Author's Note: So this little piece of original content was inspired by Avengers Vol 1 #32-33. Give 'em a read for yourself!
America is under attack, true believers! Jace Carson, Agent of SHIELD, is tasked with rooting out the nefarious Sons of the Serpent; a hate-group ravishing neighbourhoods in the wake of the Skrull invasion. But Maria Hill has a new asset for his team… a big GREEN asset! How is he to cope with a super-woman like this on his team? Whatever you do, be sure to remember this irreplaceable chapter, true believers! It's certain to become one of the most talked-about stories in written literature, we kid you not! For this is the moment where meek and mild Jennifer Walters passes, and-
Chapter 40: The She-Hulk Lives
It was a bright and sunny day over New York City and so far everything was normal. The birds were chirping, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, civilians enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere of Central Park as the strode, sat, or jogged around one of the Park's many pathways.
But there was someone who wasn't quite as happy and content as others.
Bobbi Morse sat alone on a park bench, clutching a coffee in both hands and glancing around nervously. She was dressed in simple jeans and a button-up blouse, her Mockingbird costume nowhere to be seen. She fidgeted some, rubbing her thighs together as she waited anxiously. People came and went, but he was nowhere to be seen…
"Bobbi…?"
Turning at the sound of her name, she brushed some hair behind her ear. "Hey, Clint." She greeted with a soft smile. Dressed in his Hawkeye costume, with the hood pulled back, Clint Barton slowly ambled to the open spot beside her.
"You picked a nice day to meet." He mused as he sat down. "But, I gotta ask… I thought you were busy with Fury?" Bobbi exhaled slowly.
"I'm… currently taking some time off… for 'mental health' reasons." She explained. "Ever since I got back, I saw what that Skrull queen did using my face… It ain't right, Clint. I just can't get it out of my head." She admitted and Clint nodded silently.
"I know."
"I kept thinking about… everything that's happened since Hydra Island. That was when they switched me, you know."
"Yeah. I figured that out."
"When I was locked up on their prison ship… I had to wonder if anybody really missed me. They had a perfect copy of me back here. No one could tell the difference. Not even Fury!" At that, Clint chuckled.
"Funny how he totally dropped the ball like that. Supposed to have everything on everybody and he couldn't even tell the difference between you and a Skrull." He mused with a smirk. Then he noticed the blonde's downcast expression, her gaze peering at the individual blades of grass, and felt guilty. "Sorry." He apologized quietly. "Look, Bobbi-"
"It's okay, Clint. You don't have to apologize." She murmured in response.
"I do." Clint insisted. "I'm… I'm sorry I didn't start looking for you. If only I knew…"
"Guess that was the point, Clint. No one knew." Bobbi whispered in a sad tone.
"But if I did know, I would have done something. I would've tried to find you." He promised. "Bobbi… no one forgot you."
"I just… I can't help but feel like a stranger, in my own home, among my own kind." She admitted, her coffee long forgotten. Clint reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder.
"You're not, Bobbi. Its just a mindgame. That's what the Skrulls do." He proffered. She gave him a sad look.
"Will it ever get better? Can I ever go back to normal after this?" In response, Clint shuffled closer and slid an arm around her shoulders.
"You will, Bobbi. You will." He promised as she leaned into the side-hug.
Elsewhere in the city, a different couple were in much higher spirits than Bobbi and Clint were. Dayna McCree in particular was struggling to walk straight, clutching her sides and giggling nearly nonstop as she strolled side by side with Connor Peterson. The two had just come from a Three Stooges Festival at a local dive where a marathon of the old black and white comedy shorts had been playing.
"Ohhhh my ribs hurt… and I've never been happier to feel pain!" Dayna giggled. "Oh those three… they were outrageous! Did they really film those? That actually happened?"
"Oh yes, every one of them. I should tell you about the injuries they sustained on-set." Connor replied, amused by the Pink Kree's on-going reaction.
"Oh stars, that Moe would make a great Kree officer." Dayna mused, cutting herself off with another fit of giggles as spontaneous memories came flooding back. "'You and that iron head of yours'… classic!"
"They are a quotable bunch." Connor agreed.
"I'm surprised they're not more popular! How can they be so niche?" Dayna wondered. "'Remarkable! A prestigious achievement!-'"
"'You said it, it's putrid!'" Connor finished for her in his best high-itched Curly impersonation and they both started laughing. "Ah… if you think this is funny, I should show you 'Home Alone'." He remarked. Dayan shot him a curious look.
"Who's home alone?" She wondered, not getting the reference.
"Oh, you'll see. This Christmas. Promise." He replied. Finally getting the giggles out of her system, Dayna stretched and groaned as she did her best to work her sore sides.
"We don't have this on Hala. Humor." She said suddenly. "You humans have all this… 'entertainment' and 'comedy'. All the Kree just have a bunch of sticks up their butts." Connor remained quiet, listening and pondering what Kree society was like based on her words. "Your species is so bright… and colorful. Your creativity and imagination, to dream up stuff like this… I wish more Kree were like that."
"You sure you're not human?" Connor queried off-hand as they slowed their pace, pausing in the middle of the sidewalk. "You could definitely pass for one." Dayna looked up at him, eyes meeting.
"I wish I was." She replied with a longing in your voice.
"Well… I think you blend in just fine. Although, there is the question of the hair…" He added, glancing at her vibrant blue locks. Now they stopped entirely, looking at one another. "Don't get me wrong, I think it looks great on you and all… but don't you worry about standing out?" He asked.
At that moment Connor's eyes went wide as a couple walked between them, he in a business suit and her in a sundress... and they were both sporting topknots, his in bright green, hers in bright orange. The technopath's gaze followed them for a few moments as they continued on, then turned back to Dayna, her arms were folded and she looked at him with a neutral expression… apart from a painfully obvious smirk.
He glared at her and jerked a thumb in the couple's direction. "You planned that, didn't you?"
Her expression didn't change, "This is New York City. I don't have to." She replied.
Connor's hand dropped to his side as he mumbled, "Touchè."
Dayna began touching her hair, twirling her brilliant blue curls and glancing at their hue. "You… You really like my hair?" She asked, shooting him a curious look. Reading the glint in her eyes was enough to tell the technopath he'd been boxed in, caught between the truth and his words misconstrued. Realizing this, his face grew flush.
"Um, I, uh, well… I, you see… me… you…" Now he was tripping over himself, trying to figure out how to respond. Dayna, meanwhile, watched with mixed amusement and infatuation at his discomfort, her own feelings about his looks beginning to rise-
Suddenly, in the distance, the sound of crunching metal, breaking glass, and panicked screams of helpless innocents caught Connor's attention. 'Saved by a catastrophe.' He thought to himself. "Uhhh… sounds like I better deal with that." He quickly determined aloud. "We'll catch up later, okay?" Not even waiting for a response, he started running towards the sounds of chaos, leaving Dayna to her thoughts and feelings.
Elsewhere in the city…
As the Avengers moved to contend with a developing situation in downtown New York, something else was brewing along the edges of the city. The United Nations building, located near New York's waterfront, was a hotbed of activity as protestors gathered and were held at bay by police-manned barricades. Human Rights activists were on site to protest the appearance of Chinese military General Tai Chen. Suspected of multiple human rights violations (which wasn't surprising as he was a staunch member of the communist Chinese government), the freedom-bashing regime-supporter was a nefarious figure in the international community. So much so that those were not of the government or the elite protested his very presence on American soil.
