Middle School Heroes

Chapter 36 - Giant Rock Men and a Fantastic Rescue

Skye smiled slightly and shrugged. "I guess so, but you don't need to thank me."

"Well, thank you all the same. Ah don't want to be responsible for killing anybody."

They watched as Professor Pym and Diana got Bob and Tom into her old cell because it was the only one that didn't have the door ripped off. Clark pulled the bars back together and they locked the door using a key that Bob had given them. Bob decided to be very helpful to them, probably hoping to get out alive, Skye thought.

Things were just starting to feel calm again, when a loud bang echoed through the room. The door flew open and Joe and Madam Viper were back. Each of them holding a gun, and her whip was in her other hand. She pointed her gun steady at Professor Pym, and Joe's was pointed directly at Dick, who was the closest one to the door. Everyone froze as she moved slowly into the room. "As much fun as that was to watch, I think that it's time for us to get going. I can only imagine that our new arrival means that others will be on their way." She stopped in front of Skye and Anna Marie.

"I don't know what it is you did to me, little girl, but when the others are through with you, I will have payback." She glared at Anna Marie who didn't break into sobs this time. Instead, she just looked back at the woman blankly.

Skye felt pain shoot through her scalp as Madam Viper grabbed a handful of hair and yanked her up to stand and face her, never taking her eyes, or the gun, off of Professor Pym. "I admit that I had planned to make your friend over there hurt you until you couldn't take anymore before having him kill you for me. Now I see what a mistake that would have been. You are worth far more to me than he is, so you can hurt him instead." She looked between Skye and Rumlow and grinned. "Go on. Show me what your power can do to a person."

"No." A steady southern drawl from beside Skye responded. Anna Marie stood up quickly and faced the woman, who was still holding a fistful of Skye's hair.

Madam Viper looked at her with surprise. "I'm sorry. Did you say no? You are not in a position to argue with me, and neither is she."

"No." she repeated again, folding her arms defiantly. "No, she's not gonna hurt him or anyone else, and neither are you."

"We are in charge now, girl. You will all do as I say, or I will start shooting people."

Skye stood watching the exchange between Anna Marie and Madam Viper, unsure of what she should do. She didn't fully understand how her ability worked, but she knew that if her skin touched your skin, she could absorb your powers and abilities, and if she touched you long enough, she could kill you. Could it take your personality too? That sounded odd, but this girl was not the same girl who was sobbing in her cell.

Anna Marie looked directly into the woman's eyes with a hint of a smile on her face. "No we won't. You were sent to find people with powers, and you felt that the safest route was to go for kids, Ah'm assuming because you thought we'd be easy to control."

Madam Viper was staring at her angrily, her hand tightening on the handle of her whip. Anna Marie maintained eye contact and continued. "You answer to someone higher up, and that someone is expecting you to succeed in your mission. HYDRA doesn't accept failure, does it? Isn't that what you said to Jim, or whatever his real name was? Well, his failure is now yours. All this got you was a couple of kids with unusual powers, and Ah bet that you are more than just a little bit worried that your bosses will not be pleased."

"You know nothing little girl," she spat, as she glared at Anna Marie and released her grip on Skye's hair.

"Ah do know quite a lot, actually. You keep coming in here threaten' us, but now that you know what we can do, Ah'm surprised by the futility of your attempts. The fact is that you aren't going to hurt me or Skye or anyone else here because quite frankly, you couldn't if you tried."