Ultimate Hawkman #9: "H.I.V.E" Pt.3

[superecwfan1]

ULTIMATE HAWKMAN

brought to you by...

writer- SUPERECWFAN1
Editor - Buck

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Somewhere in the mountains of WV.

It was my plan to go under regression therapy by Doctor Fox to find the H.I.V.E . After hours of attempts I found the location and came here. With no backup. That seems to be a mistake that I'll pay dearly for.

Carter notes the armed guards running toward him. His mind races through his previous battles. To the battles he faced in other lifetimes. With a battle roar he charges forward full steam , barreling into the H.I.V.E. members

He grabs his mace and lets loose a growl as he smashes the guard across the face with it. By moving in close, Carter realizes the men can't draw their weapons and fire, due to risks of hurting anyone each other.

Carter observes them trying to pin him down by surrounding him. He whips his wing sending the guards in every direction. He grabs his sword and slices off two guns barrels . Leaving one man begging for mercy and the other running away.

As the battle starts to thin out , Carter recognizes his strategy has to change again. Several guards try to line up shots with fewer troops around him they now have a clear line of sight. He snags a soldier, using his body as a shield; while firing off rounds at the other soldiers. The tide has turned, Carter tosses the man at the other agents and let's out a powerful battle cry.

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Meanwhile ....

Inside his lab, Ray Palmer lies with Jean Loring. His mind clear and happy. His new found powers have shrunk the two down to ant size where the two engage in deeds of a sexual nature.

"You're still an asshole Ray. You know the Queen is dangerous and you're injecting the same chemicals into yourself." she said facing him.

"I know Jean. I know we need to find a way out. Your right honey. I will figure something ou-" Palmer is interrupted by the sound of the compounds alarms.

"What is it?" Jean asked worried as shots are fired nearby.

"Wait here , I'll take care of it." Ray answers as he puts his clothes back on. He slowly grows back to his normal size.

Palmer runs out of his lab, he skids to a stop in his socks at the sight of the intruder. Ray's eyes are drawn to the wings right away. The glint of sunlight of the mace entices Ray's eyes to notice the birdlike helm. The forty or fifty H.I.V.E agents on the ground around Carter is the last thing Ray notices.

I have to stop him. He will ruin the entire operation that we've set up. Time to see how good these powers work.

"You there....stop what your doing." Palmer yells. The soldiers and Hawkman stop and stare as the scientist charges forth.

"Whoever you are , I'm here to end this. H.I.V.E is going down and I want to see the Queen now." Carter growls.

"I can't let you do that." Palmer says nervously as the intruder makes his way toward him.

Carter goes to grab the strange little man, but he vanishes. In shock , Carter begins to turn and spin in place looking for where the man went. He then feels a powerful barrage of blows hit his ribs and kidneys. Carter lets out a puff of air surprised by the blows from nowhere.

There is no way I can beat him in hand to hand combat. I'll have to use my intellect and powers to take him down before he figures out what is going on.

Palmer grabs at the man's intestines and uses his concentration to suddenly enlarge the food content. Forcing it back up. In sudden pain, Carter Hall instantly feels sick and he doubles over vomiting his last meal.

This allows the guards to pin him to the ground. Palmer rushes to his lab as the guards think their lucky stars that the one man army is down for the count. Ray can't wait to tell Jean how good the powers worked.

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St.Roche - Days later...

At the St.Roche Prison , Lt. Dan Hardow sits and lights a cigarette as he waits to chat with Anton Lamont. The older magician had been captured weeks earlier by a very old Museum security guard.

"Must you smoke that accursed thing? Is it not enough I am here in this gulag of your system and my arm is broke , that I must not suffer from this injustice ?" Lamont complains.

"Well Anton, as the guest of our great American gulag system , you seem to be unhappy. Is it our fault you tried robbing the St. Roche Museum for your boys in Intergang." Hardrow replies putting the cigarette out.

"If you are here to discuss Intergang, you already know I will not answer. I wish to keep my life , bad as it appears right now Lt." he states

"I already know. I've heard the stories in Metropolis . No one talks about Intergang . Thats not why your here . No , I wanted to ask you how you were caught . According to reports an old security guard caught you." Hardrow inquires.

"Utter balderdash . It was some man in a hawk helmet. Looked like the seventh member of the Village People. He is the one who broke my arm." Anton recalls

"OK ...a hawk helmet ..." Hardrow repeats knowing his hunch was right.

"Yes , does this mean I can sue that person for breaking my arm?" Lamont asks

"Don't know about that , Lamont. Take it up with your lawyer. " he says while getting up to leave.

"Wait, I should at least get a cigarette before you go. I did answer your question Lt." the magician whines as he stood up.

"I thought you didn't like smoking?" Hardrow asks.

"Here they are like currency. So I should get at least two for my trouble." Lamont replies

Hardrow nods as Lamont reaches across the table tangling his feet in his leg chains before he can snatch two cigarettes. The older man takes them and places them in his front shirt pocket as Hardrow leaves.

"Thank you dear sir." he says waving.

Lamont is led back to his cell where Bull waits. The slower man sits on his bunk reading a car magazine . Once the cell door opens and Lamont sits down. Bull anxiously asks him how the meeting went.

"We discussed nothing serious Bull. Sorry to ruin your day my henchman." he states laying on his bottom bunk. As Bull lies down, Lamont shows a small pen and needle he had managed to swipe from Hardrow . The needle had came from his loose watch .

Nothing serious Bull. Just getting things to help us later escape. And the man in the hawk mask ...you shall pay for getting involved with my business.

end of 1....next part coming...