As his car rolled up to the entry steps, it prompted a frenzy of additional movement from the protestors. Waving their signs, shouting to be heard, doing their best to let the General know their disgust. From within his private ride, the General scoffed in dismissal, stroking his thin, wiry moustache as he watched the agitated crowds with casual interest. Back home, this never would have been organized. Government agents and the police would have quelled the orchestrators before anything could come of their ideas.
Then, suddenly, a strange ray shot earthward from what seemed to be nothing more than a drifting cloud. The crimson bolt smashed into one of other pricey cars out front of the UN building, the startled crowds reacting with shrieks and cries of dismay as the vehicle detonated in a spectacular fireball. The police guarding the arriving General were stunned by the sudden, seeming supernatural dismay.
"Holy Hannah! Did you see that?" One exclaimed.
"It blasted that empty car into nothing!" Another gasped.
"It came from up there… but the sky's empty… except for some passing clouds!" Another noted in amazement.
"It missed General Chen's car by just a few yards!" A fourth realized. One of them moved to the General's car and waited until the driver was parked and moved to open the door.
"Are you okay, General?" He asked.
"Yes, I am… no thanks to you!" The Chinese militant spat as he emerged and the protestors renewed their cries. "So this is the way your decadent democracy protects visitors!"
"You're still alive and kickin', General. I got orders to guard you… but I don't have to listen to you!" The policeman retorted. Chen pointed to the protestors.
"Those pickets! They are probably members of the Sons of the Serpent! Why do you not arrest them?" He demanded. The officer looked at him sternly.
"I don't know what you're going on about, General, but this isn't your country to control. We don't arrest anyone without evidence." He stated firmly, refusing to take any backtalk even from someone like Chen. With an arrogant huff, the General turned and made his way up the steps where he was greeted by a UN entourage. From there, still livid from the events of his arrival, he was placed under the care of his resident hosts… where he proceeded to launch into a belligerent tirade.
"America claims to be a land of freedom… and yet they allow hate-groups like the Sons of the Serpent to preach their doctrine of hatred and tyranny on every corner!" He accused.
"That's part of our freedom, General Chen! Anyone may say anything, so long as he keeps within the law!" An American advisor replied, boldly and confidently.
"You come from a land where countless thousands live in abject fear… where they may not speak, or read, or even think as they please! And you talk of freedom, hah!" American Senator Byrd remarked, unimpressed. Chen shot him a withering glare.
"I will not trade epithets with you, Senator Byrd. When the world one day comes under our rule, we will know how to deal with the likes of you!" He promised.
"The world will never follow your lead… not while one free man remains alive!" Byrd retorted.
"Bah! We shall bury you all!" Chen scoffed, dismissing him with a wave of his hand while lighting up a cigarette. "And what of your mighty Avengers? What of the infamous SHIELD? Where are they while hate-groups seem to spread their poison at will? I'll tell you where they are… they are supporting the worst elements in your country! Like all democratic institutions, they are worthless! They are merely paper tigers!" He sneered between puffs of smoke. "Later, when I address the full membership of the United Nations, I shall expose America as a fraud! How can you police the rest of the world when you cannot even control the hate-mongers in your own land?" The heated exchanged continued, with Byrd championing the American Way against the avid communist while others stood by and watched.
From his position at the back of the room, Agent Phil Coulson (cleverly blending in with his black-tie suit) stood quietly and passively, letting the hidden recorder built into his tie-clip do all the work…
The live videofeed was beamed back to a monitor setup in SHIELD's temporary headquarters on the edge of New York. Observing the ranting Chinese General were acting-Director Maria Hill and Agent Jace Carson.
"What a rosy character." Carson muttered.
"Thoughts, Agent Carson?" Hill queried. Taking a moment to compose his thoughts, Jace responded,
"Seems like the whole purpose of his visit is to win a propaganda victory. He's picked his timing well; ever since the Skrull invasion people have been mistrusting each other like mad and the number of hate-groups acting out is on the rise. But who're the Sons of the Serpent he keeps babbling on about?"
"They're the reason why you're here today." Maria replied, reaching for a large envelope on a nearby desk. "Until we get a new base of operations, SHIELD is being stretched thin. I need people I can trust to lead, to coordinate, to do what needs to be done. By and large, you fit that description." She stated, plainly and without preamble. Maria was all business today, no ceremony whatsoever. "Your first assignment, Mission Commander Carson, is to take down the Sons of the Serpent and assuage public worry." She explained, handing over the envelope. Jace received it slowly, taking his time recognizing her words.
"You're… promoting me." He realized.
"Don't thank me all at once." Maria remarked. "We'll have to skip the cake and bubbly. Right now you've got a dossier to read and a team to assemble."
"What kind of team?"
"The best that SHIELD has to offer… along with some new recruits. Super-Agents, if you will." Maria replied. Jace quirked a brow.
"Beg pardon?"
"New division I'm working on. With the Avengers and other vigilantes running amok out there, not to mention threats from outer space of all places, it's time SHIELD bolstered it's manpower. I'm recruiting super-powered invidivuals to join our ranks. And you get to work with our number one candidate." Maria explained. "I'll introduce you during the team briefing. You've got one hour." With that, she took her leave of the area, Jace left holding a sizeable dossier as well as a head full of new information.
"My super-power should be adaptation. Talk about 'no time to waste'!" He mused as he began thumbing through the massive stack of papers.
An hour later, he was in a much bigger tent with a much smaller monitor setup. But he was far from alone this time. With him were a small cadre of other SHIELD agents, pulled from various duties. A multi-ethnic group, they were some of SHIELD's best; fellow American Agent Miller, the Scottish Agent Fitz, Mexican Agent Carlos, Congolese Agent Kapongo, Korean Agent Lam, and more. Jace's right hand would be Agent Grant Ward, a seasoned member who came recommended by Phil Coulson.
"Alright, Mission Commander, what's the score this time? More alien marauders?" Grant inquired.
"More like we're one card short of a full house." Jace remarked, mulling over the tally list Maria had given him. "Can't start this briefing until I know we're all present and accounted for." He scanned over the crowd of agents again, noting all of them by name except for one… the supposed 'super-agent' Maria was assigning him. 'Whoever that is, lesson one is to be punctual.' He thought to himself.
"Agent Carson?" A feminine voice asked from the tent entrance. Jace turned to look… and immediately did a double-take.
She was tall, near seven feet, and incredibly muscular. And also very green… 'Hulk' green. Her hair was dark green, her eyes were emerald green, and her skin was vibrantly green. And there was plenty of it to show. She was clad in a purple and white leotard, the kind with high-cut hips to show just enough firm, shapely cheek. Her purple-white sneakers matched the rest of her getup, as did her purple fingerless gloves. That aside, her brawny arms were on display (along with her long, shapely legs) and her left bicep sported a blue arm band with the black and red SHIELD emblem stamped on it.
The jade giantess strutted onto the scene, earning quite a few murmurs and whistles from the male agents within. Jace looked her up and down. Then up and down again. The man was completely lost for words. Suddenly, Maria Hill emerged from behind the towering green woman.
"Commander Carson, this is the She-Hulk." She introduced. Jace looked up, meeting her bright gaze.
"An… accurate description." He managed to muse as She-Hulk flicked her hair over one shoulder and gave him a wink. "Where'd you find her?" He wondered.
"That's classified." Maria responded. Jace quirked a brow.
"Even to her mission commander?"
"Until I've worked all the kinks out of this super-agent division, everything is classified." Maria sternly replied. "In the meanwhile, show Shulkie here the ropes on how to be an all-star SHIELD agent. Carry on, Commander." With that, Hill took her leave and left a bewildered Jace alone with his gawking agents and the beguiling She-Hulk.
