‘DELPHI BLUES’
Delphi, Indiana…
Melissa Gold slipped out of the beaten up Dodge Charger she and Ramone Dantes had rented and looked at the out-of-town shopping centre. Removing a folder of files that she had found in Dr Grey’s office. Slotting the files under the sheet, Melissa pulled on a pink baseball cap that matched the tank-top and jeans she was wearing.
Getting out of the driver’s door, Ramon, dressed in cowboy leathers and a wide brimmed sexton, squinted as he looked at the families going in and out of the mall.
“And this is where the file states Dr Grey consulted with the figure she only listed as ‘Oracle’?” Ramon asked as the pair of them walked towards the entrance into the mall. “I suppose that we now know ancient Greek soothsayer’s have a sense of irony.”
“It gets more ironic, back when the Thunderbolts first formed, there was this company named Oracle Inc owned by the Human Torch, the original one from World War II, and Namor the Submariner.” Melissa explained as she and Ramon walked into the mall through the throng of shoppers. “Turns out they rented a unit in this mall to cover their mid-west operations but it was never used, not even when Oracle was bought and then dissolved into Stark-Fujikawa.”
“Someone is playing too much in mythology and their own hype.” Ramon murmured as he stopped and looked at one of the maps. “So did Grey visit a human Oracle or the company Oracle?” He asked as Melissa walked over to the lift and pressed the button to call the car.” Shrugging, Melissa stepped out of the way as the doors opened and a family complete with two screaming children exited the lift. Getting inside, Melissa and Ramon watched as the doors closed, before a tanned hand stopped them from fully closing. As they opened, a tall woman dressed in a business suit and blouse, her long brown hair tied into a ponytail entered the lift.
Awkwadly nodding Melissa heard the doors close only to open again, the lack of destination keyed in responsible for the lack of movement. After a long pause Ramon cleared his throat before asking, “Which floor are you getting off Senorita?”
“Which ever one you’re getting off.” The woman replied in a stiff voice, almost as if she was uncomfortable with talking to people.
“We’re just looking for the old Oracle facility.” Melissa stated as she pressed the button for the third floor. “I think it was on the third floor…” She added as the lift pinged and the doors closed and the cart began to move upwards.
“Then you’re getting off on the same floor as me.” The woman stated as she walked over to the key pad, her eyes fixed on the display. As the digital numbers ticked past ‘2’, she pressed the button marked ‘3’ and the ‘Call’ button at the same time, the lift shuddering as the outside word tinted purple before going dark.
“What the hell?!” Melissa spat, as she tensed up, silently cursing herself for not bringing her sonic harness. In the other corner, Ramon placed his hand on the hilt of a concealed dagger, ready to strike. The standoff was interrupted as the doors pinged open to reveal a crystal bridge set against a starfield, two incense burners flanking a blindfolded woman with a serpent’s tail.
“Taking you to the Oracle, I assume you have questions for her.” The woman in the business blouse replied as she took a step out onto the bridge. “So do I, as a courtesy you may speak with her first.” She added as she stood to one side, allowing Ramon and Melissa to exit the lift, both of them looking down at the stars beneath their feet.
“Marde dios, this is beautiful.” Ramon swore as Melissa removed her mobile phone to snap a photograph, her mouth open in amazement. “Where are we?”
“Delphi, Indiana.” The woman replied as the trio advanced on the serpent tailed Oracle, her head jerking upwards as if she was awaking from a deep sleep. “You just happen to be in the world between the Delphi of our world, and the Delphi of the next. In essence a space outside of time and space, with access to all.”
“You seem to know a lot about this place.” Melissa stated as she placed her phone back in her pocket. “Who are you?”
“Someone looking for a love that she lost.” The woman replied. “That is what I am, who I am is unimportant in the grand scheme of things.” She finished as the three travellers came to a stop before the Oracle, all three seemingly unsure of what they had to do next.
“Uh hi, I’m Melissa Joan Gold,” Melissa gulped as she finally found her voice, “I wondered if you could…”
“The ear rattling scream of the mournful, the traitorous Songbird and the hope rekindled as the Nightingale. Yes, I know you, and I know your companions,” The Oracle hissed, a blue forked tongue flicking out between every word. “The old man looking to become what he already is, and the old woman trapped between who she was and what she should be. Welcome Ramone Dantes, welcome Ninsh…”
“Nisha Bar, my name Nisha Bar Oracle.” The woman in the blouse stated in a tone that was part threat, part order.
“I see, you hide much about yourself. But I speak the answers you look for.” The Oracle hissed as her snake like body shifted slightly. “What you seek is held between Gemini’s embrace and the shield of Cancer. But should you find what you look for be aware, justice will be absent when lightning strikes.”
