Chapter 288: Arc Ten. Chapter Two-Hundred Eighty-Eight. Avengers Disassemble
Vengeance hissed and as the blades grew from her arms, Abomination stared at her in horror,
"Fuckin 'ell. You're one of them things ain'tcha?" he whispered in terror. As she took a more aggressive pose he shrank back down and raised his hands
"I saw what happened to Ross and fuck that. I surrender." He looked around, saw the gathering crowd eager to watch the battle, suddenly fell to the ground and grabbed at his legs, "oww oww, me legs, oww me legs. You crippled me," he yelled over dramatically while Cyclops and Vengeance just stared at him, "yeah I ain't burning for nobody. Now, beat it before they send anyone else. I'll cover for you." Confused but unwilling to let the opportunity go, the pair made their escape,
"What was that about?" Cyclops asked her,
Vengeance could only shrug, "no clue." and as the quinjet hovered above the treeline, they jetted up into the cargo bay.
"We've got a pickup to make. Flash is joining us again, seems Ross got Cap and Danvers. We're breaking them out."
The Jet hovered for a few moments as Vengeance and Cyclops made their way to the cockpit, and before steaking off it hovered next to a building. The pair heard two soft thumps, and the top hatch opened as Huntress and Webb let themselves in.
Felicia let her armour peel back, "nice. Four should be enough, what's the plan?" she asked but Cyclops pointed at Flash,
"His show,"
Flash paled as he realised that this was supposed to be his rescue mission. "Right, uh, yeah." and Webb slid back as well. "So, they have Steve and Carol. Standard Procedure is now to contain at Camp Gamma, where they have an Augment containment facility, and then provide armed and armoured escort to the docks. Shield had a new helicarrier, and a new Raft, on Alcatraz Island. It was completed a year ago and can hold up to 500 inmates with enhanced abilities. Collars, power dampers and gene suppressors."
"Are we sneaking in? Like the movie?" Scott asked but Flash shook his head,
"While it was cool, no. We hit them at Camp Gamma. The Gamma troopers are all out securing Augments so the base is almost empty. The only security detail left should be prisoner containment. With only guards, and no Gamma powered there, it should be a simple smash and grab." Flash explained, "But. I need help. Will that work?" and he looked over at Maria and Fury.
Fury sighed but Maria blinked a few times while staring off into space.
Frowning and shrugging, "it's a good idea, the towers haven't been upgraded yet, so it's just normal machine guns. We have radio chatter that the big fish, Blonksy, Marvel, and Talbot are all in the field, and so far only Marvel proved effective against you guys. It'll probably go sideways once we start, but I don't see any issues." Maria looked at Fury, who shrugged,
"The only real problem is your Avengers status." She continued. "After this, I doubt you and Cap will be welcome. I doubt any of us won't have a huge bounty on our heads," but as the team looked at each other nobody argued.
"Disguises then. I mean, we have three symbiotes here, and as long as it's just us three," Flash looked over at Scott, "four, I mean, nobody can tell who you are with that visor on. I have been doing the lessons Parker gave me so I can make Webb change colour now."
"Right, so us four. Fury, your transport once more. Do we have a map of the area?" Maria asked, and Fury nodded and began to call up different points on the cockpit's navigational displays. "Good, so," and the plan to rescue their friends was decided.
Camp Gamma was on alert, but the group had been right. With a major threat alert issued all the Gamma Enhanced had been sent out, and it was only those who were still adjusting or had still to receive their treatments that were left.
It wasn't as if Ross left the base unattended. Only soldiers of corporal and above were inducted, Ross didn't want rookies. He needed men who were loyal and committed to the army to serve under him, and more importantly to receive what was a life-changing event.
It took a few weeks at least, switching between forms and living as a Hulk. A special section of the base had been built, with reinforced floors and roads. Special buildings that would withstand a newly born Hulk falling onto, or ripping its doors off trying to enter.
It was also where the newly christened Ice Box was. Where prisoners were put on ice until they were transferred to the Freezer, a cryo containment facility where enhanced were to be held indefinitely. Flash had been out of the loop and the prison on Alkatraz was a minimum security holding facility.
Why drug or collar an Enhanced and risk their powers adapting, and what of Enhanced who could control technology? It was easier to just freeze and monitor. As long as they were kept alive, nobody cared about their civil rights, and with ARCA in place, it wasn't even illegal anymore.
Steven and Carol were in huge containers, both with a drip strapped into one arm. The newly christened Crates had all the latest in Starks power dampening technology, and once they were aboard one of the heavily armoured transport trucks they were as good as continued. Only the Freezer had the cryosleep serums counter, and without it, they would never wake up. It had been developed to contain Hulk, but against a normal Enhanced, it was just as good.
Monica watched as they loaded the Crates into the truck. Carol's alien had retreated once she was out for the count, and they had no way of getting to it. She didn't care though, as the serum should take care of it just as easily. She was on watch, she was the only one that had returned from her mission. Talbot had been reported as down, Blonksey, the idiot, hadn't even put up a fight as he met a Gamma killer, and Stark was MIA, somewhere up in the atmosphere. Ross had personally gone after him, to make sure he'd either taken out Parker or to finish the job.
