35 Long time No See (2/2)

”Alright,” Naruto said, clapping his hands together, ”Jessica and I will head out. Illyana, if you could keep me in the loop, that'd be super fucking fantastic.”

”You're really not looking forward to this, are you?” Illyana asked the blonde cheerfully, ”I'll think we'll start with Mr. Lucas.”

Naruto nodded. Putting his hand out, the blonde gave a suggestive look, ”Hands in, boys and girls.”

Everyone circled around the man, their hands overlapping each other's. Illyana looked to the leader of their group, a small smile on her face as she asked, ”Watchmen on three?”

”On three,” Naruto confirmed. Looking down to their hands, he began to chant, ”One, two, three-”

”Watchmen!”

The five threw their hands up. An awkward pause filled the space between them, the members of Infinity Watch sitting in the aftermath of their huddle's break. Eventually, Owen muttered, ”Alright, I'll say it. That was weird.”

Everyone nodded and muttered their agreements. Naruto robbing the back of his neck as he asked, ”Never do that again?”

Infinity Watch gave firm nods.

-x-

Date: September 7, 2015

Location: San Francisco, California

-x-

Vance sighed as he finished off his cup of coffee, sliding the empty container into the cupholder at his side. Sitting in his car, parked next to a coffee shop within a heavily populated downtown area of the Golden Gate City, Vance Astrovik waited patiently for his client to arrive.

Looking at the clock on his dashboard, he sighed knowing she was likely caught within the sidewalk's traffic. Hoping to pass the time, he peered into his side rearview mirror so he could people watch. He smiled as he caught a man picking at his nose, rooting around for a mysterious treasure. He laughed when a rather attractive woman noticed as well. The nasal explorer, realizing he'd been caught, avoided eye contact as the woman scrunched her nose up in disgust and passed him by.

A knock on his passenger side window caused Vance to jump, startled by the sudden disturbance. Leaning over, Vance peered up out of the window to get a look at who'd knocked on the door. The person was wearing a heavy tan trench coat, which was odd considering it was seventy-five degrees outside.

Due to their impressive height, Vance was unable to see their face, forcing him to speak to their midriff, ”Are you Jennifer Walters?” He asked.

”Yes,” The woman answered, ”Are you Vance, from Five Emerald Limousine?”

”Vance Astrovick, at your service,” Vance said professionally, ”I'll be your driver this evening, with an SUV as requested.”

Jennifer, with the knowledge that this was her driver, opened the rear passenger door. Ducking into the car, Vance was forced to brace himself as the vehicle tilted into Jennifer's step. As she took her seat and fastened her seatbelt, Vance peaked at his rearview mirror.

He stifled a laugh, ”A little late for Comic-Con, aren't we?”

Jennifer's face was partially covered by a low hanging baseball cap. However, the green pigment of her skin could still be clearly made out. Forcing a smile, Jennifer said, ”Can't a girl dress up like the Hulk for the hell of it?”

”Hulk girl, huh?” Vance asked, shifting the car into drive, ”Yeah, I'm more of a Maelstrom guy myself.”

Jennifer's jaw clenched at the name, ”I know I was late, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. If we could get to the bank, that'd be great.”

”Right, apologies,” The chauffer muttered, pulling the car into the street as he said, ”Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, here we come.”

-x-

After a short drive across San Francisco, the car found itself parked across the street from the Federal Reserve Bank. Vance drummed his fingers along the steering wheel, eyeing Jennifer through the rearview mirror.

Eventually, he said, ”So…what brings you to San Francisco, ma'am?”

Jennifer, not taking her eyes of the bank, asked, ”What makes you think I'm not from here?”

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”Not a lot of people who live here ask for a private driver,” Vance answered.

”Business,” She eventually answered, ”I'm here on business.”

Vance nodded, ”Oh, yeah? What kind of business, if you don't mind me asking?”

”Personal business.”

Taking the hint, Vance turned back, peering out the driver's side window as he waited for whenever Jennifer decided to leave. But the silence eventually grew too much. Looking back at her, he asked, ”Mind if I turn the radio on?”

She sighed, not taking her eyes off the bank, ”Sure,” Jennifer relented.

Shaking his head, Vance turned on the radio, dialing over to one of his go-to stations. As the station came on, the DJ's voice came through mid-sentence, ”-uto Uzumaki's statement at the Avenger's Headquarters in New York City remains a controversial subject, weeks later. We've asked callers to give us our thoughts. First up is Douglas, from Clayton. How's it going, Douglas?”

Another man's voice, over the phone, came on, ”Things are good, Doogie, thanks.”

