Eiffel Tower, Paris
“For your sins Paris, you will be the first to feel the wrath of God!” The man dressed in a priest’s uniform and wide brimmed hat yelled as he cranked the lever of the radio room. “I speak with him and I pray he sends a great flood to wash away the filth of this city!” He continued as he stepped out onto the balcony of the Eiffel Tower. “Repent citizens, for the apocalypse is here!”
“You know that offering damnation to the masses isn’t the right way to get your message out.” A voice from above the observation deck stated. Looking up, the preacher saw a man dressed in a silver set of armour with purple accents and bird like wings looking at him.
“You come as an angel but I can smell the sin on you, I am the Disciple, I am the herald of the lord!” The preacher snapped as he removed his hat to reveal a skull like burn over his left eye. “There is a demon on the streets, I have seen her and felt her steel!”
“I don’t have time for you,” The man stated as a beam of light shone up from the radio room, “or your message.” He added as he swooped down and slammed the Disciple into the ground before cranking the lever back on the machine.
“Your haste is sinful!” The Disciple hissed as he got to his feet and pulled a censor from his robe, the weight on the end igniting into purple flame. “Patience is a virtue!” He added as he swung the censor at his opponent, only for him to fold his wings in and duck his blow before delivering a spinning kick to the Disciple, knocking him to the floor. With a snarl the preacher began to get to his feet only to be KOd by a kick to the head.
“The police will be interested in you and your machine.” The winged man stated as he flicked his wings out, grabbed the Disciple by the collar and took off. “In all honesty I was looking for another kind of prey.” He added as he flew towards the nearest police station, his helmet buzzing slightly. “And that will be my boss. Madame Hidalgo, what can I do for you?”
“I want an update on the hunt for Guillotine Misour Racine.” A woman’s voice announced over his helmet. “You were hired to bring her to justice, not random criminals from the street.”
“It’s Peregrine when I’m in the sky and I left it as long as I was willing to.” Peregrine replied as he swooped down to a police station and dropping the Disciple’s unconscious body next to a patrol car before taking back to the air. “He was dangerous and I won’t let them be harmed, it was one of my conditions when I agreed to this hunt. Now from what you told me, there was a prior connection to Guillotine.”
“Yes, apparently both the current Guillotine and the former one tangled with this ‘Disciple’. His presence should have lured her out.” Hidalgo replied as Peregrine landed on the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral and folded his wings in, his eyes scanning the square below. “Why she didn’t turn up I don’t know.”
“Perhaps she had something better to do.” Peregrine replied. “After all, why would a busy crime lord be interested in a mad-man trying to talk to God?”
Bank de Euro, Rue de Louvre
Jeannie Sauvage took the folder the banker dressed in a suit sitting on the opposite side of the desk had handed her. Standing up she smoothed the business skirt and blouse she was wearing before leaving the small office a look of absolute anger on her face. Walking over to the security station, she handed a ticket to the guard and waited for him to retrieve her bag. Looking at the ‘Loan Rejected’ stamped on the folder, she shot the guard an angry smile as he handed her back the bag. Turning towards the stairs, she bumped into the blonde-haired man walking in the other direction dressed in a grey suit, the pair of them falling to the floor in a heap.
“I am so sorry Mademoiselle.” The man stated as the pair untangled themselves and got to their feet. “Your loan application.” He added as he picked up the folder and scrutinized the ‘Loan Rejected’ stamp. “What were you applying for?”
“A motorbike, I’m looking to expand my business to include deliveries.” Jeannie replied, ignoring the tiny voice from her bag urging her to kill everyone, snatched the folder back. “Not that it matters to you Monsieur…”
“…Kraus, Gunther Kraus.” The man replied as he held out a hand of friendship. “I’m the Regional Manager of our Swiss branches.” As he waited for Jeannie to accept his hand. “I’m in the city for a few days, if you want to come in tomorrow and assuming you have good credit I will give you your loan.”
“Why would you do that?” Jeannie asked cautiously.
“Because it’s good business, I’m here to interview a new manager for our French branches and analyse performance. Apparently, a lot of eligible people are being turned down for micro-loans and our office in Zurich want to know why.” Gunther answered as he smiled at Jeannie. “We don’t want to force our customers to go elsewhere for their needs, that’s just bad for business, and what’s bad for business is bad for your soul, at least that’s what I believe.”
