Hey peoples! Chapter 2 is finally up! I had some problems with my computer for the longest time, so it wouldn't let me update--until NOW!
A/N: I don't own any Marvel characters that may seem familiar in this fic. I also don't own Soul; he is property of a friend who let me borrow him.
Chapter 2- Operation: Jailbreak yo!
"Ooh, cold," I said, stepping into the tank filled with cold blue water. I was currently wearing a red tank-top, and some black shorts that went halfway to my knee, because Salad-head was going to force me to go Greek and not wear anything. I am NOT that kind of girl! So I asked her if I could wear something short and she said 'Fine, but be quick about it,' so then I got dressed in this snazzy outfit. Then I picked up my dog tags from Salad-head, yelled at her for not spelling 'Shrapnyl' right, got new dog tags with correct spelling of name, and stepped into the cold tank of blue water and then I explained what happened, to you, and here we are! Back to the present…
"Just get in the tank," said Salad-head from behind a computer desk. I stepped into the tank and an oxygen mask flew down from the ceiling. I grabbed it and carefully put it on. Hah! I remind myself from one of those guys from Killzone. Gimme your lunch money or die!
"Okay! Jeez, someone's pushy today. Did you forget to take your chill pill again?" I said, submerging myself in the tank. God this is cold! "Why exactly did you have to make the water so cold, again?" I said through the mask. Hah, I sound like Darth Vader!
"It helps numb your body, so you don't feel as much pain." I heard clicking from the console and a bunch of needles lowered from the ceiling. Did I mention how much I hate needles? Yeah, claws from my wrists don't bother me, but little needles from the ceiling freak me out.
"'As much pain'? How much 'pain' will there be? Will there be a lot?" I'll admit, I started freaking out from
"I told you it wouldn't be painless, didn't I? Now stop asking questions," she said as the needles grew ever closer to my body.
"Hey look who's talking, Miss 'I-told-you-it-wouldn't-be-painless-didn't-I?' You are just full of contradictions," I chattered nervously through the oxygen mask.
"Do you ever shut up?" She walked over to the tank and put some little sticker-thingies on my arms and legs and head that hooked up to the computer. I think they were supposed to take my pulse and brain-waves, or something like that. I really have no idea, which is why I'm not the "current" leader of Hydra.
I smiled, but I don't think she saw it under the mask, which covered my mouth and nose, but left my eyes uncovered. "Not while I'm awake."
"Great. Well, we're almost ready to begin the procedure, just a few more little adjustments…and we're done. There." She patted the machine and a cord fell from where it was dangling on the back of the machine. "Oops, well almost done anyway." She bent over and picked up the cord and threw it back over the top of the machine.
"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked nervously.
"Safe? This old dinosaur? I'm surprised it would even start up by itself," she said as she walked back over to the computer console. Not a very reassuring thought.
"Um, do you recommend anything to take my mind off of the procedure? You know, ease the pressure?"
"Hmm? I got nothing. Oh wait. Close your eyes and it'll all be over when you open them again."
"Okay, let's see if this works." I closed my eyes and the process began…
"Oh yeah! This was sooo worth the pain!" I sliced the training dummy in thirds with my claws and leaped over the Hydra agent with ease. He looked scared so I smiled at him to help reassure his thoughts. You haven't seen terrified, until you look at a Hydra agent sent to spar with me.
"Come on sir! Put up your dukes," I told the agent. He stood up shakily and held out his limp-noodle-like arms.
"Aw, come on now! Put a little enthusiasm in your stance! Like you're excited to be here, fighting me!" The agent got up into standard boxing position and put a little bounce in his step, but he still looked scared.
"Oh, now that isn't good. At least pretend you're excited to be here," I said to him, putting up my fists. He shifted his position and smiled nervously.
"Oh jeez! Now that is just awful! You, sir, need to take acting lessons, because seriously, you are a terrible actor." My head tilted to the side and I threw my hands up into the air, trying to emphasize my disappointment with my sparring partner.
"Shrapnyl," boomed Salad-head's voice from the intercom, "go easy on him. I only have so many soldiers left."
"Relax," I stretched out the syllables so it sounded like 'reee-laaaaaxx', "why would I intentionally go hard on him?"
"I don't know. You aren't exactly what we'd call 'predictable'," boomed her voice.
"Yes! I have succeeded in my goal, then. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to break out of your base, because that's what everybody else does when they come here! Either that or they work for you, and I don't like working for other people, which is exactly why I came here from the future! Darn, I blew the secret again!"
I leaped over the agent who was still standing in his boxing position and pressed a button on the little box thing next to the door. The door slid open easily and I ran out of the room, followed by a very flustered Hydra agent and some shouts from Salad-head.
"Get her, you fool! Lock down the base! Do NOT let her escape!"