"Uh… right…" For the first time in a long time, Jace was rather speechless. Of all the things to take him by surprise, his boss certainly had a way of accomplishing it. "Take a seat… Agent She-Hulk." The towering lady did as asked, taking a seat in the front row, her eyes never leaving Jace and even offering him a wink. Something about her looks… her face… he felt an odd sense of déjà vu. He shrugged it off. "Barring any more surprises, let's get down to business." He stated loudly, ensuring the attention of the agents was back on him. "Our target is the Sons of the Serpents; a hate-group that rose to prominence after the Skrull invasion. We've been gathering intel on them for months. Now it's time to take down these belly-crawling creeps to show others like them that SHIELD isn't messing around. Just because we're down a Helicarrier doesn't mean we're ineffective." With that, he keyed up the monitors and pulled out faintly-grainy security footage from a street corner where three costumed individuals moved under cover of darkness. While color were hard to make out, the costumes they were could be easily defined; robes with attached pieces to make them look like scales, masks that concealed everything but their mouths and sported snakeheads on the forehead. "We know they have a leader, who must be financing them as no random hate-group could afford things like this." Jace explained, gesturing to the mix of cloth and metal adorning the two.
"They've got the motif down and everything. Suggests planning, background structuring, it's all orchestrated." Agent Lam mused.
"Correct. Scattered pieces of data collected contain mentions of someone they call the 'Supreme Serpent', probably someone similar to a 'Grand Wizard'." Jace affirmed. "Interestingly enough, they share some similar goals with the Klan, namely apparent white supremacy, ultranationalism, anti-immigration, segregationism, and more."
"So… they're some kinda Neo-KKK?" Agent Miller wondered.
"Something like that. Their motivation seems to stem from the events of the Skrull invasion: they're out to make sure the United States is 'completely pure' and they're not above mugging, beatings, and other acts of localized terrorism to get their point across. They're not afraid to admit to their crimes either. They're quite active on the internet, proud of their actions it would seem." Jace switched up the monitors, revealing a home-made video that appeared to have been filmed with a body-cam. "Days ago they attacked a scientist by the name of Bill Foster, just outside his own home outside the city… and had the stones to post a video of the attack online." The agents watched as a dark forested area gave way to the backlit backyard of an expensive-looking domicile, where a dark-skinned man was smoking casually on a lawn chair. The rustle of foliage prompted him to start investigating the tree line, rising from his seat and approaching the edge of his un-fenced backyard.
"Just a minute, you! That's as far as you go!" One of the Serpent exclaimed, a gang of five emerging to confront Bill Foster.
"Wha-…?! Who are you people? What are you doing on my property?" Bill demanded, dropping his cigarette.
"We're here to conduct an experiment, Doctor, and you're the subject! GET HIM!" Sixty shameful seconds later, a brutalized Bill Foster lay on the ground, surrounded by the gang of men.
"He got what he deserved! He refused to swear to leave this neighbourhood and never return!" One of the serpents callously remarked.
"He was a fool! He kept fighting 'til we beat him senseless!" Another rasped.
"We've done what we've set out to do. Now, let's disappear before the police reach the scene!" A fourth urged. He withdrew something from his robes and planted a hard-wood crook next to the unconscious Bill Foster. It was shaped like a snake, complete with a very accurately-carved head and open mouth. "When others like him see the Serpent Sign on the lawn, they'll avoid this area like the plague!"
The video came to an end and the SHIELD agents were disgusted. "Boy! What a pack of cold-hearted cowards! They're lower than the snakes they imitate!" Agent Kapongo huffed.
"Well, there's no place on Earth that can shelter them from SHIELD. The law will have its retribution!" She-Hulk piped up, promptly receiving some echoing agreements from around the room.
"Here here!"
"Say it again, She-Hulk!" The jade giantess smiled, looking to Jace with a pleased look in her eyes.
"That's the game plan, She-Hulk. We're out to put an end to this lot, once and for all." Jace concurred. "Primarily we need to investigate and scope out a potential home for these snakes. We don't know where they operate out of, although we do know that they're very open to the public."
"You mean they don't have a little ol' den to retreat to?" Agent Ward inquired.
"They rent out public spaces using, from what we can tell, false-front operations and fake names." Jace answered. "Where they hang up their scales remains classified and unknown to all but the core members." He switched up the media files again, revealing multiple civilians standing before someone at a speaker's platform. His regalia was different from those worn by the other serpents. His mask, most notable, concealed his face with the visage of a shrieking skull surrounded by the opened fanged jaws of a snake. He wore a long purple cape, carried a sceptre that resembled a serpent coiled around a pole, and looked inhuman. If not for his bipedal appearance, it was impossible to tell he was in fact human. "This is their so-called 'Supreme Serpent'. We managed to snag this feed by sending an operative to one of their 'recruiting drives' a few weeks ago."Jace explained as he clicked play.
"We call ourselves serpents because the serpent is feared by all, just as we shall be!" The Supreme Serpent boldly declared, his voice faintly synthesized while speaking in perfect english, not a single accent to be heard. "Our enemies must know we will show them no mercy! As the original serpent drove Adam and Eve from Eden, so shall we drive all foreigners from this land!" He proclaimed. "Those who wear the serpent's robes shall one day be master of all!"
"Jeez, he sure does think highly of his organization." Agent Carlos remarked.
"Based on his choice of words and mannerisms, you'd almost think he's one of those southern radicals you hear so much about." Agent Kapongo said aloud. "But with that mask and the all-concealing getup, there's no way of telling who he is!"
"He's smart, that much is for certain. The man covers his tracks well and knows how to play people like a fiddle. He's got a virtual army following his every word." Jace explained.
"If such toxicity is allowed to spread, there's no telling where it will end." Agent Lam mused.
"This is usually how cults get going. Say, if we hand them some kool-aid, will they drink it?" Fitz wondered, earning a few peals of laughter from his cremates. Jace smirked but kept his emotions in check.
"Alright, Fitz, alright. Let's take this seriously now." He urged, bringing order back to the room. "People are getting hurt and these bigoted rampages need to stop." He surmised. "The jokes can wait, but the Sons of the Serpent can't!" At that, She-Hulk pounded her open palm with a meaty green fist.
"Then let's go smash these serpentine suckers!" She boisterously remarked.
Later that day, elsewhere in the city…
With the SHIELD team ready to mobilize, their quarry was already at work in New York City. In an alley out of sight and often out of mind, a quartet of costume-clad bigots had cornered a helpless man; another victim in their raging spree of terrorism.
"We warned you not to move into this neighborhood!" The ringleader snapped.
"B-But it's a free country! I'm a law-abiding citizen!" The Hispanic man protested. "You have no right-"
"You dare speak to us of rights?" A serpent roared.
"You, who were not even born here?!" Another growled.
"Enough talk! He must be taught what it means to defy the Sons of the Serpent!"
And as acts most despicable were committed, we move to a nearby window where a pair of New York's denizens are given a front-row seat to this heinous crime.
"Henry! What's the commotion outside the window?" A woman cried.
"It's the Sons of the Serpent! They've cornered Mister Gonzales! W-We've got to do something…!" The man responded, clenching his fist.
"No! Come away from there! It's dangerous to get involved!" His wife insisted.
"But they're beating him-!"
"It's none of our business!" She admonished.
Thus we take our leave of Henry and his wife… two less-than-admirable citizens who feared to get "involved"… as we return to the street once more.
Gonzales lay in a heap against a brick wall, battered and bruised, while the Sons of the Serpent looked on proudly at their dirty deed. "We're lucky no one called the police. Now, let's go!" The ringleader ordered.
