(Next update's here. Hope you all enjoy it.)
Death Fury: Thanks.
Noble Six: Thanks.
Chapter 36: Planning Ahead
(Resistance's New Base, a few days later)
Connell stood with the other sub commanders of the resistance in the meeting room. Over Watch typed something on her device, presenting an image of a faceless human with the nanotech armor and weapons.
"Based on plans designed by Tony Stark, the nanotech was being processed to reflect the strength of Vibranium. He'd studied Captain America's shield more than once and was secretly developing defensive plans to utilize this for the Avengers and their allies."
Eren sighed.
"...If only it'd been ready sooner…"
Many of the group hung their heads.
"Well…it's not exactly ready…this is more of a prototype…"
Eren raised an eyebrow.
"Come again?"
"The U.S. has a very, very small amount of Vibranium…namely Cap's shield. They've been trying to find ways of matching and even exceeding its combat capabilities. So far, they've made what our friends have."
Connell rubbed his chin.
"Who's in charge of seeing this done?"
Over Watch pushed something on her device revealing an image of the men who gunned down Humprehy.
Connell stood up, ghastly eyes blazing and the darkness that formed his shadowy garb seemed to act as smoke from a fire or boiling water, rising off him.
Many there flinched, eyes wide.
Fatale rubbed her chin, eyebrow raised.
"You know them."
Connell's hands clenched into fists.
"Y-Yes…they killed a friend of mine…in front of me."
Absolute Zero's eyes closed.
The painful memory of Walter Hicks firing a gun coming back. He had hidden away at the one being shot. He'd argued to fight with them, but they'd been adamant and had put him there themself. Then, unknown to Hicks, he watched as the man burst in with a smirk and fired a gun at the person several times. Having covered his mouth as he watched the scene, the person was dragged off after being shot.
His hands clenched, freezing completely. Connell watched him grab one of the corner walls, it starting to freeze. He saw the wide eyed gazes of some of them. AZ followed their gaze. He sighed and the frost receded.
"How did they 'earn' this work?"
Over Watch pulled up files on each of them.
"They're called the Cleaners. Assigned with the task of hunting, arresting, or murdering those super powered people that have been discovered that haven't signed with the registration."
Connell turned to Over Watch, who flinched as his ghastly gaze. His eyes widened at this. The desire, the need for vengeance had emerged more fiercely now than before. Though he relaxed and his gaze and garb returned to their usual form, that desire still was with him.
"A-Apologies. I didn't mean to scare you. Where are they?"
"Not in Manhattan, it seems. They appear to have been assigned to Washington D.C. for now. They are still in charge of the project and left it in the direct hands of one of their proteges, who's recently been confirmed to have killed several inhumans that had been on the run from the law and had injured police when escaping."
"Then he will pay dearly as well. Still, why have they been moved?"
"Because it seems President Gyrich has an invested interest in giving them bigger and more important roles in his cabinet as well as having drawn the respect of Director Hill, with rumors of them being considered for becoming handlers or strategists in their Thor clone army."
The spirit of Adalbern roared.
'Those bastards defy the great god of Thunder! This vile disgrace to Thor cannot go unanswered.'
'They'll pay for what they've done..'
Connell sighed.
"With men like them having arguably the most powerful army in the world under their command…they'd cause even more untold slaughter. Over Watch, find them…learn everything you can about them…"
Over Watch nodded.
Connell turned to the others.
"In the meantime, we need to find their factories and shut them down permanently. We take down their factories and destroy or steal their supplies. Over Watch mentioned a Sentinel factory…we need to ready our group to attack it and burn it to the ground. How much security is there?"
"A few dozen agents and a squadron of Legion Sentinels…and one original Sentinel."
Convict's eyes narrowed, hands clenched into fists.
"We need a plan for the big one. The others we can handle with a small force."
"I can take it."
Eren stepped forward.
"That machine…the Thor clones…I'm down to fight them."
Connell nodded.
He could see the pain and fury in the man's eyes. He'd lost someone to one or both the Sentinels and Thor clones. His powers struck a resemblance to a hero he'd seen in footage and two races of aliens that had tried to find a home on Earth with some being peaceful and others not, but S.H.I.E.L.D. had tried to wipe them all out the same.
"But not by yourself. Heroes as powerful as She-Hulk were murdered by this army, I won't risk anyone to fight them. If they come, we retreat."
"I won't run from them."
Connell shook his head.
"I wouldn't expect you to. We will have to face them some day, only when we know how to."
Connell turned to the group.
"During my training, I studied the lore of Thor. His strengths and weaknesses…he's a god…and while this army isn't as strong as him, they are still dangerous. We must go through any of the old lore and footage of his battles so that we can find any vulnerabilities that he may have had. Gods be good…I don't wish to disgrace him…but we must find the god of thunder and strength's weakness."
The group nodded.
(Training room, an hour later)
Connell growled as he cut down a replica of a Legion Sentinel with his longsword, ducking under its blasts. Another flew at him, but he stabbed with his blade through its head. One fired blasts at a distance, but Connell dodged the blasts as he moved forward. He lunged forward, running the Sentinel through with his blade.
He panted and grunted, standing over several fallen Sentinels. The sound of footsteps approached.
