Deep within the crevices of the Earth, a small machine bore its way through the dense, dark and boiling hot substrate. The man at the helm held their course as the mole dug further and further into the Earth’s crust.
Their search for artifacts and weaponry from beyond the human’s knowledge was an ever on-going process, finding elements stretching all the way back to the dawn of humanity, and past that.
Cave hoped to discover new civilizations, as well as artifacts, but as yeah, and at the behest of Geo-Force he had never burrowed this deep. Perhaps the king of Markovia would be angry with him for going further than ever before, but the realms of scientific research couldn’t be quelled for long.
The mole reached a large opening, a cavernous mouth that stretched on for as far as Cave could see. Along the walls were a number of markings and runes, nothing that he, or the onboard computer system could identity. Stopping the engine as the large mechanical drill stopped its progression. Cave got out of his seat, walking towards the containment suit storage area.
“Mr. Meekin, you have the helm until I return. Swanson; Fromme – You’re with me.”
As Cave ran a hand through his beard, pulling the containment suit onto his body, over his already insulated and artificially cooling clothing, he stared at the runes on the wall. Something was...obvious about them. It was almost as though they’d been deliberately set up to guide someone, possibly not him, to a certain location.
As they lowered the rope from their bore hole, and abseiled down the face of the cavern, they noticed almost track marks through the ground. Cave stopped to examine them closer, kneeling down and pointing towards their distinctive markings.
“Fromme, you’re the expert in this area – What made these tracks?” He looked across to the crew Zoologist. The man kneeled down and pushed his fingers into one track, feeling the contours.
“This one, on the left, was made by a large Gastropod, but I can’t explain how they’re able to survive in such high temperatures or how they’re so big. I mean, once you upscale these things, there’s a certain limit to their size before they start to not be able to support their weight or breath.” The crewman looked confused, as Swanson waved a weapon around their location.
“There’s something moving in the Ceilings, Cave.”
Swanson aimed upwards, as Cave cast his attention further down the run.
“We’re going to follow these tracks.”
“Cave, I’m not sure that I think that’s such a...”
“Swanson, we’re following them, Okay? We’re on the verge of something good. Activate your shoulder Camera’s; I want people to see this.”
As the trio moved further into the Cavern, the markings got more detailed and more packed in together. It seems they detailed whatever was in the cave activating something in the animals, mutating them, making them different.
“What do you think it means?” Cave asked Fromme, as he traced his fingers over an image of a tiny worm becoming the size of a cow, mutating to have huge holes in its side and smaller segments.
“I’ve long hypothesized that if humans have the Meta-gene inside of them, why can’t Animals?” He turned to Cave, and pointed towards an iridescent glow.
“I think that might have the answer.”
As the trio walked towards the glow, Cave turned to Fromme.
“Are you suggesting that animals could become “Super-Animals” in the same context as humans are?”
“Well, yes, basically. Though they wouldn’t be any different to normal animals, only with more expanded base abilities, like that Worm for example, it maintained the annelid structure, but scale itself upwards, presumably to out-compete the other animals.”
Cave and the others stopped, before them was a large skeletal fragment. The bones had been hollowed out, but the glow was coming directly from the hand before them. Carson looked to the others before stepping forwards to touch the Skeleton. As he did so, his eyes glazed over, as though his mind was now a void and something else was controlling his actions.
Sliding his fingers into the skeletal hand, he lifted it into the air, and looked at it. With a blinding flash, Cave was thrown off his feet and onto the floor, convulsing as his skin began to bubble and peel.
“CAVE!” Yelled Fromme, as he charged forwards, trying to grab hold of Carson’s body. He was knocked back from the man’s violent convulsions, with two fists full of skin.
As suddenly as they had begun, Carson sat up. His body now completely blue, his muscles expanded in size, and his hair shocks of white. He explorer looked at the skeletal glove on his hand, and his now changed form.
He looked to the camera on Fromme’s shoulder.
