Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Marvel, Respawn Entertainment, etc.
Enough of this buildup stuff, this is where we get to why you're all here. But first, reviews, which are always appreciated because nothing exposes mistakes and oversights like having a hundred or so people read something instead of three.
Blaze1992: I should have been more precise in the IMC's objectives (even if they don't really matter). If it makes you feel better, Marder specifically wants the ones in the RAFT, Rhino, Vulture, Li, Electro, and Scorpion because their powers and tech can be replicated, they are not a gentic mutation like the X-Men. It is also key to note that Cooper and company don't know the IMCs objectives so they don't have a reason to not get all the help they can.
Now it's time for one of my favorite parts, where I get to talk about a song that nobody else has probably heard of based on an event that even not many more have. Of all the Sabaton songs I have featured (Wolfpack, 40:1, and Wehrmacht) this is by far the best. Wolfpack is awesome but weird, and the others are fine but don't stand out like this Heroes track about the Belgian Chausseurs Ardennais during the German advance through the woods protected by this vaunted light infantry unit. German airborne units cut communications to a company of them, so they never received the order to fall back. So they obeyed their last received orders, which were to hold the line. Digging in against the Panzer Divisions, they held out for eighteen days, only surrendering when they ran out of ammunition. The thing to take from that, both as for it relating to the story and real life, was that even if the higher ups in the Allied chain of command (and the French in particular) could best be described as various stages of incompetent, the men on the front lines were not, they fought and fought hard.
This song really does suit those who the Desert Fox described as 'Green Wolves' and had the motto 'Resiste et Mords!' Go read up on these Badass Belgians, and give the song a listen.
Power Without Question – Chapter 46: Resist and Bite
No matter our fighting, Their numbers will still count
We're outgunned and few in numbers, We're doomed to flag or fail
We fought hard, Held our guard
But when captured by the Axis, and forced to tell the truth
We'll tell it with a smile, We will surprise them with a laugh
We are all, We were all
We were told to hold the border, And that is what we did
Honored were our orders in despite of our foe
We!
We will resist and bite!
There was something oddly disturbing about a deserted city as Mary Jane walked through the empty streets towards a primary stronghold on the East Side. Despite the weight in the air from what she knew was coming, the redhead couldn't help but revel int the surreal experience. At least, until she realized that she was being watched, stopping in her tracks and turning around slowly, she looked up and could make out a red clad figure casually sticking to the building next to her. "Hello, miss, lovely morning for a stroll isn't it?" he asked, trying to sound light and carefree, but there was obvious weight in his voice.
The other weight came from the new suit he was sporting. She had known for some time that he had been trying to incorporate armor that Cooper had into a suit, and from the looks of what he was wearing he had done exactly that. "It is, for now," she returned as he backflipped and stuck the landing, no less graceful despite the extra encumberment. "So you finally got that working, huh?" she asked as she looked him over. Even with the thick red plate over his torso with a black spider logo over it. There was a thick belt around his waist packed with gadgets and gizmos with additional plating on his forearms, shoulders, thighs, and shins with a pair of red colored combat boots to match the red plate. Under it was a form fitting black bodysuit that left little to the reporter's imagination.
"Uh, yeah" he said dumbly as he shifted nervously, "Spider-Armor Mark Three" he announced proudly as he did a spin to show it off in its entirety. Very flattering thought the redhead as she was finally reintroduced to the blank red mask save for the two glowing, narrow eye lenses. "There isn't anything I can say to convince you to go somewhere its safe?" he asked, only to get a deadpan look in response, "Sorry, had to try" he said as he held up his hands defensively.
She smiled, he cared, always did, but at least he seemed to be learning, albeit slowly. "You should know by now you can't get rid of me that easily" she teased, "and if it makes you feel better, I promise not to run off alone. I'll stay with somebody else" she assured, she wasn't planning on dying for this story.
That admission caused Spidey to visibly relax, "Thank you MJ. I trust you to stay safe" he replied sincerely before snapping back to his light, bantering self as he offered her a hand. "Now come on, I'll give you a lift up to where we're set up."
Yuri Watanabe chewed her lip nervously behind her mask, there was a reason she often wound up in the field even with the rank of Captain. Not being able to control what was going to happen next grated her, so waiting in the prepared position wasn't doing her nerves any favors. Finally resigned to the fact that she had to do something, she grabbed her rifle and decided to do a walkthrough of the positions in the building. The high rise was a strong point in the first offensive line that ran along 45th street, with her position on the corner with 10th avenue just south of Hell's Kitchen.
She had SWAT and other volunteers from the NYPD in buildings from the Intrepid to the west and stopping at 8th avenue. Sable had the sector all the way until Lexington Avenue, where Fisk's men under the command of Cyclops from the X-Men held the line as it stretched to the ring road on the east side of the Island. While she had ordered Barker to spread his Pilots out along the perimeter, she was determined to not let the man get himself into trouble. To make the best of two bad situations, she had saddled him with a babysitter so that she wouldn't have to babysit either him or his babysitter, figuring the two would keep each other occupied.
Making her way downstairs, she could hear slurred speech from the windows looking south. "I always knew the kid was going to be something special! Knew it from the first day I met him!" declared the washed up Pilot, "he's almost as good as I was, back in the day!" Yuri couldn't help but roll her eyes, the Marauder had vouched that this guy was actually a crack Titan Pilot, or at least had been, but the Captain still couldn't see it. She watched as the man slumped against the wall next to his babysitter, who was seemingly ignoring him. "I remember, this one time back with McAllen" he began as he raised his flask to take a drink.
