Prologue - People of Interest
Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom, Unknown Hell Dimension - Time Unknown
Dust cloaked the road like a thick blanket as the woman, clad in a tight tank top and tiny mini skirt complete with high heeled boots, walked down the deserted highway, the torch in her hands the only light available, the lights of the city long since extinguished. The flickering beam lit up the library, once a magnificent glass structure, the panes know smashed leaving a metal skeleton in it's place, the smell of burning books still lingering in the air even after the RAFs fire-bombing had long since been extinguished by the summer rain. The woman continued blundering obliviously through the dark until she reached a massive stone arch spanning the road, the last remains of the ancient wall that encircled the city, a strong and stark reminder of the resilience of man.
Moaning softly the woman turned left stumbling towards the bus depot, a former evacuation point as evidenced by the remains of army-personnel spread across the floor and a pair of light tanks left abandoned after the site had been overrun. Sitting down by one of the security huts, the woman sat down and closed her eyes listening in the darkness as the sound of scrabbling could be heard from the once trendy shopping centre adjacent to the depot. It didn't take long for the sounds to grow closer as a hyena like creature appeared snarling as its footsteps echoed on the concrete. Mounted on robust hunches and with a strong reinforced jaw with deep set piggy eyes the creature moved forward cautiously stopping to sniff each corpse before heading towards the sleeping woman.
As it got within a hundred meters the attack came the predator accelerating, the creature slobbering as it quickly covered the gap, the woman didn't scream she sat their stoically as the monster pounced before hearing a gun-shot, the impact hitting the hunter so hard that it was stalled mid-jump slamming into the ground in-front of her, the wound in it's head bleeding heavily. Looking to her left she saw a man in a dark coat and glasses, the black leather contrasting with his pale skin, standing on a balcony holding a smoking sniper rifle. Cautiously he dropped down and walked over tapping the monster with his foot before glaring at the woman.
"What the hell do you think you're doing out here?" he asked angrily, "It's a good thing I was in the area or that dire-hound would have ripped you to pieces."
"I came looking for you." the woman announced, "Corporal Alyson Clarey, Special Operations Group."
"Hawk's pet project, well tell the good General that I am not going on any more wild goose chases." the man told her.
"I'm sorry but the General believes that you could be spending your time more efficiently then trying to save this city in an alternate reality where the population of living people is only just in double figures." Clare announced, "He feels that Timothy Malloy is needed elsewhere."
"Sorry but I'm staying here until this world is saved." Tim answered turning his back on the woman who pulled a needle out from the hem of her skirt before jabbing it into his neck. Stumbling he fell to the floor and she supported him over her shoulder before tapping a patch on her neck. "This is Corporal Clarey, I have the package." she announced, "Take me home."
Treble Clef Music Store, San Franssico, California - 14:52PM, 8th September
Music blared from the music shop marked in big rainbow coloured letters as Treble Clef CDs, Tapes and Records, the Californian sun-shine beating down on the store front, the sign on the door reading Open. Strolling bare-foot through the store Peyton enjoyed the lack of customers and the chance to turn the punk-rock tones of the Ramones Rock and Roll Radio spluttering out of the old fashioned CD Player behind the desk. With long pink hair, nose stud and tattered clothes, her jeans in particular supporting many cuts and rips, Peyton looked like a normal twenty something happy go lucky woman and in many respects she was. While she enjoyed being alone, she equally enjoyed time with her friends and family, when she got the chance to see them, and took advantage of San Francisco's night life. As the Ramones got to the chorus the bell above the door, chimed as a man with a buzz cut and a tight tee and jeans entered the shop spinning the sign on the door to closed.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Peyton asked angrily, "I'm trying to run a business here." she said gesturing to the complete lack of customers on the shop floor.
"Do you have any additional staff Ms. Lane?" the man asked.
"No Peyton," replied cautiously reaching for the 9mm she kept next to the cash-register. She had been burgled before and had lost some rare albums so wasn't going to take a chance again. In the same fluid movement she also activated the shop's silent alarm, hopefully the SFPD would respond before anybody got hurt although it was unlikely considering the man's aggressive advancement towards her.
"Don't bother with the alarm or the pistol Ms. Lane, I took the precaution to deactivate the former and remove the ammo from the later" the man announced, "Don't try anything else or I can't guarantee the safety of your lover. I have a sniper shadowing her with authorization to open fire if you don't cooperate"
"What do you want?" Peyton hissed.
"Ms. Lane, General Hawk has requested you attendance. I'm sure that you'll turn up, just remember bring your board and dress up for the occasion, you know what I'm talking about." the man told her, "Oh and don't try anything with the sniper or I will make sure that you and Eloise never see each other again." he warned before walking out of the shop flipping the sign around, "You have a nice day now." he joked as he joined the crowd before disappearing from sight.
Jotunheimen National Park, Norway - 21:09PM, 8th September
The deer silently cropped the grass in the frost tinged glade, occasionally rising to look around, scanning the tree line for danger. While the area looked tranquil there was danger perched in a massive birch tree, the snow covered branches hiding the hunter as it silently notched a bolt in the crossbow it carried. Lining up the shot, the hunter pulled the lever and watched as the bolt flew towards its target. Suddenly the wind picked up and one of the Royal Norwegian Air Force NH90 Helicopter descending into the glade spooking the animal. The bolt whistled past and embedded into a tree trunk, the feathered tip quivering as a man in military fatigues dismounted the chopper.
