MCU: Skull and Bones

Chapter 50: Diamond in the Blood

2012

Houston, Texas

Friends of Humanity (FoH) Main Compound

(Paul Stacy POV)

"Fuck!" I snarl as the purple lightning bolts of energy strike against the metallic shell of the silver Teddy Bear and do absolutely nothing to harm it.

"This shit is useless," I growl as I retreat back into the small group of soldiers I had left with me. "Why are you idiots just watching it!? Fire!!!"

Several of the soldiers open fire on the mysterious Teddy Bear, only to have their bullets bounce off its thin metallic skin and do no damage whatsoever.

The small Teddy Bear just ignores the incomings fire and begins to shuffle forward in its stubby legs through the stream of bullets over towards us, its eyes surging with purple energy and a vacant look on its innocent face.

"It's a fucking Teddy Bear for God's sake! Just kill it already!!" One of the soldiers cries out to the others as they continue firing blindly at the miniature toy.

The Teddy Bear continues walking toward the group of soldiers, who begin panicking and shouting in protest as they try to flee from the danger.

*Zap!*

A beam of purple lightning shoots out from the Teddy Bear's eyes, striking one of the fleeing soldiers in the thigh and sending her stumbling forwards.

"Shit! Help me! Please!" She screams as she clutches her injured leg. "Don't kill me!!"

*Zap!*

The Teddy Bear doesn't even acknowledge the soldier's words as another beam fires out and a second soldier falls to the ground next to her, having been shot in the chest.

"Run!!" A man shouts as he runs past the fallen soldiers. "Get to the gates!"

The soldiers quickly gather together and begin retreating to the nearby compound gates, abandoning their posts and rushing out of the compound in fear.

"Fuck!" I curse as I watched everything that I helped build come crashing down around me and aim my rifle toward the prison building the Teddy Bear came from. "I know this thing is just one of your little toys! Come out now, or I'll-"

*ZAP!*

The Teddy Bear emits another stream of purple electricity from its eyes and the next thing I know, I'm lifted off my feet and thrown back into the air. I soar through the air and crash into the ground hard enough to send me flying again.

"Goddamn it!" I growl as I stumble to my feet and regain my balance, my heart pounding from the impact.

*Zap!*

Another beam of purple lightning shoots out from the Teddy Bear as more unlucky soldiers fall to the ground.

"We're getting out of here!" I shout over the radio to my men.

"Roger that, sir!" One of the soldier's replies.

"Go!" I order as I move to join them. "That thing is getting closer to us with each passing moment! Hurry up!"

*BOOM!*

Another section of the wall of the compound collapses inward, sending tons of concrete and steel flying through the air.

"What the hell-" One of my soldiers tries to cry out as a muscular tattooed arm breaks through the wall and grabs him by the throat. Before he can say anything, the grip tightens around his neck and then he's pulled through the hole in the wall.

"Arrrgah-" A short muffled scream sounded out from the other side of the wall, followed by a wet thud.

"What the fu-" I begin to say but am cut off by the sight of a familiar figure emerging from the opening in the wall.

Isn't that the new recruit Grayden pointed out? I wonder as I watch the man emerge from the hole in the wall.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks with a stern voice as he looks down at me with cold, piercing hazel eyes.

"Hey! Aren't you one of us!" I call out desperately to the man. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The man ignores me as he suddenly launches himself at our small group of soldiers with inhuman speed and kicks one of the soldiers in the side of the stomach so hard that his entire body was sent flying back before splattering as a wet stain against a wall. The man turns his attention toward another soldier and snatches him by the neck, before crushing his windpipe with his bare hand.

The man then leaps towards another soldier and punches him in the gut, the force of the blow making his arm pierce through the soft flesh. The soldier screamed in agony before clutching his stomach, unable to breathe. The man then grabbed his head and threw him back into the remaining crowd of panicked soldiers.

"What the hell is going on!?" I shout as I realize we stood no chance in front of this man, he seemed unstoppable.

