Remnant's Mightiest Heroes!
Chapter 20: Brain vs Brawn
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November 11, 19:40
New York City, New York
"Finally, my ears have stopped ringing!"
Yang Xiao Long was walking down the street with four boxes of pizza in her arms. Today, they had decided to get pizza for dinner. Nora wanted to undertake a mission to make sure that the delivery guy didn't arrive on time so they can get it for free. That was immediately shut down by Jaune, who declared it unbecoming of superheroes. To avoid temptation, they decided to pick it up. Drawing straws, Yang was chosen to go after taking requests on what to order from everyone.
That's another thing that she'll have to consider doing. She and the others were relying on the Avengers budget to house and feed them. That didn't make her feel better, leaching off their kindness and putting them into debt. Ruby is planning on taking a part-time job at Stark Industries, much to the delight of the CEO. Weiss is giving fencing lessons to Harry Osborn at a reasonable price. Last she heard Blake was planning on working for SHIELD. Yang had yet to find a job.
At least she had one less issue to worry about.
"Seriously, how long does it take to recover from a fight with the Hulk?" Yang groaned as she resisted the urge to rub the sides of her head. "I would've gladly traded him with Mister Sinister."
Yang still wishes she was with Blake when she was captured by Mister Sinister. When Blake contacted them that day, she was in a frantic frenzy in trying to find her partner. She calmed down when Blake contacted her and gave her a location. She got there first before the others. Any scolding was cut off when she caught sight of the dead bodies that littered the underground lab. She vomited for so long that she wanted to submit it to the Guinness World Records.
"Deadpool," Blake simply answered when she asked what happened there.
Luckily, she was able to prevent Ruby from entering the house. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to be further traumatized. It also helped that S.H.I.E.L.D came to secure the area and take the bodies. It was still hard to believe that a group of villains from the X-Men comics were real. Weiss still had trouble processing that Wanda's stories held some truth.
But that didn't spare them from the pain that awaited them. Yesterday, they had a mock battle against the Incredible Hulk. The only reason that it was delayed was that the impromptu mission that Blake had partaken in saved the lives of several missing persons. Yang had a feeling that the purpose of that battle was to make sure they didn't pull a stunt like this again.
Fearing his strength, they kept their distance and used long-ranged attacks. But all their attacks did was to make him angry, which is exactly what powers him. Hulk ended the battle by clapping his hands. The shockwave that followed was like the sound of thunder. They felt that their eardrums could've burst if it weren't for their aura. Disoriented, they yielded while they still had their aura intact.
"If he wasn't holding back, would he have broken our aura instantly?" Yang muttered to herself as she continues walking. "Considering that Tony said he once held up the city of New York when that guy Attuma flooded it, probably. I certainly don't want to test that with the big guy. No good in absorbing the energy of his blow if my aura is all busted. How much energy would that be anyway?"
She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of glass shattering. Right in front of her, a body flew out of the bar she was about to walk by. Yang watched as she heard fighting coming from the bar itself.
"A barfight?" Yang wondered as she tries to peer into the bar. She whipped her head back as more bodies came flying out. One of the men who was thrown out got up and tried to run. Keyword tried because an arrow embedded itself into the street, snagging the pants leg.
"Hey, you started this fight! It's kind of pathetic if you run away," A female voice called out. Leaping over the window edge is a young woman dressed in purple with some chest armor. Despite this time of night, she was wearing purple-tinted sunglasses. Curiously, there is also a quiver full of arrows and a katana.
If Yang didn't know any better, she thought that she was seeing a female Hawkeye.
"I tried to be civil about this and what do you do? You tried to knife me!" The woman said as she drew her sword and placed it against the man's throat. "Now I'm going to ask this once…where is it going down?"
"Tonight!" The man said in a panicked tone of voice. "It's happening tonight! I don't know where, but I do know they are using an old facility of theirs in this city. That's all I know I swear!"
"It better. Otherwise, I'll make sure that prison is a paradise," the woman warns as she hits him in the back of the head with the butt of her katana. The man fell to the ground unconscious. Silence permeated the air before Yang decided to make herself known.
"Hey!" She called out, getting the girl's attention. After putting down the pizza boxes, she gestured to the broken window. "Isn't this a little too extreme for a bar fight?"
"Oh good, I was worried that there would be nobody around," the woman breathes out, not bothering to answer her question. "Can you do me a favor and call the police for me? I'm in too much of a hurry and these guys happen to be involved with the illicit activity and should be arrested."
"Wait…what?!" Yang yelled. The woman was just about to walk away when Yang called for her. "Hey, wait! Why do I have to clean up your mess?"
"Oh, I don't know? Maybe because this right there is public asphalt?" The woman asked sarcastically, pointing to the ground. "Cars, buses, and motorcycles have to use it and they shouldn't be required to circumnavigate around their person to do so."
"And that means I have to clean this up?" Yang yelled.
"Well, I've exhausted my powers of persuasion," She simply said. At that moment, she became enveloped in violet light. Before Yang could blink, she vanished into thin air. Aside from the unconscious bodies that littered the street, she was the only one around.
"Seriously?" Yang complained. Looking at the bodies, she wondered what to do. On one hand, she was inclined to just ignore her and be on her way. But if these guys were criminals involved in something illegal, she can't just ignore it. She didn't know what it was, but something told her that she will regret it.
"The pizza is going to get cold," Yang muttered as she took out her scroll and dialed 911.
Avengers Mansion
"I really don't like her," Yang grumbled. "Who even wears shades at night?"
It took her more than fifteen minutes to clear it up with the police that she is not the one who instigated the bar fight. If it weren't for the bartender, she did not doubt that she would've been thrown in jail for disorderly conduct and destruction of property or worse, fined a huge sum of money putting her in even more debt.
At least she provided them a description of the woman responsible. She dubbed her as a female Hawkeye and left without another word. Honestly, she looked the part. By the time she got back to the mansion, the pizza boxes have gotten colder.
"Hey guys, I'm back," Yang called out as she closes the door. She held up the pizza boxes. "I got held up with an unseen complication, so the pizza is cold. Just a fair warning. Guys?"
Nobody answered in the dark and empty foyer. A light seemed to be coming out of the living room, so she made her way there. As she got closer, she heard the voices of her friends talking with someone. Strangely, that voice sounded familiar.
"So, your people name themselves after a color?"
"Absolutely," came Weiss' voice. "During the great war, one side destroyed art as part of their goal to suppress all forms of self-expression. In defiance, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after a fundal mental aspect of art. This symbolic gesture demonstrated that neither they nor the generations to come would tolerate such oppression. The latter group eventually prevailed and the tradition of naming children after colors continues into the present day."
"That's pretty neat. Answer me honestly. If I was born on Remnant, which name would be good for me? Personally, I prefer something relating to purple."
The conversation was drowned out as Yang just froze at the entrance to the living room. Her friends were occupying the couches in the room to talk to someone. She couldn't believe who they were talking to.
"So, you use a bow like Clint?" Ruby asked.
"Yep. And a fine swordswoman if I do say so myself," the purple-clad woman says with a small pop. "Clint told me about your mech-shifting weapons. Do you think you can help me make my bow turn into a sword?"
"I'll be happy to," Ruby beamed. When Yang dropped the pizza boxes, everyone turned towards her. "Oh, hey Yang! Where have you been?"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Yang finally yells out, pointing towards the purple archer. Her outburst made everyone in the room jump. Except for the purple-clad archer, who sat forward composed.
"You took the words out of my mouth," The archer replied in amusement, much to the blonde's irritation. "I heard that Avengers Mansion had some new vacancy, so I figured I come to visit. Didn't know that you would be one of them."
