chocolate zombies
The Aurora Chocolate Mill stood before Black Widow, Daredevil, Misty, and Moon Knight. It appeared to be somewhat ran-down. The lot was overgrown with weeds, and all the windows of the building had been covered in sheets of plywood. The place was surrounded by a chain-link fence with a large 'For Sale' sign hanging from it. The front gate was only secured with a large padlock. Moon Knight used a small bolt-cutter from his utility belt to cut off the padlock. Slinking onto the property they quickly found a white paneling van parked behind the factory. Inside the van were dozens of boxes of Hammerhead Doodles. However, they could not see into the main factory floor. Perhaps this was where the Night Shift held quarter and were holding Johnny Bifrost captive.
Pulling open the dilapidated front doors the heroes entered the front office and employee lounge that were completely vacant and devoid of furniture. Opening the entrance to the factory hallway, two heavily armed men met them. Both wore thick white tyvek jumpsuits, the kind lined with lead to resist radiation, and frightening rubber Halloween masks. One wielded an M16, and the other a machete.
-
Through the fog of repose Johnny Bifrost's vision returned. With it a searing pain blasted through his arms and shoulders. His hands had been fastened together at the wrists with thick rope behind his back, suspending him upside down from a mechanical winch. The winch was operated by a control panel on the nearby wall, where Black Talon stood.
Johnny could hardly see in the dark factory, but could make out the dark wine colored marks of blood in strange geometric patterns etched around the menacing figure. Black Talon wildly gesticulated with his hands as his lips rapidly moved, uttering a long forgotten tongue. All the while he smirked from beneath his tattered cowl, eerily dark eyes seemingly glowing out at Johnny.
Johnny looked towards his feet, which were actually suspended above him to see hundreds of bone fragments and strange straw figures strung all along, what he made out to be a factory ceiling, with thread. Only dim flame sconces mounted on the walls lent any illumination to the dark room. Then, Johnny looked below.
The factory floor was dominated by two large open-topped vats. An assortment of valves and machinery connected them together. Below the vats sat a conveyor belt where finished product were carried to be packaged. One of the vats contained boiling chocolate, the delicious smell wafting through the area.Several men in costumes stood around it monitoring pressure valves and meters. The second vat, the one over which Johnny had been suspended was an entirely different story. From what Johnny saw it appeared to be a massive cauldron of a putrid mixture of toxic waste and lethal syrup. The liquid was a sickening sight of brown and neon green viscosity, even emitting a strange glow into the darkness. Johnny could make out something else within the vat of filth whilst he glanced into it. He could swear he saw the deformed and decayed bodies of other people within the vat. Johnny screamed.
The toxic syrup had been created by Black Talon, through the use of his Necromantic powers. As part of the process, his potion must be "stirred by the hands of the dead" to gain its potency. The animated corpses of the Bellevue Hospital Morgue were within the vat, obeying Black Talon's command and pacing within the vat to stir the Necromancer's gruesome concoction.
At the sound of Johnny's screams Black Talon rested momentarily from his incantation. "Silence, Fool!!" Black Talon chuckled in his deep resonating voice, thick with a haitian accent. "you need not scream in fear for the loss of this life, for in my gift of undeath you shall have immortality."
Suddenly, a series of gunshots rang out in echo from the lobby entrance of the factory floor.
Black Talon quickly stepped over to the control panel to the winch that suspended Johnny and pressed a button. Johnny began to slowly descend towards the vat of radiated waste, screaming in fear and revulsion at the contents of the vat he was intended to be drowned in. Black Talon commenced with his dark ritual and to the further shock and surprise of Johnny, four of the several zombified corpses in the vat began to crawl from the vat. Fell to the factory floor in sickening thuds and plops, completely saturated with the disgusting mixture, and began shambling in the direction of the gunshots.
-
After taking down the two thugs in the lobby the four Heroes For Hire present in the factory burst out onto the floor as their element of surprise had been sabotaged. Of the 15 costumed thugs in the factory, only 5 were armed for security details but carried fully equipped M16 assault rifles. Those who were unarmed or simply thrown into panic by the heroes' arrival began to beat a hasty retreat. Climbing through boarded up windows and barreling through sealed doors. Their screams soon echoing off the walls of the factory as their attempts at escape were thwarted by unseen assailants.
-
As the 5 armed men drew their weapons, Moon Knight acted swiftly and reached for his utility belt. With the press of a small button a number of small crescent-shaped shurikens were issued from his buckle. With a flick of his wrist he projectiled them towards his enemies. Only two of the three projectiles struck their intended target, the third flying wildly and sticking into a pipe that began to spew steam heat into the factory, and into the face of another gunman. In shock and sudden pain, the gunman stumbled backwards, blindly firing shots in the air. One of the wild bullets wildly ricocheted off of the wall and struck the leg of yet another gunman. Daredevil leapt and firmly planted the sole of his boot into the chest of the masked gunman whom had been doused by steam, sprawling the man unconscious on the floor.