But it never got there, a muscled arm reached out and ripped the flask away before tossing it across to room where it came to a stop at Yuri's feet, the clear liquid dripping onto the floor. "Quit drinking for once in your goddamn worthless life and get your head on straight before I blow it off" snarled the babysitter, the Marine not bothering to look up from his watch. "SITFU and quit skating" added Castle before resting his helmeted head back behind his big belt fed machine gun while a bazooka lay on the ground in arms reach, opposite where Barker was sitting.
Not amused by the Punishers intolerance of his habit, Barker calmly reached his hand down and pulled a fresh flask from his belt and unscrewed the lid before taking a swig, relishing the drink despite the glare Frank was giving him. "Now, as I was saying…" he began as he screwed the lid back on before finally noticing Yuri's presence, "Oh hey, didn't see you there!" he greeted as he sprang to his feet. "Who are you? Don't be scared of ol' Barker now" he encouraged with a grin.
"Watanabe" returned Yuri, almost a hiss, "Captain Watanabe" she added, emphasizing her rank so that the guy might realize exactly who he was messing with. Recognition slammed into the ACE's head like a truck as his eyes widened and his mouth hung open dumbly.
Slowly however, he regained his composure, grinning again. "Ya know, I think I understand why the kid likes it here!" he announced as he turned back to the Punisher, still prone behind his bi-podded Mk. 48. "It sure as hell isn't because of assholes like you! Especially when he's working with people like her!" he added after being ignored by Castle. "Hell, if you were my boss I might bother to sober up a little bit!"
Yuri gave a sweet smile behind her face mask that he couldn't see as she placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled him down as she rammed her knee into his gut, leaving him doubled over as she moved past the ex-Pilot towards the Marine. "How's it looking out there, Castle?" she asked flatly as she lowered her goggles and peered into the morning mist. The Marine merely gave a bored grunt, still looking from behind his gun. "Don't fall asleep on me Castle."
"This isn't my first O dark thirty Fire Watch ma'am" responded the Devil Dog dryly. "But it is quiet. Don't think it was ever this quiet in the Sandbox" he mused quietly as he sat up from his gun and turned to look at Yuri. "Can't tell if that's a good or bad thing" he added in his gravelly tones.
Yuri hmmed her agreement as she raised her goggles up and looked down at the Punisher, the white skull emblem partially covered by ALICE gear to carry extra equipment. "Good, while it lasts" stated the Captain firmly as she tried to hide her nervousness from Castle, not wanting to give him any more ammunition to use against her. "Be honest with me, do you think we have a chance?" she finally asked.
The Marine shrugged, "there's always a chance" he replied quickly, "you should know that better than me, you actually went up against these guys before" he reminded. The cop didn't look amused as she looked down at him with a sideways glance. "Fine, fine" he conceded as he worked his jaw and reevaluated his position. "The guys on the other side, they're still human, they're still scared. And if they aren't, we'll teach them that they should be. Bullets still kill 'em and we got something to fight for, and really, what else do you need?"
Norman Osborn frowned slightly at his situation as he stood placidly in the command center on Roosevelt Island. While he had no desire to be anywhere near the actual fighting, he had no desire to isolate himself on this island where he was forbidden from playing any substantial role in the coming days. The Mayor of New York City would be naught but a spectator as the city he presided over became a battlefield.
Inside the room that had been outfitted by Sable International and manned mostly by their communications specialists were dozens of displays and holo maps giving a real time birds eye view of Manhattan. On it, the markers for various units lit up along the defensive line as well as marked paths of supply lines, showing everything was in place. Even the late arrivals were where they were supposed to be, including the one here.
From his wheelchair, Professor Xavier, or simply Professor X, was overlooking the maps with a faraway look in his pale eyes. The bald mutant seemed to be consumed by something, only that something wasn't what was before his eyes. The CEO narrowed his eyes at the mutant, but there was little he could do, only insist that once this affair was over that he keep his group away from the city.
In contrast, the firebrand blonde woman who was the acting commissioner, Jean DeWolff, was a siren as she shouted out orders and requests for updates. If this was what she was like before they had hostile contact, part of Osborn was curious what she would be like once the IMC revealed themselves. The Marauder had informed them that the IMC possessed cloaking drones that would obscure their base and troops visually. Thankfully, there were other ways to detect troops, especially since they knew where to expect the enemy.
While Osborn thought it would be best have the defenders around the tunnel, Sable had rebuffed him, saying she didn't want the information to be wrong and be outflanked as a result. Hence the east to west defensive line that extended across the whole island, it was also hoped that this would cause the IMC to disseminate their firepower to try and even the odds. Even if Osborn wasn't sure, any attempts to convince her otherwise had gotten him a defiant glare and a stern reminder that this was what Sablinova was being paid for.
Well, it would soon be time for her to earn her considerable pay. "Contacts!" called out one of the men manning a sensor station, "Sensors detecting thermal and electromagnetic distortions at the exit of the Lincoln Tunnel!" In an instant, the room fell quiet as everyone realized that the IMC were no longer a theoretical bogeyman, they were here and in force.