”So, what're your thoughts on Naruto Uzumaki being given amnesty from the Seoul Accords? Do you think that's fair to the hundreds of others who are now being forced to sign and give up their anonymity?” Doogie asked the caller.

The caller scoffed into his phone, ”Of course it is, Doogie. It's ridiculous. How can they let someone who isn't even from this planet wander around, yet people actually from Earth are being forced to sign these accords? If you ask me, if one is exempt, all should be. And speaking of that, where's the due process? Where's-”

Doogie, chuckling, cut Douglas off, ”You seem to be getting off topic, Douglas. Let's keep things with Naruto Uzumaki and his exemption from the Seoul Accords.”

”Right, sorry,” Douglas apologized, ”Look, I respect the guy. I do. All the work he put into helping the relief effort was inspiring. Hell, he killed Ultron for God's sake. But even he shouldn't be exempt just because he isn't from here. He migrated here. He fights his battles here. He causes damage, same as the Avengers. He should be considered liable. Him, Thor, even Captain America.”

”Thanks for the opinion, Douglas,” Doogie tells the man, ”Let's get to the next caller. Victoria, you there?”

A new voice answered, ”Yeah, Doogie, I'm here.”

”What's your opinion on the Maelstrom and the Seoul Accords?” Doogie asked the caller, ”For or against?”

”I'm siding with the Maelstrom, Doogie. The man is a hero,” Victoria answered firmly, ”If a good Samaritan goes into a burning building to save someone trapped inside, and he busts down the door trapping that someone, should the Samaritan be held liable for that door? For the building? Or should we be grateful for what he did? I prefer the former. What's the point of paying taxes towards Damage Control? Wasn't that division created to take care of any damage caused by these events?”

”But what about the human casualties, Victoria?” Doogie asks, ”Thousands have died on account of the Avengers' lack of supervision. Naruto himself has killed several hundred people. Where's the due process? Shouldn't we have some kind of control on someone willing to step over the criminal justice system-”

”Could you change the station?” Jennifer demanded.

The driver does as she says, changing it to another station that was playing 1980's pop. Vance glanced back at her, ”Not a fan of the Maelstrom?”

”Not particularly, no,” She answered bitterly.

Vance turned to look at her, ”The man saved my cousin' life. He was bleeding out, got caught by an Ultron drone's explosion. Naruto Uzumaki just appeared, hundreds of 'em. He healed my cousin, somehow. Put his hand on him, and a few seconds later he wasn't bleeding out anymore. That man saved hundreds of people's lives on 5/22. Probably more. He's a good man.”

Jennifer tilts her hat up so she can look him in the eye, ”Good people aren't perfect. I've experienced that firsthand.” Her eyes catch something pulling out of the bank's side entrance, ”See that armored truck?”

Vance followed her line of sight. Spotting the armored bank vehicle, the man said, ”Yeah, I see it.”

”Follow it,” Jennifer told him firmly.

”What-”

”Follow it!” Jennifer ordered again, ”Come on, before you lose sight of it.”

”Alright, alright,” Vance relented, pulling out after the armored truck. Quickly catching up, Vance begins following the truck through traffic. Eventually, the truck merged onto the freeway, Vance on its tail.

Vance, keeping his eyes on the truck, asked, ”Why are we following this bank trunk, exactly?”

”Keep two cars apart,” Jennifer told him, looking out the back of the car. A white Ford Transit came into sight, ”I have a vested interest in who else is following the truck.”

”Who else…wait what?” Vance questioned, panic seeping into his voice, ”Are you saying someone's following us right now?”

Jennifer shook her head, watching as the large van passes them and the bank truck, ”Not anymore. Get into another lane, now.”

Vance did as she said, getting into the lane to the right, watching as the van passed the truck.

As the van pulled out in front of the armored vehicle, the rear door swings open, revealing four people standing in cargo space. A man dressed in an all-black tactical suit with a black dome over his head steps in front of the group. Pulling out a tan rod that was about three feet long. Grasping it like a javelin, the man threw the rod towards the road directly in front of the bank trunk.

As the rod connects with the road, the tip is triggered, causing a seismic blast that splits the road open, a slab of concrete shooting up. The truck rammed straight into the slab, forcing it to come to a violent stop. The van screeched to a stop with it, the four people jumping out of the cargo hold.

Next to the man with the cue sticks, a woman dressed in a black and purple tactical suit resembling a beetle pulled out a device that she straps to her arm. A buzz saw made of purple energy emits from the gauntlet.

As Vance and Jennifer pass them, the woman said, ”Stop the car.”

”You can't be serious-”

”Stop the fucking car!”

