DATE: APRIL 26, 2015, HUNTER SPECTOR SPECTOR'S SECRET ISLAND, PACIFIC OCEAN, 16H12M
In the heart of the fortress on the volcano, a large number of people congregate in what appears to be a filming set that looks like an old house falling apart. Hunter Spector's crew seemed to be used to it, while the soldiers of the Hellfire Club questioned whether they had made a good choice to accept this contract.
Around the set, they had several cameras filming it from various angles, while Hunter Spector walked stealthily in the "haunted house" holding what looked like a science fiction gun for kids. He went to a door and opened it, then screamed as if he had seen something scary. He used the gun as if he was firing on something, then got a green goo bath through a hidden hose. He then turned to the camera and smiled at his nonexistent audience, while making a thumbs-up.
"And that's it for today, guys." Hunter said, wiping a bit of goo off his face. "Stay tuned for the next episode, when I'm finally going to get back what's mine by right."
"And... Cut!" The director said, feigning enthusiasm.
Everyone in the studio began clapping with false enthusiasm as well as the director. It seemed that everyone was focused on Spector when he noticed that one of the Hellfire Club soldiers was using a walkie-talkie instead of clapping, so he walked up to the soldier witha an angry face.
"May I know what you're doing?"
"Sorry, sir, but we seem to have problems." The soldier, who was an elite soldier, was not intimidated by the anger of his client and continued to use the device. "I was doing the check with our guards and some of them did not respond."
"What?" Hunter was surprised, making the crew concerned too. "Who is not responding?"
"Your team at the runway and my soldiers who were guarding the four spare scientists. I've already sent some soldiers to both places, so I expect a answer soon."
Hunter got apprehensive. After years, he had finally gotten enough money and resources to accomplish his goal, and now something seemed to threaten his plans.
"Forget it. Send everyone who's still in here to watch the machine. No one is going to ruin the project now that we are so close."
The elite soldier stood next to Hunter as the team was preparing to go to the machine. When they were ready to leave, someone called him by walkie-talkie.
"Sir, we identified an intruder." The soldier spoke with difficulty, while shots were heard in the background. "It's the Ant-Man."
Soon after, the radio became mute, leaving the elite soldier furious. He called again to speak to all who were still available, full of seriousness in his voice.
"Attention, all soldiers must go immediately to the machine. The Avengers are here."
ANT-MAN
"So... what's the plan?" Lynn asked with some concern, still shaken by her partner to be unconscious.
"I've already found four of the scientists, so I'll try to get them out of here while I look for the other. Miss Marvel, you and Iron Lady will use her armor's sensors to find the others and heal Marvel Boy. And you, Quicksilver, try to keep him awake to speed up his recovery. Just try not to take anything he says seriously, since the toxins can make him speak without thinking. When Iron Lady have finished healing him, enter the fortress and attack anyone but me or a scientist. Did you understand?"
"Yes, sir." The three girls answered, determined.
"So, let's go."
As soon as he finished guiding his pupils, the Ant-Man began to work out a new plan to complete the mission until interrupted by one of the scientists.
"Excuse me, but how exactly do you intend to get us out of here? Although this place is huge, I do not think five people can walk in the corridors without attracting attention."
"Well, that part I had already solved." Pym used of his miniaturized pockets and pulled out a black gun with a yellow cylinder in the back. "I just do not think you're going to enjoy it very."
Before the scientists could react, he pulled the trigger and a wave of yellow energy was shot against them, which immediately disappeared amid the yellow glow. Pym approached the yellow cylinder of his mouth and then whispered.
"I know it's a bit uncomfortable in there, but I'll get you out of there soon."
He shrank his gun again and tucked it back into the miniaturized pocket. However, someone started knocking on the door, trying to reach the guards.
Pym sighed when he realized that things were beginning to get bad and was in a position to fight. Once the Hellfire soldiers broke down the door, he ran toward them and then shrink and begin to attack them as they tried to shoot him. Although they were only eight, they were almost able to shot him in his reduced size, indicating that they practiced shooting with tiny targets. He returned to normal size to punched two of them at the same time, when he noticed one of them using a walkie-talkie.
"Sir, we identified an intruder. It's the Ant-Man."
"Shit! There goes the element of surprise."
