StormFront
Issue #4 written by D. Golightly
"Beast of Burden"
"This stinks."
The lithe form of Bonfire, doused from head to toe in flame of her own creation, rocketed through the air with ease. Her orange and red bodysuit, created specifically for her at the Initiative Academy, hugged her firm body like a glove. A few residents of the small eastern Alaskan town she flew over looked up at her in surprise.
A trail of fire was left in her wake as she roared over the small town, but quickly dissipated. She casually stared down at the snow covered area, barely paying attention to anything other than random landmarks.
"Less complaining; more searching," Blue Shield, the commander of FSI: 49, said into her ear through the tiny com-link. "Pay attention and don't let anything slip by you. These people are counting on you."
"Don't be so dramatic, Joey. I grew up in Alaska, remember? Nothing ever happens up here."
"So what was all that 'nothing' that we went up against last week?"
The fledgling Fifty States Initiative team had just come off of their first official mission, that of stopping the mutant hunter known as Ahab and the underground varsity villain called the Mole Man.* Both were now in custody, even though they hadn't discovered exactly what their goal had been.
* [For the official report, check out the first three issues – D]
The Mole Man had alluded to someone behind their schemes, but that was no longer their concern. Deputy Director Maria Hill of SHIELD had given them their latest assignment, but so far they hadn't learned anything.
"Hey, don't get me wrong," Bonfire replied. "I'm glad we took on those two morons. I'm just saying that it's been a week and there's been no sign of this Russell wolf guy. If I were in charge—"
"You're not." Joe Cartelli, the leader of StormFront called Blue Shield, said with an air of irritation in his voice. "Keep searching, and for the last time, do not call me Joey. Over and out."
Bonfire sighed but didn't reopen the channel to argue. It was pointless. After being rushed through the Academy and escorted back to her home state of Alaska to participate in the Initiative program, Cynthia Smalls had anticipated a life somehow different from this. She thought that since she was the only member of StormFront that was actually born in the state they were protecting she might be taken a little more seriously.
Instead, she was on patrol duty, searching for Jack Russell, otherwise known as the Werewolf by Night.
There had been several murders throughout the eastern part of the state that were linked to the feral, unregistered superhuman. Jack suffered from lycanthropy, and according to his file, 'suffered' was the accurate word. Jack had little control over his transformations and whenever he changed it usually meant that someone had to keep track of a body count.
At each scene there had reportedly found hair, claw marks, and blood. The hair was animal, but the blood was human. The samples had been too small, or in some cases damaged, to make a proper identification, but SHIELD's main suspect was Jack Russell. Apparently he had been spotted in the area not long ago and the murders matched his random pattern.
After searching relentlessly for a week, Bonfire and the others had found nothing. No murders, no suspects, no clues…nothing. She had been forced to pass the time by thinking about her own past and wondering when her secrets would be exposed. As far as SHIELD knew she was a mutate, which was similar to a human mutant. But she hadn't been completely honest with them when disclosing her history.
"Hey, want some company?"
Bonfire rolled over in midair and formed a ball of fire in her hand. She left out the breath she had been holding and extinguished the flame when she saw that the comment hadn't come from an enemy, but rather her own teammate.
"Go away, Lilli."
The prim and youthful Ghost Girl simply smiled in return. "Come on! Don't hog all the fun for yourself. I just want to search and help out, too."
"Fun? This isn't fun. This is boring."
"But we're on an adventure!" Ghost Girl replied. "Action! Suspense! Intrigue!"
"Annoying teammates…" Bonfire muttered.
"Hey, that's not fair. Was it annoying when I saved the whole team last week?"
"No. Sorry. You're right. In fact, let's race to the next checkpoint. If you win, I'll never insult you again. If I win, you promise to never join me on a patrol again."
Without waiting for a response, Bonfire rocketed out into the open sky, leaving a blazing trail of fire in her wake for Ghost Girl to follow. Excited, a gleeful look spread over Ghost Girl's face. She squinted her eyes, mustered all her strength, and took off as fast as her frail body would allow.
The pair of girls swept over the clouds, rushing toward the next town. This one, much larger than the last few, had a sighting of the animal attacker already. It was here that Jack Russell had been spotted three days ago, but had completely disappeared by the time StormFront had arrived.
Bonfire punched through a cloud, her aura dispersing the collected water vapor. The other town was in sight and she began her descent. A quick look over her shoulder showed her that Ghost Girl was nowhere to be found.
"Loser," she muttered as she dove toward the town.
"You're a loser!" Ghost Girl screamed as she rocketed through Bonfire.
