This is a kind of !!!CRACKISH!!! Fanfiction. I don't own Marvel and DC, nor am I some sort of loremaster.

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Chapter 11: A Way Out.

Cadmus Alpha.

Second office hallway lower level.

Christmas of 2006.

Avery Gallahan POV.

“Ah, shit… come on!” I exclaimed as I grabbed Slade and helped him to his feet with his hand over my shoulder. “We need to unass ourselves from here, pronto!"

Slade gave me a look that clearly stated what he thought of me, but before the super-mercenary could protest, the ground suddenly shook again, and the sound of rumble could be heard. I might have had an idea of what the cause was, and I knew that we had to get the hell out of the area, or we would both be dead.

I grabbed the Las-gun and fired it at the wall, creating a small gap in the wall that seemed to lead to what looked like a wide underground parking lot of some kind judging by the assorted cars and vehicles, some military, some civilians all parked in neat rows and columns. All of the vehicles look to be in various states of damage ranging anywhere between smashed windows through walls and broken glass alongside dented hooded car bodies damaged beyond recognition with what look like dead occupants strewn across their seats.

"Get in," I called out after I quickly kicked my way through the wall and made room so that the merc could follow suit.

I helped the mercenary inside, the latter grunting and groaning in pain, and I winced at the sight of the man, He really looked bad, and I didn't know how much longer the man could keep going, and with whatever that thing did to him, there was no telling how long he could hold on.

"There should be an elevator shaft that leads straight to the surface around the area," Quintero chimes in from my earpiece. “There! 50 meters by 6 o'clock, there should be a small security checkpoint and guardhouse, and next to it should be an elevator. We should be able to use the shaft to get to the top. And if we're lucky, the elevator itself should be intact and operational enough for us to ride up and hopefully avoid any more encounters with these COC bastards and those monsters, Mate."

I didn't say anything else as I carried Slade into the garage and towards the guardhouse, after I opened the door to the guard office, the first thing that came into my sight was a dead man who had been brutally slaughtered. His body was lying on the floor, his corpse riddled with burn holes, and there was a large pool of blood beneath him, and the smell of blood and burned flesh was heavy in the air.

"Shit, this place is worse than the battlefield in Fallujah, mate." The UNSC AI remark.

I couldn't agree more.

"Over there, behind that counter should be the elevator, but we have to hurry."

As we approached, I noticed more dead security guards on the floor and a bloody smear on the wall. I carefully stepped over the body and walked toward the counter, the mercenary groaning and panting as we made our way toward the elevator.

“Wait… hold on a minute, bad news and good news mate, according to the schematic of the facility, this elevator has some sort of ID system that uses Keycard or biometric scans, and without the correct one, we can't use the elevator," the UNSC AI reported and I cursed under my breath.

"Dammit," I muttered, my eyes darting around the room and my brain whirring as I set the wounded mercenary down against a wall, hoping the man would stay conscious and upright long enough for me to figure out how to get the damn elevator working.

Cough!*

Cough!*

“What is it?” The mercenary manages to croak out, his breathing ragged and pained.

"You wouldn't happen to have an ID keycard on you, would you?" I inquired with a strained smile.

"Nah, I lost it after I got jumped by those things," the super-mercenary answered weakly. “All those bastard was able to tear into me and fuck up my gear pretty good but fortunately, I was able to get a few good hits in and kill them before they were able to finish me off. And as much as it pains me, I don't have anything with me to help us."

“Well shit… knew that isn't going to be that easy,” I muttered in annoyance then looked at the watch display which showed the green AI avatar looking at me and inquired. “Alright… what about the good news then?”

“Well… I don't mean to brag about myself,” Quintero replies with a smug tone and I can see the Australian artificial intelligence shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly before flexing his bare digital muscles clearly showing off. “You literally have in your arms, a UNSC 6 generations military general purpose AI that is designed to manage planetary and outer space logistics, command and control of UNSC operations and assets, and has a myriad of combat capabilities. I can do anything from piloting a Pelican to operating multiple defensive installations or overseeing a Naval battle group, and while sure… I might not be like Cortana, she is much more adept at electronic warfare than me, but I'm no slouch when it comes to that kind of stuff either, Mate. All you gotta do is ask."

“Right… I almost forgot about the fact that the AI from the Halo universe is quite more advanced compared to the one in this universe,” I remarked with a slight chuckle. “Alright, Quintero, let’s flex those muscles of yours to good use then. Can you hack into the elevator’s security system and override it so we can get to the surface?”

“Already did but it-”

Ĥ̸̙̲͕̩̠̑͆U̷̖̗͊̌͂͝Ȕ̸͉͇̓̈́͘̕U̷̧̡͕̘̿̈̾͘͝ͅU̶̞̜̚U̴̱̪̥͆U̸̼̖̣̇̐*

“Ahh… Bugger… looks like those things are coming this way to tear us a new one, mate. You have to hold them off for a little while until I can get this piece of scrap working again, I will be as fast as I can."

