Fic: [Avengers] Wreckage
Title: Avengers: Wreckage
Series: Marvel Comics
Type: Divergence
Links: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2378599/24/
Chapter Twenty-four
Clytemnestra Irwin's wheelchair was pushed into the AIM headquarters off the coast of California, then the crippled woman waved her attendants off. A press of a switch and the medical tubes retracted, and the scarred woman easily stepped out of the chair.
"Unload the suits and weapons we got from Trainer, I want full studies of them begun immediately," Clytemnestra ordered, her words only a bit slurred by the burn scars on her face.
"You are not the Scientist Supreme here,"the head technician growled, glaring out of the odd beekeeper helmet the main workers wore.
Clytemnestra gave him a cold look, "I am working directly for her, as you well know." She calmly drew the pistol at her side and shot him, the energy bolt blowing open his chest and killing him instantly. She put the gun away as she calmly asked, "Any other objections?"
The workers quickly raced to unload the armors and stolen weapons, a few stepping around the dead man. A menial worker grabbed him by the boots and dragged the body out of the way and Clytemnestra made a mental note of him. That showed initiative, which was rare in their lower orders.
Satisfied things were in hand, Clytemnestra left the loading bay and went deeper into the base under the ocean floor. Ironically the base had been started with the wreck of a previous AIM project, a advanced submarine defeated by Iron Man. They had bought it through middlemen and sunk it out here, using it as the start of their current headquarters.
The 'roof' was clear, honeycomb designed plastics, easily able to withstand the pressures of the sea. The halls were brightly lit and comfortable, like much of the base. Scientists could not be expected to produce in darkened caves or cubicles, after all. Only the best was provided to AIM staff, and in return they were expected to give their best.
Clytemnestra entered her quarters, a opulent room with a fancy desk, wet bar and couch, with a bedroom connected by a open door. She sat at her desk and pressed a concealed switch, opening a faintly glowing screen. "Connect me to the Scientist Supreme," she ordered.
It took a few seconds to connect, due to fiber optic land lines and satellite switches of the signal, then the attractive face of Monica Rappaccini appeared on the screen. The black haired older woman smiled, "Clytemnestra, how goes the operation?"
"We have samples of the capekiller technology and weapons," Clytemnestra said briskly, "we'll send the designs to you as quickly as possible. Do you need the Mandroid designs as well?"
"Don't joke," Monica snickered, "we had copies of the Mandroids almost as soon as they were completed. SHIELD's security on it's technology is a joke."
Clytemnestra didn't mention that Stark's security had beaten them so far, she didn't think her employer would appreciate it. "I have assigned my best team to the capekiller technology, minus Doctor Tensen," she said.
"What happened to Richard?" Monica asked curiously.
"He questioned my authority too often," Clytemnestra sighed. "I warned him several times, but for someone so intelligent he was quite arrogant."
"A pity, he had good genes," Monica noted. The older woman looked at Clytemnestra for a moment, "Are you determined to go through with attacking Stark and Stane?"
Clytemnestra knew she was referring to a earlier discussion they had had, about what she ultimately wanted to do in AIM. "I am," she nodded, "I'm already setting up a false trail. No one will connect my actions to you or AIM."
"As if I care about that," Monica snorted. "Cly, it would be a terrible waste of potential. You've bloomed in AIM, advanced to the top and helped us grow and recover from our losses." She hesitated and added, "And you've become a friend. I'd hate to lose you."
Clytemnestra was touched, even though she knew Monica was at least in part manipulating her. That was the trouble with working with scientific geniuses, they were often manipulative to various degrees. "You've been a friend to me as well," she admitted, "I don't know if I could have recovered without your support. But this is something I need to do."
Monica frowned at her, clearly not used to being balked. "All right," she decided, "but I am determined we take all the precautions we can to make sure you come out of this alive."
"Monica..." Clytemnestra started.
"No," Monica shook her head, "I am serious about this. I will not let you get killed in some roaring rampage of revenge." She leaned forward, "You have the full resources of that base to make sure you get out alive."
