#17 by John Cheese
February 2018
February 2018
"Dead Man Walking"
Spear walked along the line of cylinders containing the corpses of the inmates sentenced to un-life in the Charnel House. Stopping in front of Doyle’s cylinder he shuddered as Electro reanimated himself, screamed and returned to death.
“Got to say, Doyle, the soundtrack in this place sucks,” Spear announced as he looked at the pod opposite his former teammate. “Although at least you got a nice view,” He added as he looked at the young woman with a mop of short pink hair across the way, her only clothing a pink tank top, “you know if you like that kind of thing.” He added as he looked down at the massive snake tail that had been grafted onto her torso in lieu of her legs.
Striding back along the line he stopped at the far end. “And at least you’re with the big names right? Electro, Splice, Diamondback, Whirlwind, hell that guy has been kicked out of the Masters of Evil so many times.” He stated as he looked at the man encased in green armour, massive spikes stabbed out of his necrotic flesh at odd angles. “And look 8-Ball, he was fun when he was alive,” Spear added as he walked past a body dressed completely in black with a pool ball themed helmet, a crack on the right cheek showing hints of the skull floating inside. “And there’s the best of the rest, I mean who is Archibald Morton?” He asked as walked past a man dressed in green and gold, his skeletal fingers stabbed out of his gloves and his uncovered face revealing the front of his skull sticking out from the flesh of his cheeks.
“Yeah okay this places stinks, but don’t worry Gillette is going to get you out of here.” Spear added as the lift pinged and Director Romero walked out, his hand reaching for his gun. Advancing on Spear, Electro screamed as he reanimated and smashed his way out of the cylinder that contained him. Spinning round Spear watched as the reanimating bodies broke free of their confinement and crawled out into the room with him. With a scream Romero opened fire, his stiffening muscles causing his shots to go wide as Spear backed away from the advancing horde, their stride increasing in speed as they grew reacquainted with what their bodies could do.
“Shit, shit, shit!!” Spear swore as he ran back towards the observation room, the zombies hot on his heels as he slipped down the steps and slammed the door shut, the electronic lock refusing to bolt.
“Daniels, what did you do?” Gillette asked as Sneed scribbled down a series of figures relating to the bio-electric potential of the body they were examining.
“Two words; Zombie Apocalypse!” Spear spat as someone struggled to break open the door he was trying to keep closed.
“Very funny, who did you really piss off?” Chemistro asked as the Enforcer placed his bone down on the table next to the casket and removed a piece of chalk and scribbled a symbol on the lid.
“Oh, only Whirlwind, Diamondback, Electro, 8-Ball and a bunch of guys nobody has ever heard of.” Spear replied as the door buckled and a massive decaying hand reached in and grabbed him, the force sending him slamming into the door with enough force to close the heavy slab of metal on his attacker, who seemingly impervious to pain continued its attack, the door inching forward, the screech of the metal accompanied by a chorus of feral screams. Charging forward Sneed added his own considerable bulk to the living side of the door and helped Daniels slam it shut, the muscles holding the decaying hand shearing off.
“He’s right, the stench of necromancy is on the air.” The Enforcer sighed as everyone looked at the casket with suspicion. “He won’t rise, I branded the casket with a warding glyph that retards any attempt to reanimate a corpse.”
“Okay guys let’s get weaponised.” Gillette ordered, as she removed a series of pens from her pockets, removed the lids and twisted the base to reveal a series of throwing blades. Following her lead Chemistro hooked up a pair of modified syringes to the packs of liquid the Enforcer had brought with him.
“Can someone switch with us?” Sneed groaned, as the door buckled as someone threw themselves at it. Nodding, Chemistro and Gillette added their weight to it, as Sneed and Daniels stepped away, the former grabbing his EMF reader and the jar of seeds from the table, before opening the battery pack and filling it with the later. Picking up the bone, Daniels smashed it against the table, the outer shell smashing to reveal a cut down spear gun loaded with three barbed projectiles. “Okay so anyone against the idea of making a run for it?” Sneed asked as the Enforcer removed a photograph of himself and a red headed woman from his bag and stroked the woman’s face, the image glowing blue where his touch had traced. Reaching through the tear he pulled out a handgun equipped with a glowing bayonet.
“Not without what we came for.” Gillette ordered as the door stopped shaking and instead started hissing as sections of the metal began to drip down past her. Grunting Sneed, Nero and Daniels slid the casket onto a floating trolley.
“Who else was out there Daniels?” Chemistro grunted as the door continued to melt around him.
“I didn’t get their names, the only guy besides the ones I named was a something Morton.” Daniels answered. “How are we getting out?”
“Ram the door, Morton was the second Chemistro, his powers are trans-mutating the structure to the point where it will flake open at a single touch.” Chemistro stated as he helped the others spin the trolley around. With a collective grunt, the villains charged forward, the casket bucking up the steps and through the door and the zombified individual standing behind it. Spinning the trolley round, they pushed towards the lift, only for Doyle to grab the front of the cart with his remaining hand and act against them.