The 5th masked gunman popped off a few rounds in the Heroes' direction and then scrambled behind a row of crates to protect himself from the heroes. He ducked and squatted behind a large metallic crate as he held his rifle to his chest and tried to listen for the footsteps of the heroes. As a pair of boots clomped by him, the thug suddenly smelt a horrid stench. When he turned about the putrid-smelling, chocolate-covered zombie fell atop of him, covering him in its glowing green slime.
-
The only noises that could be heard in the mill were the screams of Johnny Bifrost, broiling liquid, and the resonant voice of Black Talon as he worked his dark necromancy. Daredevil scanned the factory floor, attempting to use his enhanced senses to pinpoint the location of Johnny's cries. However, he was interrupted by a louder much closer shriek. All four of the heroes turned towards the path the armed gunman had fled to see an animated corpse, lathered in an unnaturally glowing and viscous green slime that smelled faintly of chocolate. It wore a saturated hospital gown tied tightly to its decaying torso, that was now stained with large quantities of blood. Skin and hair hung in jagged and long strips from the teeth and chapped lips of the zombie, sustenance obtained from the frightened gunman. Following the command of Black Talon's arcane summons the zombie, with its companions close in tow, shambled towards the heroes and its intended prey.
The zombies poured out into the opening, moving slowly towards the heroes for hire. "Just for clarity…" Moon Knight began, addressing Daredevil. "What do you see?"
"...zombies…" Daredevil answered concernedly.
"Ok…" Moon Knight clasped Daredevil on the shoulder. "I just wanted to make sure. I see things."
-
Johnny continued to descend towards the glowing vat, the outreached arms of the dead gripping desperately with skeletal clutches at Johnny. He squirmed and writhed upside down as he moaned and pleaded with the observing Black Talon. Something strange came from that strange liquid, and breathing ots fumes was making Johnny feel violently ill. His stomach flipped and turned and he became dizzy, reeling in and out of consciousness.
"No, no, no!!!" Johnny cried at Black Talon who merely stood close by and silently observed. "Please, no!"
Finally the hands of the dead within the vat grasped Johnny by the fabric of his clothing and ripped him down from the hook he was suspended from, scratching and clawing him about the neck and face with their dead nails. As he dropped heavily into the foul mixture he thought of Felicia, his beloved sister who had only wished to keep him from harm.
-
"It's Black Talon. The sorcerer member of the Night Shift, he specializes in Necromancy." Moon Knight revealed to his companions.
"So, these are the bodies that were stolen from the morgue?!" Black Widow asked as she fired a shot from her sidearm pistol into a zombie, it's radiated green blood illuminating the factory as it splashed through the darkness.
"Must be." Moon Knight confirmed. "He can command spirits into bodies, but only a vacant vessel."
"Could Johnny still be here?" Misty asked, using her bionic arm to shoot an adamantium spike into a zombies shoulder and pinning it to a wall.
"Yeah, but if we don't find him quickly Black Talon will be using him as a member of his zombie posse." Moon Knight suggested.
"You guys keep searching the factory floor," Daredevil advised as he struck a zombie across the face with his baton, spraying green fluid and splintered teeth across the floor. "Widow and i will take care of these guys."
As soon as it was spoken it was acted upon, and Moon Knight and Misty fled from the battle to search for Johnny.
-
"Stop!" Misty screamed as she reached the bottom of the staircase that led obto the catwalk where Black Talon operated the winch. She could just barely see Johnny's boots stick vertically from the vat.
Black Talon whipped about in surprise, and a twisted smirk spread across his shadowy countenance. His fingers moved frantically into geometric shapes as he whispered the verbal components to a wicked spell, when Moon Knight burst into action. From below, on the side opposite Misty, Moon Knight had used his enhanced cane as a grappling hook that wrapped itself around a ceiling support beam. Withdrawing the part of the cane wrapped around the beam, it hefted Marc up and above the catwalk. With a flick of his wrist the hook became unattached and withdrew into the cane that he brought down in a blunt blow between Black Talon's shoulders.
Screaming in pain, Black Talon quickly spun around and delivered a flat-footed kick directly into Moon Knights abdomen. Given his inherent size And strength augmented by dark arts, Moon Knights air expunged itself from his lungs in a heaving whoosh almost knocking him to his knees. But, he had the wherewithal and speed to put up his hands as Black Talon swung a wide hook at his head and blocked the blow. Moon Knight took the opportunity to throw a jab into Black Talon's steel like abdomen, the strike seemingly ineffective.
