Post by jackalope on Nov 20, 2011 23:58:20 GMT -5
Ultimate S.H.A.D.E. #12
Dark Side of the Moon pt. 1
Dark Side of the Moon pt. 1
Thonk The sound of metal hitting something soft. The gentleman in the colourful outfit watches the golf ball sail in to the distance and roll into the sand. Behind him two other men in similarly garish outfits snicker silently he turns and glares at both of them. With a trembling eye he walks back and stands beside them.
One of the two takes this as their cue. Pulling a golf ball from his pocket he steps up and places it on the tee. He walks over to his golf bag and lifts up a club. He shakes his head, picking up another instead. He studies it until one of the other two cough. He pulls the club out and walks to his ball. With a pause and a wiggle of his hips, he swings.
Thonk The ball arcs up and hits the green. He smiles, then turns to the others, making sure that it is good and rubbed in. They give a disgruntled nod in recognition. Still grinning he walks back and taps his foot. The last man pulls a club from his bag. He walks to the tee and swings a couple of times for practice. Placing the ball on the tee he looks back at his two gents and places a finger to his lips. They roll their eyes and nod. Turning back the man focuses on the ball. He swings the club back.
THONK
The two, now horizontal, golfers look at the crater where their third once stood, then at each other. The eleven foot metal bullet shaped object became more defined as the dirt cleared. A heavy grinding sound starts reverberating from within the metal object. The men push themselves up so they are sitting up, watching silently. The top of the object hisses, steam pouring out as it cracks open. The top hatch flies off back into the distance, and a huge metallic arm unfolds out of the giant tube. With the jilting sound of working gears another long arm unfolds out, extending out to touch the ground. The third mechanical arm emerges. From within the pod the three legs lift up metal central box, covered in rivets and bolts, and venting steam through two large brass tubes. A glass telescope appears from the body of the creation, rotating sideways and up and down, then catching the two fallen golfers in its sight.
From underneath its body a grammar phone is lowered down, twisting around to face the men. There is a crackling sound, followed by an angry voice.
“RETRIBUTION.”
The men look at each other, cowering backwards. The telescope zooms in closer to the two and the voice repeats again.
“RETRIBUTION.”
One of the golfers scrambles back, whimpering and turning to run. The whistle of steam pouring echoes through the golf grounds. Above the machine's body a bulbous looking device rises up and rotates to face the running man. It fires and the man is consumed in fire. The device turns to the remaining man.
“RETRIBUTION.”
***
The sleek shadow bounds effortlessly amongst tall trees, leaving only the traces of footprints and faint screams. The massive creature grins and deftly leaps across a small river, each of it eight paws only barely touching the ground before rising back up. Its huge head flicks to the side, it eyes reflecting like golden discs in the moonlight. The pointed teeth that fill its smiling mouth part to release a trailing laugh that bounces in all directions.
Above the mighty beating wings push Manbat's form past the shining full moon.
The cat creature's tail twitches and it changes direction, darting right. Children's screams burst from within it, jolted by the movement. Frankenstein's heavy boots thud along the ground, a few dozen feet behind it. He leans right, curving his path to trail the monstrous feline. Robotman's voice crackles internally in his head. “500 feet 'til cat trap.”
His arms pumping in front of him, Frankenstein replies panting, “Update received. Is every agent in place? Where is Bride?”
“Look right,” Bride's voice. He looks to see her sleek body sprinting through the bushes and trees that separate them. His jaw clenched, he nods and leaps over a fallen log. Above him he sees Manbat's demonic silhouette pass over him. To his left he can see the Weird running as well, or at least pretending to. Instead of dodging obstacles the being is just passing through them. Frankenstein wonders whether his feet are even hitting the ground.
The giant cat bounds up, leaping over the tree line, then disappearing back into the forest. Birds fly outwards, causing Manbat to twist in the air. The creature's huge malformed back is pocketed with holes from which lights shines out. The snake-haired Medusa appears in the woods ahead of it, running at it. Laughing maniacally, the creature turns left, its eight paws racing into the shadows. Amongst the light spilling narrow windows along the creatures back, the terrified face a child looks out.
Medusa stumbles to a stop, looking shocked. “Oh shit guys, there are kids in it. What the fuck is it?”
“Caught.” Robotman's voice replies.
A sudden humming kicks in as a blue light shoots through the woods. Between three pylons, over an area of hundred feet, that extend up out of the trees, a shimmering triangle of light forms. The cat beast laughs, turning again agilely and running along beside the glowing blue wall towards the corner of the trap. Frankenstein, drawing his sword, approaches quickly, followed soon by Bride, Medusa, and the Weird. The cat creature jumps around, facing the agents. From within its back the screams of children belt out with each twist and turn the cat-thing takes.
Frankenstein slows and points his blade at it. “You must stop. Release those innocents you hold within.”
The beast laughs, its huge fanged mouth opening wide. “Come on fellows, it’s fun you see! I'm the cat bus, you know from that movie...” The orange and black tail waves behind it. The small cries of the children call out for help.”...you know the Japanese one, oh I just saw it! It was fantastic.”
