Capítulo 12: 2/2
"Got ya" snarled Cooper as he retracted the grapple and fired his jump kit, Spider-Man tried to react, but failed as the Marauder went high and shot past, but not before Matt was able to wrap his arm around the superhero's neck and draw his axe as the Pilot buried the pick in the wall and tightened his grip on Wallcrawler's neck, slowly cutting the oxygen to his head while the hero panicked.
Cooper only squeezed harder, knowing, hoping, that Spider-Man's enhanced strength would prevent him from crushing his windpipe entirely. He really didn't want to kill one of his few friends. The Wallcrawler fought wildly, trying to pry Cooper's arm off and press his feet against the building to force himself away. But Coopers grip held fast, if Spider Man tried to press himself earlier or use his webshooters then he could have escaped, but any chance of that left with his consciousness as he fell limp in the Marauder's arm. With some effort, Matthew managed to sling the Webhead over his shoulder, thankful it was dimming outside so that he wouldn't be seen from below. "Alright BT" he said as he grappled his way onto the roof and caught his breath. "Change of plans, I'm on my way back to the barn and I'm bringing a friend."
"Ugh…." Groaned Peter Parker as he tried to move his hands, only to find no give in what was restraining them behind his back. He could tell he was leaned up against some sort of pole or column, arms wrapped around it. His legs were locked in a similar restraint with no give, even against his enhanced strength.
His vision slowly returned, and he expected to see the Marauder or some darkened interrogation room. The man whom he remembered battling lording over him about how the day was his.
What he did not expect was to be staring up at a 25-foot-tall humanoid robot. A singular blue light was at the center of the torso while there was a prominent missile launcher extended over either shoulder and pointed down at him. "Cease your struggles Mr. Parker or you will be terminated to uphold Protocol 3" said the machine sternly.
His eyes went wide, not at the threat, not even how it had been delivered, but the fact that this machine knew his name. Parker never doubted that the Marauder was a threat, but knowing his identity? Had MJ given it up? Where was she? Where was he?
"Ease off him BT" said a familiar filtered voice as the Marauder strode into the room. "His intervention was inevitable, and as it happens necessary. Stand down." The machine regarded the armored man for a moment, its light spinning and flickering before the rocket pods retracted and it stood straighter in a less aggressive stance. "Sorry about that, he gets awfully defensive when it comes to my well-being. And you did lay quite the hurt on me" said the Marauder casually as he grabbed a chair and spun it around, so he sat on it backwards, facing Parker.
"Oh, monologue time? My favorite" chirped Peter sarcastically as he kept an eye on both Pilot and Titan. "Is this the part where you explain your evil plan before you execute me?" he asked with mock chipperness.
The helmeted man simply shook his head, shoulders sagging, head low, almost as if he were the one who had been defeated. "I'm afraid you've misjudged me" he said calmly, with a tinge of hurt. "I'm many things, but not the bad guy."
"Then what do you think you are?" asked Peter, trying to keep up the happy tone, though curiosity was seeping into his mind.
"Not that different from you actually" he said as he rested his arms on the seat back. "I was just a normal guy, in the background, living day to day. And then, just like that" he said as he snapped his gloved fingers. "Everything changed. Life started over, with a whole new set of rules, ones I didn't know, still don't."
Peter shook his head, this guy had to be nuts, deluding himself. He was a psycho! A murderer! Nothing alike! "If that were the case then you wouldn't be gunning people down in the streets and kidnapping newspaper reporters."
Instead of telling him off, the vigilante nodded solemnly. "Maybe, but there was one rule I did learn, the first one. Kill or be killed, that was what kept me alive, simple and effective. My goal was similar to what you try to do, save lives. Only I did it in a very different way."
"Save lives by taking them?" asked a shocked Parker, the guy was clearly delusional. "Sounds to me like you became what you were trying to stop."
"Trust me, I am nothing like those I fought and killed. Their objective was the murder of 40 million people, men women and children" he sneered, as if he had taken Peter's words personally. "I did what I had to, sacrificed myself to ensure the destruction of the weapon that would enable that slaughter. Now? I'm playing a new game but using the same old rules."
