Chapter Nine: Fighting and Discovery
Horned King II: Hello again! I have a poll for all viewers. Should Peter and Natasha make love in the next two chapters or towards the end? The choice is yours! Just leave a review with your choice!
The fighting between the ragtag group that Peter has joined and S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers continues even as the ground continues its violent throes. Peter punches a soldier in his visor and knocks him cold. "What the fuck is this?" He shouts to Natasha. The redheaded Russian ducks a punch and kicks a soldier in his face, sending him flying backward. "I don't know, my love. I fear we may soon find out," She tells her lover. True to her words, the ground briefly stops shaking. All fighting stops and everyone stares at the ground.
Then a metal object punches through the ground. Everyone watches in mute horror as a mechanical figure, about ten feet tall, step out. It is black, with green eyes. It emits a shrill shriek. Then dozen more claw/shields break through the earth as six more black ones climb out. Then a huge area collapses behind them, the road forming a ramp. Hundreds of the odd creatures march out; black ones along with ones of red, green, brown, white, and blue as well. The creatures stop and part to make room for six more to walk forward. These one are the same as the others, one red, one brown, one white, one black, one green, and one blue. However, their shields are of different shapes, as well as the six have not the same transparent screen covering their foreheads. The red one steps forward. "We are the Bohrok-Kal," It hisses. "We are the generals of the Bohrok swarm. Step aside, you are not our enemies. Resist us, and you become so," It hisses threateningly.
A S.H.I.E.L.D. soldier steps forward. "Who are you to command us, creature?" He sneers. The black one steps forward. "Then feel the power of the Bohrok-Kal!" It snarls as it raises it's shield and points it at the soldier. Before everyone's eyes, the man lifts into the air and his body collapses in on itself. A second soldier points his gun but before he can fire, the blue one moves one of its shields and the gun is suddenly yanked from his hands. The white one points its own shields at him and, with the faint sounds of crackling and popping, he falls to his floor covering bloodied ears. He can barely recover when the green one creates a vacuum and the poor, nearly breathless soldier is finally incinerated by a ball of pure plasma shot from the shield of the brown one. As the torture was commencing, the group leaves the stunned soldiers in a hasty retreat. Barely are they out of sight when the red one creates a wave of electricity that fries all the soldiers.
A blue one, one of the Bohroks, sends a telepathic signal to the red Bohrok-Kal. "Others are escaping. Should pursue?" It asks for the mask-like thing underneath it's forehead. "No, let them run. Our master has given us a mission, one we must complete," The red one hisses.
Later…
Peter and the rest of his group finally stops running when they have put up a good mile or so. "What the hell was that?" Logan pants. Everyone turns to Amora, but she shrugs. It is 626 that answers. "Bohrok," The shape shifter says. Clint looks at him. "What?"
"Bohrok. An ancient evil that has not walked the surface since the time before time. Six deadly breeds. Gahlok, the deadly masters of the ocean water. Tahnok, the fiery demons. Kohrok, creatures of the chilly lands. Nuvhok, diggers of the underground. Pahrak, destroyers of stone. And perhaps the deadliest of them all, Levhak, wielders of deadly acid," 626 says. Peter looks at him as Natasha speaks. "And those six? The ones who had spoken?" She asks.
"The Bohrok-Kal. One of each breed that serve as the general for each of the six. Tahnok-kal, the head general and calculating warrior, wields the power of electricity. Gahlok-kal, second-in-command and resourceful, uses magnetism. Kohrok-kal is the sadistic master of sonic. Levhak-kal, master of the deadly vacuum and just as deadly in wanting to see how long you can hold your breath. The power of plasma is controlled by arrogant Pahrak-kal. And the very strength of gravity answers to Nuvhok-kal, possibly the most dangerous."
