The Storm Gathers

All in all, Ludwig Rinehart could not have found better accomodations in the City even if he had tried.



He'd first come upon this place while briefly employed by a lunatic styling herself as Nemesis, the Greek goddess of vengenace.  He'd known there were abandoned underground railways and stations beneath the City, but her abode had truly impressed him.  As had her offer-- help her kill a few enhanceds calling themselves the Roughnecks for a huge pile of cash, half of which was paid up front.



The fight in the warehouse had not gone off as planned, however.  The Greek harlot had not accounted for her enemies' coming out in force.  It had resulted in him taking a massive beating and spending an unfortunate amount of time in the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D.  At some point during his imprisonment, an unkown group had assaulted the location where he was being held, ostensibly to free his fellow captive, Raven Darkholme.  In the chaos, he had escaped.



In dire need of funds, he'd headed back to the City.  He'd wanted the rest of his payment so he could get up and running again.  Crafting new identities and preparing for new heists was an expensive process.  He'd needed the remainder of what was owed to him by Nemesis. 



The lair's entrance had been carefully concealed and secured, a minor inconvenience for someone of his abilities to overcome.  It did, however, confirm his suspicions.  The 'goddess' had hastily fled, abandoning the place entirely.  Pathetic.



But it meant she'd left the location completely untouched.  There was enough of value there to get him going again, and so he began to rebuild.



The place had been spartan, and not suitable to a man of his tastes or capabilities.  Of course, he needed a working lab. But he also needed more.  Building things by hand had always helped focus his mind, and while he'd worked on his new headquarters, several schemes had taken shape.



He would, of course, return to illicitly procuring technological and military designs he could sell off to the highest bidder (after he had gleaned whatever useful information they contained, naturally).  He would also ensure his place in the inner circle of the Hellfire Club. 



Most of all, though, he would take his revenge against the unworthy curs who had beaten him down.



His plans had already been put into motion.  Soon he would unleash his greatest weapon against them.



*****





Mary slipped quietly into the heated waters of the steaming, in-ground pool.  The seeping heat helped release the tension left over from the night's amusements.



All told, it had been quite an evening.



Dr. Rinehart's plan had worked well enough.  The hulking bricks had done their job.  It required very little persuasion on her part to get them to brawl with the Doctor's enemies. The 'Roughnecks' needed little encouragement of their own once they came pouring out of their old townhouse.



They were all malleable simpletons.  Violence was in their nature.  It was their nature.



Creel and Garthwaite seemd particularly unworthy of their gifts, though.  The source of their power was a place the Doctor had called 'Asgard.'  That was of no interest to her at first, until the Doctor had made the connection between Asgard and that dreamy hunk, Thor.  Her interest quickly ebbed again once he had explained she would not be meeting the thunder god.



She wondered if she could go to Asgard, wherever that was, if she so chose.  She thought she could.  She had come to realize there were a great many things she was capable of.  Every day, she learned something new about herself.  With Dr. Rinehart's help.



First, he had taught her how to shape illusions, much as he did himself.  From that starting point he had pushed her further, to places that he could not himself follow.  She could move objects with only a thought.  She could convince people to do what she wanted.  She could make invisible, impenetrable barriers by the force of her will alone.



And yet...   she was Mary.  That is what he called her, and it felt right.  "Mary," she heard him call from the gallery.  "Mary!  Prepare yourself.  Our visitors have begun to arrive."



Slipping under the water one last time, she finished her little cleansing ritual and emerged from the pool.  She quickly donned her false garb, including the mask that hid her identity.



The Docotor had need of her again, and she would not disappoint.



*****





"Twice I have tasked you with defeating the Roughnecks," Rinehart shrieked, nearly falling out of Nemesis' abandoned throne, "and twice you have failed!"



Ludwig Rinehart quickly regained his composure, and leaned back in the ornate chair.  Mary stood silently behind him, her piercing glare never leaving the visitors arrayed before her.



"At least your feeble distraction allowed me to obtain the device I required."



"I don't need this Bullshit, Rinehart,"  the man known on the street as Bullseye growled back in response.  "You got a job for me, or not?"



"A job?" he replied sneeringly, gesturing at the others in the room. "Your job tonight is to serve as an example to these others- your replacements."



Bullseye laughed, honestly amused by Rinehart's blustering.



"Hoo boy, okay then.  I'm outta here.  Fisk has gotta have something for me to do," he turned to leave, and then stopped.  Turning back to the throne, he nodded at Mary.



"What's with the mask, Rinehart?" he asked.  "The real Mary didn't wear no mask.  She didn't need to hide behind no frickin' mask, she didn't- URKH!"



Bullseye clutched his throat as it began to collapse in his hands.  Chuckling with delight, Rinehart answered him.



"It's none of your concern, really.  You ask too many questions, Mr. Lester.  What is worse than your many failures is that now I have grown weary of your presence entirely.  I am tempted to end this matter permanently!"



Rhinehart looked around at the others that he had invited to this little meeting. "Mary?" he said, looking back at his protege. "You may release him.  Make sure he goes on his way."



"Be on your way," she said softly at Bullseye, reaching out and letting go of the telekinetic grip she had on his windpipe.



"I'll be on my way," he said simply, leaving them directly wthout further incident.



Amid grim laughter, Dr. Ludwig Rinehart stepped down from his thrown to join the others who had assembled.



"You will be well payed if you achieve what I ask, my old friends," he sadi as he walked among them, greeting each individually. "The sales proceeds from the sale of the Stark technology has already been wired from Switzerland."



"Will you not be joining us, Ludwig?" One of his guests asked him.



"No, Otto," he said.  "I will not...  I have other matters to attend to, although I am sorely tempted."



"However, I am sending Mary in my place.  I think you have seen that she will be a more than adequate replacement."



"Excellent,"  Otto Octavious replied. "The 'Sinister Five' simply doesn't have the same ring to it."



After sharing more grim laughter, they villains set out on their task.

(published 12/07/2015)