"Wait…you two met already?" Blake asked, looking between them.
"Yeah," Yang groused. "She started a bar fight and left me to clean up the mess."
"It's not what you think," the woman held up her hands defensively as the other remnantian teens looked at her. Especially Ruby since she had to deal with a drunk Uncle Qrow back on Remnant. "I was investigating a lead and it escalated into a fight. If anything, I was acting in self-defense."
"What were you investigating?" Jaune asked curiously.
"I'll tell you. It's pretty much the reason I came here," she said as she got up. She walked over to Yang and held out a hand. "I'm guessing that you're Ruby's sister, Yang Xiao Long. Sorry that I dumped the clean-up on you, but I was in a hurry. But first, I believe I should introduce myself. My name is Kate Bishop. The other Hawkeye."
"The other Hawkeye?" Yang asked, her initial anger is replaced by surprise. She only meant that as a description to the police.
"Yeah. She's sharing the name with Clint," Pyrrha said with a smile. "It's confusing, but I can hardly see the problem. Both happen to be the greatest archers in the world and an Avenger."
"You also forgot to mention Olympic-level gymnast," Kate said.
"And the fact that they both wear purple," Nora adds.
"Never diss the purple," Kate warned as she picked up a pizza box, open it, and helped herself to a slice. "Mm…it would've been more delicious if it were still warm."
"And who's fault would that be, huh?" Yang asked, a little peeved. Everyone else ignored her as they helped themselves to a slice of Pizza. While they ate, they continued to have a casual conversation like they're old friends.
"So, you're an Avenger?" Jaune asked as he eats his slice despite being cold. "It must be nice."
"You're wondering how that happened?" Kate asked to which Jaune nods. "Well, it happened when I was still training with Clint. But just when I was eligible to join, Stamford Connecticut happened, and the Avengers disbanded to take either the pro-registration or anti-registration sides."
"Because of the Superhero Civil War," Ruby said sadly. "You fought in it?"
"Yeah," Kate said solemnly. "It wasn't safe to be a superhero during that time. Then again, being a superhero was never safe. That goes to show that this work should never be treated like a TV show."
"Definitely," Yang nodded. "Trust me, back on Remnant, we make sure people get a license before they could call themselves Huntsmen."
"After the war, the Avengers created an internship program for heroes in training," Kate said. "Hopefully, we can prevent another Stamford Connecticut from happening."
"Oh, you mean there are other heroes in training that the Avengers are overseeing?" Ruby asked as she finishes her pizza.
"Yeah. You probably already met Kamala, Riri, Dante, and Shaun in the Secret Warriors," Kate said. She didn't mention that some of them were candidates for Avengers membership. That includes the remnantian teens. The last thing she wanted is for anyone to get a big head.
"There are others that I'm sure you'll meet," Kate said. "They're either off on different missions at the moment."
"What about Spider-Man?" Blake asked. "Did he join the program?"
"The program is meant for heroes in training," Kate clarifies. "As far as anyone is concerned, he's already a hero. Even if J. Jonah Jameson denies it."
"Ugh," Weiss felt her forehead. "Can we not talk about that man. I can't go one day in school without having to listen to his podcast railing about Spider-Man."
"It's about to get worse," Kate warns. "I heard that the Daily Bugle has gotten an electronic billboard in Times Square. So, you're going to be seeing is ugly mug if the tourists don't."
"Great," Blake groaned. Kate chuckled at her reaction. Then, she became serious.
"But I didn't come here for pleasantries or to complain about a pesky editor," Kate said. "I would like your guys to help with something."
"What do you need?" Ruby asked.
"I'll tell you as soon as JARVIS finishes compiling that list I ordered," Kate said. At that moment, the A.I. butler spoke up.
"Funny you should mention that Miss Bishop because I'm just about done. Please come to the war table in the command center when you are ready."
"Command center? I haven't heard that in a while," Kate said with a raised eyebrow. She walked to the door to the living room. "Come on then. I'll fill you on the details of your mission, should you choose to accept."
Everyone proceeded to follow Kate down to their command center. Yang was a little irked by Kate acting like she's in charge. But the others are already starting to like her, and she hates to be the downer. She was already drilled by Captain America about the importance of cooperation. Anyone would be a fool to disregard the advice of the living legend.
So, for now, she will have to suck it up. They stopped at the war table which lit up at Kate's command.
"First things first…how much do you guys know about A.I.M.?" Kate asked. Everyone seemed to have tense up at the question. They are aware of what Advance Idea Mechanics are.
"You mean the guys that would've dissected us if the Avengers hadn't discovered our ship?" Weiss asked rhetorically. "Well for starters, we know that they were a mega-corporation that rose to power during the Superhero Civil War. Through pioneering in cutting-edge technology, they stake their claim to save the world through the power of science rather than fallible heroes. Of course, their methods were anything but legal."
"One of their founders spearheaded an anti-superhuman campaign," Blake said with a snarl. "George Tarleton, better known as M.O.D.O.K. The Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing. It fits him perfectly considering that he tried to wipe out innocent lives just to be rid of superhumans."
"Not to mention his humungous big head," Nora said with a shudder. Ren held her close for comfort. "I mean seriously, what did they do to his head? I'm tempted to use it for kickball."
"The Mental Organism Designed Only for Kickball," Yang chuckled. "Now that's a laugh."
"You got that right," Kate snorted before she recomposed himself. "If both sides hadn't called a truce to deal with this threat, none of us would be standing here right now. After AIM got exposed for multiple accounts of human experimentation, bribery, and murder, they have declared a terrorist organization and shut down long before the end of the war. Yet they continue to operate even now in secret, as I'm sure you've guessed. You won't believe how many times we had to save the world from their science experiments."
"Tony mentioned that they tried to recreate his Arc Reactor one time," Ruby pointed to her brain to emphasize her next sentence. "Because he kept the good stuff in his head, they tried to wing it. If it wasn't shut down, it would've leveled New York right about now."
"Yeah, Iron Pants wasn't particularly happy about that," Kate said, earning a laugh from Yang.
"Iron Pants?" Yang chortled. "Oh, I feel bad for anyone trying to get into his pants now!"
"That's not the worst of it," Jaune shuddered. "Thor mentioned they tried to open a gate to Asgard, and it would've torn the very fabric of reality if they weren't shut down. Even I know that it's not a good thing. Don't these guys ever stop?"
"No," Kate said bluntly. "Which is why ever since M.O.D.O.K. broke out of the Raft, I've been doing some investigation on A.I.M. activity at Caps request. Recently, it's been happening a lot in New York. The Avengers are too busy hunting down the other escapees to help, and the Secret Warriors are also on a mission, so I'm coming to you guys to help me on this."
"What will you have us do?" Ruby asked determinedly. The others are feeling the same as her. If AIM is up to something, it must be stopped. That is their duty as huntsman and huntresses. JARVIS pulled up a map on the war table. Red dots showed up in various places.
"JARVIS has been running background checks on some old AIM facilities, some of them known as Hives," Kate said as some of the dots disappeared. "After A.I.M. got ousted, some of their facilities were either demolished or repossessed. Several of them have been converted into burger places. That only leaves two facilities. One for each team if my math is correct."
"That sounds swell!" Nora cheered. "So, when do we get started?"
"As soon as you get dressed in your suits," Kate said. "Team JNPR will take the Hive at the abandoned construction zone. Me and Team RWBY will take the other."
"You're coming with us?" Yang asked as if she had been struck in the face. Kate grin at her and walked over to pat Ruby's shoulder.
