The Shocker stood in the alley behind Goldwyn’s Fine Jewels. It was midnight. The security camera was already disabled. Very little light made it’s way to the lone figure of the Shocker standing before the alley-side door. An anti-mutant riot was tearing up the Bronx at that moment. Police response would be slow in coming if at all. He knew the store was empty and time was sliding away. It was a choice hit. Low risk. Big Gain. He even had a fence with a hungry buyer for the goods.
So why didn’t the Shocker feel like blasting inside and getting the merchandise?
“Damn it.” Shocker turned and walked down the alley to where his clothes were stashed.
He didn’t really need the money. There was still plenty from the bank he knocked off just over a year ago. The Constrictor was supposed to partner up with him and stupidly got himself injured when the hydra attacked New York.* Once the fool was better he hooked up with the Wizard and his Frightful Four only to get incarcerated**. Shocker did the bank himself.
*See the HERCULES UNLEASHED mini series for details.
**See Iron Man #6 for that!
He stopped in front of the duffle bag containing his clothes.
The hydra.
It was a dark day when that thing was unleashed, he thought. A lot of people died, a lot of property damage. SHIELD said it teleported in from another dimension. No warning. Shocker lost his newest safe house in the onslaught. He had lost things, nothing irreplaceable. Nothing he could not buy again. He had plenty of cash. He was a burglar and enjoyed his work. There was the downside of having to deal with do-gooders like the pain in the ass Spider-man but overall being a super powered thief was great. You couldn’t argue with the benefits. That was what it was all about.
The cash and the action. That was the problem. He had the cash. Enough to let him live the way he wanted for years if he didn’t get crazy. Booze and broads were great but that would get stale before too long. Engineering was fun but you can’t live in the shop.
So what did that leave? That was just it. Another heist would pass the time. The planning, surveillance and execution was always a thrill.
Until the hydra.
The damn lizard showed up and threw Shocker’s whole world off. One minute he was planning the job with Constrictor and the next, he was throwing down with a ten story monster. There was a fight. Then the do-gooders came and might even have saved his life. Saved the Shocker! How embarrassing. That Marvel broad could fly on by and save me any day of the week with her sweet self. But Spider-man was there and a whole friggen’ team of Avengers.
There was chaos everywhere. People were dying. Buildings were coming down and the Shocker wanted one thing: to get the hell gone. The Black Knight had the stones to ask me to kick with them, Shocker mused. Fight with the Avengers.
I thought he was out of his mind. I was expecting an escort to a SWAT van or SHIELD to come storming out. He offered me the chance to fight with them.
On the same side as Spider-man.
“I said yes because I knew he’d flip out,” Shocker said to the brick wall.
That was what he told himself at the time too. Maybe it was true. As he started blasting and the blood and sweat was pumping things changed. His perspective changed. Shocker had teamed up with other supers before but out of material gain or revenge. Never to save anything besides his own skin.
It was a strange feeling doing something for the sake of others. If he was being honest with himself that was what he was doing fighting that damned monster. He had nothing to gain. He was even risking his life. None of the others seemed to think twice about dying but Shocker sure as hell did. It was on his mind every second of getting toted around by Starfox (with his tragic hair), dodging poisonous blasts and snapping jaws, while punishing that green monster.
Damn but Starfox could fly, Shocker thought. We found our rhythm fast too. There weren’t any snarky comments or threats. I kept the jaws of death off of him and he yanked me out of their reach. We covered each other’s backs. We were a team.
Never felt that before either.
Then Spider-man. Damn I hate that guy.
The Shocker got out of there as soon as Hercules tore the last hydra head off. Black Knight might have kept his word. He probably would have. He seemed the boy scout type. There were two very good reasons not to stick around. One, SHIELD was not bound by anything the Avengers said. Two, in all that chaos, looting a few high end spots would be too damn easy.
And they were.
What quickly became apparent, and doubly so when he did the bank a week later, was that it was no fun. There was the adrenaline present, as usual, but for the first time, it lacked a thrill. There was no sense of accomplishment. At first Shocker thought it was because the bank was too easy. The breaking in was simple but the work became interesting when the police arrived surprisingly early. The Shocker could have fought his way free. They weren’t even Code Blue or SWAT. He managed to escape without being seen.
Shocker paused, about to move the boxes that concealed his bag. Was I trying not to be seen? Why the hell would that be? What a stupid idea.
No, the gig was work. I hate working. That’s why I steal! But when robbing becomes work... He stared down at the bundle stashed inside two heavy duty trash bags. I’m working out of a trash bin here.
