Dakar Super Port, Dakar, Senegal A super port never had slow moments or down time, and even though it was still effectively under construction, the one built just outside Dakar was no exception. Even under the dim glow of sunrise every inch of the waterfront was crawling with dock workers, sailors, customs officials and of course, security agents. The government of Senegal knew that hosting such a massive infrastructure hub would make them a target and had got a loan from the African Union to hire the best money could buy, and the cheapest Roxon Oil, a major stake holder of the port, was willing to field. Good or not, security isn't ironclad and Roxon’s famed Blackridge units wouldn't have detected this intruder even if they'd been looking for it. Transported in from outside Senegal, the shipping container was properly marked for transport to Canada, although this facade was merely to keep the curious from further inspection until it was too late. While Roxon would be on the lookout for bombs, firearms, knives and even the odd invasive species no one would suspect barrels of crude oil to hide a deadly threat. At least not until the explosion, the port swallowed up by a raging inferno, just in time for a major shift change. The billions of dollars of infrastructure destroyed were secondary to the tens of thousands lost as the entire waterfront burst into flames and the oil terminal connected to it detonated. It would be some time before an investigation could be carried out but already the fire was being ruled an accident by the authorities. Then again, the authorities and Roxon would never admit the real cause of the fire. No one would believe them, even in the marvellous world they found themselves in. Timbuktu, Mali Manfred Haller slid out from underneath the old Peugeot held aloft by the exoskeleton forklift, his hand clutching a rusted suspension coil. Placing the part on the workbench he quickly noted down the serial number and went to the cabinet along the back wall emblazoned with the Peugeot emblem and removed an almost new coil of the same make and model. Getting ready to slide back under the car Haller heard the bell from his reception area ring and placed the coil down. Nobody should be picking their vehicles up this morning, and he didn't have any appointments today, not that he’d ruled out an emergency call being hurried in, but usually his clients made appointments. As he headed to the front another thought ran through his head, this could be trouble, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d walked through to see armed men waiting for him. Stepping through he breathed a sigh of relief, it wasn't armed men waiting for him, only a woman with caramel coloured skin dressed in a white dress. "Good Morning Miss, what can I do for you today?" Manfred asked as he cleaned his hands with a cloth behind the reception desk. "You are Manfred Haller yes?" The woman asked in an accent the Manfred knew but couldn't place. It was obvious that she wasn't local, that much was clear. "I am, and may I enquire on who you are?" Manfred asked cautiously. While the woman wasn't armed, something about her made Haller uncomfortable. "They call me Ivory." The woman replied as she looked Haller, dressed in his overalls, up and down before walking past him. "Shall we take this somewhere more private, we have much to discuss." "What are we discussing?" Manfred asked as Ivory slithered past him into the workshop, stopping in front of the robotic exoskeleton holding the damaged Peugeot in the air. "This is most unorthodox Miss Ivory." He added as he grabbed a tiny box from the top of a table and held it close to his chest, ready for trouble should this woman try and start it. "So is this." Ivory announced gesturing to the exoskeleton. "And that's why we're in need of someone with your engineering talent and imagination to help us." "Us?" Manfred asked as he ran through a list of organisations who may ask for his kind of help. "The African Union, we're looking to create a taskforce to stomp out a growing threat to African lives." Ivory replied as she walked over to Haller and placed her hand on the desk, purple energy waves radiating out striping the grease and grime off the surface. "Which one?" Haller asked as Ivory sat on the desk. "Malaria, Islamic extremism, climate change..." "...AGM, Advanced Genocide Mechanics." Ivory answered as she looked at the box in Manfred's hands before studying the man's face, the colour draining out of his cheeks. "They were until recently, just a Sci-Fi Militia for hire but after Hydra's attack on Wakanda, they've stepped up their game in hopes of winning over new clients. Our analysts believe the fire in Senegal was their handiwork." "Wait, you're telling me there's a group calling themselves Advanced Genocide Mechanics and nobody has stopped them?" Manfred asked, a little bit of anger seeping into his voice, a queasy feeling growing in his stomach. "Traditionally American assets have dealt with them, but with the current President in charge we're wary of asking for his assistance." Ivory replied as Manfred slipped the box into the pocket of his overalls. "Besides he's stated that Africa's problems are not his concern." "What about Wakanda? I remember the Black Panther putting together an 'Avengers Africa' a few years ago?" Haller asked as Ivory winced slightly at the mention of the Wakandan monarch. "They fell apart, it was a good idea but pressure over the use of the Avengers name ripped them apart. Wakanda has become more isolationist recently, a sure sign of an internal power struggle so the Panther can't be relied on to offer any assistance." Ivory sighed as she slid off the workbench and looked Haller in the eye. "Mr Haller the entirety of Africa is asking for your help; past observations have shown you to be a man willing to protect others, even to the detriment of yourself. Are you willing to do that one more time?" Manfred mused at how quickly