Marvel Mayhem: 8-Ball and Diamondback #1

Marvel Mayhem: 8-Ball and Diamondback #1

On any normal day the massive crawler carrying the rocket to the launch pad could be outran with a swift walk. Of course most days the mechanical leviathan wasn't covered in smooth purple armour or had gun turrets attached to the rocket gantry, so it's sudden increase in speed, while not expected wasn't what really drew the attention of the SHIELD troops supervising the launch.

"Yeah run little piggies!" The man dressed in armour complete with an old fashioned diver's style helmet cackled from cockpit one, as the crawler crushed a SHIELD van at the checkpoint. "You having fun yet Overdrive?" He asked. "I know I am!"

"It's a cool ride Hijacker, but remember we have a job to do, Count Nefaria is paying through the nose for an intact rocket." The man dressed in motorcycle leathers replied from cockpit two, as the crawler shot down the road to the guest parking lot, SHIELD agents scattering before them. "How far do we have to get this thing?" He asked as a helicopter flew past, the gun turrets tracking the aircraft as it kept pace with the rocket gantry for a few seconds before being left behind.

"As far as the Louisiana border. Why do you ask?" Hijacker replied, as the crawler smashed through the electrified chain link fence around the launch site's perimeter.

"I need to take a whizz, that's why." Overdrive moaned, as the vehicle crawled over multiple parked cars. "I forgot to go before we left." He added, his voice only just audible over the sound of gunshots ricocheting off the vehicle's armour. Waiting for his team-mates snarky reply, Overdrive looked sheepishly at the bottle of bourbon packed in the cooler at his feet. "Jeez, how long does it take to form a good retort Hijacker!" He snapped, as the crawler began to slow down to half the speed it had been travelling at. "Huh what the hell is happening? Hijacker come in!"

" Sorry Hijacker had to step out." A female voice replied. "This is Diamondback, chief operator of BAD Girls private security. "You are currently in possession of a Hagees-Rennsalear Institute orbit capable rocket, my employer really wants you to return it."

"And if I don't?" Ovedrive hissed as a woman dressed in Romanesque armour strode into the crawler's path. "Oh c**p!" He screamed as the woman intercepted the crawler with enough force to send Overdrive crashing out of the cockpit to the tarmac below. Hopping out of cockpit one, Diamondback dragged the seemingly unconscious form of the Hijacker over to her team-mate.

"You okay Man-Killer?" Diamondback asked, as her team-mates removed her helmet to reveal a thick mane of red hair and a piercing set of hazel eyes set into a sharp angular face.

"It's Amazon now," The woman answered, as Hijacker slowly reached for a button on the back of his gauntlet, "not Man-Killer."

"I don't care what you call yourself!" The Hijacker snarled, as a vent of thick green gas vented from his armour, and sprayed the two women in the face. "My horror gas doesn't discriminate, it makes even BAD girls scream like cowards." He added, as he grabbed Overdrive and sprinted towards one of the nearby abandoned SHIELD vans. Coughing and spluttering Amazon and Diamondback fell to their knees, tears running down their cheeks, terror evident on their faces.

"Where are we going?" Overdrive moaned, as Hijacker dropped him as he spotted the growing wet patch around his team-mates crotch.

"Urgh that's disgusting!" Hijacker snapped, as he electronically unlocked the van using the digital hijacking system in his armour. "I should leave you here but I need your powers to boost this piece of junk." He sighed, as he opened the door and threw Overdrive into the vehicle. Stalking round to the driver's seat, Hijacker widened his eyes in surprise as he found a red haired woman dressed in an urban cowgirl assemble, her hands resting on her pistol.

"Howdy hoss, my name is Jaime Slade AKA the Spectre." The woman purred, as Hijacker thumbed the trigger on his gauntlet, a cloud of horror gas engulfing the woman. "I'm a ghost, your knock off fear gas has no effect on me. The bullets in my gun however..." She sighed, as Hijacker took a step back and raised his hands above his head, just as the remaining SHIELD agents surrounded the van. "He's all yours Agent Khanata." She added, as a tall dark skinned man with spiral scars on his cheeks pushed his way to the front and cuffed Hijacker.