The Alaskan hero felt a chilling sensation as her teammate phased through her body. She suddenly felt clammy, as if a cold towel had been pressed against his insides. Ghost Girl harmlessly passed through her and Bonfire's hesitation at having been used like a doorway gave the younger girl enough of a lead to get to the ground first.
"I win!" Ghost Girl said as she hopped up and down.
Bonfire gently touched down in front of her and doused her flames. "Yeah, you win," she said, "but only because you cheated. Don't ever do that to me again, comprende?"
Ghost Girl's reply was muffled by the sound of the wall behind her exploding. Bits of wood and plaster splashed across her back as a mighty roar deafened her. A monstrous beast, easily three times the size as her, stepped out from inside what was left of the structure.
Snarling lips were wrapped around pointy teeth that extended out from a hairy face. Fur covered the mammoth animal completely, leaving no need for clothing. The tousled white hair hung everywhere, making it impossible to tell if the creature was male or female. Ghost Girl's pupils dilated in the shadow of the beast and she clasped her hands to her chest as she slowly turned to face the monster.
"Don't move," Bonfire whispered.
"I don't think I can," Ghost Girl replied, her voice just as soft.
The tall beast pulled in deep breaths, watching the two girls.
Regardless of what they could or could not determine, one indisputable fact was clearly evident: this was not Jack Russell.
"Priority One call! Get to the hanger!"
Blue Shield slipped his mask over onto his face and ran out of his office, leaving the intercom he had just yelled into behind him. The building that StormFront had been stationed in wasn't very large. It would only take him a few moments to get to the hanger and meet with the others before departing.
He passed the recreation room, stopped, and turned back to peer into the room. Sitting on the couch, which now had its legs snapped off due to the weight of its sole occupant, was the Abomination. The green-scaled villain, a member of Blue Shield's team however much it detested him, sat watching television as if nothing was happening.
"Blonsky!" Blue Shield said. "Let's move!"
The Abomination turned his head just enough to convey that he had heard FSI: 49's leader, then turned his head back to ignore him.
"Bonfire called in a Priority One," Blue Shield continued, "that means we drop everything and move. Understand?"
"Dah," the Russian giant muttered. He remained on the smashed couch watching television.
Blue Shield felt his aura begin to charge up. He had been having more and more disagreements with Blonsky recently and was beginning to think that regardless of what Stark said, this villain was not going to integrate into the Initiative anytime soon. Their security was lax; only the five members of StormFront typically were on the base at any given point. There was no way the other four members could take on the Abomination if he decided to go rogue.
"Joseph," Colleen Wing said as she approached in the hallway. She looked passed him and into the room. "Did I not hear correctly? Shouldn't we be on the helicopter by now?"
Blue Shield nodded his head in Blonsky's direction.
"I see," Colleen replied.
She thumbed the hilt of her samurai blade to slide out just an inch, enough to convey her intent. Colleen had been assigned to that particular FSI team because of Stark: she was the contingency in case Blonsky got out of control. Her sword had been designed by SHIELD specialists and was in fact made of adamantium. It was probably the only thing within a hundred miles that remotely had a chance of harming the Abomination.
Joseph had his doubts about the effectiveness of a single blade on a monster, however.
"Blonsky," Colleen said, "Lilli is with Cynthia. She's in trouble."
The Abomination turned his head again. "The little one did not issue the distress call. She was assigned to a different sector this morning."
"She finished her scouting and joined Bonfire," Colleen said.
The Abomination placed his hands on his knees and rocked himself up to his full height. His head nearly bumped against the ceiling, and he had to crouch down to get through the doorway and into the hall where the others were watching. He scowled at both Blue Shield and Colleen before leaving them behind as he walked toward the hanger.
"What the hell was that about?" Blue Shield asked.
"I have observed that one closely at the Director's behest," Colleen said. "It seems we all have our secrets."
"StormFront Assemble!"
Ghost Girl squeaked immediately after issuing the battle cry as the white-furred monster's claws tore through her intangible body. Obviously unharmed by the attack, the languishing terror still overwhelmed her and she was too frightened to move.
"Please don't ever say that again," Bonfire said as she reignited her flames and torched the monster, bathing it in red and orange fire.
The monster roared, pushed back by the intense and sudden heat. The ends of its white fur were singed and wisps of smoke whirled around its massive body. It flexed its muscles in a sign of pure, unadulterated, animalistic rage and fury. The beast was impressive, and the showmanship of its brutal physique was par for the course as far as wild creatures went.