"Leave a Serpent Sign; as a warning to any other foreigners!" Another called out as one of his fellows placed another hand-carved wooden snake beside the beaten Gonzales. With that, the criminal cadre began climbing to the rooftops, using the fire escapes to their advantage.
"To the rooftop, quickly! The gyrocopter is waiting to take us to the Serpent Den! The meeting is about to begin!" The ringleader urged, taking point as they climbed.
"It will be the start of our biggest membership drive! Before we're finished, there will be too many of us for anyone to stop!" Another chuckled. Soon they had finished their trek to the roof where a dark-hued machine filled with advantaged technology sat quietly waiting. They all piled onboard, whisper jets kicking in and filling the air with a serpentine hiss as hidden rotors spun to life.
"After all the foreigners have been driven out, what will we do next?" One of the gang members inquired.
"That's for the Supreme Serpent alone to decide! We must never question his plans!" The ringleader stated firmly as he guided their craft into the air.
"But remember: there will always be someone weaker for us to attack… to use as stepping stones on our march to total power!" Another added and the others murmured in agreement as they disappeared into the sky.
Elsewhere…
On very different rooftops, Jace had spread out his team to operate a grid system that would help triangulate irregular air traffic patterns using a variety of sensory equipment. Given how the Sons of the Serpent had a tendency to operate all throughout the New York area, Jace surmised they likely had transportation of some kind to move them from place to place. Right now, the air seemed like the best means to move so many conspicuous costumed criminals so efficiently… that and a ground search would take way longer to complete. For now he had his crew operating drones, manning surveillance scanners and a host of other technological devices that SHIELD had in their arsenal.
"All the data hardpoints have been set, we'll start gathering readings within the next five minutes." Grant informed him.
"Good. Hopefully we'll turn up a lead sooner than later."
"You really think these snakes travel by air?" Grant asked, crossing his arms.
"Let me put it this way: airspace directly over the city is often considered a no-fly zone. And after the Skrull invasion, AIM and Hydra are still recovering and have subsequently gone to ground to recoup, according to reports. The only things we should be seeing are Avengers-related traffic. Anything else? That might be worth investigating." Jace explained, his reasoning sound.
"Ah, the ol' process-of-elimination strategy." Grant realized. "Tried and true, and our best bet. Only other way to sort out these snakes is to catch them in the act." Jace slowly shook his head.
"I'd rather we didn't have to resort to that. It's too problematic given how often and infrequently they strike. There's no patterns." He decided.
"Well, let's see if these aerial scans can net us some feasible data." Grant began moseying over to the system Fitz was working on. "I'll let you know the second we find something." He called over his shoulder, leaving Jace alone with She-Hulk.
"Why am I on the sidelines and not helping them out?" The jade giantess questioned, crossing her arms.
"Because I want you to watch and learn how we conduct our ops. Well, how I conduct my ops." Jace replied, glancing up at her. 'Man, seven feet really is tall.' "We look for information, we cover our bases. The more we know, the more prepared we are to handle the enemy." She-Hulk quirked a brow.
"You like the know-it-all approach." She surmised.
"If that's what you want to call it." Jace replied with a huff of laughter. "My turn to ask you some questions."
"Fire away, Commander." She-Hulk replied in a seemingly easy-going voice as she leaned against the wall of an access door. Jace decided to start things off easy.
"You prefer 'She-Hulk' or 'Shulkie'?"
"Either's fine. Director Hill seemed quite pleased she was able to coin that nickname on her own." She answered. Jace nodded, then promptly ramped things up a notch.
"Where'd you come from?" Jace then queried. "I know Maria said that's classified, but I need to know what I can about the agents under my command." He was being serious, and insistent. He took note of her body language and She-Hulk, intriguing, appeared hesitant to respond… almost nervous.
"Let's just say the Skrulls are to thank for who I am." She answered at length. Jace grimaced.
"Hm. Skrulls." He muttered, contempt rife in his voice.
"Something wrong?" She-Hulk questioned.
"They impersonated my girlfriend. For months I was unaware, I had no idea she'd been changed out." He stated shortly. She-Hulk smirked.
"Never found out, eh? Not even during 'quality time'?" She ribbed, nudging him with her elbow. Jace looked up aghast, his expression reading angry hurt.
"No!" He exclaimed. Then he caught himself and regained his composure, clearing his throat and lowering his tone. "No. We were both too busy with work to do anything together. I didn't learn the truth until the invasion itself." He explained. She-Hulk snorted in amusement.
"Sounds like overworking was a blessing and a curse." She mused. "Now where's this… girlfriend of yours now?" She then asked. Jace shrugged and sighed.
"I don't know, they only told me she was taken for some tests… I assume to make sure she is human. But I'm starting to get a little restless." He replied. Jace's gaze turned down to the ground, his thoughts drifting to the whereabouts and wellbeing of his dear Jenny. As such, he missed She-Hulk slowly begin to glare at him.
"Boss! We've got a reading!" Fitz called from his position with Grant hanging over his shoulder. Shifting gears, Jace began moving and She-Hulk followed him. He strode over to investigate their readings. "Picked up a fast-moving object over the city." Fitz informed him, revealing a single airborne contact picked up on the scanner.
"Airspeed?"
"Over a hundred miles an hour."
"Altitude?"
"We're looking at cloud-level. Less than two-thousand metres up."
"Check radiological and emission patterns to identify engine type?"
"Appears to be an advanced energy-type, potentially turbine-related."
"Got a trace on it?" Fitz held up a handheld device plugged into the scanner.
"Locking it in now." That was enough for Jace and he stood up to address the rest of his unit.
"Okay, team, listen up! This is home base. Agents Ward, Fitz, and She-Hulk are coming with me pursuing a potential lead. Catalogue all new findings in accordance with desired parameters." He commanded. "Let's go folks!" She-Hulk promptly rolled her shoulders and popped the tendons in her neck.
"Showtime!" She was quick to follow him as Grant and Fitz packed up their gear and gave chase.
In the lair of the Sons of the Serpent, a leading member of the criminal organization approached a stone-hewn throne where the cloaked leader of the hate-group, the Supreme Serpent, sat surrounded by vast amounts of monitoring equipment.
"Supreme One! The ground-cams have detected a group of SHIELD agents on the rooftops. Given the nature of their equipment, it appears they are attempting to search for us." He reported, bowing reverently. Adjusting the feed on his monitor, the Supreme Serpent observed the small thermal specs before him.
"So! The mighty SHIELD thinks it is capable of destroying the Sons of the Serpent, does it? Already they suspect us of hiding in plain sight, like all good serpents do." He mused with an air of pride and power.
"Yes, Supreme One. Should we change course? Stay out of sight?" His lackey queried. The Supreme Serpent crossed his arms and began to ponder the possibilities. His henchman stayed quiet, respectfully waiting patiently for his decision.
"We are powerful enough to accept the challenge of SHIELD. Their very sense of loyalty and camaraderie shall prove their undoing!" The Supreme Serpent decided. "Put 'Plan K' into action at once!" He ordered.
"Yes, Supreme One!" His lackey diligently obeyed. The Supreme Serpent chuckled as he adjusted the monitor feed, singling out one SHIELD agent in particular.
"All we need do is catch any one SHIELD agent… the rest will be merely routine!" He mused.
Fitz took the lead with his tracker in hand as Jace, Grant and She-Hulk bounded after him. "Unidentified object is maintaining speed and height!" Fitz reported.
"Unidentified object? Are we seriously just chasing a UFO?!" She-Hulk cried in disbelief.
"Welcome to SHIELD, Shulkie! This is half of what we do!" Agent Ward replied with a chuckle.
