"This is nice." Rachel commented, "Sitting here together like a family."
"Maybe for you," Abe replied, "But Melissa and I are sitting in the Quinn Jet which we submerged at the bottom of the bay."
"I'd gladly trade with you." Magneto said, "This is killing me."
"Now kids, don't make Mum and Dad come up there." Melissa joked, "Okay we have eyes over the city." she added as Abe, with the help of Fixer's hologram, to link into the Miami Bay Surveillance Network. Robbie waved at the nearest camera, as the waitress arrived at their table with the drinks. Rachel looked absolutely stunning Melissa thought, she was wearing a purple two piece with a sarong wrapped round her waist. Robbie looked very natural in the long sleeved T-shirt and Bermuda shorts he was wearing which was more then could be said for Magneto, who looked unhappy with the slacks and flowery Hawaiian shirt he had been given.
"Remember that you are a kind granddad taking his kids on holiday for a few days." Abe reminded him, "Now can any of you see the boat."
"It's still in the harbour," Robbie informed him, "If you really had eyes everywhere you would know that."
The Royal Caribbean ship Ocean King was indeed docked in the harbour. The Thunderbolts had been forced to leave Utopia early due to Melissa's sleep screaming, with nearly ever window in the complex shattered. Abe had disliked Magneto from the start but Melissa reasoned that Cyclops and the X Men trusted him and that they should give him, at least for the moment, the benefit of the doubt. In return Abe had convinced Melissa that even with the Quinn Jet and Magneto's powers that they were risking a lot to meet up with Chen. Instead they had headed to Miami due to a file containing the blueprints of the Ocean King that was attached to the battle simulation of Operation Eden. It hadn't taken long for the Thunderbolts to come to the conclusion that Osborne was trying to manufacture a scenario like the attack of Soldier's Field to start a new conflict.
"Are you sure that your contact is willing to help us?" Rachel asked.
"Yes he's on the Ocean King and ready to provide us a way out if we need it." Melissa replied, "Now pretend you love each other like a family. Abe and I are going to be off the air so play nice and no powers, the last thing we need is for you to be arrested."
It was true, due to Deadpool's failed attack on Osborne and his Avengers, as well as the Thunderbolt's own actions the government had granted Osborne the power to arrest anybody he consider a threat to security. Already there had been a few high-profile arrests such as Donnie Gill, the former Blizzard, who had been accused of being part of a plot to blackmail the government. Another this time the arrest of Simon Williams resulted in the deaths of three HAMMER Agents as the former Avenger escaped his pursuers.
"Melissa we need to talk." Abe said as soon as he was sure the other's couldn't here them.
"It's about the dreams isn't it?" Melissa asked
"You need to see someone about it Mel," Abe said, "Robbie, Rachel and I are all worried about you."
"Don't worry after we have dealt with whatever's going on here I will ask my contact for some advice."
"Where did you meet this guy?" Abe asked.
"In New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I led a team there to rescue survivors but let's just say things then got interesting."
"Will you ever tell me what happened?"
"Not today." she replied wrapping her arm around him and kissing him on the lips.
"What was that for?"
"Coming back." she stated, "and this," Melissa said kissing him again, "is for worrying about me."
Up on shore Magneto had led his 'grandchildren' away from the café, it was strange he thought Rachel and Robbie, or Jessica and Keith as their IDs said reminded him so much of his own children. Maybe once this was over he would try and mend the fences that existed between them. Something suddenly felt wrong and he looked around trying to gauge the problem, walking away from him toward the harbour was a young woman, who looked around 23 and was of Oriental origin. There was nothing unusual about this, he reminded himself but his powers had detected something.
"What is it Grandpa Charlie?" Rachel asked
"Change of plan Jess," Magneto replied, "Let's go rent a yacht from the harbour and go sailing instead."
"Why are we doing that?" Rachel asked
"Just my old war wound playing up." Magneto replied, "Keith call you Mum and tell her that we are on top of things."