“Wait what does that mean?” Melissa asked as Nisha crossed her arms as the lift door pinged behind them.
“Oracles are notoriously cryptic in their answers.” Ramon stated as he took a step towards the Oracle. “Many pieces of literature state that the meanings of their words only become clear when they come true.” He added as Nisha gasped, before being dragged backwards, a massive black serpent stabbed into her shoulder.
“Funny thing about the Oracle of Delphi.” A new voice stated as Melissa and Ramon turned to see five figures standing at the end of the crystal bridge. “She was guarded by the serpent Python, a draconic monster spawned from Echidna and Typhon’s loins.” The speaker, a brutish man armed with a quiver of javelins slung over his shoulder, sneered as the stars went out and the crystal bridge shattered to reveal the shopping mall’s central space. Almost immediately the civilians in the mall began screaming and heading for the exits, the space rapidly emptying.
“Massasunga.” Nisha hissed as she ripped the serpentine hand off her neck, before turning to look at the villain. “You really don’t want to tangle with me again.” She stated, her voice even and calm.
“You think we’re here for you?” Massasunga hissed as the four other figures formed a lose arc around Nisha. “We’re here for the Nightingale, she killed out friend Pit Viper, you’re just a bonus for the Serpent Squad”
“Hey Whirlwind was the one…”Melissa yelled, only for a female figure dressed in snake scale trousers and a ballistic vest to step forward and fire a blast of sonic energy from her gauntlet that slammed her into the wall.
“We don’t want to hear anything from you.” The woman hissed, only to receive a blow to the neck as Nisha sprang into action.
Jumping into action, the four other members of the Serpent Squad attacked, trying to tackle her to the ground.
With a scream, Nisha grabbed one of the Serpent’s, a man dressed in black body armour with barbed spikes running along his shoulders and threw him aside. As his body flopped down, a bald man with chains wrapped around his bare arms slugged her from behind, the blow doing nothing to stop her as she grabbed Massasunga and swung him into the last attacker, this one dressed in a chemical hazardous material suit.
“Do we get involved?” Ramone asked as he helped Melissa back onto her feet.
“We have no weapons, by the looks of it Nisha has things covered.” Melissa mused as the woman with the sonic gauntlets blasted Nisha, her enraged target charging towards her. Before she could reach her attacker, Nisha was restrained by the chains of the bald serpent, her forward momentum slower as he strained to hold her.
“Now Rinkhals!” Massasunga yelled as the haz-mat figure removed a pair of pistols and pulled the trigger, a spray of acid burning through Nisha’s blouse and jacket causing her to scream in pain. Almost immediately the sonic blast sent her flying the chains halting her flight with a sickening crunch. Bending down next to Nisha her skin red and dripping, Massasunga slammed his fist into her chest, the blow causing her to scream.
“See I did my research, most of the super sluts love to show off skin, but you, the more skin you show the less power you have.” Massasunga hissed as went to deliver another blow, this time to Nisha’s face. “That’s how your master the Dove kept on getting into trouble. Night Adder, Cascavel kill the Nightingale and that pathetic gaucho, I’m pretty sure the Taskmaster will reward us for riding him of that nuisance as well.” He ordered, the woman with the sonic gauntlets and the man with bladded arm guards rushing towards where Melissa and Ramon were standing. “Chain Viper, this one is yours. No need to be gentle.”
With a grunt, the bald-headed man, Chain Viper grabbed Nisha by the neck and threw her across the mall into the elevator shaft. Removing a length of chain, the Viper followed up by launching his improvised weapon towards Nisha only to see her catch, the links.
“Impossible, you should be weakened.” Massasunga yelled, as Chain Viper reeled his chain back only for the line to go taunt as Nisha dug her heels in.
“Oh, I am, but it would be bad form to lose to your rabble!” Nisha spat back as she threw the chain back, only for Chain Viper to catch it.
“Rinkhals administer the Kick.” Massasunga ordered, the figure in the haz-mat suit removing a syringe from their belt and advancing in Chain Viper. Almost immediately the bald super villain shuddered and tried to back away from his teammate, only for Massasunga to restrain him long enough for the syringe to be administered.
“You promised!” Chain Viper screamed as his body convulsed and expanded until he was twelve foot tall, scale forming on his skin.
“Kill the Dove’s Shadow and I promise to never do this again.” Massasunga hissed as he and Rinkhals began to back away from their shaking teammate. With a feral roar, Chain Viper swung his chains as Nisha sprinted towards him, only to be struck and thrown across the room into a stone pillar, the support crumbling into dust from the impact.
Melissa wrenched the compound bow off the wall of the sports shop she had taken refuge in before slipping three arrows off the display next to it. During their scramble away from the Serpent Squad, she and Ramone had been separated, and she could only pray that he had gotten to safety.
