Chapter 26: Movements in the Dark
Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters or logos.
Night had fallen in Manhattan and the police were scurrying around inspecting the ruined building that had once been Crime Central. It had been less than a day since the climax of the biggest gang war that New York had ever seen, and now the local authorities were combing the inside of the structure and collecting as much evidence as they could. For the first time in his entire career, the police had gathered enough evidence to condemn Wilson Fisk for his activities as the Kingpin. They had attempted to arrest him in his home hours ago, but by the time they arrived, the crime lord had taken his wife and disappeared after withdrawing several millions from the local bank.
Both ends of the street had been barred off from traffic as the authorities searched the entire area for any clues they might have forgotten. They had arrested several super villains and enforcers working for the Kingpin, allowing them free access to the ruined and abandoned laboratories left behind after the raid. Nobody could deny that they never would have been given this chance without intervention from the city's superheroes. Spider-Man and Daredevil had been sighted on the scene alongside Angel, although several others were largely unfamiliar to the locals and thus they had remained unidentified.
One of the cops keeping watch over the area glanced around the street with disgust as he bit into a donut. "Gee… There's gotta be millions of dollars in damage on this one street alone." He mumbled, the food in his mouth muffling his speech.
"Yeah, it makes you miss the good old days back when the crooks would just rob a bank." his partner replied, with an irritated sigh. "Instead they demolish entire neighborhoods and then we have to clean up the mess."
Several of the surrounding buildings had been destroyed during the struggle, and many were structurally unsafe after Alistair Smythe's Spider Slayers entered the fray against the Kingpin's all terrain battle tanks. The gang war had affected the entire block, forcing several shops and office buildings to shut down. The vast majority of the owners and occupants had abandoned the buildings during the crossfire, a decision that they would not regret. Because of the damage, several crews had been brought in to demolish unsafe property and haul away any debris left behind from the battle.
A trio of police had parked their cruisers in a row to create a blockade around the abandoned headquarters, making sure that civilians did not disrupt the ongoing investigation and cleanup going on tonight, but it wasn't as if they expected someone to interfere. Most of the city's villains had gone underground following the events of the gang war between the Kingpin's Criminal Empire and Silvermane's Maggia, resulting in an eerie calm the last twenty-four hours. Those who had served both sides had been captured, while the others had gone into hiding to avoid trouble with the police on high alert.
"Hey… What's that?" One of the police officers pointed in the direction he was facing with an apprehensive look.
His partner narrowed his own eyes in an attempt to see what he was pointing at. "Huh! What are you talking about?"
Upon closer inspection, the first cop shrugged off the sighting. "Never mind… I must've been seeing things."
The officer did a double take as he glanced in the general direction again, attempting to catch sight of the strange caped figure he had seen coming towards them moments ago. He could have sworn he had seen several silhouettes moving through the night, yet there wasn't a single noise to be heard aside from the construction vehicles moving the debris, nor could he see anyone walking the streets within at least a hundred meter area. It was late at night and he didn't expect too many folks to be out for a stroll at this hour, especially since the city had purposely fenced off the area to all civilians save for the crews they had hired to work on the destroyed buildings.
While the police investigators and workers saw the cleanup around them progressing normally, every last one of them had been deceived. The vehicles remained motionless and their drivers were unconscious, the others standing motionless as if frozen in time. Their eyes were blank and lifeless as they remained trapped in some kind of trance, although the five figures moving through the night ignored them and continued onto the scene. As they stepped into the glow of the nearby streetlights, the cloaked figure of Magneto came into view, closely followed by Pyro, Seamus Mellencamp, Senyaka, and Mastermind.
The helmeted mutant gave a small nod to the timid psychic. "Are you certain that they cannot detect our presence?"
Mastermind glanced around wearily, twirling his fingers in a sorcerous manner before returning his employer's gesture. "As far as they know, nothing has changed from the way it was before. So long as they remain under my spell, we will remain entirely hidden from their senses."
"Make certain that you maintain the illusion whilst we remain here… I do not want any interruptions this time." Magneto ordered, the shadow of outrage flashing across his face as he remembered their encounter at the museum.
Pyro shrugged with a nasty smirk. "We wouldn't have to rely on this creep if you just let me roast the humans."
The master of magnetism spun around and seized the fiery Acolyte by the front of his shirt, eliciting a squeal from his subordinate. "Imbecile… That's not why we came here!" He gave the smaller man a rough shake before pushing him face first into the street.
"You got some nerve, considering I stuck by ya when the others ran off!" the redheaded mutant retaliated angrily as he brushed off his costume. "I figured you would be more grateful to those who took the abuse, but now I can see why the others didn't stick around!"
"Normally I would welcome such actions, but we have something more important to attend to at the moment." His master replied with a cold expression.
The dark-clad Senyaka stepped through the darkness towards the others. "Trusting in your misguided leadership has lead to miserable failures, and to make matters worse, you also allowed yourself to be captured by a band of filthy humans."