Clytemnestra tried again, "Monica, that's a bit excessive..."
"We are going to make sure you survive," Monica repeated. "What suit did you decide to go after them in, anyway?"
"We purchased the Firepower armor," Clytemnestra admitted, "though my tech teams have been extensively modifying it in their spare time." She shrugged awkwardly, "They keep muttering something about 'pimp my ride' whatever that means."
Monica snickered, "Okay, but don't let them go too overboard." She looked thoughtful, "Would it help if you had capekiller armors along? Trainer said you could use them."
"It's a thought," Clytemnestra admitted as she and her boss expanded on her revenge scheme. 'Looks like I might not be dying for revenge after all,' she thought bemusedly.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
There was something pretty damn surreal watching a giant purple and blue robot climbing the side of the building housing the newspaper. "What the hell is that thing?" War Machine had to ask as they hovered nearby, trying to decide what to do.
"It's a Kree Sentry Robot," Warbird said, the blond haired superhuman dressed in her black leotard and gold lightning bolt symbol. "Though how the hell it got here I don't know."
Watching from the street Amora Ray listened in with a minor spell. 'I know,' she thought grimly, 'I had the Tinkerer repair it months ago, but I certainly never ordered it deployed.'
"What can it do?" Thunderstrike asked, the black haired woman hovering by twirling her hammer. The laws of physics took one look at her and whimpered, but she ignored it.
"It's about class fifty in strength," Warbird remembered, "the metal it's composed of is very durable, and at least some of the Sentry robots could shoot beams from it's eyes."
"Oh just lovely," War Machine sighed as it climbed the Herald building.
"I think our first move is to get it off the building and away from people," Warbird said.
Olivia Stane's voice came through their communicators, "I've got police mobilized and clearing the area." She paused, "The mayor is begging you not to destroy too many buildings."
"We'll do what we can," War Machine promised.
Amy Ray scowled as the police forced everyone back even as the humongus Sentry reached the top of the building. "Sorry, miss, we have to keep folks back," the older man said gruffly.
'Is it looking for Warbird? She's part Kree...,' Amy wondered as she watched Thunderstrike avoid a blow by a distressingly small amount. "Be careful," she murmured, clutching her shopping bag close to her nervously.
Using Thunderstrike as a distraction Warbird and War Machine came up behind the robot and bodily lifted the Sentry off the building. In a burst of speed they carried it off, even as the Robot flailed it's arms trying to clobber any of them.
"Get under here and help!" Warbird grunted as Thunderstrike joined them, "This thing's heavy!"
"Right," Thunderstrike put her shoulder into it as they raced across LA.
"I've got warning lights going off in my armor," War Machine reported grimly as they neared the edge of the city, "We have to drop it soon."
Warbird grunted in effort holding up her side, her own powers stressed to their limit. "There's a empty parking lot up ahead," she said, "we'll drop it there."
"All right," Thunderstrike said as they got over the empty lot, the nearby warehouse seemingly deserted, "drop it!"
The three women scattered, releasing the Sentry even as they tried to keep clear of it's arms. It hammered into the ground with a thump, buckling pavement and throwing dust into the air. It lay there inert for a few moments, then slowly began to push itself to it's feet.
"Damn, it just won't go down," War Machine muttered.
"Then let's put it down," Thunderstrike cried as she spun her mace, letting lightning dance around it as it built in power. Then with a cry she released the weapon, sending it hurtling at the robot. With a crash of thunder it punched right through the Sentry's chest, yet barely seemed to stagger it.
War Machine opened up with palm based repulsors, blasting at it with bolts of energy. The thing staggered under the fire, then the armor activated the shoulder mounted missile launcher. A flight of mini-missiles launched, then shockingly the Sentry's eyes glowed, firing off it's own energy bolts and blasting the missiles to ash.
"Damn," Olivia blurted, watching via remote feed. "By the way, do you know you're thrashing a Stark branch office?"