“Okay.” Jeannie gasped as she shook his hand, her angry glower turned into a smile. “Jeannie Sauvage, I guess I will see you tomorrow.” She announced as she headed for the stairs down to street level. Gunther smiled as he watched her leave before turning to the guard.
“Your pass Monsieur.” The guard announced as he handed Gunther a pass. “You can use Interview Room Two.”
Lumel Atoll, French Polynesia
The armoured figure clad in black save four red glowing eyes emerged from the water alongside the barge, before climbing out onto deck. Scanning the deck, he saw a blonde-haired woman dressed in a blue bikini sunning herself on a chair. Smiling he tapped a command on his gauntlet, a series of balloons erupting from the water lugging a black armoured container to the surface.
“Your package Dr Trufaut.” The armoured figure stated as the woman removed the sunglasses from her eyes and looked at the speaker. “Direct from the Ural Sea.”
“Is it authentic Agent Devil Ray, I am in no mood for any kinks in my plan.” Dr Trufaut announced as the pair of them walked to the side of the boat and looked at the container.
“I followed the MACE files exactly.” Devil Ray replied as Trufaut held her hand out, water droplets rising from the water and into her palm. “Plus there’s that.” He added as Dr Trufaut dived into the water and disappeared under the surface before breaching, green scales running along her legs turned tail.
“I can feel it, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.” Trufaut stated as Devil Ray tapped something on his gauntlet, the case opening to reveal an old looking trident covered with coral rock and grime. “This is Neptune’s second trident, with this I am not merely a daughter of the waves, I am the master of the tides.”
“We are Master of the Tides.” A voice announced from on-ship causing Dr Trufaut to look up and see the masked face of Dr Dorcas standing next to Devil Ray. “We need a target the submariner will be attracted to, but attacking Atlantis puts us in his home, the one place where he’s strongest. I would suggest taking the fight to a coastal city.”
“No, moving water even with Neptune’s power takes a lot of energy, a lot of power to break down the geo-hydrological barriers on the world’s oceans.” Trufaut replied as she watched the two men looking down at her. “Thankfully someone has already broken down most of those barriers making the task easier, but only in one position.”
“Where to then?” Devil Ray asked after a long pause, his words causing both his employers to glower at him with cold unforgiving looks.
“Paris,” Trufaut replied, “tonight the City of Lights drowns.”
Isle aux Cygnes, Paris
Mercedes Machado whipped the long black hair out of her face as she aimed the camera at the blonde-haired woman standing at the base of the Statue of Liberty. She and her girlfriend Isobel had been to all the sights along the Seine, it had taken her mind off the phone call she had to make, the one she was dreading.
“Your turn.” Isobel announced as she walked over to where Mercedes was standing and took the camera from her. “Cheer up, it may never happen.” She added as Mercedes looked over at the bubbling surface of the Seine. “Dios mio, what is that?”
“I don’t know.” Mercedes answered as she and everyone else on the island walked over to the railings to look at the strange phenomenon.
“People of Paris, I do not wish you in particularly any harm but your city has been chosen.” The voice in the water boomed as the water began to bubble even higher. “For the sake of fairness, I will only increase the water level to the level of the 1903 floods, but after the city will be drowned. I will spare it on one condition, that Namor the King of Atlantis comes forth.” Once the voice had finished speaking the river went back to normal, causing the tourists to look at each other with confused looks on their faces.
“What did that mean?” Mercedes asked as she turned to look at the fear in Isobel’s face. “What is it?”
“I think this will be bad, we need to get off this island!” Isobel yelled as the surface of the Seine exploded and water began to rise at a massive rate, spilling over the side of the island causing the tourists to wade to safety, even as the water continued to rise.
“How bad?” Mercedes asked as the water began to swamp the causeways connecting the island to the mainland.
“The 1903 flood had a ten-meter tidal surge.” Isobel grunted as a man was swept off the causeway and into the river. “We need to get to higher ground and quickly!” She added as the concrete banks of the river were consumed by water, the sudden increase in water level knocking both women off their feet. As the water threatened to engulf them, Mercedes pushed her head above the water before knocking her fists together, seismic vibrations radiating out and pushing the water back from her and Isobel.
