The meeting had been a complete waste of time, at least in his eyes, Tony thought he had barley got a word in edge ways about Osborne's extensive black-mail or his recalling of all Stark equipment from law enforcement and the military. Even more strangely Victoria Hand had interrupted the meeting near the end and Osborne had left with out an explanation. Shortly after that the others had left and Tony had eventually decided to follow their example and head back to Camp Hammond. Despite his fears the Camp was running smoothly according to Frank, there had been no more mysterious hormone attacks, and the original victims had all come round and had been discharged by the HAMMER medical officials. In addition Baron von Blitzschlag had been able to purge the KIA memories from MIA, and while she was still on shaky ground appeared to be back to her old self.
Sitting in the Zeus's transport bay Tony was secretly glad that today had been an easy day, from the next seat along Violet gave a snort as she slept. Despite his initial analysis of her, Violet had shown that she was mentally fit and had effectively streamlined his list of priorities. He thought it ironic that the Taskmaster had his own 'task-master' to keep his affairs in order. Violet jolted upright suddenly as the Zeus shook violently looking around the cargo-bay for the source of the interference.
"Calm down its just turbulence." Tony reassured her unconvincingly. He knew that the jolt felt more like the impact of a missile; he had a number of unpleasant landings in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to SAM Strikes and this felt very similar. "Stay here," he added as he stood up despite another jolt striking the Zeus. "I'll check with the pilot to see how long this will last."
Struggling to the front of the transport Tony tapped the co-pilot on the shoulder before asking, "Who's firing at us?"
"Don't know but Comms with Camp Hammond have been lost." the co-pilot replied. Tony looked forwards to see flak and explosions rock the training camp as armored soldiers and vehicles pushed forwards through the HAMMER defenses and main gate. Up ahead a M91 'Carib' Anti Aircraft Vehicle opened fire launching a swarm of rockets that impacted with the Zeus's canopy causing the transport to nose dive down towards the ground. Tony knew was happening and climbed into the transport bay and buckled into the emergency crash seat before pulling the impact bar down.
"What's going on?" Violet asked trying to free herself from her seat.
"Stay in your seat," Tony ordered, "The Zeus has been hit and we're about to…" He didn't get to finish as the Zeus hit the ground before gouging a 30 meter trench before finally coming to a stop. For what seemed like hours, Tony's ears rung as he struggled out of the seat thankful that the impact gel had taken the brunt of the force. As he got up from the crash seat he breathed in and remembered the technique that he had been taught by a Zen Master in Nepal to restore his hearing. As he breathed out the ringing died out and was replaced by the squeal of tires and the sound of boots hitting the ground as an enemy squad deployed outside.
"We have to leave." he yelled as Violet struggled to get out of her seat.
"What?" she yelled. Tony groaned and walked over to her putting his hands over her ears for a few seconds before letting go and pushing the release button for the impact bars leaving Violet free to stand up.
"Uh." the pilot groaned as he trudged out of the cockpit, "Any landing you can walk away from." he added.
"Is not necessarily good, we have hostiles approaching the crash site." Tony finished, "Violet I need you to give me some covering fire while we clear the area, you Pilot as soon as we leave send up a distress flare, hopefully some one will come for us."
"I have a name you know." the pilot complained but Tony wasn't listening to him.
"Hate to burst your bubble but I don't have a weapon, and even if I did you said I wasn't fit for combat." Violet informed him.
"This is a different scenario, as for your lack of weapons," Tony stated, "Try this on for size." he finished throwing her a large rifle and a bandolier of ammunition, "That's an Oz Corp Anti Armor Rifle, that fires 20mm Depleted Uranium Shells. I believe that you know how to fire a lethal weapon Armoury."
Violet loaded five shells into the weapon and slipped the safety off, "It looks like we have no choice." she sighed, "There cutting through the doors."
"Stay back and let me deal with these guys." Tony ordered as the cutting stopped. Seconds later three armoured hostiles broke through the door only to be quickly subdued by Tony. Stepping outside Tony and Violet saw more hostiles firing down on the Zeus Transport with small arms. Three quick shots were all it took for Violet to clear the area, with a further two destroying an M91 Anti Air Vehicle and Missile Restock Truck. The few enemies that escaped the blasts came charging into the trench and were quickly subdued by Tony with only a few swipes of his sword.
"Area secure." Tony informed the pilot who emerged nervously clutching a flare gun and a P90 point defence weapon. As he fired the flare illuminating the battlefield Tony saw that the hostiles were clad in the armor of SHIELD agents. In addition they seemed to have state of the art weapons an oddity for an insurrection movement fighting governmental forces. There was more, Tony felt, behind this attack then what was on the surface as more explosions rocked the Camp Hammond complex.