"Fitz! Break out some proper tracking equipment and get an accurate fix, we'll keep tailing your lead!" Jace ordered, snatching his tracker from him mid-stride. Fitz dropped to his knees and began sorting out a more complex device, one that would be able to scan the necessary dimensions and probably technical specifications of the ship they were chasing. "Grant, break left! She-Hulk, break right! Use your pocket transponders to try and create a web around this thing!" Jace barked as he powered on ahead. The other two did as told, recalibrating the small devices on their belts so Fitz could use them.
When the three each reached the edge of their respective rooftop, Fitz began a series of signal pings to bounce off the transponders of his fellow agents like sonar waves. Creating a web of data that would quickly ricochet off anything similar and beam it back to him. "Data coming in now, boss. And I can already tell this is no biplane!" He remarked.
"Keep at it, Fitz. Let us know if you need anything more." Jace replied, fiddling with a few toggles.
"Grant, She-Hulk, move closer together and narrow the net." Fitz promptly requested. Jace watched them move closer, keeping eyes on She-Hulk to make sure she didn't proffer any back talk or whining at being ordered around. Power could always go to someone's head and he always wanted to make sure the agents under him were cut out for the demanding lifestyle.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck stiffened as the atmosphere changed. He frowned, a sixth-sense letting him know that the air had shifted. How and why, he wasn't quite sure…
Then, without warning, he felt light on his feet and lost his footing, stumbling backwards through thin air and flipping end over end as he began to ascend. Scarcely able to comprehend his situation, Jace loosed a brief, strangled cry as his body zipped ever higher into the sky… towards a singular cloud above them.
Managing to hear his sudden cry, the jade giantess snapped her head to look for him, seeing no Jace on the rooftop and, instead, flying up through the air. "Oh no… Jace!" She-Hulk cried, spotting the barest glimpses of his dark uniform before he was rapidly sucked up into the cloud. By the time Grant made to look, their team leader had completely vanished from sight.
"What happened?" Grant frantically asked.
"H-He got drawn up into that cloud above him!" She-Hulk explained, bewildered by the words coming out of her own mouth.
"What? How?" Grant explained.
"I don't know!" She-Hulk feverishly replied, suddenly fearing for his safety. First abnormal readings and now this? Clearly they were onto something. "We've got to warn the others, and fast!" She urged.
Jace, meanwhile, passed through layers of fluffy white cloud as the quiet of the day suddenly gave way to a low, throbbing drone that he could feel beneath his ribs. It was the unmistakable pulse of an engine, energy driving a power required for air travel. White cloud gave way to flat steel, grey surrounding him as walls, roof and floor suddenly appeared around him, boxing him in, before he was dropped unceremoniously onto the floor.
The agent scrambled to his feet, reacting with lightning-fast reflexes as he always did whenever danger was afoot. He drew his sidearm, anticipating hostility.
He soon got it.
The room around him revealed more doors and soon countless costumed rogues were pouring into the chamber, clad in green and purple jumpsuits with all-concealing masks bearing snakeheads above their eyes. Their ranks parted, revealing the one being Jace recognized from their archived footage: the Supreme Serpent.
"Throw down your weapons, Agent Carson! You are a helpless prisoner of the Sons of the Serpent!" The Supreme Serpent commanded, leveling his sceptre towards the lone SHIELD agent. Jace's gaze narrowed. He listened to every word. Clinging to each synthesized syllable. Truly there was no making out his real voice.
"I may be a prisoner, but helpless? We'll see about that…" Jace retorted, snapping up his sidearm. "You're not fighting some unarmed, unprepared, frightened civilian now. You're fighting an Agent of SHIELD! I've seen things that would make you all collectively wet your purple panties! If you think a ragtag band of bigots is gonna put a damper in my day then you haven't thought this through all that thoroughly!" He declared. Supreme Serpent cackled.
"Brave words, Agent… and possibly the last such words you'll ever utter!" At his word, the rest of the Sons charged towards Jace as one seething mass. The SHIELD agent wasted no time opening fire, blue stun rounds striking the cultists over and over. But they seemed to do little to dwindle their numbers and soon the swarming Sons and knocked his weapon from his hands.
That was just fine with Jace. In fact, it freed him up to attack on other ways.
A black belt in Karate and also a practitioner of Jujitsu, Jace knew how to hold his ground with his hands and feet alone. He laid into the Sons with punches and kicks, snapping heads left and right as he plowed into the surge of human trying to drown him. He soon realized that they were just ordinary men, with only head knowledge and no training. Brainwashed masses, swayed by the serptine tongue of the Supreme Serpent, no more and no less. 'Starting to think Miller was right about them being a Neo-KKK.' Jace thought to himself.
"Get him you fools! He's only one man, hold onto him!" One of the Sons screeched, only to be silenced when Jace drove his fist into his jaw. He swung his other arm back and smacked another silly, before launching a push-kick that bowled another into his fellows.
"This is the biggest mistake you've ever made-ugh!" The stooge was cut off as Jace landed a chop to his neck before turning around an executing a roundhouse kick that sent teeth and blood spewing from another.
"Capturing one SHIELD agent is a sure way to bring all the others after you!" Jace remarked, having cleared out a small space around him. He watched with tensed muscles, noting how they had backed off to pause, watch and wait to make a move. They had underestimated him and were forced to rethink their plans. "So don't make any important dates for a while!" The Sons remained a nervous, shifting mass, some more eager to strike than others. They were smart enough to adjust their strategy, he'd give them that.
"He won't talk so big when we're through with him! All together, now… jump him!" At once, they all surged, determined to throw themselves at the SHIELD agent instead of singling themselves out…
Later…
Fitz, Grant and She-Hulk quickly reconvened with the rest of Jace's SHIELD team to break the news of his disappearance. Upon describing the brief glimpse she got of his vanishing, She-Hulk managed to set their ears on fire. "Strange air traffic, then the boss man gets sucked up like an cartoony alien abduction? No way it's not coincidental." Agent Lam remarked.
"Sounds to me almost like we kicked the hornet's nest. Er, rather, the snake pit." Agent Carlos mused.
"You really think the Serpents did this?" Agent Miller asked aloud. "Tech to make Commander Carson disappear like that doesn't sound normal for some random hate-group."
"Seems like this is bigger than everything made it out to be." Grant decided. "And if they are indeed responsible for yoinking our commander, we gotta do something about it."
"Sure. But what?" She-Hulk wondered. "We don't know if he got sucked up into some airship or-" Abruptly cut off by a soft whistling and then a loud thunk, she whirled around to spot the source of the noise. The other men made to look as well and wee shocked by the sudden appearance of a foot-tall erect snake made of carved green-painted wood.
"Hey, look! It's one of those serpent sign-thingys!" Agent Lam exclaimed. The rest put two and two together.
"They're mocking us! They took him hostage!" Agent Kapongo realized. They all suddenly fell quiet as a sinister voice filled the air, coming from the mouth of the wooden carving.
"Jace Carson is our prisoner! Unless you do exactly as you are told, you will never again see him alive!" The pre-recorded voice threatened. "You must never interfere with our plans! Remember… the serpent is supreme! You must agree to join the Sons of the Serpent, when the public learns that SHIELD's best and brightest serve the Supreme Serpent, then all will join!" The demands were spoken with firm assurity, seemingly forcing the SHIELD team to comply or else. "Disobey those edicts, and you shall never see Jace Carson alive again!" The recording ground to a halt and, in the split second after it did, the carving burst into flames with a pop to their shock.