Pym overthrew the latter with some difficulty, and then take a break to catch his breath. Usually, his body would not get tired so fast, which was troubling. Something on this island was not only disrupting his communication with insects, but it was also affecting his metabolism. It was almost as if he was losing the connection between his real body and the one he was controlling psychically.
"Attention, all soldiers must go immediately to the machine." Pym looked away and saw that someone with an authoritative voice was talking in all the walkie-talkies, a little worried. "The Avengers are here."
He smiled at the voice of the man in charge. If the Hellfire Club was so committed to protecting the plan to their clients, so it was something that aroused the interest of the White Queen, or maybe even the Black Knight. Just thinking about these possibilities, he has felt the tiredness go away, giving way to euphoria.
He was ready to move on, when a strong sonic blast caught behind, stunning him instantly.
YOUNG AVENGERS
"Leni! Slow down!" Ronnie cried, frightened.
Leni was flying among the trees of the forest, worried about her little brother. The fashionista wanted to heal her brother as soon as possible, fearing that the thorn's toxin would be more dangerous than the Ant-Man thought. Ronnie Anne was once again in her octopus form, clutching herself as she could in the armor.
"Sorry, Ronnie." We need to get there soon. I can not explain what it is, but I have a very bad feeling about it."
The girl was a bit confused, but decided to follow the intuition of the fashionista. After all, if Lincoln could sense danger, it would not be unlikely that any of his sisters could do the same.
The two entered deeper in the forest, getting ever closer to the location indicated by the tracker. They could see the trail of recently felled trees, and came to where the trees ended and the trench began, faced with an amazing scene.
Near the base of the volcano, Lincoln was sitting on top of a stone, the thorns still in his arm and without his mask of Marvel Boy, while Lynn punched a tree with fury in her eyes, moving her arms in such a speed that seemed like blurs.
Leni landed and Ronnie returned to her human form, both looking worriedly at the athlete.
"Quicksilver? What happened?" Ronnie approached her friend cautiously, getting totally paralyzed when the girl turned and glared at her.
"What happened? I would tell you what happened, but I think you must know better than me!
The girls looked at the speedster in amazement, totally confused by the current situation.
"Lynn, what are you talking about?" Leni opened her helmet, looking sadly at her sister. "We do not know-"
"Enough with the lies, Leni! I already know everything!"
The fashionista was puzzled until she looked at her brother and understood what was happening. Ronnie also understood what had happened, and immediately was furious to see how much Lincoln seemed to be calm.
"Lincoln!"
"Shh!" The boy gestured her to silence and looked sternly. "Do not ruin my secret identity. If Lynn finds out, she'll be mad."
Lynn calmed down for a moment and the three of them looked at him in confusion, utterly surprised at his response.
"Oh, that's right!" Lynn went to her brother and removed the thorns, feeling guilty. "I forgot about this."
"What happened with him? Dr. Pym said we did not have to worry about." Leni approached Lincoln and removed the gauntlets from her armor, ready to heal him.
"I only realized when I woke him up. He is more confused than Daddy and Mr. Santiago when they were drunk at that family barbecue two years ago."
Ronnie approached Lincoln and shook her hand in front of his face, assessing his reaction.
"This plant must be very crazy if it can affect someone as strong as him."
"But it's quite useful." Lynn crossed her arms and stared at her teammates taking on a sarcastic tone. "After all, it looks like a carnivorous plant is more reliable than my family and friends."
The girls felt a little guilty, until they heard a groan and looked at the boy, who seemed to be getting even more dizzy.
As Leni's powers healed Lincoln's wounds, he slowly felt more and more dizzy, as well as a strong nausea. After some time, Leni felt she had fully healed her brother and took her hands away from him, putting on her gauntlets again.
"Ow... My head is killing me." Lincoln got to his feet slowly, until he put his hand on his forehead and realized he was without his mask. He was worried and put on the mask in a hurry, looking nervously at the girls. "What happened?"
"You do not remember?" Lynn looked at her brother with some concern, putting her anger aside.
"Well, I saw you in danger, so I tried to save you flying and then I... Dang it!"
Lincoln remembered what he said minutes ago and looked around in panic. Looking at his teammates, he realized that he would not have help on this issue. He dropped to the ground and knelt before his older sister, ready to beg.