He stood up and made his way towards Peter, who tried to move away, but only gained a foot at best. "I'm not going to hurt you, just take your mask off. I know who you are, just want to look at you eye to eye." The Marauder then did just that, taking his mask off with one hand, regarding it carefully before he dropped it in Peter's lap.
With slightly trembling hands, the Marauder slowly reached up and pulled his helmet off, leaving Peter's mouth agape. "Cooper?" he asked quietly, shocked. His suspicions had been right after all. "YOU! THIS WHOLE TIME!" he roared; his disbelief being replaced by anger.
Matthew flinched noticeably before he nodded, shame etched on his features as he looked down at his helmet and ran his thumb over the visor. "Yeah" he said weakly, "it's me." The easygoing smile reemerged, but his eyes remained downcast.
"But why?" asked Parker simply, unable to think of another question.
Cooper shrugged, "I'm not sure anymore" answered the Marauder grimly. "But right now, none of that matters. We both have a job to do and our best play is to work together. You wanna have a deep philosophical discussion? We can do that later."
"What on earth would make you think I would help you?" sneered Parker.
Cooper put his helmet back on, the visor activating and turning blue. "I know where Mary Jane is" he revealed as he spun his hand, causing the machine to produce a massive machine gun and load it before settling into a crouch. "When we fought the first time, Kingpin got a hold of the security camera footage and saw both of us talking with her. He's using her to get to us" he revealed grimly before his eyes turned back to steel and met Peter's own. "I'm about to stage a rescue effort. You in?" Peter's heart wound up in his throat and he couldn't manage to say anything. "I'm not asking you to do anything you wouldn't. Anyone you neutralize won't be harmed further, this isn't about revenge, this isn't about killing them. We need to rescue Mary Jane and have a limited window."
Parker couldn't understand what he was playing at. He thought he knew the Texan; thought he was a good person beneath it all. Never would the Queens Native have imagined he was capable of doing the things he had done and seem so uncaring about everyone he had killed. Though he didn't miss the part where Matthew offered to talk about it, he was willing to change, do the right thing, and Peter thought he was being sincere. That swung it.
"I'm in."
"So, you decided to join Spider, I have to say I'm surprised" said Hardy over the radio, causing Cooper to chuckle. "Didn't expect you to take a walk on the wild side."
The Pilot was settled into the cockpit of the Vanguard class Titan, laying in ambush alongside the road. "I don't want to talk about it Felecia" snapped Peter, still testy. "How long until they get here?"
Felecia, from Perrault's home and control center, was able to monitor what the Syndicate was doing. It hadn't taken long for the cat burglar to find Watson; she had been taken from her apartment and was now on the move. An armored convoy was going to be taking her out of state, but the Marauder and Wallcrawler had the route. "Not long now. What happened to your patience Spider? You used to handle stakeouts so well."
"Not. Now. Felicia" said Parker through grit teeth, it was clear the super hero was having issues working with the Marauder. Truthfully, it hurt Cooper, this was one of his closest friends, and he couldn't even look at Matt.
But the SRS Pilot pushed those thoughts aside. He just had to make it through tonight in one piece. "Spider man, you in position?" he asked simply, trying to be businesslike.
"I am" Peter replied flatly, the man was royally pissed off. Thankfully, the plan was simple, using BT, Cooper would step out and engage, stop the convoy and keep the gunmen occupied. Peter's job would be to go through the subsequent vehicles, find Watson, and get out, with Cooper covering their escape.
The Titan was fully combat ready, and Matthew secretly thought that the Titan was itching to be in the field. Likely to uphold protocols 2 and 3. "Mr. Marauder, can you let me watch you work?" purred Hardy over the comm.
"BT" said Cooper with a slight smile as he flipped on the connection that would allow the thief to see what he saw, almost able to hear Parker's fuming through his silence. "Let's give the lady a show" he said as his smile grew.