Misty raced up the stairwell and to the control panel for the winch that drowned Johnny. Throwing up the switch, Misty watched in horror as the winch pulled up an empty hook with Johnny no longer attached. He had been loosed into the strangely glowing vat. Its greenish-brown oozing contents bubbling and broiling, dark fumes suffusing the air from it. "No…" Misty mouthed to herself in horror, as she realized Johnny had been lost.
As Black Talon and Moon Knight exchanged blows, Moon Knight using his cane as a staff, Misty briskly walked up behind Black Talon and placed the barrel of her Bionic arm's gun into the small of his back. "Stop right there, motherfucker, or you'll never walk again!" Misty screamed.
Black Talon immediately put his hands into the air, but Moon Knight cracked both of his ankles with the edge of his cane and sent him to his knees.
"Kill the zombies!!" Misty screamed, now putting the barrel to the crown of his head.
"Klachtu Verachta Niktu!" Black Talon muttered and with a wave of his hand the toxic vat stopped its violent bubbling.
"Now--" Misty began to scream, when she was interrupted by a massive explosion.
An immense and blinding light burst from the necromancer's makeshift cauldron. In the laser-like blast of light the vat was incinerated and its liquid contents evaporated, the bodies of the zombies inside sprayed in pieces all across the factory. Steam and chocolate poured from mangled and burst pipes, spraying all about the factory floor. Laying on his back on the remnants of the vat heating system, Johnny lay alive and fully conscious. His hands had been unbound and he somehow seemed to be glowing with the white-hot light that had caused the explosion. In a rage, he reflexively climbed to his feet and looked to Black Talon with malice burning in his eyes. But more than malice burned within his eyes, they now smoldered with power. His eyes had somehow become altered due to exposure of the vat's contents, solidifying the orbs into totally reflective crystalline mirrors in the socket. The mirrors glowed with light and heat, slightly burning his own eyelashes. However, his gaze of loathing did not waver from Black Talon and his sense of sight was in no way negatively effected.
In the panic, Black Talon seized the opportunity to grab and twist Misty's arm and throw her over the catwalk railing and hard onto her hip in the puddle of sludge below. As Black Talon attempted to flee Moon Knight drew two more crescent-shaped shurikens from his belt. He threw them, but they never had the chance to connect before another intense beam of light was fired from Johnny's eyes and collided with Talon at the shoulder. The concussive force threw him off the staircase and into a support beam that dropped him to the cold concrete. As Moon Knight ran over to secure the suspect a familiar blue lightning began to crackle about the mill. Leaping in vain Moon Knight fell to the floor where Black Talon had been lain prostrate before being teleported away.
-
Black Widow and Daredevil ran to Misty's aid, despite being no worse for wear despite a massive bruise that would envelope her right side. Once Misty was back on her feet she stood in amazement of Johnny and his newfound abilities.
"Johnny…"Misty stuttered, confused as to where to begin. "What were you doing here?"
"i...i don't know." Johnny explained as he tried to clean himself of the toxic goo, sounding quite confused himself. "three guys wearing masks came to my apartment and drugged me. They brought me here to kill me. Mister Negative wanted me dead because i told you guys about the guns at the waterfront warehouse."
"Who were these guys in masks?" Daredevil asked, pointing to the unconscious forms of some of the thugs littering the mill floor.
"they're members of that gang, The Faces of Fear. Some of em used to be on my set, i recognized them because they were so dumb they called each other by name. People i thought were my friends." Johnny began to cry, his strange tears running like mercury down his cheek.
"How did you do all of that stuff?! How long have you had these abilities?!" Misty asked.
"I didn't before!" Johnny cried trying to rub his eyes into being normal. "I was normal until that sick fuck tried to drown me in that gross potion! The stuff he had in that vat must have poisoned my eyes! Light is so intense, everything is so bright!"
Black Widow walked over to the spreading puddle of toxic sludge and collected a small vial of it that she tucked away into her uniform. "what were they gonna do with this stuff?" she asked.
"By poisoning the consumers of Hammerhead Doodles Mister Fear intends to financially cripple the Maggia with the resulting lawsuits and medical compensation. If the Maggia was effectively shut down the Faces Of Fear could operate unimpeded all throughout the lower east side." Moon Knight surmised as he thought back on the Bellevue hospital patients.
"Is there anymore candy besides what's here in the factory?" Misty asked Johnny.
"I'm not sure. I think they took some out back. I heard them say something about making a delivery to a school in the morning. A couple of the guys had qualms with killing kids, but their boss assured them the kids would only get sick for a couple of hours." Johnny answered and shuddered.
"Johnny, where's the book?" Misty came out and asked.
