Thunderbolt Mountain - Colorado (Open to all)

[Penance]

It was time to rebuild, and in more ways than just one.

Robbie Baldwin, the man who now referred to himself only as Penance, stood on a road that had not seen traffic in a long time. Outside a mountain in Colorado that he himself had not seen since before the war.

Robbie had not fought in the war. He hadn’t joined the untouchables. How could he have claimed to have been serving his self imposed sentence, to be doing good, in a war where thousands if not millions of people were injured, killed or lost their families or livelihoods.
No. Robbie could never have gone to war with the others, so he had stayed at home, left when the T-Bolts were disbanded to focus on the war effort, and turned his home into a prison. He had continued to do his penance, inflicting the pain he so deserved to suffer, and keeping Colorado as crime free as his disorientating regime would allow.

Here though, the tortured and powerful hero was not alone. Under the overcast skies above, a group of small figures gathered in the growing dark, at the head of a small convoy.

The Government had come back here to reclaim Thunderbolt Mountain and to re-form the T-Bolts, to rebuild the trust and harmony of a nation torn by war and distrust. They had approached him to ask him to return to the new Thunderbolts. He had thought on the issue for days, before eventually accepting their offer. It was just like he told Doc Samson – He didn’t need to be here, but he had to be here, he had to do his penance. He would continue to do so until the day he died.

The next person he had heard from was a figure from the past, and a man he had only met briefly – Abner Jenkins. The hero, now calling himself MACH V, had also been approached by the US Government, and had agreed to come back to the new T-Bolts. He had called Robbie to talk business more than anything else, and that was probably for the best. He wasn’t here to make friends, though Abe did seem decent enough.

Apparently they were the only two who had successfully been contacted so far, but he had heard the military regulars talking as they were in transit, and he expected to be seeing at least one new face some time soon, and one of them had hinted at something else - Apparently, a CSA agent had been throwing the name ‘Venom’ around.

[Hunter Seeker]

Usually, Amjad Rafi was a clam, collected man, who was able to look at life through a wry if stern outlook.

Today, he was not this man.

He chafed at the collar around him, raging at it's presence. He had already tried to escape, managing to disarm one of his guards of their hold on him had had got out his pistol, which they had foolishly left on him, and then he had been knocked to the floor, writhing in pain from the electric shock that he had just received!

But that pain was nothing compared to the indignity of being forced to work directly for the government that had invaded and destroyed his superior country. No, it could never compare.

Amjad stared with hatred at the mountain as he drew up towards it. This was to be his prison until he could escape, a symbol of his entrapment by the American government. Soon, however, he spotted another figure, and recognized the amour and stance as that of the man who had took part in his capture. Penance.

That was one good thing, if you could call it that. Amjad had killed most of that blasted squad that had tried to capture him had been killed by his own gun and knife. But that blasted man wore amour without an opening, no conceivable place to shoot a bullet through. Any opening would do; those riot-shield style items that the squad had used, with openings for the eyes a centimeter wide, Amjad had shot through those with ease.

Amjad glared at the man called Penance with open hostility. "So, you are the noble government lackey who plans to deny me my freedom. I presume that you care not how long I will be in this damned prison, do you?" Amjad continued to glare, and snorted. "The American principles of Freedom and Democracy as they truly are. To imagine such a country killed mine."

Amjad stared with defiance at Penance, snarling. "I will happily help the people of this country, for they were no complicit in their government's crimes, but take orders from the government? Do not think it will be an easy task."

[Penance]

Robbie had been standing in quiet contemplation, gazing up at the dark mountain before him as SHIELD and CSA personnel moved past him, moving equipment, vehicles and soldiers into the T-Bolts old headquarters.
He wondered at how much longer he'd be here this time, and what else the Government expected of him and this latest incarnation of the T-Bolts. The iconic nature of thinking about the future, whilst staring up at the dark, implacable peak was entirely lost on him.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the loud accusations and taunts of the marksman they had brought in only days before.

Penance turned to look at the man as he spoke, facing him with the featureless steel mask and both hands clasped behind his back.
To some it might have seemed as if Robbie wasn't even listening to a word that Amjad Rafi - the 'Hunter Seeker' had been saying. In truth, Penance was listening to everything the man had said, and his silence only reflected his quiet contemplation of the man's words.

Amjad finished talking, and the demonic looking Penance turned away from him, to look back up at the mountain, seemingly ignoring the vigilante.

Eventually, Robbie spoke up.

"I'm no less of a prisoner than you are, even if it is for different reasons." Robbie said without turning to look at the man.

"It's probably best if you just do what your told. Bullseye almost got himself killed by trying to be clever."