"Don't thank me, all five of you are under arrest!" Khanata grunted, as additional SHIELD agents walked Amazon and Diamondback over, and dragged Overdrive out of the van.

"My husband will have something to say about this." Diamondback grunted, as Khanata cuffed Overdrive just as a Jeep pulled up next to where the arrest was taking place. "Looks like you won't have to wait too long." She added, as a red haired man dressed in a suit stepped out of the car.

"My thanks for retrieving my property Agent Khanata, however I would like to know why you are trying to arrest my private security force." The man asked, as a second man in a suit emerged from the car.

"If I had my way I would arrest you too Mr.Hagees." Khanata grunted as his men walked Overdrive and Hijacker away. "You and your private security are free to go, I'll see you back at your New York offices. And just remember that I have my eyes on you, should any of you put even one foot all of you are going to jail. Have a nice day ladies and gentlemen." He added as he headed back to the launch site.

"Before you leave Agent Khanata, can you get one of your prisoners to return our rocket back to the launch site." The second man in a suit announced. "The US government did invest a large amount of money into restablishing its space programme. I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't want to postpone the launch any longer than necessary."

"Of course Mr Rennsalear!" Khanata snarled as he gestured for two of the SHIELD agents to bring Hijacker back to the crawler. "As soon as you're done bring him back!" He added. "Should anything happen besides launching a rocket, you'll all be joining Hijacker and Overrider in prison."

"Understood Agent Khanata, and remember it's 'Pancake Tuesday' tomorrow and I won't be buying you a stack this time." Hagees announced, before turning to the two SHIELD agents flanking Hijacker. "Okay Mr. Mitchell, we need to get this relic back to 'the Cape' so we can get this launch back on track."

"Yeah whatever." Hijacker grumbled as he and one of the SHIELD agents climbed into cockpit one of the crawler. "You used to be a loser 8-Ball, now you're some kind of poor man's Tony Stark working for the government. You're no longer a loser, you're something worse, you're a lazy sell-out!"

"Yeah I sold out, now get that rocket the government paid twenty million dollars back where it's meant to be." Hagees ordered, as the crawler thundered back the way it had come. "Thanks for the save girls, no offence to SHIELD but I doubt they would have stopped those guys."

"No problem, you always were my favourite client." Diamondback purred as she kissed Hagees on the lips.

"And you are my favourite employee." Hagees replied. "No offence guys, I value your support as well."

"No problem Hoss, we all get the husband and wife super-team thing." Spectre announced. "Just open your case of scotch at the end of the day, assuming that we get that hunk of titanium up in the air, and we'll call it even."

**

The crawler came to a stop on the launchpad. Stepping out of the vehicle, the Hijacker and his SHIELD escort walked towards the mobile command centre truck parked opposite the rocket gantry.

"Agent may I have a word with Mr. Mitchell before you arrest him." Mr Rennsalear asked.

"You have a few minutes, after that he's bound for Seagate." The agent grunted.

"Horror Gas has a short half life meaning you created a batch for this mission right?" Rennsalear asked. "And that it is quite tricky to manufacture."

"Why do you ask 'suit?" Hijacker snapped.

"I think a man with your chemical engineering background shouldn't be locked up in prison." Rennsalear explained. "And call me Overrider, when you get out give me a bell, we could use someone like you to work on new fuel for our rocket engines."

"I got to ask you, what's the con? You and Hagees haven't really sold out have you?" Hijacker asked.

"Look at it like this." Rennsalear stated. "You steal from some folks that live next door and you're a villain, you do it in a silly costume and you're a super villain. Maybe as a super villain you make your own gear, well guess what, if you do it for the government your not a villain..." He added as Hijacker was taken away by the SHIELD agent, "...your an entrepreneur."

@impurestcheese: Whaaaaat? Marvel Mayhem is active again? Well alright! So this takes place after the wedding- got it. Minor problem: "loser" (as in "a guy that lost"), not "looser" (as in "not as tight as it was"). Looking forward to the next one. :)

@cbishop: Ah cool thanks for the spot, and yes we're active once again.

@cbishop: DC groups die. Marvel groups hibernate.

