Melissa gunned the 'borrowed' Mercedes down the highway towards the three trucks, each with Legacy Pharmaceuticals emblazoned on the side. The attack plan was simple, board the truck and locate which one contained the re-purposed vaccine and stop it before the drivers could signal for help. "It should be easy," Melissa thought, "the heavy mechanized 'smiles' they had faced back at Legacy were too clunky to be stored on the trucks in any number and with Atlas at their backs she felt like the old Thunderbolts were back in business."
"Switching to remote activation." Diana warned her as she plugged into the car's onboard computers. The steering wheel jerked and Melissa let go, her reminiscing rudely interrupted by Revenant's less then stellar driving.
"So who's up first?" Eric asked flexing his muscles.
"Me." Melissa replied, "Then Abe and finally Diana when it comes to boarding the truck. The car will then drive itself in-front of the trucks ready for you to make the intercept. There will only be a few guards meaning that this should be an easy stop." Abe smiled before turning to look over his shoulder and saw a blurring mass heading towards the car and the trucks.
"We have a hostile moving up fast." he yelled as the Mercedes drew level with the first truck. Leaning out of the car Melissa powered up a sonic blade and jabbed it into the trucks chassis just as the blur hit her dragging her away. Abe face-palmed himself as the car overtook the first truck and moved level with the second before activating the suction cups on his suit's glove. Springing from the car he crawled up the side and reached the roof as the Mercedes moved up towards the final truck. Watching the vehicle's progress he saw an armoured transit van heading on an intercept course.
Diana crawled onto the Mercedes roof and watched as the last truck came level with the vehicle. As she got ready to leap the van smashed into the car knocking her onto the road as the mangled bodies of the two vehicles crumpled around her. Desperately she got to her feet and felt the rush of air as the trucks passed by. "Crap." she cursed as the remains of the van rumbled before exploding open as the Scorpion scuttled towards her. "Oh Double Crap." she added as Mac Gangran turned towards her and started thundering towards her.
Melissa felt the wind rush through her hair as Sanders sped up, heading towards a gas station. With an angry screech Melissa emitted a terrible wail causing Speed Demon to stall and drop her as he tried to stop his ear's bleeding from the increasing volume of the scream. Flipping herself to a standing position Melissa slammed her fist into Sander's nose before taking to the air and heading back towards the trucks. As she closed in on the convoy she saw that Abe had managed to board his truck but that Eric and Diana were not in position. Even worse the third truck had opened its back hatch and two of the 'Smiley' Exoskeletons were disembarking followed by the sleek feline form of Puma.
Further along the highway Diana leapt over a strike from one of Scorpion's swipes before opening fire with her electrified pellet gun, electricity sparking over Mac Gangran's exoskeleton. The blast did nothing to sooth the Scorpion's temper and caused spittle to fly from his lips as he slammed his tail into the ground, the barbed stinger shredding through Diana's leg causing circuits and wires to go flying. "Got you're leg." Gangran hissed, "Now to take the rest of you apart."
"I'd be more careful if I were you." Diana stated as wires shot out of her leg and imbedded into the Scorpion armor, digging into the control surfaces. Howling with rage Mac Gangran ran forward attempting to gore Revenant with his claws and tail. Diana kept backing up, binary code running across her eyes, while her hack continued to eat through the Scorpion's software. "You know you have good hardware but you're software is so stupid that you're actual brain has more intelligence." Mac Gangran just continued to surge forward until his suit stalled just a single step away from crushing Diana's neck.
"I am so going to kill you." Mac hissed unaware of the pile of debris being pushed away by the rapidly growing Atlas, his face damaged by metal cuts and an angry look spread across his face. Unable to turn round due to his stalled suit Mac never saw the king sized foot hit him but he had a lovely view of the countryside as he flew off into the distance.
"Thanks for the save." Diana told Atlas as he moved the debris off the road.
"You're welcome." Eric replied, "You think you can catch up with the trucks while I go and get into position."