"I you have some complaint, then leave us..." Mellencamp turned on his fellow Acolyte with a feral expression, causing them to back down in fear of the giant reptilian. While his voice was calm and polite, his ferocious appearance and concise
Magneto seemed to shrug off Senyaka's taunts and simply sneered in response to the masked mutant's display of defiance, his fingernails digging into his fists as he clenched his hands subconsciously. The energy-draining killer was extremely impulsive and known for his murderous tendencies even among the Acolytes. These strong personality traits were normally favorable qualities for those who participated in the crusade against humans, but lately he had begun to doubt the loyalty of his new recruit. Senyaka was every bit the murderer that Sabretooth was, except unlike the latter, he was openly more sadistic and lacked proper respect and obedience towards the cause.
The mutant extremist raised his hands in the air, causing most of his Acolytes to cower in his presence as if expecting the worst. Their leader looked as though he had expected such reactions from his subordinates. "What's the matter? A guilty conscience?" he mused to the gathered mutants.
Clenching his fists again, the magnetic mutant took to the skies like a malevolent bird and used his powers to gather up several bits of metal debris that littered the surrounding streets. Within a matter of seconds he had formed the sheets of discarded metal into a giant platform, which quickly settled at the feet of his subordinates. While the others had expected him to attack them for disobedience, the bestial Mellencamp was the only member of the group who remained completely unfazed by this sudden display of power. He stepped onto the lift without hesitation, closely followed by Pyro and Mastermind. The last member of their group hesitated slightly before joining the others.
Their leader used his powers to levitate the platform, towards the upper floors of the nearest building, positioning them directly over the top of the giant skyscraper. Looking down, the mutants could see a hole in the roof, the very same opening that Magneto had made during his escape from the building the previous night. With a wave of his hand, he expanded the opening to accommodate the transport he had created and directed the platform through the tear in the roof, setting them down inside the ruined laboratory. They disembarked with a sense of awe, eying the new surroundings with interest.
Senyaka's scheming eyes slid back and forth as he took in the sights, looking completely indifferent. "What makes you think that trinket you wanted would be here?"
"I don't get it… What do you suppose is so special about this dump?" Pyro added with a pronounced shrug.
"It appears to be a laboratory of some kind." Mellencamp replied as he observed the shattered glass tubes and destroyed computers. Despite his appearance, he was quite a bit more intelligent than many of his fellow Acolytes. A look of interest graced the monstrous man's animalistic features as he remembered what his master had told them earlier. "Is this the same place where those humans kept you imprisoned?"
"Indeed…" Magneto stepped through the debris, resting the surface of his hand against the remains of the tube where had been held.
His thoughts returned to the previous night when his past had come back to haunt him, and how he had felt vulnerable without the use of his powers. He was still uncertain as to whether or not the man he had encountered was the real Captain America, but from what little he could tell, there had been no lie in the costumed hero's voice. The master of magnetism cringed slightly as he remembered the reasons he had come here tonight and quickly acted. Using his powers, he formed a cylinder of metal and used it to gather up a sample of the green fluid that had rendered his mutant abilities worthless, intending to study it later.
The fiery mutant watched with interest as he saw the metallic cube seal shut and disappear into the folds of his master's cape. "Just what do you blokes suppose that slime is?" he pondered to the others.
"That is none of your concern…" Magneto eyes narrowed dangerously, making it clear to them that the conversation was over.
Although Pyro had thought they were out of earshot before, the eerie silence had allowed him to hear every word. The magnetic mutant directed a powerful glare at his minions, causing them to back down once more. He quickly reshaped the metallic case into a different shape and tucked it away for safekeeping, his eyes settling on the people he distrusted most. He saw no reason to answer their questions about the substance, especially considering that he wasn't sure who to trust with shifty types among his ranks. The problem with forming a violent activist group like his Acolytes was that it usually required him to employ less than savory types just to maintain decent ranks.
Were it only Mellencamp or Pyro, he might have been compelled to inform them, seeing how both were loyal to a fault, even if the latter was a sadistic complainer. The other two were not to be trusted. As useful as they could be, he wasn't certain it would be wise to tell them that the chemical mixture he had just sampled had been the source of his defeat at the gallery. Senyaka was clearly frustrated with him right now, while Mastermind preferred not to get involved in his plans at all and would have happily leave the team if given the opportunity to escape Magneto's service and return to his own designs. In many ways they were no better than Colossus, who had been blackmailed into serving him.
"Don't tell me you dragged us all the way here just to grab a handful of that crap." Senyaka hissed with annoyance.
Once again, Magneto ignored his unruly subordinate and faced the others. "The people who captured me had this artifact in their possession. I have brought you all here to aid me in my search." He gestured towards the fiery mutant. "Light the room, but do not set fire to anything unless I command."
"Not a problem, mate!" Pyro shot out a stream of flame, which quickly filled the room, illuminating the gigantic laboratory in the flickering light as his blast split into several ghost-like apparitions composed entirely of fire.
The others began to search the premises, moving any debris they could find in search of the crystal that Magneto had been looking for. While the magnetic mutant had been unconscious when the Kingpin's men had carted him off to this place, and had heard several things while incarcerated inside the chemical-filled chamber. The serum had forced him into an induced coma during this time, but there were moments when he his mind lapsed into brief moments of consciousness, and he could hear the scientists talking. Although he was unable to do anything about it at the time, it was clear that they had taken the artifact for research as well, and the best place to begin the search was here in the lab where he had been held.