"I'll hold them off, just make it snappy," I answered with a determined tone, nodding, and the Australian AI nodded back.

I then turned to the super-mercenary and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, the older man was still sitting slumped against the wall, his breathing was getting heavier, his face was pale and gaunt, and he seemed to be in and out of consciousness.

"You broken, old man?" I inquired, the words coming out a little bit more forcefully than I meant them to, but I didn't care. "I'll get us out of here, but you have to hold on. Understand?"

"Just do it," the mercenary ordered, his voice rough and his breathing ragged before mumbling. “And don't call me an old man… just Slade is fine, I'm not that old… yet..."

Hmm… why does that sound familiar I wonder?

"Alright, Mr. Slade, I'll do my best," I replied with a smile before standing up, running out of the office, and slamming the door behind me.

I reached the nearby checkpoint area which had several security stations set up, the area was covered in blood, and there were bodies of the security force members scattered about. I then spotted what looked like a bunch of overturned crates and upon opening them, I was surprised at what looked like a dual mini-gun with a bipod and camera of some sort attached to it.

“Ahh… bloody fantastic, you found what looks like a mini-sentry gun and its control system, Mate. Good job, set it up and some of my subroutines should be able to handle the rest," the Aussie AI reported and I quickly complied, the mini-sentry gun and its controls were heavy and bulky and would probably have been too heavy for most normal humans to carry but with my enhancements, it was nothing to me.

Channeling my inner TF2 engineer, I then placed the mini sentry on the top of one of the checkpoints, its twin barrels rotating and the camera scanning the area. I then set up the mini sentry's computer system and Quintero was able to handle the rest.

"Alright, Mate, I have control, it's going to take a few seconds to power it up and calibrate the targeting systems, but once it is, it will mow those bastards down like wheat in a field."

Huh… looks like this bad boy takes explosive 50. Cal AP rounds, this is not bad, not bad at all. The sentry was set up facing the main entrance of the parking garage and was positioned in a way that would allow it to cover the entire area.

It was clear to see that the garage was in complete disarray. The concrete walls were cracked and crumbling, the vehicles were scattered and strewn around, some of them were overturned or crushed, and the ceiling looked like it was going to cave in at any moment. The air was thick with dust and smoke, and the occasional sounds of explosions and gunfire could be heard coming from above, the building was clearly shaking, and the wails of the monsters were getting closer and louder.

“G̸̭͎̘̐̀͋̈͗e̴̛̱̰̫̣͗́e̶̞͖̠̘̝͑e̴̠͚̯͂̌̃ë̷̟̯̥͍́̆̊͝e̵̥̪̟̍̂̿̃̅ḙ̴̙̬̳̀̓”

“Here they come…” I muttered after I switched the Las-gun to full auto before crouching behind the sandbag near the security office.

BANG!*

The humanoid creatures burst into the parking garage, the sound of their claws and tentacles scraping against the concrete floor echoing throughout the large space. I aimed my weapon and prepared myself for the incoming horde, knowing that the odds were against me, and the chances of my survival were slim, but I had to try.

BRTTTT!!!*

The mini-turret suddenly let out a deafening roar as the barrel started spinning, the twin barrels spitting out a stream of lead, and the rounds were thankfully effective in tearing through the monsters. The rounds were shredding them apart, their bodies bursting like water balloons and their blood splattering against the walls and floor.

“Eat lead motherfucker!”

And as the monsters continued their attack, the turrets' rate of fire was increasing and the volume of their shots was intensifying, the bullets were tearing the monsters apart, and their bodies were being ripped to shreds. The mini-turret was mowing down the monsters with ease, the bullets were shredding their flesh, and the rounds were blowing them apart.

But the horde of nightmarish-looking things just kept coming, their bodies were being torn to pieces, their blood and viscera were covering the walls and ground, and their bodies were littering the area. And yet… They just kept coming, They were still pouring into the parking garage, and the creatures were crawling all over the vehicles, the turrets, and the walls.

The whole thing reminds me of one particular scene from a classic Brad Pitt film that features a horde of people piling on top of each other to get over a giant wall.

BAM!*

One of the monsters had suddenly appeared right above the mini-sentry, its claws extended and its maw open, its tentacles reaching for the gun and its teeth ready to tear it apart. But not before I pulled the trigger on my laser rifle and burned a hole through its skull.

BAM!*

BANG!*

TATATATA!*

KA-KLINK!*

I fired off a quick burst from my Las-gun and blasted the monster, its body bursting like a water balloon, its blood and gore splattering and pooling against the wall and floor just like the rest of it kind, and its corpse hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

“QUINT! SITREP! THINGS ARE GETTING PRETTY INTENSE OUT HERE, WE NEED TO LEAVE NOW!" I barked as I continued firing, my eyes and ears constantly scanning the area, the Las-gun's energy bolt striking the monsters and tearing them apart when they got too close, the turrets continuing their barrage.