Vance, startled by the woman's harsh outburst, slammed his foot on the brake. The car has barely come to a complete stop when Jennifer jumped out.

A man dressed in a blue and red masked leotard rushed out of the van, running at an extraordinary speed towards the truck. Reaching the driver's door, he pressed his hand up against the door's window. His hand began to vibrate against the windowpane, causing it to shatter.

He gave a quick wave, ”Sup?”

”Speed Demon, stop messing around,” A man shouted as he jumped out of the van. His suit resembled a modern knight, with a white and blue light-armored padding and a blue helmet with a white visor. He pulled out what looked like a pair of bladed boomerangs from their sheaths at his lower back.

”Sorry, Boomerang,” Speed Demon said before doing as he's told, quickly punching the panicking driver in the face, knocking him out. Opening the door, he pulled the driver out of the truck.

Boomerang looked to the other two, ”Eight-Ball, Beetle, there should be another guard in the cargo hold. Deal with him.”

The two nod, Eight-Ball, the man with the black dome covering his head, said, ”I've got the guard.”

Beetle, after approaching the door, shoved her buzz saw gauntlet into the door's hinges. As she cut through the thick metal, Eight-Ball prepared to attack the awaiting guard inside.

Inside the van, the driver spots someone approaching from the front of the van. The driver is dressed in an all-brown leather suit, the only part of the suit not made of leather being the black and red goggles over his eyes.

Rolling down his window, he leaned his head outside, ”Uh, Boomerang, we got incoming,” He warned.

Boomerang looked behind him, immediately seeing Jennifer as the woman pulls off her overcoat and ballcap. Sporting a grey, cotton tracksuit underneath, the woman looked the man over.

”So, you're the B-Team?” She asked.

”I guess,” Boomerang said with a shrug, twirling the weapons in his hands, ”Who're you supposed to be? Hulk-Girl?”

”Kind of,” Jennifer admitted with a shrug of her own, ”That's actually why I'm here. I need to see him. Your leader.”

Boomerang shook his head, sliding into a fighting stance, ”That's not going to happen.”

”Yeah, it is.” Said Jennifer confidently.

With nothing left to say, Boomerang threw one of the boomerangs straight for Jennifer's neck. Jennifer ducked underneath before charging forward. She'd barely taken her second step when the boomerang comes back, connecting with her back.

The sound of fabric ripping reached Boomerang's ears, though he's surprised to see the woman barely acknowledge the blow, continuing to charge forward. He raised his arm up barely in time to intercept the backhand she delivers.

Boomerang goes flying into the armored truck's grill, denting the metal plating with his body.

Jennifer checked the large tare along the back of her jacket, causing her to groan. Glaring at the recovering knight, Jennifer growled, ”Do you know how expensive these tracksuits are?”

Stumbling to his feet, Boomerang panted, ”Speed, a little help.”

Speed Demon zooms by, rushing into Jennifer's guard. With a flurry of jabs, the speedster delivered several dozen blows all around Jennifer's body. But the woman looked unperturbed. Realizing he wasn't doing much of anything, Speed Demon retreated.

Standing beside Boomerang, the speedster asked, ”Any ideas?”

”We just need to hold her off. Once Beetle and Eight-Ball get what we need, you get the money and then we're out of here.” Boomerang muttered, cradling his chest.

Beetle, having cut through the hinges, stepped back to let the door fall. As it did, Eight-Ball threw the rod inside, the weapon skewering the guard through the chest. Peering inside, Eight-Ball laughed at what he saw.

”Speed, you're up!” Eight-Ball yelled.

Speed Demon, now at Eight-Ball's side, said, ”I'm tagging you both in.”

The two tilted their heads in confusion, only for the unasked questions to be answered when Boomerang is sent flying over the truck, landing on the hood of a minivan two cars away.

Jennifer, her tracksuit now littered with scrapes curtesy of Boomerang's weapon of choice, lumbered after the man she'd just tossed aside. As she passed the armored truck, a tan and brown rod connects with her temple. A seismic blast came from the tip upon contact, sending Jennifer flying into the car next to her, the woman bouncing off of it and into the freeway's guardrail.

Groaning, Jennifer picked herself up. As she shook the grogginess off, she notices something above her. Beetle, a pair of cybernetic wings giving her lift, flew overhead. Pointing her gauntlet towards Jennifer, Beetle opens fire. A purple blast of energy zinged just over Jennifer's head, crashing into the guardrail. Concrete and steal go flying, with Jennifer rolling away from the blast.

As she finished the roll, a black sphere the size of a billiards ball rolled underneath her. Coming to a stop, the ball revealed a white sphere with an eight plastered onto the face. Suddenly, the white began to blink a bright red.