Magneto glanced sideways at the aged man standing to his left. "We need time to explore this facility. I want you to make sure that the humans remain ignorant to our presence so long as we remain here." His glare became much more pronounced as he spoke. "Know that if there are any interruptions, I will hold you personally responsible."
"I understand…" Jason Wyngarde nodded compliantly before shuffling over to the window, twirling his fingers in a hypnotic manner as he recast the mental illusion over his predetermined victims.
"The rest of you, search everything you can find, but proceed with caution." The master of magnetism warned them.
The remaining mutants quickly set to work moving machines and objects in search of anything that resembled what they were searching for. Magneto's easily lifted and discarded the metal remnants using his powers while Mellencamp's superhuman strength allowed him to move anything that was too heavy or not made of metal. Sifting through piles of debris with his beast-like hands, he patiently searched everywhere he could reach, his two different-colored eyes darting around the fire-lit room like an animal searching for its prey. Senyaka summoned his snake-like whips and metal coils, using them to move the surrounding wreckage as he sorted the other remnants.
As futile as it seemed, the search continued for several minutes in silence, none of them daring to speak as they probed every inch of the ruined laboratory. They stripped every piece of debris they could find until a small glint shown through the light of Pyro's flames. The red-clad mutant had been pacing the room for some time now, attempting to help the others search as he maintained the wall of fire that kept the room lit. Carrying a pair of fireballs in his hands like a human would carry a torch, he slowly navigated through the surrounding mess, carefully directing the flames so that they illuminated the area underneath the nearest computer stand.
"Hey, I think I found something!" he called out, prompting the others to stop and look.
"Stand aside!" Magneto shoved his servant out of the way and waved his hand, causing the metal stand they had been inspecting to fly across the room.
The remaining Acolytes jumped back slightly as the terminal landed within inches of the place they were standing, eliciting a slew of muttered curse words from the masked villain. Across the room, Jason Wyngarde cringed slightly at the sound of the metallic crunch behind him, sparing a small glance back at his fellow mutants, but was otherwise too busy with his own duties to pay it much attention. Casting his psychic illusion on so many humans while sparing his teammates from falling under the spell required some concentration, even for a mutant of his caliber. If he stopped for even a second, Magneto would likely notice, which would prove troublesome considering that his mental powers had no affect on the master of magnetism.
The beast-like member of the group shuffled forward so that he was standing beside his superior, yet despite his large size, he held himself like an obedient servant. "My lord, have we found that which you desire?"
Before anyone could answer, the masked killer shot out one of his metallic coils like a whip, seizing hold of the shiny object and pulling it towards himself. "It looks exactly like the stone we looted a few nights ago." He added coolly.
"How can ya tell this is the right one, smart guy?" Pyro snatched the object from his fellow enforcer, carefully holding it up to the fireball in his opposite hand for closer inspection. "There had to have been over a dozen stones in that room at the museum, and they all looked the same to me."
Mellencamp reached over his shoulder, gently taking the stone from the fiery mutant. The others did not argue with him as he took in every possible detail. Surprising their leader did not protest as he glanced at it carefully, noting the familiar markings on the surface of the object. Carved into the side of the crystal were several runes written in an ancient text. Although he was unable to read it, the symbols were reminiscent of the previous gem. It was currently hidden somewhere in the metal dome they had used as a base of operations, although it wouldn't matter if anyone knew where it was considering that only someone with power over metal could reach it.
"It is almost identical to the one we have in our possession." The reptilian mutant opened his palm, using his free hand to point out the markings. "While I am unable to understand the writing, these hieroglyphics on the surface are of the same origin as those we have already seen."
Magneto took the object and observed it for himself, having previously memorized the markings on the other stone. "Well done Seamus… It's good to see at least one of you has an ounce of intelligence." He ignored the Acolytes as he turned the treasure over in his hand to check the opposite side, gently stowing it away moments later. "In any case, it would appear that good fortune is with us tonight."
The fiery mutant shrugged in response. "After you got nabbed by those creeps outside the gallery, I've been thinking about a few things. To start with, what would a bunch of humans possibly want with us?"
"This is actually a valid point." Mellencamp paused with a small shrug before turning to face his superior. "The fact that the information regarding this artifact was released by the same man that captured you makes me wonder if this was a trap. If so, then why what could common criminals possibly gain from your capture."
Magneto considered the monstrous man's words, having had similar thoughts the previous night when Wolverine released him from the lab. He had been distraught and outraged that humans would have attacked him without any clear provocation, although he had dozens of suspicions as to why they would have come after him. Had his captors been a government organization or even other mutants, it would have been much easier to deduce a reason behind the attack, but even with the new information he had learned while searching the daily newspapers, he was still without a definitive answer.
"I have already considered the prospects for myself, although it appears that the perpetrator or my capture was a major crime lord who operated from behind the scenes." His lips curled into an angry grimace. "As far as I know, there was no reason for his attack. All I can say is that there appears to be more to this situation than meets the eye."
Senyaka let out a sadistic hiss. "Never mind the details… When do we hunt down these guys and kill 'em?"
"All ya gotta do is say the word, and I'll burn them to cinders." Pyro added with an insane chuckle as he began fingering the triggers of his flamethrowers.
