Post by liquidsword34 on Jul 25, 2012 20:17:39 GMT -5
Ultimate Secret Six #6
Rock and A Hard Place Pt.1
Rock and A Hard Place Pt.1
January 1st 2012, 2:00AM, Blackgate Prison, Gotham City
"Yeah we got a lot of those types in here" the guard droned as he led two men down a corridor past rows of cells, clearly relishing the conversation however one sided it was. The section of the prison they were in used transparent windows instead of bars and put prisoners in groups of two. While not max security, it was not easy to escape from by any means.
"Where'd yah say you're from by the way?"
"FBI" the two men replied in unison. They wore simple black tie suits complete with slicked back hair and FBI name tags.
The trio stopped in front of one cell in particular. The cell itself was dull and not at all spacious, having not been updated or renovated since the prison had been built. One man laid in a bed with a blanket covering his body while Prometheus stood leaned against the wall, looking out at the trio who gazed in at him. "Here he is, Prometheus. Weird guy but not much of a problem. That cell mate though? Well he..."
"We don't care about his cell mate. Can you unlock the cell so we can speak to Prometheus?" the smaller of the two asked in a thick nasal voice.
"Sure, just gotta use this ke..." the guard was cut off by the larger FBI agent grabbing him by the back of the head and slamming him face first into the glass, cracking the guards nose. The man released his grip, letting the guard drop down to the ground and leaving a streak of blood on the window.
"I got tired of his yammering" the larger agent quipped as his companion unlocked his cell. Around them prisoners banged on their cell windows as Prometheus's cell door popped open with a barely audible click.
"Ah, I'm leaving am I?" Prometheus asked while making his way to the door. His question was met with a nine-millimetre pistol being shoved into his face by the larger man, while the smaller man held the door open.
"You're gonna take us to where ever that stone you got from Tinasha is" the large man whispered in Prometheus's ear. "Then we're gonna take the stone back to our boss, and you're gonna forget any of this took place. understand?"
"Sure thing" Prometheus replied happily. "That sounds like a plan".
"Good. Then walk, and don't even think of trying to get the attention of the guards".
---
Meanwhile, in the worst part of Gotham...
Selina Kyle crawled through the open window of her apartment, necessitated by the building being abandoned and locked up after a fire a few years ago. Selina took that opportunity to settle in and make a home on the top floor. Unfortunately for her, her home had been invaded. Her studio apartment was simple, featuring only a few pieces of furniture, a mattress, a television, a sink, some cupboards and a separate bathroom, with all the furniture having been looted from other fire damaged homes in the building. Despite this it was obvious the room had been robbed. The door was a few feet away from the doorway, laid on the ground snapped in two.
Every cupboard and draw hung open. The mattress had been flipped up. But nothing had been stolen except for one thing, the stone Selina stole from Nigma. Selina pulled up a floor board and hurriedly changed from the jeans and t-shirt she'd been wearing while out with her friends into her black PVC catsuit, complete with claws, goggles and a bull whip for quick travel and any "trouble" she might encounter. Selina turned and exited back out into the night, heading toward Tommy Monaghan's apartment above streets crowded with people celebrating the new year.
---
January 1st 2012, 2:00PM, Hong Kong
Sir Edmund Dorrance sat alone at his table in the smoke filled bar, having been led in by a servant and then left to meet his contact. His snow white robes were already covered in dirt from the walk from his hotel to the meeting point but Dorrance still looked regal and majestic amongst the other bar patrons whom were mostly gang members or others of ill repute. A well built man of about forty sat down on the other side of Edmund's table, holding a briefcase in his hand. His blonde hair was buzzed short but still showed signs of youth, while the man's pale face was scarred and cut up. One of his eyes was cybernetic, creating a dull red glow from behind its lens.
"Captain Albrecht Krieger I presume?" Edmund hissed, hearing the creak of the chair.
"You're correct, Snake" Kriger replied in a thick German accent whilst adjusting the buttons on his dark green jacket. Dorrance had used the code name "King Snake", the same one he used for all his more scrupulous activities. "Good to finally meet you face to face".