“Oh man Doyle don’t make me do this.” Sneed sighed as he removed his EMF reader and twisted the dial, a spread of electrified seeds streaking over the casket and into Doyle’s chest, the pellets sticking with the intensity of a taser and sending the corpse shuddering off to the side.
“Those lightning seeds pack a punch.” Daniels stated as the cart rolled forwards as the zombies leapt at their living prey, their hands grabbing pockets or anything else that would give them some kind of purchase until they were shook off. “Where did you get them?”
“I’ll tell you when we get out of this.” The Enforcer replied as he slashed away at a corpse with its hands replaced with machete blades.
“More like if!” Sneed coughed as he kicked off Diamondback clinging to his leg, before driving the cart into the lift shaft.
“We need a key card.” Gillette moaned as Daniels jabbed at the button to make the lift doors close. Scanning the approaching horde, she spotted Director Romero and turned to Chemistro. “Slip and Slide?” She asked as Chemistro vaulted over the casket to stand in the mouth of the lift and nodded. Grimacing, Gillette threw one of her knives, the blade embedding in Romero’s foot, the blade stabbing through the muscle and tendons through into the floor below. Darting forwards, the Headhunter tackled the pinned zombie to the ground, the corpse biting and hissing as it went down. Priming his ad-hoc weapons, Chemistro opened fire on the ground between Gillette and the lift as she ripped the key card of Romero’s belt, before launching herself across the floor, the trans-mutated surface allowing her to slide into the lift. “Take it!” She ordered as Daniels snatched the card and swiped it against the console before jabbing the button to close the doors.
“Heads up, one of them’s closing!” Sneed spat as Whirlwind spun across the floor and jammed his hands between the doors, his strength keeping them from closing as he leaned in, his jaw snapping as he tried to bite his fleeing victims.
“Fuck off you wanker!” Daniels hissed as he repeatedly smashed Whirlwind in the face with the butt of his spear gun until the animated corpse fell back and the doors closed. With a shake, the lift headed upwards as Gillette pulled herself up using the casket and looked at the bite on her arm with dread.
“Relax, these zombies are necromantic in nature, a bite or scratch won’t turn you.” The Enforcer stated as he checked his gun. “But if we die, then we join the horde.”
“So, start shooting, because I don’t plan to die!” Daniels spat.
“I have one bullet, and that’s for the necromancer.” Nero replied, as he checked the glyph on the casket. “Most mystics are resistant to firearms, but the slug in this gun is charged with anti-magic. Even if it doesn’t kill the sorcerer behind this awakening, it will shut down his or her spells temporarily.” He announced as the lift shuddered and came to a stop, the control panel sparking.
“Electro must have shorted out the power.” Gillette spat as she pulled herself up onto the casket and pushed out the elevator access panel, before looking at the ‘SL3’ plastered in the inside of the door. “Looks like we’re on the third sublevel.” She sighed as she pulled herself up onto the roof of the lift. “No way we’re getting the casket out here though.”
“If we can kill the Necromancer and restore the power we wouldn’t need to.” Daniels suggested coyly as the others in the lift looked at him with surprise. “What I have good ideas on occasion.” He added, as Gillette stepped onto the ladder and crawled up to the door. Following her up onto the roof, Daniels handed her the key-card and watched as the doors shuddered open to reveal a pair of undead SHIELD agents standing there looking down at them. “Crap, forget it my plan sucks!” He swore as he fired two rounds from his weapons, the spears stabbing through the guard’s heads and causing them to fall through the door to the bottom of the shaft.
# # # # #
Sneed kicked the crawling torso that had been someone dressed in his armour down the stairs, before turning to where Gillette was stabbing a knife into Diamondback’s brain. The zombies had been far faster and craftier then any of them, even the Enforcer, could have been predicted, with half the horde being levitated to the top of the flight of stairs by Whirlwind. Still hissing and snapping, Diamondback reared up and got ready to slam into her prey, only for a spear to stab through her chest and pin her to the wall.
“Okay so I’m out.” Spear sighed as he swung the launcher into 8-Ball, the corpse staggering slightly before swiping at him. Ducking the blow, Daniels gulped as a blade sliced through 8-Ball’s neck, his helmeted head hitting the ground hard.
“Not a problem.” The Enforcer stated as he grabbed 8-Ball’s twitching corpse and threw him into an undead SHIELD agent, the pair toppling over the guard rail and down to the bottom floor. “But we are wasting time, every second allows the dead to converge on out position.”
“Then let’s draw a line that they won’t cross!” Chemistro snarled as he took both of his ‘alchemy derringers’ and blasted a double lined barrier across the floor, the first line ignited into purple flames, while the second one simply hissed and bubbled a bit. “Flames and quick lime, but it won’t last.” He added as Whirlwind levitated up the stairwell and landed heavily before the barriers, the other corpses recoiling from the barrier separating them from the living.