"I like this kid," Kate said simply. "Once we confirmed AIM activity, we're reporting it to the other Avengers."
"Oh yeah, Blake," Kate addressed the cat Faunus. "I'm going to assume that you're afraid of dogs?"
"Why?" Blake asked tensely.
"I should warn you that Clint asked me to look after Lucky and I'm going to be crashing with you guys," Kate said much to Blake's chagrin. "And yes, he is a dog."
"Joy."
The old A.I.M. facility was much bigger than they had imagined. Considering that they are in New York, they had gotten used to it. Towering among the city is a skyscraper that is in the process of being stripped. The only known indication that it belonged to the villainous scientific organization was the yellow faded hexagonal neon sign with the letters A, I, and M underneath it.
"Let me guess," Yang drawled as Team RWBY, and Kate strolled down the street towards the entrance. "AIM isn't known for being humble back in the Superhero Civil War?"
"Not at all," Kate answered humorlessly. "Hey, Knighthood. We're coming up on our AIM facility. What's your status? Over."
"Likewise, Kate," came Jaune's reply. "Looks like it's almost taken down. But we'll investigate nonetheless."
For a long time, nobody replied.
"You didn't say over. Over," Kate replied playfully.
"Over. Over."
"I'm just messing with you," Kate laughed. "Anyway, keep us posted. We'll let you know what happens on our end. Remember, if you see any AIM forces, don't hesitate to call for backup. Back in the Civil War, they were trained to deal with superhumans, even the ones without powers. It's one of the reasons why the Pro-Registration side liked them."
"Understood. Only if you do the same as well."
"Wilco. Hawkeye out," Kate said, cutting the feed with a sigh. "Talking in military jargon exhausts me. Don't ask me how cap does it."
"Don't worry about it too much then," Ruby said as they walked to the front of the building. The sliding glass doors have been shattered, so they just walked in, stepping on shards of glass. Vandals have wrecked the place. Graffiti has been sprayed all over the walls and floor.
"Well, this is absolutely smashing," Yang whistled at the remains of a front desk. "You think anybody is still here after this mess?"
"Sometimes, the best security is to make it look like they don't need it," Kate said as she crouches down to examine the floor.
"She's right. Remember Mount Glenn?" Ruby asked the others. "It was the perfect place for the White Fang to hide."
"Not to mention nobody was expecting it to be underground," Blake said, looking at the AIM symbol with a look of distaste. "Or a Grimm Invasion using the old tunnel network."
"I found something," Kate announced, drawing everyone to her. The purple archer was looking at two pairs of black streaks.
"How can you tell?"
"I work as a private investigator. It's kind of my thing," Kate said, tracing the streaks with a finger. "And it looks like they were made recently. Follow me."
Team RWBY followed the female archer quietly. Kate made it clear that even if is a reconnaissance mission, they must wear their suits to prevent their identities from being exposed. There is so much damage that can be done once they have their name.
"So, Kate, I'm curious," Weiss said. "Have you raided other AIM facilities before?"
"I have. Last week, I found an AIM facility working on a project involving snails. Don't ask me what they were planning on doing with them."
"Okay. So, if this facility happens to be active, what can we expect?"
"Oh, nothing much," Kate said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Just the usual beekeepers armed to the teeth with high-tech weaponry. Not to mention the massive army of robots just waiting around to corner. Say what you want, they make some neat technology. It's thanks to them I got my quantum reactor."
"Wait…you have a quantum reactor?!" Ruby squealed, suddenly appearing in front of her in a burst of rose petals. "I heard those things are difficult to acquire much less build!"
"Before you go into science fangirl, care to enlighten the non-nerds?" Yang asked. Ruby threw up her hands and turned to her.
"A quantum reactor is a device that gathers, amplifies, and stores quantum energy," she explains. "From what I heard it's commonly used for teleportation. How did you get your hands on it?"
"By cobbling together A.I.M. quantum teleportation technology and some void-tech," Kate answered with a wry smile. "After a few failures and some teleportation sickness, I got it working. If you're lucky, you might find some old tech lying around to make your own."
"Isn't that stealing?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow and crossing of her arms. Kate adopts a mild look of offense.
"More like a finder's fee," Kate said. "S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted me to scavenge some AIM tech so that they can recreate it. They let me keep anything else I find. Call it studying your enemy and adapting your fighting style. I mean...isn't important to adopt?"
"She does have a point," Blake said. While she knew that Weiss won't condone looting off an enemy, she did have a point. There would be plenty of organizations that would love to get their hands on that technology. Tony did make his very first suit out of nothing but spare parts. Learning how their enemy's technology would be helpful in their work. Not to mention it could give them an edge in combat.
"It would be nice to get my own teleporter," Weiss admitted. "I want to give poor Lockjaw a break from teleporting us to New Jersey for class."
"Not to mention it will give us an edge," Yang said with a grin. "I call first dibs on the first AIM sucker with teleportation tech. Let me at them apples!"
"That reminds me," Kate suddenly said. "Back on Remnant, you can use dust to enhance your attacks, correct? Well, the same can be said for quantum energy and I can guarantee it is a hundred percent safe."
"Really?" Ruby asked, already thinking of the possibilities of applying quantum technology to Crescent Rose. Before Kate could go into further detail, they stopped right in front of a wall.
"Oh my," Kate gasped with mock confusion. "It appears that the trail ends here. Where could they have gone? Could it be behind this wall?"
Kate rapped the wall a few times. It sounded hollow. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out the trick. Weiss stepped forward.
"The material looks new," Weiss said, tracing a gloved hand over the wall and held it to her hand. "Not a speck of dust. Tell me that doesn't scream suspicious."
"So, we've got a false wall," Ruby said, turning to Kate. "How do we open it?"
"Usually, there would be some kind of mechanism that they would use to get inside."
"Or I could do this!" Yang said as she walks forward and punched the wall with her prosthetic arm. The was the sound of screeching metal as her fist plowed a hole. Gripping the edge of the hole in the wall, and giving a grunt of effort, Yang ripped the false wall off and threw it over her shoulder. The sheet of metal landed on the ground behind the group with a clang.
Yang smiles at the expressions of the group and gestures to the opening. Weiss took a moment to palm her face.
"Of course, you have to act like a brute," Weiss muttered.
"Hey, it was much faster," Yang defended. "Besides, we confirmed a secret room, right?"
"Not a secret room," Kate said as she steps into a hexagonal-shaped chamber. "More like an elevator."
"Didn't we pass by the elevator in the lobby?" Ruby asked, pointing over her shoulder. "Why would they need another?"
"Because it leads underground you dolt," Weiss sighed. "Do you really think that they would set up a secret lair in the upper floors? With the building being deconstructed even as we speak?"
"The tracks end here," Kate said, looking at the pair of trail marks that stopped at the center of the elevator. "If I were a betting woman, I believe that whatever AIM was carting is wheeled out down below."
"What do you think it is?" Yang asked, stepping inside the elevator.
"Knowing A.I.M., nothing good," Kate said. "Let's check in on Team JNPR. If they aren't occupied, then we should…"
At that moment heavy doors slammed shut. Yang and Kate were cut off from the rest of the group. This sudden turn of events took them by surprise. It was then they heard moving machinery. That meant the elevator was moving.
"Yang!" Blake called out, banging on the door. "YANG!"
"Back away!" Ruby called out as she shifted Crescent Rose into scythe form. She slashed at the door two times. Her efforts only rewarded her with two scratch marks where her weapon struck.
"It's no use," Weiss said, but her voice betrayed her fear. "We won't be going after them.