Magneto sneered at the offer. "Like you did the last time?" He quickly remembered how worthless his right-hand Acolyte had been during those bouts against the local metahumans and doubted that he would do better if given the second chance.
The fiery mutant raised his hands defensively. "What do you mean by that?"
"We will discuss this later." Their leader responded bluntly, his cape swaying in the flickering firelight as he turned his back to the surrounding mutants. "In the meantime, I think it best that you be grateful for this small victory tonight."
The master of magnetism raised his right hand as if telling someone to stop moving, his mutant power causing several objects in the room to spring to life. He used the broken remnants of the laboratory's equipment to forge more of the iconic metal orbs he used for travel. Discarded guns, weapons, surgical implements, computers, tables, and wall panels shot out from all directions, coming together in mid-air to form sheets of solid metal. The crudely made alloys twisted and shifted as if they were made of clay, forming into gigantic spherical shapes moments later.
"Now we shall take our leave…" Magneto ordered his team of subordinates, his eyes shifting towards the haggard man standing by the window. "You may release your hold now that we no longer require your services. Make certain you do this before we depart."
Mastermind shuddered slightly at the sound of his employer's voice before slinking across the room. "My abilities have a limited range and will wear off when we are out of distance, but if you wish it I shall release them now…" he nodded agreeably before joining the others.
The orbs cracked open, allowing the assembled Acolytes to enter, which they did without question. The procedure was something that they had done on a regular basis, and once they were safely encased, the metallic pods slammed shut around their occupants. Magneto floated into the air, raising the orbs with him slowly until they had cleared the opening in the ceiling of the building. Once they reached the open air, the spheres took to the skies with amazing speed, the formation disappearing into the night sky in a matter of seconds.
Meanwhile…
Deep in the confines of Silvermane's former base, several of the remaining crime lords had assembled to discuss the recent events. Since nightfall the group had been debating on how they were planning on dividing up the Kingpin's assets now that his control over the city had weakened. In less than twenty-four hours, the power vacuum had caused several smaller gang wars throughout the city. Even small-time gangs had been trying to muscle their way into the fold in an attempt to control Wilson Fisk's abandoned territory, and without a leader to command them, his men had offered little resistance.
While the fall of the legendary Kingpin would have normally been a good thing, Silvermane's arrest had caused even more complications. He had obviously been the next in line to rule over Manhattan's underworld, but smaller gangs had also begun to attack his territory as well. Owl, Hammerhead, and Tombstone had also been caught by the police, and to make matters worse, Alistair Smythe had left the Maggia without warning, taking his robotics technology with him. It was almost as if everything had been planned, because in the end, the gang war that everyone hoped would settle the power dispute had actually left both sides without a leader.
Alisha Silver sat at the head of the meeting table of her father's underground lair, now placed into the role of leading her father's criminal empire. They had lost so much power in such a short amount of time, she found herself at a loss for words as they repeatedly ignored her threats. With their top enforcers, head scientist, and leader gone, the Manfretti Family's assets were spent. The remnants of her family's organization had very little power to speak of, although she believed that gaining a large enough chunk of the Kingpin's sphere of influence would compensate if things went well. Even so, the negotiations had gone on for several hours at this point, and she had made little progress with the other crime lords.
Stealing her nerve, the newly appointed Don decided to place her own thoughts on the table. "As reining leader of the Silvermane Family, I propose a temporary alliance between our remaining syndicates until we are able to repair the damage done by the recent gang war."
Sitting across from her was an incredibly fat man wearing dark sunglasses despite the dim lighting of the room. Although the other mobsters seemed less than amused by her sudden input, the chair bound man openly chuckled at her attempts to forge an agreement between the bickering lords. He rubbed his hands together like a conniving thief, resting his digits on the surface of his stomach, giving the others the impression of an overstuffed pig. As sloppy and obese as he appeared, the Slug was one of the most well-known drug dealers in the country, running his business through his connection in Florida and New York.
"Why should we trust you?" he questioned with a dark smirk. "After your father's incompetence shook the criminal underworld, there has been utter chaos. Mere hours after the gang war ended, petty crooks emerged from the cracks of society like scavengers in an attempt to seize power."
"If we do not come to an agreement, this power vacuum created by the Kingpin's absence will swallow us all!" She retaliated fiercely, her eyes shifting across the table. "Is this what you want? Slug, Pazzo, Iceberg, Angelone, Fortunato, Guncci? She said their names, her gaze shifting to each crime lord as she spoke them.
An eerie silence filled the room as they all considered her words, some of them whispering amongst each other in an attempt to come to a conclusion. The power vacuum that had erupted followed the removal of the city's two crime lords would no doubt destroy them all if they were unable to come to a solution. Of course none of them wanted to simply divide the Kingpin's territory equally, since each of them had hoped to proper now that they were no longer forced to cower beneath the rule of the big man's criminal empire. Most of them had been forced to do business through his network before, and now that he was gone they saw new opportunities on the horizon.
"I decline…" Don Fortunato raised his hand in the air to grab the attention of his fellow gang leaders. "I would rather participate in another gang war with the possibility of increasing my own sphere of influence, than ally with this group and remain a partner. To gain power, a man must take the necessary risks."
"The New York City Crime Cartel does not, and will not recognize you as the new leader." Another of the crime lords stated.
