2: New Kids in Town
After Osborn and his team departed the group split up. Amora left to visit her sister in Asguard, Leonard, Robbie and Paul left to cruse the town leaving Dane and Carol alone at the base. They took a walk along the compound. Over the six months they had been there a hanger and ball court had been tacked on to the main building which was now a building and no longer a shack.
"Tony's been at work." Carol observed.
"Yep he had the hanger installed a month ago and a Quinjet arrived soon after though I don't think we'll use the thing since all my team can fly or ride." Dane said jokingly.
"It will be good to have if you were needed to aide another team."
"I suppose so." He spoke rubbing his chin. "So how are things in the Big Apple?"
Carol sighed. "Messy. Trying to clean up Hulk's mess and track down the Secret Avengers along with establishing teams around the country can be a bit taxing."
"I can imagine. Can I ask about Bruce or is it off limits?"
"You may though I can't say much. Bruce is being held in a fully automated omega level facility in the desert where he is kept under twenty-four hour surveillance and no you can't see or talk to him."
"Pour Bruce." Dane breathed. Carol stopped walking.
"How can you have any sympathy for what he did? He almost destroyed all of New York and nearly made Reed kill Tony! How can you still feel sorry for that monster?" Carol spat.
"What Hulk did is not…"
"Bruce's fault? Oh no he is to blame as much as his green shadow for the first time Bruce and Hulk were on the same page and that one mindedness gave him the power boost to take down nearly every hero on earth. So don't go saying Bruce is innocent he is just as guilty as Hulk."
"But he didn't kill anyone he just wanted to show us the pain we caused and he may have backed down had not things gone south with his buddies." Dane argued.
"It doesn't matter it happened and we don't even have a lead on this new Red Hulk and with Bruce escape…" She cut herself off before finishing the sentence.
"Bruce escaped?" Dane exclaimed. Before Carol could through her hand over his mouth.
"Shut it Whitman!" She hissed. "This is top secret and not a laughing matter."
"Who's laughing I'm just as worried don't you think I don't know how far Death Valley is from here?"
"How did you…"
"I'm very good at what I do." Stated and Leonard is a really good hacker."
"Dane I'm serious I know you didn't like what happened with Bruce but you have to promise me if you hear anything about the Hulk you'll tell Tony and S.H.I.E.L.D." She pressed.
"Is this an order?" Dane said stretching to his full height nearly a foot taller than Carol.
"I don't want it to be." She said. "Can it be a favor for an old friend instead?"
"I promise." Dane finally gave.
"Thank you Dane." Carol said hugging him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Well it's late and I have a full day ahead of me good night." She said and took off towards the compound to turn in leaving Dane alone amid the planes, or so he thought. As Ms. Marvel entered the bunker a female shadow stepped from the hanger. Amora who had returned early to ask Dane to walk with her had watched the two and now with tears running down her cheeks she launched herself into the air and sailed off towards Asguard.
Robbie and the others wormed there way though town as the night wore on. As they reached their fifth bar Leonard called the team to a halt.
"Hold on guys." He said unbuttoning the shirt cuff and rolling the sleeve back to reveal the black under armor he wore as the Scorpion.
"Do you ever take that off?" Robbie asked as Leonard pressed a sequence in the keyboard on his forearm. The black suit slid down his arms and formed gloves. A light flashed in his palm and a image of a biohazard symbol.
Master Leonard a massive source of Gamma radiation has been detected outside the city. A mechanical voice spoke.
"Thank you Ivan. Upload coordinates into my helmet." Leonard said as black extended and formed his helmet and tail. "Relay this info to Dane and Amora." He turned to see Robbie and Paul in costume and ready.
"Lets check it out."
"You know that elastosteel you came up with is slightly creepy." Robbie said as his clicked a button on his watch and his exoarmor extended out of his backpack.
"Yeah well at least I don't have a tire and lube express in my backpack." Leonard shot back as a white shadow flashed by them .
"When you to boys are through arguing you can catch up with us!" Paul yelled over his shoulder as he sped away on his steed. Both stood in the dust as the Phantom Rider rode off, glowing in the night.
"Okay that's just creepy." Robbie said.
"Agreed." Leonard replied as they took to the sky and followed their ghostly compatriot into the desert night.
"Their trail leads into this city." Brood hissed as the Warbound raced through the shadowy outskirts of the city.
"And you're sure they share the same energy as the Hulk and the Leader?" The woman who was once Kate Waynesboro asked as she dashed beside her new compatriots.
"I trust in Brood's senses Kate Waynesboro." The red skinned Elloe spoke as she ran passed to catch up to the flying insect. "She has never led us wrong before."
"Indeed Kate Waynesboro when we were Warbo…"
"Warbound with Hulk I know I've read the files and now I have Hiromi's memories as well Korg which is why I am helping you track the Leader down rather than taking you to SHIELD and having you locked up in the Negative Zone until my grand children retire." The woman fumed.
"And for that we are very grateful Kate Waynesboro." The massive ton of living rock called Korg said as he stomped in step with them.
"And for the love of god stop using my full name just call me Kate or I don't know Granite or something."
"Why would you want to go by Granite, Kate Waynes…Kate." Elloe asked not breaking stride.
"I don't know I have powers now so I figure I should give myself and new name. And since Hiromi's Oldstrong power made me like a living rock I figure I should name myself after such."
"Understandable my people often change their names when they go through a life change such as that." Korg spoke. "Well met Granite of the Oldstrong one of the Warbound." He boomed as they ran on through the darkness.
Robbie swung out over the outskirts of the city homing in on the Gamma radiation emitted by the Warbound. As he sailed towards the entrance to the cities sewers he picked up movement.
"I got four unidentifieds near the entrance of the sewers rally at my position." Robbie said into his headset as he swooped down in front of the group. "Whoa those are the aliens Hulk brought with him." He touched down and aimed his gauntlets at them. "You're all under arres…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as he was knocked out of the way.
"Sorry human, but we're in a hurry." Korg stated as they disappeared into the sewers.