Disclaimer: I don't own any of Marvel Comics characters featured in this story. I also do not own any DC Comics characters.
Written by: ScorpinokXV
Story idea from: Crazyboi23.
Chapter 4 - Freedom Force Part 2
Secret Underground Facility - Freedom Force Headquarters
Captain America, Thor, Sif. Giganta, and Amanda Waller felt the private jet touching down, and then slowing to a stop. Cap, and the rest of his team were about to leave the jet, when Amanda stopped them with a raised hand. "The jet is being lowered down an elevator shaft miles underground as we speak. Don't leave the jet until you see the green light lit above the doorway." Cap nodded, and took his seat along with the others. "This team that you've assembled...are they made up of super-heroes, or super-villains?" Cap asked Amanda with his arms folded over his chest. Amanda had a laptop with her, and she was typing up something, but took a moment to look up and grin at Cap.
"I suppose that some could be considered villains, but who's to say that today's hero couldn't just as easily become tomorrow's villain? That's why this team exists. This Justice League acts on it's own, and they think they're above the law because of their powers." Amanda's eyes dart back to the monitor on the laptop, and take on a hard look. "I believe you've already met the Justice Lord's? Counterparts to the Justice League who took over their own earth, and took away the people's rights, and freewill. All signs point to this happening again here, and it will be up to us to stop them...by any means necessary." Cap folds his gloved hands, and rests them under his chin with his elbows on his kneecaps as he leans forward. "Is the government targeting all meta-humans, or just this Justice League? It stands to reason that if this situation escalates, it could lead to a war between super powered beings, and the United States Government. Are you prepared to take things that far, Waller?" Cap narrowed his blue eyes at Amanda, who frowned and returned her attention to her monitor screen.
"No one wants a war, Captain. However, we're prepared to fight if it does come to that." All of the occupants of the jet hear a slight beeping noise, and look up to see the green light lit. Without another word, Amanda shuts her laptop, and walks out of the hangar door. Thor, Sif, and Giganta join Cap as they walk up to the door, and look out. The underground facility is very large, easily the size of several football fields. There are high tech vehicles parked next to what look like training areas with mounted laser turrets and humanoid robots waiting for activation. There were technicians, and other individuals checking equipment, and going into buildings with artifacts of some kind. Thor taps Cap on the shoulder, and Steve looks back to see a serious expression on his face. "Captain, I sense dark, and powerful magics within this facility. Tis a foreboding omen." Sif nods her head, and looks at Cap with concern. "Yon mortals doth play with forces beyond their kin. Steve, doth thou wish to continue with thy plan?" Cap takes a moment to look at all the members of his team, and Giganta. "Yes, Sif. We've come this far, and I'm not going to let this stop me from getting us home." Cap glances over at a nervous looking Giganta. "Don't worry, Giganta. Your a part of this team now, and your not alone. I went through a transformation myself, and it takes time to adjust to the changes, but it will get easier." Steve smiles at Giganta, and gets a small smile from her in return.
Sif notices that Amanda is still waiting for the group about 20 feet away from the jet. Cap, and the others quickly catch up to her, and Amanda leads them to a large multi-level building. They all enter, and Amanda takes a remote out of her pocket, and hits a button that has a large panel sliding across the far off wall revealing a two way mirror. The others notice that there are 5 other people inside the adjoining room. Amanda walks over in front of the two way mirror, and addresses Cap's team with a serious expression. "Meet the rest of your team." Amanda touched the part of the two way mirror that showed a small man wearing a blue vest with a white shirt underneath and a red bow tie. He has what looks like a male doll head over his real one with a creepy smile. When Amanda touched his image on the mirror, information on the individual appeared in a 3 dimensional hologram. "Winslow P. Schott Jr. aka. Toyman. A brilliant mind that's trapped in a lost childhood. He has a grudge against Superman for preventing him from killing Bruno Mannheim, who he blames for his father's death. Don't let his size fool you, what he lacks in stature he more than makes up for it with his sophisticated and deadly weapons disguised as toys. He's also a lecher, so you have been warned ladies." Sif's eyes narrow on Toyman's image, and Amanda quickly notices. "Don't use the sword on him." Amanda said looking at Sif with a deadpan expression. Sif sighs, and grudgingly nods to her getting Thor to chuckle.
