The Metahuman Agency: The Superhuman War

The Mistress of War

The loud mechanical footsteps of Jacqueline's ICARUS Flight Suit echoed across the Inferno's bridge as she stomped forward. Ever since the meeting where she had laid out her plan, she hadn't taken her suit off. She had felt newly invigorated ever since that speech and the mood on the airship had similarly shifted. Everyone was moving more quickly now, hurrying to obey her commands or get everything prepped for the forthcoming attack. She wondered if it was because she was wearing her suit and looked more fearsome to her minions but she wasn't complaining. Once again, her genius had spurred her men into motion and made them work at one hundred percent capacity. Truly, she was the only thing holding this ragtag mercenary group together. Without her, she shuddered to think how idiotic her men would be.

Jacqueline looked across the bridge and smirked. She would see mercenary troops running to and fro in multiple directions. Some carried cases of ammunition, guns, and heavy weaponry. Others were discussing strategy, going over maps of the Massachusetts area. Still others were manning the consoles, higher ranked officers yelling at lower ranked ones for important items or just refills on coffee. Jacqueline loved it. The operation was underway and she felt the same tingle of excitement that she had before the invasion of the Metahuman Agency.

Jacqueline stepped over to one control panel, watching the personnel sitting at the controls. They all swiveled around, saluting her. Jacqueline smirked and raised a hand, gesturing for them to return to work. They did immediately, nodding silently to her as they went back to their duties. The Skeleton Crew commander then eyed the security camera feeds on the control terminal. They showed multiple views of the flight deck and she caught glimpses of flight crews prepping their air vehicles. Loading the helicopters with fresh ammunition and missiles. Refueling their jets. Doing routine tests on the AA guns. It was a lovely sight. She half-wished she could be up there, inspecting their work, correcting them on mistakes, but she had more important duties to attend to.

Jacqueline turned away from the control terminal and stomped. She walked down on hallway, Skeleton Crew staff stepping out of her way and saluting her as she went by. She ignored them all but secretly took glances at them as she passed by. Thankfully, her expression was hidden beneath her helmet. She wanted to appear as the cool, calm, collected leader. Which of course she was. But she enjoyed the attention, the praise she got from her subordinates too. Best not to show it though, a good leader didn't rely on the praises of their personnel.

She weaved her way through the passages before reaching a pair of massive doors inside a circular room. Two guards flanked the door and they both nodded at her. Jacqueline silently gestured and one guard pressed a button on the wall. The doors hissed open and the Skeleton Crew commander stomped through.

She stepped into a massive training center. Exercise machines lay scattered around the massive room, while weights, dumbbells, and crates lay fastened to the walls. At the back of the room was a shooting range, targets awaiting people to shoot them.

Sitting on a bench in the center of the room was Incisor. The elephant-man was only wearing his pants, exposing his massive physique to Jacqueline. She could see his body looked like at least three steroid abusing pro-wrestlers slapped together, his muscles utterly enormous. Jacqueline could also now see his body was covered in scars and old wounds, his chest showing off several bullet wounds most prominently. Sweat trickled down his leathery hide as Incisor bench pressed two crates. Jacqueline knew those crates weighed at least three hundred pounds each but Incisor was yanking them up and down like they weighed nothing. Sitting on a table nearby was Incisor's MP5.

"Preparing yourself?" Jacqueline asked as she strode toward the metahuman. Incisor didn't answer her, continuing to lift the enormous crates. After bench pressing them several more times, Incisor finally put them down. The crates made a resounding clang each when they hit the floor.