Here's chapter one.Tell me what you think

Thor:

The Initiative

1: Welcome to Nowhere

The thrum of the plane's engines lulled Dan Whitman, the Black Knight to sleep. He and the other two passengers were on their way to Nellis Air-Force base in the Nevada desert to pick up two other heroes. From there they would fly to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to meet with the Governor and set up the Raiders. The Raiders were to be one of the many new teams of the Fifty State Initiative Program set up in the wake of the Super Hero Civil War. Dan was happy to get away from New York and the rebuilding from the return of the Hulk, but he couldn't help but feel that he got screwed. Across from him sat Robert Farrell the Rocket Racer. The young African American was sitting with his head leaned against his duffle bag as a pillow. Even over the roar of the engines Dan could here the guy's I-pod. He turned and looked at his other traveling partner. He had heard about the Thunderbolts reform program but he still didn't trust the former villain that returned his glance with a cold stare of her own. He broke eye contact when his ear piece came to life.

"Sir, we're about thirty minutes out." The pilot said.

"Okay captain give me a ten minute warning. I'm going to get some shut eye." Dan replied.

"Roger."

Dan related the news to his team and then leaned back and closed his eyes. After waiting to make sure that Dan was asleep Robert took off his earphones and looked at the other occupant.

"So how'd you get roped into this one way ticket to nowhere?" He asked.

"Believe it or not I requested it." She replied.

"Well I don't believe that a fine woman like yourself would want to get stuck out her in hick central." Robert replied.

"Believe what you want." She stated coldly. Minutes ticked by in silence.

"Okay why would you choose to come out here?"

The woman looked away as a flash of pain crossed he green eyes. "Let's just say I have my reasons for going to "Hick Central" She said. Robert didn't ask anymore the woman's posture clearly said that she didn't want to talk. He jammed his ear phones back in and waited for the plane to land.

Paul Whittaker sat in the shade of a parked cargo plane as his new teammate Scorpion II was busy with target practice.

"Pull." Leonard Marko bellowed at and army officer. The man fired the clay pidgin launcher and the disk shot into the air. Leonard focused on the target. With a flick of his robotic tail as beam of plasma energy shattered the target. Leonard had college wiz with robotics at Empire State University, but he hit the jackpot when he found the suit of the original Scorpion in the trash after its previous owner joined with Venom. He revamped to armor and weapons systems and donned it as the Scorpion II. He decided to join the super hero ranks just in time for the Civil War. Idealizing Captain America he joined the underground movement only to be caught and arrested. After the war he was granted his freedom in exchange for join the fifty state program. He gladly accepted a chance to get out of prison and after basic training he was now waiting for his ride to Oklahoma to set up shop as one of the state super heroes. "So what do you think he'll be like?" Leonard asked as he motioned for the officer to set up three more launchers.

"Who?" Paul asked not even looking up from his magazine.

"Our leader." Leonard said. "Pull!" Four disks shot into the air and were quickly shattered by his tail beam.

"I don't know. I never met the guy before." Paul spoke grabbing his soda and taking a swig.

"Whisky would be better." A voice said in his mind.

"Yeah I know but we're underage remember?" Paul replied.

"Horse pucky kid when I was your age weren't no such thing as underage."The voice sighed

"Yeah well when you were alive they still hung people in the street for robbing stagecoaches." Paul remarked.

"Might have a lower crime rate if that law was still in effect."

"Maybe Slade, but it ain't our lot to make the laws." Paul replied. A month ago Paul had been a normal kid living in a small southwestern town with little going for him. That was until he stumbled across the grave site of the Ghostrider Carter Slade. He had accidentally fallen into the grave and the ghost of Slade possessed him. For two weeks Paul went through horrid blackouts at night while Slade in the form of the Phantom Rider dispensed justice to the surrounding area. It wasn't until he came face to face with a guy calling himself Hatemonger that he found out he was the Phantom Rider. During the battle Hatemonger almost killed them but when Slade and Paul agreed to work together they were able to send the demon back to hell. When Paul watched the Civil War on TV he and Slade ached to join the fight, but they both agreed that it would be too dangerous and there was no justice on either side. After the war he signed up the fifty state program so he and Slade could work with the law and that's how he met Leonard. Not the most athletic guy but once he put on that armor he could go toe to toe with him and Slade as the Phantom Rider. During the weeks of training he and Leonard had become friends and now they were going to be picked up by an army transport plane and flown to Oklahoma to become a super hero team. Paul couldn't be more proud, but he didn't show it.