“Then let’s not waste it.” Gillette stated as the villains retreated towards the atrium only to be faced by another pair of enemies, one dressed in a trench coat, the other in green armour.
“Headhunter hand over the casket and we’ll make sure you and yours just die.” The man in green armour buzzed as it levelled a built-in canon at his opponents.
“Binary Bug, you’re not a swords and sorcery guy so I suppose that would make you our slippery new zombie making friend.” Gillette announced as she cast her eyes on the man in the trench coat. “I’m not giving up this score, not with everything that’s happened since our arrival!” As she spat out the final three words, the Enforcer sprang into action, his weapon levelled ready to fire, and in the two seconds it took to get it to that position, he found a knife pressed against his throat.
“Oh, I wouldn’t try that.” A soft menacing voice whispered in his ear. “Put the safety on and throw the gun away.” It commanded, as reluctantly Nero did what he was told, the gun skidding towards the man in the trench-coat. “I will commend you on your quick draw, unfortunately Blackwing is a master of stealth and a swift strike.” The figure holding him stated as the necromancer picked up the pistol and opened the chamber.
“No bullets.” He hissed as he shucked his coat to reveal a skeletal form wrapped in chains that burnt with a blue flame. “You don’t even try anymore.” He cackled, flames dancing over his head as Blackwing pitched him forward. “I suppose you forgot your old friend the Necromaniac, I mean it’s how I got here after all! You decided to save that red-haired bitch instead of me, and look where it got you. Reviled, penniless, broken hearted and castrated; sure, I wouldn’t have been as good in bed, but at least you’d be halfway competent still.” He added as his undead forces arrived, a number of them supporting chemical burns across their feet.
“Yeah I may be all those things.” Nero snarled as he got to his feet. “But I wouldn’t give up those memories for anything.” He hissed, spittle and something metallic flying through the Necromaniac’s open eye-socket and exploding in a shower of green smoke. Clutching his throat, the necromancer fell to the floor choking, his undead army collapsing where they stood.
“Looks like we have the numbers again!” Sneed cheered as he opened fire on Binary Bug, his armour hissing and convulsing from the discharge.
“Gillette get to the security office and turn on the lift we’ll cover you.” Chemistro called as he and Daniels lunged towards Blackwing, only for their target to vault over them and spin round, his cloak open to reveal a colony of vampire bats nestled in the lining. Receiving an inaudible command, the bats took to the wing, biting and harassing the villains as their opponent delivered a violent kick to Sneed’s back, the blow sending him staggering forwards.
“Your skill is regarded as legendary.” Blackwing stated, as he aimed another kick, only for his opponent to catch the strike and send his opponent flipping over backwards, his crouched landing making him look like a massive bat. “But all legends are based on truth, and that truth is that you are just a man, a man with no power without his suit.”
“Legends come from somewhere.” Sneed stated as he slipped into a defensive position. “Come try and build yours.” He taunted as Blackwing launched into a flying kick, the strike coming so quick that Sneed was only just able to counter with a high cross guard that sent Blackwing up and over his head and down behind him. Reacting swiftly, Blackwing slashed towards Sneed, a ceramic curved blade now in his hand. Blocking the blow, he expected, Sneed recoiled as the knife stabbed through his palm before the blade was removed and slashed towards his throat. Grabbing his opponents arm, Sneed twisted the limb, the sound of the knife clattering to the ground accompanied by the snap of breaking bones.
“You can’t win old man!” Blackwing hissed as Binary Bug got to his feet, the armoured villain looming over Shockwave before firing a high power concussive blast into Sneed’s back. Struggling to his feet, Blackwing watched as Sneed fell to his knees, pain etched on his face before pulling another knife from his cloak. “And so, the legend ends. Know that you’ll live in shame for what’s left of your life!” He stated as he slashed out at Sneed’s face, the blade slicing his cheek open. “Not that it will last all that long.”
# # # # #
Gillette pulled the body of the SHIELD agent caught in the door of the security office away and rolled her down the stairs before entering the small room. Resting her fingers on the keyboard she felt a sudden spark of static energy, followed by a massive discharge that sent her flying backwards. Grunting in pain she looked up to see Electro step round the bank of consoles, sparks flying off of his body.
“You…you should be dead.” Gillette stammered as she got to her feet.
“Yeah I should be.” Electro replied in a rasping buzzing tone. “Turns out I can support myself even after the kick that raised us drained away.” He stated as he advanced on his prey. “Want to know how?” He asked, as a knife stabbed into his throat, the strike doing nothing to slow him down. “I guess that’s a yes.” He snickered as he shot lightning out of his hands at Gillette the surge knocking her down the stairs. Descending slowly, he shot another weaker pulse out, this one paralysing his victim and creating a star shaped discharge around her head. “See I’m not just a zombie, I’m an energy vampire too, your bio-electricity will keep me standing.”
