First Strike
Chapter 1: First Strike
Several miles northwest of Cuba, there lay a small, barren, island. Barely ten miles long, the island lay alone in the ocean, a dot in the waves that looked like it was going to be consumed by the raging seas around it at any moment. To the average eye, this place had no value. It was a rock, with no wildlife or plant life, no natural resources, too small to be inhabited by any sort of community. Yet, a use had been found for it. A very important use, in fact, and now the island was inhabited. Inhabited by representatives of the United States Government.
The island was not marked on official maps. But it had a name, an unofficial one. It was called 'The Cage'. It was named for what the facility was designed to hold and served as a grim reminder to the inhabitants of what they were guarding.
Today, it was near midnight and the isle was being assaulted by a tropical storm. Storm clouds rumbled over the small island, unleashing buckets of rain. Guards walked along the rocky beach, clad in rain ponchos and clutching assault rifles. Past them were several sentry towers, their watchlights slicing through the darkness. In the center of the watchtowers was the only building on the whole island, a large three story structure. The building lacked windows and was surrounded by several barriers that were covered razor wire, electrified fencing, and motion sensor chainguns. Guards patrolled the outer perimeter of the building, leading watchdogs and equipped with motion sensors.
As the storm pounded down outside, the inner building was dead quiet. In a room on the second floor, a man sat before a wall of monitors. He was a middle aged man, but looked a lot older thanks to the stress of his job taking its toll. He was almost completely bald, a small goatee decorating his chin. He was thin, almost scarecrow-like, and had a pair of cheekbones that made him resemble Lee Van Cleef. The man was wearing a black uniform, a pager, a cell phone, and a walkie talkie holster on one side of his waist. A gun was holstered on the other.
His name was Warden Olban. He was in charge of this facility. He frowned as he watched the security footage through the monitors. Every speck of the land on the island had a camera on it but visibility was getting limited thanks to this damn storm. Storms had hit the Cage before, of course, but for some reason, the one tonight was making the warden nervous. He sat up in his chair and snatched a mug of coffee off the desk, taking a long sip.
Olban then turned around. Four guards sat in the room with him. They had parked themselves around a table and were playing poker. They had asked the warden to join them in the game but he hadn't time for such trivial things. He didn't know how they could waste their time so easily when those things were just on floor below.
Olban stared at the guards. One man noticed and raised his head, pulling his cigarette from his mouth. "Everything okay sir?" He asked. His buddies glanced up too, looking at the warden.
Olban narrowed his eyes. "Just...a feeling," He muttered. "Stay alert." He turned his chair back around and slid closer to the monitors. He switched several to Floor One. He carefully watched as he switched through each of the camera feeds. No, everything looked under control down there. All of them were calm.
Olban slid back in his chair. He took another drink of his coffee. Maybe the job was getting to him. He had been station here almost four months now. The stress of watching over them day after day, after seeing what they had done was possibly getting to him. No incidents had happened but still, it was nerve wracking to think about. If a single one got loose, he was convinced they'd all be dead.
He had beefed up security every few weeks, adding more layers of defense and triple checking the systems they already had. A few had ribbed him about this, saying he was cramming every defense system imaginable into a hunk of rock barely big enough to shit on but he ignored them. It was better safe than sorry and considering his job was the most important on the planet, he considered that the more security he had, the better off they'd be.
The stress of the additional incidents just last month hadn't helped either. Connecticut. Colorado. Chicago. Not as bad as the first time but still horrific. He had wanted the freaks they had caught transferred here but apparently they posed less of a security risk and were kept in the states. Goddamn idiots. That would just lead to more disaster. Those things would get loose if they weren't under his watch. He was putting pressure on his superiors to get a transfer authorized but so far, all they had accomplished was dragging their feet.
Olban sighed. He tried to take another sip of coffee. Empty. He groaned and stood, slamming the cup angrily against his desk. He'd need another if he was going to stifle these nerves. He marched for the door, listening to the distant sounds of thunder.
But before he could leave, a voice called out. "Sir!" The warden halted and turned back. At one of the security feeds sat one of his security officials. The man was leaning over the tracking system. Olban quickly crossed the room, the four guards immediately stand to attention as he did.
Olban leaned over the official's shoulder. He could see a blip on one of their radar systems. The official tapped it. "Just got something sir. Its an unidentified flying object of some kind, just a mile off."