[Hunter Seeker]

Amjad snorted. He had been throughly briefed on all possible Untouchables, and even though Penance had not joined he knew quite a bit about the man who had chosen to wear a suit full of spikes. "You, a prisoner?" he snorted. "You're a prisoner of your own mind, through your own will. I am the prisoner of your dog of a government."

Amjad glared at the man. No, he would not do as he was told. Amjad returned his attention to the mountain, unable to get the indignity of the situation out of his mind. However, Amjad had always detested not knowing about a situation he was in, so after a long silence he was forced to ask Penance about the Thunderbolts. His voice changed slightly, replacing part of his anger with the sound of a military man evaluating a target or situation.

"So, what's in this mountain?" Amjad looked up at the Thunderbolts base. "Unfortunately very well defended." Amjad glared at penance yet again, resenting the need to have to ask his captor these questions. "I need to know what my work will be and who I will be working with. I suppose you will throw me in with the worst scum of your supervillains?"

Amjad looked up at the mountain again. It appeared that due to his collar he would be here a long, long time, so he should learn about the place. Amjad sighed at his situation, and said, more to himself than Penance:

"I helped my squad kill Reed Richards, and now I am reduced to this. Allah is a cruel god indeed."

[Mach V]

"I suppose that I'm the one you should be asking these questions to." Abe walked up behind the small group, standing on the opposite side of Rafi from Penance.

It seemed that the CSA had elected to put him in charge of the team in the field, but didn't trust him with the position of director. Until a permanent director was appointed, there was some CSA paper pusher in the office up there.
Abe didn't want the responsibility of leading the team, field or not. Unfortunately, he realized that right now, whilst recruitment and preparations were still ongoing, he was the only real choice.

Abe turned to the two CSA handlers with Rafi. "In all honesty guys, you can take that collar off him. You and I both know that it doesn't do anything, it just demeans him. The nanobots are in his bloodstream and organs, and I'm sure he's not about to get rid of them to make a break for it."

The two handlers protested briefly, but Abe just waved away their arguments with the flick of one heavily armored hand. Eventually, the handlers removed the collar, and took two steps back, away from Rafi.

"In answer to your question," Abe turned to Rafi, "I'll tell you if you promise to behave - not that you have much of a choice anyway, now you've been nano-chained. Deal?"

[Hunter Seeker]

Amjad turned at the sound of a new person speaking. Match V, who had been the other superhero who captured him from that train.

He didn't bother to hide his surprise when he ordered the two handlers to take of his collar: the man was intelligent enough to know that Amjad would've found it odd. However, Amjad was not going to become friendly with this man anytime soon: he only did it to try and ensure Amjad's cooperation. Already he was trying to get Amjad to give a promise to obey.

However, Amjad had recovered a little of his usual mood thanks to the removal of the collar. He still internally strained at the invisible bonds inside himself- the hated nanobots- but there was no psychical bond, and that helped.

"I'm afraid that any promise of that kind would be a lie. Obeying orders on threat of torture means that I feel I am able to lie on this case, since you are merely a government lackey." Amjad said, with his normal dryness entering his speech. "So, yes, I do promise to behave."

Amjad paused, shaking his head. The anger remained in his voice, directed at the Thunderbolts as a whole. "You capture me and expect me to work with you, yes. Because it would be painful and useless to resist. But do not expect me to treat anybody on this team, seeing as it is made up of government lackeys or villains, with anything other than disdain and bluntness."

[Mach V]

Abe wondered just how exactly he was ever going to put up with this 'Hunter Seeker' character. As far as he could see Amjad Rafi was far from the only one here without much of a choice in the matter.

Abe himself had been forced to accept the offer from the CSA and SHIELD. He couldn't get work anywhere, not with a criminal past - despite his time served and his hero work. Down and out, without a job or any sense of purpose, Abe had no choice but to join the T-Bolts once more. Hopefully he could even do some good while he was here.

Robbie. . . Well, Penance. The kid was suffering, and felt the only way he could repay his debt to society (A debt Abe doubted he should even feel that he owed at all) was to put himself at the mercy of the Government, and therefore at the mercy of the people. This was how they used him and his power, and it was not Robbie's fault.

Amjad even managed to rave about being better than the worst villainous scum that this team had to offer. Heck, he hadn't even met Venom yet!

"At least he's honest." Abe turned to Robbie, smiling invisibly behind his suit's faceplate.

Abe turned back to Rafi and folded his heavily armored arms across his chest. "So, the answer to your question is simple. In that mountain is a lot of government firepower and technology, your room - or cell, treat it as you like - and a maximum security holding facility for meta-human prisoners. You'll be working with all kinds of meta-humans from all backgrounds, and you can expect to find yourself on the opposite side of the fence from the untouchables."