“You…sick.” Gillette slurred as her legs twitched and convulsed as the nerves were deadened.
“And now young Skywalker, you will die.” Electro replied as the discharge grew stronger around him before something flew at him, sparks scattering and causing the lights to explode across the facility.
“Can you walk?” The Enforcer asked, as he watched the Necromaniac pick himself up off of the now inert body of Electro.
“No.” Gillette grunted as she tried to twitch her legs. “Get the body.”
“Screw the body.” Daniels replied as he and Chemistro supported Shockwave, his face bleeding from the cut he had received from Blackwing. “Calvin was right, we shouldn’t have come here.” He added as the bodies on the floor began to twitch. “Between the living wankers and these dead pricks, we are outnumbered and outgunned.” Gillette nodded as Nero picked her up and carried her out in a fireman’s carry as they all headed for the exit.”
# # # # #
House of Twisted Roses, Charleston, South Carolina
“How’s the legs?” Sneed asked as he walked into Gillette’s immaculately kept office, the villain in question sitting at her desk, a list of names scrolling down the computer screen in-front of her.
“Tingly.” Gillette replied. “How’s the face and hand?”
“As expected.” Sneed replied as he looked over at her shoulder at the names. “Nero is ready to leave. I still can’t believe you paid him with some of the blackmail money Cross left behind.”
“He earned it, we wouldn’t have gotten out without him.” Gillette replied as the Enforcer walked in, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “Mr Nero, before you leave may I have just five more minutes of your time.”
“Can’t see why not.” Nero grunted as he walked over the desk. “What is it?”
“This was a gift from Crossfire before he…we left his service.” Gillette explained as she ran her hands across the keyboard. “It was a list of acquaintances of a group that’s been stalking us. The criminals who attacked us in Niganda, Antarctica and Arizona are on the list, but curiously I couldn’t find the name of the Necromaniac here. I wondered if you could shed some light on his identity.”
“His name was ‘Dead’ Paul Porter.” Nero replied coldly.
“Ignoring the blatant fan-boyness in that name, I can confirm that it’s not here, that he joined after this list was compiled.” Gillette sighed as she put the name in the search bar, the database dropping from three hundred entries to zero. “And that’s what I want to talk about. The Enforcer is not a joiner, but its clear that our rivals, our enemies are recruiting, and I suspect they use both the stick and the carrot. I suspect in the coming months that you will be given a choice by them, and that you will dislike both choices.”
“Join or die, well I think we know what I’ll choose.” Nero replied as he turned away from Sneed and Gillette. “Is that all?”
“That woman, the one ‘Dead’ Paul mentioned,” Sneed asked as he winced slightly as he put his injured hand on the desk. “you loved her, you weren’t always alone. I wonder what she would have you do.” He added as Nero’s shoulders slumped, the bag slipping off onto the floor.
“This will not be forever, only until this monopoly has been broken.” Nero replied as he stalked out of the office.
# # # # #
Turin, Italy
Centurius stood outside the undertakers as the truck he had hired pulled up and the driver stepped out. After a few minutes unloading under the eyes of not just their employer, but the residents, tourists, street performers and vendors too, Rambo, Manfredi and Porter unloaded the body and wheeled it into the building. Looking them up and down Centurius stopped as Rambo let out a wheezing cough, before stopping at the sling on Manfredi’s left arm.
“What happened?” Centurius asked.
“We got the stiff as ordered, as for Crossfire’s crew, we sent them packing with their tails between their legs.” Manfredi replied before letting out a wheezing rattling cough.
“Indeed, and I assume that your cough is just because its flu season in America.” Centurius stated as his mercenaries looked at each other awkwardly. “What do you think I’m stupid? I know what exposure to chlorine gas looks like.”
“Does it matter we delivered what you wanted.” Rambo grunted as Centurius ran his hand across the top of the casket. “Who’s inside anyway?”
“An enemy.” Centurius replied. “Leave, your payments will be wired to the usual accounts.” He continued as his men looked at each other before departing into the square.
“Guys a douche.” Rambo snorted as they walked past a busker, her black hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in a black dress playing a viola. “Makes you wonder though what will happen to that facility, like will the Conspiracy take it or will SHIELD reclaim it.” He added as purple sparks rang up and down the Necromaniac’s body.
“Paul what’s happening!?” Manfredi gasped.
“B..Binding Spell!!” Paul screamed, his voice causing the windows in the stores to shatter, seconds before he exploded, the blast sending everyone; civilians and villains running for cover. Almost all were panicked, scared and running for their lives, all save for the busker who calmly packed up her viola and her change pot.
