Avengers Spotlight #33

(1st story)

“Circle-T Killings Continue” is the headline of the Los Angeles Post which Hawkeye reads. The newspaper contains images of slain Stone Perfs gang members, and a photo of Hawkeye in his new costume, which adds to speculation that he has turned into a hunter. Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye reads that funeral arrangements will be held at Santa Magdalena Cemetery in East Los Angeles tomorrow. 'Wonderful. Practically an invitation for the killer!' Hawkeye remarks as Bobbi Morse-Barton a.k.a. Mockingbird sits on a sofa nearby inside the Avengers West Compound. 'Maybe they don't think you'll strike in broad daylight!' Bobbi smiles. 'That's not funny, Bobbi!' Clint exclaims, throwing the newspaper into the air. 'How can they even imply a connection between me and this “Terminizer”? The guy's a psychopath!' Clint declares. 'Are you sure?' Bobbi asks.

Bobbi walks over to Clint and puts her hands on his shoulders, telling him think about it – the Terminizer might not be crazy, he could be desperate or angry. She points out that all the victims are members of the Stone Perfs, so it's possible he has something against that gang. Clint turns to Bobbi and confesses to not having thought about a personal vendetta, and wonders if it could be someone who lives or works on their turf. 'And who's familiar with gang culture in general' Bobbi adds. Clint asks her why she said that, to which Bobbi points out that the Terminizer seems to recognize his targets from a distance, probably by their gang colors. 'I, uh... hadn't thought of that either!' Clint admits. 'I know' Bobbi tells him, before remarking that it pays to have an ex-spy in the family, as she leans in and kisses Clint. 'Yeah. I does' Clint replies, before asking Bobbi how she would feel about attending a funeral with him tomorrow. 'It's nice to know I inspire such passion' Bobbi smiles.

The next day, at the cemetery, several caskets are lined up in front of members of the Stone Perfs gang, along with other mourners and a priest, who lists the names of the deceased gang members and announces that they commit their bodies to the Earth. 'May they find forgiveness in thy kingdom, o Lord...and the peace they were denied here on Earth' the priest adds. Suddenly, a dark car drives into the funeral, and one of the Stone Perfs notices it, 'MODE BLANKS!' he shouts as the car approaches the funeral. Hawkeye and Mockingbird can be seen in the distance on the sky-cycle, while the mourners begin to run, the priest asks 'What? Who?' while one of the Stone Perfs warns him that they are bangers, and that he should hit the dirt – as things are gonna get loud. Mockingbird tells Hawkeye that his hunch was right, while Hawkeye asks her to match the car's speed. 'I want to deposit a little present in their rear seat' Hawkeye exclaims as he fires some arrows at the car, while three of the gang members are positioned out of the car windows and open fire at the Stone Perfs. 'What? Where did you come from?' one of them asks.

Smoke from the arrows fills the car, 'Tear gas!' one of them calls out as they cough and gasp for breath. 'Don't stop! Don't let 'em get us!' one of them exclaims, but the driver remarks that he can't see nothing. The car drives through some grave markings and Hawkeye tells Mockingbird to stay with the car, now that they have managed to keep them apart from the Perfs, they still have to keep the Perfs away from the Modes. Mockingbird remarks that she has been looking forward to it and asks Hawkeye to take the wheel, while the car crashes into a large gravestone, smashing it, while the gang members rush from the car. 'Are you crazy? What are you doing?' Hawkeye asks. 'What I do best! Long leaps – and high kicks!' Mockingbird replies as she leaps from the sky-cycle and kicks one of the Modes in the face, knocking his machine gun out of his hand in the process. 'Argh! You broke my hand!' another gang member complains as Mockingbird hits his hand, and the hand of another, with her battle staves, forcing them to let go of their weapons also. 'And I'm just warming up, tough guy!' Mockingbird warns the thugs.

'You haven't been following the news, have you? Peace is breaking out all over the globe. It's going to happen here in LA, too – if I have to beat your faces into plowshares!' Mockingbird exclaims as she slams her battle staves into the faces of two more of the Modes. She then moves to another and slams a stave into his face, while another of the gang members approaches her from behind and tells her that she talks too much – and offers to cut her a new mouth. He holds a large knife in his hand, but several steps from Mockingbird he comes to a halt, as an arrow with a flat head is fired at his head, and causes him to fall to the ground. 'Figures. A man finally falls at my feet – and I'm not even tempted to pick him up' Mockingbird jokes. Hawkeye walks over to Mockingbird and tells her not to yell at him for running off half cocked into more than he can handle. 'I never yell' Mockingbird responds.

