balance he quickly scanned for his target, finding him curled whimpering in a corner of his bedroom. As Archlight stalked towards the cowering man, his hands began to glow bright red.
"Quiénes son usted? Por qué usted ha venido aquí?" De La Rosa whimpered.
"That is not important, make your peace, for you are about to die." Archlight coolly replied.
De La Rosa continued to whimper, as the glow in Archlight's hands grew brighter.
"Mi señor me perdona, yo significó no abandonarle, me concede paz." He managed to cry out before the energy from Archlight's hands tore into his flesh, searing the flesh clean from the bone. De La Rosa felt a pain unlike anything he had felt before for a brief instance before his life flashed out of existence. A sickening smell of charred flesh filled the room and the wall and floor surrounding De La Rosa's charred corpse began to burn with increasing intensity.
Archlight turned on his heel and moved to the window, lifting his handset to his hand he spoke quietly into it, "Flatbed, exit, expedite." A black portal oozed into existence in front of him, and he stepped through, wiping sweat from his brow.
The next afternoon, the Pentagon, Washington D.C.
A young looking man strides into an office deep within the Pentagon." You see the news General?" he says matter of factly.
"No, Davis, what news?" General Thomas G. Darby replied.
"Ecuador, De La Rosa was found dead in what is being called a hit by one of his competitors in the drug industry. His compound was found riddled with bullet holes, several burning vehicles, and what is believed to be his body was found in an upstairs bedroom, burned. According to the AP." The young man reported.
"Thank you. Now please leave and send in Captain Risley and Doctor Essex please." The general said waving the aide from his office.
Moments later the door opened and two figures walked in, one dressed in Army dress greens, the other in a suit. The man in the suit was tall and powerful looking; he caused General Darby a great deal of unease anytime he was present.
"Well gentlemen, it looks as if Project Shadow Knights has again worked perfectly. Kudos, Doctor Essex, the plan to use young orphaned mutants trained into the ultimate black ops force seems to be working above speculations." The General said with a smile.
"Of course, their genetic talents, combined with gene therapy and expert training makes them more a machine than a group of individuals." Doctor Essex replied in a cool, calculated tone. "They are perfectly suited to this type of mission."
"They sure as hell are." Captain Risley injected. "Hell drop them somewhere then just watch the news to find out what they have been doing. HA, we finally got the best weapon in the world." We barked slapping the shoulder of the Doctor.
The three men sat in General Darby's office for two more hours, before Essex and Risley left, exchanging hand shakes before heading in opposite directions down the long hallways. A smile crept over the face of Doctor Essex.
Now I have my weapons to purge the earth of unworthy mutants and humans alike. I will just let them become more seasoned killers before removing them from this ruse. In time my plans will come to fruition. He thought as he walked into the sunlight of the Washington D.C. afternoon.
To Be Continued.
What happened to these mutants who were to be Sinister's original Marauders? How did Sinister and the U.S. Government come to be allies in this project? What might have happened?