"Alright people, this is it!" barked out DeWolff as she took charge once more. "Call our people up front. Let them know we got incoming!"
"…just turned onto Park avenue, ETA is 10 mikes. No disturbances on the other sensors at this time. All units stand to and prepared for imminent hostile contact" reported DeWolff coolly as Cooper turned to look at the two women next to him to try and gauge their reactions. "Good luck, and give them hell." Sable's face was easier to read with nothing to cover it since she was wearing gear identical to the set she used in the underground, and she was as stoic as always as she picked up her a rifle in place of the shotgun she had used previously. Felicia was determined, but nervous as she unslung her P90 PDW and chambered a round while biting her lip anxiously.
Cooper had that ever-present cocky smirk on his face, adrenaline chilling his blood as he steeled himself for the battle to come, some part of him deep down almost looking forward to it. Taking one last moment to inspect his R-201 Carbine and the underslung electromagnetic launcher, the Marauder felt he was as ready as he would ever be. Looking over to Hardy, the two exchanged silent reassuring nods before jogging off after Sable towards their positions.
In the predawn twilight, a strange grey orange glow covered the streets, aided by streetlamps, while the windows remained dark, even those that had the muzzle of a gun waiting behind them. Sable, Cooper, Hardy, and a fireteam of four Sable troopers were all spread out on the fourth floor of this corner building overlooking the intersection of 45th and Park. The other floors of the building and the one opposite similarly occupied, though machine guns, anti-vehicular teams, and spotters were mixed in for good measure. On top of that, there were a few more aces the defenders had up their sleeve to help even the odds.
There was no doubt in Cooper's mind they would have to play every card they had, and that was reinforced when the defenders got their first warning through their own senses, not their eyes, their legs. They could feel the ground shake and hear the approaching brigade as it got closer and closer, invisible under the cover of cloak drones. Something about fighting an enemy you couldn't see always unnerved the Texan, and he had to take a deep calming breath as he waited for Sable to deal the first hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the woman hold her wrist mounted tactical pad up, finger poised over the button that would fire the opening shot, and chuckled lightly to himself, "Damn I've missed this…now let's get ready to rock" he drawled calmly as he shouldered his rifle and took aim.
"This is Silver Bird" began Silver Sable over the radio, "all units be advised; Blackfall will commence in fifteen seconds" she alerted as the defenders prepared. Matthew flicked through his own wrist mounted tacpad until he found the correct setting, pressing the button and shutting down every piece of gear he had. The Jumpkit went silent as the exo powered down, his HUD vanished as his visor became transparent automatically while the Pilot manually turned off his holosight optic and electromagnetic launcher as Sablinova's accented voice came back on the radio. "In five…four…three…"
The Marauder took a deep breath as the silence was broken by several 'pops' before the air hummed with electricity, as if the molecules were being charged. In effect, that was the case as the EMP generators powered up before that energy was released with a high pitched 'snap' as the pulse disabled the IMC machines. Cloak drones dropped like rocks, their obscuring fields falling away to reveal the confused infantry and temporarily knocked out automated infantry as the Stalkers and Specters rebooted. But that would take time, something the attackers didn't have much of as the defenders hastily powered up their gear, Cooper's HUD coming back online just in time to hear Silver order "All units: Open fire!"
Every gun in the buildings overlooking the road erupted in a deafening roar as red laser fire poured down onto the street, cutting down human and mechanical infantry. They were soon joined by the shrill whistle of incoming mortar shells, the airburst rounds leaving deathly black puffs just below rooftop level as they rained shrapnel down to add to the carnage. Men and machine alike fell under the weight of fire, the men dashing for whatever cover they could find, but there was precious little in the killbox. On the contrary, the Specters stood their ground and returned fire, making them far easier targets for the defenders in their elevated firing positions. Within the first hellish seconds, the IMC advance had ground to a halt in the face of determined resistance. But infantry weren't the only things the IMC had to throw at the defenders. "Contact, hostile armor – titan class – 150 meters out!" called one of the spotters as Cooper looked up to see the hulking form of a Brute loadout titan in IMC colors marching towards them.
The response from the PMC was instantaneous, "Oscar 4, I need your AT on that hard target! Fire for effect!" barked Sablinova as the squad of no less than eight men armed with Carl Gustav recoilless rifles unleashed the HEAT 655 CS rounds loaded for this exact purpose. The first four failed to do damage to the chassis, the shield absorbing the warheads, but the next four had no such obstruction as jets of molten copper bore through the armor, severing vital controls and breaking the frame as the machine fell backwards and didn't get back up. "Damn fine shooting Oscar 4!" called out the Symkarian as she slammed a fresh energy cell into her Havoc energy rifle and opened back up on the IMC.
As quickly as the battle began it drew to a close, the once continuous gunfire became staccato cracks and discreet bursts as bodies littered the street around the burning hulk of the Titan. Even this light skirmish had been brutal, and it was only the beginning. "That wasn't so bad" commented Hardy as she swapped out magazines for her PDW, "I thought they would do something a bit more creative then march straight at us."
The Militia Pilot was under no such delusions, "This is the IMC we're talking about. They come at you with brute force. That means two things: Strength in numbers and heavy armor" he explained as he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the enemy. "I just hope we're ready" he added quietly, he didn't know for sure, all he was sure of was that the defenders would put up one hell of a fight.
