Freedom Force and The Dark Order

Major Victor Armstrong knelt down low, his field binoculars held up to his eyes as he scanned the horizon, seeking the landmark that their inside man, Agent Joe Stone, had told them indicated a ventilation shaft large enough for the men to climb inside and make their way down to the main lab. He squinted, THERE… a small distortion in the air. That had to be it.

The Major was dressed in combat boots, combat trousers, and his battle top. Here, in the jungle, traditional camouflage was the order of the day. His utility belt was packed with weapons and tools. His mature, powerful muscle filled out his uniform, stretching it the max. He was power personified. Raised in a family with a tradition of military service, it was only natural for him to enter the military. He spent his life serving his country. He’d never married. The Army Rangers were his wife. He’d never had children. The new recruits were his children. He loved his country, loved America, and had sworn an oath to fight to his dying breath to protect his nation and the men under his command.

He turned then and looked at Joe Freedom. There was a surge that started in the very core of his nuts whenever he looked at Joe, a tingle like electricity that fissioned through his body. Here was a man he would take a bullet for. Here was a man that was too good for this earth. The Major thought back to when he’d first met Joe at the academy. So young, so eager, so selfless, strong as an ox, a natural athlete, and a skilled fighter.

The Major remembered the exact moment he knew that he would be serving by this man’s side for the rest of his life. It happened during a training exercise, where the instructor suddenly threw a grenade into the middle of the group of cadets. The cadets all threw themselves away covering up. Except one. Joe Freedom dived down, covering the grenade with his All-American 100% Grade A Hero Muscle.

The Major told Joe, “There it is. I see the entrance to the ventilation shaft. Once it turns to night fall, we can approach and enter the base. From there, I’ve memorized the map to the lab through the ventilation chamber. The vial we need to get is coloured blue. You understand the importance of this mission? If the Dark Order gets a chance to use that vial, they will create an unstoppable monster. That’s not going to happen on our watch, is it Joe?”

Joe’s clear, blue eyes locked onto the Major’s with frank eagerness and foretold his response before he spoke “No sir! Not on our watch! It’s not gonna happen.” His jaw sets and he scans the target again “We’ve got enough monsters from that bunch, already.”

Suddenly, Joe’s hand goes down firmly on the older man’s shoulder, pulling him down quickly in a shared crouch, hunkering low behind their cover. “Sir, see that? They’re locking up for the night. Not long to wait.” The Major can’t hide a brief grin at his man. Even that brief blur of distant movement, a lone Dark Order grunt popping up an arm to pull a hatch closed, didn’t escape Joe Freedom’s eagled eyes! His chest puffs for the hundredth time in pride.

“Hmmph. Good eyes, son, good eyes.” Hunkering, knees touching in the close cover, the Major pulls an object from his camo trousers and flicked it up to his partner. “Don’t get all gushy on me, and don’t think I’ve got a stash.” Joe’s face broke wide in a boyish grin, as always. “Butterfinger! You’re too good to me, sir!” He didn’t waste a second feeding his legendary appetite. “Yeah, well” chewing grimly the Major watched the target “might as well not charge in on an empty gullet.”

And the men waited, silently, but with an easy camaraderie borne of a bond strong as blood. As the darkness fell quickly in the tropic heat, the night animals beginning to call harshly from the trees and green pools, they waited like jungle cats for their time ...

Major Victory looked over at Lt. Joe, smiling to himself, the tough All-American soldier was charged with energy, his battle-forged muscles rippling with barely suppressed power, now recharged thanks to the butterfinger snack! The tough Major’s own power-packed All American beef was primed for action, and finally it was dark enough.

The Major nodded once at Joe Freedom, and darted forward towards the steaming vent in the distance, dashing from tree to tree, checking the surroundings, listening for any sign they were detected, any unusual sounds or flashes of movement, but each time, everything was in the clear, and the Major beckoned for Joe to follow him. Joe Freedom was one hell of a fighter, expert with weapons, fearless, with an iron will, but… stealth and recon were not his strong suites.

Whenever they teamed up, the Major always took point, and Joe followed the Major’s lead. The Major was an expert at woodcraft, stealth, and recon, his sharp eyes and highly-tuned senses able to detect the least out of place disturbance, and he seemed to instinctively know how to move in such a way as to stay invisible.

Finally, they reached the exhaust vent, a round steel shaft rising out of the Jungle floor, with a vent screwed onto the top. Their man on the inside, Agent Jeff Powers, had assured them in his last communique that he would sabotage the security cameras set to defend against just this kind of infiltration. Jeff was one of the most accomplished, confident, and skilled Agents Major Victory had ever known. He trusted Jeff with his, and with Joes, life.

He and Joe rapidly unscrewed the grill, and the two men attached their grappling hooks to the rim of the steel shaft, and prepared to rappel down into the base. Major Victory’s grizzled, veteran arms flexed, armoured like a battleship, and just as strong. His core tightened, and he looked over at Joe, whispering, “Follow me!!” Then, the two soldiers, watching each other’s backs as they’ve always done, lowered themselves down the shaft into the darkness within the silent Dark Order lab’s ventilation system.

Hunkered down, scanning the twisting corridors, Joe and the Major quickly realize that Powers has done his work and then some! Not only are the security cams down, but Joe’s quick check confirms the short-range frequency interference online, subtly blocking the bad guys’ surveillance device communication. Joe looks up from his wrist com and grins at the Major, check! With that, the two soldiers begin their sweep and crawl through the complex, Freedom leading silently with his nanomapping com and his razor-sharp senses. Shoulder to shoulder, back to back as they spin as one around corners, elbow to elbow as they drop to avoid the Dark Order guards who walk past with no clue of their peril. Butt to butt as they crouch at the main junction to the Dark Order Lab, preparing to open fire on bogies coming from two directions!!!! But quick thinking and a precision-thrown ball bearing lead the goons down the wrong way, confused and quickly deciding “false alarm!”

Now Victory and Freedom had clear sight of the vaunted “Lab Alpha!” Sliding steel double doors with a set of emergency lights above, and a neon “Biohazard” warning across it all. Two Dark Order guards, picked stormtroopers by their uniforms and posture, stood on each side of the entrance, weapons at rest. It all comes down to this moment. Can the All-American freedom fighters neutralize those two and make their break-in attempt? Or will the alarm be sounded and scores of crack Dark Order descend upon them?

The Major takes the lead as they lock gazes, silently working up their response. He motions for his young partner to prepare to launch at the guard on the left, while he himself lest drop a narrow trickle of water from his canteen, making sure it rounds the corner to glitter in the vision of the remaining guard. Victory can’t suppress a grim smile in return as he sees Joe suppress a chuckle. Too easy. A fierce young buck like Joe WANTS a battle, but this isn’t the time.

On cue, the stormtrooper sees the … leak? Shakes his head, says something to his partner and steps forward. Now the two Americans can hear in a slavic-influenced English “What the hell? Is thees dump falleeng apart on us!” He rounds the corner to investigate ….

WHAM!!!! He’s yanked back out of view with frightening speed! Major Victory pulled his web vest and then covered the man from head to toe in a cobra lock vise, his hand under the helmet with lightning speed, covering any attempt at a warning!!! His legs locked around his prey, his arms nullifying every move and struggle the Dark Order man attempts to make! Joe shakes his head. This idiot had no chance against the Major. But no time for jokes, because he sees the second guard doing as planned, coming forward with his rifle to bear .. Joe sucks in a last breath, tenses, coils and … LAUNCHES just as the Major ordered!!!

His boots don’t hit the ground till he is on top of the target. Leapin a full fifteen feet from a standing start, a blur of motion to the normal eye, G.I. Joe is on the enemy, has him down on his back and with a series of blurring fist and palm strikes has him KO’d before he can take a breath, let alone sound the warning.

Joe crouching over his man, turns back and lifts an eyebrow to his mentor. Sees the last “UURRFF” struggle of the Dark Order goon … then nothing. Victory drops him like yesterday’s news and nods his head. Joe grabs his man by the boots and pulls him around the corner, lays him on top of his partner in an … embarrassing posture. The Major whispers “Really? Is that necessary, son?” Joe’s grin cracks from ear to ear “What’s the point if we can’t have just a teeny bit of fun, Major, right?” Victory hides his own grin, can’t encourage this high spirited buck, though he’d like to … and whispers … “Ok, wise guy, think you’re ready for the main event?” Joe’s smile but becomes more grave … “yessir, you know I was born ready for this!”

Major Victory chuckles quietly, then kneels in front of the steel double doors guarding the entrance to Lab Alpha. According to Joe’s intel, the lab should be deserted this time of night. Ought to be a quick nab and grab. Joe keeps watch, eyes peeled, senses tuned, making sure the Major ain’t interrupted. Major Victory bends down, concentrating on the entry keypad. Joe had provided him with the bypass code, but it was delicate work getting it entered right. The Major quickly grabbed his hacking kit from his tactical belt, and unscrewed the plate. Delicately, he inserted two small wires to the bypass circuit, and tied them into his smartphone. He entered the bypass code, and the two doors SWOOSHED open silently.