“Unknowable”
“You released the footage?” Barbara Minerva slammed her fur covered fists against the round table at which they all sat. Cave didn’t jump, as he normally would. Barbara was now working on the side of the angels, or at least close to it. He hadn’t been able to work out if she was an anti-hero, or just biding her time for another scheme.
She was tough to figure out.
“It wasn’t a deliberate release, Fromme wanted to release it to document his discovery about the Animal Meta-Gene. I tried to stop it, but he stole it from under me.”
“You arguably have the biggest frame out of all of us now, including Hercules, and he stole it from under you?”
It was true, much to Hercules chagrin; Carson was much taller and broader than he. The former explorer and scientist might even have been stronger than Hercules, but that defied all logic and faith in himself, so the Prince of Power ultimately ignored that possibility. How could a mere mortal be stronger than a Demi-God?
“You know I’m not that way inclined, Barbara. I’m a man of science and exploration.”
“That means you’re of a weak will, then.” She muttered, turning her attention to the screen that just opened up underneath her.
“Regardless, we’re going to need you. Call the rest of the team – We’ve got a ping.”
Dropping from the plane, Hercules, wrapped in his Golden Hide, fell feet first next to Cave, who looked like a colour challenged Doc Savage, as he fell towards the Earth, arms and legs waving frantically. He had adopted using sun-glasses in direct sunlight. Hercules thought it was out of vanity, but Cave had hypothesized in the plane that it was to do with his meta-gene activation underground.
With both of his heels hitting the Minotaur and pushing it into the ground, Hercules landed with a roll and got to his feet, unsheathing his sword, and using it, flat side out, to try and control the charge of the other members of the herd.
Since Diana had let loose the mythology of Greece, as well as the world, the Challengers had been formed. It was unknown to Hercules WHY the Cheetah had started this group, especially since it wasn’t even her that had freed him from his imprisonment. He only knew that she asked for him, and he came, to do his bit to cast himself in a better light to the Gods.
Now, he questioned his role as strong man, as Carson landed near to him, face first into the ground. Whilst he was bigger, and taller, Carson was obviously not a warrior by nature, trying to gently restrain the Minotaur, and in doing so only making its anger greater.
Looking down from the plane, the rest of the Challengers watched with curiosity.
“Well, this isn’t going well – Chloe, have you got anything?” Cheetah looked towards her “communications officer” with interest. Chloe always shied away from Barbara as she found her fur, and features to be terrifying.
“I..I..F-Feel something down there, Barbara, something that doesn’t belong.” The brown haired woman pulled the hood up over her head again, and looked out of the window below.
“Something like?” Barbara asked with frustration, biting at her long clawed hands.
“Something like someone doesn’t belong in that herd.”
Barbara smiled, and cast her eyes downwards.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
“Single it out, Chloe.” Barbara moved herself into position, holding onto the edge of the opening in the plane, her tail swaying eagerly.
“It’s not that easy, Barbara.” Chloe replied, eyes closed and hands open, hoping her senses would guide her. Her voice was soft, her Irish accent making it softer still, almost inaudible above the drone of the engines.
“CHLOE! DO IT.” Barbara was commanding, more so than anyone worked with.
Her eyes snapped open, unleashing a tear down the side of her face. She pointed downwards towards the grouping, singling a Minotaur, with a much shaggier mane than the others.
“Mine.” Barbara said, through gritted teeth with excitement lacing every syllable.
Andrew Sachs had won an inordinate amount of money on the lottery, a sum so huge; he would never need work again. Instead of retiring to the mountains or somewhere scenic, he built himself an artificial island, using sediment he bought from other countries, and created an artificial game-reserve on it.
On another whim, he spoke to Barbara Minerva, in the wake of the Mythological fall-out of Wonder Woman’s mistake, and re-branded the island as a place where mythology is kept.
“Island Of Myths.” It was billed as, a vast game-reserve, presided over by himself, his girlfriend, Amber Rayne, and various other keepers. The Challengers were also based from here, after he bought the rights to the name.