Hopefully it would be enough.
Blisk glared at the map, particularly the blinking red indicator that meant the lead infantry company had been wiped out. "Oi!" he barked out, "Bastards got some backbone after all!" Here he thought Marder had sent him on another pointless boring errand after the debacle at Typhon.
"So you fucks actually want to put up a fight eh?" he chuckled lowly, "Then you'll get a fight" he promised as he began sending out updates to the officers leading different companies. If whoever dared oppose him had set up a strongpoint on his main axis of advance, then he had two options: Punch through with brute force or try to outflank it.
Looking out from his Titan, he saw the vast numbers of troops and vehicles and vehicles moving past in their neat procession through the narrow streets of the empty metropolis. The convoy had to stretch for miles, even if their cloak drones were fried and their vehicles needed a reboot, but the entire combat arm of the brigade was moving into the city to reach their objectives as the construction elements were busy erecting their way back home on the other side of the tunnel Blisk had just emerged from. It would be ready soon, and the Apex Predator had every intention of being back with his objectives before it was completed. Failure was not an option, and considering the vast amount of resources at his disposal, Kuben Blisk came to his decision.
The Apex Predator decided to try both.
Logan was pissed.
That in of itself wasn't unusual, it was actually closer to the norm, but what was unusual was the origin of the Wolverine's ire as he angrily chewed on his cigar. He was sure the Professor could explain it as some part of his mutation, that his animalistic traits made him territorial or something, but all he knew was that his blood boiled, and he could already feel the tips of his claws slice through his skin. His enhanced hearing could pick out the sounds of a gun battle in the distance, though everyone else was on edge after they had received word that the IMC was in Manhattan.
A flash to his right caught his attention as he spun and coiled, ready to pounce on whoever had taken him by surprise when he saw the redhead Spider-Man had brought up with him standing there, camera in hand and wide eyed. "Sorry" she mumbled as she stepped back slowly, Logan snorting as he watched the woman suddenly find her camera very interesting.
He wasn't sure what she thought she was doing here, but he had more pressing matters, such as the chuckling woman next to her, who seemed strangely relaxed. "What are you laughing at?" he growled lowly as the Pilot chuckled, the woman in the slate grey tactical gear only now turning to look at Wolverine.
"Nothing personal luv" returned Gates, "Just that Coop managed to fall in with an eclectic bunch is all" she explained nonchalantly as she got to her feet. Logan recognized the way she carried herself, the member of the 6-4 radiated experience and projected both bravado and cool confidence. Gates was a battle-hardened fighter who didn't like to back down from a fight, even if she was taking some amusement in her companions.
"He doesn't like to be called that" interjected Spider-Man, suspended upside down from a webline attached to the ceiling, "he usually goes by 'Marauder' when he's suited up. Prefers to keep his identity a secret" reminded the Webslinger. Gates looked up and titled her head inquisitively before chuckling again and nodding in acknowledgement.
The Pilot looked back up at the superhero and replied, "At least it's a better name than Spider-Man" she jabbed lightly. "Though hopefully you're all your cracked up to be, those IMC buggers won't be going easy on us" she said before her glowing blue visor turned towards the redheaded girl, "Any of us. You sure you want to be here? You don't look like much of a fighter" she commented.
The girl with her camera looked up and seemed to bristle at that, "I know I may not look like much, but this isn't my first time doing something crazy…or suicidal" she retorted, casting a sideways glance at the Wallcrawler, who shrunk from her gaze. "And I figure that even if I won't ever be as good a fighter as any of you then at least I can try to understand what it is you do…why you do it, and make sure everyone else knows what you do too" she elaborated.
Gates scrutinized the redhead for a long moment, "Well I'll tell you this for nothing, these people here, may as well be my family. The 6-4 is my family, and we'll kick your fookin arse if you get in our way" she threatened flatly, causing the reporters eyes to widen, "Am I understood?" Watson nodded at that as she slinked off, leaving them be.
"You didn't have to be so harsh on her" commented Spider-Man quietly, "I think the IMC are a bigger threat than some nosey reporter" he defended brusquely. The put off look Shadowcat had on her face didn't escape Wolverine's notice as the Webslinger tried to steer the conversation away from the redhead. "Any last minute pep talks?
The woman looked at the superhero, then at the window before shouldering her rifle and firing a shot that went straight through the head of a trooper below, "All for the 6-4!" she shouted before her rifle roared on full auto. Snarling in rage, Wolverine peered out the window while chewing on his cigar as he saw the soldiers on the street below, tracers slicing through the air as both sides traded rifle fire. While Storm, Shadowcat, and Cyclops all ducked under the windowsills, Logan stood tall as he removed the stub from his mouth and squished it beneath his boot.
"X-Men" said Cyclops calmly, "let's make our presence felt. Storm: shock and awe. After that" said Summers as he turned to the two close quarters combatants, "you two close the distance, I'll keep you covered" he instructed as Logan growled in anticipation. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the air crackled with electricity before lightning snapped down from the heavens straight into the middle of the IMC squads, causing them to scatter or be turned to ash.
"Think you can keep up old man?" challenged Shadowcat with a grin as Wolverine felt his blood boil.