Amanda waves her left hand in front of the two way mirror, and the Toyman's information disappears from view. Amanda then points at a young woman with short blonde hair, and blue eyes wearing a white swimsuit like leotard with a circular hole in the center of her chest exposing some cleavage between her generous breasts. She has matching white gloves, and boots as well. She's currently standing in the corner of the room looking extremely bored. Amanda touches her image on the mirror, and her information shows in front of Cap's team. "This is Galatea. She's the only successful clone the government was able to produce from Kryptonian DNA. After the fiasco with an allegedly brainwashed Superman attacking Metropolis with an invading army, the top brass decided to make our own Kryptonian to protect the country, if he ever went power mad again."
Cap frowned, and remembered his friend, and teammate Spider-Man's trouble with clones of himself created by his enemy called the Jackal. "I take it that the DNA sample was taken without the person's knowledge, correct?" Amanda smirks at Steve, and nods her head. "Do you think that either Kryptonian's would willingly provide us a sample? No. They would see Galatea as a threat, and then take steps to either turn her to their side, or imprison her in the phantom zone using Superman's projector that he keeps at that Fortress of his." Amanda waved the information away, and touched the mirror where a large well built man was standing. He is wearing dark green armor, and his head is a flaming skull with green fire surrounding it. "He reminds me of Ghost Rider." Cap thinks to himself, as he looks at the 3 dimensional profile picture. "Joseph Martin aka. Atomic Skull. He's your basic super-powered criminal, but we've augmented his abilities to make him stronger than he was. He can fire blasts of radiation from his mouth, and has super-human strength." Amanda moved on to the next member. A woman wearing a skin tight dark red leotard, and has red hair and orange eyes. She is sitting in one of the chairs in the room, and leaning back while creating a fireball in her hand.
"Claire Selton aka. Volcana. She's brash, and bitter over her parents sending her away after they discovered her abilities as a teenager. We acquired her from another government division that trained her in the use of her pyrokinetic abilities. We've augmented them, like we did with Atomic Skull." Amanda paused when she came to the quiet form of the black haired girl sitting in a corner staring out into space. "This is Ace. She is the youngest, and by far the most powerful candidate for the team. She can warp the perceptions of others with her psychic abilities, and damage a person's psyche just by looking them in the eyes. She also has uncharted telekinetic power. We're still testing her, and trying to discover the limits of her abilities."
Cap, Sif, Thor, and Giganta all frowned when they heard Amanda talk about the young girl like she's only a test subject. Thor stood up from his chair. "Enough! Thor shall determine their merit face to face!" Cap smiled over at his friend, and walked with Sif, and Giganta over to the door leading to the next room with the Thunderer leading the way. Thor greeted his new teammates with a friendly smile with his large arms outstretched. "Greetings to one and all! I am Thor Odinson, Prince of the Golden Realm of Asgard! With me are my friends Captain America, and the Lady Sif also from the Realm Eternal! Alongside Fair Sif is our newest friend, the Lady Giganta!" Thor gestured with his left hand to each of his teammates for their introductions. All the occupants in the room could hear tittering coming from Ace, who had a hand covering over her mouth. Thor grinned widely, and walked over to Ace with his red cape trailing behind him. Thor kneeled down to eye level with Ace, and smiled at her getting a gasp from Ace. "Doth mine ears deceive me? A fair, and gentle flower graces the son of Odin with thy wondrous laugh!" Ace starts to look away from Thor, and he starts talk to Ace in a calm manner. "Fear not. Thy gaze shall not hurt me." Ace still has her eyes closed, but eventually peaks out of one eye to see Thor smiling kindly at her. Ace shakes her head with her short hair swaying from side to side. "No...if I look. You'll go mad like all the others."
"Child, I hath seen Hel, and sights t'would haunt mortal men's dreams for eternity. Look upon me without fear." Thor's words were said with absolute confidence in the outcome, and Ace could feel that he was telling her the truth. She started turning her head slowly around, and opened her eyes wide, and stared into Thor's blue eyes. Toyman was watching the proceedings, and decided to give his opinion. "Playtime's over for you, Blondie. Welcome to crazy town!" Toyman spun around in a circle with a toy airplane in one of his hands, and was tripped up by Volcana, who glared down at Toyman. "Shut the hell up, half-pint! I want to see what going to happen!" Volcana then looked over at Thor curiously. Galatea, and Atomic Skull were watching as well. Galatea glanced over at Cap, and Sif, who had proud smiles looking over at the Thunderer. Giganta had wide eyes when she saw that Thor was unaffected by Ace's deadly gaze.