Rogers turns to the shape shifter. "How do you know all this?" He asks. 626's child form flickers as a new one appears. It is scarlet, standing on two massive legs that end in claws and each one having a sickle toe/claw. It's long tail ends with a wickedly looking spiked club. It's arms end in claws that make Logan's claws like toothpicks. It's wings move slightly as if to catch a non-existent breeze. At the top rests a crested head, with fangs. It's yellow-green eyes stare at the awed group, who are mainly shocked by a lack of overall organic material. "How do I know? Because I have fought them since the day they stepped onto the earth. You gaze upon the true form of 626, the shape shifter," It says as it changes back to it's child form. "Wow. With this job, I am truly seeing random things again and again, eh Bucky?" Clint says, turning to Bucky…
Only to find that he is not there. Peter looks around. "Hey, where is Bucky?" He asks. Everyone else looks around, trying to find him to no avail. "Well, if he's missing, we can only hope to see him again," Roger says sadly. The group nods in reluctant agreement. Ben speaks up for the first time since the attack had begun. "Wait, you told us who is the leader of the swarm, but who controls Tahnok-Kal?" He asks. 626 sighs. "When the light has fallen, and the shield damaged, beware the Beast, beware the Titan. The Beast will rise and force the hand of the Titan. Beware his sons, beware the generals, and beware the sleeping horde. For if it is wakened, and the Beast is copied, the world may fall under the shadow. And all shall be razed by him," 626 recites. "That was an ancient prophecy, when the world was in its beginning and the swarm was sleeping, this was a warning to your earliest ancestors. I had prayed this day would never come."
Peter looks up. "Oh? And what is that day?" He asks curiously. Again 626 sighs. "The day of the Shadow, the day of Makuta, the master of shadow, leader of Hand, and my brother and enemy," 626 says. Now the whole group stares at him. Then Logan laughs mockingly. "Makuta?! Oh, that's a good one! Look out, world! I am the Makuta! Fear me!" He laughs again when a new sound is heard. "HE IS CORRECT ABOUT THAT LAST PART," A deep voice rumbles. Everyone looks around trying to identify the source. Natasha is the first one to speak. "Who are you?" The ground rumbles. "I...AM MAKUTA," The voice echos. Rogers now takes over. "Show yourself!" He demands bravely. A horrible laugh rumbles. "YOUR ATHOURITY IS DUBIOUS. BUT I AM NOT HERE, NOR WILL I TELL YOU WHERE I AM. I HAVE COME ONLY TO GIVE YOU A MESSAGE: STAY OUT OF THIS. THIS DOES NOT CONCERN YOU. RESIST, AND YOU SHALL PERISH WITH HYDRA!" The voice echoes out. The group is silent for a moment.
"What the bloody fucking hell was that?!" Logan demands. 626 shakes his head. "That, you imbecile, was Makuta. Or rather, his voice. And that was the easiest thing he could have done. If you want to live, human, you will stop provoking him any more than is necessary and listen to your orders that are given to you," The shape shifter says firmly. Logan starts to protest when Wasp stops him. "Logan, do us all a favor, and shut up for once before you get us all killed!" The normally calm and cheerful woman says forcefully. For once, Logan just does what he is told to do. "Good, glad to have that all settled. Now, I think we may want to move out. If those S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers mean anything, it's that Carter really wants us either captured, or dead. So for right now, I think that we should find somewhere else to spend the night," Rogers says.
Peter and Natasha both blush at what Logan says next. "We might also find a clean room with a bed and a lockable door for our two love birds here that got caught before they could begin," The mutant says with a smirk. Amora shakes her head as she stands by 626. "Ugh. Mortals and their silly antics," She sighs. 626 shakes his head. "Really? You're telling the one who spent all this time protecting them that they have silly antics?" He says in an ironic joke. Amora just rolls her eyes at 626 when she focus on Ben. "Although, one of them is quite dashing enough for me to try one of their antics," She says with a slight smile. 626 shakes his head and moves off, muttering to himself about female Asgardians and their hormones.
