Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World

And, like a boss, a small UAV lower down behind James. About the size of a large RC plane, it had a tablet tapped to the bottom.

-Aether here. I got eyes now.-

And then...Paladin dropped down across from them.
"You called? " he rumbled.

"Aether, Paladin," Revenant said, nodding to both the suited hero and the drone. "Someone else should be here, soon at least. But here's the rundown: drug lord by the name of the Chemist, guy behind all those Berserkers, is here, down in that subway terminal. And I need help in case he has more of those mutants with him."

The tablet beeped, a new message.
-I am locked out of his hideout. Find me and in and I can cause havoc.-

Paladin nodded. "Let us go."

Revenant shook his head as he looked to Paladin. "I want to make sure we're all here before we go and have a plan. Aether, if you can't get in then it's likely he's using a closed network, so that drone will need to find an access port....if there is one. And Paladin, expect normal's inside but if there are Berserkers......we have to kill them. I checked, and there's no hope for them."

Marcus and Bella closed their distance to the subway while realises that he was a giant compared to Bella. He looked around until decidingt o look up for once and saw the tinyist bit of what looked like as mass of metal. He decided to instead of running jog towards their building with Bella close behide but before she realised a harness of darkness was formed on her and her hoodie placed well over her face. "Shadow?" Was all she could say as he grew wings of darkness and took off. The harness did its job and before she knew it she was being placed down with two robot like people in front, only one was known the other was unknown to her eyesa and nose. She was starting to hope her hoodie would actully hide her face well enough.

"So. Their a plan?" Marcus asked the two.

"No please come down unannounced," Revenant said, reacting to Shadow's sudden, unexpected arrival by forming a long blade and getting ready to fight. He sighed, retracting it and said "Yeah, there is and since you're all here.....here's what we're gonna do. Shadow, you have control over the darkness and can see through, like an extension, yes? Scout below, see what we'll be facing but don't attack anyone yet. Paladin, you're the heavy hitter here in case we have Berserkers, so hit them hard in case there are any. As for me, I'll locate the Chemist and take him down. There's going to be some thugs, armed likely. Disable but don't kill, the only ones we should kill are the Berserkers and that's only a mercy."

"Roger that cap." Marcus said as he glided back down and headed towards the tunnel while slowly becoming a shadow.

Bella stood their slightly hoodwinked at being ignored. She placed a hand on her hip and let out a small growl towards Revenant. "What about me?" She said to him with clamed voice instead of the irrtated one she wanted to use.

"You can turn into the big cat right?" Revenant said to Bella. "You're fast, and can move unseen......once Shadow is done scouting and we know where to attack, I want you down there in advance and take out the most vulnerable to sneak attacks."

"I can turn into a fox and a very dangerous hawk I'll stealth around as the fox and move in giant cat when the attack is ready." Bella said to him before looking down and realising they were quite high. "Um I can't get down." Sure she could climb high places but going down was a bit harder for her.

Marcus slowly silthered along the dark corridors taking notes of the trist and turns that he took before finally coming upon lights. His head poked out the ground and looked around until he heard voices. Seems like the place. He thought to himself before moving back the way he came.

"But.....if you can turn into a hawk, just fly down," Revenant said.

"Doesn't work like that, I need time and energy and if I transform now I'll not only distory my cloths I'll waste needed energy." She said to him with a slight blush to the cloths part but was thankful she wasn't looking at him.

I took 5 rights 2 Left's and another right. Marcus kept thinking to himself as he walked down the lit corridor except it was dark just in his eyes it was quite normal. Beautiful even. The darkness was always beautiful.

Zeru eventually made it back home and locked and secured all entrances before going to his room to relax and hopefully fall asleep.

"Great, a shapeshifter with clothes that don't change," Revenant muttered. Normally, the fact he was talking to a shapeshifter at all would be something alarming but given that there was a suit of alien armor on one side, a demonically possessed psychopath on the other, and not to mention himself, he had become very open minded.

Paladin nodded. He extended an arm, blade retracted. "I can carry her down." he said.

The tablet beeped.

Got it.

"Ha, I find myself quite lucky. At first it use to be like a werewolf. the bones would move and the skin, muscle, organs would move around. Really painful stuff but now its instant. except for the other forms and the main beast." She said to Revanant while looking down the street and seeing a moving shadow appear from the tunnel. "Hey I think hes back." She called out to both of the males behide her.