Suddenly, the Stone Perfs move towards Hawkeye, one of them shouts at him and tells him that he has a lot of nerve showing his face around here after putting six Perfs in their grave. 'Here comes the hard part. Keeping your temper in check' Hawkeye remarks to Mockingbird. 'Uh-huh. Just make sure you follow your own advice' Mockingbird replies. 'Get outta here, man – or we'll find you a  spot on the lawn!' one of the Perfs shouts, when a gun shot is fired, and everyone turns to see Detective Zamora standing nearby. 'LAPD. That's far enough, boys!' Zamora calls out, informing them that for what little the truth may mean to them, Hawkeye just saved their skins. 'And he was not responsible for your friends dying' Zamora adds, suggesting that if the Perfs want to blame someone, they start with themselves. 'You're full, Zamora! They were Perfs! We don't hurt our own!' one of the thugs replies. Zamora addresses him as Hard-Top and tells him to use his head – because something they did set off this Terminizer. 'Me?' Hard-Top asks. 'All of you!' Zamora exclaims.

'You're getting back a taste of the contribution you've made to the community over the years' Zamora tells the Stone Perfs. 'That's a carload, man! We ain't the only gang in town! How come we're the ones getting dumped on by the cops, the Avengers, and now this Terminizer slugwad?' Hard-Top asks, wondering what they did that is so much worse than anybody else. 'Nothing. You just did it to the wrong person' Zamora points out. Zamora motions back to the funeral and tells the Perfs to go and show their friends some respect, listen to the priest and grieve a little – it might give them something to think about. The Stone Perfs head back to the other mourners and Hawkeye tells Zamora that it sounds like the police have reached the same conclusion about the Terminizer that he has. 'Which unfortunately leaves us all nowhere' Zamora replies. 'I assume that means the police lab turned up nothing?' Mockingbird asks. 'You got it' Zamora replies, adding that the police have looked at the spray paint the Terminizer uses, a couple of fabric strands found at the murder scenes and even his sneaker prints, but none of it is distinctive enough to be called a lead.

Hawkeye motions to the Mode Blanks gang members laid strewn about on the ground asks 'What about these clowns? Could the Terminizer be a cover for another gang that's got a beef with the Perfs?' he asks. Zamora laughs and tells Hawkeye that is a “Wiseguy” plot, and way too creative for this bunch. He pats Hawkeye on the back and asks him to keep an eye on the gang while he calls for a police wagon. 'Sure' Hawkeye smiles. As some of the Mode Blanks gang members begin to stir, Hawkeye has his bow and arrow ready, while Mockingbird holds her staves in place, and Hawkeye asks Mockingbird if she had had the same thought he has. 'You mean, that the Terminizer could be a cop?' Mockingbird replies. 'Yeah, that one' Hawkeye mutters. 'It crossed my mind, yeah' Mockingbird confirms. 'Well, cop or not, it's odd he didn't strike here' Hawkeye points out, adding that the Terminizer would have had all the Perfs in his sights at once. Bobbi suggests that it is odd, but consistent, for so far the Terminizer has only struck at night. 'Maybe he's got a day job!' Bobbi adds.

In Beverly Hills: 'She's your only patient?' Prince Charming asks as he sits, shirtless, on an examination bed in a medical office. 'And people like yourself that she sends to me' the doctor explains, checking Prince Charming's wound, he tells him that it seems to be healing nicely, and that he should be grateful. 'She could have killed you, Fernando' the doctor warns Prince. 'Call me Prince' the gang member replies, before asking if Lotus has done this to guys before. The doctor reaches for some bandages as he states that there is very little Lotus Newmark hasn't done to one person or another when the need arose, and that she is the most ruthlessly pragmatic individual he has ever encountered. 'Prag- what?' Prince asks. 'Pragmatic. Practical-minded. She does whatever works' the doctor explains. 'You got such a low opinion of her, how come you work here?' Prince Charming asks. The doctor explains that Lotus pays him more than he could make in private practice, assuming he was allowed to practice – which he isn't – as his license was revoked a few years back.

As the doctor begins to bandage up Prince Charming's wounds, Prince asks him he if is sure he knows what he is doing, to which the doctor assures Prince that he never lost a patient, he just performed a few unnecessary operations to cover a gambling debt- and got caught – so Lotus saw a use for him. He explains that he is listed on the payroll as a “customer service representative”, but actually, he is Lotus' personal physician. Prince asks the doctor how come Lotus trusts him after what he did, to which the doctor reveals that the money was owed to Lotus Newmark herself.  Prince stands up and puts his shirt on as the doctor adds that he never turned Lotus in, which Lotus took to mean that he understood where his best interests lay – something Lotus values.

