The 'Tunnel', Asgard Ruins, Oklahoma - 21:42PM, 24th August
The team was making good progress through the ruins of Asgard despite the rough going on foot although the lack of thralls or any serious threat save Task Force Hammer's pursuers made this almost worthwhile. Despite this there was still a long way to go and Natasha knew that as they got closer the teams courage might waver, it was after all hard to walk knowingly to your death.
"Hold up." she heard James whisper as they reached an overhanging ledge that led down to a hall that had partially collapsed, one wall slanting at an angle to form half a bridge to the other side. "We have contacts, four thralls and something else, from the looks of these guys they were Osborne's Initiative who vanished in these ruins and never came out as Natasha crawled quietly up to the edge.
"That's them, four fifths of the F5 team, so much for the Initiative sorting out the problems at Asgard." she replied, "I don't see Tempest but that woman looks sort of like Jessica Drew only there is something different apart from the clothes. She looks almost regal, the problem is that she is listed as deceased." she trailed off as Ghost silently flew past her and down into the chamber, "Ghost what are you doing?" she asked.
"Lady Sif the soul matrix is online, the enemies dead will soon be transferred and transformed into the next generation of Valkyries and Enhejier for the front line." Glow Worm croaked as Ghost slipped behind her holding his comms. crystal up to the speakers.
"Ghost get back here, they'll spot you." Geode snarled as she struggled to see where he was going next. Ghost continued his solo recon as the former thralls talked slowly while the person called Karnilla listened intently. Surely not Karnilla, the former Queen of Vanhiem, Natasha thought, then again she silently added Asgardian didn't necessarily play by the same rules as mortals.
"We have to move." Wolverine growled, "There catching up, from my guess they just entered the 'tunnel'." Natasha nodded the 'tunnel' as Toxin had called it was a 500m tube that twisted up and down and had been barley big enough for War Machine to slip through. The thinner Daken and Brigade would have no problem, it was as if they were stuck between a rock and a hard place, they had no choice but to move forward.
"Toxin, Geode seal the tunnel, we'll have to take these Asgardian's out if we want to keep our hides." Natasha ordered. Toxin quickly set up a web of silk between the entrance and the rest of the tunnel as Geode caused the walls to contract closing in on the pursuers as War Machine and the others jumped down ambushing the god and her escort. With a quick round house Natasha knocked the American Eagle over as Ghost struck Karnilla blasting her with an electrical pulse. Across the room James easily smashed Glow Worm dragging the young woman out of the suit before crushing them armor under foot. Quickly Cyclone spun up to speed and changed the balance of power as he pinned the attackers to the wall and the Asgardian targets recovered.
"Black Ops by the looks of it." Bison explained as the American Eagle handed Glow Worm a spear, hardly a replacement for her destroyed armor but still deadly looking, "What shall we do with them Maam?" he asked.
"Take them to the nearest enthralling chamber, we can use them as canon fodder for fighting the armies of Midgard." Karnilla answered stroking each of the pinned members of Task Force HAMMER causing their bodies to become wrapped in crystal before they quickly blinked out of the room with the thralls. "You can't hide." she called upto the ceiling where Geode and Toxin were hiding, "We'll find you soon, and when we do you will see that your four friends down here got off lucky." she added as she stalked away.
"Four of them?" Geode asked, "That mean's one of them wasn't captured." she added
"That's right." Ghost announced as he phased out of the ceiling, "I quickly dodged Cyclone's blasts and avoided capture. I would suggest that we move quickly or the other's might be lost and while I would gladly see Cornel Rhodes suffer I suppose we might need them later on." he hummed.
"Well that's what Three Million Dollars looks like." a voice growled from the end of the tunnel. Standing at the end was Daken and the corpse like form of Brigade the later holding an Assault Rifle, the red dot dancing over Geode's forehead.
"Free Willed Combatants detected." Bridge growled, "Analysis Toxin - Weakness Sonics and Heat, Analysis Ghost - Weakness Lack of Physical Strength, Analysis Geode - Weakness Terrestrial Separation. Suitable Combatants for Beta Test. Entering Combat." he added firing a shot at Geode who transformed the bullet into sand before dropping to the floor as the shooter did the same.
"Tell me where my father is and I'll make this quick." Dakern growled extending his claws and racing across the ceiling towards Toxin and Ghost.
"He's been taken to be transformed into a mindless Zombie." Ghost announced as he dodged one of Daken's wild slashes as Toxin transformed his arms into massive spade blades as he slashed wildly at the faux Wolverine. The two super powered combatants met blades as Daken scythed through the Symbiote's flesh causing Toxin to scream in pain before slamming his claws into the alien's chest before both combatants slammed to the floor as Brigade's rock hard fist was melted away, stripped away by Geode's powers. Angrily Brigade sent a pulse through the floor, pink energy stunning the combatants and causing Toxin to spasm wildly as the alien flesh rippled away to reveal the naked from of Patrick Mulligan.
"Application Maria Ramirez AKA Songbird." Brigade announced as he walked over to Patrick's unprotected form, "Target Toxin neutralized, suggested execution application - Tate Williams/Jerry Sledge Combination AKA Chemistro and Stone Wall" he answered as acid begun to leak over his flesh before grabbing Patrick by the neck, his flesh already beginning to sizzle.
