Major Danvers sat at the head of the conference table a blanket draped around her shoulders, normally she wouldn't be seen in such a compromising position but whatever the Thunderbolts had hit her with had made it feel like her very bones had frozen. Positioned around the rest of the table were the other Ultimates as well as Thor and Cornel Fury as well as Gregory Stark, the latter had a shit-eating smirk on his face, something that infuriated her even more then the Thunderbolts break out.
"So who were those people?" Captain America asked, the meeting had been initially called to address Iran's growing unease at a symbol of SHIELD's power lounging only a few hundred miles away from the suburbs of Tehran. Instead as soon as the Triskelion had been cleared for human entry Danvers had called everyone inside. In reality she and Fury knew who had escaped SHIELD's grasp, but for the team she had to play the idiot, something she knew Fury and Stark would hold over her for years, presuming she lasted that long.
"Research has identified the group. We have a bigger problem then mere criminals escaping us, they posted it on the internet, the video went viral. Due to limited staff being re-admitted into the building and the Iran situation we haven't got round to taking it off the web." she announced.
"What bothers me," Tony Stark announced glaring daggers at his brother, "Is how with inferior technology, probably inferior training and powers, they were able to defeat us."
"Hold off on the analysis before you see the files, these guys came out of nowhere, only a few convictions between them." Fury mumbled, "First up is the team leader, the Cobalt Woman AKA Leeila Davis. Davis has no convictions and graduated from Oxford gaining a first in Engineering. Her mother was an RAF pilot and her father worker on the MACH programme, both were murdered a few years ago. Davis vanished until she reappeared with the group that attacked the Triskelion."
"Then there are her lieutenants Lester Graves and Paul Ebserol, both have no convictions, not even as much as a parking ticket or violation for jay-walking. Graves was the son of a marine sniper and did two tours of duty before disappearing in the deserts of Afghanistan, Ebserol worked in the FBI's cyber division and basically re-wrote the book on cyber warfare before he disappeared one day, literally everything vanished until today." Danvers continued, "The other four were the same, all white hats that vanished."
"Yeah the punk with the boomerangs is Frank Myres, he recently re-entered the country from Australia, the thing is the Australian Government has no record of him despite rumours that he's wanted for armed robbery on several banks that claim they weren't robbed. What we do know is that Myres before disappearing donated a million Australian dollars to a charity devoted to saving the Great Barrier Reef." Fury replied.
"He mentioned an Uncle Clyde, possibly an Australian Army Officer that fought in Vietnam." The Black Widow intervened, "Could that help narrow the search?"
"Probably but we have no idea if Clyde is a blood Uncle or an unrelated friend of the family. I did think about asking Simpson if he knew him but he's being uncooperative as per usual." Fury answered.
"That monster has nothing useful to say." Captain America announced, "I'm all for second chances but only if somebody is willing to take them."
"That's for me to decide." Major Danvers replied, "Many of you may remember the fate of Mimi Gold, the punk rock singer who was killed by a crazed fan in her apartment. What many of you may not know is that she was a SHIELD under-cover agent and that she had a daughter, Melissa Gold, who went through the basic training process before being kidnapped during the Liberator attack. We assumed she was dead until she reappeared today with sonic powers she previously hadn't possessed."
"This is worrying." Hawkeye commented, "Your saying that at least two of these guys have military training."
"Three," Fury interrupted, "the bug-man is Abner Jenkins, part of a failed Super Soldier programme to create trail-blazer units to hunt and destroy land mines. The work was based on the Captain America programme and mixed with insect DNA. Jenkins did a single tour of duty and saved many lives before mutating into his current visage. He went AWOL for six months before repapering and destroying Fort Jay before he was eventually recaptured and transferred to the holding cells under the building."
"As for the last individual Katarina Van Horn, she was our most hopeful chance at wining the heptathlon in London 2012 until she vanished in the Peloponnese two year ago. Later she reappeared in the Bahamas claiming to be Hippolyta, Daughter of Ares where she and her mount attacked cruise ships killing male passengers and abducting women many of whom became radicalized Amazons."
"I remember fighting against her and the Wyvern, both are skilled opponents." Thor added, "These Thunderbolts all were turned but by who, I sense my brothers hand could be at work here."
"It's not Loki but it is somebody." Danvers confirmed, "Unless something major happens I want finding these punks as number one priority. You're all dismissed." she added bitterly. One by one the Ultimates left the room until only Fury and Danvers were left. As Gregory Stark walked past he smirked and sarcastically clapped his hands before whispering, "I'll be back for the five o'clock show." As he closed the door behind him Danvers glanced at Fury, "He knows, I don't know how but he does." she hissed.
"Yeah he does." Fury announced, "And I have a feeling that he's not going to leave those kids to do their jobs unhindered"
Stark whistled a merry tune as he arrived back into his lab, where three figured were waiting for him, all three of them hunched into chairs. Luckily the security system had taken a battering so he could conduct the meeting in secret "You have been gathered here because all three of you have an enemy, the Thunderbolts." he announced, "Thanks to Doctor Sophen I was made aware of the programme, thanks to Captain Cross I was able to spike the Ultimates food so they would escape and as for you Doctor Klaw, your contribution to the sonic tracker has been invaluable."
