Town Of Hope, Idaho August 8th 1968, Black ops mission dubbed Spearhead, 4pm
"What the hell is going on in there?" one of the soldiers asked lowering his weapon as Taggart approached the perimeter.
"That's a pretty accurate description actually, it's like hell in there" Taggart replied as the soldiers let him pass through the barrier.
"Private! The General wants to speak with you" one of the men shouted from a tent that had been put up to house Blackwatch's communications equipment.
"How did he know I was back?" Taggart questioned approaching the tent.
"Are you kidding the General has been keeping an eye on everything that's going on here" a soldier replied handing him a radio as he entered the tent.
"Is this Private Taggart?" came the general's deep grating voice.
"Yes sir"
"Are you alone?"
"No, there are other agents here as well" Taggart replied.
"Put me on to the com's chief" the general demanded and Taggart handed the radio back to the soldier who had given it to him. The man looked confused for a minute as the general barked orders at him but he agreed and the he told the rest of the men to leave before handing the device back to Taggart and following the rest of the men out of the tent.
"Was SpearHead successful?"
"The results seem to suggest it was" Taggart replied.
"And Greene?" Randall asked.
"Negative on contact sir but it seems she was able to create new infected. I was attacked by these mutated creatures just before I left the town that definitely weren't from project RedLight " Taggart replied thinking back to the hunter that had almost killed him.
"Speaking of which why have you returned early from the mission?" Randall asked a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Cross commanded it" Taggart lied, there was no way he would have risked his neck going further into the town when the choice was leave or continue.
"So Cross is now in there alone? I heard the rest of your team was killed" Randall asked no compassion in his voice.
"There is one remaining man from the government team with him"
"Ah so they did arrive"
"Yes but the infected took care of them for us" Taggart replied.
"Some of my sources told me that Project Rebirth's prototype was on the team any information on that?" Randall asked a note of intrigue in his voice.
"Well the only survivor was a man dressed in dark blue and who's primary weapon was shield" Taggart replied thinking back to Captain America's shield crashing into the hunters head.
"Is there anyway to get a message to Cross?" the general asked.
"For some reason we are unable to get through to him. Some sort of interference is stopping the signals"
"That's a shame McMullen really wanted a sample of Rebirth"
"I'll see what I can do sir"
"Keep this up private and you might make Colonel someday" Randall replied before ending the transmission.
"So that's your plan? Blow this place sky high?" Steve said looking at Cross sternly.
"If you've got a better suggestion pretty boy I'd like to hear it" Cross replied irritably. They were almost at the laboratory and thus far hadn't encountered any problems.
"What happened here anyway?" Steve asked, he didn't understand what was happening and he didn't like that.
"I'm pretty sure that's above your pay grade pal" Cross replied as he peered round a corner. Steve was about to argue but he realized it was useless. He was pretty sure that if it came to it this man would prefer to die than tell him anything he didn't want to.
"Are you sure there's no way to reverse the effects of whatever the hell this is?"
"Of course there is. I don't suppose you have 80 million dollars, the best scientists in the world and about 5 years of available time in all those pockets do ya?" Cross replied sarcastically. "Look if it makes you feel any better I don't particularly want to do this either but if this escapes and spreads we are all f***ed" he finished as they crept towards the large laboratory in front of them.
Cross held up his hand to signal to Steve he wanted him to wait. Although Steve didn't like taking orders from a guy he didn't even know he wasn't stupid. Whoever this guy was he obviously knew what was going on here and how these creatures worked, he'd have been suicidal not to listen to him. Cross knew where they had to get to, there was a large hanger near the back of the lab where all the supplies where kept all they had to do was get to the hanger, place the charges and then run like hell. A few minutes later after walking through countless laboratories they arrived at the hanger. Steve peered round the door into the large area and to his dismay saw it was crawling with infected.
"Now what?" Steve asked turning to Cross.
"Looks like we're going to need a distraction" Cross said as he observed the infected, reaching down to his belt he pulled out a flash-bang. "As soon as this blows we both move. If you can keep them off me until I've placed the charges we'll have a shot" Cross said as he pulled the pin out of the device and threw it into the hanger. As soon as they heard the sound of the grenade going off they burst into the room. Steve struck the nearest infected with his shield, the already disorientated creature fell to the floor clawing and snarling. Cross broke away from Steve and ran towards the creates at the left side of the room delivering blows to the infected that stood in his way. They fell easily, the flash-bang seemed to have completely taken out their sense of direction and they stumbled around clumsily. As soon as he reached the creates he pulled the symtex from his belt and pressed it onto the creates and programmed the remote detonator.
"You done yet?" Captain America yelled as he quickly incapacitated another 2 infected. The effects of the flash where starting to wear off, their attacks where getting more precise and although they probably could have handled all of them in an open space where there was room to maneuver, Steve knew it would be hopeless in this confined space.
