10 minutes later
Jason had readied himself in the first storage room. The lights having been cut, and equipment stored away as best as possible. He was perched above the first shipping container nearest the door leading to the lower levels and outside. Taking refuge in the darkness of the scaffolding. The shipping container was one of four in the room. Two were stacked on top of one another and placed parallel to the container he was over. A space between to allow passage. The final container was placed parallel to the others, but touching the wall next to the opposite doorway. Creating an artificial hallway between the wall and its side. The final pieces of equipment were two snow tractors that could be lowered onto the below ice for expeditions.
With all of this shrouded in darkness, Jason had a nice little playground to separate, intimate, and terminate. Right on schedule, the door leading outside began to glow around the edges. The men cutting a hole rather than attempting to blow the door open. The cutting ceased with a final hiss of the blow torch, indicating the men were preparing to breach.
Suddenly the door flew across the room and embedded itself in the opposite wall.
"The door is too damn small!" A deep voice resonated from outside.
"I told you that before we arrived! Now make yourself useful and knock open the other door!" A high-pitched voice fired back.
"You also said that this would be an easy job! No security and an isolated oil rig!" The deep voice responded.
"I said it was low security, you mouth breathing neanderthal. Not no security. Now again, go make yourself useful and follow our plan!" The high-pitched voice whined.
Jason knew those voices but couldn't place them. He didn't have time to dwell though as a stream of armed men entered the room. Being outlined by the outside light shining through their new doorway. He counted fifteen men before two metal arms entered the room. Hauling through a small, green suited figure. Two other arms entered the room behind the individual. "Confirmed meta, Gizmo and a second unknown meta on-site." Jason spoke quietly into his comm.
Aqua Girl quickly jumped in, "What is he doing here? He's never shown interest in expanding beyond Jump City."
"Unknown, but he's here and seems to be in command." Jason responded as he slowly inched his way across the scaffolding.
"Spread out you idiots! The door should be over there." Gizmo shouted as his arms carried him through the pathways. The men formed up around him and created a small escort toward the aforementioned door.
"This was your first and only warning! Surrender and be taken into custody or force will be used!" Jason called out as he constantly shifted his position in the rafters. Making it seem like his voice was coming from everywhere.
"Ahhh crap! A bat! Which one are you?! Dullwing is in Jump, last I checked and Red Bumpkin hasn't been seen outside his team!" Gizmo shouted into the darkness. His men panning their rifles with flashlights attached into the darkness. Looking for targets. The response of a low gurgle met Gizmo's question, as a man fell to the ground.
"What the…" one of his men muttered as they approached the collapsed man. Turning him over, they were met with the sight of a throwing knife embedded to the hilt in his throat.
"What the fuck!" Gizmo shouted out.
"I'm not a bat. I'm an executioner."
With that statement, the room exploded into activity. Jason had dropped down on the back of one of the men. Quickly placing two shots in the back of the man's head. He then rolled to his right and took cover behind the double stacked containers. As the corner exploded into sparks and pings from the men opening fire.
"Kill him! You three come with me! We need to get out of here!" Gizmo screamed out with fear. The three mentioned men quickly sprinting to the next door, lighting their blow torches. Their hands shaking with adrenaline and fear.
One of their braver comrades had approached the corner with their partner. The plan, to catch the shadow off guard. He rounded the corner to find nothing, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He was surprised by a small coughing sound and his partner falling to the floor with a loud clang. He turned and caught the vague outline of a circular shape pointed at him. Jason pulled his trigger, dropping the second man. He then decided that he needed to pick off as many of these men here, in his controlled environment. So he sprinted across the container and jumped. Landing again on another man, but this time on the man's chest and following it up with a stomp to his neck. The men around him, hearing the snap, spun to try and acquire a target. Jason slammed his left shoulder back, leading him to fall into the closest man behind him. He wrapped his right arm around the man's arm holding the rifle, as the soldier attempted to unload on his previous position. He angled the rifle to the man's comrade, and cut him down with a spray of bullets. Jason had, at the same time, drawn his left pistol and delivered a double tap to the other man. He then pivoted his body and threw the man over his hip in a spin. Firing his pistol again as the man hit the ground, painting the floor red.