Marcus Moved up along the wall and made it to the roofs top where the shadow moved into a circle and slowly Marcus arose from it. His form was a pure black until skin came over it and the mask appeared just as his face skin came back. "Alright, Once you enter the tunnel you make 5 rights and then two lefts and then another right and all we have to do is continue straight until we come across a few lights with a few gun holders." Marcus quickly said to them before sitting down to take a brake. he felt tired and over worked.

"Any Berserkers?" Revenant asked. "Those need to be our focus."

Ï didn't see any, I don't think he has them patrolling the outer area but I only made it to the entice." Marcus informed him while the his breath released a smokey substance.

That doesn't look healthy.

"Great," Revenant said. "Okay, we take the entrance then move in slow. I can cloak, so Shadow and I move on ahead to scout it out. Paladin, help our shape changer friend down, but you and I are gonna be on a radio link so if things go south while scouting, I'll call you okay?"

Just then James' phone began to ring, the call from Lauren.

"Oh fuck not now," James cursed. Gestalt answered the phone for him, and he walked away from the group to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey James." Came Lauren's voice, it sounded a bit off. "Could you get here now please? There is someone in my house, my parents are both at work and I'm outside in the street..." She peered through the glass. "They aren't taking anything just... Starring at nothing... It's weird please hurry."

"Uh Lauren I'm kinda in the middle of something," James said. "You couldn't call the police?"

"No because they look frickin weird James! Please come don't make me beg." She sounded quite alarmed by it all. "They look like some form of super human oh crumbs! Been spotted!" There was a sound of shattering glass and feet pounding the concrete. The phone then fell silent as if Lauren hung up, the call ended coming up on James' phone.

"Lauren? Lauren!" James shouted, but it was useless. Fuck.....I can't leave her. We need to move.

If you go, the Chemist could escape.

And if I don't Lauren will get hurt. "Everyone, change of plans. Someone's in trouble, a friend of mine and it sounds like its from Berserkers. Stay here, keep an eye on the place in case anyone moves, I promise I'll be back."

He hated to do it, but he left them, now heading for Lauren's house.

Besides the shattered glass that lay in on the pavement and in the rose bushes that lined the low metal fence that bordered Lauren's house the street looked normal. Lying cracked on the pavement lay Lauren's phone, there was no sign of Lauren nor the super human which she spoke of.

James arrived fairly soon, coming to rest on the street among the glass. He spotted Lauren's phone, but there was no sign of her. "Lauren!" he shouted out. "Lauren where are you!?"

The phone flashed, saying that it had received a new message. There was no answer from Lauren to James' cries.

Gestalt saw the phone flash, a million eyes of nanites covering the suit spotting it, and James picked it up. Gestalt, crack the phone and get the message. It may be important.

It took less than a second once the nanites got in, and the message was revealed. The short version, was that it was a ransom demand from one of the Chemists thugs. They had Lauren, and were demanding not just money, but unmarked equipment, no trackers. Otherwise they'd kill her.

And James had a very good idea of where they were taking her, so he headed back. What was supposed to be a takedown....turned into a rescue.

Electro-therapy. That's what it was called. Strapped to a table, wired into machines surrounding my metal operating table. I didn't know any of the details, but the doctors had told me that this was going to help me get better, but I didn't know what they meant by tha-
It felt like my heart had stopped as the doctors activated one of the machines again, and blinding pain seared through my body. When it stopped, I was out of breath. The relief was only temporary, as it had been each and every time the pain had stopped, and came back even worse as the doctors turned up the dials on some of the machines.


Black Fox Secure Location: THE FOX HOLE
"Commander, the subject seems to be responding well to tests. Vital signs appear to be stable, though it seems unlikely that she'll regain consciousness anytime soon, if at all."
"I don't care if it's likely, doctor. I asked you to provide me with results. If you don't think you're up to the task..."
"It's not that I can't do it, sir, I just need more resources and time."
"I'll send as much as I can without raising suspicion, but I want you to get her awake before the end of the month."
"I'll do what I can, sir."

When James got back, he was glad to see that everyone was still there. Probably upset, but at least still there. "Change of plans," he said. "They've got a hostage, or are about to. If I'm right, they're going to bring them here and that's when we've gotta move to get them out."

Black Fox Secure Location: THE FOX HOLE

Day Three
"Subject has responded well to drug AXVB-17, her body has started to react to outside stimulants. It's possible that with continued treatment, she can regain consciousness within a month."
"A month is too long, we need her recommissioned or we'll have our funding cut again."
"She might not wake up at all, sir."
"Then your contract will get 'terminated'. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes sir."