Prince walks out of the medical examination room into a reception area, where lawyer Auggie Slater is waiting for him. 'Everything all right, Prince? What did the doctor say?' Auggie asks. Prince tells him that he is fine, but that he has some questions and he wants answers – now. They walk towards an elevator and Prince tells Auggie that he keeps hearing how rich and powerful Lotus is, and asks, if she is that rich and powerful, why she would be interested in him. Auggie tells Prince that he thought they had been through this – Lotus thinks he has potential, explaining that Lotus bases that judgment on the way Prince stood up to Hawkeye and, incidentally, to her. 'She got a funny way of showing respect' Prince replies. 'She doesn't respect you. Not yet' Auggie tells him as he presses the elevator button. They travel down in the elevator and Auggie explains that Lotus is concerned that Prince may not possess the intelligence equal to his nerve, and suggests that if he wants a future with Lotus' organization, he will have to demonstrate otherwise. 'That's another thing! What organization? All I know is, she hustles crack to street vendors!' Prince replies. 'You really don't grasp the extent of this enterprise, do you?' Auggie asks as they step out into the building lobby, and Prince mutters that everybody keeps saying that, and asks Auggie if he is going to laugh about it, or show him. 'You'll get a briefing after we go shopping!' Auggie announces.

Meanwhile, at La Reina Hospital, Monica Gutierrez sits up in her hospital bed, her room full of flowers, including a bunch with a card signed by Hawkeye. Monica tells her children, Luis and Anita, who are sitting on her bed, that she got a call from Hawkeye, and that he wants Luis to do him a favor. 'What favor, Mama?' Luis asks. Monica explains that Hawkeye wants Luis to tell her, so she can tell him, if he hears anything about that Terminizer person, as he thinks the Terminizer might be from their neighborhood. 'Really?' Anita gasps, adding that everyone is afraid to talk about the Terminizer, afraid that the Perfs will think they know him, before asking her mama if she is changing her mind about Hawkeye, and whether she isn't mad at him anymore. Monica pulls her son, Luis, closer to her and admits that when Hawkeye came to visit, she was very angry and frightened for her children, but she realizes that she should have not blamed Hawkeye for the Perfs' stupidity.

'Do you mean I can see him again sometime?' Luis asks. Monica informs her son that Hawkeye said he wanted to take him for a ride on that flying thing. 'The sky-cycle?' Luis exclaims. 'As soon as this business with the Perfs and Terminizer is over' Monica replies. Luis asks his mother what she said, and she assures Luis that she told Hawkeye he would like that more than a trip to Disneyland. She hugs her son close and kisses him, but Luis tries to break free. 'No...' he exclaims. 'Too big and macho for a kiss, Luis?' Monica asks, before telling her son to go and do his homework and to keep his ears open for Hawkeye. 'I will, Mama. All these troubles will be over soon. I know they will' Luis replies.

Some time later in Beverly Hills, in a high rise office, Lotus Newmark sits on a large desk, while Auggie Slater and a now well-dressed Prince Charming stand before her. Prince's hair has been cut and he is clean-shaven. 'Very nice, Auggie. I almost didn't recognize him' Lotus remarks, before asking Prince what he thinks, and whether he likes the way he looks in those new clothes. 'I guess – yeah' Prince replies. 'Good' Lotus remarks before announcing that she wants to speak to Prince in private. Auggie leaves the office, while Lotus holds up a newspaper that features an article on the Circle-T killings, and tells Prince that she doesn't mean for her next question to sound sarcastic, but she wants to know if he can read. 'Some, yeah' Prince replies. 'Good' Lotus tells him as she hands him the newspaper and tells him to look at it. Prince asks if this is a test, and reads about the Circle-T killings, discovering that the Terminizer must be the same guy who wasted the hit man that Lotus sent after Hawkeye. 'Correct. And now, apparently, he's after every member of the Stone Perfs' Lotus points out.

Lotus tells Prince that this whole situation is attracting far too much attention and that it is only a matter of time before one of his homeboys says something – to the police, to Hawkeye or even to the Terminizer, that could seriously jeopardize her interests. Lotus and Prince sit down on opposite sofas, as Lotus suggests that the advent of the Terminizer also presents them with a unique opportunity to seal any imminent leaks. 'I don't get you. He ain't gonna deal with you. He's some kinda do-good type!' Prince replies. 'That's not what I had in mind' Lotus replies, informing Prince that with his cooperation and a can of spray paint, they can eliminate the Perfs, and perhaps even Hawkeye – and fix the blame on the Terminizer. 'You want me  to kill me friends?' Prince asks. 'No. Merely bait them into a trap. They will trust you. And if Hawkeye hears you're out on bail and organizing some major operation he's sure to follow' Lotus explains.

