In an abandoned building in a lost Street of Chinatown in New York, the silence did not come when night came. In there, two figures were hard-working, building a giant machine: It was a giant of 160 inches for the radius, full of wires, mechanism, and circuits. Some wires were connected to somewhere outside the building, taking electricity and energy of some unknown place. Others were connected to different kinds of computers, both advanced in technology and not so much.
The two figures could be considered unique and dangerous in this world. The first man was wearing a soft green overall covered with a brown raincoat. A pair of sunglasses shielded his eyes, not allowing anyone to see where he was looking. Somehow, they added to the mysterious aura that surrounded him. But the detail that is more visible is his arms. His mechanical arms. From his back, 4 grey and mechanic arms arise. A belt with his energetic source was visible on his hip.
The second man was a skinny and bald man. His height caused his figure to look somewhat lanky, awkwardly taller than the other. His nose was long and cut off sharply, though it almost resembles something of a beak. He was wearing a full body black costume with red peeking out from the darker color. It was more of a suit, really, covering everything except his hands and feet. On the back side of the suit, there was a pair of metallic wings, giving him the capacity to fly.
Respectively, they're Dr. Otto Octavius and Adrian Toomes. But where they're from, the more popular names they went by were Dr. Octopus, a mastermind of the crime, and Vulture, one of the most dangerous criminals in New York.
~Two Weeks Ago~
In a hidden room in the sewer, there were six figures. Two of those figures were the last mentioned. The others weren't so closely similar.
The first was a white man with brown hair, though it was hidden for everyone for his costume. His yellow-red costume has glasses sewed on his face, causing him to have a free view of everything. On his hands, there are giant gauntlets, which are his weapons: Gauntlets that allows him to shoot shock waves. It is Jackson Brice, known between the mercenaries as Montana, but known as The Shocker.
The second was wearing a green overall that was covering his entire body. His head was covered by a mechanic ski mask that could reveal his head when It was necessary, exactly like his gloves and hands. Two pipes were connected on his costume, conducting electricity since his chest to his back. It is Maxwell Dillon, known as Electro.
The last two were on a past time a duo of thieves. The first one is a big, muscled man. His costume is just a striped T-Shirt of green and black color and long sleeves, and soft brown pants. He has very short thick brown hair. Everyone who would say that He would be the only normal of the group, but if you could punch him, you would see that you're wrong, due that He is entirely composed of sand. It is Flint Marko, known as The Sandman. The other guy was wearing something like a weird armor. It was covering his entire body with his face just being free on it. It was a grey and thick armor, as hard as the diamond. The head of the armor was accompanied by something similar to the head of a rhino. It is Alex O'Hirn, known as Rhino.
Those six were known as "The Sinister Six", a group that combined the best of both worlds: The greatest intelligence of villains with the strength of super-powered criminals with powers. Always frustrated by the same hero: Spiderman.
That was their entire story till that they thought on something different…
"Pardon me but, could you repeat your idea, masters of the crime?" Montana asked. He was working with them just because he was on the group when they escaped of the jail. His intention was to go as soon as possible, but the plan that He heard was interesting.
"As I said, you're ignorant with weapons, we're known for them: we can't fight Spiderman or the Avengers because we were defeated once. That gives them information about weakness and very possible future ideas about what materials we could need. Between our six we couldn't ever defeat any hero." Vulture explained to Montana. Toomes, for his part, was annoyed of being on this group full of 'pure ignorant people full of muscles' whereas just one of them was enough clever for talk between, and just other one having enough brain for think far away of money and thefts. But he knew that also doesn't have more options than just go with them, "So we must go to the next extreme. As I said before, we must make our own host."
After of say that, Otto took his time for talk. "What are the differences between The Avengers and us, The Sinister Six?" Dr. Octopus asked. The only one who answered was O'Hirn.
"Everything?"
"EVERYTHING! That's correct!" Dr. Octopus yelled in anger. "Look at us. We have just two men with powers, with the most obvious weakness of nature. We have a mercenary with an experimental weapon. We have a brilliant engineer whose system for the fly is obsolete, making that different kind of heroes can overtake him. We have a brute with unbreakable armor, and I just have my brain and those arms.