"Lynn, please let me expl-"
Lynn lifted her hand and gestured him to shut up, looking at him sternly. She was extremely furious with her team, especially with Lincoln, but she also knew there were lives at risk. As much as she wanted to scream at him, and punch him until she turned him in puree, she knew she had to act like a real superhero and save the day.
"(Sigh) If there is one thing of which I am really proud of, it's my ability to put my personal affairs aside while I'm doing a task. Let's finish this mission, but be assured that we will discuss it once we returne to the Watcher. Deal?"
"Deal..." The three replied, a bit uncomfortable.
Lincoln was a bit unsure. He knew he had betrayed Lynn's trust for good reason, but still felt bad for doing that. He could only hope that Leni and Ronnie Anne were spared from Lynn's fury, but it was then that he realized they were there too.
"Hey, wait a minute." He looked at the armored fashionista and his best friend with some confusion, trying to understand their presence. "How did you guys find us?"
"With my armor, silly." Leni closed her helmet, then pointed to her now covered face. "I see little balls that show me where each of us is. It's like a GPS to find our team if any of you get lost."
The boy was impressed that she had accomplished such a feat, despite knowing the real reason for Leni having a locator in her armor. After all these years living with his sister, he knew she was likely to become disoriented and get lost, then he asked Dr. Pym put a tracker in the synthetic-klyntar armor of his sister. Only the fact that she thought the rest of the team would get lost was proof of her naivety.
"Guys, as much as I love to admire the cool things we got when we joined this team, I think we should go meet Doc." Ronnie looked at the top of the volcano with some concern, wondering what their leader was doing. "I can not imagine him coming out with four hostages without help."
"Well, what do you intend to do?" Lynn also looked at the volcano, focusing on the mission. "I'm also dying to kick some ass, but we still have to find an entrance to the fortress."
The young heroes became pensive until Lincoln looked up and had an idea.
"Hey, Leni. You can use your armor to find Dr. Pym?"
"I think so." The fashionista focused on finding the team leader, making the locator point to another direction. "Found it! He's in there, several feet below the hole at the top of the mountain."
The other girls were a bit confused by the location of the Ant-Man, while Lincoln was worried. He had watched many movies and read many comics to know that there should be some missile or doomsday device inside tunnel of the volcano.
But if this is true then it means that there is an entrance to the fortress passing through the volcano.
"I think I already know. Let's go through the volcano, and as soon as we enter, we break whatever kind of entrance that must be there." He looked at his teammates and saw they agreed with him. He then turned and reached for Lynn. "Come with me, partner?"
"You can beto n it!" Lynn promptly held the hand of her brother, smiling smugly. "Let's do it, 'Marvel Bro'."
A little disconcerted, the boy took flight, being soon followed by Leni and Ronnie Anne.
On The Volcano
Slowly, the Ant-Man regained consciousness. He felt a cold ground and looked around, realizing that he was inside a glass cage with some small holes to breathe. He was about to shrink to leave, when he realized he was without his belt.
"Looking for something?"
Pym looked down and saw Hunter Spector holding his belt, looking at him with a winning smile.
Looking more closely, he realized he was hanging by a small crane in the corner of a very large space, larger even than the danger room of the Watcher. In the center of the site, there was a huge machine with the appearance of a tower surrounded by smaller ones and some supercomputers, with what looked like three broad rings at the top of the tower, one inside the other. All along the length of the tower were some compartments with round glass locks, emitting a strong purple glow.
Around the machinery had several Hunter Spector's henchmen and Hellfire soldiers, as well as a few scientists working on the device. Next to Hunter Spector was what appeared to be a control panel, and next to the panel was the fifth kidnapped scientist, who like the others was with an iron ball attached to the foot and na electrified necklace around his neck.
Though he had no idea of Spector's intentions, Pym was sure that machine was part of an insane plan, with high probability to cause the end of the world.
"So, you are the so famous Ant-Man?" Hunter left the belt fall to the floor and walked over to approach the cage, smiling smugly. "By what the Hellfire Club mercenaries told me, you seem to have a nasty habit of getting involved in matters that do not concern you."
"This coming from the man who caused a massacre on a secret government base to kidnap five scientists." Pym crossed his arms and sat down, looking at Hunter defiantly. "Look, I'm going to be straight with you: do not keep me here any further. Either you kill me now or you'll regret it when I get out of here."
Everyone looked at the hero in confusion, until they began to laugh.
