"We got a hit on one of the sewer systems. There appears to be a vacant space within," one of SHIELD's best agents, Maria Hill, directed her suspicions to her boss, Nicholas Joseph Fury.
The man with the eye patch came up behind the agent and focused his one good eye on the monitor. The green screen had several interconnecting lines running throughout the map, some even continuing on beyond the screen. It was also decorated with several Xs that marked places that they had already searched in and given them dead ends. Weeks had been spent searching for both Powerman and the Symbiote with no results. Hopefully, this would give them answers for at least one of them.
"Send in Cloak and Dagger."
"Sir, Cloak is still away on the Inhuman mission," Ms Hill said with obvious concern painting her face, this was the 6th time this week alone that Fury had forgotten something that would have been important for him to remember. There was something wrong.
"Send in Dagger by herself then, she should be able to take care of herself well," Fury ordered. "I'll be in my quarters. Inform me if anything else comes up."
Nick Fury walked out of the deck rubbing his bald head leaving Ms Hill wondering what was going on.
"What's up with him?" one of her coworkers asked as he got distracted from his post.
"I don't know. Dispatch Dagger and send her the coordinates."
-=-==-/=\-==-=-
"I don't know why I'm always being sent on missions by myself or with other heroes that I certainly have zero ties with. It's always, 'Dagger do this' 'Dagger do that' 'Dagger we have this assignment for you, can you do this for us even though we haven't told anything about Cloaks condition and how he's faring without you? 'NOTHING! Is ever told to me about Cloak.
"I'm really worried about him now. We've never been apart for this long since we were found by Taskmaster."
-Why don't you ask them? You need to learn how to stand up for yourself. If you do, then you'll be able to accomplish anything. You always let yourself get pushed around like you don't deserve to be respected. And that just makes me sad. You're more important than you give yourself credit for, Dagger.- My best friend answered. I could hear chirps of squirrels through the communicator. I laughed softly. Tippy and Monkey Joe must've gotten close enough to have their chitters be broadcast.
-=-=-=-=-(•|•)-=-=-=-=-
That is so cool! I'm in the presence of the most renowned superhero in the Marvel-verse! SquirrelGirl.
Chip Chip. (What is Deadpool doing here?)
Why hello little fellas. What are you doing in this place? *bends to pet squirrel*
Scritch! CHip Cheep! (Eww! You stink! Get away from me this instant. Stop That. Don't pet me, that's the opposite of what I told you to do!)
At least I'm not trapped with Cows out here. Thank you SquirrelGirl for not being the Unbeatable CowGirl.
*Squirrel Bites Deadpool* Cheep Chip! (Come, my brothers. Come and infest this loser!) *Army of Squirrels clamber onto Deadpool*
Gah! I've got Squirrels in my pants! 4th wall breaking Squirrels in my pants!
-=-=-=-=-(•|•)-=-=-=-=-
A splash further down the sewers that couldn't have been my own caught my attention.
"I'll think about it. Right now I have to go," I quickly cut the connection.
I pressed myself against the sewer wall and walked carefully trying not to make any noise in the sewage as I tried to see who was around the corner.
A shadow bounced on the wall of the tunnel. There was someone else down here with me, just like I was told at the briefing.
I tried to pursue but I tripped on something in the sewage and fell into the filth. I made a big splash as I crashed into the dirty water giving myself away.
The shadow cast on the wall turned its head to my location before starting to run away.
Picking myself up, I started running after it. For a couple of minutes, I was chasing it. But I never caught up to it. Even as I came up to the dead end where it led me. I kicked the sewer wall in frustration at losing my lead.
I didn't care anymore about how dirty the sewage was as I slid down to my feet. I failed my one mission. If I couldn't complete the task I was given, how could I expect to be given an answer to the questions I asked?
I let my head fall against the wall next to me in exasperation. I perked up as I noticed that the wall hadn't made a stiff clunk like most walls would, instead it had given off an echoed reverberation like most metallic hollow rooms would.
Spending the next few minutes occupied, I was running my hands all over the wall looking for any fault in the construction. All the time I spent on it finally paid off once I discovered a near invisible crack.
I stepped back and began to concentrate hard.
A ball of light began to glow against my closed eyelids showing me that it was working. Next, the creaking of metal under pressure rang out. I opened my eyes still grunting under the weight of the blast doors crushing against the ball of light I created. I could see that the opening was still too small for me to get through.
My mental strength normally wouldn't be enough to do this. But I reminded myself that this was all in the name of Peter. The boy who saved me and gave me morals. I owed my life to help solve the case that involved him.
A final burst of strength opened the doors all the way destroying them in the process.
I was tired of all the force I had output, but I still had to investigate what was inside. And I had to be ready for a fight. I wasn't exactly stealthy in my approach.
Computer monitors lined the walls. In here there wasn't any sewage covering the floor, so my feet were finally out of the dirty water and ready to be dried. Along with my outfit's shoes.
I couldn't see anyone at all in here. At least not until I turned to look at the corners where pods filled with costumed people inside stood. I only recognized one person in the pods. Ben Reilly, the scarlet spider. The traitor who caused Pete's death.
He noticed me looking at him as the pod began to spray gas on him.
"NO!" he pounded against the glass before shattering it with one of his stingers. He jumped out groggily and stood in a fighting stance against me.
The gas from the pod spilt out onto the floor and surrounded us. It gave me an idea of how to win this fight. It was time to play dirty and test out one of the powers I've been practising with.
"How did you survive the explosion of Hydra Island?" I demanded as I created light daggers.
"I almost didn't. And I didn't survive all of that trouble all those years ago just to be interrupted from doing what I have to do by you."
He dashed forward swiping at me with his stingers. I was easily able to dodge his attacks, he really was affected by that gas from his pod because from the files I read on him, his speed could easily dwarf mine.
I retaliated with slashing at him with my daggers. He was affected by the gas, but not enough to allow me to sink in any attacks. He was also able to dodge my slashes, though at a slower pace.
I was finally able to land a kick to his groin though and a launched him into one of the pods making it crack a bit. I then concentrated and pulled all of the light away from his eyes leaving him blind on the floor. The first time I render someone temporarily blind with my powers.
"Wait! The pod! Don't damage it! You'll kill them," Scarlet said in a panic.
I stopped.
"What's wrong with them?"
"They were created by Otto. Half human Synthezoid hybrids. Like me," he said crouched on the floor as he looked around blindly.
"Like you?" that surprised me.
"Yes. Turns out, Otto didn't find me in the streets. He created me. Crafted me out of Peter's blood. Looks like I'm related to Venom. Except that I'm a little easier on the eye," he laughed at his own joke.
"We can help you. SHIELD can help you with your friends," I started tapping on my communicator.
"Please. Don't. Not them," he pleaded.
"We can help you. Just let us, Scarlet."
After a few seconds of giving it some thought, he nodded and let me contact SHIELD.