And while the ringing of the explosion, the screams and sirens and crunching of broken glass underfoot drowned out her voice, Manfredi and Rambo could have sworn they heard her whisper, “Justice is Served.” Before disappearing into the fleeing crowd.
“Got to say, Doyle, the soundtrack in this place sucks,” Spear announced as he looked at the pod opposite his former teammate. “Although at least you got a nice view,” He added as he looked at the young woman with a mop of short pink hair across the way, her only clothing a pink tank top, “you know if you like that kind of thing.” He added as he looked down at the massive snake tail that had been grafted onto her torso in lieu of her legs.
Striding back along the line he stopped at the far end. “And at least you’re with the big names right? Electro, Splice, Diamondback, Whirlwind, hell that guy has been kicked out of the Masters of Evil so many times.” He stated as he looked at the man encased in green armour, massive spikes stabbed out of his necrotic flesh at odd angles. “And look 8-Ball, he was fun when he was alive,” Spear added as he walked past a body dressed completely in black with a pool ball themed helmet, a crack on the right cheek showing hints of the skull floating inside. “And there’s the best of the rest, I mean who is Archibald Morton?” He asked as walked past a man dressed in green and gold, his skeletal fingers stabbed out of his gloves and his uncovered face revealing the front of his skull sticking out from the flesh of his cheeks.
“Yeah okay this places stinks, but don’t worry Gillette is going to get you out of here.” Spear added as the lift pinged and Director Romero walked out, his hand reaching for his gun. Advancing on Spear, Electro screamed as he reanimated and smashed his way out of the cylinder that contained him. Spinning round Spear watched as the reanimating bodies broke free of their confinement and crawled out into the room with him. With a scream Romero opened fire, his stiffening muscles causing his shots to go wide as Spear backed away from the advancing horde, their stride increasing in speed as they grew reacquainted with what their bodies could do.
“Shit, shit, shit!!” Spear swore as he ran back towards the observation room, the zombies hot on his heels as he slipped down the steps and slammed the door shut, the electronic lock refusing to bolt.
“Daniels, what did you do?” Gillette asked as Sneed scribbled down a series of figures relating to the bio-electric potential of the body they were examining.
“Two words; Zombie Apocalypse!” Spear spat as someone struggled to break open the door he was trying to keep closed.
“Very funny, who did you really piss off?” Chemistro asked as the Enforcer placed his bone down on the table next to the casket and removed a piece of chalk and scribbled a symbol on the lid.
“Oh, only Whirlwind, Diamondback, Electro, 8-Ball and a bunch of guys nobody has ever heard of.” Spear replied as the door buckled and a massive decaying hand reached in and grabbed him, the force sending him slamming into the door with enough force to close the heavy slab of metal on his attacker, who seemingly impervious to pain continued its attack, the door inching forward, the screech of the metal accompanied by a chorus of feral screams. Charging forward Sneed added his own considerable bulk to the living side of the door and helped Daniels slam it shut, the muscles holding the decaying hand shearing off.
“He’s right, the stench of necromancy is on the air.” The Enforcer sighed as everyone looked at the casket with suspicion. “He won’t rise, I branded the casket with a warding glyph that retards any attempt to reanimate a corpse.”
“Okay guys let’s get weaponised.” Gillette ordered, as she removed a series of pens from her pockets, removed the lids and twisted the base to reveal a series of throwing blades. Following her lead Chemistro hooked up a pair of modified syringes to the packs of liquid the Enforcer had brought with him.
“Can someone switch with us?” Sneed groaned, as the door buckled as someone threw themselves at it. Nodding, Chemistro and Gillette added their weight to it, as Sneed and Daniels stepped away, the former grabbing his EMF reader and the jar of seeds from the table, before opening the battery pack and filling it with the later. Picking up the bone, Daniels smashed it against the table, the outer shell smashing to reveal a cut down spear gun loaded with three barbed projectiles. “Okay so anyone against the idea of making a run for it?” Sneed asked as the Enforcer removed a photograph of himself and a red headed woman from his bag and stroked the woman’s face, the image glowing blue where his touch had traced. Reaching through the tear he pulled out a handgun equipped with a glowing bayonet.
“Not without what we came for.” Gillette ordered as the door stopped shaking and instead started hissing as sections of the metal began to drip down past her. Grunting Sneed, Nero and Daniels slid the casket onto a floating trolley.
“Who else was out there Daniels?” Chemistro grunted as the door continued to melt around him.
“I didn’t get their names, the only guy besides the ones I named was a something Morton.” Daniels answered. “How are we getting out?”
“Ram the door, Morton was the second Chemistro, his powers are trans-mutating the structure to the point where it will flake open at a single touch.” Chemistro stated as he helped the others spin the trolley around. With a collective grunt, the villains charged forward, the casket bucking up the steps and through the door and the zombified individual standing behind it. Spinning the trolley round, they pushed towards the lift, only for Doyle to grab the front of the cart with his remaining hand and act against them.
