Chapter 627: Reptilian Strike


    "Betrayed! After all this hard work!" Connors huffed. Even though the application of the serum had increased his vitals by aa slight margin, he still found his breath shortening and his lungs aching. The damp environment didn''t help his sweat-soaked body as he continued to run through the narrow tunnels. Wilson''s auctions of surrender didn''t only bring ruin to the underground activities of gangs of the state but also brought many troubles to a few of his ''creative'' patrons.


    Garuk was dead with hisboratory seized by Strange to clear of all the filth the faceless man had dabbled into in the past years. Felicia Hardy, famously known as the ck Cat was on the run. Eddie Brock''s information was leaked but his presence was unknown while Curt Connors was being pursued by a team of specialized agents.


    "Dr. Connors is dangerous as much as the past failures of the project S.I.N," Phil stared Maria in the eyes as they continued to monitor the situation through their tactical van. "Let me call my team," He implored with a serious expression as Agent Hills heaved in frustration and took off her inte, "I cannot do that, and don''t ask me to break the rules again." Seeing that Phil was barely satisfied by being brushed off, she sighed before whispering, "The problem isn''t with the avengers initiative. I may have heard from a few... dubious sources that the confidence of the ''bosses'' is dwindling because of the members in your team. White Tiger and Luke Cage are both fine. But with the sudden resignation of the Captain and the remaining members being rather unknown can cause some distrust."


    "Distrust?" Phil continued to stare hard at Maria.


    "Fine," she huffed, "As usual, for proper funding, they want the most popr ''hero'' Iron Man to enter the initiative and... also Vanish. The situation is barely under the Director''s control due to the sessful capture of those superviins. We did gain a lot of information from them, both, corporate and gic."


    "Thank you," Phil nodded. He knew firsthand how stubborn Maria can be at times. It was times like this that Phil found himself blessed knowing that he had a part in mentoring Hill since she had a lot of information about the situation within the agency.


    "Anyway, there''s one good news. Hellicarrier is operative."


    "I already got my room," Hill smiled as Phil refrained from stating the fact that he had an entire cabin to himself. There was no point in aggravating his source of info regarding the funds of the initiative.


    "Why are they fixated on Vanish?" Phil inquired as Maria flinched before grunting, "Wakandan forces contacted the Shield for Vanish''s and Silk''s visit into their nation to express their gratitude in assisting their young ruler."


    "Damn... dibs on being the apanying ambassador," Phil grinned as Maria narrowed her eyes and scoffed. Still, she knew that Phil would be the only agent the Director would consider. After all, he now led the initiative and sessful at that.


    "There''s some noise," Coulson looked back at the leftmost screen in the van and tapped on it to erge it.


    "Team Square, prepare to engage," Maria spoke into herm as she focused on a shred of white clothing. As the team moved forward, more and more shreds of clothing could be seen as Maria furrowed her brows.


    "Team Square," Phil instantly spoke in, "engage level 3. Ready your arms. I repeat, prepare your arms!"


    "What are you doing?" Maria hissed while cutting off his channel as Phil gestured towards the screen, "The doctor outgrew his clothes and I''ve seen the Hulk''s clips many times to see anotherrge... entity."


    Looking back at the shreds of clothes, Maria''s frown grew deeper before she heard the team captain''s hushed order, "Keep sharp, I heard something."


    "Left!" One of the agents dressed in ck whispered as the entire troop readied their guns when a thick fleshy rope-like organ whipped down, aiming at the center-most agent and viciously coiling around his neck with a shuddering snap.


    "Positions!" Hollering, the captain raised his gun with his head tilting up and allowing the supporting force to finally view the reptilian monstrosity wing at the head belted with a camera, turning one of the screens in Maria''s van static as fearful shrieks of the others in the task force followed soon enough with more cameras turning static with thest one disconnecting not before a monstrous screech.