The man sitting next to him had a ghostly pale complexion, sharpened teeth, and blue hair, known in the world of crime as Iceberg for his appearance and his trademark weapon. He was rather tall and wore an ice blue suit with a royal blue tie, his appearance fitting his theme well. Several experiments had been performed on his body, giving him the strength of ten ordinary men. His personal weapon was a special ray gun with the ability to freeze its target in a block of ice, a piece of technology originally given to him by the Wilson Fisk years ago in his early criminal years.
Iceberg stood up from his seat with a defiant glare. "I say you're trying to con us into handing all power over to you." He squared up to the group's sole female. "In this business it's every man for himself, especially now that the strings have been cut!"
"No, why won't you listen to me?" Silvermane's daughter protested with a look of outrage.
"An alliance between any of us would be doomed to fail, because no one in this room has the time or interest to negotiate with those they would rather see dead." The Slug responded with a small grimace. "Do what you will, but this summit was pointless from the very beginning."
The man named Guncci slammed his fist on the table. "Our attempts to negotiate terms have clearly ended in failure. It is clear that there is no fair way to divide up the remainder for the Kingpin's assets without one of us taking a loss. There are too many complications…"
Alisha grit her teeth. "Do no misunderstand my intentions… My father gained the support of this council during our collective attempt to overthrow Wilson Fisk, yet you refuse to renew this alliance now that he is gone."
"You clearly lack your father's charisma." Iceberg pressed his hands together in amusement. with a sharp-toothed smile, making him look more like a shark preparing to bite its prey. "Right now there's no need for us to collaborate."
The arguments escalated as she attempted to describe the benefits of her own petition, but her success was very limited. Most of the lesser gang leaders were far too obsessed with grabbing power in the confusion to see any rewards through working with her Maggia, while it was pointless to argue with Iceberg. Unlike most of the group who operated from behind the scenes, he was a street gangster who committed his own crimes and unified several minor gangs under his command through street smarts. Some of the major groups like the Hammerhead Family might have supported her, but he was currently incarcerated along with her father.
"I believe we have already established this." Fortunato spoke up with a note of pronounced impatience, his curt statement silencing the others immediately. "I believe it is more imperative that we decide whether of not a second gang war is our only option. Will we fight amongst ourselves to determine who among this group will inherit the largest portion of the spoils?"
Before any of the crime lords could continue the heated discussion, the door in the back of the room slide open to reveal another figure. He was a well built figure and stood over six feet tall, with arched eyebrows, a neatly trimmed beard, and strong-set jaw. The man's jet black hair had a small streak of gray running through it, although his body bore very few other signs of his age. Unlike the Slug and Iceberg, the newcomer had a much more ordinary appearance and exuded a sense of nobility that almost everyone else in the room lacked. He wore a pressed gray suit and black tie, his gentlemanly appearance and demeanor belying his true personality.
A former Italian aristocrat, he had always been one of the most prominent figures in the international world of organized crime. He had moved to New York and started his own Maggia several years ago, modeling his own empire after that of Silvermane, although he rarely involved himself with the other gangs and instead preferred to operate outside of the city even though his headquarters was located in Manhattan. Although he had been invited to the meeting of the crime lords, the newcomer had been late due to his own endeavors. Nevertheless he strode into the room as though the gathering had just begun.
"I apologize for my tardiness… I assume you will overlook it this time?" The Italian gentleman added courteously.
The lone female in the room nodded curtly. "You need not worry about such trivialities, Count Nefaria. We have been discussing the recent collapse of the Kingpin's influence." She gestured to the empty seat beside her. "Would you please have a seat so that we may continue?"
Although the man moved closer to the table, he did not sit down. His fellow crime lords seemed not to understand this lack of courtesy, but it was his way of telling them that he would not allow anyone to dictate the terms of the following discussion. While he had not been present for most of the meeting, the Italian mobster had anticipated that they would never agree, and could feel the tension in the room thicken with each passing moment. So far things were going just as he had hoped despite the fact that he had not been present for the majority of the meeting so far.
"I have long served alongside my father, and thus I have learned everything there is to know from the greatest leader the Maggia had ever seen. If you refuse to trust in my leadership to guide us through these issues, then a conflict is inevitable." The middle-aged woman had lost her patience at this point.
Count Nefaria smiled discreetly to himself before interrupting her. "You seem to be under the impression that the others do not agree with you, yet you couldn't be further from the truth." He began in an unusually polite manner.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked angrily, barely restraining her desire to launch the conflict in this very room.
"After exhausting their resources during the recent struggle, none of your associates have the firepower to partake in a struggle amongst their former allies to seize what remains of the Kingpin's empire." The Italian nobleman explained carefully, his gaze hardening slightly as he spoke. "Leadership must be proven, not demanded. As the newly appointed head of your father's Maggia, they are naturally reluctant to place the fate of their respective business ventures in your unworthy hands."
Alisha Silver stood up from her seat at the head of the table, causing a wave of uncertainty to course through the room. "Regardless of your personal opinions, misguided as they may be, I demand the same respect that has been given to my father!"