Through the array of screens on the inside of the cabin, he could see the white of the convoy's approaching headlights. "Ready pilot" reported BT as the XO-16A2 was leveled, locked, and loaded. The mental link enabled Cooper to control BT just as if he were controlling his own body.
"Now Marauder" growled Parker.
The trucks got closer. "No, steady" he replied calmly, despite the adrenaline seeping into his system, his finger poised over the button for the dash. "Steady…" he repeated more for his own benefit. "Now" he growled as he squeezed the control and the 40 ton hulk of metal shot out of the tree line and onto the road.
The Vanguards four fingered fist slammed down on the hood of the lead truck, a Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, the whole convoy was made up of the repainted military trucks. They may have been mine and bullet resistant, but not Titan proof. The truck went from 60 to naught damn near instantly as the engine was crushed and its momentum carried it into the Titan's legs, but BT shook it off without much difficulty before standing back to his full height.
"Step out of your vehicles with your hands in the air and you will not be harmed" announced BT once the screeching of breaks had faded and the convoy ground to a halt. For a moment, Cooper had hope that they would comply when men started rushing out of the MRAPs and filled the darkened street.
That hope was immediately shattered when Matt saw muzzle flashes in the night and his shields began to flicker, it was on now. "You want more then? Come and get it" snarled Cooper as he raised the vortex shield and began to catch the shells.
A large group had charged forwards at the Titan, and without hesitation the Marauder sent the accumulated ordinance right at them, cutting them down where they stood. "Hostile infantry neutralized" reported BT flatly as Cooper went through the motions that had been drilled into him by hard expierence, swinging the 20mm chaingun around and unleashing a long burst. Armor piercing rounds cut through vehicles with ease and tore exposed Syndicate enforcers limb from limb. It didn't take long for the gunmen to realize that they couldn't stand up to the Titan in a straight up fight as they scattered to find cover. "Enemy forces attempting to withdraw pilot, suggest you prevent their escape."
Reacting instantly to the Titan's callouts, Matthew dropped an electric smoke screen, dashed away and triggered the acolyte missile pods, the two box like launchers popping up over the machine's shoulders as they searched for targets. "I see 'em BT" said Cooper calmly as the pods swung towards their target. The tail truck of the convoy was backing up and beginning to execute a three point turn while two men holding SMAWs tracked the Militia machine.
The guided missiles locked onto all targets as Cooper's finger poised over the trigger. "Hear that ringing in your ears son?" he growled before pulling the trigger. "SHOT!" he called as the weapons tore into the night, lighting up the road with their rocket motors.
The High Explosive Anti-Titan (HEAT) warheads impacted with devastating effects. Three slammed into the MRAP, two tore into the engine while a third hit the troop compartment, on impact, each sent a supersonic jet of molten plasma into the vehicles that melted anything they came into contact. The exception was that third missile that hid the troop compartment, penetrated straight through that and hit the fuel tank below, igniting it to incite a towering fireball. Each SMAW wielder got one missile in a spectacular display of overkill as they turned into a fine red paste in an instant. Through BT's sensors, Cooper could see the men that had been near that retreating MRAP run around and dance, trying desperately to put out the fires on their clothes that were slowly consuming them.
"Drop your weapons and I will accept your surrender" yelled Cooper, using BT's PA system to broadcast the command over the cacophony of gunfire. The only response was a for two RPGs to emerge and slam into the Titan, draining the shield and forcing Cooper to raise the Vortex shield once more as he fell back and crouched down behind one of the disabled vehicles.
Spider man appeared, kicking one SMAW wielder off of the top of an MRAP before webbing up another on the ground to buy Cooper some breathing room. With the Vanguard's shield recharged, Matt stood the Vanguard up and aimed the XO again as he dashed forwards, suppressing the remaining goons who now feared the Titan and its weapons.