"Oh, that's gonna go over well," War Machine sighed.
Just then Warbird dove down from the sky, accelerating at top speed even as her fists blazed with unearthly energy. She hit the Sentry like a rocket, hammering right through the upper shoulder, down the torso and out the other side, hitting the pavement in a burst of explosive energy.
"Wow," Thunderstrike managed as superhot smoke and steam billowed up, concealing both the Sentry and Warbird.
"Sensors can't get a reading," War Machine reported.
A moment later Warbird staggered out of the smoke, her cloths smudged and looking like she had been set afire. "Ugh," she grunted as she nearly fell into War Machine's arms, "is it down?"
The concealing smoke finally drifted aside, revealing the shattered wreck of the Sentry. It's head hung on a angle, it's arm torn off and the core body gutted. The 'light' in the eyes seemed to have gone out, and War Machine's sensors confirmed it was dead.
"Well damn," Thunderstrike asked, "how did you DO that?"
"I went as high as I could and dove down at top speed," Warbird shrugged tiredly, "converting friction energy to stored power that I released as I hit it."
"Remind me not to piss you off," War Machine noted.
"Agreed," a voice boomed, coming from up above them.
Thunderstrike spun around, raising her mace in a guard position. War Machine aimed her weapons skyward, even as laser targeting beams painted the target.
Even Warbird summoned up some power as she said flatly, "Iron Man."
The red and gold armored figure descended, then landed lightly, the sleek figure still looking very dangerous. Surprisingly he flipped his visor up, revealing the familiar face of Tony Stark. "Good work, all of you," he smiled, "even the Avengers might have had a problem with it."
"What are you here for, Stark?" War Machine demanded, not deactivating any of her target locks.
"I need your help," Iron Man admitted.
To be continued...
Notes: Monica Rappaccini was established as the leader of a branch of AIM in the Scorpion mini-series as well as in MODOK's 11. She ends up pretty much in charge of the largest AIM division, other than some small splinter groups. She has no connection to Clytemnestra Irwin in canon, I just thought it would be interesting.
Series: Marvel Comics
Type: Divergence
Links: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2378599/24/
Chapter Twenty-four
Clytemnestra Irwin's wheelchair was pushed into the AIM headquarters off the coast of California, then the crippled woman waved her attendants off. A press of a switch and the medical tubes retracted, and the scarred woman easily stepped out of the chair.
"Unload the suits and weapons we got from Trainer, I want full studies of them begun immediately," Clytemnestra ordered, her words only a bit slurred by the burn scars on her face.
"You are not the Scientist Supreme here,"the head technician growled, glaring out of the odd beekeeper helmet the main workers wore.
Clytemnestra gave him a cold look, "I am working directly for her, as you well know." She calmly drew the pistol at her side and shot him, the energy bolt blowing open his chest and killing him instantly. She put the gun away as she calmly asked, "Any other objections?"
The workers quickly raced to unload the armors and stolen weapons, a few stepping around the dead man. A menial worker grabbed him by the boots and dragged the body out of the way and Clytemnestra made a mental note of him. That showed initiative, which was rare in their lower orders.
Satisfied things were in hand, Clytemnestra left the loading bay and went deeper into the base under the ocean floor. Ironically the base had been started with the wreck of a previous AIM project, a advanced submarine defeated by Iron Man. They had bought it through middlemen and sunk it out here, using it as the start of their current headquarters.
The 'roof' was clear, honeycomb designed plastics, easily able to withstand the pressures of the sea. The halls were brightly lit and comfortable, like much of the base. Scientists could not be expected to produce in darkened caves or cubicles, after all. Only the best was provided to AIM staff, and in return they were expected to give their best.
Clytemnestra entered her quarters, a opulent room with a fancy desk, wet bar and couch, with a bedroom connected by a open door. She sat at her desk and pressed a concealed switch, opening a faintly glowing screen. "Connect me to the Scientist Supreme," she ordered.
