Abandoned Office Block, San Fransisco - 15:35PM (Five Days after the Svartálfaheimr Offensive)
"Senator Leverich I don't think you understand," Tony told the man over the video conference, "Osborne is going to ruin this country; he already is in this witch hunt for that creature that levelled half of down-town."
"I understand son, this is the second civilian target that Carrion has hit in the last three days." the Senator explained, "While threats like that continue to overshadow the American People I have no choice but to postpone my opposition to Bill 299."
"Senator if that bill is passed more people will die and it will be sanctioned by good men such as yourself." Tony explained.
"Yes but the difference is that they are not innocent." Leverich replied, "I'm sorry Tony I can't help any further. I stuck my neck out on the block just by supporting you insurrection, I was lucky not to have it chopped off."
"Goodbye Senator." Tony said angrily pressing the cancel button. Walking to the window he stared at the multitude of work crews working to clear the wreckage left behind by the creature known to HAMMER as Carrion. Tony knew better he had been at the emergence point, it was only the actions of Cloak, Dagger and the Sexton that had sent it back into the Earth, but it seemed that it wasn't going to leave this world without a fight. Days after her initial banishment Carrion had surfaced in Quebec for an hour killing three hundred people before vanishing. Then yesterday she emerged in San Francisco and triggered a massive earthquake, the death toll was unknown but Tony knew it would be high. He and Pepper had been lucky, if it wasn't for Carrion they would both be rotting in the Negative Zone instead of hiding in the potential death trap.
"Tony." Pepper said arriving if on queue, "Did the Senator agree to oppose the Bill."
"No he's worried about Carrion just like the rest of them." Tony said bitterly.
"Can you blame them?" Pepper said, "Did you know Melissa was capable of this."
"We should stop calling this thing Melissa," Tony told her, "She wasn't the most angelic person, but she drew the line for years while others crossed it all too readily." From behind them the lift pinged announcing that it was coming up to them.
"Are we expecting anyone?" Tony asked.
"Nobody knows we're here." Pepper replied, "Let alone made an appointment to see us." The lift pinged and the doors crept open to reveal and armoured figure.
"Oh it's not us who needs an appointment." the figure said in a thick Russian accent, "It's you Stark who has an appointment to die." Stepping out of the lift Tony saw that the armor matched that of Titanium Man, even in his weakened state Tony knew that Pepper and he could take the Russian mercenary down if he was alone. Tony swore as four more figures emerged from the lift, Titanium Man wasn't alone he recognized them all. Titanium Man wouldn't be a problem but Titanium Man backed up by Venom, Bullseye, Chemistro and Yelena Belova would be a problem even when he was fully powered up and had a whole team of Avengers for back-up.
Almost instantly the villains fanned out creating a loose circle around Iron Man and Rescue. Titanium Man walked up to Stark and pushed him over, "Surrender and we make this quick." he offered.
"How dare you touch him." Pepper yelled firing her Repulsor Beams at Titanium Man the energy beams bouncing off the armor. Tony fired his own Repulsors at the armored figure and together they were able to force Titanium Man back only to be struck by a shower of pennies thrown by Bullseye, the improvised projectiles ricocheting off the armors surface. Quickly both Yelana and Venom moved in to face Pepper and Tony in close combat. While Yelana had chosen a fluid almost beautiful combat style Tony found himself on the end of ragged punches and clumsy piledrivers from Venom although he had to admit the strength and aggressiveness of his opponent made them effective. He had one chance and that was to unleash the Uni-Beam in his chest. As the destructive beam began to charge Venom slipped out of the way and Tony watched as Bullseye threw a razor tipped Ace of Clubs at the projector shorting it out. Frustrated Tony felt Venom slam against him knocking him to the floor as the Symbiote stabbed its tongue into his visor the powerful mashing beginning to cut through the armor.
Pepper was frustrated Yelana got in every kick or punch but she had failed to make contact. The Second Black Widow seemed to be like water, fluid and unable to catch, she was even dodging the frequent Repulsor blasts. Suddenly Titanium Man fired some kind of pulse causing her armor to seize up. Paralyzed Yelana walked up and began to pull her helmet off but was shocked by the armor's built in security.
"Black Widow, Venom don't bother." Chemistro said his voice sounding scratchy and metallic, "There are easier ways to get this armor off." he told them raising his Alchemy Gun aiming it at Pepper.
"No." Tony roared and pushed Venom off as Yelana and Bullseye opened fire with Glock Automatic Pistols the bullets denting the armor. Slamming into Chemistro, Tony saw a jet of acid spray up and melt a hole in the ceiling.
"Gentlemen, Ground Hawk 1 says it's thirty seconds to shake down." Yelana told the others as Titanium Man pulled Tony off of Chemistro. Reaching out Tony pulled off Chemistro's helmet to reveal not the dark face of Calvin Carr but a pale blond woman who stared at him with deep blue eyes.
"What's going on here." he asked. Suddenly the building started shaking and Titanium Man placed him on the floor. It took a second for Tony to realize that his armor had been ripped open and that Venom was pulling Pepper out of her armor as well.
"Get them into the hushed caskets." Bullseye ordered as Chemistro sprayed some kind of foam into the armor remnants. Yelana emerged from the adjoining room with two coffins with sets of air holes drilled in them. Venom placed Pepper in one and Titanium Man dropped Tony in the other as Chemistro sealed the lids.
"Ghost are the cameras ready." Yelana asked
"Ready and waiting to record, I've taken the liberty of whipping the part where Chemistro's helmet was pulled off" Ghost told them, "Okay Sims are in place your good to go."
"Detonate them." Bullseye commanded as Chemistro pushed the trigger, the two sets of armor vaporizing as the liquid explosive sprayed inside detonated.