"So you gathered us here to thank us?" Cross yelled.
"Yes Captain, you see all three of you have in the past made mistakes. I call upon you to redeem yourselves." Stark announced, "In due course the Thunderbolts will have to be destroyed."
"I don't see how an amputee, an injured soldier and an elderly lady will be any good to you." Doctor Sophen commented, "And we all know that Danvers calls the shots for the moment."
"Exactlly, for the moment, but even a blind man could see that Fury is making a move for the Director's position." Stark told them, "So am I, but the thing is the Ultimates won't work for me, their too loyal to my brother, as for Fury's Avengers they will bolt as soon as I take control. That's why you are here, you will be my Ultimates. Let me demonstrate on Doctor Sophen." he added.
"Why me?" the Sophen asked.
"Because I know how to fix you, despite your façade I know that your working on Kree technology not on new gravity weapons. You already created a strength enhancing gravity harness, but it's DNA locked. Behold." he revealed the device and a syringe full of blue liquid, "this is the answer." he added jamming the syringe into Doctor Sophen's arm. Instantly she began to convulse as froth sprayed out of her mouth. Shuddering in her chair her eyes darted rapidly around the room first to Cross then Klaw and finally to Stark sheer panic plain to see. As she convulsed her skin smoothed and her grey hair grew out becoming long, lustrous and corn silk blonde. Eventually she stopped shaking and got to her feet before walking over to Stark and grabbing him by the neck.
"See it worked." he wheezed as his assistant scuttled out and showed Doctor Sophen her reflection, she immediately dropped Stark and stared at herself stroking her perfect cheek. "Behold Project Moonstone has come to fruition." Stark announced.
"I didn't look this good even when I was twenty." Doctor Sophen spluttered, "What was that stuff?"
"Kree DNA form Captain Marvel, I gave you just enough to get the harness working, you should be able to fly, as well as lift many times your own weight." Stark announced, "Who knows you may be able to do other things as well."
"Can it regenerate my arm, if so I'm in that slut will be crushed by my hands." Klaw hissed.
"Sadly it can't Mr. Klaw but I do have an interesting development that allows the fusion of man and machine, the heavy calibre Vibranium Pulse Rifle is being prepped as we speak, you may not be able to strangle Songbird but you could vaporize." Stark explained
"With my very own hands." Klaw sneered, "I like that." he added
"As for Mr. Cross I believe that the high grade cybernetic replacements that are in the final stage of testing need a test subject. Enhanced Accuracy and Heightened Senses are guaranteed of course, all of my products carry such promises." Stark stated.
"But SHIELD ditched the Cybernetics Programme to save money." Dr Sophen said suspiciously, "Development was stopped before prototypes could be created."
"SHIELD dropped the project and I had Ms. Jarvis move it to be completed by an associate of mine."
"That still puts us at a disadvantage, numbers wise." Cross announced, "Unless you can create clones of us." he joked.
"No I have little use for the clones I created for you, they were slow and unresponsive that's why I had to invite you here." Stark replied, "Let's just say I noticed the altered files of are friends and found out that like all criminals they have enemies. For example Detective Patricia Mulligan is loosing her job because Boomerang escaped from SHIELD's custody when she should have taken him in. Another example is the man called Hercules who arrived looking for the girdle of Hippolyta with his little friends, there currently rotting in the cells but I'm sure he could serve a purpose in return for his freedom. Then there is the image consultant, an agent called the Head Hunter whose there handler, I looked into her past and found a former lover whose flying on his way here to take a bite out of her."
"So that takes care of numbers," Klaw stated, "Do you want them dead now or later?" he asked rubbing his cauterized stump.
"Later, for now I need them, they will be the lynch-pin that will connect Fury and Danvers to their doom." Stark said happily, "Now if you go with Ms. Jarvis she will take you for augmentation, I will arrive later I have other matters to intend to." Jarvis quickly led the others out and Stark spun in his chair before activating a large screen TV on the wall.
"Mr Cash." he said to the dark skinned bulky man that appeared, "I got that help you needed."
"Those punks that thrashed the Triskelion?" Cash asked, "From what you said their SHIELD agents and can't be trusted."
"Ah Mr. Cash we want to be caught, start them off small before bringing them in to the big score, see how quickly they report back." Stark told him, "Once we know how the system works we can use it lure Fury and Danvers into Checkmate. After that I get control of SHIELD and you get to do whatever it is you down in Brazil."
"Well I do need Zabo taken care of; he's been selling inferior but more addictive strain of Hulk." Cash mused, "If these guys can take him off the street I'll consider it. I'm curious though, if these punks beat the hell out of the Ultimates then why do you want them dead."
"Because I need every existing SHIELD team not under my control disposed of, if they find out who they really are working for it will be my downfall. Therefore I want you to keep your mouth shut about me, do you understand because I can make you disappear Cash, you may be a big man but I'm a lot bigger."
"Yeah I get you, shall I call them now?"
"No let them savour their victory, every day from now is numbered they just don't know it." Stark replied reclining in his chair as he turned off the TV and the lights as he sat alone in the darkness.