"Ok done! F*** discretion run like hell" Cross shouted as he plowed through the infected towards the way out of the hanger closely followed by Steve. They ran through the lab as fast as they could quickly taking down any infected that blocked their passage.
"We have to get further away so I can blow this hellhole" Cross said as they finally escaped the complex. He took the rifle off his back and began to run down the deserted street. An infected stepped out into the street and Cross quickly shot her in the head but to his shock the woman didn't fall. Her head snapped back from the force of the bullet but she didn't crumple to the floor as the rest had done. The woman placed her hand on the back of her head and pushed her head back to the proper angle with a sickening snap. Cross looked at the red haired woman in front of him with horror. He'd never seen anything take a shot to the head an simply shrug it off.
"You!" Steve said stepping forward menacingly.
"A friend of your's?" Cross asked, not taking his eyes of the woman.
"More of an acquaintance" Steve replied as he tried to think out a way of dealing with the threat. Greene smiled as spikes began to erupt from the ground in front of her. Cross quickly leapt to the side to avoid impalement. Something was wrong, the infected shouldn't be able to survive a shot to the head let alone use abilities like that. Whatever she was they weren't prepared for it.
"We've got to leave we don't have time for this" he shouted at Steve just as hunter jumped him from behind. The beast smashed his head into the ground and everything went black.
"Shit" Steve cursed as he saw Cross's limp form underneath the hunter. He threw his shield and it struck the hunter in the side throwing it off Cross, before rebounding off a wall and returning to his hand. Quickly he knelt down beside Cross and felt his pulse to his relief he still had one. Steve then turned his attention back to the assailants. Just then the infected who were inside the lab came crashing out of the building. Steve looked at the horde and knew he didn't stand a chance against all of them. He bent down and threw Cross over his should and began to run. As he ran down the streets an idea came to him, he ran over to one of the many abandoned cars in the road and prayed that it would have a key in the ignition. Luckily for him it did, the owner must have abandoned it. Steve threw Cross into the passenger seat and started the car up. Turning to look back he quickly went into reverse, to back out from behind another abandoned vehicle. As the car lurched back he felt the thumps as the wheels crushed the infected who happened to be to close. The car was a sports car, a blue ford mustang to be exact and the engine growled in anticipation as it shifted into first gear. Steve pushed the accelerator to the floor and began speeding down the street as fast as the car would go. Taking a quick look out the back window he saw that the infected couldn't keep up, the hunters on the other hand taken to the buildings and where running at break neck speeds along the sides of the houses their claws raking the walls.
*Thump*
The car shuddered as one of the hunters leapt from one of the buildings onto the roof of the car. Steve pushed himself against the car door to avoid getting stabbed as the creatures claws ripped through the metal above. Holding the wheel with one hand Steve reached over and pulled Cross's side arm out of its holster. Pointing the pistol at the roof of the car he let off shots until he heard a shriek and knew that one of the bullets had hit their mark. The car shuddered again as the creature rolled off the roof onto the road behind them. Another hunter leapt at the car latching onto the right side of the vehicle. It climbed quickly along the side until it had its head through the passenger window. Steve lurched to the left pushing himself against the car door to avoid getting mauled by the hunter as it snapped its long serrated teeth dangerously close to his arm. The beast began to pull itself into the speeding vehicle still trying its best to take Steve's arm. He was about to let go of the wheel and risk the car crashing to take care of the monster when a knife was shoved into the beast's head from below. Cross sat up in the passenger seat and pushed the dead hunter back out the window.
"Your still alive then" Steve said as Cross sheathed the knife.
"Looks like it. What happened with the red haired b****?" Cross asked rubbing his head.
"You got jumped. I was going to try and take her out but there where to many of them" Steve admitted as he turned the wheel violently to avoid a bike that was lying in the road. "Here, make yourself useful" Steve continued reaching down with one hand and handing Cross his pistol. Taking the weapon Cross lent out of the smashed passenger window. There seemed to be two hunters left following them. Cross took aim at the nearest and shot it, the creature fell from the building and lay on the ground motionless. Cross quickly turned his attention to the second. He trained the sight on the creature as it scurried along the walls.
*Click*
The roof of the gun snapped back."You could have at least told me there was only one bullet left" Cross growled as he fumbled with his belt for another clip.
"I was a little busy saving both our lives to know how many bullets I'd used" Steve replied still keeping his eyes on the road.