"Time for our exit." Yelana commanded, "everyone up one level to the balcony. Ghost have you located Geode."
"She's on Baker Beach awaiting pick-up." Ghost explained as Titanium Man picked up the caskets and headed for the stair well.
"God these things are heavy, I never noticed how much Pepper and Tony weighed before." Titanium Man groaned his accent still sounding foreign.
"Stop complaining at least we have a ride waiting for us." Bullseye responded, "And Ghost please can you turn off the vocal masking program that accent is driving me nuts." Reaching the balcony Titanium Man threw the caskets into the Gunship waiting for them, the others looked around confused until he helped them in one by one, the cloaking system keeping the aircraft hidden for all. Getting in the gunship veered away as the building began to collapse covering any evidence of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts leaving the building alive.
"Falconer this is Merlin Lead," Yelana called as she eased past Ghost into the pilot seat, "HVIs secured awaiting coordinates for drop-off."
"Merlin Lead, pick up Ground Hawk and proceed to coordinates for hand over to the local authority. Contact me when your on returning back to the Aerie, Falconer out." Falconer commanded.
"So Liz how do you like being a blond?" Bullseye asked
"I feel like I dropped a few IQ points Nijo. Everybody get ready for drop off gear we're trying to leave no trail." Elizabeth commanded pulling a HYDRA pilot helmet over her head. Dropping out of the clouds to the beach Elizabeth noticed that there was only one person still there, the earthquake had obviously cleared everyone else off. "Ground Hawk One prepare for dust off" she said speaking into the tiny crystal mounted on the dash board.
"Roger Merlin Lead." Geode answered standing up revealing the new-age outfit she was wearing. Quickly she ran over to the gun-ship and entered staring at the crowd of HYDRA agents sitting in the troop bay. "If you can't beat them." she said her clothes changing to the green armor worn by HYDRA foot-soldiers."
"Merlin Lead all Hawks accounted for move on to phase two." one of the agents told the pilot his voice still tainted by a Russian accent. "Damm it Peregrine turn the program off." he asked.
"Sorry Merlin Three." Ghost sneered poking his head out of one of the locked down machine guns, "There that should do it."
"Thank you," he said before adding, "Damm it Ghost that's a French Accent it's more infuriating then the Russian."
"I have to have some fun." Ghost snickered, "Tate green seriously isn't you color." Tate stared at him, she had just finished applying the hair die, her once blonde locks now HYDRA green as she shifted uncomfortably in the green body stocking she wore.
"Why are we doing this?" she asked checking the bull whip wrapped around her like a belt.
"Because you and her are from the same genetic stock." Elizabeth explained, "Plus you spent fifteen years with HYDRA if any one can fool the buyers you can."
"Who are the buyers?" James asked, "Really do I look like I'm from Australia Ghost."
"Ghost turn his voice back to normal." Elizabeth ordered, "You'll find out, their security is already haling us for the access codes. Let's hope Falconer's Intel was right about this." she added. "Okay we're cleared to land, now everybody act all HYDRA like and Ghost stay out of sight."
Five minutes later the HYDRA Gunship touched down on the landing pad. Quickly James, Toxin, Geode and Nijo deployed forming an honor guard for Tate as she regally stalked out of the gunship dressed up almost identically to Viper.
"Hail Hydra." she said coldly to which the others replied in unison, "Hail Hydra."
"Let's get this over quick." the buyer said, "I don't want you on my island any longer then required."
"Be careful Mr. Summers." Tate purred, "A comment like that may cost you extra."
"You really think you can enforce that here?" Scott asked. Tate luaghed and clicked her fingers signaling James to bring out the caskets with Iron Man and Rescue still held inside.
"The money." Tate asked.
"First I want to make sure that the caskets don't contain any nasty surprises." Scott told Tate as another mutant emerged and scanned the casket. "Well Betsy anything?"
"Nothing apart from life support systems." Psylocke answered, "Still it's strange that I can't read their minds."
"The money Mr. Summers, your said it yourself you don't want us on this island any longer then you have to keep us here." Tate said. From the shadows Colossus stomped out holding a brief case, expertly Tate used her bull whip to ensnare the case handing it over to James.
"Scans says money's all here Madame." James replied.
"Good, All Hail Hydra." Tate announced as the other filed into the Gunship. As the doors closed Tate immediately threw up, "Never make me do that again." she said crying, "SHIELD tortured me for five years to remove the programming HYDRA brain-washed me with."
"You want to talk about it?" Ghost asked
"No, let's just go." she said.
"I still want to know why Victoria overode Osborne about killing Stark and Potts?" Ghost asked
"Who knows she's as crazy as he is at the momment." Elizabeth repplied, "Now quiet while I send the confermation that drop off is secure. Falconer this is Merlin Lead, HVIs delivered we are returning to Aerie." she broadcasted
"Good work all of you, take some R&R then get back to work, everyone is being tasked with hunting Carrion." Victoria Hand told her team over the radio, "Falconer out."
Unknown Time, Unknown Place
In the darkened abandoned warehouse the six figures watched the images of Task Force HAMMER taking down Iron Man and Rescue in the high rise as a seventh addressed them from a chair, robotic armor hiding their features.
"You all are familiar with the target." a seventh person asked in a robotic voice. The figures nodded, "Good, I expect you to terminate with extreme prejudice." the figure told the others, "Engage the others if you have to but by any means take down the target, succeed and you'll be rewarded, fail me and your place in my future world is forfeit. Do you understand?" it asked. The others nodded as the TV image froze showing all the members of the team, one of them had a target painted across their forehead marking them for assassination.
The characters of Elizabeth Monroe/Tyto, Geode and Tate Williams/Chemistro IV are my own origonal creations and are not owned by Marvel Comics