That and she remembered what Hawkeye had taught her about archery when they had been teammates.
Knocking the arrow, she pulled back on the bow string as the woman Cascavel walked down the aisle adjacent to where she was standing.
“Come out Nightingale.” Cascavel hissed in a Spanish accented voice. “You and I both like things loud.” She boomed as she left off a sonic blast the smashed through the shelf next to where Melissa was hiding. Almost reflexively Melissa let go of the bow string, the arrow slashing harmlessly past Cascavel, the bow string snapping due to her superhuman strength putting too much pressure on the weapon.
“Shit!!” Melissa yelled as Cascavel unloaded a sonic blast at close range into her stomach, sending her flying through the wall of the shop into the music store next door. Groaning and wheezing Melissa got to her feet just as Cascavel stepped through the hole in the wall and fired another blast, this one throwing Melissa through a display case of records.
“What’s the matter, are you getting too old to hit the high notes?” Cascavel asked as Melissa grabbed some shards from the broken records around her. “Face it chica, you never get anywhere no matter what you call yourself!” She hissed as she fired another blast, this one flying over Melissa’s head.
“I’m getting out of here, and to that I have to go through you.” Melissa stated as she whistled up an F note, the effect immediately kicking in as Cascavel clutched her stomach and bent over in pain. “Everyone forgets that I’m more than making wings out of hard sound.” She added as she grabbed the shards of record and stabbed them into the gauntlets.
“Mierda!” Cascavel yelled as the gauntlets began to whine for a few seconds before detonating, throwing Melissa out of the music store past the elevator bank and into the Target on the other side of the aisle. Blinking and rubbing her ears Melissa saw Cascavel stagger out of the music store, her arms from the elbows gone leaving only cauterised stumps, before falling to the floor.
Ramon entered the hardware store, Night Adder hot on his heels, the dagger he had brought lodged in the assassin’s chest. Grabbing a pack of nails, Ramon flung the adhoc projectiles at his pursuer, the majority going wide, but a few bouncing off Night Adder’s armour.
“How does that maniaco Bullseye manage to make these things work as weapons?” Ramon asked as Night Adder slid over a work top and lashed out with his spiked gauntlets, the blow slashing open his target’s jacket but stopping short of slicing open skin. Angrily Ramon reached for a claw hammer, only for Night Adder to knock the tool out of his hand and slamming him onto a saw bench.
“Night Adder is it?” Ramon asked as he rolled off the saw bench seconds before Night Adder slammed his fists into the bench. Grabbing the dropped hammer, Ramon got to his feet just in time for the Serpent Squad member to swing a blow toward him, the blades slashing open his cheek. “Not much for banter are you?”
“My idol Death Adder doesn’t speak, neither do I.” Death Adder hissed as Ramon swung the hammer at the Serpent Squad members mask, the blow cracking open the ceramic and stunning him for a second, enough time for Ramone to push his attacker over the saw bench into a shelf containing bottles of white spirit, the blades on Night Adder’s costume cutting the canisters open.
“But you just spoke?” Ramon stated as Night Adder got to his feet and staggered forward tackling Ramon to the floor. With a grunt Ramon struck again with the hammer, this time stabbing through Night Adder’s hand with the claw hammer. Groaning Ramon slithered out, his face cut open and long but shallow cut slashed across his chest, and pulled himself up on the rack, spilling several canisters of chainsaw fuel onto Night Adder.
Getting to his feet Ramon saw Night Adder begin to choke, his exposed skin peeling as the white spirit burned his flesh.
Coughing and spluttering Ramon limped over to a water fountain and splashed water over his face, as Night Adder charged him in one last desperate attack only to collapse half way to his target, his stoic façade broken down as he screamed out in pain.
Chain Viper roared in anger as Nisha took another blow from the chain, the force cutting open her abdomen as the giant lashed out, knocking her into a clothes store. Crawling away as fast as she could, Nisha heard Chain Viper’s foot falls behind her and reached up to a shelf filled with leather jackets studded with rounded metal spikes and pulled it on.
“Idiot, find her now before she regains her power!” Massasunga bellowed, his voice causing Chain Viper to turn round and glare at him, the look causing the Serpent Squad’s leader to back up. Snorting in amusement at the sudden shift of power, Chain Viper entered the shop and swung his chains in an overhead smash, ripping open a stand filled with trousers and leaving a massive tear in the floor.
Silently Nisha crawled to a rack filled with trousers and snapped the metal rail off to form an adhoc staff. Even though her power was returning, it had been almost a millennia since she’d been hurt, and now every movement felt like agony.