"Holy Toledo! That thing's like a miniature firecracker!" Agent Kapongo exclaimed. Fitz scampered over to examine the remains, quickly picking out the particular burn marks on the roof as well as the ashen debris left behind.
"It was equipped with a self-destruct sequence to prevent us from examining it for clues! There's nothing left of it…" He informed them all. The SHIELD team fell quiet, the hand of the Serpents made clear. Now they were forced to play their own, and needed to devise a proper response. But what? Without a leader they were struggling to plan and coordinate. The Serpents seemed to have their fangs in them, and good.
"What're we gonna do now?" Fitz wondered, giving voice to all of their concerns.
The swarming Sons had proven to be Jace's undoing. Subdued by a mass of humans beyond capable count, the SHIELD agent found himself bound and trapped by heavy metal shackles, strapped to a wall. Beside him, standing by a terminal, the Supreme Serpent watched as the SHIELD team on the rooftop below continued to discuss their next course of action. "I will give your fellow SHIELD agents two hours to make their decision, but either way… you lose!" He told Jace, his voice full of hearty confidence. "If they continue to fight us, you forfeit your life! But if they agree to my terms, then all you believe in and have fought for will be turned to ash!" He left the computers and rounded in front of Jace, standing in front of the agent with his followers arrayed behind him. The serpents in all their glory. "So you see, we are too powerful to ever be stopped, by anyone!"
Jace's gaze narrowed. "So that's what this is about. A demonstration?"
"A demonstration, yes, but you do not yet understand it's importance!" The Supreme Serpent replied. "You see our strength and our power, the skill with which we operate, the terror we can inspire with such ease! This is a display, Agent Carson. An opportunity for you to see what the Sons of the Serpent can do… and to give you the chance to join us."
Jace scoffed. "Join you? Why should I?"
"You are an American! Born and raised here on this continent! Your bloodline is pure, unlike those of the wretched foreigners that come crawling in like rats out of holes." Was the answer. "By your quality alone you should have full membership, a chance to change America for the betterment of your kind… Our kind!" The Supreme Serpent spread his arms wide and the Sons began to cheer and applaud, as if stirred up by an ecstatic preacher feeding the soul. "Once we rid this nation of those of different creeds, different heritages, then we shall rule from shore to shore! The Serpents shall be supreme and SHIELD is powerless to stop us!" The Supreme Serpent's declaration set his followers ablaze and even though they were masked, Jace could feel their burning hatred and almost see the sheer, unreasoning savagery in their eyes!
"Let our enemies feel the serpent's sting!"
"When the Supreme Serpent speaks, lesser men tremble!"
"The blood of Americans must be kept pure!"
"Foreigners must be banished!"
"Only the serpents can protect our liberty!"
Their chanting choruses rose and filled the room. Their fervor was plain, as was their passion for their cause. Jace, on the other hand, had heard enough.
"Listen up, pal! You're right, I was born and raised here. But this whole country was founded by immigrants. Brits, Germans, Frenchmen, Irish, Dutch, you name it and they came from it!" He snapped. "Our nation was built on freedom, not tyranny! Brotherly love, not hatred! Justice for all, not bigotry! You wanna keep America pure?" He demanded. "Then you'll have to purge the whole friggin' country, because we Americans all came from a melting pot of other countries first!" The Sons seemed aghast. No one talked back to the Supreme Serpent like that.
"You are in no position to contradict me, Agent of SHIELD! For you are helpless to defy me!" He bellowed.
"You haven't a chance, Serpent! One captive member doesn't make a team! My SHIELD team will make you slither back under the slimy rocks you came from." Jace promised.
"That's where you're wrong! They're too weak to let one of their members be destroyed! They'll helplessly do my bidding so long as your life is in my hand." The Supreme Serpent boasted and his followers murmured in agreement. Jace snickered.
"You think you're something real special, don't you? You're just another madman tossing around slogans!" He sneered.
"Idle talk will avail you nothing." The Supreme Serpent retorted, pounding the floor with his sceptre. "You had your chance to become one of the supreme ones, Jace Carson. Instead, you chose to cast your lot with the rabble; those who defy us are traitors… and you, like they, deserve no mercy! So speaks the Serpent!"
Meanwhile…
In Jace's absence, Grant Ward took charge of the SHIELD team. His first order was to compile the mystery air traffic they had detected and start piecing together a possible profile. The team was busy with their scanning equipment, passing it all to Fitz as he stitched together a data.
"Not what I was expecting for my first outing." She-Hulk mused with crossed arms, standing next to Grant.
"Seldom does anything go according to plan. Just can't worry too hard about it." The senior agent stated. She-Hulk looked to him, her eyes strikingly vivid.
"How can you not worry?" She wondered in disbelief. Grant returned her look. Maybe it wasn't his place to do what Jace was supposed to be doing… but Jace wasn't around right now.
"Dunno if you've ever heard about it, but there was an incident out in Nevada we called 'the Gamma Dome'. I was there and a couple of agents went in to try and scout the area. They were turned into gamma monsters. I was worried for them the whole time, but I didn't let it stop me. If I had, I wouldn't have been of much use to anyone. I would have dragged the mission down and would have been a hindrance to any rescue ops." He described. "Luckily the Avengers showed up and fixed everything, saving the agents. My patience was rewarded."
"But… you had to deny yourself." She-Hulk interjected.
"SHIELD comes first, Shulkie. Remember that." Grant responded. He looked away and the jade giantess frowned.
"Agent Ward. I've compiled the technical data for your review." Fitz announced. Grant strode over quickly, seeming fast-walking She-Hulk noticed.
"Tell me you've got something."
"All data indicates we were tracking a light aircraft. Some sort of multi-person airborne vehicle. It's not heavy but it's also fast enough." The Scottish agent explained. "Frequency scans indicate it used a combination of motor types."
"So a VTOL." Grant surmised.
"Or some close approximation of one. I wasn't able to get any more data after Commander Carson disappeared."
"Interruption?" Grant queried.
"More like it dropped off the map. Possibly because of cloaking technology… really good cloaking technology." Fitz responded. That gave She-Hulk pause. Being the last one to see Jace before he disappeared, the moment stood out quite clearly to her, and all the details accompanying it.
"Wait… maybe it has some kind of… smokescreen-tech to hide itself? I mean, he was sucked into a cloud and vanished." She piped up. Her suggestion hit Grant like a brick. The answer was obvious!
"Cloud…" he trailed off, hurriedly pulling his thoughts together, "Kapongo! Tell you have meteorological data available!" He shouted to the dark-skinned agent and broke into a jog over to his position.
"Pulling it up now." Kapongo responded, keying up a holographic weather map of their immediate area. Grant bent over, watching the clouds roll by with pixelated slowness.
"There's got to be some sort of atmospheric tracker we can use to follow cloud movement, discern the real stuff from a fake…" he muttered, watching for a clue.
"I think there's an easier way to figure it out chief." Agent Carlos remarked. Glancing up, Grant noted he was standing with arms crossed and looking straight up into the air. The agent pointed and Grant tracked his finger as She-Hulk and Fitz also looked up. "All the other clouds are drifting with the wind… kinda funny how that one isn't!" He stated, pointing to a singular cloud above them. Grant's eyes shot wide open.
"Fitz… x-ray, thermal, radiological, I want all of it pointed at that cloud." He breathed. Teh Scottish agent quickly acquired a large handheld unit, shaped like a film camera, and aimed it upwards. Pulsing waves swept across the cloud in question, and the data beamed back was shockingly surprising.
