Chicago, Illinois

A line was gathered outside of the famous Excalibur nightclub, a popular hotspot for the Chicago nightlife among residents of the city and the nearby suburbs. The time was approximately eleven p.m. when Carl Rivas and Greg Murray found themselves hurled from the front doors of the club to the sidewalk outside.

Rivas was the first to sit up and openly protest. “The hell’s the matter with you? We weren’t doin’ anything!”

“Right, sure you weren’t,” came the reply of the bouncer. He was tall, easily over six feet, with a body large enough to make even bodybuilders think twice about starting a fight with him. He wore a pair of jeans and a black shirt that read ‘SECURITY’ across the front. “Wherever you come from, I guess it’s okay to spark up a joint in the corner of a nightclub.”

“C’mon man, it was an accident,” said Murray.

“An accident?” asked the bouncer. “How do you accidentally roll a joint then smoke it in a club?”

The two young men looked at each other, then back to the bouncer. “I… I didn’t know it was a joint! I asked this guy at the bar if I could bum a cigarette and that’s what he gave me!”

“Way I see it, you boys have two choices. Either you go on home and never come back,” he cracked his knuckles, “or you take it up with the complaint department.”

Rivas and Murray quickly stood up from the pavement and ran down the sidewalk towards the nearest train station. The bouncer smiled at the effect he had on the two men, and turned to head back inside the club.

“Very impressive, Mr. Conroy.”

Eric Conroy stopped at the sound of his name and looked to see a man clad in a black trench coat and fedora hat leaning up against the building. He cast his eyes towards the bouncer, eyes which were pitch black with glowing red pupils. He was dark-skinned with a goatee.

“…it can’t be,” said Conroy. “We saw you die.”

“Call it a… vacation, Eric,” said Diego Casseas. “I spent some time away and now I’m back—fully refreshed and ready to start anew. I see you’ve gone back to the life of a bouncer.”

“It pays good and I get free drinks,” said Conroy.

“I have a job that pays better,” said Casseas. “And I’d like to invite you back to the fold.”

“What’s your game, Casseas?” asked Conroy.

“Money, my friend. Money and power. And I know just where we can get it, but I need the Folding Circle behind me.”

A skeptical look fell over Eric Conroy’s face as he contemplated the words of his former leader. He wasn’t sure if he should trust Casseas, especially after the last time he worked for the man.

“Tell me more,” he said.

FOR THE CHILDREN

Part IV: The Task At Hand

By Dino Pollard

The alarms at the Pens were triggered by Rage using his superhuman strength to tear the perimeter fence to shreds. Electricity from the fence coursed through his body, but the charge was barely enough to slow him down. Herders armed with automatic rifles emerged from the front gates of the Pens and opened fire on the New Warriors.

The Machine Teen’s telescopic limbs served him well, his fingers serving as mechanical tendrils that wrapped around weapons and tore them free from the guards. His legs coiled and propelled him into the air and he landed in the center of a group of herders. His arms lashed out in the immediate radius. He thought of his students at the mercy of these monsters and it increased his resolve to lash out at their captors.

Joystick moved nimbly through the ranks of the herders, utilizing her unparalleled agility to avoid the bullets. She landed on her feet and the gauntlets she wore generated an energy baton in each hand. Bullets flew in her direction, yet she was able to easily deflect them with the batons. She slammed them together and a charge of energy exploded from them, taking out two guards. She leapt into the air as one behind her opened fire and landed behind him, slamming the batons against the sides of his head.

The kinetic field which surrounded Speedball’s body absorbed the energy of the bullets directed at him, causing them to drop harmlessly to the ground the moment they entered. In the past, Speedball’s bouncing was erratic and uncontrollable, but after years of practice with his powers, he’s gained far more control over them. His bounces were planned carefully and he was able to control his momentum to slam into various guards.

“These guys aren’t so tough. I expected a crack team of kidnappers to be better fighters than this, huh Rage?”

Speedball’s friend offered no response. Most who knew Elvin Haliday would say the name Rage was a horrible fit for him. Yet at the moment, the boy with the body of a full-grown man lived up to the expectations a name like Rage would pass on. The bullets seemed to have no effect on his massive physique, and he let loose with a cry as he tore the guns from the hands of the herders. His large fists slammed relentlessly into the guards, shattering bones and knocking them unconscious.

“Looks like he’s not very talkative,” said Joystick. She leapt feet-first into a herder, then threw an energy baton at an oncoming one, a second baton reforming in her palm the moment the first left her fingertips.