[superecwfan1]

Outside the prison

Lt. Hardrow walks across the parking lot to his car. Unwinding from the rough day dealing with the normal psychopaths and Hawkman; he doesn't notice the car speeding into the parking lot and slow to a stop right by him. A balding, portly man roughly around his own age ran to him in a panic.

"Lt. Dan Hardrow?" the man asks.

"Yes, what can I do for you ?" Hardrow replies.

"One of the detectives told me I could find you here. Look, I saw your name on that file he brought over. You're on the H.I.V.E bombings." the man states

"Yes I am. How did you see the file ...and who are you ?" he questions

"Well I know the ...Hawk guy. You know ...wings , helmet. I am Doctor Gardner Fox. Well I know the guy and he showed me the file. And I'm worried...its been a few days and no one has heard from him." Fox answers.

This guy has gotta be on the level. Or he wouldn't know about the file. The doctor must know this Hawkman. Gotta play it cool and all.

"You can file a missing person's report. List him as missing. " Hardrow tells the man while he went to open his car door.

Doctor Fox leans in and stops the door. Breathing hard , "You know and I know I can't do that. He found out where the H.I.V.E is at. So he went to stop them. We have to find him because he's in over his head ."

"Do you know where? I mean did he mention where they are at?" Hardrow inquires.

"No ...but there has got to be some way. Some way to track where he went." he claims.

Hardrow and Doctor Fox sit and study each other for a few seconds. The two notice a low flying plane passing away with as far away as the airport is the two exchange looks.

"Radar ...a man flying could be picked up on radar more than likely. Hop in Fox..." Hardrow commands .

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At the H.I.V.E compound.

Inside a dark cell a figure starts in some pain. His entire body is covered in bruises and his arms tied behind his back. His wings and helmet gone he slowly rises to his feet. There was little light inside but, he saw the guards outside.

No clue how long I have been here. Might have been days. After some beatings they must have realized I won't talk. Gotta get my wings and helmet back. Gotta put these people down hard.

Outside the cell Jean Loring approaches with a tray of food. She sweet talks the guards to leave her alone after handing her a handgun. Carter watches anxiously as she gets closer.

"I brought you some food. You don't have to talk unless you want to."

Carter didn't answer, keeping his cool as the woman walks over and looks outside. To make sure no one was around.

"OK I know your not DEA or FBI. Or even military. We have to talk..." Loring whispers.

"Talk about what? How your organization killed a couple hundred people in St.Roche ? How they are killing people for some fucked up agenda." Carter growls.

"This isn't my organization. Or Ray's ...were NSA . We were plants basically for this organization to come in and recruit us. Sarge Steel sent us in months ago. This is a government operation to bring them down and you showed up risking it!" Loring snaps back.

"How many had to die before you jackasses pull the plug and end it? What are you and the NSA waiting on ?" he asks getting in her face.

"The right moment. We don't know how big the H.I.V.E is ..." Loring states as she hears footsteps. She quickly jams some bread in his mouth roughly.

As he chews she walked over to the guards , "The queen wishes to see this ...man . Clean off his dirt. " Loring orders coldly walking out.

So I stumbled into a government operation to stop the government operation that spun outta control into this. I think I am beginning to hate governments agencies.


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St.Roche Airport

On a wild hunch, Lt. Dan Hardow and Doctor Gardner Fox came to the St.Roche airport. The plan is to question those working radar to determine if Hawkman was picked up and what direction he had headed. Thus far no progress has been made.

"Look we don't know. I mean, it could have been a small plane. We can't exactly say if it was a man flying that direction days ago." the one airport technician cries out.

Hardrow ran his hands thru his graying hair and tried to navigate the distractions to nailing H.I.V.E. If he could trace Hawkman's path he could find the H.I.V.E.

A cough made them turn and standing was an older man with a gloved hand. Hardrow knew exactly who he was the moment he walked in, but he was still stunned that the old man was still alive.

"You're a persistent detective, I'll give you that."

"Sarge Steel . What is a war hero from the Vietnam War doing in St.Roche. I thought you were over the National Security Agency in Washington?" Hardrow questioned

"I am. I just happen to know that your fly boy is in West Virginia , ruining months of an operation I have worked on to end the H.I.V.E." Steel barks.

"You know where he's at? You know where they are!" Hardrow exclaims

"Yes, and its why were all gonna go there and pull the plug on them now. Consider it a privilege Hardrow you're going with us." Steel said as the sounds of helicopter blades cut through the air.

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Back at H.I.V.E Compound.

Carter is hit with a high pressure water hose to clean off before he's brought before the Queen. The guards laughs as they spray him with it. The pressure knocks him around and finally they stop; turning it off to let him air dry for a few minutes.

The two lead him down some hallways leaving his hands bound. Carter had been working on the bonds for awhile. Slowly he realizes he is fraying them where they were clamped on. After some walking they stop. In a big room, sitting on a couch was the Queen of the H.I.V.E.

She wears the helmet eye piece and some sexy lingerie to show of her legs and body. Carter watches as she motions for him to come over and sit down.

"You killed three of my men , put twelve more of them in the medical unit and beat up many others. I'm still not sure how you were finally taken down." she declares looking him up and down studying him.

Carter doesn't answer. He trains his eyes to look forward. He knows there is more to this Queen than meets the eye. Her agile movements alone made him realize that.

"Don't worry, you will talk. Because my dear man ...we have very much to talk about. Very much..." she says with an evil smile.


The End for now...




Next Issue Box -

Ultimate Hawkman #10- "H.I.V.E" Pt.4 . Carter is a prisoner of the Queen. What plans does she have for him and the World ? Also learn more possibly of Sarge Steel.