It took a few seconds to connect, due to fiber optic land lines and satellite switches of the signal, then the attractive face of Monica Rappaccini appeared on the screen. The black haired older woman smiled, "Clytemnestra, how goes the operation?"
"We have samples of the capekiller technology and weapons," Clytemnestra said briskly, "we'll send the designs to you as quickly as possible. Do you need the Mandroid designs as well?"
"Don't joke," Monica snickered, "we had copies of the Mandroids almost as soon as they were completed. SHIELD's security on it's technology is a joke."
Clytemnestra didn't mention that Stark's security had beaten them so far, she didn't think her employer would appreciate it. "I have assigned my best team to the capekiller technology, minus Doctor Tensen," she said.
"What happened to Richard?" Monica asked curiously.
"He questioned my authority too often," Clytemnestra sighed. "I warned him several times, but for someone so intelligent he was quite arrogant."
"A pity, he had good genes," Monica noted. The older woman looked at Clytemnestra for a moment, "Are you determined to go through with attacking Stark and Stane?"
Clytemnestra knew she was referring to a earlier discussion they had had, about what she ultimately wanted to do in AIM. "I am," she nodded, "I'm already setting up a false trail. No one will connect my actions to you or AIM."
"As if I care about that," Monica snorted. "Cly, it would be a terrible waste of potential. You've bloomed in AIM, advanced to the top and helped us grow and recover from our losses." She hesitated and added, "And you've become a friend. I'd hate to lose you."
Clytemnestra was touched, even though she knew Monica was at least in part manipulating her. That was the trouble with working with scientific geniuses, they were often manipulative to various degrees. "You've been a friend to me as well," she admitted, "I don't know if I could have recovered without your support. But this is something I need to do."
Monica frowned at her, clearly not used to being balked. "All right," she decided, "but I am determined we take all the precautions we can to make sure you come out of this alive."
"Monica..." Clytemnestra started.
"No," Monica shook her head, "I am serious about this. I will not let you get killed in some roaring rampage of revenge." She leaned forward, "You have the full resources of that base to make sure you get out alive."
Clytemnestra tried again, "Monica, that's a bit excessive..."
"We are going to make sure you survive," Monica repeated. "What suit did you decide to go after them in, anyway?"
"We purchased the Firepower armor," Clytemnestra admitted, "though my tech teams have been extensively modifying it in their spare time." She shrugged awkwardly, "They keep muttering something about 'pimp my ride' whatever that means."
Monica snickered, "Okay, but don't let them go too overboard." She looked thoughtful, "Would it help if you had capekiller armors along? Trainer said you could use them."
"It's a thought," Clytemnestra admitted as she and her boss expanded on her revenge scheme. 'Looks like I might not be dying for revenge after all,' she thought bemusedly.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
There was something pretty damn surreal watching a giant purple and blue robot climbing the side of the building housing the newspaper. "What the hell is that thing?" War Machine had to ask as they hovered nearby, trying to decide what to do.
"It's a Kree Sentry Robot," Warbird said, the blond haired superhuman dressed in her black leotard and gold lightning bolt symbol. "Though how the hell it got here I don't know."
Watching from the street Amora Ray listened in with a minor spell. 'I know,' she thought grimly, 'I had the Tinkerer repair it months ago, but I certainly never ordered it deployed.'
"What can it do?" Thunderstrike asked, the black haired woman hovering by twirling her hammer. The laws of physics took one look at her and whimpered, but she ignored it.
"It's about class fifty in strength," Warbird remembered, "the metal it's composed of is very durable, and at least some of the Sentry robots could shoot beams from it's eyes."
"Oh just lovely," War Machine sighed as it climbed the Herald building.
"I think our first move is to get it off the building and away from people," Warbird said.
Olivia Stane's voice came through their communicators, "I've got police mobilized and clearing the area." She paused, "The mayor is begging you not to destroy too many buildings."
"We'll do what we can," War Machine promised.
Amy Ray scowled as the police forced everyone back even as the humongus Sentry reached the top of the building. "Sorry, miss, we have to keep folks back," the older man said gruffly.