He snorted derisively, "Just watch your own ass kid" he grunted before he squatted down and launched himself out of the window, his claws extending from his hands. The Mutant came down to the street and charged forwards, uncaring of the bullets that tore into his skin as he bore down on the nearest squad and leapt at the first one. Recoiling back, face etched with fear, he screamed out in agony as the adamantium coated claws were plunged into his chest before being pulled out, leaving the man to bleed out on the ground. With a savage swipe, Logan sliced the gun of the next rifleman in two before his other claws were rammed into his side and sliced through his spinal cord.
On the other side of the street, Katherine Pryde phased through a car and right in the middle of an IMC squad, shoving one trooper into his squad mate before dodging a knife swing with grace and ease. Using the attack to gain the upper hand, she got the upper hand by throwing the off-balance soldier to the ground and kicked him in the jaw, knocking him out. Just as the first two soldiers recovered, a pair of white silk lines came down from above and attached to their helmets, slamming them down into the car and knocking both out.
Meanwhile, Logan yanked his claws back out from the last member of the first group he had set upon and tore off toward the last two soldiers. While bullets tore through him to no effect he lashed out with his claws, slicing through the armor of the first as he fell back and away and Wolverine rounded on the other, tearing into him with fury until the solider was a bloody a flash of red in his peripheral caused him to look up, seeing the red eye beam of Cyclops sear the chest of the first soldier as the street fell silent. A blood covered and bullet ridden Logan stood tall and sniffed the air, the scents of blood and cordite heavy after the brief firefight. "Well" began a chipper voice as Logan looked up at the red armored figure hanging from the wall, "that wasn't so bad."
"Don't worry bub," began Wolverine as he reached for a fresh cigar, "It's gonna get worse."
Waiting wasn't something the Black Cat was unused to, waiting for the right moment to make her move, waiting for a piece to show up, waiting for a patrol to pass by. But this kind of waiting, waiting for the next onslaught, was nerve wracking. After the first contact almost three hours prior it had been eerily quiet in their immediate area, though Felicia could hear echoing gunfire from up the street. Simply put, the thief felt out of place here surrounded by soldiers, and she was feeling restless. "How you holdin' up darlin?" drawled a voice in her ear piece, as if the man down the line could sense her misgivings.
It was clear the her lover felt right at home here, she could tell he was…enjoying was the wrong word, but after weeks of chasing shadows around the city and trying to play catch up with Mr. Negative, it was clear he was thriving without having to be collared by rules of were simple, there were bad guys and he had to shoot them, and it was where the Texan was at his best. "Well enough" she replied evenly, but being put into the line, it made her feel small, unimportant, it was not a feeling she liked. Looking down past the Marauder, she could see Silver Sable, the Symkarian had been keeping an eye on either her or Cooper, and the more Felicia watched it seemed as if the mercenary had her attention on the Marauder.
Up close, the woman was intimidating, she projected an air of confidence that rivaled Felicia's own and she was more than able to handle herself in a fight. Considering her skills and her status as a mercenary employed by Norman Osborn, the Black Cat was weary, hoping the business mogul's agenda didn't cause the two to cross paths. Any further thoughts, however, were cut short by a distant whistling sound. "COVER!" shouted Sable over the comm as everyone dove to the floor, the building shaking from the salvo of mortar rounds as they impacted the structure and street below. "Silver Bird to Baseplate, request counterbattery fire on enemy mortars!" called the mercenary as Felicia covered her head with her arms, just able to peak out and see the woman standing, unperturbed, as lethal explosives rained down on them.
"Negative Silver Bird" returned the fire controller flatly, "we are unable to pinpoint the target at this time. IMC jamming is rendering our radars ineffective, you need to have the mortar position manually designated." Felicia could hear Sable mutter a curse down the line, and she had a feeling she knew what was coming.
"Chert" she cursed as she turned towards the Marauder and Black Cat, "Marauder, I need you two to locate and designate that mortar team" ordered Sablinova as Felicia collected herself and began to get to her feet, only to find the Symkarian standing over her with an extended hand. Taking it, the Thief stood to her full height, "Take this, laser designator" explained the woman as she offered a set of peculiar looking binoculars. "Find those mortars, designate them, then get back. No heroics" she said sternly, cold blue eyes looking from Felicia to Matthew before she turned away as more mortar shells impacted.
"Well" began Cooper as he made his way to a window, "Ready to stretch your legs?" drawled the Marauder, though the Black Cat could hear the slight edge in the usually calm voice.
Despite her own anxiety, she managed a Cheshire grin, "And waltz through the raindrops" she returned coyly as she drew her grapple hook and took a deep breath. After a brief hesitation, she pulled the trigger, sending the hook to the building across the street and jumped up just as she was yanked forwards and out of the window. Ignoring the dust, smoke, shrapnel, and heat that surrounded her, the Black Cat flew across the street, muscle memory pulling her up and onto the rooftop.
She could barely make out the distinct hiss of a jump kit and knew that Cooper was hot on her heels as she took off in a dead sprint, parkouring over and around the chimneys, half walls, and air conditioning units that littered the rooftop. Halfway through a jump, a mortar shell landed on the rooftop, the shockwave knocked the wind of out her lungs as she staggered before recovering, pure adrenaline pushing her to get out of the danger zone. "Go! Don't stop! GO!" barked Cooper from behind as both hit the edge of the rooftop at the same time and leapt off, bouncing off the opposite wall and working their way down to street level to try and get away from the deadly hail of shells.