"How the hell did that thing get this close without setting off radar sooner?!" Olban shouted. He glared at the screen, already feeling his heart rate begin to pick up speed. The security official shook his head helplessly.
"I'm not sure, sir. It just...appeared. Like it came out of nowhere."
Olban swore. He grinded his teeth together, the object on the radar getting closer. "Hail them." He stood, folding his arms, watching as the official grabbed the acoustic hailing device and spoke into it.
"Unidentified vehicle, you have entered a restricted military zone. Identify yourself immediately or you will be regarded as hostile. You have ten seconds to reply."
Olban waited. A few seconds of silence creaked by. Nothing. Static was their only response.
The security official looked up at Olban, awaiting orders. Olban pointed a finger at the screen. The object was closing in on the west side of the island. "Send out a red alert. Shoot it down."
The official nodded. He quickly activated the island COM channel and shouted, "Attention all personnel. An unidentified object has been sighted and is closing in fast. Object has failed to response to hails for intent. Commence-"
There was a sudden loud whine over the COM channel and a roar of static followed it. Olban covered his ears, the official doing the same at the noise. Olban knew what that sound meant. It meant there was a problem with the COM. Not good.
The noise continued for several moments before there was a crackle and the feed went dead. The official pressed the COM several times, trying to speak again into it, but nothing happened.
The official looked at the warden, face going white. "Feed's dead, sir." He helplessly looked at it. "Maybe cause of the storm or I dunno but the COM's been knocked out of commission."
"Don't panic!" Olban snarled, more to himself than anyone else. He took out a walkie talkie and spoke into it, trying to call the security chief. "This is Warden Olban with a priority alert. Answer me. Over."
He got no response. Not even static answered him this time. Olban tried again. Same result. He dropped the walkie talkie and tried his cell phone. No service.
"What the hell is this?" Olban growled, staring at the cell phone in disbelief. The island was set up with its own private cell network. For it to be knocked out of commission, the power station would have had to have been knocked out, either by being destroyed or...
"Shit," Olban raised his head. "We're being jammed. Hacked. Whatever you want to call it! Where's that object now?"
"Appears to be hovering over the shore, sir!" The official reported. "Appears to have halted its movements."
Olban quickly switched over to the best camera feed of the shore. He could see the barren shore stretching before him. But the heavy rain was making it difficult to see anything. He leaned in closer, trying to make out any details of something hovering over the shore. But besides a few guards patrolling before the raging sea, he couldn't-
Wait. Olban squinted his eyes. There. A shape was in the clouds overhead, barely visible against the black sky. It looked very thin, long, but beyond that he couldn't see much else. But whatever it was, it was clearly some sort of air vehicle. Olban was about to shout another order when something appeared out of the shape.
It a smaller object. It was glowing brightly in the darkness and arced downward. The warden's eyes went wide. Oh shit. It was a missile.
The missile sped toward the beach. Several guards looked up. The warden grabbed the COM, desperately screaming into it. He howled for them to run. To take cover. But silence was his only reply. The missile slammed into the beach and an explosion engulfed the camera. The feed went dead.
The building rumbled. Olban's coffee cup felt from the desk and shattered against the floor. He stared at the camera feed's black image. He stared at it in shock for a full minute as his brain processed that those men were dead. Then shock turned to anger. And anger to action.
The warden stood. He whirled around, clapping his hands. "We're under attack!" He barked. He pointed at two of his guards. "You, you. Get outside, alert everyone to what is going on, and scramble the jets!" They nodded and immediately ran out. "You, you!" He jabbed a finger at the next two guards. "Get downstairs, get everyone assembled, and put a full contingent guarding the freaks!" They saluted him and darted out. Olban whirled on the official. "And you, put this facility on-"
"Already done." The security official pressed a massive red button in front of the wall of monitors. Alarms blared before the room's door slammed shut. Walls slid open, revealing lines upon lines of guns. A monotone voice reported over the alarms: "LOCKDOWN INITIATED." The alarms screeched for another moment before they ceased.
Olban smiled. The Cage was now on full alert. The guards outside would have heard the alarms and see the facility go into lockdown mode. Although the COM channels and other forms of communication seemed to be jammed, they would congregate in groups, responding immediately to the missile strike. They'd know what to do in response to this unexpected attack. Scramble the jets, protect the building at all costs. Nothing would be getting through them. And soon enough, the jets would bring that vehicle down from the sky.