The Italian Aristocrat folded his arms with a sense of mingled pride and arrogance. "If you desire respect, you must prove yourself rather than ride on the past accomplishments of your family." While his voice betrayed no signs of hostility, her anger seemed to grow. "In either case, I believe that the New York Crime Cartel would be better off seeking new leadership…"
"That's ridiculous!" Silvermane's daughter screamed with growing outrage, her calm façade evaporating in this instant.
While she waited for someone to back up her claims, a discomforting murmur swept down the table. Several of the crime lords shook their heads in response to her words, while others turned away in disgust. Iceberg and the Slug appeared completely indifferent to the current scenario, while many were simply interested to see who won the exchange, although one thing was abundantly clear so far. The newly appointed head of the Silvermane family had lost her head, while her adversary had merely pointed out the obvious truth that she was too blinded by her own pride to recognize. At this moment she wanted to rage at him, break his unshakable calm and rip him apart with her bare hands.
Alisha Silver shot up from her seat, her temper flaring up at last. "Kill him!" she screamed, calling for her minions who were stationed one room over in case of emergency.
The door swung open, pushed open by the weight of two falling bodies. Her thuggish bodyguards collapsed into a motionless heap as they landed one after another onto the floor of the meeting room. She stared in shock at the bloody wounds covering their backs, although she had already guessed that someone else had killed them. A shapely woman wearing a black cat suit and white top entered the room, her face framed by curtains of long raven hair, and hidden from view by a golden mask. The intruders also wore white gloves and matching boots, an unusually large handgun in her right hand, and a knife in her left.
Several of the gathered crime lords panicked, although they were hardly in any position to get involved, but Alisha Silver had other plans. Reaching under the table, she grabbed a hidden revolver and prepared to shoot, but no sooner had she raised her own weapon, that the enemy struck. The assassin shot her directly through the head with a single bullet, instantly killing the only remaining heir to Silvermane's Maggia. She gasped in horror as the bullet passed between her eyes almost as if she was unaware of the shot, but less than a second later her eyes went blank, her lifeless form toppling motionless onto the floor.
"Well done, Madame Masque." Luchino Nefaria gently clapped his hands together twice in a mocking gesture.
"But of course…" The masked woman bowed her head respectfully before lowering the end of her weapon.
Upon realizing that the other crime lords were watching him, the Maggia boss crossed the room so that he was standing beside his assassin. He cleared his throat as if he were about to give a speech. "You have my apologies for the mess… From now on I'm in charge here." he eyed the body of Alisha Silver as if she were a discarded cigarette before turning back to the others. "Does anyone have a problem with that?"
Tension filled the room almost instantly, but when no one spoke up, Count Nefaria smiled to himself. He had waited years for the Kingpin's rule over New York to end, and now there was no one left powerful enough to stop him from taking the big man's seat of power for himself. So many years he had been biding his time handling small business while he waited for the chance to strike, and now everything had fallen into place perfectly. He didn't know exactly who or what had prompted the recent gang war, but at the moment it hardly mattered. The power and influence that he had long sought was now his.
Meanwhile…
On an island in the Pacific Ocean, several hundreds of miles away from the United States, stood a gigantic dome-like structure decorated with gigantic H-shaped arches. Towering over the island's trees like a mighty colossus, the building was hardly inconspicuous, but due to some special circumstances, this hardly mattered. The entire mass of land was surrounded by a special barrier that concealed them from view, and the cloaking field even jammed tracking devices to protect the island's dwellers from unwanted company. Only aircrafts with the proper clearance could land on the island and enter the base.
Even if someone managed to locate the island, the barrier surrounding them was strong enough to repel explosions from a nuclear warhead, and the automated defense system would likely detect and shoot down any aircrafts that came within range before they had the chance to launch an attack. HYDRA had spared no expense when it came time to designing the defenses of their hidden headquarters, and very few people even among their organization were actually allowed to know the location of the island. Much like the Kingpin's lair, HYDRA Island was the nerve center of their entire spy network.
Deep within the confines of the colossal structure, the leaders of the infamous syndicate were waiting for their agents to return. The audience chamber was an extremely large circular room positioned in the center of the complex, the large glass dome comprising the ceiling revealing the starry skies above. A series of light lined the area, completely lighting the entirety of the room to the point where it almost seemed like daytime. The walls and floor were covered in a metallic paneling, producing an industrialized ambience, and several yellow banners bearing the HYDRA insignia covered the walls at equal intervals.
A large set of stone stairs jutting out from the center of the room led onto a large platform on the opposite side. On the far end of the platform was a raised dais, on which stood a large, decorative silver throne, the back of the chair reaching much higher than necessary as if to show off the kingly stature of the person who sat atop it. On the section of wall directly behind the throne was a red banner with the group's insignia, although it was much large than the others that lined the walls. Several guards stood at attention, each of them wearing the green jumpsuit and cowl of the organization.
Without warning, the doors on the opposite side of the room opened with a metallic clash, revealing the familiar form of Madame Hydra. She hesitated for a moment before continuing her progression, several of the green and yellow clad guards saluting her as she continued past them and onto the steps leading to the throne. The woman grew nervous as her superior came into view, his elderly face inscrutable while his pitiless eyes narrowed dangerous behind his monocle. He bore down upon her like a vulture preparing to seize its prey, something that made even her uncomfortable.
"I apologize for the interruption, my lord." Madame Hydra sunk to one knee in respect before her superior's throne.