"Well now! A king-sized airship is using it as cover, like the old SHIELD Helicarrier!" He exclaimed with a growing grin. "That cloud must be full of some kinda chemical that fouls up radar. No wonder we haven't been able to pick up a trace of them." He mused, craning his head back to examine all of his findings.
"Nice work, everyone. Now we just gotta get up there!" Grant said aloud. As they spoke, the gears in She-Hulk's mind were turning. Despite Grant's recent lesson in being mission-focused, she couldn't help but feel compelled to act. Now that they knew where the Sons of the Serpent were located, they needed to stop them. And that meant boarding the airship. To her knowledge, the Sons were just a bunch of average people, easy to subdue. Her fellow agents had done the groundwork, they'd pinpointed the Sons. Now she needed to do what Maria Hill wanted her to do.
It was high time she contributed something. Especially with Jace on the line.
"You boys wouldn't happen to have jetpacks lying around, would you?" She asked hem collectively. Heads swivelled to look at her.
"Oh? You want to fly up there and just hope they'll open the door for us? Lay out the welcome mat to boot?" Fitz wondered somewhat sarcastically.
"I sure hope so. After all," She-Hulk cracked her knuckles and the sound could be heard by all, "my knocking can be very persuasive!" She stated with a simple grin.
Later…
The 2-hour time limit was coming to a close and the Serpents, confident their plan would succeed and the SHIELD team would fall under their sway, were preparing for what they were convinced would be a stellar victory. Seated on his stone-hewn throne, the Supreme Serpent sat before the throng of his followers with a shackled Jace beside him. The Sons were stirred up into a passionate mob.
"Hail the Sons of the Serpent! Hail the Supreme Serpent! We must banish all foreigners! We must keep the blood of America pure!" They chanted as one voice. The Supreme Serpent raised his sceptre and they grew instinctively quiet, listening with reverence.
"This will be our greatest victory, our moment of towering triumph!" He boldly declared. "Once the world learns that SHIELD is hopeless against us, all the unthinking lunatic fringe will swell our ranks by the countless thousands!" A technician in the garb of his followers stole to the side of his throne and whispered something inaudible. He was dismissed with a nod and he returned swiftly to his duties.
The Supreme Serpent stood and began pacing from side to side, the masses tracking him with eager eyes like an impassioned congregation listening to a hypnotizing preacher. "Before this day is over, the Sons of the Serpent will be the most powerful organization in the land! Hatred! Confusion! Distrust! They'll spread like wildfire from border to border! And a nation thus weakened… is a nation more easily conquered!" Roaring applause swelled from the empowered Sons, whooping and cheering like fans in a packed stadium. Jace was disgusted by the displays.
Then a deafening BOOM overwhelmed their applause, jerking heads towards the double doors at the back of them assembly. The two steel panels and been torn asunder, shorn from their hydraulics like pieces of paper as the smoke cleared as She-Hulk entered the room, flicking her luxurious hair over one shoulder.
"Been there, heard that, bought the t-shirt, Serpy! And I gotta say, you have to have a brain the size of a peanut to believe that nonesense wholeheartedly." She remarked, earning a smirk from Jace. "So while you're shouting cornball slogans, I'll just reciprocate with a little big, green muscle!" She-Hulk stated, pounding her fists together. "Come on, boys! Let's smash us some serpents!"
On cue, Grant Ward led his fellow agents into the assembly, all of them fully kitted out with weapons and SHIELD-issue flight packs. They had bypassed the Den's defences and shot to pieces any Sons guarding the entrance. Now they were spoiling for a fight. They had a mission to accomplish.
As they opened fire with rifles, She-Hulk slapped her hands together to generate a thunderclap that bowled over the nearest Sons. The rest surged ahead with a mob-mentality, rushing the SHIELD team in the hope that sheer numbers would get the better of them. However, the agents came fully prepared.
"Apprehend them all! Not a serpent goes free!" Grant shouted, tossing out a stun grenade that immobilized a cluster of agents. Fitz, Lam, Kapongo, Carlos and Miller took to the air, raining down fire from above as stun rounds incapacitated the Sons in droves, their robes proving useless against SHIELD tech.
She-Hulk waded into the fray, swinging her muscle-bound arms left and right as she sent robed terrorists flying. Not one of them could touch her, let alone hold a candle to her strength and fortitude. She was a woman on a mission, obsessed solely with getting Jace out of those shackles. Sons clung to her arms and legs, trying to slow her down. But she flung them off, kicking them like pebbles, reveling in her strength over them. She soon reached Jace, backhanding the Sons closest and executing a back-kick to send ones trying to jump her flying back through the throng.
"I trust you'll include this in your report?" She remarked with a smile, using her bare hands to snap the shackles holding Jace down.
"Newbie agent saved my bacon? Yeah, that's warranting some praise." He replied, rubbing his chafed wrists. She-Hulk held out a couple of pistols, to compensate for the sidearm he was currently lacking. "Follow me, the Supreme Serpent and his head flunky are trying for a getaway!" Jace urged and the couple broke off to pursue the ringleader.
Having ducked through a back passage, the Supreme Serpent and a single armed member of the Sons were desperate to escape. Now Jace and She-Hulk were hot on their heels, excellent physical training and gamma-enhanced stamina enabling them to move quick enough to close the gap between them. "Hold it right there, masked man! Nobody said the meeting was adjourned!" Jace called after him. "You've called the tune all this time… now it's your turn to dance!" The armed Son glanced fearfully over his shoulder.
"Supreme one! They're almost on top of us-!" He cried out in fright.
"Your grenade, you fool! Throw it!" The Supreme Serpent barked. The Son did as asked, tossing back a small spherical object that detonated to release a cloud of sea-green gas that quickly flooded the hall.
"Gas!" Jace cried, coming to a screeching halt. She-Hulk promptly pulled him back and executed another thunderclap, the ensuing shockwave causing the gas to dissipate within moments as air forced its way through and vented the poisonous material. But as the cloud faded, a cadre of Sons was revealed to them, armed and ready to fight.
"Surrender! In the name of the Supreme Serpent!" One of them bellowed, aiming his rifle at them. Jace dropped to a crouch, snapping up his weapons as She-Hulk began striding confidently forward arms raised as she shielded her face from incoming fire. Jace traded rounds with them as well, before she struck.
"Okay, boys… end of the line!" She cried with a toothy smile, swinging her arms wildly and mollywhopping the gang members. They tried to resist, tried to fight back, only to meet with abject failure. "How long'll it be before you bird-brains get the message? I appreciate the sparring practice, but you're not the ones I'm after!" She-Hulk remarked as she slammed one of them into a wall. She held him in place, the robed freak flailing in her grip, and looked to Jace. "You go after that hooded has-been, Commander! I'll keep this lot busy for you!" She proffered. Jace accepted her offer and bolted after the Supreme Serpent, the loud thwack thwack of hard-hitting blows sounding behind him.
He rounded a corner and spotted the Supreme Serpent attempting to access a door. Thinking quickly he shot the panel, startling him, and several more shots millimeters from his head swiftly earned his attention. "Hold everything, Serpy! After the rough ride you've given me, my trigger finger is mighty itchy right now." Jace threatened, weapons armed and pointed right at the cult leader's chest. The Supreme Serpent glanced around, appearing trapped.
"I'll crush SHIELD yet, you bungler! And you shall be the first to pay for this!" He snapped. All of a sudden, Jace loosed a gasp as someone collided with him from behind. He stumbled, whirling about as he discovered another robed hoodlum attacking him.
"Another serpent! This joint is crawling with 'em!" He muttered as he grappled with him.
"I've got you now, agent of SHIELD!"
