Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Marvel, Respwn Entertainment, etc.
Thanks to ravens18 for betaing this chapter.
This past weekend I got to experience 1917, and in my opinion it is one of the most incredible films out there. Certainly, it exceeded all of my expectations and I cannot reccommend it highly enough, it is one of those things where seeing it in theaters is absolutely mandatory. I can't really compare it to anything because there isn't anything like it, not really. A simple premise that was brilliantly and beautifully executed to create the best war film since Saving Private Ryan. In my mind it is right up there with The Longest Day, Zulu, Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers, and Black Hawk Down. In the words of Joe Bob Briggs, "Four stars, go check it out!"
As for the title this week, this is the second song off of the 2008 AC/DC album Black Ice that I have featured, with the title cut being used back in chapter 11. Still, this song is great too, winning the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. If you know the game then you know why I have this song and if you don't then you will find out very soon. The classic AC/DC groove, bad attitude, with a hard and hungry sound complimented by the vocals from an aging Brian Johnson give it a gravitas that I like, and the subject matter make it the ideal tune to bring in a certain faction.
Power Without Question – Chapter 32: War Machine
Make a stand, show your hand, Call in the high command
Don't think, just obey, I'm like a bird of prey
So better get your name, come on in
Gimme that thing and feed your war
War Machine
With the Widowmaker parked a few blocks from their destination in an underground garage, the pair attracted a bit of attention as they casually walked to the surface before taking to the rooftops. Cooper's head was still spinning after what Parker informed him of what MJ had told him. The Demons were being mind controlled, at least to an extent; none of them were fully in their normal state of mind when they were acting. It certainly explained why more than a few Demons had been model citizens before taking up the mask.
Such revelations caused Cooper to check that arc rounds were loaded in both the CAR and B3 Wingman. The revolver had a suppressor screwed onto it to make it quieter, aided by the subsonic rounds the manstopper naturally fired. Splitting up, each vigilante had a separate vantage point over the recycling center as they looked down at the masked men patrolling inside the high walls. "MJ's hunch was right. Place is crawling with Demons" confirmed Spider-Man, the quieter hero getting far closer than the Marauder.
"Copy that" replied Cooper in flat, serious tones from his rooftop vantage, getting a feel for the patrol patterns and points of interest. "We need to clear the area and have a look see. We going loud?" asked the Marauder.
"Not if we can help it" answered Spidey as he leapt to another light pole while Cooper slung the SMG over his shoulder and he pulled out the hand cannon. The webhead then fired a webeline down and ripped the Demon's legs out from under him, his face slamming into the ground before the limp body was hoisted up and suspended by his ankles. Two others turned at the sound of their comrade face planting, completely unaware of the Pulse Blade that buried itself in the ground or the Renegade Gunfighter boring down on them.
With a hiss of the jump kit, Cooper slowed enough to send a kick into one's head, causing him to go sliding across the ground. The other tried to call out before an exoskeleton equipped hand wrapped itself around his throat, squeezing his airway shut before the other hand was rammed into his gut and the shock knuckles activated, causing him to crumple to the asphalt. A string of mandarin caused the blue visor to snap up as he saw the outline a Demon coming to investigate the noise. Raising the Wingman, the suppressed weapon hissed as an arc slug slammed into his chest and the Pilot cradled the body before it too could draw attention by slamming into the ground.
Spider-Man streaked overhead as he planted his hands on the railing atop the building Cooper was next to and launched himself to a streetlight on the opposite side of the center while the Marauder keyed his cloak and rounded the corner. Matt was just in time to see Spidey toss a sphere that stuck fast before exploding, sending blasts of webs in every direction and securing two Demons to the wall. The one in the middle of the lot turned to the disturbance, giving the SRS Pilot the opening he needed to get him in a headlock and pistol whip him in the head.
Cooper approached Spidey, who was looking at the door with a careful eye before shaking his head. "No good, it's a High Security Lock, they're meant to be used on bank vaults, not recycling centers" explained the Wallcrawler as Cooper looked at the lock. "Maybe if we find where it gets its power from…"
The Texan unceremoniously shoved Spider-Man aside as he holstered the pistol and pulled a pack from his harness. "Or we could do this" he suggested as the Knock Knock was placed into the gap between bars before the pilot turned around. "We might want to get back" he advised dryly.
Spider-Man blinked dumbly for a moment as his head turned form the Marauder to the explosive before realizing that the Gunfighter wasn't trying to damage the lock, but rather the somewhat flimsier metal that made up the gate and fence. "Good idea" he agreed as he pulled himself up and away.
Shaking his head, the Marauder merely jogged over to and took cover behind a dumpster. "Fire in the hole" he called out as he pulled the trigger on the clacker twice, the explosive detonating with a wet 'whump' as the pair pulled back the mangled metal and proceeded through the gap. For a few minutes the two found nothing as they made their way through the facility. At least until they dropped down from a vent into one particular room. "Holy shit" said Cooper in astonishment as he surveyed the surroundings.
A table was full of containers with various chemicals inside while crates of assault rifles, ammunition, and explosives lined the wall. Spider-Man looked over a map and some of the more high tech pieces. "These must be the places where they're planning to attack…wait – these are Osborn campaign offices" he noted in shock.
Cooper grimaced, that choice of target was strange, and such a pattern wasn't a coincidence. Looking at the next table, he could only have one reaction. "Fuck me" he whispered as he looked back at the chemicals and it all finally clicked into place. "That's the 'where' and I just found the 'how'. Truck bombs…packed with Napalm." Napalm, an incendiary developed in World War 2, was the stuff of nightmares. With the consistency of jelly, it was impossible to put out with water and would stick to anything it touched. The thought of it being used in the tight packed streets of Manhattan…it set Cooper's teeth on edge and sent shivers down his spine.