In the corner of the screen, he saw Parker pull himself off the roof of the truck and yank the doors off. Hoping that he found Watson, Cooper pressed his own attack. The 40-ton Titan threw itself forwards with a dash it raised its foot and kicked the 15-ton vehicle back, crushing those who had taken cover behind it. "I've got her" called Parker over the radio, Matt able to hear coughing and strained breathing in the background. "Come get us and let's get out of here."
He deftly dropped another electric smoke and dashed to the side, turning and firing bursts as he heard the sound of people clambering outside the cockpit. "Pilot, allies are attached to the hull" reported BT dutifully.
"Hang on!" called Cooper over the radio as he dashed back again and activated burst core, hosing down the remaining goons before turning and sprinting down the road.
7 minutes prior…
Mary Jane continued to glare daggers at the two Kingpin enforcers who sat across from her in the back of the armored truck. She hoped Peter had gotten her message and that the two of them would be able to figure out just what the hell was going on. The only thing keeping her from cussing out the two men was the gag over her face.
'Find the Marauder' was all she had sent, and it was a good thing too, she had been spotted and her phone taken just as she sent the message. She knew that Peter would be too angry to accept a request from the Marauder to help, but she hoped their argument after the two men went toe to toe the first time hadn't meant that Peter would ignore her.
"I can handle myself Peter! I know what I'm getting into!"
"He's not some hero! He's a killer! A nutcase who belongs in prison! And you're going to glamorize him to make yourself look good for Jameson? You can't do that!"
"What the hell gives you the right to tell me what I can and can't do?!"
She knew he wasn't trying to control her, he was just trying to protect her, like he tried to protect everyone. But she knew her words had hurt him, she could see it, even behind his mask.
There was a massive crashing sound that brought her back to the present before the truck came to a halt, Mary Jane thrown against the restraints as the two men skidded across the floor. "Step out of your vehicles with your hands in the air and you will not be harmed" boomed a commanding mechanical voice. She could see the men's faces not go white with fear, but twist in anger as they readied their weapons.
Their reaction was seemingly universal, gunfire could be heard outside before a deeper report thundered in response, rounds pinging off of the side of the truck she was in before one punched clean through the truck, missing her by mere feet.
The two enforcers now had their weapons trained on the door as the strange mechanical sounds continued from outside, the truck shaking as whatever had attacked them continued its grisly work, for Mary Jane, not knowing was the scariest thing about her situation. "Drop your weapons and I will accept your surrender" offered the same voice, though this time sounding more lifelike to MJ's ear.
And then the explosions started, and the guards really started to panic. They thought they were safe, but as they looked out the window at the burning remains of another of the trucks the color drained from their faces.
Then the doors at the back began to strain, bend, buckle, and then were ripped off completely and the color was removed from their faces when splotches of webbing covered them and yanked them to the ground, the impact knocking their weapons away before more bursts of webbing cocooned them to the floor. "Customs inspection" called out a familiar voice, relief washed over Watson as Spider-Man jumped up into the vehicle and came over to her. "You alright MJ?" he asked as he removed the gag and got to work on her restraints.
"Fine tiger" she said as she rubbed her sore wrists gingerly and grit her teeth. The sounds of a massive automatic weapon cut off any further conversation. "Looks like you got his help like I told you to" she added with a smile as the sounds of battle continued outside.
"Uh, yeah" answered Peter in a less than convincing manner as he ripped of the shackle around her ankles. "Time to go, and he really brought the cavalry out for this." He helped her out the opened doors where the area was covered in shrapnel, spent shell casings, and the dead. Peter pressed a hand to his ear. "I got her, come get us and let's get out of here!" said Parker as he scooped Watson up.
There was one more massive burst of gunfire as the source came into clear view, the twenty foot tall Titan towered over the burning and wrecked trucks, the massive gun it held in its hands firing a continuous stream of brightly colored tracers as it picked its feet off the ground and dashed backwards with startling agility. "What's that?!" screamed Mary Jane.
Peter shot a webline at it and pulled the pair up and settled in on top of the metal monster. "Our ride" he called as he banged on the top of the machine as it turned and sprinted down the road. MJ just watched as the lenses of Peter's mask furrowed before he turned to her.