With a frustrated roar Chain Viper swung his chains again this time beheading a group of mannequins. Silently approaching behind him Nisha stood by the hole he’d made and tapped the rail three times on the ground.
Spinning round and lashing out with his chains Chain Viper struck Nisha but before he could reel in his weapon, she kicked the links down the hole, electricity sparking up them and into his body.
Convulsing, Chain Viper collapsed as he shrunk back to his regular self, a look of relief on his face as he fell to the floor and relaxed, unwilling to risk his luck again.
“You’re next Massasunga.” Nisha whispered as she turned just in time to see Rinkhals standing in the entrance to the store, a pair of grenades leaving her hands as she threw them towards her target, the explosives detonating in a corrosive mist that bit at Nisha’s skin and corrode holes in her clothing. Bursting out of the mist, Nisha grabbed Rinkhals and sent her skidding into a trash can so hard that, it hurt her and knocked the Serpent Squad member out.
“As I said, you’re next Massasunga.” Nisha reiterated as she stalked away from the clothing store.
Melissa walked down the aisle of the Mall in a daze before she arrived at the food court. Slumping down on a bench, she took a deep sigh before flinching as she saw a shadow loom over her. Spinning round she aimed a punch at the figure, landing a blow on Ramon’s collar bone.
“RAMONE, I’M SO SORRY!” Melissa yelled as Ramon clutched his chest as he took a step back.
“Melissa I tried calling to you but you didn’t respond.” Ramon groaned only for Melissa to talk over his last few words.
“I CAN’T HEAR YOU, CASCAVEL DEAFENED ME!”
“I see.” Ramon replied as Melissa’s eyes went wide and leapt up knocking him to the ground as a javelin thudded into the table. Following her gaze Ramon saw Massasunga on the upper level of the food court, another javelin already in his hands. Scattering, both he and Melissa dove behind cover as a second and third javelin thudded into the floor where they had been laying.
“WE NEED TO…” Melissa began, only for Ramon to put a finger on his lips. After a brief second she could hear a hissing and poked her head up to see three black rattlesnakes slithering towards them.
“This is getting ridiculous.” Ramone stated as one of the snakes slithered under the table, hissing with malcontent. Smacking the snake away with his hammer Ramone stood up just as Massasunga thudded to the floor. “We have to move now!” He told Melissa, the woman nodding as they started backing up towards a cleaning station. Grabbing a set of sporks, Melissa held her adhoc weapons out ready for their last stand.
“This is for Pit Viper.” Massasunga growled as he threw a punch, his arm elongating into a black scaled serpent.
Reacting inordinately quickly, Melissa jammed the sporks down hard, pinning the serpent behind the neck to the base of the station.
Chuckling, Massasunga threw a punch with his free hand, another fist turned serpent streaking towards his victims, the blow missing and retracting to form a normal arm and hand. “You can’t hold me down forever,” Massasunga snorted as Ramon climbed onto the cleaning station to evade the snake heading towards him, “either my men arrive and butcher you, or you weaken and let go.”
“What about Nisha?” Ramon asked as Melissa pulled herself onto the station.
“Dead or at least broken.” Massasunga stated unaware of the looming shadow behind him. “You have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and no one coming to the rescue!” Seconds later his mocking became screaming as Nisha grabbed his arms and dislocated them, the Serpent Squad leader dropping to the floor as he writhed in pain.
“You were saying?” Nisha asked as she picked Massasunga up and slammed him hard into a table, the rattlesnakes transforming back into the javelins he’d initially thrown.
“I seek sanctum under Ishtar’s shining star and her dove of peace!” Massasunga blurted out, his words causing Nisha to release him and take a step back. “I told you I was prepared for you! You can’t touch me now, lest you act against your masters!” He snorted as Melissa and Ramone slid off their sanctum. “I am untouchable!”
“Touch.” Nisha snapped as she struck Massasunga in the face. “I have exactly two names on my ‘list of enemies’, and you’re number two! Guess where Ishtar is…” She told him as she left the assassin where he lay.
“And that’s all five I assume?” Ramon asked as he edged past Massasunga, “But that leaves us with one last problem regarding what the Oracle told us.”
“Exactly.” Melissa grumbled as she shook her head. “Which one of us was she talking too? Was she telling me where Abe is being held…”
“Or me where Kay was taken?” Nisha replied as Massasunga shifted slightly on the table, his hand turning into serpent fangs. Lashing out at Nisha’s back, Massasunga’s attack was stopped as Melissa stabbed one of the sporks into his hand, causing him to falter.
Coming to a stop Nisha hung her head as Melissa let go of the spork, the pair turning away from each other.
“And that’s the problem with the predictions of the Oracle.” Ramon stated as he stood between the two women.
“Until we know who she was referring to it could be either one of them. All we can do is get to that point.”
