Chapter One: Prelude to Chaos
"Damned weather is cutting straight to the bone."
"Quite complaining private, just one more lap and we can go inside. If we're lucky, we might be able to get a signal for the soccer game in the lounge."
The wind was blowing so hard that the snow was virtually coming in sideways, right underneath the lip of the helmets the two guards were wearing. Their black-lens goggles were the only things keeping the snow from getting into their eyes. The blizzard had been going on for the better part of an hour and the snow had gotten so thick that the two soldiers couldn't see any more than a few feet ahead of them. Normally they patrolled the outer perimeters but since the snow was so thick they couldn't go more than a few feet from the outer wall so they didn't get lost in the blizzard. Their black balaclavas and green parkas were almost completely dusted white as they made their fifth lap around the walls.
"Who's playing tonight sarge?" the younger private asked as he picked up the pace so that his last lap around the base would be done as soon as possible. With a hat, earmuffs, balaclava, and helmet covering her ears, the private could barely hear much more than the blowing wind and the snow crunching beneath his feet. At first, the private figured that the sarge wasn't going to dignify the inquisitive private's question until he noticed that there wasn't a second set of footsteps behind him. "Uh…sergeant, where'd you go?"
No answer.
"Ha ha sergeant, very funny. Okay you got me, you can come out now," the private playfully chuckled, figuring his jokester of a sergeant was toying with the overly nervous private. Finally, a second set of footsteps could finally be heard, though the private was so relieved to hear footprints that he didn't even realize that they were much heavier than the sergeant's. The private glanced around to try and find some sign of his sergeant. Through the haze of the blizzard, he could make out a silhouette made from the snow…though it only took a second for the private to realize that the figure was much, much larger than his sergeant. Behind his goggles, his eyes widened in surprise and the last thing he saw was a large, metal needle flying towards him.
Back inside the base, the command center was quiet as it was every night. The night crew was monitoring their equipment while their commanding officer wandered about behind their backs. Radar screens and security cameras decorated the wall in front of them, all of them showing nothing out of the ordinary. The only problem they had at the moment was that the blizzard was making communication and long-range radar systems extremely difficult.
"Captain, north patrol hasn't checked in with the guard house yet. I haven't been able to raise them on the radio," one of the technicians informed the commanding officer.
"It's not Belanger is it?"
"Um, yes Captain. Still, I haven't been able to raise him on the radio sir."
"Probably just interference from the blizzard. Send 3rd squad to find them."
"Yes sir."
It was just another night at the base. When the weather got bad they usually had patrols go silent on the radio for a few minutes. It was rarely a problem or at least so they thought.
"Sir, something's just appeared on the radar!" Another officer alerted with a bit of urgency in his voice. "I have an aircraft coming in. Only 4.5km out with ETA of three minutes." The bad weather had prevented their radars from getting the range needed to spot a target coming in, so by the time they noticed this unidentified craft, it was already extremely close. "I've already tried reaching them on the radio, they're not responding."
"Send another warning and if they ignore it, fire a missile."
"Yes sir," the officer answered as he began typing quickly on his keyboard. "Uh…s-sir. The SAM sites are not responding."
"What?"
"The surface-to-air missile launchers are not responding to my commands. The automated targeting system is completely inoperative."
"What about manual targeting?"
"Not in this weather."
"Thompson, raise General Huet on the radio and tell him to scramble his fighters to this position. Henry, wake the Major." The captain sighed lightly, shaking his head slowly as he tried to wrap his mind around the recent events. It was probably just a lot malfunctioning due to the cold weather and a lost airplane that couldn't see more than ten feet in front of it. It was all just a big misunderstanding…it was the only thing that made sense to him. Still, they had protocol to follow and this area was clearly a no-fly zone.
"Sir, communications isn't working anymore. I can't get a outside line at all," the communications officer informed the captain. "Internal communications are still operational." There was little that they could do at this point except wait and hope that the unknown vehicle would change course. Just as a contingency plan, the captain ordered several squads to be put on alert in case there was a danger. When they had a better idea of what was going on, they could do more. Right now, communications were down, several of the defense systems weren't working, and they still had a missing patrol. Just as things didn't seem like they could get any worse, the lights in the room suddenly died. Thankfully, the darkness didn't even last for more than a few seconds as back-up generators kicked in and red emergency lights activated through the room.
"Don't tell me, now the main generators aren't working anymore…" the captain grumbled under his breath. Before somebody could answer, the base commander entered the room. With his uniform somewhat messily put on and his short, reddish hair was clearly not made after being woken up in the middle of the night.
"What's the situation?"
"Unidentified vehicle is approaching, SAM sites are non-responsive, outside communication lines aren't functioning, and the generators have just klunked out. Oh…and Tweedledee and Tweedledum haven't reported in again. Aside from that, everything's peachy sir."
