Arrivals
Disclaimer: Same as before. Note this fic takes place around the time of my fic, the Badger.
---
The Pit's Command Center was abuzz since the Omnidroid had struck Bandar Abbas. Mr. Incredible noticed that, with fear running through his veins. Many of his friends and colleagues still alive on Metroville, where Syndrome's madness was now the rule of law and the Soviets were duking it out with Metroville's forces. What if Syndrome launched one of those things at the Soviet Union on my world? Bob thought. Especially when Dash and Helen are still there, God knows where, and the Russians retaliate, especially if they use nukes...
Bob quit thinking of Soviet reprisals, but images of mushroom clouds, burned out cities and nuclear wastelands filled his mind. Right now he had to focus, to help the Joes, X-men, and Misfits deal with this latest threat.
Dense smoke from the devastation of Bandar Abbas and Kish Island was belched into the skies over the Arabian Gulf. The Iranians had already mobilized entirely, severing all diplomatic relations, isolated and effectively an armed prison camp.
"In the last twenty-four hours Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have begun mobilizing their own armed forces. Syndrome's latest act's got them spooked." Scarlett began as the TV showed images of Israeli F-15 Eagles patrolling the limits of their airspace, the scene shifted again to show IDF missile batteries starting to become active.
"Rightly so." Duke replied, "It took the other Misfits and X-men hours to finally subdue the thing and that was only one Omnidroid. Think of ten of those things being fired, twenty, forty, a hundred of those things being fired at major cities around the world. We've only got enough force to deal with one at a time...and not even that."
"This just in." Lady Jaye began, "We've got the Turkey, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia mobilizing their armed forces. The Serbians have begun calling up their reservists and declaring martial law..."
"Low Light's briefing Hawk about facing down the Omnidroid at Bandar Abbas. I guess the Misfits, even without a majority of the team, showing up has prevented the Iranians from closing the Strait of Hormuz with mines or blowing up any ship that passes through." Duke added.
"South Korean intelligence has indicated that North Korean soldiers along the DMZ have been starting to disappear. At Panmunjon their guard detachment at the barracks marched out and no replacements appeared." Scarlett added.
"This is starting to get pretty bad..." Lady Jaye remarked, as she held up satellite photos, "A friend of mine at South Korea's CIA sent me these. Over the last month they've observed less and less foot and vehicle traffic on North Korea's roads..."
"It sounds like they're preparing for an invasion, and if it's anything like the Lightfoot Report suggests, it sounds like the North Koreans have sided with the Heartless and COBRA." Scarlett replied, "A COBRA and Syndrome backed North Korean People's Army tearing across the 38th Parallel is the last thing we need right now. Maybe with the Heartless Scare that's been going around since the Omnidroid wrecked Bandar Abbas, North Korea wants to settle the score with the South before Armaggedon."
"I'll get in touch with the CIA, maybe see if we can't get Agent Lightfoot's opinion on that." Lady Jaye replied.
"Don't bother." Duke began.
"What? Why?" Lady Jaye replied.
"We tried calling the CIA about that. Agent Lightfoot's on assignment and can't be contacted." Duke replied.
"Damn it. Just like the CIA, when we need someone to expound on something, he's on assignment." Lady Jaye remarked.
---
"Gretchen, did you need me?" Paige replied as she orbed into the wooded clearing in Western Canada where her charge waited.
The woman was middle aged, with dark brown hair and a pale complexion, "Have you heard anything from my son? I keep hearing on the news that Israel's mobilized all her forces..."
"Ted hasn't been recalled." Paige replied.
"Good, he just hasn't called us at all to tell us anything...you know parents worry." Gretchen replied.
"I just saw him yesterday, he's worried, but he's safe." Paige replied.
"Even after the Misfits attacked the Omnidroid in Iran? It was on the news." Gretchen replied.
"I saw him after he came back." Paige replied.
"Thank you Paige." Gretchen replied, "For helping and loving my son. He's written so many glowing letters about you. He's called you his Angel on more than a few occassions."
Paige smiled and blushed, "Well..."
"He came back from that war such an angry, haunted man...his father understood why, being a former Green Beret, but I never could." Gretchen replied, "But since he'd met you, he's starting to sound like the son I remember..."
"I'll tell him to call you when I see him again and I'm also happy to see you're relationship is healing." Paige replied.
"I'm seeing more and more of, well not really my son before he went into all that insanity, but something new, kind of a blend between my old son and something else. You're definitely a the best thing to happen in his life." Gretchen replied.