Delphi, Indiana…
Melissa Gold slipped out of the beaten up Dodge Charger she and Ramone Dantes had rented and looked at the out-of-town shopping centre. Removing a folder of files that she had found in Dr Grey’s office. Slotting the files under the sheet, Melissa pulled on a pink baseball cap that matched the tank-top and jeans she was wearing.
Getting out of the driver’s door, Ramon, dressed in cowboy leathers and a wide brimmed sexton, squinted as he looked at the families going in and out of the mall.
“And this is where the file states Dr Grey consulted with the figure she only listed as ‘Oracle’?” Ramon asked as the pair of them walked towards the entrance into the mall. “I suppose that we now know ancient Greek soothsayer’s have a sense of irony.”
“It gets more ironic, back when the Thunderbolts first formed, there was this company named Oracle Inc owned by the Human Torch, the original one from World War II, and Namor the Submariner.” Melissa explained as she and Ramon walked into the mall through the throng of shoppers. “Turns out they rented a unit in this mall to cover their mid-west operations but it was never used, not even when Oracle was bought and then dissolved into Stark-Fujikawa.”
“Someone is playing too much in mythology and their own hype.” Ramon murmured as he stopped and looked at one of the maps. “So did Grey visit a human Oracle or the company Oracle?” He asked as Melissa walked over to the lift and pressed the button to call the car.” Shrugging, Melissa stepped out of the way as the doors opened and a family complete with two screaming children exited the lift. Getting inside, Melissa and Ramon watched as the doors closed, before a tanned hand stopped them from fully closing. As they opened, a tall woman dressed in a business suit and blouse, her long brown hair tied into a ponytail entered the lift.
Awkwadly nodding Melissa heard the doors close only to open again, the lack of destination keyed in responsible for the lack of movement. After a long pause Ramon cleared his throat before asking, “Which floor are you getting off Senorita?”
“Which ever one you’re getting off.” The woman replied in a stiff voice, almost as if she was uncomfortable with talking to people.
“We’re just looking for the old Oracle facility.” Melissa stated as she pressed the button for the third floor. “I think it was on the third floor…” She added as the lift pinged and the doors closed and the cart began to move upwards.
“Then you’re getting off on the same floor as me.” The woman stated as she walked over to the key pad, her eyes fixed on the display. As the digital numbers ticked past ‘2’, she pressed the button marked ‘3’ and the ‘Call’ button at the same time, the lift shuddering as the outside word tinted purple before going dark.
“What the hell?!” Melissa spat, as she tensed up, silently cursing herself for not bringing her sonic harness. In the other corner, Ramon placed his hand on the hilt of a concealed dagger, ready to strike. The standoff was interrupted as the doors pinged open to reveal a crystal bridge set against a starfield, two incense burners flanking a blindfolded woman with a serpent’s tail.
“Taking you to the Oracle, I assume you have questions for her.” The woman in the business blouse replied as she took a step out onto the bridge. “So do I, as a courtesy you may speak with her first.” She added as she stood to one side, allowing Ramon and Melissa to exit the lift, both of them looking down at the stars beneath their feet.
“Marde dios, this is beautiful.” Ramon swore as Melissa removed her mobile phone to snap a photograph, her mouth open in amazement. “Where are we?”
“Delphi, Indiana.” The woman replied as the trio advanced on the serpent tailed Oracle, her head jerking upwards as if she was awaking from a deep sleep. “You just happen to be in the world between the Delphi of our world, and the Delphi of the next. In essence a space outside of time and space, with access to all.”
“You seem to know a lot about this place.” Melissa stated as she placed her phone back in her pocket. “Who are you?”
“Someone looking for a love that she lost.” The woman replied. “That is what I am, who I am is unimportant in the grand scheme of things.” She finished as the three travellers came to a stop before the Oracle, all three seemingly unsure of what they had to do next.
“Uh hi, I’m Melissa Joan Gold,” Melissa gulped as she finally found her voice, “I wondered if you could…”
“The ear rattling scream of the mournful, the traitorous Songbird and the hope rekindled as the Nightingale. Yes, I know you, and I know your companions,” The Oracle hissed, a blue forked tongue flicking out between every word. “The old man looking to become what he already is, and the old woman trapped between who she was and what she should be. Welcome Ramone Dantes, welcome Ninsh…”
“Nisha Bar, my name Nisha Bar Oracle.” The woman in the blouse stated in a tone that was part threat, part order.
“I see, you hide much about yourself. But I speak the answers you look for.” The Oracle hissed as her snake like body shifted slightly. “What you seek is held between Gemini’s embrace and the shield of Cancer. But should you find what you look for be aware, justice will be absent when lightning strikes.”