"Lux." he called in Norwegian, "Lux where are you?"
Dropping from the hunting perch a lithe young woman dressed in buck skin and armed with a large wooden crossbow appeared, her cropped red hair covering her pointed elfin ears. Around her neck was a golden collar with a transmitter attached to it.
"That was dinner." she replied in accented Norwegian, "I hope your willing to bring me food because it could take me days to find that hind again."
"We have more pressing matters Lux." the soldier answered, "The International Special Operations Council has discovered that the Norwegian government didn't terminate you, and that your alive in Jotunheimen National Park, as such they want you to return to duty, they say there is an international incident brewing.
"Why can't they leave me alone." Lux answered, "What have they promised this time if I slip onto their leash."
"Anything, they are willing to offer anything. Listen Lux I know I'm not your farther, I can't tell you what to do but I love you like a daughter. If this keeps the Special Operations Council away for good I'd recommend taking this opportunity." the soldier answered.
"This is the last time." Lux announced as she walked over and jumped into the NH90s troop bay, "After that I don't want anything to do with Hand, the Council or anybody else. I just want to be left alone for good."
Bruces's Beach Bar, Port Douglus, Queensland, Australia - 10:33AM, 9th September
The man sat in the bar drinking a pint of Fosters while watching the woman's volleyball. Finishing the beer he flipped a pair of Australian Dollar Coins up in the air before they landed in the ash-tray next to the bartender who sighed and fished the coins out of the ashes and washed them under the tap before slipping them into the cash register.
"How many times have I told you not to do that Marc." the bartender sighed
"Never as far as I know." Marc answered, "Bruce I'm down to my last bloody 75 cents, what the hell am I going to do."
"Stop buying the life-guards drinks." Bruce answered, "Why not take that bush tracker job, tourists are always looking for guides to take them out into the outback, you're a tough guy plus you know the area around Port Douglas like the back of your hand."
"Trust me I'm tempted but nobody's going to hire an ex-con, not even here. You think being on the straight and narrow for ten years would allow you a respite but apparently no amount of charitable donations and voluntary work will clean that up." Marc answered.
"Something always comes up for you Marc." the Bartender commented, "You were down to your last 75 cents last year as well yet three weeks later you were the guide on a team that found one of the richest veins of opals yet to be excavated."
"There is that." Marc replied, "I would still have that money if Candice hadn't taken everything when we divorced." He looked up from the bar and saw a lithe woman in a blue suit flanked by two thickset men in military fatigues, their necks retreating into their bodies. "That looks like trouble." Marc analyzed, "I fell sorry for the idiot there looking for."
"Mr. Riemer." the woman asked in a French accent, as one of the men put his hands on Marc's shoulders, "We want to speak to you."
"I don't owe anyone money, nor have I been involved in criminal activity since I was deported from America. Yes I was the Boomslang and no I am not interested in any activity that the Serpent Society was wiggled themselves into." Marc told his questioners, "Anything else you want to know?" he asked. The other man behind smashed Marc around the head knocking the former criminal out.
"Bloody mouth he has." one of the soldiers commented, "For your silence." he told the bartender handing him an envelope full of money, "If anyone asks he's trekking around the Daimtree with a group of Dutch backpackers." Aggressively the men hoisted Marc over their shoulders and carried him out of the bar to a blacked out Holden before stuffing him into the trunk. Getting into the front passenger seat Avril clicked the computer screen on the dashboard before buckling up as the Holden roared to life heading towards a private air-strip on the outskirts of town.
"Sir we have Boomslang in custody, he's going to be sore when we wakes up but there should be no real damage." she announced, "How are the others faring."
"Captain Britain and Airstrike have arrived as has Clarey with the Sexton. Surveillance has the Fell Hunter and New-Wave on their way here now, the former travelling with the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the latter on a commercial transport to Barbados where we will pick her up. As soon as you arrive with Boomslang we should be ready to commence operations." the General announced, "The International Community can't risk another tyrant getting into power in the United States, Gold has been in power for three weeks and already we are having rumors that she's abusing the population."
"Where did the reports come from sir?" Avril asked, "Are they genuine?"
"The source is a former SHIELD officer, one of Fury's inner circle before he disappeared. Her call sign is Nike, we are determining her civilian identity but it may take a while." the General announced. "Until we have confirmation we are going to inspect SHIELD and all their personnel for any sign of corruption. If Gold has anything to hide we will find it. General Hawker out."
Avril closed the screen and crossed herself before looking at the boot of the car. If Boomslang thought that his invitation to the International Special Operations Unit had been tough, she wondered how he or any of the others would have got through her initiation. As the airport loomed larger and larger she grew more nervous, despite the General's conviction about Director Gold being a corrupt tyrant, Avril had the feeling that this was a set-up. Weather the General was aware or not didn't matter, from this point onwards she would be on edge, it was possible that neither Gold nor her team-mates were the real danger on this mission.
The Origonal Characters of Fell Hunter, New Wave, Avril and the Sexton/Timothy Malloy are my own creations and are not owned by Marvel Comics
Just a Preview for the moment, this was origonally going to be released after I had finished the Fall of Midgard but in the end I got distracted with Last Days of the Hood. Feel free to comment and critic and I hope to continue this story in the near future.
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