"Alright, what's the situation on that unidentified aircraft?"
"It…just landed about 150m outside the main walls sir. The outside sensors aren't working well enough for us to get an idea of what's going on outside."
The major took a position next to the communications officer, since most of the other systems weren't working very well. "Send the nearest squad to investigate and put Alpha Company on alert." The officer promptly relayed the commands and, as the major hoped, the situation would be resolved shortly. Everybody in the commander center waited anxiously for the news until finally, about five minutes later, an answered came.
"H…help…" a weak voice crackled over the radio. The signal's relay told the command crew that the message came from one of the soldiers that had been sent in. Before the communications officer could even answer the call, the line went dead.
"Call the northeast tower immediately. I want to know what the hell is going on out there," the major quickly demanded as the situation took a turn for the worse.
"I can't get a response from the northeast tower sir," the communications officer answered moments later. "There isn't any response from the other towers either."
"Scramble Alpha Company and put the base of full alert," the major said grimly. Red alarms began blaring throughout the entire complex, awakening dozens of slumbering soldiers who immediately raced to their lockers to arm themselves and prepare for future orders. The entire Alpha Company hurried to assemble in the courtyard – a fifty-meter field that separated the main gates from the outpost itself. More than eighty soldiers in total assembled in the snowy courtyard, all of them prepared for the worst.
"A few minutes ago an unknown ship landed outside of the base and a squad sent to investigate replied with a message of urgency. We are to hold this position…if the base is in danger, we are to stop them from breaching the main walls. Form a defensive perimeter around the main gates and await further orders," the commanding officer of Alpha Company shouted to each of his soldiers. They nodded in acknowledgement before scrambling to take position. The soldiers took positions forming a large arc in front of the main gates, just watching the giant metal doors.
"It's been almost ten minutes, I think we should send some scouts to investigate," one of the junior officers commented to the commanding officer.
"You might be right. Private Piat!" A private in the defense line rose to his feet upon hearing his name. The moment he rose to his feet, a gunshot rang out through the entire courtyard and a bolt of energy struck down the young soldier. All the soldiers took cover again as they tried to figure out where the attack came from, until a pair of loud impact noises alerted them to the fact that their enemies had just scaled the walls.
Inside the command center, the senior officers had only just heard word from Alpha Company that an attack had begun at the main courtyard. The major was concerned but he wasn't worrying yet – they had three company of soldiers stationed at the base. One was out in the courtyard, one was guarding the base's vital locations, and the last was still in reserve. "Reports are coming in from the courtyard – Alpha Company is encountering heavy firepower and are requesting back-up. Casualties are being reported and they cannot confirm the enemy strength or identity."
"Send Bravo Company in to assist and patch me through to Alpha Company's CO."
"Yes sir."
It took a few minutes for the radio to finally patch in a response. The sound of heavy gunfire and indistinct shouts from soldiers could be heard in the background. "This is 1st Lieutenant Duret, we're experiencing heavy firepower from unknown enemy forces."
"Where's your captain?"
"Dead sir – a round came out of nowhere. The blizzard is too thick sir; we can't even see our targets. Requesting permission to pull back into the interior of the base and use the front lobby as a focal point."
"Denied lieutenant. You are to stop the enemy from stepping foot inside this base. Bravo Company is already on their way to reinforce your position."
"Yes sir," the lieutenant spoke his last words before ending the communication. Now the major was getting worried. The blizzard was so bad outside the soldiers weren't even able to tell whom they were shooting at. While pulling back into the lobby was a reasonable idea, they couldn't afford having the enemy spill into the building.
"Major, Bravo Company has just reported encountering enemies in sector Red-3!"
"They're already inside?" The major shouted in disbelief.
"There must've been two teams all along: an assault force and an infiltration team. These guys must've been the ones that took out the SAM sites, communication, and power systems," the captain added. The two senior officers frowned in concern as they worried about their predicament. The radios began blinking with incoming calls as squad and company leaders tried to reach command for orders or recommendations.
"Major, Alpha Company is reporting heavy casualties and their line is beginning to fall apart. They are again requesting permission to pull back into the lobby to regroup and mount a proper defense."
"Very well, pull them back into the lobby."
"Sir, I can't reach anybody in Bravo Company," another communications officer informed the senior officers.
"And I can't reach Alpha Company anymore," the other officer alerted them. There was dead silence in the room for the first time in almost twenty minutes. Neither of the senior officers could believe that two whole companies of soldiers might just have been completely taken out by an unknown enemy force.