“Wait what does that mean?” Melissa asked as Nisha crossed her arms as the lift door pinged behind them.
“Oracles are notoriously cryptic in their answers.” Ramon stated as he took a step towards the Oracle. “Many pieces of literature state that the meanings of their words only become clear when they come true.” He added as Nisha gasped, before being dragged backwards, a massive black serpent stabbed into her shoulder.
“Funny thing about the Oracle of Delphi.” A new voice stated as Melissa and Ramon turned to see five figures standing at the end of the crystal bridge. “She was guarded by the serpent Python, a draconic monster spawned from Echidna and Typhon’s loins.” The speaker, a brutish man armed with a quiver of javelins slung over his shoulder, sneered as the stars went out and the crystal bridge shattered to reveal the shopping mall’s central space. Almost immediately the civilians in the mall began screaming and heading for the exits, the space rapidly emptying.
“Massasunga.” Nisha hissed as she ripped the serpentine hand off her neck, before turning to look at the villain. “You really don’t want to tangle with me again.” She stated, her voice even and calm.
“You think we’re here for you?” Massasunga hissed as the four other figures formed a lose arc around Nisha. “We’re here for the Nightingale, she killed out friend Pit Viper, you’re just a bonus for the Serpent Squad”
“Hey Whirlwind was the one…”Melissa yelled, only for a female figure dressed in snake scale trousers and a ballistic vest to step forward and fire a blast of sonic energy from her gauntlet that slammed her into the wall.
“We don’t want to hear anything from you.” The woman hissed, only to receive a blow to the neck as Nisha sprang into action.
Jumping into action, the four other members of the Serpent Squad attacked, trying to tackle her to the ground.
With a scream, Nisha grabbed one of the Serpent’s, a man dressed in black body armour with barbed spikes running along his shoulders and threw him aside. As his body flopped down, a bald man with chains wrapped around his bare arms slugged her from behind, the blow doing nothing to stop her as she grabbed Massasunga and swung him into the last attacker, this one dressed in a chemical hazardous material suit.
“Do we get involved?” Ramone asked as he helped Melissa back onto her feet.
“We have no weapons, by the looks of it Nisha has things covered.” Melissa mused as the woman with the sonic gauntlets blasted Nisha, her enraged target charging towards her. Before she could reach her attacker, Nisha was restrained by the chains of the bald serpent, her forward momentum slower as he strained to hold her.
“Now Rinkhals!” Massasunga yelled as the haz-mat figure removed a pair of pistols and pulled the trigger, a spray of acid burning through Nisha’s blouse and jacket causing her to scream in pain. Almost immediately the sonic blast sent her flying the chains halting her flight with a sickening crunch. Bending down next to Nisha her skin red and dripping, Massasunga slammed his fist into her chest, the blow causing her to scream.
“See I did my research, most of the super sluts love to show off skin, but you, the more skin you show the less power you have.” Massasunga hissed as went to deliver another blow, this time to Nisha’s face. “That’s how your master the Dove kept on getting into trouble. Night Adder, Cascavel kill the Nightingale and that pathetic gaucho, I’m pretty sure the Taskmaster will reward us for riding him of that nuisance as well.” He ordered, the woman with the sonic gauntlets and the man with bladded arm guards rushing towards where Melissa and Ramon were standing. “Chain Viper, this one is yours. No need to be gentle.”
With a grunt, the bald-headed man, Chain Viper grabbed Nisha by the neck and threw her across the mall into the elevator shaft. Removing a length of chain, the Viper followed up by launching his improvised weapon towards Nisha only to see her catch, the links.
“Impossible, you should be weakened.” Massasunga yelled, as Chain Viper reeled his chain back only for the line to go taunt as Nisha dug her heels in.
“Oh, I am, but it would be bad form to lose to your rabble!” Nisha spat back as she threw the chain back, only for Chain Viper to catch it.
“Rinkhals administer the Kick.” Massasunga ordered, the figure in the haz-mat suit removing a syringe from their belt and advancing in Chain Viper. Almost immediately the bald super villain shuddered and tried to back away from his teammate, only for Massasunga to restrain him long enough for the syringe to be administered.
“You promised!” Chain Viper screamed as his body convulsed and expanded until he was twelve foot tall, scale forming on his skin.
“Kill the Dove’s Shadow and I promise to never do this again.” Massasunga hissed as he and Rinkhals began to back away from their shaking teammate. With a feral roar, Chain Viper swung his chains as Nisha sprinted towards him, only to be struck and thrown across the room into a stone pillar, the support crumbling into dust from the impact.
Melissa wrenched the compound bow off the wall of the sports shop she had taken refuge in before slipping three arrows off the display next to it. During their scramble away from the Serpent Squad, she and Ramone had been separated, and she could only pray that he had gotten to safety.