He may have killed people, and he felt he understood killing and could sympathize with people who felt lethal force was needed, but this, there was no justification for this.
Spider-Man made a call, linking Cooper as MJ answered. "Hey – did you find Li?" she asked, the mention of the name reigniting a fire in Matthews core as the two made their way outside. Whoever was calling the shots for the Demons, it was clear they were willing to go to extreme lengths, they needed to be neutralized and it had already been shown that they could manipulate others to escape prison. That left only one real choice, as much as Cooper may not have liked it.
"No" answered Spider-Man. "But you were right, Li's using this place as a front for the Demons. Bomb-making, gun running…" That didn't truly describe what they had found, but it got the journalists attention, nonetheless.
"Oh my God" breathed Watson in shock.
"And it looks like they're planning another attack" revealed the webslinger as they made their way back to the rooftops. "This time on Norman Osborn's campaign offices…"
Cooper cut in, "Listen Watson, what they're planning puts Cinderblock to shame. The Demons are trying to send a message by racking up as high a body count as possible. If they succeed with this, we're looking at hundreds of dead, easily" stated the Pilot, his tone hard and cold.
"My god" whispered the woman, "if this isn't another property grab…then Li must have some kind of beef with Norman Osborn" she theorized. The two men were already moving again, though Cooper wasn't sure where Spidey was leading him.
"I found an address here" revealed the Queens native. "I think it's their staging area…Marauder and I are on our way, if we hurry, we might be able to stop them" said Spider-Man as they continued through the streets of the Big Apple in their unique traversal methods.
The Marauder grit his teeth, "They had better hope we stop them" growled the gunfighter darkly. If they did set off those truck bombs then there would be little that could stop him from doing something he might eventually come to regret.
"Be careful" warned MJ, though Cooper didn't know if it was to ask them to not get hurt or to not do what Matthew was very much considering at that moment. The connection was cut as they continued the 2 kilometer charge through the city.
Cooper made another call; if the plot was underway then they would need all hands on deck if they wanted to keep the death toll out of the stratosphere. "Yuri, Marauder here" he said as soon as the line was picked up.
"Make it quick" replied Yuri, "I'm busy getting yelled at by my boss" she explained.
"Well you're about to a whole other kind of problem. I've sent the address of a recycling center Spidey and I just hit. Intel there suggests Demons are planning a coordinated citywide attack" said the Texan before taking a breath. "Captain…listen to me" said the Marauder forcefully, "if I'm right, were looking at trucks packed with incendiaries…napalm, to be exact, targeting civilian concentrations. If they carry out this attack…"
"Jesus" responded the Lawwoman absentmindedly, "Are you sure? We've had a lot of false leads this past week" said Yuri nervously. Cooper had been sent on more than one wild goose chase at her behest.
"The Marauder and I just saw it with our own eyes, go to that address, you'll find all your evidence there" assured Spider-Man as the two continued through the city, drawing ever nearer to their objective. "Li's targeting Norman Osborn's campaign offices. Between the bombing last week and this I think it's safe to say who his target is."
"Got it, I'll get those campaign offices evacuated and send officers to secure the center to begin processing that evidence" she said before taking a slight turn. "But if you two are wrong about then you're going to help me find another job" she threatened before cutting the line.
Chuckling within the helmet, the Marauder came to a stop on a rooftop as he and Spider-Man looked down on their destination below. "Consolidated shipping" hummed the wallcrawler as Cooper activated the magnification on his visor and scanned the area.
"Lots of hostiles, snipers with overlapping fields of fire from multiple vantage points, roaming patrols with automatics" he rattled off before slinging the CAR back over his shoulder. Turning to his friend, the Pilot grunted as he posed the question. "I assume we're doing this quietly? Or would you rather rock and roll through here?" asked the Renegade SRS Pilot.
"Quietly…but also with style" quipped the webslinger in reply as he pulled out a few of the bits from the recycling center he helped himself to. "Thankfully, I have an idea to help with that" he said as he began taking apart the laser tripwires. Rewiring the device so that instead of tripping an alarm it activated the web cartridge he buried in the sensor, he tossed it to get a feel for the weight before throwing it to the Pilot, who caught it with ease. "Trip mine, should trip up the Demons no problem" explained Peter as Cooper merely grunted and pocketed the trap. "Let's use their own weapons against them."
Spider-Man went first, the quieter of the two crawled along the outside of a building while Cooper kept his weapon trained on the Sniper in case he got too close for comfort. Pulling out a second trip mine, Cooper watched the disc stick to a wall of boxes, the noise getting the attention of a Demon. The masked man moved to investigate, walking right up to the blinking red disc before it fired a webline and pulled him into the mine where the rest of the webbing ensnared him and pinned him to the wall. "And that, my friend, is what karmic justice looks like" said Peter as Cooper repositioned, moving closer to his ally. "Let's start at this side of the compound, work our way over."
"Copy that" replied the Pilot calmly as he dropped down, resisting the urge to fire his jump kit and just let its built-in features slow his descent just enough for his Exoskeleton to be able to absorb the impact. Activating his Cloak, the vigilante approached the Demon and did a sweep the leg kick, the move straight out of Felicia's playbook. As the Demon flailed, Cooper then placed the palm of his hand on the back of the suited gunman's head and slammed him into the asphalt as hard as he could, destroying the mask and breaking his nose.
Spidey crawled around the corner, still three stories up, the white spider on his back enabling Cooper to track him as he dragged the downed Demon out of sight. "Two on the driveway, think you can take the one closer to the building?" asked Spider-Man.
Removing the kunai like tactical, the Pulse Blade was tossed into the fence, lighting up both men on their respective HUDs. "Take your guy when I engage" said the Pilot as he moved into position around the corner of the building. Checking one last time at his targets position, the pilot twitched his left hand and felt himself get torn from reality as he moved through the compound like a phantom. When he came back, he was nose to nose with the Demon, who was more than a little startled by his appearance. Wrapping his hands around his neck, he rammed his armored knee into the suited man's gut twice in quick in quick succession before shoving him to the ground and planting an arc round in his chest.