Command Tent, HAMMER Base Camp, Oklahoma - 21:53PM, 24th August
Something flicked Tate in the head, angrily she turned away from the frustratingly slow computer that Osborne had given her and glowered at the thrower as another screwed up ball of paper came whizzing towards her.
"Seriously Osborne insisted that I need to be supervised but I didn't think he'd send the two most annoying people in the world." she hissed as she caught a third ball of paper, "Actually I take that back, make that the most annoying person and the most creepy person."
"Ah is the big bad Internal Affairs Mutant already annoyed at us Mac." Karla cooed as she screwed up another ball of paper and threw it, the projectile falling short next to the stinking pile of goo positioned almost directly behind Tate."
"I wonder what you taste like." Mac hissed licking Tate who chose this moment to sweat heavily. In an instant Mac hissed and screamed as the Symbiote's mouth foamed and bothered.
"What did you do bitch?" Karla said rocketing over to Tate and pushing her off the swivel chair and onto the floor. "Reverse it or Osborne will kill you."
"Unlikely." Tate replied squirming back into the chair, "As for the foam it's Sodium Peroxide, when I sweat random chemicals are created and it looks like Venom just got a taste of something he didn't like." she added while secretly thinking, "Serves the animated pile of crap right, maybe it's time you learned the old adage about eyes being bigger then your belly."
"Next time I bite." Venom warned.
"Really, I'm the person that invented the nasty nerve toxin ridding around in Wolverine and the Black Widow not to mention your grandson who by the way is a lot better looking then you, he smells better as well you cannibalistic moron." Tate replied watching as her barbed comments got the desired effects she wanted. Venom roared slamming Ms. Marvel to the floor before sinking his teeth into Tate's right shoulder just as Osborne walked in.
"Mac what the fucking hell are you doing you retard. Get out now, Kephi and Steel need assistance at sector Delta, more on those Dark Elves are attacking now move." he told the Symbiote who slouched out of the tent. "Ms. Williams I have talked to the Oversight Committee and they have indeed confirmed that you are to be given access. As such your being transferred to the Heli Carrier out of harms way." he said bitterly, "As such Karla and these two Marines are going to walk you over." as two women in combat fatigues walked over flanking Tate. "Now get moving before I decided to assign Mac Gangran to your little security detail."
Asgard Ruins, Oklahoma - 22:07PM, 24th August
Brigade screamed as his skin melted away in the place where Geode had smacked him around the face. Where the blow had landed a lilac burst of flame had erupted before his skin had leaked off leaving the un-dead super soldier faceless. Daken leapt away from where Ghost had been taunting him to tackle Geode sinking his claws into her waist.
"Not that I care but how the fuck did you do that?" he growled as he retracted his claws from her waist before stabbing through her arms as she attempted to block her face.
"Chemistry, I changed part of the bed-rock into Magnesium Pellets before I punched Semper Frankenstein over there. Magnesium plus and Acid equals a salt and water. By the way Adamantium reacts with several unstable isotopes." she added as she pulled Daken's Claws through her arm and into the ground before he retracted them and opting for a bare knuckle punch as Brigade staggered around behind them. Extending his claws he watched as the metal coating them became rust brown and flaky before they and the bone underneath disintegrated. "Adamantium 12, say goodbye to you weapons." Geode informed as she threw him off before getting to her feet.
"Regeneration Period Complete." Brigade announced, "Obtaining New Genetic Code." he added stabbing Geode from behind, the tip of his sampling spike, "Meta DNA Catalogued, Processing." he added as computerized numbers and formulas whirred across his eyes, "Error Mana Based DNA Structure, Recommendations - Terminate and Study Corpse at later date." he replied as he removed the syringe. "Error Bio/Technical Parasite detected infiltrating systems. Mission Parameters re-set." Brigade groaned before removing the spike from Geode's chest and wandering away from the group, his back rapidly healing over the blinking control panel.
"Come back Coward." Daken roared as he ran past Geode towards Daken only to be grabbed from behind with tendrils of Symbiote strand snapping Daken backwards at an alarming speed before slamming him into a wall, his head burying into the soil.
"That should teach you." Toxin replied petulantly, "Thank you for helping me." he told Geode, "Pat says thanks too." he added.
"Your welcome, what baffles me is why Brigade went AWOL and ran off." Geode replied.
"No Thanks required," Ghost said bowing as he phased out of the ground, "While you two were making with the fisty-cuffs I decided to inspect Brigades CPU and Operating Systems. I must say for somebody so smart Osborne decided to go for ruggedness over security. A classic mistake on the electronic battlefield." he replied smartly.
"Just for clarification where did you send Brigade?" Toxin asked.
"I had multiple choices but in the end I chose one that should serve our purposes." Ghost answered, "Brigade will walk into Osborne's camp and self destruct, the fusion cores should provide a nice bang that we would be able to see from here if we were not underground."
"And on that bomb-shell," Toxin stated, "We need to find the others but this place is a rat-run, we'll never find them in time." he added, "Do either of you have anything of Natasha's or the others so I can track them."
No, nothing." Geode replied, "We could always convince Wolverine Junior to lead the way but I'm guessing that will take to long."
"It will but that is the answer." Ghost replied cryptically, "Technically as Wolverine's son he belongs to his father. I believe that's all you need to work with." he asked Toxin.
"I suppose." Toxin replied rubbing Daken's neck, "I think I know where they are." he added as he pulled open a large semi collapsed door and skirted down the passage-way. "Let's just hope we are not to late."