When we think that we have an advantage, the Avengers had found three ways for making them lose it; When we have a plan, we need to steal money for build it, buy it on the less armed smuggler, and we are lucky if we can activate it at the end of the day. They… They have the Government on his hand, they have S.H.I.E.L.D. under his arms for all the resources that they would need. And the numbers… count again: We're six and, if we can't defeat to the Arachnid, what are the chances in front of the heroes, with mutants, aliens, super-humans and all the best of the elite?"
Otto hated them more than anyone on the room. Norman Osborn, before to his fall into a living being a villain as The Green Goblin and death, humiliates him, and steal the credit of his work. Flint Marko being Sandman was due to his work. Alex O'Hirn and his armor were due to his work. The Goblin Formula was due to his work… And when He had the chance of having the name on the history creating a new source of energy, Spiderman deactivated it for 'a little failure', making that his arms got fused on his back while the AI of them talked on his head.
"This plan is destined to fail." One of the six said coldly. They watch between them until that saw that the person who said it was Electro. "We have heroes for almost every street, if they see that gang members are reunited on the same place, they're going to suspect somethings up. And even if we could do it, what are we going to give them? Weapons?"
After of saying that, Otto just mumbled a little laugh."Proceed, Mr. Toomes."
"I'm still keeping the blueprints of each project that Wizard made." Vulture said, opening a blueprint on the wall. "The Fantastic Four thought that Wizard preferred to destroy them before that see them stolen by heroes. Luckily, He continues rotting on prison while we're talking. This project is a portal device: A door to another dimension." Then, Toomes smiled and pointed to everyone. "We leave the dimension. And that's not all the plan"
"We're in contact with a smuggler who has the best equipment that we're having in our entire life, stolen from the same Fantastic Four laboratory and from one of the S.H.I.E.L.D's warehouses. The payment must be 93.000.000$, that are our last monetary reserves." Dr. Octopus said, moving four big and blue cases with two of his mechanic arms, and putting in front of Montana "Mr. Brice, the contact will appear with the material on two weeks on this coordinate. It will put in contact with us this week."
Montana just could make a little smile on his face "On Tribeca, huh? Between famous. Then there is a hope for having the best in her market." Montana said with happiness.
"Now, who doesn't agree with the plan?" Vulture asked with a malicious smile on his face.
"Any chance for the crush that stupid insect is always welcome for me," Sandman said.
"What he said," Rhino chimed.
'I can take advantages with this plan. And If It fails, learn of his failures for making my own movements...' Montana thought on silent. "I don't have any kind of problems."
Dillon vacillated on say an answer for a moment, till that He gave up. "Okay, I don't have more options."
"I enjoy hearing that my loyal fighters," Dr. Octopus said with a smile of a dog in his face "And even if you said no, We would force to follow the plan." Dr. Octopus though. "We're going to be divided into three teams: The first would be Marko and O'Hirn, who would be stealing all the money necessary for the building of the portal. Keep a subtle image: Don't let that polices caught you, don't let activate the alarms, and don't go for the main door; Second team would be Dillon and Brice, who would do the payment and movement for the materials and weapons; the last team would be Dr. Toomes and me, who would be busy building the portal."
"If there are no more answers, everyone can leave now." Vulture said "I don't want more intrudes in my refuge"
~Present: The evening~
For their luck, this time the stealing had been more quiet than usual for Sandman and Rhino. That was good because in any moment they call the attention to the Arachnid or some other hero. The only problem was that they weren't stealing enough money for all the payments related to the buys made by Toomes and Octavius.
Toomes and Octavius were working with no pauses on the portal. They have to habilitate an abandoned building on Chinatown to build the portal. They have the advantage of their knowledge of technology to build faster the portal, but what they weren't counting was the problem with the money, making that receive their materials were a long waiting that gave them more time that they were waiting and having to buy it to worse Technology smuggler, they were risking to be found for the Avengers or Spiderman.
Meanwhile…
"Is that the place?" Electro asked. He was hiding behind a sweater, jeans, boots, and a cap, sadly He still confined inside his overall. The Shocker was in front of the door of a building of flats, and He wasn't too much disguised: He was wearing a green Shirt, brown trousers, a brown elegant jacket, a kerchief tied on the neck of his Shirt and a white cowboy hat on his head. Between them, they were holding three blue and huge cases (classic Samsonite blue case for the airport) with the money.
