Just a heads up (that I really should have said before now), this takes place before Winter Soldier.
Review replies;
SOLmaster: It's not like the GIW don't deserve it. :D Thanks for reading!
TweenisodeOrange: Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. :) Thanks for reviewing!
Zim'sMostLoyalServant: Yeah, Napoleon tends to be good at the whole strategy thing. =P Thanks for the review!
LightandDarkness Warrior: You may be right. :P Thanks very much!
Chapter Seven: The Divide
Jimmy sat on a small crate atop a building, looking at his feet. Jazz sat next to him, a hand on his shoulder.
"I can't believe they're gone," he muttered.
"Maybe they're okay," replied Jazz, hopefully, "I mean, we could try radioing them..."
"There was so much I wanted to say," Jimmy murmured, "So much I never got the chance to ask...like how it snows underwater, and how they have fires, and..."
He sighed.
"...I think I'm gonna miss his laugh most," he finished.
A somewhat staticy laugh emerged from Jimmy's pocket.
"I can still hear it in my head," sighed Jimmy.
"Spongebob to Jimmy, are you there?"
Jimmy's gaze slowly turned to his pocket.
He grabbed the radio (an old, boxy one from the grocery store) and spoke into it.
"Spongebob, you're alive!"
"I told you to try the radio," grinned Jazz.
"Yep!" exclaimed Spongebob, "I mean, we're stuck, but we're still alive!"
"Alright," nodded Jimmy, standing up, "We need to get you outta there. Do you see anything you can use down there? Like a shovel or something?"
There was a long pause.
"Um, I think we found a manhole," replied Spongebob.
"Climb down that," said Jimmy, "I don't have a map of the sewers but if you head south you should find an exit away from the Warlord's forces."
"Got it, Jim...which way's south?"
There was another brief pause as Jimmy pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Never mind, Sandy says she knows which way," said Spongebob, "We'll meet you at Axion Labs...hopefully. Good lu..."
The radio emitted a high-pitched whine, and Spongebob trailed out.
"Spongebob!" exclaimed Jimmy, "Gas planet, something's jamming the signal! Ugh, I wish we could still use the recallers..."
He grabbed the dial and began to twist it.
"...secure channel alpha, this is Valiant. If you are receiving this message, head to North Maple – a RERE helicopter is on its way. Colonel Atkinson requests information on the location of any of the following; Phantom, Danny – Neutron, James Isaac – Turner, Timothy..."
Jimmy raised an eyebrow.
"So," he asked, "Who wants to bet these guys are connected to Fletcher?" he asked Jazz.
"...radio's dropped out," said Tucker.
He, Sam and Danny were hiding behind a collapsed wall, watching a column of the Warlord's troops march by. They were followed by large, rusty tanks with very large cannons.
"They're probably headed for Axion Labs," whispered Sam, "We might have some problems."
"Yeah, we'll need to deal with those," nodded Danny.
There was a long pause.
"So...anybody got any ideas?" asked Tucker.
"Tuck," grunted Danny, "If I had an idea, we wouldn't be hiding right now."
"Point taken."
Sam shook her head.
"You guys know we've still gotta get these ghost hunters to help us, right?" she asked, "I mean, well, key word, 'ghost hunters'."
"Hopefully they'll see the bigger picture, I guess," shrugged Danny, "I don't know, we're just making this up as we go along."
"Hey," shrugged Tucker, optimistically, "It's worked before, hasn't it?"
"Come on," grunted Danny, "I know a short cut to the Labs..."
"...Atkinson, this is Fletcher, we're gonna need pickup...I have Stark, Turner and the younger Phantom...what do you mean, you can't send anything?...SHIELD...fine, they'll do..."
Timmy, Dani and Jenny were standing next to the window, looking out over the city. Save for the dim sounds of fighting and the absence of the Empire State Building, the city looked almost calm and serene in the late-afternoon sun. Cosmo and Wanda were disguised as small laser pistols, attached to a belt – Poof was in the form of a backpack.
"So," asked Timmy, "You work for Iron Man."
"Sort of," replied Jenny, "After I left you guys after that whole Man in the White Suit thing, I thought I could find my mom by asking all the main robotics scientists. It didn't work, but I met a guy in a place in England – the Bracewell Institute or something. Let's just say you've met him."
There was a long pause.
"Wait, Thourrel?" blurted Dani.
"Yep," nodded Jenny, "He got a job in some kind of UN thing, he couldn't say what. But he could give me a file from the CIA..."
"Let me guess," grunted Timmy, pointing at Fletcher (who was still on the phone and arguing about something or another), "He wrote it?"
"Nope, but he signed it," replied Jenny, "Most of it was about testing something called the 'Chronomancer'..."
Timmy shuddered involuntarily.