“Eh, he gets like that sometimes,” said Speedball. He uppercutted a charging herder, transferring energy from his kinetic field into the herder’s jaw.

Much of the uses of Gravity’s powers still remained something of a mystery, yet he had no qualms about showing them off. He surrounded himself with a gravitational field that forced the bullets to fall to the ground the minute they passed into it. Normally, he would simply choose to use his powers in a more limited fashion, but under these stakes, he felt it was necessary to go all out. He placed his hands against the ground, sending seismic vibrations through the terrain and knocking the herders off-balance.

“I dunno about you guys, but I’m havin’ a blast!” said Gravity. “Talk about a rush!”

“Watch yourself, that rush can get real addicting real fast,” said Joystick.

“What do you mean?” asked Gravity.

Joystick offered no reply, instead thought back to years back when she dropped out of the University of Arizona after a near-death experience. She became addicted to that rush, a rush that brought her close to death on numerous occassions, first as a member of the Great Game and then later as one of the Crimson Cowl’s Masters of Evil.

“Whatever,” said Gravity. He extended his hand and sent out a gravitational wave that knocked the oncoming herders to the ground.

A large shadow passed over the battlefield and the New Warriors and the herders cast their eyes to the clouds. Hovering in the sky was a massive aircraft. Hatches opened on it and dozens of men dressed in unmarked uniforms and carrying weapons dropped to the ground.

Inside the aircraft, Patriot watched the battle unfold from the windows. He allowed himself a small smile beneath his mask. He had wondered how they would work together without his presence, but it looks like they fell right into formation. Just as he had expected them to. He was pleased with the way the team had come together in this instance.

“This better not be a trap I’m walking into, kid, or you’ll live to regret it,” said the Taskmaster.

Patriot glanced at his host. It was a gamble to enlist the Taskmaster’s help in this, but Patriot counted on the villain’s massive ego and business sense to serve as an asset in taking out the Pig’s organization.

“It’s no trap.”

“Remember our deal.”

“The deal’s still on as long as the kids go free,” said Patriot.

“I’m a college professor, not a daycare center,” said the Taskmaster. “What the hell would I want with a bunch of screaming brats anyway?”

“Just as long as we’re clear on that,” said Patriot. He headed towards one of the hatches, but the Taskmaster slapped a hand on his shoulder.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“To join the fight,” said Patriot.

“Uh-uh, you’re staying right here by my side,” said the Taskmaster. “We go down together, after my men and your teammates have cleared the field. I don’t want the Pig to see me coming.”

“Fair enough,” said Patriot, and he wondered just what exactly he had gotten himself into. He wondered if this indeed was the right decision to make.

Ricochet wondered just what exactly he had gotten himself into. He and Spider-Woman had used the distraction provided by the rest of the New Warriors to sneak into the Pens and attempt to free the children. Instead, they found themselves facing the Boogeyman, a demonic creature the Pig used to make an example of disobedient children. Just moments ago, the Boogeyman had ate two of Ricochet’s throwing discs.

“I dunno about you, but I’m all out of ideas,” said Ricochet, the statement directed at his teammate. The Boogeyman stepped closer towards the young heroes and they each backed up.

“I can take him… I think,” said Spider-Woman.

“Riiiight, what are you gonna do, throw your Spider-Purse at him?” asked Ricochet.

Spider-Woman fixed her gaze on Ricochet. “Y’know, I’ve had just about enough of your patroni—”

“Look out!” Ricochet leapt at Spider-Woman and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her out of the path of the Boogeyman. The deformed creature had leapt at the spot where the two of them just stood, his head morphing into a facsimile of a shark’s. Ricochet pulled Spider-Woman away at the last moment and the Boogeyman struck the hard concrete, dissipating into a puddle of white goo.

“…is it dead?” asked Spider-Woman.

The goo suddenly rose and reformed itself into the regular shape of the Boogeyman. Ricochet looked at Spider-Woman and though she couldn’t see his eyes beneath his mask, she could tell he was glaring at her.

“‘Is it dead?'” he said in a voice that mocked her own. “Why’d you have to jinx it?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, everyone knows that once you say, ‘is it dead,’ then it comes back to life!” said Ricochet.

“Look, let’s stop bickering for a few seconds and try to figure this out,” said Spider-Woman. Her eyes glanced to the corner of the cell they were in, where a young boy sat curled in a little ball. “I’ll distract him and you get that kid out of here.”

“How are you gonna distract him? Why shouldn’t I distract him and you get the kid?” asked Ricochet.

“Remember how he made your discs into a snack?” said Spider-Woman.