“Don’t know how much longer…I can…can hold this!” Mercedes grunted as she started walking forwards, the vibration field clearing a bubble of clear space around the women as they made their way up the causeway.
“Mercedes, how are you doing this?” Isobel asked as Mercedes slipped on the wet causeway, the vibrational field dissipating allowing the water to surge back in ripping both women off the causeway and into the river, the water still rising as it swept into the city.
“It’s glorious isn’t it.” Jaqueline Trufaut purred as she surfaced into the flooded courtyard of the Louvre followed by Dr Dorcas.
“I’ve never been that enthused with modern art.” Dr Dorcas replied as more figures surfaced behind them. “Aside from the genetic beauties I have created for my Deep Six.”
“And beauties they are.” Jaqueline agreed as she gestured for a blue skinned woman with long tentacle like protrusions to come closer. “But I meant my new kingdom of course.” She added as the blue skinned woman wrapped her arms round her and kissed her on the cheek.
“Your ambitions are growing Dr Trufaut.” Dr Dorcas remarked as he looked across the flooded river at the red and blue lights of emergency vehicles. “But there is one obstacle in our way, the accursed Submariner, he has a habit of bringing allies with him, even garnering sympathy with the armed forces despite his terrorist ways. We will need more bodies to throw at those who help him when he arrives. Fortunately, I know of just a thing that may be able to provide what we need, something I’ve been working on for some time.”
“What secrets you have.” Jaqueline said with a fake smile. “What force are you raising for our conquest?”
“Raising is correct.” Dr Dorcas stated as he removed a vile of thick green liquid and poured it into the river. “Many years ago, I discovered an Atlantean outcast tribe that could raise their dead using a special kind of dinoflagellate. With some modifications I engineered the micro-organisum to do the same thing to humans. In effect the drowned will return, ready to get revenge on the one ultimately responsible for their deaths,” He stated as he handed three more canisters to members of the genetically altered Deep Six, “the Submariner.” He added with a cruel smile as the lights of the buildings on the opposite bank went out. “This city will be his tomb!”
“For your sins Paris, you will be the first to feel the wrath of God!” The man dressed in a priest’s uniform and wide brimmed hat yelled as he cranked the lever of the radio room. “I speak with him and I pray he sends a great flood to wash away the filth of this city!” He continued as he stepped out onto the balcony of the Eiffel Tower. “Repent citizens, for the apocalypse is here!”
“You know that offering damnation to the masses isn’t the right way to get your message out.” A voice from above the observation deck stated. Looking up, the preacher saw a man dressed in a silver set of armour with purple accents and bird like wings looking at him.
“You come as an angel but I can smell the sin on you, I am the Disciple, I am the herald of the lord!” The preacher snapped as he removed his hat to reveal a skull like burn over his left eye. “There is a demon on the streets, I have seen her and felt her steel!”
“I don’t have time for you,” The man stated as a beam of light shone up from the radio room, “or your message.” He added as he swooped down and slammed the Disciple into the ground before cranking the lever back on the machine.
“Your haste is sinful!” The Disciple hissed as he got to his feet and pulled a censor from his robe, the weight on the end igniting into purple flame. “Patience is a virtue!” He added as he swung the censor at his opponent, only for him to fold his wings in and duck his blow before delivering a spinning kick to the Disciple, knocking him to the floor. With a snarl the preacher began to get to his feet only to be KOd by a kick to the head.
“The police will be interested in you and your machine.” The winged man stated as he flicked his wings out, grabbed the Disciple by the collar and took off. “In all honesty I was looking for another kind of prey.” He added as he flew towards the nearest police station, his helmet buzzing slightly. “And that will be my boss. Madame Hidalgo, what can I do for you?”
“I want an update on the hunt for Guillotine Misour Racine.” A woman’s voice announced over his helmet. “You were hired to bring her to justice, not random criminals from the street.”
“It’s Peregrine when I’m in the sky and I left it as long as I was willing to.” Peregrine replied as he swooped down to a police station and dropping the Disciple’s unconscious body next to a patrol car before taking back to the air. “He was dangerous and I won’t let them be harmed, it was one of my conditions when I agreed to this hunt. Now from what you told me, there was a prior connection to Guillotine.”