"Indeed".
"So, let's cut right to it. I've sent men after the five gems currently in Gotham, and brought with me what is required to capture the sixth. Your payment has gone through to the correct accounts, and all my background checks confirm you to be what you say you are. So I ask you, why? Why all this trouble for some stones, as nice as they are?"
Edmund took a small sip from a hip flask hidden in his robes, clearing the taste of smoke from his pallet. "I first heard of the stones just after escaping from Santa Prisca's corrupt prison system. I had left a son and wife behind, and upon returning to England found nothing but disdain from the government I'd been working for. With nout but the clothes on my back and knowledge in my brain I made my way to America, looking for fame and fortune through crime. I started small. Assassinations, kidnappings, robberies. Anything.
Soon though, I grew tired of that. I looked for more unconventional methods. The occult and magical in particular. In Africa I studied witch craft. In Haiti I learned of voodoo. And finally in Mexico I discovered five of the stones of Mixcoatl, the Aztec god of the hunt. The stones...they are very powerful. Most records of the stones are removed from history books, in fact, due to their power. A group of tribesmen had sworn to protect the stones with their lives, intent on not letting them fall into the wrong hands".
Krieger gazed at Snake intently, mesmerized by his story. "And what did you do?"
"I had to kill them. I lost my sight during the conflict, but walked away with the stones. A satisfactory transfer at the time. This was four years ago. Since then, I lost the stones to that fool Edward Nigma. Overconfident but capable, he had the stones stolen right out from under my nose, something I regret to this day. I had to wait until now to go after the stones again, what with them now being in the hands of civilians instead of a corrupt government leader. Which is why I contacted you".
"And Mr Snake, what is this power? Of course, this is just passing interest, I do not require clients to give me large amount of information but..."
"The stones, when all six are together, can do almost anything. Change your luck. Make people think differently. Alter the laws of reality itself, even. Exactly how powerful they are is unknown, but possessing the six stones would make me a very, very powerful man".
Krieger smiled and nodded. "I see you're getting a good return on your investment on me. A million dollars for altering reality. Sounds fair. And I am to be your bodyguard during this time, yes?"
"Yes Captain, as well as providing more assistance such as you have already, sending those men to collect the five stones. Now I have one question".
"Oh?"
"What is in your suitcase which can help us capture the sixth stone?"
Krieger grinned at Edmund with his jagged pearly whites as he hoisted his case onto the table. Krieger opened the case and turned it to Edmund, who gave Krieger a confused look. The case contained only a pair of green gloves, a matching peaked hat and a bright red Nazi armband.
"This?"
"Don't underestimate the power of the correct clothing, Snake". Krieger closed his case and stood up from the table. "The location of the sixth stone you gave me seems to be correct. Tomorrow we will strike and retrieve your treasure. Until then". Krieger turned and strode out of the bar, a smirk spread across his face.
---
Back in Gotham city, at the harbour
"It's just down here" Prometheus called back to his captors as they made their way down a set of stairs into the basement of one of Gotham harbours many vacant warehouses. As the trio stepped through the door way lights turned on, illuminating the small room. Tables were littered with weapons and armour. A desk sat in the corner of the room on top of which sat a laptop. Prometheus made his way over to one table in particular and started checking under pieces of armour.
"You two are new on the job, correct?"
"Yeah" the taller of the two replied. "How'd you know?"
In one swift motion Prometheus grabbed a sword from the table, turned one-hundred and eighty degrees and cut through both men at the mid section. The taller of the two died as soon as the blade cut into his body and carved through his entrails like butter, while his partner dropped down to his knees clutching his gut.
"Morons" Prometheus grunted, picking up a hunting knife from the table. Blood spewed out of the goons stomach onto his suit and slowly dripped down onto the stone floor. "Now, we've got some talking to do".