Ricochet paused for a second. “…tell you what. You distract him and I’ll get the kid out of here.”

Spider-Woman rolled her eyes behind her lenses. “Beautiful plan. I’m surprised the Avengers never offered you membership.”

“They’re just pissed because I used to steal their newspaper,” said Ricochet. “It’s a total politics thing, Captain America can be really crochety if he doesn’t get his morning dose of ‘Dear Abby.'”

“Y’know, you’re really not as funny as Spider-Man,” she said.

“See what I mean? Politics,” said Ricochet.

“Okay, go!” said Spider-Woman. She extended her fingers and psionic webbing flew from them, ensnaring the Boogeyman. Ricochet leapt over the villain’s head and moved to the child’s side.

“Hey kid, you okay?” asked Ricochet. Max Elliston looked up at the masked man, his eyes filled with tears, and slowly nodded. Ricochet scooped the boy into his arms.

The Boogeyman squeezed his body through the gaps in the webbing and the blob-like substance flowed towards Spider-Woman. She backed away, building up the bioelectric energy in her hands. When he came near-inches from her face, the blob formed into a massive mouth that fell around the heroine. Inside his mouth, Spider-Woman unleashed her venom blast, tearing a hole through the back of his head. The Boogeyman cried out in shock and pain and Spider-Woman leapt out from him, covered in a viscous, green substance.

“Ugh,” said Ricochet, observing the whole scene. He looked at the metal door that closed the room off and set Max down on the ground. Using all his strength, Ricochet rammed into the door with his shoulder. The first strike did nothing. He rammed into it a second time, but still to no avail. When he tried a third, the door fell prompty off its hinges and he stumbled into the open hallway. He looked up to see Rage holding the door in his hands. Ricochet’s teammate tossed the door to the side and offered him a hand.

“Thanks,” said Ricochet with a sarcastic tone.

“Don’t mention it,” said Rage. The other Warriors were gathered behind him, along with Patriot and a man dressed in a blue and white costume with a skull mask.

“Who’s that?” asked Ricochet.

“The Taskmaster,” said Speedball. “Apparently, there’s no time for an explanation, right Patriot?”

“Right,” said Patriot.

Spider-Woman leapt through the open doorway and landed on her feet, still covered in the green substance. The other Warriors looked at her with confusion mingled with disgust.

“I was eaten by a demonic creature,” she said. The confusion grew more apparent and she huffed with frustration. “Don’t ask.”

“You promised me the Pig,” said the Taskmaster.

“You’ll get him as soon as you have your men release the children,” said Patriot.

“Do it yourself,” said the Taskmaster.

“No, we stay by your side. I don’t trust you,” said Patriot.

The Taskmaster hesitated and his hand went to the sword sheathed by his side. He wrapped his fingers around its hilt, but then released it. “As you wish.” He moved his hand to his ear and activated the hidden commlink beneath his mask. “Get the kids outta here.”

“Good,” said Patriot. “Now we go after the Pig.”

“Hey kid,” said Ricochet, kneeling down in front of Max. “You know where the Pig is?”

“He’s down below,” said Max. “Has his own room in the center of everything.”

The Pig looked at the monitors surrounding him, with images of the Taskmaster’s men overtaking his herders without any problem. He saw on other monitors those same uniformed men releasing the children from their cells. Several other monitors had nothing but static, indicating they were receiving no feed from the security cameras. He noted that all these cameras were in close proximity to his location. One, however, was active and he caught sight of the New Warriors, alongside the Taskmaster. The Pig shivered in fear. He had hoped to keep this operation a secret from the Taskmaster, but it seemed to be in vain. The Taskmaster looked at the camera and lifted a handgun. He fired a bullet at the camera and static filled the monitor.

The large, deformed mutant slid off the massive chair and waddled towards an emergency exit door. When he built this facility, he had an underground tram designed in case of just such an emergency. He moved into it and started the tram up. He pushed the throttle forward and the tram sped through the narrow tunnel. In the time it would take the intruders to move through the tunnel, he could be far gone.

The loss of his Pen would be severe, but the Pig knew with time and some careful planning, he could rebuild. He would get revenge on the Taskmaster as well as the young heroes who brought the Pig to his attention.

Moments later, the New Warriors and the Taskmaster arrived in the Pig’s chamber, but no sign of him. Gravity moved towards the escape door and placed his hands against it. The door blew off, flying into the chamber. Once they saw the tram and the empty tunnel, they realized they were too late.