Cross pushed the new clip into the weapon but it was too late the creature launched itself at the car. Landing on the side it grabbed Cross and almost succeeded in throwing him from the vehicle but he managed to grab the car window frame as he was pulled out. Cross kicked the creature in the face but it shrugged off the blow and swiped its clawed hand in his direction. Steve looked quickly to his right and saw what was going to happen. He swerved to the left giving Cross the momentum he needed throw himself away from the blow. Cross threw himself onto the roof of the car narrowly avoiding decapitation. The creature quickly followed him. The force of the wind was incredible Cross had a hard time just being able to see as his face was pelted with air but luckily the hunter seemed to be having the same trouble as it swiped its clawed hands blindly in front of it. Ducking as one of the clawed hands veered in his direction Cross aimed a kick at the creatures legs in an attempted to throw it off the car. The creature snarled as Cross's blow hit home but its claws where buried into the metal of the car roof and they didn't dislodge.
"Tunnel!"
Cross's attention was briefly diverted by Captain Americas voice. "What?" he shouted back, barely able to understand anything through the rushing air.
"TUNNEL!"
Looking ahead of the car Cross saw what Steve was referring to, it wasn't really a tunnel so much as a large stone bridge. Quickly he threw himself to the floor wrapping his arms around the roof of the car. Unfortunately for the hunter it didn't notice as its entire attention being on Cross.
*Crunch*
After the car exited the other side, Cross climbed off the roof and slid in through the passenger window. "How come when that happens in movies it's never this messy?" Cross groaned as he wiped blood off his face and threw what looked like part of the hunters trachea out of the window.
"Holy shit" Steve yelled swerving as spikes erupted from the ground in front of the car. The car did a barrel role before finally coming to a halt a few feet away. Gingerly both Captain America and the Specialist pulled themselves free of the wreckage. Greene stood a few meters away a look of slight amusement on her face.
"What are you smiling about witch?" Cross growled as he pushed his arm back into its socket.
"I find it funny that you're still resisting the inevitable, this is the future" the redhead replied.
Cross took a quick look over his shoulder he could just make out the perimeter Blackwatch had set up. "This won't kill us but it's gonna hurt" Cross said turning to Steve.
"What?" Steve replied confused. Cross pulled the detonator from his belt. "Here's your future b****!" he growled as he pushed button. The explosion was deafening and the force was so huge it threw them from their feet even at that distance. A few minutes later Cross's eyes opened and he pushed some rubble of himself and got to his feet. "Steve?" he called coughing up dust as he did. Then he saw the familiar blue costume partly covered by dust and bricks a few meters away. Pulling some of the debris away he checked his pulse and felt the telltale throbbing sensation. The only reason he wasn't laid out on the ground next to Steve was because of RedLight's healing factor. "Well if I'm still standing I guess it's too much to hope that woman is down for the count" Cross thought looking around the destruction for the woman. Then he saw her, she had just pulled herself from the rubble and had a look of pure rage on her face.
"YOU IDIOT! YOU ALMOST KILLED US" she cried as she leapt at him with lighting speed.
"Us?" Cross thought as he jumped to the left. Her fist slammed into the ground reducing the bricks and concrete beneath it to dust. "What did she mean by that? She obviously wasn't referring to me and Steve was she? Why should she care what happens to us?" Picking up one of the many bricks lying on the ground Cross slammed it into the back of her head, it smashed into pieces as it made contact and her head lurched forward briefly before she grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground. Cross watched as her fingers became long serrated claws a lot like the ones the hunters possessed. Reaching out Cross grabbed the closest thing he could to defend himself, which turned out to Captain America's shield. Quickly he held it over himself as Greene's claws swung towards him. They hit the shield so hard Cross felt the force push him into the ground but to his surprise her claws didn't even scratch the shield, whatever it was made of must have been tough. Moving the shield out of the way he threw a punch directly in her face. She staggered back and shook her head trying to compose herself. Cross didn't waste any time she had been weakened and he wasn't going to stand around and wait for her to get her act together. Getting to his feet he threw the shield towards her and it struck her in the stomach. She buckled over and Cross quickly went in for the finish using every ounce of strength he had left, he pummeled her until she didn't get up. Exhausted he fell to his knees. After a few minutes he got back to his feet and made his way over to Steve bending over he threw the man's arm over his shoulder and picked up the shield.
"That was almost too easy. She could take a bullet to the head but I was able to beat her to into submission? Surely she's more durable than that." He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. Perhaps he'd just caught a lucky break, he was definitely owed one. "I better get him to the perimeter" Cross thought looking at Steve. He owed the man his life for not leaving him back when the hunter jumped him, the least he could do was return the favor.
Note: I wanted to finish the Idaho Incident in this chapter but there are a few last things that need to be explained and it seemed rushed trying to cram them all into this chapter so there'll be one more small chapter to sum up the events and tie up the loose ends. I'll try and get one more Chapter up before Christmas as i'm going to be pretty busy after that so I won't really have time to do any writing but in case I don't Merry Christmas everyone!