Chapter 21

LONDON, ENGLAND

10 DECEMBER 1998

(NOON, GMT)

Quentin Travers pressed the button marked "volume" on his remote control. Thereby rendering the newscast on his office's big-screen TV audible to his two visitors.

"The fighting broke out last night, around ten o'clock, local time. A vigilante militia group, made up of citizens who had grown tired of what they perceived to be the ineffectiveness and/or incompetence of the Sunnydale Police Department, decided to take the law into their own hands. They raided one of the major drug dens of the PCP-addicted street gang that had previously ruled the night life of this town. And, the fighting quickly spread outward from there!"

"Richard Wilkins III, the Mayor of Sunnydale, was among those killed in the first wave of violence. Prompting Deputy Mayor Finch to contact the Governor's office, in Sacramento, and urgently request immediate activation of the local branch of the National Guard. The latter occurred shortly after midnight, with marines from Camp Pendleton lent as reinforcements."

"All organized resistance was brought under control at sunrise. But, there are still pockets of defiant hold-outs, scattered here and there. Plus, as you can see behind me, there are a number of collateral arson fires still blazing away. So, it will be sometime before Sunnydale, California returns to normal. Or, perhaps more accurately, what they would _prefer_ to call 'normal.' Until then, this town will remain under martial law."

"This is Carlos Mendoza, reporting for CNN."

Travers clicked off the set.

"An impressive cover story, I must admit. What really happened, though?"

"Your man Castle went berserk," replied Agent Doyle of S.H.I.E.L.D.

His partner, Agent Manetti, nodded: "After wiping out Wilkins, the Master, and the Order of Aurelius, he decided to go after every other HST in town!"

"HST?" echoed Travers, completely baffled.

"Hostile Subhuman Terrestrials. The eggheads who work for us think it has a more scientific ring to it than plain old 'evil monsters.' "

"In any event," resumed Doyle: "It took the entire National Guard unit, plus twelve S.H.I.E.L.D. exo-men, to bring him down!"

"I see," muttered Travers: "And, the Glove of Myneghon? What happened to that?"

"Let's just say that's on a 'need-to-know' basis. And, you don't need to know."

"Now, see here...!" Travers began, in protest.

"Oh, shut up!" interrupted Manetti: "We gave you people every chance possible to clean up Sunnydale on your own. We even sent an anonymous tip to that Legacy House in Frisco. You still blew it!"

"And, that," added Doyle: "...is why we're taking over. Under the terms of the Demon Research Initiative. That means if any of our people catch any of your people, anywhere in or around Sunnydale, your people will be shot-and-killed. On sight!"

The two men got up, turned their back on the open-mouthed Travers, and walked out.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SUNNYDALE

(APPROXIMATELY NINE TIME-ZONES EARLIER)

First Sergeant Riley Finn, USMC, entered the ROTC Building and headed for the nearest elevator. He then pressed the "up" button, and waited. When the elevator arrived, he boarded it. Waiting until the doors had closed before vocally identifying himself, while being retinally scanned by laser beam.

"Identity...confirmed," replied a computer-generated female voice from the intercom to his left. The elevator then descended to what was already being called "Central Processing." Upon exiting, he immediately sought out the scientific heads of Operation: Van Helsing.

"Dr. Walsh? Dr. Stryker?"

"I'm Maggie Walsh," replied the woman: "And, this is William Stryker."

"Sgt. Finn, ma'am. Reporting as ordered."

"Ah, yes!" drawled Stryker: "Yours is the recondo team bringing in the prisoner."

"Yes, sir. In fact, there he is, now!"

He gestured to the armed men escorting the cryostasis unit currently occupying a baggage tram being pushed by a forklift. The latter alerting pedestrians to its presence with a flashing amber light and an annoyingly steady "beep-beep-beep."

Inside of the ice-cold chamber lay Frank "the Punisher" Castle.

tbc

"Exo-Man:" a 1977 NBC TV-movie about a wheelchair-bound scientist named Nicholas Conrad who creates (with the help of his fiancé' Emily Frost) a robotic exo-skeleton to help him bring down the legally untouchable organized crime family responsible for his paraplegia. The high-tech armor made him resemble Marvel Comics' Crimson Dynamo (minus the boot-jet-powered flying ability).