Olban glanced at the radar. The unidentified aircraft still hadn't moved. Perhaps the missile strike had been intended as a show of force. Mistake. He wasn't going to be intimidated and despite jamming them, his entire security force was the best. They'd retaliate with extreme force.
The warden turned his attention back to the monitors. Sure enough, he could see guards already forming up around the buildings, raising guns, getting into fortified positions, dogs barking wildly. Olban smiled.
Then something flashed. The warden blinked. A flash of light appeared in the midst of the assembled guards and suddenly, there were other figures standing there. Figures clad in black armor and wielding their own guns. The figures opened fire and several of the island's security forces were cut down.
The guards twisted around, shocked by the unexpected appearance of these men from seemingly thin air. They were unprepared and more fell. Cut down by gunfire. The black armored men kept shooting. Dogs charged them. They were cut down. And in moments, it was over. The attackers were standing before the fence, surrounded by the bodies of Olban's men.
The warden staggered backwards. He had known those men. Handpicked them for the Cage's security force. And now, they were dead. He watched helplessly, as the black armored raised their hands and signaled. Hand signals. Clearly they were military or at least, a similar force. They spread out into groups. One raised his gun and shot the camera. The feed went dead.
The warden watched as the black armored men spread across the island like a plague of locusts. They engaged in firefights with the rest of his security force. Some of the attackers were killed in the fights. But his own men were outnumbered and the invaders had the element of surprise on their side. In mere minutes, the attackers had successfully purged nearly everyone outside of the building. Olban stared, utterly flabbergasted, his eyes looking over the dead men lying dead across the island, their bloodied forms washed clean by the rain. His view was soon cut off as the attackers systematically shot each and every single camera outside of the building. Half his eyes were now blind.
Olban looked at the official. The official looked back at him. They were still protected. The building was on lockdown. But those men...they had appeared out of thin air. Were they metahumans? The warden gritted his teeth, clutching the side of the desk. They had to be. Had to be! More freaks come here to attack him, come to free their own. Well, they wouldn't get in. The building was surrounded by dozens of defenses, they wouldn't...
But the attackers didn't even approach the outer walls. Olban watched the few remaining security cameras outside, providing him views of the walls and the main entrance. No a single sentry chaingun opened fire on any targets. Nothing. Were they going to open fire, blow the main doors open? Perhaps...
Another burst of light. Right in front of the main doors. Olban's eyes popped. A group of at least ten of the attackers had appeared, out of nowhere like before, in front of the main entrance. Right past the fences. Past the barbed wire. Past the sentry guns.
One of the invaders approached the outer doors. In front of where the keypad was. He held up something. Olban licked his lips. Then screamed. The doors hissed open, like these men were authorized. And they charged inside.
They were inside. They had breached the Cage. The warden immediately rose. He had to get down there. Leading his men. He approached the door, grabbing his holstered gun. But before he could open it, run out, and confront the invaders with his security forces, a loud crunch sounded from the wall.
Olban stopped. He looked at the wall. It was cracked. Rain splattered in through the crack. The warden stared, agape, before there was a loud crash and the wall exploded.
The warden raised his arms. Chunks of debris bounced off him. Some sort of thump came from the wall. He drew his gun and fired at the sound. The gunfire roared in the enclosed space. The warden fired several times before his gun ran empty. He lowered his arms and his throat constricted.
Someone...no. Something was standing before him, looming before the open hole in the wall, which was now letting in the torrential rain.
The figure before him looked like a humanoid robot of some kind. Its metal limbs creaked and emitted bursts of steam as it moved closer, rain dripping off its metallic form. Its head resembled a bird, complete with a fearsome looking beak and its eyes seemed to glow with an electronic glare. Mounted on the thing's right arm was a chaingun and on its left there was a grenade launcher. A huge jet-pack like device was hooked to the creature's backside, complete with a pair of enormous thrusters and a huge pair of metal wings that had multiple missiles strapped to them.
The metal bird creature straightened up, looking down at Olban, staring down at him with its glowing eyes. The monster's jet pack emitted a hiss and the creature's wings retracted, folding against its back. Olban stared at the monster, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Was it a metahuman? Some kind of robot? He didn't know but it had torn through the reinforced wall like it was made of swiss cheese and he suspected it was going to do the same to him.