"I'm afraid that she's correct," J.A.R.V.I.S. said in their comms. "Those doors were designed to withstand a nuclear bomb. Or rather…a very angry Hulk."
"Hulk isn't the only thing A.I.M. will have to worry about," Ruby declared with anger in her voice. "JARVIS, is team JNPR preoccupied?"
"As luck would have it, the facility they were investigating turned out to be a dud. I've already informed them of your predicament, and they are on their way. Shall I alert any Avengers currently off-duty?"
"Please do, J.A.R.V.I.S., and hurry," Ruby pleaded. She is worried about her friend and sister's predicament. If she is correct, then that elevator was triggered remotely by someone. Whoever they were had just isolated them. Hopefully, their friends would stay put and wait for backup as planned.
They did not stay put.
"One!" Yang cries out as she smashes the head of a Synthoid, firing a shotgun shell from Ember Celica to add more power to her punch. Its black forehead has a hole blown in as it collapsed with the clattering of metal. Considering that most of her enemies are robots, she didn't need to rely too much on the rubber slugs. Ruby probably would've despaired over this fight, considering that they have friends who are robots. Hopefully, she would understand that these Synthoids aren't sapient.
Yang didn't dwell on those apologetic thoughts as she engaged more AIM robots. Another Synthoid came running towards her. The sudden image of a video game move popped into her head. Dodging the mechanized punch with amusement, she gripped the Synthoid's neck and proceeded to pull it free of its body. Electricity sparked from the exposed wires from the neck before the Synthoid's eyes became lifeless.
"What do you know," Yang grinned cheekily. "These guys do have a spine after all."
She was so engrossed with her achievement that she didn't notice a heavily armored Synthoid wielding a rod that emitted purple electricity at the tip. It was aiming at the still preoccupied Yang. Before it could fire, an arrow suddenly embeds itself into its core. Thousands of volts of electricity are pumped into the circuitry of the Synthoid. The Synthoid stood still for a moment before it fell to its knees. Yang stared at it before she found Kate holding her bow, a smirk on her face.
"You're welcome," Kate called out.
When the elevator stopped, it opened to reveal a group of very surprised-looking men in beekeeper outfits. Without needing to be told twice, they rushed the men as they scramble for their weapons. Unfortunately, one of them was able to hit the alarm. The entire base has been alerted.
It didn't take long for it to suddenly become a competition.
"I'm already taken down two!" Yang crows.
"I'm on seventeen!" Kate cheekily called out as she turns her upper body. Without looking, she lets loose an arrow. It hit a Synthoid and burst into energy. Nearby Synthoids are dragged and crushed in a gravity well. "Make that twenty!"
"What?" Yang cried out. Behind her, an AIM robot with an energy shield lobbed a grenade at her. Absentmindedly, Yang's robot arm grabbed it out of midair and threw it back. The grenade soars over the energy shield and landed in between the legs of the automaton. It didn't have time to move away as the grenade exploded.
"I've already had Clint gloating over me during Bootcamp," Yang muttered before she shouts. "I won't have another hawk-eyed outscoring me!"
Stepping forward, Ignite grabbed another Synthoid by the head and slammed it to the ground. Without letting go, she threw the body at a flying Y-shaped drone. The drone exploded into slag and scrap. Yang didn't stop as she fired more slugs at drones, who returned fire with laser blasts. Yang shot them down with her right arm being more customized to fire long-distance rounds.
Then, getting an idea from the mock battle with Hulk, she grabbed two Synthoids by their legs and began swinging them around like clubs. Several Synthoids and Beekeepers were knocked away by her makeshift weapons. She had to admit, it was fun using the enemy like this. A few Synthoids managed to get a hit on her, which only serves to power her semblance. They were also dealt with.
While she was scrapping with the Synthoids, a black beekeeper was training a launcher-like weapon on her. Getting a lock on her, he squeezed the trigger. Instead of a laser blast, what came out was a high-speed cloud of yellow moving some things. It zoomed toward Ignite, who turned around just in time. Her breath was stolen as she inhaled the cloud. Looking at her aura meter, it dropped to the yellow in an instant.
"A chemical weapon?" Yang asked incredulously. She narrowed her eyes in rage at the Beekeeper, who was beginning to back away. "So, you like to play that way, huh? Well, two can play that game!"
She sprinted forward with her aura-enhanced legs. Grabbing the beekeeper by the neck, she ripped off the canister that she believed to be an oxygen tank of some kind. So, they don't like breathing the same air as superhumans, eh. Promptly, she hit him in the head with his own canister. She made sure to limit her strength, lest she killed him.
"I probably should've chosen my words better," Yang admitted quietly.
At the corner of her eye, Kate was no slouch either. She let loose a variety of trick arrows. Razor arrows, net arrows, disruptor arrows, smokescreen arrows, and even explosive arrows. A few times, she shot three of them at once and impaled three Synthoids. Yang couldn't help but feel that she really takes after her mentor. Both seemed to be prepared for anything.
Of course, she doesn't have an infinite number of arrows. This is why she is drawing her katana to meet them head-on. Sprinting forward, she plunged her blade into the chassis of a Synthoid. Withdrawing it, she decapitated another one while evading the thrust of a Prime Adept Synthoid's rod.
Then, in a flash of light, she vanished just in time to avoid a shot from a beekeeper. Another flash and she reappeared behind him. She hit him with the butt of her sword to knock him out. Then, she teleported again to avoid a charging Synthoid. Appearing in midair, she swung her blade in a downward slash.
Drawing her bow again, she shot three arrows in exposed parts of the Prime Adept Synthoid's armor. One in the left leg joint and two in its upper arms. Backflipping into the air to get some distance, her finger pressed down on a trigger in her bow. The nock of the arrows pulsed rapidly before they exploded. The Synthoid's limbs were blown off, leaving only stumps of metal and wiring.
It wasn't long before the fighting was done. The Synthoids are reduced to scrap and slag. The unconscious Beekeepers are being restrained by the heroes to prevent them from escaping. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be having a field day as soon as they arrive.
"That's a wrap," Yang breathes out whilst clapping her hands when the last Beekeeper is restrained. She turns to Kate, who is collecting arrows for her to reuse. "On another note, can't you use your quantum thingy to get us out of here?"
"It doesn't work like that," Kate snapped as she plucks an arrow from a Synthoid. "If it did, we would've been out of here. Not to mention it only teleports at a certain distance."
"Well, that's just helpful," Yang said bitingly. Kate made no effort to retort. Yang tried to contact the others, only to get static. "Shadow. Thorn. Snowflake. Did anyone read me? JARVIS?"
"They're jamming us," Kate said. "This facility has been repurposed into a Hive. It's a major AIM stronghold. Judging by the near lack of human touch, this Hive specializes in producing the whole she-bang of AIM's robot military. Synthoids, Drones, Riotbots, you name it. Let's just hope they won't have any Adaptoids with them."
"Adaptoids?"
"AIM's most advanced AI combat Synthoid," Kate explains with utmost seriousness. "You can call them the pinnacle of their robotics technology. They can mimic the powers of any superhuman that their creators have researched via nanomachines. Not to mention that since they are sustaining machines that require no recharge. Back in the Civil War, one of them was able to go toe to toe with the Hulk. Trust me, they are not to be taken lightly."
"I'll take your word for it," Yang said with a shudder as she remembers her fight with the Hulk. "But just in case there is an Adaptoid that happens to be lying around, how do we deal with it?"
"Defeat it before it can heal," Kate answered as if it was obvious. "At least that's it for the base model. We could encounter Adaptoids with ice powers, fire powers, or telekinetic powers."