"Just have to reattach my foot and I'll be fine." Diana announced as Atlas thundered off. Reaching out Diana grabbed the mangled remains of her leg and reattached it, the wires fusing before being covered by a layer of blackened synthetic skin. Turning to look at the now distant convoy she spotted a pair of items flaring away from the trucks. With a thud the first landed glowering at her with a mocking smiley face as it trained a pair of high-velocity canons on her as the second landed behind it. "Mutant detected. Suggestion terminate." the armoured soldier rumbled as it got ready to fire.
"Oh Triple Crap." Diana swore as she hit the road running.
Abe elbow slammed the man in a smiley faced mask knocking him and his shotgun wielding buddy off the edge of the truck. With a thud Puma landed behind him and dashed towards him claws outstretched ready for the kill before slamming his claws into Abe's armor. Reaching for his sword Abe got to his feet and slashed back as Puma vaulted over his swipe and slashed at his neck armor, the claws digging through the carbon steel plating and drawing blood from the skin below.
"You are not well versed in close combat." Puma mused as Abe roared in pain before attempting a second clumsy slash with his improvised sword. "I had more of challenge from you're friend in the construction site." Abe snorted and made a quick diagonal slash before being disarmed, his blade flying off the truck. "You really should just surrender; I will take no pleasure in killing a man who is defenceless."
"Just because I'm not a master of kung-fu or whatever doesn't mean that I don't know how to fight." Abe announced as he saw Melissa land on the truck in front of him, a blue glow lighting up her hands. "I even have rules that I'm willing to impart." Puma snarled and sprung forward landing on-top of Abe and wrestling him to the floor. "For example Rule 3 always check you're rear." he added head-butting Puma and causing the cat-man to jerk upwards just in time to be hit by a fired sonic blast causing him to slide off the roof of the truck.
"What were rules 1 and 2?" Melissa asked.
"Don't know." Abe replied, "We still need to find the virus bomb and we're only ten miles away from Newcastle, I'd rather do this out in the country encase something goes wrong."
"So you're saying we are on the clock." Melissa stated, "Brilliant, not to mention we have the Sinister Syndicate to deal with and Diana and Eric are god-knows where."
"I wouldn't worry about that hero." A female voice hissed as the wine of blasters powering up sounded. Melissa dodged the blast and looked up to see the Beetle hovering above her already charging a second shot. "We gave you the chance to get away now you will pay heros." she screamed over the blaster's wine. Abe reacted fast and fired a training grenade, the projectile ricocheting off the Beetle's shoulder and causing her to flinch, the shot going wide and burning off a third of the truck's hull.
"Hey Beetle." Abe yelled, "Let's settle this matter like grown-ups."
"I'd rather fight." the Beetle buzzed shouldering an M72 LAW and opening fire on Abe's position. Jumping from the truck just in time Abe watched the rocket chew through the vehicle's hull and detonate in an orange cloud tinted with green smoke. Groaning he saw the remains of the vehicle crash through the barrier and sink into the ditch running parallel with the road. "Okay so if the vaccine was in that truck our problem is solved." Abe moaned as he heard the sound of claws scraping along concrete as Melissa and the first and third trucks drove past. Turning Abe had just enough time to see Puma tackle him to the ground and pin him the tarmac before he kicked back knocking the villain away as he got to his feet.
"What are you waiting for?" the Beetle yelled down at Puma. "Finish him." Abe turned to face her and immediately regretted the decision as Puma stabbed his claws into his back armor and ripped the plating off. "Rule 3." Fireheart purred before shoulder slamming the Thunderbolt to the floor.
Erik stood at the gas-station watching as the truck's got closer and closer. Melissa and Abe were meant to give him some indication of which truck he was meant to catch, but guessing from the lack of communication the plan had as usual gone south. Sighing he hunkered down and held both hand out across the road creating a living road-block to both the trucks just to be safe.
"Hey Erik." a voice yelled from down by his hands. "How's it been?"
Erik looked down to see Sanders running up his left arm holding a long metal re-bar. Desperately he tried to swat at the running man but Speed Demon evaded all his attempts before leaping backwards and releasing the metal ram-rod before flipping and landing on his feet and speeding away as the bar slammed into Erik's eye, blood weeping from the wound.
