Thunderbolt #4 - Assault on Black Oak

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#1  Edited By ImpurestCheese

Thunderbolt #4 - Assault on Black Oak

For more information on characters click here for the character list thus far

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Valerie Cooper parked the rented Mercedes in the visitor entrance to Black Oak Prison, a phalanx of guards already in motion to intercept her. Flashing her security card she walked on inside, seemingly oblivious to the figure watching her from a mile away. The truth however, was very different, as Abe deactivated the zoom function in his armour, and scanned the top of the walls.

“It’s three minutes from the entrance to the main security checkpoint.” He told Erik, the larger man now dressed in his old Atlas uniform. “We need to offline the power before she gets there. You fancy ripping up a few towers, you know just for old times.”

“I can’t.” Erik replied glumly.

“Oh I see, so did the CSA strip your powers?” Abe asked, as he locked eyes on a set of computerised anti air guns, one sitting on each of the perimeter guard towers.

“No I can still get big, it’s just…” Erik stopped and sighed, “…when I was in the Raft, as a hero I was bait for everyone. I kept cool most of the time, tried to keep it together, but one day a punk called Shatterfist pushed me too far.”

“What happened?” Abe asked.

“He’s now in an iron lung.” Erik replied sadly, “After that I promised never to hurt anyone ever again. As much as I would love to help, I can’t risk harming or even killing anyone down there.”

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“I understand, but that makes my job a lot harder.” Abe sighed, “Those AA Guns…”

“…are not a problem.” Erik told him, as his body exploded with crimson ionic energy. “I picked up a few tricks from Wonder Man.” he added as he shot a bolt of ionicly charged matter at the prison. For a few seconds nothing happened, and then the guards began to collapse, the guns powered down and an emergency siren rung out.

“Or we could do that!!” Abe gasped in surprise, as he took to the air and headed towards the prison. “How did you do that?”

“As I said I picked up a few tricks.” Erik chuckled as he streaked after Abe, before overtaking the MACH VI armour and landing on the wall. “I might not be able to fight, but it doesn’t mean that I’m done being a hero.”

**

With a hiss, the lights in the corridor all went out at once, plunging the pair of guards and their prisoner into darkness. Seconds later the guard’s armour began to spark, and the prisoner sprung into action, delivering a blow into the first’s gut, before slamming an elbow into the seconds elbow. Cracking his knuckles, the man bent down and picked up the dropped black plastic sack. Dumping out the trash, he picked up a row of orbs attached to a belt and a thickened rod.

Twisting the top of the rod, he pulled out a hardened headset and slipped it over his head. “This is Rock Python; are there any friendly CSA forces in the building?” He called, as one of the guards stirred, only to receive a vicious kick to the chest.

“This is Cooper; I’m working my way down to the prison’s archives.” Valerie replied, as she fired a pair of mercy rounds into a guard, before ducking through the metal detectors. “Curtis, I need you to get up to the Advanced Measures Wing, find Melissa, and help her get the HVI out of the building.”

“On it.” Rock Python answered, as he reached the door at the end of the corridor. Hmm door locks seem to be jammed. Now that’s bad design, totally unsuited for a security installation. He thought before taking ten steps back and throwing one of his spheres, the orb exploding on contact and shattering the lock. Fragile too, someone really needs to have a word with the architect about that.

**

The Warden felt the prison shake beneath her feet, before looking out the window, only to see one of the prison wall AA Guns explode. With a chilling hiss she turned to face the Advanced Measures prisoners, “Where is Miss Gold!?!” She snarled in a tone that seemed to magnify her anger.

“She snuck off with Nightshade.” Titania replied proudly. “I told you she wasn’t to be trusted.”

“You did. Now shut the f**k up and do your jobs!!” The Warden snarled. “Support the guards in the defence of the prison, but remember, should you leave the grounds, you forfeit your place in my organisation.”

“We understand Madame.” Water Witch wheezed. “You can count on us to defend these walls.”

“Oh I hope so, or what happened to Nightshade, will look gentle in comparison, to what I do to you.” The Warden answered as Bulldozer walked over to the door, and ripped it off its hinges.

“What about Gold?” Titania asked malice intent spread across her face, only for the warden to point at the ripped open door.

“Get to your post,” She hissed, “and leave the two traitors to me!”

**

Abe opened fire on the nearest guard post, with a salvo of gas rockets, the projectiles quickly pacifying the few guards still in the fight. Looking down at Atlas, simply floating in the centre of the prison, he wondered if, for the first time in his life, if Erik was happy with whom he was in the here and now.

“Heads up, more coming out the east wall guard tower.” Abe announced, just as Erik threw a field of ionic energy across the entrance. For a few seconds the door held, but with a sickening creek, as it came flying off its hinges, the ad hoc projectile just missing Abe, before slamming into the opposite wall.

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“Well looks like we have one traitor and one washout.” Titania chuckled, as Jackdaw took to the skies, barbed projectiles flying towards both Thunderbolts. “Water Witch, Bulldozer help Jackdaw take down War Machine Junior and leave Blunder Man to me, I have a beef with him, for every time he sent me and Crusher up the river!!” She added before ripping the roof off the tower, and throwing it at Erik.