"Gee, who writes your dialogue?" Jace retorted, landing a push kick that knocked the Son into a wall. "Of course, some guys always have to learn things the hard way!" The goon refused to stop, charging with outstretched hands as Jace rolled backwards and tossed him across the hall. The Son drew a pistol of his own, but Jace got the better of him. "Drop it, pal! You'll both be too busy for the next little while, wishing you'd never even heard of SHIELD or the name Jace Carson for that matter!" He promised with both weapons primed. Stubborn as ever, the serpent lunged, and Jace put him down with two point-blank stun shots to the head.
He was feeling confident, until the feeling of cold metal pressed against the side of his temple from behind registered with him. "Make another move, Agent, and you're as good as dead!" The Supreme Serpent hissed, his own firearm catching Jace dead to rights. Dropping his pistols and slowly raising his hands, Jace was being cautious. No sudden move in favor of avoiding testing his trigger-finger. At that moment, She-Hulk emerged from around the corner and stopped short seeing Jace in trouble again. "Hear me, you monstrous menace! Unless you want this man's fate to be upon your head, you will surrender here and now!" The Supreme Serpent called out. Jace merely shot her a wink.
"Haven't you heard? SHIELD doesn't do surrender, not when I've got Blue Cross anyhow." He quipped, promptly driving an elbow into his stomach. Reaching up and grasping the weapon, Jace pulled hard and threw the Supreme Serpent over his shoulder. "Shulkie, now!" He cried out as the group leader went sailing onwards the jade giantess. She-Hulk responded quickly, snapping out one arm to clothesline the Supreme Serpent before spinning around and driving an elbow into him, knocking him flat on the ground where he lay still.
"And that's the ball game." She-Hulk remarked, dusting off her hands with a proud, victorious smirk.
Later that night…
The SHIELD raid had been immensely successful. The whole of the Sons of the Serpent had been captured and imprisoned. SHIELD had confiscated their aircraft and had enough of a dossier on the hate-group to keep all the members behind bars for the rest of their lives.
All that remained was the question of their founder and leader.
In SHIELD's makeshift waterfront base, the Supreme Serpent sat bound in a chair as Jace Carson and Maria Hill loomed before him with arms crossed. More importantly, his mask was off, revealing his shocking true identity! "The Supreme Serpent… or should I say, General Tai Chen." Maria remarked, glaring at the Chinese militant. "Still expecting to denounce America to the United Nations for not clamping down on hate-groups, General?" She cheekily wondered. Chen grit his teeth.
"Everything would have worked perfectly, if not for you accursed SHIELD agents!" He snarled. "All I had to do was make Americans distrust each other… and then hate each other! For a fearful nation becomes a divided nation. And a divided nation is a weak nation, a nation ready for conquest!" Jace planted a boot on his thigh, dropping down low until their gazes met.
"Save it. You're going back to where you came from… not to mention you've earned a spot on our personal no-fly list. You try to even set foot on American soil and it's lights-out for you, Chen." He promised.
"You cannot do this!" Chen retorted.
"We're a global peacekeeping organization. We stop trouble before it starts." Maria continued. "If you didn't want to be branded as a 'troublemaker' then you should've considered that before you started up a terrorist cell."
"I am highly regarded by my government! They will give you hell if you detain me!" Chen tried to threaten.
"Ever think that you've brought them immense dishonour by trying and failing this little stunt?" Jace asked, his words provoking several unpleasant thoughts and Chen paled. "We'll send you back in the morning. I'm sure they're plenty creative when it comes to punishments." Jace stated. With that, he and Maria took their leave of the tent, alone together to process this successful mission.
"Not bad for your first outing as a commander." Maria remarked.
"You weren't doubting your decision, were you?" Jace replied in turn.
"All that matters is that SHIELD saves face. And I'd say you've done an excellent job of that." The acting-director responded.
"Well, happy to make a good first impression. Especially in handing rabble like Chen. The things he was saying… doing, too… It's disgusting that people should think to manipulate others like that. Beware the man who sets you against your neighbour… for the flame of freedom burns dimmer whenever the serpent's poison of bigotry is let loose." The senior agent mused, his gaze drifting along with his thoughts to his patriotic spirit. Maria eyed him out of the corner of her gaze.
"You pick that up in philosophy class?" She wondered, sounding somewhat dismissive. Jace exhaled softly.
"No… I'm a man of creeds, Hill. I may be part of a international agency who doesn't belong to any one country, but I'm American enough to know where to draw a line."
"Just so long as it doesn't compromise your judgement. You did good today, Carson. I can see I made the right choice." Maria stated, without fanfare, before she broke off to tend to bureaucratic issues. Jace made his way deeper into the camp, diverting to a mess tent where he found someone particular. Someone he needed to speak with.
She-Hulk had a cup of coffee in her hand, enjoying a hard-earned brew after her first assignment. She greeted him with a smile, partially slinking over to meet Jace halfway. "Tai Chen was the mastermind. That's gonna be fun for him to explain." She remarked.
"More than a few countries will be typing his name in red once this is made public." Jace responded.
"And not a moment too soon. Using a hate-group to try and exploit everyone's fear after the Skrulls… and he almost got away with it! How could they be so blind… so gullible?" The jade giantess wondered, sounding frustrated. Jace shrugged.
"That's the courage of a free country; any man has a chance to sway them and any man may be heard." He said truthfully. "It's also our strength, what makes us better than him."
"He'd rule through terror and fear." She-Hulk surmised.
"While we rule through respect and understanding." Jace finished. He paused, shifting gears to the subject matter sitting on his mind since the mission started. "And speaking of those things…" She-Hulk quirked a brow, brushing hair behind her ear.
"I'm all ears, Commander." She purred with a soft, inviting smile. Jace exhaled loudly.
"Look, you seem like a nice girl. But whatever it is you want to get from me? I can't give it." He stated firmly. "I'm spoken for. I have a girlfriend already." She-Hulk's expression shifted abruptly, appearing quite surprised by his words. "Don't act all surprised, I could tell you were flirting." Jace told her and She-Hulk scoffed.
"Well no duh, Captain Obvious. I thought I was allowed to flirt with my boyfriend." She retorted.
Jace blinked, his turn to be taken aback. "Huh?"
She-Hulk set her coffee down and strode closer, hands settling on his shoulders. "Jace… honey, it's me." She said softly, her eyes gazing deep into his. Jace studied her a little more intently this time. 'How does she know me…? How do I know her?' He studied the contours of her face, the shape of her jaw, the size of her nose… and the sudden surge of familiarity struck him like a lightning bolt.
"Jen?!" He exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his skin. She-Hulk beamed.
"Yes! Gosh, you're dense as a brick sometimes." Jenny said, teasing him by ruffling his hair. Jace remained dumbstruck and fumbled for an answer.
"But… I-I-I… You… Wha-…. How…"
"I wanted to tell you. I really did. But Maria swore me to silence until I had ingratiated myself with the team." Jennifer explained. While it all made sense to Jace, the sudden shock was still jarring. His short, quiet lawyer girlfriend was now this mighty, green, muscular… amazon. She lifted him up off the ground, hugging him close with immense strength. "But now you know and it's okay! We can do this together now! I'm cut out to be a field agent!" She set him down, hands on her hips as he continued to stare dumbfounded. "Well? Come on, say something!"
"I… Jenny…" He stuttered. It was too much for him. "I-I need a moment." He gasped, turning and trying to dart out of the tent.
"What? Jace-" She-Hulk tried to pursue him, but he turned and shot her a stern, mournful expression.
"Please, don't follow me." He hoarsely ordered before vanishing from the tent. She-Hulk stood rooted in place, concerned and confused…