The Major quickly cleaned up, while Joe pumped his fist in silent celebration, a big grin spreading across his handsome face. Then, quietly the two of them ducked down in a low crouch, and entered the darkened lab. Major Victory strained his senses, but couldn’t hear anything. He had memorized the path to the rear of the lab where the formula was kept. The two elite American commandos carefully and quietly made their way to the back of the lab, staying out of sight, careful and cautious the entire way, ducking behind desks, darting past open spaces.

Near the back of the lab Major Victory was about to duck behind the final lab bench between the Commandos and the highly guarded cabinet containing the serum. There, on the floor, in front of the cabinet, lay a body. Victory motioned for Joe to cover his back. His senses heightened to the max. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He crept forward and nudged the body over onto it’s back. He stared down into the sightless eyes of Jeff Powers.

Suddenly, all the lights came on at once. From the far side of the lab, carefully concealed, six elite Dark Order Stormtroopers leapt into view, each one dressed in the familiar Dark Order uniforms, black combat boots, black combat trousers, black armored vest with the Dark Order insignia emblazoned on their chest,, with a black beret. Each one highly trained and fully armed. Then the steel doors slide open, and in walks a huge man wearing an officer’s uniform. Built like a brick shithouse, exuding an aura of strength and power, the huge man, at least six foot tall, his powerful muscle filled out his officer’s uniform, stretching the seams.

He snarls, “Got you fuckers. Your mate Jeff there was very helpful, unfortunately, as you can see, he didn’t survive the questioning. Too fucking bad. I was looking forward to teaching that worthless piece of shit new ways of hurting. But you two will do. Capture those fuckers, boys, but don’t kill them. I’ve got plans for those two.” Then, the Dark Order officer takes out a small device, and hits a button. The device sends out a pulse of energy, using a frequency raped from Agent Jeff Stone’s mind, an emergency override signal designed to shutdown down the high-tech weapons wielded by Major Victory and Lt. Joe Freedom in case they fall into enemy hands!

The enemy soldiers are armed with what looks like cattle prods, the tips sparking. The huge muscle beast of an officer watches as the six Dark Order troopers move in, encircling the trapped American heroes!

The moment the Dark Order men move, Joe barks out “Major! We’ve been made!” and the two American heroes get back to back over the body of their fallen comrade, weapons to bear!

But the snarl and mockery of the Iron Merc makes them instantly aware of their real peril. As the villain completes his practiced mockery “... But you two will do. Capture those fuckers, boys, but don’t kill them. I’ve got plans for those two.” Major Victory retorts in his deep, steady voice “You’re gonna wish you had picked up another contract, Merc! Freedom! Let’s show the smart aleck what these little babies can do!” Instantly the two American heroes aim their high tech PHASR rifles and prepare to unload!

(These weapons are state of the art spec ops for the USA. Many times smaller than the first PHASR, the 9th model combines its non-lethal stunning fire at range with the ballistic power of a FN 57 when lethal damage is necessary, plus the fingerprint user only tech of the Armatix iP1 … in a weapon the size of a mini-Uzi!)

(picture a multi-weapon the size of a small Uzi …)

But a laugh from the Iron Merc warns the two soldiers something must be wrong. ZAAAPPPP!! When he presses a control, both men hear their own weapons buzz and go … dead!!!! Click … click … Joe yells to the Major “Sir!! They’ve disabled out weapons somehow!!!”

“We got no choice, kid! Drop ‘em and do this the old fashioned way!! Incoming!”

With that, the Dark Order men rely upon their numbers to take down and disable these stupid, trapped Americans! They lunge in as a pack, like wolves, Joe thinks. Wolf packs can be deadly, but not unstoppable … The All American hero back to back with his partner knows all is not lost. Not as long as the Major is still up and fighting and … well … there is one ounce of blood pumping in his heart!!!

Fists up, circling like a boxer, he lets the Dark Order stormtroopers think he is easy prey, the dumb soldier who’ll resort to his basic training in fisticuffs. And despite their training, and mostly because they HOPE it will be so … they do!!!

They lunge in all at once with their specially designed cattle prods, attempting a quick “kill” on the foolish American foes. Just … like … Joe … wanted!!!! With a move too fast for the Dark Order to follow, Joe’s right foot snaps up and draws one of the prods forward by the hand grip, his size 13 boot snagging the handguard and bringing to him on a platter! Another swist move and his hands are on it, redirecting it to the man’s comrades!!!! ZAAAAAPPP!!! AAAARGGGHHHHH! NOOOOO!!! ZAAAAPPPP!!!! One down!!! As the prod hits with authority into the man’s unarmored crotch!!!!! Then holding the wielder down with one boot and his leg, in a blinding display of Wing Chung “sticking,” skin to skin control, he turns the gun around to the second goon …. ZAAAAAAPPPP!!! ZAAAPPPPPPPP!!!!! ZAAAAPPPPPP!!!!!! Three times in sparking, blasting, and sizzling rapid succession into the man’s Adam’s Apple in his throat, another spot uncovered by Dark Order armor! The man can’t even yell out as he falls clutching his burning neck, writhing to the ground!!!!!

Back to back and butt to butt with the fighting, crouching big man, Joe Freedom, Major Victory makes his own peace with his rifle’s undoing. He grunts out “Well crap, I never did trust the fancy new-age things! But you know what, Merc! They’re still good for something ….” and he proceeds to wield the inert metal of the gun like a set of bizarre nunchuks!!! Whipping it expertly around, up, down, like it is magnetically rolling on his wrist, he proceeds to deflect all the prods heading his way, the insulation on the PHASR gun protecting him from any electric conduction, as he knew it would!!!! Blocks one, two, three … whoooshhhh … whoooshhh … all those prods directed at him, any one of which could render him helpless!!! And then turns the zipping PHASR so it konks first one, then two men in the chin!! CRACK!! CRACKKKK!!!!! Once, twice … both men go down with their knees sagging … groaning …. Arrrrrrghhhhhhh!!!!

Iron Merc, from his standpoint of safety yells “You effing wankers! Can’t you do anything right!!!! Just poke them, you idiots!!!!!!” Wringing his hands, the subtle grins of triumph on the face of the two American warriors making him want to pull his hair out!!!!

“You ok back there, Major!!” “Don’t you worry about me, kid! Easy as pie!!!”

Iron Merc snarls, looks like if you want something done right you gotta do it yourself. It’ll take a few minutes for reinforcements to arrive. GODDAMN these fucking American commandos!! Iron Merc calls out to the remaining two men, “Fall BACK! Flank me!”

He surges forward as the two remaining guards obey and flank the massive mercenary. The other prods cease working as soon as they leave the grip of the downed guards, fingerprint activated. Suddenly, with a reaction speed that takes both American heroes totally by surprise, Iron Merc pulls out his pistol, and fires a round directly at the center of the massively muscled Major Victory’s body. The veteran Commando is wearing heavy duty body armour, and the bullet doesn’t penetrate his armour, but it’s like being kicked by a mule. The blow smashes the Major back slamming him hard into a lab bench, with a crash of broken equipment falling on the floor.

The powerful Major out of action temporarily, Iron Merc reholsters his pistol, the inhumanly fast Dark Order officer surging forward, flanked by his guards following him. He dips down into his belt as he runs forward, flicking a small throwing star in the air. His control of the star is so subtle at first it looks like it’s heading right for the powerful Lt. Joe Freedom, but then at the last moment it suddenly arcs upward over his head, slicing clean through the electric cable holding one of the lights. The light plummets down towards the American Commando!

Iron Merc is looking to use that distraction to get off a savage attack to the heroic Commando! He spins on one boot, driving his other boot in a rapid circle, the evil Dark Order officer’s muscles rippling with incredible power, looking to slam his boot deep into Joe Freedom’s thickly muscled guts with a brutal reverse spinning kick while he is distracted by the falling light.

Joe’s eyes flick up to the falling light. No time to move! But he arcs his right arm up and twists his mighty core muscles to heave that debris over and down, harmlessly! SMASHHHHH!!! He turns back with a grim, satisfied look to the Iron Merc, but catches that spinning boot clean in his abs! OOOOF! The savage power of that wind up blow sends Freedom flying backward, off his feet, skidding on the floor and THUD … his broad back denting a set of tall, metal file cabinets!

