"Sir we have a situation developing down in Miami Bay Harbour." Victoria Hand said as she ventured into Osborne's Conference Room. She was met by intense stares from the people inside, the new members of Norman's 'Dark Illuminati'.
"What is it then Hand." Osborne replied irritably
"Well we have reports of Atlantean Forces attacking the Ocean King Cruise Liner." she reported glaring at Attuma who was flanked by a massive pair of Atlantean Bodyguards
"As the plan required." Osborne said, "The Local HAMMER Force will deal with them and the instigators, Lady Deathstrike and Bloodtide will pass on the message that Namor sent them, paving the way for Operation Eden."
"We have a complication." Victoria stumbled, "Songbird is already on scene and she's not alone."
"Who did she bring?" Osborne sighed.
"Diamondback, Penance and, well it's to unbelievable see for yourself." she flipped a switch and a screen lit up on the wall of the darkened conference room showing Atlantean forces attacking civilians on both the Ocean King and the Harbour. Flying across the deck Songbird could be seen creating scooping the attackers off the deck and back into the water. Further along by the pool Diamondback was protecting a group of crewmen at one of the lifts preventing the Atlantean forces from spreading while Penance fired blasts of energy from the harbour forcing the Atlantean's back into the ocean. The three Thunderbolts didn't seem to be fighting alone though as two more figures were on the screen Osborne couldn't believe his eyes it seemed as if Magneto and Iron Man were fighting alongside Songbird.
"Tell the Avengers to assemble." he told Victoria Hand, "And find Scourge, he has a lot to answer for."
The battle on the deck of the Ocean King was beginning to come under control, for the most part the Atlantean attackers were under equipped, Melissa thought, still they defiantly had numbers on their side.
"How's things your side Diamondback," she called as she flew past Abe who had landed on the deck to bring the next lot of civilians off the boat."
"Everything's okay at the moment, but I have quite the craving for Sushi." Rachel replied.
"We need to find Deathstrike and Bloodtide." Magneto replied as he blocked a door with a metal bench, "If we cut off the head of the snake,"
"The body dies." Abe finished for him, "What I don't understand is their tactics, a simple wave attack like this could even be repulsed by the local HAMMER teams. They must be up to something else."
"Whatever it is, they haven't played it yet." Robbie replied, "I'm pretty much done down at the Harbour, most of the Atlanteans have retreated back to the water of the Ocean King." He had a new costume that Abe and Magneto had constructed for him built along the same lines as his original armor. In all the initial confusion nobody had noticed three civilians drop down onto one of the yachts and emerge as Thunderbolts. The yacht in question had been brought by the Thunderbolts using siphoned funds from the Avengers budget, a perfect revenge as Fixer put it. Ironically later that day Osborne gave his Avengers a lecture on wasting government funds on expensive luxuries such as yachts and expensive escorts.
"Good, most of the entrances to below ship are sealed and the passengers on the top decks evacuated, know we can focus on ending the attack." Melissa ordered.
"Heads up I have a bead on Deathstrike, she's coming out from below ship." Rachel stated
"Magneto give Diamondback a hand to restrain her." Melissa ordered as Deathstrike noticed Rachel and ran towards her claws already extended. Magneto swooped down and slammed Deathstrike into the hull of the ship as Rachel slashed off her left hand.
"What's your plan?" Rachel asked tell me or Magneto starts tearing the metal off your bones."
"I'm not paid to talk, I was paid to make people suffer." Deathstrike spat as Abe landed next to Magneto who absently flicked away an attacking Atlanteans spear before sending him flying back over the side of the ship.
"This is bad," Abe said, "Deathstrike has traces of explosive residue on her talons. They brought a bomb aboard the ship."
"Can you trace it Abe?" Melissa asked
"Yes but it's going to take a while and I'm not a trained bomb technician." he replied
"If it's made of metal I can dispose of it." Magneto offered giving a quick glare at Deathstrike who momentarily looked worried
"Okay you two go and deal with the bomb, the rest of us will hold the fort and deal with Bloodtide when she eventually reappears."
"I'm right here." a voice hissed moments before Bloodtide collided with Melissa dragging her down into the water.
