Chapter 19- Viva la Revolution…or whatever

POV- Nathan Cross

It only took me and Clint another 5 hours to remove the majority of survivors, targeting the heavy hitters first, sowing discord and chaos throughout the island of criminals, and those that would have benefited from their crimes. The remaining 7 however, had holed in like rats, engaging security protocols after their attempt to profit from their competitors' suffering turned into a nightmare. The Gorman's, a smaller fish on the island were known smugglers. Guns, drugs, wild and exotic animals, people, you name it. They were one of the seven survivors, and after almost 6 hours of rest me and Clint were more than willing to remove the rest. Each of us had been working solo until now, but the increased security was posing a difficulty for Clint, despite his experience.

"If I'd have known there were so many groups I would have packed more specialised arrowheads," the older man groaned looking down at the warehouse on the south side of the island, a small jetty with wrecked boats in the background.

"Doesn't matter really. You take out the snipers and anyone with a 50 Cal or bigger, and I'll kill the rest."

"Kakuja? I fucking hate it when you use that. You leave a mess everywhere and it takes a while for you to calm down enough to revert." 'He's right. The animalistic predator that is the kakuja, that in Tokyo Ghoul was a frenzied cannibal that would ignore a threat in order to feed, was definitely disturbing. I'm just glad I can somewhat steer it's focus. In some ways it's like the Hulk, except that it can't talk and is mindless in nature, attacking anything that attacks it… or gets too close.'

Climbing out of the van we'd stolen to move around the island, I rush towards the fortified building. Steel barricades, bulletproof glass, mounted turrets. None of it meant a thing as I leapt over the 20-foot-high walls and a black mask formed over my face, a small giggle to break free from beneath it.

"Fuck, it's here. THE CENTIPEDE IS HERE!!" One of the spotlight sweepers had seen me, revealing my presence as the others gathered quickly to put me down. 'What fun.'

POV- Kakuja

KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL

POV- Clint Barton

"Fucking Maniac. He's worse than Thor." Three arrows flew through the air, the first taking out a shooter on a rooftop platform, the next two piercing into the turret gunners near the gate that Nathan had ignored, jumping over the fence roughly 60 yards to the right. Gunfire sounded almost instantly as the black tail of blades whipped to and fro as the Centipede, as he was now known here, a civilian witness having blurted about him all over, dove into the crowd, kicking a stocky guy into the concrete wall, deep cracks suggesting he would never walk again, regardless of if he lived. His fists pierced their chests and tail ripped through them like a sword, but he still bled. Flipping high into the air, he pushed off the wall, launching off towards the smarter guy who'd tried to make a run for it towards the water.

I let loose another volley of arrows, each hitting their targets and putting them down. 'There's no point knocking them unconscious as the Kakuja would try to eat them regardless. Nathan is kind and good, but the kakuja was wild, and barely controllable according to the kid. He described it once as trying to steer a child away from the toy section or pushing magnets with the same charge together. Possible, but definitely a struggle.' Breaking open their front gate I follow, moving closer to the screams so that I can prevent Nathan from eating any victims. 'Nat could have calmed him down I bet, she did for Banner, which of course had started a ridiculous rumour about the two.'

I found him hanging from the ceiling as he ripped another man in half, eating on him as he stood? Clung? Whatever. Unfortunately, Nat's reminder not to let him eat too many random people came too late as I noticed the eyes of Nathan glow like a flare. Muscles expanded as he grew taller, the tail of his now far thicker, and the blades longer. It was like his entire body received a process of steroids, but I knew that the kagune, and kakuja, were running on his bioenergy, the blood and energy within his body. Banner had a better idea but neither me nor Nathan seemed to care much. After reaching a height of 8 feet tall and muscles that looked comparable to Steve's if he were scaled, the boy's body shrunk back down, though the glow in his eyes and the tail remained just as vibrant, and just as vigorous.

Moving quickly to find any victims of trafficking, I guide them out the back as the few remaining guards are slaughtered by the monster back there. I had been given three arrows by Stark that had enough explosives to evaporate a Humvee, in case Nathan was corrupted, controlled or otherwise a threat, and couldn't be incapacitated. Which he couldn't. Poison, drugs, nothing seemed to work as they should, and I was pleading that he would be fine back there and revert back soon. It was an almost excruciating eight minutes before Nathan strode out of the warehouse basement finally, his body almost completely bare due to the damage his clothes suffered, his body covered in blood, both foreign and his own.

"Good thing its warm ay?" I call out to him, but as he approached I couldn't help but wish it was chilly if only to protect my pride. Throwing a pair of pants I'd stripped off a guard on the gate in order to clothe one of the four girls who'd been hiding in a shipping crate. "Yeah, that guy you ate definitely had abilities." Nathan was always fairly tall and skinny, regardless of the training he went through. Now, he was 6'4 with the physique of a swimmer, broad shoulders and strong, defined muscles, not that his strength had anything to do with them. His face was the same near-androgynous beauty with long black hair and blue eyes, but the eyes now seemed luminous, brimming with energy. The changes weren't massive, but if one spent as much time with someone as I have with Nathan, they were clear as day. Even one of the girls, who'd just heard the gang of traffickers get killed and eaten by a monster, was checking him out as he put on the pants.