Day Four
"Subject appeared to be conscious for a total of six seconds today, we've increased the dosage of AXVB-17 that we administer. Projections show that, if we're lucky, she'll be conscious within the next eight to twleve days."
"Congratulations, doctor. If this keeps up, I can see you earning twice your current pay."

Day Eight
"She's awake. She's disoriented, dazed and confused, but she's awake."
"I'll inform my superiors, more resources are being sent your way. Just make sure not to ruin this now, doctor."
"If I could perhaps see previous records-"
"Done. You need to have her ready in six days."
"Six days... It's not possi-"
"If she isn't revcovered by then, this entire project is being shut down. Am I clear?"
"Crystal."

Day Twelve
"We've stopped treating her with AXVB-17, and at first there were some signs of withdrawal. Those have stopped now, and yesterday she managed to take her first steps. She's progressing at a phenominal rate."
"Will the project be completed in time?"
"If her records are anything to go by, she will."
"Good."

Day thirteen
There are four men, standing in a dark lab. Obviously, there is not power in the room.
"You fucked up."
"I'm sorry! Point that somewhere-"
*Thwack* The man in the suit pistol-whips the kneeling scientist.
"You've cost me my career, and the company millions. You allowed her to-" The man cleared his throat, quoting the paper in his hand, "-'recover in open air', and now, two of my men are dead."
"She shouldn't have been able-!"
*Thwack* The man in the suit pistol-whips the scientist again.
"She was able, doctor."
"I didn't-"
*BANG* The man in the suit fires his pistol into the scientist's head.
"Someone needs to clean this me-"
*BANGBANGBANGBANG* One of the soldiers opens fire with his SMG.
"We're wiping all data now, sir. This never happened."

Marcus listened to his words and spoke up. "Right. We haven't seen any movement in the area so if your friends captives deliver though here then we will see them unless they have a second way in." Marcus said to him while looking at the terminal entrance.

Bella moved closer to shadow as she was quite angry now. "Why do people find it necessary to kidnap." She said to herself quietly and started to sniff the air for anything new.

"They're holding them as ransom," Revenant said. "It's a twofold move for them; if it works, they get some pretty advanced equipment which according to.....a source, would help them manufacture more of their drugs. If they don't get what they want, they'll turn the kidnap victim into a Berserker and send them on a rampage, sends a message."

"Well. When we moving in for the hunt?" Marcus said to him while cracking both his neck and shoulder.

Bella began to start the taming of the beast as now seemed like any good time.

It was dark, one of the men who'd grabbed me had pulled a bag over my head and tied my hands. I could hear them though, walking around in the next room, talking... breathing. There were other people as well, scared people. All of them in the same situation as me, only they were all terrified. I, on the other, was excited.
"It's so early, too..." I thought, surpressing a giggle. Today was going to be a fun day.

"I'd rather wait to see if they bring in the kidnap victim, but we'd be better off going in now and taking out their base. That way if they do come, we can take them out in a surprise." Revenant looked to each of them and said "Shadow, Shifter--that means you Ms. Shapeshifter--you're with me. Paladin, go to the air above, and get ready to burst in guns blazing if things go south."

"Right." Marcus said as he moved towards an edge and made another harness of darkness that soon moved around Bella.

Bella allowed the tendrils to surround her before looking in Revanant direction. "It's effigy." She said to him as She felt herself being brought up into the air as Marcus jumped down off the roof.

Someone's hand touched my shoulder, and I couldn't stop myself from giggling; he was so sure of his safety.
"Stupid bitch," He said, "This ain't a laughing mat-"
"Dead." I whispered gleefully, as a whip of my blood cut open his throat. I cut the ropes around my wrists after that, and took the bag off of my head. I looked around the room, there had been other people in here, but they seemed to have been taken off somewhere. I shrugged it off, happily strolling out of the door, flicking a speck of blood off of my boot.

"Whatever," Revenant muttered, jumping off after them. He landed on the ground, the impact sending a quake up his legs and making them tingle, but little else before he sprinted fr the terminal entrance. He cloaked along the way, ready to move in.

Outside, there was a cage, and in that cage, was something. I leaned in, putting my face near it and frowning. It didn't look like anything I'd seen before, and it certainly didn't look natural. It snarled, and went for me, making me pull my face away.
"Oooh," I said, continuing to examine the things, "What are you?" The thing snarled again, and someone cocked a gun behind me.
"Who the fuck are you?" The man asked, pointing the gun at me.
"I'm nobody, who are you?" I answered, turning on my heels with a sweet smile on my face.
"I'm serious, who the fuck are yo-"
In a matter of seconds, I'd stabbed him through the chest. The look on his face made me giggle. He was so surprised. Leaving my blade in his chest, I drew another one across his throat, the blood pooling underneath him and seeping around the corner. I sighed, my arm returning to normal, apart from a trickle of red running down it.