[Mac Gargan]

Slipping from the shade of a nearby tree with frankly an unseemly degree of menace for a man wearing ill-fitting clothes and a baseball cap pulled low, his pale unshaven jaw the only part of his face visible.

“He’s not kidding terrorist,” Mac grinned, his ‘handlers’ were giving him a degree of freedom today under the pretence of scouting the area around the mountain. Though in truth he supposed they were just sick of him licking his lips when he looked at them. Not that it mattered, their little metal bugs had him as good as neutered. “The shock doesn’t result in what could be called a good time. Well except maybe for Robbie here, but I’m not one to begrudge another man their little pleasures. Who said I was a villain anyway? I merely have a unique medical condition.”

Mac’s grin spread a little wider as he pulled up the collar of his jacket, the sun was shining but he still felt cold. He always felt cold now unless they bonded, unless he became one with the Symbiote and they became Venom. But now he just felt cold, not that he was going to let them know that. His dear ‘team-mates’ half of them voluntary stooges rather than conscripts. Madmen; still with their help he could let Venom out from inside of him and once more feel the warm, wetness of blood rushing down his throat. Mac liked his lips involuntarily.

“Besides we all have our little vices.”

[Penance]

Robbie didn't turn to look. Too busy with his own thoughts and his studious contemplation of the mountain, he simply grunted in acknowledgment of Abe's little joke. He didn't find it funny in all honesty, but then again there was very little - if anything - that had caused him to laugh in the last few years of his life.

Mac Gargan didn't particularly bother Robbie. Even as Venom, he'd just found the creature more interesting than repulsive or terrifying. He saw from the way that their handlers and the CSA guardsmen looked at Mac, they were more than wary of the monster.

"You certainly do." Robbie said to Mac without turning. Penance simply clasped his hands behind his back, wincing slightly as the spikes in his gloves dug into his flesh, before his eyes widened as the clarity and release of the pain washed over him.

It wasn't just the self punishment that had landed Robbie back in the Thunderbolts a second time. No. He knew that he needed to be here to look after people like Mac, to keep them from hurting themselves or others. Mostly though, he knew he was dangerous.
Penance didn't deserve to be free, out in public. He had snapped before and followed his visions, sunk a navy battleship, almost destroyed the team and taken on Norman. . . Yes. Penance was better off in a cell in the mountain.

[Hunter Seeker]

Amjad was torn between interest at his objective in fighting the untouchables and disgust at Vemon. Eventually, the former won.

Amjad turned around to look at Mach V and Penance, turning his back on Venom. Pulling out his father's revolver from inside his coat, he began playing with it, spinning and flipping it from hand to hand.

"This revolver belonged to my father, who used it to protect my glorious country." Amjad caught it in his right hand, gave it another spin and in one smooth movement put it back inside it's holster. "He would've been pleased to know that I would be using it against the so-called 'Untouchables' yet again. However, I must say it highlights your government's duplicity again. Reeds Richards was a intelligent man who merely used his qualities for the wrong side: it does not surprise me that your government would fight such as him out of fear, despite the fact that they helped them win the war. But I will help you: My country needs revenge." Amjad smiled with a grim joy.

"Just do not ask me to harm innocents who have had nothing to do with the war. Although I would no put that past your government, considering you have employed this beast." Indicating Vemon, Amjad gave a small snarl. "He would happily harm innocents, merely out of hunger and lust with the thing that gives him his powers. Whatever excuses he gives for his deeds, I will not listen to them."

Amjad glared at Vemon, and then turned his attention to the mountain. It towered over all man-made structures he'd seen: Amjad thought of all the rooms in the base that would be stocked with weapons, uniforms and gadgets to help him get his revenge. "So, what's in this place?" Apart from the cells." A thought struck Amjad. Turning to Penance and Mach V, he said "I suppose you have more comfortable rooms, do you not?"

[Penance]

Robbie actually turned to face Rafi at his last statement. The cold, featureless face of his helmet regarded the man, fixing him with as harsh a stare as he could.

"Your arrogance and your accusations just demean you. You think you know me, don't you? You want everyone to know how wonderfully cunning and well informed you are eh? Well do yourself a favor and shut the hell up." Robbie's tone was cold and almost emotionless. There was anger in his voice, but at who or what most people probably wouldn't be able to guess.

He was already starting to get irritated, and as he finished talking, a blue aura began to form around him. Eventually the crackling, blue glow had completely surrounded him, and had begun to appear solid somehow.
Slowly, Penance began to rise off the ground, into the air, and started floating towards the massive domed entrance to the underground complex that was the Thunderbolt Mountain.