The security official screamed and ran for the door. The metal bird creature casually raised its right arm and fired a burst from its chaingun. The blast ripped through the official's side and he was knocked to the floor. He screamed, the side of his body blown clean off, blood spraying from it. Olban thought he caught a glimpse of the poor man's internal organs spilling out. The monster strided over to the official and stomped on his neck. The warden winced as a wet snap echoed through the room and the official's screams stopped.
The metal bird raised its leg off the dead man's broken neck and kicked his corpse aside it. It turned back to the warden. It walked over to him, until they were standing face to face. Or they would, if the thing didn't dwarf Olban by a good foot. Olban stared up at it and for the first time, he was genuinely scared.
The thing spoke. Its voice sounded mechanical, almost monotone, but with a baritone quality to it. "Where are they?" The metal bird thing demanded.
'They'. Olban instantly knew who the creature was talking about. Who else could it be here for? But he tried to play dumb. He shook his head. "I'm not sure what you mean." He puffed himself up a bit, trying to act authoritative in the monster's presence. "Now, I demand you identify yourself. You've attacked government property, killed several, and-"
The creature grabbed Olban by the collar and slammed him against the wall. The blow knocked the wind out of the warden and his words were cut short. Pain immediately flare up in his back. He struggled in the thing's grasp but it was strong. Very strong.
The metal bird creature raised several fingers. "I said..." Knife claws unsheathed from its fingers, inches from Olban's face. "Where are they?"
Olban's bravery and resolve crumbled in the face of that. Almost on instinct, he sputtered out "Floor One! But they're locked by a security door. You'll never get through, it’s designed to withstand a nuclear warhead and only I have access-"
The monster yanked him off the floor. "It seems you still have some use, then." With that, it kicked the door down, sending it flying off its hinges, and carried Olban out like a toy. The warden was carried through the hallway, struggling desperately.
What had he done? In a moment of weakness, he had slipped up. He had given everything to this thing. No, it wouldn't end like this. He couldn't let it unleash them. Not again. He struggled and screamed, trying in vain to grab his gun, reload it. But his struggles were useless against the metallic bird monster's iron grasp.
They approached the stairs and the monster marched down. Below, Olban could now hear the sounds of gunfire. His eyes widened as they reached the bottom. His men were lying against the walls, on the floor, of the wide expanse of the main lobby. The entrance was open and dozens of those black clab attackers were everywhere. They were exchanging fire with his guards but it appeared most of his men had been cut down already.
Olban watched as two of his surviving men took cover behind a section of the wall, firing off bursts from their guns at their attackers. Gunfire ripped hunks off the wall near them but neither one was hit one. One guard fired blindly and one of his shots clipped an invader in the chest. The man went down but none of his allies seemed to notice or care.
The metal bird monster snorted. It was a strange sound, human-like but sounding monotone all at once. The two guards looked toward them at the noise. Their eyes went wide behind their riot helmets. They stopped shooting for just a moment. And in that moment, the attackers seized their chance.
Three attackers charged forward. They opened fire, peppering one guard with gunfire. He went down, the bullets shredding through his helmet and painting the walls with blood. The other men was shot in the leg and fell to the floor. He desperately reached for his sidearm but one of the black clad attackers ran up to him and kicked the gun aside. The invader slammed his foot down on the guard's chest and knocked off the man's helmet with the tip of his rifle. He fired at point blank range and the guard's head was reduced to red paste.
A silence came over the lobby. Olban stared at the carnage. The walls were full of bullet holes, dead bodies littered the floor, the stink of blood was everywhere. It looked like a warzone. The Cage had been breached. His men had been slaughtered like animals. Hadn't they prepared for this? The warden felt his throat tighten. Hadn't they?
One of the invaders approached the metal bird creature. So, they were subordinate to it? Olban's suspicion was confirmed when the man spoke. "Area secure." His voice was slightly muffled by the balaclava he wore. Up close, Olban could now see the man was dressed in black combat fatigues, wore a helmet, a balaclava, and carried an assault rifle. His face was impossible to make out, hidden behind what he wore.
"Good," The metal bird creature replied. "Take up defensive positions. I'm going in." The man nodded and blared those orders to the other men. Immediately, they took up positions, covering the entrance, the ceiling, and upstairs. They were well trained, whoever they are.