Having crossed paths with Spider-man more often than any other hero in his career, Shocker thought about the web-head often since the last bank job. What made him fight crime? With his skills he would be a highly successful burglar. One of the best, likely. Did he start out as a criminal but find it wasn’t for him?
It wasn’t the first time such thoughts had occurred to Shocker. Invariably the question that followed was: Is that what’s happening to me?
He even considered going out on a patrol. Just to experiment, of course. But the idea came to him more than once. In the early months following the hydra attack he would simply drink the absurd idea away. The more bored he became, the more often the notion swam to the surface. A man can only drink so much, so often, before he starts wondering if he needs to attend a meeting.
He couldn’t tell his therapist anything pertaining to the life. Doctor-patient privilege didn’t apply to crimes. It definitely didn’t cover super villains that have lost their desire to commit criminal acts and play for the other team. Again, what did that leave? Shocker could only think of one way to find out if he was done working on the wrong side of the law.
He reached between the boxes next to the dumpster and retrieved his double bagged, stash of clothes. He caught movement from above, something white and red coming down fast. He dashed away, narrowly avoiding being struck.
No, not an object, a person. The body was entangled in a mass of white cloth like a paratrooper tangled in his parachute. A part of the Shocker knew deep down who it was immediately. He knew he should grab his gear and walk away that instant. Instead, Shocker reached into the dumpster to part the white cape from around what he believed to the head of the body.
“Moon Knight,” Shocker muttered.
Shocker looked up to the roof’s edge. No movement. What happened? From all accounts Moon Knight was a sure footed, agile combatant. It seemed unlikely that he slipped and fell. There was blood and burn marks on his ribs and face. The injuries did not seem consistent with a mere fall. That meant one thing.
Moon Knight had been fighting someone.
Another thud came from deeper in the alley to the Shocker’s right.
“Shocker. Funny meetin’ you here,” the familiar, raw voice said.
Clad in forest green, tight-fitting armor, complete with a cybernetic and lethal tail stood the Scorpion. The tail arced over his left shoulder, the end pointed at Shocker. He wondered what the missile weapon of the night was. It could be anything from acid to electricity. Gauging by the Moon Knight’s injuries it was the latter.
“Gargan,” Shocker said.
“I see you found my kill. Hope you didn’t finish him off. I wasn’t done with him,” Scorpion said.
“If he’s dead, I didn't do it.”
“Good. It’s lucky I bumped into you,” Scorpion said.
Shocker checked Moon Knight’s chest. It rose and fell regularly but the hero’s breathing was shallow.
“Yeah?” Shocker said.
“Yeah, there’s some recruiting going on. Doc Ock is getting another Sinister Six together.”
Shocker rolled his eyes. Not again, he thought. Ock only wants help of this caliber for two reasons. It was always an overly complicated plan too. He did pay well though.
“Lemme guess, Spider-man is the mark?”
“That’s part of it. What are you sayin’ it like that for? You and the web-slinger buddies now or what?”
“Don’t be stupid. What else does he have in mind? Once Spider-man is dead?”
Scorpion's eyes narrowed. Not used to being insulted, Gargan? Should be as often as Spider-man has trashed your ass. Shocker watched Scorpion closely. His body didn’t move but his tail did. While it was certainly an mechanical masterwork (one the engineer in Shocker would love to take apart) it was also too sensitive. Like it’s owner, Shocker thought. The tail had to receive nerve impulses from Gargan’s brain. He might be able to keep his body from revealing any tells but the neural link was too well designed. The tail reacted to his thoughts and in some cases his feelings. He probably doesn’t even know.
“Doc’s got a plan. More’n one. He wanted me to track you down and set up a meet,” Scorpion said.
The Scorpion's eyes moved from Moon Knight to Shocker for the second time. “He still breathing?”
“I dunno. Tell yer boss I’m out.”
“What? What do you mean you’re out?” Scorpion's eyes locked on Shocker again.
I think Scorpion is going to kill Moon Knight. I don’t know if I’m okay with that or not. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never been indecisive.
“You heard me. I ain’t interested. Ock has wood for web-head. Let him chase the guy around and get his ass kicked.” Shocker found himself stepping between Moon Knight and Scorpion.
“What is with you? I ain’t even told ya the pay and yer passin’? Ock knows what he’s doing, Shocker. Maybe you been under yer rock for too long but you got a decision to make, right now.”
“Do tell.”
Moon Knight moved nearby. Stay still you fool. Don’t draw any more attention to yourself.