"What's wrong?" she asked, though the deep pit of despair that formed in her gut gave a hint as to what was happening.
"Yuri called" said Peter grimly before looking up towards their home, the New York City skyline in the distance. "Cinderblock just started."
Cooper's Logbook – Vanguard Class Titan
As the Titan and Titan doctrine continued to develop on the Frontier, the bi-pedal machines came to replace traditional Main Battle Tanks in many roles. One offshoot of this evolution was seeing Titans go from independently operating units to working in groups, usually four or six at the small team level, all the way up to sixty for a full Titan Division. As a result, more specialized capability was needed, and the result was a shift away from the customizable chassis of old with overlapping equipment options into the modern system of different classifications meant to work in tandem with one another.
But for the SRS and the policy of small fast-moving teams that favored flexibility and adaptability above all else, such rigid Titan classes would not work. Thus, a requirement for a brand-new Titan was born and the result is the Vanguard Class. In addition to the most advanced sensor suite and AI core to give tactical advice and improved cyberwarfare capability, the chassis is tougher and faster than those of a similar size with its two lateral dashes compared to the usual one. The greatest boon is that because of its rapid fabrication technology it can duplicate the loadout of any other Titan Class at a moment's notice. Quad Rockets to Predator Cannons to Plasma Railguns, the Vanguard has them all.
May God have mercy upon my enemies. Because I won't.
Log – Titan Loadout: Expedition
If you don't know what kind of trouble you're getting yourself into, then the Expedition loadout will probably get you out of it. The primary weapon is the XO-16A2 chaingun, firing 20mm Semi-Armor-Piercing ammo, tungsten tipped with an explosive charge. A balanced weapon capable of dealing with infantry and light armor up to and including Titans. If I need to deal with something bigger, the Acolyte missile pods are loaded with lock on fire and forget missiles equipped with either High Explosive Anti Titan or Fragmentation warheads. The Vortex shield is my primary defensive ability, a shield that harnesses the same properties as the Gravity Star to 'catch' incoming fire before 'throwing back' the ordinance wherever I want. I would imagine two Titans with this ability would make for the worlds most dangerous game of catch.
The rest of the kit includes a 'rearm' that will overclock the flash forging equipment to reload the vortex shield, missile pods, and dashes. Useful when caught out or needing to press an attack. I can also make use of the Vanguard's Electric Smoke dispensers to break line of sight, missile locks, and give anyone who gets too close a nasty surprise. Lastly is the Burst Core, this special drum of high-powered ammunition will shred anything I point the XO at when it's loaded. The higher pressures produce a higher rate of fire and better armor penetration along with a more potent explosive charge mean they hit much, much harder. The ultimate 'fuck you and the horse you rode in on' card.
I know it may not look like it based on that description, but that's the 'Jack of all Trades, master of none' loadout, the others are even more insane.
I have the best toys.
Closing notes: Next chapter will see the Kingpin's plan put into action and our heroes see what his endgame is. And while Spider-Man and the Marauder will go their separate ways, a favor owed to Kingpin means that the Pilot has a nasty surprise waiting for him in the wings.
This chapter also was the rematch of the Marauder and Spider-Man, this time with the Pilot missing some of his tools to even the odds. One of the main differences was to have the fight out in the open to enable them to use their mobility as a weapon. While I am more satisfied with this attempt there will be another down the line, only then both will have their entire arsenal of gadgets and abilities available. But that's way off.
This is also the first time BT gets in on the action. And yes, I will say with a straight face that Cooper snuck a 25 foot tall 40 ton robot several miles through New York state to the ambush site and then snuck it back and the only ones who saw it were the ones who were involved in the ambush. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...even if it is utterly ridiculous.
As always, don't hesitate to give me some feedback if you got it, until Tuesday (probably) when…
Well the devil may care, you toss 'em back and be a man, with the last time, Black Ice.
Stay frosty, Misfit Delta out.
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