Chapter 9: Klaw
Under the night sky of New York City, a black figure ran across the rooftops. Alistair moved faster than any regular human should. Behind him followed a black jaguar. He leaped from building to building over alleyways and streets. Landing on a building he removed his scarf and looked down across the street.
"Why are we here?" Maleficent asked.
"This place will be called Midland Circle." He answered, "Construction will be built in a few years, blueprints probably aren't even drawn up yet." He crouched down, "In the ground, there's a hole going down hundreds of feet deep into a dome. There there's a door into the grave of a dragon."
"A dragon?" She asked sitting down.
"Yeah, it's body secretes a black liquid called the Resurrection Elixir. If someone dies and their body is dipped inside it they can come back to life." Alistair explained.
"Are you going to take it?" She asked curiously.
"No, if I take it New York would collapse." He replied before he stood up, "Although I can think of a few people who'll need it in the future."
Quicksilver, Yondu, the Warriors Three, and Heimdall for starters. Unless he can prevent their deaths before they even happen. But what would that change in turn?
"You said Klaue leaves tomorrow right?" He asked stretching his arms.
"Yeah." She answered.
"I need more time figuring out how to control my body." He muttered before he sighed, "Time's not on our side though."
"Are saying you should wait?" Maleficent asked curiously as Alistair walked away.
"No, this is our shot and we can't miss it." He replied, "We need to take this risk. The Vibranium could set me up for life when I give it back to the Wakandans. Billions." He scoffed in bafflement.
In his entire life, he's never imagined having that much money could even be possible.
"How much money will they give you?" She asked as they approached a ledge.
"Klaue got it for around 3 billion dollars with it I could probably get half of that." He answered before he stepped back before breaking into a run and jumping over the alley below.
"Why would you only get half?" She asked when she jumped after him.
"You didn't think I'd give them all of the Vibranium did you?" He asked before jumping onto a shorter building, "It's the strongest substance on the planet, I'm not going to give it all up."
"So what are you going to do with all the metal you still have?" She asked as Alistair sighed and leaned against a brick wall.
"I'm going to hide it in the Mirror Dimension away from everyone." He answered, "Then I'll figure out what to do with it."
"Alistair Sanz, Born January 1989 in San Francisco, California." Phil read aloud as he scanned Alistair's file, "Skimmed by high school, never attended college, and has hardly ever held down a job for more than a month. Nothing stands out in his file sir."
Phil Coulson stood across Nick Fury, Director of Shield in his office in the Triskelion.
"That's exactly what bothers me." Fury replied, "How could a kid like this know the names of two of our best agents or have these types of abilities when he's never exhibited any signs of them before." The director hummed before standing up, "You said he saved you in New Mexico correct?"
"Yes sir, he gave us a chance to escape." He answered, "And Agent Barton claims to have seen him the night before at the crater."
"What is it do you think he wants?" Fury asked leaning on his desk.
"I'm not sure sir, he doesn't leave a pattern. His actions are erratic, almost clumsy." He answered flopping through the file.
"This kid is one huge question mark." Fury replied, "Keep all eyes and ears out for him, if he sneezes I want to know about it."
"Yes, sir." Coulson nodded before he made his way to the door. Phil put his hand on the handle before he paused, "Sir, are we looking for him as a potential threat or as a potential ally?"
"That depends on his next move." Fury replied.
Coulson only nodded before he walked out the door.
Standing inside the bridge of an old ship across from Klaue's Alistair glared at the wrecked ship. Maleficent stood at his side still a Jaguar. He's been here since dawn waiting for Klaue to leave. The sun came up three hours ago. He had an early breakfast at McDonald's in New York.
"A truck is coming." Maleficent informed.
Alistair shifted his gaze to see a black jeep approaching. The jeep rounded the ship before parking next to it. Shortly after the door on the hull swung open and a rope ladder flew out. Alistair watched tensely as one by one the mercenaries climbed out of the ship before their leader finally appeared.
"Klaue." He muttered watching the man climb into the jeep before it sped away.
Now that he has enhanced sight he could see the mercenary more clearly even as he drove further and further away. When he decided it was far enough he slipped on his sling ring. He took a deep breath before turning to Maleficent.
"Ready?" He asked, "Once we're in we'll be outnumbered."
He had used his astral body to go into the ship and scope it out. He found that there were forty armed men regularly patrolling the ship. Since some of them left with Klaue there should only be thirty-four now. He spent an hour flying around the ship until the rooms and hallways were ingrained in his memory.
"I still think you should turn me into a lion." She replied, "Let's do it."
"I told you lions are too big for the narrow hallways in that ship. Besides jaguars have stronger bites." He replied before opening the portal.
The two of them walked through it to find themselves in a cabin. It was small, homey, and empty. Silently opening the door he looked up and down the hall before stepping out. Reaching a fork he looked down the left hall and then the right. Hearing the sound of two men having a conversation he slinked behind the corner. The thumping footsteps grew closer and closer and Alistair quickly conjured a whip.
Seeing a glimpse of black metal he pressed himself further against the wall as two men holding rifles began to round the corner. Alistair kicked the closest man's rifle out of his hands and quickly whipped the second man's wrists together. Grabbing the first man by the neck and threw him against the ceiling before falling to the floor in a heap. He then pulled the whip with his new strength before head butting the man before kicking him against the wall.