Almost immediately, a red light started flashing in the hallway and an annoying beeping began. Suddenly, doors began closing slowly (because that's what doors do when a building gets locked down, they close slowly), and the red light flooded the corridor, along with that annoying, blaring, beeping that pounded on my eardrums.
"Tell me, why exactly do you want me? Like you said before, I'm unpredictable. I could go rogue on you at any moment. Why would you want someone like me on your team, with only brave Hydra agents to keep me in line?" I asked a video camera, right before I thumped it with my fist. My skin broke over my knuckles, revealing my newly metallic bones. Sure, the process was painful, but it was worth it! The lens gave way with a satisfying crunch. I smiled to myself. What could they possibly do to stop me? For I am Shrapnyl! And my fist is already healing! I love how fast my healing factor is! Faster than my father's, and I don't think I have cancer! Unless I do, and my natural healing factor is already fighting it, and I just never notice it…Hmm, well it's a mystery.
"You were created as a weapon, and you shall be used as one! The right way, unlike the others, who were just plain crazy, we'll keep you on collar and leash," boomed Salad-head. I really should learn her name, so I can stop calling her 'Salad-head', but it really annoys her. I'm gonna keep calling her Salad-head, just to bug her! Oh, and I should point out that Salad-head doesn't know who my parents are, so I intend to keep it that way. If you guys tell her, you're in big trouble!
"Sorry, I don't do collars, Salad-head. They clash with my outfit," I said to no-one in particular. The Hydra agent grunted as I turned around a hard corner. Wow, this guy's got some guts to be chasing after me. Maybe he's not your typical Hydra agent.
"Yeah, and maybe I was a daisy in a past life," I said out loud.
"Well it would explain your odd behavior," said a menacing voice from behind me. And no, it wasn't the Hydra agent, as much as I'd hoped it would be.
I spun around and leaped over the persistent Hydra agent. Maybe I should just get rid of him already…
"Oh, so you think daisies are odd? What have you got against daisies?" I asked the person with the menacing voice. He was taller than me, with a frown of sorts on his fair face, and a brainwashed look in his dark eyes. He looked about a few years older than me, with medium length black hair and bright hazel eyes. His costume consisted of black leather, black fabric, a black hood that hid his face, knee-high black combat boots, and more black. "Jeez man, where do you shop? 'Goths R Us'?"
"No, actually I got these at a thrift store," he smiled briefly before returning to his standard frown. He could really pass as a goth/emo kid if he put a neon colored streak in his hair. That's the only thing that's missing.
"Hmm…did it have the word 'Goth' in the title?" I asked.
"No," he answered quickly. The brainwashed look was still in his eye. I've got a bad feeling about this. Oh, and my kneecap is itching! Maybe I can sense danger that's to come and it makes my kneecap itch! I'll call it my Patella Sense! And guess what? My Patella Sense is tingling!
"I'll take that as a 'yes'. Now, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a base to escape from." With that I turned around only to find that my sparring partner/brave Hydra agent was blocking my path nervously, with his hands up in a boxing position.
"Do you want to get knocked unconscious? Because, seriously, your bad posture is asking for it," I said to the Hydra agent.
"Um, how about 'no'," he said as he stepped to the side. I smiled sweetly at him and walked over next to him.
"And how about 'I don't really care about your opinion so I'll do what I want, thank you very much'? Rochambeau!" I shouted right before I kicked him up the crotch. Now with three times the disabling power! He winced and fell to the floor in an unconscious heap.
"And that's for you inability to act," I said right before I took off down the red lit hall. Almost predictably, the guy with the menacing voice, brainwashed look, and affinity for the color black followed me down the hall. "Oh so now you're chasing me? Jeez, knock one man out for the count, and another weirdo takes his place!"
"So now I'm the weird one? You're the one kicking men in their crotches and taping them to the walls!" his brainwashed voice said from behind me.
"Ah, you're familiar with my work. It's true that I have done that before – and intend to keep doing it – but at least I'm not the one wearing black all the time and loyally following the orders of some lady with salad colored hair! I've come up with a super name for you: Black Lab!"
"Do not call me Black Lab," he said seriously, with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Why? Does that…bother you?" I teased.
"My name is Soul, not Black Lab! Do not call me Black Lab!" he practically yelled down the metallic hallway. His breathing grew shorter and more rapid as his temper rose and he charged after me. I smell someone annn-grrrrrryyy…and anger smells like spicy chicken wings, with extra sauce and no drink to cool you down.
"Oh, I'll be sure to do that, Black Lab, right after I surrender to you and your awesome pal over there." I jerked a thumb back at the unconscious Hydra agent while increasing my speed.
"Surrender to the might that is Soul, or I will have to take you down," he said in a serious tone that was meant to intimidate me. And guess what! It didn't work. I can't take him seriously in that getup.