In the main entrance, Constrictor and the other defenders fought off another SHIELD attack, this time backed up by Stark Industries Automated Armoured Trailblazer Units (AAT-U), the crab like robots burning a hole through the camps static defenders. Five clicks east of the gate a distress flare shot up glowing red above the attacking hordes. Behind him the hooded figure of the Taskmaster emerged returning back from his meeting with Osborne.
"Frank what is happening here?" the Taskmaster asked, "I left you in charge for one day and find a war on my doorstep."
"Sir this attack came out of nowhere." Frank replied, "They may have outnumbered and outgunned us but we have been able to slow their advance for the moment. It seems however, that some of the trainees have joined the attack and if they attack at the same time we may be overrun."
"Mutinous trainees huh." the Taskmaster said, "I'll deal with them, hold the line and pray you don't fail lest you have to answer to me."
"What about the flare sir?" Frank asked.
"Leave it, they will have to fend for themselves." the Taskmaster answered heading towards the camp interior.
"Is it me?" Puma asked tossing a SHIELD soldier back off the defensive line, "Or did he seem a bit grouchy."
"He did." Frank confirmed, "Joystick." he called to the young woman who was in the process of beating a SHIELD agent with her battle staff. "Go and investigate that flare, double time." Joystick nodded and tore off through the main gate with the yells and screams of the attackers left in her wake.
"Left side." the pilot called as an AAT crawled over the lip of the trench, "Target on the left side."
"Got it" Armoury called as she fired a shell straight into the robot's sensor cluster causing it to slip and crash down the slope.
"New Target incoming, moving fast at ground level." Tony informed watching the makeshift tracker that the three of them had set up in the trench. So far most of the SHIELD agents had been concentrating on moving forward with only a few sent to investigate the crash site, but Tony knew it wouldn't last long. As soon as they gained control of the gate the coordinated defence would crumble. His thoughts ended when the form of Joystick crested the top of the trench.
"How did you get here so quickly?" she asked Tony.
"What I haven't been anywhere apart from this trench." Tony called up to her.
"No you were back in camp snapping at everybody and dealing with the rouge trainees." Joystick replied
"Moult? Could he be behind this attack?" Violet asked
"I'm going to kill Scourge if he is." Tony growled as the pilot asked, "Who's Moult?" and was once again ignored.
"Joystick we need a way to get to camp and fast." Tony called.
"There's a SHIELD HUMVEE about a quarter of a click past the top of this ridge." Joystick informed them, "Look's like its still working as well." she added blurring off to check and then running back.
"Good go back to camp and tell them not to listen to anything the fake me tells them." Tony ordered her clambering up the side of the trench. By the time he and Violet had reached the top of the ridge, Joystick was gone although the battered looking SHIELD attackers and the trail through the amassed ranks showed where she had been.
Back in Camp Hammond the Taskmaster walked into the main training room where several trainees and SHIELD commandos had finished the HAMMER defenders stationed there.
"This is between me and my trainees." the Taskmaster said to the commandos, "You may leave, or watch me slaughter them and you." Seconds later the sound of retreating commandos could be heard echoing through the training arena. "So Skein this is your rebel element." the Taskmaster said mockingly, "Anybody who surrenders now won't be killed." he offered. None of the trainees surrendered and simply stared at the Taskmaster as he drew his sword.
"You will not touch these students." a commanding voice said from the back of the group as Holocan walked forward armed with long obsidian tipped sword. "Leave now." he ordered the other trainees, "This man is not who he claims to be."
Several of the trainees left heading towards the main gate and their rebel comrades but Skein, Harry Osborne and Bengal stood their ground and walked forward to surround the Taskmaster.
"Either everyone gets out or nobody does." Skein said bravely.
"So be it, nobody is leaving." the Taskmaster sneered, "I will find those cowards and make them pay but first I deal with you four." he added meeting Holocan's first parry with his own blade. Behind him Skein concentrated hard and caused the Taskmaster's arms to cramp causing his counter chop to miss Holocan as Harry in the American Son Armor sent a blast of light that stunned his target. The fake Taskmaster went down and struggled to get up as his clothes constricted around him while Holocan and Bengal moved in to make the final fatal wound.
"No I won't be beaten by some trainees." the Taskmaster hissed his clothes and skin shredding revealing a sallow faced yellow lizard like individual. Nimbly dodging both Bengals and Holocan's strikes Moult lashed out at Skein knocking her to the floor. Charging in the American Son slammed into him knocking the former black ops soldier to the floor. Aggressively Harry pummelled Moult until blood oozed form his opponents nose.