"You good?" asked Matthew as they ducked inside a building for a brief reprieve. Felicia gave a nod as she caught her breath, "Then it's your point, we need to go quiet and go quick. Take us there sweetheart" he finished.
"Ride to the sound of the guns?" she asked, "I can do that" she answered as the two got underway. Staying off the main streets to keep a low profile, they pair were forced to use alleys, parkouring their way south, the sounds of the mortar impacts becoming steadily more distant. Soon however, Felicia heard something else as she came to stop. "Do you hear that?" she asked as she strained to try and identify the odd rumbling.
The Marauder came to a stop and looked around, "Yeah" he answered lowly, the Texan quickly elevating his senses to high alert as he bent his knees and shouldered his weapon, ready to spring into combat. "Let's check it out…carefully" he decided, "We get spotted out here and we're fucked" he reminded as the pair moved slowly and deliberately towards the main street, Felicia picking the lock of a door while Matthew covered her until it clicked open and the duo slipped inside. Creeping through the deserted building and up to the second floor and made their way to the windows overlooking the street. Her lover, eloquent as ever, reacted first, "Holy shit."
Below was a massive column of armored vehicles, some were just big trucks with squads of soldiers riding the beds while others were futuristic looking versions of the MRAPs Sable International used. But most intimidating were the fully tracked battle tanks, turrets each containing a pair of massive cannons, trundling down the street. "We need to warn the others" whispered Hardy, there was little the pair could do against the IMC force below them. "Silver Bird, this is Black Cat, do you read?" she spoke calmly, only to get static back in reply through her earpiece.
"They're jamming long range voice comms," surmised Cooper, "we need to take down those mortars so Sable's positions are still intact for when that column arrives. Look" following where he was pointing, Felicia saw telltale smoke puffs that she assumed were from the mortars. "Let's get up to the roof and light 'em up" finished the Maruader as the two slinked back from the windows and made their way up the staircase to the rooftops.
Stepping out onto the rooftop, weapons sweeping to ensure they were alone, the duo moved to the corner of the building as Hardy raised the laser designator. Despite the jamming of comm signals, the shorter burst transmission of gps coordinates made it through without issue. Even if their radios only received static, the high-pitched whistle of incoming shells was the only confirmation they needed that the coordinates had made it through. With the magnified view offered by the binocular like device, Felicia could see the effects of the Sable mortar rounds with gruesome clarity. The rounds they fired were cluster warheads, splitting apart 100 feet off the ground as dozens of golf ball sized spheres rained down on the designated position, on impact, those spheres detonated in blasts of red light.
It was more than just a lightshow, the extreme heat generated was immense, grass burst into flames as dozens of small fires started simultaneously, those men unlucky enough to be caught in the blast had the heat melt their armor to them as their skin was blackened and fell away like slime. Metal fared no better, emplacements and the artillery guns they were targeted warped under the assault and the ammunition cooked off, exploding like popcorn. "Burn you bastards" growled Matthew lowly, clearly even a year removed from Typhon he had no sympathy for the IMC.
Felicia found it a tougher pill to swallow, not the killing per se, or even that the people on the receiving end didn't deserve it, it was how remote it was. She had looked through binoculars and pressed a button to rain death down on unprepared soldiers caught completely off guard. As she watched a trio of men dancing, their gear burning as they flailed about, she could finally take no more and lowered the designator. "You alright darlin?" asked the Marauder quietly as she turned to see the blue visor staring at her intently. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Yeah, just…" she began before trailing off, "did you see stuff like that before? On Typhon?" she asked carefully as a pillar of black smoke beagn to rise into the sky as the fires soon combined into a raging inferno. He didn't talk about Typhon much, and he had never shown more than the last day, the heroic charge to take down the Fold Weapon, though he still bore the physical and mental scars.
"I didn't just see it" answered the Marauder quietly, "I caused it." There was no pride in the admission, though his voice remained steady as Felicia digested the words while her eyes remained glued to the carnage below. "Come on," said Cooper after a few moments of uneasy silence, "We need to head back before that column reaches their position" he encouraged as the thief nodded and tore her eyes from the pyre and they turned to leave when she heard a faint humming sound. "Shit!" called Cooper almost by reflex as purple orbs shot overhead, "Plasma drones! Move!" he barked as Felicia's legs picked up speed of their own accord, adrenaline surging through her as she looked over her shoulder to see Matthew trailing, Smart Pistol out and taking aim at a gaggle of the silver colored miniature craft hovering about thirty feet above and behind the pair.
Making for the edge of the roof, stealth was traded for speed as Felicia moved with the speed and grace expected of someone known as the Black Cat as she leapt to the neighboring building. Landing and transitioning back into a dead sprint without having to break her stride, she was operating on reflex and instinct. Cooper was too, and his instinct was to shoot back as the distinct report of his sidearm filled the air, followed soon after by the sound of several drones being hit. Veering right, Felicia made for the alley the building backed up to, vaulting over the fire escape and using a solid strut as a trapeze to propel herself across the gap and through the window of another building, shattering glass as she rolled to her feet.