“Ain’t you heard? Talent is getting bought up fast. Zemo, Mad Thinker, Wizard, Mandarin- friggen everyone is makin’ a move now that the heroes are dead. No one is left. No one serious.”
“And Ock thinks he can get his piece too, right? He’s a loon and yer an idiot for following him. How many times do we have to try to pull the same old garbage before you guys get a clue?”
Scorpion settled his weight into an attack stance.
“Shut up. Like yer so smart. Yer the same as the rest of us. We fought together plenty of times. Don't be all high on the horse with me. Move yer ass so I can finish Moonie here and we can meet with Octopus.” Scorpion moved towards Shocker.
“No.”
“No? Fine, play by yerself. Don’t come cryin’ to us later when we’re rich and yer still a nothin’. Now, move.”
Shocker charged his vibro-smashers.
“Is he yer mark?” Shocker asked.
“He’s gonna be a mark. So are you if your don’t move. A red one.”
“Were you hired to kill Moon Knight?”
“No, he caught me workin’ over this- who cares if he’s mark or not. He’s one of them! The enemy? The supposed good guys? What is it with you?”
What is with me? He had never met Moon Knight before the hero came crashing down into the dumpster. Shocker didn’t owe him squat. The question about being hired to kill, where had that come from? What did it even matter? Was he going to run to the Avengers and snitch out Hammer or the Maggia or in this case Doc Ock? Scorpion was right, Shocker was a loner and preferred it that way. It took a big pay off or a solid reason to get him on board with a team. He had done a lot of things in his criminal career but murder for hire was not what he was about. He didn’t take kill contracts and, shockingly, he wasn’t going to allow a murder to take place in front of him.
What the hell?
“Last chance, Shock. Move,” Scorpion said.
“Killing him would be a mistake. He’s bound to have people looking for him. You want that kind of heat? You can’t even handle Spider-man. Moon Knight ran with the West Coast Avengers. It’ll be a nice long stint in the Vault for you for killing him. And all because you had to be-”
“Don’t say it.”
“-stupid.”
The tail stopped it’s agitated twitching and locked onto the Shocker. Two vibro-shock units were aimed at Scorpion. This is gonna be interesting, Shocker thought. I’ve beaten Spider-man and he has beaten Scorpion. Logically I should be able to-
“This is gone far enough. Hands in the air, Shocker,” a voice said from behind Shocker.
Keeping both hands aimed at Scorpion, Shocker turned to the speaker. Moon Knight, still laying in the dumpster, aimed some kind of pistol at Shocker.
“What the-”
Moon Knight eased himself into a sitting position, removed his white hood and then the mask beneath it. The damaged white uniform with the crescent moon emblem on the chest shuttered, inflated slightly then shifted in color and form as if alive.
“Chameleon!” Shocker said.
“Who else? And don’t move. This needle gun is designed to penetrate your armor. Yes, the ammo is poisoned. Not lethal but potent enough to make your transport to our employer easy,” Chameleon said.
“This is a set up? How the hell did you even know I would try this place tonight? I almost didn’t,” Shocker said.
“Thank you for adhering to your personality profile. You heard about this job from a boastful twit at the Preening Princess Gentlemen’s Club, right? He bragged about how easy it would be to knock off some jewelry store? He was throwing around a lot of money, the women were eating it up, right?” Chameleon said.
Crap. How had Chameleon known I liked that strip bar? His racket is intelligence gathering, that’s how. How many times have Constrictor and Whirlwind and I been there anyway? I’ve been played. It’s my own damn fault for being sloppy.
You can’t trust anyone anymore.
“Who is your boss and what does he want with me?”
“Like Scorpion said, Doctor Octopus hired us. He wanted to confirm certain rumors I’ve been alluding to concerning you. He has a big deal coming down and needs to know where all his little worker bees are,” Chameleon said.
“I already told Scorpion I’m not interested. So you-”
“Ah, yes. I heard. That doesn’t let you off the hook. It just drives the barb in deeper.”
“What are you babbling about?” Shocker asked.
“I’ll be blunt. Are you, in any capacity, working with the Avengers?” Chameleon said.
Shocker’s mouth fell open. Where did that come from? Why was this the first he was hearing about it? He had been laying low (except for the occasional trip down to the bar) for some time but someone should have mentioned this rumor to him. Someone could have warned him before it came to a scenario like this!
“Hell no I ain’t working with the Avengers! You two should know better than that!”
“I deal in information. Did you think it wouldn’t get to me, to us, that you helped the Avengers against the hydra?” Chameleon said and sat cross legged in the dumpster.