“Enough,” the blue hued giant rumbles, “You are done.”
“You can't know that.” The cat's smile remains wide, as it strolls in a small circle, revealing the couple of dozen children trapped within the furry cage, calling out from between the ribcage bars. “As far as you know, the fun has only just begun...”
Frankenstein runs at the beast, his sword raised. The cat bounds into the air and dodges the swinging sword, landing one foot on Frankenstein's back, pushing his to the ground. Bride darts forward, gun outstretched, but unwilling to fire with the young faces looking out fearfully from within it. Two of the cat’s paws land on her, pinning her to the ground.
“I've got this,” Lyta shouts running towards it.
The cat laughs, as it utters, “Obscuro.” Lyta stumbles forward.
“Why has it gone dark?” Lyta asks falling to the ground. “Oh shit, I think I'm blind.”
The cat dodges around and looks back at the fallen agents. Its smiling head turns to see the Weird standing watching him, his garish purple, orange and yellow costume standing out brightly in the moonlight.
The Weird pulls out a pad, and looks up. Cupping a hand against mouth he leans forward a little. “What was the movie called? It sounds really good?” he asks in a whisper.
The cat angles its head to the side slightly. “Its 'My Neighbour... oh damn, it’s on the tip of my tongue.” Frankenstein charges at him. Laughing, the creature ducks back. “Look. Fun's back on. You know the cool thing about the cat bus? It could fly.” The cat's paws start to hover in the air, and it gains height, running into the night sky. Its giggling laugh trails into to the air, as it flies towards the full moon. “So long...”
The huge bat shape of Langstrom, tackles the creature out of the sky.
They fall, plunging towards the ground. In the air they twist, rotating over as they fight, until they hit the ground. The cat’s eight paws hold the long wings of Manbat to the ground. The creature leans in. “Hmm, flying cat against flying rat... someone didn't think this one through.” Its pink tongue licks it lips. “You do look tasty though.”
A body lands on the back of the cat monster's neck. The cat rolls over, eliciting screams from its child filled back cavity. It tries to rake its claws back against Frankenstein, who holds tightly around its huge neck. “Get off me!” the cat screams, its voice childish and desperate. “You're not playing fair!” Frankenstein punches the cat's head. “Aww, good grief that hurts!” Frankenstein smacks him again, squeezing tightly around the creatures throat. “Mortu...” Another punch hits in the forehead, and the squeezing becomes harder. “STOP IT!”
The cat turns back on to its front as Frankenstein grabs the creature's mouth and pulls it open. “Weird, I need your assistance.”
The Weird hovers over to the struggling cat beast.
Frankenstein looks at him with an unamused glare. “Get them out.”
The Weird reaches into the huge mouth, causing the cat to cough. His arm moves further in and wiggles about, finally withdrawing holding a saliva-covered young girl, upside down by the leg. Placing her on the ground, he climbs into the mouth. Backing out, he pulls a line of children out, each holding another’s legs, until the creepy cat-bus is empty. The cat spits a few times. “Are we done?”
Frankenstein shakes his head. He looks up to the Weird and nods. The cat things eyes dart between them. “What are you doing?” The Weird steps forward and plunges his arm into the cats forehead, phasing through the fur and bone. The cat screams. The Weird feels around, then put his head inside to look about.
“Ah, there he is.” The Weird grabs and pulls out a long pale blue leg, holding it by his shiny black shoe. The rest of the body is withdrawn, ending in a very grumpy black-haired head. Behind them, the cat shrinks, contorting down into a normal looking orange tabby cat.
“Klarion, you are charged with 25 cases of child endangerment and kidnapping, 14 cases of assault, 7 cases of unlawful use of magic outside your designated realm in accordance of pacts of Order and Chaos, and one charge of attempted murder.”
Still hanging upside down, Klarion crosses his arm and frowns. “I was just having fun.”
Bride walks over, guiding Medusa. She snarls, “Fix her!” Klarion waves his hand dismissively. Lyta raises her hand and looks at it, sighing with relief.
The boy-witch looks at them. “I want my lawyer.”
“My Neighbour Totoro!” the Weird exclaims. The group looks at the Weird, who is holding his smart phone. He points at it. “I totally just googled it.”
“Frankenstein, do you read?” Father Time’s voice asks internally.
“What is it Father Time?” Frankenstein looks out to the silent lights approaching on the dark horizon.
“Choppers are being sent your way, you're needed.”
***
“What are we talking about?” Langstrom, human but haggard looking, looks over the brass coloured remains.
The team stands in a huge warehouse. Piles of mechanical parts lie side by side and dozens of white jacketed workers move about, separating and reattaching gears, scanning and analysing the insect like machines. Father Time nods to Niles.
The kid, adjusting his white lab jacket, turns to the group. “29 attacks across the world. Three within the American continent. Reasonably advanced work, save for the fact they all seem to be steam powered. Took a while for S.H.A.D.E. teams to track them down, and stop them. It was easy enough once we figured out how to stop the one at the golf course.”