Abe and Magneto thundered down through the belly of the ship with the majority of the remaining passengers hiding as they passed. Despite their efforts to contain the Atlanteans some had sneaked below decks but they were cut off and put up little fight as the Thunderbolts headed for the Engine Room, the most likely place to plant a bomb. As they reached the engine room they discovered around twenty well armed Atlanteans equipped with projectile weaponry stationed inside guarding around five bricks of C4 strapped to the fuel tanks.
"Plastic Explosive." Abe said, "Relatively easy to disarm, all we need to do is remove the detonator, but to be safe I'd rather take those bricks with us."
"I think there are twenty people who would disagree with that." Magneto replied using his powers to pull the door of its hinges to act as a shield as the Atlanteans opened fire with sonic rifles and flachette guns. "I have a plan just get ready to remove the explosions."
"What plan?" Abe asked before feeling a jolt as Magneto lifted him up and threw him across the room causing the Atlanteans to watch in disbelief as he hit the opposite wall. It was all Magneto needed in that moment he had removed all the sonic power cells and flachette magazines from the Atlanteans weapons. One of the terrorists pulled out a trigger and franticly bashed the button that would detonate the C4.
"Looking for this?" Abe asked as he stuffed the detonators down the Atlanteans throat seconds before they exploded. The remaining Atlanteans panicked and ran heading towards the top deck and the safety of the water. "You enjoyed that didn't you?" Abe asked Magneto angrily
"Old Habits, I used to toss the real Iron Man around like that." Magneto replied smiling at Abe, "Now let's see what the situation is like upstairs."
Most of the deck was clear, of both civilians and terrorists by the time Abe and Magneto reunited with Robbie and Rachel. From the water surrounding the Ocean King there were flashes of pink light and geysers of water erupting from the surface clear indicators of the battle that was raging below.
"Do you think she's winning?" Rachel asked
"Melissa has fought Bloodtide before." Robbie stated, "I'm sure she will be fine." he added. Suddenly there was a massive explosion that shattered the surface of the water and Bloodtide flew up onto the deck.
"Guess again human." she hissed, "Songbird will sing no more."
"Brave words from a fish out of water, especially one who's outnumbered and on her way to prison" Rachel replied
"Oh but I'm not alone." Bloodtide stated as more Atlantean Warriors clambered onto the Ocean King's deck. Following them up from the ocean was a massive sea-snake easily thirty foot long with a green skinned Atlantean mounted on the beasts head.
"Dragonrider free our comrade." Bloodtide ordered. The mounted Atlantean blew through the horn she was carrying and the giant serpent spat a stream of acid at the deck.
"This is not good." Robbie stated as behind them Lady Deathstrike was released from the hull as the acid melted through her metal prison. Dragonrider blew on the horn again and the serpent reared up and dived at the deck straight at where the Thunderbolts were standing. All of a sudden it stopped and pulled its head back as a pink blade slashed it's way out of the creatures mouth.
"Hello beasty." Melissa sneered as she emerged from the snake's maw, her costume partially melted by the creature's acid. The creature spat another stream of acid this time propelling Melissa over the Ocean King and straight into the dock. By the look of the situation HAMMER ground troops had arrived and were beginning to take people away from the harbour to a safe location.
"Your under arrest Songbird." one agent said pointing her gun at Melissa, "We preferred you remained silent."
"You can arrest me or you can be heros and help us fight that." Melissa replied pointing at the giant sea-snake. Most of the HAMMER troops decided that it was the right moment to evac some more civilians out of the area but the arresting officer and a few others helped Melissa to her feet. "This goes against everything we have been told, but what are your orders Ma'am?"
"Keep the civilians away from the area and tell Osborne that his little stunt has gone too far." Melissa replied as the HAMMER leader looked confused, "Yes that's right your boss arranged all of this." she added. The HAMMER commander took off her helmet and armoured vest revealing a heart shaped face and almond eyes.
"You heard her." the commander ordered, "Get the civvies out of here and somebody fetch me the Intervention." the HAMMER troops scrambled and headed for the transports. "Agent Elizabeth Monroe." she said offering her hand out to Melissa, "I knew Osborne was a sick basted but this is going too far."