"...but they also mentioned a report into mom's disappearance," continued Jenny, "They think she was kidnapped by an agent of the Man in the White Suit."
"So why didn't we find her after we beat him?" asked Timmy.
"Beats me," shrugged Jenny, "If she was captured in his realm, she should have gotten out after Jimmy unlocked the box...I reckon the Warlord has something to..."
"...aaaaand done," said Fletcher, hanging up the phone, "Alright, I've managed to get us a Quinjet – it'll be here in half-an-hour. Mr. Stark, if there's anything you need, grab it now. The rest of you, pack up and be on the roof in..."
"Dorian," interrupted Thompson, "Was that phone line secured?"
The group slowly looked out the window.
A cloud of shadows was barrelling through the sky towards them.
"...aaaaahhh cr-"
The window imploded.
Everything seemed to play out in slow-motion as Timmy aimed his laser pistols, vaguely noticing the shape of one of the agents flying backwards into the wall. He fired his lasers, eyes closed and screaming incoherently – he heard the hum of electricity flowing and a series of ecto-blasts, followed by a series of splattering sounds.
When he opened his eyes, the wind was blowing against him and the penthouse was covered in black gunk.
"Well," shrugged Dani, "That was awesome."
Timmy turned around. Fletcher was leaning over Thompson, who was sitting dazedly on the floor. He couldn't see Tony.
"What happened?" demanded Timmy.
"Can't tell, but I think he's busted his leg," replied Fletcher, "I've got no idea where Stark's gone, but-"
There was a loud crash as Tony, fully clad in red-and-gold armoured suit, soared out from the left wall and into the sky, thundering towards a second wave of shadows.
"...never mind, there he is," muttered Timmy.
Just then, a column of ghost soldiers floated up to the window, a woman in an ornate sixteenth century dress in front of them.
"Gentlemen," sneered the woman.
"Elizabeth Bathory," snarled Wanda, "I remember you."
"Cosmo! Wanda!" exclaimed Bathory, "It has been too long!"
"You know each other?" quizzed Timmy.
"Problem godchild," replied Cosmo, "You know how it is."
"Soldiers," snapped Bathory, pointing at the group, "Destroy them!"
The soldiers marched into the room, switching from their ghostly rifles to green, organic-looking war clubs.
Timmy narrowed his eyes, and ran into the front rank of the soldiers. He jumped up and threw Cosmo into the air – with a poof of smoke, the green fairy turned into a large hammer, which Timmy grabbed and swung into one of the soldiers.
Without skipping a beat, Timmy threw Wanda (still in raygun form) to Fletcher, who caught her and fired a few shots at a couple of soldiers in front of him. Suddenly, another soldier tried to grab him from behind. Fletcher backhanded him with his elbow, before launching into a spin-kick and pushing him away.
The soldier was thrown towards Dani, who grabbed him and threw him out the window. She then did a back-flip, landed on another soldier's shoulders and blasted him in the back of the head with an ecto-blast, knocking him out. One of his friends turned around and lifted his club, aiming to hit her.
He was promptly blocked by Jenny's arm, who then followed by uppercutting him. Wasting no time, she activated her jets and soared out the window, grabbing two soldiers by the collar on the way out. She then hurled both, one at a time, towards Tony.
Tony met both of the soldiers hurled at him with fists, before firing his repulsers at a trio of oncoming shadows. Dealing with them, he rocketed back to the penthouse window, grabbing Bathory by the arm.
Bathory smirked at him.
"Come on," she said, innocently, "You wouldn't attack a lady, would you?"
"Yeah, undead possible-vampires aren't really my type," shrugged Tony.
He then hurled her away from the window.
Tony lowered himself back into the penthouse and made a show of dusting himself off.
"Well, that went well," he said.
"You might be a little premature, sir," replied JARVIS, "Further Warlord forces are inbound – they seem to be led by Frederick the Great..."
"When does the Quinjet get here?" asked Jenny.
"Ten minutes, ma'am."
Fletcher nodded.
"Grab Thompson and head to the roof," replied Fletcher, "I've got an idea to distract them."
"What kind of idea?" asked Timmy, suspiciously.
"A stupid one," snapped Fletcher, "Now go."
Timmy noticed the phone in his hand as everyone else began to leave.
"You do realise we hear everything we say on that?" he asked.
"That's the idea," nodded Fletcher, throwing Wanda back to Timmy, "Don't wait up, Turner."
Timmy nodded.
"Good luck, Dorian."
He followed the others out the door.
Fletcher looked out the door and sighed, putting the phone up to his ear.
"This is Agent Fletcher calling HQ," he said, "I have Phantom. I'm moving to the parking lot for evacuation..."
AN: I enjoy writing action scenes but I don't think I'm good at them.