"I noticed that. Hopefully, there're no side effects from this one. There doesn't seem to be due to its incredibly minor boost but it wouldn't hurt to check when we get back." The monster and his supervisor then met back up with Sharon, who was currently living in one of the cleared-out manors as her allies and hired staff roamed around.

"Gorman's dealt with?" Sharon's associate, a beautiful woman with dark green hair and a skintight suit asked, looking more at Nathan than myself. 'She's dangerous. And there's something about her that seems familiar but I can't pick it.' She was only armed with a pistol and a whip, a weapon of many uses in the hands of an expert. 'I'll tell Nathan to be careful, especially the way she's looking at him.'

"Obviously," Nathan groaned walking right past her unflinchingly as he strode off towards a bathroom I imagine. He'd tried to wipe it off but blood dries quickly. Walking with the green-dressed woman, I report in with Sharon, who would rule Madripoor with her allies.

"So where did you pick up Buttercup?" I gesture towards the almost definitely trained killer.

"Viper? She's been with me since I moved here and started manipulating the country's inhabitants from anonymity. She found me and has helped me since, including in some dicey situations." Handing me information on another group, who'd forged a survival alliance with another family gang here, holed up together in one of the city's few skyscrapers. And certainly, one of the best defended. Heavily reinforced glass and support beams, and of course two to three hundred men armed and ready to kill anyone who enters it.

"Two-Three hundred more deaths. Poor Nathan's going to have one of the highest kill counts in history, in achieving his piece."

"Actually, after spreading the rumours of the Centipede, I think just removing the Head and Vice-head of both groups should force them into surrender, without devastating the country's workforce." She had a point. And anything that would keep Nathan's hands cleaner was worth considering.

As I phoned Steve and reported the situation including Nathan's strength increase, I heard Nathan chatting to Viper in the kitchen, but left him be. 'Of course, he's where the coffee machine is.'

POV-Nathan Cross

I was DEFINITELY stronger and faster than before. And I felt more energised than before, something my kagune apparently felt too according to Clint. My tattoo remained just as vibrant and clean as before, but the skin was almost glowing with health. While pale, the muscles beneath them made me look older, more mature. My running and movement speed should be around Peter's now, though his reflexes beat my own. After a quick shower and an obligatory body check in the mirror, I wandered to the kitchen following the scent of coffee.

Cleaning the espresso machine before I pour myself the cup, I hear the clicking of heels on marble flooring. "You must be Nate. Though I've heard of your other name in America, when you're wearing your special suit."

"Yeah, I suck at keeping my secret identity secret, but here dressed in nothing but a towel, it's just Nate." Viper was observing me, trying to see if I was putting on a façade of casual confidence but instead nods.

"Viper, pleasure to be working with you, if only for a week."

"Sure, but are you sure you want to be working for Sharon and us, considering your-"

"I don't know what you could possibly mean by that," she said knees bending in preparation of a fight.

"Oh relax. I don't care much considering the octoskull is dead. Don't rat me out or try and betray me and we're sweet." Viper looked far more relaxed at my words, though her curiosity instead grew looking at me.

"How?"

"Fortune Cookie," I reply grinning as I pour myself and her a coffee.

"If you weren't going to tell me then don't bastard. So since when did the Avengers decide child soldiers were acceptable? I recall them whining about Hydra indoctrinating kids."

"Firstly, I volunteered, and secondly, I'm stronger than most of them put together. Thor, Hulk, the witch and Iron man are an issue but the rest are fine."

"Kids do dumb shit."

"Yup, but we don't piss off someone with powers while unarmed and alone," I remark, my eye glowing red. "Relax, I'm immune to poisons and toxins anyway," I say leaning back, causing her to put back the four poison-coated needles she'd pulled almost instantly.

The two of us began talking about past missions, the most annoying, highest kill count etc. Honestly, I found her quite charming, the hidden danger and well-concealed muscle making her even more attractive than the rare colour scheme she has going for her. "A woman your age shouldn't spend so much time chatting up younger guys," I retort to her suggestion that I go to bed because of it being a school night.

"I'm not that much older than you, you fucker. You're what? 18-19?"

"15, almost 16. Close though. Another few weeks and I'd be legal," I joke laughing as I make another coffee for myself.

"No laws here Nate," she says huskily, but I can imagine the smirk waiting for me if I reacted as if I were shocked or embarrassed.

"Fair point. I've got nothing better to do while I'm here," I instead retort without stopping my hands as they craft a most amazing espresso. The woman was clearly older, possibly in her mid to late thirties, though with the Marvel universe she could be far older and it not make a shred of difference. I heard barely a sound before she was wrapping her hands around my waist, her chest pressed tightly to my back.

"What a coincidence…me neither."