@wildvine: Quite True, we're back from the long sleep even more mayhem filled than ever

I was going to quip to this, but... I got nothing. You're right. It seems that DC groups really clamp down on the character claims, so there isn't as much cooperation. Marvel groups seem to be more willing to share characters and continuity, and it's easier to bring it back with something new. That's just my observation though. My only DC or Marvel group work was the unofficial piece for Marvel Mayhem, from one of the CCC's.

@cbishop:

I got no reasons, just saying Iron Age has "died" a few times, Mayhem is on its third or fourth revival, and even Genesis still rears up occasionally. Where as Corrupted, 5th World Order, Future Shock, and others are well in the ground.

@wildvine: Yep. True.

@wildvine: I doubt this will be a full scale revival but at the ass end of last year I realised how much I missed 8-Ball and Diamondback and wrote up a synopsis for a short series (which can be extended) called 8-Ball's Eleven. In the end the title was too clunky but the premises and characters involved remained the same. As such expect appearances from Wraithwitch, Freezer Burn and the Hooded Haunt alongside the characters that appeared in Issue 1

Did you decided this after I told you my one plan, @impurestcheese?

I'm heading to work in a few. Will have to read this tommorow morning and a bit on my break sometime today.

Hmmmm maybe I should totally reboot my Legion Of Losers. Or, at least skip to the team already being formed.

@richgenx: Nah found it while clearing out my computers memory. It was written eight months ago and as such I decided to pist it and see what happens

@guardiandevil83: Cool, hope you enjoy

Just read it while on the bus. I know nothing about Overdrive other than he was in Superior Foes. But, he and Hijacker have great chemistry.

Well, the buddy cop vibe. Or, buddy crooks? I'll try and give as much attention as I can to this series because I want to see what you're going to do with Count Nefaria.

Hope he has some epic battles. I'm going to do some research on 8ball, as I like the look of him. Plus, he's a techy.

@guardiandevil83: 8-Ball's more than a techy, he's a bonna fide genius but, he ,like characters such as Thunderball, people have largely forgotten that in favour for more of a thuggish look.

Overdrive's power is to increase the potential of anything with wheels and a motor, quite useful if you are stealing a vehicle, even one that is carrying a rocket.

Nefaria is the first arc villain, he's got a reason for wanting a rocket, an it's up for our 'buddy crooks' to find out why and what for.

@impurestcheese This is very good as usual and it's good to see Mayhem still going :).

What Was Good:

-You've a great hold of the characters, so much so that you almost wish they were featured more in the comics.

-It's new reader friendly, yes you can get the whole history of the group that led up till now but it's not NEEDED necessarily which is good.

-Character Development (too many of us fan-fic writers get our minds set on one particular incarnation of a character but I can see these characters growing which is a credit to you)

-I'm very intrigued as to where this will lead and I know it will have a great build up.

What Could Possibly Be Improved:

-It doesn't hit the ground running. While not every story needs to start off that way I think a quick small thrill at the beginning could be good to hook in the reader and make them want to keep reading like for example you could have teased something to come in the future or had 8-Ball and Diamondback have a quick fun fight sequence at the beginning just to introduce what they can do and give a glimpse into their personalities to the new readers and to remind the older readers what makes them awesome. Now in any other chapter this wouldn't be a critique but it's purely because it's a number 1 and I hope I didn't sound too harsh if I did sorry.

-Spelling & Grammar, something we all mistakes in but nevertheless.

Overall:

8/10 This was great.

@irishlad: Ah it's not a problem at all, had this lying around for months and decided to spruce it up (not well enough grammar wise obviously) and decided to go for it. Hopefully some of the villains opposing our 'uhm' villains can up the action quota. Always did like the characters who are sitting in the main cast, which makes them very easy to write.

Thanks for the comment though, it's much appreciated

@waezi2: and @stumpy49er: you may enjoy this

Yup!

Nice work @impurestcheese "My horror gas doesn't discriminate!" A perfectly missed quipping opportunity! :)

Twenty million for a rocket seems cheap, also why wouldn't you just take the twenty and go off to an island? Because they're stupid villains, that's why! :)

M.M.M (Make Mine Mayhem)

@batkevin74: Yeah 8-Ball and Overrider are geniuses but they are idiots as well. And yes by all means M.M.M