"Viper!" he said her name with disdain. The Supreme Hydra then paused for a moment, looking at her as if she were something he has scraped off the bottom of his shoe. "I trust you have not come to bore me with the benefits of diverting our funds back to the human weapons project you developed."
She stood up and walked so that they were standing a few meters apart. "X-23 was a failure, but a renewed attempt to salvage the project could provide us with an army of super soldiers the likes of which this world has never seen." If one could destroy an entire branch of HYDRA, imagine what an army could do if we could find a way to control them."
"Enough!" Baron Strucker interjected in his hoarse, gravely tone. "I have twice refused this request... Do not make me repeat myself!"
Madame Hydra shook her head. "My team has spent the last few months in an attempt to duplicate the power of the original without the personality flaws. We believe that this project could easily be a success if you grant us the time and funding to…"
Her superior stood up from his seat, the action silencing her at once. "You gave up your right to make demands when the units placed under your supervision were wiped out." He surmised bluntly. "I cannot allow you to waste more of our resources on a failed project. The fact that you lost the original subject was bad enough, but allowing your own experiment to exterminate the North American HYDRA branch is less than unspeakable."
"I would have easily recaptured her had the Kingpin not betrayed us!" she retaliated harshly.
He winced slightly as if her words only fed his anger. "You should have expected this when making deals with common criminals. Furthermore you dared to come back empty-handed after losing crucial information to the enemy!"
The green-clad woman sank back as she prevented herself from attacking the old man, having grown tired of his condescending remarks, no matter how true some of them were. As one of the primary commanders of the spy network, she had hoped to get back into his good graces, but her attempts to obtain the necessary channels had failed. She knew that the Supreme Hydra was not big on forgiveness, something that had been proven multiple times. The agent stood in silence as the old man returned to his seat, attempting to ignore his ironclad gaze.
This awkward moment was broken as the doors on the far side of the room opened, revealing the red-clad form of the Gorgon. After her failure in New York, the old man had dispatched the other HYDRA commander to resolve the recent situation in her place, something which greatly irritated her. Upon her return, the baron had told her that she was going to be transferred to the European branch, but after seeing his course of action it felt more like he was trying to get her out of the way under the guise of a promotion. Madame Hydra moved to stand beside her superior as the newly arrived agent knelt before him respectfully.
He signaled him to rise with his right arm, his gaze hardening slightly as he noticed someone was missing. "Where is Reaper? Was he not supposed to return with you?" the old man questioned with a note of irritation.
The red-clad mutant straightened his dark glasses before answering. "He took the liberty of visiting Count Nefaria in an attempt to establish a partnership with his Maggia. With the Kingpin removed from power, Reaper decided it might be wise for us to gain support from the person most likely to take his place."
Baron Strucker smirked with satisfaction, sparing a sideways glance at the woman standing to his immediate right. "You see, Viper? This is the type of thinking that separates a King from his pawns."
"I'll have to remember that for later…" she replied, her eyes moving towards the newcomer.
Gorgon reciprocated her gesture, although the impact was diminished by his eyewear. "Perhaps it was a good thing that you botched your own mission." He remarked coldly. "It gave us a reason to weaken Manhattan's crime syndicates while securing valuable information from the enemy."
"I thought you had planned only to retrieve the information he stole from me?" the green-clad woman raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"That was the original plan." The mutant ran a pale hand through his greasy hair. "However, I decided that it would benefit us more if we stole every piece of information available from the Kingpin's mainframe while he was busy dealing with some more direct problems."
The Supreme Hydra planted his elbows in his lap, folding his hands while casually resting his chin on them. "So you actually managed to secure this information from the heart of Crime Central?" the old man's lips twisted into an evil smirk. "No doubt I am impressed, but how did you find the time to download the entire network's worth of intelligence?"
Viper leaned forward slightly in anticipation. "Yes… How did you do that?"
"You'll find it's quite simple to do when the enemy's main forces are focused on repelling a more immediate threat." The Gorgon stroked his chin thoughtfully before turning to face their superior. "I must admit that your plan to pit Silvermane against the Kingpin worked out better than any of us had hoped."
"Surely his subordinates would have stepped you?" the female of the group inquired.
"We were able to infiltrate his headquarters undetected amidst the ongoing battles." He replied with a note of arrogance. "The two rival gangs were too busy fighting each other to notice my presence, and those who might have been stationed to guard the Kingpin's hideout were forced to combat the threat posed by the city's superhero population. With so many distractions in play at once, pilfering this information was child's play!"
She struggled to find a flaw in his mission, a look of amusement flashing across her face as she remembered one thing. "Evidence of your tampering most likely remains, meaning that he could trace the incident back to us."
The red-clad mutant copied her expression. "That would be a problem, had I not uploaded a computer virus into the terminal, completely wiping out the entire system once we were finished securing the data. Even though he managed to escape the authorities, Wilson Fisk has no means to control the criminal underworld, meaning he is no longer the Kingpin!"
Viper was left speechless again, although her superior seemed to find interest in this sudden revelation. She had not only ruined her own reputation among the organization, but allowed someone else to showcase their own competence. As she pondered these thoughts in relation to the other commander, their leader looked on with a sense of grudging respect for his loyal lieutenant. The old man stood up from his seat, extending a hand to his subordinate, who took the show of respect without any complaints.