The Merc smiles, reading the hero’s look “Oh yeah, mate, that was what you call a “distraction!” Maybe you should've watched more episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, yank!” Joe shakes his head to clear it, and to the Merc’s delight, is obviously humiliated at his “schooling.” He kips up in a split instant and retorts “Thanks, I guess, mate. But one thing I didn’t slouch on ...Captain America comic books!” The villain can’t stop a half raise of his eyebrow, wondering “is he daft?” but then … sees why! Joe’s right boot was on the round deflector for the fallen light fixture; an almost imperceptible shift of his boot and FLICK it’s up and in his hand, already back and now slinging that chunk of industrial strength metal whining like a giant Frisbee! The Iron Merc’s face turns to a “aww, shite” look as he bends to avoid it, but too late. It catches him in HIS gut! WOOOF!!! And it’s his turn to skid backward, bent over and sucking in air. He catches himself on one knee, and looks up “Ok, mate, one for one. But now I’m done playing with you!”
Joe Freedom crouches forward, fists slowly circling “Sounds good to me, bubba. BRING IT!”
The two men race forward and lock up like titans! Trading blows that seem to be blurs in the air, like a swarm of hornets, fists and kicks so fast they seem to launch and counter on their own. Joe Freedom boxing and pummeling with savage savate kicks, the Iron Merc mixing a bewildering array of martial arts moves from across the globe. Back and forth, now surging and driving the American back, now the Aussie fighter having to give ground, like waves on a shore. Behind the battling warriors, another swirl of blows as Major Victory holds off the sparking, singing weapons of his own assailants, making anything and everything at hand his own weapon!

The Iron Merc in between breaths “OI! Who taught you that, boy! Ooof! You got mojo! Ever thought about getting paid proper for it?” Joe grits his white teeth and “I fight for something bigger than money, mister! And like I told you, red, white and blue … comic books!” And just then, he aims to prove it and end this stalemate! Remembering his years of training with the very best, Major Victory!, and a panel from a favorite comic book hero from his childhood (Spiderman!), he … improvises again! GRUNT! Coming on strong with a flurry of lefts and rights, he distracts the villain, forces him to change up to a higher block, then again thinks with his feet, not just on them. Whips up the electrical cording from that fallen light fixture and spinning with it in his hand, uses is as a makeshift lasso to grab the Iron Merc’s boot and YANK it with another grunt of power … yank it high into the air … sending the martial arts master villain … down onto his butt unceremoniously!!!! BAMMM!!! The Merc’s eyes betray his deep surprise. This stupid American yahoo shouldn’t be able to … do that! No one, no one can do that to him!

Standing over the fallen villain, beaming with pride, legs wide, Joe holds that lasso tight and his foe’s leg in the air. “Say uncle, now, Merc, and I’ll take it easy on you!”

The Iron Merc is completely stunned, and realizes that he’s paying the price for his arrogance! This idiotic Yankee had him lassoed like some kind of bull! The rage and humiliation throbbed inside him, but he’d be damned if he was gonna let the big American commando school him!

Through clenched teeth the Iron Merc spat out, “You stupid Yank! Oi boy, You might be good, but you got a thing or two to learn! The trouble with learning to fight from comic books is they don’t teach you how to do…” Then with his other leg, the Iron Merc smashes his big, heavy combat boot directly into the All American hero’s crown jewels!! BAMMMMMMMMMM!! “THIS!! It takes more than mojo to take me out!” As Freedom doubles up involuntarily from that dastardly low blow, the Iron Merc crunches his abs, sits up, his core muscles tightening like steel cords he lifts himself high enough up off the floor of the lab to catch his massive arm around the back of Joe’s head on it’s way down. Then, he turns his powerful abs into reverse, and throws himself down, SMASHING the top of Joe Freedom’s noggin right to the hard lab floor, in an improvised Pro style DDT. CRUNCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

He rolls the stunned Joe Freedom over onto his back, and yanks the end of that electrical cord out of his hand. He leans down low over Joe’s face, grinning at the grimace of pain on the huge, heroic handsome features. He wraps the end of that electrical cord around Joe’s throat a few times, choking him with it, while he lifts up his other fist nice and high, the evil mercenary’s mighty arms rippling with power, he blasts his fist straight down into Joe’s hard square hero jaw! CRUNCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The Major, busy fighting off the two troopers, using a length of water pipe ripped free from one of the benches to rapidly intercept their sparking prods as the two trained troopers try to get a hit in on the Major, sees Joe’s dilemma. He feels a sudden fear for his boy, but his discipline holds and he doesn’t lose his concentration, but redoubles his efforts to fight off these two goons. But the two troopers are no pushovers, each one a tough, well disciplined fighter, and it’s taking everything the experienced veteran Major Victory can do to keep them at bay!

Joe on the ground, gagging, fighting with that cord around his neck, struggling to get air! No matter how many muscles he has to show, it means nothing if his brain has no oxygen!

Too late he realizes the Merc was right. That blow to his cock and balls took him by surprise. Such a tactic, a hit below the belt, would never occur to him, despite his prowess and experience. What kind of a man does that to another man? How does a man fight that kind of thing? Deep in his mind, in a split second, he also wonders if the Iron Merc has an evil instinct that led him to the blow. Since he was a youngster beginning to see (proudly!) the new hair on his balls, he’s known his “junk” is the source of his strength. Not just his ever-growing muscles, but somehow, truly the engine that powers his over the top abilities. And the villain went directly for his bulge when he had the battle going his way …

But for now, unable to break the iron grip, Joe Freedom finds himself mercilessly pummeled and strangled, his vision going gray after several direct hits to his square jaw. BAM BAM BAM His jaw, the back of his head on the concrete, a test of his fabled strength, one he knows he is failing. He can’t fail! The Major! The Major is counting on him! Gotta .. gotta … do something or all is … lost … and the Major is doomed! BAMMM another blow as the Iron Merc mocks him! Stars! NOOOO!! Can’t give up … can’t go dowwwnn …..

He hears his hero, Major Victory grunt in pain as a cattle prod nicks him! ARRRHHH!! And THAT gives Joe Freedom the surge he needs to fight back. Before he can think, on pure instinct, he whips up his legs, using his quadzilla thigh power and ripcord abs, lunging upward into the blows of his tormentor … at one instant encasing the Iron Merc’s head in his thighs, pushing upward so his own neck is not torn by the lasso-cord, and then surging up and forward and then DOWNNNN with his legs with a tremendous GRRUNNNNTTT … sending the Iron Merc’s head smashing down with sickening force onto the concrete floor!! KRRRACCKKKK!!!

The villain releases the deadly choke and both men fall onto their backs, pecs heaving, stars flying in their vision, lying on top/side be side each other, like warriors on some long-lost battlefield …

The Iron Merc lay on the ground next to his foe, lights flashing in front of his eyes, bells ringing in his head. How could he have been so stupid? The American had caught him with those massive thighs around his head, he should have known better. God his head hurt, but he had to move. He groaned, and rolled over up to his hands and feet. In a strange we, he respected this goddamn stubborn yank. The man had no quit, not an ounce of give in him. Iron Merc respected that, cause he was built the same way.

He got up just a bit before Joe, but not by much. Probably only cause he was just that much more stubborn than the big muscled Yank. That and he hadn’t just had the shit choked out of him or had his face used as a punching bag. But Joe was stirring too, the big All American hunk of beef beginning to rise. But the Iron Merc made it to his feet first, and sucking in huge lung fulls of air, trying to make the room stop spinning, he opened his legs, and guided Joe Freedom’s head right between his thighs. His big thighs crushed closed on the American Hero’s head like a steel vise. He bent forward, wrapped his powerful arms around Joe’s mighty core, and heaved the massive American hero right up off the floor of the lab, holding him suspended up in the air for a second, then turned to one side, and blasted the Grade A slab of hero beef down back first through a metal lab bench BAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM with enough force to make the steel construction give way to a pile of twisted metal, collapsing under the brutal power bombed Lt. Joe Freedom, unable to take the combination of Joe’s mighty weight and Iron Merc’s incredible explosion of power as he was looking to completely and brutally destroy the heroic Commando!

The loud noise of Joe Freedom being powerbombed through the lab bench echoed through the lab and Major Victory looked over, his guts knotted with fear as he saw that Joe was on the receiving end of some serious brutality!! He tried to fight off the two troopers and rush to Joe’s aid, but finally, his concern for Joe had cracked his iron discipline, and one of the Troopers broke through his expert defense and caught him in the ribs with one of those goddamn stun prods!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH He dropped his pipe, and nearly got another one, but he backed off, using every ounce of strength and willpower he had not to succumb to the terrible shock, putting the bench between him and the Troopers momentarily, but that put him further from Joe… and the Troopers were circling like hawks.

Still trying to make sense of the springing room, the lights, the noise, Lt Joe Freedom moved too late to stop the muscled villain from locking his head between those thighs! Butt in the air, Joe tried to widen his stance to get leverage, fight off this wrestling move before it put an end to him!!!!! YANK! Twist!!! But … UGHH … no use … before he could free himself, Joe felt his boots leave the ground and with them his chance for leverage! Upside down, his head squished, blood pounding in his ears, Freedom was helpless to stop the real attack … and his back arched up in a deep bow as the steel table gave under him …

Instinctively grasping the small of his back, the white hot pain shooting up and down his spine, Joe saw the look of triumph in his opponent’s eyes! NOOO!! He thought, can’t … can’t let it end like this … His first attempt to get up, to kip up like he did moments ago, merely sent a surge of sickening pain through his core, and no jump to his feet. Knowing he was truly injured now, Joe thinks desperately for a way to power back before it is too late … all the while reading the smirk of triumph on the face of the Iron Mercenary!