"It is. Even without the information of Doc, I would discover how to call it." Montana answered. After some few moments, a limousine stopped in front of them. The window went down enough for that a hand went out and moved the fingers, pointing that was into the car. Dillon and Montana walked and opened the door of the limousine. It was a standard limousine: Two leather seats, as big as a couch, one in front of the door and other one pointing forward. In front of the second seat, there was the place where the chauffeur was driving, hiding for a black window. And, on the side where the door was, there was a minibar just full of fruit liquors.
But the inside of the limousine wasn't empty. There was a person sitting here. A man. He wasn't wearing the best clothes: Light brown, creased and old trousers of maybe some kind of tuxedo; a brown jacket of the same tone, two sizes bigger than the person; a black Shirt where was written on White letters 'JERK'; a classic walking stick; and trainers. He was pale, but not a sickly pale, more like a skin of someone that isn't interested in taking a sunbath. He also has a round nose and a long mouth, accompanied for a sloppy black hair and stubble. Also was wearing old and round glasses, but his eyes (As black as his hair is, and with permanently knitted brows) still being visible. He was the smuggler that they were waiting.
"The money! Now!" The smuggler said, with a strong Californian accent. Montana moved up a brow, surprised to not discuss anything and just want the money. Dillon was more difficult for readers, but the sound that He was mumbling, it was clear that the smuggler and Dillon couldn't be friends even if they tried.
"Talking about education…" Montana said after of some few seconds. The smuggler just took a creased cigar of a pocket of his jacket and a lighter, starting to smoke it before to answer.
"First business, after the talk." The smuggler said. "Money! Now!". Montana and Dillon gave him the three cases with the money. The smuggler took his walking stick and started clumsy to the cases, opening them and seeing the greens of who knows which bank theft. The smuggler just made an open and disgusting smile with his yellow teeth and walked again to his seat. "Now, what do you want?"
"'Who are you?' For the beginning. I have never heard or seen something about you." Said Montana, sitting on the other seat.
"That is because I don't have an identity. I never refer myself with a nickname or some name. I am just referred to as 'a smuggler' or 'the smuggler' on each sentence that they use about me." The smuggler said throwing the cigar on the limousine and stepping it. "But I wouldn't do questions about me. I would do about the things."
Montana got quiet, knowing what He was talking about. He felt curious about which things were buying Octopus and Vulture, but He preferred to wait to the right moment. The only problem is that He wasn't alone.
"What are we buying?" Dillon asked with no patience. Montana just denied with the head softly while the smuggler just expanded his smile.
"It was one of the first projects that S.H.I.E.L.D did illegally after the creation of The Avengers and the legalization of another kind of Super-groups, the boom of the mutants and all about the best years for the heroes." The smuggler said like if He was talking about the dogs in a park. "Imagine this: Some villains are able to kill a powerful hero. They lose that hero, a great disadvantage for the group. But, what would happen if they can make a substitute for it? Or even better: What would happen if we take the powers of a super-villain and they could replicate on a 100% of equality on some loyal soldier of the country?"
Dillon was getting quiet, it was hard to read, but was shocked for hear that. Montana, instead, just took 2 seconds of shocking: One for getting shocked, and another one for forgetting the shock. Montana was making a tiny smile, thinking of the chances.
"Project 'New Opportunity' was that idea. Using trained soldiers, the best of the SEAL, FBI, etc. for have the next generation of heroes. Powers taken of the Avengers, X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Inhumans –don't ask me how—and all the heroes & villains that they wanted." The smuggler said, "Hidden in the Baxter Tower, thinking that was enough to protect it." Then, the smuggler laughed "Well, they don't know that when a smuggler wants something, We have it."
Then, there was a silent. An uncomfortable one that took 3 minutes on disappears. And it disappeared when Dillon asked. "Which prisons?". The smuggler just took his walking stick and walked to the minibar, taking a bottle of berry liquor and sitting again, opening the bottle with his teeth.
"I asked…!" Dillon said with annoying on his voice but was interrupted by the smuggler.
"Not prisons. Prisoners" The smuggler said before to take a long drink of the bottle "Which prisoners? And for answer my question: If the prisoner has powers and affected his biology and/or genetic, It will be on the collection. So yes, you're there."
The smuggler was drinking calmly his bottle while Dillon was starting to get electricity on his hands, little sparks more than nothing. But before that Maxwell Dillon could get really angry, He started to choke himself. Montana, that had been quiet all the time, thinking on all the chances if He could escape with it, saw what was happening with Dillon. So, He took a pistol of his jacket and pointed to the smuggler's head. "Should I shoot or can you forgive his life?"