"I heard that this guy was part of the Avengers and Excalibur." Leonard said as he shot another set of disks out of the sky.

"So he's a team player that's good. We don't want some lone star maverick to get us all killed." Paul/Slade said.

"Uh, Paul you're using Venom speak again, and it creeps me out." Leonard said walking over and taking a seat next to his friend. Paul shook his head.

"Sorry buy when both of us agree on something our minds kinda talk at once."

"Hence the Venom speak."

"Yeah, but my alter ego doesn't ravage any living thing that gets near him."

"True Slade is cooler than Venom on any day." The sound of plane engines caught there attention as a C130 touched down on the runway. Paul got up.

"Well let's go meet the new boss." He said transforming into the Phantom Rider.

"Don't you get hot in that get up?" Leonard asked.

"No. In fact it's rather chilly every time I transform." He answered in his Rider voice.

Dan and Robert both exited the plane into the harsh Nevada sun.

"So is the ice queen afraid she'll melt or what?" Robert asked as the other occupant didn't exit the plane.

"So you tried to have a chat with our reformed partner I see." Dan smiled as they walked down the exit ramp.

"If you can call it that." Robert said kicking some dirt at the ramp's edge. "I didn't try to spit some game at her."

"Good thing too she probably would have teleported you into the artic for that." Dan laughed.

"So who are these two bozos we got to pick up?"

"Leonard Jonathan Marko and Paul Bruce Whittaker. Code names Scorpion II and the new Phantom Rider."

"Cool." Robert said as he saw two figures walking towards them. "I guess those are our boys."

"Looks like it." Dan replied. "Good morning gentlemen."

"How's it going?" Paul asked.

"Wow nice voice." Robert said.

"I believe introductions are in order." Dan said. "I'm Daniel Whitman, the Black Knight." He said shaking their hands.

"Robbie Farrell's the name." He said unhitching his part of his backpack and tossing that part towards the ground the piece transformed into a hoverboard and he jumped on. "I'm the Rocket Racer." He said blasting around the plane. Both of the new recruits watched him go. Dan smiled.

"Long flight." He said.

"I'm sure you know all about us." Leonard said. Dan nodded again.

"Well if you want to get your stuff we can get moving to Oklahoma."

Both youths grabbed their duffel bags and dashed up the ramp to find a seat. "Yo Robbie time to shake dust!" Dan yelled as the plane engines bean to whined up. Robbie jumped off his board and landed inside the plane the board reattached to his back pack as he sat down. Dan was last to enter the plane as it began to idle up the tarmac.

Dan sat down next to Robbie who already had his earphones in; across from Leonard and Paul who both looked down at the other occupant.

"Who's she?" Paul asked having transformed back into his human form.

"Your other teammate but I'd leave her be. She is a little antisocial." Dan said. Both youths looked at the beautiful woman who sat in the back of the plane. Her green eyes were like frost and her body language told them to leave her alone.

Hermod tried his best to run on his shattered legs as the dark figure advanced upon him.

"Pathetic." The figure hissed. His right arm covered in massive stone gauntlet incrusted with gems that glowed with energy. He wore black body armor and a red hooded cape that hid his face from view. Hermod tried to rise only to stumble and fall unable to support his weight on his broken legs.

"Leave me be!" He cried crawling away. Hermod had been sent with a notice to Olympus informing Zeus of Thor's decision to cut off diplomatic relations with S.H. I. E. L. D. and the Initiative. Thor hoped that Zeus would join him once he learned of Clor and the way his son Hercules was treated by Tony Stark and the other heroes. Hermod was on his way back to Asgard when he had been attacked by this man. The warrior possessed strength beyond even that of Thor and he was as fast if not faster than himself the gauntlet on his arm glowed with power that made Hermod shiver. His assailant had first struck him from above knocking him to the ground. Hermod had quickly recovered and attempted to run from him but the warrior cut him off and with one blow from his stone fist had shattered his legs. The man walked up and drug the god up by his arm to look him in the eyes. Red orbs of death greeted the fastest god in the universe. "When my lord Thor hears of this you will wish your birth mother had smothered you." Hermod said spiting on the hooded warrior.

"I have a message for you master." The warrior growled. "Tell him the time of Asgard is over, and I will not let your kind flourish again." He tossed Hermod into the dust and jumped into the air becoming a speck in minutes. Hermod watched him go and the fear that welled up in his heart was more paralyzing than the pain from his ruined legs.

"Truly we may be too few to stop one such as him." Hermod moaned and began to crawl back to Asgard.