"Well done, Gorgon… To think I once doubted your chances of pulling off this mission." Baron Strucker withdrew his hand and raised an eyebrow behind his monocle, his demeanor quickly returning to normal. "I trust you have brought me that which you have promised?"
"Of course!" the other man reached into his suit jacket, pulling out a small flash drive seconds later and handing it to his superior.
The former Nazi accepted the spoils, glancing at the data container for a moment before pocketing it himself. "Considering that the entirety of the Kingpin's empire not sits in my hands, the information contained on this drive will prove quite useful to us." he turned to face the mutant. "For your exceptional service, I hereby grant you the position of field commander."
Madame Hydra felt her heart skip a beat. "My baron… Surely you would not grant my position to this man?" she stammered slightly, her voice reflecting pent up frustration. "I have been nothing if not loyal to HYDRA for many long years. Not once have I ever left your side in this time of service. You must understand that I…"
"Have failed enough times to warrant this sudden demotion!" The Supreme Hydra finished the sentence for her, his voice cold and merciless. He exhaled sharply before shuffling back to the throne and taking his seat. "If that we is what you planned to say, then I could not agree more."
"But if you could just give me a chance to…" she began.
"No more chances, Viper! As of this moment, you and the Gorgon will switch ranks." Baron Strucker realized she was about to protest and silenced her by raising his hand. "You should be grateful to have not received worse after disgracing HYDRA not once, but twice, in such a short period of time!"
Realizing that his answer would not change, she backed down from the argument, inclining her head in defeat. "As you wish…" she complied.
The room's occupants remained quiet for several minutes, the soldiers below not daring to speak into the presence of the top three commanders, while Madame Hydra was clearly displeased with her conviction. It was a blow to her pride to have lost her title, and although her demotion had only been by a single rank, she disliked the idea of answering to someone like the Gorgon. After serving the organization for decades, she had actually fallen a step down from the top, a move that had been greatly unexpected. On the other hand, Gorgon appeared completely indifferent to the whole scenario. Although she suspected that he was probably pleased with the sudden bit of good fortune that had fallen into his lap, he bore no outward signs of caring.
If he noticed her apparent displeasure, the baron purposely ignored it. "Viper!" he barked as if addressing an animal.
"Yes sir!" Madame Hydra stepped forward with an unreadable expression. To her surprise, her superior handed the computer drive to her.
"I need you to process this information immediately!" the former Nazi commanded. "For now you are dismissed…"
She looked slightly insulted by the fact that he was willing to used her as a secretary, but quickly hid her displeasure and nodded. "I will get on that immediately."
As she descended the stairs and reached the door, he stopped her one last time. "Although your work in the field has been less than satisfactory as of late, I trust that even you can process and sort this information?"
"Of course, Baron Strucker…" she responded before sliding through the doors and into he darkened hallways beyond.
Madame Hydra proceeded through the dungy passages, barely looking up as the occasional guard saluted her presence. Things were getting out of hand at this point, especially considering that she had just lost a rank and most of her funding in one fell swoop. Of course the green-clad woman couldn't blame anyone else but herself at the moment. She had made a lot of mistakes the last year or so, and had caused even more problems while trying to fix them. In reality she had loathed herself for allowing the situation to get out of hand, and her attempts to make things right had failed.
Thinking back, she had been a skilled assassin in her youth, yet now the painful truth began dawning on her. Viper knew she was coming close to her middle ages and more recently she had begun to notice that her reflexes had dulled. Thinking back to when X-23 attacked her airbase, she had cowered in fear of death, knowing that any attempts to fight the girl were pointless. Her first attempt at fighting in at least five years had ended in failure when matched up against the X-Men. In her prime she would never have lost to those mutants, or allowed herself to be caught off guard by the Kingpin when he had threatened to throw her from the helicopter.
Rounding another corner, Madame Hydra entered the nearest computer lab and prepared to begin her assignment, but before she could, an idea hit her. In this moment she realized that there was something she could do to remedy some of these problems. Instead of plugging the drive into the terminal to begin the analysis of the data, the green-clad villain opened up the communications network and typed out a series of commands into the computer. The monitor flashed a few times before revealing the form of an unfamiliar man wearing a yellow jumpsuit, a yellow mask, and goggles.
"Madame Hydra… How may we assist you?" the strangely garbed man replied on the other end.
She smiled modestly, her green colored lips betraying a rare smile. "Tell MODOK that I would like to make an appointment with the scientists of AIM…" she replied with a quiet sense of anticipation.
Note to Readers: Phew… Another chapter down! I plan on going back to X-23 next chapter because she's been left out of the loop for a while, and this is a story that started with her. These last few chapters are setting up the future of this story while establishing hints for the sequel, but I think I can finally go back to the main focus now that I've done a pretty good job with this. As usual I'm sorry for any typos, spelling, or grammar mistakes, but as usual it's often late when I work on this story.
I received a major lack of support last chapter, although since nothing particularly interesting happened, I can understand why. Please give me some REVIEWS or support if you get the chance. If you liked something tell me, and if you have any suggestions for the story than I will be more than happy to listen. For you people who miss the main cast, you'll probably enjoy the coming story arc.