The monster walked with Olban across the lobby. They approached a huge blast door that dominated that left half of the lobby, multiple keypads, retinal scanners, and fingerprint analyzers on it. The creature held up the warden to a retinal scanner. Olban tried to twist his head but the thing grabbed the back of his skull, forcing him to look into it. The scanner did its duty and blinked green.
The monster then grabbed Olban's hand and slammed it against the fingerprint analyzer. It held it there as the scanner buzzed as it went over the warden's fingerprints. Soon, it was done and blinked green.
"You don't know what you're doing," Olban snarled as the thing allowed his hand to leave the scanner. "Behind that door are some of the most destructive beings of the 21st century. You unlock it and you unleash hell!"
"Be quiet." The monster pressed Olban against the voice recognition scanner. "Say something." The warden immediately clamped up and smiled. Mixed messages, huh? Be quiet or say something? He'd go with the first one. It was going no further, he wasn't saying jack shit-
The metal bird thing unsheathed its claws. It stabbed them into his backside. Olban screamed as he felt the blades ripped through his skin. The voice recognition blinked green and a robotic voice said, "CONFIRMED. WARDEN OLBAN. AUTHORIZED."
"Thank you." The metal bird thing said before it slammed its fist into Olban's chest. It's fist punched through his chest, caving it in. The force of the blow ripped the warden out of the monster's grasp and sent him flying across the room. He was dead before he hit the floor.
None of the black clad soldiers reacted to his death. The monster stared at the corpse for a moment before turning back to the giant door. A loud creak went through it and the door, inch by inch, slowly opened. The metal bird monster watched as it retracted.
Behind the door was an enormous hallway. Almost completely bare. Multiple hazard signs were slapped on the walls. The creature strode forward, its metal form clanging and creaking with each step. It down the hallway, its head twisting about as it looked for its target.
It passed several small rooms. It ignored them. It kept walking down the hallway. One hand tightened into a fist as its gaze locked on the end of the hallway. At its end was another door, this one leading into a room. Standing between the metal monster and the hallways' exit were about a dozen guards, all clad in full riot gear and wielding shotguns, assault rifles, and riot shields.
They all opened fire as the monster approached. Bullets pinged harmlessly off the creature's metal form. It kept walking, not even reacting to the hail of gunfire. Soon, the guard's guns ran empty. They hurriedly tried to reload, some screaming to retreat.
The creature opened fire with its chaingun. The gun whirred to life and tore into the assortment of guards. Several men screamed as the bullets ripped through them, shredding them and showering their buddies with gore. The surviving guards, screaming incoherently, tried to run but they were in too small a space. They slammed into each other, fighting desperately in their desperate bid to escape.
The metal bird monster was then upon them. It swung, whacking aside two guards and smashed them against the walls. A guard fired a shotgun, the blast deflecting off the creature's head. The metallic beast grabbed him and casually snapped his neck before tossing his body on several of his buddies, knocking them over like bowling pins.
Several guards were slamming against the exit door. They were beat their fists against it like trapped rats. They turned and screamed as the metal monster closed in. Several fired but like before, their guns were worthless.
The creature unsheathed its claws. It swung, ripping one guard's face off. It stabbed through a man's stomach, lifting his squealing form up and viciously beat him against the ceiling before ripping its claws free and hurling what remained of his body against the door. Another swing carved up two guards. The last one slammed himself against the door and howled out a prayer. God didn't answer his pathetic pleas and a second later the monster's claws rammed through his spine.
The metal bird monster tossed aside the corpse. Its metal claws dripped with blood. The walls were splattered with gore, the guard's corpses lying this way and that. The creature looked them over before kicking the door in. It walked into the next room.
This room was circular. No sign of any surviving personnel. But what caught the creature's attention were five large cells placed around the room. Each was only big enough to hold one person and inside each was what it had come for.
From left to right, the creature could see a huge lizard like creature, a slightly overweight man, a thin bald with marble white skin, a woman with a horribly burned face, and a young man wearing a neck brace, most of his features covered in stitches and bandages. All of them were hooked up to machines that the creature knew kept them permanently sedated.