A second window shattered a second later as the green armored form of the Marauder entered the hallway behind her and the two resumed their mad dash. The drones hovered outside the windows and opened up, plasma orbs slamming into the brick wall, the glass windows, and the paint mere inches from the two humans as the braved the gauntlet. But it was only a matter of time until lady luck frowned upon them, and Felicia was desperately looking for an alternate path when she spotted their ticket out of this killzone. "The elevator!" she called out as she slid into the wall next to it, "Open these doors!" she ordered as Matthew complied without hesitation, driving his axe between them and slowly prying them open.
But the drones weren't going to let them go that easily as they came to a stop just outside the window. Mouth clenched in anger, Felicia pulled up the P90 and unleashed a long burst, spraying rounds into the group from the hip, the armor piercing 5.7mm projectiles slicing through the thin armor and chewing up the internals until the gun had chewed through its entire 50 round magazine. Just as another drone settled into view to take it's shot, the R-201 roared to life as Cooper engaged the machine. "I gotcha covered! Go!" her ordered as Felicia leapt into the shaft and grabbed hold of the central steel cable, sliding down the twenty floors in seconds.
When the gunfire stopped, she looked up to see Cooper hadn't even bothered with the cable. The Pilot electing to descend simply by bouncing off the walls on his way down. When they reached the bottom, both took a moment to catch their breath and reload their weapons, but they didn't have much more time than that. "They'll have squads vectored in on us, we need to get moving" reminded Cooper as Felicia nodded and led the pair to an exit, her muscles were already burning, and they still had more than a dozen blocks to cover.
After that it would be back into the frying pan.
Silver Sablinova's teeth rattled as more IMC mortar shells slammed into the building when her radio crackled to life, "Silver Bird, this is Baseplate. We've received target coordinates but no call to engage, do we have permission to open fire?" asked the fire controller.
The Symkarian didn't even weigh her options, and her response was instantaneous. "Cleared hot, engage immediately." Even if she had her misgivings about the Marauder, she had none about his abilities, and if they were sending a target then it was their target.
"Understood" returned the controller flatly, "12 mortars, CIFM-E, shot out" called the controller, telling her the number and type of rounds being sent down range. The Cluster Indirect Fire Munition-Energy was one of the most advanced, and devastating, shells in the world, used exclusively by Sable International. "Fire mission complete, Baseplate out" reported the controller calmly before the radio clicked off.
Fifteen seconds later, and the incoming fire ceased, a ghost of a smile appearing on Sable's lips as she let out a sigh of relief and called for a status report from her men. There were a half dozen wounded, and three of them were being extracted down to the subway to be taken to a CCP while the others refused to be taken off the line. She had trust in her men, if they said they could continue to fight, then she believed they could continue to fight.
Despite remaining on high alert, no sign of the IMC appeared. For fourteen nerve fraying minutes there was no opposition for the Private Security Force. But the respite could not last forever, and she soon had one of her rooftop spotters hailing her on the comm net. "Ma'am, we have inbounds…enemy infantry, vehicles, and heavy armor. It's all coming right at us" he reported, and before Sable could process the report, the leading elements of the enemy advance opened fire.
"All Sable units return fire! Make them pay for every inch with blood!" she snarled over the comms as she raised her own Havoc rifle and took aim. Firing in short bursts, the veteran mercenary sent small squirts of superheated plasma downrange with deadly efficiency.
"Technical!" called out another trooper as the machine gun armed truck pulled up, heavy rounds tearing through the air and slamming into the buildings as the white armored contractors ducked into cover. But Sable was still stone faced as she flicked the fire selector with her thumb and steadied her breathing despite the life-threatening projectiles being sent her way. The rifle in her hands hummed menacingly until the beam firing mode had charged and a concentrated quarter second burst of continuous fire leapt back in reply, drilling the gunner right between the eyes as he slumped over his gun.
Not a moment later, a trooper with his recoilless rifle fired, putting the vehicle out of commission. But the action only served to give him away as the IMC responded in kind, their own explosives steaking up in reply, destroying the section of the wall and killing whoever was on the other side. A wall of grenades was lobbed forwards, but fell short, just as intended. The street below was filled with huge clouds of white smoke as Sable recognized what the IMC was doing. With their advanced obscured, the IMC could breach the buildings the defenders were holed up in and start to clear them out. "Grenades!" she barked out as she yanked her own frags from her belt and ripped out the pins, tossing the baseball sized explosives out.
The resulting string of explosions was followed by dozens of pained screams as advancing soldiers fell, but more were coming with even more support. Peeking out, Sable saw a massive shape emerge around a corner, the hulking tracked vehicle crushing a car parked on the side of the road as it emerged and began its advance. Before the Symkarian could bark out an order, there was a thundering roar as both of it's main cannons fired simultaneously and sent a pair of HESH rounds screaming towards the defenders, blasting apart the walls of the building across the street and throwing up a massive cloud of dust and smoke. The Sable International troopers responded, bringing their own anti-tank weapons to bear as more rounds shot out only to be swatted down by the Active Protection System on the incoming tank before it reloaded and fired again, putting a round into the origin of the fire as bodies and debris fell past the window Sablinova was looking out.
But things weren't bad, not yet, because that came next. "We have a breach! Hostile troops have breached the first floor!" came a frantic cry as Sable reacted instantly, turning and running to the stairwell that would take her down to the first floor. "Enemy grunts and Stalkers on the first floor of both buildings! We need reinforcements!" Halfway down the stairs, the entire building shook under the weight of another pair of impacts as the IMC tank continued to hammer away at the defenders.
