Welcome back Revengers, Captain Smackdown here! We’ve had a crucial update from our agents in the field, who at this moment are in crisis dealing with our very first mission. Based on Atrum Auditors report, what began as a simple surveillance mission escalated when the target – mobster Joe “The Stare” Kiethly – showed up with some unusual muscle. Enhance ex-military men who were given telekinetic powers!

On top of that, reports from the field emphasized that there was another there, a mind that was searching and making contact with Atrum Auditor, Erotica Girl and Styka. A telepathic presence in the region is most disturbing. Either Kiethly’s men are more than they appear, or there’s someone else watching the show. In either case, your Captain is proceeding to the scene with reinforcements! Here’s how it went down…

*                     *                    *

The GT’s engine reached a crescendo of noise. From the passenger seat, Panacea looked anxiously at the Captain.

Strange, he thought. Weren’t immortals the ones who had the least to fear from death? And yet, she looked more nervous than he felt.

They reached their turn and the Captain spun the wheel, bringing them into a slight slide that almost put them up against the nearby brick wall. Panacea grunted as they took the corner and decided to say something as soon as they straightened out again.

“Is there a game plan?” she asked. “I mean, other than to go charging in?”

“Of course there is,” Smackdown replied. “I just haven’t thought of it yet.”

“Oh…” she said. “Lovely.”

Another hard turn. The smell of the docks began to pour in through their open windows. Tar, brine, and the undeniable smell of rot and decay. They were on a long stretch now that passed lengthwise between two red brick warehouses. Smackdown used the opportunity to fetch his weapon from the backseat, which had been resting on the floor until this point.

“Do me a favor…?” he said to Panacea and handed it to her. “Grab that drum on the backseat and load it for me.”

Panacea was momentarily stunned by the appearance of the weapon. The membership agreement stipulated that it lethal force was out of bounds, but the weapon she was now holding seemed to contradict that piece of fine print. Still, she did as she was told and fished around on the backseat until the spherical magazine presented itself. Grabbing it and bringing it forward, she stared at the two pieces and asked for help.

“Um, how am I…?”

“Just slap the drum into the bottom and pull that lever on the side,” said the Captain. Panacea obliged, and then held it up in her hand. Heavy, by normal standards, and grissly looking. She looked sideways at Smackdown. He noticed and flashed a defensive frown.

“Rubber bullets… I swear!”

“Alright…” she said warily, then placed it in the backseat.

The engine revved harder. Smackdown looked ahead and yelled a word of warning. “Bit of a bump up ahead. Hang on!”

She looked just in time to see the pile of lobster traps and loading crates. Her yell came too late to stop him. They hit it with a hard thud and picked up some air. The landing was even harder. They came to skidding halt on the other side.

“Sorry. GPS didn’t mention that obstruction.”

Panacea looked at the dashboard. Did this vehicle even have a GPS, or was that some kind of dry witticism on the Captains part? Either way, she wasn’t any happier about it.

Smackdown placed his finger to his earpiece.

“Atrum? Can you hear me?”

Auditor voice came in in low, hushed whispers. “Read you, Captain. What’s your position?”

“We’re less than a minute away. Has anything changed on the scene?”

“Well, we still haven’t found the source of the psychic presence. But it doesn’t seem to be coming from our guests or their hired muscle. Keithly’s goons are holding their spots and letting the him and Councilman talk.”

Smackdown nodded. That sounded like good news, but it pointed towards something more frightening. He removed his finger from his ear and began to look precariously out his side window.

“What’s wrong?” Panacea asked.

“I think we got more company than we think,” he replied. He placed his finger back to his ear. “Hold your position. We’ll be coming in hot. As soon as we arrive on scene, I figure we’ll have a second or two before those goons try to turn their powers on us. Then I want you and the girls to start jamming them, and let’s pray they don’t have psychic defenses we don’t know about.”

“You got it,” Auditor replied.

“So… we got a plan?” Panacea asked.

“Yeah…” Smackdown looked at her outfit. “You’re CV said you could fly, that still true?”

“Yes,” she said irately. Superpowers didn’t exactly have an expiry date.

“Good. Cuz when we get to the scene, I want you to jump out that door and get in the air. I’ll provide covering fire for you. Our friends on scene should take care of the rest. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“Good. Now hand me that gun.”

She grabbed it and passed it to him, warily as always. He noticed the way she was looking at it, like she had a serious issue with firearms. He repeated his earlier assurance.

“I swear!”

*                    *                    *

Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion to the Revengers first mission!