"Hahaha! For a moment, I almost thought you meant it."
Pym just shrugged without losing his determined posture. Realizing that his prisoner did not take him seriously, Spector snapped his fingers and his men started turning on the machine.
"Since you insist, we'll use you as a guinea pig."
The machine's purple glow became even more intense as the rings at the top of the tower began to spin. The crane began to move the cage higher and higher, stopping when it was coming over the rings. Looking up, Pym realized there was a metal structure a few meters above, like a hidden door inside the volcano's throat. The rings spun furiously, until a sphere of purple energy began to form in the middle.
"This is the realization of my greatest ambition, the Spectre Enhancer." Hunter began to press some of buttons of the control panel, preparing to fire the energy sphere. "We still need some adjustments, but the way it is now is enough to stop meddling heroes."
"Look, it's like I said, just kill me now." Pym was pleased with his performance. He was making Hunter Spector tell his plan with reverse psychology, pretending not to be interested in the machine. "I'm not interested in how your death ray works.
"That's not a goddamn death ray! It is a masterpiece that proves my genius!" Spector got furious, offended by the neglect of his prisoner.
"Sure. And that big red button on the control panel is not 'The Big Red Button of Death'." The hero mocked, quoting with his fingers.
Hunter looked at the panel, puzzled. In fact, his machine looked like a cliché movie doomsday machine.
"You think I'm just another madman trying to conquer the world, do not you? Well, for your information, I am a visionary and the whole world will worship me after this is done. You see, I-"
"Look, do not want to sound disrespectful, but do not even need to explain to me what's going on . I get it all."
"What are you talking about?"
"We are in what looks like a wide cave with a door in the ceiling, which means we are right at the base of the volcano. To build something in such as odd location, your intention should be to use the volcano's chimney like a cannon and shoot it into the atmosphere, generating some sort of mind control wave or something of the sort."
"What? I just said, I'm not crazy." Hunter was surprised to see that his prisoner was so observant, but was offended by the fact that he considers him a common villain. "Sure it's still a bit unstable, but as soon as it's ready I'll cover the whole world with this energy, and then I'll prove, once and for all, that ghosts live among us!"
Pym was totally perplexed, trying to assess the sanity of his captor. Just to think that everything he did culminated in proving that ghosts exist was at least disappointing.
"Wait, are you saying that your big plan is to use an equipment of millions of dollars, that can reach the whole world, just to prove that ghosts exist?"
"Of course not." Hunter took a look of sheer madness, as if possessed. "After the ghosts are revealed, I will do my big comeback as Hunter Spector, the great Spectre Hunter, and everyone will buy my products, watch the new season of ARRGH!, and not to mention the audience of my new show."
"New show?"
"Exactly! I will present a talk show where I will interview the ghosts of the most famous people who ever lived! And in time, I will be the most famous man of all time, when I myself become a ghost."
Worried, Pym looked around, realizing that most of Hunter's henchmen and all of the Hellfire soldiers looked so disturbed as he was, which made the avenger question the reason for them to work for Hunter. For anyone in their perfect state of mind, Hunter Spector's plan would be total madness. So there should be another reason for this machine being built.
"I must admit, I'm really impressed. I mean, I thought you were crazy before, but now I'm sure you're completely insane."
"Are you still going to insist on this?"
"Seriously? Do you realize that your project includes creating science fiction villain machine?" The hero scoffed. "I think you're so confused you do not even understand what you're doing." He looked at the chained scientist and remembered what he had read about him. "You at least realize you took a radiation specialist to work in your 'Phantom Menace'?"
"You're a complete- No, you know what?" He turned to the scientist. "Dr., you explain to him."
The scientist looked at his hijacker, totally terrified. He knew that Spector was a dangerous madman, but he did not know how to react in this situation.
"Well, in theory, we can not see the so-called 'ghosts' just because they are, so to speak, vibrating at another frequency. The Spectre Enhancer will generate a counter vibration strong enough so they can be seen by naked eye. And Mr. Spector's crew believes that the best way to enhance the process is with gamma radiation."
At that time, Pym realized what was happening. It was not the ants that were being affected by the machine, but he.