Dust filled the stairwell as Sable braced herself on the wall and pressed on as she could hear the sound of a furious firefight as she stuck her head out the window to see her white armored troopers furiously firing out across the room and through the shattered windows. In the brief moment she stood still, a bullet snapped by her head and buried itself in the wall behind her, snapping her from her stupor as she slid into cover behind a desk. Raising her rifle, she unleashed a burst that slammed into the chest of an IMC soldier trying to cross the street only for two others to charge out immediately afterwards. With the proficiency that only comes with years of training, she jammed a new power cell into the Havoc and spooled up the energy rifle again.
Around her, the familiar red pulses lashed out ferociously, trying to hold back the tide of white that rolled towards them, but it was a futile effort. The building rocked again under another salvo from the massive tank in the street as it continued to pound the defenders with near impunity. If Sable kept her men here then they would all die, there was only one choice to make. "This is Silver Bird; all Sable units fall back from Alpha 1 Kilo. Fighting withdrawal" she ordered, knowing her men would begin carrying out her orders. Troopers on the upper levels would evacuate to the neighboring buildings before working their way down and into the nearest underground access to retreat. Sable Troopers on the ground floor would have to lay smoke and place mines before falling back to cover their own exit, but first they had to hold and cover their comrades.
Without the fire coming down from the upper levels, the IMC put more pressure on the remaining defenders as they pressed their advantage. The incoming fire picked up as another round of smoke and frag grenades came in that caused the remaining defenders to take cover before a barrage bullets that came in. When the stream slowed, Sable stood and raised her weapon, only to widen her eyes as she saw both barrels of the IMC tank pointing towards her position. "COVER!" she roared just as the massive weapons fired, blasting the storefront to bits as debris and shrapnel filled the air, the concussion throwing Sable back to the wall. Fighting to get air back in her lungs, she opened her eyes to see the IMC vehicle still there, but that wasn't what had her attention. It was the green armored bastard standing on top of it.
The Marauder raised his weapon and cut loose on the IMC soldiers around him, shredding the infantry who hadn't been expecting the Pilot to appear almost out of nowhere. As he continued to engage, the hatch of the tank popped open and an IMC officer stuck his head out only for a black streak to land behind him and put a bullet through his head. As the Marauder rolled back and off the turret to reload, the Thief pulled a device from her belt and yanked the pin off with her teeth before dropping it down the hatch.
Sable could see the shields visibly 'pop' from the effects of what she assumed was an EMP before the Marauder triggered his underslung launcher, putting an armor piercing slug into the engine bay that started a fire at the rear of the tank and both vigilantes fired their grapples and shot out of danger area and up towards the rooftops. "MINES! MINES!" she yelled out, this was the best opening they were going to get to escape with their lives and the rest of the troopers moved posthaste to toss out the small circular anti personal mines before they began filing out, ignoring the burning tank and making their way down to their exfil point.
As the sun began to rise up, it signaled the start of the longest day.
Cooper's Logbook – Vehicle: M-179 Paladin Heavy Assault Tank
When you don't have a Titan to punch through some stubborn defenders, than a M-179 Paladin will probably do. The great great great great grandson of modern-day Main Battle Tanks, this 92 ton monster lacks the versatility and flexibility of a Titan, but makes up for it in sheer brute force. The pair of 140mm cannons pack enough firepower to put any Titan down if they aren't respected, and their autoloaders and vast variety of available ammunition ensure they can rapidly engage and reengage different targets. More impressive are the defensive systems the Paladin has, not only does it have a Titan's energy shield, but also features an Active Protection System (APS), Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), and up to a foot of cutting edge composite armor in some places. The result is a vehicle that is a thoroughly tough nut to crack.
Mobility is somewhat lacking, the advantages that tracks provide for weight distribution are somewhat offset by the fact it weighs more than twice as much as BT and 80% more than the heaviest Legion Class Titan. They are fast in a straight line, up to 45 miles an hour, but lack agility and evasiveness, meaning that they are at an even greater disadvantage in urban environments that further limit their mobility.
Similar to some modern tanks, this vehicle has a crew of three. A commander and gunner are in the turret while a driver is in the hull. While this more than a Titan's single pilot, these crewmen do not require the rigorous training and selection process that a Titan Pilot must undergo. It is far easier to crew a company of Paladins than a platoon of Titans.
There is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a rivalry between Titan Pilots and Paladin crews, and more than one barfight across the Frontier got started because words exchanged between these groups became blows. No matter the outcome, it's far better that this happened without the participants respective vehicles.
Closing Notes: Well this is the opening of it, hopefully you all like it because this is a good idea of what the next chapters will be like. Obviously, I do have some surprises in store but if you don't like lots of shooting and action, you may not like the rest of this arc. There won't be all action obviously, but there aren't any chapters of pure downtime until the arc is wrapped up. Admittedly, I'm just trying stuff out and I do really want feedback on it for later arcs, there's also an element of doing something different from what's come before it what I have lined up after.
So reviews and critique regarding anything, especially the character interactions with the X-Men, Gates, and Barker, are very much welcome. One that will become apparent is the way the focus cycles through the three distinct groups, that sort of began here, but will be even more apparent next chapter.
In that chapter, one will move between the lines, a soldier breaking the confines to become a Ghost in the Trenches.
Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.