"Well, that's just swelling," Yang groaned. Her eyes trailed to her aura meter. "What the hell? Why is my aura not regenerating?"
"What's wrong Ignite?" Kate asked as she plucks a razor arrow out of a Synthoid and examines the tip. To her consternation, it was blunt.
"My aura is not regenerating…and it's going down!" Yang cried. Because she can't see her aura meter, Yang pulled out her scroll to show Kate. The purple archer looked out it, creasing her eyebrows in contemplation. She looked around before spotting the black Beekeeper. Her eyebrows shot up in realization.
"Were you attacked by this unit?" Kate asked, prodding the black beekeeper with her foot. "This guy is using SPIN technology. Anagram for Super-Power Inhibiting Nanobots. As the name implies, they are nanomachines designed to restrain or cancel out the powers of superhumans. S.H.I.E.L.D. has already reverse engineered them for inhibitor collars for superhuman prisoners."
"Are you saying that nanomachines are in my body trying to shut down my aura?" Yang asked, looking at her aura meter as she continued to decrease.
"For a while yeah," Kate answered. "Lucky for you, the amount isn't enough to shut it down completely. Of course, the process will go much faster if you were to sweat a lot or go use the john. But I doubt that AIM is going to give you time to go."
"ARG!" Yang gripped her head in frustration. As much as she hates to admit it, Kate had a point. They were lectured about relying too much on their Aura. Especially when a time-traveling warlord sliced her arm off. If she is going to conserve her aura, she's going to have to evade more than ever.
"Lucky for you, in experience, a Hive is about six to twelve floors," Kate said. Yang stopped griping at her words. "You'll be working up a sweat in no time."
"Perfect," Yang gave a predatory grin as she slams her fists together. She looks at Kate. "Want to make this interesting? Whoever takes down the most AIM goons and bots must clean up the entire Hive. And I mean ALL of it."
"Are you still mad about the bar?" Kate asked.
"You think?"
"Alright then," Kate said with a smirk. "I'll take that bet. See you on the other side."
In a flash of purple light, Kate teleported ahead of her. Yang scoffed and prepared to run after her. Her lilac eyes caught sight of the canister that she used to knock out the black beekeeper. She read the letters imprinted on the base as she skidded to a halt.
SPIN.
While she is still mad that it's making her aura next to useless, she thought about what Kate said about them. Those nanobots can cancel out the abilities of any superhuman. While she A.I.M. for creating them, not all the superhumans have the noblest intentions in the usage of their powers. A certain red-haired Faunus popped into her head, one that kept Blake shaking at the mention of his name.
If that's the case…
In another room, more A.I.M. personnel were watching the heroes as they trashed their base. One screen showed Ignite smashing the head of a Synthoid. Another showed Kate Bishop firing arrows that ensnared more of their colleagues. They had already cleared three floors and there is no sign of stopping.
"Sir," one of the technicians reported. "Our defenses on the fourth floor have failed. The intruders are already entering the fifth floor."
"Excellent. Everything is proceeding according to my calculations. What's the status of the intruders outside the Hive?"
"They've left, sir," another technician reports. "No doubt they will be arriving with S.H.I.E.L.D. back up. Or maybe the Avengers."
"Their interference hardly matters," their boss declares. "Have the prototype ready before the intruders arrive. It's time for its test run."
"But sir, its programming isn't complete," A technician protested. He would've said more if it weren't for the fact that his boss is bearing down at him.
"Then I will oversee it personally."
"What is with this robot!" Yang cried out as she dodged a purple blade. It is attached to the arm of a sleek black A.I.M. robot with a full face covering. It couldn't be described as a Synthoid because of its model. The AIM symbol is proudly displayed on its upper arms.
The problem she was having with this robot is that it's like a ghost. Somehow, it can phase through matter like it's not there. It didn't help when it could attack her, and she can't. Good thing she has been keeping up the practice of her footwork. But it's not going to help her for long.
"Uh…Katie?" Yang said sweetly, her eyes close to begging. The archer had just sliced up another Synthoid before looking in her direction. "A little help…please?"
"Oh, for Pete's sake," Kate muttered. She pulls an arrow out of her quiver, but instead of nocking it on her bow, she walked to where Yang was dancing. Just when it emerged, the tip of the arrow detonated. Instead of an explosion, it let out a pulse of energy. The robot stumbles in step as if it experienced a malfunction. It gave off faint sparks of electricity. Kate looked at the still stupefied Ignite.
"Umm…hello?" Kate called out. "You might want to destroy it before it reboots, and I used up my last EMP arrow!"
"Oh right!" Yang wasted no time in grabbing the robot by the shoulder and punching it several times in the face. Each hit caved the head in. On the last punch, it came clean off. The crumpled head bounced off the floor before stopping. Yang lets the body fall.
"Finally," Yang breathed out. "What the hell is that?"
"Phase-shifting technology," Kate said. "Really useful when they want to phase through walls, doors, and basically anything that's in its way. They're part of the reason I carry EMP arrows."
"I just hope that is the only one we have to face today," Yang said, wiping sweat off her brow. She cried with joy at her aura meter. "And I'm back in the green!"
"You're also sweating like a pig," Kate muttered, pinching her nose. Not that she can talk as she was sweating too. But she was glad that her friend was able to get her aura back to normal levels.
"Anyway, let's go," Yang said. They walked past the piles of Synthoid bodies to the elevator. They've yet to hear any word of backup. After getting inside, Kate interacted with the console and the elevator descends.
"Let's take a breather," Kate declared. It was then she noticed that Yang had dragged the body of the Phase Riotbot with her.
"Why did you bring that with you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Yang asked, spreading her arms. "I want my own phase shifter as soon as I can take it apart. I can think of a better use for it than A.I.M. Is that a problem?"
"Hey, I'm not the judging type," Kate raised her hand placatingly. "To be honest, I should've thought of that in my previous raids. That model of Riotbot always gave me trouble."
"Too bad for you," Yang said cheekily. Then she looked at the door as if to see the floor indicator. "So, do you think that the next floor will be the last? I'm starting to get tired."
"You took the words out of my mouth," Kate groaned. "But just bear with it in case we have to go another six floors."
"You don't need to worry about that, Miss Bishop," A voice spoke on the intercom. The girls jumped. "You are heading to the last floor within this Hive as we speak."
"I have to admit, that IS a relief," Yang said. "And to whom do we have the pleasure of speaking?"
"One of the greatest minds ever created by AIM, Ignite," The voice said. "But why talk when you can see my face to face? The elevator should be stopping as we speak. Come out and meet the one who will be your doom."
"Oh boy," Kate said, already thinking who the owner of the voice might be. She opened one of her pouches and pull out two sets of earbuds, handing one of them to Yang. "Put these on. If it's who I think it is, you're going to need them."
"I'm pretty sure that I'm not supposed to be listening to music during a raid," Yang said, looking at the earbuds.
"They're telepathy inhibitors," Kate explains. "Tony made them block telepathic signals. I always keep them on me in case I ran into him."
"Him…who are you…" Yang's voice stops as her eyes widened in realization. "Oh shit."
The elevator stopped and the doors open. Walking out, Yang quickly puts the telepathy inhibitors on. They have arrived on a spacious floor. Hanging from above are bodies of lifeless Synthoids. But what caught her attention was the man that was hovering in the air. That man nearly made her gag at the sight. Even if she and the others didn't meet him, they read his file from the Datacrux.
It was M.O.D.O.K. The founder and leader of AIM.