“We need to find more of these…items.” Andrew began, looking at the containment box below him, glass allowing his eyes to focus on the glowing object, a focus that wouldn’t be shaken by his girlfriends concern.
“Are you sure?” Amber was the game-keeper for the Sachs institute, something developed in a spur of the moment decision by Andrew.
“I am positive.” He continued looking at the item.
“Imagine the power more of these would grant me, or you, if they could transform someone as mundane as Carson?” Andrew looked up, excitement in his eyes.
“How do you know these even exist?” Amber asked.
“A little pussy cat told me.”
Amber had just forced the Minotaur, the one that Chloe had singled out it’s holding pen, separate form the others of it’s herd. Barbara had been watching the entire time, shifting in and out of her Cheetah form in excitement and anticipation. She licked her lips, and crossed her legs.
Barbara knows what the Minotaur is going through. As Amber walks away, she strokes the object in her pocket, the symbolic head of a small dog, or lion. In her hand she holds a former member of the Justice Leagues sigil of power, the Tantu Totem.
Stealing the Tantu totem was originally all Barbara’s intention, to gain more access to Feline powers, to allow her to appropriately battle the other Cheetah after their disagreement of what to do after they were defeated by Wonder Woman and Circe.
However, upon gaining the Totem, she found herself connected to something much larger, and filled with ideas and a purpose above her station. She understands her calling now, reaching out into the idea space found only inside those keyed to Animalistic instincts and thought waves. As she found herself in possession of this item, it was clear to Barbara this was the point at which she turned away from her previous lifestyle – she was no longer a “Villain” she was more Anti-Hero, or a woman with a mission.
A mission to preserve her portion of the Red, and carve her own niche in it, with her carefully laid plans. As she gazed on the Minotaur, she took the totem from her pocket, along with her Blackberry phone, and carefully punched in the email address of people she had been liaising with.
K.Langstom@GCU.com & Whyspher@gmail.com
At the discovery of the skeletal hand by Cave, and this Minotaur being singled from the others, she needed to discuss with them their plan.
A Month Ago
She’d blunted her claws trying to dig him out. A spade wasn’t good enough; she needed something with more strength to it. As she drove her hands repeatedly into the fallen rocks, she found she caught whiffs of the strong stench of body odor and excrement from below. Scratching more and more, the opening gave way to something bigger, dropping through, letting Barbara and the rubble fall towards the bottom.
As she collided with the floor, she got to her feet, glancing around, allowing her eyes to get used to the lack of sunlight.
“Hello?” She offered, narrowing her eyes to tiny yellow beads.
“Hello.” Came a gruff growl, as the emaciated form of Hercules lay before her, Golden Hide stained with bodily fluids, and saliva, dripping from his mouth. It was obvious he had survived on small animals and fungus this far, however, it wasn’t a diet that allowed him the opportunity to grow.
“Hercules. I’ve come to make you an offer.” As Barbara spoke, Hercules could see her eyes firmly glued to the Golden Hide. He made a promise to himself at that moment – he would take her offer, whatever it was, but never, ever let his Hide from his sight.
Ever.
Andrew sat across the small table, dressed in a business suit, with his hair slicked back. He had has hands folded together, eyeing up the potential employee before him.
“Why me?” He began.
“Well, I contacted you because of your efforts to control these events, and since someone in your employ had crippled my powers, I wanted revenge.” She began, adjusting her short hair by running her fingers through it.
“And do you still want Revenge, because that’s generally pretty bad for Business.” Andrew adjusted his tie, looking down his nose at the woman.
“No. I’ve come to terms with it now; I’ve developed my abilities long beyond what I had when I was using my power item as a crutch.” She played with the beads around her neck, as she locked eyes with the man before her.
“So, you think these abilities will benefit me? Why not return to the Justice League?”
“Because I don’t belong with them anymore, I really do think that my new abilities will be of some benefit to you, and to Barbara.”
“Well, you’ve convinced me.”
He stretched his hand to her, in an offer of acceptance.
“Welcome to the Challengers, Vixen.”
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To Be Continued...
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