“That thing trashed my place. I don’t rip people off because I like the hours! I work my ass off for what I got. No monster is getting away with trashing my pad. They spotted me. The Avengers were gonna arrest me if I didn’t pitch in!”*
*Again, see the HERCULES UNLEASHED mini series for details.
“Right, like we’re supposed to buy that the Avengers asked a known crook to hook up with them. Like they needed you. A guy with a rap sheet long as my tail,” Scorpion said.
“I give a damn what your little brain believes. Read a newspaper. Avengers come from both sides of the law. Why the hell am I explaining myself to you two anyway?” Shocker said.
“Then tell me why you weren’t going to let Scorpion kill Moon Knight? Explain why you didn’t rob the place like you intended to? Since your team-up with the Avengers you haven’t even been to the bar more than a few times.
“I’d say you got some explaining to do, Shultz,” Chameleon said.
“Better get to it too. Ock never said what kinda shape you had to be in. Livin’ was the word I heard,” Scorpion said.
Shocker looked from the cybernetic tail, ready to strike, to the gun that may or may not be able to penetrate his armor. Both were almost at point blank range. Chameleon was skilled, he wouldn’t be deterred or riled. Scorpion on the other hand was tough. He was stronger than Spider-man and almost as fast.
“It’s no secret that I don’t take kill contracts,” Shocker said.
“Ya but trying to stop-hey!” Scorpion said.
Shocker dropped to his back. He watched the pistol and cybernetic tail discharge simultaneously even as his own vibro-smashers did. Shocker would later find it amazing that none of the attacks made contact with one another. Scorpion’s reflexes were faster than the Chameleon’s and fired first. The blast of electricity missed Shocker’s chest by an inch, striking the metal dumpster. Chameleon, maybe absorbing some of the residual current from Scorpion’s blast, missed his shot too. Perhaps because only the Shocker was planning to move, both of his blasts found their mark.
His left hand released a blast to the bottom of the dumpster sending it into the air. The shot from his right hand struck high on the alley wall bringing a ton of masonry down on the dumpster. The Chameleon managed to close the lid before the shower of stone landed on him. Alive or not, there was no way he’s getting out of the trash soon, Shocker thought.
The master burglar was rolling before his back slapped the asphalt. Scorpion fired a follow up blast that would have hit the mark had Shocker remained still. He fired both vibro-smashers. The Scorpion took the shots in the face and neck and staggered back, choking and sputtering.
“I’ll kill you!” Scorpion roared, clawing at his face.
Shocker fired another double blast into the Scorpion’s trunk. A flash of green and the wall just short of Shocker’s position exploded from the tail’s strike. Shocker fired again.
“How did I ever work with you people? Treacherous bastards!” Shocker said.
The tail of the Scorpion locked onto Shocker and found it’s mark. The electricity surged through Shocker’s system, momentarily lighting his insides on fire, paralyzing him. He felt like his circulatory system was plugged into an electrical socket. It was the worst thing the Scorpion could have done at that moment.
Shocker’s hands were still very much in the firing position and aimed at Scorpion. The Shocker muscles contracted from the blast and the units discharged. Neither shot was aimed. One went wide to the right, opposite the Chameleon’s cage of refuge. The second blasted the ground beneath Scorpion. He was already moving towards Shocker when the accidental release occured and could do nothing but fall into the sewer.
Shocker was just regaining control of his nervous system when Scorpion leapt out of the hole. He blasted Scorpion back into the dank, filth with a curse and splash. Shocker dashed to the hole’s edge. He could just make out Scorpion getting ready to leap up again. Shocker blasted at Scorpion with a continuous stream of energy that kept his foe dodging for cover. A second series of bursts caved the alley into the sewer on top of the Scorpion. It was a temporary solution but Shocker only needed a little time.
He looked at the dumpster and the rubble that also buried his street clothes. There was no time to dig them out. It wasn’t worth the risk of encountering Chameleon and his needle gun anyway.
“You’re done, Shocker!” Scorpion yelled through the rubble. It shifted as he dug. “Word will get out that you’re on the other side now! No one’s gonna trust you! You’ll be hunted down and-”
Shocker fired and more rubble crashed down bringing a fresh stream of profanity from below.
He’s right. With Doc Ock and Chameleon’s connections there won’t be any work. I might even get a price on my head. I know too much about too many people’s business to be allowed to live.
He needed to plan, time to figure out what his options were. There was really only one question eating the Shocker as he left the alley.
Do I run? Try and set up shop in a new city?
Or do I take the fight to them?
end... for now