Ace was looking at Thor in disbelief, and was stuttering over her words. "H..h.h...how? Is...this real? Can...I really...*sob*...look at you?" Ace had tears forming in her eyes, and she started to tremble in her chair. Thor smiled reassuringly at Ace, and nodded his head. "Tis true, yon gaze holds no power over an Asgardian born!" Ace started crying openly, and rubbing her tears away with the sleeve of her costume. Sif moved from where she was standing, and not so gently pushed Thor to the side, and took Ace in her arms, and gave her a comforting hug. Thor looked confused, and scratched the back of his head. "Gentle Sif, what hath Thor done to merit such poor treatment?"
Sif glared lightly down at the son of Odin while gently stroking Ace's short black hair to help her calm down from crying. "Thy skills on the battlefield are a wonder to behold, Milord. E'en now, thou still hath no skill with a maiden's heart." Cap winced when Thor put his head down like he was scolded by his mother. Ace turned her head to look down at Thor with a small smile. "Thank you." Thor quickly got back on his feet, and grinned at Ace, causing her to shyly place her head in the crook of Sif's neck. Cap turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Atomic Skull when he started laughing at Thor. "What a wimp! You and that little freak deserve each other! I can't even make out what your saying! Learn English, Mop Top! HA-HA-HA-HA!" Steve took his shield off his back and walked right up to Atomic Skull. "My friend was helping a lonely young girl to open up to others, and I don't appreciate you making light of her pain." Atomic Skull growled at Cap, and the flames around his skull grew higher. "What are you gonna do about it, Flag-man?! Hit me with that Frisbee your carrying around with you?" Cap took a couple of steps back giving Atomic Skull the idea that he was backing off. "Yeah...that's what I thought." Cap threw his indestructible shield, and Atomic Skull ducked out of the way effortlessly, and laughed. "Time to get you prescription checked, old man! That didn't even come close!" The shield started to ricochet off of several walls increasing it's speed, and scored a direct hit to the back of Atomic Skull's flaming head.
The shield returned to Cap, and he caught it one handed, and placed it back on his arm. Cap stared down at the groaning form of Atomic Skull, and gave him his parting words. "Pack your bags, Skull...you're off the team!"
"You..uuuggh...can't...do that!" Atomic Skull said from his position face down on the floor.
Cap turned his head, and said with an authoritative tone. "I just did." Then Cap continued walking over to his group to see if Ace is okay. Volcana whistled, and fanned her face with her slender gloved right hand. "Whoo, is it hot in here or is it just me?" Galatea groaned, and rolled her eyes. "How long were you waiting to use that line?" Volcana grinned at Galatea, and slung an arm over her shoulder. "Only all day, Kidding! So, you think the Captain over there is single?" Galatea's eyes start to glow red, and Volcana quickly takes her arm off of Galatea's shoulder. "Okay! No touching! I got it! Damn, your wound up tight." Galatea began walking over to Cap's team, and stepped over a still groaning Atomic Skull on the floor. Volcana saw Toyman out of the corner of her eye sneaking over to get a better look at Sif. Volcana shrugged, and grabbed Toyman by the back of his vest. "Let's go, you little perv. The view is much better over here."
"You're touching me, Hot stuff. Does that mean you want to see my coin purse?" Volcana quickly drops Toyman, and turns up her nose. "Forget it! I was going to put in a good word for you, but you had to pull one out of the old toy box, didn't you?" Toyman chuckled in a creepy way. "What you're trying to say is you don't want to share me, I understand. Your love is too constrictive, and I think we should see other people." Volcana's left eye began twitching slightly. "Your an annoying little ass, you know that right?" Toyman straightened out his red bow tie with both of his hands. "It's part of my charm, but you'll get over me in time." Volcana shook her head in exasperation as she followed the Toyman over to the rest of their new team.
Author's Note: Chapter 4 Complete! Onto the reviews from Chapter 3:
cabrera1234 - Hope you like the additions to the Freedom Force team. : ) With Atomic Skull now off the team, there's a spot available. I'm going to put up a poll, and let you guys vote on who gets to replace Atomic Skull on the team. : )
gunman - Glad you liked last chapter, gunman. : D Sif vs. Darkseid? Definitely could happen, against foes like Darkseid..it's kill or be killed. Sif vs. Joker = one dead clown. lol
Giganta is going to have a bigger role on the team starting next chapter, and thanks for the character suggestions for the Freedom Force. : )
Thanks for reading. Send me a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter.
(^-^)