"Kate Bishop, the one who has been disrupting our facilities," M.O.D.O.K. said as his little eyes scanned them. "And you must be Ignite, one of the Avenger's new pet heroes."
"And you must be M.O.D.O.K. The Mental Organism Designed Only for Kickball," Yang shot back.
"Kickball? I'll have you know that my intellect far surpasses that brutish sport," M.O.D.O.K. yelled in anger. He recomposed himself. "I would like to thank you two. For today, you are about to witness another crowning achievement by AIM."
"Let me guess? Another weapon that would spell the end of the world as we know it?" Yang rhetorically asked. "Like every other science project that AIM has ever done?"
"I see that the Avengers have filled your mind with the same prejudice against our efforts," M.O.D.O.K. sneered. "What I present shall usher the world into a new era of peace! All thanks to science!"
"Somehow, I doubt that," Kate muttered and Yang agreed with her. M.O.D.O.K. ignored them as something dropped from the ceiling. Its landing caused a small tremor. It was another robot, but unlike the ones they encountered, this one was bigger and modeled after the human muscular system. Its chassis is silver and had a hexagonal pattern on its skin. Towering over them, a glowing silver eye stared down the heroes.
"Is that a…" Yang began to ask.
"Yes, that is an Adaptoid," Kate answered. "But this one isn't like the others I've encountered."
"Indeed Ms. Bishop. This is the next generation of Adaptoids. Behold, the Super-Adaptoid!"
"Okay, I'll bite what makes it super?" Yang asked.
"You will see. Observe!"
M.O.D.O.K.'s headband glowed an electric purple. The Super-Adaptoid's eye glowed a similar color, making the heroes tense up for a fight. Yang had been warned that aside from self-repair, the base model of an Adaptoid has a standard optic beam weapon and is skilled at range and melee combat.
But that never happened. What shot out from the eye was a ray of harmless light that washed over them. Sometimes it would focus on Kate's arrows and Yang's Ember Celica. After a few moments, the light vanished.
"Wait…" Yang muttered. "Did it just scan us?"
"Yeah, but why would it…" Kate stopped talking as if realizing what she was asking was stupid. Especially when the Super-Adaptoid began to change. Its fists shifted until it resembled Ember Celica, with the right arm resembling Yang's prosthetic.
"Oh, shit…!" Yang read her thoughts exactly as they took off in different directions. The Super-Adaptoid's right arm fired an arrow. It exploded upon impact. Black residue marked the blast zone.
"Did it just copy my weapon?" Yang asked. The blonde brawler barely had time to doge as the Super-Adaptoid ran towards her and tried to seize her by the throat.
"Yeah, and my arrows!" Kate yelled, raising her bow. "Looks like the son of a bitch can mimic our tech. If this thing mimics enough powers, it'll be unstoppable!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's take it down!" Yang cried out. Knowing the danger that an Adaptoid represents, she can't afford to hold back. Especially when the big head called it a 'super' Adaptoid. Her hair became enflamed as she activated Burn. In a burst of speed, she leaped towards the Super-Adaptoid. Rearing back her right arm, she activated what she called her 'mega punch'. The glowing yellow fist met the face of the Super-Adaptoid, the impact emitting a yellow light. From the light, she heard crunching metal as she delivered a haymaker.
When the light died down, the Super-Adaptoid was missing its head. Yang landed behind the machine with her prosthetic smoking. The flames in her hair died out, her semblance spent. The Super-Adaptoid was teetering backward, about to lose its balance. She looked at M.O.D.O.K. and shrugged.
"So much for your little toy!"
"Not quite," M.O.D.O.K. said, nonplussed by the destruction of his robot. Before she could wonder why he was so confident, she heard Kate yell behind him.
"Ignite!"
Yang turned around and felt her jaw drop. The Super-Adaptoids body managed to stop itself from falling and stand up. From the neck, the head repaired itself almost instantaneously, looking good as new. As if it was never damaged in the first place. It turned around to face a shocked Yang.
"As you can see, its self-repair abilities are much improved than the average Adaptoid," M.O.D.O.K. proclaimed. "But you have yet to see its combat capabilities!"
M.O.D.O.K.'s headband glowed even brighter. At this signal, the Super-Adaptoid moved to attack Yang. It threw a barrage of punches at a speed that matched, if not exceed, hers. As Yang continued to dodge and back away, she noticed something about the attack, especially when it was firing a mixture of shotgun slugs and arrows to its punches.
"Is this thing copying me?" Yang grunted as she parried a blow that took a portion of her aura. It was the man with the big head that answered her.
"Of course! The Super-Adaptoid no longer needs to be uploaded data on superhumans. Now it can mimic anyone near it! Powers, attributes, physical characteristics, vocal patterns, fingerprints, fighting styles, weapons, mannerisms, bone structure, and vice versa! It is invincible!"
"We'll see about that," Yang cried as she spotted an opening. When the Super-Adaptoid threw a straight, she ducked underneath and went for a right hook at its midsection. But it was a feint. The Super-Adaptoid shot back its upper torso and brought both its hand down on her exposed back in a hammer fist. It rained blows upon her, the impact preventing her from getting up.
Ignite gritted her teeth as the aura meter was going down by the minute. Each blow will power her semblance allowing her to boost her strength again. But that won't matter if her aura is depleted. Just when the Super-Adaptoid was raising its fists to deal the final blow, an arrow embedded itself on the backside of its head.
"Hey, chrome dome!" Kate called with another arrow nocked on the string. "Did you forget about me?"
As it turned around to look at her, she fired another arrow that pierced its eye. The female archer detonated the arrows, blowing its head up again. Drawing another arrow, she fired it at M.O.D.O.K. It exploded into smoke that obscured his vision.
"Argh!"
"Ignite! We're falling back!" Kate cried out as she fires another arrow to where Yang was picking herself up. From where the arrow landed a purple portal formed. Another was formed next to Kate. Not wasting this chance, Yang jumped into the portal, appearing at Kate's side. Both heroes took off running. By the time the big head villain recovered his sight, they were out of sight.
"There is nowhere you can hide," M.O.D.O.K. called as the Super-Adaptoid regenerates its head again. "This facility is under my control! My creation will find you and finish you!"
M.O.D.O.K. followed the Super-Adaptoid from behind as they search for the heroes. Watching them from above are the heroes. They are clinging to the bodies of the unfinished Adaptoids. One thing that every bad guy seemed to share is that they don't seem to look up.
"Looks like we caught a break," Kate dared to whisper.
"Yeah. Now, what the hell do we do?" Yang hissed back. "How do we take down Mr. Potato Head and his wind-up toy?"
"Difficult. Very difficult," Kate said through clenched teeth. "Even though he hasn't done a thing, M.O.D.O.K. can put up a fight. Not to mention that Adaptoid. That thing can generate nearly an arrow in my quiver. Even if it didn't, it can gain strength thanks to your semblance. I'm lucky that it hasn't scanned my Quantum Reactor yet."
"About that," Yang began. "I don't think it copied my semblance."
"What do you mean?" Kate asked, turning to her.
"You know how my people have this festival where we beat each other up for fun?" Yang asked. "Well, when you fight someone with aura, you can never forget the feeling of clashing against someone's aura. When I hit that hulking piece of scrap, I didn't feel any aura. The only robot I know who has an aura is not on Earth, and she is Ruby's friend."
"Of course," Kate mentally snapped her fingers. "At the end that Super-Adaptoid is ultimately, just a machine. It can only duplicate powers that can be recreated mechanically. Since your abilities are derived from your soul, it can't mimic them. If that were the case, it would've used 'the punch'."