BOOM!

Jennifer is thrown back by the explosion, flying into yet another car.

Debris pelted the freeway as smoke billows upwards. People scream and flee the scene, panic filling the air as Speed Demon rushes back and forth from the van and the armored truck, dropping off duffle bags into the van's cargo hold.

Overdrive peaked his head back out the window, addressing Speed Demon, ”We good?”

”Nope.”

Overdrive jumped, startled to find someone standing on the hood of the van.

Naruto, his arms folded, smiles down at Overdrive, ”You're not good at all. I think you pissed her off.”

The car that Jennifer was thrown into is flung over, revealing the woman in all her fury. The top half of her tracksuit is gone, leaving a ratty t-shirt that was littered with holes along the shoulders and lower abdomen. Her pants were torn to shreds, the bottoms practically nonexistent.

She glared at Eight-Ball, ”You're dead.” She growled.

Overdrive, having been startled by Naruto, instinctively slammed his foot on the gas pedal.

”Overdrive, don't!” Speed Demon screamed, a duffle bag still in hand.

Naruto, still standing on the hood, kneeled down to get a good look at the driver, ”Yeah, Overdrive. Don't.”

Pulling out the gun strapped to his side, Overdrive pointed it out his window towards the blonde. Before he can open fire, the gun suddenly crumples like a tin can in the driver's hand. Dropping it out of surprise, Overdrive looked back up at the blonde.

Naruto wagged his finger disapprovingly at the driver. Before Overdrive could react, the back end of the car crumpled up as well, the tires exploding as well as Naruto used Magnet Release to force the van to come to a sudden stop.

Losing control of the car, Overdrive can do nothing as he swerved into the side of a car. The airbags deploy, stunning him. Naruto jumped off the hood, watching as Jennifer caught a javelin thrown by Eight-Ball. Snapping it in her hand like a toothpick, she threw it aside.

Beetle, her gauntlet prepped to fire, is suddenly enveloped in a full nelson.

Jessica, grappling the other woman, sent out a discharge of bio-electric energy. Beetle immediately went limp, she and Jessica plummeting to the ground. Jessica lets go, landing on her feet as Beetle lands headfirst onto the roof of a nearby car. The woman lied motionless, her body limp against the roof of the car.

Eight-Ball, a javelin in hand, struck at Jennifer as she came in close. The woman swats it aside, grabbing Eight-Ball by his dome helmet. Adding an incredible amount of pressure, the helmet cracks and bends under her hand. The man threw several punches into her triceps, trying to get her to let him go. But the panicked attack failed, as Jennifer crushes the man's helmet in her hand.

Letting him go, she let the man stumble back blindly. Just when it seemed like he'd gotten his bearings, Jennifer spartan-kicked him in the chest. Eight-Ball went flying into the armored truck. He fell limp, his torso broken in by the woman's mighty kick.

Boomerang, having finally gotten to his feet, realized that his crew had either been taken down or, in Speed Demon's case, fled.

”That son of a bitch,” He grumbled, blood leaking passed his teeth. Spitting out a wad of blood and spit, he stood straight. Jennifer was glaring at him. Jessica was eying him evenly. Naruto was smiling at him.

The man knew he was fucked.

He raised his hands above his head, ”I surrender.”

Police sirens encroached, their lights flashing off in the distance.

Boomerang looks at Jennifer, ”You wanted to know about the Leader, right? I can-”

A ding noise suddenly emitted from the man's helmet. As it did, a man's voice could be heard from inside saying, ”Ah, ah, ah.”

And then, with a loud pop, Boomerang's helmet exploded. The blast was nonviolent, the corpse totally intact as it collapsed to the ground.

”What the fuck?” Jessica demanded, startled by the sudden execution.

Before Naruto or Jennifer could answer, similar noises emitted from the remaining crews' helmets, with loud pops coming not long after.

Naruto, looking around at the four headless corpses, rubs his chest in complete disbelief, ”Holy shit.” He breathed.

”Why the hell are you here?”

Naruto turned, looking Jennifer in the eye. Giving a soft smile, the blonde eventually says, ”Long time no see.”

-x-

Location: Austin, Texas

-x-

Speed Demon, clutching his side, wheezes as he leaned up against the side of a brick building. Slowly he lumbered into the alleyway to the left of the building. Having to use the wall as support, his walk was slow. His breathing was long and labored, trying with all his might to catch his breath following a several well over a thousand miles.

Reaching a thick metal door, Speed slammed his fist against it several times. A moment later, the eye slot slides open with a thick clang. A pair of eyes peer through, ”You're alone.” The eyes said.