“Yes, apparently both the current Guillotine and the former one tangled with this ‘Disciple’. His presence should have lured her out.” Hidalgo replied as Peregrine landed on the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral and folded his wings in, his eyes scanning the square below. “Why she didn’t turn up I don’t know.”
“Perhaps she had something better to do.” Peregrine replied. “After all, why would a busy crime lord be interested in a mad-man trying to talk to God?”
Bank de Euro, Rue de Louvre
Jeannie Sauvage took the folder the banker dressed in a suit sitting on the opposite side of the desk had handed her. Standing up she smoothed the business skirt and blouse she was wearing before leaving the small office a look of absolute anger on her face. Walking over to the security station, she handed a ticket to the guard and waited for him to retrieve her bag. Looking at the ‘Loan Rejected’ stamped on the folder, she shot the guard an angry smile as he handed her back the bag. Turning towards the stairs, she bumped into the blonde-haired man walking in the other direction dressed in a grey suit, the pair of them falling to the floor in a heap.
“I am so sorry Mademoiselle.” The man stated as the pair untangled themselves and got to their feet. “Your loan application.” He added as he picked up the folder and scrutinized the ‘Loan Rejected’ stamp. “What were you applying for?”
“A motorbike, I’m looking to expand my business to include deliveries.” Jeannie replied, ignoring the tiny voice from her bag urging her to kill everyone, snatched the folder back. “Not that it matters to you Monsieur…”
“…Kraus, Gunther Kraus.” The man replied as he held out a hand of friendship. “I’m the Regional Manager of our Swiss branches.” As he waited for Jeannie to accept his hand. “I’m in the city for a few days, if you want to come in tomorrow and assuming you have good credit I will give you your loan.”
“Why would you do that?” Jeannie asked cautiously.
“Because it’s good business, I’m here to interview a new manager for our French branches and analyse performance. Apparently, a lot of eligible people are being turned down for micro-loans and our office in Zurich want to know why.” Gunther answered as he smiled at Jeannie. “We don’t want to force our customers to go elsewhere for their needs, that’s just bad for business, and what’s bad for business is bad for your soul, at least that’s what I believe.”
“Okay.” Jeannie gasped as she shook his hand, her angry glower turned into a smile. “Jeannie Sauvage, I guess I will see you tomorrow.” She announced as she headed for the stairs down to street level. Gunther smiled as he watched her leave before turning to the guard.
“Your pass Monsieur.” The guard announced as he handed Gunther a pass. “You can use Interview Room Two.”
Lumel Atoll, French Polynesia
The armoured figure clad in black save four red glowing eyes emerged from the water alongside the barge, before climbing out onto deck. Scanning the deck, he saw a blonde-haired woman dressed in a blue bikini sunning herself on a chair. Smiling he tapped a command on his gauntlet, a series of balloons erupting from the water lugging a black armoured container to the surface.
“Your package Dr Trufaut.” The armoured figure stated as the woman removed the sunglasses from her eyes and looked at the speaker. “Direct from the Ural Sea.”
“Is it authentic Agent Devil Ray, I am in no mood for any kinks in my plan.” Dr Trufaut announced as the pair of them walked to the side of the boat and looked at the container.
“I followed the MACE files exactly.” Devil Ray replied as Trufaut held her hand out, water droplets rising from the water and into her palm. “Plus there’s that.” He added as Dr Trufaut dived into the water and disappeared under the surface before breaching, green scales running along her legs turned tail.
“I can feel it, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.” Trufaut stated as Devil Ray tapped something on his gauntlet, the case opening to reveal an old looking trident covered with coral rock and grime. “This is Neptune’s second trident, with this I am not merely a daughter of the waves, I am the master of the tides.”
“We are Master of the Tides.” A voice announced from on-ship causing Dr Trufaut to look up and see the masked face of Dr Dorcas standing next to Devil Ray. “We need a target the submariner will be attracted to, but attacking Atlantis puts us in his home, the one place where he’s strongest. I would suggest taking the fight to a coastal city.”