Turning around, he saw the other Demon webbed to a wall, struggling against his restraint to no avail. "Far one's mine" called out Cooper as he saw a sniper atop the tallest building, rifle scanning over the inside of the compound. Since the sight of their masks would attract unwanted attention, they weren't visible to anyone outside the compound, meaning if Cooper moved along the outside, he wouldn't be spotted either. Wall running, he moved unseen until he was on the same rooftop as the sniper, crouched low and Wingman raised. Wrapping his left arm around the marksman's throat, he choked out the scream building up in his chest as the muzzle of the revolver was pressed in the Demon's back and fired.
As Cooper pulled the body behind an AC Unit, Spidey was busy plucking a patrolling Demon from the catwalk and suspending him from the building opposite Matt. Cooper then moved to take out the next sniper, tossing the trip mine Peter had given him to cover the stairwell up, he dove from one roof to the next, tackling the sharpshooter. Somehow, the Demon managed to get his rifle up and between the two men enabling him to roll away. The move didn't buy him any hope, just time, jump kit firing, the Marauder was upon the Demon in a second, ripping the rifle away before jamming the muzzle into his gut and smashing the stock over his head.
The less than clean takedown had garnered some attention as two Demons charged up the stairs while more poured into the space below. With a thwip, the trip mine took down the first one while the second came to the top in time to get a grappling hook in the chest and a boot in the face. As the Demon tumbled backward down the stairs, Spider-Man tossed a web grenade into the group congregating below before diving into the fray, punches and kicks being distributed in an equal opportunity ass kicking.
Seeing as their cover was completely blown, the Marauder shouldered the CAR and chambered the first 6.19mm arc round. Vaulting over the railing, he fired a burst into the waiting Demon below before firing his grapple at the building opposite, turning himself into a living bowling ball as he bounced off of two staggered Demons before disconnecting the hook and sliding across the ground, SMG blazing.
Up above, Spider-Man was bouncing back and forth between two airborne Demons, knocking out both before coming down in the midst of the stunned terrorists as Cooper reloaded the Sub gun. Without a word, the Marauder raised his leg and kicked the door into the Consolidated Shipping offices down, weapon raised as he swept inside. Clearing each corner, he found nobody inside while Spider-Man checked a clipboard on the desk. "Hey Marauder, how much did you pay for that car of yours?"
"Million bucks, which was a bargin believe it or not" said Cooper wryly as he was satisfied the area was clear and lowered the weapon. "Why do you ask? 'Cause I know it's out of your price range, and it's not for sale."
The Wallcrawler tapped his knuckles against the clipboard. "Got an invoice here from an auto shop, 'Pale Horse Ridez', for a seriously expensive tune up" he said as he handed the document to the Pilot, who whistled as he saw the 1.8 million dollar subtotal. "What else is around here?" mused the webhead as he took point and Cooper dumped the invoice back on the desk.
The two then moved their attention to a map on the wall, Chinese characters scribbled out at various locations. "Hang on…cross referencing…these locations are all smack dab in the middle of hotbeds for Demon activity" reported Cooper, the information displayed on his HUD. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
The Spandex clad super hero nodded, "The Demons have bases all over the city" said Spider-Man as he ran his hand along the map. "This is bigger than I thought; looks like the Demons have an army." Cooper had to agree with that assessment; these bases would become his priority if he had any say in the matter.
A few more minutes of fruitless searching led Cooper to head back outside, Yuri had already been updated, but with the lack of anything substantial she wasn't rushing to them. Internally, he was debating, those bases were prime targets and he wanted to get to work. Cooper knew he was best in the attack, and he hated waiting. As he did a mental check of his remaining ammo, deciding if he would need to rearm on the way, he was caught unawares.
His proximity alarmed blared as he rolled away instinctively, a whip engulfed in black flame slamming into the ground where he had been, scorching the blacktop. Cooper tried to go for his B3 as his CAR was on his back, only for a whip to wrap around his forearm, the heat deforming the dragon scale plating and searing skin, even beneath all the layers. Roaring in a mixture of rage and pain, the SRS Pilot grit his teeth and made a circle with his arm, further ensnaring the whip.
With his still free left hand, he fired his grapple and when it hooked to the whip-wielding Demon, yanking him towards the Marauder. Sidestepping the oncoming Demon, Cooper then jumped up and wrapped the man in his own weapon, uncaring as its energy tore through clothes and burned flesh with brand like scars.
Spider-Man emerged from the building just as the doors across the way flew open and more masked men poured out. "All at once or one at a time…" called Cooper as he dropped an A-Wall and came to a crouch, CAR pressed into his shoulder, "doesn't make a difference to me." With that, the Pilot triggered the weapon, short controlled bursts making quick work as Spider-Man's webshooters reloaded and he added his own forms of crowd control.
The Demons tried to rush the outnumbered vigilantes, using weight of numbers to overwhelm them, but guns and gadgets whittled down their numbers. However, they did close to melee range as guns and webshooters were exchanged for a combat axe and fisticuffs. "Hey MJ, I think I stopped the Demon's attack on Osborn's campaign offices" said Spider-Man over the phone as Cooper parryed a scythe and delivered a kick to knock him away just as he had to duck an energized punch.
"Nice, did you find Li?" asked Watson as Spider-Man leapt up and back flipped, slamming his foot into the demon's head on the way down, clearing Cooper's six o clock and allowing him to jump into two other masked men.
Blocking one blow with his right forearm, Matt then swung the axe, the handle impacting the elbow, buckling it before the padded elbow snapped back and into the man's head. In yet another example of Felicia's hand to hand training paying off, the Pilot moved as he couldn't have a year ago, pinning the hyper extended arm behind the man's back before shoving him into his ally.
