Chapter 5
"Richard can you hear me?" Sam Koenig's voice blurted from Richard's earpiece.
Richard stood there motionless as he stared at the corpse of the now dead Ana. He watched as the newest addition to the fray: a quinjet which didn't belong to the team open its doors to reveal a Caucasian female with light brown hair jump out, she wore a simple blue sweater accompanied with jeans, her brown eyes seemed to have an air of fierce fury as she strode towards the beady eyed boy.
"Click?" Leah asked confused as she struggled to her feet.
"Hey lady, watch were your going it's not safe!" Shikoba shouted as he held a sobbing Anna close.
Richard tried to move towards the woman but his legs remained paralysed almost as if he was being held in place by an invisible hand.
"My name is Jemma Simmons." The woman said as she strode past Richard and moved closer to the beady eyed boy.
The beady eyed boy smiled and stretched out his hand, as if he was inviting her for a hug.
"You are an inhuman correct? I'm sorry but you must be exterminated by order of the Kree. Goodbye." The woman said as she raised up her hand and touched the boy on the forehead.
Why isn't she getting blasted back?
Richard watched in astonishment as the boy dropped to the floor with a blissful smile on his face, Richard couldn't tell whether he was dead or just unconscious. Suddenly, the woman dropped to the floor unconscious. Before, Richard could move he saw an Asian woman with short brown hair jump out of the quinjet and grab Jemma Simmons alongside the boy.
"Hey! Stop!" Richard yelled.
The woman ignored him and climbed into the plane with the help of a muscular Caucasian man with brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a business suit and white shirt.
Just before the quinjet was about to leave the man locked eyes with Richard and then stared at Ana's corpse. The message was loud and clear: She was a good agent...I'm sorry for your loss. Richard was about to shout something but before he knew it the quinjet was now a speck of black in the sky. He let out a small sigh and adjusted his earpiece.
"Sorry...send the jet down here I guess...also could you come and t-take..." Richard started before he broke down and collapsed on the ground.
"It's ok. I'll be there in a few seconds." Sam Koenig replied sadly as the jet appeared just as he promised.
On the flight back to the safe house in Vancouver (which he found out at last by looking at the map) no one talked, no one muttered a word. Sofia had decided to lock the pilot bay completely. Everyone was in a bad mood and no one was in the mood for any jokes or smiles.
Upon landing Sam Koenig carried Ana's body bag to a nearby room and told everyone to get some sleep. Richard watched as Shikoba was shoved away by a clearly distraught Anna who ran to her room.
"She's stronger than she looks." Shikoba muttered as he stalked off to his room.
"Click." Leah said flatly as she stalked off to her room.
Nothing's ever going to be the same again...Richard thought as he exited the elevator and collapsed onto his bed.
A few minutes later Richard felt himself being stroked on the face, his hazel eyes opened to see the familiar bald face of Okore who had a sympathetic look on her face.
"Rest my cub we will talk in the morning..." Okore said as she rose from his bedside and left.
Richard closed his eyes and let the darkness takeover.
Three Days Since Ana's Death...
Richard woke up and shivered, he had been dreaming of Ana's dead corpse. He still couldn't shake the image out of his mind. The sounds of what seemed like an argument downstairs got louder. He got up and quickly ran outside his room to see Anna and Shikoba in the midst of a heated argument. Anna seemed dressed for the winter; she wore a black beanie and a black anorak alongside black jeans. On her back was a backpack.
"You can't leave!" Shikoba yelled.
"Yes I can! I'm leaving...its not safe here and I don't want to die...I'm scared...tired and quite frankly annoyed so get out of my way!" Anna yelled in response.
Richard heard a door slam and Shikoba let out a range of insults before he opened the door to follow Anna outside.
"Morning." Sam Koenig whistled as he strode past wearing a Star Wars T-shirt.
"How can you walk so calmly? Ana just died!" Richard yelled angrily.
"I'm well aware of my colleague's death thank you very much and in case you hadn't noticed daddy long legs the world is still moving on! So get out of this funk and go and visit Okore. You have training to get to, no?" Sam said quickly before walking to another room.
Richard sucked up his teeth and strode back to his room, he put on a black hoodie and a pair of black jeans before racing downstairs, eating and heading to the training room. Upon entering he saw Okore leaning against the ropes of the wrestling ring, opposite her stood a stony faced Sofia who glared angrily at Richard as he jumped over the ropes and entered the ring.
Well this is awkward...wonder why Sofia's here...
"Ah your here! My cub today your opponent-." Okore said softly.
Before Richard could react Sofia punched him square in the jaw, knocking him backwards.
"Hey Okore didn't say to start!" Richard said in anger.
Sofia didn't respond and let out another punch, this time Richard dodged and tackled her to the floor.
"What's wrong with you? Calm down!" Richard pleaded before Sofia pushed her two legs forward sending Richard flying backwards into Okore who shoved him off and climbed outside the ring.
Sofia ran forward towards Richard who had jumped up and launched a roundhouse kick. Richard felt Sofia's foot connect with his arm as he struggled to block it before feeling his legs getting swept from under him. He hit the floor. Hard. Before he could even get up Sofia booted him in the stomach once and then again repeatedly.
"You...could...have...saved...her..." Sofia said between kicks.
"I'm sorry!" Richard said as he groaned and got to his feet.