"You've had a workout."
Connell turned, seeing Absolute Zero leaning against the wall.
"Just needed to work something out of my system."
"None of us has ever seen you so angry before, but seeing the ones who killed someone close would do that to someone."
Connell nodded.
"Like you and Walter Hicks?"
"...Right…"
Absolute Zero's hands gripped his arms as they crossed.
"A day doesn't go by that I don't think of him…what he's done."
Connell inhaled and exhaled, the spectral blade vanishing.
"Over Watch is looking into everything she can about them…and a lot of others. She's asked for some help, though she didn't want to say she needed it."
"Even geniuses need help sometimes."
"That's what I said."
"I'll help her…I've been tracking him, but I never got as close as I did until we came upon him before we freed the shifters."
"He took someone close to you."
Absolute Zero slowly nodded.
"I don't know what happened to them…but I'll make him talk…"
Connell nodded.
"A lot of people here have those they're going after…I'm gonna help you all as best as I can with that."
The cryokinetic sighed, hands shaking.
"Thanks."
Connell watched as the Sentinels vanished. He grunted as he cracked his neck.
"...I've been aiming to avenge my friend and all those who've suffered…just knowing those who oppress those that aren't human getting rewarded and praised for it…it boils my blood."
His eyes and shadowy form manifested as they did before.
"I will not let it stand…they will pay for what they've done!"
Absolute Zero's eyes widened at this, but then slowly nodded.
Connell panted, his chest heaving. He grunted as his breath slowed and he inhaled through his nose, his ghastly form returning to its common form again. The resistance leader sighed, approaching the cryokinetic.
"I promised myself I'd help as many as I could...you and those who've joined are no exceptions. We will find Walter Hicks and he will answer to you for what he's done."
Absolute Zero nodded after a moment. Both young men shook hands.
Gigi walked into the room.
"Everything ok?"
Connell nodded.
"Good. Are you enjoying the training room?"
"Yes, thank you. We will need to do large amounts of training here. You made sure to soundproof this room, right?"
Gigi smirked.
"Wouldn't be much of a secret if I didn't."
Connell nodded.
"Thank you for this. We will need to do large training sessions here. Besides that, I'm guessing you didn't come to talk about that?"
Gigi nodded.
"You know how I discovered the Sentinel factory?"
The two young men nodded.
"Come to the meeting room, everyone is waiting there."
They nodded.
The three walked into the meeting room, all the current resistance members turned to them. A few of the dogs approached them, tails wagging. As Over Watch walked up to the head of the room, one dog following her, the two young men walked to the back of the room. Connell scratched behind the ears of one of the dogs.
"Ok, what have you discovered?"
Over Watch typed something and on the screen appeared the overhead image of a S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
"Outside Manhattan is a considerably large and complex base for S.H.I.E.L.D. While going through their data banks, I found that this is the command center for their operation in New York and a few of the surrounding states."
Harley grinned.
"Then we take it down."
Many of those gathered nodded.
"Hold on, this base has several levels of security and a considerably large defense force of highly trained agents and Legion Sentinels. They have a small army there."
One of Kenna's hands was suddenly ablaze as she frowned.
"We'll burn it to the ground."
Over Watch turned to Connell. He walked over to stand beside her.
"Over Watch has found two important targets for us. But both will need careful planning and recruitment to take down. The base will be our most valued and dangerous target. So we strike the Sentinel factory first. But not yet."
"Not yet?"
"We need to organize our attack. A blind assault on the factory could get those who go captured…or killed."
Mari's spirit stirred.
'Wait for the right moment to strike or take away the enemy's advantage. Take your foe down, with a single strike and if not one, as many as it takes.'
Connell stood before the group.
"We must be precise…strong…we study the factory, learn about its strengths and weaknesses…we don't take anything to chance."
Some of the group nodded, others whispered.
"This will be a blow to them…still, not everyone will be able to go on this."
Many protested.
"I understand! I don't want to risk anyone. We must have a small force with the most destructive abilities to destroy the facility."
"Maybe not right away."
The resistance leader turned to Gigi.
"You think there's something more to the factory?"
"The factory? Not exactly…it's just if this is a major Sentinel factory…maybe there's some documents there that may be of use…ones that aren't in their digital data banks."
AZ took a step forward.
"She's right. We can't leave any stone unturned there. We search everything and everywhere then when we're certain there's nothing to learn or nothing else to discover…we blow it to kingdom come."
Some chuckled at this, patting one another on the back. Connell smiled, nodding.
"As for those who won't be going, you won't be sitting idle. There's still your daily Legion Sentinel or military patrol. Your jobs are to take them on and take them out."
Some nodded, others rubbing their hands together. Others were still, silent.
"Over Watch, Fatale, you'll coordinate these runs."
The two women nodded.
"Lona, Richard."
The lion shifters looked at him.
"The shifters will come with us to the factory as a rear guard. Any reinforcements that may come and any patrols are yours to subdue."
The shifters nodded.
Connell looked to his allies.
"As I've said before: we're only just beginning. We will burn the whole corrupt, bigoted system to the ground!"
The resistance cheered.
To be continued…
(Sorry for the late update.)