They were the infamous five metahumans who had brought the existence of metahumans into the world. Kaiju. Rebar. Summanus. Breakdown. And their leader: Zeus. All five of them had attempted to wage war on mankind but had been defeated by the Metahuman Agency and sent here to rot for the rest of their lives under heavy guard. The monster looked over all of them before its glowing eyes settled on the thin bald man. Zeus. Or as he was once known: David Bell.
The creature approached his cell and ripped the door off, striding inside. It examined the machines David was hooked up to and sliced through the IVs providing him with constant sedation. The machines blared loudly as the leads were cut but the metal bird monster punched them and they exploded in a shower of sparks, shutting up.
The thing watched as the metahuman formerly known as Zeus, David, smacked his lips. His fingers twitched. Then he coughed. He coughed several more times, hacking violently and sputtering. His eyes fluttered up and they adjusted his surroundings. He looked around, seemingly daze, before his gaze focused on the creature before him. He cocked his head, pausing, seeming to be unsure whether what he was seeing was real.
"David Bell." The creature said. At the sound of that, David became visibly more alert. He sat up in his bed, his thin, atrophied arms weakly trying to push himself up but he couldn't. He nevertheless glared up at the monster and spoke, his voice raspy and hoarse.
"That..." He hissed. "Is...not...my name. I am...Zeus."
"Wrong. You're no longer Zeus. You're no longer much of anything. Look at yourself. A few months of being deprived of your precious sunlight has turned you from the world's strongest man into this."
David looked down at himself. His features sagged. He raised one arm, clutching at his skin, as if searching desperately for the muscle that was no longer there. He grabbed his arm, gritting his teeth angrily, and snarled "No. No! No!" He smacked himself in the face and even began to sob a little. The metallic creature just watched.
David finally raised his hand. His eyes bloodshot. Angry. "Where am I?" He snarled, looking around. "And who...what...are you?"
"You're currently in the custody of the United States government. You were beaten. You lost. Badly. The metahumans...they defeated you."
David's eyes narrowed. He grinded his teeth. "Those traitors!" He hissed weakly. He managed to make a fist. "Bastards! I was so close..." He raised his hands for emphasis. "The President...the vial! Both in my grasp. So close to purging humanity...so damn close! And then they...those group of children..." He fell back against his bed, ingrown fingernails digging into the mattress. "Jason." He spat. "Yes...yes...I remember everything...everything! I'll kill them. Kill them all."
"Yes, I'm sure you will," The metal creature gestured at itself. "As for me...allow me to introduce myself..."
At that, the monster's beak-like head opened. The glow faded from its eyes. It wasn't a head at all but a helmet. And it slid open to reveal a middle-aged woman inside.
She had milky white skin, free of dimples or freckles. Her hair was cut short and was light brown. It was a complete messy, something she clearly didn't really care about. Her eyes were bright green and seemed to flash as she looked down at David. Her mouth twisted into a smile before splitting into a full grin. She raised a metal fist and did a mock bow.
"Jacqueline Prescott at your service," The woman said. She straightened up, still smiling broadly. "You know, I was expecting you to be less than impressive...considering..." She waved a hand. "Well. Your current state. But this?" She laughed. "You used to be the most powerful metahuman in the whole wide world and now you look like an alleyway junkie. It really is humbling."
David stared at Jacqueline. His eyes looked at the woman inside, flesh and blood, before tracing across the rest of her metallic form. He raised a shaking finger. "It's a suit..." He muttered. "You're just wearing a suit."
"Just?" Jacqueline snorted. She tapped her chest. "This technology, this suit that you're so eager to simply dismiss, is leaps and bounds ahead of anything else on the market. It's a weapon! A suit of armor armed to the teeth and so powerful it can go toe to toe with metahumans..." Jacqueline spat the word out like it was particularly disgusting. "...like yourself. And unlike you all, who had your little gifts handed to you, I made this. I slaved over it. It's an achievement. A masterpiece!"
David glared at her. "I wasn't handed anything. But I can see you think you're in charge. That you won't listen to a word-"
"You're right." Jacqueline interrupted him. She spread her arms wide and laughed again. "I am in charge. And you're going to listen. After all, I just slaughtered this place's entire regiment of guards just to see you. I'd have no...compunctions...about wiping your greasy stain away too." She snapped her fingers. "Boom! Just like that. I could stomp you like an ant. An ant. Doesn't feel so good to be powerless, hmmm? Huh David?"