“Oh man Doyle don’t make me do this.” Sneed sighed as he removed his EMF reader and twisted the dial, a spread of electrified seeds streaking over the casket and into Doyle’s chest, the pellets sticking with the intensity of a taser and sending the corpse shuddering off to the side.
“Those lightning seeds pack a punch.” Daniels stated as the cart rolled forwards as the zombies leapt at their living prey, their hands grabbing pockets or anything else that would give them some kind of purchase until they were shook off. “Where did you get them?”
“I’ll tell you when we get out of this.” The Enforcer replied as he slashed away at a corpse with its hands replaced with machete blades.
“More like if!” Sneed coughed as he kicked off Diamondback clinging to his leg, before driving the cart into the lift shaft.
“We need a key card.” Gillette moaned as Daniels jabbed at the button to make the lift doors close. Scanning the approaching horde, she spotted Director Romero and turned to Chemistro. “Slip and Slide?” She asked as Chemistro vaulted over the casket to stand in the mouth of the lift and nodded. Grimacing, Gillette threw one of her knives, the blade embedding in Romero’s foot, the blade stabbing through the muscle and tendons through into the floor below. Darting forwards, the Headhunter tackled the pinned zombie to the ground, the corpse biting and hissing as it went down. Priming his ad-hoc weapons, Chemistro opened fire on the ground between Gillette and the lift as she ripped the key card of Romero’s belt, before launching herself across the floor, the trans-mutated surface allowing her to slide into the lift. “Take it!” She ordered as Daniels snatched the card and swiped it against the console before jabbing the button to close the doors.
“Heads up, one of them’s closing!” Sneed spat as Whirlwind spun across the floor and jammed his hands between the doors, his strength keeping them from closing as he leaned in, his jaw snapping as he tried to bite his fleeing victims.
“Fuck off you wanker!” Daniels hissed as he repeatedly smashed Whirlwind in the face with the butt of his spear gun until the animated corpse fell back and the doors closed. With a shake, the lift headed upwards as Gillette pulled herself up using the casket and looked at the bite on her arm with dread.
“Relax, these zombies are necromantic in nature, a bite or scratch won’t turn you.” The Enforcer stated as he checked his gun. “But if we die, then we join the horde.”
“So, start shooting, because I don’t plan to die!” Daniels spat.
“I have one bullet, and that’s for the necromancer.” Nero replied, as he checked the glyph on the casket. “Most mystics are resistant to firearms, but the slug in this gun is charged with anti-magic. Even if it doesn’t kill the sorcerer behind this awakening, it will shut down his or her spells temporarily.” He announced as the lift shuddered and came to a stop, the control panel sparking.
“Electro must have shorted out the power.” Gillette spat as she pulled herself up onto the casket and pushed out the elevator access panel, before looking at the ‘SL3’ plastered in the inside of the door. “Looks like we’re on the third sublevel.” She sighed as she pulled herself up onto the roof of the lift. “No way we’re getting the casket out here though.”
“If we can kill the Necromancer and restore the power we wouldn’t need to.” Daniels suggested coyly as the others in the lift looked at him with surprise. “What I have good ideas on occasion.” He added, as Gillette stepped onto the ladder and crawled up to the door. Following her up onto the roof, Daniels handed her the key-card and watched as the doors shuddered open to reveal a pair of undead SHIELD agents standing there looking down at them. “Crap, forget it my plan sucks!” He swore as he fired two rounds from his weapons, the spears stabbing through the guard’s heads and causing them to fall through the door to the bottom of the shaft.
# # # # #
Sneed kicked the crawling torso that had been someone dressed in his armour down the stairs, before turning to where Gillette was stabbing a knife into Diamondback’s brain. The zombies had been far faster and craftier then any of them, even the Enforcer, could have been predicted, with half the horde being levitated to the top of the flight of stairs by Whirlwind. Still hissing and snapping, Diamondback reared up and got ready to slam into her prey, only for a spear to stab through her chest and pin her to the wall.
“Okay so I’m out.” Spear sighed as he swung the launcher into 8-Ball, the corpse staggering slightly before swiping at him. Ducking the blow, Daniels gulped as a blade sliced through 8-Ball’s neck, his helmeted head hitting the ground hard.
“Not a problem.” The Enforcer stated as he grabbed 8-Ball’s twitching corpse and threw him into an undead SHIELD agent, the pair toppling over the guard rail and down to the bottom floor. “But we are wasting time, every second allows the dead to converge on out position.”
“Then let’s draw a line that they won’t cross!” Chemistro snarled as he took both of his ‘alchemy derringers’ and blasted a double lined barrier across the floor, the first line ignited into purple flames, while the second one simply hissed and bubbled a bit. “Flames and quick lime, but it won’t last.” He added as Whirlwind levitated up the stairwell and landed heavily before the barriers, the other corpses recoiling from the barrier separating them from the living.