The remaining four men turned and unloaded on Jason. He rolled backwards over his shoulders, resettled on his feet and jumped backwards in a lunge. Landing on his back behind one of the snow tractors. His armor emitting a small light of red on his chest from bullets that managed to land. He holstered his pistol again and extended his right arm blade. Two of the men quickly rounded the corner again. This time thinking they had timing on their side from the shadow's gymnastics, and Jason needing time to reset. They were met by the armored man charging them. Stabbing the arm blade through the head of the rightmost man and using the momentum to force the body to fall with a leading left shoulder. This gave Jason a platform to roll his back over the back of the body and drive a downward slash through the arms of the second man. The man barely had time to recognize the pain of losing his arms before a reverse upward slash cleaved his head from his body.
"Doors open!" One of the three men called out as he threw himself through.
"Move! Out of the way losers!" Gizmo called out as he practically flew out the door. His mechanical legs pounding small dents into the floor in his hurry. The remaining two men nearest Jason tried to pull back and rejoin their squad mates, only to drop from twin shots from Jason's pistols. His arm blade retracting. He then drew out his grapple gun and fired at the last retreating man. Pulling him back into the storage room and firing a round through his head.
"Run you idiots! We need to get the elements and get off this rig!" Gizmo screeched out as he fled from the void.
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Vicki and Dale were lurking through the hallways of the rig. They knew the order was to stay in their assigned rooms till being told it was safe. But this was the story of the year! A trio of elements that could set humanity forward decades, and all it had between it and the attackers was a teenage girl. She wasn't even technically part of the humanity she was trying so hard to protect. An Atlantean that pushed aside the typical Atlantis grievances with the surface world, to ensure a future for all. The story practically wrote itself! The only problem was, Vicki had to see it.
So they had been skulking around the research level, in the hopes of "stumbling" on Aqua Girl. They "obviously" hadn't made it to the crew quarters in time, and no one would let them in. So they figured the best option would be to seek shelter with the Titan. Vicki led Dale through the hallways in a low crouch, approaching the door to the main lab. Vicki turned and pounded on the door.
"Aqua Girl?! Open up! No one else will let us in!" Vicki called in her best slightly scared reporter voice. The door flying open and two strong hands pulling Vicki and Dale into the room in response.
"What are you!…. I don't have time. Get behind one of the desks. Quickly!" Tula answered as she practically threw the two of them toward a desk off to the side. Agent Knight had said that Gizmo was aboard, with another meta he couldn't identify. Since then, he said that Gizmo had breached his ambush and was sprinting straight for the lab.
Vicki and Dale had fallen behind the desk just as a loud clang reverberated on the door. A sharp talon piercing through the hardened metal as a second talon did the same on the opposite side. The door was yanked backward toward the hall. Crumpling the metal like tin foil as the hinges gave way and the door collapsed in on itself. Seconds later two men burst into the room with wild eyes and guns snapping to every point of movement.
Tula had used the time she had while waiting to fill every sink, vial, and beaker with water. Calling upon her hydrokinetic powers, she bowled over the two men with a wave and then froze them to the walls beside the door. They hung there like frozen puppets. But the strange part was they looked like they had just been saved by Aqua Girl's capture. Tula didn't have time to register their reaction however. Gizmo had entered the room, looking just as wild eyed and extremely twitchy as he hung from the talons in his pack.
"I thought you would have brought more men. What, HIVE going through a.." Tula would never finish that sentence, as one of his talons smacked the side of her head with such force that she was sent flying across the room.
A call of "Out of the way Fish Girl!" Tore from Gizmo's mouth. Tula was out before she hit the ground.
Vicki watched this in stunned silence. She knew that Gizmo could be dangerous, but he was more often just trying to get some sort of plan over on the Titans. She doesn't know if she's ever heard of him attacking a Titan in such a feral manner. Usually it was robots or his "minions".