"Listen, Gretchen, I hate to be rude, but if there's nothing else, I have to get going." Paige replied.
"No, just a mom wanting to calm a few jitters about her son." Gretchen replied.
"I'll make sure he calls you." Paige replied.
It was shortly after Paige left that Gretchen felt the same disturbing visions and dreams she had been having for almost a year and a half. These Heartless things destroying worlds, individuals, be they beast or man.
She saw it again. The forest was dark, only a few stars and no moon. She could see the dark form of the creature, it's eyes glowing yellow, clawed hands, and black antennae.
There was a creature, which was like an insectoid, with six legs like a praying mantis' front legs and three eyes and a mouth full of wicked looking teeth atop it's long, narrow neck. An acklayA voice in Gretchen's head said. A formidable predator.
It certainly looked like it was a formidable hunter as the scant light reflected off its green carapace. It was feeding on some unidentified reptile when it scented the Heartless, it turned, front legs raised to defend itself.
From the brush came swarms of Large Body Heartless. The acklay swung a clawed, sword sharp forearm, decapitating one of the Large Body. It let out a roar and the other Heartless backed off, warily, keeping their distance. One of the Fat Bandit's belched fire and the acklay dodged the flames, narrowly avoiding being singed. It shrank back from the flames and the Heartless came in closer.
The acklay was cornered against the tree trunks by several Heartless. It let out a reptilian call as it lashed out with one pointed claw, impaling a Shadow Heartless.
The fire spread until the acklay couldn't turn and flee. The Heartless closed in and the acklay let out a vicious roar, swinging claws, raking Heartless apart, beheading, dismembering or impaling hated foes.
More Heartless pressed on the creature as it sustained wounds from the attacking Heartless until they managed to finally kill it and take it's heart. A hooded figure walked amonst the Heartless, unharmed and it took genetic samples from the acklay's corpse.
The Heartless mutate...the mysterious voice said. A mantis-like Heartless, standing about two meters tall with four legs, a humanoid body and mantis-like arms, the symbol of the Heartless stamped onto it's chest, was visible as it appeared from some strange machinery...
"Gretchen? Honey?" Henry Griffin said as he rushed into the clearing.
"Huh, oh, I'm sorry, I got distracted." Gretchen replied.
"Are you alright? You look a little distraught?" Henry replied, putting a comforting arm around his wife.
"I'm fine honey..." Henry replied.
"Are you sure?" Henry said, "You've been kind of strange lately, I mean weird dreams and..."
"It's just the stress of writing this latest paper, on our dig in Giza..." Gretchen replied. You wouldn't understand. The strange dreams. The monsters. And that I'm a witch, and I've been one for the past few years...
Henry didn't want to pry. He wanted to give his wife some space. At the same time he was worried. Gretchen was starting to sound like Ted when he came back from fighting the Intifada in Israel. He decided Gretchen needed her space right now.
"I'll see you at home..." Henry replied.
"Could you please stay here with me?" Gretchen asked.
"Of course." Henry said, as he sat with his wife in the forest clearing...
---
"Looks like even the vaunted spetsnaz didn't survive the Facility and whatever's on the loose around here." Frank commented, as he pointed one claw at the bodily remains of another advance team that tried to break into the facility.
Frank felt himself freeze just then. The new Heartless senses that were infused into his brain were starting to work overtime. He felt his antennae twitch, homing in on the heartbeat of a particular individual...
He tore a supply closet apart with clawed hands and dragged a balding, blond haired, bespectacled fellow.
"What the hell!" Fielder demanded.
"Stewart...we meet again..." Frank said, staring at his former captor.
"Please...don't kill me..." Stewart begged.
"I've no intention of doing that...I'll mutilate you alive first you bastard!!" Frank began.
"Frank, God damn it!" Fielder began, "Don't kill this scumbag...yet."
"You know this facility pretty well," Fielder began, "Maybe you could take us to where the C5 reproduction you're trying to build is. I warn you, if you fuck us over, I'll turn you over to Frank..."
Frank eyed Stewart with a 'fuck us over and I'll pull you apart' look.
Stewart gulped and said, "Right this way..."
As they moved through the corridors a loud roar could be heard.
"I should warn you, the Prototype is on the loose." Stewart said with an evil smile.
"Prototype for what?" Cover Girl demanded.
"It was genetically engineered from the best features of the stronger Heartless species and some other things..." Stewart replied, "Unfortunately when it was turned loose it couldn't discriminate between friend and foe and it killed most of the facility staff when the Russians broke into the building."