"Don't forget what that big head said," Yang said. "That thing learns from us. Meaning that we need to hit it with something that it won't be expecting."
"But that would leave us open to M.O.D.O.K." Kate points out. "Let me tell you, that big head isn't for show and tell. He's like a supercomputer. He can calculate the mathematical probability of any given event occurring. It's so strong that it should be considered precognition. The only reason he hasn't taken control of our minds is the telepathic inhibitors."
"Speaking of which, why isn't he participating in the battle?" Yang asked. "All he's been doing is gloating about his toy and doing nothing but hover in the air."
"Wait a minute…" Kate muttered, stroking her chin. "This is just a theory…but what if they haven't finished programming it?"
"Come again?"
"Adaptoids operate on a combat program issued by A.I.M., which makes them predictable and incapable of unorthodox fighting," Kate explained. "Yet it was using our weapons like an expert. We must've crashed the place before they could finish the programming. I think big boy here is controlling it like a puppet with his techno kinesis. So, if we take him down…"
"We can take down that tin can," Yang grinned before frowning. "But wouldn't that leave us open to it as well?"
"Don't worry, I got something in mind," Kate said. "You take care of big boy I'll deal with the Super-Adaptoid."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Let's just say that you're not the only one who can power up," Kate said in a conspiratorial grin. "He'll never see what is coming for what I have in mind."
"So do I for potato head," Yang said, returning the grin.
"You do?" Kate asked in genuine surprise.
"Hey, you're not the only one with a brain," Yang said with a hint of offense. "Take a look at what's below us."
Both girls looked down from their hiding places. Below them are a couple of racks with familiar-looking weapons. Kate's eyes widened behind her sunglasses as she read the labels.
"That's—"
"And I learned something from Snowflake back at the Raft Breakout. There's something I need to get off my chest. Do you have anything that might, I don't know, tick him off?"
"Oh, I do," Kate said, before leaning in. "You see before he was M.O.D.O.K. he…"
While they were talking, M.O.D.O.K. was still searching for the heroes. His mind ran through the possible calculations. He stopped moving at the most obvious outcome.
"Of course," M.O.D.O.K. muttered as his headbands glow increased in intensity. After a few seconds, it fired a beam of focused psionic energy at the ceiling, piercing the ceiling. The bodies of the unfinished Adaptoids fell to the ground as he kept focus.
"Who would ever lookup? Soon, they will no longer have anywhere to hide."
"Well, it's not like we're going to hide forever," Kate yelled as she teleported in front of the Adaptoid. "Especially when it's time to kick your butt."
Quickly, Kate pressed a switch on her Quantum Reactor. She could feel the device hum with power. She felt the quantum energy envelop her form, feeling stronger and faster by the second.
From the shotgun-gauntlets, the Super-Adaptoid fired three razor arrows at her. Kate responded by swinging her sword, sending out an arc of purple energy. The projectiles met in mid-air, with the slash cutting through them, causing them to explode. The arc continued to fly toward the Super-Adaptoid, slashing a deep gash into its torso. Kate didn't give it a chance to recover and teleported in front of it.
Teleporting a few times, she slashed the Super-Adaptoid at various angles. First the head, the back, and behind the knees. Not letting up, she teleported away from it and drew her bow. What materialized in her hand is a glowing purple arrow that she fired. As it struck the Super-Adaptoid in the eye, she drew another energy arrow. Again, and again, she fired arrows at the machine in rapid succession.
"Looks like my friend is turning your toy into a pincushion!" Yang called out from behind M.O.D.O.K. The evil scientist turned to face her. Immediately, she jumped up and reared back her fist.
"A futile effort!" M.O.D.O.K. declares. Out of his Doomsday Chair came various weapons mounted on telescopic arms. Each of them locked onto her and fired missiles and lasers. Yang's aura was far from fully rejuvenated, so she stuck to dodging.
"Seriously! How many weapons do you need?" Yang complained as she rolled to avoid a missile and a laser blast at the same time. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kate still fighting the Super-Adaptoid, but it wasn't fighting effectively from when they started. M.O.D.O.K.'s mind is divided as planned.
"As many as I need," M.O.D.O.K. said. "Did you really think that your puny attacks will work on me? My forcefields can withstand a nuclear explosion!"
"I did. Guess I should blame myself for thinking you relied on brainpower," Yang smirks at her little pun. "Get it? Because you have a big brain? That reminds me, wasn't there supposed to be a taser in your head that activates every time you use your powers? Whatever happened to that?"
"You mean that infernal contraption of Stark that I had to endure for the past three months?" M.O.D.O.K. growled with hate. "It took the surgeon three months to cut it out!"
"Wait…it took you three months to get it out?" Yang asked in between dodges. "Tony must've done a better job than I thought."
"There it is," M.O.D.O.K. snarled as he kept firing. "Stark, the futurist! Thinking that everyone is beneath his massive ego. Always upstaging me! My Super-Adaptoid will show him how superior my intellect is!"
"If you think that heartless machine is going to save the world, you have another thing coming!" Yang said, her voice becoming angry. "At least Stark is using science for the benefit of others! All A.I.M. does is make everything worse…all in the name of science!"
"Then he would've used his knowledge to prevent another Stamford, Connecticut," M.O.D.O.K. retorted, his headband glowing with power. "I haven't forgotten that day, like the rest of the world! Superhumans are born violent and destructive. When one appears, so does another to oppose them, bringing death and destruction in their wake. They are a disease that has plagued this planet for too long! I made a vow to rid the world of superpowers, even if it must end with me! Super-Adaptoids are the future!"
"You really gone off the deep end, have you Georgie boy?" Yang growled, her eyes flaring red in anger. Every word he said reminded her of Kang. How he views them as irredeemable scum that should be wiped off the face of the universe. How he killed thousands of her people to 'save' the universe from a horrible future.
"Don't call me that!" M.O.D.O.K. roared, his gigantic face turning red. "George was a failure, M.O.D.O.K. won't!"
"I hate to tell you…no, I love to tell you that you failed multiple times!" Yang yelled, not even caring if she got hit. "On another note, every word you just said only describes yourself! You say that you want to prevent another Stamford, Connecticut from happening, have you ever looked at yourself? You killed thousands of people all because they have an ability! Even your science projects threaten innocent lives!"
"It's true that we can be violent and destructive. But others look back at the desolation and strive to make it better. Cap told me and my friends that despite everything that you've done, he saved you!"
"I preferred to be dead than be saved by the likes of him," M.O.D.O.K. screamed as he fired mental beams from his forehead at her. "Once I finish you off, I will—"
"Of for god's sake! Any time now Kate!"
While Yang was having her word joust, Kate was waiting with her bow drawn. The Super-Adaptoid was on its knees with its shoulders slumping and damaged. Ever since M.O.D.O.K. was having its emotional outburst, it hasn't been moving.
At Yang's cry, Kate released the arrow. It flew towards M.O.D.O.K., who seemed to have registered that Yang was distracting him. He couldn't put up a telekinetic barrier in time, but it wasn't heading towards his head. Rather, it flew straight into his mouth. M.O.D.O.K.'s eyes widened as they blew up inside him.
"An explosive arrow?" M.O.D.O.K. asked.
"It's not an explosive arrow, smart ass," Yang snapped. "Also, I have one last complaint about A.I.M."
"What is it?"
Yang pulled out a black and bulky launcher from behind her back and aimed it at the portal next to Kate. She looked over her shoulder at the evil scientist, whose eyes widened as he recognizes the weapon.
"You shouldn't leave your toys lying around, bub!"
