Chapter 32

Jen blinks as she walks into her living room, surprised to see me waiting for her on the couch, the TV showing recaps of todays events in the courtroom, the news cycle showing the same reel of the two opening statements for the umptenth time, Jen, and some lawyer I've never even heard of but seems to be damn near Johnny Cochran famous if the commentary is anything to go by. I've been half-expecting him to try that Chewbacca Defence from South Park all day.

"Johan? I wasn't expecting to see you here."

I shrug "Where else would I be? I don't technically have a place of my own yet."

She opens her mouth to answer, but can't seem to think of a proper response and just finishes pulling off her jacket and hangs it over the backrest of a chair, dropping her briefcase on the seat before sliding down next to me on the couch with a sigh.

"Rough day at work?"

She sighs and tiredly rubs her neck "It was worse than I expected, and I expected it to be Hell. Remind me again why you didn't just want to warp Stark and Reed into the sun or whatever it is you do with the people who really piss you off?"

"Oh, you know, having their names being dragged through the mud for crimes they actually did and having them branded as traitors for all time, rather than the victims of the whims of a fickle man-god. I could still do the sun thing if you want." I lift her legs into my lap, and quickly unbuckle the straps to her heels, slipping them off before beginning to massage her feet. Jen groans in appreciation.

"Oh thank god, I've been running around in those damn shoes all day. Even Hulk toughness can only do so much, it's like having to run a marathon wearing stilts after a while."

I nod "Never cared for massages myself, but an ex of mine did, he had to run around a lot on his job so it was a good way to help him wind down in the evening, so it's just something I picked up. Not pro obviously, but it does the job."

Jen sighs happily, before glancing at the TV "So, what have you been up to today? Has the Magic Man just been hanging out at my place watching the news all day?"

"Nnnnnnnot exactly..."

...

"I assume you've been watching the news" Norman Osborn said, looking around the room containing what remained of the Thunderbolts. With Gargan back in Rikers, his usefullness at an end without the symbiote, and Bullseye reduced to making stocking stuffer every time he tried to kill someone , the team had seen better days. It had taken a good deal of threats just to keep Moonstone from trying to drop out as well, just because she got a little fried by that fucking mutie throwing a cloud of radiation energy on her. But Osborn was very good with threats, and an unessecarily detailed description that involved her and one of his old Goblin bat projectiles brought her back in line.

Moonstone glared resentfully at him "We could hardly miss it, Norman. What, the trial of the century not unfolding to your liking?"

Osborn grimaced "It's not the damn trial that bugs me, you hag! If it was just Stark falling from grace, hell, I'd be all for that! But I'M the one who was supposed to bring him down, not this...this..."

"Mutant menace? Mutant mongrel? Another mean alliteration with mutant?" Swordsman said sardonically, idly polishing his sword. Osborn didn't answer for a moment, there was something... off about Strucker today. But he couldn't quite figure out what was wrong. Finally, he shook it off.

"Just shut the fuck up, Strucker!" he said through gritted teeth "My point is, Starks downfall was part of another project of mine, but this was he's taking the entire goddamn SRA down with him! I haven't worked so hard just for it all to go down the toilet now! Luckily, I had a backup plan..."

Now Moonstone looked interested "Norman, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about getting ahold of every miserable little secret the SRA managed to get their grubby little hands on! I'm talking about making sure none of those damn do-gooders ever dare to try and ruin me again!" He pulled out a folder from his suit jacket "I'm talking about HAMMER!" Throwing the folder down on the table, he began to pace "I had to call in damn near every favor, use every bit of blackmail I had, but I finally have the political clout to make HAMMER a reality!"

Penance walked over, picking up one of the documents, giving it a brief overlook "This... is some sort of replacement for SHIELD!"

Osborn scoffed "Better than SHIELD ever was, Baldwin! No more of their half-assed coddlying of criminals and threats, no more worrying about everyones precious little rights, no more toadying to aliens or mutants or freaks. When we see a threat, we stomp it out! We'll be running the show from now on!"

"Big deal" Radioactive Man scoffed "As always, you have big plans, Mr Osborn. What would keep the Magic Man from just tearing apart your work just as he did with Hill? She sent a war god and the strongest man on Earth after him, and they didn't even give him a black eye! What do you expect to accomplish with a room full of thieves and killers?" Baldwin shot him an angry look, which he ignored.

Osborn couldn't help but chuckle "You really think I'm going to be using you directly? Especially after that "fight" you put up last time? Pfft, it was like watching a special needs little league team play against the Yankees. No no, you saps will take part in the first part of my new operation, namely confiscating the data kept at the Baxter Building!"

There was a moment of stunned silence, then Baldwin cut in "I'm sorry, I thought you just said you want us to loot the Fantastic Fours house?!"

"No no, not loot, confiscate, it's all perfectly above board! See, I have reason to believe that Stark and Reed had been working on a way to either kill or depower this Ginnungagap fucker, and as much as I hate to admit it, they usually got the job done. So the data kept on site could be instrumental in bringing him down, and my superiors agree! As such, we are legally allowed whatever information they kept in storage! If the remaining Four complain... well, we have the law on our side, and they'll be the criminals if they resist." He allowed himself a smirk "I do so love irony."

"Then I think you'll really love what's about to happen next, Osborn." His self-congratulation was interupted as the Swordsman stood up from his seat, stabbing his sword into the seat next to him, earning a shriek from Songbird sitting nearby. And finally, Osborn realized what had looked off about the man.

This Swordsman wasn't missing any of his fingers.

"Finally figure it out?" Swordsman said, every trace of an accent now gone as he held up both hands, all five fingers on each perfectly intact. "Seriously, I was expecting this from most of these dolts, they can barely dress themselves, but I figured atleast you or Moonstone would figure it out. I've been in here for like 30 minutes! Hell, I wasn't even cleaning the sword right, I was just using a kitchen sponge! You're a terrible evil genius!"

The Swordsman illusion began to melt away as he spoke, revealing the form of the man Osborn had come to despise over these past few weeks. That goddamn mutant, again!

Radioactive Man was just about to move, his powers beginning to charge, when the mutant pointed at him without even looking, and just like that, there was no more Chen Lu. In his place crouched a statue of dull, grey metal, still in the process of rising to it's feet.

"Lead. Seemed appropriate. As for you, Miss Sofen" He motioned towards Moonstone, who was trying to rush toward the window, freezing her mid-air as a flash of light. "After I'm done here, I think we should have a long talk about those patients of yours you manipulated into suicide. But first!" The HAMMER files began to smoke, Baldwin dropping the paper he was holding as the entire folder flashed red and turned into ash. "I'm going to have a talk about Mr Osborn and the ramifications of government corruption"

Then he seemed to think of something and turned towards the final two members of the Thunderbolts "Oh, and Mr Baldwin, Miss Gold? You're not quite big enough jackasses for me to rain down holy fury on, so you're free to go. As for you, Mr Baldwin, I would STRONGLY advice you to seek psychiatric help, because your coping methods aren't great."