"SORRY DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING!" Sofia yelled as she charged wildly at Richard who sidestepped and let her crash into the ropes.
"I know you two were close but..." Richard tailed off as he saw Sofia start to cry.
"You don't know anything! She was my mentor before you came and a damn good friend...my best friend...she helped me after I got captured!" Sofia yelled.
Richard ran towards her and aimed a fist at her jaw before jabbing her sides which sent her down slowly.
"Look I've never lost anyone like that before but you need to keep it together...you're the most experienced person on the team now apart from Sam...we need you to stay calm and keep it together...I'm begging you." Richard whispered in her ear.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Well done my cub...I never would have thought I'd see my old student Sofia cry...I'm impressed and I'm sure your teammates are too." Okore said with a small smile.
Richard whipped his head around as he rose up from the ground pulling Sofia up as well to see the faces of Anna, Shikoba and Leah stare dumbfounded.
"Hello Richard." A voice said.
Richard turned around to see in front of him a familiar looking man with an eye patch. He had barely changed since Richard last saw him in London. He wore a black trench coat and jeans.
"You. I'm guessing you know what happened then." Richard said angrily.
"Are you angry with me? You should listen to your own advice." Nick Fury said.
"Why did you send us on that mission? Why didn't you just give it to that team that came?" Richard asked.
"Ah...so it's the blame game eh? For your information Coulson's team have other problems...bigger than you and me...your job as the Wardens is to prevent street level problems from escalating." Nick Fury said.
"That's bull...that Simmons girl was able to take down that Inhuman no problem. Why can't you just give them our missions?" Anna argued.
"Come to think of it, you don't exactly seem so sad that you lost an agent!" Shikoba added as he raised his hand, a swirling mass of air forming in his hand threateningly.
"Click!" Leah shouted as she stamped with her foot.
"Quiet! Show some respect!" Okore said as she cuffed Shikoba on the neck.
"Thank You Okore. As for the rest of you I'm sorry but suck it up and get ready to go to Wakanda. I've received a distress signal from there." Nick Fury said before turning around and walking out of the room.
"Hey! I'm not done talking to you!" Shikoba yelled.
Nick Fury stopped.
"Tough Luck, I stopped talking to you the day I left you in London." Nick Fury said coldly before leaving.
"He's a cheery breath of fresh air..." Sofia muttered.
"So that's it?" No resolution. No sorry about Ana's death. Nothing?" Anna said angrily.
Okore let out a sigh before addressing the group.
"I'm sure he's very sorry about her death Anna but he's been under a lot of stress believe me I know that much from his eyes...please get some rest this week. Training is suspended for this week as you will all need your full rest. Leah, Anna and Shikoba you are dismissed." Okore said stoically.
Leah let out a small click of respect before following an angry Anna and an annoyed Shikoba out of the room
"What about us?" Richard said as he pointed at Sofia.
"Don't point at me." Sofia growled.
"Training for another hour, you still need practise and Sofia you're out of form... almost getting beaten by this cub...your meant to be the lion of this group!" Okore said as she pointed at the ring.
Richard and Sofia got into the ring and began fighting.
Unknowns to them Okore went to close the door of the room, a single tear trailing down her cheek.
"Ana may you rest in peace." Okore said silently as she quickly wiped her eyes and turned around. Her eyes narrowing as she saw Richard lying on the ground.
"Move it you Antelope and half horse monkey lion!" Okore shouted.
It was good to see her cubs developing into true warriors.
Elsewhere in an Underground Cavern in New York...
"Is it done?"A seventeen year old boy said with a feral look in his eyes, he wore a leather jacket and blue jeans. A strong leg was lazily strewn across the armrest of the small throne he was on. In front of him knelt a green skinned woman with straight black hair dressed in silver armour, on her right knelt a girl with caramel hair in a short bob that fell under her chin. Behind them both was a number of different skinned people all we respect in their eyes for their leader.
"Yes. They took in Zebu, he's dead. Just as you said Chris...this'll definitely infuse the others with some sort of want for revenge. Can I stand up now?" The girl asked impatiently as she adjusted her blue dress.
"Of course Violet you're hypnotic voice leaves me with no choice doesn't it... You're welcome to stand Gorgona." The boy said as he lounged deeper into his seat.
"I didn't use my power and you know it!" Violet said as she stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Hpm...Master what is the next stage of our plan?" Gorgona asked curiously.
"All in good time my friend. HYDRA told me to be patient...soon we will have our revenge on SHIELD for what they did to Jiayang and the rest of the Afterlife!" Chris said as he clenched his fist in anger, this was met with a round of applause by everyone else in the room.
Chris smiled...everything was going to plan.
A/N
So there we have it...the team's somewhat patched themselves up after losing Ana and are off on their next mission to Wakanda! There will be some stunning revelations about Richard and Okore in particular and a lot of action...As you guys could probably tell not everyone in the team is happy with Nick Fury's leadership...this will have some stunning implications next chapter where the team will come face to face with a new foe. Hope you liked the cameo by Simmons (who is kree possessed IMO), May and Coulson. Also special thanks to those who sent in our first batch of Inhumans:
Chris
Violet
Gorgona
Please tell me if I wrote them in character or not.
Whose your favourite character in the story so far?
Can any of you guess what Okore's connection is to Wakanda?
Any improvements/feedback is welcome:
Scrawl out.