ZAAAPPP!! Cutting through the veil of pain, the sound of his hero Major VIctory taking a terrible blow from those cowardly prods jolts the Lieutenant yet again. Can’t … can’t let this happen! At that moment, Freedom accepts the fact that he is a goner. He knows he won’t walk away from this fight. But like a true American hero, he says “yes” to that knowledge and gives one, final surge to take his enemy with him, protect the Major and the US of A!

He can no longer match this man in speed, agility, maneuvers, but maybe, maybe, his massive muscles will even this up once and for all!! Joe feigns falling into unconsciousness … jerking and twitching on that broken steel mass of debris … and when the Iron Merc reaches down to finish the job … he uses his last power to lunge up and lock on a G.I. Joe Bearhug Special!!!!! CLAMP!!!! “Can’t … match … your … fancy … moves … but I watch … wrasslin’ too … bub!” And every ounce of power in those arms, his bowling ball pecs, his never-ending lats SQUUEEEZZEEEEE the life out of the trapped villain!! Face to face, nose to nose, breathing each other’s air, Joe’s white teeth gritted in his swan-song move …. One that will hopefully sacrifice himself but pull this Dark Order thug down with him!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

The Iron Merc stands looking down at the writhing mass of muscle in the middle of the wreckage of the lab table. Joe Freedom had fought well, but he was ultimately no match for the Iron Merc. Even better, he heard a ZAAAPPPPP sound as one of the troopers made contact with Major Victory. Soon, they would both be under his control.

The Iron Merc watches gleefully as his valiant opponent suddenly drops into unconsciousness. He chuckles, then bends down to grab the knocked out slab of All American Grade A beef, when suddenly Joe Freedom’s arms lunge up and lock around his waist!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!! The Iron Merc falls forward, caught off balance, and those incredible American guns start to swell to enormous size. The Iron Merc could actually feel the muscles rippling with desperate force, and he felt a pressure building on his ribs like a python!!! And those pecs… my god, the Iron Merc had never felt such incredibly massive, powerful pec muscles in all his life. They felt like steel as the crushed into his own mighty chest. He groaned suddenly in agony, the pressure was INCREDIBLE, sudden, and complete. He felt his ribs start to compress, and he had to fight for every single breath of air.

He gritted his teeth as Lieutenant Joe Freedom mocked him while he was crushed. And yet at the same time, even in the middle of this whirlwind of crushing force, the Iron Merc was struck by the sudden intimacy with this incredible fighting machine. Pec to pec… crotch to crotch… core to core… mouth to mouth. He looked for a moment into Joe’s eyes. He let himself feel Joe Freedoms incredible will and unmatched muscle power. For a moment it almost washed him away. But only for a moment.

In that moment, the Iron Merc fully comprehended Joe Freedom’s power, and swore that, no matter what it took, he would conquer it. He felt the power of that oath tingle up and down his spine and the look he gave back to Joe Freedom had not an ounce of quit in it, it was instead pure determination as hard as steel.

The Iron Merc focused everything he had on holding his core tight as steel, his own abs trained over a lifetime, battle forged and the consistency of concrete, surged with power. They slowed down Joe’s crushing force, but couldn’t stop it, not for long. He couldn’t keep his core flexed against this kind of crushing power for long, no man could. But he didn’t need long. Keeping his eyes fixed on Joe’s the entire time, the Iron Merc flattened his hands and shoved his fingers in between his ribs and those incredible, battleship strong guns of Joe Freedom. He had to hurry now, his flex was on the verge of collapsing. He dug down deep, deeper, then deeper yet into the wells of his own incredible muscle power, Iron Merc’s arms rippling with power, he grunted, and then shoved his arms in between Joe’s arms and his body, his flex started to collapse then, but it was okay… now that his arms were inside Joe’s bearhug, some of the crushing force was alleviated, enough to give him a bit of space.

His eyes still locked on Joe Freedom’s, he clasped his arms behind Joe’s back… already wounded by the Powerbomb… the Iron Merc kept staring into Joe’s eyes then spoke softly, “You might watch wrasslin … boy… but I am wrasslin… I’m the living breathing god of wrasslin..” Then, Joe’s arms started to compress and he bearhugged Lieutenant Joe Freedom RIGHT BACK!! His own biceps began to swell to the size of battleship guns, power rippled up and down his body, and with a grunt of effort, he CRUSHED inwards, looking to SQUEEEZE the very life right out of Joe Freedom!!!

As the Iron Mercenary’s own grip and bearhug tighten, slowly but inexorably turning the tide of momentum, Joe Freedom refuses to blink, to give one instant of will, one iota for determination and grit away to his opponent!

His blue eyes fixed hard, he thrusts his defiance into the eyes, face, pecs, crotch of the Iron Merc! Slowly, slowly his white teeth grit with the growing agony, the injury in his back beginning to cripple and depower his mighty hold! Freedom now knows without a doubt he is going down, he has lost and indeed … all is lost. The villain sees this clearly. His own fight paid off. He was able, just barely, by reaching down to the fullness of his own endless training, his warrior spirit, to turn this contest of strength around and come out the victor! The young man in his arms understands this with biting clarity now, there is no doubt. But … he .. .won’t … give!! The moment of surrender that the Iron Mercenary knows so well, that he’s seen a thousand times by a thousand foes, does not come! His mouth brushing the villain’s, the heroic Lt. gives one final word of defiance! “You … you … got me … but … never … ughhh … never take down … america … ne .. nevverr ….’ A final grunt of effort, his big chin shoved into the Iron Merc’s jaw, and he finally gasps his last … Lt Joe Freedom, American Hero, falls to the crushing, merciless grip of the Iron Merc, his abs, his pecs crushed and twitching in pain … helpless … the last of his air gasps out of the man’s body …

The villain feels his muscled opponent’s crotch humping in twitches of agony into his own … and knows this man is now HIS!

---

The Iron Merc hears the last defiant words from the incredible All-American commando wrapped up in his bearhug. Those words of defiance somehow both enrage the Australian Dark Order commander and increase his respect for Lt. Joe Freedom. With a sudden roar of rage, the Iron Merc’s arms, locked tight around Joe Freedom’s mighty torso, the thick slabs of patriotic muscle drained of power to resist, TIGHTEN. The Iron Merc’s own core turns into steel and gritting his teeth he snarls out, “You know.. Major Victory is all we really need. You.. You are expendable..”

An incredible ripple of power surges through Iron Merc’s awesome battleship strong muscle, tightening around Joe Freedom. Iron Merc’s biceps bulge to the size of cannon balls, his lats flare like a cobra, and those arms begin driving like an invading army right into Joe Freedom’s breathless muscle, the hero no longer able to hold a flex! There is an awful CRUNCHHHHHHHH CRACKKK sound as the enormous power of the bearhug litterally begins to cut the mighty All American Commando in two, caving his powerful torso inward, breaking several ribs and causing internal injuries to the brave, defiant, defeated American hero. The Iron Merc’s own cock responds to the savage domination of the defiant hero, turning stiff as a steel spike. He considers raping the Lt. before he kills him, when...

Suddenly, from the other side of the lab, there is a loud crashing sound.

Major Victory, his eyes watching the destruction of Joe is filled with a desperate need to save his brother in arms, the man he trained, the man he fought with back to back on countless missions, the man he loved like his son… and maybe more if we were honest with himself. As the two troopers circle around he roars, and leaps up straight off the floor onto the bench, tenses and prepares to leap over the bench to Joe’s aid,when…

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

One of the Troopers, powerful, persistent, well trained and fast, surges forward,driving his cattle prod into the back of Major Victory’s knee just as he was preparing to leap!!

The savage jolt hits hard, and really scrambles the Major’s nervous system. His leap goes savagely awry, and the proud, powerful Freedom Force Officer crashes like an aircraft shot down in action, smashing in a heap of dazed and hurting muscle to the floor on the other side of the bench, only a few feet from Joe and the Iron Merc!! The two troopers begin to rush back around to the other side!

The Iron Merc, only moments away from crushing Joe to death, turns at the sound and remembers that he has a job to do. He can kill Joe after Major Victory is safely captured. He releases Joe from the bearhug, the crushed Commando is in a bad way, several ribs broken, that All American muscled core caved in, he’s twitching and spasming. As Iron Merc stands up, he staggers suddenly, coming down from the high of out muscling the American hero. He’d been writing checks during that fight, and his body was cashing in now. His head was throbbing, and the wave of exhaustion that swept through him as his adreniline began to subside nearly brought the powerful villian to his knees. His own ribs and back ached with a dull throb, and he realized that Joe had come incredibly close to crushing him out. The thought that a stupid American had nearly defeated him filled him with fury. But, that didn’t matter now. There was time later, sucking in a deep breath, he turned towards the stunned and dazed Major Victory.