That and she remembered what Hawkeye had taught her about archery when they had been teammates.
Knocking the arrow, she pulled back on the bow string as the woman Cascavel walked down the aisle adjacent to where she was standing.
“Come out Nightingale.” Cascavel hissed in a Spanish accented voice. “You and I both like things loud.” She boomed as she left off a sonic blast the smashed through the shelf next to where Melissa was hiding. Almost reflexively Melissa let go of the bow string, the arrow slashing harmlessly past Cascavel, the bow string snapping due to her superhuman strength putting too much pressure on the weapon.
“Shit!!” Melissa yelled as Cascavel unloaded a sonic blast at close range into her stomach, sending her flying through the wall of the shop into the music store next door. Groaning and wheezing Melissa got to her feet just as Cascavel stepped through the hole in the wall and fired another blast, this one throwing Melissa through a display case of records.
“What’s the matter, are you getting too old to hit the high notes?” Cascavel asked as Melissa grabbed some shards from the broken records around her. “Face it chica, you never get anywhere no matter what you call yourself!” She hissed as she fired another blast, this one flying over Melissa’s head.
“I’m getting out of here, and to that I have to go through you.” Melissa stated as she whistled up an F note, the effect immediately kicking in as Cascavel clutched her stomach and bent over in pain. “Everyone forgets that I’m more than making wings out of hard sound.” She added as she grabbed the shards of record and stabbed them into the gauntlets.
“Mierda!” Cascavel yelled as the gauntlets began to whine for a few seconds before detonating, throwing Melissa out of the music store past the elevator bank and into the Target on the other side of the aisle. Blinking and rubbing her ears Melissa saw Cascavel stagger out of the music store, her arms from the elbows gone leaving only cauterised stumps, before falling to the floor.
Ramon entered the hardware store, Night Adder hot on his heels, the dagger he had brought lodged in the assassin’s chest. Grabbing a pack of nails, Ramon flung the adhoc projectiles at his pursuer, the majority going wide, but a few bouncing off Night Adder’s armour.
“How does that maniaco Bullseye manage to make these things work as weapons?” Ramon asked as Night Adder slid over a work top and lashed out with his spiked gauntlets, the blow slashing open his target’s jacket but stopping short of slicing open skin. Angrily Ramon reached for a claw hammer, only for Night Adder to knock the tool out of his hand and slamming him onto a saw bench.
“Night Adder is it?” Ramon asked as he rolled off the saw bench seconds before Night Adder slammed his fists into the bench. Grabbing the dropped hammer, Ramon got to his feet just in time for the Serpent Squad member to swing a blow toward him, the blades slashing open his cheek. “Not much for banter are you?”
“My idol Death Adder doesn’t speak, neither do I.” Death Adder hissed as Ramon swung the hammer at the Serpent Squad members mask, the blow cracking open the ceramic and stunning him for a second, enough time for Ramone to push his attacker over the saw bench into a shelf containing bottles of white spirit, the blades on Night Adder’s costume cutting the canisters open.
“But you just spoke?” Ramon stated as Night Adder got to his feet and staggered forward tackling Ramon to the floor. With a grunt Ramon struck again with the hammer, this time stabbing through Night Adder’s hand with the claw hammer. Groaning Ramon slithered out, his face cut open and long but shallow cut slashed across his chest, and pulled himself up on the rack, spilling several canisters of chainsaw fuel onto Night Adder.
Getting to his feet Ramon saw Night Adder begin to choke, his exposed skin peeling as the white spirit burned his flesh.
Coughing and spluttering Ramon limped over to a water fountain and splashed water over his face, as Night Adder charged him in one last desperate attack only to collapse half way to his target, his stoic façade broken down as he screamed out in pain.
Chain Viper roared in anger as Nisha took another blow from the chain, the force cutting open her abdomen as the giant lashed out, knocking her into a clothes store. Crawling away as fast as she could, Nisha heard Chain Viper’s foot falls behind her and reached up to a shelf filled with leather jackets studded with rounded metal spikes and pulled it on.
“Idiot, find her now before she regains her power!” Massasunga bellowed, his voice causing Chain Viper to turn round and glare at him, the look causing the Serpent Squad’s leader to back up. Snorting in amusement at the sudden shift of power, Chain Viper entered the shop and swung his chains in an overhead smash, ripping open a stand filled with trousers and leaving a massive tear in the floor.
Silently Nisha crawled to a rack filled with trousers and snapped the metal rail off to form an adhoc staff. Even though her power was returning, it had been almost a millennia since she’d been hurt, and now every movement felt like agony.