Prince looks confused and tells Lotus that he doesn't know, and asks Lotus how he can be sure that she won't kill him, too. 'Be glad you were bright enough to ask that question' Lotus replies as she stands up and tells Prince that, as of now, he need not concern himself. She goes over and sits next to Prince and touches his face, telling him to show her that he can be strong and ruthless and cold, and she will show him how quickly she can forget the stench of his barrio and his friends. 'but – I mean – how couldja trust me ta stay loyal to you man, if I do this?' Prince asks. Lotus tells Prince that she doesn't believe in trust, or loyalty, and that she already has what she needs from him – fear and fascination. She places a kiss on his face, and tells Prince to prove her instincts right, to show her that he has the makings of a business man. 'Give your friends a call' she smiles, motioning to the telephone nearby.

Downtown LA, that night, several members of the Stone Perfs are gathered in front of an alley wall where the yellow Circle-T sign has been painted, and “Perfs die” has been painted next to it. 'It was him, homes – called me at my house!' one of the Perfs exclaims. 'The Prince got sprung, homes' another calls out. 'Out in 15' another remarks. Others mention a deal is going down, and that they need to be at the old quarry at midnight. 'Not so loud, homes!' one of them utters, as Luis Gutierrez stands nearby, 'Dios!' he thinks to himself as he listens to the Stone Perfs.

At La Reina Hospital, Monica is on the phone, 'Si! That is what Luis head them say – tonight at midnight' she remarks, revealing that the place is Korman Quarry, on the freeway fifteen. She is speaking to Hawkeye, and he must ask her a question about the Terminizer, so she states that Luis didn't see him, before she thanks Hawkeye.

At the Palos Verdes Compound, Hawkeye hangs up the phone and turns to Mockingbird, telling her that this is the kind of opportunity the Terminizer won't be able to resist – all the Perfs together, late at night and away from prying eyes. He adds that there is no way around it – he has to check this out. 'Make that “we”!' Mockingbird replies.

And, just before midnight, at the Korman Quarry, Hawkeye and Mockingbird are shrouded in the darkness, perched on the ridge of one part of the quarry, they look down into the canyon and see Stone Perfs gathered around a fire. 'What kind of conclave is this?' Mockingbird asks, recalling how Zamora told them that gangs almost never stray from their home turf. Hawkeye admits that he doesn't know, but points out that if the Terminizer shows up, the Perfs will be sitting ducks – once they are all at the bottom of the quarry, he could blow them all away with two sticks of dynamite and a Bic lighter!

(2nd story)

7:45 PM at the Maverick County Hospital in Texas, where a solemn John Walker a.k.a. USAgent stands in a blood-soaked room. The bodies of three refugee children and are a nurse are covered with sheets by hospital staff. USAgent is a soldier for his country, and like all soldiers, he has seen his share of bloodshed. He has seen worse than three children and a young nurse savagely murdered by a killer who hates all illegal aliens. After awhile, blood just becomes another color on the carpet. Captain Hitchuck of the Border Patrol covers his face, while one of his officers, Agent LaRue, vomits in a nearby bin. Agent LaRue isn't colorblind – he realizes that a lot of this is his fault, as he switched duty assignments with a fellow patrolman. USAgent knows that that patrolman, Fred Bouting, seems to be the Xenophobic Man, the killer he was sent down to the border to stop. Agent LaRue looks up at Captain Hitchuck and asks 'Why'd he do this?'

Captain Hitchuck closes his eyes and asks LaRue if he wants a nice easy answer, revealing that Bouting's older brother was killed in  the Beirut marine bombing, and his fiance was a chicano who dumped him a week before their wedding. Hitchuck explains that Bouting thought he was doing right by his country and his badge. 'There ain't no answers fer why someone does something like this' USAgent declares as he leaves the ward. 'Hey – super hero man – where' you going?' Hitchuck calls out after USAgent, following him into the corridor. 'To do something you've been unable to, Captain' USAgent responds, announcing that he is going to put a stop to these killings. Captain Hitchuck asks him how he proposes to do about doing that. USAgent points out that Bouting dragged the nurse into the bathroom, meaning he wanted something out of her – and he suspects that she told him where the Sanctuary Movement is. 'How would she know that?' Hitchuck asks. 'Who do you think told me?' USAgent responds as he steps into an elevator, the doors closing on Hitchuck before he can follow USAgent.