All the while, the living embodiments of 'will they, won't they' continued their conversation. "No" admitted Peter as he sent one Demon up into the air before slamming him back down with a pair of weblines. "But I found something we should look into, a place called Pale Horse Ridez."
"Sounds familiar" replied MJ as Cooper watched another one of Spider-Man's victims go up only to come down atop the two men the Marauder had just dealt with. Shaking his head, he found his next target and sent a hologram out before cloaking. "I'll check it out and get back to you." From stealth, the Pilot watched the man swing his scythe through the hologram only to look down at the blade as if it were defective before turning around. Just as he did, Cooper's cloak faded and the Demon visibly flinched before the Marauder slammed him with a knockout right hook, literally.
Dusting himself off and securing the axe, he heard the line click dead. "When are you two going to quit tiptoeing around it and get back together?" he asked bluntly. Spider-Man just shrugged and tried to shrink away. "Listen dude, I know self-sacrifice is kinda your thing, but you gotta make sure there's something there to sacrifice. Take care of yourself once in a while" said the Marauder sincerely.
Sadly, Cooper's attempts to help his friend were cut short as a series of rappelling lines were tossed over the edge of the surrounding buildings. Both vigilantes tensed, bending their knees and settling into a fighting stance. With Web shooters and submachine guns at the ready and trained on the rooftops, they were surprised at what came down those ropes.
Sleek silver armor contrasting with black as night bodysuits, blue status lights on the harness and helmet. "Cover" hissed Cooper as he activated his cloak, recognizing the markless armor as he slipped into cover and out of sight, Spider-Man doing the same. Muttering a curse, he swapped out magazines on his CAR and cylinders for the Wingman to red marked ones, knowing that if push came to shove then the arc rounds wouldn't stand a chance against that armor. Even still, he slung the CAR over his shoulder and drew the MK6; he would be taking no chances.
"Who're the Storm Trooper rejects?" asked Spidey as Cooper got a look at the troopers for the first time since Monaco. There were only two of them, but no doubt backup was close by as the Marauder's mind whirled furiously.
"Sable International" he answered as the two dogs of war approached a Demon who was beginning to stir. Cooper scoffed as they focused totally on the downed Demon, completely unaware of their audience. "Mercenaries, good ones. We don't want to mess with them if we can help it" he cautioned; memories of the Apex Predators fresh in his mind. Unlike the Syndicate or Demons, these guys were a competent military force; if they engaged then backup would come down on the pair like a ton of bricks. "We should bug out."
Spidey seemed to agree, taking advantage of the turned back to ascend when the Mercs reached the Demon. One slammed the buttstock of his futuristic rifle into the suited man's head, driving him back to the ground. "Are they…" asked Peter over the comm as one of the armored troopers kicked the man in the gut, sending him rolling across the parking lot. The other grabbed the man by the back of his collar and pulled him up so he was on his knees.
It was plain as day what they were going to do, and the Marauder didn't agree with it. However, in the moment, risk/reward governed his actions, and the risks were too high. Every bit of his experience told him to get the fuck out of here, unknown number of potential hostiles, unknown capability, and he was low on ammo and wounded to boot.
Spider-Man, as usual, saw the situation differently. As the Sable trooper pressed the muzzle of his rifle to the back of the Demons head and he wouldn't stand for that. Dropping down, he fired weblines at the back of the second Merc, yanking him to the ground. "Hey!" he called, "that's not how we do things…down…town" he said, timing the last bits as he jumped off the down trooper and slammed his foot into the armored helmet of the would-be executioner.
"Headstrong son-of-a-bitch" snarled Cooper as he saw his worst fears come to fruition. Multiple armored troopers appeared on the rooftops and began dropping down, all focused solely on Spider-Man, ignoring the Marauder as he activated his cloak and slipped out from cover, moving to a better position and preparing to engage. At this point, a shootout seemed inevitable.
"Code SM-One!" shouted one of the troopers as Spidey spun from side to side as Sable Mercs surrounded the vigilante. "Code SM-One!" repeated one as the standoff grew more tense.
"Woah, woah!" called Spider-Man, apparently now only beginning to heed Cooper's warnings about the kind of people they were dealing with. "Before we get started, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. At least he wasn't stupid enough to give away the Marauder as the Pilot drew a gravity star from his belt.
For their part, the Mercenaries were unamused by the banter. "Code SM-one, code SM-one. Holding for orders" reported one of the armor encased men, still wholly unaware of the Renegade Gunfighter poised to engage, the familiar adrenaline seeping in his veins and clarity of vision brought on by the Gunslinger's Trance.
The familiar sound of a chopper caused the visor to snap skywards as a silver and grey helicopter circled overhead, a figure he couldn't make out silhouetting itself in the open doorway. Eye lenses narrowed, energy pistols were drawn, a jump kit hissed, muscles coiled, and fingers tightened around triggers.
Go time.
The actions of the players told a lot about them, the one in the helicopter shot first and asked questions never, calmly dropping down, pistol in either hand barking as energy bolts, glowing red hot, peppered the webslinger. For his part, the Queens native flipped back away and dodged, letting his superhuman abilities show as he evaded effortlessly in an impressive acrobatic display. The Marauder lived up to his lethal reputation, waiting for the time to strike and then doing so at astonishing speeds and without mercy. Vaulting over a crate, his left arm slung the gravity star as his jump kit send him up and towards the two surprised Troopers before a mini black hole formed between them. Coming back down to the ground in a slide, blue flame propelling him as the MK6 barked four times, smart rounds tearing through armor and flesh.
Up above, one silver handgun switched targets to the unexpected green figure and tried to track it as he reached the wounded soldiers just as the vortex collapsed and exploded. The resulting force only served to launch the Pilot out of the danger zone as rounds missed their mark and he fired his jump kit to lay flat on his back as he slammed his boots into a wall and press himself off, heading up to meet the descending woman.