'Is it looking for Warbird? She's part Kree...,' Amy wondered as she watched Thunderstrike avoid a blow by a distressingly small amount. "Be careful," she murmured, clutching her shopping bag close to her nervously.
Using Thunderstrike as a distraction Warbird and War Machine came up behind the robot and bodily lifted the Sentry off the building. In a burst of speed they carried it off, even as the Robot flailed it's arms trying to clobber any of them.
"Get under here and help!" Warbird grunted as Thunderstrike joined them, "This thing's heavy!"
"Right," Thunderstrike put her shoulder into it as they raced across LA.
"I've got warning lights going off in my armor," War Machine reported grimly as they neared the edge of the city, "We have to drop it soon."
Warbird grunted in effort holding up her side, her own powers stressed to their limit. "There's a empty parking lot up ahead," she said, "we'll drop it there."
"All right," Thunderstrike said as they got over the empty lot, the nearby warehouse seemingly deserted, "drop it!"
The three women scattered, releasing the Sentry even as they tried to keep clear of it's arms. It hammered into the ground with a thump, buckling pavement and throwing dust into the air. It lay there inert for a few moments, then slowly began to push itself to it's feet.
"Damn, it just won't go down," War Machine muttered.
"Then let's put it down," Thunderstrike cried as she spun her mace, letting lightning dance around it as it built in power. Then with a cry she released the weapon, sending it hurtling at the robot. With a crash of thunder it punched right through the Sentry's chest, yet barely seemed to stagger it.
War Machine opened up with palm based repulsors, blasting at it with bolts of energy. The thing staggered under the fire, then the armor activated the shoulder mounted missile launcher. A flight of mini-missiles launched, then shockingly the Sentry's eyes glowed, firing off it's own energy bolts and blasting the missiles to ash.
"Damn," Olivia blurted, watching via remote feed. "By the way, do you know you're thrashing a Stark branch office?"
"Oh, that's gonna go over well," War Machine sighed.
Just then Warbird dove down from the sky, accelerating at top speed even as her fists blazed with unearthly energy. She hit the Sentry like a rocket, hammering right through the upper shoulder, down the torso and out the other side, hitting the pavement in a burst of explosive energy.
"Wow," Thunderstrike managed as superhot smoke and steam billowed up, concealing both the Sentry and Warbird.
"Sensors can't get a reading," War Machine reported.
A moment later Warbird staggered out of the smoke, her cloths smudged and looking like she had been set afire. "Ugh," she grunted as she nearly fell into War Machine's arms, "is it down?"
The concealing smoke finally drifted aside, revealing the shattered wreck of the Sentry. It's head hung on a angle, it's arm torn off and the core body gutted. The 'light' in the eyes seemed to have gone out, and War Machine's sensors confirmed it was dead.
"Well damn," Thunderstrike asked, "how did you DO that?"
"I went as high as I could and dove down at top speed," Warbird shrugged tiredly, "converting friction energy to stored power that I released as I hit it."
"Remind me not to piss you off," War Machine noted.
"Agreed," a voice boomed, coming from up above them.
Thunderstrike spun around, raising her mace in a guard position. War Machine aimed her weapons skyward, even as laser targeting beams painted the target.
Even Warbird summoned up some power as she said flatly, "Iron Man."
The red and gold armored figure descended, then landed lightly, the sleek figure still looking very dangerous. Surprisingly he flipped his visor up, revealing the familiar face of Tony Stark. "Good work, all of you," he smiled, "even the Avengers might have had a problem with it."
"What are you here for, Stark?" War Machine demanded, not deactivating any of her target locks.
"I need your help," Iron Man admitted.
To be continued...
Notes: Monica Rappaccini was established as the leader of a branch of AIM in the Scorpion mini-series as well as in MODOK's 11. She ends up pretty much in charge of the largest AIM division, other than some small splinter groups. She has no connection to Clytemnestra Irwin in canon, I just thought it would be interesting.