USAgent knows that the Sanctuary Movement is a safehouse for illegal aliens being run out of a church in Quemado – so what better place for a psycho who hates all immigrants to go than there? As he gets into his jeep which is parked outside the hospital, Captain Hitchuck rushes towards him, asking USAgent where the Sanctuary Movement is. 'In Quemado' USAgent replies. 'That's sixty miles away, you idiot!' Captain Hitchuck exclaims. He tells USAgent that by the time he gets there by car, Bouting will have finished the job. 'What do you suggest, Hitchuck? Not try at all?' USAgent replies. USAgent tells Hitchuck that he doubts the Quemado police can stop a killer armed with an M-16 rifle and steel-jacketed bullets. 'No...but you can...and I have a helicopter' Bouting announces.

The chopper is in the air in twenty minutes, and they arrive over Quemado ten minutes later. USAgent can smell his opponent – he can smell the anger – and he can smell the end. The chopper hovers over the church and USAgent instructs Hitchuck to open the bay doors. 'What're you, nuts?' Captain Hitchuck responds. 'No. I'm an Avenger' USAgent replies as he leaps from the chopper and lands on the church roof. Captain Hitchuck and Agent LaRue look at each other, while USAgent flips backwards off the rooftop and lands on the ground, where he looks over and sees several Mexican refugees rushing from a church building, the sound of gunfire can be heard inside. 'No more killing' USAgent thinks to himself, running towards the building, which he thinks is some sort of barnyard, that the refugees were fleeing. He enters the barn and finds an entrance to the underground safehouse that he previously visited through the church altar. He approaches the entrance, which is built into an old broken down flatbed truck.

USAgent drops down the hatch which has a ladder to enable people to leave or enter the safehouse, while hoping that the killer doesn't know about this exit yet. He hears more weapons fire and screams, so he races through the safehouse, eventually coming to a large chamber which is littered with the bodies of refugees. 'Stop! Put that down! You're under arrest!' USAgent shouts at the Xenophobic Man. 'Help me... she's dying...' Father Grass calls out as he cradles the body of a woman. 'You again! You're not Captain America! You soil the flag! DIE!' the Xenophobic Man shouts as he turns and opens fire at the USAgent. Agent raises his shield to block the weapons fire and thinks that Xenophobic Man is quick, and crazy. 'But ask around... I'm crazier' Johnny thinks to himself as he moves in closer to his opponent to take away the Xenophobic Man's range.

The Xenophobic Man sees Father Green, whom he calls a “traitor priest” getting away, carrying the dying woman upstairs – and all because of this anti-American. The Xenophobic Man tells himself that the priest has to die for running this Sanctuary Movement, that he  has to pay for his crimes against American's – God's children. The Xenophobic Man realizes he is distracted as the USAgent gets closer, so he pulls a blade from his belt and attempts to slice USAgent – slashing his lower leg. Johnny lets out a groan, but tells himself not to let his foe know that it hurts. 'He's hurting! Now...him or the priest?' the Xenophobic Man asks himself, turning to run to follow the priest, USAgent shouts 'No!' and throws his shield at the Xenophobic Man, which knocks his gun from his hands. The Xenophobic Man realizes that he made the wrong choice, that he shouldn't have turned his back on his foe. He doesn't have time to pick up his gun, deciding that he has to get to the priest.

The USAgent looks at the rifle that the Xenophobic Man dropped on the ground, while the hateful Xenophobic Man reaches upstairs, 'Sinner!' he shouts. 'Oh, God – please – let me help her first -' Father Grass pleads, turning to the Xenophobic Man, who aims a pistol at the priest. 'You've helped her enough! Her and all her kind!' the Xeno Man shouts, before he opens fire, the bullet striking the priest in his leg. 'Help the Ayrabs! Help the Jews! Help the Commies, fer crying out loud!' the Xenophobic Man exclaims. 'When do you help real Americans?' he asks angrily. 'You want help? I got all the help you need right here!' USAgent replies as he reaches the church, holding up the rifle that the Xenophobic Man dropped. 'One bullet'll help put you out of my misery!' USAgent exclaims, but Father Grass asks him not to, not here. 'Don't make a move or Ah'll kill the priest!' the Xenophobic Man warns USAgent, who tells his foe to go ahead, as that makes one less bullet for him to fire – and that no matter what, he is not letting the Xenophobic Man get out of here alive!