Ayyyye! Look at this! :D New chapter! *dances*

Taskmaster POV

Taskmaster was getting downright bilious with SHIELD.

Particularly after spending an uncomfortable night inside a SHIELD cell - no doubt while the other three members of his "group" were sleeping in warm, comfortable bunks - so come morning, he wasn't feeling exactly thrilled to start the first leg of their hike through the jungles.

If he were being honest, it wasn't even the fact that he slept in a cell that was dampening his mood - please, he's slept in way worse conditions - so perhaps it was just the fact that it was a SHIELD cell that made him so furious. He's promised himself, time and time again, that he'd run his own dagger through his chest before joining them again. Yet there he was, sandwiched between the Hulk and Captain America as their young guide led them through the jungles just outside of the base.

Taskmaster could remember his last journey here all too well. At the time, he'd been trying to enlist KaZar to his Thunderbolts taskforce to relinquish the Goblin from SHIELD custody.

He could still recall getting the job from Goblin himself, just before the villain was arrested. Taskmaster wondered how Goblin predicted he would be caught and properly detained, before deciding it didn't matter to him. A job was a job.

But given the fragility of this job, he couldn't entrust it to one of his mercenary students. This was one he had to do himself, personally. Honestly, he hadn't originally intended to create the Thunderbolt strike team. It had come to him in a stroke of inspiration.

Before even glancing at the SHIELD list, Taskmaster had been spending tireless hours stalking a SHIELD base, memorizing its layouts and routines before sneaking in to hack the servers for the layout of Goblins prison aboard the Tricarrier. That's when he'd stumbled upon it.

A list made up of teenagers, all with a vast array of abilities and powers. Despite the severity of his job, Taskmaster had been intrigued, wondering what SHIELD could possibly want these kids for. Until he saw Spider-Man's name at the top, near Nick Fury's, and it all clicked.

Spider-Man was building a new team. Taskmaster knew this because he's made enough SHIELD taskforces and strike teams in his time to recognize an enlistment layout when he saw one.

That news really put a damper on his plans. It was bad enough that Spider-Man and his Ultimates team were always on his back, but include this New Warriors team to the equation- which was a childish name - and he was asking for more trouble than the job was worth.

Unless...he got to them first.

Cloak and Dagger were a very intriguing pair. She with her intense light abilities and him with his teleportation. Getting into the Tricarrier would be that much easier.

KaZar and Zabu, two beasts of the Savage Lands with the guts and instincts to take on even the most fierce and experienced threats. Very promising.

Amadeus Cho, the smartest kid in the world. Hacking into a SHIELD base seemed like it'd be a good challenge for him.

There were more kids there, each with a set of powers that could be most beneficial.

So, Taskmaster quickly downloaded a copy of the list, the Tricarrier's layout and blueprints, as well as a mission report stating pieces of Venom were still all over the city. Venom would be a very good addition to his Thunderbolts.

After that, he'd simply set his sights on making his own super-powered team while simultaneously coming up with a plan to break Goblin out. Out of all of the kids that he tried to enlist though, it was KaZar and his blasted pet, Zabu, that gave him the most trouble.

They'd been relentless, even when Taskmaster first approached them. Having a superior knowledge of the Savage Lands, it was nearly impossible to track them in their domain, which only made Taskmaster glad that he'd had the right mind to enlist Kraven to help. He'd managed to capture the sabretooth, for some immortality thing Kraven wanted to try, that, Taskmaster had no doubt, would be apprehended and stopped by some hero flittering along. But KaZar was a tough one. After getting the sabretooth, it was nearly impossible to negotiate. A situation Taskmaster admitted he should've seen coming.

It only made matters worse when Spider-Man showed up, pushing the boundaries of their undiscussed competition to see who could get their team built first.

Although, Taskmaster would admit that seeing Spider-Man get hit with that poison-tipped dart and becoming "savage" was quite a treat. Very interesting.

Very interesting, indeed.