"I just wanted to calm him. I love my limousine" The smuggler said. He opened his right hand, and then Maxwell Dillon started to breathe again. But before that He could attack the Smuggler, He talked "If I was you, I would keep calm. I'm a mutant not interested in any band. I have the power to transform my own being on gas and control each kind of gas ever exists, even the oxygen."
Montana, after of see free to Dillon, saved his gun on the jacket and talked with a tiny smile on his face "And what is the rest of the bought?" The smuggler continued showing his teeth.
"Just the last known piece of the symbiotic called 'Venom', curses stolen of the Santa Sactorum and blueprints for chemistries and other devices on a hard-disk." The smuggler said. "I'm being generous giving that for just 8 numbers instead of 12 or 13 numbers. But I'm planning to retire to Jamaica for the rest of my life, so I'm not very interested in finding the best." Then, the limousine stopped. "Well, we're back.".
When Dillon and Montana opened the door of the limousine, they were back in the same place: The same door for the building of flats. Before that they ask, the smuggler threw them a pair of keys. "The Ford Fiesta in front of us. License Plate 3017 DRP, European. On the boot, there are the boxes with all. Now bye." And then they were expelled by a hand of smoke moved by the smuggler, closing the door and the limousine going far of it.
Dillon and Montana got up of the ground and took the keys. The Ford Fiesta was a common car, nothing special: Beige color, a little scratch in the left corner on the lower part of the window and some hits around the car.
"Let's see the jackpot," Montana said, opening the boot. On the boot of the car, there were 3 boxes of cardboard. Two of them were big boxes. If you glued those two, you could hide an adult corpse on it. The other one wasn't bigger than a juice box.
Dillon opened one of the two big boxes to see what was inside. On the inside, there were yellow files. Those were almost empty. Dillon took a second to see what was inside. In the end, there wasn't empty, because it had two or three papers and a cylinder that was similar to an injection. Dillon ignored the injection and read the paper.
-.,-.,
Code: 1624. Codename: Iceman. Real Name: [CLASSIFIED]
Abilities: Manipulation of the ice and the cold. Transformation of the physic body from flesh on solid ice.
Uses: Missions on places of sub-zero temperatures. Protection over a long distance. Security for attempts.
ETC
-.,-.,
It was longer. It was accompanied by a list of special tools. On other paper, there were pictures of Iceman on of some older missions. On the last paper, there was a transcription of some interview made by him explaining all about his powers, work, and other things.
At the end of the first paper, there was explained how it worked those injections. And there was very simple.
"Inject it right on the bloodstream. Procure that the subject is chained or tied on a stretcher and sedated before to start the experiment. The previous subjects had seizures and suffered broken ribs. The pain must exist for 1-2 hours until that the DNA keep modified." Was written on the paper.
"Well, the deal was good," Montana said, opening the little box and seeing what was inside. There was a pipe made of crystal, closed for both sides with some kind of iron. But the interesting part was what is inside: The last piece of the symbiote 'Venom'. Montana took it carefully and watched it closely, seeing how that black thing was trying to escape, with a smile "Really good."
Dillon just kept it quiet, leaving the file on his place again, and sitting into the car. Montana left all on the boot and turn on the car, going to the common point.
~Same day. Night~
"Finally, you came back," Toomes said when He saw to Electro and Dillon leaving the car. He just pulled Electro to one side and walked right to the boot, opening it and seeing the inside. "There you are. I would activate your detonators to lose it." Adrian Toomes said that while He was grabbing the Hard-Disk, saving it on a pocket of his vulture suit.
"Detonators?" Electro said, with anger on his voice. He had opened his helmet and gloves, revealing his permanent electric skin, burning the clothes that he was wearing for hiding the overall. Between the clothes that He had burned, there was a button that was flashing a green light. Before that He could say something, Otto Octavius talked.
"That is our definitive business. We won't be risking anything. In special this hope" Octavius said, grabbing a box with his thick hands and the other box being grabbed for two of the metallic claws. He had taken Venom and left it with Toomes, who saved it with the Hard-Disk. On the inside of the building, after of close the doors, there was the portal being almost finished for Toomes and Octavius. Meanwhile, O'Hirn and Marko were on a corner, sitting on wooden boxes and playing with Cards. Dillon just went to another corner and kept quiet, thinking on his things. Montana went close to O'Hirn and Marko, who had finished the game, and started to prepare the cards.