David flinched at that name. He again tried to sit up but his limbs were too weak and he just flopped back into bed. Jacqueline laughed at him. "I could watch you fall down all day. Maybe I'd even make a video about it, post it online. Probably go viral in a few days. But I've got business with you." She leaned over him, her powered armor creaking as it bent over, until their faces were inches apart. "I want something. Something you just mentioned." She tapped his chest. "The formula for creating metahumans. You made it. Like you said, you worked to get where you were. Became powerful when you used to be a pathetic, fucking nobody. You destroyed all your notes, David, but you can't erase what's in your mind. So. What is it? What's the formula?"
David locked eyes with her. He craned his head up as high as he could, he limbs shaking as he struggled to hold himself up. He weakly hissed, his voice seething contempt, "You think I'm going to tell you that? A stranger? Not only that but a normal human woman?" He chuckled before coughing violently and fell back to the bed. He shook his head. "My life's work won't end up in the hands of people like you. People I want to destroy."
Jacqueline raised her claws and brandished them in front of David's face. "Oh, I'm afraid you don't have a choice. Give me the formula!" She raised her voice. "Now!"
"You think you can order me around?" David chuckled again. "I faced armies. I attacked two of the world's greatest cities. I challenged the world! The world! You are tiny compared to me. Worthless. Nothing. Like all of your kind."
Jacqueline visibly bristled at that. "My...kind?"
"Yes. You're kind. Humans! Weak, pathetic, arrogant. Thinking you are order people like me around, with your pitiful technology. You are nothing compared to metahumans and even as I am now, you won't-"
Jacqueline rammed her claws into David's chest. A wet crunch wet through the air as her claws penetrated his flesh, ripping through bone and muscle. David's eyes went wide. He stared down at the claws impaled through his body. He didn't make a sound, perhaps unable to comprehend they were really there.
Then Jacqueline ripped the claws back out. Blood went flying, along with hunks of skin and who knows what else. David screamed. He spasmed against the bed, grabbing his open wound, his weak body flailing around almost comically. He began to choke, spitting up blood, clawing at himself.
"Weak?" Jacqueline snarled. She pulled David out of the bed and slammed him against the wall. His head smashed through the glass and several chunks embedded themselves in his face, other pieces slicing through his head. David flailed, trying to say something but all that came out was gurgling thanks to him choking on his blood.
Jacqueline sliced David's fingers off. His scream this time was muffled but still no less loud as blood sprayed from his hacked off fingers like a garden hose. Jacqueline threw him to the floor, the impact breaking several of David's bones. He lay there, a bloody mess, barely moving.
"I'm not weak!" Jacqueline bellowed. She raised her chaingun. "You hear me?! I am better! Better than you! Better than all of you!" She opened fire, roaring. The bullets ripped through David's face and blasted his entire head to smithereens. Bits of brain matter went flying, splattering against the walls. Blood went flying everywhere, drenching the white bed and turning it red. David's arms flailed wildly as the bullets tore his head apart. The gunfire boomed inside the enclosed space.
Finally, the chaingun ran empty. The gun spun to a stop, its barrel smoking. Jacqueline lowered her arm. She was sweating. Panting like she had just ran a marathon. She stared down at the mess on the floor. The bloody, gorey stain had once been Zeus. Zeus, the metahuman who had torn New York and Washington apart. Who had shrugged off entire battalions. Who had personally torn the President's hand off. And now...he was dead. Snuffed out in an instant.
Jacqueline stared. She blinked. Then it dawned on her. She had killed him. She had killed perhaps the most powerful metahuman on the planet. It had almost felt...easy. She smirked. Then she began to chuckle. Her chuckle turned into laughter. She threw her head back, howling with laughter inside the bloodsoaked cell.
Finally, she stopped laughing. She swallowed, forcibly containing herself. She had to focus. She still couldn't believe it. Just like that, she had killed him. No, no she needed to focus. His death wasn't part of the plan. Jacqueline licked her lips and shook her head, forcibly ejecting her other thoughts and forcing herself to focus.
Zeus...no...no David...hadn't given her the formula. Stupid fool. Of course, somewhere deep down, Jacqueline had known. She had almost wished he wouldn't and now look. He hadn't and he was dead. It had felt good. Really good. Such a rush. Her first metahuman kill. She smirked and kicked his corpse for good measure.