Still, in the end, KaZar and Zabu joined Spider-Man and it was another pesky blotch to Taskmasters plan.

But no matter. He finished and completed his job, whether his Thunderbolts joined Spider-Man in the end or not, he could care less about them now.

Still, being so close to the jungle again made Taskmaster want to make a break for cover and finally leave these irritating heroes behind. He could stalk them from a distance, wait until KaZar was alone, and then strike.

That plan would not work though. Not if the note he'd been given was anything to go by. He'd read it subtly to himself, while he was in the cell, then swallowed the paper so there was no trace of it.

The message was small and to the point:

Stall them.

Which meant they didn't want him to kill KaZar yet. It was irritating, but it was what must be done.

How he was going to do it was the problem. With Captain America and the Hulk leering down his back, he'd need to think of some creative ways to stall their mission without looking suspicious.

Perhaps he wouldn't need to though. The jungle is hot and humid enough. If he had any stroke of luck, the temperature could do the stalling for him. Judging by the way Captain America kept tugging at his collar, the heat was getting to him.

Not that Taskmaster was doing any better. He wasn't wearing his suit designed to handle this rough terrain, and consequently, within an hour he was sweating profusely within his armor, which attracted all sorts of bugs that he couldn't swat away due to his hands being cuffed together.

"Take these off," he finally growled, turning sharply to Captain America. "We're in the Savage Lands now, and I need to be able to defend myself."

"Not until we know you can be trusted," Captain America said, and Hulk grunted in agreement ahead of them.

"What could I possibly do with you two leering down my back?" Taskmaster demanded. "Besides, how am I supposed to help KaZar find the megamiphadus if I can't use my hands?"

Captain America glowered at him, but Taskmaster could see him thinking about it. He knew the super soldier saw his point, and unless he wanted Taskmaster as a liability to their"team," he needed to make him mobile again.

Granted, staying cuffed and becoming a liability would effectively stall the mission too. But there were so many more tactics and strategies Taskmaster could use with his hands free. Stalling them for a while was his first priority.

After a moment, Captain America looked up at Hulk, who grunted again and marched after KaZar, who was hastily climbing a tree to get a better sense of where they were, then looked back at Taskmaster.

"Very well, but if you try anything, I won't be taking them off a second time."

Taskmaster begrudgingly agreed and held his wrists out. Captain America swiped a card over them. They clicked and withdrew around Taskmaster's wrist, dangling like bracelets. The Captain grabbed the cuffs, holding them tight as if worried Taskmaster might make a grab for them and run for it, and fastened them securely to his belt.

Wordlessly, Taskmaster turned around and followed after KaZar.

There would be no telling when he would get some leeway to stall the group, and given that he was already under so much suspicion, it was only going to make this harder. But Taskmaster was up for a little challenge.

He had to be. If this master plan was going to work, then they needed KaZar and the megamiphadus out of the picture. Preferably, for good. But he could understand why killing the brat would cause trouble.

The same kind of trouble that trying to kill off KaZar back in New York started. Fury wouldn't have agreed to the Savage Land mission so quickly if the attack hadn't happened. All trying to kill off KaZar did was shine a light in their weak spot.

If they'd listened to Taskmaster, this never would have happened in the first place.

But, there would be no grumbling about it now. He had a mission to complete, and he was going to do it.

Staring at KaZar's vulnerable back, Taskmaster began his planning for the best ways to stall the mission, while mentally mapping out the easiest way to slit the kid's throat.

Sorry, this one was so short. It started out intentionally longer, but then I lost my buzz for the chapter and it ended earlier. :C I mean, it has everything I needed in it, technically. So, I guess we're good.

Anywho, here we go! :D Another chapter *does dance* I swear I WILL finish this story! I WILL! This one just happens to be taking longer *nervous laugh*

Keep an eye out for more updates! I have, with a bit of luck on my side, around 2-3 more updates planned for today/tonight! YAY!