“Then let’s not waste it.” Gillette stated as the villains retreated towards the atrium only to be faced by another pair of enemies, one dressed in a trench coat, the other in green armour.
“Headhunter hand over the casket and we’ll make sure you and yours just die.” The man in green armour buzzed as it levelled a built-in canon at his opponents.
“Binary Bug, you’re not a swords and sorcery guy so I suppose that would make you our slippery new zombie making friend.” Gillette announced as she cast her eyes on the man in the trench coat. “I’m not giving up this score, not with everything that’s happened since our arrival!” As she spat out the final three words, the Enforcer sprang into action, his weapon levelled ready to fire, and in the two seconds it took to get it to that position, he found a knife pressed against his throat.
“Oh, I wouldn’t try that.” A soft menacing voice whispered in his ear. “Put the safety on and throw the gun away.” It commanded, as reluctantly Nero did what he was told, the gun skidding towards the man in the trench-coat. “I will commend you on your quick draw, unfortunately Blackwing is a master of stealth and a swift strike.” The figure holding him stated as the necromancer picked up the pistol and opened the chamber.
“No bullets.” He hissed as he shucked his coat to reveal a skeletal form wrapped in chains that burnt with a blue flame. “You don’t even try anymore.” He cackled, flames dancing over his head as Blackwing pitched him forward. “I suppose you forgot your old friend the Necromaniac, I mean it’s how I got here after all! You decided to save that red-haired bitch instead of me, and look where it got you. Reviled, penniless, broken hearted and castrated; sure, I wouldn’t have been as good in bed, but at least you’d be halfway competent still.” He added as his undead forces arrived, a number of them supporting chemical burns across their feet.
“Yeah I may be all those things.” Nero snarled as he got to his feet. “But I wouldn’t give up those memories for anything.” He hissed, spittle and something metallic flying through the Necromaniac’s open eye-socket and exploding in a shower of green smoke. Clutching his throat, the necromancer fell to the floor choking, his undead army collapsing where they stood.
“Looks like we have the numbers again!” Sneed cheered as he opened fire on Binary Bug, his armour hissing and convulsing from the discharge.
“Gillette get to the security office and turn on the lift we’ll cover you.” Chemistro called as he and Daniels lunged towards Blackwing, only for their target to vault over them and spin round, his cloak open to reveal a colony of vampire bats nestled in the lining. Receiving an inaudible command, the bats took to the wing, biting and harassing the villains as their opponent delivered a violent kick to Sneed’s back, the blow sending him staggering forwards.
“Your skill is regarded as legendary.” Blackwing stated, as he aimed another kick, only for his opponent to catch the strike and send his opponent flipping over backwards, his crouched landing making him look like a massive bat. “But all legends are based on truth, and that truth is that you are just a man, a man with no power without his suit.”
“Legends come from somewhere.” Sneed stated as he slipped into a defensive position. “Come try and build yours.” He taunted as Blackwing launched into a flying kick, the strike coming so quick that Sneed was only just able to counter with a high cross guard that sent Blackwing up and over his head and down behind him. Reacting swiftly, Blackwing slashed towards Sneed, a ceramic curved blade now in his hand. Blocking the blow, he expected, Sneed recoiled as the knife stabbed through his palm before the blade was removed and slashed towards his throat. Grabbing his opponents arm, Sneed twisted the limb, the sound of the knife clattering to the ground accompanied by the snap of breaking bones.
“You can’t win old man!” Blackwing hissed as Binary Bug got to his feet, the armoured villain looming over Shockwave before firing a high power concussive blast into Sneed’s back. Struggling to his feet, Blackwing watched as Sneed fell to his knees, pain etched on his face before pulling another knife from his cloak. “And so, the legend ends. Know that you’ll live in shame for what’s left of your life!” He stated as he slashed out at Sneed’s face, the blade slicing his cheek open. “Not that it will last all that long.”
# # # # #
Gillette pulled the body of the SHIELD agent caught in the door of the security office away and rolled her down the stairs before entering the small room. Resting her fingers on the keyboard she felt a sudden spark of static energy, followed by a massive discharge that sent her flying backwards. Grunting in pain she looked up to see Electro step round the bank of consoles, sparks flying off of his body.
“You…you should be dead.” Gillette stammered as she got to her feet.
“Yeah I should be.” Electro replied in a rasping buzzing tone. “Turns out I can support myself even after the kick that raised us drained away.” He stated as he advanced on his prey. “Want to know how?” He asked, as a knife stabbed into his throat, the strike doing nothing to slow him down. “I guess that’s a yes.” He snickered as he shot lightning out of his hands at Gillette the surge knocking her down the stairs. Descending slowly, he shot another weaker pulse out, this one paralysing his victim and creating a star shaped discharge around her head. “See I’m not just a zombie, I’m an energy vampire too, your bio-electricity will keep me standing.”
