362. Random Teleportation!
362. Random Teleportation!
"Coordinates…"
Lady Shiva froze for a moment at the word, then quickly grasped the critical issue, standing still in realization.
"Oh no!"
Moments before, the relief of surviving and the curiosity about this new Earth had left her no time to think of anything else. But now, with Old Barton's reminder, Lady Shiva suddenly noticed that many of the people emerging from the white light around her were unfamiliar faces, some dressed in outfits clearly different from the citizens she'd gathered at Gotham Harbor.
Scanning the crowd, Lady Shiva tried to locate other heroes, but to her disappointment, neither Batwing nor Superboy Conner, nor anyone from her group, was present.
"This could be a big problem…"
Barton sprang up, fully aware of how dangerous the Wasteland world was. It had gone through devastation and civilization's collapse, a place so ruthless it would consume a person whole.
If these newcomers from another world had indeed been randomly teleported to various cities across the Wasteland, the consequences could be catastrophic.
On top of that, the Wasteland was in utter chaos, with factions at war, fighting for territory. In this environment, it was hard to imagine the kind of predicaments these new arrivals would face.
"Frank, get word out immediately. Have every Blood Nest guard deployed to retrieve the newly arrived from the surrounding area," Old Barton urgently commanded the Punisher. He knew he had to act fast; each minute's delay could cost lives.
"Understood."
The Punisher nodded, turning to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Old Barton suddenly thought of something, pulling an arrowhead from his pocket and placing it in the Punisher's hand.
"I did a lot of dirty work back in the day. Let's make use of some old favors. Send this to the mercenaries with a bounty request; they'll help us too."
"Got it."
Without further words, the Punisher dashed toward the hall.
Meanwhile, Kate Bishop was already issuing orders to her security captain. As the mayor of a shelter camp, she knew exactly what needed to be done and didn't need any extra explanation from Barton.
"Contact our camp and get moving to protect those newcomers. Make sure they stay out of danger. Also, inform the Wasteland Avengers Alliance; Vivian will know what to do."
"Yes, Mayor."
"And one more thing."
Kate Bishop narrowed her eyes, fully aware of how vile the surviving gangs on the Wasteland were. Beyond them, there was also an entire horde of monsters that preyed on humans.
"Spread a message through Hydra's network. The Wasteland is now under the Avengers Federation's jurisdiction, and all outsiders are under our protection. Anyone who touches them is dead. No exceptions; anyone who targets those newcomers is our enemy."
"Understood!" Freya responded firmly.
Watching everyone swiftly and methodically issue various orders, Lady Shiva realized that these people were indeed the heroes of this world.
Seeing them, Lady Shiva felt a pang of nostalgia. On her Earth, only two years had passed, but it had already fallen into ruin. Yet here, these heroes had managed to hold out for a full forty years!
With that thought, Lady Shiva couldn't just stand by. She quickly stepped up to Barton and said in a resolute tone, "Is there anything I can help with?"
At her words, Old Barton looked the woman over. Though she appeared young, her physique was in impeccable proportion.
Old Barton wasn't thinking with lust. Maybe a little, but his mind was absolutely clear of any such thoughts at this moment.
What he admired about her proportions was related to her skill. Though Lady Shiva looked somewhat slender, the strength hidden beneath her frame was undeniable.
Looking at her, Old Barton suddenly had a brief vision of Black Widow Natasha standing before him.
Swallowing, he cleared his throat and said, "You're not too familiar with this environment yet, but you probably have some intel on the people from your world, right?"
"Of course. Previously, under Alex's arrangement, I worked with other heroes to guide civilians. Besides me, a few other heroes should have arrived here, though I don't know where they ended up."
Lady Shiva knew that mentioning Alex's name in this world was the most effective approach.
Indeed, upon hearing her words, Barton nodded repeatedly.
"In that case, you should join our people in action. Start searching the surrounding areas. We'll also coordinate with other factions to locate them quickly."
"Chief, our network probably won't be operational for a while."
A young scholar approached Barton, speaking urgently.
"What happened?"
Barton furrowed his brow.
"It's because of Doom's recent actions. To activate the Sorcerer Supreme's magical barrier, he overloaded all the reactors on Earth. I don't understand magic, but right now, most electronic devices, including those at Blood Nest, are fried."
The scholar explained.
This only deepened Barton's sense of unease.
When it rains, it pours. Without a working network, they'd have to rely on messengers, but with so many people…
Sighing, Old Barton closed his eyes briefly.
"Get to work on repairs quickly. Also, send someone to Baxter Tower; that girl named Barbara might have a way to fix this."
"What about the Wasteland Avengers Alliance?" The scholar paused.
"Keep trying to reach them. If it means running there on foot, then get someone to run there."
Barton said firmly.
Reflecting on things, Barton also grew concerned about Vivian's safety. After all, she was Vision's child, an artificial life form.
Who knew if Doom's actions had any effect on her…
----------------------------
Within the Hulk Gang's territory.
This was at the westernmost edge of Amerika, an area where Red Skull's control was weakest.
The brutes of the Hulk Gang were so powerful, and most of them so unhinged, that even before Red Skull's fall, he rarely sent Hydra soldiers there.
For one, it was too far. Although Hydra was incredibly powerful, the distance from east to west made things tricky. If a conflict arose, Red Skull couldn't bring an army there easily; it was too much trouble.
And secondly, there wasn't any point. Old madman Bruce Banner hadn't emerged in ages. While the Hulk Gang had terrorized local farmers, they rarely left their territory, so their chaos was relatively contained.
This was why Red Skull ignored the Hulk Gang; the area was poor and barren with few resources, so it was better to let them do as they pleased.
The Hulk Gang thrived in this freedom, enjoying life on their terms, drinking, killing, and causing trouble. Without interference, they found their comfort.
But now, with a flash of white light, the Hulk Gang's territory had suddenly become lively with the arrival of a group of unexpected visitors.
.....
30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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363. The Bald Man.
364. The Watcher's 'Intervention'
365. The Hulk Gang!
366. Wasteland Justice League.
367. The Overseers!
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