”Yes,” Speed wheezed pathetically, ”We met some resistance…some Hulk lookin' chick. And…and Naruto Uzumaki. I had to ditch when our ride got taken out. I managed to bring some of the haul,” He raises the lone duffle bag up so the eyes can see, ”It's not much…but it's something.”

”Something,” The eyes say simply.

Speed Demon heard the door's several heavy locks unlatch, the door swinging open to reveal Emil Blonsky on the other side. The man was dressed rather simply, with a Hawaiian button up shirt and a black t-shirt underneath. He stows his handgun in the back of his pant's waistbelt.

Emil nodded his head to the side, ”Get in.”

Speed stepped in, Emil closing the door behind him. Speed is escorted through the building, the man known as the Abomination leading him into a large wareroom. The man immediately takes stock of who else is present.

Leaning up against a stack of crates is a person whose body was framed by the colors of orange, purple, blue, and green. He practically vibrated with barely contained energy. Their name was U-Foe, four men and women who were now one superpowered being.

Next to what looked like some kind of working station stood a lean young man with slicked back blonde hair. The man looked like the average Austinite, minus the gladius and scutum strapped to his side and back. He was Tyrannus, the Roman 'Sorcerer.'

And finally, his back to everyone, sat the leader himself. Sitting in front of several television screens, Samuel Sterns watched various news outlets reporting the botched robbery on the San Francisco freeway. The televisions are turned off, their screens black. Sterns turned in his chair, now facing Speed Demon.

The man barely looked human, his skin tone was a dark disgusting green and his skull engorged to a severely alarming degree. His fingers are interlocked, his jaw set.

”The others are dead, if you weren't aware,” He drawls.

Speed paused at that, ”What? Why?”

”Boomerang was about to let Ms. Walters and Mr. Uzumaki in on our whereabouts,” Samuel says dispassionately, ”It seemed prudent to nip that in the bud entirely. Sadly, it seemed likely the other members of your crew would be just as likely to talk as him. Which leads us to you, Speed Demon.”

”Me?” Speed questioned, his voice shaking, ”I came back! I brought you as much of the score as I could!” He threw the duffle bag at Samuel's feet.

Samuel doesn't even look at the bag, his eyes remain on Speed, ”That's a fraction of what I asked for. I wanted the entire contents of that truck. Not a single portion. Five percent out of a hundred is an embarrassing failure on your crews' part. And, considering you're all that's left, that means the fault lays solely with you. Correct?”

Speed Demon had nothing to say, only able to fidget as the entire room glared down on him.

”What do we do with him?” U-Foe asked, its four voices overlapping simultaneously.

”Isn't it obvious?” Emil questioned glibly. Looking towards the open doorway at the other end of the room, the man called out, ”Hey, soldier boy. We got someone for you.”

A figure steps out from the shadowed doorway. His heavy footsteps echoed through the wareroom; his gate slow as he reached the group.

Speed Demon's panic became apparent as the Winter Soldier reaches Samuel's side. His long hair is now reached just above his shoulders, the one-hundred-year-old Hydra sleeper agent dressed in a dark blue hooded jacket and black running pants.

The wareroom's florescent lighting glares off his prosthetic metal hand as it flexes apprehensively.

Frowning at Emil, his eyes sunken in from an apparent lack of sleep, Barnes murmurs, ”I'm not killing him.”

”Oh really?” Emil challenges, ”Has SHIELD's golden-boy assassin-extraordinaire gone soft on us? 'Cause if you have, well then I gotta ask why you're here too.”

”No one's killing anyone,” Samuel snapped, giving Emil a hard look, ”I'm the reason your out of that Alaskan cryo-sleep. Don't make me regret it.”

Emil put his hands up, relenting to the man's command. Speed Demon, relieved that he wasn't going to be killed, relaxed as he said, ”What's next then…boss?”

The leader sighed, his hands massaging his temples, ”Because of your blunder, I suppose we'll have to resort to a more drastic measure.”

”Sounds fun,” Tyrannus commented with a carefree smile, ”It's about time we all get to go out and play a little.”

”Don't get too excited,” Samuel chastised, ”Because of the Seoul Accords, anything too extravagant will bring the Avengers down on us faster than any of you could say pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.”

”I doubt anyone here could,” Emil drawled.

Tyrannus raised his hand, ”I could.”

Samuel waved his hand dismissively, ”That means what we'll do will have to be rather lowkey,” His eyes land on Barnes, a smile creeping up on his face, ”And I think I know just the thing.”

Barnes' hand clenched uncomfortably, his metal digits clinking against his palm.