he'd shirked his duties when the team of military engineers arrived and set to the repairs he had to make. In just an hour the workshop was ready to close, the interior looking bare without the usual cars and bikes waiting to be fixed. Locking up and shouldering the bag he'd packed, Haller took a deep breath and crossed the road to the abandoned lot where Ivory and her soldiers were waiting, the former dressed in a silver jumpsuit now. "As long as this doesn't take too long, I'll help." Manfred stated as he held out a hand in cooperation to Ivory, who swiftly took it and shook it. "So where do we go from here?" He asked as the soldiers pulled a camouflage tarp off a scimitar winged VTOL jet emblazoned with the flag of the African Union. "Do you get airsick?" Ivory asked as she opened the crew door of the jet, a small pair of steps folding out. Nodding Haller couldn't stop smiling, this jet was as much a work of art as it was machinery. "You won't in this, smoothest ride you've ever had even in turbulence." Ivory announced with a smile as they stepped inside followed by the soldiers. "Where did you get this?" Manfred asked as he looked around at the stripped-down passenger hold, the luxury seats replaced by a respectable troop bay. "I consider it a parting gift from a former employer, he of course would consider it stolen property." Ivory answered as everyone took a seat and buckled in. It took a minute to realise the jet had taken off, that's how smooth the ride was. He was also certain he knew who Ivory had acquired the aircraft from and hoped he never caught up with her. "We're heading West." He stated in surprise as he caught sight of the Stark plant on the edge of the city now far below them. "The others will meet us on site." Ivory replied as the TV recessed into the roof flickered to life. "AGM leaves a wide trail but it never goes far before being swallowed up, hopefully this time it'll lead to something more permanent." She added as satellite images of the still burning super port were shown on the screen. "It looks like hell." Manfred whispered, several soldiers murmuring in agreement. "If AGM get their way this will be a campfire compared to their next attack. They've threatened to test more of their devices soon." Ivory stated as footage within the refinery showed the moments before detonation. "It is imperative that we find something at the port or many more people will be needlessly killed." Dakar Super Port, Dakar, Senegal Hell was an accurate description for the super-port as the jet circled round and landed on a barge anchored out at sea between the two helicopters already there. Unbuckling, Ivory pushed the door open and lead Haller to the small group of people arguing on the dock. While he didn't recognise most of them, he did recognise Joshua N'Dingi AKA Doctor Crocodile, President of Mbangawi, among them. "I will not work with one who willingly worked with an apartheid regime!" A tall dark-skinned woman dressed in a leotard decorated with a starburst snapped. "Obax, I understand your apprehension but right now the past cannot interfere with the present." Doctor Crocodile sighed as a man with a thick beard and bald head dressed in military fatigues shot Haller an interested look. "My past is open to view at any time, both the good and the bad." The bearded man stated as Doctor Crocodile and Obax gave him a withering look. "Right now, though, this comes first." He announced as he gestured to the raging inferno. "This is the taskforce?" Manfred asked as he saw Ivory tap Doctor Crocodile on the shoulder. "It is, there are areas where the six of us can go, but as you can see the port is still unsafe and caution must be exercised." Doctor Crocodile announced as one of the doors of the helicopters was opened and a spotted hyena padded out, its eyes showing an extraordinary level of intelligence for what Manfred assumed was a mere animal. "We are taking a beast to the investigation?" The bearded man grunted. "We're taking you." Obax hissed bitterly at him. "This is Mankind's Oldest Enemy, she's the analyst responsible for choosing you for the mission." Doctor Crocodile stated as he crossed his arms, his prosthetic glowing from the light cast on it. "She has the collective knowledge of a million years of humanities foes." "We're wasting time Joshua." The hyena announced in a voice that was surprisingly refined. "My abilities can be discussed later along with Mr van Bokhoven's history." "What about N'Kantu?" Ivory asked Doctor Crocodile in a confidential whisper. "He excused himself on account of the fire, but remains available if we need him." Doctor Crocodile replied as Haller looked down at the hyena with a level of curiosity he'd never experienced before. "Right now, we have a trail to pick up, every moment we're divided AGM gets closer to its goal." Suji, Tanzania The twelve men and woman dressed in clothing supporting the words 'Medics sans Frontiers' disembarked from the two trucks, much to the delight of the gathered crowd. One medic grabbed a video camera and joined the crowd as his colleagues removed packs of what looked like anti-malaria pills. "We are AGM, Advanced Genocide Mechanics!" A rasping metallic voiced narrator announced as one of the women demonstrated popped open a blister pack of pills and took one. "Whenever mankind screams about inequality we will be there! Whenever death needs shepherding to the masses we will be there!" It continued as the other medics popped pills in demonstration as they handed them out to the crowd. "I am M.O.D.O.G, behold my brilliance!" The narrator added as the medics watched the crowd pop the pills before reaching behind the boxes and removing weapons. Screaming the crowd began to disperse only for all involved, gunmen and victims alike, to fall to the floor clutching their stomachs in pain. "Let A.G.M be the watchwords of the powerful in the world. Through us the world will be reshaped with the corpses of millions!"