She was pulled from these thoughts as Gizmo pulled a box from his pack and called his team. "Hey! I have the elements! I need you to send 5 guys down towards the research lab!" He paused while listening to a response. "I don't care! My guys are gone! There's something on this rig and it's somehow worse than Slade!" Gizmo broke out in a frenzy as he loaded his prize. "Yes! I'm sure it's not Slade! Just send the guys!" Gizmo finished as he bounded back into the hall.
Vicki was flabbergasted, and Dale didn't appear much better. Gizmo wasn't tough but he didn't break like that. It was as if the boogeyman was chasing him and Gizmo was running out of space.
"Tell me we got that." Vicki asked in a flat voice.
"Yep, every second." Dale replied as he stared at the young hero passed out across the room. He was the first to notice movement by the door. With a yelp he grabbed Vicki's shoulder and pointed.
Agent knight was standing in the doorway. His rifle hung casually in his hands and across his body. He merely glanced at the two of them as he made his way over to Aqua Girl.
"Red Crown, Aqua Girl is incapacitated and the elements are gone." Agent Knight spoke as he stared down at the young hero. A slight shaking of his head. "Most likely a concussion, Red Crown." The agent finished as he turned and eyed the men frozen to the wall. Both stiffening under his gaze.
"Acknowledged, I'll attempt to prevent their departure." He finished as he slowly made his way to the side of the door. He unsheathed his knife and held it in a reverse grip in his left hand. Using his wrist to brace his rifle.
No sooner had he taken his position than a man had attempted to barrel into the room. Knight shot once, and red painted the opposite wall as the forward momentum carried the now dead man further into the room. Knight then side stepped off his wall, firing into the doorway and catching another attacker before they could enter the room. He took the rifle off his wrist and held it facing the floor at a 45 degree angle. The stock still resting on his shoulder. A second later he turned the corner and Vicki heard a wet gurgling sound. Which was followed by Knight unloading down the hallway at some unknown attackers one handed. He then pulled his knife free, sending a streak of red across the wall, and sheathed it in one smooth motion.
Vicki and Dale then watched as he stalked off in pursuit of Gizmo.
"Did we get that?" Vicki asked again. This time far more warily and hesitant.
"Did…. Do we want to get that?" Dale asked as he stared wide-eyed at the doorway. Both were interrupted by a groan and movement from across the room.
xxxxxxxxxx
Mammoth was having a good day. He was in the North Atlantic, on a relatively easy mission and he was set to get paid handsomely for his efforts. All he had done was punch open two doors and follow the fanatics through the rig. That was until Gizmo had called him in a frenzy. He knew the man could be dramatic at times, as they have been working together for years, but this was a whole new level. The little genius seemed like he was on death's door. Mammoth couldn't understand why though. The landing pad was secure, thanks to his valuable efforts, and the men were ready to repel down to hovercraft that would sweep in to pick them up. Sure they had lost two from the distraction to the east, and the main craft now had giant holes in their electronics. But they still ran as best Mammoth could tell. If not, Gizmo could remedy that in a few minutes.
He turned to see Gizmo and his talons running as fast as the mechanical joints would let him. He barreled past Mammoth and made his way up to the top of the landing lad. Mumbling something about needing to get communications up.
"Giz, what's the big idea and rush?" Mammoth called out with his arms held out.
"No time! I have to get in contact with the final hover skiff!" Gizmo elaborated.
"Why don't we just climb down and fix the two we came on?" Mammoth asked not understanding why his friend was so worked up.
"We don't have time! It'll take too long for me to fix one, and we won't get very far." Gizmo said as he configured his technical pad.
"Do we at least have the elements?" Mammoth asked. He may like traveling for work, but it was too long of a flight and boat ride to get here for nothing.
"Of course I have the elements! Didn't I already…!" Gizmo was interrupted by six quick coughs and the pad in his hands exploding.
Mammoth looked around at his men. They had originally been told to watch the parameter. But soldiers they were not, and they quickly got bored and started taking in the scenery. All five men were down with blood seeping from their heads. A distorted voice then called out to the red headed man and small tech genius,
"You're moving awfully fast for a couple of guys headed to a closed casket funeral."