"Tell me about it." Melissa answered as she shook Monroe's hand before flying back to the Ocean King. As she flew over the deck Melissa saw her Thunderbolts back to back as they fought to fend off the attackers. "Here come the Drums." she screamed as she flew over Dragonrider's giant sea snake recoiling from a the flames produced by Abe's armor mounted flamethrower. From below decks a rhythmic drumming sounded and a light mist crept across the floor as the dark form of Brother Voodoo appeared.
"It's about time I thought you were going to fight this thing alone," he called out to Melissa, "Know let's clear the decks." he said. In an instant the flames on the deck cam to life and crept over the Thunderbolts and their atackers, and while they didn't burn the defenders the Atlanteans found them terrifying and raced for the water.
"You want to play with fire." Bloodtide hissed as she dodged a blast fired at her by Robbie, "Inferno bring up the fire-ship, ram the harbour so the humans burn in agony." Looking out to sea a spark erupted as a ship headed towards the harbour the hull on fire.
"Magneto use the anchor to tie up the snake's jaws." Melissa ordered, "I have a plan." she added as she flew up to where Dragonrider was sitting. From the side of the ship the massive anchor raised up above the deck and wrapped round the serpent's head the massive weight pulling it down into the water. As Dragonrider fell Melissa grabbed the giant horn and flew towards the fire ship where Inferno threw a hail of fireballs at her. Blowing the horn the giant snake headed for the fire-ship dragging the massive anchor behind it. Melissa threw the horn onto the ship and fled as the giant reptile dragged the ship and Inferno down into the ocean.
On board Rachel was fighting Deathstrike, with the unbreakable diamond and adamantine blades sparking across the deck. While she was putting up a good fight Rachel knew that she was outclassed and that Deathstrike would get her eventually. Slipping she fell onto the deck with Deathstrike standing over her looking satisfied as she went to cut her throat.
"Don't you touch her." Robbie roared his voice hollow. Deathstrike just huffed and picked Rachel up by her neck. "What are you going to do to stop me."
"I said don't touch her." Robbie roared, this time loud enough to cause the remaining Thunderbolts and Atlanteans to stop their fighting. "I warned you." Robbie roared his eyes flashing like thunder as the sky darkened.
"Are you doing that?" Abe asked Brother Voodoo
"No this is Asgardian Magic." Brother Voodoo replied as a massive bolt of lightning struck Robbie causing him to levitate into the air.
"Now Drop Her." he roared at Deathstrike
"Cheap tricks." Deathstrike spat as lightning danced around Robbie's hands.
"Then fell my power." he answered as the lightning struck Deathstrike causing her to drop Rachel and run as more lightning chased her up the deck. The second bolt ran across Deathstrike's body causing her to drop to the deck her body smoking.
"Anyone else want to feel my power?" Robbie asked. The remaining Atlanteans including Bloodtide looked at Robbie in fear and quickly dropped over the side.
"Rachel are you okay?" Abe asked as Magneto pulled a bench over to her position.
"I'm fine just a few cuts and bruises." she replied
"Oh god what have I done?" Robbie asked as he saw Deathstrike lying on the floor. Quickly he began scratching his arm at one of his former cuts.
"Robbie stop." Melissa ordered grabbing his hand. "Somebody check her." she added
"She has a pulse." Magneto replied, "Her healing factor will cut in soon and she will be back for another fight." he added as he re-magnetized her to the ship's hull. Suddenly a shot rang out and Melissa turned round to see Bloodtide standing over her with an Atlantean sword.
"Namor I failed." Bloodtide whispered as the blood sprayed from the gunshot wound before falling to the floor.
"Agent Monroe, you killed her." Melissa said as Monroe emerged from the shadows of the bridge.
"It was either you or her and personally I would rather have you around." Monroe said as HAMMER agents arrived to secure the unconscious super villains and Atlantean soldiers.
"You hear that." Abe said
"What?" Melissa replied. From the dock cheers and applause suddenly roared from the crowd, even some of the HAMMER agents had momentarily forgotten themselves and had joined the uproar.
"Applause." Brother Voodoo stated, "And well deserved too. Now we should be leaving Osborne will be here shortly and you don't look like you'll survive round two." he added as the sound of drums were heard over the crowd.
The original character of HAMMER Agent Elizabeth Monroe is my own creation and does not belong to Marvel Comics
Sorry to any and all Bloodtide fans, she lost the coin flip between herself and Dragon Rider to see who would die in this chapter