"Lilli! Move!" Bonfire ordered. The young heroines both retreated into the air and the relative safety it offered. Bonfire's orange flames danced around her soft skin, gently caressing her body much like a familiar lover. "You're going to be the death of me, girl."
"It's not my fault! The thing was drooling and everything!"
"Just keep it together, okay?" Bonfire glanced down at the still roaring monster and saw that it had diverted its attention away from them and onto a closer target. "Oh, crap."
"That's not good, is it?" Ghost Girl asked.
"Just get out of the way! Quick!"
The 2007 Ford Focus came hurtling at them at a speed much greater than they would have guessed. Ghost Girl went straight up while Bonfire dove under the car, allowing it to pass harmlessly between them. The lumbering automobile dropped back down toward the Earth just as quickly as it had ascended, heading directly for the small town's public library.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Cynthia said with an exasperated sigh. "Lilli, distract that thing, will ya?"
Bonfire manipulated her flame to burn hotter around her legs, giving her a burst of propulsion as she followed the descending car. A few townspeople looked up at the sight, baffled by the odd appearance of a vehicle with excellent gas mileage overhead. Alaska, while a vital part of the U.S. economy, wasn't accustomed to raining 4-cylinider automobiles.
As a woman in her early 40's sheltered her daughter with her own body, as well as the copy of The Hungry Caterpillar that they had just acquired at the library, the shadow of the car crashing down toward them grew larger.
In an amazing display of dizzying fireworks and pyrotechnics, the 2007 Ford Focus suddenly exploded into chunks of hot, flaming metal. Bonfire concentrated, splashing her aura of fire onto the bits of car as it fell. She turned up the heat, instantly melting the chunks of exhaust, transmission, and radiator. By the time she was done, all that was left were four rubber tires, which bounced onto the street away from any pedestrians.
Cynthia, worn from the sudden exertion of using her powers more thoroughly than she ever had, breathed deeply. Her central aura was dimmer then usual and she wobbled in the air as opposed to maintaining a steady levitation.
The child being pressed to the ground by her mother waved her copy of The Hungry Caterpillar at Bonfire, smiling broadly.
Behind her, Cynthia turned to see Ghost Girl still flying, but now much closer to the ground. She was swinging over and under the ripping claws of the white-furred monster, dodging with precision. The aeronautic display was impressive, but what was more impressive was the swath of destruction that the monster was leaving in its wake.
Entire sides of buildings had scrapes along the walls; several streetlamps were bent over at ninety degree angles; a mailbox at the corner of the intersection had been ripped in half like a bag of potato chips. The majority of the traffic had stopped and the people were all running away.
Bonfire shook her head and rubbed her eyes, though, because she thought they were playing tricks on her. She watched as Ghost Girl ducked under one set of claws, pass through another set, and then zip over two more pairs of claws. Four sets. Two for each monster.
Two huge, hairy, beastly, snarling monsters.
"What, are these things like rabbits or something?" Bonfire said as she did her best to burn her flame brighter and rush to the aid of Ghost Girl.
Not that Ghost Girl really needed any aid. Currently in her immaterial form, she was busy occupying both beasts from picking up more cars or other random objects to hurl toward innocents. She still twitched every time a claw swiped through her incorporeal form, suggesting that her nerves had been shaken upon the appearance of twin brooding monsters.
Bonfire focused her energies and a lance of flame no thicker than a pencil ruptured the air. It struck the back of one of the beasts, burning away a small patch of fur. The monster roared, spun about, and locked its eyes directly on Bonfire, who was hovering precariously in the air. The thin beam of concentrated fire flickered and died.
Woozy from having already exhausted a good bit of flame, Bonfire bobbed up and down in the air slightly. Her attack had faltered and failed; she was nearly running on empty after having destroyed the automobile.
The white-furred creature bent at the knees slightly like an Olympic athlete ready to make the long jump. After a brief pause, the monster launched itself into the air using the incredible muscles in its legs while simultaneously announcing to the world its deadly intent with a loud explosion of vocals.
It didn't get ten feet before something big and green slammed into it.
The thick, green scales of the Abomination mixed with the matted white fur of the beast as the pair tumbled end over end into the street. The Abomination, nearly as tall as the Hulk, was only slightly larger than the beast he tangled with. Together they smashed into a light pole and bent it in half.
"Cynthia!" Colleen Wing called out from somewhere overheard.
Bonfire looked up to see the StormFront helicopter lowering to her with Blue Shield at the helm. Colleen, sword in hand, was leaning out the side hatch waving to her. She returned the wave, as if to say that was alright, and then she pointed at Ghost Girl. The younger teammate was still keeping the nearly mindless white beast occupied and she still looked frightened.