"Oh yeah? You and what army?" I asked him, twirling around and stopping where I was, which, in turn, made him stop as well. I don't know how that worked, but it just did.
"This one," he said as he held his hand up in the air and flicked his wrist. Following that little gesture, some hidden doorways opened and the hallway flooded with green-clad, brave, Hydra soldiers.
"Oh yes, I forgot about the brainwashed army of Salad-head. I thought they were all on vacation in the Bahamas. Silly me! Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be," I said right before I marched in the opposite direction of Black Lab.
"Where on earth do you possibly have to be?" Black Lab asked with an amused tone.
"I don't know, the X-Mansion? Stark Tower? The Avengers' Mansion? The streets of Manhattan? Anywhere but here," I said back to him.
"Oh no you don't." The Hydra agents formed a wall in front of me, blocking my escape. Darn, I wish I was as good at escaping as the Taskmaster was! Is? Is he still around? What time is it here?! Stupid time traveling belt for dumping me in an unknown time…Well, unknown to me. I bet you guys know, and are so amused that I don't know that you're laughing at me right now! It's not working! I tell you it's not working! …okay, maybe just a little bit.
"Are you sure that's the wisest choice?" I asked the wall of men with my claws popped out. Heheh, they're shiny! The brave Hydra soldiers started quaking in their boots when they saw how pointy my claws were. At least, that's how my mind perceived it. The wall quickly gave way and fled down the hallway.
"Yeah, you better run," I said to the backs of the fleeing soldiers' heads.
"God, I'm surrounded by idiots," hissed Black Lab.
"Oh, so you have the same trait as your green-haired boss lady, huh? Calling your soldiers idiots, now that's just rude! Maybe I should teach you a lesson," I said, facing him once more.
"This isn't good." He turned and fled down the corridor, so I did what I felt like doing at the moment…I chased him down the hall at top running speed.
"No, it most certainly isn't," I taunted.
He ran through a series of corridors, so I followed him left and right and right and right and left and right and left, bobbing and weaving to avoid thrown projectiles coming from in front of me until I saw a sign that said 'Brainwashing Station'. Thinking quickly, I made a huge leap and tackled Black Lab to the ground. Getting up, I pulled him along with me by the collar of his shirt and dragged him towards the 'Brainwashing Station'. Seems apt, no?
He didn't go without a fight though, and punched me in the stomach several times, until he realized what I was doing. Then he promptly stopped and let me pull him into the 'Brainwashing Station' which, it turns out, is more of a room with showers than a station. I shoved Black Lab into one of the showers, and moved the little dial on the side to 'Erase Brainwashing Effects' (seriously, why include that setting if you're trying to create an army of loyal men? Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of a 'Brainwashing Station'?) and pressed the green button. Almost immediately sounds could be heard coming from the shower like; "Cold!", "Where am I?", and my personal favorite "Why am I taking a cold shower in my crime-fighting clothes that were really expensive and are dry-clean only?!" And he said he got them from a thrift store. Pfft.
After he was thoroughly Brainwash-free, he came out of the shower and looked me up and down. One of my eyebrows went up, and then I demanded he lead me to the exit so I could finally leave this boring Hydra base. I won't describe much, though, because it took us a long time to finally find the exit.
One delayed escape by a brainwash-free goth later…
"Ah, I love the smell of fresh air in the…what time is it?" I asked. We had finally made it outside, after I had set Black Lab free from the evils of Salad-head, and her minions with terrible acting skills. We were both running towards the nearest mountain, but for different reasons.
His: He didn't like me all that much, and was returning to his vehicle that was parked on the far side of the closest mountain.
Mine: Beyond the next mountain was a valley with a town within. Town means people. People means food. I need food. I'm hungry.
Black Lab looked at his bare, wet wrist and said, "It's a quarter past I don't have a watch. But, judging by the distance between the sun and the mountain peaks, I'd say it was about…3:14." He stopped running and stared at the sky. I stopped running too, and stood next to him.
"Wow, all I wanted was whether it was morning or evening, not the exact time," I lied. Of course I want to know the exact time, and the year would be nice too.
"Yeah, I know." He sighed, "Isn't nature lovely?"
"Um, yeah, it's really nice out today…" I trailed off. Black Lab was gone. I was alone on the mountainside, next to a semi-destroyed Hydra base.
Oh yeah! I forgot to mention that I had found a grenade launcher inside the base, along with all my other weapons and gear, and brought them along with me outside, where I promptly shot a grenade at the base. Then the base exploded! It was awesome; you really should've been there.
Well, off to go do stuff in the next chapter! Hopefully, it'll be cool stuff like hitting things and holding people hostage until I get a cheeseburger! I've always wanted to try a cheeseburger. They don't have them in the Very Dark Future, but my father talked about all types of things that weren't in that time period. So I'm pretty much squared away with pop-culture in (hopefully) this century. Screwy time traveling belt!