Spector's machine was actually a sort of dimensional portal, whose resonance caused interference in his Ant-Man suit, as well as his artificial body. They both came from different universes and were adapted to function in this universe, and with the interference they began to act like two magnets repelling each other, in a way so subtle that he did not even noticed. However, if Spector's men used a dimensional device with global reach, at best they would send the whole planet to another dimension, and at worst, they would split the world into pieces by the multiverse.
When he was beginning to draw up a contingency plan, Pym heard a small beep on his helmet and looked up, noticing a small red dot on the metal door in the ceiling. He smiled, realizing that the tables would turn. All he had to do was buy time.
"Listen, I know you think this is a great idea, but I can assure you that this will not end well. And not because ghosts do not exist, but because the whole world will be exposed to radiation."
"I'm tired of our conversation." Spector approached the control panel again, stopping his hand on the red button. "You're too skeptical, and is a risk to my plans."
"Honestly, you should have done what I suggested and killed me before." Pym looked up again and saw that there was a large red stain on the metal. "Now you're going to have an unforgettable spanking."
Spector briefly laughed and pressed the button, bombarding the glass cage with the power of the machine, which should reduce the hero and the cage to dust. He and his henchmen thought it was the end of Ant-Man, but were surprised to see that his body emerged from the energy sphere. The hero formed a ball with his body and fell on some Hellfire soldiers, then rolled on the floor down to where Spector had dropped his belt.
For very little he was not hurt by the shots of the nearest soldiers, until he could put the belt and shrink.
"That will not save you, Ant-Man. You are alone, while we are not."
PLIC
Hunter Spector was surprised at the sound of something falling and looked back. Something was dripping from above, and as he looked up he realized something was melting a passage through the metal.
"Shit!"
BOOM!
An explosion caused hot metal spread in all directions, startling and wounding several of the henchmen.
Moments after the roof was broken open, Iron Lady came through the hole, and was soon followed by Marvel Boy, who was carrying the other girls along with him. Spector's henchmen and Hellfire soldiers have begun to shoot the young heroes, but Iron Lady's armor created a wide force field to protect them from the shots.
As soon as Marvel Boy put his feet on the ground, Quicksilver went to work and began to take their weapons, while the others began to fight against those who were already disarmed. Seeing that his pupils were doing well in their first real combat against villains, the Ant-Man thought he should join the party and grew to be fifteen feet tall.
Hunter was completely horrified to see how his henchmen and mercenaries were defeated, feeling his dream being broken. In a panic, he took a sonic cannon from a Hellfire soldier and began to flee.
Moving desperately through the labyrinth of corridors inside his fortress, heading straight underground. He saw a large metal door and opened it, revealing an underground harbor, where there was a submarine. He was relieved to realize that he could no longer hear the sound of his men being defeated and locked the door, walking quietly to the submarine.
BLAM!
When he was halfway there, Spector turned and saw that the door had exploded. Among the wreckage, there was a boy with blond hair and a silver-haired girl, staring at him furiously. He pointed the gun at them pulled the trigger, but realized that the gun did nothing.
"Looking for this?" Quicksilver was holding the weapon's power cell, rendering it useless.
"How did you find me?" Spector dropped the gun and began to walk back slowly, trying to think of a way out.
"It was not difficult." Marvel Boy started walking toward him, menacingly. "Ant-Man asked Iron Lady to look for vital signs of someone running alone, and then we came here."
"Look, I think we can come to an agreement." Hunter was increasingly desperate, eagerly looking for a way out. "If there's one thing I've learned, is that everyone has a price."
"Do not waste your time on that." Quicksilver sat on a barrel next to what is left of the door and crossed her arms, apparently bored.. "We'll take you to the SHIELD and you'll spend the rest of your life in jail."
"But before that, I have a question." Marvel Boy looked Hunter in the eye, and took a calmer tone. "Did you know?"
Spector was confused, and stopped walking. "What are you talking about?"
"Did you know there were no ghosts when you filmed your show?" Despite trying to sound serious, the boy's voice was faltering.
The man was shocked to realize that the boy was one of his former fans. If he had something he regretted, it was when he disappointed his fans. He was immediately embarrassed, trying to think of what to say.
"(Sigh) Look kid, I never wanted to lie to my fans, but it was necessary."
"What?" The boy was shocked. The last thing he expected to hear was a confession.