Joe spasming, reeling in pain, unable to move except for valiant but doomed attempt to reach out toward his menaced partner and commander … “got to …. Freedom … dammit … your … got to .. save the Major … you … loser … loser … got to ...AAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAA!! That gasp of body crushing pain as he forced himself to lurch onto his gut to … to crawl to save the Major … did it! His destroyed core, muscles beaten to mashed potatoes … he’s got nothing! The spirit is there, but the body is simply broken by the Iron Merc … Joe feels a lone tear fall unbidden from his eye as the villains surround his commander, father, beloved friend and … much more … and he is simply unable to anything else but jerk in horrible, bleeding spasms, USELESS to the Major! His greatest nightmare come true!!! Eyes swimming, seeing three of each man, and getting worse, his defeat is utter and total. Failure beyond failure and all … on .. him! … his heart, his soul, begins to bleed as much as his broken bones and pulverized muscles ...

Joe Freedom loses his brave fight … for a moment. His vision grays and he lies face down, immobile. But seconds later, a jerk, a pulsing, beginning in his balls and moving up through his body awakens him! His All-American, manly spirit is not yet completely broken! As he looks up through cloudy eyes, forcing them to become clear he sees …

The two Dark Order warriors took their opportunity to subdue the stunned Major, and the Iron Merc, limping in pain, now, facing the brave soldier with an evil smirk. The two guards on each side, pinning the Major with his arms behind his back, his chest open wide. The American hero struggles, but the Dark Order men have him tight, now - there is not escape!

“Well, well, whatta we have here, the big man himself, in the flesh, Major Victory! Sorry to report the news, Major, but you’re unit has suffered an unfortunate battlefield casualty. <Merc makes a dismissive gesture back to the fallen body of Lt. Joe Freedom.> “I would say the lad deserves a posthumous commendation, but not much point since YOU are about to deserve a posthumous commendation, Major!” <smirk>

<grunt! - struggling to free himself> “If you’ve killed that boy, you lowlife merc, you’ll answer to me!”

“Ha! Now that’s a rich one, Victory! Seeing as how I’m just NOW about to start the killing!” Merc reaches into his webbing with a long, slow grin of triumph aimed at his helpless opponent … “Hold him tight, boys. This old man deserves a clean and quick death!”

Joe Freedom blinks and comes full alert through a great effort of will. NOOO!!! He isn’t gonna let his happen! Not the Major! Not his father, mentor, commanding officer, not … the man who is … is his whole world! NEVER!!!!!

Joe grits his teeth and reaches down inside himself, in a flash summoning up everything to power comeback, an impossible comeback from a finishing, humiliating defeat. He remembers the Major turning him around as a young boy, from hopeless washout thug to fine, upstanding American! The Major there when he almost died from a hiking fall, carrying his young, broken body for miles through wilderness to treatment, the Major teaching him everything he needed to know to become a young man, always patient, strong, wise, good, always there for Joe when the rest of the world … wasn’t. His graduation from school, from boot camp, his Lt. bars … Joe’s first “love”, his first heartbreak, and the shoulder that was there for it all!!!!

NO! NO! NOOOOOO!!! THIS WILL NOT BE!!!!
Joe Freedom finds a spark of .. something … himself! … that he hadn’t tapped in all his tours … and calls it up for a last stand!!!

“I said hold the man still, you nit! Stun him again so he’ll quit that wiggling!” The Dark Order goon gets one hand free and the stun guns whirs to life “with pleasure, boss” as he prepares to zaaap the strugglin Major in the neck!

Joe commands his broken body to move in that instant. And miraculously, it does! He lunges forward and throws his weight into a beautiful All-American football tackle from behind the Iron Merc, catching him in the small of his (injured!!!) back and making the man crumple and throw forward … precisely into that buzzing stun gun!!! ZAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPP!!! Iron Merc’s face hits the stun gun at a sickening speed, both blasting his nervous system and singing his nose in a curve over his lips and to his jaw!!! SINGE!!!!

Joe, the Iron Merc, the Major, all the men momentarily knocked down by the surprise move … and the Major is free!!!!!!! “Holy crap!!! Get him!! Get him!! It’’ll be our butts if he …” But the Major is already springing into action as the Dark Order warriors try to retrieve the situation. And the Iron Merc, for now, on the ground, twitching, one hand instinctively holding his burned face! Joe Freedom … face down … jerking in spasms to help but all he can do is say “”Get … em … Major … no match for you … sir ….”

-

Major Victory is suddenly knocked down, tangled up with the two Dark Order troopers. He can vaguely see the thrashing form of Iron Merc at his feet, groaning in agony. He gets a sudden close up of Joe. One look at the blood leaking out of Joe’s mouth, the obvious injury to Joe’s torso at the hands of the Merc, it looks crushed and caved in, as if he’s been put through a trash compactor, fills Victory with a sudden surge of ice cold fury.

All his fatigue and the effects of being stunned are suddenly washed away. With a roar, he kips up to his feet, his finely tuned, battle-forged muscle obeying him with perfect precision. The two troopers, desperate to regain control make simultaneous jabs with their stun rods. They are going to fry the Major from both sides!!

Major Victory, with a surge of adrenaline fueled athletic power, coupled with his superb training and physical prowess springs straight up in the air, landing on the edge of the lab bench! The two troopers try to put on the brakes, but the Major spreads his incredibly muscled arms open wide. With a blindingly fast burst of speed, he grabs the back of both trooper’s heads, and compresses his arms together, forcing both Troopers to ram their stun rods into each other. Suddenly, both Troopers convulse crazily, letting out screams of manly pain as the powerful stun rods incapacitate both men.

Victory leaps forward, in a rolling dive, landing on the floor in a perfectly executed three point stance, directly beside Lt. Joe Freedom. He growls, “Stay put Joe, I’m gonna take out the trash, then we are getting out of here. We’ll get you patched up, don’t worry.”

The Troopers, having managed to disentangle themselves, are still on their feet, but looking unsteady. Nonetheless, they know the penalty for failure, and bravely try to force their spasming limbs into obedience. One of them calls out, “C’mon, get him!!” They both rush at Victory.

The expert Commando’s eyes narrow, his core tenses. He switches into high gear now, his mind for just a moment flashing back to scenes of his life with Joe at his side, at boot camp, at his graduation, when he received his first medal, the look on Joe’s face when the heroic young warrior realized that he would be serving with the Major. This was about the mission. But it was also personal. There was no WAY in hell Joe was going to die here. It wasn’t happening. Not. Going. To. Happen.

The surge of power that washed through the Major flooded through him, the determination that began to pulse in his veins was a song of heroism and power.

At the edge of his hearing, as if heard in a daze, he could have sworn he heard a voice… “Is he the one? Is he worthy? Such courage… such devotion… such selflessness…”

The trooper on the left arrived just a fraction of a second before the trooper on the right. Smoothly, Major Victory twisted to his left, seizing the wrist of the still trembling trooper, and with an explosion of muscle and power from his core, along with a twist of his arm, he sent the hapless trooper tumbling head over heels to smash into a bank of equipment, which exploded with sparks, knocking the trooper out. The trooper on the right, swung his stun rod like a sword, aiming for the Major’s head.

Major Victory ducked under the swipe, and sprang forward, cocking his right arm. His powerful body rippled with sheer strength, his biceps bulging like the guns of a battleship, driving his right fist like an unstoppable spear right into the solar plexus of the guard. The Dark Order Trooper folded up like a house of cards, collapsing, convulsing, blood and spit dripping out of his mouth as he clutched his wounded body.

Suddenly, though, shockingly, the Major feels himself lifted up off the ground, flying backwards. His thickly muscled back smashes with savage force into a storage locker of some kind, the brutal impact buckling the doors as his body slumped down. Pain and agony erupts all up and down his powerful torso at the impact. He fights and struggles to get up, looking into the face of The Iron Merc.

A face that was once brutally handsome and strong. And now was marred. A savage raw burn discolored his face, starting at the right side of his nose, and traveling down across his lips and down the side of his jaw. He was furious, his chest was heaving, his eyes dancing with rage and brutality. He snarls, “I was going to kill you quick and clean, but then your fucking boy had to go and be a hero. He’s gonna pay. And the payment is gonna start right now. I’m gonna kill you real slow and painful mate…. Right in front of his fucking eyes!”

Major Victor Armstrong … literally … rises to the challenge. With a grunt of effort, he stands tall, fists at his side, chest thrust out. Wincing for only a moment, he composes himself and locks eyes with the now-scarred villain.

“That’s … just fine with me, big man. Shoulda been you and me all along. Let’s play out this dance card and end this little prom!”

<Major Victory Stands Tall Before his Opponent!>

Dipping into a fighting stance, he circles the Iron Merc, scanning for the slightest sign of weakness, every nerve, muscle, hair taut and focused upon the villain’s form. The enraged Merc circles in return, eyes blazing with hatred and a naked blood lust, confident of his victory over his weaker prey!!!