"Sorry buddy but I've got to run." Sanders yelled back at Atlas, "Don't worry though I got a friend to watch you." he cackled as he covered the distance to the first truck. Erik turned and watched as liquid emerged from the pumps and the jet washer and coalesced to form a filthy blue giant its arms tipped with oily maces, the spikes glinting like rainbows as it struck, the barbed tips smashing through Atlas's skull and causing him to roar in pain as he got to his feet.
"This will be a wash-out." Hydroman bubbled as oil covered tendrils lashed out leaving burning welts on Erik's face. "You should never have got involved in our affairs." he added as he retracted the tendrils and transformed his arm into a bladed lance and shooting it straight towards Erik's heart.
Diana dodged around the crash site as the two mech's opened fire, their chain guns and canons chewing holes in the road and boring through the barriers and smoking wreckage. Jumping over the remains of the Syndicate's van Diana dropped and slid underneath the charred remains of the vehicle. Her brain started racing trying to combat the growing fear that was threatening to consume her. The remains of the van shifted and Diana looked up to see one of the Right Exoskeleton's reaching out for her as she tried to scrabble away back under the van. Back where she had come from her master had made sure such people didn't exist and those that tried to persecute her kind were punished severely. Racking her brain through the stories that she had heard one thing kept repeating itself, "There not so tough, the Scorpion hit harder then that". Abe's words set her mind alight, she had beaten the Scorpion only a few minutes before and at the time she had been handicapped by the lack of a foot. Sliding out from under the wreckage she morphed her hand into a blaster and watched as her former hiding place disintegrated as the first suit locked onto her.
"You're kind will burn in the fires of the Right." the pilot remarked through the suit's speakers. "And you have the honour of being the first." he added as he levelled his Gattling gun at her face. Diana held her head up high and opened fire, the first blast disintegrating the pilot's weapon causing him to move back in disbelief. Reaching for his shoulder canon he saw Revenant fire another blast, this one melting away his gloved hand and the canon he had been attempting to activate. Surprisingly he kept reaching as he charged forward as his foe rushed to meet him firing three more shots, the first of which taking out a hydraulic hose stalling one of the suit's legs, the second scorching the smiley and the third igniting the fuel tank causing that and the hydraulic pack to detonate, ripping the formally formidable suit into a shower of shrapnel. Breathing a sigh of relief Diana saw the second suit rush towards her only to be ripped open by a blast of sonic energy.
"Melissa thank god." she wheezed as she turned to see where the blast had come from. Standing across the highway from her straddling a motorcycle was the insulated form of Shocker, his gauntlets smoking as he levelled them at her. "I just used a level 5 sonic blast on that guy; give me a good reason not to do the same to you."
"Well Genocide for one." Diana replied smartly, "The vaccine you stole was modified into a gene bomb. One that is going to be used to wipe out an entire race from the face of the earth."
"Well." Shocker said lowering his arms. "That's a good one."
Melissa repulsed a man with a smiley mask off the top of the truck; she could see the intercept point up-ahead. Erik was fighting something and he defiantly looked like he was on the back foot. Looking back she saw that Abe and Diana were still absent and that she was the only one left with the convoy. Indecision quickly struck her followed seconds later by a high speed kick as Sanders leapt over the cab and planted his foot in her face.
"Well hot stuff." he purred, "Looks like it's you and me again." Melissa wretched and sent a wave of sonic energy in his direction, her nimble foe flipping over the pulse and landing on her shoulders before delivering hundreds of punches into her head. Snarling with rage and frustration Melissa sent a pulse over her body sending Sanders flying off as a goon lugging a flamethrower crawled up onto the truck's roof. Looking up the road Erik saw the vehicle coming and shrunk back to normal size leaping off into the ditch on the side of the road as the goon unleashed a burst of flame. Melissa watched the jet of fire spread towards her and then started running as the truck sliced through Hydroman, the fire igniting the petrol smeared across his skin, the blast lightning him up like a roman candle and vaporizing the truck, driver and the idiot that had started the whole chain reaction. Melissa jumped to the next truck and landed on the grille as Speed Demon followed landing next to her as Hydroman evaporated leaving nothing behind but a filthy black cloud.
"Okay that burns." Speed Demon announced before attempting to slap Melissa, his quarry inching out of reach. "You know maybe we should continue this after we stop hanging out." Melissa shot him a smile before shielding them both with a sonic screen as the driver and front passenger pulled out their pistols and opened fire on them.
