Chapter 59: City Undersiege
The soiree at The Baxter Building had been unexpected. In hindsight, he should have expected things to turn out the way they did; this was Marvel. Peter Parker hadn't had things under control; he would have instead watched him handle the Sinister Six rather than intervene, but Rhino's actions hadn't allowed him to be idle.
'I hope the beast doesn't come after me. I would hate to put him down for good.' Cole thought all of a sudden.
Cole still had no idea what The Goblin was after, even though he didn't care; whatever it was, it wasn't his problem. His goal was to progress, and that was by way of missions and battles. In retrospect, that said a lot about him.
What did concern him was Firestar; her eventful arrival was a step in the right direction. Her impromptu escapade already drew many fans who speculated she was related to the hood.
Seeing Angelica zoom in to back up Anne had been worth the wait. Their friendship was growing steadily; he was sure the girl's powers drew the girl; she was a firebug, after all, at her core. He was also giddy seeing her decked out in the outfit he had picked for her, alongside the intimidating Yaujta Bio-Helmet and other proprietary gear.
That made him chuckle; if his plans panned out, he could snatch up some undesirables that S.H.I.E.L.D. either didn't want or were too much of a risk to bring into the fold. Scorch, for example, held potential, but Fury had yet to give him a passing glance, which led him down a path that would empower their enemies and end the man's life.
Cole reached Manhatten and was floored. Proto-Goblins had not only attacked but were numerous. His H.U.D. sparked almost red as the enemy combatants were highlighted. He listened to police scanners and learned that the city needed to be more prepared.
He shot a goblin in the head. The beast dropped the young boy he was dragging and reached toward the hole in its forehead.
Cole squatted down and checked the teen. He was unconscious but not bitten. He called for a Boas. He stood up; the Boas had the young teen in its grasp. All across the city, his boas were engaging the goblins. This was an extermination order.
"Sightings of Punisher, Daredevil." Alfred Chimed in his ear. Cole grimaced as heat pulsated around him; he caught it in time and only caused a slight haze to emit from him.
"Sorry, man." He said Kaecillus, the man, had taken the brunt of the wave that poured from him. 'Guess I'm not moving fast enough for you anymore; your anger has grown.' He thought to himself, not expecting the upcharge unbridled hatred at the mention of The Daredevil.
"I understand." Was his response; he did feel like the man understood. If there was anyone he could be honest with, it was probably Kaecillus. The mantle had done something to him, something he knew inside but was afraid to admit openly.
He rounded another corner. He fired his gun repeatedly, hitting Goblin's center mast or headshots. Kacillus incinerated any stragglers as they marched down the road. Chimes emerged inside his head, rewards stacking up. He tapped his temple, ordering the Boas to attack in mass. He purchased more, the drones appearing around him before zipping into the air.
Smoke billowed in the distance, and sirens from first responders blarred across the city. In an abandoned home, he could hear the mayor giving a press conference surrounded by national guards.
He tapped the Commbadge and relayed orders to Anne and Firestar. He didn't want them coming in contact with the heroes of New York, especially Frank. The man has been acting retribution against the criminal families and doesn't want to lose his origins. There were moments where he despised heroes and mutants, where were the X-men.
A commotion had erupted further up the street; people were fleeing from their homes, gunshots rang out, and animalistic howls soon followed. Cole was still under his Daniel Kilgore guise and appeared to be a Catholic Priest. He wore a long black leather coat; he even had a cross around his neck.
Cops' cars burned rubber past him, lept from their vehicles, and opened fire. The city would be overran by morning, he concluded. The Goblin's rate of transmission was almost instantaneous. There was no cure past the hour mark; anyone bitten would turn or die from the goblin venom.
"Fucking Osborn Family man." He snarled. He stepped forward, a fresh pack of cigarettes in his hand at his beckoning. He placed one between his limps, mumbling something incoherent, the cigarette lightening; he took a long drag as he watched the scene unfold.
"Father, get back. This is dangerous." An officer said, observing Cole behind him all of a sudden.
"Dangerous for you more than me, he said; one bite and not even an exorcism would save your soul, young man," Cole replied harshly.
"This is no-" He started firing again as the groups of proto-goblins rushed forward.
He studied them; bullets were ineffectual against their hardened hides. "Super Soldier Serum indeed, this one transmitable?" He wasn't aware that proto-goblins were an ancient enemy of men.
He hadn't known about the red goblins in his past life, but he knew there were instances where the Goblin and its antics got out of control, just like the Lizard and its craze fixation on turning others into reptiles.
He ducked off into an alley, bypassing the cordoned-off zones. The neighborhoods surrounding the incident centers were being evacuated. Families slowly trickled out of their expensive homes, officers beating on the doors and blasting across the intercom.
"Father," a lady shouted, running toward him with her daughter; he looked past her, spotting a hunched figure leaping from car to car, officer ammunition all but useless, as the red Goblin shrugged off the low caliber rounds.
He beckoned her forward as he strolled ahead. He queried the shop, and a list appeared before his eyes. One in particular was in the specialty shop with a hefty price tag. He made the purchase, making the file one of the most expensive purchases he had ever made.
It cost him almost two hundred thousand, not just any gun but a named one. It was a bane against demons. He was sure it would come in handy eventually. The Ace of Winchesters is forged with hades gems and halo-steel.
He felt the weapon thrum of magical energies in his hands as he brought it forward. Her eyes widened, but she stood behind him, Kaecillus's astute figure silent, his hands inside his coat, his round-rimmed shades concealing the stern gaze.
"Rawwwr." The beast wailed and leaped, its obvious super-soldier-enhanced physique sending it sailing at alarming speeds. Nonetheless, a shot barked out, a particular A.T.C. .223 round drilling a hole into the beast's forehead.
More goblins poured into the alley as if his action was a call to action. Cole froze momentarily, shocked and a bit excited. These beasts were rewards, and everyone he could put down would push him further.
It was a shame, but no cure was available for those infected at this stage. Deep down, he knew he probably could come up with something, but why did it have to be him?
He fired the rifle consecutively, moving amongst the beasts as he dodged and weaved amongst their feral swipes, his adrenaline spiking as the close calls excited him. The barrel found itself under the chin of a lone goblin; the rifle clicked, empty. He sighed, and the beast roared before it went up in flames.
"Kaecillus, I'm good here. Go and clear the city." He ordered, his back turned as the ashes of the beast drifted in the air.
"Collateral damage?" The master of the mystic arts asked. Cole chuckled; he knew why he asked; the lantern ring cut loose.
"Prioritise saving life, but let's clear this up." He said. He stared ahead, tuning out the cries for help and the smell of burning buildings as he thought about his future.
His H.U.D. popped before him, and he watched a taller and more powerful blonde goblin streak across the tops of building his Boas after it. He sighed, darted from his position, jumped almost six feet off the ground, and grabbed a fire escape before hauling himself up with one arm.