“He’s gone…” said the Taskmaster, a fist clenched in anger. “He won’t get far, though. I’ll have my men comb the area until they find him.”

“He’s your problem now,” said Patriot.

The Taskmaster spun and pointed at the leader of the New Warriors. “We had a deal, my friend. I get the Pig, remember?”

“No, the deal was the Pig is yours to do what you will,” said Patriot. “I said nothing about delivering him.”

“Fine,” said the Taskmaster. “Then you can kindly leave my training facility.”

“Your what?” asked Rage.

“That was the deal,” said the Taskmaster. “I help Patriot free these children and in return, I get the Pig and his facility.”

The New Warriors turned to face their leader. All of them shot him angry stares, but he wouldn’t even flinch beneath their gaze. He said simply, “I did what was necessary.”

“Yeah, well I’m not standin’ for that!” said Speedball. He lunged towards the Taskmaster, his fist flying forward. The Taskmaster sidestepped the blow and grabbed the young hero’s arm. He hurled the Warrior into the tunnel and Speedball struck the wall, his kinetic field instantly activating and sending him bouncing around uncontrollably. Spider-Woman unleashed her psionic webbing to catch Speedball in it and stop his bouncing.

“We’re done here,” said the Taskmaster. “Kindly leave before I lose my patience. If we meet again, I might not be so generous.”

Crash Pad

“That was total bullshit!” said Speedball. “How the hell could you arrange a team-up with a supervillain? And not only do you let him walk away, but you give him the Pig’s whole training facility? Like the Taskmaster really needs another supervillain school?”

“It was the best way to ensure that the Pig’s operation would be shut down,” said Patriot. “He’s running scared now. It’ll be a long time before he’s able to open up business again and if he does, the Taskmaster knows about him now and will be keeping an eye out. I made a choice. It may not be the one you would have made, but you don’t lead this team. I do.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” said Spider-Woman.

“Teaming with supervillains—got any other tips on how to be a hero that you’d like to share with the kids at home?” asked Ricochet.

“Look, you all signed up with this group for one reason—you wanted to change the world,” said Patriot. “That’s exactly what we did tonight. Not only did we free those kids, but we’ve shut down the Pig’s operation. He got away, but he’ll think twice before he tries another kidnapping scheme. You may not like my decisions, but they get results. If any of you have a problem with the way I lead, you can quit right now.”

“Taylor’s gonna hear about this,” said Rage.

“Let him,” said Patriot.

“This isn’t over,” said Speedball.

“Yes it is,” said Patriot. “Don’t get in my way, Baldwin.”

Speedball recoiled at Patriot’s mention of his name. He was already aware that Patriot knew his identity, but he hadn’t expected the man to reveal it openly in front of the rest of the Warriors.

“I’m keepin’ my eye on you, Bucky…” said Speedball. He turned away from Patriot and stormed for the exit. Rage glared at Patriot as well, then followed behind. Spider-Woman and Ricochet both followed, leaving Patriot in the room with Joystick, Machine Teen and Gravity.

“Well?” asked Patriot.

“You did what you had to do,” said Joystick. “You’re not gonna get any judgment from me.”

“I thought it was pretty cool, personally,” said Gravity.

Patriot turned his glance to Machine Teen. “And you?”

The Machine Teen hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “I don’t agree with it, but you were right—you got results. Not what I would’ve done, but it worked.”

“The others are just used to a more black-and-white way of doing things,” said Joystick. “Good guys versus bad guys, all that.”

“Where does that leave you?” asked Gravity.

Joystick glared at him. “Watch your mouth.”

“They’ll come around,” said Machine Teen. “I think it’s just all this secrecy they don’t like. Maybe you should try levelling with them… with all of us.”

“I have my reasons for keeping my identity to myself,” said Patriot. “I can’t speak for the rest of you, though. You all do whatever you feel is necessary and I’ll do the same. I’m not asking for your trust—”

“Actually, you are,” said Joystick. “You want us to follow you without question when we know nothing about you. That takes a huge deal of trust. And right now, you haven’t shown any of us a reason to trust you that much.”

Joystick left the room and both Gravity and Machine Teen followed. After the doors closed, Joystick’s words still rung inside the Patriot’s head. He pulled his mask off and walked over to the metal table used for meetings. He could see his face in the polished surface and he pulled his mask back on.

NEXT: Machine Man! Iron Trinity! S.H.I.E.L.D. and secrets about Machine Teen’s origin! Also, the Warriors begin to grow closer as Diego Casseas reforms the Folding Circle! All this and more in “Ghost in the Machine”!