"Not bad," Maleficent commented.
"Thanks." Alistair nodded before they continued on their way, "We need to get below to the cargo hold. That's where all the vibranium is."
Continuing their way through the ship they came across a long brightly lit narrow hallway. Alistair didn't like it, "Stay close." He whispered to Maleficent before they walked down the hallway.
Reaching halfway through the hallway he was met with a group of men pointing their guns at him. The clicking of even more guns from behind told him that he was surrounded. Looking over his shoulder he saw another group of mercenaries. Glancing down at Maleficent he gave a nervous smile.
"Why haven't they began to shoot yet?" Maleficent asked.
"Because I ordered them not to." A familiar voice rang through the hallway.
Alistair looked up to find Klaue appear from behind the men. The dealer had a manic smile on his face, "You're not supposed to be here." Alistair said from under his scarf.
"I could say the same for you mate. You're the one trespassing." The man laughed amused by the younger man, "This is my ship, my men with my guns!" Klaue emphasized as the men with guns began to slowly approach him.
"How did you know?" Alistair asked genuinely curious.
"How did I know?" Klaue mocked before laughing, "Little boy, this whole shipyard is mine. I got every ship bugged including the ones closest to my most precious cargo. It came at a great price to me you know." His smile faltered as he reached up to his brand mark.
"Then I better get out of your hair." Alistair smirked before he quickly weaved signs in blinding speed before releasing a barrage of lighting at the two groups of men.
Klaue dived out of the way before the men behind him were electrocuted, "Not bad, not bad at all."
With all the men down Alistair quickly made a portal in the floor before he and Maleficent jumped down. They landed in a different section of the ship. Looking around he remembered where he was and smiled.
"We're in the heart of the ship." Maleficent commented before looking up, "There's Klaue's office."
"Looks like that diversion worked. He sent all of his men my way." He smiled as he made his way down the platform, "A man like Klaue wouldn't let the vibranium sit too far away." He said before approaching two metal doors.
Bearing his hands in the crack he began to force the steel doors open. Maleficent watched at the sliding doors revealed drums of toxic waste, "This is vibranium?"
"No." Alistair replied before reaching up and pulled down with a grunt. The compartment began to descend revealing another hidden compartment full of glass canisters will metal inside, "This is." He smiled at the sight of it. He quickly turned around and opened a portal, "Listen for any of them I'll get the Vibranium out of here." He ordered before grabbing two canisters and tossing them through the portal.
After throwing most of the canisters Maleficent growled, "They're coming."
"From where?" He asked tossing another two canisters into the portal.
"Everywhere." She replied, "That's why they took so long, they were getting into position."
Alistair stopped what he was doing and sighed. He stepped away from the portal and raised his hands, "I've been practicing this all week so let's hope this works." He started as he began to weave signs.
Maleficent watched as the black mist began to seep out of his hands. She took a step back, "What is that?"
"Our cover." He replied before the mist converged into an orb. Looking up he saw the room flooding with mercenaries, "The Vapors of Valtorr!' He exclaimed before the black mist exploded across the room blinding everyone.
"We need to hurry up this won't last long!" Alistair said before he went back to work on grabbing the vibranium.
Suddenly Alistair felt the cold metal of a gun against his head, "No, you don't." Klaue chuckled, "Neat tricks, if only you worked for me. Now put my vibranium back or I'll- aaaagghh!"
The metal was pulled from his head before multiple gunshots went off. A growl and a roar could be heard in the darkness as well as Klaue's screaming. Alistair didn't have time to think about it before he took the rest of the vibranium and threw it through the portal.
"Maleficent let's go!" He yelled before jumping through the portal.
Looking into the portal he jumped back in shock when Maleficent suddenly pounced at him, "Close it!" Her voice muffled.
Alistair quickly closed the portal and stood up. He looked around to see if they're at the spot he planned on. Sand, palm trees and bushes, and the ocean around them, "We're here."
"Where is here?" Maleficent asked dropping something.
"A desert island in the middle of the Caribbean." He replied before he saw blood in the white sand, "Why is there blood?"
He followed the trail to Maleficent and around her to find an arm. A severed arm, "Is that Klaue's arm?"
"Yes." She replied licking some blood off of her lip.
Alistair can only nod, "One thing at a time, one that at a time." He chanted to himself, "Handle it one by one to salvage your sanity." He took a deep breath before letting it out, "Ok we could use the arm as evidence before selling the Vibranium." He muttered to himself before looking at the pile of vibranium, "Let's start counting."
"I don't know how to count." Maleficent replied, "Street cat remember." She added.
Alistair nodded and sighed before he muttered, "I need to get myself a human friend." He returned to the pile, "Let's start counting."
In his ship, Klaue grunted in pain as his men made a tourniquet out of his belt stopping the bleeding from his severed arm, "I'm going to kill him, I'm going to kill him!"
"Sir, the men report that he took all of it." One of the men reported nervously.
Klaue looked up at the man before he pulled out his gun and shot him right then and there, "Of course he took all of it, idiot!"
"What do we do?" Another man asked nervously.
"Call everyone! Hydra, the Hand, the Ten Rings, I want to know who this bastard is!" He ordered waving his gun around causing everyone to scurry out of the room, "I'm going to kill him I'm going to kill him." He muttered to himself repeatedly.