As they broke into the room, which was thankfully intact Frank said, "Looks like I've got some work to do..."
"I'll help." Kitty replied, "I'm good with computers."
"Better than you are at cooking, that's for sure." Pietro quipped.
"HEY!" Kitty replied.
"He pulled a fast one there..." Dash said, "Hi Five."
Pietro went to give the high five, but Dash at the last second moved his hand out of the way, causing the Misfit speedster to fall over.
"Got it working." Frank said, "It'll take about half an hour to warm up..."
"Not for long..." Stewart said, as he grabbed Emily and held her in a chokehold. Cover Girl, Shipwreck, Roadblock and Fielder all turned their weapons on him.
"Try anything funny and I'll snap her neck, I could do it even before you shot me..." Stewart began.
Before Stewart could finish his threat he was lifted, bodily, screaming into the air. Frank grabbed him by his heels with one hand and used his clawed hand to crush Stewart's elbow, causing the man to cry out in pain and release Emily.
"DON'T EVER THREATEN HER YOU BASTARD!!!" Frank shouted as he flung Stewart against the wall.
The man tried to crawl towards the open door only to have the half-Heartless Frank stomp onto his ankle and Achilles tendon.
He kicked Stewart in the ribs repeatedly, savagely, "THIS IS FOR TURNING ME INTO A HEARTLESS! AND THIS ONE'S FOR THREATENING MY FIANCEE!"
Frank lifted Stewart up and threw him against a fuze box. Instantly several hundred volts of electricity surged into Stewart's body and he screamed long and loud as the current tore into him, roasting him alive and leaving nothing but a charred corpse.
"You idiot!!!" Bobby shouted at Frank, "You just destroyed our way home!!!"
Frank felt the anger subside after killing his former captor and realized he had indeed screwed the pooch. He looked at the damaged fuze box and cursed himself.
"We can fix this, I'll need a few spare parts, any of which we can find here in the facility." Frank said as he wrote them down.
"We'll need to secure this room too, leave Kurt and a team to help him out." Helen pointed out.
"I'll go with you guys..." Frank replied.
"No," Fielder said, "You're too valuable, you're the only C5 tech we have."
"Shadowcat can identify the parts we need from your list." Helen replied.
"Alright he's staying, but we also need some other powerful folks to keep Kurt safe as well."
"We need fighters to go with us too." Fielder said.
"I'll stay with the lad, I'm big and well armed enough in case anything goes bad." Roadblock replied.
"I'll stay too, I can freeze the entrances solid before anything comes in." Bobby said.
"And I'll be the key to open it up if you do." Scott remarked.
"Fair enough." Fielder replied.
Cover Girl, Shipwreck, Shadowcat, Dash, Quicksilver, Colossus, and Elastigirl headed into the facility where everyone else stayed to guard the C5 room.
---
"Sir, the Soviets have advanced past the Metroville line of demarkation." a technician shouted from his console.
Syndrome nodded and said, "Very well. Launch the Omnidroids."
Syndrome knew that the Soviets with spetsnaz assaults and Tu-22 Backfire bombers had knocked out a good seventy-five percent of all Omnidroid launching facilities in Metroville. He'd planned carefully for it, though. He had hidden Vengeance Weapon facilities in Metroville's most remote locations to launch at the Soviets. They only required one order.
"Fire." Syndrome said, "Initiate protocol Alpha Sierra Lima."
Orders were barked into radio circuits and commanders at several remote facilities launched the first wave of Omnidroids towards the Soviet Union. Fifteen were launched. Five towards frontline locations, strategically important cities which the Soviets had overrun, and ten were launched towards various cities and bases in the Soviet Union.
---
The Soviets detected the Omnidroids as the approached their airspace and scrambled every available interceptor, every single surface to air missile site was now fully manned and ready to launch.
---
The alarms sounded loudly jerking Captain Vassili Ivanovich out of his bunk. He flung his flight suit on and grabbed his survival gear and helmet, racing out to the tarmac towards his Sukhoi Su-15 'Fishpot' Interceptor.
He saw the squadron commander, Colonel Ivan Petrov race to his own aircraft.
He took off, on Petrov's left wing, on the and followed the controller's directing. He looked around and could see every single air defense fighter on the base, a mix of MiG-23, MiG-25, and Su-15 interceptors, launching.
Patrolling the outskirts of the airbase were several MiG-29 'Fulcrum' fighters from the Soviet Air Force.
Within minutes the interceptors had accquired the Omnidroids on their radar scopes and began to lock onto them with long range radar guided R-98M missiles.