“No, moving water even with Neptune’s power takes a lot of energy, a lot of power to break down the geo-hydrological barriers on the world’s oceans.” Trufaut replied as she watched the two men looking down at her. “Thankfully someone has already broken down most of those barriers making the task easier, but only in one position.”
“Where to then?” Devil Ray asked after a long pause, his words causing both his employers to glower at him with cold unforgiving looks.
“Paris,” Trufaut replied, “tonight the City of Lights drowns.”
Isle aux Cygnes, Paris
Mercedes Machado whipped the long black hair out of her face as she aimed the camera at the blonde-haired woman standing at the base of the Statue of Liberty. She and her girlfriend Isobel had been to all the sights along the Seine, it had taken her mind off the phone call she had to make, the one she was dreading.
“Your turn.” Isobel announced as she walked over to where Mercedes was standing and took the camera from her. “Cheer up, it may never happen.” She added as Mercedes looked over at the bubbling surface of the Seine. “Dios mio, what is that?”
“I don’t know.” Mercedes answered as she and everyone else on the island walked over to the railings to look at the strange phenomenon.
“People of Paris, I do not wish you in particularly any harm but your city has been chosen.” The voice in the water boomed as the water began to bubble even higher. “For the sake of fairness, I will only increase the water level to the level of the 1903 floods, but after the city will be drowned. I will spare it on one condition, that Namor the King of Atlantis comes forth.” Once the voice had finished speaking the river went back to normal, causing the tourists to look at each other with confused looks on their faces.
“What did that mean?” Mercedes asked as she turned to look at the fear in Isobel’s face. “What is it?”
“I think this will be bad, we need to get off this island!” Isobel yelled as the surface of the Seine exploded and water began to rise at a massive rate, spilling over the side of the island causing the tourists to wade to safety, even as the water continued to rise.
“How bad?” Mercedes asked as the water began to swamp the causeways connecting the island to the mainland.
“The 1903 flood had a ten-meter tidal surge.” Isobel grunted as a man was swept off the causeway and into the river. “We need to get to higher ground and quickly!” She added as the concrete banks of the river were consumed by water, the sudden increase in water level knocking both women off their feet. As the water threatened to engulf them, Mercedes pushed her head above the water before knocking her fists together, seismic vibrations radiating out and pushing the water back from her and Isobel.
“Don’t know how much longer…I can…can hold this!” Mercedes grunted as she started walking forwards, the vibration field clearing a bubble of clear space around the women as they made their way up the causeway.
“Mercedes, how are you doing this?” Isobel asked as Mercedes slipped on the wet causeway, the vibrational field dissipating allowing the water to surge back in ripping both women off the causeway and into the river, the water still rising as it swept into the city.
“It’s glorious isn’t it.” Jaqueline Trufaut purred as she surfaced into the flooded courtyard of the Louvre followed by Dr Dorcas.
“I’ve never been that enthused with modern art.” Dr Dorcas replied as more figures surfaced behind them. “Aside from the genetic beauties I have created for my Deep Six.”
“And beauties they are.” Jaqueline agreed as she gestured for a blue skinned woman with long tentacle like protrusions to come closer. “But I meant my new kingdom of course.” She added as the blue skinned woman wrapped her arms round her and kissed her on the cheek.
“Your ambitions are growing Dr Trufaut.” Dr Dorcas remarked as he looked across the flooded river at the red and blue lights of emergency vehicles. “But there is one obstacle in our way, the accursed Submariner, he has a habit of bringing allies with him, even garnering sympathy with the armed forces despite his terrorist ways. We will need more bodies to throw at those who help him when he arrives. Fortunately, I know of just a thing that may be able to provide what we need, something I’ve been working on for some time.”
“What secrets you have.” Jaqueline said with a fake smile. “What force are you raising for our conquest?”
“Raising is correct.” Dr Dorcas stated as he removed a vile of thick green liquid and poured it into the river. “Many years ago, I discovered an Atlantean outcast tribe that could raise their dead using a special kind of dinoflagellate. With some modifications I engineered the micro-organisum to do the same thing to humans. In effect the drowned will return, ready to get revenge on the one ultimately responsible for their deaths,” He stated as he handed three more canisters to members of the genetically altered Deep Six, “the Submariner.” He added with a cruel smile as the lights of the buildings on the opposite bank went out. “This city will be his tomb!”