[Hunter Seeker]

Amjad had gained a dark joy from Penance's reaction: by forcing away, if only verbally and through the own person's reaction, one of his captors had lessened the feeling of invisible chains around his arms and legs. Amjad's anger slowly abated, and this along with Penance's reaction driving the thoughts of his country from his mind had left Amjad feeling like usual.

The thoughts that went through Amjad's mind were not quite like these: they more represented Amjad's obnoxious behavior as defending his country, but Amjad still felt like a weight of some sort had been lifted. Amjad's usual partly stern, partly wry smile returned to his scarred stump of a face, on which it sat oddly.

"I would've asked for a lift, but considering his reaction he would've dropped me halfway there." Amjad smiled dryly, looking at the now distant glow of Penance. He turned to Mach V, and gave a sardonic bow. "I suppose I should thank you for removing my collar, and that I will do, but this mere courtesy does not mean I will enjoy this enforced duty." Amjad turned to look at where Penance had been. "I will apologize, if only to ensure that he is not rather lax when it's his turn to watch my back. I was not wrong: I will not ever forgive your government, so do not try to make me."

Amjad turned to Vemon with disgust. He wanted to some way hurt or annoy that thing. Amjad thought for a moment and then smiled. A mocking edge came into his voice. "It is going to be interesting in working with a man who takes pride in being a beast. A most interesting study."

[Mach V]

This Hunter Seeker, this Amjad Rafi - he was going to be a real pain if he kept trying to manipulate people like this. Getting on the wrong side of either Penance or Venom was ill advised to say the least, and this nutter just could not stop.

Abner Jenkins had been through a lot of things in his time, from crime and murder, to reform and prison, to vigilante hero work to registration and this. It had all been pretty hard to deal with at the time, and he had some degree of sympathy and empathy for the marksman, but wasn't going to stick around when the proverbial shit hit the equally as proverbial fan.

"You might as well just accept your situation and get on with it Rafi." Mach sighed, his voice metalized and distorted by his exterior vox-unit.

Abe turned around to face Mac Gargan as he walked over, even as Robbie headed away, into the mountain.

"Actually, I think it'll be nice being around somebody else who hates Spider-Man. I'm sick of people singing his praises, honestly. Me and Mac might even have a chance to reminisce." Abe smiled invisibly behind the suit's faceplate.

He really did hate that self righteous web-head.

[Hunter Seeker]

Amjad listened to what Mach V said: he said it for Amjad's benefit, or at far more likely to try and get this team to actually work, but for Amjad to accept this imprisonment? Never.

Amjad reached into his coat to touch the comforting presence of his father's revolver. How could he make the man understand? Amjad stared at Mach V, his eyes looking at an internal vision and not enjoying what they were seeing.

"My country is dead." He said in a voice as mild as he could manage. "My family and friends dying. My teammates, dead. My country is poisoned throughout by radioactive waste. I could not bear to see all this, so I left like a coward. Do not ask me to accept working for the government who did that!"

Amjad breathed deeply, trying to calm himself. It would not do any good for him to get worked up: if an opportunity for escape ever came along, he would have to have a clear head and quick reflexes. Perhaps it really was best that he did not actively try to anger his captors.

At this thought the feeling of invisible bonds began to return, but he expelled it.

"Yes," He said, nodding, and quite unaware of any hypocrisy "Any such as spider-man who have fought in a war have lost their right to a black-and-white moral code."

Perhaps it would be best if he found out about his captors. Mach V seemed both the most stable and the most moral, though on this team that did not seem to be saying anything. "Could I ask what history you and spider-man have for you to say such a statement?"

[Mach V]

Well now, this was a slightly surprising turn of events. Abe had thought that Rafi had prided himself on his extensive research and vast knowledge of the heroes and villains of the continental United States. Somehow though, he had missed out the part where Abe was a convicted criminal and a murderer.

It had all been starting to get so tiring. Trying to live a life you weren't meant for, pretending you didn't have a less than glorious past - it was almost impossible.
Nobody would employ the ex-supervillain, 'The Beetle'. Not even a corner hot dog cart, and that was way beneath his genius and talent.
People pretended to treat you the same as any other hero, they pretended they respected your service during the war, but when the Government doesn't trust you to do anything but hurt people, they're the only ones you'll ever end up working for.

Abe supposed he was more of a prisoner here than he realized. He also wondered at what little additions the CSA might have made to his suit whilst they were inspecting it.

"I was the supervillain 'The Beetle'. I fought Parker a lot in those days, and he always seemed to come out a few steps ahead." Abe's tone hardened as he carried on. "I changed though, and he didn't. He can't let it go, he's far too amazingly spideriffic - or whatever it it that he says."

Mach V turned to Gargan and smiled, "You know he's a vigilante and a wanted fugitive as far as the CSA are concerned." There was menace in his voice, that hinted at a desire to do more than just his new 'job'.