"Close and engage!" Colonel Petrov said.
Missiles were fired, and several hit their targets, not causing any significant damage to the Omnidroid.
The Soviet fighters closed in, firing AA-8 Aphid infrared missiles which also struck home in conjunction with several Surface to Air Missiles.
The Omnidroid retaliated, shooting laser blasts and air-to-air missiles at the Soviet fighters. Vassili Ivanovich heard Petrov's last scream as his aircraft was incinerated by a laser blast.
Ivanovich fired another AA-8 missile, seeing it strike home on the sphere's surface. He felt the shockwave of another explosion from a missile destroying another fighter. He checked his instrument panel, the controls sluggish. He tried to fire another missile, this one aimed at the rotating head of the Omnidroid. The missile was jammed.
"Comrades," Ivanovich began, "Aim for the head of the beast! Dos Vidanya Rodina!"
Ivanovich jammed the throttles, afterburners lit up, burning the last of fuel racing past the Omnidoid's defenses and colliding with the plate-like head. The explosion destroyed the head of the Omnidroid and the robot's trajectory began to slew off drastically, spiraling out of control, while secondary explosions inside the bowels ignited fuel, magazines, and lubricating oil. The Heartless and Nobodies in the troop carrier bays were immediately incinerated.
The Omnidroid smashed into a wooded copse several kilometers short of Moscow, in company with another Omnidroid launched at the Russian capital.
Three other Soviet cities, however, were not as fortunate. Kiev, Minsk, and Leningrad were all hit. The Omnidroid's dispensed thousands of Heartless and Nobodies which roved about the city, seeking hearts.
Over Kiev the Nobodies separated from the Heartless, while their lesser counterparts distracted the Soviet garrison of Kiev and wreaked havoc on the civilians, the Nobodies headed for the Hydroelectric Power station. They knew it would knock out a vast majority of the electrical power for the Ukraine sector.
The few facility guards, many of them reservists called back into active duty after many of the front line combat units from the garrison were sent to Metroville.
Gunfire echoed, raggedly through the corridors as the Soviet guards tried to fight off the Nobodies. It was unsuccessful and the Nobodies succeeded in destroying the facility and electricity throughout the Ukraine sector was promptly lost.
---
In retaliation, the Soviets launched seven ballistic missiles and a dozen TU-22M Backfire Bombers loaded with tactical nuclear devices towards Metroville, well west of their forward positions.
The ICBMs were launched towards the now-revealed Omnidroid launch facilities while the Backfires targeted Metroville's larger industrial cities that produced the Omnidroids.
---
"Oh God..." Bob Parr said, heart skipping several beat.
"It's true, the Soviets went nuclear less than an hour ago." Bluey Truscott began.
"Wh-what was hit? Where did they hit?" Parr asked.
"Several remote sites, according to ACME intelligence, mainly hidden Omnidroid facilities spetsnaz was unable to hit." Truscott said, "Three major cities were hit. Countysburg, Palisville, and Northtown were hit by TU-22M Backfires armed with tactical nuclear weapons. The Soviets exercised surprisingly great amounts of restraint."
"Restraint? RESTRAINT? THE DAMNED RUSSKIES LAUNCHED NUCLEAR DEVICES AND YOUR ACME IDIOTS CAN'T LOCATE MY FAMILY AND YOU CALL THAT RESTRAINT!" Bob shouted.
"For God's sake," Truscott said, "Get a handle on yourself. The Soviet nuclear arsenal is considerably larger than the weapons they launched at Metroville. Nineteen warheads is certainly restraint!"
"Any success on locating the Parr family?" Scarlett said as she walked into the room.
Truscott shook his head. "No. But we've got disturbing news from the Parr's world. The Soviets have gone nuclear."
"The Soviet premier issued an address." Marian MacClanough said as she came into the room, "Basically he said that for every Omnidroid Syndrome launches at the USSR, a nuclear device will be fired into Metroville."
"How many more crisis' are we going to have now?" Low Light asked.
"At least one more than we can deal with." Spirit replied.
Scarlett gently put a comforting hand on the big Indian's shoulder, knowing he worried about Lance, who was currently trapped on the Parr's world.
Dial Tone came racing into the room just then, "There's been a shooting in San Francisco, an ACME operative just got compromised."
"What? Who?" Papa Louie, the ACME team leader, demanded.
"Aron Munro." Dial Tone said.
"What happened?" Papa Louie asked...
---
Fifteen minutes before the conversation, Aron Munro was having lunch with Jana Riley.