At makeshift S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ…
Sharon Carter, self-appointed leader of what was left of S.H.E.I.L.D., stands frustrated. "And our squad was WIPED OUT, BY BUGS?!" She demands furiously. There are only a few people with her in the room. The poor agent who had told her what had just happened nods shakily. "And Rogers and the others escaped too? Damn it, we need to kill them," She seethes. "Oh, and what's going to stop me from stopping you?" Challenges Luke Cage. His wife had died a few hours ago and now he is furious about learning that is friends are at risk of being killed. "I wish you hadn't learned about this, but oh well. Proceed your way to oblivion," She sighs. Luke looks confused when a bullet goes through his chest. He looks down in shock at the bloody hole that has just formed. "I had the armory work on making a bullet capable of going through your skin in case you ever decided to go 'rouge'. Adios, traitor," She says with a sneer. Luke just stares at her a second bullet goes through his forehead making a neat, hole and killing him.
Carter speaks to the shooter. "Nice timing, agent. And thanks for giving the tip on where to find them, even if it did result in a failed attempt." A figure walks in, the light revealing him to be none other than Bucky. "Of course, Director Carter," He says with a salute to her. Carter nods in approval. "Keep up the good work, and you won't regret it. Now, someone clean this mess up now," She orders one of the agents inside the makeshift HQ.
Aboard the Leviathan…
The man whose title is the Kurgan seethes in agony. He was walking to his seat in the bridge when he collapsed to one knee. A Hydra sailor walks up to him. "Sir, are you okay? Maybe you need to sit or lay down for a bit," He suggests. This infuriates the Kurgan. "I do not need to sit down. I am not weak," He snarls as he grabs the luckless man's head with his mechanical right hand and crushes it into a bloody pulp. "I am never weak! All of you will do wise to remember that!" He continues snarling as he tosses the now headless Hydra sailor away. Furious, the Kurgan turns around and leaves the bridge.
He walks to a special chamber that only he can access from the outside. He enters it and locks the door. It is a chamber that allows him to remove his respirator. He does so, revealing a horribly scarred mouth and lower face. His pale blue eyes glare at the empty chamber as his greasy jet black hair falls behind his ears. He activates a secure and private link to Madame Hydra. "Yes, what is it, Kurgan?" He grunts in greeting. "It's been getting worse. Unless we can find a way to either slow it down or completely stop it, I will be able to continue serving you for a few more months, at most six," He informs her. As it is just the two of them talking and listening, the Kurgan's normally harsh, grating tone is gentle, indicating that fact that the two have been in love for some time.
"Fear not, my dear. I have been working day and night. Now I have been told that all we really need is a sample of the S3 S.H.I.E.L.D. has used," The female leader of Hydra tells her lover. "Thank you, my love. I also have some bad news. It seems that Makuta and Hand have unleashed the swarm. The prophecy is starting to unfold," Kurgan warns her. She hisses in frustration. "Very well, keep me updated on the situation. Oh, and if you see the Parkers, you have permission to eliminate the whole group," Madame Hydra instructs the Kurgan. "It will be done, dear. HAIL HYDRA!" The kurgan says, giving the Hydra salute. She returns it as the screen turns off. Kurgan puts back on his breathing apparatus and exits the chamber to return to the bridge. "Seal off the city. No one gets in or out alive and in one piece except for Hydra. Prepare the Leviathan to hunt down the Parkers. Kill the whole group, but leave Peter and his 'girl' for me on the promise of death in a way you will feel pain you could never believe!" He commands the now fearful bridge crew.
Makuta's Underground Layer….
Makuta ponders on what he has found out. 'So, my annoying brother is still awake? And now the prophecy is starting. I will not yet order the swarm to attack. Yet. Let Hydra become the true villains and then have Hand become heroes and defeat Hydra and then slowly start to rule these pathetic mortals.' With that, Makuta laughs at his master plan as he gives his new orders to his minions, telling them to attack only in defense. "If you thought the war had begun, and the worst was over, you are wrong. It has only just begun," The master of shadows laughs to himself.
Horned King II: Hello again. I am hoping that you all are enjoying the story. I think I should warn all my followers and readers, you will probably not see more of my story's plot ahead of my published chapters unless I say what will happen. But I want to take a moment to thank all of you for enjoying this story that I have picked up on continuing. As always, both enjoy and leave a review! Until next time, friends.