“War Machine Junior?!” Abe spat as he sped past Jackdaw, “Now that’s just being mean Titania.” He snorted, as he bombarded Bulldozer with a rain of gas pellets. Coughing and spluttering, his target backed off, just as Jackdaw fired a pair of mini missiles into his back.

“Laugh it up traitor!” Jackdaw screeched as she dived towards him. “No way can you beat us all!” Abe’s reply was non verbal, and came in the form of a salvo of flares, the burning projectiles forcing her off course towards Erik.

“Jackdaw stay out of this!!” Titania bellowed as she slammed her fist into Erik, only to recoil as she received a swift electric shock. “Son of a…” She snapped.

“I won't fight you Titania.” Erik stated, as he reached out, and shut down the grounded Jackdaw’s armour with his ionic abilities. “Not if it means harming another living thing.”

“Ah aren't you a little b***h!!” Titania snorted, as Water Witch raised up her staff and steam shot out of Abe’s MACH VI armour. “Maybe your friend being boiled alive will change your mind…”

**

Nightshade held in the scream, as Melissa reset her broken arm. She had remained stoic during three weeks of beatings, she knew she could last a bit longer. Turning on the table Melissa had laid on, she saw her rescuer remove a syringe from a sterile box.

“Okay I think this is the painkiller.” Melissa stated cautiously, before showing Nightshade the bottle.

“Yes that’s it. Now just inject it into my vein.” Nightshade groaned, as she produced her arm ready for injection. “You know I always wanted to be a doctor,” she grunted as she was administered the painkiller, “but no one took me seriously…”

“Yeah I get that doc.” Melissa replied, as she removed the needle and held out a wad of gauze. “I always wanted to be a pilot when I was younger. The whole thing, about leaving your troubles behind you, kind of sung to me, that and I hated where I grew up.”

“Tell me, what’s going to happen to me, when this is all over?” Nightshade asked.

The response came, not from Melissa, but from the doorway to the infirmary. “I’m going to rip you both from limb to limb.” Standing there, hands on hips, was the Warden, pure hatred spread across her face. “I offered you something, and you both spat it back in my face.”

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“You were killing girls for…” Nightshade croaked, before Melissa put a hand out to silence her.

“It’s over Superia; the government knows what you’re doing here.” Melissa told the warden in her most authorities’ voice. “Surrender, no good can come from any other option.”

“Hmm, if you had your powers I would consider it.” Superia hissed, as she advanced on the pair of women. “But you don’t so…” She stopped, and wrenched a stand loaded with surgical instruments away. Taking two more steps she suddenly stopped, as something impacted on her back, before steel coils wrapped around her as she thudded to the floor.

“You ladies ready to leave?” Rock Python asked as he stepped over Superia.

“Like you wouldn't believe.” Melissa said with a smile, as Rock Python picked up Nightshade. Turning the trio stepped past Superia into the corridor, and headed for the stairs that led to the roof.

“Wait how strong are those cables?” Nightshade asked as the sound of metal bending sounded from the infirmary.

“They can contain a Class Three Super Human.” The response came, as Superia smashed through the infirmary wall, chunks of masonry showering the escaping felons. “Or in this case not strong enough”

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ImpurestCheese

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waezi2

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@impurestcheese: I think you have to notify again. I wasn't tagged for some reason, so the others might not have been notified as well.

Oh, and good read.

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batkevin74

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Ostyo

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@impurestcheese: I always hate it when my restraining cables aren't strong enough.

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deactivated-097092725

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So THIS is what you were referring to that time! (:P)

Thank you for tagging me, this reads amazingly. I started from the beginning and I am right in there, action wise. Can you please tag me again, please, when you add another chapter?

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@ms-lola: Can do, will do and thank you for the comment

@ostyo: You have restraining cabled? :-p

@batkevin74: Is that a bad thing?

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Ostyo

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@impurestcheese: Indeed I do. You never know when a wild Red Caracal will need to be restrained. :P

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@ostyo: You're one weird kid you know that right?

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Ostyo

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@impurestcheese: Ya know the folks and physicians at San Quentin came to that very same conclusion too! :0

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Ostyo

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@impurestcheese: Hmm, dawned on me that you probably don't even know about that place... Joke ruined!!! D:

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@ostyo: It's in California right? One of the states oldest correctional facilities. Looks like I made you 'walk the line' on this one

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stumpy49er

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@ostyo: It's in California right? One of the states oldest correctional facilities. Looks like I made you 'walk the line' on this one

Johnny Cash played in Folsom. Metallica played in San Quentin. Nice reference though.

Another good issue. I wasn't aware Atlas changed his powers. Did that happen in the comics?

I need to get some early Thunderbolts trades.

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#16  Edited By ImpurestCheese

@stumpy49er: Partially, he had these powers when Wonder Man and himself were under the control of Count Nefaria, technically ever since he went by the handle 'Power Man' Josten has had ionic abilities, it was just that he put all that power into strength and size rather then the flashy powers Williams uses

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Joygirl

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Leave it to Rock Python to hog all the glory. :)

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@joygirl: He's putting the squeeze on Superia that's for sure