"I'm glad you were able to make it." Jana smiled, her red hair framing her lovely face.
Aron couldn't help but smile, despite all the grim news he had of FOH groups being more and more active in the area.
He could recognize his lover was worried. "What's going on?"
"Marcus(1), there's something I need to tell you..." Jana said, and lowered her voice, "I've been doing some work regarding the recent FOH attacks on mutants here in San Francisco...Yesterday when me and Belinda Carver revisited the crime scene where one mutant had been attacked I photographed an FOH gang member spray-painting some anti-mutant message. I came into work this morning and this morning I received a death threat."
"It's probably blustering." Aron replied with a confidence he didn't feel.
"You think so?" Jana replied.
I'm definitely patrolling near her apartment tonight. Aron thought. If some sonofabitch thinks he can harm her, I'll kill him...
Two teenaged punks were staring at them, a bit too intensely. Aron felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising. They were talking amongst themselves, too far away to hear.
"Marcus?" Jana said, using his alias for this assignment.
The two young toughs were headed straight for their table, one had a hand in his pocket, and another reached under his jacket.
Aron was up before anyone had an instance to react. He shoved Jana bodily out of her seat before drawing the 9mm H&K USP from the covert holster under his jersey. "Get down on the ground! Keep your hands where I can see them!" Aron demanded.
Both men drew guns and Aron promptly started shooting. The first thug, the burlier of the two was hit four times in the chest with 9mm fire. Aron whirled around and shot the other thug three times and both staggered back. He fired two head shots at each man before dropping the clip and reloading another round, heading over to the bodies and kicking each one in the groin to determine death.
Jana Riley hit the ground just as she saw guns in the hands of the two young tough men that approached their table. It was then she saw the normally kind, and gentlemanly Marcus Culp gun them down with rapid streams of flying lead.
Just then a Japanese man with a shaved head ran into the restaurant, carrying a gun and a badge, "ACME Detective Agency..."
Jan Shimoda said, "What the hell was that, Aron?"
"Bad guys were after her. I had to keep her safe." Aron replied.
"Well you just compromised our operation by shooting two civilians. We're gonna have a lot of explaining to do."
Jana rubbed her sore elbow and winced, she'd landed on it pretty hard when Marcus shoved her out of the way of the bad guys, his bulk in the way. She stood up shakily but didn't see the Japanese man or Marcus. It was shortly thereafter that the police arrived.
---
Fielder took down the door with a shotgun blast and kicked it open. Shipwreck and Cover Girl cleared the room as Dash and Pietro ran to check the far corners. "All clear!"
Everyone else piled into the storeroom as Kitty directed Dash and Pietro to gather the parts they needed.
"Guys, you'd better make this fast..." Shipwreck grunted as the sound of the Prototype lumbering through the halls, searching for things to kill could be heard.
"We need a few more parts...I need about five minutes to..." Kitty began.
"We don't have five minutes!" Shipwreck said as the Prototype lumbered into view. He aimed his Desert Eagles at it and fired. The Prototype staggered back a pace but roared and leapt into the air, shoving Shipwreck aside. Cover Girl opened fire with her M-16, switching from single fire to burst, meaning she fired three shots for every squeeze of the trigger.
She might as well have been using a pea shooter. The Prototype shoved Cover Girl into the nearest wall and she saw stars.
"Hey hey hey hey Creep! Can't catch me! Can't catch me!!! A nice fast tasty morsel!!!" Pietro said, running around, as the Prototype chased him around the room.
Shipwreck got back up and started shooting the Prototype as he raced towards Cover Girl.
"Are you alright?" Shipwreck asked.
Cover Girl winced and held her sides as she tried to stand and fell. Shipwreck caught her in time and supported her on one arm, helping her limp away.
Colossus tackled the Prototype in armored form. "Go! Get out of here! Davai!!!"
Colossus hit the Prototype with his armored fists repeatedly as the Prototype lifted him into the air and threw him through the concrete wall.
Dazed Colossus stood up, watching the others getting an injured Cover Girl and the spare parts they needed out of the way. "Dos Vidanya!" Colossus said as he drop kicked the Prototype and ran out of the room.
---
"Frank, make those repairs pronto!" Shipwreck said as he gently laid Cover Girl beside Kurt.
"I'll help." Kitty replied, "Where's Piotr?"
"Right here." Piotr said.
"And I thought the Prototype had chewed you up and spit you out." Lance remarked.
"Where's the Prototype?" Shipwreck asked.