After the man made quick work of the small group of soldiers, he turned his attention toward me and I immediately raise my rifle and point it at him as I take a step back.

"Now that that's taken care of, I've been meaning to ask. What's with the Teddy Bear?" He asks calmly as he ignores the weapon aimed at him and strides forward toward me confidently.

"St-stay back!" I reply nervously as I pull the trigger of my rifle. A bolt of purple lightning fires from the gun and arcs through the air, hitting him square in the chest.

The bolt easily tears through the thin fabric of his black shirt but halts as it slams into his skin. The man doesn't flinch or even grimace from the attack, instead, he just stares at me with indifference as he continued to approach.

"I'm only going to ask you nicely one more time." He says simply as he nears me. "What's the deal with the Teddy Bear?"

I slowly lower my rifle as the futility of the situation dawns upon me. Even if I managed to shoot him, it wouldn't hurt him. I don't have any close-ranged weapons that could do any real damage to him either. In fact... I don't have anything at all.

"I... I..." I stutter in confusion, unsure of what to do.

The man stares at me for a moment with an unreadable look, before his gaze shifts to the side and he takes one step back away from me.

*Zap!*

Suddenly, a large purple beam of lightning shoots out from behind me, striking me directly in the chest and knocking me to the ground.

************

Houston, Texas

Friends of Humanity (FoH) Main Compound

(Brock POV)

"Aaaarrah!!" Paul cries out in pain as the purple beam of lightning hit him square in his back. Knocking him to the ground as the force of the blow tears away at the thin metal of his exosuit.

*Zap!*

Another blast of purple electricity flies out from the Teddy Bear, frying his gloved hands as he tried to hold them out defensively to shield himself.

*ZAP!*

Another pair of purple beams shoot out from the Teddy Bear's eyes, causing him to recoil away the last vestiges of his suit are eviscerated.

*ZAP!*

The Teddy Bear begins shooting out another barrage of purple bolts from its eyes, demolishing the suit and causing Paul's flesh to blacken as the beams burn through his skin.

*ZAP!*

*ZAP!*

*ZAP!*

*ZAP!*

*ZAP!*

The metallic Teddy Bear continuously fires off more purple beams from its eyes as Paul's body writhes in the dirt, unable to do anything to stop it. Pieces of the exosuit melted into his skin, as the nauseatingly sweet smell of rapidly burning flesh fills the sir.

The Bear continues firing away until it finally comes to a stop as it realizes that Paul has already been reduced to a pile of blackened bones.

The compound goes silent as I stare down at the charred heap, before glancing over at the Teddy Bear as it stands motionless in the distance. Its glowing purple eyes stared at me with a blank expression.

My head tilts to the side as I stare down at the metal toy with Interest. Is there someone inside this thing? Or is it just some kind of robot...?

They did call it a mutant, so maybe-

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted as the sound of shuffling footsteps reaches my heightened ears and look over to see someone approaching from the other side of the compound.

It was a small Asian boy, who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. He was wearing a dirty plain white t-shirt and blue jeans. His hair was cropped short, and his eyes were a light shade of purple.

As the boy neared from behind the Teddy Bear's position, he stared at me with cold indifference.

"Are you one of them?" He asks calmly as he approached me.

I stare over at the boy curiously, wondering where he had come from.

"Who are you?" I ask the boy warily.

He stares up at me with a blank expression for a few moments before turning his attention back toward the Teddy Bear and placing his small hand atop its head.

The Teddy Bear doesn't even turn towards the boy as he touches it, instead, it continued focusing its gaze on me.

"We're not going back in that cage." He mutters softly as he removes his hand from the Teddy Bear's head.

The Teddy Bear remains motionless, its lifeless eyes staring straight ahead.

"If you're going to try and kill me, go ahead." He says quietly as he glances over at me. "But I want you to know that I won't let you do it without a fight."

Silence falls within the decimated compound as I just stare over at the boy with a quizzical look... before an amused smirk overtook my face.

**********

A/n: Hey Guys, hope you are enjoying the story so far and as always thanks for reading!

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