And that blood-lust is exactly what the Major hoped would give him his chance! The Iron Merc smells victory over the hero with a slight limp in the Major’s stance as he side steps … and the Aussie springs!!!!

Exactly as Major Victory hoped! The leap is so fast he is almost undone, his feigned limp almost backfiring on him! But his superb training and years of deadly combat are enough, and as the Merc leaps Major Victory gives back, rolls, and uses all the power of his thick muscles to send the villain flying up and over him in a slow tumble … directly into the sizzling, dancing power cords snaking about under the room’s power source … deadly since the firepower of the Dark Order men made them casualties of this battle! The Iron Merc sees himself descending onto the twisting, sparking, hissing ropes of death that his own mean created … but even he cannot stop the law of gravity!!!!

ZZZZZAAAAPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!! ZAAAPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!! SIZZZZZZZZZZLLLLLEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---

The Iron Merc’s scarred face twisted into an evil smile as he locks eyes with his American foe, chuckling at the heroic Commando’s empty words of defiance. He would make the Major and that thick-skulled over-muscled wanna-be hero boy of his pay. He was going to relish the look on that dumb Joe’s face as he killed the Major slowly and painfully right in front of him.

Circling the muscled Major, the Merc’s eyes caught sight of the elite commando’s sizeable bulge protruding from his uniform. He grinned, beginning to devise his cruel, sadistic plan. And… that was his undoing… in the end, so focused on getting his revenge, he forgot just how skilled and deadly the Major was. One moment, they were circling, and without stopping to think about the implications, the Iron Merc instinctually leapt forward to assault the powerful All-American hero the moment he noticed a limp in the battle-worn Major!

Then, the next thing he knew he was flying head over heels, up and over and landed directly into a snake’s nest of severed power cables, a casualty of the brutal fight between the Dark Order troopers and the Freedom Force Commandos!

The powerful mercenary lets out a scream of agony as the live wires cause his powerful, superbly trained muscle to spasm and jerk like a fish out of water! Each touch of the live wire delivered a brutal blast of current that seared through his uniform and fried his powerful muscle!! The pain and agony erupted out from each new point of contact until the shockwaves of pain all merged together into one long scream of agony. It would have broken most men.

But not the Iron Merc. Even as the current seared his muscle, his brutal will sent a single command to his battleship-strong right arm. His body didn’t want to obey… couldn’t obey… his muscles were being zapped with deadly current. But that didn’t matter… he drove the command home to his body with the brutal, unstoppable will that had drove him to be the Dark Order’s head of security. He grabbed the end of one of the live wires.

Then, a moan of agony from the wounded Joe Freedom escaped the brave hero, his ribs crushed from the Iron Merc’s relentless bearhug, his back nearly broken from the evil Dark Order agent’s deadly power. Major Vic turned at once to his fallen comrade. And …

The Iron Merc had his chance. He heaved himself free of the sparking mess of wires, one live wire held in his hand, and from behind, the seared, fried villain, his skin and uniform smoking from the multiple shock burns, jabbed that live wire directly up and between Major Victory’s widespread, powerful legs, zeroing in on that bulge, driving that live wire deep into the hero’s crown jewels!!

The Major, standing tall with his powerful legs wide, chest heaving in pride at his … victory … distracted by the distress of his young protege, takes his hawk eyes off the villain for one instant, and that’s one instant too many!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He is zapped in his hanging balls and cock! The Iron Merc shoving that smoking livewire deep into his manly package!!!! Victory is transfixed instantly into a jerking, writhing statue of muscle, helpless to move or fight the contact! His sinews seize up and on the ball of his feet he does a hideous, twisting dance of agony! Pulsing into his big package, the power blasts his manhood and renders him defenseless!!! With a loud BANNNNGGG the seconds of torture end with the shorting of the power source, and also with the locking up of the hero’s body!!!!!!

Victory bounces in a seizure of electrical force then … falls forward like a log, rolling over onto his back and continuing to pulse and throb at the feet of the smoking Iron Mercenary! The Merc can look down into the eyes of the heroic military man and see the desperate effort to take back control of his own muscles, but can also see the failure of those efforts! Armstrong cannot gain back his own power to fight! He’s forced to lie there, spread eagled, as his own powerful arms, legs, pecs, and especially his jerking torso do a dance of pain, locking and throbbing out of his control!!!!

The Iron Merc looks down and sees .. his OWN victory in his grasp!!!

The Iron Mercenary staggers up to his feet, his chest heaving, his body flooding his brain with danger signals from all the savage, smoking burns marring his muscled body and damaged battle suit. But he ignores all of them, utterly transfixed by the sight of his hated Freedom Force foe, twitching and spasming, smoke rising from his savagely electrocuted package.

He smiles cruelly, the savage burn on his face from Joe Freedom’s desperate attack lending his expression a terrifying cast. He reaches down to his utility belt and pulls out a pair of heavy duty wrist restraints. He’s not taking any chances with the Major again. He kneels down, mounting the convulsing hero’s spasming torso. With a series of deft movements, he grabs the defenseless Commando’s twitching arms one at a time, forcing them over his head.

As the shackles click in place, locking the hero’s wrists over his head, the Iron Mercenary contemptously spits in Vic’s face, snarling, “You never learn, do you Major? I’ve won. The Dark Order has won. Did you seriously think that we were going to allow you to waltz into our base and take the serum that we’d spent years of effort to develop? The serum that would finally turn the tide of battle, allowing us to crush you and your pathetic Freedom Force mates once and for all? You “ He blasted his fist down into the Major’s defenseless face, targeting that hard, square, All American jaw with a brutal blow from his fist. “ were wrong.” He looked over for a moment at the nearly forgotten body of Freedom Force’s agent, Jeff Powers, as he stood up, standing over the now cuffed hero’s body.

“We were one step ahead of you the entire time. And now, you can die knowing that the serum is safe.” With a cruel twist he reached over and grabbed a discarded stun stick. “You know Major, I was gonna keep you alive, and kill Joe, but there’s no need for that now. The boy is a fucking cripple. He’s broken. After I’m done killing you, and making him watch, I’ll finish the job, and break his back. We’ll pump him for everything we’ve ever wanted to know about your precious Freedom Force.” The Merc’s cock started to stiffen at the thought of all the fun to be had, even as he placed the tip of the shock right between Major Victory’s muscled, tight asshole.

Still spasming from the savage damage unloaded on his manly package, lacking muscle control, there was nothing the Major could do to stop the Iron Mercenary as his huge right arm, smoke still drifting up from several burns on his uniform, bulged with power, and drove the stun baton to the hilt up that All-American ass with brutal glee. He grinned, “Now, watch closely Lieutenant. For you and your commanding officer here, I instructed my troopers to keep the setting on stun. Watch as I ratchet it up one notch at a time … frying your precious Major from the inside out like a Christmas goose. The final setting is not only lethal, but results in a slow and total disintegration of the nervous system taking several minutes. The pain is beyond imagining.”

Then, with a savage grin, the Iron Mercenary turns the stun baton on the lowest setting, and making sure there is ample time to savor each and every new reaction from the spit-roasted American hero, he slowly turns the knob bit by bit…. Heading for the max lethal setting, totally engrossed now in feeding off of Major Victory’s indescribable suffering on his unstoppable journey to ultimate annihilation!

<Major Victor Armstrong - from the stern>
Major Victory struggles manfully in those cuffs! It’s almost impossible, because the electric current has thrown every muscle and sinew into spasms, out of his control. But he HAS to! And so he does … slowly, beginning with his steely arms, he wills each muscle back under his volition. His ceps and then his wide-spreading lats finally beginning to respond!!! He tugs!!! Teeth gritted, jaw locked in agonizing effort, he fights those cuffs because … he must!

But the Iron Merc merely smiles at this struggle, indeed, he delays his assault to let the heroic Major realize first that .. escape is impossible! Then with his diabolic laugh, he plunges the night stick in to begin the ultimate destruction of Freedom Force!

ZAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPP!! ARRRRRRRHHHHHGGGHHHHHHH!!!! The Major tenses his iron glutes from instinct, but they’re no match for the force thrusting them aside. Deep into the hero’s butt the nightstick rams and then … from the inside … Major Victory feels his body sear and his legendary will begin to crumble!

The Iron Merc works the torture like the artist he is. Slowly, oh so painfully slowly, he ratchets up the power level, but each time enjoying the show beneath him. Major Victor Armstrong, proud leader, hero, champion of the beloved Freedom Force, crumbling from the inside out with no hope for escape!!!!!!

All this time, Lt Joe Freedom can only writhe helplessly as he watches his commander, his friend, his comrade at arms, his beloved “father” humiliated and falling to certain, painful death! Joe weeps tears of frustration and horror as he command his body to move, to stop this attack! But each time he shoves himself an inch closer to the rescue, his body gives on him, the damage to deep … he passes out for seconds, again, again …. He’s pushing himself beyond any human endurance as he weakly cries “noooo! I’m .. the one … you want … let him .. .goooo …” Barely audible above the zapping, frying sounds and the Merc’s laughter, the villain still responds over his shoulder “Oh don’t you fret, mate, you’ll get your turn! Don’t be so selfish! HAHAHAAAA!”