"I knocked it out and ran off. It should be out for a while, I hit it pretty hard." Colossus replied.
"There, one more circuit. Sadly the corridor's only gonna be wide enough for a person at a time. I've type in the coordinates for your world, all we have to do is wait for half an hour and..." Frank began.
The loud roar of the Prototype could be heard.
"I guess you didn't hit him as hard as you thought, eh?" Lance said, "Time to rock it's world and..."
"No Lance, if you use your powers you might damage the chamber..." Kitty said.
Scott zapped the Prototype with a laser blast which sent the creature reeling a few steps, but it simply shook of the damage and kept heading towards the group, its wounds closing.
Roadblock added his own weapon to the fire, hitting the creature with almost half a drum of ammunition from his SAW.
The Prototype leapt into the air, dodging more gunfire and then closed the gap. Frank rushed at the creature and attacked it.
As Frank attacked the monster the C-5 corridor to the Pit began to open.
"Go! Come on!" Frank shouted as he grunted with exertion.
Shipwreck helped Kurt and Cover Girl through first and one by one the team made it through until the other two ACME operatives remained.
"You first." Alan Fielder said, indicating Emily.
"We have to help Frank." Emily said.
At first it had seemed Frank would defeat the Prototype, but unfortunately he was losing ground.
"We've got to destroy the C-5, unless you want that Prototype to get out of this Facility!" Fielder replied.
The Prototype was already beating up on Frank. Through battered lips and a swollen eye, his human eye was swollen, his yellow beady Heartless eye was still open, "Go...get out of here..."
"Frank..." Emily said, near tears.
"In you go." Fielder said, pushing her through.
Fielder tossed a thermite grenade at the C-5 equipment before getting through the corridor himself.
Frank's last act after seeing the C-5 explode was to let out a satisfied smile as the Prototype killed him.
---
"How are you holding up?" Shipwreck asked Cover Girl.
"I've felt better." she winced.
An hour had elapsed since they'd escaped from Facility Kronos. In another corner of the infirmary, Bob Parr was holding onto his wife and son as they were checked out by Bree and Lifeline. He shared the sobering news, that the Soviets had gone nuclear.
Alan Fielder had just taken another C-5 Corridor with Emily Kinnian back to their world. Emily had a tissue in her hand, her face red from crying.
"It just brings it home, doesn't it, just how much damage Syndrome's done." Cover Girl said, "I just get the feeling it's gonna get worse before it gets better. I mean, the team at Facility Kronos, the attack on Bandar Abbas..."
"But we can't just give up hope. If we do..." Shipwreck said.
"I know, it just seems like for every ally we gain, we get two enemies..." Cover Girl replied.
---
"The Soviets went nuclear on Metroville, a limited retaliation. Their Premier's address was saying that for every Omnidroid launched, they will fire a nuclear device..." Mirage began.
"More hearts to feed to the Heartless and the Organization. Good. That should keep the Organization satisfied for the time being while we plan our assault on the Halliwell Manor." Syndrome began.
"And we've got almost all of this world on the alert. As you know all the world's militaries are on alert after we fired the Omnidroid at Iran." Mirage said.
"Yes, those Jugglers serve their purpose." Syndrome replied, "And apparently ACME's been trying to gather intelligence on our operation. There were those three agents at Facility Kronos. One was killed and two others escaped and let's not forget that one of them on this world got into a shooting match with some of our FOH pawns."
"Tell our allies to increase their operations, keep G.I. Joe, the Misfits, and X-men stretched thin before we hit the Halliwells unexpectedly..." Syndrome began.
---
"Jana Riley?" a voice said.
Jana looked up from her desk to see a youthful looking, dark haired man wearing jeans, a sweater and a leather flight jacket.
"Agent Brody, Department of Homeland Security. I understand you were involved in an attack by the Friends of Humanity?" Brody said.
"Yes." Jana replied.
"And your boyfriend was involved?" Brody said, "If my accounts are right he pulled a USP 9mm and gunned down both terrorists. Marcus Culp was his name, a surveyor by trade?"
"Yeah. Listen, why are you involved?"
"I've been following the happenings in San Francisco for quite some time now." Agent Brody replied, "And I'd like to ask Marcus a few questions. He doesn't seem to be answering his cell or home phone."
"I've been trying to get a hold of him all day." Jana replied.
"Well, if you are able to get a hold of him, here's my contact information." Brody said, as he walked out of the office, after giving Jana his card.
---
END
1. See Relocated, Chapter 6 in the Incredibles section. Marcus is Aron's alias.