"Hey I'm on you're team." Sanders yelled at the driver. "Fine have it you're way." he added removing a throwing knife from his belt and aiming it at the driver. Melissa gasped before letting go of the truck the same moment the knife slashed through the driver's throat causing him to veer sharply left and capsize the truck. Peering through the exploded vapour Melissa crawled to the rear door and pulled on the catch, the doors springing open to reveal the bomb, its sensors tied to a sat-nav wired into the control surface.
"Bomb located on third truck." she wheezed. "It looks like it's…argh." she screamed as Sanders slammed a second throwing knife into her hand pining her to the floor before kicking her in the head. As unconsciousness begun to close in Melissa lashed out with her powers in a desperate attempt at survival, the blast catching Speed Demon and throwing him across the highway and into a truck going the opposite direction. Staggering Sanders limped forward his speed cut as his leg's ached, he was exhausted but he had enough stamina to finish the job. With a groan he crossed the central reservation and headed for the fallen 'Skylark' his hand's clutched around a third knife.
"Is it worth it Sanders?" a voice boomed behind him. "Are you really committed to the action you are about to take?" Sanders turned and saw Atlas looming over him before looking at the knife he was holding before throwing it away, "No it isn't" he muttered before collapsing onto the tarmac next to Melissa.
Abe fell to his knees, between the Beetle and Puma he was majorly outclassed without his armor and they knew it. While he had got a few good blows in on Puma even though they had done relatively little damage it was better then his progress against the Beetle, she had stayed aloft and had avoided contact as if it were some kind of infectious disease.
"Now to follow through on my promise." the Beetle buzzed landing next to Abe and igniting an energy blade next to her prisoner's neck. Abe looked up and saw that she had taken off her helmet to reveal a beautiful yet sour looking face. She looked familiar but he couldn't quite place where he had seen her before, maybe somebody he had seen back when he had been a villain. "I wanted Jenkins as my first kill for what he did to my sister and her husband but you had to steal my dreams from me. Still I will feel better that you and you're friends are no longer interfering with out business."
"This is wrong." Puma growled, "We don't need to kill him."
"I disagree this man has allied against us and should be punished for that."
"But is it what you really want?" Puma asked moving forward towards the Beetle and her hostage.
"Back off Fireheart or I will be forced to take steps." the Beetle hissed menacingly as she levelled a blaster at Puma's head. Puma threw up his hands as Shocker and Diana arrived on the villain's motorcycle causing the beetle to turn and look at the new arrivals. In that instant Puma pounced knocking her to the ground allowing Abe to roll free from the ensuing brawl. Lashing out the Beetle escaped and took to the air and tapped something into her wrist gauntlets, the panels glowing menacingly.
"What have you done?" Diana yelled up at the airborne mercenary.
"Activated the bomb of course, in fifty seconds it will blow and all mutant and mutates in a five mile radius will be disintegrated. Of course I have nothing to fear but you may feel very differently." she explained before being floored by a sonic blast as Shocker toggled his own gauntlets and fired a second shot knocking his target to the floor. Dashing forwards Diana kicked the Beetle in the chest as she attempted to stand and stuck tendrils into the suit before causing the flashing to stop.
"Only thirteen seconds to spare." she sighed, "I could have done better." she added as Abe walked over to the Beetle struggling to get to her feet.
"What have you done to me?" she growled
"Stalled you're suit I'd guess." Abe stated. "Now shut up." he added punching her in the face and knocking her out before turning to Shocker. "Thank you for proving me wrong." he told the villain, "You guys should split before SHIELD turns up."
Shocker nodded before shouldering the unconscious Beetle. "She's going to be in a crappy mood when she wakes up." he muttered as Puma took the other arm and walked off down the highway. Heading in the other direction Abe found Melissa and Erik sitting by the crashed truck next to a handcuffed Sanders, the villain apparently unconscious.
"Bomb dealt with?" Abe asked as Diana peered into the truck.
"Erik disarmed it; turns out he has some bomb disposal training." Melissa announced.