“Info boys have the media covered,” Time interrupts, “so we are fine for now, but if this happens again we won’t be able to keep it in the dark.”
Robotman brings up a hologram of the striding machine, showing it in cross section. “Science boys analysed the material trapped within the edges of the machine, it showed a mixture of elements: Oxygen 40% Silicon 20% Iron 12% Calcium 8.5% Aluminium 7.3% Magnesium 4.8% Titanium 4.5% Sodium 0.33% Chromium 0.2%....”
“So what are we talking about?” Langstrom asks again.
“Aliens,” Niles says, “to be more accurate, Selenites.” Lyta raises an eyebrow. He smiles at her, “...moon men. It's moon dust.”
“Ok, I'm just going to ask this.” The group looked to Bride, who crossed her arms. “Why's this one on us? Not that I'm against it but there's Checkmate, and the J.S.A. are practically ready, I heard of something called the Authority, there are those Lanterns... It just seems like there's a hundred other teams that should deal with this... Moon men invade. Shouldn't the Earth deal with it?”
Father Time sighs. “You have a point Bride.” He walks over to the brass centre of one of the disabled machines. The plating is riveted, and a number of brass handles are arranged around it with what looks like inlaid hieroglyphs. Poking his umbrella under a brass handle, he flicks it up. Steam hisses out and the front plate of the unit, and it lifts up and separates into two pieces, which swing open. A thin, bug eyed creature looks up at the Indian. Its face seems to contort in reaction. Shouting some sort of clicking war cry it leaps up at him, thin arms outstretched. And it disappears in a puff of smoke. Father Time coughs, wiping down his suit. “The reason this one is on us is this invasion is, in a large part, my fault.”
He walks towards the strategy room and the others follow. “I guess there are some things you should know.” The room goes dark and a black and white picture appears on the wall screen. A group of wealthy looking gentlemen, and two women, stand in an expensively decorated room, looking off to one side, all dressed in Edwardian garb.
“This is the Infinity Club.”
***
1902, London, England.
The Infinity Club
The camera flash bulb lights the room. The camera man lifts the small curtain off his back and starts to pack up his equipment. A short older looking man, wearing an ornate red officer uniform, walks to the small fireplace and lifts his glass. “To time without end.”
The others, who have dispersed around the room, return the gesture. “To time without end.”
“I would like to thank you all for coming to the Centennial meeting of the Infinity Club.” He continues, “You all are busy people, living lives, and lives, and lives.” Pausing, he listens to the patter of laughter, “but every hundred years you take the time to make your way to gather together, and celebrate life.”
“Here, here.” The audience claps.
The room starts to circulate. The old man smiling and greeting moves the small groups who chatter. He smiles, “Hob, looking well old chap.” Shaking hands, he keeps walking, “Swift, keeping well?” He nods, “Lady Orlando,” who raises her glass, nodding back. Finally he reaches a large man dressed in a tailored black suit, and wearing a black bowler hat. “Herr Savage, you decided to take me up on my invitation?”
The man turns, his eyes looking over the thin old man. He returns a predatory smile. “Please, we are in England, Mister will do. If there is one thing we learn it is we must adapt, don't you agree General Immortus?” The name falls from the huge man's mouth with an underlying sarcasm, implying subtly his seeming disregard for the old man's title.
“Of course,” the General returns, teeth bared in a wide grin. “Well, we are glad to see you here. From all my sources it seems you might be one of the oldest...”
Vandal raises his eyebrows. “Even older than you perhaps?”
The General's eyes narrow. “Perhaps.” A man and woman arrive to the pair. The General turns. “Ah, yes, I must introduce you.” Pointing to the huge man he says, “This is Mr Savage. And this...”
“Michel Arden,” the man outstretches his hand. Vandal grips it and shakes. The thin man tries not to wince before the huge man lets go. Dropping his red hand to his pocket, he uses his other to wave towards the lady. “Et... err, désolé, English. This is Mademoiselle Thyme.”
Savage smiles at her, taking her hand delicately and placing a kiss on her hand. The lady smiles uncomfortably, turning slightly red when the General catches her eye and winks. She quickly scowls at him and turns back to Savage. Vandal turns back to the man with an intense glare. “And what is it that you do?”
“Je suis, I am an adventurer of sorts one could say.”
“One could?” Savage nods slightly mockingly. “And is there anywhere exciting you are planning on 'adventuring' to?”
“Uh well...” The Frenchman, flustered, looks to the floor, “there is a trip we are planning...”
“To the moon,” Mademoiselle Thyme adds. She narrows her eyes at the large man. His eyes widen with genuine curiosity. She casually turns her head, “I'm sure you can come if you would like.”
Vandal Savage reveals his wide smile, and smacks the General heartily on the back. “Now this has got interesting! Immortus I must thank you for inviting me, I thought you all were a bunch of sad old creatures hiding from death, but this, this is something new!”
Immortus catches the woman's eyes. Between them a million things are not said.