“You…sick.” Gillette slurred as her legs twitched and convulsed as the nerves were deadened.
“And now young Skywalker, you will die.” Electro replied as the discharge grew stronger around him before something flew at him, sparks scattering and causing the lights to explode across the facility.
“Can you walk?” The Enforcer asked, as he watched the Necromaniac pick himself up off of the now inert body of Electro.
“No.” Gillette grunted as she tried to twitch her legs. “Get the body.”
“Screw the body.” Daniels replied as he and Chemistro supported Shockwave, his face bleeding from the cut he had received from Blackwing. “Calvin was right, we shouldn’t have come here.” He added as the bodies on the floor began to twitch. “Between the living wankers and these dead pricks, we are outnumbered and outgunned.” Gillette nodded as Nero picked her up and carried her out in a fireman’s carry as they all headed for the exit.”
# # # # #
House of Twisted Roses, Charleston, South Carolina
“How’s the legs?” Sneed asked as he walked into Gillette’s immaculately kept office, the villain in question sitting at her desk, a list of names scrolling down the computer screen in-front of her.
“Tingly.” Gillette replied. “How’s the face and hand?”
“As expected.” Sneed replied as he looked over at her shoulder at the names. “Nero is ready to leave. I still can’t believe you paid him with some of the blackmail money Cross left behind.”
“He earned it, we wouldn’t have gotten out without him.” Gillette replied as the Enforcer walked in, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “Mr Nero, before you leave may I have just five more minutes of your time.”
“Can’t see why not.” Nero grunted as he walked over the desk. “What is it?”
“This was a gift from Crossfire before he…we left his service.” Gillette explained as she ran her hands across the keyboard. “It was a list of acquaintances of a group that’s been stalking us. The criminals who attacked us in Niganda, Antarctica and Arizona are on the list, but curiously I couldn’t find the name of the Necromaniac here. I wondered if you could shed some light on his identity.”
“His name was ‘Dead’ Paul Porter.” Nero replied coldly.
“Ignoring the blatant fan-boyness in that name, I can confirm that it’s not here, that he joined after this list was compiled.” Gillette sighed as she put the name in the search bar, the database dropping from three hundred entries to zero. “And that’s what I want to talk about. The Enforcer is not a joiner, but its clear that our rivals, our enemies are recruiting, and I suspect they use both the stick and the carrot. I suspect in the coming months that you will be given a choice by them, and that you will dislike both choices.”
“Join or die, well I think we know what I’ll choose.” Nero replied as he turned away from Sneed and Gillette. “Is that all?”
“That woman, the one ‘Dead’ Paul mentioned,” Sneed asked as he winced slightly as he put his injured hand on the desk. “you loved her, you weren’t always alone. I wonder what she would have you do.” He added as Nero’s shoulders slumped, the bag slipping off onto the floor.
“This will not be forever, only until this monopoly has been broken.” Nero replied as he stalked out of the office.
# # # # #
Turin, Italy
Centurius stood outside the undertakers as the truck he had hired pulled up and the driver stepped out. After a few minutes unloading under the eyes of not just their employer, but the residents, tourists, street performers and vendors too, Rambo, Manfredi and Porter unloaded the body and wheeled it into the building. Looking them up and down Centurius stopped as Rambo let out a wheezing cough, before stopping at the sling on Manfredi’s left arm.
“What happened?” Centurius asked.
“We got the stiff as ordered, as for Crossfire’s crew, we sent them packing with their tails between their legs.” Manfredi replied before letting out a wheezing rattling cough.
“Indeed, and I assume that your cough is just because its flu season in America.” Centurius stated as his mercenaries looked at each other awkwardly. “What do you think I’m stupid? I know what exposure to chlorine gas looks like.”
“Does it matter we delivered what you wanted.” Rambo grunted as Centurius ran his hand across the top of the casket. “Who’s inside anyway?”
“An enemy.” Centurius replied. “Leave, your payments will be wired to the usual accounts.” He continued as his men looked at each other before departing into the square.
“Guys a douche.” Rambo snorted as they walked past a busker, her black hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in a black dress playing a viola. “Makes you wonder though what will happen to that facility, like will the Conspiracy take it or will SHIELD reclaim it.” He added as purple sparks rang up and down the Necromaniac’s body.
“Paul what’s happening!?” Manfredi gasped.
“B..Binding Spell!!” Paul screamed, his voice causing the windows in the stores to shatter, seconds before he exploded, the blast sending everyone; civilians and villains running for cover. Almost all were panicked, scared and running for their lives, all save for the busker who calmly packed up her viola and her change pot.
And while the ringing of the explosion, the screams and sirens and crunching of broken glass underfoot drowned out her voice, Manfredi and Rambo could have sworn they heard her whisper, “Justice is Served.” Before disappearing into the fleeing crowd.