"Okay Grandpa Charlie." Robbie replied
"It's a while since we did that." Melissa stated as she stirred under the blanket in the back of the Quinn Jet. Abe smiled as he put his arm around her as the pink curtains, created by Melissa's sonic harness dissipated.
"Shouldn't we be keeping watch?" Abe said, "The Atlantians are most likely to attack from below."
"It's all work with you." Melissa answered playfully punching Abe on the arm, "Fine, but your spoiling my fun."
From the cockpit the Quinn Jet's scanners beeped indicating that it had detected an anomaly in the water around them. Putting the image on screen revealed a stream of water dashing randomly across the bay.
"Just a strong current," Abe asked, "or something more sinister?"
"I can't tell." Melissa replied as the communications crackled
"Mum, Dad we may have a slight problem." Robbie informed them
"What is it?" Abe said as Melissa fiddled around with the zoom features, trying to lock onto the mysterious water column.
"Grandpa reckons that somebody's heading for our boat." Robbie replied, "Can you get a look with the security system."
"Hang on." Abe said, "Okay scanning the water front. What exactly am I looking for?"
"Japanese, Early 20s wearing a white T-Shirt and black slacks." Magneto said.
"Got her and running a facial recognition, why am I checking this woman out?" Abe asked
"She's carrying a lot of metal on her." Magneto replied, "Too much for a normal person." he added
"Okay we have a match, I'm sending a profile to you now." Abe informed them
"Whoa." Rachel commented, "Wrong image Abe."
"Why is Melissa naked?" Robbie asked, "Wait you two weren't."
"Here's your girl." Melissa replied quickly, "Yuriko Oyama, AKA Lady Deathstrike."
"So the attacks coming from above." Robbie commented, "Shall we stop her."
"Follow her she may be working with somebody else." Melissa ordered, "And for your information the heater has malfunctioned on the Quinn Jet you perverts. Melissa out."
"Heaters out?" Rachel laughed, "That's the oldest excuse in the book."
"Come on children we have an adamantine boned mutant assassin to find." Magneto said.
The water column continued to move across the bay but always under the surface. Whatever it was, the object was simply to fast for the jet's sensors to track. Melissa and Abe dressed ready for combat just in case the blur was hostile but the movements seemed too random to be a scout or attacker.
"If we can't get a face off that thing, how about working out how fast it's moving, from that we can match speeds with marine animals and known super-villains and begin to eliminate suspects." Abe suggested
"Run it." Melissa replied
"Guys its Robbie are you decent?"
"We're good and the heaters fixed." Abe replied
"Deathstrike is at the Ocean King, she hasn't met anyone and is about to board." Robbie informed them, "No claws or anything they just let her on."
"She probably has a reservation, Osborne's funding this so money's no object." Melissa said bitterly
"So the attacks coming for above, no Atlantean presence at all." Rachel stated
"Could be we're tracking something in the water but we have no idea what it is." Melissa replied
"Speed is around 60knots which means it could be Blue Marlin or and Atlantean." Abe said
"Deathstrike is on the ship." Magneto informed them, "Do we act know or wait for her to disembowel a few hundred people."
"Get in position." Melissa ordered "We're coming up." Suddenly the Quinn Jet was rocked by the unknown contact as it rocketed past. In a split second the sensors caught the face of the being as it moved across the hull and rocketed straight towards the Ocean King.
"The attack is from above and below." Melissa called, "Our contact is heading for the Ocean King. Preventing Impact now." she said as a pink shield surrounded the hull of the boat causing the attacker to bounce off.
"Any idea what just happened," Rachel asked, "The boat just rocked."
"Our contact is an Atlantean Super Villain by the name of Bloodtide, she's trying to sink the ship." Abe said, "Wait scratch that she's moving away." On the shore there was an almighty splash and several Atlantean Warriors were propelled up on to the Ocean King's deck.
"Know we can act," Melissa ordered, "Remember civilian lives take priority over beating up bad-guys. Now Thunderbolt's strike them like down like lighting."