“The elevator is moving now but This damn thing is running on a backup power cell and as a result, its speed is abysmally slow compared if this thing were to run on the main power grid and unfortunately these COC wanker seen to have turned off the emergency power system to the area also and as such, we have no choice but to use the backup cell. Hold on a little longer, Mate, I am doing my best!" The Australian AI responded with an urgent tone.

I conjured an electric magical spear before throwing it and impaled the nearest creature. The beast shrieked and flailed its tentacles before I tapped the but of another spear that I was holding, causing a very cool small electric explosion to detonate, obliterating the monster and shocking anything nearby.

"Shit! There's too many of them!" I exclaimed as the turret's barrels began to overheat causing the turrets to just fire in short bursts instead of fully automatic, and the horde of the monsters continued to press forward, their claws and tentacles ripping apart the concrete and their teeth gnashing.

BOOM!!!*

Suddenly one of the cars exploded causing a small shockwave to erupt and sending some of the creatures flying. I was knocked back by the force of the blast and fell onto my back, the Las-gun clattering away from me, and the sound of turret fire stopped abruptly.

"Gahhhh!" I let out a groan of discomfort and looked around, the mini-turret was knocked over and was now lying on its side, its barrel was smoking, and its computer screen was cracked.

Before I could get up, I was suddenly tackled by one of the creatures, sending me through a concrete pillar. The monster then grabbed my throat and pinned me down to the ground before trying to take a bite out of me.

“Get off me! You're one ugly motherfucker.”

KLINK!*

My spear stabbed through its neck and into its brain, the monster gurgling and twitching before collapsing on top of me. I grunted and heaved the monster's corpse off me before conjuring more spears and launching them at the nearest creatures.

I began a fighting retreat, the spears striking the creatures that tried to get near me, the monsters were being thrown around like ragdolls, with me swinging my spear left and right, batting the creatures away like they were mere bowling pins.

CRASH!*

Suddenly the ceiling started to give out, the rubble and debris raining down and crushing the monsters underneath. One of the larger chunks of concrete then hit me, knocking me off balance and sending me flying straight through the door of the security office and just in time too because…

Ding!*

Just in time as the elevator doors opened and a large chunk of rubble crashed down where I was standing, I managed to pull myself to my feet and ran towards the elevator. The battered super-mercenary was still slumped against the wall but not for long before I grabbed the man and threw him over my shoulder and into the elevator just as the dust and debris started falling.

I then rushed into the elevator just as the door started closing, and the last thing I saw before the door shut was a large tentacle reaching toward me from the dust cloud just before the door closed which caused the large tentacle to be cut cleanly off from its owners.

Ding!*

“Holy shit…” I panted, letting out a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding as I slumped against the wall, the merc unconscious in my arms, the adrenaline from the fight slowly draining away, and the exhaustion from the battles starting to catch up with me. “Uhh… please don't tell me that this is going to be a recurring theme, Quintero, you know… nearly dying, and just barely escaping death by a hair's breadth and all that jazz. It's like a cliché plot device from some action film or novel at this point and quite frankly, I am beginning to get tired of it."

The Australian AI simply laughed. “Hah! Do you want to tempt fate, Mate? Because I could swear that something is bound to go wrong when you say things like that. Then again, who knows, maybe you have the luck of the Irish."

I simply rolled my eyes. “Well… my grandfather was an Irishman so... maybe but I hope not."

The elevator ride was smooth and quiet, the only sound was the hum of the motor and the whirring of the machinery. I looked at the unconscious mercenary in my arms, his face was pale and gaunt, his breathing was shallow, and his skin was cold and clammy.

“Can you do a medical Scan on Slade for me, Quintero?"

The Australian AI complied, the scanner on my wrist glowing as the AI scanned the merc's vitals, the scan was quick and efficient and the results were not what I wanted to hear.

“Unknown foreign matter in his bloodstream is somehow inhibiting his natural healing factor, his immune system is compromised, his temperature is elevated, and many signs of organ failure. Whatever that thing did to him has affected him greatly, Mate, I can't tell how long he has but… probably not long…"

…

…

…

“FUCK!” I cursed under my breath before I looked down and saw the blood and bruises that covered the merc's body. I had my hand raised and was about ready to strike at a nearby wall but I was thankfully able to hold myself back. I then looked at the watch and saw the Australian AI looking at me, his digital blue eyes seemingly sympathetic. "Dammit... If only there was a way I could help him."