"I told you guys, i don't know anything about it! I went into hiding after i left the gang. I was trying not to get killed!" Johnny confessed.
"Felicia told us you had decided to try and retrieve the book on your own, and that's why you had been kidnapped. She led us to a bomb that destroyed your apartment and nearly killed three of us! What the hell is going on, Johnny??!" Misty asked, anger spreading across her face. Frustration of having been tricked and now bested by villains once again.
"What?! No! Felicia?!" Johnny became even more visibly shaken, and began to weep. "She would never do that! She wouldn't trick anybody like that!"
"well, she did! And i could've died because of it!" Misty screamed back.
"No! I have to find her! She can explain everything." Johnny shouted and began storming off towards the exit for the chocolate Mill.
"Wait! We both need answers! You can't just leave!" Misty continued.
"Look, i heard that weirdo talking about how the rest of his little weirdo troop were gonna be robbing the East River Savings & Loans building tonight! If you want to stop these guys, i suggest you get there before it's too late! I have to find felicia! I have to find answers." Johnny announced as he pushed past Misty and Moon Knight and continued to leave, picking up his pace as he ran away from the scene.
-
Behind the Aurora Chocolate Mill the Heroes For Hire stood gathered in waiting as the chrome and crescent shaped tactical helicopter lowered itself to the ground. It was Moon Knight's personal vehicle, or ''Mooncopter" as he had named it. The vertical take-off and landing helicopter was a twin engine craft, seating 3 passengers and the pilot. Unloaded, the copter has a maximum range of 500 miles, a maximum speed of 195 miles per hour, and a maximum altitude of 19,000 feet. The copter comes equipped with a noise-free whisper capability which, combined with a white noise system that disguises the noise of the rotor blades, renders the craft virtually noiseless.The Mooncopter was also submersible. A small, thin man in the pilots seat slowly lowered the aircraft onto the grass before the heroes. "Thanks, Frenchie. It's nice to see i left her in good hands." Moon Knight shouted to the pilot over the sounds of the spinning rotors.
In order to act the most efficiently, the Heroes planned their next step. Moon Knight had also called detective Flint and reported the supernatural events at the Aurora Chocolate Mill, whom had agreed to bring police and medical assistance to the mill where Misty Knight and he would be waiting for them. Misty would then contact Luke Cage and inform him of the heist planned to go down at the East River S&L, meanwhile Frenchie would pilot Moon Knight, Daredevil, and Black Widow to the bank to catch the criminals. Although he was now connected to all of the events on a deeper level, the heroes were persuaded by Moon Knight to allow Johnny to escape and be alone. Whatever had been done to him, and whatever his sister had to do with it was unbeknownst to him and he seemed just as frightened as any of them would be in his position. His very physiology had been altered by unspeakable magics and he could no longer live the life he had once known.
As Moon Knight prepared to elevate the mooncopter, Daredevil and Black Widow secured themselves into their seats. "I've been thinking," Daredevil began. "We've been thinking that Mister Fear had hired The Night Shift, right? But, who hired Mister Fear?"
"I actually find it more likely that Mister Fear is actually a new member of Night Shift, as his abilities fit into their niche. And as far as Night Shift working for somebody else, i find that twice as unlikely." Moon Knight replied.
"But, I've thought about it, and i can only think of one man who would benefit the most from taking down the Maggia crime families. That man is Kingpin, Wilson Fisk. He could be the man in the shadows orchestrating this entire fiasco. He had the brains to have come up with something like this and has the influence." Daredevil retorted.
"You're blinded by your vendetta against that man, Red." Moon Knight exclaimed. "It couldn't be him. I'm telling you for a fact that the Night Shift would never ally itself with Fisk or his criminal organization."
"But how do you know that?" Black Widow asked.
"Because i know their leader, The Shroud. His real name is Maximilian Coleridge. He witnessed the murder of his parents at the age of 10 and dedicated his life to the opposition of crime, studying criminology and subjecting himself to a strict exercise regimen. He traveled throughout Asia and underwent unrevealed adventures, eventually studying for seven years with the Cult of Kali. Branded by the cultists, Coleridge lost his physical sight but gained a mystic compensation. He eventually decided that the only way he could succeed was by fighting fire with fire. He started gathering up people with dark powers and formed the night shift as a way to fight the bad guys in their own criminal underworld. None of the other members even know his hidden agenda." Moon Knight revealed.
"That's insane, Nietzsche had a quote about fighting monsters." Daredevil said.
"And if that were a true statement, Max Coleridge would be the exemplary case. He thinks he's doing good by getting deeper in the muck and closer to these scumbags." Moon Knight added. "He's crazy, that's why i declined a membership to his cabal when i was offered. And for me to call anybody else crazy, that's saying something."