It didn't surprise me when I heard that Li was hiding out with Dax and his men. Dax owns a transportation business, his lorries and boats would carry shipments like drugs and weapons from England to their designated locations.
Xanders expertly circled the HALO around the docks, Dax was expecting a shipment to come in tonight so we're moving in dark. I shifted the night-vision goggles over my eyes, once the light changed from red to green I leaped out the opening of the aircraft watching the team follow in pursuit.
"Move in, once we land." I called through the radio, fighting the velocity of the wind pushing against my face.
We landed swiftly cutting the parachutes from our waists and stalked through the cargos on the docks, keeping an eye on Dax's men guarding the perimeter. The shipyard was lit up by a few headlamps which soon won't be a problem.
"Kill the lights."
Quarrels and shouts erupted as the power cuts off. Their men were working in the dark and we had eyes everywhere. I rounded the corner moving forward my vision was filled with different shades of green, three men to my right stumbling around with their arms outstretched trying to indicate where they were going. I fired a silent bullet at the closest male shooting his thigh. "What in the bloody hell was that?" His friend asked going for his gun.
The man groans collapsing to the floor with a thud, "Someone's just shot me man!"
"Dude I promise it wasn't me this time."
"I swear if it was you Derek...I'll sleep with your wife."
"You know what? For that comment I'll shoot your other leg - which one did you get shot in?"
Rubbing my temples I walked away from the three musketeers leaving them to their own petty selves. I wasn't here to slaughter his men, the objective was to get Li Wei and if Dax's men suffer in the process then that's on Li.
"Anyone got eyes on Li or Dax." I inquired moving towards the warehouse where all the shipments were kept.
A chorus of 'no boss' echoes through the radio. Something wasn't right, there weren't as many men on the docks as usual. No security outside the warehouse. "Moving into the warehouse." I kicked open the steel door with my gun aimed in front of me, but there were no signs of movement on the ground. This wasn't right. It was too quiet.
"Look who it is." I heard a robotic voice beam through the speakers, instantly I tightening my grip on the gun. "I really didn't think you would fall for this Letoya, but I guess I was wrong." My eyes kept scanning the place, but clearly he wasn't here.
"Your men are outnumbered Dax, there's no need for anymore bloodshed, just give us Li and we'll be out of London." I spoke audibly whilst searching behind the wooden crates.
"Oh but there's one problem." He cooed. "We're not in London." My jaw clenched, it was a trap and I should've known he would pull something like this.
Just as the team arrives dispersing around the warehouse, my foot comes into contact with something wrapped in a cloth. Steadily I peeled the fabric over - revealing a C4 explosive on a timer. With 60 seconds left on the red digital clock.
"Move out." I snapped. "Everyone out. Now!" I didn't have to repeat myself as the men exerted the warehouse with speed.
"What is it?" Robin asks with her eyebrow knitted together behind the goggles.
"They're not here, we need to exfill before this place blows up."
She nods in agreement calling for Xanders to return with the HALO. The men piled into the opening at the tail of the aircraft, I was the last to go on.
All it took was 5 seconds for the building to explode into flames.
***
As if things couldn't get any worse, we had a call from the manor that the security system has been broken into. I couldn't explain the kind of fury that was pulsing through me.
"If you keep pacing, you'll bring the aircraft down." I snapped my head towards Gabe who raises his hands in surrender.
"Theo's in the manor." I mused pinching the bridge of my nose.
His hand lands on my shoulder causing my heart rate to settle slightly, "So are all the guards, I'm sure it's just a false alarm L."
I clammed my eyes shut nodding, it has to be. Theo is fine. "Just a false alarm." I repeated to myself, "He's fine."
***
We landed on a field behind the manor, currently there were no signs of any conflict. But luck wasn't on my side today. We stalked around the building, spotting 5 of our guards dead at the gates. 3 more by the main entrance.
I cursed under my breath kneeling beside the building. "Xanders please... say that you have visuals."
"I do L and you're gonna want to see this." He claimed in a low voice. I tilted my head at Xanders who looked at me with wide eyes, "Theo's fine." He reassured quickly reading my worried expression. I sighed waving for him to continue but he doesn't instead he swings the monitor around.
It was evident that Dax and his men were in there, corpse that I didn't recognise lying everywhere. They were his men. What caught my eye was a small figure on the pixilated screen, it wore a blue and red skintight suit with an emblem on its chest. White sticky substance was shooting out of his wrist and attaching itself onto the ceiling, which propelled him up into the air. I blinked a few times trying to comprehend if this was real. He clings onto the surface of the ceiling shooting the white substance onto Dax's face. His speed and reflexes were abnormally fast, he shoots again twice pinning Dax's wrists to the ground. As if my eyes couldn't widen any further they do, a flying machine comes into the frame, hovering over the ground in a suit of armour with jets shooting out of its feet.
I shared a skeptical look with Xanders and Gabe. The machine launches Li Wei onto the ground next to Dax. And that was when I moved, impulsive and reckless but I couldn't let Dax or Li get away.
"What is this stuff?" I hear Dax growl struggling to free his wrists while I peered over the railings at the scene.
"It's actually web fluid." Came a teenager's voice. "It mimics the properties of the actual silk produced by spiders—"
The flying suit of armour lands with a steel thud, at the same time the mask on its face disintegrates revealing a man with dark hair and moustache. "Kid, you really don't need to start a conversation." He sighs.
I gave Robin the signal, with that we dropped onto the floor from the railings of the staircase. "Alright...costume party's over." I uttered behind bug boy aiming my hand gun at his head. Something flashed in the metal man's face, he lunges for Robin raising his flat palm towards her face.
"Ok I wasn't planning on shooting spider boy but now I'm thinking I should." I claimed pushing the nuzzle further into his temple.
"Fine. You shoot my guy and I'll blast blondie into space." He counters, his palm flashing in Robin's face.
"It's not spider boy! I'm spider-man."
"And what are you? Optimus Prime?" Robin smirked up to man who had her held to the floor. I stifle a laugh.
"I swear I'll blast you in the face." He retorts transforming his repulsor into a large metal rocket with electricity pulsing through it.
From the corner of my eye I spot Gabe dropping in behind him, "Let her go Megatron, you're not the only one with a rocket." Gabe held an RPG launcher resting it on his shoulder whilst aiming it at the machine.
"RPG damage assessed 99% sir." Came a robotic female's voice.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose whilst irritatedly muttering, "Thank you Friday."
"Tell us why you're here and I'll let spider boy go." Came my stern voice.
"We got an alert about a break in and these men," He paused pointing at the two on the ground, "...tripped your alarm system and they were killing off your men so, you're welcome by the way." He finished with a sarcastic smile.
"Who the fuck are you?" Robin declared, taking the words right out of my mouth.
Spider boy shifts in my hold and peels his mask off, "We're the Avengers man."