But still, the loss of the formula was disappointing. She had...well. No. She didn't need it. She didn't need a single drop of it. The suit more than sufficed. And it had felt so good to wear it today. The sheer power of using it, utterly wiping out those men, she had felt so good doing that. It was elating to be invincible, to be able to slaughter hordes of people as easily as that. She snapped her fingers.
Jacqueline looked up. She sighed. Yes, this detour had shown her she didn't need it. She was powerful enough on her own, not to mention the army she had, the weapon, and the freaks. She smiled. Yes, it would all be fine. Perfectly. Utterly. Fine. They'd never see her coming.
She looked down at David. She chuckled and said to his ravaged corpse, "I'm going to do what you never could." She whispered the next sentence, even though no one else was around. "Kill the Metahuman Agency."
Jacqueline turned and exited the cell. She considered the other four metahumans. Then she dismissed them. She didn't need them and besides, they probably shared their boss's stupid feelings. They'd reject her or try to kill her if she woke them up. Especially since she had killed their boss. Not worth the risk, although it might've been fun to kill the rest.
Well. There'd be time for that soon. Very soon. Jacqueline closed her helmet. The beak snapped shut, hiding her face, and the glow returned around the helmet's eyes. She activated her COM and said, "I'm finished here." Her voice returned to the deep quality it had when the helmet was closed, thanks to the suit's voice synthesizer.
"Copy that, ma'am." A male voice answered. "Successful?"
"I'd say so. Didn't get what I was looking for but yes...a successful..." Jacqueline mused on the word for a minute. "First strike. That's it. A successful first strike is what this was. We all succeeded with flying colors."
"Yes, ma'am. Should we 'port you out?"
"No. 'Port the strike team out instead. Then in exactly thirty seconds target the facility and open fire."
"Ma'am?" His voice was uncertain. "Won't that put you in danger?"
"Please," Jacqueline laughed. "I can fly. Do it."
"Yes ma'am." Jacqueline cut off her signal. She looked at the four metahumans, all sleeping peacefully in their containment cells. She extended her wings, the mechanical wings extending from her jet pack. Her jet pack hummed to life.
"Sleep tight," Jacqueline said to the sleeping batch of metahuman terrorists. "Don't worry, you won't feel a thing." She activated her music playlist and cued up a song. As the voices of R.E.M. started inside her helmet, the woman took off.
"This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind"
Jacqueline crashed through the ceiling. She flew into the second floor and kept flying upward. She smashed through the ceiling of the second floor and kept going, until she finally burst out of the facility.
"A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love"
The rain was still pounding down. Lightning flashed through the skies. Jacqueline flew away from the building until she stopped several hundred yards above the island. The woman slowed her ascent and hovered, watching the sight below.
"Fire!
Fire!'
Down from the clouds shot multiple missiles. Jacqueline watched them streak across the sky, shooting downward, until they slammed into the building. The missiles detonated and a loud roar boomed through the skies. Even from her position above, Jacqueline could feel the impact of the missile strike.
The building exploded. Chunks of it exploded in balls of fire, chunks of flaming debris shooting across the island. The remaining hunks of the building folded in on themselves, caving in and the entire building toppled away in an inferno of destruction. Jacqueline grinned as she watched it crumble to pieces, the fires of its demise casting a huge orange glow that cut through the storm.
They were all dead. Jacqueline could feel it. Five of the strongest metahumans, said to be some of the strongest things to ever walk the earth, and she had destroyed them. Not through might, not through anything else but her own intelligence.
"Weak, David?" Jacqueline muttered, watching flaming husk of the building. "No. You're only the latest one to say that. People have had low expectations of me for decades. And every time, I've proven them wrong. I hope you burn in Hell."
Jacqueline took one last look at the destruction she had caused before twisting around and activated her thrusters full blast. She shot away across the sky, heading upwards, leaving chem trails in her wake. Above her, lightning flashed, briefly illuminating something utterly enormous floating in the clouds. Jacqueline disappeared into the clouds toward it and the lightning faded, the brief glimpse of the thing fading away as well.
Moments later another flash of light illuminated the clouds. The thing, whatever it had been, was gone. The destroyed building, the building designed to be the most secure prison in the world, continued to burn on the island. The fires of its remnants illuminated the dozens of corpses that now littered the barren isle.
"This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love."