    "We confirmed that Connors escaped without any serum in hand," Phil mumbled with a somber expression as Maria nodded with a stern re towards the empty screens. "We made a mistake, that is obvious. We have a lizard monster loose within the sewerage system of the city. You should... gather your team. If you can, make Vanish evacuate the surrounding region"


    "Vanish is a hired help, remember?" Phil smiled sadly, "I''ll get the group ready."


    "And I will inform the local authorities. We need to clear the nearest point of attractions."


    "Why is that?" Phil turned to Maria as she took a deep breath, "You said it so, the problem is angry, destructive, and green. They always strike at the most cheerful locations."


    Unwilling to ponder on the situation further, Maria began her task while Phil began contacting his team.


    ---


    *Bzzt*


    "Hmmgh~!" Pressing her palms against the bed and stretching back akin a cat, Cindy slowly sat up. Her nose twitched by the overflowing scent as she heard hermunicator vibrate again. Crawling above Nik and Anna while still feeling slightly dizzy, Cindy picked hermunicator from the floor and received the call.


    "Cindy? Is this a good time to ask you to save the city from a giant lizard?" Coulson''s slightly hurried greeting set Cindy into a stammering reply, "Uh, hmm, yeah,ing. I''ll bring Nik."


    "He''s with you? Good, just ask him for now. Better yet, can you hand him themunicator?" Coulson inquired as Cindy looked back, finding two n.a.k.e.d bodies on her bed. Blushing at the sight of Nik and Anna hugging each other, Cindy coughed before poking Nik''s shoulder, "Hey, it''s Agent Coulson," she whispered while covering the mic of hermunicator as Nik opened his eyes and looked at Cindy before sighing and sitting up with a soft grunt,


    Taking themunicator from her hand, Nik adjusted his mind and checked in, "If it isn''t my agent. What''s the gig?" He inquired while snapping his fingers as an Anna shaped portal opened above her before it covered her, sending Anna in between her bed and sheets back in her apartment while Coulson replied with a sigh, "Heroes are not Divas."


    "Why not? We show up, we dazzle, and then we skedaddle. Anyway, I feel happy so I aming regardless of the situation. Of course, I won''t be staying if it''s too generous."


    "And here I thought you turned out to be a hero, after all," Coulson mumbled, "Near Daily Bugle. I am sending Cindy the location and why were both of your cell phones switched off?"


    "We''ll meet you there!" Nik chortled before cutting off the call.


    "Can you handle it?" Nik inquired as he tossed themunicator to Cindy before a white slime-like substance formed over him and then turning into casual clothes once again.


    "What?" Cindy eximed in surprise as she pulled her bedsheets to cover herself only to realize the condition of her room.


    "This ce is a mess!" Cindy mumbled sourly as Nik nodded, "It better be. Did you know how crazy we got?" Snickering, he stood up from the bed and pointed at her suit which was clearly in a need to be scrubbed clean. "It reached farther than that."


    Lowering her head as the earlier y erupted within her mind, she inquired pitifully, "What are we going to do? I can''t clear this all up without my parents knowing about us!"


    "Wouldn''t that be your problem?" Nik inquired while slowly cleaning up the bed, clearly enjoying the look on Cindy''s face as she pursed her lips with a sour expression, "If you want me to never talk to you again, then it''s ''our'' problem. Besides, Mum doesn''t like me getting into a rtionship much less... the thought of sharing."


    "I don''t know about that," Nik traced his chin as he picked up Cindy''s bra, "She likes me and Vanish a lot."


    "Gimme that!" Snatching the loose undergarment, she picked up hermunicator again, "I should ask Agent Coulson to prepare a spare outfit. He must have one, all things considered."


    "He probably won''t have the time for that and," as a soft, warm golden glow seeped out of Nik''s body, much to Cindy''s surprise, clearing all the scent and grim from the room and making her bedsheets fresh and dry once again, Nik pulled the damning clothing away from her body and pulled her n.a.k.e.d curves close, "we have a monster to catch. Well... you guys do. I''ll just be there for fun," pecking her lips, Nik walked past her and picked her Silk outfit.


    "There you go, all cleaned up."


    Dumbfounded, Cindy quickly caught the dress before looking at Nik for a full minute.