With a frustrated roar Chain Viper swung his chains again this time beheading a group of mannequins. Silently approaching behind him Nisha stood by the hole he’d made and tapped the rail three times on the ground.
Spinning round and lashing out with his chains Chain Viper struck Nisha but before he could reel in his weapon, she kicked the links down the hole, electricity sparking up them and into his body.
Convulsing, Chain Viper collapsed as he shrunk back to his regular self, a look of relief on his face as he fell to the floor and relaxed, unwilling to risk his luck again.
“You’re next Massasunga.” Nisha whispered as she turned just in time to see Rinkhals standing in the entrance to the store, a pair of grenades leaving her hands as she threw them towards her target, the explosives detonating in a corrosive mist that bit at Nisha’s skin and corrode holes in her clothing. Bursting out of the mist, Nisha grabbed Rinkhals and sent her skidding into a trash can so hard that, it hurt her and knocked the Serpent Squad member out.
“As I said, you’re next Massasunga.” Nisha reiterated as she stalked away from the clothing store.
Melissa walked down the aisle of the Mall in a daze before she arrived at the food court. Slumping down on a bench, she took a deep sigh before flinching as she saw a shadow loom over her. Spinning round she aimed a punch at the figure, landing a blow on Ramon’s collar bone.
“RAMONE, I’M SO SORRY!” Melissa yelled as Ramon clutched his chest as he took a step back.
“Melissa I tried calling to you but you didn’t respond.” Ramon groaned only for Melissa to talk over his last few words.
“I CAN’T HEAR YOU, CASCAVEL DEAFENED ME!”
“I see.” Ramon replied as Melissa’s eyes went wide and leapt up knocking him to the ground as a javelin thudded into the table. Following her gaze Ramon saw Massasunga on the upper level of the food court, another javelin already in his hands. Scattering, both he and Melissa dove behind cover as a second and third javelin thudded into the floor where they had been laying.
“WE NEED TO…” Melissa began, only for Ramon to put a finger on his lips. After a brief second she could hear a hissing and poked her head up to see three black rattlesnakes slithering towards them.
“This is getting ridiculous.” Ramone stated as one of the snakes slithered under the table, hissing with malcontent. Smacking the snake away with his hammer Ramone stood up just as Massasunga thudded to the floor. “We have to move now!” He told Melissa, the woman nodding as they started backing up towards a cleaning station. Grabbing a set of sporks, Melissa held her adhoc weapons out ready for their last stand.
“This is for Pit Viper.” Massasunga growled as he threw a punch, his arm elongating into a black scaled serpent.
Reacting inordinately quickly, Melissa jammed the sporks down hard, pinning the serpent behind the neck to the base of the station.
Chuckling, Massasunga threw a punch with his free hand, another fist turned serpent streaking towards his victims, the blow missing and retracting to form a normal arm and hand. “You can’t hold me down forever,” Massasunga snorted as Ramon climbed onto the cleaning station to evade the snake heading towards him, “either my men arrive and butcher you, or you weaken and let go.”
“What about Nisha?” Ramon asked as Melissa pulled herself onto the station.
“Dead or at least broken.” Massasunga stated unaware of the looming shadow behind him. “You have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and no one coming to the rescue!” Seconds later his mocking became screaming as Nisha grabbed his arms and dislocated them, the Serpent Squad leader dropping to the floor as he writhed in pain.
“You were saying?” Nisha asked as she picked Massasunga up and slammed him hard into a table, the rattlesnakes transforming back into the javelins he’d initially thrown.
“I seek sanctum under Ishtar’s shining star and her dove of peace!” Massasunga blurted out, his words causing Nisha to release him and take a step back. “I told you I was prepared for you! You can’t touch me now, lest you act against your masters!” He snorted as Melissa and Ramone slid off their sanctum. “I am untouchable!”
“Touch.” Nisha snapped as she struck Massasunga in the face. “I have exactly two names on my ‘list of enemies’, and you’re number two! Guess where Ishtar is…” She told him as she left the assassin where he lay.
“And that’s all five I assume?” Ramon asked as he edged past Massasunga, “But that leaves us with one last problem regarding what the Oracle told us.”
“Exactly.” Melissa grumbled as she shook her head. “Which one of us was she talking too? Was she telling me where Abe is being held…”
“Or me where Kay was taken?” Nisha replied as Massasunga shifted slightly on the table, his hand turning into serpent fangs. Lashing out at Nisha’s back, Massasunga’s attack was stopped as Melissa stabbed one of the sporks into his hand, causing him to falter.
Coming to a stop Nisha hung her head as Melissa let go of the spork, the pair turning away from each other.
“And that’s the problem with the predictions of the Oracle.” Ramon stated as he stood between the two women.
“Until we know who she was referring to it could be either one of them. All we can do is get to that point.”