"I never imagined that someone would give as much attention to the show to pay attention to small details. I created ARRGH! for people who saw the world as I see it, but it's difficult to get evidence of the supernatural. I know it sounds terrible, but I was desperate and I needed money to build my machine and prove that ghosts exist."
"Did you do a fake tv show to find real ghosts?" Lincoln began to lose his anger considering what Hunter said.
"I know it sounds bad, but believe me, we had the best of intentions when we started this project. When I could finally prove the existence of ghosts, it would all be worth it."
"I think I get your point." The boy scratched his head uneasily, feeling sorry for the man before him. "But you still have to answer for what you've done."
"Well, since there's no other way... Bye!"
By moving his hand quickly, Hunter tried to pick an ARRGH! smoke bomb under his belt, but it was not as fast as Marvel Boy, who shot an energy blast that knocked Hunter immediately.
The boy turned to his sister, smiling victoriously.
"I have to admit, I liked that a lot."
"Do not get carried away yet." The girl took a rope and tied Spector in the blink of an eye with her superspeed. "We still have to call SHIELD to take these guys, not to mention that 'other thing' when we get to New York."
"Oh, right." The boy blushed briefly, remembering that had been unmasked. "I can barely wait."
Lynn did not pay much attention to the comment and walked away while Lincoln took Hunter Spector easily and carried him on his shoulders.
Soon, The On The Runway
After a job well done by the team, Lynn put all criminals on the runway. Almost all were tied or handcuffed, except for the filming crew and the scientists working for Spector, who only surrendered. The Ant-Man was excited to see that the first mission of his pupils had finished well despite the setbacks.
"Good job, Avengers! Now, we just have to wait for SHIELD to answer my call and we can go home."
"Wait, there's something wrong." Lincoln began to do a check, realizing something that caught his attention. "I do not see the other scientists who came to rescue."
The other Avengers were intrigued, while Ant-Man remembered what he had done.
"Oh, sorry, I just forgot about them."
He reached into his miniaturized pocket to took out his gun and fired it into the middle of nowhere, removing the other scientists from inside, who did not look very pleased when they left the gun and saw the hero.
Despite being a little uncomfortable with what they have just seen, the young heroes have decided not to talk about it. They continued to watch the bad guys when they heard a voice in the communicator.
"Avengers, Skystalker is detecting the approach of a SHIELD helicarrier coming from the east . In the current speed, it should take about fifteen minutes to arrive."
Young heroes were excited by the news, while the leader was suspicious.
"Do not get too excited, Avengers." Pym took a serious tone, staring at the horizon seriously. "According to the records, the nearest helicarrier should be two hours away. They should not get here so fast, unless they already know they should come here."
Hearing this, the young heroes were upset.
"Hey, Marvel Boy." Ronnie turned to her friend, looking for guidance. "Are you feeling any danger?"
The boy looked in the same direction as the leader of the team, trying to concentrate. He felt no danger itself, but he also did not have a good feeling.
"To be honest, I have no idea."
Helicarrier 37, Fast Approaching The Island
The helicarrier crew act hastily preparing the facilities to accommodate the prisoners, as well as the hostages and the heroes who rescued them. From early in the morning they were reassigned to assist in a priority mission, but within an hour they had to hurry on the orders of the officer in command. Because of these orders, they were also instructed to prepare the ward to deal with serious injuries, especially of superhumans.
In the meantime, in the control room, two very angry men look out the large window, extremely impatient with the delay. One of the officers approached, trying to sound confident despite being terrified.
"Sir , we are approaching the island . We must come in ten minutes."
"Thank you, agent." Without even looking at the agent, director Santiago tried to breathe deeply, in extra effort not to be too angry. He turned to his companion, who was even angrier. "Lynn, do not forget to keep calm. After all, they are still our children."
"Do not worry, Roberto." - The Loud family patriarch spoke calmly, despite being with a murderous look. "Hank Pym is the one who has to worry about me."
TO BE CONTINUED ...
Well, this certainly is the longest chapter so far. Sorry for the delay, but I got really busy yesterday.
The end is not a continuation of that arc, but an introduction to what will happen in the next arc.
That said, I hope you do not hate me, but to increase the suspense I will do as Naruto and do a Flashback chapter right when things were getting exciting.
(To be honest, I hate Flashbacks, but in this case I have to make one. Also, I have nothing against Naruto, I just think they did not need so many flashbacks and fillers.)