"How had been the banks today?" Montana asked, mixing the cards. O'Hirn spoke first.
"Boring. Not to mention that the reward is little each day. I swear, every day we get less," O'Hirn said with a knitted brow. He took the cards that Montana was leaving.
"Four banks and three ATMs for taking less of 120.000$." Marko said leaving two cards above the box "Before We could take millions doing all the play: Breaking the security door, saving the money bags on the sand and hiding on the closest subway."
"Yeah. I miss those days where I could take 7 good numbers and send 5 numbers to the family." O'Hirn said, leaving that hand for Montana.
"But at least we have been able to avoid Spider-man." Montana said, leaving some cards above the box "But You're right at the end of the day: Even if we're leaving tonight, that isn't enough for our six. We're going tonight and almost broken."
"It will be fun when those Stone brains can see what will happen without money," O'Hirn said, being more annoying for have to lose another turn.
"Yeah, I'm sure that It would be. But that is our work: Avoid it" Montana said, finishing his hand leaving all the cards. "For understand it: We buy them with muscle for having a place in that crazy idea that they have. If the payment finishes with them losing, we can escape and learn of their mistakes; if the payment finishes with them winning, we have a sure place on that utopia. We're winning and they don't know it." And then, Montana got up of the ground where He was sitting and walked outside.
Marko and O'Hirn just kept watching the door, thinking of what Montana had said.
"'We're winning and they don't know it.'" Marko repeated, mumbling.
"That man is on nuts," O'Hirn said, throwing the cards and leaving the game.
"I don't know, maybe He is right," Marko said, leaving also the cards. "Maybe we could even have a new opportunity if all that goes out of our hands."
"I don't care." O'Hirn said, punching and grabbing his punch "I'm here just to crush that annoying bug.". Marko, after of hear that, knitted his brow and talked.
"Yeah, me too. That bug must pay all our debts. And We want to see results". Marko said.
Meanwhile…
"Is it connected the main computer to the rotoscopia laser?" Octavius asked, preparing the coordinates for the teleporting.
"Yes. It has been welded to protect the connection." Toomes said, turning off his welder. "The organic device has been updated for transport us with no problems, and the explosives have been connected to our biologic system. Exactly the next 2 seconds that we six had jumped into the portal, the explosives will explode." Then He jumped and, using the wings, flown and landed next to Otto Octavius "Also, just for be sure, I installed a virus that will delete all the files and leave completely useless all the computer on the next second that we had jumped."
Octavius just answered with a confident smile "Good. This can't have any problems. Had been enough hard to install those dork-heads on their throat, eyes and ears the translator's system just for have a portal ruined."
Toomes just nodded and kept watching to Otto working with his arms. Until that, a thought went on his head. "And what if they know it?"
Otto just mumbled an "uh?"
"What if they know how to defeat those powers? They should have been studying for years. And even worse: What if we spend that time to fail?" Toomes asked. Octavius just laughed softly before to answer.
"My only intelligent partner, I'm surprised with that. Aren't you able to see far of the basic concept?" Octavius asked rhetorically.
"What are you trying to say?" Toomes asked.
"What I'm trying to say, my friend, is that I have better plans than just a sad power. My plan, actually, consists in…" Octavius was going to explain, when He and everyone were interrupted by Montana, closing the doors and chained it.
"S.H.I.E.L.D," Montana said calmly, while He opened a case and taking his costume with weapons. "Four helicopters, and won't be a surprise if The Avengers are coming too. We have 5 minutes. Are we ready?"
"We have enough time with a minute," Octavius said, taking the boxes with the genetic codes with his human arms. Toomes just flew, getting close to a red button.
"This is going to be fun," Toomes said, pressing the button with his hand. After of press the button, Hundred of little lasers connected between them and, after of a buzzing, the portal got opened. Dr. Octopus was the first to jump.
"We're going to see you on the other side." The Shocker said, running and jumping on the portal. Following him behind was Electro and The Vulture. Just Rhino and The Sandman got here, taking the bags with money.
"Ready?" Rhino asked, posing ready for a run. Sandman just smiled with pride.
"Always before you." Sandman responded. Then, they both ran and jumped on the portal. A second later, the computers exploded, with all his systems burned. The next second, the portal and all the building exploded, getting unrecognizable and completely useless.