For her part, the woman recognized the threat, elegantly twisting her body to reorient on the Marauder, but the speed and momentum he had built up were too great, and they collided mid air. Cooper's weight knocked them off course as a knee hit his armored side, knocking the wind out of him as the woman grappled expertly. His superior strength allowed him to get his left hand wrapped around her right wrist and push it away as his Jump Kit worked furiously to slow the descent until the two impacted the ground, rolling as they jockeyed for position.
There was a spike of pain on Cooper's right side, the report of a pistol registering as the round was absorbed by the armor plate. Roaring in rage, the Pilot wrapped his left arm around her right; her shoulder clasped in the bend of his elbow as he pushed himself to his feet and jammed the still warm muzzle of the Smart Pistol under the woman's chin. Her left hand weapon was still firmly pressed into his side as he got his first good look at his opponent. Blue Green eyes, lips drawn back in a snarl and framed by silver hair that was somehow unruffled by the encounter.
Matthew couldn't believe it, with a simple mental thought his external comms were toggled on, just in time for her to hear the tail end of the laugh that emanated from the back of his throat. "Silver Sablinova" he greeted, pressing the weapon into her for emphasis and forcing her to look up at him, "how nice to see you again" he said dryly, taking satisfaction in the look of confusion that flickered across her face, even if it didn't last very long.
Spider-Man interjected, "Aw, look at you two, just meeting and already pointing guns at each other. As far as first impressions go…solid eight out of ten lady" said Spider-Man, sounding only mildly impressed. The slight smirk playing across Silver's lips didn't go unnoticed by Cooper. The four glowing discs, until then unnoticed by the two vigilantes, revealed their purpose. Bolas leapt out, wrapping themselves around the spandex clad hero from shoulders to knees, restricting his movements. "Nine…nine out of ten" croaked the Webhead as he fell to his knees.
Cooper's finger tightened around the trigger as an NYPD patrol car came barreling into the facility, lights and siren blaring as Yuri nearly leapt from the cruiser. "Cut this shit out! All of you!" she barked as the Captain stormed up and grabbed the Pilots gun hand, trying to pull it down unsuccessfully as the Visor turned, glaring at the oriental woman. "We're all on the same team" she assured.
After a two second standoff, the Marauder relented, nodding as he let go of Sable and holstered the Smart Pistol. Yuri then pointed at the still bound wallcrawler, "Release him, he works with us" she demanded. The international mercenary smirked as she nodded towards one of her men and the red bolas fell away and Cooper extended a hand, helping the hero to his feet.
"Yuri" ground out the wallcrawler in a raspy voice. "Explanation Please" he demanded as both vigilantes turned their focus on Sable, who seemed unfazed by the attention.
"This is Silver Sablinova, head of Sable International, a private security force" explained the Captain before leaning closer. "Paid for by Mayor Osborn" she finished, emphasizing who was responsible for the Symkarian's presence.
Neither of the two vigilantes were terribly amused by the development. "Oh, so the mayor has a pet army now?" asked Spider-Man sarcastically.
But Cooper snorted derisively, getting the attention of the others. "Then tell him to ask for his fucking money back" retorted the Pilot dryly. "These chucklefucks can't even do a basic sweep decently, not one of them checked their corners, and all of them fixated on Spidey. If you expect these guys to do much of anything then you'll get a nasty surprise" assured the Marauder evenly, taking a bit of joy in watching Silver's face twitch at each observation. Though such expressions were long gone by the time the x-shaped visor swung to face her, "Frankly, I expected better." Almost uncaringly, he added, "you might want to arrange medevac for those two…and be happy it was only two."
That threat prompted the mercenary to step up, waving a finger in the two men's faces. "Next time either of you get in my way…I will not be so gentle" she promised as she stared down the Webslinger and the Gunfighter.
Cooper's hand twitched by the Wingman as Spidey curled in the middle two fingers of each hand. "Go" encouraged Yuri, "we'll talk later she said as Spider-Man fired a webline and shot off before Cooper raised his left arm to do the same. "You stay Marauder, mayor wants you to coordinate with Sable directly" informed the Captain, causing the Visor to bore into her. "Come on, we'll get that arm looked at and then you two can patch things up."
Looking down at the still smoking uniform, Cooper sighed and relented, moving to follow Watanabe before turning back to Sable. "Next time you want to stop me, here's some advice" he began, before finishing by saying, only half-jokingly, "don't bother with the guns, just use that accent."
Sable stayed behind to ensure the Consolidated Shipping compound was secure and reprimand her men while Watanabe and Cooper got into the patrol car. With the adrenaline wearing off, the pain from the wound on his right forearm came back, slowly, but undiluted. Flexing his right hand only sent spikes of pain up his arm, causing the Pilot to hiss slightly, but he said nothing.
Yuri merely watched from the driver's seat as she guided the cop car through the streets, lips pressed into a small frown, not only at the Marauder's wound, but also at what was going on around them. Stark white checkpoints featuring high tech scanning gear, watchtowers, and MRAPs were being placed strategically around the city at major thoroughfares. The Captain couldn't begin to guess how much all of this cost, but it was clear that Osborn hadn't skimped, which brought her mind back to another question. "Did you really have to flirt with the international mercenary?"
Cooper swung the visor around to face her, though Yuri had been around him enough to not be intimidated by the Texan, even when he was in full kit. There was a soft chuckle that brought the faintest trace of a smile to the oriental woman as he answered. "Thought it would be fun, throw her off her game a little bit in case there is a rematch" he explained with a casual shrug. Yuri merely shook her head as the Marauder turned the tables. "What's your take on this?"