“I estimated his chance of survival to be in the low teens percentages at best and even then, his recovery would not be a pleasant one. If I were you, Mate, I would give him a mercy kill, or maybe let him die with dig-”

“NO! Not again, I am not doing this shit again!" I cut him off. "I already killed a mentor figure once and I have no intention of doing that shit again, not after San-"

DING!*

“FREEZE!!! SUBJECT SKYFALL PUT YOUR HAND BEHIND YOUR BACK AND STEP AWAY FROM THE ELEVATOR!!!"

My head snapped up, my eyes instantly focusing on a platoon of COC soldiers standing outside the elevator and surrounding us, their weapons trained on us with many lasers pointed directly at me as their fingers hovering over the triggers, and I knew then and there that we were fucked.

The UNSC AI let out a nervous laugh, the holographic Australian avatar was rubbing the back of his head and looking at me with a sheepish expression. "I guess that's the cavalry, Mate."

“Boys…” I muttered, putting my hand behind my back, and slowly moving towards the back of the elevator, my hands raised in the air.

The COC soldier then rushed into the elevator, their rifles aimed at the two of us, and they quickly surrounded the super-mercenary, their weapons never leaving him or me. The soldier then proceeded to pat me down, searching me for any hidden weapons or devices, and I didn't resist, knowing that I would only get myself and the wounded merc killed.

“Alright ma'am he's clean, and the mercenary is alive, but his condition is critical." The soldier reported as the leader, another woman wearing a golden mask nodded before dragging… what looked like a giant sledgehammer across the floor, the weapon was almost as big as she was and it was clear that the thing was heavy.

"Good work, Sergeant, I will take it from here." The woman with the sledgehammer said menacingly with a slight British accent, her voice was cold and calculated before raising the giant hammer over her shoulder which suddenly crackled with green lighting energy and before I could react quickly enough, the last thing I saw before knocking out was the hammer coming down lighting fast upon my head…

CRACK!*

BOOM!*

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The USA.

The State of Virginia.

15,000 feet or 4,600 Meters from the ground.

20 miles out from Cadmus Alpha.

General POV.

High up in the cold atmosphere, a lone Lockheed MC-130P Combat Shadow was soaring through the night sky, its four turboprop engines were roaring and its dark camouflaged fuselage was gleaming in the moonlight, the aircraft was heading towards a secret scientific research base just outside the state capital of Washington DC.

Suddenly its cargo hold opened, allowing the cold night air to rush inside, but then a single lone occupant seemingly unbothered by the chili weather stepped out of the dimly lit interior of the military aircraft and looked out into the wide open sky and the stars above.

“ETA to the AO, 10 minutes, Jade," The pilot's monotone voice sounded over the radio in the earpiece.

“Copy that, Dex.” A feminine voice replied, and the lone female figure known as Jade was now looking down at the ground and the lights of the city below.

Jade was a young woman who appeared to be in her late 20s, and early 30s, her long black hair was flowing in the wind, and her sharp green eyes were shining brightly. She was dressed in a full-body suit made of some sort of green-scaled armor that hugged her figure and her curves, the scales were glimmering in the light of the moon, and the suit's design gave off a distinct medieval Asian and fantasy feel.

Her body was lithe and toned, and her figure was shapely and athletic, her breasts were well-rounded, her hips were wide and curvaceous, her tan skin was smooth, and her face was sharp and angular. Her features were distinctly Asian and European, and her face was adorned with a pair of bright red lipstick with a green bandana around her forehead.

“Are you ready for this Jade?” Another voice also feminine pipes up in the woman's earpiece.

“I will be Doc, don't worry, and besides, it's not like I'm not used to this kind of stuff, or at least not anymore." The woman replied with a chuckle. “You and Lady Shiva literally make sure of that, quite thoroughly."

"Still, just because you have been bloody up properly, doesn't mean that I'm not going to worry about you." The voice replied with a tone of concern. “But regardless, Remember, your objective is simple: infiltrate the facility, find and extract both Subject Kr or Galatea and Subject Skyfall or Captain Avery Gallahan and any friend with him. Then make your way to the extraction point on the rooftop and Dexter will hook all of you out. Double-check your gear and weapons, make sure to carry the bags of equipment and weapons with you, and finally, Don't Die."

The woman nodded as she looked at the small pack of supplies and gear attached to her belt. Before taking what looks like a duffle bag and slinging it over her shoulder with the parachute. The bag was bulging with what appeared to be a lot of heavy equipment. "Understood, Doctor Ianite. Now if you excuse me, I have a job to do."

“Good luck, Cheshire.”

With that, the woman put on a distinctive white and red mask that has a cat-like design and jumped, falling headfirst into the darkness and through the cloud, the only thing that could be heard was the rushing wind and the sound of the turboprop engine of the Combat Shadow as the plane flew away into the distance, leaving nothing but a trail of white smoke in its wake.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoy it. As always, please remember to leave a review and tell me what you think.