"Lock down the command center and tell C-Company to lock down the Vault until further notice from me. Tell them that nothing is to get inside that Vault – they are to defend it with their lives!" The few armed soldiers in the commander center immediately hurried to the main doors to the room and sealed the heavy armored doors. The tension in the air was rising, as a few officers watched as security cameras shut off one by one until everything except for the Vault cameras were showing only static. All that was left was to wait patiently for something to happen…to say that the situation looked grim was an understatement. Their only hope was that Charlie Company would be able to protect the Vault until the routine check-ins were noticed missing by the nearby airbase and help would be sent. However, they didn't know how long it would be until then.
Time seemed to pass unbearably slow for the people inside the command center as they waited for their inevitable fate. Finally, a loud banging came from the door – a very loud and heavy pounding that definitely didn't come from a soldier, especially as the last one left a dent in the door. "What was that?" the major muttered quietly before a lithe, metallic fist punched straight through the door. The hole was made straight through where the locking mechanism was and right afterwards the door was ripped straight out of its frame. Before the guards could even raise their guns, a figure sprang into the room and struck out at the armed guards. With extreme precision and power, every one of the guards were disarmed but surprisingly not killed.
The major reached for his pistol in a defiant attempt but the moment the pistol was out of its holster, that lithe metallic hand gripped the pistol around the barrel and squeezed the barrel so tightly that the sound of crushed metal could be heard. Now face-to-face with their attacker, the major just barely managed to maintain his stoic appearance as he stared into the cold, criminal eyes of the cybernetic villain known as Brother Blood. Blood smirked coyly as he released the major's pistol and relaxed his posture.
"Terribly sorry about that rather rude introduction Major but you must understand that I didn't want any accidents when I tried to talk with you," Blood spoke in his more gentle tone, almost patronizing the major.
"Who are you?"
"The name's Blood, Brother Blood. It's a pleasure to meet you Major Guillet, I have heard so much about you. I must commend your valiant effort in trying to repel my efforts, though you pretty much failed utterly. Two whole companies of your soldiers wiped out by…eight of mine."
"E-eight? That's a lie."
"No lie my friend: two squads of four soldiers, plus two commanders including myself. I'd introduce you to them but they're a little shy so it's just going to be me. Anyways, enough with the pleasantries, I would like your access keycard to the Vault – now."
"Pardon my rudeness but you can just go to hell."
"Give me the keycard and I won't kill you and your command crew. Does that sound like a better deal?"
The major was silent for a while as the other officers watched the major's decision. Finally, the major sighed and reached for a keycard that hung from a chain around his neck. "You won't make it into the Vault anyways," the major remarked as he handed the plastic keycard to Brother Blood.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Blood answered, smirking once again as he left the command room. As promised, he didn't do harm any of the officers inside the room, though the moment he stepped out of the room a second figure entered the room and the sound of heavy gunfire followed seconds later.
Several sectors further into the base and several stories straight down, the heavily armored Vault was still untouched by the chaos that occurred outside. Just past the main doors of the Vault, inside the Inner Vault, was the entire compliment of C-Company who had just been informed that the entire upper compound had been taken down. Like Able Company before them, the final company had formed a perimeter around the main door as they prepared for the final assault. They were the last line of defense and each soldier knew that what was held inside the Vault was worth laying their lives down in order to stop it from being taken. The C-Company commanding officer had been given his last orders to hold the Vault until told to stand down by one of his commanding officers, who were all dead.
"There hasn't been any reports from HQ in a while. I think it's safe to assume that we're the only ones left," the commanding officer sighed lightly. There was no sign of activity from the outside world until the computer terminal next to the main door began to beep subtly. They all recognized the computer's activity though and it signaled that somebody was opening the door from the other side. It was safe for them to assume that the enemy had gotten hold of the keycard so once the door had opened even a small amount the soldiers launched a pre-emptive strike. A pair of grenades was thrown through the increasing gap, exploding violently and hopefully destroying anything on the other side of the door. The smoke from the grenades blanketed the doorway but that didn't stop the soldiers from unleashing a hailstorm of gunfire downrange just in case anybody was still alive. A full ten-second barrage was sufficient to satisfy their commanding officer, who ordered a cease fire to see the outcome of the assault. When the smoke finally settled, the soldiers were treated to a view of an empty hallway with scorch marks decorating the walls and floor.
"Dammit, nothing!" One of the officers cursed.
"Where are they?"
"Don't know."
"Private Duiceppe, check it out."
"Sir, yes sir," the private said as he got up from his position and cautiously headed into the hallway. Though nervous, the private bravely scouted the first several feet of the hallways, including checking into the few nooks and crannies along the walls of the hallways but found nothing. Muttering a few cusses under his breath, the private started on his way to join his fellow soldiers back in the Vault. All of a sudden, the Vault door slammed shut in his face. At first, he thought it was a mistake until he heard the sound of panic and gunfire coming from the other side. The private was almost trembling in his boots as the cries of panic grew louder and louder until everything fell silent. "My god…" he muttered softly.