The Captain frowned as they came to a stop and a Sable trooper had to examine her badge before letting the car through. "Part of me says we don't need the help but…" she began only to trail off, unable to finish the sentence. Coop merely nodded a bit in understanding. "I don't like how they're 'helping' at all though. All of this" she said, gesturing with her hand to their destination, the Sable camp in Central Park. "It's too much" she insisted before looking at the man in the passenger seat. "I know you have opinions on this, spit 'em out" she ordered.
"Didn't know you cared Cap'" he retorted dryly in an attempt to dodge the question, but Yuri continued to stare at him until he gave an actual answer. "I don't trust mercenaries. And don't give me any of that BS about 'private security contractor', Sable's people are mercenaries" he answered, "as for why…bad experiences with mercs in the past." Yuri nodded, knowing she wouldn't get more out of him unless he volunteered it. She had actually come to value the man's opinion, despite his young age he had a good head on his shoulders, even if it was biased based on his experience. "Sable herself…that's a different story. She's good, very good" he said suddenly, unfiltered respect in is tone. "Anyone who has the guts to jump out of a helicopter and take on Spider-Man with only two pistols is alright in my book."
Rolling her eyes as she brought the car to a stop in the base's motor pool, Watanabe had to remember who she was dealing with before realizing that it made complete sense. "Black Cat shouldn't be worried though, should she?" teased the woman as the pair, now joined by a medic, his armor distinguishable by the red crosses on the shoulder pads, headed for the command tent.
The Pilot shook his head, "Frankly, I should be, she has a thing for badass women too" he deadpanned as he sat down in one of the foldable chairs and began releasing the exoskeleton from his right arm. "Captain, your knife please" said the Marauder, not looking up from his ruined armor as he held his left hand out.
Reluctantly, Yuri reached into her right boot and pulled out the concealed microtech knife before handing it to the Pilot. "How'd you know?" she asked, eyeing the Marauder as he took the knife and extended the blade.
"Lucky guess" he responded dryly as he began slicing through the fabric near the elbow, completely avoiding the partially melted armor. She knew just how tough that 'Dragon Scale' armor was, he had taken bullets to the chest and shrugged them off like they were nothing. The thinner layers would resist most knife slashes with ease, so to see it so thoroughly ruined by whatever he had come across sent a chill down the hardened cop's spine.
With a bit of pain, the Pilot and Medic removed the sleeve of the suit to reveal the flesh beneath, burned raw and a gruesome mix of red, pink, and black. Yuri watched as the medic removed the ruined flesh and heard the Pilot's growls and hisses of pain while the Sable man worked, cleaning the wound. Yuri had seen what Demon weapons could do, the shock value of seeing a slice or stab wound also burned so badly made anger well up in her gut and instinctively squeeze her left arm closer to feel the .357 Magnum in the shoulder holster.
When the time came to dress the wound, the Marauder had pulled out a sealed package and told the medic to dress his arm with that bandage. Any protests the man had were quickly shut down by both the Captain and Marauder. The black bandage looked normal, at least until it was in place and started glowing a faint yellow. Yuri had been told enough about Militia medical technology to know the Pilot would be good as new in no time, that she had once been the beneficiary of such technology also helped.
When the medic left and it was just the two of them in the command center, Yuri stood in front of the Renegade Gunfighter and crossed her arms. "I've been lenient, but I need answers about the Black Cat…Right…NOW" she ground out lowly. "There have been six break ins since the Kingpin went down and I can't ignore them forever" hissed the Cop.
The Marauder held up his hand placatingly. "She's back in the game yes, but she's helping me with something. Truth be told if I wasn't busy with all of this shit then I would be helping her" he responded. "Listen, she's gathering intel on a target I've been meaning to go after for a while, but all the other shit she's stealing is a smoke screen. As long as you don't actively pursue her, then everyone will get their shit back when we have what we need" he promised.
Yuri scowled, but resisted the urge to interrogate him like a suspect, he was shielding her from any blowback and the vagueness was for her own good, but she didn't have to like it. "I told Spider-Man as much, hasn't stopped him from bringing those damn cats she leaves behind to my precinct" she admitted with a shake of the head, noting the shoulders shrugging nonchalantly. "Does Spider-Man know about this?"
The helmet shook a negative as the Cop let out a whistle. The two were good friends; despite the first time she saw the two interact they had tried to kill each other. "This is something just me and Cat are taking care of…and we're doing it our way. It's simpler if he stays out of the loop" he admitted, though Yuri could tell he wasn't proud to admit it. Whoever the Marauder was after, he wanted them bad.
The woman he had often called 'Dirty Yuri' tilted her head as she narrowed her eyes at the armored pilot. "The Maggia" she said in realization as the Marauder didn't bother to meet her gaze. "You've been asking around about them for four months, don't think I haven't noticed it" she said, the man not denying any of it. "I've told you to stay. Out. Of. It." She said slowly, enunciating each word with threatening exactness. "We're building up a case on them, just like the Kingpin, we don't need you to go charging in and ruin all of the hard work we've done. Why the hell do you care about old mobsters anyway?"
Instead of answering immediately, the Pilot reached into one of the smaller pouches and handed the Cop a folded photo. Taking it, Yuri shot him a confused look before unfolding the image to be greeted by the Marauder and Black Cat, unmasked, posing in front of a big jet fighter, the word 'Marines' emblazoned on the side. Between them was a scarred but smiling teenage girl that Yuri recognized. "You ever wonder why I got a new place? Or what happened to 'Tilda?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. "It was because those fucks broke into my old place and murdered her" he growled. "So yes, I'm going to collect. Yes, they are dangerous. And no, this is non-negotiable" ground out the Pilot as the Captain returned the photo.