Marcus watched as Rev disappeared but decided to just walk until he made it to some lights where he would then use his stealth. He followed close to Rev he thought Rev was but his sense of smell wasn't the best without the snakes around.

Bella followed closely behind Shadow winning control over the mutation. Hope we survive this.

Going in, I noted how dark it was. Gestalt changed visual filters for me, so now everything was in shades of black and white as the thermal vision set in. Moving down the hall, I found myself relying on the nanites to keep me updated; I could only look one way, and they could look every other way.

As they got closer to their goal, Marcus could hear voices. More voices then there were before. "Seems Like they have increased security now." Marcus said to Bella and possibly Revanant.

Bella also heard these voices and started to plan her shift. she needed to be careful as she may be more resistant than the average animal she is still very killable. "Any plans?"

Stepping over the body, I wondered where I was. I had been in New York, but being blindfolded, I didn't have a clue which way they'd taken me. Looking around the hallway, I couldn't see or hear anyone, so I kept walking, looking around with a sense of wonder.
"And behind this door is...!" I shouted, kicking it open, only to be greated with an empty room. "Aww," I said, pouting, "That's no fun."

"Take out the guards," Revenant said in a whisper, still invisible as he stood by their shoulders. "Non lethal though." He kept moving, entering one of the larger rooms, several columns spaced out....and several armed guards on patrol. He moved for the closest one, nanites condensing on his fist to form a miniature anvil. When the guard turned around to backtrack, Revenant gave a swift rabbit punch with the block, straight to the face. It knocked the guy out, though he caught him on the way to slow his fall.

I sneezed as I closed the next door, which had lead to another empty room.
"Ugh," I exhaled, "It's so dusty in here." I also wondered where everybody had gone, I was getting bored now, but I still had to find my way out. When I heard voices behind one of the doors, I was happy. So I knocked, three times, and the talking stopped.
"Yeah?" A man said from the other side.
"It's me." I said, trying not to laugh.
"Who-" The first man said, yanking open the door. I slashed open his throat before he'd registered it properly, and killed the second one with a spear in his stomach. This room didn't lead anywhere, either. I moaned loudly in frustration and walked back to the dusty hallway.

"Bella stay back unless you think you can use your increased strength and knock a head or two." As Marcus said this he melted into the ground like a living shadow and moved towards a guard. He rested with a natural shadow and waited for the unsuspecting guard to walk closer and as soon as the guard did such Marcus came up halfway, his waist to head only visible. Tendrils wrapped around the guards mouth and body slowly bringing him to the ground before Marcus gave him a solid punch to the head. He then moved the body to behind cover to avoid detection.

Bella slightly ignored what shadow had said and crept around until she came across a lone guard that seemed to have dozed off. She slowly moved towards him until she was within arms reach. She grabbed the cuff of his shirt bring his head closer to hers before pulling her own head back and then slamming it against the guards, hearing a slight grunt as he slumped against the boxes he previously rested on.

Moving to the next guard, I was about to attack, before I made a mistake; the place was abandoned and in disrepair, which also included a lot of leaks. So I stepped in a puddle right in front of the guy. He freaked out at the splash, and immediately sprayed the air in front of him with bullets. Including me.

Rounds impacted on the armor, making my cloak flicker and die. Since the epidermis softened during cloaking, that meant a few rounds, despite not being armor piercing by design, punched through and into me. "Crap!" I yelled, before ignoring the pain to tackle the guy, and slammed my fist down into his head. It knocked him out, and the nanites went to work on patching me up.

As Marcus began to feel his skin regrow after exiting the shadows he heard bullets fly and moved towards where he heard them. A guard was ahead of him and Marcus sprinted towards him, the guard himself heard the Shadow and turned to late as Marcus football tackled him to the ground and delivered a swift but hard punch to the head.

Bella also heard the bullets but decided best to hide as she wasn't a powerhouse like Revanant or shadow. She poked her head out to see both Rev and Shadow had dealt with a guard but more were going to be coming. "New plan?" She asked as she was a little perplexed on what to do now.

Hearing the gunfire, I practically beamed with excitement. The fact that somebody was shooting meant that something interesting was happening, and if it was the police, then they'd actually help me get outside. I started following the noise, sneezing again as more dust got into my nose.