She felt the slight tingle in the hairs on the back of her neck. Her sensitivity to disruptions in the electromagnetic field around her gave her a second sense, and she knew that something or someone was coming. Clicking her mic, "Early Warning, no visuals."
The soldiers knew she had powers, and were to listen, even if it turned out to be a false alarm, but as there was a chatter of gunfire, and one of the guard towers suddenly went dark, it was obvious they were under attack.
She spotted the first enemy, and it was one of those slick bodysuits that Carol had been wearing, or at least it looked like it, "dammit," she clicked her walkie talkie, "it's Parker, get the pulse rifles." It was standard procedure that the soldiers around camp Gamma only used normal ordinance, the heavy pulse rifles were only used in the containment area and as the black shadow flickered and she heard the screams of soldiers, she knew that would have to change.
"Dammit," she cursed, moving forwards and as she lit up her hand a red beam streaked from an unknown location and impacted against her. She was blown backwards and flew through the air, tumbling along the ground as she landed heavily.
"Stay down, I won't warn you again," she heard a man's voice and she moaned, that was a warning? fuck. She focused the photon force through her body but it spluttered and faded, she tried to summon any form of energy, maybe she could match the one that was just fired at her but as her hand's cycled through every particle she could think of the bean stuck out once more and impacted her, blowing a huge hole in the ground around her, leaving her lying struggling to breathe in the crater.
"I was not joking. We will take our friends and leave. If nobody resists we won't harm anyone. Stay down and stay out of it." she heard him say again, and with no choice, she nodded.
"Damn you're sexy when you take charge," Cyclops heard the invisible Vengenace whisper in his ear, and her hot breath tickled and was threatening to distract him. "But later you can use that voice on me," he shuddered as the husky voice gave the promise of bedroom pleasure, "no time lover boy, six o'clock," and while he couldn't see anyone a beam wide enough to hit a person streaked out.
Falcon landed, narrowly avoiding the beam. "We heard, You know we can't just stand down. The Avengers never give up," and there was echoing laughter from all around him,
"The Avengers mean something. You are thugs, following orders and licking boots. You aren't Avengers, you are criminals." but Falcon's headset couldn't pinpoint the voice. "Stand down and we'll take Cap and Carol and leave, stand against us, and we'll make sure the Avengers never see the light of day again."
"What guarantee do I have you won't do that anyway?" Falcon asked and the voice became a show which became a man, a man he recognised.
"Because Sam. That badge means something to me, and it means everything to Cap," Webb said, throwing his ID down at Falcon's feet. "We are more than just a name, we are supposed to be an example. And you failed. You and Scott, and Monica. Didn't you learn from Ava?"
Sam frowned but nodded. Ava had been slated to join the Avengers, but her hatred of Hank Pym had led her to attack Scott as soon as she saw him. She was off the team before her badge was printed.
"You know this is all illegal right? We work for the government, we're the good guys,"
Webb shook his head and stepped in front of him, "No, we work for the people. We protect the citizens of the world. If we can't save them, then we avenge them. Not just the US, not just the rich or the privileged, but everyone one, humans, Enhanced, Symbiotes, and Augments. Like Cap says, liberty and justice for all,"
Falcon sighed, "Cap's from a different time Flash, it doesn't work like that anymore."
Webb snorted, "And you think that makes it right, that makes it our job? To enforce the laws. You're not military anymore Sam, you're supposed to be an Avenger. If you want to enforce the law, become a cop, not a superhero," Webb took a deep breath, "and that's long enough."
Falcon frowned and realised that he couldn't hear the sounds of any fighting going on around him. He laughed, "you distracted me, and got your people back." Webb just smiled and nodded, "and Scott?"
"He's fine. As soon as he saw them he stopped and surrendered. Ant-Man isn't big on taking out a whole team."
Falcon laughed, "nice work, but you might want to save the jokes for your trial. You know taking them will get you arrested."
Webb shrugged, "You have to catch us first Sam." and as the jet flew in and hovered behind Webb, he lifted a hand and shot a web at it. "Don't chase us, it won't end well, even with the pulse guns, you won't win."
Falcon nodded, and as the jet lifted off taking Webb with it he lifted his visor and folded his wingsuit back into standby mode. "Anyone awake?" and he was met with a chorus of groans, "fine, get this shit cleaned up, Anyone seen Lang or Rambeau?" and as he spoke Scott grew from nowhere and appeared by his side. "Some help you were."
Scott pointed to his suit, a note had been webbed to it, where the first of the Pym particle cartridges sat,
'Next time it's a spike, and that belt won't stop it'
Sam shuddered, they had been shown the test files from Darren Cross's failed experiments of the Yellow Jacket suit, where parts of an animal shrunk at different rates as the mix was wrong. "Yeah, I get that."
A soldier rushed over and hastily saluted, "Captain Rambau is unconscious Sir, unhurt but they hit her hard," Sam sighed, "and uh, Sterns escaped as well."
"Ross is going to be pissed." lifting a radio from the soldier, began to organise the camp cleanup.
Weekly Power Status
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