Moult smiled before saying, "Do it boy, kill me and become like your father."
"I'm nothing like him," Harry growled. Moult responded by slamming an electro-magnetic pulse disc onto the hero's armor causing him to convulse in pain. With a grunt Moult lifted the armoured figure and threw him across the room straight at Bengal who nimbly dodged the strike throwing his Sai's at the reptilian villain. Moult caught the first blade but missed the second that imbedded in his arm. Bengal walked over retrieving the first blade from the villains shoulder only to find his target reaching for his sword. Attempting to dodge the incoming strike Bengal jerked to the left only to feel the steel blade cut through his arm. Falling to the floor he felt Moult step cruelly on his neck ready to administer the execution strike.
"Stop." Holocan called, "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"You can't stop me Old Man," Moult hissed.
"I don't plan to stop you, just postpone you." Holocan corrected him raising his sword once again.
Driving like a mad man Tony drove the HUMVEE through the front line of the SHIELD units and straight into the middle of the defensive line of HAMMER and Initiative members.
"You drive like a spaz Masters." Violet called out dropping to the floor from the mounted gun position.
"You'll pay for that comment later," Tony warned her as Frank walked towards them.
"Is that the real you Tony?" he asked looking confused.
"Yes Frank, now where's the other me?" he asked.
"In the Training Room, it's been locked down by your access code." Frank explained.
"Hold the line, I'm going to sort this problem out once and for all." Tony growled unsheathing his sword.
Upon reaching the training room Tony heard the clash of blade on blade, somebody was inside already fighting Moult. Inputting the codes the doors opened and he saw Moult in his disgusting true form fighting Holocan his feathered head dress on the floor revealing his elderly features.
"I have held for long enough." Holocan said with a smile on his face. The next slash by Moult's sword caused his body to erupt in a shower of gold light that streaked off into the sky.
"Well ain't that odd." Moult commented before turning to Tony, "The boss wants' your training camp, if I kill you I may get a bonus." he explained as he elegantly flipped his sword. Tony dropped his own blade and fired a shot from one of the pistols he had holstered on his belt. With a thump Moult's body fell to the floor a disgusted look on his hideous features.
"Stop where you are." Taskmaster a voice behind him commanded. Turning Tony saw the dark lithe form of the South African Super Soldier Captain Zulu stand in the doorway next to U.S. Agent his shield gleaming in the aftermath of Holocan's death.
"You will pay for the people you helped enslave," Zulu said, "and for the cruelty you helped Osborne construct."
"Captain, a friendly word of advice," Tony said calmly, "Somebody in your organization works for Osborne."
"I don't believe you." Zulu replied.
"Well for starters the real U.S. Agent hold his shield in his left hand." Tony stated. The fake U.S. Agent looked at Zulu in surprise and then held up his hands in surrender.
"Why would you tell me this?" Zulu asked suspiciously.
"To show you can trust me." Tony explained, "I want you to call off your attack and return to where ever you cam from, in return I will promise that I will call off the air-strikes that HAMMER is launching as we speak."
"I have your word." Zulu said. Tony nodded and Zulu took the surrendering U.S. Agent and threw him at Tony's feet before walking out of the training arena.
"You must be Ghille." Tony said to the surrendering man, "Now I have the whole set."
"I'm not him I'm just some hood that Scourge pulled off the street, he have me 10 grand to pretend to be U.S. Agent, honest." the fake agent stammered, "Please I just did what he said." he added as HAMMER troops entered the arena.
"Sir what are your orders?" one trooper asked.
"Take this scum and throw him in the brig." Tony ordered, "As for everybody else." he said staring at Harry Osborne and Skein who were shouldering Bengal, "Let them go. Tomorrow's another day."
"Thank you." Skein said as she helped Bengal onto a stretcher before walking out the door almost knocking Violet and Frank onto the floor.
"Where are they going in such a hurry?" Frank asked.
"It doesn't matter." Tony answered, "What's the situation outside?"
"The SHIELD onslaught is retreating." Violet explained, "Should we pursue?"
"No, I promised them we wouldn't. Besides we have wounded to take care of, it wouldn't be advantageous at current to follow them." Tony replied before Violet viciously shoved him to the ground as a sniper shot rang out from one of the towers.
"What the?" Tony asked as Violet's body collapsed to the floor. Turning he saw the flare of engines as the sniper rocketed away from the tower with the few HAMMER troops in the area firing ineffectively up at him.
"Why did you save me, the bullet was meant for me?" Tony asked the dying Violet.
"Because," she spluttered, "You saved me." she smiled before closing her eyes oblivious to Frank and Tony's calls for help.