Yuri nodded, understanding. The dead have settled their debts, it's up to the living to pick up the tab as the Marauder was so fond of saying. "I see" she said simply, knowing the man didn't want or need her blessing, not that he would get it, but she could at least understand what drove him. There was still the matter of the other vigilante, so she pulled out her phone and dialed a number, knowing both would be on the line. Two clicks meant that they were both listening, so she could keep her voice down as she moved away from the Marauder. "Hey, sorry about the Sable thing…I should have told you two earlier, but it all happened so fast" she apologized.
"It's okay" chirped Spider-Man, he didn't sound nearly as angry as he had looked when she last saw him. "We're still best buds" he assured.
The Captain rolled her eyes before turning to glare and the lightly chortling Pilot sitting by one of the tables who immediately held his hands up in surrender. "We're not best buds" she replied in exasperation only for another small bark of laughter to come from the Pilot.
"Well that took a dark turn" deadpanned Spider-Man morosely.
Realizing that neither of them were going to let up, Watanabe changed tactics, muttering under her breath about the things she put up with to keep the city safe. "Anyway, Sable has the mayor's ear and unchecked authority" she cautioned, knowing that it wouldn't do much good. If Sable International drew the ire of either of the two then there would be no hesitation, displeasure would be conveyed with webbed up or dead mercenaries. "We've searched that address you gave me, found plenty of evidence of a bomb plot, but nothing leads back to Martin Li" she reported.
A fist slammed into the table, causing the Captain to turn around as the Marauder spoke up. "Did you look into who owned the building? That should be enough to at least have him brought in for questioning, right?"
The oriental woman shook her head, "It might be for Sable, but not for me. A good lawyer might be able to convince a judge to throw out anything he says by saying we questioned him under a false pretense" she shot back. The Marauder grumbled slightly, be eventually sat back in his chair and looked away, anger radiating off of him in waves.
"I'll work on that then" said Spider-Man simply. "Call you when I have something" he said before the line clicked once and then again as both disconnected. Even after all of these years she didn't know how Spider-Man operated, he remained far more distant than the Marauder, in fact most of what she knew about him came from the Pilot. According to the Gunfighter; the more colorful of the two was a genius bordering on mad scientist, could hold his drinks like nobody else, and was not nearly as smooth outside of his crime-fighting persona.
It was sometimes easy to forget that behind the masks and armor, these were people, some of the best Watanabe had known. But like any other person, they had their limits, they had their breaking points. Yuri just hoped that they didn't hit them.
Silver Sablinova arrived back at the MOB Yankee, the center for Sable International operations in Manhattan. Stepping out of the low-slung Rapid Operation Vehicle-Response (ROVR), the woman was surprised to see none other than her current employer, Norman Osborn, standing at the gate with his ever-present assistant by his side. Composing herself and pushing thoughts of the dressing down she had to give to her men just a few minutes before, she returned her focus to the Mayor.
"Ms. Sablinova, thank you for joining us" said Osborn with a smile as he clasped his hands behind his back and looked over Yankee. "I must say that I am impressed so far, your people work very quickly" he complimented, though it drew no reaction from Sable other than a curt nod.
Her people were paid to be the best, and with this her first contract to take place on American soil there was even more riding on this, especially considering the man paying for it. Norman Osborn was someone the Symkarian pegged as ambitious and opportunistic, ensuring this contract went smoothly would likely give Sable International a powerful and influential future repeat customer.
Which was to explain why Sablinova was willing to put up with the unique stipulations of the Contract.
"Are they here?" she asked the Sergeant standing just inside the main gate as the group moved off to the side and another platoon departed on patrol. Two troopers moved in at the rear, an escort for Osborn while they were inside the restricted area.
"Yes ma'am. Captain Watanabe and the Marauder are inside the Command Center as you requested" reported the NCO as Sable nodded and made in that direction, working her jaw and rolling her shoulder as the memory of their encounter replayed in her mind. She had been caught off guard when she saw that green blur emerge below and then come up to go head to head with her.
Leading the guests to the tent in question, Sable entered to find the two individuals present, the Captain, whom Sable had judged to be grossly underused in her current role, was pacing one side of the room while the Marauder was seated at one table. His gear cut off from his right elbow down, though the exoskeleton was back in place albeit a bit charred and a bandage covered his arm. In front of him sat his weapon, dissembled and neatly arranged as he ran a dirty rag over one part before he ceased his cleaning.
Norman Osborn swept her aside and stepped in front, arms out wide. "Captain Watanabe and the Marauder, pleasure to see you both again, thank you again for coming" said the CEO turned politician as he looked to Yuri, the Marauder, and Sable in turn, getting no noticeable reaction from either of them. "Captain, Marauder, I want you to give Miss Sablinova a report on your activities and the current situation before we figure out how these 'Demons' are going to be dealt with."
"Well…for the last half hour I've been sitting on my ass in this tent instead of doing something useful" deadpanned the Marauder. Watanabe suppressed a smile at the comment, and Sable suspected the woman felt the same way. "While I've been doing that, a well-funded and organized group of domestic terrorists is out there. You're facing fanatical fighters under the influence of one man with superhuman abilities; their weapons are infused with some sort of energy that means they are even more deadly. One on one the Demons aren't too impressive, but they have a lot of numbers and if one of them gets the drop on you" he said as he held up his bandaged arm, "you'll feel it."
Sable listened as the two went back and forth, describing Demon tactics and what the Police was trying to do to counter them. They were having some success, but Watanabe didn't deny that they the Police were slowly being whittled down and it was a matter of time before the floodgates opened. "Which is why I contracted Sable International, I will not allow wanton chaos and destruction to take place. These madmen must be stopped" interjected Osborn. The Marauder then began looking around the room, "is something the matter?" asked the Mayor.
"No, I'm just looking for someone stupid enough to actually believe you…I don't see anyone who fits the bill" deadpanned the Pilot as he stood, the now reassembled weapon cradled in his arms. "Osborn, I'm pretty damn sure you're hiding something and usually I wouldn't give two shits about it…but nothing about what's going on is usual. So, I ask…what are not telling us… 'cause I'm pretty sure I know what it is."