Finally, the Iron Merc nears the highest level of power, skillfully working that stick to eke out the maximum agony and destruction. “You should be honored, major. It’s not every bloke who gets this kind of loving treatment, the best the Dark Order has to offer! What’s that??? Oh, I’ll take that as a “thank you, sir.” Well, you’re welcome, Major.” HAHAHAA!

But even as the Merc’s hand begins to slide the control to certain death for the hero, Lt Joe Freedom … makes one final, ultimate push to stop this horror! Beyond pain, beyond the engulfing darkness, he reaches down, down … and somehow, calling to his beloved commander Victory, he finds a spark … of victory! Seizing upon that one point of light, he COMMANDS his broken body to a last effort … and finds his mighty muscles … moving!!!!!

The Iron Mercenary is totally oblivious, having dismissed the crippled Lt entirely as a threat. The sadistic, cruel Dark Order security head is engrossed in savoring the agony and pain ripping the powerful All American Officer apart. His eyes drink in the indescribable agony rippling across the handsome square-jawed hero’s face as his hand slowly, oh so very slowly, increases the intensity on the stun baton. He wants this moment, the moment of his ultimate triumph over Freedom Force to linger. He wants to lose himself utterly in feeding on Major Victory’s agony.

His other hand is gently, intimately almost, exploring the quivering muscle of the cuffed and doomed American hero, feeling the wild rippling convulsions tearing his muscle apart, the spastic twists and thrusts of his body seeking to escape a pain that is inescapable. Lovingly, he caresses the Major’s crotch, feeling the heft of his heroic balls and cock through the crotch of his uniform. A side effect of the stun torture has caused Major Victory to experience an involuntary erection. The Iron Mercenary chuckles, and with an expert deft twist of the shock baton, sends a pulse of searing power right into the Major’s prostrate, performing the ultimate male rape, coldly and sadistically ripping an orgasm out of the doomed American hero, causing him to stain his proud uniform with his cum in the midst of his agony and pain, an orgasm with no pleasure. Now, though, the Iron Merc realizes it is time. He has been hovering just below the fatal setting, but now, it is time to finish this. He prepares to click the dial into the full lethal setting, and turns his head to make sure Joe Freedom is watching the rape and fatal torture, the last moments of his mentor and commanding officer.

In his transport of evil joy, the deadly Merc only knew his own overwhelming passion and the suffering form of his victim, Major Victory. Panting in exhilaration, he finally turns to Lt Joe Freedom, to be certain the young man sees the end of his heroic mentor … too late! Freedom has finally fought his way to the scene of carnage and makes his one, last, desperate move!

Joe can barely see through the mind numbing pain, his muscled body a wreck of contusions and tears, but riding the wave of All American grit and determination, of love for his foster-father and mentor, he pushes through the pain to attack the Iron Mercenary! No way to pull off a savvy, clever move, no hope of out-maneuvering the clockwork skills of the Dark Order champion! No, Joe has to dig deep, deep into his gut and do the thing most natural for him, the effort that comes from his deepest core, natural and instinctual … PURE MUSCLE POWER!!!

His two iron fists joined together over his head, Joe put everything he has into a double-fisted, double-axe handle blow onto the exposed neck of the Iron Mercenary, the very moment his opponent begins to turn!! THUNK!!!!!!!!! Using the last ounces of his body’s power, Joe hits home HARD!!!!

UGGHHHHH!! That blows is desperate, but it does its job! The Iron Merc sees stars and grey … his body falling downward on top of his victim, Major Victory … and knowing he only has moments before his own muscled give out, Lt Joe Freedom follows him down. All three men in a pile, Joe wrestles with the sizzling night stick, the villain instinctively fighting him, however, and they grunt and strain, rolling off of Victory and into a tightly packed mound of muscle vs muscle … Joe grunting out “your … time’s run … ughhh … out … Merc … you’re going … downnnn!!!” Iron Merc replying in his semi-swoon “to hell .. with … you … Freedom” and the two men push for control of that weapon ,now dialed to full force … KAAAAZZZZZMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! In an instant, the nightstick blasts BOTH men, sizzling the Iron Merc in his right pec!!!!! But at the same moment, it blasts Joe Freedom in his left pec!! ZZZAPPPPP! Slabs of muscle and beef jerking, thrashing … as both warriors absorb the full power shock and short out the weapon!

Quiet, suddenly, save for the low groans of the fallen men … all suffering on the floor of the Dark Order battleground …

Finally, the silence is broken with a loud groan. Major Victory Armstrong suddenly opens his eyes, feeling as though every single hard, battle-trained muscle in his body is screaming in pain. But nothing can compare with the raw, hot agony ripping through his asshole. The pain from the last few minutes was so extreme he can’t remember it with any coherency. He’s trying to figure out what happened. He manages to pull his thoughts together enough to turn his head, and finds himself looking directly into Joe Freedom’s face!!

The handsome hero’s eyes are open, staring straight at him, and yet not seeing anything. Try as he might, the Major doesn’t catch the tell tale rise and fall of that big ole’ cornfed chest. The ultra disciplined commando ruthlessly squashes the panic rising in his gut, and focuses hard and sharp, assessing his situation. He sees a thick dark patch of black spreading across that mighty heroic left pec, right over the hero’s heart, still smoking. Then, on the other side of Joe, the Major catches a quick sight of the still form of the Iron Mercenary, with a matching burn on his mighty chest. Suppressing the scream of pain that rips through his body, he forces himself to sit up, only then realizing his hands are cuffed. He staggers up to his feet, wobbling like a drunken sailor from the savage damage done to his muscle. He stumbles, half falling over towards the Iron Mercenary, dropping heavily to his knees, his cuffed hands fumbling at the Iron Merc’s heavy utility belt, searching desperately for the keys to the cuffs. He sends another forced wave of calm though the rising fear.

He battles back the wellspring of memories and emotions flooding through him, early memories of the heroic, confident, fresh faced, honest cadet drilling, training. He fights back the memory of that special smile the handsome, striking hero always sports when the Major gives him a Butterfinger. No time for that. Joe was still alive, he had to be. Had to be. Finally, with iron focus, the Major fits the key into the small lock, and the cuffs fall away to either side. Half a second later, the battle-damaged Commando is at Joe’s side, checking out the extent of his injuries. His powerful torso was a patchwork of fractured ribs, clearly lots of internal damage, his back might be broken, and there was a severe burn covering his chest. How? Grimly, the Major realized exactly how deadly strong that Dark Order bastard truly was. Looking over the position of the bodies, the Major realized that somehow, even in his state, Joe had managed to attack the evil mercenary, saving his life.

His hands started to shake as the realization of that sacrifice struck him to the core, followed by a mighty swelling surge of incredible determination and resolve. It was almost as if a lock somewhere deep inside him had opened, and a hidden door swung open within him. He didn’t have time for that now, he reached down to check for a pulse on his fallen comrade.

At the edge of his hearing, even as he bent down over Joe, he could have sworn he heard those voices again… “He could be the one. His courage, his devotion, his selflessness, they do him untold honor. But we cannot choose him unless he chooses us. He has opened the door… but will he walk through it?”

Victory forces himself to his feet, knowing that he has to get out of there, get him and Joe to safety. But first… the mission… gotta… gotta complete the mission. His ass feels like someone stuck a red-hot poker up it, and he realizes the crotch of his battle trousers are stained and wet with his own cum. The humiliation of being raped by that bastard Iron Merc… but no time to worry about that now. He staggers over to the lab bench near the wall, every step hard-fought, through sledgehammers of pain smashing his nearly fried nerves. He reaches to his tactical belt, and realizes that he still has the C4 charge. He plants it on the main support column, then turns and stares at the small vial, the vial of serum that they had come for. The vial of serum that one man already had died so that it might not remain in the Dark Order’s evil hands. He opened the cabinet, and grabbed it, shoving it into one of his pockets. Now… time to get out of here!

The Major tries to lift the fallen body of his mighty muscled comrade ... gets him up on his shoulders, but Victory is on one knee and ... tried to rise by ... falls ... ughhhhh .... "NO! Can't fail now, you dumb leatherneck, LIFT, man ... lift!!!"

But again he falls, dizzy ... and he realizes the spirit is oh so willing, but the flesh is beaten, exhausted, there is nothing to power him up. At that instant he knows he and Joe will both die there, failing!

He falls over Joe's body at last, in relative safety, but too weak to go on .. knowing he is going to fail his young partner, let him DIE ... as he will also die here, once that the timer on the C4 charge goes off.

Noooo .. nooo ... gotta ... gotta get up, Victory, you slob ... get up an' .... unnghhhh
Falling into a daze on top of Joe, Victory wills his battered body to MOVE ....
It can't ... but in his swoon, he hears the sound, far away, of ... bugles, clear in the air, like ... the cavalry arriving!