Those were his last words though when a beefy arm wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off blood flow and his airway. He struggled vainly against the person's grip until his head was jerked sharply to the side accompanied with a loud cracking noise that silenced the man forever. His limp body collapsed to the ground as the Vault door reopened.
Inside the Vault, the entire company of soldiers now lay dead on the ground, most of them having severed body parts or other obvious blade wounds. There was one soldier still alive though – the company commanding officer who was laying on the ground with several slow bleeds over his body. He had not only been left alive on purpose but left alive in a condition that would only result in a very painful and slow death. Light, metallic footsteps slowly headed into the Vault and the Vault lights brought detail to the black and gray armored figure.
"Excellent work troops," the always-in-control voice of Slade spoke up for the first time tonight. The light glistened off his black and orange helmet as his one good eye gazed down upon the wounded soldier. He tucked his hands behind his back as he stood over the officer, watching with a bit of amusement as he writhed on the ground in pain. "Could you please get up, I much prefer talking to people face-to-face," he said as he motioned for the soldier to get up. Since there was a large laceration on his leg, the officer was in no mood to be standing at the moment. Slade, however, wasn't going to let that stop him as he made the rising hand gesture again. This time, though, it was directed to one of minions that proceeded to grab the officer by the shoulders and hoisted him off the ground…though the officer could see no other enemies in the room apart from Slade.
"You put up a good effort but it's hard to fight an enemy that's equipped with a cloaking field," Slade added as he patted an invisible figure next to him. "Now, I'd like your keycard to the inner Vault if you'd be so kind as to give it to me. It would make both of our lives a lot less painful."
"It's hidden and you're never going to find it so you might as well leave," the officer spat back.
"My my, aren't you the defiant one? I will have that key though and whether you give it to me or not will determine whether your death is quick and painless or slow and agonizing. The choice is up to you."
"Since I'm going to die either way, I'd rather just make your life as hard as possible."
"Unfortunately, that's not going to happen. SB-1 - probe his mind." Upon the order, a trio of thin wires appeared next to the officer's neck, slithering out from wrist of the invisible figure. They plunged into the back of his neck, causing a great deal of pain and agony to the officer who convulsed from the sensations. The wires that had burrowed into his neck began to divide and infiltrate into his nervous system…tapping into his brain and actually probing it for the information that they were looking for. As the probe continued, the officer began to convulse more painfully, as if being electrocuted now, which was not too far from the truth. Once the data was found, the wires retracted back to their holders and the officer was dropped to the floor, who now lay motionless but alive on the ground. While accurate and effective, the mind probe almost always left the target completely brain damaged in almost all upper-cognitive functions. In other words, they were left a complete vegetable.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Yes commander Slade," a wispy, mechanical voice whispered through the air.
"Good, you know what to do." Slade slowly glanced over his shoulder back to the way he came in to see the slender, red-metallic figure of Brother Blood standing in the door. "I assume the Hoplites handled the courtyard well?"
"Perfectly in fact. All targets were eliminated and barely even a scratch of damage to one Hoplite. Of course, they couldn't have gotten that close if it weren't for the brilliance of the Shades."
"They are a lovely bunch aren't they? Much better than the previous drones that used to be in my service." Slade reached to his left and grabbed something out of the air. It was invisible at first but once it left the minion's hand, the second keycard became visible. "Shall we?"
"But of course," Blood said as he motioned for Slade to lead the way. The pair headed to a second, larger set of doors that stood as the final barricade between them and their target. They both glanced to each other for a moment before inserting their keycards into their respected readers next to the door, unlocking the near-impenetrable metal door. The seventeen-inch thick door was shaped like a large cogwheel, slowly being pushed inwards by hydraulics and then grabbed by a mechanical arm that wheeled it to the side. The lights inside automatically activated as it revealed the large, open chamber that contained dozens of individual cells along the walls. The pair began walking down the aisle, peeking into each of the cells and looking at the cargo they contained. Within each cell, frozen in an ice-like prison, were all the enemies that had been gathered by the Brotherhood of Evil many months ago. They had been transferred from the old underground base in Paris to this military outpost where they were to be held indefinitely but now they were at the mercy of two of the worst villains the Teen Titans had ever dealt with.
"Bravo team, you have your orders – start thawing them out," Slade ordered as the cloaked minions began to get to work.
"I must admit, this is certainly a brilliant plan," Blood complimented as they watched as dozens of villains began to be thawed out of their prisons.
"It's only just beginning Blood. Now we move onto phase three. The Titans won't know what hit them…"