"Should that even be considered a complaint from our perspective?" Kate called out.
"Whatever!" Yang yelled back as she pulls the trigger. The weapon launched a cloud of SPIN towards the portal. Yang fired the weapon multiple times until the ammo is spent. The SPIN clouds entered through the portal and exited through the one inside M.O.D.O.K.'s mouth. The big-headed scientist gagged as the SPIN entered down his throat and into his digestive system.
"Must…override…!" M.O.D.O.K. grunted as he tried to take control of the SPIN. From the way the headband's light was dimming, it was taking effect faster than he can take control of it. His Doomsday Chair was swerving out of control, his tiny limbs flailing wildly and spurting smoke. Finally, it crashed into a nearby wall a couple of times before falling. M.O.D.O.K. stopped moving. Kate and Yang approached the unmoving body.
"Is he—?"
"Nope, he's still alive. Looks like that head can take a beating," Yang said, her mask displaying the supervillain's vitals. She sighed. "All that intelligence in the biggest brain on Earth and you wasted it all on violence. No wonder Tony is better than you."
"You can say that again," Kate said, kneeling to look at his face. "But let me tell you…It's going to be a pain to get those nanobots out of his system. Honestly, I never thought of opening a portal inside his mouth."
"We're lucky you had one more warp arrow then," Yang said as she checks her HUD signal. "Looks like Wi-Fi is back. I think M.O.D.O.K.'s been jamming us this whole time. I'm sending a text to let my team know that we're alright."
"Meanwhile, we can just kick back and wait for them to arrive," Kate said, leaning against the big head of M.O.D.O.K. "On the bright side, we just took down a whole hive by ourselves. That's an achievement."
"First time for everything," Yang said, resting her back against the supervillain.
"You're not bad if I'm being honest," Kate said. "Have you ever thought about getting a job?"
"I have, but I'm still looking for something suitable for my skills," Yang said, narrowing her eyes. "Besides, I don't think we're supposed to talk about this thing in an enemy base."
"Right," Kate nodded. "Well Ignite, if you are looking for a job, I may have an opening if you are interested in the private eye business."
Kate took out a card and handed it to Yang. The blonde brawler took it and looked it over. On it is a purple eye insignia with the word hawk above and below investigations. It took her a few seconds for it to click.
"I get it," Yang grinned. "It's a play on Hawkeye Investigations."
"We wanted to call ourselves the Scooby Gang, but it was trademarked," Kate said. "But yeah, we solve mysteries for a living. Come by if you want to join us."
"I might take you up on your offer," Yang said, pocketing the card. She recalled back at Beacon their investigation into the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. Her most reliable source ran a club and didn't give her good information. Maybe she can find some more investigative techniques with an experienced private eye.
"Oh yeah…" Kate suddenly spoke up. "Final count…forty-two."
"Seventy-two?" Yang asked. Then she remembered the competition. She smirked with amusement. "Hmm…not bad for the second Hawkeye. With humungous bighead, I'm sitting pretty on forty-three."
No sooner did she end her sentence that Kate whipped out her bow. She nocked an arrow on the string, drew it, and let it fly. Yang felt it woosh past her and hit something behind her. Turning around, she found the Super-Adaptoid standing over her, one of its arms turned into a curved blade. Kate's arrow had impaled it in the eye, a testament to her skill. The Super-Adaptoid fell forward, for once not moving.
"Forty-three." Kate breathes out.
"That guy was already dead," Yang pointed out. "Shut down, or whatever term that applies to machines."
"Self-repair, remember?"
"Self-repair my ass! It was already dead!"
"Then why did its cold metal carcass try to attack us?"
"I don't know! While we're on the subject, considering that I took down the guy who controlled it, I think that counts as two!"
"It was moving while he was knocked out!"
And so, they bickered back and forth over the Super-Adaptoid kill. The two heroes were so engrossed in their argument that they didn't notice a call from Ruby. Nor did they notice the camera watching them from above.
Unknown
Monica turned off the feed showing the two heroes. It was fortunate that Kate Bishop had taken the bait and raided two of their defunct facilities. They can always build more through their shell companies.
Frankly, she was surprised that her old colleague was occupying one of them. She witnessed his creation, the Super-Adaptoid battling the heroes. While it has a few flaws, it had potential. Fortunately, one of the men that was working for him happened to be a double agent for her faction. Ever since his lapse of sanity, most people prefer working for her over him.
"Set up a facility for Project: Legion," Monica spoke into her coms. "Also leak out more of M.O.D.O.K.'s facilities."
Aside from being ungrateful for being given power, being narrow-minded, and trying to kill her George—no, M.O.D.O.K. had his uses. Let him continue believing he's the leader of A.I.M. It will throw the so-called heroes off the trail. Scientist Supreme has far more important projects to complete than the subjugation of superhumans. While he is insane, she agreed with him that science will save the world.
A.I.M. will save the world.
At that moment, a holo-screen popped up in front of her. Reading the message, she walked out of her laboratory and into the hall. After several minutes, she came to the prison section of the A.I.M. facility. Standing guard is Exile and Sheathe with their arms crossed.
"Got him out as you requested," Exile said, jerking his thumb at the cell. "I don't know what you want with him, but I don't care. As long as we get the stuff."
"And so, you shall," Monica said, handing him a tablet. "The pick-up location. I'll contact you for further instructions."
Exile nodded. With his power, he teleported himself and Sheathe out of the facility. One thing she had to make sure was to keep them dependent on A.I.M. for the boosters. If he steps out of line, everything will fall apart. It's only a matter of time before the withdrawal symptoms will kick in.
For now, she needs to talk to her latest asset. Approaching the door, she punched in the code and entered. Sitting at the same table Victor Kohl sat behind is a red-haired man in an orange prison uniform. It was opened at the chest, exposing a scar. Blue eyes studied her with a hint of curiosity.
"I'm sure you know how this goes," Monica said. "The woman across the table has orchestrated your breakout with a clone taking your place. I'm sure you know that nothing in this world is free, right?"
"The first rule of business," the man chuckled. "So, what do you want? I've told the court that I've given up on games of murder. I'm done with death traps. Okay…maybe a tiny little deathtrap."
"Your psych eval aside," Monica said, giving a silent signal to the security forces that have gathered outside. "Your latest 'game' with Kraven the Hunter drew A.I.M.'s attention."
"Oh? Did you love it? That's the first time someone appreciates my games. Aside from Kraven, yet we know what happened to him."
"Truly a tragedy," Monica said, lamenting the loss of the hunter. He would've made acquiring samples much easier. She'll have to see if his son will be up to the task if she finds him. "Anyway, that's why you are here. We would like your participation in an experiment. What good is a genius if you do not have the resources to demonstrate it."
"Then I hope you are prepared to pay my price," The man said, leaning back into his chair. "And believe me, it will not be cheap."
"Oh, I'm not talking about money," Monica said with a thin smile. "Anyone can give you money. I can give you what you want. And from what I gather, you have a particular interest in a certain Inhuman."
The man stiffened. Slowly, he stood upright and looked at the Scientist Supreme with wide eyes.
"You mean…you can give her to me?" He asked. Monica smiled as she has gotten him to hook line and sinker.
"Shall we discuss the terms of our agreement…Arcade?"
[~][~]
Greetings and Bienvenu readers.
Yang has encountered Kate and they are at the start of a beautiful, if rocky, friendship. They have also taken down M.O.D.O.K. and some of his A.I.M. faction. Yet it seems that they are playing into Monica's hands, especially when she is making a deal with Arcade. What does she have in mind? What experiment is she talking about?
Until next time.