A true hero at that terrible moment when the spirit is ever so willing but the flesh is failing!
But Major Victory ... will ... not ... fail!

Victory had what his parent's called "imaginary friends" like any boy. But in his case, they were all soldiers! Heroes of 1776, the Civil War, WWI and II, etc! As an adult he just thought of them as his role models, inspiration, not "real" ... just parts of his own mind.

Except suddenly...here now, on the gateway of death… what was real and what was in his mind seemed somehow the same. In his vision, one of the soldiers came galloping up towards him, riding a horse, dressed in the uniform of a cavalry officer. He leapt off his horse and suddenly, with a friendly grin, he reached out his hand. He didn’t say a word… but he didn’t need to.

Unable to tell the difference between dream or reality on the doorstep of death…. Major Victory reached out and grabbed the offered hand. Suddenly, the bugles sounded loud and clear, and a voice rang in the vaults of his mind. He has walked through the door, he has made the choice. He is worthy. The power is his.

If anyone had been able to see the scene that unfolded next, they would not have believed their eyes. A golden light seemed to suddenly erupt from the Major as he lay in a swoon atop the broken body of Joe Freedom. Then, suddenly, as though by unseen hands, his body rose up into the air, turning gently as though swathed in soft golden blankets of light, to stand on his own two feet. Everything still felt dreamlike, but he dreaming or waking, it made no difference, not one lick of a difference. He and Joe were leaving. And Joe would live.

Feeling as though his pain were happening a long ways off, Victory bends down and heaves Joe Freedom’s body up off the floor, balancing it over his shoulder. The damage to Joe was horrific… his hard, powerful core, those mighty abs, and powerful obliques had been compacted and broken like trash in a trash compactor, and a constant stream of blood poured out of Joe’s mouth. His pulse was faltering….. NOOOO Victory swore to himself that Joe would live. JOE WOULD LIVE.

Still swathed in golden light, he ran, for the front door. The sound of boots clamping down the hallway outside were coming closer, but somehow, Major Victory was not afraid. He knew he would make it. He knew it. His dying comrade on his shoulder, Victory slammed through the lab doors, and turned right, referencing the picture perfect memory in his mind, the memory of the base map. The front door. Then, as he ran with renewed strength for the door, a squad of Dark Order troopers burst in front of him through an adjoining hallway. They leveled their sidearms at him, and opened fire. This was it… this was how he died. But… suddenly… the voice in his mind whispered something, No, Major, not today. Try this… The Major was shown something… a way of focusing and manipulating the golden light that infused him. And then, suddenly, a spherical shield of golden energy encased Major Victory and Joe Freedom. The bullets slammed into the shield. The shield stopped the hail of fire, but every impact caused a savage spike of pain to knife into Victory’s brain, and his shield weakened with each bullet. But he kept running, and suddenly burst out of the main doors just as his shield flickered and collapsed, and just as the C4 detonated with a thunderous blast of fire, causing the entire compound to collapse like a house of cards. That central supporting pillar had been blown to kingdom come, and taken the rest of the base with it.

Finally, chest heaving, Victory lowered Joe Freedom to the sweltering jungle floor. Suddenly, beneath him, Joe Freedom, his powerful, manly torso crushed and caved in, began to twitch violently, and blood sprayed out of his mouth. His limbs began to spasm, then suddenly he stiffened and his pulse began to falter….

Victory turned to the sky and screamed, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, a cry of rage and fury and pain. He can’t… CAN’T DIE… Victory turned the golden light that infused him, and willed it to strengthen and empower Joe, as it had done him, but it felt as though he were pushing against an immovable wall. Stubbornly, he pushed harder… HARDER, until spots began to dance in front of his eyes. HE WOULD NOT GIVE UP. Then suddenly, the voice spoke in his mind again, Major, Major… his injuries are too grave for our power to heal… but… our power can buy him the time he needs. For he can be healed… and you already carry the means to do so.

Again, Victory felt what he was asked to do. And instead of fighting with the golden power to try and heal Joe, he instead cocooned Joe in the power, until suddenly Joe was in a perfect, timeless stasis. He was alive… but frozen. It had to be enough. He realized then what the … powers? In his mind they were suggesting…. To use the Dark Order’s own super soldier serum on Joe to save him.

Suddenly, Major Victory fell into a deep trance as he waited for the Freedom Force transport to land. In his trance the powers introduced themselves… and with a growing sense of awe… Victory learned that his new powers were a gift… a gift from the Spirits of 76, the spirits of all the men and soldiers who had come before him, men of courage, men of grit, men of noble spirit and true purpose, dedicated to defend the highest ideals of the red, white and blue. They had watched from afar, as every generation, the strong and the brave, the noble of spirit had died, and joined their ranks. Finally, they decided that it was time to do more than watch from afar. It was time… to select a champion, a man who was to be the very embodiment of the nobility and strength of character, the courage, bravery, the never-say-die attitude, a man dedicated to the highest ideals of the red, white, and blue. They had chosen Major Victory, ever since his earliest childhood, they had accompanied him, waiting for their chance to empower him. But… he had to choose them before they could choose him. And today, that had finally arrived.

Their mystic powers had found a home. Deep in his trance, Major Victory listened in astonished awe… as the limitations and scope of his new powers were explained to him… his powers could heal, to a limited extent, and they could shield, as he had already discovered, and they could wrap others in stasis. His powers could also allow him to fly as well. His own body was enhanced to it’s peak performance, allowing him the strength, agility, speed, endurance, and stamina of an olympic athlete 20 years younger, but it was not super strength, like Cowboy Matt McKaine possessed. Just peak human strength. And there were other nuances of his powers that he would learn in time.

Finally, he arose from his trance, a sense of awe filling his being, as the chopper descended.
Inside the chopper, he caught the familiar Cowboy hat of the leader of Freedom Force, The US Marshall, Matt McKaine, the most powerful superhero in the world.

In a flurry of activity, he hopped down, his eyes going wide as dinner plates as he saw the golden light surrounding his friend, Major Victory. But one look at the gruesome injuries to Joe Freedom, and all his questions were put on hold. He heaved up the form of the brutally injured Freedom Force Commando, still wrapped in his golden cocoon of light keeping him in stasis, and they hopped on the Chopper together. "What in tarnation!!!! Victory, what the hell you think you're up to with all this fancy-shmancy scifi crazy!!!! Now get that boyuh up here and let's haul ass!", he says with a cigar dangling from his mouth the whole time ... but he can't conceal the grin of joy when he sees his men alive!

The ride back to Freedom Force HQ was filled with quiet as the superhero Matt McKaine and Major Victory stood vigil over the young Joe Freedom, wrapped in his stasis cocoon. As soon as they landed, Victory and McKaine rushed Joe’s body over to the high-tech infirmary. Doctors converged on him, examining him carefully through the stasis field. They look grim. “Major, there is … nothing we can do for him. If you remove your stasis field, he will die within minutes. He’s internal injuries are so extensive, compounded by his fractured spine that saving him is entirely beyond our abilities… we…. We are sorry.”

Major Victory, however, did not answer. He simply placed the glowing vial of serum in the hands of the doctor. The doctor looked at in wonder. “Is this…. What I think it is?” Major Victory nods. “The super soldier serum that the Dark Order was working on in their lab. It’s our only chance. According to our intelligence, this serum will rewire the DNA of the subject in a near instantaneous fashion. The subject will immediately gain tremendous strength, stamina, speed, agility, and an unparalleled ability to regenerate and heal damage and trauma, short of death, to his body. It’s the only hope to save Joe.”

The Doctor nods, prepares a syringe, transferring the precious serum into the syringe. He looks at the Major, and he sighs deeply, then focusing, he calls on the powers bestowed to him by the Spirits of 76 to lower the stasis field. Immediately, Joe Freedom starts to spasm and choke, in the throes of death. The doctor injects the serum into his neck, grimly.

Then, everyone stands back as slowly his breathing stabilizes, and his coughing eases. There is no other visible sign of change. The Doctors look astonished. They wheel up a portable imaging device, and begin to scan his body. The mutter excitedly, then with a grin, the chief Doctor looks up. “It’s … it’s working. There is already signs of healing… At this rate, he will be fully recovered in about a week. It’s … it’s incredible!”

Major Victory sat down with a look of profound relief on his face. They had done it… They had DONE it. If he wasn’t so exhausted deep in his bones. He would cheer… but as it was, all he had strength to do was sit back in the chair and know that his boy, his Joe… was alive. Later, he would have time to realize that not only was Joe alive… but he would now be a super hero, a super soldier, with strength and might on par with US Marshall Matt McKaine. But the Major didn’t care about any of that. Joe… Joe would live. His boy would live.

Meanwhile… a few miles from the base, a lone figure crawled out of a long tunnel, in his hand was clutched the other vial of serum.. A vial that Joe Freedom and Major Victory had never even known existed… but the Iron Mercenary had.

Published: 2021-07-18, viewed 129 times.