The unflinching glowing visor had settled on the Mayor, and Watanabe had settled into a judgmental stance, arms crossed as she too narrowed her eyes at Osborn. "What is your proof?" asked Sable as she faced the Marauder.
The Renegade Pilot didn't turn to the Mercenary Princess as he gave his response. "I don't have definitive proof, but I don't believe in coincidences…the universe is rarely so lazy" he said simply. Sable agreed, that was one of those lessons that you learned the hard way or died in her line of work. "The bombing last week was at an Osborn campaign rally, the victims since then have been Oscorp executives or New York City officials you appointed" he began, extending a finger into the air at each of the two points before continuing. "The bomb plot discovered today was targeting your campaign offices, and then there was the first thing the Demons took. A file hidden in a statue owned by Wilson Fisk."
Only now did the Marauder lower his hand with the four fingers held up and look at Sable. "You may not know much about Fisk, but he was many things. Among them, he was an honest man" he said before making a correction. "He may have been economical with the truth…but he never lied or deceived…ever" asserted the Marauder. Sable looked at the Mayor and the Captain, certain they would both object to the assessment of the 'Kingpin of Crime', but neither did. "If he had that file, it was legit. And that file was on something called 'Devil's Breath', something created by you, Osborn." Sable looked to see the features of Osborn turn solid, but not placid, they were twitching with some pent-up emotion as she too turned to array herself against her employer. "If the Demons are interested then so am I. What the fuck is 'Devil's Breath'?"
"That is highly sensitive information, if word gets out…"
"I don't give a shit!" shot back the Marauder. "All I care about is that the Demons are stopped and if this is the key to their plans then it needs to be our focus." The Marauder pointed a gloved finger towards the tent's window as he raised his filtered voice, "because I don't know if you've noticed what's happening out there…but these guys are coming after you Osborn. But I'm sure you knew that, and that's why she's here, isn't it?"
Osborn offered no response, his eyes merely narrowing at the accusation, though the action didn't faze the SRS Pilot in the slightest. "I don't care about your dirty laundry, but if it gets innocent people killed…" he said, trailing off as the arc knuckles crackled and a jump kit hissed the message clear.
The Mayor scanned the room, and upon seeing the expressions of the two women, he relented, deflating as he cursed. "Shit" he said simply before raising his chin back up and beginning. "What you call 'Devil's Breath' is an experimental compound in development at Oscorp. Its current iteration is…imperfect…it's volatile and unstable, and if mishandled then there exists the potential for extreme repercussions." Sable's nearly superhuman discipline was the only thing that kept her from rolling her eyes. Even with so many words the man had actually explained very little.
Still, what needed to be done was clear. "Then it must be protected. I'll assign some of my best men to it" stated the silver haired woman as she turned to Osborn. "I expect your cooperation regarding this matter" finished the Symkarian with all of the authority of an order.
Norman looked like he was about to object before he noticed the looks the others were giving him and thought better of it, nodding in acceptance. The Marauder, even though his body language was muted by his gear, seemed content with the arrangement. It was only Captain Watanabe who looked perturbed by the agreement, but seemingly knowing the futility of arguing it, said nothing.
"One more thing" said the Renegade, "do you have any idea who might be after you Osborn? Any potential lead we should pursue?"
"Marauder" said Osborn tiredly, "I am the Mayor of New York City and founder of one of the largest corporations in the world. My list of enemies is much, much longer than even yours. Many of them have access to the resources needed to fund the Demons" he countered.
"Better than nothing" commented Watanabe. "You give us the list, and we'll investigate, try to narrow it down to a list of potential suspects. Sable and her people can ease the load on us and allow us to do some actual investigative police work. That just leaves you Marauder…where are you going?"
There was a slight pause as he chambered a round in his weapon. "You want to find me? Ride to the sound of the guns."
Cooper's Logbook – Pistol: B3 Wingman
To those unfamiliar with the intricacies of firearm design, choosing a revolver, albeit and extremely advanced one, over all of the other pistol options that are easier to handle and have a higher capacity would make little sense. But revolvers have some innate advantages, due to the fact that revolvers don't have to eject spent casings it makes it much easier to fire long cased, straight rimmed cartridges. These bullets have more powder and thus higher velocity, these so called 'magnum' loads pack a much greater punch than anything you can get otherwise. These rounds pack one helluva punch, the .454 Casull is a lengthened .45 Long Colt pushed up past 2,000 feet per second.
If that's gibberish, then in simple terms you really do not want to get shot by this gun.
But while the cartridge may be based on one from the 19th century, the gun most certainly is not, its party piece is the reload. The cylinder is not built into the gun, but rather the entire gun expands to accommodate the cylinder before collapsing around it. This makes reloading far faster than a traditional revolver in exchange for some weight and complexity. While it does kick like an absolute mule, all of that is more than made for by the pure stopping power.
This is a more elegant weapon originating from a more civilized age, a space age six shooter for a cowboy on the final frontier. I used it a lot on Typhon as my sidearm of choice and it's fair to say it save my life more than once. It projects power without question and commands authority without asking.
I absolutely love it.
Closing Notes: I admit, I like Silver Sable, anybody who can rock the duster and dual pistols is automatically cool in my book, and her 'Imperial March' esque theme was among the best tracks in the game. If you don't know the one, it's called 'International Support' if you want to look it up. She will be getting more screen time here than in the game and I want to try and give her a full arc.
There was also a reference to the original 'Dirty Harry' film in here. Expect more interactions between people and Sable as the story goes on. Hopefully you all like how she'll be handled, feel free to review and let me know your thoughts on this plan. But next week, it's time for the guys to take a break and have one of the ladies take the lead.
She wants to think others care, she won't go away, she's gonna stay right in your face, she's the Activity Girl.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.