"Thanks for the assist man." Abe said as he offered a handshake to Atlas, the larger man accepting the gesture, "So what now?" he asked.
"Wait for SHIELD, Speeds here will probably take the fall for the whole thing, it seems unfair but I lost my evidence when the Legacy building exploded."
"We may be able to help you with that." Diana stated handing over a USB drive that had sprouted from her body. "All the evidence you need." she added as Abe helped Melissa up to her feet.
"See you later Erik." Melissa said with a smile on her face. Erik returned it before looking uneasy. "You know as a deputized member of SHIELD I should arrest you since the Thunderbolts are wanted all over the country." his uneasy look became a smile. "Good thing that there in New Mexico then isn't It." he added.
"Thank you." Abe said as Melissa grabbed his and Diana's hand and soared off into the distance.
Epilogue(s)
"The fair of thieves masquerading as Thunderbolts the Beetle and Songbird were later arrested on the outskirts of El Paso attempting to escape over the Mexican border. The whereabouts of the real Thunderbolts remains unknown but officials from the Federal Advisory Committee to the Thunderbolts reminds people to keep their distance from the pair of dangerous felons and call SHIELD immediately if spotted." The Newscaster announced. "Our top story remains the arrests of James Sanders AKA Speed Demon and Donald Mac Gangran AKA the Scorpion as well as Dr. Neil Wren in an elaborate theft and the an attempted mutation of a flu vaccine into a deadly gene bomb. The plot was foiled by undercover SHIELD operatives and further arrests are expected to be made. Recovery of all ten original vials has been completed and the chemical is being held in a secure location to prevent its release into the environment"
Melissa smiled as Abe walked over with the keys to their new car. She had picked up their stuff while he and Diana had chosen the car and they both had time to think about the question that she had asked him two nights before.
"The answer is yes and no." Abe told her as she wrapped her arm around him. "Yes we continue being Heros but only part time. We only deal with the threats we come across at least until we are exonerated."
"Good enough for me." Melissa said, "So where to next?"
"I say go west." Abe replied, "All we have to do is wait for Diana and then we can get rolling."
"Abe there were twelve vials, SHIELD only found ten. We had one which I assume was burned up in the lab when the Legacy Pharmaceuticals building exploded but that still means a vial is out there."
"So it's not over." Abe moaned, "I hate to know what twisted mind has got there hands on it."
Diana stood in the car-salesroom's disabled bathroom and analyzed the tube of green liquid in her hand. She had her freedom from her captor and soon she would have her revenge as well.
The Beetle took a clunky step forward, her armor still suffering from the attack by the hero's technopath. Shocker and Puma had split leaving her alone in the abandoned chemical building that they had been using as a base. The pair of them would pay just as dearly as Jenkins for betraying her but first she needed to purge her armor systems so that she could escape before the net closed on her. Heading to the work-bench where her tools lay she saw something move and turned to see a leather clad woman leaning against the back wall.
"Kelly Anne Dale." the woman stated, "The boss had a proposal for you."
"I don't care about you're boss." Kelly snapped, "I just want revenge."
"Good," the woman announced, "you have the same agenda as us then. Tell me the armoured man you almost killed today, do you know who he was?"
"Some wannabe Avenger who bit off more then he could chew." Kelly replied sarcastically. "I don't care."
"It was Abner Jenkins."
Kelly turned and glowered at the woman. "What did you say?" she hissed through gritted teeth.
"He was Abe Jenkins the man responsible for the deaths you are looking to avenge." the woman replied. "I'm looking to take revenge myself and my boss is willing to facilitate it as well as pay you for you're services."
"Why should I wait, I could kill him right now." Kelly asked, her anger subsiding.
"Because." a male voice announced as a figure emerged from the shadows. "A backwoods slaying is too small a stage for such a feat. We need grandeur especially considering who we are."
"If I join I get dibs on Jenkins death though." Kelly asked the figure.
"Of course." the man announced revealing himself, "A Zemo always respects his ally's wishes especially when they match his own. Welcome Miss Dale to the Masters of Evil."
Thunderbolts #9
The Thunderbolts head west towards the forests of Washington State but strange goings on are a foot. What is the meaning of the strange sunsets and the apparent exodus from the quaint little town…called Fear?