---
Downtown Gotham City
David Zavimbe made his way back to his hotel through the labyrinth of Gotham's back alleys from a charity ball for the Congo slowly, enjoying the cool night air and sounds of New Years celebration. A swarm of rats scurried past David's shoes as they charged down the alley, as though they were trying to escape from something. David came to a stop as a figure moved through the darkness silently, cloaked in the shadows. Both of David's fists were raised in a fighting stance as a tall man slipped from the darkness into view.
"David Zavimbe?" a young male whispered.
"Yes. Who are you?" David whispered back. The man wore a martial arts gi, complete with a turned up collar and a short mop of greasy brown hair.
"Val Armorr, but you can call me the Karate Kid. I've been sent here by a group called the Time Council, from the year twenty seventy-six. You and your world are in serious danger, and I must help stop that danger."
"Well then" David chuckled. "I'm sure you have places to be." David tried to step around Val, but the Karate Kid didn't allow him to pass.
"I'm serious. I am one of the worlds greatest fighters, and together we must stop this danger."
"No, you're a strange, strange man in a costume. Please leave me alone." Again David tried to move past Val, whom this time held David by his collar.
"Why don't you believe me, David?"
"Wait, how do you know my..."
"Because I'm from the future. You're the Bat-Wing of Tinasha, correct?" Val's face remained calm and emotionless.
"I used to be, now I do more political work." David tried pushing past Val, who again didn't let him. "Look, it's great you worked that out, but please let me..."
Val grabbed David by the arm and took him down to the floor with a trip, planting David on his back and twisting the limb around. "If you move it will stretch out the joint in your arm painfully, so I'd advise that you listen to me and don't struggle. I understand your scepticism but you must believe me, David."
"OK then" David stammered, trying not to move. "So what is this threat?"
"You and your allies each took a stone from Tinasha, did you not?" David nodded. "Those stones come together to create a powerful weapon. There are forces who wish to use the stones to force their will on this planet, and we must stop them. Your stone will have already been taken from your home, and most of your allies will have lost theirs already. We must be fast in retrieving the stones as they may only be destroyed once put together to create Mixcoatl's orb."
"So, let me get this straight." David struggled to take in Karate Kid's quickfire speech due to the strain on his arm. Every pressure point in the limb seemed to be pushed in. Not enough to cause harm, but David could feel that a single movement would put more pressure into his arm and cause excruciating pain. "You...you're from the future.."
"Correct."
"...and the stones me and the other got in Tinasha are some sort of...weapon?"
"Correct."
"And we need to get the stones and create this weapon because the only thing which can destroy the weapon is the weapon itself?"
"Exactly. Now if I'm correct, Miss Kyle, Bane and yourself have already been relieved of your stones. At this point men will be headed to Tommy Monaghan's residence to kill him and steal his stone. Will you help me stop them?"
David's first reaction was to say no. This man was clearly a lunatic, completely deranged. However it all seemed too possible. Val knew David's name and identity. He knew about the stones. He knew about who else was in Tinasha. He seemed so sure of it all. David gulped and threw caution to the wind.
"OK, where do we start?"
---
Gotham harbour
Prometheus dropped the lifeless thug down to the ground, the knife still sticking from his gut. Prometheus hurriedly grabbed a towel from a table and wiped the blood from his hands and face before changing from his Blackgate prison jumpsuit into his combat outfit: a purple and black suit of thin metallic armour, thick yellow studded shoulder pads, a utility belt with various pouches and a metal helmet, giving Prometheus multiple vision modes and access to a vast data bank containing information of individuals, placed, weapons, fighting styles and whatever else a low level super criminal could want. Finally, Prometheus holstered a sub machine gun on his hip and his broadsword on his back.
Prometheus surveyed his hideout, taking it in for the last time, before taking his red stone out from his desk and putting it in a pouch on his belt. On his way out Prometheus pushed what looked like a fire alarm on the wall, making all the lights cut out. In just under a minute a dozen micro bombs set off, incinerating the entire warehouse and everything in or under it. Prometheus made his way away from the warehouse while scrolling through the data bank in his helmet, eventually opening files on two people: Bane and Tobias Whale.