Colleen nodded her acknowledgement, yelled something to Blue Shield, and the helicopter swerved away from Bonfire and toward the middle of the intersection where it could land.
"Only in America would I find something so disgusting in the middle of nowhere," the Abomination taunted as he gripped the furry beast in a crushing bear hug. "You may bite as much as you like, my friend. I think you will find it unsatisfying."
The snarling creature slashed at his face and bit into his shoulder, thrashing wildly to try and get the Abomination to let it go. But, it was useless. The steel grip of Blonsky had held entire armies at bay. Once he had his footing and his fingers locked around each other, there was no getting out of his hold.
He shot Ghost Girl and the other monster a quick look before he closed his grip tighter and tighter. He heard a satisfying snap when the spine of his foe broke in half, severing between joints. He was sure that bits of cartilage would be floating in the spinal fluid.
"A little help, guys!" Lillie called out. "I know you probably aren't worried about me, but it sure would be nice if someone got this thing away from me before I have nightmares!"
Ghost Girl closed her eyes as the monster once again raised its arms and bellowed, spit flying through. It was about to swipe its massive claw through her body once again, but the roar suddenly stopped and the unruly sensation of something foreign slipping between her atoms was strangely absent. She opened her eyes and saw something thin and silver poking out of the monster's chest roughly where she would guess its heart to be.
Amongst its stark white fur was a trickle of red, slowly streaming down its front. Blood, which in the cold of Alaska, could cake nearly instantly and become entangled in the fur.
The monster stared at Ghost Girl as it breathed its last breath. It fell to its knees and the metal tip removed itself from the monster's chest, exiting the way it had entered: through the back.
From behind the monster, Colleen Wing raised her samurai sword and in one fell stroke, lopped off the monster's head. It rolled on the ground from the momentum of her swing, coming to a stop only when the Abomination placed his foot atop it.
"Two killing strokes in one day," Blonsky said as he picked up the head. "I am pleased, little samurai."
"I am not here for your entertainment," Colleen replied. "Death is always sad, regardless if it a friend's or an enemy's."
"You know what makes me sad?" Ghost Girl said as she reverted to her corporeal form.
"When we're out of cookies?" Bonfire quickly answered as she approached, this time on foot. She was giving her flame a rest.
Ghost Girl stuck her tongue out at Bonfire, but stopped when she saw Blue Shield step out of the helicopter. "I've notified SHIELD," he said. "A containment team is on the way, but they won't be here for at least twenty minutes. The HERMES transporter is off the grid for some reason. We'll need to contain what we can until they arrive."
"What would an impromptu mission be without him giving orders?" the Abomination said crassly.
"Blonsky, secure the scene. Bonfire, find me witnesses. Ghost Girl…uh, just go wait in the chopper."
"I will go with Cynthia," Colleen began to say before Blue Shield motioned for her to come closer to him. Ghost Girl muttered her joy at getting to sit the rest of the mission out and recover her nerves as she passed by them. "What is it?" she said once she was close enough to only speak in a whisper.
"I recognized those things when we arrived," he said. "Obviously neither of these is Jack Russell. They're both Wendigos."
"Wendigo…"
"An ancient folk legend. I think the Hulk has tangled with them a few times. They fit Jack's profile, who was just dug up a few minutes ago in Illinois. When a human consumes human flesh, that person turns into a Wendigo. Pretty vicious creatures, as you saw."
"Is there a reason you are only telling me and not the whole team?"
"I talked to HQ about this while I was requesting the containment team," Blue Shield replied. "I know about these Wnedigos because of a case I was on with Cloak and Dagger a few years ago. These things are inhuman. Insane. Totally wild."
"I'm not following you here, Joe."
"Do you know where we are?"
Colleen looked around, but shook her head.
"We're standing almost exactly fifteen miles away from where we fought the Mole Man and Ahab the other week. That's pretty close to where the Collective touched down."
"Coincidence?" she asked.
"In our line of work, is there ever such a thing as coincidence?"
"So you're telling me that someone unleashed these animals here on purpose." Colleen took the second of silence to slip her sword back into its sheath. "Someone is purposely working behind the scenes. Mole Man alluded to a dark figure pulling his strings. There is a hidden agenda at work here."
"Yeah, it's working around us."
NEXT ISSUE: The team gets a not-so-friendly visit from another FSI group! With so many heroes in so small a place, can the masked villain keep himself masked for much longer?